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    Train like… you: Tap into Your Workout Motivation and Find Your Strength

    Every one of us is unique. We each have our own story – also when it comes to fitness. No matter what kind of sport you prefer, what motivates you, don’t compare yourself to others. What’s important is that you do what feels good for you and your body. 
    How Train Like You will Help You Get There
    The Train Like You campaign is designed to help you harness your workout motivation and get in shape at your own pace. Join others in the Train Like an Athlete challenge in the adidas Running and adidas Training app. Motivate each other and enjoy the fun of competing in a community!  
    Don’t miss the four featured workouts (such as “Train like a runner”) and two guided workouts that will push you to new levels.
    How can I participate in the challenges and workouts? 
    You can join three different challenges from July 20 to August 23. Here’s how it works: 
    Download the adidas Training or adidas Running app on your phone. 
    Open the adidas Running app and tap the Community tab or adidas Training app the Progress tab. 
    In the Challenges section you will find “Train like an athlete”, “Train like a trail runner” and “Train like you”. Open the challenge you want to join and tap “Join Challenge”. 
    Track all of your activities (listed in the challenge description) with adidas Training or adidas Running and see how great it feels to Train Like You. Now’s the perfect time to try a featured workout or one of our training plans! 

    You can find guided and featured workouts under the Workouts tab in the adidas Training app. 
    Looking for some workout motivation? We talked to three strong women who are members of adidas Runners Vienna and couldn’t be more different. They told us what motivates them to push themselves in their workouts. Check them out – you might just connect with one of their stories.

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    Meet our athletes 
    1. Nasim 

    She walks into the room with the air vibrating around her. Her energy and enthusiasm is palpable as she and her sister share their stories, finishing each other’s sentences and admiring each other’s accomplishments. Nasim is a Crew Runner with adidas Runners and an adidas Runtastic Ambassador. Her major source of inspiration and workout motivation is her sister, Sajeh, who is an adidas Runners Captain. 
    Nasim’s motto is “You can achieve anything if you want it badly enough.” Through her life she’s been criticized for being too different, too loud. People have told her that she didn’t have the right body for running. But instead of letting these negative comments get to her, she turned them around and used them to grow stronger.  
    Then one day, Nasim was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, an autoimmune disorder that damages the thyroid gland and is nine times more common in women than in men. Most people with Hashimoto’s disease eventually develop hypothyroidism. Again, Nasim demonstrated her grit and made a decision: “I want to be healthy and fit. I want to keep my disease under control.” With support from her sister, she changed her diet and made a commitment to herself to actively work on staying strong and healthy. 
    2. Cat

    Slight in stature with glossy black hair that reaches almost to her knees, Cat glides the office gracefully and surveys her surroundings with a close eye. After getting her own questions answered, she opens up and shares insights into her life. Cat has always been petite, struggling to gain weight and muscle, even as a child. She often felt invisible, overlooked, and had trouble with her self esteem. In her early 20s she discovered her passion for dance (hip hop, freestyle, and house), which took her to New York City. The more she danced, the better she understood her body and realized how strong she really was. Cat’s self confidence grew along with her muscles. 
    After suffering from a herniated disc, Cat realized that she had to do more to stay in shape in addition to dancing. That’s when she discovered running. Now she knows that running is the foundation for her dancing. She also practices yoga, which helps her focus on her breathing. 
    Cat wants to motivate other women to feel stronger. “Even if someone tells you that you’re too weak or too thin, don’t let it discourage you. You are stronger than you think!” 
    3. Lolu

    The last to join our meeting is Lolu, and we hear her laughter before we see her. Her stories are peppered with jokes that everyone can relate to. She is down to earth and magnetic; the image of her on stage with her African dance crew comes easily. Dance is not exercise for her. What she loves about it is the adrenaline rush and how it feels to move her body with the music. It is the perfect release after a stressful day. 
    Lolu was never able to understand why people got so excited about running. But when she joined the Punch Runners project with adidas Runners Vienna one day, things changed for her. 
    Her goal is to improve her fitness and endurance. She still describes her feelings about running as a love/hate relationship, but the adidas Runners community gives her the support and the push she needs to keep it up. The camaraderie of running together as a group is what motivates and inspires her. 
    No matter where you come from, what you look like, or what your goal is, whether you run, dance, or lift weights – what’s important is that you stay motivated and focus on your own personal goal. Have fun when you exercise and do it for yourself, because in the end, the things you do best are the things you enjoy. So get out there and Train like…YOU! 
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    Mary Keitany’s Journey: A Life of Long Distance Running

    The Past, the Present, & the Future
    She wasn’t born an Olympic athlete. No one is. When we exercise, whether at a competitive level or as a hobby, we hope to find joy in our bodies, in reaching our goals, and a sense of accomplishment in overcoming setbacks. 
    Mary Jepkosgei Keitany holds the world record for the women-only marathon, which she set when she won the 2017 London Marathon with a finishing time of 2:17:01. Her journey has been a rich one, mixed with intense competition, becoming the mother of three children, recovering from injuries, and planning for the future. In this interview she shares her experience and insight into how to integrate running – no matter the level – into your life and experience the same pleasure she does while training on the professional level.

    What is your first memory of racing? 
    My first competitive running memory is from a race in Spain. It was the first time I had ever competed internationally. And I was already 24. By then I had learned how to train and was mature enough to make my own decisions. Soon after that, I took my first career break to have a baby. 
    You’re a mother and a professional runner. What’s that like?
    Being a mother inevitably creates its own challenges. It means I have to organize my training around the needs of my family. But being a mother is also a natural and normal thing to do and it keeps running in perspective. Dealing with the natural weight gain following childbirth is another challenge. It is hard at first. My body changed a lot when I was pregnant and afterward, and I had to work hard to get back into my pre-pregnancy shape. But my children kept me active and I refocused on my next goals, which helped me stay on track. 
    Can you tell us what shaped you as a runner?
    As people, we are all shaped by our environment, upbringing and, of course, our genes. It is probably fair to say that my greatest fortune is that I was born to run. I am Kenyan and Kenyans love to run. My parents gave me the natural qualities and characteristics to be good at it. But all of that counts for nothing unless you have the passion to take advantage of the qualities handed to you at birth. It is also true to say that even if you are not necessarily a natural runner and someone blessed with the qualities shared by Olympic athletes, you can still derive the same pleasures and benefits that a world-class runner gets from pounding the roads, parks, or beaches. 
    And how did you become a professional runner? 
    Long before I won my first London Marathon in 2011 I ran just for fun and my mental well-being. I didn’t even train properly until I was in my twenties. I have read many stories about myself in which I am described as a “late bloomer”. That’s true. My parents gave me the heart, lungs and legs to become a great athlete but they always struggled financially. I grew up without electricity and running water. I was not brought up in the same house as my four sisters who lived with our neighbors. My parents couldn’t afford to feed us all. When I was 15, I gave up school, stopped running, and became a live-in maid. It was two more years before I was in a position to resume training. That two-year hiatus was the first of a few career breaks that characterize my career. Taking a rest away from training to devote my time to something else inevitably creates challenges but, at the same time, is responsible for the fact I am still competing at the highest level despite being aged 38. 

    Any setbacks? 
    Like all athletes, I suffer injuries. But what my career breaks have ensured is that I have not suffered from the sort of stress injuries that are often accumulated by runners who train and compete on a continuous annual cycle. It’s important to remember that if you do suffer a setback, whatever it is, go easy on yourself. If you have a major life change or get injured, give yourself time. Putting more pressure on yourself to recover quickly will only make the process take longer. And it’s a good idea to try to develop habits that help you avoid getting hurt in the first place.  
    What are the challenges of running as you age? 
    Training is more tiring at first and the older I get the smarter I have to be with my training. These days I do a lot more stretching and mobility exercises as well as regular massages. Avoiding injury in the first place is always better than knowing how to treat them. That is a simple tip which is always worth reminding yourself of. And, at my stage of career, something I am always aware of. 
    Any advice for other runners?
    The best advice I can give to runners is that the greatest rewards are felt within and come from the satisfaction of having trained hard and gotten the best out of yourself. Running is competitive. Sometimes your greatest rival is within you. However fast or slow you may be, there is no greater possible achievement than to have run faster than you’ve ever done before. 
    Can you share your plans now that the 2020 Summer Olympics have been postponed? 
     The postponement of the Olympic Games means that I shall be just six months short of my 40th birthday when the marathon in Tokyo takes place. It shall be my last chance to win Olympic Gold and I’m determined to get to the start line in the best shape I can be. There is no doubt that having a great team around me has allowed me to maintain my level of competition. My husband is a former athlete, so he knows all about the highs and lows of training and competing. As well as helping to look after our three children – two of them are my own while we have also adopted our nephew – Charles plays a central role in our ownership and management of a hotel in Eldoret. Though we have had to work really hard to get to where we are, living in Kenya provides daily reminders of just how lucky we are. That’s why, and because so many people around us have to live day-by-day without the luxuries of a comfortable lifestyle, my husband and I have pledged to support our local community. We have helped fund a local school with our race and career earnings and they have been able to develop science labs as well as dormitory accommodation for both students and young, up-and-coming athletes. 
    Train Like an Athlete
    Are you inspired by Mary’s story? Check out these other strong women who are making running and bodyweight training part of their lives and their identity. You don’t have to be a professional athlete to have fun working out. Whether you are training for a race or just want to step up your game, you can join the Train Like an Athlete Challenge and track your active minutes in both the adidas Running app and the adidas Training app. Why not start today? 

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    Fitness Motivation • I Feel Empowered

    by Monika Dauterive
    People and Culture Manager, HR at Runtastic
    I have always had a complicated relationship with sports. There have been times when I was truly athletic, and times when I did not move at all. Times when I enjoyed physical activity, and times when I had to force myself to even go for a walk. There have even been times when I was passionate about team sports, and others when I preferred to train alone. But exercise has always been part of my life – whether as a friend or foe. 
    In 2017, my fitness motivation hit rock bottom after I tore my ACL or anterior cruciate ligament. Within only a few months I had put on quite some weight, but also got out of shape at a level I had never experienced before. And while I had finally started appreciating and loving my body, I felt anything but fit.

    How I Stayed Motivated
    After a six-month break from any kind of exercise, I started running again in January 2018. At a pace of 8:00 min/km I was able to do about two to three kilometers before I had to call it quits. 
    I wanted to have an average of three fitness activities every week, so I started the body transformation plan in our adidas Training app. I was probably training at the lowest level possible, and I was satisfied if I finished two workouts per week. In other words: it took me about 20 weeks to finish a 12-week training plan.
    I am my harshest critic, which is why I turned to my social network to boost my confidence. Every time I posted a run or a workout in my news feed, I received positive feedback from my friends; every time I had a low, somebody would take the time to encourage me to keep going. Every time I joined a group workout or run, the high fives at the end made me feel proud of not giving up and boosted my fitness motivation.

    “I am my harshest critic.”

    Reclaiming my Body 
    Eight months into my new exercise routine, my life turned upside down when my husband and I decided to split up. For six months my work-life-routine was anything but balanced, I barely slept. Instead I went out partying, and my diet was… well…non-existent. I consequently lost weight rather quickly (not sustainably though), and my running pace was crazy (for my standards). But I felt weak, tired… and not as voluptuous as I had in curvier days. 
    As a result, I rediscovered my fitness motivation and started working out again and immediately noticed how my arms started to feel firmer, my butt fuller, my thighs stronger, my waist narrower. I increased my workouts to three to four times per week; sometimes I even went for a run and did strength training on the same day. For me, this was (and still is) huge. Seeing the fruits of my labor was really rewarding.

    I love how I feel 
    Even though I re-gained weight in the following months (as I started to eat again, or rather indulge in too many sweets), I felt like a total bombshell. And I still do. My scale and I have agreed that we would keep our relationship distant but friendly, and I do not freak out over minor weight changes. Usually when I look into the mirror or at pictures of myself, I like what I see.
    I am not generally lazy, yet I am easily tempted to just skip a few days of workouts. The longer the break is, the harder it gets to bounce back and muster up my fitness motivation. I sometimes feel frustrated when I run slower than the week before or when I can’t do as many push-ups as I thought I could. 

    “It’s frustrating to lose muscle much faster than I built it; this is what keeps me going.” 

    Finally I have reached a stage where my body can regain muscle much faster after a break, and where I actually miss working out after a day or two. I love sucking in fresh air during a run along the lake, and I love dripping with sweat after a round of burpees (much more than I love burpees, I might add). I love that I can still easily lift my kids and that I can walk for hours without feeling tired. I love that I feel empowered, healthy and happy with my body.  
    About Monika 

    Monika Dauterive is a vital part of the Runtastic HR team and a strong ambassador of our company values. As a mother of two, she tries to be a role model for her kids by teaching them to be content and not take oneself too seriously.
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    Improve Your Balance with Stability Exercises: 5 Helpful Exercises

    Many people, when starting their fitness journey, are drawn to the machines at the gym that are only isolating a single muscle at a time. This is really common and, the truth is, we don’t really know any better. We think we are “supposed to go to the gym for our health” and we see […] More

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    RUNNING FOR BEGINNERS: HOW TO BREATHE WHILE RUNNING

    Many beginner runners quickly find themselves out of breath. This usually means that their pace is too fast. But it can also be due to inefficient breathing while running. In today’s post, we show you how to breathe properly while running and thus improve your performance. Deep belly breathing vs shallow chest breathing While running […] More

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    3 Easy Breathing Techniques for Resistance Workouts

    So, you’ve scheduled your workout for today, but you don’t feel like you actually have the energy to do it? If you’re looking for a way to get pumped when you’re feeling tired or have trouble calming down after an evening workout, try these three easy exercises for before, during, and after your workout.  Breathing […] More

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    What Not to Do After Exercise >> Avoid These 6 Mistakes

    You just finished an awesome and sweaty workout – great job! But working out isn’t the only thing that matters; what you do afterward is the key to a good recovery and muscle growth. Avoid these six mistakes after a workout: 1. Forget to hydrate Most people are walking around chronically dehydrated. It’s essential to […] More

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    Strong Abs = Faster Running Times?

    Do you want to improve your running times? Besides endurance and well-trained legs, a solid core is extremely important for your running performance. Many runners, however, are unaware of how much they can benefit from having strong abs and back muscles. Improve your running performance Running basically consists of constantly shifting your weight and changing […] More