We Run AMS

Since being in Amsterdam I joined the Nike running club and that's where it all began! I have been completely converted to Nike. I just love everything about it: the people, the atmosphere, the motivation, the stores, the clothes, the shoes, the gifts, the workouts, the surprises, the events...just everything. 

So every Wednesday I take part in the 'We Run AMS' running club. At the moment I am running with the intermediate group of 6.8km but the club is for people of all levels so you can also choose to do the beginner group at 3.8km or the advanced group at 10.5km. The advanced group kinda scares me...they're like animals...arriving back after their run literally sprinting past you causing a stir in the street and looking very intimidating with their clothes ripped off and sweat dripping off them. But on the other hand, get this for motivation...so on your first day, you receive a free 'We Run AMS' Nike Dri-fit T-shirt along with a stamp card on which you accumulate stamps for every time you go running and at every 5th stamp you receive a small gift from Nike. Ok, the gifts aren't anything to write home about but it is quite often that prior to going running I have thought of not going but then also thought about the consequences that if I don't go then I also won't get my stamp and thus no gift so the motivation works for me and the best thing is it's all free. I now have 13 stamps...I already have a reflector band and running socks..I wonder what's next..?

 

The same thing goes for the Nike Training Club which I take part in every Monday. This is however more of a challenge as there are limited tickets for the event and they are gone within minutes so me and the lovely group of girls I have met through this club take it in turns to guard the website for when the tickets get posted online as this is not at the same time every week. You also have to work a lot harder to earn those stamps but the reward is much greater because after 12 stamps you receive a Nike Sports Bra! The workout is tough and takes part in a church which feels slightly strange but atleast the pumping music that keeps us going sounds well. Last week we had a new trainer from Sweden and wow did she have energy. This tiny little petit woman who even after the first session continues with our session as smiley and energetic and non-sweaty as if it was the first session! Puts us to shame as she also does all the excercises yet the sweat is running off us. We were treated with a frozen yoghurt afterwards though so the smiles were all put back on our faces!

The other great thing about these sessions is that they offer you shoes to try during the workouts: Nike really do promotion well! It makes you want to own everything and they very cleverly put the start of the run club in the Nike shop on the main shopping street so you just get lured into it all. I for one have a shopping list and I am completely in love with the colours that are out at the moment and then suddenly for something that is otherwise a free ride, becomes a very expensive ride...it's true what they say...nothing is free in life ;)