‘Goals’ Articles at , Page 11

Running and Training are Not the Same Thing

Posted on September 14, 2012 by Cait — 8 Comments ↓

Running is simple, training is not. Training also hurts a heck of a lot more. But, getting back to the first one there, running really isn’t all that complex: right foot, left foot, right foot, repeat. Don’t get me wrong, that incredibly simple and repetitive motion is addicting as all heck and something I’d rather not live without; however, training is a completely separate entity from the mere act of running.

I think she’s training…the mean mushroom men chasing her are just making sure she hits pace. 😉

Training is methodical, there needs to be a method to the madness, many more variables need to be considered and getting back to the inevitable truth: it hurts a heck of a lot more. Runners in training need to be able to look at the big picture, how each run fits into the whole; you can’t just take it day by day. This rigidity might sound like a turn-off, but the rewards that come from training are also a bit unique from that which you get from pleasure running alone. I think because you suffer more, when you’re done you respect the process and YOURSELF in a different way, namely more.

And to be honest your training schedule doesn’t have to be viewed like a rigid schedule; in fact it shouldn’t be. There needs to be flexibility because running is the same across the board in this regard: you can’t plan for everything. The human body is one complex creature and sports performance is a science riddled with variables and unknowns. You see, we don’t know all the answers, which kinds of training programs or philosophies work the best, and then which workouts and training cycles fit the individual. So there needs to be flexibility with any training program because there will be days when your body is sending you signs that for that particular day you need to adjust the workout; it could be that you need to cut back or it could be that you’re fitter than you predicted and should up the goal paces…things you can’t know three months prior. Sometimes with running and training, you just never know.

Though there are lots we DO know and here’s some distinct differences between running and training:

* With training, even with a flexible plan, you still need to see everything you do as a piece of the whole. Think to yourself before you do any run, extra cross-training, weights, core, etc, “How is this going to help me in the big picture?” Just because the weather is suddenly awesome later in the afternoon and even though you’d love to go out and do some more miles, if you honestly did a hard workout that day and shouldn’t, in training, the smart thing to do is use some self-restraint.

* With running the pace really doesn’t matter if you don’t want it to. Not so with training; this applies to hard AND easy days. With hard days, obviously you’ve got a goal pace you want to hit, but for easy day you do too: the goal pace is one that allows you to recover. This little detail is something many new and eager runners forget…then fast-forward and they can’t understand why they are so tired later in the season. The answer is they never let their body recover.

* With training you need to be more accountable. There will ALWAYS be days you’d rather sit on the bed curled up with Ben & Jerry and the Tivo. Rest days can be part of training but they are different when they are actually planned versus the ‘I’m just lazy’ rest day. Know the difference and get rid of the second kind.

* With running it can be just running. Let me explain, if you want to run faster and run your best you need to do other things than just miles, miles, miles. Core work, strength work, stretches, quick feet drills…there are lots of ‘extras’ that when integrated into your training routine will vastly improve your running performance.

* With training some of those ‘extras’ are injury prevention. Running puts a ton of stress on the body, training exponentially increases that. So that’s why with training it’s also your job to be kind to your body and give it the TLC it needs. If you don’t, it will revolt (check out this awesome post by Mark @ Running, Writing, and Chasing the Dragon on just that kind of revolt) and you won’t be doing any running or training.

True, training still includes the left, right, left, repeat aspect of running. However, it entails a LOT more. That said, getting back to the rewards of training vs. running…anyone who has gutted through a tough as heck race and come out hitting their goals will attest that it was worth it.
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Miles Madness Update: Okay, guys, so it’s Friday and this marks the end of Week 2 totals. Now in an effort to make things easier for everyone I’ve created a Google Doc for all team members to be able to go in and insert their total themselves in about T-minus 30 seconds time. If you emailed me last week and I have your email address I sent you an invite to view the document. If you didn’t receive the invite (and check the Junk, in the one I sent to myself the message went to the Junk bin) let me know and I’ll get you squared away. Thanks guys! Also shout out to Amy @ Proud Patriot for suggesting the Google Doc route! My team members are smart AND fast. 🙂
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1) What’s one difference you can add between running and training?

2) Where are you at, are you training for something in particular? Let me say, it’s also more than okay to just be in the running phase…whatever floats your boat and you’re still doing the BEST sport ever. 🙂

3) When you’re just about to start a hard workout or race and you know it’s going to hurt, but you also know that if you stay tough through to the end it will be well worth it, how do you tell yourself that you will stay strong and tough when your mind starts begging for mercy?

The Olympics Are Over: Refocus, Reassess and Keep Perspective in Your Own Running

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Cait — 5 Comments ↓

The 2012 Olympics are officially over; though hopefully you were able to cram in as much track and running excitement to last you awhile. (Cut to some runner-squirrel hoarding nuts.) Upon the opening ceremonies I did a post on how the Olympics are a time many people are wrought with inspiration, motivation and the desire to get out and get after it…lighting that torch under their own butts and all.

Though the Olympics can also be a time of depression or feelings of inferiority and blaring mediocrity. I got a message from one of the cutest little running bloggers remarking that she was feeling really defeated about her own running. Her line of reasoning: I wish I were as fast as them. I’ll never be. My goal of breaking XX for a 10k isn’t only minutes off of the times these Olympians are running, it’s tens of minutes. I think she ended with, “Running is so hard, why even try?”

Before all us runner addicts start judging, I would like to point out that at some point EVERY runner thinks that to themselves. It’s the truth, running is hard, it hurts. There are always times you don’t reach a certain goal on a given day, get stuck with an injury lasting an eternity…it sucks, and it doesn’t feel good.

The Olympics only exemplify those feelings and magnify them. There are moments of pure and utter ecstasy and others of heartbreaking lows. There seems to be no middle ground. You were probably jumping out of your seat seeing Leo Manzano earn a Silver in the 1500 and your hearts nearly stopped when Morgan Uceny fell to the track during her 1500. No middle ground.

Don’t let a running ‘low’ get in your way from still moving forward with your own running.

* There are athletes competing at the Olympics that are feeling defeated because they didn’t run where they ‘should’ have or they didn’t advance to the final rounds. Runners let down because an injury kept them from even competing.

* There are runners who were at the Olympic Trials but failed to move on. There are harriers who, again, were too injured to compete.

* We’ve got runners who have plenty of other credits to their names but have never made it to the Olympics. We have mortal runners who have won NCAA titles, won the local 10k race, just PR’ed and finished mid-pack and the ones who don’t even race at all.

Because they are not Gold Medalists or at the Olympics, does that make them all failures? Should they all just give up and stop running?

If the answer is yes than you should stop because if the bottom line is that you don’t have a passion for the sport, for the act of running, then you should move on to something you do love doing just for the joy it brings to your life.

That said, it by NO means means you shouldn’t have goals. That you shouldn’t aim high. That you DO need to set goals for yourself that at times feel bigger than you are capable of…because that stretches you. Makes you reach.

It’s a balance of pushing yourself, but then being mature enough to keep perspective if you DON’T hit that goal.

Be curious of your own best.

FACT: Not everyone is going to the Olympics.

FACT: Don’t use that as an excuse to not set your own goals. And then don’t use that to rob yourself of enjoying the times when you reach those goals. Stay in your own running. Keep it your’s. Of course be competitive and line up against those better than you…but do it because in the end it makes YOU run better.

FACT: There is always someone better than you. World records are broken, case in point. Don’t warp that into a line of reasoning that you then suck. And remember that running hard hurts for everyone.

As the Olympic torches dim, rather than get stuck in a kind of defeatist of wallowing attitude…cheer for the amazing athletes who did make it and let that spur in you the motivation to continue striving for the best in yourself, wherever that may wind up being.

Those still harboring Olympic dreams, remember that unless you’re dead you can keep dreaming and training. Also remember there are World Championships on non-Olympic years and other big races. There are always road races, USA Championships, Club Champs, NCAA Titles and High School National and State races. There are the 5k races that have a dozen people and there are a slew of others where PR’s are achieved. Then there are ample amounts of roads, tracks, trails, treadmills and the lot where miles are to be had regardless of if you choose to race.

Run because you love it. Run for YOU.

1) What was a moment of utter ecstasy that resonated with you throughout the Olympics? A moment of where your heart broke for that runner?

2) What’s a moment of ecstasy from your own running? And then an example of a crushing blow and a time you questioned why you did this crazy thing?

3) How do you get yourself through the tough times and stay focused on your own goals, the love of running, and if you race, still pushing for the best in yourself?

The Olympic Torch: Lighting the fire under runners’ butts world-wide to get after their own goals

Posted on July 28, 2012 by Cait — 19 Comments ↓

The 2012 Olympics have officially begun. The upcoming days will be filled with stories of inspiration, triumph, heart-breaking loss, sheer madness, when a hundredth of a tick on the stopwatch is all that matters. Then of course everything else in between.

No doubt, for anyone tuning into the Olympics it’s incredibly easy to get swept away in that sheer madness. It’s astounding how every four years you’ll see people who have barely ever busted a sweat in their lives tuning-in, enraptured in the competition like they’re hyping themselves up for a 20-miler the next day. 😉

As athletes though we really get into it. It’s sort of like when they light that torch they also light a fire under our butts to get after it on our own runs. It’s like an insta-boost of motivation and enthusiasm to the heart, no? You watch those runners lining up, the crack of the gun, and your quads starting itching to hit the track for your workout the next day.

Pause for a minute. Take the Tivo, DVR, or whatever and hit pause. Stare at the screen, whatever it is that REALLY gets you hyped, your own booster shot of adrenaline to the heart, and bookmark it in your brain. Because you know what, the Olympics will inevitably end, and the burning desire to burn up the track will start to wane just a bit…you’ll slip back into training and you’ll hit those moments where you’re feeling blah.

I’m not being a kill-joy here, just a realist. The point is the torch fire under your butt is riding epic proportions, it should be…those athletes out there should act as inspiration and awe to us all. They’re the ‘real deal’ out there.

But they’re human, and training is NOT easy and everyone has points where you’ve got to force it. Tough moments could be injuries, horrible races, workouts you’re really not looking forward to, and runs where pushing out the door is an effort. But when those athletes had those stretches they remembered that torch burning in their butt and got it done. Day in, day out. Consistently.

Your butt-torch can burn, lead you to your own goals, whatever they are…you just have to remember that on the days, or even weeks or months, that the fire starts to dim, think back to that Tivo/DVR moment and light your tush on fire. Stoke the flames and get ‘er done. 🙂

Enjoy the Olympics, yo.

1) What event are you most looking forward to in the Olympics?
Distance races…any and all. But of particular interest is the Women’s Marathon…go Kara and Shalane! 🙂

2) Which sports outside of running, or athletics, are you excited about seeing?

3) What is your Tivo/DVR butt-torch moment?? 😉

Love Your Running Competition and Thrive in Their Presence

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

When a runner steps to the line they are never alone. The racers next to you all have goals of their own; some of the goals may be the same as your own…you both will be fighting for that same finishing place. Some of those racers may be your own teammates, your friends, your training partners.

But in the end, when the gun goes off you all become one and the same: racers. All other titles momentarily erased.

Of course if you know some of those racers you may devise a race plan where you work together for some portion of the race, helping each of you through the early stages and setting you BOTH up for a better finish. There can be a team component to track, more-so in cross-country, but there inevitable comes a certain point in the race where anyone running next to you is nothing but your competition.

Embrace your competition because they are what will make you faster, and one of the strongest tools you have to utilize in the quest for your best. They will push you to your limits…or rather they will push you to the point where you will have to decide whether you are willing to go to those limits.

This opportunity isn’t solely in races, and with the London Olympics fast approaching, there are some really great articles highlighting Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher not just as two of the USA’s top chances for medaling in the Olympic Marathon, but also the fact that they are indeed training partners.

Both are excellent reads, and some things you can gather from both are:

* Train For Your Best: Both women have run nearly every workout together; similar to a race situation when you workout with someone who can push you, both of you end up the winners.

* Race Day Confidence: Of course when the gun goes off, both women rightfully acknowledge friendships and training partner labels are completely taken off the table. In the article featuring Goucher they touch on what it means to have Flanagan around her the longer the race drags on. On the one hand, because they have trained together both can get a bit of a confidence boost having the other around with the thinking, “Look, if Shalane/Kara is still here and handling this and we’ve trained together, I KNOW I belong here and can handle it.” The whole, “This hurts, but she’s doing it, so can I” line of thought.

* In The End You’re Running For One: On the flip side, there is the point where you need to drop your competition. There’s nothing more to be said on that one except that rather than ever fear them, be thankful for them…embrace your competition and allow yourself to thrive under their presence.

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Some people get more nervous knowing faster people are in the race, so here’s a look back on a post I did about race day nerves, how to manage them and actually use them to your advantage.
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1) How do you handle your competition, do you tend to get more nervous if you know faster people are in the same race?

2) For training, do you seek out people to run with who you know are at your same pace or a little faster?

3) Do you enjoy a race more if you know some of the other racers or if you have teammates?
I know I did…always fun to have company on the warm-up and cool-down too! 🙂

dont’ fear compeition

Genetics Will Only Get You So Far…From There the Running is Up to You

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Cait — 9 Comments ↓

daRUNism…survival of the fastest. 😉 The topic of running and genetics…talk about opening up a can of ~~sperm~~ worms.

FACT: Genetics will invariable play a role in how fast someone has the potential to become. It will effect which event they are predisposed to compete the best at.

FACT: You can’t change genetics.

FACT: Using the excuse of genetics alone for accounting that so-and-so is able to achieve an athletic feat is a cop-out.

The last one there is what gets under my skin when people make any kind of remark, “You’re lucky, I wish I were a runner.” It really gets me fired up when people blame ‘good genetics’ as a sort of cop-out for runners who set records, win races or beat them. Like because they ‘look like a runner’ and may make it look easy while they run that somehow diminishes their accomplishment. Yes, I’ve jested along with all others that I may harbor the ‘wish’ to be a bit more Kenyan or Ethiopian…but I know that genetics alone will only take a person so far.

FACT: Even the most genetically blessed super-human, say we created it in a lab, would not be a record holder if they didn’t have the will, drive and dedication to do the training.

With running, mentality and work ethic are something that can’t be genetically programmed or forced onto a person. They are also what, I believe, will take you the furthest. If I could draw it to a metaphor of walking that Yellow Brick Road…

Genetics may take you TO the Yellow Brick Road by some freak, chance-happen twister and at least kill one of the witches to make your journey easier. But after that you’re on your own to chase those monkeys, make it through the poppies and get to your OZ.

Follow that Yellow Brick Road…

Running isn’t easy and while yes, you can’t really change your muscle fiber ratio (I’ll never be able to sprint to save my life) you can always make the best with what you’ve got. Further, with hard work you will be able to pass up those ‘lucky twister’ genetically blessed runners who slack a bit.

Don’t let genetics to be your ~~excuse~~ crutch to not believe you can do better. Finally, do not ever, for one second, believe that the runners you see on TV, the ones heading off to the Olympics got there from a ‘lucky twister’ alone…if you saw how hard they work you’d learn that they are willing their way through those blasted poppies and bringing it when some crazy, flying monkeys try to get in their way.

1) Genetically, do you feel you are a little lucky with the gene pool in at least being predisposed to running? Which event do you feel you are best suited for?

2) I see genetics as sort of taking you to that ‘glass ceiling’…yes people can skate by off of talent alone but it does catch up to them. When do you think most people hit the ‘I can’t skate by any longer’ ceiling and have to decide to either ante up or settle?
I’d say mostly after graduating high school and working their way through college.

3) Have you ever used genetics as an excuse or crutch? OR if are really ‘lucky’ genetically and happened to skate by for awhile, what changed in you to make you be more accountable to your training?

Endorphins 2.0: The special running high that only awesome workouts, epic races and PR’s can bring

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Cait — 12 Comments ↓

Boom. Crackle. Snap. No, for once that’s not the sound of me walking into a room…I do predict I’ll be one of those old people racing around on a Rascal for all other hours of the day I’m NOT running. 😉 Juuuust kidding…Happy Fourth of July to all those who are also residing in the good old USA.

Kicking your own butt can feel oh so good…when you come out the ‘winner.’ 🙂

I’m thankful to be an American and not just because I get a chance to unleash my inner pyro for the day. Rockets are fun, yes, but do you want to know another way to feel like you’re high enough to touch the moon? No, the perfectly legal way but you’re still getting a fix in a way.

Rocking a hard workout, kicking butt in a race or a brand spanking new PR. I’ve long professed my love for endorphins but I SWEAR the ones that come from a particularly hard workout, race or effort are like endorphins 2.0. It’s a super high…and I feel THOSE kinds of pimped-out endorphins are what keep us slogging through the ‘blah’ miles, crappy runs and the workouts that kick our butts in the worse possible way. We’re chasing the right endorphins.

Now I’m not an elitist, trust me, I know for a fact I am no better than others, but can I tell you a little secret? On days when my running goes particularly well, the times I’ve gotten a PR (even a PR in a workout) for the rest of the day I sort of feel like I can walk a little taller. Heck I even feel happier and smile bigger, if that is humanly possible for me. When I’m just out and about in ‘normal people’ world (not around fellow runners) in the back of my mind, when I’m going through the check-out at the grocery store I’m thinking, “My legs feel wobbly and like jelly, I wonder if she’s ever felt that post-workout early-onset soreness that only comes from a tough run?” It’s not that I think I’m any better than anyone else in that line (for all I know there could be a World Record holder behind me!) It’s just that I feel like a ‘specialer’ version of myself that day. Thanks to those pimped-out endorphins 2.0 I suppose.

Don’t worry, my ego quickly gets snapped back, as do the rest of ours if you know what I’m talking about and can relate, the next day when we realize that with running there is always another day that begs to question, “You going running?” Running is an ongoing cycle, the PR you just hit, the workout you just rocked…well guess what, you’re going to be facing the same thing again soon and you’re going to want to one-up the previous. So yes, be proud, feel entitled to walk a bit taller for that day, ALWAYS celebrate your PR’s and awesome efforts because failing to do so will leave you feeling like you jyped yourself later. BUT, remember that there is always another day, another goal to be chased…even if that isn’t another PR, truth be told there will be a day when you inevitably won’t be shooting for your best overall PR and will have to shift perspective.

But you know what never has to end? Those souped up, pimped-out endorphins 2.0 that can leave you feeling like you’re shooting on a rocket for the rest of the day. People sometimes don’t understand why a runner who doesn’t really even race would bother doing a hard workout or test themselves. Yea, those hard workouts are hardly always fun…so the obvious question is, “Why put yourself through that?” To be honest that question is probably something going through that non-racing runner’s mind plenty of times themselves. The answer is…the quest for those endorphins 2.0.

So light those sparklers, runnerchicks and runnerdudes, those racing towards PR’s or even if you’re not. Have fun oohing and aahing over the fireworks but remember that some even better trips to the stars are waiting for you, riding those pimped-out endorphins 2.0…get chasing them.

1) Do you relate to feeling especially enorphinized high after awesome workouts you nailed, races you hit your goals or surpassed them or hard-fought PR’s?

2) Do you also feel like a bit of a shinier version of yourself on those days you have those runs? I swear it’s not egotism running rampant on all us runner feeling like we’re better than anyone else. 😉

3) Where are you with your running, are you currently racing, shooting for a PR, just running for the joy of it, running and maybe not racing but still get that curiosity bug to test yourself with some hard workouts and see what you can do?

Running to Race, Racing to Win: Three Important Things to Keep in Mind

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Cait — 8 Comments ↓

Can we just say the Olympic Track Trials action came back with a BANG and it only further backs my theory that the rest days are just as much for the fans who get insanely excited and need a break from the action to rest their adrenal glands and cheering voices.

So much to say, and I think the best thing to do is cut to the chase and throw out a few lessons to be learned from today…

* Never forget the importance of a kick. There are two kinds of runners: the ones passing people at the end of a race and the ones getting passed. Sad but true fact, we can’t all win…and while the tricky thing with a kick, and speed, is that to a degree you are genetically predisposed to be a kicker or not. BUT, it doesn’t mean that even us without all those fast-twitch muscle fibers can’t IMPROVE our kicking abilities. It just means that if you’ve got a weakness you need to work on it rather than avoid it and use the excuse, “Well, I just don’t have a kick, oh well.” Work on your base speed (200’s and 400’s) and also work on it when you’re already with tired legs, simulating how you’ll be feeling after the majority of a race already run. To do that, do a workout that is more endurance based (a tempo run or longer repeats) then double back, finishing with some fast 200’s or 150’s.

* Run through the line. Without even bringing up the whole 100 meter tie-snaffu, if you caught the end of the women’s 5k you’ll see my point. How would you feel getting out-leaned for a shot to London…probably not so hot. The thing is it’s one thing to miss out because you got out-kicked and at least were a few seconds behind…but getting out-leaned stings more. Now I’m sure if you sense a runner coming you’ll be high-tailing it and, yes, tired, but never forget that even if you don’t hear someone coming, better safe than sorry. Pretend your shadow is chasing you if you have to and fire all those pistons until you are ACROSS the line.

* Remember the highs and lows. Running has so many ups and downs, and I’ll venture to guess every single athlete at the Trials has hit a point, probably loads more, of times when people around them were scratching their heads and thinking, “Uhh, so you’re going to give up this running thing now, right?” Be it surgeries, horrible strings of races, entire years of set-backs…if you now gathered up the people GOING to London you’d see they all have those lows. They didn’t quit. Now, I’ll argue on the other side and say that yes, there are plenty of runners NOT going to London with those very same lows (those not even at the Trials)…so you want to argue with me. I’ll tell you what all of the people DO have in common, they run because in the end they love running. Their goals and dreams up the ante, yes, and it’s crushing to fall short. BUT, the reason you try is because YOU want to see if you are capable, and to do that you can only know if you try. And if you run because you love it yourself, even if you fall short of your goals you can still ‘fall back’ on that passion…once the sting wears off you’ll still have running for YOU.

The Olympic Trials are awesome peeps…just be careful you don’t cheer yourself to a coronary. 😉

1) What’s a lesson you can take away from the Trials action so far and apply it to your own running?

2) What has been one of your low points, how did you manage it, and how did you keep moving forward?

3) What’s been a high that makes all those lows worth it?

4) All other Trials related fodder…gimmie it!

Hayward Field 2012: The Olympic Trials Begin as Athletes Scale Their Own Mount Olympus

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Cait — 8 Comments ↓

The Olympic Trials 2012 have officially hit Oregon. Whether you deem yourself a track fan or not (but you really should be!) I would implore all runners to catch a vicarious ‘high’ off of what is about to go down.

Running, regardless of the level, is hard. It takes insurmountable amounts of work, dedication, perseverance and perspective. The mental side of running is huge. All of the athletes taking part in the Trials at Hayward Field have been working towards these days, the goals they want to achieve on them, for years.

Of course the Olympics, and the Olympic Trials, are akin to the Mount Olympus of goals to us, mere mortal runners. While every competitor taking part warrants being put on a bit of a pedestal for their athletic prowess, there is much us mortals can glean from them outside of some phenomenal races to watch and cheer for.

Like a Boss. Getting to the line takes confidence; confidence is instilled through all of that hard work, owning those workouts like a boss and knowing that you BELONG on that starting line. Regardless of where that line is, Trials or no Trials, a goal is a goal none-the-less and every runner must build that confidence on their own level. Ironic how bolstering that confidence takes DOING and having the courage or guts to DO takes believing in yourself. So sometimes you have to just dive in and start the doing and KEEP up the doing again and again…the boss-like confidence may just have to follow.

Determination. Every single athlete at the Trials, just as every single runner, has their highs and lows. The running lows have weeded out plenty of runner wanna-be’s. Injuries, set-backs, horrible races, embarrassingly heinous performances, epically long injuries, surgeries, life obstacles…they’ve had them all and continued plowing forward. You can too so long as you just keep running forward…even if that ‘running’ forward is more of a symbolic metaphor.

Face the Mirror. Through the course of life and the trials running will toss your way (refer above), there will be many moments that cause you to question yourself, who you are, why you do things, why you keep running, and learn about yourself. Lessons learned through running apply to all areas in life; but for running, it is something you, in the end, are doing for yourself. You are accountable to YOU, you choose to get the run done or skip it. In the middle of hard workouts and races YOU control whether you dig for that extra gear or you let up. You have to decide if it’s worth doing what it takes to stay running in the direction of your goals. The runners you’re watching at the Trials…they all decided THEY wanted to keep running for their goals.

Cheer. The stands at the Trials should be in a state of unbridled ‘enthusiasm.’ (Shout out, any Seinfeld fans in the house?!) What I mean is people will be maniacally cheering and that’s how the Hayward Field Stands should be. While us mere mortals may or may not be personally tied to any one racer, we should all soak up the inspiration that will be flooding the track. The sweat dripped to the track is not dissimilar to the sweat of any other runner in actual make-up; it is the same salty water that can be shed by any runner if they work for it.

That said, while the sweat flooding Hayward may be anatomically the same as any other runners’ sweat, I can’t stress enough that it is STILL different. It is from one of the dreamers who has made it their dream to scale their way to that Mount Olympus and separate themselves from the mere mortals. It is then, that us mere mortals can tilt our head toward the mountain’s peak as the dreamers climb and cheer for them with…unbridled enthusiasm. 😉

1) Who is making their way to the Trials? To spectate or compete…BUT if you’re reading this and about to compete you better as heck leave a comment and brag on yourself. 😉

2) What events are you looking the most forward too?

3) How will you make sure you are putting out your fair share of unbridled enthusiasm? As in, what is something that you will ‘soak up’ from all of these phenomenal athletes and apply to your own running?

Run Like a Kid: Retaining some of those childlike qualities could be the best thing for your running

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Cait — 17 Comments ↓

I think we should all start running like children. Heck, I think in some aspects we all could benefit from being more like children in general…maybe that will be my excuse for acting like a six year old. Speaking of, who stole my box of Pop-Tarts, I don’t share those?!

If your goals are on a shoot star, grab hold and ride…errr, run! 😉

Children, the younger the are, the more unshaped they are by their surrounds. Before the world can mold you, beat out a few qualities, put some limits on what you should do, set boundaries and establish rules you’re a ‘raw’ version of humanity. Now not to say beating out a few nasty traits (hello screaming child throwing a tantrum in the middle of the store and let’s all be thankful our parents forced us into potty training!) isn’t called for, BUT there are some qualities I wish were better retained. How does this apply to the world of running?

Children have whimsy. I like looking at ‘little kid art’ sometimes because it typically just makes you smile. Whether it’s the bright colors or the way too perky happy, smiling suns, it has a way of lightening the mood and puuuuulling a smile out of you whether you want to or not. Running has some severe highs and lows; we need to accept that and brace ourselves for the inevitable rough patches. In order to not let those lows break you, or your drive to continue training and come back, you have to stay positive. This can really sound annoying when you’re in the midst of a low, when you have someone telling you to smile you sometimes want to scream, “Yea, and I just saw a unicorn sh##ing rainbows out my window too!” 😉 But have your vent and then, in all honesty, maybe crack open a picture book and look for that unicorn. You never know, children dream up crazy stuff…whatever can force a smile out of you and kick your butt out of the poor me rut and get you back on track and moving forward is a good thing.

Children don’t know limits. Kids, if you tell them it’s possible to jump off the roof and fly will blindly try to go where no man has gone before, make that small step and giant leap off the roof. They don’t over-analyze a goal to death and wonder if they can do it, they literally just go and try. In running, if you out-think yourself from a goal you never end up even trying. You could fall short, you could make it, even surpass it, but you’ll never know unless you try. There is also something to be said for the journey in the trying, regardless of the outcome. Heck, I’ve failed plenty of times but still think I’m better for it in many aspects.

Kids are brutally honest. I love asking kids for an opinion on things. While I do write posts on lying to yourself about how much your hard running workouts will actually be as an effective mental ‘trick’ to getting through the workout…there are times when we should try on our honesty pants. These times though, are usually AFTER the fact, once the work is done and you’re setting your sights forward. After a race, a workout, or even a run, there are things you can learn and apply forward. A bad race can be the best thing in the world if you learn you made a critical error; learn, don’t make it next time, and have a PR. If you have a stellar workout, look back not just at the workout itself but the training leading up to it, see if there is a pattern of WHY you rocked it. This is one reason why having a training log is a major training tool.

Kiddies live in the moment. A kid can fall flat on their face, scream that it hurts (please, I hope you weren’t the kid who cried over every bump and bruise…put on your big girl/boy Pull-Ups! Hehe), get up and run to the sandbox. Running is an action; once it’s over and you stop doing it, the running part is done and in the past. Good if you’re having a horrible run, a little sad if you just set a World-Record and wish you could live the moment again and again. The bottom line is we can’t get stuck in the past if it stops us from living in the now and looking forward. If you have a bad race (fall on your face), do your vent and learning session (scream), then put your big Pull-Ups on and gear up for next time…don’t dwell on something like that, know you’ll have another shot to try again.

So runners: be dreamers, be annoyingly positive when the unicorn is sh##ing on you during a low, be brutally honest when you’re not lying your way through a workout, admit there will be falls that hurt but in the end pick yourself up because there will be better times ahead too. 🙂
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Reminder: If you’re liking the art you see and would like prints of a certain piece check out my Etsy Store! If you don’t see the one you want there, contact me and I’ll get you squared away. 🙂
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1) What is one trait that children have but tend to lose touch with as they get older? How can that trait be applied to running and could it be of benefit?

2) What is a trait that you are SO glad the world beats out of kids?
True fact, I may be deemed a horrible runnerchick for saying this, but I do not love kids…I’m picky as heck when it comes to kids I like. But that usually has more to do with parents, and I’m not going to open that can of worms. BUT the kiddos I stamp approval of I really adore, so don’t come egg my house. I will say I’m not sad to see kids grow out of the pull your hair and punch you in the gut thing. 😉

3) What is one area that you need to start acting more like a kid when it comes to your running?

4) What are some of your favorite children’s books? Let’s be honest we all look at them for the pictures!

When Forcing Yourself to Feel Like You Don’t Belong Works: Running and life goals achieved by feeling like a ‘poser’

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Cait — 12 Comments ↓

In life, and in running, there will be times when you feel like you’re in over your head. Or that you are afraid the people around you will certainly sniff you out as the ‘poser’ you feel you are…that you really don’t belong, that you don’t have enough experience, credits to your name, accolades, etc. You can choose to dodge these types of situations, but if you do I’m willing to bet you’ll miss out on achieving something greater than you expected.

Run curious of what you CAN achieve when you force yourself to be in situations where you feel like a ‘poser’…then fake it til you make it. 🙂

In running, a sure-fire way to get better is to train with people who are better than you. Sure, you can have the ego boost of being the top dog and pace-setter for a particular group, but where is the fun in that? I always loved being the chaser, myself; that makes you hungry for more, for faster times…it’s the thrill of the hunt, right?

Being at the slower end of the company you keep, dare I even say the slowest, can surely be daunting though. If you’re new to the group your knees are probably quaking before the warm-up, anticipating that these fleeter footed runners were certainly sniff out the poser of the group. Maybe they even know your PR’s and in your mind you imagine what they are thinking, “Who in the heck do they think they are…they don’t belong with us…they aren’t good enough to even share the track with us.”

The honest truth is that humans can be pretty self-centered without meaning to or even be aware they are thinking that the world is revolving around them. They can be the most benevolent of people but there are times when we over-amplify the importance of ourselves. What I’m getting at is as you IMAGINE those others are thinking about you, they are probably actually thinking of themselves. those other runners most likely are thinking about the workout ahead and the splits they want to hit…not your presence.

But then again, worse case, even if they are thinking you ‘don’t belong’ then who really cares? If you want the BEST from yourself, toss yourself into the deep end on PURPOSE. You can run the risk of sinking but more often than not, when forced you’ll at least learn to doggie-paddle. That doggie paddle will most likely turn to some semblance of a stroke and eventually you will swim.

Truth is, runners tend to be awesome company and will welcome you onto their team. 🙂

With running, when you train smart, push yourself, are consistent, and ask more from yourself you generally improve. You may end up surprising yourself in actually becoming the fastest runner of the very group you once felt you were an idiot for thinking you even belonged sharing the same track with.

Stepping out of your comfort zone is scary, yes, but goals that demand the kind of work that offer a fulfilling reward aren’t achieved by feeling comfortable. So fellow kiddies, let’s dive into the deep end of the track and get swimming. 😉 [Extra credit to those who made sense of this totally mixed metaphor…haha!]

1) What is an instance where you felt like a ‘poser’ when it came to running?
The first day I went to my high school’s track practice…if you were keeping tabs on my Facebook Page I explained it was my dad who helped me get out there and just run.

2) When was an instance where you felt like a ‘poser’ in other life?
Actually, anytime people say, “Oh, you’re an artist!” It’s taken a lot of mental conditioning to not blurt out, “Well, actually, ummm, I dunno, I like doing art, but I’m not sure if I’m an ‘artist’ artist.” 😛

3) If you run in a group, where are you typically: front, middle, chaser? If you run alone, how do you ‘stretch’ yourself to run with ‘someone faster than you’? If you don’t try and run with someone better than you for the sake of ‘chasing’ that’s cool too, but do you want to try and state a goal of attempting that stretch??
I’m a bit of a solo runner for the current, but I use the treadmill and force my slow butt not to fall off the back for some tempo runs. 😉 Good old tready has enough power to certainly run the belt faster than me!