Why Run?

No Such Thing as Bad Weather

Have you ever been driving in the middle of a huge storm and looked over to the side of the road to see some crazy person out there running as if it were the middle of summer. This is what distance running is all about. Because normally us distance runners are those crazy people out there running in any kind of "bad weather". As most runners and coaches would agree, when it comes to weather, rain or shine you'd better be running. Every coach I have ever had could care less if there was a blizzard out, we definitely still have practice. If you told any real distance athlete you skipped a run because of the rain, they would embarrass you on the spot. Why do runners do it, simply because they are the craziest group of people you can meet. There is no other way to explain it, other then the fact that something different goes on in there head then in your average person. Your average person does not spend each and every week running more miles on their feet then some people put on there cars. And they certainly do not look out the window to see a storm and think, "what a perfect day for a run". This type of person is different from others, whether its good or bad, I can not tell you. But I can tell you that I personally love being that crazy guy on the side of the road running in the middle of a storm. It gives you a sense of confidence, especially if you do your run at a pretty decent pace. Makes you feel like nothing is going to stop you from what you want to do, especially a little bit of rain. This is the mind of a determined runner, and if your determined, I say you've got to be a little nuts.

Limits? I Think Not!

Do you believe every runner has his or her own limits when it comes to performance, or is each and every human body limitless. I personally do not believe in limits, except for the limits we place on ourselves. As  long as you strive to grow as an athlete and truly believe that their is always room for progression, you will never stop progressing. This is why we continuously see records vanish as time moves on. There is no such thing as a record that can not be brocken when it comes to any sport, especially running. If you went back in time and told people that in 2012 the world record for 100m was 9.58 they wold have laughed. If you said that a man can run 5,000 and 10,000 meters in 12:37 and 26:17 or a marathon in 2 hours 3 minutes and 59seconds you would have been insane. Although these are our current world records, and I believe that they will continue to get faster because the human body has no limits.

We will see records like 12:00 for 5,000 meters, well under 2 hours for a marathon, and even around 25:00 for 10,000 meters. Of coarse it sounds insane, but so did the records we see today according to people from lets say half a century ago. We may believe that many of the records held today are untouchable, but theres always that next person in time that believes they can be the ones to bust the record. As time moves on, records move faster. And the only time we will truly ever see an "unbreakable" record in any event is the day the clock says 0:00 at the end of the race.

The Importance of Running Shoes

Should every runner really be putting importance into the kind of shoes or spikes they are wearing, or is it just another way for shoe companies to get us to waste money on their products. Can we all be like the Tarahumara Tribe who runs barefoot for unbelievable amounts of miles or do we really need that soft supportive cushion protecting our feet.

I believe runners need quality running shoes and should put importance into ensuring that their feet are well protected. Without a doubt, having the correct shoes on your feet makes all the difference. It can be the difference between having a healthy season and being on the injured list. And having the right spikes can give you that extra tenth of a second you needed to qualify or hit a specific mark you may have been striving for. Every runner looks for the light-weight spike or racing shoe that may give them that edge, but how do you know you are wearing the proper shoe for your event. Just because you paid for an expensive light weight spike does not mean it is the right spike for you.

Lets say you are running a marathon, typically you would want a racing shoe that is lighter then your typical training shoe, with plenty of heal and arch support. The last thing you want to do is go find a 4 ounce racing flat meant for 5k to 10k races. Finding the right shoe for you is all about what events your trying to run. If your looking for something relative to mid-distance such as 800 - 1600 meter races, you would want something with a tough front to mid foot plate and less support on the heal and arch of your foot, typically because in these kind of races you run mostly on the balls of your feet and up on your toes. But if you want something for distance races on the track, such as 3,000 to 10,000 meters you want a spike that would still allow you to run from heal to toe and not as much of a tough front plate but a soft cushiony plate, mostly because the tough plate burns your feet for such long distance. 

One common thing you will find in both long distance and mid distance track races is that the lighter the spike the better as long as the bottom plate fits your event. Some people may believe that finding the "right" spike is bologna, but finding the spike that fits you can make all the difference. The way I see it, shaving off the ounces on your shoe is like shaving off the seconds in your race, so why not take all the advantages you can get.

Hidden Tribe of Superathletes Born to Run

The Tarahumara - 

A Hidden Tribe of Superathletes Born to Run

Check out this video of a tribe in mexico who's way of life is running. These people most definitely know the meaning of  a long run and what it is to run for days nonstop. It is almost inhuman.

The Magics in the Man

Who ever said that in order to run fast you need to run tons of miles week in and week out. As the famous Oregon coach Bill Bowerman once said, "The magic is in the man not the hundred miles". How could anyone object to such a brilliant concept. Sometimes the key to running fast isn't necessarily pounding in 100 mile weeks, sometimes the key to running fast is within yourself. I believe that running fast is 40% training your butt off, 50% mental toughness, and 10% luck.  This formula revolves around Bowermans' concept of "The magic is in the man". Anyone can be your typical beast practice hero who runs 100 mile weeks, and amazing splits during workouts but if you dont have your head on right for the race and the tools to over come the mental factors of a race, you will never run fast.

The last time I checked, the starting official of the race does not come out and ask each runner how many miles you ran this week before you can start the race. I am not saying running heavy milage is bad, I am saying it is not for everyone. There are people out there with freakishly amazing gifts who can go out and win a race after only running a mere twenty or thirty miles in a week.

My advice to someone who may be pounding the miles and not seeing any results wouldn't necessarily be to run even more miles, I would tell them opposite, back off the miles a little, and take the time to reflect on the training they have been doing and believe in it. Believe in your training, believe in your own abilities, and when it comes race time there is no holding back. Even when the pain is at its best, you convince your mind to be better. That is what makes fast races and fast runners, you try to find the magic in yourself.

I am unstoppable, unbeatable, untouchable

"I am a runner,
I run in rain or shine,
light or darkness.
 I run until I cry,
collapse,
or until I feel like I
cannot go on.
And then,
I run another mile.
Because I am a runner.
I am unstoppable,
unbeatable,
untouchable."




Many people would take a caption like this and use it to motivate themselves to be unstoppable, unbeatable, and untouchable at running. But my perception is that  just because you are a runner who runs rain or shine, light or darkness, and runs the extra mile, it does not mean you are necessarily untouchable at running. It means you are unstoppable, unbeatable, and untouchable at everything else in your life because you have the qualities of a runner.

Steer yourself in any Direction

You'd STILL Run!

Are you in great shape or peaking to early?

With the beginning of march, comes the start of a new track season. This brings excitement and anxiety to most competitive runners because its time to test how well your winter training went. For some its a kick in the butt to realize how out of shape you really are and for others to realize that you are in perfect fitness.

Now the question that runners ask is are you really in great shape for the start of a new season or are you just "peaking" at a time where no one wants to peak.

Its one of the hardest tasks for a runner to time your training just right where the highest level of fitness you reach is at the end of the season where you would wish to hit your best mark. The fear is going into the beginning of march and hitting a great PR that you cannot reach later in championship races. Every runner hates looking at the results of championship races and noticing the winning times are the same as your times that were run back in march.

So my advice is not to stress and overwork at the beginning of the season. I am certainly not saying it is bad to run fast in the beginning of march, but I'm saying to run and train how one wise old runner (my dad and running mentor) used to tell me, be "relaxed but fast".

Signing Your Life Away

       Its the month of february, which means for runners in there high school senior campaign its time to sign with the college they wish to compete for in the incoming fall. A huge pressure for a high school runner who wants to make sure their future is set with the right school. Not to mention all the pressure from the colleges who want them and the high school running fans urging them to attend a certain college. Some runners on the other hand, face the pressure of receiving an offer in the first place.

What I want to know is what makes a runner eligible to be recruited, and what standards do colleges need in order to persuade an athlete to sign with their institution. Their are many cases where running fans question why one of the top high school runners did not decide to go to an elite running university, or why an elite running university decided to make an offer to an athlete with average best marks. Personally it drives me crazy, but every high school kid has his or her reasons for attending a specific university. It could have been that they like the academics, location, school atmosphere, etc. As well does every university have there reasons for choosing a recruit. Just because you are not the best in the state or in your division, does not necessarily mean you are not eligible to be recruited. It is my belief that there is no real standard that makes a runner eligible to be recruited to a university, if a coach notices something they like about you then they are going to want to recruit you for whatever reason. It could have been because you hit a mark, or won a race in a certain mannor, or felt that you were a coachable athlete that they can mold into something great. The number one thing for athletes to remember before they "sign there lives away" to a university is to choose based off there own opinions and not fall into any pressures. There is no standards that makes a college the right one to go to except for your own.

     

I say running S.U.C.K.S.

       Yes, I am a runner and I say running S.U.C.K.S. Although, ironically most other runners would agree that running sucks. The act of running is not always what draws a runners love affair for the sport, I personally enjoy what you get out of running, the emotions, the life long lessons and learning. Most of us do not enjoy the pain and agony of the sport but what it does for us. For some it can be a life changing effect, others it is part of there personality who they are and what they represent. Every runner has there reason for running, even if they say its because they enjoy pain, my belief is that they enjoy the value of pain, not necessarily the literal pain they feel while in the act. So when I say running sucks, your right to believe that it is dreaded by most, even myself at times.
       So in the event of running being so excruciating, I have attempted to make an acronym for why you cant help but fall in love with it. Running is S = SELF-SATISFACTION, U = UNDERSTANDING, C = CONFIDENCE, K = KEY, and is S = SACRED.
       Running is self - satisfaction, for the fact that in our sport you set your own goals and receive a self satisfying feeling of achieving them, goals as simple as finishing a race bring self satisfaction to a runner. Running is understanding, because it gives you a new understanding of "an absurd past time called life"(from the movie without limits). Running is confidence, whether it helps you build to it or add to it. Running gives you confidence that anything is possible, whether its because you accomplished a goal through running or because you witnessed something amazing. Running is key, and what I mean by this is that it can be your key to succes, your key to a better life, your key to new doors you've never seen before. And last but not least running is sacred, it gives you things that no one else has experienced except  possibly other runners. It is sacred because the millions who run have a unique experience as to what running means to them. Every person in the world is different, which means every runner in the world is also different.
       Its safe to say I love running because it S.U.C.K.S.