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They're finally here! Check out our latest hoodies and t-shirts at the Black Girls RUN! store.… [more]
I officially call myself a runner, even though I still consider myself a beginner. I’ve been running for almost nine months now and I have three races under my belt. Before my first race I realized I needed a way to track my pace. The stopwatch was not good enough anymore.… [more]
“A pair of shoes can change your life. Just ask Cinderella.” –Anonymous I certainly felt a little like Cinderella as the sales associate delicately slipped my new running shoes on. It was love at first touch. Not with the sales associate, but my new Asics. A few weeks… [more]
Ashley Hicks, one of the co-founders of Black Girls RUN! had the opportunity last week to be a panelist on The Melissa Harris-Perry show on MSNBC, including ESPN columnist Jemele Hill, and the first woman to run in the Boston Marathon, Kathrine Switzer. The show honored the achievements made by female athletes and the road ahead for women’s sports.Click here to view.
Black Girls RUN! DC and New York had the opportunity of interviewing with CNN to talk about Black Girls RUN!, their personal experiences with the group, and how “social media trends have women moving”. CNN’s short documentary on Black Girls RUN! aired this past weekend. To view the video, click here.
To read the CNN blog, click Running Group Turns into Nationwide Movement.
By: Summer Duperon (@thewebboutique)
“I wonder how people go around this track without passing out?”
I asked myself this when I first started to run. I’m a self-proclaimed lazy runner, who really didn’t run but walked the majority of a 1.8 mile track and convinced myself 30 seconds straight is good enough.
I worked my time up to three minutes and decided to tell my fitness junkie brother thinking I could get an atta’ girl.
Me: “I ran three minutes straight…”
Him: “Oh (a very ho hum oh). You suck.”
Ego. Meet Bruise.
When he told me I suck, I was a taken aback. My brother laid the smack down on me.
The next day I told myself to stick with my three minutes. When I got to 3, I didn’t feel tired so I went to 5. I got to 5 and then 7. I did 7 and thought I might as well go for 10.
This was the girl parading around three minutes like I deserved a gold medal. At 10 minutes, I was on the curve of the track that led to my car. I finished the mile at 12 minutes.
I wanted to high five everyone I saw but they would think I was crazy. I didn’t care…I ran one mile. *Take that*
These were probably consistent runners I was taunting…in my head…because how rude would it be to say “take that” out loud?
I started the next day’s run with no expectations. I figured it was a fluke I ran a mile and I didn’t want to be disappointed. After some time I noticed a mile had been reached. But I kept going, which led to running the entire 1.8 miles.
Thinking THIS was impressive, I text my brother my distance. His response: Good job!
I got my atta’ girl. We even chuckled about the three minute clown, which I told him I NEEDED to be put down to get me UP to a better distance and time.
This strategy may not work for every beginner, but having a little bit of egg-o cracked over my e-go has set a new standard for what I can do. I no longer wonder how others are making it around the track. Maybe their brother told them they sucked too!
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Summer Duperon is a member of the BGR! New Orleans running group, and is a “newbie” runner. Her interest in running a 5k is what sparked her to join BGR! two months ago.
Today’s Runavation
“Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.”
-John F. Kennedy
By: JayEll Vaughn (@CurlzNPumpz/@blackgirlsrun)
Today is National Walk@Lunch Day. The day was created by Blue Cross Blue Shield to help improve personal health and decrease the costs of healthcare for employers and employees. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the average family in America spends approximately $1,000 a year treating illnesses and chronic diseases onset by an inactive lifestyle. On your days off from running, cross-training days, or even your rest days, it is still important to keep you body moving. Go for an early morning stroll, lunch break walk away from your desk, or an after dinner walk and talk with your loved one. Improve your health step by step.
Is walking a good enough workout? Absolutely!
“It all depends on good form and intensity,” says Chris Feytag, Fitness Expert. You need to plant your foot correctly, and move your arms briskly. It does not take a fancy treadmill for you to have a great walking workout, you can do it in the park or community. To get the best results from your walk, incorporate a walk that fits your daily lifestyle and routine. Walking is a gentle, low-impact exercise that can ease you into a higher level of fitness and health. It’s safe, simple and doesn’t require practice.
So, we challenge you today to incorporate a 30 minute walk in your schedule today. It’s just enough of a workout to help lower your blood pressure, improve your mood, and stay strong and fit.
For more walking tips, visit: How To Maximize Your Exercise Walking Routine
Posted in Black Women's FitnessBy Toni Carey (@toni_carey/@blackgirlsrun)
One of the first things I tell new runners to do, is to have a gait analysis done. I’ve had several done before, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to have a specialized gait analysis done by Brooks at REI‘s SoHo store. (p.s. As your body and feet change, it’s not a bad idea to have a gait analysis done every time you’re ready to purchase a new pair of wheels. That way you know you’re ALWAYS getting the best shoe for you).
What is a gait analysis? This is the first step in getting properly fitted. A gait analysis determines how you run – whether you overpronate, underpronate, or are neutral. To see exactly how my feet land, the Brooks shoe expert had me remove my shoes and run barefoot. This allowed him to get the perfect view of my foot striking the treadmill. For an even better view, he video taped me running.
Today’s Runavation
“Health is the thing that makes you feel that now is the best time of the year.”
- Franklin P. Adams
Good Morning BGR! Nation. Let’s make the conscious decision to make excellence a habit! We’re worth it! #PreservetheSexy
Today’s Runavation
“Those who do not find time for exercise will have to find time for illness.”
- Earl of Derby
Today’s Runavation
“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
- Alan Kay
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