Serene Lewis meets Carl Lewis, Track & Field Olympian

I like my job now - I get to write, problem solve and play in the social media sandbox. But I never meet world-famous athletes. Ages ago, I did PR. It was sometimes stressful but my coworkers were awesome and, because one of my clients was Nike, I learned about great gear and got to meet a few gold medal-winning Olympians.

Sadly, I don't have a photo from when I met Michael Johnson (the world's fastest man at the time wasn't very chatty), but I did manage to capture when I met two other heroes. As I continue to go through Olympics withdrawal, a short walk down memory lane:

Mark, Dave, Me, Carl Lewis!, Courtne, Matt

Me (back row), women's soccer players from '99 team including Brandi Chastain (front row)

What Music is Good for Running: Songs from Olympic Commercials

I love the Olympics. Even the commercials get me hyped. Here are two of the best songs from this year's commercials:

IE9 commercials - Alex Clare's "Too Close." Throbbing break up song that is soulful, big and makes you wanna roll.
Unkown advertiser - Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive." Alternative, strong, a little disenfranchised but with power. Makes me grind the gears up to the next level.

One more song, for the ladies. Adele's "Rumour Has It" is angry, upbeat, rich and, similar to "Single Ladies" for some people a few years ago, empowering.

Enjoy your workouts and couch surfing this Olympics!

What to Wear Rowing: Gear for Rowing Machine

Activity: Rowing on the stationary rower
Temp: Gym temp - 70ish and moderate humidity
Time: 30 minutes

What I Wore: Lululemon, top and bottom. Loose tank with built in sports bra and low scooping for ventilation (and cuteness). Capri tights. Puma Faas 300 running shoes.

Did It Work: Yes. Here's the thing, on the rower, running shorts are super annoying. Because of how short women's running shorts are, you basically are putting your bare cheeks/upper thighs on a seat that hundreds have sweat on before you. So, long shorts or capris are key. 
Also, rowing is a lot of shoulder and arm movement, so a sleeveless top or tank is ideal - free, cool and, at 30 minutes, no chafing.
Together, this outfit is comfortable. When I'm out of tanks and have to wear sleeves, I wear my favorite Under Armour shorts, which are a little longer. The skin exposure that you get with shorts balances the coverage of a sleeve - rowing is hot work when done right and naked is best for cooling.

Note: The Lulu tights are a little "cottony" for me. They show sweat and attract cat hair. If I was buying the capris again, I wouldn't get black.

What to Wear Running: San Francisco Summer

Temp: 60 degrees (yes, that's summer in SF)
Wind: Mild
Humidity/Precip.: Moderate (~70%)/None
Terrain: Flat

What I Wore Running: Nike Dri-Fit t-shirt, Under Armour heavy-weight shorts, hat.

Did It Work: Yes. 60 is right on the edge of t-shirt weather for me. Today's run was slow and short, so it would have been easy to never warm up. The deciding factor was the sun - on a sunny day, it's easier to warm up and having exposed skin that allows sweat to evaporate is good.

Good luck to everyone running the SF Half and Full Marathon tomorrow!

What to Wear Biking...to/from Work

I bike to work at least once a week because it: doesn't pollute, doesn't give me road rage, gives me a workout, is fun, is way more scenic than highway.

Whatever your reason, here's a random assortment of possibly helpful tips for biking to and/or from the office.

1. Map your ride - riding to work isn't just about getting to the office. Turn the everyday into something better by taking a different route. Take a side street or cut through a park or both!
2. Plan your gear - depending on how long your ride and how much your sweat, you may have some flexibility with gear. I take my bike on the train in the morning, so I only have a 1-mile ride, allowing me to arrive in my work clothes. Going home, I bike the entire distance, so I wear cycling gear. This saves time on arrival (no changing) and fewer people have to see me in bike shorts. If you have a long ride or sweat at the mere thought of cycling, wear gear and change in the handicap stall (more room so you won't drop a pant leg into the toilet while getting dressed). Important: no matter what your plan, figure it out the night before and pack accordingly. There's nothing worse than planning on changing at work and realizing you forgot shoes.
3. Do a practice ride - especially important if you're planning on riding in your work clothes. Do you have any idea how sweaty you get when riding in pants and a button down shirt? Can you even peddle in your skinny jeans? Is there a hill that seems like a gentle slope in the car but is actually a mile climb?
4. Be safe - in the summer, more daylight makes us feel more visible but being seen is always an issue when cycling. There is no shame in being a human torch if it saves your life. Bright yellow vests and jackets are best in summer daylight but at night, get lit! And don't just think about what's ahead, remember the car approaching from behind. Reflective gear is good when traffic is going under 25mph. Bright, flashing lights are needed for anything faster.
5. Remember your bike lock - you never know when you might want to stop and smell the flowers. Be prepared to pause with a lock. Also, some offices don't let bikes in. If that's your situation, politely raise a ruckus - if FedEx trolleys are allowed in, so should bikes - and lock up outside until your ruckus gets results.  

It probably would also be smart to learn how to change a flat and carry a flat-tire kit. I don't so do as I say and not as I do. Or don't. Most importantly, enjoy the ride!

Addicted to Running

Here's how I know I'm a running addict:

1. I had to "quit cold turkey" because I was getting injured too much and too often.
2. Not running, if I don't find a stop gap, makes me itchy antsy crazy!
3. Even though I quit running in December,  I am using a specific part of my life about which I'm not pleased as an excuse that I "deserve" one run a week until it gets resolved. Let's just say, it's been going on long enough, I'm back up to two miles.
4. I haven't told my mom or best friend that I'm running again because they'll give me a hard time. Shh, it's a secret!
5. When I used to run a lot, I would down play how much I ran, "Oh, I'm really more of a social runner."

My only glimmer of sanity is that, when I'm injured, I usually take a break.

Are you a running addict? How do you know?

What to Wear for Yoga...on the Golden Gate Bridge

If you happen to be planning on doing some yoga on the Golden Gate Bridge, this post is tailor made for you! If you just like to see awesome feats of strength and flexibility, you'll enjoy it also.


The event: My friend Shauna is doing Under Armour's "What's Beautiful" competition. One of her challenges led to her doing yoga on San Francisco's most famous landmark. I volunteered to  document the event with photos.

What she wore: the temperature changes fast out there, so Shauna came prepared with some LMFAO-style UA tights (bright blue with a zebra waistband - hot!), a fitted tank and a long-sleeve top that had a hood and thumb holes.

Temperature: starting off, it was about 75F, sunny and breezy. By the end, the fog was rolling in and it was closer to 60-65F.

Shauna stayed warm, wowed the crowds and put her gear through its paces with a series of asanas in four locations. Here are some of the highlights:

Dancer goes perfectly with the drama of the bridge and sky.

Classic down dog. Love the blue and bridge red.

I saw the fencing and it sparked this idea. Not yoga. More like urban escape.

Mountain meets GGBridge

Tripod head stand with split legs.

Reverse warrior. Notice grounded feet.

Where to Buy Cheap Workout Clothes

I love workout gear that looks good and is functional. I also love a deal, so here's a tip for everyone who has small shoulders and a short torso: go to the kids department. Not only is it cheaper, it also sometimes is the best selection.

This past weekend, thanks to my friend Farrell Evans, a golf writer for ESPN, I was able to attend the US Open. My optimism got the best of me though and I was under dressed. The merchandise tent had been picked clean except for a few very expensive golf sweaters, so I headed to the kids department and got these two awesome items. I wore the sweatshirt that day and got lots of compliments - one in the form of a free ice cream bar. See captions for details.

Boys long sleeve T. Size: Large (age 8-10). Cost less than $30. Not sure who these 8-10 year olds are, but their biceps must be huge! Only downside: sleeves are about an inch shorter than I like.

Girls long sleeve, button up hoodie. Size: XL (age 11-12). Cost less than $40. Fits perfectly, which means I have the upper body of a modern prepubescent girl. Sad.

By the way, the Open was great. I went alone but everyone around me was very nice and I made temporary new friends. Based on talking to people who walked the course and those who sat, I recommend finding an interesting spot and staying there. I picked the bleachers at the 17th green because of the slope and the bunkers & sand pits all around it. This lets you compare skills with the course being the control factor.

Let me know if you have any other cheap gear tips!

What to Wear Running: Socks

I collect running socks and won't throw them away until they beg for mercy/get a hole. Most of them are made by Nike and are designated Left foot and Right. A few are SmartWool and are pretty good. One pair is made by Asics and they are the best of all.

The worst socks in my collection are these:

It may be hard to read but I've written on this photo "Dimple = blister spot." What I'm pointing out is this: if a sock's toebox stitching is so tight, it creates a dimple that can be seen from the outside, then that stitching is probably going to be coarse and rub against your toes. This is the case with these Brooks socks that I bought at the Nashville Country Music Marathon Expo. I love the color and cut, but that dimple, which you can see how extreme it is by looking at the inside-out sock on the bottom, is horrid.

Unless you like blisters and random callouses. Then, they are perfect.

Back to the Brooks. Happy trails!

What to Wear Running...Purse and pumps?

Since giving up running, which I used to do outside, I've been at the gym a lot lately. While there, I've seen some silly workout clothes. Here's my new favorite, as see on a 55+ year-old Asian woman:

• Dyed black hair, piled on her head in a well-fixed beehive
• Black slacks and jacket (think Hilary Clinton when she was campaigning) with a shirt of some kind underneath
• Black pumps (aka dress shoes with a low heel)
• Tiny purse. Yes, really, she had an itty bitty handbag hung over one arm

She minced around the gym, going from machine to machine, lifting weights. At each station, she'd gently set her purse on the floor, place her heels in the stirrups and pump some iron. It would have been even more awesome if she was freakishly strong, but she was definitely keeping the pin in the top two rungs. Still, for a woman dressed for an evening on the Love Boat, she was on it.

If you would wear anything to workout, what would you wear?