Wow, I just realized late September was the last post I had written. This is probably because I have not been running as I used to. I go out here and there and I do exercise in my home but I have let the running fall by the wayside. Not sure why because I do love it. I think it started with the change of the clock this fall. By the time I get home from work and spend some time with my children, it is dark outside. Also I feel somewhat like a squirrel storing up for the cold winter ahead! Sad but true. I tend to load up on carbs and end up gaining a few pounds this time of year. Not so much that it is necessarily noticably but to me it feels like twenty-five pounds. Does anyone else go through this each year? I fear this bad habit will catch up with me and I won’t be able to take off those 3-4 pounds and each year it will continue to add up!! AHHHH!!

Deep down I know I will not allow myself to get completely out of shape. Also I so enjoy the feeling and satisfaction I acquire by going for a run. I also find that when I am running regularly I tend to be more conscious of the things I eat. So as Christmas approaches and I am off for a full week I am going to make sure that in between the cookies and cocktails I will be going for wonderful, stress relieving jogs! And I will stop storing up for winter, like a squirrel.

A while ago my children and I walked down to the park just four houses away from mine.   We have a tennis court, basketball court and baseball field. The kids wanted to play kickball. Of course, I was up for the challenge! Kickball brings me back to gym class. I didn’t play well,  but none the less enjoyed the game.   We invited a few kids to join in and the game was ‘on’. We were having a great time and my son started to taunt me. Saying, “Mom, you stink, you couldn’t hit the side of a barn, mom you are getting old.”   

That was IT, I had to beat him.   As I was running to tag him out I suddenly realized that I am no longer 10, 15, 20 or even 30 years old.  As my life has progressed I feel the same as I had in my twenties.  I actually feel better.  BUT my forty year old body reminded me that I am not so young  when I felt a slight ‘pop’ in my left calf  and could no longer run.  My son didn’t know anything had happened.  He continued to tease until he saw my limp.  We had to abruptly stop the game and I limped home, defeated by an eleven year old and his friends.  The pain in my calf scared me as I usually have a high pain tolerance.  My biggest fear was that I would have to postpone running for a while.  I applied ice every twenty minutes throughout the night and at my desk during work.  My fear was that I had torn my achilles tendon.  I spoke to the pediatrician when the kids went for their yearly and he told me I would not be walking if it had been an injury that severe.  I continued to ice as needed and eventually my calf healed and I was running again albeit cautiously. 

I had always read about the importance of stretching before and after excercise although I hadn’t as I should.  Now I take the time to stretch before and after my exercise sessions.  I realize now how very important it is.  I know now know that when challenged by a group of children to play ball at the park I will be sure to do my stretching.

A few monthes ago I was coming upon my third mile and feeling great. Feeling that trance I spoke of in an earlier post. The trance once again was broken not by a dog but a car. The vehicle was coming out of a neighborhood convenience store. The man was not looking my way and I was a running zombie. I actually ran into his car, turned around and continued my run. The fear lead me to run even harder but it was a bit scary. This morning I was having another fabulous run and a similar scenario took place. This time I saw the car coming out of a driveway. A huge truck was in front of the car so I thought he would stay stopped. Luckily I had my eye on the car and was prepared as he crept up while looking the opposite way. I had to come to an abrupt stop. The driver finally saw me. I continued on and am happy to say I ran almost six miles today!

I write this post to make people aware of the dangers of street runs. Except for the times my kids and I go to the track at the park; I run on the street. Be aware of the unexpected dangers such as cross streets, driveways, and parking lots. No matter where you are running be careful and watch out.

I am a no nonsense kind of runner. I just need my sons’ Ipod, my Asics running sneakers, and a really good sports bra. As far as pants and shirt-anything goes. I wear t-shirts I have acquired from various races and any old pair of running pants or shorts. I am not looking for any fashion awards while I run. I am just looking to improve my time, relieve any stress I may have, fit into my jeans and gain that overall feeling of accomplishment as I complete my fourth mile.

I have my usual route I take around town and back home. I know the exact spot where I hit each mile thanks to www.geodistance.com. So as I was rounding my second mile I noticed a woman running toward me. She was an older woman, I’d say about 55. (NO, this is not old-I said ‘older’) With blonde hair and fire engine red shorts and top, she was hard to miss. The one thing that stood out to me were her out of control breasts. I could never pick her out in a police line up because I couldn’t get past staring at her boobs dancing wildly as she ran. I do not understand why a woman would not wear a sports bra. I cannot understand why more car accidents aren’t blamed on running, braless, breasts!
I am not quite sure if she even had an everyday bra on let alone a sports bra! Ladies if the men in your life like this look; your body doesn’t. It is simply not healthy or good for your girls. While thinking about this subject I came across this short article:
A research conducted by Joanna Scurr, a biomechanics professor at the University of Portsmouth in England concluded that:

During walking activity, the women’s breasts moved relatively the same rate in all directions; when jogging, more than 50% of the total movement was in the up-down direction, 22% side-to-side and 27% in-and-out.

Excessive and long-term breast reciprocal motion will strain ligament and skin, without restriction and protection, in the long run it will cause breast pain, ligament injury , and ptosis (breast sagging or drooping).

A small to medium breasts size women only need a compression bra; generally the pullover types that sometimes have a cross back design, it press the breasts close to the body. While women with larger breasts need encapsulation bras to support her bust; bras in which each cup is separately molded.

If you train regularly or just start workout recently, no matter what the purpose of your workout, whether to lose weight or to get a sexy lean legs or just to stay fit, don’t forget to always wear suitable sports bras, a good sports bra will make you more comfortable on your workout and help eliminate paint and breasts droop caused by intense movement.

Talking to my (hilarious) friend Suzanne on this subject she stated, “Ya gotta lock them down.” I laughed so hard! In my opinion she is right. I am a full C cup and while running there is no movement from the girls whatsoever. As a matter of fact I look like I am an A- cup size.

Just last night I was picking my son up from baseball practice at the field I recently wrote about where my daughter can ride her bike and we run. There are always walker/runners/bikers enjoying the path. An overweight woman was jogging towards me and I was truly proud of her and wanted to tell her so. But her big boobs had a mind of their own and I thought please, lock them down!

When I compete in the 5k races I have learned not to start out too fast.  I used to get caught up in  runners going by me and I would try to keep up only to lose a certain amount of steam later in the race.  The more races I have run I realize other joggers must feel the same because I see them dropping like flys within the second mile.    Of course I throw this theory out the window when I see the time clock up ahead and go as fast as my body will carry me at the end of each race!   I run my personal best when I control my breathing.  Also I keep my stride the same even when faced with steep inclines/declines in the road.    This is just something I have learned about myself over the years.  When I start out on a daily run or a weekend race, I maintain a comfortable pace.  I get my breathing in check within the first .1 mile mark.  This sets the pace for the entire run and I feel great and actually enjoy it.  I have had times where I completely get ahead of myself and realize I am sprinting.  This simply is not condusive with running a few miles.  Breathing gets erradict and I need to stop or slow down.  When the weather is cool and crisp I feel the desire to run fast.  I just love certain times of the year and feel as though I can go the distance at an above average speed (speed for MY body)  But over the years I have learned that by pacing myself I am able to keep enjoying and looking forward to my daily jaunts.  Aside from stretching, and a great pair of running shoes, I can truly love my time running when I regulate my breathing.

High heels, mules, sandals, work boots, flip-flops, you name it I can wear it. Never have I had a foot problem. I am able to slip any footwear on and be comfortable. Until……..recently while running,  my left foot started to have pins and needles. Was I actually losing circulation? What was going on? I had to stop and loosen my old running shoes. Thats right-old! It was at that moment I realized my trusty kicks were going on three years old. I know, I know any runner out there is scoffing at the thought. I simply did not think of replacing them until the pain and numbness crept up on me. Being on a tight budget-it is my children who get the new sneakers every six monthes.   On my way home from work the very next day-I went to Dicks Sporting Goods and purchased a wonderful pair of  Asics running shoes.  They fit great and felt so light and comfortable.  I felt like I could run for miles and miles-however the rest of my body did not necessarily agree!

I believe I was able to get away with sneakers for a longer duration when I was younger.  As I stated I never had issues with my feet.   I am coming to terms with the fact that I am 40 years old and need to take good care of my feet.  They are getting the brunt of each step for the three to four mile jogs each evening.  I am not sure how often I should purchase new shoes.  Does it go by miles?  By a timeline?  Three monthes?  Six monthes?  If anyone reading this has an answer-I’d appreciate your input! 

The one thing I do know is if you are a runner/walker there is nothing like  new sneakers!

Suddenly my office building was up ahead.  I was almost to my destination and had no recollection as to how I had arrived.  Of course I had driven but I can honestly say I do not recall the actual operating of the vehicle.  I am sure almost anyone who has had their licesnse for over a year has done this.  Especially if you take a similar route each day. 

This scenario happened to me while running.  I was suddenly brought out of my jogging trance by a dog flying towards a fence.  (fortunately the animal was on the other side of the fence!)  Before my furry friend scared the shit out of me, I  was approaching my third mile and was not aware I was running.   What a great feeling!  There are times I seem to feel each foot step, count every tenth of a mile.  Times when I am looking  forward to making it to three miles so that I can STOP.  Not on this particular day.  It was then I came to the conclusion that they are my favorite jogs.  The times when my body knows what to do and where to go and my mind just thinks about a million other things that need to be accomplished upon my return home.  I am happiest at the end of these exercise sessions because I do not feel as if I had exercised at all.  I feel as if I have cleaned out the cobwebs in my overloaded brain and am ready for anything.  I feel young, energized, stress free!  These are the times I absolutely love to exercise, times when I do feel athletic (cause you know I am not!)  I look forward to this evening and I hope to have another one of my favorite runs.

Eight years old is a great age! My daughter is at this wonderful age full of wisdom and innocence.   She, like myself, is not exactly the athletic type.  I can tell this already by her preference to sit as a spectator rather than join the activity.  Not a lazy child by any means, just content to read, draw, and write.  She has gone out for teams only to last a year.  My son on the other hand is eleven and will jump into any sport at anytime.  He doesn’t go a season without participating in baseball, wrestling, floor hockey, volleyball, flag football, you name it.  He has expressed an interest in running a 5k with me.  While I think it would be so enjoyable- I have to consider my daughter.  I cannot just go running with my son and leave Marisa home alone as I am one of the millions-a single mom. 

I asked my little one if she would like to ride her bike while her brother and I jog.  She was all for it which was surprising and a relief.  Surprise, because she usually is not  interested in riding too far and relief that I am able to run with my son without the worry of a sitter, friend, or family member to watch Marisa.  My  hurdle now is the fact that she is a bit of a spazz while bike riding.  She is overly cautious.  Afraid of every car-even if it is two blocks away, every bump in the sidewalk, every hill, etc.  I threw her bike and helmut in the car and we drove about a mile  to a beautiful park with a walking/bike trail.  She feels safe and rides like the wind!   My son, George and I jog slowly along side of her and I am at peace.  To be doing what I love with the two most important people in my life in a safe controlled environment.  Ahhh the little, free things in life!

Sometimes getting and staying active can be difficult because life gets in the way.  The daily grind gets in the way.  Morning rush, work all day, dinner, clean-up, yard work, food shopping, laundry, we all have it single or not.  I believe if there  is a will there most definately is a way.  Even if the dishes sit in the sink just an hour longer or the laundry stays in the basket instead of getting put away-right away.  Excuses are just that-excuses.  So grab your sneakers, bike, water, Ipod (and children!) and hit the road.

I am always anxious on the morning of one of my simple 5k races. I say simple in the terms that most ‘runners’ think of 3.2 miles as a quick trip around the block. This is not to say I feel the same. I am most happy to see the time clock as the end of the race is upon me. The very best part of my run, however is the water. Once I have a mile and a half under my belt; I see a card table filled with small dixie cups. In those little containers is liquid gold! WATER!

As I approach with labored breath, the wonderful volunteers are handing out the cups with rapid speed. While still running; I carefully grab a beverage, swallow down a quick sip, crush then THROW the cup on the ground. The greatest part of the run! I get a burst of energy at this point. The combination of littering and wetting my whistle is all I need to get through the next 1.6 miles.

I have ran an occasional race with no water break. This is usually an autumn or winter run. I find myself searching for that card table. I realize I am at about the 2.5 mile mark and there will be no little paper cups. No volunteers, no sip, no littering, no burst of energy! I finish the race and look forward to the spring/summer runs. The races supplying………WATER

My site is not exactly in order of the events of my runners’  life.  I write about what pops into my mind  during my run earlier in the day.  I was pondering about years ago with two very small babies at home and the thought of a 5k event happening in my town on what was to be a beautiful spring morning.  80% of me thought  better to stay home and let the day go on as any other.  The other 20% knew I could do the 3.2 miles as I had each morning while  my neighborhood slept.  Looking back I am thankful my meager 20% positive feelings  triumphed over that negative, self-doubting 80%!   

Upon arriving at the race, I handed in my money and recieved a ‘number’.  I felt overwhelmed when I pinned that number to my oversized t-shirt.  I was thrilled with the choice I had made to come out on this brisk, yet gorgeous morning.  I was also a tad nervous.    My anticipation continued as several runners showed up.  These people were ‘real’ runners.  The clothes, the sneakers, the bodies!!  That 80% doubt started to flood my mind.  At about the time my stress level elevated; a women I  went to school with started waving vigorously at me.  I was so happy to see her and proceeded to speak of my fears as race time approached.   She told me this was her first race and she would simply be happy to finish.  That has carrried with me since my first race.  I now hear myself telling other self-doubters the same thing.  Her words calmed me down and when the horn blew for the race to begin, I kept my cool, paced myself and sped up at the end.  My time was 29:56.  I was so happy that I finished and so happy that my time was under 30:00.   I left that race before the names and prizes were called only to find out later I had won FIRST place in my age group.  My high school friend brought the medal to my home.   I will never forget the image of her hanging the medal out the window of her vehicle as she came honking and screaming around the corner to my house.  I was in shock!  To this day I  have that worthless little medal.  Of course, to me it is priceless.  I have went on to place in several races but  feel  the need to further my distance.  As my 40th birthday approaches I need to challenge my body beyond the 3.2 miles I know I can run.   As I continue my minimal daily runs, I will slowly begin going farther and farther. 

Another race is coming up in April.  I have been contacted by another friend I went to grade school with!  This will be Cris’s first race.  If she gets anxiety I will tell her, “To just finish the race”.  Hopefully this will be enough to calm her down and she, too will get a priceless medal for her first 5k race!