Christmas Eve In Oregon

Christmas eve is upon us and I am finally back at our cabin relaxing in the comforts of home. We have a fire going, a classic Christmas movie on the TV and just finished a great Christmas eve dinner. Today was an amazing day for the slopes. My family and I headed up to Mt Bachelor this morning to escape the Christmas hustle and bustle of the shops and ski and snowboard on the powder. It was a great day for boarding and the weather was fantastic. I must say that it was one of my favorite Christmas eve's ever. 

I got to sport my brand new White Ice Nike+ Fuelband from the @nikefuel team. Thank you so much for making my Christmas on the slopes amazing. I was so happy to be able to test out this Fuelband today on the slopes. Turns out that snowboarding burns a lot of NikeFuel. With the powder getting heavier throughout the day my legs were definitely getting an amazing workout. I have to thank Marie Purvis for her amazing #NTC workouts and Nike Running for pushing me every day to work harder and become faster. My goal next year is to get to an average of 7:30 minute miles. I can do that for about one mile now, but in order to maintain it I will need to train hard. Luckily I know that Nike Running, Nike Women, Marie Purvis and my Sisters In Nike will be by my side encouraging me along the way. 

I love being back in Oregon and one of my favorite things is the Marionberry milkshakes in Sisters, Oregon at the Sno Cap Drive-In. I used to get these on weekends when I worked at a summer camp nearby. I've been trying to work on going vegan, but for this trip I made an exception and it was worth it, YUM! How are your holidays going? 

Post Race Blues and New Adventures

It's been a week since I came home from San Francisco and the best weekend of running I could ever hope for. I'd be lying if I didn't say that this week has been a bit of a letdown. The anticipation and training of the last 6 months is over and I have to set my sights on new goals and new races. I'll never forget running with my #SistersInNike and the amazing weekend we had with Nike Women. I had such a great time. I hope that we can all meet again next year for a reunion. Until then, I plan on training for a few more races and pushing myself to my full potential. 

This week it was hard to get out the door and go train. I mainly did NTC workouts, stretching and weights. I did my first run tonight outside. The weather took a drastic turn this week and my short run today happened in wind, rain and under dark clouds. There was even a tornado warning, which is unheard of for Roseville. I had to get a run in for Nike Running's new #runtheelements campaign and today knocked a few of the most intense elements off the list. 

On Sunday I was working hard to make my Nike Fuelband goal and put the band on my ankle during my training on the bike. The Fuelband is versatile for so many activities and this is just one innovative way to burn more Fuel and compete with my friends. How do you wear your Nike+ Fuelband? What's the craziest thing you have done to burn those calories and make your daily activity goal? I think shadowboxing and jumping jacks in my living room late into the night have gotten me there more than once. With the new White Ice Fuelband coming out on October 31 there will be even more ways to earn NikeFuel and more ways to wear your band. It will be available in more countries and in Apple stores as well as at Nike! I can hardly wait to try out this new band and compete with more of my friends as the NikeFuel craze keeps spreading!

No matter what your goals are and however you train, just remember to always give your best. You are only cheating yourself if you don't work hard every day. Find what gives you motivation, whether that be a friend, neighbor, GPS Watch, Nike+ Fuelband, new running shoes or your iPod loaded with tunes. Push yourself everyday and you will find your greatness.