Tag Archives: running

Top Five Friday: Top 5 Great Things About Running

Posted on June 22, 2012 | 3 Comments

5. Nice people

Very seldom do you hear about the jerks of the sport. More often, it’s a nice crowd at the expo and on the trails. The fast finishers encourage the back-of-the-pack, the back-of-the-pack applaud the fast finishers. It’s like a running circle of life. And when you meet Jeff Galloway at the Grandma’s Marathon Expo, want to buy his book, and he doesn’t take debit cards…he gives you his book anyways, signs it, and trusts you to mail him a check when you get home (first thing I did after unpacking). If that doesn’t sum up the “nice” of the running community, I don’t know what does.

4. Meet new people

Like Elizabeth. We are running the Grand Rapids Marathon together in October after meeting at the Salt Lake City Marathon. And there’s Steena, and Renee, and Angie, and Katie and so many more runners-turned-friends I’ve connected with via Daily Mile, Twitter, and Facebook. All because of our common love (or love/hate) for pounding the pavement.

3. Stay in touch / reconnect with old friends

There are so many examples of old friends I have stayed in touch with, or reconnected with because of running. Without the excuse of an entry form I would never have met up with Marlena in Cincinnati, or planned a trip to Nashville with Angie, Laura and Jessica.. Nicole M., Jeff, Farrah, Nicolette – we’ve all had awesome weekends just because of running.

2. Adventures

For some, this means running a marathon in every state. For others, it’s signing up for that local 5k for the first time. Some run charity races with special meaning, some run in costumed races, and some (my friends) run in beer runs. No matter why you are running, each race is an event.

1. Healthy lifestyle

Running and the running community help me reach my goals. When already self-motivated, we offer words of praise. When someone falls off the wagon, its words of encouragement. I may not always make the best choices (like the pizza I had for breakfast…stop judging) but I promise I’d be much worse off if it weren’t for this sport. We re-enforce and promote a healthy lifestyle among ourselves. And it’s awesome.

What do you love about running?

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Running, Top 5 Friday

Tagged ,

I hid the bathroom scale.

Posted on March 23, 2012 | 11 Comments

Before coffee, eating, showering and getting ready for work I had a part of my routine that could make or break my day:

I’d weigh myself.

Ugg, I know. As if Monday morning could get any worse, I would voluntarily step onto a daily reminder that I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been in my life. Super.

It became a habit after reading some silly article on weight loss. The author suggested weighing yourself daily, so you could stop a small problem before it became a huge problem (like my ass).

But the thing is, I’m a stress eater. And lately I’ve been really busy. Which makes me really stressed. So in the morning I’d weigh myself. And I’d be heavier than the day before. Which would stress me out. So I would eat more. Which would make me feel guilty. Which would cause more stress, and…you get the picture.

So then I started training for my next marathon. And I thought “Hurray! Surely the weight will fall right off! Maybe not the first week, or even the second, but by the third I will for sure be down one pants size.”

Well it’s a few weeks later. And my weight is hovering around the same stubborn number. And I’m still zipping up the same size pants during my morning routine. So I decided to protest.

And I hid the damn scale.

Now I know my weight is my weight and my size is my size and that’s that. I know I’m eating healthier and running more. And I know I didn’t gain weight overnight, and I can’t lose it overnight. But, you guys. I just couldn’t take it anymore. The daily reminder of being heavy, despite sweating in the gym. The awful feeling in the morning after seeing the number, and mentally carrying it with me all day. It may work for some people, but it is not my thing.

And just like that, I eliminated a daily morning stress.

I now have an entirely new way of going about things. My weight loss plan in the months leading up to Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, is just run and eat healthy.

Instead of stressing about a stupid number.

→ 11 Comments

Posted in Running, Weight Loss

Tagged , , ,

Procrastination & Lack of Motivation & Fear, Oh My!

Posted on March 11, 2012 | 5 Comments

Oh! Hey there Procrastination, have you met Lack of Motivation? You two should totally get to know each other better. I have a feeling you would compliment each other quite well. Oh, and while you’re at it, you may as well bring Fear into your circle. As a team, you certainly can do a lot of damage.

These are the three feelings that band together and make getting out my door to run on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon near impossible. If I let one consume me, it leads to the other two. It’s excuse after excuse in my house. It always seems to start with

Procrastination.

Really, I do not need to do every single load of laundry before I go out running. It does not all need to be folded, sorted, and put away so I can head out the door. I also do not need to clean and vacuum before lacing up, either. But I do. And the longer I procrastinate, the further my motivation slips until I have a complete

Lack of Motivation.

You’d think I could hold on to the excited-about-running feelings from day-to-day. But somehow, on the day of my long run, all of that has been deflated. I just don’t care. Marathon training? Meh. Why am I doing this, again? This, in turn, breeds feelings of

Fear.

I just healed from my ankle injury. What if I re-injure it? What if my permanent runner’s knee acts up? What if my I.T. band hurts worse than normal? What if I get 2.5 miles out, and instead of turning around, I collapse and cannot make it back? What then?

So, what pushed me out the door today?

Support.

Twitter, Facebook, texts. Thank you to everyone who I connected with about running today, because that is truly what got me out the door. But as I set out to do a five-mile run, I realized you all can’t be there every single time I don’t want to go for a run. I have to figure out how to get out the door on my own. And while I was running, even though it hurt from time to time, I found at least one thing. Later, I would have complete

Lack of Guilt.

I knew if I had not gone running today I would have spent my evening feeling guilty. Instead, I can relax and enjoy my night. It may not be much. And it may not be the sole factor that gets me out for each and every long run.

But it’s a start.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has gone through this during training. Have you? And how do you get over it? I would love to hear how you get through the same feelings of procrastination, lack of motivation, and fear.

 

→ 5 Comments

Posted in Running

Tagged , , , , , ,

I sure play a lot of mind games….

Posted on February 28, 2012 | 7 Comments

…and with my recent vow to sign back up for eHarmony or Match.com sometime soon, I’ll forgive you if your thoughts went straight to the subject of dating. But I’ve got something else going on in my head. The mind games I’m speaking of are different from your typical “playing hard to get” and silly ”don’t be available on Saturday if he calls you after Wednesday” ploys.

These mind games have to do with running. Specifically, marathon training indoors on the treadmill.

The art of diverting my dome while plodding along on the runner’s version of a hamster wheel is nothing new to me. I’ve spent countless hours plugged in to my iPod, jogging and sweating in place. I’ve done both short and long runs inside a gym as people surrounding me both start and finish their workouts, all while I’m in the same damn spot. And though I always played mental tricks to keep myself on the rotating belt, I never contemplated just how many I played until this past week.

Perhaps I started thinking about it since I’m incredibly out of shape and needed the mind games to get through my runs. Maybe it was due to the toughness my recent cold brought on. Possibly it was when I forced my mind to wander so I would stop glaring at the girl on the treadmill next to me, loudly blabbing into her cell phone.

Regardless, I play games.

For instance, I’ve got songs that I refuse to walk to. I have it in my head that if I refuse to walk while listening to them during training, I’ll refuse to walk while listening to them when I need that extra push at mile 23.

Also, I don’t stay on the same treadmill for runs 8 miles or longer. In order to get fresh scenery (of what? different sweaty people?), I switch every 4 miles. I feel as though I’m tricking my mind into thinking I’m starting a new workout at each treadmill change.

I have tricks for long runs, tricks for short runs. Things I do or think about to keep me on the machine and get through the tough spots. And so far, they’re working. During each marathon, I do run to those “power songs” when things get tough. Also, I mentally break up the marathon into 4 mile sections at which point I stop, take my powergel, and re-start “just another 4 mile run.” There are countless other silly things. But I need those mind games. Training for and running a marathon is as mentally tough as it is physically tough. For me, anyways.

Surely, I can’t be the only one.

So I’m curious. What mental things do you do to get through a tough run? A marathon? A cross-training workout? Do you have a mantra, or a specific song? I’d love to hear it.

And hey, if you also have some great mind games that work for dating, I’m all ears. ;)

→ 7 Comments

Posted in Running

Tagged , , ,

If you run, you are a runner….so the saying goes.

Posted on February 13, 2012 | 6 Comments

Here we go, you guys. February 13th. Day one of marathon training.

After an incredibly long day at work, I’m going to go home, feed my dog, and lace up. On the agenda for today? Three miles.

Those three miles are going to take a while.

Even when I’m in shape, I’m not fast. Once, I hired a personal trainer to assist with marathon training. I wanted to PR during the Flying Pig Marathon. And I did! With a time of 5 hours and 38 minutes. It remains my best marathon time to date.

But with a PR an hour slower than the average according to marathonguide.com, the last few years I have refused to call myself a runner. I felt my sluggish pace didn’t justify the label. I’d say: “I shuffle and walk – I don’t run!”  To hide my lack of speed, I never logged my time on my dailymile profile. I only logged the miles.

But…well, who cares?

Who cares that my pace is slow? Certainly not anyone I know. And if they do, do I care about their judgement? Hell no. I’m running for me. To keep my weight in check, to travel, to challenge myself. Sounds like it’s me who needs to stop judging.

So today I start marathon training. And I may be taking a lot of walk breaks.

But I’m a runner, dammit.

→ 6 Comments

Posted in Marathons, Running

Tagged , ,

Let the Marathon Training Begin! …in like 12 days or whatever.

Posted on February 1, 2012 | 7 Comments

You guys. I have become a lazy, unmotivated, apathetic marathoner.

And I’m pretty sure I have been this way for a while now.

I would say “life got in the way,” but let’s be honest here.  Excuses got in the way. My couch got in the way. Television got in the way. Drinking wine with friends got in the way.

I let a busy work schedule, running injuries, social activities, and embarrassment over my pace deflate my zeal for marathoning.

I admit it was pretty easy to let that all happen. Because the big secret? I actually kind of hate running. I’m slow. It’s hard to make time for it. It hurts. It really just kind of sucks.

Until it doesn’t.

There’s a certain shift in training when, out of nowhere, I’m addicted. I look forward to getting home from work so I can go out for a run. It’s the best part of my day. Sometimes, I even wake up early to run before work. Once hooked, I don’t care about my pace, or how busy I am. I’m happy to work it into my schedule, and proudly bear the penguin label.

It’s been awhile since I had that level of motivation. 

And I want it back.

On June 16th, 2012 I will be running Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, MN. My 13th marathon in my 13th state. Coincidentally, my training begins on Monday, February 13th.

I start with three miles. I’m sure I will hate it. I’m sure it will hurt. I’m sure I will be slow. I’m sure it will suck.

But I’m also certain that if I stick with it, somewhere in the 18 weeks to follow, things will shift.

→ 7 Comments

Posted in Marathons, Running

Tagged , , , ,

Race Recap: Indianapolis, IN. Marathon #12, State #12.

Posted on October 31, 2011 | 2 Comments

12 marathons in 12 states. For an asthmatic, ex-smoker who always has some sort of failing diet in place, it’s weird typing that out.

Pre sign-up for the 2006 Chicago marathon, I was trying to quit smoking. I had gained weight. I had also gone through the final breakup with the guy I moved up to Madison for after years of on-and-off-dating. Shortly after, at the gym on a lonely treadmill, I tried to run. I made it only a half mile before I turned purple and had to jump up and off the moving belt, with a death grip on the handles.

I was so embarrassed. I had just turned 25 and couldn’t make it through even a 5 minute run! A couple of days later, a friend asked me to sign up and run the 2006 Chicago Marathon with her. So I did. And I trained. Each and every workout. And I read everything I could about marathons. And I finished what I will always think of as the greatest marathon in the world. Several weeks later I found myself running the 2006 Las Vegas Marathon with another friend. Smart? Maybe not. But I finished both within a minute of each other. However it was 25 miles into the Las Vegas Marathon, in pain and cursing a broken iPod, when I decided this trip needed to count for something. With 1.2 miles left to go on my 2nd marathon, I decided I was going to complete a marathon in each and every state.

There have been many times when I have second guessed this goal. To start, it’s expensive. Then there are the physical and mental aspects of it. Many times I get burned out from the training. Sometimes, I absolutely love running. Other times I hate it. There are times when I’m injured. Other times I feel amazing. It’s a welcome distraction, an endorphin high. It’s a burden, a time-consuming activity. Running becomes a best friend and a worst enemy all at once. But, I love to travel. I want to visit every state. I want to complete a marathon in every state. Somehow, this has become my “thing.”

It’s no secret I wasn’t well trained for marathon #12 in Indiana (which is not something I recommend). I was coming off of an injury and dealing with both frustration and plain old laziness. I ran, but not each and every workout. Before I knew it, I found myself driving towards Indianapolis. My friend Jeff and I arrived and waited for Farrah and her husband, as well as my friend Nicole M. from Chicago. We accomplished some touristy sight-seeing around the capital building before heading off to the expo and then to dinner. A stream of last-minute race outfit changes, night-before rituals, and day one in Indianapolis was quickly over.

Five a.m. alarms, pre-race nerves, perfect weather, a few pictures, and an emotionally charged starting line filled the beginning day two. About .75 miles in and all I could think is “this is so cool!” We were running a marathon! In Indiana! My 12th State! How did I get here?!

On course, around mile 6

During the entire run, my ankle gave me zero problems. The weather, although windy, was brisk. My knees and shins were great – the physical therapy had paid off! And it was pretty in Indiana. So, so pretty. The state park we were running through, the changing colors on the leaves, the cool residential areas. For the first 10 miles or so I felt the best I have ever felt for a marathon After the first half was done, nothing bad happened – I just slowed down, which I expected. I saw Jeff and Farrah on course several times which was motivating. I played LMFAO more times than I’d like to admit. And after Nicole M. was done with her half marathon she arrived on course to run a few miles alongside me, which was a huge pick-me-up.

Running solo again at mile 21 and I started to hit the wall. Mile 23 and it was a full-on wall. There’s not a lot you can do here but grin and bear it and run/walk/shuffle on. So that’s just what I did, through a very lonely forest. But I made it. And my friends were cheering for me at the end as I slowly made my way through the finish line.

Six hours and 17 minutes after starting, I was done.

Of course, we celebrated. Dinner, wine, and downtown Indy that evening. A quick stop by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway race track the next day, complete with pictures in race cars. Because I love traveling. I love my friends. I’m in love with marathons. And I can’t wait until State #13: Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, MN.

Cheers!

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Marathons, Running, Traveling

Tagged , , ,