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Urban Warriors, Test Your Mettle–Forget the Marthon, Race the URBANATHLON™

Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, tagged , , , , on October 1, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Are you looking for a really big challenge, fitness wise? Wanted to climb Mount Ranier and didn’t make it this year? Or not able to run the Chicago Marathon but still want a heavy duty fitness goal?  You are in luck. The people behind Men’s Health magazine have put together a rigorous obstacle source race called the URBANATHLON™. And it’s coming to Chicago on October 10-16-10.

What’s so cool about the URBANATHLON™? It’s all set up in downtown Chicago lakefront areas and consists of fitness challenges for men and woman that want to do more than run on pavement for 26 plus miles. Not to bash the Marathon, but some people want more than a running race. They want a climbing, jumping, sprinting and crawling race.

For example, the first challenge is:
Obstacle Course 1: Navy Pier
Violation of the rules of this obstacle course will result in a do-over.

Section 1

  • Get up on and move across the “JERSEY CONCRETE BARRIERS” as you would a balance beam
  • You must get from one end to the other without falling off

Section 2

  • Get up and over the “MONSTER TRUCK TIRE” obstacle
  • You are not permitted to go around the obstacle

Section 3

  • Move through the “TIRE” portion of the obstacle stutter-step style, touching the ground inside of each consecutive tire
  • Do not skip a tire or run on top of the tires

For a full list of obstacles on the  course click here.

For the obstacle course map click here.

And if you don’t want to race but want to participate, you can watch. For a list of where to watch the race, click here.

Registration Cost
Solo: $110.00
Relay: $180.00

Ipods Banned From the Race
iPods/portable media devices are strictly prohibited because of the unique urban makeup of this event. The obstacles involve jumping, crawling and climbing and thus lend themselves to headphone cord snags and dropped devices that result in back-ups and run-ins. This rule has been set to protect all involved parties from injury.

Please Note: Race staff will be aggressively enforcing this rule on race day.

What are the Rules?

For a complete list of rules to compete in the URBANATHLON™, click here.

Total Course Distance
9.75 miles, including obstacles.

Race Start Time
Wave One will begin at 7:45AM sharp, with each successive wave following according to the wave start plan.

Minimum Age of Race Participants
All racers must be 18 years of age or older to participate in this event.

If I can’t Make the Race in Chicago  in 2010, Where Else Can I Race the Course?
This year, the URBANATHLON™ will be held in Chicago only. We are looking to bring the race to other cities in the future.

Charity

Join the Men’s Health Mission, to raise funds for the Challenged Athletes Foundation® so people with physical disabilities can pursue an active lifestyle. Signing up for the Mission will provide you with:

• A fundraising kit
• A dedicated fundraising web page
• A CAF T-shirt

Your hard work will be rewarded with valuable incentive prizes: technical apparel, high-tech bikes, adventure trips, sports watches, digital cameras and more.

Click here to join the Men’s Health Mission.

Where to Pick Up Your Race Packet

Hard Rock Hotel
230 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60601

Enter via the Michigan Avenue entrance, take stairs on left to the 2nd floor, Gibson Room

race Packet Pickup Dates and Times
10.14.10, 11:30 AM–8:00 PM
10.15.10, 11:30 AM–10:00 PM

Please Note: There will be NO packet pickup on the morning of the race.

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Runners, Save Your Joints!

Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, tagged , , , , on July 13, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Knee Joint Xray. Image from rbatina's photostream on Flickr

Summer is here and many of my clients are preparing for the Half Marathon September 12, 2010 and the Chicago Marathon, October 10, 2010. Training is a good time to think about proper joint care. Recent research indicates that running can help maintain the health of your joints by providing your body with proper blood flow, oxygen and stimulation of healthy bone and connective tissue. However, over the years, many runners sustain injuries that can lead to arthritis. And if a runner has poor form or a gait imbalance (runs on a pronated foot, for example) this can also lead to uneven wear and tear on joints.

Tips for Runners to Help Avoid Excessive Joint Wear

• Limit your running to soft surfaces like grass, cinder and sand. Running on concrete and asphalt is a great way to wear down your joints. The pounding can help accelerate the degenerative process. It always amazes me that Marathons are run on concrete and asphalt.  Sure running is great cardiovascular workout and many people love to run. But running pounds your joints much like the ocean wears away rock by pounding over and over as waves hit the shoreline.

• Cross train. Fitness experts don’t tell you to cross train simply to sell new Balance Cross Trainers. Cross training gives your body the chance to work muscles differently and wear your body in different areas. For example, if you run and swim, running pounds on your hip, ankle and knee joints (and yes it can also tighten your low back). But running does little for your upper body. Swimming, on the other hand, allows you to get great cardio, work your upper body and core muscles differently and take some of the strain off your joints. BY alternating between the two, you get better recovery from one exercise and less wear on your joints A the same time, if you swim all the time, you may be more prone to rotator cuff and shoulder injuries. So alternating between the two (and throwing in some bicycling) can help extend the life of your joints.

* Wear proper footwear! Wear Proper Footwear! I am going to say it one more time: Wear Proper footwear. If your shoes are old or they give you blisters or your knees hurt after you run in a new pair of shoes, go get fitted for a better pair of new shoes. You should not have to “break in” a pair of shoes. They should fit properly and be comfortable from day 1.

• Do NOT run when you are injured. If you feel a sharp pain in your knee, ankle, hip or muscle when you run, stop and rest.  And get it checked out by your doctor to avoid further injury or complications.

See Running Times Magazine for joint care tips for runners here.

Check out the book “The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook”, here for tips on self-treatment of trigger points that cause pain in joints.

MSN has a great article here on running and your joints.

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