Nike Running Blog - Events en_US

Laurel and Rebeccah Wassner Run The N+WHM

running_na — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:04:02 GMT

Laurel and Rebeccah Wassner are professional triathletes living in New York City. Rebeccah is a three-time winner of the Nautica New York City Triathlon. Laurel is the first cancer-survivor-turned-professional triathlete. In 2010, she took second in the Nautica New York City Triathlon, finishing just two minutes behind Rebeccah.

The twins race to win championships, but also to raise awareness for the fight against cancer, particularly among young adults. In 1998, about a year after college graduation, Laurel was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. After six months of chemotherapy, Laurel spent the next few years battling fatigue and nausea while recovering her strength and rebuilding her life. Meanwhile, Rebeccah morphed into a professional athlete, competing first in marathons, before turning to triathlons in 2004.

In 2006, watching her sister race against the world’s top-ranked athletes at the ITU Elite World Championships, Laurel vowed to one day join her sister on the podium. With the help and support of friends and family, this dream became a reality when Laurel turned pro in 2008…and started chipping away at Rebeccah’s lead.

We appreciate Bec and Laurel taking the time out of their day to talk with the Nike+ Women's Half Marathon. This event is drawing thousands of women, from all over the world together to take a stand against cancer. We're very excited that they’ve made the commitment to join these women on January 15th!

N+WHM: You're both professional athletes, training at an elite level, what made you decide to run the Nike+ Women's Half Marathon?

Laurel: As soon as we heard about the Nike+ Women's Half Marathon and that it benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, we knew we both wanted to be a part of it. As a Lymphoma survivor, I feel incredibly lucky that I am able to compete as a professional triathlete. When I compete I do so to win, but also to raise awareness to the fight against cancer.

Bec: We wanted to be a part of connecting so many women from around the world, challenging themselves to run a half marathon for such a good cause.

N+WHM: As this is a virtual race, connecting women all over the world, how do you use technology to motivate you in your training and competition?

Laurel: Usually I have Bec to race against when we train, but if she's not around, I have my Nike+ GPS to keep me going. In races, I use the GPS to keep me on pace, especially during longer races like half ironmans. After the race, I'll review my splits with my coach. I ALWAYS run my hard workouts - whether on the treadmill or outside - with my iPod.

Bec: I do most of my running on the carriage roads in New Paltz, NY's Mohonk Preserve. I use Nike+GPS to measure distances and and keep my pace up while I'm on the trails. Then, when I get home I download my run and look at the map to see where I went. It's motivating to compare how I've improved week to week, since the Nike+ app stores all the data.

N+WHM: Many Nike+ Women's Half Marathon participants will be running alone, in harsh conditions. Where will you be running? Do you have any advice for the women that are putting in the miles in unfavorable conditions?

Laurel: We haven't set our exact route, but most likely it will be on the NYC Ironman Course. It's in Palisades Park, New Jersey just on the other side of the GW Bridge from Manhattan.

Bec: We've had some cold days here in NY and I would not have been able to get through my runs without my Nike Thermal Running Tights and running jacket. Dressing appropriately is key.

Laurel: My advice is to remember that no matter how hard the run feels, there is someone out there fighting cancer. Remind yourself that you are out there battling the elements to help that person fighting cancer.

N+WHM: The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society plays a big part in this event, as everyone is running to benefit this cause. We know the two of you have a very close relationship with taking a stand against cancer. How did being so close to this cause affect your life?

Bec: The day after Laurel diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, one of our friends called her up and asked her to run the London Marathon with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team-n-Training (which was gets getting started at the time). As I listened to Laurel tell our friend that she wasn't going to be able to do it "because, oh by the way, I actually have cancer" I immediately jumped in and said "I'll do it!" The whole experience was tremendously rewarding to us, to our family, and to everyone involved in Laurel's fight. Ever since, both of us have been tied to the cause of taking a stand against cancer, with the hope that our experiences will inspire other people to get involved.

N+WHM: Running a half marathon is a tough task, that takes some pretty intense training. Any interesting ways the two of you break up the monotony of long training days? Any funny stories from your runs?

Bec: As triathletes, we naturally do a lot of cross training! I often substitute an easy run for a bike ride or swim. If I don't really feel like running one day (and yes, that does happen!), I'll seek out a new trail or park and go for an adventure run. Sometimes I'll get out there and feel great, other times I'll be more of a powerwalk. Either way, it is a success.

Laurel: Downloading some new music on my iPod usually gets me motivated. A pair of new shoes can provide enough motivation to get through a tough week. On the hardest days, I think about the people out there that are going through what I went through. Maybe I'm inspiring them to fight harder and I don't want to let them down.

Bec: My most recent funny running story is a few weeks ago I was running in Central Park and a runner going in the opposite directions yelled out to me "beat your sister!" I didn't know the guy at all, but it got me going and I ended up running the workout faster than I'd hoped.

Laurel: Bec and I are still laughing about the time I stepped on and killed a pigeon in Central Park. It was a complete accident -- usually birds fly away at the last second. Not this time, I stepped on it and it crunched under my foot. I actually felt really badly at the time, but now laugh about it.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT BEC AND LAUREL!

N+WHM Gifting Announcement

running_na — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:54:31 GMT

If you’ve got a runner in your life, chances are, you’ve already got her the latest and greatest Nike Running gear this holiday season. The Nike+ SportBand is in her stocking and LunarGlide+3’s are under the tree. But have you got her the ultimate running gift this season?

Running!

That’s right, you can give the gift of the open road. 13.1 miles of it, to be exact. Cross those runners off your nice list with a registration into the Nike+ Women’s Half Marathon!

Not sure if she’ll be around that day?
No worries! In the N+WHM you run wherever you are with a Nike+ device.

Not sure if she’ll be free?
Again. Ain’t no thang. Your runner has a full 48 hours to complete her half marathon, on her own schedule.

Not sure if she’ll like it?
Let us put it this way: she gets to do something she loves, whenever and wherever she wants, to benefit a great cause – The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. And at the end of it all, we’ll mail her an exclusive finisher’s bracelet made by Hurley. What’s not to love?

Now that that’s settled, here’s what you do:

1. Go to our N+WHM Gifting sign up page here.

2. After fully completing the registration form you will receive a custom N+WHM digital card. You can print; or save and attach it to an email. Whatever you decide to do, you’ll make their day, when the runner in your life opens it up!

3. Each N+WHM digital card contains a unique one-time use code that they can use to register for N+WHM here. They’ll need the code at checkout to redeem their registration.

You’ll be giving ‘ole Santa a run for his money this holiday season. No backorders, no shipping charges, no lines, and no way you’re fining anything better than this anyway. Give the gift of the Nike+ Womens Half Marathon here.

N+WHM Team Registration Announcement

running_na — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 23:17:57 GMT

What’s better than running the Nike+ Women’s Half Marathon?
Running the Nike+ Women’s Half Marathon with all of your friends.

And what’s better than running the Nike+ Women’s Half Marathon with all of your friends?
Running another Nike Women’s Marathon with all your friends.

And what’s better than all that is you’ll be raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society every step of the way. If you’re thinking what we’re thinking, then read on to find out how you can make it happen.

Here’s what you do:

Now when you register for the N+WHM, you’ll have the option to form a team. All you have to do is add a Team Name, and then tell your friends all about it and why they should register too. (You know, because you were already planning on doing that anyway.) The only difference is that now you have the chance to be rewarded for creating a team of strong, sexy, fierce women.

At the end of registration, we’ll find the team with the most members and award them the ultimate prize: another marathon! And not just any marathon. Each winning team member will receive a guaranteed opportunity to purchase a race entry into the 2012 Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco. That’s right. No lottery. Y’all are automatically IN.

So grab your fearless friends and show us how much you love to run. We just may give you the opportunity to run even more…

Register for Nike+ Women’s Half Marathon here.

Already registered? Email NWM@nike.com to add a team name to your registration.

*Only largest team on January 15th, 2012 will be guaranteed opportunity to purchase a race entry into NWM 2012. Max of 2500 persons in winning team.

**Once Team Name is indicated, Team Name cannot be changed.

N+WHM & LLS - Give Back Mail

running_na — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 02:03:20 GMT

Cancer sucks. If you agree, here are two great ways you can help out our friends at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and ultimately help find a cure.

1. Register for the Nike+ Women’s Half Marathon.
Oh, you already are? Great. Wait, you thought you were, but just now realized it slipped your mind? Click here

2. Sign up for Give Back Mail.
This is pretty much the easiest thing ever. Basically, a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is made every time you send an email. Here’s what you do:

Sign up for Give Back Mail here.

Transfer your current email addresses to the website. This part is awesome, because it allows you to manage all of your email accounts from one safe, secure location. Easy, convenient and helps find a cure for cancer? Come on, this is like the best email system ever.

Send away! With each email you send, a donation is made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

We hope you’ll join us on January 15th for the Nike+ Women’s Half, and we hope you’ll send an email to everyone you know to tell them about it. Double whammy. Take that cancer.

Nike+ Women's Half Marathon FAQ

running_na — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:00:15 GMT

THE RUN

WHAT IS THE NIKE+ WOMEN’S HALF MARATHON (N+WHM)?
10,000 daughters, sisters, mothers and friends. 10,000 fierce ladies saying NO to excuses. Saying YES to challenge. 10,000 fearless, sexy, strong women around the world – from Toronto to Tokyo, and from London to LA – who run for a purpose.

10,000 runners is a big number. Cancer is a big disease. And big things happen when women from all over the world get together. Nike’s partnership with LLS has generated more than $118 million to help cure cancer to date, and Nike will donate all event proceeds from registered runners to LLS. That’s 10,000 women running to be a part of something bigger: fighting cancer.

WHAT IS NIKE+?

Find out about Nike+ here.

WHEN IS THE RUN?
To join the N+WHM, runners must complete their run between January 14, 2012 at 12:01AM PST and January 15, 2012 at 11:59PM PST. Runners will then have until Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 11:59PM PST to sync their run on nikeplus.com.

WHERE IS THE RUN?
Run where you are, anywhere in the world. While N+WHM has no physical race location, by joining the N WHM Challenge on nikeplus.com you’ll be joining a community of thousands of women running to be part of something bigger.

HOW FAR IS THE RUN?
Participants must log a minimum of 13.1 miles in order to be considered a finisher.

HOW DO I USE NIKE+ FOR THIS EVENT?
Use your Nike+ Device on January 14, 2012 or January 15, 2012 to log a minimum of 13.1 miles on nikeplus.com (runners will have one week (January 22nd) to sync your run on Nike+.

CAN THIS EVENT COUNT AS QUALIFICATION TOWARDS ANOTHER RACE?
Due to the virtual nature of this run, it is not certified by USATF and therefore participants cannot use their results towards meeting qualification standards in other races.

REGISTRATION

HOW DO I REGISTER FOR THE RUN?
STEP 1: Register for the N+WHM here.
STEP 2: Join the N+WHM Challenge on nikeplus.com here.

HOW DO I LOG MY MILES ON THE NIKE+ WOMENS HALF MARATHON CHALLENGE?
STEP 1: Join the N+WHM Challenge on niksplus.com here.
STEP 2: Run with any Nike+ device on Saturday, January 14, 2012 or Sunday, January 15, 2012.
STEP 3: Sync your run between Saturday, January 14, 2012 at 12:01AM and Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 11:59PM.

WHY DOES THE RUN COST $40?
As a fundraising event for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the N+WHM will give $10 of every registration back to LLS.

Additionally, every participant that registers for the run here will receive an exclusive finisher bracelet designed by Hurley (you must register through SignMeUp.com in order to receive the finisher bracelet – joining the Nike+ Challenge alone will not get you the finisher bracelet).

I AM REGISTERING FOR THE RUN IN A COUNTRY OTHER THAN THE UNITED STATES. HOW WILL THE $40 PAYMENT WORK?
Anyone outside of the United States with an approved VISA or Mastercard will be able to register for the N+WHM here. The charge will be in $US and the issuing bank will make the currency conversion according to the country of origin.

PARTICIPATION

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE RUN?
Anyone around the world can run the N+WHM on January 14, 2012 or January 15, 2012. PLEASE NOTE: you MUST register for the run here in order to receive the exclusive finisher bracelet designed by Hurley.

CAN WALKERS PARTICIPATE IN THE EVENT AND/OR IS THERE A TIME LIMIT FOR THE RUN?
Yes, walkers are welcome in the event as there is no time limit for how long it takes you to do your 13.1 miles. You MUST, however, run your 13.1 miles (or more) on either Saturday, January 14, 2012 or Sunday, January 15, 2012 and sync your run on nikeplus.com before Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 11:59PM.

HOW MANY RUNNERS ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE EVENT?
We’re thinking big! We’d like to see 10,000 daughters, sisters, mothers and friends join us on January 15, 2012. 10,000 runners is a big number, but cancer is a big disease.

CAN MEN PARTICIPATE?
Yes, the Nike+ Women’s Half Marathon welcomes all runners and walkers.

AWARDS

WHAT PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED?
Every registered runner will get an exclusive finisher bracelet made by Hurley (mailed 4-6 weeks after the run).

THE CAUSE

WHAT IS THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY (LLS)?
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), founded in 1949, is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services. LLS's mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

HOW MUCH MONEY FROM THIS EVENT WILL GO TO LLS?
Nike will donate $10 from every registered runner to LLS.

WHERE CAN I GO TO DONATE TO THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA (LLS)?
Every penny counts in the fight against cancer. If you’d like to help raise more money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society please go to - http://www.active.com/donate/llsnikevirtual

POST RACE INFORMATION

WHO CAN I CONTACT IF I HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS?
Please feel free to contact us at nwm@signmeup.com or 1.866.RUN.NIKE.

Runway Crew Recap

running_na — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:52:40 GMT

Fly. Fearless. Fierce. See our Style Crew commanding the streets of San Francisco during the 2011 Nike Women's Marathon. From Haight to the Golden Gate, the stylish sprinters covered serious ground in their sneakers in SF, and we were there to document their experience. Watch the behind-the-scenes action of the crew getting styled in the freshest Nike Sportswear running gear by pro stylist Samantha Jo Alonso, and then getting made up and geared up by the rest of the all-star Entourage before a photo shoot at the beach. After creating customized jackets at Lady Footlocker, they kept it classy and cool at an exclusive Cole Haan after party. These ladies rocked the runway before hitting the racetrack to show that they can look great while they show off what they are made of on the inside. Why do you run?

8 girls chosen
1 house
4 days
1 goal

Check out the exclusive video of their weekend.

Safeway

running_na — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:37:08 GMT

Run to Be Fly

running_na — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:19:48 GMT

If you’re heading to San Francisco to take on 13.1 or 26.2 on October 16th, we’ve got the perfect warm-up for you. Before you ‘Run To Be’ on race-day, you better ‘Run the Runway.’ For the first time ever, Nike Sportswear is hosting a one-of-a-kind style blitz experience called "Run the Runway."

On October 14, Nike Sportswear will construct a runway on the streets of Union Square. So grab your friends, this is your chance to rock your sport style on the catwalk. All you have to do is throw on your favorite Nike Sportswear look.

Head hereto get all the details on how to participate, and get ready to work it on race weekend!

Meet the Runway Crew

We issued a challenge to find 8 women who rocked their sport-style harder than anyone, and the results are in. Meet the Nike Women’s Marathon Runway Crew. To see if you made the cut, and to check out who the 8 most stylish ladies in San Francisco will be, head hereto check out our fierce finalists.

Course Map

running_na — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 23:29:34 GMT

Download as PDF

Strength Building

running_na — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:54:28 GMT

Coach Jay,

During marathon training what is more important as far as building strength for the marathon, the long run or the tempo/speed workout?

Orlando

The long run, once you've built up to it, is the key to a good marathon. Now, that's not to say that the shorter workouts - the workouts that develop your aerobic metabolism and are run at paces faster than marathon pace - aren't important. They are. But you can't beat the gains you'll make from a solid twenty miler, or a solid long long run - a run that goes past twenty miles and for some runners it nears the same duration that they'll run in the race (though this is more of a challenge for the 4 hour marathoner and above).

Bottom line is work up to a long run and then make the weekly long run the cornerstone of your preparation.

Jay

Good luck Megan and I wish you the best in your pursuit of better mechanics.

*Coach Jay's advice is provided as general training information. Use at your own risk. Always consult with your own heath care provider for questions relating to your specific training and nutrition.

And don't forget, if you have a training question for Coach Jay, email him here: coachjay@nike.com.

Interested in Coach Jay's General Strength videos? Click here to check them out.

Always be in-the-know. Follow Nike Running on Facebook.

Should I Aim For a Faster Pace?

running_na — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:52:19 GMT

Hi Coach Jay,

I had such a great long run this morning! I ran 21 miles and it was the first time that I've actually felt good for a long run! I kept up a 7:45-7:55 pace for the first 16 miles and felt like I was holding back the whole time. Then I picked up the pace to about 7:20 for the last couple miles. Even after I finished the run I felt like I could have run even further! Should I reanalyze my Chicago Marathon goals based on this run, or should I still plan to run conservatively and aim for about 3:30? I don't want to get overconfident and burn out too soon, but I also want to feel like I'm running at my potential so that I can look back and know that I had a great race and gave it my all!

Kate

I still like the idea of you running with the Nike pace group at 3:30 pace for the simple reason that you'll run a PR if you stay with them. Second, if, after 20 miles you feel good, you can speed up and you'll run under 3:30. This is will be a significant PR, it will easily qualify you for Boston.

You've had some really good workouts, a great half marathon PR and very good long runs. But I still think that because you often struggle with pacing that you should run with the 3:30 group and then plan to speed up.

Bottom line is that I know your fitness is faster than 3:30 pace and when you say you want to look back on your race knowing you gave it your all, I think the plan we have will do that for you.

Take care Kate and best of luck on Saturday.

Jay

*Coach Jay's advice is provided as general training information. Use at your own risk. Always consult with your own heath care provider for questions relating to your specific training and nutrition.

And don't forget, if you have a training question for Coach Jay, email him here: coachjay@nike.com.

Interested in Coach Jay's General Strength videos? Click here to check them out.

Always be in-the-know. Follow Nike Running on Facebook.

Fitting In a Workout

running_na — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:42:41 GMT

I am currently a full time graduate student, and additionally I work about 30 hours a week at a local running shop. Some days I find I have to get creative in finding windows of time to put in the run I want to do for the day. Do you have any suggestions or advice for trying to accommodate a demanding running schedule on top of a demanding school and work schedule?

Matt

Great question...and I really don't have a good answer. I think there are two types of runners who are running seriously for Chicago. One type has a lot of time to train with a relatively light life schedule, allowing them to get in all of the ancillary work and allowing them to get plenty of rest between workouts. The other type of runner is barely fitting in the runs and no doubt could use more rest. A 30 hour a week job plus graduate school is a big workload to put on top of the training your training to handle. You're doing a great job and if you had more time I'd ask you to run more on your easy days, yet I like the current system because you're staying healthy and you're running well on the key workout days.

Bottom line is keep doing what you're doing and if you can lessen the load a bit in these final weeks before the marathon I'm sure your body will appreciate it.

Jay

*Coach Jay's advice is provided as general training information. Use at your own risk. Always consult with your own heath care provider for questions relating to your specific training and nutrition.

And don't forget, if you have a training question for Coach Jay, email him here: coachjay@nike.com.

Interested in Coach Jay's General Strength videos? Click here to check them out.

Always be in-the-know. Follow Nike Running on Facebook.

Footwear and Pacing on Race Day

running_na — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:03:53 GMT

I have two questions this week. One is about my shoes--are the Frees ok to do longer distances in? The reason I ask is that on Saturday during my long run I was in the Lunar Glides that I've been training in daily and by the end my shins/calves were very tight (and my shoes felt tight as well). So on Sunday for my shorter 5 mile run I wore the Frees and have had no soreness at all--also was running about 1 minute a mile faster than usual in them, which surprised me given I did 18 on Saturday, but I felt great.

The second question is about anticipating the pace I'll be shooting for on race day--how do I know what pace is sustainable for 26.2 when the longest run I'll do during training is 20? Should I be trying to go faster during the shorter runs to prepare? Doing more interval training? Should I be running my goal pace during the long runs?

Traci

I think the key is that you find shoes to do your long runs in that don't get tight during the run. I don't like the idea of you racing or doing long runs in the Frees. However, any easy running can be done in the Frees, especially if they feel good.

In terms of the pace, I think we simply have you go out with the 4:20 group and when you feel like speeding up you can. If you run under 4:20 that will be a PR and I think that given where your fitness was on day one that would be a great finish. I know you're fitness is better than 4:20; I don't think it's at 4:00. We could gamble and have you run 4:10 pace, but again, if you run 4:20 pace for 15-16 miles then you can start speeding up. I trust your ability to feel pace and speed up. I share this with you only because I think that the best way for you to run to your potential is to run 4:20 pace - which will feel slow! - and then slowly ratchet down the pace after 15-16 miles. You're a competitor and I think you'll love the fact that with this approach you'll be flying by people the final 10 miles.

We'll talk more about the race strategy next week, but for now let's have you just focus on Saturday's long long run.

Take care.

Jay

*Coach Jay's advice is provided as general training information. Use at your own risk. Always consult with your own heath care provider for questions relating to your specific training and nutrition.

And don't forget, if you have a training question for Coach Jay, email him here: coachjay@nike.com.

Interested in Coach Jay's General Strength videos? Click here to check them out.

Always be in-the-know. Follow Nike Running on Facebook.

Fueling on the Run

running_na — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 22:58:49 GMT

On my latest long run of 16 miles I experimented with a GU gel and it did wonders for me, on that run all I drank was water, and around mile 10 I took the GU gel and I had about 5 ounces of Coca Cola, those two combined gave me enough energy to finish my run. I do know that caffeine dehydrates you, but should I have had a Gatorade instead of a Coke?

Orlando

First, I think it's great that your experimenting with the GU gel during the run. You're simply going to run a better marathon if you take in some carbohydrates/sugars during the run. However, I think you're better off with the sports drink they'll be handing out at the aid station during the race, so you should practice with a sports drink and not Coca Cola. You'll get plenty of sugar with the sports drink and you'll get some electrolytes as well. The caffeine issue is interesting because there is an ergogenic effect to caffeine, but you'll only get those effects if you normally don't have caffeine; a daily coffee drinker will not get a boost from taking a gel that has caffeine in it.

Thanks for the question Orlando.

Jay

*Coach Jay's advice is provided as general training information. Use at your own risk. Always consult with your own heath care provider for questions relating to your specific training and nutrition.

And don't forget, if you have a training question for Coach Jay, email him here: coachjay@nike.com.

Interested in Coach Jay's General Strength videos? Click here to check them out.

Always be in-the-know. Follow Nike Running on Facebook.

Training for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon

running_na — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 19:47:19 GMT

Running 26.2 miles isn't easy. And it's certainly not something you can train for overnight. Because you have to earn the title of Finisher. And to do that, you have to log some serious miles first.

So if you want to hit the starting line instead of the sideline on 10.9.11, check out Coach Jay's training programs. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced runner, we've got a program that'll get you ready for race day.

If you currently run about 10 miles per week, download the beginner program.
If you currently run 25-30 miles per week, download the intermediate program.

Too late to train for the Chicago Marathon? Visit Nike+ Coach to find a training program for your needs.