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Tag Archives: running
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?
Running Cards Against Humanity
My roommates and I were playing a game, Cards Against Humanity, so naturally my brain wandered to how this could work for runners. Here’s the gist, everyone gets 10 cards with words of phrases on them, these are the answer cards. One person then draws from another stack of cards with a question or phrase as it, this is the prompter card. Everyone then looks through their deck of answers and puts down one of their words they think best fits.
If you’re a little confused, we’ll just get going and you’ll understand. I’ll give you some prompts….
1) That smell emanating from the back of the room is ____________.
A) The Mt. Everest of dirty running clothes I’m putting off washing.
B) New scented BodyGlide.
C) Explosive diarrhea fumes wafting from my trail run.
D) Swassy
E) Add your card!
2) TSA’s latest airline restrictions now ban __________.
A) Spikes.
B) More than 2oz of energy gel.
C) Anyone not wearing compression socks.
D) The dork who created Vibrams.
E) Add your card!
3) The last time I felt the overwhelming desire to ____________ I just had to indulge and _________________.
A) Be a glutton for punishment/skipped putting on BodyGlide before my marathon.
B) Prove my awesome directional skills/turned a 4 mile run into a 9 mile run.
C) feel on top of the clouds/ran. #endorphinhigh
D) punch someone in the face/ran the ‘surprise’ interval coach told me to…THEN punched him in the face. 😉 jk. [disclaimer: I don’t condone punching your coach in the face…haha.]
E) Add your card!
4) I awoke with a start, sweat pouring down my face, I had just had my worst nightmare.
A) My Garmin stopped working during my tempo run. [side-note, I actually HAD that happen…my OCD is still trying to recover.]
B) I showed up to the track, looked down, and realized I’d forgotten to wear any running shorts.
C) I’d finished my long run, had dreamed of a mountain of pancakes for 16 miles…only to get to the diner and have them tell me it was TOO LATE…they stopped serving breakfast!!
D) Trying to do repeats on the track when all of a sudden a parade of walkers took over, walking side-by-side the full width of the track.
E) Add your card!
Did that last one give you vicarious chills?? Go…run, embrace all our quirky running humor!
What are some of the cards you would put in as answers to any of the above prompter cards??
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?
They Always Say Home Is Where the Heart Is
Find your home. Find your love. #run
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MY NEW NEWSLETTER! If you missed the first Arty Runnerchick Ezzere Newsletter, don’t cry…don’t worry…just sign up and you won’t miss out on one minute more of the action! 😉
Think of them like a weekly vitamin shot: packed with training tips, news and updates, art, motivation, and more to boost and fuel your running. 😉 Plus way tastier than those wheat grass shots.
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1) Where do you feel most at home?
2) Where are you finding love with your runs lately?
3) What vitamins or supplements do you take, if any?
I hope everyone takes at least some iron supplements!
What’s Fueling YOUR Run?
Whether it be sarcasm, pancakes or otherwise, whatever fuels your running must be celebrated.
Power of the Running Snark
Trust me, a runner’s brain is wont to wander on those long runs and easy days, making jokes is certainly one of the best ways to roll. The perks of being your own running comedian:
* No hecklers: yea, let’s be honest, our brains may be a little deprived of of oxygen mid-run so the jokes may not exactly hold-up on a real comedy tour.
* Free laughs: it’s always MORE than okay to laugh at your own jokes, and out loud. Heck, you could wail like a hyena in the middle of the woods.
* Good times: spot really random moments of people when they have no idea anyone is like finding gold. Runners tend to go unnoticed by normal folk, we just blend into the background, so running is sometimes like the People Watching Olympics.
Running For Pancakes
Literal fuel for your running, certainly never to be overlooked. Now the bait reward of the foods to come often spend copious amounts of time on the brain during a run…
* Long run salivation: staring that 22-mile long run? Shall I take a poll as to how many of those miles were spent drooling over just how much you’re going to savor devouring [insert favorite food here] upon return? No judgement if drooling starts the moment the watch starts.
* Pre-food penance: on the flip side, pick the WRONG food before a run and you’ll most likely spend the entirety of that run paying the price. We need to start assigning a Points System for certain foods if ingested before a run: ice cream ands loads of dairy = 15 fart points, super spicy thai = 27 bush-dive points, burrito bomb = 45 clenched cheek shuffle point/27 fart points/39 bush dive points…that may work in making us reeeealllly consider if it’s worth eating that BEFORE we run. 😉
* Energy: okay, let’s take a moment for a bit of seriousness…use food to fuel your performance people, fuel up right and you’ll feel the benefits. Good news is there aren’t militant expectations, it’s all about balance: ensure you get enough protein, time that protein right, make the majority of your carbs high-quality, eat your fruits and veggies, hydrate well and with electrolytes too, get enough iron and THEN…after that you deserve your desserts, treats, and rewards.
So now I ask, Runners, what’s fueling YOUR runs??
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Tips for coming up with a winning running nutrition plan.
How to eat out while still eating to perform…BONUS, that means you CAN eat for ‘fun’ and ‘performance’…hehe. 🙂
More cartoons and humor because, let’s be honest, laughing is the only way to go!
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1) Last thing you found hilarious while on the run?
2) What were you thinking about on your last run?
I had this annoying song stuck in my head, and that you just can’t run away from. 😉
3) What’s one tip when it comes to running and nutrition you like to live by?