A Fart What???

Now that everyone is inspired by the New Year to start running, most people wonder where to start....
Do I just go out there and run as hard as I can until I pass out?? ummm no.

There are a few great ways to start the ever simple sport of running. You can build yourself up by doing a program like the C25K (couch to 5K). Where you simply alternate walking and jogging until you build your jogging distance up to 3.1 miles.
I didn't know about the C5K until I was already into running a few miles, so my trick was just whenever I started getting tired, I would try to finish out the song on my ipod until I rested or until the end of a certain block -pick a point to make it to before resting. After a while, you are going farther and farther each time until you need to rest.

After you can easily hammer out 3 miles is when you start wondering what else you can do to improve. If you hang out with runners long enough, you will hear them talk about fartleks and tempo runs. Here is a little break down on what those are:

Fartlek-
warm up -brisk walk 3 min
run-1 mile average pace
rest set- 3 min at slow jog
work set- 30 seconds at fast pace
rest set - 3 min at slow jog
keep repeating 3 min/30 sec intervals until you reach 20-25  min
run -1 mile average pace
cool down-slowly jog for 5 minutes
Tempo Run-
1 mile easy running
2-4 miles harder running (10 seconds slower than 10K pace)
1 mile easy running

Happy Running!                  ~Becky

why we cross train and why you should too and how to have fun with it

When I first started running, running was the goal. I thought the best way to get better at running was to keep running. Run harder. Run faster. Run longer. Light run day.

Hmmm. That works up to a point.

You develop a relationship with running. You like it, it's an attractive idea. You start to get to know it better. You spend more time with it. You invest in it. You start loving it. It loves you back. It shapes up your body, gives you confidence, makes you stronger.

But then you start falling out of love. It happens. But rather than fix the relationship, you start to let it go. It becomes an obligation. More like a lunchtime appointment with your dentist than a lunch rendezvous with your lover.

You don't fight with running. It doesn't call you to ask where you've been and what's wrong. You just start ignorning it.

One day you're sick of your iPod music, your shoes are no longer comfy, your route is boring and you just feel like you NEED to watch just one more episode of Jersey Shore and then, oh darn, it's dark out, too late to go running. All those things that were attractive- alone time! - become the things that drive you crazy- alone time :(

Running is sad. Running wants you back.

Becky and I have immensely different approaches when it comes to running. First of all, she does love running more than I do and Becky is better about getting in her small runs than I am. Me, I run about twice a week. One short day for speedwork. One long day. That's it.

I don't know of many other marathoners who would tell you they only run twice a week.

The reason I do it that way is because we also do a lot of cross training. Cross training offers so many benefits and I'm just going to highlight a few:

1)-- Boredom buster! when you're tired of hitting the asphalt, take a cruise on your bike. Or roller blades. Or work on upper body strength. Or take a class. You have so many options! You don't HAVE to do a Wednesday night 3 miler. You CAN take a boot camp class or yoga. You won't lose your conditioning if you decide to ride bike for 30 minutes instead of running for 30 minutes. When you don't want to go running because it seems like a boring idea, ask yourself what kind of training you'd like to do instead and by all means, go do it!

2) Tendons and Ligaments-connective tissue are the most prone to damage due to repetitive motion. Matthew Fitzgerald (sports nutrionist and writer for Competitor) explains it like this:

Tightness in certain muscles and tendons also contributes to some running injuries. For example, runners who develop iliotibial (IT) band friction syndrome typically have tight IT bands. Stretching can loosen tight connective tissues and thereby prevent such injuries.

Finally, by replacing one or two weekly recovery runs with easy workouts in non-impact modalities such as bicycling and pool running you can reduce the amount of repetitive impact your lower extremities are subjected to and in this way reduce injuries (without sacrificing fitness). Impact forces are the true origin of nearly every running injury.

Everytime one of us starts feeling a bothersome knee or shin or hip, we tell each other "ride bike for a week! Strength train! Squats and Lunges!"

3) Love of Power-- stronger muscles= stronger running. Leaner body = lighter running. Plyometrics = burst in muscles = greater stride = faster running.

4) Balance-- runners are notorious for over developing, under balancing their muscle groups. Quads get stronger while hamstrings pull tighter and are set up for injury. (Hint: Squats and Lunges!) Upper body training gets neglected and weakens, resulting in poor running form. Strength and yoga can help relieve some of the tension of overdeveloped, underbalanced muscles. This will help prevent injury and smooth out your running profile. Becky loves Power Pilates for strength training. There are so many classes, DVDs, youtube videos to check out!

5)Anaerobic threshold-- anaerobic means "out of oxygen." Technically, it's the point before you reach homeostasis, that is, your muscles getting the required amount of oxygen to perform the elevated work. You know that feeling where you're huffing and puffing trying to catch your breath and your heart is racing and it feels like your lungs are going to implode but maybe you're going to vomit first? That's your anaerobic threshold. The point where you're pushing your body to that feeling- the hard working out of breath feeling- can be pushed further and further out as you build up a tolerance and your muscles-- including your heart and lungs-- learn to work more efficiently. Runners will tell you it takes a little while for them to "get their rhythm"-- they are referring to that pace where the stride and the breathing completely mellow out and fall in sync. The further away your anaerobic threshold is, the sooner you'll hit your stride. Cross training efforts in swimming or aerobics classes like kickboxing will challenge your heart and lungs, making them stronger and more efficient, thus, pushing your anaerobic threshold further and further away.

6) Engaged-- you know how taking the afternoon coffee break helps you come back to the last few hours of work with a little more patience and focus? You know how taking a break from your family makes you miss them and come back with more love? You know how taking a break from Facebook makes you more productive in your daily activities?.... my point is, when you take a break from running, you will become more engaged with other things in your life and then you will come back to running more focused and ready to engage in running. Sometimes, you just need a mental break. If you would consider taking a "mental health break" from work, consider that you may need to take a "mental health break" from running every now and then. A few summers ago we trained for a triathalon. (Well, Becky and our friend Jodi V. trained for the Triathalon. I hate swimming.) So we took our bikes out for looooonng summery bike rides! What a refreshing change of pace. Coasting downhill with the wind in your hair makes you feel like a kid again, with a huge smile on your face!

Cross-training will give you a whole new set of skills. Consider that it will break you from your routine and shake things up a bit. You'll train your body and your mind to work more efficiently and more balanced, you'll reengage your love for running. Chances are, you'll even meet some new friends who can share their advice in swimming or boxing or cycling.

Get out there and have fun with it. Find a new adventure. Don't be afraid of the weights. Make some new friends at the swimming pool!

Happy Cross Training!
~Jen

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Jen is a certified NETA fitness instructor, and also used resources and publications from the internet, like http://www.running.competitor.com/ and also http://www.ultrarunning.com/

greater than myself

If you ask a runner why they run, there will be a different answer for every day, for every type of run, for every mood.

Crazy Running Chicks--- me, you, your friends, your teammates--- we juggle so many, many things in our lives and somehow, in the middle of our chaotic worlds, running still makes sense of it all.

Very often, the races we participate in help to fundraise for one organization or another: Susan G. Komen. Alzheimer's Association. American Red Cross.

But in 2012, my closest favorite Crazy Running Chicks each chose a purpose, a mission, if you will, for which they will be running.

Their calling, their stories, I want to share with you. 

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I've always ran for myself. It’s my time to escape the world. I do it for my physical health and my mental sanity, among a million other things. But, in 2012 I want to start running for a cause greater than myself. I have chosen to raise funds for pediatric cancer.

In June 2009 our nephew Clayton was diagnosed with Medullablastoma (a type of cancer caused by a tumor in his head). After removal of the tumor, he went through 6 weeks of radiation and 6 months of chemotherapy. After a courageous battle, he went to be with our Lord on July 29, 2010. He was six.

I want to run in memory of Clayton, but also for all of the children sitting in hospital beds around the world. Children, who are unable to run, play and just be free. When I run, I feel free. I pray that all those kids can feel that way again or even for the first time in their lives. I am so blessed that the Lord has given me the ability to run. He has blessed me with this strong, healthy body. If I can use it to bless someone else in any way, then you better believe I am going to try.

46 children are diagnosed with cancer every day. Brain cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in children. Over 3,000 children die from cancer each year. Cancer kills more children than all other diseases combined!

“They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

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Kathy Lentz has participated in the Fargo Half Marathon, the Bismarck Marathon, and the Mickelson Trail Marathon Relay among many other races. She has already signed up for the Fargo Marathon 2012. To support her cause and to fight the war against childhood cancer, please visit http://www.peopleagainstchildhoodcancer.org/ and http://www.stjude.org/

"Little Black Shorts"

"I think Little Black Shorts are sexier than Little Black Dresses."

I wrote this in a journal to myself last summer. I came across it again today and it put a big smile on my face.

I remember the day I wrote it and the way I felt.

I don't normally wear shorts. I mean, there's only like a month of opportunity that it's hot enough to wear shorts in the first place (North Dakota, people. I live in NORTH DAKOTA.).

But that day was already warming up by the time we headed out. I was wearing black running shorts, my turqoise race tank (the one in ALL the pictures) and we only did 12 miles that day (only). It was the longest I had run again since Grandma's Marathon and that crazy runner high had kicked in. 12 miles is actually my ideal training run. About two hours, cover some great distance on gorgeous back country roads, good visit with friends,waking up the deer in the fields and the pheasant in the brush, and still home before the littles are even rising and shining. In fact, on a summer Sunday morning, we're pretty much out and back before ANYONE is up rising and shining.

I had just come home, to a quiet house. The morning sun was shining through the kitchen windows and I had thrown on a loose, comfy t-shirt. And I kept catching a glimpse of myself in one mirror or another as I was moving about the house.

I had a HUGE smile on my face, my hair was still in a neat braid, my cheeks were rosy. And I was happy. Accomplished. Proud. Hard working. Satisfied. Peaceful. Content. Full.

And apparently, decided that I even felt sexier in those sweaty Sunday morning running shorts than all dolled up in a little black dress.

Think about that the next time you're throwing on shorts and lacing up shoes and headed out. Because I think anyone out there putting one foot in front of the other, working towards their goals, letting go of the stress, building yourself up... is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!

Little black running shorts are way sexier than little black dresses!

~Jen

Motivator-- Track your miles

I know when you're pounding away on the treadmill or just trying to squeeze in a run during the 20 minutes you have between chauferring little people to after school activities, you sometimes wonder if it's really worth it. You're asking yourself if you REALLY feel like putting in a two-miler or watching a rerun of Big Bang Theory.

But the correct answer is that even those small runs are SOOOOO WORTH IT!!!!

First, those short runs are your building blocks. You tend to run those short runs quicker, pushing out your anaerobic threshold and also building up those tendons and ligaments.

Second, they just keep adding up, making you a tougher runner.

Two years ago, I was struggling just to get to finish two miles without stopping. Yes, two years ago I could barely get my two miles done in under 20 minutes.

But they built the foundation. You run two miles, you move up to three. You run three miles you're doing 5Ks. You run a 5K, you build up to the 10K. One day you realize you just ran 8 miles and it didn't kill you and you keep going from there. Or you stick to the 5Ks but you do one after another and you're still running faster than you ever thought possible.

There are tons of apps that will use your phone's GPS to track your miles. You can invest in a pedometer (make sure you get a RUNNING pedometer, not a walking pedometer). You can use a site like RunKeeper or Daily Mile to plot your running course or add up those treadmill miles.

If you want some extra motivation, here's a few fun ways to make those miles add up AND reward yourself:

1- Run to your favorite vacation spot! go to googlemaps or mapquest and plot the distance from your front door to your getaway. For instance, Dickinson, ND to New Orleans, LA is 1743 miles.Then, day by day, week by week, run those miles off around your neighborhood or on that treadmill until you've run the complete distance. Once that's accomplished, reward yourself with a trip to the vacation you've definitely earned!
where's your favorite spot?


2- Pay yourself to workout. For every mile you run, give yourself a dollar. Set a goal for a splurge item-- 7forallmankind jeans to show off that new, smaller booty or some fabulous heels to show off those sculpted calves. Ran 2 miles a day almost every day for two months? That's $200 to reward yourself!

am I really the only one who wishes they gave away Louboutins instead of medals at the finish line?



3- Pay it forward with friends. Keep a jar at work and ask your friends and coworkers to pay up every mile that they run/walk. Whether their budget is 25 cents or a buck a mile, pile it up! At the end of the month, donate the cash to a favorite charity-- like St. Jude's Hospital, in honor of the kids who are living in hospital beds and can't get up and run around. (If you're really into friendly competition, you can even reward the person who collected the most miles with half the cash).



However you chose to add it up, just remember that it does add up! Maybe your goal is a 5K, maybe you're looking to do your first half marathon, or maybe you're a marathon maniac. Ultimately, a mile is a mile!

Make it count!

Happy Running
~Jen and Becky

the end of the holidays-- the start of your running goals!

It's that day-- the second of January-- where you feel the blues from putting away all of the sparkly Christmas magic and you felt super motivated yesterday because it was the start of a brand new year and everyone's Facebook status was all mushy and inspiring-- but today, you're just back to your normal existence, trying to decide between doing something about those New Year's Resolutions or just having  Eloise/Twilight movie marathons.

(Just GUESS which one I'm doing at my house RIGHT NOW!)

Or maybe you're back at work wishing you had just a little leftover spiked eggnog.

Whatever it is, lemme say that since you're getting back to normal, it's time for a new normal-- start making those resolutions/goals part of your everyday focus!

So just a quick little plug or two:

Fargo Marathon!! May 19th!!! No lie, we have highs in the 50s this week. In January. In North Dakota. What global warming?? The winds are a little discouraging but the training weather has been just lovely! Becky, Glenda, Kathy, and I are all looking forward to the Fargo Marathon, and a little worried that our winter, on delay it seems, might make for an interesting marathon. We'll see! But it's on the books. The Fargo Marathon is ranked as one of the top 10 Marathons in the US for crowd support, clean city, value for the money. I participated in it last year as part of a relay team and it was a pretty good marathon. I didn't like the running round and round through neighborhoods but I did think it was pretty neat that we saw familiar faces all along the route.

Missoula Marathon-- thinking about this one. 3300 feet elevation, though. We'll see.

Estes Park Marathon-- this is on Becky's list. She said she's "racing" the Fargo Marathon and just "enjoying" the EP marathon. Small marathon and the elevation on this one will be tricky but I can't wait to see her pictures, should be BEAUTIFUL!

Couch to 5K program-- if you are thinking about starting to run, in any capacity, this is a free program I recommend to EVERYONE because everyone who has used it loved it!

Rock my Run-- if you love music to run to, they have something for everyone. I've been into the DubStep mixes, check them out. I've found myself going through an entire 50 minute playlist and not even realizing it was 50 minutes already!

And if you are starting to run, let me tell you what every runner knows: the first step out the door is the hardest. Even for those of us who absolutely love it. And after that, the first mile is the next hardest. It takes a while for your body to reach homeostasis-- that balance between the oxygen required and the oxygen you're getting-- so that awful huffing and puffing and chugging you're doing? totally normal. Stick with it. You can do this.

Happy New Year everyone, make it a great one!
~Jen

WHAT'S WRONG WITH WATER??

The 2 sole reasons for obesity in America is fastfood and pop. Seriously people, what's wrong with water? If one person can tell me one health benefit to drinking pop, I might not feel so strongly about this....but no one can. Beer and wine are even better for you than pop (in moderation folks).

I have been having this dilemma at work. I am on the Wellness Committee which promotes healthy eating and a healthier lifestyle. I send out random e-mails to inspire people to take care of their mind, body, and souls. The thing is- no one cares. Our whole employee fridge is filled with pop, chips, and candy bars. Seriously, no one should wonder why they are overweight and unhealthy when that's what they snack on all day. I really wish people would take better care of themselves. It's not that hard.

So please someone -put the Mountain Dew down, and have a glass of water -for me, for your kids, for your teeth.

.............And I'm off my soap box!