Chicago, Lettuce Eat Healthy with Just Salad

Posted on May 5, 2015 by CHIORGANICGIRLS

Just Salad…the restaurant title explains some of the genius of Chicago’s brand new salad eatery chain, a transport from the NYC. It also makes us think of “Just Jack” and believe us, these salads will make you wanna do the same Will and Grace character Jazz Hands!

The first Just Salad location, placed conveniently for the downtown business set or tourists/culture lovers is just steps away from Grant Park at 20 E. Jackson. Vibrant orange and lime green accent walls add energy to Just Salad‘s design and the Chicago location is situated in the historic Gibbons building which adds to the charm of the atmosphere. Just Salad separates itself from the downtown munch bunch by providing quality healthy food with affordability.

These key points will make other eateries green with envy:

Just Salad‘s menu is created by a registered dietitian and nutrition info is readily available.
Protein offerings range from grass fed meats, sustainable creatures of the sea (aka seafood), organic tofu, & humanely raised antibiotic free cluckers.
Many produce options are GMO-free, organic and even local when possible. Veggies are baked, raw or steamed and never canned (hey hey no BPA!)
Just Salad encourages us to reduce, reuse, recycle and be rewarded! You can purchase a reusable ultra cute salad bowl and every time you bring it back for a salad refill you score extra toppings or CHEESE.

So what did the Chiorganicgirls (royal we) think of it? Well dang, who doesn’t love a good fresh salad. As you walk in, you enter into a world of your salad imagination. Like Chipotle x2, there’s a long topping assembly like starting with a bevvy of green choices. Romaine, kale, mixed greens, spinach, and other lettuces start you off and then your head begins to spin (salad spin, ha) with the possible salad combinations. The produce was very fresh, colorful and crunchy. The portion size for the price was superb and the reusable salad bowl held about 2 servings of salad=only about 4-5 bucks for a big serving of salad with primo toppings.

If you are feeling a little overwhelmed, you can start with a signature salad recipe. Our favorites were the Thai Chicken Crunch with romaine, red cabbage, celery and crispy wonton pieces, and the (what did you like Monical?). There’s even a Chicago inspired salad, the Windy City Kicker, with Italian sausage, giardiniera,red onions and celery. If you wanna get really jazzy, get your Dr. Frankenstein on and create your own crazy salad (butternut squash, falafel, goat cheese, pumpkin seeds, horseradish chive dressing…you monster!). We also really loved the menu because it’s colored coded to help you avoid allergy or even preference snafus. You can easily tease out sneaky hiding seafood, gluten, or dairy. Finally, don’t let the name fool ya. Wait for it! SURPRISE, there is more than just salads at Just Salad. Wraps, juices and smoothies are available too. We def need to go back after some sweaty warrior II poses at the Millennium Park summer yoga to try the Peanut Butter Chia Warrior with almond milk, chia seeds, PB, agave nectar and banana. Doesn’t that recipe make you want to do Just Salad Jazz Hands now?

No? Well how about a Kale Yeah (sorry had to!)

JUST SALAD is open!

20 East Jackson Blvd

S State St & S Wabash Ave

Hours:

Mon – Fri: 10:30am – 9pm
Sat – Sun: 11am -8 pm

*We were not compensated for our opinions but did get to try some yummy free salad.

Fitness Friday: Travel Fit with Hyatt Chicago and The Barre Code

Posted on April 24, 2015 by CHIORGANICGIRLS

Music festivals, street food, Summer Dance, Taste of Chicago, baseball games: Chicago is a tourist’s dream. Even us natives like a good hotel staycation to explore all that this great city has to offer. But after all those donuts, Chicago dogs and Malort, you may need a good workout!

As travelling and fitness aren’t always synonymous, the Hyatt Regency Chicago is giving your health a helping hand with heart pumping in-room workout videos from the Barre Code. Started in Chicago, the Barre Code has expanded across the country due to its’ poppy music, female friendly environment and muscle shaping moves. Instead of Bearing Down (Chicago Bears!), you can barre up with specially created sets of body weight based strength training and intense cardio. Each video unexpectedly uses common in-room items like towels, chairs and pillows to add functionality. Guests can pump up the difficulty by borrowing free weights and yoga mats for no extra cost. The 24 hour availability of workouts insure that business or pleasure doesn’t barre fitness endeavors!

Hyatt Chicago is seated downtown at 151 East Wacker Drive near Mag Mile. This Sunday, April 26th 11 AM – 2 PM, Hyatt Chicago and The Barre Code are hosting a complimentary fun-filled fitness.

The Barre Code has studios throughout Chicago and is opening a new studio in Oak Park, IL at the beginning of May. Studios also exist in Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Texas with more to come!

Fit, Free and Fun for Spring

Posted on April 14, 2015 by CHIORGANICGIRLS

Finally! Events are starting to pick up and Chicago is bringing it’s S game. Super. Spectacular. Spring.

We are so excited to share some of our secret spring events this week to put that sprang back in your step.

Tuesday April 14th (Lincoln Monument) and Thursday April 15th (Pritzker Pavilion) and every Tues, Thurs in April

North Face Mountain Athletics

We got our first taste of Mountain Athletics at the kickoff event at the end of March on a clear 50 degree day and man, we didn’t know what to expect. Our duo of personal trainers explained that each week focuses on a different body area all while integrating the core. We went through a series of intervals all using our own body weight. Exercise sets can be modified to fit your level of fitness which makes the workout approachable yet challenging. We loved the partner exercises so bring a pal and get ready to sweat.

Tuesday 4/14 (and Tuesday nights each week)

BENDER FLAVOR LAB

Calling all house heads slash yogis! Bender Flavor Lab serves up a hot serving of unique fitness and jams each Tuesday at the Lab Dance Studio. Each week holds a different theme and DJ set but always gives you snacks and water in an urban street art styled loft space.

Bonus: Free Cone Day at Ben and Jerry’s on Tuesday 4/14!

Wednesday April 15th

Big City Blonde and Goldplaited presents a trivia and pampering event: “Blondes vs. Brunettes”. Get competitive, red heads and dark locked people can rock the trivia too. Participants can win glam make up prizes, indulge in styling and make up tutorials from Goldplaited, and obvs flex their hair color knowledge. We need to study up! Rsvp here.

Friday April 17th (through Sunday April 19th)

Pure Barre is is partnering with Real Simple for a “Beauty & Balance” Weekend April 17-19. Stop by any of the participating locations to take a “Pure & Simple” specialty class. To register for one of these special classes, please visit the local studio page and find the “Real Simple’s ‘Pure & Simple’ Class” on your studio’s schedule and click “Sign Up Now.” New clients are welcome to try a complimentary class using the promo code “REALSIMPLE” – make sure to select the “Real Simple Class” option and enter this promo code upon checkout.

Saturday April 18

It is time to Live Out Loud Everyday with Lole Activewear. In celebration of the new Lole Southport location, they are having a grand opening party and fashion show brunch across the street at the Yoga Loft located at 1350 W Newport. The store is directly across the street at 3434 N Southport Ave.

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image borrowed from Lole

Lole Spring/Summer Collection Preview Fashion Show
Doors Open: 10am
Show Time: 11am
Mimosa’s and brunch from Kitchfix, a $15 Lole voucher, and a Goodie Bag. $10 Ticket donation going to CTF Children’s Tumor Foundation.

Giveaway: Getting Fly with the April Flywheel Fitness Challenge!

Posted on April 3, 2015 by CHIORGANICGIRLS

Are we the only ones who threw on bikinis under our parkas in the 70s Chicago weather Wednesday? Yes, us Chicagoans are weather obsessed because dang it! Our favorite very short spring/summer season is finally on the horizon. With that in mind, we have been picking up the fit pace by trying new workout options in the Chi. On Monday, we were honored to be invited to Flywheel Old Town for an intro to their Spring Flywheel Challenge. Starting 4/20, Flywheel will be offering a support system to help you meet whatever your health and fitness goals are. So if you want to throw off the parka and prance around the Maggie Daley water slides, now is the time to focus on those goals.

What is the Flywheel Challenge?

Allison, our Flywheel instructor and a challenge coach explained that the challenge can be whatever you want it to be. Whether you want to lose weight, gain endurance or speed or build muscle, the staff at Flywheel will cater the plan to meet your needs. The basic skeleton is this:

There are 3 options for the 4 week challenge – The Flywheel Challenge, FlyBarre Challenge and FlyPlus Challenge (both Barre and Flywheel).

(Below description of Flywheel Challenge is described by the Flywheel promotional team)

Flywheel Challenge
· 4 classes per week / 16 classes total

· Optional weekly weigh-ins with designated Flywheel Coach

· Kick-off event with a nutritional seminar and a Flywheel technique workshop that addresses proper bike set-up, positioning, arms and more to ensure that participants understand how to get the most out of their workout

· The Flywheel Challenge is optimal for those looking to burn calories, increase endurance and improve cardiovascular health

FlyBarre Challenge
· 4 classes per week / 16 classes total

· Includes optional weekly measurements with designated FlyBarre Coach

· Kick-off event includes nutritional seminar and a FlyBarre 101 workshop where various portions of a FlyBarre class will be highlighted (at a broken down pace) to ensure participants have a better understanding of movements and technique

· The FlyBarre Challenge is optimal for those looking to tone and sculpt, improve core strength, and increase muscular stamina

FlyPlus Challenge
· 3 Flywheel classes and 3 FlyBarre classes per week / 24 classes total

· Includes optional weekly weigh-ins and/or measurements with designated FLY Coach

· Kick-off event includes nutritional seminar, a Flywheel technique workshop and a FlyBarre 101 workshop

· The FlyPlus Challenge is optimal for those looking to burn calories, increase endurance AND tone and sculpt

All Challenges include other perks like community discussions with other challengers to get peer motivation, professional nutrition support and meal plans as well as a kick off and closing party.

Our Experience at Flywheel:

So spinning…is somewhat intimidating for those who have barely done it. You have these shoes that strap you in and bike pedals that lock and load so it’s best to know what you are doing. We liked Flywheel’s friendly front desk staff and sleek studio space. The studio had support gentlemen who helped us get the perfect bike set up while the instructor was preparing to start class. The atmosphere during the class was less competitive and more like a fun dance party. We definitely needed to towel off the sweat and were challenged by the intensity of the interval portions of class.

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Interested in getting a taste of the challenge? WIN WIN WIN

One lucky winner will receive a free Flywheel class* to prep for summa summa timeeee. Just comment on this blog post and tell us what your health and fitness goal are in preparation for the warmer months.

*Winner will need to set up a (free) account and username to access the class.

Move your Bolly-licious Body with Doonya

Posted on March 27, 2015 by CHIORGANICGIRLS

It’s Move It March! Yeah, March is making us mad so we are reclaiming the month in efforts to leap off our comatose couch-bound status. Sadly, there is snow AGAIN on the ground and, with the irresponsible nature of Chicago Spring, indoor workouts are a must. As we all need variety (or vari-itay as one could say), we jumped at a recent invite to sample a unique world dance inspired fitness class, Doonya. Khushboo Rami, our fearless instructor and 1 of 2 Doonya instructors in the whole Chicago area, warmly welcomed us to the River North Gym for our first Doonya experience.

Some of you probably have an inkling of what Doonya is all about from some alluring TV commercials. Seriously, we had our debit card in one hand and the remote in the other debating on whether to buy their streaming online classes. Doonya has actually been around since 2005 when innovator and super fit co-founders, Priya and Kajal, aspired to develop what they were doing in their Indian dance troupe to a replicable dance fitness method. Khushboo was the 4th trained instructor in D.C. and carried the brand with her when she moved to the Chi. So, what can you expect when you lace on your Reeboks and get ready for your flash dance moment?

Khushboo explained that Doonya has some major components that are present in every class, no matter where you attend. There is always a mix of high and low energy cardio and 4 major dance styles are weaved throughout the class: Indian folk, Bhangra, Classical Indian dance/conditioning, and Bollypop (Indian popular dance sometimes mixed with mainstream Western pop/rap). The signature moves, like the Bollytap, glute lifts and knee lifts, crunchy standing ab moves and the heel flick, you will be able to catch the rhythm after a few songs. Once you have a few favorite numbers, you can request your best Bolly-shaking tunes on Facebook or directly to your amicable Doonya instructor.

So how did our first class go? Well, although we both work out (yoga, running, dance), our bodies were still challenged by Doonya’s high impact cardio sections. Khushboo broke down basic moves before beginning routines which made it less intimidating for us newbies. Near the middle, we found our sweaty spot but weren’t too concerned as the infectious dance music keeps you moving. We really loved the M.I.A. “Bad Girls” remix and were super surprised by the challenging nature of the classical moves at the end. Your thighs will shake!

Ready to throw on a kurti and give it a try? Khushboo teaches on Thursdays at 5:30 pm and drop in classes are only $15. You can also sign up for a free 3 day pass for River North Gym and try your first Doonya class for nuthin’. The gym is hiding on the 10th floor of the Merchandise Mart so take the Brown or Purple line if you don’t wanna mess with parking. We can’t wait to go back to work on our shoulder shimmies.

Here are a few of our fave Bollywood jams to get you in the bollymood for Doonya. Do you have a secret Bolly-jam? Let us know so we can expand our collection!

Dilli Wali Girlfriend

High Heels

1, 2, 3, 4 from Chennai Express

Cooked: Your Best Veggie Pre-Cooked Meal Delivery Service

Posted on March 8, 2015 by CHIORGANICGIRLS

We have ambitions of getting in touch with our inner culinary geniuses every week when we head to the grocery store…and then we end up passed out on the couch with a half eaten Morning Star Burger falling out of our hands after work. Like it or not (who really likes it), American culture is one of the most overworked cultures in the world. We need a break! Don’t you often muse about have your own personal chef? Chicagoans, rejoice! There is a pretty fantastic option for you to get your personal chef wishes fulfilled, even without a genie!

We were so excited when Erin Winston Silva, the co-founder of Cooked, reached out to us to sample their pre-cooked meal delivery options. Cooked promises “Nourishing Meals for Busy Folks” and we are 2 very busy ladies so we jumped on the opportunity. We were particularly intrigued as Cooked seemed to have more veggie options than many delivery services that we’ve seen. We also love the values of the organization. Chef Jona Silva’s own health journey inspired him to create local and nutritionally rich (not calorie rich) foods to promote wellness in others. One can tell from menu offers, which change weekly, as well as Silva’s transparency in where ingredients come from. The focus is local partnerships and he is also sensitive to food allergies like gluten or dietary preferences like vegan, vegetarian and T-Rexian. Ok, enough blabbing, we know you wanna know what you get to eat!

For $76 (tax and delivery included) dollars, we got ALL the foods below!! Delivery was timely and Erin was available throughout to deal with a multitude of blogger questions like: “What about Monica’s chickpea allergy” and “Can you change our delivery date? We forgot, we won’t be home!”.

Freshly Pressed Juice: Pineapple Cooler

Loved it! It was refreshing and green-licious with kale, romaine, spinach, coconut water and a sweet touch of pineapple.

Lunch Bowl #2: Organic POWER grains with black beans and salsa ranchera

We split this, yet there was enough for a full lunch for both of us. This puppy is only $5 and is rich in superfoods like quinoa, amaranth and other ancient grains with mysterious origins. The salsa added a nice kick to the mix.

Lunch: Kale, Wild Rice and Cranberry Salad

Again, the portion was plentiful. We enjoyed the sweet touch of cranberry and the kale and rice mix was tender and garlicky with a rich balsamic dressing.

Dinners:

Soup: Kabocha Squash and Apple Soup

Admittedly, we had to google what the heck a kabocha was. Turns out it’s an Asian winter squash! Last week’s weather was considerably still miserable so this warm rich soup hit the spot. It reminded us of a sweet potato bisque with light creamy touches of spices and cinnamon.

Sesame Crusted Tofu

The 2 tofu cutlets came with zuccini noodles and vibrant red and yellow peppers, dressed with a light a soy sauce.

Cauliflower Tacos with Roasted Poblano Salsa

Cauliflower is a vegetarian delight as it has a chunky texture. The taco mix also included cilantro, quinoa, and pumpkin seeds with a side of fresh salsa.

Walnut loaf with Roasted Squash and Broccolini

The squash and broccolini looked ultra fresh and colorful with bright orange and green hues and they were both cooked to perfection. The walnut loaf was a gray meat like color and was hearty for those of you who are familiar with the texture of meatloaf. We really liked the dressing that was provided and it seemed like it had a tahini base.

The meals are supposed to stay fresh for 3 days but we stretched them out until Thursday and basically had enough deliciousness to stave off any grocery shopping for 2 people for the work week. It was like a cooking vacay! We highly recommend Cooked. Meals change weekly to provide variety. This week features a tantalizing coconut dal (aka lentils) and chickpea zuccini fritters. Ready to order? All Chi Organic Girl readers can get 10% off their first order with the promo code: chiorganicgirls so skip the shopping this week and eat cooked!

*We were not compensated for our opinions but were provided with a gift card to try Cooked meals.

Pure Barre Lincoln Park: Fit Review

Posted on December 5, 2014 by CHIORGANICGIRLS

10 brave women made it out in the cold after a appetizer, sides, and pie holiday to get their fitness on this past Sunday at our first ever private Chiorganic Girls class at Pure Barre Lincoln Park, an admirable feet given the tendency to want to sleep off the lingering food coma. We were grateful for our motivation to attend as we got a kick a*@ workout that toned and tightened to reset the good habits and prepare us for the back to work grind.

Lincoln Park Pure Barre is a brand new workout hot spot that just opened November 4th. Ashley Gertz, owner of the newly opened Pure Barre in Lincoln Park, opened the location because of her personal love of barre classes and keen business sense. She welcomed our group with a tour and an overview of what Pure Barre has to offer. Ashley, a former marathoner and avid runner, found that cardio didn’t promote toning and strength so she joined the River North Pure Barre and was hooked.

Marguerite, our teacher, gave us the overview of common moves of Pure Barre and then we got cracking with an immediate plank set (WHYYY??). Bubbly pop music as well as giggles from class participants offset the strenuousness of the miniscule muscle movements. We rolled through abs, arms, legs and ended with (sigh*) more abs and a bridge set to tense up the tush.

After class, we took our shaky legs to the lobby area for complimentary Kashi and Luna snack bars as well as raffle for 2 lucky participants.

And now, we are sore…very pleasantly “can’t walk up the stairs so well” sore, evidence of a real workout. Wanna check it out? Pure Barre Lincoln Park offers new students a very affordable unlimited month of classes for $99. If you join now, you can also compete in the Jingle Tuck challenge (15 classes in 30 days) for prizes and the ultimate win, a retreat at a spa in Arizona.

Jump Away Calories at Sky Zone

Posted on October 22, 2014 by CHIORGANICGIRLS

Ok 80’s babies, sing it with us. Sky Zone will make you “Jump, Jump”! Yes, now Kris Kross is in your head, suckers.

We had the distinct pleasure of bounding on over to a trampoline haven at the newly opened Sky Zone in Elmhurst, IL, our Chicago neighbor to the West. Jump-a-whaaa? It’s basically a warehouse full of tramps (the hoppy kind, people) set up for your child-like nature…and children, if you have them, of course.

When we arrived, we felt a little nervous about the thought of trampling small children with our lack of coordination as we saw them running into the building. Sky Zone has a pretty sweet set up, however, to make sure adults and kids leap with ease. Sky Zone has scheduled jump times to reduce crowding and several jump arenas with different activities.

So what ya do when you get there?

First, we signed a online waiver, grabbed our cute pink sky socks (in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month) and stopped by the snack bar to get some water.

Jump Tip #1: You don’t need to pay for water. There are water fountains (uh duh, why didn’t we look earlier?). There is no slushie fountain, though, so you will need to pay for that Blue Rasberry Slushie craving you have.

We started our jumpsperience at FOAM ZOOOOONE with some very inept flips into a big pile of orange and blue foam cubes. There’s a monitor in each area directing flip traffic so you can belly flop, front flip, or just slide down the trampoline on your face into the pit…as one of us did (heheheh).

Jump Tip #2: Wear Jump appropriate clothing. Half shirts, low riding pants and thong panties may be a bit too revealing as you claw your way depths of foam helllll. Seriously, its a struggle getting out of those cubes!

Next, we moseyed over to the open jump dome and were surrounded by all ages of jumpers. The coolest aspect about open jump is that its organized chaos. The dome is divided into personal trampoline squares so jumpers can have their own private trampoline dreams without being tackled by a fellow participant. As we jumped back and forth between each other’s squares, we noticed how dang hard trampolining is. We burned calories, sweat and didn’t even feel like we were working out until our legs revealed their shaky nature once we left the dome.

Jump Tip #3: If you use the Sky Zone lockers, put your key somewhere safe! Ours jumped right out of our pocket and left us with a $10 locker key replacement fee.

Finally, we tried out WNBA aspirations at Sky Slam, the Slam Dunk section. One of us, the tall one with hops aka Monica, enjoyed the area, while the other, the shortie, got kicked out for trying to dunk in the kids line. Kate can’t slam dunk and now it’s been proven by cold hard evidence.

Sky Zone visitors can try their hand (or legs) at Ultimate Dodgeball. We just didn’t feel like getting smacked in the face by 8 year olds so we skipped out. Fitness classes are also available for those who want a dedicated low impact/high calorie workout without all the rug rats running about.

Final Jump Tip:

Sky Zone is affordable (fitness classes are only $10 and open jump is $15), fun and will make you fit! Check out the class schedule and open gym times here and hop to it!

#RUN10FEED10: Help End Hunger AND Shape Your Booty

Posted on October 6, 2014 by CHIORGANICGIRLS

It’s not hard to love such a beautiful city like Chicago in fall. The leaves are changing and the weather is cooling. Not everyone gets to stay cozy warm, however. The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless estimates there was about 138,575 Chicagoans who were homeless in August of this year. It can be overwhelming to figure out how we can best help people who are in need. One way, however, is very simple! Stretch your legs and run to provide meals to people who are hungry. Join Kate as she tests her speed at the RUN10, FEED10 race on October 19th, 2014.

Women’s Health and FEED are partnering for the RUN10 FEED10 10K race series to motivate consumers nationwide to help fight domestic hunger. RUN10 FEED10 has raised over 2.5 million meals to support the cause, and in 2014 the bar is set even higher. The concept behind RUN10 FEED10 is simple: run a 10K and feed 10 hungry people in your community. Timed 10K races will take place in New York, Chicago and San Francisco. Those living in Boston, Los Angeles, Denver, Phoenix, Atlanta, Houston, Minneapolis, and Washington D.C. can participate in one of the Women’s Health “Fun Runs,” and if runners don’t live in one of the RUN10 FEED10 host cities, they can still participate by registering at RUN10FEED10.com to run a 10K in their hometown.

The series kicked off in New York City on September 21, 2014 with thousands of participants running down the West Side Highway for the timed race ending at Pier 84 at Hudson River Park. In the Chi, we will jaunt down Belmont harbor along our gorgeous lakefront and be greeted at the end with a post-race wellness festival. This post race celebration will feature yoga sessions, nutrition, beauty consultations and great giveaways from sponsors.

Feeling intimidated? Kate has only run 2 5Ks before so she googled to figure out if she could make it through the entire race without yelling uncle and lying down on the pavement. Self.com has an awesome 4 week training plan to get your booty in gear or you can sign up for training plans with Women’s Health and Run10 Feed10. Doing a 10k will also flex those glute muscles and burn an odd 600+ calories (about 9 snack size Halloween packs of M&Ms, yup!). Good prep to don that sexy Pumpkin Spice Latte costume (or sexy wizard or sexy sexy…whatevs your wearing).

Not ready to run? You can still help by donating or even shopping at popular retailers like Nike and Gap from the comfort of your sexy couch.

Ready to join Kate and register or share your cash?

Image from Run10 Feed10 Website

Running towards Labor Day: 1st time (or 2nd or 3rd) 5k Tips for Success

Posted on August 28, 2014 by CHIORGANICGIRLS

We have a confession to make. It’s been 2 weeks since our last post…and quite awhile since our last good run and yet, we have decided to run a 5K this weekend! AHHHH the agony. We have every intention of getting up at 5:30 am and running to prep but then our beds call us back loving and tenderly. Maybe tomorrow we will start again.

For those of you who want to stretch your runnin’ legs with us and challenge yourself anyways, the Magnificent Mile Chicago Women’s Half Marathon and 5K this Sunday has super fun pre and post race events that may convince you to jump out of your bed!

The Magnificent Mile® Fitness Meets Fashion Market

Schedule of Pre Race Events

Where: Fleet Feet Sports – South Loop

What: Sneak peeks into fall apparel from trendy fitness brands, live music and giveaways!

Friday

10:00-8:00 pm: Fitness Meets Fashion Market hours

4:00-7:00 pm: Q+A, chat with running coach and Runner’s World columnist, Jenny Hadfield.

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Saturday

10:00-7:00 pm: Fitness Meets Fashion Market Hours

9:15 am: Official Magnificent Shakeout Run led by Professional Oiselle Runner Lauren Fleshman and Jenny Hadfield.

10:30-11:30 am: Complimentary Yoga for Runners class presented by Yoga Six Studio.

4:00-6:00 pm: Meet Professional Oiselle Runner, Lauren Fleshman for a Q+A, photo opportunities, mingling and more!

Race Day! Sunday

Register here and get a high quality racerback top to wear while traveling along the fab Mag Mile, a sexy finisher medal and access to a crazy post race party at the historic Buckingham Fountain. Keep an eye out for delicious LUNA treats at all pre and post race activities. What a good way to tighten up before Labor day!! And to really prepare…check out the following pre-race tips for newbies like us from Terra Castro, recently retired professional triathlete and LUNA Chix Pro fitanista!!

Morning of the Race

Warm-up: remember this is short speedy distance. Warm-ups are essential to get the muscles ready to push at the faster speeds. No need to hurt a hamstring! Make sure to get in 10-15 min of light running and pick ups (strides- increased speed and leg turnover).
Seed yourself: This means make sure you pick the right corral or group to start with. If you are ready to rock- go to the front and be aggressive. If you are middle of the pack,steady approach, place yourself mid group but be ready because it will be a little crowded. It is OK to be aggressive and seed yourself a little faster than you think as it will give you more room to get moving.
Breakfast: Make sure you eat your pre-race breakfast 2 hours or more before because you don’t want the food to cause GI distress. Coffee, bagel with PB and banana is always a great starting point to try. If needed you could use a clif shot right before with some water. Keep it simple.
NO NEW THINGS: don’t get excited and try any new product, shoes, socks, or routine on race morning. Do what you did in training.
Race plan: I always have my athletes write out a simple race plan (strategy) of how they will approach the race. Not only is this good for the race splits (knowing your mile splits to go for) but I also have them write out the mental side of things to process nerves and know how they will handle the WHAT IFS etc.

Terra Castro is a recently retired Professional Triathlete who works as an Elite Sports Massage Therapist and Endurance Coach at Detroit Tough. Terra works with age group athletes of all levels, and has a specialization in Youth/Junior Triathlon Coaching. Her passion to BE BOLD is something she shares with all her athletes and within her community. (Head Coach/owner of Be Bold Crew LLC). You can follow Terra and up your run quotient @terracastro (Twitter & Instagram).

Her tips and tricks will be featured in our next few running blog posts to improve your run game (and ours for sure sure!)

Chi Organic Girls

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