Nike Free TR Fit

After weeks of perusing websites, trying on shoes, and going back and forth between all the shoe options out there, I finally settled on a pair of Nike Free TR's.

The smile on my face has not left me for days. I love working out in my Nike Free's. They are so light on my feet that I sometimes forget I am wearing shoes. And their flexibility is unmatched. I folded the shoe in half and it sprang back as if it were a boomerang, always returning to where it originated.

I can't believe I didn't own a pair sooner. Now I want to buy them in every color and version (they come in a style made for winter training). The winter version is treated to keep the cold and wetness of winter out, while allowing your feet to breathe.

My Christmas list this year has a lot of Nike products on it. Hopefully some of my wishes will come true! If you haven't checked out the Nike Free TR's, do so soon, you won't regret it! 

NTC Challenge!

If you are looking for some motivation to get that workout in every day then follow @nikegetfit on Twitter and everyday you will receive a new NTC (Nike Training Club) workout to do. All you have to do is download the app for you iphone or ipad and you can take your workout on the go! No matter where you are you no longer have an excuse to miss a workout. This app worked so well for me over Thanksgiving. When I was unable to get out of the house and a thousand miles away from the gym I just pulled out my trusty iphone and let it give me a killer 45 minute workout!

This is by far the best training app I have tried, and I have tried a lot of them. Not only does it time every move, but it also shows you a video so you can see the correct form. No matter how fit you think you are, this app will make you work hard. With three different levels; beginner, intermediate, and advanced, there is always a workout for your mood. I even do the fifteen minute workouts on my breaks at work, they are the perfect way to get my blood flowing and my heart pumping. So far I have logged 4515 minutes and am still going strong. 

Another perk to this app is the fact that you can be some of the first women to try out Nike's revolutionary workouts. With NTC classes popping up at studios and gyms all over the country, I can only imagine that it will be coming live to a city near you in the coming months. 

Check it out today, you won't regret it. Thanks Nike, and thanks Marie Purvis - Nike International Trainer. 

Nike Vapor Flash Jacket Review

Just last night I wanted to go for a run, but it was dark outside. With the recent time change and the sun setting before I'm off work, it has gotten more and more difficult for me to get my daily runs in. Leave it to Nike to come up with the perfect solution.

The Nike Vapor Flash jacket is an amazing innovation in running apparel. When wearing this jacket you increase your visibility by 400%! The 100% polyester twill fabric uses retro-reflection to take light and reflect it back for better visibility. The jacket is also wind resistant and keeps you warm, while providing appropriate ventilation under the arms and down the spine.

If you aren't looking to be seen by everyone within a 1 mile radius you can also reverse the jacket and wear the reflective material on the inside and showcase the sleek other side for a night on the town. This two-in-one innovation is one of my favorite features.

I had the privilege of trying one of these jackets when I participated in the Nike Women's Marathon and I fell in love. While it is a little pricy, $350 at Nike.com. I know it will be worth it in the long run. This is one piece of running apparel that is going to the top of my Christmas list.

Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

I thought I would share the recipe for the muffins I mentioned in my previous post. Give them a try, they are delicious and a healthy breakfast treat.

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup low fat buttermilk (can substitute almond milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice)
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
2 tablespoons flaxseed
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (plus more for topping)

(For a sweeter treat, mix in 3/4 cup chocolate chips!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then whisk together the wet ingredients in another bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until combined. Pour batter into cupcake paper-lined muffin trays. Sprinkle muffin tops with walnuts.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Tips for Maintaining Your Fitness Progress

Smells waft through the air daily this time of year, from cookies and pies, to turkey and stuffing. The holidays can wreak havoc on any great exercise or diet plan and I am one that has suffered the consequences of eating more treats than I can burn off in a workout. Here are some important tips I use to curb my eating during the holiday season.

1. Eat slowly - the slower you eat, the fuller you will feel and the less likely you will be to eat that extra cookie.

2. Sneak healthy ingredients into your recipes - I always try to throw something healthy into my holiday treats, a few tablespoons of flaxseed in muffins, walnuts substituted for half the chocolate chips, or applesauce for oil in any recipe. These simple additions to treats will give them a hint of health benefit, without ruining their flavor. I think many taste even better. (The pumpkin muffin pictured above has flaxseed mixed into the batter and then walnuts sprinkled on top, yum!)

3. Be sure to maintain you workout routine - Often during holidays we tend to eat more and workout less, just making sure you workout every day while on vacation may give you that extra willpower to say no to that extra cookie, after all, you don't want to waste all the hard work you just did!

4. Remember to still enjoy the day - It is still ok to have treat foods, just eat them in moderation and next time you feel that extra craving coming on head for the water jug, not more cookies. Staying hydrated will keep you full longer and help you manage your cravings.

Enjoy the holidays!

Bloggers I Love to Follow

I thought I would dedicate this week's post to my two favorite bloggers. The two bloggers I love to follow are i heart spandex and yoga eat run.  These bloggers share my passion for fitness and fashion. I want to give them a shout out and let them know how great their blogs are and how much I appreciate their motivational tips and ideas about fitness. They not only inspire me, but many others to get out there and be active.

i heart spandex is a blog that gives fitness and fashion advice and was started by an MBA student after she discovered her passion for the fitness industry after working for a major sports apparel company. I love her sense of athletic style, as well as her tips and passion for fitness. She goes above and beyond in her posts and her sense of style is  very similar to mine, so I love to see what athletic apparel choices she posts.

yoga eat run is a blog sharing one exercise and wellness student's fitness journey and motivating others to follow along in her passions. She shares video updates, pictures, tips and tricks for being your best self and is very motivating along the way. Right now you can join her in her most recent fitness challenge with the Nike Training Club App for iphone. Trust me, this challenge is no joke. This blog motivates me to get out there and work hard at the gym every day.

I always enjoy learning from others and I hope that I can create a better blogger experience because of other blogs that I follow. What fitness blogs motivate and inspire you?

Featured on the Nike Blog!

This time I am going to just tell you all to check out the Nike Women Blog. I recently participated in a challenge on Twitter and was given the privilege of being featured on their blog as a fellow Nike enthusiast and lover of my Nike Tempo Track shorts! Just wanted to share this link with you guys and inspire you all to join the Nike community.

Exercise of the Week

Here's a new ab drill for you to try this week. Try it out and once you have mastered it raise both legs and do a crunch.

Nike Women and Hope Solo

Twitter is an amazing tool and my favorite account to follow is NikeWomen! They always have amazing tips to share and contests to enter. This time it was my tweet that won the limited edition "Hope Knows" tee. I couldn't be more excited. If you're interested in keeping up with all things Nike Women and like the chance to win free workout apparel, then follow NikeWomen on Twitter today. You won't regret it and you may even end up with some amazing workout apparel too.

Also, be sure to check out Nikewomen.com and the Nike Women Facebook page for more in depth updates. While you are there check out the Nike Training Club page and then download the App for your iphone today. It has in depth workouts that you can do at home for free with little to no equipment. Trust me, this workout is no joke either, you will get results and feel the burn every time you complete a workout. And every month there is a new 15 minute celebrity athlete workout to download, like the Hope Solo "Unbeatable" workout. 

Inspiration

What inspires you to rise to new heights? What drives you to achieve more? For me, I get inspiration from others that have gone before me. Professional athletes drive me to push myself more in the gym, they show me that I can always train and practice to get better at anything I do. Even at such a high level athletes are always training to improve and this inspires me to reach for more.

I may never become a professional athlete, but I can certainly train like one. I have recently begun playing tennis again so I have realized my need for inspiration. In this instance my inspiration comes from professional players like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Caroline Wozniacki. When I see their fire, their relentless drive to achieve more and to be the best they can be, I can't help but feel inspired.

Follow Your Dreams

Working out at the gym is always the highlight of my day. I love feeling my body moving and my muscles getting stronger. Today, as I was doing my routine of squats, push-ups, lunges and TRX moves one of the trainers asked me if I just had a crazy routine that I did or if I was a professional trainer. I said no, but someday I hope to be. He was very helpful in recommending certifications for becoming a trainer and promoting the field.

This got me thinking about why I sit behind a desk all day when what I really love is fitness. Why do something I dislike when I could be doing something I love? While I won't be quitting my current job any time soon, I do plan on getting my trainer certification and testing out that career field. I plan on following my dreams and right now those dreams are pointing me towards fitness. 

Who knows, maybe someday I will be the next Jillian Michaels. 

What Makes an Athlete?

What makes an athlete? Is is the way they carry themselves, the size of their muscles, the clothes they wear or their amount of flexibility? Is it fame and fortune, or relative anonymity. According to Bill Bowerman "if you have a body, you are an athlete." I couldn't agree more. Every athlete has something different to offer than the last, some are stronger, some are faster, others have endurance or perfect reaction time. Each athlete has something to give, something to achieve and an end goal. Whether you are training for the olympics or training simply for the love of sport, you are an athlete.

I train every day to get stronger and faster, to achieve my personal best. When I do a crunch I don't cheat myself. When I do a pull-up, if I can only do one, I will do one, because the next day I may be able to do 2 and the next week 3. Everything in sport and in life is a learning experience. Everything I do, I do for me, not for someone else. The bottom line is that athletes are athletes because they enjoy their sport. They enjoy the way their body feels when it is pushed to it's true potential, when you have given all you have and have nothing left. That is when you triumph.

Athletes make the world a more interesting and competitive place, athletes also know how to better work in teams and adjust to changes in their daily life more quickly than non-athletes. Next time you head out the door for a walk, spin class or a 26.2  mile run, remember you are an athlete. Make every second count.

Sole Mate

I laced up my shoes to go to work this morning and a rush of thoughts crossed my mind. What if I were lacing up my Nike's? I wish that when I was heading to work I was lacing up Nike shoes instead of my dress shoes. As I continued my pre-work ritual I couldn't shake the thought of my dream to work for Nike someday. Maybe it's because of the new book I have recently been reading titled "Just Do It: The Nike Spirit in the Corporate World"  by Donald Katz. This book gives insight into the company and the culture of Nike, something I hope to one day be a part of. In the words of Phil Knight, the founder of Nike, it's "about much more than a business-a company with soul."

Soul, that is what my daily grind is missing. I find that the best part of my day is after work when I lace up my Nike's and lose myself in training and fitness. When I lose myself in the lifestyle that is Nike. As far as dreams go, mine is pretty big. But hopefully someday I will be able to combine my marketing degree, love of fitness, and passion for Nike. Someday I will work for my Sole-mate....

Winning Ways

Before the Nike Women's Marathon Jay Blahnik ran a Twitter contest asking for his followers to complete the sentence "I Run to Be_______." I replied with "I run to be ferocious and fierce!" Well a week later I discovered that I won the contest and just today my prize arrived in the mail. My bright and shiny new Nike Duffle bag! It came with all the bells and whistles, a wet/dry bag, shoe bag, yoga mat pocket, fun inside print and two bonus headbands. I just love the color too! Thank you Jay Blahnik and Nike! You definitely made my week.

For your chance to participate in upcoming contests follow @NikeWomen and @JayBlahnik on Twitter. They also offer great diet and fitness tips. You won't regret it and you might be their next winner!