Is Stretching A Bad Thing?

Stretching can be a confusing thing. Most of us who started running 10-15 years ago were told to stretch. There wasn't much distinction between what type of stretch (though it was usually a static stretch). The 'when to stretch' had some variation. Some believed it was better to do it before a warm-up. Some believed you only needed to do it after your run. Also, there were those who believe stretching before or after your workout isn't needed. 

Fast-forward to today. There still are many people who still have the same thoughts about stretching as runners 10-15 years ago. This begs the question - is stretching a bad thing?

*Side-note: What I'm going to say is my opinion. It may not agree with your thoughts on stretching. This is what I've learned over the years and I know it works for me.*

Stretching isn't all that bad. It all depends on what type of stretching and when you should do it.

There are two main types of stretching - dynamic and static. Dynamic stretching is stretching with movement. This doesn't mean touch your toes and bounce. Leg kicks, hip circles, walking lunges and leg swings are all types of dynamic stretches. Static stretches are almost the opposite. These are the more traditional type of stretches that were drilled into everybody's minds years ago. These are the touch your toes and hold for a specific amount of time stretches.

Dynamic stretching is great to do before you start your warm-up. The goal is to help get things loosened up a bit and ready for your warm-up. Usually a couple minutes is all you need. A good way to incorporate this into your regular routine - start dynamic stretches from your car to the starting point of your run, or start them from the locker room on the way to the treadmill.

Static stretches are great for when the run is over and after your cool down. This will help keep things loosened up and not tighten up later on for you. Some good stretches to hit are ones to focus on the hamstrings, abductors, IT band, and quads. There are many ways to stretch those areas. I like to change the type of stretch up every few days. It helps keep things from getting boring.

Stretching does take time to get used to doing. Just like anything else, it will get easier to do and easier to remember to do the more you do it. You have to keep reminding yourself that a few minutes of stretching can help avoid injuries and help keep things loose around those injured areas.

Punching The Clock And Going To Work

I'm starting to figure my body out. I notice I walk slower than most people. I don't try to walk slow either. My body just goes at a comfortable pace. Today, my legs felt a bit sluggish when walking around at work today. I was wondering how my workout would go today at the gym.

WARM-UP

I took the long route to the treadmill today. Because my legs were a bit sluggish, I made sure to do a few more dynamic stretches in an attempt to wake my muscles up a bit. I got things going at the 1.0 incline and found a comfortable speed and went with it.

After I was done with the warm-up, I had to shake my head. I was able to kick out a warm-up mile within the usual time. Yep. My body seems to know when to it should kick in to gear.

MAIN WORKOUT

For the meat-n-potatoes of my workout, I was still targeting 3 miles. I wasn't sure at what pace I'd be able to do (especially since I wasn't expecting the warm-up to go the way it did). I got the incline back to 1.0 and went at it. I kept a consistent pace for most of the run. I think the last mile is where I kicked it up a bit. Nothing too crazy. I figured if my body wants to eat these miles up, I'm going to let it.

Not too shabby for a 3 mile run! I'm starting to see the benefits of running consistently for as many weeks as I have been. I'm on week 12 now of this training cycle. Seeing the benefits like this definitely help keep me going.

COOL DOWN

After getting some water to help cool things down, I got back on the treadmill for my cool down. The start of the cool down felt more sluggish than the end of it. Go figure. I'm not complaining. My body was able to get things back under control with my breathing and I was still able to keep good form throughout the cool down.

Consistent cool down time! Heh. I love consistent times when I'm not focusing on time and speed. The body knows.

STRETCHING

I took my time with each stretch today. Because my legs were feeling sluggish earlier in the day, I threw a few more stretches in to help keep things loose. My balance from the transition to and from each stretch was really good. I only had a few stretches where I had to catch myself and start the stretch over again.

WEIGHTS

I'm glad today was arms and upper body day for weights. Gives my legs some rest. Because the free weight area was a bit packed, I stuck with using the machines today. That's not a bad thing. It's good to switch things up. I hit one machine for the major muscle groups. I'm glad I stick to that too. Helps get me in and out of the gym quicker.

LAST MILE POWER SONG

Today's LMPS was Back In The Saddle by Aerosmith. Aerosmith has a bunch of good workout songs. This one I thought was good for the last mile; 'back in the saddle again'. It sums up how I'm feeling about where I'm at with running right now. I'm having fun with it and able to see improvements from the hard work too.

Keeping Up With The Running

Today was one of those days where I was counting down the hours after lunch until it was time to leave. It wasn't because it was a bad day at work. I was chomping at the bit to get to the gym. Knowing the end of the year is almost here has me excited. I'm pushing towards the most consecutive weeks of working out, probably since high school.

WARM-UP

I tried incorporating a different approach to my warm-up. I decided to focus on my form and control my breathing. It's something I like to do every now and then to help remind my body of how it's supposed to run. Anybody can run, but it takes practice to keep your body in control while you do it.

The warm-up felt really good. The now typical sweat-fest was starting. I can't wait for spring when I'm able to start running outside again. A breeze of any kind would be welcomed on the treadmill.

MAIN WORKOUT

The goal of today's main workout was to run 3 miles, but have negative splits. No real time goal. I wanted to switch things up and make the run interesting. I didn't keep track of the speed I had set. I know each mile I increased the speed by a couple settings. The entire run was done with the 1.0 incline set. I think having at least a 1.0 incline will always be a staple of every run.

The run felt good. I know it was one of the fastest 3 mile runs I have done in awhile. At this point I felt like I walked through a sprinkler. I really need to find a way to keep sweat out of my eyes. I have worn a hat during my runs, but the hat traps the heat and I end up sweating even more.

COOL DOWN

I got back on the treadmill to get my cool down going. I have this part down to a science. The cool down mile didn't feel like it took very long. At the beginning, my legs felt a bit tired from surviving the main workout. As the cool down went on, my legs felt a bit better. During the entire run, even though my legs were a bit tired, I kept an eye on my form and breathing.

Funny. My cool down time was exactly the same as my warm-up time. It's not something I planned on happening. It is nice to see consistency with my times. Consistency always pays off in the long run.

STRETCHING

I did my usual stretch routine. I'm still able to see the benefits of keeping at it. I'm able to stretch a bit farther, and keep my body under control when transitioning to each stretch. I know keeping up with the stretching to help stay injury free, and keep things flowing around my knee.

WEIGHTS

Today was legs day. I'm feeling pretty confident with my leg routine. It hits all the major leg muscles once and it doesn't take that long to do. I hit the weights for my legs more so to strengthen them, not trying to build bulk. I don't need bulk. I need strength in my legs to help keep me moving forward.

LAST MILE POWER SONG

Today's LMPS was Let's Go Crazy by Prince. Some may think it's a cheezy song. The beat is really good and fast paced. And let's be honest. When running, we all feel a bit 'crazy' sometimes.

Legs Playing Tricks On Me

Today I could have been ok with not going to the gym and instead going tomorrow. I wasn't getting enough sleep this week and my body was protesting. My legs felt like they had weights on them all day. I was still undecided about going to the gym all day, until my ride home from work. With the gym being on the way home from work, my truck found it's way to the gym parking log. Guess I was going to get a workout in after all.

WARM-UP

I sometimes have to wonder how my body knows when it's time to run. When I got on the treadmill, I got it up to my usual 1.0 incline and got the speed set. The warm-up felt really good. I could tell I wasn't being a lead foot on the treadmill, but instead seemed very light on my feet.

I was able to keep the warm-up mile time consistent with the other warm-up and cool down times. Right about 10 minutes seems to be the sweet spot. Not too fast where I feel like I'm pushing the pace, and not too slow where I feel like the warm-up is taking forever to finish.

MAIN WORKOUT

Because my legs were feeling dead for most of the day, I figured the main workout would only be 2 miles. I would throw in a few higher incline 1/4 miles and switching up the pace in there to make things interesting. I was surprised how my body ate those 1/4 miles up. I was curious to see how I'd do with 0 incline set. It is interesting that I was able to noticed a difference in running at 0 incline compared to my usual 1.0. I was able to run a bit faster at 0 incline.

COOL DOWN

I didn't waste much time going from the main workout to the cool down. I was able to get moving and slow things down enough to make the cool down feel good. The cool down felt really good! It did go by quick, which was good. It's good because I'm able to get a mile in and not really give it a second thought.

A bit faster cool down time than expected. I think it has to do with not giving as long of time between the main workout and the cool down like I usually have done.

STRETCHING

I can really tell a difference when I do stretches now. I'm able to stretch a bit farther than I was a few weeks ago. This is really good. I never plan on being Gumbi. All I'm looking for with stretching is to get more flexible and help keep things loose after my run.

WEIGHTS

Today was arms and upper body day. I decided to switch things up and do primarily machine workouts. Typically I have done free weights. I want to keep things interesting and make sure my body can continue to grow from lifting weights. I never plan on being really muscular or want to get bulky. I want to focus on getting my muscles stronger to help push me through longer runs in the summer.

LAST MILE POWER SONG

Today's LMPS was Ready to Go by Republica. The song has a fast paced beat to it. It's always been one of my top go-to songs for when I need to pick up the pace. "On the roof tops shouting out, baby I'm ready to go."

Jello Legs Are Fun

I'm starting to get in the swing of things with going to the gym. I think it's been 3 weeks now since I got a membership to the gym, and I've gone to the gym at least 3x a week. It's allowed me to keep my weeks with having at least one run in to 11 weeks now. Not too bad considering I had knee surgery 5 years ago and was told I should consider taking up biking and not running to help preserve my knee.

WARM-UP
My warm-up routine at the gym is now becoming just that - a routine. I'm not really having to think about what I need to do because my body already knows what to expect. The dynamic stretches on the way to the treadmill helped loosen things up a bit. I got my mile warm-up in and it felt like it went by fast. I think it's great I'm getting to a point where a warm-up mile is effortless and seems to go by fast. Looking at my previous warm-up times, I'm still hitting consistent times too. I know on a treadmill that is a bit easier than running outside, but it does help condition the body to know what it needs to do.

MAIN WORKOUT

I planned on running 3 miles again today. I remind myself this is off season and I don't need to do anything other than keep running and keeping myself conditioned for the spring when races start and I'm outside running again. For the run, I focused on negative splits. No set time to hit. If my body felt like it was working too hard or it didn't feel right, I would have pulled back some. I wanted to try working on getting my body and mind ready for running negative splits during a race. The only way to do that is to practice it. I don't have the exact mile splits (joys of treadmill running). I do know each mile was a bit faster than the previous one.

COOL DOWN

After the effort I gave for the main workout, I welcomed the cool down mile. It felt good to slow things down a bit and get my breathing under control again. Again, like the warm-up mile, the cool down seemed to go by quick and effortless.

It was good to see my cool down mile time was again consistent with other warm-up and cool down times.

STRETCHING

As little of a thing as stretching can be, it's becoming something I look forward to. I can tell I'm getting more range of motion and more flexible. I still stick to a few basic stretches for each muscle group and hold it for a 30 count. I know I could do more, but so far this has been working for me.

WEIGHTS

Since Monday was arms and upper body day, today was leg day. Yay! I've come up with a short leg workout routine where once I'm done, my legs feel like Jello. Just like all weights I lift, I don't focus on the amount of the weight, but the control and being able to get the full extension of the exercise. I also make sure not to do too many leg exercises. I'm only looking to help strengthen things, especially around my knee.

LAST MILE POWER SONG

Today's LMPS was Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry. It's an oldie that many people wouldn't think to have in their playlist. The guitar riffs alone in that song are enough to get me moving. It's really fast paced and it got me moving a bit faster on that last negative split I did.

Treadmills Allow Zombie Minds To Still Get Work Done

I still made it to the gym, even though my mind was telling me I could get caught up on somethings at home. I guess it makes a difference when you have everything you need for going to the gym already packed in your truck, and the gym is on my way home from work. I guess I could have let my mind win, but this time the body over-ruled that decision and I made it inside the gym doors.

WARM-UP
I really wasn't feeling the workout today. I did a few dynamic stretches to help get the blood flowing and get loosened up. I know regardless of what type of workout I do, I gotta stick to my routine - it just seems to work really well for me. I got my warm-up mile in. One of the few times where it was nice to run on a treadmill. I was able to get the speed and elevation set and just be in cruise control. Not always the best idea, but it's much safer to do it on a treadmill than out on the street.

The warm-up didn't seem to take that long to do. I think my body is finally getting back into the swing of things.

MAIN WORKOUT

I knew today I had to get at least 3 miles in for the main workout. I had two days rest (Saturday and Sunday), and I need to get at least 15 miles in this week. The only way to do that is to go to work! The main workout felt surprisingly good. I was able to snap out of my zombie like state and kick it up a bit. I still didn't go all out though. Just enough to keep things moving. I keep an eye on my times and can tell when I've been 'naughty' and ran too fast.

COOL DOWN

It didn't take long after my main workout for me to be ready for my cool down. My legs felt pretty good and I was able to get my breathing back under control. I've always felt that if you can keep your breathing under control and try keeping the mind calm, your body will respond and be able to do more work.

I hit my target goal for my cool down. I figure on a 10 minute mile, give or take 5 seconds for both the warm-up and the cool down.

STRETCHING

I focused again on balance and making a smooth transition between stretches. I don't always do the same stretches in a row, but I do try to hit all major muscle groups and any problematic areas.

WEIGHTS

Today was arms and upper body. I can definitely notice a difference when lifting weights. I'm still no power lifter though. I think compared to most guys I lift super light weights. That's ok with me. I'm there to focus on me and my form. 

LAST MILE POWER SONG

Today's LMPS was Hungry Like The Wolf by Duran Duran. Another 80's song. I didn't plan to have two 80's songs back to back for LMPS. The song does have powerful words in it though. 'I'm hungry like the wolf'. Gotta be hungry with your workouts. It's what separates a mediocre workout from a great workout.

Celebrating A Good Day With A Workout

It's amazing how much energy you can get from having a good day. I was barely standing still all day at work, but yet was still able to get a lot accomplished. I knew it was going to be a good day to workout.

WARM-UP
Dynamic stretches were done on the way to the treadmill. I don't care if I look silly doing them on the journey to the treadmill. I'm at the gym to do work, not try to look a certain way for people. My warm-up mile seemed to go by quick today. My time was right around the same as it usually was though.

I was soaked with sweat after my warm-up was done. I think a lot of it still has to do with running indoors. I don't mind a good sweat though. It feels good to get a good sweat going. Almost like flushing my body of laziness.

MAIN WORKOUT

Even though I felt really good today and knew I could get 3-4 miles in, I focused on getting 2 in today for the main workout. But...to keep things interesting, I decided to throw some hills into the mix. Nothing too crazy. Just enough to change things up again and keep things interesting. I increased the incline every .25 mile and decreased it every .25 mile.

COOL DOWN

With the fun of the main workout over, I made sure to slow things down and focused on making the cool down do what it's supposed to - help cool down the body. 

Looking at my time for the cool down, it was a bit faster than I planned. I still didn't feel like I was going any where near all out for my cool down. It felt comfortable.

STRETCHING

I did my stretching routine after my cool down. Today though, I focused more on balance and control when switching to different stretches. It's another thing I learned during physical therapy that I had to do to help strengthen my legs.

WEIGHTS

Oh boy. Since I focused on my arms on Wednesday, today was focus on legs day. I think I've got a good leg routine going, where I focus on both legs and then each leg individually. I don't do too many exercises though. And even the ones I do for the individual leg isn't using heavy weight. I use just enough to give my leg resistance and not feel like my form is forced to change.

LAST MILE POWER SONG

Today's LMPS was Tainted Love by Soft Cell. Yeah it's an oldie. There's no denying the beat is good and catchy. For me, the song also reminds me of my high school track days. My indoor track coach would always have this playing on the way to a track meet.

Oh What Fun It Is To Run On A Treadmill Today, Hey!

With yesterday being an off-day, I knew I had to get to the gym today to keep things going. Thankfully, I'm doing things the right way and haven't had to take time off due to injury. It's just me vs. me during the workouts.

WARM-UP

I did my dynamic stretches on the way to the treadmill to help get things loosened up. Got on the treadmill and got it going on the 1.0 incline. The warm-up felt really good. I wasn't drenched with sweat or really thirsty after I was done. It felt like a warm-up should!

I think I walked for a minute then wanted to get in to the main workout. Figured if the warm-up felt good, the main workout was going to be great.

MAIN WORKOUT

To hit my mile-per-week goal, I knew I could hit 3 miles and still be on target. To make things interesting, I did some short intervals. I'm still not trying to work on speed. Running at the same setting on a treadmill for 30+ minutes can get boring. I think I did .25 mile at one speed, kicked it up for .50 mile then repeated it. It felt good to get the legs moving at a faster than usual rate. I'm especially impressed my knee is still going strong with all the running I've been doing.

COOL DOWN

Oh man. The cool down felt awesome. I was able to get the body to slow down and get my breathing under control again. The only problem I had - after running at a fast pace, having to slow things down made the cool down mile seem like it took forever!

It's interesting I was 1 second slower on my cool down than I was on my warm-up. I love being consistent like that without having to think about it.

STRETCHING

I was able to get my stretching routine in. I changed it up a bit and did some stretches where it made me work on my balance. My balance isn't that bad. I remember from physical therapy some of the stretches they had me doing to help strengthen things around my ankles and knee.

WEIGHTS

I did more free weight exercises today. I like those better than machine exercises. With free weights you have total control over the weight in each arm. With each lift, you have the actual lift part of the exercise and the control part of the exercise. I made sure to do at least one exercise for arms and shoulders.

LAST MILE POWER SONG

Today's LMPS was Power by Kanye West. I'm not a big fan of Kanye West, but he does have some songs with really good beats. This one got me moving during the last .50 mile of my main workout.

Burn Off Frustration Energy

Today's workout was fueled by missing out on registering for the Bayshore Half Marathon in Traverse City, MI this morning. I didn't expect it to sell out in 19 minutes! Grr!! I was in the middle of trying to register when I found out it reached capacity. I was able to sign up for the 10k instead. I know the marathon still had openings, but I don't think I'd be ready for it. Besides, I want to make sure my mind and body are ready for a full marathon instead of just jumping into one. It's not like it's a 5k where you can typically go out and do one on a few weeks of training.

WARM-UP

I hit the treadmill with a purpose today. I got the treadmill up to 1.0 incline and kicked up the pace. I still kept things in check so I didn't over do it though. It was only the warm-up. I'm still amazed at how much I sweat when running on a treadmill. I was definitely warmed up after the 1.0 mile.

Because the gym was pretty packed, I ended up walking on the treadmill for a couple minutes to prepare myself for the main workout.

MAIN WORKOUT

I knew I didn't have time to get many miles in tonight. I still wanted to get a good workout in, and be able to get home early enough to spend time with my wife. I settled on running 3 miles. I divided it up into getting the first mile out of the way at a good pace. Second mile was just a bit faster. The third mile....well I left everything I had on that treadmill.

COOL DOWN

The start of the cool down was rough. I was beat. I kept telling myself to just make it through 1 more mile and I was done for the day.

STRETCHING

Stretching felt really good. I did the normal stretching routine. So far the stretching routine has served me well. I've been able to take what I learned from physical therapy and keep at it. This means no injuries and no super sore legs.

WEIGHTS

I didn't do too much for weights today. Time crunch made it difficult. I still was able to hit a few leg exercises where I did both legs, then each leg separately. I like breaking up lifting weights with legs this way. It helps focus the lifting on each leg.  

LAST MILE POWER SONG

Today's LMPS was Champ by Ghostface Killah. I found this song searching for gymnastic stretching routines on YouTube. There was a video that had this song playing during the entire stretching routine. There's a really fast guitar riff in it, and it has clips that sound like Mickey and Clubber Lang from Rocky III.

Time To Punch In And Go To Work!

Went to the gym this morning. Thankfully, the parking lot wasn't too crazy with all the mall shoppers. I knew it was a few days since I was last at the gym. That could mean my body feels a bit rusty and slow from the time off, or it could mean I have a lot of built up energy that will get burned during the workout. I would let the body decide what it wanted to do.

WARM-UP

I got the treadmill up to the usual 1.0 incline and away I went. At about the .50 mile mark, I could tell it was going to be a good day on the treadmill. My legs felt fresh and wanted to keep moving. Who am I to complain with my legs, right? I still kept things under control and reminded myself this was still a warm-up. Patience.

I was sure I did the warm-up correctly. I was sweating so much it felt like somebody poured water over my head. Ah...the joys of training inside on a treadmill. I made sure to walk for a couple minutes and get some water to help keep things cool.

MAIN WORKOUT

I figured since the legs felt good, I was going to try for 4 miles. The way I sold my body on that idea was to divide the run up a bit. Run the first 2 miles at a nice pace, run the 3rd mile at a quicker pace and then kick it up a bit for the last mile. I've always found if I do these 'mental games' with my body it will make the overall distance not seem so long.

COOL DOWN

The start of the cool down felt really slow and sluggish. I know cool downs aren't supposed to be spectacular or fast, but my body was ready to be done with running for the day. I was able to talk my body through it and by the .50 mile mark, the cool down was feeling much better.

STRETCHING

I did a combination of stretch for 30 seconds, then sip some water, and then back to another stretch. I wanted to help cool the body's core down a bit and still be able to get the benefits of the stretching. I don't go overboard with the amount of stretching I do. I try to stick to a few basic stretches, switching it up a bit every now and then.

WEIGHTS

Today, I focused the strength training on my arms. I don't spend a lot of time with different exercises. I know so many of them, I could easily spend an hour just hitting the weights. I did a few basic sets to hit each part of my arms. Gotta have strong arms to help push you through when you're tired!

LAST MILE POWER SONG

Today's LMPS was Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard. The beat to the song is very hard and very constant. This helped push me to a fast last mile on my main workout.

GPS Watches For Runners

There are many brands and types of watches available on the market for today's savvy runners. One of the more popular brands out there is Garmin. Garmin designs a variety of specialty sport watches with a lot of different options to choose from. All Garmin watches have the basic feature of keeping track of your overall time, pace, speed, and distance. There are watches with more advanced options, but these are typically enough for most runners. The basic Garmin watch is the Forerunner 10. 

The Forerunner 10's slim design allows for people to wear them as an everyday watch. The battery will last about a day or so before needing to be charged. As with all Garmin watches, it has the option to sync your run online with Garmin Connect. Garmin Connect is an online way for you to keep track of all your runs.

If you're looking to get your first GPS watch, I highly recommend starting with the Forerunner 10.

First Time In Awhile For Back-To-Back Runs

In hopes of taking advantage of my gym membership, I went to the gym again today. I want to start hitting ~15 miles per week and doing more strength training. The only way to do that is to show up and do the work.

WARM-UP

Started out with the usual 1 mile warm-up at 1.0 incline. I didn't try to push the pace. All I had to do was get the body warmed up. This usually means a battle with the body. The body knows it's running and wants to go faster. The mind is the smart one and tells the body to simmer down, the fun will start after the warm-up.

After the warm-up, I walked for a couple minutes to regain focus of what I planned to do for the main workout. I was planning on only doing a couple miles. Figured this was a smart plan, especially as I haven't ran back-to-back days in a long time, and I don't need to go crazy with miles (yet).

Also, I was finally able to figure out how to get a picture of the workout summary!

MAIN WORKOUT

On to the fun! Because I knew I was only planning on 2 miles, I divided up the run into sections. I've always found if you're able to change how you think about the total distance you want to run, the easier it is. For this run, I told myself if I'm able to do the first mile at a good pace I will kick it up a notch and finish the last mile at a great pace. As usual, the body responded and I was able to do each mile as I hoped for.

COOL DOWN

It felt really good to get the cool-down mile in after having hit my target pace. I could tell my body was a bit on the tired side, but that's good. It wasn't so tired I had to force myself to finish my cool-down though. By the time my cool-down was done, I felt my breathing come back down to a regular pace.

STRETCHING

My body wasn't feeling really tight or too tired after the run. I hit my basic stretches to help keep things loose and threw in a few extra types of stretches since I knew Tuesday was going to be an off-day. I hold each stretch for about 30 seconds. The entire stretching session usually only takes about 5 minutes.

WEIGHTS

Today, I focused the weights around my legs. I don't do too many different types of workouts for my legs. I hit a few of the major ones to help get the job done. I don't use heavy weight either. I focus more on control and wanting to finish each rep and set.

LAST MILE POWER SONG

Today's LMPS was Feels Good by Gorillaz Inc. It felt appropriate. It always reminds me of my high school track coach who would run with us. During the run he would shout out 'feels good' at random times and we would have to all respond with 'feels good'. Fun times!

Treadmills and Workout Fun

Today was the first day I used my new gym membership. I went to the gym almost kicking and screaming since it was really great running weather outside. I wanted to go to the gym so I could start getting a routine going and get familiar with the gym before too many weeks went by.

I started out my workout by hitting the treadmill. I figured it's a treadmill and is easy to figure out how to get it moving. I didn't want to be 'that guy' walking around looking at all the equipment then finally start using it. Treadmills are pretty basic and easy to figure out. I always go for the Quick Start option so I have control over my run. I don't care much for surprises during my run. The other thing I always do on the treadmill is set the incline to 1.0 or 1.5 depending on how I'm feeling. This makes the run a little bit closer to outside conditions.

As I do for all my runs, I started out with some dynamic stretches to get things loosened up a bit. After that, I got on the treadmill and got my mile warm-up in. Though some people are able to jump right into their run, I've learned my body responds better if I wake it up before hitting the gas.

Trying to figure out how to take a picture of my warm-up and time was a bit difficult. No I did not run 1 mile in 3 seconds. I hit pause on the treadmill and quickly took a picture. I'm sure there is an easier way to capture this. I'll get it figured out

I walked for a couple minutes, then started up with the meat and potatoes of my workout. Because it was my first time running on a treadmill in awhile, I figured 3 miles would be a good goal. I could tell the heat from running indoors was something I wasn't familiar with. I'm used to running outside where things are a bit cooler or there is a breeze. All in all, the 3 miles felt really good.

As I do with all my workouts, I do a cool-down mile. I like being able to slow things down, but still being able to push the body to do more (at an easy pace). The cool-down felt great. I was able to focus on having completed my goal of running 3 miles at a good pace on the treadmill. The cool-down almost felt like a victory lap.

After finishing up on the treadmill, I hit some weights. Nothing too crazy since I haven't lifted in awhile. I focused on my arms and core. I used mostly free weights as those help me focus on control on the up and down. For me, weight lifting is a really good way to help strengthen the muscles which will only help me on my long runs.

Last Mile Power Song - As with all my runs, the last mile of my 3 mile run I had a power song playing on my mp3 player. This time around, the song was Suffragate City by David Bowie. It helped me pick up the pace and push through to the end of the workout

Looks Like It's Gym Time

Winter weather brings cold, snow, slush, and ice. Most runners can find ways to run through all those. 

Running in cold weather is the easiest to deal with. It's pretty simple. Put on a compression long sleeve shirt or other articles of clothing and dress in layers. Before the snow, slush, and ice hit the ground, I'm able to to get out there and still get miles in. It might not be the easiest to get out the door and get miles in, but I find ways.

Running in snow, slush and ice are a different matter. In the past, I've pushed through and tried running in those elements. Those days were before I had microfracture knee surgery. I look at that experience as kind of a wake up call and I had to take a closer look at what I need to change to continue running. One of the things I decided had to go was running in snow, slush and icey conditions. I can't take the chance of having my feet slip or twist in a way that could re-injure my knee. I'm already going against my doc's recommendation to give up running.

In the past, the winter has been my off months. I'd try to patiently wait for those days where I knew the sidewalks on campus were cleared, or for warmer weather to come. With having signed up for a half-marathon in mid-May, I don't have the luxury of waiting for those 'good days' where sidewalks might be cleared.

Today I made the decision to get a membership at a gym to give me access to treadmills to run on. Though I still rather run outside, I need a way to keep up my fitness and maybe get a half-marathon time less than 2 hours. Who knows. I think it could be possible now that I found a way to keep running and training until the half-marathon. Now the fun begins of those dreaded long runs on a treadmill.....

Giving Thanks

Over the years, I've wondered how I could get in contact with my high school coaches to let them know how much running has done for me. It may seem strange to most people. Over twenty years since those days of running in high school, why would I care about trying to reach out to them. There lies part of the problem - I've never been like most people.

My high school coaches were the ones who helped introduce me to running. They were able to help train me to run at the meets. Little did they know they were doing much more. I was able to find a sport I was relatively good at. I was able to become good friends with people on both the boys and girls teams. Some of those friends I'm still in good contact with today! Most of all, my coaches helped show me how running can be fun. We rarely won a meet, but we were able to have fun. Sometimes we had a bit too much fun and ended up having to do pushups on our coach's count. But, even as that was supposed to be punishment, we still bonded as a team over it.

Today, I was able to find contact info for my track coach who was the one suggesting I go out for track. I sent him a short email hoping he would remember who I was, and let him know I was thankful for helping introduce me to running.

It's good to remember how you get started doing the things you love. It's even better to let those who helped introduce you to it how much you appreciate what they've done.

Are Gym Memberships A Good Idea?

Gyms seem like they're everywhere. Most areas have a Planet Fitness, Powerhouse Gym, Snap Fitness, Anytime Fitness, or YMCA. People always talk about how they're going to the gym or had a great workout at the gym. Getting a gym membership seems like a good idea, right? Not necessarily. 

Gyms can be a good idea. All of the gyms offer free weights, weight machines, elipticals, and the runners favorite - treadmills. Some gyms even have pools too. These are things most people typically don't have at home. Having to take time to drive to the gym can be a good thing. Though the drive to the gym might not feel like the best drive (at times), once you're there you might feel like you want to make best use of your time and get a full workout in. There are usually other people there at the gym. This can help be a motivator. If you see other people working out, it might make you want to keep working out.

With that being said, gyms can also be a bad idea. Gyms have a cost. The membership cost of a gym is different from gym to gym. This could be a deal breaker. If you don't plan on going to the gym on a regular basis, it might not be worth the cost. Some gyms are really crowded and you constantly have to wait to for the machine or weights you want to use. The treadmills, elipticals and other machines might be in bad need of maintenance work, or these might be constantily 'out of order'. There's also the fun part of cancelling your membership if you don't need it or use it any more. Some gyms make this a tough process for some reason. It should be an easy process. You tell the gym you want to cancel your membership, your card is taken from you and your membership ends at that point.

If you do start thinking of joining a gym, make sure to do your research. There are some gyms that are better than others. You might be able to get a discount depending on what health insurance you have or the company you work at. Make sure getting a membership is something you can commit to, since it is something you will be paying money for.

Running Stickers On Cars

Putting stickers or magnets on cars isn't a new trend. This has been done for many years. Some people go to the extreme where you aren't able to see much of their car. The stickers usually fall into the music, political, business, or humor categories. It hasn't been until the past few years when people started putting running stuff on their cars.

There are people that say running stickers are obnoxious and a bit elitist. Some runners are included in saying that too.

Bah phooey to them! There's nothing wrong with putting a sticker on your car. Putting the 26.2 or 13.1 sticker on you car can be a sense of pride. It can help remind you of what you were able to accomplish. It can also help you find your car in a crowded parking lot!

If you do or don't decide to put running stickers on your car, make sure it's your decision and not influenced by anybody else (for it or against it). Keep in mind, it's your car and you are the one who is running.

My personal viewpoint - I am one of those who puts running stickers on my truck. I have a 26.2, 13.1, Pre Lives, Hansons Brooks Running Project and a Run D stickers on the back window of my truck. While it seems like a bit much, the 26.2 and 13.1 in particular are badges of honor for me. It wasn't easy to finish my first 13.1 and my first 26.2. Seeing those on my truck remind me of what I was able to accomplish and helps remind me 'I am a runner'.

To Run With Music, Or Not Run With Music

Running while listening to music. Definitely a hot subject among runners. There are arguments that say don't listen to music - it's good to listen to nature, listen to your body, and good to stay alert while running. Then there are those who say running with music isn't a bad thing - it can help keep you moving and it can help keep you company. Though it depends on the individual, here are my thoughts for each argument.

* Running without music can help you stay alert while running. This makes sense. If you don't have something covering your ears, the more likely you are to hear your surroundings. I also know if you don't have your headphones blasting at a high level, you should be able to hear your surroundings and still be able to hear your music.

* Running without music can help you listen to nature. I think this all depends on opinion. Not everybody likes the sounds of nature, nor are able to run in areas where they want to hear the surroundings. If the routes you run have a lot of loud noises, say running safely on the sidewalk but near busy streets, you probably don't want to hear the noise from cars on the road.

* Running without music can help you listen to your body. If you have music blasting at a high volume, I can see where you wouldn't be able to listen to your body. If you have the music at a low enough level, chances are you'll still be able to listen to your body and still hear the music.

* Running with music can help keep you moving. Some people find songs with high BPM (beats per minute) help keep them moving. I think it could be songs of high or low BPM that can help keep you moving. You can't always keep running at a fast pace. It's good to have a good mix to keep you running fast when you need it and running at a smooth pace when you need it.

* Running with music can help keep you company. There are some people who don't run with others, out of choice or because they don't know anybody to run with. Running with music can help give those people something to listen to, instead of running in silence. If you run with music to help keep you company, you might want to consider listening to podcasts. There are a TON of podcasts out there on all different subjects. Take a look online and I'm sure you'll find a podcast that you would find intresting to listen to.

Though everything I've mentioned above show why it's ok to run with music, it really is all about personal choice. When you go out to buy running shoes, it's all about how those shoes fit and work for you. When it comes to running with music, give it a try. See if it works for you.

Lack of Daylight and Cold Weather

With the end of the year quickly approaching, that usually means less daylight hours and colder weather. Though these two things might keep most people indoors and not want to exercise, it doesn't have to be that way if you prepare for it.

Let's take a look at the lack of daylight issue. Throughout the year, there are people who run when the sun isn't up. They're able to do this because they prepare for it. This might mean looking for a new running route. I recommend finding a route that has streetlights or neighborhood that has house lights on to help light up your path. Another alternative is to get a headlamp to run with. This will help light things up in front of you. Something to keep in mind with running when it's dark out - you have to watch where you are running AND make sure other people can see you. Having all black clothes on with no reflective material isn't the best option.

Onward to the cold weather issue. This one can be a bit more tricky to handle. There are some diehard runners who will run outside in any temperature. There are also some who draw the line when the temperature hits freezing. How cold it is outside shouldn't steer you away from hitting the road. All you need to do is dress appropriately. This is the same thing when running outside in the middle of summer. With running when it's cold outside, you need to dress in layers. I recommend staying away from cotton, at least as your base layer. I'd go with a compression shirt as your base layer. These are relatively cheap and easy to find at most stores (~$20). For your outer layer, I'd go with a wind breaker to help prevent the wind from hitting your core. The in-between layers, that can be anything you feel is necessary to help keep you warm. Depending on how cold it is outside, don't forget to wear a hat and gloves too. If you get too hot, you can always take these off during your run.

There is a lot more that can be said about running in the dark and cold weather. Hopefully this will at least help show you that it is still possible to get out on the road and get some miles in.

Running Conferences

Earlier this month, I attended a conference for teachers and other people in the education world who use technology in their classroom. The conference was a full day and had hour long sessions. These sessions were presented by teachers, with the content of the session spanning across all different topics ranging from 'How to effectively use videos in the classroom' to 'Here are some applications you might find useful.'

Being at that conference and seeing how all the presenters had an interest and passion for what they were presenting was awesome. There wasn't a 'please buy this product' or 'please sign up for...'. This was just people helping share information.

That got me thinking about the running world. I have been running for over 20 years, and the only thing I've seen that comes close to this are expos at races. Even then, most (if not all booths) are trying to sell you a product. It's great expos exisit, but it's not really a good time for people to learn something.

There are ways to take the same basic concept of the conference I went to and make it relevant to runners. Though running is pretty simple - put one foot in front of the other; repeat. There are so many different parts of running people know a lot about, or people would like to know a lot about.

Things like:

* What technology do you use for running?

* What are good things to use or have for night running?

* What to look for in running shoes?

* How to prepare for a first race?

* How to run with dogs?

* Why training journals a good thing to have?

Some topics like the ones above could easily be turned into a 30-60 minute discussion. I'm sure there are other topics too. The main concept of the topics would be 'I know a lot about...' or 'I found it very helpful to...'

This was just a thought that came across my mind last night. I'm always trying to think of ways of getting people together of all running levels together and share information.