I Feel Like I'm 26 going on 80!

Do you ever feel like your body is just out of sync? This week I have been feeling a bit off. At first I thought it was from not working out as often as I wanted, then I thought it was from the weights I lifted, but I am beginning to realize it is a combination of many things I haven't been doing right lately. I have been exercising and I even tried a new gym this week with a new trainer. My workouts have been great! It's before and after them that my body just feels dead. I finally decided that enough was enough and have been looking for the problem so that I can set about solving it. 

So, what's out of place in my life? First off, I have been working a lot from home at my very desk centric job. I spend hours sitting which is not good! I most likely look like the very hunched over model in the photo below. To see the dangers of sitting like this click here. My shoulders have been extremely tight and my neck has been hurting. Bottom line - it's my fault. I keep meaning to purchase a standing desk, or any desk at all for that matter, and set it up in the office but I have neglected to make it a priority and now I am paying a price. 

Moral of the story. Make time for ensuring that you are sitting at a properly sized desk and take breaks every hour. They don't have to be long breaks, but at least get up once and move around. Do 30 jumping jacks, walk around your building or do some yoga poses. Your body, health and employer will be thankful that you cared enough for yourself to make time to stay healthy! For an even better burn, get the whole office involved. An office that is fit together, stays together!

The second thing that is out of sync is my lack of carving out time for myself to relax and stretch! I am so inflexible it's not even funny, but that will only get worse the more I run and older I get, so stretching needs to be a part of my every day routine. I have actually committed to it and have done it the past few days. You know what? I feel so much better! If you can't get to a gym or studio just do some simple poses in your living room or out on your lawn. I like to do Leah Kim's yoga workout that is free on the Nike Training Club app. I feel much more relaxed and rejuvenated after only a 15 minute yoga session. Here are some at home poses you can do when you just have a short time frame or before bed to relax your muscles. 

• Forward Fold for 1-minute
• Downward dog for 1-minute
• Sun Salutations for 2-minutes
• Warrior I and Warrior II for 2 minutes
• Child's pose for 2-minutes

Trust me. Do these poses for just a few days and you'll notice a huge difference in your flexibility and relaxation. 

Finally, I have not been drinking nearly enough water! I have noticed a very obvious let down in my runs and have been more tired and irritable. Yes - water is to blame! We may be in a drought in California, but that is not a reason for me to quit drinking water. My lawn may get a little dried up - but I can't do that to myself. 

What am I doing to solve this problem? A water timer! Yes, my phone will alert me every hour to drink more water. My goal is to down four water bottles a day and I believe this is a fool proof plan! I will also be adding Nuun to my water pre and post run for added electrolytes. Dehydration has met it's match!

I'm taking steps to correct some imbalances in my life and these are just a few that I have noticed. Maybe you are experiencing the same thing or perhaps another part of your life is out of sync. I encourage you to evaluate what you need to do to get back on track and start enjoying your days! Sometimes it's the little things that we neglect on a daily basis that make a huge difference. 

Marathon Training Peak = More Sleep!

Marathon training is kicking my butt right now. Yes, I said it. I'm starting to remember when I got to this point last year. The tiredness and the life suddenly devoted to running - and running LONG miles. Yesterday I ran 7 miles - 3.5 of which were straight up a hill. Today I had a speed workout on the track and tomorrow I have a 6 mile run. Today I got home and I fell asleep, on the floor. I didn't even have the energy to make it to my bed and it's a nice bed! I have to say, it was some of the best sleep ever. Much needed! I'm excited for the marathon and it is now less than five weeks away, but these are always the longest weeks for me. 

My track workout this morning

Today I didn't feel like going to the track, but I did it anyway. I went early in the morning before it got too hot and I got it done! It wasn't the speediest I could have gone, but I was running on tired legs. In my marathon I will be running on tired legs, so it was good training and helped me learn how to pick up the pace even when I am feeling exhaustion creeping in. I shared my run with Nike Running on Twitter and they were able to give me a pick-me-up. The showed me that focusing on my training will get me to my PR goal. A big shout-out to them for giving me an extra push right when I need it.

Personalized poster from Nike Running

This evening I did some yoga and it felt amazing. If there is one thing that I have been slacking on recently it would have to be my yoga practice. I am starting to feel the tightness creeping in, so it was high time I took to the mat. After 45 minutes of yoga with Leah Kim on the Nike Training Club app, I feel much better. I don't recommend skipping yoga or stretching, trust me, you'll pay a price! 

Marathon training is hard right now, but I am going to push through stronger. I'd love to know if you have any tips for pushing through the tough weeks of training. Let me know in the comments below!

~Happy Training!

Training and the NWM Lottery

As of yesterday morning I am registered in the lottery for the 10th anniversary of the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco! It is going to be torture the next few weeks while I wait to hear if I have been selected to run the race. This will be my third marathon and I am so excited to run it with new friends and some of the girls I ran the race with last year. It's not too late for you to sign up for the lottery yet either and I suggest you do! You can sign up on Facebook here. 

In preparation for the Nike Women's Marathon in SF, I am going to be focusing a lot on speed work and hill repeats. I want to make sure I am prepared for the tough hills of San Francisco as well as finally reaching my sub-4 hour marathon finish time. Last year I came close until my IT Band began acting up.  This year I am going to train hard and do a lot of strength drills and yoga to keep my IT Band strong. 

Yoga is so important for runners and flexibility is key in preventing injuries. While training for this marathon I will also be training for the Hood to Coast relay I am running with Team Nuun so I am going to need to make sure I am healthy and strong for this fun race in August! Yoga is key in keeping runners legs, hips and core strong and flexible to improve running form. Runners, especially myself, often have imbalances due to their repetitive forward motion. Yoga can help eliminate repetitive stress injuries and create a more balanced body.

My yoga experience is with vinyasa flow, aerial yoga and Leah Kim's NTC yoga workout on the Nike Training Club app. No matter what type of yoga you prefer, take the time to focus your practice on muscles that are neglected during running training or that need to be stretched or strengthened. Yoga also allows a critical time where you can relax and unwind after a hard training session. 

This weekend I am running the See Jane Run Half Marathon and I am taking this week easy with running in preparation for this fun race. It's not too late if you are going to be in the Alameda area you can still sign up and run with me! 

~Karen

Training for Greatness

This week has been one for the record books. I have put in a lot of time running, training, and working on finding out the right mix of food to properly fuel my workouts. I am just finishing up week six of Nike Women's Marathon training and have 9 more weeks to go. I haven't missed a workout yet and I hope to keep up that consistency.

This week was a hard one, Monday I had to do my workout on the treadmill, 7 miles, and they were tough to grind out. Luckily, the Olympics were on TV while I was running and was able to push myself harder in my workout while watching track athletes dominating their events.

Tuesday was NTC and then Wednesday I had to do hill repeats 6 times. I slept through my alarm and had to run the sprints after work. It was 100 degrees outside and I had to run them anyway. I almost skipped them or pushed them to a later day, but when I thought about the Olympic athletes that train every day, my #SistersInNike and the Nike Women team, I knew I had no choice but to push through the heat and do those hill sprints! They were incredibly hard and I was sweating instantly, but I am proud of not letting myself skip. It's this kind of attitude that will get me through the Nike Women's Marathon at my goal pace of four hours.

After learning from my mistake Wednesday, I woke up Thursday morning and went for an early five mile run before the day heated back up to 105F! Today I did taekwondo and Leah Kim's Yoga Routine. I feel so much better after stretching out my muscles and relaxing my body. I got to try out my new yoga mat, a thicker one than I had before, and absolutely love it. It is so much easier on my body, especially my knees.

Saturday is my rest day and then Sunday I plan on tackling 15 miles! This will be my longest training run yet and I hope to run it well. I'm aiming for 2:10. It is also Nike's day to "Find Greatness." I am pledging to make it my most active Nike Fuel day yet and have a goal of 12,000 Nike Fuel.

How will you "Find Greatness" on August 12? Run, bike swim, skip, jump, box? Any movement counts. Get out there and help us make this the most active day ever! 

Why You Should Read Leah Kim's Yoga Book

I first learned about Leah Kim in her yoga videos featured on the Nike Women website. I was fascinated with her grace and amazing ability to twist her body into yoga poses that my 5' 11" frame could only dream of. My first yoga experience was in my apartment at college, laptop streaming Leah Kim's yoga routine and brand new yoga mat, still curled into it's rolled up shape, huffing and puffing through the poses Leah so effortlessly demonstrated. I fell in love with the idea of yoga, but I never thought that I would become a "Yogi."

After I graduated from college I took an office job and have been somewhat miserable since. I have always been active and sitting behind a desk all day has been driving me crazy. This past year I began to practice yoga more frequently and have started to really feel the benefits of consistent yoga practice. I am looking for a way to make my daily routine involve running and yoga and have seriously been considering a career change. After working out with Leah Kim's yoga skills on the Nike Training Club app and interacting with her on Twitter I have really started to see a bright spot in my future. Just this last week Leah Kim came out with a book chronicling her yoga journey and she gave me the opportunity to be one of the first people to read it. Here is what this book has taught me and why it can change your life.

Ambition, drive and passion. Leah Kim displays these characteristics in her yoga practice and now has shared her secrets for success in her new book "From Office Hell to Yoga Heaven - Jumpstart Your Career As A Yoga Instructor." If you have ever wondered where you are going and how to take a step in the direction of your dream job Leah Kim's bravery and heartfelt story will inspire you to stop thinking about making a change and teach you how to take that first step.

Leah Kim writes from the heart and shows how the power of belief, hard work, bravery and a little bit of luck can truly make your dreams become a reality. Leah gives you examples from her yoga journey and steps that you can take to find your path in the yoga world. Not interested in becoming a yoga instructor? No problem, Leah's story can be applied to any goal you have. The importance of hard work, practice and continual learning are concepts that she explains and puts into perspective with style. Leah is a yoga instructor, writer, ambassador and inspiring athlete with a passion for sharing yoga with the world. She has given me a lot to consider in my quest for a rewarding job. Stay tuned for more updates on how I am applying Leah's philosophy to my everyday yoga practice and my quest to become a yoga instructor.

Yoga for NWM 2012

"Blessed are the flexible, for they will not be bent out of shape." -unknown

Tonight I had an amazing yoga session. It was hard to get out the door but once I was there I was so glad that I went. This evening's class was yoga flow, focusing on circulation for the legs. This was the perfect class for me to attend. The instructor made it a bit different this time, but it was just what I needed. With my upcoming Nike Women's Marathon training plan officially beginning in three weeks and with yoga sessions scheduled twice a week, I need to find classes that compliment and enhance my training. 

When I first tried yoga I used the Nike Training Club app's Leah Kim Yoga workout. This workout was challenging while stretching and relaxing all the muscles of the body. I was hooked from day one. Being one of the less flexible athletes, yoga is great for keeping my muscles from getting too tight and sore. I am looking forward to my planned sessions and to see how much my yoga practice can progress over the next few months. 

I am excited to try aerial yoga as well and to see what it entails. It looks like a fun and different way to practice yoga poses. The concept behind it is similar to TRX because you are suspended in the air through many of the movements. I have 20 classes to use in the next few months so I will be incorporating these into my training. What other yoga practices have you tried and which do you recommend? 

Yoga is for Everyone

I am NOT flexible. I never have been and probably never will be able to do the splits, so until about a month ago I never felt like I would make a good yogi. Alas, thank goodness for a moment of inspiration, those super cute yoga mats and the courage to try a new class because now I am hooked!

Yoga is such an amazing workout. I never thought that even at such a rudimentary level such as my own, I would feel the burn. Not to mention how much looser and more relaxed I feel after every class. Yoga truly is a great exercise for anyone, the flexible and the inflexible.

The great thing about yoga is that it is a personal journey that only you can take. It is your journey to center yourself and to work towards achieving your goals. My number one goal is to become more flexible and I think with regular practice I will be able to achieve this.

I started my yoga journey with a yoga dvd, then worked up to the Leah Kim yoga workout on the Nike Training Club app for iphone, and now I have started going to a regular yoga class at my gym. Sometimes it just takes a spark to light a fire and this new yogi is all in! Also, a special thanks to Jenae at YogaEatRun for her yoga blog post that helped push me towards taking a class, and for her ever inspiring attitude!

Are you a yoga fanatic? What inspired you to start? And if you have never tried yoga before I dare you to sign up for a class. You won't regret it.