The Inside Scoop on Nike Free

Question: Would you consider yourself to be shoe-savvy?

Better yet, would you consider yourself to be wearing the freshest kicks?

Well for those of you who like to look hot and wear the latest trend, let me whisk you off to a little world of sneaker wonders.

I met with the designer of the new Nike Free XT Quick Fit +, Mark Miner. Let’s just say that there was a lot of time, creativity, and hard work put into this shoe. Mark and the Nike team definitely heard all of our wants and needs because they created a shoe that fulfills all our sneaker desires.

Mark Miner is a young New York native who designed his first shoe out of paper for class. He said he likes to pay attention to detail, and girls let’s be real, we love those small details on things. Mark is laid back and finds his inspiration when he travels and just starts sketching.

He was so genuine and down to earth that he actually gave me positive feedback on my Cardio Club shoe that I quickly designed after our interview (hahahah “Cardio Club” now that’s a piece of work).

Mark is passionate about his design and I could tell that he really thinks every step through. He definitely delivered a product that meets our needs. When we are heading over to the gym, the last thing we need is our training shoes weighing our bag down. What we need is a lightweight shoe that we can take anywhere.

So ladies and gents I present to you the Nike Free XT Quick Fit+! Let me tell you a little bit about this new sensation that will be giving your feet the deserved treatment they’ve been looking for.

1. They are lightweight so you can take them anywhere and everywhere.

2. You feel like you are barefoot, no more clunky training shoes weighing you down as you workout.

3. Ever heard of Flywire Technology? Well these little guys have just that, making them light and comfortable.

4. They have multidirectional flex grooves that allow the foot to move in a natural motion while you’re doing your thing at the gym!

5. Offers great traction for a variety of surfaces. You can take these shoes for a run or to an indoor gym class.

Meeting Mark was literally the coolest experience in the sense that I got to hang out with one of the designers from Nike!! Now every time I go to the gym, I’m going to look at my fly shoes and know the person behind the shoe. I honestly had no idea how much time is put into creating the most innovative piece of technology for our feet!

This new Nike shoe pushes the boundaries of any conventional training shoe out there. So don’t think twice, check them out for yourself. Then when you’re at the gym and feeling great because of how comfortable, light, and versatile your new Nike Free XT Quick Fit+ thank your Nike designer Mark Miner for delivering you the best.

-Gevrina

Gevvy vs Gym: CrossFit Style

Hello fellow gym rats. If you’re in need of finding a CrossFit studio then UTE CrossFit is for you!

UTE CrossFit studio had so many different machines and types of weights that I had no idea what the class was going to be like. I met up with trainer/owner Bobbie Jo Hackenbruck, who was a collegiate soccer player and also met her husband Tommy who played football in college.

Having such a strong athletic background, Tommy and Bobbie Jo decided to move back to Utah and open a CrossFit studio.

The studio has been very successful because CrossFit is slowly becoming the "new" yoga, or more commonly known as the "new grassroots health movement." CrossFit is the principal strengthening and conditioning regimen that many elite athletes, as well as police academies and special military units do.

CrossFit combines sprinting, carrying heavy objects, gymnastics, weight lifting and cardio; all to promote a healthier lifestyle.

We warmed up by doing 3 sets of 12 of push-ups, wall squats, and lunges. Once we were warmed up, we were paired with partners and did a seven-minute work out. It doesn't seem long, but believe me it was just enough. Our routine went as followed: 50 pull ups, 50 squats, 50 kettle bell arm swings, 50 sit-ups, 50 lunges, 250m row, holding plank position for two minutes and burpees. I was sweaty and exhausted.

I almost forgot, after the workout and burpee challenge, I had to get on a bike and pedal until I burned 25 calories. The first few minutes of post workout were not great but once I caught my breath, I felt great!

Bobbie Jo made a very valid point during the interview; she mentioned that if she had done CrossFit during her career as a soccer player she would have been better prepared for the entire season. CrossFit offers the perfect balance. It targets every part of your body because you are doing interval training.

Advice: Do NOT eat before taking a CrossFit class, and after you're done, make sure you drink a protein shake to repair your muscles! That’s the best approach when you are going to workout! I apparently had a rough time in the class due to my lunch I had twenty minutes prior to the workout. So don’t make that mistake.

If you have any suggestions on me trying out a gym near you, make sure you contact me on twitter @Nike_NFR and let me know! Maybe it can be you and me vs. the gym.

-Gevrina

Gevvy vs Gym: on the playground

I'm sure all of you think your workouts are hard, but may I give a suggestion? I recommend that if you want a "new" definition of the word hard, you must take a class from Marie Purvis. I'm not talking about the typical class, where you stretch, do some cardio and then some weight. Oh no... I'm talking about an intense workout that by the looks of it you might think the inner child in you might come out (and at first it totally will) until you start working muscles you have never thought existed.

So how did my workout go? At first I was extremely confident in my training because "failing to prepare, is preparing to fail," so that was out of the question, however when I trained with Marie I developed a new sense of appreciation for what my body can do once it is trained properly.

I fell in love with Marie the instant I met her and knew that she was going to really push me past my comfort zone. I thought the workout was going to be manageable considering my strict running schedule, but boy was I wrong.  We both bonded instantaneously and of course she took me over to warm up right next to a 75 lbs tire. Mind you, my upper body is weak, but I still said to myself, "no biggie." Guys... I cannot stress to you enough how DIFFICULT it was for me to squat and lift this object. I did it (slowly but surely)!

That obviously was not the only thing Marie had in store for me because she took me straight to the volleyball courts and made me do foot work in the stand. The most challenging part was definitely sinking into the sand and trying to find that stability using your core. There was a moment where I was exhausted but I couldn't tell if it was me just allowing my body to take over or not. I find that most of the times, particularly in my case, we give up quickly when we are tried and that's because, we're comfortable. We're allowing our bodies to take over when it should be the other way around--mind over body. I did just that, I ignored the pain and exhaustion and said "Marie, I'm comfortable." She pushed me and I did it.

The word "finished" was no where in Marie's mind, so off we went to a park where my inner child came out, despite the intensity of the work out. Get this, she made me stand over a swing in a plank position with my hands on the swing. Then made me write out the alphabet with the swing seat while remaining in plank position. How about that for the greatest workout ever?  For those of you park goers who have kids running around the playground, now you definitely don't have an excuse.

There was so much variety in terms of exercises, terrains, and textures that my entire body was challenged. There was no muscle that went unnoticed. After taking this training session from Marie where I even did workouts on a TRX band, I realized how grateful I am to have had a workout with Marie. I was clearly not pushing myself hard enough. But most importantly Marie taught me that there is no excuse to neglect one's body from a good, challenging, healthy workout!

A sore reporter,
Gevvy

Kristen Kjellman: Can You Say Tewarraton?

Have you ever played a sport or done a hobby that no one knows about?

Being on the rowing team, it was very common for me to be that person who played a sport that no one really knew about. It became second nature for me to explain in great detail what rowing was all about.

Before interviewing professional lacrosse player, Kristen Kjellman, I felt as if she might be in the same shoes as me in terms of always having to explain her sport to people. She had to teach me the ins and outs of lacrosse and was really genuine and sweet.

Kjellman is the first lacrosse player (male or female) to be the Tewarraton Trophy winner in back-to back-seasons. Sound intimidating right? Butshe is really just your total girl next door who is willing to kick back, relax and chat.

After she was done with her photo shoot, (which reminded me a little of my photo shoot) Kristen gave me the 411 on lacrosse, including how she mentally and physically prepares before each match and how preparation allowed her to win a gold medal in the Czech Republic.

Having recently moved from Chicago to New York Kjellman gave me some fashion and music suggestions, which I’m very grateful for! It was a great experience to talk with a stellar athlete who I could relate to on so many levels; especially playing a sport that is not very common.

It goes to show, there is so much talent out there and there are athletes who are making a difference in their own niche! You can to!

-Gevrina

Hope Solo says BOOM!

Hey Nike World! If you were wondering where this fantastic job has taken me, well let’s just say I flew across the country and made friends! That sounds odd I know, but hear me out. I started the weekend by flying to Philly, city of cheese steak sandwiches and the “Rocky” steps.

Sunday came and I was pumped, I mean who wouldn’t be pumped to be on a Nike commercial TV set with the one and only soccer Rock Star Hope Solo?

When I arrived I noticed the heat was unlike the sunny California weather I’m use to, but that didn’t matter because I was about to interview Hope Solo.

Boy was I wrong neglecting the weather because as I waited for Hope to finish her photo shoot, I got a bloody nose. A man came up to me and said, “You must be from California?” I was going to leave it out of my blog post, but I said to myself, “This is a once in a lifetime experience and I got a bloody nose before the interview? What is this?”. It was total comic relief; I felt great and just made the best of it.

Hope was great! Super charming and has a great presence on and off camera. We made our way onto the field and we both mocked each other for wearing the hottest clothes for that day. Apparently we didn’t get the weather memo.

Aside from the 200+ extras that were there, the cameras, the TV set, the heat, and Hope (of course), the coolest thing that I really enjoyed was when I spoke to Hope about how she bounces back from a mistake that she might make during a game. She answered that she simply tears a piece of grass from the ground and tosses it in front of her saying, “just let it go.”

I took this to heart and now any time something doesn’t go as expected, I simply say, “I’m just gonna let it go”. So Hope, thanks for that piece of advice!

-Gevrina

Conquering The Pitching Mound

I went to Chico, California, and was truly honored to have met a woman, Eri Yoshida who is the first female ever to play professional baseball in three countries. She is 5'1” and can throw a mean knuckle ball at about 63 mph. She is known as the "knuckle princess" and mentioned in her interview that she doesn't like the name simply because she doesn't feel that she deserves the title.

Three words I would use to describe Eri would be sweet, passionate and humble. After watching her batting practice and warm up, I was granted the opportunity to interview the Chico Outlaws coach, Garry Templeton. It was great to hear his story on how he found Eri and what he thinks of her as a ball player.

The fans were spectacular! The stands were filled with very loud cheering fans that not only respected Eri as a female who has inspired many women, but they all admired her dedication and humble nature. Eri's charismatic persona attracts tons of fans, who were all waiting for her after the game.

She was very excited to do the interview and reminded me that her goal is to play ball in the MLB, she doesn't want to be praised until she fulfills that goal.

We then spoke about how she prepares before the game and also about some of the jokes her teammates play on her. She told that before each game she has a different handshake with each teammate. My favorite part of the interview was when she created a unique handshake for us. It was also really cool when we brought in her catcher, Robby Alcombrack, and did an interview with him as well. They also did their pre-game 'handshake' and then Robby and I debated on who had the cooler handshake with Miss Eri.

So while I think Eri and I have the coolest handshake thus far, I know I’m going to keep track of her performance. She is truly and inspiration to me and has showed me that a Nike woman can do it all!

-Gevrina

Running In Pretty Dresses

When you think FASHION WEEK, you might think of one of these: blazers, high heels, sneakers, mini skirts, shorts, dresses, a little bling-bling here and there, the lists goes on and on. While the word sneaker might stick out in the above mentioned list, I think it would be great to take sneakers to another level, considering the impact the Air Force 1 has had on culture.

So what better way to spend my own fashion week than by grabbing my running shoes and interviewing Swedish fashion reporter Sofia Hedstrom, who gave me the inside scoop on her life as a fashion reporter and her new hobby of running marathons.

When you go on a run, do you ever think about dresses, makeup, or even jewelry? Well, while you and I might stick to shorts and a pair of Nikes, Sofia, does quite the opposite.

She totally adds flare to her running apparel (must be all those fashion shows), which has made her stand out from any other runner that I have ever met. Sofia stays true to herself by doing what makes her comfortable and happy and that’s running in dresses. She considers running in dresses and wearing red Chanel lipstick as her staple.

FSF (Fun Side Fact): according to Sofia, Chanel lipstick lasts at least 20 miles! She’s tested it in all the marathons she has run. How about you put that one your shopping list ;)

Sofia started running three years ago to bring balance to her hectic schedule as a reporter. With all the traveling, running seemed to be the perfect constant in her rapidly changing lifestyle. Since we are both reporters on the go, she gave me some advice and told me to run every chance I get. Her career has taken her to Sweden, China, Brazil, Italy, and Paris, and what better way to view the country than by running! She’s getting a workout and sightseeing all in one.

We concluded our interview by warming up and then running around her neighborhood in Brooklyn. Of course, being the girls that we are, we continued to chitchat about fashion, working out, staying healthy and traveling. We even started to compare who travels more in a week. The life of a reporter… unpredictable and a whole lot of glitter!

-Gevrina