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Let’s Talk about Track Etiquette
This morning’s workout was a little tempo run at the local high school track. It was one of those perfect mornings – already hot enough that my muscles were warmed up before I started, but just this side of too hot. (And too-hot is definitely bound to happen later today.) Running at the track has a special appeal to me (as long as I don’t overdo it). Every time I’m there, I’m reminded, whether consciously or subconsciously, of being in the 7th grade. In 7th grade, you see, I ran on the track team for the first time, and it was then that I learned the proper etiquette of running…
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Everyone Gets a Trophy
Today, in the “Everyone Gets a Trophy” society that is often condescendingly critiqued, I get nervous about falling victim to the entitlement mentality. “Doesn’t this teach kids that they don’t have to try that hard?” we say. “This is why young people these days don’t know how to work hard!” “Won’t they feel entitled to disproportionate success despite having put in less effort than their peers?” Uh… I don’t know. I’m not really trying to take a stab at answering those major psychological questions. But they’re good questions worth asking. I, who barely qualify as a Millenial on the cusp of having been a Gen-X-er, don’t see myself as…
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Races: Traverse City Bayshore Half Marathon
It’s Monday afternoon, Memorial Day, and although I’ve just now begun to move on to those tedious and slightly depressing “end of the weekend” chores… (you know – laundry, groceries, making a decision about whether to vacuum or try to keep “not seeing” the tumbleweeds of dog fur for another few days), I am nevertheless still basking in the happy glow of what was a really phenomenal race weekend. I almost didn’t get a spot in the Traverse City Track Club’s Bayshore Half Marathon. By the time I got wind of the race, it had already filled to capacity. I was listening to the Runner’s World podcast and editor,…
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What’s Your Sub-2:00?
In the middle of my night Friday night, or early in the morning on Saturday as the case would be for the runners in Italy, some terribly talented runners took off on a quest to break the world record for the marathon AND the 2 hour barrier. Sponsored by Nike, these exceptional gentlemen were chosen from amongst the best in the world for their qualifications for this unique pursuit, and they were given every training advantage anyone could hope to have – the best trainers, doctors, coaches, nutritionists, and other fitness professionals in the world converged to optimize their health, get them to their peak fitness, and plan a race…
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Why I Love Long Run Sunday
Despite the way I sometimes ruminate anxiously over an impending long run long before it’s begun, I secretly wish every day could be long-run Sunday. Each day of the running week brings something special to the table, but long-run Sunday is possibly my favorite. To begin with, long-run Sunday actually starts on Saturday. In my 30’s I’m finding that I’ve gotten less “fun.” In a good way. And as I get less “fun,” I actually look forward to turning in early on Saturday and focusing on hydrating instead of dehydrating. I enjoy thinking about how my carb intake will come in handy and those few extra calories are actually going to serve…
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Restaurant Style Salsa
Summer’s coming fast, and if that doesn’t conjure visions of fresh salsa and Negro Modelo, then you need to do some soul-searching. Where’s your head at? Get in the game. I want to find myself this weekend (and every weekend for the next six months) sitting on a patio somewhere imbibing something cold and refreshing and possibly dipping some corn chips into a delicious pool of fire-roasted tomatoes combined with fresh onions, and cilantro, grown in someone’s garden or at least picked up from the Farmer’s Market. Mexican food of all kinds is at the very top on my list of favorites, and I especially love going to Mexican restaurants where…
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5 Ways to Beat the Excuse, “I Don’t Have Time to Exercise!”
This isn’t a lecture. I’m one of those people. I’ve used that excuse on myself and to complain to friends, family and coworkers. I’ve used it to justify my slow race times and the muscle tone (or lack thereof) in my arms. And I never feel good about it afterwards. Instead I feel resentful about all the other responsibilities taking up my time! “I don’t have time” really means that I don’t have the a) energy or b) equipment or c) preferred time of day available to exercise. I know energy is a MAJOR factor for me. I have claimed hundreds of times that my job doesn’t leave me time…
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To Run with Friends, Or Not to Run with Friends? That is the Question.
Running has given me the opportunity to meet and connect with people in meaningful and unexpected ways over the years. To share a love of running and an ability to cover miles during your conversation, those are things that bring people together. And I’m grateful for all the friendships I’ve had the chance to build and grow because of running. In college, I ran with friends who I lived with and those who I seldom saw otherwise. During a time in our lives when all we wanted to do was socialize, running allowed us to multi-task. Exercise while making our plans for the evening at the same time? Brilliant! In…
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Race Review: Lexington’s Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon 2017
Once again after a destination race weekend, I’m feeling inspired and excited to be a runner, and I’m itching to share my experience from Lexington, Kentucky’s Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon! After finishing our last half marathon (the Charleston Half Marathon) in January, we were all pumped up and ready to sign up for another. I browsed race calendars looking for the perfect race at the right time and in the right location. Lexington is just around the corner for us Ohioans, and it gave us a little over two months to continue our preparation, treating the Charleston race as just another training run. After checking out the race website…
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My 2017 Training Goals
My competitive running history goes as follows: Full-on emotional immersion in 7th and 8th grade track and field. (Emotional involvement largely predicated on fear of failure and discomfort during a time in my life when a) it was extremely important to be well-liked and b) I was kind of wimpy.) 10th grade track season that I participated in for lack of anything better to do Participation in massive road races open to the general population with very little formal training program So here’s the thing. In 8th grade, I wasn’t terrible. I wasn’t amazing, but I was decent for an 8th grader. I showed promise. I probably didn’t work overly hard…
