It’s been one helluva day so I’m just popping in for a quick catch up today.

But let’s just say I spent my run today doing a bunch of swearing under my breath at the Vancouver Parks Board.

I mean DANG IT ANYWAY, PARKS BOARD GUYS!!

Do ya really gotta mess with my perfect cardio programs like this?

REALLY?

*sob*

Well, at least they’re gonna force me out of my comfort zone. That’s never a bad thing.

This is what I’m talking about:

That’s pretty much it. Thanks for letting me vent. I’ll get over it eventually (and I’ll get over it for sure once the seawall is fixed and accessible again … lol )!!

In the meantime, let’s liven this party up …

It’s been a while since I’ve done a Workout Song of the Day …

… and this one is very apropos since it’s an AWESOME song for running and also because I now feel like MY world is ending without my beloved seawall to kick it on!

Enjoy!

Information Society – Ending World 1.1

Hey, if you love it like I do and want to add it to your workout collection a quick click on the ‘buy’ button on the player widget above will get you set up in no time.

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day.
Girlwithnoname

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Fartlek.

I KNOW, I KNOW!!

It sounds like a dirty word, doesn’t it? LOL

Well, I hate to ruin your fun, but it’s actually a Swedish word that means “Speed Play“. And it’s an effective way of increasing your running speed or improving your endurance.

Fartlek is a form of interval training but with some differences.

The basic concept of interval training is to do short bursts of fast running alternating with slower bouts of mild jogging or “recovery” intervals. The thing that makes Fartlek different than conventional interval training is that there is no set format for times or distances of the intervals, it is completely unstructured.

Another difference is that Fartlek is intended for road, path or trail “distance” running (as opposed to going back and forth over the same part of a path over and over, as is the case in most forms of interval training).

Fartlek training is a great way to increase both your aerobic and anaerobic capabilities as well as your lactic thresholds. And, it’s a very flexible way of incorporating interval training into distance running.

However, Fartlek is mostly intended for advanced runners.

In Fartlek training, the runner increases or decreases their running speed for short amounts of time. However, determining when they should increase or decrease speeds is decided solely by the runner themselves, in the moment.

This allows the runner to be more in touch with their own feelings and responses to the harder intervals and decide for themselves when it is time to take a slower interval. The runner is also in charge of when they’ve had enough ‘recovery’ and should start a harder, fast run interval again.

Fartlek is intended mostly for advanced runners because as mentioned, there is no set format to follow so this requires total honesty and committment by the runner to ensure they’re actually getting a hard workout.

There’s no timer telling the runner to go fast or slow … no coach or specified distance that determines the speed changes, only the runner determines it for themselves as they go.

Another interesting thing about Fartlek is that it allows for more experimentation than traditional timed intervals. The runner can change their pace whenever they feel like it, which allows for much more freedom with trying intervals of varying lengths and speeds.

But just because Fartlek is designed for advanced runners doesn’t mean that the average runner can’t take advantage of this technique.

An average runner can incorporate Fartlek into their routines by choosing random items along their path as ‘goal-posts’ where they promise themselves they will change their pace.

The runner might choose a tree that’s up in the distance or a bend in the road, or another jogger up ahead and tell themselves “When I reach that marker, I will increase my pace until I hit that next marker, then I can go slow again“, and continue choosing markers along their path as they go (this eliminates the need for the “total honesty” that advanced runners must have when they’re doing Fartlek without markers).

As well, average runners can use this technique to become more in touch with themselves as a runner.

Because it allows for so much experimentation, doing Fartlek can help less advanced runners become aware of things like how long it takes their breathing to become more difficult at faster paces, or how much faster their pace needs to be in order to get a harder cardiovascular workout.

The runner can also experiment and learn things like how wide their stride is at certain paces as well as other physical changes that occur at different speeds, lengths of intervals, etc.

This new-found knowledge can then help them become more advanced runners.

Fartlek training is a fun and easy way to incorporate interval training into your running routines as well as getting you a harder and more beneficial workout on your regular long endurance runs.

I do it all the time and always have a great time pushing myself and testing my limits to see how much faster, stronger and better I can be from one session to the next.

So get out there and start testing yourself, too!

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day.
Girlwithnoname

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Hey everyone!! Wow, its Hump Day again already! Mom was right: The older you get, the faster time goes.

Anyhoo, getting straight to the point today:

I got damn sick and tired of messing up my intervals all the time.

My mind wanders, I forget to look at my watch and before I know it, I’ve either run farther and longer than I was supposed to (not necessarily a bad thing), or walked farther and longer than I was supposed to (the “Cardinal of all Interval Sins”).

So, I went looking for the solution … I looked at a bunch of interval watches but everything I found uses audible beeps to notify the user of the start / end of each interval. Seeing as I wear an mp3 player when I do cardio, I just can’t hear the beeps, so that’s more or less useless to me.

So I kept searching for what I need: something with a vibration function to alert me that it’s time to change speeds.

Yippee, I finally found it. Thank you GymBoss.

So, now that I’m getting my “Intervals Done Right“, I also now have a new personal challenge.

Check it out:

Vibration-mode really is the way to keep me honest and on track with my Interval Training.

Since recording this little rave-fest I’ve also used the stopwatch function on my new GymBoss Interval Timer to time out my Kettlebell sets for exercises like Swings, Snatches and Cleans since I am now working out with my groovy new Kettlebells. And it works GREAT!!

Thanks again GymBoss. Super glad you exist and your little timer is fantastic.

Get Your Own GymBoss Interval Timer Here!!!

Workout Song of the Day

Yep, there’s a tie-in. I figure that now that I have this groovy new Interval Timer to keep reminding me, I can let my mind “Dream” all it wants to, I know I won’t miss my next ‘run’ interval when it vibes to tell me to get “Runnin’“.

See how I worked that out? Tricky, eh? LOL.

Besides, it’s a terrific song to help you crank out a great cardio session.

Enjoy!

Tom Petty – Runnin’ Down a Dream

Don’t forget, if you dig it and want to run down a dream while you’re getting your cardio done, just click on the Buy Button on the Player Widget and Amazon will get you set up asap.

That’s it for today. I’m off to kick my own butt on the seawall with some hard-core Interval Training (was there ever any doubt?) LOL

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day.
Girlwithnoname

ps. hey, if you haven’t heard my Interview with Scott Colby, “My First Six Pack” Creator from a couple of days ago, make sure you head over there, it’s an information-packed discussion that you really don’t want to miss.

Hey everyone. A bright shiny new week ahead of us. So full of possibility, right?

Got big plans? Big WORKOUT plans?

Hope so.

Anyway, had an interesting (and insanely intense) workout yesterday doing some HIIT (high intensity interval training) on the seawall.

So, I thought I’d share my story!

Let’s just say that there’s lots of ways to kick it up a notch …

… even if you just make up a mock competition with a total stranger solely in your own head.

That’s the tactic I used yesterday!

Check it out:

Grab Turbulence Training here and get jiggy with the Interval Training NOW!

< < < Turbulence Training Has Great Interval Workouts

And, don’t forget to check out my Online Fitness Coaching and NEW ’streamlined’ Power Tools Email Fitness Coaching pages if you’re interested in working with me.

I know what I’m doing when it comes to getting in fantastic shape, right?

We’d have a lot of fun and I’d bet we can get you the results you’re looking for … as long as you do what I say! LOL.

So let’s get to work, shall we?

That’s it for today. Have a fit, fun and fantastic day!
Girlwithnoname

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CARDIO!! What the heck IS it anyway?

Ok you guys, I have a pet peeve to share with you today.

I keep reading the sales copy for fitness books who all say “don’t do cardio” and “cardio is unnecessary” and “instead of cardio, lose weight with MY program, goodbye cardio” and then once I’m reading the actual book turns out they are touting a form of cardio anyway.

So I ask again: What the hell IS cardio? And why does there seem to be so much confusion out there about it?

Well, here’s your answer:

Like I said make sure you check out Mike Geary’s fantastic fitness eBook The Truth About Six Pack Abs … he really DOES know what he’s talking about and he has lots of great cardio workouts, tricks and tips, too.

Get Truth About Six Pack Abs by Mike Geary

And now it’s time for today’s Workout Song of the Day.

I bet you’ve already guessed that today’s song will be great for cardio right? HAHA!! Of course you did, because now you’ve got my number!! LOL

However, I did you one better! I found one with the word “RUN” in the title!!

So … get running!

Or biking.

Or swimming.

Or walking!!!

Jeez, even get weight training (in the way that gets your heart-rate up, of course).

Just get moving and get your cardio workout done, y’hear?

Sweet – Fox On The Run

Don’t forget, if you want to run to Fox on the Run too, hop over to Amazon through the Buy Button on the Player Widget and they’ll set you up with the mp3 in a click of your mouse or two.

That’s it for today everyone!! Enjoy your Cardio, however you choose to get it!

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day!
Girlwithnoname

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Hi everyone. Well, I’m taking the plunge. That’s right. Online Fitness Coaching from me, Girlwithnoname!

But first, a quick catch up on what the heck has been keeping me away so long… some major frustration for me these days, let me tell you… Plus I chat quickly about today’s bout with HIIT (high intensity interval training), and the challenge I’m facing tomorrow with getting my weights routine done. Life just doesn’t get easier does it? LOL

Here I am:

Also, just so you guys know… that awesome banner at the top of my page publicizing my new Online Fitness Coaching Service? Designed by one Mr. Jarret Cade, twitter tweeter extraordinaire and all around helpful guy!!! He did a rocking job of the design didn’t he? If you’re looking for some great design work for your own site, feel free to contact him on Twitter at @jarret or via email at jarret@jarretcade.net and let him know you saw my banner and high recommendations! He’ll take good care of ya!

and finally, here’s today’s Workout Song of the Day…as always I’m being a smartypants trying to keep the song tied as closely as possible to the theme of the post. Seeing as I’m breaking out some new NEWS about my new Online Fitness Coaching Service, I figured a song called “The News” would be very fitting. Am I right? LOL. This one is great for Cardio cuz it has a great beat.. and bonus, it has a little of the old Clash vibe to it … gee, I wonder why seeing as its Mick Jones’ new band!! (hey, for anyone that doesn’t know who the Clash is go find out and do yourself a huge favour).

CARBON SILICON – The News

Don’t forget, if ya love it as much as I do and want to get it for yourself, you can click on the ‘BUY’ button on the sample player and you’ll click right through to Amazon to grab it.

That’s it for today!! Happy Monday, have a grrrrrrrrreat week!!
Girlwithnoname

Hey everyone!! How’s everyone’s week coming along?? I’m still doing my headless chicken routine, but managed to get some hillsprints in today and that got me thinking more about interval training and Tom Venuto and the awesome advice and principles he talks about in his book “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”. Tom is one of those guys that believes in HARD WORK over starving yourself in order to lose fat.

I also share a recipe that I invented. When I first published this recipe on Twitter, I got a few incredulous responses asking if it actually tastes any good. Well, YES, it does and if you don’t believe me, ask one of my converts!! My friend over on www.thefightgeek.org didn’t believe me, tried it anyway and now eats it regularly! Its a super good, nutrient-rich combination for pre or post workout with lots of protein!!

And finally, are brown eggs more nutritious than white eggs?? I answer this question too!

Check it out!!

If you’re interested in getting Tom Venuto’s book “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle” GET IT HERE!!!