It's Time to Get Fly!

Getting faster is something that I am always striving for. I have to admit that lately, I haven't been as focused on it as I should be. I have become satisfied with running at a comfortable pace and not challenging myself. I have finally decided that I have had enough! This month Nike has put out a program to follow to help you get faster. I jumped on the chance to challenge myself and I wanted to share this opportunity with you. 

Nike launched their Get Fly program for the month of August. I began the program on Wednesday, timing my fastest mile at a 6:39. The goal over the month of August is to train with their daily workouts and beat your previous fastest time. My goal is a 6 minute mile by August 31st. Combined with marathon training and Hood to Coast over August 23 & 24, I may have to alternate a few workouts. I will be doing my best to follow the plan. Check it out below and let me know what you think. I'd love to have you join me in speed training! Today is my rest day so I am enjoying some much needed R&R after my 15 mile long run yesterday.

August Get Fly Training Program

The Get Fly program was launched with the release of the Nike Free Flyknit shoe. I have a pair of Nike Free's from last year, but their new design is tempting! The fit is more like a sock than a shoe and is made to conform to your foot. Check out the video review below from Nike's Creative Director of Running for more information on the innovative technology in this shoe.

Need more information? Check out these facts on the Free Flyknit from Nike and get ready to feel a whole new style of running. 

SUPER NATURAL RIDE

The revolution of Flyknit continues in the Nike Free Flyknit+ Women's Running Shoe, combining the second-skin fit of Flyknit construction and ultimate flexibility of Nike Free.

SECOND-SKIN FIT

The revolutionary Nike Flyknit upper delivers a compressive, second-skin fit that secures your foot over the Nike Free midsole. Made entirely of polyester yarn, the one-piece upper seamlessly integrates areas of high breathability, stretch and support where you need it most.

NATURAL RIDE

The upper, midsole and outsole work together to create a more natural ride. For ultimate flexibility, the shoe's Nike Free 5.0 midsole features flex grooves to promote natural motion and help increase stability and foot strength.

LIGHTWEIGHT SUPPORT

Ultra-light Flywire cables are woven into the Flyknit upper and connect to the laces, offering a dynamic, supportive fit that adapts to your foot's movements.

LESS WASTE

To construct the upper, polyester yarn is fed into a proprietary knitting machine, creating little to no waste and minimizing weight so the shoe's incredibly efficient to produce.

FLYKNIT ORIGINS

Nike Flyknit was inspired by feedback from runners requesting a shoe with the snug (and virtually unnoticed) fit of a sock. Nike embarked on a four-year mission with teams of programmers, engineers and designers to create the technology needed to make the knit upper with static properties for structure and durability. Then the precise placement of support, flexibility and breathability-all in one layer-was refined. The result was a featherweight, form-fitting and virtually seamless upper.

NIKE FREE ORIGINS

After learning that Stanford athletes had been training barefoot on the university's golf course, three of Nike's most innovative and creative employees set out to develop a shoe that felt natural and weightless, similar to bare feet. In 2002, they examined a group of men and women with pressure measuring insoles taped to their feet, using high-speed cameras to capture images of each foot in motion.

The team spent eight years studying the biomechanics of shoeless running. The results yielded a profound understanding of the foot's natural landing angle, pressure and toe position, allowing Nike designers to build an unconventional and flexible running shoe from the inside out.

Allyson Felix Testing Out the Free Flyknit!

Nike is focusing their product launch with a movement to help everyday athletes get stronger. If you are in a city with a NikeTown store, be sure to stop by and check out their free Run Clubs and Nike Training Club sessions. If you're lucky enough to live in New York you may even be able to score a trip to the Nike Running training sessions in Montauk! If you want to check out this amazing program search the #MontaukProject on Twitter and Instagram and follow @nikenyc on Twitter for details. 

If you're like me and the closest Nike store is a two hour drive or more, be sure to interact with them on Twitter and Facebook for running encouragement and training plans. 

How I Seized the Solstice

I hope you are enjoying your weekend! I had a great time this weekend mixing up my workouts and participating in the Athleta Seize the Solstice event at the Roseville Galleria store. Athleta was celebrating the beginning of summer by holding a live yoga event in Times Square and included their stores in this event by offering free yoga classes and the opportunity to come home with a brand new yoga mat to commemorate the event and improve your practice. I enjoyed the hour long free class that started my day off right. Following that I won a yoga mat in the drawing held in-store. Athleta also provided water, fruit and snacks for after the event. One lucky lady won a new yoga outfit! Athleta is always offering amazing free classes, training and opportunities for women to achieve athletic success. If you haven't checked them out yet stop by your local store or check them out online at athleta.com.

On Saturday I went for a short run around the sidewalks of Roseville. I have been getting over a cold so it was a short run, but it felt so good to be out and about! I loved breathing in the fresh morning air and breaking in my Nike Flyknit running shoes. The color is perfect for summer as it pops brightly in the sun. I have the Hood to Coast Relay coming up in just two months, so I have to start training hard for this event. I also need to build a base for my third marathon in October! Lots of training is in my future. 

The tennis season is in full swing and Wimbledon begins tomorrow! I am so excited to start watching this event. The grass courts of Wimbledon are my favorite to watch. It may be the clean cut lawns or the traditions that make Wimbledon great. Whatever the reason, someday I hope to be able to attend the Wimbledon event and experience it first hand! Until then, I will be working for the Sacramento Capitals World TeamTennis season again and getting used to the tournament world. I love working in their social media department and watching the matches. The energy on the court is amazing! This year, in Sacramento we will have Grand Slam champions the Bryan Brothers playing on our courts! Top American players Sam Querrey and Mardy Fish will also play. It is going to be such a fun season! If you are in Sacramento in July I hope you come out to experience the matches!

If you have been following me on Instagram you have seen the photos I have been posting to the daily Instagram challenge from espnW. Today I got a little creative with their vitamin photo challenge! I am about a month into the challenge and have really enjoyed posting the daily photos and going out of my comfort zone. If you haven't joined yet you should check out their Instagram and Twitter feed and get on board! You could win daily prizes and be entered to win grand prize at the end, which is a trip to the US Open tennis tournament! I would love this prize! What are you waiting for? Start posting your photos today and inspire others!

Happy training!

What's In My Gym Bag

EspnW is holding an Instagram photo contest and one of their photos this week was "what's in your gym bag?" I posted this photo of my gear. First and foremost there are bright colors and that just makes workouts more fun and also increases visibility on the road. It's always important to be safe! Second, my favorite gear from Athleta - this awesome running tank and bright blue Relay Running Capri. They are so soft! If you're running the See Jane Run Half Marathon this weekend look out for me in my blue capris! I can't go anywhere without my favorite NIKEiD running shoes and Sportwatch. Nuun hydration tabs, KT Tape, music, sunblock and a massager are a must! What's in your gym bag? Did I miss any essentials? 

Peek Inside My Gym Bag

Unfortunately, I am a day late on my post but yesterday was National Running Day. I was fortunate enough to go on a five mile hill workout with the North Coast Striders, a local running club. We crushed those hills! When I got home I did some work and then got a surprise from Nike Running in the mail, new Flyknit shoes! I couldn't think of a more perfect day for them to arrive and am excited to start breaking them in. The colors are so fun! I have one other pair of Flyknit shoes from Nike and have  trained for and run two half marathons in them. I really like how light and supportive they are. They definitely add to the bright colors of my workout wardrobe!

Nike Flyknit Shoes

This week has also been nutrition focus week. I plan on tackling my third marathon and first triathlon this fall so I am trying to focus on keeping my body as healthy and happy as possible. A few weeks ago I received a sample of Zola Coconut Water to try. Coconut water is great for hydration and has a lot of potassium, all important for replenishing the body after intense exercise. I must say my favorite was the natural coconut water, it has great flavor and was extremely refreshing ice-cold. The coconut water with pulp was surprisingly good. It has actual chunks of coconut in the water and gives you something to chew on. It's a unique post-workout drink. The Acai juice was super refreshing, light and delicious. According to recent studies it's a super fruit so I just imagined it healing my body while I drank it. Bottom line, if you love coconut and all natural juices then give Zola a try. I'm going to stock up on my favorites next time I go to the store. 

Zola Coconut Water

I have a busy weekend ahead of me so stay tuned for my race recap and more! Are you running any races this weekend?

Running Brings Me Home

Run Clubs, Crews, Sisters, Brothers, Friends - whatever you call it, running creates groups of people that become bonded by the act of lacing up their shoes and hitting the streets. Running is the easiest sport to pick up because all you have to do is step out the door and pick up your feet. Run! Racing and training as a Nike Women's Marathon Training Ambassador last year made me aware of the community running creates. It crosses borders, languages, religions, the past and present. Running is an equalizer and is something that has bonded me with my Sisters In Nike who I first officially met at the Nike Women's Marathon in 2012 and who I plan on meeting up with again in 2013. Running brings me ultimate joy and that is something I like to share with others. In just a few short weeks I will again meet up with crews from around the country and world at the Nike Women's Half Marathon in Washington DC. This race is going to bring thousands of women together for one cause. Nike employees, ambassadors, celebrities and elite athletes will be there to cheer us on and run side by side. One of these celebrities is singer, Ellie Goulding. 

Ellie Goulding's Custom Nike #Flyknit

Ellie Goulding is a singer and a runner. She has partnered with Nike this year to share her running story and to show how running keeps her fit. Running is how she clears her head and thinks. She will be running DC and inspiring us women to greatness. Elite trainers will be there and Olympic Gold Medalist gymnast Shawn Johnson will be tackling her first 13.1. This race has endless possibilities for excitement and achievement. I can't wait to run it and get caught up in the moments surrounding the race.

After the Nike Women's Half Marathon I hope to make the Nuun Hydration team to run Hood to Coast. This race is such an amazing event. A relay covering 197 miles of Oregon terrain that bonds teams together and creates community. I filmed my video application last weekend and will have it finished up this week to submit for the chance to run with twelve other amazing women and conquer this course. I've been in a conversation the last few weeks on Twitter with hashtag #nuunHTC. This conversation has led me to meet many other inspiring women hoping for the chance to run this race. It's amazing how athletic and driven these women all are and I wish them all the best of luck. I hope we get the chance to team up and race this coming August.

I have been exploring other running routes recently since I moved and found these convenient markings on the sidewalks of Ukiah. There are five walking routes through Ukiah and the sidewalks are marked so you don't get lost, genius! What we need next are marked running routes. I could go for a few of those. For example, a route for your long run day, and easy five miler. These would be simple enough to mark right? I know, I know, there's an app for that. Ukiah hasn't gotten there yet. My GPS still dumps me off in the middle of the woods when I'm headed to the grocery store. Oh well, my internal navigation will get better soon.

What crews do you run with? How has running changed your life? Let me know!

~Karen 

Spring Surprises

So many good things have been happening lately, I feel like I must be doing something right, so I am going to keep on working hard to reach my goals. Yesterday I went down to the Athleta store in the mall and when I walked in I was greeted by an amazing display, about me! I had no idea this would be here and my friend had to snap a picture to remember it by. I am Athleta Roseville's 2013 Sponsored Athlete and the gig comes with perks! I must admit I feel a little bit like a celebrity. It was fun to see and I love how amazing all the girls at Athleta are. If you haven't stopped by the store in a while, be sure to check it out. I also picked up some great new gear for spring racing and am excited to try it out. I'll be sure to post pictures when I have some. 

This weekend also marked the second annual Nike Women's Virtual 10K race. I participated in this race last year when it was the half marathon distance and had a lot of fun. The exciting thing about this race is the fact that you can run with friends virtually and can run it whenever you are able to on March 9th and 10th. You just have to sync your run to the Nike Plus site to see your race results. I really enjoy this race because of the fact that I can run with friends from all over the world. I had friends in Australia, Canada and around the United States running this race so it was fun to run virtually with them. 

The virtual 10K that I ran was in Sacramento, CA. I actually met up with a group from Team in Training that had made this virtual race into more of an event. They had laid out the course on local trails, we met at the beginning and their were snacks at the finish. This made the race really fun and I met some great new friends at the race. I am even thinking I might join them to raise funds for the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco this fall. 

One awesome thing about the race was the great dry-fit tee I received for running it. I love the fabric and it was fun to see others out on the course and be able to cheer them one because we were all wearing the same shirt. I started out the race with the intent of running with two girls, but they began fading after the first few miles and so I picked up the pace and finished quickly. I was excited to see that I had done the final four miles all at negative splits! My speed is improving and I can't wait to see how it improves over the next few months. Those track workouts I have been doing are sure helping! 

How was your weekend? Did you participate in any races?

Nike Keeps Designing and I Keep Dreaming - My Updated Wish List

Once again I am bringing you my Nike wish list! Just a few products I am loving recently:

Nike Lunar Hyperworkout+ Sport Pack

This training shoe has built in technology to track your workouts and provides you with workouts from pro athletes directly on your iPhone. You can compete with your top score or any of the other Nike community members using the app and shoes! Revolutionary. They are out of my size at the moment, which is probably a good thing because they are some of the most expensive shoes on the market. But totally worth the cost. Just think of them as your own personal trainer and motivator. 

Nike Flyknit+ Trainer

With a limited waste design, these shoes are knit together to reduce the carbon footprint. They are also super light and made for running and training. These shoes just might be a nod to the future of fitness. I definitely need a pair of these on my feet. Maybe I'll treat myself to a pair after I complete the Nike Women's Marathon in October. If only Christmas came early this year...

Nike Fuelband

I may already have a black fuelband, but one that is built on the concept of ice and allows me to see through the outer case, genius! I wouldn't mind having one of these on my wrist to track my daily movements. 

Nike Pro Hyperwarm Hybrid

Adjustable mock neck and sweat wicking fabric are just a few of the great benefits of this shirt. It also comes in great colors and keeps you warm and dry during cold weather workouts. Plus, it is long enough to not hike up during long runs. It also has a brushed interior that makes it sooo soft on your skin. 

Nike Relay Print Running Capris 

These are some of the most comfortable capris you will ever own and come in fun winter colors to spice up your workout. The back zipper pocket is perfect for stashing your keys or a snack on your long run.

Nike 3.5" Modern Short

Super cute shorts with bonded seams for comfort and a mesh outer layer for breathability. Perfect for training and running. They allow for a full range of motion so you can worry about performance and not fit.