Posts in the Motivation Category at , Page 23

When Running Starts Taunting Me – When do YOU like to get your workout in?

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Cait — 6 Comments ↓

I like to workout first thing. I hate waiting, it feels like my run (workout when injured) is sitting there over my head taunting me, “When are you going to get to me, when are you going to get to me?”

I'm MUCH happier after my run/workout. 🙂

It’s really difficult to explain, it’s like there is this pressure and I HATE the minutes between the now and the run but for a mix of odd reasons.

1) I feel anxious or nervous that for some reason I won’t get my run/workout in for the day. But not because I fear something unexpected will come up or plans will change (I’m too anal to blow off my run in lieu of something else), but because when it comes time to actually DO it I’ll be a lazy bum and opt out…this, even though I know myself too well to even believe that would happen.

2) I feel lazy.Yes, crazy, I feel lazy until I actually get my workout done. If I read about workouts other people have done or see people out running, I feel like they are also taunting me and I feel guilty for having yet to do mine.

Sorry, no matter how much laughing I do it's not enough of a workout for me...lol.

3) I’m grouchy. Without those endorphins my brain goes into beast mode and I’m just ‘off’ for lack of a better term.

This running taunts me exponentially if I’ve got a hard workout or race to wait for. This is because, let’s be frank, we all try to fool ourselves that the burning and pain of those intervals won’t be that bad, but we know it’s a lie. A thin veil of untruth that allows us to start.

I feel that the quicker I can roll out of bed and into my workout the less time I have to contemplate that lie, to try and dissect it…I’m afraid my mind won’t be buying what I’m trying to sell if I wait too long into the day.

I like the feeling after you owned that workout.

For oh so many reasons, I HATE the waiting, I like to get my run in first thing. It’s not just for selfish reasons either because I know I’m much better to everyone around me after I’ve gotten all sweaty and earned those endorphins. 😉

1) When do you like to workout? I know some people cannot do the first thing in the morning at all.

2) Do you get where I’m coming from in feeling like your workout is taunting you until you get it in?

3) When it comes to hard workouts or races, do you seem to feel a little ‘different’ on those days beforehand and does that effect what time you like to do them?

4) Do you really not care at all when you get the run in and are one of those crazy flexible people who just easy, breezy, go with the flow??

5) What’s on tap for your Saturday?

Gawking at Fast Runners: We all have doubts, but you can choose whether to let them stand in your way or not

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Cait — 10 Comments ↓

“Those who can’t do, teach,” they say and I’ll add, “Those who can’t run can obsess.”I jest, but if I’m not going to be able to get my fix of miles for now (thank you, right foot, if I could I’d just lop you off, steal someone else’s foot and reattach!) I’ll have to vicariously get them from others. I’ll start a donation pile, feel free to leave a few of your’s in the can as you leave. 😉

Ahh, I can dream of some sunset runs. 😉

Back on track, if you’re a running ~~geek~~ fan we’ve got some pretty fun weeks coming up. This Sunday will is the Carlsbad 5000 in California, April then ushers in both the Boston Marathon and the London Marathon.

The Carlsbad 5000 has quite the history as time and time again its fast coarse has berthed many 5k road World Records, they don’t call it ‘The World’s Fastest 5k’ for nothing. The current Women’s 5k record is from Carlsbad in 2006, 14:46 by Meseret Defar. This year Tirunesh Dibaba who, with a 14:51 at the 2005 Carlsbad once held the joint 5k World Record with Paula Radcliffe, will be going back for a visit and a race. You can read some more about her HERE from Competitor and HERE from Running Times, but for those who don’t know Dibaba launched herself into the distance running spotlight while still in her teens…girl is crazy fast, in her first Carlsbad appearance in 2002 she was 16 and ran a 15:19. Not too shabby, just a 4:55 mile average. 😉 She’s been laying a bit low these past years and dealing with ongoing injuries, I think we can all relate to that.

Photo Credit: Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian

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Speaking of some more crazy fast women here is an article on Shalane Flanagan about her recent win in the Lisban Half Marathon with a time of 1:08:52. I think the two best parts are 1) that she is wearing a Kara shirt and 2) this quote upon finding out that at the press conference she was placed head of the table and declared a clear favorite going in, “I thought they were on crack.” Flanagan goes on, “When I saw the start list, I was wondering if I should have entered the race. I was wondering what I’d gotten myself into. A lot of the women on the start list had PRs (personal records) that were a minute to a minute and a half faster than mine.”

I like this quote because it shows that we ALL have doubts no matter how fantastic we are, what are previous accomplishments may be, and despite the podiums others may place us on. Yes, the possibility still remains we may come up short of our goals, or be beat on a given day but that is a good thing as it motivates us to keep going, keep pushing ourselves, and never settle.

Obviously later going on to victory in Flanagan’s case proves that she doesn’t let the voices of doubts psyche her out. We ALL have race day nerves,but it’s a matter of channeling those jitters into a positive direction and using them to our own advance. Use the excitement to give you the ability to raise the bar on race day, give you that extra kick, where you area able to really dig down deep and bring it. How bad do you want to achieve that goal?

You'll win some, you'll lose some...keep trying.

In running, racing, and in life, we all have the doubts…the moments where we may be thinking that whoever thinks we can do something must “be on crack” but that’s okay. Let them snort the white stuff, but perhaps take a shot yourself and go for it…at least try. Even if you fail you’ll have learned something and you could end up winning after all. **Disclaimer, I am obviously joking on the snorting crack here, folks…my drug of choice is exercise…mmk! 😉

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Quick reminder that my Road ID giveaway ends tomorrow! Don’t forget to enter. 🙂
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1) Are you racing this weekend? If so, let’s hear it! If you’re not, what do you have planned?

2) Is there a time you didn’t think you belonged somewhere or where you were in over your head? How did you deal with that?
I often say that the saying, “Fake it ’til you make it” applies in these cases…just roll with it and pretend like you belong even if you don’t think you do!

3) How do you handle pre-race nerves or anxiety? How do you handle the same kind of nerves or doubts in other areas of your life? (ie: interviews, meeting people, etc)

4) When you were 16 what were you doing, did you take part in sports? If you were a runner what do you think your 5k times were like?
I ran, but I had yet to even run ONE mile in 4:55…I don’t recall exactly my 5k PR at the time, probably around 17:30-ish??

Mental Games for Getting Through Tedious Cross-Training Workouts: The Chocolate Edition

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Cait — 6 Comments ↓

Tuesday morning and I, admittedly a bit begrudgingly, took to the elliptical machine. (I swear I AM a runner, even if the last time I had an awesome, pain-free run seems like a far-off, distant memory…haha) Let’s be honest, when you’re wrought with an injury the mental part of getting in the cross-training can be as much of a challenge as the physical.

All about the mind games. Distraction is key for me, so today I loaded up Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Johnny Depp edition, in the hopes that waterfalls of chocolate, gum-drops the size of my head, and Oompa Loompas would help make the time with my cross-training ‘pal’ pass a little quicker.

Mission complete, thank you Johnny D; even as a whacked-out chocolate peddler you are still a hottie in my eyes. 😉 When the beast of cross-training feels almost unbearable and you’d rather torch the machine than get on it and sweat, here’s some mental games you can play, Chocolate Edition:

Come dive into some sweet treats with me, mmmk! 🙂

* Break it down. I was going for 70 minutes, but I told myself I’m really only going to do 7×10 minute segments. Even further, I break the 10 minutes up into four chunks of 2.5 minutes; I sort of imagine that each quarter is just like doing a lap around the track…easy peasy. For this one though, maybe it’d be four laps around the perimeter of the Chocolate Factory…each time you pass the front gates you get a nice whiff of chocolatey goodness…the catch if you have to do all your laps before you are allowed inside! 😉

* Chocolate endorphins. Mr. Wonka himself clearly states, “Eating chocolate releases endorphins that make you feel happy!” Hmm…not unlike exercise itself! Ironically even if you’re in the worst possible mood and dreading starting the workout…once you get started those endorphins have a weird way of lightening the mood! Then you can certainly bathe yourself in chocolate afterwards…just don’t get the whole chocolate river sweaty and spoil it for the rest of us!

* Don’t peek! Mr. Wonka didn’t want anyone spying on the super secrets going down in his factory…I play this game with myself where I test how long I can go without peeking down at the little screen with the timer. That way I can be ‘surprised’ when I look down and “Gee-golly, look, it’s already been 10 minutes!” Stupid, maybe, but it works.

* Touch my dials, will you?! Charlie gets in a bit of trouble touching things he shouldn’t in the factory, but when it comes to workout machines, messing around with the variables can help pass the time. Adjust the tension level or incline every couple of minutes…actually if you do an interval session it’s crazy how time can fly during those! However those recovery minutes seem to pass by much faster than the harder bouts, am I right?! 😉

* Drool and daydream.Don’t underestimate the power of baiting yourself…promise yourself some kind of pick-me-up or reward for putting in the time. If it takes daydreaming about chocolate bars to keep you on the machine and finishing your workout…by all means. Mr. Wonka would be proud to know he is fueling your sweat session!

Art: Cait Chock Designs

* Stay the course. Eventually you WILL get back to running (unless you get sucked up that giant tube because you got caught swimming in the chocolate river!) and remind yourself that the time spent cross-training will make getting back into running form so much easier…trust me, you’ll be thankful you did it! Also, every injury and time off from running makes me all the more grateful upon returning to it…you don’t take those miles for granted!

Thank you, Mr. Wonka for your tour through your Oompa Loompa riddled factory…you helped take the sting of cross-training down a notch!

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Who doesn’t like just plain silliness? Umm, anyone who doesn’t is not my friend! 😉 If you haven’t caught two of the funniest and also Nation’s top harriers take part in a Eugene snow-ball fight, then you’re missing out. Check out Andrew Wheating and Russell Brown…I guess that’s how you spend your free time when you’re not training for the Olympics.

AND…if you haven’t yet, go enter yourself in my Road ID giveaway…running safety is Oompa Loompa important!
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1) What was your last workout? If you got to run, I’m warning you I’m going to have a bit of runner envy! 😉

2) How do you play mental games to get through a ‘meh’ feeling when it comes to your workout or cross-training in particular?

3) Favorite type of candy? If you were in Mr. Wonka’s factory would you take a dive in the chocolate river?
Yes on the river…I’m a chocolate sweets kind of person, the hard candies and chews don’t do anything for me. Junior Mints are ranked mighty high on my list! 🙂

The Pain Drain: Keeping Your Brain in Check When the Pain Sets In

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Cait — 14 Comments ↓

“Being a distance runner is about handling pain. If you can’t manage pain, you probably won’t end up as a distance runner.” I love this quote from Kara Goucher featured in an excellent read from Running Times, ‘Pain: Deal With it.’

Okay, you had me at the title on that last one. But it’s true, pain and distance running trot hand in hand; as runners we often lie to ourselves about that, it’s a bit of a coping mechanism I suppose. If we didn’t to a degree deny how much it will hurt those last few miles or at the end of that race we may be hard pressed to actually start!

Certainly there are varying degrees of pain; full on grueling the last lap of the 10k, digging deep on that last 800 meter repeat, and the discomfort of training day in and day out. Discomfort, even ‘easy’ runs aren’t a walk in the park, you still are working out there and getting your heart rate up, the lungs working, the legs pounding the pavement so to speak.

If we wanted to be loafers then we could coin the term, but we’re not, we are runners and being as such we learn to deal with the pain.The pain that in a twisted sort of way we run towards. The way we feel afterwards is worth it.

Punch pain in the face.

I did a long post on the art of visualization HERE and also how lying to yourself works wonders HERE. The Running Times article has tips from multiple top distance runners. Some general themes:

* Zoning out. Distraction from the pain is key, by zoning out you really try to limit thoughts. Pinpoint a spot on the back of the person in front of you, look dead ahead and don’t lose contact with that fixed point. Mantras can also help with this, pick a single phrase and repeat it until it’s in sync with your breathing or footsteps and repeat it like a robot…zooooone out.

* Control what you can. Think of your form; Kara Goucher, “I try to think about positive things — how great my form is, how my arms are swinging, my breathing, how loud people are cheering. My sports psychologist taught me there are a million things telling you you can’t keep going, but if you find the things that say you can, you’re golden.” Keep your torso tall, don’t hunch over, keep your arms swinging and your legs will follow.

* Callousing through training. Training and workouts are all race simulations, not just physically, but chances to callous the mind just as you do the body. Here are prime opportunities to test out different ‘mental tricks’ and find what works for you. The more often you push yourself and get cozy with the feeling of being uncomfortable the more you’ll ‘get used to it’ and know how to deal with it.

* Break it down. Take the run/workout/race and break it down into easier to digest segments; whether that be lap by lap, mile by mile, or five minutes at a time. Tell yourself you can easily go through one more mile…get there and then tell yourself the same thing again. 😉

* Confidence. This sounds a little odd, but take confidence in the workouts and hard work you’ve done in the past. Remembering that you’ve faced this pain and come out the victor plenty of times in the past should give you the confidence that you can handle it this time and achieve the times/goals you set.

And some people daydream of food as distraction...guilty! 🙂

Breaking down your own mental barriers is an ongoing process; it’s interesting how you’ll be met with challenging points in workouts, races, or runs that when you finish you think to yourself, “Okay, I definitely just pushed though to a whole new level.”

1) How do you deal with the pain of hard workouts, races, long runs, or runs where you certainly aren’t feeling it? What is your favorite distraction trick?
Zoning out or breaking it down is usually my go-to.

2) Easy runs and general training comes with a level of discomfort, if it were a cake walk everyone would be setting World Records and running a million miles a week! How do you gauge your training to make sure you keep the intended workout at the proper level of exertion? (ie: use a heart rate monitor, chuck the watch on easy runs, go off of feel, etc.)

3) Did anyone race this weekend? If so do tell, if not, what did you do?

More Than a Sport: How running changes lives and gives hope to Ugandan orphans

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Cait — 6 Comments ↓

I truly believe that running is much more powerful than merely a sport or, dare I even say, a hobby. It holds the power to transform lives, instill lessons for nearly all other areas of life, it connects people, and is my first choice of feel good drugs. (The Hungry Runner Girl just did an excellent post today about endorphins and running.)

Running has impacted my own life quite a bit, it’s taken me places, it’s introduced me to people, it’s to the point where I know if I weren’t a runner I’d be a completely different person.

* Running instilled in me a new kind of work ethic and dedication. True, I’m a Type A kind of person and tend to me rather self-motivated but I know that running helped me take that drive and really apply it. Running will test you with so many bumps and bruises along the way that if you can outlast those other things comparatively seem easier.

* Running showed me there can be fun in the trials. Anything worth working for is going to make you, well, work for it. But with running, even the most excruciating of workouts are oddly ‘fun’ whether it’s because of your training partners or the twisted kind of satisfaction of feeling the rush of kicking your own butt.

* Running gave me hope and light. After my car accident I faced the possibility of a completely different life, one that potentially was without even walking. In my bones I knew I was a runner and that it was WORTH working and doing anything I could to get back to it again. If the doctors didn’t think it was possible, that’s okay, I did.

* Running’s a common ground. I feel connected to people the second I find out they are runners…it’s an insta-friend in the same community.

I’m a nasty beast without my dose of endorphins from running, and if I’m injured then I at least have to do some kind of cross-training. Even on those days where I don’t feel like it, I force those first few minutes and keep going. Sometimes it’s only the first mile that stinks, sometimes the whole run isn’t exactly a glowing walk on sunshine, but when I’m done I always feel better.

Another story that proves running is much more than a sport. I met Julius Achon back in 2004 when we were both runners in the Nike Oregon Project. Julius is hilarious in so many ways but if you knew his past you’d be further amazed by his genial manner and quick smile. He escaped tumultuous Uganda to run on a college scholarship here in the US. He went on to win multiple NCAA titles and set records at George Mason University and then to run professionally.

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Had he not been a runner he would have been killed, that is a fact. He was captured by the Rebels in Uganda and was only released because they found out he was a fast runner and may bring pride to his country. He and Eloise Wellings (another dear friend and one of the selfless individuals I know; she is a professional and World Class distance runner from Australia) have set up the Love Mercy Foundation to improve the lives of those still living in Uganda.

Please read their story and help out if you can, it is truly inspiring. (There is also a Facebook page you can ‘like’.) Running to them, and those countless individuals in Uganda, is much more than a sport it is a lifeline and ray of hope.

I am a runner and know what it means to me, what does running mean to you?

Living to Answer the ‘What if’ Questions and ‘Chasing Ghosts’ Book Review

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Cait — 8 Comments ↓

In talking about visualization in my last post, I also touched on goals. It’s important to have them, setting them can be tricky though. You don’t want to aim too low because where’s the satisfaction in that, but it can be scary to put yourself out there and voice a goal if you’re afraid it might sound insanely out of your reach.

Visualize what you want to achieve.

Fear. Being afraid that others will think you’re diluting yourself and you’re goal is ridiculous. You yourself probably have a voice in the back of your brain laughing and telling you these same things, you sure as heck don’t need others to tell it to your face! Also, there is the fear that in the end you may fall short…it happens.

Fear holds us back, it’s a defense mechanism, but if you don’t try you’ll never know. I’ve set goals, I’ve achieved some but I’ve failed at hitting some plenty of times too. It’s the truth, not all goals will materialize for you but at the same time I’ve learned from the journeys. The people I’ve met, the times I had…the trying was worth it. Failure sounds like such a bad word, but there can still be successes in the failures.

The point is it’s still worth setting high goals; regardless of the outcome you’ll surely enrich your life in one way and there IS the opportunity of hitting them…then it’s time to set the bar higher. 😉

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In speaking of goals and following your dreams, I was given a copy of ‘Chasing Ghosts’ by the author Phil Reilly. Here is a review of the book; I’ll keep out any spoilers, after-all plenty of you may want to read it yourself. 😉

The book, of course it revolves around running, chronicles the journey of Joey McNeal as he thrusts himself back into hard training in an attempt to make it to the Olympics. He’s nearing 30, past the ‘prime’ age for his event for choice, the 800 meters…but he knows in his gut that he’s never really giving 100% of himself to training and wants to see what would happen should he put it all on the line.

He starts just short of 10 months out from the Olympic Trials a casual runner; easy 4 milers a few times a week with some friends. He’s balancing a teaching job, a social life, a girlfriend, and coaching for the girls’ cross-country and track teams as well. He’s afraid that this goal may be laughably out of place but he wants to at least see what the end result would be if he poured all he had into running.

Characters: Along with McNeal and his three other training partners make up most of the cast; I enjoyed the balance of characters and feel that they were all developed rather well. There is enough given to each that you were interested in their own little side-stories outside of the main character’s. Their coach is perhaps my favorite as he’s a straight shooter and adds in plenty of comedic moments, I think we all know someone like him and to me I could vividly picture a coach just like this guy. McNeal himself is substantiated well and is easy to resonate with and relate to.

Plot: Overall it had mini-climaxes leading up to the true climax; enough bumps along the way to keep it interesting and the book moving forward. It was a little rushed overall and I would have liked to see some of the obstacles fleshed out a bit more and see the characters struggle a bit more.

Overall: The premise of running with no regrets, and living with the pursuit of answering the question of ‘what if’ is of course something I like to pass on to others. Reilly is a runner and coach himself so there were enough ‘real runner’ references and soliloquies that runners will enjoy. He references specific elites, races, and details only runner nerds would get; I liked that as it also added more merit to the thoughts and perspectives McNeal explained or thought to himself. Reilly was certainly going for an inspirational story here which would be uplifting to runners and non-runners alike. However, I do feel that it bordered a bit on the side of too unrealistic at times or too much of a stretch. Perhaps if it had spanned a few years rather than merely 10 months of getting McNeal to the Trials and performing as well as he did it would have been easier to believe. Given that I’ve lived alongside Olympic and World Class runners and watched how they train and live it may make me a little biased, but I’ve seen how much work goes into going for a goal like this and it’s not something to take lightly. McNeal did make sacrifices but I’m not sure if it’s as much as would be needed to perform at the level he ended up doing especially in only 10 short months.

I really enjoy do reading anything that has to do with running so I did enjoy ‘Chasing Ghosts’; it would be a motivational read to anyone in the sport of distance or track running. I just would have liked to have seen it played out over years rather than months as that would have made it more realistic and easier, in my mind, to believe.

1) Do you believe in living, or running, with no regrets? How do you put yourself out there or are there any dreams that you have or are currently chasing to answer the ‘what if’ in your life?

2) How do you set goals? Do you tell people about them, only some of them, or keep them to yourself?
Depends on the goal I think.

3) What are some of your favorite running related books?

The Art of Visualization to Improve Your Performance: Guided Imagery 101

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Cait — 20 Comments ↓

Take a second to close your eyes, force out any noise clutter, and picture yourself achieving one of your goals. Pick a goal, for the purposes of this post make it something tied to running or working out, and envision yourself working towards it and then accomplishing it. How do you feel after you’ve done it? What were you picturing?

I just finished an article that you can read on Competitor, ‘Foresee it, Believe it, Achieve it: The Power of Visualization for Runners,’ all about the power of visualization and how it can improve your performance. But visualization isn’t a great tool for the sole purposes of acing a race and if you’re not exactly looking to PR or hit a time/race goal you can use it to be more productive and achieve more than you think is possible.

Setting goals, higher than you’re comfortable with, can be tricky…mostly it’s a matter of putting yourself out there…putting that goal out there. It makes you vulnerable; there is after all the possibility of failure. However if you want to DO better you have to aim higher and it’s also proven that goals are more likely to be achieved if they are 1) concrete and 2) written down and or stated.

By concrete I mean, something black and white, definite, there is no question of whether you’ve achieved it or not. Think a certain time, a certain placing in a race, finishing a particular distance. Not, “I want to get faster” or “I want to get in better shape.” The last two are ambiguous, see the difference?

Getting back to visualization, I had the great pleasure of talking with Dr. Jim Bauman, Ph.D Sports Psychology, who has worked with World Teams and Olympic athletes along with anyone who wants to propel themselves further in their given sport.

The article covers the three types of visualization: internal, external, and kinesthetic. Each are slightly different and may work better depending on the athlete and how they learn or are hard-wired. Internal is through the first person, external is through the third person perspective, and the last involves actual muscular movements. Dr. Bauman also advises the first few times you attempt visualization you do what is called guided imagery, where you have someone else lead you through the exercise. That way all you have to do is hone in on their voice and picture the scene that plays out.

The other point about visualization is that Dr. Bauman stresses you have to do it regularly. Practice it just like you workout. Also, try to include as many details and senses (ie: smell, feel, sound, etc.) into your imagery scenes.

So here’s a little exercise. Think of the next race or workout that you have; think of what you want to get out of that race or run and set a goal. Now close your eyes, try to find a quiet space and tune out where you physically are.

Think of your first few steps of the run…it’s probably your warm-up, think of your legs starting to loosen up as they slip into your familiar stride. After the first couple of minutes the kinks are starting to work out and by the end of your warm-up you’re feeling relaxed and strong.

You move to some stretches and then strides. The last stride you feel ready to roll, the engine’s burning hot and your legs are turning over efficiently. You’re now at the starting line, or about to start the first interval, you take off…fast but contained, you feel in control.

Your shoulders are dropped, your arms swing back to front, your hands and jaw are relaxed. You deeply inhale the cool air, feel it work down your throat and into your lungs before it is hotly exhaled and the process repeats. Feel the oxygen fill your lower lungs and leave in a rhythm.

Think of the rhythm of your feet, you can hear your steady footfalls like the beat of a drum. You feel the same crisp air prick at the hairs of your arms, you feel the rush of the air as you break against it. You are running smooth, relaxed, and with an even stride.

Now picture the part of the race or workout where you know it is starting to get tough. You know there is the burning sensation building in your legs, but instead of tightening up you stay relaxed. You keep your eyes locked ahead, if it’s a hill you’re climbing you stare only at the horizon. You remind yourself that this pain is only temporary and it’s a test…a test to see how bad you want this.

You focus on your steady breathing, the in and out, your footfalls beating like the steady drum. You’re now closing in on the last repeat, the last push to the finish. You see the people around you, you’re passing them. You can slightly feel the whoosh as you edge ahead of them and leave them behind.

You are running smooth, relaxed, strong, and now all the way through to the finish. You have done it. Think of that goal you set prior to starting, you’ve achieved it. Let that sense of accomplishment wash over you, remember that feeling so you can recall it later for motivation.

This mind-space you’ve created is yours alone, you can tap into it whenever and wherever, you just have to know how to get there.

(The above was an example of an internal guided imagery.)

1) Have you ever used visualization as a tool? If so, when and describe your experience.

2) How do you set concrete goals that push you but are attainable?

3) Do you think you’ll try using visualization if you haven’t before, and if you have do you plan to continue to practice it?

4) Is anyone racing this weekend? What are your weekend plans?

Leap Day, Laugh Day…

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

“I believe laughter is the best calorie burner.” -Audrey Hepburn

Does that mean I can laugh this off?? 😉

Source

While I might beg to differ in regards to the ultimate activity that burns calories (sorry, running has to trump in the end…hey, running while laughing! Hehe.) laughter is one of life’s greatest blessings. Sometimes an untapped resource.

Laughing (even if forced at first) releases those feel good endorphins, similar to running actually.

Yes, amidst the crummy times, laughing seems like the LAST thing we want to do. BUT sometimes you have to just laugh at the fact that ‘yes, indeed, this situation sucks the big one…and this is getting to the point of ridiculously crappy, this could only be happening in MY life!’

Running teaches us that sometimes it’s a matter of muddling through the rough patches (injuries, days of feeling flat, poor races, crummy workouts, etc.) and remembering that eventually there will the good times. (PR’s, awesome workouts, incredible long runs, etc.) Laughing off a bad race can help, “Ummm, yea, so I definitely was doing the granny crawl that last lap!” Take away and learn from the bad days, see where/if you can improve and look forward to next time.

In the end, sometimes you can laugh or cry…but going the laughing route will make it easier to get up and face another day. And hey, if we live by Audrey’s words it’s just another excuse to inhale more Pop-Tarts and tasty yummies!! 😉

1) Leap Day, Laugh Day…what made you laugh today?

2) Did you get in this ‘extra’ sweat session for the year? What did you do?
Yup…got me my elliptical on.

3) Do you use laughter to cope with rough patches or getting through not so fun scenarios?
All the time, sometimes people think I make jokes at ‘inappropriate’ times but it’s all going back to picking laughter or being really glum! 😛

Diversify to Improve Your Running – Don’t limit yourself due to type-casting

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Cait — 7 Comments ↓

Have you type cast yourself?Do you think of yourself as ONLY a long distance runner and wouldn’t go near a mile race with a ten foot pole? Do you think you’re only made up of fast twitch muscles and deem anything over a handful of laps around the track bordering on an ultra? Maybe you fall somewhere between the two, but it’s often VERY easy to stick yourself into a niche where you feel comfortable and come up with any excuse to NOT get out of it.

Do you coin yourself 'The Prankster'? 😉

Guilty. I own up to it, I detest anything resembling a sprint. I use the term loosely because I don’t think my 200’s could even accurately be described as such. I’d get more nervous if the next day’s workout was 10×200 versus 10×1000’s. I feel comfortable in the longer distances, like I can settle into a pace, maintain control, and tick off the laps. The slower build of pain versus the BAM in your face lactic acid onslaught from the first step.

Ironically the more you RELAX in the shorter sprints the faster you’ll go; I usually ended up trying too hard, tensing up, and shooting myself in the butt so to speak. If you look at the fastest sprinters their faces are completely relaxed and loose…they are flying and they make it look easy. It’s not, but they are relaxed.

Back to the point: stepping outside of the niche you’ve glued yourself into will help you in so many ways.

* Go short: If you’re a 10k and up runner you might balk at the idea of entering a mile or *gasp* even an 800 race. But, training for these shorter races will immensely help your longer distance, forte events. Think about it, if you can build your base speed, when you go back up to the 10k or marathon, the pace there will feel a lot ‘easier’ than before.

* Go longer: Opposite end of the spectrum; if you’ve never run more than 6 or 8 miles at a time…EVER, then training for a 10k or half-marathon (where your long runs would get into the double digits) will build your strength and endurance a great deal. When you go back down to a mile, or even 5k, you will be able to hold it together much better towards the end of the race because your overall strength (ie: base) is bigger.

* Ultras: Some ultra runners only do miles, miles, miles…at the same pace. That’s changing now as more are learning the benefits of speed play and that the long run is not the epitome workout that all should be focused on. The top dogs still enter races as short as a 10k, some even go to track races and run the mile. It all comes back to getting their turnovers and base speeds faster…it translates up.

Mental games: yes, it can be scary to pry yourself out of that niche and put yourself out there. Most likely you won’t be as dominant in the race as you may used to, that’s okay. It can take some swallowing of the egos but if you keep practicing and IMPROVING on your weaker events you will…well, improve.

It’s easy as heck to hate something that you might stink at, but igniting the competitor in you will work to your advantage. Find some people who may be better in this department as you, relax, let them pull you along and do the pace-setting work…that’s okay. Let’s face it, come race day it’s nice to beat people and you’ll push yourself to get to that line. Even if it’s in a push to not get last…hey, embarrassment is a fine motivator, been there! 🙂

If you need a little case study from the top, look at some of our nation’s best distance runners. We’ll take for example the USA Olympic Marathon Trials…many of the runners there have PR’s in the 5k and 10k that rank amongst the leading National or World times too. Some of them still run the mile and 3k races as well, they don’t only stick to one, long event.

If you continually ignore your weaknesses they will just fester and stay weak. Instead, embrace them, push yourself in a new direction and keep it diversified. It doesn’t mean giving up your already strengths, but quite the opposite because in the end you’ll be making those even stronger too.

1) Do you type cast yourself? What do you see yourself as?
Totally…and I know it’s not good for me. All slow-twitch over here!

2) Do you avoid certain races or workouts? Why?
When I was racing, I would groan and hate whenever my coach would force me into a shorter race. I’d do it because I don’t like to argue, my coach knew best, but I just hate the short races.

3) Can you foresee perhaps challenging yourself to try a new race, workout, or set a goal targeting your weakness?

Eating the Heart Out of Life: Digging for Positives and WHY the Journey is Worth it to You

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Cait — 17 Comments ↓

How do you ‘eat the heart out’ of life? How do you celebrate the positives in life? Cherish even the little, fleeting moments, soak up what the moment may bring, and savor the deliciousness of what makes you smile?

Sometimes we can all get stuck in the hustle and madness that is our day to day schedule and blitz through a day without really even having ‘lived’ it…or sat down for that matter.

It’s also easy to get stuck going through the motions; sometimes it’s because you’re not exactly loving whatever it is you HAVE to do and going on auto-pilot is much easier. Hey, not everything we do in life we look forward to…we all have to scoop the dog poop one way or the other so to speak.

This happens in training too…the vast majority of those miles and workouts are not going to be filled with rainbows and sunshine. Unicorns won’t be frolicking around and shooting stars out of their behinds in your wake. Not every race will bring a PR…not every long run will go to plan.

But we don’t just run for the good times, because if you did that you might only run once or twice a year. You run for the quest of those ‘good times’…you keep putting money in the bank for the days you can then make a withdrawal. You stick to the path for the journey because even in those crappy runs there is the nugget of accomplishment when you are at least done and you put in work. Then, you REALLY should soak up those fantastic ‘ups’ and successes when they come…you worked hard for them!

A vat of ice cream could be in order after a FAT PR!! 🙂

But I think it’s important to remember that regardless of what you’re going through, where you are, there ARE positives. It may take some thinking at times, and during these times it may call for just going outside, turning your head to the sunlight and forcing a smile.

FORCED smiling, forced laughter can even feel good…liberating…and turn into a real smile…if even for a fleeting moment. And if that still doesn’t quite do the trick, try thinking back to something in childhood that made you smile…and if it’s taking a huge bite out of cotton candy…then by all means, indulge yourself.

1) How do you eat the heart out of life? If it’s tough to force a smile in the moment, what’s one way you make yourself remember how?
Usually thinking of my family or things I loved as a kid…Disney movies are always a sure fire way to time warp me back to an 8 year old me!

2) In training, what’s the ratio of the days you feel ‘great’ compared to the ‘not-so-awesome-but-it’s-done’?
Depends where I’m at…but have to say the ratio gets skewed when you’re only cross-training!! Haha.

3) Why is all the training time meaningful or ‘worth it’ to you? Is it PR’s, so you can eat like a runner, so you can be faster than your husband, because it keeps you sane???
The last one for sure! 🙂

4) Last thing that made you smile?
I was telling a story and my brother interjected this side comment that totally made my day…he didn’t even mean to, but it just made me stop and bust out laughing.