I had the opportunity to train a lot of Physical Equilibrium clients on weekends from Memorial Day – July and than also throughout all of August and into Labor Day.  Many of these clients I have been training in both the city and the Hamptons for a few years now, but I did pick up a few new exercisers this summer.

When in the Hamptons, I train clients on the beach and at the Lift Gym’s Hampton location in Wainscott. It is a great little space – bright and open with bamboo floors and new equipment.  It also happens to be next to the famous Levain Bakery so we have wonderful scents wafting onto the fitness floor.

On a personal note, I had a productive summer of not only working with clients but also doing all sorts of fun fitness activities.  Currently, I am training for the NYC Marathon so I got a lot of long runs in during my down time in the woods and on the beach.  I also cross-trained by riding my bike with visitors, swimming in the ocean and even doing yoga on my deck.

I also found a new sport that I really enjoyed, Stand Up Paddle Boarding, or SUP as its enthusiasts call it.  After just one lesson with a private instructor, Rick from Main Beach Surf Shop,  I went out and bought a used paddleboard so that I could continue to practice my skills.  I took clients as well as my brother out on Bridge Pond and Georgica Pond towards the end of the summer to share this wonderful sport!  It is a great total body workout, but also relaxing and peaceful at the same time.

Now that I’m back full time in NYC, I’ll be missing the late afternoons outside and the delicious farmer’s market and local food.  I’m already getting ready for summer 2011, so I hope to see you out East!  Thanks everyone for a wonderful summer!

Physical Equilibrium Training 2010 Gilda's Club Marathon Team

Saturday July 17th was our first group run for the 2010 Gilda’s Club NYC marathon team.  This is the second year that Physical Equilibrium has partnered with this tremendous non–profit organization to help them raise money by competing in one of the world’s most challenging athletic competitions.

This year’s team is comprised of 30 dedicated runners, 8 of which were in town this weekend to join us for the run. Additionally, several of the team members are spending their summer months training at different locations across the U.S.

Just as we did with last year’s team, we split the runners into two groups before starting our first run along the reservoir.  We chose this path to stay in the shade and avoid overheating on our first day.  Whenever running in hot temperatures, it’s critical to stay hydrated.  Allison Lurey from Gilda’s Club met us at the Engineer’s Gate at 90th street with some COLD Gatorade and water – we were all very glad that she was there!

Our goal for the first run was for every runner to complete a 9 mile course.  Not only did everyone complete the course, but some runners went above and beyond and finished a few more. Over the next few weeks, the runners will be focusing on developing consistency and a slow build.

Our next run is scheduled for August 15th where we will tackle a 2 hour or 12 mile run! Great job runners.

Mikael is a certified Level 1 USA Triathlon coach, a Level 2 USA Cycling coach and a Schwinn indoor cycling instructor.  He is working towards completing his USA Track and Field certification.  n 2002 and 2004, he was the New York Flyers (NYC’s largest running club) multi-sport athlete of the year.Prior to Physical Equilibrium, Mikael worked as a banker in New York City.

Mike will initially help Sara  coach this year’s Gilda’s Club New York City Marathon team.  For more information about Mikael, or to schedule a session with him, please contact us at 917-744-6627.

Physical Equilibrium personal trainer and marathon/triathlon coach Michele Solomon recently completed two races in remarkable time.  Last month, she finished third place of the female division of the 2010 Jerseyman Sprint Triathlon.  The race took place at the Spruce Run Recreation Area in Clinton, NJ. It included a 6 mile swim, a 19.5 mile bike ride and a 5K run. 

As if that wasn’t good enough. last weekend Michele conquered the Rhode Island 70.3 Half Ironman competition.  Michele placed sixth in her age group, finishing with a time of 1 hour, 43 minutes and 5 seconds. This race consisted of a 1.2 mi. swim, a 56 mi. bike ride and a 13.1 mile run. 

Congratulations to Michele on all of her recent success!

Out in the Hamptons – Lululemon is sponsoring a class at its East Hampton location on Saturday, June 19th.  Contact Sara Dimmick at 917-744-6627 to sign up.

NYC Class: Saturday June 12th @ 9:30am, Class meets at East 66th St Lululemon store at 9:30am. We will then proceed to Central Park for the class!

Handlebars

Proper location of the handlebars is necessary to prevent against injury.  If the handlebars are placed too far away from the seat, the rider is forced to hunch over with his or her arms hanging.  This can  produce neck and back strains and initiate lingering pain.

Seat Placement

For avid bike riders, I recommend seeking the assistance of a professional to help adjust the seat accordingly.  Spin class instructors can adjust your spin bike for class to better suit your body, and for those who ride on their own bike outdoors, I recommend finding a bike retailer or cycling coach who is bike fit certified. Improper placement of the seat can strain the leg and lower back muscles.  Both of these muscles are extremely critical to cycling, so any injury to these muscles can significantly hinder the cycling experience.   To avoid injury, the seat must be placed according to your height; neither too high nor too low. 

Posture

Proper posture begins with the core – specifically by being able to hold the abdominal muscles tight enough to support the lower back.  Arms and elbows must be relaxed and shoulders should be pushed down away from the ears and towards the middle of the back.  The butt should be slightly pushed out so the lower back is not rounded.  Finally, keep the torso in a diagonal line with the core engaged while driving power through the hips and legs.

If you’re looking for more information on cycling posture, visit Joe Friel’s blog by clicking here.

Have some great times on the bike this summer and be safe!

What I really enjoy about the yoga bag are some of its unique qualities.  It’s waterproof, it’s large enough to fit any size yoga mat and it has special pockets for keys, IDs and other common accessories.   The adjustable shoulder strap is also a great feature.  For myself, I enjoy the practical features this bag has to offer.  But for those looking to carry around their yoga mats in style – this is also the perfect bag.

Make sure to check out the company’s web site for information on all of their great products!

There’s no excuse to let your workout suffer while on vacation.  Contact Sara Dimmick at 917-744-6627 to reserve your summer personal training sessions today.

The day before the race, started off great – beautiful sunny weather; I took my bike out for a short ride to make sure everything was working properly. Then, Michele (my client who competed with me) and I went to Ghiardelli Square to swim one final time in the Bay before the actual race. While swimming, we met other triathletes from all over the country that had come to San Francisco to compete in the renowned Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon.  Afterward, we grabbed some lunch at the farmer’s market and ate by the water. By this time our athlete briefing and packet pickup was the only thing left on the agenda. We went to Marina Green where the expo and meetings were taking place. We were excited and pumped up for the race the next day!  All we had to do was go to dinner and then get to bed early. The time change and spending a lot of time outside walking around had made us pretty tired.

We went to get into our car to go back to the hotel before dinner but the doors would not unlock from the electronic key and when I used the manual key the alarm started to sound.  I immediately threw my bags on the ground and tried to figure out how to get it to turn off. Finally, we were able to silence the alarm, but when I tried to start the car, the alarm again began to sound, this time in conjunction with flashing lights.

Just what we needed – the car would not start! In a panic, we called the car company only to be placed on hold for 30 minutes. Finally, they were able to help get the car started, but both Michele and I became very paranoid that this malfunction could happen again tomorrow morning.  When we arrived back at the hotel, I realized I had forgotten my bag on the ground next to the car – the bag that had all of my race materials in it.  As we went to go back and retrieve it, the car alarm started sounding off again and neither the valet nor I could get it to turn off nor get the engine to start.

Things were quickly going haywire! Again I called the car company and proceeded to be on hold for another half hour. In the meantime, the valet got the car started so we drove back to the race sight to see if we could find my bag. Unfortunately, by the time we got there it was gone. Luckily, I caught a woman who was assigning numbers and I got a new number and more race materials – but the special tri top I purchased earlier in the day, my race T-shirt and other swag stuff were not recovered.  As you can imagine, I was not happy, even though the rental car company agreed to send a new car; a new car that did not arrive until 1030pm.

Race Day
Michele and I got a decent night sleep after the craziness of the previous day and woke up ready to go! Driving our new minivan, we arrived at the transition area and set up our bikes and gear. We also had time to scope out some of the pro triathletes setting up their transition – Andy Potts, Hunter Kemper, Chris McCormack, Leanda Cave, Mary Beth Ellis, and Michellie Jones were some of the athletes racing. It was fun to see them up close – most sports you don’t get that close of contact with the pros.

We boarded the bus that was going to take us to the boat. Not long after we sat down, Andy Potts climbed aboard and took the seat across the isle. Michele and I were trying to hold our excitement in as we spied on the pro triathlete’s breakfast of choice – banana, sports drink, and a package of blueberry scones! On the pier, we were loaded onto the boat with 1500 other athletes getting ready to jump into the chilly 55-degree water of the San Francisco Bay. After a circumnavigation around Alcatraz Island, the National Anthem was played and the pros were off! Then in the next six minutes us amateur athletes jumped into the water and started our 1.5-mile swim to the beach at the marina.

I had a bit of trouble getting into a rhythm and didn’t feel very good during the first 10 minutes. I was kind of worried that I might have to call over a kayaker to catch my breath. I wasn’t sure why I was feeling like that since the waves weren’t very big and I had a good practice swim the day before. Just as I took one last break to tread water to decide what I would do next, I burped! This immediately made me feel better and suddenly I was able to get into a good rhythm and complete the swim. Since I took so much time at the beginning to get going I thought for sure my time was slow and I didn’t want to look at my watch for fear I was way behind. Emerging from the water on the beach I was happy to see that my time was 37 minutes (one minute faster than my 2007 time!). I hurried over to my mini transition area, got my wetsuit off and then ran to my bike.

Starting the bike I took in fluids and some shot blocks to get some fast calories in. I attacked the bike and the 18 miles were much easier (even with those massive climbs) than I remembered from 3 years ago. I passed Michele in Golden Gate Park but I knew she’d come back on the run! Dropping off my bike I quickly transitioned to the run. If I had a run similar to what I did the last time I knew I was on course to beat my goal. The first 3 miles I had great splits even for going uphill for mile 2-3. But mile 4 was along the beach in the sand, and then a huge climb up the sand ladder and then another quarter mile uphill. My split that mile was 14:30 and that was not good! I knew I’d have to run an excellent last 5k in under 30 minutes so I pushed myself hard. I passed lots of people on the downhills and stair descents. The last mile and a half was flat and to the finish line. I was going as hard as I could go. Legs burning!  I could tell I was going to come in under my 2007 time and I did by about 3 min.

I met Michele right at the finish – she had come in about 8 min before me – an excellent time. My finish time was 3:28, which accomplished my goal of beating my last course time!!! Like I expected she tore it up on the run! I also found two friends – Heather and Joe who came from Maine to watch me race and take photos. It was really great having friends support me and come out.

Since the run, my body has recovered well.  I’m actually already contemplating my next race.  Any suggestions? Michele is already competing in an Ironman 70.3 (Half Ironman) in Florida this weekend with another client Carly Walker! Good luck to the both of them! Escape from Alcatraz is a great, unique race that is super fun. A race I’ll never forget!