My Running Story and Running Tips!

Running is hands down my favorite form of exercise.  It’s cheap and simple and there’s nothing like the endorphin rush after a good run.  But I didn’t always love running.  In fact, for a good period of time, I hated it.  I can still recall my first attempt at running my freshman year of college.  I threw on my shoes, plugged in my iPod, and sprinted out the door of my dorm, excited to embrace all that was the world of running.  Unfortunately, while my mind was anxious to get out there and try new things, my body was not.  I made it five minutes before I was stopped in my tracks out of breath, with debilitating side stitches, thinking that I was actually going to die.

Nike Women's Half Marathon 2011

Needless to say that running did not come easy for me.  I was small and athletic—I certainly had the body of a runner.  But my lungs were simply not conditioned for aerobic activity.  I, however, was determined to fall in love with running.  After months of trying to start running and quitting (this happened at least five times), I finally decided to stick with it.

It was not easy.  In fact, it was incredibly difficult.  But how did I do it?  I opted to skip the popular Couch to 5k program and instead started out by running one mile and recording my time.  The next day, I tried to beat that time.  And the day after that, I tried to beat that time.  Once I got semi-comfortable running a mile, I upped it to 2 miles (I know, BIG TIME!) and continued the process.  I aimed to complete one “long” run a week in which I ran an extra five minutes longer than I usually did.  All the while, I recorded my times.  I still have my first recorded week of running!  Check out how slow I was:

Day 1 (Wednesday March 30)- 1 mile 10:30

Day 1 (Wednesday March 30)- 1 mile 10:20

Day 2 (Saturday April 2)- 1 mile 9:59

Day 3 (Sunday April 3)- 1 mile 9:30

Day 4 (Monday April 4)- 1 mile 9:11

Day 5 (Wednesday April 6)- 2 miles 19:50

At this point, I decided to sign up for a half-marathon so that I would have a goal to be working towards.  I signed up for the Nike Women’s Half Marathon in San Francisco (the one where you get a Tiffany’s necklace at the end from a firefighter in a tuxedo!)  I think the key to my so-called success was writing down my daily runs.  Being able to look back and see my progress was motivating and inspired me to push hard every day.  It was by no means easy, but I was determined to become a runner.

Finishing the Disney Princess Half Marathon in 2012

To make a long story short, I completed my first half marathon in 2:08:38 (9:48 min/mi) in October 2011.  Since then, I have run 3 other half marathons and dropped my PR down to 1:49:41 (8:22 min/mi)!  Remember, this is the girl who had to stop five minutes into her first run.  If I can learn to love running, anyone can!

After my first ever half marathon with my friend Michele

If you’re just starting out running, here’s my tips:

1. Make a plan.  Whether you decide to follow a Couch to 5k program, or go my route of running a mile and slowly upping your distance while trying to improve your times, having a plan is a huge key to success.  
2. Record your results.  This was essential for me!  I needed to be able to look on paper and see my improvement or I lost motivation.  Write your runs down in a notebook, a word document, or get fancy and record them on a website like this.
3. Get an app that records your pace.  This was also a huge key to my success.  It allowed me to run outside (way more fun than on a treadmill) while still knowing my distance and pace.  I suggest Nike+ or Runtastic.
4. Get equipped.  Running does not require much equipment, but good running shoes are essential to running comfortably and staying injury free.  Go to a local running store and have your gait analyzed so they can fit you with a good pair of shoes.
5. Don't be afraid to push yourself.  Get comfortable with being uncomfortably.  Running is all about pushing your limits, whether it's running a little bit faster or going a little bit longer.  It's tough when you're doing it, but the reward is worth it.
6. Sign up for a race! Having a goal to work towards is an amazing motivator.  Plus, once you run one race, you'll be addicted.  The crowds, the energy, the endorphins, the adrenaline.  It's amazing!

Disney Princess Half Marathon!

Good luck and Happy Running!

Females and Weight Lifting

As a personal trainer I hear it all the time, I don't want to lift.  It will make me bulky or I only want to tone so can we use 3 lb weights?  or Can I elongate my muscles?

Okay, so let me be honest here.  These are some of the most frustrating questions that I get asked.  And what is even more frustrating is when people don't believe me.  But there's a lot of misinformation out there so bear with me as I set the record straight.  Lifting will not make you bulky.  In fact, lifting is what will give you a lean, toned, sexy body.  Continue reading and I will explain the logic/science behind this.

Image via bodybuilding.com

Women simply don't have the hormones that will allow them to massively bulk up.  Testosterone is the main reason that men have so much more muscle than women.  Chemically speaking, women do not possess enough testosterone to bulk up.  We (women) have 15-20 times less testosterone than men which means that biologically speaking we cannot gain the same amount of muscle mass than men can.  

If you're worried about looking a female body builder, keep in mind that those women are pumped full of supplements and steroids to give them that appearance.  It does not come easy and trust me, it is not natural.

In addition, bulking up is calorie dependent.  As I just mentioned, gaining muscle (especially for women) is hard.  You need to be eating a lot of calories to start gaining weight and most women don't consume enough calories needed to bulk up.  (In fact, female bodybuilders and figure competitors actually go through a period called bulking where they up their calories in order to gain muscle.  And you know what, they eat a lot.)  Anyway, basically speaking, if you eat more calories than you burn, you'll gain weight.  If you eat less calories than you burn, you'll lose weight.  Many females attribute weight gain to lifting weights when in reality it's caused by diet.

Okay so enough of me trying to convince you that lifting won't make you bulky.  If you don't trust me, there's acutally more reasons that women won't bulk up from lifting weights that has to do with nutrition, hormones, lifting volume, etc.  Read more about it here.

Image via shape.com

Now let's take a look at some of the benefits of lifting heavy weights...

You'll lose body fat.  According to bodybuilding.com "Heavier weight offers women a higher metabolic rate. Since you work against a high degree of resistance with heavy weights, you create tiny muscular tears throughout the body. You will expend a greater number of calories post-workout to repair those tiny tears, thus increasing your overall calorie requirements."

In other words, if you lift, you'll burn more calories in the day.  Sure, you may burn a lot of calories when you're on the treadmill, but once you finish a cardio session, the calorie burning effect stops.  If you build lean muscle, your body will keep burning fat all day long.

Lifting weights also reduces your risk of osteoperosis, arthritis, heart disease, diabetes and even depression.  Read more about the benefits of lifting heavy here or here or here. 

So if you want to get started lifting weights bodybuilding.com has a wonderful resource that allows you to search for exercises by body part.  It looks like this:

This was my go-to site to look up exercises when I started lifting.  They give you great descriptions of the exercises so you don't have to walk around the gym confused about what to do!  I suggest initially starting out using lighter weights for a few weeks until you get the lifts correct (form, etc) and then starting to lift heavier.  At this point, I'd recommend 4-6 sets of 6-12 reps.

If you're just starting out lifting, I also suggest that you create some sort of lifting split so that you have a plan to workout certain muscles on certain days.  A very common split consists of four days: back and biceps, chest and triceps, legs, and shoulder.  And of course you can work your abs on the other days or at the end of your workouts!

I hope this helps clarify some myths about lifting weights and inspires you all to get into the gym and LIFT HEAVY!