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Labrador Lesson for 9/29/22:

Dog Walk Essentials.

The Labs wanted to share the essentials for a safe, fun dog walk. They asked Ben to help out with the lesson…check out the video…or just read along for the essentials. The most essential element is an engaged human, who is focused on the dogs! After that, the labs suggest you include the following items: 1. A stylish collar (the labs like climbing rope). 2. A sturdy, colorful leash (again, climbing rope is great). 3. Snacks (depending on distance/duration). 4. Water (depending on temperature). 5. A First Aid Kit.

The Labs believe in making movement a lifestyle, so, whether you have 2 legs or 4, gather the essentials, get outside, and get moving.

Visit www.FitLabPGH.com for tips, hacks, and podcasts to help you get moving and keep moving through 2022!

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:41 — 6.4MB)

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This week’s FitLabPGH Podcast release is a video podcast providing a look inside the FitLabPGH Snack Bin. This is what WE use to fuel our 60-90+ minute movement sessions…primarily hiking, biking, and running. If you are looking for individual advice on nutrition and food choices, we STRONGLY encourage you to consult a registered dietician.

Listen to the audio, or enjoy the Labradors and cats in the video podcast.

What is Ben looking for in a movement snack? It should be able to be stored in a pocket or pack; it is approximately 100 calories; and it doesn’t upset his stomach. For Ben, that means no stevia, monk fruit extract, or sugar alcohols. Everyone’s body is different. Experiment to find what works for you. When in doubt? Consult a registered dietician. The goal is to get outside, enjoy moving, and avoid the dreaded mid-workout bonk/crash/insert your favorite term here.

So here’s the current inventory of our Snack Bin:

• Baby food – pear, mango, spinach (Lisa has not endorsed this option)
• Mini Clif Bars – chocolate chip or crunchy peanut butter
• Whole Wheat Fig Bars from Nuts.com (individually wrapped for convenience)
• Trail Mix – make your own, or head to Trader Joe’s
• Sport Beans (Lisa’s favorite cycling snack). Want to save money? Buy Jelly Belly jelly beans
• Honey Stinger mini waffles (warning: they may crumble in a pocket or pack)
• Skratch Labs Energy Chews – Sour Cherry (2 “warnings” – they contain caffeine and they get sticky when temps get too warm)
• Papa Steve’s No Junk Raw Protein Bars – vegan and whey protein options, many flavors, all “real food” ingredients
• Infinit Nutrition Performance Coffee Cold Brew protein powder, a.k.a., protein for coffee lovers

Take home message: get outside, enjoy moving, and pack snacks to fuel your movement session. Even if you’re planning a fairly short session, be prepared…you never know when a hike or bike ride might become an outdoor adventure.

Contact Info for FitLabPGH:
Email: fitlabpgh@gmail.com

Twitter: @fitlabpgh

Instagram: @fitlabpgh

We update via Facebook too!!

Movement Tips and Lifestyle Hacks – YouTube channel (posted on Instagram too)

Check out our sister podcast Moving2Live concise but interesting podcasts for the movement and exercise professional and amateur aficionado.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:04 — 8.3MB)

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This week’s FitLabPGH Podcast release is a video podcast: Comfort Tips for Chilly Cycling.

Yes, Spring is coming, but in Western PA, there is still plenty of chilly weather ahead before we start talking about Summer Survival Tips. We encourage you to find movement activities you enjoy, then take steps so you can enjoy those activities year-round.

Listen to the audio, or watch the video below to check out Ben’s Tōwmak drop bar fat bike from Bearclaw Bicycle Co.

Our first tip for cold weather cycling: choose a route that’s out of the wind if possible. Our ideal cold-weather ride is in the woods…BUT if the trails are muddy, we stay clear to preserve future trail conditions.

Next tip: Keep your hands and feet warm. Ben uses flat pedals and wears mountain bike shoes (these are from Ride Concepts) on his fat bike in the winter; if he gets TOO cold, he can jog and push the bike! He wears wool socks and toe caps from Aero Tech Designs. For hands, Ben wears 45nrth insulated gloves for colder conditions, and swaps them for lighter gloves from Handup or Aero Tech Designs when he warms up. Side note: If it’s below 40 degrees, Lisa wears the warmest gloves that 45nrth makes. When it drops below 30 degrees, we put pogies (bar mitts) on the bikes for extra hand comfort.

Final tip: LAYERS, ideally wool layers. On the day of the video, Ben wore Pearl Izumi soft shell tights over Pearl Izumi bib shorts. On top, Ben wore a wool baselayer from Rapha; a wool jersey from Pearl Izumi; a vest; and the 45nrth Naughtvind cycling jacket (check out our review of the jacket, released 2-23-22).

Bonus tip: Don’t forget the head and neck! Ben likes the neck gaiters from Buff, and a Smartwool 2-layer wool hat under his bike helmet. Take home message: if you adapt your route, and dress for conditions, you can enjoy moving outside in rain, snow, or summer sun.

So get outside…and move more. Then visit www.FitLabPGH.com for tips, hacks, and podcasts to help you keep moving throughout 2022.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:33 — 7.6MB)

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This week’s FitLabPGH Podcast release is a video podcast: Why Do We Leash the Labradors?

People who follow FitLabPGH may wonder why the Labs are “always” leashed. First, we’ll note that the Labs spend the vast majority of their lives off leash, at home or in the fenced-in backyard. But if you see us in public, you’ll see Leashed Labradors. Here are the reasons why.

Listen to the audio, or watch the video below to see the Labs enjoyed a leashed hike.

#1 – It’s the law. If you see us on the Montour Trail, in Mingo Creek Park, or in South Park, we’ll be obeying the Leash Laws. We know, many people don’t…but we do.

#2 – We want to keep the Labs with us. Yes, they’re well-behaved dogs. No, they’re not immune to the temptation of sights and sounds of nature. Chasing a squirrel or rabbit could lead to a lost dog…or worse if the chase leads into the path of an oncoming car…

#3 – We want to keep the Labs safe. In addition to the risks covered by Reason #2, if the dogs stray even a little off the trail, they’re at increased risk of injury from technical terrain, from eating something they shouldn’t, or from an encounter with another animal.

#4 – To avoid being a jerk. Not every trail or park user wants a close encounter with a dog…even if that dog is a Labrador. And EVERY one should be able to get outside and enjoy moving in nature. So we leash the Labs, and shorten the leashes when we pass other people. Because it’s not ALL about us.

Take home message: we enjoy making movement part of our lifestyle, and part of the Labrador Lifestyle…and we want to continue moving safely with the Labs in the future.

So get outside…leash your dogs…be safe…and move more. Then visit www.FitLabPGH.com for tips, hacks, and podcasts to help you keep moving throughout 2022.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:18 — 6.9MB)

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This week’s FitLabPGH Podcast release is a video podcast: Bearclaw Bicycle Co. Tōwmak Review

We encourage everyone to make movement a lifestyle…one of the ways we make movement a lifestyle is by obtaining the tools and toys to allow us to Move More year-round. Ben’s goal in purchasing the Tōwmak titanium drop-bar fat bike from Bearclaw Bicycle Co. was to get a bike that he could ride anywhere he’d ride a gravel bike…plus places he would be nervous to ride a gravel bike…also, he wanted a bike that would put a smile on his face. Specifically, he was looking for a bike to ride on farm roads, gravel roads, single-track trails, and horse trails (many of which have been torn up by the horses). We recorded this video after Ben spent 6 weeks with the Tōwmak; he likes it even more a month later.

Listen to the audio, or watch the video below to get a good look at the Tōwmak.

About the bike: The frame is the titanium Tōwmak frame from Bearclaw Bicycle Co. (www.BearclawBicycleCo.com). After speaking with Dustin at Bearclaw, Ben used www.BikeInsights.com to choose the correct frame size (55.5cm). For reference purposes: Ben’s Salsa Cycles bikes have 57cm frames. The drop-bar handlebars are the Redshift Kitchen Sink Handlebar. (www.RedShiftSports.com) and the bar-end shifter is the GX 1×12 shifter from Gevenalle (www.gevenalle.com) Ben contacted Mike Curiak of Lace Mine 29 (www.LaceMine29.com) to build the wheelset: Bontrager Jackalope 26” Fat Rims; DT Swiss Big Ride 6-bolt disc hubs; DT Swiss SuperComp triple butted spokes; and DT Swiss Prolock nips. Ben sourced the Schwalbe Jumbo Jim tires, which are set up as tubeless. The fork is a titanium form from Bearclaw Bicycle Co. The saddle is a Brooks C15, which Ben uses on all of his bikes…because it’s comfortable. The top cap cage mount and the bottle cages are from King Cage (www.kingcage.com) made in the USA in Durango, CO. The brakes are Yokozuna Ultimo cable-activated hydraulic brakes…in part because they were available…in part because cables are a lot easier to repair in the middle of a bikepacking trip than hydraulic. Last, but not least, the flat pedals are the Catalyst Pedal from Pedaling Innovations, and are ready for winter riding in mtb shoes or boots. Come summer, Ben will switch to clipless pedals and Lake Cycling shoes.

Bottom line: if you’re looking for a reliable bike that you can ride anywhere…with a smile on your face…the Tōwmak by Bearclaw Bicycle Co. may be the bike for you. It’s a gravel bike that you can ride like a mountain bike…and it’s forgiving if / when you pick a bad line. Most important: Ben loves to ride it.

Find tools (and toys) that allow you to just move…and to move more…year-round. Then visit www.FitLabPGH.com for tips, hacks, and podcasts to help you keep moving throughout 2022.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:22 — 4.5MB)

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This week’s FitLabPGH Podcast release is a video podcast: Do’s and Don’ts for Moving in 2022. We encourage everyone to make movement a lifestyle…this year and every year! Whether you’re just starting a movement routine or you’re already a lifetime mover, here are 5 tips for an enjoyable, and SAFE, movement practice (for you…and for those around you).

Listen to the audio or watch the video below to enjoy the Labradors making movement part of their lifestyle.

1. DO: Just Move. Your movement practice doesn’t need to be complicated, scheduled, or trending on social media. Take a walk. Ride your bike. Dance in your living room. Just Move.
2. DON’T Put Yourself in Dangerous Situations. Just because you CAN try an extreme sport or ride your bike on a busy road, doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Stay safe today, so that you can keep moving tomorrow.
3. DO: Make Movement a Priority. Life is busy. Schedule time for regular movement.
4. DON’T Be a Jerk. Translation: It’s not ALL about you. Share the trail (or gym equipment). Leash your dog in public spaces. Do your best to allow other movers to enjoy their movement experience.
5. DO: Be adaptable. You may not have time to do your fantasy workout. Your fitness class may have been canceled. Adapt. Find something you CAN do to keep moving.

Take home message: find ways to include safe and fun movement in your lifestyle today, and you will look forward to making movement part of your lifestyle in the future. So just move…be safe…and move more.

Check out the FitLabPGH Movement Tips and Lifestyle Hacks videos every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for tips and hacks to help you, and your dog(s) move more…move better…and stay safe…throughout 2022.

Contact Info for FitLabPGH:
Email: fitlabpgh@gmail.com

Twitter: @fitlabpgh

Instagram: @fitlabpgh

We update via Facebook too!!

Movement Tips and Lifestyle Hacks – YouTube channel (posted on Instagram too)

Check out our sister podcast Moving2Live concise but interesting podcasts for the movement and exercise professional and amateur aficionado.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:05 — 5.1MB)

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This week’s FitLabPGH Podcast release is a video podcast: Fat Bikes…They’re Not Just for Winter. Perhaps you’ve seen someone riding a fat bike in the snow…or an electric fat bike (eBike) on a local trail…today we’re sharing a few pros and cons of fat bikes to help you decide if a fat bike would be a good addition to your bicycle line-up.

Listen to the audio, or watch the video and check out our Mukluk fat bikes from Salsa Cycles.

Starting with the disadvantages…1) Fat bikes are heavy…this is especially noticeable when loading them on to a bike rack. 2) Fat bikes are slower than your other bike(s)…big, knobby tires = plenty of rolling resistance. 3) Climbing hills is more challenging on a heavier bike…this is true whether you’re riding or pushing your bike up a hill.

Now for the advantages…1) Fat bikes are fun! 2) You can ride them on almost any terrain (just check local laws and trail rules to be sure bikes are allowed) from paved paths, to rails-to-trails, to mountain bike trails, to gravel or rutted roads. 3) Large, knobby tires provide traction, cushioning…and confidence, allowing riders of varying abilities to enjoy riding together. Note: a fat bike gave Lisa the confidence to venture off the rails-to-trails and into the woods with Ben.

Take home message: fat bikes allow you to ride almost anywhere…at almost any time of the year. If you have a chance to try one, take it! And if you’re looking for a fun cycling experience, and you’re not too concerned with speed, perhaps there’s a fat bike in your future.

So be safe, move more, and get on your bike and ride. Then visit www.FitLabPGH.com for tips, hacks, and podcasts to help you keep moving throughout 2021.

Check out the FitLabPGH Movement Tips and Lifestyle Hacks videos every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for tips and hacks to help you, and your dog(s) move more…move better…and stay safe…throughout 2021.

Contact Info for FitLabPGH:
Email: fitlabpgh@gmail.com

Twitter: @fitlabpgh

Instagram: @fitlabpgh

We update via Facebook too!!

Movement Tips and Lifestyle Hacks – YouTube channel (posted on Instagram too)

Fill out our FitLabPGH Features form to be a FitLabPGH featured mover…or fill one out for your 4 legged movement partner (dog, cat, goat or horse!!)

Check out our sister podcast Moving2Live concise but interesting podcasts for the movement and exercise professional and amateur aficionado.

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