Hello Everyone!
I hope January has been a good month and I am very excited that we are one month closer to spring/summer and one month closer to October! There has been a lot of rain this past month, but I want to congratulate everyone for sticking with it during the colder weather, especially Kate who has rain and clouds all the time, not just during the winter.
As you can tell by the title of the post, I am aware today is the last day of January. I am so aware of this because it is the last day to add miles to our mileage corner for this month, so don't forget to email me your miles so we can update before the monthly counter goes back to zero tomorrow (the odometer will stay the same, that never gets erased)!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Accumulated Distance
Mary had an idea I ran across the other day in a comment she posted on Kate's blog that I would like to pick up on. She wondered if it would be possible to add an area to this blog where people could post the distances they have run so we can see our cumulative total. I have looked through blogspot, and I don't see a tool like that I can use, what we can do though is people can email me the distance they have run and I can add a cumulative total to the right-hand column of the blog with that total. Email me your total distance at meganreinke@gmail.com it would be helpful if you titled the email superwomenrunners so if I ever need to search for emails I will easily be able to find it. You can email me your daily distance, weekly distance, biweekly distance or monthly distance, or your distance when you think of it and I will add it!
I think this is a great idea and seeing that number grow will be inspiring to us all! Keep up the good work everyone, and Kate, good job getting started in a foreign country, Mary, good job listening to your body and not pushing yourself so hard you get hurt but at the same time keeping up your distance!
I think this is a great idea and seeing that number grow will be inspiring to us all! Keep up the good work everyone, and Kate, good job getting started in a foreign country, Mary, good job listening to your body and not pushing yourself so hard you get hurt but at the same time keeping up your distance!
Friday, January 25, 2008
Hardcore Runner
This woman has just finished a 15 mile run in the bitter cold, now that is commitment if I have ever seen it :) I know the picture looks a little strange and wish I could post a bigger version of it, but don't have one. The white above her eyes is ice on her eyelashes. I assume the ice formed from steam from her breath and her eyes condensing on her eyelashes. There is ice on the hood of her jacket, I assume that is her frozen sweat. And she is still smiling.
Most of us live in places in the country where we don't have to face the elements quite like this which is very nice. But her commitment is something we will all develop though the training process leading to the Nike Women's Marathon. There will be days when it is hard to get going or it's cold or you don't feel 100%, but it's those days when it is important to get out there and get your workout in. And when you need inspiration, you can look at this woman and think that she has spent 15 miles running through the snow and ice.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Email Updates
There is now a link on the Nike Women's Marathon website to receive email updates about the event! I am not sure if in signing up you will receive emails only about the Nike Women's Marathon, or if you will get emails about all things Nike. However, I think it is probably the place to enter your email address if you want to receive notice of registration opening for this event.
I again want to emphasize the importance of entering the morning registration opens if you are going to be participating in the half marathon. If you want to participate in the full, it does not fill up as quickly, but I would still recommend entering early as this event does fill extremely quickly.
So, go enter your email and start getting updates! :D
I again want to emphasize the importance of entering the morning registration opens if you are going to be participating in the half marathon. If you want to participate in the full, it does not fill up as quickly, but I would still recommend entering early as this event does fill extremely quickly.
So, go enter your email and start getting updates! :D
Monday, January 14, 2008
Journal
One last suggestion for today...workout journal.
I keep track of all of my workouts in a calendar. It's not fancy, it doesn't glitter, it's not electronic, but it is a place I write them all down. I only write down the workouts I did on a particular day, I don't go into great detail, I don't write down my pace, the specific route I took etc., but I find it easier to stay disciplined if I have my little green calendar to report back to. It is also immensley satisfying to look back at my calendar as the weeks progress and see all of the workouts I have done, see the distances increasing and to know I have done it all myself. So that is my suggestion, treat yourself, go find a pretty/fun/exciting journal or calendar or spreadsheet to write your workouts down in. Make sure it is something you will use, not something too complicated or time consuming...maybe we will have a monthly perfect attendance club for everyone who doesn't skip any workouts each month :D
I keep track of all of my workouts in a calendar. It's not fancy, it doesn't glitter, it's not electronic, but it is a place I write them all down. I only write down the workouts I did on a particular day, I don't go into great detail, I don't write down my pace, the specific route I took etc., but I find it easier to stay disciplined if I have my little green calendar to report back to. It is also immensley satisfying to look back at my calendar as the weeks progress and see all of the workouts I have done, see the distances increasing and to know I have done it all myself. So that is my suggestion, treat yourself, go find a pretty/fun/exciting journal or calendar or spreadsheet to write your workouts down in. Make sure it is something you will use, not something too complicated or time consuming...maybe we will have a monthly perfect attendance club for everyone who doesn't skip any workouts each month :D
Distance & Pace Calculators
Once you have decide on a training plan, and you have start walking and/or running, or as Mary calls it, wajing (walking/jogging) you will probably want to know how far you have gone and the mile pace you have managed to do it in. There are a few very useful links I have found to get this information. I know they work for the United States, but Kate, you may have to search for a similar site for Europe/Germany. Another alternative is to do your workouts by time instead of by distance.
Distance calculators are what you use to calculate the distance you have gone in a particular workout, or to decide the route for an upcoming walk/run/waj. The best ones I have found are:
www.geodistance.com
and
www.mapmyrun.com
These are both excellent sites and both work well. The only significant difference between them for the purpose of distance calculating is mapmyrun will also tell you the elevation you have climbed on a given route. So if you are going to be doing some hills, use mapmyrun and you can see how many mountains you have climbed!
The pace calculators are what you will use to find out the pace you ran/walked/jogged on a particular route. Your pace will be important because the marathon will have a cut-off time after which they will close the course and participants will not be allowed to finish. Once the Nike Women's Marathon site has been updated these time limits and schedules should be posted. But you need to know your pace so you know when you will be finished. It is also fun to watch yourself improve as you go through your training! There are many pace calculators out there, but the one I use is:
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/4/4_1/96.shtml
Another useful feature of this calculator, is if you know approximately the pace you walk/run/waj you can enter that in the appropriate field, enter the distance you will be going and it will tell you approximately how long your workout will be on a given day. This gets to be more useful as the workouts are longer and it is harder to calculate when you will be done.
I think this is the last of the basic tools you will need to get started on your training. But don't wait until the training schedule itself starts. Get out there today, or start on Monday the 21st. You don't need to do a lot, but walk/run/waj for 30 minutes per day. You will start building muscle, it will be a gentler beginning to training for your body than jumping straight into the training schedule the months before the race, you will be healthier and much less injury prone starting sooner and easing into it. I will have another post soon on base miles, which is what this gentle easing and training before the race training schedule begins is. It is important and rewarding, so get out there and get exercising!
Distance calculators are what you use to calculate the distance you have gone in a particular workout, or to decide the route for an upcoming walk/run/waj. The best ones I have found are:
www.geodistance.com
and
www.mapmyrun.com
These are both excellent sites and both work well. The only significant difference between them for the purpose of distance calculating is mapmyrun will also tell you the elevation you have climbed on a given route. So if you are going to be doing some hills, use mapmyrun and you can see how many mountains you have climbed!
The pace calculators are what you will use to find out the pace you ran/walked/jogged on a particular route. Your pace will be important because the marathon will have a cut-off time after which they will close the course and participants will not be allowed to finish. Once the Nike Women's Marathon site has been updated these time limits and schedules should be posted. But you need to know your pace so you know when you will be finished. It is also fun to watch yourself improve as you go through your training! There are many pace calculators out there, but the one I use is:
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/4/4_1/96.shtml
Another useful feature of this calculator, is if you know approximately the pace you walk/run/waj you can enter that in the appropriate field, enter the distance you will be going and it will tell you approximately how long your workout will be on a given day. This gets to be more useful as the workouts are longer and it is harder to calculate when you will be done.
I think this is the last of the basic tools you will need to get started on your training. But don't wait until the training schedule itself starts. Get out there today, or start on Monday the 21st. You don't need to do a lot, but walk/run/waj for 30 minutes per day. You will start building muscle, it will be a gentler beginning to training for your body than jumping straight into the training schedule the months before the race, you will be healthier and much less injury prone starting sooner and easing into it. I will have another post soon on base miles, which is what this gentle easing and training before the race training schedule begins is. It is important and rewarding, so get out there and get exercising!
Friday, January 11, 2008
Notification of Sign-Up, Preregistration & Registration
Good Day Ladies:
There have been many questions about signing up on the Nike Women's Marathon website for a notification when registration opens. This link is not yet up on the website. Most of the information on the website is for the 2007 run which happened in October of last year. What people who are interested in signing up for this event need to do is check fairly frequently (approximately once per week) at the Nike Women's website to see if the site has been updated and the link added. When it has been added, give an email address you check frequently. In my experience, they have not sent spam, but instead have sent useful updates before the race and registration information.
As for registration itself, once you know the date registration will open (the website will have that date once it has been updated for next year's race) mark it on your calendar and mark the time it opens. Keep in mind the time listed will probably be Pacific Standard Time since it is an event taking place on the West Coast. The next step is to make sure you sign up race morning since this is an extremely popular event and could fill up in a matter of a few days. The half marathon is the more popular of the two events and will probably fill up well before the full marathon, so it is important to sign up the morning registration opens so you know you have reserved your spot in this incredible event.
I will put the link to the marathon at the top of the right-hand column of the blog so it is easy to get to, or you could just make it a favorite place in your bookmarks :D
Lastly, I want to encourage anyone reading this blog to post comments. You can post encouragement, goals you have achieved, ask questions or just talk to others who are interested in this event and have found this blog. Don't be shy!
There have been many questions about signing up on the Nike Women's Marathon website for a notification when registration opens. This link is not yet up on the website. Most of the information on the website is for the 2007 run which happened in October of last year. What people who are interested in signing up for this event need to do is check fairly frequently (approximately once per week) at the Nike Women's website to see if the site has been updated and the link added. When it has been added, give an email address you check frequently. In my experience, they have not sent spam, but instead have sent useful updates before the race and registration information.
As for registration itself, once you know the date registration will open (the website will have that date once it has been updated for next year's race) mark it on your calendar and mark the time it opens. Keep in mind the time listed will probably be Pacific Standard Time since it is an event taking place on the West Coast. The next step is to make sure you sign up race morning since this is an extremely popular event and could fill up in a matter of a few days. The half marathon is the more popular of the two events and will probably fill up well before the full marathon, so it is important to sign up the morning registration opens so you know you have reserved your spot in this incredible event.
I will put the link to the marathon at the top of the right-hand column of the blog so it is easy to get to, or you could just make it a favorite place in your bookmarks :D
Lastly, I want to encourage anyone reading this blog to post comments. You can post encouragement, goals you have achieved, ask questions or just talk to others who are interested in this event and have found this blog. Don't be shy!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Who Is This Blog For?
Just to clear up any questions about who this blog is for, it is for everyone! However, the runs we will be doing will take place in the East Bay in California. Specifically they will take place in primarily in Dublin, CA and San Ramon, CA. So if you are in this area and are interested in doing some of the long runs/walks with others, keep an eye out for the dates we will do them, these will be posted as the even gets closer. If you are not in the area, but want to come out and participate in the event in San Francisco, just use this blog as an information source and complete the training on your own or with others in your area. There are many local running clubs in various areas throughout the country!
Mark Your Calendars
October 19, 2008
This is the date to put on your calendars, this is the day it will happen. Don't worry, registration has not opened yet, but make sure you keep the 19th open so you can complete the distance you sign up for.
Now, for some training tips. If you are wondering what a training plan looks like for a full marathon, half marathon, running or walking and you are feeling overwhelmed, take a deep breath and relax in the fact that someone has already created plans that many people have used successfully (including myself) and which are free. When you are ready, go to:
http://www.halhigdon.com/#half
Scroll down this page and on the left-hand side you will see links to training programs for various distances. Look them over, decide whether you want to run your distance or walk it and what level athlete you are (that's right, if you do the training for a half or full marathon, you get to call yourself an athlete!). Additionally, this site is full of excellent information for runners of all ages and abilities, so take some time to look through it and familiarize yourself with some of the information. Then print out the schedule you want to use, put dates on it and start your running/walking program!
This is the date to put on your calendars, this is the day it will happen. Don't worry, registration has not opened yet, but make sure you keep the 19th open so you can complete the distance you sign up for.
Now, for some training tips. If you are wondering what a training plan looks like for a full marathon, half marathon, running or walking and you are feeling overwhelmed, take a deep breath and relax in the fact that someone has already created plans that many people have used successfully (including myself) and which are free. When you are ready, go to:
http://www.halhigdon.com/#half
Scroll down this page and on the left-hand side you will see links to training programs for various distances. Look them over, decide whether you want to run your distance or walk it and what level athlete you are (that's right, if you do the training for a half or full marathon, you get to call yourself an athlete!). Additionally, this site is full of excellent information for runners of all ages and abilities, so take some time to look through it and familiarize yourself with some of the information. Then print out the schedule you want to use, put dates on it and start your running/walking program!
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Welcome
Nike Women's 2008 Here we Come!
Completing a half marathon or a full marathon does not need to be some far-fetched dream you have you think you will never achieve or is impossible to you. It, in fact, is a very achievable goal to any person who has the full use of their legs and who has committed not only to the race but to the training. I read a quote somewhere once and it said champions are not created during races or competitions, but instead are molded during the training for these events. The catch is nobody can make this commitment for you. Only one person can walk the miles, talk themselves through the pain, go out in rain, shine and wind and only one person can wear that Tiffany's necklace. So if you are ready to commit, read on!
This blog will be updated in the near future with: training schedules for walking and running a half and full marathon, links to websites to check distances of workouts, pace of workouts, and calorie calculators, I can post a list of people who have decided to participate in the Nike Women's Marathon 2008 if people are interested in this and other useful information as people as questions and as the even gets closer. Additionally, in the months leading up to the race we can have group long runs/walks on Sundays so the long training day of the week can be completed with others and encouragement exchanged.
The link to the Nike Women's Marathon is http://www.nike.com/nikemarathon/. This event fills up quickly, especially the half marathon, so if you would like to participate visit the site frequently and in the near future there should be an option to submit your email so you are notified when registration opens. I would recommend entering your email address and registering for the event the morning it opens, especially if you are interested in signing up for the half marathon as it will fill before the full marathon. The course for 2008 should be similar if not the same as the course for 2007, so look that over if you are curious where your legs will be taking you!
Ladies, that is all for now, I will be posting training schedules very soon so those interested can get in some good base miles before actual training starts. Welcome to the life of the healthy and active!
Completing a half marathon or a full marathon does not need to be some far-fetched dream you have you think you will never achieve or is impossible to you. It, in fact, is a very achievable goal to any person who has the full use of their legs and who has committed not only to the race but to the training. I read a quote somewhere once and it said champions are not created during races or competitions, but instead are molded during the training for these events. The catch is nobody can make this commitment for you. Only one person can walk the miles, talk themselves through the pain, go out in rain, shine and wind and only one person can wear that Tiffany's necklace. So if you are ready to commit, read on!
This blog will be updated in the near future with: training schedules for walking and running a half and full marathon, links to websites to check distances of workouts, pace of workouts, and calorie calculators, I can post a list of people who have decided to participate in the Nike Women's Marathon 2008 if people are interested in this and other useful information as people as questions and as the even gets closer. Additionally, in the months leading up to the race we can have group long runs/walks on Sundays so the long training day of the week can be completed with others and encouragement exchanged.
The link to the Nike Women's Marathon is http://www.nike.com/nikemarathon/. This event fills up quickly, especially the half marathon, so if you would like to participate visit the site frequently and in the near future there should be an option to submit your email so you are notified when registration opens. I would recommend entering your email address and registering for the event the morning it opens, especially if you are interested in signing up for the half marathon as it will fill before the full marathon. The course for 2008 should be similar if not the same as the course for 2007, so look that over if you are curious where your legs will be taking you!
Ladies, that is all for now, I will be posting training schedules very soon so those interested can get in some good base miles before actual training starts. Welcome to the life of the healthy and active!
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