Anger toward runners

All I can say is that I hope Karma is a bitch.

I'm out for a nice 10 mile run. Pushing a good clip and feeling great. At 7.5 miles I get hit by a water bottle thrown from a pick-up truck. Knocks the wind out of me and I go down. No one right behind the car bothers to stop and help. It hurts tremendously.

A car does eventually turn around to see if I'm okay. There's little she can do to help. She offers me a ride home which I decline. I thank her and she goes on her way.

I thought I'd be over getting bullied when I left high school. Apparently not. It still hurts more than physical.

I get home, call the police who stop by and I give them all the information. The officer really didn't seem to care since I did not have a licence plate number and was not seriously hurt.

I'm thankful to my family for being supportive and to the lady that stopped. They keep me moving.

The happiness I felt from the lady stopping to check on me was far more than the anger I felt toward the two cowards that tried to hurt me.

Make Running Fun

We all get fried from either running the same route around the neighborhood or putting the miles in on the treadmill. What we need and hunger for is variety. And, frankly, we need it. Not just to keep our sanity, but because it's good for our running! Don't let yourself get stuck in a rut. Mix it up! Take a read of this article. Great information!

Make Running Fun

That's the answer I give to new runners when they ask me how to get better at running. When they ask how they'll ever be able to run a marathon or an ultra when it kills them to run six miles now, the answer is that simple.

It's like the 10,000 hour rule. The more you run, the better your body and brain learn to do it. It doesn't have to be every day, and it doesn't have to involve awful workouts that leave you sprawled out on the track by the time they're done.

But it does have to be consistent. Every time you get burnt out and take three or six months off from running, you miss hours upon hours of opportunity to build those neural pathways that help you run efficiently, even effortlessly.

The trick then, is to keep your training interesting. Here are 63 ways to do just that.

1. Bored with the roads? Try trail running. For help getting started, check out the Beginner's Guide to Trail Running I wrote for Zen Habits, or the slightly lighter-in-tone Indoorsman's Guide to Trail Running on this site.
2. Try an "alternative" running form. The Pose method and Chi Running both offer what they claim to be more efficient ways of running than the traditional form.
3. Kill your legs in the gym. Front squats, cleans, and deadlifts were the lifts we all hated when we were trying to beef up in college, but they're the ones that will do the most to help you get more power from your legs. There's an obscure routine called Curtis P's that I really like because it blends several of these lifts and can help boost endurance.
4. Go to a local high school track once a week. If you've never done any speedwork before, you'll likely see big returns on your track workouts almost right from the start.
5. You'd have to live in a cave to have missed the swelling barefoot running movement. But it's not just barefoot—there are all kinds of minimalist shoes to simulate barefoot running. From Vibram Fivefingers to Newtons, it seems every shoe manufacturer is paying more attention to the minimalist running movement. Runblogger has a good guide to minimalist running shoes. (But before you buy in, check out this interesting anti-barefoot site.)
6. Are you carrying around some extra weight? As long as you're not dipping below what's healthy, you can expect to shave two seconds off every mile for each pound lost. If you were to lose those extra 10 pounds, imagine what mile splits that are 20 seconds faster would do for your motivation to run.
7. Our bodies naturally produce some creatine, a compound which helps supply energy to muscle. We can get a lot more of it from meat, but since we're not about that, supplementing is one option. Supplementing with creatine has been shown to increase strength in athletes, and most people now believe it's perfectly safe (you should do your own research, of course).
8. Heart rate training is a fun way to incorporate biofeedback into your runs. Rather than simply guessing at your threshold training intensity or the proper pace for a long run, for example, you can determine the heart rate zones that correspond to these intensities and shoot to stay in those zones for prescribed amounts of time.
9. You don't see much written about breathing exercises for runners, but I've found them to be a great way to pass the time when the miles aren't ticking off quite as fast as you'd like them to. My favorite is one borrowed from Chi Running—breathe out for three steps, in for two steps. Out for three steps, in for two steps… Another one is described in a post about a 30-mile training runI did.
10. Throwing money at the problem isn't a good habit to be in, but forking over some cash for a good pre- and post-workout drink may help you get out of a rut. Performance benefits aside, I find myself obligated to work out harder because I want to get the most out of what I spent my hard-earned money on. Check out Vega Sport, my favorite pre-workout drink.

Poor Little Girl...she's got the flu

102 temperature. Tired and not very hungry. I'm so happy that she's got a Mom that takes such good care of her! I was relieved to learn that she does not have strep-throat. I used to get it all the time as a kid and it sucked! It's rest and fluids for our little girl. I hope this passes soon!

New Career at Ford Motor Company

Martin Frania saved my family. I can't understate that. Marty stuck his neck out and got my name to all the right people. He helped me touch base with these folks. He talked me up more than he needed to. He coached me to make sure I was ready when my time came to interview. And when I did interview...it went GREAT! I got the job! I will starting a career with Ford Motor Company! Security, benefits, good pay, great people to work with, upward mobility, health care!!!! I could not be happier! And I owe so much to Marty! Thank you my friend!

I will be working at the Van Dyke Transmission Plant. I will be the controls engineer for the FN line. The FN is the 4 speed front wheel drive. We ship it all over the world. It's been around for 12 years and still going. I'm dealing with some seriously old equipment! This is going to be a challenge. I'm all over it!

Detroit Marathon 2010

Not as cold as last year! Rode down with Michelle on a bus from Lifetime Fitness. Got there in plenty of time.

Had an okay race. 3 hours 46 minutes. Not what I hoped for...but still better than last year. I know I'm going to have to revamp my training for next year.

We all went to Pizza Popalus afterwards. I had a beer and then spent the remainder of the time in the bathroom. Did not feel good! :(

Detroit Marathon 2009

Cold! Cold! Cold! Drove downtown with my friend Herb. It was 28 degrees! Herb wore shorts and a singlet! BRRRR!

Had a good race. 3 hours 47 minutes. I was really happy with that. Got a little light headed afterwards, but I expected that.

Can't wait for next year!