Member Profile - Darren Ward

Name: Darren Ward.

Member since: October 2008.

Reason why you joined: So George could have a matching bald brother in the club! Plus Aris' joke for the day! No It was really to lose some blubber and gain fitness in a challenging & supportive environment.

Reason why you have stayed: George might be lonely with only 1 baldy in the club! George is always challenging me and the workouts are always different which build engagement, plus George knows my strengths & weaknesses and can adapt my workouts to suit me whilst working within the workout on the board for the day i.e. doing all the cardio in 1 go to really get the heart rate up and about.

Favourite machine: Versa - followed very closely by the rower.

Favourite exercise: Chest press - followed very closely by squats.

Philosophy on exercising: Move it or Lose it.

Football team you support: There is only 1 team - Port Adelaide - We'll never stop, stop, stop!

Favourite drink: Water - with freshly sliced lemon or a slither of lime... followed very closely by Coffee - Soy Latte!

Favourite food: It's a Spanish dish from El Choto containing - roasted pumpkin & chick pea salad, fennel seed, parsley and goats curd. I'm not a cheese eater so I replace the Goats curd with flavoured Tofu to bulk it up a bit. It contains all of the essential nutrients needed and tastes refreshing. For those in the know and those who like "super-foods", I sprinkle Chia seeds and Turmeric over the top of it which provides energy, vitality and free radical fighting qualities and also aids digestion. After eating this you will feel like participating in the "Running of the Bulls"!

Quote: "Don't add to the world's carbon footprint, become lean & mean to live a healthier, sustained happier life."

City to Bay - Tips for the big day

CITY TO BAY 2010

So for those of you competing in this years City to Bay here are a few tips that should help you get the best out of your performance. These tips come from my years of experience in running and competing in sport. They may or may not work for you but they can make big difference on the day!

THE DAY BEFORE
Hydrate well and eat a balanced diet. At least 2 litres of water, no alcohol & a nice big bowl of pasta the night before. Also get an early night and stay well rested throughout the day. Stretch if required.

IN THE MORNING
STAY HYDRATED: About 250 - 500ml of water in morning should do the trick
EATING: only eat if you normally do. Something light in the morning should be consumed if you feel like. Do not force feed yourself if you are not used to eating before a run as it will repeat on you and inhibit your performance. A banana, Up & go, muesli bar etc should do the trick.
DO NOT BRUSH YOUR TEETH: by all means scrub your teeth and have a chewy but do not brush your teeth with tooth paste as it will dry your mouth out when you are running. There is not much worse than running with a dry mouth.
WARM UP: Light stretching & a light jog of about 500 meters about 30 minutes before the run should be more than enough.

CLOTHING, MUSIC ETC...
CLOTHING: Do not wear new clothing! Wash everything before you run in it and wear it at least once before. New clothes will not be fitted to your body and not breathe as well as something that has been worn and washed. Also you need to wear it / run in it before Sunday to see if it is comfortable or not.
MUSIC: If you run with music then prepare a song list of good running music so you don't have to shuffle around trying to find a good song and stuffing up your rhythm. if you don't normally run with music then go for a run and try it before you decide to use it on the big day.
GEAR: If you don't run with a hat and sunglasses then don't wear them on the on the day. Always test something out in training before hand to see if it is comfortable or not and helps or inhibits your run.

DURING THE RUN
KING WILLIAM STREET: Stick to the left hand side and if you can run on the closed part of KWS. A much clearer run.
DON'T WASTE ENERGY: Don' waste energy zig zagging around people in the 1st 2 kms, you will tire yourself out, not be able to settle into a good rhythm and end up running further than you need to. Try and find a clear path and if need be slow down for 2 seconds to get a nice clear and settled run. It will pay off over the whole 12kms.
DRINK BREAKS FOR RUNNERS (NOT WALKERS): we haven't trained with drinks breaks so don't start now! They are time and rhythm killers. Avoid them at all costs and only grab a drink if you really, really, really need it! If you are going to grab one then head to the back of the table where it is less busy and only take a sip of water as a full cup load will sit in your stomach and not feel to great.

AFTER THE RUN
HYDRATE, STRETCH, MASSAGE & EAT... In that order and make sure you hydrate really well and stretch or you will not be in the club until Thursday as you will be to sore to walk!

The main thing with the city to bay is to prepare well, get in a good rhythm and do what works for YOU! If you don't like eating before then don't, if you don't like running with music then don't. Do what works for you, stay positive and make sure you run as hard as you can. Always have a goal in mind and stick with it. Get a watch and work out at what point you need to be at each kilometer marker. This will help with you running at a good speed and push you along without the help of Coach G. The point where most people struggle is from 7kms - 10kms so make sure you work really hard through that quarter of the race and never give up. Do me proud kids and I will see you at the finish line.

GOOD LUCK!!!

COACH G

50 reasons to exercise - continued

51. Increases your ability to adapt to cold environments.
52. Helps you maintain proper muscle balance.
53. Reduces the rate and severity of medical complications associated with hypertension.
54. Helps to alleviate certain menstrual symptoms.
55. Lowers your heart rate response to sub maximal physical exertion.
56. Helps to alleviate low-back pain.
57. Helps to reduce the amount of insulin required to control blood sugar levels in type I (insulin-dependent) diabetics.
58. Improves mental alertness.
59. Improves respiratory muscle strength and muscle endurance - particularly important for asthmatics.
60. Reduces your risk of having a stroke.
61. Helps you to burn excess calories.
62. Increases your cardiac reserve.
63. Improves your physical appearance.
64. Offsets some of the negative side effects of certain anti-hypertensive drugs. 65. Increases your stroke volume (the amount of blood the heart pumps with each beat).
66. Improves your self-esteem.
67. Reduces your susceptibility for coronary thrombosis (a clot in an artery that supplies the heart with blood).
68. Helps you to relax.
69. Reduces the risk of developing breast cancer.
70. Improves mental cognition (a short-term effect only).
71. Maintains or improves joint flexibility.
72. Improves your glucose tolerance.
73. Reduces workdays missed due to illness.
74. Protects against "creeping obesity" (the slow, but steady weight gain that occurs as you age).
75. Enhances your muscles' abilities to extract oxygen from your blood.
76. Increases your productivity at work.
77. Reduces your likelihood of developing low-back problems.
78. Improves your balance and coordination.
79. Allows you to consume greater quantities of food and still maintain caloric balance.
80. Provides protection against injury.
81. Decreases (by 20 to 30 percent) the need for anti-hypertensive medication, if you are hypertensive.
82. Improves your decision-making abilities.
83. Helps reduce and prevent the immediate symptoms of menopause (hot flashes, sleep disturbances, irritability) and decrease the long-term risks of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and obesity.
84. Helps to relieve and prevent "migraine headache attacks."
85. Reduces the risk of endometriosis (a common cause of infertility).
86. Helps to retard bone loss as you age, thereby reducing your risk of developing osteoporosis.
87. Helps decrease your appetite (a short-term effect only).
88. Improves pain tolerance and mood if you suffer from osteoarthritis.
89. Helps prevent and relieve the stresses that cause carpal tunnel syndrome.
90. Makes your heart a more efficient pump.
91. Helps to decrease left ventricular hypertrophy (a thickening of the walls of the left ventricle) in people with hypertension.
92. Improves your mood
93. Helps to increase your overall health awareness.
94. Reduces the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.
95. Helps you to maintain an independent lifestyle.
96. Reduces the level of abdominal obesity - a significant health-risk factor.
97. Increases the diffusion capacity of the lungs, enhancing the exchange of oxygen from your lungs to your blood.
98. Improves heat tolerance.
99. Improves your overall quality of life.
100. Lifelong regular exercise may be protective against the development of Alzheimer's disease.