Tag Archive for "motivation" -

New Goals for the New Year

New goals for the new year? A lot of people I’ve talked to lately seem to have given up on resolutions and goals. They tell me that resolutions are a waste of time because they are so quickly forgotten. Other people rattle off goals they’ve had for years but are no closer to accomplishing. I’ve written about SMART goals before, but it’s needed again.
A SMART goal meets the following criteria:
SPECIFIC: Your goal must be as specific as possible. What race do you want to run? When do you want to run it? How will you prepare?
MEASURABLE: This means that the goal must have quantifiable parameters. Instead of saying,”I want to run faster, longer, or smoother,” your goal must have something to measure. Choose a time you want to run for a specific distance, for example. This gives you a measuring stick, so you’ll know when you’ve accomplished your goal.
ATTAINABLE: Make sure your goal is attainable. Running a four-minute mile is not achievable for most of us. This isn’t to say your goal should be easy. It should be challenging enough to be worth the effort. There are some great calculators out there that can predict performances at various distances based on races you have recently run. Use one of these to figure out which PR you should attack and how fast you could possible run. This one allows you to compare times now to times when you were younger.
RELEVANT: Basically, this means that your goal must be important to you. If you don’t really care about your 8-k time, you’re not going to train for it.
TIME-BOUND: Your goal must have a deadline. For years, I said I wanted to run a marathon. It didn’t happen until I paid the registration fee and gave myself a deadline.

Follow these guidelines to create a SMART goal. It is also really helpful to make yourself accountable to someone. Share your goals with someone you know will question you. These are my smart goals for the year:
1. I will do at least 125 sessions of core workouts this year.
2. I will do at least 30 swim workouts this year.
3. I will run at least 5 new races this year.

What kinds of new goals are you going to create this year? Feel free to share them here.

6th January 2010

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A glimpse

I caught a glimpse of my joyful running self this morning. Cool, crisp morning. A few crunchy leaves here and there. The sun rising slowly behind the trees, over the city. The sound of my feet, in rhythm, rolling, pushing me forward. It just felt right. Steady breathing, visible puffs in the shadows of the morning. What a greatsurprise- this feels AMAZING! This is why I am a runner! The four miles went easily and when I stopped at my driveway, I wondered if I should just keep going and going. Ahhhhhhhh! I hope I find that again tomorrow morning…

14th October 2009

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Lost: my running life.

I misplaced my running routine. I guess the last time I had it was in the spring. I didn’t miss it much during the summer but now I want it back. Once I am in a good routine, staying in it is easy: the running feels good, the space in my schedule is dedicated, local races to work towards are selected. But it’s that getting back into it that feels so tough! What has been helped you get back into a regular running or exercise routine?

9th September 2009

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Once a Runner

Things rarely live up to their hype. That’s what I told myself repeatedly when I first got my copy of Once a Runner by John L. Parker, Jr. I was sure it could not live up to its mythical status. Once I opened the book, I read it in less than 24 hours. After I finished the novel, I assumed I had loved it only because I had waited so long to read it. I returned to the book yesterday and finished re-reading it about an hour ago. In case you haven’t guessed, it really is THAT GOOD! (Note: I don’t use caps and exclamation points on a regular basis.)

What makes it so great is that Parker is able to express what it means to be an obsessed runner. He doesn’t write to explain jogging (as Pearl Izumi would say); he writes about what drives the runner striving to farther or faster than he ever has before. He also tries to explain the difficulty of communicating this drive to others. “…they wanted to know “The Secret.” And not one of them was prepared, truly prepared, to believe that it had not so much to do with chemicals and zippy mental tricks as with that most unprofound and sometimes heartrending process of removing, molecule by molecule, the very tough rubber that comprised the bottoms of his training shoes. The Trial of Miles; Miles of Trials” (Parker 229).

Parts of Parker’s novel are hilarious. Some of it esoteric. A few spots are nostalgic. All of it is worth reading, though. It will challenge you to run harder and maybe help you understand why you want to run at all. I’ll leave you with one more line: it feels like poetry to me.

“Running to him was real; the way he did it the realest thing he knew. It was all joy and woe, hard as diamond; it made him weary beyond comprehension. But it also made him free” (Parker 123).

Parker, John L. Once a Runner. Scribner: New York. 1990.

21st August 2009

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Wear what you want, just run!

One would think that a Gazelle Sports employee would have a million pairs of shorts, tons of tech tops, of course in every color and of the most up to date season. In reality, well, my poor college students reality at least: I have a few pairs of the sale shorts and any tech top I own has either been given to me through a hand-me down or I’ve gotten in a race packet. The majority of my purchases at Gazelle consist of Mojo Clif Bars, Luna Bars and maybe a really cute top that I just couldn’t not have.

So on my run this morning 3 of my 3 running shorts were dirty. I mean really dirty, I’ll run in a pair two or three times before they get washed to save on water—or I’m just lazy and don’t like to do laundry, but pretty much all my running apparel was due for washing. But still had to get a run in before I headed to the store to sell shoes for the day.

In the bottom of my drawer I found an old pair of soccer shorts, (I think I bought a kids large at side walk sales last year) and a race T-shirt I had yet to sport and I hit the road. Running my usual quick out and back I felt good, slight wedgie from the different shorts—nothing major. Late morning heat had set in and I broke into a great sweat. I got home faster than I felt I was running. Good start to a Friday!

My point of this little story is that you don’t need anything to run but a good pair of shoes, two legs, two feet and some pavement to pound. No one passed by me and snickered at my sorta-running sorta-soccer outfit. I was running for me. I wasn’t running for my neighbor, or my boss, or my grandma (who tells me to be careful every time I leave the house for a run).

I’m not trying to tell you to stop buying running apparel. The running clothes lines out are really cute and fun. But I know that breaking into a new sport can be intimidating if you don’t’ have the right stuff. Because really soccer shorts aren’t great to any kind of distance in, like I said: I got a wedgie. Now running shorts have a liner so the need for wedgie causing underwear is eliminated. Cotton shirts are not the best option but under that cotton race shirt I had a moisture wicking bra and I wasn’t really out that long to feel the effects of chaffing I would have if I’d been out a bit longer. Or thrown some Body Glide around my arms pits.
So I guess my message of this blog post is to tell new runners that they really have no excuse to not be running. No one cares what you’re wearing (and if they do ditch that running group and find a cooler one.), group runs are to have fun, get some exercise in and enjoy the day and company of fellow runners.

24th July 2009

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They say to always use protection…

Lacing up my shoes I looked up and noticed that the sun was not nearly sunny enough to need my half-jacket Oakleys. Okay, no sunnies on my quick run this afternoon. I start strapping on my I-pod, the battery is dead…great I thought.

I, like many runners, use my I-pod not only to listen to music and keep me motivated through the miles, it’s used to block out sound. My sunglasses don’t only block the sun, but they unsuspectingly are being used to protect me. No, not from those evil UVA/UVB rays we’re all so scared of, but protection from other people, noise, distractions, eye contact. And worse of all the sound of my own heavy breathing and shoes hitting the pavement.

But I was dressed and ready to head out the door, this blip in my regular routine was NOT going to ruin my run. A quick 3-mile out and back was all I had time for to satisfy my run-craving before I had to head off to work.

Out the door I passed a family gardening; feeling obligated, I smiled and nodded; I heard their laughs and conversation as I ran by, I’d rather hear The Black Eyed Peas telling me to Get it Started In Here. Turning onto the main road was a relief, no more distractions–before I could finish that thought a car honked and another whistled out the window—note to self longer shorts next time.

As my body began to fatigue my shoes got louder, my breathing labored and I was being forced to hear all of this. How do those I-podless runners do this all the time?!

My brain was racing with thoughts of the day, I could feel my lunch more intensely in my stomach, the noise of the speeding cars annoyed me, I not only felt obligated to make eye contact with any passer-by on the path I could feel their eyes and almost hear the judgments in their heads. I returned home 3-miles later and was no more relaxed then when I had left, but my run was done and I promptly plugged in my I-pod so it would be juiced in the morning.

5:11am rolled around this morning, obviously at this time it is not sunny. But my I-pod was ready for me and my a.m. run. Lacing up my shoes I decided to try something different. I noticed how the house was dead quiet, I enjoyed the calmness. Maybe 5:30am would be different than 5:30pm. I fought with the idea of another I-podless run and got out the door before I could change my mind.

sunrise

This time silence followed me. The only sounds were my feet and breathing, which for some reason sounded strong, determined, and fresh for the day. Birds tweeted as I turned onto the same road I had made a left at just 12 hours earlier. No one whistled or hooted out the windows, not because my shorts were any longer, but because no one was driving by.

Fellow runners and I made eye contact and shared the secret of the morning, this is the best way to start the day, we whispered in the crisp air. Making it to my turn around point the sun was starting to show, the day was opening up and I was already 2 miles deep. Running back over a river there was a lone heron waking on a dead branch—my footsteps didn’t disturb it, she kindly nodded to me in recognition and flew away to carry on with her morning. I finished strong, re-hydrated and started my day inspired.

Lesson learned? Afternoon unprotected running is not my style, but at 5am nothing is more beautiful and clean than beginning the day with your thoughts, your breath and footsteps. Give it a try and let me know how it goes.

3rd July 2009

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Why do you run? Give me a new reason.

Why do you run marathons? This is a question that many people have asked. As a marathoner, it’s a question that is always difficult to answer. That’s like asking someone why they travel or why they enjoy a sunny day or why they eat cake. Sure, the answer begins with enjoyment. While people accept this explanation for why I love the Salty Dog Sundae at Captain Sundae, they won’t accept this answer for why I run 26.2 miles. Right now I’m reading My First 100 Marathons: 2,620 Miles with an Obsessive Runner by Jeff Horowitz, and his reasons for running marathons really connect to my own. He talks about the sense of accomplishment, challenge, and variety within marathons. Someday, I’ll explore these reasons more in-depth. I don’t think I have enough room to write about all my reasons for running marathons right now, though. That’s one thought that I’m going to explore more, so I can be more concise on a future post. Instead, I’m going to add (with your help) a new reason for marathoning. Marathons have always be a personal challenge for me. I’ve never used a marathon to raise money for a charity. That ends now. I’d like you all to help me choose a cause. I’ll be running the Akron Marathon in September, and I will focus on raising funds for the charity you select. Please don’t recommend your friends who are named Charity (lol).

Boys and Girls Club of America: I taught in an alternative high school for four years, and I saw the good that the Boys and Girls Club can accomplish. They give kids a safe place to learn and grow without the pressure to act tough. They provide homework support, organized group activities, and mentorship. Most importantly, they teach kids the skills necessary to become positive role models to the younger kids in the area.

Team Hole in the Wall: This is a team that was founded by Paul Newman. Members of this team raise funds to send kids with life-threatening diseases to camps. It is a grass-roots association of camps designed to let these kids forget about their illnesses and focus on having kid-sized fun without worries. More than 135,000 kids from across the nation and around the world have attended these camps free-of-charge thanks to this chariable organization.

High Cloud Foundation: High Cloud seeks to aid the poorest people of the world. It focuses on women and children in war-torn, impoverished areas. It also works to restore areas hardest hit by natural disasters. High Cloud services women and children in places such as Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Columbia, Macedonia, the Middle East, Nigeria, Kenya, and India.

Wounded Warrior Project: My brother-in-law is a machine gunner in the Marines. He proudly serves our country everyday. He has served in Iraq and has seen his brothers get injured. The Wounded Warrior Project seeks to keep the public aware of the sacrifices of our veterans, to help severely injured service men and women, and to provide training and transition programs to help these warriors when they return home.

Internation School of Kabul: My friend teaches at this school in Afghanistan. The love and encouragement given to these kids changes their lives. The school is raising funds to improve their buildings and to provide scholarship assistance to their students. This is a great way to make a difference in their country.

Team in Training: Team in Training is probably the best known charity among marathoners. Team in Training raises money to fund research into Leukemia and Lymphoma. They have raised more than $600 million to fight blood cancers by funding research.

So, if I can figure out how to insert a poll, I’d like you to help me choose a cause. If you want to vote for other, please leave a comment letting me know what cause you have in mind.

19th June 2009

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Girls On The Run Inspiration

“GIRLS ON THE RUN IS SO MUCH FUN, GIRLS ON THE RUN IS NUMBER ONE!!!!!!”
Girls on the Run Logo
Hanging out with 3rd through 5th graders for a few hours a couple days a week is really refreshing. I’m 22 and am really never around young kids, too old to babysit, I don’t have children myself and my family isn’t at the point of having kids that age yet. So when I volunteered to coach Girls On the Run last year and continued to do so for this past 2009 season being around this age of girls is so interesting.
As runners we generally get in the mood and support one another through out training and at a race, (after we’re done that’s when I can really start cheering on others, before that I’m focused on me) But these 8-10 year olds yell and scream and high five each other all through out practice and after.
Having been a part of the program for two years now I see what an impact training for a 5k can have on these girls. The primary focus is not on running but rather on growing as a young girl, standing up for yourself and living a healthy life style. And in the end they accomplish something they never thought would be possible!
I think as runners we can learn from these girls. A little motivation goes a long way. A high five with someone you don’t even know on the course, yelling “keep it up” might get that slower runner up the next hill or to pick up the pace just a little more. Even just a smile to a passing runner on the trail could motivate him/her to run that extra mile they were thinking of cutting off. You could be that inspiration with out even knowing it!

What do you think? Are you motivated by other runners? Intimidated? Or would you just rather be in your own world? Of course it depends on your mood that day… I know I have days that my run is just that, my run. But try it out, give some extra support you usually wouldn’t and see what happens and let us know!

21st May 2009

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