Tips for Staying Healthy in 2018

Happy New Year!  With many of us setting fitness goals going into the new year, it’s especially important to know how to stay healthy whilst working towards your goals.  Here are nine (9) fairly obvious but important tips that may help:

• Listen to your body.  If you’re feeling poorly, tired, or sore from a hard workout, think about adjusting your upcoming workout.  Here is an article published by CNN that talks about working out while sick and presents some smart guidelines:  “Are you crazy for working out while sick?”
• Monitor your morning heart rate.  Your morning heart rate can help you understand if you’re overtraining or making gains in your fitness.  You’ll need to measure and log over several weeks to set a baseline.  Here’s an article from Competitor Magazine:  “Think You’re Overtraining? Check Your Pulse.”
• Practice Good Form Running.  Good running form leads to energy savings and efficiency and may reduce opportunities for injury.  Come to a free Good Form Running clinic to learn more.  RSVP here.
• Practice running efficiency by establishing and improving your aerobic base.  There are many benefits to be gained using the 180 Rule of Training.   This method will:
  • Improve runners aerobic capacity, or Maximum Aerobic Function
  • Enhance runners ability to burn fat as primary fuel source
  • Increase running speed (Aerobic Speed) without increased effort
  • Improve running form to reduce risk of injury
  • Increase lean muscle mass and reduce fat (weight loss is not a specific goal but often a result)

Learn more and consider signing up for a three month Aerobic Base Training Program (just $50).

• Pay attention to your pre-, post-, and daily nutrition.  Just as a vehicle won’t run properly without fuel, your body won’t perform at its optimal levels without proper nutrition.  WebMD offers some tips in the article “Top Nutrition Tips for Athletes.”
• Cross Train! Don’t just run.  Involve and strengthen other parts of your body.  That will reduce the risk for injuries.  Read Runner’s World article “16 Cross Training Activities to Try” for some good ideas.
• Adjust activities and frequency based on injury and fatigue.  What’s the best way to exacerbate an injury?  Keep doing what you’re doing without any adjustments.  WebMD has some straight forward advise in the article “Workout Injuries: Prevention and Treatment.”
• Look for opportunities to reduce impact. This ties in with the concept of crosstraining.  Rather than pound the pavement day after day, think about using an elliptical machine or checking out an Elliptigo (www.elliptigo.com).  This Huffington Post article “8 Amazing Benefits of Elliptical Machines” may have you rushing to the gym.
• Make sure you have the proper equipment!  Fortunately, running and walking doesn’t require a lot of fancy, expensive equipment.  It does require appropriate shoes taking into your movement patterns, size, footshape, support and cushion levels.  For women, a properly fitting sports bra is a must.  Socks can make or break a good run and appropriate clothing can reduce chafing and rubbing.  Start the new year off right and get fit!

 

 

Ask the Cped – 2017 PFA Symposium

Last month, I attended the Pedorthic Footcare Association (PFA) annual symposium.  This event is a great opportunity for me to continue to expand my knowledge and skills as well as connect with my fellow pedorthists across the country.  The three-day symposium covered topics including footwear science, shoe modifications, pedorthics and podiatry, kinesiology taping, and a number of reports and functional outcomes from a variety of studies that have been conducted.  In a series of articles over the next few months, I’ll share my notes from many of these topics, but in this article, I will grossly oversimplify three of the more interesting research projects and their results.

Comprehensive Biomechanical Characterization of Feet in USMA Cadets:  A Comparison Across Race, Gender, Arch Flexibility and Foot Types.  Jinsup Song, DPM, PhD

Dr. Song (Temple University, Gait Study Center) and his team studied United States Marine Academy recruits to try to understand rates of injury correlated with their biomechanics.   To set the stage, 15% of 1.45 million soldiers experience foot/ankle injuries.  11% of all discharges from the military branches were associated with lower limb pain and “flat foot.”

The study focused on 1052 cadets at the beginning of their basic training at West Point.  The research team measured the cadets arch height in both sitting and standing by gender and race.  The breakdown of arch heights, irrespective of gender and race, in the cadets was:

• 7% had a very high, rigid arch with a supinated gait
• 20% had a normal arch and gait
• 73% had a lower arch with over-pronation

Regardless of arch height, 39.6% of these cadets experienced injury during their basic training.  82% of those injuries were in the foot / ankle.  From a gender perspective, 33% of the injured were male and 55% were female.  Women experienced nearly twice the injuries as men regardless of the arch height and Caucasians had slightly more than 2.45 times relative risk than African Americans, Hispanic, or Asian.

In a related study of 900 cadets, 5.7% of males and 19.1% of females experienced at least one stress fracture in the first 3 months of training.

There is still much to be learned, but the initial findings indicated that for these cadets, selection of running shoe and insole had virtually no impact of the rates of injury / non-injury.  So, what is the root cause of injuries?  Apparently, it still isn’t known but this study suggests that more than arch height and foot type is a factor.

One Foot in Front of the Other – Contributions from Foot Sole Cutaneous Mechanoreceptors, Leah Bent, RT, OTRL

This was a fascinating study focusing on the mechanoreceptors in the skin on the bottom of the foot.   There are four major mechanoreceptors – vibration, skin tension, pressure and stretch.  Some of these are nerve sensors while others are the more superficial skin sensors.  The density of mechanoreceptors or “sensors” in the bottom of the foot are found at the toes and the lateral aspect or outside of the sole.  The skin is most tactile under the medial arch, the lateral arch, the 5^th metarsal (little toe), big toe and heel in that order and touch sensitivity correlates with the hardness and thickness of the skin.

Ms. Bent’s team found that activating the foot skin receptors fires both lower limb AND upper limp muscles.  Meaning that they were able to stimulate different regions on the bottom of the foot and see different muscles in the leg and arm respond.  The implication is that the development and wearing of textured custom orthotics, OTC insoles, and socks could have an impact on balance and gait and that there are implications for individuals undergoing rehabilitation from injuries.

Introduction to Kinesiology Taping and Pedorthic Implications, Jennifer Howey, PT, CAFCI

Kinesiology tape has proven benefits for reducing joint pain, improving muscle function and decreasing swelling.  Dr. Virgin Gibney originated many of today’s taping techniques back in 1895 with his first technique focusing on taping for the sprained ankle.

Proprioception is the ability to sense stimuli arising within the body regarding position, motion, and equilibrium. Even if a person is blindfolded, he or she knows through proprioception if an arm is above the head or hanging by the side of the body.

Proprioception decreased 107% with shoes and 140% with shoes and inserts.  However, kinesiology taping plus footwear only decreased proprioceptive by 58%.  This is because kinesiology or neuro-proprieceptive taping is not mechanical, but rather based on skin and feedback.

So what does taping do?

• Controls muscular function by facilitating contraction of the muscle and inhibiting hypertonicity (abnormally high tension)
• Improves proprioception
• Improves local metabolism thru tissue correction
• Decreases pain by interfering with nerve inputs
• Provides joint support by improving normal joint surface position

 

 

 

Mile #1

Today I went out for my first run of the summer.  You read that right.  On August 10th.  This is not really the best news for me.  My plans for the summer had involved marathon training for both Marine Corps as well as the New York City Marathon.  Instead I find myself running my very first mile of the summer (and only a single mile at that) here in mid August.

For those of you who have followed along for a few years, you may be not shocked.  My perpetually falling on and off the running wagon is a theme of this blog as well as my life.  When my summer started I started traveling, and stopped running.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned it is that it is incredibly easy to lose stamina and enthusiasm.  For me, at least, once I am out of the habit, it is incredibly hard to get it back together.

Luckily for me, however, the time of year when I tend to be the most motivate is fast approaching.  While most people tend to start a new and feel motivated around New Years, as a teacher my year tends to begin in September.  Last year when I completed my 100 day running streak, it all started on the very first day of school.

I hope your summers and your training have been going well and injury free, and I can’t wait to talk to all you Marine Corps runners about your race this fall!!

Until next time!

-Addie

Preparing for Lift Off – Training & Traveling

Hi folks!  Addie here.  I am fresh back from my second experience at the grown up summer camp Camp Grounded.  You can read all about my last experience there (and what it meant to be there as a runner) here!  I didn’t worry about running this time – wanted to give myself a break to go slow – but now I am back in the saddle and staring down a pretty hectic six weeks!!  I have previously written posts about being a runner with a packed schedule, and the next several weeks are no exception!  If you will indulge me for a moment, here is what my life looks like:

This weekend!  – Richmond for a friend’s baby shower.

June 26th-July 2nd – Belize with my husband, children, parents, and brother & sister-in-law.

July 4th-12th – Ecuador with a friend

July 18th-22nd – Making the daily kid commute for my son to attend STEM camp

July 25-31 – Bolivia all on my own!

Also bear in mind I am training for two fall marathons.  I have been someone who travels and runs many times before.  A couple years ago my blog posts were coming from Costa Rica or San Diego.  This summer feels like a whole new animal though.  It is very easy to fall into vacation mode and stop training.  When I spent three weeks in Costa Rica I started off running every single morning.  By early in the second week, however, it became every other day.  And then it became not at all.  This time, I hope to do better.

Planning to run on vacation opens a whole new can of worms.  What will you wear to run?  How will you wash it?  How many pairs of socks can you possibly bring along?  How will you know safe routes?  The safety one is usually the hardest to figure out.  In my Belize trip we will be on a very small island (only about a mile long), where I am not worried so much about safety, but boredom from running up and down the same dirt road too many times.  Ecuador will present a new problem – I am moving around the country a lot over a week and fitting in time to run between the plans that we already have will be a challenge.  Bolivia presents perhaps the biggest obstacle – altitude!  I have only needed to run above a mile high once before, and it was hard for the first two days.  The only times I have ever been above 11,000 feet I found simply breathing pretty challenging the first day.  So – certainly some safety to be dealt with on that trip!!

What I do know is that I am excited for summer to begin.  I’m exciting to be firmly in the grip of marathon training seasons with all my fellow DC area runners.  And I am excited to explore all these new places on my feet!!

Plenty of pictures to come as the summer wears on.  Run safe!

-Addie

Training – Marine Corps & New York City Marathons 2016 – FAQ

Addie here!  Ever since I have told my family, friends, and coworkers about my fall plans, I’ve been getting some questions.  Here are my top ten favorites:

1 – Do you really think this is a good idea?

• Absolutely not.  I don’t recommend it, unless you are someone who does this kind of thing.  That is to say, there are TONS of people who regularly run multiple marathons or much much longer distances.  They are incredible specimens of human performance and ability.  I am not an incredible specimen.  I am super mortal and typical in my skills and abilities and am not typically someone that does this kind of thing.  But I am stubborn and don’t like backing down, so here we are.

2 – Have you ever done anything like this?

• Not quite.  I have run two marathons.  They were several years apart.  I’ve run a ragnar relay.  I’ve run lots of half marathons.  I’ve run a half marathon the morning after a 5k.  The closest experience would be the very first time I ran a marathon, I did a Tough Mudder the weekend before.  So that was like, 13 miles of running up and down ski slopes and climbing things and swimming in water.

3 – Have you consulted a doctor?

• I have not.  To be honest, however, my doctor has known me since I was 14 years old.  She has seen me do plenty of stupid things over the years, and I’m pretty sure she knows the best way to get me to do something is to tell me I shouldn’t.  That’s certainly a personality flaw of mine, but it is what it is.

4 – Are you going to be able to train consistently?

• This is actually an excellent question.  I don’t know.  I really, REALLY hope so.  I am hoping there is no mental health issues that keep me from training and that the disruption from my traveling is minimal.  I know I will have time to run while I am in Belize.  I should have at least a little time while I am in Ecuador.  Bolivia is a wildcard due to elevation, but we will see what happens.  As far as my current status – last week I got in my 20 miles over the week.  I am getting consistent again.  I’m running even when I don’t feel like it, and I’m doing yoga several times a week.  My only REAL obstacle is myself.

5 – How will you find the time?

• Let’s be honest – everyone gets the same 24 hours ever day.  Some people do much much more with that time than others.  I’m gonna have to get really good at utilizing that time.  In my favor is that during the summer I am not employed, that my kids are old enough to stay home for a while if I need to run, and I’m perfectly happy with running at night.  I am hopeful that I will not need to use “I just didn’t have time” as an excuse.

6 – What does your husband thing of all of this?

• He knows me well.  He knows the best thing he can do is support me, and he is.  He is also planning on running Marine Corps (his first marathon), and coming along to NYC to visit friends.  I think he appreciates the excuse for a vacation.

7 – Do you have a choice to not do it?

• I mean, we always have a choice, don’t we?  Last year I deferred my entry to Marine Corps because I was too out of shape.  If I don’t use the entry this year, I lose it.  I could defer my NYC marathon entry, but it would mean having to pay a rather large sum of money to guarantee my spot next year.  Short answer – yes, I have that choice.  My very strong preference is to do it.  Because why not?

8 – Aren’t you worried about injury?

• I’m not.  Maybe I should be.  I’m doing yoga several times a week to help with some stretching.  I’ll do some foam roller therapy.  In my running career so far I have been lucky with injuries.  I’ve had one IT flare up (fixed by learning that foam rollers exist), and some shin issues (fixed with compression sleeves).  I’ve never had any nagging injures while marathon training, so we will just keep fingers crossed and trust the training!

9 – Does ANYONE think this is a good idea?

• YES!!!  The wonderful friends I have with the Metro Milers are incredibly supportive.  It helps that they are also crazy people (and several of them qualify as different levels of “marathon maniacs”), and they will be cheering me on (and running with me) throughout this experience!!

10 – What is wrong with you??????

• So, so, so many things!!!  In this case – my eagerness to do everything and my refusal to backdown, even if a challenge seems like it may be a bit too big.

 

So now I ask you – what has your craziest running experience been?  How did people react when you told them your plans?  More importantly – how did it turn out??

Stay tuned for this season of Addie trains for races!!

Double Trouble 2016 – Training for Pain!

It is that time of year again!  I am ready to declare that exactly five months from today I will be joining the field of runners at the 41st Marine Corps Marathon.  Not only that, but exactly one week later I will be joining an even bigger field of runners at a brand new experience for me – the New York City Marathon!

This will be a different kind of training.  One that cares much less about speed and much more about consistently.  I’ve decided that the only possible way to accomplish this admittedly ridiculous feat (for me, that is – I know there are many runners who do this kind of thing frequently) is to give up any hope of a certain time, and just run it smooth and steady.

Having said that – consistency should be interesting.  Between June 26th and July 31st, I will have 22 days out of the country in varying conditions (I’m not so sure I will be running when I am at 13,000 feet).

So, I hope you will join me in this adventure in summer time training, training while traveling, and attempting to complete two marathons in seven days!!  I’ll be attempting to post a daily picture of my progress, my adventures, my setbacks, and hopefully my successes!

~Addie

The Joy of Race Sweeping

If you’ve never worked or volunteered for a race, it is easy to be unaware of how many jobs there are to be done to pull off an event successfully.  I am a frequent presence at Metro Run & Walk events (either at our own races, or the races we help manage), and I have done many of these jobs.  Walking the course early in the morning to get the cones out, setting up packet pick up, setting up (and cooking) food, driving volunteers out to the course, being a monitor on course, working a water stop – there are LOTS of things to be done at a race.  My absolute FAVORITE job, however, is sweeping.

Part of putting on a great event, is making sure everyone from the event is accounted for and finished before you start tearing down the finish line.  You want to make sure you aren’t keeping your course volunteers out for longer than need be, and you want to make sure no one is lost or injured along the way.  In major races (and long races) typically the sweeper has a fun name and a big machine – typically a bus.  I’ve heard it called the sag wagon as well as the sweeper bus.  At our events, however, you get someone like me!

On Sunday we hosted our annual Mother’s Day 5k/10k.  My daughter and I were there at 7am, bright eyed and bushy tailed to help get tables and food set up.  Then we made sure everyone was checked in and had their bibs.  Exactly five minutes after the race began, I head out on the trail, leaving my own girl child to help make parfaits and hand out roses to the finishers.

Race sweeping means enjoying the course.  It is not a race, it is an experience.  I trotted out along the path, checking in with runners along the way in order to find the end of the 10k racers.  I was impressed when I made it to the 5k turn around without encountering a single 10k runners.  Our 10k runners were clearly working it!!

The weather was lovely, and the course took me out farther on the path than I had been before.  When I found the last of our 10k runners I slowed down and took in the scenery.  I stopped to take pictures, and when I started to see some 10k folks coming back down our out and back course, cheered them on.  I would slow my pace down to a trot, occasionally just talking a brisk walk until the runners were out of sight, and then pick the pace back up to make sure everyone found their way to the turn around, where I would start releasing the staff working at water stops.

The closer I made it to the turn around, the more I started to enjoy the passing runners.  People who were working hard, but had so many encouraging things to say to me!  They kept telling me how close I was, and that I was doing great.  I would smile and say thanks, and keep on in my direction.  I got nice and muddy, and then ran my way back in with our last few finishers.

Very often I go to races in beautiful places and then ignore them.  I look more at my garmin than at the woods around me.  Deciding to be last – to make sure everyone else is having their race – offers an awesome opportunity to really take in the course, be inspired by the work and effort of others, and still get some totally decent exercise!!

If you’ve never volunteered a race, I strongly recommend it.  Many big races offer free bibs or guaranteed entry to their races in future years in exchange for volunteering, and I think when you actually come to see how much work goes into an event so you can have your race, it will make you appreciate it all the more.

• Addie

Lessons Learned in Six Years of Running

Yesterday marked the 6th anniversary of my first ever 5k.  Here is the adorable photographic proof:

 

April 25th, 2010.  When I still ran in cotton t-shirts and was cute and young!

Prior to that date I would have absolutely been one of the people who declared they only ran when chased.  I am 100% certain that the only times I had ever run in my life were the days in PE when we had to.  The only sport I ever played was water polo.  I was a theatre kid, NOT a runner.  It changed when I worked at a school that desperately needed after-school activities, but had no budget for materials or supplies.  Hence, a running club was born, and along with my kids I trained and ran my first 5k.

In the six years since then I have taken some long breaks (the entire year of 2012 until Thanksgiving was a notable one).  I have raced just shy of 300 miles, and trained a ton more.  I wanted to share six lessons I have learned, one for each year of my running career so far.

Getting Started is the Hardest Part

Training for my first ever 5k was incredibly hard.  I hadn’t done anything that I would legitimately consider exercise in maybe six years, and running was never a thing.  That meant even with something like couch to 5k, I was sore.  I hurt, I was tired, and it never felt like it was getting easier.  My first 5k was hilly, and I remember actually begging my friend running with me to stop and walk somewhere around mile 2.  He said no, and on we went.  I was mad.  I was slow.  But I kept going.  By the time I made it to where I could hear the finish, I was so happy, I apparently thought flight was an option:

Here I am, in all my glory, nearing the finish of my 1st 5k.

My final time that day was 37:11, which is a 11:58 pace.  I couldn’t have been prouder.  I made it.

Almost 18 months to the date later, I ran my first marathon.  My time was 4:58:11.  That’s a 11:22 pace.  Training for a marathon certainly took up more time, but it was nothing compared to how hard it was to get myself active.  The strength it took to really develop and stick to a healthy routine, and see myself through an accomplishment, was far more strength than it took to just keep up with the miles of marathon training.  I like to tell people this when they come into the running store and are training for their first 5k and feel sheepish about talking about distance.  Or when people put themselves down when they talk about their speed (or lack there of), and don’t realize that it all comes with time.  We all have to start somewhere.  If you have gotten started, it WILL get easier.  It just might get harder first 🙂

Never Judge a Runner By Their Appearance

It is very easy to walk around before a race and start making predictions or assumptions about others.  There are moments where you can make a guess based on some clues (if his shorts are about a half inch long, or her bib number is eight, they may be faster than you).  I cannot tell you, however, how many times I have been blown away by a combination of the accomplishments of others, and the arrogance of my own ego.

A favorite memory was around mile 7 of the Baltimore 10 Miler in 2014.  It was incredibly hot and I was trudging my way up a hill.  A gentleman of 76 (I know, because he informed me of his age) came trotting up next to me, chatted with me for a few moments about the weather conditions compared to other years, and then left me in his dust, wishing me a nice race.  Runners sometimes make assumptions based on the age or size of other runners – I’m here to tell you it’s a bad idea.  It doesn’t take a certain type to run fast, just the drive and the effort!

Respect the Distance

No matter the distance, respect it.  I have been extremely guilty of breaking this rule many times.  There is a reason we train.  It is because running is hard.  I have learned my limit, and it is ten miles.  I can fake ten miles.  With zero running for several months, I can go out and run a single ten mile run.  I will hurt like hell for several weeks.  It will not be fast.  A single mile more than 10, and I WILL crash and burn.

Evidence:

So, it isn’t like I was setting the world on fire to begin with – but those last three miles took me 46 minutes.  It was the worst three miles of my life, and had I walked by a metro station, I would have gone ahead and given up.  Thankfully, it was just a half.

On the topic of respecting distances, we all know a marathon is not a thing to be taken lightly.  Sometimes, our (my) ego can get the best of us.  Let’s say we are having our best running year ever.  Running tons of events.  Setting PRs every time you race.  Just crushing it.  But the last, let’s say, six weeks before your marathon, you fall off the wagon.  Training goes down hill.  You are certain that everything you’ve already done that year will carry you.

It won’t.

2014 was MY year.  I raced every month from February through December.  I set PRs in the 5k, 8k, 10k, and half marathon.  I ran my first sub 2-hour half marathon.  I was training for my second Marine Corp and was sure I would CRUSH my first time.  Was looking to run around a 4:20.  I DID PR that day.  But instead of the 30-some minute PR I was expecting, it was an 8 second PR.  4:58:03.  I was devastated.  I was pissed.  And I deserved it.  I forgot to respect the distance, and it beat me up.

Mix It Up!

If you’ve read this blog for long, you’ve seen me post from lots of different places.  I’m a huge proponent of running in different places.  Run when you are on vacation.  Go on vacation somewhere you want to run.  The new surroundings bring on new energy and enthusiasm, and while they may make you a bit slower than usual so you can take it all in (except that time a dog chased me in Costa Rica), it will help renew your drive to explore!

Jaco, Costa Rica

Outside Hemet, CA

San Diego, CA

Austin, TX

Tarcoles, Costa Rica

The above photos are from Texas, California, and Costa Rica.  Follow the blog this summer to see what running in Belize and Ecuador looks like!

But it isn’t just a different geographical perspective you should take.  Sometimes you should mix up the run itself.  Try out something different.  Obstacle courses, color runs, relay races – they aren’t things that you are working for a PR, but they can sure be a lot of fun.  They are also a good way to talk non-runner friends into trying something out!

Find Some Friends!

Speaking of getting folks to try things with you, I cannot express how important it has been for me to find friends willing to run with me.  No matter if it is a single slow mile, or someone that is training for the same event and run a long 18 with me, having company is huge.  My running friends are incredibly varied.  The Metro Milers group spans a huge age range and comes from an incredibly diverse background.  I’ve converted friends and even a husband into people willing to go out and run or race with me, and it has made me a happier runner.  It has also helped to solidify those friendships – nothing to do on a long run but talk!

 Not All PRs are Created Equal

My 5k PR is a sham.  It was set at a race that is 90% down a very steep hill, meaning you can really go FAST.  I actually have taken to giving my second fastest 5k when asked for a PR, because I feel like it isn’t a good representation of what I run.  Some races I am more proud of than others.  My 10-miler PR was set in Baltimore – on a day in the 80s and on a hilly course.  I frequently wonder what would have happened if I was in the same kind of shape on a flatter course.

PRs are fun to try to beat, but don’t beat yourself up over them!  Conditions change, situations change, and age groups change!  I have a time or two been bested by my husband at a race, only to find that when results are posted, I have been in the top 20 in my age group, while he was maybe in the 50th percentile.  We are not all made the same, but we can all work hard to get better.  Maybe just worry more about the run, and less about getting that PR!

Running in the Grip of Mental Illness

I believe I was 12 years old when I had my first panic attack.  I was laying on a couch, it was December, and we were watching a special where different religious leaders were discussing the after life.  And suddenly, I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

It has been 20ish years since that moment – and very rarely have I used the term mental illness when discussing things about myself.  I’ll make soft jokes at my own expense – how sometimes things bother me a bit more than others, how during the winter I would like to just hibernate like a bear, how sometimes my brain breaks down on me a little.  The real truth is it has been 20ish years of cycles.  Weeks of unpredictable levels of stability.  Days where getting out of bed felt like a herculean task.  Months where it seems like it is all finally over – where I am steady, happy, and panic attack free.

And then I find myself pulled over on the side of 495, crying hysterically and more than likely traumatizing my two kids who can’t figure out what is happening to their mom.  I don’t like to talk about it, so I don’t.  Just like so many others, carrying the weight of something they don’t really understand, I have become amazing at avoidance.  There are conversations I don’t have.  There are tricks I can use to make others not notice when my panic is mild, and I am pretty much an expert at putting on a happy face at work when internally I feel nothing but turmoil and despair.  I can redirect questions and make you forget they were ever asked.  Thanks to my minor in counseling, I am excellent at keeping others exactly where I want them – just far enough to only see the surface.

And then – there is running.  At times – running has been able to “fix” me.  I’ve gone for a run, or gotten back into the swing of running after a long break, and had it make me feel energized.  I will feel like myself – or at least the version of myself I am when things are good.  People frequently like to remind you how when you are feeling a little down, exercise is great at improving mood and releasing endorphins.  Running with others gives a great social boost – which can also be crucial during the down times.  When I have a steady habit of running, where it is automatic and scheduled into my days and held sacred from interruption, things are typically great.  Unfortunately, no one has a perfect schedule for too long.  Which brings on my next point.

I have also found that sometimes running can make a bad moment or day or week even worse.  There are times that what I need in order to keep moving forward is to be busy, distracted, and focused on specific tasks that require my attention.  There are times when going for a run allows all of the worst thoughts in my head to become the loudest.  Those moments that on another day may become that elusive runners high – those miles where you are almost in a trance with no thoughts in your head, just scenery – those miles become torturous.  There are times when I know logically that a run would really make me feel better if I could just make it happen, but after a single mile I simply don’t have it in me, and then not only do I still feel awful, but I also feel like a failure.

I bring up this highly personal (and admittedly, mildly embarrassing to be publicly sharing) topic, because I am certain I am not unique.  I know there are many people out there who feel like running is a kind of therapy – helping to keep them up, keeping them connected to a community, keeping them feeling physically healthy.  There are also folks out there who would love to be running, or running more regularly, but the war between mind and body is holding them back.

I am occasionally in a uniquely uncomfortable position while writing this blog and discussing my grand running goals and plans, but weeks later finding myself in the middle of a depressive swing – benching me physically and keeping me from achieving what I very publicly declared I wanted to try.  I then find myself back-peddling, trying to find a good excuse to give my reader for what kept me back, instead of just admitting that on some days, the best thing I can do for myself is nothing.

As members of the running community – I can almost guarantee that you know someone like me.  Someone who loves to run, who loves how it feels and the company and the sense of accomplishment of setting out to do something and getting it done.  Maybe it is that runner that occasionally disappears from the track work outs for months at a time.  The friend forever signing up for races and then backing out (I’m not implying all of these folks are struggling – but maybe a little motivation could help!!).  Maybe it is even the overly eager runner, the one who never misses a single opportunity to get out and run.  I know I certainly had a period in my life where everything at home was so hard to manage – any offer of a run would make me basically leap out the door.

I implore you to build relationships with the runners around you (big shout out to the Metro Milers group from Metro Run & Walk and the amazing care I have seen them give each other over the last five years).  Give a call to that runner that hasn’t been showing up.  Remind them you want to see them, go nice and slow with them, and don’t grill them as to why they’ve been missing their miles.  And if you are a runner like me, don’t be afraid to make someone an accountability partner!  Let someone know that maybe if you miss a few runs, to give you a call and help you get back on track.  Join a group, there are tons in this area full of incredibly friendly and supporting runners looking for new friends to enjoy their hobby with.  And on those days where you are really struggling with making it out the door – be gentle with yourself.  Your shoes will be there when your feet are ready for them.

 

-Addie

Want to love running? Run with kids!

When I talk about running with adults who don’t enjoy it, the reactions tend to be strong.  The most common I hear is “I only run if something is chasing me.”  I think, maybe, these adults forget how much fun it can be to be chased!  All it takes is a few minutes watching children play – true, unstructured play – with all the rules taken away to see the joy they find in running.  All the screaming, laughing, quick sprints and long hauls of childhood.

What happens to us?  What takes away the joy and terror of having the person that is “it” coming for us?  I’m not sure, but I know if you want to be inspired (or re-inspired!), you should try out running with kids.  Not a runner?  That’s okay, too!  Find a couch to 5k plan, and try it out with your kid.  Build up your stamina slowly, enjoy the unplugged time with your child, and I can almost guarantee you’ll hear some more interesting stories than what you normally hear about your child’s day.

I think the hardest thing for self-proclaimed runners about running with kids is that we have to drop our egos.  We are all proud of our PRs – be they distance or speed – but I have to tell you the honest truth.  Kids don’t care about your PR.  What they do care about, is not being told they are doing something wrong.  Being allowed to just move and breathe and be outside, being silly, and enjoying your company – these things will make the run worth it!  The second you try to make a run with your child about you – you lose them.

I’m not saying running fast or running long comes naturally to kids.  I’ve been coaching different running programs for kids for six years now, and many of those kids are working their hardest, and not always loving the process.  Just like with adults, however, when all is said and done, they have a huge sense of accomplishment when they’ve completed something they have set out to do.  This is particularly important for preteens who are figuring out how to navigate life and prioritize their choices.  What an amazing thing for them to see, out of the context of school and structure, that putting work and effort into something can take them farther (literally!!) than they thought they could go.

This Saturday, April 16th, I hope you will come out and join me for a free family trot.  We will do some silly warm ups with the kids, talk about some dos and don’ts for the adults (don’t make it a chore!!!), and then have a chance to do a little running together.  The planned course will just be two miles – one out and one back, but you can always turn around sooner, or head out longer if you so feel so inclined!!

I hope your enjoying this warmer and warmer weather, and I hope to see you Saturday!

~Addie