Core Board

I just received this email from the Wellness Center here @ work. I thinking of trying this out but I'm wondering if it's gimmiky and worth my time. I guess I'll check it out and see:


New Core Board Classes at the Wellness Center

Introduction To Core Boards
Mondays 1:05 - 1:35 p.m. Tuesdays 6:15 - 6:45 a.m.Wednesdays 12:05 - 12:35 p.m.
*No sign up necessary. Just attend class and select “Intro to Core Board” from the activity list when you sign-in.

To view the complete March Group Fitness Schedule click here.


Introduction to the Core Board

This class utilizes the core board—a multi axial training tool with a variably stable surface. The object is to stay on the board while doing moves like squats, lunges, push-ups, and jumps. The stability of the core board is adjustable, so beginners can work with an almost stable surface. The more advanced you get, though, the more unstable your board should be.

What is Core Training?

Reebok Core Training is a breakthrough innovation in exercise and fitness developed by Reebok University. It is based on the premise that improved torso strength improves limb function. This class focuses on conditioning and training the body’s central zone or core using reaction, the process in which the body moves and learns to move. By focusing on the root of usable strength, the torso, core training improves functional conditioning, reactive movement and quality of exercise. Core generated movement helps develop control, precision, strength and suppleness simultaneously. Improved core strength and conditioning makes all other exercise and training more effective.

Reebok core training develops:

Torso strength
Reactive movement
Control, precision and suppleness
Total body strength

To find schedules & upcoming programs, visit UnumCentral.

—> Go to Colonial
—> What’s Happening Now
—> Wellpower
—> Colonial Wellpower Program
—> Group Fitness Schedule

Bad blogger, I know

Yeah, I've been a really crappy blogger lately. Sometimes I question if I should be maintaining a blog outside of my training log because of the constraints on my time. That and the fact that I'm naturally introverted, but hopefully I'll warm up to the idea of sharing my life and times with the world.

What's been happening lately?

Well, my training has been pretty consistent which is a good thing, albeit a little less volume than I would like. When summer vacation comes around I hope to bring my volume up some which is going to be crucial to a solid time at IM this fall. My weekly volume is typically about 10 hours with 100 - 130 miles a week on the bike, around 20 running and 7500 meters in the pool. This is okay for my base period and short course racing which is the first half of my season.

The IRS is after me. They say I owe big brother 10k! It looks like my former employer mysteriously reported an additional $60,000 of income for my ssn for 2006, which on top of my actual reported income put me into the bracket that gets the hammer dropped on them by the man. Hmmm, would've been nice to have the extra 60k. Can you image the bike I'd be riding right now if I'd made that!!! Maybe that 14k BMC TT03 or something like that. Well, this should be fun to deal with.

I'm pretty bushed from the weekend right now. My wife had a girl's weekend away and I (with the help of my mom and father-in-law) manned the ship. I did manage a brick on Saturday thanks to Poppy! Sunday was all chores and playing with the kids. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get a training weekend at the lake house out of this. I'm going to wait until the water warms up a little so I can get some good open water swims in the wetsuit. There's really good riding in that area as well. For all you SCTS racers, y'all know what I talking about ... it the same lake where we race the Hickory Knob triathlon.

My bike sponsor and I are now in consideration of my bike setup for this season. I should know a little more on this later in the week. I've had good success on my current rig; 2 #1 AG rankings out of 3 races. The other race was the HIM and since it was my first of this distance (and first Half mary) I went super conservative on the bike. I know I'm fast in the hills on the Scott, but will it be as fast in the flats of coastal NC? I'm hoping to get the best of both worlds, a really light carbon frame that has aero tubing. We'll see what Paul comes up with. It may just be some changes to my fit and a component upgrade to the CR1, or it could be a new frame from one of the companies he sells (Scott, Trek or Jamis). There was a guy from Look in there a few weeks ago so maybe he'll start selling for them ?? I tell ya though, that new Jamis Xenith with the front brake tucked underneath the fork and the rear brake off the chain stay looks freakin' killer ... so clean from the front. High $$ frame though. More on this later ...

Recovery, motivation, Coach Troy, Scott, Kona

I really don't like recovery weeks. It's harder for me (mentally) to train less than train more. I guess I worry that I'm losing fitness even though I understand the principle of periodization ~ that my body needs a recover period to adapt (get faster) to the stress I've been putting on it over the previous 3 weeks. Regardless, I'll be glad when this week is over.

I forgot bring my iPod to the last 10k I ran and did well enough, but I'm hoping that if I bring it this time and load it up with some super motivating music, it'll give me that extra edge to break 42 minutes. We'll see if it works.

I've got a little play in my rear wheel so I'll be dropping my bike by the shop today. I think it may be from doing that coach Troy video on the trainer. I never stand on the trainer and especially don't do sprints. Coach Troy had us doing both in "No Slackers Allowed" and now all the suddent I have this looseness in my rear wheel. Hmmmm. Because of that reason and because all the trainer riding has put a wide flat area on my Conti sew-up, I've decided that I'm going to ride my commuter road bike with it's cheapo clinchers and inexpensive tires on the trainer instead of my race bike.

I saw this article last night from way back in 05 in Triathlete magazine before Scott had a tri bike. I just LOVE the look of this CR1 with those bars. It's like a carbon Litespeed Saber or something ... very clean and light looking. What they’ve done as far as market share since 2005 has been very, very impressive. I think they we're tied with Trek for 3rd at Kona this year and three years ago they didn't even have a tri bike! Anyway, this got me thinking about going with a base bar / aerobar setup for the triathlon season this year. The one thing I'd disagree with is that it's difficult to get a 76 degree seat angle; with a saddle with long rails like the Fizik Arione tri + a zero degree offest seatpost it's easily attainable. For me, I like to a pretty powerful position, especially with the hilly courses I race, so 76 degrees is as steep as I'd want to go.

If I flirt with a certain time at Beach-2-Battleship this year, I'll be trying to find a Kona qualifier to race ASAP. If that race is a flat one like Arizona, you may see me move to a Plasma. If it's a rolling course like Louisville or Wisconsin, I'll probably keep the same light-weight setup I have now.

Who I want to be when I grow up.

If you don't already know Bill Linder, I'd like to introduce him to you. He's a guy that I see at the pool a few times a month maybe and occansionaly at a bike shop. He doesn't race much locally, but he does race a lot and he trains a lot too.

I know from talking to him thoughout the year last season that he raced the Buffalo Springs 70.3, Ironman World Championships in Kona, and Ironman Florida. I know he's run Boston a few times but I'm not sure if he did last year or not. Although I don't know a whole lot about him, I do know that he's one bad a$$ triathlete and if SC had a Triathlon Hall of Fame, he'd be the first inductee. This year Bill will race as a 74 year old; his last year in the 70-74 year old age bracket.

Bill has raced at Kona 5 times that I know of, finishing in 14:26:41 in 2002. He's raced at Ironman Florida at least 8 times and according to our conversation last Wednesday, plans on racing again this year. He seems to have a lot of success at Florida winning his age group there in 2001,2004 and 2005, placing 2nd most other years. In 2005 he also completed the Assualt on Mt. Mitchell. He's a true competitor and athlete. In this article on Ironman.com, Roger Brockenbrough, who's an amazing athlete as well, expected Bill to be the one to beat in the 70-74 age bracket at the Ironman World Championships in 2005.

But Bill is not all about 70.3s and 140.6s, he also happens to hold the 5K SC State Record in the Male 70-74 age group with an astonishing 21:27 at the age of 70 at the Get to the Green 5k on St. Patty's day here in Columbia. That's a sub 7 minute mile pace for a 70 year old!!!!!

Bill is in inspiration to me and real treasure of our state. I hope I keep crossing training-paths with him for a long time to come. This year we'll will both be attempting 140.6 on Nov 1 at different races; Bill for the umpteenth time, me for the first time. Who knows, maybe one day we'll represent SC at Kona together.

Fun at the Zoo

Here's a slideshow that Jennifer put together of our fun Saturday at the zoo with the kids!

http://www.slide.com/r/sqcx5Fv64T-4jQossqO1ZPw_akHb-Cbi?previous_view=lt_embedded_url