Nike Women's Marathon is here!!!

The big day is finally here! I'm feeling good, scratch that - I'm feeling awesome and pumped to do this run.  How will I tackle my first marathon?  My plan is to take it easy just before the first steep hill at mile 6, that's when my quads will really feel the burn and where the crowd will start to break from the stronger runners to walkers - depending on how that goes I may resort to walking the hills (they are brutal !) ...we'll see, then at mile 10 I'm going pick up my speed and crush this marathon!! I haven't set a time as to how long I want to take to complete this because it's my first race and to be honest I'll want to take pictures along the way too :)



Yesterday, we had a shake out run with Marie Purvis along the Bay.  It was really neat to warm-up for 3mi run with one of my favorite Nike woman and the person who put together my training schedule.

Renisha @RenewedFitness and I on our 3mi shakeout run

Gorgeous scenery everywhere in San Fran - had to get the Golden Gate Bridge picture post run  

After the photoshoot and interview with the Nike+ FuelBand team, it's off to China Town one last time to grab souvenirs.
                             

                               

 Won Ton Soup w/ Shrimp for lunch - I think I've had prawns everyday since I've been here hehe

                                       

3 Wise Monkeys "See No Evil, Speak No Evil and Hear No Evil

Took it easy the rest of the night with the BIG run to look forward to.  So now off I go.

***Remember to cheer me on or track me live NWM Live Results - I'll hear your cheers along the way :)

I'm running the half marathon and bib# 11821 

WISH ME LUCK!!!
                                       

week 6 and new gear!

Here I am at crunch time & feeling pumped, each run from here on forward I'm striving to do better.  This past Monday was Labor Day and I'll be honest I just wanted to relax and sleep in, but I got up at 5am, ate breakfast and made my way out the door for a 7mi run - it felt awesome and I was on a runner's high for most of the day until I crashed and needed a catnap to recharge.

Tuesday brought me NTC 45 min Intermediate Get Toned Competitor  workout loaded with pulse lunges and froggers - oi! Hamstrings and quads did not like me at all that day.

Wednesday was a 3 mile tempo run.  I didn't fair too well as I read the weather wrong and was not prepared for the sticky humidity in the morning. I finished the run and there was no runner's high - I was exhausted! 

 The one thing that kept me going was the reward of chocolate soy milk :P  

Yesterday also rewarded me with box 3 of goodies from Nike Women! 

NIKE LUNARGLIDE+ 4 (fuschia)  - I've yet to try them - Friday I have a 4mi run so I'll be sure to review.  I am hearing amazing things about this runner, so I'm excited to give them a spin!

NIKE LUNARFLY+ 3 (to replace the current ones I own)

NIKE SPEED LONG-SLEEVE  - loving the laser-cut thumbholes for additional coverage around the hands, this will be key depending on the weather in San Francisco 

NIKE PRO HYPERCOOL BRA - I now have a complete rainbow of bras - woot!

NIKE RELAY tank top

NIKE RELAY PRINT capris - the print is kinda funky, but I'm sure I won't mind when the cooler weather arrives

NIKE TECH capris

The new compression gear will definitely help me on my long runs and prevent chaffing. I was sweating like a beast those days and started chaffing on my underarms. I'm new to long distance running, so it's good I am going through the trial and error phase now instead of on the day of the marathon.

Today brings me another NTC workout -  Intermediate 30 min Get Strong Perfect Score. Squats, jumps squats and core are the main focus.  Wish me luck :)

Tomorrow is a 4 mile run, followed by a 9 mile on Saturday and Sunday REST...

Total miles this week = 23miles.

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!

13 weeks to 13.1mi - 13 tips I've learned along the way

There are 13 weeks left until the NWM2012 - time is flying by so fast o_O


I've picked up a lot of tips/advice and learned from my own mistakes during my training, so I thought I'd share 13.1 of my favs.  These are can also be applied to other forms of sport/workouts.


BEAT THE HEAT

• hydrate! hydrate! hydrate!
On training days, make sure you’re taking in extra fluids before, during and after to keep from getting thirsty and dehydrated
• listen to your body
  When training/running gets sweaty and tough, take a walk break (try some run/walk intervals) or hit a Savasana. Know when to push through a mentally tough part of your run and know when to pack it in.
• sunscreen!!!Wear sunscreen – ‘nuff said

SMOOTHIES FOR 13 MILES

• Crunchy Coffee Fix - soooo yummy

• Mango-Coconut Water Smoothie  

  2 cups ripe mango chunks (from 1 to 2 mangoes) 

  2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice 

  2 cups unsweetened coconut water 
  Pinch of cayenne powder (key) ;)
  
  Combine all ingredients in a blender; blend until smooth. 

RUN MANTRAS

• run with your heart not with your legs 
• you’ve done harder things than this before…
• You’ve made it this far, only (insert distance left) left!
• Dig for that extra inch. Take the best you can do, and do better.

GEAR & GADGETS

• Nike Cheyenne Vapor Backpack
  This is a great bag, just what I need for my long runs, hiking and navigating the city. Big enough bag to carry all your necesities.

• Nike LunarFly+ 3  comfortable and nice fit 

• Nike+GPS app Nike has put together a very polished app that allows you to get accurate readouts for speed, distance, GPS mapping and listen to music. Voice alerts during your run give you the vital stats such as time, distance and pace, and post-run entreaties for you to go faster, longer, and further really do work. There's also a social aspect, where you and your friends can have friendly competitions, trash-talk each other into a fitter,and better lifestyle.  Post run you can sync you run onto Nike+ and see beautiful graphs of your run splits and see how you compare with fellow runners in the NIke community.  

• Nike Filament Capris  stays in place, does not bunch, and are very breathable. Back pocket is perfect for a house key!

Lastly, JUST DO IT! as Nike encourages us to do...get up and get moving!  Whether it's for a charitable cause, competition or just for yourself, your body will thank you.  You will reap the rewards by becoming healthier, stronger and confident because you achieved a goal.  

With or Without Music?

For me BOTH.

With:

Running with music not only keeps me company on runs, but helps me to escape my head, keep pace & motivation steady and fall in love with old tracks all over again.  I love to have music act as “white noise” while I melt into my run. 

Without:

Then of course there are days when I have a lot on my mind or life gets too noisy, so when I run, I choose to do so sans music.  I enjoy hearing the subtle sounds of my feet hitting the pavement, my heart beating in my chest,  my breath steadily inhaling and exhaling.  You really appreciate the sound of your body working hard to keep you going... breathing never sounded so good and also to be alone with your thoughts. 

What do you prefer?  

Train Hard, Rest Harder

Yes, the title of this post is a bit conflicting w/the name of my blog, but I've come to realize the importance of REST.

Some bodies may be able to run 7 times a week. Some, like mine, cannot. Listening and understanding your body is probably the most important part of any athletic training regimen, one that I often forget with my "go big or go home" mantra.

Three weeks in May before receiving my official NWM2012 schedule I was anxious and wanted to get a head start.  I was running hard 3mi almost everyday & weight training 3 times a week.  My knee started making clicking sounds, my achilles was throbbing, and my neck was just plain uncomfortable. I should have known better than to dive right into it. When I set a goal, I get excited, and that voice in my head gets … a little irrational.

Stretching at a TTC bus stop and grimacing in pain, a friendly woman asked me what was wrong. "My whole right side!" I replied with a stiff smile. We started chatting about running and not before long she was revealing her own athletic goals and recovery secrets. She was tall, strong and training for a triathlon this summer.

Her best piece of advice for me? "Why aren't you listening to your knee?  Listen to your body."

Most runners schedule a day of rest and almost all athletes believe in down time. Studies have shown that it's when you are not running that the muscle rebuilds itself and gets stronger. If the muscle doesn't receive enough recovery time, continuous training will break it down more than build it up. As much as I am dedicated to my running goal, I am just as committed to my newfound running attitude of "Train Hard, Rest Harder".

When I received my official  NWM2012 training schedule  from Marie Purvis. The first thing I noticed was the Sunday rest day and I'm glad it's there as a reminder.

So what am I doing on my day off? Listening to my body and actually taking a day off!

The Ultimate Runner’s Guide (Infographic)

More Health and Fitness News & Tips at Greatist.

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.