Cait’s Articles at , Page 22

About Cait

Freelance writer, artist, & graphic designer. Founder of Ezzere Running Shirts http://ezzere.com/ #runner #writer #blogger #artist #designer Run. Laugh. Be.

A One Dimensional Runner?

Posted on February 23, 2013 by Cait — 14 Comments ↓

I’m not shy in saying I’m more than a little obsessed with running.
runner cartoon
Call me a running nerd, a track geek, miles addicted, endorphin fanatic, four hundred meter track minded…I really don’t care.

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More Runner’s Strip Comics and Cartoons.
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When it comes right down to it, yes, I know I’m a running nerd and I’m more than okay with it.

1) Who will join me in making this a miles inclusive weekend?

2) How has your running side made you feel better just TODAY?
Won’t lie, my car is broken, I may have just had my identity stolen, and my car broke before I could get to Chipotle. BUT, I had a really good run this morning so I can’t say the day was a total wash. A saner person would probably be a little more upset than this runnerchick. [PS- Runners are more mentally tough in LIFE too. 🙂 ]

3) How have you been playing with speed and paces lately? Last hard workout, last striders before a race, etc.

The Greatest Test of a Runner’s Mental Toughness is an Injury

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Cait — 31 Comments ↓

For an injured runner, the HARDEST part of recovery is all mental. Okay, yes, there will be the cross-training, the physical therapy, any necessary strengthening exercises, stretches, icing, massage, etc…that stuff is never easy but the TORTURE is all mental.

Strip the miles from a runner and they feel naked. Half of themselves. A shell. The mentality a runner takes and holds throughout their recovery will either make them stronger or cripple them.

Running is wrought with highs and lows, injuries are unavoidable, as are the lows. Retaining sanity entails keeping the right perspective during the lows and the crappy injuries…because an injury never comes at a ‘good’ time.

Faking Rainbows

I just wrote an article for Competitor.com: “The Mental Side of Recovery”. Do read it but what I’ve said time and time again is that a positive outlook allows an injured runner to 1) be proactive in their recovery 2) gather the strength to keep moving forward 3) makes them even tougher when they do get back to running.
rainbow run
* Staying Productive: Hey, cross-training does suck; but it’s the medicine we suck down. It feels overwhelming imagining yourself ellipticalling away for months, so DON’T. Think of making it through this single workout and that’s it. Deal with this moment before you tackle the next.

* Money in the Bank: Doing that cross-training makes a world of difference when you get back to regular training. You can bust out some dang hard workouts on a cross-trainer; remember EFFORT is what counts.

* Appreciation: These injuries should give you a renewed appreciation for healthy running. When you eventually DO get back to regular training, when you catch yourself feeling ‘greedy’ take a moment to remember that your running is NEVER a given. Also remember on the days you’re thinking about wimping out on those 400’s, remember the hours spent on the elliptical where you thought, “Gosh, I can’t WAIT for the day I can tear it up on the track!” Then…follow through on that.

* The Key to Staying Positive: Faking it. Laughing. Laughing at yourself. Making light of the current suckiness of the situation. Do it. Because it does suck, but turn the suckiness into an ironic, sarcastic, snarky joke rather than let it build into a depressive black hole that sucks you in.

* Runner Mentality: It’s always easy to keep working hard when things are going right. Injuries and the tough stuff is what tests us; an injury is one of the greatest MENTAL tests of a runner.

Will you let it break you? Don’t, because it’s an opportunity to PROVE how much of a runner you are, you’ll get back to your miles. You will again feel like ‘yourself’…even better, instead of a shell you’ll be all that much stronger than the pervious you.
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There are more tips in the Competitor article.

Need to laugh at suckiness? Here are some opportunities.

It’s not all just laughs and giggles, but finding motivation from others helps too. HERE are some motivational posts to revisit.
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1) What’s the worst and longest injury you’ve ever had?

2) How did going through that injury make you stronger?
Appreciation for running…hands down.

3) What are you grateful for about your last run?

Runner Time: The difference a single day makes

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Cait — 12 Comments ↓

Yesterday I ran the hardest, fastest I ever have before.
…today I crawled my way through four miles that PER mile were 3 minutes slower than yesterday’s and they felt 300 times harder.

Be a runner down to the bones.

Only yesterday I was still recovering from stress fractures.
…today I RAN the sweetest 6 minutes of my life.

At this time yesterday I was horribly lost, should have been done with my long run three miles ago and not sure if I was going to be able to make it home.
…today I’ve ran my longest run to date; it’s the one I’m most proud of because I DIDN’T ever stop running until I was home.

Twenty-four hours ago I jogged 20 minutes, did 6 strides, and stretched like a fiend.
..Right now I’m standing at the starting line, poised and ready, nervous because I don’t KNOW what lies ahead but I sure hope it’s a PR. Oh, and a win would be nice too. 😉

It’s incredible how much a day makes in ‘runner time’. The bitter-sweet rewards of a hard workout are the tomorrows where you’re walking like a geriatric. Tear the muscles down to rebuild them stronger…
…the tomorrow’s after the tomorrow’s after the tomorrow’s are then the fully sweet rewards of that work.

Time will always march forward. Hold this truth close to your runner heart in times of injury. Cling to it in the moments after horrible races. Stay steadfast to the runner course…tomorrow will ALWAYS come. Sure, it may be sore or slow, but it could also be fast and euphoric. Either way, there will be another tomorrow for you to try again.

Yesterday I was a runner. Today I still am. Tomorrow I will be too.

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The site’s had an overhaul, so peruse the pages and check out some spruced up material. I’m excited to have more AWESOME looking models rocking my running shirts…I’ve got some more so eventually I can fully take down my uglys mug. 😉
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1) Do your own yesterday vs. today comparison.

2) Do you tend to get more sore after a hard workout the day after, or two days after? It can be common that it’s actually 48 hours later you really feel the brunt of it.

3) What are YOU looking forward to tomorrow?

Runner’s Strip: Priceless

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Cait — 15 Comments ↓

Because EVERY runner knows a PR is priceless.

I’d like to see some unicorn deliver on that.

Today’s post is short and to the point. Word on the street is there’s been a flurry of PR’s going around, are you about ready to go and snag one for yourself? Get running!
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More CARTOONAGE!

Missed my post on how to get your runner SPEED on?

Want some RACE TIPS?
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1) If a unicorn could deliver you one running related item, what would it be?

2) If you had a ton of gold what would you buy?

3) Next time you’re aiming for a PR? OR if you’ve just snagged a PR (ahem Kate and Mo) brag on yourself 🙂

Improve Your Running By Asking Yourself THIS Question

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Cait — 30 Comments ↓

Before you step out for your next run ask yourself this, “What am I trying to accomplish?” Every run should have a PURPOSE.

Defining the PURPOSE of every run is important for a lot of reasons:

* Motivation: The first obstacle with running is just DOING it. Set a goal, a purpose, REASON why you’re going out there. Whether it be to just have fun and enjoy the fun, to make sure you get some recovery miles in, build your base, hit the track, or toe the line for a race. It’s a lot harder to blow something off that is DEFINED rather than ambiguous. (ie: I guess, maybe, I could, like, go out and run, maybe?)
* Improved Workouts: If you’ve got a hard workout for the day, figure out the GOAL of that workout. Is it to improve your speed? Endurance? Hill strength? Know what the aim is, once defined as concrete it’s easier remember why it’s important to put in the WORK. Mentally, when it starts to hurt it’s a lot easier to keep pushing knowing that you are working towards a definite goal.
* Over-training: Setting a purpose for each run not only makes sure that you give it your best for hard workouts but it also has the same effect on those of us who tend to overdo it. Stop and think, “WHY am I going out for this run? Is it in the best interest of my long term plan, will these miles DO something for my running? Or, am I just running to run and these miles will just make me too tired for tomorrow’s workout?” See, the knife cuts both ways.

We keep running EVEN through those crummy runs.

* Perspective: Having the purpose set for each run makes our training look like a bunch of blocks, you’re building the runner you want to be. Some blocks are tiny and can’t hold that much weight (bad runs) but others are STRONG and make up for it (good runs). Thinking of it that way can help after those bad runs…it’s just ONE block…move onto the next.
* Fix a Weakness: I’m gonna send another shout-out to fixing your form and becoming a more efficient runner. Perhaps the last 1/2 mile of your next easy run should have the purpose of: “I will think of standing TALL every step of the last mile of my run.”
* Racing Long Term: Your training is not defined by a single run and your best race is NOT defined by a single run (day). No, what defines how well those races wind up is your cumulative training. Running is all about CONSISTENCY, all those runs leading up to your best race had a purpose, just like puzzle pieces that eventually make a kicak@$$ picture.

If you want your running to improve, set a PURPOSE for the run. Always know what you’re running towards because it helps get you out the door and GET IT DONE! 😉
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By the way this little trick works for de-stressing too. If you’re getting too wound up, putting too much pressure on yourself, and stressed about your runs think about it like this, “What am I trying to accomplish in this run?” Answers: “I want to leave my watch at home and run to enjoy it” , “I want to go explore a ton of new trails” , “I want to get OVER my phobia of the track, run for effort and not stress about splits.” See, it works. 😉
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1) Define a PURPOSE for your next run.

2) What was the purpose of your last run, if it was a hard workout, what kind?

3) Give me an example of a purpose for the run right after a really sucky run.
I’m not going to let the memories/thoughts of that sucky run effect my next run.

Runners: Get Faster Because Speed Goggles DO Exist

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Cait — 28 Comments ↓

‘Normal people’ have their beer goggles, runners have their speed googles. 😉

Long has the debate gone on over whether or not times have any sort of effect on the ‘hotness’ factor of a runner. Regardless of if a faster PR scores you more points with the runnerdudes or runnerchicks respectfully, there is no arguing over the fact that a new PR will ALWAYS up the confidence factor! Few things are more rewarding than beating the ‘old you’…all that hard work pays off.

Let us have a toast to a speedier you!

HERE are some workouts to hone your speed.

HERE is how to overcome track phobia…yes, it does exist.

HERE is why you should improve your speed…even if you’re not necessarily racing.

HERE is how hills can make you faster.

HERE are mental games to get through those tough interval workouts.

HERE are my own little prattlings on my love/hate relationship with quarter repeats.

HERE is a post on 3 important things to remember if you’re racing to win.

So regardless of trying to impress the ladies or the men, regardless of whether a new PR will rank you higher in the hotness factor…the REAL reward comes with that rush right after you cross the line, look at the watch, and feel the overwhelming urge to shout, “I OWNED that race!” 😉 [editors note: you don’t have to shout that, but if you’re fast enough you can pretty much get away with doing anything you want…so give it a whirl…lol.]
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Catch more of my Runner’s Strip Comic HERE!
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1) Do you think speed goggles exist? Do faster times make runners more hot?

2) What is your favorite speed workout?

3) What is your least favorite speed workout? Why? Is it because it’s your weakness and therefor need to work on it more? 😉

Stop Pressure From Sabotaging Your Running: RELAX

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Cait — 23 Comments ↓

Let’s talk about runners, pressure, stress, and how to be faster by just relaxing. I recently wrote an article for Competitor.com: “Run Relaxed to Your Next Personal Best”.

Keep the circle running on the track, not the ruminating doubts.

The thing is, it’s often times that runners WANT to run faster so badly that they end up shooting themselves in the foot. The stress of TRYING so hard is the very thing that winds up slowing them down. A runner then gets even more frustrated, TRIES harder, and usually gets slower. It’s a vicious cycle but typically one that every runner at some point gets stuck in.

Getting unstuck is a lot harder, because telling someone to ‘try less’ isn’t quite right; more correctly you need to ‘strain less’. But learning how to ‘try’ without the ‘strain’ is a complicated matter…it all comes back to that runner brain and the mindset you’re running with.

RELAX.

What a runner in angst WANTING to run faster has to do is, basically, stop wanting it so freaking hard. Crazy, right? Let me explain the chain of events:

1) Runner is worried about a tough workout. They take those nerves into overdrive and cross the line into ruminating about paces, splits, etc.
2) Rumination turns into STRESS. They’re so wound up about the workout or race, they doubt if they’re capable, they worry they’ll fail.
3) Nerves, turn to stress, and then to PRESSURE. They load themselves up with so much pressure, it’s kind of like they are putting a weight-vest on themselves.

Being so worried and stressed is the kiss of death. It’s hard to describe WHERE the line is between enough nerves to propel your performances forward and then too much so that it kills your performances, so we often look for external cues.

Think of cake if that makes you relax!

Get Relaxed

1) Run Relaxed: This applies to form and physically ensuring that you’re not harboring extra tension. The article describes those four major points and how to relieve that tension. Often time, shaking out your tight shoulders or jaw acts as a ‘reset’ button and can get you back on track.

2) Mentally Relax: Usually it’s a build-up of stress that leads to over-thinking and stressing over every workout or run. If you get to that point think of ways to get back to having fun with your running, suggestions HERE.

3) Stay in Check: Before you get to the point of freaking out before each workout catch yourself early. Practice running where your mind is on keeping good form, staying smooth and strong, repeating mantras [I am strong], and staying confident in yourself as a runner. This line of thinking sets you up to ‘try’ the right amount because you’re not consciously telling yourself to TRY.

It sounds so backwards, but next time you start berating yourself over a missed split STOP. Take a deep breathe, try a ‘reset’ technique, and don’t try so flipping hard. RELAX and RUN.

1) When was a time when you were trying so hard you got in your own way?

2) How did you get yourself back on track and ‘try’ the right amount?

3) How do you catch yourself if you notice you’re starting to over-think things and put too much stress and pressure into running?

Quick!! Outrun the Panis

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Cait — 16 Comments ↓

Just in case any runners are suffering some a lack of motivation…

Who else will join me in the fight to bring the Panis to extinction?

I dare say, every mile clocked is just THAT much closer.

Get out, go get ‘er done, my runner peeps! 🙂

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Want more Cartoons??

My post on Input vs. Output.

Tips for combatting motivation lulls…hey, they happen to everyone!

Runnerdudes, some more motivation HERE for you. 😉

Some thoughts on childhood obesity.

Runner nutrition tips and such.
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1) To rid the world of Panises (Pani?!?) more people should…

2) Runners rock and it’s hardly because we are panis-devoid. Name your favorite physical perk of being a runner. Then, name a mental perk.
Legs. Without runner endorphins I would turn into something even Godzilla and King Kong wouldn’t want to mess with.

3) Give a shout out to some Tuesday motivation! (ie: quote, tip, mantra, etc.)

The Running Super Bowl and Some Lost Manhood

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Cait — 18 Comments ↓

As a runner I will officially say, “Forget the Super Bowl, all the action went down today!” There, I said it, and I’ll stand firm too…bring on the football, body-painted masses! 😉

Track nerds will already know that there is a new USA High School Record for the girls’ 2-mile…wait for it…9:38.68 Insane? Yes. Mary Cain just busted that record…all ye men and boys hold your manhood tight, because it’s quite possible a high school (junior) girl could kick your butt.

That was hardly the only action; the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix was promising a big showing in the men’s 3k and mile, and there was USA Cross-Country Championships too. Awesome coverage for you is to be found over at Paul Merca’s Blog for XC and FloTrack’s got tons of Boston related news.

Though, because it’s just too hard to resist, the question remains. Which men are left standing? Do your PR’s best Miss Mary’s Cain’s? Now THAT’S some serious chicking. 😉
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I like cartoons…HERE are more!

HERE are some tips to make sure your own races don’t suck.
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1) Who raced this weekend?

2) Who was a total track and XC nerd and gobbled up the coverage?

3) Do the math…how far could you run 9:38 2-mile pace for?
I don’t like math. 😛

4) Share one of your own tips on racing.

The Apathetic Runner: Are you stuck running in the ‘meh’ zone too long?

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Cait — 30 Comments ↓

Runner apathy? I read an article about apathy as it applied to ‘normal’ life and as per usual there is a running parallel. It’s reportedly becoming more common that people are stuck in a sort of happiness limbo; they aren’t necessarily depressed but not happy either.

Now, I’m the first person to say, “Suck it up. Seriously, people are inventing diseases and disorders at this point!” So don’t get me wrong, the fact that this article was trying to tell me that apathy should be some new kind of quasi-psychiatric problem just above depression at first made me roll my eyes.

BUT I do think getting into a rut, as a runner, can happen and it’s important to dig yourself out to not only feel better running-wise but so you don’t lose the initial passion that drew you to the sport.

The problem with constantly feeling ‘meh’ is:

1) It sucks.
2) It’s boring.
3) It’s a small step to resenting the run.
4) A short jaunt to quitting…or at least runner slackdom.

Runner apathy is also a tricky one because runners have become conditioned to tune out a lot of signals from their body/brain. We have to in order to dull out the ~~pain~~ discomfort of hard workouts and races. So it’s quite easy for a runner to dig themselves into a little pit of ‘meh’ and not really realize it.

How about ‘Carpe The F’ing Run’? 😉

What’s the Deal With a Runner Apathetic

I’ll be straight, there will always be days when you’re not feeling the run. Here is where some tough love comes in and I’ve written plenty on tips for motivation. But start stringing together weeks of needing to talk yourself up and that shouldn’t be the case.

Every time you need to talk/hype yourself up to go run it takes a degree of mental energy, even more mental energy to hype yourself up to do a hard workout, more for a race. A runner only has SO much of that mental energy, think of it like a full glass of water. You take a sip every hype-up session, but keep doing that too much and you wind up dry.

* Health: The first thing is to rule out any physical reasons why you’re feeling more tired, lethargic, or ‘off’. You’d be surprised how easily it is to start dreading your runs if you’re anemic and every step feels like an insurmountable amount of effort.

* Missed Break: Through the course of a racing season, or gearing towards your big goal race, all those hard workouts and ‘smaller’ races take it out a person mentally and physically. Even if it doesn’t ‘feel like’ you need a break or some time away, if you are competitively training for multiple months you’ll need some down time. Even professional runners take breaks, just as much to recharge physically as mentally…you can revisit my article on that HERE. If not, you can go into the next season feeling ‘meh’.

* Season Lull: If you’ve taken your break but still have a long pre-season build-up those early season runs and workouts can lead runners to feeling a little apathetic. I mean there isn’t the taste of a race coming up, so amping yourself up for a hard interval season may not be the easiest thing to do.

* Too Heady: I’ll blanket this to cover getting too wrapped up in the pace of EVERY single run. Stressing yourself out to the point where every workout you’re so focused on the splits that you start to dread it. Comparing yourself so much to what so-and-so is running, comparing to your ‘pre-injury’ self or workouts you used to do. All of this mental energy is SOO life-sucking.

Yo, so you’re apathetic?

Figure out what you’re deal is and then get to fixing it. Easier said than done sometimes, but certainly possible:

* Health stuff, go see a doctor and figure out what your next step is.
* Take your breaks, People. I’m the first offender for wanting to talk my way out of a break, but if you’re competing you NEED breaks between seasons. Even if you’re not necessarily on a racing team, breaks can help keep you excited about running. [By break I mean a 1-2 weeks off/low, two or three times a year…not like run a week, take a break…haha.]
* Long season? Start looking for low-key races to jump into just to keep the ‘taste’ of competition fresh. Some people NEED a specific race/event to motivate them, that’s okay, just find that motivation. Even if it’s a team time-trial.
* All runners have their head issues, so ditch the watch, take a Garmin hiatus if you have to, burn your old training logs so you stop comparing, run like a kid, whatever you need to. Remember it’s NOT worth letting a head trip ruin your love of running.

** Goals: Get refreshed and ink out some goals. Write them down and feel like you are working towards something, that each run DOES count.

Do I necessarily think there is an epidemic of apathetic runners on the loose? No…but I think we can all get stuck in a rut from time to time and feeling ‘meh’ isn’t so much fun.

So if this is you, go find your SPARK, because running is too much fun to feel only ‘meh’ or apathetic about.

1) Ever been in a running rut? How did you get your spark back?

2) How many ‘meh’ or apathetic runs in a row have to happen for you to start getting worried?

3) What do you do after your racing season? What does your break look like? How often do you take breaks?