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  

 

Houston Marathon Foundation

The Houston Marathon Foundation is a community organization with local roots. HMF serves the greater Houston area through program management and support of organizations that demonstrate sound fiscal management, efficient operation, and program integrity while promoting an understanding of, access to, and/or participation in running as part of a physical fitness regimen.

Programs that are national in scope and meet foundation goals will also be considered.

The mission of the Houston Marathon Foundation is to support the advancement of running as an element of a balanced, healthy lifestyle in the Houston community and nationally.

Can be a better way to give back to your community and support no profit organizations than running? I ran in 2016 for the Houston Food Bank and I raised 2,190 meals. If you're interested please check the website:

http://charity.marathonguide.com/houstonmarathon/RunForAReason/FundraisingForRegistration.cfm

Or feel free to contact me directly: hadacaro@hotmail.com It's the best way to give intention and love to your miles and hard training.

Running After an Injury

Returning from injury is a frustrating period of time for a runner, one where the risk of re-injury is extremely high. Often, athletes come back too fast, causing either a new injury or worsening symptoms of the old injury. A safe return to running is discussed.

10% Rule

Athletes often return too quickly to activity once they have been cleared to exercise, which often leads to setbacks and more frustration. A safe way to increase mileage is to follow the 10% rule, which states not to increase your weekly mileage by more than 10%. Although tedious, this method is a safe and effective way to ensure you do not succumb to another injury.

Body Awareness

Listening to one’s body is an important aspect of returning from injury safely. Although it can be difficult to accept, runners are often slower and more easily fatigued in the first couple of weeks post-injury. Use the body’s signals of soreness and fatigue as signs that you should be conservative when you return to running, and avoid the urge to jump right back into intense training.

Cross Training

For runners who are coming back from injury and are struggling with sticking to a decreased training load, cross training can be the solution. Supplementing running with cross training helps a runner stay fit while reducing the amount of impact to the body. A general rule of thumb is that ten minutes of cross training is equivalent to one mile of running.

Strength Training

Coming back from injury is a great time of develop good habits, such as strength training, core, and physical therapy sessions. Using the time that is not currently being devoted to additional running to create strength and core routines specifically designed for your needs is recommended. For instance, if you developed a hamstring injury, focus on a lifting routine that strengthens hips, quadriceps, and hamstrings by implementing squats, lunges, and Russian deadlifts. By the time you are back to your normal training load, you will have decreased your chance of a reoccurrence and developed good habits in the process.

Performance Wear

Another consideration when coming back from an injury is to invest in performance wear, such as compresssocks, that will help promote recovery and blood flow. If suffering from a lower leg injury, such as shin splints or a calf strain, compression socks will improve blood circulation and the transport of oxygenated blood to the affected areas, thus improving recovery.

How I became a solo runner and I love it!

October 1998. I started playing Rugby in my University. I was training some days Rugby techniques, some days just fitness and endurance. I was my strongest version ever LOL. I used to run with some of my teammates, or hiking together in a mountain I had in my city. I was a team/group runner and loved the way we pushed to each other, was fun and challenging at the same time.

2006: I ran for a first time on a 10K Nike race with my dear teammate and life sibling Brigitte. We were so fit, we didn't have to "train" for a 10K race when we were running and raining so hard all the weeks BUT the fact of crossing the finish line just GOT ME and made a click inside my brain.

                                           Nike 10K. Caracas, Venezuela 2006

From there, I started running eventually and like the feeling of being there just pushing my heart and legs to get to that finish line excitement. It became addicted since that race in 2006, but normally I ran with my team or other running friends.

I moved to US years ago. It's not easy, a new start in all your life's levels. Most of the time I felt alone and was hard to get back to run because I was thinking "Oh so boring to do it alone" "I need my running buddies" "I miss so much my team" "Will get in a Running Club because I need people to run with me!!". It's all about a new start and learn to keep doing your activities and hobbies in a completely new environment. It started to be challenging but I really like to push myself forward and one day I started running again. Get my favorite music list on Ipod and went for a run. Just me, my shoes, my music! I discovered that the real way to conquer a new city is running!! New paths, new smells, learning to be and enjoy with myself was a hole process. Sometimes I felt bored, I was missing my buddies to challenge each other during the runs but I started doing it too. Step by step, I started using my runs as a therapy. All that about missing my home, friends, and life, was behind or stopped during my runs. Running solo showed me I can do what I want, showed me I can be strong no matter where I am. 

I tried to get in some Running clubs, but for my surprise I started to feel more comfortable running just with myself. With the running clubs I was paying more attention to the pace or just not being the last one and not enjoying the outdoors or the run. I liked to learn new tips from these new runner for me, places to run and all I could learnt from them, and still ( I follow them on social media and get together sometimes) but it just happened, my solo runs became my therapy, no matter where we are we can challenge ourselves, we can enjoy with ourselves, each of us is powerful but we need to find that power inside us. Just in the hardest moments we know what are we made of.

I am Carolina Muriel, I became a solo runner and I love it. After training for the Chevron Houston Marathon by myself, showed me up I could, I can, I will. And adding some inspiration to my miles, I found the great way this marathon has to raise money for non profit organizations so, I really push up my running and better goals. Can't wait to keep discovering wonderful places to run and add thousands of miles to come in my green city Houston.

CMuriel

                                             Running for Houston Food Bank in 2016 

                                                        Chevron Houston Marathon