Why sometimes quitting isn't really quitting

I have hesitated on writing this post because I didn't know if I should. But I decided if this blog is going to be anything, it is going to be honest. So here it goes....

We lost a few girls this month in the Fatty Must Run Marathon Challenge.  I think some may have gone MIA before this month but there was always hope that they would come back or reply to messages sent from Julie about how it is going.  I must say some were a shock because they were either so active on the board or so active in their training.  But when I read their blog posts about why they left, I completely understood and respected their decisions.  What I loved and learned from their reasons was interesting.

One person left because she felt the name of the group was negative and did not send the message that she believed should be sent.  She agreed with the concept of getting everyone to run, including overweight people, but the F word didn't sit well with her.  I really congratulate her for being honest.  Whatever has happened in our past or fear we may have can have an effect on how we perceive a word or an action.  And for all of us, that perception is our reality. She is a strong person and a go getter.  I  watch her twitter feed and Facebook page in awe.  I never would have suspected she second guessed her involvement in the group.  As far as I knew, she agreed with every bit of it, 100%.  But she didn't.

Being the committed person that she is, she remained with the group and participated.  She encouraged us and gave us advice.  All the while, we never knew of her struggle within.  And this project is a daily commitment, so for her to continue each day and participate was a daily struggle.  She sacrificed her own feelings for the group.  I am glad she has decided to say yes to herself and no to anything that does not ring true to her heart.  That's one of the things we are all working towards, right?  We all want to make decisions in our life that at the end of the day we can say to ourselves, "I am proud of my actions today."  And that is what Jen has said "yes" to doing.  At the end of the day she needs to feel good about her actions.  Jen, thank you for spending time with us and sharing with us.  I still have her listed in my  blog roll so that you can continue following her journey. She is now under Blogs that I love.  Please stop by her blog and show her some love.

Another person that shocked me was a person that I watched on my Nike+ activity board.  I didn't see  too many posts from her but I could see her activity on Nike+ and she was running. However, she found the deadlines and the need to give feedback a bit overwhelming.  She has the desire and the capacity to train for runs but this was not the way for her to train.  The  stress of trying to train by someone else's methods was too much.  And it is true, you can't fit a square peg in a round hole.  So, instead of continuing with the group and beating herself up each month because she hadn't completed the challenges or completed them with resentment or strain, she decided to do what is best for her own health and goal and do it her way.

How many times have we tried to do things other people's ways and just felt like a failure because you see it working for them but not us?  It doesn't mean we are failures. It means that this method is not for us.  Someone I follow on Facebook...very healthy, lots of followers, lots of good advice....posted recently that she doesn't do challenges well.  She usually quits in the middle of them and she is okay with that.  She has come to the realization that challenges aren't they way for her to get fit or stay healthy.  She has to set up her own program and do her own thing.  And that is what Sylvia has discovered.  Sylvia's desire to become healthier and fitter and her desire to continue the Fatty Must Run Challenge were not compatible.  So she had to do what was right for her and that was to resign from the challenge and reach her goal in a way that allowed her to be her.  I still have her on my blog roll. She has also been moved from the Fatty Must Run Marathon section and to Blogs I love.

The lesson I learned from both of the gals was that no matter what, at the end of the day, you have to be true to yourself and do what is right for you.

•  If challenges aren't your thing, then develop your own program or find a program that works for you.  Don't beat yourself up for not being able to do it the way someone else has done it. Find a way that works for you and be successful at it.
•  Don't be a follower just to be a follower. Be a follower because you believe in the cause. Have your own reasons, don't rely on someone else's.  I heard it said before, "Don't let me talk you into anything, because someone else can talk you out of it."  You have to do it because you believe it in it.  You have to be you because you are the only person that can.
• I learned that quitting isn't a bad word.  At times it means we are no longer going to spend time on doing something that isn't good for us so that we can spend time doing what is best.

Monthly Motivating Movie

As promised, here is the monthly motivating movie for June. On the first Friday of each month I plan to recommend  a running movie. My pick is coming out a few days early for a reason to be announced later in this article.  My pick for June is Spirit of the Marathon.

Courtesy of Netflix

This Spirit of the Marathon is a documentary that follows 6 runners on their journey to running the Chicago Marathon.  I love this movie because it follows 6 very different runners.You have a male and a female elite runner that are  training to win. A couple that have run a few marathons around the world.  A senior, running again and his daughter that is running for the first time. And one more female that is running her first marathon as she progresses naturally from 1/2 marys to a full mary.  Each story is unique and in many ways they are similar.  It is definitely worth a watch if you are training for a marathon, 1/2 mary or a 5K  

Haven't sold you on it yet? Well here is where I get cheesy.  BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE! While googling for a picture of the movie cover, I came across some exciting news.  There's a sequel!!!!  That's right, it was sooo good they came out with a sequel. The sequel follows runners training for the Marathon in Rome (In my dreams, that would be where I would run my first marathon.)   It is scheduled to be in theaters for one night and one night only.  Click Here  for a theater near you.  It will only be in theaters June 12th! Run and get your tickets!! That is the reason I wanted to share this one early.  I want to give you time to search for a local theater and make sure your calendar is free for that day.

Enjoy!

Good Form Running

Genevieve from New Balance at Fit Tri Run in Galveston

FitTriRun store in Galveston hosted a running clinic this past Saturday.  It was taught by Genevieve from New Balance. (Gosh I hope I spelled it right.  I know it's not pronounced the way most of us think it should be but I think I have the spelling correctly.)  This was my first time to a running clinic so I went suited up to run or maybe not.  I forgot my water bottle (which is a definite no no in this Texas heat and humidity) and I forgot my strap for my phone.  Fortunately, most of the clinic consisted of doing some exercises inside the AC'd store and doing a very short run in front of the store.  I learned that a running clinic is a class to instruct you on the proper form or technique of running and also record you to humiliate...I mean consult you on how you can better your form.

Now, Genevieve did not humiliate me. It was a joke.  However, she did record each of us running past her, first with shoes and second time barefoot.  Then she hooked her Ipad, the device she used for recording, to a large TV inside the store and proceeded to play each person in slow motion as she critiqued their running.  I have to say it was interesting to see everyone in slow motion. You see alot of minute things you would have missed had you watched at regular speed. For instance, while I was running across the screen, I could clearly see each roll of flab as it jiggled up down with each pounding of my foot and I must say, I discovered that each jiggle comes in waves and not just one big whop! Ok, that is not the only thing I discovered but before I go into my evaluation let me tell you some of the things I learned about good form running.

1. Posture:  Stand tall while you are running (even if you are only 5'1").  Your toes should point forward because...well because you want your toes to point in the direction that you are going. Keep your head up because looking down will cause you to slouch. Unless of course you are running on uneven road or trail and in which case you may want to look down from time to time so that you don't fall flat on your bum.  Your arms should swing freely from your shoulders with your thumbs pointing upwards and elbows at about 90 degrees.  (Another good reason to get the Amphipod hand held mobile phone holder) She suggested you reset your posture during your run by reaching up towards the sky and circling your arms back into correct position.
2. Midfoot:  You should aim to land on your midfoot when running.  Visualize marching in place while your ankles are flexed.  Heel striking can cause plantar fasciitis, over striding and injuries because of the hard landing.  Landing on the forefoot can cause Achilles pain, calf strain and shin splints.  She said shin splints happen because the wrong muscles are being used. Instead of the calf being used, the runner is using their shin.  
3. Cadence:  Ok, this was completely new to me. But when running your cadence should be 175-180 strides per minute.  That is 90 strides per leg.  If you are not sure about what that is and you have a smart phone, look for a free metronome app from Itunes or Googleplay and set it at 180.  Try to match the cadence at home while marching in place. Or click here for an online metronome.  She also mentioned Jogtunes that works on your IPhone or Android phone. To find your current cadence, count the number of right foot strikes you do per 20 seconds and multiply by 6.  Remember to run light.
4. Lean: This was a fun exercise.  She asked us to stand with are toes pointing forward and lean forward from our ankles until we felt the urge to take a step forward. She said that angle just before we fall forward is the optimum angle to utilize gravity to propel you forward rather than excessive muscle force. Some of us did that one over and over again.  I think we just liked the idea of falling forward.

Sounds like a lot to memorize, right?  Well she said one way we could train ourselves to do this naturally would be to barefoot run once a week. (of course make sure the surface is smooth and free of broken glass or loose gravel that may harm your foot.) She also said to march in place prior to your run with ankles flexed to help you strike midfoot.  Also before and even during  your run, reset your posture by swinging arms overhead and bringing them back to your side.   Also, listen to your foot steps.  They should be light. Your goal is to reduce the sound of your footsteps to a minimum because that means you are running light.  

Well when we watched the video of my running, we discovered that I look down instead of forward. One could argue that I am a trail runner and must keep my eyes out for fallen limbs, snakes, rabbits and alligators but that is no excuse. Because I looked like I was looking directly down at my feet.  I am also a heel striker...which could explain why I am having another episode of plantar fasciitis.  I didn't seem to heel strike as badly when I was barefoot so I guess next on my list are some vibrams 5 fingers and incorporating some track work into my running routine so that I have a smooth surface.  (My husband would argue I am just looking for another reason to go shopping.) 

If you want to learn more about good form running, just click here and let me know if there is anything you discovered that you can improve.