The Workout Skirt: A Great Idea or a Silly Fad?

Is the workout skirt a great idea or a silly fad? There seems to be very strong opinions on both sides! Regarding the workout skirt, I have heard everything from "they should be banned from races" to "they're my favorite bottom to race in!" I, for one, am a HUGE fan of the workout skirt for a couple of reasons.

1. They include chafe-free compression shorts (not all do, but you should buy on that does!)
2. They leave something to the imagination! Seriously, how many times have you seen someone in spandex shorts and you feel as though you shouldn't be looking because they appear essentially naked? You can see everything! And what percentage of the female population actually looks good in super-tight AND super-short bottoms? Perhaps 0.5%. I am not one of those 0.5%! :)

So the skirt portion of the workout skirt, for me is a piece of comfort. And I think a lot of women agree. The workout skirt gives you the freedom to move as if you were just wearing spandex shorts, and positive body image self-confidence. Together these are powerful feelings for fueling your next personal best! :)

ellasport's Workout Skirt is below.

Corinne's First Race Since Heart Surgery Just 8 Months Ago!

ellasport's sponsored athlete from the UK, Corinne Ellison, underwent major heart surgery just 8 months ago.  Determined to not only get back her previous fitness level, she set the ultimate fitness goal for herself: an Ironman!  But first things first.

Last weekend was Corinne's first race since her surgery and she nailed it!  She ran the Brighton (UK) half-marathon in 1:57, the first race time she is proud of. :)

Here is her story in her words.

So, after much training, heartache and frustration, the day finally arrived for me to race again. The Brighton half marathon was my first ever race when I was very new to running back in 2007. It seemed a fitting race to aim for this year, given that I had to cancel my place last year.

I felt my training had really come on in the last few weeks when I had commited to regular runs, upped my long run mileage and had been back to my triathlon club runs once a week. If I wasn’t ready for the half marathon now, I never would be. On a recent study day, I was coached by a fellow coach who is also a runner / triathlete. He made me think about my nerves about racing, address my limiting beliefs about achieving my target goal and put together a strategy for the big day. This involved visualising the finish line, taking my iPod with me, running with a friend to pace me, amongst other things.

The day before the race, I spent the day in Brighton with friends, trying very hard not to get nervous. Butterflies were flying everywhere in my stomach and I just couldn’t relax. After an lovely pasta meal, we headed back to our hotel for an early night. I struggled to get to sleep and when I did, I dreamt I died and was floating round as a ghost! Disturbing!

All went to plan in the morning, with a good breakfast and arrival at the start line in time. My focus was on maintaining a steady pace – 9 minute miles for the entire course. I was determined to say the least.

Once the gun went off, I held back slightly, not being tempted to lurch forward with the crowd of eager runners. Running with my friends, we soon found our pace and I felt surprisingly comfortable at 8:50 min/miles. Around the course, I had several moments where I battled with tiredness but I soon shook these off when friends waved at me in the crowd. Knowing the course and area helped me and I reminsced about running in Brighton whilst training for my first London marathon. I felt overwhelmed at how much things have changed in the last 4 years.

At 12.5 miles, fatigue really kicked in. The first doubts about not finishing strongly came over me. My friend pep talked me to the max and I somehow continued my pace…all the way to a 1:57:04 finish. I couldn’t have been more pleased! It was the most incredible feeling to have achieved my goal, having never experienced this before. Whilst I had completed a marathon and felt ok, I had never achieved a time I was proud of. Until now!

A day later, I am still glowing and get little bursts of happiness when I think of what I’ve done. 8 months after heart surgery, I am feeling stronger than ever. I just can’t wait for the London marathon and an exciting summer of triathlons. I am now the proud owner of my ellasport outfit and can’t wait to try them out – photos coming soon!

Bring it on!!!   

Corinne has cute pics on her blog that I can't seem to copy!  Check them out here. 

 

Falling In Love With Running Again

This time last year I was in half-marathon race shape as the NYC half-marathon is in March. But I didn't race that much last year - a couple of Triathlons that's it! So now that I am in warm and sunny Manila (Philippines) for a little while, I run every chance I get since access to a gym is not exactly easy like it is in NYC! I ran for 45 hot, hilly minutes today. :) I forgot how addicting - in a good way - running can be. Not to mention it's the best way to maintain your weight, or better yet, lose those impossible last 5 pounds. It's good to be back!

And the winner of the #runchat is....

Pamela Kramer - Renaissance Woman - from the great state of Texas!!  Pamela won a pair of ellasport Power Capris, which she loves!  Pamela writes about her new capris and other fun stuff here.

#runchat is a conversation held on Twitter by using "#runchat" by all participants.  Maybe this is obvious, but it was new to me! :)  The chat involves all things related to running.  Everyone from ultra-marathoners to run-walkers are on the chat sharing training tips, nutrition advice, and just sharing their general love for the great sport of running.  A sport that I am currently falling in love with again.  More on that later. 

The chat is hosted by Scott Miles of iRunnerBlog.com  (@iRunnerBlog on Twitter) and David H. of @RunningBecause.   ellasport was happy to sponsor the #runchat held on February 13th and is looking forward to the next one!

ellasport Sponsoring #runchat on Twitter!

So what are you doing tomorrow night at 8 pm eastern time?  Join us on Twitter for the #runchat hosted by @irunnerblog and @RunningBecause!

I am so excited that we are sponsoring tomorrow evening's #runchat!  We will be giving away a pair of the Power Capris!  Details for the chat are here.

In order to be eligible for give away, you need to like ellasport on facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Hope to talk with you tomorrow!

Pam

Part 2 of My Interview with ellasport's Corinne Ellison of the UK!

 Here is part two of my interview with Corinne as she tells us about her very first run after surgery and what keeps her positive and driving forward!

5.  When was your first run after surgery? How was it - scary, exciting, etc.?

At 8 weeks, doctors and physios told me it was ok to break into a jog. That's exactly what I did, precisely on my 8 week date. Before then, I had been attending cardiac rehabilitation classes with patients aging up to 80! I ran on a treadmill with people in the next room so I felt safe. There was no fear, just excitement as I began to experience the familiar rush of endorphins. That was it, I was off! I had to be careful to take it steady and had a run/walk strategy for much of my first few runs. 

6.  Tell us about your goal of Ironman and the races on your schedule to get you there!

The challenge of Ironman has been lurking away in the back of my mind for the last few years. I found it fascinating watching footage of competitors striving to complete on of the toughest physical races. The sheer determination involved both in training for the event and during the race itself appeals to me as it tests your mental strength to the max. Even as a novice triathlete and before I knew about my heart condition, I had planned to complete an Ironman in 2012. After my experience, I couldn't be more motivated to achieve this goal. I have a summer of olympic distance triathlons planned and a half Ironman in September. Next year will be almost a full year training for an Ironman in the US - hopefully Florida in November 2012. Incidentially - this will be the month I turn 30!

7.  Compare your fitness level and activities before surgery and where you are today.

Before I knew about my heart condition, I was training regularly (up to 10 hours a week) but didn't seem to be improving. It appears that was a reason and on finding this out, I was very grateful! After my surgery, I seem to have a new energy and certainly don't lack enthusiasm to try to push the boundaries! I no longer have any shortness of breath or feelings of pressure in my chest. I have noticed a big improvement in my running times already and am so excited to see what I am capable of this year. 

8.  What has been the toughest part of recovery or of this whole situation?  And the best?

I would have to say the toughest part of the situation as a whole was the wait for the surgery. This felt like torture and left me mentally exhausted. The worst part of recovery is frustration at wanting to get back to normal physically.  I have taken many steps backwards and acknowledging that the body take a long time to heal after major surgery has been difficult at times. The best outcome has certainly been the overwhelming positive response to my blog posts recording my journey week by week. This includes messages from others going through a similar experience with heart surgery - I'm so privileged to have been able to share my experience and help others with theirs. 

9.  How do you remain positive and what drives you forward?

Keeping things in perspective has been an important aspect of my emotional recovery through the whole experience. Looking to the future allowed me to deal with what was happening in the present. I didn't allow myself to feel sorry for myself, only focusing on how lucky I was to have had my condition picked up and resolved. Having a written list of goals with attached timeframes helps drive me forward and take the necessary steps to succeeding.

  

Part 1 of My Interview with ellasport's Corinne Ellison of the UK!

So in my last post I introduced ellasport's sponsored athlete from the UK, Corinne Ellison, as she pursues the ultimate fitness test - an Ironman in 2012!  Corinne has an important history that makes her journey to Ironman particularly inspiring.  During her training for the London Marathon last year, she was diagnosed with a heart condition that required her to stop exercising immediately until she could have open-heart surgery!  

During my first interview with Corinne, I learned how she went from the 7-minute shuffle around the block (right after surgery) to training for a half-marathon coming up later this month! 

1.  What is the heart condition that you have? 

I was diagnosed with an atrial septal defect or ASD which is a hole between the top chambers of the heart. The hole was 2cm x 3cm - so pretty large and meant a large proportion of blood was flowing backwards though my heart causing it to enlarge. The heart condition is classed as a congenital defect meaning something I was born with but had gone undetected for 27 years!

2.  When did you notice something was not quite right in terms of your health?  Had it affected your running and other workouts?

Soon after I had run the Berlin marathon in September 2009 in exactly the same time I had run the London marathon earlier in the year, I began to feel frustrated at my lack of progress. Little by little, I noticed small changes in my health such as increased fatigue, shortness of breath at rest and palpitations. I put these symptoms down to general tiredness and the stress of having a busy life. I continued to push myself with hard running, biking and swimming sessions, trying to keep up with other members of my triathlon club. Eventually I went to see my doctor and within two weeks, I was diagnosed with the hole in my heart. 

3.  Tell us about the surgery you had in order to fix your heart.

Doctors performed several tests and took their time to decide which was the best option for closing the hole. It was decided that open heart surgery was the only option. I had the choice of a vertical or horizontal incision in my chest. I opted for a vertical scar as this meant a better recovery especially for returning to swimming. Fear didn't take hold of me until I went down to the operating theatre. Previously, I had been effectively blocking out nerves. During the surgery my heart was stopped for 39 minutes and I was put onto a 'bypass' machine. I spent a period on intensive care and was eventually released from hospital after 8 days.    

4.  Recovery!  Tell us what it was like and what you were thinking after the surgery and into your early recovery.

Recovery after the surgery was a roller-coaster of emotions! Sometimes I felt great, others I was exhausted and pain. Very quickly, I realized I wasn't invincible! All my thoughts were focused on getting better and achieving my goals. I had deferred a London marathon place and was desperate to to back to running. Before diagnosis, I had a clear plan of what I wanted to achieve and by when. Regularly reading these goals kept my spirits up in recovery. I was on countdown to my milestone dates: I was allowed to walk round the block after a week - I managed a whole 7 minute shuffle! Day by day, the distance increased and I began to feel stronger. I was in a lot of pain from my chest and neck but found it useful to concentrate on how lucky I was to have made it through such major surgery relatively well!

ellasport Sponsors Corinne Ellison of the UK!

ellasport is now sponsoring Corinne Ellison of the UK!  She has overcome open-heart surgery and is now on the journey to the ultimate fitness test of an Ironman in 2012!  I am truly honored to be a part of her journey!  Here is a little bit about our girl Corinne.  

Corinne Ellison (28) grew up in Derby, UK and now lives on the beautiful south coast of England. After obtaining a BA (Honors) degree, Corinne worked as an emergency department nurse before completing a further degree in midwifery. While providing health care, she enjoyed the challenge of combining shift work, with starting a business and training for endurance events! Corinne currently runs a UK events business with her business partner (www.boothstar.co.uk). She is also training to become a success coach and hopes to empower others to achieve their goals and open their minds to the endless possibilities in life.

After a non-sporting background, Corinne took up running in 2006 after watching her boyfriend complete the London marathon. The sheer emotion and atmosphere of the event spurred her on and she began to run regularly. After completing her first marathon in 2007 and finishing in 6:19, Corinne became passionate about improving her times. This passion extended to triathlon after she joined the local triathlon club. At her first olympic distance triathlon, Corinne finished third....from last! Undetered and remaining focused, she continuing training knowing she had more to give.

In January 2010, in the middle of marathon and triathlon training, Corinne was diagnosed with a previously undetected congenital heart condition. The condition meant her heart was starting to fail and she had to stop all exercise until undergoing open heart surgery. This experience left her determined to get back to full fitness and share her story with others as a means to both raise awareness and inspire others to overcome obstacles. Corinne now challenges herself to complete her best ever marathon time, a half iron distance triathlon in 2011 and the ultimate challenge of an Ironman in 2012! Corinne is delighted to be sponsored by ellasport and is looking forward to sharing the journey with all women who love exercise and love celebrating life. 

You can follow Corinne on Twitter  @Bungleduck!