VA Wine Country Half Marathon Race Review

Let’s just preface this review by saying I love wine. You know that scene in Anchorman where Ron Burgundy is drinking scotch? “I love scotch, scotchy scotch scotch. Here it goes down, down in my belly.” Yea, that’s me with wine. I will take wine over almost another form of alcohol, which makes me a terrible Brit. I’m sure my family will now disown me for choosing wine over warm beer, but I lived in France for a year, people! What do you expect? Although, living in France makes me a bad Brit too.  I need to go stand in queue or do something else incredibly British.

Now that we’re completely off-topic let’s talk about the Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon. I really, really, really wanted to love this race. It has wine in the name! What’s not to love? But I just could not do it. I did not like this race at all. Some of my issues were out of the race organizers’ control (sunny and 85 by 7AM?!), but many of the issues could easily have been avoided or remedied. Many, many runners seemed to share my views, so hopefully the race organizers will make some changes to next year’s race.

Packet Pick-Up and Expo

Packet pick-up was held at a country club in the area. Unfortunately, the location of packet pick-up within the building was not very well signed, so we parked approximately 3 million light years away.  We wended our way through the country club maze, quietly mocking all the country-club elitists, and finally made it packet pick-up. A friend had given me their bib for the race, so I went through the bib-transfer process, which fortunately, was quite painless. I was able to pick up my packet and shirt within 10 minutes.

The race expo was small and we arrived at the tail end of it so most of the vendors were packing up.

Swag

I loved the shirts. They had men’s and women’s sizes so I wasn’t swimming around in a unisex shirt. And it was lovely tech-tee material, instead of cotton. However, the remaining swag wasn’t great. A cheaply-made tote half-filled with a few coupons. I want my samples!!

Transportation and Start

The race offered shuttle buses from several of the neighboring towns to the start. I was all about taking the shuttle bus because I had no idea where I was going. I triple-checked times to make sure I wouldn’t miss one of the shuttle buses. I showed up at the specified location, early (which at 5:30 on a Saturday morning is a MIRACLE), and there was no bus. A volunteer was stationed in the parking lot and as the arrival time for the bus came and went he frantically tried to call the lead race organizer, the volunteer coordinator, the shuttle company, and finally gave up and called the race’s parent company, Destination Races. No one answered, except Destination Races headquarters, who informed him there was nothing they could do.

As we prepared to drive to the start, the bus finally showed up. We all piled on and trundled off for the race start. Then the bus driver missed a turn, then he missed another turn, and another. And it became quite apparent that our driver had no freaking clue where we were going. Thankfully, we live in an age where we all have little maps in our pockets, so someone pulled up the address on Google Maps and started directing the driver.

About 3-4 miles out from the start line we came to a total stop. We were still roughly 30 mins out from the start time, so we all thought there was plenty of time. Nope. 20 mins went by and we had gone maybe a mile-and-a-half. I got on Facebook and the event organizers posted an update saying there were delaying the start by 15 mins to give everyone time to arrive.

We finally made it to the start about 20 mins after the initial starting time. I sprinted to the porta-potties and ran into ridiculously long lines. People were peeing out in the fields and behind trees because the porta-potty lines were far too long.

I gave up and jumped into the starting corral seconds before the starting gun went off.

Course

Ugh, this course. At first it was lovely. Rolling hills and bright blue sky, with plenty of shade. It was hot and sticky, but as we had just started it did not feel too terrible. It was quite crowded the first couple of miles. There was no wave start, nor did people organize themselves according to expected pace or finish time. So runners were trying to get by walkers causing significant bottle-necking.

About a mile into the race, gnats become an unrelenting issue. From mile one until the finish they were everywhere. Flying into eyes, jamming themselves into noses, clamoring for space in mouths. Just everywhere.

Online it stated there would be roughly 1.5 miles of dirt road. Lies. Total lies. We ran largely on dirt roads from miles 4-9. Running on dirt roads is completely different from running on regular roads, or treadmills. I was not expecting 5ish miles of dirt road and wasn’t trained for it. So nearly breaking my ankle was just super-fun.

At mile 6ish they had a turn-around at a winery. It was essentially single file down and single file back, so again bottle-necking become a huge issue.

By this point, it was also blazing hot and we had lost most of that fabulous shade from the start. To compound the extreme heat, at the water stations they were only handing out tiny cups of water and Accelerade, which by the way is disgusting. I was carrying a water bottle, but had finished it by mile 8 and was having to grab 3 cups of water at every station. The water stations, like the start and the turn-around, also created serious traffic-jam issues. Anyone with time goals at this race was probably SOL.

Finish Line

I crossed the finish line and went in search of the world’s largest water bottle to consume. But, instead of full-size water bottles all they had at the finish was the little tiny cups of water and more Accelerade. I asked them to fill up my water bottle with ice and then dumped several cups of water in it. Naked Juice also had a stand and was handing out samples so I grabbed one of those. There were no bagels, or muffins, or pretzels. A volunteer handed you a small plastic baggie at the finish line with a sample-size sunflower butter packet, an apple and a banana. Not cool. I want carbs and I want lots of them after a half-marathon. I was already hot and tired and sore, and now cranky was added to the list due to a severe bagel shortage.

Photography

Not even going to talk about this. The pictures were… they were just. It was horrible. All the ways to look unattractive while running.

I have no plans to run this race again next year. The entry fee was steep given how many issues there were. I ran the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon two weeks before this which has a cheaper entry fee and is far better organized. If the race organizers’ make some significant improvements, and make sure to have bagels, then I’ll consider running it. But I’m discovering that half-marathons in the summer months equals nothing but pain and suffering.

Who had a great race experience lately?

Anyone else had a hideous race experience?

Run Me Home 5k Race Review

One day, I will actually post a race review within a respectable time frame. Today is not that day. But hey, I’m still under the two-week mark, so, win!

I loved this race. There. Review over. Thanks for reading.

Kidding! But, in all seriousness, this was a fantastic race. It was my first 5K (why, yes. I have run 3 half-marathons, a marathon and a relay race without ever having run a 5K. Good life choices, people!), and my only real hope was to finish and not embarrass myself too badly (speed demon, I am not).

I’ve avidly avoided 5ks throughout my short running career for a two reasons. One, I simply prefer longer distances. But two, I’m not fast. I am certainly faster than I was a year ago, but I get a little rage-y when I read posts by bloggers saying things like “OMG, such a slow day today. I could only run 7:30 miles”. Excuse me? You could manage only  7:30 miles? Quiet, you. If I all-out sprint I can reach that sort of pace. Jealous, much? Totally not at all. Not jealous at all.

But it was the teacher’s first race and try as I might I could not convince him that a half-marathon makes a great first race. So 5K it was. I hit up runwashington.com, a great resource for races in the DC area, and 10.2 seconds later we were registered for the Run Me Home 5K.

Packet Pick-Up

We picked up our packets on the Friday before the race. Packet pick-up was held at a small, local running store in the area. The process was a breeze. Because it was a smaller race, there only 2-3 people in line ahead of us.

Swag

Smaller races typically don’t have the major swag that larger races can acquire. This race still had nice, albeit cotton t-shirts (in yellow, my favorite color!), and a few coupons to local restaurants.

Start

We didn’t arrive until just before the start, so I can’t say much about the entertainment. They had enough porta-potties to manage the number of runners participating. Even with 5 minutes to go before the start I was able to grab one without waiting in line.

The event had three races. A 10K, which started first, a 5K, and kid’s fun run to wrap it up. The start was a free-for-all, but as the race was smaller it wasn’t too bad. If we had arrived earlier we would have been in a better starting position, but as we arrived with just a few minutes to spare we ended up towards the back of the start and spent the first few minutes weaving around those who were walking.

Course

The course was lovely. It started at an elementary school in Leesburg so you spent the first 3/4 of a mile on the road. The course then wended its way to one of my favorite places to run, the W&OD Trail. The race organizers did a wonderful job blocking off traffic while we were running on the road so you never felt unsafe. It was a semi-out-and-back course. You turned around on the W&OD Trail (probably around mile 2 or 2.25) but once we exited the trail the last 1/4 mile ran up a different road to the finish (start line and finish line were in the space spot).

Finish Line

For a smaller race, this one had a fantastic finish area. Plenty of food options (bananas, donuts, danishes), water, and freebies. There was also a trivia game taking place, but we didn’t partake. The party atmosphere was definitely in place and I wish we had stuck around a bit longer.

Photography

I know photos don’t matter to everyone, but as this was the teacher’s first race I was really hoping for a couple of good shots. The race photographers delivered. They had quite a few photographers (at the start, on the course, at the finish), and we ended up with some great shots including this gem:

Overall, this was a great little local race (and the entry fee was quite reasonable!) If they host it again next year, I’ll be back to run it!

 

Any DC-area runners, if you’re looking for an upcoming 5K I’m serving as a race director for the Save the Trail! 5K on Saturday, May 25 and would love to see you out there! If you’re interested, you can register here. I promise I’m not too awkward in real life. Ok, I actually can’t make that promise…I’m pretty awkward.

Any favorite race memories?

What was the distance of your first race?

Tunes to Assault Your Eardrums

I’m a committed music-lover. I do run without it on occasion if I’m running with others or if it’s an exceptionally beautiful day, or if I forget my headphones (which happens more often than I should really admit to). But generally speaking, if my running shoes are packed in my gym bag, so are my headphones. Music gives me that extra motivational “boost” when I feel myself slipping.

I have been judged, sometimes harshly, for my avowed commitment to listening to music whilst running. So for all those who are running purists, and refuse to let music tarnish your run, stop reading now. And for all those, who like me, need a little extra motivation in the form of some awesome tunes let me suggest the following 10 totally rad songs (currently on constant repeat on my iPhone):

1) Can’t Hold Us – Macklemore. I cannot get enough of this song. I’ve listened to it four times already while writing this post. I went out on a run last week that lasted 40 minutes. I only listened to this song. I probably need a 12-step program to get over my addiction.

2) Levels – Avicii. If you download this song, keep in mind there are about 40 different remixes, which means everyone can find a version they like. Unless you’re not into House/Dance/Electronica music. Then you should move along.

3) Raise Your Glass – Pink. Just an overall awesome song. Plus I adore this interpretation from a Runner’s World article of a line in the song…

“Lyric: “Oh [bleep] my glass is empty/ That sucks.”
My Running Interpretation: In hydration emergencies, I’d add at least two more [bleeping] [bleep]s.” (source)

Hydration emergencies are serious business. Whether it’s on a run. Or during a Friday Night, Wine Night.

4) Troublemaker – Olly Murs (feat. Flo Rida). Typical fun, punchy pop song. My mom also used to tell people that my middle name was troublemaker as a kid. She was only serious on one occasion, which involved a four-year old me, a spoon, and a wedding cake.

5) Stubborn Love – The Lumineers. I don’t care if they’re overrated, or everyone wants to hate on the Lumineers. I loved Ho Hey and I love this song too.

6) Higher Ground – Red Hot Chili Peppers. Nothing like a little bit of RHCP screaming in your ears to get your legs moving. Plus, I watched the most recent episode of Glee the other night where they spent the entire episode singing only Stevie Wonder songs. They performed Stevie’s version of “Higher Ground”, and I was all “Oh hey, I don’t really like this version of Higher Ground, even though Stevie Wonder is awesome. Also I don’t really like Glee because this show had a stupid premise to begin with, and it’s gotten even worse lately. No kid has time to learn 84 different song and dance routines every week while going to school. You LIE Fox. I should really download the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s version of this song, because that version is awesome.”

7) Gold On The Ceiling – The Black Keys. The Black Keys rock. That is all.

8) Don’t You Worry Child – Swedish House Mafia. A great song to run fast too. Although, it can get a little repetitive if you listen to it one too many times.

9) Danza Kudro – Don Omar. I believe this was featured in The Fast and The Furious 457, although I can’t be sure because I gave up on that series back in 2001 and when everyone should have given up on it. That movie didn’t need, or rather, didn’t deserve any sequels. But sadly, I just saw yet another trailer for a Fast and Furious when we were at the movies the other week. Anyway, rant over. Fun song to run too, although, I end up feeling like I want to dance and instead just do these awkward punches in the air. Awkward punches lead to awkward looks. But, it’s cool yo, I live life by my rules and will run/dance if I want to.

10) The Fighter – Gym Class Heroes. Pumps you up and makes you feel like a super athlete getting ready to go out and win Olympic gold or the Stanley Cup, or the Lombardi Trophy, or whatever the NBA thing is, or the Master’s (in golf it’s the Master’s right??). Insert your sporting award of choice here.

Do you listen to music while running? Or do you prefer to run sans headphones? Any song suggestions?

How to Race with Your Significant Other & Not Kill Each Other

When I first met my soon-to-be-other-half (otherwise known as the Teacher because that’s what he does and cutesy nicknames involving a play on the word Husband annoy me), he was, suffice it to say, not a runner. For the first few months of our relationship he was pretty damn hostile to the idea of running. The teacher would happily come out to support me as I raced, but he breathed fire when I suggested the two of us go for an easy run together.

Somewhere along the way, things changed. I’d like to chalk the change up to the teacher’s realization that running is the most super-awesome-fantastical activity ever, and it has all these kick-ass health benefits, and you live longer and blah-blah-blah. But let’s be real, it was the incessant nagging that wore him down.

But anyway, things changed. Now instead of saying  “I can’t run today, I just found the perfect spot for my butt on the couch”, the teacher says things like “Hey, tomorrow is a run day, right? Man I can’t wait!”A few months of steady running later, and we ran our first race together on Saturday (the teacher’s first-ever race, and my first 5k).

Now, you might assume that racing together would be no big thang after having run together the past few months. But no, racing together is a whole different beast. So, a few suggestions on how to race together without wanting to punch each other in the face:

1) Agree on a game-plan before the race. Are you sticking together no matter what? Is one of you allowed run ahead if the other is having a crappy day? Make sure you both know what the plan is, otherwise the ride home will be a little awkward…

2) Read your partner’s body language. Reading body language is not a skill of mine. Oh, you don’t really feel like talking? Too bad! Let me tell you my whole life story! I’m standing too close? Here, let me give you a sweaty hug!

This was an issue for us on Saturday. The teacher usually likes to talk while we run. Mostly it’s me saying things like “Awesome job! Keep it up!” or “I really hate squirrels. Why are there so many freaking squirrels everywhere?” or “We shouldn’t have to run up hills. Hills just shouldn’t exist while you’re running.” So really, really important and exciting things.

On Saturday though, the teacher did not want to talk. I kept trying to encourage him and he kept looking at me like “Stop talking now because I do not like you at this moment.” If I had paid any attention to his body language, I would have shut the eff up instantly. He was clearly “in the zone” and wanted to focus, but I was all let’s-talk-about-all-the-things! So, yea. Pay attention to body language. It’s important.

3) Get to the race with plenty of time before the start. I usually like to get to the starting line 10-15 minutes before the race starts (this only applies to smaller races. For bigger races, especially with wave starts, I arrive about 30 minutes prior to the start). This gives me enough time to use the restroom, mess around with my music, and then line up. It’s the perfect amount of time to prep, but not end up awkwardly standing around trying to look like you know what you’re doing. If I had any common-sense, I would have thought ahead and built in more time for us to prep prior to the start of Saturday’s race. But common sense just isn’t my thing. We woke up a little late, took our time getting ready and didn’t arrive at the starting line until just a couple minutes before the race started. I rushed to find a porta-a-potty and the teacher forgot to take his wallet out of his pocket. Needless to say we were a bit frazzled when the starting gun went off.

4) Anticipate your partner’s needs.  This wasn’t really an issue for us on Saturday as we only ran a 5K. But, the teacher is talking about running a half-marathon with me in the future where we would absolutely need to try and anticipate each others’ needs. Does one of us need a walk break? Do we have gels or gummies for fuel? Do we need water or Gatorade? Training together will help you gain a better understanding of your partner’s running rhythms: when they start to tire, when they need fuel, when they can push, etc. Couples who run together, stay together. That’s just science.

5) Have fun. Seriously. With any luck it’ll be a beautiful day to race, so just relax and enjoy being out on the course together, whether you finish first or last.

Note to self: your stride is horrendous. Fix it.

Boston: What to Read and How to Help

I’ve started multiple posts about the attacks at the Boston Marathon, but like many in the running community, I just cannot get my head around what took place.

Anything I write would simply be a less eloquent regurgitation of what has already been written, so instead I’m going to link to some of my favorite pieces, along with a few links to help those affected by Monday’s attacks in whatever way you can.

What to Read

Bring On the Next Boston Marathon

The People Who Watch Marathons

Boston

Boston & the Bond of Runners

If You Are Losing Faith in Humanity, Go Out and Watch a Marathon

The Good Outnumber You and We Always Will

An Open Letter to My Kids

How to Help

Run. Sign up for one of the many Boston runs taking place all across the US (and around the world!)

• The Pavement Runner is compiling a list of #BostonStrong races taking place on Monday.
• Many running groups, individuals, schools, businesses and other organizations have organized impromptu runs for Boston throughout the week.
• I joined in the Run for Boston 4/17 movement last night along with Leslie and Carly to show our support:

Donate.

• The One Fund was created yesterday to help provide financial support to the victims of the Boston bombings.
• The Red Cross is also accepting monetary donations, though they have received an over-abundance of blood donations.
• The Richard Family Fund was set up in memory of 8-year-old Martin Richard who was killed in Monday’s attacks. Call Meetinghouse Bank at (617) 298-2250 to find out how to donate.

Show Kindness. Even small and simple acts -smiling at your fellow runner on the trail, giving up your Metro seat to someone in need, handing out your morning bagel to the homeless man on the corner, calling your family- are a wonderful reminder of how the good in humanity will always, always overcome the evil.

Tracking Your Workouts

Confession time: I used to be a DailyMile whore. I posted every single workout on DailyMile. I did one push-up? That goes on DM! I ran a lap on the track? Better put it up on DM!

And then I just stopped. Like any addiction, once you break it it’s tough to go back without over doing it.

But in an effort to seriously improve my running this year and do more than just cross finish lines, I’ve decided I have to start tracking my workouts again. This time around, I’ll leave out my one pushup workouts.

I put out a call to my fellow running friends on Facebook as DailyMile is hardly the only platform available to record your runs. I couldn’t decide if I should return to my beloved DailyMile or try out a new platform. I’ve decided to stick with DM, at least for the time being, because the devil you know is better than the one you don’t. Well, that’s what I’ve been told anyway.

But here are some other options if DailyMile just isn’t for you (for those unfamiliar with the platform DM is like Facebook for runners, you can post all of your workouts and your “friends” can comment on them and give you encouragement).

1) MapMyRun: I almost, almost switched to using this platform. Literally the day I decided I better start tracking all that ish again I received an invite from a runner friend to join MapMyRun. I signed up and was all, “Yes, awesome! This looks awesome!” (I tend to overuse the word awesome when I’m excited. Or when I feel extra sassy. Or really just all the time. Awesome). And then I couldn’t figure out how to do anything on the site, not because it’s hard, but because I’m tech-illiterate. Also, I’m easily frustrated; as in this is taking more than two seconds to figure out? Ain’t nobody got time for that!

Many of my friends use MapMyRun and love it. So it does come highly recommended from people who have roughly five seconds of patience to spare, unlike me. Like everything in your entire life these days, you can link it to your Facebook account so it’s easy to set-up an account. You can also track your eats if you’re interested in monitoring what goes in your pie-hole.

2) Nike+. This comes preloaded on the iPhone. I honestly have never tried using it, despite being a proud iPhone owner since 2009. A friend of mine uses it and loves the app. It tracks your runs, can serve as a music player and will automatically post your runs to social media if you want everyone to know you so totally just killed the run!

As I’ve never used this app, I can’t speak to it’s consistency or ease of use, all I will say is that app has been on my iPhone since purchasing it over a year ago, and I have never once clicked it on.

3) RunKeeper. When I was a newbie runner I used to rely heavily on RunKeeper, especially in the dark days before Garmin entered my life. RunKeeper would track and save all my runs, so I could scroll back and look at my mileage, time, pace, etc. It was extremely easy to use and very handy if you only have your iPhone available. I believe they now offer a free and a paid version of the app.

This was about 3 years ago now, so things have likely improved, but I found the app to be very inconsistent. It would lose satellites and I would have run 4 miles but it would only have tracked 2 miles. Or it would tell me I had just run a 4:30 mile, which will never, ever happen no matter how much coffee I consume. Like I said, it’s been awhile since I’ve used the app, so some of those glitches have probably been fixed.

4) Good Ol’ Pen & Paper. What’s that you say? You want me to write by hand? On, like, notebook paper? What sort of dark, backwards magic is this?!

So, I grew up in a transition generation. Computers were prevalent when I was a kid, but they were still “special”, as in not every 5 year old child had one. For most of my childhood we just had one computer AND we had to learn how to print and write cursive in school. Outrageous! Cell phones became common when I was 13-ish, but for the entire time I’ve been a runner, smartphones and all their accompanying awesomeness have been available. I believe (although I don’t have confirmation) that there was a time when people had to record there workouts in notebooks. Notebooks! Who would do that?

Ok, in all seriousness, unless you’re wed to tracking your workouts in a notebook with an actual pen, I highly recommend switching to one of the above platforms, it’s easy, you have access to loads of features and, bonus!, there’s no risk of losing your prized notebook, which I would totally do.

Those are just the platforms I’m familiar with these days. Any others that I missed? What do you use and why do you like it?

2013 Running Goals

Right, so it’s March. Already. I actually wrote these goals not long after the New Year with every good intention of sharing before the first month of the year was out. And now it’s March- but, better late than never, right? Right??

If I’m being wholly honest, I lot of coffee drove the writing of these goals and I may have been slightly overambitious (run 1,000 miles?!). Hopefully, the perfect trifecta of motivation, energy, and determination will occur, and I’ll breeze through these goals. More likely, I’ll experience the imperfect trifecta of apathy, lethargy, and avoidance and will wheeze through these goals. But you know, one can always hope.

1) Beat my half-marathon PR. This is doable. Tots doable. As long as I actually make a plan, follow it, oh and sign up for a race. But in all seriousness, I love the half distance, it’s my favorite race to train. I can easily beat my PR by the end of the year. Probably.

2) Run my second marathon and beat my previous (crappy) PR. So anyone who has followed my humble little blog for awhile will now that I went into my first marathon in 2011 having just come off an injury that included several weeks of no running. My first marathon was not pleasant (not that any marathon is “pleasant”), and long story short, I walked away with an awful finish time. I’d love to run my second marathon and beat my crappy finish time, but my body does not care for 26.2 beast and I’m not certain I’m ready to tackle running another marathon this year.

3) Run a second relay-race. I loved Ragnar. Such an awesome time. Except the whole sleeping in the dirt thing. I don’t camp. Ever. That’s why we invented houses and indoor plumbing. But, otherwise, love Ragnar. Maybe I’ll just sleep in the van this time around.

4) Run 1,000 miles. Pretty sure this is not going to happen for 2 reasons a) I have not been accurately tracking my running (I’m sorry DailyMile that I’ve been neglecting you) and b) I just did not run enough in the first 3 months of the year. Oh well, there’s always 2014.

5) Run a 5K. This will happen as I’m volunteering as a race director for a local 5K.

6) Run a race with the pups. This could be a lot of fun or a complete disaster as my dogs are currently going through a phase of “let’s bark at every dog we see and try to pull mommy’s arm out of her socket while we chase down the dogs and make them be friends with us!” Common sense, is not my strong suit, so I’ll convince myself it will be find and will immediately regret my decision as soon as I get to the start line. I make good life choices!

7) Don’t compare my running to anyone else. Truth moment: I’m competitive. I like to win. I like the teams I support to win. I’m also not very fast. And I cheer for teams that tend to be very hot/cold (I’m looking at you New York Giants!) Comparing my running abilities to others always results in me tearing myself down. By just focusing on my abilities without the comparison factor, I notice my improvements more vividly and I feel like I take more care of my running because I’m no longer expanding energy thinking about others. It’s a win-win!

Running with Pets

I really should title this post “Running with Dogs” as I don’t believe there exists another domesticated animal that takes well to being leashed up and dragged on a run. But got to make sure I’m inclusive and all that jazz.

I have two incredibly adorable, but insanely high energy pups.

Ella is 3 years old and a pointer/hound mix (this dog simply doesn’t know what tired is). While she’s calmed down slightly since adopting her, she could probably run 10 miles and still want to play a rousing game of tug-of-war. When we start a run, Ella’s mindset is “RUN!! Must run as fast as I possible can. Now! RUN FAST!” I would say she’s a sprinter, but she never tires no matter how long we run for. She’s a very unique combination of sprinter + long-distance runner.

Roscoe is a 2 year old Beagle/Collie/possibly Lab/possibly Dachshund mix. He’s a bit smaller than Ella, and while he enjoys a good run he’d rather cuddle on the couch. Where Ella is out of the gate, guns blazing, Roscoe is content to just trot along, checking out the scenery, checking on momma to make sure she just saw that fascinating squirrel that ran by. He will sprint when a cat or other interesting creature appears, but otherwise his running is more akin to a Sunday drive, as opposed to Ella’s Usain Bolt approach.

To say the least they’re interesting to run with. They both are also currently going through a phase where the have to bark at EVERY dog we pass. So that’s fun. But here a few tips and tricks I employ to make running with our pups a little less stressful.

1) Don’t run with a retractable leash. I know some people love to run with their dog using a retractable leash. I’ve found that our dogs are too unpredictable when we’re on runs (SQUIRREL! CAT! SMALL CHILDREN! TREE!) and it’s much, much easier for them to wrench a retractable leash out of my hand than it is to wrench a leash I’ve wrapped around my wrist. I use a Y-leash when running with the pups as it’s easier for me to handle than two separate leashes.

2) Do not give them too much leeway. The first time I took Ella on a run, I nearly killed her. We were running past a local gas station on a busy road, about to make a turn on a trail. The gas station had a few advertising flags out and as we went past Ella completely freaked as the flag flipped around in the wind. She half-back flipped around and was out in the street before I even realized the longer leash I had her on had run through my hands. Now, I keep them on very short leashes and avoid major roads whenever possible.

3) Not all dogs are made the same. Some dogs take to running quite quickly, others were just not born to run. Growing up we had 180-lb St. Bernard who were lucky to get to walk (if a 180 lb dog doesn’t want to do something, he is NOT going to do it). But Ella, at a lean 53-lbs of pure muscle would be happy to run around like a nut all day every day. Roscoe falls somewhere in between. He likes a good run, but then it’s nap-time. Get to know your dog and your dog’s capabilities. Don’t force a non-running dog to run and don’t keep a dog that loves to run caged up. Otherwise, you’ll end up down a few pairs of shoes. I speak from experience, people.

4) Keep an eye on the weather. Be careful of running with your furry, four-legged pal when the weather is tending to extremes. Our very first dog, a Boxer who was an absolute sweetheart died of heatstroke at 6 while out for a walk one summer day. Extreme cold can also be dangerous. Some dogs are better built to handle extreme cold (our St. Bernard for one), but Ella and Roscoe are lean pups with short-hair, not designed to withstand extreme cold for long periods of time.

5) Bring treats. This will save your ass if your dog manages to escape your grasp. Roscoe usually listens if you scream loudly to stop, but Ella just continues on her merry way. The only way she be lured back is with the promise of food. It can also be a good training mechanism if you’re working on teaching them to heel.

Any tips or tricks for running with dogs? Any one have a cat, or a rabbit, or a lizard that likes to run? Everyone knows cats, rabbits and lizards make the best runners.

Changing Your Running Form

*Disclaimer: I am not any sort of qualified expert in the area of running form. I can’t even pretend to be an expert with claims like, “Well I worked at a running store for a week and now know everything” or “I once took a course that one day discussed the importance of running form”. I speak merely from my own experience and reading the occasional Runner’s World article entitled Stop Heel-Striking or You Will DIE*

In my early days of running, I had no idea what I was doing. None. Not a clue. I played sports my entire life, but sports involving short bursts of fast running (basketball and track) or some alternate form of movement (hockey). To me running worked something like this: find old pair of basketball shorts, add old cotton t-shirt, throw in a pair of old sneakers, and GO!

So, not quite a recipe for running success. I endured a few injuries and general discomfort in my first few months of running. But, as I submerged myself in the running community my old basketball shorts were replaced by Nike Tempos, or running crops; the cotton t-shirts yielded to hi-tech, sweat-wicking gear; and the old sneakers scooted over to make way for Saucony Kinvaras and Brooks Pure Connects. My discomfort decreased, but injuries persisted.

I read avidly about how to avoid or at least decrease persistent injuries. I discovered the twisted pleasure of ice baths. I proudly donned my compression socks under my work clothes. I obsessively foam-rolled. But I was still dealing with constant shin pain, pressure in my hip, occasionally knee pain, etc.

It was only a matter of time before all the niggling, tingling pain ended in some dramatic injury. Just over two months out from my first marathon, I was sidelined with a stress fracture in my right shin. By some miracle I was cleared to run my scheduled marathon (with no time goals). And run I did. But to cross that finish line I endured some of the worst pain I’ve ever faced. Marathons are not supposed to be enjoyable or even pain-free, but I knew this was above and beyond normal marathon pain.

Changing my running form was the only thing left to do. I already foam-rolled, ice-bathed, and compression-socked. My marathon photos confirmed the desperate need for change. Just look at those feet:

Heel-strike much?

With a budget that lacked the room for “running coach” I took it upon myself to change my stride. Loads of aggravation, sweat, swearing and general frustration, were involved, but I was finally able to change my running form for the better. If you’re short on dough, or just don’t feel the need for a running coach, here a few handy tips to help change your running form.

1) Get fitted for running shoes. Even if you’ve been previously fitted, make a return visit. I was refitted before I started to actively change my stride, and I moved down from a stability shoe (Asics GT-2160s) to a neutral shoe (Saucony Kinvaras and Brooks PureConnects). Switching shoes made a big difference as the neutral shoes helped force me to change my stride.

2) Aim for a mid-foot landing. This is the best thing to remember when changing your form. Heel-striking or landing on the ball of your foot are both big no-nos. Aim to land on your mid-foot.

3) Run in front of mirror. I’m sorry. I know this means running on a treadmill, but it is one of the only ways to evaluate your form. It will also help you purposefully focus on your stride, which you’ll have to do in the early days of changing.

4) Focus on shorter distance runs (for now). It is much, much easier to focus on your form for 3-4 miles, then 10-11 miles. My focus would start to break down near mile 6, so in the early days of running with a new form I kept my runs under 5 miles. Now my new form feels natural and I’m able to maintain without having to constantly focus.

5) Recognize this will be difficult. Hate to break it to ya, but it’s tough to change your natural running form. The benefits are huge and it is totally worth it, but the process of making this new running form natural is difficult. Recognize it will take dedicated time and effort and you’ll ease some of the pressure on yourself.

If you’ve made the switch to a different running form, any tips for those trying to make changes?

Senseless.

I had a post all set to go today about changing your running form. But that doesn’t seem to matter much now.

After reading about the senseless massacre in Connecticut my heart is too full for much else. My thoughts tonight will be with all those parents who won’t have excited children racing down the stairs come Christmas morning. All those families who will have one conspicuous spot open at holiday dinners this year.

I’ll end with this quote from Nelson Mandela, “”There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”