My 5 tips to help you start (or return to) running!

Let’s be honest, when starting out, or coming back from a break, running isn’t the easiest thing in the world. I’ve been running for about 15 years and am just now starting back after several months off due to a stress fracture in my sacrum. I’ve been surprised at what a challenge it is to get back into running after just a few months off. That’s why I want to tell you about my 5 tips to start, or start back, running. Here we go…

Let’s get right to it. Tip number 1: Go slow. This is probably going to be a lot slower than you think you should run. A lot of people ask me how do they control their breathing while running. If you’re starting out and you’re wondering how to keep your breathing under control, you’re going too fast. There is a lot to be said for pushing yourself and running fast, and it can be fun, but in the beginning, the lower you can keep your heart rate, the lower your rate of perceived exertion (RPE), the more comfortable you’ll be. The more comfortable you are, the more likely you’ll be to continue and make running an enjoyable habit that you WANT to do. Remember, speed has absolutely nothing to do with whether you’re running. The main difference between running and walking is that you get airborne when you run. That is, when walking, at least one of your feet is always in contact with the ground. When you’re running, at some point during your stride both feet are in the air. Running slow and easy is going to be a different speed for everyone and it will change for you as you progress! What is hard and difficult for you now will not be as hard or as difficult for you after 6 months of consistent training.  

Which brings me to tip number 2: be consistent: Consistency is key if you want to make a behavior a habit and if you want to improve at that behavior. If your goal is to be heathy by eating more fruits and vegetables, I promise you it won’t work if you eat fruits and vegetables once and then again two weeks later and in between you eat junk and processed food! That’s not a habit. The same rule applies to running. Don’t expect to get better at running and don’t expect to see the results you want if you’re not consistently putting in the effort. While good intentions are nice, running, fitness, and health require more than far more good intentions. They need to go hand in hand with consistent application. The road to being a couch potato is paved with good intentions. (that’s the adage, right?).

That leads us nicely into tip number 3: be committed! A commitment is a personal choice you make. Commitment is the state of being dedicated to a cause or activity. Do you have a partner? You’re probably committed to maintaining a good relationship with them. Do you have children? I’d bet you’re committed to raising them the best you can. Do you have a job? Your boss would hope you’re committed to working hard and being as productive as possible. At the very least, you’re committed to earning that paycheck, right!? Anyway, being committed does not mean your running will be easy. It does not mean you will enjoy every moment you spend doing it. What commitment does mean is that you will do it, even when it’s not easy!  That’s when you’ll see progress. That’s when you’ll see results. Tip number 3, be committed.

Now, you can commit to something, but to be successful, you need to hone that focus a little. That’s where my tip number 4 come in: Set goals!

Goal setting theory refers to the effects of setting goals on subsequent performance. Numerous studies have demonstrated participants perform better when they set goals. I’m sure each of you have your own anecdotal experience with this. It works with running!

Lets be smart about this. No, I don’t mean smart like, intelligent, I mean S.M.A.R.T., the acronym. The S.M.A.R.T. approach to goal setting means you will set goals that are Specific, Measurable, Adjustable, Realistic, and Time-based.

Specific goals means your goal is concrete rather than abstract. For example, for someone who is starting to run, a specific goal might be to run a 5k. That’s better than the abstract goal of just running further. For a runner with a little more experience, a specific goal could be to run that 5k 30 seconds faster than before, rather than the abstract goal of just running faster.

A Measurable goal is one where the progress or action can be charted or recorded so you can see your improvement. Again, the example of running a 5k is a measurable goal; distance is measurable. The example of running a 5k 30 seconds faster than before is measurable; time is measurable. Make your goals measurable and you’ll revel in your improvement, perhaps sparking more motivation to continue.

Having an adjustable goal is important because of, well, life. Life happens. If you’re injured, don’t make a goal of running a 5k 30 seconds faster than before even though you missed a lot of your training due to the injury. Adjust your goal by pushing it out to a later date. By the same token, if your training is going so well and you think running 30 seconds faster will be easy, adjust your goal to run it 45 seconds faster!

Setting a realistic goal is a HUGE part of you achieving success whether you’re starting out or a veteran runner. For example, if you’re running for the first time, setting your goal as running a marathon may not be as effective a goal as the goal of running a 5k. Now, it’s ok to set the marathon as a goal, if you really want to run one, but set incremental goals along the way. Incremental goals will help you get to you end-point. When I say end-point, I should clarify that there is no end-point. Setting goals will always make you achieve more and be more focused on the task! Keep setting goals!

The T in SMART is for Time-based. Make your goals time-based. Returning to the example goal of running a 5k, a better goal would be to run a 5k 6 months from now. This time-constraint will help you focus on achieving it, making it more likely. Without the time based element to your goals, you may be likely to procrastinate or get even bored and drop it completely. I’m sure you all know someone who waited to the last minute to hand in an assignment yet still did well on that assignment. This is because the time-aspect made them super focused on achieving their goal. When the completion date was far in advance, it was impossible for them to be adequately motivated to complete the task. The same is true for your running goals!

Remember, your goals are there to benefit you. You’re not married to them! If your goals are not working for you, you have the power to adjust them!

Ok, tip number 5: Increase gradually. Increase what gradually, you ask? Anything to do with your running! This includes distance, speed, and time! This is sound advice for every runner at any stage of their running life. Have you heard of the terrible twos, I mean toos? Too much and too soon can be a serious hazard! Picture this, your starting running and you’re beginning to see results; maybe you’re getting faster, maybe you’re running further, maybe you’ve dropped a few pounds. Whatever it is, the results can be addictive. The thought that if I got these results by doing x, I will get better results by doing 2x can be an easy trap to fall into and, trust me, it’s a slow process to climb back out. Listen, if you’re starting out, you’ve gone your whole life not running, give it a little time and trust the process; it works.

And now a bonus tip!! Tip number 6 of my 5 tips to help you start (or return to) running is, don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone is different and on different stages of their journey! Comparing yourself to others is a recipe for disappointment and discouragement.  Trust me when I say there will always be someone faster than you (I’m making an assumption that Eliud Kipchoge or Usain Bolt are not watching this). But keep this in mind; you will always be faster than someone sitting on the couch. You will always beat someone who didn’t have the courage to start!

Now, with these 5 tips in mind, it’s time to get up and go for a short, slow, easy run. You’ve got this!

Cheers!

 

 

Heed the call (of your body)

I want to recognize what many runners often find themselves dealing with, or not dealing with: pain/discomfort/injury. I, like many of my running peers, think we know what to do when it comes to training and injury prevention. We read countless articles, books, and scientific studies on the subject. To say listening to your body is important is a massive understatement. We know we ought to take a rest day (or several) when needed. Although empirical evidence supports we only lose a negligible amount of fitness after a two-week hiatus and that fitness is quickly regained, we often fret if we can't meet our subjective running goals. Why this willful ignorance when it comes to our own fitness and/or running? Why doesn't this blindness apply when we're talking to others about their goals and training structure. When talking about our sport with others, we truly want what's best for them and will err on the side of caution to help them avoid any unnecessary hardships and barriers to their training. With others, we use scientifically supported training principals which can be (inconveniently) forgotten/ignored in our own training. When questioning if I ought to do something (training or otherwise), my wife will sometimes ask if I would advise my daughter to do the same thing. This question helps reframe the situation. If I decide the answer is no and still go ahead and take the questionable action (e.g. double run day when the I'm overly fatigued) then I'm a hypocrite and ought not be surprised with a negative reaction. Furthermore, I may find myself in a state of cognitive dissonance which is not a comfortable psychological state to be in. Avoid it by taking actions that align with what you know and hold to be correct.

Why am I writing about this now? Well, if you follow me on Twitter or Strava you may know that I've been having some pain in my butt/groin/hip. Back story: in 2014 I broke my hip (stress fracture) while running the Boston marathon. It happened towards the end (near the Citgo sign) and I managed to finish the race. After stopping, I could barely walk! Below, the first MRI has an arrow showing the location of my 2014 stress fracture. The second MRI is zoomed in a little closer so you can see the fracture.

After about 6 months of low/no impact training I was able to resume running. I knew I needed to be more careful with my training and one of my 2015 goals was to avoid injury. Fast forward to today, the summer of 2015, and I'm training for a summer ultra marathon, The Pinellas Trail Challenge. Obviously, the heat has made it difficult to run but I've adopted running considerable slower than I used to. My easy runs are easy, rather than the moderate effort I used to run most miles at. I've enjoyed running more and my volume increased quite rapidly. Too rapidly for me. I know my orthopedic threshold is lower than I'd like but I've been ignoring that fact; I needed (wanted!) to train for my upcoming race!
Unlike my 2014 stress fracture that occurred suddenly with acute pain, my injury now feels relatively minor. I hope it’s not another one! However, the feeling is disturbingly similar to my 2014 stress fracture. When I first felt it last week, I took two days off then, on the third day, ran an easy 11 (see the video I made on that run below).

The discomfort was still there. Ugh! WHY IS IT SO HARD TO JUST STOP? Well, I've stopped now and it's not pleasant but I'm happy; I know I need it! I'm writing this during a two hour sesh on the elliptical. I am taking a whole week off from running before I reassess. Saturday August 8th will be the soonest I run. I have to identify a date in here because it, and my readers (all three of you (LOL)) will hold me accountable. If there is any pain I will hold off for longer and, if necessary, cancel my race (I REALLY don't want to do that!).

So...something to take away...hmmm. Although I am self coached, I see incredible value in getting one. She will give you structure to your training and workouts tailored to your individual abilities/needs. If you adhere to the plan, I think you'll be less likely to become injured. I also see incredible value in the running community, especially online; you can communicate with thousands of people and see what they're doing. Moreover, the running community provides support when you're doubting your own training. Although we think we know best, sometimes it helps hammer home an idea when you hear about and see others doing what you know to be best. 

Many thanks to my wife and running peeps for what you do. You don’t know how much I value what you provide!

Gluten-Free? Me? No way! (Or so I thought!)

It’s quite fashionable and trendy to eat a gluten-free (GF) diet these days. Fashionable, trendy, and EASY. Wifey and I went on a cruise a few weeks ago and there was an entire section of the buffet labeled “Gluten-Free.” Granted, most of the items on the buffet were obviously and naturally free of gluten like meats and potato and they also had some kind of bread but the point is, even a major cruise line is jumping on the GF bandwagon. And why wouldn’t they? Almost 1/3 of Americans report being GF! If the United States has 320 million people, 106.667 million of them report eating GF even though CeliacCentral.org estimates 1/133 people have celiac disease (CD), which equates to 1,418,671 people who need to eat GF. 

And need to they do; CD is a genetic autoimmune disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. 

CD can lead to a number of other disorders including infertility, reduced bone density, neurological disorders, some cancers, and other autoimmune diseases. Ugh! So clearly it is imperative that some people eat GF, but I found myself rolling my eyes at everyone else who was eating this way just to be trendy.

  

I choose to be vegan for a plethora of reasons. However, as time goes by, I see that the ethics of a plant-based diet is my primary motivator. I don’t eat animals because I don’t want to contribute to their suffering. I’ve always been an environmentalist and science clearly shows a plant-based diet is better for our planet. Yes, I realize I’m talking about the trendiness of a GF diet when it is clear veganism is also, thankfully, trending now. 

This is my blog so I guess I can overtly favor one thing (diet) over another, right? My point is to show that I have made a decision to eat a certain way and have my reasons yet I found myself wondering about the sense behind the GF movement. After all, eating GF doesn’t benefit other sentient beings or the planet.

Is GF a marketing gimmick used to sell us certain foods at a higher price? The economic factor is definitely part of the puzzle but so are cognitive biases which power the economic machine: the availability heuristic, the availability cascade, the social desirability bias, and the bandwagon effect (I am clearly experiencing the bias blind spot effect so no need to comment about that. Ha ha). As I first stated, it is first and foremost a social trend. It is cool to be, or at least claim to be, GF.

If you didn’t know by the name of my blog, I like to run. As a population, runners are notorious for having higher rates of anemia than the average Joe. I am no exception. My blood work often shows me flirting on the edge of anemic red blood cell count. Recently, I also displayed markers indicating possible CD. I discounted this possibility, mainly due to my disdain at the thought of having to join the hoards of those eating GF and also because I was not experiencing any symptoms (symptoms include: bloating or gas, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, itchy skin rash, tingling/numbness, pale mouth sores, joint pain, delayed growth, poor weight gain, thin bones, infertility, headaches, depression, irritability, and discolored teeth).

I visited with a gastroenterologist and scheduled an endoscopy to take a gander at, and biopsy, my duodenum. 

To make a long story short, results showed I have asymptomatic CD! Whaaaat??? Ugh! What now? Now I have to make drastic changes to my diet as limiting food containing gluten and derivatives is not enough; even the smallest amount can damage the villi in the intestine. To be honest, the diet is easy. Finding options that are both vegan and GF can be a little trickier but there are still a ton of delicious, nutritious, and satisfying foods I can eat and enjoy. The main struggle I have is being “that guy” who asks about GF options. But if worrying about other people’s opinions of me is my biggest challenge, I’d say I’ll be just fine.

On the bright side, I’ve found GF products that I would not have taken a look at before my diagnosis. 

GF Chex cereal is amazing (and rightly falls into the vegan junk food category) and is a perfect dessert! The only big changes I’ve made are with grains. Although oatmeal is technically GF, it is a rotation crop therefore can be contaminated with wheat, etc. There are certified GF oat options but the recommendation is generally to steer clear of oats for the first year after diagnosis, introducing them again only after giving your intestine time to heal. Oh boy! I used to eat a lot of oatmeal! With this in mind, I wanted to replace it with something. That something is quinoa; it is the perfect replacement even though the consistency is quite different! Change is good, right? “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything” ~ George Bernard Shaw.

I’ve not only changed my eating habits, I've also changed my perspective. I’m now a plant-based GF foodie and I accept my GF brethren for whatever reason they choose to live GF. Do what makes you happy and healthy, peeps.