Travel Workouts Week 15- TRX and Kettlebells in Nosara

Ever since the Around the World Running Blog Relay began, I have been running like crazy. It’s been great motivation, but, as a result, my strength training routine has fallen by the wayside.

When I read about the TRX and Kettlebell class at the Wellness Centre in Guiones, I knew I would have to try it out.

P1030131As some of you may have read, I rocked a TRX class back in Tamarindo and loved it. The thought of adding kettlebells to the mix sounded amazing. It’s funny how having the opportunity to add actual weight to your routine is such a treat when you are travelling!

I arrived at my first class and was instantly delighted by the temperature of the room. It had been a HOT one in Nosara that week, and although the room didn’t have a/c, it was in the basement of the wellness centre and was nice and cool. I find sometimes classes with a/c can get too cold and aren’t ideal for working out, this room was great.

Our class was taught by Tinis, a gorgeous Tica surf instructor who really knows her stuff. The more classes I attended with Tinis, the more I came to really appreciate her teaching style. Technique is super important when working with TRX and Kettlebells, and she spent ample time making sure everyone in the class was rocking it. No matter whether it was your first time, or your fiftieth time, she had her eyes out to make sure no one hurt themselves. I was also amazed at how she could tailor the class to suit everyone’s goals and levels. She could balance teaching a new student the technique for kettlebell, while guiding others through a TRX routine, all the while, motivating all of us to push ourselves to get the most bang for our buck.

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Tinis teaches Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 2pm. There is another class at 12:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays taught by someone else. Drop in is $10 for visitors and $5 for locals. Ten bucks is an awesome deal for this type of class, as you are guaranteed to get your money’s worth. 

I try and get most of my workouts done early in the morning or later in the afternoon when it isn’t as hot out. For those who are looking for a mid-day workout, this class is truly ideal. Doing a cardio class mid-day is not only exhausting, but  the intense heat here in Costa Rica could make it potentially dangerous. Tinis’ class is the perfect way to get in a great workout that is focused on getting stronger, feeling the burn, but without over exerting yourself.

So, if you are in the Nosara area, check out the TRX and Kettlebell class at the Wellness Centre. Tell them I sent you!

Want to learn more about TRX? Check out this article that Tinis is featured in!

Check out more recaps of my travel workouts here!

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter:@caketress

Travel Workouts Week 12/13- Around the World Running Blog Relay

Sometimes you just need a good kick in the pants to get you through the home stretch.

With 7 weeks to go on this adventure, I find my motivation to work out dwindling a little. There are things to see, pool time to be had, and frankly, most mornings I would rather sleep in then get up and rock a workout.

That is, until I happened upon the Around the world Running Blog Relay 2014 over at Kyla’s Motivation blog

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Kyla, aka Drill Sargent Beattie, lives in my hometown of Victoria, B.C. I actually discovered her blog before I left Canada after reading a post of hers about a local obstacle race. It turned out that not only had we completed the same event, but we were in the same heat, and likely raced right next to each other. We didn’t even realize it until finding each other online. I love blogging for that kind of stuff!

Anyways, as of March 2nd, Kyla launched the Around the World Running Blog Relay. As it stands, 38 bloggers from all over the world have signed up to run as much as they can from March 2nd until April 30th. The goal is to see how far across the world we can make it!

My friend Shannon over at The Birthday Dinner, convinced me to sign up for a Half Marathon, 3 weeks after I get back. Unless I want her to have to drag me across the finish line, I know I’m going to have to stay the course.

Kyla’s blogging relay is exactly the motivation I need to keep up my mileage up for the remainder of the trip. So thanks Kyla, this is such a great thing to do, and I’m so excited to be a part of it.

For those of you who are wondering, I have pledged 100km and as of this morning I have 94km to go.

Better get running!

What motivates you to workout? Competition, goal setting, friends?

Pura Vida

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress

Travel Workouts Weeks 4/5- 5 tips for beach running

Well the holidays are finally over, and all things fitness, and food are back on track here at Hostels and Hot Rollers.

During my Christmas slump, I found myself relying on running as my go to fitness activity. It’s easy, requires no planning, and can be done anywhere.

Having been here for well over a month, I feel I have mastered the art of effective beach runs.. So, I thought I would share some tips for getting the most out of your vacation runs:

Hostels and Hot Rollers Top 5 Tips for Beach Running

Pre run smiles!

Pre run smiles!

1- Time of Day: Not sure if you are aware, but it is HOT here. Not only is running during the day uncomfortable, but it can be down right dangerous. Exerting yourself in the mid-day heat is simply a recipe for disaster, and although I see people doing it on occasion, I believe it should be avoided at all costs. Besides, mid-day is the time for vacation naps anyway.

If I am running a 10km, I set my alarm for 6am, and get out the door asap. The sun is up, and the air is cool. There are often very few people out, which makes it nice and relaxing. Plus, my workout is done super early, and I have the whole day to look forward to.

Some days I will break my workouts up into two parts. In the morning I will do a strength training circuit, and in the evening I will do a short 5 or 6km run. I try and get these runs done between 5 and 6. The air is cooler, but I can still get home before it’s dark. Careful on these runs though, bug spray is a must!

2- Sand: Running in sand adds great resistance, and can really up your calorie burn. That being said, sand is a really unstable surface to run on, and can easy lead to sprained ankles, or pulled muscles. Whenever we get to a new beach, I look for areas that have sand that is more compact, to make for easy running.

The perfect running tide...the sunset isn't so bad either ;)

The perfect running tide…the sunset isn’t so bad either 😉

3- Tides: There is nothing worse then planning a nice long beach run, only to discover the tide is up, and the beach is non-existent. Or even worse, the tide is up, so the beach is packed with tourists trying to take their sunset photos. To avoid being the photobomber of everyone’s photo, grab a tide guide and check out when the tide is out. Having more beach real estate will make your run much more enjoyable!

4- Be Prepared for Critters: During my runs I’ve been howled at by monkeys, dive bombed by bats, chased by dogs, charged by iguanas and chaperoned by a very persistent horse. I certainly have had to develop a certain level of flexibility with my runs. Each one is a new adventure. I like to think that each one of these experiences made me run just a little big faster!

Me being a creeper on a beach front wedding.

Me being a creeper on a beach front wedding.

5-Bring Your Camera: I have yet to go on a beach run where I haven’t wanted to snap a photo of something. Whether it’s some crazy animal, a gorgeous sunset, or a beach side wedding, there is always some memory I want to document. It was a sad day when my iphone camera died, and I could no longer take a quick second to snap a pick. That being said, I have been known to run with my canon on my shorter evening runs. I just can’t resist a sunset photo!

Finally a bonus tip: Whether you are running morning, or night, on beach or on road, remember to HYDRATE. We’re not in Victoria anymore Toto, and running in hot whether can suck the life right out of you. I try and get a litre of water in me as soon as I’m done running, just to get myself back on my A game!

So there ya go! My top 5 tips for beach running. Remember, all you need is a good pair of shoes, and you are off! No excuses!

What are your beach run experiences?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress