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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Creative Care Package for Runners

Maris Callahan — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 10:00:18 +0000

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TryALittleGoodness #CollectiveBias I’m what you would call a “reluctant runner.” Once or twice a year, I’ll sign up for a race. I begrudgingly complete all, well most, of my training runs. I’ll complete said race with varying levels of success and usually, I feel so amazing that I swear up and down that I’m not going to let myself get out of shape again and that I’ll do another race within the next two months. Right. The next thing I know, it’s been two months since I’ve put on my sneakers and the farthest I can run is to the Starbucks across the street. My friend Nicolle, on the other hand, is a little more dedicated, having completed the Chicago Marathon this year in less time than it takes me to convince myself to go to the gym to spend twenty minutes on the elliptical. On the day of the big race, a bunch of our friends got together to track her down on the course with fun signs, and of course celebrate her achievement over brunch after the finish. Another fun way to […]

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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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