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, Nightingale or at Bloomfield Park to avoid congestion, locking beeps and car doors closing around my neighbours’ houses – especially on Saturday mornings! We run Tuesday and Thursday evenings 8pm and Saturday mornings 8am from the corner of Redwing and Blackbird Courts.  Check out Weekly Workout section for specific times and distances.

Quotes of the Week:  

There’s not one body type that equates to success.  Accept the body you have and be the best you can be with it.

Mary Cullen

Be willing to move forward and find out what happens next.

Frank Shorter

You feel good while you’re running and you will feel even better when you’re finished.

Fred Lebow

Hello ladies, here is the latest news from the “nest”!  Where are all my newbies?!  I have had a few sessions on my own and am wondering where everyone went?  Perhaps you are doing the sessions on your own.  Perhaps you have fallen off the program and feel like you are too far behind.  Perhaps you felt like the group wasn’t a good fit for you….never!  Please know that everyone is welcome to come out at ANY time.  If you have to adjust your pace or interval times, so be it.  Being adaptable is part of being a balanced person.  Sometimes everything just doesn’t fall into place neatly – kids schedules get busy, illness/injury strike, vacations happen, work is ever present.  All I can advise is to keep carving out time for yourself. Even if you come out to walk and clear your head, it’s all good:)  Running is not an all or nothing entity.  It’s a journey filled (literally) with many ups and downs.  Learn to roll with it and give yourself permission to not have expectations of perfect attendance or participation.  As a woman of the 21st century, this ideal would be unrealistic.  

Tips to Get You Out of the House: 1) Put repeating “appointments” in your calendar including travel time to carve out a chunk of time for running three times a week 2) Tell your family you are unavailable and make sure spouses and/or kids are aware of your sessions 3) If there is a conflict with another appointment, plan ahead for an alternative time slot 4) Print and post the program, crossing off each completed session 5) Do the training with a friend or connect with someone in your group so you place some accountability outside of yourself and someone is counting on you to show up 6) Get some running clothes/shoes that you love to wear 7) Put on your workout clothes as soon as you get home from work so it’s easier to scoot out the door 8) Sign up for a race – putting money down is a sign of commitment 9) Keep a logbook and write down all the good stuff you experienced with each run as positive reinforcement 10) Decide on a reward (pedicure/manicure/new clothes) for completing a program and choose a new reward for the next program/goal

Remember that if running/regular exercise was easy, everyone would be doing it!  Any new routine/habit will take a conscious effort and the pay offs (health, energy, clear head, new friends, completing races, etc.) are many.  That being said – see you soon!

Jackets:  Thanks to everyone for getting their payments in on time.  At posting I only have two ladies to go.  The timeline looks like 7-8 weeks – fingers crossed it’s shorter! Lots of teams getting apparel right now.  As soon as they arrive I will get them out to you.  Deadline is tonight at midnight https://ppr.louisgarneau.com/E566E1B8-6D2E-4BC8-A5D5-B4379ACC89E1 You can still order one even if you were not on the original list.  Remember that the sizing runs small and most of us went up 2 sizes – use the sizing chart when ordering.  As a reference point, I bought a Large!

 If you want some official Nik’s Chicks merchandise in the meantime, check out the running tops (20.00) and hats (25.00) that I have “in stock”!  Perfect for summer! 

Mudderella: For those of you doing the Mudderella, I have put together a modified program that gets you to 10km and has the recommended workouts from the official Mudderella Training Program.  The strength training looks plentiful:)  Consider using the playground at Bloomfield Park for training before or after a run so you can train as a group.

Live Blood Analysis: I had the opportunity to do this on Tuesday with Shannon Gregory at Balance Point Health Centre.  A quick finger prick and soon I was looking at my blood on a computer screen.  Shannon was great at explaining what I was seeing. Generally my blood was pretty good but she pointed out some thing for me to tweak – liver toxins, thyroid issues, some yeast and eeew – parasites.   She was quick to assure me that none of these are uncommon and there are some easy natural ways to get my blood, and thus me, healthier.  My main complaint was feeling sluggish and Shannon said based on what she was seeing, this made sense.  I will now work with Dr. Jane Goehner to get my energy back!

Here is a link to one of her YouTube videos – not my blood! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaZ6OCBVXBk

Shoppers DrugMart Run for Women: I have created the team Nik’s Chicks.  Use the password chicksrule to join this team – you save 5.00 off the regular registration fee. Here is the link http://www.runforwomen.ca/?s=15475  It race has moved from Abbey Park HS to Bronte Provincial park.  I am happy to take a van full of runners over with me:)

A Great Audiobook:  I have recently finished listening to Bart Yasso’s My Life On The Run -The Wit, Wisdom, and Insights of a Road Racing Icon.  He has worked for Runner’s World since 1987 and has so many great stories to share.  More info about Bart can be found at Bart Yasso  You can download the book fro Audible or iTunes. When I finished listening, I really wished this book wasn’t over:)

Inexpensive Running Shoes:   If you always buy the same Brand/Style/Size of shoe then this might be a website for you. Razor Sports is an online sports footwear site.  I have been ordering my husband’s shoes here for a couple of years.  He is consistent with his shoes – always getting same ones.  He gets 2 pairs at a time and often saves 60.00 per pair.  Might be an option!

Be a Dolphin:  On a totally unrelated note, I had a chance to hear Dr. Shimi Kang speak on Tuesday night.  She’s the author of The Dolphin Way, a parents guide to raising happy, healthy, and motivated kids.  Dolphins are firm yet flexible, intuitive, bonded, guiding, adaptable.  Other end of the spectrums are Tigers (directing or protecting) and Jellyfish (lacks rules, expectations, direction and focus).

Here are a few of my takeaways from the night:

1) K.E.Y.S to Motivate – Kill the tiger and start from a place of balance, Empathize by putting yourself in their shoes, Youth goals set by them and not us, Success is their own making

2) P.O.D. – Play (learn from trial and error, no pressure, learn social skills, regulate emotions, creativity, unstructured), Others (social connections not via technology), Downtime (time to unwind, relax, turn mind off)

3) Kids are not our own, they are just passing though our household before going into the universe!

She was an excellent speaker and I will be reading her book!

Congrats to the Mercedes Girls: You guys had a great day for running.  Wish I was out there with you!

Kelso Open Water Swimming:  Over the past 5 years, a bunch of us headed to Kelso on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings to swim with this group.  We like it because the lake is small, you can swim to the wall (200m) and back if going around the perimeter seems daunting, there is a check in/out with the staff and there are life guards patrolling the lake keeping an eye on us.  If you are interested in signing up, check out Kelso Open Water Swim Club  The rates are 90.00 for full summer and 70.00 for a 10 pack. Online registration is now open.  You will still need to pay park fees as well.  For insurance purposes, you have to be a member of Triathlon Ontario – go here for more info Triathlon Ontario  This insurance will also get you a discount on all Ontario Triathlon registrations. The swims will start May 16th, weather permitting.  I will add swim group to the training groups page.

Remember: 1) Get Triathlon Ontario membership 2) Register for Kelso Open Water Swimming and print off a waiver to take with you. 3) Consider a Halton Parks Pass (I have one so you can carpool with me to the lake if that works for you!)

Wetsuits:  If you plan on open water swimming, a wetsuit will be needed.  We have ordered through Xterra and like their suits and their prices! Check out Xterra Sign up to receive emails, including fantastic discounts.  Vortex suits reg 400.00 but are often 60% off!  They offer a 30 day return policy so you have a chance to swim in it!

Road ID:  If you haven’t gotten one of these yet (and I know I pester some of you), spend 20.00 on some peace of mind NOW!  If you were unconscious during a run, would EMS personnel know your details?  Unlikely!!  Order a bracelet or shoe tag at Road ID

Tips From Runner’s World Daily Calendar 2015: 1) Some good fruits for runners include cantaloupe, peaches and strawberries.  These fruits are mostly water and are rich in potassium, an electrolyte lost through sweat.  Potassium and Sodium work together to maintain fluid levels in the body, which helps regulate your heartbeat and circulation.  One cup of each contains between 5 and 10% of your daily intake. 2) When it comes to running shoes and clothes, splurge don’t scrimp.  Worn out shoes are one of the leading causes of injury.  You should replace your shoes every 500 – 800 km.  Shop where you can get guidance from experts on finding the pair that offers the fit and support that your feet need. (Running Tools, Burlington) 3) Don’t ice before a run.  Numbing the area before running can block signals to your brain that would tell you to back off.  This may cause you to alter your gait, increasing injury risk. 4) Vary you r workout times.  If you normally run in the mornings, you might find that you have more energy for evening runs. (Or vice versa!)

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

Tuesday – April 28  8:00pm

Learn to Walk 5km – 36 minutes

Learn to Walk 10km – 6km

Learn to Run 5km (RFW) -warm up 5 min walk, jog 3 min, 90 sec walk, 5 min jog, 2.5 min walk(turn after 1.5 min), jog 3 min, walk 90 sec, jog 5 min min, cool down walk 5 min,

Learn to Run 10km (RFW) – 5km

Thursday – April 30 8:00pm    

Learn to Walk 5km – 38 minutes

Learn to Walk 10km – 6km

Learn to Run 5km (RFW) -warm up 5 min walk, jog 3 min, 90 sec walk, 5 min jog, 2.5 min walk(turn after 1.5 min), jog 3 min, walk 90 sec, jog 5 min min, cool down walk 5 min,

Learn to Run 10km (RFW) – 5 km with hill repeat x 2

Saturday – May 2 8:00am

Learn to Walk 5km – 40 minutes

Learn to Walk 10km – 8km

Learn to Run 5km (RFW) – warm up 5 min walk, jog 5 min, 3 min walk, 5 min jog, 3 min walk(turn after 1.5 min), jog 5 min,  cool down walk 5 min

Learn to Run 10km (RFW) – 8km

Mudderella – warm up 5 min walk, jog 5 min, 3 min walk, 5 min jog, 3 min walk(turn after 1.5 min), jog 5 min,  cool down walk 5 min

Tuesday – May 5   8:00pm

Learn to Walk 5km – 42 minutes

Learn to Walk 10km – 6km

Learn to Run 5km (RFW) – warm up 5 min walk, jog 8 min, 5 min walk (turn after 2.5 min), jog 8 min, cool down walk 5 min

Learn to Run 10km (RFW) – 5km

Mudderella – warm up 5 min walk, jog 8 min, 5 min walk (turn after 2.5 min), jog 8 min, cool down walk 5 min and MWO#1

Have a wonderful week! Niki