Motivation

Happy New Year! 19 in 2019

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Happy New Year everybody! Now that 2019 is upon us, we are putting together our run list for the year and looking for your recommendations. What races have you done? What were your favourites? Or what races are you looking forward to doing or have already signed up for?

We RUN Tings is encouraging our run community (that includes you) to do 19 different runs in 2019. To some, that sounds like a lot of fun. To others, it sounds like a lot of work. And to others, it sounds like a lot of money! That’s why we welcome your suggestions. We want to give a good list of different kinds of runs, different distances, different environments, and different prices (including those that are cheap and hopefully even FREE!).

You can give your feedback in the comments, message us on Facebook, or email us directly at weruntingsworld (at) gmail (dot) com. We’ll be back in a week or so with our list of suggestions. Disclaimer: The list is likely to be a LOT of Toronto and Detroit (currently our two main running regions) but suggestions from others will help to even things out (just a little).

Happy Running!

#WRT19in2019

 

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Events, Motivation, Nutrition, Self-Care

Get ready, get set…get JUICY!

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WUWT - Juicy for Jump Up

Whether you’re chipping down the road at Carnival, or walking and running down the road on the regular, this collective health experience might be for you! Join We RUN Tings to Get Juicy for Jump-Up!

It has been said that a short juice detox has a whole lot of benefits — boosting energy, healing the body, releasing toxins, losing weight, and flooding our body with nutrients! That’s all good but it can be hard to go it alone. So We RUN Tings invites you to join us for our first group juice detox. For a full five days, wherever you are, we’re in this together.

The Plan? Fresh raw (fruit and vegetable) juice three times a day, supplemented by lots of water and clear tea with no sweeteners. NO SOLID FOOD. It sounds scary but trust us, it can be done! We’ll need commitment. We’ll need willpower. And most importantly, we’ll need eachother. Tell a friend!

We’ll post great recipes and lots of tips to support the process. We encourage you to ask questions, tell us about your progress, and share your ideas with the rest of the group. If you’ve done this before, bring your wisdom! We’ll need it.

If it’s convenient and cost-effective, you can buy juices from a juice boutique. We also encourage you to make your own juices at home. Bust out that blender and get jamming with your juicer! Let all that juicy creativity shine through.

“This is not about getting skinny. This is about getting started.” — Kija Gray

NOTE: Before starting a juice detox, please check with your healthcare provider if you are pregnant, underweight, diabetic, or if you have have heart disease, low blood pressure, or any life-threatening health challenge.

The Real Skinny on The Juice Cleanse

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It’s almost Summer! And everyone wants to shed their winter coats – also known as the extra 10 to 15 pounds they put on between Halloween and New Year’s. Well, juice cleanses or detoxes are all the rage. Those who are true to the juicing game are all about detoxes because we know they work.

raw-juicePersonally, I have been a believer for over 10 years. Before the juice cleanse was popular, I learned about holistic healing from juicing gurus like Joel Furman and old school Jack Lalane. They swore by the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle and incorporated natural, raw juice into their diets. Myself, I used juicing to heal my body from hormonal imbalance and fibroids. Then I experienced the added bonus of (yes!) weight loss.

We all want to look good and feel great in our jeans, our Carnival costumes, or our own skin. The quickest way to get there is to start a juice cleanse. A detox of 3 to 7 days or more will reboot your metabolism and get you those results in the waistline.

What are the other benefits? There are many! For example, improvement in:

  • chronic fatigue
  • loss of concentration
  • poor memory
  • weight gain
  • leaky gut
  • poor digestion
  • gas and bloating
  • skin problems
  • chronic pain

So, even if you think detox or cleansing your body with juicing is just an unnecessary fad, give it a try! You can join a group cleanse with We RUN Tings and GO Press Juice. We’ll be posting juice recipes and great tips. Let’s get healthy and get ready for summer fun together!

Written By Callie Bradford MS, Speaker, Holistic Health and Wellness Coach. Author of Apples, Carrots and Kale, Oh My: A Beginners Guide to Juicing.

First published in Natural Awakenings magazine. Adapted by We RUN Tings

juice-recipe-pain

The Wagon

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I have fallen off the wagon before. It’s not a new thing.

I have fallen off the wagon before. It’s not a new thing.

I have fallen off the wagon before. It’s not a new thing. Most times, I’ve picked myself up. Trusted that I could. Knew that I would hear the voices of those in my world tell me to “dust off and get back on the ride”. But last June, the death of my mother changed everything for me. Finding my mother…gone… was perhaps the single most traumatizing thing that I can remember happening in my life.

The wagon was there, the cheerleaders were yelling “Dust yourself off, get back on!” But their voices got further and further away…and the wagon left without me this time.

Race for the Cure Detroit, May 2012

Race for the Cure Detroit, May 2012

Now trust me, when it comes to excuses, I wrote the book. Not the entire book, but let’s just say I’ve been a regular contributor. Making excuses actually meant I cared, but this time I’d even forgotten how to do that. No excuses. No explanations. I had gone into full blown mourning. Grief had taken hold of my body, my mind, my soul. Every Facebook memory from the year before had reminded me of all the time and energy I had spent in building the “me” I wanted to be.

Today marks the anniversary of the first 5K I ever ran. In May 2012, I ran the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Detroit with my sister running alongside me, yelling “Water is for weaklings! Peeing? Really?” I ran that whole race, non stop. I encouraged others to run or walk it too. I was surprised at my own strength. From there I went on to run over 24 races and even completed a duathlon.

Which brings me to now. The phone rang this morning. It was a dear friend of mine who did the race with me the first time She called to ask me where she could meet me on the route today. She just knew I’d be there. Me? On the route? Today? Nope, I am at home. My race days seem a world away.

Toronto Caribbean Carnival, August 2014

Toronto Caribbean Carnival, August 2014

I am just now starting to feel myself again. My toes, my desire to move my body again. To dance. To eat well. To love me again. To honor this body again. I gotta do it. Next weekend, I am registered for a half marathon I paid for before my Mom died. I may not be able to run it, like I had in the past. I might have to walk. Or perhaps, the wagon will circle back and I’ll climb back on. #wegotogether

– K.G.

So you want to have an awesome body?

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It’s January. And you might notice that this time of year is totally overwhelming with all kinds of information on how to lose weight, look good, eat right, live right, do more, be more, and basically Make All Your Dreams Come True. Blah blah blah.

Me, I don’t have a problem with it…within reason of course. I’m all for suggestions and well-meaning advice but it has to be rational, doable, inexpensive, and convenient. I don’t want to spend too much. I don’t want to drive too far. I don’t want to study for it or think too much about it. I don’t want complicated instructions or extra equipment or special-order materials. That’s just me in a nutshell.

With that in mind, I’m here to share my own rational, doable, inexpensive, and convenient technique for people who want to have an awesome body.

Instructions:

  1. Get up every day (Every. Single. Day) and look at your body in the mirror (nakedness is optional but recommended).
  2. Tell your body that it is awesome.
  3. Treat your body accordingly.

It’s that simple. And it works.

At first your body may not believe you, especially if YOU do not believe you. That’s OK. Keep going. Every. Single. Day.

Treat your body as though it is some new love interest, that guy or girl that you really really like and you really want to get down with. Compliment your body. Tell your body amazing things about itself. Spend time with your body. Think of new fun things that you can do together. Take your body to nice places. Feed it with the best food, like you’re trying to impress it. Don’t give your body anything that would make it sick or sad. Pleasure your body, unapologetically. Pamper your body. Buy or make nice gifts for you and your body to share. Play music to your body. Sing to it. Yes, I said it. Serenade your body and sing LOUDLY.

Do the things for your body that you know are really good for your body. Take your body for a walk. Take your body out dancing. Take your body to the gym but do the classes that you and your body really enjoy. If it’s not fun, if your body is not having a good time, be flexible and invite your body to do something else instead.

Take your body out on the town on the regular. Don’t hide your body…the world deserves to see that awesomeness that is truly you. When you believe it, others will believe it. And if they don’t, well they just don’t know very much. That’s their problem. You and your awesome body are very happy together, thank you very much.

Awesomeness will not happen overnight. It takes time to build a solid relationship with your body. But I think you’ll find that your body is worth it and will show its appreciation. There is no feeling quite like waking up every day with someone who truly loves and appreciates you. It makes you glow and look forward to every new experience. Treat your awesome body like it deserves to be treated and your body will respond accordingly.

Now this approach will not work for everybody. Unfortunately I speak from personal experience when I say that sometimes the hardest thing you could ever do is to say nice things to yourself about your body. We have not exactly been trained to do that, whether because we don’t want to be vain or we just don’t see our own awesomeness. Whatever. Drastic times call for drastic measures. And if having an awesome body means that you have to throw caution to the wind and actually say good things about yourself, well, that’s a sacrifice you’ll just have to make. And no criticism. Nobody likes to be picked on all the time, constantly told what is wrong with them and what they must do to fix it. Your body is no exception.

So get up every day (Every. Single. Day) and talk nicely to your body. Marvel in the amazing things that it can do. Admire the miracle of how all the pieces fit together. Tell your body that you love it more than ever before. Smile at your body. Make kissy noises at it. Get silly with it. Throw yourself completely into the awesomeness that is you. The rest will follow.

It may take months. It may take a year. It make take years! But treating your body right and feeling good about your body relationship is habit-forming. Once you are fully addicted to having that awesome body, there’s just no turning back.

Let me know how it goes.

— Nicole OzJam

Reasons to Run: Fun with friends at the Mercedes-Benz Oakville 10K

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We RUN Tings invites you to join us the Mercedes-Benz Oakville 10k on Sunday, April 27, 2014. Presented by New Balance Oakville, all funds raised through this popular race will be donated to the Oakville Hospital Foundation. Participants will enjoy pituresque views of Oakville’s lakeshore and a variety of fun events for all ages, including a 5k High School Challenge, a 1k Junior Jog, and a 300m Toddler Trot! But wait, there’s more! One lucky winner will drive away in a brand new 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA.

971410_10151789214270465_831301863_nFor Barbara H., it’s worth a four-hour drive from across the border — even longer, if she stops at every Timmy’s! Here, Barbara shares her reasons for running, and tips for newbies.

Why did you start running?

I was always a runner off and on from the age of 13. I was inspired by older brothers who all were cross country runners. As an adult, I always dreamed of running again, but I didn’t fully pursue it again until last year. I was inspired by a group of my friends who had started running and that ignited that spark in me once again.

I started out on the track at first, running one lap and walking one, then running two and walking one. I did this until I could run a mile non-stop. Then I moved my track training to the treadmill. This is where I worked on building my distance. Before I knew it, I had built up enough endurance to run longer distances.

1174590_10151789216845465_409063980_nWhat different places have you gone to run (cities, countries)?

I run most often in Detroit [Michigan, USA], my hometown. However, last summer, I ran in Toronto [Ontario, CANADA] with We RUN Tings. That was my first international running experience.

Why did you decide to do the Mercedes Benz 10K in Oakville?

I had so much fun with We RUN Tings in Toronto last year. Having a group of runners that support you to become better and provides opportunities to see the world through running is great. I look forward to the positive energy that We RUN Tings gives me as a runner. They are really an amazing, supportive group.

Have you run a 10K before?

In November of 2013, I ran my first 10k at the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot in Detroit.

What advice do you have for other runners who may be just getting started?

I’d tell new runners these few points:

  • Don’t pressure yourself
  • Just take it one day at a time
  • Do your best, not anyone else’s best
  • Listen to your body
  • Oh yeah, and join a great running group!

Big Tings: WRT featured on Community Central radio show

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Put away the cape.

The solution? Put away the cape.

This month, We RUN Tings is featured on Community Central radio. The topic is Walking the path of life. The host Shaquilla speaks with WRT co-founder Nicole about why it’s so hard to live a healthy lifestyle, how to get started and stay motivated, and how to get involved with the WRT movement. Click here to listen… (29:02)

Speak up!

Why do YOU think many people struggle to exercise and live a healthier lifestyle?

How can we motivate ourselves to meet our fitness goals?

What worked for you? Or what do you need to make it happen?

Your comments are appreciated (below), or visit our Facebook page. You can also email us at weruntingsworld [at] gmail.com.