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. . .