7 Tips to Recover a Runner Mind

Training four months for a marathon or more time for an Ultra race can be exhausting, but there's a training more than the physical and all the miles, and it is our mental training. All the process of our training can make us feel stronger after every month, early runs and dealing with that voice that sometimes says "I need to stop" or "Can't do this" is another part of the training and for me in my personal opinion, is 40% important for the success. What keeps you doing it? Your mental strength? Your discipline?
We’re creatures of habit, and our bodies crave consistency. A marathon training program gave us highly detailed instructions on how to live our lives, then it leaves us on race day to figure out the rest on your own, and all that time!
I wanted to share these tips or recommendations that help me so much to recover my mind after a long and hard physical training, the best we recover and rest our minds, the best our bodies will pass the switch again for the next challenge.

1) Enjoy the achievement! Feel happy for finishing that race, no matter the distance , PR or not, you trained hard for it and you did it!! Enjoy your favorite food, why not? Buy yourself a present, your favorite flowers, a Spa day ( It's my favorite! ) may be a new pair of running shoes ;)

2) Take a good ONE hour massage: The massages always help to recover faster our muscles but are the perfect trigger to set our minds on relax and disconnect from any stress in our lives.

3) Back to the things that you missed: We likely put some "pause" to hang with friends until late, drink adult drinks or others so, it's time to have fun again and involve everybody for your celebration! Family time and friends always give so much refresh to our mind and balance.

4) Take some time OFF for yourself: May be a short trip, vacations, or just doing the things that you like to do alone or those that relaxes you. Meditation and Yoga help me so much, and a Spa day is a BIG plus.

5) Next races! Why not? take some time to check the fun races in your area or city to hang with friends and no matter the pace, just hang with your running friends and drink some pizza and beers. 

6) Walk! Take some time with friends, dogs, your loved one or alone and go walk all those places that you love around your area or city. Look for those peaceful places who can help you to disconnect from your routine. The beach, camping, road trip with friends! Just go and have fun and give joy and peace to your mind. 

7) Do YOGA!!! If you don't try Yoga yet, what are you waiting? It's the perfect balance activity ( and swimming ) for runners. Specialists recommend do an activity barefoot per week, and definitely is great to stretch and recover faster but the health and relax that it gives to our mind through the different poses, is priceless and you will feel it! In my case love Hot core Yoga and relaxing Flows every single day after a marathon.

Carolina Muriel

Chevron Houston Marathon Ambassador 2019

Trail Racing Over Texas Ambassador 2019

Team Nuun

7 Reasons to Run for a Reason with Chevron Houston Marathon or Aramco Houston Half Marathon on January 2019

Thinking about a great way to give more intention, inspiration and commitment to your Running Training? Looking for that extra motivation that will make you a real Hero in your community? Well, check these 7 reason why you should get and Sign in for the Run for a Reason program of #houmarathon or #HouHalf 2019 as soon you finish to Read this: 

1) INVOLVE FRIENDS AND FAMILY: Make everybody around you involve with your cause. You're giving a great opportunity to let the people know about the nonprofit Organization you're supporting and how everybody can get involve too giving a donation and supporting your hard work on those miles. More people know about your campaign, more ideas or may be sponsors can get on your way!

2) GET FAMOUS AND INVOLVE COMMUNITY: Go to your gym, Yoga studio, or any Fitness place you go ( or may be try something new) and ask about possibilities to make social events supporting your Cause. May be social runs with your running friends, this is a great way to meet new people, and again: New ideas or sponsor will come on the way.

3) LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT FEELING: You're raising money for a nonprofit organization, you're giving back to your community, may be helping for Health, children, community, animals, etc, FEEL GREAT!!! You're a HERO, you're training very hard for an amazing cause and at the end all that time will feel amazing, you have to feel so proud of you being a hero for your community helping so much though something that you love and challenge you. I have ran three times for a reason with #HouMarathon and believe me, that moment when you crossed that finish line is just GLORIOUS! You deserve it, be proud of yourself.

4) INSPIRE: No matter what type of nonprofit organization you support, you are inspiring others. All those who knows you, the new people you will know through your way, training or asking for donations, the children in your family, friends or may be the kids, patients if you're supporting for health or new generations, everybody is watching every step of your way. Share your pictures during your training with them, on social media, everywhere! Feel great and proud of what you're doing and show it all the time in all the ways possible. 

5) CREATING NEW VOLUNTEERS: For those people who may be are not available to make donation, you can ask them to be volunteers for any of your events to raise money or to be volunteers for the events of your organization, get them involve in other ways and actually giving their time and knowing face to face the organization that you chose, it's a great way to donate and give back to the community. I ran for Houston Food Bank on 2016 and I have friends who volunteered with me that year who felt in love with this organization and the way they work and fight hunger and still volunteer every time they can. You're making a loop, a new wave of volunteers in your city, you're growing up the power of being a Hero and giving that power to others too. Can you be more amazing?

6) CALL YOURSELF AN AMBASSADOR : Meanwhile you're raising money for a nonprofit organization, you're representing them, in all the best ways as possible, feel proud about it, you're representing no just the organization, you're representing those on need too, those who needs of that organization to have a better life, a better health, may be people really struggling about life and so many conflicts. You have the flag, be a leader and show everybody that everybody can help the same way as you or so many other ways, inspire yourself, you're a hard worker ambassador. 

7) RUN FOR A REASON: If you don't have any motivation after the other six reason, let me ask you just to Run for something more than miles, something that inspires you, worries you, moves you. There are 64 nonprofit organizations to Run for a Reason through #HouMarathon or #HouHalf just do it once and live the experience of running all those miles for a different reason that a medal, a picture at the finish line, do it for something more that is not you it's a lot of people that work very hard on these organizations and always, always need a hand, volunteers or just people like you, a running lover to give that extra motivation for yourself, it's time to become a HERO, Sign up now if you don't do yet here: https://events.hakuapp.com/events/adb50e4b4a9971330515/charity_partners 

Just give more intention to your miles and be that HERO for your community, Training starts on September, what are you waiting for? Go and Sing up!

Carolina Muriel

@chevronhoustonmarathon Ambassador

Social Running and Community Building

On  2017 I started to be curious about those "social runs" around the city. I enjoy so much my solo time during my runs, focus on my next race, thinking situations in my personal life, or just completely listening my music and no thinking at all. I've almost trained for 3 Chevron Houston Marathons by my own, because when I moved to Houston and even later, my closer friends did other activities. The hard part some days were the long runs, I missed a lot my friends of my Rugby team because we used to Run together at the University. But the idea of a running group taking this magical time of my solo running didn't get me so excited so, I kept listening about the fun social runs and events without try them.

Two months before the Global Running Day 2017, I decided to "have fun and run" with a group of strangers ( most of them) what I remember is the smiles and the relaxing energy even that a lot of us didn't know each other, my love for the route because was around one of my favorites places to run in my city ( Buffalo Bayou), and when we came back to the start point, I realized I ran faster because during the run with this group I was feeling so relax, focus to stay close to the big group, and even needed my music!

Yes! from that day I kept going to meet that group of strangers to Run every Thursday that I could. The second time they were no strangers anymore and at the end of the Run I wanted to stay longer to talk more and know more about their non running lives, races or fun life's facts. I realized I had a new family, a Running family witch was growing more and more because I decided to Run with more strangers in others areas of the city.

Since I moved to Houston I belong to Internations.org. Is a Social community with people from all around the world that get connected on a massive web of activities and you connect with the group of your preference, of course, I connected with the Running group! And couldn't wait to be there with a new group of strangers to do something that we love: RUN.

This group was amazing too and as I love diversity, have the big plus of running with expats and all their fun accents and of course, after the run we head to a different place every week to eat and drink.
One day was working in a different West area, and red about the Social Run at the Lululemon store of the Woodlands and guess what? I was just addicted to get to a place and meet with strangers and have fun running together. On this moment, I was a member of three different Running families LOL. Every week, depending of work, schedules, etc, I coordinate during the week where to Run, where and when to do it solo.

I have the opportunity to lead a social Run for Athleta Galleria Houston, and after the Run we had a cool Yoga Flow at the store, I just can't stop and want to try a lot of possibilities of social runs, and supporting good causes so much more!

 

And how do this happens? Why I was so curious and wanted to try a social Run if I enjoy so much to Run by myself? How this happens to so many people so different and with so different goals on life? Because we are humans, humans are social, we look to socialize and we get "addicted" to these activities when we can be ourselves in different social groups. Nobody cares your age, what are you wearing, where are you from, how much money can you have...The only thing that matter is that we can be US in these social groups, we can show our passion because doesn't matter if you're fast or a slow runner, the important is that you show up, you're there making this social family bigger, you're one of a new circle, humans like to belong somewhere, to Fit, and it feels great when these groups welcome any type of person, that's why we love Social Runs, and of course, the physical activity that provides endorphins and we feel happier!

Social Media plays a very important role in our society. It can and connects the people from their homes, works, vacations, countries around the world and social fitness activities and groups. The freedom sensation of the Running, the fun to Run with a group meeting different people, making new friends from all ages and the health that provides the Running life, is converging to built a new community. The community that loves to be outdoor moving, who challenge themselves together and from there, more races and running events involving a bigger community every day. Runners can learn from others how they train, bad experiences, tips or advises, everything in a complete fun package and there's always something good to add to our routines or something to take care of with the other's runners experiences. We all keep learning on focus to push ourselves better and, when we need it, we run solo too when we want to focus on a race, or just sometime by ourselves, just a "different running" with us, is always necessary. On a different side, we have more "Run for a Reason" programs around the world. I do believe is the best way to give back to our communities through our miles. It's a very, influential and powerful way to combine our society and its needs with the Running life, and give that extra or intention and love to our hardest training.

The Irons: RacePace Group supporting against brain cancer

http://www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com/run-for-a-reason/charity-program-info/

In my case, this first social open door was RacePace. Shiva and Jeff Douse are a lovely couple who built an amazing running studio. But this is not the most important, what really matters is the big impact they did to the people, they have involved and grow our Running community challenging us to be better each day and making us show up every Thursday like something important, because it is important, because we, the community, the runners, can make any city smaller with our miles, smiles, and love to get together to Run, it's just our healthy addiction and nobody can take it away from us. Running is Community and Houston community is always ready to new challenges!

http://www.racepacerunners.com/

Carolina Muriel
Chevron Houston Marathon Ambassador 2019
Girls On The Run Solemate Greater Houston/ Chicago Marathon 2018
I Run like a Girl

Run like a Girl

Girls on the Run was established in 1996 in Charlotte, North Carolina with the help of thirteen brave girls. We inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running. 

Girls on the Run believes that all communities should have access to the programs.  Strive to eliminate barriers to participation, to continue creating programming that engages all communities, to be intentional about staff and volunteer diversity, and to promote a culture of inclusion across the organization.The core values guide to be open-hearted, intentional decision makers who embrace differences and stand up for ourselves and others.  Our dedication to these core values is reflected in our decision to make access and inclusion an organizational priority.  Girls on the Run are committed to ensuring that the  programs are accessible to any girl who wants to participate – with a goal of serving two million girls across the country by 2021.  Efforts to reach this goal are rooted in our access and inclusion strategy.

The commitment to access and inclusion is resolute and the national headquarters of Girls on the Run is leading the way – hiring a Director of Access and Inclusion, revamping staff recruitment and retention plans, expanding our networks, and continuing to improve programming.  In addition, headquarters staff is purposefully engaging in professional development that will allow us to reap the many benefits of being an inclusive organization.  Girls on the Run councils deliver programming in all fifty states.  Together we stand firm in the commitment to access and inclusion and share the responsibility of preparing staff and volunteers to foster culturally responsive environments across the organization.


Core Values
Girls on the Run honors its core values. We strive to:

• Recognize our power and responsibility to be intentional in our decision making

• Embrace our differences and find strength in our connectedness

• Express joy, optimism and gratitude through our words, thoughts and actions

• Nurture our physical, emotional and spiritual health

• Lead with an open heart and assume positive intent

• Stand up for ourselves and others

learn. dream. live. run.™

How can you support and be a part of GOTR

Volunteer

At the heart of Girls on the Run are amazing volunteers whose commitment and passion change the lives of thousands of girls each year. Our volunteers are dynamic role models dedicated to empowering girls to become healthy and confident young women. Whether you have just a couple of hours a year, a season or a month to help our cause, we would love to hear from you.

Coach

Warm-up your spirit fingers, lace up your sneakers and inspire a group of girls to be strong and healthy. Teams of volunteer coaches facilitate our easy to follow curriculum with small groups of girls over the course of 10-12 weeks. Amidst the conversation, laughter, hugs and energy awards, you will witness the transformation change in the girls and don’t be surprised if you realize that you are positively changing as well! Ready to make a difference and encourage girls to realize their full potential? The first step is signing up. Ready, Set, Coach!Im very excited about this because I will be a coach for the next Program yesss!! Watching these girls running at the 5K was everything but inspiration, and new generations deserve all the power from the Running life. In few months I will start training again for a Maratho, in wich I will be running, supporting and fundraising for Girls on the Run Chicago, so, I'm very excited to empower and meet all the joy of girls on different states with the same mission. 

Running Buddy

Ready. Set. Go! Lace up your sneakers, put on your GOTR gear and get ready for a 5k experience unlike any other. The excitement in the air is palpable as the girls meet their teammates, get their pictures taken, chant “Girls on the Run is so much fun” and squeeze in a final energy award before heading to the starting line. Your girl may want to hold your hand, skip, sprint or walk, and no matter what she chooses, you’ll be the support she needs along the course. And at the end, when the finish line comes into sight, you will never forget the look on her face as she crosses and realizes that, indeed, she can accomplish anything she sets her mind to do. 

  5K 2018

If you want to check more information of how to support this amazing no profit Organization please go to:

 https://www.girlsontherun.org/Get-Involved/Volunteer 

All the info in the main page: https://www.girlsontherun.org/

If you live in Houston: https://www.gotrgreaterhouston.org/

We don’t need a reason, we just need a path

Take my earphones, running play list ready, sunglasses, hydration and let’s get on the way. Different types of running depending of where you run: In the city streets, parks, green belts or the trails in the middle of a State Park and nature. That’s my favorite type!

I am a person that gets bored fast. I’m always trying new foods, fitness activities, visiting new places and of course new trails. Texas is a great state to run on Trails, a great state of beautiful State parks and a great state to be a Trail Runner. Running on trails and being around nature is like a therapy for me. I love Nature and be outside, love to take pictures in the nature and with beautiful landscapes. The way you run on trails is different, sometimes is very muddy, sometimes can have more elevation or hills, a lot of trees roots, stones, sand, all kind of distractions that make the trails just more interesting and no boring at all.

Trail Racing over Texas introduced me to the fun of trails around Texas. They have really cool races and a amazing organization that have wonderful and fun events around different types of trails races. My first one in 2017 was Wildflower at Bartshop Park. A beautiful park with considerable elevation and beautiful landscapes.
                                

My second one was a completely new experience because it was in the night, my first night Trail race at 7L Ranch. Was very cool, got lost some minutes and is very exciting haha will do it again.

 

http://www.trailracingovertexas.com

My third one and actually one of my favorite race this year was at Surfside beach. If you like the beach this is an amazing race, amazing vibes and very cool get into the beach after the race.

                             
                               


 My fourth one was at the beautiful Brazos Bend State Park. Very cold early morning and stunning sunny day then. Alligators, birds, good vibes and beautiful landscapes to take very pretty pictures. 

                             
                                             
I highly recommend you to try any of the amazing races that Trail Racing over Texas has for 2018, I highly recommend to try new paths for your running life and definitely recommend to do it with them. Check them out:
http://www.trailracingovertexas.com

Because we are water

The body loses water through breathing, sweating and digestion, which is why it's important to re-hydrate by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water. If we have active lives, we sweat more than the usual, so we really need to keep these balance on top for our bodies requirements.  

Muscles are 70% of water, blood 83% of water and brain 90% of water. There is no doubt: WE ARE WATER. 

If we are dehydrated, we don't have enough fluid (water) in their blood to get nutrition and oxygen to their tissues. You can become dehydrated by sweating too much, by urinating too much, or by not absorbing water through illness. All of these must also be accompanied by not replenishing the lost fluid.

Breathing heavily during exercise or when short of breath for long periods of time pulls a remarkable amount of water out of the body. When you exercise, a lot of that water weight you thought you were sweating out is actually lost by breathing heavily.

When dehydration gets bad enough to cause symptoms, water might not be enough to make you feel better.

Dehydration occurs when the body has lost too much fluid and electrolytes (the salts potassium and sodium). Although water is extremely important in preventing dehydration, it does not contain electrolytes.

To maintain electrolyte levels, you could have broth or soups, which contain sodium, and fruit juices, soft fruits, or vegetables, which contain potassium, sports drinks.

Studies show that loss of fluid equal to 2% of body mass is sufficient to cause a detectable decrease in performance (that's a 1.4 kg loss in a 70Kg athlete ).Dehydration of greater than 2% loss of body weight increases the risk of nausea, vomiting and other gastro-intestinal problems during exercise.

I am a science woman, I like statistic and numbers. Always when I'm training or just during a very active day, I ask myself if I am giving my body what it really needs. How to know exactly or at least an a proximity of the water amount I should drink? That's why after trying a lot of products, gels with carbs, etc, I tried Nuun Hydration on March 2017. Due that a lot of sport drinks have a lot of sugar or caffeine, I start to try more natural products. When I am hydrated, I feel less fatigue, feel the power to push myself harder and feel better performance. If we push so hard our bodies why not to give the adequate hydration and fill those basic requirements that even our breathing asks for.

The product that makes me feel better for longer is Nuun Hydration ( http://nuunlife.com/ ) I know which product works for about one hour and a half of hydration and which one for more of this time, or like I do sometimes, re filling with Nuun vitamins/Energy. The first time I tried this product was during a track day, I have to confess I felt so good, didn't feel fatigue during my training, just energy to keep going and push harder. I am not a coffee drinker so always avoid caffeine products, and diary products too. I like to eat and drink clean, and Nuun has clean ingredients, gluten free, dairy free and plant based ( no caffeine for the energy). The best fact is you can take it anywhere, is just a tablet or two to put in your water. My favorite is the energy-electrolytes and the vitamins, oh my they make me feel so good after any training or run, you can mix with juice or just warm water like a tea, is natural magic of hydration for your body, you HAVE to try!

So please, stay hydrate every single day, with our bodies full of muscles made of 70%, losing water just breathing, we are what we eat and drink, let's try to keep hydrate, take your bottle everywhere, try and take your Nuun products made for every single day, not just for athletes and forget about be thirsty anymore.

HYDRATE!! 

CMuriel 

Rock N' Roll Series: Chicago 2017 Half Marathon

"Since 1998, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series has made running fun by infusing the course with live bands, cheer teams, and creating a block-party atmosphere for participants and spectators. Fueled by each runner’s journey, we celebrate running and all of the moments worth running for."

Saturday July 15th, I had my early flight from Houston to Chicago arriving on time for the amazing packet pick Up in a very cool place in Chicago. Bad luck!! and I got stuck all the Saturday at Houston airport because of a storm day. Of course, looking on IG all the cool pictures of the runners who could make it and were getting their BIB's.

I contacted from the airport to Rock N' Roll Series explaining my problem, and felt so calm down when they answered me telling me "you can get your BIB tomorrow before the race, get there very early". I could finally arrived to Chicago in the night, very tired but excited to run in one of my favorite cities.

Sunday July 16, I woke up so early, just wanted to get there to Millennium Park area and get my BIB and have my mind all set and ready to run that Half Marathon. And I did, I really think I was the first runner to arrive ha ha Got my BIB!! Was very fresh for me, was going to be a very cloudy day, but wasn't ready for that "windy cold" early morning, anyway was excited and ready to go!!

 

This race will be always special for me because I met in person, took a selfie and told her "I love you, you're inspiration" to the amazing KATHRINE SWITZER yesssss I gave a hug to this legend, was looking for her all my time before the race, in that moment and felt so energized and happy, just wanted to start my RUN, I had all the real inspiration energy from a legend like her!! 

Fresh run, amazing, crazy and fun bands all over ( I have very cool videos) the weather was JUST perfect, when the Sun was up with that fresh wind hitting you in front, was amazing, the people around cheering up, the beautiful landscapes of this beautiful city, the architectures, the details, the flowers decorating the city, all that cool music and runners cheering others. I always say I am the MOST distracted runner ha ha it's true! check my IG account to see all the pictures during the race and videos, and more to come, I can'e have enough of this wonderful and amazing organization of Rock N' Roll Series, everything was just perfect and highly recommend to set this Beautiful city and race for your Runs Calendar in 2018. As a plus, the Start and Finish Line is in the amazing Millennium Park area, of course.... Can be anything better that just finished your race and take a picture in front of the Bean ( Cloud) with your medal?? I enjoyed so much, all the picture are great because they have so cool decoration, I'm adding some cool pictures here but again, check my IG account ( tropicalfruit_runner) because shared some but always I'm sharing good motivation quotes with my races pictures.

THANK YOU ROCK N' SERIES for this experience, for your support in the distance and please: Keep the amazing organization and hard work, we, the runners, really appreciate it! See you soon guys, may be in San Antonio TX on December.

Carolina Muriel

Houston Runner