Nik’s Chicks is a FREE ladies only running/triathlon group. It is only a time and place to meet & a program to follow.  I cannot join you on every run/workout.  If you are new to exercising, it is advisable to have a doctor’s OK prior to beginning. Any information or products represented on this site are for educational purposes only and are not a substitute for any advice given to you by a medical, nutritional or fitness professional. Please sign my waiver (in “About”) and fill out my contact info sheet when you arrive for your first run.  Please park on West Oak Trails Blvd or Nightingale to avoid the locking beeps and car doors closing around my neighbors’ houses – especially on Saturday mornings! We run Monday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.  Check out Weekly Workout section for specific times.

Quote of the Week:

If we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything, is ready, we shall never begin

Ivan Turgenev, Russian novelist and playwright

Hello ladies, here is the latest news from the “nest”!

Weekly Chirp: The tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut has brought out many emotions in me: sadness, grief, anger, disbelief and gratitude. My daughter, 11, has had shed tears over this unbelievable event and in talking her through it, I have come to realize that my emotions have been morphing. After the initial shock and sadness that came with watching the news, I felt such grief for the victims, families, emergency workers and community. Next, I was angry that such a thing could happen and in our world today, there is way too much random violence.  Then, I came to a place of gratitude.  In helping Bayley, I came to a comfortable, emotional resting spot. I explained to her that although these violent events can happen, there is a very low likelihood they will happen in our own neighborhood. We cannot live of lives in a state of fear or “what ifs”.  We must live with joy and be thankful for every moment we have on this Earth.  Take a moment to hug your children and tell them you love them…even if they are teenagers who are too cool for it!

So on the thought of thankfulness, I must say thank you to you, my running friends.  You bring so much positive energy to my life in the form of physical activity, venting and lots of laughs!  As much as I don’t “love” to run, I thoroughly enjoy our time together.  Running makes me a more balanced person!

Thank you to all of the ladies who donated to my annual food drive for the Fair Share Food Bank. We collected enough donations to fill the trunk of my van!

May 2013 bring all of you much joy, health and happiness…and perhaps a PB or two.

Adjustments to running workout times:  Just a reminder than we will now be running Mondays and Thursdays at 8pm and Saturday 8am.

Do you have lady friends who want to run in a group setting?: Please tell them about us and have them contact me for more details.  Now that it’s dark at night, there is safety in numbers.  There have been a few inquiries about slower 5k runners – if you fall into this category and wish to run, please let me know so I can connect you with like minded runners.  We have a couple of ladies who are doing 5 minutes of jogging and 1 minute of walking – building up to 5km.

ROAD ID: If you are not wearing one when you are out running…what are you waiting for?!  Read these testimonials and you will be ordering one immediately!! http://www.roadid.com/Testimonial/TestimonialList.aspx  Use this coupon code to get 1$ of your order – good until January 30th! ThanksNicole19880271

Christmas Gift Ideas: Here is gift suggestion #7 – Running Panties!  Who knew such a cute training program existed?! You can check out these undies at http://www.oiselle.com/shop/the-collective/accessories/rundies 

Checkout the “Links to P/P/P” header above for the Christmas Ideas and lots of good stuff!

Tips from Runner’s World 2012 Daily Calendar: 1) Get a dog.  Can’t find a companion willing to join you at 4:40am?  Try running with a dog.  dogs don’t wear watches, so they don’t mind getting up early for a run. 2) After a run, add water to an ice pack.  The combination is more effective than ice alone at lowering muscle temperatures. 3) Every one in a while, add a “mountain” run. Find the hilliest route in your area (preferably one with a long uphill and downhill stretch) and run for 60 minutes.  This combines the benefits of a standard long run with running uphill (which builds strength) and running downhill (which increases durability.  4)  When it’s chilly out, arthritis pain increases. Even those without arthritis often notice a spike in stiff or achy joints in winter.  To help, eat some foods with anti-inflammatory omega-3s, found in abundance in fatty fish such as salmon.  5) A week or two off from quality runs can be beneficial physically and mentally.  But extending a break longer than that can slow you down faster than a frigid north wind!

Two week’s worth of workouts – (Meet 1438 Redwing Court)

Wednesday – Kids out of school, no gym:(

Thursday –   Dec. 20, 8:00pm

Holding on 5 km – 5km with hill x 2

Modified Learn to Run 10km – 5km with hill x 2

Holding on 10km – 6km with hill x 2

Around the Bay 30km – 6km with hill x 2

Friday – LA Fitness – 9:00 Spinning, 10:15 Weights,

Saturday – Dec. 22  8:00am

Holding on 5km – 5km

Modified Learn to Run 10km – 9km

Holding on 10km – 10km

Around the Bay 30 km – 15km

Monday – Dec. 24 – No running – Christmas Eve

Thursday – Dec 27, 8:00pm

Holding on 5 km – 5km with 90 sec sprints x 2

Modified Learn to Run 10km – 5km with 90 sec sprints x 2

Holding on 10km – 6km with with 90 sec sprints x 2

Around the Bay 30km – 6km with with 90 sec sprints x 2

Saturday – Dec. 29. 8:00am

Holding on 5km – 5km

Modified Learn to Run 10km – 10km

Holding on 10km – 10km

Around the Bay 30 km – 12km

Monday – December 31 – New Year’s Eve – no running

Thursday – January 2, 8:00pm

Holding on 5 km – 5km with hill x 3

Holding on 10km – 6km with with hill x 3

Around the Bay 30km – 7 km with hill x 3

Saturday – January 4, 8:00am

Holding on 5km – 5km

Holding on 10km – 10km

Around the Bay 30 km – 17km

Monday – January 6, 8:00pm

LA Fitness – 9am spin, 10:15 weights, 10:45 swim

Running – 8pm

Holding on 5km – 5km

Holding on 10km – 10km

Around the Bay 30 km – 10km

Have a wonderful couple of weeks! Niki