Month: May 2015

Going the (New) Distance

/ Jess / 11 Comments

Remember when I said it was time to rebuild and focus on strength and not race for a while? Yeah, I knew I wouldn’t last that long. Because I just signed up for my next race: The NYRR Oakley New York Mini 10K in June!

924580_1571176073134331_1404894051_nI’m so pumped – this will be my first time racing this distance (which means an automatic PR!) and it’s the same loop I ran back in March for the NYC Half Marathon: a full circle of the gorgeous Central Park. Once I started doing some research on what upcoming race to run, this was a no-brainer:

  • It’s the perfect mid-distance level to keep me training – I nail 5K’s every other day for maintenance, and while a 10K will take some extra work, it’s still not as taxing (distance-wise) on my body as a half would be.
  • It’s a majorly hilly course compared to what I’m used to, which gives me the opportunity to add some challenging hill work into my training. Hello, leg-building!
  • I get a medal. I’m pretty sure I will only run races for medals anymore, because… medals.
  • It’s a women-only race, which is always fun.
  • It’s a chance to race through Central Park on a Saturday in the middle of June with a bunch of like-minded ladies, how could I NOT do this one?

So now that I’m all registered, who else will I see there? Any of you planning on running this one, or any other NYRR races this summer? Now that I’m officially a member, that 9+1 box in the corner of my account page is enticing me to add more registrations to my name to secure that NYCM2016 spot, I have to say!

Giveaway: Win an Entry into the Skirt Sports 13er

/ Jess / 22 Comments

In honor of the Real Women Move campaign, I’m doing my part to share the positivity by hosting a Rafflecopter giveaway! Capture That’s right: now’s your chance to win a Basic entry into the Skirt Sports 13er/10k/5k Local OR Virtual Race, coming up on June 14th! The beauty with all Skirt Sports races is that no matter whether you run the race in person OR select the virtual option, you not only receive a race packet including a Finisher’s Skirt (or bra or top depending on the race), race bib #, and sponsor swag, but you’ll ALSO win a gift certificate to spend right away on the Skirt Sports website, in the boutique or at an expo attended by Skirt! For this giveaway, here’s what you’ll win:

  • $50 gift certificate
  • Race #
  • Finisher’s Skirt (Don’t Sweat It Collection pull over skirt)
  • Sponsor swag

You can use this for the local race on June 14th or run it virtually on the same day. Not ready for 13.1? No worries! You can run the 13er, 10k, or even the 5k! So what are you waiting for? Enter now! The winner will be announced on May 13th – and I look forward to running with you in spirit in June! Enter Now!

Real Women Move: Spread the Love!

/ Jess / 5 Comments

Happy May everyone! Or since it’s already 5/4, I should say: May the 4th Be With You! 🙂

This month, Skirt Sports is rolling out a new campaign that falls neatly in line with their already-awesome theme of empowering women to achieve their fitness goals, whatever they may be. It’s called Real Women Move, and I’m super stoked to be a part of it. They’re giving back to the fitness community in 2 ways: by creating and using the hashtag #RealWomenMove, they’re spreading the message that you can overcome whatever obstacles that get thrown in your path and make fitness a priority. Check it out on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook too! CaptureThe second part of this initiative focuses on physically making a difference in the lives of fitness-focused ladies. For every 5,000 hashtags, Skirt Sports will donate a Get Started Scholarship to a woman who is actively working to break her own barriers in running and fitness, which includes a free Skirt Sports top, bra, bottom, hat, socks, and a free entry to your first 5K! It’s an awesome program – and one that made me wish it was around when I first started running, too!

You see, back in 2004 as I was just embarking on my own fitness journey, I saw runners as the pinnacle of fitness. I was never good at running, even in school when we’d have to run the mile! If I put as much effort into running the damn mile as I did figuring out excuses to not run the mile, I swear I would have been a world-class sprinter by age 15.

I’d shlump into my gym in my baggy workout gear and take shelter near the elliptical machines and bikes, or scoot into the group fitness room for dance classes, kickboxing, weight lifting – basically I’d do everything but run. I was intimidated and easily defeated. Every time I tried to run, I would tire after only a minute or two and get increasingly frustrated.

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Fast-forward to around 2006 when I started making friends with the group fitness instructors at my gym. Some of them were the intimidating, buff-and-blustery types, sure. But many of these chicas were just normal people ranging in age from their 20’s to their 50’s, with real bodies… and real athletic abilities! It was then that I started to realize: I don’t have to be super-chiseled to do the things that I want to do! These ladies were confident, encouraging, and most of all: inspiring. And while I envied the physical bodies of those super-fit folks, I gravitated more towards the positivity that those “Real Women” were spreading! That made a huge difference in the way I viewed fitness, and ultimately helped me adopt a more healthy lifestyle. Once I realized it wasn’t about how I looked or what I couldn’t do, I took up running and realized it was all about what I could do. And the rest is history!

Now, to help motivate and inspire others to focus on their own fitness journey, I invite you to take part in this campaign in two ways:

  1. Snap a pic of yourself breaking down walls and keeping the focus on fitness, and tag it with #RealWomenMove – let’s spread that positivity!
  2. If you or someone you know deserves to win a Get Started Scholarship, share your story or nominate a friend here!

If you’re ever in need of a pick me up or a motivation boost, I’m telling you – lace up your sneakers and search for the “RealWomenMove” hashtag, because there are some seriously inspirational people out there, you just need to know where to find them. And SkirtSports has brought them all together!