Mirror, Mirror (mirror, mirror, mirror) on the wall

September 17, 2012

This week I went to the mall. Typically this isn’t a noteworthy event unless I find a great sale or have a particularly awesome Orange Julius. This trip was memorable for all the wrong reasons. The problem started when I entered the dressing room, an annex of judgement and humiliation which no woman should have to endure for at least six months postpartum (a full year is better).

Shopping for running apparel is especially problematic. Technical material, while wonderful for keeping sweat away from delicate areas never meant to fester in pools of bodily fluid, tends to emphasize every lump, bump and wobble (Side note: Doesn’t Lump, Bump & Wobble sound like the name of a great kid’s musical group?). So I knew what I was getting myself into, however as I’m still nursing my five month old, I’ve discovered my pre-baby running bras aren’t necessarily as efficient as I need them to be (imagine trying to stuff a quarter-pound hotdog into a breakfast sausage casing). If I was going to find a new one in time to test it out before my half-marathon in just over two weeks, the time had to be now.

I selected a few options, squeezed the stroller into a dressing room and began trying them on. No sooner did I have the first one on, Little Dude began to cry. Not a little whimper that slowly escalates, but rather the type of immediate, ear-shattering wail that sends passers-by scrambling for their phones to speed dial Family Services. I tried everything: a soother, rocking the stroller, covering him with my coat, outright pleading and singing a verse of Bohemian Rhapsody, but his complaint only intensified. I knew what had to be done and I had two options: get dressed, put the clothing on hold, leave and come back later, or just feed him there. I had the room and I was already topless. The math was pretty simple.

Fortunately the dressing room had a small stool so I was able sit down. Fortunately so I thought in the moment. The room also happened to come equipped with a three-way mirror on one wall, and a big, full-size mirror covering the opposite wall. I know the implications. The makers of spandex products want you to think long and hard before you dare venture out in public wearing their clothing so they make sure you can verify at every angle that this is, in fact, an appropriate purchase. Not-so fortunately, this meant that while breastfeeding, I had views multiplied as far as the eye could see and several minutes of unobstructed time with which to scrutinize myself.

Normally when I see so much skin revealed in a mirror, I’ve just gotten out of the shower and I’m standing upright and sucking things in. I’m also near the end of training for my half-marathon. Such factors had mistakenly led me to believe I wasn’t doing too badly in the post-baby body department. Fortunately, when you’re willing to pay $92 for a pair of workout pants, you get a free reality check included with purchase.

I’m still carrying an extra 10 to 15 pounds of weight I didn’t have last year during the same race, a fact that hasn’t escaped me. And while I try to remind myself that it could be much, much worse, every article I’ve ever read explaining how each extra pound of weight contributes to slower running times continues to echo in my head. I will spend the next two weeks leading up to the race reminding myself that I should be grateful to just finish the distance rather than convince myself a new PR is necessary when I’m not necessarily in top physical form. I’m still healthy, strong and hopefully ready to achieve a goal I set barely after the second pink line appeared in the test window.

Back in the dressing room, I wrapped up the feeding ten minutes later, looked down at the face of my now-peaceful son, said a silent prayer of thanks for a healthy child, proceeded to find what I originally came searching for, and vowed to start a letter-writing campaign lobbying retail locations to include at least one dressing room equipped with shoulders-up only mirrors.

Find me on Twitter @TamIWas

Punishment and Vindication

Christa

September 17, 2012

The last drink I had was on January 14 2010 and if I am being completely transparent (and why not be honest, the cat’s outta the bag) it was more like 18 drinks…near as I could count. I had a farewell party to myself.

The next day and the days and weeks that followed were filled with discomforts that I never want to relive and that I never want to forget. Forgetting would be disrespectful. Detoxing was hard on my mind and my body. I am afraid if I minimize the torment I felt, I risk pouring that first drink that will send me spiralling back into the world of lager and ale.

So, I remember, I respect and I run. It has been working.

When I run, it’s usually full speed ahead, just shy of what should be a 5 or 10k race pace. I like the punishment; it keeps me in the moment, so I won’t forget how far I have come. My mind understands that running so hard, so often is one of the reasons that I go from one injury to the next, but the part of me that needs punishment goes out too fast every time no matter what common sense would dictate.

Another part of me craves performance success, and that’s why I push so hard. It’s as if constant improvement, seen by posting decent and faster times might prove that I am good at something other than emptying wine bottles. I need to prove that I can still do something with the bit of running talent I had at one time. I am driven to prove that I can do more with running than just “running” a tab. I have squandered much time, money and talent and none of it can be retrieved but the time, money and talent I have left are going to be spent on running harder, faster and longer.

So from where I stand in these running shoes, punishment and vindication through pounding the pavement are what keep me on the straight and narrow.

You might be a runner…

LGuchardi

September 16, 2012

Let’s face it, we runners are a “strange breed”. Now keep in mind that when I use the word “strange”, I do so with the best of intentions…strange is good, so let’s just embrace our strangeness an move forward. We do things that on the outside appear to be “a little different”, or as my non-running friends are oh so quick to point out… “just plain crazy” !

So, for no other reason to salute runners of all levels, and in the tradition of Grammy award winning comedian Jeff Foxworthy, here is my version of

“ You might be a runner ”

If you have ever driven 5 hours, for the privilege of running for 4 hours…

If you pay more than $ 5.00 for a pair of socks…

If you “love the sound of Cow Bell in the morning”…

If you have found a way to take “Manscaping” to a whole new level…

If you know what Body Glide is, and have applied it to parts of your body too personal to mention in an iRun blog…

If your idea of “PB” does not include jam…

If you have ever gone up or down a flight of stairs backward out of necessity…

If you are the owner of a “utility belt” but are not in the “crime fighting” business…

If RICE is something you do, as well as something that makes a tasty side dish…

If you have ever applied bandages to your nipples…

If you have ever paid the price as a result of forgetting to apply bandages to your nipples…

If you find “black and blue” toenails in any way sexy…

If you are not prone to giggle when someone yells the word “FARTLEK”…

If you have ever uttered the words “my new watch is GPS enabled”…

If “tens and ones” means more to you than “change for a twenty”…

If you have ever asked a salesperson “how well does this garment wick away moisture”…

and finally…

If you have ever proclaimed “ I am never running this distance ever again ” while in the middle of a subsequent race of the aforementioned distance…you just might be a runner.

Being the fastest doesn’t mean you will win

PoweredbyPeak

September 16, 2012

Ed McNeely – Peak Centre for Human Performance

Physiologically running success is depends on VO2 max, lactate threshold and running economy. Most recreational racers and even sub elite competitive runners pay little attention to the other little things that can make or break a race. One of these factors is positioning and the line that you choose to run. We can learn an interesting lesson about this from the 800m and 5000m Olympic finals in Sydney in 2000. In a paper published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine Jones and Whip analyzed the paths run by the participants in these races.

The 800m race was won by Schumann in a time of 1:45.08, the second place finisher Kipketer finished in 1:45.14, making it a really tight race. During the race Shumann race as close to the cur as possible throughout the race and covered a total of 802m while Kipketer tried to stay out of the crowd and ran in lanes 2 and 3 for much of the race and covered 813m. Kipketer ran the race with an average velocity that was 0.1 m/s faster than the winner Schumann. If they had both covered exactly 800m Kipketer would have won gold by 1.36 seconds instead of finishing second.

In the 5000m final Wolde of Ethiopia won the race in a time of 13:35.49 covering a total of 5022m. The second place finisher Saidi-Sief of Algeria finished in a time of 13:36.20 covering a distance of 5028m. Saidi- Sief would have run the race in 13:31.65 compared to 13:31.91 for Wolde had they both covered exactly 5000m.

It should be clear from these two examples that the line you choose can have an impact on your performance and the outcome of a race. While you may not be doing your running on a track on race day taking the shortest route possible will be your best path to a personal best. Running a bad race line could also mean that you miss a personal best even though you worked your butt off and made big improvements in your fitness. If the race is local do a few of your training runs on the course so that you know where corners and curves are and how you can cut them as close as possible to improve your line. There are GPS systems available now that will help you track your path and let you compare it to an optimal path. If the race is not local try to walk or ride the course at least once before you race it and spend some time with course maps to figure out your best line. It may not sound like a big thing but why run any further than you have to in a race.

___________________________________________________________

PEAK Centre staff have the highest certifications available in Canada for Sport Science. With their combined experience and education, PEAK Centre is at the forefront of practical Sport Science application.

I figured it out… what running was becoming for me.

NZeller

September 15, 2012

The previous year-ish (2009) was spent padding my ego with over achievements for a guy who never ran a day in his life before. What I didn’t expect was that my own body would be the thing that humbled me.

Since that time I have said that running is the most honest thing you can do. In running, you can’t say you can do more than you do. Well actually, you can say you can do more, but as soon as you ‘toe the line’ you will be exposed as a fraud.

For the longest time I was even backing up what I said I could do (but shouldn’t be), but my body slowly started to break on me. It started to expose me and it was pretty demoralizing. It was an internal battle pitting my mind against my body. I never told anyone about my injured feet. I hated the idea of having to scale back my running, or to change anything about my progression. My plantar fasciitis was crippling me and I was ignoring it.

Ok. so. How did I figure it out (again as usual, ignoring the injury)?

Well, as I was on my recovery hiatus, I surprised myself as I realized I loved running . Now I was starting to feel like I loved to run. I think there is a difference, between loving running (the overall idea) and loving to run (the physical act). I think loving to run is to love the act of it. I mean, each step of it. The hard ones, the euphoric ones, the beginning, the end, with friends and alone, I realized I enjoyed all of steps in running. It’s really hard to articulate after this much time, but I remember the feeling clearly the first time I was in the middle of a really hard part of a run, and found myself appreciating it, and just accepting the pain and suffering as just what it was, and that I made this choice to be here, and it is what it needs to be at this moment.

I read a book called ‘Zen and the Art of Running’. It showed me that while running I could be ‘in’ the present. To enable my mind to appreciate this moment, my surrounding and the feeling I was having at that second. And that I could do that with each step. At first it was hard to stop looking at the distance ahead. My mind would wander to a moment in the future where the run might be harder. like a hill, or the last couple kms of a 20k training run. This kind of thinking would take me away from the appreciation of the moment. That I was accomplishing something right now.

I ran the Harvest Half at the beginning of October. It was amazing. It was the polar opposite of the Calgary Half 6 months earlier. I didn’t feel any internal pressure to be this epic running machine, in fact I didn’t even tell anyone that I was running it (much). For the Calgary Half I was looking for faces in the crowd, looking for a triumphant finishline, looking for external approval. This time I just got up, drove to the race, ran it, had a coffee with friends, then came home. This is what I wrote in my blog at the time:

I had fun… can you believe it? After the tough experience in the first one.. who’d know that I would actually have fun at this one?

It’s all about the attitude. I will never be an elite runner, and my personal records will come and go with time I am sure. So now that I have a few races under my belt, I felt like I could go out there and take it all in, watch the race from the race itself, so to speak. I did that and had a hoot! Don’t get me wrong, it is still a struggle to run 21.1kms, it’s just that I knew I could do the distance, have trained for it, and just knew what to expect I guess.

I can tell from my writing that I still didn’t completely get it at the time, but I was on the right track.

BUT: I was still injured. My feet were still a mess. I still hadn’t told anyone. I was too proud I guess.

After the race I made up my mind to go back to run club AND I would volunteer as a pacer for a 1/2 marathon clinic. This decision proved to be one of the best things I could have done. What came out of this, and what I’ll discuss in future blogs is:

I loved to give back to running
my best friends are runners
There was a solution to my foot problems
regardless of my less than ideal fitness situation, running is always there, waiting next to my shoes at the door.
Barefoot running is actually a thing, that people do. hmmmm.
The book ‘Born to Run’
Blogging about running would introduce me to some of the coolest people in the running world
Runners love running photos.

Thank you so much for reading. I won’t go too deep into all the gory details of the past because I want to chat with you about what’s going on right now in my running. There are a few more things to write about that make up the basis for my current running life (and life in general). I am on twitter here. Facebook here.

CARBO LOAD!!!

MLinseman

September 15, 2012

For many athletes, “carb-loading” is a pre-race ritual. And with good reason: carbohydrate is an important fuel for exercise, whether you’re running for a personal best or to complete a particular distance. But before you put on your extra-loose pants and head for the nearest all-you-can-eat pasta bar, let’s ask a few questions.

What is carb-loading and why is it done?

Your body uses carbohydrate and fat to perform exercise. Even a very lean athlete has a virtually unlimited supply of stored fat for exercise, but a very small supply of carbohydrate (stored as glycogen in the muscle and liver). During exercise, the faster you want to go, the more carbohydrate you will require. Additionally, the further you go, the more carbohydrate you will eventually use, even though you aren’t using as much at any given time. In endurance exercise, muscle glycogen can become so depleted that you may be forced to significantly reduce your pace. By consuming a larger-than-normal amount of carbohydrates before exercise, you can slightly increase muscle glycogen stores in order to delay, or eliminate, the need to drastically reduce pace.

What distance of race calls for carb-loading?

If you’re aiming to complete your first 5k race, or to establish a new personal best in the 10k, proper rest and a normal diet will ensure you have enough carbohydrate on board to achieve your goal. Cancel the party-size sub for one.

If you are aiming to do a half-marathon, things are a bit less clear. Lab research suggests that carb-loading could benefit athletes exercising for more than 90 minutes, particularly if your goal is to complete the distance as quickly as possible. But there really haven’t been enough studies done to determine just what kind of half-marathoner can benefit from carb-loading. It may be best to conclude for now that if you’re aiming for a PB in the half marathon, carb-loading is a good option as long as you don’t overdo it. Otherwise, go with the previous advice of proper rest and a normal pre-race diet. Maybe someone reading this has some personal experience (or maybe some group data!) to share?

If your goal distance is the marathon, then you will almost definitely benefit from pre-race carb-loading. Intensity and duration combine to determine how much muscle glycogen you will use, and whether you risk depleting it in your race. Elite male marathoners can complete 42.2 km in just over 2 hours, but because of their ability to maintain such a high exercise intensity (which requires more carbohydrate), they will deplete their muscle glycogen quickly. A runner aiming to complete a marathon in 4 hours won’t use as much carbohydrate at any given time, but will spend more time running, and will start with less muscle glycogen than the elite runner. In both cases, muscle glycogen will likely become depleted late in the race, before the finish.

To sum things up, if you have run a marathon and it seemed pretty hard in the last couple kilometers, you would have benefited from pre-race carb loading. Disclaimer: I do not provide any sort of guarantee that carb-loading will make the last few kilometers of a marathon any easier; you just might not slow down so much.

How much carbohydrate do I need to eat? For how long?

It seems like there are two types of carb-loading athletes. There is the common “night-before pasta-eater” (let’s call her Tracy) who gathers with fellow athletes for one last meal before the big day. Then there is the rare and elusive “week-long suffer-fester” (let’s call him Olaf), who swears by a protocol of several days of intense exercise with very low carb intake to deplete muscle glycogen, and then several days of reduced training and carb-loading to increase carb storage beyond normal values. You could argue that Olaf’s technique might result in higher pre-race glycogen concentration, and you could argue that Tracy’s technique might result in a more functional member of society during the week, with a slightly submaximal glycogen concentration on the weekend.

Is there a way for us to maximize pre-race muscle glycogen concentration while keeping our day jobs? Olaf’s technique is based on research from 40 years ago, and there have been a few updates since then. The current recommendations call for no “depletion phase”, and a brief 36-48-hour period of carb-loading before the event. That’s much more reasonable. But for those of us who wouldn’t mind an even shorter loading period, let’s look a bit deeper.

In 2002, “endurance-trained” athletes ate 10 grams of carbohydrate per kg body mass per day, over 3 days of rest. Muscle glycogen concentration reached a maximal level after just one day, remaining constant over the next 2 days. The researchers concluded that one day of carb-loading, combined with rest, is enough to optimally load the muscle with glycogen.

OK, so we’ve got it down to one day of loading. Great. But 10 grams per kg body mass? For someone who weighs 80kg (~175lbs), that’s 800 grams of carbs, or about 50 slices of bread! Let’s see if we can do something about this.

A 2011 study compared finishing times of two large groups of runners at the London Marathon. Average finishing time of the entire athlete pool was 4.5 hours, which is very comparable to average finishing time at most marathons. The day before the event, one group had eaten less than 7 grams of carbs per kg body mass, while the other group had eaten more than 7. No measures of muscle glycogen concentration were taken, but the group that had eaten more pre-race carbs ran over 10% faster than the group that ate fewer carbs. That’s a difference of about half an hour!

So it appears we have a compromise. For optimal pre-exercise carb-loading, you should start earlier and be more consistent with intake than Tracy, but you don’t need to go nuts like Olaf. Let’s arrive at this recommendation: Try to eat between 7-10 grams of carbohydrate per kg body mass per day, over 1-2 days before your event. Err on the higher carb side if you eat a good amount of carbohydrates on a daily basis, and on the lower side if you don’t normally eat a ton of carbs. An even lower amount of carbohydrate may still be effective for someone who has a low daily carb intake. In terms of time frame, favour the shorter protocol if you’re busy. You don’t want to have to explain to your partner how you got fired because you skipped work on Friday to down a couple pounds of potatoes.

Next time: The logistical (and social) challenges of actually consuming more than 7 grams of carbohydrate per kg body mass in one day. Find out if I chose to diversify beyond my requisite 34 slices of bread.

References

Ahlborg B et al. Human muscle glycogen content and capacity for prolonged exercise after different diets. Forsvarsmedicin 1967;3:85-99

Atkinson G et al. Pre-race dietary carbohydrate intake can independently influence sub-elite marathon running performance. Int J Sports Med 2011;32:611-17

Bussau VA et al. Carbohydrate loading in human muscle: an improved 1 day protocol. Eur J Appl Physiol 2002;87:290-95

Hawley JA et al. Carbohydrate-loading and exercise peformance. An update. Sports Med 1997;24:73-81

Happy Feet

DBeach

September 14, 2012

333_26321068325_9935_n (1) — At the finish line of the Royal Victoria Marathon in BC.

Hello Again, Happy Friday!

Me with my little brother Brendan, who now wants to be a runner!

I thought I’d provide you with a brief history of how I got my happy feet before I continue blogging about my many experiences with running.

I come from a large family of brothers, I’m one of 5, no girls! Growing up my brothers and I used to run track and field all the time: we loved it, breathed it, and were highly competitive with each other. As life moved on and we all got older, we forgot, and were too busy for the joy of sport in general. Throughout high school, living in Ottawa, I was completely oblivious to being active. I lived a pretty uninspired life of a partying teen who had lost my way. Alas, High School is a tough stage for any teenager.

After barely graduating, my Mom had decided to run a 1/2 marathon for my late grandfather and asked me to join her, and in my adolescent mind I decided that it would be easy! I barely trained for it, maybe I ran a few 5K’s. My lack of preparation and pure ignorance was exactly what I needed coming into my first race. I showed up for the race and gave it my everything for 10K. I got looks of concern from everyone I passed, almost saying with their eyes “Kid, we just started.” As I hit 10K, everything in my body stopped working. The other 11K was a journey with myself that I had never been on before. It was mentally and physically exhausting, it made me wonder how people can do this sport. This race changed my life and was the building blocks of an entire 360 towards the positive, healthy lifestyle I live today.

Today, I have a lot of things to be proud of at the ripe age of 27. I live with my beautiful wife in Ottawa, with our puppy Jax. I love music and play the guitar, have a great job and and I’ve tallied 8 marathons including a Boston, along with several 1/2’s, and other runs along the way.

The things I’ll write about over this next while will encompass working to improve as a runner and getting faster. My blog is based on the community of runners I’ve known throughout the years and of course many of my past and present goals in my own running career. This idea that when we start running, we are happy and proud, but eventually we begin to want more. We begin to say words like PB, goal, and BQ, among other words. Most people want to get stronger, post better times, and keep up with their best times. In addition there are those of us that want to run easy right until the end of a race, right up to that last 100 metres, then accelerate to full capacity and enjoy that moment when the crowd passes in an instant, when the cheers and the breeze rush by our ears, adrenaline rushes through every ounce of our bodies and as the finish line passes by, for that moment we’ve reached superstardom.

I hope to connect with everyone here: Newbies, vets, young, old. I think it’s a running subject we can all relate to.

Here’s to you and happy feet!

At the finish line of the Royal Victoria Marathon in BC.

Grandma’s Compression Socks

LGuchardi

September 14, 2012

Now far be it from me to admit I am starting to feel my age…not that it’s a sensitive subject but I must admit I do shudder every time I have to fill out a race entry and they ask the “age question”. They say 50 is the new 40…well I don’t know who “they” are…but there are some days ( usually after a marathon ) that I could swear that 50 is the new 80. Going up and down stairs, sore limbs, pain …there are days when everything hurts below the eyelids…

Over the past year I have had to endure painful cramps in my calfs. I have tried everything from adjusting my diet to include more potassium, to extra hydration… all with little improvement. A friend suggested I try Compression Socks…they said they had experienced good post-race recovery as a result of wearing them. Now, understand that being a bit sensitive about the whole “age thing”, and knowing that the last time I had heard anything about compression socks was the time my Grandmother asked me to pick up a pair for her at the drug store. This was only the first of many hurdles I had to overcome. In addition to being for the “elderly” compression socks where also very expensive…and as one gets older one tends to also watch the outflow of money… (one has to think of one’s retirement years ).

So, I decided to do some research, and learned that the science behind these socks when used for recovery is pretty sound when it comes to controlling swelling, improving blood flow, and preventing “pooling” ( although the jury is still out when it comes to claims of performance enhancement ). To make a long story short, I did it, I spent $70.00 on a pair of compression socks at a running store…they even said running on the package… ( probably to take away the stigma of what I thought these really were…clever marketing folks…bravo).

After being properly measured and fitted with these “performance enhancing knee socks” I took them home and tried them on…I felt silly…and the socks felt tight…something to do with the whole concept of “compression” I guess… but after a very short while something weird happened…they felt really comfortable…I could get use to wearing these …to the point where I didn’t want to take them off.

Well, 6 months have passed, and me and my “new fangled knee socks” are the best of friends. After using them consistently as part of a post race recovery regime I can honestly say that my calfs have never felt better…maybe it’s got something to do with the socks…maybe 50 is the new 40 after all…and maybe compression socks are the best thing since the advent of the shoelace.

Adventure Fun!

Ben Kaplan

September 14, 2012

By: Magi Scallion

This week I had an amazing adventure – one that I would highly recommend for any person interested in a core workout combined with a run.

I met one of the national cross-country development ski teams in Deep Cove, BC to go for a paddle-board -> run -> paddle-board session. Cross country skiers are always keen to do a variety of cross training so it’s really fun to train with this group.

We started the day with a quick technique session on how to stand-up paddle. Most of us had done it before but it was great to have some tips from a guy who does it professionally – including some racing. It became evident that our core and shoulders were going to get a good work out – perfect for skiers!

We paddled approximately 30-minutes across the fjord – the water was like glass and it was absolutely beautiful. There was a little island next to our destination beach so we had a quick little race around the island. That was a lot of fun, even though nobody fell into the water.

From there we put on our running shoes and did a run that was just over an hour. We were all wondering why our legs were a bit sore and tired – then we realized that it was from the paddle boarding. Even though most of the paddle boarding is core and upper body, your legs are quite active the entire time from trying to balance on the board. Our calves were sore from pressing our toes into the board.

The run was pretty special – trail along the water to a nice lookout. It was an out-and-back on some hilly terrain. Lots of fun! I had my new Wave Precisions along for the ride. I prefer to run trail in the precisions – I like the low profile and how much you can “feel” the trail. Most of the trails around Vancouver/Whistler are pretty good for road shoes. I only pull out my Wave Ascend trail shoes when I’m going out in the mud or on trails that have lots of loose gravel or dust and I need the additional traction. The other bonus of the new Precisions is that if you’re upside down in the bushes, you’ll be easy to find!

The paddle back to the boat house was a bit less energetic as there was a head-wind and some waves… even better for the core? The sun was still out, though so it was hard to be tired or grumpy about the additional work.

In total we spent about 4 hours on the water/trail and had at least 2.5 hours of laughter! Now I’m trying to plan this adventure with some other friends – with a slightly longer paddle and a longer, beautiful ridge trail run.

***

Born in Nova Scotia and emigrating to British Columbia via Ontario and Alberta, Magi has been running the entire way. Primarily defined as a cross country ski racer, Magi has competed nationally and internationally in that sport. The highlight of her career was competing in the World University Games and the World Cup races in Canada in 2007. Cross country skiers rely heavily on running for cross training and Magi has become an accomplished trail and mountain runner, representing Canada at the World Mountain Running Championships in 2005 and the winning numerous national championships medals.

Today Magi runs for fun… and it’s a lot of fun! Epic mountain runs, city cruises with friends, and more keep her happy and occupied outside of work and school.

TOP 5 Reasons Why I Run

EPanetta

September 14, 2012

I’ve been running for as long as I can remember. Tag as a little kid, cross country in elementary school, soccer all through my youth and running for leisure since I was 18 (and I’m 25 now, so you do the math).

Over the course of my “running career”, I can honestly say I’ve been pretty consistent with my jogs. Even when it gets cold or I get busy or my body gets sore, I normally manage to muster up enough motivation to hit the pavement.

Why you ask!??

That’s easy. Running is my therapy, and here’s 5 reasons why:

1. HOT BODY – No I don’t mean sexy body (although I do think running can have positive effects on appearance – but that will be another post). I actually mean increased body temperature! I read somewhere that the heat one generates from exercise can produce effects similar to sitting in a hot tub or sauna. Physical relaxation, inner calmness, tension release.

2. CATHARSIS – Which means the the purging of emotions. Something about pounding the pavement and breaking a sweat allows me to release bottled up emotions; from stressful situations, fights with loved ones or even just general feelings of anger, sadness or melancholy that exist for whatever reason (or no reason at all).

3. LET LOOSE – I’m not going to lie. When my music is blaring (usually country tunes or cheesy pop songs) I become a total diva – singing dancing and rocking out on a stadium stage in front of a crowd of 60,000 screaming fans. Seriously! If you can’t relate, then you’re missing out! Update your ipod and when you run, you’ll put on a show!

4. A HAPPY PLACE – So my runs aren’t always rock concerts. When I’m feeling more subdued, I use my runs to let my mind run wild. I think about the future, the past, my family, my good experiences, my bad experiences, people I love, people I hate, embarrassing situations, amazing situations – you get my drift. Running is a perfect time to let yourself totally zone out. Heck, I’ve even been known to have a good cry when I’m running!

5. CONFIDENCE – “Going for a run gets you accustomed to doing things you thought you could not do…”

Not too long ago I saw this affirmation on John Stanton’s Twitter feed and I realized a huge part of why I run, is to gain the confidence to chase my dreams – which are unrelated to running. If I can complete the half marathon or run that 10 K in under 50 minutes, then surely I can rock the interview to land my dream job, or I can speak up in a meeting when I actually want to hide under the table or I can move to an unfamiliar city to start an unfamiliar job – all on my own.

I CAN DO ANYTHING! 😮

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