They train in the summer with a 7 story tall plastic ski jump ramp into a pool that's bubbled to soften the impact of landing. The highest ramp at the Utah Olympic Park training pool can launch skiers up to 70 feet in the air! Can you imagine how frightening and exhillerating is? I only wish I could try it. Would you take the plunge? Guess what? WE TOTALLY CAN.
Straight from Utah Olympic Park's website:
Freestyle aerials is a year-round sport at the Park. The Utah Olympic Park offers a variety of one-day, three-day, six-day and seasonal public freestyle camps. The Park staff offers coaching and programming for all levels of athlete development. (source)
Look how fun it looks. Oh boy...I think I have a challenge on my hands!
The video below shows how the pool bubbles right before impact.
Photo credits: Paul Schneider (photographer), Jerry Grossi (aerialist); Video source: Youtube
Runners are insane motivators. That's why 9,423 runners and walkers crossed the Run for Haiti finish line last weekend in NYC, raising over $400,000 for the city's Haiti Relief Fund. It was cold, the sun was out and everyone was psyched to run. On race day, NYRR president and CEO Mary Wittenberg announced:
People said we were crazy to try to put this race together so quickly, and we said, ‘You don’t know runners.’ With our partners at Parks, we found an open date, and we all worked together to make it happen. (source)
Run for Haiti isn't over yet! You have until Feb 24th (tomorrow!) to sign-up and race in your hometown -- CLICK THIS LINK TO GET INVOLVED -- it's only 4 miles and I know you can do it!
A few of my pics from the race:
If you're organizing a fitness event to help Haiti, reach out and I'll help spread the word.
PEDALING is an amazing new web series that cyclist and foodies will love!
Created by Iri Greco and Jim Fryer, PEDALING features unique characters, regional food and wine activities, special guests, and unexpected curves in the road. Watch for eclectic riding, professional cycling hosts, and tips on new restaurants and gourmet markets (which as a New Yorker you can never get enough of).
Right now, PEDALING covers NYC but they're taking their adventures national and California is next. It's a brilliant fusion of fitness and fuel. You've got to watch it!
Themed bootcamps are all the rage in NYC, but that doesn't mean traditional bootcamps cease to exist. It means they step up their game like 360Fit's indoor bootcamp where you'll jog up and down a midtown building stairwell holding a weighted ball high above your head. Did I mention this building is 20 floors high?
360Fit Bootcamp isn't fancy or frilly. When you arrive, you'll wonder if you wrote down the right address. The space is small but don't worry, it works out to your benefit. Classes range from 6-10 people and you receive lots of personal attention from Shanna Farrar, your bootcamp leader and 360Fit founder. Shanna packs the hour-long class with cardio and strength training exercises, leaving no time to commisserate with your neighbor about the stair climb you're still panting from.
360Fit Bootcamp isn't a novelty--it's a back-to-basics circuit training program taught by a fitness professional who's more focused on results than conversation (that's a good...
What: 4-mile run and walk to benefit Haiti sponsored by NYRR and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. Live festival to follow with Haitian music and performances. Fruit and bagels will be distributed on site.
Where: Central Park, NYC
When: Feb. 20th, 9AM
How much: $40
Two dancers with two different approaches to ballet have something in common: a barre class that rocks.
Leila Fazel, a former ballet dancer (Dance Theater of Harlem) and co-founder of Aerospace High Performance Center in NYC, teaches a barre class called Aerobarre that's designed for non-dancers. Aerobarre is a cardio-based fusion of ballet and boxing set to house music. You'll perform barre moves at high repetitions using a body bar (long weighted bar) instead of the traditional ballet barre. Expect to throw punches one minute and plie jump the next. Just follow Leila's lead and make sure to go easy on the weights. I was a little ambitious and chose 5 lb dumbbells until Leila noticed and set me up with 2 pounders. When you're throwing jabs with weights in your hands, 2 pounds can easily feel like 10! Even though you're working with weights, there's a graceful flow to Aerobarre which Leila attributes to the similarities between ballet and boxing:
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