Mon Motivation: You Choose.....

“Running is a big question mark that’s there each and every day.

It asks you, ‘Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?’”

 – Peter Maher, Irish-Canadian Olympian and Sub-2:12 marathoner

Soooo....

What will YOU be today??

 

happy running! 

Monday Motivation... Possible

 

"I don't need easy. I just need possible."

~ Bethany Hamilton, shark attack survivor and world-class surfer

source:  sup-surfing.org.uk

What's possible in YOUR life that you aren't doing?? 

Is today the day?

'til next time....

happy running!

Earth Day 5K .... Welcome Back!

What a nice thing to hear.... Welcome Back!

I've been planning to run the Winter Garden 5K April 28th as my first race event since 2010, but decided a few days ago to register for the Earth Day 5K in Clermont.  Cute t-shirt, nice course, celebrate Earth Day healthfully..... yada, yada, yada.

As Saturday was approaching, the weatherman was reporting lots of wind and thunderstorms in the weekend forecast. Nuts!  That's okay, though... initiation back in, I reasoned.  ;)  I was excited to try out my new Kinvaras and wasn't overly concerned about the weather.

Today was race day.  Hubs and I rolled out of bed at 5 AM, cleaned up and headed over to Clermont, about 25 minutes away.  When we arrived, few cars were there.  Are we in the right place?  Yes... just a smaller venue than we're used to - and THAT was perfectly okay!

Packet pick-up (and canned food donatons) took 30 seconds. "Real" restrooms were a short walk away, and the lake was beautiful....

Lake Minneola - Clermont, Florida

Though we the skies were clear and a bit overcast, things stayed rain-free and calm. The humidity, however, was in HIGH gear. Whew!  Warming up was a sweat-fest, but I was EXCITED to be back out there........

Cheering through my warm-up!

Within a half hour, it was time to line up. 12K'ers would start at 7:30, followed by 5K'ers at 7:35.  All in all, there were probably 400(?) runners, most running the longer distance.  Being the awesome coach, cheerleader, holder-of-stuff, photographer that he is, Hubs headed to the start line with me and we chatted with others for a few minutes. 

We ran into Kitzzy, fellow Orlando runner and blogger, who's having an awesome running year. Was great to see her!  :)   Then we met Janet, a walker transitioning into the Galloway run/walk/run method.  

The race started, we were off, and the humidity kicked my behind! My goal for my first 5K in a VERY long time was sub 40:00, but after training in the Kinvaras, I was feeling pretty good and had been running 12:00 miles around the neighborhood and on the treadmill.  I decided to shoot for sub 38:00, with a 'secret' goal of 36:00 minutes.  This wouldn't be a PR, but it would be a great re-entry pace for me. 

Using the Galloway Method, I set my watch to 3:00/1:00 intervals.  Lately, since getting the  new runners, I've been running through the 1:00 walk intervals for most of my training runs. Setting intervals at 3/1 would give me easy math to calculate while running:  4 minutes for each rep. 3 reps @ 4 min = 12 minutes. If I could maintain 3 reps per mile, I'd be on track and pick it up at the end. Sounded good on paper. 

I started out a little fast... very excited and happy to be running an event. I slowed down a tad and settled into a good pace, watching my time carefully.  Up one small hill, loop around, and back on the lake.... mile 1 felt solid. Mile 2 got a little tougher as the humidity sucked the life out of me. Fortunately, though, I get stronger after the first mile or two.  Finding the sweet spot and falling in behind a couple of runners helped. Three-quarters into mile 2, I dialed back to a walk for a brief minute. That's when Michelle (I learned her name at the finish line!) appeared.  Coming up behind me, she said... "Come on! Can't stop now. We're not done yet." 

I fell in behind her, just off her left shoulder, and we continued this way, alternating between leader and follower, pacer and pacee (is that a word??). 

Before we knew it, the finish line was in sight and we were ready.  We ran beside each other, and as we entered the finish line area, we chatted...

She:  Thanks. I would have stopped if you hadn't been out there.

Me:   Are you kidding? You weren't going to stop! Neither was I!  Thank YOU!  We did it!

Look closely and you can see us talking as we enter the finish line area.....

With that, we smiled and crossed together.   HIGH FIVE!!!!!!  

Note to Self:  Don't slow down to 'chat' while heading toward the finish line.

Run like hell!!!! 

After the race, hugs and pics before heading to breakfast ....

The Super Hubs/Cheerleader and His "Ruuner" LOL

Goofing off... a Victory pose!!

Janet and Robin post-race.....

I forgot to stop my watch as we crossed. Stopped it a minute or so later. Oops! Chip time: 36:11, with an 11:39 pace. I was #34 out of 69 women and 4th in my age/gender group.  I'm happy.  :)

Per chiptimes.com:

34   348 Robin Le Roy-Kyle       F 45 Apopka FL                       36:11   11:39

Post-race Notes to Self:

•  Continue to work on dropping weight AND toning up.
•  Face swells while running.  Bleh.
•  Pick up knees when running.
•  Focus on forefoot, no heel-striking.
•  Either change intervals to 2:00/1:00 for now and run faster through the 2:00 min    cycles OR use the walk intervals, instead of skipping them  (not sure about this yet??)
•  Need video to watch form more closely.
•  Ditch this running shirt (for now) ... not flattering! 
•  Keep smiling... you're on the right track!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome back, TRTL.RNR!

Next up... Winter Garden 5K April 28th...

Love the t-shirt!

happy running!

Kinvara 2s Make the Grade

A+ in my book!


My Saucony Kinvara 2s arrived last Thursday and I've taken them out for a spin a few times since.




Thoughts from a slow, curvy, recreational runner??  

• The Kinvara 2s are noticeably smaller and lighter than the Saucony Echelons (6.7 oz vs. 10.9 oz) - like thin flip-flops vs. heavy, leather work boots.
• The difference in heel to toe drop (4 mm in Kinvaras vs. 12 mm in Echelons) is very noticeable! Wow!!  I won't even wear the Echelons to run errands, etc... because the biomechanics are so different with the lower heel.  It's like going from stilettos to flats - BIG difference.
• The heel has a 'collar' that helps keep your foot in place. You can see it in the top picture, below. It doesn't rub when running/walking; it's a nice feature.

• Running is less laborious, less cumbersome with the lighter shoes (who knew 4.2 oz could make so much difference?!)
• No more foot-slapping when I land.
• No more heel-striking.
• I drag my feet less because the shoes are so much lighter. (Now I have to work on picking up my knees and on cadence!)
• My pinky toes felt pinched the first time out. I wore my usual Experia socks.
• Switching to thinner socks fixed the toe problem. 
• I ran longer and 'stronger' during each run. NICE!!  I actually decreased my mile by a full minute, on average, with the Kinvara 2s.
• My legs and feet are noticeably sore after each run, just like when I first started running.  They ache, but in a good way.  Thank goodness for BenGay Ultra Strength!
• The tops of my feet are sore. 
• My hamstrings burn (slightly) when I do walk intervals.
• I'm adhering to the 'build slowly' mantra when switching to minimal/natural shoes. I backed off my mileage a little (it wasn't a lot to begin with!), and I'm glad I did, because the lighter shoes are promoting longer distances, but the residual achiness 12 - 48 hours later tells me my legs and feet are getting a different kind of workout and need an adjustment period.  I've read an 8 - 12 week transition is a safe training plan, to allow your legs and feet time to adjust. I can see feel why! 

I would not have considered this transition to natural runners if I hadn't read recent articles and a WHY/HOW-TO book, which I mentioned in my last post.  Whether you wear Newton running shoes or not (and I probably will soon enough), Danny Abshire's physiology and biomechanics knowledge, running and 'shodding' experience, and clear explanations help make Natural Running a book worth reading before purchasing your first pair of natural runners. The pictures of running shoe evolution are worth the cost of the book. 

 Now I'm looking forward to reading Born to Run .... Just.Curious.

'til next time....

happy running!

naturally!

I've decided to return to childhood days, when shoes were optional and mostly not wanted.... I want to learn to run more naturally. 



Seems much has changed in the brief 18 months I was away from running.  Or, at least, the minimalist movement has grown stronger. 

That could be it.

Either way, I've been doing my homework, reading this....



Author, Danny Abshire, co-founder of Newton Running.

and this ....

and continuing to look (again and again and again...) at these ....

Saucony Kinvara 2

New Balance Minimus10

and talking to these guys, who've become quite The Family Running since this pic was taken in 2010....




Debut 5k for my sister and my nephew... Her Hubs, a track athlete in HS, returned to running around this time... Now, they run races every weekend, and win MANY.  Nice!

While reading reviews, watching video clips - from the companies and consumers - and talking with my sister and brother-in-law, I realized I'm not quite ready for the Minimus 10s.... maybe next year? The NB Minimus 20 might be a  good transition shoe I think, but I'm a tried-and-true Saucony runner, loving how their ample box and snug, narrow heel fits my foot just right. 

Heck, to be able to talk about this is pretty cool to me. Until about three weeks ago, I didn't even know what "drop" meant when referring to running shoes! Now I can talk about zero drop (not quite for me), a 4 mm drop (trying out for me!), and Saucony's new 8mm drop in their Progrid Guide 5 (RW's Editor's Choice in 2012). 

Danny Abshire's book, Natural Running, does a great job explaining both the HOW TO and WHY of running with less shoe.  After only the first few pages, I found myself paying close attention to how I ran, noticing things I had never even thought of.  After several chapters, I was looking in the mirror, looking at my posture, and thinking about how all my shoes wear. 

One point he makes in the book is that when you take your shoes to your favorite local running store, they look at the exterior of your shoe to see how it's wearing.  What they don't (usually) look at, however, says Danny, is the inside.  Interestingly, I had noticed in recent months (before I began reading the book), that I wear the inside of my work shoes (teacher loafers) out in a very specific place. Turns out, this pattern is consistent with a gait issue he describes, and how the foot rolls.  Fascinating stuff.  Or, maybe I'm just a nerd.  :) 

I can't wait for my new running shoes to arrive! 

In the meantime, I'm getting back to less under my feet, wearing these beauties to work today...

Yes, I scrunch my toes... another bad habit, even in my running shoes!

much to the delight of my high school students.  Heard across the courtyard this afternoon, "Mrs. Kyle, oh my gosh! You're wearing flips!"

Yep!  Blingy flips at that!  (Thank you, Target Stores.)



What are you wearing when you hit the roads/trails these days?  Do you love them or ready to leave them?

'Til next time....

Happy Running!

inspiration @ 15.25

What inspires you to run?

Do you ever hear, see, or think of something as soon as you hit the road/trail/treadmill that gets you moving just a little quicker or with more resolve?

I had one of those moments as I set out for my long run last weekend...

Five minutes into my long run, they approach from behind me with a  methodical, quick, solid pace: a running pair whose strides and breathing reflect experience and purposeful training.  I wave and say hello as the man effortlessly glides by, followed closely by  a woman with a smile, a steady pace, and soaked running clothes.  Clearly they've been running a while.  I'm  dying to ask how many miles, but refrain. 

As if on cue, Mr. Runner stops just ahead, checks his wrist, and looks back at his partner. As she approaches, she slows to a walk.  He asks her:  Do you want to keep going or turn back?

Ms. Runner:  How far have we gone?

Mr. Runner:  15.25

Me:  Woo Hoo!  (they both laugh as I pass them with a big grin, and shouting, You are MY heroes today!)

A few minutes later, as I continue along at turtle pace, the running pair stride by, with Kenyan-like form and focus.

Mr. Runner:  (to me) Yes, we are crazy!

Me:   No!  You are my heroes!

With that, they run stealthily up the hill and around the corner....

For my next five miles, I keep singing in my head:  15.25.... 15.25...... 15.25.....  I can do 5! 

i.n.s.p.i.r.e.d. 

Source: healthygirlsarehappygirls

thinkfit.tumblr.com

Happy running!