Who Do You Run For?

The above title is the question Steve Runner is asking his listeners in his current episode of Phedippidations. Some people run for charities. Other people run for their loved ones. Some run in memory of those who have passed.

Who do I run for? I run for the little boy who was born with clubbed feet, and grew up chubby, later obese. I run for the boy who would watch athletes and wish he could be one of them. I run for me. I run because I need to be a healthy and happy adult.

There are times I run for a noble purpose, as I think we all should at some point. In the end I run, because I can, because I want to and because it brings me joy.

In my next life I want to be an Olympic Athlete.

Charlie

Simple Run to Evanston

Today was a colder, rougher run for me. I ran 4.28 miles from home to Evanston and back. I took more walking breaks than I like. Because my stamina is low, the walking is to be expected. There were several folks out there, and I gladly nodded a hello to them as I passed.

As I ran I listened to my podcast buddy Steve Runner on Phedipidations. As you all know I think it is the best darned podcast in the world. As always, Steve makes me happy and proud to be a runner.

I was glad to be out running. I had an emotional morning. Lots of things going on in my life came to a head, and I really needed to clear my head. As I mentioned in my last post, running really serves as a great outlet for me. I am so glad to be out there running.

Charlie

Running and Mental Health

This is a no brainer, but I thought I would talk about it. When I was a little boy my expressive outlet was performing in our basement. The front area served as a stage, and I would sing and dance. It was an amazing outlet for me. My troubles or worries would seem less when I would be singing and dancing.

Well I don't sing and dance anymore, but I run. I have found that is my outlet, and it has been hard not having it. I have felt lost at times, and not very happy. So you can imagine how I felt not only during my run yesterday, but afterwards. I felt like a burden had been lifted.

Lately I have felt unsure of my place in the world. Without an outlet I have felt even more frustrated, so any attempt to get back to normal running can only help me clear my head, feel better, and think better. Am I making sense?

Races help me keep some fitness goals in mind. After last night's run, I know I won't be as ready as I would like for D.C., but I am still going to do it with the goal to have fun and finish. No PR work this go round. My reward will be regaining some of my positive mental health again.

Charlie

I Was Smiling

Tonight I ran OUTSIDE for the first time in months. I was so happy I was smiling as I ran. I went for a 4.2 mile run, and it felt good. Don't get me wrong, I was running like crap, but I felt good just being out there and running again.

I felt nervous as I got my shorts, shirt and shoes on. I felt excited as I headed down the street. As usual people on the sidewalk were rude and I found it hard to navigate the sidewalks. Arrgh!

So as I running I felt human. I felt so much stress leave me. I felt at peace. While I understand many people don't run, I highly recommend it as a meditation practice, or way to clear your head.

I feel human again.....tomorrow I may head off for another 3 miles.

Charlie

Evening With Running Elite

Last night our main store had a grand opening party, and all the running community big wigs were there. Executives grom all the shoe companies were there. Members of the running media attended, as did community leaders. One who caught my eye was Carey Pinkowski.

For those who don't know Pinkowski is the Executive Director of the Chicago Marathon, and has been for many years. It was his decision to end the marathon last year...a decision I supported. Where he and I differed was his appearent willingness to blame the runners for the problems on the course.

After a good glass of wine, I walked over, introduced myself, and we chatted for a bit about the 2007 marathon. I will be clear I was respectful of the man, and realize he has had to deal with this everyday since then. I didn't want to bother him. I told him I had supported the move to end the race. I also made clear though I thought things were pretty bad out there that day, and I was unhappy with how things played out - water and gatorade situation.

He totally understood what I was talking about, and went over what they did and didn't do for the race. He told me he figured there would be problems later in the race, but never at the the beginning. It was so hot, the elite runners actually grabbed some of the water. Typically the elites have their own water desginated on tables. They had those, but took extra.

I understand Pinkowski feels he did everything he could for the race. He told me how he spoke with directors of the other World Majors, and got advice, and was assured he was doing everything he could.

He also talke about ideas they kicked around this year. Setting a 3:40 course limit, raising entry fees to limit the number of runners, having people qualify, etc. In the end there is a 45,000 cap, and it is getting filled. As I have said I won't be running the Chicago Marathon this year. I will be running the Indianapolis Marathon instead.

All in all it was a fascinating conversation I had with him. I appreciated his willingness to talk to me. I may not agree with his assertions of the day, but in the end I think he did the right thing. I am just not convinced he wasn't doing some butt saving by blaming the runners.

Charlie

Winter Please Go

Dear Winter,

First of all let me tell you what a big fan of you I am. I love winter.

Having said that, I also need to let you know I am a runner. I love to run outdoors. This winter you have posed a challenge for me. you have made this one of coldest winters we have had in a long time. You have also thrown an incredible amount of snow at us. Being that I am a weather wimp, this has made outdoor running hard for me.

As a result of your weather, I have run on the treadmill at the gym. I hate that. Nothing is more boring to a runner than running basically in place for 3-5 miles. Ugh!

So here is the deal....as much as I love you, I think it is time for you to step back, and let Spring come in and warm things up a bit so I can get back to running outdoors, the way I was intended to run. Please consider this. I want to still love you, but you have overstayed your welcome at this point.

In other words....BRING ON SPRING!

Thanks,
Charlie

Adventures at the Grocery

Today I headed out to the store to get some good food items. Lord knows I was there forever, reading labels and figuring out what I want for the next few days.

I headed to the produce area first. I found some nice broccoli on sale. I also got some onions and a red pepper. I LOVE red peppers!! There was a buy one get one free sale on ground turkey. I have really grown to love ground turkey. Usually I use that with pasta sauce, as opposed to beef. I also got a great deal on chicken breast - $2 a lbs. WOW!!!!

Breakfast for the next few days will be a peanut butter granola with yogurt. It may sound odd, but if this good enough for Dean Karnazes, it's good enough for me.

What I noticed is that the "good for you" items are not always the better priced. The cheaper the item, the worse it is for you. I found an amazing deal on donuts. I love donuts, but no, I don't need a couple dozen for $4.

In a time of higher prices, I really have to think about what it is I am buying and what I can afford. That is tough sometimes. I liked the fruit I saw, but it all seemed so pricey. No wonder, they came from out of the country. None of the fruit in my store was domestic. Hmmmm..... Still I should have bought some bananas.

As for running, I did not head to the gym as I hoped. Had some storage issues to sort through. Tomorrow is a 14 hour day at work for me....YIKES!! My heel is feeling much better, so I can begin to run more - finally. Just in time too!

:-)Charlie

Running, Biking, Fitting

So yesterday was a very full day. I ran a nice 5K at the gym. I have to say I felt great. I did not feel too tired at the end. So what did I do next? I hopped on the bike and rode 1 mile. Not a big workout, but it felt good.

It came to me that I have never really gone into detail about my job. Let me correct that. You all know I am an assistant manager at a Fleet Feet store in Chicago, but what do I actually do? Well my main job is to make sure that fine folks like all of you are in a proper fitting shoe. I can not stress how important this is. I work with customers every day who come in and are in pain because they pick up their shoes at Target, Payless, or whatever is on sale. Please, please, please...if you can find a store to fit you.

So what is the fit process? At Fleet Feet we call it our Fitlosophy. Typically I sit down with a customer and ask them what they need the shoe for? Is it running? Walking? Working out? Then I ask them about any aches or pains or medical conditions I should know about. I then take two measurements of their feet - a sitting and standing measurement. Of course I am looking for their size, but I am looking to see how flexible their arches are. Usually people have differing sitting and standing measurements.

After I measure, we are ready to run....as it were. I advise the customer, that whatever their size is, I recommend a half to full size up, so their feet have room to expand. The longer we are on our feet, the more our feet swell. We want to be sure there is room for that expansion. I get a test shoe on them, and then watch them run. This shows me if they over pronate, or supinate(under pronate).

At that point it is shoe trying on time. I bring out 3 pairs, with various levels of cushioning, so they can see which feels best for them. I advise that the shoes which feels most natural is the best one for them....of course I get asked about color. We have a sign in the store, "You can't buy running shoes based on color." I promise you that at mile 10 of a marathon, the color of the shoe is the LAST thing on your mind. :-)

So there it is. My joke at the store is that I am but a common shoe monger....I monge the shoes!

:-)Charlie

My Apologies

Folks,

I want to apologize for my lack of writing. It is directly connected to my lack of running. I have been feeling down all month, and have had zero motivation. Even with a race coming up. Part of it is I just don't want to go to the gym to run anymore. Part of it I have been very hard on myself for things going on in my life. So as a result, my running has suffered.

I know I pay for this in many different ways, and that makes me sadder. I am my hardest critic, so when things go wrong, I get very hard on me. It is a struggle for me.

I see tomorrow as a chance to start over, and I hope you will bear with me. I am a little over a month from the race in D.C., so I do have to get in some decent shape.

I will work on writing more, maybe that will help. But I also need some encouragement. So if you are still reading the blog, please drop me a note.

Thanks,
Charlie

Spirit of the Marathon

Last night I saw a showing of the documentary "Spirit of the Marathon." I first mentioned this back in October. The film follows 5 people, ranging from novice to Olympic caliber runners, as they prepare for the 2005 Chicago Marathon. It is a very inspiring film, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

While I sat in the theater watching, all I could think about was how I needed to plan my marathon training for this year. :-)

I don't know if there will be future viewings of this fine documentary, but if there is, make sure you see it. I am sure it will be on DVD at some point.

If you do go see it, wait until the end to see the extras, including an interview with 2004 Olympic Women's Marathon Bronze Medalist Deena Kastor, and 2008 Men's Marathon Qualifying champ Ryan Hall discuss their plans for Beijing.

Charlie

Breaking Up?

I have a long standing relationship that I am considering ending. I love my gym very much. It was the first gym I joined. The trainers and staff have been incredibly supportive of me and my goals. Now there are two issues, and this has been coming for some time.

1) The gym is about a 1/2 hour train ride from my home. So I have to really make the effort to get to the gym.

2) The expense. There are gyms closer to me which are cheaper.

I think I will check out some of the gyms first and see if any work for me. Still it is a tough decision. I love my gym, but is it good to love your gym?

Thoughts?

Charlie

Good Weekend

You can tell the runners in Chicago are getting antsy. When I talk to runners at the store, all I hear is how they want to run outside again. There must be some serious treadmill running going on.

Yesterday was a treadmill run for me. My right calf was tight, so I was cautious and ran two miles. I was pleased with that.

Today was a good day. We had a seminar at work called Running 101. It was presented by John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield. Bingham writes a column in Runner's World, and is known as "The Penguin." When I first started running, his book, "Courage to Run" really inspired me in my running. His wife Jenny Hadfiled is a co-founder of Chicago Endurance Sports, and is a contributor to Health Magazine.

I was so pleased to meet them, and I got to introduce them to our audience tonight. They talked about running, and being fit. It was a great seminar. They also used me as an example of how to lose weight sensibly. I was thrilled.

:-)Charlie

Cheating

This week the media has been focused on baseball great Roger Clemens as he testified about drug use in his career to Congress. A couple things I don't get are why is tax payer money being wasted on this, and who all cheats?

Tax payer issue aside, I want to know who cheats, and what should be done about it? I have talked about this before. My feeling is either legalize drugs, or really crack down on cheating athletes. This is an Olympic year, which means the best athletes are getting ready to compete. Can we be sure they are clean?

I have had elite runners tell me most everyone cheats. Great! So as I watch Ryan Hall leave a pack of runners in the dust, do I have to wonder what he is taking? When I see Tiger Woods win another match, am I left wondering did HGH enhance his performance? What about Lance Armstrong? I really do see a day when it will all come out that he cheated.

The sad fact is these athletes are already great! Are they that insecure of their talents they feel they need steroids and other drugs?

And please....can we stop with the lame excuse - I didn't know what they gave me? That is so wrong! And it is a lie. As a runner I am aware of everything that enters my body....and so are these folks.

The pressure to win, and the money and fame associated with it are intense. But really is it worth the disgrace if and when you are caught. Do you want your career tainted with the word "cheat" by your name? Sad.

Charlie

Valentine Run

I am not a great Valentine's guy. So Happy VD to those who celebrate.

I celebrated by running 3 miles on the treadmill today. Nice run. I clocked in at 35:12. I'm happy with that time. My heel feels ok. Not spectacular, but ok. So I was happy to get the run in.

I have joined the Fleet Feet Racing Team, so periodically I will working out with the team. I will also be running a few more races this year than I had originally thought. That's fine. It will all be good for the Indy Marathon in October.

I have to say I will certainly be glad when Spring is here. Snow and ice have kept me indoors this season. Give me a nice sunny 40-50 degree day, and I will be a happy guy!

:-)Charlie

The Penguin

This weekend at our store we are having a Running 101 seminar given by John "The Penguin" Bingham. I am a devoted fan of this guy. He writes his ""Penguin" articles for Runner's World. He has written numerous books, usually co-authored with his wife. Books include - "The Courage to Start," "Running for Mortals" and "No Need for Speed." I find the books to be informative and inspiring.

I eagerly look forward to meeing the man, and listening to what he has to say.

Charlie

2.1 Miles with Tina and Steve

I headed to the gym in a light snow...which is now a heavier snow. I listened to Steve Runner and the wonderful Tina Turner. I ran a nice 24:36 on the treadmill. Something about running to Tina singing "Proud Mary" which got me going.

Because I had not run in a few weeks, I thought today would be an easy run. With apologies to Tina...nothing "rough." I stretched for several minutes before and after the run. Feel good.

If anyone is looking for a good get your heart going song - I suggest Proud Mary!

I have not heard the end of the Pheddippidations podcast, but it is my understanding that Steve is cutting back on the shows. While I am sad about that, I am sure he has good reasons, and I respect the hell out of him.

So today was a good running day!

:-)Charlie

The Goal is October 18

Nothing kicks you in the butt like a goal, and frankly I have been without a goal for a time. So here it is - I am registered for the Indianapolis Marathon on October 18! I took the plunge and paid the money yesterday. It always seems odd to me to register for a race so far away, but the training is an investment, so you have to plan like any other investment.

I am feeling better now that I have made this decision. Time to look at training programs. Most of the ones in Chicago are geared to the Chicago Marathon. I don't see a problem signing up with one of those since this one is a week later. The running schedule would be almost identical.

In other news how did I do eating wise yesterday? I think I was pretty good. I had the bowl of Kashi cereal and toast at breakfast. My mid-morning snakc was a handful of shredded wheat biscuits...odd I know. Lunch was a Turkey Burger, and only a small portion of the fries - I did not eat all of them, and typically don't anyway. Dinner was a good old fashioned PB&J. So today I have plans to make something veggie based. YUM!

Later this morning - the gym!

Charlie

Take Back Monday

Today I start fresh! The last couple days has been good Plantar Facism wise. I have some new running shoes, though they are new versions of the old ones I have had. I am still in the market for new shoes.

This morning for breakfast a bowl of Kashi cereal and a piece of toast. Coffee....of course.

Tomorrow I have a gym workout planned. So I am getting the body back into shape.

I will be doing a fall marathon - not Chicago. I am leaning towards the Indianapolis Marathon, a week following Chicago. I will get back into a marathon training program later in the spring.

For now the focus is on getting healthy so I can run the 10 mile race in D.C. in April.

Go me!

Charlie

Two More Days....Then I Reclaim My Body

So here is the deal. I have set Monday as my start date to reclaim my body. This means a couple things. First it means I get back to eating better which I have suffered from for a while. Second it means I start cracking down on working out.

I don't look fat at the moment - but I sure as hell feel fat. And feeling fat is not good. I feel sluggish and gross. Of course not running or working out for a couple weeks will do that to a guy.

So I am making a contract with myself, which I will post here. I always feel the blog makes me responsible not only to myself, but to all of you who read it. I am accountable. Believe me when I say this accountability means a lot to me. I take it seriously.

To get me kicked in the butt, I have decided to train for a marathon. Yes...this goes against my plan to not run a marathon this year, but the more I think about it, the more I think I want to do one. I know I am not running the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. I will run a smaller(capacity) one.

I find a regimented training schedule helps me a great deal, and I am not always to do it on my own.

So there it is, that is what I am thinking at the moment.

Thoughts?

Charlie

Where's Charlie?

Folks I am here, but have been in pain with the dreaded Plantar Facitis(sp). Here is my plan. For the next month, my goal is to kick this pain in my heal out! I have not run in over a week. You all know how I feel about that.

My feeling is if I can't get a handle on this within a month, how I can I run a decent race in D.C. in April? Plus I want to run longer races during the year. So I feel I have a decision to make at the start of March.

I will be stretching and cross training. Running will be kept to a minimum. I don't like that, but I need a healthy heal.

Charlie