Day 2 - Stretching w/Marie Purvis, Alcatraz and dinner w/Nike Team

Yesterday morning started off with some much needed stretching w/the mastermind behind the Nike Training Club, Marie Purvis at the piers of San Francisco. This is where we also had our 2nd photoshoot w/the Nike+FuelBand team.

Group shot from Thursday's shoot w/Jerome Love - more pics on the Facebook Nike+FuelBand page

Nike+FuelBand photoshoot at the piers

  After that it was off to the Nike Expo to pick up our race kits.  The atmosphere was energetic - there were stylist booths, hair and make up sessions, NTC mini sessions and so much more.  Nike really knows how to keep the marathon participants pumped and primped for tmr's run.

Then we had free time before dinner.  Justin and I took the time to visit the must see Alcatraz - very creepy, I can only imagine how scary it would be to so the tour at night!  I highly recommend doing the 45min audio tour *shudder* the background noises while you walk around will def add to the experience.

Beware!

John Anglin, Clarence Anglin, and Frank Morris inmates at the prison used cardboard, cement chips, and human hair from the floor of the barbershop to create fake human heads.  They spent one year chipping away at the vent behind toilets for escape routes.

                                           

 Dinner time at First Crush located in Union Sq. w/ the Nike Women management team!  Food was fantastic.

Time to get in the carbs a few days before Sunday.  Never carb load the night before a race.

                                            

Definitely one of the highlights was meeting Marie Purvis.  I've been a huge fan of her workouts since she launched the Nike Training Club app for the iPhone in 2008   

                                   

Fuel check time while winding down after another fun filled day with the #SistersInNike

                                       

About to start Day 3 with a shake out run w/the ladies and Marie before the big day tmr!  I will try to squeeze in a post before...if not def after the race ;)

Thanks for the support and remember to check Facebook for the live tracker details.

Race will commence around 10am EST 2pm GMT

http://gonike.me/nwmresults

My bib number is 11821 and I am running the half marathon  

Nerissa Mata 

Where I'm at with 2 months to go...

I can't believe there is just 2 months to go until the Nike Women's Marathon! I will be among 25,000 participants ( the largest woman's marathon in the world).  From running on behalf of a loved one,  overcoming fears, taking on a new challenge or setting a new PR,  one thing we will all have in common is finding our own greatness and running for a great cause -  The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, funding blood cancer research education and patient services.

These past 2 weeks had me entering the double digit miles on my Saturday long runs.  Unfortunately though, the weather hasn't been so kind with on and off thunder storms, so I had to break up the 10 mile runs indoors on the treadmill - YUCK! Fortunately this Saturday looks promising with mild temps and clear skies :)

The long runs at first seemed daunting, but I've been able to break them up mentally ie) 1mi warm up, then two 4mi segments, then a 1mi cool down. 

I've also been running on various types of terrain from trails, sand and side-streets.  My cross training days have helped out a lot as well, lots of pulsing lunges and core workouts, making my body more efficient and stronger at running.

Here is a link of the route for the 1/2 marathon: Nike Women's half marathon map

The race will kick off in downtown San Francisco at Union Square and head through the financial district past the famous TransAmerica Building. It will then proceed along San Francisco Bay past Fisherman's Wharf, Aquatic Park, Ghirardelli Square, Fort Mason, and Marina Green while revealing breathtaking views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. (def taking pictures :P)  The course then weaves through the Presidio and Sea Cliffs districts out to the Great Highway, through Golden Gate Park, and south toward Lake Merced, finishing just north of the Great Highway along the Pacific Ocean.

Just 2 months and I'll see 13.1, miles of beautiful San Francisco scenery flashing by, awesome spectators cheering for us at every mile, the famous chocolate mile where Ghiradelli chocolate is given freely to all runners, and that iconic little blue Tiffany's box containing the  finishers necklace handed to us on a silver platter by tuxedo clad firemen at the finish line.  And of course finally meeting the  #sistersinnike whom I've been training with via twitter  (residing from Alberta, Montana and California)  - we've been keeping each other in check over the past few months.  

This will def go down in my books as one of the most rewarding experience of my 20's!

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!!

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.

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.