EXERCISING ALONE OR WITH OTHERS?

Exercising with a buddy definitely has its perks, but when it comes to most of my workouts, I prefer to exercise alone.  Here are some of my reasons I find it’s better to sweat it out solo.

• You can work out whenever you want and when it best fits your schedule. Plus you never have to deal with someone being late.

• You can skip the chitchat and focus on your breathing and inner thoughts. It's a great time to make mental to-do lists, brainstorm, or daydream about weekend plans. Going solo means it's really "me" time.

• The type and intensity of the workout is up to you, whether you feel like going for a run in your neighborhood, doing a HIIT class, or following a gentle yoga video.

• You can stuff your ears with headphones and rock out to that new cardio playlist you made.

• It's easier to stick to training schedules or goals since there's no one else's agenda to support but your own.

• If you're under the weather and don't feel like getting your sweat on, no one will give you lip for it.

Do you agree or disagree? do you prefer working out solo or with a buddy?

The Ultimate Runner’s Guide (Infographic)

More Health and Fitness News & Tips at Greatist.

NIKE WOMEN #MAKETHERULES

Nike Women's new campaign #MAKETHERULES was launched June 23rd (the same day marking 40 yrs of Title IX) and is reaching out to women all over the world, motivating us to reach our own personal goals. 

Title IX, is a law passed June 23, 1972 making women equal in high school and collegiate sports, & allowing women to prove that we are strong, capable and equal.  Before Title IX, fewer than 300,000 high school girls -- one in 27 -- played sports; there were less than 32,000 female athletes at the collegiate level. By 1974, just two years after the passage of Title IX, the number of high schoolers participating in sports had skyrocketed to 1.3 million.

Now more than 3 million high school girls -- one in 2 -- play sports. And unlike our mothers or grandmothers, who were often limited to basketball and softball, women are now participating in everything from squash to skiing, rugby to wrestling!

I'll be honest I never gave it much thought how fortunate I was to be able to play sports today. From now on when I hit the gym, or play sports I will feel its effect, and give it my all.

I'm a couple of days late posting this, but it's never to late to celebrate this important date in history - pick one of these challenges and give it your best.  

Clif Energy Bars review

I have learned many things during my marathon training, and one of the things I learned early on is that along with eating the right amount of calories, I also needed to eat the right amount of fats, carbs and protein too. 

I recently bought these from Whole Foods and they ROCK!  They are great before and after a long workout, the only downside being they do leave you feeling a bit thirsty afterwards.

I ate the chocolate chip version an hour before my 4mi run and noticed a BIG differance in energy.  I ran my fastest 5K just shy of 27 min.  It also gave me energy for my 6.6K trail walk the same day.

No matter what type of workouts you do, it's important to be properly fueled. I'm glad I found CLIF energy bars . So far the chocolate chip and almond fudge taste great, and they all offer amazing benefits that will help you get through, or recover from your most intense workouts.

Nike Free TR Fit 2 Women's Training Shoes

Short and sweet review of the Nike Free TR Fit 2 training shoes.
Pros: high performance, lightweight, good arch support, comfortable, good cushioning, breathable and most important ultimate FLEXIBILITY. 
These trainers are a MUST for any workout whether it be spinning, kickboxing, boot camp, to Pilates. I've done plenty of plyometrics and Nike Training Club workouts in them and I haven't had sore feet or ankles afterwards. As an added plus they look CUTE with jeans!

Show Your Running Feet Some Love = Happy Feet

Since increasing the amount time I run a few months ago, my feet have taken quite the beating with all the repetitive pounding, sweating, and muscle exertion.  Desperate for relief I did some research online and also seeked long time runners advice what they do.

   

• Grab a tennis ball: Sit or stand and place the ball under the arch of your foot, roll it along your arch, and shift to whatever part of your foot needs attention. I was surprised at how sore my feet really were. 
• Trim your toenails: Long toenails can rub against the inside of your shoe making it painful to run. When giving yourself a pedicure, cut or file nails straight (rounded nails can cause ingrown nails)
  
•  Exfoliate dry skin: Prevent heel fissures by exfoliating your feet using bath gloves or a pumice stone. Moisturize often to keep the skin moist.
• Stretch: To prevent injury and ease soreness, stretching after a run is essential.  
• Ease inflammation: If feet are swollen after a run, here's a trick I recently learned. Fill a water bottle halfway with ice cubes and fill the rest with cold water. Place the bottle on a towel to collect condensation and rest the arch of your bare foot on the middle of the bottle. Rock your foot forward and back, rolling the bottle underneath. Apply as much pressure as you want, continuing for a few minutes.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

Happy feet will give back and make your runs more comfortable :)

STAY COOL ON THE RUN

As the weather got warmer I started taking my running outdoors, but soon after a run I would get massive headaches due to heat exhaustion. Strong sun and heat can make outdoor runs more challenging, and a big concern is the risk of heat exhaustion. I've discovered a new trick to stay cool while running on a hot day -  hydrating my head. Sounds silly right?

Before heading outside, I soak my hair, squeeze out some of the excess water, but leave it pretty wet, and then wrap my hair into a bun. For those of you w/ supershort hair, soak your head and a bandana, and wrap the wet cloth around your head. As you run, the cool breeze on your wet head will not only feel refreshing, but it will also help prevent overheating.  Always carry a water bottle and periodically pour some water on top of your head to rewet your hair and of course to prevent dehydration.

Another key tip to staying cool is proper gear.  Avoid wearing cotton when running because it holds your sweat and doesn't dry quickly, which can lead to chafing.  Synthetic fabrics ie) Dri-Fit wick moisture away from your skin so cooling evaporation can occur.  Trust me, you'll appreciate the comfort -- especially during long runs outdoors.
Nike Women were more than generous enough to send me some running gear for my marathon training.  
Here are my reviews:

Nike Tempo Track Shorts - These running shorts are so comfortable that they actually made me want to run longer. I'm not kidding. The fabric is ultra-lightweight and stretchy, so these shorts are so easy to move in. They also feature mesh on the sides, making them extremely breathable. And they come in many different fun and vibrant colours.

Nike Miler Running Shirt - This super lightweight T-shirt from is semi-fitted so it gives a good fit without being too tight or clingy. If you love the feel of cashmere , but hate being wet, this is the shirt for you.  Like the shorts, it also features mesh side panels, which is great for summer running. The Dri-FIT quickly moves sweat away from your skin, helping you stay dry. 

HAPPY RUNNING AND STAY COOL!

London meets Toronto

I had the privilege of meeting Danielle Linton from London, UK, while she visited family in Brampton & Scarborough.  Danielle and I first met on twitter from our common interest, Nike Training Club.  She gave me a s/o on one of my tweets motivating me to reach my goal at the time & from there we clicked.  We keep tabs on each others progress and offer support/motivation when needed.


Danielle has the ultimate dream job - teaching FREE Nike Training Club Classes at the London South Bank University Sports & Nike Store in Westfield London.  She is a firm believer that success comes from within and it shows through her willingness to achieve by being a enthusiastic learner, readiness to confront a range of challenges and maintain open-mindedness to new ideas.  So if you ever visit London, def check out one of her classes.  Nike Training Club UK - NTC Classes
She is definitely an inspiration to me and I'm so glad I had the chance to meet her in person!

Let the Training Begin Officially!

It's finally arrived!  Yesterday after work I was emailed my official 12 weeks Nike Women’s Marathon Training Plan created by Nike international professional trainer Marie Purvis.


Yes, I have been posting my own runs on twitter and FB, but this training plan is personally customized to meet my goals  I discussed w/Marie and Nike Women on the phone 2 weeks ago.  It's fairly straight-forward and has me doing my runs on Mondays, Fridays & long-distance running on Saturdays with cross training/yoga in between.


I'm over the moon to start officially training w/my fellow #SistersInNike on twitter ( Karen , Tiara and Elizabeth) - you ladies ROCK!


A BIG THANK YOU again to Nike Women & Marie Purvis for inviting me to push myself further and recognizing my accomplishments.  This is def an amazing way to end my 20's :)  

Thank you friends, co-workers and family for continually motivating me as I journey to the NWM2012.


And last but not least my biggest supporter my fiance Justin - driving me around looking for different tracks & trails for me to run on and  stocking up on vitamin water & healthy snacks at Whole Foods.  Thanks hun <3


It'll be a challenging and fun next few months and welcome all the support I can get!

Christmas in Spring! NWM2012 gear arrives...

This past Friday I came home from a long day at work to find a box from Nike Women at the door, I started clapping my hands in glee and proceeded to open.

Inside was the Nike Cheyenne Vapor Running Backpack. I was so focused on this very stylish bag, inspecting it, checking out the straps and reading the tag w/all the bags features, when I finally got to opening it I was in total shock!

Inside was packed nicely with Nike running gear to help with my training for the NWM2012!  I was like a little girl at Christmas, pulling out one by one all the cool gear.  I couldn't believe all that was inside the bag and fit comfortably. This backpack is AMAZING! I suggest every gym nut or runner grab one of these bags esp if you commute in the city like me via transit/subway.  Your back & shoulders will thank you, trust!

Anyways on to the gear, I tried them all almost immediately and they fit like a glove. The following Sunday morning, I took the Nike Tempo Track shorts , Nike Pro Victory Compresion bra ( which I already own 2 - LOVE this line, it's snug & comfortable esp great for cardio ), Nike Miler running shirt, Nike Lightweight Low Cut Tab socks and the Nike Lunarfly+ 3 runners out for a spin.  It was a hot & humid 29 degrees morning , but the gear helped keep me cool & dry and I sweat A LOT.  I was able to push through and keep running.  I did suffer a bit of heat exhaustion, my own fault for not hydrating more frequently - I'll be posting about the importance of that later.

NIKE LUNARFLY+ 3

During my 4.02mi run, my feet were comfortable and never hurt or tire. They also had a "bounce" back feeling as a I ran and offered great support.  I am so excited to go running again today!!

SIGNS YOU'RE SLEEP DEPRIVED

1. You need an alarm to wake up. 
2. You use the snooze button on your alarm more than twice.
3. You fall asleep in fewer than 10 minutes.
4. Simple decisions stump you.
5. You're still hungry after eating all day.
6. You keep coming down with colds.
7. Weird things make you cry.
8. You've become a klutz.

wow - 6/8 for me o_O especially during the workweek lol, even as I typed this I'm zoning in and out Zzzzzz

So today I scoured the web for tips and here is what I found: 

• Make Sleep a Priority - turn off that iPhone, comp or tv asap when you feel drowsy 
• Have a sleep-inducing snack - Certain foods can help induce sleepiness: 

1. HONEY- Add a drizzle of honey to warm milk or herbal tea
2. DAIRY - It's true, that warm glass of milk your mom gave you when you were a kid does help you sleep better. 
3. POULTRY -  It's not just turkey that contains sleep-inducing tryptophan; all poultry does.
4. TEA -  mug of chamomile tea before you go to bed is effective

• Relax with yoga &  clear your mind
• Consistency is key: Try to maintain a consistent sleep schedule each day of the week, even on weekends. Getting up and going to bed at the same time everyday will help your body fall into a natural rhythm, so it knows when to sleep, and when to be awake.

I'll def. be trying these tips as of tonight & hope Mr. Sandman visits for a restful sleep.  See you in dream land...

HAPPY NATIONAL RUNNING DAY!

Here are 2 techniques to challenge your run:

1. Intervals -  Running at a consistent pace is great for longer training runs, but make workouts more intense by doing intervals. By alternating between running a few minutes at a moderate pace and throwing in bursts at a quicker pace (or even sprinting), you'll burn more calories, build endurance, and become a faster, stronger runner. Not to mention, intervals have also been proven to fight belly fat. I've recently started adding these to my routine outside, it's fun! Pick a post, mailbox or any object and sprint towards it.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Hills - I'm doing the NWM2012 in San Francisco and the first thing I thought was "gaaaaah HILLS!" Hills are intimidating, but they really do make us better runners. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right?   Doing hill work on inclines also targets your thighs, calves, and booty ;) Who doesn't want a tight tush?! I do! I do!

It's so easy to get caught doing the same ol' thing everyday - but changing it up will increase fat burn and strengthening.

Shawn Johnson announces retirement from gymnastics!

oh no!  I've been a huge fan of hers since first arrived in the gymnastics world, this is really upsetting how her career has come to a close due to an injury.

She also has an amazing stretch routine available on the NTC app - great for runners

Newbie here!

I became inspired to start a blog after reading Karen and Tiara's. Both women are fellow #SistersInNike who train hard and play hard using the NTC app and Nike+ .  I met them through @nikewomen on twitter and since then I've been motivated to workout more than ever.


Last month we were invited to the NWM2012 by Nike Women as a challenge after seeing our wicked stats using either the NTC app or Nike+ posts on twitter.  Now I've never had any intention of running a marathon EVER in my life, but if I hadn't been dared by @nikewomen I woudn't have had the honor of training hard w/the above ladies mentioned.
Our obsession with Nike brought us together and I look forward to finally meeting them in person in San Francisco, October 2012.