A Tribute

Over the years I've run with hundreds of people.  I've been lucky enough to also run with probably around 20 dogs. 

One of my all time favorites was the Max.  I've written about him before.  Max is running all he wants now.  He was laid to rest today.  If there's a dog heaven, he's there with Shorty, eating steak, chasing deer, squirrels, bunnies, you name it.  Both of them are laying in the sun with as many tennis balls as they want surrounding them...sticks too.

Max was a Beagle.  He could never run in silence with my two dogs.  He had to have his nose buried to the ground howling all along the way, the howls were louder once he caught a scent.  Max was an excellent runner.  When Max was 8 and 9 he would run around 10 miles a day with us when we watched him.  Didn't phase him at all even though he wasn't used to running like that on a daily basis.  When Max was 11 he could run 5 miles a day with us....no issue at all.  He was happy as could be, a little slower, but still loved it.

When Indy was a new runner, just before he turned 1, I'd pick up Max on a Saturday morning and take him and Indy on a run around Max's neighborhood.  We'd head over to George Mason's Field House area and I let them off leash.  They'd sprint chasing after geese.  On Holidays, there was a Golf Course behind Max's house.  I'd take my dogs and Max on the golf course and run with them.  The Golf course was beautiful and Christmas was one of the only days in the year where we could get away with running free in that beautiful scenery.  There were so many more running memories with Max, too many to list.

Maxy was a great runner and a great friend.  The boys loved him, I loved him.  We all loved him.  He will be so missed.

Pictured:  Maxy during a run and then below, Maxy AFTER a run.

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.