bridge

Strength #10. Bridge

• Lie on the floor on your back
• Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor, halfway towards your bottom
• Lift the hips and thighs off the floor to form a straight line between your knees and shoulders

Variations

• Perform with only one foot on the floor
• Lift the other foot off the floor and straighten the knee so the foot points diagonally to the ceiling

Ruth powering along at O'Connor Ridge

straight leg raise - harder than it looks

Strength #9. Straight Leg Raise

• Lie on your back or sit on the floor as shown with both legs straight
• Keeping the knee straight, raise one leg off the floor
• Start by lifting just a few inches and increase as you progress

Variations

• Lie on a bench with one leg bent and the foot on the floor to support you
• Start with the other leg straight and the heel on the ground (so your hip is in an extended position)
• Keep the knee straight as you raise this leg off the floor and above the level of the bench
• Add an ankle weight to increase the difficulty

Heidi at O'Connor Ridge

Time to run - I'm outa here.

peerless

Strength exercise #8. Single Leg Mini Squat

• Stand on one leg with the other knee bent
• Use a wall or banister to help keep your balance
• Bend the standing leg and push your bottom out behind you
• Start with only a small movement
• Make sure your hips stay level, don't let one drop down
• Don't allow your knee to move forwards past your toes

Variation - Rest the non-standing leg on a bench or chair behind you

Song of the week: Coldplay – "Paradise" from http://youtu.be/J6ZWlDks0nQ



The new Coldplay album "Mylo Xyloto" will be released on 24 October

Coldplay - Paradise
When she was just a girl
She expected the world
But it flew away from her reach so
She ran away in her sleep
and dreamed of
Para-para-paradise, Para-para-paradise, Para-para-paradise
Every time she closed her eyes

When she was just a girl
She expected the world
But it flew away from her reach
and the bullets catch in her teeth
Life goes on, it gets so heavy
The wheel breaks the butterfly
Every tear a waterfall
In the night the stormy night she’ll close her eyes
In the night the stormy night away she'd fly

and dreams of Para-para-paradise...
...And so lying underneath those stormy skies
She’d say, "oh, ohohohoh I know the sun must set to rise"

This could be Para-para-paradise

Ken White following the arrows at O'Connor Ridge

Training at Parliament house last night: It was a public holiday, the car pack was packed with foreigners driving foreign cars: NSW, VIC & QLD number plates. Running early were Ewen, Jen & I, running the main session of 12 x 200m with a recovery jog were Andy, Bronwyn, Colin, Craig, Neil, Ruth, Yelena & I. Hurray for daylight saving at long last; we are no longer training in the dark.

Peerless coach Percy Cerutty

Percy was a coach of the highest calibre. No other coach has ever come close. He was independent, inspirational, knew what he was talking about. He has spawned some strange followers with odd ideas but regardless, his coaching ideas and teaching methods were "sound as". Barefoot running; instinctive running, cunning running, personal training; it was all there. A true motivator and way ahead of his time.

I'd better get packing.

real running

Coming Events: October 2011

All Mondays	4:30pm	Parliament House 8k jog
	5:30pm	Parliament House speedygeese training
Wednesdays	12:15pm	BBQ Stakes 6k handicap
Thursdays	5:30pm	Dickson Oval on the 6th only
	6:00pm	ACTVAC track from the 13th
Fridays	12:15pm	Customs Joggers 5k handicap

Strength Exercise #7. Wall Sit

• Stand with your back up against a wall
• Your feet should be shoulder width apart and toes pointing straight forwards
• Take your feet out from the wall
• Bend you knees and slide your back down the wall
• Do not let your knees move in front of your toes
• Do not squat deeper than a 90 degree (right angle) at the knee
• Start with shallow squats and increase gradually
• Hold for up to one minute
• Return to the starting position

Variation - Use a dumbbell in each hand to add weight

Emma Adams flying at O'Connor Ridge

de-tweeted but not de-feated

I deactivated my Twitter account "speedygeese" today. Twitter is mostly a pain. Whereas I find Blogger the best way to communicate, Facebook both useful and fun still, and google+ looking promising once it gets some users. But Twitter is superficial and a waste of time. The Blogger and Facebook experiments were successes, the Twitter experiment is over, and we'll see how google+ goes.

I am leaving Canberra on Wednesday for three weeks to spend time in Adelaide, compete at the Australian Masters Games, and do some sightseeing. Guess what, I have prepared each day's Blogger posts in advance. If you would like to know how and where I am going in Adelaide and beyond you will have to check out Facebook, e.g. via the obvious address  http://www.facebook.com/speedygeoff.

Let's have another strength exercise. Yes I do the exercises I'm posting. No I haven't met the model in the pictures yet.

Strength exercise #6. Lunges

• Step forwards with one foot in a long stride
• Make sure your feet are in line and pointing straight forwards
• Keep your back upright as you slowly bend and lower the back knee towards the floor, raising the heel off the floor
• At the same time bend the front knee, making sure it doesn't go past your toes
• Don't let the back knee touch the floor before returning to the starting position

Variations

• Use a dumbbell in each hand
• Use a barbell over the shoulders
• Walking lunges - after completing one lunge as above, swing the back leg forwards so that it becomes the front leg and repeat

O'Connor Ridge racer Amanda

a marathon to dream of

Bronywn has found an all downhill marathon in New Zealand! It's the "Mountain to Surf". http://mountaintosurf.co.nz/

Strength Exercise #5. The squat

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and toes pointing straight forwards
• Keep the back straight as you initiate movement at your hips
• Push your bottom out behind you and bend your knees
• Do not let your knees move in front of your toes
• Do not squat deeper than a 90 degree (right angle) at the knee
• Start with shallow squats and increase gradually
• Return to the starting position

Variations -

• Use a dumbbell in each hand
• Use a barbell over the shoulders

Garry Maher at O'Connor Ridge

a niggle in the glutes

This may be the best Clarke & Dawe yet: from http://youtu.be/iugeQnDcp2U




Strength exercise #4. Tricep Dips

• Sit with your back to a bench or chair
• Place your hands on the bench so your fingers are pointing to you
• Lift your bottom off the ground and straighten your legs so only your heels are on the floor
• Bend your elbows out behind you to lower your bottom towards the floor
• Push back up until your elbows are straight

Variation - Perform with the feet raised up on another chair or bench to increase the difficulty

Noeline racing the 4k at O'Connor Ridge

It is one week until the Australian Masters Games begins in Adelaide. Noeline and Garry are competing in athletics events, as far as I know; Heidi has entered the W40 400m, 800m & 1500m, and I have entered the M60 5000m, 8k Cross Country, and Half Marathon. The four of us are medal prospects. There may be others who are there for one of the many sports on offer. If you are going, or know someone who is, please comment below & I will endeavour to catch up, maybe even see you compete.

It's Thea's birthday today! She's 29 years old, one year to go until Vets. It's also my grandson Tyler Moore's birthday today, he's just six!

stormy weather

...but all sports grounds in the ACT are open.
...but I have decided to cancel training today. It is too cold and wet out there.

Strength exercise #3. Chin-Ups

• Grasp an overhead bar with a reverse grip as shown
• Pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar
• Slowly lower yourself back down

Variations - Perform with a wide grip i.e. hands wide apart on the bar, palms facing away from you

A group heading off in last Sunday's O'Connor Ridge 8k handicap. Includes Brett & Nadine taking care to slowly work back into racing.

running around in different circles

Change

• I'm older
• I'm fitter
• I'm handing over tasks from two different committees to other people
• I've just joined Google+
• I've just gone back to Google Chrome

Change is Good.
Why Google+? Facebook is great but a few friends are starting to use Google+ now which makes it worth trialling.
Why Google Chrome? Firefox is OK but this newest version of Chrome might be even better so I shall try it for a while.
Also I am attracted to the idea of integrated "everything Google".
Facebook Timeline is coming! The war of the worlds – Google v Facebook – will be most stimulating and enjoyable.
I love change.

Strength #2. Diamond Push-Ups

• Kneel on all fours with the hands close together so the two index fingers and two thumbs are touching and form a diamond shape
• Straighten your legs out behind you so that your weight is distributed between your hands and toes
• Bend the elbows back to lower the chest towards the floor
• Push back up to the starting position

Variation - Perform with the hands on a medicine ball to add another degree of difficulty.

Club Secretary Graham Burke and club Treasurer Nick Blackaby at O'Connor Ridge, before the run.

exercises for strength

Strength #1. Push-Ups

• Kneel on all fours with the hands a little wider than shoulder width
• Straighten your legs out behind you so that your weight is distributed between your hands and toes
• Bend the elbows outwards to lower the chest towards the floor
• Push back up to the starting position

Training at Parliament House: Last night Craig, Ewen, me, Helen & Jen ran the early run, then for the main session Abi, Andrew, Andy, Bronwyn, Caroline, Colin, Craig, Kym, Neil, Ruth & Warrick ran six intervals on five minutes of a 660m circuit which included one grasy hill three times. After the session I went to a meeting where a friend, one of the participants, was telling me about her best friend Vanessa and Vanessa's husband Warrick who had just run the Sydney marathon .... small world, same Warrick.

Last Friday's Customs 5k:
Andrew Simpson 20:03
Yili Zhu 21:35 
Gary Bowen 22:29
Yelena Pearson 27:33

Today's Ginninderra Handicap 7k:
Geoff Moore 29:41
Miranda Rawlinson 36:40

Sunday at O'Connor Ridge's Vets Handicap
Mary Ann and Tony chatting before the run.