A few weeks ago, I found myself in the worst place a runner can be - a no-running rut. That's right. I was ignoring my 5:30 a.m. alarm and my Vibrams sitting next to the door. If they had eyes, those pathetic looking things would have gazed up at me with watery baby blues and blinked back tears of un-use. They would have said, "Please take us out - we haven't felt the pavement in ages." But I turned my back and walked out the door...they weren't getting any action from me.
I don't know what got me into the rut in the first place. Actually, strike that. I know exactly what happened. I ran a 10k race in Valencia (the one for the Brenda Mehling Cancer Fund). I was the second female finisher and first in my age group (go me!). That race was on a Saturday, so on Sunday, I said to myself - "you ran a PR and deserve a day of rest." Then on Monday, I said to myself - "you're still a little sore, so take another day off." One day turned into four and then snowballed into a few weeks. I didn't drink enough water during the day, so I was getting headaches. I was eating crappy food because I didn't have the energy to cook something. I was probably grumpy. And you know the worst part? I had no desire to leave the rut. I literally had no inclination to do anything more than a slow meander while walking the pup. It was that bad.
Fortunately for everyone involved, I've snapped out of it. What makes me a little sad, though, is what got me out onto the pavement. There was no internal motivation or need to feel the endorphins. It wasn't like Pre suddenly came down from the clouds and told me to get my butt in gear. Nope, nothing awesome like that.
It was a wedding invitation and a potential beach party. Yup, I've turned into the girl that you hate at the gym who comes to run on the treadmill in four coordinating tank tops, full makeup and bangles that make so much noise you have to turn your iPod all the way up to drown out the sound. And of course you know she only shows up about 3 weeks before Spring Break '06. Ugh. How has this happened? Why am I being motivated by a tight dress and a bikini? Sure, I bet that most people who exercise have some sort of thing like this pushing them to get out of bed in the morning. But that is definitely not me. I've never really worried about being skinny or fitting into a size 0. Why now?
So the real question is does the background behind motivation matter as long as it pushes you to run that extra block or do one more set of lunges? Should I run with it (pun intended) and not worry so much? That's what I'm going to try to do and hopefully as I get back into the groove that I love, I'll realize that it's more than a body size or a look in the mirror. Hopefully that happens before I start matching my running outfits!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
I Hate This Place
Thursday, June 2, 2011
I'm Addicted
I broke the rules yesterday. My vet told me to wait until Austin was a year old before taking him out on a run (or maybe it was before I actually started running with him on a regular basis). Either way, I went against all conventional wisdom and took him out on a short run yesterday.
And let me tell you...it was amazing! He loved it! How, you ask, can I tell if my dog is having a good time? His tongue was hanging out, he was grinning and his eyes were bright. And we were having so much fun together. It was really cool to look over at him (my little running buddy) and see him trotting along with me. It was a perfect picture opportunity and of course, I didn't have my phone on me (do people take photos with regular cameras anymore?). So, it's safe to say that I may be addicted to running with my dog.
No, I won't be taking him out every morning that I go. But I think it's good for him to start seeing what pace I'm at and how to run on the leash without pulling my arm out of the socket (Austin, leave it!).
Here's a parting shot. It's hard not to resist.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Running for those who can't
This is going to sound cliche, but it takes someone special to really affect change. Sure, we can all do our part and pitch in, but does it ever really help?
This is a story of someone who truly touched people's lives and continues to even after she's gone. Brenda Mehling Wong was my aunt. She was a fun-spirited woman who had a crazy love affair with SpongeBob Squarepants. Brenda was diagnosed with breast cancer in her early twenties. She didn't let it get her down, though. Instead, she forged on and created the Brenda Mehling Cancer Fund, which supports young cancer patients undergoing treatment with services to meet their daily needs, including help with rent, transportation, insurance co-payments and other essentials that are often forgotten about during the rigors of treatment. Since 2001, the fund has helped more than 380 young adults across 30 states.
Brenda did that. She realized that our health care system was lacking when it came to providing the necessities for cancer patients. Unfortunately, helping others wasn't enough to help Brenda, and after her second battle with breast cancer, she died in 2004. Her vision, though, still continues through BMCF.
The reason I'm talking about Brenda on my running blog? One of the big fundraisers for the fund is a 5k race held next weekend (May 14) that I will be running. This is the 10th anniversary of the race and they've added a 10k, which I'll be running. You can still register and anyone in the Santa Clarita area should definitely come out and support a really good foundation.
But what, really, does this all have to do with you? With me beyond next weekend when I run in the race? It's about not taking for granted the fact that you can run. Can put one foot in front of the other. Can actually do what you enjoy. The next time you lace up, think about the people who can't run. Whenever I hit a really tough spot in my run, I think about my aunt, who was badly injured in a car accident many years ago. She has metal rods in her legs and cannot stand for an extended amount of time. What is a little side-stitch compared to the pain that she goes through everyday? Her body keeps her hostage, while mine allows me to do great things. Thinking of what I can do that she can't helps me to push through. Don't take things for granted. Run for those who can't.
Monday, April 18, 2011
One Day I'll Fly Away...
As humans, we spend a lot of time on the ground (duh). Unless you are George Clooney's character in "Up in the Air" or the cute old man in "Up" then your feet are usually firmly planted on the ground (any George Strait fans out there...name that song).
Don't get me wrong. I like to pound the pavement. I like being able to use my legs and tire my body out. Thank goodness for gravity. But sometimes, just sometimes, I get the knack to be up in the air, weightless. And I'm not talking about jumping on an airplane and jetsetting around the world. I think Carl Fredrickson of "Up" had the right idea. Why not just tie a whole bunch of balloons to your house and fly to a magical place? Wouldn't it be great to get away from all of the grime and dirt and concrete that covers our world? I want to fly north like the crows and south like the geese
The main reason, though, to attempt to be airborne is to see things from a different perspective. What does the world look like from the air? Do the fields and cities fit together like a piece-work quilt? Do the millions of trees blend into a goregous green canvas that blankets the globe? Is there really a layer of smog over some of those cities? Hopefully those balloons will get us above that ugliness...
Like every runner, I have my usual running routes that get used on a weekly basis. I know the cracks in the sidewalk, where the cops hide in the early morning haze and how long the "walk" signs blink for. I'm comfortable with the routine-ness of it. I blame my mother for being comfortable in a rut (sorry, mom). What I need every now and again is a different perspective. What better way to do that than go up in the air (and change my running routes)? Anyone know where I can get a thousand helium balloons?
Update: according to Pixar (through Twitter), Carl Fredrickson from "Up" had to attach 10,297 balloons to his house to get it to lift off the ground. My rough estimate of 1,000 was slightly off. Don't hold it against me...I'm not one of those magic guessers who win the "count how many jellybeans are in the jar" contests.
Monday, April 11, 2011
A Listy List
I was truly wracking my brain for a blog idea today. Nothing substantial has happened in my running life and inspiration was hard to come by. Maybe it's because it's a Monday...always blame Monday.
So, I decided to try to bring together a lot of the information I've found on barefoot running into one spot. Below are some links to barefoot posts I've seen, sites I've visited and Twitter users I follow. Hopefully, somewhere out there in the wide world of the Internet will get some use out of them.
Twitter:
@RunCompetitor Competitor Magazine
@Cool_Running Cool Running
@dailymile dailymile
@RunBareCompany RunBare
@Vibram5Fingers Vibram FiveFingers
Websites:
Barefoot Runner's Society: http://www.barefootrunners.org/
The Running Barefoot: http://therunningbarefoot.com/
*Touted as "original Barefoot Running website since 1997" this is the website for Barefoot Ken Bob, one of the original barefooters.
Run Bare: http://www.runbare.com/
*Michael Sandler was the guy I interviewed for my Denver Post article on barefoot running. You could say that he sparked that barefoot fire in me. I owe him.
Christopher McDougall's Blog: http://www.chrismcdougall.com/blog/
*For anyone who has read Born to Run, this is a bookmark-worthy site.
Barefoot articles:
"You Walk Wrong" by New York Magazine
"At submax pace, barefooting uses 2-5.7% less oxygen (more economical) than shod running" Study by University of Nebraska
"To Run Better, Start by Ditching Your Nikes" by Wired Magazine
"Long-Awaited Barefoot Running Study Finds Sneakers Are Harmful" by Popular Science
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Every Girl Wants Some
Being a runner brings a lot of perks. You get to eat whatever you want. You get to climb the stairs without huffing and puffing like your office mates. There's really nothing sexier than a razor-back tan line. You usually have a rockin' hot bod.
I consider my legs my best features. I inherited my dad's thighs and I'm not afraid to say that it's a little creepy how similar they look. But nonetheless, they serve their purpose and get me through those awesomely fantastic hill repeats. And now, since I've become a barefoot runner, my calves have become nice and defined. They look like those attached to women who have worn heels all of their lives -- fortunately for me, I don't have the pain that they do.
But everyone wants the grass that's on the other side of the fence. So, here's what I'm envious of...
No, I don't want to have Michelle Obama's fabulous fashion sense or Sarah Jessica Parker's super-cute do or Kelly Ripa's gorgeous smile.
I want their arms.
Yup, I said it. Mock me all you want. But I'm envious of their extremely toned and svelte arms.
I've always had twig arms. Arms that could easily be snapped if twisted or turned the wrong way. Please no one get any ideas now.
I am going to a big convention/party/black-tie dinner at the end of May, so my goal is to work on my arms as much as possible to see if I can hold a candle to Michelle. I wanna look good in that strappy dress, dang it!
I was once watching "Live with Regis & Kelly" and Kelly swore on her life that she got those arms by doing this one exercise (ok, and having a personal trainer and countless hours to workout doesn't harm anything either). She said to take a can of soup and while standing, "write" out the alphabet in the air with the can of soup. So, you'd hold out your arms and make the motions to create each letter. I've started to do that with 5 lb. dumbells and let me tell you...it's a burner. Every muscle in your arms are being worked and by W, you hate that the alphabet has 26 letters.
Anyways, here's to women who have arms that I want. Hopefully with a good two months of work, I'll be able to be proud of my biceps and not feel like they've been drawn onto my body by a five-year-old in art class. They should take a page from my leg book....now those are beauts.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
What Is Truly Important
It's so easy to get caught up in the daily running and training grind. Getting up in the darkness after a late night before and the struggle it is to lace up the shoes (oh, wait, I don't wear any). It all becomes second nature and at points, boring. In short, we take for granted the fact that we can run at all.
A friend sent this article to me today. It tells a story about a true friendship between two Army Rangers. One, Lance Vogeler, died while in his 12th deployment. The other, Andrew Wallace, was Sonic the Hedgehog to Lance's Tails. They had deployed and lived together many a time. And now, after losing his best friend in life and on the battlefield, Andrew is taking matters into his own hands to help support Lance's family (a wife and three children, one who never met Lance). He's pledged to run the Boston Marathon barefoot. Andrew is running, in collaboration with the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, to raise $30,000 for Lance's kid's college educations. And he's going at it without shoes. How inspiring!
For me, this story was important because it put a face on an otherwise faceless war that we at home know very little about. Sure, it made me feel good that I'm not the only crazy person out there running barefoot. But it's about so much more than that. It is about realizing that people just like us -- who obsess over seconds gained or seconds lost on a training loop and the newest GU flavor -- risk their lives so I can obsess over those seconds lost (hopefully) whenever I want. I can do what I love to do because they do what they do.
Taking a second and thinking about what is truly important -- freedom -- is all I'm asking. Think about that when you go out on your run today. Think about what it means to be able to step out onto the street without worrying about whether you'll make it back to your house in one piece.