marathon

Nike Women’s Half Marathon / Post Marathon Tips

10.21.2013

Yesterday was very special day…it was my 3rd Nike Women’s Marathon. Year after year, I am amazed by this event. Nike does an UNBELIEVABLE job with this extravaganza! Each year they have continued to improve certain aspects of the expo and race day activities. If you are to do any marathon, I highly suggest this be the one. Although a VERY hard course, hilly, foggy and cold… 30-40 thousand people gathering the streets of union square is an amazing sight to see, it gives me chills every time and I am already looking forward to next years experience.

// Photos compliments of NWM Facebook page. //

(Pre marathon selfie @5:3am wowza!)

(And a pretty cool guy waiting for me at the finish ;))

(The blue box gave me a little kick to get my butt to the finish!)

After many trials and tribulations, ie- super longggg tiring runs on the weekends and waking up at the crack of dawn to get in a quickie before work…..I am so over the moon about setting my new PR!!! I ran an 8’37″/mi pace, 1:55! Never regret a workout. Never regret a run. Because when it comes down to it, it was all worth it. This course was insanely hard, but you can truly conquer anything you put your mind to.

You did it!! Now what? Here are some post marathon tips that have worked for me.

Walk it out. Right after the marathon keep walking to reduce stiffness. You want to keep your blood circulating in order to repair damaged muscle tissue. Walk another mile (I know it sounds horrible but worth it) or you can just walk to your car.

Stretch. It’s SO important to stretch post marathon!! Your muscles will be sore and cramping will likely occur. Whether you decide to use a foam roller or not, make sure to make time for lots of stretching to reduce injury and bring length back to fatigued muscles.

Drink lots of fluids. H2O, protein shakes and electrolytes are your best friend. You just lost tons of water and you need to replenish your body. Nourish, nourish, nourish and take care of your body by adding the nutrients back that were lost during your run.

Snack time! After a run, you are depleted of calories and need all the nourishment you can get. This is a good time for carbs! Yippee!

Ice any painful areas. Often knees and feet will need a little attention. Ice 15 minutes on, 15 minutes off that same day after your race to avoid injury. Ice the following day as well if needed.

Continue to recover in the days after your race. Take a few days of rest directly after your marathon. Some people say to take even more than a couple of days off, but I like to run a short 2 miles 2-3 days after the race to relieve soreness.

Most importantly, listen to your body and give it what it needs. There are many different opinions of what your body needs post marathon, but this is what I have found has worked for me and I hope it helps for you!

Now, after the pain subsides, you finally feel a sense of accomplishment. Time to look into finding your next race? You decide. 😉

Marathon Must-Haves

10.17.2013

Marathon season is here! (At least I think so.) I am super excited for all the races coming up. Nike Women’s Marathon, Women’s Health Run10Feed10 10k, possibly the US Half Marathon, then last but certainly not least, the Paris Marathon in April!! I thought I’d put a list together of a couple of my marathon essentials.

1. CEP Compression Sleeves: OMG! These are my new best friend. I have had a lot of knee and ankle pain the past year and these have completely turned things around for me. I honestly don’t think I can run long distance without them. Other than getting new running shoes, these have helped tremendously. They improve blood circulation, stabalize muscles and joints, prevent injury and I have noticed an increase in performance. They also have actual socks as well, which I haven’t tried but wouldn’t be opposed to.

2. iFitness Hydration Belt: I have not tried using a hydration belt, but I just ordered this one after getting a recommendation from a friend. She has used a few others that were not up to par and said this one fits low on your waist, is extremely comfortable and easy to use. Hydration belts are completely based on preference. Some people like to use hand held water bottles, but I’m really looking forward to avoiding the hydration stations and trying a belt.

3. GU Chomps / GU Gel: Wow. I fly with these things. This is what got me through my first marathon. They give you so much energy and stamina to keep going. As soon as you feel like you’re loosing endurance, pop a chomp or some gu gel and you’re on your way. I like the caffeinated options the best and chomps opposed to gel during the race. Pre-race GU gel is okay, but doesn’t taste as good as the chomps. I couldn’t run a marathon without these!!

4. KT Tape: When not wearing a compression sleeve, this is good to wrap your knees with. Make sure to read up about how to apply. I used KT tape during my first marathon and it helped alleviate the pain in my knees. This is also personal preference when choosing to wear a compression sleeve or tape. Both work great.

5. Nike Fuel Band: This thing does it all. In fact, I love all Nike products. The fuel band tracks everyday activity, calories burned, movement and distance traveled using an LED screen. There is a second generation Fuel band coming out soon which also includes a heart rate monitor as well as other improvements including real time syncing, and notifying you when you need to get moving! Love the fuel band as opposed to other regular watches because it converts activity to “Nike Fuel” and allows you to compare activity with friends. This thing is amazing. You can read more about it here.

What’s on your marathon must have list? Do you have any runs coming up?

Women’s Health RUN10 FEED10 Event

09.19.2013

Hey loves! Women’s Health Magazine is putting on a Run10 Feed10 run in San Francisco on Sunday, October 27th! Please join me if you are in the area, it’s for such a great cause.

Use this special code (Run10 Feed 10: R10F10USA) to receive $5 off their ticket price through September 22^nd.

WOMEN’S HEALTH & FEED ANNOUNCE

2^nd ANNUAL RUN10 FEED10 EVENT IN SAN FRANCISCO

Presented by Unilever

2^nd annual event inspires people to race to fight hunger in America

Event to include bonus yoga session, nutrition and beauty consultations, great giveaways and more.

Women’s Health’s wildly popular race and fundraising event,RUN10 FEED10, is coming back to San Francisco onSunday, October 27, 2013.

WHO: Join Women’s Health Magazine, FEED and its founder, Lauren Bush Lauren, and thousands of amazing men and women runners in the fight against hunger.

WHAT: This fall, Women’s Health magazine will host RUN10 FEED10 in San Francisco. The concept is simple: run a 10K with us and provide 10 meals for those struggling with hunger in San Francisco. Last year, RUN10 FEED10 raised 1 million meals nationwide and we’re setting the bar even higher for 2013.

Timed 10K races will also be taking place across the country in New York and Chicago. People living in Boston, Los Angeles, Miami and Seattle can participate in one of Women’s Health’s “Fun Runs” and if runners do not live in one of our host cities, they can still participate by signing up to run their own 10K. The money from the registration and fundraising efforts will go to their nearest metropolitan area food bank. Download the official, free RUN10FEED10 app to plot your training course.

The day will include:

An unforgettable experience running at 10K for those in need
Pre-and-post race activities including guided stretches and yoga with a special guest trainer
Tons of freebies, experiences and giveaways from FEED, Dove, Degree, Lipton Tea, Simple, Kellogg Nourish, OPI, Vaseline, Birkenstock, Sketchers, Cigna, Ford Fiesta, and more.

WHY: Right now, over 50 million Americans are food insecure, meaning they don’t know from where their next meal is coming. The reality is there is enough food in the world today for everyone to get the nourishment they need for a healthy and productive life. The other reality is that we can do something about it. Together, we can make a huge impact in a very simple way. All you have to do is RUN!

WHEN: Sunday, October 27, 2013 at 8 AM

WHERE:Crissy Field, San Francisco, CA

Registration Fee: Sign up for Run10 FEED 10 at www.run10feed10.com. Included in your $50 registration is race entry, your donation of 10 meals, and a limited-edition FEED bag
$50 – until 9/30/13
$60 – 10/1/13 – 10/24/13 or until the race sells out!

Fundraising Information:
Women’s Health is encouraging all participants to raise $100. You can start fundraising by going to www.run10feed10.com, clicking on the START FUNDRAISING tab at the top of the page,and joining the appropriate city’s RUN 10 FEED 10 fundraising team. Share your page with your friends and family to spread the word! It only takes 10 friends donating $10 each to raise an extra $100 for your community.

ABOUT FEED:

After witnessing the effects of hunger firsthand when traveling as a WFP Honorary Spokesperson, Lauren Bush Lauren founded FEED Projects in 2007 with the mission of creating good products that help FEED the world. Every product sold has a measurable donation attached to it and, to date, the social business has been able to donate over $6 million and provide nearly 60 million school meals globally through the United Nations World Food Programme. FEED has also supported nutrition programs around the world, providing vitamin supplements to over 3.5 million children through UNICEF.

Over the past six years, FEED has forged successful partnerships with companies such as Target, Disney, Pottery Barn, Clarins, Whole Foods, Gap, DKNY, Links of London, Godiva and TOMS.

FEED products are available online and at retail locations around the world. For more information, please visit www.feedprojects.com or follow FEED on Facebook (FEED Projects) and Twitter (@FEEDProjects).

See you there!

How To Speed Up Your Metabolism / Paris Marathon!!

09.17.2013

If you’ve been following the Facebook page, you’ve probably already heard my big news…but I am more than excited to tell you guys that I will be running the 2014 Paris Marathon in April!! This has been on my bucket list ever since I can remember and I am so excited to visit Paris for the first time, AND run my 2nd full marathon!! Have any of you been to Paris? If so, your recommendations for restaurants, shopping or any place to visit would be much appreciated! Can’t wait!!

(photo sources: unknown)

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“How do you eat so much and manage to stay fit?” “How is your metabolism off the charts?!” Aside from a hearty workout regime, building your metabolism takes time, but in turn allows you to constantly eat and burn fat while at rest. Sure, a teeny percent has to do with age and genetics, but it is in your control to increase metabolism and shed the extra weight that you’ve been dying to get rid of! Here’s how to speed up your metabolism:

Build muscle. Get in the weight room and lift those weights ladies and gents! The more muscle you gain, the faster your resting metabolic rate. Burn calories while sitting? Umm, count me in!
Eat every 3 hours. If you eat more often, the faster your metabolism. Strange, but true. Make breakfast your most important meal and add protein! If you want a faster metabolism think protein. Here’s why. Your body burns twice as many calories digesting proteins than it does carbs. Think eggs or greek yogurt for breakfast and chicken or fish for lunch or dinner.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. (and no not with alcohol). Dehydration leads to a slow metabolism! Studies have shown that cold water does the trick. Cold drinks force your body to work to warm up, which builds more energy.
Use spices. Think cayenne, chillis, red pepper. Anything that makes you sweat means your metabolism has increased.
Green tea, full of antioxidants and contains a plant compound called ECGC which promotes fat burning.
Coffee. Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system and increases heart rate. Gotta love your cup o’ joe.

It’s important to remember that you can grab control of your future! Stop the I can’t and go with I can do this! Even when it comes to your metabolism, take control of it. Try these tips and don’t use your age, weight or genetics as an excuse. Speed up that metabolism, get moving and get healthy. MUAH!

Napa to Sonoma 5k / HUGE new goal!

07.23.2013

Hi loves! Sorry for my lack of posts lately, I have been a busy bee! New beginnings, change and exciting transitions are a good thing, right? Anyways, I do have some exciting news. Well two things, fitness related. First off, I placed 10th overall in the Napa to Sonoma 5k this weekend! 7th place female! It’s so exciting to make progress! If you follow my Facebook page, I talk about progress all the time. Little progress is better than no progress at all! Shaving time off my runs, seeing huge changes in my body and feeling overall very happy! Doesn’t get better than that. 🙂

This course was absolutely beautiful! I regret not running the half marathon, but will next year! People come from all over to visit the wine country which happens to be my home town. It’s really eye opening to return and realize how beautiful it really is! I may be a city girl, but Sonoma will always have my heart. 🙂

Such a fun event!! They had tons of wine tasting after and I saw a cute shirt that pretty much sums is up:

“Run a lit, Wine a lot”. 🙂

Next goal…maybe top 5? Hmmm… 😉

Exciting News #2- Sooooo, I sat down with a girlfriend of mine the other night who happens to be a photographer. We chatted a little bit about my fitness goals and you know what I realized? I don’t have one! So with that said I have decided that I really want to do a fitness photo shoot in 3-4 months!!!! I am so nervous to announce that and have been majorly doubting myself but after talking to others about it, why the heck not?! I need a goal, why not make it a big one. To be photo shoot ready to me, means getting in the best physical shape I have ever been. BUT doing it all on my own. Not using a nutritionist or trainer, but being my own motivation. I want to share the journey with you guys and see how I progress. Why the heck not, right? So I have yet to set a date, and SO nervous to commit but with this post, I think I just committed!! YIKES. I will need to believe in myself more than I ever have before! So stay tuned peeps!

Find your passion and the sky’s the limit! xoxo

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