You Know Your A Runner When….Part 3

Runners share a special bond and sometimes have traits, habits, or idiosyncrasies that only other runners understands.  You may be able to relate to or appreciate some of these descriptions.

• you have  more dirty cloths than a newborn

• you wear your running cloths for pajamas as to not waste any time getting out the door in the morning

• you always wear running shoes, your old running shoes are now walking  shoes.

• you have a pair of running shoes for the muddy days, two pairs of training shoes you alternate every other day and you know the exact mileage of them all

• you have more race tee shirts than all the cloths the rest of your family has put together

• you can start anywhere in your home town and be able to tell others where the next mile is

• even your church shoes have something to do with Nike, Asics, New Balance

• you give directions to someone and tell them it’s just a 5k up the road

• your laundry area is always littered with running stuff you’re drying out because you never put it in the drier

• you can say things like “I’m just running an easy 6 today” and you really mean it

Runners are a special group of people.  Individuals that don’t run think we are crazy.

What Is The Busiest Race Day?

Are you planning on running on Thanksgiving?  Did you know Thanksgiving is the busiest race day of the year  in the United States.    Thanksgiving even beats out Fourth of July. Many town and cities across he country will have “Turkey Tots” Thanksgiving morning.  Before you go pack on the pounds eating too much why not go for a run.

A “Turkey Trot” is a running race that is held on or around Thanksgiving Day, in the United States.  Americans anticipate eating too much on Thanksgiving and run in turkey trots to burn off calories before the big meal.

In many parts of the United States, Turkey Trots are as associated with Thanksgiving tradition as the meal itself.   Many courses used for Turkey Trots are between 5K (3.1 miles) and 5 miles.  They pick this distance because  it wont take months to train for the race meaning the organization gets a higher number of participants.    Some organizations hold their Turkey Trots the week prior to Thanksgiving in order to provide festive holiday meals to homeless and low-income families in their community. Turkey Trots range in size from just a few dozen runners to tens of thousands. Most Turkey Trots benefit local charities.

In Cuero, Texas they holds a Turkey Trot every November where hundreds of turkeys parade through the town.

The Buffalo, New York Turkey Trot race was started  in 1896 making it is the oldest continually running race in North America. The race on Thursday, November 27, 2008, marked its 113th consecutive start; and is a popular fundraiser for the local branch of the and drew a crowd of 10,250 runners in 2008.

Thanksgiving Day Races with unique names include the Stuffing Strut and Mashed Potato Mile in Detroit, Michigan and the Feaster Five Road Race in Andover, Massachusetts. The Berwick Run for the Diamonds is a nine mile race first run in 1908 in Berwick, Pennsylvania. This race actually gives out diamonds rings to the top seven men and diamond pendants to the top seven women finishers. The top masters male also wins a diamond ring and top female masters wins a pendant. This race held Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

So before you eat to much why not burn some calories off in the morning.

Tips For Running With A Jogging Stroller

Having children and running can sometimes be a challenge.  Every runner with children should look into getting a jogging strollers.  Being a runner and mother of three children it was important to me to get a jogger, even more important than getting a regular stroller.  All three of my children have spent lots of miles in the jogger here are a few tips to make the run easier on both of you.

It’s always important to be safe when running but when you’re running with a jogging stroller, you have even more reason to be cautious. Here are some tips to make running with a jogging stroller easier, safe, and comfortable for you and your little one.

Make sure your baby is old enough
It’s not safe to run with a child under six months in a jogging stroller, unless your stroller has a car seat adapter. Using the jogging stroller with the car seat means that the baby’s head and neck will be stable and he won’t get bounced around too much.

Lock the front wheel
There are two types of jogging strollers one’s that  have a fixed front wheel,  while others have a swivel wheel that has a switch that allows you to lock and unlock the wheel. When you’re running with the stroller, it’s safest to lock the front wheel in place. This will prevent the stroller from turning suddenly and causing you to crash or fall.

Seat Position
Your  child should be sitting in the upright position not laying down.  

Pack wisely
Most jogging strollers have a basket underneath, and lots of other compartments.  This give  you  plenty of room for things you might need during your run. Things like diapers, wipes, water (for you and your child), snacks, and a toy or book to entertain your child.  Snacks are a great way to keep a toddler happy.

Protect your child from the elements
You will warm up because you’re running, but your child will not.  Bundle your child up in the cooler weather. If it’s cold and windy, you may want to use a weather shield for your stroller. On warm days, make sure your child is not overdressed and protected with the stroller’s visor as well as sunscreen. Keep your runs short on very cold or hot days.

Strap your child in with the full harness
The harness will protect your child from falling out.  Even if you’re not moving fast it doesn’t take much only a quick turn the child is not expecting and they could be jostled out of the seat.  The harness will also prevent them from being able to reach out and get their  fingers caught in the wheels.

Avoid running near cars as much as possible
It is a good idea to run in parks, bike paths, or other areas where the roads are closed to traffic.  If you don’t have access to parks run on the sidewalk instead of the road.  Try to avoid roads that don’t have much of a shoulder.

Schedule runs wisely
Before nap time is often a good time for a run because the movement may put your child to sleep. It’s not a good idea to try to run right before a meal, when your child will be hungry and may not want to sit in the stroller.

Don’t take your hands off the stroller
You may be tempted to push your stroller a little and let it go, so you can run hands-free, but it’s not a good idea. The stroller could  get away from you, making it unsafe for your child and anyone else around you.  You could hold with one hand while the other  hand is free after a few strides switch hands.  Many jogging strollers have a strap you can put around your wrist in case for some reason you accidentally let go the strap will stop the jogger from going any farther.

Don’t expect to run your usual pace
Expect your pace to be slower sometimes up to one minute or more per mile slower than your normal pace. But you’re burning more calories for your  effort and doing some resistance training.  Just like when you started running the more you run with the jogger the easier it will become.

Be in control of your stroller
You should never be going so fast that you couldn’t stop the jogging stroller if needed.  Use momentum when running down hill in such a way that you’re always in control of the stroller.

Mix it up a little
Toddlers and preschoolers may get restless in the stroller, so you may want to let them out and play for a bit during the run. They’ll be much happier and comfortable with a little break mid-run. If you don’t want to stop  have toys/snack  packed in one of the compartment that is easy to reach and surprise them it.  Sometimes pointing out things as you run keeps them busy.  You can also play do you see?  If you run in areas where there are farms you could say to the child do you see any cows?

Follow race rules
Some road races don’t allow jogging strollers, while others do.  You will most likely have to   start at the back.

Running with your child can be stressful and fun.  They see more of the area up close than other children in the neighborhood.  My two year old son waves to all the cars as they go by us.

Inspiring Running Story

Are You Inspired to Run? After reading this story you may want to lace up your shoes and run.

There were plenty of celebrity runners at the New York City marathon. Former NFL players and even the guy that lost a lot a weight eating Subway subs. just to mention a few. But the runner who grabbed the most headlines and the hearts of anyone cheering was Edison Pena. He was one of the rescued Chilean miners. He run six miles a day while trapped underground for 69 days. He had to walk most of the second half of the marathon and spent time in a medical tent icing his knees but he finished. Before the race he had said, “I would like to inspire young children to run because running makes you free.”

Edison Pena crossed the Central Park finish line with a time of 5:40:51 He was draped in a Chilean flag as Elvis music played over the speakers. The 34-year-old had a goal of finishing under 6 hours. All spectators cheered as # 7127 finished. If he didn’t finish he was still a winner in everyone eyes. He exceeded his goal even with the knee problems he experienced.

“First, I want to run this marathon, but secondly, I’d like to motivate those people who aren’t running the marathon to do so in the future,” he said before starting this morning. “I also want to especially motivate young children and youth to run because running makes you free.”

Pena’s trained in near-darkness, jogging each day while trapped underground in stifling heat and humidity. He and 32 other miners survived 69 days underground as the world waited. He said “running was his salvation” his way of proving how much he wanted to live. He cut his steel-tipped boots down to ankle height so he could train each morning and afternoon along the rocky, muddy 1,000-yard corridor where they were trapped. He dragged a large wooden pallet, that was attached to a cord tied to his waist to build up strength. NYC Marathon officials heard about Pena’s subterranean training and planned to invite him as an honored guest. But he wanted to actually run the race.

He started having trouble about an hour into the marathon.    At 14 miles “The Runner” as his fellow miners had nicknamed him left the race and entered the medical tent.
About 1 hour later with bags of ice tied to both knees he continued on the quest of finishing the marathon. He had a bad left knee that was injured during the collapse of the mine in Chile. This man could have given up when the pain in his knees forced him to go into the medical tent but he didn’t.

When the going gets tough think about this mans story and just run.

Celebrities Who Have Run A Marathon

Ever wonder who among the famous have run a marathon and where you would finish against them?  Here is a list of a few I found.

Athletes

• Lance Armstrong- 7 time Tour De France Champion who started his athletic career as a triathlete -2006- New York City Marathon- 2:59:36

• Kerri Strug – anyone who watched the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games remembers watching her land her vault on a broken ankle- 1999 – Houston Marathon – 4:12:06

• Lynn Swan – former Pittsburgh Steeler wide reciever- 1993 – New York City Marathon- 4:26:21

• Pat Tillman - former Arizona Cardinal – 2000- Avenue Of the Giants Marathon- 3:48 (he left football to go to Iraq and was killed)

• Amani Toomer- former New York Giants wide reciever- 2010- New York City Marathon- 4:13

Politicians

• Clarence Thomas- US supreme court justice- 1980- Marine Corps Marathon- 3:11

• Mike Huckabee- Governor of Arizona- 2005- Little Rock Marathon- 4:39:04

• George Bush- 43rd President of the USA- 1993- Houston Marathon- 3:44:52

• John Edwards- former US senator- 1983- Marine Corps Marathon- 3:30:18

• Al Gore- former VP of the USA- 1997- Marine Corps Marathon- 4:58:25

• Sarah Palin- former Governor of Alaska- 2005- Humpy’s Marathon- 3:59:36

Actors

• William Baldwin- New York City Marathon- 3:24:29

T.V.  Personality

• Oprah Winfrey- inspired other to get fit and finish- 1994 -Marine Corps Marathon- 4:29:20

• Ted Koppel- 1983- Marine Corps Marathon- 5:09:08

• Cecil Tynam- Philadelphia channel 6 news- Meteorologist- 2001- Disney World Marathon- 2:54:36

Dimitrion Yodanidis- Guinness World Record holder for being the oldest man (98) to participate in a marathon.

I’d like to build another list of celebrities who have run a marathon so if you know any please let me know about them!

Running watches, GPS watches, Heart rate monitor and more

Running watches, GPS watches, Heart rate monitor and more.

“Team Hoyt” An Inspiring Story For All Athletes

Team Hoyt is an inspirational story of a father, Dick Hoyt, and his son, Rick, who compete together in marathons and triathlons across the country but how they compete is what make this families story so inspiring.   ” Team Hoyt strives to help those who are physically disabled become active members of the community.”  This story is well know in the running world especially in Massachusetts (where they live).  While watching my husband run Boston in 1996 I saw the Hoyt’s finish the race.  The crowd went crazy and Rick was very excited.    In 1999 I ran the Boston Marathon and saw Team Hoyt up close.  There story is incredible.

Rick was born in 1962 to Dick and Judy Hoyt.  As a result of oxygen deprivation to Rick’s brain at the time of his birth, Rick was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy.  Dick and Judy were advised to institutionalize Rick because there was no chance of him recovering, and little hope for Rick to live a “normal” life.   This was just the beginning of Dick and Judy’s quest for Rick’s inclusion in community, sports, education and one day, the workplace.

Dick and Judy soon realized that though Rick couldn’t walk or speak; he was quite astute and his eyes would follow them around the room.   They fought to integrate Rick into the public school system, pushing administrators to see beyond Rick’s physical limitations.   Dick and Judy would take Rick sledding and swimming, and even taught him the alphabet and basic words, like any other child.   After providing concrete evidence of Rick’s intellect and ability to learn like everyone else, Dick and Judy needed to find a way to help Rick communicate for himself.

With $5,000 in 1972 and a skilled group of engineers at Tufts University, an interactive computer was built for Rick.   This computer consisted of a cursor being used to highlight every letter of the alphabet. Once the letter Rick wanted was highlighted, he was able to select it by just a simple tap with his head against a head-piece attached to his wheelchair.   When the computer was originally first brought home, Rick surprised everyone with his first words. Instead of saying, “Hi, Mom,” or “Hi, Dad,” Rick’s first “spoken” words were: “Go, Bruins!”   The Boston Bruins were in the Stanley Cup finals that season.   It was clear from that moment on, that Rick loved sports and followed the game just like anyone else.

In 1975, at the age of 13, Rick was finally admitted into public school.    Rick attended Boston University, and  graduated with a degree in Special Education in 1993.   Dick retired in 1995 as a Lt. Colonel from the Air National Guard, after serving his country for 37 years.

In the spring of 1977, Rick told his father that he wanted to participate in a 5-mile benefit run for a Lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident.   Dick was not a runner but agreed to   push Rick in his wheelchair and they finished all 5 miles, coming in next to last. That night, Rick told his father, “Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.”

This realization was just the beginning of  over 1,000 races completed together, including marathons, duathlons and triathlons (6 of them being Ironman competitions).   In a triathlon, Dick  pulls Rick in a lifeboat, with a bungee cord one end attached to a vest around his waist and the other end to the front of the boat.    Rick rides in a seat on the handle bars of a special two-seater bicycle. Then Dick pushes Rick in his custom-made running chair (for the running stage). Imagine pulling a full-grown adult in a life boat for 2.4 miles, them pedaling 112 miles with him on the handlebars and finally pushing him 26.2 miles all in one day.

Rick was once asked, if he could give his father one thing, what would it be?  Rick responded, “The thing I’d most like is for my dad to sit in the chair and I would push him for once.”

The 2009 Boston Marathon was officially Team Hoyt’s 1000th race. Rick always says if it comes down to doing one race a year he would like it to be the Boston Marathon: his favorite race. Dick Hoyt hopes that he is able to push Rick in the Boston Marathon when he is 70 years old (2011)! Neither Dick or Rick are ready to retire yet.

History of Cross Country Running

Cross-country is a running sport that consists of at least five scoring runners per team that race against each other in courses that vary in difficulty.   What makes cross-country different to any other running competition, is the courses could consist of open terrain, grass, mud, sand, and even vary in hills.

My husband coaches cross-country at the local high school.  One day while cheering the boys on I was wondering how cross-country started.

The length in courses varies in each school and/or University.   For men, the courses could be anywhere from 3.1 miles (5K high school) to 6.2 miles (10K college), and for the women, the races are 3.1 miles(5K – high school) to 6K in college.

Scoring is different from any other sport,  the less points each team has the better.   No matter how many athletes there are on a team, only 5 teammates score and the points equal the place the runner would finish in the race.  For example, if a runner were to finish in 3rd place, that runner would get 3 points.   All five runners’ points would be added up at the end of the race and the team with the least amount of points is the winner.

The sport can be dated back to the 1800s in England when it was a team sport in public schools.   At that time, the sport was named “Hare and Hounds” or “The Paper Chase”. The sport would consist of a group of runners that would lay a trail of paper or other devices to mark a trail and another group of runners would follow the trail.   In 1837, the first competition was held at Rugby School,  later  the sport had a course that was pre set over open  land.   The sport became so popular in England in the later 1800s that  in 1876 the English National Cross-Country Championship took place.

A year later, The United States was introduced to the sport and the National Cross-Country Association was founded as well as the Amateur Athletic Association began, which began holding the yearly National Championship.   It did not take long for the Universities in the United States to pick up the sport.   Harvard was the first University to hold a cross-country team and many other Universities followed.

Not many years later, cross-country started its first international races.   England and France were the first to compete internationally, along with Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.   Finally in the early 20th Century, cross-country finally became a sport in the Olympic Games, but did not last long, as the sport was not considered to be appropriate for competition in the summer games.

Although cross-country was not successful in the summer Olympics Games,  it did grow to be a successful sport in the NCAA.   NCAA had the first  national events in 1938.

The IAAF is known as one of the hardest cross-country races in the world.  Unlike the traditional cross-country races, there are four different races. These races consist of the Men’s 12km, Woman’s 8km, and also Junior Woman’s 6km and Junior Men’s 6km. The scoring is based on whether you are on a National Team, which meant team scoring the same as the four races listed above,  or many race as individuals for their times and placement.

Paul Kibii Tergot, who was born in Kenya on  June 17, 1969, was the first man to ever win the IAAF Cross County Championship five times in a row.  He later went on to be an accomplished marathon runner.   Lynn Jennings,  United States, won this race three times.   Grete Waitz a  Norwegian runner,  was the first woman to win the Championship five times in a row. She also went on to become a marathoner and participated in the 1984 Olympics.

Another great runner that has made the sport popular was Steve Prefontaine.   Although he was known mainly for his track and field accomplishments, he started off as being the best cross-country runner at his high school in Coos Bay, Oregon in the United States.  Steve Prefontaine, or better known as “Pre” went on to Run for University of Oregon and held 3 NCAA cross-country titles from 1970-1973.   At that time he was only the second runner to have that accomplishment.  The United States has had its share of standout  cross-country runners including  Pat Porter, who had won eight titles in the 1980’s. Don Lash, from Bluffton, Indiana who won seven consecutive National Championships from 1934 – 1940.

Issues and Problems After A Marthon

This weeks Monday marathon is about after you finish a marathon.  After most runners finish they are excited to have finished.  One may have musculoskeletal, dermatological or medical complaints within hours or days after finishing.

Delayed muscular soreness is a common condition problem affecting runners during the first week following a marathon.  It is suggested to lightly message the legs or do mild exercise afterwords.  I personally try to go out for an easy walk the days following a marathon.  This helps to get the muscles moving, blood flowing but doesn’t cause any damage to the tender muscles.

Some of the dermatological issues include “jogger’s nipple”,  “joggers toe”  and blisters.  Jogger’s nipple is caused by friction from the repeated rubbing of a t-shirt or other upper body clothing against the nipples during a prolonged period of exercise.  The condition is suffered mainly by runners. Long-distance runners are especially prone, because they are exposed to the friction on the nipple for the greatest period of time.It’s an injury caused by friction in women who run without wearing bras and in men who jog in cotton T- shirts. The nipples become sore and red and may even bleed. To prevent this annoying condition, coat your nipples with Vaseline and wear a bra or shirt with a smooth, hard finish, such as those made of silk or semi-synthetic fabrics.  Jogger’s toe  also known as tennis toe is another complaint of runners.   Appearing as a bruise beneath the toenails, usually on the big toes, this harmless discoloration is caused by ill-fitting shoes and sudden stops which force the toes into the front of the shoe, bending the nails and breaking the blood vessels. Soft, comfortable shoes with plenty of room and trimming the toenail straight across, can prevent this problem.

After the marathon it is important to start consuming carbohydrates to replace glycogen stores and protein to aid muscle recovery.  Soaking your lower half of the body for 20 minutes in cold or ice water will force blood through the leg muscle to speed recovery.

The runners immune system is suppressed for a short time after a marathon.  Changes to the blood chemistry may lead physicians to mistakenly diagnose heart malfunctions.  A study in 1996 found that the risk of having a fatal heart attack during, within 24 hours after a marathon, was 1 in 50,000 over the runners racing career.  In 2006 another study of 60 non-elite marathoners  participants tested certain proteins that indicated heart damage after they completed the marathon.  They were given an ultrasound scan before and after the race.  The study revealed that the runners who had run less than 35 miles a week while training for the race were most likely to show some heart damage or dysfunction.  Runners who ran more than 45 miles a week training showed fewer or no heart problems.

Everyone has heard of runners dyeing in races because of heart problems.  This is very uncommon.  In 2007 Ryan Hall, a 28-year-old elite runner died after collapsing during the early miles of the Olympic Marathon Trail.  His death was caused by a pre-existing heart abnormality.  The runners train and do not know they have the abnormality.

These are a few issues you may have to deal with but finishing the marathon will be forever a memory.  You will forget about the issues after the race.  It is kind of like having children.  After you have one you think there is no way I will do that again.  Then a few years later you forget about the negative things and have another.  The marathon is the same thing you will forget about the negatives and run another.

Chilean Miner Competing in the NYC Marathon

Rescued Chilean miner who kept in shape by running the tunnels while he was trapped underground will put the training to good use when he competes Sunday in the 26.2 mile ING New York City Marathon, race officials said Monday.

Marathon officials had invited Edison Pena to watch the race after hearing his story when the miners were rescued last month.

They thought he could ride in the lead vehicle or hold the finish line tape, but never expected the Chilean consulate to tell them Pena wanted to run.

“He absolutely, 100 percent wants to participate,” New York Road Runners President Mary Wittenberg said at a luncheon Monday.

“The ING New York City Marathon is all about inspiration and perseverance, and those values were never more evident than during the survival and rescue of Edison and his brothers in that mine,” said Wittenberg.

“He demonstrated how running can play an important role in our physical and emotional well-being under any circumstances. On behalf of the entire City of New York, we are honored to have him join us for this year’s race,” she said.

Pena earned his nickname by running regularly through the tunnels in the gold and copper mine where he and 32 fellow miners were trapped for over two months.  He said he listened to Elvis Presley on his I-Pod while running three to six miles each day while he was trapped a half-mile underground.

The Chilean Miners amazing story touched the world.  When it is time to watch the Hawaii Ironman, Boston Marathon (or any other major running events)  I enjoy hearing the stories about the athletes lives.  I have a felling this story will be told for years.