I Don't Want to Run

TBH (a phrase uttered numerous times at my school. It stands for to be honest), some days I simply do not want to run. I wish I could be inspirational and say that with gritting teeth, I lace up my running shoes and conquer the world, but I don’t. Even with reading all the phrases like “Just do it,” “one more,” “impossible is nothing,” “live strong,” etc., I still have a hard time getting motivated to head out.

To get them out there, so I can never use them again, here are my top excuses NOT to run. I’m doing this in hopes that I never use them again.

• It’s too cold/hot out
• I ran hard the other day and my legs are sore
• I’ll double up/go hard tomorrow
• I don’t have the time
• I’ll have to shower again
• I just need time to relax
• I don’t feel well

In response to these statements, I offer simple responses to counteract each:

• It’s too cold outside? Suck it up buttercup. Once I get running, my core temperature will rise. Throw on some protective gear, hat, gloves, and extra socks and head out. Too hot? Take off your shirt, apply some sun screen, enjoy the sun and take some water. Run in the shade of trees. Also, plan ahead and hydrate!
• I ran hard the other day and my legs are sore. Oh no, you poor baby. I, of all people, should understand this process. I worked out my muscles. They have micro-tears. I improved them by pushing them to their limits. Yes, rest days are acceptable and aid in the healing process, but running LSD (long slow distance) helps purge the lactic acid and aids in recovery.
• I’ll double up/go hard tomorrow. Right… and the bar has the sign that always says “free beer tomorrow.” I am a man of my word and try my best not to lie, but this just doesn’t seem like a good deal. I’d rather take a group of average to great runs instead of a just a couple awesome hard runs or speed workouts.
• I don’t have the time. There are 1,440 minutes in a day. Averaging out all my runs, I have a normal, non-race pace of 7:18. Let’s bump that up to 8:00/mile. I can run 3 miles in under 25 minutes. That leaves me with 1,415 minutes. Make time!
• I’ll have to shower again. And the problem with this is??? I swear, I solve most of the World’s problems while showering and do some awesome self-reflection and meditation. Enjoy the second shower!
• I just need time to relax. I have a wife and a high energy kid. Going out on my own to run is relaxing! I can think freely and enjoy the surrounding beauty of my small town. Mountains, creeks, a dog park, river, arboretums, historical sites… The list goes on. Go enjoy it.
• I don’t feel well. Welcome to being human. We all have our good days and bad. Plus, a good jaunt is just what I need sometimes to rid myself of mucus (who doesn’t love a good snot rocket?)

There. No more excuses. Now go out and re-explore the world. You never know what or who you’ll find!

What motivates you to run?

Winter Series #4 Predicted 5 Mile Race

One of the best options for runners near my hometown is the Shenandoah Valley Runners Club “Winter Series.” It showcases many popular runs in the area and also offers some friendly competition. Pre and Post race are usually abuzz with fellow runners talking about training styles, enjoying snacks, and the occasional awards ceremony. But mostly, this time is shared with camaraderie and story time about runs of yore.

Today’s race was race # 4. The “Predict your time” 5 miler. I missed this race last year, but I was familiar with the country club that hosts the event. Upon pulling in to the club house parking lot, I was immediately directed to loop around “out back.” After exiting and taking a left, and then another left passing through houses that are worth way more than my annual salary, I finally arrived (with 10 minutes to spare!) Parking was limited, so I had to park on the side of the road. Not a big problem, but it was farther away from the banquet hall where I had to pick up my registration – making me slightly less early then what I wanted to be.

By the time I received my bib, went to the bathroom, and decided I could get in a 5 minute warm-up I realized I left my sunglasses in my car. With the snowfall the night before, the albedo was high and I didn't want to be blinded the whole race. On top of this, the ice on the roads was sure to make things interesting.

I grabbed my things and slowly jogged my way to the start line---slowly because of the sheets of ice. “This will definitely effect my time” I though. Good thing I went with the low ball of 35:20 (7:05 pace).

Now comes the part I hate. The start. Usually, this consists of roughly 30 people awkwardly jockeying for position as the rest slowly stroll through. I don’t want to sound uber competitive, but I am there to race. Yes, I understand that some races are charitable events and it should be about the experience; however, I am always competing against myself. For the sake of others with the same mindset, if you are not competitively running, do not start in the front.

Fortunately, that wasn't the case this time! Even with showing up to the line “late” I was able to tuck right into the outside portion of the front. This actually worked in my favor, for as we neared the sheets of ice I was already off the side of the road jaunting in the snow.

This became my main method to run/pass. Even with very grippy shoes (+Merrell Vapor Gloves) the ice was a major issue. The snow helped me bypass the hazard, and with an extra pair of socks, my feet stayed dry and warm.

Being a predict your time race, I knew I would have to check myself. I constantly ran the idea through my head that negative splits are a good thing and to go out slow. This worked well for two miles, but at the third I knew I wasn't where I should be. A long stretch of open road helped me realize this, as the line of people in front of me seemed endless.

As I’m about to get out of my comfort zone and push to play catch-up, I get a *SMACK* across my calf. WTH? Great… a frozen whip is now my friend for the next two miles (I usually always double knot, my shoelaces. I guess I forgot as I scrambled to the start line). Surprisingly, this didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. It stung, but as stupid as it may sound, I pretended that it was a whip and I was the horse, urging me to go faster.

Effective? Well, my estimated pace of 7:05 was shattered when I crossed the line at 32:50 (6:34 pace). I was pretty excited, especially when I saw the results that I placed 15^th overall (14^th male) out of 179 competitors.

A brief chat with a few new acquaintances, and I was on my way home towards my awesome weekend.

Sorry for the abrupt end and not a true race recap. Unfortunately, life calls and I've been busy with midterms, daddy stuff, and seeing my wife every now and then J

Hopefully, my next race will be more in-depth. My wife and a couple that we hang out with might be “swinging” for the next race - - a tandem team race. It should be interesting!

My Awesome Weekend

Most of my followers, friends, and family members already know the news. As the information about my personal health slowly spreads, I’m beginning to get more open with simply telling people that I have follicular lymphoma.  I won’t bore you with details on what it is (hence the hyperlink), but I figured it would be interesting to reflect on my personal feelings and emotions both in my running shoes and out.

The actual diagnosis occurred on January 7, 2014. This was just a week after I decided to run 1,000 miles in the year and in my mind becoming a real runner. It took awhile for the news to set in, and even still I don’t think I have fully absorbed the diagnosis. I mean, heck I’m 28 years old and in the best shape of my life. In other words, I was completely blindsided.

From this day, my phone and newsfeed have been continuously buzzing with other people supporting my awesome family and me. It means so much, that I cannot even put it into words. With the wind slowly filling back into my sails, I need a BIG pick me up to get me back to the normal me.

Cue awesome weekend.

It started Friday night at the R-MA middle school gymnasium. The girls’ basketball team that I help coach has had a rough start, but we finally got our first home win of the season! Stoked, I celebrated by buying our book keeper (one of my students) a pizza and thanked him for continuously helping us out.

When I got home to share the good news, I am greeted by my wife frantically cleaning and asking if I would order a pizza and get some groceries real quick. Confused, I agreed. Upon my return and as soon as I put the pizza box on the counter, there is a knock on my door.

“Mike must be here!” I proclaimed as I opened the door. Mike and his family are our regular guests (and for the most part, the only people that come to our house). This explains the frantic cleaning. You can imagine my surprise when I saw Hogan when I opened the door.

You see, Hogan is probably tied for my second favorite kid in the world (just behind my daughter, and tied with my nephews and very few others) and lives about 300 miles north.

Trailing Hogan was the rest of his family, who I have been friends with since I was 13. This was going to be an awesome weekend!

CRAP! I HAVE A RACE TOMORROW!

They assured me they understood, and it didn’t bother them one bit.

The race itself was awesome. It was a “predict your time” 5 mile race. Race #4 of the SVR Winter Series. Being that it snowed and was rather cold, I predicted a modest time of 35:20 (7:05 pace). As I neared the first mile with ice on the roads, no watch to keep pace, and a stretch of rocky loose gravel (minimalist shoes) I thought I was going to be way slower. I stared ahead to see who was in front of me, and if I remembered their strides from the previous races. I knew I was doing decent because no one was passing me and I was slowly reeling in another runner who I usually pace with.

At mile 3, my shoe came untied. Now I have a partially frozen whip smacking my calf every stride. “Great…” I thought to myself [/sarcasm]. 

Amazingly this didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. And with the last two miles being mostly uphill, I knew I was going to close the gap on the people in front of me and hopefully have enough for a good finish.

Well, I finished strong with a time of 32:50 (6:34 pace)!

I also placed 15 overall out of 179 runners and 5^th in my age group. Not a bad race J

Next stop: Monkey Joes

Immediately after the race, we decided to take the kids to Monkey Joes. This is a building with multiple bounce houses, an arcade, and hundreds of kids running around. My daughter is only 2, so I was watching her like a hawk. Being the over protective dad, I also had the glorious task of entering each contraption making sure she could get up to the slides and didn’t die. We also got cool friendship bracelets, thanks to Hogan for setting the record on the basketball shot machine! I had fun, but that is enough said about Monkey Joes.

After the monkeys had enough, we ordered wings and subs. I also enjoyed some quality Xbox360 time with Hogan (he just bought a new basketball game and wanted to try it out). Other fun stuff happened like watching Toy Story twice in one night, but I will save you the details.

Finally, it was time for the S-family to head back north. My daughter, who was completely pooped from her 50+ hour play session, crashed while my wife went running. I was able to browse Facebook, type some other blog entries, and then went running myself once my wife returned.  I will type a reflection of this run later because of a few things - including a new 10k record, battling Richard (the name I gave to my follicular lymphoma), and my body’s reaction to rest days.

Now that I have bored you with over 800 words of rambling text, I’m going to end this post. If you read this far, thanks! If you simply skimmed, you probably made the better decision.

Final words for thought: Regardless of what's going on, stay positive. You never know who you are inspiring! 

Cold Weather Running. Friend or Foe?

Many people start off the New Year with high hopes and ambition to lose a few pounds. Unfortunately, this leads to packed gyms and lines at the treadmills.

How can you avoid these lines and get running as quickly as possible? Run outside!

You might say "this is nuts", or that "it's too darn cold outside." Well, partially yes. But then again, if you are a runner chances are you might be a little insane.

Tips for Running in Cold Weather:

1. Dress appropriately. Layers will help, but don't go crazy. No one likes the soccer-mom style with a sweater tied around the waist. Plus, it will sway and bounce. Not to mention, it will also be an annoyance making sure it doesn't fall off.

Suggestion: Base layer - moisture wicking shirt. Second layer - wool/cotton/polyester shirt. Outer layer - something to either break the wind or has vents/zippers.
The reasoning is that the base layer will keep you dry, the second layer will keep you warm, and the outer layer will prevent the wind from making you chilly and the vents/zippers will allow you to adjust how much heat stays close to your body.

2. Hats and gloves. Similar to tip #1 Hats and gloves are a great way to trap body heat and easy to control. Getting too warm? Slide your hat above your ears a bit. Getting clammy? Take of the gloves until they get chilled.

Suggestion: No scarves. Seriously, no. Get a 1/4 zip-up instead

3. Protect your feet. I am a strong enthuisiast for minimalist shoes. Heck, I even dabbled with barefoot running (and still do on occassion). However, as it gets colder, your feet take a lot of pounding on cold surfaces. There is no shame for throwing on an extra pair of socks. Or better yet, rock a pair of wool socks! The help keep you warm and dry!

Suggestion: I do not like to run in pants. Unfortunately, this can make my legs take a lot longer to warm-up compared to the rest of my body. I might try running in high socks, but I'm not sure if I will like the added compression on my legs. I'm weird like that. I'll report later on my findings. Suggestions on  high socks?

4. Warm-up. This might be one of the most controversial subjects with running. Dynamic stretching, running a mile or two to loosen the muscles then stretch, just go out and run taking it easy, and/or do body weight exercises before hand to get the heart rate up.

Suggestion: Whatever works for you! Personally, I'm fond of dynamic stretching. However, as of late I simply do a few leg swings and kick throughs and then take off. Play around with a couple different strategies and see what works best. Remember, we all have different bodies, hot spots, and muscle/joint problems. There is no cookie-cutter warm-up.

5. Post-run. Post run is almost or just as important as the run itself. Make sure you get out of those damp, cold clothes as soon as you can. Even if you are dead and don't feel like moving, simply get out of the clothes. Your body will enjoy the dry, room temperature clothes. Additionally, eat or drink something warm. Coming home from a run in -5 degrees and then enjoying a cold protein shake and granola bar doesn't make sense. Throw some of that protein powder into a glass of hot chocolate, or make a couple hard boiled eggs. You'll love the extra warmth and your body will still get what it needs to help with recovery.

Suggesstion: If you travel places for your runs (like a park or track), bring a couple different sets of clothes to change into. This will help you control your core temperature when you're done. Also, bring a thermos with a warm beverage (tea, cocoa, coffee, or simply water). Not only can you hold it against your body and hands, but you also get a tasty treat post-run.

Feel free to comment below on other suggestions, gear, or cold weather stories!

And I would run 1,000 miles...

source: www.freepik.com

It's a new year and a new me. Well not really, but kind of! 

~Flashback to December 31, 2013~

While sitting idly getting ready to ring in the New Year, I was trying to come up with a resolution for the year to come. Options included:

• Stop biting my nails (again) 
• Stop drinking soda (which will lead into stop drinking colored soda, and then into a soda a month, and then into a soda a week. Again.)
• Unplug from technology at least once a week (virtually impossible)
• Run X amount of miles within the upcoming year. (Doable!)

I voted for the last option. Now it was time to pick a distance. 365 sounded nice. A mile a day. However, I run at least 2 miles everytime I go out - sometimes going for 13 miles. Well, how about 500? Meh, still doesn't seem like a challenge... 

So, what did I do? Well I went to +Google of course! I simple search of "running goals" showed that 1,000 miles was a popular choice.

1,000 miles. Let's break that down. 83.33 miles per month, 19.23 miles per week, 2.74 miles a day.

Sounds reasonable. I can easily run 2.74 miles a day I thought. Heck I can even double up and get ahead real quick.

As of today, January 5th, I have logged 21.84 miles.
That is 8.14 miles ahead of pace! Not too shabby.

Unfortunately, I think I am going to have a slight regression. See, I am a teacher. It's a pretty demanding job and time consuming once you factor in coaching. My thought is to crank out a mile runch (running during lunch), but I will have lunch duty from time to time. Also, I like to eat. I can also head out during my prep (45 minutes each - which means I can easily get in 6 or 7 miles). However, I would come back a sweaty, gross mess. Fortunately, I teach Health/P.E. (and pre-algebra), so this would be acceptable. The downside is, it's my prep! I need that time to grade papers, plan, mentor the youngins, and maybe even relax a bit.

With that said, the success of my goal is mystery. Though I am sure I can accomplish it, I would be lying if I said that everything is going to be just peachy. Stayed tuned for the end result!

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right."
                                                               - Henry Ford

First and Foremost

Well, it happened. I started a blog. The main motivation behind my new media outlet is my adoring wife. She suggested that instead of posting all of my runs, rants, and experiences on Facebook to put it somewhere else.

Welcome to somewhere else! Though I do not have a definite theme as to what I will focus on, here are a few things that should be coming very soon:

* Tales and woes of reaching my goal of 1,000 miles for 2014
* Race reviews (currently in the Winchester, VA area)
* Rants, raves, and venting for misfortunes while running
* Highlights, fortunes, and positive things while running
* Maybe product reviews (Albeit boring because I have minimal gear, it might help someone!)
* What happens during practices (I coach high school Cross Country and Track)

With that said, I will try to post as much as time allows. However, being a dad, husband, teacher, mentor, and coach is very time consuming. Factor in time to run and my day is almost spent.

Any questions, comments, confessions, complaints, conundrums, and/or criticism is welcome!