sidewalk project this saturday!

Come and enjoy a night of music, and art for charity.

Please also bring a canned-good for the Houston Food Bank.
There will be art work for sale along with music CD’s.
Proceeds will go to charity.

When: Novemeber 22, 2008 7pm-11pm
Where: Berripop Location @ Uptown Park Blvd
Open to the public so invite as many friends as you want.

For more information visit www.sidewalkproject.org

Special Performances by: Tje Austin (www.myspace.com/tjeaustin/)

Sponsors:

www.pathwayshouston.org | www.jtfotos.com | www.websitealive.com | www.oligoville.com | www.berripop.com

i don't know what i got myself into

As some of you guys may know that I, John, am riding the ms150 this coming year in April. It’s a bike ride from Houston, to Austin. A total of 180 miles. I know this sounds nuts, but I’ve made this a great big challenge to myself to see if I could do it. I’ve been training about every weekend, and I’m up to about 55 miles as my longest distance so far. I hope to increase about 5% a week.

So why am I riding to Austin for? it’s to raise money for the MS Society. Read more about it here http://www.nationalmssociety.org/chapters/bp-ms-150/index.aspx.

So if you want to support the MS Society and watch me cry as I crawl to the finish line, donate under my name! My goal is for $1,000. So far I’ve got $230!

Go here to donate for me. http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/j5uh

is stretching bad?

WHEN DUANE KNUDSON, a professor of kinesiology at California State University, Chico, looks around campus at athletes warming up before practice, he sees one dangerous mistake after another. “They’re stretching, touching their toes. . . . ” He sighs. “It’s discouraging.”

If you’re like most of us, you were taught the importance of warm-up exercises back in grade school, and you’ve likely continued with pretty much the same routine ever since. Science, however, has moved on. Researchers now believe that some of the more entrenched elements of many athletes’ warm-up regimens are not only a waste of time but actually bad for you. The old presumption that holding a stretch for 20 to 30 seconds — known as static stretching — primes muscles for a workout is dead wrong. It actually weakens them. In a recent study conducted at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, athletes generated less force from their leg muscles after static stretching than they did after not stretching at all. Other studies have found that this stretching decreases muscle strength by as much as 30 percent. Also, stretching one leg’s muscles can reduce strength in the other leg as well, probably because the central nervous system rebels against the movements.

THE RIGHT WARM-UP should do two things: loosen muscles and tendons to increase the range of motion of various joints, and literally warm up the body. When you’re at rest, there’s less blood flow to muscles and tendons, and they stiffen. “You need to make tissues and tendons compliant before beginning exercise,” Knudson says.

You’re Getting Warmer: The Best Dynamic Stretches

These exercises- as taught by the United States Tennis Association’s player-development program – are good for many athletes, even golfers. Do them immediately after your aerobic warm-up and as soon as possible before your workout.

STRAIGHT-LEG MARCH

(for the hamstrings and gluteus muscles)

Kick one leg straight out in front of you, with your toes flexed toward the sky. Reach your opposite arm to the upturned toes. Drop the leg and repeat with the opposite limbs. Continue the sequence for at least six or seven repetitions.

SCORPION

(for the lower back, hip flexors and gluteus muscles)

Lie on your stomach, with your arms outstretched and your feet flexed so that only your toes are touching the ground. Kick your right foot toward your left arm, then kick your leftfoot toward your right arm. Since this is an advanced exercise, begin slowly, and repeat up to 12 times.

HANDWALKS

(for the shoulders, core muscles, and hamstrings)

Stand straight, with your legs together. Bend over until both hands are flat on the ground. “Walk” with your hands forward until your back is almost extended. Keeping your legs straight, inch your feet toward your hands, then walk your hands forward again. Repeat five or six times. G.R.

Read the original article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/sports/playmagazine/112pewarm.html?_r=2&em&oref=slogin&oref=slogin