Freaky Friday - Bizarre Things found on the Interwebs! - Strange Exercise!

This weeks' dose of bizarre interwebness (I just made that word up...) - Odd Exercises!!!!!

[caption id="attachment_843" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Paddle Board Yoga!!!!"][/caption]

We have ALL heard how good yoga is for you. Its relaxing, strengthening and zen-like in its benefits. Having tried it - I can assure you it really is!  Plus it will increase your flexibility - helping you to avoid a string of pulled muscles like I have made my new hobby!

One group of people have found a way to make the "Working on Balance" part of yoga - FAR more important.  If you were to perform your Warrior Pose, and Downward Facing Dog on a Paddleboard!! Mess up? GO SWIMMING!!!  I can definitely see how being on the water would help with the relaxation and help you avoid distractions.

Freaky Friday - Bizarre things found on the Interwebs! This Week - Fun 5ks for the non-racer!

So this weeks freaky friday - fun 5ks designed for the non-racer!!!  Many people get out there and run for fitness, or for fun but do NOT want to go "Race."  Since they aren't "fast" or into the competitiveness, it's just not a direction they wish to go.  The good news?  There are some GREAT "races" out there for people who don't want to race!

The first race is "Run for your Lives!"    On October 22nd near Baltimore Maryland you have to"Protect your brain and run for your life. " Many people have heard of the Warrior Dash these days, but Run for your lives takes it to a whole new level!  In addition to 12 obstacles on the course-route, there is more!! ZOMBIES!!!!! With orange flags tied around your waist, you need to out-run the Zombies who are going to try to take them from you!  At the end of the course is the usual party at these sorts of events.  While running the course sounds fun - What makes this one really appealing  is you can volunteer to be a zombie and to chase people!  They provide professional make up and everything!

Run for your Lives!!!! (Picture from Runforyourlives.com)

Freaky Friday! - Strange things found around the Interwebs! - Water Shoes!

[caption id="attachment_679" align="alignright" width="220" caption="Leonardo Da Vinci's "walk on water" shoes"][/caption]

So I had some problems sleeping last night, which can often lead to some rather bizarre thoughts.  I started thinking about triathlons.  I saw over on another blogger's site - where a comment was "I can't swim."  So I began to think about how a non-swimmer could do a triathlon. (it was REALLY late at night ok?  These things come to the sleep deprived mind.)  Now mind you, I have no idea what the rules are in a triathlon, but it was where my mind went.  So, what if someone could just RUN on the water?  Now, I'm not super-genius - so I was pretty sure someone else had thought of this before (Turns out Leonardo Da Vinci did - and he WAS a super genius!! See the picture above for his initial sketch)

It's time for “Freaky Friday!” More strange things found around the Interwebs!

Its Friday!! That means its time to show some more bizarre things found out on the interwebs!  Now, with today's post - any of my readers that "like" Runners World Magazine on Facebook may already have seen this first one.  It's the RUNBIKE!

[caption id="attachment_628" align="aligncenter" width="513" caption="The RunBike (Picture from Runbike.com)! It allows a person to run as if they weighed 2/3 to 1/2 of their weight!"][/caption]

Now many of the comments on the Facebook page for Runners World were less than complimentary, and many of them I can understand.  If it is used simply for an overweight person to be able to run, with no changes to diet - then it serves no real purpose to me.  However, if you step beyond that initial impression, some new possibilities come out!

As he advertises, for people who have medical issues - making it low impact has added benefits.  But Think of this.. If a person weighed 300 pounds, they CANT run. It will destroy their joints.  But if you could remove 1/2 or 1/3 of their weight - they won't do as much damage to their joints.  This allows them to gain the benefits of running (as far as calories burned is there a better form of exercise?) with out the damage. It could really allow someone who had hit that dreaded level (Obese) to lose the weight far more quickly than walking.   I think it's a pretty remarkable idea..

Introducing "Freaky Friday!" Strange things found around the Interwebs!

So on Fridays, I have decided  to start showing some of the more interesting and bizarre things that I find on the interwebs and elsewhere.  Whenever I can, I will make a wee bit of an effort to make them running related (or cross-training) wherever possible (since it is a running blog after all...)

[caption id="attachment_588" align="alignright" width="300" caption="The TREADMILL BIKE!!! (Picture from Red Ferret)"][/caption]

I was looking online for a picture that would go with a title of "TREADMILL OF DOOM!!!!" (Not because of any horrendous experience on a treadmill yesterday, but to try to make a boring treadmill run a little more interesting for you, my reader.)  While looking for this, I found one of the craziest things I have seen -  The TREADMILL BIKE!!!