22 Miles and Counting

This morning I woke up at 6:30 to get ready for my run. I won't lie, I was a bit nervous. The most I had ever run previously had been 17.5, and today I wanted to run from my apartment in Provo to the Payson Walmart. 22 miles on foot to be exact. Last night I had prepared most of the materials I would need for my run, as you can see in the picture below. I have a running belt that holds two 8 oz bottles (I usually bring a couple dollars to buy a water if needed or just fill up the two at gas stations), two granola bars (one for breakfast and one for the run if needed), a light reflector for the dark parts of the run, and a Gu and two homemade Gu..s (really easy to make, see recipe in recipe tab). With these, I took off at 7am and ran... and ran... and ran...

Honestly the run was great. I had chosen a lot of back roads that gave me the chance to see some of the beautiful parts of Utah, and the first 14 miles went by pretty quickly and pretty uneventfully. After two hours, traffic started to pick up, mostly because of the Color thing at the Krishna temple, and I was starting to enter places I had never run before, just mapped out. Being the genius I am, I never actually drove down these roads to see how things were, and turns out there was about a 6 mile stretch between Springville and Payson where there was just a crappy back road with nowhere for me to run, except on the road where I constantly had to check over my shoulder to make sure no one would hit me. This slowed me down a bit but I continued on undeterred.

When I was just reaching payson, about mile 18, I thought I had reached Walmart already which made me pretty happy. I saw the McDonald's sign and thought, "You beautiful golden arches". Yeah, after getting in to town and asking for some directions I was told I was still a ways away. I received directions that sent me running to the top of a hill, which was horrible after having gone that far, then all the way back down the hill to arrive at Walmart. Little did I realize until looking after, but it was completely unnecessary for me to run to the top of the hill. I simply could have gone around it. Heaven forbid someone tell a runner the easy way to get there!

The feeling going down the last stretch to meet Cindy was awesome. My legs were hurting and I was exhausted, but I just couldn't believe I had done it. Never had I thought I could do something like that in my life. I can't explain how I feel exactly, just thankful and beyond happy that a big guy like me can push his own boundaries and do something awesome. I look forward to my marathon and being able to prove to myself that I can do it, and who knows, maybe i can find something more challenging after :)

Of course Cindy had to take a picture of me at the end. I just wanted to sit down!

My running gear that I carried with me.

My homemade Gu. Still need to make some adjustments, and not put quite so much, but it worked out really well for a first trial. (Thankfully it didn't leave me on the side of the road puking or in a bathroom for a while) :)

Bleeding Nipples: Lesson Learned

The ironic thing about this post is that recently I posted the 10 commandments of running which gave some great advice for effective running. The one thing that I ignored was the "do not wear cotton" part. I have never had trouble with any of the clothing I have been wearing but apparently today was the day to change that. I went on a 15.2 mile run today, which was pretty enjoyable until the last killer ascent to my apartment (a hill after 15 miles sucked). The whole time I was running I could tell that the shirt was not agreeing with me. I could feel a rash forming on my lats, but little did I know the REAL problem until I got home. When I took my shirt off my nipples were bleeding, and that has never happened before so you can imagine my surprise!. Yeah, I wasn't too pleased to say the least, and yes, when I went to shower it REALLY didn't feel good. Definitely something I would not care to try again.

So what did I learn today? Make sure you look at what clothing would be best for a long distance run before going out and thinking nothing could go wrong. Maybe that will save you from the experience that I unfortunately had to live through. My advice? Don't wear cotton, I won't ever again.

I would have posted a pic too for everyone's entertainment but Cindy said it was a little much ;) Guess this will have to do.

10 Commandments of Runners

I just thought this would be a great thought for the day at the start of a new week.

The Running People

It's hard to explain exactly what got me going with this whole running thing. I have tried running distance in the past but I have never fully jumped in. I once ran 13.1 miles and I was hurting for days. Now I could go run one right now and go throughout the day just fine. My life has changed, definitely for the better, and I think it started with a change of perspective from a book that I read called "Born to Run".

My wife and I have always talked about exercising and what would be best for me. I always imagined that running was the best for everyone, but being a bigger guy I thought that long term goals with running were just imaginary. I tried frequent lifting, insanity, different workout videos; heck, I even tried karate! (for a day). At the end of it all, there was a similar theme to my exercise habits: I always went back to running.

I didn't know why at the time, but it seemed the way to go. When my wife Cindy bought me "Born to Run" I was actually excited because it seemed to me as if it would be a historically interesting book. It was historical, but in a way I didn't expect. It was written by a guy a lot like me. He is bigger and has always tried running, but unfortunately for him he has had several problems with his knees and feet that have prevented him from running. Every doctor he spoke to told him the same thing, "choose something else". He thought that maybe it was time to find his other niche, until he found a news article about crazy running men in Mexico who could run for days at a time without stop. That moment changed his life, and in a way it did mine as well.

The book is more about the philosophy behind running than about speed or endurance or form. This was the type of book I needed. It explained about a humble people, the Raramuri, more commonly called the Tarahumara (The Running People), and how their lives revolve around running and a certain lifestyle. They are incredibly humble and private. They live a life eating a healthy plant diet with the occasional meat thrown in. Living off the land and having almost nothing does not stop them from giving freely to people they don't even know.

 Running to the Tarahumara is not a sport, it is not just for the exercise, but if for their very existence. They run to hunt, to eat, to travel, to live. And though they run for survival they more importantly run for fun. They play a game that can go on for days at a time that consists of running a certain path while passing a ball between them. This is not on a smooth path but in random mountainous areas. The game is not competitive, but focuses on teamwork and helping each other. They enjoy it and enjoy the run.

The concept of running for fun was beyond me. I'm heavy, lumbering, and having to watch myself in a mirror would be horrible to say the least! (I can imagine how bad my form is). Trying to understand how that could be fun took the entire book, and a lot more miles, for me to understand. The effort I have had to expend seemed to trump the whole "fun" card and I found it more will than work that gets me through it. The more I read, and the more I ran, the more I began to understand the feelings that the Tarahumara have for running and the humble lifestyle they live. They have the chance to live a modern life of comfort, but they choose to stay in a canyon in Mexico because they love their lives and their traditions. They know, as it seems many of us have forgotten, that life is not about being comfortable, but about growing and becoming better and stronger. I don't necessarily mean a better time for a mile or a longer distance, but healthier, more humble, and more understanding of what life is really about. The Tarahumara may not be educated in our sense, but they have a knowledge of some important aspects of life that the modern world seems to have forgotten, or simply cast aside.

This morning I went for a run and realized how much I enjoyed it. It didn't feel great, I wasn't supercharged, and my knee actually ached a little, but the feeling of gliding along, growing both physically and mentally, just made me feel the freedom that that Tarahumara must feel in the canyons of Mexico. I may not be graceful, I may not be an amazing runner, but I am beginning to understand the importance of running and how it can, and has, changed my life.

Here is a small article with a little more info about these amazing runners. You can also check out my literature page for a review of "Born to Run" and where to buy it.

http://www.menshealth.com.sg/mh-runners/secrets-tarahumara-runners

Stupid weather..

I wanted this to be an awesome week, one in which I ran a ton and acheived a new best in distance. Instead the weather was all over the place, my schedule was about the same, and I never got my long run in for the week and I feel like it was a week wasted! I guess these things happen but it just ticks me off that I went through the preparation I did to lose the chance to run as much as I wanted to.

Because this week was so crazy, I had the opportunity to learn a little more patience with myself. Learning to run, and to do it right and well, has required a lot of patience with myself. I have never dedicated myself to something like this and being a new endeavour, it has required a lot of time and understanding of myself to make sure this works. I still get frustrated with myself and the circumstances, but I always remember my goal and how I can get there.

We all have imperfections and we all face different trials in life. Having learned to show more patience with myself has also taught me to demonstrate a little more patience with others. Running, in a way, is my therapy and my time to get to know God and myself a little better. With greater understanding of these comes a greater love and patience for others. You have to admit, at least an hour and a half a day of just thinking about, well, everything, gives you many chances to understand a little more about life.

Running has changed the way I think and improved my life in far more ways than just physically. It changes you. The further you go, the more you become somone new. Someone better. Give it a try ;)

Blisters = Progress

I find it strange when I take my shoes off and see several blisters on my feet my first reaction is, "Cindy! Come check this out!" I have been running fairly regularly for a little less than two months now and I am happy to see the progress I am making. I find it difficult sometimes to measure my progress by only the numbers I see when I'm running. The numbers just don't cut it sometimes. The little things I have noticed lately seem to be my new measures of success:

1. Blisters on my feet. I have been getting more as my distances increase and though they are a little uncomfortable it reminds me of the effort that I put into the run.

2. Calluses. This goes hand in hand with the blisters. The more blisters I get the more calluses I develop and the tougher my feet become!

3. Knees. I have a bad left knee from an accident a few years back and it always seems to give me troubles. When I started running it was the most painful part of going long distances. Thankfully, the pain is gone and even when I run longer distances it feels a little weak near the end (kind of normal for knees I think) but it no longer hurts. This is a big one!

4. Body shape. Looking at myself in the mirror means so much more when you can see a difference.

5. JOY! The moment you start to love running is the moment you are on the right track. I have a long ways to go, but I crave running during the days and I no longer dread it. I may not be the most amazing runner in the world but I can still learn to love the exercise that we were born and made to do. The more I make it an important part of my life the more I learn to love it. 

Everyone has their reasons to run, but we all have to have our own measures of success beyond that of numbers. There needs to be more to it than just the distance to feel like our time is well spent. Check your weight, check your heart rate, check your waste size, grab your belly fat and watch it disappear, look at your shoes and how quickly they are deteriorating, or anything that means something to you! My methods are strange but they mean something to me. 

THIS IS MY MEASURE OF SUCCESS! 

(Gross pic of my foot ahead! Beware!)

Make sure to find your own measure and keep heading towards it!

Thought for the Day

I had a great run today but nothing too exciting as to share it.

I found this and instantly and loved it. So many people think running is too hard or only for certain people,

but when I read about a 101 year old running his last marathon before he retires I believe that it is for everyone. There are no exceptions as to who running can benefit. It is hard, but nothing worth our time and effort was ever easy. Running takes you to places you would have never imagined, and in more ways than one. This is how I feel and I don't think there is any other way to put it.

Ready to Run!

It's official! I have registered for my first marathon! I will be running in the Provo Marathon in May and I can't tell you how excited I am! I have been putting in tons of work and it makes me feel great knowing that I get to put it to use and show myself that I can actually run a marathon! I still have a bit of training to do before I am ready but I am well on my way. After my recent 17.5 mile run i know that I am almost there. I look forward to race day!

Here is my actual confirmation for the race

The best thing that I have learned this week during my runs is how to break running down into small pieces. Because it is still winter I have been running on a treadmill. I won't lie, it is difficult because you are completely stationary and running for long periods of time. Luckily I have the Cardio Cinema at Gold's Gym to keep me occupied, but when they play girly movies it makes my runs exceptionally hard. It becomes more of a mind game rather than a physical one. I know how far I can run, but sometimes it is very hard to get there. When I hit moments like this I try to break it down into pieces. Run one more mile, five more minutes, or half a mile more. These little ideas are what allow me to get through the really tough moments when I am not sure I can push through. It breaks down 9 miles into little spurts of 1 to 2 miles, which to the mind is easily handled. I have found that this really helps me to push to the end and finish my run, even during the monotonous run on a treadmill. I hope it will help all of you during those tough runs!

I thought this was interesting so I decided to share it