Congratulations to all our athletes that ran in the 2023 USATF National Track & Field Meet!

Congratulations to Gianna and Isla Rahmer for winning their age group races in the 1500 and 3000 at the 2023 USA Track & Field National Junior Olympic Championship track meet. The meet was held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Isla won the 11/12 Girls 1500 with a time of 4:57.70 and the 3000 with a time of 10:25.41. Gianna won the 13/14 Girls 1500 with a time of 4:39.12 and the 3000 with a time of 9:59.85. These are PR's for both Gianna and Isla in both races. Gianna also had the fastest 1500 and 3000 meter times for all female athletes in the NJO meet. Both Isla and Gianna won their age group 1500 and 3000 meter races, each winning 2 individual national championships, 3rd individual national titles overall (2022 USATF NJO cross country meet), set personal best marks in each event and earned 2 USATF All American awards while both being at the younger end of their age group. Isla's 3000 win was difficult to achieve since she was seeded in the slower heat 2 of 3, so she was not able to run head to head with the fastest athletes seeded in heat 3. Isla had to run against the clock and then wait and see how she would finish over all. Gianna was seeded first in the 3000 going into the NJO meet and came away with the win. Gianna finished the 2022 track and XC seasons and the 2023 track season undefeated in all her individual races. The last USATF age group race that Gianna did not win was her 6th place finish at the 2021 USATF NJO cross country meet where she and Isla both placed 6th in their age group race also earning USATF All American awards.

Gianna's 1500 meter Run 

 2022 Junior Olympics Cross Country National Champions 

Gianna and Isla won their age group National championship in the Cross Country Junior Olympic this past month. Running against the top runner in the US in a 1.8 mile course that was flat and fast at College Station Texas. 

There were over 300 participant in each age group where each runner had to qualify in the State, and Regional competition, to advance to the Junior Olympic Nationals. 

I believe Isla and Gianna are the first sister to accomplish a Championship in USATF or any Running Nationals Championship. Proud of these two girls that ran hard in practice and showed leadership with enthusiasm and dedication. 

Gianna and Isla run for the Albuquerque Athletics Track!

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So proud of my two sister runners that I coach from Albuquerque Athletics Track Team !

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Two Albuquerque girls are getting national attention for their accomplishments at the National Junior Olympic Cross Country meet. click on link below to see a nice video on their win!

Gianna won the 11-12 age group

Isla won the 9-10 age group

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/local-sisters-earn-first-place-at-usatf-national-junior-cross-country-championships/

Tip #2 Yoga Cobra

Strengthens And Stretches The Back  

Lay on your stomach down on the floor then lift up with hands to a straight arms bringing chest up and wide as you can, keep thighs on the floor if possible. Hold as long as you can then go all the way down flat. Repeat two or three time holding for 20 to 30 seconds. Try to keep the front of the feet down. It takes practice to get better do this everyday to straighten your lower back and stretch the abdominals. 

Tip #3 Yoga Child Pose

 

This is a stretch you can do for your back right after the Cobra. On hands and knee push hips back towards your heels then reach out in front as far as you can. Reach with your finger tips and you will feel a fantastic stretch through your back. while you do that keep pushing your hip back towards you heels. If you are new at this it takes practice, your not going to get all the way down the first time. Do the child's pose right after doing your first cobra and alternate cobra and child's to get the strength and stretch effect for the back. 

 Stretches for Your Aching Back

Tip #1

If you are concerned about your back, stiffness, soreness, pain and it has been bothering you for some time, you do need to be concerned. But, this could be an easy fit with a little pampering on your part. I recommend 10 minutes a day of stretching. Here is one stretch you can do for the back called cat and dog in yoga.

Cat-Dog stretch

The cat-cow stretch is a useful exercise to help increase flexibility and ease tension in your lower back and core muscles.

To perform the cat-dog stretch:

1. Get onto your Knees and hands with your knees hip-width apart. This is the starting position.

2. Take a deep breath while arching your back by pulling your belly button up toward your spine, letting your head drop forward. This is the cat portion of the stretch.

3. Hold for 10 seconds. You should feel a gentle stretch in your lower back.

4. Exhale slowly and return to the starting position.

5. Inhale and raise your head up and let your pelvis fall forward, curving your back down toward the floor. This is the cow portion of the stretch.

6. Hold for 10 seconds, exhale while returning to the starting position.

7. Repeat the cat-dog stretch 10 times.

Helps Keep The Alzheimer's Disease Away

This weekend will be the first time I’m going to an event where there will be several

people crowded together. I believe we will be wearing masks but not really sure until I

get there. It's a good thing I had the covid vaccine and I’m sure the others have too or

probably wouldn't have participated. This event is my second hobby that I just love,

Line-dancing. Yes, it is not much of an aerobic like running, biking or high altitude hiking

but it is fun if you like to dance. This is not just a beginner class this is a mini Jam

(not as many attending like a state Line Dancing Jam) but

it’s a test event where you go

in and they show the dance once just to refresh your memory 

and then they turn on the

music. We will dance 40 songs like this and if you know the 

routines you’ll be doing all

40 dances, so you’ll be on your feet for four hours which is a lot 

of exercise on the legs.

It is so much Fun!!! It will be good to see everyone in person  

especially the Instructor

Patty, she is the super Instructor that taught us for a whole year dedicated to doing it by

herself, well anyway it sure is lonely when you're online 

compared to a room full of

people. We really appreciate her!  

As my Instructor would say Line Dancing helps keep Alzheimer's Disease away. You

need to keep your focus and remember the moves, tags, restart counts and stay on beat.

When I first started Line Dancing I remember I used to think 

about what I was going to

do that evening or what I was going to have for dinner, wrong

it’s not like running, you got to keep thinking of what you're doing while you're dancing or you’ll

miss a beat. Yes, now I can see that this helps with your fo-cus, concentration and memory. It was a challenge for

a while but finally after three to four classes a week and six months 

of beginner classes I made it to the intermediate class. Now being a part of Line dancing for five years I’m on

my way to tackling the advanced class, this is a whole other story 

so that was delayed because of the closures caused by the Covid. The Classes have been closed now for one year and one month. I GPS the class and we danced 2.25 miles 6,003 steps and burned 340 calories. Not bad for an hour and half class. What a great way to exercise!

 

Knee Injury Is Holding Me Back From Running

• For years I have been running long distance since the age of eleven years old. I remember our Elementary Coach would have these long distance runs probably close to a 3/4 of a mile or more. I loved those days to go out and participate in all kinds of physical activities. Even in those days without training I would do well, third over all behind two boys. Over the past 30 years or more I never had an operation on knees, Achilles, or leg related running  injuries. Don't know what's going on with my knee but it is stopping me from running. At one of the track practice where I was showing the athletes drills (doing butt kicker) my knee did this pop sound. It hurt a little but I believe that was the beginning of my right knee problem. I was not running on it for a couple of week icing, elevating,  and sometimes putting heat on it. After two weeks I tried to jog again and I think I got about 3/4 of a mile in and it started to hurt again so I took more time off. Within the next few months I think I got in maybe 20 to 30 minutes in slow jogging but it was still weak and hurting. I was running maybe twice a week. So it was time to get my knee x-rayed and was diagnosed as having osteoarthritis in the knee at the age of 62. My doctor said that I shouldn't run anymore or I'll probably just make it worst and I wouldn't be able to do other exercises. The impact of running was just to jarring on the knee so I listened and started walking. Believe me I was very disappointed because I was training for another Nationals in the 5K and 10K for out doors that year and the 1500 meters and 3000 meters indoor Nationals. It was all over just like that. But I am grateful that I had the opportunity to reach the goal of National the year before so it made it a little better. Now that I look back I am glad that I quit running because I am still doing Personal Training with my clients and Line dancing online.  

A NEW NORMAL

A New Normal

Only six weeks ago my husband and I had just gotten back from seeing our first
grandson from Hawaii. A beautiful baby boy that is now growing like a weed and
can actually hold up his head. So proud of him and all you grandparents know how
I feel. Before going to Hawaii we already were hearing about what was going on
with the corona virus and was wondering if we should go. The USA has not given
any rules on travel or stay home orders and we were planning this trip for a long-
time.  Then I also wonder if my husband should go because he had this awful cold
that has lasted for several weeks. He said he is going and nothing is going to stop
him from seeing his daughter or new grandson. Well once we got to Hawaii our
daughter wouldn’t let us get close to her no less to her son because the baby
was in the emergency care unit for complications. The baby was having a hard
time for the first three days but seemed to be getting better through great care
at the hospital and lots of prayers. My daughter and baby were going to be in the
hospital for sometime  so we went on our way to try to enjoy our vacation. Not
expecting to buy a hotel room in Oahu we stayed there for three days but finally
got to Hawaii the Big Island to finish up our vacation staying in a small cottage by the
ocean. It was a beautiful place with breath taking sky's, ocean and gorgeous waterfalls.
We stayed there for three days when I caught my husband's cold. It was
a regular cold at first but started to get real bad towards the end right before our
flight home. While we were at the airport a nice lady came up to us and asked if
we would like to have these masks to wear. I said thank you and took them to
protect everyone on the plane from our cough,and we were doing a lot of coughing
felt like going around the plane telling people I don’t have the corona virus,
I have a cold so they wouldn’t worry. Believe me, we weren’t the only ones
coughing. 

I got home and all I could think about is I needed to get back to work but had to
cancel the last two days of that week. At this point the State of New Mexico had
canceled school for a month (this was March 13th) then the state had stay home
orders. Well what am I going to do now. Online training with my clients is the
only way to help them so I wouldn’t get them sick, and that we kept the social
distance. It wasn’t easy but everyone got on board, even my 60’s and 70 year
old. I had to probe them and teach them but within a couple of days they adapted
because they wanted to. I haven't been to the store in more than a month, I do line-dancing
on-line and eat at home three meals a day and do alot of walking and gardening. My
friend are on line and the only real people I see are on the street when I walk 10 feet away if
can help it. I count my blessing because everyone in my family are healthy including
that sweet baby Liam in Hawaii. Even though our track team is on hold I still have my
Personal Training when millions of people are out of work. Thanks for being here and stay
safe.
Coach Lucille

Double Squats/Double Arms and Knees (Cardio Vascular)

Martina is having fun burning fat with this Cardio Vascular routine. She is doing a double squats with two knees lift and double straight arm lifts. When you squat keep your knees line up with your toes and keep your bottom even or above your knees. Your feet need to be wider than your hips. Come down into the squat with abs tight and back flat while releasing the hip in the back.
Stand up and lift right and left knee to waist with abs tight. At the same time lift 5 to 10 pound dumbbells at the same time knees are lifted in a smooth matter keeping the arm straight and even with shoulders. Work up to doing this routine for 1 minute and add some other High Intensity Low Impact exercise where you can do 15 minutes with 30 seconds rest in-between each 1 minute.

HIIT - Squats and Knee Lifts

High Intensity Interval Training
Everyone needs to work up a sweat when exercising to keep your heart and lungs strong plus to rev up the metabolism. HIIT is a good way to burn extra calories in a fast way and can get you in better aerobic shape (build stamina). This is simple for everyone. Squat to a sitting position, sitting down to a 90 degree knee bent lined up with feet and toes. Have your buttock above knees and abdominal in tight. Come down with a flat back, chest open wide, shoulders down and back, and buttock pushed out in back. Do this slow and in controlled until it feels right. Squat two times. This exercise does not  have to be fast to be effective. Next, stand up and lift right knee than left. Repeat sequence for 30 seconds with a 30 second rest. Build up to 1:00 minute than pick another HIIT exercise and do it for 1 minute rest for  30 seconds until you've build up to 10 to 15  minutes of Cardio Vascular workout. Pace yourself, drink water and stretch.

Keep moving,

Coach Lucille

HIIT High Intensity Interval Training (Low impact)

Cardio Vascular conditioning. Build up to doing this exercise for one minute. Start with 30 second then rest for 30 seconds, repeat. This is a over all conditioning exercise that will strengthen legs, arms, chest, back, gluts and core area. Pace yourself it is a intermediate to advance more. Add other HIIT exercises to make it fun and work up to doing 15 minutes total. CV workout that will exercise your heart and burn a lot of calories.

I Was A Stick But Now I Look Strong!

Lauren is a Personal Training client of mine, that is studying to be a Fire Fighter. Once she passes the test she will be working part-time in Washington and going to school at the University of Washington to become a physician. Lauren has been training hard too past the CPAT Fire Fighter's test. One of the test is a moving stair case with weights on her shoulders. That's where we got this idea (step up to step down into lung) so she could get the feel of this type of physical exertion and coordination. Lauren has executed this exercise for four minutes continuous moving.  She also does over all conditioning exercises to strengthen her body like reverse sit-ups, moving yoga ball squats and she can do 50 push-ups without stopping. Lauren had a trial CPAT test two times now and past the second one after working out six days a week sometime twice a day in six months. Within her training we did strength endurance training days, doing several reps with lighter weights than harder days where she did less reps heavier weights. Then we had days where she did HIIT to work on her Cardio Vascular plus muscle building and endurance. We had her doing cross training to keep it fun and interesting for her.  She gained 11 pound and gained 10 inches in her hips. She also gain inches overall from building muscle. 
Congratulation Lauren, your on you way to having your dreams come true. Good luck in Washington.

Step up with Weights Working On Legs 

Squat Off Of Step With Lung For Gluts

Reverse Sit-ups For Lower ABS

Squat With 10# Medicine Ball Coming Up With Ball Overhead With Glut Squeeze

Yoga Stretch For Cool Down Exercises

Kasha-Katuwe - Tent Rock in New Mexico

Ahh! Excellent hiking and a breath taking, memorized beauty at Tent Rock National Monument. Tent rock is in-between Santa Fe and Albuquerque New Mexico in this little Indian town near Pena Blanca town and Cochiti Town and lake.  The hike is a intermediate to hard with the top trails being a little steep. There are places that you use your hand to climb up rock. I saw all kind of people climbing it from small children to the seniors. It make it nice because it is a 1/2 hour all the way up and then if you want to go and to the lower trail it is 15 minute loop. So a good 1 1/2 hour it would take you to finish. I would like to run parts of it but I went at a time when it was crowded on a Saturday morning. The monument took 7 million years to develop through volcanic eruption to flooding and wind and rain development. Some of the small peaks had little boulders on top of them looked like if you through a rock up there and hit it, it would come tumbling down.  Years ago the pueblo lived in the pumice rock where they dug big holes in the side of the rock that looked like caves.  

5k & 10K CITY CHAMPIONSHIP / STILL PLUGGING AWAY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

How do you pick up the pieces, or they say get back on the horse after being away from racing (competition) for a while, well just like Nike would say, just do it. The last time I raced was November at the Thanksgiving Day Run, running the 5K. I was in great shape and did a lot of cross-country races in the 5 and 10K during the fall including the Duke City 10K. I also ran in the Masters Indoor Races that were held in Albuquerque. But when I came down with that dreadful shingles the enthusiasm dropped tremendously even the training when I hadn’t run for four weeks straight. You get these thought in your head that you shouldn’t push so hard, or racing or over training because the health problem, so slow down quit racing. Well here comes some races that I really enjoy being part of in the community and would like to hold my title as the overall winner in the City Senior Olympics 5 and 10K. I knew I wasn’t in that great of shape, hadn’t done anything past a six mile training session and a few intervals. The amount of miles were maybe 20 miles for two week. So I change my attitude and went their thinking that I was going to do the best that I can and run smart.

The race was in the middle of town in a safe area where there were no streets to cross except a road that entered the hotel. This course was on a bike trail along the channel, flat and fast course with a 5K out and back. Weather was at 45 degrees no wind with sunshine and clouds.

As the race started out three men took out running fast in front of me so I just let them go. Knowing my  pace I ran according to how I feel, sort of a somewhat hard pace. Through the whole race I ran tough but I ran my race (my pace) not worrying what place I was in. At the end of the 5K you stop or proceed a second time out so actually it is a 5k and 10K race in one if you signed up for it. Two of the men that beat me in the 5K stopped and the 50 year old that was way out in front of everyone was on a record time of 42 minutes for the 10K. I felt pretty good the first 5K running at a time of 24:36. I kept the pace thinking that I would try to pick it up the pace with 1 ½ miles left. At the turn around point with 1 ½ miles left there was a couple of men 30 or 40 meters behind me. It was hard but I thought I had to pick it up to beat them. To do that I focused on lifting my knees up and pumping my arms. I didn’t widen my stride because that usually tires me out so I basically think of a faster turnover. With about ½ mile left I could feel my hips hurt a little from the repetition of running. Knowing that I was almost done I pushed as hard as I could thinking someone was coming up on me. Finished, with a negative split of 24:26 just 10 second faster than the first 5K.

Advice in running a 5 or 10K, knowing what shape your in and your pace. Start slower than you normally do if your not in your best shape.  Do it for fun and think about how your going to boost that metabolism by pushing yourself at a race and how healthy it is to be with your friends and out in the fresh air exercising.  

To your health,

Coach Lucille

C

Chuck Fuller and Lucille Brasher won their age-group in the 2017 City Senior Olympic Championships 5 and 10K Road Race. Lucille 24:36 5K, 49:16 10K (2nd overall)