It's Turkey Trot Season!

Happy Thanksgiving week! I started the week off with a trail race this morning. I ran the Ukiah Turkey Trot. It was a 3.5 mile out and back course that ran along Lake Mendocino. It was a chilly morning and I had to bundle up more than usual to stay warm. You can see my warm race gear below.  

My Athleta and Nike race gear

I haven't been running too many trails lately so I wasn't sure what to predict as far as time goes. The 

course itself was challenging with a lot of rolling hills. It was an out and back loop and I kept a pretty good pace in relation to my training. I finished to cheering locals and enjoyed hot beverages and scones at the finish. One of the girls from the running group invited me to yoga after the race and I decided to try my first hot yoga class.

I have always been terrified to try hot yoga. I sweat enough in yoga class without extra heat added. I braved it today, partly because I needed to stretch my tight muscles and partly because I didn't want to let my friend down. Surprisingly, it wasn't as bas as I thought it would be. I do still prefer regular flow yoga and if given a choice, I'll stick with yoga in a cooler room. I am proud of myself for giving it a try though. 

What do you think? Are you a fan of hot yoga? Do you have any Thanksgiving races coming up? Let me know!

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 

I've Finally Moved!

 This past week I finally made the move to my new home. While I'm not completely sure of the area, I am ready to explore new places and find new running routes. I spent a few days getting used to the area and getting unpacked before I headed back to Roseville to film my Nuun Hydration Hood to Coast video entry. It was a lot of fun, and after a bit of editing, it will be ready to submit. I can't wait to see the final product. It's going to be amazing! I can't get over what a great opportunity this is and with some help from my amazing friends with filming, the video is coming together really well. I'll post a link to the video here so you can all see when it is done. And when you watch it, let Nuun know how much you want me to be on their team!

A few of the props from my video!

While my running training took a bit of a hit this week with moving, filming and so much time spent on the road, I may have needed the short break. It's good sometimes to give tired legs a rest. Yesterday with all the shots being filmed of me running I probably ran quite a few miles, too bad I didn't have my GPS going! 

I'm exploring San Ramon today and I spotted a great trail when I was driving in. There were a lot of running groups on the trail as well. I'm excited to give it a try! Hopefully, I'll get in a few miles today and breathe in some clean bay area air!