Safety Stuff

So, the incidence of runners being attacked or harassed or simply creeped-out is sort of frighteningly high. I don't like being alarmist, but we have to be conscious that stuff happens out there, whether you're running in upscale Tarrytown, in Clarksville at the tail end of a group workout, where a couple of men followed and harassed one of our runners last year, or across the street from Whole Foods with a bunch of bystanders.

There's also the issue of running at night, which is probably not so much an issue now as it will be in October. At that point, we'll move our workouts up to 5:45 or 6:00pm, to try to get us a little more daylight, what with the apparent shortening of the days by means of some black magic that liberals and conservatives can blame each other for, the falling-back clock action, and the gradual, evil lengthening of workouts.

So, let's be smart about things, by means of my beloved bullet points:

• Turn on your heartlight - OK, so quite simply, get you some light, so you can see and be seen. Bettysport, RunTex, Academy, REI, all have varieties of lightweight blinky lights. The blinky LED's that go on the shoes are incredibly disconcerting to watch, but that noticeability is exactly what you want, and they even end up casting a little light in your path. REI even has some super-bright halogen headlamps that you can wear on your head, or maybe clip to your arm or waistband.
  
  I also run with these little guys. They're heavy duty, super-crazy bright, and made for law enforcement. They're bright enough that you can actually use them to momentarily stun someone. Seriously. Ask Paul - I have demonstrated it on them. They're easy to carry in your hand when running, have a button to momentarily activate them, or you can leave them on. The LED version is a little pricey, but gives you really long battery life. The regular version is $35. I've even strapped it to a beam with a hair scrunchy and used it as a spot for a friend's show. They're available at Whole Earth, Cabela's, and online.
  
  
• Black is the new way to get your butt run over - Yes, you look cool, Mason, and you get to play Ninja Runner Person, Mason. But you'll never get to use your nunchuks, Mason, if you get smacked by the car that you were stealthily invisible to. Mason. Oh, it was just the once, and you figured out it was a bad idea. Anyway, wear light colors, with reflective stuff. Reflective vests are cheap, if you'll take alive and stupid-looking over dead and cool.



• Be actively visible - Run on the left, unless circumstances make this clearly the worst option. When you have cars coming at you, make eye contact, even wave at them. Make sure they see you.



• Take a buddy, or at least someone you can almost stand - Don't run alone. Simple enough. You're more visible, you have a spotter, you're less likely to get messed with, and if you see the other person fall into a gaping hole, you can then avoid the hole and continue your run.



• Step light - When you're running through a dark patch, don't assume that it's not the only patch of sidewalk in five miles that isn't clear. Confused by the double negative? Me, too. Point is, find the most lit path through the darkness, slow a little, pick up your feet, and step lightly, as if you're running across a rocky stream. If there is something wonky underfoot, you'll have a better chance of recovering from it.



• Pick your route carefully - There are lots of considerations here. Stay out of deserted and/or dark areas, and clear of pothole infestations. Vehicle traffic can provide you a bit of light and security, but you need to steer clear of narrow roads, blind hills and corners, or high speed limits. Portions of the trail are OK, but it gets awfully dark. If you're close to the trail, you might be better off running downtown, or on South Congress.



• Run tough, act tough, be tough - One year, one of our runners was accosted by someone who thought she looked good in shorts, but then wanted to see if she, um, felt good, too. She tried to edge away and be polite. That's understandable, but if it's not going to work with a frat boy in a bar, why would it work with a possibly loony predator? If a comment gets made that's over the line, ignore it. Don't give them anything. If they persist or approach you, say, look them in the eye and say "Hey. Back off. I'm running." Ignore him when he calls you whatever he calls you, as long as he walks off. Keep anything you say short, but be assertive and make the point that you're not going to be messed with. In the situation our runner was in, she could cross the other street, approach some other people, or even go up to one of the cars in the intersection, and start communicating with them - make sure he sees that people see you and him, and he'll probably move off. If you get in serious trouble, yell, and flag down a car.

Above all, use yer head. It's your best weapon, your best shield. Be alert. I'd strongly consider ditching the iPod for night runs, but if you choose to run with tunes, day or night, you have to take extra steps to be alert, period.

But whatever, whenever, just be alert, be thinking, be aware of your surroundings. Think about strategery - what's open? Where are there people? What house on this block has lights on that you could get to if you needed help? Being alert and aware are good skills to have anyway, and if that's something you learn from running, then that alone is valuable.

OK. There you go. Please, take this stuff seriously. I'm the only person who should be trying to annoy or hurt you.

Rain or Shine, People!

"There's no such thing as bad weather. Just soft people."
- Bill Bowerman, legendary coach guy

We've seen some strange phenomenon occurring this week, in which something appearing to be water is falling from the sky in small drop-like packets. Whatever this stuff is, it makes things, including runners, wet.

However, I actually think that with this years group, I'm not going to hear any whiny little voices asking "But what if it's raaaaaiiiiniiiiing?" If I do, the answer is easy - we run in it. Aside from lightning, there's no reason not to run in the rain, and every reason to do it.

Races are run rain or shine - they, like us, will only cancel for lightning or major meteor strike at the start/finish area. What good would it do you to train in ideal conditions, just to show up and have to run in the rain? Very little. And if you think you're not all hardcore about running a race - when you slap down your money for a race, you'd be pretty lame to turn tail and go home because it's raining.

It's an exercise in commitment - If you're going to let moisture stop you from training and putting in the work, then what else are you going to let stop you? Not having clean socks? Everyone Loves Raymond reruns? Do you want to be someone who gives in that easily? Do you want to be someone that loves Raymond? No, you don't.

It's freakin' epic - Pounding the pavement or the track or the trail in a downpour, you feel like you're in the middle of a Rocky training montage, or in the climactic scene of a movie. Leave the iPod at home, because you can pretty much hear the orchestra churning along with you. People drive by, and those that don't "get it" may think you're an idiot, but the many who do "get it" will think you're a bad-ass, and maybe they'll think about their own level of commitment.

All this is not to say you shouldn't be prepared. Bring dry clothes and shoes to change into afterwards. Wet shoes and socks make for wet skin, which increase the chances of blistering - use some Bodyglide or Vaseline on your arches and anywhere else you tend to rub in your shoes.

And remember - whining is only allowed insofar as it's funny.

The Inevitable Commitment Lecture

So, in the course of making some changes to the schedule, I was trying to maneuver long runs around the holidays, and decided it's time for Tedious But Important Lecture #1.

One of the biggest problems runners face is when the running becomes this onerous obligation. Believe me, I know that feeling, and I'll be honest, I've felt that a lot this summer. The quote in the Austin Fit article about all runners needing breaks? That's what I'm talking about, and in typical hypocrytical coach fashion, I have not taken many breaks in the past few years, largely because I have a hard time watching and not doing, but also because I feel an obligation to do what I'm requiring you all to do.

But with a few exceptions (those of you who just want to keep running, but don't feel that you're compelled to prove just a whole lot) you've all taken on this task of training with a goal of accomplishing a half marathon or marathon. That decision is made, you're in it now. What comes with that is not just a schedule, though. It is commitment. I know you all know that, at some level, but I think it's important to really realize and appreciate the scale of the commitment you need to make.

The half marathon and marathon, 13.1 and 26.2 miles, don't care what happens in your life. They don't care that you're out of town for work or Thanksgiving. They don't care about injuries or very important things that come up that we all have to deal with. They definitely don't care about laziness and hangovers, and neither do I. There's no universal rule of fairness here, that will cut you some slack if you miss workouts for whatever reason.

Now, all that is not to make this task sound onerous. I absolutely do not want running to take over your life. I want us to be well-balanced. So, we'll make choices along the way, and therein lies what is most important and most valuable about the training and running - we've chosen to put ourselves in positions to make choices that are capable of saying a lot about who we are, and who we choose to be.

You've chosen to train. That's a win. That says something about you. Unlike other groups, we don't have stay-at-home moms running because they have nothing better to do. We are all teachers, lawyers, people in the service industry - we all work hard. So, every time you choose to make it to a workout after a really hard day, that's a win. When you are tired, and want to quit and run less, but don't, that's a win. When I say to run five or six repeats, and you choose six, that's a win. When you're away for Thanksgiving and you have to run 10 miles on Saturday, that's a win. When you choose not to have that extra one or five drinks on Friday night, or when you think ahead to arrange your schedule and vacations so that you can get your runs in, those are wins.

Ultimately, those wins are what matter, no matter how fast or slow you are. Running a half marathon or marathon is an impressive stunt. Training for six months is an accomplishment. Make those choices along the way, and your races are going to be easier on you. You'll be faced with more choices in those races - whether to let up or stop, and your ability to make the tough choices then will be built on the choices you make every day in training. And, I believe that in the course of making these choices, we have the very real opportunity to decide who we are going to be, not just as runners, but as individuals.

Again, this is not rah-rah, "110 PERCENT!!!!" B.S. Just appreciate what you've taken on - the seriousness of it, and the potential of it. Deceide what you do and don't want out of it, and then do not sell yourself short on whatever you decide those goals are. Make the hard choices, and this will all be far more rewarding than you could possibly realize.

OK. Enough of that. The practical implications are this...

1. If you have to miss a long run, let's plan for it. Some people have had fun hooking up with running groups when they're in another city, meeting people, seeing a new place, and making a fun experience that we're often jealous of back home.

2. You'll need to run even during the holidays. I'm trying to finagle the schedule so that you're be on "down weeks", with slighthly less mileage. But I'll be here, and the runs will go on as scheduled.

3. Marathoners - you're going to have a choice between running 24 the day before 3M, and skipping 3M, or adding mileage before and after 3M to get at least 22 miles. If there's a lot of grief about that, we can talk about it, but I want you to be as prepared as possible for your goal race. 3M is fun and fast, but it's a scheduling problem for all Austin running groups. I think Amy is really happy with choosing to skip it this year. If you want to run it, that's fine, but adding mileage to it will get you your longest run, and it'll keep you from blowing your legs out three weeks ahead of the marathon.

OK. If there's any questions or concerns, or if I've not come across right and ended up scaring you, let me know.

See you Saturday!

Rob