‘Motivation’ Articles at , Page 18

Five Reasons You Love Being a Runner But (Probably) Wouldn’t Say

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Cait — 11 Comments ↓

We run for many reasons, are gifted with ample perks of our sport, but admit it, some of the those rewarding feelings aren’t necessarily ones you feel comfortable shouting from the rooftops for fear of sounding like a runner snob.

1) Schooling the joggers and walkers. That awesome feeling you get as you approach a jogger and blowing past them, the one where you watch their face from the corner of your eye as you breeze by (you don’t turn your head of course, you can’t let them know how much you are relishing this!) in the hopes of catching their facial expression.

2) Laughing at idiocies. “I broke 4 minutes in the mile and so did three of my high school teammates,” just this past Sunday a man was telling this to my friend. My friend tried to nicely nudge him to correct the stats, but the guy was adamant. It gets irksome dealing with people who are obviously in the wrong, but after they leave how funny is it to make fun of their mistakes. My reaction, “Yea, was he running on a 350m track?” 😉

3) Social Media Elitism. Today you can see pretty much everyone’s workout, it’s like Twitter and Facebook are the new Gold’s Gym braggart saying how much they worked their butts of that day. But admit it, some peoples’ ideas of crazy-hard-long sweat sessions are what you’d consider a warm-up. It’s okay to feel a little like a runner snob in these times. #runnersworkharder

4) Gluttony. There really isn’t much more to be said for this one. Eating like a sumo wrestler and later holding bragging contests over your food feats of strength (ie: accomplishments) is almost as much fun as telling people on Weight Watchers you downed a baker’s dozen worth of donuts.

5) Kanye Syndrome. You know that feeling when you’ve smashed out an awesome workout or gotten a PR? The one where you walk a little taller, your legs are getting the early-onset soreness but you sickly love it. You may even feel like you’re strutting down the street, you catch eyes with strangers and think, “Yea, what did you do today? I’m pretty sure it’s nowhere near what I did.” I guess the old Army motto has this one right, when you’re up and doing more than most could father there is a well-deserved sense of pride. Mayyyyybe even some inflated egotism for a bit?? 😉

There, I said it. But really I know you’ve all thought it at some point. Maybe you’re sitting there on the other side of the computer fresh off some Twitter trolling and sheepishly smiling for being caught in the act. It’s okay, we’ve all been there. We’re runners, we’re just kick@$$ like that.

1) What’s a thought of awesome feeling you have because you’re a runner but maybe you wouldn’t say for fear of making it sound like you’re a jerk?

2) What’s the most idiotic thing you’ve heard a person say in regards to times they’ve run, distances they’ve covered, or anything of the like? Do you ever try to correct them or just let it go?

3) Last time you had Kanye syndrome?

When Running Gets Lonely it’s Okay to Have ‘Imaginary’ Training Partners

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Cait — 14 Comments ↓

If you’re a runner suffering from a bit of Suri Cruise syndrome and you don’t have any friends to run with, do what I do and make some up.

Actually, I got an email from one of my AWESOME Team Cait runners taking part in the September Miles Madness Challenge that completely made my morning, “Thanks for the enthusiastic welcome, I’m actually really excited. I’m always looking for someone to run with (who shares the same schedule, yeah right!) and now I feel like I’m part of a whole team… I’ve already run 2 extra times in the last 4 days and am feeling extra light today as a result!!”

Running is the best sport but let’s be honest it is hard business, no way around it. It takes an insane amount of self-motivation and more often than not is a mental battle as much as it is a physical one. There are days when those miles feel a lot harder than they should or when your desire to get out the door may be more on the ebb than the flow; however, all of those days are worth the runs that feel magical. Or the PR’s that feel so painful you cross the line and know you definitely reached down deeper than you ever had before. Oh us runner and our sick, twisted love affair with self-torture.

Having other runners to help bare the pacing burden for workouts, even just to share the same track or run alongside you, can make a world of difference. Even for those long runs, should two runners go 14 miles in near silence, it’s hardly lonely and it could be argued that those two runners were in fact closer during that time than two friends yammering away over a cafe latte. [Kramer shout-out to anyone who got that!]

There are times a runners seeks the solitude of miles done alone and there are times they crave the company. Instances when a runner looking to get the best from themselves is compelled to find competition, the burning desire to seek a mate who can kick their butts in the best way possible.

For the times one’s self-motivation starts to wane, the temptation to blow off a run when they really shouldn’t, having accountability to someone, or someones, can act as the push int the right direction.

Why what this runner’s email meant so much to me was because it epitomized what Ashley and I had hoped to do at the onset of the challenge: inspire and motivate people to get out there and get ‘er done! It’s never too late to join the September Miles Madness fun, I’ll keep you all posted with updates and the prize pot will continue to grow too!

Flesh and blood real-life running partners, cyber teammates, or imaginary people…whatever works for you. So if you have to imagine your running partners helping pull you along, by all means. Just be sure to set the post-run refuel table with extra plates ala a Suri tea party.

1) If you have committed to a friend or a group that you’re going to go running does that impact your motivation to follow through?

2) If you don’t have real life friends to run with, do you find support in an online community venue or through reading blogs?

3) If you’re running alone, do you ever imagine there are others around you? Be honest! [You can revisit my post on racing your shadow HERE.]
Straight up, if I’m running a hard workout sometimes I even pretend there is a double ‘me.’ Wait, don’t commit me yet, let me explain. If say I’m doing a tempo on the same route I usually do, I pretend there is the ‘me’ that ran one of my faster times and I want to beat that version of me. When I pass each mile marker I check in and see who’s winning. Okay, now you can still commit me to the cuckoo’s nest now if you want. 😉

Finish Line Face: A runner’s grimace-smile as they head for home

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Cait — 11 Comments ↓

You’re running toward the finish line, eyes dead ahead and your face is contorted into some kind of grimace-smile. You’re digging for that extra gear, the lactic acid feels about up to your eyeballs but you spot the line, incentive to keep going. Enter Finish Line Face.

It’s strange how the very last bit of your race, the bell of the last lap, the view of the finishing line is at both the most painful yet ‘easiest’ part of all. The end is in sight, you can taste it, the competitive drives kicks in and the desire to push it overrides the built up muscle fatigue.

Now, not all runners are blessed as ‘natural kickers’, or the ones who possess enough fast twitch muscle fibers and raw speed to easily find that extra gear at the end. However, everyone can work on their base speed; yea it’s unfortunate that tapping into that extra gear will take some more work (ie: searching)…but isn’t hard work what defines distance running?

Speed sessions and short intervals aside, there are other factors that can improve you finish. You’ll probably still have a touch of Finish Line Face but next time you’re barreling for home remember:

* Relax: Don’t clench your jaw, make sure your shoulders are dropped, your arms are swinging front to back and are ‘loose.’ Holding tension in your face, shoulders, and fists is energy being spent, and it’s not being spent productively; it’s also doing damage to your form.

* Form Check: Nice segue, because your form can naturally start to slip as you tire. Working on your form, with core strength exercises and drills, ensures you’ll be able to stand up tall when you’re tired, like at the end of a race.

* Strides: Counting your strides, or thinking about your stride rate does two things: it makes sure you’re being an efficient runner but it also helps distract your brain from thinking of how much pain you’re in. A stride is counting on a single leg, as it makes a complete running cycle. Think strides, not pain. Aim for 90 strides per minute.

* Dead Ahead: Don’t lose sight of the finish, it offers motivation and by looking forward you’re helping keep good form too. Key in on runners you can pass at the line too and go after them!

Finish Line Face…so long as you’re not clenching your jaw, embrace those grimace-smiles and find that extra gear!

1) Do you tend to make a particular face while running or racing?
I’ve been called Popeye before.

2) How do you make sure to keep yourself relaxed when you’re trying to run hard?
I shake out my arms and make sure my shoulders are relaxed.

3) What’s your form pit-fall, the thing that starts to slip when you get tired?
My arms start to swing like a hummingbird. 😛

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?

Running Through the Hazard Zone: Preventing a mental crash in the dead center of your race

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Cait — 18 Comments ↓

The hazard zone of any run, every hard workout, each race is the middle. The excitement and adrenaline has worn off from the first mile and you’re not quite close enough to the finish line to taste it. Here-in lies the dead zone…the dead center.

WARNING: You are now entering the hazard zone. Enter at your own risk. Proceed with caution and ample amounts of guts.

We can break up each workout or race into three parts, to make things simple let’s take a 5k.

* Stage 1: The first mile you’re running on adrenaline. It’s easy to get caught up and go too fast actually, and here is where it’s important to, if anything, stick to your race plan or goal paces. Negative split running generally works best; if you feel like you can run below pace do it in the next stages.

* Stage 2 aka the Hazard Zone: Mile two is where fatigue sets in, the lactic acid has had a chance to build. Mentally it’s easy to let your mind wander or start to dwell on the fact that you’ve still got two miles to go.

* Stage 3: When you’re close enough to ‘taste’ the finish your mind can snap into focus and dig for an extra gear rather quickly. However, if you’ve dawdled away during Stage 2 and only reach this blast for home 400 meters from the finish you’ve lost time and if you cross the line with legs that were able to steamroll THAT much it’s most likely a sign you could have brought more to the race that day. Regret will set in moments after the finish line.

WARNING: The hazard zone is the biggest chunk of your race or workout. It takes up more than an equal third.

The thing is, taking this 5k example to a workout, say of 6×800 meters. The ‘novelty’ of Stage 1 could wear of after the first interval. Then it’s really only the very last interval that anyone can ‘gut’ through. So that leaves 4×800 meters of hazard zone.

Your hazard zone runner care kit:

* Predict it: Know the hazard zone and be well aware it’s going to hit. Here is where before your workouts or races even happen you can use visualization to get yourself mentally prepared to handle it.

* Prepare for it: There is mental preparation that you need to do before and during the workout. Having others around you for your hard workouts can also help, as they can pull you along. Physically you can also set yourself up best to push through the hazard zone by ensuring your legs have enough in the tank. This includes properly warming up to get your body ready to run fast and then being mature enough to run within yourself for the early intervals. If you blitz out too fast in the beginning, physically you could sabotage your workout right there, dead zone or not.

* Battle it: When you’re in the hazard zone focus on the concretes rather than how tired you are. Do a form check, focus on your breathing, make sure that your shoulders are relaxed or your jaw isn’t clenched and if you’re running behind someone pinpoint a spot on their back and DO NOT let any distance develop between you and that spot.

* The pain: Here is where you need to play mental games with yourself. Use mantras, ‘I am fast. I am strong.’ Pretend you’ve only go this last interval (or 1/2 mile) to run regardless of what number you’re actually on. Remind yourself that if you give in and ease up now you WILL regret it when you’re done…even though that voice in your head is telling you that you really won’t care, that’s a lie.

Don’t let a crash in the hazard zone sabotage your workout or your race; sense it’s coming and run your butt off all the way through it. 😉
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The feelings of being stuck in the hazard zone is also very similar to being stuck in No-Man’s Land during a race. You can check out that post HERE.
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1) How much of your workouts or races, do you feel, is made up of the hazard zone? When your ‘almost finished’ alarm goes off and kicks back in, how close are you usually to the finish of the race/workout?

2) What’s been a time you feel victim to a crash in the hazard zone and your race/workout suffered?

3) When’s an instance you did an awesome job of pushing through and kicked the butt of the hazard zone? What’s one of the tips or tricks you have when doing so?

The Stupor You’re Feeling is Olympic Induced Brain Fog

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Cait — 10 Comments ↓

A message from our runner-selves in the morning…

Yes it’s me…I’m you in only a few hours in fact. If you’re not quite sure which day it is, then just refresh the London Olympics results page on your browser…it’s that tab on the left. That disorientation you’re feeling could be called Olympic Brain Fog caused by periodic wakings in order to catch the London 2012 action.

These past weeks are catching up with you, you see. You can’t really call what you’re doing to the ‘morning’ runner you very fair. I mean here you are napping in hour increments, rushing to the TV and/or computer in a dash to get your fix of the coverage.

Albeit it’s worth it, I mean you can’t very well miss these events…I see where you’re coming from, but if you can see from my perspective a bit, I’m getting the short end of the stick. I wish I could stay the night and early morning runner you, but somewhere along this quasi-time-line there’s the shift change and it stinks.

I must peel myself off of the drool crusted laptop, away from the DVR remote doing that repeated loop of the 1500 meter final for the fiftieth time and greet this blasted day. I’m chugging along on a mix of adrenaline, excitement and necessity…but how much longer can this Olympic Madness continue?!

My runs are interesting, there’s the dual personas…the one who’s every muscle fiber and synapse is electrified thanks to inspiration overload. Then there is the one who remembers that you are, in fact, sleep depraved.

But I know, I know, it’s worth it after all. I acknowledge that we are running addicts, track obsessed, glutton for distance running. I guess I just needed to vent…I think I’m just jealous of night/early morning you. The one who gets to see all these running highlights, gets to white-knuckle grip the TV remote, update the live Twitter feed every hundredth of a second. I feel a little short-changed…staring at result sheets just isn’t the same as living vicariously through the athletes in real, London time. 😉

1) Have you been sleeping some sketchy hours in order to watch the London coverage live?

2) How is early morning you feeling about this?

3) Which have been some of your highlights thus far? If you could win a medal in any of the events, what would it be?

Learning From the Elites: Mortal runners improving off of sound advice

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Cait — 20 Comments ↓

My excitement level for the Women’s Olympic Marathon could be termed as ‘unbridled enthusiasm.’ It outpaced any any event; sorry, guys…but trust me there is enough spill-over excitement for other distance events, but it’s just a wee shy of the marathon.

It’s been building since the Trials and I’m a proud member of Team Goucherette and Team Flanagan. So there was no question I’d be up at the 3am (my time) for gun time. The marathon is a beast of an event where you can only plan for so much and from there, run as planned but be ready to roll with any surprises as well.

Both Goucher and Flanagan did us Americans proud; I know they both hoped to have placed higher, it’s that kind of attitude that makes them great because they are focused on getting better and know they are capable of more. However, if you saw them out there they poured it on all the way through the line and have the maturity to realize that all you can ask for is your best from your body on any given day. If you leave it all out there, you have to be proud of that regardless of the outcome.

There were no shortage of articles and interviews with the harriers leading up to the race, asking them on their training, tactics, preparation and everything else. Everyone trying to pick their brains for some kind of ‘secret’, find out what makes them tick in the effort that some of this could be applied to the mere mortals. Two solid reads are from Competitor on Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher.

Some quick highlights and points I feel worth repeating and emphasizing:

* Practice to race: Race day is what matters and tailoring your workouts to best simulate whatever conditions you’ll be facing on THAT day is key. You have tons of workouts and runs to test out how your body responds to different variables so be thorough. This includes finding which foods work best and setting a nutrition plan, the shoes you’ll be racing in, the perfect warm-up routine, and which style of racer you are. Do you want an even pace, start out slow and kick, surge in the middle, etc? I’ve got an article on planning your fuel HERE.

* Fartleks for everyone: Flanagan’s article specifies the kind of fartleks she did leading up and the reason why so many people are fans of fartleks is because they can be done anywhere and the combinations you can come up with are limitless. They are also perfect for those who might be getting too stressed or burned out on track workouts; focus on just running HARD rather than obsessing over splits. I wrote some more fartlek ideas HERE.

* In the end it’s in the legs: Gadgets and ‘extras’ are awesome; in today’s times we are flooded with different training tools. Take advantage of what this era brings to the table (trust me, especially when it comes to injuries and coming back from them, we’re running in a lucky time!) but in the end remember that what it comes down to is EFFORT. That and consistent training.

* It’s all mental: Visualization is a common thread in helping to callous the mind for the kind of pain running and race day brings. This is work that you can do off the track and while giving your legs a break, but it will pay off dividends come race day. Be a gamer. I did a whole piece how how to utilize visualization HERE.

So both of these champs (and the rest of the awesome runners…have to say, a 24 year old Gold medalist, that looks pretty nice on the resume. 😉 hehe) will be back to work here shortly. Running never ends…

1) Did you watch or follow the marathon as it went off live, did you record it and watch it later, or did you pull up results?

2) Do you tend to read a lot of running articles, blogs, websites, etc? Which are your favorite?

3) What’s something you read recently that you really liked and plan on implementing or adapting to fit your own running?

Press Play: Run to Start

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

Just press play and start running. No cords, no outlets or chargers necessary. Simple instructions for operating the best pieces of entertainment at your disposal.

Yes, running is entertainment. It will take you to places far more extraordinary than something you can view on a screen. It will teach you lessons you can’t learn in a classroom. It will show you things about yourself that you can’t buy from a talk-doc or from taking in a Facebook poll or similar App.

And of course for the runnerdudes. 😉

Running is a test. You give it to yourself, you end up scoring yourself too. The clock and the distances are helpful in grading, but in the end only you are able to accurately interpret the black and white numbers. While running resides in a realm riddled with black and whites…you can’t argue with times and numbers…there is more reading between the lines to be done than in the greatest of libraries.

Grading is tricky business, sure, but it’s fun too. Even when you fail you end up learning. The odd thing though is even when you FINALLY get an A for the day…tomorrow, the whole thing starts over and you must press play again. Repeat.

A constant loop. It never ends.

Press play.

Run.

There is no STOP button.

1) What’s the first moment that comes to mind when you think of your running as being entertaining or you felt like you were ‘playing’?

2) What’s the most recent grade you’d give yourself for your run? It starts over constantly, so if you didn’t score as high as you liked, why and what are you going to do to nudge the grade up higher the next time?

3) When’s the last time you totally ‘Aced’ your running for the day, a race, a workout?

Put Your Runner Shades On: It’s GO Time London

Posted on August 3, 2012 by Cait — 14 Comments ↓

Or if I’m going to really take this wanna-be pun all the way…put your runna’ shades on. 🙂

The running events are about to take over the London Olympics and that means this runnerchick is more than a bit excited. Slip into those cheering pants and get supporting those Team USA harriers!

This first day of action will see the first rounds of the men’s steeplechase and men’s 1500 meters as well as the final of the women’s 10,000 meter race. Of course there will be other events going on but I’m distanced biased and not sad about it. Check out all the results and full schedule HERE.

Back to runner shades, I know some people who don the shades sort of the same way they put on their spikes or racing shoes. Meaning it’s GO time. I have to admit that when you see a person running with shades it catches your eye; I’ve even heard some runners say they are intimidated by the mere sight of a shaded runner. Now I won’t go that far, it’s not like the mere act of putting on sunglasses will make you faster…that’s all in the legs.

Yet we all have those little things that cause that internal switch in us. The one that goes along with the electric buzz of race day, the one where we know it’s time to kick it up another level and get ready to put it all on the line. Akin to spiking up, peeling off the sweats and baring that uniform…if sunglasses are the final piece of your race day GO time visage…then by all means…

…put your runner shades on.

1) Who are you going to be rooting for the most come the running events? Which events are you most looking forward to?

2) Do you run in sunglasses? Now, do you run in them a lot in both training and racing, or do you reserve them mostly only for racing?

3) Thoughts on runners with sunglasses, I know some people have something against seeing a runner in shades…anyone in that boat? Anyone who instantly assumes that when they see a runner in sunglasses that runner has to be fast?

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?? 😉