Running is...

The Essence of Running
Running is a road to self-awareness and reliance …
you can push yourself to extremes and learn the harsh
reality of your physical and mental limitations or coast
quietly down a solitary path watching the earth spin
beneath your feet.
But when you are through, exhilarated and exhausted,
at least for a moment everything seems right with the world…

(stolen)

Has Running Changed Who You Are?

When I was 180 lbs in college, I used to drive a quarter mile from my apartment to the dining hall to get two philly cheese steak sandwiches and two large drinks every day. I would sit and watch tv and listen to music and I thought I was in heaven. Walking was out of the question, even on a nice spring day. Deep down, I knew I was a huge hypocrite, because I was surrounded by mountains and rivers and beautiful wildlife that I adored inside but never ventured outside. I also was surrounded by a bunch of city slickers at the local University that never noticed any of that, no matter how much I preached to them that a good time doesn't necessarily need to include a two story shopping mall or booze. "Look around you" I would exclaim with such conviction. Yet, I never did myself.

I also remember taking a personal wellness course that required you to log a certain amount of time each week for credit. All you had to do was lift weights, run on the T Mill (which I still refuse to do instead of going outside), or play basketball. I had an entire semester to complete it.
I made a B in that course because of it. I also remember my BMI and my REAL AGE tests telling me I was fat and about 29 (I was 22). Yikes!

Walking anywhere was a pain in the ***, even on a nice day. I just wouldn't do it. Now, I purposely park as far as I can from the entrance to stores just so I can get in a 10 second run to the door. Same with the mailbox. Oh...and my regular 25 mpw

In my mind, this is an amazing transformation! It also has done a lot to strengthen my character. I'm more confident than I've ever been, and it has given me the courage to do things I wouldn't have done before, such as oh say...getting two tattoos and shaving my head? I've had a tendency in the past to start things and never finish them. When I started, I wanted to lose three or four pounds and NEVER thought I'd actually be able to do that, let alone stick with it for eight months...

I also feel more at peace with myself. I'm not self conscious like I used to be, and, for some odd reason, I developed about 100000% more backbone than I ever thought I'd have. I think all of this is due to the fact that I'm active, and there are certain biochemical things at work. Somewhere inside of me, a switch has turned ON. That switch, (labeled LIFE) has been turned off for the past quarter century. I'm just glad that I found running, it has done more for me than I ever imagined.

So what has running done for you? Are you more confident? Do you feel younger, brighter, more energetic? Maybe even an increased libido capacity? Once you get out there, and get active, IMHO, the world is YOURS.

Running with tunes..

I've gone through a lot of stages in my running career. There was the run-fast-so-people-don't-think-you're-out-of-shape phase. There was the alternative stride phase. And of course, there was the running with tunes stage. That stage seemed to last the longest of all. I have to say, it was the worst decision I ever made.

Don't get me wrong, here. I don't mean to insinuate that this will apply to all runners. It won't. But I see so manny beginning runners religiously strapping on their ipods, and so many of them get pooped out. There is a very simple equation behind this. At least there was for me. It goes a little something like this:

Music=tempo and beat
tempo, beat, and volume=inability to hear your own breathing
heart rate out of whack.

Once the running with tunes phase ended, the enjoying running more than I ever have in my entire life phase was ready to begin. My pace was manageable, now that I could hear my breathing and pay attention to my heart rate, and my new shoes turned out to be a god send. Mentally I was stronger than ever, and my distances kept getting longer and longer. With music, the longest I could run was 5k, and I had to take walk breaks. This continued for the first few months of running...that's not a lot of forward progress.

Now, my longest run is 10 miles and I will smash that soon. I run 8 miles for fun, at a relaxed pace. And what's more..it has given me a whole new lease on running. With music, I enjoyed running. Without music, I really and truly LOOOVE running. I'm proud to say that, knowing it's truer than it ever was. I'm speach less with the joy it brings me, and the incredible progress I've made.

Something to think about if you run with music...

A little trail'll do ya!

So I took a week off of running after completing a 7,8 and 10 mile LSD three weeks prior. I could feel myself sort of burning out a little bit, but knew that I would get back into it soon. After my hiatus, I was ready to go, this time on a beautiful trail. The scenery DEFINITELY helped. I love the asphalt trail I usually run on, but my surroundings become monotonous after months of running.

I was surrounded by nature at every turn. Even in the winter months with no foliage, I was astonished at the beauty. It really helped me out with the mental aspect of running. My mind went blank as I just took in all of the trees, the fresh clean air, the sounds and just overall feeling of the woods. I felt strong, confident, relaxed, and for the first time in many moons, I felt genuinely excited. It was just plain fun to run that day.

Case in point, if you find yourself waning a little bit (or a lot), take a few days off to do something else. Pamper yourself, and then when you return to running, run in a place that will ease your mind...it'll still be pampering.