*phew*

(via xxilovetorunxx)

fortyishathlete:

Will most definitely try these! 

#run #love #motivation

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reasons to run

(via runningonfull)

why we do what we do

I reblog  from seestephyrun and I totally agree with her and with author of this article. Being too competitive and self-focused is an attitude I’ve seen too many times among runners. 

I can sense a great runner not from a pace or a race result but from his/her attitude: humble and full of respect for other runners.

so here’s a thing:

I ran my last marathon in 4h and 47 seconds

I ran my last half marathon in 1h 50min and 21 seconds

My first thought when I finished was: wow

My second thought was: damn, so close.

And here we have more than one issue

Not believing you can aim for more. I remember when I was running my last marathon wishing I could get close to 4h as much as possible. I didn’t want to get sub 4. Why? I strongly believed I couldn’t do it. I was right in some way but the point is that I seeded in myself this belief so well that when at some point the thought of going sub 4 occurred to me I said to myself: no, not you not now.

They say that at some point legs can fail you during the marathon but it was my head that failed me. Like this cartoon devil sitting on your arm saying: you don’t have to push any more, you’re close enough to 4h but there’s no need to go below.

To be honest I was scared to go under 4h because that would mean to me that I’m a good runner, a fast runner. I don’t know what fast means to you, there will always be someone faster or slower than you. 

For me sub 4 is end of my comfort zone.

These 47sec at the end of my last marathon time means more to me than just seconds.

Not appreciating how far you came. At the end of my last half marathon I was surprised because exactly the year before I tried to go under 2h and i failed miserably. This year I ran waay under 2h and the minute I crossed the finish line I was not satisfied. 22 sec away from 1h49min. Everyone wants to achieve more. You can see runners at the finish: some collapse, some walk with difficulty… I marched. Like I didn’t finish. Maybe I didn’t maybe there is still some things I can do with my pace but the worse thing is that I wanted this sub 2 for so long and when I got it it wasn’t good enough. I enjoyed training so much but I didn’t pause to enjoy my victory. 

Setting limits. What I took for setting a goal in reality was creating boundaries. 

I shouldn’t set limits but project goals. Maybe this year I will make my goals bigger than my limits but this time failing will not be failing but arriving where I suppose to be.

…the day after the official race photos come in and it’s obvious that

either I was suffering

or I was giving a birth

show-them-all:

True story

(via xxilovetorunxx)

There are really few things you can’t run without. Most of us have their favourite things but at the end it all comes down to shoes.

There are though things that we had no idea they existed and now they seem indispensable. You know what I mean: your garmin, gels, fuel belts and so on. Who thought that running needs so much gadgets! 

Recently I’ve been thinking what were the best discoveries I made as a runner and that help me to feel better about what I do. Some of them are quite cheap and surprising, others..a bit less. Here they are

Clay.

Because I’m an artist. 

Seriously, clay is the most incredible discovery I made in the past 6 months. First time that physio told me to put some clay on my left foot (I was just diagnosed with plantar facsiitis) I thought I heard wrong. Clay? Like for making vases? I put it on my foot and it made the pain less painful but I still thought it was a placebo effect. The truth is that clay is a great tool every time you have an inflammation in your body. When I feel my foot or knee are swelled of hurt I put clay on it, wrap it with some plastic foil and leave it for the night. Clay has absorbs the toxins and impurities in this area. It’s not magic but it does wonders.

It’s also quite cheap, especially if you buy it in powder and not as ready-to-use paste. Plus once you have it you can use it for many other things: face and body masks. I guess you could make yourself a bowl but a face mask was always my choice…

Not so cheap as clay but more durable is my second discovery: compression socks. Btw, if someone can tell me where to buy the pair you see below…

If you start running longer distances you’ll hear about them sooner or later and you’ll find them a perfect ally. If, like me, you have big calves (I mean, my calves are so big I actually have to buy compression sleeves not socks because size of my foot does not match my calf..) you will love them. They will make your blood flow better and save you so many cramps. You may wear them also for the night after race/long run to recover faster.

Protein recovery shake.

One of those things you hear about and you think that you don’t need it and that you prefer to eat a huge pizza after a race or a long run. Guess what: it won’t work in the long run (word play, nice, eh? ;).

Right after you finished your body should get proteins to rebuild muscles and the best amount of protein you can get fast is to get a shake. In the first 20-30 min after you finished you probably can’t get a steak or a tempeh burger (my case) so take a shake, it will help you recover faster. There are different brands, I use For goodness shakes, it comes in handy sachets I put in my bag to drink after a race

Vaseline. Oh you knew that one was coming. Slick subject.

I decided to use it some time ago because as we all runners know chaffing is a big problem that can be solved easily. You just put it wherever is needed. Legs, feet, nipples…It’s cheap, it works and in winter you can put it on your lips so it won’t be chapped.

and now..last but not least…

Running program/running coach. Once I was a runner that dreaded the thought of running scheme. Me? I’m a free spirit, you can’t throw someone like that into a routine, can you? I heard something about intervals, tempo runs but I knew better. I would go for my 10km run at whatever felt good. The day after the same. Maybe a day off and then another 10km. Boring? I thought so too so I would add a half marathon in the weekend. Every weekend. You heard right. 

Result? I wasn’t a very good runner and I wasn’t getting any better by doing all those races. At some point I told myself: I have to have some help. The problem was I couldn’t run with anyone, all my friends who lived by were faster than me. That is why I decided to get myself a coach.

I never regretted it. My training became consistent and…interesting. Different types of runs adjusted to my needs and goals and a person who always listens. It’s an online relation (as most of couches do these days) but wherever I am i can call my trainer or mail him and I have a certainty that he will listen, give me support and advice. I consider this the best money spent on running.

How about you? Any surprising discoveries in the running department? I’m alway curious what other runners do, what makes your running more interesting, what are your gadgets