One foot in front of the other...

About to start testing and running in these two fine shoes. Both different, but both supposedly have a minimal stride. 

Excited to try them out and tell you all what shoe feels better and on what type of trails. 

Skora & Salomon are both brands that I really like. Skora is making a step into the minimal market and a local Portland company. 

Happy almost Friday all! 

Keep running!

My first pair of Vibram 5Fingers

So, I took the plunge at the Outdoor Retailer. I walked ove in my Montrail shoes and like the 100's of others proceeded to strip my shoes and socks to get fitted properly for a pair of these crazy shoes others have been swearing by.

A few days ago, I was not only excited to receive my first pair of the Vibram FiveFingers , but to also wear them.

Vibram says, "The typical human foot is an anatomical marvel of evolution with 26 bones, 33 joints, 20 muscles, and hundreds of sensory receptors, tendons and ligaments. Like the rest of the body, to keep our feet healthy, they need to be stimulated and exercised."

I totally believe that and like all exercises - cross training is vital to creating a strong core and to use multiple muscle groups daily to strengthen the body as a whole. That's why programs like P90X and CrossFit are so successful. Shaking up the body with this so called muscle confusion, which accelerates the results process by constantly introducing new moves and routines so your body never plateaus, and you never get bored. Sounds good to me!

Your feet deserve the same love - as we put tons of pressure on them all day long.

When you first put these on - you'll notice your toes fighting you on being separated, but once you walk around and your foot warms up - you'll feel a sense of freedom. If you are like me and wear flip flops a lot - these feel way more solid, more comfortable and like a little kid again. The cushioning on the bottom of my particular pair (Bikila: Built on an entirely new platform, the Bikila features a Dri-Lex® covered 3mm polyurethane insole (thickest under the ball) and a 4mm anatomical pod outsole design that offers more plating protection, and distributes forefoot impact without compromising important ground feedback essential to a proper forefoot strike running form), which is best to run in.

I walked this morning in them for 2 miles and felt great. In fact, I still have them on and walked the dogs again with no problems. Next week I'll begin to add running in the mix - but for now, so far so good!

Vibram suggests - there is a bit of a break-in period and I suggest you take a week or two to just walk and get your feet used to being "barefoot" all over town. I totally love them and am happy to share my thoughts while building up my mileage in them.

NYIGF

I'm sitting in a Starbucks near my hotel - as I just arrived off of a red-eye to get in a cab where the driver would get pulled over for not having his easy pass and drivers license. What professional taxi driver would leave the house with not only one but both? It's like me showing up to a trade show without my badge or business cards. I just chalk it up to another NY minute. It simply is an amazing city and I'm looking forward to running in Central Park, going to a few museums and hanging out with my showmies. (A term we all coined years ago - as we all met at trade shows)

This is the first Saturday in almost 6 years where I have time to enjoy the city and take advantage of not having to set up our booth. (Thank you Paul!) It is such an absolute treat to be able to just unpack, take a leisurely run and then enjoy what the city has to offer!

I think this city on a day like that offers up magical moments, (ie: this morning) great food and experiences like no other. Tomorrow the gift show kicks off and I'll be there with bells on.

For today - I'll be sightseeing and staying completely present to take in what ever the city offers up.

Wish me luck on my NY adventure!

Are you tired?

Happy Hump Day!! I hope everyone is getting enough rest, drinking enough fluids and finding some balance within each day. I'm at the start of my travel as you all know by now and I found this great article on pushing through the tiredness of life. I went to bed a little later than usual last night as I had dinner with my Mom and some old friends and waking up this morning to go for a run seemed daunting. Of course my internal alarm wakes me up about 45 minutes before my alarm and I gulped down about 8 oz of water and headed out for a great 5.8 mile run full of hills and now sitting here showered I feel accomplished and refreshed. May you find that inner strength on those days that are harder than usual. Go out and as Nike says, "JUST DO IT!" http://fitness.families.com/blog/too-tired-to-exercise Hugs & High Fives! Michele

Shedding the pounds

Before signing up for my next 50K - I am making a commitment to loose 25lbs. It'll make me faster, leaner and stronger. I'm really excited to get this phase in check to see where and how far I can run by just loosing my midsection. So tough - and I love beer so much. Ugh. Starting on Monday and allowing myself one beer and a little chocolate on those long run days. I'm still completely maintaining my running and get in a 8-10 mile run once a week so I don't loose out on all the work I've done so far.

It was so hot and humid on this weeks trip to Chicago... boy, I felt like I ran double the miles as my chest was heaving from that heavy air. I love the fact that I can run out my hotel anywhere in the world. Such a perk to becoming an addict. Not necessarily to running itself but to how good I feel when I stop.

I always feel better when I'm standing in my booth for 8 hours if I've run that morning.

Still excited for this journey I call my life.

On the road again...

On the road again.... Tomorrow kicks off my Summer trade show season and it doesn't really stop until end of August. I love being in trade show mode and being able to see all of the old retail friends and new. It's great to get feedback straight from the source. So important to ask your customers about the good, bad and the ugly while also creating long lasting relationships.

Seeing my manufacturer friends is also one of the perks. I love networking and finding out from my peers the 411 on their businesses. It's such a great way to get the whole picture.
During a 4 day trade show I can find out all I need to know about what our business will look like for the next 6 months. It's a great exchange from all kinds of people that I respect in the business. My retailers are so knowledgeable and their expertise is critical to the next round of product we might bring into market for 2011.

This upcoming trip is taking me to Chicago and I'm really looking forward to running along the lake and through their urban jungle. It'll be great weather and great food along the way. Thanks again for reading!

DAY 17 - Exercising like a kid

Getting out this morning for a ride was so enjoyable. Sometimes I feel like a kid on my bike. I even had an imaginary race with a gentleman who was way up ahead.... had to catch him. 15 miles later I was at home, showered and sipping on some coffee. What a great way to start the day! Since it is Summer even though up here in the NW we are getting a slow start - the idea of days past and what it all represents is still vivid in my mind.

Exercising like a kid is a fun challenge. I love taking my bike and jumping the curbs or pretending I'm on a race team and have to sprint to the finish line. I also love going on a swing to go as high as I possibly can.

It's a great time of year to run on the beach, up in the mountains or just leave all of your gear behind (except water) - unless you bring a few bucks like me and pick up something when I'm getting thirsty. Just the spontaneity of a run like that is fun.

Have fun this week!

30 Minutes For 30 Days

Today I created on Facebook an event to get my friends to move based on the Dean Karnazes 50 Marathons, 50 States, 50 Days. I thought if Dean can run 50 marathons in a row - we could certainly take on the challenge of moving for 30 min. for 30 days. I rented the movie from Netflix this week so I could watch it in honor of the number 50, Dean and my first 50K.

"If you can't run, then walk. And if you can't walk, then crawl. Do what you have to do. Just keep moving forward and never, ever give up."

If you want to join in the fun and start moving on June 1st. Then click on the link and begin your 30 day journey with us.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=114132325297202

Thanks again for reading!

Make your life a great life!
Michele

Chasing the dollar

Today while having a coffee meet up I was reminded about how back in the day I felt as if I had to chase the dollar vs. the dollar chasing me. For as long as I can remember making money was always really important to me. Sure it helped me pay my bills - so that I could drive a car, use a phone, watch cable... but what it really gave me was choices. That's when the light went off! After starting my own company in 2007, I came to a quick understanding that if you found a niche within an industry you were already emerged in, people would pay you money to help them grow. It was easy to understand. The question that I asked myself was, "Could I really get paid what I'm worth?" That was not as easy to to comprehend. My brain and possibly my self esteem were telling me otherwise. It wasn't until other professionals listed out all the points of differences that I had to offer did it start to seep in.

In racing you can get money to win. It's called Prize Money and there are lots of Professional Athletes who make a great living at doing what they love and what they are talented at. God bless them! I admire each of them and a few I call friends. Can you imagine as an amateur runner if I were to actually be chasing the prize money? What a laugh! 1. It's totally out of my realm due to my novice running career so far and 2. I would be setting myself up to fail.

That is why I say "keep it simple." Do what you know and play to your strengths. You'll be so much more successful in life if you follow that rule. Also, combining what you love and your work will also be profitable beyond your wildest dreams when you stop thinking about that next paycheck and think about your mission and what your purpose is. Trust me - everything will follow after that. The dollar will begin to chase you...and believe me, that is way more fun!

As for running - chasing a finish is more my speed. Thanks for reading! Make it a great week!

Bring On The Challenges....

So, I did the Wildwood trail on Saturday - which is the same trail that I'm running the 50k on in May. I had only done a few hikes and a short run in the past few weeks up there. I decided to take my longer run to the trails. Miles 1 - 8 were awesome. I mean sure the up hills were tough, but not quite what I expected coming back down. I think the 16 miles in a trail environment (felt like a paved Marathon), especially muddy, unstable and it being really cold was tougher on my body then expected. My left foot is sore on the outside area and I think the repeated pounding of the slippery downhills was rough on my knees. Sunday was fine, just a bit sore (but a good sore) and my foot seems to be feeling better. The trail was gorgeous and I'm looking forwarded to conquering it, in the meantime Advil is my friend. What it showed me, was that I have to now do all my runs up there with one flat run during the week for endurance. If my foot continues to hurt, I may need to buy a new pair of trail runners that have more cushioning - as I've never run on terrain as unsteady as that before. Smooth fire roads in Arizona or desert trails are completely different. Also, I have no ego when it comes to taking a step back, adding in some additional P90X yoga / core synergistics (like today) and taking on Wildwood Trail 6 miles at a time while building up to the 22 miler in the coming weeks. I guess that is why pushing myself this week was a positive experience. I wouldn't have know otherwise. I know then, that adding on 2 miles will be fine a week - while increasing the weekly mileage total until day of race. I have definitely gotten better at listening to my body. After reading in the new issue of Running Magazine, an article about Zen Running - I tried to apply a few of the principles. Listening to one's breath, the sound of foot steps, focusing in on the trail and not external thoughts. In fact, I ran this 16-miler without any music! Huge for me! Since it was a complete 360' from what I'm used too. I absolutely loved listening to the sounds of birds and the wind whip by. I felt as if I was running through a jungle. It was pretty cool.

I definitely don't have as much weight coming off for all that I am doing. So, I'm back on my daily plate (Livestrong.com) to start calculating everything again. I would love to strip away 10-12 lbs in coming month and I know I can do that with a few extra gym workouts - core - running - and watching my intake for sure.

Now all I can say is I'm eating lean to be lean, lifting light to feel light, and running up hills to get stronger. Bring on the challenges that lie a head - I will conquer them one mile at a time! Thanks for reading!

One foot in front of the other...

Over the weekend while on my 12 miler, I'm listening to music and my heartbeat through my headphones. They are the noise reduction kind and all the sounds outside are quieted while music and my internal beat are directly in my ears. The interesting thing is it doesn't drown out my thoughts. That's where time stand stills for me. Knowing that I am on this run for the next 2-3 hours. Nothing else matters; not chores, my honey-do list, what we are doing for lunch. It is all about going from bridge to bridge. It's funny - the Run Keeper voice speaks every mile to me - but all that I'm thinking about is the next bridge. If I even pause to think about 12 miles - it is just too much for me to wrap my head around. I try to use only visual guides. This has been really helping me as I build my weekly mileage. Now, once I start on longer runs on trails - that might be a new lesson to be learned. I find that true with sales too. The visual goals are items we might want to own some day to keep us excited and incentivized as sales professionals. Just paying the mortgage, car payment and utilities might not keep us as motivated; but, a Hawaiian vacation might kick us into gear if a commission check could pay for the whole trip! Those visual guides are great - short term goals are a beautiful thing. There really is nothing better than accomplishing tasks - whether it's physical or professional. Both are so satisfying!

On my 12-miler my legs were really sore until that afternoon. Surprisingly though the next day I felt pretty good. Those are good signs that are showing me that I'm able to recover better after every long run. Downing chocolate milk after a tough workout can help replenish exhausted muscles and significantly aid exercise recovery, new research shows. So, I've been drinking a tall glass of either chocolate milk or carnation instant breakfast milk after those days. It is easy and quick - tastes great and while I'm in the shower, my body got the nutrients it needs to help it feel better.

As I continue to run and watch my intake - I find that I am craving more sugar lately. I want to eat Jelly Belly's and the occasional doughnut. I get that because I'm burning 2,000 cal in a single run doesn't give me the right to indulge... but it really keeps me excited knowing that at least once a week I can enjoy a meal I otherwise would have felt guilty about. I am drinking tons of water - as hydration is critical in recovery as is my multi-vitamin pack and getting my daily dose of proteins, fruits and veggies. Like for instance, as I type this I am eating a piece of low fat string cheese and apple slices. Trying to increase fruit as a natural sugar is a daily reminder than I make these choices and will pay for them on my runs. This food is fuel. When I don't I pay the price - my intestines do - then of course I do. Really pay attention to your body on your workouts, whatever your goals are. Keep it clean and keep one foot in front of the other! Have a great day and thanks again for reading!

A day off

Now we all look forward to working hard all week and on Friday evening getting to enjoy 48 hours of fun! I feel the same with a day off from running... my body is tired, sore from weights, running hills and adding miles each week. Today is not only Friday (the beginning of the weekend) but also a day off from working out. I can't tell you how important it is to have these days and take full advantage of it. We all have goals personally and professionally - but if you can't be creative at work - you need to step outside - take a breath so you can be your best the rest of the day. The same goes for a day off. Our bodies have to take a break to rebuild to be it's best on the next workout day... whatever that workout is. On these days I like to take my dogs for a long walk. It helps to stretch me out while also making my puppies feel great! I make sure I take my vitamins, eat lots of fruit and drink enough water every day (but especially these days) where it's essential to hit my longest run of the week tomorrow at my most hydrated and fully rested best! Don't take these days for granted. Your job today besides work, is to rest those weary bones. In the worst-case scenario, too few rest and recovery days can lead to overtraining syndrome - a difficult condition to recover from. So make sure if you are burnt out that you are just taking some time to chill or find something fun to cross train and keep things from getting stagnant. The burnout stage is when the energy is eventually consumed by fatigue and irritability at work. Enthusiasm with work drops as well as productivity and quality of work. There is criticism from workers regarding the work product and this adds on to the stress already being experienced. Your life must go beyond your work and athletic goals. Enjoy your time alone, your time with your friends and your time with your family. This will help you keep track of your expectations and it will also keep your aspirations realistic. Have a great weekend - rest, play and eat well! Thanks for reading!

Running In The Rain

This morning while working on emails and creating my to-do list, I'm sitting here in my running gear looking out to the Portland rainy sky. There are lots of things I have no problem doing - but running in the rain is really new for me. I know it could be worse and it's only water... blah blah blah. But, that first step will be a new challenge for me.

It reminds me of those moments in a day where picking up and cold calling a new store can be challenging but after the first call - it becomes fun and usually pays off. I have to keep that in mind when running on these wet mornings. As my races will more than likely involve rain from time to time.

Selling and running go hand in hand. The only time you don't succeed is if you don't try. Most retailers won't pick up a phone and call you for the sale - just as no one will run for you. These are actions you must do for yourself. So today - I step out side my comfort zone and run in the rain. When I get back - I'll shower - dry off - then go knocking on some doors. I'll make this day a day of squashing fears! I am a force to be reckoned with! 4 miles in the rain - not a problem! I can do this!