‘Art’ Articles at , Page 12

Runner Legs Are Always in Style, They Just Look Best Running

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Cait — 15 Comments ↓

I may be partial but I DO believe runner legs look great with everything…they just look their best doing, well, what they do best. 😉

Though it may be a stretch to believe I actually have that many ‘regular people clothes.’ Is it wrong if I’ve tried to brainwash myself into believing that Nike shoes and apparel are acceptable to wear anywhere? Actually, once I have my Get Chicking shirt I’ll probably just wear that everywhere and I hope you do too. If not then I’ll just have to cycle through the boxes of shirts in various sizes until the end of my days. 😉

Today’s post is going to be short, sweet and focused on the art. Mostly because it is in fact my little sister’s birthday and there are, in fact, things that trump running and running talk, she is one of them. So today I’m taking a VBS: Vacation By Sis. Happy birthday to the daughter in the family who got all the fashion genes! 😉

1) Finish this sentence: Runner legs look best when being put to use, but they also aren’t too shabby…

2) Are you one of the a fashion savvy runners or a runner who will use any excuse to rock the running clothes in real life too?

3) What are you favorite running shoes and which are you currently rocking? Are you remembering to use the 500 mile rule??

A Fortune For Your Cookies, A Cookie For Your Runners

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Cait — 13 Comments ↓

Track and cookies, what could be better?

When I think of track I think of speed, splits, adrenaline, excitement, nerves, tempos, intervals, and races. There is something special about spiking up and toeing the line. The process of going through your warm-up, playing the race out in your mind a million times over, those last strides that are just as much a burst of speed as a means to expel the last remnants of doubts and nerves.

Time to get to the line. You anxiously stand poised awaiting the starter pistol and just when you don’t think you can stand one more SECOND of anticipation…CRACK…all else melts away, nerves are forgotten, and it’s you, the track, and the race.

1) Do you like track? What’s your favorite part?

2) Do you dread the track? Some people even have a bit of a phobia with it when it comes to doing a workout on the track, the track shouldn’t be scary, learn to love it!

3) What’s your favorite track event to run? If you don’t run track do you watch it, and what’s your favorite event to watch?

4) What’s the best fortune you’ve even gotten in a cookie?

Run Towards Your Goals: Don’t let anything stand in your way, that includes yourself

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Cait — 2 Comments ↓

Don’t let anything, including yourself, stand in your way.

Today will be short and sweet. Remember also, that running is incredibly mental and usually the biggest limiting factor is YOUR OWN mind. Don’t let your mind out-thinking yourself from your goals…next time that little voice in your head says, “Stop, you can’t do this, it’s too hard, slow down, ease back.” Respond by ignoring it and plowing forward. 🙂
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I’m also excited to share that one of my pictures is featured today on the Run The Edge Facebook page! If you haven’t checked it out, head on over. While you’re there be sure to see what other awesome things are going on at Run The Edge…there’s even continued updates on Kara Goucher’s road to the London Olympics. Talk about some awesome goals to run towards. 🙂
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1) What goals are you currently working towards?

2) What do you do when you find yourself doubting yourself, a particular goal, or have the little voice in your mind telling you to ‘stop’?

3) What’s going on for you this weekend?

A Big Arty Runnerchick Announcement: The Start of the Get Chicking Movement

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Cait — 42 Comments ↓

So I’ve got some exciting news…at least it is for me.I’d like to reveal to you the very first Arty Runnerchick designed (aka Cait Chock) running shirt *imagined overly dramatic drapes being pulled*:

Support the Get Chicking Movement

This is a project I’ve been brainstorming and working on for quite some time, I’ve always dreamed of being able to sport my own little running shirt but wasn’t really sure how to go out about that or had the full security of believing anyone other than myself would, in fact, be interested in wearing a similar version. Cut to me with a box full of shirts in various sizes, I’d then be donning the same style shirt for years and then living out of the cardboard box. 😉 Anyways, if that’s the route that ends up happening so be it.

But this shirt comes with a mentality, it’s the Get Chicking attitude.Runnerchicks, we’ve all been in the position of having to deal with the man who can’t handle being chicked. It’s the faceless dude on the opposite side of the road when we’re on our easy days, he starts picking up the pace in an effort to not get passed, we end up getting sucked into this little rivalry and wind up defeating the purpose of our ‘easy runs’…though the satisfaction of dusting his @$$ is a reward that may be worth it.

All rights Cait Chock

It’s the dude in a race who doesn’t really think anything of it as he’s tiring and hears the smooth footsteps and controlled breath of a runner ready to pass him. He’s accepted his fate as the passee, that is until he realizes it’s a chick. He then swerves around like a mad man clinging to the hope that if he makes it nearly impossible for you to get around him he may avoid getting chicked.

It’s even sometimes a fellow teammate who just can’t handle getting chicked in a workout…these are the saddest cases because these guys just give the AWESOME runnerdude teammates who enjoy the company of the fast runnerchicks a bad name.

Not all runnerdudes are unable to be man enough to handle being chicked and I of course want to establish that…I personally have had the pleasure of usually being surrounded by guys who I know pushed me to run my best. They let me tag along as an equal and I’ve always been thankful of that.

The Get Chicked mentality isn’t about hating on runnerdudes at all (and I’ve got more plans in the works down the line for you runnerdudes, just be patient as I’m still working out the fundage…lol.) it is instead about empowering us runnerchicks. We are fast, we are out there, and we will chick you. 🙂

All rights Cait Chock

That said, I owe more than a bit of creative inspiration to one Britt over at Chicago Runner because I really must have been living in a box for all of these years and hadn’t heard the actual term ‘chicked’ or ‘chicking’ until I read one of her posts! I know, I’m a dork…but I fell in love with the term and knew I had to use it. So THANK YOU, Britt.

And thus the Get Chicking revolution shall begin. 😉 If you would in fact like to don one of these running tees here are the logistics:

* I’m now in the pre-ordering phase so you can be one of the first lucky few to have a shirt that’s in your correct size secured.
Here's the basic, black core shirt.
* The shirt itself is an Asics Core Short Sleeve Running tee in black. It’s light and breathable, trust me I’m the sweatiest runnerchick around and would not stand for anything else.

* Sizes will run from XS to XL.

* The shirt is $25 plus shipping costs.

To get one send me an email: captaincait@hotmail.com with your desired size and address.

Keep on Chicking friends! 😉

1) Do you have a fun chicking story?

2) Favorite shirt to run in?

3) Do you tend to train/run alone, with a partner, or a group? Are they of the same gender, opposite, or a mix?

4) For guys: are you man enough to accept being chicked and enjoy the company of running with females?

A Comic For Runners – Runner’s Strip: Meet Your Brain

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Cait — 4 Comments ↓

Sunday is comic time!! All about the Runner’s Strip today…

(Click image to enlarge)

In case you missed our last comic, revisit Runner’s Strip: Twitter Addict.

Hope you’re having a great weekend!

1) What’s the last geeky running thought to pulse through your brain?

2) How did you spend your Sunday?

3) Corny joke time…if you have one, spill it! 😉
Why did the elephant bring toilet paper to the party? …Well, he was a party pooper of course!

I like this one better: Why did the runner shove some toilet paper in their sock? 😉

A Comic for Runners – Runner’s Strip: Twitter Addict

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Cait — 12 Comments ↓

This one goes out to all you social media update-a-holics. 😉

In case you missed our first Runner’s Strip Comic and other fun cartoons, catch up HERE!

1) Do you use Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, DailyMile or any other types of social media sites?
Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest…do feel free to follow me. 😉

2) Which sites do you use the most and how often do you update?
Facebook…such a time sucker! But I’m not one who updates every hour and goes crazy.

3) Do you find it hard to fall asleep the night before a big race or workout?
Nerves and excitement have a way of doing that to everyone, and I once heard that it’s the night before the night prior to your big race that really matters how much sleep you get…if you can make sense of that. Pretty much count on being a little antsy pre-race night so be extra diligent in the snooze department two nights out. 😉

A Quick Comic for Runners- Runner’s Strip: Marathon Dad

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Cait — 14 Comments ↓

Happy Sunday to all! What does Sunday mean? Well, if you answered chocolate chip pancakes and comics then at least I can deliver on one. I’m introducing my own quick little comic strip, Runner’s Strip, here for you guys that I hope you enjoy.

(Click Image for closer view)

If you’d like to check out a few other running related cartoons of posts past, feel free to revisit our Running Super Heros: The Kankled Avenger, The Cranky Hamstring, PreMONTaine, and Texas Girl, and

Happy runnings peeps, and here’s to devouring all the food in the house! 🙂

1) Do you often find you’ve got a belly that’s a beast and refuses to be satisfied? After which kinds of workouts do you tend to feel the hungriest after?
My stomach usually works on a bit of a lag time, right after hard workouts I’m not hungry but then later in the day it kicks in.

2) What’s your favorite pick for refuel?
Depends…I make sure to get in my ‘healified’ quota and then allow the treats to follow. 🙂

3) Food braggage…let’s hear it folks…tales of tables past. Your Runner vs. Food accomplishment so to speak.
I’m not entirely ashamed to admit I have eaten whole pizzas, a couple boxes of Pop-Tarts, and an Entemann’s coffee cake on various occasions…not all at once, different times. Not that I recommend it as nutritionally sound…

Eating the Heart Out of Life: Digging for Positives and WHY the Journey is Worth it to You

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Cait — 17 Comments ↓

How do you ‘eat the heart out’ of life? How do you celebrate the positives in life? Cherish even the little, fleeting moments, soak up what the moment may bring, and savor the deliciousness of what makes you smile?

Sometimes we can all get stuck in the hustle and madness that is our day to day schedule and blitz through a day without really even having ‘lived’ it…or sat down for that matter.

It’s also easy to get stuck going through the motions; sometimes it’s because you’re not exactly loving whatever it is you HAVE to do and going on auto-pilot is much easier. Hey, not everything we do in life we look forward to…we all have to scoop the dog poop one way or the other so to speak.

This happens in training too…the vast majority of those miles and workouts are not going to be filled with rainbows and sunshine. Unicorns won’t be frolicking around and shooting stars out of their behinds in your wake. Not every race will bring a PR…not every long run will go to plan.

But we don’t just run for the good times, because if you did that you might only run once or twice a year. You run for the quest of those ‘good times’…you keep putting money in the bank for the days you can then make a withdrawal. You stick to the path for the journey because even in those crappy runs there is the nugget of accomplishment when you are at least done and you put in work. Then, you REALLY should soak up those fantastic ‘ups’ and successes when they come…you worked hard for them!

A vat of ice cream could be in order after a FAT PR!! 🙂

But I think it’s important to remember that regardless of what you’re going through, where you are, there ARE positives. It may take some thinking at times, and during these times it may call for just going outside, turning your head to the sunlight and forcing a smile.

FORCED smiling, forced laughter can even feel good…liberating…and turn into a real smile…if even for a fleeting moment. And if that still doesn’t quite do the trick, try thinking back to something in childhood that made you smile…and if it’s taking a huge bite out of cotton candy…then by all means, indulge yourself.

1) How do you eat the heart out of life? If it’s tough to force a smile in the moment, what’s one way you make yourself remember how?
Usually thinking of my family or things I loved as a kid…Disney movies are always a sure fire way to time warp me back to an 8 year old me!

2) In training, what’s the ratio of the days you feel ‘great’ compared to the ‘not-so-awesome-but-it’s-done’?
Depends where I’m at…but have to say the ratio gets skewed when you’re only cross-training!! Haha.

3) Why is all the training time meaningful or ‘worth it’ to you? Is it PR’s, so you can eat like a runner, so you can be faster than your husband, because it keeps you sane???
The last one for sure! 🙂

4) Last thing that made you smile?
I was telling a story and my brother interjected this side comment that totally made my day…he didn’t even mean to, but it just made me stop and bust out laughing.

Runners Have Legs For…

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Cait — 8 Comments ↓

Today is short and to the point.

Running gives us oh so many perks in life, be it the physical benefit of a strong body or the mental boost from endorphins. And ya, the high after a PR or gut busting run is hard to beat too!

For all the miles we put in we’re getting plenty back as well. We just gotta work for dem miles!! 😉

1) What’s your favorite physical trait?
My legs.

2) Has your running and exercise impacted why that’s your favorite physical trait?
Yup, because I like them more because of what they are capable of rather than what they actually look like…I mean a kankle on the right side isn’t exactly my FAVORITE looking thing in the world…haha. 😉

3) What’s your best non-physical trait?
Work ethic.

4) Has running impacted or improved that non-phyical trait at all?
I think they are both pretty inter-related.

Warning: Injured Runners May Bite

Posted on February 4, 2012 by Cait — 18 Comments ↓

Today’s post is short and to the point. To all my injured, grumpy runners…it may only be fair to warn those who must coexist among us until we’re back and able to put in the miles. 🙂

1) Best stay happy thought during an injury?
Be grateful I can at least do SOMETHING (ie: cross-train), take it day by day, and know that when I get back to running I’ll appreciate it all the more!

2) Thing you’re most looking forward to this weekend?
Some exciting designing going on in my brain that I’m looking forward to!