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

Training Starts In Two Weeks!

OK, actually, in a little over two weeks... let's not exaggerate. I'm just trying to build some excitement, here.

Our first workout is on Tuesday, September 1, at 6:30pm, at Whole Foods. Don't worry, you'll get plenty of reminders.

What we've landed on, cost-wise, is $175 for new folks, $150 for returning vets. If that's a problem, or you need a payment plan, let me know. You can pay by cash or check, or by Paypal - www.paypal.com, and use this email address (robhill45@gmail.com to find my account.

But this is not a matter of sitting around for the next two weeks waiting for training to happen. You need to be preparing. Let's talk about that.

Getting up to speed - whatever speed that is...

Half marathoners, you need to show up able to run at least three to four miles comfortably. Marathoners, five to six miles.

Now, I know many of you have been slacking, with the, "Wah, it's 105 degrees," or "Wah, my shoes melted," or "Wah, I have cable/friends to drink with, and I haven't been bothered with running since February." Well, it's time to suck it up, people!

If you're pretty darned near zero right now, there's no time to lose, but you can most likely be where you need to be in two weeks (unless you've just reeeeeeally let it all go). There's a couple of good ways to get yourself up to speed:

1. Go out, warm up with a jog or brisk walk for about 5-10 minutes. Then, use your watch, and go two minutes "hard", then three minutes "easy". Repeat this for a total of 20 minutes. Now "hard" and "easy" are going to vary. You might be walking the easy part, and jogging the hard part, or you might be running the easy part at a comfortable, conversational pace, and getting a little out of your comfort zone for the hard part. Afterwards, do an easy cool-down for 5-10 minutes.

The following week, make it three minutes hard, two minutes easy.

2. If you run around the lake or at Camp Mabry, try going easy for three quarters of a mile, then harder for a quarter. Then, easy for a half, harder for a half, then easy for a quarter, harder for a quarter. Then get a cooldown. For a lot of us, we go out and try to literally hit the ground running, and we're tanked after several minutes. This is a good way to ease into it.

Either way you use, you'll find that you're pretty quickly able to string together more running and less walking. Do these workouts only once, or maybe twice a week, say, Tuesday and Thursday. Get some light running/walking in on other days, but if you're starting from near-scratch, don't go more than 3-4 times a week. Try to do a slightly longer run on Saturday morning.

If doing these seem really hard, or you're not able to run at all right now, let me know, and let's figure out what we need to do.

Getting the medical go-ahead

Have no doubt, what you're taking on here is a serious thing. You're going to be placing a lot of demands on your body. Some of you will learn exciting new levels of soreness and aches. you have to pay more attention to staying healthy, because your immune system can get worn down. And some of us are not as young as others.

Training for a marathon or half marathon is sort of like owning a motorcycle - in the course of training, friends and relatives are going to hound you with stories about people dying, losing interest in their other friends, or soiling themselves. Right now, let's just talk about the first issue.

The incidence of marathon death is very low - around one in 100,000, if I remember correctly. Marathon mortality kind of breaks up into two groups - deaths for those under 30-35 tend to be due to congenital heart defects, known or unknown, and for those of us with more birthday party experience, the issue tends to be more typical cardiac events.

For anyone about to embark on training like this, getting a check-out from a doctor is a good idea. Runners, particularly male runners, 35 and over should really go have a proper stress test and all of that. Better to have a gripper on a treadmill in the Heart Hospital with hot nurses around than out on Great Northern with me giving you mouth-to-mouth. Neither of us wants that.

Getting equipped

Yeah, everyone says running's great because all you need is a pair of shoes to do it. Doesn't mean you can't still find ways to spend stupid amounts of money on things, but that's still essentially true. But shoes are worth spending the money on.

Other runners in the group can tell you what a dramatic difference shoes can make. When people come to me with pains and injuries, I usually look at shoes first, and it's amazing how often that's the fix.

I plan to set up a little seminar at Hill Country Running Company about shoes, but let's get a few things out there.

You can't just go buy a "good" or expensive running shoe. It has to be right for you. A $165 pair of Gel Kinsei's would be dumb for many people, and an $85 pair of shoes might be perfect for them. Different people have very specific distinctions in their gait, foot strike, foot shape, and cushioning needs. To get the right shoe, you have to go, in person, with time to spend, to a place where someone is going to look at you walking and running barefoot, and then watch you run in the shoes they knowledgeably suggest.

I strongly suggest Hill Country Running Company, Bettysport for women, Rogue Equipment, or RunTex. We get a discount at all these stores - I'll be getting discount cards soon. Wherever you go, talk to the person first and see if you get an involved, knowedgable vibe. If you don't, leave.

Brand loyalty and cuteness are secondary considerations. You may have to ditch them completely when you're looking for running shoes. I always loved basketball shoes, and Nikes and Jordans were the best there were, but when it comes to running shoes... not so much. I have to be reminded that Reebok still exists.

Even if you have the most perfect-for-you running shoes ever, that you slapped a lot of cash down for back in 2003... yeah. You need some new ones. Even the right shoes will break in during the first 50 miles, giving you more (!) cushioning and a better feel than the day you bought them. But once you get in the 200-300 range, they start to break down, giving you less support and cushioning, which can lead to aches and pains and even injury.

As for shorts and jogbras and stuff... uh... yes. You need those. If you're new to the whole jogbra thing, go to Bettysport. Paul in our group also tends to have opinions and even some experience in this area, but I'd avoid talking to him about it, if at all possible.

You're gonna need a running watch, although a couple of our vet runners pride themselves on not being held to the restrictions of the time-space continuum. I'd recommend going to Academy - Nike watches are getting cleared out, and you can get great deals on them. Just get one that's comfy, has a light, and will do lap and split timing.

Academy is a great place to go for running clothes, and occasionally, IF you already know that a particular shoe model works for you, you can get shoes there, too.

OK, that's enough for now. I'm planning on having a little get-together, maybe with a short run beforehand, on Tuesday, August 25, at 6:30. We'll most likely run down to Hill Country Running Company, get some info on shoes and other stuff, then run back and have a bite to eat and some stuff to drink.

Cool? Good. Now get your butt out there and run.

Looking for us?

Hi - If you've come here looking for Team Spiridon, don't be dismayed by the lack of any signs of life. This site gives us a landing point, and I do post some information on it, but I mostly bombard our runners with a couple of lengthy emails a week during training.

This summer, a handful of us are training for the Chicago Marathon, and spending the balance of our time wondering what we were thinking, and just how hot it's possible for it to get here.

If you want some more information on Team Spiridon, stay tuned, or email me.

We look forward to hearing from you - stay hydrated!

Rob

Important Chicago Marathon Rule

"This means, for example, that urinating or defecating anywhere on or near the course shall be strictly prohibited except in toilet facilities."

Spiridon Flying Circus Expedition X

OK, you bunch of clowns and carnies - there is now a button on the left there for the Chicago Expedition. I'm working on the entire schedule, but I can tell you that being slightly more experienced runners, I'm getting you started a little quicker with the "short" mileage, then giving you a little more space in the middle, where you'll build some strength and speed, and then giving you plenty of recovery space for the last three long runs, which will take you to 23 or 24 miles rather than the usual 22.

This first phase of training is just going to build your aerobic base, so on your solo and long runs, just focus on getting the miles and time in, and don't worry about speed. Laura and Amber - you're coming off of post marathon and half-marathon lay-offs. Alex, you've been running like a fiend and could use some rest. Debbie's coming back from an injury. The heat and humidity are also going to take some getting used to. So, go easy and be OK with whatever time you turn in. There'll be another phase where we work on speed.

You're still getting plenty of hills, though given the flatness of the Chicago course, I might minimize it a bit, but will probably at least end each run with a short uphill, just like the stupid one at 800 meters from the finish.

Most importantly, get out there and do your damned runs. You've all spent $125 on registration, $226 on flights, you'll be spending money for the hostel and post-race booze and pizza. This is not something you can half-ass. You're buying into an opportunity to have a good time, but to run a great race that you'll always remember. But every day for the next six months, you have to make the right choices, or it's all for nothing. Got it? Good.