So it Begins

"The miracle isn't that I finished, the Miracle is that I had the courage to begin."

 

Day ONE

For the last three months I have been working to get ready to for today. I have swam countless laps learning the proper way to swim. I have broke in a new racing biking, and spent more time on stationary cycle that I would ever though possible. I have changed my lifting workouts, lost 15 pounds, and worked on decreasing my mile pace. It is finally here, today I started my 18th week training plan. I was extremely nervous to start today, even though I have swam and biked longer than today's workout. I realized it wasn't the workload that was scaring me about the next 18 weeks, it was that my dream was almost here. Have you ever had that? Anxiety to start something new, something life changing? When I started my workout I couldn't stop telling myself that I was going to be an ironman. I have confidence in my training ability because I have yet to fail a race where I have followed an effective, established, training plan. I know that I have 125 workouts to prepare me for my big day, the day when I become an IRONMAN! If I fulfill each workout, I will accomplish a mini victory everyday but more importantly I will be ready for my goal. My training will prove that I have what it takes to be an ironman. So on July 15th I will cross that finish line smiling, exhausted, but smiling. Today it begins.  I hope you will keep up with me on my journey. 

 

The RIGHT way to run

I had the outstanding opportunity to fill in a spot on a Ragnar Del Sol (Phoenix Ragnar) team in the end of Febuary. The experience was amazing, and I was able to pull a 7.15 min mile for total mileage of 18.5 miles. I also established some new friendships and have been invited to do future Ragnar's with the team.  It was SO great to run in the heat! Forgot how much I missed it!  There was only two down sides to the race. First in between my second and third legs I had a really nasty case of the runs. I spent enough time in the portable toilets for three lifetimes. By some miracle though at the start of my last leg the runs had stopped and i was able to run pretty well. 

The second down side of the race was that someone made the claim that my running practices were wrong! I was appalled, they thought that because I love to run alone, (being a 200pound man that carries his knife it is pretty safe), I love to listen to awesome workout music, that I find strength training is crucial to my running program, and that I tend to run a faster training pace (usually about 15-20 seconds below my race pace) during most runs.  

 

Back up, who has the right to claim someone is running wrong? I dare say NO ONE! Especially since most of us are recreational runners, we kill ourselves for fun. I certainly know I will never win a marathon or break any land speed records. I am running to stay alive, stay happy, and prove I have an unconquerable soul. Granted, there are ways to prevent injuries, and more effective techniques/training plans to running, but really running is natural. No one teaches a baby how to run, the little dikes just pick it up. Heck running is one reason our species was able to not only survive, but become the dominate organism on the planet. Running in is our genetic code. If you ever go running with me, I will make suggestions to improve your technique only if you ask it. I will never freely give my opinion about your running and I will for certain never claim you are running wrong. I believe your running style is as individual to the runner as the way we dress. 

For example lets compare my brother and myself. (see the photos) Genetically we are close enough that I could accept blood and tissue donation from him yet I would never survive through his training schedules. I am a 200 pound brick wall that trains for long distance endurance competitions. So of course I run differently then my little brother who is 100 pounds lighter than me and runs 5 or 10k's for his cross country team. 

Our training schedules, strides, form, and motivation are almost completely different. The only two similarity we share are the fact that we love to run and have outstanding training ethics! I am always so impressed with my brother winning so many races at such a young age, and he is impressed I can haul my big butt so far! We share a mutual respect for each others running abilities. With this mutual respect we both understand that I would never take my brother on a three hour trail run during cross country season, and all his cross country buddies would never wait for me to catch up during one of their runs.

 

Hence my offence, when a runner who decided to strap on a pair of running shoes years after I was running marathons, with a very different body type (one built for running), style, and never had to work through a serious running injury had the audacity to claim I was running wrong. After I settle my frustrations (thought an awesome run) I came to the realization that her lack of experience joined with her eagerness to help others share in her joy of running caused the false statement. She has mastered her running style, which is SUPER AWESOME, but not all of use are built to run like she is. I worry that unless this eagerness calms and a mutual acceptance of others running styles is adopted that she might end up hurting a novice runner. Hence I write this blog, not attacking anyone, but asking for us to accept each other as runners with different styles. I challenge you to look for ways to improve your running, ask questions, read articles online,  watch the best of the best run, and then try what they do. Yet make sure you feel comfortable with something before you totally change your running style. I remember my father suggesting that I just go run ten miles (never having do more than four miles in my life) I was able to struggle through the run but damaged my ankle so badly I couldn't run for three months. That approach worked great for him, but as for me, his suggestion ended in tragedy. You know your body best, so listen to it. I promise if you do this you can minimize injury, and suck a lot more joy out of your running! Always remember, there is no "RIGHT way to run"

Now let's get out there an push yourself! As always don't stop believing and never, ever give up! 

Kristopher