My Women of Inspiration

When I was a young girl I would wait for the Summer Olympics and dream of becoming a great athlete. Sadly, the Summer Olympics only comes once every four years. I would get my dad to buy me tons of Olympics swag and I would watch in awe at these amazing athletes.

I remember watching the 1996 Olympics and watching Brooke Bennett swim the 800m freestyle and she was my idol. She wasn't stick thin like movie stars but she was beautiful and she took control of the water when she was in there. She swam that 800m free and owned it. I also rememeber Dominique Moceanu, as I watched her compete in gymnastics I was impressed with her form and grace.

Somewhere in that year I lost site of myself and began looking up to girls like Cindy Crawford, Gwenyth Paltrow. Skinny girls with the perfect hair, the perfect skin, the perfect body. My life began a downward spiral at this point.

Today I no longer look up to the movie starts like Angelina Jolie, Blake Lively. I know look up to different women.

On of my greatest inspirations is Dara Torres. Dara is in her 40's but looks better than people half her age. She is an amazing athlete and and inspiration to women young and old. Dara is going to Olympic trials to hopefully make London 2012 Olympic Team, I have no doubt she will make that team and we will see her on that podium in London. Good luck Dara and keep continuing to inspire women of all ages. "Water doesn't know age"!

I also have great respect for Shawn Johnson. Seriously, this girl kills on the balance beam! She has such amazing skill and control over her body. I have always loved watching gymnist because they take total control of their body and they are strong and beautiful on the inside and out. Even though Shawn has decided to retire from gymnastics I believe she will continue to inpsire. She's a leader and has a beatiful personality. I can't wait to see where life is going to lead her.

Karen is another one of my women of inspiration. She isn't an athlete that is going to London this year, even though I am pretty sure she could make the team. She just inspires me to push harder and train better. I am so thankful I have had the amazing opportunity to meet her and become friends. When I have days when I don't want to train or I don't want to push as hard I think to myself "Karen is pushing through so should I" I can't wait to meet you.

Elizabeth is another amazing lady who I look to for inspiration. She encourages me to push harder but also encourages me to slow down without having guilt. Something I need to learn how to do. Elizabeth is running Nike Women's Marathon with K and I but she is also running the Chicago Marathon the week before. I like to think of E as Wonder Women.

I am so glad I have great women in my life to look up to and get inspriation from.

What Can be Found in my Gym Bag

It's no secret that I go to the gym in the morning and I do workouts on my lunch hour. One questions I am often asked is what is in your gym bag besides your gym clothes. Here is a sneek peak into my gym bag.

Bobby Pins:

Bobby Pins

I have short hair. I don't carry around elastics I always have a stash of bobby pins on me. This helps me pull my bangs back out of my face so I can focus on my workout. Lets be honest here, it's hard to focus on your workout when your hair is flying in your eyes. I just simply twist my hair back and away I go. They are perfect.

Belkin Armband

Belkin Armband:

It doesn't matter if it is an outdoor run or if it is a Nike Training Club I need to put my armband into something that will hold it so I don't lose it or even worst crush it. I love using an armband because it keeps my iPhone out of my way so I can focus on my workout.

Yurbuds

Yurbuds Earphones:

When it comes to armbands it can be any brand I don't care. When it comes to headphones I wont use anything but Yurbuds. Honestly, these are the best things I have ever used. They are comfortable, they fit well. They were designed by a triathlete. When I am running for longer than 10 minutes my ears get sore from earphones. These are meant to be worn for hours. They are sweat proof and they come with a lifetime warrenty. They are a little pricy but worth the cost. I also realized that by not wearing proper earphones you can get sweat into your ear and get a shock. If you ask me a shock in your ear that is so close to the brain isn't worth it to me I would rather spend the money to get good quality earphones.

Shower Cap

Shower Cap:

Yes, I use a shower cap, haha. When I workout at lunch I push the hour. To cut down on getting ready time I don't wash my hair, to be honest I wash my hair 3 times a week and never on a lunch hour. I stick a shower cap on and jump in the shower cuts down on getting ready by a half hour.

Ponds Facewipes

Ponds Facewipes:

I look kind of crazy when I wear make-up to the gym. I get racoon eyes, it isn't a pretty site. It also isn't very good for your skin to sweat with make-up on. You get the make-up in your pores and this causes blackheads and acne. So I always take my make-up off before a workout. I find it easier to use facewips rather than facewash. I love these ponds wipes because I get a clean skin feeling from them, they smell amazing. 

Perfume

Armani Exhange Perfume:

I only use one of two perfumes. DKNY Pure or Armani Exchange. They both have soft sents so they are not super over powering, but smell really nice. Sometimes I don't give myself enough time to shower (I know gross) so I will just spray some perfume on me and get back to work.

Muscle vs. Fat

When I first started loseing weight I would often say "I want to lose weight" not "I want to lose body fat". There is a difference. If you want to lose weight you are looking to decrease the mass of your body. When you want to lose fat you are looking to decrease the body fat in your body and keep muscle.

I often hear girls complaning that they have not seen the number on the scale go down. I have often had this complaint. You need to realize that a pound is a pound regardless if it is muscle or fat, however, the difference is muscle takes up less space in your body than fat.

Take for example both of these pictures of me. I weight the same weight in both pictures, however, to myself I feel I look like I weigh less in the picture on the right than I do in the picture on the left. I think the difference is I have 5% less body fat that I do on the left. Still the same scale weight but my body fat has decreased.

I think it's not as important to look at the scale but to also look at your body fat and see the changes there too because that is going to make the biggest difference.

Spinach, Bacon and Sweet Potato Salad

I am often looking for new food to make. I often get myself stuck in a rut and will eat the same thing day in and day out. I used to think that salad was a side dish, something to use as a filler to make my plate look full. Sald is not just a side dish. You can make it satisfying. Below is one of my favorite salads to make.

You will need:

• 2 sweet potatoes, cut into pieces
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• salt and black pepper
• 2 slices of bacon
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp giner, minced
• 1 tps ground cumin
• Juice of an orange
• 500g fresh spinach

How to make it:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees c.
• Put potatos on a baking sheet, drizzle with two tbsp of the oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat.
• Roast, turing occasionally, until crisp.
• Drain on paper towels and pour off fat.
• Put the pan back on medium head; add remaining oil to the pan.
• When hot add red pepper, onion and ginger.
• Cook until just softened; stir in cumin an bacon (sliced into pieces)
• Stir in orange juice and turn off heat.
• Put spinache in a large bowl
• Add potatoes and warm dressing.
• Toss

Cramps and Victories

Yesterday morning I set out on a 9 mile run. I did the exact same trail that I had done on May 26th. It had been almost a month since I tackled the trail.

My first time I ran this trail I completed it in 1:27:44 with a pace of 9'24"/mile. I was very pleased with this pace and thought to myself if I can keep it up I will have a great marathon run.

Yesterday I ran it in 1:19:12 with a pace of 8'29"/mile. I finished 8 minutes faster than the last time I ran it. I was so excited and happy about this run because not only did I run it faster but I got cramps around the 3 mile mark and they lasted until the 4.5 mile mark. There was a point where I was nearly in tears and I wanted to stop and walk the rest of the way around the lake, but I just kept telling myself if I can continue to push through they will eventually go away. I kept running and pushing myself to maintain my speed and eventually they were gone. What do you do for cramps? How do you get rid of them when you are in the middle of a run?

Some runs are easy, some runs are hard. Some runs test your limits. I believe that limits are in your head and once you can push those voices aside that tell you that you are not good enough or that you can't do something that is when you are undefeated. The sad thing about those voices is once you push one out another one comes. I think that is why running is such a challenge. You are always fighting yourself. You are always fighting your deamons.

I have had easy runs where everything goes right, the weather is perfect, I find my perfect pace right off the bat and I yearn for those runs but they don't teach me anything. It's the runs that I have to battle myself the entire time not to stop and walk, where I have to fight myself to keep going, fight myself to push a little harder that I get something out of the run. Maybe it's only a good feeling, maybe it's a lesson I needed to learn but I am trying to teach myself to seek those harder runs more often and not always walk on the side of caution.

June 15 to June 21 Week in Review

I'll be giving weekly training updated.

My week training week kind of started on a low note. We went to visit my boyfriends parents at the lake. I was actually really looking forward to going for a run at the lake since it was out at the city and gave me a new area to run in. As we pulled up I realized where they were located was gated. As we took a walk around the area the night we arrived I realized that I was going to have no place to run, this kind of sent me into a little bit of a panic. I went to bed and figured maybe I would just do wind sprints on their lot. I woke up Saturday morning and it was pouring rain and nothing was going to stop me from getting wet. I had a moment of freaking out and M calmed me down and was said to me "T, it's going to be ok you are not in full training right now just take the day relax and get back at it when we get home." Most times I don't take failure so lightly but I realized I had no other choice.

Monday morning I woke up bright and early and excited to get started on my training. I looked out the window and it was wet, I thought that is ok, it is these reasons that Nike Women sent me the Nike Vapor Coat. I walked outside and not only was it wet but it was freezing cold outside. I went to the gym for a treadmill run. I tend not to run as fast when I am on the treadmill but told myself I needed to get at least 6 miles out of the treadmill that day. I knocked out 6.37 miles in 48:31 with a pace of 7'36" per mile. It was a great run for me and I was really proud of running that quick. Not only did I knock a run out of the park I did Nike Training Club. I did Flex Machine and Ab Burner. I felt great after that and wasn't so upset about missing my Saturday Morning Run.

Tuesday was another disappointing day. I had TRX at 6:00am and when I woke up that morning I did not want to go. I didn't want to get out of bed and I wanted to quit TRX. I made myself get up and I went, but I was so unhappy during the workout but I pushed myself through it. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me, the only thing I figured is it was just a bad day because the next day I felt totally find and was excited again for TRX. At lunch I did Nike Training Club the Total Impact and the Arm Definer. I have always wanted Jessica Beil arms. I only have an hour at lunch so I try to pack in as much as possible utilizing the full hour. This usually means I have to dry shampoo my hair and perfume myself to get more of a workout in but it's totally worth it.

Wednesday I did the Nike Training Club Leaner Legs workout before my run. This really helped me out on the trail because I pulled out an amazing run of 4.39 mile 7'23" per mile and a time of 32:24. This was awesome becasue I haven't been able to do that trail in anything less than 36  minutes. I am feeling and seeing myself get faster. I pushed myself a little harder on the trail and I could feel it in my core but it felt great to push. When I got back from my run I did another Nike Training Club this time I did the Back Definer.

Thursday I got off work early and this gave me the opportunity to bust out a couple of Nike Training Clubs I started off with the Be Explosive  than did Stinger I still had life in me so I tackled The Heartthrob and did abs with Laura Enever and finished off with Leah Kim Yoga. All in all it made me feel great and got me to the 8,400 minute mark. I still have 1,600 minutes to do before I hit the 10,000 Nike Training Club minute mark and I might not make it before the end of July but I am really close =) I am still really proud of that.

Today is Friday and I am doing a 3 mile run, I am starting with the Leaner Legs workout to see if this helps me do 3.8 miles in 30 minutes. I'll keep you posted. Tomorrow I have TRX class in the am and after I am doing a 9 mile run I am so excited to do a long run outside.

Have a good weekend and rememeber to get your workout in.

Scale vs. Tape Measure, what works best for me

For much of my life I have been a slave to the scale. Every morning I would stand in front of it and know that my day would be determined by what that number said. If it was low I would have the best day and be super happy, if it was high I would be super depressed and let it ruin more than just one day.

Even when I was a competative swimmer I allowed to the scale to define who I was.

About 5 months ago I took a stand!! I decided that the scale would no longer define who I was it could no longer tell me if I was beautiful or not because a number on a scale cannot determine that.

Today I am registering the lowest I have ever been since I stopped swimming, but does that matter to me. I would be lying if I said no. It still makes me happy to see the number dropping, but there are other things  that are more important to me than a number on a scale. To name a few:

• 
  I am comfortably wearing a 26 pant size. I haven't worn a 26 jean since in a long time.
• I have a dress in my cloest that I couldn't even zip up 6 weeks ago, last week I wore it comfortably to my nieces graduation, it went on without a struggle.
• I can run 13 miles and still have energy in me to do Nike Training Club
• I am getting faster. A route that used to take me 35 minutes to do now takes me just a little over 30.
• I am healthy and happy.

In my personal opinion I don't think people should weight themselves all the time. That number doesn't take into account your muscle that is taking over the fat. Your muscle will take up less space than the fat in your body. The scale can say the same number for weeks but you might fit into your jeans a lot better than you could a month ago, I think that is a bigger accomplishment than weighing in at 120 pounds.

I have began measuring myself on a weekly basis. I measure my neck yes this has changed, my biceps they got smaller at first than started getting bigger with muscle, my forearm, my thighs, my calves, my hips they have also gotten smaller, my waist also getting smaller. Sometimes I'll see a few inch change in a week but see no change on the scale at all. I've started getting more excited over the measuring tape than the scale.

Seriously, your scale can't tell your bone mass or your organ mass (yes your organs have a mass).

If you are looking to lose weight, look to lose inches instead. Invest in a journal, and measuring tape and write down your measurements, measure your neck, calves, thighs, hips, waist, biceps, and forearms. You'll see changes that a scale can't tell you.

Cardio Fasting, why it's bad for your muscles.

I often hear people talking about "cardio fasting" and how this will help them lose weight. I cringe everytime I hear this. I am actually guilty of doing it myself. This was before I met Lindy and she explained to me how cardio fasting is actully worst on your body than eating a small before the gym in the morning.

The main fuel of your body during exercise is glycogen, which is carbs that have been broken down and stored in the liver and the muscles – but you cannot store much. After sleeping, your glycogen stores in your liver are depleted by as much as 80 percent. When you wake up and begin exercising, once you have burned through all the stored glycogen your body begins to use muscle tissue to fuel your movements. This is by some evolutionary trick, since muscle takes more energy to preserve and fuel compared to fat, the body uses it for fuel to create less of an energy need. Yikes! So by exercising on an empty stomach you are actually losing muscle and not building it.

My daily eating.

People often ask me how I keep myself fueled while being so active. I'm going to bring you through a day in the life of me eating.

On Tuesday and Thursday I always have an early am workout of TRX. We don't just do TRX, we run stairs, we do cardio drills. I have to have something in my body to keep me going through this workout.

Breakfast 5:10am.

• 1/2 Whole Wheat English Muffin <--- always make sure it says whole wheat. Sometimes it says whole wheat and it is really just bleached white flour, I always read the ingrediants. This english muffin has fibre that keeps me fueled and keeps me going.
• 1 Tbsp Almond Butter <--- I make sure to measure this out becasue there is about a 100 calories in a tablespoon. Almond butter has protein in it that is really good for you.
• Banana <-- this is a nutrient dense food, they ward off the cramps and they taste amazing.

Second Breakfast 8:00am

No I am not a hobbit but they had a good thing going. They ate second breakfast. Seriously eating after your workout is just as important as eating before your workout. You need to restore your body with nutrients.

• Chocolate milk <-- this is full of complex carbs and protein it's a perfect after workout snack.
• 1/2 cup of Oatmeal <-- the fibre helps keep me full until my next meal.

Snack 10:45 am

• Apple <-- Nutrient dense food is good for you because it is low calorie and has the nutrients you need for your body.
• Greek Yogurt <--- these come in handy little containers now. They come in different flavours and what I love about greek yogurt in a 100 gram container you are getting around 8 grams of protein.

Lunch 1:00pm

• 1/2 cup of Quinoa<-- I have a huge struggle with eating wheat ie. bread. It scares me. I know it sounds weird but I think it always will, it's a side effect from my eating disorder, but for some reason I can eat quinoa until it comes out of my ears and I don't feel bad about it. I know weird. Quinoa is good for you and has protien, if you haven't tried it yet please do so.
• 1/2 Chicken Breast <-- when I make supper I take one of my chicken breast cut it in half and have it for lunch the next day. Chicken is filled with protein it's a lean meat and super good for you. I mix it in my Quinoa and get a double hit of protien.
• Luna Bar <-- I used to eat macrobars but they were super expensive and I could only get them from one place in town. If you know of a site I can order them from please let me know as I love them.
• Soy Chocolate Milk <-- I am addicted to these things, they are so yummy.

Snack 3:00pm

• Canned Tuna <-- these things are amazing they pack 18 grams of protein and taste amazing, they are super small like 80 grams so fit into your lunch box and they come in different flavours.
• Greek Yogurt

Dinner 6:30pm

• 1 cup of Quinoa
• 1 1/2 Chicken Breast
• Steamed Veggies

I am pretty boring when it comes to food and pretty much eat the same thing on a daily basis, every so often I'll change up my veggies, add asparagus, or something else yummy. I might add fish instead of chicken but that is pretty much what I eat on a daily basis.

Obstacles, don't let them stop you.

I did not want to get out of bed this morning. The 4:50am alarm went off and I wanted nothing more than to ignore it, roll over and go back to sleep.

TRX has been less enjoyable for me than it was when I first started. Maybe the novelty is wearing off, maybe I am getting bored, maybe I am just being lazy.

A few weeks ago I tweaked my foot while doing TRX. I was doing single legged mountain climbers and I felt like a tearing in my foot. I honestly thought something was tearing and I got really freaked out. As a runner I need my feet, my ankles, my legs. They are what helps me get through the race.

I already have a really bad injury, it ended my career before it even had a chance to really begin. I had to give up something I love and became really depressed because of it. I don't want that to happen again.

I ask myself "Is this just an obstacle for me?" I need to find away to climb this wall, maybe not even climb it but find away around it, or under it.

I was close to giving up on TRX this morning. I was ready to call it quits but quitting is not an option for me, unless I am forced into it. I am ready to burt through that wall and stomp on my obstacles.

Nike Cheyenne Vapor Bag has a Rain Coat

This morning I woke up and realized it was pouring rain outside and I had to get my stuff to work without getting it wet.

I don't mind running in the rain, I actually find it invigorating, but I HATE putting on wet clothes and heading out. I was kind of panicking a little. I remembered that the bag Nike Women sent to me had a rain coat built in for the bag. I was so excited about this, I was like a little school girl.

The rain coat pulls out from the top of the bag and than snaps together at the bottom. Serioulsy, whoever thought of this should be given a prize of some kind because this is genius. I am going hiking next weekend and I am looking forward to being able to bring this bag on the trails and if it starts to rain I'll be able to keep my stuff dry!! =)

#SisterInNike, New Found Friends.

Friendship comes in very different forms. When I was younger I was friends with a really old lady who lived down the street from me. I loved going to her house and hanging out, listening to her old stories, going through all of her vintage clothes. We had an amazing friendship. My parents thought I was crazy. An 8 year old should want to be hanging out outside not wanting to hang with an old lady, but she treated me with respect and taught me a lot about myself. She has since passed on but I'll never forget her.

Today with the world being so virtual having friends who don't live down the street or on the other side of town is becoming more common. I have met three amazing ladies through twitter. Karen, Elizabeth and Narissa will be running the Nike Women's Marathon with me. These girls don't live in the same town as me, two don't even live in the same country, but we are sharing an experience unlike anything I have shared with anyone else.

The four of us have been named Nike Women's 2012 Marathon Ambassadors. It's been great to be able to connect with these three great ladies. Each one brings something different to the table, but each one is encouraging, inspiring and determined. I can learn a lot of from each of them and I am looking forward to getting to know them more over the next few months and hope our friendship continues after the marathon.

Week in Review

I know it is only Thursday and the week isn't over yet because I still have a 3 mile run tomorrow and a 6 mile run on Saturday but I honestly feel exhausted today. I feel like I've already ran a marathon this week.

My week started off with getting my official Nike Women's Marathon Training schedule. Talk about over joy. I had already ran my 4 miles that day on my lunch hour so I was estatic about that, not to mention I ran it in 30:33 with a time of 7'48"/mile. Yeah that was a great time for me. It means I am getting faster =) that is huge for me.

Tuesday, was TRX day in the am. I am LOVING TRX big time. I have some pretty awesome intructors and they are really helping me perfect my form. I am crediting TRX for me getting faster we have been doing a lot of leg work and I am getting some mean muscle in my legs. Tuesday on my lunch I did some Nike Training Club, I did the ADRENALINE HIT and it worked me good! Plank walks are so great for your body, I always dread them but when I am done I have this great sense of accomplishment. After TRX and Nike Training Club I didn't have much left in me.

Wednesday morning brought me a 5 mile run as you know from my last post instead of just doing a 5 mile J and I did hill sprints before this. My legs were so tired!!! Afterwards I wanted to fall into a heap and sleep for the next few days lol. Instead I got myself together went to work and on my lunch hour punched out more Nike Training Club. I did Squat Party, it is in the Get Strong section. I normally shy away from get strong because I have pretty strong arms and legs but my core needs work so I do ones that have lots of core work in it, but I really enjoyed squat party, even after hill sprints and a 5 mile run. After that I did my #NTCJuneabs the Laura Enever Fierce workout, I love the plank on medicine ball it's great for balance and core work, I finished off with Hope Solo Unbeatable workout. After this workout I realized I broke the 8,000 minute mark and now I am pushing to get 10,000 minutes before July 1st because that is when I go into hardcore marathon training, but this means I need to do 121.87 minutes a day. I might not hit 10,000 but I'll be pretty close to it!! The closer the better =)

Today being Thursday brought another TRX morning. Waking up this morning at 4:50am was so difficult, it took M pretty much dragging me out of bed. I was exhausted and I could have done with an extra hour of sleep. Once I got to the gym I was feeling more awake. We did a lot of planks and moutain climbers. We also did walking squat hold. You got into a squat and you walked while holding the squat, at the end of the minute my legs were burning. I am starting to see muscle tone in my back I think this is from all the rows. This is making me very happy. I am going to do more Nike Training Club at lunch, but probably just a 45 minute workout and maybe abs. Pending on how much time I have for lunch.

Tomorrow I have a 3 mile tempo run at lunch. It is likely going to end up being 4 miles becasue of the route I talk, it's around an island at the park and there is no way I can cut it short without swimming through the water lol, swimming in that water right now does not sound pleasent. Saturday I have a 6 mile run at the lake. I am really excited for that one. I'll also do Nike Training Club after my run because Sunday is a rest day =) I am looking forward to it.

Be a Hill Seeker

When I first joined Trican about a year ago I decied to start a company running club. We would meet twice a week once in the am and once at lunch and run together. This helped hold me accountable to get out and run and also helped me meet new people at work.

I met a great lady and we started to run more often together. Now we run almost every lunch hour together and we do one long run in the morning. This year we did our first 10km together and we came in about the same time.

This morning we met for our morning run. The weather man was saying we were going to get showers, again. I texted her last night and said "Rain in the morning do you still want to go" J texted back saying "wear your new Nike rain coat and we will be fine, see you at 6:00am". Honestly, without J this morning I would have stayed in bed and tried to get as close to 5 mile as possible at lunch. I set my alarm for 4:50 am and went to sleep.

I get to work and J is all geared up and ready to go. We head out and she says let's go to the hill do 5 hill sprints and run 5 miles. I looked at her like she was crazy but we walked over to the hill. After about my first one I think I was cursing myself for getting out of bed this morning, the second one was worst and the third one I was almost walked up the hill. On my fourth hill the hill seeker poster popped into my head. I reminded myself that hills are not the enemy but if I am going to make them seem horrid they are going to be horrid, but if I take them in stride one step at a time I will in time get better at them. I think this is a lesson for everything we do in life. Things are going to seem hard, but if we face them and think they are going to be difficult they are going to be difficult, but if we face them with a smile and take it once step at a time we will achieve our goals and that which is difficult you will get better at it. Let's face it nothing ever get's easier, that hill is not going to get any smaller you are just going to get better at hills or whatever it is in life that you find hard.

After my hills we ran 4.96 miles. I wasn't happy with my time, but my legs were exhausted the whole way. There was one point where I wanted to walk back. I literally had a huge argument in my head over walking back, my running self won that argument, score 1. When I got back even though I was sad with my time I was happy I ran hills and still continued to run 5 miles. I know I have a long way to go before the Nike Women's Marathon but I feel more prepared after this morning's run.

On the plus side the NiKe Cyclone Vapor Running Jacket is AMAZING. This was my first opportunity to wear it and I was so impressed with how lightweight it was. Coming from a girl who wears the Lunar Montreal for it's weight this is very important. If you are a runner, walked, cyclist and you do it in the rain this is the coat for you. You can bunch it up into a ball and take it with you so you have it when you need it and it's so pretty!! I didn't get wet once. It wasn't raining a whole lot a few sprinkels here and there but I also didn't feel the wind on me. That was a plus for me.

I also had the opportunity to wear my Nike Filament Women's Running Capris these are a women's dream!! They are super comfortable and flattering. They kept me feeling warm but not hot. I was at the comfortable body temp that is ideal for running. I also wore them to TRX yesterday and the ladies asked me where I got them, of course I directed them to the Nike Women site.

Nike Women you ladies are the best for providing us with all of this great gear, it has sure made marathon training a lot more fun =)

Music is What Makes my Legs Move

I don't know about you, but I can't run without my music. One of my simple pleasures is lacing up my shoes putting in my earphones, pressing play on my Nike+GPS and just going. Sometimes if I am in the mood I'll just hit random and let whatever plays play, but other times I am in a focused mode and need music to keep me going. Here are a few of my favorite songs that keep me going when I sense myself slowing up.

Whip My Hair - Willow Smith: Ok, I know this song has been out for about a year now, but I recently just discovered it. Seriously I know. I love it. If I feel my pace slowing, or I need that extra push because I am pushing for a faster run I put this on and my feet just go, it's great.

Wannabe - Spice Girls: I guess this is the 90's kid in me. I love to hear this song when I run, sometimes I even catch myself trying to dance a little lol. It's so fun and upbeat it makes those moments when I am fatiuged feel not so sluggish. I also do Nike Training Club to this song because seriously it makes me work harder.

We Found Love - Rhianna ft Calvin Harris: Everytime I hear this song I want to dance, when I have my running shoes on it makes me want to sprint. When I ran my 10km last month I had this on at the 50 minute mark and I think it's the only reason I ran the last 5 minutes at the pace I did because it pushed me to push myself.

Titanium - DJ Savana: I was introduced to this song by K and E. At first listen I wasn't sure how I felt about it. Now it's on my iPod even when I am working. If this song doesn't make you want to move I don't know what will.

Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5 feat Christina Aguilera: I heard this song for the first time at the Victoria Secret fashion show I was like catchy tune. The next day I was visiting my nephew and when this song came on he went crazy and started dancing around and singing (he's 4 so forgive him) when I am running or doing Nike Training Club and I hear this song I think of my nephew and it brings a smile to my face and gives me a little burst of energy. The best way I can describe it is like when playing Mario Kart and you go over those things that make you go faster well that is me when this song comes on!!!

At the moment these are my favorite running and Nike Traning Club tunes, but I am always looking for new ones. What are your favorite songs to workout too?

YOU WILL TELL THEM YES

When I was younger and I told people I wanted to be a competative swimmer people looked at me and said "it's hard work, you'll never be able to put in all the training hours, you don't have enough muscle, swimming is hard". Most of my life I have never felt good enough. I was never the pretty girl, the talented girl, the smart girl, the tall girl. I beat myself up because of this. It caused a lot of issues with myself. I beat myself up about it, I developed an eating disorder, body dismorphia.

I am now preparing to run my first marathon. I will be running the Nike Women's Marathon in October. Exactly 1 week before my 27th birthday. What a birthday gift!! =) I have head similar things when I tell my friends I am running a marathon "It's far, have you ever ran that far, do you think you can do it because I don't, what about injury aren't you afraid of getting hurt, I would much rather sit on the couch, you don't look fit enough to run a full marathon."

You know what I think people are going to talk, they are going to think what they want. They are going to think you are not good enough to reach your dreams. You know what I say, you don't need those people in your life. The only ones you need are the ones who are going to support you, the ones who are going to help you achieve your dreams, who are going to encourage you.

I thank Nike Women for giving me this amazing opportunity. For helping me reach my goals of running a marathon and providing me with the tools to do so. You are my inspration and because of you I hope to inspire others.

My Training Plan is Here

After the whole day of checking my email and checking my email and oh yeah checking my email my training plan from Marie Purvis finally came!!! Ahhh!! I literally did a little dance when it got here. I was so EXCITED.

Now my official training starts =) how exciting is that!!! The training is going to be intense. At first glance I didn't think it would be. I thought to myself "I am doing more than this right now" I looked at it more and realized that it is going to be intense but AMAZING. It looks like it is easy, but Marie and Nike Women are setting us up for achievement and not for failure. They don't want to see us burn out early on, or get an injury.

I am so excited to train with my new found friends Karen, Elizabeth and Narissa. These girls are so awesome and are so encouraging. I am glad that I get to share this experience with these wonderful ladies.

I am most excited that Nike Training Club has been incorporated into my training, I believe that this is going to keep my muscle mass up and allow me to be a better runner.

October 14th is going to come sooner than I know it. What is so funny to me about this whole experience is back in January I told my boyfriend M that before the year was out I wanted to run a Marathon. I am pretty sure I say that almost every year. I plan to train for it, but I fall off before I event start. This is my opportunity to run the marathon and rock it and show myself how much I am truly capable of.

Virtual Run Weekend with my #SistersInNike

This weekend I had a plan to do 13 miles. I was really excited for my long outdoor run because I love running long distances outside. I don't have a clock to focus on and I can get lost in my thoughts.

My #SistersInNike and I decided that Sunday would be a long virtual run day, we decided on 7 miles. I got up Sunday wishing for decent weather. Calgary has been getting insane weather lately and we have flooding going on so I knew finding a 7 mile route was going to be tricky let alone a 13 mile one. I woke up looked outside and the winds were high and it was raning again. A little dissapointed I got my gear together and headed for the gym to treadmill run.

As I got up Sunday and put my foot on the floor, I had a slight pain in my foot. Last month I had an injury and I get freaked out if I get the slightest pain in my foot. I brushed it off as nothing.

I used to love treadmill running, but I discovered outdoor running and I hate going back. I thought suck it up and you'll be fine. As I was running I realized that it wasn't as bad as I was making it out to be. I got an hour in and looked at the time and my pace and I was running fast. I had run 7.66 miles in an hour!! I was like I am on pace to do my miles in less than an 1hour 45minutes. Sadly, I needed the bathroom at this moment and it broke my groove. Here is where my love of outdoor running comes in. I can always stop use the bathroom but I HAVE to keep running because I have to get back home there is no other choice. After my bathroom break I got back on the treadmill and started running again, but my foot started hurting me BIG time again and I was feeling super hungry and tired. At the 1 hour 14 minute mark I stopped, but I had covered 9.30 miles. I was pretty proud of that.

I realize that I am getting faster. On May 5, 2012 I ran 3.79 miles in 34:25, but on June 5, 2012 I ran 3.81 miles in 30:48. It was the exact same route with only a little variance and I still managed to run it faster. I fear running to fast to soon becasue I don't want to damage my legs and not be able to run the Nike Women's Marathon or run it slower than I want too. I am getting really happy with my pace and I hope to keep improving.

Rest Days Are Good

I have trouble with slowing down. I like to go, go, go. My head and heart have a lot of determination and sometimes like to tune my body out. I am trying to teach myself that taking a day to rest isn't a bad thing, but it is actually beneficial for my body.

When I was a swimmer I learned the hard way that listening to your body is crucial and important.

Sometimes I hate to admit that I can't always push the limits because yes my body does have limits, but I think part of becoming a great athlete is knowing when your body needs to take a day and rest so you can go hard and not just for the moment but for a very long time.

Today I am putting my feet up. I am going to get my #NTCJuneabs in but other than that I will be giving my body some R&R maybe seeing a movie with my boyfriend. Tomorrow I will be back at it really hard. My #SistersInNike and I are heading out for a virtual 7 mile run. I am going to push for 13.

If you are having a rest day today I hope you are enjoying it. Remember it's a rest day so enjoy it.

Start the Weekend Off Right

I am firm a believer if you get your Friday workout in you will have a better weekend.

I am a morning workout person. I have a hard time going to the gym, or a going out for a run after work. I am so tired from all day and all I want to do is have supper and stay home because of this I force myself to  go to the gym early in the morning before work. Even on a Friday morning when I would much rather stay in bed, I got up and went to get my workout in.

This morning I did Nike Training Club - True Condition (the feet on medicine ball push-up than the push-up to frogger killed me) and to get my #NTCJuneabs in I did the Sofia Boutella Fearless ab workout. This morning I wore my new Nike Modern Sport Mesh Women's Training Tank Top that Nike Women sent me. If you have not discovered this top yet it is a must be like RIGHT now, seriously get off your computer and go buy this tank. It is so breathable and lightweight. I had to check a few times to make sure I was wearing a shirt since I was so tired. The color is great and makes me feel very feminine.

On my feet I wore the Nike Free TR Fit 2 Women's Training Shoe. This shoe is amazing for training. I recenlty read an article from Marie Purvis, the Nike Master trainer, about using proper shoes in the gym. How you shouldn't use a running shoe to train.

The shorts I had on are the Nike Race Women's Running Shorts (I think)  I wore these for my run (more on that later) I also wore them for NTC this morning. These shorts will be like your little black dress. You will want to have them with you at all times and wish you had more than just one or two pairs, you'll want like 50!! No joke here at all. I also said I wore them for my run. BEST shorts you'll ever find to run in. They will pull sweat away from your body so you feel dry. They are wicked so they keep you cool when the heat turns up.

Also while on my run I wore the Nike Extended Miler Women's Running Shirt. This was huge for me to wear a sleeved shirt becasue I only wear tank tops. I loved it so much, I loved that I didn't have to keep pulling at my shirt to keep it down. I loved how it felt, it almost felt like cashmere against my skin. Nothing better than feeling like you are getting a big hug while running.

This is my new running and training gear. I hope you get out and get your Friday workout in because the weekend is here!!!

My New Favorite Bag, the Nike Cheyenne Vapor Running Backpack

Last night I recieved a box of gear from Nike Women to get me prepared for my Nike Women's Marathon. I was so excited, it felt like Christmas morning to me. I made my boyfriend M take pictures of me in everything, I mean everything. My favorite item is the Nike Cheyenne Vapor Running Backpack. Seriously, this bag is AWESOME!!!

Before I recieved this bag I was using a rolly bag. You know the one you get with luggage when you buy it, that has wheels and stuff. I know super not cool, but the reason I was using this is because my shoulders were starting to become uneven it was use that or have uneven shoulders.

Anyways this bag is beautiful. The color is amazing, but the function of it is even better. I got this list from the Nike site.

• The Nike Cheyenne Backpack: Revolutionary comfort and protection
• The Nike Cheyenne Vapor Running Backpack holds your stuff without holding you back. Functional and breathable, this backpack is designed to increase stability and comfort while providing protective storage to hit the streets, city or trails.

Benefits

• Adjustable harness for a comfortable, customized fit
• Nike Aerospan back panel allows airflow for added breathability and comfort
• Nike Hypervoid material at front and back for added stability
• Dual-zip main compartment with interior laptop sleeve and mesh pockets
• Zip pocket at base for separate shoe or wet/dry storage
• Removable and adjustable media player pocket for secure storage
• Ventilation
• The Nike Cheyenne Vapor Backpack is created with an Aerospan back panel. Its convex design holds the pack off of your back, increasing airflow and limiting the area where sweat can get trapped.
• Protection
• Revolutionary Hypervoid material is used in the front and back panels for lightweight stability and comfort. Its perforated padding reduces bouncing and shifting, so your gear stays protected. The Nike Cheyenne Vapor also includes a removable rain cover to keep your pack covered and your gear dry and safe. Reflective details add visibility when light conditions change.
• Additional Details
• Big enough to hold 70 oz. hydration reservoir
• Packable rain cover in top zip pocket
• Materials: Body: 67% nylon/33% polyester. Lining: 90% nylon/10% polyester.
• Spot clean
• Imported

As you can see from reading that I am in love. I fit:

• Two pairs of shoes, a trainer and a running shoe
• Two pairs of shorts
• Two shirts
• All my shower stuff
• Clothes for work

Best part of it, my bag didn't look bulky and I didn't feel weighed down, or like I was falling over, this is so important to me because I ride a train about 25 minutes to get to work and 25 minutes to get home. If I go to the gym before work and run on my lunch I have a lot of stuff I need to bring with me.

I LOVE this bag, I think every gym girl, running girl, sporty girl, girl needs one of these.

My Journey to the Nike Women's Marathon!!

As you know I love running. It began as a way for me to lose the weight, now it is my passion. There is nothing better than heading out for a long run, nothing but myself, the music and the open road. I never imagined that my running would lead anywhere other than a healthy lifestyle and tons of running shoes.

On May 4, 2012 I was contacted by Nike Women telling my that my push to get fit hasn't gone unnoticed and that they want to help me reach my goal of running more miles by rewarding me with being able to run the Nike Women's Marathon in San Fran. 

On May 25th, 2012 I had the opportunity to speak with Marie Purvis, the Nike Women Master Training, Lydia and Nicole. We talked about my goals and what I wanted to achieve. I told them:

• I want to run the marathon in under 4hours 30 minutes, I have since changed this to 4 hours 10 minutes.
• I no longer wanted to fear hills.
• I wanted to look like the blonde girl in the Nike Training Club app.

Marie is developing me a training plan to help me reach my goals. What was even more exciting about my phone call with these great ladies was they told me that I am a 2012 Nike Women's Marathon Ambassador!!! It's a dream come true.

I would like you to join me in my journey. I'll be blogging frequently about it, showing you pictures of my new gear, my workout snacks, my failures, my achievements, my doubts, my fears, and my LOVE for Nike and running.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask. Thanks for joining in my journey.