Category: Move It

Finding Oneself in Leading Others

This post was created by Amy, a Marketing Coordinator for Title 9 and enthusiast for all the things Title 9 stands for – including most important of all, it’s customers. If you have an idea for a post or would like to connect with Title 9 shoot her an email.

Already our 3rd Annual Bay Area Title 9K is coming up next month which makes me realize that its truly incredible how things pan out. Two months ago I had no idea that I would be lucky enough to start working with the Title 9K team, and on top of that, meet the people that I have. One gal in particular, Miss Irma, has blown me out of the water. In my attempt to market the race in any way I could I found a local running club in San Jose and reached out to their director in hopes of something, anything. Little did I know on the receiving end was an energetic, kind, and motivated mother passionate about running with others. I’ll stop now and leave you with Irma’s rendition of the birth and development of not only the Mom’s Run This Town San Jose chapter, but Miss Irma herself. Cheers my dear, here’s to you.

Every person experiences life changing events (LCEs) in their life – both positive and negative.  As a social worker and runner, I firmly believe in the power of exercise to undo the negative effects of LCEs.  I started running after I got married not only because I needed to lose weight, but to do something that was just for me, amidst the togetherness of a committed relationship.  I continued to run through the pre-mature deaths of my twins, Lucas and Larissa, and then after the births of my daughters, Sophia and Samantha.  As a mom, running took on new meaning. I wanted my kids to know that “being healthy” doesn’t just happen – you work hard for it, like everything in life that’s worth working for.

I thought I would be done with any significant LCEs until my kids went off to college.  Wrong!! Last year, my husband got a job in the heart of Silicon Valley, San Jose, CA.  The stress of moving across the country and being away from all our family and friends took a toll on me – I gained 15 lbs and had the hardest time adjusting to our new life here.  So, I started running again after the holidays. The problem:  running alone is not my forte and the runs for the local running groups didn’t fit with my schedule.  If I were to run first thing in the morning or after work hours, I would have to bring sleepy and/or hungry kids in the jogging stroller. And who wants that at their 7 AM run or 6 PM run?  Not me – and they’re my kids!

What was a running mom to do?  Enter Moms RUN this Town (MRTT) – a FREE nation-wide running club for moms, by moms.  The name intrigued me because I believe moms (and women in general) run the world and if we had the opportunities to do it on a larger scale, the world would be a much better place.  Since there was no chapter in San Jose, I contacted the founder and found myself as the new chapter leader of Moms RUN this Town-San Jose!

At first, I recruited moms who I became friends with through my kids. Mid-morning, we would run with our jogging strollers, then let the kids out to play and have lunch.  Exercise time for mom and the kids get a play date – a match made in heaven!

My first consistent running partner was Ellen, mom of 2, who hadn’t run for over 5 years.  Yet, after only 2 months, we completed a 5K in less than 35 minutes – a PR for both of us!    After that race, MRTT took on a whole new meaning for me.  I made up some fliers and put them out at local running stores, coffee shops, supermarkets.  Then, I got really bold and started handing them out to women I saw running or walking with a stroller or with kids. I became part of a larger group of like-minded, strong moms who did RUN their corner of the world.

Junella, has young four kids, works part-time, and gets up at 5 AM to run since she is training for a marathon and a 5K obstacle run in October.  Patricia, who has grown kids, has run/walked a half marathon every month since June of this year.  Melanie is mom to a 4-legged “kid” and is training to run her first marathon this October.  Truc-Co last ran in college (over 10 years ago, but she’ll tell you it was only 5 years ago!), yet since joining MRTT, she has been running 3-4x/week while pushing her 2 year old in a jogging stroller!  She has signed up for the Title 9K (her 1st race), a half marathon and a 5k obstacle race.  She has also perfected the art of opening snacks and juice boxes and picking up various toys that have been tossed out of the jogging stroller all while maintaining a 9-10 min/mile pace.

In the 3 months since our group started, we’ve grown to include 30 women with varying running backgrounds (1st time run/walkers to experienced racers) and in various stages of motherhood (1st time moms with new borns to older moms with grown kids).  We’ve created a community of running moms who inspire and support each other. Every time I log on to our Facebook page and read their posts and comments, I am humbled by their strength, dedication and kindness. We each know what it takes to make the time to run when you’re a mom.

For me, MRTT was what I needed to get back on track to the healthier life I wanted to have.  It was not just the physical act of running that helped to mitigate the negative effects of my LCE.  It was the social, mental and emotional connections made through running (and specifically from running with other moms) that contributed to my life adjustment and satisfaction.

When I found out about the Title 9K race series, I thought it would be a great first race for our newer-to-running moms but also for our seasoned-running-moms.  The fact that it was for women only and accommodated strollers was a bonus! Most of us have only run with strollers and most races don’t allow them.  Also, having it be all women gives it more of that community, “we’re all in this together, no matter what your pace may be” feeling.  Lastly, since 9K is not usual race length, we’re all sure to PR!!

MRTT, Title Nine and the Title 9K Race Series all have the ideal of women as powerful and influential at their core.  We matter – to our families, our communities, our countries and the world.  Our lives are full of LCEs
that can threaten to stop us, but the rhythm of running keeps moving us forward one step at a time.

If you’re interested in joining Mom’s Run This Town San Jose you can find their information here. Live in another part of the country? Find your local chapter here, or become an Irma and start your very own!

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It’s Time for The Title 9K!

Our annual Title 9K’s are coming up in Chicago and the Bay Area and we can’t stop thinking about them!  So much that we thought we’d come up with a run plan for those of you who would like extra motivation or don’t know where to start. You may be wondering, how many miles is a 9K? Well, to be exact: 5.59234073 miles, but for the sake of sanity, let’s call it 5.6. But don’t worry, if you haven’t run at all in the last 5 years, or if you’ve been running for the last 5 years straight, we’ve got a training program for everyone, and we mean everyone – all ladies and their kids, moms, sisters and girlfriends. This race is all about having a good time!

Training Schedules:

Walkers/Joggers

Built for those who would like to walk with a little jog mixed in between, you only work out 4 days a week, 3 walking/running, and one doing cross training. The workouts are written as: 1/1 x 11. The first number is minutes to run followed by minutes to walk. So 1/1 is one minute of running followed by one minute of walking.

Start your workout by warming up for 5 minutes – a brisk march or light jog will do. Bored? Try some squats! Anything to amp up your heart rate! At the end do your heart a favor and cool down for 5 minutes. Finish with stretches holding each one for 15-30 seconds! You want to keep those worked muscles loose and limber!

You’ll need to mix cross-training sessions into your workout. These are extremely important; they balance your muscle groups reducing your chance of injury. Examples of cross-training include: swimming, water running, cycling or spinning, elliptical and rowing! Anything to pump your heart rate and work those muscles.

WALKING TRAINING : Bay Area Title 9K

WALKING TRAINING : Chicago Title 9K

For the Runners

Are you ready to run 5.6 miles!? We’re here to get you there. This plan is intended for those who are already able to run a couple of miles. If you don’t think you’re there, spend a week walking for one minute and jogging for 11. Do this for a few days before kicking into this plan – and once you get started, if you need to break in bouts of walking during your runs, that’s okay too!

If you need to switch days to accommodate your schedule, and swap a run for a rest day, that’s fine. Your EZ runs should be a comfortable pace to help loosen your muscles. The cross training (CT) sessions held once a week are extremely important; they balance your muscle groups reducing your chance of injury. You will also avoid getting bored with running and can continue to train if you inhibit certain injuries. Examples of cross-training include: swimming, water running, cycling or spinning, elliptical and rowing!

RUNNER TRAINING : Bay Area Title 9K

RUNNER TRAINING : Chicago Title 9K

We’ve laid the groundwork, now the hardest part is up to you – getting out there and training! But don’t worry, you’re not alone! If you have a question, are looking for help, or just need to vent about your last run, check out the group pages for both the Bay Area and Chicago Title 9Ks.

Are you ready? Keep us updated on your progress, share your goals, and post pictures below! We would love to hear from you!

Interested in volunteering in Chicago or the Bay Area? Drop us a line at t9k@titlenine.com

See ya’ll soon!

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Physio Friday

Here at the T9 Clubhouse we work hard and play even harder, even when the summer sun sings it’s siren song.  Sometimes moving seamlessly from morning meetings to a quick lunch, a few pull-ups, then back to the grind, one might mistake us for a very serious bunch.  And we are very serious — about getting outside and trying something new, just like our parents used to hound us to, and most importantly, we’re dead serious about having fun at every opportunity. Knowing what is going to happen around here is just not possible!  If there is one thing I have learned in my six years here at Title Nine, it’s that the unexpected that you didn’t expect is exactly what you should expect. No, really.  When someone says “Megaball,” they really do mean a six foot tall ball used to play some sort of crazy game.  When someone starts dancing at the end of a company meeting, it very well could be a full blown flash mob kicking off.  And when someone emails a video in jest, it just might end up being an official (well supervised!) Feats of Strength event.

When you do step out and try that something new this summer, just make sure you make those parents extra proud and wear clean underwear.

Mom, Dad, you’re welcome.

– Christina @T9

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Inspiration from India

We were recently contacted by Rashimi, a woman in India who helps run an after school organization that focuses on fitness; a combination of field hockey and Crossfit. She asked if Title Nine would help by donating some sports bras. Sports bras? We know all about those!

Shortly after the sports bras were sent, we received an email from Rashimi, not only thanking us, but sharing the athletic pursuits of these inspiring gals. We at T9 found these photos very inspiring and of course wanted to pass the inspiration on to you.

Pinki (holding the light bar) is the under 14 state champion in the 100 meters and long jump.

Jyoti hopes to play hockey in college next year.

The team!

Meet Sunita Mummy. She is part of the staff who has taken up Crossfit. She wore pants and t-shirt for the first time in her life about two months ago. She managed to do Crossfit in traditional Indian clothes for a few months before taking the plunge into western dress (only for exercise). She, in particular, loves her bra!

The next time I try to get out of a workout, especially when I use the excuse that I don’t have the right clothes (yes, I do that) I am going to channel Sunita Mummy. No more excuses!

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Women’s History Month

Women’s History Month is winding down and you can bet that we’re going to give it some air time. It is rare to find an all female owned and operated company, but Title Nine is proud to be just that – by women, for women. We are all who we are because of women who have gone before us- those that have inspired, encouraged, supported, loved and motivated us. They are women like our mothers, coaches, teachers, friends and teammates. They don’t take ‘no’ or ‘later’ for an answer. Fit women. Fit for office, fit to run, fit to win, fit to eat bon-bons and mostly fit for everything. We’re in the business of outfitting all types of fit women just like you. Women like Amelia Earhart, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Eleanor Roosevelt, Billie Jean King, Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner (google her). So, we asked ourselves, “Selves, what would some of these inspiring women choose if they stopped into a Title Nine store chock full of new Summer awesomeness? What pieces fit perfectly with their busy, active, exciting (and probably sometimes less than exciting) lifestyles?”. They need clothes and bras to carry them through whatever the day throws and still look fresh. Here is what we came up with for when you want to channel your inner and/or outer ‘fit woman’:

Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, she set a kajillion (exactly) records and to top it all off, was a best-selling author. Her classic style called for functional practicality with a touch of femininity. – we can see her in the Urbanator II Jacket in Smoke, the Lifesaver Sweater in Bouganvillea, the Take a Hike Capri in Silt topped with the Maybe-A-Matador Scarf blowin’ in the wind

Babe Didrickson Zaharias was the queen of multi-sport long before that was code for triathlon. She was a golf, basketball, baseball, diving, and track super-star. Oh, and she was a 3 time Olympic medalist 40 years before the Title IX amendment. No biggie. We’re pretty sure this gal would have rocked the Swing Skort in Blue-Black, the Aplomb Merino Tee in Citrine and the Spector 70 Jacket in Island Blue.

Eleanor Roosevelt worked tirelessly to advance the status of working women in a time when that wasn’t such a good thing. She was a First Lady, a civil rights advocate, an author, speaker and politician in her own right. This lady stone cold knew what she believed in and fought for it. We think she would travel in the Print Breeze Dress in Cyan, the Texture Wrap Sweater in Cloud Dancer and (obviously) the Crusher Hat in Aubergine.

Billie Jean King. Do we even have to explain why she’s here? She beat Bobby. But she also won a total of 39 Grand Slam Titles and went on to found the Women’s Sports Foundation. We see her in the Tuck-N-Run Skort, the Print Paradigm Tank in Citron, the Paradigm Zipneck in Campanula and of course, the 3-Reasons Bra.

Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner is an Austrian mountaineer and the first woman to summit all 14 mountains over 8,000 km (a.k.a. 26,247 ft) without supplementary oxygen. Think K2, Everest and Annapurna. She’s certifiably hard core. She would totally rock the Boulder Knicker by Kuhl (get it? Kuhl is German for ‘cool’) in Indian Teal, the Tip Top Tank in Turkish Coffee and the South Fork Shirt in Grecian Blue.

Take some time out this month (and every month for that matter) to thank the strong women that have been a part of your history.

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