Garmin Forerunner Auto Lap Feature

By using the Auto Lap feature on the Garmin Forerunner GPS watches you can exercise worry free.  The watch will automatically break down your run into increments so you have more data about your run.  The more data you have, the more you can improve.

For instance, by looking at your laps you can see that you start slow but each mile your pace increases.  Using that information you can work on quickening your pace in the beginning miles so your overall pace will be faster which will get you a PR on your next race.

Football and Running

What do football and long distance running have to do with each other?

Fitness and goals.

My son started youth tackle football last year.  After the season ended we needed a way for him to stay somewhat in shape for this year's season.  So ever since last November we've been doing Fit Kids with him and our daughters.  Then ever since school got out last May we've taken them to the track to run and walk a mile.

All our hard work paid off.

Yesterday he started football practice.  He was a little sore today but nothing like he was last year or would've been this year had we not been focused on maintaining his fitness.  His goal is to make the A team of his age group this year.  And, as all runners know, the desire is 90% of the solution.

You Can Do It!

As great as it was to pace my dad in the half marathon last week, it was a bit of a bummer that I didn't run the whole 13.1 miles.  With nagging injuries I haven't even run more than 11 miles in over 18 months.

Until this morning.

When I started out running I was planning on 9-10 miles.  But the more I thought about it the more I wanted to prove to myself that I still have the ability to run a half marathon.

It was slow going but I did it!

Once again I used the ol' trick of running far enough away from home that I had no option but run back home.  I was very tired and foot sore but still able to float on clouds with a smile on my face knowing that I ran 13.1 miles this morning.

Once I got home I started searching for a half marathon or full marathon to race this fall.  So join me in making the commitment to a full or half marathon.  Just remember...YOU CAN DO IT!

Coaching my Dad for a Half Marathon

The day for the Bryce Canyon Half Marathon has finally come.  I don't know who was more nervous: me or my dad.  Neither of us slept much last night.  He was worried that he wouldn't be able to run 13.1 miles, even though he'd had a 12.6 training run just 2 weeks ago.  I was worried that he wouldn't drink enough and I'd have to signal the ambulance. I was also nervous about him having to run the first 4 1/2 miles by himself.

When we dropped him off at the start line it was 5:40 am (20 minutes til starting gun) and it was 38 degrees.  I drove down to our meeting spot (miles 2 through 4 have severe downhill grades - I've run this race before and I didn't think that was wise for me to run down given my knee surgery history) at the water station near the Mossy Cave trailhead.  To ensure he and I both had enough to drink I wore my water belt with 2 bottles full of Gatorade. I met up with my dad 4.4 miles into the 13.1.  He was looking good - enjoying the downhill and the cool temperature.  He listens to books on tape while he runs so it wasn't very easy for me to ask if needed a drink.  Occasionally he'd pop out one earbud so I could ask him how he was doing.  I was really glad I brought my bottle of Gatorade.  It made it way more convenient for him to sip liquids and stay hydrated.

When we got to mile 11 I could tell he was on tap to a great finish time for his first half marathon.  We both quickened our pace just a smidge when we could see the turnoff to the finish line.  When we got to 13.0 I asked how much he had left in the tank.  He said "a little" so we took off.  I kept asking him how much he had left, he didn't answer he just ran faster.  We got down to a 7:39 pace once we passed my husband and daughter ringing a cowbell and cheering us on.

My 65 year old dad who has only been running for a year finished his first half marathon in 2:14:44!

Success for him and relief for me.  Makes me want to have someone pace me - I'm itching for a sub-2 hour half marathon time.

Death Crawl

Whether you're a football fan or not you gotta watch this inspirational video.

Positive Thinking

Ever since I was a young kid my mom always told me that great things can happen if you think positively.

Nothing has been more helpful with my running than that piece of advice.

I'm proud to have passed it on to my kids as well.  The first time my 6 year old tried to run a whole lap without stopping she got halfway then starting chanting "I can do it. I can do it. I can do it."

My running mantra is "I Can. Dig Deep. Darn Tough."  The phrases are just long enough that I can say/think them with every breath I take when the going gets tough.  When things are really hard and I'm super tired I shorten it to "Can. Can. Can."

"I Can" comes from the Little Engine that Could although I took out the "I think" part.

"Dig Deep" comes from the shoelaces of my Brooks running shoes.

"Darn Tough" comes from and is the name of the brand of running socks my husband wears and loves.

See how easy it is to come up with an inspiring mantra.  You have got to get one.  You'll be amazed at the speed you can endure or the hills you can fly up.

3 1/2 conversions, 12 assists

After speaking with my younger brother I can now up my count to three and a half conversions.  That is to say 3 1/2  people I've successfully converted to running addicts.

During the past year my 35 year old brother has lost 40 lbs or more.  It's given him the extra energy he needed so he could feel like he could run.  A couple of weeks ago he finished his first 5k and is scheduled to run another 5k this Saturday with my dad.

My dad is convert #2.  When I ran my first marathon my parents drove 6 hours to cheer me on and see me cross the finish line.  Soon after that my dad started asking me questions about how to start out running and what kind of shoes to buy.  Shortly after that he ran his first 5k in everyday gym shoes and his jeans and having never run for more than 2 miles.  My 65 year old dad is now scheduled to run his first half marathon in July.  I can't wait to run it with him.

Speaking of half marathons, my first ever race was a half marathon.  After I'd been jogging for a month I set the 13.1 mile goal.  Soon after I got my #1 conversion: my husband.  We trained together the whole summer and it was great.  Every Saturday we got a date together and got healthy at the same time.  I loved sharing all the "firsts" with my husband.  The first time ever I'd run 4 miles or 10 miles was with my husband by my side.  We made a perfect team.  He was good at the start of the long runs and I was a good finisher.  Before our first half marathon he said "it's been great and all but it's too much work, I think I'm done with this running thing."  Of course now he has completed more half marathons than I have.  He's also gotten much faster than me.  We can no longer go on runs together.  But we still support each other every step of the way.

My half conversion is my older brother.  He's now trying hard to lose a little more weight so that he can more safely and comfortably run.  I've already got him hooked on the running gadgets so I know he'll become fully converted soon.

I like to consider that I have 12 assists in the conversion to running.  I won't enumerate them all but I will say that everyone of them is now healthier than they were before they started running.

New Blog Design

I hope you enjoy the new blog header. In no way am I suggesting that I belong in the same cateogory as the running greats Jesse Owens and Steve Prefontaine. What I am trying to do is surround myself with greatness and these two runners have been my role models for years.

When I was about 10 years old and running the sprints in a local track club, I admired Jesse Owens for his speed and records broken.  As an adult I admire him for running in the Berlin Olympics right in front of Adolf Hitler.

As a 30-something who took up long-distance running, I admire Steve Prefontaine.  Through lots of hard work and gut-wrenching workouts he worked himself almost to the top.  The podium would've belonged to him if only he could've lived longer.

Both of these men started from scratch, and nothing but determination and hard work brought them success.  What great role models to surround yourself with to help make your goals more attainable.

Mother's Day 10k

All I asked my husband for Mother's Day was to run the Kanab 10k with my dad.  Aside from doing the running part of an Olympic distance triathlon (the Spudman in Idaho) I have never raced a 10k.  The day of the Spudman race brought high temperatures and a few other challenges so I didn't meet my goal.  This time I specifically

Starting Line

As Plato said, "The beginning is the most important part of the work."  What a nice introduction to this blog where my goal is to share stories and provide advice and reviews about products and events in the running world. 
Speaking of running events, the 115th Boston Marathon was run this morning.  In a blistering pace