Half Marathon Nerves

So this weekend I'm running the Johnny Kelley Half Marathon on Cape Cod, and I'm actually really excited about this race. It's my first solo race on Cape Cod and my first half marathon in Massachusetts.

But at the same time, I'm definitely having some nerves about this race. This will be my eighth half marathon, but I'm feeling the least prepared for this one. Even more than the first half marathon I ran where I really didn't train for it at all.

Five weeks ago my treadmill died. I finally was able to replace it last weekend, and while I had been able to get some runs in here and there during that time, I largely did most of my training by bike.

I have to admit, the bike training was awesome. It really helped develop my quads, and I started incorporating weight lifting into the mix. But the problem is once I was able to replace my treadmill and start running again, my runs were a lot shorter, and a lot slower than they had been five weeks ago.

My friend Ali had a great post this morning on how her runs have become all about pace, taking the fun out of the run. And I'm totally guilty of this myself. I'm all about each race being faster than my last.

But this time, I'm not worrying about PRs or finishing times.

I'm going out there to have fun and to enjoy the views.

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What To Do With So Many Shoes??

Over the course of 12 years of running, I've gone through a LOT of pairs of running shoes. I change my training shoes every three months and honestly finding something to do with the shoes has become problematic for me.

They pile up quick. I'll maybe turn one pair a year into yard work sneakers, but with another pair entering retirement every three months, my closet quickly turned into a running shoe cemetery.

Now, there's help for those who have shoe overload problems like myself, and it's called KindRunner.com.

KindRunner.com is a new company that gives runners the ability to trade in their old running shoes for "Kindness Cash Rewards" which can be used to buy new products from their website. 

And it gets better. Not only will you be able to help yourself by using KindRunner.com, you'll be helping others as the shoes you donate will be repurposed and donated to those in  need through KindRunner.com's partner Soles 4 Souls. Through this repurposing, you'll also be helping to keep another pair of shoes out of your local landfill. 

KindRunner.com will be officially launching on June 1, but you can get in on the excitement now. KindRunner.com is holding a contest - "Win Free Running Shoes for a Year!" You and running partner just go to their website, enter your email address and have a chance at winning three pairs of running shoes!

Be sure to follow KindRunner.com online, and be sure to watch on June 1 for their official launch! 

o Facebook: http://facebook.com/kindrunner

o Twitter: https://twitter.com/beAkindrunner

o Instagram: http://instagram.com/beakindrunner

o Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Kindrunner

 

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Run all the Races!

A wise man once gave me some advice that I'll never forget. He said, "Run all the races!" It's fantastic advice, and when my day comes to win the lottery, I will do just that.

Now, I'm not usually one to succumb to peer pressure when it comes to running races. In fact, I may be that person that helps others when they're on the fence about whether or not to register for a race. And by "helps" I mean relentlessly wears them down until they make the right decision.

But as they say, what goes around comes around, and so it was with great surprise that I found this email in my inbox recently.

What?!? I never planned on running Wine and Dine this year! And it kept happening!

How was I registering for all of these races that I never had any intentions of running??

Peer pressure. 

Yup, I was overcome. Thanks to my awesome Ragnar team who signed up for these races, I couldn't resist! 

And it totally doesn't help that my wife, who just ran her first 10K this weekend and did amazing, is now just as excited to run all of these races. My rock who usually kept me from overdoing it on race registrations is as eager to register for as many races as she can as I am. In fact, now she's registered for the Disney World 10K and the Disney World Half Marathon, and may soon be registered for the Princess Half Marathon. 

With all of these races in different states, I now have a new goal. Having already run half marathons in Connecticut, Florida, California, and soon Massachusetts and Rhode Island, I've decided to go for the 50 States Club and run a half marathon in all fifty states. 

Granted, I'm only a few states in, but that is easy to change quickly. All I have to do is run all the races!

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Running While Sick

I hate being sick. I mean, who doesn't really? But I detest it. It kind of goes along with territory of being germaphobic. In fact, even when I am sick, I refuse to admit it.

Unfortunately over the past two weeks I was sick thanks to an infection in my lungs that just threw me for a loop, and keeping me from functioning normally which is why I haven't been posting here since Ragnar. Not wanting to admit defeat, I did keep exercising through it in order to keep my streak going. At first my body didn't like me for it at all. The first workout I had nearly ended up with me in the hospital. Probably not the smartest move, so I scaled back on my workouts. Now back to normal, I thought it might be a good idea to share some tips on whether or not it's okay to run while you're sick. 

These are just tips and not medical advice, and you should always consult with a doctor if you're not feeling good before doing any type of physical activity. 

One thing to keep in mind is that while exercising does normally increase your immune system, you're going to be using energy that would otherwise go to fighting off any type of virus in the course of exercising, so you may feel worse immediately after.

The Neck Rule

Usually, if your symptoms are contained to your head such as a stuffy nose, sinus pressure, sneezing, ear ache etc...you're okay to run. Anything that affects you below the neck, such as a cough or trouble breathing, you need to hold off and rest. Any activity you perform will do more damage than good because you'll be exerting a part of your body that's already in duress. 

The under the neck rule also applies to fevers, chills, dizziness or body aches you may be experiencing. If you have any of these, don't run. In fact, you should be staying in bed until these symptoms are gone. No work. No school. Just rest!

And most definitely this would apply to anything involving your stomach. Don't risk it! Wait until your stomach is back to normal before pushing it. 

Photo from ProfitableGrowth.com

Running With Medicine

Be very careful when taking medicine before a run. You open yourself up to a whole world of problems by taking most medicines before a run, including GI problems, kidney damage and dehydration. I've made this mistake a couple of times, and I can tell you that it is not pleasant. Normally Tylenol is believed to be okay for use before running, but personally I'd stay away from it. If you're sick to the point where you need it, you should be staying home and resting. 

Stay Hydrated

Something all runners should be doing anyway, but when sick you're going to need to take in some extra fluid since. You don't want to overdo it and risk hyponatremia where you throw your salt levels off, but a little extra fluid will help your body flush those germs out faster and get you back running quicker. 

It's your body and you know it better than anyone, so when it's feeling off, make sure that you listen to it. 

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