This lovely mountain resort town is perched above the eastern end of
the beautiful Kadisha Gorge and at the foothills of the Cedars of Lebanon.
It is the brith place of Lebanon's most famous author
Khalil Gibran. It has a small museum which pays tribute to him.
Beiteddine palace was built over a period of thirty years by Emir Bechir Chehab II.
It's architecture reflects the typical oriental architecture of the 19th century Ottoman Era.
It is remarkable for its glamorous
arcades, multicolored mosaic floors, reception rooms, harems, hammams
and even by its guest house "Diyafa" where passing guests were lodged
(French poet Lamartine stayed once there).
Detail of the Sarcophagus of Ahiram, king of Byblos, seated
on a cherub throne, before an offering table, 13th century B.C (National Museum of Beirut).
Around 1200 B.C. the scribes of Byblos developed an alphabetic phonetic script, the precursor of our modern
alphabet. By 800 B.C., it had traveled to Greece, changing forever the way man communicated.
Located in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, Baalbek is an ancient city
that has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Originally
Canaanite (3rd century BC), the Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines,
and Arabs successively occupied Ba'albek and left their imprints on the
place, often modifying what existed previously.
www.kaftoun.com
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Weekly Water Running Exercise Program
Water Running or Aqua Jogging is an excellent no-impact exercise for athletes of all ages. It increases strength and endurance, as water is 8 to 12 times more resistant than air, and thus the muscles are worked as you pull or push your arms and legs in the water. It can be a great aerobic exercise when performed within a timed interval, measuring repetitive effort (steps) within the timed interval (see workout below). You need to maintain proper form while running in water in order to gain maximum benefit. Don't lean forward too much as if you are swimming. Maintain the same form as you would when running or sprinting on land. Ensure your arms are completely under water and that you push them all the way back and forth maintaining a maximum range of movement. Same with the legs, extend your legs as far down as you can and bring your knees up as far as you can. Focus on improving your form when you are preforming workouts with moderate cadence of 70 to 80 steps per minute. To measure the cadence you count the pushes of one leg in the water for the timed interval. A cadence of 80 per minute means 80 steps of one leg in one minute.
Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)
| Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) | Very Easy | Easy | Moderate | Hard | Very Hard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadence (cycles per minutes) | 60 | 60-70 | 70-80 | 80-90 | 90+ |
| Dry Land Equivalent | Brisk Walk | Easy Run | Brisk Run | Race Pace | Sprint |
Advanced Training
| Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) | Hard | Challenging | Very Challenging |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pool Workout | 12 sets of 1:30 minutes. First minute at a cadence of 80, last 30 seconds at a cadence of 100 with 30-seconds rest between sets | Pyramid with these times: 4:00, 3:00, 2:00, 1:00, 1:00, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00 and a cadence of 70, 75, 80, and 90+ (for 1:00) respectively and 30-seconds rest between sets | 12 sets of 1 minute workouts at a cadence of 100 with 30-seconds rest between sets |
| Dry Land Equivalent | Fast Pace Run | Interval Training | Sprint |
Water Running can be combined with running on the road or track for maximum benefit. It helps tune and strengthen the leg muscles for land runners and reduces their risk of injury. Heavyset or older individuals starting a running program should start with water running. Experienced runners should incorporate water running in their weekly exercise program to reduce risk of injury. For a balanced exercise program, three water running sessions and four land running sessions are recommended per week, alternating between them. Perform the water running in the morning and the land running the evening before.
 |
Note: The information here is based on an exercise program for runners developed by coaches Ian and Teresa Wilson. |
Weekly Basic Workout Program
|
Required Equipment
Buoyancy Belt: It is a blue piece of foam with a nylon strap and plastic buckle that you wear around your waste to provide buoyancy when you exercise at the deep end of the pool. Your feet don't touch the bottom of the pool during the workout.
