Obstacles

I was a little worried about my running last week. I couldn’t run more than 3 miles without having to stop and walk, I was sweating like crazy in cool weather, and I wasn’t enjoying the run at all.

That was last week; yesterday, it was just the opposite. I was able to run a 10 mile loop without any problems. I ran it faster than I thought, didn’t sweat, and loved the run. It was a beautiful day with temperatures in the low 50s. There was only a couple people on the trails, but I didn’t see them until about 8 miles into the run. I had a great run out there with nature.

I ran a seven mile loop today, so that I can stay in shape for the 50K in January. It wasn’t so good. I started off strong enough with an 8:16 mile, but I fell off that pace quickly. I was far too sweaty for it being 55 degrees and couldn’t handle running any of the hills. I walked a little than then would tempo run a little stronger than normal between the walks. By the time I was at my last two miles, I was able to run it the rest of the way at a much quicker pace than normal. It’s just a little weird that I had such a bad start.

It’s getting to be the time where people start coming down with a few more illnesses. I often wonder whether it’ll be best for me to relax or to exercise and burn off some bad calories. That’s Fit has a couple of good suggestions to help you make your personal decision:

If you feel sick above the neck then run as long as you can breath. On the other hand, if you feel the sickness below the neck or you have a fever or both then you should just relax.

That’s easy enough.

It’s weird that something that can at once be so beautiful can also be so terrifying. I think most humans love fire — assuming it’s controlled. When you see something like what’s happening in California, it’s quite chilling. I know there are plenty of fellow runners in that area — my thoughts are certainly with you.

Don’t worry about the shock headlines. The key to running is to always be smart. Is this advice that I always follow? No. But you shouldn’t be scared by events like what occurred at the Chicago Marathon.

Some days it might be too hot for you to run outside. If it is, don’t run outside. There isn’t any obligation to run. Your heart is impacted more with increased temperatures. Listen to what your body says and stop when you are over exerting yourself.

Most terrible injuries, or deaths, seem to occur when someone isn’t listening to what their body is telling them. If you aren’t a professional, you have no obligation to push yourself past your limit. Running is a fun, safe form of exercise if done properly.

Recently, I have learned that some days my body loves to run up and down hills while other days it hates it. I tried to figure out what might cause the discrepancy, but I can’t. So I just decided to embrace it and go with how my body feels. Unless I’m in a race, it’s not really imperative that I run each and every hill if my body doesn’t want to do it. As the heat is starting to leave, I am noticing that my body is thanking the fall.

I’m not sure what the entire story is but from what I hear a bad thing happened to a cyclist and to LA if this is true. Apparently a bus hit a cyclist twice because he wouldn’t get out of the lane, or share the lane, and then the cyclist was cuffed and arrested.

The absurdity of this is what is truly unbelievable. I don’t know California law, but in Texas a bicyclist is considered another vehicle that must observe all the laws of the road. As such, a cyclist also has the rights of other vehicles such as using a lane. In fact, it’s illegal for bicyclists to ride their bikes on sidewalks. Now a car cannot under any circumstances share a lane with a bike and keep both vehicles safe. What’s even more absurd is thinking that it’s appropriate to take a 3-5 ton vehicle like a bus and hit a 20 pound bike! Are you kidding?

The bus driver, the city of LA, and California should be ashamed.

It’s always a little tricky for me to figure out how to get a good run in when I’m out of town for work. Sometimes I will plan my running schedule around my travel schedule so that I can rest/recover while traveling. Other times I want to try to find a place to run in the city.

My stepfather, while staying in Vegas, will run up the stairs of the casino to get his workout in. That is because a lot of the casinos have fitness centers that require a membership fee. For instance, when he stayed at the Luxor, he asked the security guard if he could just run up the 20 or 30 flights and they okayed it.

Today I just did the standby treadmill in the hotel fitness center routine. I don’t really like treadmills because I don’t think they are helpful for anything beyond a steady workout. It messes with my pacing because I’m not a runner who tracks the exact speed. I typically have a stride that works for me that keeps me on pace. It’s hard to find my stride on the treadmill. Also, I don’t think treadmills are very safe as far as damaging knees and shins.

Either way, I got my workout in!

My biggest running weakness is stopping to walk. It doesn’t matter if I’m just going to run a quick two miles or a long 12 miles, I will stop and walk. I know that it’s a mental hurdle but it’s one that has been with me for a few years now. I’m not sure what the deal is because I used to always keep in motion and finish strong, but I don’t do that anymore.

Today was one of the first times that I have changed that with a really strong run. I did stop but it was only to retie my shoes. Not only did I finish the run strong but I went into my apartment workout center and ran another two miles on the treadmill.

When I started my run, I was a little frustrated with myself because I knew I wasn’t going to be able to run a long run. My goal was to make today my weekly long run, but I had to change for a few reasons. I started the run so late that it would be dark by the end, I didn’t dress properly with the cold coming at nightfall, and I realized my chest was more congested than I anticipated. Instead of a long run, I made it a fairly quick four miles. Then I ran two more on the treadmill.

I guess six miles and breaking a mental block isn’t too shabby.

According to That’s Fit, we need to be sneezing or coughing into clothing (instead of our hands) in order to really prevent the unnecessary spread of disease. I don’t know that I agree because when I sneeze or cough into my hand, I will use the antibacterial gel.