Untamed Runner

In the U.S. we’re very close to the long holiday season which starts later this month. It’s also the period when it’s easiest to deviate from exercise and workout routines. This is understandable as our evenings get tied up with holiday-themed functions and weekends get tied up with decorating and shopping. At workplaces, we’re trying to wrap up the calendar year on a shortened schedule as the business will be closed multiple days during the season. For some runners during this period of time, it may be that their three day a week plan goes to one or zero. For others it may be that their fifty miles per week turns into thirty.

If your running tends to slide or drop off during busy times, even if it’s not a holiday season, there are a few things to keep in mind. For an example for the sake of this post, let’s head for the middle and say your goal is to run four days per week for thirty to forty-five minutes but you’re not sure you can keep that up between late November and early January.

The beauty of running is that with the exception of walking, it’s the easiest form of exercise for people to do in terms of its logistics. You don’t need a bike, a gym, a pool, a court, multiple people to make up a team, etc. As long as you have shoes and a surface to run on, you can get out there.

Short of keeping up with your planned goal, what are some ways to still work running into your schedule?

1. Be flexible on the amount of time you run. If you’re squeezed for time, getting out for part of your normal route or a portion of your planned time is better than nothing. It won’t sustain the level you achieved or hope for though it will make getting back to that level easier than if you had opted to not run.

2. Be flexible on when you run. If your schedule is going to be interrupted, see if you can squeeze in a short one during a time of day when you don’t normally run. Maybe you can run on your lunch break, then eat a sandwich over your keyboard later. Or, you maybe you can plan to get up a few minutes earlier or take a quick run in the evening.

3. Be flexible on the number of times per week you run. If you can’t run four times for one week, try to do three, two, or even one. Like point number one, it’s better than throwing in the towel completely and you’ll maintain your fitness much better.

4. Check out local holiday-themed races. There are Turkey Trots and Jingle-Bell dashes all over the place. If there’s one close to you, it can be a fun way for you or a family to spend a morning. The best part is that if you have an event like that on the calendar, you’ll be more likely to keep up your running routine so that you’re prepared for it.

5. If you have kids and a running stroller, use running as an excuse to get them out, even if it’s really so that you can get out. Or, if they’re overloaded on treats or family time and are close to (or in the middle of) a holiday meltdown, this is a prime opportunity to strap them into the stroller and go get some fresh air while they calm down and possibly even sleep. (Do check that they’re old enough/big enough to safely ride in a running stroller.)

Enjoy the upcoming weeks. If you do keep to your schedule or a partial schedule, you will likely feel much better about having done so. Also, once January hits and the fitness resolutions are in full swing, you’ll be several steps ahead of everyone else.

Next time, the distance running GOAT…

Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Clif Bloks Tropical Fruit Punch. These taste pretty good and they have a caffeine boost. I started my run using these planning to go an easy three. However, it was over 90 degrees so if you’ve read some of my previous material, you’ll know I decided to boost the mileage–a whole whopping mile and a half to make it 4.5 (I was on my lunch break and had a race three days later–two reasons to not extend myself.) Back to the Bloks. I ate them around 15 minutes before I left and washed them down with water. They worked.

I’ve written about running while travelling in a prior post from the angle of packing efficiently and staying safe in new areas. This post is on how to use running to enjoy an area, or to temper any aggravation you’re feeling from being there.

This past week on a work trip to Indianapolis, I got to add Indiana as the 28th state where I’ve run. Though I don’t have a desired goal to run in all fifty, I do enjoy adding to the list.

A big bonus for me of running at sea level (or anything significantly lower than my usual 5280 in the Denver area) is the extra oxygen. I feel like I can fly. For once, no matter how fast I move my legs I still have plenty of air. This was not the case before moving to Denver as my lungs were already used to sea level.

Besides this, and besides being able to see new areas closely, there are other benefits to running in new places. Part of the enjoyment is creating and expanding a list but it’s also being able to see new areas more closely and in some cases, to experience new types of terrains, conditions, and other challenges. While I may not be rolling off fifteen or twenty miles and taking in hours of scenery, I am on the ground and moving at a pace where I can easily observe and absorb my surroundings. The more places I get to run, the larger the variety of my experiences. Sometimes my experience is enhanced because I was looking forward to running there anyway; other times it can help balance the trip mentally.

When I travel for work, running may allow me to see the area in a less stressed way than navigating traffic and thinking about upcoming meetings or events. When I went to Maine many years ago, my trip there took longer than I expected, it was dark and rainy, and I got to my hotel later than planned. My appointments the next day were at several places where I’d never been and I had to navigate my way through unfamiliar areas and lousy traffic. My mood was sour.

Late that afternoon, I found a small lake with a dirt trail around it and I did an eight mile run on that. It was late fall and though I’m not someone who gets excited about leaf-peeping, I had to admit it was a beautiful scene. More importantly, it allowed me to appreciate the area in a different way than if I had only dealt with the aggravations of traffic and an unfamiliar commute. Rather than barricade myself into the hotel and use their treadmill for running, getting out onto the trail balanced out the trip and allowed me to see the area in a more enjoyable way.

Maybe New England is an easy place for most people to find ways to appreciate the area, but running can also allow you to enjoy a place in a way you didn’t expect. On a separate trip to Beckley, WV, while I did like the town as a travel stopover (lots of restaurants, places to stay, etc.) it was not a place I expected to like running and when I stepped out of the hotel that morning, I assumed my run would be purely functional. I didn’t enjoy running there as much as other places, but it also was the case that running in that West Virginia mountain area opened my eyes to seeing the city as more than a convenient travel stop. With plenty of hills to cruise up and down on, the early morning fog hanging over the mountains, and the relative quiet, it was a more pleasant start to the day than I had anticipated.

Prior to going to Indianapolis, I scoped out the area on Google maps to get a rough idea of what my running options would be. When I hit the pavement, I was able to find the White River trail that the maps said existed and it went to where the map said it would. The trail was concrete and set higher than the river so it gave a good view of the water and the area around it. On the first morning, I kept it pretty simple: three miles out and back, much of it along the IUPUI campus. The way back seemed much shorter, as it sometimes does. From studying the maps, this was about the only decent running option in the downtown area. However, it was a decent option which is not always the case.

One morning I ran with a colleague; we went farther than my initial run, around six miles total, and on a different route on the other side of the river. The trail took us through different areas, some lined with trees, some going by urban complexes of buildings.

Though there weren’t other trails to explore to allow me to see different parts of the city, I have always found value in running a route many times as it allows me to see how an area changes or looks slightly different. For trails at home, the change can be over days and years. For even a short trip, it’s interesting to see the view change with slightly different types of sunlight or cloud, times of days, weekends versus weekdays, etc. While the route may be the same, what you see can be very different every time you go on it. This was the case with Indianapolis, getting to see the city wake up and head to work at various hours of the morning.

Many of the places I go I look forward to running and it’s often that my expectations are matched or exceeded by how my run goes. Yet it’s equally as valuable to have running allow me to see an area that I previously considered bland or irritating in a more positive way. At the very least, I come away with a more balanced perspective and even better, I get to reset internally and move on to the next spot, shoes at the ready.

Running food review of the week (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Jelly Belly Extreme Sport Beans Watermelon: I assume you’re familiar with the taste of orange juice right after you’ve brushed your teeth. There was a hint of that flavor while eating these. My first reaction was that I must have just brushed my teeth, until I remembered that I had not. While the watermelon part was stronger than the “orange juice on just brushed teeth” portion, it was an odd taste. There were 50mg of caffeine and though I was sluggish much of the morning, there was a positive energy factor. Its main purpose, an energy boost, was good but the flavor was poor. If I had nothing else to use on a long run, I could handle either of these. However, I’ll be purchasing other flavors of this product.

(Note: Original post has been edited to include Running food review of the week label and disclaimer.)

A couple of weeks ago, I was running on my local trail and a wave of obscenities, coming in at a low volume, started towards me. It grew louder until its source appeared, a raggedy-dressed cyclist who must have been drunk, nuts, angry, or some combination of those states. My hackles were up but we passed without any issues.

The week before this, there were police cruisers on the trail due to reports of a suicidal person with a loaded gun in the area. I stayed alert but didn’t see this person. One morning when it was still dark and I went through an underpass, there was a sleeping bag under which someone was thrashing wildly. On my way back, I detoured onto the road above.

I’ve seen odd characters dressed all in black meandering on sidewalks/roads in the wee hours of the morning, mentally ill (presumably) people shouting direct threats, etc.

All of these things occurred in good areas. The trails and paths I use, while going through some industrial spots, don’t go through neighborhoods known for crime and yet, strange things happen.

The chances of something happening to you are slim. However, you still want to be careful. How? Be aware, be smart, and be flexible. If you don’t already, carry a phone. Pepper spray is an option. In a pinch, you can always grab a rock or two.

Be courteous to others, not just in terms of trail etiquette but also by giving them a heads-up on a credible issue, such as a dangerous wild animal or an unstable/dangerous person. I’ve had to warn others about a mountain lion, coyotes, and snakes.

If you’re running in the dark, have a headlamp and/or flashlight with you. This should be an obvious accessory in the dark anyway, but besides illuminating the path in front of you, it also allows you to see an upcoming area where there aren’t street or other lights. Thus, you can sweep a spot that looks dark and sketchy before passing it.

If you see someone or something odd, be flexible in your route and take a different way, if possible. This can be frustrating if you have a very specific workout planned, but it’s better to take a small detour than end up on the evening news. As I pointed out in an earlier blog post, if you’re training for a race, weird things can happen on race day so it might work to your mental advantage if you have to make an unexpected change to your training run. It’ll prepare you for aggravating adjustments.

Coincidentally, at my local run club last night there was a brief introduction to self-defense. Everything above is in the vein of being aware and proactive and avoiding issues. Self-defense classes are another option. My initial takeaway was that there are some basic tactics you can use for self-defense but that you would probably need to practice them regularly in order for them to remain effective. Of course, if you take regular classes you would likely get more proficient at these skills.

As I said, be aware, be smart, be practical. It’s not guerrilla warfare out there (and the aforementioned incidents occurred over a period of several years, not daily), but it’s not always issue-free, either.

A more pleasant topic for next week…

Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Clif Shot Mocha: Bring out the fork and knife. This stuff is thick. It would be not be good during a run, especially one like a marathon where you may be trying to ingest it quickly. It does have 50mg of caffeine so as a pre-early morning run boost, it could be outstanding. I had a very empty stomach prior to starting my run when I used this but I felt good the whole way. Considering how thick it was, it was kind of like a meal.

I mentioned in my last post that I was in the middle of 7-10 days off. It’s the first dedicated time off I’ve taken in years, meaning it wasn’t due to injury or illness.

In addition to no dedicated time off for years, I had spent most of this past spring and early summer training for races, including lots of speed work. Over a three week period in June, I raced three times. The final one was a 10K. During the final mile, while I finished strong, I could tell that my legs needed a break. Because I enjoy summer running so much, I backed off to “maintenance mileage” and an occasional longer run. By mid-September, I knew I would benefit from an actual break.

My understanding is that it’s good to take 7-14 days off once per year but there are many frustrating aspects of this. These include that you’re not doing something you enjoy, you’re losing a week of training, and if you go too long, your legs might start to regress from the training they had. All of these frustrations ran through my head but reluctantly, I gave in. To compensate, I ran twice the day before I was going to start my time off.

When you take time off, whether you do something else during that time period such as bike, swim, etc. depends on you. It also partly depends on the length of the rest period. Given how short this rest period was, I went on one long hike and managed to get a short walk in most days, but I mainly laid off. Were I to go longer, such as two weeks or more, I would sprinkle in some other activities so that I would still be staying in motion.

By the fourth day of this break, I could tell that my body appreciated it. I wasn’t nearly as stiff when I woke up in the morning and by day eight, my legs felt revved up and ready to go. At the beginning of the time off, I’d decided that I wanted to feel excellent for a day or two prior to starting my running again, just to ensure that the rest had done its full job. So, I took day nine off, then hit the road on day ten.

Because of how I felt as the break went on, I realized how valuable it was to do this. You might be wondering how, after 25 years of running, I only just now understood this? Even though I know there were times when I took dedicated time off in the distant past, my guess is that from my mid-teens to early twenties, I wasn’t really paying attention to how different my body felt at the beginning versus the end.

During a period from October 2005 through May 2014, I was doing 20-30 miles per week but not racing and thus not putting my legs through speed workouts. By not engaging in a substantial amount of “hard” running and by having a few days off every now and then if I caught a bug, I never felt the need for a longer break.  In April of 2015, I broke my foot and had four months of involuntary rest. So, there was a long period during my mid-20s to late 30s where I either didn’t feel the need for rest or was forced to rest. This was probably enough to keep my legs from feeling worn down on a deeper level.

Call it wisdom gained, maturity, or finally going with common sense, but I made it through nine days of rest and I was fairly patient the whole way. My first run back felt pretty good, all things considered, and on the second day back, I did a six-mile run with my neighbor, which also went well. I’ve not used a stopwatch on my runs thus far and though I’m sure I lost a little of my training edge, the flip side is that I gained quite a bit physically in terms of rest and mentally from realizing that this can actually be a good idea. I’ll try to keep the brakes on and only build back up gradually. I looked longingly at the start of the extra 3 mile chunk I can add on to one of my usual courses at work but I held firm and stuck with the shorter run. 3-mile runs are a staple distance so I’ll do five of those per week plus a 6-mile run on the weekend the first couple of weeks, then move up from there.

There are a few topics I’m looking forward to covering so next week’s will be a surprise.

Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Hüma Chia Energy Gel Strawberries. I will never eat this again. Generally I like Hüma energy gels, especially on an empty stomach in the morning. However, while this one had a strawberry flavor and while it wasn’t foul, it was odd and not pleasant. On the positive side, it delivered good energy and was easy on the digestive system so no complaints there. But, the flavor was one of the strangest I’ve encountered.

Several recent conversations have prompted me to shift topics for this week.

When people find out I’m a runner, I get all kinds of reactions. Unless the other person is a runner, the core of most reactions would suggest that they view running as a chore, something to be done in order to accomplish a fitness goal. For me, it is not. I don’t define myself as a compulsory or addictive runner but I am very motivated to put on the shoes and hit the road or trail. This motivation stems from enjoyment.

Since passion for running is not something that everyone shares, I’ll outline several experiences which help illuminate the mindset of someone who simply loves running. What follows is not intended to discourage anyone from running and I hope it does the opposite. Maybe it will help unlock a passion for running, or maybe it will help those who does view running as a big pain to acknowledge that it’s a burden and keep going.

I’ve set many running goals along the way and attained some of them. These include time goals for distances, completing different events, placing at different events, achieving certain distances, running in different places, etc. When I was sixteen, I had been running for a couple of years and had gone on at least one distance run of 15 miles. The next logical step in my mind was 18 miles. I couldn’t tell you why it wasn’t 16 or 19, but 18 it was and I picked a Saturday to go for it.

Unfortunately, a nasty storm with torrential rain arrived in my small town in Virginia that Saturday morning. However, this was the day I had chosen and I was going for it. This was not stubbornness or some macho move. There really wasn’t a decision process at all in terms of going or not going as I wanted to get out there and try it because I enjoyed running. In a concession to the weather, I picked a 3-mile loop to do six times that would start and finish at my house. If things got really ugly (lightning, limbs falling out of trees, etc.) I could get back to shelter quickly.

The absurd amount of water coming down created small rivers along the curbs so that every time I crossed a street, and there were many street crossings, my feet got soaked. It was one of the most difficult runs I had experienced and somewhere between miles 12 and 15, I sensed trouble. Not only was I tired, but my clothes had been stuck to my skin since the first quarter mile, my shoes were heavy, and the conditions were not getting any better. By the time I got to mile 15, I adjusted plans and decided to finish off with three one-mile loops that would bring me back to my house. During the first loop, I knew I was done and I stopped at mile 16. Disappointing, but clearly the right decision.

So how does this illuminate an enjoyment of the run? Two ways. The obvious one is that in spite of adverse conditions, I went out anyway. Two, I learned early on when it’s smart to back off. I loathe cutting off a workout early, but you have to know when enough is enough. Come back and tackle it again the next day. Don’t lose running days in the near future due to injury or illness by pushing too hard today.

I went for 18 miles again a couple of weeks later. This time, I chose to combine a 10-mile loop and an 8-mile loop. Though it was frigid outside, it was sunny and calm and on this attempt, I had success. Even better, I was so wiped out by the time I got back to my house that I knew my decision to bail at mile 16 during the storm was a wise one. (Part of my being exhausted was that back then, I didn’t carry or drink any fluids or eat anything on long runs, including the 18-miler. When you’re a teenager, this may work but you still feel the consequences.)

For people who don’t like running, it’s possible they’ll never like it though it’s also possible they’ll grow into it. Fortunately, I never had to grow into it and going on runs like the ones above were not a chore, they were an opportunity to push myself doing something I enjoy.

I mentioned a Chicago preview last week and this one sums it up very well. It also points out that the Americans having the most success at the marathon distance are women runners. The most successful of these, Shalane Flanagan, won’t race until New York next month and that could be her last marathon. But, she and the others have had some impressive accomplishments.

And for safety on the run, that is still coming. Also, I’m in the middle of 7-10 days off and so far, I’ve stuck to it, which is difficult. I’ve read that dedicated down-time is helpful and as much as I hate to admit it, I think that research is correct. Still, I’m itching to get back out there.

Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Gu Blackberry. Tasted like blackberry paste. Nothing particularly remarkable about this one and if it’s ever being handed out for a race, I’ll be fine using it.