Search Results for: runners strip

Runners Saying it Like it Is: “PR’s are fun”

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After running the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half-Marathon in New Orleans Shalane Flanagan Tweeted something all runners can relate to, “Running PR’s are fun!” Succinct. To. The. Point. Flanagan followed it up in THIS Competitor recap with, “I think anytime you can run a personal best, that’s something special. You can’t take those for granted.” So true. The thing with PR’s is they become quite rare. Elusive like that unicorn that poops out gold bricks. 😉 They are especially rare as you improve and get faster. Sure, you start running and the improvement curve is such that you could lop minutes off of successive 5k’s like it’s nothing. That incentive to keep stepping up your game becomes more enticing, you cross the line fresh off of your last PR and think, “Okay, bring on the NEXT!” From there the PR’s probably still come, but they are in shorter intervals, no longer full minutes. They become more hard fought, you must start reaching into new levels of mental toughness. You get more calloused as a runner both physically and mentally. It then gets to the point where those PR’s stick for awhile. Weeks, months, years maybe. Funny how much HARDER you must FIGHT and PUSH for single seconds. Tenths of a second. Hundredths even. Regardless of level, elite or mortals of the world, everyone is fighting for those dang seconds. Time hangs in the balance, the irony is that as you watch the clock tick down as you barrel for the home stretch on the cusp of what could be a new PR, the seconds FEEL excruciatingly long but they seem to TICK OFF much too quickly. Will you make it to the line in time? Then there are the days when you know you are a much better runner than the Continue Reading →

Runner’s Strip: Priceless

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Because EVERY runner knows a PR is priceless. I’d like to see some unicorn deliver on that. Today’s post is short and to the point. Word on the street is there’s been a flurry of PR’s going around, are you about ready to go and snag one for yourself? Get running! —— More CARTOONAGE! Missed my post on how to get your runner SPEED on? Want some RACE TIPS? —— 1) If a unicorn could deliver you one running related item, what would it be? 2) If you had a ton of gold what would you buy? 3) Next time you’re aiming for a PR? OR if you’ve just snagged a PR (ahem Kate and Mo) brag on yourself 🙂

Runners: Get Faster Because Speed Goggles DO Exist

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‘Normal people’ have their beer goggles, runners have their speed googles. 😉 Long has the debate gone on over whether or not times have any sort of effect on the ‘hotness’ factor of a runner. Regardless of if a faster PR scores you more points with the runnerdudes or runnerchicks respectfully, there is no arguing over the fact that a new PR will ALWAYS up the confidence factor! Few things are more rewarding than beating the ‘old you’…all that hard work pays off. Let us have a toast to a speedier you! HERE are some workouts to hone your speed. HERE is how to overcome track phobia…yes, it does exist. HERE is why you should improve your speed…even if you’re not necessarily racing. HERE is how hills can make you faster. HERE are mental games to get through those tough interval workouts. HERE are my own little prattlings on my love/hate relationship with quarter repeats. HERE is a post on 3 important things to remember if you’re racing to win. So regardless of trying to impress the ladies or the men, regardless of whether a new PR will rank you higher in the hotness factor…the REAL reward comes with that rush right after you cross the line, look at the watch, and feel the overwhelming urge to shout, “I OWNED that race!” 😉 [editors note: you don’t have to shout that, but if you’re fast enough you can pretty much get away with doing anything you want…so give it a whirl…lol.] —– Catch more of my Runner’s Strip Comic HERE! —– 1) Do you think speed goggles exist? Do faster times make runners more hot? 2) What is your favorite speed workout? 3) What is your least favorite speed workout? Why? Is it because it’s your weakness and therefor need Continue Reading →

Fix Your Form, Drop Your Shoulder: The ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ runners should clean-up their form (ie: get faster)

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“Drop your flipping shoulders!” is pretty much what I had to yell to myself as I was running for years. Add to that list, “Stand up tall,” “Right elbow, tuck in that right elbow, idiot!” Oh the beautiful language of a runner’s inner-monolague when trying to fix their form. Form is a tricky issue to deal with, mostly because however a runner naturally takes to the action is, well, natural. It’s without thought and it FEELS normal to them, no matter how wonky or biomechanically wrong it ends up being. Fixing your form is also difficult because you can’t SEE yourself; you need an outsider to tell you 1) You’re doing this whole running thing wrong and then 2) To accurately tell you if what you’re doing to FIX your form is working. It goes without saying that you need to ensure that this outside person knows what they are talking about…lol. I just wrote an article for Competitor.com: “Fixing Your Form a Half Mile at a Time” which discusses the four biggest culprits for form flaws in runners and then how to begin fixing your own form. Read the article and I’ll add a bit more over here. * Constant Thought: In the article I explain that as you start to correct your form you need to do it SLOWLY, but that for the time you do think about your form it needs to be constant. Ideally pick the last 1/2 mile of each run where you literally THINK of your form flaw correction the whole time. Chant whatever you need to in your head (“Drop your shoulders!”), watch your shadow, chant some more. * Reteach Muscle Memory: The reason you need to be so diligent is that changing an ingrained habit, like form, is a process of reteaching Continue Reading →

Runners Eat REAL Carbs: Don’t let me catch you ordering a burrito bowl

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When a runner walks into Chipotle they da**-straight don’t order a burrito bowl! If a runner comes back from a long run and sits down at a burger joint, they aren’t going to be ordering up something that comes wrapped in lettuce…give them a carb-tastic bun for crying out loud! A pizza is not served atop cucumbers, zucchini’s, mushrooms, or any other crust-wanna-be. As runners we are entitled to every kind of warm, doughy, delicious carb-loaded pizza crust in existence. The exception may be those crazies who prefer the thin crust…but you better get some doughy breadsticks too…sorry, I’m all about the soft stuff. 😉 Runners work for it, so don’t deprive us. ——– More cartoonage HERE! Burrito related reading and GI distress for runners HERE. Reasonable nutritional advice and wordage for runners wanting to perform at their best HERE, HERE, and HERE. ——– 1) Do you confess to ordering burrito bowls, bunless junk, or pizza crust knock-offs? 😉 [side-note, leeway is offered to those gluten intolerant runners…but then again there are GI options available…hehe] 2) Thick and doughy crust or thin? 3) Favorite post-long run refuel? Double points if you swear you get it in within 30 minutes after finishing your run.

Runner’s Strip: Runner’s Math

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Let me school you in a bit of my runner logic… If math isn’t your forte, we’ll just blame it on an oxygen deprived brain. I mean, c’mon, all of that precious O2 is going to our muscles where it’s needed FAR more. So if our math isn’t quite adding up, we’ll just blame it on runner logic and oxygen debt. But regardless, if you want to finagle with my numericals there go for it…but I will argue with you to the DEATH that consuming 70 Pop-Tarts isn’t fully warranted. I’m a runner…I burn it off. 😉 ——- Well, even if that engine is burning red hot there’s much to be said for still eating with performance in mind…read my much less Pop-Tarts tongue-in-cheek posts HERE and HERE. Here’s my post on timing your fuel pre-race and then post-run. More Runner’s Strip Comics. ——– 1) Give me your own running math equation! 2) Do you embrace the ‘lazy runner’ logic…as in you EARN the right to sloth around after a run? 3) Finish this sentence: A PR is worth more than… Check out my own little schpiel on PR’s. 🙂

Runner’s Strip: Dog Park

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I’ve passed plenty of dogs while out running and whenever I see one of the HUGE ones, the kind that probably weigh more than a few runnerchicks I know, I can’t help but imagine riding that furry beast like a horse. Let’s be honest, the temptation is particularly strong late-tempo run and you’re already entertaining thoughts of chucking yourself off of a cliff because it would probably be less painful. 😉 We don’t ride dogs, of course, because that would be cheating. But it’s always fun to dream, right?? 1) Are you a dog person? Do you run with your dogs? I could end up getting some hate mail, but when I’m out running I get a little annoyed with the OWNERS who don’t know how to control their dogs. I’m sorry, I love dogs, but I don’t want one chasing me, frothing at the mouth. I also don’t like almost tripping over leashes when owner-pet is hogging entire pathway. That said, I’m currently looking to get a pup so I’m a dog person in ‘normal life’. 😛 2) What’s the biggest dog you’ve seen, do you own one the size of a small horse? ———- Tips for battling the pain of workouts and racing: HERE HERE and HERE More of my Runner’s Strip Comic Strip 3) What have been some random thoughts when you’re tired during a workout and, let’s be honest, you play the “I bet — would be less painful than this workout/race” ?

Runner’s Strip: Pinterest Boards That Never Really Took Off

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I’m a runner, not a gourmet chef, expert crafter, travel photographer or fitness model so I’ve decided to cut myself off from Pinterest. I only end up feeling frustrated by my own lack of competence. Plus, all the truly awesome boards never really took off for some reason… Up for some more of my Runner’s Strip cartoon action? Head on over HERE! 🙂 1) What would be a failed running related Pinterest board? 2) What’s the last photo you theoretically could have posted to one of these boards? Please don’t send me any of your lunches…lol.

Runner’s Strip: The Pre-Run Routine – Get out the door and running before you grow a beard

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Sometimes it feels like it can take an eternity before we actually get out the door for that run. Between taking care of all those creaks and squeaks, making sure the ‘guts’ and bladder are ready to roll, and WHY does that darn Garmin sometimes seem to be looking for that darn satellite by way of hot air balloon?! This doesn’t even take into the account the times where you know you’re purposefully stalling…c’mon, you really don’t need to check Facebook AGAIN. 😉 It’s true, the runner’s pre-run routine may snowball at times, BUT I’ll tell you what, I like to run first thing in the morning and I’m also a total sucker for wanting every ounce of sleep so I’ve pared my routine down to about 10 minutes between eye ball crusty wiping and hitting the road. Here are some of my quick tips: 1) Lay all the gear out the night before. Shoes unlaced and sitting next to my pile of clothes, Garmin sitting (hooked up to the charger because I am petrified of it running out of batteries mid-run) next to my clothes. 2) Hit the bathroom. I give myself about 10 minutes to let my guts wake up (I allow myself this window of email/website/Facebook time…but I look at the clock and stick to just 10 minutes.) and off I go. 3) Start locating. I hit the ‘locate’ button for my Garmin when I go into the bathroom to let that sucker start up. On my way out it’s done 99% percent of the time. BOOM. I’m out…no more farting around for this girl. I will say that I have a finicky stomach so I eat a big snack before going to bed at night and then don’t eat in the morning. If you DO need Continue Reading →

The Dual Personalities of Runners: Switching from ‘life’ mode to ‘race’ mode

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Runners have a kind of dual personality thing going on, which is really quite interesting. Not the doctors in white coats and clipboards kind of multiple personalities, but rather, a stark difference between ‘life’ and ‘training/racing mode’ personalities. The ‘life’ side of runners is typically one of being slightly awkward, but in a lovable way. That thing about smiling at strangers, I think runners are typically more apt to have a smile quick at hand. Maybe it’s the fast-twitch muscle response that just carries over into our cheek muscles. It kind of throws people a bit, especially these days when more and more people seem to be kind of ‘hard’ or harsh. I’ve found that runners, be it by choice or perhaps a bit of childlike naiveté, tend to give people the benefit of the doubt and will go out of their way to help others. Sometimes it bites us in the bums, but at the same time I’d like to think we, and those around us, are better for it overall. I used to have a friend who said she could tell someone was a runner by the way they walked, an extra kind of bounce in their stride. Runners tend to walk faster than ‘normal people’ too, sort of like walking with purpose; or probably more correctly we get bored of walking because it’s just too darn slow and getting places takes forever. Runners do tend to vary in that some are incredibly shy and not overflowing with words until you know them while others, ahem like me, probably make up for those lost words and then some. I love the sense of humor of runners; quirky could be an understatement, we relish in poop jokes, chaffage stories, making fun of ‘normals’ who partake in ridiculous behavior…ummm, jogging Continue Reading →