Category Archives: Running

Shoe Buying Angst

Buying a measly pair of running shoes shouldn’t cause me all this angst.

I found myself in Williamsport this afternoon and remembered this cool running store where the staff measures your feet and checks your pronation and everything, then guides you to the best shoe for your foot.

What place does that anymore, huh?

Yeah. NOWHERE.

I’ve been needing a new pair of running shoes, so today I went to that store.

The guy used one of those old-fashioned shoe sizers like this one, and assessed my foot (I am a true size 8 and have good, high arches) and then brought out two kinds of shoes for me to try on.

Thing is, one model he didn’t have in my exact size, and both models were in colors that I didn’t like.

“You have these in another color?” I asked.

“No, but I can order them and they’ll be here in 10 days.”

(Ten days???  ”You gotta be kidding me, dude. (I thought) “I can go out to my car right now, pull up Zappos on my Ipad, order these shoes in the size and color I want, and they are on my feet by Monday.  You’re kidding me about the 10 days, right??”)

I want to support a business like this; a business that measures my foot and all, but really?

I left without buying those shoes.  But here’s the thing: I REALLY WANTED TO BUY THEM THERE!

I did. But I didn’t.

Sunday Dinner

Much to my delight, G has been bitten by the trail running bug. Last weekend we participated in the Ives Run Trail Challenge and we both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves,– which is saying something, because neither of us like to run. But for some reason, running in the woods feels better, less like work, and more like fun.

There are no crowds, for one thing, and not a lot of overt competition.  People running through the woods seem kinder, friendlier.

So this morning we set out early and went back and did the Lynn C. Keller trail.  A piece of this trail was part of last weekend’s run, but we did the whole thing today.  Round trip, about 4 miles.  There is a lot of steep uphill, culminating in a very nice vista.  And we returned along a ridge line, so the downhill was more gradual and more fun.

Kath on the Lynn C. Keller Trail

Back at home, I spent the afternoon in the kitchen making Cauliflower Maranca for dinner. She made an apple pie in between football games. We invited Ira and Fred to join us and had a really nice time talking about politics and Occupy Wall St. among other things.

It felt like a really good Sunday.

Homecoming ’10

It was a busy and beautiful weekend: Homecoming with a houseful of people, then on Sunday, the Ives Run Trail Challenge.

Could not have asked for better weather.

But it was the people who made it.  So much fun!  So much food and remembering of the “good ol’ days.”  And soo00 much beer!  HOLY MILLER LITE!  I haven’t seen so much beer quaffed since, well, since my college days.  I was pretty impressed, actually. I can’t compete with that anymore, am totally out of shape, but it was certainly interesting to watch.

In addition, I had to be especially good because on Sunday morning I had to go run the 3rd Annual Ives Run Trail Challenge–a 4-mile trail event.  So as I woke early, picked my way through a sea of hungover dead bodies, and made it out the door by 8:30, I was really glad I chose not to be a “competitor.”

I set out a big jar of Advil, made a full pot of coffee, and whispered, “Good luck, superstars,” as I closed the door softly behind me.

We got our first frost overnight and the morning was clear, crisp, colorful but very chilly.  My game plan was to just hike the course with my trusty Leiki poles and concentrate on nasal breathing exclusively.

But, as it turned out, I ran into someone I knew who was also hiking with poles, and she strode up alongside me and we wound up doing the course together and talking quite a bit.

It was a great day, perfect weather, and by the time I got home, all the dead had arisen and taken themselves to their respective homes.

The couch beckoned seductively, and I did not resist its siren song.

 

Ives Run Trail Challenge 2010

 

Easing Into Fall

So just a short post tonight so I can get some sleep before my  alarm clock starts tweeting little birdy sounds in the dark at 4:30 in the morning.

Seasonal update: It’s getting colder.  How do I know this?  I had to wear gloves on my pranyama run this morning. And a little hat.

And by the way, I’m no longer calling it running, or even jogging but pranayama, because that’s what it is: it’s Bastrika pranayam pure and simple.  But the longest I’ve ever done Bastrika up till now was maybe in sets of 30 for 5 minutes with breaks in between to recover.  This is 23 minutes of continuous strong, horsey breathing.  I’m dizzy for quite a while after I stop, which is kinda scary, but also kind of a rush. (oh, still a child of the 60s.)

I emptied the composter today.  We have one of those tumbler ones, and it’s not making compost in these temps.  That, and the need for a hat is how  I know the season is changing.  Plus, all the tomato plants are dead and creepy looking.

And my velvet comforter is now back on my bed with its heavy, cozy wonderfulness, replacing the light, daylight-savings time, happy cotton madras one.  *a little sniff here*

And I now have my long-sleeved warmer jammies on.

And I’m sipping hot tea all day now, instead of the fizzy, mineraly San Pellegrino.

And it was dark halfway into my yoga class tonight and I need to remember to bring the little tea lights in for savasana.

My new eating and exercise and working plan is surprisingly okay.  Here’s the formula: do active things from 6 AM to 10 AM: exercise, cleaning, laundry, gardening, what-have-you.

From 10 to 2 PM: eat.  A lot.  Like Thanksgiving a lot.  Big meal.  After you eat, lie down on your left side for 10 minutes.  Then get up and take a 15 minute walk.

From 2 to 6 PM Work with your brain.  Write, read, figure things out–whatever  your intellectual thing is.

From 6 to 7 PM if you didn’t fit your exercise in in the morning, you have a little tiny window now, but really, try not to let it come to this. It shouldn’t be too heavy though, or it will bother your sleep.

Have  very small evening meal, if  you need one.  If you can go without, do. Some soup maybe.  Or a little salad. That’s it. Go to bed a little empty, even a little hungry.  It’s good for you.  Sleep is heavenly!

Sleep from 10 PM to 6 and then start over.

That’s my plan.  And it’s almost 10 now, and the birds chirp at 4:30, so g’night!

An 18-Day Experiment

Yesterday while I was practicing my new Fall Flow sequence and I was sweating and feeling a little awkward, it suddenly occurred to me that in a measly 18 days I am going to the Yoganand-a-Thon and I am NOT READY!

Not that I ever feel entirely ready for the rigors of training with Yoganand, but this particular line-up of postures has me reeling.

Here they are:

Angled Shoulderstand, Balancing Pigeon, Bound Lotus, Folded Tree, Half Camel, Handstand, Head to One Foot Pose, Headstand, Inverted Rabbit, Lifted Staff, Noose Posture, Pigeon Variations, Plow, Rabbit, Rooster, Scorpion, Seated 4 Angle Pose, Sideways Crow, Swallow, Swing Pose

This is a ridiculous amount of arm and shoulder work. But here’s the thing: it’s not important that I be able to do all these poses, only be able to teach them.  However…

That being said, I will have to try to do all of them, in a room with other teachers who WILL be able to do them.

But it goes deeper than that.  I feel I should be stronger. I feel I can be stronger.  But I can’t be strong enough in 18 days, but I can start.

Today I committed to a more balanced and ayurvedic approach to eating, exercising, and working. Nasal breathing when I run, one big meal mid-day, and 2 very small ones at breakfast and dinner.  And instead of working in the morning, doing my brain work in the afternoon.

We shall see. I want to see how fast I can reduce body fat and muscle up using an ayurvedic approach. I am using John Douillard’s Body, Mind and Sport as my guide in this.

I’ll post results daily until September 30th when I leave.

April Recap

River Towns Half Marathon "Trybe"

What a weekend!   Here is our running “Trybe” before we approached the start line for the River Towns Half Marathon.  We all look so happy and fresh and smiley and clean, don’t we?

Yeah, we didn’t end up looking so pretty, but we all finished!  We have been training since January in temps ranging from the high 20s to the high 50s.  Race day temp?  High 80s. Ouch.

But it was all good (I actually like it warm, given the choice) and this time I hydrated before, during and after, so the next day I was a bit sore, but fine.

The April Yoga Challenge ended with a big class, and a party.  Cindy Meixel, one of the “Virtuals” actually came!  And she took some pics, including this one:

End of the Yoga Challenge

We had great food, I raffled off some mats and other goodies, I got to meet the families and friends of some of my students, and had a blast.

And then, on Saturday, when it was all over, I went blotto. I  stayed offline, slept in (ahhh..), and shopped for groceries.  I cleaned the studio, put it back to rights, and this morning led a sleepy morning class and just one class this evening.

I’m still tired.  It’s going to take a few more days to get back to my creative rhythm.

More tomorrow…

Back to normal at MSY.

Running vs. Yoga

While I am doing yoga, I am in a whole different world.

I am out of my mind.  Literally.

While I am running, I am also in a whole different world, but I am totally IN my mind and all I want to do is escape it.

In the yoga practice, I explore the interior space of my body with my mind.  It sounds something like this:

Breathe, Kath.  In. Out. Okay, There’s a dead space right there …under my left ribs.  Let’s see if I can pull a line of energy into that space.  (Stretch).  Oooh. Wow.  That’s tight.  Can I breathe into that tightness? Relax into it?  Dive into it?  Ahhh.. right…theere… Ummm.  And now, what’s that?  What just released in my hip?? Hmmmm…  Can I feel that? Can I move in such a way as to let that reveal itself?

When I run, either on the treadmill like I did today, or outside like I did yesterday, I am either obsessed with numbers, time or body malfunctions: How many minutes was that?  How much longer until I get to the walking part? When will this be over? How come my hamstrings are tightening up?  Was is something I ate? Am I hydrated enough? How much longer?  Can I just get through this next rash of commercials?  Can I make it up this next little rise?

In other words, I am constantly planning my escape.  I am always calculating the time left.  I am hoping this is because I am a newbie runner.  I am hoping I will eventually find something to engage me, some way IN to running.

But right now, all the doors are locked tight.

Locked as tight as my hammies.

Running Shoes

I finally figured out why I stopped running 20 years ago.

It was because of the shoes.

It used to be that running shoes were cool.  Then the regular person, the person not into running at all, found out how comfortable running shoes were for just general, all-purpose shlepping around, so you found gramdmas and grandpas walking around the Mall in their fancy Brooks and Addidas “sneakers.”  (Yeah, they still called them “sneakers.”)

So the running shoe companies got wise to this game and started putting out various lines of shoes for different purposes (i.e. “markets”) walking, cross-training, trekking, hiking, you name it.

And they clearly put a lot of money, energy and thought into design, color, and the over-all “look” of the shoe.  But the “running shoe” division of the company didn’t have to be all creative and show-offy, because they had a captive audience.  Runners don’t care much how their shoes “look” they just care if they “work.”

So now, when you go into a shoe store and look at all the “athletic shoes” they are very cool indeed, except for the “running” shoes which still look like your gramma’s mall-walkers.

And I think that’s when I left running. I left running when I bought my first pair of cool shoes and decided, “Hell, I don’t need to run to look cool, I can just wear these awesome shoes!”

But now that I am committed to running this half-marathon, I knew I needed running shoes, shoes that “worked, ” shoes that would bear up to miles of training.  So I went to a specialty running shoe store today and had my gait analyzed and tried on 3 different pairs of shoes, and walked around in them, and ended up buying not one, but 2 pairs because I couldn’t decide which pair “worked” best with my feet.  One pair felt more cushiony, the other one felt lighter and like I was in bare feet.

But they both had one thing in common: a whole lot of ugly.  Gramma’s mall walkers.

I usually feel happy when I buy new shoes, but these shoes are embarrassing.  Look at all the white on them.  Look at their pathetic attempt to look “racy” with the stripes going all swoopy! Omg.  Pathetic.

They’ll work, of course, but they make me feel sad.

Pair #1. The more cushiony ugly.

Asics Gel 1140 Lightning

Pair #2. The lightweight ugly.

Brooks Adrenaline

A Colorado Blue Sky Day in Pennsyltuckey

Today was what Ira would call a “Colorado Blue Sky Day:” snow, brilliant sun, blue sky.  And oh man did it ever work its magic on my mood!  I felt so happy today!

I drove to Corning for an early haircut and highlight, then went to Wegmans for groceries and treated myself to a soy latte.  And can I just pause here to say that I really miss coffee?

I miss coffee. I love coffee.  I love the taste of it and the instant energy boost  it gives me.  And maybe it’s only having this effect on me because I don’t drink it everyday anymore, but for the rest of the afternoon, I felt so much happier and so much SMARTER.

How can that be?? But without question I felt my brainpower amped up. While I did my errands, I structured my writing project in my head, had great car dialogues with myself, told my self funny stories about my life, and even chatted it up with an old guy in Home Depot about ergonomic snow shovels. I was wickedly witty and I made his whole day and he even told me so.  And I attribute all this sparkliness to… coffee.

I dashed home lickety-split, put away the persishables and took Boomer skiing.  She’s a really good cross-country skier: never runs in my tracks, stays with, and has a blast while I kick and glide. Today was my cross-training day for the half-marathon training and it felt SO GOOD to get out of the gym.

And today?  I bought the latest edition of Runner’s World magazine!  I used to subscribe to it all through the 70s and into the 80s but haven’t even been tempted to flip through it in at least 20 years, and now there’s a copy of it on my bed table. How weird is that?

And tomorrow I’m going shoe shopping for running shoes.  And on Saturday we have our first “group run” as a team.  And tonight Tim showed a great film about a marathoning group at Tufts University that made my eyes well up with tears.

But now it is time to hit the hay because boy, it’s been a day.  A very good day.  A Colorado Blue Sky day.

Americano (with room for cream) or Latte?

In between all the other stuff I have going, I’ve been flipping through this book, Marathoning for Mortals, the book that Tim picked for us as a guide to marathon-prep.  I had no intention of running anything (except maybe a hot bath) when I walked into that meeting last night, but after flipping through this book, and reading that I can:

A: Run a Marathon, or

B: Walk a Marathon, or

C: Run a Half-Marathon or,

D: Walk a Half-Marathon, or

E: Alternate Running and Walking or

F: Alternate Walking and Running either a full or a half-marathon

And that there are training plans for all of those options, I am now going back and forth between alternating running and walking a half marathon, or walking and running a half marathon.

I know it sounds like basically the same thing, but it’s not. Not really.  Mostly run with a little walking thrown in?  Or mostly walk with a little running thrown in?

It’s like the difference between an Americano with room for cream, or a latte.

So what does a girl whose currently on Caffix and green juice do?  (Besides go out and buy running shoes and a pile of sports bras?)