FitSugar

The Rise of the Running Camp

FitSugar — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 03:00:00 PDT

The NewYorkTimes.com recently had a fascinating article about how running has taken on a whole new light these days. Instead of just strapping on a pair of sneaks and hitting the sidewalk, runners are looking for more these days. From Chi Running to running camps, if you are looking to learn how to really run, it can be done.

Running camps are really the latest fad in running and while some may call it gimmicky, there is nothing wrong with perfecting your run in hopes of preventing injuries down the line. Keep in mind that you'll pay a price for these camps and you have to be really prepared to run while you're there, so they're not for everyone. Here are a few notables:

Craftsbury Running Camps in Craftsbury, Vermont has several camps for all levels throughout the summer that are week and weekend long. Prices range from $379-$679.
Dick Beardsley Marathon Running Camps in Waubun, MN is a week of eating, running, attending seminars, talking one on one with coaches in Minnesota. Prices range from $999.
The Orange County EZ8 Running Camp is an 8-week outdoor running program (day camp) for women that offers running instruction & motivational tools - packed with fun and energizing activities designed to help you reach your fitness and running goals fast, no matter your age, size or fitness level. Price is $260.
The Jim Ryun Running Camp will be held in Gettysburg, PA and Fort Collins, Colorado. Beware that this camp is heavily Christian and geared more towards teens as they believe in developing the total runner - physically, mentally and spiritually. Price is $475.
Coach Benson's Smokey Mountain Running Camp is a week long adult running camp in Asheville, NC that includes a run up Mt. Buzzard Bait (a tiny little run...straight up a VERY steep hill). Prices start at $795.

Grey's Anatomy Rundown, "All You Need Is Love"

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:27:29 PST

It's Valentine's Day in Seattle, which means the doctors are scrambling to get their romantic plans together on this week's episode of Grey's Anatomy. Callie plans a special surprise for skeptical Arizona, while Mark tries to get out of babysitting duty so he can take Julia out on a date. Derek and Meredith, on the other hand, just need to find somewhere to go for a little, uh, "alone time."

On the other end of the spectrum, Lexie is having a "woe is me" moment as she pines for Mark, and Jackson and Karev are also left dateless. No one's in hotter water than Owen is, though: he and Cristina contemplate some big questions about the future of their relationship, and Teddy has some choice words for him when Owen tries to rekindle their friendship. Ready to break it all down? Just

Enter to Win a $500 Under Armour Gift Card

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:43:34 PST

It's the New Year and time to get back on track, jump-start your January, and get fit for 2012. We've dedicated the month of January to helping you set your path for the rest of the year. Each week we've broken down different fitness fundamentals, and we're ending the month by focusing on all-around healthy living. And we're giving away amazing prizes to help you meet your goals for the year.

This week we're giving away apparel from Under Armour - perfect for every workout, from yoga and Pilates to kickboxing and boot camps. Enter below and you could be one of two lucky winners to receive a $500 gift card to Under Armour!

This giveaway has ended.

Check us out on Facebook where we will be keeping our own fitness diary and providing tips, advice, recipes, and workouts for all of our fans. If you're craving more fitness gear and goodies, enter our Asics giveaway for a year's supply of Asics running shoes and our KIND Healthy Snacks and Magimix giveaway for a year's supply KIND Healthy Snacks and a Magimix Food Processor. Good luck!

Is Your Tot Going Gaga for Ga-ga?

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:29:49 PST

Move over Lady Gaga, there's a new game in town that's changing the way kids say your name! In an age where bans on traditional recess games like tag and dodgeball are becoming more prevalent (seemingly due to the violent nature of the games), new sports are gaining a tot following, and they're gaining traction - fast!

Ga-ga - a fast-paced, Israeli game that has been called "a safe version of dodgeball" - is popping up on playgrounds and Summer camps everywhere. Using a soft foam ball, kids try to hit their opponents below the knees (this is where it becomes safer than dodgeball) while the opponents run, jump, and dodge around an enclosed ring, called a pit. Once a player is hit, she's out. As time passes, additional balls are thrown into the pit to speed up the game, ensuring no game lasts longer than five minutes, and allowing kids to jump back in the ring and start a new round.

Though previously reserved for the playground, New York City is about to see the opening of the city's first dedicated Ga-ga play-site. The Gaga Center will offer 50-minute classes after school every day for $620 per semester.

Have your kids been bitten by the Ga-ga bug yet?

Source: GAGABALLPITS.COM

Helicopter Moms Get the Reality-TV Treatment

Natasha Dantzig — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:17:44 PST

Forget Nanny 911, there's a new parenting sheriff in town, and her name is Lenore Skenazy. Readers may remember her as the famous or infamous - depending on which parenting circles you run in - New York columnist who was dubbed the "world's worst mother" for allowing her 9-year-old son to ride the subway solo in 2008. Instead of backpedaling and trying to save face in front of all those haters, Skenazy turned her adventure in parenting infamy into a whole movement, known as Free-Range Parenting, in direct opposition to the Helicopter Mom phenomenon.

Skenazy is now the host of a new reality series, Bubble Wrap Kids, where she attempts to "unwrap" a generation of tots being protected to the point of suffocation by their well-meaning, way overprotective parents. The first episode finds Skenazy counseling an extremely anxious mother of a 10-year-old boy who isn't permitted to skate, ride a bicycle, eat bacon, go to camp, or use a knife. Currently, the show is being produced in Canada, but if an American version shows up, will you watch?

Cyber Monday Deals on Everything Fitness

Michele Foley — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:14:59 PST

Even if you missed Black Friday, there are still a lot of shopping deals to be had tomorrow. Cyber Monday is when retailers present some of their best deals online - from free shipping to massively reduced items - or in some cases, they put the entire store on sale. If you're looking for fitness and health products, look no further. Just remember to act quick - most of these deals are one-day sales that end promptly at 11:59 p.m. in your particular time zone.

See the Cyber Monday deals after the break!

5 Reasons Your Workout Isn't Working

Shape — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 03:44:13 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Have you been working out consistently for months (maybe even years) and yet the scale is creeping up? Here are five ways your workout could be keeping you from losing weight, and what our experts recommend to start shedding pounds again:

1. Your workout routine is making you eat too much.
Is your workout causing you to use the "I burned it, I earned it," excuse when it comes to your diet? "Studies show that people tend to eat more calories when they take up exercise," says Michele Olson, Ph.D., professor of exercise science at Auburn University Montgomery, and creator of the Perfect Legs, Glutes & Abs DVD.

Think your 45-minute morning run was enough to burn off that slice of chocolate cake on the dessert menu? Consider this: the average, 140-pound woman burns about 476 calories (at a 10-minute mile pace) running for 45 minutes. The average restaurant dessert clocks in around 1,200 calories (or more), so even if you only eat half of a slice, you'd still easily eat away your run - and then some - in less than 10 minutes.

The solution: Make your workouts count by pairing them with a healthy diet that stays within the appropriate calorie range your body needs in order to lose or maintain your weight. Olson recommends writing down what you are eating to keep track of calories consumed, and then subtracting the calories you burned, for your true daily number.

See even more reasons why your workout isn't working after the break!

5 Things to Ignore When Buying Running Shoes

Heather Dale — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 09:06:20 PDT

Buying the right pair of running shoes can make or break your running experience. Since your shoes are what make initial contact with the surface you are running on - providing the support, cushioning, and durability you need to help you get through your runs - taking the time to find just the right pair is extremely important. Nowadays, the endless variety of shoe options can leave us overwhelmed, which is why it's necessary to cut out the fluff and get straight down to business. And when I say "fluff," I mean the following five things you shouldn't be concerned with when shopping for running shoes.

Color: "Color schmulor," says the girl who got asked by her boot-camp instructor why she chose to wear those particular shoes - shoes that provide zero support and hurt her feet. Her explanation? "Because I wanted a black pair, so I just ordered them online without knowing anything about them." (The trainer shakes his head and rolls his eyes.) Take this as a lesson, folks. Color really is schmulor. Having a shoe the fits perfectly and is designed for your running style should be your first and foremost concern. If the color speaks to you as well, double win!

Find out what else you should ignore.

13 Signs You’re Too Busy

LearnVest — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:15:38 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

There’s busy.

Then there’s too busy.

Busy is running from one appointment to the next. Too busy is running over someone on your way to the next appointment (physically, vehicularly, whatever). Busy is leaving your cell phone behind at the grocery store. Too busy is leaving your kid behind at the grocery store.

And then there’s the biggest of all ironies-we want to cut back, but frankly, we just don’t have the time to figure out how to do it.

Sound familiar? Well, we’re here to do an intervention-a time intervention. Today, we’ll help you figure out if your life is starting to burst at the seams when it comes to your time. If it is, you need a wake-up call to reset priorities, because there is no shakier foundation for healthy, balanced living (and healthy, balanced money management) than not having the space and breathing room that time provides in our lives.

If you’ve crossed over the line into too busy, you’ll need to reset your foundation: Maybe it means taking a day off from work to reassess your life priorities. Maybe it means evaluating what your time is worth and outsourcing chores like housekeeping or laundry. Maybe it means taking a break from social engagements for a little while to focus on building the right foundation.

Here are 13 signs that you might need a time overhaul in your life-and easy tips on how to get started, today.

You Spend a Good Amount of Time Worrying About Your Time

If your time is preoccupied with, well, your time, you might be: endlessly cycling through your to-do list in your head, spending a lot of time arranging and rearranging your schedule, or wishing throughout the day that you had more time.

If you've worried about your schedule or wished you had more time more than three times a day, you need a break from time itself as a stressor in your life.

Try this: Take a mental break. Remove one thing from your schedule for today that is the least important-it might be putting off doing the laundry or postponing a work call. Spend that time instead totally luxuriating in something in the present moment (like eating a macaron or listening to your favorite song) and not thinking about your schedule, or future plans, at all.

Read on for more.

Were You a Team Player? Sports Your Adult Self Will Love

Heather Dale — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 03:06:47 PDT

Just because your soccer cleats haven't seen the light of day since you were in junior high, doesn't mean you have to kiss your favorite sports goodbye forever! I usually work out solo, but after joining a local sports league and signing up for a monthlong boot camp, I realize why I used to love team sports so much: working out with other people definitely has its perks. Now that I'm back into it and feeling that team camaraderie, I wish I would have signed up sooner. Here are some ways to reenergize your team spirit - we got spirit, yes we do!

Keep reading to find out how.