I am a Rugged Maniac!

The good news?  I wasn’t dead last.

 

The bad news?  I was last in my age group.

Sigh. That’s just how it works, I guess.

I finished 2199 out of 2230 people. There were 31 people slower than me! Like I said, I wasn’t dead last! But darn near.

Here is some interesting information. Every year I run I have a better chance of winning or placing in my age category, because the older you get, the smaller the group. There were 9 people in my age category this year; 5 female and 4 male.
If I was just four years older, there would have been only two people in that age group, both males. I would have placed first for the women in the category! Yes! There is still hope for me!


Me, shaking at the top of the Cargo Net Climb



Amber on the Cargo Net climb

Putting results aside, the run was fun, but really hard. Only 5K (3.1 miles), it was way harder than the half marathon (13.2 miles) I ran last June! I couldn’t have done it alone. I lost count of the number of people who helped me over, under and through obstacles.


Amber on a hill

Everywhere I turned, there was always a helping hand reaching back for me, sometimes my daughter Amber, sometimes a stranger. Oh, the kindness of strangers! They tugged and pulled and boosted me over seven foot barricades, 20 ft. cargo net walls, up muddy hills, through worm-hole tubes filled with mud and water and under barb-wire covered mud holes and down a high-speed suicide slide into a muddy water hole where I had to pull myself over big round floating tubes that blocked my way. Did I mention the hills? Lots of hills! Did I mention the water? Cold freaking water!

Yeah. Totally fun, LOL!

I could be in better shape. I’m still working on it. But here’s something I like to keep in mind, and it can be applied to anything and everything in your life:

Dead Last Finish
Beats Did Not Finish

Which Greatly Trumps Did Not Start

Unknown Author

Amber on the Suicide Slide

Did I want to quit? Hell, yes. Especially when I severely bruised my ribs halfway through the course trying to get over a wall. But there was no way I was going to quit unless they carried me off on a stretcher. You just can’t quit in front of your kids, right? So I’m glad I finished!

Even so, it’s more important to start. You will never know what you can accomplish unless you start! Even if you fail, at least you tried.

Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed 10,000 times. I have successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.”

Wow, that is perseverance! What would the world be like if Edison had quit?!

Why We Run: A Pictograph

People have been trying to answer the question, "Why do we run?" for years.

Sometimes the answer is really deep.

And sometimes, the answer goes more like this:

Why do pretty girls dress up like this.....

To do this.....

And end up doing this.....

And this.....

And this......

And this.......

Only to end up like this.....?

Is it for this.......?

Or this.......?

Sometimes...but there's so much more.

Because you can go here......

And have this......

Before you go here....

But the REAL reason we run......?

Is for this.......

That's Right!

Fuzzy Viking Helmets...

And the Beer...

And the T-Shirt...

And the Medal...

But most of all?!

FRIENDS AND FUN!!!

I would like to thank my models, Amber and Shiloh, for participating in this Warrior Dash 2011 Pictograph.





I Did The Rock 'n' Roll!

I did it!

I did it! I finished my first half-marathon at the Dodge San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon & 1/2. Mostly, I just wanted to finish, and to accomplish the goal that I had set for myself.

I was feeling really good for what I thought was the first five miles... and then I saw the freakin’ three-mile marker! I hate when that happens.

32,000 Runners

The run was absolutely gorgeous, though, which helps a lot when you’re tired. I think miles 8 – 9 were the hardest, but I knew I was going to finish when I hit the ten mile marker. Somehow, knowing there are only three miles to go helps a lot. I tell myself that I’ve just done ten miles, so I can certainly do three more.

I’ve heard runners talk about the proverbial wall that you hit at some point during a long run. When I saw the mile twelve marker and looked over toward Sea World where the finish line was, and I hoped against hope that somehow I really wouldn’t have to run ALL the way over there, that’s when I hit the wall.

But real runners don’t give up, I reminded myself. I even told myself that I could walk the last mile if I wanted to – a lot of people were walking that last mile. But I was really just ready for the “race” to be over, and so I kept on running!

And the cheerleaders lined along the road are AWESOME! Here are some of the signs they held up to encourage us to keep going:

·         Left Foot, Right Foot, Left Foot (very helpful, in case you somehow forgot what you were doing! I can see how that can happen).

·         Run like you just stole something.

·         Why are all those people following you? (When you’re my age, knowing that people are actually behind you – which means you’re in front of them...yeah, that helps).

·         Run like a Kenyan (I Wish).

·         Mortuary ahead, look alive! (probably the best advice I saw).

·         The end is near (when someone dressed as the grim reaper is holding this sign...).

·         Your feet are hurting because you’re kicking so much ass.

·         That’s not sweat, those are your fat cells crying.

·         Great stamina, call me (for those singles out there).

AND they clap and yell cheers for you as you’re going by.

But the best part of the whole thing? The incredible support I’ve received! My sister Donna carted me all over San Diego. Friends and family tracked my progress on Competitor Wireless, three of my friends (Kirk, Jayme, Angie) say that I’ve inspired them to run the Rock ‘n’ Roll next year!

And I can’t forget the awesome cake. My niece Alyssa spent four hours making a cake from scratch, just for me – isn’t it awesome?! And totally yummy!

On Vacation - Gone Running!

Whew! It’s been a marathon just training for the marathon!! But the time is finally here. I’m leaving tomorrow (Thursday), June 2^nd and returning on June 16^th.

I had hoped to be further along in my fitness, aka Wish-I-Was-Doing-The-Full-Marathon, but at this point I’m happy enough doing the half (13.1 miles).

My main concern is shin splints. Other than that, I’m pretty sure I can drag my butt across the finish line, no matter what. I have four hours to complete it, but I’m hoping I can do it in three. I’m counting on training at 9000 feet to help me run at sea level.

With 30,000 people signed up, you probably won’t see me in the crowd, but I’ll be the one in the green tank top that says, Does This Shirt Make My Butt Look Fast?

I will be checking in, but I am on vacation, so if I don’t respond quickly, I’ll be at the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, or Disney Land, or Sea World, or the San Diego Zoo, or the San Diego Wild Animal Park, or at the beach hanging ten, or at the Colorado River in Yuma laying on a raft with a margarita in my hand.

Wish me luck!

San Diego, here I come!!

Running the Shakespeare Marathon

Article first published as Running the Shakespeare Marathon on Technorati.

Theme marathons are the ideal running experience for runners just wanting to have fun or raise funds for notable causes. The Shakespeare Marathon is a course favorite for top club runners in Britain. It was first created in 1982 and organized by the Stratford Rotary Club in Stratford-Upon-Avon, and primarily benefits the Stratford Hospice and other charities.

Stratford-Upon-Avon is, of course, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, hence, the Shakespeare Marathon. As we all know, Shakespeare was an English poet (often referred to as the Bard of Avon) and playwright who is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language.

What is little known, perhaps, is that William Shakespeare knew a lot about running – and perhaps was even a runner himself!

“I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, straining upon the start...‘Faith, I ran when I saw others run” (Henry V).

The line-up begins outside the Royal Shakespeare Theatre with a leisurely start time of 10:00 a.m. To aid in the fun, many of the contestants, participants and bystanders dress up for the occasion, often as The Bard himself.

“These high wild hills/and rough uneven ways/draw out our miles/ and make them wearisome (Richard II).

For the most part, the course is flat except for Rumer Hill just outside of Welford. The runners have to negotiate the hill twice as the full-marathon is two laps; the half-marathon is just one. Most injuries reportedly occur on this long and steep descent towards Long Marston.

“I would give a thousand pound I could run as fast as thou canst” (Henry IV).  

This year’s marathon held on May 9, 2011, was won by Andrew Siggers, a rugby athlete, with a time of 2:37:41. Sandra Williams was the first woman to finish in 3:06:42.

My (Oh-So-Interesting) Job Description

BLOGGER

·         Owner and sole contributor to the running blog www.rungwenrun.blogspot.com, a lame but fun motivational blog for beginning and overweight runners.

·         Responsible for running three days per week in order to provide myself with more fodder and potential blackmail material to write about my inept running experiences.

·         Motivate and inspire other beginning runners through my own pathetic running experiences.

·         Responsible for recruiting followers and readers through rehearsing and performing pitiful faces and whining, thereby guilting my friends and family into reading my blog.

·         Obsessively Track the amount of traffic to my blog to reassure myself affirm that people are stopping by and reading about my crappy enormous progress.

FICTION WRITER

Work-in-Progress

·         Young Adult (YA) fiction novel currently in progress (no, really!).

·         Single-handedly responsible for the creative inspiration for my YA book series.

·         YA novel includes completion of six chapters of incoherent and confusing mesmerizing and enthralling young adult protagonists who work together to solve a murder mystery through their exceptional investigative abilities and in the case of one, the enviable ability to see and speak with ghosts.

·         Caretaker of impressionable young characters.

OTHER

·         Author of the Top Ten Excuses Reasons Why I Can’t Write Today, the Top Ten Excuses Reasons Why I Can’t Run Today and Queen of Procrastination, conveniently filed in the receptacle beneath my desk for easy access.  

·         Served as the inspiration to the invention of butt glue as a means of keeping the procrastinating rear end in the chair in order to write more prolifically. (Warning: does not always work, please read instructions carefully and check for side effects.)

·         Instrumental in implementing the hugely successful weekly Starbuck’s meeting with key individuals (Me, Myself and I) in order to inspire further creativity while avoiding continual monotony, a serious side effect that is sometimes created by butt glue – see warning above. Cappuccino is an added benefit.

·         Experienced web surfer researcher.

Women (Over 50) Who Run



68 year old Dipsea winner
Melody Anne-Schultz

More than ever before, women’s health issues are a primary concern for aging baby boomers. Our mother’s and grandmother’s didn’t have the same advantage that we do today. They didn’t know about trans fat and saturated fat, or the effects it had on our bodies and health. Nor did they participate in any regular sports activities.

Conversely, women over 50 are more active now than ever before. In the past it was thought that 50 was too old to start a running program, but that is no longer the case. With proper attention given to the basics, women over 50 can actively participate in 5k’s and 10k’s, in addition to half-marathons and even full marathons.

A number of running programs are especially suited toward older adults seeking to be more active. The key is to begin slowly, perhaps with walking, and build up to jogging/running. Certainly older adults starting a running program should be more careful and place an emphasis primarily on their physical fitness with special attention paid to nutrition and hydration. A visit to a physician before starting any kind of exercise regimen is advised.

Keeping any health issues in mind, a running program can be specially tailored to the particular needs of the individual. Since older adult women are prone to loss of bone density and often suffer with joint problems or arthritis, softer surfaces such as a treadmill or specially designed soft running tracks found at many schools and parks can be used.

The reasons that older adult women are taking up running are many and varied. Besides not needing any special skills, pricey gear or athletic ability, running only requires a pair of running shoes, determination and time.

According to researchers at Stanford University, regular runners live longer and stay healthier. A 2009 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that running is as good for bone-building as strength training, a vital “must” for active older women.

Christine Hinton, a running coach from Crofton, Maryland, says, “Virtually every system in your body benefits from running.” This includes both physical and mental elements. Running burns more calories than almost any other exercise. It tones the body and staves off stress.

A sports psychology consultant and assistant professor of athletic coaching at West Virginia University, Kristen Dieffenbach, Ph.D., says, “Your arms, legs, and breathing fall into a rhythm that eventually lulls your brain into a meditative “no-stress zone.”

Running also improves mental health. The area in the brain that is associated with mood becomes saturated with endorphins after exercise, creating what is called the “runners high.”

Although running has its critics, many of their issues are found to be myths. Some say that the relentless pounding is hard on the joints and even causes wrinkles.  However, the Journal of Anatomy has found that running strengthens muscles and ligaments, which in turn protects hips and knee joints. The reason that runners can be viewed as weathered is because they are generally thinner with less body fat, which can define wrinkles and make them appear more prominent. They also spend a lot of time outdoors in the sun which causes wrinkles. Sunscreen should always be used when spending time outdoors.

9-Time NYC Marathon Pioneer Grete Waitz Dies At 57

The world has lost a true pioneer today in the loss of 9-time NYC Champion Marathoner, Grete Waitz, 57, to cancer. The native Norwegian did much to promote the movement for recognition and validation in long distance running for women worldwide.

After winning numerous awards and honors world-wide for her achievements, Waitz was invited by Fred Lebow, founder of the NYC Marathon, to the 1978 race to act as a “rabbit,” a pace-setter for established marathoners. She ended up winning the race, which was her first marathon, with a world record time of 2 hours, 32 minutes and 30 seconds. She then went on to win the NYC race eight more times, setting three world records, something that has never been done by any other marathoner, male or female. She subsequently became the first woman to run a marathon in less than two and a half hours.

In 1978, women’s distance running was still a novelty. Only 938 out of 8,937 entrants in the 1978 New York marathon were women. In 2010, that number increased exponentially to 16,253 out of 45,350 entrants. Even so, the women’s marathon was not included in the Olympics until the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, where Waitz finished second to Joan Benoit Samuelson, winning the silver medal for Norway.

“The women's running revolution, the biggest sea change in our sport in 30 years, began in Norway, where a young track star, Grete Waitz, broke boundaries as well as records,” Amby Burfoot, 1968 Boston Marathon winner, wrote in Runner’s World in 2004 (via NPR). “In 1972, at the Munich Olympics, she ran the 1,500 meters, the first time women were allowed to participate in the event.”

In a 2008 New York Road Runners interview, Waitz said, “We’ve come a long way in a very short time. When I got a little older, I wasn’t encouraged to do sports — it wasn’t what girls should be doing. Even in the media, women didn’t get the same attention. We had to be twice as good. I had to set world records to get noticed.”

Rob de Castella, a world champion marathoner from Australia who trained with Waitz, said, "She was the first lady of the marathon. She was such a wonderful lady, such a wonderful ambassador for women's marathon running back when it was just starting to be recognized as a serious event.”

Grete proved through hard work and perseverance that it was possible that women could run longer distances. When many naysayers felt that women didn’t belong in long distance running, she proved them all wrong. She had always set high goals for herself, and in doing so she broke long-standing barriers against women in sports.

"It was Grete who proved that it was possible for women to compete in the longer distances," said Svein Arne Hansen, president of the Norwegian Athletics Federation.

"Grete is in my eyes one of the greatest Norwegian athletes of all time," Norwegian Athletics Federation president Svein Arne Hansen said. "Not only through her performances in the sport, but also as a role model for women in sports."

In 2008, Waitz was honored with the prestigious Order of St. olav by the king of Norway, for being a role model to female athletes. She also received the St. Olav Medal in 1981 and the St. Hallvard’s Medal in 1989. Waitz also received the International Olympic Committee’s Women and Sport Award for a European athlete in 2010.

Grete’s husband, Jack Waitz, has confirmed that she died Tuesday in Oslo. He has said that during her treatment she never gave in to self pity, quoting her as saying, ‘“if you give up, you lose.”’

Waitz is survived by her husband Jack, and her brothers Jan and Arild. She was buried with government honor at state expense, only the sixth woman in Norwegian history to be awarded this privilege.

Kenya's Geoffrey Mutai Sets Marathon World Record: Or Did He?

Another win for the Kenyan’s as once again they have proven their prowess as world-class runners when Geoffrey Mutai set a new world record at the Boston Marathon on April 18, 2011, running 26.2 miles in 2:03:59.

27,000 runners entered the prestigious race with tens of thousands of fans cheering them on from the sidelines on what is a state-wide holiday, little knowing that they were witnessing history in the making.

"When I was coming to Boston, I was not trying to break the world record. But I see the gift from God," Mutai said. "I’m happy. I don’t have more words to add."

However, the race was not without controversy. Although the Boston Marathon is the oldest and most prestigious marathon in the world, drawing runner’s world-wide, in addition to being considered one of the most difficult courses, the international governing body has declared the conditions on this day to be too easy, and disallowed his record time.

Running under ideal conditions, Mutai had the advantage of a 15 – 20 mph tailwind at his back and a downhill course to aid in breaking last year’s course record set by Robert Kiprono Cheruiyto by almost three minutes, and the former world record held by Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie in Berlin in 2008, who benefitted from having pacesetters. The Boston Marathon does not allow pacesetters.

Even so, Boston officials are ecstatic about the new record set on their course. "We had a stunning performance and an immensely fast time here today," Tom Grilk, the head of the Boston Athletic Association, has said. "We in Boston are well-pleased with what has happened, and that's good unto itself. The definitions of others, I will leave to them."

Mutai earned $150,000 for the win, received $50,000 for the world best, and another $25,000 for the course record.



Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!



FromThe Wizard of Oz

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My! 

Let’s just say that running in the woods can be quite an adventure.  Imagine running along, minding your own business, grooving on the music.  The weather is cool and clear.  I'm finally able to leave the treadmill behind and run outside.  And then I start thinking about bears.  It is the end of March and the bears could be waking from hibernation and they just might be a touch grumpy – and HUNGRY!!! 

And then out of the corner of my eye I see a large creature come looming out of the forest.  Let me tell you, I had a momentary fright before I realized that it was a deer!  (Gottcha!  You thought it was a bear, didn't you?!)  She just crossed right in front of me at her leisure.  That happened three times, but the first one is the one that caught me off guard. 

I am, however, fully prepared.  I run with a pistol in a fanny pack that is especially made for that purpose.  And a Motorola radio is clipped to the fanny pack so I’m in touch with home if anything comes up – cell phones don’t work where we live.  And I have a Spyderco clip-on folding knife clipped inside my pocket.  Just saying – I’m prepared!  But it’d still be scary....

I’ve only seen one bear in the area, though.  We have lots of deer, some foxes, coyotes, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks and blue jays.  And I heard there was a mountain lion attack not far from here, but the credibility of that is under question.  And I’m pretty sure there’s a fox den in the area.  I keep getting a whiff of a skunk-ish odor which I learned at the local Wolf and Wildlife Center (http://www.wolfeducation.org/) is actually what fox’s smell like.  No wolves in the wild near here, though, thank goodness - only bears! 

I’m sure you’ve heard the joke about the two guys in the woods who come across a bear.  The first guy puts his tennis shoes on and the second guy says, “Are you crazy?  You can’t outrun a bear!”  And the first guys says, “I don’t have to outrun a bear, I only have to outrun you.” 

It’s too bad I don’t have anyone to run with, LOL!  Oh wait!  I’d be the second guy!  Damn! 

TCQM3N9NFB9W



Running in the Rockies AKA Tortoise Training

Yay, Spring is finally here!  I’ve been running on the treadmill all winter, and it can get kind of boring.  The weather had been nice all week and so I decided that last Friday I was going to do my eight mile “long run” outside.  Imagine my amazement when I opened the blinds on Friday morning to two inches of snow! 

I just couldn’t face eight miles on the treadmill; I was starting to feel like a mouse on an exercise wheel going aimlessly around and around, and not getting anywhere.  Plus, I had too much fun the night before (St. Patrick’s Day) to even think about going around and around and around.... you get the picture.  The Irish do know how to have fun – just sayin’. 

No matter, I put my run off until Sunday and it worked out great!  The weather was in the forties with clear blue skies and some high clouds.  Eight miles seemed incredibly a little daunting to me.  I knew it would take me two hours and I just didn’t know if I could run for two whole hours!  Oh, and let me just mention that we live in the mountains and there are hills outside!  Something you don’t get on the treadmill – unless you set the incline, which I would never actually do on purpose, lol.  Needless to say, I was working muscles on my backside that may never be the same.  I’m walking kind of funny now, like a corn cob is stuck somewhere it shouldn’t ought to be, but I just have to trust that someday I’ll be normal again. 

Here’s my tortoise training update!  I began training for the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in January running 3, 3, and 4 (Three miles twice per week and four miles once per week for a total of 10 miles per week).  Now at the end of March I’m at 4, 4, and 8!  That’s not bad considering my “long run” was only four miles last year. 

And since I couldn’t possibly post a Run Gwen, Run! blog without poking a little more fun at myself, here’s a true story:  I was laying in bed the other morning, trying to wake up, my hand on my stomach.  I patted my tummy a little and thought, Huh!  My stomach is feeling a little flatter these days!  And then I shifted a little and realized that I was sort of laying on my side – and Crap!  The rest of my stomach was still there, only it was laying there on the downside.  Damn gravity! 

Quit Complaining & Thank A Soldier!

My family is very supportive of my endeavor to get healthy, and even though I joke about my running abilities, they are behind me on that, too. But I complain – a lot!  And make fun of myself - a lot!  Sure, it’s mostly self-deprecating, but still....my family is totally behind me....

                             

When I first started to run, my son in law came to run with me on the two mile fun run with the Pikes Peak Road Runners on the first Saturday of every month.  He even let me beat him once – now that’s the kind of son-in-law everyone wants, but that’s not all. 

First of all, it’s very cold in Colorado Springs in the  wintertime.  Second, getting up at 6:00 a.m. for an 8:00 race is really early to get up on a Saturday morning, just to freeze your buns off (if I thought freezing your buns really worked.... oh, never mind!).  And third, he had lost his right calf and most of the bottom of his right foot to an IED in Iraq, so running was really difficult, not to mention painful, for him.  How can you run without foot pads?  The short answer is - you can’t.  Johnny broke his foot. 

When he got home from Iraq, he’d had many surgeries, and many attempts at saving the foot, and it just wasn’t working.  The foot became more of a hindrance than anything else, so it was decided that he could actually be more mobile, and more active, with a prosthetic foot.  He had it amputated last November, and has since gone through several new legs. 

Johnny never complains and just goes with the flow.  He works, goes to school, and takes good care of his family.  He’s a jack of all trades, and can do lots of things (except fishing – note the fishing lure in his left ear in the picture on the right – enough said about that). 

He makes the most of what he’s got, i.e, he’s going to be a pirate for Halloween, with a wooden peg leg, eye patch and sword.  Maybe even a stuffed parrot on his shoulder.  Oh, and maybe a "Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of rum!"  Any suggestions on the best kind of rum?  What would Captain Jack Sparrow drink?  Or Long John Silver?  "Rum, damn ye!"   It probably doesn't matter to either of them, and I'm getting off track. 

But, my point is this: WHAT THE HELL DO I HAVE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT?  Short answer?  Absolutely Nothing. 

I can’t wait for Johnny to get his ‘running leg’ so we can run together again.  I’m sure he’ll leave me in the dust, but I can live with that. 

P.S.  REMEMBER TO THANK A SOLDIER!

P.S.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOHNNY!

Couch to 5K

I started out in January 2010 with the Couch-to-5K running plan, a beginners running program (www.coolrunning.com) that is designed to help you get your couch potato butt off the sofa and run a 5K (3.1 miles) in 9 weeks.  I wholeheartedly agree with the premise, even if it didn’t work exactly as planned for me. 

I think I was a month into the program before I discovered I wasn’t exactly following instructions.  The first three weeks have you doing a combination of walking/running for a certain number of minutes.  The fourth week says to “jog ¼ mile (or 3 minutes), walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds), jog ½ mile (or 5 minutes), walk ¼ mile (or 2 ½ minutes)" and so on.  So I thought I had a choice between mileage and minutes.  I chose to go by time – jog 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds, jog 5 minutes, etc.  Are you seeing the problem here?  They don’t tell you how fast to run; I run at 4mph, so jogging ¼ mile takes me 3.75 minutes, not 3 minutes as indicated above. 

Every week that I went on this way, I got further behind.  By the 9^th week, I should have been running 3 miles in 30 minutes.  The way I was going, I was charted to run 2 miles in 30 minutes, had I been able to keep up – which I wasn’t.  Being quick on my feet (pun intended), I finally realized my mistake. 

I agree in theory that the Couch to 5K is a great program.   However, they don’t take into account certain determining factors such as age, weight and overall health.  And maybe ALTITUDE!  I moved from sea level to 9000 ft. elevation and then started running.  I could barely even walk up my driveway without gasping for air!  Who knew altitude could do that?

Ten months down the line, I could finally run what they said I should have done in 9 weeks, LMAO.  Here is how I think they should modify their running plan to accommodate everyone time-wise:

1.   Add a day for every pound you’re overweight

2.   Add a week for every year over 30 years of age

3.   Add a month for every 2000 foot incremental increase in elevation above sea level. 

....yeah, that’d be about right. 

Just sayin’…… there are other factors to consider when you begin training – not every program is right for everyone, and it’s okay to modify the program to suit your needs. I’ve had to continually modify my own program because I found that when it was just too hard, it made me reluctant to want to do it again.  And that is not the point!  The point is to get moving and get healthy, not to dread the next step. 

All joking aside, I really do think that the Couch to 5K is a great program.  If you’re looking to start running, check out their website at http://www.coolrunning.com/.

(Always consult a physician before beginning any new fitness program). 

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses, AKA The Great Struggle

I didn’t run for two weeks.  My son-in-law was having surgery and my sister was coming to dogsit for them while I was at the hospital, which was in another town (excuse).  I had to clean house and get ready for her visit (excuse) and then I was out of town for a few days (excuse) and then I was back visiting with my sister (excuse).  So obviously, I just didn’t have time to run (excuse).

When I decided to get back on my running schedule, I was dreading it because I was not feeling in the least bit motivated anymore (excuse).  In fact, I had lost my Motivation over those past two weeks and couldn’t find It anywhere.  I’m sure that if I had lifted the couch cushion It would have been cowering underneath.  But since I had turned into a couch potato, getting up to look wasn’t really an option. 

In the course of two weeks I had taken one step forward and two months back.  My first day back was a fiasco.  I couldn’t run 2½ miles without stopping any longer.  Actually, I could barely run ¼ mile before I had to stop and rest.  (Sigh).  It sucks getting old. 

When I’m not eating properly, all of that delicious bad food works like a drug in my system.  It’s like a chemical reaction.  Anything heavy, sweet, or high in fat puts me into a food-induced coma that inhibits me from getting off the couch.   My head feels fuzzy and heavy, and I can’t think properly. 

And then it was Thanksgiving.  You just can’t eat right at Thanksgiving (excuse).  Seriously!  And of course, Christmas is coming, too.  Lots of fattening meals and candy, so I can’t possibly diet or watch what I eat at Christmas either (excuse). 

What really hit me this time (when I came out of my coma) is that I realized it was always going to be like this.  Even if I lose all the weight and exercise my butt off, I’m still going to have this lifelong struggle, AKA The Great Struggle.  In my weakened food stupor state, The Great Struggle was really depressing me. 

Luckily, I’m a very stubborn woman.  So what! if The Great Struggle was trying to get me down?  So what! if what I was trying to do is really hard?  And So what! if I don’t live up to my own expectations?  Even if I’m not very good at it, I can still keep going and do the best that I can. 

It’s not whether I succeed or not (yeah, right!), but whether I at least tried. 

Here is a quote that my daughter gave me: “Dead last finish”, beats “did not finish”, which greatly trumps “did not start.”

~author unknown. 

That about says it all!

And now that my Pity Party fell through, I think I’ve actually done something pretty amazing this year.  I’ve been running three times per week since last January.  I’ve really only missed three weeks out of the last fifty two.  I figure that I’ve probably run somewhere between 300 – 400 miles this year (I’ll have the exact number by the end of the year), as opposed to the zero miles that it could have been. 

I really have done alright. 

Just sayin’. 

P.S.  Yesterday’s run went pretty well – I’ve nearly caught up!

Running Music



Martini Magic



Some days running is easier than on other days.  Sometimes I just get in the zone and know that I’m going to have a good run.  Other days....not so much. However, I have noticed that if there is a good song playing on my ipod shuffle, it always makes my run a little bit easier.  So my thoughtful daughter Amber downloaded songs onto my ipod shuffle that she thought I’d like (being more technically inclined than I am with all these newfangled gadgets).  Here are some of the songs she downloaded for me:   

1. Chumbawamba (Pissing the Night Away)

2. Beer for My Horses (Whiskey for My Men)

3. It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere

4. Whiskey Girl

5. Margaritaville (But there's booze in the blender/And soon it will render/That frozen concoction that helps me hang on)

6. Friends in Low Places ('Cause I've got friends in low places/Where the whisky drowns/And the beer chases my blues away/And I'll be OK.)

7. Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off, and,

8. Tequila! 

  Are you seeing a pattern here?  Yes, they’re all drinking songs!  What the hell?!  Do I give off that vibe?  Or is it her vibe?!  LOL, I don’t know, but I do have fun running to some of these songs.  We did have may have had quite a few parties when she was growing up, and yes, alcohol was may have been involved quite of bit, a lot, on occasion, so I can see where this might be coming from.  

In all seriousness though, the music can motivate me and either make or break my run.  I have other songs on my ipod shuffle that don’t motivate me in the least, and in fact has the opposite effect, making me struggle to go the distance.  I try to skip those.  Songs that have tempos that match my pace and have a beat that matches my down-step are the best.  It’s like the beats per minute in a song match my steps per minute while running.  It’s like having my own personal pacer for company. 

Music is especially helpful to alleviate boredom when you do most of your running on a treadmill like I do.  Since we live up in the mountains and I need a babysitter minder for safety outside, in addition to new snow dropping nearly every day during the winter, the treadmill is the most viable option for me.  I don’t hate it. 

So why does party music make us happy and motivated?  Maybe it’s the reminiscence of fun times with old friends, balmy summers and a cold drink in my hand that takes me to that happy place and makes me want to run.  After all, music makes people want to dance, why not run?  I’m just sayin’........drinking songs, for whatever reason, can be motivating.  ♩♪♫♬. 

BTW Amber, you forgot a few!  How about, I Love This Bar, Family Tradition, White Lightning, Whiskey River, Straight Tequila Night, Jose Cuervo, One Scotch One Bourbon One Beer?

Just sayin’........♩♪♫♬

There are some purists out there that enjoy running in total silence.  Some people say that music doesn’t motivate them at all, that the silence, putting on the miles and listening to the sound of their own heartbeat is what motivates them.  Seriously?!  LOL, I love silence myself when I’m outside enjoying nature, but when I’ve got miles to put on, and it’s hard, hot and sweaty work, give me some good upbeat music any day.  ♩♪♫♬.  Of course there are safety factors when running with headphones; traffic, verbal warnings, muggers....