Everything I Needed to Know (about Running) I Learned From the Blogosphere

Wow.....What a difference 5 months can make!  After reading everyone's end-of-year stats and thoughts, and looking at your pictures, I got to thinking about all that I've learned since I began blogging back in August.  Truth is, BB (Before Blogging), I knew about running only what I read in RW, which is great info, but not nearly as engaging as 'real life conversations'.  Result?  A whole new world opened up to me in August. (queue the Disney music!) 

Here are just a few of the things I've learned (so far) .....

Lesson #1: The clothes DO make the girl(!) 

My typical running ensemble before I began blogging:

All cotton, right down to the Hanes skivvies. This was before I innocently put the question out there: "Do runners really run without underwear?" (I had heard rumors, read a few things here & there, but never actually verbalized the question before.) You could hear the laughter erupt all over bloggy land! A day or so later, I received a detailed answer from Amanda (5 Miles 2 Empty).  Here's what she had to say (prepare yourself... she leaves little to the imagination, but it's a great read, if you're at all curious!).

After her thorough response, complete with photos, I decided "What the heck." I'd give it a try.  So I purchased my first pair of 'real runner's shorts" and took a spin on the treadmill. (Notice I still had a cotton t-shirt, but that was okay... new sports bra underneath!)

Hmmm..... verdict?  Not bad. I think I could get  used to this.... Which led to what happened next....

My running gear collection continued to grow exploded as I moved from t-shirts to tech shirts, gym shorts to lots of 'real' runner's shorts, and the list goes on from there, including winter gear, which is REALLY coming in handy lately!  And while Morgan was lamenting about (apparent) boob loss in her first year of serious training, I was upgrading (with help from Betsy at Track Shack.... thank you!) to 'serious' sports  bras for girls*with*girls* (you know who you are!).  Maybe a review in a future post?  Let me know if you're interested.

I also learned about, 'singlets,' C9 clothing (Target), hats in the Florida sun, and Thorlo socks. Finally, I learned about the importance of always wearing a Road ID.  Wow! Can you say 'learning curve??"

Lesson #2: Drink like a fish. Okay, we're talking water, here! 

Much like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, I found myself looking for the 'just right' water bottle after experiencing a serious medical emergency on the day of my first 10K. You can read about it here. Think:  hellish humidity, core body temp rising, disorientation, fainting, FAIL.  

Result?  Learning how to hydrate properly, but finding my new water bottles were too big, too small, and finally..... just right. It actually took four bottles before I found one that seems to be closest to the best fit, though different ones accompany me on my runs: time of day and length of run being the deciding factors to who gets the e-ticket for that day's run.  Even in winter months, a water bottle is a must on long runs.

Lesson #3: A rest day IS a training day.

Pretty self-explanatory, but just in case we need to revisit this topic, here goes:  your body needs to rest, your muscles need to recover, and if you're over  40, dealing with health issues, or coming off an injury, you may even need two rest days after a long run.  No problem.  REST.  There is much written on this subject, and I'm okay with going on record saying that my conservative training and belief in a rest day after a Sunday long run are the things that keep me from getting injured.  (I hope I didn't just jinx myself!)

When I first started running in Nov '08 and had no idea what I was doing, I ran as hard and as fast as I could - several times a week, and then ran even harder in a February race that resulted in a-m-a-z-i-n-g hamstring pain.  I became a couch potato for the next 6 months, while my running shoes canoodled in the back of the closet with my winter clothes, you know.... the ones that come out once or twice a year in Florida.  You can read about it here.  Don't let this happen to you!  Now, I listen (very carefully) to my body and preach this training strategy frequently (which may be why I'm gaining the rep, the "Mom Blogger" LOL).  :-)  Is getting hurt really worth having to sit out a season?  We've got several bloggy running friends in various stages of this horrible scene right now.... bummer.

Lesson #4:  Always, always, always carry ID, preferably Road ID. 

When cars and runners collide, cars win. Period. I've written about Road ID a few times over the past few months, and specifically about runners/cars recently.  I swear that every single time I go out for a long run that takes me through our urban neighborhoods, I think about my first run with Morgan, and her cautious approach to traffic (and my surprise at her caution, which later turned to absolute understanding).  Wonder what really happens?  Check out this post. *Note:  Just this past weekend I watched a fellow runner dart out to cross the street, presumably before the oncoming traffic would reach him, and presumably because the cars were moving slowly enough (or would slow down)... he was wrong on all accounts.  His foot landed on the curb as two cars whizzed past him, one close enough to brush his show.  Neither slowed down at all.  Both were moving 45+ mph.  It could have been catastrophic in less than a second...... 

Lesson #5:  First races yield lots of new stuff to learn for a newbie! 

I recently read a question from a fellow blogger that she asked of her readers as she prepares for the Boston Marathon.  It had to do with earbuds, her ipod, and whether to run with or without.  Overwhelmingly, Boston runners said, "No earbuds. Soak up the experience."  I had to chuckle as I was reminded of my own first 'big race.'  Granted, it was a 5K and it was in Orlando, but I daresay my nervousness may have matched hers.  I wrote about the things I learned from that first race, and still laugh when I read the post.  I was SUCH a newbie... still am, but I can honestly say, "I've come a long way, baby!"   

  

So there you have it, just a handful of the things I've learned in my first five months blogging and (seriously) running... interesting to think about what the year ahead has in store for me! 

My Thankful Three

Today, I am thankful for:

- Our new Turtle blog friends who've decided to follow this turtle's journey

- Support from fellow bloggers who have linked me and shared my blog with their readers.. thank you!

- Everyone's enthusiastic feedback about what you like, what you'd like to see, and how you found me (or, in many cases, how I found you!)... I'm very excited to take your suggestions under advisement and get to work on lots of new posts. 

Happy running, friends.....

Robin

P.S.  My 100th post is on deck...... Woo Hoo!