Greatness Is Ours - Aug 12 make it your most active day EVER!

The Nike+ digital social media has over 8.5 million members around the world, and Nike has created a series of digital missions through Nike+ to motivate people, including a “Greatness is Ours” mission that aims to make August 12 the most active recorded day ever through Nike+.

Even if you don't have a Nike+ product this is a great opportunity to dust off your runners, get off that couch and get moving! Do anything from adding 10 extra reps to your workout, go out for a jog, Frisbee in the park or dancing the night away, whatever you do just give it your all. Know that you will be not be alone.  You can view the stats as we log in our NikeFuel and see what ppl all over the world are doing. #GAMEONWORLD GREATNESS IS OURS

Aug 12 is my rest day, but I'll be sure to participate and get moving by playing Dance Central on XBOX Kinect - I'll be sure to rack up some high numbers with my NikeFuel band. 

If you want to get in on the action and want to know more about what NikeFuel is check out this video:
What is NikeFuel? Join the game anytime you want and find your greatness!

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!

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.