About Cait

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

Here’s How the Reindeer Games Went Down…

rudolf running‘Twas the night before Christmas, and across the North Pole,
Santa called all his reindeer, he had one special goal.
Stopwatch in hand the beasts lined at the track,
Dasher and Dancer were talking lots of smack.

Blitzen was shivering forgotten to warm-up,
Vixen true to name wearing a risque get-up.
Prancer there smartly testing the legs with strides,
Comet there bouncing, nerves wracked his insides.

Cupid by name a lover but fiercely competitive,
Donder also doing strides, sorry if it’s repetitive.
Dasher confident, our returning champ,
Though Rudolf’s been at training camp.

The fat man calls to their marks,
Elves fill the grandstand, happy as larks.
Poised at the line our reindeer are set,
The bookies confirm their last bet.

Off goes the gun and Donder jumps right in front,
Out too fast, he’ll be dying soon if we’re blunt.
Our race here’s a 10k,
In case we forgot to say.

They pass through the mile,
Poor Donder struggling sans style.
Vixen takes the lead, check out those sparkly spikes,
Surely custom made, gotta be the latest Nike’s.

Rounding 8 laps now,
Blitzen dying like a fat cow,
Too bad for him the next four miles will be the worst,
He’s learning the hard way he shoulda warmed-up first.

Cupid’s ego now bolstered he takes the front,
A sharp elbow from Dasher exudes a grunt.
Half-way and Santa checks the split time,
A low whistle and chuckle they’re on world record time.

Prancer takes it at the far curve,
Cupid plays dirty, goes wide, makes him swerve.
Safely ahead Prancer ratchets down the pace,
Uh-oh down goes Vixen lost to an untied lace.

Eight still in the game,
Though Blitzen looks lame,
Rudolf sits at the back of the top pack,
He’s looking fresh, pop his legs don’t lack.

With a mile to go Dancer’s turn in the lead,
Santa’s ecstatic, the deer’s picking up speed.
The splits are lowering, elves on the edge of their seat,
Most have bets on Dasher pulling a repeat.

Two laps to go it’s a three deer race,
Lapping Blitzen there’s no extra space.
Running up tight near the rail,
A burst from Dasher, the elves exhale.

The bell starts a’clanging,
Everyone wonders if the lead will be changing.
A gap starts to widen on the far curve,
But look here comes Rudolf racing with nerve!

200 to go they look neck and neck,
The stands in an uproar, what do you expect?
Down the final straight our two deer,
Who’s ahead is still a big unclear.

Hooves pounding with fury,
So fast that they’re blurry,
Then Rudolf finds that last gear,
Nearing the tape our winner to appear!

First past the line,
Santa’s jaw drops at the time,
It looks like Bekele’s record is uphooved,
Though we’ll still have to wait for doping control to approve.

Rudolf raises his head, a smile on his face,
Dasher kneels to the ground lactic acid in place.
Elves cheering, well at least those with winning bets,
A few toy builders will soon have souped up erector sets.

Santa claps his hands looking proud,
Lest for Blitzen trudging home a sad cloud.
The reindeer’s race is complete,
Until next year when there’ll be a repeat.

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Is There a Grinch in Your Stocking?

While I tend to be a positive person, I know there are times when even the most Cindy-Loo-Who’s of us get a little cranky. Even if the big fat man in a red suit is watching, I also know that sometimes it is fully warranted to let our Grinch flag fly.

candy

If only we lived in a gumdrop mountain meadow things would always be AWES-TATIC!! (Art: Cait Chock)


Now, before you start thinking I’m being a proponent for holiday un-cheer or being an unkind, thoughtless person (because I’m NOT…trust me sometimes things in this world stink but the best you can do is laugh about it and move on) my point is that there is also a line of what you should let roll of your back. Being that the holidays are super stressful for many people, let’s have a little mutual vent session and remind ourselves that we should pick our battles.

Pick your battles people, a wise little diddy because in life we always will come into contact with people that are difficult to get along with but we must. Whether they are a boss, a family member, or co-worker…you can’t go full Grinch status on them because there will no doubt be ramifications.

girl smiling

Am I smiling on the inside?


* The fake smile: akin to the ‘charity laugh’ this is a good weapon to whip out…you may be dying on the inside to claw their eyes out with a candy-cane but plaster this on your face, breathe, let them say whatever they are going to say and bite your tongue. Best uses are for when granny starts telling you that your choice of clothing isn’t right.

* Kill them with kindness: similar to the fake smile this one is different in that it takes a little more effort HOWEVER you can get a kind of twisted sense of relief in telling yourself that you are ‘outsmarting them’ because you KNOW they are being jerkies but you’re going to be the ‘bigger person.’ Best uses are with people that are your ‘superior’…think a boss or someone you have to stay on their good side. Or an unstable neighbor that if you got on their bad side you’re afraid you may not live to see another holiday.

strong girls

Workout those frustrations and get stronger...a double win. 🙂


* Run away: literally…I have to say one of the best ways to vent frustration is to take it out workout style. Have a nice interval session and the feel-good endorphins can be a lifesaver.

* Just walk away: Leave the room, get out of there…if you sense a volcano is about to erupt do you stay at the base of the mountain? Best uses: really anytime, it’s sometimes better to be ‘rude’ and leave mid-conversation than risk saying something you really wish you could take back later.

* Pick the battle: now, don’t be a doormat and sometimes you need to stick up for yourself. But proceed with caution and here are some things to keep in mind: speak in a calm, even tone and don’t raise your voice…start yelling and no one is going to listen. Use ‘I’ statements…”I feel that….” avoid using the term ‘you’ or ‘you did this’ because that automatically puts the other person on the defensive and they won’t listen to you. Finally, it may sound sappy but stick with the ‘this is what I’m feeling’ or ‘this is how it makes me feel’ and here is why, people can argue or who said or did what, but they can’t dispute how you are feeling. Kind of a tricky little loophole. 😛

The holidays are AWESOME yes, we love each and every one of our family members and friends, right? Of course we do…but the holidays can be very stressful too. Have you watched the Griswald’s Christmas Vacation as of yet?

1) Is there anything making you feel a bit Grinchy as of late, EVEN during this awesome above awesome time?
To avoid a TMI moment I will just say I have a roommate that just can’t seem to get their aim right when using the bathroom…seriously?!

2) What are you most looking forward to this holiday season? What are you looking forward to the least?

3) How do you plan on handling any potential volcanos?

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Bookends – Great Reads for Runners

How often do I find myself saying, “I could talk about/read about running all day”? Probably too much…add to that now there are blogs and websites and maybe I should hang a sign on my door reading, ‘If I’m not seen for at least 48 hours, please come in and pry my glassy-eyed bum from the perma-seat’. Check that, I know I’d at least come out to workout…

guy behind computer

Art: Cait Chock

Regardless, physiology and sports science fascinates me. Running news and runner yammerings do too; I know I’ve read some awesome running related books but I also know there are ones I’ve missed. I came across a post from Jay Johnsons’s site and have some new ones to add to my to-read list.

Some of the books I have read:

* Once a Runner – Jay listed this one, but really, if you’re a runner you have to read it. I’m sorry, during that epic 400 workout, who didn’t stop and wish they had the kahonas Quenton did? This one is a fiction work but very well done and with enough runner ‘inside’ jokes to make for a shelf book. (one you keep around even after you’ve read it)

* Running With the Buffalos – Again on the other list, and Jay is actually in it. The author followed the 1998 University of Colorado team in their prep and racing of NCAA Cross Country Championships; it is another one I think nearly all runners should read and can relate to. It is a motivational read and will make you want to get out there and grind out some serious long runs or repeats. Among the team that year was Adam Goucher.

* Fast Track – Training and Nutrition Secrets from Suzy Favor Hamilton – This was a very informative but interesting read too; it’s not just a dull ‘do this or that’ sort of book. Being a female runner and of course a Suzy fan it was especially fun to read her insights and as always what goes through a top competitor’s mind.

* Duel in the Sun – I was on the fence for how much I liked those this one, but here is why: I know Alberto Salazar and adore him and I thought that the book played him out to be the obvious bad guy in the duel. For commercial reasons I understand it’s best to have a hero and villain; now I also think the world of Dick Beardsely and know he makes for an excellent guy to root for, so I see we can’t have two heros I suppose. Still, the obvious slights on Salazar got to me; that aside the race itself is epic and crazy to read about.

* Staying the Course – A Runner’s Toughest Race – This one is an autobiography by Dick Beardsely and I encourage everyone to read it, even if you’re not a runner actually. Dick overcame so many obstacles in his life (freak accidents, drug addiction) and today is a motivational speaker…and one of the most postive people I know.

* Alberto Salazar’s Guide to Road Racing – As the title implies this one is another training book and good read. Lots of information not only about racing but core and strength work, and then of course the running tips and workouts not just from an athlete’s perspective but coach as well.
kara goucher
* Kara Goucher’s Running for Women – Awesome book and resource for women athletes; true you may think I’m biased because I’m friends with her but even with that aside I promise the book is worth it. Like Suzy’s book it is engaging in that it includes personal anecdotes and insights with the information.

* Running the Edge – This is a newer one from Adam Goucher and Tim Cantalano. I have yet to read it but plan to, it is not only about running but how running has impacted other areas of their lives and made them stronger, better people for it.

Good heavens, I planned on making this a short post because I’m pinched on time, but obviously that plan derailed. I’ve got others, but I think these are the top reads and they stick out in my mind the most. I hope you are all surviving the whirlwind of the holiday season! 🙂

1) Best running related book you’ve read or want to read?

2) Best book period you have read or the one you are currently reading?

3) Which of Santa’s reindeer are the fastest? Which one is the slowest, slacking off, and obviously making the rest of them pull extra dead weight??
I know the answers and they will be forthcoming…

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A Self-Massage Survival Guide and Running Through the Holidays

You know how I was saying not too long ago about runners being in a sort of constant pain from one thing or the other? If you want a real laugh take a gander at this chick the first few steps of any run…*snap crackle pop*…it isn’t coming from the Rice Krispies.
old person
I know I’m not the only one, it’s hilarious (in that kind of way) because regular runners and even record holders/world-class athletes alike have a tendency to look a bit like Frankenstein before they are ‘warmed’ into that run.

On-going ‘this’ or ‘that’ is part of the game but we’re riding a thin line between a flare-up or actual injury that can keep us out. Staving them off is a bit of a battle, if you will, and the best way to win is to stay ahead of the enemies…err, game…err, injuries…hehe.

In case you missed it in the January issue of Running Times I did a piece on one of the ways to stay ahead of the game and be proactive in staying healthy: self-massage. The article is now available online if you want to read it HERE: Self-Massage the Runner’s Way. We all can’t afford regular massage therapy sessions, although I think we’d all LOVE it, but we have two hands and can put them to our own use. 🙂

Moving on because there has been to much bummer injury talk as of late and there are much more happy and exciting things to talk about! Namely the holidays…no matter what you celebrate I believe there is at least one thing or the next that warrants holiday status.
dogs at christmas
I’m really lucky that this year I don’t have to do any of the big travel…I’m not a fan of being stuck waiting in lines for eternity at the airports or having a security check that’s just short of a body cavity search. I jest, never had that pleasure, but for whatever reason I’m ALWAYS that unlucky ‘random’ person who has to go to that separate line and have the personnel unstuff and sift through my bags. I’m beginning to think I must look like some kind of creeper??

Though when it comes to the holiday season and traveling, people admit to sometimes finding it hard to squeeze in their workouts. Personally it would take something short of the apocalypse for me to not do something, but then again I’m also rather lucky to have a family who are pretty understanding as they too are fitness enthusiasts.

But if you’re NOT from a family of runners or have some extended travel plans, here are a few tips and tidbits:

* Get up early. Or that can be even earlIER if you’ve got a morning flight. I’ve gotten in runs outside of 4am to hop a flight…it’s not easy prying yourself out of bed but at least you don’t have to stop for any street traffic. The getting up an hour earlier also comes in handy if you’re staying with people who don’t ‘get’ the whole running thing; if you’re up and done before it ever effects them or impede plans that can win you some brownie points or at least help you avoid getting any flack.

* Adjust. If you’ve only got a short window of time and you want a quickie interval workout, then opt for faster farleks. You can bust out a good speedy 8-10×200 meters (200 recovery jog), with a short warm-up and cool-down in that time and it’s a quality workout that you could use anyways.

* Rope in others. A big thing with the holidays is of course family and friends, do the whole ‘kill two birds’ thing and go out for a run…everyone likes some company, right?

In the end though, if you end up needing to scale back your workouts or *gasp* miss a few days it’s not the end of the world. Consistency over the long haul is the most important thing, and there ARE bigger things in life than running in the end…hmmm, even if that was a bit painful to admit. 😉 jk.

1) Do you do much self-massage? Are you lucky enough to go in and get actual massages from others?

2) Best thing you do to be proactive on the running injuries front?

3) Are you traveling for the holidays? How do you get in your runs or do you take planned time off?

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“The First Run is the Sweetest”…or Something Like That, Cat

Six weeks and the legs went to the dogs! 🙂 I know I haven’t talked about it too much on here (I’ve been playing by the ‘if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all’ rules a bit.) but I injured my foot awhile back and was thus held captive to the cross-training.
chained animals
Still working to find out exactly what was/is wrong with my foot but it stems from head-diving into all outdoor running when I’d been doing solely treadmill running for over a year. My case is a little odd, the reason I was a gerbil on the ‘mill for so long was because I was a little iffy running on the roads after getting hit by the car.

I pretty much chop-shopped my own little rehab program to even get back to being able to walk and then run (the doctors hadn’t seen/worked on a case like mine before) but I knew where I was and I knew where I wanted to end up…so just head in that direction! Anyways, I went to the treadmill on my road back to running but after so long a runnerchick needs to get some fresh air!

girl hit by car

Opps a-daisies! (Art: Cait Chock)


I got a little overzealous, I admit, pressed my luck a bit and my foot had something to say about it. Lesson learned, and learn from my mistakes…do as I say, not as I do, right? Running on the treadmill is a lot more ‘forgiving’ than running on pavement so if you’re making a transition you need to do it gradually.

Anyways, six weeks of burning a hole in the elliptical and let me tell you: BAM that first run back (on the treadmill) was a bit of a sucker-punch to the face. That old saying of ‘use it or lose it’ applies to running, my friends. It’s just funny because it takes awhile for the mind to catch up; mentally you’re used to a certain pace feeling ‘easy’ or at one level of effort but then you need to check yourself when you’re coming back from a running break…even if you’ve been diligent with the cross-training, there is still going to be some work getting back into the swing of things with running.

But don’t get depressed, because the GOOD news is: muscle memory. While your legs will feel like foreign objects at first and be sore, they snap back relatively quickly and you’ll be surprised with the progress. (I am reminding myself of this very thing, we’ve all been through it before) It’s just a matter of mustering up, getting through the transition, and remaining positive…your legs will eventually be returned to you.

happy girl

Yes it sucks, you don't have to do a dance, BUT slap a smile on a fake it 'til you make! (you don't even have to smile but remind yourself you'll get through it...mmk!) Art: Cait Chock


Even in the short time I’ve been getting some easy runs under my belt I’ve seen improvement…this morning I did a short/easy fartlek on the treadmill (I’m going to heed my own advice and start back on the treadmill for now) and while I was hardly on world record pace I was able to get the old legs moving and the endorphins rolling…and even better news I didn’t fly off the back end of the treadmill. 🙂

In closing, I’m hardly out of the woods yet, I’m still supplementing with cross-training but my message is simple: injuries bite the big one, but they are a necessary evil as I’ve said a million times. My biggest advice though is to allow some venting (keep it minimal and give yourself a time limit of wallowing), but stay positive and keep plugging away…and then do your cross-training. I tell you, if I had done nothing for six weeks the legs would have been ravaged by the dogs and not just bitten. 😉

1) Why is it that the first few miles back running after an injury are both euphoric but excruciating?
Happiness is from the mental relief, the pain are your legs revolting…that’s why I was grimacing like that, it was a smile on the inside. 🙂

2) Your go-to cross-training and how do you keep it interesting/effective?
Elliptical and intervals.

3) When on the final few intervals of a workout, what is your mental trick to keep on plowing through to the end?
Tell myself I’ve only got one more, break down the interval in my mind and think ‘only 30 seconds more’, and pick a point ahead of me and zone in on nothing else.

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Race Cheater? Toss ‘Em in the Clank

I have to admit I loved reading this one; in Kenya’s Safaricom Kisumu Marathon over the weekend course officials caught runners cutting the course. What did they do? Arrest them. There’s a point for the honest harriers!

girl kicking

Take that course cheaters!


I was thinking about this not very long ago when during a Thanksgiving Day Turkey trot a friend of mine was leading, then as he took a turn towards the finish line out of nowhere he saw a woman (pushing a jogging stroller no less) cut in from a side street up ahead and cross the line in front of him. It was determined she has shaved off quite a chunk from the 5k course and was rightfully disqualified. But I guess she did set the course record for the 2.2 mile race?

Really? Cutting a course, it makes me wonder what these people are trying to accomplish, does a ‘win’ really give you the same kind of satisfaction if you cheat to do it? Running is a very self-sacrificing kind of sport and part of the reason the majority of us do it is because it comes down to the sweat, pain, and anguish of hard work and dedication…that those PR’s and wins are hard fought and THAT’S what makes them so rewarding, am I right?

Course cutting is one kind of cheating, and I don’t think I even have to delve into the whole drug issue. Sadly, it’s a reality, no denying it. But I’ve always been of the camp of knowing I just couldn’t live with myself if I were dirty and out there competing. (Not to mention I’d feel gross being dirty with drugs period…I’d feel like I’d be walking around with a big scarlet letter on my chest…but that’s just me.)

girl runner

Wouldn't a dirty victory feel hallow?


I’ve heard the ‘excuse’ some athletes that head down the road of drugs say: “Everyone else is doing it, so by taking these I’m only leveling the playing field.” That’s a cop-out, and while there will always be cheaters, that doesn’t mean that everyone has to lower themselves to that level. Sure, if you lose to a dirty athlete will it sting? Hell ya. But in the end you are still striving for your best and at least have the satisfaction of the PR’s and stand-out personal performances you do achieve.
olive oly

Maybe Olive Oyl's been on the juice...


Sure, that warm and fuzzy feeling inside may not come with the prize money or the record or title, (How do you think poor Suzy Favor-Hamilton feels after losing out to so many races to Regina Jacobs after it finally was confirmed the latter had been using drugs…you can’t go back in time and reclaim every single loss!) but in the end I certainly believe athletes who’s achievements come clean and without cheating (any kind, course cutting included!) are far more respected and inspiring.

———–
I wanted to thank you all for the awesome comments I received on yesterday’s post about the gap in times between the genders. I really enjoyed reading your perspectives and I agree that because there are just more woman out there at races it lowers the time averages, and skews the picture the numbers portray. I also really liked the point Katherine brought up which has always sort of bugged me, in that certain qualifying or cut-off times for the women are ‘softer’ than the men. Doesn’t gender equality go both ways, why should it be easier for a woman to get into a certain race/event than a man? I would actually take that as an offense, don’t you think a woman can work her butt off just as much to push for that faster time? Just saying…
———–

1) Course cutting cheaters, have you ever had an experience with them? Were they caught? What do you think is a proper penalty?
How about after the race we put them in stocks and let the racers throw their banana peels and Powerbar wrappers at them? 😉

2) Drug cheating…I know it’s like opening up a can of worms, so I’ll just keep it short. What’s your opinion or what is an ‘excuse’ you think athletes use for taking them?

3) Softer race qualifying times for women, what are your thoughts on this?

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Clash of the Genders – Males Racing Relatively Faster Than Women?

Male runners working harder than their female counterparts? Reading this article in the Evolutionary Psychology Journal makes it sound like these professors have come to just this very conclusion.
girl runner
Before all us runnerchicks get our bunhuggers in a bunch, let’s take a gander at their case evidence and logic. The prose is that the ‘average male’ is running relatively faster times than the ‘average female’ runners; that is to say that if you take the current World Record and leading times and then times that average runners race at, the the men are proportionally closer to these elite times than the women.

This is true despite the fact that the rate of increase in number of females who are now taking part in our sport is vastly more than the men. For example the increase in male participation from 1989 to 2009 in road races was 60% where for the women it was 498%. (for NCAA Track and Field it was 32% for the men and 98% for the women) Though there are other factors that quantify such a leap, namely females being ALLOWED to participate…that and for college, the inclusion of Title IX certainly has upped the numbers.

So going into the study, these professors hypothesized, “In any given race, about three to four times as many men as women ran relatively fast. The stable sex difference in relative performance shown here for non-elites constitutes new support for the hypothesis of an evolved male predisposition for enduring competitiveness.”

Through the study they built their argument into three points:
runner racing
* Males tend to be more competitive than women and thus push themselves harder. (I have raced against, run alongside, and befriended women who I know have more mental grit than many men. Females may not generally be as outwardly apparent in being ‘out for blood’ but after the gun goes off, there are no favors for friends…everyone wants the win.) The professors do point out that the numbers are higher for females going to races more as pleasure runners, being interested in just finishing and having fun regardless of the time, than for men.

* The number of males who are putting in a larger volume and higher intensity training program is more than for females. (It does take faster paced workouts to lead to faster race times, no doubt, so here it becomes a difference of goals between the sexes perhaps. Are more of the males interested in chasing a PR and then including the uptempo work versus wanting to run sheerly for the pleasure of running?)

* Males report keeping up that higher training level longer than women. (This could be affected by some factors: certain injuries, life ie: time off for babies, and anemia are all things women tend to suffer from more often than men. It takes consistent training to lead to improvement so these interruptions are doing females no favors.)

End of study findings: “These findings strongly suggest that the sex difference in performance depth can be largely attributed to more men being motivated to engage in the training necessary to run relatively fast.”
girl on track
I’m going to remain an unbiased party here and say that these are generalizations and there are exceptions on both ends. Numbers do show that the gap between the average runnerchick’s times and those of the elites is larger than for men. I think a part of that DOES come down to women having the self-security to believe they are possible of achieving things.

By nature girls grow up with no shortage of ‘mean girls’ chipping away at the old self-esteem. It take believing in your goals to see them actualized. Self-esteem is one of the biggest benefits of sports for females because here there is an arena where we CAN prove we are tough as nails and achieve feats we can be proud of.

Men and boys may have a leg-up on us in some respects with the self-esteem issue however I don’t feel that needs to be an accepted excuse. Instead, I know there are oh so many runnerchicks who are out there busting their @$$ and I hope in time the black and white numbers will reflect this.

1) What are your thoughts on this study?

2) What do you think may be factors in the discrepancy between the genders?

3) Male or female, when you go to a race what are your main intentions? Do you go for a PR and fast time or do you go the more pleasure runner route and don’t worry about the time?

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I Read Minds – What We Can Learn From People Doing Crazy Things

If you’re like me you love to people watch and often wonder what in the world people are doing or thinking sometimes. We could just ask them, but I think it’s better to come up with our own answers. And maybe, just maybe there are things we can glean from these folks…even if they are only tiny nuggets hidden in there.

woman drinking

Then some people are just straight up crazy...

* The guy grunting like a gorilla while doing squats. We really shouldn’t blame him, he’s been having a rough go as of late. His ‘roid dealer has been out of town and his supplies are wearing thin, so this weight load is feeling a LOT harder than it did last week. On top of that some roaches broke into his protein powder…was that a crunch he got on that last swig? Lesson: He’s smart and remember to refuel within 30 minutes of his workout…I’d go sans weevils and roaches though, there are better sources of protein.

* Jerk who just cut in front of you in the port-a-pot line at the race. Do they really think we didn’t notice that, really now? We’ll play along and give them the benefit of the doubt in that maybe they are on the verge of wetting themselves. They were guzzling those free Gatorade samples like they’d just come through the desert on a horse with no name. Though in the future they may want to remember this is only a 5k in the middle of December and all that liquid isn’t exactly necessary. Lesson: Yes, hydration is important, but the amount depends on the race distance and especially the conditions. If you’re in the middle of winter and you’re running a 5k race you probably want to cut the liquids 30 minutes out unless it’s little sips. Also, you can skip actually drinking during the event unless it’s being run at the Equator. Going in water/drink-logged can actually slow you down and give you cramps.

men running

I mean, who does this guy think he is?



* Man you’re approaching while running who won’t let you pass.
This is on the DEFCON Red level of annoyance if you’re a girl and I’m sure you’ve been there. I can say though even if you’re a guy and you find a slower-paced runner who refuses to acknowledge they are slower would be irksome. Obviously this runner is having ego problems, his girlfriend just dumped him and she’s going to be racing the Olympic Marathon Trials in January. You, a fast female, touched a bit of a raw nerve and he’s got something to prove…it’s not an excuse but at least we can feel sorry for him as he pants like the annoying dog he his. Lesson: This case is excruciatingly annoying, but if you’re running an easy day and you get sucked into purposely going harder to drop this guy it could end up biting you in the butt. Recovery days are important, so maybe try to cross to the other side of the street or go another route to avoid getting sucked into dropping the 6 minute miles. If it’s a race, elbow his butt to the side and put that guy in his place.

* The person who continually tells you how ‘lucky’ you are to be so slim and eat like a trucker and asks for the secrets; she is perpetually wanting to lose the same 10 pounds. The people who complain about this but avoid any kind of physical exertion like the plague do hit a nerve; it’s because you could tell them the same thing all the time but without their motivation to do it you could just be talking to the wall. While we could say, “I just ran for 90 minutes and lifted weights…it’s not luck I bust my @$$,” what this person is really thinking is, “Ugh, the pattern on her shirt is really dorky, this cookie tastes like poop but oh well I’ll have another. I need to vent to this thin person about how much I would like the scale to be lower, but I don’t actually want to do anything about it. I just need to vent.” Lesson: Sometimes people ask the same questions all the time and don’t really want an answer. Sometimes they DO want an answer and will put it to good use. It takes internal motivation to reach for our goals and you can’t teach that or make someone do it unless they want to. I am always happy to offer up advice but I do it once and drop it if they reeeeeaally don’t want to listen. 😛

1) Do you have people like this you’ve seen in your daily lives?

2) I think we all have bad days and at times this can lead us to act and do things that are just plain out of character and we’d usually not act like that. I do try to give people slack and like to think that if they’re being rude then maybe it’s just a bad day…I know I have them. BUT, who’s the last person that you really think deserved a swift kick in the tootie?

3) Back to self-motivation, when people ask you ‘how’ you keep running every day what do you tell them?
I just don’t like myself when I don’t.

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Beauty in the Flaws and Success in the Failures

My aunt’s an artist and she has a saying, “Accidental art.” It’s not so much a saying as a phrase for life; if you make a mistake take a look at it again and you just might see that this ‘accident’ made it better.

There was a Native American tribe that used to purposefully hide a flaw in every piece of art, pottery, and weavings they did because they knew that humans weren’t perfect and nothing ever is…nor should it be.

sketch

Certainly not perfect...


Though, as a bit of a perfectionist, I don’t always remember this. I get so furious when a detail isn’t EXACTLY how I envisioned it in my mind and could waste hours trying to get it just right. Sometimes I need to just let go and reiterate, “Accidental art.”
fit girl

Still not perfect.


The same goes for training and racing; you can’t always predict how things will go. No matter how much you may plan, envision, strategize, calculate and dream you can’t completely control the outcome. That can be frustrating but it’s a part of our sport and it can be suprisitingly euphoric too.

An athlete at the top of their game could come into a race and just feel horrible, for them it would be additedly depressing; though for the upset underdog who had the race of his life it could be a pincale of their career.

How can we take these supposed failures and make this ‘accidental art’? LEARN FROM THEM.
sketch of runner
A bad race could be the ‘best’ thing that ever happened to you if you take away something from it and never repeat a mistake again. You go out too fast in the first race of the season and die a horrible death; championships roll around and you run negative splits and run your best race.

You come to the track and the workout is not going at all how it was planned. You could chuck the watch and get through it knowing that the effort is there, you might adjust the workout (if it was long intervals but you’re flat try doing some speedy 200’s) and aim to get a different kind of benefit. Finally you could just get through it and know it’s more a test of your mental grit. Later try to find out if there could be a reason you felt so crummy (check your recovery, easy runs, nutrition, sleeping, etc.) and see if you could correct that.
runner
Thankfully there is always another workout around the corner and if you ‘messed up’ one you get another chance to redo it. The beauty of workouts are they are just practice for races; if you’re going to make a mistake make it there and learn from it.

However, in the end sometimes you just plain feel like junk and that’s just the legs you were dealt with for the day. It’s that margin of unknown in our sport. While we feel safe and in control with the black and white numbers and times that come with running, we have to acknowledge that our bodies will forever throw at us the element of surprise.

You can choose to wallow in the failures or instead look at it again and make some ‘accidental art.’

1) Are you a perfectionist? In some things or all? How do you try to ‘let go’ of details that aren’t so important?
I’m a perfectionist in things I decide I really care about…sadly for my chemistry classes the same can’t be said there. 😛

2) How do you handle bad workouts or races?

3) Last thing you can admit to failing epically at?
I promised myself I’d organize my mountain of ‘stuff’…I’m not winning there. I can’t say I love all my failures…but sometimes we need to cut ourselves some slack and keep moving on. 😛

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Choose Your Own Adventure – Creating Your Own Weight and Strength Routine

Does anyone else remember those books? My favorite were the Goosebumps Choose Your Own Adventure. This one will be with a fitness twist, but we’ll get to that in a short bit.

So I was reading about this Schwarzenegger 5k challenge; the guise is to test a person’s speed AND strength. The participants are first asked to bench-press a certain percentage of their bodyweight until failure, wait 30 minutes and then go race a 5k. The 5k time is then adjusted depending on how many rep’s of the bench press the person did.
strong girl
I don’t think I’ll even attempt the title, as I’m sure I’d have to bench press more than the bar, so I don’t think I’d make all that many. BUT, it brings up a very important point: Runners DO need strength.

Over the years I’ve come to embrace…errr, tolerate the weights and core work. I just find it more boring than running but I know how good it is for me:

* Build your strength = faster times. The stronger your legs are the more power you’ll be able to generate with each push-off…think more speed. The more strength your arms have will further increase your stride speed because your legs will only go so fast as your arms can pump. Stronger core will mean you can retain more efficient form as you tire (stay upright) which will translate into a faster clock time.

* More strength = more miles.
You got it, the stronger you are muscularly the more miles your body can handle…at least handle safely and efficiently…again we get back to form.

* Better form and a stronger body = less injuries. Yup, you heard it here folks, core and weight work will lessen your chances of getting injured.

* More muscle mass = leaner you. You might weight the same, or even put on some pounds, but your body fat will go down and that means you’ll be rocking more muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories per pound than fat, so if you’re into that you’ll be increasing your metabolism throughout the entire day.

Now, the thing with weights and core work for runners is it’s more about higher repetitions and lower weights…we’re going for the leaner muscle tissue. Aim to work at least each major muscle group once per weight session (2-3 times a week on non-sequential days) and do it continuously. Move from exercise to exercise without resting; this will not only make it go by faster but keep your heart rate elevated.

Here’s where we make it ‘fun’, below I’ll list a category and then different exercises. Pick one exercise from each group, cycle through all the groups and you can then ‘choose your own routine’; though for each day that you pick a certain exercise from the group stick with the SAME one for all the sets. Though for the different days you can create plenty of diverse routines. Do 15 repetitions of each one and work your way up to three sets.

Group A:

  • Walking lunges (15 each leg)
  • Forward lunge – step forward into lunge than back to center (15 each leg)
  • Prisoner Squats – squat in place
dumbbell press

Dumbbell Press

Group B

  • Push-up
  • Raised leg push-up (put your legs on a chair or step so they are at an incline, these are harder)
  • Dumbbell press – lay back on bench, dumbbell in each hand, arms straight up. Lower arms until they are at an 90n degree angle and then raise back up

Group C

  • Bicep curl – use two weights, one in each hand
  • Bicep curls – using a long weighted bar
  • Running arms – weight in each hand do a controlled motion as you use them in running

Group D

  • Bench dips – facing away from a chair, put your hands on the edge and legs extended in front of you. Start with arms straight, lower down until your bum is near the ground and arms bent at 90 degrees, then raise back up
  • Tricep kick backs – weights in each hand, bend forward at the hips and keep your arms even with your torso so that they are bent at 90 degrees. Weights in hand, extend at the elbows and lift until your arms are straight, then lower back down
  • Behind the Head Reach – lie facing up on a bench with a bar weight in your hands, bent at the elbows. Start with the bar hovering above your chest then lower it behind your head, over the edge of the bench until your shoulders are even with your ears and then lift back up to starting position.
overhead reach

Overhead Reach

Group E

  • Overhead reach – weight in each hand sit or stand with your torso straight and extend your arms straight above your head. Lower arms down until arms are at 90 degree then back up.
  • Side flies – weight in each hand, sit or stand with torso erect. Bend arms at 90 degree and place the weights together in front of your chest; keeping arms bent raise them laterally until they are even with your shoulders then back down
  • Front flies – weight in each hand, stand straight up, arms down at sides. Keep arms straight and raise weights up in front of you until arms are even with your shoulders and then back down.

Lat Pull-down
Group F

  • Bent over Row – position yourself facing down toward a bend, rest your left hand and left knee on the bench, keep your torso straight from bum to head. Drop your right arm down so it is dangling over the side of the bench and with a weight in hand. Lift your upper arm straight up until bent at 90 degree and even with your torso then back down. Repeat on other side.
  • Lat pull-downs – face one of the lat pull-down machines and pull-down
  • Total body flies – stand straight up holding a weight in each hand; crouch forward into a 3/4 squat and bring the weights together between your legs. As you stand back up cycle your arms up over your head until the dumbbells are touching and your arms are straight. Lower back down into squat and repeat.

Whew…hope all of that made sense to you. The thing with weights is that it is also smart to mix-it up so that your muscles don’t adapt and stop reacting to the stimuli. Of course you don’t have to change it every single time, but so long as you hit each muscle group you will be getting the benefits and while it may be more boring than running…it will help your running. 🙂

PS- this was more upper-body focused and meant to be done if you’ve already done some cardio/running. I’ll do another post centered on more leg exercises but you can also do plyometrics to target your legs.

1) Do you do weight work? Do you like it?

2) Would you do that Schwarzenegger challenge?

3) What’s your favorite kind of core or strength work?
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