Well, its hard to believe that January is here and gone. The Spring Teams for the Northern NJ Chapter of Team in Training have now been training for two full months and everyone is doing great. Every week new mileage milestones are being achieved and its easy to remember back to the days when I was the one hitting those new levels.
That is one of the reasons I love running and try and encourage as many people as I can to give it a try...in what other sport can you enter a race as a new participant and run the same course as world class athletes? We all want to run as fast as we can and get better with each run and race....but in reality we are only out there running against ourselves...face it none of us is likely to win an Olympic Gold medal or the $130,000.00 first prize in NYC or Boston....its all about reaching that new goal...a new PR in a 5K.....running a double digit training run...finishing a half or full marathon.
Happy Trails...its a beautiful day for a run
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Wednesday Wanderings
Fighting a cold off since Saturday night, it seems to be moving around...sore throat, runny nose and now head full of congestion. Ran 6 miles last night and made it through without too much trouble. Testing the conventional wisdom that says you can run as long as the illness is "above the shoulders". Certainly agree that it is much tougher to run when you chest is tight or you can't breathe but a nose full of congestion does not help your breathing either. It does feel good to breathe the fresh air so I guess the positives outweigh the negatives ...at least for me.
Happy running today but watch those 50 mph winds!!!
Happy running today but watch those 50 mph winds!!!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Running Safety
Hi all,
I hate the fact that I am writing this at all but it is unfortunately necessary. I am writing to everyone but this message is directed more specifically to all the women. I just read a thread on a website about a woman being assaulted while running. It would be very easy to just ignore it and quietly hope that nothing ever happens to anyone I know.....BUT the Ostrich Defense does not work in any area of life.
So what can you do to make your runs as safe as possible??? And be forwarned I am NOT an expert and please feel free to add your own tips and pass them on.
1. Tell someone when and where you are going...how long should you be gone (and explain that they must give you some leeway and not call the police, 45 seconds after you exceed the anticipated time), what route are you taking, what you are wearing (if you are letting someone know that is not visible to you). Write down or leave word of the direction of your run. Tell friends and family of your favorite running routes.
2. Cell phone - in Winter it is alot easier to carry a phone than in summer when you are just wearing a pair of shorts and a short sleeve shirt but when running alone it can be invaluable. Since you will likely need to use it quickly, enter 911 into your address book and label it as "AAAA" so its the first number in your phone and add "ICE " ( In Case of Emergency) numbers so if something happens emergency personnel have contact numbers (Tom, can probably expand on this)
3. Get a ROAD ID, there are ads for them in all of the running/cycling etc magazines...provides emergency info in case you can not respond to emergency personnel, also can go online at www.roadid.com
4. No Headphones - many of you enjoy running to your IPod music and it certainly makes the miels float away faster sometimes....But when running alone you MUST have ALL SENSES fully aware...too easy for someone to run up behind you if you are focused on the music
5. Carry keys- carry them in you hand with the business end between your fingers so if someone attacks you you can stab at their face and/or eyes and possibly stun them enough that you can get away.....mace is another possibility but I will leave that discussion for Tom to add his thoughts. In case you do not know Coach Tom, is a Police Officer and a US Marine ( not former because once a Marine always a Marine)
6. Be Aware!!!! Be aware of your surroundings, if someone seems to be acting strangely better to be safe than sorry....if a situation escalates run into a store, to someone's front door, YELL, scream, make a commotion so you attract other people's attention. Carry a whistle and blow it loud!!!!!
Trust your intuition about a person or an area. React on your intuition and avoid a person or situation if you're unsure. If something tells you a situation is not "right", it isn't.
7. Change Your Routine. We all have our favorite running routes and many of us run at the same time of day every day week in and week out. Change up routes don't run the same 5 mile loop every morning at 6am. Do not be predictable so that someone can target you based on your routine. Besides being safer, you will add some variety to your running by exploring new routes and that will add a little spice to your running...we all get stagnant and a new run can refresh your running!!
8. Run with a partner. Run with a dog.
9. Avoid unpopulated areas, deserted streets, and overgrown trails. Especially avoid unlit areas, especially at night. Run clear of parked cars or bushes.
10. Ignore verbal harassment. Use discretion in acknowledging strangers. Look directly at others and be observant, but keep your distance and keep moving.
11 - Run against traffic so you can observe approaching automobiles.
12 - Wear reflective material if you must run before dawn or after dark.
13 - Practice memorizing license tags or identifying characteristics of strangers.14 - CALL POLICE IMMEDIATELY if something happens to you or someone else, or you notice anyone out of the ordinary. It is important to report incidents immediately.
I hate the fact that I am writing this at all but it is unfortunately necessary. I am writing to everyone but this message is directed more specifically to all the women. I just read a thread on a website about a woman being assaulted while running. It would be very easy to just ignore it and quietly hope that nothing ever happens to anyone I know.....BUT the Ostrich Defense does not work in any area of life.
So what can you do to make your runs as safe as possible??? And be forwarned I am NOT an expert and please feel free to add your own tips and pass them on.
1. Tell someone when and where you are going...how long should you be gone (and explain that they must give you some leeway and not call the police, 45 seconds after you exceed the anticipated time), what route are you taking, what you are wearing (if you are letting someone know that is not visible to you). Write down or leave word of the direction of your run. Tell friends and family of your favorite running routes.
2. Cell phone - in Winter it is alot easier to carry a phone than in summer when you are just wearing a pair of shorts and a short sleeve shirt but when running alone it can be invaluable. Since you will likely need to use it quickly, enter 911 into your address book and label it as "AAAA" so its the first number in your phone and add "ICE " ( In Case of Emergency) numbers so if something happens emergency personnel have contact numbers (Tom, can probably expand on this)
3. Get a ROAD ID, there are ads for them in all of the running/cycling etc magazines...provides emergency info in case you can not respond to emergency personnel, also can go online at www.roadid.com
4. No Headphones - many of you enjoy running to your IPod music and it certainly makes the miels float away faster sometimes....But when running alone you MUST have ALL SENSES fully aware...too easy for someone to run up behind you if you are focused on the music
5. Carry keys- carry them in you hand with the business end between your fingers so if someone attacks you you can stab at their face and/or eyes and possibly stun them enough that you can get away.....mace is another possibility but I will leave that discussion for Tom to add his thoughts. In case you do not know Coach Tom, is a Police Officer and a US Marine ( not former because once a Marine always a Marine)
6. Be Aware!!!! Be aware of your surroundings, if someone seems to be acting strangely better to be safe than sorry....if a situation escalates run into a store, to someone's front door, YELL, scream, make a commotion so you attract other people's attention. Carry a whistle and blow it loud!!!!!
Trust your intuition about a person or an area. React on your intuition and avoid a person or situation if you're unsure. If something tells you a situation is not "right", it isn't.
7. Change Your Routine. We all have our favorite running routes and many of us run at the same time of day every day week in and week out. Change up routes don't run the same 5 mile loop every morning at 6am. Do not be predictable so that someone can target you based on your routine. Besides being safer, you will add some variety to your running by exploring new routes and that will add a little spice to your running...we all get stagnant and a new run can refresh your running!!
8. Run with a partner. Run with a dog.
9. Avoid unpopulated areas, deserted streets, and overgrown trails. Especially avoid unlit areas, especially at night. Run clear of parked cars or bushes.
10. Ignore verbal harassment. Use discretion in acknowledging strangers. Look directly at others and be observant, but keep your distance and keep moving.
11 - Run against traffic so you can observe approaching automobiles.
12 - Wear reflective material if you must run before dawn or after dark.
13 - Practice memorizing license tags or identifying characteristics of strangers.14 - CALL POLICE IMMEDIATELY if something happens to you or someone else, or you notice anyone out of the ordinary. It is important to report incidents immediately.
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