Nikewomen NFR Blog

Have Fun While You Run

SarahKezele — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:45:26 GMT

Remember when you did scavenger hunts as a kid? You sprinted everywhere with so much excitement you didn’t even notice you were getting a workout.

The Scavenger Dash is here to recreate that feeling you’ve lacked for too long. The event is a combination of a scavenger hunt and an adventure race.

Teams of two receive 12 clues before the race starts. Once you and your partner solve your clues, you head to checkpoints around town to take on more challenges. The Dash covers about five miles and lasts 2 to 5 hours.

Prizes are awarded to the top 10 finishers and those with the best costumes. That’s right; you get to dress up in ridiculous outfits and run around town like crazy people. Is this Christmas or what?

Tucson hosted the Scavenger Dash in October but it hits other cities like San Diego, Chicago and Tampa Bay throughout the year. To learn more, check out the website.

For those who hate the monotony of the treadmill, grab a friend and register today!

-Sarah Kezele

First Time Marathon Runner

KatieAlbright — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:15:40 GMT

The Chicago Marathon is the peak of achievement for both top runners in the world and everyday runners. Sunday, October 11, 2009 marked the day when runners from over 100 countries and 50 states came together to realize a dream and complete the 26.2 mile race. I had the opportunity to interview first time marathon runner, Nina Chaudhary during her training for the Chicago Marathon and then again after the Marathon. Here’s what Chaudhary had to say after completing the race.

Training
Chaudhary’s pre-race schedule included the following: sticking to the Nike marathon training program, the training schedule gave a good foundation of how much she should be running on a daily and weekly basis as well as how she should be feeling. Chaudhary completed a 21 mile run prior to the race so she relied on endorphins for the last five miles of the marathon. When asked what changes she would make to her training, Chaudhary commented that “the only changes I would make in the future to my training program is to take part in the CARA (Chicago Area Runners Association) runs that happen on Saturday mornings. For instance, CARA hosts a 21-mile simulation run along the lake a month or so before the race, which would’ve been great to take part in so that I know how I will be feeling after 21 race-pace miles and I can gage how much or how little I need the sports enhanced jelly beans I was carrying with me for energy”.

The Big Race Day

Before
The week prior to the marathon, Chaudhary really started watching her diet, ensuring to eliminate caffeine and alcohol from her diet. She strived to drink 5 or more glasses of water per day and began “carbo-loading” on the Thursday before the Sunday marathon by eating pasta every night for dinner until Sunday morning. Marathon runners are said to burn off all of their carbohydrates within only the first hour of the race, so this was a very important element for Chaudhary to put into her training schedule. The morning of the race, Chaudhary ate breakfast which consisted of pasta and a few hard-boiled eggs after and half a pack of the sports enhanced jelly beans when she was waiting at the starting line.

During
Chaudhary’s final race time was 3 hours, 51 minutes, 49 seconds (3:51.49). She beat her goal time by nine minutes while placing 8,804 out of 33, 608 finishers with 8:40 pace per mile for the majority of the race. Chaudhary got through the race with the help of her iPod shuffle, “my playlist during the marathon was primarily rap and pop songs because I needed faster music to keep me going. I had downloaded 15 new songs on Saturday night, but put them along with 50 or so of my old songs onto my iPod shuffle, which kept me going more because it was a surprise every time I changed the song. My favorite artist during the race was Akon. My friends and family were also set up to receive ‘Runner Update’ text messages at certain points along the way which helped to see them cheering me on”.

After
After completing her first marathon, Chaudhary believes that she will definitely do another marathon in the future, but would like to raise money for a charity so she has extra motivation to train and finish in a good time. When asked if she plans to complete another marathon in the future, Chaudhary replied with, “Since Chicago is a flat course, I see myself running this one again in the future or going to an exotic place like Hawaii to run another one. Also, the qualifying time for the Boston Marathon (held in the spring-time every year) this year was around 3 hours, 40 minutes. Since I now know that I am capable of completing a marathon, I can become more focused on training around an 8-minute mile pace vs. the 9-minute mile pace that I did for this marathon, which would hopefully help me if I decide to qualify for the Boston Marathon in the future.”

Great job on completing the 2009 Chicago Marathon, Nina!

-Katie Albright

WHAT WALL?

AshleyKoehn — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:30:49 GMT

MILE 23.

It’s the mile marker in a marathon when runners are:
Catapulting forward on mental energy alone.
Legs cramp.
Knees lock.
Doubts rise.
And absolutely ALL body movement is uncontrollable.

For most marathoners, it can be “their wall.”

Last year at mile 23, I pee’d my spandex shorts in the 85 degree heat. This year, I stayed in control in my Nike Pro fleece pants in the Windy City 40 degree chill. Yet this year, it wasn’t my race – but one of my best friends.

I jumped in with Stephanie at mile 14, the point in a marathon when you realize you’re actually running a marathon. Up until that point, your mind is in a whirlwind! Fans cheering, Gatorade overflowing and you’re running one of the best tours of Chicago.

Stephanie is a fierce athlete. She is an avid runner who excels at softball and basketball and has been known to dominate Ultimate Frisbee. At mile 23, my purpose was to PUSH Stephanie OVER the mile 23 wall, so I shared this story:

“Stephanie! SO close girl! Remember last year, how you called me the night after the marathon?! You asked, “Ashley, are you running the marathon again next year? We should do it again!” I quickly replied, “Steph! Are you crazy? It’s only been 6 hours since we’ve finished the race and you’re already thinking about next year?!”

I wanted to remind her of the EXCITEMENT, the PASSION she had 365 days prior.

Stephanie could have hit “her mile 23 wall” but instead she transformed her thoughts back to that day and remembered WHY she wanted to run the marathon again. Her hundreds of miles through the heat and rain, early Saturday mornings, diet and discipline were worth every trial when she crossed the finish line.

The Chicago Marathon Wall didn’t stand a chance. She BROKE it and set a personal record!

-Ashley Koehn

It’s Not Where you Start, it’s Where you Finish!

SarinaMorales — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:00:25 GMT

I’m not going to lie, I was pretty nervous. Not that I wasn’t ready, but you know how you always think “If I ate this… or ran that extra 8 feet” I would be better prepared. Funny, despite my frustration in my pace, (I ran 8 minute miles), I realized I ran way more than a 10K for this year’s Nike + Human Race.

As usual, I somehow underestimated the time I needed to get somewhere. Brooklyn isn’t that far from the Bronx. It’s a borough. I figured I wake up at 4:30 a.m., get in a meal, digest, and be ready to leave my house my by 6:00. That all worked out fine, but for some reason when I left my house it was 6:30. I also didn’t factor in time for parking. In other words, I was running a bit late.

It worked, I mean; some people think its good to start a race at the starting line...my thought, why not start the race where I park my car...a mile from the start. I’ve been training; I might as well just start now. It made the race a bit more interesting actually, since I had no idea where I was going.

It was my first long distance race. I trained for sports before and ran, but a 10K isn’t something to overlook. It’s over six miles of good running. I convinced my boyfriend to run the race with me. He was a cross-country runner back in high school, and because of our competitive nature, I figured there would be no problem pushing ourselves through the finish line, come race day.

Unlike the other thousands of runners getting prepared to run at 8 a.m. down by the starting line, my boyfriend and I decided to warm up back on 2nd street. We ran any which way to find the start. “Follow the people in red,” we were told. Thank goodness the runners all wear the same red shirts. I think we warmed up with a good mile just to get to the start of the race, and then before catching our breath, off we were again, the race started. Now in the midst of the 11-minute milers, we felt like we needed to catch up with the seven and eight minute group. Off we go again… through everyone. We were running as if we didn’t have another five miles to go. Both of us are just way too competitive to let people pass us, despite the fact that we both agreed; we were only running this race for fun.

I caught a big cramp in my right calf muscle towards the end of the race. But, it was such an amazing feeling, (not the cramp, the race.) I ran hard through the finish line and finished strong. It was great to share my first race with someone I knew, but I felt like I shared the run with so many more people than just my boyfriend. The running community in the world is such a tight group of people. I even saw a woman during the race that I met when I was in San Francisco for the Nike Women’s Marathon.

I shared a moment with all these people who appreciated running as much as I did. I ran with the world that day, even though I ran a bit more than everyone else. It’s even better. It gave me an edge. I’m ready for my next race. Maybe another 10K? Maybe a half marathon? No matter what race I decide to run, I recommend that everyone sign up for next year’s Nike+ Human Race. This race is for everyone. It’s not only for the runners; it’s for the athletes that no longer have a stage to compete on. When you stop playing competitive sports, its hard to find something to compete for, this is the race to do that. It’s for the competitive person, it’s for the person who wants to stay in shape, it’s for the runner in all of us. My only suggestion, whatever race you run, consider public transportation.

-Sarina

The Runner’s Roll

RosaMillan — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:55:51 GMT

Please, no more shin splints or sore calves. It happens to us all: tight muscles accompanied by aches and pains after a good workout. This is particularly true after long runs. Stretching really helps, but getting down to the core of muscles is necessary to keep your muscles and tendons in the best shape. Turns out a foam roller could be the ultimate training essential.

My chiropractor recommended the small yet powerful rolling mechanism. I bought it for about $25, and have been in love with it ever since. Simply put, you use your body weight to target sore muscles and break down the underlying muscle tissue.

The foam roller has results similar to a deep tissue massage that revitalizes your muscles and relieves tension. By rolling slowly, you can target pretty much any muscle from your legs to your back and arms. My doctor told me to look for trigger points while rolling, which are areas that are a bit more painful or sore. I hold these areas for longer periods, as they need some more time to break down the tissue tension.

I try to roll on it at nights before going to bed, as well as after every run to avoid soreness. Personally, I like rolling on the IT bands (outer thigh tendons) and quadriceps. These hurt so good while I’m rolling on them, but it’s worth knowing the muscles are getting a much-needed massage.
An added benefit is that foam rolling stretches are a workout on their own! Since you use your own body weight to perform the gentle rolling movement, it helps improve flexibility and core strength.

If you want to improve your running performance, avoid injury, or just feel better after workouts, then roll away!

-Rosa Millan

Pace Yourself

SarinaMorales — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:30:19 GMT

My mother always told me, “Don’t talk to strangers.” But, she never said not to follow them. So being the competitive woman that I am, in my final weeks of training for the Human Race, I’ve been working extra hard to challenge myself in new ways. Sometimes I change up the pace or sometimes I chase down strangers. You know what I mean. Not that I recommend following random people in your neighborhood, but chasing after that runner who just always seems to have a extra step on you...that’s a different story.

It’s that person running 20 yards in front of you, who doesn’t realize he’s in the last leg of a race. The random dude who’s taunting you with his every step. Those are the people I’ve been running after. It keeps my run interesting. It makes me feel like I’m running for something more than to burn off last night’s cheesecake.

The problem is, I get a little too ahead of myself when I take on these challenges. The key when running a longer event, like the Human Race, is to pace yourself. I’ve been learning the hard way. One sunny Saturday, I ventured out on my usual run. Feeling good, I hit my 4-mile mark. Then I saw him. He was about 100 yards ahead of me. I was listening to my music. I had the perfect stride. Hydrated. Relaxed. Loose. I was focused on breathing, but obviously not enough. My competitiveness kicked in. I started picking up my pace… I’m in a full-blown sprint. There I was, chasing this random dude for a good block now. I wanted to beat him to the corner, but instead of passing him at the light, I almost passed out.

Moral of the story, come October 24th, don’t chase after random people. First of all, there are too many to choose from. It will ruin your groove. Run at your own pace. If you want a challenge, run harder on the hills. Train with friends who run faster than you, chase them instead. Switch it up. Throw some push-ups and crunches into your daily routine. It makes my runs a lot easier to get through. One day run two miles, the next day run five. Do what feels right and make sure you throw in a day to rest. I’m ready. Good Luck.

-Sarina

Barefoot Running

AshleyMacha — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:20:42 GMT

Running is my passion. So for me, buying running shoes is like Christmas, my birthday and the latest Harry Potter movie wrapped into one. And when I heard that runners were stripping their shoes and going bare, I was shocked to say the least, but thought I’d be up for the challenge.

There are plenty of cultures and countries that tend to every day activities without shoes – and some of the greatest runners in the world come from those areas. So, I untied my laces, pulled off my socks and hit the streets; literally.

I thought I’d start out on a local community college track since the surface is not as hard and abrasive as asphalt or concrete. I finished one mile before I had to put my shoes back on! I felt good, despite a growing blister. I could really feel the arch’s on my feet and the nerves in my feet and legs. Considering the average running shoe weights about 7 lbs, running barefoot made me feel lighter and faster.

The next two miles I ran with shoes. The run was less strenuous because I wasn’t anxious about stepping on something, but I wasn’t as tuned into how my body felt as I did when I was barefoot. When running barefoot, I was more apprehensive about where my foot landed on the ground – either forefoot or on heels – and really began to focus on my form and foot rhythm.

Despite the blister and sore calves, I decided another barefoot trial run was required. This time I ran two, barefoot miles. When the ground is distressed, barefoot running can slow you slow down, so many barefoot runners turn to shoes when trail running or competing in races.

Nike Free is a line of shoes designed to be light, flexible and protective so runners who crave the natural ground don’t have to worry about foreign objects or blisters. Check out the latest line of Nike Free shoes for women here

The most bizarre part of it all? I wasn’t even the slightest bit worried about what people were thinking when they saw me running barefoot. To be honest, not many people even gave me a second glance!

So, will I be stripping my shoes for an upcoming race? No. But, I will definitely incorporate this bare-all method during parts of my training.

-Ashley Macha

Hanging with Alan Webb

SarinaMorales — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:30:35 GMT

I’m not going to lie. I am a little nervous. Alan Webb, not so much. Me, I like running to stay in shape. Alan, well, he runs as a career. Me, I can run a mile pretty fast. Alan holds the American record in the mile. My best time: Eh who’s counting? Alan’s best time: 3:46.91.

The Human Race is coming up and in preparation of the big event, I decide to head out to one of the practice events where I run into Alan Webb, a man who knows a thing or two about running. Me, I’ve been training for it. Alan, I had questions for him.

Alan: Step one: Get out the door.
Me: I feel like I’m off to a good start.
Alan : The steps get harder. Step two: Start running.
Me:He was right.
Alan:There are more steps. Step three: keep running.
Me: “I’m catching a cramp.”
Alan: Sarina, don’t kill yourself.

For me, running has always been a sprint to the baseline or a dash towards home plate. Alan says it’s no excuse and tells me to walk for a minute and then run for two.
“Whatever you can do to build confidence in running for a longer period of time.”

My race is coming to the final stretch.
Me: I just hit 5 miles.
Alan: Keep running! The Human Race is a 10K. That’s 6.2 miles. Me: I’m not there yet.
Alan: You’ll be tired, but you’ll have enough to come out the next day.
On October 24th, I’m running the race. Well Alan, he will be cheering me on, since he is injured at the moment.Maybe next year Alan can come to me for advice. For everyone else...Step one: Sign up for the race!

-Sarina

Lauren Fleshman: Starting from Scratch

SarinaMorales — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:45:50 GMT

She's won numerous times. She’s received numerous awards and recognitions. She’s broken records. Now, at 28 years old, Lauren Fleshman is taking mere baby steps.

“I’m relearning how to run,” Lauren says.

Due to a serious foot injury, there was a point when Lauren, one of the most successful long distance runners in the world, faced never running again.

She takes off her shoe and shows me the scar. She had a navicular stress fracture.It sounds a lot more painful than the scar actually looked. However, the injury shook Lauren enough, she thought her dream was crushed.

“I was in a really bad spot. It’s hard to imagine but I really faced a point where I thought I was going to be unable to do the thing I love.”

For any athlete, the reality of injuries is so obscure, despite the physical tests we put our bodies through. We very often lose sight of an injury ever happening. I still remember lying on the third base line in my softball game right after I popped my hamstring. For a second, I thought I’d never even walk again. The thing that brought me so much happiness now has me at the hospital door. For Lauren, someone who runs six days a week, facing not running ever again, must be horrific.

Thanks to a successful surgery and good physical therapy, Lauren is healed and ready to start fresh. She’s slowly moving into the process again.

“I have to learn how to not favor the bad leg.” For Lauren, the baby steps she’s taking towards full recovery, has not only brought her back physically, but mentally.

“When I hurt myself, I got taken out of the professional elite lifestyle. I had time to reflect on why I really run and I was able to realize, it’s more than racing competitions,trying to get prizes. It’s about putting one foot in front of the other. It’s about seeing beautiful places.”

It was the injury and the recovery process that brought Lauren to a level many athletes loose sight of when they get to the professional level.

Now, exactly one year after her foot surgery, Lauren is celebrating her recovery by running the Nike Human Race.

“I can’t figure a better way to celebrate than by running the Human Race.”

The Human Race, which signifies the connection of runners around the globe, will also be a personal mark for Lauren.

Come out and celebrate for runners like Lauren around the world.

-Sarina

I Came. I TRI’d. I Conquered.

AshleyKoehn — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:35:27 GMT

Have you ever finished a race and felt as though sparks were going to fly?!

Last year, I was a spectator at the largest triathlon in the United States, the Chicago Triathlon. I vowed to myself that I would compete in my first international distance triathlon the following year.

365 days later, it was time. Time to fly!

Sunday morning begin with a 3:30 alarm and drive downtown Chicago. After setting up my bike, helmet, biking shoes, running shoes, bib number belt and water bottles at the transition (how’d I remember all that?!), I joined my team – the Chicago Athletic Triathlon Team – for pre-race tips, encouragement and of course, banana chocolate chip muffins.

Also joining my team was the sun! It was a gorgeous day for the race! three hours later, my wave was ready to begin.

SWIM: During the .93 mile course, Monroe Harbor traded their sailboats for swim caps and broad shoulders. No need for Batman in the Windy City, we all looked like fierce superheroes in our wetsuits. My nerves created fireflies in my stomach and my wetsuit hugged my body like wonder woman. In an instant, the gun went off, and my wave of female athletes morphed into an angry school of fish! I got kicked and was taking arm strokes over swimmer’s backs. Yet, after 50 meters of sprinting, I gained some calm water. Keeping my arm strokes long, I kept a steady pace, exited the water and ran a half-mile to my first transition.

BIKE: For the next 25 miles, Lake Shore Drive shared its cabs with the Chicago Tri! When I jumped on my bike, I felt SO charged! Statistics show that exercising gives you endorphins, but this feeling was electric! I rode two big loops. Going north, the windy city stood up to its name and challenged my pedaling. Yet riding south, I felt like Lance Armstrong himself, whistling by the moving cars with complete ease. I gave myself words of affirmation, “You got it! Come on Ash!” Call me delirious, but these words were bolts of esteem, as the bike course was sparse of spectators.

RUN: The last 6.2 miles was along Chicago’s museums, football stadiums and beaches, ending in Grant Park (think inauguration.) Again, I felt lightening speed and happiness at the beginning of the run! My first mile was greeted with family and friends yelling and cheering! After that, I couldn’t stop smiling. My mood was elevated, and then it was time to pass! Even my Facebook profile explains how one of my favorite things is to pass runners on the lakefront when I train, so my last leg of the tri became a game! Picking up momentum to less than an 8-minute mile pace, I started to pass!

The home stretch was, like I said, electric! Sparks of energy were flying and the finish line was in sight! I picked up the pace, saw my friends and family once again and charged to the end! I placed 16th in my age group and 88th out of 1,300 women. I came. I TRI’d. I conquered (with the help of a little goal and sparks of energy!)

-Ashley Koehn

What Do You Run For?

FrankieThieriot — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:15:56 GMT

I used to HATE running! It was right up there with getting teeth pulled, or finals week. My idea of a good run would have consisted of my mom pulling me down the concrete in an old fashioned red wagon like some of us had as kids.

That was until I asked myself one very important question, “what do you run for?” Some people run to train, some to look good in this season’s cutest bikini, some for health reasons, and some who used to amaze me the most...for fun! I played sports my entire life competitively, in which you exercise to the point of physical exhaustion on a daily basis, but in a manner that keeps your mind busy focusing on overtaking the next defender or slamming that next jump serve right down your opponent’s throat.

It was reflecting on this type of exercise, which continuously occupied my mind and competitive drive that led to my asking myself, “what can occupy my mind when I run?” For me the simple thrill of the pavement beneath my feet was not enough. However, when I went away to college the looming thought of gaining the dreaded “freshman 15” so many of us hear horror stories about, pushed me to find something to run for.

What you are running for changes. The thoughts that occupy your mind also change, depending on where your life is taking you at that moment. In college I did accomplish my goal of running. When I wasn’t flexing my muscles in the gym on campus, I would go for a run in the beautiful California sunshine and I learned to love it.

Every time I would run I would think of something I wanted in my life before I started off on my sweat dripping, enthusiastic sprint down the sidewalk. Sometimes it was an internship I was interviewing for, and I would play out every aspect of it in my head. What I would wear the first day, what fun things I would get to do while working there, and how I would ace the interview. Other times it was about my dream guy, and how I would respond if he told me I was the one for him. What I would wear on a date if he asked me out, and the girl scenario of blabbing to my best friends about every detail of our perfect lives together.

Sometimes the things that occupied my mind were even more fake than certain daydreams I would partake in while running. Such as pretending to be the next star athlete on the women’s snowboarding tour and this run simply being part of my off-season training regime. I would go through interviews in my head, and play out the exact moment when this run would contribute to a win during the season.

I know this may all sound silly but it works! Before I knew it I had run three miles around campus with out even realizing it, my mind content the entire time.

We all took part in make believe at some point in our childhoods and it was fun, exciting, and a time when the stresses of real life and rest of the world seemed irrelevant. So why not partake in a childhood activity as old as time, in order to make your daily run a moment in your hectic day when your mind can wander anywhere it wishes. Not to mention you can get fit and look pretty great in that bikini as a result!

So lace up your Nike’s ladies and get out there! Here’s to your dreams! Who knows, the things you think of on your next run could become reality.

-Frankie Thieriot

Running with the World

SarinaMorales — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 06:00:35 GMT

Whether it’s for the ice cream truck, to get out of a parking ticket, or to actually stay in shape; we’ve all run at one point in our life. Why not celebrate? Come one, come all! On October 24th, 2009, the world will run together in Nike’s second annual Human Race. It’s all about people from all over the world running on the same day. Who does that! It’s awesome.

Lauren Freshman once told me, “Running is the best exercise. You can literally do it anywhere and anytime.” If the fact that it’s awesome doesn’t impress you as a good enough reason to sign up for the Human Race, no worries, I’ve got plenty more!

Reason numero uno: When can you actually do something at the exact same time as someone on the other side of the world in Rome,Italy? I can hardly eat dinner at the same time with my family.

Reason number two: If you join a Nike Human Race Ambassador Team and sign up for the race, you will have plenty of opportunities to win prizes before the race. I was actually able to win myself a Nike + sports band! It’s really helped me see my progress in my training.

Reason three: If you’ve never gone training for a long distance race before, not a problem, neither have I! If you go to www.nikerunning.com, you can not only sign up for the race, but you can get a personal training schedule set up for you so that whether or not you are a professional or a new runner, you will be ready and prepared to run the 10K by the time it comes around.

Number four: If for whatever reason you can’t run a full 10k, there is an option to run a 5k. So no chickening out!

Reason number five: Ever since I started training for the race, I’ve felt great! I’ve worked better and I’ve thought more clearly.

The sixth reason: It’s a great excuse to hear that song you love over and over again without upsetting your neighbor.

Reason number seven: The Human Race events will be held in more than 24 cities from New York City to Los Angeles, Buenos Aires to Rome. What a great excuse to travel for the weekend! I’ll write your boss a sick note! If you’re a student, it takes place on a Saturday, so you’re dismissed.

Reason number eight: All you need is a pair of Nike shoes to move forward. Sign up and run the race with me!

-Sarina

Stretch It Out

AshleyKoehn — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:05:14 GMT

No offense to my best girlfriend running partners, but lately, I’ve found that my best training sidekick is my post workout stretching...

I’m training for the Chicago Triathlon and a marathon in December – so if I don’t take care of my legs now – they absolutely will not be there for me at the end of those finish lines.

Recently, my tri-team (Chicago Athletic Clubs) hosted a stretching clinic after one of our toughest workouts of the season. Our instructor took us through a 30 minute stretching routine that left my legs feeling rejuvenated and ready for more miles the next day!

My Top 5 Tips Stretching Tips & Tricks:
1. Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds (seems forever but it’s worth the wait!)

2. Mix it up! Don’t do the same 3 stretches everyday. Steal one from the person next to you at the gym. Move your body until you can feel new muscles lengthen.

3. Drink plenty of water while stretching! Your muscles need hydration too!

4. Substitute one of your weekly weight workouts and try yoga.

5. Lie on your back with you legs at a 90-degree angle up against the wall. It’s an awesome hamstring stretch and will relax your entire body.

Ladies, stretching will allow you to move faster, longer and will better ease. Take the time after your workout to let your body relax and recharge!

-Ashley Koehn

Fashion's Night Out with Kara Goucher

MelissaEnaje — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:20:31 GMT

Thursday, September 10, 2009 marked the city-wide celebration of Fashion’s Night Out and Niketown NY made sure to bring it all in with a bang in honor of the night dedicated to enlivening the economy.

American Vogue had joined with NYC & Company, the City of New York and the Council of Fashion Designers of America to boost the consumer spirit via way of America’s fashion capital, New York City. That meant a night where all stores were open past the closing hour and surprises were around every corner with special celebrity and musical artists appearances.

That was very much the case with Niketown NY, because the lady noted with being the fastest women’s half-marathon title holder and placing in the 2008 Beijing Games, Kara Goucher was there to have some down time from her last race.

Starting off with a short Q & A in front of runners from Nike’s running club, they spoke on her mindset before and after races and how she copes with the adrenaline rush. Goucher gave a very inspirational speech to everyone in attendance that night and vouched for setting goals in whatever one chooses to do. She even quoted Oprah Winfrey and if she can do a race, so could she! Yet, it was more than her promising to be a fan’s “runner BFF” but her passion and drive for what she loves to do every day that could be seen without saying too much. Her numerous titles and medals of her achievements back it up. Goucher ended her speech by talking about her next goal: to go above and beyond in the next Games. Looks like that reality was merely strides away.

Then, it was go time and we were led by the Nike team to a 3 mile run with Central Park in the background. For me, I have always been a long-distance runner, but I have never done 3 miles in one sitting. Therefore, what was before me was a new goal that had me somewhat antsy. Yet, I pushed and didn’t let my mind play tricks on me. With the natural-born distance runner leading the way and making it seem like a piece of cake, I completed it. I felt accomplished and now I know exactly how it must make her feel. Like a true champion.

Niketown NY made sure the night was going to end on the right track and blazed hot songs throughout the evening. I don’t know about you, but I think we were the hottest on the block that night!

-Melissa Enaje

Triumph Over The Treadmill

Delia.Glover — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:46:14 GMT

I love summer. Who doesn’t? I especially love summer on Cape Cod where I live. The surf, the sand and the ocean breezes make this the perfect escape from the heat and humidity of August. One thing I can never escape, however, is my training. As any serious athlete knows, there is no such thing as a one-season sport. If you want to be competitive, you need to train year-round.

Summer allows you to escape the tedium of a training routine. Training in the summer can actually be, dare I say it, fun. Let me paint a picture for you. It’s the dead of winter, it’s early in the morning and I can see my breath as I walk to the gym to train. Once inside the gym, the fluorescent lights are humming even louder with the cold weather, and I am anxious to start my work out just to warm up. What will it be today- the dreaded treadmill, free weights, a plethora of exercise machines? It doesn’t really matter. It all melds into the same routine, in the same space, and under the same hum. Thank God for my MP3 player.

Let me paint another picture for you. It’s the height of August, and the sun is coming up over the ocean. The fog has not quite lifted yet but I can hear the waves crashing and a foghorn in the distance. I had planned on running my normal routine of a few miles along the pavement, but the beach calls to me; I need to head down to the water.
I warm up with a leisurely jog where the waves meet the sand and soon I am flying along the beach. I am running hard along the hard packed sand with my dog Penny galloping beside me. There is a sensory overload as my attention is split between the ocean, other active early risers, and the shops opening across the street. Out here, I do not need an MP3 player to motivate me, and best of all, when I finish my run I just hop in the ocean. Freshly cooled off, I glance around the beach and see a pick up game of volleyball starting and a few people tossing around a football. One of the volleyball teams looks to be down a player, so the next phase of my work out will include serving, spiking, and diving in the sand.

Even if you do not live along the beach, training in the summer can be an adventure. I can bike, swim, wake board, or choose from many other activities that will fit into my training regime and give me the workout I seek. Best of all, your activities can change every day, and it is a great way to get some quality time in with your friends or make new friends. Stay in shape but don’t get burnt out with your same boring lifting and treadmill routines, use the summer to experiment with alternative workouts!

-Delia Glover