Well, here I go again.  Another training has started.  This time, it’s the Army Ten Miler.  Considering Sunday I ran/walked about 8 miles, I’m in better shape than I thought I was.  But if you ask me how long it took, you might not think I’m in such great shape.  A good friend of mine . . . let’s call her Julie . . . and I are training for the race.  And if you recall from my last post, I have put together a close-to-6-month training (courtesy in part to Hal Higdon) for those who haven’t run one iota in their life or who need a little extra training before their race.  Julie is using that 6-month plan to train for the Army Ten Miler.  And I’m only get started.  I’m a procrastinator, yes I am.  But I tend to come in the clutch.  I love saving anything for the last minute, and training for a race is no exception.  Not only am I training for the Army Ten Miler, but I also decided that I need to do more pushups.  And I figured One Hundred Pushups is a good place to start.  I have been less than stellar lately in staying and getting in shape, but now I think I’ve finally gotten the push I need to get in shape.  What has pushed me?  Just about everything in my life . . . from my wife telling me to get off my lazy ass to Julie sending me a quote from one of my previous posts.  It will be tough, but I am tougher.  Life is GOOD . . . so run for your life!!!

My wife has signed up for the Virginia Beach Rock N’ Roll Half Marathon this year. She hasn’t run since the Chicago Marathon in 2006, and she needed an easy way to get back into running. I’ve always used Hal Higdon, which is where I started in my running training. Based on his methods, a combination of both cross-training and training runs is key to being successful in any run. In addition he is a firm believer in that all training runs should be shorter than the run itself. For example, when training for a half marathon (13.1 miles) under his system, the longest training run in his regimen is 10 miles. I always use his training methods when training for any run, and I am pretty good at modifying any of his training schedules. For instance, take my wife’s training. Hal Higdon recommends no more than 12 weeks of novice training for a half marathon. However, my wife thinks that’s not enough time, especially since she hasn’t run in over a year and a half. Instead of a 12 week training, I’ve devised close to a 6-month training for her. That’s only half the year, right? Life is GOOD . . . so run for your life!!!

Yep, I chickened out. I admit it. After shelling out $50-something, braving the horrendous parking fiasco at the Expo, and picking up my free T-Shirt, I did not run the Cherry Blossom 10-miler. Why do you ask? Because I’m a loser. That’s right. I woke up at 6 AM, saw the rain coming down, and went right back to bed. It was there! I was so close! I had the training. I had the know-how. I could’ve gotten a little wet to accomplish something great, but I didn’t. Now, I might have discouraged all 3 of you who read this, but don’t be. I can still run 10 miles. I have the satisfaction that I know I trained hard and well for this run. And I’ll just go on to the next race. Which, of course, I quickly signed up for because I know I have to redeem myself. And that would be the Army 10-Miler in October. Training doesn’t have to start until August, but that’s not going to happen. I will start training WELL BEFORE August. Running is my passion and I will not back down on my passion because Life is GOOD . . . so run for your life!!!

It’s been a great 8 weeks of training, and now it comes down to the last 10 miles. This weekend, I will run the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10-Miler. I’m no stranger to the 10 mile run, but this will be only my 3rd Cherry Blossom run. This is where all the training pays off. Spending the last 8 Saturdays getting up early in the morning, dressing up in the warmest clothes I can find, and wondering what the heck I’m doing out in this cold weather anyway. It will all pay off when I line up at the back of the starting line, stretch my tight legs in the middle of a crowd (while trying not to touch the guy’s ass in front of me), and I tour the sites of D.C. with nothing but a pair of running shoes. But one of the best parts of the run (notice I always say run . . . and not race . . . this isn’t a competition people!!!), is the Expo. Even if you’re not running, the Expo is a valuable place to grab some freebies, buy some running equipment (even seen the watch that controls your iPod?), or get some great running advice. I can walk into the Expo and just feel the thrill of the run. It always gets me pumped up. Last year, I had signed up for the Army 10-Miler with every intention of running it. Unfortunately, lack of sleep got in the way, and I slacked in my training. But when I got to the Expo to pick up my packet (heck, I paid all this money — I need to at least get the race shirt), the adrenaline started to burn through my veins and I just couldn’t resist. With no more than 3 miles under my belt, I ran the Army 10-Miler — all because of the camaraderie of the Expo. If you’re thinking about running your first race, taking up running, or even a seasoned vet needing a little pick-me-up, go to one of these Expos. I guarantee it will get you in the mood to get out and run because Life is GOOD . . . so run for your life!!!

OK, OK, OK. This is a complete female comment. No guy in their right mind ever asks such a question — I never do. But this blog is all about the runner and running. Running, the healthy sport. Running, the best excuse to buy a new pair of really cool sneakers. Running, the make you feel good all over after you’ve run double digit miles for the first time in your life. Running, the sport that makes you gain weight??? How is this possible?

The other night (OK, I’ll admit it . . . it was the middle of the afternoon because I have a daughter who needs to go to sleep quite early in the evening), one of my fellow marathoners made a great point: There is no such thing as losing weight when training for a marathon. I’ll have to admit, it’s quite true. I never thought about it before, but I can see why someone can gain weight when training for a marathon (or insert favorite type of race here).

It’s 7 AM on Saturday and you’re not hung over. You went to bed at 9 PM last night. You want to get that long run overwith. You want to be done in order to enjoy the rest of the weekend. After 2-3 hours running 15 miles (or insert your time and longest mileage here) and feeling good about yourself, you get home with just enough energy to shower and right on time for breakfast. But, this is no ordinary breakfast. You just ran 15 miles!!! You deserve something tasty and rewarding. How about some French toast . . . with a side of bacon . . . with a bowl of fresh pineapple . . . with two eggs over easy . . . with a cup of caramel macchiato . . . with a glass of grape juice . . . and a bowl of cereal . . . and on . . . and on . . . and on. Yes, it happens. And since you did run 15 miles today, lunch consists of a foot-long sub from the local sandwich shop, an entire bag of chips, a ice-cold Coke, and a brownie for dessert. And since you did run 15 miles today (yes, you can keep repeating it, because hey . . . it’s 15 miles!!!!!!), dinner will take you to your favorite restaurant in which your allowed to order ANYTHING YOU WANT on the menu and drink ANY ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE that you desire. Now, rinse and repeat throughout the entire week . . . because did I mention you RAN 15 MILES????

It’s no secret that after all that consumption of mass quantities (you know you like the Coneheads reference) at some point you will gain weight or not lose any weight at all. It’s the “I deserve it” mentality. You run all these miles and burn all these calories and you think you deserve all this calorie-laden food. I do it all the time. At some point you realize that if you want to lose weight, you have to lose that mentality. It’s a tough one, I know. But you CAN treat yourself — just don’t over-treat yourself. For example, instead of a gigantic breakfast, lunch, and dinner choose one of them. Have a large breakfast and then eat sensibly for lunch and dinner. Or eat healthy all day and have a sweet, fulfilling dessert waiting for you at the end. There has to be at least some reward for running 15 miles (after all, you did run 15 miles . . . can I say it enough? You just ran 15 miles!!!). Life is GOOD . . . so run for your life!!!

Maybe it happens like this . . . Bzzzzzz!!!!! Bzzzzzz!!!! Bzzzzzz!!!! Bzzzzz!!!! or “The time is now 5 AM. This is NPR.” You groggily switch off the alarm (or hit the Snooze button), and slide ever so grudgingly out of bed. Finding your running outfit in the New Time Darkness (aka Daylight Savings Time) is a challenge in itself. Trying not to wake your wife and daughter on the LOUD CREAKY hardwood floor does not work, but you walk downstairs anyway in your lime green long sleeve shirt and bright red running pants. Is it Christmas? No . . . you’re just trying to be safe and wear lots of bright clothes and reflective gear. After almost pulling a hamstring attempting to stretch your legs into positions unimaginable, you head out the door into the cold weather for a nice leisurely jog (aka 6 miles uphill against the wind there and back). The iPod blaring in your ears doesn’t help. The sights you’ve seen a million times before don’t help. What do you do to alleviate your boredom? Set goals!!!!

Now, I don’t mean “I’m gonna make $1 Million by the time I’m 30!!!!”. I’m WAY behind on that goal. What I mean is for you to set goals during your run. For example, let’s say I have to run 6 miles — which, by coincidence is what I ran today. When you start to feel like you need to walk, you’re dying of boredom, or you just feel like you can’t run anymore, set a goal to hit before you decide to stop. On my run today, right around the halfway point I set a goal to stop running until the song playing ended (it happened to be “8:02 PM” by For Squirrels). By the time the song finished, I forgot all about my short-lived goal. When I started to get tired again, I aimed to stop by the time I got to a certain intersection. When it happened again, I talked myself into running twice around the nearby park. By the time I set that final goal, my run was over. I had forgotten all about the fatigue, the soreness, and the cold weather. Try it out. I guarantee it works. Get out and run, and if you feel like you want to stop, set some goals for your run. Life is GOOD . . . so run for your life!!!

It always starts out the same way, and it never gets easy every time you hear it . . .

Dear Cherry Blossom Runner in Training,

I was waiting for you this weekend, but you never showed up.  I waited right outside your doorstep just like I always do, but I never saw you come out.  Was it something I said?  Was it something I did?  I know it was raining all day Saturday, and you already had plans with your good friends K and D.  That’s completely understandable, and I didn’t think I would see you on Saturday.  But I really thought that we had plans on Sunday.  Did you forget about me?  It was a little cold out and the wind was blowing something fierce, but the sun was shining and I know the cold doesn’t bother you.  I think I actually saw you on Sunday, walking around with your wife and kid!!!!  I can’t believe you!  You have the gall to walk outside, but not even the courtesy to give me a second look.  Well, it’s your life.  You do what you want to do, don’t you?  I’m not going to stand in your way.  I hope that one day you will see what you’re missing and come running back to me.  Until then, I’ll be right here.  Waiting on your doorstep.

Sincerely,

Your 6-mile run

It hits me every time . . . the guilt.  I could’ve run in the morning.  I could’ve run in the afternoon.  I could’ve set my alarm and gotten up a bit earlier in the morning.  I could’ve, I could’ve, I could’ve . . . . if I could’ve, then I probably should’ve.  It’s always tough to get out and run 6 miles (that’s at least an hour out of your already busy day), but it can be done.  Wake up earlier.  Motivate yourself to get out of the house (listen to music, put on your running outfit, trick yourself into thinking you’re going out to get a coffee) and go run!  No excuses!  You made a commitment to run a race . . . make the commitment to train for that race!  It’s easy to do.  And if you can’t run that 6 miles (or insert your long run here) over the weekend, run it on Monday.  It’s OK to miss your weekend run as long as you can make it up during the week — the sooner the better.  There are going to be weekend where you just can’t make your long run.  It happens to me all the time.  Don’t get discouraged, get out and run!  Because . . . Life is GOOD . . . so run for your life!!!

Any avid runner LOVES to track their progress.  How far did I run?  Did I beat my previous time?  How many calories did I burn?  I love that route!  I must do it again!  All of these questions can be answered with any number of simple tools to keep track of your runs.  They’re called Running Logs.  By far, my favorite is logyourrun.com because it’s really easy to use and it integrates with my Facebook account.  It doesn’t have a Run Log, it has an Exercise Log which lets you not only keep track of your runs, but also any cross-training you might do.  This means that when I bike to work 1 day a week over the Summer (that’s 52 miles round trip folks), I can keep track of how I improve on my times each week.

Have a favorite route?  Logyourrun.com has a GoogleMaps mashup that let’s you create and save routes to your account.  Not only that, but you can publish these routes to logyourrun.com users so that they can use your route as well.  This comes in handy when I travel to places I really don’t know, or I’m looking for a new route to run in my neighborhood.

Training programs come in handy too.  And logyourrun.com keeps track of those for you too.  Have a new favorite training program for an upcoming race?  Click on the Training tab and there your can create your own training program, or just like the Routes, search for someone else’s and use theirs.

Is that hamstring bothering you again?  Did you run a race and wonder why everyone eats bananas and bagels after?  Do you want to know what a fartlek is?  Ask all this and more under the Forum tab.

I have said in the past that motivation is the key to running.  Without getting motivated, it’s really tough to get off your ass, put on your running shoes, and get on that running trail.  Some of you have different ways to pump yourself up, and it might just be connecting to others who share the same qualities with you.  The Local and Club tabs connect you to others in your area that are out and about, submitting routes, and looking for running events.  These are a great way to find out what’s going on in your area and connecting with those who share the same passion as you.

Finally, do you want to write about your running experiences just like I’m doing here?  Well, you COULD create a WordPress blog, or use logyourrun.com!!!  There is a nice little Blog tab that can be used to write about anything you want (granted, it probably should be running and/or exercise) and express your passion for running.

I have used several running logs in the past like coolrunning.com, nikeplus.com (I still use it, but it’s not as accurate), and my two hands (pencil and notebook work well), but nothing compares to logyourrun.com.  It is a complete, one-stop shop for all your running log needs.

Life is GOOD . . . so run for your life!!!

Well, not quite yet, but this was today’s theme where I work. We started a new quarter today, and in my business, it’s all about motivation. This time, it’s all about getting ready for a stellar quarter, to meet or beat “THE NUMBER”, to crush your goal (and when I say crush, I mean it in the most positive way). That’s what running is all about! Are you ready? Are you ready to race? Are you ready to train? Are you ready to go out there and give it your all to beat your personal record (PR)? For the first time since the Army Ten Miler, I actually got out and ran more than I thought I could. And I got a little motivated . . . SO MOTIVATED that I have, in fact, signed up for the NYC Marathon. No, that is not a typo. I did it. I signed up. Although, it is a lottery-based system, and I probably won’t get in. But it will guarantee my entry if I don’t get in over the next 3 years. I thought I would start now. It is my goal to run that marathon. I’ve done Paris, Virginia and DC, and Chicago. NYC has been one marathon I have dreamed to do. I’m ready for it. If my name comes up this year, I’m doing it. It will probably be my last marathon, but that’s not going to stop me from running. I will always run. You will see me on the W&OD Trail at 80 years young, running my heart out. It’s in my blood. Are you ready? I am. Life is GOOD . . . so run for your life!!!

Kids are great . . . when they want to be. And my daughter is no exception. I love her to death and I wouldn’t trade her for anything in the world. She’s barely 6 months old, and she already has “Daddy wrapped around her little finger”. Not that it’s a bad thing, but it makes training for a race a lot harder. Since she’s my first child, I pop up every time I hear her crying in the middle of the night. Granted, my wife has been a tremendous help, but I have no problem visiting my daughter when she cries. That makes for a little less sleep at night, and much harder to get up in the morning. However, I took some great advice from one of my favorite sites, Lifehacker. They picked up an article from LifeRemix, who posted “10 Tips to Change Yourself From a Dedicated Couch-Potato to a Gym Enthusiast“. The best tip on that list was:

Any work-out “counts.” Give yourself credit for the least effort. My father, a runner, always said that all he had to do was put on his running shoes and close the door behind him. Why does this work? Because if I know I can quit after five minutes, I get started—and once I start, I usually follow through with my usual routine. Getting out the door is by FAR the toughest part.

By far the best advice I could receive to get me up in the morning and out the door. I tried it this morning. Even though I spent a few hours with my daughter last night and didn’t get much sleep, I got out of bed and out the door. Granted it took every ounce of energy I had, but once I was out, I was out. And it felt great. I couldn’t be happier today (maybe a little bit tired, but not more than the usual fatigue). The point is, you can have every excuse in the world not to get out that door and start running, but once you’re outside you’re locked in. And it works in any situation. If you like to run after work (what I like to call “postponing the inevitable”), get yourself outside as soon as humanly possible and lock yourself into that run. If you’re more of a run and eat person (aka, run, shower, and eat at your desk person), tear yourself away from the computer, and get outside that office as soon as you can. Lock yourself in. Break away from the excuses. Because life is GOOD . . . so run for your life!!!