The Best Holiday Gift Ever

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 hours to squeeze in visits with three different family branches, between the two of us. Not to mention sleep, travel time, and a break to breathe. Then there are the presents! There are, admittedly, some amazing recession-sales out there, but still it’s a difficult task to find the perfect gift for eight family members. And the holiday cards. And the holiday parties. Oh… the holidays!

And I’m sure many of you are struggling with even more distractions than I am. So, I’m proposing a new strategy. I’m going to give myself the best holiday gift ever.

The holidays are supposed to be about enjoying friends and family. They are about reflecting on the good things in our lives, and giving gifts to others because we love them and want them to feel happy and appreciated. I think that we all have one major problem when it comes to the holidays – we try to do too much. The holidays can really only be enjoyed if we are relaxed, de-stressed, and feel prepared and organized. How can we enjoy our friends and family members if we are stressed out with trying to see them all and with buying the perfect gifts?

The best gift we can give ourselves is to know our limits, and work within our own parameters. I refuse to sacrifice myself for the sake of a “perfect holiday.” Instead, I’m going to drastically take control of my holiday this year. I might schedule a massage for myself. Make time for yoga and running with friends. Focus on the small things. Scale back on the gifts if the effort is stretching me thin. Give myself permission to decline a holiday party invitation if I’d rather stay home and watch “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Pace myself. This holiday season, I'm going to treat myself.

I'm taking back this holiday... and creating a happy, relaxing, joyful and soulful few weeks. And, from the bottom of my heart, I wish you all the same!

Brae

ZOOMA Austin Training Kick-Off!

Thursday, January 8 at 6:00 pm
Rogue Equipment, 500 San Marcos St, Austin, TX

• Meet 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 your ZOOMA training off with a short run with Kristin, Brae, Susan and other ZOOMA runners!

Participation is free! Reserve your spot by RSVPing at www.zoomarun.com/news.html

Training Kick-Off is limited to 50 participants, so reserve your spot today!

ZOOMA Atlanta 2008

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 couple of days:

I just wanted to thank you for making my first 1/2 marathon such a wonderful experience! I had so much fun. The race was very well organized and the course was great! I can't wait for the next one.

Thanks again,
T. Proctor

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I just wanted to thank you for putting on an incredible race. No doubt the course was difficult, but a blast. For it being an inaugural event in Atlanta, it seemed to go off without a hitch. Kudos to your water/Gatorade cheering crew - they definitely kept us motivated. This was my first half-marathon and it definitely won't be my last! Looking forward to next year!

E. Zwigart

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GREAT race! Everything was so smooth and the event was a delight. It was my first half marathon and I loved it. See you next year and God bless your work.

Ginger

(P.S. Women liked this race especially because it gave them a chance to do a Fall half marathon before Thanksgiving. Women do the Atlanta Thanksgiving half, but it makes it hard for them to host company for the holiday. I heard one women commenting that Zooma will be her new November tradition and then she can relax and enjoy her Thanksgiving.)

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I participated in the Atlanta event yesterday, it was fantastic. Thank you for the wonderful race experience. The food was good, the vibe was great and the necklaces are too cute. I just wanted to say thanks, we had a great time…keep up the good work! See you next year!

C. Genter

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One of the BEST races I've been to!!!!! I WILL be there next year!! Good job!

K. Johnson

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Thanks to all of you for continuing to motivate me in my own running. I saw many women running across the finish line holding up their hands in victory with a huge smile on their faces, and there is nothing more inspiring. Congratulations to ZOOMA Atlanta finishers! Keep up the great work!

Brae

Race Preparation: Gracie's Do's and Don't's

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 race is in front of you.

I always share some Do's and Don'ts before race day: Please leave a comment below and let us all know what has been successful for you or your worst nightmare so we don't make the same mistakes :-)

Do's:

1-Make sure you are hydrated all week. Drink water until you meet the pee test: If your pee is clear, then you are ready to rock!

2-Make sure you rest a few days before the race. Stay off your feet as much as possible the day before.

3-Stay positive. Start now visualizing the entire race, mile by mile...how great you feel..what pace you are going, the people cheering you on and of course the finish line. Spend the time to visualize the entire race...

Don't's:

1-Don't eat anything that you don't normally eat the night before or day of the race.

2-Don't do any extra activities that you don't normally do the week of the race. We don't want you to get hurt, pull a muscle and not be able to race.

3-Don't wear brand new shoes for the race. Make sure your shoes are broken in.

4-Don't let any negative energy or doubt go through your mind. You have worked hard for this and you are going to enjoy it!

You have done the training and now is the time to mentally focus on being and staying positive.
Please send me questions, any questions, you have concerning your training, the race, prep...anything! I am here for all of you.

I will be at the race and expo selling my gear! If you don't already have a gracie' s gear top, shorts, or capris, go visit the Big Peach or Phiddipides. Our new colors and line have just arrived and they are amazing!

Coach Gracie
gracie@graciesgearandtraining.com
http://www.gracies-gear.com/

Refuel Before You're Empty

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 Christian undercurrent, but its advice rinks true today for a broad audience.

Here are some of the topics covered: A Peaceful Mind Generates Power, How to Have Constant Energy and How to Break the Worry Habit. Maybe it would disappoint Dr. Peale to know this… but these are all very relevant problems for most people—60 years after he first published his book!

The basic message is that we create our own happiness, our own energy, our own sense of inner peace. This isn’t big news. The most interesting parts are how to actually find the happiness, energy and peace.

One piece of advice that stuck in my head is Dr. Peale’s suggestion that we take 15 minutes every day to empty our minds. Just think about… well, nothing. No multi-tasking. No reading, watching TV, answering emails, watching kids, etc. Just… empty.

When I first read this I thought it was a very, very cool idea. Then, my skeptical self kicked in and I wondered how I could actually sit still for 15 minutes and not do ANYTHING. Maybe this idea was outdated. After all, they didn’t have internet and blackberries in the 50s. People were surely much less productive. Finally, I thought – why not? Shavasana (a.k.a. corpse pose, or final relaxation when you just lay on your mat with your eyes closed) is my favorite part of yoga class. Shavasana is really little more than emptying my mind after working out. And yoga is decidedly not 50s-ish. Maybe there was something to this think-nothing-for-15-minutes idea.

I realize that 15 minutes may be a huge chunk of time for some people, and many of us may not have the luxury of 15 free minutes alone every day. But don’t we owe it to ourselves to refuel before the tank is empty? Being quiet and truly still does bring peace and energy. Peace and energy makes me happy, and probably makes you happy, too. Without energy and inspiration, I wouldn’t get much done and I wouldn’t be much use to the people around me.

For me, running serves as a peaceful time. It’s a time to pay close attention to the things around me, the sights and the smells. It’s a time to feel every twinge and strength in my body, and to sweat away all the stress and worry of the day. Not thinking – just noticing. In a way, running is a way to refuel.

We often focus on things like self-help books when we find ourselves in a bad place. (Totally out of gas and AAA is on its way.) Doesn’t it make more sense to refuel before we’re empty?

Have a great week –

Brae

Be Caveman Sexy

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 Campaign for Real Beauty, and J.Crew catalogs with stick thin models bombarding me at every turn. Many of you probably include losing weight or maintaining your current weight as a major part of your ZOOMA Atlanta training goals. I have to admit that I run partly to maintain my weight.

Which makes me wonder… are we losing focus on the “real” goal here?

Is it beauty? We’re all aware of the prevalence of anorexia and bulimia with young girls, and the ridiculous weight standards People Magazine sets for us. Then, Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty encourages a “wider definition of beauty” by featuring non-typical-model-types in their ads. This campaign provoked some controversy, as several of the models would probably be described as “overweight” (medically speaking), and may not actually be all that healthy. Weight and beauty are undeniably closely related in the U.S.

Is it health? One of the newest Jenny Craig spokespersons is Queen Latifah, whose weight loss goal was to reach her “ideal size” and lose 20 pounds to lower her cholesterol. Queen Latifah’s focus was clearly on losing weight for health and not for looks. A good message, I think, but one that has not been heavily promoted in Jenny Craig’s marketing as far as I can tell.


I’ve heard a theory that the biological origin of the idea that “thin is beautiful” has to do with the fact that being thin is correlated with being healthy. I guess a caveman would want to shack up with a thin cavegirl because she would be likely to bear children and live a long life.

I think we all agree that being model-skinny is not a realistically attainable or healthy option for most women. But after we’ve left that ridiculous idea behind, what is the “real” goal? For me, I want to maintain a weight where I feel good about myself and am healthy. But what does that mean?

I suspect that the answer is different for each of us. And that is really the key here. Match up your “ideal size” and your healthiest weight. Your healthiest weight can be scientifically measured and has nothing to do with fashion models, celebrities or ad campaigns. You can measure your BMI and make sure your number falls within the healthy range. But BMI isn’t a perfect measure for everyone, so talk to your doctor, too.

Remember: The “real” goal is to be healthy, not to be as thin as your best friend, or to fit in a size that is too small for you! Would you be attractive to a caveman? Be happy in your own skin, have fun and be energetic, and find comfort in a lifestyle that makes you feel good about yourself. Show me that woman, and I will show you beautiful J

Have a great week,
Brae

Guest Post: Yolanda Leduc

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 process, I forgot to love and celebrate myself.

I have always been a large frame,"big bone" they say. I used that excuse for as long as I could. I never wanted to own up to the fact that I was mistreating myself and my health. I continued to neglect myself, and year after year, child after child, the pounds packed on. I then spent many years trying to get the pounds off, fast!! As we all know, fast is not the answer.

I fast forward my life to January of 2006, 32 years old. I joined a small local gym, determined to break the "fast" cycle and create a lasting one. To my surprise, I weighed in at 292 pounds. I was devastated!! It was as if I had been blind and hadn't seen myself getting larger and larger. I said a prayer and asked for help then begged for strength. I then went to work, on me. I was successful at losing about 20 pounds.

A few months down the road, my body sent me a warning. Even with the success of losing some weight, my body had enough!! My blood pressure shot up to numbers I'm not proud of. There I was at 32 in the back of the ambulance with not one but two nitro tablets given to me and heart patches on my chest. I was lying there with the thought of, am I having a heart attack or a stroke? The thought of my husband and kids and my hopes and dreams possibly being gone, just like that, was enough.

Thankfully, it was a warning, not a heart attack or a stroke. I knew that I had to get more serious about my health. That was my motivation. It starts with "the will to live." I was determined to get it together.

Funny, I use to always see myself running for miles, even though my body couldn't keep up. I was not going to let anyone take this vision from me. I held on to it and started to run the best way I knew how. It took me weeks to get to the end of my block. I never entertained the idea of not making it. I put in my head a picture of myself running. I then told myself, I will do it one pound at a time.

My husband and kids didn't know it yet but life in our house was about to change. You see, we women set the stage in our homes. We have the gift of setting the mood. We are the pillars of our homes. I wanted not just myself to be healthy but all of us. You can never be too healthy!! I started changing the way we ate and the types of foods that we ate and added more activity than before. I began to put myself through my own boot camp. I applied many types of excercises and I ran and ran.

I am now able to walk 7 miles and run a litttle over 3 miles. I am now 34 years old and 84 pounds lighter and still going. I have 53 pounds more to go but to me it feels like 10.

One of my dreams is to run in some type of marathon. I began searching for one on the computer and found ZOOMA. Now, here I am starting with the 5K. Although I haven't run the race yet, the thought of entering another run after this one is amazing!! I owe it to myself, we all do.

In this whole process, I have not only gained a new lifestyle along with the added bonus of a transforming body, but I have learned to love and celebrate me. Do I still love people? More and more each day, me included. I have the will to live!! The question is, do you?

Thank you,
Yolanda Leduc

Strength Training Challenge

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!) But not without learning an important lesson. Those 20 minutes you can spend strength training every few days are not wasted, and can actually be more important than running...

We're expecting a lot from our bodies, and we need to give our muscles and joints the tools they need to be able to perform.

Despite my best intentions, with busy schedules, etc., I've been having a hard time committing to a strength training program. In the weekly training program that goes out today (Sept 26) at noon EST, I challenged ZOOMA Atlanta runners to commit to a 4-week strength routine. The rules:
1. Do each of the exercises demonstrated on this video at least once a week for four weeks.
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/bettertv/members/?lid=823483079
(Ignore the part about it being a "miracle workout." You and I know there are no "miracles" when it comes to getting in shape!)
2. Comment on this entry to show your commitment to the program.
3. I'll be honest about my progress - check back on the blog to see how I am others are doing.

I think we will all see real results in four weeks... it doesn't take much. Prepare yourself for the challenge of ZOOMA Atlanta (or whatever your next adventure) with strength!

Good luck!
Brae

The Freedom of Being Healthy

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 group, I told them how amazing they were to be out there sweating with me.

We had women in their 20's to women in their 60's learning how to run. To be honest, half of them seemed very uncomfortable being there last night. As a professional coach and trainer, I do understand how they must feel. I know some wouldn't think I have ever felt this way because I have always been active and I am an avid runner. . . but the same type of intimidation has been a barrier for me only in a different way.

As a collegiate athlete, it was very intimidating approaching the start line of a race with world class runners . . . but I did it. Once the gun went off, it was just me and the watch and the intimidation was gone. Don't let intimidation be your barrier to the freedom of being healthy!

One of the women really stood out to me last night . . . Before we even got started, she stated that she would only be able to run two 30-second intervals and that she would walk the rest. She was very intimidated and nervous, but I told her she could give me more than that and to test her body. With a little motivation from the rest of us, she ran 10 intervals of 30-60 seconds of running. Afterwards, she was smiling ear to ear and couldn't beleive she did it.

Going into your training plan with a really positive attitude or finding others to exercise with you for the encouragement will change EVERYTHING about your workout. YOU are the one that needs to make the time to exercise. YOU are the one that needs to stay consistent or get back on track. And . . . YOU, your family, your job, and your relationships will reap the benefits of your health!

Keep up the great work with ZOOMA. This hard work will pay off!

With love and inspiration,
Gracie

Exciting ZOOMA News for Today

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, a local Austin non-profit that does amazing social services work with youth and families in need.

If you're looking for the ideal active girls' weekend trip... this is it! Here's why:

1. April weather most everywhere besides Texas is iffy...

2. The Hyatt Lost Pines is beautiful and luxurious, and we have a great rate for ZOOMA runners that you won't get any other way... (It's the peeerfect place for a pampering girls' weekend.)

3. The race is on Saturday morning, leaving the rest of the weekend for spa treatments, magaritas and guacamole :) (You won't get better Tex-Mex. I have never had a bad meal in Austin!)

Click here for details and to register: http://races.zoomarun.com/austin.html

SECOND: Andrea and I successfully finished the Philadelphia Distance Run on Sunday. Injury free. AND, we had a ton of fun! (If you can't make it to a ZOOMA half marathon, I highly recommend this race.) Check us out below...

Andrea on left, Brae on right. Still standing (and smiling) after crossing the finish line.

Congrats to Andrea for dominating her first half! Now its onto the next adventure... (ZOOMA Atlanta, here we come!)