Category Archives: Running

Going the distance!

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490x270-rnr-app-logo-den

The idea of running another distance race has been percolating in the back of my brain for a while. 5k’s and 10k’s are fun but I’m not a sprinter and it takes me most of the run just to really feel good. It’s been a few years since I’ve really had time to properly train for anything over 10 miles and I know how awful they can be if you’re not ready so I’ve held off. Wednesday, one of my friends and I had a particularly awesome run. It was National Running Day and seemed fitting that after a month of gently rehabbing the IT band (again!) I’m back on track. We’ve been tossing around different races but nothing had clicked. Earlier in the day I had seen a National Running Day special in my Twitter-feed about $20 off any of the Rock’n Roll Marathons and paid it no attention. As I finished my last strides into my driveway I decided maybe I should just check it out.

RNR_Running

Ten minutes later, a $20 discount off the entry fee and BAM! October 20, 2013 I’ll be running 26.2 miles. The next morning I woke up just as stoked as I had been when I signed up and the same goes for today. No buyers remorse yet! I haven’t done a large running race in quite a while but there’s something magical about being surrounded by all those people just running. The sound of 3000+ pairs of feet running on the pavement is amazing! If this is anything near as cool as the Seattle Marathon, I’ll be loving it for years to come.

So, along with all my cycling, my running has now been elevated to another level. It’s not just running for the love of it, which I do anyway, but now I have a reason to do even cooler long runs. Yipee!

Are you training for any distance events? Do you go in spurts where you do them for a while and then take a break? Any chance you’re running the Denver Rock’n Roll Marathon? Fill me in!

#in30 June Challenge

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So I will do them in a box.
And I will do them with a fox.
And I will do them in a house.
And I will do them with a mouse.
And I will do them here and there.
Say! I will do single-leg deadlifts and hip bridges ANYWHERE!                -Almost Dr. Suess

 

#in30June2013If you haven’t already guessed, June’s challenge is single-leg deadlifts and hip bridges. May focused on our quads, which should be nice and strong after reaching 250 of them, now it’s time to counter those bad-ass muscles with some muscles that always seem to get neglected. In order to get the most out of these exercises I’ve posted a couple of videos below to show the proper form. Like last months challenge, this is designed to be able to be done anywhere, at any time, by most people. Single-leg deadlifts are easier done with some weight to balance with. I know I’ll be traveling a lot in June so instead of a kettlebell I’ll be grabbing a stuff sack and filling it with rocks. Easy peasy!

Can’t do this months challenge due to injury or another good reason, join in anyway! Pick something you can do and let us help motivate you to get stronger. You can find us on Twitter, just look for the #in30 hashtag and let one of us know you’re joining the game. You can tweet myself @clymberchick, Gina Begin @ginabegin, Kristie @wigirl4ever or @Stonewear with any questions.

This is designed to be fun and to challenge yourself. If you have a race, want to go hike, need an extra day off or just can’t get through all the exercises no worries. We’re all in that boat some day. We’ll all be there when you get back, ready to cheer you on.

Important Notes: Before starting any physical activities, make sure you have been cleared by a doctor. This program was not designed by a certified athletic trainer but in conjunction with a personal trainer.

Running || On Attitude Adjustments

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This morning I awoke in a horrible, rotten mood. I don’t have complete idea why my attitude was such crap but I have a hunch the Red Flag Warning and predicted dry lightning for the afternoon might be playing into it. Halfway into my hour-long commute I knew that if I didn’t do something to fix my attitude it was going to be a long day of dealing with myself, let alone anyone else. Running is one of my coping mechanisms when it comes to a bad attitude but I also have a semi-rule that temps above 90-degrees are too hot to run in. Since it was a late night I didn’t get up early enough to run at home in the cool morning so 90-degrees at 9AM was going to have to work.

While I was running I thought back to the previous night’s discussion between Jake and myself about expectation from certain activities. For me I derive some sense of accomplishment from my work, it’s not just a paycheck and as such I need my work to be meaningful. If it was just about the money what I did for work wouldn’t matter as much as pay. Pondering along that same thread I thought about how I feel about my cycling and running. When it comes to running I like to race, I also can run the same training routes day-in and day-out and never get bored. Running for me is about the exercise, the stress release and in a sense it’s where I go to “suffer.”

Cycling, at least for the time being, seems to hold a different place in my psyche. While I sometimes use it as a tool for exercise, that isn’t it’s primary function in my life. I do race my bike and sometimes I like to go out and “suffer” but just a likely I’d rather go ride in a new location and explore than find myself grinding up a hill I’ve ridden before.

All this comes as an interesting revelation and insight. What I’ll do or should do with this I’m not sure yet. As I finished my run I was happily exhausted, thankful for the insight and my attitude was tracking on a much better path. How do you use your cycling and running? Are they just a means to an end or the end in themselves?

Hope your Wednesday is off to a better start then mine!