Are you ready?  Here we are with 2 days til Cottonwood Classic 5k 2009 and I am hoping you are getting something out of this.

Lets talk about your body today.  There are a couple of things to keep in mind while running:

First – your shoes. Its obvious you want to be wearing comfortable and light shoes – you can’t be wearing your church shoes or hiking boots to run a 5k or a 10k. You can, but you don’t want to. You also want to make sure you aren’t wearing worn out shoes that are ready to be scrapped…this will increase fatigue and possible other problems which include, but are not limited to: ankle pain, foot strain, leg and calves, lower back and hips…should I go on?  Do you really want to take a chance on missing out on running because of shoes? Come on!

When your running, your feet need to go from heel to toe – use your whole foot.  Sprinters run on the balls of their feet – short distances like that its okay, but its not okay to run as long as your going to run on the balls of your feet. Your calves will cramp and you will not finish. 

Finishing is winning.

Use your whole foot.  Also, make sure you are scrunching your toes while your run – go ahead and extend those toesies in order to minimize “Scrunchy Feet Syndrome” – it causes an extreme amount of flatulence. Not really, but it can improve your run, by not doing this. Again the strain on your foot will cause fatigue and add more reasons why you would want to stop (see “4 days till…” on distractions.)

Strides: Have you seen those people at the gym who get on the treadmill and take half strides because 1) they don’t really want to be on the treadmill 2) they are trying to warm up before a workout and really believe this is a waste of time 3) they are embarrassed to run, but are doing it anyway?

What is a half stride? Exactly as it sounds…in a normal stride your leg extends in front of you in order to complete the normal step or stride that you would take. A half stride stops right under your hips as your other foot goes behind you…if this sounds ridiculous, it is. So stop it if your doing it.

In taking a normal stride, however, think about also raising the knee as you take your forward step.  For most of us when we run, we are in shuffle mode or scissoring our legs as we run. Its okay to do this, but to increase distance and possibly decrease the time on a run…this will help. By raising your knee above the shuffle run, your lengthening your stride which will take a little more out of you – but with time this will become your normal stride and you will notice your body, your breathe and your time will eventually catch up.

Arms: what are you doing with your arms? A brief subject and we will move on. Don’t Frankenstein your run! Have you seen these people who don’t move their arms when they run?  I believe there is an episode of Seinfeld that even speaks to this  as well.  Get your arms into the groove as well…this helps believe it or not.  Now, I am not saying that you have to wave your arms like a madman out there…just as your stride should be a normal front to back, heel to toe, stride – your arms should be just as normal. Enough said.

Your head. Having run with a couple of different people, I notice that different people do different things as they run. My point here is, be vigilant about what is in front of you. Small rocks, curbs, etc…can look deceiving as we approach and think nothing of it by thinking we can step on, over or around it…but here is how rolled ankles or worse, a fall, can happen. Who wants that? Look forward and then look at what is in front of you…scan your next couple of steps. I know, this may sound like I am stating the obvious, but race time and run time jitters can cause all sorts of things to happen.

Did that cover it? I think so…if not let me know. Are you ready?

UPDATE: What happened to ‘3 days till…‘ seriously are you really reading this stuff?

Here is another installment of the running segment on my blog.  Cottonwood Classic 5k 2009 is in 4 days – are you ready?

Today’s topic: distractions. Do you have any? Do you need any?

What do I mean by distractions? Well lets paint a little picture shall we:

Your running and your going at a good pace and your feeling rather good about your run so far…but your only half a block away from your home.  You still have another 4-5 miles to go…thats when it hits you: I have another 4-5 miles to go!!!

Your breathing starts to speed up a bit, your heart feels like someone is pounding away on an anvil and your legs are already to retire…your mind is searching: did I eat enough? Are my shoes too tight? Did I finish that email? What about the tacos?

Its at this point your body is saying something you don’t want to hear: lets do this tomorrow. Oprah is on. Taco Bell is having a special today!

You see its at this point you need a distraction! My favorite at this point: iPod.

(Have you noticed a strange amount of colon’s (:) in my writing today? Me too…):::::::::

For some it can be the top 40 and for others its a podcast or talk radio.  I would like to also mention that there are two types of people here: those who need distractions; and those who think distractions are…uhm, a distraction.

I fall into the former category.  I need the distractions or else I am going to make it to the front of my house and turn around and go back inside.  I start thinking of excuses why I should stop and why its too hot (or too cold) to run. Why my shoes are the wrong size/color/weight/kind to be running.  

I hate that about myself. But that is another story.

The distractions are needed of course so that I can be carried away to another place in order to get my mind off the above.  I found that new music will have a ‘longer run’ effect.  I can play the same song/album over and over again, if its a good one, and keep running.  the opposite is true as well; if I have listened to the same old songs over and over again or if the song/album is not worth listening to anymore…I feel like I want to stop and the start the reasons why I should in my head.

For others, the no-distraction group are a special group (and I mean that in a good way).  They are more concerned with timing, mile-splits, distance, hill-sprints, etc.  They are more into the technical aspects of their run than the enjoyment of mere mortals.  For those guys, again I mean this in the most respectful way, their training is taken to a ‘whole ‘nutha level.’  These are the guys who are competing and running the average 5k in 20+ minutes or faster.  A 10k can be done in a little over 30 minutes for these guys. Yeah, they are that serious.  Kudos and honor to you my friends.  I will see you at the refreshment table.

Anyway, back to those of us in need of distrac….something shiny!  Ahem, lets talk about the iPod Nano for a second.  What is cool is that Nike and iPod have developed this nice tracking method in order for you to see your progress. Nike + is a system that is a transmitter, which goes into your shoe, and a receiver, that goes into your iPod. when they start talking with each other you start seeing your progress about how far you have run, your run pace, your average mile-split, date and time. What is cool is that you can see, visually, on the Nike + site that keeps a record of your runs, and your progress as well.  

Other cool features of the iPod and iTunes is that you can download Nike + music that is put together by other atheletes who know the benefits of training to music.  You can also download ‘Podrunner‘ music that you can choose the bpm’s (beats per minute) that you can keep a certain pace with.  Warning: this can be a little dangerous for the newbies out there.  If you run at a slower pace and you plug-in something with 140bpm and try to keep up…well, your just asking for it!  Live in the now and learn what your body is trying to tell you.

On a serious note: your body takes time to convert oxygen so that your body can use it on the run. For me its about a mile into the run…so until that point I can feel my body is trying to crank out more breath, my heart is going alot faster and its all just getting used to the run. There is a more technical description to what is going on with all this, but I won’t bore you.  Just know that it is completely normal be a little more “breathier” starting out.

Once you learn your ‘body-cues’ you will know when have to slow down or speed up. It takes about a good 20 minutes into my run when I can start going alot faster.  I know that I start out at about 11 min pace and can get down to about a 9.30 pace when I really comfortable with the run.  Lots of factors at play in my head and body to make it there, but I know once I am there, it feels good.  I never thought I would be able to say that about running since before I started running I would question people who would say such things.  Now, I understand.

My day routine looks like this if your interested:

7.30am – drink lots of water and eat a good stick to your bones b’fast: oatmeal with either almond or peanut butter and agave nectar (lower glycemic level – no spiking and no crashing like simple sugar)

10.30am – drink lots of water and eat an apple and a piece of toast with peanut butter.

11.30am – drink lots of water and I may do a Clif bar here.

12.00p – one last drink and transfer it to a squeeze bottle for the run.  I may also do a Clif gel here as well. 

(I know what you are thinking: whats with all the calories you nut!)  For me its also about endurance for the run…my body needs the calories which I know I burn during the run. I also may do another workout later that day too…so I like to keep the machine ticking, ya know!

1.30p – lunch…

Let me know what works for you in your run!  Happy trails!

Here is my motto for this year (again): finishing is winning.

I will try to give you the few things that help me get through a run as well as a race. So enough with the preamble, get on with it.

Your run will cost you, in what you have eaten. Along with the registration cost of the race, you will have to think what you are putting inside that finely tuned race car that will get you to the finish line. We aren’t talking about finishing with the best speed or the best profile – but we are talking about finishing with excellence and quality.

So the question is: what are you putting in your body right before the race? The night before the race? The week prior to the race?

I won’t bore you to death about what to eat – so here are some helpful suggestions as well as what I do.

Hydrate: If you are not drinking water throughout your day you are cheating only yourself. your body needs it and you will need it for the run just like you need air. Learn to keep drinking water throughout your day, all day. yes, you will be going to the bathroom all day – but that is part of it. Keep drinking. Soda and tea: while they contain water is not water. Skip soda because its not worth it in order to get into race condition. Tea, yeah it has caffeine, but it is still not the clean hydrating liquid that you need for the race. That is the mindset you need: if its not for the race, it needs to be rethought. Keep asking yourself: will this help me finish the race?

The week before: think light and long. Light meaning chicken, fish or other lean meats for your proteins. Long meaning skip the baked potato and go for the sweet potato (but, I don’t like sweet potato; deal with it!) Forget white bread, go for the wheat. This is energy – think of it that way. This is for the race – we need sustenance for the race. If you have food that will break down fast, your energy level will go up fast…and come down just as fast. What you want is stuff that will help your endurance during the race as well as for the day – each day as well.

Watch your portions as well. You get filled up, you may not feel like running after. You run while feeling full, it will be irritating; your insides will want to become your outsides; you will feel pain and stuff; and burping while you run is no fun. That old idea about getting 5 to 6 smaller meals in you has something to it. I don’t mean 5 to 6 meals that look dinner; but your daily three meals in proportion and the other ‘in-between’ meals that are energy inducing vittles. Think: apples and granola; peanut butter sandwiches (wheat bread, remember?); carrots and veggie dip (again, light and lean). What do I mean by proportion? If your eating chicken breast with veggies for dinner; the chicken breast would equal the size of your fist <- that is your portion of chicken for that meal. Fix your veggies to smaller sizes as well. If you feel hungry walking away from your meal, its okay – you will not die.

One more thing: stop the food after 8pm. You may have heard this before from some other places – but this actually works. Through out the night, your body is going to work on those fast carbs, whatever it is you have consumed that day, then it moves on to the longer-chained carbs or the slower burning carbs; when it is done with those what is left? Fat. And your body will continue to burn that till the morning. Your body will want to eat first thing – that is normal.

Want to shock your system? Take your run first thing in the morning before your breakfast. Why? Again, through out the night your body is trying to burn whatever it can leaving fat as the last thing…if your running in the morning with your body in fat burning mode, well you will see excellent results in you do this with any type of consistency. Here is the double hit: your metabolism will also will be taken to the next level – this will be a nice little boost you will feel all day.

Night before the race: You have been eating good all week long, why stop now, but be sure to put in a little more carbs into your night meal only if your not an early riser and eating a small meal (I mean small before the race the morning of.)

The Day of: So its race day what do you do? No panicking. From the time you wake up til the race you need to be drinking water and hydrating like crazy. No so much that you are too full to run, but adequately hydrated for the race. 45 minutes before the race starts – eat a Clif bar (i actually got this tip from a friend of mine who does this as well.) The other thing you could do is wait until about 20-30 minutes before the race and eat an apple. Again, this is perfect running food since it is light on calories, great for fiber and slow buring carbs. And its the right food for the run – not too much, not too little. Also, if you are need a little extra “push” – try the Clif-gels which can be a little ‘ick’ when you swallow, but will also provide the needed energy for the race, just be sure to take with a mouth full of water after.

More tips to come this week.

You know when you come upon one of those situations where you walk into a waiting room or a cafe, and there is the patient parent sitting reading something in order to pass the time away. And running from one side of the room to the other is their beloved little angel.  Normally any person would see this and do an about face or sit on the farside of the room so as not to be disturbed.  As well, when I saw a display like this I would try my best to give my most irritated and annoying sigh in the world in order for people to be sure that I was good and bothered.  I mean can’t these people control their kids!!!

But, today was my day.  I was in the waiting room at ‘Sports Clips‘ and waiting for my haircut.  I was reading any magazine to pass the time away and trying to find something to keep me interested.  My daughter on the other hand…my angel…my beloved little one….She WAS running from one side of the store to the other…she was letting everyone know she had ENERGY!  I would give her the occasional, ‘stop running’ about as emphatic in saying it as if I was replying ‘no thank you’ if someone offered me an Amway magazine…without lifting my eyes from the magazine.  People around me I am sure were annoyed.  I would look up every once in a while and say, ‘Hey, walking feet.” Which to her reply would be a loud, ‘Huh?!’ and keep running.

But here is what no one knew…besides being dad’s day with Jordan – she hadn’t had her afternoon nap! What I had failed to recognize in other seemingly obtuse parents… completely made sense right at that moment – maybe it wasn’t that they had no control of their children – maybe it was just that they knew that once they ran all of that energy out of them, they would soon settle down….

Right after my haircut and I had paid the bill and strapped Jordan in the carseat…turned on a little ‘piano and violin’ music…she was fast, fast asleep.

I have become that parent…and I love it! (insert evil maniacal laugh here)

I will say that the ladies who presented (TeachAmerica [Wendy Kopp] and Prision Entrepreneurial Program [Catherine Rohr]) were the Rock Stars of the program. 

I was so impressed by Ms. Rohr’s life and work; she gave up a 6+ figure income in order to serve felons and give them a new start at life…kinda of familiar to the whole ‘setting the prisoners free’ type thing.  Her attitude “Bring it on God!” Sounds like bravado, but rather this was grace under pressure since God really took everything away from her (…and she gave alot away as well) in order to give her a perspective much like the people that she would serve.  For now, she is blessed pouring out her blessing on those who may never know God.  Made me think about how I have not only written off this portion of humanity, but others who may have scars on their past too deep to hide.

The other Rock Star of the conference was Gary Haugen from the Internation Justice Mission. If you want your heart broken for those who are screaming for justice, walk a day in Gary’s shoes.  The video that was presented by Gary shook my soul – that doesn’t happen very often. Even friday night telling my wife about it made me breakdown like I haven’t in a long time.  Gary goes after those who are abused and tortured in third world countries who don’t have someone to help them…Gary is their champion.  While the task is overwhelming, it is God who uses us to complete the task.  The stories that were told (and there were only 3) made me shake in rage and brokeness.  Brokeness because of the petty and insignificant things that I want for myself – while there are people out there who don’t even see the light of day unless its time for their abuse.  I can’t even begin to speak of the madness that dwells in my soul to seek justice against those who would abuse their power against the ones who their are supposed to be helping.  I will finish there because I will ruin my Chritian testimony if I speak further…:)

Finally, I will have to correct Bill Hybels (Willow Creek’s Senior Pastor) about one thing he said.  He apologized on Friday about not having any rock stars to interview; BIll, Bill Bill…(shaking head) you did have Rock Stars or at least you had a Rock Star at the conference: Jesus seemed to shine in each of the faces of the people that were presenting their leadership in the conference. It was each of these people who gave their lives to something beyond themselves…something that Jesus did. Each of these people are Rock Stars, but even more…they are giving their lives in order that the image of the Savior shines through in every way.

I want to be a Rock Star like Jesus!

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Once the six weeks were completed of rehab and waiting – I started running again…and I had about a 14 min pace to start. I think I was about 3 runs back into it…and then it happened. I had just finished a run and was walking back to the house…and felt a small ‘pop’ in my left knee (my right knee was the surgery knee.) Immediately, I was limping, hurting and wanted to throw a nice tantrum. My knee jerk reaction (pardon the pun) was to go straight to my ortho doc and get this knee worked on as well.

My wife, who is an athlete herself, calmed me down and said, ‘work through the pain this time and see if its really damaged or just pulled or strained’…fortunately, along with my rehab dude – the diagnosis was that my left knee had a strained ‘A’ or ‘M’ CL (yeah, I’m a doctor *sarcastic*) but no need for surgery. So, I took it easy for a while…but not too long.

Now, I am back to running…just last week…I had gotten a little over three miles at at 10.14 pace…working my way down. (I did have to stop briefly towards the end, I was running out of breath…) I hear that there its actually possible to get down to the 8.00 pace…but you have to be super human to do that, right?