tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40396281024109230132011-04-21T14:26:51.582-04:00For laughs, lessons, training stories, and helpful tips from ZOOMA's staffBraenoreply@blogger.comBlogger271100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-20859536601114065662009-02-23T12:00:00.000-05:002009-02-23T12:01:38.782-05:00

Isn't that how women work? We constantly compare ourselves to other women. Sometimes this can be an unhealthy way of living your life. But I believe it can also be motivation for exercise and for helping stay focused on our goals.I am your coach, Gracie Updyke. I am 31 years old and have a 22 month old daughter, Daylin Grace. I am also 5 months pregnant and have decided to train for the

Braenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-17382123989957733412009-01-23T09:02:00.001-05:002009-01-23T09:04:18.137-05:00

As I sit down to write a blog post this morning, my mind is racing with thoughts of ZOOMA. This is an incredibly exciting time for us. Since January 1, ZOOMA has taken on a wonderful new staff member, re-launched zoomarun.com, staged a successful training kick-off for ZOOMA Austin, initiated planning for the inaugural ZOOMA Denver, and entered discussions about a future ZOOMA San Francisco.

Braenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-57511417105958034852009-01-12T11:58:00.005-05:002009-01-12T12:07:37.100-05:00

We all had a lot of fun at the ZOOMA Austin Training Kick-Off on Thursday, January 8th at Rogue Equipment in east Austin. Kristin Armstrong inspired us all with great advice about the new year, and Susan McDowell of LifeWorks encouraged us to fundraise for their awesome programs. A big group of women ran en masse to the Capital, laughing and chatting all the way. Thanks to everyone for coming!

Braenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-68115589459542061092009-01-06T18:58:00.003-05:002009-01-11T21:49:54.744-05:00

Yesterday, Oprah aired a show about her weight gain over the past year. Working in the fitness-and-motivation industry, I eagerly anticipated the heavily advertised confession. After seeing it last night (I DVR The Oprah Show), I realized that Oprah’s words and expressions felt very familiar. Oprah’s expression told me she felt awkward and slightly embarrassed telling the world about her failures

Braenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-19690605090070765422008-12-22T09:35:00.003-05:002008-12-22T09:38:02.544-05:00

This is a lovely essay written and read by Kelly Corrigan, an author. To me, its a great reminder of why it's great to be a woman and how blessed we all are. Happy holidays!

Braenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-26428182021405471092008-12-05T17:13:00.002-05:002008-12-05T17:17:45.176-05:00

Where did Thanksgiving go, and why are there twinkle lights in my neighbor’s bushes and inflatable snowmen in her front yard? With all my focus on ZOOMA Atlanta over the past couple months, the holidays have crept up on me like never before. Which causes me to stress out a little.My sister and I have been trying to coordinate Christmas Eve and Christmas day family visits. We have about 48

Braenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-63246504845235283022008-12-02T17:02:00.003-05:002008-12-02T17:05:24.184-05:00

Thursday, January 8 at 6:00 pmRogue Equipment, 500 San Marcos St, Austin, TXMeet Kristin Armstrong, Runners' World contributor, and ZOOMA Women's Race Series founder Brae Blackley Learn about LifeWorks' single mothers' shelter and how you can help by running ZOOMA, from Susan McDowell, LifeWorks' CEO and runner Enjoy wine, bra fittings, product demos and free giveways from ZOOMA sponsors Kick

Braenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-43375876434430956062008-11-18T17:27:00.004-05:002008-11-20T13:58:59.840-05:00

THANKS to all the ZOOMA Atlanta runners and walkers who braved 35 degree weather to challenge themselves with a 5K or half marathon. Nearly 1,700 women signed up for the inaugural race. Thanks for welcoming ZOOMA to Atlanta! We'll definitely be back next year.And thanks to those of you who shared your good experiences with me. Here are a few of the sweet emails I have received over the past

Braenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-85738644726571066212008-11-05T15:32:00.003-05:002008-11-05T16:06:44.439-05:00

We are just days away from our race in Atlanta. I am so excited for all of you to achieve the goals you have set for this event. Whether it is to finish, run and walk, run the whole time, or run a personal best...You CAN and WILL be successful!The best prepartion for ZOOMA has already been accomplished: your training. If you have trained consistently, the rest will fall into place and your best

Braenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-23808735557757977312008-10-28T19:38:00.001-04:002008-10-28T19:40:55.611-04:00

Although gas prices do seem blissfully low, this blog post is not about pulling over to fill up anytime you see gas advertised for below $2.80 a gallon (although it is tempting!) It may be totally “square” but I admit that I am reading The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale, the granddaddy of self-help authors. The book was originally published in the 50s and definitely has a

Braenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-16636292994759499312008-10-13T11:34:00.001-04:002008-10-13T11:34:47.003-04:00

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about weight loss and running. Weight loss is a stressful issue on the minds of so many women and is actually the top reason women start running. Healthy living is something I feel passionate about and is the reason I founded ZOOMA—to inspire women to have fun with a healthy lifestyle. It’s tough not to focus on weight loss with Jenny Craig commercials, Dove’s

Braenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-79020309641120139232008-09-30T09:32:00.005-04:002008-09-30T09:43:09.657-04:00

ZOOMA Blog Guest Post#1: Occassionally, we meet a ZOOMA runner who is truly inspirational, and we ask her to share her story with you. Here is the first of our guest posts. At some time in our lives, we all get asked that big question. What do you want to do with your life? My answer is always to love people with all my heart and help anyway I can. So, I spend my life doing just that. In the

Braenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-13412297551485010022008-09-26T09:23:00.002-04:002008-09-26T09:51:46.962-04:00

In the first six months of this year, I was totally side-lined by a random injury - mostly due to my lack of strength in critical running muscle groups. Until last January, I had never had an injury that had kept me from running for more than a week or two. My mood changed, my weight fluctuated... I was totally lost!Thankfully, now I am back on track. (Just did a half marathon last weekend!)

Braenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-65629575336451484482008-09-24T17:30:00.002-04:002008-09-24T17:58:44.180-04:00

Dear ZOOMA Runners and Run/Walkers,A couple nights a week I coach a group of women who are just getting into (or getting back into) running. Last night, as I worked with my run walk group, I realized something--for the woman who feels so miserable in her skin because she has let herself go, the courage it must take to get off her butt and exercise is incredible. As I hugged each new member of my

Braenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-24312299740674490962008-09-23T12:26:00.003-04:002008-09-23T14:20:49.796-04:00

Two pieces of Exciting ZOOMA News today: FIRST: Registration for ZOOMA Austin is open! We are super excited about this race. The race is on Saturday, April 4, and is hosted by the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort and Spa. The course is rural and so peaceful and beautiful, and the post-race party is right on the banks of the Colorado River. April in Austin is fab-u-lous. Our official charity is LifeWorks,

Braenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-21444743398862148292008-09-17T15:21:00.001-04:002008-09-17T15:24:25.083-04:00

My last three workouts have been a mixed bag. One 10-mile run cut short around mile 7 because I was dehydrated and felt like I might keel over at any moment (my fault, I know). One half hour run that felt like an hour and a half. I was reluctant to do go out again – my last two attempts had been totally miserable and decidedly not fun. Could I find that spark again? And finally… a decent

Braenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-21518805925643056422008-09-12T09:13:00.003-04:002008-09-12T09:36:39.195-04:00

I follow FitMom on Twitter and yesterday she tweeted about a guest post by Coach Al Lyman. Since most of you in are in the middle of your training for ZOOMA Atlanta (me and Brae, end of our training for the Philly ING Half Marathon next weekend!!), I thought I would share with you his great advice about what to do if you get injured and the importance of paying attention to your body while

Andreanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-80537467583088488612008-09-08T11:14:00.001-04:002008-09-08T11:17:16.388-04:00

Is there a difference between training on the treadmill vs training outside? I have been getting this question a lot lately.There are many pros and cons and differences in training on the treadmill vs training outside.I will start with the Pros:1-You can run no matter what the weather is outside.2-You can watch TV and catch up on your shows while training.3-The pace is exactly what you register

Braenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-75396058105512842008-09-07T04:50:00.004-04:002008-09-07T05:21:56.435-04:00

It's 4:50 am as I write this and I'm still suffering from jetlag from two weeks in Israel. Not only do I suffer from jetlag, but as a result of this trip, I've lost my motivation to workout. Surely I'm not alone in this feeling. With the end of the summer comes a change in routine which requires readjusting (I hate change and I'm sure I'm not alone). Some of you may feel like you've hit a workout

Andreanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-89942542065546356712008-09-02T15:13:00.001-04:002008-09-02T15:47:54.455-04:00

I don’t have any children of my own, but my neighborhood is home to an elementary school and so I feel in sync with the school kids’ schedule. Just this week, the weather changed. The humidity has gone south for the winter, and a few leaves have decided to fall from their lofty summer homes. Yellow school buses are rumbling down my street early in the morning. Yesterday I flipped the

Braenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-37912941101502591722008-08-27T17:39:00.003-04:002008-08-27T17:43:58.814-04:00

Hello all runners and run/walkers,I am very proud to be your coach for the ZOOMASeries and am here for ALL of you. The programs we designed are for all levels; from beginner exercisers to those more experienced runners wanting to break their time goals!I have trained thousands of women runners and I always get the same common question: What program should I follow? Well, what are your goals and

Braenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-16465406053923198502008-08-25T14:12:00.000-04:002008-08-25T14:15:26.681-04:00

Last Saturday morning I arrived at my old high school track around 7:30 am. It was my high school cross country Alumni Run, an annual tradition in which I had not participated since it was a required event for me and my teammates. Every year I receive a notice in the mail inviting me to participate and asking for a donation, and although I usually happily donate, I never attend. This year, I

Braenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-43525015172349527642008-08-11T11:25:00.001-04:002008-08-11T11:25:46.913-04:00

As we near the end of the summer, everyone tries to squeeze in last minute vacations. Sometimes we have to pick up our training and take it with us.The last two months, I have been traveling so often that I have been able to do only one weekend long run on my home turf. One Saturday, I woke up, scurried around the dark to find my running shoes, and tiptoed out of a beach house full of my

Braenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-73348328829137957712008-08-07T10:32:00.003-04:002008-08-07T10:33:47.779-04:00

Who says you can't look and feel pretty while running?"I believe that a woman is even more powerful when she feels pretty."... And we agree! Check out Kristin's article on RunnersWorld.com:http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-369-371--12796-0,00.html

Braenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-61170011961728352392008-08-04T09:35:00.001-04:002008-08-04T09:37:34.151-04:00

Welcome all Zooma Runners and Run/Walkers!First off congratulations on starting or continuing the journey of being a runner. Running is one of the most difficult yet amazing sports out there. It demonstrates a true athlete....it is so individual, uses every muscle in your body, and test all limits! Everyone has different reasons for running: stress relief, convenience, good at it, the sense of

Braenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-8966125861176156712008-07-28T12:01:00.003-04:002008-07-28T12:09:52.436-04:00

Welcome to the ZOOMA blog! I hope you enjoy reading about our trials and tribulations and learning about new industry trends and training advice. Before we embark on this fun new project, I thought it would be good to tell you all a little bit about me and how I ended up where I am…I started out a lawyer… After marrying my college sweetheart in a beautiful ceremony on the beach in my hometown in

Braenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039628102410923013.post-47590758803021730762008-06-27T22:59:00.000-04:002008-06-27T23:15:29.302-04:00

Can you ZOOMA?We hope this is the start of another exciting way to keep in touch with our fantastic runners. As I write this, Brae is on her way back from Austin, TX with planning about to kick off for ZOOMA Austin in Spring 2009. In addition, we are working hard for ZOOMA Atlanta and if you want more information, check out www.zoomarun.com and mark your calendar for Sunday, November 16.This blog

Andreanoreply@blogger.com0