Rant: Running pet peeves from a 100* week

It has be hot and humid around here lately, and I am in a bit of surley mood. I just finished Chad Austin's article on "Running Lessons Learned" in the July/August issue of RunMinnesota and it prompted me to write about a few things I see while running:

1) Drop the rollerblades and run. I keep seeing people on rollerblades clogging the bike paths. STOP! Rollerblade is an inefficient exercise, if you want physical exercise: run! Running is significantly more efficient and is much more beneficial. And don't tell me about running = injuries! Most girls I see are 40% or less of my weight; the joint impact of you running is minimal. You are in much more risk of injury going down narrow bike trails on rollerblades with no helmet or wristguards. Get fitted for a good pair of shoes, switch to running, and your injury risk will go down significantly! And you will be less of a risk to me as you zoom around me and avoid the bikes. . .

2) Get off the sidewalks! Repeat after me: cement and joint/foot health are mutually exclusive! The sidewalk is significantly harder than a tar/asphalt road surface. If you are worried about traffic, find the running trails. I get in my car and drive a mile to a parking lot next to the greenway so I can run on an asphalt trail with no cars. Better yet, run dirt trails or in the grass alongside the asphalt trail. Saves on the shoes and the legs.

3) Dress for the weather! It is over 90*, high humidity, and I see people in black pants with a sweatshirt tied around their waist. Most of us don't have a perfect body. Please don't kill yourself trying to get there! Black absorbs light, white reflects it. Light is heat. You burn the same calories running a mile regardless of how much clothing you wear. All you are doing by adding layers is losing water; not helping with permanent weight loss. You are also raising your heart rate, increasing the chance you get a running injury, lowering the effectiveness of your workout for burning fat, and de-hydrating yourself. The last is key. People do die from overheating. I am overweight; I am a blob. Take it from me; when you run in 30 layers of black, people don't think your thin. In fact, they probably imagine that you are larger than you are. It is not worth risking your health to try to cover everything. You are out there to make a better you, not worry about people looking at the old you. The fact is, 95% of us out there are too busy worrying about our own running and how we look to even notice you. . . Wear something sensible and focus on safe and effective work-outs.

4) "I (state your name) swear to never wear cotton while working out again!" Now, don't we all feel better? Cotton gets wet, chafes, becomes clammy, and sucks for working out in. "Wicking" fabrics are much better for working out. Now, you don't have to spend huge amounts of $$$$ for wicking fabrics. Get one or two "nice" shirts (Under Armor, Nike, New Balance, Sporthill, etc.) for races and special days. The go to a good sporting goods store or Target and purchase Champion's "value line." It has many names including "C9" at Target, but it always says "Duo-Dry" on the labels and tags. You should be able to find sales, clearance, etc so you get 2 shirts for $20. This is less than you pay for one cotton tee a Abercrombie & Fitch, and will be worlds better. Consider getting the special detergent for performance fabrics, wash them separately, never machine dry, and they will last for a long time and your body will thank you many many many times over. . .

5) No water stops! I realize there are hundreds of problems from vandalism to ground freezing, but would it be too much to ask for at least one water source on the bike/running trails in this town? They stretch for as long as 5 miles at a stretch with no water source. Am I asking too much?

6) Shorter dog leashes. Don't get me wrong, I love dogs. But shorten their leashes so they don't trip people. Most people really try, but there are still a couple of dogs every run that force me with tired legs to try to hurdle, skip, or avoid their leashes.

7) Still don't have a mantra. . . ;)

8) I have a pain right below my left knee (tender spot about 1.5" below my kneecap). It popped up after a recent long run. Wish I knew what it was, and what it means. Hope it goes away by tomorrow. . .

Well, I am out of rants and feel better! :) When you see some plump guy out running starring into space, he's not a dirty old man leering at you; he's just thinking about how he is going to blog it. . .

First Running Anniversary

"Running has given me the courage to start, the determination to keep trying, and the childlike spirit to have fun along the way. Run often and run long, but never outrun your joy of running."

Julie Isphording, winner of the 1990 Los Angeles Marathon

I have reached the end of my first year of running. Overall, it has been amazing, and I have closet full of technical clothing and worn out shoes to prove it!!!

Highlights:

Completed Fargo Marathon (first marathon and PR)

Completed Earth Day Half-Marathon (first half-marathon and PR)

Completed one 10K (first and PR)

Completed one 8K (first and PR)

Completed five 5K (#1 through #5; lowered my PR in each

approx. 775 total miles

Volunteered at two 5K races

Lowered my blood pressure

Improved my diet

Improved my overall health

Improved my attitude and peace of mind. . .

The last one is probably the most important. I have taken to heart the saying: it's not adding years to your life, it is adding life to your years. . .


Still in Progress:

Weight Loss (lost about 100# from my high point, but behind where I want to be -- diet/food selection is still not perfect :)

Consistent training (too many nagging injury or health problems have kept me from my weekly training schedule

Paige running with me

Cooper running

Still no mantra

Need better motivation plan

Goals for next year:

Complete second marathon (Outerbanks, Nov 2007)

Complete third marathon (Grandma's 2008)

Complete 2 to 5 half-marathons (Fishook 8/2007, Beardsley 9/2007, Sheyenne Valley 9/2007), Winter Carnival, 1/2008, Earth Day (4/2008)

Weight loss below to below 180#

Tri??????

Running update

The definite "high" of my first year running was completing the Fargo Marathon. The definite low has been running since then. My mileage is down due to a couple of reasons:

Allergy and hive problems on my feet and ankles have caused raw and broken skin that I was not able to run on.

Sore quads. I experienced "micro-tears" in my quad muscles during the marathon. That was actually the sorest part of my body after the race. It was also surprising because I had zero quad pain/problems in training. Since then, I have had quad pain in my legs after every run. I broke out the CWX shorts yesterday and had my first pain-free run since before the marathon!

I also have a bit of post marathon frustration / blues. I had a longer lay-off after the marathon than I wanted due to the hives. Then I was frustrated by my inability to run distances and paces I ran in training leading up to the marathon. It left me feeling frustrated after a run; no satisfaction or runner's high. That lowered my motivation. I was also concerned about the quad pain and worried that pushing it would make it worse and lead to further loss of running. The net result is I have lost both conditioning and mental satisfaction from my training schedule.

Today is 17 weeks to my fall marathon. I am adjusting the first couple of weeks of training schedule to fit my lowered base. I am also focusing on motivation and prepping myself for the long haul. I have a long way to go, but I am confident I have the right attitude and plan to deal with it.

As I type this, I am looking out the window and wishing I was out running RIGHT NOW! Gotta go. . .

Is jogging/running right-wing?

This is amazing:

President Sarkozy has fallen foul of intellectuals and critics who see his passion for jogging as un-French, right-wing and even a ploy to brainwash his citizens.

Here is more critique:

Renaud Longuèvre, a coach of champion athletes, told L’Equipe magazine that Mr Sarkozy bends too far forward, his stride is off, his arms dangle and his feet hit the ground the wrong way. The coach advised the President to get his feet checked, strengthen his abdominal and posterior muscles and “check your diet because it seems you are carrying a slight excess in weight”.

Link

Tough crowd!

At least he doesn't seem to have a relay baton or similar device up his posterior like his critics seem to have. . .