Day 481 of a joggling streak which will last at least 1001 days in a row.

Summary: Last week my friend sent me an email inviting me to run with him and another guy on an impromptu marathon around the city. He called it the Chicago Stadium marathon because the path was set up to run past the 4 primary Chicago stadiums including, Wrigley Field, Soldier Field, the United Center, and Sox Park.

While I hadn’t run anywhere close to that distance since the 32 miler in January (and there was a lot of walking in that one), it sounded like an interesting idea.

“We’re just going to do 8:30 min miles or so,” he said.

That was a little slower than I normally run so I figured it wouldn’t be too tough. Once you get the confidence to run long distances, it doesn’t take much to convince yourself that you can still do it.

We started running south from Foster down Damen Avenue. This took us through Lakeview, Roscoe Village, Bucktown, Wicker Park, Ukrainian Village, all the way down to the United Center where the Bulls play. I felt pretty good despite the drizzling rain.

We turned east down Madison and started running towards the city. We went all the way down to Halsted and headed south again. This took us through Greek Town and Pilsen. This part was some of the same roads that you run on the Chicago marathon. Remembering times I’ve done that race made me smile.

When we got to 35th street we turned east again and ran to Sox Park. The stadium has been renamed Cellular Field but it will always be Comiskey to me.

The wind started kicking up and the rain felt a little colder. At this point in the run, we had been going for about 2 hours. I only had one drop joggling but I could feel myself tiring. I’m a little more out of shape than I thought.

We next ran past Stephen Douglas’ tomb which I didn’t even know was in Chicago. We went over Lake Shore Drive via a walking bridge and made it to the running path. This was the same running path in which I did the 50 miler and set the world joggling record for that distance. It would’ve made me smile more if the wind was blowing so strong and I didn’t feel so wet & cold.

I started to noticeably get slower than my running companions. This made me feel a little embarrassed as I think a person who’s done 50 miles shouldn’t tire from an “easy” 18+ miles. But I kept going as best as I could and the other runners (Andy, Richard, Mike) didn’t get too far ahead of me.

We ran north on the path and went past McCormick Place, then Soldiers Field. It was pretty cool. We followed the path past the Shed Aquarium, the Field Museum and the Adler Planetarium. There is so much cool stuff in Chicago.

After hitting those sites, we went into Grant Park and passed the Buckingham Fountain where there were a bunch of bands setting up, waiting their turn to march in the parade that was being held on the road next to the park. As I joggled by, some kids in the band started yelling for me to drop a ball. I threw one high in the air, turned and waved, then turned back to catch the Gballz. The band started cheering loudly.

We left the park and ran over the Chicago River which had just been dyed bright green. It was quite cool.

The path then took us down Michigan Avenue where we had to avoid crowds of people who were out shopping and making their way to watch the parade. It’s amazing the number of people who still come out on cold and rainy days.

We left the bustle of downtown and got back on the lakefront running path. I ran with my two remaining companions until North Avenue. I turned off and they kept going to finish the 26.2 mile route. I had to get home and was feeling pretty tired so I cut the run short.

It was a great time and I’m happy I did it. But I tell you what, I was tired! My run the next day was tough.

Weather: 42 F. Rainy

Distance: 22 miles

Time: 8:23 am

Run time: 3:05:35

Listening to: Moth podcast

Weight: 190 lbs

Drops: 1

Condition: Felt good

Shoes: Asics – 596 miles!

I started running for the first time last summer.
Like most new runners I wanted to achieve a new level of fitness and try something new. But my number one reason was to complete the 8K in the Royal Victoria Marathon with my dad who lives in the Interior.
I have never been a good runner. In fact, I always hated it and never pushed myself to get any better, but there was no way I could let my dear old dad cross the finish line without me or worse, ahead of me.
A challenge for me has always been leg strength... someone once lovingly told me that it looked like I was riding a chicken.
Never the less, the more I practiced the easier it got and the stronger I felt. I actually began to enjoy getting out at the end of the work day and sweating in the sunshine.
One challenge for winter training that I didn't encounter learning to run last summer is the dark evenings.
By the time the work day is over there is small window of time, if at all, to see the sun.
I don't feel comfortable running in the dark alone.
My always supportive boyfriend offered to run with me, but with his 6'6” frame, I found myself watching his gazelle-like outline disappear on the horizon as I huffed and puffed behind. So I spent the winter on a treadmill.
My favourite place to run is the quiet, scenic seawall off the Johnson Street bridge, second of course to Dallas Road.
However, I have had to make it a personal rule to minimize my time along Dallas where my runs are never very productive because there are so many adorable, loveable, fluffer-nutter little dogs that I must pet immediately.
Which brings me to my last motivation for running: to convince said gazelle-boyfriend that we need to get a dog so I have a running partner to protect me.
He won't fall for it though and says a teacup Yorkshire terrier won't protect me from anything.
So I ventured out on my first official outdoor run of the new year and it felt great to be outside and breathe in fresh air as opposed to the stale stink of my treadmill neighbour (and I'm sure mine as well).
Not only was I trying to stay within my goal time, but I was in a race against the sun.
 But almost right away I felt something different. Pain, heavy aching breathing, stabbing pains, throbbing legs... and this is only after about 10 minutes.
Suddenly, memories of countless bottles of red wine, piles of delicious holiday treats and vacation beach drinks came flooding back to me. I was rudely awakened with the realization that running on a treadmill while watching half an episode of "Say Yes to the Dress" on TLC is not sufficient training.
But alas, better late than never.
I've got to pull up my socks and get back into it. I've got a ways to go if I'm going to catch up with my dad and hop off the chicken.
It's not too late though, so no excuses. This means you (and me).

Joggler, Joe Salter asked on the Gatto juggling talk forum which of the following joggling feats will be accomplished in the next 20 years?

1. Someone juggle while running a 100 mile race.
2. Someone juggle an ENTIRE triathlon (swim, run, bike).
3. Someone juggle while running across the ENTIRE United States.
4. Someone joggle the Great Wall of China Marathon.
5. Someone joggle backwards for an entire marathon.

The winner of this poll was the idea that someone will juggle an entire triathlon.

I actually think the 100 mile race is the most plausible. The triathlon is a great idea but it’s going to be really tough to pull off.

Here are a few other joggling feats I think might be accomplished.

6. Joggling the Antarctic marathon.
7. Joggling a marathon on all 7 continents
8. Joggling a sub 2:30 marathon
9. Joggling the Badwater ultramarathon
10. Joggling banzuke!

What other joggling feats do you think might be accomplished in the next 20 years?

A connection of mine sent me a message on LinkedIn telling me about a new product he was working on called Enlyten Electrolyte Strips. The idea sounded interesting enough so I told him I would try a few samples out and write about them.

Enlyten Electrolyte Strips

The basic idea of the Enlyten Electrolyte strip is that you eat a dissolvable strip so you can replenish all the nutrients and electrolytes you need in the fastest time possible. According to the company, these dissolvable thin strips get the ingredients to your bloodstream faster than sports drinks, gels, gu, etc.

Types of Enlyten

I was given two types of Enlyten strips, the Energy Strips and the Electrolytes plus strips. I tasted both of them and they are not bad. They have that aftertaste that I get from all products containing artificial sugars like Sucralose and Acesulfame Pottasium, but they don’t taste too bad.

I’m just not sure what they do however. I was expecting a replacement for gues or sports drinks, but these strips don’t do that at all. They are simply vitamin supplements that contain no carbs, no protein, no nothing. I don’t get it. Why would anyone use these things?

After running or joggling, you’re still going to be thirsty so you still need to at least drink water. Drinking Gatorade seems a much better option than taking these strips. And when your hand is wet with sweat, good luck trying to pull these things out of their case!

I do appreciate innovation and this product is definitely different than other things I’ve seen. However, it seems little more than a tasty breath strip like the ones that Listerine sells. They’ve added some slick marketing but I couldn’t tell any improvement in my performance.

Enlyten Company

After doing a little investigation, it turns out that Enlyten is one of these Multilevel Marketing companies. You know, the ones where your friend has a party and then tries to get you to sign up to become a sales person? I’ve never been a big fan of MLMs as they are all essentially a legal pyramid scheme.

Final Verdict

While I did appreciate getting the free samples, it’s difficult for me to recommend them to anyone. The claim that these products deliver nutrients to your bloodstream faster than other product forms is just not substantiated by any scientific studies; at least none that I could find. The products are also nutritional supplements which are not regulated by the FDA, so you can’t even be certain that you’re getting what is labeled on the packaging.

Nutrition supplements scare me.

Finally, Enlyten is a multi-level marketing company and I just wouldn’t give my money to any MLM company, period. The only way I would consider these products is if they were being sold in regular stores. But you might feel differently. Check out their Enlyten website if you do.

I’ve got the Shamrock Shuffle race coming up in a couple of weeks and I know this race will feature people with painted faces, wigs, and crazy costumes. If you are considering wearing a costume for a race, here are a few things to think about. Doing so will help make your costumed race experience much more enjoyable.

Chafing

The biggest problem you’ll have while running in costume is chaffing. Those wigs, ill-fitting clothes, and other accessories can wreck havoc on your skin. Be sure to liberally apply Body Glide or Vaseline before suiting up.

Weather

Don’t forget to adjust your costume for the weather conditions. Face painting might make the costume look more authentic but if it’s raining, the makeup could run into your eyes. The rain might not require you to skip face painting all together, but you might want to avoid painting above your eyes. Wind is another consideration. If it is a windy day, you might want to rethink the big bulky costume and go with something less wacky, like a crazy t-shirt & painted face.

Performance

If you wear a costume, you will not run as fast. Just accept the fact and move on. All times you get in costume should be looked at as PR’s while in costume. Refrain from comparing them to your non-costume performances.

People’s reactions

The crowds will usually love you and you’ll get lots of great comments. Even some of the runners around you might “show the love”. But not everyone likes to be beat by a guy in a bozo outfit (or someone juggling for that matter). And some runners are complete snobs who see costumed racers as a plague on the sport. Be prepared to hear a few insults. I simply smile and focus on all the good reactions that I get.

If you are going to stand out, be prepared to have someone try to shoot you down.

Running clothes at the base

To best prevent post-race pain, be sure to wear running clothes underneath your costume. This will help reduce the chances of chafing and can also help you maintain some mobility. Tights like Under Armour are excellent to wear under a costume. Of course, this works better when the weather is cooler. For hotter days, stick with running shirts and shorts.

Try it out first

One of the best things you can do is to go for a short run before race day wearing your full costume. This will help you identify the adjustments you’ll have to make and it will also give you a good sense of what it will be like. I once wore a Greatest American Hero outfit during the New York Marathon and got way too hot. At mile 17, I took off and threw away my running pants. (I was wearing shorts underneath). If I would have tried it on before I would’ve known to get a different pair of pants.

Costumed runners make races more fun and entertaining for the people watching the race. If you follow some simple precautions you can make it an entertaining, fun and memorable way to do a run.

Be sure to check out the 25 best costumes in the 2009 NYC Marathon.

Have you ever run a race in costume?  Leave a comment below and let us know what you wore?

Day 475 of a joggling streak which will last at least 1001 days in a row.

Summary: I had insomnia last night so I woke up feeling a bit tired. However, I’ve got the Shamrock Shuffle coming up soon and I want to be sure I’m in shape. A nice long run once a week is a key activity that you need to do to keep sharp. I’m skeptical of my speed because I haven’t been doing any speed work. There are three types of runs that you should do each week.
a. Long run – to build endurance
b. Speed runs – to increase your speed
c. Standard run – just to build your core fitness level

Weather: 42 F. Cloudy

Distance: 7 miles

Time: 8:31 am

Run time: 57:45

Listening to: Reality Check podcast

Weight: 198 lbs

Drops: 2

Condition: Felt weak

Shoes: Asics – 535 miles!

Joggling streak day 475 on 12seconds.tv

Advertisement: Gballz.com - custom joggling equipment

 

Guest column by elite runner and physiotherapist Scott Simpson

Forward we go!

We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.  - Walt Disney

Running is a simple sport, but it's clearly not easy- this is what makes it such a great challenge.  I'm a strong believer in doing preventative independent exercises as a means building a strong foundation.
They are free, relatively easy and specific to the task of running.
In my opinion this is the best way to fine tune your body for success. Let's break these foundations down a little - so we can build them up!
Firstly, we want to harness as much of our energy as possible in the forward direction. Energy that is spent on vertical, lateral or torsional movement slows us down and makes us more susceptible to injury.
With this in mind, we all have unique running styles, but when running, we want to move forward efficiently.
Secondly, we want to ensure that all of the joints in the body have adequate range of motion, strength and stability.
Most injuries that occur while running are repetitive strains and do not typically happen in isolation.
In other words we can't simply treat an injury, to a knee for example, we have to treat the individual's movement pattern, because it might well be that something happening through the foot or hip, the knee problem.
Let me give you an example. How about I ask you to stand on one foot. Now close your eyes to take away all those visual cues. My guess is that you will feel vertical, lateral and torsional movement through your foot and ankle. This exercise would be considered a stability exercise.
 Since we know that these forces predispose us to injury, and that these stresses are magnified when we run, this is a very good exercise to practice. In fact, studies have shown that  practicing standing on one foot with your eyes closed can help prevent ankle sprains. It all happens because there is that split second when your foot hits the ground and either you roll your ankle, or you catch it.
By doing these exercises you train your body to reflexively know where your foot is relative to the ground, and thus stand a better chance of preventing the ankle sprain.
Now let’s move further up the chain and visualize the knee.
Anatomically, the knee is classified as a hinge joint. In other words, we are only supposed to bend it in one plane of movement- in fact we have a slew of structures that prevent it from moving in any other direction.
 If these structures have to work too hard they get upset. Essentially, we want our knee to track over our second toe providing movement exclusively in a forward direction.
Torsion and lateral movement are the knees biggest enemies, and can lead to problems like runners knee, patellar tendonitis or IT band syndrome.
 So here is a good strengthening exercise to reinforce this movement pattern. Stand on one leg and try to bend your knee over your second toe. It's not as easy as it sounds!
You will feel those force enemies in action. A lot of you will feel your knee twist inwards towards your midline- this typically demonstrates a lack of strength in both the thigh and hip musculature, making us more susceptible to the aforementioned problems.
My third example would be to consider the effects of too much range of motion.
For this one we will look at our mid section.
 I'm quite sure you will agree with me that when we run we move our lower extremity and opposite upper extremity in unison. It's called the reciprocal gait pattern.
 With this in mind, we have a counterbalance system with the mid section being the zone where forces are transferred. If we have excessive movement through our upper extremity there will be an equal yet opposite force through your lower extremity.
Try this - stand with your arms at your side, elbows out.
Try an exaggerated wide arm swing.
How does it feel on your back, hips, knees, ankles, even your feet?
This is excessive motion that can lead to injury.
Now try this - keep your elbows tight to your body and have your thumbs up. Move your forearms on forward plane. How does this feel on all those areas I mentioned before?
Big difference eh.
What's one of the biggest causes of back pain? Twisting or torsion. It's a lot better to prevent back pain through proper exercise, becoming self sufficient, rather than becoming dependent on treatment.
So to sum all of this up - we always want to think about the direction of movement.
 I've never been in a race that is measured in a vertical distance, or sideways, or twisting for that matter.
 You want to harness as much of your energy as possible in a forward direction.
 Above I have emphasized exercises that promote proper stability, strength and range of motion. Of course, considering we all have different running styles, there are many other specific complementary exercises that can be performed for specific weaknesses.
If you can master these concepts however, you will be much less likely to get injured and you will also be able to move more quickly in the right direction.
Henry Ford once said “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself”
Enjoy finding your path to success.

After a year+ and over 1500 miles, I was finally due for a new set of Gballz. I just got a set of three in the mail and they are impressive.

They are the Elite J-Series which is a 6 panel bean bag with a diameter of 2.5 inches. Each one is filled with 100g of plastic filling and if you bought them from Gballz, they run $12 each.

Gballz for joggling

I like these new Gballz better than the previous set of suede ones that I had. The suede ones were great from juggling but for outdoor joggling, not as much.  But the Elite J-series Gballz are excellent for outdoor use. They are easy to clean, water resistant, and they are perfectly sized for joggling. I can’t wait to break them in.

If you’re looking for a set of great joggling balls, these Gballz are a good choice.

Some time ago I was asked by the creators of WellThen.org to contribute some videos about running and exercise. Well, I put together a bunch and would encourage you to go watch them. WellThen.org is an interesting web site that is dedicated to encouraging people to get off their couches and start exercising.

Running advice videos

Here are links to all my videos.

7 pains caused by running
10 foods to eat to make yourself faster
How to stay focused while running
Running will keep you thin

And the rest of my videos can be found here.

We first learned of Owain Jones while perusing joggling posters on Twitter. Here is his response to our interview questions for jogglers around the world. Owain Jones is a 36 year old, father of 5 who lives in Wales, works as a psychiatric nurse and joggles!

What is the story of how you learned to juggle?

Used to be in a circus when I was younger, teaching kids to juggle, unicycle etc, also done a bit of fire breathing, and fire eating, but have given that up now, the devil sticks were my forte, also used to juggle 5 but have not practiced for ages.

When did you start joggling?

Started joggling when for a laugh after reading about it on the internet, but didn’t real think too much about it until reading about all the world records out there. I have yet to do a race whilst joggling, but am hoping to get one done within the next month or so………will keep you informed.

What kind of training do you do? How fast do you run?

I have run several marathons a yr so am always out training, managed a sub 2:52 marathon, 35 min 10k and 17 min 5k, have no special diet just eat what i want. Am hoping to get a bit better over the coming months then have a go at some of the joggling world records towards the end of the yr. I am hoping to do the London marathon next yr whilst joggling. I normally get a good spot for age entry so watch this space

Any pointers for other would-be jogglers?

You do get some very strange looks.

You can read more about Owain’s quest to set a joggling world record at his joggling blog. The Welsh Joggler.

Advertisement: Gballz.com - custom joggling equipment

The moment came during a 1:45 long run I shoe-horned into our trip to Vancouver for the Olympics.

Cresting a hill on a sidestreet that paralleled the water, I noticed a steep wooden stairway through bushes to the water's edge and decided to explore it.

I emerged to a view across Burrard Inlet of downtown Vancouver - laid out in shades of grey.

Coincidentally, kd Lang's live version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah started to play on my iPod.

I stood there on a rocky outcrop, high above the water, and recognized the Vancouver I had grown up with. Cloudy, wet and incredibly beautiful.

Sure it could have been all cherry blossoms and sunshine for the world's visitors, but damn it - this is Vancouver. My Vancouver, that I grew up in, even though I haven't lived there full-time since I was in my early 20s.

And with Lang passionately singing Cohen's soulful lyrics from the Games opening ceremonies, I felt at home again because I recognized something.

Part of you never really leaves your home town where the familiarity is a badge of acceptance, whether you ever want to be there again or not.

I realized, not for the first time, how fortunate I am to live in this province that thousands of other Canadians and Olympic visitors were visiting for the first time.

So even though I was sleep deprived and had tired legs from walking for hours the previous day, I connected with what's best in all of us and made certain I finished that run.

The other moment came the previous weekend, when we were again visiting Vancouver from Victoria.

Again, it was the family activities that were rightly taking priority as we wandered the city.

Then a break in our schedule meant I could do my mid-week drills after all and set out for a track I remembered from my youth.

It would have been easy to skip the drills but I couldn't do that in all good conscience.

Everywhere I turned there were all those Canadian flags. In windows. Hanging off cars.

I thought of all the sacrifices our Canadian athletes made day after day. Year after year.

As I made my laboured way around the track, any of my small excuses seemed ridiculously trivial.

So this time, I not only connected with the best in myself but with what I imagined was the determination of any kid who dreamed big and dreamed of gold.

I only wanted to make it around the track one more time.

I'll never forget the renewed sense of pride these Games brought out in so many people. It was always there, we just need to be more at home with it.

 

 

This looks like it could be fun and may actually even teach you how to be a better juggler. I haven’t tried it out but when the free-lite version comes out, I’ll definitely give it a go.

Day 468 of a joggling streak which will last at least 1001 days in a row.

Summary: Finally, a day where I felt pretty good. I went for a slightly longer joggling run today because the weather was a bit warmer, I had an excellent podcast to listen too and didn’t feel hung over. There were a lot of people out today and I heard more than one make a comment about my joggling. My attention was focused on the podcast so I didn’t hear what they had to say. I always just assume it’s something positive. At least my run was.

Weather: 35 F. Cloudy

Distance: 5.8 miles

Time: 11:00 am

Run time: 44:20

Listening to: Planet Money podcast

Weight: 196 lbs

Drops: 2 – missed tricks

Condition: Felt good

Shoes: Asics – 520 miles!

Cynics in the crowd might shake their heads or joke at the idea of a running group for the homeless.

Yes, that's right - a running program for people with mental health challenges and addictions.

If you're muttering to yourself "for Christ's sake," you may be surprised to know that Every Step Counts is not only celebrating its first anniversary, the program has had great success.

Those of us who run for good health or to achieve a goal can rhyme off the benefits.

But for participants in Every Step Counts who show up twice weekly for a run and nutritional snack, the result can be nothing short of life-changing.

It's the kind of story that you need to hear in someone's own words.

In this video, filmed last fall to coincide with the Royal Victoria Marathon and a fund-raising dinner, people who previously felt isolated and in poor health talk about the changes to their lives.

"Basically, it's given me a reason to live," says Tamaira. "I've had troubles with my llfe ever since I was born."

She's now healthier, sleeps better and has a reason to get up in the morning. She feels more connected to Victoria and her surroundings.

"Because I don't have family either...this is what I call my family," she says.

Veteran Victoria runner Jim Finlayson wrote about the group for Canadian Running magazine last year and I also wrote about the program as a worthy cause to donate surplus running gear.

Testimonials come from people such as Dr. David Bell whose clients struggle with mental health issues and addiction. "I believe the program has done more to improve self-esteem and integrate these people into society than most of my medical interventions," he says, noting there is resulting savings for the medical health system.

Founded by the Victoria Foundation and hosted at the Victoria Cool Aid Society, the program held a quiet event last week to mark its first year.

Total individual runs have reached 2,500 by over 120 participants as Every Step Counts enters its second year.

Although homelessness was a central component of the original concept, it turns out that most of the people have some kind of housing, although many previously lived on the streets.

The program has proved its contribution in helping those who live on the edge - socially isolated, living in poverty or struggling with conditions such as anxiety and depression.

People have quit smoking, lost weight, reconnected with their community, improved their diet, found companionship and gained self esteem.

Those who make a commitment get gently used runners when they start, a water bottle after five sessions and a certificate and running shirt after 10 sessions. At 15 sessions, they get new running shoes and at 25 they are given two hats. They keep one and give the other to someon who has supported them along the way.

Most of all, they gain something no one can take away - pride in a goal set and achieved - like any other runner.

 

 

Today's guest blog is by Michelle Buchanan, one of the finalists for the TC 10K community bloggers. She is participating in the TC10k Running Clinic at Oaklands Community Centre, led by Shannon Bell.

I hate running. Like a mantra, I have said those three words over many years, along with another three said equally religiously, I don't run.
My closeted admiration for runners, on the other hand, has been long-standing. But for me, running has always been in the realm of something other folks did, like hang gliding, or freestyle rock climbing, or swimming with sharks.

I have made several attempts to cross the divide as an adult. Each attempt ended poorly and induced flashbacks of gym teachers, clad in too-short shorts and velour, shouting and giving me the evil eye, before finally leaving me, heaving and hacking, in the dust.

Since I moved to Victoria about two years ago I've found it hard to ignore the many groups that are a part of the running clinics around town, there are so many of them. Inspired, I decided that I would give running one last chance by joining one of the clinics. And I'm glad I have.
Here are some things I've noticed about my running clinic that makes it different than gym class was:
• you walk and run to begin with, increasing your time, and eventually your pace, in small increments
• clinic leaders are nice, and encourage you by doing things like doubling back to run with you if you are the one that falls behind the rest of the group (I've heard this called the pity patrol, but whatever, it works for me)
• the clinic has a variety of groups that train at various levels, and you are encouraged to work at your own level
• there are experienced runners at the clinic who can answer questions you may have about any area of your training, and yes, there is more to running than just heading out the door
    During my first week of training, however, I realized that if I was going to carry on I would need to address the tightness in my chest that I often experienced whenever I did any kind of cardio.
 It was not unlike the experience of heaving and hacking I had as a kid when running. In recent years I have discovered that this feeling was because I have asthma. Nothing major, but bad enough to restrict my oxygen intake. I finally got round to getting an inhaler and using it. It makes a big difference for me. I can't help wondering how many other undiagnosed asthmatics are out there thinking they hate running when really they hate not being able to breath.
It makes me wonder too how many people would like to run, but don't because of other kinds of ailments that might be manageable.
    Of course, as we age, more and more ailments are likely to slip into the picture, but do they have to keep us back, and is it good for us to let them? I have some arthritis in my hip that gives me way more grief when I don't do anything than when I do engage in regular activity. Sometimes I might have to take an anti-inflammatory to ease the pain while I make the transition into exercising again, but surely that's better for me than not being active.
For many minor ailments related to running, and to prevent other painful problems, stretching is key according to Dr. Day Deans-Buchan (shown in the photo demonstrating a stretch), a chiropractor, who was brought in to our running clinic to demonstrate how to stretch specifically for running.
For my own routine, I've been doing what she suggests plus a couple of other stretches specific to my needs. I think I would have given up the running altogether, again, if I didn't stretch. My body has a way of reminding me that it is clearly necessary.
    Everyone is different with their own set of aches and pains to be addressed I'm sure, but, my experience is, that it's worth it to attend to them. Headaches, for instance, another minor ailment that was bothering me in my second week of training, are usually preventable.
 It seems obvious, but stay hydrated. At my clinic I learned that if water isn't doing it for you, drink something with electrolytes in it, such as Gatorade or any number of other products that are out there. Eating a little protein after your run can help with the headaches too. Why be discouraged, I mean, who wants to run with a pounding head, when the problem is so easily addressed?
Shoes too can make a huge difference to your comfort and well-being. I can feel how much it has been worth it to go to a running store and be properly fitted. If you're like me, discomfort can take away from the experience and ultimately discourage you.
As I write this I'm realizing that I may be coming off as the biggest whiner to ever attempt running, but I'm happy I've addressed these things, along with putting myself in to what amounts to be an encouraging and informative running clinic, because I am now, for the first time in my life, running.

It sounds funny the first time you hear it - fartlek. You might even snicker.

But there's nothing funny about the interval training which means 'speed play' in Swedish. And I used to think those Swedes were such nice, well-adjusted folks.

Well, think again. Even putting 'speed' and 'play' into the same phrase is cruel.

And that's exactly why it was developed - as punishment for the under-performing Swedish cross-country team.

Swedish coach Gösta Holmér designed the workout in 1937 because his country-mates were getting repeatedly beat by those fiendish Finns. Think of Canada being unnerved by getting routinely beat in hockey by the Americans.

Let's just say Holmér was very motivated. Here he was, a decathalon Olympian (bronze in the 1912 Stockholm Games) pitted against one of the world's fastest runners - rival coach Paavo Numi of Finland.

This was tough competition. It'd be like Silken Laumann trying to lead a triathlete team to victory against Simon Whitfield.

Nurmi, known as one of the Flying Finns, set world records in the 1920s of distances between 1500 metres and 20 kilometres. His ability was rewarded with nine gold and three silver medals  in Olympic Games from 1920 to 1928.

It's no wonder his team dominated running on the world track scene in the 1920s.

Now imagine Holmér, next door in Sweden, eating his pickled herring and fretting by the Smörgåsbord.

He studied Nurmi's training. The Finn had a demanding routine and along with his coach is credited with being among the first to apply scientific principles to running. His "terrace" training used workouts and recovery periods.

"Aha," said Holmer, or whatever the Swedish equivalent is.

 

Holmer refined the technique and intensities. His program of "speed play" included bursts of varying intensities and lengths (50m up to 3000m) combined with long endurance runs. The resulting great speed endurance helped Swedes Haag, Strand and Anderson set numerous world records. (and all the pickled herring they could eat).

So while Nurmi has a statue of himself near Helsinki's Olympic stadium, Holmer will forever be praised and cursed for fartlek training by each generation of runners.

 

 

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Trivia to impress your friends at coffee after your long run: Fartlek Hill in Quantico, Virginia, on the grounds of a cadet school, is named after fartlek training