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Tag Archive - Running

The Most Important Lesson I Learned From A Sports Injury

April 24, 2012 in Breathing Deep with 6 Comments

This was to be the season of my “old man era” in running… I was planning on ripping it up on the local running circuit this spring, giving it a go to see just how fast I could run the 5,000 to 15,000 meter races. I began endurance training last summer, upped my mileage a bit and ran longer distances during individual outings. My first race was last October and I was really happy with the results! A couple of weeks later it happened… I was about one mile into a 6 mile run, cruising over the intracoastal bridge, moving at a pretty good clip… when I tore a muscle in my left leg. It didn’t hurt much right away… I barely even noticed it until about mile 4… by mile 5 I knew something was awry… I slowed down but finished my run that day… stretched… took some Motrin…

A few days later it was painful. I decided to take a week off from running to try to let it heal… it didn’t… so I took 6 weeks off to try to let it heal… it did… sort of…

how to run a Be Great race

June 10, 2011 in Soul Food with 0 Comments

Ready... Set... Be Great!!

I’m running in a 5k race tomorrow.

It seems every time I lace up my running shoes I’m thinkin’ about doing it to it… while I would humbly add that I’m not exactly a jock or strong athlete, I just enjoy my run.

Well, tomorrow I’m running in a race but this one is a little different for me. This is the race that I want to perform at my peak in… next year. My current goal for running is to try and peak in one year, to see how good I can be in “the old guy era” of my running.

That makes this race… well… not really a race. I’m not planning to run another race for 3+ months… going to cruise through the long, hot summer, pile on the miles, and focus on endurance… then start to work on improving my speed and times in the fall.

Even though this race doesn’t really mean anything, here are some of the thoughts that are going through my mind over the past two weeks as I’m running…

I need to get my weight back down to 165 (I’m certain that some of the extra is piled on my booty! )
I feel good… should I speed up?
Maybe I should up my mileage today to run 8 instead of 4
I could just run intervals twice this week and improve my speed a weeee bit
Finish strong… or just cruise on in?
My knees are feeling really good lately, maybe I should up my weekly mileage
~~What should I wear for the race~~ just kidding!

I’ll still probably be jockeying for position at the starting line and have butterflies in my gut as I await the start of the “race”…

I’m still going to be “doing my best”…

but in this circumstance that would entail remembering Ecclesiastes 3:1…

“To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven.”

So here are my goals for tomorrow:

Run a decent time and shoot for an even pace
Learn the course so I’ll be familiar with it for next year
Be Great

Wait a sec, Be Great?

That’s right, my main goal for tomorrow’s race is to Be Great. That would mean I’m going to be intentional about serving other people’s needs. I’m pretty sure that God will come up with the details for this task… Let’s see where He leads me

The Question: What could you do today to Be Great and intentionally show God’s love in a positive way and serve other people’s needs?

6 Tips For Breaking Through Fatigue In Your Training Runs

May 14, 2011 in Breathing Deep with 0 Comments

This past week a few of my runs have been really difficult. I’m attributing this to the following reasons:

It’s getting hotter and more humid outside
I’ve gained a few pounds since Easter

I know that breaking through fatigue is necessary to get to the next level in my current desire to increase my level of endurance, and at the same time I need to listen to my body and be aware of the warning signs of heat stress.

There is a lot of good information about heat stress, HERE’S A START

I came up with 6 tips for breaking through fatigue in your training runs:

MIND OVER MATTER: Pay attention to your body, know your limitations, and recognize when something is wrong other than it just being a mind over matter training issue. When it is a matter of persevering through fatigue, set your mind to it… and do it!
Scheduling training runs during the early morning or late evening to minimize the effects of the heat and humidity.
Sticking with an eating/fueling plan… (more on this one coming soon)
Keeping water consumption up. Hydrate, hydrate hydrate…
For me, balancing training with the other outdoor activities that I enjoy with friends and family. For example, if I’m outside at the beach, biking or kayaking during the day it would probably be best not to attempt a long run that evening.
Jamming some tunes on your iPod can help motivation.

What do you like to include in your training routine that would help others overcome fatigue or otherwise inspire them?

The Most Important Stretch

April 23, 2011 in Breathing Deep with 0 Comments

Our high school cross-country coach used to make us stretch before and after running. Thinking we were invincible at the time, we would do it, sometimes more to appease him than wholeheartedly. He told us to stretch on our day off from running every week, and to stretch before and after our run. We would include stretching as a part of our routine whenever we trained together, and ideally when we trained on our own as well.

We imagined that we would be so stretched out we would one day end up looking like Gumby. That would be quite a stretch of the imagination though…

The finish line, whether after a training run or a race, is the starting point of recovery for your body. And the stretching and cool down from exercise is considered the most important one. Active.com lists these 5 stretches for runners:

Mixing Up The Training Schedule

April 12, 2011 in Breathing Deep with 2 Comments

I’ve built up my weekly running to 30-35 miles a week and have started to mix up my daily distances and speed a bit for two reasons:

I want to try to increase my endurance while at the same time recognizing that I can’t just run more miles a week (to maximize my training capacity, and at the advice of my doctor, I’m choosing not to run more miles in an effort to help my knees last longer).
I want to improve my speed, and I can do this by running at a faster pace during my short runs, and mixing in interval training (more on that another time).

Mixing it up helps me accomplish both.

So how do I do this?

4 good reasons to 5K

March 30, 2011 in Breathing Deep with 0 Comments

Everyone's a winner at the 5K race!

Whether you are a serious runner or not even interested in the activity there are a few good reasons to consider participating in a 5K race, I came up with 4…

They’re fun!! : The 5K (that’s 5,000 meters, or 3.1 miles) race is extremely popular, in most cities there is one every weekend. They’re usually early on Saturday mornings (if you enjoy going out and throwing down to Love In This Club on Friday nights just stay up!) My favorite 5K race in Jacksonville is the Festival of Lights, it’s just before Christmas at night and the course through San Marco is lighted with luminaries!
They’re for a good cause: Most all of the 5K races are charity benefits so at least part of the money you hand them to participate goes to a good cause.
They’re a stepping-stone to greater things: If you aspire to be a serious runner this is the starting point, where you can surround yourself with like-minded people who are healthy and taking care of themselves, and you’ll learn how to run at a pace. If you’re not into running, they’re still fun, there are plenty of people that walk the race with friends or family (that’s Quality Time )
There is more fun to be had than just the race itself: If you’re not convinced yet, check this out… most of the 5K events have a one-mile fun run for kids and also bouncy houses and other activities. This is a great place to start off a Saturday that could involve the whole family.

What race do you have on the agenda coming up? Can you think of any more good reasons to participate in a 5K event?

Fueling Up on Lobster Mac & Cheese

July 22, 2010 in Breathing Deep with 0 Comments

Sports Nutrition has become a topic of interest for me since I started running again last year. I learned a good bit of this from a fantastic personal trainer, Christian Castro. Timing when and what you eat makes me think more of food as fuel. And this seems to be very important to athletes that want to perform at their best. I’m not an expert at this, but the attached article made me think of it and I wanted to post this to share with others that might be interested.