I’ve recently gotten onto Twitter, and one of my favorite things about it is that you can create your own little world made up of the people you follow. I follow lots of runners, mothers, people into fitness, environmentalists, other knitters. Every time I log in to twitter, I feel like the world is filled with people like me, and I get news, information, and updates that are relevant to my interests. It’s nice. It’s like I’ve created my own virtual world where my interests are everyone’s interests, and I’m reading tweets from positive, eloquent people or Huffington Post updates with GOOD news about what’s going on in the world around me.
I love it.
Want to eat more meatless meals? Get on and follow a bunch of vegetarians who like to post photos of what they have for dinner and re-tweet recipes.
Want to stick with an exercise habit? Fill your twitter feed with people who are running and loving it – it’s easier to get out and run when you feel like everyone’s doing it.
Thanks to following the right people on twitter, lately it’s felt like EVERYONE is doing some variation of the plank a day challenge. You guessed it, they’re all doing a plank a day, and many of them are posting about it on twitter or Facebook. In fact, there’s a whole hashtag for it on twitter, #plankaday, where you tweet your planking time each day, and @Plankpolice reminds you when you miss a day (but leaves you alone after two reminders, so it’s not a hassle if you move on to a different fitness challenge instead). You can read more about it on the official website, here: http://www.fudiet.com/plank-a-day-revolution/
Kind of neat.
My favorite part is that it takes only a few minutes a day, and I really feel my abs working towards the end. It gives me that light burn afterwards that makes me feel like I’ve actually worked my muscles – pretty awesome for something that takes so little time it’s manageable even if Will and Andrew are playing on the floor next to me! Although, it’s a lot easier if they’re napping because they tend to climb on top of me. Not good for your form. (Form is really important
My sister even jumped on board after seeing me doing my daily plank – just one more thing for sisters to talk about 🙂
my sister, doing a plank with a little help from Will
I like healthy trends, I could probably use a reminder from the plank police if I stop, and since I found it because I followed people on twitter who were doing it, and now I enjoy it, I think I ought to spread the word with my daily plank tweet. It’s pretty easy to ignore if you’re not interested 🙂
Runner’s World has a video showing proper form for planking so you get the most benefits and reduce your risk of back injury! You can check it out here if you need a planking refresher: (It’s a shirtless guy, if that helps) http://www.runnersworld.com/workouts/plank
Recently someone called attention to a rather snide article in the Wall Street Journal opinion section called “OK, You’re a runner. Get over it.” The article, by Chad Stafko, ditches on 13.1 and 26.2 bumper stickers, on wearing race t-shirts in public, and jokes (I hope it’s a joke) that the only reason someone would “get up at 5 a.m. and run 10 miles adorned with fluorescent tape” is because “there is no more visible form of strenuous exercise than running” and in this age of social media, we crave attention and want to be seen. Umm, right… because all the people I know are up at 5 a.m. looking out their windows to see if the person running by in reflective gear is someone they know, so they can then applaud them for it later.
Maybe we get up and do it because exercising makes us feel good, reduces our risk of heart attack and disease, gives us the pleasure of working towards goals and achieving them, and is an amazing way to get outside in the fresh air year round.
Maybe we enjoy advertising our distances because we like connecting to other runners, and inspiring people to start running because they look at us and realize how many normal people are doing it and how accessible it is.
Maybe we wish we lived in a country where more people were healthy and active, so we didn’t have to worry about friends, neighbors and relatives who are at higher risk for heart disease, type two diabetes, and stroke, and who aren’t living the same quality of life because they don’t exercise regularly. Maybe every bumper sticker is an advertisement for a better way of living, not just a way to stroke our own egos by advertising our accomplishments. Dear cars on the road, I see your Tony’s Donuts bumper sticker and I raise you one 13.1 bumper sticker.
In a world filled with advertising, we are advertising something healthy… something positive… something free. And I guess, to Chad Stafko, something offensive.
In his defense, this guy is a journalist. His job is to write entertaining, edgy articles that people want to read. Perhaps in his world, snarky and controversial = funny, and offensive = viral. It takes extra creativity to be funny without being negative, and it’s a lot easier to harp on some runners for advertising their joy of running than it is to take on big businesses for things that are actually harmful. Maybe he was having a lazy day, or maybe it really bugs him that so many people are happy to be exercising. His tone when writing about the rise in the popularity of running certainly made it sound like lots of runners isn’t a good thing.
I write a whole blog about running. I have some good guesses as to what Chad Stafko would say about THAT. But for every Chad Stafko, I’ve got people writing me e-mails and comments thanking me for helping them stay motivated to keep running, because they love the change it’s made in their lives. There it is, right there – the positive impact of being public and talking about running is real. The negative impact of irritating someone who thinks you’re an egomaniac for displaying your interest in running? Let me just say, it’s probably not their biggest problem.
I suspect anyone annoyed by the sight of my 13.1 sticker or someone in a coffee shop wearing their race t-shirt is probably unsatisfied with their own life or level of fitness, and should do something about it. Does it bother me when I see someone in a zumba t-shirt or with an ironman bumper sticker? Um, no. Not at all. It might even give me something to talk to them about in line at the grocery store. I found something active that I love to do, and I’m doing it. I would be ecstatic to learn that you’ve done the same.
Maybe I’m crazy, but I like seeing people posting selfies of themselves at the gym, or doing something awesome. I stay on Facebook so I can see my friends’ photos and updates, and nothing makes me happier than seeing my friends doing things they’re proud of and happy about. Please – tell me you’ve taken up kayaking, lost some weight, joined a gym, started eating healthier, or won first place with your bowling league. I LOVE IT. If you have photos, that’s even better.
I’m irritated by this article because when I think about the impact, I don’t see any positive outcomes. Someone who dislikes seeing people’s bumper stickers about their race distances is going to feel validated in their own inactivity, or their inability to be pleased about the accomplishments of others. Someone who motivated themselves to get off the couch and get active in part because they were excited to earn themselves a specific shirt or car magnet now feels embarrassed that they’re proud of themselves for doing something difficult to improve their health and their lives. That’s a lot more lame than a run-brag, if you ask me.
If you’ve found something that you love, that brings you joy, that’s healthy and harmless, I hope you do advertise it. Get people thinking about it, show that it’s an interest of yours and answer questions if a beginner approaches you. Get yourself a t-shirt proclaiming that you knit, or you’re a tennis freak, or you think rock climbers are some of the most awesome people ever.
Seeing evidence of your successes, your accomplishments, and your passions makes me happy, because I want that for everyone. And the more of us who show we’ve found it, whatever IT is, the more people around us will be inspired to find something of their own that makes them happy enough to wear a t-shirt with it emblazoned across their chests.
Go ahead, Chad Stafko, buy that 0.0 bumper sticker you have your eye on. It shows what makes you happy.
Anyone have some bragging they’d like to do? Because if you do, I’m happy for you, and I’d really like to hear it.
Eek… what an offensive t-shirt. I can’t believe I wore that in public, and with such a smile, too!
The Chilly Half Marathon in Newton, MA was my second half marathon! It was a great race. The weather was ideal, going from 43 degrees at the start to 50 degrees at the finish, with rain finishing minutes before the start, leaving a cool, overcast humidity for the duration of the race.
The course wound its way through Newton, MA, with gorgeous views of foliage, Crystal Lake, and beautiful neighborhoods. It’s advertised as a challenging, hilly course, but it was all paved and the elevation gain was less than that of my first half marathon, so I found the course less challenging than I’d anticipated. Isn’t that a great feeling!
Race packets were available for pickup two days prior to the race, and since we’re local, I was able to pick up our shirts and bib numbers, leaving us more time before the race for sleeping, eating, and warming up rather than worrying about race registration logistics! Greg warmed up by running. I warmed up by hanging out in the car. (13.1 is enough for me in one day, thanks! Being a novice runner, the endurance is still the biggest part of the challenge, so I warm up on the course.)
Greg and I, staying warm in the car just minutes prior to the start! It’s like we knew we would both PR 🙂
I went into the race hoping to do better than I did at my first half marathon. On one hand, I was skeptical, because I felt as though I’d had little extra time to train in the 7 weeks between races. I had to recover, I had to taper, and that left only four serious weeks of training that included long runs of 10 or 11 miles. On the other hand, that’s four extra double digit runs under my feet, five if you include the first half marathon as “training”! My body was a lot more familiar with running, and running long distances, than it was when I tackled 13.1 the first time.
I’d also learned the hard way to incorporate hills into my regular running. After being so challenged by hills during my first half marathon, I stopped using hills as an excuse for a walking break during my training runs, and I started to sprint or run the hills leading into my neighborhood that I used to walk as a “cool down” after my runs. I didn’t think it had added up to much, and was feeling negligent because I hadn’t done hill repeats, until I got onto the half marathon course. The hills didn’t phase me the way they did during my first half. They took more effort, I slowed down, I lost my breath… but I maintained a reasonable pace, I didn’t take a walking break during or after the hill, and I made up the slowed pace on the downhill. It was like I was a different runner. I can’t tell you how good that felt! Plus, if you run the hills, you get to the top a lot faster, and it’s really nice to get them over with!
The Real Reason I Did So Well – An Unexpected Running Partner!
The running I did in preparation made the race possible, but an unexpected running partner made the race enjoyable, and kept me motivated and steady-paced enough to PR by ten minutes, with a finish of 2:16:04!
Just after the start, I heard two runners from Greg’s company shout hello to one another… one of whom I remembered had a goal to finish in 2:20. Since my last half marathon was 2:26, I thought that’d be an ambitious but possible goal for me, too. Luckily, after I found him at the start, he agreed to let me run with him! Since he was a very experienced runner, I found myself running a very steady pace, losing track of miles thanks to our conversation, and determined as ANYTHING not to be the one who got in the way of his goal. There was no way I was going to slow down and cost him his race, and I worried that after a few miles he’d feel bad leaving me behind. So I ran it.
When I got really tired at mile 10 and subconsciously sped up because I wanted the race to be over, he held me back. When we hit mile 12.5, he suggested we pick up the pace for a strong finish, and if I wasn’t so determined to finish with him, I probably would have slowed down at the end rather than giving it everything I had left! We didn’t sprint, but we dropped our pace down to about a 9 minute mile for the last .5, so that our last full mile averaged a 9:43 pace, with the first half being 10:30 ish and the last half mile dropping the average mile pace down those extra 45 seconds. Smart… because it’s safer to spread out any reserved energy over the last .5 rather than sprinting at the end which can cause injury, but also REALLY HARD. Again, not sure I would have done it, or believed I could do it, if I didn’t have an experienced runner next to me with whom I really wanted to finish. (Ok seriously, who is running my next race with me?)
Took a little long at the first water station, impacting mile 3, otherwise – steady pace with a strong finish!
Would I have decided to walk some of those hills if we weren’t trying to stick under 10:30 pace and didn’t have time to lose? Probably. Would I have lingered longer at the water stations? Probably. Would I have been bored and full of doubts by mile 8? I certainly wouldn’t have been surprised to discover it was mile 8, and I was this time, thanks to having such great company! I KNOW I only finished that fast because I was with him. What are the chances I would find another runner with such a compatible goal? This race will always stick with me in my memory as one of the most beautiful, fun races ever. Gorgeous fall scenery, a running partner/coach keeping me on track, and miles that actually slipped by, not to mention a 10 minute PR. It doesn’t get better than that.
My mom, waiting at the finish line with Andrew, who refused to wear his own hat and mittens but loved wearing hers!
This race was extra awesome because I knew my family would be waiting for me at the finish – my parents had driven down to see me run the half marathon and to watch Will and Andrew for us so that Greg and I could both run! (He and many of his co-workers run this half marathon, so it’s kind of his race!) Greg was hoping to break 1:30… and he did. I kept asking what time it was during the race and picturing him crossing the finish line while I was running. Just before we headed to the finish, some of Greg’s coworkers spotted us and I was able to find out that he’d met his goal – it put me in such high spirits that I’m sure it contributed to my strong finish!
“I WILL smile for my parents!”
My parents had only seen me run one race before, a 5k where I was trying to break 30 minutes for the first time. I did, by two seconds, but I couldn’t even wave or smile to them as I entered the finish. It was not my most spectacular of races. I started too ambitiously, walked halfway through, realized I still had a chance, and then ran so hard that I almost dry heaved across the finish and I left my parents, grandparents, and in-laws all seriously questioning whether it was actually healthy for me to run. They certainly had trouble understanding why I claimed it was so much fun for me! They kind of had a point. (You can see a photo of me looking pretty destroyed going into the finish at that race on a blog post I wrote for beginning runners on my parenting/life blog. The post was so popular I decided to start writing a blog about running… and here we are.)
Anyway… not this time. I was determined to smile and wave going into that finish, and you know what? It wasn’t forced. I had a fantastic race. The miles slipped by, we finished strong, and my running partner promised that not only would I smile for my parents this time, but he would, too. We did. Knowing we’d beaten our goal by several minutes didn’t hurt 😉
Yup – you’re supposed to pour this stout this way! Nothing like a celebratory drink after a great race 🙂
Before I get to a race recap, I wanted to write about race recovery, since I’ve learned a few things from my two half marathons!
Race Recovery Tips I’ve Learned the Hard Way
1. Eat
After my first half marathon in September, it took far too long for us to get to food after the race! Between the 90 minute race delay that made my early breakfast way TOO early, and the huge traffic jam getting out of the vineyard where the race finished, it was EIGHT HOURS between meals. Yes, I had a banana and a chocolate chip cookie after I finished the race… no, that wasn’t enough! By the time we finally made it somewhere for lunch, my hands were shaking, I was white in the face, and it took me five minutes before I could eat more than a bite at a time without feeling a wave of nausea. Not good.
I recommend packing some post-race food in case the food from the tents is sparse, or not enough before you can actually get a meal.
This time, we grabbed a bagel with tofutti on the way home, along with a juice, and had lunch earlier. I felt much better – but then was back to cranky when I skipped an afternoon snack. Next time, I’ll keep in mind that I need to replenish my calories more throughout the day than normal! It also pays to eat well… we’ve been trying to focus on eating a whole foods, plant-based diet, and the first thing I hear from other runners who’ve done the same is that it noticeably improved their recovery time between workouts. I’ll take any help I can get 🙂
2. Walk & Stretch after the race
You have your race medal – now don’t stop moving!
Don’t stop moving. I know you want to. I wanted to. I kind of did after my first half marathon, when I ended up in a car for 50 minutes right after the race, trying to get somewhere for lunch. This time, I walked a little more, and Greg reminded me to actually stretch.
3. Use a Foam Roller or “The Stick”
Greg got me “The Stick” for my birthday after I started running, but I’d never really figured out how to use it, until now. Remembering the stiffness in my legs after my first half marathon in September, and the advice I’ve gotten from other runners about the awesomeness of foam rollers, I decided I should probably try to massage my legs and see if it’d speed up my recovery. (For a whole list of articles on foam rollers, check out this compilation from Runner’s World.)
I went to thestick.com and watched their instructional videos on using The Stick to massage your leg muscles. I gave it a college try, and guess what? I woke up feeling fantastic. I’m sprinting up the stairs at my normal speed to switch laundry or get Will & Andrew when they wake up from naps (this has to be done at the speed of light so the other doesn’t awaken). I took 10 minutes off my half marathon PR, on a course that had 575 feet of elevation gain according to coolrunning.com. I know I worked for it, and let me tell you, my legs did NOT feel good yesterday afternoon. Today, however, they feel great. I can tell I ran, but it feels like I did a long run on a relatively flat course, not a full half marathon at race pace on a hilly course. That’s an important difference!
Looking for ducks 🙂
Today I went for a two mile stroller walk with Will and Andrew and my sister who was visiting. We stopped at the duck pond to watch the ducks, we went to Whole Foods and had lunch there, we walked home. My legs wouldn’t have felt good enough to do that after my first half marathon! Maybe it’s experience, maybe it’s a little less elevation on the course, maybe it’s the foam roller or the lack of long car and plane rides… who knows. What I do know, is that eating enough, walking and stretching after the race, and using The Stick are all helpful strategies that probably contributed to my faster recovery.
Had a GREAT race this morning – the weather was beautiful, and I had an unexpected running partner who literally kept me going strong and made it a fantastic race 🙂
Greg got his PR and finished in under 1:30, which was his hope! (His final time was 1:29 something, putting him at 30th out of around 1600 people. No big deal.)
I got a PR by TEN MINUTES! with 2:16:04 and a strong finish.
Overall, it was a beautiful race, a wonderful day, and I’m so happy with how both Greg and I did!
