Valerie is a 30-year-old multimedia artist and director who spends most of her free time outdoors, trail running, strength training, and exploring new things and challenges in life. ⁣
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But it hasn't always been like this. Valerie has completely changed in the last two years and turned her life around by 60 kilograms. As a child, she didn't like exercise, she always found an excuse not to exercise and could stay on the bench. During a long work visit to Vienna, surrounded by numerous beautiful parks and beautiful surrounding nature in which she observed many runners who, through movement, relax their tired bodies after a long day at the office, she realized that she couldn't go on like this anymore and felt the need for an urgent change. She set herself the goal of running 5 kilometers in 8 weeks. At least that's how she imagined the initial steps when she searched the Internet for ideas for initial ventures into the world of running. A goal that she only realized after 8 months! But she didn't stop and stubbornly continued. In order to be successful, she had to change her lifestyle, find out what nutritional values ​​and functions food has in supplying energy to the body, and get to know clothes that she hadn't used before. ⁣
Due to her experience, she now devotes her time to studying the human body, focusing in particular on the process of regeneration and preventive protection of internal organs and muscles during sports activities. Through the xWorkshop project, which is also supported by the Center for Creativity, she is developing an interesting project Hominid: Psychophysical Entity, in which she integrates numerous research methods and practices in the field of mind-body connection, and is preparing a new product that will be especially helpful to people who are just starting out on the path to a more active lifestyle. She draws inspiration for her research from her daily experiences in the field, and she often uses Sport HG clothing, in which she particularly appreciates the choice of materials and their technical side, which focuses on compression and muscle support, which ensure less strain and consequently faster regeneration for the many new ventures that the young researcher and visual artist undertakes. ⁣
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What does your average day look like?
I usually start my day with my classic routine, which I have established over the past few months and which ensures that I wake up every morning with joy. I get up at 5:15, turn on some music, brush my teeth, prepare an isotonic drink, a light breakfast and make coffee. I listen to the music in peace, indulge in a good coffee and a morning snack, and then at 6:00 I usually go for a morning run. Most of the time I run from Bežigrad through the center to Tivoli and over Rožnik and Šišenski hrib to Šiška, and then back home, exactly 10 kilometers. I am home a little before eight, followed by a quick shower and then a jump into the old city center of Ljubljana, where I have a studio in which I usually work. There I am happy to prepare myself a new dose of coffee and a more substantial breakfast, and immediately various meetings and a varied and eventful workday. Now my work has been divided again among different locations, because as a self-employed person in culture I work on very diverse and varied projects in the field of directing, intermedia art, video and also pedagogical work. That is why I appreciate the classic morning routine all the more, which is usually always the same, which gives me a nice counterbalance to my chaotic workday and thus creates balance and harmony. Afternoons and evenings are intended for socializing, relaxation, a good book, a film, series, and now again also coffee and socializing live with the people I love.⁣
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How do you organize your day?
In addition to the classic morning routine, good organization is very important to me, so I have three levels of organization: the first level is weekly and monthly organization, which I devote the most attention and preparation to, followed by a three-month planning period and three-year plans and agreements. This way, I can be calm about my career, financial income, and generally well-organized private and business life. Unfortunately, the status of self-employed in culture does not offer the comfort that a classic permanent employment provides, so if anything were to happen, I do not have the appropriate safeguards (such as sick leave, paid vacation, etc.), and of course, paychecks, credit, and other costs come day after day, regardless of the circumstances. That is why in my profession, organization itself is one of the most important factors of work and I am happy that I have really learned a lot in this area in recent years and that I see a bright future ahead, despite the difficulties and limitations that this "corona period" has brought. Of course, it does not go without numerous changes, adjustments, sacrifices, and reorganizations.⁣
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What were you like as a child, what were you interested in, what did you like to do?⁣
I was (and still am!) an extremely curious and inquisitive child. I was constantly talking, asking questions, I was very open to strangers, in society I always took the initiative and encouraged others to "do something". I never put myself down and always took on the role of mediation or somehow tried to settle disputes and find solutions. I do the same now, because I believe in the power of positive thoughts, and I am also aware that my childish curiosity, sincere enthusiasm for new and unknown things, is the spark that still inspires me today and encourages me to take on new projects again and again, even if they seem impossible at first. I like to overcome my fear, which of course I have, just like everyone else. Sometimes this fear surprises me, because in certain situations I don't realize that I'm afraid of something until I find myself in an unfamiliar situation, but I bravely try to overcome this fear and step out of my comfort zone, because I know that the feeling of victory over my own fear is something extraordinary and always opens new doors and new possibilities for progress.⁣
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Where does the motivation/energy for such a lifestyle come from?⁣
I could say that I am mainly driven by my desire for creativity and the fact that I would like to leave my mark on this world. Even in high school (I attended the High School of Design and Photography in Ljubljana), I was daily accompanied by a quote by Jože Plečnik on the school facade, which says: "You are transient, only your works are your memory" and this is exactly what has deeply impressed me, as I am increasingly aware of the transience of the body. I began to notice that my generation was also slowly starting to age, many of whom were starting to develop their first serious health problems, and I see that everything is very much connected to the lifestyle that we all have, which is very sedentary and inactive, and we ourselves are also largely responsible for the poor choices we make in the areas of nutrition, personal care, the time we dedicate to ourselves and the intense stress from the pressures of society and the business paths we embark on. All of this further motivates and encourages me to be much more active and attentive to how I take care of my body, how I take care of my good physical condition, while also paying equally important attention to good emotional stability and the awareness that our insides are just as important as our outsides. It is about the intertwining of both worlds, which must be in balance, so that we are in complete harmony with ourselves and with the world we live in. This is of course difficult, but it is important to try, persevere and not lose will: believe me, it is very worthwhile to work on yourself in this direction, because the fruits are exceptional! I have a great rest and am satisfied with my life. ⁣
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What do you miss from your previous life?
What I miss the most is the time in high school, when we could party until the wee hours of the morning, and the next day I felt like I was reborn, even though I only slept for two hours and had a few too many beers. I can't even imagine it now! I gave up alcohol completely almost three years ago, and I don't even try it anymore, so I think that after one beer today I would need at least three days of recovery. And that feeling of carefreeness, when I wasn't burdened with how I was going to pay my bills and that I also needed to save something. At that time, the worst thing seemed to me to be who was going to dance with me at the next party, but now there are many more of these worries - but if I have learned anything in all these years, it is that I find time for myself, to say "no" without worry to things that don't make me happy or that I simply don't have time for, and to devote myself exclusively to what I see added value in and the fact that something perfects me: both on a mental, emotional, and physical level. I don't miss much from my "previous" life, because now I just added a more active lifestyle, which opened the way for me to many interesting adventures, I met a lot of kind-hearted people who look at life very positively and in this way constantly fill my energy and inspiration. ⁣
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How do you train for running, endurance?
I run almost every day, but I always divide the days by difficulty, so that every other day I have a shorter and slower run, which regenerates me. On the weekend, I usually treat myself to a longer run, to which I add an interesting hill, so that the terrain is varied and in this way all my muscles are exercised, and in addition, on the weekend I always like to run in company, and through running I also meet new interesting people, with whom we connect very well and stay in touch. It is really interesting how through physical activity in nature you can get to know a person and through all the effort you reach a common goal, and along the way we exchange many wise thoughts, anecdotes, entertaining content and diversify our running hours. During the week, in addition to running, I add strength exercises twice a week, where I strengthen my joints, connective tissue, practice coordination, balance and thus also take preventive care to prevent injuries from running itself. I take an hour or two just for myself every day, but other tasks are not affected because I simply started getting up earlier and my alarm clock consequently goes off at an earlier time.⁣
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What does good clothing mean to you?⁣
If I've learned anything in recent months, it's that the material the clothing is made of is very important: it's really important that it breathes and wicks moisture well, because this difference is really noticeable during longer sports activities. I don't buy cotton at all anymore, because I sweat quickly, and then the clothes take a really long time to dry. In addition to good material that wicks moisture and breathes, it's also important to me that it has as few exposed seams as possible, so that there is no rubbing against the skin, because I've been rubbed quite a few times by different clothes. Especially for my legs, it's very important to me that the clothes also offer sufficient compression, because I still have quite a bit of excess skin from losing weight, which I will have to have surgically removed later, but until then, I have to temporarily provide compression so that my muscles don't bounce too much while running, which unfortunately my skin doesn't hold well enough. Through practice, I also realized that compression clothing generally suits me, so lately I also like to wear a T-shirt that squeezes me slightly, as well as some "sleeves" and "socks" and compression socks. I noticed that my muscles are less tired after running if I wear compression clothing, and I also like that the material does not rub against the skin, but actually becomes a "second skin" and the feeling of movement is even more natural.⁣
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What changes once you put on sportswear - does your motivation for something more increase? ⁣
Every time I literally squeeze into leggings, they hug me pleasantly and I say "action"! For me, sportswear is like a kind of uniform, a spacesuit that makes me feel like I'm going on a "new mission", towards new adventures, so that my heart jumps happily every time I change and am immediately ready to start. You will soon be able to see such a process at the ŠKUC gallery, because on June 17th I am opening a solo exhibition there, through which you will be able to enter my "world of missions", where the path will take you through my experience of changing my body and at the same time associate it with astronauts who are discovering space and looking back at the earth from a different perspective with fresh eyes for the first time. ⁣
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How did you perceive sportswear in the past and how do you perceive it today?⁣
I used to not pay much attention to this, even though I thought sportswear was ugly and too colorful. I only liked black and dark clothes, but then I realized that there are not only fluorescent clothes and football jerseys, but that sportswear can also be elegant and pleasantly colorful, not overly dramatic and flashy, although I must admit that lately I allow myself more color and interesting patterns, because my character is also a little happier when life is more active. Now I am also well aware of the importance of materials, tailoring, good technological preparation of the clothes themselves, and I am not only interested in how they look, but also what possibilities an individual garment offers. I like it when designers pay attention to functionality in addition to the appearance of the clothes, so I appreciate every hidden pocket, zipper, extra string, mesh or something that makes it easier to use and adds some content.⁣
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What does your sports dressing system look like? ⁣
I usually always wear some compression pants, such as leggings, which are a little tighter than usual. I like a high waist because it hugs my stomach and internal organs well, so they are as stable as possible while running. I also always wear knee-high socks, because they give my legs extra compression, which suits me very much, especially on long runs. My underwear is as seamless as possible, so there is as little chafing as possible. I also like my shirts to be tight, but with slightly longer sleeves, at least to the elbows, so that they also compress my upper arms. Lately, I have been running more and more often with a peaked cap, because in the rain it helps keep the rain from getting into my eyes, and when the sun is shining, it protects my head. When I run alone, I have special headphones that rest on my head and don't go into my ears, so I can hear my surroundings well, and at the same time I enjoy listening to a good podcast or audiobook.⁣
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Where do you see the advantages of SportHG clothing?⁣
What I like the most is the material the clothes are made of, as it is light, elastic, but at the same time durable. I really appreciate the fact that the material does not absorb odor and I can go running in the same pants several times before washing them, and they also dry extremely quickly. Recently, for example, I was on a long run over some hills, where we sweated a lot, but at the finish line I just put my pants in the sun for a few minutes and they were dry and fresh, as if they had just come out of the washing machine and dryer. This was great for me, because I didn't have a spare pair of pants with me, and since evening was approaching and it was getting colder, I was afraid that I might catch a cold in wet pants, but luckily that wasn't the case.⁣
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What from the SportHG collection would you recommend to girls who want to start playing sports? ⁣
Maybe a pair of super leggings to start with, I think they're a pretty nice color combination, and most importantly, they're made of a nice material and offer slight compression. Your muscles will be grateful for them!⁣
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Your future plans/plans?⁣
I hope I don't get injured by the fall, because I'd like to take part in my first major organized runs, which we're all eagerly awaiting. Last year, most of the runs were cancelled, so this year I'm looking forward to a varied autumn of running, where all the postponed runs will take place, as well as a few new ones. I'm also looking forward to my first participation in UTVV Vipava, I think I'll take part in the 50 kilometer route, but maybe I'll work up the courage for something longer. The long-term goal is to run 100 miles, and in addition to running feats, I really want to skydive, sail, jump over obstacles on horseback, ski touring, and discover many other (unknown to me) sports and enjoyable challenges that will continue to push me out of my comfort zone and provide me with an endless amount of inspiration, which I will definitely transform into interesting artistic projects that will be connected to my career, while at the same time I hope they will inspire others, so that we can all work together to maintain good psychophysical fitness and good relationships for a better and healthier society.⁣

Valerie is now an ambassador for high-quality clothing from SportHG. She also has her own clothing collection that she uses. You can view it here and choose your new favorite piece.

Also read her confession about how she lost 60 kilograms and completely changed her life: "Carbon babe" [How I lost 60kg and changed my life]