Running - Getting the Gold

I grew up always craving a win. Something about me that will never change is my motivation to win. I am very competitive and love a good competition. However, I like to win on my own. This is why running suits me very well. 5ks, 10ks, 15ks, half marathons, and marathons are individual races that are (usually) timed. Most races are divided into age groups. I try not to focus on placing in the top of my age group because it is one of the larger groups, but I do get very caught up in passing people along the way. Personally, I believe finishing the run strong is a victory no matter the time on the clock.

I often get asked the questions “Why do you like running?”, “How do you run so often?”, and “How do you enjoy running?” I know running has a bad reputation because it’s hard. I understand that it’s not something that everyone loves to do. However, I believe anyone can learn to love it. Running is so beneficial to many different elements of life: strengthening, reducing stress, allowing time for mindlessness, confidence, and endurance. I’ve learned to use my running time to think about decisions I need to make, how I would deal with given situations, and goals I have. In Jeff Galloway’s book, Marathon, he writes about how having fun is key to wanting to continue running. He says, “In all this there is a magic ingredient that keeps you motivated in just about any situation. When you find ways to have fun during your run, you open the door for the right brain to take over and work its creative magic” (Galloway 62). I find joy in letting my mind wander while running. I also find running to be my best stress reliever. If something throws off my positivity, running always brings it back.

While reading Marathon, I came across a section that I found important in motivation. He writes about the difference between a dream and a vision. He says, “A dream is not connected to reality. It’s easy to dream that you’ll run the marathon in less than two hours. Even when your dreams are within your capabilities, without a well-structured training program and regular mental contact with your vision, dreams are seldom realized and you set yourself up for disappointment” (Galloway 63). He then goes on to describe a vision as, “A perception of experience that you can prepare for by specific physical and mental exercises. To fulfill a vision, you must chart out the exercises, constantly adjusting and fine tuning them to make the vision more complete and meaningful” (Galloway 63). I have always seen a difference between something that is a dream and something that is a real goal. Looking back on my first half marathon training, I didn’t really envision what the end of training would be like. I just thought if I did the training, all would go smoothly. I had to adjust that mindset as the miles stacked up. I had to come to the realization that running is a mental game. You have to see yourself doing well to do well. From then on, I envisioned myself finishing each run strong.

My mom and I running the Tinkerbell

Half in Disneyland

I stay motivated by setting a goal and doing everything I can to reach that goal. After a nice long run, I feel more confident in myself. After reaching a running goal, I feel motivated to set a new goal. In 2015 I ran the Tinkerbell Half Marathon in Disneyland at age 14. I was placed in corral A, meaning the fastest paced corral. To mean, this was a big deal. The youngest age allowed to race was 14. This alone was enough to motivate me to do the best I could. I was younger than almost everyone running, I wanted to prove that I was not too little for it. And I was proven correct. Now, 2 years later, I’m training for The Princess Half Marathon in Disney World. With a constant vision in my mind, this training is going better than ever.

Question: What motivates you? How do you stay motivated?

Galloway, Jeff. Marathon: You Can Do It! Bolinas, CA: Shelter, 2001. Print.

Running - It's a Buy One Get One Free Deal

            Ever buy something and get something free? A two for one sale? Yeah, that’s how running works. You happily buy running and get injuries for free. In my running history I have had a few injuries, however one specific one that changed and put limitations on how I am able to run today. I developed plantar fasciitis in my left foot about 4 months ago. Plantar fasciitis is a disorder where the plantar fascia muscle is slightly torn in many places. It causes pain in the heel and bottom of the foot into the arch. Due to this injury, I was forced to quit running for about 3 weeks. I found out that the reason I had been diagnosed with Plantar fasciitis was because I had been running on uneven ground 5-6 days a week with cross country. Through recovery, I had to draw the conclusion that I can only run on even ground. Preventing an injury and recovery can be challenging, but not impossible.

It is very important to strengthen muscles through the training process by doing more than just running. In Jeff Galloway’s book entitled Marathon, he writes, “On long or hard runs, those with weak postural muscles will lose their form more quickly, their pace will slow and recovery time will increase. A slumping upper body also cuts down on the efficiency of breathing and reduces oxygen absorption” (32). Through my current half marathon training, I have been doing core and arm training as well. I have noticed a difference in the quality of my runs and overall feeling post-run. While running, posture is something I try to keep in mind. I have found it to be easier to focus on when I feel stronger and able to keep good posture. Galloway suggests that runners work specifically on crunches to build core strength and arm running which he describes as, “This exercise can be done in the standing position with legs spread about as wide as your shoulders. Use handheld weights in both hands, move the arms through the motion you’d use when running” (Galloway 33). Using simple exercises can be beneficial to runners not only in basic strength but to improve quality of runs and lessen chance of injury.

Another tip that Galloway shares about injury in Marathon is about how to know if you are just sore or truly injured. He writes, “Temporary aches and pains will come and go through a marathon program, usually disappearing after a day or so, and thus indicating that you probably don’t have an injury. But if the pain increases or continues for five to seven days, treat it as an injury: Take at least 2 days off from running and use ice and other treatments as necessary” (Galloway 163). Knowing when to take time off from running is necessary if you are planning to train for a race. By having an injury and continuing to run, the injury will become worse and the chance you will be able to race slims down. Allowing yourself proper and enough healing time will allow for a good race in the end.

Question: Have you ever been injured playing a sport? What could you have done to prevent that injury?
Galloway, Jeff. Marathon: You Can Do It! Bolinas, CA: Shelter, 2001. Print.

Running - Pumped Up Kicks

If you read my first blog post, you know that I mentioned if I got a dollar for each time someone told me they weren’t a runner, I’d have enough for new running shoes. Maybe that was a bit of a stretch. Running shoes can get pricey. However, the right shoe makes all the difference in training and in races. Over the course of about 7 years, I have had 5 different pairs of running shoes. I started out with running only 5ks so I didn’t need much more than just a pair of children’s sized Nikes. Once I stepped it up to a 10k, I bought my first pair of true running shoes. Since then, I’ve had a few different pairs and learned a lot about how the right shoe can make or break a run.

Due to the fact that both of my parents run, knowing where to go to find my first pair of true running shoes was not a challenge. My shoes were bought at Road Runner through their Shoe Dog program that they offer. With this process, the customer is placed under a category. After being placed in a category, a large variety of shoes is displayed to choose from. I was placed under the "stability" category and ended up with a pair of Nike Structure 17s as my first pair of running shoes. After my first experience with Road Runner I have returned many times because the help I’ve received there has been very good. I have found that specialty running stores are on the pricier end but also fall on the more helpful side. In the book Marathon written by Jeff Galloway, he writes, “The best advice in choosing a running shoe is to get the best advice – at an authentic running store” (Galloway 180). I definitely agree with this statement and have had a number of experiences where I have found it to be true. On a more recent trip to road runner, I had custom inserts made for my running shoes. I am currently in training for a half marathon and have been having some trouble with Plantar fasciitis, so I decided it was time to get custom-made inserts. This is something that can be found only in a specialty store and at a higher price, but something that is essential to good training.

After lacing my shoes tighter

After finding the right shoe, it’s time to break them in. Something that many runners, including myself, tend to slack off on is lacing up the shoes well each time they’re used. Galloway has a section specifically about lacing up your shoes. He writes, “Many runners don’t bother to lace up the laces tight when they try on a shoe. A loose fit at the ankle is mistaken for an ill-fitting heal. If there is excessive heel motion, pull the last few laces snug and tie the lace together so that there is no gap right at the knot. This may take several attempts because a new nylon lace is slick and resists being knotted tightly” (Galloway 183). This is something that I have not put much value into in the past only because I was oblivious about how important lacing shoes is. During the past week, I have laced my shoed tightly before each run, and I have noticed a difference in overall stability in my shoes.

Question: Do you own running shoes? If so, what do you like about them?

Galloway, Jeff. Marathon: You Can Do It! Bolinas, CA: Shelter, 2001. Print.

Running - Nutrition is a Main Ingredient

               If it was possible to take a pill to prevent hunger but still have essential nutrients, I would be taking that pill every day. I don’t enjoy food like some people do. Frankly, I feel like eating takes way too much time that could be spent doing something fun. However, over the course of half marathon training I have quickly realized nutrition is an essential ingredient in the recipe of running.

               Although I still do not enjoy eating as some people do, I value how much eating the right foods can do for you. For me, eating is done to keep myself on track for a good run. Olympic Marathoner Jeff Galloway agrees with my thoughts about eating in his book entitled “Marathon” by saying “The point of eating is to acquire the essential nutrients with a steady metabolism boost so that you can maintain a motivational level of blood sugar to do all of life’s activities” (Galloway 140). I think it is necessary to apply this concept to your life. The point of eating is to fill your body with helpful nutrients, not to fill your body with candy and carbonation. Applying this concept to my life was definitely not my biggest challenge simply because food is not something I care much about.  Don’t get me wrong though, I do love some good fries.

               Moving on to something slightly more challenging about nutrition which is timing of meals and size of meals. I would say that most of us are used to eating 3 meals a day and snacking throughout the day. However, this isn’t the best for digestive systems and metabolism rates. Galloway writes “It’s better to eat seven to nine small meals a day rather than two or three bigger ones. Try to make each meal consist mostly of complex carbohydrates balanced with some protein and a little fat” (Galloway 141). With school, following Galloway’s words is a little bit of a challenge since eating isn’t allowed in most classes. However, eating the right food is something that anyone can work on doing while also keeping in mind to graze throughout the day instead of devour a meal at the end of the day.

               Long distance runners eat and drink some things you may find very weird. This is what I thought until I was on mile 9 and still had 4.1 to go. After having a shot of Gu my opinion on Gu packets quickly changed. Gu is a brand that makes, well, Gu. It’s a hard thing to describe because it sounds quite strange. Gu is a pudding-like consistency and comes in many different flavors. On the package it is given the name of Energy Gel. It contains amino acids, sodium, and some flavors contain caffeine. They are meant to be opened up and poured down like some children eat Nerds. Gu packets help bring up your energy level in a quick manner. Energy gels should not be taken on short runs because they are unnecessary and also should not be taken too early during a long run because energy levels will plummet back down at the end of the run.

What are some foods or drinks that you consume that may not be the most beneficial to you? Would you consider taking them out of your diet to see how you can benefit from better foods?

Running - Getting Started

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard someone tell me they’re not a runner, they don’t run, or they just don’t have a runner's body, I’d have enough money to get myself new running shoes. And I’ll have you know, running shoes aren’t cheap. Running is something anyone can do. There is no such thing as a runner's body. I started running when I was in 3^rd grade, and I’ve been hooked ever since. However, for some the draw doesn’t come so easily. This is how you can get started.

Running is not something that is going to come fast, and it’s not something that is always fun. It is, however, something that doesn’t require very much time. In the book entitled “Marathon” written by Olympic athlete, Jeff Galloway, he says “Even if you have 60 minutes to exercise during the work week, you can start training for a marathon. The minimum is actually better for insuring against injuries. To start with the bare minimum, you run/walk 30 minutes twice a week"(Galloway 2). This is something anyone can make time for, and work up to. Jeff Galloway writes training plans for half marathons and full marathons. He is very supportive of the run-walk-run idea. A general overview of this type of plan is running for a certain amount of time, then taking a short amount of time to walk. You would then repeat this cycle until you've completed the distance of your run.

I have used this plan to run a half marathon before and must say, I am very supportive of the run-walk-run plan as well. His plans consist of 2 days of maintenance runs, 3 days of walking or cross training, and 1 day for a long run. Galloway describes a maintenance run as "Short runs taken twice a week and lasting no longer than an hour, that consolidate the endurance gains acquired during the previous week's long run"(Galloway 3). This general plan allows endurance to build without committing too much time to running.

When in training, I personally like to treat everyday like a training day. I like to eat healthy and do a form of cross training everyday I am not scheduled to run on. However, this is not essential to people who are trying to make running a priority in their life. Galloway is very supportive of not only running, but doing different types of cross training during your time of training (Galloway 3). Some ideas for cross training are swimming, biking, hiking, walking, weights, and leg or core exercises.

Question: Do you agree with Galloway's beliefs in doing a run-walk-run plan and cross training on off days? Why or why not?

Galloway, Jeff. Marathon: You Can Do It! Bolinas, CA: Shelter, 2001. Print.