Cait’s Articles at , Page 47

About Cait

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

Motivation and Self-Deception: Sometimes it’s a matter of talking yourself up or lying yourself into a run

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Cait — 27 Comments ↓

Running and getting sweaty is tough business…it’s hard work to get out there and consistently kick your own tush. Don’t get me wrong it comes with plenty of rewards, (nothing can beat the feeling of shaking legs and a new PR and the perk of inhaling unholy amounts of sweets isn’t bad either!) but keeping pace with the motivation factor is an ongoing battle.

Hey, motivational pictures count too! 🙂

Sometimes you need to remind yourself WHY you are doing this and that in the end it’s worth it. This is where motivational quotes can really come in handy:

“An athlete who tells you the training is always easy and always fun simply hasn’t been there. Goals can be elusive which makes the difficult journey all the more rewarding.” – Alberto Salazar

“It is true that speed kills. In distance running, it kills anyone who does not have it.” – Brooks Johnson

“Just do it.” – Nike

“Ask yourself: ‘Can I give more?’. The answer is usually: ‘Yes’.” – Paul Tergat

“One thing about racing is that it hurts. You better accept that from the beginning or you’re not going anywhere.” – Bob Kennedy

“Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it’s all about.” – PattiSue Plumer

“We may train or peek for a certain race, but running is a lifetime sport.” – Alberto Salazar

Mantras can also work wonders if you’re in the middle of a race or brutal interval session. They help you zone out…focus on the words, not the pain:

“Stay the course.”

“Smooth and relaxed.”

“I am strong.”

“I got this.”

“I’m better than them.”

“Think of Pop-Tarts.”

Other times though it’s more a matter of self-deception and straight up lying to yourself:

“Only five more minutes” – Reality check is you’ll say this about 6 or 8 times more, maybe more depending on how long the run/workout.

“It’s okay, I don’t really feel it today, I’ll just do a mile and see how I feel from there.” – Reality check usually after that initial mile of blah you get into the run and keep on rolling.

“Last one.” – Reality check, you might be saying this as early as your second repeat…it’s okay, keep lying and repeating.

“That really didn’t hurt THAT bad.” – Reality check…the race/run/workout probably did but you have to force yourself to block out just how bad it was to a degree so that you keep going back for more. I’ll liken it to a lady who just popped out a kid; I’m sure she has to forget how not fun that was in order to feel compelled to maybe have another. 😉

The truth is, running and being consistent takes a lot of motivation and in the end it has to come from within. Self-motivation and dedication isn’t something you can necessarily teach or force someone into…you either have it or you have to learn it yourself over time. Sometimes it takes quotes, mantras, and lies…but it gets the job done!

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The winner for the BIC Bands giveaway:

So Dana, glad you found my blog, email me and I’ll get you your bands! 🙂
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1) What are some of the things that help you stay motivated either to get out for a run if you’re not exactly feeling it or in the middle of a tough run or race?

2) What are some of your favorite quotes or mantras?

3) What lies do you tell yourself?

10 Bits of Advice You Won’t Read in Runner’s World…

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Cait — 35 Comments ↓

I’ve debated putting this post up because it may bring up a little unease or irk some people…but here goes. There is something I like to call the Runner’s World vs. Running Times advice. More correctly, you give different advice to different people, right? Well…I think you’ll see what I mean.

Here are 10 Things You Won’t Find in Runner’s World but are just the truth:

1) All the gear in the world won’t make you faster. Yes a tricked out watch can keep you honest with paces but don’t get sucked into believing you need every new piece of gear…I’m pretty sure there were world records set back before Garmins.

2) All the ab specific work in the world won’t give you a six pack. To get abs like Shalane Flanagan you first have to do enough calorie burning cardio to get you lean enough to see the abdominal muscles. The abs are a particularly hard spot to see results because of that blasted adipose tissue over the muscles that you have to get rid of first.

3) All the post run/race recovery tricks won’t prevent you from ever getting sore. Yes there is a HUGE window of recovery to eat within 30 minutes after your workout that you need to take advantage of, but after any really tough effort you’re bound to be sore. Being sore is like the reward for pushing yourself…it means you done good.

4) Runners are achey, sore in spots, hurting somewhere nearly all the time.
Just saying.
5) There are no ‘quick fixes’…anytime you read ’10 Things to Make You Faster WITHOUT Trying’ is misleading. Yes, of course tying your shoes tighter or wearing shorts that don’t chafe will make running more comfortable and you’ll probably end up going faster, but it’s still going to be you working.

6) You CAN get faster it just takes ~~some~~ hurting. Really anyone is capable of improving, you may hit plateaus and get stuck in pace ruts but you can push yourself out of them. It’s just a matter of well, pushing…it’s possible it just takes being uncomfortable to get there.

7) Toting a water bottle, mid-run fuel, and a fanny pack is a necessity for a run regardless of distance. Going for the Western States 100 miler, yes…a four miler around the block, no.

8) Just because it’s new, it’s cool, there’s hype you should try it. I’m sorry, no amount of commercials, movies or books are ever going to get me in a pair of Vibrams.

9) Any single food is a miracle food and sure fire to make your running dreams come true. Yes, berries have loads of antioxidants and I’m certain we can all benefit from eating them. I’m sure they will improve my health and the trickle down effect holds that my fitness could improve too…but there is no magic bullet to PR’s.

10) Rest is always the answer. I could get in a lot of trouble for saying this but here goes. Truth is like number 4 states sorenesses and aches come with the game…it’s just a matter of gauging the degree of hurt. If you didn’t run for each and every time you were uncomfortable you’d never get one in. It’s a matter of learning the difference between injury pain and the pain of just running consistently. That said, even all the rest in the world won’t take care of certain injuries and you have to do other proactive measures: icing, massage, treatments, etc.

I toss it to you guys now, what would you add to this list?

Proper Running Form and the Freakshow Running Circus

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Cait — 22 Comments ↓

Does anyone else stare at runners just a little begrudgingly when they are injured? Sort of like that happy runner out there is just trying to stick it to me…they can do it and I cant! Ahhh, I’ll call it runner envy. So while I may be a little jealous in staring I’ll at least put these observations to good use.

Let’s talk running form. Sure the action of putting one foot in front of the other sounds easy, but have you noticed how some people can really take that ‘simple’ act and make it look crazy? There’s the hunchback, the arm swinger maniac, the shuffler, the head-bobber…get them all together and we could have a real carnival side show going on here.

If you take a look at those elite runners you see on TV or at the Olympics they tend to make running look effortless. Don’t be fooled they are hurting just like the rest of us but they are hurting efficiently. There’s no wasted movement because of arms swinging side to side…they are streamlined and every ounce of energy spent is going forward.

Sure not everyone is going to be able to run as fast or maybe make it look as easily as they do but you can at least improve your form. Better form will improve your running efficiency and that translates into faster times. We all like that, right?

* The hunchback: Getting hunched over can happen to the best of us as we tire towards the end of a race or hard workout. This is usually due to a lack of core or upper body strength, so doing strength and core work can really help with this problem. You want to always stay ‘tall’ when you’re running, think of a string attached to the top of your head and it’s pulling you up. When you catch yourself rolling forward, roll your shoulders back and get your torso up over your legs and not out in front of them.

* The tenser: Another common problem is the tiring runner will tense up; their shoulders will raise up to their ears, their fists are hard little balls, and their jaw gets clenched tight. Not only will this inhibit your range of motion but it’s wasted energy. You don’t want any muscles working harder than they have too…your jaw being forced shut isn’t helping your legs turn over any faster. When you feel yourself getting tense shake out your arms, wiggle your fingers/hands, and let your face relax. This also happens when someone is ‘trying too hard’…as crazy as it sounds trying to will yourself faster can work against you, relax and you’ll be surprised you’ll probably wind up going faster!

* The flightless bird: This is the person with arms akimbo, flapping like made. It comes in many different forms but you want your arms only swinging front to back; not side to side across your torso. You also want your elbows bent at about 90 degrees, not up so high you’re punching yourself in the face or down so low you look like Frankenstein. For each arm swing you want to feel like you’re ‘picking your pocket’ and that means as your arm swings back let it graze just about to where the back of your shorts pocket would be if you had one and in front of you going up to about chin level.

* The suffler and the leaper: Stride length is a tough one to work on and get just right; you don’t want to look like you’re leaping and you don’t want to be barely picking your feet up. Leaping is over-striding and leaves you hanging in the air too long and shuffling is under-striding. The ‘perfect’ stride rate has been figured out to be 180 steps per minute or 90 strides per minute. So a stride is counted when one leg makes a full running cycle. A quick test to help you gauge how your stride is doing is to count your strides as you run for 30 seconds and try to get as close as you can to 45. Check in with yourself throughout your run.

* The head-bobber and the other guys: Really, any wasted movement is extra energy spent and you want to eliminate that. Everyone has their quirks or habits while they run (I knew a guy who grunted about every 5 strides…annoying!) but if you can get as close to ‘perfect’ form as possible you’ll not only feel better but you’ll be running faster.

It’s TOUGH to change your form and you also want to do this GRADUALLY so you don’t wind up getting hurt. You don’t want to pull a muscle that’s weak because you haven’t been using it much before. So if you have things to change in your form pick ONE to focus on at a time. From there make it your priority to really think about fixing that single area at the end of each of your runs. Start with consciously making yourself stand tall for the last half mile of your runs…after awhile make it a thought for the full last mile of your run, etc. When you’ve fixed that one and are used to running all the time like that move to another area.

On that note, you can then chuckle at the rest of the circus carnival runner oddities as you see them on the road. 😉

1) What’s your running form malady?
I used to run with my arms up to my chin and against my chest…I worked on that but if I’m not careful I tend to over-stride.

2) Have you done much form work in the past? Have you tried core or strength work to improve your form?
Yes and yes. Core and strength work really helps people!

3) Your sure-tell sign that you’re tiring at the end of a race or workout.
My shoulders start to tense up and raise to my ears and I get this really wacky facial expression…I’ve been called Popeye before. :/

Keeping it in the Family: What Age is Appropriate for Kids to Start Running Competitively?

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Cait — 18 Comments ↓

Are you the only runner in your family? Did you start running because an older sibling got into it and because you thought anything they did was cool, you laced up to go run too? Or did you come from a family of runners?

Everyone starts for different reasons and some fall into the sport (or get cut from everything else and decide to give running a whirl, like this girl!). If you are the only runner your family may just collectively think you’re crazy but allow you your quirk.

But if you come from a family of runners, or if your parents were runners, did you grow up naturally assuming that you’d get into the sport. A recent article in Running Times HERE got me thinking about families that are runners.

Lots of times when two really fast harriers get married (and there are no shortage of runner couples…us run-a-holics tend to travel in pairs…or groups) there are the obvious jokes, “Wow, you guys will sure have fast babies…get ready to watch them in the Olympics!” Genes play a part, sure, but it doesn’t guarantee natural talent, or that the child will ever have a passion for the sport. Heck, they may turn out to have a desire to get into curling!

Sure, when a running prodigy does pop up with a lineage of fast genes that’s all well and good too as there are cases of those.

My question rather, is that when should a kid officially be a ‘runner’ or follow the sport exclusively? Racing competitively and putting in those gut-busting, tough as nails workouts? Similarly WHY are they doing it? Is it because they love the sport or is it because of their parents’ passion for it, or their parents’ desire to watch them excel?

Both my parents were runners, but I didn’t have any desire to run until about 8th grade. I never thought I’d be a runner, I liked soccer and other sports where you were running to get to something not just in circles. But when I joined a local team in 8th grade it was a club that had all levels and there were itty bitty dynamos that could kick my butt…and they weren’t even out of grammar school. I’d see kids not more than 7 putting in more miles than I’d care to think about and doing bi-weekly track workouts.

I’d see their parents yelling at them like the coaches of teams playing in the Super Bowl from the side-lines. Now, not all of the parents were like that, don’t get me wrong…but it seems like the younger the athlete the more intense the parents. Doesn’t that seem a bit off to you?

On the flip side I’ve been privileged to be around elite level runners, or previous record holders, who are now parents themselves. A great number of them actually tried to steer their children away from the sport of running and into other things because 1) they didn’t want other people putting pressure on them just because of their genes and 2) they didn’t want their kids to feel any pressure, real or imagined, from their parents to follow in their footsteps. The parents felt that if their children got into running that the kids would be the ones to find it themselves. If they then wanted guidance or advice from their parents they could come and ask for it.

I think that’s the best kind of attitude, regardless of how fast the parents are…and shouldn’t that apply to anything in general? Shouldn’t we all find our interests and pursue them of our own free will?

But back to running…it is a HARD sport both mentally and physically. Put that on developing kids and it’s a lot to ask; when is it too young to seriously start running? I’m not talking about casually tagging along with Dad on a mile or two jaunt around the block or popping into a kiddie run if Mom and Dad are at a local road race. I mean really vying for PR’s and consistently training?

My thoughts are that kids should be involved in sports of all kinds and stay active…try everything because you never know what they’ll fall in love with. The soccer, rugby, basketball and the like…keep them running around and instill the desire to MOVE. Then if they happen to want to get really into running around junior high or high school those years of sports set the stage for a great base.

I think that’s where I stand…and if you DO happen to be a family of all runners then that’s well and good! I just don’t think the sight of parents yelling, veins bursting from their temples, at their kids is right, regardless of the sport or pursed interest.
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PS- Just a heads-up that my BIC Bands GIVEAWAY will end Monday so if you haven’t entered yet and want to, mosey on over! 🙂
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1) When did you get into running? Were you really active as a kid and play lots of sports?
I played, and stunk, and all the usual sports.

2) Were your parents, or anyone else in your family runners?
Both my mom and dad, but that’s it.

3) What age do you feel is appropriate for a kid to pursue running exclusively or competitively?

Warning: Injured Runners May Bite

Posted on February 4, 2012 by Cait — 18 Comments ↓

Today’s post is short and to the point. To all my injured, grumpy runners…it may only be fair to warn those who must coexist among us until we’re back and able to put in the miles. 🙂

1) Best stay happy thought during an injury?
Be grateful I can at least do SOMETHING (ie: cross-train), take it day by day, and know that when I get back to running I’ll appreciate it all the more!

2) Thing you’re most looking forward to this weekend?
Some exciting designing going on in my brain that I’m looking forward to!

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?

Runners Rock and Camaraderie

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Cait — 16 Comments ↓

One of the great things about our sport is the sense of belonging and camaraderie. How many times have you found out a person is a runner and it doesn’t matter if they are a total stranger or not, you instantly feel a connection? You ‘get’ them and they ‘get’ you.

People sometimes think that running really isn’t all the much of a team sport. More-so in track where it could be certainly argued it’s more individual; but that’s really not the case because even though you ARE out there and performing as an individual you aren’t really alone. Even if you don’t belong to an actual team or worrying about a team scoring, you are a member of the team of runners.

Your competitor knows what it takes to put in the miles and the training, they know that you’re hurting just like they are, and they know exactly what it’s like to be in your shoes…because to a certain degree they are. Certainly they want to beat you, but they have to respect and at least understand you.

Outside of actual races runners tend to be incredibly personable and gregarious…if I do say so we are some pretty down to earth and cool folks. Sure, we’re weird, we’re geeky in many ways, we could talk lost toe nails, war stories, Nip Guards, and GI distress like it’s nothing.

Perhaps we have to have a sense of humor to balance out the insane desire to get up, do the same repetitive action again and again, and at times punish our legs like none other.

Runners can make for the best of friends, spend enough long runs and interval sessions with someone and you’ll probably wind up knowing more about them than anyone else…or at least understand them unlike others. There is something that happens in those unsaid moments in the middle of long runs, in the last few excruciating repeats, in those runs done in torrential downpours and gale force winds, and in the jittery pre-race warm-ups.

Runners ‘get’ it.

1) Were you on track and cross country teams through school or any other places?

2) Are many of your friends runners or are you pretty much the only one? (It’s totally cool, I love my non-running friends too!)

3) Do you sort of feel like you instantly like a stranger more when you find out they are a runner?
Umm…guilty! 🙂

4) In blogging I get this, do you feel like you know a virtual stranger really well because they are a fellow runner and you can relate to them?
Yup…crazy, I think I’m getting more virtual than real life friends. 😉

Running Hard: Outward Appearances Can Be Misleading When You Give it Your All

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Cait — 18 Comments ↓

Now, it’s interesting how different people act after finishing races, or hard workouts too. Outside observers then tend to assess just how hard the athlete ran depending on the looks of anguish, falling to a heap, or tossing their cookies.

Cross the finish line and drop to the track...

Though I sort of think that can be really misleading…

* Sometimes the fastest or best races of one’s lives come in the form of those rare, freak, awesome beyond awesome races where they feel ‘easy’ or at least eas-ier. Everything lines up and even during the race you sort of think you’re having an outer body experience like, “Am I really running these splits…are these really my legs doing this?!” You just roll with it and after you cross the line you’re ecstatic with the results…you no doubt KNOW that you’re tired, it’s just you felt amazing and so you might smile and it might ‘look’ then that what you did was easy.

* Sometimes you see arms thrown up, crossing the line with fists pumping…here it’s the adrenaline and excitement that temporarily masks the pain. I’m sorry, you win a Gold Medal, I think you gather the reserves to let that excitement burst through.

* Yes, dropping to the ground surely shows that you’re tired and left a heck of a lot our there. I have the highest admiration for mental grit and getting the most from yourself. BUT, just because you don’t drop to the ground that doesn’t mean you didn’t punish yourself enough…in the end YOU know if you did or not.

* Tossing your cookies…here is one where I think it depends a lot on the runner. Lots of people play up the, “Wow, you barfed…THAT means you’re the toughest runner around…THAT really shows you pushed it,” but really, throwing doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re macho tough, there are other factors involved. Yes, it surely could be that you just put it ALL out there, or it could mean that you shouldn’t have had three hot dogs 20 minutes ago. Finally, sometimes people do throw up if they ran outside their fitness level…props for pushing it, but maybe it means they should have built a little more base or not taken that whole summer off.

I think what it really comes down to is the particular athlete and how you tend to respond to the excruciating pain we willing put ourselves through at times. 🙂 No bagging either which way; some people are barfers but just because you’re not a puker that doesn’t mean you’re not running hard. Similarly, different races and workouts certainly feel a lot different…having one of those magic days will no doubt leave you finishing looking a lot different from one of those races where from the gun you feel like you’re running with legs of lead.

Outward appearances are misleading…some of the fastest harriers make it look effortless as they click off lap after lap. They look like machines, their form is pristine, no wasted movements, their faces stoic. They are running relaxed…but for darn sure you know that behind that mask of effortless they are working their tails off and it’s hard for everyone.

It’s never easy…I mean even in those awesome beyond awesome moments it might have felt eas-ier, but it was hardly easy to get to the moment. It took months, years, zillions of miles and way too many hard workouts you’d care to remember.

It’s never easy…and so that’s why we need a little extra motivation now and then, to keep reminding ourselves WHY we keep doing this. But then we remember we really it. Yes, we love when the stars align and we get one of those awesome beyond awesome days, but also we just love the thrill of kicking our own butts.

1) How do you usually look after races, or hard workouts? Do you tend to do the hunch over, the drop to the ground, the hands over head?

2) Have you thrown up after a race of hard workout, do you tend to just do that regardless of pre-run food choice or fitness level?
I’ve never thrown up, but I can really close once…it was my first race and had run maybe one or two times before that. 😛

3) How do you try and stay relaxed when you’re running hard?
I try to focus on keeping my form, keeping my shoulders down, and then staring straight ahead at a specific point (like the back of the person ahead of me) to try and zone out.

4) Those awesome beyond awesome days, have you had one, how many, and do you remember it clearly?
I think I’ve had one or two…and I remember clearly thinking there was something wrong with the clock. 😛