FitSugar

400 Meter Diva Natasha Hastings on Running For Olympic Gold

Susi May — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:19:47 PDT

Finishing a quick tour once around the track with times hovering at the 50-second mark, the potential US Track Team is deep with female talent ready to conquer the 400-meter event at the Summer games. The women's relay team will most likely have a shot for a repeat gold medal performance, too. A member of the winning relay team in Beijing, Natasha Hastings told us in a recent interview that she hopes to break the tape in the individual 400-meter event in London this August. Recognizing the possibly tense team dynamic that accompanies four fast women on a relay team who are also vying for gold in the solo event, Natasha explained, "Track and field certainly is an individual sport. But when we get on the relay, we are teammates - but to get on the team, we are competing against each other. So it does kind of create an interesting mesh."

Hastings ran for the South Carolina Gamecocks, but the nickname she earned during her college years, the 400 Meter Diva, has a much more feminine ring to it. When interviewed before a big collegiate meet and asked why the native New Yorker chose a southern school, she replied that the team all looked like divas - in a good way. The moniker stuck and Natasha explains, "I just ran with it." Her college coach also taught her that "If you look good, you feel good. And if you feel good, you run good." Looking good included wearing business suits to meets and makeup on the track. "I never compete without makeup. It is kind of like my game face. It's part of my routine when I'm getting ready to go out to the track. It's fun, but it's part of my ritual."

Learn her fave beauty products, fitness gear, and exercise after the break.

Sanya Richards Goes For Gold, Again!

FitSugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 03:30:00 PDT

If you don't already know the name Sanya Richards, then it's about time you learned about this 23-year-old amazing athlete.

Sanya Richards already achieved Olympic gold in Athens in 2004, but things have changed since then. In 2006 Richards was diagnosed with Behcet's Syndrome - a rare disease resulting from inflammation of the blood vessels, which causes pain, swelling, and stiffness of the joints (among other things). Despite her painful illness, Richards finished first in the 400-meter race during the US trials, and she's expected to medal in this Olympics.

I'm always thoroughly impressed with athletes just from their stamina and strength, but when they overcome hurdles that would make most of us throw the towel in, I'm in awe. Cheer on Sanya at the Olympics in Beijing that begin Aug. 8 - yay!

Source

Paralympian April Holmes Making a Name as a Winner

espnW — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 11:35:45 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Adena Andrews

April Holmes may have lost part of her leg, but the Paralympics star refuses to be seen as handicapped. She's on a quest to finish what she started in 2008 and come home with two medals in London. Follow more journeys to London on espnW.com.

April Holmes was in first place during the 200-meter final at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing when the spike on her prosthetic left leg got caught on the track, causing her to fall to the ground. Another competitor stepped on Holmes' face with a track spike. Holmes also caused Marie-Amelie le Fur of France to fall. Despite a right eye filled with blood and a bruised leg, Holmes hobbled to the finish line to complete the race. "I have this thing about finishing whatever you start, so despite my condition I was going to cross the finish line," she wrote in her blog.

Amanda McGrory Rules Wheelchair Race Scene

Five days later, despite being sore and tired, Holmes raced in the 100-meter final. Her leg and hips hurt so much she could barely warm up. She even told her competitors they were going to win the race. "I could barely lift my leg, but I never let [my family] know," Holmes said. "They would be too concerned and I didn't need the pity party. Instead, I needed energy and God." As Holmes likes to say it was "by the grace of God," that she crossed the finish line to win gold in the 100 in 13.72 seconds. That's three seconds slower than the able-body Olympic record held by Florence Griffith-Joyner. Holmes would later discover she did it all with a labral tear in her left hip.

Failure Not an Option For Texas' Beverly Kearney

Holmes was elated with her first gold, but on the flight home she couldn't help but think she should have two medals around her neck. That's why she began training two months later for the 2012 Games. Her goal is to claim the 200 medal that eluded her in Beijing.

Before the Paralympics - where she became the fastest amputee in her class, holding world records in the 100, 200 and 400 - Holmes was an All-American in the 400 and 4x400 relay at Norfolk State. After graduation she started working and gave up competitive athletics.

Read on for how April ended up competing in the Paralympics.

Hurdler Lashinda Demus Trains For Olympics While Mothering Twins

espnW — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 04:30:08 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Lashinda Demus

A native of southern California, track star Lashinda Demus won the 2011 world title in the 400-meter hurdles in American-record time. She had won silver in that event at the world championships in 2005 and 2009. Demus and her husband, Jamel Mayrant, are the parents of twin boys, born in June 2007.

Lashinda will be blogging for espnW in the lead-up to this summer's Olympics. Follow her journey to London on espnW.com

Young children don't understand world championships, Olympics, American records, or any of the statistical minutiae that track and field aficionados like to geek out on. My 4-year-old twin sons, Dontay and Duaine, have a much simpler way of looking at the sport: Did Mom win or lose?

More often than not lately, I've been able to tell them, "Mommy won!" I'm coming off the most successful season of my career. Last September, I won my first-ever individual world title at the world championships in Daegu, South Korea. In the process, I broke the 16-year-old American record in my event, the 400-meter hurdles. The title was a bigger deal to me than the record; the record will be broken eventually, but I'll always be in the books as the 2011 world champion. But of course, neither the record nor the title really registered with the boys. When I got home from Korea, I just told them I had won my race.

Lashinda Demus clears every hurdle

Now I'm focused on the 2012 outdoor season, I hope, which will include success at the Olympic trials and a medal at the Olympic Games. In 2006, I was stunned, and (I'll be honest) not altogether thrilled, to learn that I was pregnant. The fact that I was carrying twins was even more of a shock, even though twins run in both my family and in my husband's family. Dontay and Duaine were born in June 2007, and though I'd had a very difficult pregnancy, I managed to get back in shape in time for the Olympic trials in June 2008. But I had a bad race at the trials, and finished fourth - just missing the top-3 finish I needed to qualify for the Beijing Games.

Learn Lashinda's parenting tricks and her goals for the Summer games after the break.

Beginner's 5K Training Schedule

Susi May — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:13:49 PST

Running your first 5K race is a magical thing! You train, you run, and you realize you like the adrenalin of the race and crossing the finish line is a unique high. Many consider the 5K distance a gateway race; meaning completing this distance leads to other races. If you can run 3.1 miles why not try for 6.2 and compete in a 10K? Why not tackle a triathlon?

Since many of you listed running a 5K as one of your fitness goals for the 2011, I thought it best if you trained with a plan. Physical therapist and running specialist Julie Ann Dougery of the CMPC Running Clinic created this 5K training schedule just for FitSugar. Her goal is to help you run a 10-minute mile race and train injury free. Before starting this 11-week schedule, which starts on a Wednesday so you could start tomorrow, you should be able to run 20 to 30 minutes continuously without pain. The plan has you running three days a week, supplemented with cross training - but be sure to rest at least one day a week.

Check out the training plan.

How to Start: Work Up to Swimming a Mile

FitSugar — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 01:00:43 PST

If trying a triathlon is one of your fitness goal for 2011 don't be intimidated by the swim. I know many experienced runners and cyclist who harbor deep fears of the swimming. While getting your heart rate up in the water is completely different than sweating it out on land, running/biking and swimming complement each other nicely. Running and biking work the legs, swimming works the upper body, and all three build your cardio endurance. If you're ready to make friends with the pool, I have found a great beginner program to get you swimming a mile in six weeks.

Ruth Kazez's endurance building program, Zero – 1650: A Mile in Six Weeks, is to swimming what the Couch to 5K program is to running - I love fitness workout analogies.

Swimming, like running, takes some time to build up the endurance needed for lengthy workouts. With running the first benchmark is the 5k, and with swimming it's a mile, which I learned from Kazes is 1650 yards (1500 meters), not 1760 yards. Curious to see what the first workout looks like? Then

Here's an example of the workout for the first week, which you should complete three times in seven days.

4 x 100 yards – rest for 12 breaths (total = 400 yards, or 16 laps* in a 25 yard length pool)
4 x 50 yards – rest for 8 breaths (total = 200 yards, or 8 laps)
4 x 25 yards – rest for 4 breaths (total = 100 yards, or 4 laps)
Total: 700 yards

*A swim coach at Equinox schooled me that a lap is the length of a pool in swimmer speak. I had previously thought it was there and back, but no. A lap is a length.

I feel that twenty-eight laps are totally doable, right? Remember, that you take breaks between to catch your breath, which is similar to taking walking breaks when starting a running program. After swimming 100 yards, you take a rest to take 12 breaths. Then you repeat swimming 100 yards three more times, with breaks, until you complete the set. Each week you add 50 to 200 yards to your workout to slowly build up endurance and conquer the mile! Who's ready to take the plunge?

Clean H20 With Eye-Catching Water Filters

Heather Dale — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 11:05:02 PDT

Embracing Spring by adding some fresh fun colors into your everyday routine doesn't only apply to your workout wear, you can also extend it to your kitchen accessories! I just upgraded my standard white water filter to a bright royal blue pitcher, and I love the change - a little color goes a long way! Here are some stylish, high-rated water filters worth paying attention to.

Culligan Level 3 Faucet Filter ($18): Want to keep your water free from lead and chlorine, but find water filter pitchers a nuisance? This sleek, white tap filter from Culligan has a filter life of 200 gallons; improves odor and taste; and reduces lead, chlorine taste and odor, cryptosporidium, and giardia cysts.

Check out the rest of the list!

Race It! 10K Race Training Plan

FitSugar — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 03:05:37 PST

I hope you haven't already forgotten your health and fitness goals for 2011. Many of you stated that you wanted to run a 10K and to help, we had physical therapist and running specialist Julie Ann Dougery of the CPMC Running Clinic create this 10K training schedule just for FitSugar. Her goal is to help you run a 10-minute mile race and train injury free. If you start this plan today, you will be ready to race on May 1 - pretty inspiring, no?

If you are comfortable running three to five miles continuously without any pain, this plan is for you. This program includes both tempo and speedwork. But don't be intimidated by these new types of workouts; Julie swears they will "pay off huge come race day."

Ready to check out the plan?