Give Running

This is a great story of a runner creating an organiztion to give the gift of running to others.  Give it a read, and consider how you could help:

http://giverunning.org/our-story/

What is a psoas, anyway?

At one point in my long and storied life, I studied exercise physiology.  It was actually quite enjoyable, and very rewarding helping folks get fitter, recover from heart issues, and lose weight.  I did find, despite the satisfaction factor, I had a hard time paying the bills.  I eventually ended up getting my PhD in health services research, which has much more in the way of earning a living wage (though quite a bit less in the whole person to person interaction arena).

All that being said, I think I used to know what a psoas was.  I knew it was in my leg somewhere, but I doubt I would not have dredged it up from my memory without an injury that occurred quite a while ago.

Back in October, I was out running with the boys (they were on their bikes) at the local trail system.  Being on foot was great, because I could help my youngest through the tough spots, and keep up with them both (that will not last for long, I fear).  About 2.5 miles into the 5 mile loop, though, I tripped on a root and fell (literally) head over heels.  At the time, I thought I was fine (besides my pride, of course) and finished the loop with the boys.  After sitting down to lunch, I soon realized I did more damage than I thought.   It became quite painful to move my leg at all for a few days, let alone do any type of activity.

Naturally, I went to see a physician at the first opportunity to figure out went wrong and how to get better.  Wait, no, actually I didn't--despite working at a doctor's office, I waited for more than a month (with some acute pain relief, but no real progress in returning to baseline). As it turned out, I strained my psoas (as well as my gluteus media), and was prescribed motrin, prednisone, and physical therapy.

So, here I am more than three months post injury, and I am just now getting back into being able to run.  It's been a slow process, and my 5 mile run yesterday (if you want to call it that) was a good step back to being normal.

All that time off over a simple, weirdly spelled, muscle that I may or may not have know even existed.

Run a Marathon…Check

Running brings such peace in life. Being able to identify a goal & achieve it is not always a given. I recently began training for my first marathon and found it a difficult task, especially past the 14 mile mark.

The first 13.1: I began the first of 26.2 this Sunday with a large pack of runners for one of many annual marathons. It was freezing for a Floridian, which is to say it was about 30 degrees (no snow, but ice on one bridge). The first 13.1 was great…no pain, easy going and in good spirits. Then the pacer seemed to speed up…

The second 13.1: I started to feel the shin splints that I took 3 weeks off for in the hopes they’d just disappear. They reappeared during the second 13.1 & hit hard. The cramps started at 18 or 20, then it got difficult. Thankful to a fellow runner I caught up with at mile 14. We pushed each other for several miles, then the mutual benefit faded. I was able to finish in a respectable time due to her strength in pushing me to not stop & just focus on the 3 5Ks we had left. One down, then two & the final push. Yes…running is an individual sport in many ways, but at times it is definitely a fellow runner that helps lift our spirits.

Running across the line was awesome, like awesomely awesome. One of the best experiences of my life & one of the most painful.

I found new limits that I could run past. You can find out a lot about yourself running a marathon.

So…I run to learn my limits…and how to break through them…

Peace…

Not in SC Anymore…

Texas has brought a new level of heat.

As such, the running group here in town has decided that 5:45 am on Saturday morning is a good time to run.

Training for my first full marathon brings anticipation and, if I’m honest, a bit of hesitation (aka fear).

What if I cramp up on the second half, what pace should I run (not a half anymore), and is it acceptable to finish by walking if all else fails (I wouldn’t be happy with it, but it could happen)?

All on the mind, but not during training.

No grants, no deadlines, & no smartphones...just peace…

Just thinking about keeping pace with others twice my age.

So in closing, watching the sunrise on a warm Texas morning mid run is a beautiful thing.

Go running… 

Going nowhere?

This summer has been weird as far as running and training is concerned.  With travel (two conference in four weeks), strange illnesses, colds, and now the heat/humidity, it has been difficult to be consistent at all.  The few times I have tried to go out for a long run, it has been far too humid to get in a quality run.  So, I finally bit the bullet and went to the gym on campus to use the treadmill.

For me, this is a defeat of sorts; treadmills can be effective, but to be on one for an hour is mind numbing.  No matter what entertainment there may be (TV, audiobooks, podcasts, etc) my mind has a tendency to watch the slowly moving display, and not really enjoy the run that much.  

While effective for logging miles, it is not very effective for my mental health; for me, being outside and running from one point to another (even if it is a loop) is very cathartic.  Running in place, indoors, and literally going nowhere, is not the same.  Regardless, it needs to be done for me to continue to work towards my goals.  At least I can look towards the fall, such as it is down here, for a bit cooler weather.  Maybe then, with me literally running nowhere right now, I will be able to go further and faster and get somewhere then.

A Garden Run

I headed out for an 8 miler the other morning on my usual Kennerly road route. Nothing unusual about this stretch of road except I always seem to notice something different about the scenery on a regular basis. I guess that is because this route is in a rural setting that passes by sections of large forest and farmland with the occasional house inter twined between the two. I was only out about a mile from my home when I passed by a distant neighbor that was carefully turning the weeds under that had invaded his two plus acre garden. He was slowly plowing through the middle of the rows of corn, watermelon, beans and squash. I have become accustomed to seeing this event year after year since this particular garden is on my normal route but this morning it caused me to think about how running and even life in general relates to this garden.

 We are all aware that our desire to keep our running base fitness is directly related to how often we run. This is even more directly correlated as we age. That being said, I thought about the amount of time and energy that is utilized to care for this garden. If the gardener only dropped a few seeds in the ground and then returned several months later to reap his effort, he would probably be very disappointed. It is because of his commitment to plant, water, fertilize and weed that allows him the sweet taste of rewards in the months ahead.

 It is the same with our training. Imagine if we purchased a $125 pair of running shoes and then set them in our closet until race day. We wouldn't expect to run very far just because we purchased a good pair of running shoes. The shoes may help with our comfort while running but they do not make you a runner. You make the runner.

The farmer reminded me of why I was out on the road. I was out for a run to enjoy the outdoors and work on my training. I was out there because I understood that the end results of that days run would or could just be the fact that I did something just for myself. I was keeping the weeds out of my thoughts and actions as I ran. Most people just simply call it a training run. I would say however that for me, it was about keeping my running garden in condition to taste the rewards at my next event.

So what about you? Is that a weed I see growing out of those running shoes sitting in the corner of your garage? Lace em up and get out there.

What Happen To Steve?

Well, where do I begin? It has been a long time since I have posted to the blog. So far 2013 has been a busy year for me that has included working in Florida for almost two months, preparing our house to place on the market and attempting to figure out where we will end up if our house sells quickly. I have managed to continue with some minimal running in the mist of all of the changes but managed to miss the Cooper River Bridge run and the Palmetto 70. I was in Florida during these events and that really bothered me since they are my two favorite races. I like the Cooper River run because of all of the energy of 45,000 runners and the absolute best post race event of anywhere in the USA. I love the Palmetto 70 due to the challenge and you just know that hanging out with several other guys for about 16 hours has to create some good memories. The relay series allows you time to really drink in your love for this sport.
On a more positive note, my wife and I visited our children and grandchildren in Denver last week. I found a fun, family oriented 5K while we were there and managed to talk my wife, daughter and son in law in joining me. The 5K was sponsored by a community called Thorton and a Elementary school. The event had about 750 participants and I would guess that about 35% of them were elementary age children. This was the 18th annual event so I figured they had most of the bugs worked out by now. My daughter had began to run again and she finally agreed that if Susan aka MiMi, would push the boys in the stroller, that she and I would run together. Andy would blast ahead as usual and attempt to finish some where close to the front of the pack. This turned out to be a fun event and since it was geared up for family they had Krispy Kreeme donuts and Chic Fil-A coupons at the finish as opposed to beer.

Ashley and I finished side by side at the finish line and I was thankful it was not a 10K. The air at 5,000 feet is a little different than the air around Irmo. The first mile was like running while holding your breath or at least like breathing through a straw. What happened to the oxygen???

 It was a great time. I have been in events with my daughter but this was the first time we ran together. I am hoping that somehow we will have the opportunity to run some additional events together. I will however have to get myself back in a more regular training regiment. Ashley may not want to hold back during the next one. So, while I missed my two favorite events this year, I did manage to find a new. Any event that includes running with my daughter.She after all was the one that got me involved with this sport to start with.

So, what happen to Steve? Well just life in general but mainly discovering something new once again about this sport. I like that about running. When you head out on a run or a race, there is always something new to learn or observe. So lace em up and get out there.

A run not worth running?

I do not travel as much as some friends I know, but I am out of town about three to four times per year for conferences and other meetings.  These conferences have me flying to such far flung places as Washington DC, Asheville, Denver, and for this week, Louisville, Kentucky.  I always bring my running gear, and often use a run or two as a way to do some sightseeing, and get a feel for the city I'm visiting.  One of my favorite places to run while on the road is in DC; to run by and around the monuments, near the Potomac, and to get out to a relatively quiet part of the city (usually on the Rock Creek trail) is usually quite enjoyable.

However, sometimes a run on the road is just no fun.  I may be tired, jet lagged, or not eaten very well while in the hotel room.  This week was just such a run; I only managed 6 miles, and the entire run felt like a struggle.  The setting was nice--a well groomed river front trail provided a good sense of the city, an the footbridge over the river was a nice touch as well.  But, I felt more tired after this run that I usually do--runs usually perk me up and shake me from the work day.  It was not until I took a shower, grabbed a quick bite, and grabbed a quick drink (Kentucky is known for its bourbon, after all), and dinner with an old friend (and a couple new ones) did I perk up again finally.

Despite this struggle in this run, I am still glad I went out and did it anyway.  Why?  At this point, anytime I can spend outside, relaxing from the day, and moving is a good day.  If I learned anything from the Boston marathon incident, you never know when your next run will be your last.  So, I will take every chance to get out there, even if it is not the best run I have ever had.  A bad run is always better than no run at all!

The view of downtown Louisville from the footbridge

Palmetto 70 Wrap Up

Well, the Flying Irmites have successfully completed another relay event.  This is our second time at the Palmetto 70 (actually, its  65.5 miles long) that runs from Cordesville to James Island County Park outside Charleston, SC.

It was the first relay with a full six member contingent, as opposed to our teams of four in previous outings.  As a result, we did finish with a faster overall pace (8:41 per mile) than before, and placed 7th out of 22 teams.  We were shut out of the awards, though, because we ran faster than our projected 9:01 pace!

I think this was also a major success, considering three of us (David Kizziah, Shane Parker, and Jonathan Newcomb) had never done a relay before.  They did remarkably well, although Johnathan had some choice words about the heat (since this is a family friendly blog, they cannot be repeated here).

I attempted to send live blog updates throughout the day; they are summarized below.  I can say that once again, we had a great time, great fellowship, and learned a lot about each other (as one is wont to do when you spend 16 hours with five other guys in one vehicle).

One thing we all learned, that I again cannot elaborate on, is the two different meanings for land meat (you'll have to ask Sam about that one).


At the rest stop at 2:45 am.

Alan gearing up for his 8.9 mile 5 am trek

At the start!

Getting pumped for my first leg

Cool action shot of David

Sam warming up

David finishing strong on his first leg

Newcomb getting fired up

Shane waiting for Alan to return from his second leg

And Shane off on his second stint

Off on my second and final leg

Running out of gas at the end of my second leg

David's off for his last turn

Representing CHS!

Sam coming in strong at the end

Newcomb heading for the finish line

Beear and BBQ at the finish--never tasted so good!

Awesome Day

Awesome Day

See if you can guess Why I Run…

I failed to sleep the night before (all had little or no sleep to work with) starting out at 2 AM from Columbia, SC.

In the VA Tech Van (Kevin’s doing) with 5 other dudes heading for a 70 (ish) mile relay with a 5 AM start time.

Highways, checkpoints, cool times, lots of laughs & good conversation with the team & the extended team (i.e. all other racers). Such comradely in this sport.

My last leg on a gorgeous span beginning from the Ravenal Bridge over the park…a bit of a hike…

Then finishing almost 7 miles through beautiful Charleston, SC with its historic areas & Battery with a waterfront view most of the way…

This was one of my best days of running…& far from the last...