SunWorks

I love to run!

Running is in many ways addictive since it has such a major effect on the endorphins. Endorphins kick in the happy place of your mind and body, making it wanting more of the “happy stuff”.  The feeling of free, strong, empowered and happy is systemically contagious; it is like every cell in my body smiles when I run. I love the feeling of weightless running, with enough oxygen with every breath, the energy transcending from the connection with the ground in every step I take and the absolute presence of linkage. A linkage not only within my body but with the nature of spirit and not to forget, being in total sync with Mother Nature. This sense of freedom being in sync with the whole of me, mind, spirit and body and is amazingly powerful and I wish for everyone to being able to have a taste of this really delightful piece of candy, experience the energy high!

Many talk about running as a bad thing to do. They say running isn’t good for you. They say running breaks down your body. They say that running might even be harmful for you.

I say… Running is amazing, life affirming and energizing for your body, mind and spirit! BUT, because there is a ‘but’ hiding here. I also say healthy running requires the individual to be responsible for taking care of the downsides of pounding your feet (in shoes, five fingers or whatever you decide on putting on your feet.. or bare feet for that matter) to the ground, pavement, paths or sandy beaches or you will suffer, and for some, suffer badly!  Running without being responsible (same pace, bad shoes, bad technique or not adding supplementary training) will be as harmful as repeatedly do the same movement at work, for instance moving a somewhat heavy piece from left to right at pretty high speed during a long period of time, day after day after day…

Being a healthy runner ofcourse demands adding on a something that meets the friction and breakdown of the body from the running itself. To me, being a healthy runner is being a strong runner with great mobility and motor control. That means building on the qualities a runner need, such as strong legs, hips, center, an open chest, great posture, a strong upper body and the coordination between the parts of the body. Being a great and healthy runner also means being able to breathe properly and use the power created in a relaxed forward movement. In order to get as much power out of every step without consuming too much energy and being able to oxygenate the system to being able to keep a high pace for a longer time you need strength. We all know you get strong from lifting weights, if done properly and in correct form.

My goal is to stay healthy long term, feeling strong and without body limitations when I train and in my everyday life! In order to achieving any other goal (training or not) that is pretty key..Our body is one linked, interconnected unit. Our nervous system finds, or should be able to find, a connection that puts the pieces of the puzzle together making my body –any body?- work as one unit. So I make sure to stay mobile, strong and balanced. My training has 3 focus areas that are KEY to myself (and I belive for just about anybody.)  Mobility, Stability and Motor control (being coordinated).

Pre and Post Running is training without running. Or should be training without running! Running without taking care of your body before and afterwards will sooner or later cause injuries, long or short term but still.  You will get injured. The kind of injury varies from inflammations to joint breakdown or both, such as chin splints, sore and worn down knees, hips and lower back, stress fractures, muscle breakdown and loss of posture.

My training pre and post running is about doing yoga and kettlebell! Always! And by doing that I make sure to strengthen and stretch the key areas needed for healthy running (hips, legs shoulders) but also work on my stability and balance so I meet my next training session uninhibited.

Balanced action is Balanced training  and simply means adding stability, mobility and motorcontrol training to your running. That makes running healthy for life.. not just for this spring! By adding a mobility and stability training program to your running program, you will not take miles away. You will add healthy miles to yourself, creating a lifetime of healthy running instead of chin splints, runner’s knee and lower back pains. So! Find a well educated yoga and a  kettlebell hardstyle instructor that knows about running and stability training and find yourself running healthy, for life.

Questions?

Wanna learn more? Mail me: stina.albihn@kettlebellyoga.se  Let’s get you into yoga and kettlebell hardstyle! (take a intro course in kettlebell hardstyle or yoga at www.kettlebellcenter.com )

By adding a relaxed breath, great mobility and stability you will have a body that works in as a one piece unit will make your running…

Fierce! Free! Fiery and Fun!

June 2 is the day for Root CAMP at Kettlebell Center in Gothenburg..

THis is a one day training camp with fun and tough training. We’ll combine and vary between Kettlebells, Bodyweight drills and Yoga, indoor and outdoors (if the weather allows it…)

This is the celebration of summer, the exam of the spring training ,a chance to challenge yourself and have loads of fun..

You sign up at this link: http://www.kettlebellcenter.com/se/art/root-camp-workshop-2012-06-05.php

(max 18 people so make sure you get a spot  by signing up fast)

I’ll be your drill sargent for the day.. Looking forward to playing with you all!

photo: Catarina A Jensen

Yesterday was the first day of true feeling of spring here in Gothenburg.. and therefore I switched “admin” in my calendar to take a long walk and have a fika with my daughter enjoying the sunshine..  She got her first One Piece the same morning and, I have a feeling that this is the piece of clothes that I will regret buying for a long time.. I have a feeling she’s gonna wanna wear nothing but this walking around looking like a Pokemon for the rest of the summer. A very pretty Pokemon though and atleast it’s pratcical, right.

Oh well.. she truly loves it.. So this is simply a bundle of love, My bundle of love in one piece:-)!

To you all.. I wish you a wonderful day, lots of spring feelings, bubbly cells and if you have the oportunity. Squeeze a walk/run/coffee in the sunshine into your afternoon schedule. It is so worth the late night or early morning admin to catch up!

This is me, Stina, from the Copenhagen airport on my way home from an almost perfect weekend in Prague and this is my report from my first but hopefully not last visit to this gorgeous city.

Starting backwards.. Cellphone is gone.. that is ofcourse a major INCONVENIENCE and it bothers me beyound belief that my cell out of my hands right now! I was sure I had it in my handbag, and well.. it’s just not there.. Hopefully I have lost it in my luggage, But I am afraid, it’s gone.

With that off my chest I will hereby start lovebombing Prague, Michal Radar Vrátný for inviting me to hold a Kettlebell hardstyle and bodyweight/yoga workshop weekend and for a wonderful two days with all you hard working Czechs!

The gym we have gotten to use as our home grounds for these two days, I want to bring with me home! Man, I want one of those.. Rings, ropes, european walls, pull out racks for setting up the pull up bars and kettlebells. Oh and a big grassfield outside for bringing a group outside when the weather allows it. Yes, it’s on my wishlist!

Holding these seminars have been loads of fun and the hard working participants really gave their all: It’s always so rewarding to see the transformation in movement patterns, seeing the “ahas” showing in the eyes and seeing the hard work paying off in things transcending into skillfull swings, get ups and hopefully a great start on the clean and press journey. The joy is complete when you have a group standing on ther hands and having fun doing so, even though the hesitation from the beginning was there. So, Simply sweet and great job you guys!

Photos.. Well.. lost phone means lost photos..but if I am lucky I will get some sent to me ..if you have taken pics from the seminars, hurry and send me some so I can share you all!

I havent gotten to see much of Prague this visit, but the stuff I did see and the nice people I have met really puts my hopes up of a speady returning.  I have read about springtime in Prague and just getting a taste of it this weekend, adding to that all the wonderfully inspiring participants . and the fun training we got done together, doesn’t bring my “wanting to go back” lesser. After having worked hard all Saturday, just walking around a little in the area where my hotel was, getting to treat myself with a 90 minutes long walk-on me Thai Massage and having a quiet dinner was a very nice way to spend a Saturday evening. I have heard that the city has so many beautiful buildings and parks, nice coffe shops and that shopping in Prague is outstanding, aspecially shoes and bags.

Having had the oportunity to teach kettlebell RKC hardstyle and bodyweight/yoga to so many great sports, that picked up so much on just two days and to not have time to even try to buy a pair of something makes me think I have to go back soon, right?!

Tomorrow is Monday and a pretty darn busy one with lots of fun to get done so. For now, it’s OverAndOut. I am putting my head in “RestMode”.

Check!

This is to me a very dear subject..  fair play and being a great supporter ..

I have taken a stand on facebook.. a stand FOR supporters and against the “false supporter”. The “hater”, the so called fan, that put all energy before, during and after a game on hating the other team and it’s supporters instead of cheering for the home team! This has been going on way too long and needs to end now! Watching a game of soccer (football) and the talk before the game in media and amongst “supporters” mainly focus on the hate and the level of risk … the LEVEL OF RISK.. Come on!

We’re supposed to have fun watching a game of football, right?! Not fear the supporters and fear that our loved ones will end up getting hurt because they happen to sit or stand on a “bad spot” on the arena. This is such misfocused energy and also such a negative way of looking at sports. Hating the oponent more than you actually love your own team. Mistaking loving your own means having to hate the oponents and the cities they come from. The hate and the whineing about what the referee does, the focus on what the other team does and the other supporters do doesn’t only create a really bad environment at the sports arena it also feeds the hatred itself.  Plus, mislead focuse only leads to not being able to perform the best you can, not as a fan and absolutely not as an athlete. The scary part is that grown men and women, fathers and mothers, act as the worst raw models by behaving like this.

It has to stop! Now! We need to beging to behave like supporters, focus all the energy on cheering on the team we love. To watch a game should be fun, right?!

So… going to the UFC this past weekend, was epic! The Swedish news papers wrote pretty big headlines about martial arts, boxing etc makes kids fight on the streets, that MMA creates voilence. I must say: this is wrong, WAY WRONG. Hear me out.. The UFC at the Ericson Globe arena in Stockholm, was such an amazing experience to me! 15 483 people in the audience came to watch the fights in the octagon.. The only thing going on was  CHEERING on the favorite fighters in every fight… NOTHING! The atmosphere was an energy high beyond belief! I have never .. I mean, I HAVE NEVER HEARD THAT KIND OF unonumos ROAR from an audience as when Alexander Gustafsson entered the Globe Arena.  I believe almost every single one of the 15 483 people carried him to his victory and that is freekin’ awesome!  Not one single policeman nor hardly any security people was needed on the arena because the audience was ONLY there to WATCH their idols fight their fights.

I am so happy for taking the oportunity to go to the first ever UFC event in Sweden! I am truly fortunate for having seen this and I can only hope that this energy can spread to the football and ice hockey supporters in Sweden. I want to being able to safely bring my soon to be 5 years old daughter to a game and have fun doing so!

Let’s all be a great supporter to the ones we want to cheer instead of foucsing on the oponents and the “other teams supporters”.. stop whineing and let’s focus on WHAT WE CAN DO TO PERFORM BETTER in every given situation. That is not only being a good supporter but a raw model for our children, on or beside the sports arenas.

This is a very special day… and we’re goint to be a part of it which feels absolutely whicked! UFC, for the first time in Sweden. A totally packed Globen Arena.

I have a feeling it’s going to be a memorable weekend and most likely epic will be an understatement..  I have a feeling we will be a part of a massive energy high, or should I say adrenaline high! We’re going to be part of a night that will not only include some really great fights but also a show that is something else. Something else!

We have a Sweedish guy on the main card: Alexander Gustafsson versus Thiago Silva: Go Alexander!

Most Updated Fight Card

MAIN CARD (FUEL TV)
- Alexander Gustafsson versus Thiago Silva
- Alessio Sakara versus Brian Stann
- Siyar Bahadurzada versus Paulo Thiago
- Diego Nunes versus Dennis Siver
- DaMarques Johnson versus John Maguire
- Damacio Page versus Brad Pickett

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)
- Papy Abedi versus James Head
- Cyrille Diabate versus Tom DeBlass
- Francis Carmont versus Magnus Cedenblad
- Yoislandy Izquierdo versus Reza Madadi
- Simeon Thoresen versus Besam Yousef
- Jason Young versus Eric Wisely

So.. this is me, saying OAO.. packing my bags and taking off for a night I will remember!

I Splitted up my training into to sessions today, simply to being able to perform perfect form durning my morning practice and then sort of play it off in the afternoon playsession..

I always give myself a pretty long warm up. This is something I grew up with from track&field and I like the feeling of meditative and finding the groove by jogging, cycling or crosstraining. It activates my system and also gives me the feeling of flow and readyness. This mornings practice was dedicated to my press schedule and I got the full circle of 12345 L/R X5 with the 16 kg feeling it was pretty easy.  And So I should!

I have gotten some really great help from Fredrik Högström, who has cleaned up my technique and we’re now repatterning me with some lighter weights. I had to take a step back and It is never fun to find out that you have been ungrooving your own groove, but on the other hand by finding out you get a chance to change it to a groovier groove. Getting ready to move up with better form. Sometimes one need to take a step back in order to being able to move forward fast, really soon! Patience is a skill and so is strenght.I am willing to work hard in order to achieve my goals and right now working hard has been me taking a step back and today it felt freekin awesome to go through the press schedule with really short rest time and still keeping good form. Hopefully patience will pay off!

Going back to training this afternoon I needed to play and grease my groove after the mornings total focus. So I did what I must say is my absolute favourite thing to do to get the nervous system going. I went for a 15 run, getting some sprint rythms done and just, well, sort of finding my “popcorn mode”. Then I kept my play by doing the pul up variation and armwalks and simply working hard and having load of fun getting it done.

So there it is. A Great day’s training. Splitted up into a focused and fiery fierce morning session followed by a really free, funky and tremendously fun evening session. Having found this combination of F’s is to me absolutely necessary for being able to train hard, train well and stay inspired.

And for that – I am thankful!

Stina Albihn RKC2 Pull ups and Armwalks from Stina Albihn on Vimeo.

I am always willing to train, never plan for a day of rest and many say I do too much… But I have made myself a promise and that is a very simple promise. I back off when it doesn’t feel right to practice. That, to me has worked really well in many ways. I hardly ever get sick, I am never injuried and I almost always feel really on my game when training. Do I back off often. It is pretty funny, because If you look in my training log, it’s rare that I have days of rest. I have days where it is light training and more of recovery stuff but I don’t need to take days off training more than like one or two days avery month. Is this a good approach? Is it something  I can reccomend? Does it work for everybody?

Most likely not. But to me, this is really great. Some days I THINK I will be fierce when going to practice but two minutes into the workout, when I actually start communicating with my body, it says something totally different. Those days I do something else, less or back off totally. Other days it’s the oposite, I think I should take a easier day,  but starting my workout I realize stuff, happy popcorn stuff is happening in my body and to me, the only right thing to do is going with that feeling. And heres the thing. In the past. If it said 10xWHATEVER on my training schedule I would do the 10 even if I felt like crap getting it done. That also made me feel it negatively in the body for many days after that session.  It actually made me quit competing, longing for training that wasn’t competetive..I looked forwar to the day I could say I didn’t want to do track anymore.  That negative feeling is something I never want to get back into while training and that is also the reason I (almost) always go with what feels true, right and positive.

I know I keep coming back to my favourite qualities for a great training session. “My four F’s”.. but to me they are KEY:

My training need to feel Fiery, Fierce, Funky& Fun!

Somebody told me I should stop doing so much and focus on quality instead and somedays I know that is true. But I am also one unpatient kind of breed that need to stay curious, awake and on my toes while training so… that’s why I overlap, combine, make up complexes “for the fun of it” and make sure I have something bouncy, something, tough, something quirky, something jumpy and something that recuires my total attention when training..

Oh .. today though.. My “plan” was to do an easy morning session and then hit it with jumps and stuff in the afternoon  BUT, because there is a big BUT coming up here.. Hear me out.. I entered the gym for session no two, new sneakers on my feet, training clothes on and in the middle  of the gym .. all of a sudden I felt the NONenergy, NO flow of pep and “superwoman powers” in my system, so I backed off. LEFT the place and well went home.. good or bad? I don’t know. What I know though is, this is my promise to me: Never train if your body tells you to go home, I believe that is when I would get injuried, sick or both if going ahead with a plan. My body. mind and spirit are reality. A plan is simply something you put down thinking it”s going to be the right thing to do for yourself in the future (sometimes in the very near future but still..). I KNOW that since I started backing off the days things son’t feel rught and actually going bananas when feeling inspired and on an energyhigh.. well let’s put it like this. I am hardly ever injuried, sick or out of motivation to train,  my days of non training are very few and most of the time I deliver more than I thought was possible.

So… this is me saying… by listening to my body I belive I get more training out of my system and less injuries.. but I also think I surprise one or two people every time I walk into the gym only to leave it two minutes later because I didn’t feel right.. I think I need to than yoga for this “wisdom” oh.. and age.. and also the fact that I have had many injuries that has needed to be delt with and also had really tough infections attacking me the day after a practice delivered with a weird feeling in my mind and system.. I hope this is me having learned some stuff about myself and by listening to it.. actually being able to perform better and staying healthy and fresh: body, mind and spirit.

Therefore …This lazy pup takes the evening off .. tonight I am putting my bum in the couch, feet on the sofa table and I will be watching a movie or two …and most likely.. I will be banging on the door to the gym tomorrow wanting to get in and get started…

Yoga for Fighters.. not just a cool name. Hear me out.. A fighter needs to be not only great at his sport, an MMA fighter need to master many diciplines, but also need to be strong, flexible, well balanced and have a great recovery. Doing yoga helps work on balanced strength and mobility but not only that. To get a flow in the body from not having limitations from tight and strained muscles helps recovery. During periods of tough high explosive, full power training as well as the day before a fight you want tools to get your energy levels back, get rid of muscle stiffness and fatigue.

You feel refreshed and uninhibited. I have the luxury to work with yoga, , some MMA fighter and I see a huge progress in their mobility in just a few weeks. This is ofcourse a custom made yoga, designed to meet their specific needs. One fighter has put som extra hours and we had a one on one a Yoga session yesterday, seeing him win his fight today: Awesome!

Congrats Magnus Strandner! For squeezing yoga into your training scedule and foremost congrats on your win today! I bet there is more to come of that stuff… Wins, and yoga sessions!