Posts in the Motivation Category at , Page 22

Running Curiosities: The quest to understand how to get the most from ourselves

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Cait — 13 Comments ↓

Running curious. What could that mean? Well, if you’re like me you have had some pretty odd thoughts pop through your brain during all of those miles. But I’ve also seen some pretty crazy, even incredible, sights while running too.

Though running curiosities may not be limited to these two interpretations either; does running not teach us to be curious in wondering what could be? How much can we accomplish? What are we capable of, how far can we reach, how high can we dream? What goals can we achieve and how much can we overcome?

Running is a constant battle of the mind and body, mostly taming the mind or manipulating it in a way to keep going; going one second faster, going one step further, another PR, another mile. Your mind says, “No,” but you have to still encourage the body to “Go.” Go, Dog, Go! 😉

The longer you’re at this mental game the better you become at blocking out the distress signals from your brain; though it’s not always a linear learning curve, there are ups and downs. Like an EKG chart, some days you’re more ‘on’ and there are other days where your whining mind might win out too. That’s okay, we all have weaker moments, we are after all human. Just remember how you feel after those ‘weaker’ days, let down and frustrated, and the next time you feel the urge to give in remind yourself that you will, in fact, regret it later despite what your negative mind is yelling at you in the moment.

There are so many curiosities in running, intangibles that science is constantly trying to define, pinpoint, dissect, discover, and track, all in the effort to give us the answers to our questions. Why do we have days where our legs feel like lead for no apparent reason, why are there days when we feel magical and like we are running inhumanly, effortlessly? What’s the perfect way to taper, the smartest training plan, the perfect runner diet…why, why, why…

That is why all of those running magazines, journals, blogs, websites, and labs are there and why we swallow them up, devouring the information to fuel our training regimen, to further fuel this running addiction. To get the best from ourselves.

Running teaches us to get the best out of our bodies, but also our lives. That self-motivation, tenacity, resiliance spills into reaching and pushing ourselves to do better in other areas. Curious how that works.

1) What are some of the strangest things you’ve experienced on a run, seen, thought about, been a part of, or otherwise?
Have to say you should check out some of the awesome and hilarious things that went on during Britt’s run the other day! 🙂

2) What does running curious mean to you?

3) How does the curiosity to push yourself further translate to personal running goals? To other areas of life?

4) What is a physical curiosity tied to running that has sparked your interest as of late; an article you read about a certain workout, product, food, etc?

A Backwards Plot to Running: Would knowing the outcome sway your decision to start?

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Cait — 16 Comments ↓

8:34:23 – She crosses the line, looks up at the clock. Slightly bends forward, hands on knees for just a moment before rising and looking up again, this time to the woman who beat her, then back at the track again.

8:00:02 – Crack. The starter gun goes off.

7:23:46 – She starts off on her warm-up, sweats on. Over the course of the next 45 minutes she’ll slowly strip off the layers until she’s down to just her singlet and racing shoes.

5 Days Earlier – Last tune-up workout. She finishes feeling sharp, confident, shares a laugh with her training partner as they cross through the line on the last interval just as the sunset dips below the stands of the local track. “That’ll do,” yells the coach from the sidelines…the laugh comes because she just muttered under her breath to her teammates, “That’ll do, Pig.” They all got the reference.

17 Day Earlier – It’s colder than usual, her skin pricks a bit as they all start out on their long run. Some of her training buddies, best friends, are wearing long sleeves but she’s only in a tank top…she knows she warms up fast and hates being overly hot.

45 Days Earlier – The rain is coming down hard, it burns her face as she makes a turn straight into the line of fire and she swears there has to be a little hail mixed in there. Blinking like crazy she laughs and thinks, “Only 10 more miles to go!”

53 Days Earlier – Just before shutting out the light she closes her eyes and thinks of a day in the future, not so far away, but one she’s had in the back of her mind for weeks, months, maybe years. She thinks of a time, the one burned in the back of her mind, it’s a time and a title, a finishing place that she envisions. She opens her eyes, looks to the wall on her right and the same time stares back at her, inked in black on a flimsy little post-it. It’s been hanging there for so long it’s lost it’s sticky and is taped to the wall with duct-tape.

I was watching a show last night and it was one of those backwards plot episodes and it got me thinking, “How would a backwards plot play out related to running?” What if we were able to watch our entire race play out but in rewind, we’d watch the finishers all sweaty and panting, some happy others disappointed, some puking, and ourselves mixed in there as well. We’d then see who makes which moves where, who went out too fast; our own moves, our own mistakes or smart moves. Then all of them, and us, at the starting line poised to start.

When you’ve got a certain race, time, title you want, one you’ve been focusing on for so long, I can see where having this ability to look into the future would be a little tempting. To know the outcome before you started, heck, to know the outcome before you even tried, maybe months or years prior. The question then begs to be asked, “If you did know how the race played out, would you even start? Would the end result be the deciding factor on if it was worth it to you to get to the line? Either way, would you sacrifice the journey?”

Some people may instantly say, “Yes,” if they knew they lost or fell short of their goals, maybe to them it wouldn’t be worth it to dump time and energy into the training. Maybe they would think, “Well, all that running and stuff wasn’t really worth it, I never did hit what I set out to do. The smart thing would be to invest that time elsewhere and put it to better use.” I guess I could see their point of view.

Even if you knew you were going to win, to come away with a new PR, would you just want to cut ahead to the finish? Skip all the workouts and runs along the way and just get to the good stuff? I don’t necessarily think you would if you really thought about it; no, I think you’d actually want to live in each and every second, footstep of that race, so you can relish it looking back. It would be reinforcement of all the hard work, sure, and motivation to keep striving going forward, that too. I think skipping all the hard stuff and grueling workouts to get to that point would cheapen those memories a bit too, strip down the meaning behind what you achieved.

I had a person once tell me, “You’re one of those runners who likes the training just as much as the racing, and it kills you every time you have to taper. You do it because you want to race well, but I know it drives you crazy too.” I own up to that, I’m stir crazy if I don’t work off all that energy, and I still love running even though I can’t remember when my last race was.

Every run, the crappy, the awesome, the in-between, the hilariously ridiculous due to elements, the ones you honestly have no idea how you got through because they hurt so bad, and those spent silent alongside someone but the entire time you’ve spoken with them unlike any other are all worth it in my mind. You learn, you meet people, you experience. Even if you knew how each and every workout and run was going to play out, say you were able to ‘see’ which were the ones you would crush and the others you would fall flat on, I’d still do them. Though I wouldn’t really want that magic eight ball eye for the bad ones! 😉

For racing, I think the unknowns keep us going, the quest for our goals. Sure, we fail sometimes, but we have other chances, other goals, no need to just chuck in the towel and call it all a waste. Even if you never hit something, or miss out on that title, time, team victory, the workouts and runs leading up to that point, no doubt you created lasting memories and are things I wouldn’t call a waste.

You also certainly learned about yourself too. Was that a waste?

In the end the journey is worth it too, not just the last second and ending credits. Nope, no backwards plot for this runnerchick.

1) What would a backwards plot running style look like for you, or what would you liken it to? Would it be a different take on the concept that I have?

2) If you could have the power to know the outcomes beforehand, would you take advantage of that or rather not know?

3) Would the outcome sway your decision or motivation to even start?

4) Racing aside, if you knew how every run was going to be or feel, would you decide to just not go out on certain days?

The Big Three: Talent vs. Work Ethic vs. Mental Toughness- Which matters the most?

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Cait — 13 Comments ↓

What makes the most successful runners, is the talent, hard work ethic or mental toughness that matters the most? Sure, genetics come into play, one can’t overlook that as a factor, but running isn’t the kind of sport where you can make it to top off of pure talent alone. Eventually even the most talented ‘slackers’ hit their glass ceilings and get outpaced by the runners who refuse to let their genetic short-comings stand in their way and rely on dedication and perseverance.

Then there is grit. There are runners who make running look ugly, each step painful and torturous, mostly because it is, but they battle the pain, embrace it, run towards it even unlike their competitors can. There are also the types of runners who tend to rise to the occasion, when they toe the line they are able to step it up to a new level and perform even better than their workouts may have predicted. I like the term Shalane Flanagan has used, these are the ‘gamers.’

All runners possess each of these but to varying degrees; of course we’d like to be blessed with all of them to the utmost but we can’t, so let’s not get greedy. However, which would you say is the most important, which would you say should be factored in the most, and which is the hardest to make up for?

Talent. You can’t fake that, you can’t really change much of it either…you sort of have it or you don’t. Fast-twitch to slow-twitch muscle fiber ratio tends to predispose you to the event you’re best at; with certain training and exercises you can increase or build up the kind you may be lacking in, but to at a certain point you’ll max out. Your max heart rate and VO2 Max are other things you can only improve on so much before you’re tapped out. Form; some runners take to it naturally and make the act look effortless, even beautiful. Here there is a lot more ‘wiggle room’ and with diligent work and practice even the ugliest runner can improve their form.

Work ethic. Running can’t be faked…you can’t luck your way into the hole in one equivalent of a fast race. A prime example of this is when you see the young age-grouper kids tearing it up and winning off of talent, they get to high school and even there they can excel for awhile. But come senior year and college, if they are used to being able to skate by with skipped runs they get a cold slap of reality when they can’t win so easily any more. Here is where they can either learn and find the motivation to re-dedicate themselves and they gain that self-motivation if they want to continue to thrive; if they don’t then they can settle. The hard workers, these are the cases where ‘unknown’ runners hit their big coming out moment and get thrust into the spotlight. The thing is, they’ve been flying under the radar for a long time, diligently working away, taking the loses or back of pack status in stride and then all of that hard work finally pays off.

Mentality. Grit and mental toughness probably holds the most mystic as it can’t exactly be quantified or tested. There isn’t really a measuring system for it and even the ‘gamers’ can’t fully explain how they are able to step up, hone their focus, and block out the pain so well, they just do. I think that being able to block out the pain is certainly something that can continually be worked on and that our thresholds can always be pushed. I know there are times where I know for a fact I’ve hit a new level of pain. I think that comes from experience, hard workouts, races; these callous the mind. Visualization and other techniques are also at our disposal. Generally, just proving that voice in your mind telling you that you can’t is instrumental; your mind is often the biggest limiting factor but every time you ignore it and hit a new goal you reinstill that when it screams at you to stop and you can’t do something, it is only a farce. “You can’t run 10 miles without stopping,” the voice says…you do it, one point for you, a loss for the mind.

Runners fall across the spectrum on all of these; hard work and mental toughness are perhaps the two ‘easiest’ ones to manipulate and improve upon. There is always room to grow…what it often comes down to is practice, the motivation to get better, and then just getting out there and doing it day in and day out. How much do you want it?

1) Which of these do you feel is your greatest strength? Which do you feel is your weaker point?

2) Which do you think is the greatest factor in determining your running success? Which do you feel maybe matters the least?

3) Who are some runners that you feel are examples of harriers that have a strong ability in one of these traits?
For grit, Paula Radcliffe, Alberto Salazar, and Adam Goucher are just a few that instantly spring to mind.

4) Which do you wish you had the most of, admire in other runners the greatest, and what do you want to do to improve on that trait?

What the Heck Has Luck Got to Do With it? – Running is hardly a sport for the lucky

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Cait — 14 Comments ↓

“Good luck.” In the flurry of races this weekend, even I was guilty of rattling this phrase off to lots of my friends who were about to toe the line. Written, said, Tweeted, Facebooked…you name it, when someone we know is about to race these are our go-to words. The ‘bon voyage to vacationers.

Trackside view.

But shouldn’t we really be saying something more along the lines of, “Think of how many countless miles of hard work you’ve put in to get here.” Or, “You’ve busted your @$$ for this race, get out there and get after it. And when it really starts to hurt remember how hard you’ve fought to get here and refuse to give in to that voice telling you to ease back.”

We could say, “You’ve got this.” Or, “This chick/dude next to you, there is NO WAY they can tolerate as much pain as you…make them hurt and then when they crack blow that sucker away.”

Because in running, to actually get to the starting line it’s taken anything but bounties of luck. Sure, you could always argue this is the margin of luck, avoiding the rock in the trail that, would you have stepped on it wrong, you would have fallen down, twisted your ankle so bad that you would have been laid up and injured for months. There’s a wee bit of luck, sure, but that pales in comparison to the sweaty miles and days when you really didn’t feel like doing that workout but you did it anyways.

I say we should do away with the “Good Luck” as the steadfast, we should try to get a new phrase to catch on…I mean some people did get “that’s the bomb” circulating there for awhile. Something more fitting would be, “Race with confidence.” Because isn’t that what you really would rather hear at the staring line? I know I would…being told that I should be confident in all the training and hard work I’ve done would do much more in the way of quelling those nerves too. Run relaxed, run with confidence, because you know you belong at that starting line.

Good luck rattles off a little too easily. Sure the sentiments are there and always appreciated…but when it comes right down to it, running isn’t a sport for the lucky. You can be d@## sure that it doesn’t take luck to run a PR, a marathon, a four minute mile, an ultra, the best 5k of your life.
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I’m going to take a second to apologize profusely to anyone who has been trying to get on my site over the past few days and are only met with an error message or have been blocked. I’ve been sucked into tech/website h-e-double hockey sticks and been trying to get it taken care of! Please do come back despite my server crashing…would it be more tempting if I baited you with cookies, Pop-Tarts, and ice-cream??
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1) What would you rather hear at the starting line if it wasn’t “good luck?”

2) What helps you the most with nerves before a race? Do you get nervous?
I always got nervous before races even if they were small ones, but it was excited nervous. My mom always told me, “If you weren’t nervous, then I’d be worried…it means you didn’t care.”

3) What do you tend to tell people, friends, or anyone about to race?

4) Did you race this weekend? How did you get your sweat on?

Run Towards Your Goals: Don’t let anything stand in your way, that includes yourself

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Cait — 2 Comments ↓

Don’t let anything, including yourself, stand in your way.

Today will be short and sweet. Remember also, that running is incredibly mental and usually the biggest limiting factor is YOUR OWN mind. Don’t let your mind out-thinking yourself from your goals…next time that little voice in your head says, “Stop, you can’t do this, it’s too hard, slow down, ease back.” Respond by ignoring it and plowing forward. 🙂
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I’m also excited to share that one of my pictures is featured today on the Run The Edge Facebook page! If you haven’t checked it out, head on over. While you’re there be sure to see what other awesome things are going on at Run The Edge…there’s even continued updates on Kara Goucher’s road to the London Olympics. Talk about some awesome goals to run towards. 🙂
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1) What goals are you currently working towards?

2) What do you do when you find yourself doubting yourself, a particular goal, or have the little voice in your mind telling you to ‘stop’?

3) What’s going on for you this weekend?

My Love/Hate Relationship With Running

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Cait — 7 Comments ↓

Running and I have a fickle relationship. Running…

I hate how you taunt me each morning, “When are you going to get to me today?”
That little question hangs in the silences, it screams over any chatter, it teases me with updates of what my friends’ workouts were. That question sits there until I get you done.

Yet I love how you reward me once I’m a sweaty mess. Despite all else the day entails I feel that I have at least accomplished something through you. The endorphins you gift me, even after an easy run, are enough to tide me over until the next day, when you again start this vicious cycle all over again.

I hate you on those days when the first few ~~miles~~ steps make me feel like a Sumo wrestler who is doing something completely against nature and sanity. The days where that act of right-left-right feels foreign…

Though I love how somewhere along the line I slip into my stride and remember that I am actually a runner.

I hate 400’s. I hate those track workouts, heck I hate the warm-up BEFORE the actual workouts because I know what’s coming. Who are we trying to fool here, Running, I know you’re going to only bring me pain. I hate standing on the line, JUST before I’m about to start the first interval where I have to play into your charade and tell myself, “It’s not going to be that bad,” and then take off.

Though there is NOTHING I love more than being in the middle of a kick @$$ workout, one that I know I’m owning, I’m on a roll and I’m surprising myself at the splits that keep ticking off. The mix of emotions: excitement at doing all I can to keep the times fast so later that night I can write down the averages in my little training log with a smile…the anxiousness at knowing what goes into making those splits ever faster, I’m not quite done after all…the dread of starting the next interval because my legs are burning like an unholy fire.

I hate how you constantly make me question my own mental toughness. “Did I let up a hair when I could have pushed harder? Did I weenie out on that last mile? Was there more I could have given? Was there a lost opportunity for me to cover a move that would have changed the outcome of that race?” I hate the doubts, they can drive you mad.

Though I love how you make me question what is possible…make me start to believe that I can achieve something more…aim higher. Even when at first it seems like an impossibility, you chant it enough, whisper it into my ear so many times, you start to fool me into believing…and then going for it.

I hate how you so cruelly can make me fall short of those goals. You can callously break my heart with the dead legs on the day that seems to matter the most. You make me watch as my goal slips away, when I know it’s not going to happen.

But I love that there is always tomorrow. And somehow, I take you back because you remind me that there is tomorrow, another chance to go for it. No one minute is the end of the line…I love you enough to take you back and in my heart know I will forever and ever, no matter how many times you may be cruel to me.

I hate the times I have these insane runner withdrawals. Injuries and stretches when you are just out of reach; where my mind and body crave you like some crazy addict. Nothing quite compares to you, they all fall short of your fix.

I love being addicted to you though, there are far worse things out there I know. And when I finally get you back, it’s crazy, but so many other things shift back into place and all is again right in the world.

I hate starting a long run that I know is going to be one where I have to keep telling myself I’m only going one mile more. I love the long runs that I get lost in and never want to leave. I hate the epic, tedious, insanely hard workouts that hurt in every way, when even my eyes are burning. I love the entering the last mile of a great tempo run and wanting to really burn it up. I hate the sucky races. I love the awesome races and PR’s. I hate running next to a two-stepper. I love having an amazing training partner. I hate feeling like I’m running too slow. I love the cool-downs that leave you feeling like you’re tripping because you ran hard and great.

Running, I love you because you’re all mine.

1) What’s something you hate about running?

2) What’s something you love about running?

London Done and Come Early: What us mortal runners can take away from the elites

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Cait — 8 Comments ↓

Yes we’re all excited for the London Olympics this summer but there’s plenty of action over there prior to that with today’s London Marathon. I know I can’t be the only person who feels like a total slacker, slow-poke reading and watching all these amazing races; odd how it’s a mixture of that and then of course jaw-dropping inspiration, right? 😉

In case you missed it there’s plenty of motivation to vicariously soak up (try not to feel too much like a slacker, slow poke…instead, channel these amazing athletes as examples to reach higher in your own goals.) on both the men’s and women’s side.

2:18:37. That’s what Mary Keitany blazed through the streets of London today in her quest to victory. That’s the third fastest women’s marathon ever recorded, and disregarding the whole hoopla on re-establishing World Records for women it does sit behind the fastest ever time of 2:15:25 that Paula Radcliffe ran at London in 2003. I had to throw that in there because Radcliffe’s run there is just beastly to just an insane level.

Keitany tackled the race in a phenomenal demonstration of the power of negative splits. While the pace ‘dawdled’ early, I’m speaking in relative terms for them because it was 5:30-ish, she then knocked down the pace and ended up throwing down 5:07, 5:02, and even a 4:59 split for mile 25. Let’s take this as a lesson for the mortal: negative split running works, don’t go out to fast due to over-excitment and end up crawling to the finish line.

However, there is something to be said for going out blazing saddles from the gun IF you know you are capable of hanging on to that heated pace as Wilson Kipsang and his 2:04:44 win is an example of just that. (Shout out to all Prefontaine fans here, we know our American harrier was known for running all out from the gun regardless too.) Kipsang literally creamed the field as second place was over 2 minutes behind.

Going out in 4:39 for the first mile, even a 4:30 14th mile, is a risky move even if you are in fantastic shape. The marathon is a tricky beast of a race, a lot can happen over those 26.2 miles and to an extent there are some variable you just have to leave up to chance and hope that things line up in your favor come that day. Even so, when pulled off, such feats are astounding and have to be admired.

Back to mere mortal running realm, there is always something we can take away from what these top runners achieve and accomplish.
* Have confidence. Both of these races are examples of running with confidence but in two different ways. On the women’s side it takes confidence to have patience. It’s been said that it is the runner without confidence who isn’t secure enough in their ability to stay controlled early in a race, as they doubt that they will be able to close strong. Mary Keitany had patience and the confidence in her fitness, and herself, that she could still beat out her competitors come the latter stages of the race. On the men’s side, Wilson Kipsang clearly had the confidence in himself to go out in those heated times. No doubt he’d been assured of this from previous workouts; he knew he could handle that on race day. Have confidence in yourself; it’s natural to be nervous on race day, but know you’ve put in the work and are ready.

* Run your own race. Don’t run someone else’s race or get too hung up on your competition and what they are doing. Races can always play out a myriad of ways so be prepared for that; go into each one with a few different race plans depending on how the actual race plays out and how you are feeling. Having a few different plans to choose from mapped out beforehand makes it infinitely easier to run YOUR race; making decisions on the fly in the thick of things can be stressful and lot harder in the moment.

* Reach and run. Everyone is motivated by different things; for some it’s the elite runners and for others it is their neighbor who never ran a step until they were 50 and now is avid about fitness. Whatever motivates you to keep at it is great; the London performances should still be able to inspire you to keep setting goals for yourself and are fine examples that CONSISTENCY and staying the course with training and the bumps along the way are worth it. Running will always come with up’s and down’s…be prepared to handle both; relish the up’s so you can recall them during the down’s. Set goals for yourself and reach for them; they don’t have to be PR’s or even times but perhaps just staying consistent. Whatever it is, your mind is often your biggest limiting factor and the thing holding you back.

That’s enough words out of me for a Sunday! I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend and getting your run or sweat on in any way…if you were throwing down some 4:59 miles too en route to a marathon then my hat is tipped to you. 🙂

1) Do you follow elite running? Do their races inspire and motivate you to achieve your own goals? If not, what does inspire you?

2) When you race, do you tend to go in with a few different race plans and goals?

3) What do you think an example of running with confidence is? How do you gain confidence in your running and yourself with running?

4) What is something you are reaching for? A goal with running or anything related to fitness?

The Boston Marathon, Treadmill Marathons, and Gasp I Ran…

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Cait — 6 Comments ↓

Is there some kind of race going on in Boston this weekend? Just kidding, as this ~~Sunday~~ Monday (wow, sorry for the total brainfart there!) will be of course the Boston Marathon. This race is rich in history and has a running legacy all it’s own.

In the minds of many marathon runners it’s an epitome of sorts as they chase the entry times just to get to the line. From the mid-packers excited just to BE there to the elites, Boston also often promises fast times, which became quite the controversy last year with the fastest ever marathon times run but then not being counted as ‘official’ World Records. Not that there hasn’t been controversy with Boston times in the past; because Boston’s course, while noted for some epic uphills, overall has an elevation drop. You can get some awesome Boston Coverage HERE and HERE.
Michael Wardian en route to attempting treadmill marathon World Record
Source
But today in Boston Michael Wardian is attempting the World Record for the treadmill marathon, that record time is set at 2:21:40. As of now the results are staying tight lipped, but I’m going to venture to guess he beat it…the man’s a beast in all the best ways.

Now, I don’t know if you’ve noticed but for the last, oh, four or five months there hasn’t been much personal running talk from this Arty Runnerchick. Actually you could have started to dub the site The Cranky, Injured, Runner-Envious Arty Runnerchick if you really started reading between the lines…haha. I jest, and I’ve done all I could to stay positive but it’s been a loooooong time since I was able to get in a run. The memory of pain-free running was a distant, far off memory circa 2011; though I’ve been through this song and dance in the past with injuries and the ONLY way to get through them is to take it a day at a time, stay the course, laugh when it really stinks, and get on the blasted cross-training machine.

Miracle beyond all miracles I was able to give a little love to my treadmill this morning, albeit for a short run and I’m hardly out of the woods yet with this left foot debacle, but I have to say I feel like a better person. I’ve still got to stay a close to the ~~ball and chain~~ elliptical too, but there is NOTHING like running.

So let’s end this with a smile…

Call Hallmark, it's getting cheesy in here...

And a few vows that should apply to us all:

* I will not take any mile for granted, I will be thankful for each sweaty, hard fought one and know that I’m lucky to be able to run them.

* I will be SMART. I won’t make all the mistakes of newbie, excited, eager, and mile greedy runners and rush things. I will also be proactive to prevent injuries any way I can and I’ll listen to my body.

* I’ll remember that injuries will always be a part of running and remember that when the next one hits I’ll get through it just like I have before.

* I’ll pay it forward to other runners in the wee ways I can. I’ll sympathize with the injured, remind them to stay the course, and celebrate their victories in steps back to full running health.

Happy Saturday and hope you made it a little (or a lot) sweaty! 🙂

1) Are you racing this weekend?

2) Do you have aspirations to run Boston or any other particular race that stands out in your mind as the epitome of it all?

3) Would you, could you, run a treadmill marathon? Are you a treadmill running fan?

4) What’s one vow you have to make in regarding staying healthy, running, or fitness in general that applies to you?

5) How did you get your sweat on today?

How Did I Get Roped Into This Whole Running Thing? – Why We Run and a Sweaty Announcement

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Cait — 12 Comments ↓

Why do you do it? I’m sitting here just finishing off a piece on my ‘Aha Fitness Moment’ and trying to pinpoint the moment I fell in love with running. I’ll share a bit more on why I’m writing this in a minute, but bear with me for a second.

I was really stuck on the ‘Aha Moment’ thing because I don’t really think of it like a single, angels singing in the background, moment of clarity that struck me like one of Zeus’s lightening bolts. (How many cliches could I work in there? Hehe) I’d say for me it was more of a transition…

…I HATE you running, what perverse PE teachers makes us just run around for no reason?

…So now I’m roped onto this running team because I have no coordination and got cut from all the sports teams my friends are on. Okay, well fine.

…If I’m going to be here then I’m going to at least try and be the best, that girl is faster than me, okay, well let’s just chase her and see how it goes.

…Obviously I didn’t train enough because I’m hunkered over this bush after crossing the finish line, so now maybe I’ll just actually run a little more and see if I can get in better shape. (small victory, I actually never tossed my cookies, only thought I was going too…hehe.)

…This running this is awesomely. I’m addicted.

End of story.

Today I call myself an obsessive compulsive runner…in many ways I’m not sane but I know running at least holds those threads together. 😉

You’ll eventually get to read the piece I put together because I was able to scrounge up a moment of clarity. You’ll be able to read it, I’ll let you know when, because of my new role as one of the Sweat Pink Ambassadors. I’m very excited to join an amazing group of women who share a passion for all sports, yes, even those that aren’t running related. 😉

As an ambassador I’ll continue to share what tips, advice, and sweat related tidbits I’ve got as well as do all I can to encourage all of my readers to follow and achieve their own fitness related endeavors. To set your own goals and get after them. I think a great thing about running, writing, art, blogging and all that we do it offers up a chance to interact with a new community; I feel fortunate to be invited to yet another community, and one that Sweats Pink. The Sweat Pink motto is one I can fully get behind, because as you know I’m a self-described sweaty, obsessive, compulsive runner. 🙂

1) Do you have an ‘Aha Fitness Moment’ yourself?

2) If not a moment, then what was your transition into finding your own fitness passion like?

3) If you are a runner, how did you get into the sport? Was it like me and because you literally stunk it up at everything else??

4) Are you going to sweat a bit of pink yourself?? Actually, you can head on over to FitApproach and check out a new place I’ll be contributing to. You can also follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest as well…ummm, because I know all of you already follow me on those…haha, jk. 🙂 Also, if you’re interested in rocking out some pink shoelaces let me know and I’ll see if I can make that happen.

5) What is going on for you this weekend and how are you getting your sweat on?

The Rainbow of Running: Sweating out each mile by the color

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Cait — 14 Comments ↓

A rainbow is built color by color, not unlike your training. Here’s the running rainbow breakdown:

Red is Consistency. There is no super secret to getting better, it’s just hard work done day in and day out over months, years…you get the picture. Dedication and self-motivation are two the biggest things that will determine the amount you success you achieve, that really goes with anything. You can’t fake it, do what you love; if that’s running then set your goals and run for them. But be prepared for all of the curmudgeony, blah, tedious days too; they will be there and in those times you have to remember WHY you run and then get out there and do it.

Orange is Base. That great big old engine, your aerobic base; we’ve got your long runs served up piping hot with a side of hills and a great big pancake feast post-run refuel. Distance runners thrive on those endurance challenges…there are those runs where you step out and get lost between the miles, but the times where each mile seems to be excruciatingly endless too. There are the ones done with a great group and even in those shared moments of silence you’re getting to know each other in a unique kind of intimacy only training partners will understand.

Yellow is Tempo. The tempo runs and the long intervals, the main course workouts so to speak. These get you ready for those middle miles of a race, the majority of it; getting you used to race pace so that you can handle it come the big day. What’s your pick of poison, milers, 5 mile tempos, 1000’s, 10 mile tempos? Only this time the poison is lactic acid and it’s a matter of getting your muscles accustomed to handling as much as possible.

Green is Mentality. It’s often you against yourself when you come right down to it; sure there are your opponents, yes there is the clock, but before you can beat any of them you have to beat yourself. You have to face the doubts, that voice in your head telling you you can’t, screaming at you to stop, to give in, to relent. You have to look that bit of yourself dead in the eye when the moment comes, tell it to shut up, and keep on pushing.

Blue is Injury. It’s a necessary evil, they happen to every runner. We can do all we can to avoid them but they do come with the territory. When they hit it’s a matter of retaining sanity, dealing with them, and getting proactive. Cross-train, rehab, get better and get back. A large part of getting back is also mental, a string of injuries can ruin a runner if they get hung up in the depressive mindset. These injuries are tests, how much do you want to get back…the cheat sheet is to stay positive and take one day at a time.

Indigo is Speed. Yes, even the most fast-twitch muscle devoid distance runner needs speed, at least the ability to shift a few gears even if they don’t think it’s by an incredible amount. Have fun with these 200’s, the 400’s and 600’s…yes, fun. We may get blown away by real sprinters but it’s all relative. If you fear the track then forget the watch and just go; test yourself by running faster for the pleasure of the wind in your hair and slipping into a quicker gait. Take away the pressure and surprisingly you can fall in love with the sprinter-side of yourself. Then when you do see that clock again get cozy with a faster kick and enjoy the new PR.

Violet is High. The elusive runner’s high, the days when everything clicks. These are the crazy days that you can’t plan no matter how scientific you go about things. You’re just ON. They may fall on race day and bless you with a PR that feels ‘effortless’ but they could be random days too. Hold tight to the memories of these days because in the end these are what we are all chasing, they are what make all the crappy, leaden-leg filled days worth it. The ever quest for the days when you meet your best running self and for a brief moment in time you’re one and on the best run of your life.

Running and training, just like the rainbow, is built color by color.

1) Pick a color and parallel it to running or your own training.

2) Could you pick one of the colors and meaning I gave it and relate it to yourself? Which one is your favorite and why?

3) Consistency is the building block of training, how do you stay consistent?
I know I’m a happier, better person when I get my sweat in for the day. 🙂