I rejoined the gym recently after about a 12-month absence.
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After several months of running training in preparation for a long event I did in May, my strength work had been put on the back burner.
I have weights at home but having other people pushing me in a class at the gym in the early hours of the morning is a lot more motivating than training on my own in the dark.
One of the workouts last week was a partner workout. So you team up to complete a set amount of repetitions of several exercises in an allotted period of time.
When choosing your partner it is good to go with someone you know is going to push you and keep you honest. You both get the best out of the workout then.
I really like this format because I think it makes you work harder with the added pressure of your partner watching so if you are thinking of slackening off a little you don't.
There are heaps of other advantages to teaming up for workouts or events.
The partner workout is just one. You can do the same workout and push each other to get it done in the same space of time. But if you are training with someone else at a different fitness level then it could simply be a circuit where you both still get a good workout at the intensity you want to work at.
Having someone to train with makes you more accountable as well. A friend of mine was visiting Newcastle over the weekend and we tend to catch up for a run when she's in town. I hadn't had a great night's sleep but knowing that I wouldn't see her otherwise was motivation enough to get up and go. And I felt better for it after. We got to catch up while running for an hour, so we killed two birds with one stone.
Joining forces for an event is another way to reap the benefits of teaming up. It could be taking part in The Bloody Long Walk, which is a 35-kilometre trek from Belmont to Newcastle beach on July 28. Having someone else to do it with might be the clincher for you signing up.
Entering a relay is another option. This year a Moon Marathon has been added to the Winery Running Festival event list on July 20-21.
The Moon Marathon is being held on July 20, which is coincidentally the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, with a 4.30pm start. Organiser and race director Paul Humphreys said it would be "in a more hospitable environment" and expected plenty of the expected 500 participants to dress up "lunar style".
The Moon Marathon is 42 kilometres in total and comprises four laps of a 10.5-kilometre course on golf cart tracks at the Vintage Golf Club Resort and Spa at Pokolbin. It can be done as an individual entry or as a relay and is planned to become a permanent addition to the winery event.
A 21km, 10km, 6km and kids 2km will be held on July 21 and around 1000 entrants were expected across the weekend.
"After 14 years of staging the Hunter Valley Winery Run in and around Pokolbin, the Moon Marathon will mark a turning point for the festival," Mr Humphreys said.
Upcoming Fitness Events
Raffertys Coastal Run, Lake Macquarie, July 13: This event features 12km, 22km and 36km trail runs through Lake Macquarie and along the stunning coastline of Catherine Hill Bay and the Munmorah State Conservation Area.
Winery Running Festival, Hunter Valley, July 20-21: This annual event offers a range of distances to conquer including the kids' 2km, 6km, 10km, 21.1km and the inaugural moon marathon of 42.2km, which can also be done as a relay.
The Bloody Long Walk, Newcastle, July 28: A 35-kilometre walk from Belmont to Newcastle beach to raise funds and awareness for Mitochondrial Disease.
Winter Workouts Week #5
This is a partner workout. So, join forces with someone else to complete the total repetitions of each exercise. The idea is one rests while the other performs reps.
You can put a time limit on it, such as 30 or 45 minutes, to push yourselves harder or just get through it.
60 squats (you might alternate every five or 10); 200 skips with skipping rope; 60 push-ups; 100 weighted lunges; 60 pull-ups/rows; 100 weighted ab rotation; 60 bear crawls; 60 shoulder press; 800 metres of running/walking; four minutes hover.
Add a 5-10 minute warm-up and cool-down.
Send your health and fitness news to r.valentine@newcastleherald.com.au.
Renee Valentine is a writer, qualified personal trainer and mother of three.