Does Anyone Stop and Smell the Roses Anymore?

Having been a running instructor with the Running Room, and participated in several running clinics myself, and trained solo for various races - I understand how someone can become consumed by timing and mileage while training. For those A-type personalities out there (myself sometimes included), its very easy to get caught up in recording progress in training. You wake up and say "Today is the day I will run 5k in less than 28 minutes" or "Today I will run 1km more than I ever have before". While I applaud each and every one of you breaking records and reaching your goals, I always wonder if anyone is running for the sheer thrill of a good run?

As I have said before. when you first start running, the runs seem daunting and more tiring than enjoyable. However, once you've been out for a few weeks and create a base in your training, those runs should become less demanding of your brain activity. You should feel less inclined to look at your watch, or listen to your breathing, and your brain starts to sing along with your music instead of thinking of a million other things you wish you were doing. While this is a tell tale sign that you are becoming a runner, do you still get consumed by keeping track of how far you've run, or how long it took you to run those 10k?

I was out for a run along the lake this morning, and for the first time in years I stopped on a park bench to just  look at the water. It felt weird to stop in the middle of a run, because for the most part I run with a goal in mind and enjoy nature as I pass right on by. In other words, I am the person who spends about 0.5 seconds admiring the fact that spring came early, and that there are wild tulips growing in the forest by my house; a whole 3 seconds looking at a herd of deer who are standing idly by as I run past them.; and a whopping 5 seconds out of a 50 minute waterfront run looking at the water. How is it possible, that I have turned running into a commuter sport? Sometimes I feel like I have a runners version of Drivers' Amnesia. You know, when you drive home after work and then you pull into your drive way and you have no recollection of how you got there - complete auto-pilot mode. This just doesn't really seem like it should happen when you are outside for 40-60 minutes a day.

Well, at the tail end of my run today, I decided that I was not going to succumb to runners' amnesia, and I stopped at a bench to enjoy the scenery. It wasn't a long pause, but enough to take a look around, have a quick chat with the person who was standing there too, and then be on my merry way. I still did the distance I wanted to run, still ran at a decent time, but I enjoyed my run WAY more than I usually would.

The purpose of all this, is to point out that although you should worry about training properly and monitoring your progress, it shouldn't mean that you aren't enjoying yourself while reaching your goals. Don't let the image of the finish line distract you from enjoying the journey to get there. Afterall. if you aren't having even a little fun chances are you will fall off the wagon at some point. Also, the ability to be outside for even just a quick 20 minute run, allows us to break free from of our susceptibility to Zombie-like habits during the winter months.

So, if you aren't stopping to enjoy the view, smell the now-budding roses, or even acknowledging a fellow runner - chances are you're not getting the most out of your runs. Just a thought.

How's that New Year's Resolution Coming Along?

While I subscribe to this notion that the new year provides a metaphorical clean slate and a good time to set new goals -or resolutions if you will - I don't understand why people abandon their resolutions all together by March?

In early January gym membership sales sky rocket, and your chances of finding a treadmill at 5:15pm on a Tuesday is next to impossible. Everyone who made a weight loss/muscle gain/exercise-related goal resolution is in that gym working on their fitness. However, by early March the gym somehow miraculously empties out, and the crowd returns to include the regulars and a hand full of the newbies. Maybe it was the New Years champagne, or the sheer happiness of being surrounded by people you love, or even a healthy combination of the two that really motivated us to say things like, "In 2012 I will lose 10lbs." or "In 2012 I will stop smoking" or even "In 2012 I will complete my resolutions from 2009 2010 2011".  But why have some put their resolutions on the back burner, or even abandoned them all together so early in the year?

I feel like there is this superstition attached to resolutions that makes people believe that these goals need to be applied at 12:01am on January 1st, for them to be significant. But this is the wrong idea and you are setting yourself up for disappointment! If you've never been to a gym before and are not regularly physically active, then its not that realistic to think that something miraculous will happen on January 1st that will motivate you to go 7 days a week. And the expectation that this should happen is enough to make anyone want to quit before they even start. Same goes for people who decide that they want to lose 10 lbs. Starting a diet on January 1st is probably not a good idea. It might be a better idea to plan ahead and create a diet plan and start somewhere in mid-late January. There is no urgency to complete these goals, and if you have to modify them to make them more achievable- then do it! There is nothing wrong with discovering that maybe your aspirations to run a half-marathon this year are slightly over ambitious. No problem- run a 10k this year and aim for the half marathon next year. The people on the sidelines are going to cheer for you just as loudly, the training will still be intense and the end goal will still make you proud. The only difference is, that you may complete this goal in less time than you wanted to and actually stick with it!

Well, the point of this entry is that I want everyone to understand 3 things:

1. You have 365 days to complete your goal! So a bad day here and there is completely acceptable, and even expected! So don't be discouraged.

2. There is nothing wrong with adjusting your goals so that they seem more achievable. You will get to that ultimate goal eventually! Remember: "How do you eat an elephant?" Answer: "One bite at a time"

3. Its never too late, and you're never too old to complete your goals!

Looking for something to do this weekend - March 3-4 ed.

So you're feeling motivated and inspired, are you? Well, here is a short list of big races going on in North America this weekend!
Remember: even if a race is sold out, or perhaps you're not at the point in your training where it would be wise to run one of these bad boys, then why not be a cheerleader for someone else? Let's be honest, we can't always be the star runner, so why not use you're down time to make someone feel awesome at the 17.5km/ 11mi mark? Isn't this the point in a half where we are all struggling, or wishing we had opted to sleep in on this particular Sunday morning? Some cowbells and cheering is a cheap way to make someone's day - so I say, give it a shot!

Sunday March 4, 2012
Canada:
1. Brainfreeze Half - Saskatoon, SK
2. Chilly Half - Burlington, ON
3. Hypothermic Half - Red Deer, AB

US:
1. Public Half - Tampa, FL
2. Dodge Rock n' Roll Marathon - New Orleans, LA
3. Little Rock Marathon - Little Rock, AR
4. Miami Beach Half - Miami, FL
5. Orange Blossom Half - Tavares, FL
6. Hooters Half - Ft.Meyers, FL
7. Caumsett State Park 25k/50k - Huntington, NY
8. Stu's 30k Road & Relay Race - Clinton, MA
9. Black Cat Road Race - Salem, MA

If you happen to be attending any of these, take some pictures and send 'em over! I would like to see what all runners are up to this quiet March weekend! For those of you attending the Chilly Half this weekend, I will see you there! I am not running but I will be cheering on my former Running mate! So send me a tweet if you're around!

Some Winter Wisdom: The Locked Out Story

Its easy to read articles and blog posts about how to stay warm. hydrated and motivated during runs in these long winter months. When I go out I always remember to layer to accommodate for changing temperatures. I remember to warm up a little indoors before I hit the road so that I don't injure myself if I start off to fast. And I remember to bring some hydration with me if my runs are on the long side. But in all of this, I never prepared for what happens if I lose my house key along the way!

Yesterday afternoon I was out for a tempo run; I was in a good mood, going strong, feeling motivated and even threw in an extra lap because I was simply loving life. So, when I reached my drive way and started doing my typical cool down (walking in circles on my drive way until I could breath normally), I started stretching my quad and I reached into my right jacket pocket to fetch my house key that I put in there when I locked the house initially. Except, it wasn't there, and it wasn't in the left pocket either. I walked to the end of my drive way and searched, then to the end of my street to search, and I went another 2 blocks after that to search but there was no sign of my brightly coloured key. Immediately, I began to panic a little bit because I was sweating, and the temperature at this point started to drop drastically as the sun set. 

How could this happen? Where did this happen? Did I even have the key when I left the house? Yes, of course I had it because the door is locked. I can't run another 7km to look for this key! HOW AM I NOT PREPARED FOR THIS AFTER ALL THIS TIME!?

Needless to say, I did not have an extra key anywhere around the outside of my place, or keep one at a neighbours, or even carry a cell phone with me. In this day and age I was stranded on my own island. I managed to borrow one of my neighbours phones and call up someone who had my spare key, but the wait was another 30 minutes. That's thirty minutes to be standing in the cold, now rainy/haily/windy weather just waiting around! For those of you who like to run in winter, you are well aware that this is asking for hypothermia. So I decided to run for an additional 30 minutes, despite being exhausted and wanting to just lay down on my lawn face down until some sort of rescue arrived. Eventually, I returned from my forced run to find my saviour with my house key in my drive way and I immediately thought of my future contingency plan for winter disaster aversion! 

So with this in mind, and a fever to remind myself of my stupidity, I bring you some suggestions:

1. Carry the key in a secure location, either a key holder cuff, a zippered pant pocket or even tie it into your shoelace! Though on second thought, this last idea could result disastrous if your laced come untied and you don't notice. So scratch that once. 

Key cuffs can be purchased anywhere really, they are cheap and can obviously be worn all year around. Embarrassingly enough, I must admit that I have one, and simply stopped using it. I assure you, its going to get some serious mileage from now on. 

But if you are looking to buy one, Lululemon.com has a pretty pink one for $14, or RunningRoom.com has a few options too! 

2. Leave your key with a neighbour. Don't do what I did, and leave your key with someone who has to drive a ways to get it to you. I admit its not the smartest thing to do, but it was never an issue, until it was. 

3. And finally, if you're really stuck for what to do. I would suggest always keeping a spare key under a mat or in a plant or wherever it can be easily reached if you're ever locked out. 

I know these probably seem like really basic ideas for house keys, but some of us don't have that contingency plan! We run for years and never encounter an issue, so we become confident that our methods are fool proof. However, despite my efforts to keep my right jacket pocket zipper closed, somewhere along my run that house key abandoned ship... along with the left ear gold stud. But that's another story.