I Found a Pocket in C9 by Champion Exercise Pants From Target
Everyone knows pockets in exercise clothing are essential.
Pockets are an especially important feature of running shorts or tights. For running indoors on a track or treadmill, I need a pocket for my car or locker key and gym ID. For running outdoors, I need a pocket for my house key and ID.
If you have money to burn, Lululemon Athletica has by far the best exercise wear. Just be prepared to spend between $50-100 for a pair of running tights with a couple of cleverly hidden pockets.
You can imagine my surprise when I found a hidden pocket in the waistband of my C9 by Champion running tights that I bought for $25 from Target! The mesh pocket is sewn into the waistband of the running tights at the middle of the back. It was so well hidden, it took me months to discover it by accident! It is the perfect size for an ID and keys. You could even fit a smart phone in the hidden mesh pocket, but the lower back can be a terribly sweaty place to keep your phone during a workout…
Next time you are shopping for exercise clothing at Target, make sure you check the waistband for hidden pockets.
Packing for Ragnar
It’s that time of year again. Today, I’m packing and shopping for my 4th Great River Ragnar Relay. I always over pack, but if you’re wondering what to bring, here’s my list of what to pack for a Ragnar Relay:
Clothes: Pack your favorite running clothes, but don’t over pack. You also get a very nice shirt from Ragnar in your race goodie bag.
1 or 2 Pairs – Running Shoes
3 – Running Tights or Shorts
3 – Running Tops
3 – Running Socks
4 – Comfortable Underwear
4 – Sports Bras
1 – Long Sleeve T-shirt
1 – Light Jacket or Sweatshirt
1 – Comfortable Shoes or Sandals
1 – Comfortable Top
1 – Comfortable Pants or Shorts
1 – Baseball or Running Cap
1 – Swimsuit
1 – Towel
1 – Gym Towel
1 – Wet/Dry Bag (or garbage bag)
1 – Reflective Vest
2 – LED Lights (or these might be built into your reflective vest)
1 – Headlamp (2 per van)
1 – Sunglasses
1 – Glasses with Clear Lenses
1 – Small Hand-held Mace (for farm dogs or those wild animals they warn you about in the race bible!)
Toiletries: You might not need all of these all of the time, but hopefully someone in your van has them when you need them.
Sunscreen
Chapstick
Gum
Bug Spray
Deodorant
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Floss
Ponytail Holders
Headbands
Hairbrush
Moist Body Wipes
Moist Facial Wipes
Pepto Bismol (Beware Runner’s Trots and Dehydration)
Tums
Travel-size Contact Lens Solution
Contact Case
Travel-size Shampoo
Travel-size Conditioner
Travel-size Toilet Paper
Travel-size Vaseline
Band-aids
First Aid Kit
Nail Clipper
Ibuprofen
Garbage Bags
Paper Towels
Hand Sanitizer
Food: This is for the whole van. Bring any special food items that work for you before/during/after running. Avoid new foods and restaurants on race days. Remember, you can always stop at a gas station or grocery store if you need to reload.
Water (bottles of various sizes)
Sports Drinks
Protein & Energy Bars
Fruit (not too fibrous)
Trail Mix
Entertainment: Race rules have changed and a lot of legs are non-support legs. Keep yourself occupied.
Car Charger for Smart Phone
Camera
Magazines
MP3 Player
Travel Pillow
Car Games
Sense of Humor
Good Attitude
Team Spirit
I’d love to hear suggestions and recommendations based on your experience with Ragnar Relay! Let me know what you pack and what you wish you did (or didn’t) pack!
Vibram FiveFingers Shoes and Zumba
It was bound to happen: I finally saw a pair of Vibram FiveFingers shoes in one of my Zumba classes.
I do have people who occasionally go barefoot in my Zumba classes. Usually, it is because: A) They are professional or modern dancers and they choose to dance barefoot (like Shakira) or B) they forgot their athletic shoes and whatever shoes they were wearing were not appropriate for Zumba. Depending on the instructor, there can be a fair amount of pounding, jumping, twisting, and turning in Zumba. It is widely known that trained and untrained barefoot dance can cause a host of foot problems including blisters, calluses, bruises, pes planus (fallen arches or flatfeet), stress fractures, tendinitis, capsulitis, metatarsalgia, and more.
I am not a doctor, but in my opinion, using Vibram FiveFingers shoes for Zumba would only add insult to injury. Vibram FiveFingers shoes give users the feeling of being barefoot with the security of a performance rubber sole for sure grip and slip resistance.
Slip resistance and a sure grip is not what you want or need for Zumba. The increased grip of the sole will force the foot to stay in place and will lead to unnatural twisting of the ankle, knee, and hip during many dance moves in a typical Zumba class.
Do I recommend Vibram FiveFingers shoes for Zumba? No. If you truly want a natural experience, dance barefoot – and do so at your own risk. Proper footwear, like athletic dance shoes, absorb shock and protect the feet and legs from injury during high impact activity.
Save the Vibram FiveFingers shoes for barefoot running, strength training, yoga or Pilates, or after sport.
Filed under Zumba, exercise | Tags: athletic dance shoes, athletic shoes, bare foot, barefoot, blister, bruise, callus, capsulitis, Dance, fallen arch, Finger, Fingers, five, FiveFinger, FiveFingers, flat feet, flatfeet, metatarsal, metatarsalgia, modern dance, pes planus, pilates, Running, shakira, shoes, stress fracture, tendinitis, Vibram, yoga, Zumba, Zumba shoes | Comments (2)Zumba – Kicks like a workout, feels like a party
The Minneapolis – St. Paul, Minnesota Star Tribune recently published an article about Zumba.
University of Minnesota kinesiology professor, Beth Lewis was quoted as saying: “For someone who’s physically fit, probably going for a run is going to provide a better workout, but for people who work out rarely, this is a fabulous gateway exercise…”
I very much disagree with Ms. Lewis. Zumba is a great interval workout for people of all fitness levels, not only “people who work out rarely.” The Zumba format allows each individual to work as hard as they choose or as hard as they are able. Zumba recruits muscles from the entire body while challenging the cardiovascular system. Choreography may be difficult for some former athletes to pick up and therefore, some “physically fit” participants may need more time and practice to feel comfortable enough to work at a high intensity.
I have been a long-distance runner for over 15 years and I never saw the rapid results that I saw from Zumba from running. Since doing Zumba for the first time in March 2009, I personally have lost over 30 pounds. I consider myself well-conditioned and toned. I ran my best-ever Ragnar Relay race in the summer of 2010 after training by primarily leading Zumba classes.
I love seeing my participants smile and build confidence, spirit, and attitude through Zumba. Viva Zumba!
Filed under Zumba, exercise, group fitness, health | Tags: attitude, beth, beth lewis, confidence, exercise, gateway, lewis, minneapolis, Minnesota, mn, paul, physically fit, Ragnar, Ragnar Relay, run, runner, Running, saint, smile, spirit, st., star, startribune, tribune, university of minnesota, work out, workout, Zumba | Comment (0)What to Pack for a Ragnar Relay
I’m getting ready to run my 3rd Great River Ragnar Relay. A new friend, one of my Zumba participants, has joined the team this year. She has a lot of questions. To help her out, here’s my suggestion on what to pack for a Ragnar Relay.
Clothes: Pack your favorite running clothes, but don’t over pack. You also get a very nice shirt from Ragnar in your race goodie bag.
1 or 2 Pairs – Running Shoes
3 – Running Tights or Shorts
3 – Running Tops
3 – Running Socks
4 – Comfortable Underwear
3 – Sports Bras (or if you’re like me 6 sports bras – why do sports bras have to be so terrible?)
1 – Long Sleeve T-shirt
1 – Light Jacket
1 – Comfortable Shoes or Sandals
1 – Comfortable Top
1 – Comfortable Pants or Shorts
1 – Baseball or Running Cap
1 – Swimsuit
1 – Towel
1 – Gym Towel
1 – Wet/Dry Bag
1 – Reflective Vest
2 – LED Lights
1 – Headlamp
1 – Sunglasses
1 – Glasses with Clear Lenses
1 – Small Hand-held Mace (for those wild animals they warn you about in the race bible!)
Toiletries: You might not need all of these all of the time, but hopefully someone in your van has them when you need them.
Sunscreen
Chapstick
Gum
Bug Spray
Deodorant
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Floss
Hairbrush
Moist Body Wipes
Moist Facial Wipes
Pepto Bismol (Beware Runner’s Trots and Dehydration)
Tums
Travel-size Contact Lens Solution
Contact Case
Travel-size Shampoo
Travel-size Conditioner
Travel-size Toilet Paper
Travel-size Vaseline
Band-aids
First Aid Kit
Nail Clipper
Ibuprofen
Garbage Bags
Paper Towels
Hand Sanitizer
Food: This is for the whole van. Bring any special food items that work for you before/during/after running. Avoid new foods on race days.
Water (bottles of various sizes)
Sports Drinks
Protein & Energy Bars
Sandwich Materials (bread, peanut butter, & jelly for me)
Fruit (not too fibrous)
Nuts
Trail Mix
Entertainment: Race rules have changed and a lot of legs are non-support legs. Keep yourself occupied.
Camera
Magazines
MP3 Player
Travel Pillow
Car Games
Sense of Humor
Good Attitude
Team Spirit
I’d love to hear suggestions and recommendations based on your experience with Ragnar Relay!
Filed under Running, exercise | Tags: clothes, Great, Great River Ragnar Relay, headlamp, LED, pack, Ragnar, Ragnar Relay, reflective vest, Relay, River, run, Running, running clothes, running shoes, shoes, sports bra, what to pack | Comment (0)