Articles in February, 2012, Page 3

The Tri-Plate Sample of Running and the First Give-away

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Cait — 33 Comments ↓

Today’s post is going to be like the sampler plate: we’ll give you a little of this and a little of that. First course will be some muffins…chocolate chip. Traditionally we’d start with a soup or salad, but I’m not a big fan of soup and having already had my veggies today let’s dive straight into doughy, beautiful carbs.

Art credit: Cait Chock

I brought the topic of just how many numbers advanced gadgets/watches can give us, do runners really need up last week in talking about the FuelBand. If you head over to Competitor, I’ve got an article up, ‘Information Overload: Are Runners too Tech-Dependant,’ that talks about the stream of technology a little more and encompasses Garmins, heart rate monitors and the like. So my questions to you guys are, how many gadgets do you train with? How many numbers do you keep track of, be it paces, mileage to the hundredth, heart rates, etc.? (how many porta-potty stops! hehe) Then, how many do you think you actually need and how do you find the right balance of knowing enough to keep you headed in the right direction (give you the nudge to pick it up or slow it down when you need to) and then just getting too wrapped up in numbers overload.

The second course will be a protein, I like shrimp the most and I like the word gumbo, so shrimp gumbo it is! This is brought to you by the wonderful world that is indoor track and some smoking elites that are set to toe the line this weekend in Boston for the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. I have to say I’ve got a little soft spot for Matt Centrowitz…I mean the guy was still in college and went on earn the Bronze in the 2011 World Champs, coming out as the top American for the 1500 meters. Beastly…just saying.

For those who don’t know he’s got a bit of a running legacy behind him and there’s a really great article HERE about him and his entire family…we’re talking multiple speedy runners. As for Matt this will be his first official race as a professional runner for Nike.

The rest of the races have a collection of American and World Record setters…too many to rattle off, so if you’re a track nerd or nerdette this weekend will be entertaining.

We’ve now moved onto a dessert for YOU guys! We opened with a sweet so we’ll end with warm, fat, gooey cinnamon rolls. We’re runners so we work hard and should eat just as hard. This is actually the first kind of giveaway that I’ve ever done on the site. I like to keep this a more informative kind of blog and don’t want to be in the position where I feel like I’m throwing overt advertisements or name/company drops…that said if I find something or have tips that I think are relevant or would benefit the readers I am going to share that.

The bottom line is that I’m always going to be completely honest in anything I say or share. Finally, unless I say otherwise I’m not being paid by anyone or sponsored…but if I am given some products to try or sample I’ll tell you. Plus, everyone does likes some schwag, right, so why not offer you guys some goodies??

On to that…well, I was given a couple BIC Bandsfrom the company to test out and see if they were able to hold my moppy mess in check in my full sweaty glory. I HATE messing with my hair when I’m working out or on a run. I always have these darn fly-aways getting in my face and it bugs me to the degree that I do envy GI Jane and her bald glory sometimes.

Ugly mess post-workout yes, but no fly-aways in my face.

I was afraid that it might be too tight, giving me a headache, or too loose and flopping around until I got so annoyed I ripped it off. But, it didn’t…I was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t bug me at all and it kept my hair in check. I’m a fan.

Plus, for a girl who has no style genes what-so-ever it’s an easy way to try and pretend to the otherwise just a bit. I know it’s a charade, but they have sparkly ones, patterned, styles, and fun colors so maybe I can fool somebody.

They’ve got different widths, I like the super skinny ones the best for working out, but the wider ones have cool styles and would be something I’d don just going out…I mean workout clothes are totally normal things to walk around in all the time too, right?

I was also given some BIC Bands to give away to some lucky readers! The good news is there are about a whopping 5 of you, so the odds are stacked in your favor. 😉 To enter leave a separate comment for any of the following:

1) Tell me how many gadgets you typically use for a run.
2) Be a fan of Cait Chock Designs on Facebook and let me know.
3) Follow me on Twitter or follow my blog and tell me.
4) Visit the BIC Bands site and tell me which one is your favorite.
5) Tweet, Facebook or talk about the give away on your blog.

There ya go, my fine friends…contest will end on Monday! I hope the tri-combo plate leave you satisfied for tonight!

What I’ve Learned From Working in a Running Shoe Store

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Cait — 20 Comments ↓

My very first job when I was in high school was working for my local Fleet Feet Sports, a running specialty store. Here’s some things I picked up (along with loving the discount!):

* Not all shoes are created equal. People buy into hype; if you’re a 300 pound man looking to get into running, you in a Free shoe has disaster written all over it. So many times I’d have people come in and demand a certain shoe, feel convinced it is what they need because of a craze or commercial. I’d do my best to advise otherwise, sometimes they’d listen but not always and in the end you just have to let them do what they will. I’d be hard-pressed to believe those shoes lasted much longer than a day or two or he didn’t come down with shin splints so painful he was crying like a baby.

* Products are meant to sell but the right ones do so for good reason. Like above, companies pay tons of money to market their goods…advertising is an art and a game. This isn’t always to say that their merchandise doesn’t back up the slick claims and aren’t top quality, just that as a buyer you’ve got to be smart. Do some research, know your stuff, and if you don’t then don’t be afraid to ask. If you go to a running specialty shop, the good ones will have their employees go through training so they will KNOW what things/shoes/accessories/etc. work and which ones are just hype. Just ask it.

* Know your boundaries. When people came in to get fit for a shoe, I’d ask to see the person walk so I could see what kind of foot type they had. From there I’d be able to offer them the best shoes to keep them injury free. I can’t say I love feet, runner feet tend to be gnarly, but with socks on I’ve got no problem. Even sans socks I don’t mind watching people walk. But when a man came in, took a seat, and proceeded to take off his shoes…as he was getting to taking off his socks he asks, “Do you have anything here for really bad foot fungus?” I drew the line. Keep your socks on thank you very much, the anti-fungal treatments are on the shelf over there.

* Loyal customers get the schwag. Local running speciality stores are in competition with the bigger chains that may have cheaper prices on certain things. What you don’t get from Big 5 is the knowledge about running in particular; so if you’re going in regularly and are nice to us employees we remember that. This means if we get some freebies from retailers or know it’s okay to slide a little 10% off discount your way, we’ll keep you in mind. I’ll call it the ‘I like your face’ discount.

* Got injuries…we’ve probably been there to. Runners tend to work in running shoe stores and we are PEOPLE, not just employee droids. If you’ve got a problem, question, or anything else feel free to engage us in a little communiqué. We can offer up some tips, suggestions, advice, or if nothing else commiserate. Especially if you’re knew to the sport, feel free to pick the mind of your shoe fitter.

* Give us feedback.Okay, we don’t necessarily want to know that your last run was wrought with excruciating GI distress…but telling us that you did love the shoes we fit you in really does feel nice…just saying. The same goes if you didn’t think that shoe was too stellar, talk to us and we can work with you to find another one that works. In the place I worked there was a 30 day guarantee, if you really didn’t like a shoe, come back in and we’ll refit you and make a swap. Sometimes picking the perfect shoe takes a little bit of work…trial and error. As for which gels or bars taste good, let us know…a particular piece of apparel chafes really bad…let us know. Then we can order the things that people want.

Fleet the Foot!

I really did have a lot of fun working in the running shoe store…that said I also feel that at some point in their lives EVERYONE should have to work a customer service type job just for the sake of a reality check. Think of it as a reminder that in the end everyone is a person and should be treated as such…at the end of the day we all lace up those trainers and bust a sweat like you.

1) Where do you get your running shoes, clothes, and supplies?

2) Do you have a relationship with a particular store where you get your running goods?

3) Have you ever worked in customer service type jobs and what have you learned?

4) Do you find feet a little bit disgusting?
I have a foot thing…I just don’t like touching them. Don’t worry, I include my own nasty running feet with the judgment. 😉

Rules of the Run: Being a Good Running Buddy and Team Dynamics

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Cait — 14 Comments ↓

Make the most of your training partners, don’t piss them off. Yesterday I talked about the friendships that can formbetween running partners and teammates; if you’re spending enough time training together you certainly hope you get along with each other!

Nope...not everyone's going to love everyone else...even if you're a happy dancer. (Art Credit: Cait Chock)

But let’s be frank, in reality not everyone is going to like everyone else…it’s the truth. Even the nicest person in the world may not be best friends with everyone. Sometimes it’s not that you guys don’t exactly dislike each other but just don’t have personalities that mesh well. It’s okay, so long as things don’t get ugly and impact your training in a negative way. Extra drama on the track is not a good thing.

How to lose friends really fast on the track:

* Constantly one-stepping your partner in every single run. In a group there will always be dynamics involved and the faster guys will typically be in the front. That’s okay, but what I’m talking about is if there is just one person who always has to be just a bit ahead of everyone else. Fix it: Sometimes this isn’t intentional and the runner doesn’t mean to slight their partners, so speaking up or saying something is the first thing to do. You can do it jokingly, “Hey there speedy, you keep one-stepping me.” If that doesn’t work, maybe just don’t run with them for awhile until they get the message. If you’re on a team here it’s a little trickier…so tread carefully.

* Racing in workouts. Having partners for tough workouts are usually preferable: they help share the pacing duties, tow you along when you’re feeling tired, push you just a little bit harder, and the company is nice. But, what can really kill a team is if every workout is a full-on race…we know the difference and it’s when egos start to get involved. Fix it: As hard as it is, if your teammate is racing, just let them go, try to be the bigger person. If you (and if you’re on a team, if all of you guys) get sucked in, in the end you’ll only be hurting yourselves and your long term performances.

(Art Credit: Chock/Leung Art)

* Complaining…all…the…time. Yes, we all have days where we’re sore, tired, and may not be all too jazzed to be busting out 400 repeats, it happens. But constantly complaining or being negative is toxic because it drags everyone else down and in a sport that is so mental it effects the workouts. Going into each run dreading it is not going to win you point in the motivational factor and you’ll be more likely to not put in your best effort. Fix it: Cut the baggage. Haha…if you can, steer clear of the negative talker or at least distance yourself from them. If you can’t get away, just don’t feed into it…instead say something in a positive tone like, “Okay guys, let’s go now…time to warm-up…let’s get it done!”

* The rebel without a cause. Sometimes there is that person that just decides they are going to do whatever they are going to do regardless of the ‘planned workout’ or what you want to do. If you’re on a team this would be the person looking to miss runs, slack off, or argue with the coach about the workout. Usually this person thinks they know best and find it their duty to tell you why and hopefully get you to do the same. Fix it: Avoid this person…they really don’t know what they’re doing…just let them do their own thing and ignore them.

* The chick factor. I’m going to use this term to refer to catty ‘Mean Girls’ type of behavior; and hey, guys can be offenders too! 😉 We know not everyone will get along but some groups get really ugly and you all know what I mean. Sadly in cases like this it usually comes down to getting a third party involved or ousting a particular negative person out of the group…coaches hate dealing with this. Fix it: Can’t we all just get along? No, okay…let’s get a new group.

Now, this isn’t to say that an offender shouldn’t be allowed to amend their ways and regain your ‘good side.’ It’s a matter of what the offense is, the situation, and how genuinely sorry they are. From experience, once a one-stepper not always a one-stepper, so do cut runners some slack. 😉

Groups we love!

Finding the ideal, blissful running group or partner can be tough. Being brutally honest I’ve tended to gravitate towards guys because there is usually less drama…BUT get the right kind of runnerchicks together and you can have magic because I’ve also been really lucky in finding some really awesome runnerchicks…so like I said it’s all just about finding the right, drama-free fit.

1) What do you look for in a training partner, group, or team?

2) What some things or traits that really grind on you when it comes to running partners or group dynamics?

3) Ever been guilty of not so cool behavior and changed your ways?