Cait’s Articles at , Page 37

About Cait

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

Runners Using the Rowing Machine? How cross-training can be used to give your running a BOOST by ‘sneaking’ in high intensity work

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Cait — 15 Comments ↓

When I was a senior in high school, this young runner met the bane of her existence. She even put up her own money and paid to be tortured by this beastly contraption. The rowing machine.

Paradise found perhaps?? 😉

Little did she know what exactly she was getting herself involved with, but when her coach told her that, “Back when I was in college something that REALLY made a marked improvement in my running was the rowing machine. I know it sounds crazy, but the other guys and I would go into the gym, get on the rowers, competitiveness would take over and we’d kill each other on those things. But I’ll tell you what, I never ran faster.”

Never ran faster? I was sold. And the rowing machine was bought.

If you’ve never tried the rowing machine, let me tell you that you are 1) surely making some wrong assumptions and 2) surely missing out on a good time. *sarcastic font* The assumptions you are mistakingly making are…

* Rowing is an upper-body only workout. False. Actually, the rowing machine ranks as one of the top cardio machines at engaging nearly ALL of your muscle groups: the quads for push-off, the core the entire time, and the arms on the stroke. Fun fact, as for caloric burn per minute, out of the gym machines it comes in third, only behind the treadmills and ellipticals…it’s sort of tied with the stair-climber.

* Runners have no business rowing. I’m going to say this is a fallacy in my forthcoming explanation.

I implemented my rowing in addition to my regular running training. It was viewed as additional cross-training to be done as a second workout of the day on one of my easy days. The routine was pretty simple…5000 meters of rowing HARD. When I say hard, I probably took it a bit overboard because every time I did it, I’d try and go for a PR at the distance. From the first stroke I’d go full on mad runnerchick on that rower’s butt, out of curiosity I took my pulse after one of my sessions and it was at least 200. But that was the old-school method of just counting your pulse from your neck off the clock, before everyone used an App, heart rate monitor and all those gadgets, so who knows…hehe.

Note, you don't have to be KILLING yourself on these hard sessions...advance with sanity people.

Not going to lie though, I had extra incentive to get faster times, see my mom would also row and never fail she’d whoop on my times. Blast those weaker arms of mine. 😉 The point I’m trying to make is that for three extra workouts of the week I was getting high intensity cardiovascular training that was non-impact and in addition to my regular running workouts.

I did go on and run PR’s in my running events as well; so maybe there is something to be said for runners doing the whole rowing thing. My coach told me it was helping, do I continued my love/hate relationship with that rower. No joke I’d sometimes get about as ‘nervous’ anticipating my row session later in the day as I would my hard running workouts. 😉

When I graduated high school, I had the privilege to talk about this whole rowing business with some of the top minds in our sport. I hold Alberto Salazar as one of the genius coaches in all things running so pretty much his word was/is the bottom line in my mind. He explained that, yes, the rowing probably did attribute to my drop in running times. But was it the actual rowing machine that worked as the ‘magic machine’? Probably not.

The magic wasn’t so much in the rower, but rather, the three extra high intensity cardio sessions per week in addition to my regular running training. They were non-impact so there wasn’t the added risk for injury, they were sort of like ‘sneaking’ in more hard workouts without interfering or tiring me out as much as another hard running workout would do.

Alberto Salazar acknowledged that could be done on other machines, and with of course more resources than my high school self had access to, cross-training on the underwater treadmills or anti-gravity treadmills would be preferable. They don’t have nearly as much impact as regular running and they are obviously more attuned for running training purposes.

For us current day mere mortal runners who don’t have these machines, high intensity ‘extra’ work can be done on the bike, the elliptical, and yes, the rower. Though, once I heard that the rower wasn’t the end-all machine but a good option I sold that baby and never looked back. Sorry, I’ll take the elliptical over the butt-burn of the rower ANY day! 😉

Quick Tips on ‘Sneaking’ Hard Sessions
* Aim High: High heart rate that is, which can be done in the ‘tempo’ style that I did where you just go hard for time/distance or do intervals, though keep them short like 1 minute on and off.
* Keep it Shorter. 5000 meters on the rower, I’m not sure exactly what my best time worked out to be, but I’d say you could shoot for 20-25 minutes. If this is a second workout you don’t need to be hitting 30 minutes of hard stuff.
* Be Smart. Don’t add in a ton of extra work at once and build up to even doing ‘more’ at all; if you’ve been training for at least a few years consistently then start with one session a week and see how you feel before adding more. The goal is to improve your strength and endurance WITHOUT sacrificing your running. Your running workouts are FIRST priority, if they start to suffer cut out the extra stuff.

1) Have you ever tried the rowing machine? If so, what are your thoughts?

2) Do you do any cross-training in addition to your running routine? Do you use those sessions as easy, recovery type work or do any of those days include high intensity work?

3) Of all the cross-training or non-running related activities, which ranks supreme on your ‘dread list’ or the ones you can’t stand doing the most?

A Tail of Three Piggies in Training: Piglets on a mission to run fast for the upcoming season

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Cait — 11 Comments ↓

A Tail of Three Piggies…the Running Redux.
We’ve all grown accustomed to that classic childhood fable of the three little piggies and the wolf; this time it gets revamped with a running twist. You see, in actuality those three little piggies had been trying to get into this whole running scene…

It was summer and prime opportunity to get a jump start on the upcoming season; this summer would be their base building phase.

Piggie number one had schooled up on some Lydiard theories, he dedicated himself to miles, miles, miles, the more the better. Obviously he didn’t pay all that much attention to the pace of them, slow and steady gets the job done, right? Every Sunday he laced up for his long run and planned to reach at least a marathon distance come the end of summer

Piggie number two had always been blessed with speed, but truth be told he wasn’t all that much of a hard-worker. Of all the piggies he had the most talent and decided that as long as he stayed sharp he’d kick his two brothers’ butts by the end of the racing season. He ran three days a week and short; he didn’t bother to warm-up (why waste extra energy?) and hammered 200 meter repeats. Sunday he devoted to carbo-loading for the next week’s workouts.

Piggie number three was lucky and had built a house of bricks near a forest with tons of trails. He found loads of hills and decided that he’d build quads of steel off of them. He liked rolling hills the most and for most days he’d run the same route and try and get faster than the last time. One day a week he’d do hill repeats up the steepest one he could find and for that day he’d try to do one more charge up the hill than the week before.

Now, the wolf you see had been a runner for years and years. When he found out what the piggies were up to he spied on them from the bushes and would chuckle to himself because he too was going to be racing in the upcoming season. Though he was beyond confident he’d kick all of the piggies’ butts come the Championships. He knew that while some of the piggies were doing the right things collectively, individually one piggies was lacking what his brothers were doing.

The wolf knew that each piggie on his own was making mistakes that would give the keen wolf the advantage. So the wolf sat back, let the summer play out and here’s what happened that season:

Piggie number one definitely had that killer base, he could run for miles and even did that marathon. The thing is, the wolf beat him, as did both of his brothers, right off the bat because Piggie One had only one speed: slow.

Piggie number two got passed up next; yes he had motored out from the gun because he had that speed but that lasted about the first mile of the 5k. From there Piggie Two was tapped, he hit the wall hard because he’d built up no endurance…those last two miles were not pretty for this piggie.

Piggie number three, now this is where it got interesting. See, Piggie Three had build himself into pretty fine shape about mid-summer and if the race had been held then he could have probably given that wolf a good race for his money. But somewhere right past mid-summer this piggie noticed he was drained on his runs, he was infuriated that his times were getting slower and slower, not faster. He tried harder but the more he tried he seemed to be running painfully slower. At the race he still bested his other pig brothers because even at this slower pace he was in better shape, BUT the wolf had foreseen that Piggie Three would be burned out come the Championship race. The wolf was right.

So, this fine wolf breezed past all three piggies and onto the finish line, he broke the tape and waited for all three piggies to finish. He had had time to collect his breathe and before cooling-down he stated,

“I give you credit for trying guys, but you need to take a cue from each of your brothers and balance your training approach. From Piggie One you should learn to yes, dedicate one day a week to a long run and work on your overall endurance. Piggie Two you were smart to include a dose of speed-work, build on what I just said and dedicate one day to a fartlek workout or surges…and maybe think of doing some strides after a few of your easy runs which you need to include in that week. Piggie Three I applaud your gusto and dedication but you are actually over-training and never giving yourself a chance to recover. With your long run day and a farlek day during your week, pick one day to do another hard session focused on endurance…think something like a threshold, mile repeats or bust out those hill repeats but go longer. Obviously don’t do any of these in a row and for the days between do an easy run at a pace that is actually easy enough to recover; let your muscles repair and come back stronger. Even allow yourself a day of full rest.”

The wolf smiled after this and licked his lips that were salty with perspiration. For, while the piggies then huddled together constructing their training plans going forward the fast wolf pounced and then gobbled them all up!

1) Were you smart enough to foresee which mistakes each piggie was making and able to predict what would happen in the race?

2) Can you spot any other mistakes the piggies had made, OR have other suggestions for them outside of what the wolf said?

3) Can you spot the mistake the wolf made? I’ll leave the answer at the very bottom…don’t peek!!

4) Is this revamped version of the piggie tale your new favorite?? 😉

Spoiler Answer to Question Three:
The wolf should have waited to gobble up the piggies only AFTER his cool-down…duh. I’m sure that extra load in his gut didn’t sit too well, but at least he definitely hit the 30 minute post-workout refuel window! 😉 Hehe.

Runner Upkeep and Care…

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Cait — 20 Comments ↓

I tell myself that the bag of ice strapped to my leg isn’t cold at all.

Totally NOT toasty, but imagine flames in that ice bath and hopefully you'll feel warmer. 😉

I fool myself into believing that delving my lower body into the entire ice bath will not in fact be the materialization of he** freezing over.

I implore my legs to fall in love with the foam roller and I tell my IT Band that it will so fall in love with rolling up and down this slab of foam that it will want to make sweet baby bands with it. 😉

I’m sort of impressed with my own foot taping skills, not going to lie, I can tape up a foot like a champ…should I print out a little certification letter and have my podiatrist sign it?

I’ve grown tired of explaining to non-running people what half-peeled down dixie cups filled with frozen water are doing in my freezer that I’m tempted to tell them they are mystery flavored popsicles. Spoiler Alert: I’m pretty sure the flavor is a mix of salt and feet.

I fight with the dogs over who actually owns the tennis balls. I’m pretty sure in fact they are the sole possession of my soles to make my plantar fascia happy.

Pull up a step and then don't move. 🙂

I love my chair. I love feeling entitled to plop down in it and not move, bask in the laziness because I know I earned the right to be slothful. I’m tired from my run dangit! 😉

1) What are some of the things you do to help keep your runner body healthy and tuned up?

2) Are you a fan of the ice bath? Do you tend to do that regularly?

3) Anybody us athletic tape for certain injuries; if so, which and where? I know there is also a new line of it, the colored variety that is touted to be extra special, any fans?
I’m thinking about doing a post on how to tape up your foot to relieve various tendon issues and arch pain, would anyone be interested in reading that?

Running Better Without Your Head: Without that mind getting in your way you could be running faster

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Cait — 12 Comments ↓

“Off with her head!” the Red Queen shouted. Which begged me to question, “Would I actually run better sans my head?”

He's running without a head! 😉

Bear with my train of thought for just a moment, outside of losing those 8 pounds of noggin and getting a lower racing weight, I will go out on a limb and say that there are some athletes who would run better without that pesky mind of theirs. Sometimes if you want to run better or get something done you need to just, well, go ‘off with your head.’

In previous posts I’ve covered how important getting your mind in check is when it comes to running, training and racing. I’ve covered visualization to improve your performance by harnessing some of that mental energy as well as means to quell pre-race nerves. Today’s will be different because it’s actually about disconnecting from your mind. Don’t worry I won’t drag out the guillotine.

“I’m here so that you don’t have to do any of the thinking, just focus on the running,” this is something a coach once said and if you’ve found a trustworthy and reliable coach I tend to agree with the statement. Of course it’s important to pick the right coach, but once you do it’s about trust and putting the reins in their hands. That way you can tune-out your brain.

* Don’t question: Some athletes play the ‘why’ game so much that they never are able to put faith in the training and program they are doing. “Why am I doing this workout?”, “Why is he having me do this, so-and-so does this instead?”, “Why can’t I just do 4 repeats and not 5?”, “Why can’t I do 10 repeats instead of 5?” and so on. Your mind can play the ‘why’ game forever and when you do that you can’t establish trust, then confidence in your training and ultimately YOURSELF. When you don’t have confidence in yourself, come race day you should be nervous.

* Don’t negotiate: When you’re in the middle of a workout, or a run for that matter, it’s going to hit a point where it hurts. Your brain will start to negotiate with you, “Maybe this pace is too fast, let’s slow it down”, “Maybe I can’t really do all the repeats, maybe I’ll stop now.” Let’s be honest, your mind will search for any excuse, but if you go in with the mentality that you TRUST your training program, your coach if you have one, then your approach shouldn’t be one with any room for doubts. It’s not a question of IF you will be able to do the workout, it’s a GIVEN that you’re capable of it. Now, you may not actually physically be able to hit the paces sometimes, that happens, but there needs to be a SHIFT in your thought process at the start. Your brain is taken out of the equation…you are supplied the given workout and your legs get to running.

* Just function: As just explained above, to a degree, some of the best athletes just function as droids. They aren’t the ones coming up with the workouts, they don’t have to obsess and worry about what they should be doing; that frees up a LOT of extra mind energy. That energy then is able to be focused and channelled into actually DOING what they set out to achieve. Not all of us are blessed to be in that position, and I know plenty people don’t have coaches at all. Still though, you can adapt the philosophy to your situation. Plan ahead: as in if you have a race planned to run, work backwards and set up your training weeks in advance. Nothing is set in stone, but limit how much adapting you do. If you have a full season of workouts planned, allow yourself to reassess the upcoming week’s training on Sunday night but from there try not to do much adjusting to the plan. Wake up that day, see the workout, and let your body get to work.

It’s impossible to tune-out your mind completely and you wouldn’t want to do that totally of course. Though over-thinking gets in the way of many a talented runner; because ultimately it never gets them to a point where they can establish TRUST in their training, FAITH that they are capable of achieving their goals, or CONFIDENCE in themselves.

So, what do you think, do you think you’d jump on the Red Queen’s proposition?? 😉

1) How do you approach your own training? Do you create your own training, do you just come up with the day’s run on the spot, are you part of a team?

2) If you have a coach, how did you connect with them? Are you able to put full trust and training duties in their hands or do you tend to play the ‘why’ game a lot?

3) What does the idea of dissociating from your mind translate to you? Do you think there is a way you can incorporate the idea into your own training to improve your running?

4) Do you wonder how I thought up this lopping off your head business?
Well, I was watching on drool-worthy Johnny Depp in the latest Alice in Wonderland during my treadmill run. 😉

Runner ‘Tells’ and What Warrants Bragging Rights?

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Cait — 25 Comments ↓

Runners have tells. I’m going to get the obvious ones out of the way straight off the bat because they are like getting points for just putting your name right on the SAT’s:

* They tend to be lean (I’m not using skinny for a reason…lean means you have muscle, baby!)
* They can shock their friends by being able to eat like football players
* They have a ridiculous amount of shoes and athletic clothes crammed into their closets…so much so that the ‘strays’ tend to leak into the rest of the living spaces. Shall we play who can spot the running shoe?

So duh, we’ve got stereotypical body types…of course that’s not to say one HAS to look like an Ethiopian to be a runner. But even so, find me a ‘real’ runner who’s clinically obese and we’ll chat.

But runners have other ‘tells’ in life, traits and habits. Some you can see, some you pick up on after spending some time with the person. Some take a little digging, but let’s face it, our neurosis typically bleed out eventually…

* Watch tan.
* They double lace any shoes out of habit. Umm, what runner doesn’t harbor the fear of an untied shoe coming at the worst possible moment? Heck, any moment at all, it would cause annoyance or even *gasp* warrant interrupting a run to re-tie.
* Uncommonly familiar with the metric system. C’mon, most Americans are too lazy to brush up on the whole meters and kilometers to miles thing.
* Often know back-routes while driving. We’re really just working off of the mental road map of our running routes.

* OCD in some way. Now not ALL of us actually come with an bona-fide diagnosis, but most runners have some kind of quirk…be it with numbers, having something placed a certain way, something. It can take some real Sherlock Holmes sleuthing, but if all else fails ask to see their training log.
* Shockingly ‘out for blood.’ Even the most demure runner, that kind looking and seemingly harmless girl sitting next to you, has a blood-thirsty competitor inside her. This can mean they are insanely competitive even at Chutes and Ladders, girl hates to lose. But even if it’s not board games they get all too hung up on, I’ll guarantee you that if they are laced up for a race, it’s GO time.

Not all runners will outright talk about fitness or exercise in normal conversations, they don’t have to brag on how many miles they whipped out while other people were mowing the lawn…well, not all of them anyways. Not just because some are humble, but the best ones can actually surprise you in how much they are, I think in part to ‘real’ runners there is a gap in perspective.

To one runner a short four-miler is just that, some would even be ’embarrassed’ if they had to call the workout short that day and not speak of it because they were in fact upset it was only four. It’s all relative. Another reason is that runners tend to be highly motivated and goal-driven, they reserve ‘bragging rights’ for things that even that hypercritical inner-self is proud of. A dose of that never-settling, never-happy attitude keeps us going and is a good thing. (Not so much so that you never recognize a job well done though.)

Thus, until you get the blatant, “I’m a runner” admission or they do in fact have that awesome running feat achieved they feel entitled to share, you can still spot a runner. 🙂

1) What are some of your runner tells?

2) Do you fall into any of the above traits? If not, which do you differ and plead your case.

3) Do you tend to talk about your running with non-running people?

4) When do you give yourself permission to ‘brag on yourself’? Or is that not really that hard for you? 😉

You’ve Got a Shadow Chasing You: Have you ever raced your own shadow?

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Cait — 4 Comments ↓

Have you ever mistaken your own shadow as an approaching runner coming up on your heels? Imagined it a competitor who you are sure feels much stronger than you and is poised to blow past you? Maybe steal a win from you? I’ll own up to being fooled by this menacing shadow of mine and even though I felt sort of like an idiot upon crossing the line, in some cases I know it made me run harder and pick it up so I didn’t mind so much this shadow racer. I also had the comfort of knowing that nobody else could tell I was in fact fooled by such a thing…well, that is until I just admitted it. 😉

So I guess we never really are alone out there, there’s you, the run, and your shadow. Even in the darkest of nights that shadow is out there lurking, waiting to make an appearance if you traipse below a street light, happen across a car’s headlight or even if the stars are shining particularly bright in the night sky.

You’ve always got that little shadow chaser on your heels, you can’t escape him, even Peter Pan will tell you that. 🙂 Sure, sometimes you crave the company of an actual BEING, a person or two, maybe a group to help pull you through a tough workout. But it got me thinking that this shadow of ours does offer up some advantages:

* When the sun hits just right and I catch my shadow getting ahead of me, she seems to stretch out ahead of me like a better version of myself. A fleeter, sleeker, smoother runner; she’s not panting with exertion, heck she’s not even busting a sweat, how does she do that? I chase her, maybe even close my eyes and imagine that I too look as elegant as she does.

* But when she starts getting too full of herself, or I’m frustrated because she keeps one-stepping me, I just round a corner and POW, put her back in her place, keep that ego in check. “How do you like it now having to stare at me from the back, shadow?” 😉

* When it’s nearing dark and there are moments when I think I’ve lost my little chaser, maybe the buzz and clutter in my own mind starts to get too loud. I start getting too stressed, wound-up and my form slips…my shoulders start navigating north, I hit a splash of light and there’s shadow. She catches my eye, distracts me long enough for me to take a quick breathe, shake out my arms and refocus.

* Back to thinking that pesky shadow is actually another runner coming up on my heels; she’s the perfect kick in the butt to try and pick it up. Reach for another gear and push for home. Maybe she is my life-saving buoy being chucked my way just when I thought I was lost to No-Man’s Land and the mental distress that brings.

But let’s be honest, a major pitfall of that shadow chaser is that it doesn’t have a voice or an opinion outside of our own.

* I wish my shadow could offer up the encouragement I need when I’m hurting and need to keep going.
* I wish my shadow had the wisdom of a coach, an outside observer who could supply advice and tips on the spot. To answer those questions we have to answer on the spot, “Do I need to adjust the workout?”, “How does my form look?”, “Please shout me the splits because even the effort of looking down at my watch seems too draining.”
* I wish my shadow had a little pace dictator button; I could tell it what I want it to run and it would just do it, clock it off like a metronome. A built in pacer just for me.

And of course I wish my shadow had an on/off talk button, the perfect conversationalist. That way if I feel chatty I could get my fix but then if I just feel like telling Shadow to “Shut up” she wouldn’t take it personally but rather just be quite.

Sometimes you just want to be alone with the run and your silent chaser.

1) Have you ever been fooled into thinking your shadow was actually another runner coming up on your heels?

2) Do you ever look at your shadow and in the sun get a bit envious that the shadow version of yourself may in fact appear like a cooler runner than you feel?

3) If you could give your shadow an ability to do something more (ie: pacer button, talk button, etc.) what would it be?

Running Humor Round-up: Laugh it up and then get your miles on this weekend!

Posted on June 2, 2012 by Cait — 17 Comments ↓

Sometimes us runners just need to laugh. 🙂

Happy Friday my runner peeps, I thought we should usher in the weekend on a light note. May you smile, giggle, and keep running to your happy place over the weekend!
———-
I thought it fitting to put up a few of my more comical pictures because the awesome runners over at Run the Edge seemed to like one of my Runner’s Strip cartoons enough they posted it on their wall. In case you missed that, go see it and also check out all the other awesome things Tim Catalano and Adam Goucher have going on over there! 🙂
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1) What’s something that’s made you smile or laugh recently?

2) Do you have any running related humorous happenings you’d like to share? Did you smirk at someone running in jeans today?? 😉

3) What have you got planned for the weekend?

4) When you go into full hungry-miles-induced-beast mode what is your top pick for filling that stomach black hole?

Summer is Your Chance: Races, Opportunities, Transitions and Plenty of Running Excitement

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

Summer is often a time of transition for runners and non-runners alike. For the harriers of the world with the season also comes a host of opportunities, possibly new beginnings, a few ‘coming out’ parties, and always a chance to be inspired and assess what kinds of goals you’d like to achieve going forward.

Summer IS Track: Regardless of what I’m wearing (though we all know it’s probably running clothes) or doing, when I think summer visions of the track, the taste of salt, and a phantom ache in my legs magically appears. For track fans and track runners I venture to guess I’m not alone, unfortunately the rest of America needs a little track brainwashing as anyone who’s watched some European races (or the lucky guys who’ve raced there) can attest!

Thankfully it’s an Olympic year so America’s stepped up its game, the Trials will have packed stands and a nice preview to that will be starting tomorrow and going through Saturday at the Prefontaine Classic. The buzz of the big championship races has set in, but not just for the elites; late May and June bring the High School State meets, the NCAA Championships, Masters Champs, all-comer meets and everything in between.

Summer is opportunities: All those meets I just mentioned leaves prime picking for people to get their speed on. Regardless of your age, where you are, or your distance speciality it’s great to switch gears, mix up what races you run and challenge yourself. A marathoner can jump into a mile and refresh the memory of full on lactic-onslaught from the gun. Racing outside your comfort zone will translate into better racing for your target distance too.

Summer is transition: For any graduates the summer marks an upcoming transition whether it’s to college or the ‘real world.’ With running it’s usually a matter of setting yourself up to best integrate into your new team, new training schedule, new coaches and new environment. If you’re off to college it’s easy to fall victim to the ‘over-eagar Freshman’ syndrome; of course be excited and ready to set high goals but just be careful not to over-do it either…if you’ve only ever run 20 miles a week don’t go straight into 50 mile weeks. For college graduates that might mean wondering where your running fits in with your life or job…that can be scary but with anything find what makes you happy and fit everything around it. Easier said than done, yea, but runners are great multi-taskers. 🙂

Summer is a time for coming out: Back to those big races, inevitably there are always those stories that capture our attention and put us in awe of people we’ve never heard of before. It’s more a matter of a person’s hard work finally paying off at the right moment; be it at the Olympic Trials, the high school state meet, or a collegiate runner splashing onto the elite scene. For those on the cusp of a potential party, run for it like you’ve always been doing and have confidence in yourself. As spectators watch and cheer for these ‘party throwing runners’ and gain motivation from them too. They had a goal, worked hard for it and persevered.

Summer is a time to assess: Maybe you want to be the one throwing that party next season, perhaps you are entering your senior year and want to go out with a bang, maybe you are just starting training for a race and maybe you’ve just fallen into the sport. Either way, the summer’s not only about big races but after those races it’s usually ‘base training’ time and then gearing up for the next upcoming season. Here’s when you should be taking a look at your current fitness and setting some goals going forward. That could be a race, a time, a place, making a team, or just getting some more speed. Set something concrete and be willing to put in the miles. Just keep running. 🙂

No matter who you are, (But I’ll like you more if you’re a fan of running…just say…hehe.) be excited for the summer season. Whether that’s cheering, battling race day nerves, over-coming track phobia, dreaming of cake on your long runs, anticipating college or just putting your treadmill through a beating. 🙂

1) What does the word summer bring to your mind?

2) What does your upcoming summer mean for you, what opportunities do you have? What does this summer bring for you running-wise?

3) Does this summer mark a transition for you?

4) If you had to quickly assess your running and what you’d like to achieve coming up, what would you say?

5) Who else is excited for some epic track races coming up here??
ME! 🙂

Running Through to the End: The Mental Benefits of Getting Through a ‘Bad’ Workout

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Cait — 18 Comments ↓

Run to your happy place. But honestly the route to that happy place may not always exactly FEEL like you’re running on clouds, does it? Pretty sure my answer to that question between intervals 3 and 9.99 would have been a resounding, “Heck no!” Though finish the cool-down, or the run, and I’m a firm believer that I’ve reached a happier place.

Workouts and runs are interesting because to a certain degree there’s always the ‘surprise’ variable; you can plan your hard and easy schedule but sometimes the legs have the final word in what kind of run it is. For hard workouts the goal is to push yourself, get better, see improvement, and you want to have some extra oomph in those legs.

There are times where your legs feel anything but oomphy and during certain training periods that’s just par for the course: you’re running more volume, more weekly miles can suck some of that spring, but sometimes you know the end result will get you where you want to be and you must gut out those workouts regardless and remember that by the time you’re sharper it’ll be worth it.

There are instances where the smart thing is to adjust the workout if it’s going awry BUT there are times where you need to plow forward not just for the physiological benefit of the workout but for the mental aspect. Someone once told me that the workouts they have been most proud of were not the ones that were their fastest but rather the ones that were going anything but stellar time-wise but they finished them anyways.

Today I got my booty worked over by the workout; I expected it and saw it coming, I’ve done a sparse number of actual harder workouts since my foot injury, I’ve been able to run more and I knew today was hardly going to feel like running on clouds. I knew that it was going to be important that I got through it though, and not just because that’s the only way to get over the ‘hump’ so that eventually the workouts will feel easier as one gets in better shape. Just a much of a factor is callousing the mind.

If the splits aren’t insanely off, you’re not in any injury danger, sometimes you just have to gut through it. Sometimes your mind will seek ‘outs’ and excuses to call it quits; there are instances where that is the smart thing to do but there is no avoiding that running hard hurts and if you cut out early too many times when there really isn’t a reason to then your mind starts to get better and better at talking yourself into ‘quitter mode.’ That’s not a habit you want to get into.

Sometimes you just have those workouts that turn into survival mode and the prime objective is to get through them. If you’re not in any danger of an injury and know in your gut the best thing is the plow onward then use all the positive mental thoughts and tricks and remember that come the end you’ll be proud of yourself for getting the work done. Run off of effort and even if the times aren’t exactly what you would have hoped your body will still get the benefits of a hard effort. Your muscles and cardiovascular systems were still stressed and that effort will pay off.

The main thing I can take away from today is that my foot is still feeling better and there is another run in me tomorrow. I finished that cool-down and you know what…was the journey exactly one where I was smiling the whole time? Hardly, BUT it sure got me to a happy place when I was done…I knew that it would and so I just kept running.

1) How do you handle workouts that aren’t going your way but you know you’re not in any danger of an injury and there isn’t a blaring reason you should stop? How do you talk yourself through gutting through the workout?

2) How do you asses times when you should adjust the workout, stop, or keep going?
Having a third party, like a coach, is often one of the best ways to get this answer. But if you don’t have one, do a body check for signs of injury, and then from there see how ‘off’ the splits are. If they aren’t insanely bad I’m usually one to say muddle through.

3) Running to your happy place…do you tend to have mood swings akin to a pregnant woman regarding how ‘happy’ you are with running: at the onset, mid-intervals, and then upon finishing too? 😉 Hehe. But has there ever been a time where upon finishing you were not in a happier place?

Running a Mile a Minute: Multi-tasking and sneaking into your day ‘little’ things to improve your running

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Cait — 6 Comments ↓

We live in some pretty manic times, and for most mortal runners that means fitting in training when it’s possible. Realistically this looks like runs at 5am, parents pushing jogging strollers or doing intervals around the track while their kids use the long jump pit as a sandbox. (I have vivid memories of making sandcastles back when I was a kid!)

Multi-tasking isn’t so much a nice way to stay ahead of the game anymore, it’s evolved into a necessity, a way to survive. The law even has had to step in banning cell phones or eating while driving. For runners we KNOW there are other things we ‘should’ be doing outside of just putting in the miles; the stretching, the core work, the icing, the weights. Though for many, life seems to get in the way of the ‘little’ things.

BUT, I’ve been floored by how much can actually be crammed into those 24 hours by some people; it can be tricky finding the windows of time but for the highly productive individual some of the keys seems to getting creative, organizing a system, and then making a routine. Here’s just a few tips I can share:

* Roll your foot on a tennis ball to keep your plantar fascia happy – do it double time if you’ve got a really long tube and work two feet at once. (I’ve used an old shipping tube that you’d send posters in) Super easy to do as most of us are sitting at some point during the day.
* Sit on a tennis ball or golf ball and similarly work out knots or kinks in your glutes and upper hamstrings.
* Foam roll your IT Band and other areas while watching TV
* Memorize on the run – I passed all of my Spanish classes because during lots of my easy runs I’d get my vocab or conjugations stuck in my head and work on memorizing. The same thing worked for my physiology classes where I’d have to memorize all the muscles, their origins, insertions, and function.
* Plan the day en-route – like above a lot of people use the brain time during a run to figure out what they need to do for the day, work out carpools, mentally ‘write’ emails (I do that!) so that when they get home they can physically write that down and then get to work on the rest of the day.
* Cooking stretch – I can’t cook but I can microwave and use that timer to bust out some stretches. We know that we need to hole a particular stretch for at least 20 seconds for it to count so just follow the clock, do some hamstring, quad, calf, etc. stretches and then get your grub on.
* Planks, core and crunches anywhere – Many watch TV at some point…get sweating during commercial breaks. Also, hear me out, this one may not be so much for the shy runner, but I’ve been able to squeeze in some core work in some random places while I’ve been traveling or I just am stuck waiting somewhere. (Airport terminal, park, etc.) Seek out a more secluded spot if you’re embarrassed, but especially if you’ll never see these people again, who really cares? 😛
* Babysitting duties – Parents are master multi-taskers and summer is out so the kids are home. Michael Wardian does the vast majority of his runs on the treadmill while babysitting; getting up early is an often used run time, doing loops around a track or playground allows you to do your workout while still making sure your kids are okay. This is also a chance to get your family involved in fitness…just say, “Do like Mommy and Daddy are doing.” 🙂
* Get it together – Be efficient by laying out all your running gear, clothes, and shoes the night before so you can literally jump into them and get going. Same works if you pack your gym bag and go run at a work break; set an alarm and jet out, don’t dally.
* The Social Network – I’m a runner and I have lots of friends that are runners, not that you have to follow suit, but if you’re on a team or meet a running group you will find that connecting on a run is actually fun. You don’t have to turn your entire social life into running, but at the same time even if most of your ‘free time’ is spent running or with running people that doesn’t always leave you socially deprived.

Other fun facts that should relieve any guilt you feel about going for a run when there is ‘other things’ you could do. Just because you’re running over something else it doesn’t ALWAYS make you selfish and here’s why:

* More productive: Either starting your day with a run or taking a break during the day to exercise makes you more productive on the whole. Companies have begun hosting workout classes for their employees and encouraging them to go for just this reason. I know I’ve gotten some of my best creative inspiration or solved other problems while running.

* Happier: Runners are happier in general, partly because of endorphins, partly because of seeing their hard work pay off and being motivated. That’s why it’s not selfish if you need that run time because it probably makes you better to the people around you.

* Save on therapy: Tied into the happier thing, there are some therapists now who do their sessions while working out or moving. It’s been said that the brain is able to work through emotional problems on another level, better, while actively DOING something. Hmmm, go for a run and save on paying for a shrink, sounds cool.

Whew, okay I hope some of these have helped debase the idea that you can’t sneak in a few of the ‘little’ things into your day…or if nothing else made you think I’m crazier for doing planks in the airport. Oh well, either way the joke is on you because I already knew I was crazy. 🙂

1) What are some of the tips or tricks you have to make the most of your time or work some of those ‘little’ things into your day?

2) If you’re a parent how do you manage your training with parenting duties?

3) If you run with a team or have a running group, do you feel that the time with them also helps leaving you feeling fulfilled socially?

4) What’s something interesting you’ve recently heard about how running makes the rest of your life either more productive, happier, or just better?