f2k Health & Fitness News/Blog

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-05-16T22:10:00.000+01:00

Congratulations to the Ladies who completed yet another Ironman 70.3.

After a tough day racing all completed their goals.

Special Congrats goes to Claire.

Hi Chris

Wicked good fun weekend, paddling 17M was super tough, I was double pleased with the bike as didnt think I would feel as strong as I did (so thank you for all your help :))..68M the 1st day in about 4h 20 and horrible weather and 78 the next in about 5.20. Mountain run was the best and over the most challenging terrain ever. contemplating a solo attempt next year :). Pictures at Facebook soon

hope alls good :)

Claire

f2k

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-05-14T17:01:00.000+01:00

GOOD LUCK

To all the ladies who are competing this weekend all over the globe.

The race distances are

Swim 1.9km

Bike 90km

Run 21km

Lets see how they do in the heat of Spain and Usa

f2k

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-05-02T22:09:00.000+01:00

Great training weather, shame the body has been under the weather for the past two weeks, grr.

Keep smiling!

f2k

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-05-02T22:07:00.000+01:00

Hervey Bay Triathlon Australia

Catherine's version of events

Hello there
Well one very proud self this morning! i can't believe i did it and can't believe i did it under 3hr 30!
here's the run down.
had been nervous all week - and was basically petrified. was trying to think positive but wasn't really working for me.

so we got all organised and next thing i knew i was waiting at the shore ready to run in. i think there were about 20 people in my wave. i was all fired up to implement my waterpolo defence moves to get people swimming over me
off, but didn't get touched by anyone which was great. swim felt good but not too sure on the split time. it was so flat i could breath both sides! i had a bit of trouble trying to locate the last buoy before turning to shore - it was quite hard for me to spot but got there and through ok. even managed to pass people. Once i got to the end realised i could have pushed a bit harder but also wanted to make sure i didn't overdo it too early.

and then to the bike, after a relaxed transition! my speedo wasn't working so just had to go with how i felt. stupid bike computer told me the temperature the whole way though (it was 21 deg when I started and 24 when i got off!).
was passed by all the superbikes. basically i just tried to push without overdoing it again. it was a 2 lap circuit with one really awful hill. and, i'll come clean, i hadn't ridden 40km in training!!!! so this was the leg i was most concerned about. but once again, got through!

and then to the run. once again not sure on my time (am waiting for the results). started off on under 6 min km's but was over that by the end. i was starting to overheat and didn't want to pass out when i passed the finish line so ended up with a couple of walking stints at the water stations to make sure i held it together. but overall i finished pretty well. and very very glad i finished. i can't quite believe i did it!

feeling okay today - back is really sore and legs are starting to struggle, and now have a tan line from my bike shorts, but still in awe that i did it. will let you know the split times when they come through.

Thanks for all your help and support! give me a day or two and i will be ready to start again - with more structured accountability to do the training from me!

And definitely never want to do an Ironman.

C

Never say never;), and well done!

Chris

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-05-02T22:02:00.000+01:00

Hervey Bay Triathlon Australia

Here's a quick race report from Matt

The course was pretty good I reckon, however I don't have much to compare it too. The water was calm and flat, as the bay is well sheltered, and the temperature of 22 deg meant that wetsuits were allowed, but not needed, and banned for the pros. The cycle course was pretty good, following the coast around to a point and back. It was two laps, on the whole the tarmac was OK but a bit patchy in some points but not dissimilar to Didsbury conditions. The run was perfect, boardwalk and paved path course out and back along the esplanade with plenty of overhead tree cover which was welcome come that point of the race.

We were fortunate enough to stay right over the road from the transition area, so we got up about 4:45am and had some breakfast and headed over for numbering and racking. The transition area was large and spacious which was good, and we soon found out there was only about 360 odd competitors which was less than expected.

Fast forward to the swim, 7am and I downed a gel and took our mark after the professionals went out. I was in in the under 35's wave, so we had about 40 odd people I think. There were more wetsuits than not. I held for a second at the start to let the bulk of the wave go in and then hit the water and got into a rhythm quickly and easily. After the first buoy we turned left for a 700m stretch and I must admit I found that a bit difficult as I couldn't see the buoy for a lot of the time due to fog in the goggles! I just followed the caps but soon lost most of the group and had to spot the buoys myself. It felt weird but I never really panicked, just kept swimming and enjoying it. I found the buoys just at the next wave came through, (3 min behind) and I had a chance to tack onto them and followed them into shore. I can't be certain but I think i came out of the water in 28 minutes, a big thrill! We expect the splits and photos to come out over next couple of days so I'll send you the link when that happens.

Into transition, I decided to put my shoes on first then mounted, so really only lost a minute or so there. Got up to speed OK and had another gel and some water, was sitting comfortably on 30 km/hr and then noticed I was getting overtaken! (Recall my feedback from Yeppoon two weeks ago and it was ME overtaking people) This was the most frustrating part of the race, I got up to about 32 km/hr and then hit 16 km and the pain started. I now realise my 'set up' last week was not optimal and probably worsened the situation compared to how I had it previously. By 25km I was having to get out of the saddle every 30sec or so to relieve the pain in lower back and ITBs. I couldn't get down on handles either without significant discomfort. In the end I said 'F**k it' and sat on 28 km/hr sucked down another gel on 36km and had a bit more of a drink and started thinking about the run.

Things turned around about 200m from transition when I successfully got my feet out of the shoes (first time!) and glided into the dismount without any issues. I was also inspired to find my hamstrings were fine, just a bit of stiffness in back but nothing too serious. Total leg 1 hour 24 minutes. I can sense your disappointment as I write this too.. yes, there is a lot of room for improvement.

I ran through transition, threw on the shoes (I was already wearing the race number) and hat and was out in no time. I left the Garmin on the bike but had my other total race time watch on, so I knew what I had to do to achieve 2 hours 45 minutes. I looked up and all the others who had overtaken me were just ahead and I went about hauling them in. I took them all and more, got stronger and stronger the further the run went on. A bloke in a MACCA one-piece red suit got on my shoulder for a few km and I burnt him off at 8km too. Came into the finish strong but held back on the sprint finish to ensure my own photo crossing the line!! ;) I estimate a 48 min run but will know for sure. All up 2 hours 41 minutes 51 sec I think. So I'm not a GIRL! Ha ha!

I spoke to Matt and Cath via Skype video (brilliant!) and they are both up for other races and 'other' distances;)

A very respectable time for the Aussie tri virgin!

f2k

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-04-27T19:58:00.000+01:00

Royal Wedding Madness

Due to the above, we will be open

Friday 8 - 2

Sat Closed

Sun Closed

Mon Closed

Normal beastings will continue from Tuesday.

f2k

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-04-27T19:55:00.000+01:00

Tuesday Night Run Club

I'm loving the Aussie slant on coaching!

f2k

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-04-24T19:41:00.000+01:00

A reminder of who left us at Christmas to go back to sunny Australia.

They're looking good, and have broken their triathlon duck!.

Roll on the race reports, and a solid off season training plan.

Keep it going Catherine & Matt

f2k

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-04-24T19:34:00.000+01:00

Easter Bank Holiday Monday

Opening Times

Sorry Guys, We're closed for the above day/date.

Back to kicking backside (constructively of course) on Tuesday.

Enjoy Easter

f2k

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-04-04T23:04:00.000+01:00

Wilmslow Race Report

Review of Wilmslow Half

Hi Chris, here is my take on the race on Sunday, Firstly I have to say a big thank you to yourself & Paul with the running club.

When doing the constant drills it does get monotonous but I think it’s the sort of discipline that I would not be able to achieve on my own & it has definitely led to a noticeable improvement in my stamina & running ability. I am pretty sure that without the past year in the cold & wet on a Tuesday night I would not have been able to run 13 miles let alone do it in a respectable time.

The day got off to a good start with meeting my brother Justin & Steve at 9.00. On seeing myself & Justin in full race trim Steve started to try to organise himself by asking for pins to secure his number, a pen to fill out emergency medical information & help with securing his timing chip.

My own preparation was not at all smooth on placing my top over my head I lost my favourite headband & had to find a replacement.

On arrival at the rugby club a visit to the toilets was our first port of call. Ever the professional Steve had brought with him some emergency toilet roll in case there was none.

We then made our way to the start line ready for the gun. We were advised to try to slot in with people of similar ability, this resulted in Steve getting right to the front & the only difference between himself & those around him was the bagginess of his shorts.

He managed to get across the start line a full 9 seconds after the gunshot whilst myself & Justin took over 2 minutes.

The first mile was hard to judge, with continuous speeding up into gaps then slowing down as the gaps filled with other runners.

Despite the fact that I had 3 timing devices all of which give differing times I forgot to set them going so only realised at mile 1 that I hadn’t a clue how quick I had gone so far.

The next 4 miles were very easy & I think I went much faster than I thought I could go, this was done to try & claw back time from my slow first mile. Miles 5 to 8 I ran at what I felt would be comfortable speed to get around 1hr 50min which was my target time.

By far the hardest mile for me was mile 9. I think it suddenly dawned on me how far I still had to go & once this got into my head my legs felt heavy & I started to feel as though my feet were blistering & even thought wether I would be able to last the distance.

As I went on it started to get easier as I was counting down the miles until once again at 11.5 miles I started to get weary thinking maybe those first 5 miles were taking they’re toll. At that point as fresh looking Kerry spoke to me as she overtook me. I tried to follow at he pace thinking seeing her would help pull me along but that only lasted a short distance.

The last mile was easier but seemed more like 2 miles, I thought it would never end, I did however even manage a sprint up to the finish line, only to be met by people handing out leaflets for other events.

Before the event I swore that this was it I was giving up running after this but as my ankles ease up & walking gets easier all I remember was the laugh I had on the day & the great feeling of achieving my goal.

Thanks again to all at F2k for your support

Mark

A great race report, thanks to Mark for putting pen to paper.

Next Race?

Chris

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-04-01T20:16:00.000+01:00

London Personal Trainers

www.telegraph.co.uk/health/wellbeing/8409682/David-Cameron-out-of-stride-with-wife-Samantha.html

I've been harping on about this for about ten years, so the ripples have finally spread to the capital.

Not all that glimmers is gold!

f2k

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-03-27T18:37:00.000+01:00

f2k Didsbury Run Club

Congrats to all who took part in the Wilmslow half today.

Great times by all, does this mean the training is working??

f2k

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-03-27T18:32:00.000+01:00

Wilmslow 1/2 Marathon 2011

Great weather conditions for the English half marathon Championships.

All f2k Gym Members hit new PR's. Congrats go to

Jac - 2:00.52

Bob - 2:07.19

Ange - 1:59.22

Mark - 1:48.17

Alice - 1:55.23

Steve - 1:35.20

Kerry - 1:46.42

Claire - 1:56.40

Colette - 1:57.03

All smiles post race.

Turn your aspirations into reality

f2k

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-03-08T22:36:00.002Z

More than physical fitness required?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO0VLouJFNQ&feature=player_embedded

A new holiday destination

f2k

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-02-11T08:16:00.000Z

Morning

Sorry for not blogging sooner, you know how gyms are in the new year!.

It's been a busy 6 weeks - testing, new members and generally life.

The fitness outlook is looking better than the UK weather, with 85% of clients having been tested, and I'm glad to report things continue to move the right way!. So, keep up the good work as most 'other' gym users will be stopping about now.

f2k

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-01-26T09:38:00.000Z

Another reason to up your game?

UCI World Cycling Tour: Cycling enthusiasts can become World Champions

A new cycling tour for amateur riders that will ultimately crown age group World Champions is being launched by the UCI in 2011.

The UCI World Cycling Tour (UWCT) is a series of UCI-sanctioned races that will be held all over the world. The UWCT will comprise a maximum of 15 qualifier events, leading to the UWCT Final, the former UCI Masters Road World Championships. The top 10% in each age group of the qualifier events will automatically have the right to compete in the UWCT Final and race for the coveted UCI rainbow jersey.

The UCI’s Cycling for All, Masters and Sustainable Development Coordinator, Ms Andrea Marcellini Mendonça, explains the importance of this amateur tour: “If we look at cycling as a pyramid, professional racing is at the very top and occupies a very small portion. Everything that comes below this is the amateur side of the sport and involves impressive numbers of riders. These enthusiasts are part of the UCI family and it’s time for them to race for a World Champion title”.

Another aim of this new initiative is to contribute to the international promotion of the UCI’s “Cycling for All” events. All races on the UWCT calendar must meet strict organisational and sporting criteria, and provide a certain touristic interest.

In order to host the qualifier events of the UWCT, the UCI is currently receiving applications from regions willing to organise a high standard cycling event that will attract riders from all over the world.

Get serious about your training

f2k

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-01-24T21:26:00.000Z

A busy few weeks, there's still a few membership places left if you want to upgrade your health.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lXh2n0aPyw

If only..

Train smart and with goals

f2k

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-01-17T08:39:00.000Z

Inclusive Monthly Session

Just as you're getting into the new year routine, here's something else to add, your monthly pt session. Over half of the membership has already had their fitness tested and been given their goals for the next month.

It's time to start, unless you want to get left behind.

Speak soon

f2k

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-01-14T12:56:00.000Z

On a New Year Diet?

Atkins diet potentially unhealthy, study finds

The Atkins diet, which calls for lots of meat and little bread, may not only be dull on the palate, but also pose a serious risk to your health.

A new study conducted on mice has found that a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates can lead to a significant build-up of plaque in the heart's arteries, which can ultimately lead to a heart attack and stroke. This occurred despite the fact that mice on a low carbohydrate diet had gained comparatively less weight than mice on a regular 'balanced' diet.

The low carbohydrate diet was found to undermine the body's ability to recover from a heart attack, by preventing the formation of new blood vessels in tissues deprived of blood flow.

The study also found that the standard indicators of heart disease, including cholesterol, did not change in mice that were fed a diet low in carbohydrates, despite evidence pointing to an increase in plaque in the arteries.

"It's very difficult to know in clinical studies how diets affect vascular health," said senior author Dr Anthony Rosenzweig, Director of Cardiovascular Research in Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

Doctors have until now relied on indicators like cholesterol, which support the positive benefits of a low carbohydrate diet high in protein, because dieters tend to lose weight. However, this study suggests that in mice, this kind of diet has a negative effect on health that is not reflected in indicators like cholesterol.

"Understanding the mechanisms responsible for these effects, as well as the potential restorative capacity that may counteract vascular disease, could ultimately help guide doctors in advising their patients," Dr Rosenzweig said.

"For now, it appears that a moderate and balanced diet, coupled with regular exercise, is probably best for most people," Dr Rosenzweig said.

The study was published in the online version of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-01-11T22:39:00.000Z

Anyone fancy a little run ?

Maria is looking at doing it again this year. It's recommended, more so than the other marathon in Scotland

Let me know..

Chris

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-01-09T22:14:00.000Z

It's that time.

To start getting yourselves booked in, tested and improve on last years fitness.

The excuses - I'm too old, I've got an injury, I've got a new boyfriend/girlfriend, I'm growing my hair, I've lost my trainers, I can't get there, I've lost the shoe horn and can't get in my gym kit, we ate the cat, we lost the dog, I'm going skiing - in 3 weeks!, It's snowing, It's cold, It's warm, there's a blue sky, and any others I've missed out.

January Quote

“Take a primitive organism, say a freshman. Make it lift, or jump or run. Let it rest. What happens? A little miracle. It gets a little better. It gets a little stronger or faster or more enduring. That’s all training is. Stress. Recover. Improve. You’d think any damn fool could do it. But you don’t. You work too hard and rest too little and get hurt.”

Bill Bowerman

No more excuses, lets get it sorted.

Chris

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-01-07T13:00:00.000Z

What's your aim this year?

Last year we had a number of clients go above and beyond their aim and qualified for the World Championships.

For results like these contact f2k

Chris

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-01-06T15:41:00.003Z

Choice

80% of the people joining a gym drop out within eight weeks; 80% of f2K members train three times a week all year round.

What would you choose?

f2K.

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-01-03T18:29:00.001Z

Cheap Gym Membership

If you are looking for a gym where you go and sit on the machine that exercises your inner thigh for 6 weeks then I'm sorry to disappoint. Here we will get you off the machines, make you work all of your body correctly and after the first month you will have made at least a 20% improvement. All this is done in a safe. secure, clean and non intimidating environment. If this sounds like your idea of a gym please give me a call to discuss moving forward with your fitness.

Currently we include a Monthly personal training session in each of our memberships.

There's no fads, gimmicks or extreme weight loss at f2k. All health & fitness is done according to proven fact, research and experience. If you want constantly improving results, give me a call.

0161 445 6587

Hello to all our clients from Australia and USA

Health

Chris

f2k Health & Fitness

2011-01-01T20:10:00.001Z

OMG!

January again: we have binged hugely, now we must purge guiltily. It’s the same every year — except that every year brings another weird new diet for us to try. This time round you may find yourself swallowing a substance extracted from the urine of pregnant women. Seriously.

The diet has swept America and will hit Britain next week thanks to a book by the lifestyle guru Leslie Kenton. Her regimen involves a substance called HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), the hormone that turns pregnancy tests that oh-gosh blue. Kenton’s regimen may literally take the pee, but its popularity in America made “HCG diet” the most searched-for health term on Google worldwide in 2010.

Kenton says that people who have followed her book, The Cura Romana Weightloss Plan, report “phenomenal results” plus “transformations in their health and lives, and even in their spiritual growth”. Swapping calories for karma certainly sounds like a bonus.

It is disarmingly simple. You take a dose of HCG every day, and you limit yourself to 500 calories a day for six weeks. In medical terms it is a starvation diet but HCG proponents claim that the hormone makes your body burn fat for energy so that you hardly feel hunger. They add that, conveniently, it burns fat only from such places as the tummy and hips, and that it is possible to lose 18lb in a fortnight.

In fact this diet has been around for decades. The Cura Romana was invented by Albert Simeons, a British doctor in Rome in the 1950s. It quickly became popular but HCG as a weight-loss aid was discredited by studies in the 1960s, and America’s Food and Drug Administration now requires all marketing of HCG to state that it is not effective in the treatment of obesity. The agency says there is no evidence that it causes a more “attractive” distribution of fat or that it reduces hunger.

But in the world of miracle diets, who gives a toss about killjoy medical science? HCG dieting is so popular in America that stocks of the hormone ran low last year. It does have serious medical uses: it is prescribed to aid fertility in women and boost testosterone for boys with delayed puberty.

Kenton asserts that HCG can work its diet wonders when taken as a homeopathic preparation. Such preparations contain at most a trace of the hormone and so can be bought over the counter. A spray that lasts two weeks costs about £20.

Anna Raymond, from the British Dietetic Association (BDA), shoots her eyebrows skywards at the mention of the HCG regimen. “Fad diets will probably always be with us,” she says. “We live in a society that craves quick fixes. Such diets may have a placebo effect, where people think the diet is doing great things but in fact they are just putting in a short burst of extra effort because they are moved by the diet’s novel promises. Every year there are new diets that people say are amazing — and then they go out of favour for reasons of impracticability and ineffectiveness.”

There is a rich history of such faddism. In the 1890s thyroid extract was all the rage, marketed under names such as Frank J. Kellogg’s Safe Fat Reducer. There were problems, though: weight was primarily lost from lean tissue and thyroid extract could cause palpitations and sudden death.

In the 1930s a new miracle calorieshifter emerged: dinitrophenol. More than 100,000 people tried this petroleum extract, originally used in insecticides and explosives. While many shed pounds, thanks to its metabolism-accelerating powers, the side-effects included rashes, cataracts, loss of taste and death by fever.

Seriously, would you, honestly

f2k