If it’s summer, it must be the season for amazing athletic endurance feats, otherwise known as running or cycling across country or climbing a mountain to raise money and awareness for a good cause. We caught up with one group still in the early stages of its cross-country trek, and one woman who just completed a run from Chicago to Santa Monica.
In a previous blog post we told you about Livestrong Across America, a group of six cyclists who set off from San Diego on July 1, headed for Washington D.C., to benefit Livestrong, the Lance Armstrong Foundation that supports cancer research and education. One of the cyclists, Britt Gober (third from left), filled us in on how they were faring — so far so good, despite (brace yourselves for TMI) some chafing and sore derrieres.
"Yesterday we got rained on, hailed on, and had a head wind most of the day," he said. "But it’s all good."
Gober said he also experienced numb hands, a tired neck, chapped lips, and had to endure temperatures around 118 degrees. On the positive side, no riders have crashed, despite averaging 100 miles a day and traversing some steep grades. And any rider having a bad day is supported by his cycling brethren, who make sure he doesn’t ride alone.
Gober thinks he trained well to endure the demands of such an exploit — he cycled at least 50 miles a day in preparation. It’s paid off, even though the first couple of days were marked by extra energy and a desire to get right back on the road after a water break. But, Gober added, "After a couple of days you come to the realization that you’ve got to go for 103 miles, and it’s going to take seven or eight hours, and you know you’re going to be on the bike all day long, so you just keep pedaling, knowing you’re getting closer and closer."
Meanwhile, in Santa Monica on Tuesday, Dr. Kate Condon finished her run from Chicago along Route 66, which she did to raise awareness and funds for the Psoriasis Assn. in the UK and the National Psoriasis Foundation in the U.S. Condon, a British dermatologist at the Bognor War Memorial Hospital in West Sussex, endured a torn hamstring and a hairline fracture on her arm (both from falls) and 100-plus temperatures. When asked if she was in pain from her injuries, she replied, "Yes, but after 20 minutes something else hurts, so you take your mind off of it."
Condon (that's her at left, sitting on the motorcycle) says she was pleasantly surprised by the kindness of strangers she and her support crew met along the way, was taken by the scarcity of fresh fruits and vegetables in low-income areas, astonished by the changing U.S. landscape, and struck by the sight of POW/MIA flags she came across. And though she isn’t sure how much money was raised, Condon believes she was able to spread the word about psoriasis and helped lessened some of the stigma attached to the disease.
And if you happen to be toying with the idea of taking on such an adventure, Gober and Condon have some words of advice: Train, and train well. Have a good support team. Muster solid financial resources. Be confident in your pursuit. Ask for advice from those who have gone before. And, if you’re a cyclist, have plenty of anti-chafing cream on hand.
Yeah, yeah, it's hot enough for me. It's hot enough for you. It's hot enough for us all. But some people feel compelled to keep exercising nonetheless.
So if anyone needs to be told to avoid running or other aerobic activity outdoors in the hottest part of the day and to stay well-hydrated, we're here for you. Avoid running or other aerobic activity in the hottest part of the day and stay well-hydrated.
For more such basics, go to the Mayo Clinic, which -- perhaps more important -- includes links to first-aid basics for heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Then check out this listen-to-your-body advice from U.S. News & World Report. It's both practical and relevant to exercisers who don't want to stay indoors. And, adds writer Katherine Hobson, the good news is that over time you'll get used to the heat.
To learn how to use urine as a diagnostic tool in assessing your body's ability to cope with heat and exercise, go to the Body Shop at revolutionhealth. Blogger Carol Torgan also includes a link to a recipe for making your own re-hydration drink. It's a cool concept, but I think that funky lemon-lime flavor is gonna be hard to beat.
And, as a bonus, here's what totalhair says about exercising outdoors if you have long hair. Roll your eyes if you must, but this is useful. I would point out that it's pegged to pop star Fergie's care for her tresses, but that would be pandering to the one or two celebrity-obsessed readers in the blogosphere.
Nintendo's newest product, Wii Fit ($90), is available for purchase Wednesday. It won't replace a health club, a personal trainer or hopping on a treadmill or an elliptical crosstrainer, but it may make a dent in the home-fitness market. It is fun, easy to use and can be brutally honest.
When you first step onto the Wii Balance Board, a sturdy platform that comes with the system, it asks for your age and height and figures out your body mass index (BMI). Sensors in the board detect a user's weight and balancing skills, too, because you are given a balance assessment. With my 4- and 7-year-olds watching and my wife nearby, Fit told me I was overweight (maybe!) and that my Wii Fit age was 57 (I'm really 54).
After the balance assessment (I didn't do so well), it asked, ''Do you find yourself tripping often?'' and that got my family laughing hysterically.
Then my wife (former gymnast, former collegiate diver) got on. Her Wii Fit age was . . . well it was one year younger than she really is, but she flunked the balance test, too, so there!
Once you get past the assessment, you can pick a trainer -- male or female (I took female) -- and then choose from aerobics, strength training, yoga or balance. I did aerobics (step aerobics) and strength training (push ups with side plank) and did OK. My 7-year-old son loved doing the hula hoop activity.
Each segment (there are more than 40) is only about three to five minutes -- not enough to break a sweat in a serious gym rat, but okay for the person who wants to have some fun and start an exercise regimen.
What would entice you to finally go to the gym? A trainer who looks like Brad Pitt? Frequent flier miles for every minute on the stair climber? What if you could go for free for a few days?
You can, from May 12-15, as part of Get Active America!, a yearly campaign sponsored by the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Assn., a trade organization for commercial health clubs. For those days, guests of members of participating clubs can work out for free. It's designed, as the news release says, so "more Americans can revitalize their lives and benefit from the supportive environment and professional knowledge that health clubs offer."
Translation: You can go and sweat for a few days and see if you like it.
From May 16-18, participating clubs will also hold open houses to make people aware of the benefits of exercise (are there people who don't know?) and allow nonmembers to check out the facilities.
You might be thinking, "If I go to a club, am I going to be locked in a small, dingy room while someone shines a light in my face and demands my credit card and says, 'Wow, you really need to get in shape. How about a nonrefundable 12-year membership contract!' "
Though we can't vouch for every single gym, we did call one of the participating clubs to get the skinny. Susan Howard, general manager of Spectrum Athletic Club-Pacific Palisades, told us that those who come to this club for Get Active America! will be treated like any other guest. They'll be welcomed, offered a tour and given the option of membership. But, she added, "We will honor people's wishes if they're not interested in membership."
There. Now you'll have to think of some really awesome excuse not to work out, like being kidnapped by aliens. Aliens without exercise equipment.
Who needs performance-enhancing substances when you can wear performance-enhancing fabric? Researchers at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia's national science agency, have invented an "interactive" garment that plays specific, individualized tunes when athletes move correctly.
The garment is made of a stretchy spandex material and contains sensors that monitor movement. When a basketball player takes a shot, for example, the sensors transmit information to a laptop, which produces audible tones in sync with the arm and wrist movements. The idea is to give athletes audible, real-time feedback. Through repeated use of the device, the athlete eventually recognizes the pattern of tones associated with a successful shot, kick or throw, or can recognize when his or her mechanics are off. Moreover, remembering the unique tune or beat could help athletes maintain correct mechanics while under the stress of competition. An interactive sleeve is demonstrated on the CSIRO website. But the material could be fashioned into running shorts or even a whole bodysuit, as noted in an article in MIT Technology Review.
Though unlikely to turn up on fashionistas, these garments could be used in many fields, such as entertainment, education, sports, military, rehabilitation and medicine, the creators believe. Maybe the clothing will turn up in toy stores. The first interactive garment was an "Air Guitar" shirt, a long-sleeved shirt that, depending on the movements of the wearer, produces a range of guitar chords from a remote computer. A fun new way to exercise, perhaps?
Ladies, do you do that little tug, that not-so-subtle readjustment of your sports bra while exercising? Forgive us for being so forward, but perhaps your bra doesn't fit properly.
Don't worry, you're not alone. Ill-fitting sports bras are the bane of many fitness- and sports-minded gals, says D'Lynda Fischer, owner of Sporteve, a Culver City athletic store that caters only to women. Chafing, inadequate support, falling straps -- it's enough to derail the most accomplished athletes. That's why the store is hosting a bra fitting clinic May 1 at 7 p.m., where women will be measured and fitted for the sports bra that best suits them and their activity.
Amy Johnson of Moving Comfort will be doing the fittings, and other brands, featuring a range of sizes and styles, will be available, including CW-X, Enell and Pureline. And if that isn't enough, wine and cheese will be served.
"All you need is a good pair of shoes and a good sports bra," says Fischer, which pretty much sums it up.
Sporteve, 3849 Main St., Culver City. Please call for reservations: (310) 838-6588.
This week we ran a story by Times staff writer Janet Cromley about public outdoor stairs in Echo Park and Silver Lake -- and a 16.2-mile walking route encompassing them that was created by writer Dan Koeppel.
Although the story included an Internet link to Koeppel's route, it didn't place the stairs on a map. Here's a map of some of them (and some farther afield) created by Los Angeles Times reader Matt Langdon of West L.A.
Good news, fans of the Bravo show "Workout" -- Jackie's back!
We're talking, of course, about Jackie Warner, personal trainer extraordinaire, owner of the exclusive Sky Sport & Spa gym in Beverly Hills, and star of her own reality show.
We spoke with Warner for a few minutes by phone recently while she was in New York promoting the third season of the show that kicked off this week, along with the many other things she's got going on.
She kindly teased some highlights from this season, mentioning "faster pacing," "a lot more emotional," "I'm in a relationship," "you're going to see my mom again," and "some of the trainers who were problematic become more problematic this season." Excellent.
But enough with the gossip -- we wondered if Warner thought that having her trainers bare their emotional selves on national television helped or hurt the image people have of the profession.
"I think in areas where people aren't used to being able to hire trainers, the trainers look almost god-like," she says. "They're beautiful, and there seems to be a little bit of star quality." For the rest of us jaded souls, "You see their flaws, and you see them as very human."
We're still stuck on the fact that there are places in this country where you can't find a trainer. What's next -- towns where you can't get Starbucks?
Warner also promises that this season we'll witness more of the Sisyphean struggle to lose weight and get in shape and see more client-trainer interaction: "We see how they deal with each other, and it's not always good, it's not always the right fit. Some (clients) end up responding wonderfully, and some can't overcome their demons and addiction to food."
When Warner isn't filming she's a whirling dervish, designing a line of men's and women's workout wear, coming out with a new workout DVD (also available soon via ExerciseTV), and opening a gym in Hollywood. This one will feature classes, such as group cycling paired with resistance training, and maybe Japanese sword fighting. "I don't want things too shticky," she says. "I'm not into pole dancing or running on the treadmill in high heels."
Warner still trains clients for the hourly fee of -- are you sitting down? -- $400 an hour. "I get you started on a life change, and empower you to make it happen," she says. "I also give you tools. I'll find trainers in your area, call clubs for you. Of course I also give you a lot of tips and you learn a lot about nutrition. It's about making that spark go off in your head, so you are on a different life path."
Spark, shmark. We're not saying Warner isn't good at what she does, but for that kind of money we'd better end up with an exact replica of Eva Longoria Parker's body after an hour. Maybe we'll just sign up for the sword fighting.
"Workout" airs on Bravo on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. PT
Photo of Warner with client Deenie Castleberry by Vivan Zink
Ask any woman who's ever dieted along with her husband, and she'll tell you: Men lose weight easier than women do.
"It's their metabolism. It's their testosterone," said personal trainer Jillian Michaels. The co-star of NBC's reality show "The Biggest Loser" added that men simply don't carry their fat and hold on to it like women do.
Five seasons in to "The Biggest Loser," and a woman has yet to walk away with the prize, leading some critics to say that the scales are tilted -- literally -- in favor of men. But that could change Tuesday night during "The Biggest Loser" season finale that begins at 8 on NBC.
For the uninitiated, the show sequesters a group of obese men and women with two tough-as-nails trainers -- and watches as the drama unfolds to see who can lose the largest percentage of their body weight.
This season, fans of the show were given the power to vote online to decide which of the remaining male contestants will get the third and final spot in the weight-loss competition that comes with a $250,000 cash prize. Ironically, the outcome of that vote could determine whether a woman finally walks away with the prize.
If the audience votes for Roger, the affable former football player who has lost 144 lbs. will likely go on to win the game. A vote for the fiercely competitive Mark, however, could boost the chances that Ali, a former championship synchronized swimmer who lost 99 lbs., could become the first-ever female to win the U.S. title. The fourth contestant for the prize is Kelly. She's a long shot, even as she endeared herself to viewers with her Little Engine that Could attitude.
Executive producer Mark Koops said there are no plans to change the structure of the show. (Some have suggested creating two prizes -- one for the women, and one for the men.) He says, however, that it's just a matter of time before a woman wins.
What's the last thing you'd expect to encounter early on a Sunday morning while exercising at the gym? How about a car crashing through the front window, knocking you off your treadmill and into broken glass?
That's what happened last weekend to Kevin McClay, a member of Body Builders Gym, a respected neighborhood gym in Silver Lake on Hyperion Avenue. McClay was working out in the cardio room when he spied the car.
"I was on the front row of machines," said the 46-year-old elementary school assistant principal from L.A. "I saw this guy come around the curve heading toward Rowena [Avenue] on Hyperion. I could see he overshot the curve, and he skidded and shot toward the gym. A car was parked in front and I thought he'd total the car, but he missed it and went through the glass," plowing down an iron gate in the process.
McClay said everything went slo-mo: "It was like I was watching a movie. I really didn't think this was happening."
He and another gym member were knocked off their treadmills. McClay suffered cuts on his knees and a bruised back and was taken to the hospital by ambulance, treated and released (the other member sustained injuries but wasn't taken to the hospital). The driver was taken to the hospital, McClay said, but his condition was not known. A staff member who was standing on the sidewalk in front of the gym when the crash happened jumped out of the way in the nick of time.
McClay's knees are beginning to heal, but he said he's "not in a rush to get back to the gym, to be honest."
Erik Flowers, the gym's co-owner and a personal trainer, wasn't there when the crash happened, but wasn't surprised when he heard about it. Six months ago a car hit three parked cars in front of the gym, and two months ago a car crashed through a bike rack and parking meter, stopping two feet from the gym's door.
"It looks like a bomb went off" is how Flowers described the inside of the gym, post-crash. Cardio equipment that wasn't smashed has been moved to another room.
He knows things could have been much worse, and said members have been understanding about the inconvenience.
Flowers added that the crash impressed one of his clients, a producer of big-budget commercials: "He came up to me and said, 'Do you know how much it would take for me to replicate this?' "
Fitness Magazine scores this month with its exclusive look at Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's workout routine.
Complete with photos of the sweaty secretary, the story describes her dedication to exercise: Awake by 4:30 a.m. to work out; deadlifts 85 lbs. and squats 65 lbs.; watches news and SportsCenter on the treadmill. A lifelong jock, Rice says she took up golf two years ago and has fallen in love with the sport. She also hired a personal trainer a year ago after hitting a plateau. Exercise is clearly a priority in her life.
"I like the fact that I can run up the stairs and not huff and puff, and that I'm still able to do that even though I've crossed the big 5-0."
Rice says she worries about obesity in kids and would like to see kids enjoy sports rather than feeling it's work. There is talk, of course, of Rice as a running mate for John McCain. Maybe if that doesn't pan out she could become the nation's exercise czar.
- Shari Roan
Photos: David Y. Lee / courtesy of Fitness Magazine
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fittest of them all? Squirrels that had lots of sunshine and nuts when they were growing up, say researchers at Michigan State University, as well as investigators in Canada and France.
Ferreting through 15 years of data on the North American red squirrel population, the researchers concluded that female squirrels lucky enough to be born in the lap of luxury, with plenty of food, warm weather and ample space, produced more offspring than their less-privileged cohorts. In short, they were fitter and healthier.
"Our study shows that some individuals get a real head start on their colleagues simply by being born in a good year," says Stan Boutin, co-author of the study and professor of biological sciences at the University of Alberta, Canada.
"On the other hand," he says in a news release, "those having the bad luck of being born in a bad year may never get a taste of that silver spoon."
Lessons learned: Move to Arizona and eat plenty of nuts.
Now that spring has arrived, more golfers will be hitting the links. But before that first swing, some precautions should be taken to help prevent injuries. The following are recommendations from the department of orthopedics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City:
Few people really like to stretch, but it’s necessary, to get ready for play. Spend five minutes stretching the shoulders, arms, torso and legs. Add some practice swings and you’ll increase blood flow to the extremities. (Here's some good stretches from the Mayo Clinic.)
Carrying a heavy golf bag may prove that you’re tough, but it can also add a great deal of stress to the shoulders and back. Better to use a pull cart or golf cart.
Avoid divots. Creating a divot produces a sudden change in velocity that can cause enormous strain in the shoulders and may aggravate an existing shoulder condition.
Engage in a regular strength and conditioning routine to shore up the entire kinetic chain, including the legs, hips, back and abdominals. It will go a long way in improving distance, power and swing mechanics.
Tami Dennis, who takes the word "skeptic" to previously uncharted territory, is editor of The Times' Health section. She's adamant that pitches promoting awareness days, weeks or months are, by their nature, non-stories. And, because she's an adult, she refuses to use words like "veggies," "tummy" and "yummy."
Rosie Mestel, Health section deputy editor, studied genetics before abandoning flies, fungi and DNA for health/medical writing. Her hero is the biologist Ernst Haeckel, whose jellyfish paintings inspired snazzy chandeliers. Her favorite toast-spread is Marmite, a British delicacy made of yeast extract. Her least-favorite word is "millenniums."
Susan Brink has made health and medicine her beat for 26 of her 28 years in the business. She’s covered a wide range of disease and health policy stories, and is always on the lookout for fresh angles. Few things make her happier than busting through preconceived notions to give readers an accurate view of people behaving as…well, real people.
Melissa Healy is a staff writer for the Health section reporting from Washington D.C. Healy's a veteran of The Times' National staff, having covered the Pentagon, Congress, poverty and social welfare, the environment, and the White House before shifting to Health in 2003. She writes frequently about mental health and human behavior, about federal health policy, prescription medication and ethics in medicine. More wonk than wellness freak, Healy chooses to believe in the health benefits of coffee and wine, and considers water a better work-out medium than beverage.
After a brief stint as a sports writer, Shari Roan turned to health journalism and has covered the topic for The Times for 18 years. She is the author of three books and the mother of two daughters, both teenagers who refer to her as a "health freak." She likes to jog, watch baseball and is very happy that dark chocolate contains some health benefit.
Jeannine Stein writes about fitness, sports medicine and obesity for the Health section. She’s a gym rat from way back and never met an elliptical trainer she didn’t like. Well, maybe one or two. She tempers exercise with a steady diet of reality television because she believes it’s all about balance.
In a previous blog post we told you about Livestrong Across America, a group of six cyclists who set off from San Diego on July 1, headed for Washington D.C., to benefit Livestrong, the Lance Armstrong Foundation that supports cancer research and education. One of the cyclists, Britt Gober (third from left), filled us in on how they were faring — so far so good, despite (brace yourselves for TMI) some chafing and sore derrieres.
Condon (that's her at left, sitting on the motorcycle) says she was pleasantly surprised by the kindness of strangers she and her support crew met along the way, was taken by the scarcity of fresh fruits and vegetables in low-income areas, astonished by the changing U.S. landscape, and struck by the sight of POW/MIA flags she came across. And though she isn’t sure how much money was raised, Condon believes she was able to spread the word about psoriasis and helped lessened some of the stigma attached to the disease.
Who needs performance-enhancing substances when you can wear performance-enhancing fabric? Researchers at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia's national science agency, have invented an "interactive" garment that plays specific, individualized tunes when athletes move correctly.
Don't worry, you're not alone. Ill-fitting sports bras are the bane of many fitness- and sports-minded gals, says D'Lynda Fischer, owner of 
When Warner isn't filming she's a whirling dervish, designing a line of men's and women's 
Complete with photos of the sweaty secretary, the story describes her dedication to exercise: Awake by 4:30 a.m. to work out; deadlifts 85 lbs. and squats 65 lbs.; watches news and SportsCenter on the treadmill. A lifelong jock, Rice says she took up golf two years ago and has fallen in love with the sport. She also hired a personal trainer a year ago after hitting a plateau. Exercise is clearly a priority in her life. 
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fittest of them all? Squirrels that had lots of sunshine and nuts when they were growing up, say researchers at Michigan State University, as well as investigators in Canada and France.
