Running Brands

Hello World,

I hope everyone had a blessed week. I know the weather hasn’t been very fall-ish but trust me it will happen soon.

As I said in my last post, I am going to be talking about certain running apparel that I enjoy the most.  I hope these brands are helpful.

First off I’ll start with leggings. I have many favorite leggings and enjoy using all of them very much. But my favorite brand is Under Armour. I have had small and skinny legs my whole entire life, so finding leggings that actually fit tight to my legs has been difficult. 

Under Armour leggings fit the bill.  The “Woman’s UA Perfect Rave Legging” work wonderfully. This pair is wonderful because instead of just having an inseam down both sides it also has a seam that goes behind the knees which makes it tight. The link is http://bit.ly/1bphtq0.

Next are gloves. Using gloves is very subjective based on the runner. But my favorite brand is Nike. Nike makes many types of gloves but my favorite pair is called “Nike Lightweight Tech”. 

I like this pair because they are lightweight, colorful and even have a place to put my key. I love these gloves so much I even have two pairs. These gloves run about $20 and are totally worth the money. If you are interested, the link is http://swoo.sh/1638P21.

Ear warmers are one of the most important things to wear in the cold winter months. I have tried just “ear muffs” but they always seemed to fall off. My favorite ear warmers are “TNF Standard Issue Ear Gear”.  

This ear warmer is essentially an item that is worn as a headband but is larger to cover your ears. It is made of a thin material but keeps your head warm and dry. It runs about $20 and comes in a variety of colors. I would highly recommend this product and you should defiantly check out the product at http://bit.ly/1hP5CDi.

There are many other products that should be mentioned as some of my favorites but I’ll leave the exploring up to you.   Take some time and stroll through your favorite sport’s apparel store.  Try on several styles and decide what works best for you.  I hope some of my favorites will soon be some of your favorites also.

This week has been difficult for me personally but Jesus has gotten me through. This week’s Bible verse is Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

This verse didn’t correlate to running in my own mind but instead to real life. One thing I have learned in college is that sometimes things don’t go as planned. When that happens one must have faith that Jesus has a plan and it will prevail in the end.

Have a blessed week!

Jamie

There is a Chill in the Air

Happy Fall Everyone!

The leaves are finally changing and the weather is getting colder. That means two things in the running world. Be smart and precautious while running and wear warmer running gear. This week I will be discussing tips on running in the cold and next week I will discuss specific items to wear in the cold.

After three years of cross-country and track I received lots of advice on ways to be safe while in the cold. These are three of my favorite tips:

1.     Always wear warm clothes.

This may seem obvious but a lot of people don’t wear the proper attire for the weather. The key to dressing correctly is to wear layers.  

When dressing in layers, the most important first layer is tight clothing. I personally recommend wearing some type of undershirt that clings to you and some running tights. Next week I will get into some specific brands that I enjoy the most but essentially any brand that fits will do.

For the second layer, I keep it simple. On the top half I usually wear a normal cotton shirt.  It can be either short or long sleeves. It doesn’t really keep you warm but in case you get hot under the third layer it allows you to shed a layer. The bottom half is a personal preference. Sometimes I wear normal sweatpants but usually I just stick with leggings.

The third and final layer I wear is a sweatshirt. It can be a baggy sweatshirt or it could be a thin pullover. Just make sure it is confortable over the other two layers.

 2.  Always keep your hands and ears covered.

Some people feel like a little kid when bundling up, but it is important. I personally wear either a hat or ear warmers. By keeping your ears and head warm it dramatically lowers your chances of catching a cold.

Wearing gloves can be a very “touchy” subject for runners. Some runners enjoy the warmth gloves offer. But others experience tingly sensations in their fingers when they wear gloves.  I personally am a glove person.

Gloves and head warmers are very important while running in the cold but again in the end it is personal preference.

    

3.  Stay Motivated.

This tip isn’t just about safety.  It is also about staying fit in the winter. People think that winter is a time when they can hide their fat under clothes and hibernate. But in actuality that isn’t what winter should be about. 

Winter should be about improvement. Instead of giving up on working out you should prepare for the summer. Get in shape now. Don’t wait until the summer to get that “bikini bod”. Try to retain your shape. It will make workouts more enjoyable and productive because you have a goal to strive for.

This week the Bible verse I chose wasn’t directly correlated to running but about the seasons changing. This week I chose Psalm 74:17 “It was You who set all the boundaries of the earth; You made both summer and winter.”

This verse is helpful at the start of fall because it reminds us that just because the seasons are changing, it doesn’t make them entirely different. God made all seasons and wanted his children to live and thrive through them. Don’t take the winter off and be a slug. Instead try to live and workout this winter for the glory of Him.

God Bless.

Jamie

"Video Stars Killed the Gym Stars"

Hello,

It is finally Friday. I thoroughly love Fridays because it means the week has finally come to a close and that there is always time for a workout. And this weekend sure calls for an intense workout.

All week my friends and I have been doing a video workout. And might I say it sure has been very difficult, but well worth it. Through the workouts I have been keeping tabs on some of my favorite exercises.

The first exercise that I enjoyed is called “tricep-dips”. How it is done is you first lie on your back and then lift your backside up so you are in a crab-like position. To make the exercise more difficult, put your hands the same direction your feet are facing. See image for more assistance. Bend your elbows at an angle. Do three sets of twelve.

http://bit.ly/199ZaS1

Another exercise that I enjoyed was a burpee variation. You start in a stand up position with your hands above your head. Then crouch down in a plank position. Once you get in that position do four pushups. Then immediately transition into eight mountain climbers. Finally, stand up and repeat the whole process. Do three sets of 12.

The final exercise that I enjoyed which was the most painful is basically a squat. You start with your legs shoulder length apart and slightly bent. You then bend your knees and bring your elbows to your knees. Repeat. Do three sets of 12.

My favorite part of posting each week is finding an inspirational Bible verse. This week the exercise plan is very difficult and takes motivation so “The amount you give will determine the amount you get back” Luke 6:38. Keep this verse in mind in your daily workouts and as well as throughout the week.

God Bless.

Jamie

Lack of Motivation

Hello,

I am sure it has been a busy week for everyone…you and me both. Between school, clubs and homework I do not have a spare minute in my day. To be honest I have been lacking motivation to workout, which I am sure everyone has had those weeks. Which in reality means: I hardly worked out this week.

Finally this morning I got up the motivation to workout.  Since I was lacking motivation and felt like I was a fat whale (college changes people), I decided just to do a simple running workout this morning.

I started out on a simple 15 minute jog around campus to get me warmed up. It was a peaceful and humbling experience to see all of the green trees and the beautiful flowers, especially since today is the first day of fall.

I ended my tour of campus at the SRWC (known as the rec center on campus). I then decided to be productive and do the stair stepper for five minutes. It may not seem like a lot but stairs are DIFFICULT no matter the amount of time.

Next I decided to do my abs workout that was posted in the previous post. Let me tell you, after not doing the abs workout religiously…it gets rough.

Finally I ended with some peaceful stretching. I have learned from my 3 years of cross-country and track that if one doesn’t stretch there was no point of the workout. The stretches that I normally turn to are the butterfly and figure four leg stretches.

After I finished the stretches I left the gym feeling accomplished and slightly less whale-ish.

This week I turned to 2 Thessalonians 3:3 “The Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you”. I have been beating myself up about not working out as much as I should. But I am faithful that if I keep working out and staying focused on school and working out he will bring me right back to where I want to be. And most importantly he will bring me back to where I should be and where he wants me to be.

Have a blessed day,

Jamie

Gym Life

Hi,

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and is ready to start the new week off right! It again has been another busy week here at Washburn but that makes college life fun!

This week I still did my normal casual running, but I also focused on abs. When I do this workout I start on the treadmill and run about three miles. Then I go straight to the mats. From there I do a few quick stretches to get my abs ready for a doozy of a workout! I start off with front planks for a minute.  The front plank consists of getting in the push up position but on your forearms.

 Once I finish, I take a ten second break and move on to left and right side planks. They are all basically the same position except you turn your body so you are just laying on either your right or left arm. After I do a minute of each, I hop up and run a lap around the gym (which is a tenth of a mile). After I return back to the mats I begin my favorite exercise called the “suitcase”. In the video called  "Weighted Suitcase Crunches - www.LeanDream.com" from www.youtube.com you can see an effective way to do weighted crunches. I do four sets of 25 suitcases. 

In between each set I do a lap around the track. Again this ab workout might seem overwhelming and unrealistic at first.   But like I said in my previous post, you can adjust it to any time or interval amount that is manageable for you. Do whatever improves you as a runner.

The bible verse that spoke to me this week was Ecclesiastes 9:10.  “Whatever you do, do well”.  This verse stuck out at me this week because I am in college now and trying to fit everything into my day. And must I say it is very difficult. But this verse showed me that while I want to do everything perfect, it may not always turn out perfect. But “whatever I do” I will do it “well” if it is for Jesus.

Stay fit and God bless,

Jamie