Saturday, July 2, 2011

Runner's Health

Just like any sport, a runner must be healthy to compete. Not only do you need a strong heart & lungs, but you also need a good set of feet, knees, ankles, legs, hips... It seems like the list just keeps going. Even your shoulders need to be somewhat strong. Why? Try pumping your arms for about 2 hours without stopping and see if they get sore.

As runners we get blisters and don't think a thing about them. To us it is more of how many do I have this week attitude. I think I have 6 this week. They don't bother me. Its just from the constant rubbing in the shoe. Eventually they will dry up and become a callus. To bad there isn't a Blister Fairy. I would be a very rich man!

We also lose toenails. Gross I know, but it is a fact of life. I have one toe right now that has lost about a quarter of the nail. I'm sure you all want to be kept up to date on this topic. :)

There is also the mental side of running. Quite often we tell ourselves we HAVE to make a time or we HAVE to run a certain distance. We do this to keep up with our training and to mentally drive ourselves to our goals. Tomorrow I need to run 4 miles. Then Monday I will be running 9. I'm scheduled to run 4 miles every day this week, but I know my body will need a break so I will be making an adjustment.

Why does 9 miles sound so far away now? Probably because I have been running under 6 miles for quite some time. But it is time to put in longer runs to build up to the 26.2 that I will be facing in October. With the pace I am training at, I will probably run it in about an hour and a half. I'm sure I will run someplace with some hills too. I will probably end up at Dawes or in Granville. Again the hills are part of the mental aspect of the run. Running is as much mental as it is physical. You must have physical and mental toughness. You are the only one that can keep yourself moving when your at mile 20. What drives you - focus on it and finish strong.

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