Fitness: The Race of a Lifetime

"The slower we move, the faster we die." - Up In The Air

Being healthy is more than just looking a certain way. It is about feeling great and getting stronger not only physically but mentally, as well. Running is one way someone can get fit mentally and physically.

I don't like to recommend something until I have had the chance to actually experience it so I can fully say if I enjoy it. Well, the last 5, going on 6 weeks I have been running, and I have been using the Nike Run Club app to help me. As a little background on the Nike Run Club app and myself - I've used it off an on since 2013. It has always been great, but before the past 6 weeks I had only been using the "quick start" option; you click "quick start" and it counts down from 3 and you just start running for as long as you want.

I have always thought about doing some kind of a race, but I never have. The most I have ran is 6 miles. Generally 3 miles is my sweet spot. I also am the person that is a go big or go home type of person so a 3k just wouldn't do it. So, 6 weeks ago as I have been looking at the Spartan Race or a Marathon I decided that if I was serious about this then I needed to go all in and just do it (see what I did there).

This is where my recommendation of the Nike Run Club app comes in. I have decided that no matter what type of race I decide to do that I am going to want to get my endurance up. The Nike Run Club app allows you to set a "race plan." It will set the plan for 6 months tops. You can do different distances, as well, and it sets your plan based on where YOU start out. For me, I put that I ran 2-3x per week and at the time I started I could run about 2 miles comfortably. I set the plan for a marathon and 6 months.

So where am I now?

Well, the start of week 6 was today. I ran 5 miles consistently running a 9 minute mile, and I felt amazing. I felt like I could go more, but this isn't currently about that. I want to follow the plan. I stuck with my 5 miles and the high that came with it.

If you are looking to do some kind of a race or just use running as part of your workout routine, I suggest utilizing the Nike Run Club app plans. Had I actually looked at it more back in 2013 instead of just going out and running randomly, I think that my running game would have been much stronger. It is still great to just run, but I love this feature that I have been using.

There may be others out there, but this is what I have been using that is working. In addition to my runs, on the days that I don't run (the other 4 days of the week) I am doing HIIT workouts. Next, I just need to decide what type of race to sign up for. Suggestions? Let me know!

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my blog. Feel free to comment below or email me with any questions, comments, or topics you would like me to cover!