Fire Fighters 10 Mile Road Race 2012 Runners

I would first like to say Congratulations to everyone that ran the 10 mile road race, it was warm out and all of you slugged it out to the finish. I was at various points along the route and I thoroughly enjoyed it, motivating is my specialty. I started out at the start line before the race and snapped a few of you runners warming up.

The Kenyans were back in town for the occasion.
Everyone is so excited for the race to start, can't you just feel the excitement.
The group of runners in the yellow are the Fresh Air 10 mile training group, they all had the same shirt on, and boy did they stand out.

There were so many people out there to cheer for along the route and when they arrived at Intercity at the beginning of the race everyone was so excited, you could feel the excitement. 

This next pic is of the Kenyan on the far side of the road on his way back to the finish and the people on the nearest side of the road are just on their way to the half way point.

Here are friends of mine Stephanie and Carol, flashing their medals, I am so happy for them. It was their first time running.

And of coarse what is a race without my friend Kathy (on the left) she will smile throughout a race no matter what torture it may be.

My friends Carol and Lynda, wow in all three pictures is Carol, she's so happy.

Congratulations on such a great day, so many people of all running abilities coming together to share this race.

After the race they had an awards ceremony with trophies, money and prizes. What an all round great day!

Fire Fighters 10 Mile Road Race 2012 Volunteers

I am going to write 2 blogs about the Fire Fighters 10 mile road race. This blog will be about the fantastic volunteers that come together to make this race happen. I did not run the 10 miler this year but I did have the opportunity to see behind the scenes by volunteering.

I started with kit stuffing, Barb was the coordinator and had the kit stuffing run like a well oiled machine. All of the things that had to go in the kits were put in piles around a table and the Fresh Air bags at the start of the table. We would grab a bag and then go around the table putting things in the kits, around and around we went,  the group did 700 kits, around the table we went.
I also volunteered for the spaghetti dinner the night before the race, I sold extra tickets to the dinner to those who didn't buy them when registering.

The other jobs that volunteers took part in that night was kit pick up, where the runners got their kit and verified their bib with the correct name on the bib and received their timing chip.

The morning of the race I also went to the start line to take pictures of those great volunteers setting up the start/finish line. They were out there very very early.

Along the race route there were volunteers everywhere from road blockades to water stations to relay hand off stations. It really did take alot of people for that race to come together.

The St. Johns Ambulance driver just really wanted his picture taken. 

When I was waiting at Intercity for the run to start, a truck was driving up the center of the road putting pylons down to split the road in half. The man driving the truck noticed that the guy in the back hadn't dropped a pylon in awhile and the guy in the back has his hands in the air saying "Hold on, someone is taking my picture". 

This man was so happy to have his picture taken, thank you to him with out him who would put out the pylons, every job matters.

I have a whole new perspective on how grand this race is. Thank you to all the volunteers!!

Recycle

I was reading a gardening magazine and they were showing how you could use an old leather boot to plant flowers in, I thought they look interesting but where am I going to find an old boot to drill holes in and plant flowers in.
I then realized that I do have old running shoes which I could use.
I went out to Creekside Nursery and bought some flowers, my handy man drilled holes in the bottom of the shoes (no insoles), I filled them with potting soil and added flowers.
Try them they are really cute, they say "A runner lives here".

Cross Training

I have never been the person who does all kinds of types of exercise, such as running, weights, yoga whatever your pleasure is. Whenever I have done any training for a race I had found it hard to work, run and cross train. This is the first time I have fit cross training in, biking. I am the type of person that if it isn't convenient then I have a hard time sticking with it.
I started biking to work and it works for me as a cross training. The real reason I am rambling on about this I felt the benefits of cross training when I ran around Boulevard. My legs felt awesome, my cardio threshold has improved . I had such an awesome run, I even ran 10:1's and felt comfortable with them.
I have never enjoyed running 10:1's because my cardio could not stand it. I am looking forward to this summer of running (yes I said summer, warm weather).

Commuter

I started riding my bike to work, I got it supped up with saddle bags so I could carry all my stuff, when it starts to get hot out a pack sack just makes me sweat more. It had a tune up and was all set to go. I have a inexpensive bike from Canadian Tire that gets me from point A to point B. I work mostly nights so it nice and cool when I ride in the late evening and early morning. I do not like riding on the road, drivers frighten me, I know all the drivers out there that should not be behind the wheel. It was my first ride of the year and I was coming up my street and there were 2 park cars across from each other (one on each side of the road). I was coming up to the cars and a car was driving up behind me and one driving towards me, instead of one of the cars letting myself and the other car go through, all three of us squeezed through at the same time. I do like riding in the bike lanes as it does give me my own space, what frightens me is the drivers that do not understand the rules. I am lucky in that I can get from my house to work without driving on the road of any high traffic areas.

I am quite visible on the road, I have a flashing light facing the rear of my bike and I wear a fluorescent yellow jacket and a fluorescent yellow shirt (Skinny Chics) on underneath. You couldn't visually miss me.
It is the perfect distance away, so that I am not tired by the time I get to work, it is 3 miles total, there and back, downhill on the way to work and uphill on the way home.
I do have to get new handle cover as the ones I have are pretty hard, your hands get sore after bumping along.
I put an odometer on my bike to see how many miles I could ride through the summer. So far I have gone 32 miles, we'll see by the time it snows in the Fall (it could still snow) how many miles I have gone.

The Phrase "Burn Out"

How do you feel about the phrase "Burn Out", this phrase can be taken many ways all depends in what context it was used.
I had someone ask me how my running was going, I explained about my choice to take a running vacation and this person had a saddened look on there face "Your burnt out". Now I thought to myself, "what do you mean by that", the way it sounded to me and the look that was on their face, was that I had ran my Marathon and took on a challenge that caused me to be burnt out after, that maybe I shouldn't have. This is what happens when new runners start running and seasoned runners make comments such as maybe they shouldn't set there goals to high.
The phrase "Burn Out" sounds similar to  "Cannot Handle it".  If you have ever had someone say this phrase to you don't be discouraged, they do not realize how you have interpreted it. I should have said "What did you mean by that" and perhaps next time I will.
This is an article I found  and some of these things are what I have been doing on my Running Vacation.

Some runners go through periods when they feel like they need a break -- both mentally and physically -- from running. It sometimes happens after completion of a big race that they've been working toward for months, like a marathon. It's tough to stay motivated once you've reached that major goal. To help avoid reaching that point, try some of these strategies:

Don't worry about a schedule.

Run simply for fun, without worrying about following a training schedule. Don't run for time or distance. Just go out for a run and stop whenever your mind or body tell you to.

Take an "off week."

If you run high mileage (more than 30 miles a week), cut back your mileage by at least 50% every fourth week. Take at least at least two rest days during your off week. Both your body and mind will appreciate the recovery period.

Supplement your running with cross-training.

Participating in activities other than running, such as swimming, biking, or yoga, one to two days a week gives your running muscles a break and can also help revive your mental outlook. More: Cross-Training for Runners

Run a race for pleasure -- not competition.

You don't have to run your heart out in every race you enter. Sometimes it's fun to run at an easier pace than your race pace and just enjoy the race without putting any pressure on yourself. It may give you the freedom to run with someone you don't usually run with, like a spouse or a friend.

Change your route and routines.

You're bound to get bored or burned-out if you keep running the same roads week after week. Switch up your route or even the time of day that you run. Go for a run before work in the morning, if you usually run in the evening. If you've never tried trail running, why not give it a try? 

The phrase "Burn Out" sounds like something bad, to me, but as you have read above it is just a change in your schedule.

I have really enjoyed my Running Vacation.

The loves of my life

I am no expert, just an expert on what works for me and me only.
I recently purchased a pair of Saucony Kinvara 3 shoes and am excited to try them out. I have been doing some reading about the debate on minimalist shoes.
I usually run in these stability shoes with my orthotics:

I had trained for my Marathon in these shoes and still wear them now to run in, I had to put my orthotics in them when my mileage in marathon training got to 16/18 miles my plantar factitious started to bother me. These shoes accompanied me on many runs and held out for me to this day.
I bought a pair of my favorite shoe the Asics 2160 at the expo in Myrtle Beach, they were a great deal. I started to wear them at work to work them in, I love the feeling of an old shoe. New shoes do not feel good to me, I have one foot that is allot wider then the other and it is never happy with new shoes. This is why I have still been wearing my brooks shoes even after so many miles.
These are the shoes I have been wearing at work:

 I bought a new pair of shoes to try out, they are the Saucony Kinvara 3. They are the complete opposite of what I wear now and I am excited for the challenge of trying them out slowly.
Here they are:

They are light as a feather and who can miss they look awesome. I will try them out this weekend just around my house in the event I run into troubles. I will keep you posted on how this goes.

This article is from the Chi Running website:

How to Avoid Injuries with Minimal Shoes

August 3rd, 2011

The minimal shoe boom, although it's one that we welcome, is nonetheless creating some meaningful questions and discussions. I am hearing reports that there are indeed a rash of new types of injuries from people running in minimal shoes, or should I say, running too much, too quickly and with improper biomechanics, in minimal shoes.

Always in search of the magic bullet, people tend to go to extremes when they hear of something promising. It happens with diets, with politics, and in this case, with shoes.

We have been advocating for more minimal shoes since 1999. However, always with the caveat of one of Chi Running and Chi Walking’s main tenets: Gradual Progress. Putting on a pair of minimal shoes does not change years of movement patterns you have established. The idea that running without shoes or with a more minimal shoe will save you from injury is, in many cases, wishful thinking. It can also be harmful to your body.

Here are some tips for avoiding the overuse injuries that can plague minimalist or barefoot runners:

1. Take it slowly and don’t expect to be running your current mileage as you switch from your current shoes to barefoot or minimalist shoes.
2. If you’re transitioning to barefoot running, do it on a hard surface or a track and not on grass (contrary to popular opinion). That’s because grass offers such a soft surface that it’s difficult to tell if you’re heel striking. Running on a hard surface will give you immediate form feedback and “force” you to land softly or suffer the pain.
3. If you go cold turkey and toss your old shoes in trade for minimalist or barefoot running, start by running very short distance intervals, like 200m or less, just to see how it feels. Then walk for the same amount. This helps toughen your feet without creating as much impact as running. Do this switching back and forth between walking and running as your body allows. The 10% increase rule definitely applies here … start with very short runs and add no more than 10% of an increase in mileage (or time on your feet) in one week.
4. Be very cautious if you’re switching to minimalist or barefoot running if your BMI is 25 or higher, as the increase of impact to unprotected feet magnifies significantly if you’re overweight. If your BMI is 30+ you might consider losing some weight before switching to the minimalist approach. Walking in minimalist shoes should be fine, as long as you increase your mileage slowly.
5. For at least the first month, do most, if not all, minimalist or barefoot runs on level ground, not on hills. Running uphill places increased stress on your Achilles tendons and running downhills places more impact and stress on your plantar fascia, the soft tissues of the bottoms of your feet, your calves and your shins.
6. Make sure you are running with biomechanically correct running form on the first day of your switch to minimalist or barefoot running; shorten your stride, land midfoot or forefoot/midfoot, keep your knees bent and relax your lower legs throughout your stride cycle, and maintain good posture with a gentle forward lean at the ankles. Better yet, sign up for a Chi Running class or contact a local Chi Running certified instructor.

When approached mindfully, there is no reason why anyone should suffer an injury from switching to barefoot or minimalist running. Without the big, bulky shoes deadening your feet and controlling every move your feet will be able to truly sense what the ground feels like and respond accordingly, and in most cases, for the better. The key to making change safe and permanent is to allow Nature to set the pace by allowing your body to adapt at its own rate.

Running Journal

So I was walking through Chapters yesterday thinking I need to buy a new running journal, I have always kept a running journal. I enjoy writing, journaling has always seemed fun to me. I would write about how I felt during the run, what I was wearing, who I was with and if I had problems/injuries how I worked them out.  Back to the point, I was walking through Chapters and then I realized that I have a blog and why would I need a journal. This past weekend we went to Grand Marais as I spoke about in my previous blog entry here are a few more pics.

We had such a great time, today is walk around Boulevard day. A group of us from work head to Boulevard and we walk around Boulevard chatting about what has gone on since we last saw eachother the week before. It rained last week and it looks pretty sketchy outside, hopefully the rain stays away long enough for us to get together.

Back at It!!

This weekend was a great weekend. I have been working on my posture in running and using less effort in running by working on my running form. On Saturday I had been out for a 3 mile run and I worked  on the ways that I could correct my running form that I had been reading about in Chi Running. I felt great after that run, felt I was really focused on my form and not focused on how far I was going or the time on my watch.

Lynda,Carol and I headed to Grand Marais to run the Ham 5 km, on the website it says it is fairly flat....Ha Ha Ha not flat at all, I guess depends what you compare it to, perhaps San Francisco. I had ran this 2 years ago and decided to go back this year with some friends. There were many people from Thunder Bay and the Metre Eaters down there to run the Half Marathon. 

I had been running 5:1's for a very long time, and it was decided for the race we would run 10:1's, I had not run 10:1's in awhile. I focused on sticking to good posture and maintaining it even when I got tired. I was able to do the 10:1's and only walked up half of one of the hills but ran up all the others. I felt really good as I have not been running or training consistently. I had a great time, and had great company. 

I really had a great run, the organizers put on a great race, next year I will train for the Half and will cross it off my list of to do's.

I really believe in everyone out there running no matter if you are first, last or in the middle,or walking or running. Many different people are out there for many reasons and have also conquered many barriers in order to step up to the start line, what puzzles me race after race is that very few people are cheering on our fellow racers out there, who says you have to know someone to cheer them on, we are already connected by that fact that we all stepped up to the start line. 

I am often at the back of the pack but sometimes I am not and there are others still out there running, I will always stick around and cheer people on, even if I go change clothes and come back to the the finish line, I will be back. 

It took allot for many to get to the start line, it would be discouraging to see no one cheering for you at the finish line.