Really, need I say more?
#run #mebstrong
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More Running Motivation HERE
WEAR your motivation and be reminded of your goals with an Ezzere Running Tee!
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Category Archives: motivation
Runners Rocking Old School: Training tools guide you but they’re not Gods
Sometimes a runner just needs to rock it old school style and get back to basics. Look beyond the Garmins, the heart-rate monitors, the target zones, the iPod/iPhone widgets, connect this, upload that, FitBit, BodyBug, BodPodWod, run-a-shoe-whiz…you get the picture.
The tech world is awesome, it’s always providing us runners new ways to trick our run. But even the most pimped out of sports watches won’t do a thing if the legs aren’t there. Same goes for running shoes that seem straight out of NASA.
All the new running gadgets are training tools. Tools, nothing more. A tool is there to provide feedback, help guide you along. Certainly tools can be powerful ways to improve your training but a tool is not a God. Your Garmin is not, wait for it, a God.
Your running watch or shoes can’t distinguish perceived effort. It can’t make the adjustment for effort vs. time. Black and white numbers don’t tell you the full story, sometimes they lie. Running into the eye of a hurricane during 400 meter repeats, your watch can’t portray how HARD that XX:XX was.
In the end: EFFORT trumps TIME.
Work ethic will trump the newest, lightest shoe. A spike alone won’t race to a PR, I’m sorry.
Take advantage of these amazing, mind-blowing training tools. Having a virtual training log or place to report your mileage and workouts to is great, it can act as motivation and incentive for people to go OUT and run. In that regard it’s wonderful to have a community of runners cheering you on and kindly kicking your butt out the door.
Workout hard, recover hard. 😉
[Napping in my Ezzere Peacock Runner Tee, you can BUY YOURS HERE! ]
Garmins and watches can also turn into mental nightmares if you get TOO hung up on the numbers and overly competitive. Quick rules:
* Easy Days:
Keep them easy. Don’t race your d**n Garmin.* Hard Days: Effort is ultimately the God, not the time. You know what hard feels like, you know what quasi-hard feels like, and if you know the goal for the day’s workout then the equation is simple. Go hard.
* Community Danger: The bad things with everyone knowing your workouts and weekly milage is getting competitive for the sake of just being competitive. So ask yourself these questions: 1) Do they award medals to people in training or is it on race day? 2) Are you doing XX miles and such-and-such workout because it’s in YOUR RUNNING’S best interest, or because you want to just brag you did XX miles.
So use all these tools, Runners, they’re out there, they can certainly provide some excellent feedback in planning your training. But ultimately you still need to listen to your body.
At the end of the day, sometimes you just gotta rock it old school.
Boston Marathon 2014 in a Word: Epic
If you’re a runner and you’re not still reeling after the Boston Marathon maybe check your pulse. Epic.
Sorry my International friends, but as an American, seeing Meb Keflezighi take the title and bring Boston back is spine-tingly. Scroll through some of the pictures that have been shared of him crossing the line, the poignant olive wreath placed upon his head, medal around his neck, eyes moist. Raw emotion. An image captures so much more than thousands and thousands of word could ever portray. I’ll only waste an effort with two: #meb #epic
Photo Credit: tdurden6 Click image for Source
Along with all other runners I’ve devoured the race coverage with the insatiable appetite of, well, a runner. There’s no OD’ing on Boston Marathon coverage thankfully. HERE and HERE are two really great articles, though there are myriads. Having not been there, I can only get my fix vicariously but will share some of my thoughts:
A Tale of Two Leaders
Both Meb and Shalane Flanagan in the women’s race took the lead from the gun. People can argue until they’re blue in the face over whether this is the kiss of death move or not. Meb held on until the end, unfortunately for all her American supporters Shalane did not.
However, regardless, both runners prove this: they were HUNGRY. Tenacious. Willing to put it ALL out there. Shalane quoted HERE, “I literally ran as hard as I could…I feel pretty ill right now…I’m proud of how I ran.” Rightfully she’s probably pissed she didn’t win but she’s NOT left with lingering questions over whether or not she put it all out there on the course. She crossed the line, 3-minute PR, physically ill later her body proving as such, no questions in her mind. She’s also sure as hell going to be back. Quoted from Competitor, “I will be back here until I win it,” Flanagan affirms.
Meb was just as hell-bound to win, but surprised he was left to lead most of the race. Marathons can be tactical just as much a test of fitness. He knew he didn’t boast of the fastest PR going into the race but he proved today he was the smartest racer.
Loved this quote found HERE from him;”I knew it was a loaded field. I didn’t have a 2:04, 2:05 PR, but guess what? I have the Boston Marathon title.”
To Hell With Age and Doubters
Meb is just about to turn 40. People were shocked and amazed when he won the 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon and he’s now older. He runs in Sketchers. Sorta enough said. There’s a lot changing in the world of running sponsorships and contracts which is a whole different matter…but the point is Meb had doubters.
Everyone has doubters, but he also had supporters and trust in himself. So he ran in Sketchers, put in the work, and just stepped away the Boston Marathon Champ. “I was delighted to have 99.9 percent of my career fulfilled, but today – 110 percent,” he’s quoted HERE.
Shalane has still got plenty of years. She makes it quite clear she’s still just as hungry for the Boston Marathon title. Her fans are only going to be cheering louder and louder.
Everyone, us mortal runners of the world, should take a cue from both harriers. Both of them are confident as hell…they are humans so do have moments of doubt like the rest of us…but they tell those doubts and their doubters to suck it.
Then they step to the line as fierce competitors, and go.
Happy Easter 2014
Be strong. Run strong.
Run Better, Erase Your Doubts
Shhhh…I’ll tell you a secret. Every runner has doubts. It’s just human nature. EVERYONE has that little voice in their head that’s willing to be insecure.
The thing is though, while you can’t control the presence of doubts, you CAN control if you decide to listen to them.
Don’t. You’ll run better when you tell your doubts to shut the h*ll up.
TRUST in your abilities. Trust in yourself…have confidence.
It’s a sick irony that some of the most capable, amazingly talented people (and runners) are held back by one little thing…
…doubt.
An inner self-critic robs you of your confidence, it steals your achievements, it cripples you, it institutes your limits. Quite often with us type-A runners, we can turn into our own worst enemies.
That should make you PISSED, get mad as h*ll!! Turn that rage AGAINST the inner critic. Use that fiery anger to erase your doubts and instead…
…trust.
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Related Reads:
Underestimate Me: Confidence is malleable, believe in yourself through it all
Runners, Get Your Confidence On: Workouts to build the confidence you need to race your best
#epicfailWIN: Why failures rock and shouldn’t steal your confidence
Combat Excuses and Run Mentally Tough Even When Things Suck
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1) Finish this sentence: “Today I will be confident. I will erase the doubt that I _______________”
Reasons I’m Loving Spring
Spring’s here, Runners, so let’s soak up as much of that Vitamin D as we can!!
I finished my run wearing the Peacock Runner Tee (You can BUY YOURS at www.ezzere.com) and couldn’t help but linger outside. This is my favorite time of year, Spring means…
TRACK!! Holy cow, can you say the track’s been burning up lately at those meets and for us track nerds the season’s just getting started! Hurrah!
Let Spring give YOU a need for speed!!
Let Track Season Bring Out the Gamer in the Runner: Each event, different variables to master
Why All the Track Hate? Overcoming Track-Phobia
If the track is intimidating to you, it SHOULDN’T be! So if that’s you struck with track phobia I challenge you to face that fear head on! Look at it this way: a hard workout is a hard workout REGARDLESS of where it’s run. Don’t let the track’s presence add extra pressure and just realize the rules are the same: give your best effort and that’s all you can do!
Short sleeves!! Well actually the Spring means tanks and even sports bras which I prefer WAY more than the long sleeves and bundling up. I’m a wimp, I don’t like to be cold. But I also HATE being so hot I feel like I’m turning into one of those charred worms on the pavement.
Yea, I’m not looking forward to the 115 degree summer temps. So I’m going to savor these Spring weather runs while I can. Come summer I’m thinking I’m going to have to get up at like 5am and run before Mr. Sun has a chance to scorch me to DEATH!!
It’s important with the sun us runners are even more diligent in our hydrating regimes!! Guzzle, guzzle, guzzle!! And make sure you’re drinking more than just water, you’ve gotta replenish those electrolyte stores too.
Oh and another benefit of Spring…seeing Peeps literally everywhere! 😉 Hey just that fast-acting source of glycogen, right??
1) What are you looking forward to this Spring?
2) What’s your favorite season to run in?
Where Running Workouts Truly Begin
The true test of a workout is how you manage when it starts to hurt.
Ultimately the real benefits come when you start pushing through the pain and running outside of your comfort zone. This holds true both physically and mentally.
Physically the point of hard workouts are to demand more from your muscles. Make them give you more than they’d like to. You tear them down. Recovery allows you to build them back up stronger…but it starts with tearing them down.
Mentally a runner has to be tough. Tough as sh*t. Have confidence in your toughness, wear it proudly. Workouts are mental tests, they teach you to handle the discomfort so come race day you know you’ve been there. You’ve pushed through that pain before, you know you can handle it again.
The workout really starts when things start to hurt. How will you respond?
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Read tips from the pro’s on MENTAL TOUGHNESS for runners.
More MOTIVATION for runners.
We may be hurting but we STILL LOOK GOOD doing it! 😉
My latest RunBlogRun Article: “Danny Mackey and Racing Like a Beast”
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1) Where do you get your confidence?
Ezzere’s Bringing the Party to YOU!!
I had SUCH an amazing time celebrating the launch of my fitness fashion brand, Ezzere!! Thank you so much to all who came out and those who were partying with me in spirit!!
In case you were partying from afar I wanted to share some highlights of the awesome event.
My GORGEOUS and awesome models show how to own the #SweatsintheCity look. 😉
My most beautiful Baby Sis showing us all how to take the Peacock Runner Tee on a 180. 😉
Like I said there were PRIZES, and I LOVED seeing just how excited Melanie was when she won my Get Chicking Tee!
The GRAND FINALE of the night…
Look what the AMAZINGLY talented Laura @ TrashtoCouture did to the Run Your Fortune Tee!!! Seriously, I am speechless and in awe of her DIY fashion prowess. You HAVE to check out her site TrashtoCouture.com her SHOP filled with her one-of-a-kind pieces, and follow her on Twitter @Trashtocouture and Instagram @TrashtoCouture . I’m in freaking awe of her creativity and talent…not only is she the Queen of DIY Fashion she’s a mother to two boys, and an insanely fast runnerchick. She’s been beating the boys (and all the girls too for that matter!!) since she was in high school.
Having her transform one of my shirts into a gorgeous hoodie is something incredibly special to me. THANK YOU, Laura, so much…and I hope vicariously I can absorb just a smidgen of your style and fashion sense!!
The night truly was a BLAST…thank you to everyone who’s been so supportive! Those who were able to come out put their own artistic talents to work and created a motivational goal poster.
WRITTEN goals are more powerful goals. I challenge you all to take a moment, DEFINE a goal you want to reach by the end of the month and WRITE it. If you’re brave enough I’d love for you to share it me!
Tweet, Facebook, Instagram or email: contact@ezzere.com with your written goal.
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Thank you again to Nuun Hydration and US Cryotherapy in Roseville, CA for helping sponsor and host the event.
I want you ALL to be a part of the Ezzere community I’m building, don’t MISS OUT and sign-up for my NEW Ezzere Newsletter. 🙂
Monday Morning Running Motivation: My Run is My Drug
Dr. Chock prescribed, never forget to get your daily dose.
#runforsanity
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TODAY is the day!! The Ezzere Launch Party Runner Night is happening!! All the info HERE and if you’re in the Roseville, CA area please stop by. If you’re NOT, don’t cry, you can still party like an awesome runner and celebrate with us. BUY your Ezzere shirt and show me how you rock the runnerchick chic #SweatsintheCity fashion both ON the run and off. 🙂
Two Surprising Canned Foods Runners Aren’t Eating But Should
Runners are hip to knowing it’s important to fuel their bodies right. Gotta fuel the beast if you expect it to perform. It’s become pretty common knowledge to seek out protein-rich foods for muscle repair and growth and even Sesame Street can tell us we’re supposed to eat our fruits and veggies.
But canned foods, those can sometimes get a bad rap. Like the Foodie Snobs may not even walk through the canned aisle, right? 😉 JK. It’s true the SOME canned foods can be loaded with sodium and fresh foods may seem like the better choice. However, canned foods really have come a long way in terms of getting ‘healified’; runners can easily find lower sodium options on the shelves. And hey, bottom line it for you: canned veggies last forever and a day, they’re often cheaper, and a canned veggie if it’s eaten is FAR and away better than no veggie at all!
Yea, runners LOVE food!
Though let’s talk about two AWESOME foods for runners that are canned but probably aren’t even on your food radar at all. I’ll amend that…these guys aren’t exactly canned but rather tinned.
TINNED…yea, I know, cut to the mental image of people hunkered down in a bomb shelter, ‘those’ kinds of situations are when tinned foods are called for. 😉 Just kidding. Actually, runners need to start stopping their carts front and center in the tinned seafood section.
Oysters
I’m a huge seafood fan and love anything and everything from the sea, but if your face scrunched up at reading oysters…unscrunch that runner face of yours. Oysters are loaded with iron, which is incredibly important for runners. Iron is one of those things where if your levels start to dip your energy takes a nosedive. Symptoms mimic that of overtraining, you could be beating your head against the wall in frustration wondering WHY your workouts are tanking, your easy runs NEVER feel easy, and no amount of cutting back is making you feel better.
That kind of over fatigue kills not only your workouts but your mental outlook, it’s not fun slogging along feeling like you’re running with bricks on your feet. One of the first things to do if you start to experience prolonged tiredness like this is to check your iron because you may be anemic.
Runners never want to get to that point and experience being anemic so it’s important to be eating iron-rich foods. [I also recommend that you supplement in addition to those foods.] Oysters are a great source of iron (zinc too) with 6.1mg for 6 medium oysters, or 88grams of oysters.
Sardines
That’s right, these little fishies are a perfect catch for runners! (sorry, I couldn’t resist) Sardines are an excellent source of protein and they have the healthy Omega 3 fats. All of this means they’re restoring your muscles, they have an anti-inflammatory effect, are heart-healthy, they’re also helping build that mental muscle…yea, runners are smart like that. [Omega 3 Fatty Acids help boost brain healthy among many things.]
Don’t swallow a live fish though, please.
Like most other foods from the sea sardines are also low in calorie, making those calories give you lots of bang for your buck in terms of the protein count. One sardine fishy has 25 calories and 3 grams of protein.
Now sardines come tinned in a few different varieties: in water, in oil, and in mustard. I recommend picking the water or mustard options, and from there get swallowing! Just kidding, of course I’ve got no problem eating a raw fish but there are lots of ways to creatively add your sardines to meals, added to a delish pasta sauce is one option.
So there, Foodie Snobs of the world be darned, there IS reason to park that card right in from of the canned/tinned food section! Runners should do it most definitely. 🙂
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It’s COMING!! If you’re in the Roseville, CA area be sure to come out to my big Ezzere Launch Party Runner Night on Monday, April 7th! All the details are HERE!! Lots of runners, prizes, shirts, fashion, and more. 🙂
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1) Do you like seafood?
2) Have you ever tried oysters or sardines?
3) Do you buy/eat many canned foods? What are your healthy canned food finds?