MadSport

23/04/2020

Confinement Circuits

If the very sound of the words jumping jacks, bungees, press-ups, and triceps dips send shudders down your spine, and remind you of your school days when your sweaty PE teacher was barking orders during a class, then maybe it is time to face that traumatic experience head on!

As written about previously, the use of circuits in a sportsperson routine is an excellent way to build muscle strength and can really make a difference to an athlete´s ABCs – agility, balance, and coordination. With this newfound strength, you´ll be able to run, jump, and turn quicker. If you´re looking for 30 minute, high-intensity home-based routine, then quick out the video below. Each exercise takes 45 seconds and the recovery is 15 seconds in between each on.

Don´t forget to warm-up (perhaps some jumping jacks 😂) and cool down afterwards

45 secs each exercise, 15 secs recovery Jump squat Squat & side kick Jumping Jacks Plank Walking plank Knee Drive (R) Knee Drive (L) Press-up Kick ups (R) Ki...

19/04/2020

With restrictions on training outside, there´s no better time to work on the mental side of your sport. Being confided to your flat can led to pessimistic feelings and a lot of externalising – blaming the government or the authorities for your blight! However, athletes and sportspeople have always had a great ability to solve problems ahead of time. It´s known as proactive coping in the sports psychology field. So, once we ACCEPT and get on with things, the ball will start moving again!

There are several techniques and methods that are have been used by elite athletes for years: positive visualisation, relaxation methods, and resilience building. This behind the scenes mental training is largely underappreciated, but it is key to the performance of elite athletes. In recent years, it has become popular with amateurs alike and some are starting to invest time into working on their mental preparation.

The Chimp Paradox, by Dr. Steve Peters, is an excellent book for those wishing to dedicate time in understanding how their brain can either aid or potentially negatively affect performance if not keep at bay. Ronnie O´Sullivan and Sir Bradley Wiggins have benefited from using this model.

How is everyone coping with the lockdown? Any book recommendations for working on the mental side of things?

23/03/2020

Core strength, flexibility and mobility are normally things that most runners see as less of a priority than slogging out the miles out on the road, but with the self-isolation yo me quedo en casa measures in place, now may be the time to dedicate yourself to working on them! There are a number of personal trainers based here in Madrid and they are offering some great classes at the moment, live on their page. Artio Fit is one of the better-known ones and I recently did an awesome yoga class!
https://www.facebook.com/ArtioFit/

Artio Fitness Focuses on classes and personal training. Sessions are full of energy, fun and a good

23/03/2020

Get yourself a turbo!! With the lockdown in full force here in Madrid, the looping roads of Casa de Campo, the smooth cycling of carril norte, or the lung-busting climbs of Morcuera, seem but a distant memory! But don´t despair, with a handy turbo trainer or rodillo, you´ll be able to maintain your fitness with some sharp indoor sessions. If you´re a proud owner of a smart trainer, you´ll even be able to hook up to Zwift or Bkool and join group virtual sessions! There´s a great range on Decathlon and DeportVillage, so check them out. Oh, one word of warning, try and ensure you get a fluid based turbo, as the magnetic ones make a hell of a racket! Like the 9pm banging on pots and pans type of sound!!

23/03/2020

So, with the coronavirus keeping us all housebound, all the regular swimmers will be missing the familiar smell and chlorine and rhythmic-like stroke for stroke wadding up the pool. With all the pools closed, what can you do to maintain their fitness? Well there´s a number of land-based exercises that swimmers can perform to build up core strength and work on their mobility and flexibility. There are plenty of body weight circuit videos on the web, and if you happen to have a resistance band, the below video is an excellent routine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QdGiZe1pac

22/02/2020

The business end of the Six Nations campaign takes place this weekend with the big game on Sunday between Ireland and England being a must see! The James Joyce and the Irish Rover will surely be packed for that one! Meanwhile in Madrid, there are a number of expats plying their trade in the local female rugby scene.
There are a number of Americans, a few French, and a spirited Singaporean making up the roster of the CAU Orcasistas club. Weekly gruelling fixtures are normally complemented with a wee visit to Casa Mateo in La Latina, where their eccentric coach plays his other role as owner of the fine establishment.
Another team based in Alcorcon have also had a number of typically non-Spanish over the years and offers another great opportunity to get involved in the ever-growing female rugby scene here. Both clubs are always on the look out for new members so why not check out their websites below and have a go!
https://www.caumadridrugby.com/senior-femenino/
https://www.rugbyalcorcon.com/category/femenino/

22/02/2020

Madrid is home to some top-class sports performers. Chema Martinez is a well-known local athlete, ambassador, author, and avid promoter of getting outdoors and enjoying the range of sports facilities on offer in the capital and surrounding areas. At the peak of his powers, he was European champion over 10,000 in 2002 and won the silver in Goteborg four years later.
Perhaps to non-runners he´s better known for his appearance on the television programme “Jugando con las estrellas”. His book “No pienses, corre” has encouraged scores of people to take up running and return to the sport after a period of inactivity. His commitment to promoting the sport was evident in 2017 when he organised a group of 42 runners to complete the Madrid marathon, with each of them running 1k as fast as they could. Interestingly, they were beaten that day by 5 or 6 African athletes who maintained a pace quicker than the group.
He regularly trains at the INEF track (situated near Principe Pio and Casa de Campo) and can also be found hammering out tough sessions in the Navalcarbón forest in Las Rozas.
Do you know of any other elite performers living and training here?
Here´s a link to his personal page. http://www.chemamartinez.com/

12/02/2020

ROUNDUP OF WEEKEND ACTION: Cathal Logue was competing in the Madrid Masters Indoor Athletics Championships in the modern Gallur facility near Casa de Campo. Having considered entering the pole vault and long jump with the hope of medalling by default due to lack of numbers, he opted for the 3000m. Going in the 2nd race in his age category, he ran a credible 9.55. He paid the price late on after an exorbitant early opening km!

Meanwhile, the Spanish Masters Long Swimming Championships were being held in Oviedo, and Lucy Lewis was going in the 3000m and 1500m events. Unlike Cathal who had 5 laps to contend with, she negotiated 60 and 30 laps respectively. A great swim in the former event led to a bronze in her category and she later smashed her pb with a 22.31 effort in the 1500m!! She'd make a great addition to a triathlon relay team with that sort of swimming!

Any other events to write home about this weekend?

27/01/2020

Weekend roundup!!

Parque de las Cruces was the venue for the Madrid Cross Country Champs on Sunday and there were a number of athletes out in force again flying the flag for the local expats community. Cathal Logue went in the 6k carrera popular and finished just outside the top 10. Another steady performance. Next Charlotte Cotton had a terrific run for 18th in the Ladies race and helped her team AD Maratón to 3rd team. Another member of her club, David Colishaw, showed that age is no barrier, as he was 2nd scorer for his team in 43rd.

https://www.atletismomadrid.com/images/stories/ficheros/eventos/resultadosDirecto/8938/index.html

Any other performances this weekend?

23/01/2020

"If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine.."

There's been a big surge in adventure racing in recent years across the globe, with the likes of James Cracknell's man-powered journey from Dover, England to Tangiers, Morocco catching the eye!

I stumbled upon a podcast recently called Tough Girl. It's a great platform for hearing stories of female adventure athletes. Anna McNuff is one of the best known in the scene and is now combining her mad challenges wih writing and public speaking engagements. How does 🏃 the length of New Zealand sound?
https://www.muchbetteradventures.com/magazine/meet-the-woman-giving-a-platform-to-the-worlds-toughest-female-adventurers/?utm_campaign=sarah_williams_190120&utm_medium=social&utm_source=organicFBIG&utm_content&fbclid=IwAR1tZunNn8MoL0XWW9NrNi84qHm9RvPQODXABmC16F3-ZcS_JtxZmmDWkQo

Anyone have a mad adventure planned in Madrid this year?
🏃 Running from Madrid to Segovia?
🚲 Cycling the entire Anilo Verde on a folding bike?

Or maybe the Ragner Relay would appeal to you and a group of friends?

There is nothing adventurous about getting a graduate job in London. But that, like so many of us, is how Sarah Williams’ post-university life began. By the age of 32, “stressed out of my brain” from the demands of her job in finance, Sarah realised something had to change. She had no idea wha...

20/01/2020

Climate change campaigners? Love a bit of multitasking?

We keep hearing of more and more people turning to blogging and vlogging, but what about plogging? A new craze that originated in Sweden, it allows you to get a bit of sweat going while you tidy up your local neighborhood.

Any active ploggers out there in Madrid?

Around the country, joggers have taken on the Swedish-inspired social mission, combining collecting litter with their daily exertions. What’s it like?