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(This is cross-posted at BlogHer.)

I was going through my list of fitness-related blog links and realized I have some that need to be shared. I try to keep them around long enough to see if I can fit them into a specifically-themed post in some way, but these span a wide range of topics — I either haven’t had a chance to use them all yet, or they fit into categories I’ve already written about. Some of them were written last year, but they’re great posts and the bloggers are still blogging.

Biking

Jeanne at Not Born to Run had a friend spend multiple hours teaching her how to replace the tires on her bike. But first, the lesson included getting the bike into her car:

[H]e had to first TALK ME INTO GETTING THE BIKE INTO THE CAR. Which involved taking off the front tire. I actually printed out his directions and read them while performing. Cuz performing was what I was doing in my parking lot at work (where I keep my bike), trying to read while unscrewing this and moving the seat, and the pedals…well, heck, I’m might as well just share it all with you, should you ever have a need.

Alice in Blunderland says that biking in heels isn’t as hard as it sounds, but it attracts attention.

On my way home last night, I was stopped at a red light on E Street, and this group of teenagers was crossing in front of me, one of them singing “Low” by Flo Rida. I laughed at his antics. After they crossed, they turned right to head up the street on which I was stopped. He took a sideways glance at me, then turned to his friends with much fanfare, and shouted “Yo, this girl’s ridin’ a bike IN HEELS!!” One of his female friends replied “Wow, that takes talent.”

Kickboxing

The Adventures of KVV: when a girl in her kickboxing class had the bad etiquette to stand directly in front of her, she found it difficult to concentrate.

Her arms were flailing, her shoulders were out of control, who knows what her legs were doing, but absolutely none of it went to the beat of the music! I have never in my life seen someone completely devoid of any rhythm!! [...] My frustration started out-weighing my fascination and by the end of class I was pretending to punch her lights out and kick her head off… However, I think she thought I was really out to get her because at the end of class, when I smiled at her, she shot me a very evil look… oops.

Kayaking

Weight and Paint took a kayaking lesson and loved it.

We got a lot of paddle time: it was a four-hour class and I think we spent at least 2 hours in the water, maybe more. None of us wanted to get out when the class was over! I think I did well with the various strokes. It requires a lot of torso rotation; it’s not all arm-power. I’ve always had great obliques, don’t know why, and am much stronger in twists than straight back-and-forth stuff, so I think I got the form pretty well. I was only a little sore and a little tired the next day, so that is an indication that I was doing it right.

HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)

Tokaiangel talked about her experiences with HIIT. One example:

Session 2: Treadmill. Worked much, much harder during the intervals this time with faster sprints and steeper gradients all the way through – still managed to complete the 20 minutes without pausing. Felt very pleased with myself for seeing it out. Got LOTS of weird looks from the girls on the machines next to me. Felt secretly quite pleased for being so hardcore.

Zumba

Greta says It’s Fun to Zumba at the YMCA. Here’s a snippet of what happened when she and her friend Kiki tried it for the first time.

Kiki: Are your shins hurting already?

Greta: (inaudible from the panting)

Kiki: Seriously, shin splints.

Greta: Um…I’m trying just not to piddle. There’s a lot of bouncing involved in the Tango.

Kiki: Oh. I’ve for sure wet myself. And this isn’t Tango it’s Salsa.

Greta: Then I need chips and a margerita.

Running

Luanne gives her Top 10 (tongue-in-cheek) reasons for why she used to run marathons.

2. Blingy medals – as if I was ever going to wear them anywhere except home from the finish line. I have yet to see one around some one’s neck at church or a social function.

Definitely RA used to think she’d never be a runner, but now she no longer hates it.

I would not call myself a runner, by any means. My pace is not fast, my form is not clean, and my shoes are not high-end. My morning workouts are just that: work. I like being outside, getting fresh air, and starting my day with something healthy, but running does not come naturally to me. [...]

I began the summer boldly proclaiming that I hated running, and now I might say that I almost maybe enjoy it. When I am not struggling up hills or gasping for breath, I find it surprisingly calming. If nothing else, running no longer hates me, so I’ll take it.

Snowboarding

Al at Uncommonality tells us “more than we wanted to know” about snowboarding (complete with illustrations!).

I started my zigzag down the slope and lo and behold — I’m doing circles! I was totally showing off. Making sure Boy was looking at me each time so I had an eyewitness. There are cameras set up on the slopes and you can go to the site afterward and see if they caught you in action. Each day I sat and went through about 300 pics posted trying to see if they got me. And they didn’t! I’ve been so worried that no one would believe me, that I am now a very awesome snowboarding fiend.

Yoga

The Vegas Vegan compares practicing yoga by herself at home,versus being in a studio with other people.

Unusual fitness

Kristen from Café Mom tells us what she learned in circus class.

I still can’t fly through the air unless my butt is firmly planted onto a porch swing. But going to circus class was an ah-ha moment for me. After giving birth to three children in the last three years, I thought my body was forever doomed to post-partum weakness and poor fitness. It’s not. I’ve been working out since last November, and I can finally lift my husky 28-pound baby without breaking a sweat. I can fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans. And most importantly, I am fit enough–just barely–to give it a whirl at circus class.

Has anyone else read any good fitness writing lately?