Fitness – In Good Taste

Must-Haves for Distance Runners

Maris Callahan — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 02:05:43 +0000

It’s a little ironic that as an adult, I voluntarily run half marathons and long distances. I voluntarily wake up, sometimes before 6:00 a.m. while on vacation, to run a half marathon. This year, I’ve committed to run four half marathons and am fundraising for Youth Outreach Services, a Chicago organization that helps provide services for at-risk teens in Chicago who have been impacted y abuse, violence, homelessness and other situations beyond their control that I am lucky to have never experienced. During my training, I’ve learned a lot about myself, but I’ve also learned a lot about the gear that runners need when they hit the road. When I was growing up, I loathed just about any form of physical activity. My hand eye coordination is…not that good and I have an uncanny ocular reflex that causes me to blink and cringe away whenever any object — ball, stick, snack…anything really, is thrown in the general vicinity of my face. Suffice to say, I was more likely to be picked last in gym class than to win an award beyond the participation trophy, but I’m pretty much okay with that. Even so, I always liked the social camaraderie of team sports […]

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Motivation and Half Marathon Training

Maris Callahan — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 02:26:07 +0000

Two and a half years ago, I ran a half marathon for the first time. Throughout my twenties, I had watched my cousins, friends and colleagues train for half marathons and marathons around the world and thought that was something I could never do, especially when my skinnier early twenties gave way to a me about thirty pounds heavier than I’d like to be. The summer before I turned 30, I mentioned to a girlfriend that running 13.1 miles was something that I wanted to try at some point and the next thing you know, I had signed up to do a race with my friend Liz, and two of her college friends, in Savannah that fall. While I was training for the race, I felt like I was struggling. Struggling to get every run in, even though at the time, I worked from home and could run anytime I wanted. I struggled to wake up in time to go to the personal training sessions I was paying for, even though I felt great once they were over…and admittedly, I enjoyed them, too. I struggled to eat healthily, even though there was a voice in my head telling me that I should […]

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Four Pairs of Stretchy Pants For the Holidays

Maris Callahan — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 06:00:54 +0000

Dressing comfortably for Thanksgiving doesn’t need to mean wearing your college sweatpants and a T-shirt. While I’m sure there are some families that dress to impress for Thanksgiving, I can tell you that mine is not one of those families. I like to joke that if everyone comes to the table wearing pants, then the holiday is a roaring success. When we travel for the holiday, the dress code tends to be a little bit more trendy-casual for all involved, but when it’s dinner at home, stretchy pants are the name of the game. Here are four ways you can skip the skinny jeans but still look chic for your holiday festivities, be it home or away. Neighborhood Pant, Cory Vines, $56 Casual and comfortable, our client Cory Vines is a young brand of stylish and accessible workout attire dubbed “The Warby Parker of Activewear.” The Neighborhood Pant is perfect to stash in your carry on if you’re traveling for the holiday because you can just as easily take them for a run as you can dress them up with a cozy Neighborhood Breeze Top and a fun necklace. Groove Pant, Lululemon, $98 Get your groove on with everyone’s favorite activewear. Though $98 a pop […]

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Six Tips for Running Outside This Winter

Cindy Kuzma — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 08:34:20 +0000

The crazy-busy holiday calendar can easily interfere with your workout routine right when you most need to burn off eggnog and gingersnaps. And this time of year, most of the country faces an additional challenge as well: terrible weather. Here in Chicago, we don’t let ice, snow, sub-zero temps, or even our famous wind stand between us and running outside this winter. I’m currently leading a team in the Nike Chicago Chiberia Challenge. We’re competing against four other 15-person teams to see how many members can run 70 miles outdoors in two weeks. As soon as the call for the challenge went out last week, all five teams filled up in less than 24 hours. That’s 75 Chicagoans admirably eager to brave the elements. I’ve personally run through several brutal Chicago winters, including this past Polar Vortex. Here’s what I’ve learned about how to make it bearable: Embrace the suck There are lots of perks to running outdoors in winter: You don’t have to wait in line for gym equipment, you get the path almost all to yourself, and you’re immediately seen as hardcore. Enjoy these benefits and make a game out of the challenges—for instance, see how hard you […]

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My Gym Confession

Maris Callahan — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 08:00:00 +0000

I’m hooked. It’s no secret to anyone who knows me well that I’ll plan my life around my next trip to the NYSC that sits merely two blocks from my apartment. I’ll skip happy hour for a bike in a class with the “good” spin instructors, and I’ll even wake up an hour earlier on the busiest, meeting-packed weekday in order to cram in a 5K on the treadmill. I use the Today Show to gauge whether I need to cut a workout short in order not to be really late to work. Because of course, morning workouts are usually followed by longer showers, plus 1 1/2 – 2 full mugs from my beloved Mr. Coffee 12-Cup. What most people don’t know is that I have the cycling schedule memorized, I know who teaches all of the evening (and okay, the 6:15 am. and weekend classes) and which ones aren’t worth rushing home to make. It’s not that I’m particularly buff, or even a die-hard aerobics enthusiast, but I can’t bring myself to miss spin class. I don’t lift weights, I’ve been injured twice doing ab pilates and I’m convinced that running on a treadmill is harder than running outdoors, especially […]

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