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 8pm and Saturday mornings 8am from the corner of Redwing and Blackbird Courts.  Check out Weekly Workout section for specific times.

Quotes of the Week:   

The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.

Socrates 

That’s the thing about running: your greatest runs are rarely measured by racing success. They are moments in time when running allows you to see how wonderful your life it.

Kara Goucher

Hello ladies, here is the latest news from the “nest”!  It’s a long update today with lots of info.  Take a moment to read through and pick up a few “nuggets”!  

Congrats to all “newbies” for sticking with the Learn to Run 5km program.  As the days get longer and lighter, it will be easier to get out the door!  I must point out that there is a most excellent “vibe” among you.  Keep up the good work!!

Best of luck to the Chicks participating in the Around the Bay 30km race and 15km relays this weekend.  I will cross my fingers for you…wishing for good weather! 

A Motivational Video:  This one is for those of you who have been fence sitting about something and are afraid to try for fear of failing.  Take a chance!

http://www.youmotivation.com/motivational-videos/to-succeed-you-must-first-fail-1500

Fundraising for the SportingLife 10km:  Members of Nik’s Chicks and their kids have registered and are training for this 10km race on “Lauren’s Tumour Ninjas”.  We are supporting Lauren (the daughter of a co-worker of Jan, one of our Chicks) – here is Lauren’s story:

Lauren the “Tumour Ninja” was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma in April, 2013.

Camp Ooch was, and continues to be, right beside her through 14 cycles of chemo, spine surgery and rehab.

Camp Ooch accommodated the bumps in the road or change in course that this journey took Lauren on – whether it was the best “crap” party ever, in-hospital entertainment while having chemo administered, providing crafts/fun while awaiting clinic appointments/tests – which take a long time sometimes, or going to day camp in between chemo cycles and not needing antiemetics (meds to tolerate chemo) as she was having too much fun to feel lousy.

Camp Ooch allowed Lauren to be a 6 yr old girl, not a 6 yr old girl “with cancer”.

We want to give back and help Camp Ooch support other children and their families who are walking or running in Lauren’s shoes figuratively speaking. If these kids can take on cancer, the least we can do is run 10K.

“AYE YAH” cancer!
Thank you for your support!
Lauren the “Tumour Ninja”

Nik’s Chicks have a fundraising goal of 500.00, but it would be great to surpass it!  Please go to http://www.ooch.org/generalchallengeindividual2014?tab=0&frsid=14631 to donate to our group.  Every little bit helps.  Thank you in advance for your support!!

How hard should I be working?:  This is a common question for beginners.  When I ran with the new ladies last week I mentioned Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) as a measure of effort.  (Open in new window to enlarge)  During the running intervals you should be around 7-7.5 and during the walking intervals 5-6.  If you are feeling like an 8 during the running intervals, it is OK for the interval.  If it feels too hard or if you are not recovering during the walk intervals, slow down a bit.  Make sure you are working at your level and try not to get sucked into trying to keep up with faster runners!  Seasoned runners still have trouble with this!

Smelly Running Gear?:  We wear synthetic fabrics when running to keep us warm or cool, depending on the season.  These synthetics can hold onto sweat odors after a while.  Regular detergent leaves them smelling good, until you start to sweat again!  Try using this product to get them daisy fresh: Sport Suds.  You can buy it online at http://www.sportsuds.com/ or at Runner’s Mark in Port Credit.  Great for hockey stuff too!

Shoe Drive:  The Mississauga Marathon has a sneaker drive going on that we contribute to.  Do you have old running shoes that look good but just don’t cushion anymore?  Consider donating them!  I will be collecting used shoes starting Saturday, March 29th and ending May 1.  I will do the drop off on May 2nd when I pick up race kits at the Port Credit Arena.  Please include kids and men’s shoes as well.  Last year Nik’s Chicks donated 45 pairs of running shoes to New Circles – a  charity whose primary service is their clothing program which provides new and gently used clothing for men, women and children in the Flemingdon Park, Thorncliffe Park and Victoria Village communities of Toronto.  Let’s beat that number this year! I will place blue collection bins outside my house before each run.  Start digging!

Have you printed your program yet?:  Here are the programs we will be using: Learn to Run 5km Training Program (M,Th,S)  10 Km program from 5km base (M,Th,S)   Sprint Triathlon June 2014 (16 week pgm)  Print off a copy and post it or your fridge or bathroom mirror – somewhere where you will be reminded about what you will be doing, but more importantly – a reminder of what you have accomplished! Cross off every completed session with a big X!!  

Stretching: Research shows that stretching before a workout is not as beneficial as post workout. (Pre-workout sport specific warm up is better – walking before running.)  After you run, take some time to stretch out the working muscles to keep  them in a “neutral” state.  When stretching, hold the comfortable tension (no pain) for 30-60 seconds or until you feel the muscle group “let go”.  One quality stretch is better than repeated short stretches.  Here is the link to stretch info: Lower Body Stretches

Buying Running Shoes: Finding the right shoe for your foot  is important.  The wrong shoe can cause blisters, improper mechanics and pain.  Here is a guide to help you. How to Buy the Right Running Shoe Carl and the staff at Runner’s Mark in Port Credit have the knowledge to find you the perfect pair! Be sure to mention you are with
Nik’s Chicks for 10% off.

Be Seen:  It is still dark on the evening runs.  If your clothing is not reflective, you should invest in some lights or reflective bands.  Here are a few to consider:

 UFO light  from Mountain Equipment Co-Op 9.25 (can replace batteries)

Nite Ize SlapLit LED Wrap from MEC 10.00

MEC Reflective Strap 3.75

Cactus Creek Scotchlite strap from MEC 3.50

Swim Training: The training will take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings around 9:00pm at Glen Abbey Rec pool.  This is an open lap swimming time and not just us so be prepared to have other bodies in the lanes.  Expect to be winded and needing lots of recovery in the beginning – you are starting something new! The emphasis will be on technique and NOT volume for the first few weeks.  There will be Slow, Medium and Fast lanes.  Choose the one that suits, you can always change if it doesn’t feel right.  Here is a site about etiquette in the pool that you should review prior to getting into the pool Pool Etiquette  It will answer many questions and let you know what to expect from other swimmers.

Swim Training Checklist: Here is a list of items you will need/want to begin your swim training.

Swimsuit, goggles, swim cap, flip flops, water bottle, towel, lock, mesh bag for shampoo/conditioner/body wash to take on deck with you and save trip back to locker, print off 12 lesson plans and put one in Ziploc or have laminated, buy swim pass if not a member at Glen Abbey Rec Center ($36.28 for 10 swim sessions).  I used to pack my PJs to wear home and hoped I never got pulled over by police! One Chick suggested I add bikini wax to the list things to do to prepare for swimming!!

Looking for a wetsuit for summer triathlons?:   Check out the Xterra website. http://www.xterrawetsuits.com/ The prices are better because you are buying online.  Sign up to receive their emails which can contain promo codes.  They sell used wetsuits and have some on clearance!

Tips from Runner’s World 2013 Daily Calendar: 1)  A healthy runner is a happy runner.  As soon as you feel like you might be coming down with something, pamper yourself.  Eat more healthfully (think lots of fruits and veggies) and get extra rest.  A little prevention today means you won’t be debating next week whether you’re too sick to run.  2)  It’s easy to count strides.  Check your watch for a minute, counting one leg.  If the count is below 80, practice shortening your stride to get your count up.  Eventually your stride should feel more natural. 3)  Don’t get bored during your run.  Stay engaged with friends, technology or mental games.  Concentrate on keeping a steady pace by counting your steps every few minutes to ensure you are maintaining an even speed. 4)  Run for a reason.  Do a race for charity.  Helping kids or women with breast cancer makes it much easier to get out the door.

This week’s workouts – (Meet at 1438 Redwing Court)

Monday – March 24 8:00pm

Learn to Run 5km – Walk 5 min, run 90/walk90/run 3min/walk 3 min turn and repeat, walk 5 minutes

Learn To Run 10km – 5km

Try-a-tri/Sprint tri – Walk 5 min, run 90/walk90/run 3min/walk 3 min turn and repeat walk 5 minutes

Holding on 10km – 5km

Half Marathon – 10km

Marathon – 10km

Tuesday – March 25 9:00pm

NEW Try-a-tri/Sprint tri – Swim 14 min Glen Abbey Pool Swim Lesson 3 Swimming Lesson Plans 1-12 (1100m – 1600m)

Thursday –March 27 8:00pm

Learn to Run 5km – Walk 5 min, run 90/walk90/run 3min/walk 3 min turn and repeat walk 5 minutes

Learn To Run 10km – 5km with 5 min tempo (slightly faster) run

Try-a-tri/Sprint tri – Walk 5 min, run 90/walk90/run 3min/walk 3 min turn and repeat, walk 5 minutes

Holding on 10km – 7km with hill x 3

Half Marathon – 7km with hill x 3

Marathon – 9km

Try-a-tri/Sprint tri – Swim 25 min Glen Abbey Pool Swim Lesson 3 Swimming Lesson Plans 1-12 (1100m – 1600m)

Saturday – March 29 8:00am 

Learn to Run 5km – warm up walk 5 minutes, run 3 min/walk 90 sec/run 5 min/walk 2.5 min (turn) run 3 min/walk 90 sec/run 5 minutes, cool down walk 5 minutes

Learn To Run 10km – 7km This is your route   http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/5648188

Try-a-tri/Sprint tri -warm up walk 5 minutes, run 3 min/walk 90 sec/run 5 min/walk 2.5 min (turn) run 3 min/walk 90 sec/run 5 minutes, cool down walk 5 minutes

Holding on 10km – 10km

Half Marathon – 21km

Marathon – 30km or race tomorrow

Monday – March 31 8:00pm

Learn to Run 5km -warm up walk 5 minutes, run 3 min/walk 90 sec/run 5 min/walk 2.5 min (turn) run 3 min/walk 90 sec/run 5 minutes, cool down walk 5 minutes

Learn To Run 10km – 5km

Try-a-tri/Sprint tri -warm up walk 5 minutes, run 3 min/walk 90 sec/run 5 min/walk 2.5 min (turn) run 3 min/walk 90 sec/run 5 minutes, cool down walk 5 minutes

Holding on 10km – 5km

Half Marathon – 10km

Marathon – 10km

Tuesday – April 1 9:00pm

Try-a-tri/Sprint tri – Swim 14 min Glen Abbey Pool Swim Lesson 4 Swimming Lesson Plans 1-12 (1100m – 1600m)

 Have a wonderful  week! Niki