Running ...in a skirt???

Ever since I began training for the half-marathon I am constantly on different women's running websites. I always read about training tips, running routes, and training gear. I was looking at womensrunningworld.com today and they were listing other sites that focused solely on women.

I came across a website named skirtsports.com. It had all kinds of clothing for sale; cute stuff too.

That's when I saw the idea behind the website; spandex running skirts. What?? Running in a skirt?? Yes, they have spandex shorts underneath but don't you think women get harassed enough by sweaty truckers beeping their foghorns as they pass a woman trying to stay in shape??? The shorts even come with cutsie names like, the "City Girl" skirt and the "Happy Hour" skirt. They both come in pink, of course.

I think this is the most ridiculous idea yet. Well, maybe the price of $58 is more ridiculous!

16 Days and Counting...

I have just over two weeks left until the big race day! Between 21-credits, working 15-hours a week, and training my butt off...I am exhausted. My last run was yesterday and it was 8.5 miles. I should be right about the 11 mile mark. I am a little bit behind schedule but I'm not too worried.

I've been speaking with a lot of my family members about coming up to watch my race. Though they are smiling and nodding "yes, I will be there", I know I'm getting them to come by giving them a guilt trip. Hey, whatever works! I know come race day I will need as many people there to support me that I can get.

Other inspirational racers...

My old roommate and long-time friend, Vanessa Schaffer, is the one who first got me interested in running. When we lived together in Baltimore city we used to run with our other roommate, Caitlin, at least a few days a week.

Now, Vanessa and Caitlin are more avid runners than I am. Both girls participated in last years Annapolis 10-mile race and women's triathlon. This year Vanessa is taking her running to another level. This June she will be participating in an Olympic triathlon to help raise money and awareness for blood cancers. She is a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. Her team is helping to raise money for to stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking lives. She is running this race in memory of her best friend's grandfather and in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers.

If you are interested in finding out more about the race or if you are interested in donating money to Vanessa's team please visit her personal fundraising page:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/nca/philtri09/vschaffer

Halfway there!

In addition to the weight and cardio conditioning regimen I have done my best to stick to, I have recently become a member of the Chesapeake Bay Running Club. I figure I should try to participate in a couple of 5K and maybe even try to squeeze in a 10k to help prepare for the Towson Half-Marathon.

The Chesapeake Bay Running Club was established to help promote physical fitness to all Southern Maryland residents. They sponsor all kinds of races including; on and off road, fun run/walks and other social events.

My first race will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 28th. The Keep Your Colon Rollin' 5K will help raise money and awareness for colon cancer.

Wish me luck and I'll see you at the finish line!

Inspirational story

I heard about the father/son racing team, Dick and Rick Hoyt (Team Hoyt) a few years ago and I have never forgotten their story. Out of the tens of times that I have heard or read their story there is not one time that I haven't choked back tears. It is one that is truly inspirational on so many levels. I want to share their story with you in the hopes that it will have the same effect on you that it has on me.

Rick Hoyt was born in 1962 with cerebral palsy. This is a condition that occurs when oxygen to the brain is blocked during birth. In Rick's case, he was delivered with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. Rick's parents, Dick and Judy, were told that their child would have no hope for development and at nine months doctor's encouraged Dick and Judy to put their son away; "he would be a vegetable all his life". Dick and Judy both refused and they were determined to raise their son as normally as possible.

Tufts University engineers met with the family and after one of them told Rick and joke and he "cracked up", they knew that he could communicate. In 1972, the same group of engineers built an interactive computer for Rick to use to communicate. A cursor would move across a screen filled with rows of letters, and when the cursor highlighted a letter that Rick wanted, he would click a switch with the side of his head.

When the computer was first brought home, the Hoyt's were surprised to see that their son's first words were not Hi, Mom or Hi, Dad, but "Go Bruins." At the time, the Boston Bruins were in the race for the Stanley Cup. It was at that time Dick and Judy realized their son had a love for sports.

After a long battle, Rick was finally admitted to public schools in 1975. Two years later he told his father that he wanted to participate in a five mile run benefiting a local lacrosse player who have recently been paralyzed in an accident. Dick had never run in a race but agreed to push his son in his wheelchair. They finished next to last but still felt great triumph for what they had accomplished. After the race, Dick told his parents that he "did not feel handicapped when he was competing".

That statement was the beginning of a new life for Rick and his family. Since that first race in 1977 Dick and Rick have competed in over 984 events, including 229 Triathlons, 6 Ironman distances, 6 Half Ironmans, 66 Marathons, 26 Boston Marathons, 84 Half Marathons, and 108 5K. The answer to the question that may be in your head-No, they do not finish next to last anymore. During the Boston Marathon of 1981 Team Hoyt finished in the top quarter of the field. This earned them a lot of respect and recognition in the race world. Rick also took notice of the recognition from fellow-competitors while racing:

"Whenever we are passed (usually on the bike) the athlete will say "Go for it!" or "Rick, help your Dad!" When we pass people (usually on the run) they’ll say "Go Team Hoyt" or "If not for you, we would not be out here doing this."

Apart from Dick and Rick's athletic accomplishments, Rick graduated from High School and went on to receive a degree in special education from Boston University in 1993. He now works in Boston University's computer lab helping to develop a computer system that will one day help paralyzed individuals communicate through eye movement.

I commend Dick and Rick on their accomplishments and most of all I, commend Dick and Judy for never giving up on their son and his future. If you believe in or feel passionate about something-never give up and always fight. Nothing in life comes easy.

Time Troubles

So, I'm starting to run into a little bit of a hurdle...Between seven classes and my commute time for school (1.5 hours each way), I having a bit of trouble remaining consistent with my training. I still go to the gym at least three days a week to weight train and get my 2-3 mile run in, but I'm having a hard time finding the time to add extra mileage to my training.

I'm hoping that once the weather warms up I will be able to run the routes that the TU training program provides. As you can see, it's a four mile route that starts at the baseball field next to Burdick Hall.

Even though I'm having trouble making it to the training programs, I should be able to keep up with their routes while still staying on track for the big race.

I'll keep you posted on how that 's going. If you see me running down Towsontown Blvd. be sure to wave and honk...oh yeah, check and make sure I'm still breathing too! :)

Training Errors

I was reading an article from an online marathon training site and I saw something that surprise me:

"...the greatest challenge of the marathon is not finishing the race but making it to the starting line uninjured and rested."

Other than participating in the running groups, I hadn't thought much about how I should be training. This site helped lay out how I should NOT be training.

One of the problems runners may face is inconstancy in their workouts. Especially, when training for a long distance run, runners should try not to skip workouts. In other words, make a schedule and stick to it! Being inconsistent may cause the runner to tack on extra training days closer to the race to make up for lost ones. This could result in overloading your muscles, which may cause injury.

Next, the site talks about the 10% rule. This rule states that you should not increase weekly mileage by more than 10% each week nor should you increase the distance of the long run by more than 10% each week. This will also help with minimizing injury before a race.

Next, they talk about a Hard-Easy concept of training. This just suggests that after a hard workout or a hard run you should try to take it easy the next day. Running 10 miles on Saturday, then doing a high energy cardio workout on Sunday. This is a wise strategy runners use to train effectively.

The last training error they talk about is not listening to your body. If your body is not ready for a long distance training session or hard weight training, it will tell you. Make sure to give your body the rest that it probably deserves.

Staying away from these typical training errors will help me to avoid injury for the big day!