I’ve come to the realization that running safety can be easily neglected in the middle of a great run. The weather feels fantastic, the feet are moving swiftly across the sidewalk, and the beat of a favorite song is pulsing through the ears. We run and we return home – it should be as simple as that. Sadly, this is not always the case.

As a resident of Georgia, I recently read about Tina Waddell, a runner who was brutally beaten on the Silver Comet Trail (which runs from Georgia to Alabama). As of this writing, the suspect has not been located; no motive is known either. This is sickening and saddening to me as a runner and as a human being. Being married to someone who sporadically runs, this post is for my wife and for all female runners and walkers.

The solution to avoid being attacked, or so it would seem, is to not run alone. Unfortunately, finding a running partner each time you step out the door is unlikely – and probably unrealistic for most. In fact, many runners prefer to exercise alone. The decision to go solo, be it made out of of necessity or choice, should not be hindered by fear though; it should instead be bolstered by a sense of awareness.

In light of today’s society where people simply feel less safe than days of yesteryear, along with the fact that summer will be ending in a matter of months and shorter daylight hours will be upon us, I’d like for this post to serve as both a reminder and an encouragement for running safety. Here are a few helpful thoughts to keep in mind when you prepare for the day’s run.

1. Avoid running alone when possible. Take your dog for extra company – provided he or she is large enough to protect you. Call a friend and see if she can join you. If you do run alone, make eye contact with everyone you pass.

2. Seek out group runs. Visit your local specialty running store and find out if they host a weekly group run; if not, ask them to consider starting one. Many cities have running organizations or clubs (e.g. the Atlanta Track Club) that you can join for an annual fee, though some are no charge. Group runs give strength to the truth that there’s safety in numbers.

3. Mix up the music with some meditation. Music is a great way to power through hard workouts or long runs, but avoid letting it become a distraction for what’s going on around you. Keep one earbud in if needed. Be open to leaving the music at home from time to time as well. As an alternative to tunes, listen to how your body is feeling that day and enjoy the scenery. Use this time to gather your thoughts and mentally prepare for the day.

4. Revise your routes. As creatures of habit, we like the familiar, and this is no less true for running. For the sake of running safety though, familiarity should be periodically discarded. In other words, keep changing your runs. Run a familiar route in reverse; go to a local park or school track (where others are present too); run on different days of the week. This approach will lower the likelihood of your paths being picked up by a less than honorable person who might do you harm.

5. Use your phone for more than status updates. Social media based apps are a great way to share the days accomplishment from a particular run (e.g. a new personal record for distance or time). Though this is a fun activity, be sure to check the app settings and the phone settings that can potentially display the exact location of your run for the world to see. Speaking of location, a recent Runner’s World article lists four apps that highlight safety by sending notifications to contacts of your choosing after periods of inactivity.

Needless to say these are but a handful of the many running safety tips I could share. Many, many more exist. In summary, I suppose that the best defense is a good offense. Run smart. Use your eyes to take in the surroundings. Turn the volume down. Let someone know where you are going and how long you plan to be gone. Run in different spots. Run with your phone or with some pepper spray (you local run shop may carry this) – or both. Run with others. Download a running safety app.

Though I’ve written this post with female runners in mind, I believe that men should heed the importance of running safety too. Though they are less likely to be followed and attacked while out for a run, men can be equally vulnerable too. Hard runs and long runs lower the physical strength and tire out the mind for all runners – men and women alike. Stay sharp and stay aware. Here’s to returning home safe and sound.

What are some of the ways you stay safe during a run? What tips would you add to this list?

In the past I’ve used YakTrax Pro cleats in cases where a bit of extra traction is needed. These are the standard YakTrax with the metal coils underfoot. They’ve always worked well, but the consistent complaint I hear about them is that the rubber bands inside the coils are prone to snapping, which renders them useless. I don’t use mine except when there is a layer of snow on the ground, so they don’t come out often, and never on bare asphalt. As such, I have never broken a pair, but I can see how durability would be a concern.

A few weeks ago YakTrax contacted me about trying their YakTrax Run cleats (Disclosure: Yaktrax provided the product reviewed here free of charge as a media sample). We’ve had a few decent storms so far this winter, so I’ve now taken them out a few times and feel comfortable commenting on their performance.

The big difference between the YakTrax Pro and YakTrax Run is that on the latter the coils under the forefoot are replaced by two studded rubber and plastic plates. The studs are made of carbide steel and the plates they are attached to are removable – apparently the stud plates can be purchased independently for replacement if needed (they seem to be hard to find, Amazon is out of stock). The studs are short enough that they don’t feel uncomfortable when you hit a patch of bare asphalt (feels kind of like running in a Newton shoe), and long enough that they dig in well on bare ice. I tend to load more under my midfoot to forefoot, and I found traction on ice and plowed (yet still snow covered) road to be very good.

The heel of the YakTrax Run retains the familiar coils from other models, and I find these do a better job in deeper snow. A good portion of my run today was on sidewalks covered by about 4-5 inches of light, fresh powder. Once packed down the forefoot studs aren’t deep enough to help much, so I found myself aiming more for my heel to provide traction. It’s tough to get good traction on fresh powder over ice, and I managed to not fall over the course of 3.5 miles. I did slip a few times, and if deep, fresh powder is a regular condition for you there might be better options out there (have not tried them myself, but I’ve heard good things about the Kahtoola Microspikes for when more extreme traction is needed).

It’s hard to comment on durability as I’ve only used these twice so far (I typically only use Yaktrax a handful of times each winter when storms hit), but in a quick perusal of reviews on Amazon I did not see a large number of complaints about them breaking (there were a few, maybe 2-3 out of 24 reviews). My tactic when encountering a short stretch of bare asphalt is to focus on a forefoot landing and avoid direct contact on the coils, hopefully this will keep them in good shape (the ability to do this is an advantage of the Run model over the YakTrax Pro). I would assume that if you have a pair and they break, YakTrax will replace them under warranty if you contact them within 90 days (should cover a winter of use – they are clear to say that these are not to be used on bare asphalt or concrete). I’d guess most retailers would also exchange a pair that breaks prematurely (Zappos carries them and they are typically great with returns).

Overall I found that the YakTrax Run did a pretty good job for the conditions I encounter on roads and sidewalks during or after a snowstorm. They are great on icy surfaces and snow-covered, plowed road, and decent in fresh snow as long as it’s not too deep. My runs are not suited to a spikier traction device so the Kahtoola Microspikes are not something I’d really need, but for occasional traction needs encountered by a road runner in winter they function well.

For do-it-your-selfers, you could also try screwing your shoes (get your head out of the gutter!) – my buddy Sam recently did this with a pair of Hokas and some Ice Spikes, and I’ve done it with La Sportiva Hobnails. It’s also possible to just use some sheet metal screws from a hardware store – minimallyshoddy recently wrote about screwing his Skoras, that’s a risky proposition!

Where to buy – YakTrax Run cleats are available for purchase at Amazon.com and at Zappos.

I’m fairly well convinced at this point that runners will do just about anything to get in their miles. With this in mind, I wanted feature the ingenuity (and perhaps slight insanity, but who am I to talk after running 15 miles last weekend in toe shoes?) of a local New Hampshire running friend.

One of the challenges we face while trail running up here in the summer are deer flies. They’re a major annoyance whenever you enter the woods, and advice on dealing with them ranges from sticking a fern frond in your hat so that it extends vertically from your head (apparently they aim for the highest spot, and you get to look like a crazy person while you run), or the more common advice to simply “run faster.”

Well, my friend Jim just posted a picture on Facebook showing a little contraption that he made to deal with the flies so that he could continue to get in his runs on his favorite trails. He coated a plastic cup with some sticky stuff called Tanglefoot, pinned it to his running hat, and took off through the woods. Here’s what he had to say: “One “trolling deer fly trap” + one slow jog on the local trails = 50+ deer flies, DEAD!!! Silly, fun, and effective. I shall reclaim my beloved trails now, thankyouverymuch.” The photographic evidence is below – I’d love to hear what his wife had to say about this!

Last week I was reading an article about Kara Goucher from the March issue of Runner’s World titled “Mind Gains” by Bruce Barcott. In the article, Barcott tells the story of how Goucher’s coach, Alberto Salazar, brought in a sports psychologist, Darren Treasure, to work with Goucher on the mental demons that were undermining her race performances. One particular passage in this article really struck me, and has been floating around in my head ever since I read it – here’s the quoted text:

“She (Goucher) has an incredible ability to handle the pain and discomfort that come with those longer distances. Alberto and I came to the conclusion that she could go to some places that very few athletes are capable of going to.”


When Treasure talks about “some places,” he’s talking about some very dark places. Years ago, he worked with collegiate wrestlers. “Wrestling is simply seven minutes of hell,” he says. “The agony is just unbelievable. It’s very similar to distance running.” Steve Prefontaine used to warn his rivals that he’d take them to a place they really didn’t want to go. “Our athletes [in the Oregon Project] have that ability,” Treasure says. “They’re willing to go to those places. We look for that as a critical part of their psychological makeup.”

I think the reason why this struck me so strongly is that upon reading it, I realized that I have been to those “dark places” in just about every race that I have run. When I race, my self-competitive fire prevents me from holding back, and I have a tendency to run myself into the ground. In some cases, encountering these dark corners of my mind has forced me to give up and walk (e.g., in my first four marathons), and in other cases I have been able to face them and persevere (e.g., in most of the 5K’s that I have run).

I’m by no means an elite runner, but I don’t think you have to be elite to take yourself to mental places that most people will never see. You simply have to be willing to challenge your own fitness, and to push yourself beyond what you think you might be capable of. Almost anyone who has run a marathon has experienced this – the last 6 miles or so are more a mental test than a physical one, and your mind repeatedly tells you that you’re crazy and should just stop. However, on the one occassion where I managed the mental strength to ignore these self-defeating messages, I ran what might be the best and most enjoyable race of my life (Disney Marathon 2010).

For me, a 5K is a lot like the wrestling analogy referred to above – 19:00 or so minutes of pure agony. It’s rare that I run a 5K and not feel the overwhelming desire to simply stop running in the last mile, but to date I have not succumbed to this urge, and this is something that I take great pride in. I may not win the race against the other runners, but by finishing strong I win the race against myself, and this is really what’s most important.

Image via Wikipedia

For some reason the thought of the mental “dark place” has really stuck with me. So now, when I’m out on the road, my plan is to welcome it, and to embrace it. In fact, I did this very thing on my run this evening – I went out and ran 5 miles in just under 33:00, which I think may be a 5 mile PR for me (I don’t record PR’s for training runs). I found my “dark place” right around mile 3, but when I got there, rather than succumbing and bailing since I was running solo, my response was: “bring it on.” I finished strong, and the adrenaline rush that came over me when I reached my driveway was intense – I was satisfied and happy. I had pushed my limits for no other reason than to see if I could, and on this day I succeeded.

I’ll leave you with this – the next time you encounter one of those dark places on a run, don’t give up. Instead, simply force yourself to smile, nod your head, and and run right through it

Episode #12 of the Runblogger Runcast discusses the building of a running support network.  Having others to support you as you train and race is essential, particularly on those days when you just don’t feel like heading out the door. In this show I discuss some of the sources of support that have worked well for me, namely my local running club (Granite State Racing Team), and two on-line social networks that I use regularly for running related support and discussion (dailymile and Twitter). If you have other suggestions for sources of running motivation and support, feel free to send me an e-mail or leave a comment – feedback is always appreciated!

To listen or subscribe via RSS: http://feeds.feedburner.com/RunbloggerRuncast

To listen or subscribe via Itunes: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?i=80594539&id=348528478

Alternatively, you can listen directly here:

Links related to Runcast #12:

Road Runners Club of America – Site with a wealth of information about local running clubs, as well as a locator so that you can find one in your community.

dailymile.com – a fantastic social workout site for runners, cyclists, and traithletes. You can also read a previous post I wrote about Dailymile here: https://runblogger.com/2009/04/dailymile-new-social-training-log-for.html

Twitter – if you haven’t given a Twitter a try yet, I highly recommend it. You can view my list of Twitter runners here: http://twitter.com/Oblinkin/runners/members

My Dog Jack – If you’d like to read more about me and my favorite running partner, check out this post about my buddy Jack or this more general post about running with dogs.

Below is a video featuring Kelly and Ben, the founders of dailymile.com:

On a day when I ran my final 20 miler in preparation for the Disney Marathon in wind chills equivalent to 4 degrees Fahrenheit, I thought it would be appropriate to put together a post with some advice on how to keep running through the winter. For me, this is the first winter when I have really attempted to keep my mileage above 30 per week (training for a January marathon helps!), and I’ve now run in just about every type of condition that a Northern New England winter can throw at me, from snowstorms to frigidly cold days. Below are some tips on how to stay motivated in winter, and I’ll follow up with a second post on how to stay warm out there on those cold, dark runs.

1. Set Goals
Back in early November I posted a set of fitness goals for the winter on this blog. My thinking was that if I post my goals publicly, I would be more likely to follow through and complete them. So far, I’m happy to report that things have been going very well. My weight has stayed pretty steady despite the holiday splurging, I’ve easily eclipsed my >20 mile per/week running target, I’m now entering week 5 of the 100 Pushups Challenge, and I came within 1 second of my 5K PR in a race in early December. I’m determined to continue this pattern on through January and February, and then hit the Spring racing season with a great fitness base under my belt. Starting a blog is one way to keep motivated, and this has certainly been my experience writing this one. Joining an on-line support group is another (see below), or you could keep things as simple as writing your goals down on a piece of paper and having a friend or family member help you stick to them.

2. Run a Winter Race
There’s no better motivation for me to keep running than a race date looming off in the future. This year I will be running the Disney Marathon in early January, and that has been a boon to my motivation, and my running mileage of late has been as high as it’s been this entire year. If you’re not a marathoner, there are plenty of shorter races associated with the holidays – pick one and use it as motivation.  You can find plenty of races on the CoolRunning website.

3. Find a Support Group
Having others to run with, or simply those who you can talk to about your runs, will go a long way toward helping to keep you honest about getting your runs in during the winter. I tend to run alone (if you don’t count my dog Jack), and most of my support comes from on-line running friends I have made on two sites: Twitter and Dailymile. I highly recommend both of these, as both are excellent sources of support for your running/fitness activities.

I was initially a Twitter skeptic, thinking that it was filled with people reporting what they were eating for lunch. Instead, what I have found is one of the most enjoyable and supportive groups of people anywhere. I pretty much follow only other runners, and the advice, information, and support I have gotten has been invaluable. I liken Twitter to a neighborhood bar – you can stop in anytime and join the conversation, and step out whenever you like – there will always be an interesting group of people there, and that group varies throughout the day. I’ve made some good friends around the world on Twitter, several of whom I’ve met in person now at races that I’ve run. Don’t hesitate to follow people – it’s common practice to follow those you don’t know, and if you indicate that you run in your bio, most running Twitterers will immediately follow you back. I really recommend that you take the plunge and try it out – for a place to start finding people to follow, check out my “Runners” list.

Dailymile is a social training site where you can post workouts and get feedback from friends. There are also challenges, forums, groups, and other nice features. The heart of Dailymile is really the social interaction between you and other runners – it’s a lot like Facebook, but geared exclusively toward active people. I use Dailymile as a running diary – it’s a place where I can jot down some notes, or in some cases a more detailed story, about what I experienced on each run. The feedback and encouragement provided by other people on Dailymile is nothing short of incredible. Garmin support is not available yet, so I still use Sportracks as my main data-logging program, but the social aspect makes entering data manually into Dailymile well worth it.  If you want to give it a try, don’t hesitate to visit my profile and send along a friend request.

4. Don’t Fear the Weather
A lot of people see their fitness drop dramatically in the winter, as the cold temperatures, early darkness, snow, and holiday splurging scheme to turn them from a well-oiled running machine into a sedentary couch-potato.  I was definitely guilty of this last year, as my mileage dropped precipitously in the winter of 2008/2009, and I gained somewhere around 10 pounds in 3-4 months. My experience this year has been totally different, and it mainly stems from a change in attitude. With a bit of preparation, there’s no reason why you can’t run in all but the worst possible winter conditions. For example, I just set a weekly mileage PR (52 miles) this week, which just so happens to have been the coldest week yet of this winter. This single-week total almost equaled my entire running mileage for the month of December last year!

I committed myself early on this year to run in whatever conditions were present, and doing this from the get-go has made the transition to winter running relatively smooth for me.  I’m at the point now where anything above 25 degrees F feels downright balmy, and 40 degrees might as well be shorts and singlet weather! I’ve even been running in my Vibram Fivefingers in temperatures below 10 degrees Fahrenheit. So the next time you feel like skipping a run due to the weather, turn that thought around and take it as a challenge – don’t let the winter get the better of you!

1. First and foremost, I want to emphasize that I am neither a dog expert nor a veterinarian. Everything I write below comes either from research and reading done on-line, or through my direct experience running with my own dog. Always check with your vet first if you have any questions about taking your dog running with you – some dog breeds are better suited for running than others and it pays to ask questions and do breed research to avoid any potential harm.

2. All domestic dog breeds are ultimately derived from the wild Gray Wolf – this fact is indisputable. According to Wikipedia, the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a “domesticated subspecies of the Gray Wolf,” and Animal Diversity Web reports that their “basic morphology…no matter how modified, is that of their wild ancestors, gray wolves.” For those wishing to dig deeper, scientific papers on the origin of the domestic dog include Vila et al., 1999 and Parker et al., 2004. According to the latter paper, over 400 breeds of domestic dog have been described, and most of these have existed for fewer than 400 years.

Image via Wikipedia

Being derived from the Gray Wolf, dogs are natural born runners. Animal Diversity Web reports that “Wolf movements are usually at night and cover long distances. Daily distance traveled can be up to 200 km, the usual pace is 8 km/hr. Wolves can run at speeds up to 55 to 70 km/hr.” Although some dog breeds are obviously better suited to running than others (i.e., you probably wouldn’t want to marathon train with a Bulldog or Dachshund – but look at this little guy motor), the ability and desire to run is in their genes.

3. A variety of dog breeds can make excellent running partners. Based on a number of sites that I visited, working/herding/sporting dogs are most frequently recommended, including such breeds as Retrievers (Golden and Labrador), Border Collies, German Shepherds, Australian Shepherds, Collies, Shelties, and Heelers. For a longer list, view this list of “excellent jogging companions” from the Dog Breed Info Center.

Of course, if you’re looking to get a dog, there is much more to choosing a breed than its running ability -for example, some high-energy breeds might not make the best family pets, and probably would not be best suited for life in a small apartment. Your best bet is to do your research, visit sites like the webpage of the American Kennel Club, and find a breed that is best suited to your lifestyle.

Personally, I have a black lab (Jack), and he is both the perfect family pet and a great running partner. He has a lot of energy, but as long as he gets a good walk or run in each day, or a nice play session with his best doggy buddy (a Boxer) across the street, he is a model pet. Best of all, I have 2 small kids and he is excellent with them – there’s nothing more enjoyable than watching Jack and my 5-year old son race around the house with a tug rope!

4. Dogs, like people, need to ease into running. If you were to go for a run for the first time in a year, you probably wouldn’t head out for 5 miles – the same thing applies to a dog. If you are a regular distance runner, ease your dog into running gradually to build up his/her stamina. My dog has run as many as 7 miles in one go with me, though on a cool day he could probably go farther. It took some time to get him to this point (he’s only 2 years old), and a gradual build-up helped.

Image via Wikipedia

5. Although I have read some conflicting reports on this, most sources suggest holding off on running long distances with a puppy until it is mature (around 1 year for most breeds, though this is variable). The reasoning for this is that it takes some time for the skeleton to mature and for the growth plates in the limbs to close, and waiting is a precaution for avoiding any long-term skeletal damage. Incidentally, potential for growth plate damage is one of the same arguments for why humans children should not run marathons (e.g., see this article from the Chicago Tribune).

6. Be wary of the temperature as dogs are very susceptible to overheating. Dogs cannot sweat like humans can, and heat is dissipated primarily through panting and via the paws. In hot weather, it’s very easy for a dog to overheat, and hyperthermia can be life threatening. Anything above 80 degrees or so is too hot for my dog, and high humidity at cooler temperatures can also be a problem. My rule of thumb is that if Jack looks lethargic in the backyard, it’s too hot to take him for a run – he’s better off resting in the shade (or inside) than risking his life running in the heat. On runs when it’s cooler, I still make sure to get him a swim or drink on a regular basis- usually every 2-3 miles. We have the advantage of living near a river, so usually I’ll plan a route to include a swim stop, which is a great way to keep him cool. I also make mental notes of roadside stream locations for drinks – a cool, hydrated dog will make a much better, and healthier, running partner than a hot, dehydrated one.

According to an article titled “Train With Your Dog” from Runner’s World, signs that your dog might be overheating include “slowing down, an extremely lolling tongue, possible foaming at the mouth and glazed eyes. The dog may become weak and wobbly or even collapse.” Should your dog appear to be overheating, don’t push it, and try to cool him/her down immediately. Submerging the dog in water is a frequently cited suggestion for cooling a dog down, and if a water body is not nearby, pouring water on the dog’s abdomen is another (it’s always a good idea to carry water when running with a dog).

On the other side of the temperature spectrum, dogs are great cold-weather runners. Jack is a completely different dog in the winter, and he seems like he could run forever up here in frosty New Hampshire. One of his favorite activities in winter is to go snowshoeing through the woods with me – he gets to go off-leash and bounding through snow-drifts is pure doggy joy!

Image via Wikipedia

7. Always leash your dog when near roads. It took me a while to train Jack to run by my side (he was a major puller when we first started), but even now that he does, he’ll still try to bolt at the site of a cat or squirrel (it’s his instinct as a retriever). If he was off-leash, I’m certain that he would not look both ways to see if there were any cars in the road. I’d much rather deal with a sore shoulder as I reel him in than an encounter with a car, so leashing is a must when we run near roads.

Once we hit the trails, I’ll usually let him run free. He’s pretty good about not bothering people on the trail, and he will only briefly stop to greet other dogs that he encounters (we use a major dog-walking trail near my house, and most of the dogs we encounter are also off-leash). I think that run-walking is more of the natural mode for dogs, and when off-leash Jack will bound off down the trail and then either wait for me to catch up or trot back until he’s by my side – he loves it, and I like to give him the freedom of being off-leash as long as he is well behaved.

8. Last but not least, dogs need exercise. I’ll probably add to this post as more ideas come to me, but I really want to emphasize that an exercised dog is a happy dog. The joy that my Jack derives from running is obvious, and his excitement when he sees me putting on my running shoes is one of my greatest sources of motivation for getting out the door when I don’t feel like running. Just like in humans, obesity is extremely unhealthy for a dog, and walking or jogging with your pet is one of the best ways to keep them healthy. I also feel bad for the dogs we occasionally pass while running that are chained to poles by short leashes, or penned in small chain-link cages. Dogs are meant to be free and run, so do yourself and your dog a favor by becoming a dog runner!

Below are a few of the helpful sources of information I found while researching this post:

Train With Your Dog: See Spot Run. See Dick run. See Jane run, too. What fun they’re having. By Renee Despres (Runner’s World)
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-369-370–11951-0,00.html

Running With Your Best Friend, by JulieAnne White (SlowTwitch.com)
http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/coachcorn/rundogs.html

Running with the Dogs, by Runner Susan (the CompleteRunning Blog Network)
http://completerunning.com/archives/2006/12/11/running-with-the-dogs/

Running with dogs, by Paul Gains (Dogs in Canada)
http://www.dogsincanada.com/running-with-dogs

Safety Tips for Running with Your Dog (Run the Planet)
http://www.runtheplanet.com/trainingracing/training/dogs/dogrun.asp

Running and Jogging with Your Dog, by Alex Lieber (PetPlace.com)
http://www.petplace.com/dogs/running-and-jogging-with-your-dog/page1.aspx

Running With Your Best Friend, by JulieAnne White (Slowtwitch.com)
http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/coachcorn/rundogs.html

I plan to update this post in the future as I gather more information on running with dogs. In the meantime, if you have any tips or thoughts about dog running that you’d like to add, please leave a comment.

“The gist of the idea is that people change their behavior—often for the better—when they are being observed (which is why it’s sometimes called the observer effect)…

…When you lace up your running shoes outfitted with the Nike+ sensor and fire up your iPod, you’re both the researcher and the subject—a self-contained experimental system. And what you’re likely to find is that the Hawthorne effect kicks in. You’re actively observing yourself, and just that fact not only provides information you can act on but also may modify your behavior. That’s the power of Living by Numbers.”

After reading this, I got to thinking about how Nike+ and my Garmin Forerunner 205 were both integral to my development as a runner over the past 2 years, and how the ability to collect real-time data on my runs appeals to my inner stats-geek. Being able to record my run data helps a great deal, and viewing my Garmin data in Sportracks lets me know exactly when I’ve been slacking off, and can provide a much needed slap in the face to get me back on track. In a strange way, my Garmin acts as an outside observer, and it keeps me honest (and I’m not unique in this – several people on Dailymile.com have gone so far as to name their Garmins).

Even moreso than my Garmin 205, I have found that the running communities on Twitter and Dailymile have been incredibly supportive and motivating, and they keep me going as well. I actually feel guilty when I take a day off and don’t have anything to post on my Dailymile training log – it’s sad, I know. For me, the mutual support provided by the on-line running community was a totally unexpected benefit of social networking, and it has become my primary reason for using these outlets lately.

To end, I have to agree with McClusky’s idea that the Hawthorne Effect is a powerful motivator, and it applies to running and exercise perfectly. Technology and the internet, long viewed as killers of activity and promoters of laziness, have in my case at least had the opposite effect. As long as I know someone is keeping tabs on me, whether it be the device on my wrist or running friends in cyberspace, I’ll keep logging in the miles.

If you haven’t already seen it, you can read “The Nike Experiment: How the Shoe Giant Unleashed the Power of Personal Metrics,” by Mark McClusky, on the Wired Website by clicking here.

1. The saying that a marathon is “equal parts mental and physical” is 100% true.

2. The final 6.2 miles of a marathon will test you in ways you have never been tested before.

3. Proper fueling and hydration during a marathon are critical. I recovered much more quickly after my second marathon, during which I ate the equivalent of 6+ gel packets.

4. Gel is a lot more palatable when watered down a bit in a gel bottle. I carried two small gel bottles in my second marathon, and they worked great (one was a $0.99 travel shampoo bottle from Target, the other was this nutrition flask from Nathan).

5. It’s best to fuel early and often, because, at least for me, the thought of eating anything sugary during the last ten miles or so makes me nauseous.

6. It’s ok to walk to recuperate some energy, just be careful because once you do it, the temptation to continue walking can be hard to overcome.

7. Thinking about your post-race meal can be a great incentive to keep moving. I think about ice cream and pizza frequently when times get tough during the second half.

8. It sounds silly, but having a mantra to repeat to yourself can really help when you start to hurt. Repeat your kids names to yourself, or come up with some other motivational phrase, and repeat it in your head when you need a boost.

9. Adrenaline will force you to want to start out fast – resist the urge at all costs – you have a long race in front of you!

10. Train properly and sufficiently – you can’t skimp on training when it comes to running a marathon. At least one 20+ mile training run prior to the actual race is essential.

11. Eat a lot in the days leading up to the race – don’t worry about gaining weight. You will burn >3000 calories during the race, so it’s ok to splurge a bit and top off your glycogen stores.

12. While eating like crazy, don’t experiment with anything new the day before the race. Stick with things you know won’t cause you bowel troubles.

13. Don’t overhydrate immediately before the race starts or you’ll need a pit-stop shortly after you start running (around mile 5 of my last marathon, I saw a line of about 15 guys peeing along a fence). If you hydrate well the day and night before, and drink regularly once you start running, you should be fine.

14. Bodyglide anti-chafing lubricant is a lifesaver for marathon runners. Use it extensively or you may bleed from places you never thought could bleed!!!

15. Have fun and force yourself to smile from time to time when you are running the race. It’s amazing what a pick-me-up a smile can be! Even if you’re hurting, remember why you love running!

That’s it for now – I’ll probably add to this as more things pop into my head, but the most important point of all is that running a marathon is hard, but it should be enjoyable – prepare properly and it will be an unforgettable experience!

If you have any marathoning tips of your own, feel free to leave them in the “Comments” section below.

“Run a marathon, not for the purpose of bragging to others that you did, but to prove to yourself that you can.”

After hearing this line, I got to thinking about what running a marathon meant to me, and why everybody deserves the experience of running and completing one. As Steve so eloquently puts it, completing a marathon is not something you should do for bragging rights. Sure, becoming a marathoner puts you in a club that few people on this planet belong to, but that’s really not what makes the experience so special. The reason why completing a marathon matters to me lies in the challenge of overcoming adversity, of confronting something so seemingly impossible and pushing through to the finishline. Completing a marathon is special because of what it means to you, and not what it says about you to anyone else.

For those of us with no chance of ever winning a 26.2 mile race, why do we put ourselves through the pain and mental anguish of such an undertaking. And lets be honest, the pain doesn’t just come from the race itself – training for a marathon involves significant dedication and self-discipline. Who in their right mind forces themself out of the house for a lonely 20-mile run on a weekend morning for the sole purpose of being able to run 6.2 miles longer than that on race day? Are we crazy? Why do we subject our bodies to this? Aren’t there better things we could be doing with our time? I would argue no on all counts, and I’ll try to explain why.

If you want to read the story of how I became a runner and marathoner, you can read this post, but I want to talk a bit more philosophically here about why running a marathon was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I look at it this way – there are few moments in your life that become so etched into your brain that you can recall them like they happened yesterday. My wedding day and the births of each of my kids fall squarely in this category. This is also what running the Vermont City Marathon last year was like for me. I can still recall almost every single moment of that race in vivid detail, and that tells me that it affected me deeply. I shed a tear at the starting line simply thinking about all of the work that had gotten me to that point. I shared stories with fellow runners before and during the race, and the support I received from total strangers was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. Most importantly, however, I learned a lot about myself. I learned that I was capable of doing something that just a year or so beforehand I would have deemed impossible. I had never run more than 3 miles at once, and the idea of running 26.2 in one go seemed absurd. Well, here I am 2 years later ready to tackle marathon #2 in just a few weeks time, and I’m quite sure that this habit is here to stay.

Running a marathon changed me in some fundamental way that I can’t really explain. It’s now not so much something that I want to do, but rather something that I have to do. I need to revisit that feeling of pushing myself the mental and physical brink, and to see myself push successfully through. It’s not that I enjoy the pain in some masochistic way, but rather that I can prove to myself that I can take whatever the marathon dishes out. The last 6-10 miles of a marthon are a true test of human perserverance and mental fortitude, and they really show you what you’re made of.

So, if you’re reading this and thinking, even in the way back corner of your mind, that you might want to run a marathon, I’m living proof that you can succeed. You should do it, and you absolutely can do it. With proper training and dedication, I’m convinced that anybody can complete a marathon. I guarantee that if you do join the club, you will agree that it was well worth the effort.

I’ll finish with a second quote from Steve Runner’s Phedippidations Episode 184 that really sums up this post:

“If you’ve never run a marathon, don’t ask us why we do, let us ask you why you have not.”

Two years ago I would have come up with any number of reasons why I had not. Today however, I have run one, and I’m pretty sure that I know why I will continue to do so. My hope is that you will put on your shoes and join the club.

Happy Running!

Update 5/6/09: Need further proof that anyone can run and complete a marathon? Want to feel the emotion at the finish-line as average people do the impossible? Click here to watch a high-quality stream of the PBS NOVA Marathon Challenge documentary free and in its entirety on YouTube.

Image via Wikipedia

I officially mark May 2007 as the date when I started running. When I say running, I mean really running, not just jogging a few miles here or there when I felt like it. May 2007 is when I began to really call myself a runner, when I began a habit that sticks with me to this day, and has become such an integral part of my life that I couldn’t imagine living without it. Prior to this time, running was for me, as the saying at the beginning of this article alludes to, like a form of self-punishment. I did it because it was supposed to be good for me, or because some coach at some time ordered me to do it during some practice – I did not, however, enjoy running. That all began to change for me when I began to gain weight after the birth of my two kids. I realized that I was now in my 30’s, and if I was going to take control of my health, I needed to start getting serious about exercise. This brings me to my first tip:

Tip #1 – Find a Source of Motivation
For me, having children was the primary impetus for beginning my running habit. I wanted to get my health back under control, and I wanted to be able to keep up with two little kids as they grew up and became even more active. To this day, one of my main motivations for running is to set a good example about the importance of exercise for them. A secondary source of motivation was entirely personal – I wanted to lose some weight. It turns out that I lost about 15 pounds during my first six months as a runner, and that was strong motivation to keep going.

If you don’t have kids, and your weight is not a problem, motivation can still be found in other areas. My next tip for beginning runners details one of the things that really helped to keep me going at the beginning of my running life:

Tip #2 – Sign Up for a Road Race
I’m extremely competitive with myself, and one of the things that initially got me running was a deal that my wife and I made to sign up for and run a 4-mile road race on the 4th of July, 2007. When I signed up for the race, I had never run more than about three miles in one go, and four miles seemed like an astronomical increase over that. Signing up for the race and paying money to reserve my spot gave me a goal to train for, and because I’m not a quitter, there was no way I was going to back out. If you’re even the slightest bit competitive (even if just with yourself), signing up for a local 5k is probably one of the best things you can do to motivate yourself to keep running. For me, racing hooked me in a way I never would have anticipated, and running races is one of my prime motivators for training to this day. It also introduced me to a whole “running world” that I didn’t even know existed. In every town there are like-minded people who run crazy distances simply for the fun of it. These people are among the most open and friendly people I have met, and their enthusiasm for running can be infectious. If you want to gain entry into this little slice of the world, start by going to some road races – I guarantee that you won’t regret it. For help finding local road races, check out the race schedules at the Cool Running website.

So lets now assume that you have some source of motivation to get you off of the couch and onto the road or trail. What follows are the lessons I learned from personal experience that I think are the most important to pass on to a beginner who has made the decision to start running.

Tip#3 – Get Appropriate Running Shoes
I can’t emphasize enough how important this tip is. When I say “appropriate” running shoes, this doesn’t mean to head to your local sporting goods store to pick out the coolest shoe in the “running” section. What most people don’t realize is that each of us has a particular type of running gait. The way our legs move, the way our feet hit the ground – each of us is a little bit different. When it comes to running shoes, you want to be sure that you find a pair of shoes that is suitable for your particular gait. How do you do this? The best way is to go to a specialty running store where they will analyze your gait (usually for free) and let you try out a few pairs of shoes by running around the block. Any good running store will do this, and getting the right pair of shoes for your body and gait type will go a long way toward making your transition into running go more smoothly. It will also to help minimize any chance of injury that might arise from making an uniformed choice of the wrong shoe simply because you like the way it looks. Finding the best shoe for you can take some trial-and-error, but it is well-worth the effort.

Tip #4 – Start Slow and Run Short
When you first start running, it is best to begin by running slowly for relatively short distances. Running will be a lot more enjoyable if you don’t overdo it to the point where it becomes hard and starts to hurt. So, consciously and repeatedly tell yourself to slow down. If you need to walk, do it. When you’re out on the road by yourself, nobody is going to care if you take a walk break, and if this helps you to keep running, then it’s worth it to do so. For me, when I used to run sporadically before May 2007, I felt like I wasn’t getting any benefit unless I pushed myself to the limit. This made running unpleasant, and explains in large part why the habit never clicked. By approaching my development as a runner this time around as a long-term process, it became enjoyable, and I eventually got to the point where running harder and longer was a joy rather than a chore. I found that every increase in run distance was a new milestone, and triggered a desire to go even farther. This culminated in my decision to run a marathon in May 2008, one year after I began running, and that was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

Tip #5 – Track Your Effort
If you need help tracking your effort, purchase a heart-rate monitor or a running computer. For beginning runners who own an Ipod Nano, the Nike+ system is a good choice. It’s cheap (<$30), it provides feedback on how far and fast you are running, and it interfaces with an on-line community that can be a great source of support and motivation. If you love data and want more accuracy, look at the Garmin Forerunner series of GPS wristwatches. The latter are more expensive, but they’ll tell you exactly how far you have gone, they provide accurate, real-time pacing data, and the data collected is analyzable in a variety of downloadable software packages (and GPS route maps are really cool…).

Tip #6 – Eat and Drink Appropriately
This probably goes without saying, but fueling and hydrating properly for your runs is critical. If you eat something (even just a Powerbar or similar product) an hour or so before you run, and hydrate well, your runs will be much more pleasant. Starving yourself to lose weight while running is counterproductive and should be avoided at all costs. Your body needs fuel to power your muscles on the run, and it needs fuel to repair any damage that occurs after you run. If you deprive yourself of fuel, your desire to run will fizzle away. One additional note about hydrating – if you run in the summer or in a hot area of the country, be wary of your hydration level. When it’s really hot I generally carry water with me. Sometimes I carry it in hand, sometimes I use a water belt like this, and for longer runs I use a Camelbak hydration pack. Dehydration can be dangerous, and is easily avoided with proper preparation.

Tip #7 – Find Someting to Pass the Time
Some running purists prefer to avoid all electronic devices while running. I however, am a gadget freak, and can’t bear to run without my Ipod Nano attached to my arm (except during races – for that I go without). Listening to good music on a hard run can be incredibly motivational, and there are times when music alone can pull me through a tough patch. For long runs or slower, easier runs I like to download podcasts from Itunes or audiobooks from my local library’s digital audiobook download site. Most library’s offer these digital donwloads now, and although MP3 player compatibility can be an issue at times, there are ways to overcome this and downloads are typically free with a library card. Listening to audiobooks on the run has opened up a whole new world of options for me, and there are times when I’m so engrossed in what I’m listening to while running that it feels almost effortless.

Tip #8 – Run with a Partner
I tend to run solo or with my dog (who is a great running companion by the way), but many runners thrive on running with friends/family/co-workers. Having a partner helps to pass the time, conversation on the run generally forces you to slow down, and having a partner to keep you honest helps to prevent lapses in dedication to the sport.

Tip #9 – Join a Running Club
Most towns/regions support local running clubs. Generally, these clubs cater to people of all levels and abilities, and joining one can be a great source of motivation. Meeting other local runners provides an avenue for learning about new running routes in your area, and they can be rich source of information and advice for beginning runners. Check out the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) for information on finding a local club in your area.

Tip #10 – Join an On-Line Running Forum
On-line forums are a great place to find information and advice on running. There are tons of running forums out there, so finding one to your liking should not be hard. A few examples are the Runner’s World Magazine Forums, the dailymile.com Forums, the Runner+ Forums, and the Cool Running Community Forums. Even if you aren’t an active contributor, reading through the collective knowledge on these forum sites can be incredibly beneficial.

I could probably go on-and-on with tips like those presented here, but I’ll cut it off at 10 for now. Probably the most important pieces of advice I can give to beginning runners are to stick with it and to have fun. As your running progresses, you’ll begin to experience both physical and mental changes that you might never have expected. Running improves the health of your body, but it also can change your mind (it’s a great stress reducer for one thing), and once you’re hooked, there’s no turning back.

Happy running!