Running by Pictures

Running & Pictures.

This. This is why. Sometimes.

Sometimes I run to get my mood up. Once in a while I use it to get away. I get away from loneliness. I get out to break away from my 'mean' self and find power. Getting away from home, responsibility. To find the happy. Joy. Love. 

         It never disappoints. 

But, opposite from other addictions, which running is sometimes called. 

I only love/like it. I don't blame it. I don'f feel bad when I do it. Ever. 

I feel like myself. 

Sweaty, strong and not with make up. 

Goofy and natural.

   And I like ME. 

It's the feeling I long for. 

  Adventure.

       Loss of desperation. 

             Belonging. 

This is me, and what I stand for. 

And beer sometimes there is a beer at the end. 

The week I broke down.

I guess I did need a big slap of a reality check. There was nothing wrong, the only thing that changed that I had pulled my 6 year out of camp for a couple weeks to spend some "quality" mom and son time. 

      This is the week that I needed to run most, but didn't cause I had the kiddo. 

No running on Sunday, my birthday, but I did kayak where I learned about new muscles for the next few days. And that my body is officially one year older and heading towards that stage of my life where I pop a Advil every 3 hours. 

Monday: Tense. My body hurt, my patience was weaning, and I needed to run. I was also hormonal. VERY. 

Tuesday: More tense, more pain. Kid was winey. I found relief in a chiropractor and Simpsons marathon. Mother of the year. 

Wednesday: Full sharp teeth were out. I broke down in the car silently behind sun glasses. MIND you, nothing was wrong, except I hadn't run and it was that time of the month. I cried all the way to work that night. Where I got a little relief of a 2 mile run. 

Thursday: This was the day that I convinced my son that he was going to ride around Green Lake so I can get all hopped up on endorphins. He was hesitant, being new to the "no training wheels" side of biking and really wanted to go back to the car. I egged him along around Green Lake. He crashed into a very nice lady, where then he got a handle bar in the tummy. He cried and I gently convinced him to get back on so we could get the eff around the lake. 

We did, he stopped crying, and was proud of himself. I was glowing in sweat and all were happy. 

Friday: I realized how a) I am addicted to running. b) my kid is a trooper for putting up with my Cybil behavior. c) so is my husband d) sometimes you just need to cry for no good reason. 

Saturday: A glorious 12 miles. All is well in my world. 

Ask A Coach! 8/6

Question: "I am doing a 10K in October, Can you give me a plan on how to train for it? Thanks Coach!"

Answer: If you are starting at 3 miles, you can add one mile to your long run till you get to 6 miles.
The other days can be 20-25 minuets 3-4 days. Easy peasy.

Question: "What do I do when boot camp is over? I'll have -- hopefully -- made some kind of fitness gains. But I suck on my own. How do I keep 'em?"
  Answer: I'll provide a nice "cheat sheet" so you can keep your guns and be aborific.

Question:"How can my husband be sure to eat enough so the hungry grumpiest aren't the price we pay for his 10 mile runs?" Make sure he carb loads the day before and he eats RIGHT after he's done. Even if he's not hungry. And then every 3 hours for a couple days. It's hard raising a long distance runner.

Question: "foam rolling... is it good is it bad, does it work"

Top 5!

I was recently in Runners World....again. Which is so weird to say and fun and well then weird again. They (author, recent Ironman, and all around awesomeness found above 6 feet, Dimity McDowell) was looking for short advice blurbs (not actual shorts, I'm a capri girl) for runners. Here's was my wind up pitch of answers:
 1. For a good race, follow these rules: Start off slow, thank all the volunteers and for every mile you are doing, hive five that many kids.  
 2. Walking is not defeat, it's just a way of regroup, recover and rehydrate. 
 3. Schedule your runs like you schedule the rest of your day. Schedule something fun for your rest days, i.e. massage, pedicure, bubble bath.  
 4. LSD Long Slow Distance miles should be done at a conversational pace.  
 5. Listen to your body, but don't let it lie to you.
Here's the one they took, which is my favorite: 

When I started running, I loved looking at the pages of Runners World, as it was before internet and it was my sole info of how to start. I can't believe that I am in it now. Boggles my mind. 

It's Not About Running

It's not. Its all a lie. What it's really about...are you ready:
  Shedding the thin shell of your 'being' and finding yourself. Realizing that 'other' voice was right. You are rad and strong and wonderful. It's about the sweat, tears and laughter that is shared. You becoming better, fitter. Your heart strong. Your sweat earned. Time to yourself. Reflection. Pounding on the road, trail, mountain, pasture. 
     Your world is turned on. 
It is really, well for me, about is escape, freedom and getting out of the way of myself, to find out the person I want to be, and get my body to do what it was made to do. 
Move. 

Ask A Coach 7/29.

Question: "what is the most effective way to breathe while running"
Answer: Through the big hole in your head. No, seriously. First time runners just focus on breathing any way possible. If you DO get stuck in your head and need to focus on something, you can play around with exhaling through your mouth and short inhales through your nose. But please, breathe. 

Question: "Have trouble controlling my breathing when I run, someone suggested music as a diversion and keep pushing, your body will level out. Your thoughts ?"
Answer:  Starting off slow, really slow will help. Your breathing will plateau, but it's hard and unnerving hearing it ramp up in your head. Music does help or a pod cast too. But go slow. 

Question: "How do I not fall apart on runs 15 miles +?! my body starts to hurt so bad after 13 miles, do I need to eat more energy gels"
Answer: Could be a nutrition issue. On long runs, stick to what you know what works, eating wise the days before and the day of. And don't mess with it once you got it nailed down. Are you eating more carbs? Carbs are like the gas in your tank and when your glycogen levels dip into E, your toast. You could also be over trained, or that time of the month. *Awesome.* Note it, but don't worry about it, and get back out there next weekend.

Question: "How fast is too quickly in increasing milage? Is it ok to add a .5 mile each long run a week?"
Answer: Take your overall, weekly milage and add that up. Then you add 15% percent every week to it to increase distance safely. Do it to just one run, and not all of them, like your long run on the weekend. After 6 weeks, you take the long run and cut it by 2/3 so your body can rest. 
Good Luck!

Question: "What do you think of SportLegs? "
Answer: I just looked it up and see it's some serum. Be wary of snake oils, and stick to what you know. 

Question: "I have a 1/2 marathon in 10 days - is that enough time to break in a new pair of running shoes? or should I stick with my trusty pair even though they are worn through?"
Answer: As long as they are the same make/model, you are good and better off in your new ones. I once had to replace a pair of shoes the night before a marathon because my cat threw up in my old ones. ... dumb cats. 

Question: "Where do I begin in making a training plan for my first full? Do you help one on one with stuff like that?"
Answer: I do. I will for you. e-mail me. 

Question: "What was the name of the stuff you told us about in class that was good for chafing?"
Answer: Blue Steel. Super Jock and Jill sells it. Awesome. 

Question: " I frequently get tightness and cramping in my calves/soleus. How do I get rid of them or how do I make them happy?" 
Answer: Roll baby roll. And water, baby water. And stretch baby, stretch. 

Question: "Have I lost all my marathon training endurance? I had to take two weeks off for shin splints & July was a slow running month. 12wks till my next full. Where should I start? Thx."
Answer: It takes 6 weeks to lose fitness. The best thing you can do is rest and it'll make you go faster too. Really! Hop back into double digits when you are ready and go from there. Go slow and you'll be up to your high milage in no time.