Hurricane Sandy literally blew us away. We were warned about it and saw the news reports in advance, but the devastation that hit certain areas of New York and New Jersey still proved surprising—and devastating.

 

Thankfully, my family and friends all survived for the most part unscathed, with the biggest blunders being gas and power shortages throughout the area. Many New Yorkers, people on Long Island and residents of the Jersey Shore were not as lucky, which is why it’s important—and necessary—to help.

 

Last week, I received some great news that I was accepted into the Fit Approach #SweatPink ambassadors program, a wonderful community of fitness bloggers promoting healthy lifestyles. As my first official post, I wanted to share two ways runners and fitness enthusiasts can contribute to the cause, simply by sweating a little, or diving right into the areas that need help.

 

Running, though not always a team sport, definitely benefits from a collective effort. So join your fellow sneaker owners, and contribute to the cause!

 

New York Runners in Support of Staten Island

Rather than running the New York City Marathon last Sunday, many race bib owners took to Long Island to support relief efforts. Now, these heroes have a Facebook group—and you can join them! New York Runners in Support of Staten Island post updates on their clean up efforts, as well as what types of supplies are needed in particular areas. “Like” their page and stay tuned for updates on how you can help!

 

Run4NYC

If you’re going to be running anyway, run a virtual 5k, half marathon or marathon for those hit hardest by the hurricane. Run4NYC allows you to choose between the three varying distances, pick a donation amount, and run your heart out until November 11. Every cent collected will go towards the Red Cross to help relief efforts. Ask your friends to pitch in for your miles, too, and get double the proceeds!

Racing for Relief

Here’s another way you can help Sandy victims just by being active—and you have until December 1st to reach your goal! Racing for Relief, posted by Carlyn from Just Keep Sweating, is another virtual race where you are given the option to run a 5k, 10k, half marathon or marathon on your own, with proceeds going to the American Red Cross. Participants pay their “race fee” which also counts as their donation (it must be more than $10) and download and print out the official racing bib to wear while running. Runners can post their times the official board, and share with other bib wearers. Keep other runners updated (and spread the word!) by using the #racingforrelief hashtag on Twitter.

Saw this and had to share 🙂

I’ve done a Spartan Sprint, a Warrior Dash, have completed a full 26.2-mile marathon and several halves.

But I’ve never experienced anything like a Tough Mudder.

A Tough Mudder is roughly 12 miles full of obstacles, climbs, hills, electroshock therapy, water and a whole lot of mud. Clean freaks need not enter, and the weak need not sign up.

A few weeks ago, I was asked to participate in a Tough Mudder on behalf of Aeroshot energy, a new kind of energy that you spray into your mouth through a shiny plastic applicator. It sounds weird, and it kind of is—but it works! It doesn’t spill like coffee can, it’s easily transportable and it feels instantly active. If you like pixie stix or have had them before, it’s kind of like that substance, but not sugary sweet.

Anyway, I was asked to train and compete as part of Team Aero, and since I’ve been wanting to do a Tough Mudder for awhile and am always up for trying something different, I happily agreed.

We got to attend training sessions with Michael Olajide Jr. (he trains Adriana Lima, just an FYI, and past clients include Hugh Grant and 50 Cent) atAeroSpace in the city once a week. Classes were an hour long and alternated between using jump ropes, a bar and weights. We did a lot of variations of jumping, squatting, lunging, punching, pushups and ab work, and I have to admit—I haven’t had that kind of workout in awhile. It was definitely a good idea to jump start some upper body work, as the Tough Mudder requires a lot of arm strength.

On race day, Team Aeroshot, consisting of me, Lauren from Fitness Magazine, Abby from Shape Magazine, and Stephen from The Roosevelts, a men’s lifestyle website, met up at the crack of down (okay, 7:45am) to make our way to Englishtown, NJ. Upon arrival, we got suited up in our Team Aeroshot garb, pinned our race bibs on and got inked in permanent marker on our foreheads.

I won’t describe every single obstacle, but there are some that deserve a mention. The first, called “Arctic Enema,” consisted of jumping into a pool full of cold water and legitimate ice cubes, ducking underneath a pool divider, and emerging on the other side of the pool—but first you needed to fight your way through even more ice cubes to get to the surface. It was like something from “Trapped Under the Ice.” Luckily, Tough Mudders are all about camaraderie and community, so a very helpful hand was waiting for me at the other side ready to pull me to safety and dry (cold) land.

 

Others that stuck out in my mind were “Electroshock Therapy,” or army crawling through a mud and water pit while getting shocked by above electrically-charged vines; “Walk the Plank” which was basically just jumping off a solid platform and freefalling fifteen feet into a pool of water, another I can’t recall the name of where we had to ford across a river and climb up rope ladders on the other side, and “Everest,” a giant wall where we had to run up a near-veritcal wall to be caught and helped over by strong hands already on top.

Though the obstacles and mostly water were tough, the hardest thing was definitely withstanding the cold. It was freezing, and being drenched didn’t help!

When I crossed the finish line at the Spartan Race, I was relieved and proud of myself. But when I crossed the finish line at the Tough Mudder, I was not just proud—I was impressed with myself, and my teammates. Luckily, we had Stephen to help us over the many tall walls, and a good team vibe going.

I definitely plan on doing another challenge, but when it’s warmer out—chattering teeth and mud don’t go too well together (ie, mouthfulls of mud).

Finishing the Tough Mudder also sparked a race craving in me, so in two weeks I’ll be running my fourth half marathon! After running through 12 miles full of obstacles, I think a flat 13.1 course will go over pretty well. 🙂

Planning to take on a Tough Mudder in the future? Here are a few pointers!

• Wear warm clothing, but nothing bulky. You’re going to get wet and muddy—if you’re wearing a sweatshirt or baggy clothing, it will get filled with water and add extra, unbearable weight. I would suggest wearing Under Amour, or clothing of equally durable substance.
• Expect water. The challenge has more than its fair share of water obstacles, and you will be sopping from head to toe. You will also probably be swimming at some point, so make sure you won’t need someone to rescue you!
• Bring shoes you are comfortable throwing away. You won’t want to bring those muddy buddies back into your home, apartment, or living area.
• Help others. There are many times during the challenge you will find yourself slipping down a mud pit or falling off a ledge—until a strong hand reaches out and pulls you to the top. Return the favor.
• Don’t underestimate the course. It’s called TOUGH for a reason. You will travel 3 miles and think you are on mile 8. Not yet. Keep going!
• Tie your shoe laces tight! If your shoes are too lose, they may get lost in the mud!
• When it comes to electric shocks, go fast! The faster you power through those zapping cords, the less you feel them—and the quicker it’s over!
• And most importantly… HAVE FUN!

There are a lot of perks to working at my job.

For one, I am the token female of the company. Some may say that’s a bad thing—but I don’t think so.

For one thing, any women-oriented merchandise that enters the office is immediately mine. Also, there’s no weird female competitiveness (read: bitchiness) that I know goes on and have experienced in a women-dominated office. Plus, the guys I work with are awesome, totally laid back, and invite me to drink whiskey with them after a hard day.

(Okay, one downfall: Sometimes I have to pretend to like whiskey).

One of the coolest things about my job though, is that I get invited to try new and different workouts from time to time. On Tuesday, I got the chance to workout in the Empire State building (how many people get the chance to do that?) with celebrity fitness trainer and motivator Lacey Stone. She’s worked with Amanda Seyfriend, who’s been in a movie with Channing Tatum, and to me, that makes her awesome.

Not only did I get a chance to work out with Lacey, learn about and try Dick’s Sporting Goods new line of EPIC Treadmills, I also got the chance the chance to take a jog around Scotland.

Let me explain.

Using Google Map technology, these EPIC treadmills allow you to pick from several routes around the world—such as, say, Scotland—and do a run that mimics the elevation and terrain of the course. The treadmill screen gives you a Google Street View video of the route you’re running, so it’s kind of cool to watch as you chug along. I got to venture all the way up to an 8.0 elevation, all the way down to a -3.0 decline. And by got, I mean, the treadmill made me do it. I would never pick such a crazy incline by myself.

These treadmills also have built in Wi-Fi capability, so you can surf the web or update your Facbeook status mid-workout, which they emphasized… but all I could think about was how I could use my HuluPlus account on it to catch up on Pretty Little Liars or SNL during a run.

There was a chance to win a treadmill, which unfortunately I didn’t win, but I did win the fastest mile time in my group (we had four groups of 4-5 and did a floor workout with a medicine ball and step while we took turns on the machines). I’m still feeling the burn from the squats Lacey made us do—but since I don’t have the willpower to always make myself do them, I’m glad she gave us some motivation. I also went all out in our plank competition, and held one for over two minutes, something I haven’t attempted to do for awhile.

While I don’t particularly love running on treadmills, I like the capabilities these EPIC Treadmills have because they counter most of the complaints I hear and hold myself about treadmills in general. The main reasons I prefer the road to a machine are because I get bored and a machine doesn’t mimic the elevation of the road. These treadmills provide entertainment (WiFi and/or the Street View) and give you the ability to mimic actual road routes, which is awesome especially if you are training for a longer race like a marathon during the winter.

The snowy, rainy, slushy season is approaching quickly—so if you’re looking for a new treadmill to help you survive the winter months, I’d say splurge and invest! It’s like the iPhone 5 of treadmills.

I’ll be posting a treadmill workout from Lacey Stone shortly—so if you really want to get a good old fashioned butt kicking, stay tuned.

As much as I love running, from time to time I attempt to switch up my workout regime and try something different. It’s hard to shake up a routine sometimes, but if you belong to a gym and fitness classes are a part of the package it’s silly not to utilize the help of a professional instructor and miss out on an opportunity to cross train. Some of the moves and exercises they guide you through are easy to take away and use solo during your next workout, plus it also gives you the chance to use fancy equipment you may otherwise be intimidated to pick up by yourself (think kettlebells, free weights, balance boards, etc).

Last spring, as I was preparing for a trip to the Middle East for five weeks, I decided to sign up for Northeastern University’s group fitness program. It was only $50 for unlimited classes throughout the semester at our state-of-the-art gym, and I was determined to find a workout I would be able to do by myself in a hotel room while abroad—I go a little stir cry when stationary for too long. Running is a bit taboo in Jordan (where I would first be staying) and I had no idea what the situation would be like in Turkey. So I figured if I took enough yoga and Pilates classes, I would be able to mimic the moves and go through the motions by myself eventually.

In addition to yoga and Pilates (which combined, made me realize my upper body strength was disappointingly weak—more on that later), I also tried out spinning. As a kid, I always loved riding my bike, but I hadn’t hopped on a bike for more than 15 minutes in years. And the last machine I ever wanted to jump on at the gym was a bike—I’d always see lazy people on the bike at my school gym, so I equated it with a low-intensity workout. Which, it can be—but so can running. It’s all about the effort you put in.

I ended up enjoying the first class. The instructor pumped the music way high, and turned the lights off so we could sweat as much and breathe as heavy as we wanted without having to get embarrassed about it. She also explained how in spinning, you are in charge of your own resistance dial—each bike has its own resistance dial which you control—making it  as easy to go full-throttle or take it down a notch when needed.

So after a hiatus of over a year, I decided to try out spinning once again. I got a month pass at New York Sports Club for super cheap on GilteGroup, and had been using the treadmills but none of the classes. The only class that fit in with my work schedule was at 6am, but fortunately I was able to recruit a friend to go with me.

We showed up early to the class (we woke up at freakin’ 5:30am!) so our instructor could adjust our seat heights and handlebars for us (and so we could get bikes that weren’t in the front row) and then got to work. It was my friend’s first time in a spin class and I was a little nervous he’d balk at the amount of spandex our instructor was wearing—but he seemed to do just fine (in his oversized basketball shorts! haha). With music pumping loud and the lights dimmed low, the only thing we could hear over our instructor’s yell (“Burn that fat!” “Let’s go” Now!”) was a particularly excited woman in the left hand corner who would scream out randomly whenever we were on a climb.

Unlike Zumba or some types of aerobics, spinning only has three positions: 1, 2 and 3. So you don’t have to remember a crazy combination of moves or technical maneuvers: It’s just sit down, lean forward, stand up. Easy enough for me—and I like simple things!

So whether you’re a “Never Ever” or have taken a hiatus, take a spin class soon.  Bring a friend, set yourself up in the corner and get to work.

Though I enjoy running solo most of the time, I always love running with another person.

Whether they challenge you by keeping a slightly faster pace, help you realize your strength by having to slow to meet theirs, or just provide some wonderful running conversation, I always feel like I connect with a person I can run with on a deeper level than if we were to just meet for drinks, food or something else that doesn’t require sweating.

When training for my first full marathon this past spring, I ran with my friend Roz once a week. We gradually worked our way up to a 22-mile run (exploring every running route in Boston in its entirety along the way), and would usually chat for the entire first hour—until we were too tired to speak. When Roz was suffering from a hip injury, my friend Jenny would volunteer to run the last 8 miles of an 18-mile run with me. There’s something about being outside, matching strides, that can help you open up to a person in a way you might not somewhere else.

But onto the REAL reason I wrote this post: I got a NEW running partner. I’ve been trying to find one ever since I moved home to New Jersey from college in Boston. And let me tell you—it hasn’t been easy. I’ve run a bit with various friends and my sister, but it’s always a gamble to see who can or will come with… or who will stick with it. Which is why it’s probably a good thing that my new running buddy operates with batteries.

For my 23rd birthday, my parents graciously gave me a Nike+ Sportswatch with GPS that I have absolutely fallen in love with. The watch is a bright yellow arm sore (that also comes in black) that gives you a super accurate summary during, and after, a run.

The watch, powered by Tom Tom, calculates the mileage, speed, elevation, split times and calories burned during your time on the road, as well as comes with a Nike chip to measure your distance etc when running inside. Think of the recap a treadmill gives you after every workout—with a personalized component. The sportswatch saves your workout for future reference and recognizes when you run a new 5k PR.

After an expedition, you can plug your watch into your computer and go through a step-by-step analysis of your run. It’s amazing how the technology can determine exactly where you waited for a light or to cross the street, and the exact pace you are going at each point of your jog. From there, you can share your progress, workouts with other Nike+ users and make goals for yourself that the watch will remember, and hold you accountable for. It’s like having a personal trainer recording your progress, or a  workout diary that you don’t have to actually log yourself.

Needless to say, this Nike+ GPS watch is my new favorite thing to run with. I know it will be perfect to train with for my next marathon (which will be in May 2013).

And while it doesn’t talk back, at least it’s constant.

This is my first post, and while it won’t be super long or full of breaking news, I don’t want this blog to be empty before I have time for a more lengthy entry. But you probably want to know what a 23-year-old like me is doing spending countless hours every week running aimlessly down and up roads and trails—and why I feel the need to write about it.

The latter half is easy: I graduated from journalism school and have been writing more than I talk since, well, forever. I’m wittier, more eloquent and sometimes sound smarter in print than in person. Or at least, I think I do. As for the first part? Well, that will take a little longer to explain. But for now…

Why do I run?

• I like the idea of challenging myself and accomplishing something, whether it’s adding in an extra hill to a run, or pushing the pace just a little bit faster for the last half mile

• I think sweating is healthy, and a little sweat can also be sexy

• I enjoy knowing that I am physically fit enough to protect myself or outrun something dangerous (like the Zombie Apocalypse)

• I love the people I meet because of running, the relationships I have with people that are stronger because of running, or how I can have a conversation with a complete stranger if we are both runners

• I like the way it makes me feel—both mentally and physically

• I enjoy the solitude of some runs, because it gives me time to think. That said, I also really love the conversations I can have with people on a run

• I like being able to spend time outside for no reason

• Even if I do NOTHING that day, the fact that I went for a run makes me feel productive… and healthy!

• It’s the best way to beat a hangover. I’m serious.

Why do you run? Or bike, swim, etc?