See, I went through our pantry the other day, a pretty typical day in a pretty typical time of year around our house, to take inventory of our snacks.

And I counted – wait for it – 13 bags/boxes of different snacks. That didn’t even include some duplicates! Amongst them: regular pretzels, honey mustard pretzels, kettle chips, baked cheddar and sour cream chips, sea salt pita chips, salt and vinegar chips, salt and vinegar crisps, nuts, and a snack mix of assorted pretzels, chips and curls.

Yes, I know, not healthy. But wait, I run, remember? Quite a bit, thank you very much. I earned the right to eat such things! The same goes for my love of beef/turkey/bison jerky, too. And cheese. And the list goes on and on. Just ask anyone who really knows me.

While I ran for sports in junior high and high school, I didn’t really become a runner until 1986, and that was – wait for it – because I started to gain weight. I wasn’t about to give up my love of food – snacks or otherwise – so I turned to running.

I know some people will frown upon my habit of buying one kind of snack or another EVERY time I go to the store, regardless of what I already have at home, but I think it is helping me lead a balanced life. Paraphrasing a line from my old life in the Harley-Davidson marketing world: “Live to Run, Run to Eat.” Zen-like, I know.

My snack habit stems from childhood, specifically visits to my grandmother’s house. It was awesome going there, because she had bags and bags of snacks to enjoy! Nothing like it at home! Woo hoo!

Well, the example she set was not one of a healthy lifestyle. She was obese, and had diabetes. Yet she lived to the age of 85.

My other grandmother was more puritan in her dietary intake and generally took much better care of herself, even walking twice a day in her later years. She was maybe 4-foot-8 and weighed 90 pounds fully clothed for winter. Interestingly, she also lived to be 85.

So class, what have we learned? Which path is the right one? I prefer a line from a great book about running called “Once A Runner.”

“If the engine is hot enough, anything will burn – even Big Macs.” Indeed.

So yes, the last couple of weeks have been extremely challenging. But my attitude and motivation is turning back around all because I went bathing suit shopping. I wouldn’t recommend this four months after having a baby. I was shocked at what I saw in the mirror. I cried. It was horrible. When something is unappealing you decide right then and there that something HAS to be done about it. How did I let this happen? I realize I just had a baby but still…I was not prepared. It’s something about seeing yourself in a bathing suit that makes you want to run screaming out of the store. Unless you are one of those women who can eat whatever you want and don’t have to work out (sigh), you know EXACTLY what I am talking about.

Then my husband Sam bought me a gift certificate to the Columbus Running Company for my birthday. Just in the nick of time. I needed a little excitement and a kick-start to my training again. I am thrilled about getting shoes that fit properly. I have always worn Nikes, but who knows now… maybe those have always been the wrong ones for my feet. And of course new shoes are always a motivation to get out right?

I think it’s good that this has happened. Sometimes obstacles give us just the push we need. I really need that push and although I started out strong and my motivation was fierce and I started my training with gusto, I got sidetracked along the way. I have a goal and I need to see it through. So what if I am slower and not as fit as the last time? I guess I need to realize that YES there will be days where I don’t want to go out and do my walk. And there will be times I am less than pleased about my pace and timing. But I know that I have to do this. Not only for me, but for my baby boy. Even though he is too little to understand, I want him to be proud of his mama and know that obstacles may knock you off course, but you have to get back up, brush yourself off and always try to finish what you started.

“The man at the top of the mountain did not fall there.”
- Unknown

To me, the sound of the alarm clock at 5 a.m. is like fingernails being dragged across a chalkboard. It startles me out of my slumber, causes my ears to bleed and makes me wish I had gone to bed earlier the night before. But it also provides notice that I have a chance to get my fat butt out of bed and get my run on. I’d love to be able to tell you that I have the discipline to lace up my running shoes every time the alarm goes off, but sometimes I’m just not feeling it. It all comes down to motivation.

Motivation is an odd thing. I’m sure some runners run for the sense of accomplishment at the end of the race or because they’ve always run and can’t imagine not running. I wish I fell into one of those two buckets, but the truth is that I run for some combination of accomplishment, health and solitude.

Accomplishment

Nothing beats the feeling of finishing a run. I’ve run three half marathons over the last couple of years, and that feeling of crossing the finish line is one of the greatest natural highs anyone could ever feel. That said, I really get a similar charge out of a long training run.

There’s something about being up at dawn and seeing lights come on around the neighborhood an hour into a run. I really feel like I’m accomplishing something special. Plus, I feel great for the rest of the day. I’ve had weekend mornings where I’ve put in 8 miles and then met friends at the golf course for a 10 a.m. tee time. It’s kind of fun to be able to say that I’ve already gotten in a 90-minute workout before even reaching the first tee. Plus, it provides me with an excuse to play worse than bogey golf.

Health

I really started to get into running as I got older and my cholesterol numbers began creeping upward. My doctor pretty much scared me into running to maintain (gain?) a level of physical fitness. I’ve found that keeping a good training schedule and pushing myself has not only had a good impact on my blood scores, but I also see a corresponding drop in the numbers on the scale. The only downside to this is that I have to keep buying new pants, but I guess that would fall under the header of “Vanity” instead of “Health.” Either way, it’s definitely part of my motivation.

Solitude

I don’t think anyone who knows me would be surprised to hear my Myers-Briggs scores indicate that I’m an extrovert, but I still need some solitude every now and then. This is the primary reason that I have eschewed training with a partner. I think having a running partner would definitely help me get out of bed at 5 a.m. more often, but I feel like having a training partner would prevent me from using an early morning run to clear my head, plan out my day and just enjoy the silence.

What motivates you to run? Why are you running 13.1 or 26.2 in October?

Our medical team wanted to provide you with some important information regarding your preparation for the upcoming event and participation on race day.

The Nationwide Better Health Columbus Marathon takes extraordinary measures to ensure the health and safety of all participants. However, despite our greatest efforts, there is still some risk associated with participating in any running or walking event. Please review the following information regarding the health risks associated with a walking or running event.

Numerous studies have been conducted on the safety of participating in running and walking events. It has been shown that individuals suffering from pre-existing medical problems are at an increased risk for developing medical complications during an event. The most significant of these pre-existing issues relates to conditions affecting the heart and cardiovascular system. Unfortunately, these conditions can be silent until they develop without warning during strenuous physical activity. Although each Columbus Marathon participant assumes full responsibility for their health on race day, we highly recommend the following suggestions in order to decrease your risk for medical complications during the upcoming event:

• Consult your Doctor: Discuss your plans for participating in the upcoming Columbus Marathon or 1/2 Marathon with your doctor. It is important that you seek consultation with a physician who is familiar with conditions common to endurance athletes and knowledgeable about the stresses placed on your cardiovascular system during race participation. Based on your age, medical history, and family medical history, your doctor will assess your risk for cardiovascular disease. Based on this risk assessment, your doctor may choose to perform further testing. The necessity and type of pre-participation screening will be determined by your physician.
• Train Properly: As noted earlier, we have approximately 12 weeks until race day. Make sure you have completed the necessary training for running or walking 13.1 or 26.2 miles. It is important that we prepare our bodies and cardiovascular system for the stresses that race day will provide. This preparation is an important part of lowering your risk on race day. If your marathon training has been a struggle and feel that you are not prepared for the full marathon you may transfer to the 1/2 marathon – but this must be done by October 1.
• Listen to your Body: Although cardiovascular events can develop without warning, there are some symptoms which should be taken very seriously. Listen to your body during your training and on race day. Warnings signs for a serious cardiovascular disease may include: chest pain, chest tightness, pressure in your chest, or shortness of breath. Other symptoms may include dizziness, lightheadedness, or loss of consciousness. If you experience any of these symptoms during your training please discuss this with your doctor. If you develop any of these symptoms on race day please report them to appropriate medical personnel. Medical personnel will be easily identified throughout the course and at the finish line.

Good luck with the rest of your training and we look forward to seeing you on October 17th.

Darrin Bright, MD
Medical Director, Nationwide Better Health Columbus Marathon

Miss Lisa, 95.5 The Hawk

What had originally begun as a plan to jog 2 or 3 miles each day quickly turned into, “oh, no…can I really do this again”? After being out of commission for months because of injury, it was a little scary to realize my ability to focus had simply checked out! A mile or so into a jog my mind would get bored. That can’t be good, right? Thankfully I did some improvising and was able to ease the panic with interval training. So, I did a 10-minute walking warm-up followed by a solid 60 minutes of alternating walking and sprinting. Concentrating on that minute of speed each time helped me start to regain focus. And the bonus is that once I averaged out the sprint and walking times, it gave me an ideal training pace for the start of logging miles again.

A few other things have also come into play as I’ve ramped up to training. I’m probably 80% on target with the diet. I still need to be a little more diligent for maximum effectiveness when I set out for a run. (Cheap gas in the tank generally makes for a bad workout). So my goal in the next month is to bump that up to at least 90% with a little wiggle room to not completely stress myself out. Also, I picked up a Tuesday night yoga class hoping it would help with both focus and flexibility. Let me tell you, it will feel so good when I start seeing yoga’s positive effects. Right now I’m finding I’m about as “bendy” as uncooked spaghetti. ‘Nuff said. Also, I’m a person who’d rather do my workout first thing in the morning. Since I’m up by 3 am and in by 5, the before-work run can’t happen. Sometimes it’s such a struggle in my mind to get in a mid-afternoon workout. But it’s crunch time now, and I don’t have a choice to “hit the snooze button.” I have to get the runs in. And I know from past experience that as long as I follow the plan, I can get there.

I’ve also realized I have a choice between two things with each training step: humiliation or humility. I’m not as young as I used to be. That is glaringly obvious with each ache and pain I feel that makes me wince or with each fatty jiggle I feel that makes me think “what if I’d had just one less piece of pizza?”. But positive vibes should always trump the negative ones, yeah? I can’t choose to be humiliated by things that could potentially bring me to a standstill in training. It’s a better choice to be humbled each time…realizing I can’t change anything that’s gotten me where I am now. All I can do is stick to a plan, make good choices and come out with a smile each time I get a step closer to the goal. Chances are you’ll be saying these same types of things somewhere along the way. Let’s get back to it! Always feel free to e-mail me: misslisa95@aol.com if you want to chat. Good luck in training…and I’ll check back in next month!

RunFest 2010 from dan farkas on Vimeo.

Anietra Hamper, WBNS-TV

As the weeks pass- and my running performance improves- my challenges change. I am at 14 miles for my last increase and I will tackle 16 next weekend. At this stage, good nutrition is even more critical throughout the week. I am slowly letting go of the things that tempt my sweet tooth and trading in ‘quick’ meals for ‘quality’ meals. I have a lot of nutrition questions that I hope to get answered as I struggle on some long runs with feeling very sick AFTER completing those runs. I am also trying to add in more quality carbs into my diet which is typically void of excess carbs. This is an adjustment.

As an ambitious perfectionist my other training challenge is trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel from the beginning of the track. I have been feverishly increasing my miles. All of the training schedules have ‘long run’ days that scale back throughout training. It takes a lot of effort for me to do that as I am eager to reach a goal that seems so distant at this point. I DID scale back this weekend to 12 miles. What I discovered is that same 12 miles I really struggled with several weekends ago was not as much of a struggle this time. In fact, I ended my run feeling tired but not sore or exhausted the way I had the first time and even the second time I ran 12 miles. This tells me that I am getting stronger, building endurance and making strides—literally.

At this stage of training I realize that rest is as important as running. I am seeing how training, nutrition and rest converge to enable your body to perform at an increased level. So, in addition to tweeking my eating habits (yes, I still allow for the occasional chocolate treat or ice cream) and increasing my total weekly mileage, I really pay attention to my sleep. Since I go to bed around 7pm for my work schedule it leaves little opportunity to go to bed ‘early’. So, I aim to go to bed ‘on-time’ and try to get good rest on the weekends.

I remain motivated. I focus on crossing that finish line. I ask lots of questions and seek out lots of resources. The support from the experts of the Columbus Marathon and from other runners is a tremendous help.

To get to the finish line, you’ll have to try lots of different paths.”
- Amby Burfoot

Last year when I first started running, I spent the majority of my time on the treadmill. I was slow (still am), didn’t enjoy running in the cold (still don’t), and didn’t want to go running with a bunch of people who would likely leave me in the dust (I’ve gotten over that one). After moving off of my treadmill and onto other courses, I’ve really come to appreciate the value of a good running path. I thought a good way to kick off my first training blog of the year would be to share my thoughts – pros and cons – of different routes for the neophyte who is starting this year where I was in early 2009.

The Treadmill in My Basement

Where it all started… I used to use my treadmill to hang wet laundry, but now my wife and I are putting enough mileage on it that it might be time for an upgrade. The big advantage of using a treadmill is that I can watch baseball games while I run, which is fun because the Reds are awesome this year. Also, the treadmill is perfect for runs that require controlled paces and distances, like intervals.

But there are a few things that limit how much I enjoy treadmill running. First, depending on when I run, sometimes the only thing on TV is a soccer game. Don’t get me wrong, I love to watch soccer. But I’ve made the mistake of starting my run at the beginning of a game. It’s disheartening to run for 45 minutes and feel like death, and then seeing Landon Donovan on TV at halftime of a game looking like he hasn’t even been challenged. The other downside? Two words: gripple trouble.

My Neighborhood

It should be easy for any of us to just step outside and start running. I have a pretty well-defined path that I follow through my neighborhood, so it’s easy to track mileage and prepare for changes in terrain.

The big downside to neighborhood runs happens on holiday weekends when the trash pickup is pushed back a day in the week. Several of my neighbors leave their trash at the curb for an extra day. It’s not pleasant when I can identify whose kids are still in diapers and who threw away a big part of their fish dinner earlier in the week just by running past their driveway. A second risk in my neighborhood is dogs. A couple weeks ago I was less than a mile into a planned 4-mile run when a vicious poodle nearly gnawed off my leg. My neighbors will tell you it was just a nip on my calf that barely drew blood, but to me it felt more like a shark attack. It was bad enough that my wife had to stop watching The Bachelorette with her friends to dress my wounds (read: “put a band-aid on it.”)

Blacklick Woods Metro Park

My first outdoor route… I love the running trail at Blacklick Woods. It’s relatively easy, well-marked, and safe. And the full loop is four miles, which is a good distance for my short-mileage run. The only negative about the path is that there aren’t a lot of hills, so if/when I run a course with a big change in elevation, I won’t be as prepared as I could be unless I branch out to other parks. Also, running a four mile loop means that on a 10-mile run I might get lapped by someone training for a 1:30 half marathon.

Olentangy-Scioto Trail

I’ve only run on the Olentangy-Scioto trail a couple of times, but if you work downtown or live close to the trail, then it’s a great resource for your training. It’s also especially great for cross-training on a bike, as it runs from German Village all the way up to Powell Rd. You can get in a 30-mile ride without any traffic issues. For me, the only con is that the closest connection point from my house is 12 miles away. If I’m going to use the trail, then I pretty much have to get my runs in after work, which isn’t easy on a humid summer day

I’m always interested in other people’s routes. What recommendations do our readers have for good places to run?

Also. if you’re in town this weekend, we hope to see all of you out at RunFest on Saturday, July 10 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Frog Bear & Wild Boar, located on the corner of Nationwide Blvd. and Front St. in downtown Columbus. There’s no admission and the event is open to the public. Best of all, there will be lots of free stuff – food, giveaways, live music, running-related exhibits, activities and more. Plus, you’ll be able to witness the unveiling of a brand new NBHCM event logo. Just come to hang out, have fun and kick off your training in style.

I am going to be very honest. As I sit here and write this, I am eating a fabulous Dunkin’ Donut. Why would I put this sugary goodness into my body while writing a blog post for the Columbus Marathon? Well, I just had a baby. Fourteen weeks ago to be exact. He is the love of my life, but now I am trying to transition from “pregnancy eating” (eating everything in sight!) to “lose-the-baby-weight” mode. I won’t lie: it’s very tough. Getting my body “back after baby” is probably going to be the hardest thing I have ever done. This is why I decided to train and walk the Columbus Half Marathon. I am so excited about this. I’m walking not only to challenge myself, but to help me reach my weight loss and fitness goals. I did walk the Columbus Half Marathon back in 2007 and it was the BEST experience I ever had. I finished in 3:05:13 hours and kept a 14:09 pace. I am extremely proud of those results. At that time, I was not only training for the half marathon, but I was also in Weight Watchers. The end result? I lost 25 pounds! A win-win!

When I tell people I am training for the Half Marathon the first thing they ask is “WOW, you are going to run a half-marathon?” Um, not exactly; I am going to walk. Then they say, “Oh, ok” –with a slightly-disappointed look on their faces. First, let me tell you, my hat is off to all the people who can actually run a marathon. It’s an unbelievable feat. But walking the marathon is hard work too! It’s not a stroll in the park; sometimes you are going so fast you are almost running. You train just like you would if you were to run it. It takes dedication, sweat, and perseverance. I am also very happy that the Columbus Marathon has a separate division for walkers and treats them just like the runners (note the medal I am wearing from 2007); not all marathons do that.

I am excited to blog about my experience. I’m also excited to represent my fellow walkers and all the new moms struggling to obtain fitness goals after childbirth. We can do it together!!!

“Nothing’s better than the wind to your back, the sun in front of you, and your friends beside you.”-Aaron Douglas Trimble

Note: K95.5’s Miss Lisa will be blogging about her experience training for her third 1/2 marathon. Check back to follow her progress!

First things first. Any of you who run competitively are amazing. In addition to all that hard work and dedication you put in, you were given a gift. It’s inspirational to watch you combine the two and soar even above and beyond your own goals.

Now, on to a brutal truth for me. I’m a jogger at best, and a slow one at that. Since 2006 I’ve done two 1/2 marathons. (Watching a former co-worker’s success in training was the initial motivation). My first 1/2 in Charlotte I finished in just under a 10-minute mile pace and was so pleased. Last year’s Nationwide was also a sweet experience…albeit much slower! But as training begins for the 3rd, it will likely be my toughest challenge yet.

A couple days after last year’s race, I noticed a persistent numbness and tingling in my hands and feet. It impaired my daily life enough to know that medical attention couldn’t be avoided. Long story short, seven months out of commission will not make for an easy transition into retraining my body to go for long periods of time.

Of course, weight gain often goes hand in hand with physical inactivity. Been there, done that? (No lie. I’m carrying at least 20 more pounds than my body frame wants or needs). Feeling kinda chunky and clunky. That said, I’m GLAD I was asked to blog about my experience. Now I have no excuse but to put the nose to the grindstone and figure out a way to rebound from practical inactivity to 13.1 shape again. 16 weeks from today I hope to be a much different, more focused and certainly more fit “40-something”!

So, I’m ready to do this! The proper diet starts today. In addition, I’ll be doing a solid month of base cardio training. (6 days per week for the next 4 weeks will include a 10-minute walking warm-up, 2 to 3 mile jog and a 20-minute cool down…roughly 60 minutes per workout). My official training program kicks in on July 25th and lasts for 12 weeks leading up to the event on October 17th.

It’s all about the attitude. Time for channeling some positive energy and turning each step into a reconnection with true spirit and well-being. Would love to hear from you with questions about the training experience anytime…especially if it’s your first go. Just shoot me an e-mail: misslisa95@aol.com If you’re running, walking or maybe even wheelchairing it, we all have a common goal…to get the job done. It’ll be a blast, especially once we cross that finish line together. Let’s get started!