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Urban Running Legends

So, I left off on the question on whether I finished my long run or not. Well, yes and no. We were supposed to complete 18 miles running along a route that included downtown Houston, Mid-Town, The Heights, and Memorial Park. It was a great urban route that made you feel apart of the heart of the city and its behind-the-scenes look. We ran the route only to discover that our planned route had some closures, so instead of completing 18, we completed 17.2 miles, but my spirits were high.  I not only had run with my little running group inside my big running group but met new people along the way. Since all of our long runs are at conversational pace (believe it or not this does build endurance, that is for a later post), the miles carry different stories. Some are just ordinary life stories but others are a glimpse into my running peeps other lives, the non-running part. One of my Saturday running partners is a teacher from Cuba. She talks about her life in Cuba and her experiences a
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Tapering for the Long Run

Tapering is the hardest thing to do for most runners. Usually, it's done one to two weeks before a major race and the runner is to decrease their mileage to a very low number and effort. This seems like a deal, but to runners, it can be excruciating. All those months of training have made it intuitive to run and run with purpose. To lay off, doesn't feel natural. It almost feels like giving up. In fact, most runners will be irrational and think that by tapering they will lose their ability to finish the race or lose some endurance they have worked so hard to build. You can equate it to cramming for a test the night before. Cramming never is effective. You are too tired the next day do grab the answers from your brain. The same goes for running. You have to trust that the training is working and that all your body has learned is still there to get you across the finish line. It will not be those last few days of pounding out unnecessary mileage and effort that helps you do it.

Run Run Run as Fast You Can... J/K

By setting a goal, you risk a setback. While it is tough to accept, setbacks will happen and usually occur when you are revving up at the start of a new goal.   My new goal is to run a consistent average of 6 miles a day per month, which for the month of December equals running a total of 186 miles or the distance from Houston to Waco. I am not even 4 days in and my knee is already acting up.   Here I go fighting the good fight against Runner's Knee, my self-diagnosis.   According to Runner’s World, Runner’s Knee or Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS), is common among runners and hence the name.   Usually the symptoms develop when you increase mileage in your training program and your poorly conditioned quadriceps and/or tight hamstrings are challenged to support the knee cap. If you are a woman, it happens more since we tend to have wider hips that exasperate the problem.   Runner’s World also sites additional causes as worn cartilage, high-arches, flat feet, and turned in knee

Baby, It's Cold Outside! Ok, for me, not you.

So, I am pretty sure I will not have something to write every day that I want to share, but I feel this overwhelming need to just state once again how much I hate to run in the cold. For me, this weather is COLD (47◦F)! To some, it is perfect- what they have been waiting for the whole year after experiencing the heavy muggy hot weather that dominates Houston, Texas, Two months ago, I started running twice a week with my friend who lives in a different subdivision. The trail we run outside her subdivision is a smooth round loop that is about 1.5 miles around.   I like to meet her there because the trail has an easy surface and a nice view that is a welcome break from my normal running routine.   Since we run early in the morning, we get great glimpses of the moon and often see deer drinking water from the pond. My friend has a natural fast pace, so running with her has improved my own pace as well as given me a changeup in my running routine. Plus, we just have some great girl

11 29 2017 Running Through My Thoughts

This week, I am training to get ready for a new goal: averaging 6 miles a day per month starting in December. It is a goal that just sprung up on me while reading the memoir by Haruki Murakami, What I Talk About When I talk About Running . In his book, he discusses how he approached his marathon training and this is how he started. What I like about this approach is that it allows for flexibility to be worked into a disciplined goal. He highlights his use of the word average because some days (he makes sure to run 6 out of 7 days) he will do more miles and others less.   Either way, the mileage will work out to average at least 6 miles daily. Yesterday I did not run. In the very recent past, I would have let this eat away at me to no end until I was miserable. Now, however, I know that should I choose not to run on a certain day, then I just have to make it up over the week.   This way of thinking helps to take some of the mental weight off of me when I am coaching myself up.

To run or not to run, that is to sleep in.

This morning, I did not wake up to run. Well, I did wake up but only to turn my alarm clock off. Then, I went back to bed.   A lot of runners like it when it gets cold. I am not one of them. I prefer to run in moderate temperatures not ones that make me feel like my lungs are burning and my skin is screaming. Yes, sadly enough, this temperature is usually around 50◦F depending on the wind shield.   Although, I will make myself do it from time to time to prepare for any type of race day. Today was not a day I was particularly inclined to do so. The good news is that the weather will be moderately warm for me to run in later. I will be able to run a smooth pace in the sun.   This makes me happy. Like most runners, I carve my day out around my run. A lot of people (non runners) wonder why we do this.   What do we get out of it? Why is it almost an obsession for us? While I can’t answer for all runners, I believe I can answer for most. I do believe it is our” ME”ditation

I Just Run

Me with my son, James, after our first race together. As long as I can remember, I have run. Of course, I have come a long way from the days of using a clock and street blocks to track my time, and distance but overall, I am still just that girl who wants to run, but with fancier stuff now. You can blame it on the Physical Fitness Awards that we were introduced to in school. My sister and I loved to hustle and our eyes were on the prize: The Presidential Award. I still remember the gold seal that decorated the certificate and made it stand out against the rest. Every year, I looked forward to earning it. If you go back to that track or field we had to use in those days to run, you would have seen two chicken-legged twin Mexican girls running as fast as we could, while our friends walked chilled back along the track.  I am sure they thought we were crazy. Some days I still wonder if I am, especially when I roll out of bed on a Saturday morning at 4:00 a.m. to go on my lon