by Monica on July 30, 2009
Dara and I are tight…tight-muscled that is. When I read her book ( Age is Just a Number) that included her pre-olympic routine I wanted to know more about the stretching she came to rely on to get her there. She called it her secret weapon. Now, I do not have the very apparent resources of Dara so when I saw the Resistance Stretching DVD with Dara Torres online, I was in. It is the work of her resistance stretching team of Anne Tierney and Steve Sierra of Innovative Body Solutions. I have been doing these stretches for a few weeks now and I come to look forward to them at night. At first I wasn’t sure if I was doing the resistance part correctly (and this is where a trainer or one of their classes would be good)…but I managed to go back and watch their very detailed tutorial again and again until I was confident I fully understood.
If you are an older runner like me you may also find these stretches very helpful as part of your cross training. I have been off the road for two weeks now due to my foot injury but continue to cross train and stretch. I am not as sore as I am usually. [click to continue…]
by Monica on July 12, 2009
The Anderson's Garden
A salad a day….my training mantra for these past weeks. This has required effort on my part. As much as I love to order a good salad in a restaurant, it’s not what I crave at home. My husband planted this fabulous mesclun lettuce mix in our garden (photo) and it is making my daily quest for a salad actually tolerable. It is truly amazing how lettuce fresh from a garden can taste so much better! My 13 year son and I sometimes have what we call “power salads”- – just eat it raw and get it over with! But I have also found some really fabulous dressings that have helped me make it through these salad days:
- Trader Joe’s Cranberry, Gorgonzola and Walnut Dressing (I like to add a handful of their Omega Trek Mix)
- Organic extra virgin Olive Oil and Seasoned Rice Vinegar (my daughter Isadora’s favorite — a combination her Grandma Luanne taught her).
Cross-training has taken on new meaning as I nurse yet another foot injury. This time on the top (same foot), the result of a shoe tied to tight? Frustrating to say the least, but it’s been getting better every day. One day running, then two or more days off. Cross-training on off days and one full day of rest. This has been working so far to keep me fit with less running.
I received my Resistance Stretching with Dara Torres DVD (Dara’s’ secret weapon for training over 40) and I am into a few days of trying it out. [click to continue…]
