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Nike Women’s 10k London Race Recap

Yesterday I had the opportunity to run my first Nike Women’s race event, and I finally understand the hype behind the very popular, global race series.  There were 10,000 women in attendance, of all shape, size, and ability, excited to run, jog or walk the 10k!Hosted in Victoria Park, the race day setup reminded me more of a concert or festival than a race. There were multiple stages, DJ booths, tents and activities for pre and post race including a nut butter bar, braid bar, champagne tent, and of course, a Nike shop.

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Before the race, Charlie, Margaret and I met Zoe and others for pictures and some pre-race relaxation in the media tent. Having the opportunity to check our bags and relax a bit before the race made a huge difference.

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As our group walked over to the starting area, we discussed our strategy for the day. Charlie, who starts Chicago marathon training today, didn’t feel she was in the best shape while Margaret just ran the Nike Women’s 10k in Paris two weeks prior. I suggested to the girls that we make sticking together our primary goal. As we entered the crowded starting area, we agreed to make it our goal to run the entire race together and finish in under 60 minutes.

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Due to our predicted race times, we were towards the front. This meant that we had prime view of Ellie Goulding, a popular British singer and runner who was on hand to get the crowd pumped before the race. As she pumped the crowd and assisted in warm-ups lead by an Equinox instructor, you could feel the electric energy radiating from the sea of peach-colored Nike race tanks and shirts. Women of all sizes and abilities were chatting, supporting each other and nervously waving to their supporters and friends.

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While waiting for the race to start, a wave of emotion hit me as I realized this would be my last European race for a while. Charlie and Margaret agreed that running my first Nike race in a new-to-me area of London was the perfect way to bid farewell to European running.

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After a 15 minute delay, the three of us crossed the starting line with the biggest smiles on our faces. The weather was sunny with a gentle breeze and the day felt more like Spring than Summer.

Nike Women's London 10K

We ran without music, taking in the sights and enjoying the motivating spectators, many of whom were holding signs for moms and girlfriends.

The first mile (8:35) felt surprisingly easy considering that my 10k PR pace is an 8:59. After last week’s Oakley 10K, I knew that my body was stronger than an 8:59 pace and that my goal would be to keep as fast a pace as our group was willing to run. Suddenly, I found myself in a very new role. I was our leader, keeping a faster clip and pushing us forward versus holding us back. The second mile, which included a few small hills, wound us past Zoe’s mom and boyfriend as well as a gorgeous lake. The second mile (8:29) still felt comfortable, perfect motivation to keep pushing versus pulling back the speed.  We all agreed that walking through the water station was a smart idea to ensure we didn’t find ourselves parched towards the end. After a quick walk, we returned to our previous pace, cruising through the third mile (8:13) and towards the second lap.

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As we veered to the right, towards the second lap, I asked the girls if we could try and steady our pace a bit. While I felt strong and didn’t doubt my body’s ability, I knew that maintaining the 7:58 pace I suddenly saw on my Nike Plus app wasn’t realistic. We pulled back a bit as we started to recount our path on the second loop, this time taking more time to move to the right so we wouldn’t collide with the walkers and joggers.  IMG_1137

During this second loop, we took the time to enjoy the many signs Nike placed along the course, motivating and supporting the multiple running groups. We saw many familiar teams such as Zoe’s team and the London Barry’s Bootcamp team. One sign, in particular, resonated with me, motivating me to push through the pain I was starting to feel.

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At Mile 4 I saw that our pace was 8:17, still far faster than I expected to see during a 10k race. So much for slowing down, right? Mentally, I took a second to reign in my emotions and realize that I wasn’t only in PR range, but I was in range of setting a new PR by more than a minute or two.

This is the part of the race where every single step became a mental game. A year ago, I would have started slowing down, not realizing that pain is only temporary and that sudden surge of lactic acid and sweat is totally normal.  Instead of slowing down to a “normal” pace, I tried to figure out what pace I could maintain for two miles. I knew it wasn’t 8:17 or 8:15. I bartered with myself and decided on somewhere in the 8:30 range, telling myself that if I was in too much pain as I entered the final mile I could slow a bit more and still PR.

We hit mile 5 at 8:37, perfectly on point. For the next 10 minutes, I focused on two things:

  • “The final miles and minutes are supposed to hurt.”  – Charlie and Theodora have both told me that the final miles and minutes of a race or supposed to hurt. A new PR doesn’t come easy, and this is where runners prove themselves. I kept telling myself that it is normal for every step to feel like running through quicksand and every breath to be a bit heavier.
  • Listening to Taylor Swift. Charlie started her iPod around mile 4, blasting our favorite songs including one especially for me, Welcome to New York. Since we didn’t have speakers or individual headphones, it was hard to hear the lyrics. I focused my energy on trying to hear the lyrics, which made sure I stayed within a step or two of Charlie.

As we passed the incredible RunDemCrew cheer station and turned the corner, I knew the end was near. I could do anything for just a few more minutes.

As we started to see the countdown signs, I started to smile more and more. For years, I’d dreamt of breaking the 9:30 and then the 9:15 pace. Just six months ago I broke the 9:00 pace during a 10k. Now, I was about to break at least the 8:45 pace!

image As soon as we passed the 200-meter marker Charlie urged me to sprint my heart out. Never one to disappoint, I gave these meters every ounce of effort, sprinting towards the finish line as fast as possible, keeping a 7:30 pace according to my Nike Plus!

We finished in 53:05 – a brand new PR and 8:33 pace per mile, or 5:19 km per mile – faster than even my 5k PR pace!

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I was in shock for a few seconds, refusing to believe it until we received the official results. Margaret and Charlie both gave me huge hugs and told me how proud they were that I’d broken through running’s mental barrier.

As soon as the PR sunk in, I immediately requested a jumping picture in front of the iconic #WERUNLONDON sign. This picture is a framer friends as it shows my emotions perfectly – JUMPING FOR JOY WITH FRIENDS I LOVE!

We Run London 10K race

Yesterday reminded me why I love running. Charlie and Margaret supported me for each of the miles, reminding me just how strong we each were as well as motivating me to achieve what they knew possible. Each of the fellow women running motivated me as their passion for the sport brought them all the way out to Victoria Park on a Sunday morning.

Your turn – Why do you love running?

Thanks to Margaret and Charlie for some of these pictures!

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Yoga in The Shard

When Charlie asked me what I wanted to do during my final London weekend, I had no idea. There are so many wonderful things to see and do in London that it’s tough to choose just one activity.  Quite the London expert, Charlie chose the perfect activity to kick off our weekend of fun – Yoga in The Shard, London’s tallest building. 

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The class started at 8:30, quite early for a Saturday but they have to complete the yoga class before the viewing area opens to other visitors. Charlie and I arrived at The Shard around 8 am, not knowing whether we’d have to wait in line. Once going through security and the two different elevators lifts, gorgeous floor to ceiling views of London greeted us! Charlie and I arrived earlier than most, which allowed us front row mats, paired with gorgeous views of the miniature size London below us. Even though the weather was, unfortunately, overcast, we could still see St. Paul’s Cathedral, London Eye, Big Ben, Tower Bridge, The Gherkin and other famous London sights.

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While enjoying the views, I couldn’t believe that we were going to practice yoga on the 68th floor, 1,016 feet above London! This is the most memorable yoga space I’ve visited!

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At 8:30 exactly, everyone was asked to take their place on the mats provided by Yogasphere. The teacher quickly introduced herself and asked the forty students whether there were injuries or anyone new to yoga. I appreciated that while it was such a large class, wrapping fully around the viewing room, she did her best to move around during class. Also, a second person, stationed towards the back of the class, helped those people who couldn’t view the primary teacher. Thanks to the instructors’ microphone everyone, regardless their mat position,  could hear the soothing music and her instructions.

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The hour-long class, which is open to all-levels, combined a mix of faster-paced flow in between a relaxing and restorative first and last ten minutes of class. There were people, men and women alike, of all shapes, sizes, and abilities. They tailor the class so anyone can follow, whether a practiced yogi who wants to do inversions and deepen the moves or a total beginner. I appreciated that the teachers took time to provide adjustments during a few of the binds and twists.

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After the class, Charlie and I took advantage of the 15-minute viewing time to take pictures and practice poses with the unbelievable background.

Whether you’re visiting London or a local, I recommend booking a Saturday yoga class in the shard. It’s a relaxing class and perfect way to enjoy the views from The Shard. While the 40-pound price isn’t cheap, tickets to the shard are typically 25 pounds just to go to the viewing deck, this is a great deal! If you’re a local, classes are also included on SoMuchMore London, a local fitness booking site.

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1Rebel London – Your Body Will Thank You

This week I spent a quick 36 hours in London for a work training. The training, hosted by Contagious, talked all about consumer experience across the multiple consumer touch points. It was a fascinating eight hours, which allowed us to be inspired by other brands and companies.

When traveling, I love spending at least one morning trying out local fitness studios. As soon as Charlie heard I was coming, she suggested we go to 1Rebel together. The studio, which opened in London this January, offers two types of classes: RIDE (spin) and RESHAPE (treadmill & weights high intensity interval training). Always a fan of HIIT training, we opted to kick our butts into gear with their RESHAPE class.

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1Rebel’s description of their RESHAPE class was quite accurate!

45 minutes of physical and mental intensity. Exertion that you never thought possible. This highly intensive group experience is designed to condition and resculpt selected muscle-groups. The latest Woodway 4Front treadmills and the bespoke and patented 1R workout platform will help mould your body and break your barriers.

Charlie, Margaret and I signed up for the RESHAPE lower body class with Mila, one of RESHAPE’s master trainers. One of the great things about 1Rebel is that they offer more than 6 classes per day, meaning that they have a class to meet your schedule. If you come in for their Full Body 30 during lunch, you even get a free Roots & Bulbs shake or juice!

 1Rebel UK Schedule

The workout: We entered the studio, greeted by black lights, pumping music and an energetic instructor. After checking for injuries she quickly instructed each of us to start in our pre-assigned spot, either on a numbered Woodway treadmill or at a weight bench. Our class was broken up into three different sets of treadmill workouts and weight workouts. The treadmill portions ranged from five to eight minutes and included lots of hills and two rounds of full sprints.  The treadmill portion was very similar to Barry’s Bootcamp, though I loved the way our instructor came up to each of us pushing us just a little bit faster. In addition, the final treadmill portion included dynamic mode, where we propel the treadmill belt with our own strength.

IMG_8846The weight portion is where 1Rebel really differentiated itself from other classes I’ve taken. We used free weights and a weighted medicine ball to do a combination of squats, squat thrusts, jumps, burpees, and swings. These were absolutely killer and Mia didn’t allow any of us to give less than 100% effort. She corrected form frequently, quite bluntly calling us out when we were doing things incorrectly. The hardest portion for me was the last weight section when we did box jumps on the steps followed by leg raises.

IMG_8844 IMG_8847 IMG_8820My only negative comment about the workout was the weight bench. In the dark, I had a hard time finding the correct weights and then accessing them from the bench. The bench, which was similar to an elevated step, had all the weights racked so tightly beneath it that I couldn’t see the weight until I removed it, causing many awkward fumbles.

1 Rebel Weight Bench

Otherwise, as promised, the class was 45 minutes of non-stop high intensity workout. I barely had time to pause for swigs of water, which meant my heart rate stayed high the whole time.

The Locker Room Situation: Before hearing about 1Rebel’s workouts, I heard about their locker rooms. I kid you not! When this new kid on the block opened in London, everyone was raving about their large locker rooms which includes copper code lockers, cold towels, more than 10 private showers, multiple beauty bars including hair straighteners, blow dryers, deodorant and other beauty products. Getting ready in the locker room was a treat yesterday, versus a stress.  (Picture source)

1rebel womens locker room

Refuel: After your class, 1Rebel makes it easy to refuel. Their healthy cafe, Roots and Bulbs, offered fresh made smoothies, juices and other small bites. Similar to Barry’s Bootcamp, you may order your juice or smoothie ahead so it’s waiting for you after class. The Whey of the Gods smoothie, which included almond milk, banana, maca, peanut butter, whey protein and sesame seeds kept me fueled all morning and was DELICIOUS! I want to try and recreate this smoothie at home!

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Pricing: They have a special price of 10 pounds for your first class. After that, individual classes are 20 pounds or may be purchased in packages which reduce the price. In addition, 1Rebel is available on the London Classpass.

Would I go again? Heck yes! I loved the class and 24 hours later I can feel that the combination of treadmill sprints, hills, box jumps, and medicine ball exercises worked my muscles in new ways. If I lived in London, I would definitely go at least once a week.

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