If you’re even vaguely interested in fitness, chances are you’ve heard of Crossfit. Founded in 2000, Crossfit is a mix of Olympic lifting, gymnastics, and aerobic exercises, such as sprinting and erging, usually hosted in gyms affectionately known as “boxes.” The Crossfit headquarters provide a Workout of the Day, or WOD, which is the run for time at boxes around the country. These WODs usually have measures of performance, such as how fast they were completed or how many repetitions athletes were able to complete in a set period.

The marathon on the other hand needs no introduction. Widely recognized as one of the greatest athletic challenges available to runners the world over, including Antarctica. Long gone, however, are the days of separation between road and iron, as many people are dedicated to all aspects of their fitness, just as interested in being able to deadlift their bodyweight as run for 26.2 miles straight. How can you take advantage of the Crossfit community, all while making sure you cross the finish line come race day?

Pumpin’ Iron and Poundin’ Pavement

Before throwing yourself headfirst into running 40 miles a week and doing 2 WODs a day, you have to make a choice. Which comes first, running or lifting? Don’t get me wrong, marathon preparation can make you a better Crossfitter, and Crossfit can make you a better marathoner, but at the end of the day, one is going to have to be in the service of the other, and that will determine your training plan. 

To put it simply, if you want everyone to eat your dust on marathon day, prioritize your runs, and use Crossfit to eliminate muscular imbalances and improve strength and speed. If you want to run a marathon while focusing on your preparation for the Crossfit Games, use your extracurricular running to give you the aerobic endurance and recovery to crush your Crossfit WODs.

Tips for Crossfitting Marathoners

• ·        Talk with your instructor about your goals; a good instructor will scale workouts or match workouts to where you are in your marathon training schedule.
• ·        Use proper form. This applies to everyone, but with the added stress on your body, even the smallest mistake can have large consequences. Poor form could result in missing the race altogether if it leads to injury.
• ·        Identify your weaknesses in your running form and use Crossfit to fix them. Slow going up hills? Kettlebell swings and sprints will give you that extra kick. Back squats and thrusters help with core and posterior chain strength, both of which will make you a better runner.
• ·        Taper. Make Crossfit work for you by reducing your frequency and intensity of workouts before race day. There’s no reason to undo months of preparation because your box is running an inappropriate workout a week out of the race.
• ·        Adjust your nutrition and rest. The increased stress on your body means that it needs more fuel and rest to recover properly. Get lots of protein, lots of vitamins, and lots of sleep; otherwise, you’ll start to find runs that were once easy are now much more difficult. Take advantage of foam rollers and other recovery tools available at your box to improve recovery.

26.2 miles of Barbell Thrusters for Time

You’re not satisfied by the WODs. You need more. You need to put on your running shows and run for 26.2 miles to say that you did it. As a Crossfitter, you should have some running experience. Marathons are rather unforgiving, however, so keep these tips in mind while you prepare.

• ·        Ease into long distance runs. Your previous foundation may make you want to go out for 12 miles on your first day. Don’t do this. Find a marathon plan and incorporate it slowly over the course of a few weeks.
• ·        Allow time for your body to adjust. You might find that your WOD scores are suffering as the mileage picks up. Don’t freak out and try to change everything, rather, you should give your body three to four weeks of time to adjust to the new stress.
• ·        Double your warm-up and rehab time. Add in extra time for stretching, foam rolling and other recovery tools. These are your biggest allies in maintaining the dual regimen. Consider taking Epsom salt baths or ice baths to help with recovery.

There you have it! Don’t try to tough out any injuries or ignore the warning signs your body will send you before things go wrong. Follow these simple tips and you too can lord your superior fitness over us mere mortals.

Check Insanity Crossfit Workout DVDs

• Complete set includes a nutrition guide, calender to track your progress, and 10 intense DVDs for a great workout
• Your personal trainer Shaun T will push you past your limits with 10 workout DVDs packed with plyometric drills
• Each workout keeps you constantly challenged as you alternate between aerobic and anaerobic intervals performed at your max
• Perform long bursts of maximum-intensity exercises with short periods of rest
• Free online support tools help you stay motivated with round-the-clock access to fitness experts and peer support

Learm More About It HERE at Amazon

 Be Ready For Your Marathon – Get Crossfit Insane Workout HERE

Angie Picardo is a writer at NerdWallet, a financial literacy website that encourages you to meet both your goals in marathon training and your financial goals.

It’s the time of the year when everyone gets happy because it’s Christmas. Christmas shopping, Christmas gifts and presents, and Christmas marathons at the warmer parts of the world. This time we decided to add some Christmas fun to our website, and review some of the cool and fun stuff Christmas has to offer to marathon runners.

Santa Claus Dash Run

Though not a marathon at all, a Santa Claus dash is a fun event to bring the children to. Getting acquainted to running at an early age, can help kids get attracted to fitness and living a healthy life.

From the Windy City to the warm beaches in the Sunshine State, be one of thousands of Santas at one of our Santa Hustle Races. With festive music, outrageous holiday decorations, and thousands of runners dressed like Santa, this is an event you won’t want to miss. So, join your fellow Santa runners across the nation TODAY and get ready to run a race that will you be a part of year after year! Check more on the Santa Dash events.

These dashes will take place at numerous towns and cities. Check the nearest Santa Dash to your area to register.

Running Accessories & Costumes

Running in Santa Claus or Deer costumes is very common even when training for marathon, and not participating in a Santa Dash. If you have two good hands and are not afraid to create your costume, here is a nice web page which gives the tips and tricks to a full running costume preparation.

“In order to catch the attention of the crowd and photographers, the first requirement of a good running costume is it has to be big. You want everyone to see you so you need to stand out amoung the crowd. People need to see you coming so they are ready to take a picture when you get there. And it helps to be colorful and funny too!

..There are now many costumed runs throughout the world, for example the “Run for Arthritis” is held in dozens of cities every Christmas and they have a costume contest.” Read more..

Santa Claus Running T Shirt

Take some advice: forget all that and go simple with this red, 100% cotton t-shirt with a Santa costume print across the front. It’s all you need really; leave the nitty-gritty to the professionals.

Santa Claus Running T Shirt or Long Sleev Santa Sweater

 26.2 Snowflakes Christmas Ornament

Christmas spirit and marathon running meet with this Christmas Ornament. With colorful snowflakes with the 26.2 on them. Great as a gift to a runner or for yourself.

Check This 26.2 Snowflakes Christmas Ornament

Ladies’ Snowman Pattern Christmas Socks

• Made of 95% cotton/3% polyester/2% other fiber
• Warm and comfortable to wear in autumn and winter
• Forms to foot and seamless for a comfortable exact fit
• Makes a great gift or stocking stuffer
• Size 6-10

Get Ladies’ Snowman Christmas Socks Gift Ideas

Every marathon runner knows you can not plan everything. When keeping a strict marathon training schedule, some of the runs will take place during the rainy season. Training for marathon when it is raining, requires a different type of gear than summer training.

We have collected some of the best tips about running in the rain here. This post is not about running a rainy marathon race, though most of the tips may apply to the race day itself too.

Wear Running Clothes In Layers

This is one of the most common tips about running in the rain or in cold weather. Wearing two layers is recommended. An outer layer which is DWR (durable water repellency),  to keep you as dry as possible, and a light weight breathable inner layer to keep the body breathing and removing sweat from the body while you run. Check these running jackets.

The outer jacket should be light weight, and not a absorb water, otherwise it will become heavy after a few miles.

Running Jackets With Waterproof Pockets

A running jacket  should have water resistant pockets. This is especially important for those training for marathons which run for hours. Being away from home for hours mean you will need to carry your ID, a phone, car keys, and maybe energy gels.

Keep The Outer Layer Visible

This is a very important for marathon runners. Marathon runners who run for miles sometimes get into an automate running mode. When training in the rain, the visibility is low, and most runners watch out for each step. 

While you are concentrated on your run drivers and cyclists focus on their ‘next step’ too. The grey sky, gloomy drops of water over windscreen or cyclist sports glasses. A runner needs to wear a very bright color running jacker, with bright reflective lines.

Check here for reflective gear for marathon runners.

Wear a Running Cap With Brim

Wearing a hat with a brim will keep some of the rain away from your eyes and allow you to run a safer run.

The brim will protect your eyes from rain drops, and you will keep a clear view of where you are placing your next footstep.  Here is s rather cheap running hat with brim.

Water Resistant iPhone/iPod Protective Case

Most of the people run with music, or carry an iPhone (or any other phone) during their marathon training runs. When training for marathon at a rainy season, a water resistant cover case will protect your electronic devices.

A run in a storm may last for hours and rain will leak into every pocket and clothes you are wearing. Here is a low cost water resistant iPod case.

Use Anti Chafing For Marathon Training In The Rain

When running in rain all covered with running jackets and layers, an anti chafing cream or roll-on may be useful. The anti chafing should be used at the places you usually get blisters and chafing. These may be the feet, inner thighs under arms, sports bra line and nipples. Order here Bodyglide Original Anti-Chafe Balm.

Training While It Is Raining – Conclusion

There isn’t one runner who managed to run in the rain and stay dry. So expect to get soaked, enjoy it. Training for a marathon in the rain is truly fun, the air is cool, moist and running is an adventure. We hope these running tips will help you through. If you have more tips and advice, please leave a comment below & share..

The 2012 London games was a wonderful spectacular with numerous unforgettable moments. Here are several London Olympics souvenirs and gifts to keep the Olympic moments close to our hearts. We have collected here the Olympic souvenirs which can be suitable gifts for runners. Enjoy your shopping.

MARATHON Street Sign run running olympic game signs

• Sign Size: 4″x 18″
• Brand New, Top Quality Sign
• Great for Indoors or Outdoors
• Proudly Manufactured in the U.S.A.
• Makes a Great Gift!

Order This Unique Marathon Runner’s Gift HERE

2012 London Olympics Women”s Runner T-Shirt

 The 2012 London Olympics Women’s Runner T-Shirt features a large kinetic illustration that wraps around the hip, of a runner in action.

This beautifully unique shirt also features the official NBC London 2012 logo on the back.

The 2012 London Olympics Women’s Runner T-Shirt is a great way to commemorate the Games.

Get THIS Olympics Official Runner’s T Shirt

2012 Olympics NBC Hat and T-Shirt

The 2012 Olympics NBC Hat and T-Shirt.

The navy hat features the official NBC London 2012 logo on the front and the date 2012 on the back, right above the adjustable strap on the back.

The grey t-shirt features the official NBC Lodon 2012 logo in navy on the front.

Get This 2012 London Olympics Gift Set

Photo Jigsaw Puzzle of Olympics/1908/marathon from Mary Evans

Photo Puzzle showing OLYMPICS/1908/MARATHON. THE MARATHON Dorando Pietri falls exhausted on the stadium track. He will finish first but will be disqualified after being helped at the finish. . Chosen by Mary Evans. 10×14 Photo Puzzle with 252 pieces.

Order this one of a kind gift – Jigsaw Puzzle of Olympics Marathon

The 2012 London Olympic marathon event was one of the slowest Marathon events this year. The winner from Uganda Stephen Kiprotich has finished the race at 2 hours 8 minutes 1 second. He won the Olympic gold medal followed by Kenyan favorite and world champion Abel Kirui and Wilson Kipsang who won the silver and bronze.

For Uganda it was a great Olympic moment, beating Kenya marathon runners the favorites to the Gold. All Africa has more on this story:

Stephen Kiprotich rounded a corner with three miles left and simply took off, turning the last mile into a victory lap as he easily captured the marathon Sunday, along with the first medal for Uganda at the London Games.

“I saw him coming like a cheetah,” Kirui said. “It was very hard to control that kind of move.” As he headed into the Mall, Kiprotich, who moved to Kenya as a teenager to train, could afford to begin smiling and pointing his finger in the air as he closed in on his win. He was already draped in the Ugandan flag by the time he broke the tape.

The race, past some of London’s most notable landmarks, started and finished in the Mall near Buckingham Palace. It comprised one short and three longer circuits through the heart of the capital.

“It means a lot [to Uganda],” said Kiprotich. “Since 1972 we have never won a gold medal, so they are very happy.” Read more..

The 2012 Olympic marathon winner got not only pride and honor but a financial prize too.

Freshly minted London Olympics marathon titleholder Stephen Kiprotich will smile all the way to the back after he received $80,000 (Sh6.696m) from Ugandan Head of State, Yoweri Museveni on Wednesday. See source..

Remembering 2012 Olympics

Here are 2012 Olympic souvenirs to bring the London games close by.

MARATHON Street Sign run running olympic game signs

• Sign Size: 4″x 18″
• Brand New, Top Quality Sign
• Great for Indoors or Outdoors
• Proudly Manufactured in the U.S.A.
• Makes a Great Gift!

Click HERE to Order This Gift Sign

T-shirt: Olympics London 2012

A nice gift or souvenir to remember the London 2012 Olympic games. the shirt has a large print of the 5 Olympic rings, and the London 2012 above and below the image. Clear souvenir T Shirt.

Get This T-shirt Souvenir - Olympics London 2012

For many runners the big question is whether adding some tech gadget will actually help them run faster marathons, or run longer distance at a better pace when training for a marathon. Everyone have heard of the GPS sports watches, these have been around for some time, and can be seen on every other runners wrist.

The Best GPS Watches For Marathon Training

Garmin Forerunner 405 GPS Navigation Review

 The Garmin Forerunner 405 can help you navigate through any city, and any place you run.

The GPS can be connected to the computer to share the data with a marathon training coach, who can see how you are doing and guide you to better performance. >> Get your Garmin Forerunner 405 GPS Watch HERE <<

Timex GPS Runner’s Watch

This is one of the favorite watches by runners. You do not have to be loaded with money to buy a Timex GPS watch, and it can be a great watch for first time marathoners.

Wait with the expensive gadgets until you are a trained runner to enjoy all the sleek features most first time marathon runners probably do not use. >> Get a decent Timex GPS Runners Watch HERE <<

 GPS Watch For Marathon Training

There is a reason why most marathon runners train with a GPS watch and not settle for a sports watch. The GPS adds a great value to the watch as it allows the runner to track the course, and add important statistics to their training program. For those running in the bush, or outback country, GPS will help monitor all the untracked lanes.

For those who run in parks and city tracks with all the twist and turns, the GPS watches will help measure the distance even at the most awkward lanes.

Please share this with other runners..

This is an amazing story of science (fiction) comes true and the human will power to overcome disasters.  Claire Lomas of England who was paralyzed from the waist down due to a riding accident has managed to complete the London Virgin Marathon 2012 after 16 days using two robotic legs!

Bionic Legs For Paralyzed People

 Claire Lomas was using a mind blowing device called ReWalk, which costs over $70,000 to support her over the full marathon London Virgin Marathon 2012 race. The amazing fact as brought by the Live Science is that the robotic legs do not ‘run’ for her, but she has to maneuver her upper body in a specific way to make the robotic legs function like real legs.

The ReWalk device is challenging to use. Lomas could only walk about 1.5 miles daily. That is, this is no robot doing all the work, moving her legs for her. Rather, Lomas must control the sophisticated machine through upper-body movement while balancing herself with crutches.

Leaning forward triggers the ReWalk machine to lift the legs. Without a constant, rhythmic motion forward, the wearer would cease to walk and fall backwards into a sitting mode; without strength in the shoulders and hands on the crutches, the wearer would fall forward.

In this regard, Zehr said, the ReWalk suit is akin to the Iron Man suit in that the user must develop the coordination to make the device become one with the body. Iron Man, after all, wasn’t a knight in armor; his suit was an extension of himself. Similarly, Lomas is becoming an “iron woman” by virtue of the constant mental awareness needed to make the robot move her legs the way she needs them moved — over uneven terrain or up stairs, for example. Find more..

You can see Claire Lomas training the ReWalk robotic legs with the use of two crunches.

 More On Robotic Walking Machines

You can read a Kindle edition on this ReWalk technological breakthrough here: Walking machines.Robotic Suit ReWalk.

Paralyzed women completes a full marathon with ReWalk robotic legs. Share this amazing human victory!

We usually like to snap at our politicians, but this time Congressman Tim Ryan runs the Cleveland Marathon for a good cause. Raising money for US soldiers who return home and need support to return back to normal life. Running a marathon was always a good way to raise awareness and support, it stays like this even when a politician runs a race for a good cause.

Congressman Running Cleveland Marathon

Vindy website has brought this short news entry:

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, will run in the Cleveland Marathon on May 20 in support of Project Welcome Home Troops, an organization that helps returning military veterans with stress relief.

Ryan has been training for weeks for the event.

Project Welcome Home Troops uses breathing techniques to reduce anxiety, deal effectively with strong emotions, and increase resiliency and energy over a six-day course, Ryan said.

For every $250 raised, Ryan said a service member can attend the training at no cost. See source..

Project Welcome Home Troops

The Project Welcome Home Troops is an important project which supports the troops back to normal life, with the practical training of the Power Breath Workshop.

The Power Breath Workshop is a mind-body resilience building program for returning veterans. Taught over 6 consecutive days, the workshop offers practical breath-based tools and physical stretching that decrease the stress, anxiety and sleep problems that many returning veterans experience. Learn a set of breathing practices that can be used as needed, day or night, to reduce sudden anxiety or insomnia. See more..

If you want to donate for this important cause, here is the Link for Donations.

Share your comments below.

(If you do not wish to donate please share this with others).

The human spirit has no boundaries, an English runner completed 409 marathons in 25 years! David Phillips has run last week his 409 marathon run! David Phillips is raising funds for different charities such as the Brain and Spine Foundation and others.

By crossing the 400 marathons milestone he has managed to raise £55,000 ($88,500).

Local news paper Coventry Telegraph has covered this story:

“I’ve never missed the Stratford marathon since its very first year. I had to run it because I was going to celebrate my 409th marathon with a party that evening.”

Despite smashing his target, the veteran runner shows no signs of slowing down.

He has now set himself a new target of completing 500 marathons and raising £75,000 for the worthy cause.

The Kenilworth accountant, who lives in Claverdon, became hooked on running marathons almost 25 years ago.

He took part in the Stratford Marathon in 1988 raising £960 for the Midland Sports Centre, in Tile Hill, Coventry.

The following year he ran the same marathon, raising £3,300 for the Telegraph’s Snowball Appeal.

Most of his marathons have been completed in Britain, including Snowdonia, but his pursuit has also taken him to the Swiss Alps, New York, Paris and even Egypt where he once ran the Cairo Marathon. Read more..

It is no secret that poor countries like Cambodia have less chances to win an Olympic medal compared to the industrial countries. Neko Hiroshi a Japanese marathon runner (who is a comedian too) tried to change this situation by offering to represent Cambodia in the London 2012 summer games.

Here is the weird story by Mainichi newspaper from Japan.

Japan-born comedian Neko Hiroshi, who has obtained Cambodian citizenship and was initially chosen by Cambodia to represent the country as a marathon runner at the Olympic Games this summer, has been ruled ineligible to compete in the 2012 games by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Though the issue surrounding Neko’s citizenship has stirred controversy in Japan, it remains relatively low-key in Cambodia, but undoubtedly raises questions about sports athletes’ acquisition of citizenship in other countries.

Supporters of the comedian, whose real name is Kuniaki Takizaki, said he had been training in Tokyo on the evening of May 8, and when he had finished running, he reportedly heard the news that he would not be able to compete.

“Even if I’m not able to compete this time, I’ll aim to enter the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in four years’ time as a Cambodian,” the 34-year-old Neko was quoted as saying. See source..

Olympic Dreams For Japanese Comedian

Though his personal best 2:30:26 is not even close to the Kenyan Olympic team results, Neko Hiroshi says he will try to represent Cambodia at the next Olympic games at Brazil 2016.

His personal best is not even close yet to the 2:18:00 Olympic marathon B-standard result needed.

I think he is a brave runner, lets hope one day he will be able to run for his new country.

There is no doubt summer Olympics 2012 will rock!!

Buy Olympic Souvenir T-Shirt

Read About 2012 Olympic Marathon:

Why London’s Olympic Marathon Will Be Very Slow

London’s Marathon is a FREE Olympic Event

Where To Stand To Watch The Olympic Marathon

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