Summer Motivation

Ok, it is summer, summer, summertime! If you haven't been working out to achieve that summer body you've been wanting to fit just right in that perfect bathing suit, well, it's not too late. There are two good solid months left in the summer. If that itsy, bitsy, teeny, weeny bikini is your motivation (or if you are modest like me, tankini, lol) you should continue to work towards this goal. As for me, my motivation this summer is to get as healthy as possible in preparation to expand my family. I have shared my desire to be a mom of two with many of you in my weight loss blog,"Losing Weight Is My Gain". When I was pregnant with my first child nearly six years ago, I was very over weight. I am 5'2, and when I became pregnant the first time I was 215 lbs. By the end of my pregnancy, I weighed 250 lbs. Now that I am at the weight I want to be, I want to ensure that this next go round at a baby, I maintain the healthy habits that have gotten me this far.

Since my last major race in February which was a half marathon, my running pace has slowed a bit, which I am actually okay with. With the extreme temperatures in the summer, my focus has been to increase the frequency of my runs but shorten the distances, and try to run during the cooler times of day. I have been given the green light to continue running even when I get pregnant to stay as close to my current level of fitness as long as I am able to. I have been trying to get in as many solo runs and group runs with Black Girls Run! that I can to keep conditioned. While my son has been visiting my in-laws out of town, I have had more opportunities to take what I call my "BGR Kids Free Tour", lol. I have attempted to run with as many Black Girls Run! groups as my schedule allows because I just enjoy the fellowship. I have been inspired by a couple of moms-to-be in our local Charlotte chapter who have continued to work hard and maintain an active lifestyle throughout their pregnancies. I've even seen a couple of pregnant women at my gym really getting their sweat on, weightlifting and walking vigorously on the treadmill. With much determination, my hope is that I join the ranks of these awesome ladies.

As we approach the Black Girls Run! Sweat With Your Sole Race and Conference Weekend, I really want to focus on mentally preparing for my 10K race as a hopeful mom-to-be. I would love to PR and run the race in under an hour( I believe last year I finished in 1:05). However, because I am not sure what my condition will be in a couple of months, I really just want to finish. I know that there are many people who still feel that women should not be doing strenuous activity when they are pregnant. Though there are exceptions for high risk moms, I want to encourage other women that if your doctor gives you the "OK" to continue being active throughout your pregnancy, you should continue to do so for not only your health but the health of your baby. I feel like you can "perserve the sexy" even with an expanding belly!

I know this blog was a bit more personal, but I urge you to find your personal motivation not just for the summer, but also for life. This is why I love Black Girls Run!. This organization has given me further drive to keep up an active lifestyle, and not just for a short term goal to fit in a certain size. I want to be a healthy woman, a healthy employee, a healthy wife, and a healthy mom so that I can be around to see generations to come. If you have signed up or plan on signing up for one of the races during the Black Girls Run! race and conference weekend this September in Charlotte, you have already found your motivation. Your motivation is to be apart of a phenomenal movement that could potentially alter how you view fitness as integral part of your overall well-being, especially if you are an African-American female. If this will be your first race, make completing this race the first short term goal of many in order to stay fit. Now get started!

***There is still time to sign up for the Black Girls Run! Sweat With Your Sole Race and Conference Weekend September 6-8 in Charlotte, NC. Sign up at blackgirlsrun.com. The race is co-ed and open to the general public!***

Cross-Train to Maintain

A novice runner may feel the need to run everyday in order to get "good" at running. I must warn you that you will risk exposing yourself to some serious burnout if you do not incorporate other modes of exercise in your workout routine. Not only does cross-training help you to reduce your injury risk from running, it also allows you to explore other ways to stay in shape and break up the monotony of a running routine. If you are a beginner runner, it is not necessary to run 5 miles everyday. Yes, it is important to stay consistent. However, I have found that running 3 days a week and implementing other types of physical activity 2 days a week has helped me to become a better runner. For example, I try to do at least 2 short runs (3 miles or less) during the week. I usually will do a long run (4 miles or more) on a weekend day because I usually have more time, and I can get up earlier in the day to complete my run. I started strength training and toning about a year and a half ago. At first, I used to shy away from using the weight machines and free weights at the gym. I was more concerned about I what I looked like doing the exercises than how I would look and feel afterward. At the time I started, I was much heavier and very self conscience. Then, I realized that running everyday was not going to make me a stronger runner. I just decided I was going to go for the weights no matter how ridiculous I looked at the gym because I discovered that having increased muscle tone was just as important to running as the act of running itself.

Building muscle has increased my endurance, really! Who doesn't need more endurance when running? I noticed that when I began focusing on my arms and core, I became a stronger runner, and I could run longer distances with ease(or easier, shall I say). I can't tell you how many long runs I was able to conquer because even when my legs were extremely fatigued, my trunk and arms kept me going. I will never forget the 1st Black Girls Run! 10K I ran in Atlanta. For those of you unfamiliar with the layout of the Atlanta area, it is hilly, very hilly! The race course was not lacking hills! The very last hill of the race, I could see it from about a half a mile a way, and it looked about a mile high. I was just about ready to puke, and then I remembered, "I got this!" I had trained in several hilly areas in Charlotte. So I buckled up, tightened my abdominal muscles, started swinging my arms, and then I charged up that hill as fast as I could! My legs felt like noodles, but my upper body sustained me until the end. Strength training and I have a love/hate relationship. I hate to do it, because it hurts, but I love how I look and feel afterward.

Recently, I also got introduced to hot yoga. Now, I have taken a few yoga classes in the past. I am clumsy, and I felt very uncomfortable doing some of the poses in front of people. However, recently I have gotten a little bolder, and I feel the need to expand my exercise repertoire. Hot yoga is just what it sounds like; downward dogging, warrior posing and a whole lot of other positions in a 120 degree room full of other people sweating from head to toe. It was gross, but I loved it! I wasn't as clumsy as I thought I would be and I felt so strong. Hot yoga pushed me to a new limit, and after 2 classes I am hooked! My abs were sore for two days afterward and I got the best sleep ever!

If you are able to attend the Black Girls Run! Sweat With Your Sole Race and Conference weekend in Charlotte, NC this year, you will have the opportunity to take courses that will expose you to other types of fitness activities other than running. I took a Tabata course last year, which introduced me to interval training on a whole new level. A lot of the ladies in Black Girls Run! have started training for various triathlons, which is an excellent way to challenge your endurance and strength. My next goal is to take swimming classes to become a stronger swimmer and incorporate low impact resistance training. Being apart of last year's conference helped me to see that Black Girls Run! is not just about a bunch of Black Girls running...it is about encouraging women, particularly women of color, to just get up and move for their health. I challenge you to explore at least one activity outside of running each week. Skate, swim, bike, hike, dance. Just get up and move!

***There is still time to register for the Black Girls Run! Race and Conference Weekend in Charlotte, NC September 6-8. Go to blackgirlsrun.com. The races are co-ed and open to everyone!***

Running In Silence is Golden!

Many people that partake in any kind of aerobic activity(i.e elliptical, walking, jogging)have a habit of listening to music when they are participating in such activities. If you asked me what I like to listen to on a regular basis to keep me in a upbeat mood, I would probably tell you my Pandora music stations consist on Mary J. Blige, Israel Houghton, MaryMary, and a host of other artist I consider examples of true inspiration. However, when I am running (especially when I am running on the open road), the music I listen to most often is the environment that surrounds me. My preparation for this year's Black Girls Run! "Sweat With Your Sole" 10K race will be no different than how I approach my other runs. I am looking forward to running the Charlotte course with nothing but air flowing past my ears.

When I first started running, of course I didn't think I could get through a run without music. In fact, I credit Martha Munizzi for getting me through my very first 5K! There were many times during the race I wanted to stop, but I felt like the music pushed me to keep going. As I became a more experienced runner(and I use the term "experienced" loosely, I am definitely not an expert by any means), I decided to explore the art of running in silence. For several months I suffered from plantar fasciitis, an inflammatory condition which involved extreme heel pain during my runs. I decided I needed to tweek my running technique and decided the best way to do that is to be more cognizant of how my foot hit the ground during my runs. Running without music has allowed me to pay more attention to my feet, recognizing when I am slapping my foot down too hard and should be running more on my forefoot. Running in silence has also helped me to pay more attention to my breathing. A lot of people feel that music helps pace their breathing. Perhaps. But for me, there is something very spiritual about listening to how air comes in and leaves out of your body. I am fully aware of when my breathing is "out of whack" and I internally cue my self to slow down in order to recover. I personally feel that music would distract this process for me, and that I am a better runner because I run in silence.

Another benefit of running without music is that I am able to pay full attention to my thoughts and surroundings. Funny thing is, when I run, I can't tell you what I am thinking about. I would dare to say that I probably am not thinking about anything at all, which is is a nice break from reality. Sometimes, if I feel moved to do so, I pray during a run. I have said it before, that running is my sanctuary. This is the best time for me to tap into my spirituality. If I am running alone, I also like to be aware of my surroundings not only to appreciate the beauty of what is around me, but for safety reasons as well. I can hear when a car approaches, or if a person walks up suddenly upon me. Now, their is ONE exception to my rule of running without music. Occasionally, I may listen to music when on the treadmill(A.K.A the "dreadmill"). I feel like a mouse trapped on a spinning wheel on that device, which is shear torture for me. If I am unable to get outside for a run, I may bump some tunes on my iphone while on the "dreadmill".

Many of you have already signed up or will be signing up Black Girls Run! "Sweat With Your Sole" Race and Conference Weekend in September. I challenge you to run at least one time a week WITHOUT music. Running in silence is mentally challenging, but I feel that it will increase your appreciation for the sport of running. If you need some type of tune to get you through, try humming to yourself. Or just be bold and sing obnoxiously loud! Yes, people will think you are crazy. Yet, when you reach the finish line, having pushed yourself to the ultimate level of mental and physical exhaustion, you will truly understand why running in silence is golden!

It's My First Race...How Do I Prepare Myself?

When I first began to run, I had to ask myself "Why am I doing this?". At first, it was all about losing weight. I thought, "Running would really help me to lose weight". After I ran my first 5K in September 2011, I then realized that running would mean much more to me than losing weight. Signing up for a race is a huge commitment. Because I am a goal-oriented person, I had to challenge myself to not just walk a 5K,I had to run it... the WHOLE time! The first 5K I ran was slow,and I hurt all over afterwards. But I did it! It took me eight weeks to get to victory. Even after the pain, I wanted more. I am a person that finds interest in many things, but I quickly get bored if I find that the activity fails to continuously stimulate me in some way. I love running because you can always set the bar higher. If I want to run faster, I need to speed and hill train. If I want to run longer, I need to work on my breathing and aim to increase my distance weekly. If I get bored running on the track or treadmill, I can take my run out on the open road. I could set my pace, I could run my race. The only person I was competing with was the person with unleashed potential to be better, myself.

So, how do you begin? First, you should definitely sign up for a race at least two to three months ahead. Even if you are not sure you can run the whole race, you should have plenty enough time to train. Most races cost money. Once you hit the send button after entering your payment information, you have bought that race. It is yours and you need to work for it! If you are anything like me, you don't like wasting your money.

Second, you should find a running program that works for your lifestyle.I wish I could tell you I was a master of the couch to 5K/10K program. I wish I could share with you that I followed a specific training regimen exactly to a tee. I didn't. Life wouldn't allow me to follow a specific regimen. I work full time as a physical therapist. I am a mom and a wife. I got in runs when I could, loosely following a couch to 5K program I found at my local gym. I made sure to run at least 3 days a week, increasing my distance and time as I could. I started off running on the in-door track in the gym. When I built up enough confidence, I took my runs to my neighborhood early Saturday mornings. I found solace during the Saturday runs because it was so quiet and cool. I learned to control my breathing and pay attention to how my foot hit the ground. I did what was essential for me to survive the first race.

Third, find people who will help you achieve the your goals. Several athletic stores in the area have running groups on various days. Link up with one or two people who may be at your fitness level or slightly more advanced and be accountability partners for one another. Commit to meeting with each other to run at least once a week. My local church also has a running group. I literally found out about Black Girls Run! a week before my first race. A girl from my home town who relocated to Atlanta told me about the Atlanta chapter. She suggested I look for one in Charlotte. I was baffled; "You mean to tell me, there are a group of chicks, Black chicks, running together in an organization?" This was certainly unheard of in my community. It was such a blessing to find these women.I did my first run with them the Friday before my race, and I remember the run coordinator coaching me the whole time, helping me pace myself along the hills and staying with me even though I was probably the slowest one out there. After finishing my first run with these ladies, I knew I could get through my race. And, I knew I would join these ladies again to run in the future.

Well, I didn't give you a "How to Run You First 5K and 10K" manual, but I think you are now equip with some practical ways to at least begin your training. I have been in quite a few races over the past two years, and I will say that the 10K I ran with Black Girls Run! last year has been the most memorable to date. A lot of us trained for that race together, and we finished together. We have gone on to feed the desire to stay fit by pursuing more 5ks, 10ks, half marathons, marathons and triathlons. I am looking forward to seeing many of you at this year's Black Girls Run! "Sweat With Your Sole" Conference and Race Weekend Sept 6-8 in Charlotte, NC.

We've got three months to get it together...Let's Do It!

***Registration is now open for Black Girls Run! "Sweat With Your Sole" Conference and Race Weekend. The race is co-ed, all are welcome to participate!***