‘Running’ Articles at , Page 28

Hot Runner Deals!! Score at the Track and on the Cross-Country Course…but Beware of the Spit Zone

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Cait — 11 Comments ↓

Have you checked out these signs lately, it sure looks like runners all over are getting offered some pretty sweet deals?!

Watch out who you line up against at the track…nevermind, I’m sure you’ll be the one offering up the free butt kickings rather than the other way around.

Mud at the cross-country course is a given, but you decide whether the splattering will end up on your frontside or your backside. Same goes for all those trail runners.

But look-out for these hazard signs..don’t want to wind up in the Spit Zone when a rogue loogie flies your way.

Stay safe and fast my runner peeps! 🙂

1) Which do you prefer more, track or cross-country? Or are you more in favor of trail racing, road racing?

2) Spitting zone, which shoulder do you typically send them loogies over?

3) If you had a sign posted after your last run, what would it read?

Tackling Your Long Run: Always easy or is there a time to put the hammer down?

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Cait — 13 Comments ↓

Oh, the long run. I’ve always loved long run days and the feelings of entitlement we get for the rest of the day: slothful laziness and inhaling as much food as we want. With distance training the staples of the week usually shape up to be one or two key workouts and the long run.

Lots of current running sources will say that long runs should all be done at an easy pace, similar to recovery days. I can see that, hammering out double digit miles each and every week could be a quick way to dig yourself into a hole or wind up hurt. If you keep going into the next hard workout still not recovered and then your speed and interval work starts to suffer…there goes the snowball effect.

However, and this is just my opinion and past experience, getting out there and making those legs work on that long run every so often can do some really great things for you too. The key is being smart with your overall training. If you’re going to use the long run as a quality run, don’t do it the day after or before another hard session. Common sense people. 😉

Kick-up That Long Run Effort

* Progressive Long Run: Just like the name implies, think of this as just a longer progressive run where you keep cutting down the pace as you go. Take the first two miles at your easy pace and from there pick it up. Depending on how hard you want to make it, you could be moving darn near all out towards the end. But if you do that, reserve at least one mile at the end to cool-down to at least start flushing out the lactic acid.

* Middle Interval Play: It’s easy to turn your long run into just an extended workout; using the early and late stages as warm-up and cool-down do mile repeats, 2-mile repeats or slow/fast 800’s. Examples: warm-up and cool-down then 6xmile with 3 minute recovery; warm-up and cool-down then alternate the middle miles with fast/easy half miles. As you get more advanced and fit start putting more pressure on those ‘easy’ portions.

* Middle Tempo Run: The name is pretty much a dead giveaway here, for newer and younger runners you may stick to 2 or 3 tempo miles within your total long run but for more advanced runners, and those planning to race longer, you should aim for more. The benefit of turning your long run into a tempo style run rather than doing a straight tempo workout, is that you go into the hard tempo with more miles already in your legs and the fatigue is more in line with what you’ll be experiencing come race day. Examples: 14 miles total with first 6 easy/moderate, 7 tempo, 1 mile easy; 14 or more miles total doing a 10 mile tempo, to make the tempo harder add more miles to the front and extend the first easy phase.

The Mental Component: Another reason I like making long runs hard is that they test you mentally, and, especially if you’re planning on racing longer (10k, half, marathon, etc.) they simulate what you’ll be going through on race day much better than doing all of your long runs easy.

You still don’t want to make each, weekly long run hard and you want to be smart with your overall training. Don’t do a hard long run workout the day after or before another hard workout…you obviously won’t be recovering. Rather, think of your training in three week cycles and maybe do a long run workout every third week.

It’s base season for lots of runners before cross-country, so here is a point in your training where some long, hard runs would fit right in. Though, the last little disclaimer I’d like to add is that for new runners (those still only in their first, second or third year running regularly) and younger runners (through high school, an exception could be juniors or seniors who have been running for years), it’s very easy to get incredibly motivated and want to do EVERYTHING hard, or go the more-more-more route; but running is a sport where patience wins out in the big picture. For you guys, stick to them easy long runs…enjoy them while they last. 😉

***Tip For Beginners: If you’re still not yet ready for long run workouts, you can start out experimenting by adding in some short surges or strides within your long run. Sprinkle in some 30 second strides within those middle miles.

Be smart. Be patient. Then go attack some long runs. 🙂

1) How do you approach your long runs?

2) If you like making some long runs also workouts, what are some of your favorite ways to do that?

3) What point in your training cycle/season are you in? Cross-country coming up, late track, road racing?

Running to Fight Rage and Hopefully PR: This run brought to you by spite and frustration

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

We all run for many different reasons, but do you ever have a run fueled purely by rage? Ever feel like if you don’t make a mad dash for the door in your running shoes you’re at the risk of slipping into one of those anger fugues? You black out and when you finally come to there’s carnage around you…people around you look like they’ve seen Godzilla?

Rage happens, folks, and it’s a serious issue. So please, help fight the cause and support RTFRAHPR (Running To Fight Rage And Hopefully PR). Donate as many miles as you can, give with your hearts and your legs. Run until your muscles burn more than your pent up frustrations. In the end we’ll all win out.

It doesn’t take much, and your charitable donation of any size can save a little boy or girl. Maybe one named Alice or Dominic; maybe a pimply check-out boy at the grocery store, a bank teller who can’t add, the police officer who pulled you over for the broken tail light, the temp worker who broke the copy machine but refuses to fess up.

It’s okay, rage happens to the best of us, but next time you feel like you’re about to boil over, do the right thing and donate some miles. Blast a tempo run fueled purely by spite. Gut through a long run, mentally ranting and raving…you’ll certainly be helping yourself, your training, and poor, defenseless, incompetent Alice.

To make a donation to the RTFRAHPR just lace up and go.

1) Stress and anger, do you sometimes look forward to your run especially after a really nasty day? Do you find running acts as a sort of release?

2) Have you been able to actually solve problems or come up with ways to get rid of some of that stress while on your runs?
Yup.

3) How many miles were you able to donate to the RTFRAHPR fund today?? 😉

Summer’s Over But Our Brains Are Still in Runner Mode (Where the should be)

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Cait — 6 Comments ↓

Summer is over, all us good little runners get back to class before the tardy bell rings. Be settled behind your desks and sitting in your seat before your teacher needs to slap you over the head with a ruler…oops, I guess that hasn’t been not protocol for a couple decades.

First period, let’s be honest, we’re all still trying to wake up. Unless we were up early, off and running before school. In which case we’ve had a heavy hit of endorphins and firing on all cylinders.

We head off to math, but let’s be realistic the only really applicable equations and numbers we need to be acquainted with are: knowing all multiples of four, being the only Americans quasi-comfortable dealing with the metric system, and figuring pace splits. Okay, the exceptions could probably be all those aspiring astronauts, physicists…and I’d like my doctor to have a rather fair grasp on accelerated mathematics.

Spelling, grammar and writing. Unless you’re going to be any kind of writer, I mean and WHO does that anymore (hehe)…seriously can’t everything of importance be whittled down to fit into a Tweet?

It’s not lunch yet but all us runners have been feeling the hungry monster that is our stomachs growling since about 30 seconds after breakfast. Hey, gotta feed the beast.

Now science, here is where we can really get down to business and do some real learning. Us runners are ahead of the game, we can point out the IT Band, the achilles, and every other major muscle group including the psoas. We can even prattle off the best ways to deal with aches and pains in any of the aforementioned…because of course we know in order to run we’ve got to keep that running machine oiled up and squeak free.

Maybe it’s lunch now…FINALLY. Who’s packed their gluten free lunch in their cute little Prefontaine lunch box? C’mon, don’t be shy, fess up. 😉

From here on out the rest of the day is shot. We’re just focused on when the real action is about to start…practice. We make sure to keep sipping from our water-bottles to stay hydrated, ingrain the workout and splits into our brains enough times to make SURE we’ve memorized it, and maybe even checked out completely on anything school related and do some pre-running visualization.

By the time we hit the locker room and do the quick change transformation into the total runner attire, short shorts and all, we’re amped and ready to go. Grab those shoes, lace ’em up and repeat three times: “There’s no place like the run. There’s no place like the run. There’s no place like the run.”

1) What point are you at; are you in school and has classes yet begun? If you’re a working ‘adult’ does your schedule change at all with the end of summer?

2) At what point in the day do you usually get your run on?

3) What’s something that you learned in school that you applied to your running in some way. On the flip side, what’s something running has taught you that then made you better at either school or work?

Runners Drinking by the Gallon: Beating the hydration issue into your brain and Nuun’ing your water

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Cait — 11 Comments ↓

I’m a runner who sweats like an elephant and drinks by the gallon. It may mean waking up in the middle of the night a half dozen times but at least I know I’m hydrated. The big H.

I’m still floored every time I hear runners talk about how they ‘hate water’ or the only liquids they consume is in the form of coffee. Soda doesn’t count either, and that could actually be making matters worse and dehydrating you.

Luckily thanks to savvy marketing and all that is the internet runners are getting all things water, hydration and liquids almost poured down their throats for them. Knowledge is key people and you’ve now got no excuse not to know:

* If you’re actually feeling thirsty you’re already in a mild state of dehydration
* Hydration works on consistency: Just like with your running and training, you can’t just never think of about your fluid and electrolyte levels until the morning of a race and pound the liquids. You have to be drinking consistently on a daily, weekly, monthly basis.
* Heat exacerbates things but… even in the dead of winter and running in a snow storm you still sweat and lose both water and electrolytes
* It’s more than water: Elecrtrolytes, especially sodium and potassium, are lost through sweat and you need to ensure to replenish these stores. These micro-nutritents AREN’T found in the water from your tap so you need to drink liquids that contain these.

I’ve done some previous posts on all things liquids HERE and HERE. Revisit those my friends but because this is crucial information I’m going to beat it into your heads. I’m also bringing it up because one fluid of choice that offers runners the chance to electrolyte enhance their water is Nuun. They contacted me after revamping some of their products and wanted me to give it a test. You can read my first review of them HERE. Let’s see what’s new, shall we?
Nuun Blueberry Pomegranate Source
Nuun All Day Hydration

Premise: Nuun comes in little tablets that you add to water, then watch it fizz and work it’s magic. Give it a shake or stir and your water is both flavored and infused with electrolytes.

Taste: There are a variety of flavors, I’d say my favorite was the Blueberry Pomegranate. Now, I’m also one of those people who has no problem drinking straight water, sort of a plain jane in the taste bud department. The Nuun tabs are a nice flavor perk but not overly sweet.

Cost/Damages: There are 15 tabs per little vial and 4 vials to a pack. When you order online a four-pack comes out to just under $30 without shipping.

What’s New: So Nuun All Day Hydration is widening it’s target audience to include whole families and the little kiddies. Hydration is IMPERATIVE for athletes but it’s still important for everyone, so let’s help cut out the crazy sugar waters and remind kids of their smart drinking habits. Dentists be warned. 😉

What it’s not for: Now, Nuun tabs are a great way to perk up your water and make sure you’re drinking those electrolytes throughout the day. But they don’t contain many calories (under 8 per tab) or energy for your muscles. So if you’re actually out running a marathon and working on an energy fueling plan these aren’t going to do it. Also, if you’re just finishing a run and in that crucial 30 minute restorative refuel window, you can drink these for the electrolytes but you would still need something of substanance, giving you protein and carbs.

Bottom Line: This runnerchick is a fan overall. That said, I’m off to the bathroom…

1) Where do you stack up on the hydration issue, are you really good about keeping your fluid and electrolyte levels stocked up and balanced?

2) What’s your top drinks of choice? For running and performance which do you go for to drink throughout the day, and do you have a different option for viable energy while you train?

3) Have you tried Nuun at all?

4) Are you one of those people who can’t stand drinking much straight water or find you need a taste perk as an incentive?

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?

A Neurotic Runner?

Posted on August 12, 2012 by Cait — 14 Comments ↓

I’m not neurotic, I’m a runner.

I’m not obsessed, I just can’t sleep unless I did my run for the day.

Don’t call me crazy but if on Sunday night I total my miles for the week and see they are at 59…it takes some self-restraint to not go out and run one more mile. Even if it’s 11pm.

Jenny Craig can count her calories, points or whatever; but I’d rather count miles and minutes. Sure those miles may seem to pass faster if I’m dreaming about cookies and cakes. Hey, Jenny, back off I earned those!

Sometimes I wonder how much I could save on my electric bill if I were to figure out a way to use my treadmill as my home power-source. Take that PGE!!

Stopping RIGHT on the dot of a mile bugs me; if my Garmin says 6.0 I have to run just a little bit further. It makes me feel safe.

I’m a runner. Come to think of it I may be neurotic though too.

1) If a Garmin or treadmill is ticking off your miles, do you have a weird quirk about where you like to stop?

2) Last foodage you dreamed about on your run…if it was a long run, how many miles were you drooling in anticipation?

3) What’s something else you are a bit neurotic about when it comes to running?

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?

How to Handle Running the Days Before Your Race: Doing nothing isn’t a ‘smart’ as you may think

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Cait — 12 Comments ↓

If you’re watching the London Olympics like it’s an IV line then you’ll notice some familiar runners lining up for the heats of the 5k after their 10k finals a few days prior. I won’t prattle off all of them but amongst the doublers were Mo Farah, Galen Rupp, and Sally Kipyego. Sally Kipyego won the Silver Medal for the 10k and came back two days later to clock 15:01.87 in her qualifying run of the 5k.

Jaw-dropping times aside it brought to mind a topic that I wanted to discuss: running the days leading up to your own race. More specifically the day before race day. In a similar line of thinking to ‘saving their legs for the race’ and thus skipping a warm-up, newer (and not-so-new sometimes!) runners take a complete rest day the day before their race.

I can see their line of reasoning, but doing zilch the day before:

* Will actually leave you feeling a little stale the next day. If you’re consistent in your training, your legs are USED to doing something on a regular basis, and coming back off of nothing the next day will be a little ‘shock’ and your legs.

INSTEAD of doing nothing:

* 2 or 3 days out from race-day: Make sure you do something with a little speed. Sometimes runners make the mistake of going over-board on the taper mode. Cut back your volume if the race is one you’ve been keying towards, but don’t go from 60 miles to 10 miles…you want to still keep your body attuned to the action of running. Similarly, don’t let an entire week prior to the race go by without doing something at, or faster than, race pace. You want to stay sharp so that come race day your legs will still ‘remember’ what if feels like to turn-over at the pace you want.

* Day before: Do a light shake-out run. Depending on your regular mileage and race distance this could be anywhere from 20-35 minutes. Go easy and then end with a couple fast strides, drills and lots of stretching.

* Race day: If you’re running in the afternoon or night it can be beneficial to also do a quick run in the morning to ‘flush out’ the system. Here, think 10-15 minutes…just enough to break a sweat and then stretching.

If you want to take a day off (and days off can be integral parts of a training program, know your body and know your volumes people!) it can actually work better to take that day off TWO days before the race. Ironic, yes, but the body is a crazy beast all it’s own. 😉

In getting back to the amazing Olympians…doubling is tough business, don’t get me wrong. Of course they have trained enough and with the goal of doubling in mind so they have prepared their body, and then in their mind know that second race they’ll probably have a little less pop that usual. However it proves my point in that you CAN run plenty well in a race without going into extreme-taper-mindset. Running is always that balance between too much, too little and just enough…someone go find Runner Goldilocks. 😉
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Fast chicks…Get Chicking! 🙂 If you haven’t checked out my super cool ‘You Just Got Chicked’ shirts yet, then by all means… 😉
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1) Have you ever doubled or tripled events? Have you raced hard efforts multiple times in a week? How did you feel in the second races?
Actually, it’s interesting that sometimes you can feel BETTER in the second race. The first one is sort of like an extra ‘warm-up’ and gets you primed for the second…sometimes. Other times that second, or third, feels like running with bricks.

2) What’s your training like the days leading up to a race? In the days leading up to a key race, this can be much different from running just a ‘regular’ season race?

3) How about your warm-up? I’m calling out any warm-up skimpers out there! 😉

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?