Running Tips

Here are a few things I love to have when I run (although, all you really need is a good pair of shoes and a little motivation to get out the door!):

1. A garmin. I just started using one last year and now I wonder how I ever survived without it!? I love knowing my pace per mile, overall time, and distance. It really pushes me to be better. Before getting one of these, I used mapmyrun and a regular watch and that worked too.

2. Music. It's hard for me to run without it, unless I am running with a friend. I recently bought the ipod shuffle and I LOVE using it on my runs. It is so lightweight and you can clip it on anywhere.3. My favorite running shoes. I think I have tried almost every brand and I have settled on Saucony. They work well for me.
4. Some kind of dri-fit running shorts. Nike tempo track shorts are my favorite right now:


5. For long runs, the fuel belt works well. Although, I wish the pocket was bigger. I ended up buying a spibelt to hold my phone and gu gels. I really like it, and I hardly notice I'm wearing it.

5

66 degrees today. a beautiful day!

distance: 5 miles
pace: 9.27
i finally figured out how to calculate average pace on my garmin.

it has been hard to get miles in this week. yesterday i was dressed and ready to run, but it just never worked out. thankfully, today a friend offered to watch the kids. we're hoping to take turns watching each other's kids from time to time.

i'm hoping to run 8 sometime this weekend. my friend amy said she would bike by me. i feel safer doing that for my longer runs, since i don't have someone to run with. and, especially since running by myself has been a problem in the past.

btw, have you seen jane's running blog? i love the eric liddell quote she has in her sidebar:
"When I run I feel His pleasure." so true, i love that!

3

45 degrees tonight. burrr! i ran in shorts and a long sleeve t. my legs were feeling pretty numb. i only had a small window of time tonight, so i ran my first two miles close to 9 min. and then my last one was a little slower. it felt pretty good. i feel like i am finally slowly getting back into shape. wish it happened faster though.i'm thinking about getting this:
i'm not into exercise videos, but i keep hearing so many good things about this from other runners. i'll let you know if i try it.

6.5

a beautiful day today. i'm so thankful for it!
my first mile today was tough, like normal. i don't think i have too many runs where i feel awesome the first mile. usually after a few miles, i settle in to a comfortable pace and start feeling better.
so, today was no different. i started feeling pretty good around mile 3 and tried to run some hills today. i've been seeking out hills lately. i want to get stronger and not hesitate to run up a huge hill. the good news is chicago will be flat, but the 20k in may does have some hills.

i'm considering getting involved in a running group for my long runs on saturday mornings. the only bad part is i think they start running pretty early. in some ways that is nice though because then i have the rest of the day ahead of me and my run is done. we'll see how it goes.

4.5

ahhh, it feels good to run again!
i've been feeling really *off* on my runs lately, just.can't.seem.to.get.into.a.consistent.pace. BUT, tonight i actually felt good. it was 50 degrees and i'm thinking maybe my legs were just numb enough not to notice they were moving along.

i'm praying for a running partner for the training part of the marathon this summer.
or, a friend that will bike next to me while i run. i'll keep you posted.

why?

read this on a nike ad and thought it was a good reminder of some of the reasons i run...

“You pretended the snooze button didn’t exist. You dragged your butt out of bed while others slept. While others ate their pancakes you had a feast of protein, glucose and electrolytes. You double-knotted. You left the porch light on and locked the door behind you. You ran 5Ks, 10Ks, 26.2 miles. Some days more, some days less. You rewarded a long run with a short run. And a short run with a long run. Rain tried to slow you. Sun tried to microwave you. Snow made you feel like a warrior. You cramped. You bonked. You paid no mind to comfort. On weekends. On holidays. You made excuses to keep going. Questioned yourself. Played mind games. Put your heart before your knees. Listened to your breathing. Sweat sunscreen into your eyes. Worked on your farmer’s tan. You hit the wall. You went through it. You decided to be man about it. You decided to be woman about it. Finished what you started. Proved what you were made of. Just kept putting mile after mile on your interval odometer. For 25 years, you ran. And we ran with you. How much farther will we go? As far as you will.”

a break

i took a break from running, although not expected. we went on vacation for 5 days and even though i took my running clothes, it just never worked out.

i'm back now and looking forward to getting back into a better routine tomorrow.