The Ultimate Injury.

As a running coach, my typical evening includes answering several pain-related e-mails. I never take them lightly. I know that due to the commitment and goals driving the competitive runner, getting sidelined is devastating. Even for us has been runners, the daily clearing of the cobwebs during the days run is often all that holds our shaky world together. When we cant run, it is a big deal, Ive been there often enough to know. I thank God and revel in every healthy day. Without injury, would we appreciate health?

Ten years ago I was on top the game. I had a string of PRs going. My best 10 km, 10 mile and Marathon all came to me that fall. I was running in the 70 to 85 mile per week range with all systems maxed. Business life, family life and the running life filled a good 18 hours of each day. I was the master of time management; I was loving life and living full blast.

Soon after my marathon, what seemed like a bad chest cold soon turned into what I thought was pneumonia.

Try Snow Running!

Let it snow!

For the past couple years Ive been a snowshoein fool. As a runner I used to dread a big dump of the white stuff. Running in the cold is hassle enough, and then comes slush, ice and arch straining snow. As you know, Im not a cross training kind of guy. Im a pure in your face running fanatic, addicted as they come. When I first strapped on snowshoes it was just to be social on a northern Michigan weekend with friends. I expected the same experience I got from cross-country skiing, a sport that got me outside but out of my running element.

Snowshoeing, what a surprise! I was hammering away over hill and dale. Hopping rivers and ducking through the woods like a a snowshoe rabbit! The learning curve was about zero. I was just out for a run. Its a lot of work, like running on a beach or in shoe sucking mud but snowshoeing is running, good hard butt kicking running! I especially like hammering the downhills.

Running Longer, Racing Longer

If youre are the type who enjoys getting out for a run a few times each week Im sure you have given some thought to getting a bit more serious about it. Perhaps you have entered a 5K or two and are considering the move to a 10K or longer. How do you get from here to there? How to run longer? The answer is, "slowly".

To run longer you may have to learn to slow down. Start by finding a conversational pace and start adding some miles. If you feel winded, you have picked to fast a pace. After your body adapts to the higher mileage you can work on speed. For now, lets work on distance. Here are a few rules to follow to get there injury free and motivated

Distance Rules

1. Never increase your weekly mileage more that 10%. Example: if you run 15 miles this week, next week you can go up to 16.5. How long will it take to get to 20 miles per week? Lets do the math. 16.5 plus 1.65 = 18.15 or lets just say 18. 18 plus 1.8 = around 20. Hmmm, from 20 miles per week you can jump up into the 40s in about 16 weeks. You could be ready to run a fall marathon if you keep it up. It only takes a few 40 plus mile weeks to get you ready to tackle the marathon!

2. Alternate hard and easy days. Hard days are longer or faster. Easy days are shorter or days off. Rest days are as important as run days.

Going Solo An Alaska Running Adventure

Life is not meant to be lived in moderation. With a middle of the road life comes a middle of the road existence. Stress is in the eyes of the stressed. What could be more stressful than to look back at the years and wonder ... what could I have done? Peace comes to those that already know that answer; theyve done it! I believe life is meant to be lived out toward the edge. The proverbial edge is a personal point that is arrived at by means of your comfort zone. For some it might be an hour hike alone on trails in a state park, for others it might be a solo climb of a 20,000+ ft. peak in the Himalayans.

Without goals, my life seems to wander aimlessly. To stay fit and focused I need to be training for something. To keep my interest these goals must be out near the edge. Once the goal is set, all in life seems to fall in place. I eat, sleep, work, train and seem to be more organized when focused on a long-term goal.

In December of 89, I was without a goal. My last athletic adventure had been a marathon in Mexico.

Help! I'm Feeling Lazy!

Question to the Coach:

...I must confess I have been LAZY. I have been out to the work out two of the three times. So I have no problem getting up on Saturday and driving 45min. to do the running, but during the week I just can't get motivated. Do you think to kick myself in the A** I should run in the morning? I think that might work ... but like I said I have been lazy. Please help! Talk to you soon.

Coach Randy's response:

Motivation is a feeling, feelings are a choice. Like so many things in life. Happiness is a choice. Example: You get in a traffic jam, your choice could be: to sit in this rush hour traffic jam and appreciate the time alone with your thoughts to sort out the world, or.... Another example: When the weather is cold and windy you can think about how you are going to dress for today's run and what route will be plowed or out of the wind. You can think about the great challenge and how you will conquer it. (The same would go for 90 degree heat)

Or, you can bitch, moan and complain about how the world is and do nothing and be miserable!

So, when your mind seems to be made up that it wants to do anything but run, go run. Show your mind that not running is not an option. Hey head, get with the program or be miserable, it's up to you, I'm running! Feel bad? Run down? Unmotivated? Good! Once this run is finished you will have a much greater feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment than an easy run on a nice day. Those are the wimpy runs!

So the next time you feel unmotivated. Get your lazy a__ out of bed and Go Hammer!

Stay obsessed,
Coach Randy

Discomfort, exhaustion, and even suffering come to mind while out there yes, but such trials bring about a spirit of adventure and quests, as well as nirvanas, unknown through the easier ways we have come to take for granted as whole.

"They've moved out of the society that would have protected them, and into the dark forest, into the world of fire, of original experience. Original experience has not been interpreted for you, and so you've go to work out life for yourself. Either you can take it or you can't. You don't have to go far off the interpreted path to find yourself in very difficult situations. The courage to face the trials and bring a whole new body of possibilities into the field of interpreted experience for other people to experience - that is the hero's deed."
- Joseph Campbell

Race Lawsuit - Court says runner can sue race host. Drink shortage may have led to brain injury.

Welcome to my world! As an extreme race director I try to keep abreast of lawsuits involving events. The above headline is taken from The San Francisco Chronicle Wednesday, May 8, 2002. The article is quoted below.

Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer " A runner who collapses because race organizers failed to set out enough drinks along the course has grounds for a lawsuit, a state appellate court ruled Tuesday. An organization that stages a marathon "Has a duty to organize and conduct a reasonably safe event, which requires it to minimize the risks without altering the nature of the sport," said the Court of Appeal in San Diego. That includes providing adequate water and electrolyte fluids along the 26- mile course, the court said."

The runner involved ran the inaugural Rock & Roll Marathon in San Diego. Later that day the man had a seizure from low sodium, a condition called hyponatremia.

Crummy little race or is it?

The race registration line moved slowly as sun rose and the mercury hit the 80 degree mark. The start was 45 minutes late. They ran out of T-shirts for pre-registered runners, luckily it was a no brand 50/50 blend with some cheesy clip art and a bunch of poorly placed sponsor logos. The course was short, mile marks were in the wrong place, cars forced runners off the road and volunteers steered us the wrong way. Some guy was giving split times at the mile, nice touch, times that were off by 2 minutes. The early aid station ran out of water, the later one ran out of cups. The finish shoot was backed up and I was forced to stand in place as some guy puked on my shoes. They ran out of water at the finish area and the only food left was some green bananas. The results took hours to get posted, the times were off and the awards ceremony dragged on for an eternity. The award was a small medal with a wreath on it, no date, distance or information pertaining to the event. The entry fee was $20early.

We have all ran in a race with some or all of the above glitches. Could we have avoided entering such debacles? Sometimes. By just looking over an entry form you can usually get the idea of how the finished product will end up.

Adventure Running!

Adventure Racing The next step maybe I can save you a step?

Quoting Tom Demerly of Michigan Sports & Fitness, "All the elements line up: Drama, outdoor exposure, team interaction and competition. The new lifestyle points people toward adventure racingadventure racing seems poised for a real explosion."

Tom explains that the sports involved require a range of skills that take years to acquire and perfect. If thats the case, Id say, expect some floundering during the explosion. In adventure racing, expect to see athletes out of their element in kayaks, climbing gear, on horses or reading instructions for their new GPS. If the sport doesnt work out long term for these new multi-sport athletes and is just a passing fad, expect some cool stuff at future garage sales!

From Susan Douglas, Runner
Dear Dirt Diva and Crew:
Amazing job putting on the race on Saturday! I've been adventure racing for four years, recently reached the conclusion that that sport is much too complicated and expensive for a married woman with two kids, and resigned myself to running for awhile even though it's not as much fun. WRONG!

To Run Your Best, Drink Beer or Believe in your running program!

No, youre not reading USA today but this kind of headline has the same effect in any publication. Those drawn to the topic because of common interest usually read on to find the so-called facts from the so-called study. So often if we agree with the findings we go on to tell others. If we disagree we dont repeat the information or we look for flaws in the report. I am guilty of doing this myself.

"To run your best, drink beer." This was the headline of an article I once read in just after Frank Shorter won Olympic gold in Munich. It went on to explain that the 2 pints of beer Frank drank was the reason he won the Olympic marathon.

Ready to stay fit for life? Become an athlete, become a runner.

Looking to loose weight, get fit, eat healthy, or just live healthy? Become an athlete and all the rest just falls in line. Become an athlete and comes along like a bonus. Diets and fitness programs fail because they aren't fun and they're certainly are not easy to get passionate about.

Yes, you can become an athlete. If becoming and athlete sounds intimidating you may have a different definition of "athlete" than mine. You become an athlete when you strive to get better at a sport in an organized manor. Gathering information, setting goals, competing and tracking your progress makes you an athlete. Age is irrelevant to this equation. You can become an athlete when you are 90 years old. Your fitness level has nothing to do with becoming an athlete I take that back