We wrapped up the second annual ZOOMA Atlanta Half Marathon & 5K on Sunday, November 8 under sunny skies.  Especially after last year’s unusually cold weather, the pleasant 65 degree day was more than welcome.  The morning started cool (about 45 degrees) but slowly warmed as runners and walkers crossed the finish line in Atlantic Station and as the post-race party area buzzed.  I think it was a perfect day for running.

The ZOOMA Atlanta course is an urban course, and running through downtown Atlanta, its impossible to avoid hills.  Finishers of the ZOOMA Atlanta course deserve every bit of pampering we offer at the After-Party Expo - it’s a great accomplishment!  At the finish line, I heard women talking about the hills… about half of those runners follow up by saying “but I like the hills.”  I guess that’s what eventually happens after becoming an Atlanta runner!

Since race day, I’ve received emails from many grateful women.  I am so so happy that ZOOMA inspires some women to get active and gives them an excuse to bring your friends out to try something new.  To me, that is what makes ZOOMA special and different from the growing number of endurance events around the U.S. - we are all about fit friendships and using one another as inspiration and motivation to live the lives we want and to be our best selves.

I saw lots of fit friends at ZOOMA Atlanta.  Here are a few of my favorite photos:

Photos all courtesy of brightroom.com.   These photos and more can be purchased here.

Congratulations to all ZOOMA Atlanta finishers!  Hope to see you next year.

Brae

Congratulations to all ZOOMA Denver finishers!  Over 700 women showed up on race day for ZOOMA Denver, and we were blessed with an extraordinary Colorado morning.  Race results are here.   All in all, I am very happy with the inaugural ZOOMA Denver race.  Central Park is a fantastic venue for the start/finish and post-race party.  Our sponsors and vendors created a fabulous post-race experience for runners and spectators, and we loved the beer from Left Hand Brewing!  The finish line is stunning with the mountains in the background.  Packet pick ups went really well, course management was flawless, volunteers did a great job…  Bravo!

Based on your comments, next year we may re-think some of the course on the sandy trail. (By way of explanation, the trail was “re-sanded” the week before the race.  We were as surprised as you were by the deep sand out there!)  The unusually warm morning meant that an extra water station could have been useful towards the end of the race.  There are also some parts of the half marathon course we will change by necessity as the race grows in size.  Thanks to everyone for your constructive feedback.  Stay tuned for info about the 2010 event. We’re hoping to finalize a date by mid-November!

Here are some of my favorite photos from race day.  (courtesy brightroom.com)  You can purchase photos from the race by clicking here.

The sun starts to rise over the inaugural ZOOMA Denver start line. Race day is here!

Half Marathon race start. They're off!

Friends chat on the course. ZOOMA Denver is fun!

It's all blue skies from here. Congrats!

The last (and oldest - 80 years old!) finisher crosses the finish line.

Good times at the ZOOMA Denver After-Party Expo.

Thanks everyone for a fantastic inaugural ZOOMA Denver.   Hope to see you next year!

-Brae

Summer is a tough time to stay true to running schedules.  Where I live, outside of Washington, DC, summer temperatures jump to the 90s too quickly after the sun rises, and the humidity only compounds running discomfort.  Travel schedules make training consistency difficult, and running buddies are more often away than available for weekend long runs.  Today the weather cooled.  Families are wrapping up summer vacations and heading to Target for new lunchboxes and backpacks.  It’s time for a change in mindset.

After four weeks apart, today I reunited with my neighbor-and-running-buddy, Kara.   Our mutually -full summer travel schedules contributed to a month long separation, during which time neither of us did a very admirable job keeping with our running schedules.  Today we faced the music.

8:45 a.m.  Kara texts me:  Want to run at 9:15?  I’m only gonna run for 20 minutes.

8:50 a.m.  I reply by text:  Yea – I’ll run. 

9:15 a.m.  Knock on the door and Kara comes in, ready to run.  I put down my lap top and we’re off on a familiar loop around the neighborhood.

9:20 – 9:50 a.m.  Jogging with non-stop chit chat.  (Still more to hear about Kara’s latest vacation; Both kids got sick and visited out-of-network physicians; Kara stung by jellyfish on 2^nd day at beach; Discussion about the progress of my living room redecoration; Progress of ZOOMA Denver; etc.) 

9:55 a.m.   I’m back to work for a call at 10 with the ZOOMA Austin charity partner and Kara’s back with her kids.

By all accounts, this morning’s run was NOT a great workout.  We walked at least twice, and during the periods we were running, our pace was admittedly slow.  As we turned off the running trail to head back home, Kara said, “Don’t worry.  We’ll get back in shape.”

Despite our less than stellar performance, the morning was perfect… Although August is still with us for one last day, it seems as if fall has already moved in.  The sky was overcast, and the temperatures hovered around 70 degrees.  All in all, perfect running weather, and a perfect day to renew my running spirit and to catch up with a good friend.

And to me, that’s all that really matters.  So, while school kids are sharpening pencils and carefully packing backpacks with markers and notebook paper, I’m gathering my best running intentions and focusing them on my running shoes. Fall is here… back to running. 

A series of articles published recently by the New York Times highlights the problems women face in developing counties.  Given my personal interest in development work (check out the group I work with: www.friendsofpenyem.com) and having worked with CARE as the ZOOMA Women’s Race Series charity partner in 2008, I was struck again by the different world that some of our poorer sisters inhabit.  For example:  (a few facts from The Women’s Crusade in the New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/magazine/23Women-t.html?pagewanted=1&em# )

·         The phenomenon of “missing girls” in countries like India and China exists because sons are more highly valued for various cultural reasons.  Basically, families chose to abort female fetuses, or don’t offer the same medical care to their young daughters, leading to somewhere between 60 and 107 million missing women in the world today (based on sex ratios).

·         The chance that a woman will die during childbirth in some poor countries is as high as 1 in 7. This is partly because maternal health is just not a priority for governments and aid programs.

·         Only one percent of the world’s landowners are women.

Every once in awhile I get a question (usually from a man) about why I started a race series for women – why not co-ed?  It has taken me some time to be able to clearly explain why I feel so strongly that we need these races, races that are all about women.  Women play a special role in society, and not just U.S. society.  Women and men are not exactly the same in every way.  Each has something unique and important that we add to our communities and our families.  To me, women are leaders.  Where women are fit and healthy, their families are fit and healthy.  Where women are confident and capable, so are their children.  Where women are balanced, so are those around them.  Not only is ZOOMA fun-as-can-be, it also serves an important purpose – it is helping women to help themselves (by living active lifestyles), which has the exponential effect of helping everyone.

There’s good news in women’s development work, too.  While the majority of aid dollars spent don’t lead to any real change, studies show that aid to women in poor countries is some of the most effective aid spent by donor governments and NGOs.  Microfinance programs, whereby women are offered low interest loans to start businesses, are changing families and communities.  Where women are educated, empowered, and given a chance to thrive, they do!  And they share their own success with their families and their communities.  It’s been proven over and over again.

I believe that, as human beings, we should feel solidarity with humans around the world.  And, as women, we should feel a special link with women around the world.  As women lucky enough to have been born citizens of a safe and secure nation, I believe we have a responsibility to educate ourselves about what is happening with our sisters born in other parts of the world, and we have a responsibility to tell others and to do what we can to raise them up.

What can we do?  Here are a few groups that I personally support and that are doing great things for women:

CARE  (www.care.org) is a leading global poverty-fighting organization, placing “special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty.”  I am always moved by the amazing videos on CARE’s site: http://www.care.org/features/videogallery.asp

Kiva (www.kiva.org) is a funding organization for microfinance groups around the world.  You put in a set amount of money (as little as $25) and you can choose the individual or group you would like your money to go to.  When the loan has been repaid, you can take your money out of Kiva or you can loan it to a new individual or group.  Most of the loan recipients are women, and microfinance is an awesome and empowering vehicle for change.  This is a super-fun, hands on way to do philanthropy, and could be fun for kids, too, I think.

There are plenty of ways to get involved helping women around the world.  If you have other groups you support, please leave their names and contact info in the comment section below.

As the saying goes, “Women hold up half the sky.”  Sometimes we may have to stand a little taller to hold up our half until our poorer sisters can reach on their own.

As defined: “n.  A way of life or style of living that reflects the attitudes and values of a person or group.”

I’ve been hearing a lot of talk lately about lifestyle… lifestyle as the key to healthy living.  It makes sense to me that dieting or sporadic bouts of exercise are not the best recipe for being happy and healthy.  I know from experience that, in order to eat well and exercise, it’s got to be part of what I do every day… or “way of life” to use the definition above.  And it’s got to be fun, too.

This week, I traveled to Tampa for a meeting with Women’s Running magazine at their headquarters in St. Petersburg. My friends Matt and Andrea Baldwin were kind enough to put me up the night before the meeting.  After taking me to a yummy Mexican restaurant and giving me the dime tour of their neighborhood, we stood around chatting in their kitchen. 

“You know the Baldwins go to bed early,” Matt said, very matter-of-factly and moving towards the bedroom.  I looked at the clock… 9:30 p.m.!

Matt and Andrea aren’t lazy – far from it.  This is part of their lifestyle, which I came to realize the following morning.  As I stumbled out of bed to the bathroom to get dressed for my meeting around 7:00 a.m., a respectable waking-hour in my mind, I heard…

“Brae – you up?  Time to get up!” Matt shouted at me through the door.  I answered in a groggy voice as best I could as upbeat music bounced loudly throughout the house.  Matt and Andrea buzzed around the kitchen, packing a healthy lunch to take to work, and generally exhibiting much more energy than I can usually muster at that hour.

As we sat around the table eating breakfast (healthy, low fat, high protein foods), I heard about Matt’s 5:45 a.m. rowing workout on Tampa Bay with friends, and Andrea’s 45-minute run with a running group… all before I had even thought about stirring from my deep slumber.

As I said goodbye and drove to St Pete later that morning, I thought about Matt and Andrea.  I left their house feeling upbeat and optimistic, and I tried to figure out why.  Here’s what I surmised:

1.     To me, they are a perfect example of a LIFESTYLE.  Working out with friends and eating healthy is their “style of living” – and believe me, it is a style.  On the weekends, they run or swim or bike with their friends.  At night, they cook healthy dinners. (Andrea even shared with me about her idea for a healthy-eating cookbook.)  For vacations, they travel to fun destinations to participate in triathlons or marathons.  Active living is definitely a LIFESTYLE for these guys, and seeing how happy they are in an incredibly healthy way of living was inspiring to me.

2.     They do it together. Matt and Andrea are best friends, and they obviously love being together. They are both passionate about sports and being active, and they push and challenge each other.  I think it’s important to have a partner in your healthy “play” – maybe it’s a spouse, a sister or a neighbor.  The important part is that working out becomes more fun because it’s more than just a sweat fest – it’s a social outing.

My trip to Tampa only confirmed my belief that enjoying healthy living is the only way to truly be happy and healthy.  Finding some way to “play” that keeps us moving and keeps us coming back for more.  There is nothing more “stylish” than that!

After running a portion of the ZOOMA Denver half marathon course last week, I am psyched to share the photos with you.  I know I am biased, but I really believe this course is a hidden jewel in Denver.  This course is flat, much of it is on crusher fine (which is awesome for runners - soft, but not too soft), and has fantastic views.  Miles ~8-11 are on the Sand Creek Greenway, incredibly beautiful and serene.  The whole course is basically flat (only a few small inclines).  In my opinion ZOOMA Denver has one of the best ZOOMA race courses from several different perspectives.

I took some pics so you can see for yourself.

The race starts and finishes in Central Park, off MLK Blvd in Stapleton.  Central Park is 80+ acres of manicured lawns, cool playgrounds, and fun fountains.  When I was there last week (and it was 95 degrees outside), there were tons of kids playing in the fountain in their bathing suits. 

This photo is where the start/finish lines will be.  The race will start heading in the direction of the photo, and will finish heading toward back towards the viewer.  The drama of the start/finish area isn’t captured well by this photo, but it is very, very cool and will look awesome with all the ZOOMA signage, etc.  I think finishers will feel like heroes coming through this finish area.

After the first few miles in Central Park, the course heads south on the Westerly Creek Trail.  This is a photo from the side of the road looking into the Westerly Creek area.  The course will actually run on the trails inside (which aren’t really visible from this view.)  But check out the wildflowers!

Next the course turns west onto this crusher-fine trail on 29th Ave. in Stapleton.  This area is managed by the Stapleton Master Community Association, and it sort of reminds me of a Parisian boulevard.  The houses along each side of the road are gorgeous, too, for those  of you who enjoy mooning over real estate like I do.

After briefly snaking through some Stapleton residential neighborhoods, the course ends up again on the Westerly Creek Trail headed north.  (On a different path from the trip south in the same area.)  The course crosses Westerly Creek on this cute little bridge. 

Around Mile 8, the course enters the Sand Creek Greenway, which is a crusher fine path through a nature area.  On my run last week, we saw too many prairie dogs and rabbits to count.  I felt like we were in the middle of a Colorado wilderness!  It’s serene and beautiful, with Sand Creek  peacefully flowing alongside and rustic fences lining the route.

This is around Mile 11… running west back towards Central Park for the finish.  Check out the mountain and city view!  The last ~4 miles are running west and this view is visible for much of it.  For an east-coast girl like me, this is pretty cool…

These are just a few views from the ZOOMA Denver course.  I wanted to share them with everyone because I think that, because Stapleton is such a new area in Denver, many people haven’t had the opportunity to run there and don’t realize how beautiful it is.  And flat, too!  Thanks a million to David Manthey, coach and founder of Runners’ Edge of the Rockies, for the design concept.  You rock!

As I sit and contemplate this blog post, part of me worries that I will come across as a bit of a fashionista… Rather than fight the facts, I am embracing that term in the title of this entry.  Don’t get me wrong, on any given day, you are many times more likely to find me in t-shirts snagged from Target than anywhere else, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have a real love and appreciation for clothes that make me look and feel good.

From pre-teen girls to white-haired octogenarians, most women appreciate how they feel in a fantastic outfit.  The whole raison d’être for the fashion industry is how clothes make women feel, right?  In many ways, good clothes serve the same purpose as running for me… I feel powerful, relaxed, healthy, glowing and confident when I am wearing clothes that fit me well, are comfortable, show my personality, and look really great.  I can be more “me” when I feel good about what I am wearing.  And the quality of the outfit decidedly does not correspond with the price I paid for it or where it was purchased.  For me, the same goes for running clothes.

I think women often overlook the importance of feeling good in what we wear to run. 

For me, it’s easier to motivate to work out when I am excited about the clothes I am wearing, they fit well and they feel good.  These days, as opposed to 2-3 decades ago, there are so many options that there is no excuse for ill-fitting or poorly-performing running gear. As the executive director of a women’s run series, I am exposed to lots of start-up brands (many of them founded and owned by women entrepreneurs), so I consider myself a bit of a running clothes connoisseur.  One of my favorite parts of my job is finding new brands or styles and adopting them into my personal running repertoire.  Here are a few summer-running finds that I swear by, none of which will break the bank and all of which you will find my dirty laundry as we speak:  (Does anyone else have that problem?  Your favorite clothes are always dirty???)  

Oiselle Running (www.oisellerunning.com)

Roga short – for the last several months, these have been my favorite shorts.  Super comfortable and great colors, too.  I wear them to yoga, biking, to do errands and around the house.  ($24 for sale colors; $39 regular price)

Lori short – Just bought these a couple weeks ago and they are quickly becoming favorites. I bought them in gold. The wide waistband eliminates a lot of the “muffin-top” issues (which can make anyone frown) and the cool fabric is perfect for warm days. ($39)

The founder, Sally, is a great runner and is passionate about her brand.  Go, Sally!

Gracie’s Gear (www.gracies-gear.com)

Long Tank in turquoise – The vertical lines are slimming and the blue color is dreamy.  I like wearing this top when I’m running with my iPod, and it pairs beautifully with black shorts.  My neighbor wore this top in her half marathon debut in the spring because it is functional and made her feel pretty.  ($42 – often on sale at ZOOMA expos!)

Capris pants – I admit I don’t usually run in capris, even in the winter.  GG’s capris pants are my favorite for yoga.  They are just fitted enough that they stay put without being uncomfortably tight – even during crazy contortion poses – and the light fabric keeps me cool when things start heating up.  Gracie thinks these make my backside look good … and that’s pretty good, too J ($60)

Gracie is the ZOOMA coach, even though she is having a baby any day now, she’ll be at the ZOOMA Denver expo in September.  Good luck, Gracie!

Headsweats (www.headsweats.com)

Race Hat – I was given this hat as a promo item by a local magazine in Austin, but I wear it EVERY time I run.  Before this hat, I was not a hat-wearer – I have enough internal heat without putting a lid on a key heat-release region, but it is incredibly lightweight and does not make me hot.  As far as I can tell, sun is the #1 cause of skin’s aging (aside from the inevitable passage of time), so for me the hat is well worth the effort. ($20)

On any given day, you will find me working out in one or another of these items.  What are your favorite work out clothes, that you swear by and couldn’t do without?  Comment to this post and share!  

Have a great weekend and happy 4th!

Brae 

What: (Free) Training Kick-Off! Short training run, food & wine, giveaways from sponsors, gear discounts, training tips and ideas.

 Who: Fabulous ZOOMA Denver runners! Get training tips from David Manthey, Coach for Runners’ Edge of the Rockies and St. Jude Heroes –Denver and meet Brae Blackley, ZOOMA Women’s Race Series founder.

 When/Where: Thursday, July 9, 2009 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Outdoor Divas – Denver
2717 East 3rd Ave
Denver, CO 80206

 Why: Meet fellow ZOOMA Denver runners, learn about cool training programs and becoming a St. Jude Hero, collect some pre-race swag, save 15% off your purchase from Outdoor Divas, ask the race director ANY question (no dumb questions!) and get inspired for ZOOMA Denver!

RSVP today - spots are limited!  www.zoomarun.com/denver

This morning I came across an ad for Ruby’s Walk Across America.  “Ruby” is an obese woman who lives in Savannah and has an infectious southern accent and bubbly personality.   Last year, the Style network (owned by E!) launched a reality show to follow her through her weight loss journey.  I believe she weighed close to 500 pounds at the start of the show, but has since lost quite a bit.  Her goals are to lose weight and become healthier, and also to inspire others to stay strong in their own journeys to weight loss.  (As a side note, Ruby is in Washington, DC tomorrow and I am going to see her! Click here for more info:  http://www.mystyle.com/mystyle/shows/ruby/walks/events.jsp)

Reality shows chronicling weight loss journeys are becoming more and more popular.  No doubt that the rise in this type of programming is due to the fact that so many American adults can relate.  Everyone has heard these stats by now, but they are worth repeating:  Half of U.S. adults and one-third of U.S. children are obese or overweight.  Wow!  Just think about what that means – 10 kids in your kid’s class of 30 students.  Half of our friends at our workplace, church, or social clubs.  The obese or overweight epidemic affects us all.  As the increasing popularity of weight-loss-reality TV reveals, this has become part of our American culture.

Thinking about these stats gives me a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I find myself wondering:  why?  I am fortunate that genetics and an exercise habit formed when I was young allow me to keep my weight down relatively easily. But the overweight epidemic still affects me and I admit that part of me feels some responsibility for it.  I am part of a culture that has stealthily promoted unhealthy eating and a sedentary lifestyle for adults and kids.

You might all guess that being healthy is something I feel strongly about.  That is why I have chosen to devote my life and career to creating events that will inspire and motivate women to make exercise and healthy living a lifestyle and create and strengthen fit friendships.

I have recently started running in the evenings with my sweet neighbor, Kara, a stay-at-home mom with two small (and adorable) kids.  We talk non-stop from the time we leave her driveway to the time we stop our watches at the end of the workout.  Where did those 3 miles go?  They were swallowed by the goddess of gossip.  Meanwhile, Kara and I are left with stronger bodies, satisfied souls and a good night’s sleep.  Making fitness a centerpiece of my friendships is key for achieving physical and emotional health and balance in my life, and I really hope that each of you has at least one fit friendship.  If you don’t  - it’s easy to invite a friend to go walking after work or to sign up for a local 5K.  To me, there is nothing more satisfying.

The photos from the ZOOMA Annapolis finish line prove to me that you are all working towards a healthier life, and doing it with your friends.  Looking through the photos is inspiring!  I encourage you all to spend some time browsing when you need a bit of inspiration: www.zoomarun.com/annapolis/results.php    In the meantime, here are some photos to make you smile J

Click on an image to view it bigger.   Photos courtesy of brightroom.com