If The Running Shoe Fits....

I was talking to a friend about running shoes last night.

I'm not convinced when people say "I can't run, my knee, back, ankles, etc, hurt."  Many times, yes, that's the case.  But more often than not, you just haven't found the right shoe.

It can sometimes take three to four shoes before you find the right shoe.  I've tried Nikes, New Balances, Brooks, you name it.  The most expensive new and shiny ones, I've tried.  The cheapest $30 on sale at Kohl's, tried it.  I've tried cross trainers, minimalist, barefoot, trail.  Sometimes certain shoes would give me pains in my legs I hadn't experienced before wearing them.  Sometimes I would notice soreness after running that I would probably attribute to the shoe.  For years I settled on New Balance light weight.  They seemed to be what I needed so I stuck to them.

Until I came across a pair of Asics.  As soon as I put them on my feet I knew.  I bought two pairs of those shoes at Boston Marathon.  My first Asics.  I could have gotten along just fine without discovering these.  My New Balance shoes weren't awful.  They got me through plenty of races, lasted long enough, they were affordable.  But then I came across these Asics and there was such a noticeable difference.  They really fit, a friend of mine said they should "kiss your feet."  And that's what I felt when trying them on.  And running in them felt like my feet were hugged tightly and protected, but not too tight that I couldn't breath, just enough to feel safe but not restricted.  They didn't weigh me down, they have a solid construction, and they've actually lasted longer than other shoes I've had.  And it's Not necessarily because the other shoes were bad shoes, there was just another shoe out there that worked better and made more sense.

So, if the shoe fits, then wear it, but if it kisses your feet, keep it.

Breaking Records

Yesterday I broke a record.  Not a speed record, or a distance record, or a steps record, but still a record I worked hard to achieve.

The 'How Many Dogs I Have Run With' record WAS.....3.   The present 'How Many Dogs I Have Run With' record is now......4!  I'm so proud.  :)

I promised Carter I would write about Max.  Max is Carter's Dog Uncle.  He is his grandparents' beagle and is less than a year younger than Carter.  When Max first was brought into their house, Carter spent a few days a week at that house and spent his days rolling around the floor with Max.  I would pick him up in the evening and he smelt like dog.  He has known Max his entire life.

Max is also 11.  He is a great dog.  Max is an older dog but loves to run.  He stays on leash on the trail while my dogs are off leash because if he didn't, he'd take off on a hunt.  So, I think he pretends to not be on leash and just howls along when he catches a scent while we run next to eachother, sniffing and running sniffing and running.  Max is an only dog child, so when he comes to our house he is with his two other dog family members.   I think Max loves to be around Quesi and Indy, I think he feels like he's part of the pack....he is.

Then there's Cooper.  Cooper is a 6 year old Golden Retriever.  He is my neighbor's dog that I run on the trail every afternoon on my lunch break.  Cooper is not your typical Golden.  He is VERY high energy.  Since starting to run with Cooper in March, it looks like he's lost about 10 pounds.  When I open the door to his house to pick him up for our run, he is always right there waiting as if to say, "It's about time, let's go!"

So, there I was, three crazy dogs running off leash, and one dog running with me on leash, crazy chaos in dog heaven.

I think 4 is my limit, though.

Max with our crew.  Nice of them all to smile for the camera. :)

Cooper and Indy teamed up on the trail.

THE Zone

I mentioned before that to improve you have to get out of your comfort zone.  Mediocrity lives there.  No one wants to live with mediocrity.  

Then there's another zone, the opposite of the comfort zone.  It's THE ZONE.  The place where focus and intensity and discipline live.  There are times where it seems impossible to push myself.  There are days where I don't want to have to be disciplined with my nutrition and diet.  Days when I can't bear the thought of that extra work out, or that long bike ride, or that speed/interval training run.  Then, something clicks.  Maybe it's because I'm only about a month away from an important race, maybe it's because I've been in a rut long enough and now I'm mentally and physically ready to push myself harder.  I don't know HOW it clicks, all I know is WHEN it clicks.  When I go from a normal fitness routine and into THE ZONE.

When you're in The Zone, all of the sudden, everything just seems easier.  Logging insane weekly miles is not a big deal, I'm not tempted by junk food that normally I couldn't say no to, when I would usually dread a long run on Sunday morning, I all of the sudden look forward to it.  Extra cross training I normally would avoid, like weights and bike rides and swimming, are thrown into the mix.  I have no idea how or why it happens, but being in The Zone is a great feeling.  I don't know about you, but the only way for me to get there is to set an end goal for myself, lay out a plan, and tell myself that veering from that plan is NOT an option.

It seems easy, but sometimes that follow through is the hardest part.  I know I've failed with the follow through.  But I've failed plenty of times and will continue to fail plenty more.  Keep trying.  Keep striving to be in The Zone, because when you're there you don't want to ever leave.

There's No Place Like Home

Running far away is great, but there's no place like home.

When life is challenging and it's been a long day and my brain is fried from the million things on my to do list, the one thing I love to do more than anything else in this world is to take all my running feet on the trail behind our house and run.

If I were to come home and go straight into running errands or cooking dinner or any number of responsibilities, I would feel exhausted and lackluster.

This 2.2 mile run with all my favorite people in one of my favorite places really brings me such joy.

Don't Forget Your Shoes!!!

No matter where I travel, my running shoes are one of the first things I pack.  In all the years I've been running, wherever I'm going, I always bring my shoes.  That's one of the best things about being a runner.  Minimal equipment needed.

Also, travelling can make or break a running routine.  It's really easy to fall off your regimen if you forget your shoes and you're away from home for a few days or a week and by the time you get back home to your shoes you've slipped far enough you can't get back up.

There are things you can only see while running in new places.  You cover more ground than if you're walking and you go slower than if you're driving.  There's really no better way to discover a new place than to run in it.


TOP 5 RUNNING EXPERIENCES IN FAR AWAY PLACES:

5)  Running with Rob Barrish and Tim Curtin in New Orleans, LA, before the sun rose.

4)  Running with Larry Gamache in Las Vegas, NV, in the heat of June.

3)  Running on the beach in the Outer Banks.  Always without shoes and always on the part of the sand that's the hardest right next to the water.

2)  Running in Boston during Boston Marathon weekend.  I discovered the banner below perfectly waving in the sunrise...amazing.

And the NUMBER 1 Running Experience in far away places IS......

Running on the Scout Trail at Goshen Scout Reservation.  The trail is a five or six mile trail around the camp.  It's wooded, hilly, beautiful lake and mountain views, goes through all the cub and boy scout camps on the reservation (which means you never know the surprises you'll run into), and is just filled with the spirit that is Scouting.  Lots of fun.

My Family Is First...I AM My Family.

I'm not perfect, I make plenty of mistakes.  However, over the years I have learned lessons to keep fitness a priority in my life (Not necessarily health, I have/had my vices...that's another story) especially after having kids and dogs and jobs and house and all sorts of excuses to put fitness on the back burner.

I'm proud to say, though, that today I am healthier than I have ever been in all my adult life.  One of the major reasons is that I figured out in the beginning of motherhood that, no matter what, I had to build running into my life.   BUT, I didn't want to disrupt my family responsibilities.  How did that work, though, when it seems that our whole lives should be devoted to our babies and household?

Our family should be our top priority.  Our family should be the most important part of our lives.  But what many mothers fail to understand is that WE are a vital part of our family.  US, ME, MYSELF, I, MOM, COLLEEN.  It's just as important to make sure that I run as it is to make sure my sons have dinner to eat and clothes to wear.  It's just as important to make sure I have time in the morning to do something beneficial to ME (run, in case you didn't know), as it is to make sure my sons get to school on time.

My family comes first...I AM my family.  Mom guilt is Strong, man.  It has a tendency to make us feel like we need to sacrifice our own health because of all the other obligations.  Not true.   Mom is just as important as Child.  If Mom is healthy and fit and has a constructive outlet for stress (running, working out, whatever physical activity you choose) than the whole family is better for it.  There are many other layers to this, but this is the first.

So, as a working Mom I wanted to spend as much time with my little ones as I could, I realized I had to start working out in the morning.  Before having kids I exercised in the evening after work.  I knew after having Aidan that that had to change....morning was the only option.  That alarm clock HURT...it was physically painful.  But, after a couple months, the pain stopped.  It became easier to wake up and go to the gym or hit the sidewalks, and because my little one was asleep while I was out, I didn't feel guilty or feel like I was missing out.  It was something I could live with and knew I could make part of my day to day routine.  SO IMPORTANT.

Moms, you're worth it.  Your family (and YOU!) deserves to have the healthiest/happiest/most stress free person in their lives....not that this is the 100% solution...but we have to start with our bodies...Maslow says so.

The Beginning Of a Dog-Running Era - A Tribute To Indy

He was so small when I first saw him.  He followed me around and wouldn't leave our sides.  He woke me up with a paw on my chest every morning at 3:00 a.m. and I'd pick him up and run him outside before he had an accident.

We would walk around our cul-de-sac and every time we passed our house he would stop and sit completely still as if saying, "I'm not moving.  I've walked enough and I'm not going any further."  As you can see in the picture below (manual photoshop credit goes to Carter) he really just wanted to lay down and snuggle.  Cutest....puppy....EVER.

Our first dog.  As a puppy he wasn't wild and crazy.  He's always been fairly tame (unless you count the 28 chocolate cupcakes he ate, or the bannister he chewed off).  He was very true to his golden retriever-ness.  Noble, happy, loving, and stoic.

As he grew, his stamina did with him.  We would walk an hour every morning.  Speed walk because the vet said large dogs shouldn't run until they're around 9 to 12 months old.  At 10 months old I thought we'd give running a try.  The puppy energy in him was very happy to run.  We started with a few miles, slowly increasing to five or six.  By the time he was 1 and a few months old he was full on marathon training with me.  That was 2009 and we haven't stopped since.

Dr. Indiana Jones Herklotz was and is the best companion (in running and in anything else) anyone could ask for.  This is a picture of him as I write.  On the floor next to me.  He's 7 now and has shown some signs of wanting to slow down but pushes through and is always waiting by the front door in the morning, ready for our next adventure.  If I had to guess he is hoping for a deer kill, a run in with a fox, a squirrel or raccoon chase, a trail to sprint on off leash, a friend to run into, a river to jump in, a tree branch to grab and chew on (all things have happened in the years we've run, and most likely will happen again).  Wherever our feet take us, he remains my constant partner in running...in life.

Here Comes The Sun

Training for a race involves a weekend long run.  The summer heat can make a long run not so pleasant so I try to leave as early as I can.  Getting up at 5:00 a.m. on a Sunday isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it does have it's advantages.

Today's sunrise was brought to you by the color pink.  The sunrise is the beginning of a new day.  The opportunity to start fresh.  A chance to tell someone you love them.  A chance to forgive, a chance to hold on, a chance to let go.   A chance to start working toward your dream.  A chance to finish your goals.   A chance to heal.  A chance to help.

If you haven't been up to see the sunrise in a while, do it.  Get out.  See it alone and really appreciate to yourself that you're alive, or share the sunrise with someone you love and talk about what you will do on this new day that will make it better than the one before.

Here comes the sun and with it the chance for excitement, peace, laughter, fulfillment, change.  Savor every moment.

Comfort Zone

Thermostat must be just right....not too cool not too warm.  Weather to go outside must be just right....not too humid, not too cold, not too windy, rainy, snowy...etc etc.  Must sleep 8 hours at least to be rested, can't get up too early.  Food can't be too spicy, coffee isn't fresh enough.  WHERE IS MY SMART PHONE!!!!??????  Everything has to be comfortable.

After running the Richmond Marathon in 2012 I was at a table talking with some friends.  My performance in the Marathon was ok, I think I finished in 3:58, but it wasn't where I wanted to be.  I wanted more.  I told my friends this, and one of them said "The only way to get better is to get out of your comfort zone."  Wow did that change everything and what a difference some perspective makes.  That race was my 9th Marathon I think.   Each one of these marathons was the same story, I trained the same way.  A few runs during the week and two months before the marathon, I'd throw in a weekend long run.  That's it, nothing else.  But I really took what he said to heart.

I started to run longer distances, log more miles during the week.  I incorporated speed work into a couple runs a week.  I put myself on a clean diet to lose weight and gain speed.  I really got out of my comfort zone.  The workouts were hard at times, but the most challenging workouts gave this huge rush of accomplishment.  And, what do you know, by my next Marathon, 10 months later, I improved my time by 25 minutes!

It's easy to get caught in your Comfort Zone, no matter what you're doing in life.  And if you stay there, you may be ok, you may get through, but will you ever reach your potential?  Will you ever understand your own strength?  Will you ever really feel ALIVE???

One Foot In Front Of The Other

A few years ago, I ran this Marathon that is tagged as "The World's Toughest Road Marathon".

https://vimeo.com/55475468

That's the video description and video of the course.  Over 7,000 ft. of elevation change in 26 miles and three mountains to run up.

I was intimidated to say the least.  Will I be totally miserable running up these mountains and not be able to finish?  How badly will it hurt?  Will I be able to control my breathing while going uphill?  I talked to a friend about it a few days before the race and he said, "just put one foot in front of the other.  Don't think about the mountain you're climbing, just think about each step and stay calm."

It's easy to look at a big task and be afraid that it's too much.  When you're looking at the bottom of a mountain and thinking, "wow, I have to climb this and two more AND run 26 miles total" it can seem so stressful and overwhelming.  But, what if we just stopped looking at those big mountains and mileage, and just put one foot in front of the other.  I had trained for that run, I was physically ready.  I had put the practice in to be able to complete it.  So, if all prep work is done, then mentally, just take apart the big challenge and complete one step at a time until you finish.

Don't get caught up with the 20 pounds you have to lose or the big project at work you have to complete or the kitchen remodel that has to be done or the house that needs to be cleaned or the promotion at work you want.  Just keep moving to your goals by putting one foot in front of the other.  Don't stop, keep going.

The Wall

About 11 years ago, I decided to run an 8K race in Fair Lakes.  The furthest I'd ever run at that point was 3 miles.  It's hard to believe, but I was really nervous to run a 5 mile race and wasn't sure I could finish.  Almost makes me laugh now just thinking about it.

I got to 3 miles that day and it felt like I couldn't run anymore.  I'd told myself that I had to finish so I stuck it out and about a mile later something happened.  The tired went away, the pain was gone.  I felt like I could run forever.

I talked to my Dad about that experience and he said, "that was The Wall and you broke through it."  That was a big concept for me to grasp.  So, let me get this right.  You are moving along and pushing yourself and all of the sudden it feels like you can't move any more.  You want to quit.  You start doubting your ability and your confidence starts to fade.  But you see the goal you want and you keep going regardless of how much it hurts.  You move past what you Thought your limit was and you discover that The Wall wasn't your limit at all.  That you're capable of more than what you thought and if you keep going you'll get to the finish line.

That was one of my first life lessons running taught me, not THE first.  That story is for another time.

New Blog Post, New Mission!

It's been a long year, that's for sure.

I meant to keep the run blog going, but got caught in a rut and couldn't get out.  Most of you who have read my blog know already that the Tuesday after running/swimming/biking in my first half Ironman - which was also the Grand Finale of a huge racing year for me and my other running feet, my amazing furry running partner was hit by a car and killed.  That was June of last year, and it does make me sad to say that I really never recovered.  

June 10th marked the one year anniversary since that awful day and I look back at the pictures and posts from last year's blogging and cause and all the positive emotions and memories that were created by those experiences and I want that feeling back.  Not just for myself, but for my other running feet and all the people who supported us.

So, what better way to get out of this rut than to tell the world, or at least my world, about what has happened in the past year and how I plan to take those tragedies that have occurred and turn them into my motivation to be stronger than ever.

The challenge is simple.  Running has never been an issue so not challenge there, but consistently sitting down to write about it has.  My relationship with running is probably one of the most important relationships of my life.  Running has been my best friend, my worst enemy.  Some of the best moments and worst moments of my life have happened while running.  Running has taught me lessons I apply to life.  Running has gotten me through break-ups, depression and anxiety (I'll go into that at another time), brought my closer to friends, hurt me and healed me.  So, with all that said, the challenge is to make sure to write about it every day until June 10, 2016.  The second year anniversary of Shorty, my beloved running partner, dying.