#TrailTuesday Forest Runs in Galway

We all agree there is something special about #running.

Running on trails can be awesome. It can be a place where your mind resets after a stressful day, week or whatever. You just run. Your feet flow over the ground.

With time and repeated trail runs you relax and start enjoying yourself. You enjoy the release of running with nature, in nature, in your nature.

Now picture it at night with one of these:

Light your way on #TrailTuesday with our choice of Silva headlamps. #running at night requires visibility and with a lamp for every situation you won't lose your way shopping with me.

A photo posted by #TriHarder Sean (@amphkingwest) on Nov 11, 2014 at 4:14am PST

You will now be experiencing a whole new thing, running in harmony with nature. Relaxing into the pool of light at your feet allowing your body to roll with the surface and instinctively adapting your position with each footfall.

If you haven't joined us for one of our night-time #TrailTuesday runs you are missing out on SO much fun!!

You have to give it a go. 



Check out our Google+ Event information and feel free to come along this Tuesday evening.

Having the craic with #LoveHate

I've been a fan of the show since the start but Mrs. AKW has only joined in with the drama this season (cue the box set being lined up for Christmas!)

As most of you know I enjoy Twitter and a few weeks ago I was challenged to tie in a few one liners with each show (during the breaks mind you) for a bit of fun, so here is what I've thrown out there:

Have the tracksuit on. All set for #lovehate. pic.twitter.com/grH8mHyo3k
— AmphKingWest (@amphkingwest) October 5, 2014

If you want to make a fast getaway like Nidge there's only one place to go for running shoes!! #lovehate #lifeistooshort
— AmphKingWest (@amphkingwest) October 5, 2014

That was a different sort of gate analysis there at the site #lovehate #gaitanalysis
— AmphKingWest (@amphkingwest) October 12, 2014

Patrick must've bought the longest nails ever! #needsabiggerhammer #lovehate
— AmphKingWest (@amphkingwest) October 12, 2014

Stressed out? Feel like banging your head off a wall? Go for a run. Makes all the difference! ! #lovehate :)
— AmphKingWest (@amphkingwest) October 12, 2014

If like Siobhan you're gonna be on backroads after dark make sure you have a #Silva Siju in your pocket #lovehate pic.twitter.com/5O20LzZ0AX
— AmphKingWest (@amphkingwest) November 2, 2014

I've been having good fun with this and was pleasantly surprised by the reaction last night to the headlamp one. Spur of the moment stuff and happily with box.com I can access all my product photos when and where I need them.

Looking forward to seeing what the big finale brings next week. Hoepfully I will be as quick with the quips for that! :)

All set for #DublinMarathon?

Almost there!!

You are just over a week away and you will be hearing all sorts of comments and advice over the next few days.

You may even get to the point of questioning yourself as taper madness kicks into overdrive. Have I trained enough? Are my shoes ok? What will I wear? Have I sorted my nutrition?

Lots and lots of little things will run around your head trying to distract you.

Ignore them all!!

Have confidence in yourself. 

You have done the training, you have sorted your gear, you know what you are doing. 

Trust yourself.

Here's a handy checklist to help you organise everything through next week. Remember don't sweat the small stuff, the big stuff is all taken care of at this stage.

Relax & enjoy!!

Swimming & Running - most popular sports in Ireland

The Irish Sports Council have just published figures for activity in Ireland:

@sportireland @IpsosMRBI Most popular sporting activities #ISM2013 pic.twitter.com/fQQWernFZ4
— Irish Sports Council (@sportireland) October 1, 2014

I have asked them if this is across all age groups or just a defined adult portion of the population.

@amphkingwest @sportireland Survey covers those aged 16+. Type of activities differ by age, and this is covered in the report.
— Ipsos MRBI (@IpsosMRBI) October 2, 2014

Obviously working in a #running store like +Amphibian King West - Galway I'm delighted to see Swimming and especially running up top as they are, but these figures also represent a massive swing in the Irish population to looking after themselves.

There is a certain attraction to 'solo' sports such as swimming and running. Naturally there is a social aspect to all sporting activity, club events for sure, but there is also a huge beneift to the individual.

Have you ever felt the solitude and peace of tapping out lap after lap of a swimming pool? The rhythm allows you to go to auto-pilot and the submersion clears the head.

The feeling of you, just you and the road when running is fantastic. Watching a sunrise through a misty forest is a spectacular, life affirming event.

After so many years of depression, doom and gloom through the recession, I for one am delighted to see so many people taking care of themselves.




 

The stats may not show clearly in the image copied from the Irish Sports Monitor 2103 Annual Report but Running has grown rapidly as the most popular individual activity.

Interesting to see at the start of the recession in 2008 & 2009 the number of participants remained static at 2.5 and experienced rapid growth in 2011 and 2013:

The increase in running is particularly interesting. It was the fifth most popular form of sporting activity in 2009 when its participation levels were half those for swimming or soccer and significantly behind those for golf. Since then it has become the third most popular form of activity, ahead of soccer and golf and with a much narrower gap to the most popular activities of personal exercise and swimming.

Another stand out stst from the #ISM2013 report is the level of participation in sport in Connaught. Nationally 'Running' represents 8.5% of overall activity, in Connaught it is 10.2%. The highest percentage of the population that is running lives in the West.

In addition to having higher levels of sporting participation at overall and individual sport levels, those living in Connacht are also more active across multiple sports. Figure 4.7 below indicates the proportion playing in more than one type of sport, with 21.3% of those living in Connacht indicating that they were involved in two or more sports within the past week. This compares to 18.6% of the population at a national level.

Sure no wonder they say "West is Best!!" :)

Personally, am I disappointed to see the low figures in GAA? 

Not really. It's a choice of team sports that I played as a youth and young man but never excelled at. There was rarely thinking time, we went through training like machines played for each other in matches. In one way it is very selfless (you play for your team-mates) and of course team building, working with others etc in a life-resource kind of way.

I think it is an indicator of the times we live in where the idea of just popping on a pair of runners and heading out for an hour is so convenient and such an easy way to 'clear your head' after a stressful day at work, minding kids, college, stuck in the house etc. 

Whatever your situation, your outlook can always be improved by a run!

For me exercise in general is about health, about your health and the only way to look after yourself is to look after number 1.

Take care of yourself & go for a run!! 

#AskAKW... Is it too late for Dublin Marathon?

Dear AKW, 

I have struggled with injury but am now back running again. My longest run to date is just over 14 miles. Do you think I should be ready for Dublin Marathon in 4 weeks?

Troubled Runner

#DublinMarathon Panic Stations

Ok I posted this in jest (kind of) earlier on Facebook, but this is a serious matter.

Post by Amphibian King West.

If you are training for +Dublin Marathon and have not replaced your shoes since you started your training program 9 out of 10 times your footwear is not going to get you to the start line.

There is still 200miles worth of running to be done before that medal is hung around your neck.

Don't leave it to chance, now is the time to change your shoes so you can have them well run in before the big day.



In fairness to the Dublin Marathon organisers they have been on top of the lastminute.com entries and given plenty of warning throughout the day, including this clever "significance of 2:02:57" *tips hat* to the recent World Record in +Berlin Marathon :

Post by Dublin Marathon.

Then following up an hour later with:

Post by Dublin Marathon.

Well done to everyone on the media team. 

Tell us did you get your entry in in time?

Motion in Moderation - Motivation through Activity

At this time of year you can't move without #OperationTransformation, #BiggestLoser type programs on TV and all across the internet information on weight loss, best diet to follow and all kinds of spurious advice.

A lot of these programs and diets are 'quick fixes'. Feel good for a while, lose some weight but then the old habits slip back in slowly but surely and all that hard work goes out the window.

For many people simply being a little bit more active and being a little bit more conscious of their food (intake and quality) is enough to achieve personal goals that will be of benefit to your health in the long term.

As a child, did you have one of these?



It was a way of recording what you were doing and rewarding you for results.

Every fridge had one and the sense of achievement when you got that new toy, or treat or trip to the zoo was like magic.

Are you ready for the grown up version?

Exclusive to Amphibian King West.... we bring you

Polar Loop




Polar Loop is an Activity Tracker use it to:
 

Track your activity

Climb the stairs. Ride the waves. Jump over the fence. Choose what makes you move.

Polar Loop tracks all the choices you make during the day and shows how they’re good for you. It also reminds you when you’ve been still for too long.

Reach your daily goal

Check your bracelet or mobile to see how much you’re missing from your daily activity goal to continue feeling good.

Follow your achievements

Living an active life has never been this fun and easy.

Check the Polar Flow web service and learn how all your small choices and daily habits can make a world of difference.

The smart Activity Guide gives you tips on how to get there.

With obesity being such a problem for a whole series of generations, the #PolarLoop is a perfect inobtrusive activity tracker for young and old. 
You might not want to know how long you are sitting during the day, but what if you did know? If you realised you are sitting for 60% of your waking day, what would you change about your activities?
What happens if you are eating 3000kcal daily and your activity only burns 1000kcal? Reduce one and increase the other and your body will thank you.

Whether it is step counting, calorie burn or weight loss an Activity Tracker is the way to monitor and reward yourself. 

Go on give it a try!! The first delivery of Polar Loop is hitting the shelves in Amphibian King Galway and LImerick only (this is not available anywhere else in Ireland until March) if you want to change how your day progresses, you need to move a little quicker and get a Loop!!

#Zero25k Week 2 - Blowing in the wind!

That wasn't easy! Between head winds, sideways rain and West of Ireland cold, Saturday was a 'character building' day to say the least.

Not a bad turnout and kudos to everyone who made it out. If you can't make the group on Saturday morning you really need to be hitting the sessions on your own to get the most from the program.



It is now up to you to carry out the work this week, ready for next Saturday:

The plan is to repeat the exact same session that we have done, twice during the week. Ideally this would be done on Tuesday and Thursday giving you a bit of rest in between the sessions.

I mentioned a couple of things on Saturday that are worth a recap:

1. Run for Time NOT Distance.
2. Practise the 'Lifesaver look'.
3. Get to know where the dogs are on your routes.
4. Lifesaver look, again!

Re Time not Distance - the temptation will be to push on to achieve the 5k distance ahead of the program, for your own sake, don't.

We covered 3.2k on the weekend, most of you could with relative ease hit 5k already. What we are trying to achieve is for you to be fit enough to hit 5k AND achieve a respectable time challenge too by the end of the program.

Lifesaver is so important. Be aware of who is near and around you. Extent this awareness to cars, bikes & buses. Use it to overtake, before stepping off a kerb, for your safety & awareness at night too.

If you fear dogs, carry a waterbottle. A jet of water in a dogs face will stun them long enough for you to run out of 'their' territory. All else fails throw the bottle at the dog & shout 'Fetch!!' Keep running on.

Be proud of what you have started, share the news on Facebook, let your friends and family know that you are now a runner!!

Now to the homework!

As noted above you are to repeat the session twice next week. If Tuesday and Thursday don't suit, move the days around, leaving 1 day between sessions and keep Friday as a rest day. I want you ready and able to run again on Saturday!!!

1. Warmup: 5 mins steady
2. Work : 90 seconds effort
3. Recovery : 2 minutes steady
4. Warmdown: 5 minutes and stretching.

Repeat step 2 & 3 x6 times.

If you can't get out you can replicate the session on a treadmill. Best way to contact us is by commenting on the blog or through our Facebook page that way everyone benefits from the response.

Please don't push too hard this week, settle into the training, give yourself a chance to adapt and we'll see you all again on Saturday (regardless of the weather we will be out and expecting to see you!)

Happy running!!

#Zero25k Week 1 - We're under way for a new season.

Well done everyone on a great turnout on Saturday morning! 
 

Just a heads up to expect a little bit of sore muscles going on for a couple of days, but nothing too unpleasant.

It is now up to you to carry out the work this week, ready for next Saturday:

The plan is to repeat the exact same session that we have done, twice during the week. Ideally this would be done on Tuesday and Thursday giving you a bit of rest in between the sessions.

Science Bit:
The reason for the rest day is to give your muscles a chance to adapt, this is what makes you stronger and fitter. The body recognises the difference between the rest day (normal muscle use) and the work day (muscles and body under pressure) and by regular repetition of the exercise the body adapts by growing additional muscle fibers and improving the bodies capacity for energy production.

So there is a method in the madness that is exercise and this is why we build in a slow, structured manner to achieve our goals. We want to get fitter, we want our bodies to adapt, this is how we do it.

Unfortunately I didn't get a group photo before we headed off on account of being flustered over my lack of whistle, please remind me to get a photo on Saturday next.

Be proud of what you have started this morning, share the news on Facebook, let your friends and family know that you are now a runner!!

Now to the homework!

As noted above you are to repeat the session twice next week. If Tuesday and Thursday don't suit, move the days around, leaving 1 day between sessions and keep Friday as a rest day. I want you ready and able to suffer on Saturday!!! (Just joking about the suffering, but the workload will be increasing week on week so you need to be rested.)

1. Warmup: 5 mins steady
2. Work : 1 minute effort
3. Recovery : 90 seconds steady
4. Warmdown: 5 minutes and stretching.

Repeat step 2 & 3 x8 times.

If you can't get out you can replicate the session on a treadmill. Contact me for information on how to tackle the treadmill settings (there's a lot on the blog about treadmill running). Best way is to contact us by commenting on the blog or through our Facebook page that way everyone benefits from the response.

Please don't push too hard this week, settle into the training, give yourself a chance to adapt and we'll see you all again on Saturday (regardless of the weather we will be out and expecting to see you!)

Happy running!!

#Zero25k Running in 2014

We're sure at this stage you are sick of hearing about resolutions, targets and goal setting for the New Year.

We're going to make it a simple decision for you:

Over the past 2 years we've hosted a Zero-to-5k running group (#Zero25k) for absolute beginners who are just looking to get active, a little bit fitter and hopefully lose a couple of pounds while feeling good about themselves.

We designed our #Zero25k program to fulfill those wishes.

This year we are opening our program to our new store in Limerick so there will be two locations, Oranmore (as usual) and Roxborough, Limerick.

You just need to join us, do a little work, allow our mentors to cajole, motivate and encourage you to complete each session in the 9 week program and in no time at all you will be well on the road to a fitter you.

Like to know more? 

Well firstly it's FREE, we don't charge and will never charge for the program, you are doing all the hard work, we get to see loads of people learning to enjoy running, that's rewarding enough!!

Secondly, we meet on Saturday mornings, early. Our first session is usually done and dusted by 8:45 so you can get on with your day. After that you will commit to doing 2 sessions during the week, we'll give you your homework each Sunday ready for the week.

Our mentors will give you plenty of help, advice and guidance so you can achieve the most from the program. Please make use of us! Don't be shy about questions.

Ready for more?

Just click the link here...