Running Smörgåsbord

Everything one needs to know about running. I'll probably use this site as my main source of general running information. It has training programs, information on injury prevention, races, motivation, etc. There are interesting articles, videos and blogs by different runners. The injury prevention section has videos about how to prevent bunions and understanding the muscles that you don't realize you are using when running. (Our core gets more of a workout than most of us realize.) It also has lots of articles on how to take care of one's knees, which is of special interest to me because my knees are prone to injuries. This site with definitely be my go to when I have a general running question.

Image - http://www.flickr.com/photos/somewhereinak/575761059/

Slick Running Gear

Apple and Nike have teamed up to make some pretty nifty running accessories. The iPod nano can be synced up with a censor that you put into a pair of Nike+ sneakers. The censor can track your distance, tell you how many calories you burned, play songs that match up with your pace and when you really need the motivation, play your favorite pump song. Once you've finished your run, you can connect your iPod to your computer and download all your stats to iTunes and nike. These sites allow you to keep track of your runs, set goals and even challenge friends. I think it's really cool that Nike and Apple collaborated on this. I have to listen to music while I run or I won't get very far. I need that distraction, anything to keep my mind of the fact that I'm exercising. Right now, when I run, I just put my iPod on shuffle and every so often I get a song that's a big downer. This gear will prevent and play a song that matches my every step. I also like the fact that it keeps track of your distance, which is great because not all running trails have mile markers. The distance tracker will be valuable tool when training for my half-marathon because I need to make sure I'm running a certain number of miles each day. I have the iPod, now all I have to do is get the sneakers and the censor.

Image - http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/

What I Learned About Running

Running, we've all do it and I'm sure you've never thought anything about it. It just happens naturally; we crawl, we walk then we run. Wikipedia put it this way, "Running is defined as the fastest means for an animal to move on foot." Yup, pretty much sums it up. But that entry is much longer and I learned quite a bit. Running has three phases: support, drive and recovery. These phases are specific to our legs and feet. I will quickly summarize them here: the support phase is when one leg simply supports our body weight, drive is when that same leg pushes against the ground and propels us forward, and recovery is when the leg loses contact with ground and gives the leg a chance to rest before entering the support phase again. The legs continue in this cycle until you stop running. Who knew running was so complex. Something to think about the next time you hit the pavement.

Image - http://www.flickr.com/photos/polet/1082915857/

Training Schedule

I found a training schedule for my upcoming half-marathon. I was drawn to this one mainly because it's free. Lots of other sites have good training program but they charge for them, and I'm not sure I'm committed enough to this half-marathon to pay upwards of $30 for a training program. This program also seems pretty manageable. I don't know if I'll follow it to the letter, but it's a good place to start. Most of the training programs I found for beginners didn't feel like they were truly made for novices. The level of intensity of those programs made me second guess myself and rethink this whole half-marathon thing. But Hal Higdon's program feels like it was not only made for novice half-marathoners but novice exercisers as well. This is quite appealing to me because I've never been much of a gym rat. Most training programs suggest some sort of strength training that requires weight machines and a gym membership. Hal keeps it simple: push-up, sit-ups and possibly some free weights. I can do push-ups and sit-up; weight machines and a gym membership I can not. Hal's program allows me to get in shape for this half-marathon in a way that is in keeping with my level of commitment to exercise. I decided that I wanted to run this half-marathon as a catalyst for a better lifestyle. The half-marathon is not the end goal but the motivation to get off my couch and start a healthy life.

Image - http://www.flickr.com/photos/giladbenari/864956779/

Topic of Interest

After much thought and deliberation, I have chosen Running/Training as my topic. I will be running a half marathon at the end of the July and need to get in shape for it. I'll be researching the best way to do this anyway, so I figured why not kill to birds with one stone. Running half marathons, in fact running in general, is not something I would normally do, but I figure as I get older I should get in the habit of exercising. Just going to the gym and running on a treadmill is not the most exciting thing to me, so I've decided that having certain races looming in the distance would be the best way to get my behind off the couch. The NYC Half-Marathon is the big, scary race that is my ultimate goal, but I will also try to run some smaller races between now and July 27th. Runner's Advocate lists all the races in the Delaware Valley and it has helped me scope out which races I want to take part in. In addition to Runner's Advocate, I will also be using active.com's training programs and free online training logs to help me reach my goal. I'm hoping all these tools plus the fact that I have tried my training into an assignment will motivate me to kick my training into high gear.