Race Schedule 2016

Because I have a nice gym sitting right next door, waiting for me to get buff, I am going to plan my 2016 race schedule. Or at least make a wish list. Lots of people say that one of the biggest motivations to keep running is to sign up for races. Have something to look forward to, y'know?

March
10k - Circuito das Estações: Outono

April
1/2 - Meia Maratona Internacional de São Paulo

July
10k - Circuito das Estações: Inverno

September
10k - Troféu Independência do Brasil
10k - Circuito das Estações: Primavera

October
1/2 - Meia Maratona de Sampa

December
10k Circuito das Estações: Verão

A photo posted by O2CorreBrasil (@o2correbrasil) on Nov 30, 2015 at 8:57am PST

There are a few other runs I might be interested in:

• The São Silvestre is a 15k race that happens on the last day of the year. It's a very famous race in São Paulo because it is old. But because it's so famous, it's televised, and thus doesn't start until 9am. It's too hot and too late for me! 
• A Star Wars run happens in November. It's 7k, I think to try to cut down on the amount of participants. I don't really like fun runs though. If I'm running and paying to run, I want to run fast.
• I really want Nike to host a 10k or 1/2 in São Paulo. I've only heard positive things about the way they organize races, and my experience at We Run DXB was awesome.

Meia Maratona de Sampa

I am not a sell-out.

I haven't run in over a month because:

• My plan of taking a bus to a flatter area and running there really sucked. I tried it three times and hit a bunch of road blocks that included: literal road blocks as the path is still under construction, the bus only coming 2-3 times per hour so I spent more time at the bus stop than actually running, and heavy traffic really didn't make things better. A 30 minute run turned into a 1.5 hour ordeal that included breathing noxious car fumes the whole time. Awesome right?
• It's summer! Even running in the early morning left me with a splitting headache from exposure to the sun and heat.
• I got lazy and then sick and then a little depressed.

I have been eyeing a very chic looking gym that is literally across the street from where I live. I'm attracted to its architecture, its proximity to my house (because I don't have a car and live in a hilly area, this is key), its air conditioning, and its hours. A lot of gyms around here have surprisingly inconvenient hours, and some don't even open on Sundays at all. So yesterday I saw that this chic gym was extending a Black Friday sale, and with the sale, its prices became about the same as all the other gyms, and you know, it's just so close.... I took the plunge and bought a six-month gym membership. First time ever!

I know that buying a gym membership goes against my minimalist exercise mindset ("You can do bodyweight stuff! At home! For free!"). But honestly, I did try to find something that worked for me and I wasn't able to. My physical health, and more noticeably, my mental health suffered. I'm not being a sell-out. It's just that good health is higher on the list of importance than minimalism principles.

I'm giddy about it. My membership includes all the classes that I want, and they have classes throughout the whole day (exciting because I usually teach classes when gyms are giving classes). Today I was just happy to run on a treadmill.

Okay. I know so many "real runners" hate treadmills. And yeah, the scenery is kind of dull on a treadmill... but I'm going to listen to audiobooks, podcasts, and nab a machine that faces the aerobics room instead of the spinning room (n00b mistake that I made today). The endorphin high is worth it.

When I lived in Dubai I ran on a treadmill. It had a good oceanfront view. Running on a treadmill for a year gave me the self-confidence that I needed to run outside. It also was there for me when I felt like doing 10 minutes of sprints and calling it a day. It's great when you have a BM 25 minutes into your run (don't tell me that doesn't happen to you). It's good for trying elaborate running sets that you see online but in no way are going to remember without a detailed post-it note.

So, I'm pro-treadmill. What are your favorite treadmill workouts, blogs, or other resources to keep things interesting?

Race Report: Run the Night 5k

So, I realize that a race report from May 30 is a little delayed. But I was waiting for official photos to appear online and they never did, and then I promptly forgot about my blog. And running.

My boyfriend and I trained for the Run the Night 5K in São Paulo. This was my second registered race, and Silas's first. He normally never runs at all. I was glad he did it with me.

The course was held at the University of São Paulo, mostly alongside the Pinheiros River. We didn't see much of the river since it was night, however. We finished the 5k in about 40 minutes. As you can see in the photos, I'm a lot taller than Silas, and it's more leg height than torso height. So, we make uneven running partners, but we stuck together. 

Afterwards there was a band, acrobats, and lots of families with kids hanging out. It was fun, but we were hungry and decided to walk back home.

It was a good experience for my first 5k run, and even more fun that I had a buddy.