‘Motivation’ Articles at , Page 25

“The First Run is the Sweetest”…or Something Like That, Cat

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Cait — 13 Comments ↓

Six weeks and the legs went to the dogs! 🙂 I know I haven’t talked about it too much on here (I’ve been playing by the ‘if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all’ rules a bit.) but I injured my foot awhile back and was thus held captive to the cross-training.

Still working to find out exactly what was/is wrong with my foot but it stems from head-diving into all outdoor running when I’d been doing solely treadmill running for over a year. My case is a little odd, the reason I was a gerbil on the ‘mill for so long was because I was a little iffy running on the roads after getting hit by the car.

I pretty much chop-shopped my own little rehab program to even get back to being able to walk and then run (the doctors hadn’t seen/worked on a case like mine before) but I knew where I was and I knew where I wanted to end up…so just head in that direction! Anyways, I went to the treadmill on my road back to running but after so long a runnerchick needs to get some fresh air!

Opps a-daisies! (Art: Cait Chock)

I got a little overzealous, I admit, pressed my luck a bit and my foot had something to say about it. Lesson learned, and learn from my mistakes…do as I say, not as I do, right? Running on the treadmill is a lot more ‘forgiving’ than running on pavement so if you’re making a transition you need to do it gradually.

Anyways, six weeks of burning a hole in the elliptical and let me tell you: BAM that first run back (on the treadmill) was a bit of a sucker-punch to the face. That old saying of ‘use it or lose it’ applies to running, my friends. It’s just funny because it takes awhile for the mind to catch up; mentally you’re used to a certain pace feeling ‘easy’ or at one level of effort but then you need to check yourself when you’re coming back from a running break…even if you’ve been diligent with the cross-training, there is still going to be some work getting back into the swing of things with running.

But don’t get depressed, because the GOOD news is: muscle memory. While your legs will feel like foreign objects at first and be sore, they snap back relatively quickly and you’ll be surprised with the progress. (I am reminding myself of this very thing, we’ve all been through it before) It’s just a matter of mustering up, getting through the transition, and remaining positive…your legs will eventually be returned to you.

Yes it sucks, you don't have to do a dance, BUT slap a smile on a fake it 'til you make! (you don't even have to smile but remind yourself you'll get through it...mmk!) Art: Cait Chock

Even in the short time I’ve been getting some easy runs under my belt I’ve seen improvement…this morning I did a short/easy fartlek on the treadmill (I’m going to heed my own advice and start back on the treadmill for now) and while I was hardly on world record pace I was able to get the old legs moving and the endorphins rolling…and even better news I didn’t fly off the back end of the treadmill. 🙂

In closing, I’m hardly out of the woods yet, I’m still supplementing with cross-training but my message is simple: injuries bite the big one, but they are a necessary evil as I’ve said a million times. My biggest advice though is to allow some venting (keep it minimal and give yourself a time limit of wallowing), but stay positive and keep plugging away…and then do your cross-training. I tell you, if I had done nothing for six weeks the legs would have been ravaged by the dogs and not just bitten. 😉

1) Why is it that the first few miles back running after an injury are both euphoric but excruciating?
Happiness is from the mental relief, the pain are your legs revolting…that’s why I was grimacing like that, it was a smile on the inside. 🙂

2) Your go-to cross-training and how do you keep it interesting/effective?
Elliptical and intervals.

3) When on the final few intervals of a workout, what is your mental trick to keep on plowing through to the end?
Tell myself I’ve only got one more, break down the interval in my mind and think ‘only 30 seconds more’, and pick a point ahead of me and zone in on nothing else.

Beauty in the Flaws and Success in the Failures

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Cait — 10 Comments ↓

My aunt’s an artist and she has a saying, “Accidental art.” It’s not so much a saying as a phrase for life; if you make a mistake take a look at it again and you just might see that this ‘accident’ made it better.

There was a Native American tribe that used to purposefully hide a flaw in every piece of art, pottery, and weavings they did because they knew that humans weren’t perfect and nothing ever is…nor should it be.

Certainly not perfect...

Though, as a bit of a perfectionist, I don’t always remember this. I get so furious when a detail isn’t EXACTLY how I envisioned it in my mind and could waste hours trying to get it just right. Sometimes I need to just let go and reiterate, “Accidental art.”

Still not perfect.

The same goes for training and racing; you can’t always predict how things will go. No matter how much you may plan, envision, strategize, calculate and dream you can’t completely control the outcome. That can be frustrating but it’s a part of our sport and it can be suprisitingly euphoric too.

An athlete at the top of their game could come into a race and just feel horrible, for them it would be additedly depressing; though for the upset underdog who had the race of his life it could be a pincale of their career.

How can we take these supposed failures and make this ‘accidental art’? LEARN FROM THEM.

A bad race could be the ‘best’ thing that ever happened to you if you take away something from it and never repeat a mistake again. You go out too fast in the first race of the season and die a horrible death; championships roll around and you run negative splits and run your best race.

You come to the track and the workout is not going at all how it was planned. You could chuck the watch and get through it knowing that the effort is there, you might adjust the workout (if it was long intervals but you’re flat try doing some speedy 200’s) and aim to get a different kind of benefit. Finally you could just get through it and know it’s more a test of your mental grit. Later try to find out if there could be a reason you felt so crummy (check your recovery, easy runs, nutrition, sleeping, etc.) and see if you could correct that.

Thankfully there is always another workout around the corner and if you ‘messed up’ one you get another chance to redo it. The beauty of workouts are they are just practice for races; if you’re going to make a mistake make it there and learn from it.

However, in the end sometimes you just plain feel like junk and that’s just the legs you were dealt with for the day. It’s that margin of unknown in our sport. While we feel safe and in control with the black and white numbers and times that come with running, we have to acknowledge that our bodies will forever throw at us the element of surprise.

You can choose to wallow in the failures or instead look at it again and make some ‘accidental art.’

1) Are you a perfectionist? In some things or all? How do you try to ‘let go’ of details that aren’t so important?
I’m a perfectionist in things I decide I really care about…sadly for my chemistry classes the same can’t be said there. 😛

2) How do you handle bad workouts or races?

3) Last thing you can admit to failing epically at?
I promised myself I’d organize my mountain of ‘stuff’…I’m not winning there. I can’t say I love all my failures…but sometimes we need to cut ourselves some slack and keep moving on. 😛

When Life Throws junk Your Way…

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Cait — 9 Comments ↓

“Live for the unexpected.” Whoever said that I’m sure wasn’t rolling along the freeway and BAM had their tire blow out…if that had been the case I think their choice of word may have been more along the lines of, “F***” (eeerrr, I mean, “Fudge”…anyone who thought of A Christmas Story just now gets bonus points.)

The thing is, life can be awesome and grant you the highest of highs, but it can also offer up some pretty extreme blows. The thing is, and although when you’re in the midst of a low it’s nearly impossible to pull yourself out of ‘yourself’ and remember this: we all go through junk, crap, shiznit…so you are not alone. Misery loves company, right?

Okay, the point of this post is NOT to be a downer, so wait for it because I do have a reason for this bleak intro and even tie it into running. One thing we love about running is that it is ever constant, it doesn’t change much. You can always count on a mile being a mile, a minute run is a minute run…even if you’d wish you’d covered more distance in that minute than you did. The times are non-negotiable, as are the distances…it’s very clear-cut, black and white. One reason I enjoy this sport is you can’t argue with the outcome…you win if you cross the line first, there aren’t any politics involved such as in gymnastics and scoring sports. You break tape = you win.

Life is NOT a constant. It throws you for loops, lippy-dippies, and the like. When life’s craziness collides with running that’s when things can get interesting. Personal case study: when life deals out say, an injury or a sickness, and it derails the ever-constant running (ie: missed runs) it royally cheeses me off, “Hey, Running, I thought you were a constant and I could depend on you…what in the heck?!”

But running and life go hand in hand; and such is the case with everyone. This plays out in affecting our sport in a variety of ways: when athletes line up for the gun to a degree they are all equals despite what their PR’s are. Why? Because of life. We have no idea what’s going on ‘behind the scenes’ and what they are dealing with…coming off of an injury, a flu, a change of coach, or another huge life stressor.

People can discount or ‘poo-poo’ at how much life stress can derail training plans and say that if it affects your running than you are just mentally weak…but that is a fallacy. Running is very mental and humans are creatures of emotion; while the better athletes may be able to more adeptly channel those, or compartmentalize, better than others that doesn’t mean they aren’t human in the end.

Why do I bring this up? A lot of reasons. One, because to put it out there that if you’re dealing with a life loopy and it derails your constant running, it’s okay to be cheesed off, but know that you’re not alone and that in the end the low will come back up, but to do that you have to keep your head up and keep plugging away. “Stay the Course.”

Second, remember that if your running performances are dipping and you don’t know WHY look to the obvious of course (resting, recovering, nutrition, sleeping, etc) but also look to life stressors. Have you moved, had a ton of deadlines stressing you out, a death in the family…you can’t ignore these and think they are no part of the equation. Factor that in, I’m not saying to skip the runs or workouts, but perhaps adjust them or adjust the times you want to hit…heck, chuck the watch and just go off of effort…give yourself some slack. (I hardly ever say that so when I do I mean it…haha.)

Finally, there can be a lot of negativity in our sport. Message boards can be toxic, as can outside observers who have no idea what is going on. As they say, “It’s WAY easier to look at these professional runners, or any other runner for that matter, and add in your two cents…but I’d like to see any of these nay-sayers get out there and race.” I’ll say it like this, “Spike up or shut up.”

I don’t need to step on a little podium, and I’m sorry…I have friends that race at a high level and are constantly under scrutiny. I’m a person who doesn’t really care if you hate on me, but bad talk my family or friends and it riles me up. 😛 Instead of bagging on people for a performance that an anonymous unknown deems is ‘below’ them, how about cheering them on for overcoming some ‘life junk’ and getting excited to see them bust it out of the gates next time?

There I’m done…sorry, this was a bit more of a multi-tangent post so maybe you’re still here, maybe not. In closing, take the loopies that mess with our adorably constant running world and know that in the end you WILL get back to the land of safe, black and white numbers…you’ll just have to work for it. 😉

1) How do you handle ‘life stress’ are you the kind of person who turns to running more or less?
Definitely more. If something is driving me crazy or even making me feel sad I’ll turn to a nice run…if I have a good run I feel like I’ve accomplished something.

2) How do you compartmentalize; if there are other stressors but you have a big race, how do you manage that?
Hmm…when I was racing I was pretty good at just shutting down and focusing on the race regardless. Usually I’m excited to race and just go…plus, back to the first question, running makes me feel better so I use that to help.

3) There are always negative people who want to tear down people at the top; on the internet it is worsened by the anonymity. Why all the hate…discuss?

Check Me Out on RunningTimes.Com Yo…And Some Vicarious Running

Posted on December 11, 2011 by Cait — 16 Comments ↓

Weekends…let’s roll out the races. Can I just say I’m afflicted by more than a little runner-envy, I wish my darn foot would cooperate and release me from elliptical purgatory…just saying. 😉

Enough of that though, I’m thankful that I can at least cross-train, and maybe we can all get a vicarious speed fix from what some other awesome harriers are up to. If you’re a high-schooler and don’t live under a rock I’m sure you know that the Footlocker National Cross Country Championships were today down in San Diego, CA. I was lucky enough to go my junior year and I will say they make you feel like rockstars…for anyone who wasn’t a qualifier this year and not a senior, don’t give up and trust me, use it as a carrot for motivation to work your tail off to make it next year. 🙂

For the ‘adult’ set there were the USATF Cross Country Club Nationals up in Seattle, WA and I have to say I was really excited to see that Brie Felnagle won this year. I watched her race at the Nike Oregon/Washington Border Clash her senior year of high school and she is one of those runners who makes it looks effortless. She’s got some wheels and usually more of a 1500 meter gal on the track. In the guys’ race Jonathan Grey came out the winner but recently turned pro, Matt Centrowitz, took fourth. As I’m sure every good track nerd knows this kid is coming off of a mind-blowing track season, taking Bronze in the 1500 meters at this past World Champs. As a collegiate for the University of Oregon he was our fastest American…that has to sting, Lagat.

Tomorrow I’m already putting my cheering pants on for Kara Goucher, Shalane Flanagan and Lisa Koll (Uhl) in the Miami Beach Half Marathon tomorrow. I’ll further be sending positive vibes to Simon Bairu and Tim Nelson, also members of the Nike Oregon Track Club. Of course anyone and everyone who’s racing good luck, I’m not playing favorites. 🙂

Speaking of races, I know it is really common for people who finish a race that they’ve been shooting for and thinking of for months and months and to react as such: excitement…and then coming off of the high feeling as if, “okay, now what?” It’s called post-race anti-climacticism (okay, guilty, I made that up), but sometimes people express feeling even a little depressed or like they have nothing else to shoot for or motivate them to run.

Well, if you want my two cents, I’ve written it all up here online at Running Times: ‘Stuck in Waiting: Staying motivated through the lull between season’ so you can wander on over there if you’d like. To tide you over I’ll say this:

*if you need a race to motivate you to run, that’s okay, just find one and sign up for it.
*if you just did, say, a marathon and feel like, “been there, done that” challenge yourself with a totally different goal. Maybe work on speed and try to get a fast 5k out of yourself…and vica versa.
*everyone has dips in motivation, so don’t feel like a ‘bad runner’ because of it…in the article there are tips to get you through that

That’s it for this runnerchick tonight! Congrats to any and all racers of today and GOOD LUCK to those of tomorrow…remember, I’m vicariously getting my miles from your feet…just saying. 😉

1) Did you do and cross country races recently or in the past? Do you prefer cross country or trail courses, track races, or road races?

2) What’s a tip you have for getting yourself through a lapse in motivation?

3) Did you race this weekend or have one tomorrow?

Sweet Running Shirts and Motivations to Run

Posted on December 10, 2011 by Cait — 12 Comments ↓

Today I had a meeting with a local running shoe store to talk about some marketing work; creating a newsletter, adding some content to their website, and generating some ideas to let everyone know that yes, in fact, Fleet Feet Fair Oaks is THE best running store around. 🙂

Umm, what other store has a super hero foot??

Actually, side tangent here, I love how it’s come full circle, Fleet Feet was my very first job ever when I was back in high school. I had a blast learning about shoes, getting to interact with runners and get paid, plus I didn’t hate the discount I got…let’s just say most of my paycheck went right back into the store. Now I’m back but doing other work…still getting paid to be around runners = winning.

Back to the store today, on my way out I noticed some screened tee’s and the manager told me that they are always looking for fun new phrases to put on the tees. One of the ones they had today was: ‘I run so I can drink beer’. I think that resonates with plenty of folks, but here are some of the one-liners that were rolling around my head:

* Running fueled by Pop-Tarts (you could really insert anything here, we all have our addictions)
* Miles-a-holic
* Obsessive Compulsive Runner (actually, this is my favorite and I’ve wanted a shirt with this screen on it for years)
* Run Muddy (trail season is upon us)
* I’m a girl and yes, I can beat you, nice try but I can hear you panting like a dying dog
* I feel a fartlek coming on
* Running addict…I don’t plan on reforming
* Clydesdales: We do it louder and prouder
* Thank you for stating the obvious: I’m skinny. I run and I could eat you under the table.
* Don’t talk to me until I’ve had my endorphins
* I’m injured: I withhold the right to be a bi***

I guess maybe my tees would only sell once discounted?? 😉

What do you think, would you buy a shirt with any of these on them? Probably not…

On another note, we also got to talking about what is motivating to runners. I think that is pretty broad; some people would say world record setting races, races with an underdog upset, athletes who have battled back after terrible injuries/tragedies, someone finishing their very first 10k when before they never thought they’d finish a mile, a high schooler who never made the scoring team rising to the occasion and helping their team to a surprise victory, a busy mom who also works and still finds time to train like a maniac, a 100-year old man finishing a marathon…the possibilities are limitless.

What I think it comes down to is what you connect with. If your aspirations are of PR’s and faster times then perhaps you connect more with the Seb Coe races, the Shalane Flanagan performances, the Usain Bolt show-downs. Though if you are new to the sport you might connect more with the neighbor you’ve seen running for years and watching them achieve their personal bests. Maybe you connect with a parent; you never believed you were a runner or that you could keep up with your dad but then comes the day and you’re running alongside him…gasp, maybe even beating him. 😉

What’s great about our sport is there are stories that range from Olympic medals to finishers that still push themselves to the finish line even if the race crew is breaking down the course. We ALL get out there and put the miles in…heck, there may be no race at all, just you, your feet, and the miles between.

1) Do you have a running shirt slogan you’d like screened on a tee?

2) What are one of the biggest ‘perks’ you get from being a runner?

3) What motivates you the most in terms of running stories or feats?

Run, Little Graham Crackers, Run!!

Posted on November 22, 2011 by Cait — 8 Comments ↓

If graham crackers had legs, I’m pretty sure they’d put them to good use. 🙂

I did this one as a design for a running club; their ‘torturous’ mentor/leader is the graham in the front with the bite out of his head. 🙂 While it may look like the crew of bitty grahams are in varying degrees of torture, that is NOT the truth…they are learning that running takes some sweat, and maybe a tear or two at times? 😉

Naww, no tears, but certainly a looguie or two, am I right?!

When you have runners as friends there are things that you soon learn to not even bat an eye at, loogies are one of them. What’s more, training partners soon become a unique kind of friend; even if you might not exactly been a ‘perfect’ match in the ‘real world’ you find ways to find a common ground between the hours of miles and the shared gruel-fest during repeats.

Then again some of my very closest friends are runners…wow, big surprise. You see, they just ‘get’ us.

So, to those newbie little graham crackers, hang in there. Trust me, it may seem like you’re putting yourself through voluntary torture (and maybe you are) but through that sweat you will learn so much about yourself. And soon you’ll be embracing that lactic burning and *gasp* sort of start to like it in a perverse little way. 🙂

1) When did running flip from ‘I hate this, why am I doing this?’ to ‘I feel like a monster if I don’t get my run in?’

2) Who would win in a race, graham crackers or teddy grahams? 😉

Intervals and Hard Workouts…Don’t Avoid Them, Lie to Yourself and You’ll Love Them

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Cait — 9 Comments ↓

Interval workouts. Speedwork. Running hard. Pushing until your legs are on fire and your lungs burn. Sounds like so much fun, right?!

I’ve said before that there is a difference between running and training. Hard workouts are the difference. They will make you faster, get you on the road to PR’s and the separate the runnerchicks and runnerdudes from the runnerbeasts…beasts being a good thing. You see, in a sick sort of way we crave that burn of lactic acid and pushing ourselves. I think it’s mainly because of the feeling you get afterwards…the feeling of accomplishment. And ya, the better times or PR’s are certainly perks. 🙂

Intervals are just as much a test of the mind as the body. Sometimes even MORE a test of the mind, a battle of the wills, a battle within yourself. Personally, sometimes the HARDEST part of hard workouts are just getting starting, putting the first one down.

Yesterday I was on the precept of doing some intervals, I was watching the minutes count down constituting the end of my warm-up and getting those little butterfly nerves of getting started, “Here we go…let the good times roll.”

I’ve found there are a few tricks on making bringing your best to a workout or at least gutting it out if it’s not your best day or you just are feeling ‘meh.’ One of the biggest: LYING TO YOURSELF.

You read that right. I was doing 10x 3 minutes hard/2 minutes recovery and I took each one as they came. I sort of broke them into sets of two (ten minutes total) and just thought, “What is ten minutes, nothing.” This worked and when I hit six I knew I was over halfway done.

Now, the middle intervals are usually even tricker; you’re feeling tired, not so fresh like the first ones, but the end is not yet feeling in sight. The tendency to let those one lag a bit is tempting and you catch yourself wondering if you’re really going to be able to do ALL of them. But you can…keep lying to yourself. Also, ignore the part in your brain convincing you that those recovery minutes are WAY shorter than the hard ones, something must be off with the watch. 😉

So 7 and 8 I took them one at a time, and by the end promised that they were the last one. LIE.

9 you tell yourself it’s just about the homestretch…don’t let yourself mentally hold back or try to ‘save some for the last one’ because the last one usually takes care of itself.

And then the last one comes, you try to finish strong because the most successful workouts end working off of negative splits.

Now, this is another little LIE I love to torture myself with (I know, we runners are an off breed) I made myself do one more. Why?

When you think you can’t do anything else, you usually can. So number 11…let’s just think of it like our dessert. 🙂

1) What lies do you tell yourself during a hard workout?

2) Where do you stand on intervals, do you like the shorter/faster ones or the longer/endurance-based ones?
Need I even answer?

3) How is your week starting off, and what is on tap for you?

Are You Faster Than a Cow?

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Cait — 4 Comments ↓

Okay, so did that get your attention? And so are you?

Nahh, I actually just wanted to post up a design a made for a local training group who took part in the Urban Cow road race.

But it got me thinking about runners coming in all shapes and sizes. At this point, can I make it VERY clear that in no way am I calling ANYONE a cow!! How about to even things out I’ll even go out on a limb and call myself a monkey because I have a huge mouth and when I smile, I generally look like this…

Now that we’ve gotten that aside, back on topic. Yes it’s true, that if you were to look at the Kenyans, Ethiopians, and other top long distance athletes many of them are lean. I will also say that when you’re running that many miles, the calories tend to get torched and any fat is burned right off.

BUT, that is not to say that if you’re a runner you have to be skinny. The reverse it true, just because you’re slender that doesn’t mean you’ll be an awesome runner. And I’d like to get away from the term skinny, models are skinny…what I call skinny-fat. They are soft, they don’t have muscle tone and sometimes when they walk they got the jiggle going on.

Models tend to be soft...courtesy of not eating or exercising...lol.

Runners can be lean; you’ll see the muscles flexing as they propel themselves forward, the tendons may show but you see them in action.

I’ve been wasted by runners who are still lean, yes, but they are larger than what one would typically coin ‘runner tiny.’ They may get power out of any extra junk in the trunk, their quads are not the same circumference as their calves and they are able to tear up mountains and blast a strong finishing kick.

I’ve seen runners who prefer to wear two sports bras because they are blessed with a chest and still able to throw down as many miles as the flatsy-patsie posse. Conversely, I’m not ashamed of my negative A status.

I know female runners who are able to bench-press more than the super lean runner guys…I also know runners who may have ‘chicken wings’ yelled at them but who are deceptively strong and could belt out push-ups like none other.

I have friends who have nicknames like ‘The Tendon’ or ‘Bone’ but I also have ones that love taking part in the Clydesdale Mile challenges.

We are the tiny masses, we are the larger clans, we are the lean, we are the muscular, we are the non-jiggly thighs, we are the ‘I can run more miles than you…na, na, na, na, na!’ armies, we are runners and we are proud.

We can all be faster than cows (of the bovine variety, remember I’m not calling anyone names here!)…because all we have to do is tip them over and sprint away. So remember, that no matter in what way, shape or form your awesome legs come in, just keep them moving and you are a runner…be proud of that status. 🙂

1) If you were an animal, what would you be?

2) What is one running related feat you are proud of?

3) What is one non-running accomplishment are you proud of?

4) How would you outrace a cow?

For the Days it’s Not all Rainbows and Gumdrops – Getting the Run in Regardless

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Cait — 3 Comments ↓

As much as we all love something, even running, there are going to be ‘those’ days. We all have them and anyone who tells you they’ve never had a single flickering moment of not wanting to shoot out the door for a run is straight up lying.

Art: Cait Chock Designs

Professional athletes have them and all levels between; but you know what the difference is? The pro’s, well they have no choice because it’s their job, but the people who are dedicated runners regardless: suck it up and lace ‘em up.

Sometimes you just have to force yourself into the action, and thankfully once you’ve been at it long enough, if you start going on auto-pilot the body takes over. The even better part is that 9 times out of 10 once you get past the first mile or so the endorphins take over and what can start out as a dread-fest turns into a great run.

If not great at least you get ‘er done. The trick is just getting going. Sometimes it’s a trick of tricking yourself:

• When I’m tired or I know the upcoming run will be admittedly painful (as in I did a harder run or longer run the day before) I remind myself that this run is just a sick and twisted ‘reward’ of a good job yesterday. I also remind myself that the goal is just to recover and chuck pace out the window; just get the miles in.

• If I’m just tired, I make a deal with myself, “Cait, okay, if you don’t want to run the full distance, just do 4 miles.” That’s kind of my ‘bare minimum’ I’d be happy with distance, anyone can gut out a half hour. Then, when I make it to 4, “That wasn’t so bad, just make it to 6 miles.” At 6, I do the same thing and by the end I get the full run done. Just lie to yourself, it’s for a good cause.

• During the run it can be tempting to cut out, I usually work in 2 mile increments bargaining with myself, but when even that seems too much to bite off I tell myself to just go 5 minutes more…etc.

• Still stuck needing a kick in the tush to start? I remember that the first mile usually doesn’t feel like walking on clouds, but after that things pick up a lot.

• I remember why I run; how it makes me feel, and that I’m very lucky to even be able to do so.

• I like to eat…at lot. ‘Nuf said.

• I know that while I have days where I may not exactly want to start a run, I can’t think of one single time where I’ve finished a run and regretted it.

• I have this beast called Guilt that lives in my head. If I skip out it honestly is not worth putting up with his nagging.

I may not be gearing up for any race, but a lot of people work well off of having something to keep them accountable. This can be an actual race, in which case you know that if you want to do your best you need to stick to your training.

This can also be a team. If you have people you are going to meet up with or are checking in with, you don’t want to let them down. Finally, having a preplanned training program also works wonders; that way you know what you need to do.

Anyway you take it, know that we all have those ‘meh’ days but remember that what separates the wanters from the wishers is the doing. So, if you’re reading this and stalling, working through the inner dialogue of ‘to run or not to run,’ take this as your friendly push to get going…just do a mile and see how you feel from there. ☺

1) When you’re having a ‘meh’ day, how do you get yourself going?

2) How long does it take you to ‘get into’ a run?

It usually takes at least a mile for me to not feel like a geriatric.

What Has Running Taught You?

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Cait — 8 Comments ↓

What running has taught me:

It’s okay to be a royal, sweaty mess if it’s for a good cause.
If it’s worth doing, it’s worth putting in the effort. If it’s not, move on to something that is.
Even when you think you’ve given everything you can and there isn’t anything more you could possibly leech from yourself, if you dig down deep there is a little more.
Sometimes things just plain suck…but that doesn’t mean they break you. It means you can acknowledge they suck, but then deal with it. As a great man once said, “If you’ve got an issue, here’s a tissue.”
That last one sounded a little harsh, but we need to be a little harsh with ourselves sometimes…that’s what keeps us motivated.
BUT…after that we have to be positive. If you can’t find the smile, fake one. After a while it will start to feel a little less fake.

Running and training are two separate entities. Training hurts like a beast, it will make you feel like you want to die come that last interval…but in the end it is that much more rewarding.
When all else may be going to H-E-double hockey stick, if I’ve gotten in a good run for the day, I feel like I accomplished something. I love this quote from Dathan Ritzenhein: “And I realized that I like training, I like to be fit. I like the everyday satisfaction of having done something that most people can’t do. It was something I missed a whole lot. So I really do enjoy the training. I don’t particularly like it when I’m out there doing quarters (400s) and it’s super hard, but I like the satisfaction of having done it every day. That’s what sometimes separates people who always run and always train and people who maybe move on in life and do something else. I think I’m a lot more likely to be someone like Joan Benoit (Samuelson), who keeps going forever, just because I actually really like it, as opposed to someone who stops and never runs again.”
It’s fun to down unholy amounts of Pop-Tarts in one sitting and make people jealous. They can have all the high fructose junk they want too if they run for it first. 😉

Running keeps me sane.

Art: Cait Chock Designs

In all honesty, running has given me so much in all areas of my life. People have said it’s a selfish sport, and I suppose it may be at times, but it has made me a better person and I do my best to help others when I can. So maybe in the end us runnerchicks and runnerdudes aren’t selfish…as for being a little crazy, well, that’s another issue.

1) What has running taught you?

2) Has running affected the outcome of another area of your life?

Definitely. There have been a few times I would have just melted into a puddle of goo and given up had running not made me a tougher person.