Talking with Chester

A couple days ago I met Chester. Chester is a 70something African American man who came into the store for some shoes for walking. He walks about 30 miles a week, has had one knee replaced, and is scheduled for the other knee to be replaced later this year. Now if that were the story, it I would be done. There is more though.

As we talked I learned that Chester used to run. He told me he had been a competitive runner. I asked what distance he ran. Initially the 400m, then he moved to 800m. In college in the 50's, he told me that was when the first wave of Jamaican runners hit our shores. Colleges were eager to recruit them into programs. As they dominated to shorter distances, some runners moved to higher miles. Chester moved into the 800m.

Chester had dreams of going to the Olympics. The 1956 Olympics were in Belbourne, and Chester qualified for the Olympic Trials. That was as far as he got though. There were no Games for Chester.

Not making the Olympics put Chester in a tailspin. He told me that the idea of student/athlete meant athlete, and not much student. He said he left school not being able to read and write. For the next 10 years he was lost, not knowing what to do. He said drinking and partying was a problem for him. He told me though he found himself, and had a successful life, and now is a proud and happy grandfather, who helps look after the grandkids.

As we wrapped things up, I said, "By the way, you said you got your act together. What did you end up doing.?" He told me he went back to school, got certified to be a social worker, and had a career in social work. I told him how outstanding I thought that was. Chester continued running recreationally until his knees could no longer take it. Now he power walks, and loves that.

What I love the most about my job are the amazing people I meet, who have amazing stories. In turn, I get to share them with you.

Charlie

I am Batman

As I ran this morning, I thought about what we as runners wear. I was wearing CWX Stabilyx Shorts and a singlet. By the way the CWX tights are the best thing to wear - love them! So here I am in my tights running down the street. Normally I would have a hydration belt. Then it hit me - I am Batman. Hear me out on this.

Batman wears tights. I wear tights. He has a utility belt. I have a utility belt - of sorts. He wears a mask. I wear glasses. Ok...not the same thing. Seriously I think the designers of running clothes and gear are fans of superheroes. I think as they design these clothes they are watching Adam West and Yvonne Craig from the old Batman series. I think when we wear these tights we are Batman and Batgirl.

Holy track spikes Batman!!!

My run today took me further into Andersonville. I ran 3.5 miles and felt outstanding. Temps were in the 50s and perfect.

Charlie

Testing the miCoach

One of the perks of working in a running store is when I get to test new products. Yesterday I was handed an Adidas miCoach Pacer. This device is similar to the Nike+ program, but with some differences. The main difference is miCoach has a heart rate monitor. Nike hasn't developed that yet.

miCoach is pedometer, calorie counter, heart rate monitor and real-time coaching. It does connect to the a MP3 player, but you can use it without. The coaching aspect comes into play when after you input all your info into the Adidas miCoach system. As you run, the "coach" will tell you to speed or slow down to regulate your heart rate. It tells you this if you are using a MP3 player. You can also wait until after the run, and have downloaded the info to see what you should have done.

There is a foot pod which can go on the outside of your shoe. No need to use an Adidas shoe, though they have a groove in their shoes for you to use the pod. The receiver can attach to your shirt, shorts, wherever.

I am looking forward to trying this on the next run. Stay tuned for a review.

Charlie

Spring Running

Fall is my favorite time of year to run, but a darned close second is now Spring. What a wonderful day today. Temps were in the mid 40s and not a cloud in the sky. Mark and I headed on a 3 mile run through Andersonville.

Spring is great because everything is turning green and the flowers are blooming. It is so refreshing after the bareness of winter to see all of this on the run. People are also nicer. More and more folks are saying good morning or hello. The sunshine brings out the pleasantness in folks.

The run itself was terrific. Our pace was under 14 minutes, and that is good for our race pace. Mark is getting the 3 min run/1 min. walk bit. I think that will serve us well on race day.

Can't believe the Mini Marathon is about 10 days away. Woo hoo!

Charlie

10 Miler That Wasn't

The weather was not very cooperative for a 10 mile run, so we headed to the gym. The good news is between the treadmill, bike and eliptical, I did an 8 mile workout. That was not the 10 miles I hoped, but it was better than nothing.

Mark and I are not 100% for the half marathon. I believe there will be a good deal of walking, but I still think this will be good experience. I get to run through the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. That alone makes it all worthwhile.

Not sure how Mark feels about the race, but I think he will do his best.

Charlie

What Not to Wear

There are some givens in running when it comes to running, though I see people fight those on a daily basis.

No cotton - cotton does a terrific job absorbing moisture, but it can't wick moisture away. So when you wear cotton, that wetness can lead to chafing and blistering.

Shoes - This is a MUST. Go get properly fitted for a running shoe. It will make your running experience easier and more enjoyable.

So why am I going through this lesson? This morning on my walk with the dog, I saw a young woman on her morning run. She was wear - Chuck Taylors - Converse shoes. Yes, this woman was wearing just rubber and canvas on her feet. Most of us wore those shoes at some point in our lives, but they are NOT running shoes. From the look on her face she did not appear to be enjoying her run.

It's moments like that I wish I could do an emergency fitting.

Charlie

Vibram Five Fingers

Recently my store started carrying the Vibram Five Fingers shoes. There has been a lot of buzz about these shoes, especially as the barefoot/minimal movement grows. I wanted to talk a bit about the shoes, and more importantly how to run in them.

The argument is that the traditional running shoe promotes a heel to toe motion which may not be natural for us. That is certainly a good debate, but I won't be debating today. I do think there is a misconception out there about what minimal shoes do. They will not change your form by themselves. For the shoes to do what you hope they will do, you need to work on your form.

I have covered this in previous posts, but let me go over this again. With the barefoot/minimal form, the idea is you land on the mid-foot, and then lean forward towards the toes, almost like you might fall forward, but that motion is going to propel you forward. The shoes offer a minimal platform for your running. They are not heavily cushioned, and they have no stability.

Stability in a shoe works to reduce overpronation. I think people get it wrong when they call it pronation control. You still want to move naturally. The reduction in overpronation(rolling towards the inside of your feet), is to make your running more efficient, as well giving you some additional support.

The Vibram Five Fingers looks like a glove for your foot, hence the name Five Fingers. It has a rubber sole, and it encases your feet. There is no cushion. I recommend to customers that they slowly introduce the shoes into their running. I have seen/heard a lot about injuries, because people are not taking the care they need to learn and practice a new running form. This is NOT a shoe like the Brooks Adrenaline. This is a minimal piece on your feet, giving you protection from the hazzards of being barefoot.

For the record, I can't wear these shoes. They don't fit my small fat feet. They are also not for everyone. Not all feet can fit into them, especially the folks with the longer second toe.

Putting the shoe on takes effort. You got to be sure your toes go into each "sleeve" and that can take time. This is not putting on a loafer. I am told once they are on, they are comfortable.

I encourage people to try them on at their local running store and see what the buzz is about, but make sure you understand what the shoes do and don't do.

Charlie

Earth Day Run

Today is Earth Day. This is a day we take time to take stock in our planet, and pledge to make it a healthier, greener planet. I went out and enjoyed the day with a 3.4 mile run through the neighborhoods in Andersonville.

It was a wonderful run. People had flowers blooming in their yards. The grass is green. The leaves are now on trees. It was sunny, so it added a nice touch to the day. I loved this run. People even seemed a bit cheerier.

I ran the route in 40:11. Not a bad time. I felt good the entire run. My body felt invigorated. This weekend Mark and I have a 10 mile run. That will be a challenge, but this felt good. So glad to get out there.

Charlie

Sometimes the Work is Not Appreciated

With the good comes the not so good. A woman complained about me this week to a fellow assistant manager about how I did my job. A woman came in last weekend with her daughter who wanted to replace her shoes. The daughter loved the shoes, and all she told me was she wanted another pair of them. I did my usual questions - and aches, pains, issues? Nope she loved them.

I advised her the shoes had changed with the new model, and did she want me to re-measure her feet and see if the shoes would still work? "No I want those shoes," she insisted.

I got the shoes. At this point the mother weighed in. Why wasn't giving her daughter the full fit process? I told her that her daughter declined. The mother asked her daughter again, don't you want him to check you out. The girl looked angry and said, "Mother NO!"

The shoes did not fit as well. At this point I was still denied the chance to measure. She wanted a smaller size. I did not have it, and had to have our other store transfer them.

The mother weighed in on everything - color, look, everything. I was patient with her and the daughter. I also fit the father(he allowed me to take him through the fit process, but his wife thought the shoes were ugly).

So the issue is I did not fit the daughter. As I have said, I tried, but the girl refused. The mother believes I should have done it no matter what her daughter wanted. I don't feel it is my place to force a customer service process, especially if the customer says no.

My general manager wants me to come away with a educational take away from this. I will admit, I am angry about this incident. I do my best everyday with runners. I know I will not satisfy all customers. I will always give my best though. I did my best in this, and feel very angry about the complaint, and I also feel I am not getting support from my superior.

Rant over.

Charlie

Sometimes the Appreciation is Humbling

Yesterday I got to work as our fun run was wrapping up. For those who don't know what a fun run is, it is a casual run, usually held at a running store, for people to get together just to go for a run. As I entered the store, one of the usual runners greeted me. He introduced me to a a new runner to the group, "This is Charlie. He is one of the best people here. He is truly an inspirational guy."

I thanked him for his kind words, and I told him that I really didn't do anything. What I didn't realize was that he has heard me speak to people about my running, and he told me that he considers me a running inspiration. A couple years ago, he told me how he was undecided about running a certain race, and I encouraged him to do it. He did, and he felt he couldn't have done it without that encouragement. I blushed and told him that meant a lot to me.

I am truly humbled when someone tells me a story like this. I just figured I run, and talk about running. If someone is inspired or encouraged, I think that is terrific, but I also think we have that opportunity to encourage people to run and achieve their goals. I consider it giving back to our sport.

I smiled the rest of the day.

Charlie

Irony

You would think that because I work in a running store, I run all the time. No. :-)

My days at the store last from 9-10 hours a day most days. I am tired most days, so running is not an option for me. This means I have to be more creative when I run. I have to plan to run on the days I close, or on my days off. That seems to work for the most part.

Is it what I would like? No. I would love a more steady schedule, but like most everyone else - it just doesn't happen that way. Saturdays are a wash when I work, because I work morning to night. So I look to tomorrow to running. I can't wait.

Charlie

Trail vs. Road Running Podcast

I really enjoyed my experience on The Runners Round Table last night. I met some good guys - all trail runners by the way. For my part I was to be the road running end of the show. Not sure how well I did. You all can listen and let me know. I did ok holding up my end of the show.

I enjoyed listening about why people run trails and what their experience is like. They almost had me ready to hit the trail. The soft feel of pine needles, the wonderful peaceful scenery almost did it. Now the stories of encountering snakes and hunters....um...yeah, I think I will stick to the road.

Seriously, if I could physically do those trails, I would.

Mike, Eddie, Tim and Brian it was a pleasure to meet and talk with you. Let's do it again sometime.

Charlie

Road Running

Tonight I will be on the Runners Round Table. The topic tonight is Trail vs. Road Running. From the guest list, it looks like I am representing the road runners. For the record, I wish I could run on trails, but am physically not able to run on most trails, so the road is my trail.

City running throws a lot at you. People, dogs, cars, bikes, you never know what you will have to deal with on a city run. For me, I love running through neighborhoods. Chicago is known for its lakefront path, but there is a lot to be said for venturing through the neighborhoods of this fine city.

These days I run through Andersonville, the old Swedish neighborhood. I love seeing the homes in the area. I love seeing the kids play in the various playgrounds I come across.

What I don't like is running on the busy streets. Those are congested, and usually people are not as runner friendly. This is usually where I get frustrated on my runs. So when I chart my course, it is with the idea that I want more neighborhoods.

I would rather run on the road than the sidewalk. I like the feeling of the road. Sadly, this is not always do-able.

Would I like to run trails? Yes....I have run on crushed limestone trails and love those. Sadly, this is not to be in Chicago.

Join in the conversation tonight. Should be a good one - www.runnersroundtable.com at 9 p.m. ET.

Charlie

Run Among the Mangroves

Hello from Florida. I am visiting my fmaily this week, and am in S.W. Florida. Today's run was a 3.8 mile run along the mangroves inthe area. Mongroves are marshy, swampy islinads, kind of like mini-Everglades. The morning was sunny and in the low 60s, so it felt terrific to be out.

I took in all the early morning sites. I also said hello to a lot of folsk out on bikes or walks. I will tell you I was the youngest person on the road this morning. Still I enjoyed the run.

My thought were about this week's Runner's Round Table. The topic is road vs. trail running. I am a co-host this week, so I was thinking about what I wanted to bring to the "table." I will share more once I have my thoughts fully together on this. Go to www.runnersroundtable.com to listen or participate.

The run was a good one. I did the 3.8 miles in 39:00. Not too bad.

Charlie

A Couple of Runs to Catch Up On.....

I did run this week. Time has limited when I can write about it. Sorry.....

Run # 1 -

This was a gym run on Thursday. I did a good 3 miles on the treadmill. I felt really good, and energized doing this. I did not get too speedy, I wanted an even pace, and feel I accomplished that.

Run # 2 -

Yesterday Mark and I ran 8 miles. This was a crucial run for Mark for his 1/2 marathon coming up. He had not run much lately, and his longest had been 6 miles.

It was a bright sunny day in the low 60s. We headed out, and made sure to go at a slow pace. I told Mark speed was not going to get us through the 8 miles. We ran to the river, and went through a park or two. Lots of people out enjoying the day.

Typically Mark has his iPod on, and I run without. This way I can keep a better eye on where we are going, and can get him to turn, walk, slow down, whatever. The run was a success. There were a couple times Mark sped ahead, but I reeled him back in.

Mark will finish the half marathon in May. I will be there along side. It may not be the race I would run, but it will be the race he runs, and I am supporting him on this.

I am very proud of Mark. His running may not be consistent, but he does fine, and he is accomplishing some goals with this running. Very good.

Running will be interesting this week. I will be in Florida visiting family, and there is a chance of rain everyday. We will see what I can do.

Charlie

Get Out, Get Moving

Thunderstorms in the area have been a threat to running. I did sneak in a quick 2.2 mile run in this morning between storms, and I was so glad I did. There is a public park nearby with a running track. As a warm up I headed there, did six laps, then went through the neighborhood, and then home.

I actually liked the run. Sure I thought I needed to dash to beat the rain, but I took time to just soak in the area. I am still getting to know the area, so I appreciate the time to run and see what everything is like.

I lived not too far from where I am now several years ago. Some things have changed. Newer homes. Different people. I still love the neighborhoody feel though. Lots of nice homes.

It was important to run today, as I haven't been able to the last few days. So I made a point of getting up and getting out. Like I said, I was so glad I did. I mini run is better than no run.

Charlie

Cooking

Last night I did something I have not done in a long time. I cooked. No, we don't eat out every night. Mark does the majority of the cooking. It is his thing, and he is very particular. Recently I bought Jamie Oliver's latest cookbook,"Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution." Oliver is on a mission. He wants people to better. We have gotten away from home cooked food. Oliver feels part of our problem in eating better is that we are not home cooking nutritious, delicious meals. Time can be a problem in this society. We don't have time to cook the meals which are good for us.

I looked through the cookbook and wanted to make Mark a nice dinner, and I found a recipe which I thought would be tasty and not take a lot of time. I made beef and ale stew. Simple ingredients: carrots, onions, celery, beef, bay leaves, Guinness and tomatoes. Once you do the prep work, you cook the stew for 3 hours. Very simple.

The stew was incredible. Mark loved it. Oliver believes meals should not be complicated. This was not complicated. The ingredients are all good for you - especially the Guinness. Hehehehe.

Jamie Oliver has a TV show where he is trying to get people in Huntington, W.VA to eat better and healthier. I promise you if all those people used this cookbook, they would much healthier. Nothing processed.

I plan to cook more, and get Mark to buy more veggies. We need more veggies.

Charlie

Glorious Run

Today was a run with Mark. It was not a fast run, but I had a good run. It was nice just to take in the nice day. Temps were near 80, and it felt nice. We ran from home towards Roscoe Village, which is one of many neighborhoods in Chicago. We swung around the area and headed home. Mark ended up walking, but felt good he got out there.

I just loved the run, because I took in some cool homes, terrific landscape jobs, and people watching. This was one of those runs where you just appreciate the day and the run. I loved it.

Charlie

Spring or Summer?

Chicago is in the 70s and 80s, so yes I went out for a great run last night. People were out and about as I weaved in and out of the groups of people walking around Andersonville. It was nice to see people out and about. The restaurants and cafes had their outdoor seating. So now there are some seasonal obstacles out there.

I was fine with that though. I had the good tunes in the iPod, and I was enjoying an early evening run. Was I fast? No. I was enjoying it out there, and that was the key to a successful run. I felt liberated being out there. So the REAL running season is here.

Charlie

Down, but Not Out

It has been coming for a couple of days....I have a cold. Yup, again I feel like crap. Seems like I went through this a couple months ago. Sickness has been making the rounds at work. So I suppose it is my turn.

No running today. I took some Day Quil, and slept this afternoon. I am hoping this will pass - FAST!

Charlie