When The Wheels Fall Off

In my most recent post I announced my big goal of attempting to land myself in the top 10 women finishers ever in the FANS 12 Hour Ultra Race.  I have a very elaborate training plan.  I have taken my nutrition, strength, flexibility, balance, sleep, and even natural energy patterns into consideration.  And you know what?  Even with all that planning, shit happens.  You can’t control everything, and to be completely honest, there’s very little you control at all. 

Tuesday night I ran with my usual group of awesome runner friends on a route that should have been a breeze.  It was a 6+ mile route around places I was familiar, with familiar faces, and is something I had done countless times before.  Slam dunk, right?  Wrong.  WAY wrong.  The entire run felt like I was going uphill, through quicksand with twin toddlers pulling at my legs.  I was flat out miserable.  Lungs burning. Hands freezing.  Feet barely getting off the ground.  I was thankful that I had a great guy running with me that helped me stay focused, and even remind me that it was great practice for having to run uncomfortable during next year’s 12 hour event.  It was my most difficult run in years. 

I also currently have a few people in my life that I care very much about that are struggling with their own sets of challenges.  Addictions, relationship troubles, you name it.  Things are heavy in my circle right now.  And they are challenges that I can’t do anything about.  As much as I like to swoop in and make person’s day, fix a problem, and come to the rescue, there was nothing I could do for any of them. 

As I proceeded to stew about my horrible run, and these sweet people that are struggling, it wasn’t until I took a step back, caught up on some sleep, and did some good self-care, that it hit me.   I was focused on what I don’t want.  I was thinking about how badly I didn’t want another horrible run like that, about how I didn’t want these people to feel alone or helpless.  I felt frozen in that line of thinking.  Until this morning. 

I woke up with resolve to attack my day and get my head on straight.  I wanted to focus on what I could control - my actions and my intentions. Time to think about what I DO want.  I want to have solid workouts, so I need to stick to proper nutrition, hydration, and sleep.  I want the people I’m concerned about to know that I care, that I’m in their corner, and that I will continue to be there.  THAT I can control, because that’s on me.  Those are things I can have influence over.  It feels so much better to DO something than be frozen in what you’re afraid of, or what you desperately don’t want to happen. 

Tonight I get back up on the running ‘horse’ so to speak, and know that I’ve taken better care of myself to increase my likelihood of a better run.  And if for some reason it’s a struggle again, I will rely on the wonderful people around me to help me get through it, and I’ll focus on what I can do to make the next one better. 

I will also reach out to those people that have been on my mind, and remind them that I’m thinking of them.  It doesn’t solve the problem, but it is something I can do and feel good about.  And that is a step in a much more powerful direction.

If this resonates with you and you could use a mental boost to switch you own gears, give this a listen.  Peter Sage is awesome. 

http://theartofcharm.com/podcast-episodes/peter-sage-certainty-myth-episode-330/

10 Last Minute Gift Ideas For That Runner on Your List Who Already Has Everything

Runners are often a type A, decisive bunch.  If we see something we want, and we think it will improve our running in some way, we typically find a way to get it.  Right away.  So if you have someone like that left on your list and you have no idea what to do for them since they have everything already, give this a read.  Hopefully it gives you some giving inspiration!

1 - Socks.  Sure, you think  back to your childhood, opening up a box of socks from your grandma.  And wishing there was anything else in there but socks.  But to a runner it's different.  You can't ever have enough.  Most runners are particular to a specific brand/style, so try and at least find out if they prefer thin or thick socks, and go from there.  Getting them something they haven't tried in a fun color can end up being something the love and put on their list for next year! (That's exactly how I ended up in my Thorlos of all different colors - thanks mom and dad!)

2 - Start a memory board for them.  As runners we end up with a lot of running photos, race numbers, congratulations cards, space blankets....  I had my stuff tossed in a box for years until I came a cross a couple bulletin boards.  I have added special running memorabilia for a few years now and they look like this:  To get one started, print a few  running pics of theirs, try and snag a couple race numbers they have lying around, and maybe print out a race review from Runner's World that they've run.  Get it started and give it to them to finish.  I'm sure Pinterest has a zillion way cooler ideas than what I have made for myself, but you get the idea. :)

3 - TriggerPoint Foot and Lower Leg Kit.  I've only used these a little bit when I was dealing with plantar fasciitis in 2011, but it is a great gift for any runner.  It helps massage out knots in your calves and feet, it comes with an instructional dvd so you know exactly how to use them, and it can really make a huge difference in heading aches and pains off at the pass, or ending up injured down the road.  It's a great proactive gift for any runner!

4 - Running Related Christmas Ornament.  You may think it's cheesy and over done, but the more running related stuff I see on my tree, the more I love it. I have some that are store bought, and some that my mom made for me out of Shrinky Dinks that she designed off of the logos for milestone races of mine. 

5 - Lightweight Running Jacket.  As runners, we can't have enough of these.  Try to find one in a color that is different than what is already in their rotation.  Big things we like in a jacket is to be wind resistant, have ample zipper pockets, have a little hole inside a jacket pocket so the cord of your earbuds can slide through (if this sounds weird to you, just look for it - most jackets have those these days), and for the sleeves to be long enough.  Maybe that's me because I have abnormally long arms and no one told me?  At any rate, a gift receipt is a good idea here.

6 - Fun Pair of Arm Warmers.  You can't ever have too many of these either!  They make long sleeved shirts obsolete, so the more you have in rotation, the better.  Get a fun color or design, any specialty running store should have a good selection, and sizing isn't tough to figure out.   

7 - The Performance Enhancing Kokopelli from Trail Runner Nation.  This is a fun design for a temporary tattoo that was created by the clever folks at Trail Runner Nation (the best podcast ever, by the way).  You can get them in black or pink (or a combo pack of both!) - 20 for only $10.   If the runner on your list is into trail running they could use these.  Encourage them to take a picture of their strategic placement of their Kokopelli and send it in to Trail Runner Nation - they could appear on their website/Facebook/Twitter! 

8 -  Magnetic Key Holder.  This is more along the line of a stocking stuffer, but would be oh so useful for every runner I know.  We often drive our cars somewhere to start a run, and then especially in the heat of summer - where do we put our keys?  Some stash them under a bush, put them behind the gas cap, or run while holding a pound of clinking, janitor style keys.  This could all be avoided if we had one of those little magnetic key holders that we could stash in one of our wheel wells (or somewhere more creative).   

9 - A Road ID. This is a form of ID for your beloved runner to wear as a wrist band or shoe tag that is custom made to have their name, phone number, name and number of a loved one, and any other important info (if they are diabetic...).  They come in all sorts of colors, ship quickly, are inexpensive, last a LONG time, and are a great way to show your runner that you care and want them to be safe. 

 

10 - Transition & Seat Wrap by Orange Mud. This thing looks AWESOME, and is SUCH a good idea.  It was recently shown in Runner's World, and I have to admit - I want it too.  It's a towel with a zipper on one end, so it slips over the headrest in your car and stays there, and a belt also runs through the length of the towel so you can use it as a cover up in you need to.  It's genius!  The belt allows you to stealthily change your shorts without getting an indecent exposure ticket, and having a way to get it to actually stay put out your seat is fantastic.  A perfect gift for that runner who has everything already!

Happy shopping my friends - I hope this helps with your last minute gift buying!  (tick tock tick tock- Christmas Eve is just one week away!)