Watching Your Weight as a Runner

It’s funny – many people are obsessed with their weight. They aren’t, however, obsessed with it for the right reasons. Most people who worry about their weight do so because they want to be thin. They aren’t thinking about fitness or health, but about their outside appearances.

If you get together with a group of runners (or fitness fanatics in another area as well), you’ll hear a very different story. We also worry about our weight and about our food intake, but we do so for very different reasons. I keep a very close watch on my diet because I’m always trying to balance my body’s needs. If I burn hundreds of calories running, then I have to make sure that I refuel and take in enough calories to compensate for that expenditure.

I actually keep a chart and monitor throughout the week how much I’ve eaten in carbs, sugars, proteins and more. Yes, it may seem crazy, but it’s the way to keep a runner in his best shape.

The Feet Have the Final Word

Any long distance runner (or probably anyone who exercises for that matter!) will tell you that their feet take a beating. There is just no way around it. Our poor feat are asked to perform in rain, wind and hail and to do so gracefully as we pump away at the miles.
I love you feet.

But, that doesn’t mean that my feet love me. God knows. So, now I’m going to see a podiatrist because I think I’ve finally killed my feet enough that they are stopping their love for me. We’ll see if the podiatrist has anything brilliant to do for me – I’m certainly hoping he does!

Improving My Running with Sleep

I’ve been trying to focus on my sleep a lot lately. There is definitely a correlation between doing well with your running and having enough sleep. It makes sense; when you’re tired and groggy, you’re not going to run your best or feel your finest.

So, here is a great thing that I’ve done to make my sleep environment that much more appealing. I’ve purchased a sleep machine. This is a relatively inexpensive item from Sharper Image that makes all sorts of different sounds. I can set it to forest sounds, ocean sounds, white noise, and more. This allows me to block out noises coming from my house, the street and the general area and to get a good night’s sleep.
It’s brilliant!

The 10M Run Plan

This week I’ve chosen to focus on my 10 mile run. Everyone hears about the 10k. Well, I’m turning this into a 10M so that I an practice for the Baltimore Marathon and create more of a purpose for myself. Running a 10M isn’t the same thing as running a 5k or a marathon. Each race has its own pacing and its own tips. So, since I’m trying to run about 10 miles a day, I figured that I should pretend that I’m running a 10M each day and train as if I’m using the 10k techniques. I find this helpful for a few reasons.

1. I wake up every morning with a plan. I’m not just going out for a run. I’m going out for a 10k and trying to run that 10k as well as I can.
2. I keep better track of my progress when I run the same amount every day and can make comparisons.
3. I like to think of myself as a 10k champion at the end of the week!

Are You Ready for that Marathon?

I found this interesting checklist on a running website. It’s supposed to help you to think about your running and to see if you’re up for running a marathon. Now, as someone who has already run a few, I know that I’m up for the challenge in Baltimore, but this might be a good list for some of you who aren’t so sure. Here are the questions:

Have you been running for a year?
Do you have enough time to devote to training
Are there other stresses in your life?
Do you think you can do it?
Why do you want to run a marathon?

Keeping It Consistent

At the moment, I’m trying to stay consistent with my running. I’m working on getting to about 60 miles a week, which translates to about 10 miles a day. I give myself one day off a week and then I try to get to the 10 mile run every other day of the week. With a full time job, this is not always the easiest task, but it’s one that I’ve read works for marathon runners.

When I did my previous marathons, I ran a bit less and I found that I wasn’t as prepared as I might have been. I’ve been reading a lot about marathon training and most of them say that an intermediate runner should try to do 50-60 miles a week leading up to the big day. Then, there are times that I’ll be doing longer runs as it gets closer.

For now, consistency is the name of the game.

Visualize It, Baby

I’ve been reading everything I can find lately about running. I think most serious runners do this, trying to get that one bit of information that will make all the difference.

And then the other day I came across a great piece of advice. Visualization is supposed to make a difference in your running. What this means is to visualize yourself doing well during the marathon run. Each night before going to sleep, the article said that I should picture myself running the course and running it well. I should picture myself saying inspirational things to myself while I run and I should see myself crossing the finish line.

I like it. I’m going to start doing this tonight…I’d let you know if I feel ridiculous or if it works for me soon!

Training for the Race

So, I’m training for the Baltimore Marathon and trying to keep my goal in mind when my alarm goes off at 4:30 am. Yes, I grew up on the Rocky movies, but this doesn’t mean that I’m not deliriously tired when that alarm starts ringing.  I have to be at work at 8, so I figure if I get up before the sun, get my run done and then come home to a nice shower and some hot coffee, I’ll actually make it to work on time.

But it aint easy..that’s for sure.

So far I’ve managed to stick to this schedule for a few weeks, and I’m quite proud of myself. I left myself sleep in more on the weekend – but for the weekdays, it’s all business at 4:30 am. I tried to pretend that I enjoy the quiet streets and the chance to get a rhythm going while everyone else is still in REM. Some days I can pull one over on myself – other days I just wish I could pull those sheets back over my head.

But it’s all for a great purpose and I know I’m going to feel awesome when I cross that finish line in Baltimore!

Frank Storch and the Barefoot Phenomenon

When I grew up the idea that running should be done barefoot, was as strange as a black president, but today both are realities.  Yes, it may be weird for some that you try to run with nothing but the sole of your feet, but it is the best way to go about doing it.  If you don’t want to go completely bare, check out Vibram Five Fingers.  They offer protection and the feeling that you are running like the Kenyans do.