Preparing for the Olympics

In three short months, on Friday, July 27th, the opening ceremony of the 30th Olympic Games will be held in London, England.  Athletes from 205 countries around the world will meet to compete against each other in 300 events, all dreaming of gold.  For the past four years, these 10,500 select athletes have diligently trained, survived injury, and endured hardships we can only imagine, in the hopes of making it to the Olympic Games.  Soon their dreams will become reality.  As they walk into the newly constructed Olympic Stadium, on the east side of London in 105 days, in front of over 4 billion television viewers, those years of sacrifice will feel like a price well paid.  They earned the opportunity to march alongside, and compete against the world's best.

For seventeen straight days, from the opening ceremonies on July 27th, to closing on August 12th, we will watch gifted athletes push through pain, lay it all on the line, and accomplish the unimaginable.  Records will be broken.  It never fails to inspire.

"Faster, Higher, Stronger" is the motto of the Olympic Games, adopted in 1921 by Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games.  Embrace the spirit of the Olympics and begin your journey to the 2012 games.  Chant that motto as you power up that next hill or gut out the last half mile of your workout.  You can run faster; you can run higher; you can finish stronger.  All it takes is effort.

Later this summer, as you sit each evening watching the magic unfold, know that you too are part of that world.  You may not be destined for the Olympics, but with each mile you run, you're working on being the best you can be, and that is worth gold.

The Olympic Creed reads:  The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.

LACE UP and fight well my friends!

Mud Running

Warrior Dash, Casa de Fruta, California 2011

April showers not only bring May flowers, for trail runners, it means mud.  Although we couldn't survive without the replenishing moisture from seasonal rain, perpetual downpours wreak havoc on trails.  In general, an isolated day of rain here or there doesn't effect trail conditions--dry ground soaks up water like a sponge.  But once the ground becomes saturated, the result is mud.

Anyone who has tried running in mud knows it's not easy.  Take one stride up a muddy slope and you'll more than likely come sliding halfway back down.  Whatever tread exists on the bottom of your shoes becomes hopelessly clogged with dirt--you have no traction to speak of.  Running downhill in mud can be particularly hazardous.  Mud is slippery!  Depending on how deep the mud is, which many times is difficult to judge, you could even risk losing a shoe.  The suction created between your shoes and the mud is extremely powerful and may be very difficult to break.

Run any distance in mud and you'll be surprised how quickly the wet earth accumulates on the bottoms of your shoes.  Those high-tech, light-weight shoes you purchased with care, are instantly transformed into blocks of cement.  It's amazing how much an inch of mud weighs.  Not only is the mud heavy, it is unwieldy and unpredictable.  Our bodies were not designed to be bottom heavy.  The added weight so far from your center of gravity throws off your balance.  With each stride, you can't predict if the mud will stay in place, or if a large chunk will release and go flying, causing uncertainty with each step.

My advice?  If it's been a rainy week, stay away from trails.  Give the sun a few days to dry the earth.  Running on trails when conditions are poor does a lot of damage, so save the trails and wait for a stretch of dry weather.

If you absolutely LOVE the idea of running in mud, you're not alone.  Mud running has exploded in popularity in the past year.  Usually consisting of a 5K obstacle course, these "mud runs" may include a cargo net, rope bridge, balance beam, mountain climbing wall, tire challenge, and/or flaming coals, but always have mud pits you must either crawl across or run through.  Upon finishing, participants are rewarded with a medal, prison shower and a beer (if they are 21 or older).  In virtually every state you can find one of these events if you are so inclined.  With names like "Warrior Dash", "Survivor Mud Run", "Tough Mudder", "The Original Mud Run", and "Down & Dirty Mud Run", mud is a guarantee, and courage is a necessity.

Assignment for the week ((don't let the number 50 scare you!)

day 1 - run 30 minutes     day 4 - run 30 minutes
day 2 - run 40 minutes     day 5 - run 40 minutes
day 3 - run 50 minutes     day 6 - run 50 minutes

LACE UP and watch out for mud, unless you've actually paid for it!

Running Around the World

Running is one sport where the rules don't change no matter where you are around the globe.  Terrain, conditions and attire may differ, but wherever you are, the fundamentals are the same.  Whether you're in the French Alps, Canadian Outback, or the southern lowlands of Nigeria, as long as you move swiftly enough that both feet leave the ground during each stride, you are running.

Math is known as the universal language because the principles and foundations of math are the same everywhere in the world.  Applying that same logic, one could easily conclude that running is the universal sport.  A sprint is a sprint whether you're running with the Dzerzhinets (running club) in Russia, or with RUNNEX members in the Philippines.  A marathon is 26.2 miles whether you run the Solar Eclipse Marathon in Port Douglas, Australia or the Berlin Marathon in Germany.  Whether you're in Northern Mexico running with the Tarahumara Indians or running in Croatia by the Adriatic Sea, if both feet leave the ground during each stride, you are running.

You probably didn't you realize you were part of an international club with ambassadors scattered across the globe.  You can find these ambassadors at Global Running Tours.  Global Running Tours is a worldwide organization that offers guided running tours around the world.  The latest way to learn about a city while exercising, Guided Running Tours gives runners who travel for business or pleasure a way to explore historic cities by pairing them with a trained local running guide.  Exercising while exploring--doesn't get much better than that!

Runners of the world--in Russia, Nigeria, Croatia, Germany, Philippines, China, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Australia, India, France, USA, Canada, or wherever else you may be--keep our membership strong.  We're all in this together.

LACE UP and recruit your friends!

Chart Your Progress

Designed on "Create A Graph"

You've made it to week 10 and have been steadily making progress.  We started out at 10 minutes a day and by tomorrow, you'll be able to handle 40 minutes straight, no problem.  CONGRATULATIONS for sticking with it!

Assignment for the week:

day 1 - run 30 minutes     day 2 - run 35 minutes

day 3 - run 40 minutes     day 4 - run 30 minutes

day 5 - run 35 minutes     day 6 - run 40 minutes

Many of the improvements you've made to your health over the past two months are not readily visible.  You feel it when you reach the top of the stairs and are not out of breath; working in the yard is not so taxing and much more enjoyable; but a visual reminder would be nice.

CHART YOUR PROGRESS!

Filling out a simple bar graph will make it abundantly clear how much time you've put into this project.  Like watching money pile up in a bank, you'll see the blank spaces filling in and know with every entry, you're getting healthier.  If math is not your favorite subject, don't worry.  With "Create A Graph" you can make an impressive looking chart like the one pictured above in minutes.  Go to:  nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph

and follow the simple instructions.  Print out the resulting page and hang it on the refrigerator with pride.

Once you've got your data in place, get creative.  Buy some stickers, and for every week that you fulfill the American Heart Association exercise recommendations and get 150 minutes in, give yourself a gold star!  Sweeten the pot and add a reward.  For instance, when you finally reach the 60 minute mark (we'll be there in May), treat yourself to a night out.  You'll feel like you've earned it.

LACE UP and record!

Runnin' Against the Wind

When you hear the wind rattling the front door and whistling through the eaves, it's hard to get motivated for any kind of outdoor activity, especially running.  As you look outside and see the tree limbs swaying and flags stretched out horizontally, you're probably thinking that daily dose of exercise is going to be pretty miserable, and you may be right.  Running into the wind is tough.  In fact, it's nearly as difficult as running up a hill and maybe even more so because, unlike a hill, you have no idea when it will end.  You're forced to put your head down and power through until the wind lets up, which could take seconds or miles.

There's nothing I can do about the wind, but here are a few tips to help you cope:

Tighten your Hat
BEFORE you start, tighten the strap on your hat.  The concave shape of the brim on a baseball cap makes it perfect for lift off when a strong gust comes by, so tighten up and tip that brim as low down as you can without covering your eyes.  With it tight and low, hopefully your cap will stay on and you won't end up chasing it down the road.

Wear Shades
Wearing glasses is no problem for me---I can't see without them.  But if you're one of the lucky ones with 20/20 vision, remember to grab a pair of sunglasses before you head out when the wind is strong.  Sunglasses will help keep the bits of debris blowing around out of your eyes.  They won't stop it all, but they definitely will help.

Wear Aerodynamic Clothing
If you've ever noticed someone on the freeway riding a motorcycle, wearing loose clothing instead of a tight leather jacket, you'll know exactly why you should wear clothing with a snug fit when you run on a windy day.  The wind is going to find any unoccupied space between you and your clothing and ripple through, expanding the fabric to its max, creating drag and making you even colder than you already are.  When the wind picks up, break out lycra shorts and a compression t-shirt and you'll be able to cut through the wind like a hot knife through butter.

That's all I can offer.  It's not much, but hopefully it will help.  Just remember, it's impossible for the wind to be in your face the entire run unless you're running in only one direction, which would have to involve a pickup and if that's in the plan, I'd scout the wind before you start and change direction if you can.  Whether you're running out and back, or in a circle, you should have the wind in your face only half the time.  So when the wind picks up, put your head down and grit your teeth.  Hopefully around the next corner the wind will be at your back and you'll feel like Hermes with winged sandals, and fly down the road.

LACE UP and like Bob Seger says, "keep runnin' against the wind".     

Good Samaritan

I've gotten you to say hello and even offer a few words of encouragement, and you're probably feeling pretty good.  Now your run is not only a time to get in shape, but a chance to lift spirits and spread good will.  The world has become a friendlier place since you've put yourself out there and even though gas is well over $4 a gallon, the smile on a stranger's face is enough to make you momentarily forget your troubles.  Now, let's take things to a whole new level and be a good Samaritan.

The opportunity to help someone else doesn't present itself on every run, but when it does, please step up and do the right thing.  Unlike waving hello or saying a few of words of encouragement, offering a hand might cost you some serious time.  Getting involved has its risks; however, running by and not lending a hand could haunt you for days--even years--so take a chance and help out your fellow man.

Maybe it's as simple as standing up a hubcap that's lying in the gutter, or picking up a soda bottle and throwing it in someone's recycle bin.  If you see a giant palm frond draped across the bike lane (remnants from the latest storm), push it to the side, or better yet, drag it to the nearest yard waste pile.  A couple weeks ago, as I ran by our local elementary school, a ball came flying over the chain link fence and bounced out into the road as several worried children watched, no doubt wondering what was to become of their ball.  Being careful to avoid traffic, I retrieved the ball and threw it back over the fence.  The kids cheered.  I was the hero of the day.  Sure, I had to stop what I was doing, but it's not everyday you get an applause.

Last year I got stuck out on a run, a couple miles from home in an unexpected hail storm.  If you don't know what it's like to be out in hail with shorts and a t-shirt on, let me just say IT HURTS!  Thunder and lightning accompanied the hail and I began to wonder if I'd make it home.  During the brunt of the storm, I took shelter under the eaves of a nearby house, then ventured out as the hail began to subside, trying my best not to slip on the accumulation of hail on the sidewalk.  As I headed down the hill, a white luxury SUV pulled up beside me.  A nice woman with a worried look on her face asked through the rain if I needed a ride.  I looked at her car and looked at the water streaming off my clothes and couldn't bear the thought of ruining her interior.  I declined the offer after she tried to insist several times (the lightning had stopped at that point), but I'll never forget the fact that she was perfectly willing for me to wreck the inside of her car to get me out of danger.

Be on the lookout.  You never know when duty will call.  If you're lucky, it just might be today.

LACE UP and help out!

Why Not Say Hi

I hope you enjoyed your day off.  Your running assignment for this week is identical to last week, so I know you can handle it.

day 1 - run 30 minutes     day 2 - run 35 minutes
day 3 - run 30 minutes     day 4 - run 35 minutes
day 5 - run 30 minutes     day 6 - run 35 minutes

Look how far you've come since we started in January.  It took six weeks to work up to running 30 minutes, now a 30 minute run is your easy day.  Just think how healthy your heart is.  According to the American Heart Association, if you've been sticking to my schedule, you've already added over 34 hours onto your life expectancy (see Heart Healthy Running post from Feb. 12)--that's over a day in less than two months.  Keep it up and you'll live forever!

Now for today's topic...why not say hi?  Should you or should you not acknowledge someone with a friendly hello while you're out running down the road?  To that, I answer, "Why not?!"  Before uttering a single word, you already know you have something in common--you're both exercising.  They may not be running, but they're at least walking, so why not give a nod to your shared commitment to a healthy future and say hello?

More often than not, I get a friendly smile in return when I take the time to say hi.  It's rewarding to see a stranger's face light up when I make the effort to acknowledge them.  It takes so little effort to say one simple word, but the response is often priceless.  It's like we're members of a conspiracy and are acknowledging each others' commitment to furthering the cause.  It makes both of us feel good to think membership is growing.  We're all in this race together--the human race--so might as well support each other when we can.

Granted, there are those that don't want to be bothered, but they are few and far between.  I try not to interrupt a group involved in a serious, ongoing conversation, or interfere with a focused athlete in the middle of an intense training run, but in general, people enjoy being noticed so I almost always say hi.

LACE UP, speak up and don't forget to wave! 

Hill Repeats

Now that I've convinced you to try a hill, why not make an entire workout out of it?  You've conquered a hill, now go back and run it over and over again!  Hill repeats are exactly that--running a hill over and over until you reach your goal or run out of stamina (preferably the former).

It's important to warm-up before starting a hill workout.  Starting directly up a steep hill with cold muscles is a good way to pull something, so to avoid injury, run a nice, slow, 1/2 mile to get your muscles warm and ready for the high-intensity work.

Pick a hill that takes you between 1-2 minutes to reach the top of.  It should be steep enough to get you breathing hard, long enough for your heart to be pumping fast, and high enough that your legs feel like lead at the top.  If I feel like I'm going to toss my cookies, I know I've picked a good one.  Once you reach the top, circle back around at a slow pace while your body recovers, then start all over again.  If there isn't a loop, run directly back down.  Be careful on the way down--safety not speed is key on the downhill portion.

Repeat the circuit as many times as you can.  If it's your first time, try four and eventually maybe you'll work your way up to ten.

Running hills is mentally challenging.  You have to constantly put mind over matter and make your body perform.  Running hill repeats not only builds strength and improves your speed, it builds mental toughness.  When you reach the top of your last hill, you'll  feel like you could do anything.  Just ask any of the warriors in the picture above.  The smiles on their faces and their sweat-stained shirts were earned by completing 10 hills--no easy task.

Hill training is tough on your body, especially knees, so do hills once a week, tops.

LACE UP, then head up!

10K on the Way!

Many of you started this program running 10 minutes a day.  In the beginning, that 10 minutes was a stretch, but you stayed with the program and now are consistently running close to 30 minutes a day.  With the slow and steady increase over the past seven weeks, your legs and lungs have gotten stronger and your over-all health has improved.  Run three miles?  Piece of cake.

I have a new challenge for you.  Set your sights on a 10K.  I know, you're probably thinking, "She may have motivated me to run three miles, but there is absolutely no way I'm running six!"  I'm not talking about running six miles tomorrow.  Over the next couple months you'll GRADUALLY work your way there.  I'm confident you can do it.  Having a goal is a great motivator.  What better way to stick with the program than to commit yourself to running a 10K this summer.  There's bound to be one in your area.

If you've never run in a road race before, don't be intimidated.  There will be people of all skill levels and abilities participating.  You may end up running by Elvis or some other joker dressed in costume, or, if you choose Bay to Breakers in San Francisco, you may end up running by a nudie.  Whichever race you choose, you'll be surrounded by an enthusiastic, encouraging crowd that will cheer you all the way to the finish line.

Add a 10K to your bucket list and cross it off this summer.  There's probably a cool t-shirt in the deal for you too.

Assignment for the week:

day 1:  run 30 minutes     day 2:  run 35 minutes
day 3:  run 30 minutes     day 4:  run 35 minutes
day 5:  run 30 minutes     day 6:  run 35 minutes

LACE UP!

Landscaping Help

Gazania

Want a fresh new look for your yard this spring?  Do some research while you're running.  What better way to find out which plants do well in your area than to gather evidence in your own neighborhood?  You know those yards with well established gardens and great curb appeal that always catch your eye?  As you're running by, make a mental note of which annuals and shrubs they used, then give those a try.  That's much more effective than making a choice in the protective environment of your local nursery, only to find out weeks later as you're digging up the shriveled remains of that once beautiful plant, that your choice was not wise.  Let your neighbors go through trial and error, while you reap the rewards.

I've used this strategy numerous times.  For my areas without automatic irrigation, I knew I needed something drought resistant and hearty.  While running by the surrounding houses, I looked for flowering plants by the curb where the sun was relentless, with no sprinkler heads in sight.  Several varieties and colors of low growing gazania seemed to thrive in the worst conditions--I knew they'd be a safe bet.  I also noticed beautiful African irises.  With their tall narrow leaves, most of the year they look like an ornamental grass.  Although the blooms are short-lived and last only a day, they bloom continuously from early spring to late summer and survive in extreme heat with very little water.

From my careful research on the road, I now have a yard full of thriving plants that require very little maintenance.  It's just about time to buy annuals again.  I think I'll wait and see what the neighbors plant before I do my shopping.

LACE UP, take notes, then get planting!

Map My Run

You know how long you've run, but have you been wondering how far?  You've been consistently running about 30 minutes a day, but you may not have any idea how far you've gone.  You may not be sure if you're ready for a 5K (3.1 miles) event or not.  If you've been running for 30 minutes non-stop, you've probably already run 5 kilometers on your own.  Let's find out.

Before GPS (global positioning system), the easiest, most reliable way to figure out the distance you've traveled was by either consulting a map, or using the odometer on your car.  For unmapped trails it was either a surveyor's wheel or a very long tape measure.  My dad and I once measured a 3/4 mile trail behind our house using a 100' measuring tape--it wasn't fun especially when we lost count at 21 the first time through.  Anyone who has tried using a pedometer, knows how hard they are to calibrate and how unreliable the results can be.  Technology to the rescue!
 
With the advent of GPS devices, you can accurately track your distance from the comfort of your home, without wasting any gas.  Although there are several free tracking programs available online, my favorite is MapMyRun (www.mapmyrun.com).  Create an account, type in your starting point, ending point, and a few points in between and it will calculate the distance for you.  It's easy to use and not only has roads but some trails.  Forget the measuring tape and needless trips in the car.  Fire-up your computer instead.

LACE UP, log in and map your run.  The results might be surprising!