Support group: Five of the six original “Run Like a Girl” members: Luanne
Tubbs, 35; Dede Herberholz, 40; Patricia Combs, 42; Marien Serrano, 47; Lusk.

“Our Run Like a Girl group formed after the death of Carlos Serrano, a local triathlete, in a cycling accident this past summer,” says Marisa Lusk, 30, of Scottsboro, Alabama.

“It began as a way for us—his wife and friends—to cope, and we never stopped. We now have more than 60 members, and his memory inspires each of us.”

 
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Istockphoto

If you ever feel sluggish, achy, or winded when you run, surprise: The culprit is likely your posture. The right body alignment is the key to an efficient, injury-free, and fun workout. Follow our head-to-toe tips for conquering the top three posture mistakes, and you’ll be striding with ease.

Slumped shoulders.
They slow you down and restrict breathing.

The fix: Think tall. If you start to slouch, take a deep breath (you’ll feel yourself straighten naturally) and roll your shoulders back. Stack your head, shoulders, hips, and feet so they’re aligned. And look ahead toward the horizon; your gaze will help you stay upright.

Stiff arms.
Keeping them motionless prevents them from doing their job—propelling you forward—and saps precious energy.

The fix: Bend your elbows to 90 degrees, and tense and release your shoulders, arms, and hands to relax. Swing your arms like pendulums forward and backward from your shoulders, not side to side across your body.

Overstriding.
Big steps can slow you down and cause injury.

The fix: Increase your stride rate and improve your efficiency by taking shorter steps more quickly, making sure your feet are directly under your hips (versus out in front of them) when they hit the pavement. Work on this a few times during each run.

 
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I think sometimes we gear reviewers get so focused on what’s new and hot that we forget that some of the best products have been around for a while—and are equally deserving of a wider audience. So this week, I want to give a well-deserved shout-out to the two companions that have been getting me through my dark morning walks during the colder months of the past couple years: my Brooks NightLife jacket and gloves.

While Brooks no longer makes the exact items I own, they do sell updated versions: the LSD Lite Jacket and the Vapor Dry 2 Glove, both in NightLife, aka bright yellow and black. And by bright yellow, I mean shocking, neon, traffic-light-so-bright-it-makes-you-hit-the-gas-or-slam-on-the-brakes-depending-on-who-you-are yellow. There’s no way you can miss this color—even in the dead of a moonless predawn.

Which is basically the point, right? In my sidewalk-less and sparsely lit neighborhood, I want to be seen by those let’s-ignore-the-speed-limit-’cause-it’s-5:30-in-the-morning-and-who’s-gonna-be-out drivers.

But it’s not just about visibility. These are two really nice pieces of workout wear. The jacket is light and breathable, but resists wind and water quite admirably. (It won’t keep you warm on its own; this is definitely a layering piece.) The new version has a hood, which is a smart addition. And it fits well—sleek, but not too fitted, so you can still zip it up while wearing those aforementioned layers.

The gloves are pretty great too. They’re warm but not too warm, with a super-handy terrycloth portion for wiping my sweaty brow (and, OK, my runny nose). Plus, there’s a cool magnet on each wrist so they stay together when not on my hands. Need more? The new version also has nifty finger grips and a thumb pad that flips back to make iPod manipulation easier.

Early in the morning, a few days ago, I donned my jacket and gloves and prepared to head out into the darkness. My husband came into the room, saw me, and shook his head. “It’s just so yellow,” he said. Exactly.

Products: Brooks LSD Lite Jacket and Vapor Dry 2 Glove

Category: Apparel

Cost: $95 for the jacket and $30 for the gloves at www.BrooksRunning.com

Previous posts by Su Reid-St. John:

Several of my friends have recently given up their gym memberships to save some badly needed bucks by working out at home instead. To do that properly, you need some equipment. Life Fitness, the folks known for their treadmills and elliptical trainers, are rising to the occasion with their new Body Shape Kit and Body Shape Kit Plus.

Both contain almost everything you could think of to outfit a basic home gym:

• Heart rate/pedometer watch
• 2 exercise DVDs
• 65-cm stability ball (with pump)
• Pair of 3-lb hand weights
• 2 resistance tubes
• 2 resistance rings
• An exercise mat (and even a towel!)

The Kit Plus also includes an 8-pound medicine ball, a foam roller, and an equipment mat to go under your treadmill or elliptical (assuming you have one; more on that below).

The heart rate/pedometer watch is relatively easy to program and it measures your heart rate via a fingertip sensor on the watch face, so you don’t have to wear a pesky chest strap. But I was suspicious of the pedometer from the get-go—how accurate could it be, attached to a body part completely unconnected to your lower half? Not very, it turns out. I put it on and sat at my desk. By the time I stood up, I’d already “walked” 21 paces. It wasn’t much more accurate once I started walking.

The two DVDs offer four different circuit workouts, all 30–35 minutes long. The strength moves are interesting, using all of the equipment in the kit (a really nice variety), and the instructor gives a lot of good form tips. You have a choice of levels to follow, too—basic or more challenging. That’s all good.

I had an issue, though, with the cardio portions of the circuits. The Life Fitness folks assume you own a cardio machine (preferably one of their treadmills or ellipticals is the message I got). The instructor makes a half-hearted mention about how you can go walk or bike outside instead, but really, who’s going to pause a DVD to go walk or bike outside for five minutes?

The other pieces in the kits are well-made and of obviously good quality. I wonder, though, about only including 3-pound hand weights; unless you’re a complete beginner, those aren’t going to last you very long, and you’ll need to buy heavier ones in order to keep building strength. Maybe in the future, Life Fitness could offer a choice of weights, depending on your level of experience and strength.

One more thing worth noting: You get a lot in these kits, but they’re a little pricey. I did some googling to find items of comparable quality and determined that I could put my own kit together for around $200—and that’s including the extras in the $399 Plus version. Sure, it’s easier to just order them together, but is that convenience worth paying twice as much?

With a few tweaks from the company, it might be. Are you listening, Life Fitness?

Products: Body Shape Kit and Body Shape Kit Plus

Category: Gear

Pros: The kits include an excellent variety of equipment, all of good quality, equaling an easy way to put together an almost-complete home gym. The instruction on the strength portions of the DVDs is solid, and the heart rate watch is easy to program and use.

Cons: The pedometer feature on the watch is inaccurate, the DVDs assume you own a cardio machine, and the hand weights are too light for most exercisers. Also, the kits are a little pricey.

Cost: $299 for the Body Shape Kit and $399 for the Body Shape Kit Plus at www.LifeFitness.com

Extra tip: Use the Workout Program Calendar in the “Your Personal Body Shape Plan” brochure, which comes with the kits, to help you set up an effective weekly workout plan.

Previous posts by Su Reid-St. John:

With all the rain here lately, I’ve found myself living in a very damp climate—the kind of damp in which my bath towel never fully dries, a leather bag stowed in the closet sprouts mold in a matter of days, and my sneakers live in, well, a perpetual state of odoriferous clamminess. I was actually contemplating tossing my kicks into the dryer (and praying they wouldn’t shrink or pound the heck out of the machine) when I read about a nifty little invention called Stuffitts Shoe Savers, which claim to keep workout shoes dry and odor free. I ordered a pair without delay.

A week later, I’m wondering how my soggy self lived without these babies. The concept is sheer simplicity: a washable cover made of wicking fabric over foot-shaped cedar inserts (cedar is an excellent moisture- and odor-banisher); you slip one into each sodden shoe between workouts and it sucks the moisture right out. And you know what? It works.

Power walk in the rain? That was no match for the Stuffitts; my kicks were bone-dry the next morning, with nary a whiff of musty stinkiness. This is a revelation for me, as I often work out on back-to-back days.

The only catch is that I have just one set, so I’m constantly moving them from my sneaks to various pairs of wear-to-work shoes, weighing which pair needs them most. I remember a shoe shop guy once telling me to never wear leather shoes two days in a row, as they need to dry out. Well, sometimes a girl just has to wear her favorite black leather Børn slides on both Tuesday and Wednesday! And now I can—assuming my Stuffitts aren’t already busy sucking up the sogginess from my walking shoes.

It’s time to get another pair.

Product: Stuffitts Shoe Savers

Category: Gear

Pros: They’re super-effective at drying and de-stinking your shoes. Plus, you can wash the covers when they get funky.

Cons: None that I can think of.

Cost: $25 at www.stuffits.com

Extra tip: Spring for two pairs so you won’t have to choose between drying out your workout shoes and your work shoes.

Previous posts by Su Reid-St. John:

The idea behind the Boom Board Body Shaping System is intriguing: You use your own resistance to build strength. In other words, no need to scatter a bunch of dumbbells around the den. For that fact alone, it’s definitely worth a look.

The board looks like a wide, flat semicircle with two handles attached to retracting cables. The right-side handle has a button on the end and a slide in the middle; press the button or push against the slide to adjust the cable. Once you get the length you want, you use the arm opposite the one doing the move to provide resistance. While doing a bicep curl with your right hand, for example, the tension is provided by your left hand.

Once you get the hang of it (it doesn’t take long), it works quite well. I could really feel my muscles working, and I liked being able to adjust the resistance by just changing the force I was exerting on the opposing handle.

The board comes with a booklet that shows you how to do a variety of basic exercises. Although the moves are solid, they don’t indicate what parts of your body are being targeted, so it would be difficult for strength-training newbies to pull together a balanced, full-body workout from it.

The board also comes with a 15-minute DVD workout, led by a big hunk of eye candy named Sebastian Seigel. While I was automatically disposed to like him because he appeared in a couple episodes of Lost (my favorite show) last season, he’s an actor/athlete, not a trainer—and it shows in the workout. He gives very few form tips, and indeed, his own form on many of the moves is questionable (for example, his knee moves past his toes in the lunge moves, an excellent way to mess up your knees).

Seigel also gives no time between moves to allow you to adjust the cable length. His female counterpart, as well as the back-up people, occasionally look to be doing a different move than he is. The overall effect is rather confusing (and, again, not very helpful when it comes to scouting for proper form).

You also get two other noteworthy things with the board: One is a door “module,” aka a frame that fits along the bottom of the door to hold the board in a vertical position, allowing for “advanced abdominal use.” The problem is, it doesn’t come with any exercise suggestions, so you’re left to make up your own moves.

The second is a seven-day meal plan. It’s basic and somewhat boring but seems healthy enough. Beware the low calorie count, though—1,200 calories isn’t something you want to stick with for the long haul unless you’re a pretty small person to begin with. Most folks need a little bit more for a long-term diet, especially if they’re working out as well as cutting calories.

The bottom line: The board is a fine way to build muscle, but not a good choice if you’re looking for guidance during your workout. I also wonder about the durability of the plastic handles. Add to that the somewhat steep price tag, and I think I’ll just stick with my dumbbells.

Product: Boom Board Body Shaping System

Category: Gear

Pros: The make-your-own resistance cable provides a good strength workout at a range of intensities, and the board is easier to store than a bunch of dumbbells.

Cons: The DVD is hard to follow—the instructor transitions too quickly from move to move and pays little attention to form. Also, it’s expensive, and there are no exercise instructions to go along with the door module.

Cost: $160 for the Boom Board Deluxe Exercise Package (including board, bag, mat, gloves, door module, instructions, seven-day meal plan, and DVD) at BoomBoard.com

Extra tip: If you decide to attempt the DVD, you’ll definitely want to become familiar with the moves ahead of time (using the book) and keep an eye on your own form.

Previous posts by Su Reid-St. John:

 

(Life.com)

On Nov. 1, some 40,000 runners will sweat their way through the New York City Marathon, which winds through the city’s five boroughs. The field will include elite runners from around the world, celebrities, and plenty of weekend warriors.

To inspire racers—and spectators—in preparation for this year’s race, we’ve assembled some of the most memorable photos from marathons past. View the slideshow.

Istockphoto

Attention, all runners: The right combo of foods will make you faster and stronger. The ideal fuel-up formula is lean protein + complex carbs + fiber + healthy fat.

Try one of these three tasty suggestions for each meal.

Breakfast:

• Top 1 slice whole-wheat toast with 1 poached egg and 1 ounce low-fat Swiss cheese.
• Sprinkle 1/2 ounce almonds, 1/4 cup raisins, and 1/2 cup sliced strawberries on 1 cup cooked oatmeal.
• Spread 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter on a whole-wheat tortilla; top with 1 sliced banana and 1 tablespoon honey.

Lunch:

• Top a bowl of fresh spinach with 4 ounces chunk light tuna in water, drained; 1 ounce feta cheese; and 1/2 ounce sliced almonds.
• Enjoy 1 cup minestrone soup with a slice of whole-grain bread and 2 tablespoons hummus.
• Make a sandwich with 3 ounces grilled chicken, 1/4 cup mashed avocado, and veggies on 2 slices whole-wheat bread; add a side of baby carrots.

Dinner:

• Top 2 ounces whole-wheat pasta with a splash of olive oil, 1 cup steamed broccoli, and 3 ounces grilled chicken.
• Have 1 serving thin-crust veggie pizza (we like Kashi Roasted Vegetable) with a spinach salad.
• Serve 3 ounces baked chicken and 1 cup steamed veggies (such as a mix of carrots, peppers, and cauliflower) over 1 cup brown rice.

 
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Team Nikki! From left:
Shannon Wallace, 34; Deckon; Shannon Miller, 32; Leanne Sype, 29

“When my girlfriends—all runners—heard I wanted to do a 12K, they were shocked. The farthest I had ever run was from the house to the car in the rain!” says Nikki Deckon, 34, of Wilsonville, Oregon.

“But after two babies, my stomach looked like a second butt. They helped me train and did the race with me. Without them, I never would’ve made it. We still run together, too.”

 
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Frank Heckers

Shape up below the belt with these moves from Molly Fox, creator of the popular Skinny Jeans Workout class, taught at Equinox Fitness Clubs across the country. Her six-week plan will erase up to 2 inches from your hips, butt, thighs, and belly. No more too-tight jeans! View the slideshow.