Training Tip of the Week:  Welcome to all ZOOMA participants!

Congratulations on signing up for ZOOMA Austin.  You should be extremely proud of yourself for taking this step towards a healthier you!

I˘m Gracie, with gracies-gear.com, and I will be your coach throughout the 12 week training program.  If you have any questions, concerns, or accomplishments you would like to share with me, please don˘t hesitate to contact me by replying to this email.  Starting January 19, you˘ll be able ask me questions on the training page of the ZOOMA website.  I am here for you anytime and will be with you every step of the way.

I have had a passion for running ever since I was 11 years old. This passion changed my life and opened many doors.  As a collegiate athlete I learned about commitment, dedication, and how to withstand pressure while reaching my goals. Now, as an Exercise Physiologist and President of gracie's gear Inc, I apply my passion to teaching others how to run and enjoy this amazing sport.  I have been coaching for over 10 years and I have worked with everyone from elite athletes at the collegiate level to sedentary folks who never imagined they could ever run a step.  At Duke University, I began a running club and coached over 3,000 women who went from a sedentary lifestyle to a running lifestyle, and some even became marathoners.

Running has many benefits.  Whether your goal is to lose body fat (I don't like to use the term weight), decrease your cholesterol or blood pressure, feel great in your clothes, get your confidence back, relieve some of that stress, complete your first 5K or half marathon, or decrease your finishing time....I will get you there through ZOOMA. I am committed to YOU!

Over the course of the next 12 weeks you will learn about injury prevention, nutrition, hydration, strength training and stretching, race preparation, self-motivation, proper gear and shoes, preventing overtraining, heart rate training to burn body fat, and much more.  Each week you will receive an email that includes the workout for that week as well as some useful information pertaining to your training for ZOOMA Austin.

Week One's focus is being consistent, taking the initial measurements, and following the training plan.  Start by printing off your program and taping it to your fridge.  This way you can mark off each workout session, including your rest days.

If losing body fat is part of your goal for ZOOMA Austin, consider taking on the Trained and Toned Challenge.  Complete Time One on the printable measurement chart found here.  You will track your progress by inches lost rather than weight lost. Keep track of your measurements and at the end of 12 weeks, send them to me via email and you will be entered to win $300 worth of gracie˘s gear (http://www.graciesgearandtraining.com).  The prize will be awarded to one winner from a random drawing and to the woman who loses the highest percentage of inches over the 12 weeks.

Keep me posted on Week One and again congrats!

With Inspiration,

Coach Gracie