It is nearly fall now, and the temperatures are coming down nicely, and running is even better than ever. I LOVE fall running!
This summer was my first summer, out of nearly 10 years of running, when I ran consistently and long during the heat. I can't say that I enjoyed it very much, that is for sure. But, I made the best of it and kept telling myself that if I can run well in the heat then I can run even better when it cools off. I figured it would make me stronger and then I would feel that much better in the cooler temps.
I was RIGHT! Today, two other girls and I ran a 21 mile (hilly) run. Its not like you can find many places in or around Atlanta where it isn't hilly, so there isn't much choice when running long runs. When we started out it was 6:30 am and just a tiny bit chilly - maybe 55 or slightly higher. It was perfect. The sun stayed covered up the whole time and we often had a nice breeze blowing on us keeping us cool.
It doesn't happen often to me, but there is an incredible exhilaration that happens when you run a long run and finish it at a faster pace than when you began. To me that is such a high - a high that sometimes can last for days. It overrides the soreness and any aches and pains caused by the long distance. We did that today! In fact, our average was 1 minute per mile faster than all of our previous long runs.
A minute per mile may not seem like much, but when you are running 21 miles that is 21 minutes total faster! That is an accomplishment! That can be the difference between a 4.5 hour marathon and a 5 hour, or a 3.5 hour marathon and a 4 hour. Every minute counts!
I am now off to relax and enjoy my runners high from my awesome morning! Happy Running!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Changing things up
I'll be the first to admit it...I'm difficult. I'm also a creature of habit and don't particularly like change. So, once I get in to a routine it can be hard for me to do anything different! But, for the last 7 weeks I've been trying very hard to change things up!
I've been going to the gym at least 3 days a week, in addition to my 4 days of running. Some days I run and then later go hit the gym. Some days I just run. Some days I just hit the gym. I even started including a day of spinning. I started out going to the gym to do the same old weight routines with dumbells and the machines - its that "routine" thing because I'm familiar with those things. Then I hired a trainer for 1 to 2 days a week - he's getting me used to changing things up.
At first I was a little skeptical - when you work your tail off in 15 minutes or less how can that be enough? Shouldn't it take an hour of lifting heavy and hard to get you in shape!? That was my thought. I was starting to get nervous about it - even though I'd have days where in 15 (sometimes 20) minutes I was burned out, sweating buckets, and leaving the gym with jello arms and/or legs. I was still thinking it wasn't enough - but then I found out I lost 2% body fat along with inches AND suddenly my running is improving!
My running hasn't "improved" in about 2 years - I had just been getting slower and slower. But now I'm seeing the results of those awesome circuit blast style workouts. Not only do they engage your muscles, they engage your heart - building cardio and strength all at the same time. Not to mention the increased calorie burn!
So, sometimes, in order to improve your running you need to change things up and add something "extra" to your fitness routine. Build strength! Get conditioned and toned! Lose bodyfat! And just have fun doing something different and new!
PS....Kettlebells are the new rage and they are AWESOME!!!!
I've been going to the gym at least 3 days a week, in addition to my 4 days of running. Some days I run and then later go hit the gym. Some days I just run. Some days I just hit the gym. I even started including a day of spinning. I started out going to the gym to do the same old weight routines with dumbells and the machines - its that "routine" thing because I'm familiar with those things. Then I hired a trainer for 1 to 2 days a week - he's getting me used to changing things up.
At first I was a little skeptical - when you work your tail off in 15 minutes or less how can that be enough? Shouldn't it take an hour of lifting heavy and hard to get you in shape!? That was my thought. I was starting to get nervous about it - even though I'd have days where in 15 (sometimes 20) minutes I was burned out, sweating buckets, and leaving the gym with jello arms and/or legs. I was still thinking it wasn't enough - but then I found out I lost 2% body fat along with inches AND suddenly my running is improving!
My running hasn't "improved" in about 2 years - I had just been getting slower and slower. But now I'm seeing the results of those awesome circuit blast style workouts. Not only do they engage your muscles, they engage your heart - building cardio and strength all at the same time. Not to mention the increased calorie burn!
So, sometimes, in order to improve your running you need to change things up and add something "extra" to your fitness routine. Build strength! Get conditioned and toned! Lose bodyfat! And just have fun doing something different and new!
PS....Kettlebells are the new rage and they are AWESOME!!!!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Some things I just don't understand
I live in Gwinnett County. I pay taxes. Part of those taxes go to Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation. We have awesome parks, awesome running trails. We are fortunate. But, what I don't get is why the County insists on smothering out fledgling fitness programs, or relegating them to run on the streets and sidewalks because they can't afford to pay the fines and fees that GCPR is requiring of "commercial businesses".
What do I mean? Well, I am the organizer of a new, local training program for runners. We are a fledgling group in this area, even though we are a part of a much larger group called USA Fit. We have our own budget, our own expenses, and we manage ourselves, but benefit from the experience and knowledge and assistance of our parent fitness group. USA Fit has nearly (or maybe more by now) 50 groups across the country. All of these groups find their own running routes, be they on the streets or on local trails and parks.
Yet, for some reason I am the first group to be slapped on the wrist and told that because we are receiving money from our members for training, then we must pay GCPR $10 per hour for every hour that we use the running trails on our group run days. My first reaction was "WHAT?!!" This whole argument started out back in 2007 when we held our open Registration in the park in a Pavillion that we rented and paid for. When GCPR found out about the fact that we were collecting money from runners joining the group, they went ballistic and told us we would have to pay them THIRTY PERCENT for every registration fee we collected. Talk about ballistic...I was beyond that when they told me 30%! They told me that since I was collecting money on their property I had to pay a fee, so they lowered it to $10 per hour we ran the trails.
So, we did that our first season because we had no other option. However, this season, we decided to hold our registration elsewhere - OFF of GCPR property. This eliminated that whole "you are collecting money on our property" argument. Yet, they found out that we were running as a group on the PUBLIC trails, and again have begun telling us "pay up or stop running as a group on our trails". We are a fledgling group, and $10 an hour might not sound like much but when you are running for anywhere between 1 and 4 hours every weekend, that adds up and for a budget that is already in the red, that is killer.
What makes no sense to me is that we are not requiring GCPR to do anything....no space reservations, no lights, no guard or police required, no opening early requests, no trail cordoning off, NOTHING! NADA! We just want to meet together at the Parks so that we can run SAFELY and enjoy the company of each other.
The only difference is that instead of being just a group of friends running, we collect a registration fee so that we can cover our costs - t-shirts, website, advertising, etc. $100 for new people for 6 months and $70 for returning members. Those are basically DUES! That isn't exactly the same as the $300 a month that Boot Camps charge, AND the Boot Camps require a specific space of land in the park that can't be used by other people in the park while they are on it. When we run the trails EVERYONE can still run them!
So, am I just being a pain, or is GCPR trying to be a major profit center by screwing over the local running groups?
What do I mean? Well, I am the organizer of a new, local training program for runners. We are a fledgling group in this area, even though we are a part of a much larger group called USA Fit. We have our own budget, our own expenses, and we manage ourselves, but benefit from the experience and knowledge and assistance of our parent fitness group. USA Fit has nearly (or maybe more by now) 50 groups across the country. All of these groups find their own running routes, be they on the streets or on local trails and parks.
Yet, for some reason I am the first group to be slapped on the wrist and told that because we are receiving money from our members for training, then we must pay GCPR $10 per hour for every hour that we use the running trails on our group run days. My first reaction was "WHAT?!!" This whole argument started out back in 2007 when we held our open Registration in the park in a Pavillion that we rented and paid for. When GCPR found out about the fact that we were collecting money from runners joining the group, they went ballistic and told us we would have to pay them THIRTY PERCENT for every registration fee we collected. Talk about ballistic...I was beyond that when they told me 30%! They told me that since I was collecting money on their property I had to pay a fee, so they lowered it to $10 per hour we ran the trails.
So, we did that our first season because we had no other option. However, this season, we decided to hold our registration elsewhere - OFF of GCPR property. This eliminated that whole "you are collecting money on our property" argument. Yet, they found out that we were running as a group on the PUBLIC trails, and again have begun telling us "pay up or stop running as a group on our trails". We are a fledgling group, and $10 an hour might not sound like much but when you are running for anywhere between 1 and 4 hours every weekend, that adds up and for a budget that is already in the red, that is killer.
What makes no sense to me is that we are not requiring GCPR to do anything....no space reservations, no lights, no guard or police required, no opening early requests, no trail cordoning off, NOTHING! NADA! We just want to meet together at the Parks so that we can run SAFELY and enjoy the company of each other.
The only difference is that instead of being just a group of friends running, we collect a registration fee so that we can cover our costs - t-shirts, website, advertising, etc. $100 for new people for 6 months and $70 for returning members. Those are basically DUES! That isn't exactly the same as the $300 a month that Boot Camps charge, AND the Boot Camps require a specific space of land in the park that can't be used by other people in the park while they are on it. When we run the trails EVERYONE can still run them!
So, am I just being a pain, or is GCPR trying to be a major profit center by screwing over the local running groups?
Silver Comet Trail Completed
From the Atlanta Journal Constitution
The final mile of concrete was poured on theSilver Comet Trail this week, connecting a gap that existed between Rockmart and Cedartown. The Silver Comet Trail, built largely along an abandoned railroad right of way, extends 61.5 miles in Georgia and stretches all the way to the Alabama line.
At the state border, that same path becomes the Chief Ladiga Trail and continues on to Anniston, Ala.
The final mile of concrete was poured on theSilver Comet Trail this week, connecting a gap that existed between Rockmart and Cedartown. The Silver Comet Trail, built largely along an abandoned railroad right of way, extends 61.5 miles in Georgia and stretches all the way to the Alabama line.
At the state border, that same path becomes the Chief Ladiga Trail and continues on to Anniston, Ala.
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