So there I was, all kitted out and ready to hit the road. While most people were still sleeping and slowly getting out of bed I was breathing in the cool air of the morning and enjoying the silence all around me.

As much as I wanted to just take off and start my run, I had to hold back and do some warm-up exercises. It turns out that this is one of the most important parts of the run (and it happens before the run even starts).

Benefits of a decent warm-up:

• Helps to prevent injuries
• Dilate your blood vessels, which in turn ensures that your muscles are well supplied with oxygen
• Raises your muscles’ temperature, aiding in flexibility
• And if you slowly raise your heart rate, it will minimise the stress on your heart when you do start your run

All in all, the benefits seem to be on the side of a good warm-up session.

Interestingly, a warm up doesn’t merely involve stretching. It turns out that I must not stretch cold muscles, but rather do 5 - 10 minutes of either aerobics exercises, brisk walking, slow jog or cycling on a stationary bike to warm up my muscles.

So off I go doing my warm-up session, I hope I have enough energy after this to still do my actual run.

Go back to the basics with Nike Running by running supernatural at the Bear Butte Running Camp, featuring Nike Free 5.0. This is one of the funniest videos I have ever seen in a long time.

In terms of the Nike+ Challenge, the men did outwit, outlast and outplay the women. This is not the end. The challenge might have ended but the rivalry is still alive and kicking. Go to Nike+ to see the final standings.

We have all had them at least once in our lives and we all know how sore they are. The dreaded shin splints. I consider myself a relatively fit person, but I even got shin splints after my first jog. This sparked me to do some research into this phenomenon and see if there is anyway I can prevent it from happening.

It turns out that I really am not alone, and that shin splints are very common among beginner runners. This painful experience may be caused due to weak anterior tibalis muscles, which are on the front side of your lower leg. After asking one of my friends, who is an aspiring doctor and Grey’s Anatomy fan, it turns out that this muscle is responsible for flexing the foot upward. This is the very culprit that is underdeveloped in non-runners, and could cause the severe pain know as shin splints.

But there is something that can be done to save us from the pain. There is saviour, a form of exercise that if you do them a few times a week will strengthen the muscles and prevent shin splints. Hallelujah!

Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 5 minutes

Step 1:
Stand on the ledge of a step, with your heels on the ledge and your toes as far over the ledge as possible.

Step 2:
Lift your toes on your right foot as far up toward your shins as you can. Hold this for a moment; you will be able to feel a contraction in your shins aka the anterior tibialis.

Step 3:
Do the same movement with your left foot.

Step 4:
Repeat this exercise 12x on each foot.

Running seems to be something so easy, something that we all did at some point in our lives, and something rather natural to us. I have since learnt that there is much more to this sport than just…. ummm…. well running.

I have been involved with various sporting disciplines in my life, ranging from swimming, kickboxing, yoga, badminton etc but nothing prepared me for the questions I had when it came to running. There I was standing in front of an array of different running shoes and they all looked equally as impressive as the other. What do I do and which one do I choose?

Luckily I had Hans Koeleman (a long-distance runner from the Netherlands, former Olympian in the 3000m steeplechase and 4 times comrades runner) helping me along and teaching me the tricks of the trade.

Coming to my rescue Hans pointed out that there is a different shoe depending on the way you run, the way you land on your feet, if you have weak ankles or knees, how fast you want to run, what distance you are planning to run, etc… All of these variables were a pretty daunting fact for a newbie like me, but luckily I was reassured that a running specialty store would have experts who could help me along.

A shoe is more important than just merely looking good; it is part and parcel of ensuring you have a great workout too. So, it seems that this might be one of the most important choices I am faced with to date.

The advice given to me from Hans was crucial in insuring I get the perfect shoe for me. He told me in no uncertain terms that they need to be comfy, there should at least be one pinky space between my toes and the front of the shoe, and that my foot needs to feel stable in the shoe. He reminded me that running is a prolonged monotonous movement that puts considerable pressure on your body, and the shoe is a barrier between yourself and the road.

So there I was with my little check list, and an awesome store attendant trying on endless amounts of shoes and sizes. And then there they were, the pair destined for me, a beautiful, light and comfy pair of Nike Zoom Victory. I was in heaven.

Minutes later I was walking out of the store with my new pair of running shoes and the Nike+ kit in my hand, feeling like nothing can get me down. At home I looked at my to do list; it seems that the two most important tasks for today have been completed (shu):
Shoes – tick
Nike+ kit – tick

Now the fun begins, setting everything up…

“Come on girls, lets get out there and lets really win this challenge!” - Paula Radcliffe

The game is heating up as we are nearing the final stages of the Nike+ challenge. Both teams are battling it out for the very important bragging rights that come with winning. Check out the score board and register to join.

See who the Men vs Women Nike+ athletes believe will win the challenge.

Ladies, we need to pull our socks up and prove that we are a force to be reckoned with. Check out this awesome inspiration and all will be revealed.

After seeing this, I have decided to join the challenge myself and have signed up as a member of the ladies team.

Come and join me on the challenge and we can share our progress and feedback with each other. Together we can prove to the world that SA girls have what it takes!

Register at  Nike+ and let the games begin.