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Posts from the ‘Inspiration’ Category

Feb 7

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Fat People Don’t Ride Trails Like This – A Guest Post by Hannah Roberts

Plus Runner Note: Please welcome today’s Guest Poster – the gloriously talented photographer, writer, and mountain biker, Hannah Roberts! (Photo credits to Aaron, Hannah’s husband!)

Cycling is great fun, especially with a fast road bike on a paved trail with the sun shining and birds singing happily. Even on an unusually warm and beautiful January day, this ride would be nothing like that. I slowly churned the pedals of my seldom-used mountain bike up the first long, steep, gravelly hillside of the day. As I got off the bike to walk the rest of the way up the hill, I felt the strong desire to give up already. From the trailhead parking lot to this point, just an eighth of a mile, my heart rate had gone from 90 to 140. I was embarrassed to be panting and red-faced as I dragged myself to the spot where my husband and his friend had been watching the deer and examining a trail map for some time.

There was some consolation in knowing that the map indicated this section of the trail was rated blue/intermediate (at least I wasn’t wimping out on an easy trail), but I really was out of my element. What had I been I thinking taking this on? Don’t I know that fat people don’t ride trails like this? – just look at that young, muscular girl in the group that just passed me. I had never done anything like this before and I felt silly in my spandex. Hikers were passing me and I thought surely they must think me a fool, constantly switching gears and having to walk my bike so much. I told the guys maybe they should go on and I’d meet them back at the truck if I decided to quit. But they would hear nothing of it and waited a good ten minutes for me to regain my composure and soldier on. That was the first of countless trailside rests to come.

I had wanted to believe that that was the top of the hill, but it was only about a fifth of the way up it. The trail turned and ascended another 2 miles of green and blue trial to a point that overlooked the quarry in the valley. Again, by the time I arrived, the boys had been there for a while. But I was feeling warmed up and more hopeful about the odds of surviving. From here it looked to be downhill – a relief but for the fact that I have a fear of riding on gravel, especially downhill. This fear dates back to a childhood bike race on my pink Huffy that ended in a bad fall. Now I felt a little shaky as I watched the boys streaked by like lightning. I carefully navigated the ruts and bumps and rocks, applying the brakes often to avoid losing control. In my head I kept flashing back to the crash and the road rash in my distant past.

But I didn’t fall and as I reached the bottom, my mind quickly moved to the next challenge. Ahead of us was the entrance to the quarry, an almost vertical set of 18” wide steps carved into the rock. The park was busy and a large group was making the climb ahead of us. The boys scrambled right up the steps of course. I gave it a valiant effort, pushing my bike up the rock in front of me, only accepting help at the last few steps. The quarry was really something to see. We took a good 30 minutes to sit and enjoy the sun and the view. All around us were people with children and dogs and bikes, even a few scaling the rocks with climbing gear. For a moment my troubles were forgotten.

But only for a moment, then time to move on. It was another steep rock scramble out of the quarry, then a half mile of winding trail through snow, ice, and mud. The boys blazed through it but I was nervous, walking through the worst of it (where a fall would mean a nasty tumble downhill through thorn bushes), and slowing at the corners for fear of running over a pedestrian. The next intersection offered several choices: a long blue trail – downhill mostly (toward the parking lot), a long scenic blue/black heading uphill, or a blue/black very technical uphill leading us to a long downhill. I was in no state of mind to make such a decision and told the boys that I was so far out of my comfort zone that I’d follow them wherever. Guess which one they chose – the very technical one of course! But at this point I didn’t care, I was determined to get back to the truck, even if I had to crawl.

At first it didn’t seem so bad and even if I wasn’t keeping up with them, I was at least staying on my bike.  At one point I was standing on the pedals to get through a tough spot and my gears popped unexpectedly. Thinking I would fall, I tensed up and strained a muscle in my back that had only healed up the week before. I stopped for a few to stretch it but I was worried about pinching the nerve again. We had come to the technical section and I was only too happy to be walking over the tree roots, mud, and rocks. A woman hiking with her dog shook her head as she passed me, “I’d never try to bike this! You’re braver than I am.” I laughed, “The jury’s still out, I may never do it again.” But the truth was, that even in my silly spandex with my red face, I felt triumphant to have made it that far. Up ahead my husband gave quite a show, riding all the way to the top of the hardest part and I cheered him on. When I caught up to him I could feel the fatigue setting in and warned him that I had found my limit. “You’re doing great! This next little bit is the last of the black trail.”

Sure enough, the next intersection offered the option to take a mile of blue downhill and the promise of only one more short uphill section before coming back to the truck. By now I had made huge strides to overcome my fear of crashing and I was only a short distance behind the guys. The wind in my face and the joy of flying along the trail rejuvenated me just enough to tackle the last tough stretch. This section was green but very steep. I opted to trudge on foot to the top of the hill that looked down on the truck. What a sight for my sore eyes (and backside)! The ride down felt victorious and I half expected a cheering crowd and a finish line at the bottom. I had survived 5.5 miles of technical mountain bike trial!

Later as we drove away from the trailhead, my husband was beaming as he said, “I’m so proud of you for doing this with me, Babe!” I had exceeded his expectations and my own. Apparently fat people do mountain bike sometimes and you never know, I may just do it again.

Jan 11

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10 tips for finding- and sticking with – your inner athlete

At the beginning of each year, we’re all laced with some super-potent exercise cocktail.  Evolution (or perhaps our innate nature which lets hope spring eternal every winter) makes us believe this year will be better.  This plan will work.  These things will stick.

Sometimes they do – but sometimes, little things get in our way.  We’re all grownups with schedules and obligations and habits that we drag around.  So how do you hurdle them to find your inner athlete? 

I’ve been thinking about this as I struggle to find a rhythm that works for me again for “getting moving”.  A few weeks back I received the rather tough news that my lingering foot issue is apparently here to stay, and having been summarily benched from running – and even (GASP) walking any real distance, I’m finding myself annoyed and unmotivated. 

So I built myself a pep list.  It’s just what it sounds like – it’s a little pep talk – on paper – to remind myself that there aren’t any rules except DON’T GET HURT. Here, then, my ten tips for finding my inner athlete – being put to good use, as we speak…

1.  Think outside the path.  The running path is my “box” – it’s the place I go to work out, run, walk, interval, cross train, bike etc. I do it because it’s easy and close and safe.  But now, it’s off limits to me. So I’ve got to think wider and farther.  For me, that means finding an alternate, totally different activity to keep me motivated – this week, that’s going to mean cross country skiing!

2. Think of it like seasonal fruit. Every cookbook you see is organized by season (okay, well, the ones I’ve been reading lately.) If you’re in a climate that HAS four seasons, try something season-ish. In Chicago, that means I’m tempted to check out the Ice Rink at Wrigley, or spending 30 minutes building a snowman, (try it, it’s a workout!) or shoveling for an hour (okay, to be fair, not me).  But there are lots of opportunities to take advantage of the weather in a way that helps get the blood moving.  Do what’s easy in those situations.

3. It’s not about the clothes. I pay a LOT of attention to what I wear, but that’s because I live in a tundra and when I was a distance runner, it mattered what was on my body for a three hour run in 20 degree weather.  But most days, no one – other than you – gives a flip about what’s on your bod. Cover up, or don’t, but it’s only an hour, and really, if you just dress in layers, you’ll be fine.

4. Eat the elephant. This is Coach Jenny Hadfield’s fave phrase (or at least one I hear her reference all the time) and I love it.  If you have 100 pounds to drop, you’re not going to see a result right away. Remember that you have to do it one step at a time. You can’t run a 5k if you can’t walk to the end of the block – at least, NOT TODAY.  But you will be able to do it soon.  Look to the horizon.  For me, that means looking towards June as a “go” date, and taking small, meaningful activity bites in the meantime.

5. Stop bitching. Yikes, that sounds mean.  But seriously, this is mostly a tip for little old me. I can complain all day long about how much I’m annoyed to be hurt, but let’s face it folks, things happen.  I refuse to complain any more about this foot – instead, I WILL find the positive in what it forces me to try as an alternative.

6. Pack a flare. When you need a group workout, ask your friends to join you.  Need someone to help you get out of a funk? ASK.  You don’t have to ask your husband or your best friend – you can go meet new people, and ask them too.  Are you going to a Weight Watchers or other meeting? Raise your hand and ask if the group (who clearly knows how to get to your location one day a week) can meet before, or after, or another day of the week and walk for 2 miles. It might only be 30 minutes, but that’s a HUGE accomplishment if you were doing nothing before.  You can do the same thing with work colleagues or train buddies, or that other mom who drops off her kid at the same time you do every day. 

7. Have a fallback position. In one of my favorite series, Band of Brothers, I learned about the importance of a fallback position.  It’s the place you go when sh*t goes awry, when you can’t move forward – but you don’t want to get run out of town.  In athlete land, that’s figuring out what is the absolute BARE minimum you will accept from yourself on a weekly basis.  Is that two workouts? Is it 30 minutes a day?  For me, right now, that fallback position is ZERO minutes, and that’s got to change.

8. Do something totally frightening. Most Januaries, I sign up for a terrifying race in the August/September timeframe.  It lets me plan out the year, and reduces the likelihood that I’ll coast all the way till May with no aerobic or core training.  This year, I’m torn because life is in a bit of limbo, but I’ll likely be signing up for another Olympic distance triathlon in that range.  Is it because I like killing myself? No. Will I necessarily finish? Nope.  But I WILL train like a devil and get back in the pool, and for me, that’s what matters today.  That race scares the ever-living crap out of me, and it consistently does the trick of getting me moving.  Maybe, for you, that’s signing up to take Tennis lessons, or learning how to play Ultimate Frisbee.  Maybe it’s racquetball or basketball or a volleyball team.  What frightens you is personal – think about it, and use it to make you move.

9. Pay it forward. Find a way to make your movement meaningful, and you’ll likely stick with it longer.  Maybe it means bringing a friend on walks with you. Maybe it’s running or walking for a cause.  But if you reach out and help others, you’ll be more likely to finsih whatever you’ve completed, because it’s not about you – it’s about someone else.  And if you’re like me, you’re frequently far more likely to not want to let someone ELSE down than you are to pay attention to your own little needs :)

10.  Accept that you will be humbled. We are not all born athletes.  We have to learn how to do things.  We will fail.  We will fall off bikes, we will sprain ankles, and we will look really, really stupid at times.  But all of those things will make us better at our sport of choice, and with muscle memory and learning, we’ll get better.  Really, we will.  It won’t always feel like this.  The same goes for your aerobic capacity.  We’re like gas tanks – if you’ve been draining the lungs with no activity for awhile, it’s going to take a bit of work – every day work – to get them functioning right on demand.  So don’t get all mad when you’re huffing and puffing (or sweating or red-faced).  It’s a badge of honor, and it just says ‘hey, I’m new here.’   It’s a good thing.

And on that note, kids, I’m off to relax a bit….have a great night!

7.

Jan 6

Recovering From Hardship – Why You’re Better Equipped Than You Think

“I get knocked down – and I get up again  – you aint never gonna keep me down.  I get knocked down – and I get up again – you aint never gonna keep me down. ” (Come on, you know you want to dance.)

You may dance – but did you also know that if you have been knocked down, you’re probably made of tougher stuff than those who haven’t?  Maybe this is intuitive, but this piece in Science seciton of the NYT confirms what most of us feel – that if we’ve weathered some storms, we’re more likely to come through them tougher.

Ask anyone who’s been through the loss of a job, loved one, or through a serious injury and they’ll tell you – it wears on you. But Science is also telling us that you also clearly develop some additional benefits – namely, the ability to get back up again.  On the other hand, if you’re lucky enough to go through life without any hits, when you do get knocked down, getting up is really, really tough.

So next time you’re out there bemoaning the fact that the workout is hard, or you hate your job, just think this:  all of these challenges are actually making you more likely to succeed.  There’s something they didn’t teach us in high school. 

Recovering From Hardship – NYTimes.com

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Jan 5

3 Comments

Tunes to move to – courtesy of Marie Claire. Yes, really.

Got yourself the new Eminem?  What about Ludacris? Need the best mix for your run? Water aerobics? Jazz-handing down the driveway? 

I don’t know about you, but I move more when there are good tunes in my ears.  It took me awhile to learn to breathe and run at the same time (don’t laugh, it’s HARD!) but now that I can, I rarely workout without an iPod for cardio.

Thankfully, if your iPod is a bit behind the times, you can catch it up courtesy of Marie Claire, who has a whole selection of tunes designed to help you get your move on.  Even if you don’t go purchasing, it’s a nice lunchtime distraction.

Move on, people, move on.

Workout Playlists – Music to Workout – Marie Claire.

p.s.  Just drive on by those articles on the right rail, including “Is your boyfriend secretly gay?” and “Easy ways to lose 5 lbs today”.  I think it’s safe to assume neither article is likely to be nearly as edifying as a good walk around the block.

Jan 2

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Are we capable of change?

We’ve all heard the story about the friend who received some bad medical news.  He’s got (heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, joint pain, back pain, gall bladder problems) and knows, cognitively, that changing his behavior may be the only way to live a full life.  He wants to see his grandchildren grow old, or meet the love of his life, or go on that vacation he’s always dreamed of.  But he can’t, because he’s seriously overweight and he can’t even envision getting started on a new program, let alone what he might look like if he were to become that guy.

That guy is, fundamentally, where we all have to start as we picture who we want to be when we lace up our shoes each day.  That guy is us – minus 20, 50, 100, or 200 pounds.  So how do we start to see ourselves as that guy?

I’ve been thinking about this a bit lately, thanks to my job.  Interestingly enough, there’s a whole field of study out there about what it takes to change behavior for good.  Not surprisingly, it’s called “change management”.  If you work for a large company, chances are you’ve been through a process that uses the principles of change management at one time or another.   At its core, there are a few lessons about making change stick – personally, they’re slightly different, but this is what’s been hitting home for me lately.  To get someone to change their behavior, you have to do a couple of key things.  First, that person  has to:

1) Believe that the benefits of changing far outweigh the current situation; and

2) Be able to envision themselves living out that change when it’s complete.

I don’t know about you, but that’s a really high bar.  Most of us, even if we’re overweight, probably think that our life is okay.  But if I were to inventory what’s good – and what I think needs to be better in my life – I have to be DAMN honest about it to admit that the benefits of changing outweigh the current situation.   Curious about what it might look like for you?  Well, here’s my take on it (it being a combination of weight AND fitness, which for me, are intertwined. I don’t talk exclusively about weight, and I don’t talk exclusively about fitness.)

What are the current disadvantages of living in this body?

1) I’m active, but the impact of being overweight is starting to wear on me.  After years of running, I have an injury which is certainly related to my weight, and which isn’t going away.  It’s keeping me from doing what I love.

2) I’d love to date more! I know, I’m fabulous and all, but the fact remains, ours is a superficial society, and men generally have a probem dating overweight women.  There’s a blanket assessment that if you’re overweight, you’re inactive. I’m not finding the kind of guy who I want to, and part of it is related to this.

3) I’m a shopaholic, and until I start designing clothes, I have a hate/hate relationship with plus-sized fashion.  It’s fine -but I’d like to look better in my clothes.

4) Assorted disadvantages (none of which are nearly as important to me as the first three: increased risk for various things (cancer, hypertension, high blood pressure); feeling judged or uncomfortable in front of others (trains and planes); and the inability to wear not-even-killer 2″ high heels due to this running injury.) Ahem.

What are the advantages of changing?

1) Confidence and comfort in myself and my appearance, wherever I may go.

2) Ability to take on any physical challenge, with just the “regular” things holding me back!

3) Ability to walk into a store and buy anything. That looks good.  This too becomes more important as work may have me relocating soon to London, where there are fewer clothes and lines for people my size.

4) Better Hanger Appeal.  This is what Nina Garcia of Project Runway calls a look that knocks you out on the hanger – not just when on your body.  For me, this is the dating issue – I’m great once you’re sitting next to me, but improving my Hanger Appeal would surely help (for example, in that picture up above, I’d like to be slightly less chesty, and be baring some Michelle Obama arms!)

5)Decreased risk of injury.  I have no numbers to support this, but physics tells me that the bigger I am, the harder I fall.  It also means I land harder, and I believe that my increase in weight is partly to blame for my 2-year bout with Plantar Fasciitis.  I’d like that to go away. 

6)  Decreased risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, blah blah blah. These are longer-term variables, and I’ll admit, they don’t make me swoon.  But they should be considered as positives.

So that’s my list.  Now, I’m going to ask you: what’s on yours?  What do you find is keeping you on the couch, and off the path?  What do you think motivates you to get moving, and start to change?

Once you’ve thought about that, I’d encourage you to think about the next big question (part 2 in our analysis above): can you actually see yourself getting to a point in your life where you moved more, weighed less, and felt better about yourself?  Can you picture yourself doing it, and what you might look like if you did it all the time?  Can you see yourself in a different, stronger body?

Personally, I think this is the hardest part.  I don’t care how long you’ve been battling your demons, the mental act of envisioning yourself as something different takes more than imagination- it takes a leap of faith.

Maybe the last picture you have of yourself at a reasonable weight was when you were a teenager. Maybe you’ve never had that photo.  If that’s the case, here’s what I want you to do:  find a 5k in your town.  Go to the local gym.  Stop in at the YMCA.  And look around.  Really, really, look.   There will be people there of every size.  Picture yourself standing between them.  Right now.   Watch them run, or walk, or lift weights, or swim.  Picture yourself joining them.  If you can picture that – just joining them for one day – you’ll have already done something you didn’t think possible – you will have started seeing yourself as an active person. 

It’s not easy to do if you’ve been hurt, or sedentary, or just plain broken.  It’s not easy when you have a history of failed attempts.  If you do, don’t ignore them – use them.  I like to think of starting a new fitness or exercise program as the best things that baking has taught me.  If I burn the cookies on a certain pan, next time up I either turn down the temperature or shorten the baking time.  It’s the same thing with working out.  I know without a doubt that I will never – ever – successfully maintain an early morning swim routine.  I hate getting up early, and I might make it one day, but I’ll never make it more than two weeks.  So if I’m going to swim, I have to join a gym that has hours after work, and I have to plan accordingly.  I know that works for me, so you won’t find me committing to pre-work swims any time soon.

I also know that when I make moving more easy and accessible, I’m likely to do it more often.  That’s why there’s a balance ball, weights, and a bike trainer in my house for the winter.  Also, because I’m likely to work late, eat dinner, and veg instead of pedaling in front of the TV for 30 minutes a day, I know that I have to plan each week what I’m going to try to do.  Even if I don’t get the exact schedule done as listed, I’ll be more likely to stick with it if it’s written down.

But those are my lessons, and those are my adjustments.  Think about what your lessons are as you embark on your new programs this year.  Think about what will help you be most successful at whatever you choose to focus on.  Think about long term change.  And then see yourself completing it. 

Do me a favor, too.  If you happen to go to that gym, or that YMCA, or that class, have someone take a picture of yourself.  Then print it out, and put it on your fridge. You can be sweaty, and you can be awkward, and it won’t matter a bit.  Just get that picture up there, so you can see yourself – every day – as that more active person. 

And when you’re done thinking about all that, consider joining me for John Bingham’s 100 Days Challenge.  You can find the event page on Facebook here.  Simply put, John’s goal is to get people to commit to moving – just moving – for 30 minutes a day – for the next 100 days. Well, technically, the next 98 days.  If you missed the first two, that’s okay.  Just jump in when you’re ready – all you have to do is commit to some intentional movement for 30 minutes each day.  Doesn’t matter how, or where.  For more info, check out John’s video here, and if you want to track your workout, check in here.  

Not sure if you can do it?  Well, start small. Think about doing an easy yoga class at your park district.  Or just swimming slowly in your local pool.  Consider trying out FitTV’s great list of everyday at home workouts – or just commit to parking your car at the mall and walking for 30 minutes a day. 

Today, I parked as far as possible from my destination at the mall, and walked 3X10s as I broke up my day.  It was easy, it was effective, and it’s done.  It’s just one step to seeing that person I know I can be.

Please consider joining me.  Here’s to a great 2011! I look forward to seeing you all here!!

Sallie

Dec 15

12 Days of Giving (Day 3): Women’s Sports Foundation

When I was five, I started playing soccer.  By the time I was ten, I added volleyball, softball, and basketball to the mix.  I wasn’t particularly good at any of them (but I wasn’t terrible, either.)  And I learned both how to play as a team – and how to push myself to excel, even when it was hard work.

Believe it or not, those wind sprints stay with me today.  Growing up as a girl post Title IX made a significant impact in my life – especially compared to my friends who grew up prior to its passage.  In my school, we could play whatever sports we wanted (and there were many).   When my brother went to soccer practice, so did I. When he learned it was part of life to win – and to lose – and to fight hard – and to work as a team – I was learning those same lessons.  I was his equal, and I knew it from the day I set foot on the soccer field.

Today, schools across the country continue to try to offer equal access and funding to women’s sports – from the elementary through collegiate levels.  It’s an uphill battle – but a valuable one.  Add in the challenges of getting kids active at ALL in these days of obesity and Wiis on every corner, and organizations who are trying to promote activity and health are facing some incredible challenges.

The Women’s Sports Foundation was formed in 1974 by Billie Jean King, to advance the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity.   Today, the Foundation continues to be active because there is STILL a need.  Why do they do it?  The Foundation says the following about its work: (I’ve bolded the three points that hit home the most for me.)  

The Foundation works for equal opportunity for our daughters to play sports so they, too, can derive the psychological, physiological and sociological benefits of sports participation.

o   High school girls who play sports are less likely to be involved in an unintended pregnancy, more likely to get better grades in school, and more likely to graduate than girls who do not play sports.

o   Girls and women who play sports have higher levels of confidence and self-esteem and lower levels of depression.

o   Sport is where our children learn about teamwork, goal setting and the pursuit of excellence.  In an economic environment where the quality of our life is dependent on two-income families, our daughters cannot be less prepared for the highly competitive workplace than our sons.

o   Eighty percent of the female executives at Fortune 500 companies identified themselves as former “tomboys” and having played sports. 

o   The Foundation works to afford females equal opportunity to work and be volunteer leaders in sports organizations and the sports industry.

The Foundation gives away grants – $10,000 to $20,000 per week – to help introduce girls to sports -and to help support amazing grass-roots efforts to achieve this objective.  They also do a great job advocating for women and girls:

o   One of the top five public grant-giving women’s funds in the United States, the Foundation distributes $10,000-20,000 per week from operating dollars to provide opportunities for socioeconomically underprivileged and inactive girls to participate in sports and physical activity.

o   The Foundation’s advocacy efforts have directly affected the amount of scholarship dollars supporting educational opportunities for female student-athletes in the United States.  In 1972, women received only $100,000 but now receive $617 million a year.

o   In the past 34 years, the Foundation has awarded more than $50 million in educational and cash grants to advance participation, research and leadership in sports and physical activity for girls and women.

o   The Foundation’s support of national laws prohibiting sex discrimination has resulted in an increase in high school girls’ varsity sports participation from 1 in 27 in 1972 to 2 in 5 girls in 2006.

o   In the 2004 and 2006 Olympic and Paralympic Games, 33 of the women competing received Travel and Training grants from the Foundation, and five medals were earned by the grantees.

So, as you’re thinking about how to make a difference in someone’s life, it’s not too far off to think that a grant to the WSF would be both meaningful – and well used – this holiday season.  Consider it your gift to the next generation of women athletes. 

Alternatively, make your gift the gift of your time.  The Foundation lists the following activities that you can engage in to help continue to advance girls participation in sports:

1. Educate yourself. Learn the ins and outs of the law and its interpretations and become an advocate for gender equity in sports. Visit the Issues and Research section of our site and peruse our Title IX articles.

2. Write a letter to your Congressperson. We’ve elected these people to represent our best interests, now is a perfect time to hold them responsible to the ideals of their constituents. The common belief of providing girls and equal playing field needs to be a bigger priority than special interest money.

3. Become a member of the Women’s Sports Foundation. We, the national leaders in Title IX advocacy, have worked tirelessly for 25 years to increase opportunities for girls and women in sport and educate the public about this necessity. Join our team and begin making a difference today.

4. Review and connect with your local newspaper. The media needs to know when they are doing a good job. When you compliment the media, they will give you more of what they were applauded for. When the media covers women’s sports the way you think they should, e-mail the editor, sports editor or station manager and tell him or her how much you appreciate the coverage. Likewise, the media needs to hear from you when coverage of women’s sports is sexist, biased or simply not there.

5. Make a donation to the Women’s Sports Foundation. Your donations help give us the fuel to do the important advocacy work that we do every day on behalf of girls and women. Beyond legal and public policy work, we give hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to provide opportunities for girls to play sports through our GoGirlGo! grants.

6. Support women’s sports with your dollars. Like it or not, the business of women’s sports is still in relative infancy compared to men’s sports. Want to see women’s sports thrive and grow? Go to a local women’s college game. Buy season tickets to women’s professional league games. When it’s time to give gifts to others, think of purchases that pump money into the business of women’s sports.

I think they’ve said it best.  Whichever course you choose, thanks for reading!

Nov 3

14 Comments

Managing Race Day Stress

This past Sunday, I had the great opportunity to run off a few of the Kit Kats which had been calling me home this Halloween season.  The Chicago Monster Dash (complete with a lovely stained glass medal) beckoned, and I obliged.

With registration in hand (there’s a good story behind that), I hit Grant Park on a gorgeous fall day, just as the Half Marathon crew was taking off around 8:00 a.m.   If you saw me wandering over to the start line Sunday morning, you might have thought that I was just another lame-o without a costume, getting ready to knock out three miles.  And I was.  But I was also a woman who ran dozens of races over the past ten years – but not a single running event - without being injured - in the past 18 months.

I don’t know about you, but for me, 18 months is a lifetime.  I mean, literally, children learn to walk and babble and do all sorts of things in 18 months.  People meet and get married in that amount of time.  Sometimes, they even wedge in a divorce.  In my intervening 18 months, I’d moved once, been through a stint of unemployment (and a return to work), welcomed multiple small children into my extended friends and family, and  – and – not to be underestimated – completed more than 30 PT visits and been introduced to the joys of cortisone.  In short, I’d been through some stuff. 

So toeing the line (or, more accurately, jumping in behind some girls dressed as Red and Green M&M and the Super Mario Brothers), had me feeling a bit stressed.  Was I really ready to try this distance?  Was I asking for trouble? 

I’ve been returning to running slowly, following the program given to me by my doc –  but I haven’t been following it to the tee.  I mean, really, that would make sense.  I’ve also been helping to pace the Chicago Endurance Sports 5k group this fall, and had been running without incident the past two weeks.  So part of my nervousness was wondering if 3 miles was too much, too soon.  (And trust me, when I say this, I cringe, becuase 3 miles used to be something I did when I was bored. )  But I knew that if I kept to my training, and kept an easy pace, all should be good.  And it was.  I focused on my “effort level” – how hard I was working throughout – and not on the pace per se – and felt pretty good at the finish.  No pain, and no worries.  Well, almost no worries. 

Because here’s something I didn’t count on:  all the race-day stuff that I thought just came with BIG races (you know, the ones where, if you quit, you’re 5-10 miles from home), well all of that was present too.  The things I thought would go away because I wasn’t running long – well, they were still there on Sunday, just for a shorter amount of time.  But make no mistake, they impacted the way I ran the race, and how I felt when I finished.  So here, a few pieces of advice about dealing with the race day stresses I encountered Sunday – and that you’re likely to encounter if you’re just the slightest bit like me!

Remember you race with others. The whole point of doing a 5k or a 10k is to put yourself in an event where you can push a bit with support – and an incentive to do well – AND  where you can feel like part of a community as you engage in a solo activity.  But running with others means you’re probably going to be impacted by them too.  Think about how you’ll handle it when the woman with the double-wide stroller cuts you off on the path – while talking on her cellphone.  Or how you might deal with a group who decides to walk right in front of you – four or five wide – while you’re trying to keep a pace.  These things happen, and they’re part of every race.  The best thing to do is either: decide you’re going to expend your energy to run AROUND them the whole race; or simply try to squeak through when you see a chance, smile, and keep breathing. 

On Sunday, I was so surprised by how much I wanted to keep at my effort level – without slowing down – that when Stroller Mom whipped around in front of me (but didn’t keep moving fast enough so that I wasn’t clipping her heels) I took two steps off the path and ran for about 20 yards – faster than I normally would – just to get ahead of her.  It wasn’t a great tactic, but it made me feel better.  

In other races, I’ve tapped people on the shoulder who did that to me, apologized, and said “can I squeak through?” and they oblige.  But it always goes down easy with a smile.  Remember, most people are just out there to have fun, and they don’t want to be in your way.  Be kind.  Or run ahead.  Either one works – one is just slightly more repeatable than the other.

Remember nothing’s perfect.  Saturday night before this race, the organizers found out they had to re-route the entire half marathon course.  People who had planned their mental game around a specific course were crushed by the idea that they were going North instead of South on our lakefront path. 

With so little notice, the course organizers did the best they could to create a route that would work for our police force, the Presidential security detail (he was in town and flying out near the course) and the runners.  And they did a great job – with one tiny flaw.  The re-routed course setup was just a hair long (for the half marathon, by about .4 mile.)  Some people who were using it to qualify – or who just wanted to claim a sub-something race, were disappointed.  Others were just glad they could run 13 miles AND tack on an extra .4 . 

In the 5k race, the mile markers were off.  I try to judge how well I’m doing by the pace I keep on each mile – but my “splits” – the pace per mile – were way off when I checked them against the mile markers.  As I kept looking at my watch after the last marker, I kept thinking “you suck, you’re never going to make it in”.  (Drama queen moment).  I did fine, and I came in in just over 50 minutes.  So the splits weren’t perfect.  It didn’t mean I was going to run TEN miles instead of 3 on Saturday.  I was just not going to be FULLY AWARE of every component on the course.  So what?  I still finished and had a great medal.  And that’s something to remember when you’re on the course.  Porta potties will be locked sometimes.  Pacers will not keep their pace.  Drawbridges may go up (as happened on Sunday).  It’s about keeping your cool – and your perspective on this.  It’s just. a. run.  Yes, you’re going to be thrown by it, but if you practice the mantra that “Sh*t happens” or “There is nothing I can do about THAT in THIS moment” you will have a much easier race. 

Find the joy.  When your’e in the zone – even if you’re a big, slow runner like me – sometimes you get so wrapped up in what you’re trying to accomplish that it’s like a tidal wave of coaching thoughts.  I’m a golfer, and I analogize it to standing over a balll, with a billion swing tips going through your head.  “Stand straight shoulders back  tuck that chest in  arms loose  pull back count and DOWNSWING and through and don’t dip and belt buckle to the pin and finish high!”   Jeeminy Christmas, it’s no wonder I chunk the ball half the time.

But when you’re running, it can be the same thing, and on race day, my running mantra goes a little like this: “Head up chin off the chest breathe in three out two and can you talk? and heel strike under your hips and god could that chest stop bouncing and ..”  You get the picture.  Add in the splits and a heart rate monitor and it’s DEFCON 4 out there and nobody knows it but me. 

So how do you keep from agitating yourself to death?  Simple.  Find the joy.  Focus on other people.  Watch that couple in front of you as they talk about the movie they saw last night.  Or keep your chin up – but take a look at the gorgeous scene around you (for me, this was Lake Michigan, sparkling on Sunday.)  Or find yourself a good looking runner to ogle!  There are options, people – all of them designed to distract you through 3.1 or 13.1 or 26.2 miles faster than you can say “shoe box”.  Take in what your’e seeing, though, and just grab the joy out of it. 

It’s that joy that brings me back to the path, every single time.  And as I left the race on Sunday, it was that joy that I carried with me.  I finished, pain free, and I had a blast.  I can’t wait for what’s next.

See you on the path.

Oct 22

5 Comments

Back in the game

When pitchers tear rotator cuffs, you can hear baseball analysts groan in sympathy.  When soccer players tear an ACL, thousands of former players wince.  And when runners come down with plantar fasciitis, joggers the world round start limping in sympathy.

So it is that I’ve returned to running, wincing a little bit every time I go out.   It’s not that I’m hurt anymore.  (Really, I’m not.  Most of the time.)  It’s more the idea of running again, of doing battle with that evil possibility of injury, just waiting to pounce.  It’s psyching me out.  And I don’t get psyched out easily.

After 8 weeks of not nearly enough activity, (erm, but enough to do what I’m about to do…), I’ve given in.  I need help.  And so it is that I’ve decided to return to the path with a little bit of support, structure, and fun.   After the Chicago Triathlon in late August, I benched myself in favor of working too much, and exercising too little.  (Anyone else been there, done that?)  I could feel the muscles in my legs (which I’d worked so hard to strengthen over 5 months of physical therapy) working just a bit harder every time I hit the stairs.

So last Saturday, when I went out for a nordic walk along the Chicago Lakefront, I thought to myself, “self, get thee back in the game”.  For me, that game means signing up with my walking/running group, Chicago Endurance Sports.  Lucky for me, they’ve designed a program like they knew I was coming.

This fall, for the first time ever, CES will be offering a combined 5k/10k and Half Marathon training program as part of its Winter Warriors series.  When I sauntered into the packet pickup last Saturday, intending to sign up for the half marathon, but only train for a 5k, I was thrilled when Jayme Tipre (long time CESer and administrative guru) informed me that the 5k/10k group would be an option.

After some discussion, we also discovered that they had a need for folks to act as Pace Group Leaders for the 5k/10k group.  And if you’re a reader, you know I always love the idea of helping people become runners for life, so I signed on – and then checked to make sure I could actually do the current distance.  (I can.) 

That means that tomorrow morning, I’ll be lining up at 7:15 with a ton of new-to-running or returning-to-running or I-just-want-to-run-regularly runners who aren’t in it for a half marathon, but who think that a 5k or a 10k is a perfectly acceptable (and healthy) distance to run.

For me, it’s about two things: seeing the amazing friends I’ve made over the years every weekend as we do something active – and holding myself accountable for these bi-weekly workouts.   If you’re interested in joining us, I’ll be pacing at Piper’s Alley Fleet Feet, Saturday mornings.  They’re also offering training from the Lincoln Square location on Sundays, if you’re a true North Sider.

Next weekend also promises some fun, as I join a bunch of friends (including intrepid traveler Kim, joining us from D.C.) in the Monster Dash, where I’ll be walking a bit, running a bit, but mostly having a lot of fun in the 5k. 

Costume suggestions???  We’ll take them all!

See you on the path!

Aug 31

8 Comments

The Follies File: Chicago Triathlon Race Report

The Chicago Triathlon is always a grab-bag of an experience, and this Sunday was no exception. From the musical accompaniement of a post-swim strip to drinking a stranger’s fluids, this day had something for everyone, including awesome moments of pure human kindness and a kick-ass video to summarize how it really looks from the inside.

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Aug 23

3 Comments

It’s not about the race

One of the most amazing things about writing here is that I come into contact with all these people who are trying to change their lives.  They’re embarking on running programs for the first time at age 35.  They’re re-discovering the joys of biking with their kids.  They’re off the couch, and excited about doing it, and there is no WAY, once they’ve made that decision, that ANYTHING is going to stop them.

Like, for instance, an injury.  Or, clothes that don’t fit.  Or, people who say “you shouldn’t do that so soon”.  These people, my people, (if I may be so bold as to call you “my people”, since I pretty much share the same exercise DNA with y’all)…anyway, we people have hearts of gold but damn, we are T-I-R-E-D of people thinking we do nothing but eat bonbons and watch Jersey Shore.

So when we decide to get moving, we move with some purpose.  We set out a plan. We stick to that plan.  And sometimes, we forget that what took us 2, 5, or 10 years to create can’t be un-done in a day.  Or even in 60 days.  We forget that our bodies are living, breathing things, that are not exactly following the plan our hearts and minds have set out.  So the body, it protests.  It complains.  And sometimes, it breaks.

I thought of this all last week as I was offiically discharged from a few months of physical therapy as a result of a running injury years in the making.  Dr. Chin and the awesome folks at The Running Institute of Chicago (I know, you’ve heard me talk about them, but I have to give them props) and the amazing Joel Nourie at Accelerated Rehabilitation Center’s West Loop location did their best to cure me.  They gave me good PT for the Plantar Fasciitis.  They diagnosed a problematic nerve in the ankle and eventually helped it calm down with some cortisone.  And they gave me a realistic Return to Running program, which I gleefully kicked off about 4 weeks ago.

My problem (if you can call it that) is that I had my heart set on doing the Chicago Triathlon this coming weekend.  You know, the one with the mile swim, 26 mile bike, and 10k run at the end?  Yeah, that one.  Only, as I approached Dr. Chin’s office on Thursday to be “discharged”, I knew that I hadn’t done enough distance to be able to say – without fear of re-injury- that I could do the whole 10k – without injury.  I was only up to about 3 miles of run/walking – and the jump to 6, which woudln’t have bothered me two years ago – was just too big now.

Not surprisingly, he agreed.  He, and Joel, and pretty much anyone who’s watched me rehab would probably have had the same answer.  Why risk it?  Why risk the run, increasing by almost 100% the amount you’re running in one day – only to get injured and delay for another 6 months something you’ve worked so hard to fix? 

And here’s where 10 years of running and racing kicked in:  I agree with them.  Why WOULD I risk it?  Why would I risk NEVER running again to run this week?  Why would I risk having that level of pain again when, with some patience and a little bit more work, I could run next month?  There’s just no reason.  But I know I’m not alone in weighing the decision carefully – in saying “hey, I’ve trained all summer for this race – and if I drop it, what have I spent all that time on?  What do I have to show for it?”  I know right now, in doctor’s offices and PT facilities all across Chicago (and heck, across the country), there are many people who, new to running or new to activity, are feeling the effects of too much, too soon – or too much, too often – and are being met with angry diagnoses of stress fractures, plantar fasciitis, and a variety of other things that are killing their fall race calendar.

So what do you do, if you’re one of those people?  Do you risk it?  Do you find some way – ANY way, to keep going?  And if you quit now, what do you have to show for all that work?

If you find yourself asking that question – and really wondering what it was all for –  allow me to give you an answer:  You have months – MONTHS – of hard work and training to show for it.  You have the knowledge that you did your long runs, or your core work, or your half marathon or marathon training program – with a dedication and commitment that maybe, just maybe, you never had before.  Maybe you have stronger friendships, or healthier relationships, or less stress over the past few months.  Perhaps you have tighter abs, and sexier hammies, and a blonder ponytail.  (I’m just saying.)  Or maybe you just have some awesome nights where you slept like a log because you were so gloriously, awesomely tired, that you just fell into bed, and woke rested and happy. 

No matter what you spent your time training for this season, you’ve gotten something else out of it – other than a medal or a race. 

So if you happen to be one of those people who is breaking – right now – just stop.  Stop hurting yourself and your body.  Take a breath.  Shed those tears when the doc tells you you’re hurt – you’ve earned those.  But do the work you must NOW do to recover.  There are a lot of you out there right now, and you must not lose sight of what you’ve done this summer.  It’s not about the Chicago Marathon, or New York, or that upcoming triathlon.  It’s about building a healthier body – which will help you exercise for life. 

As for me, I’ll be there Sunday, doing the Chicago Triathlon.  I’ll swim my mile, and bike my 26.  But when it comes time to do the 10k run, I’ll take advantage of paying my $150 race fee, and I’ll run/walk my short little 5k.  And at Mile 1.5, I’ll turn around, and head home, shorting the run.  Yeah, it might hurt a little to do it – but last year at this time, I wondered if I’d ever run again.  So I’ll take 3 miles.  And I’ll come in smiling.

See you on the path.

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