Forget Curiosity, Competition Killed the Cat...

I may have mentioned that I'm running my first 5k this Monday - the 4th of July. Normally, I run with my hubby and kids. Now, to give you a little perspective, my hubby is one of those 6-ft tall, eat whatever he wants, natural-born athletes. When we first started running, he decided to see how fast he could do a 5k - no training, just a base time. He did it in 25 minutes - with a 6 year-old in tow. So plodding along at my snail pace is entirely a show of moral support, he gets nothing whatsoever out of it. However, like most guys, when it comes to sports, he's highly competitive. And I mean ANY sport - soccer, running, puzzle assembling...anything.

On our normal routes, we run around our neighborhood. This means sometimes having to stop at corners or wait for a light to change, etc. We very rarely stop for more than 30 seconds, but there are stops. So this morning he suggested that we go run in this park that has a 1.4 mile loop to get an idea of my actual 5k time. "Why?", I asked, "At the 5k distance they don't separate you out by estimated finish times." "Well we'll still want to know where to be in the pack at the starting line." he says. "But why? What does it matter? My only goal is to run the whole thing and finish." I asked again, doubtfully. "Still, its annoying to have to stop all the time for lights, and it would still be nice to know about what time we're running." (notice he said "time we're running", not "time you're running"). So, I said fine, and we ran the park.

Now the problem here is that I'm competitive too. Really competitive. So, he's got his running app on full volume right next to my head (because he's tall and I'm short, so on his bicep is right next to my head). And it keeps saying "Estimated final time: 37 minutes" or 39 minutes, or at one point it was even 41 minutes. So it didn't take very long before I was ready to shoot the f-ing thing. I even told him it was pissing me off, and he said we'd just finish and see what happens.

Now here are all the reasons why I should have felt good about this morning's run: I ran the whole thing - no crosswalks, no slow kids getting in my way. I found my rhythm and stayed there until the last half mile or so, and then I pushed - not to a sprint, but to a comfortable fast run. I stayed strong all the way through the end. And 2 months ago I couldn't have done any of that.

But no, I finished the run and burst into tears. Why? "Workout complete. Final time: 39 minutes, 58 seconds." Yep, even running the whole thing, and really pushing through the end, and I still only finished in the same amount of time that I could have walked it. I felt like a complete joke. Now, because someone had to go and get all competitive over knowing where to be in "the pack" (for a 5k?!), my strongest run yet wasn't good enough. It wasn't good enough for me, and there will probably be people pushing strollers who will finish before me.

Moral of the story: if all you want to do is feel strong, and finish your runs, then for god sakes DON'T TIME YOURSELF!!

I'm a "Have Run-er"

I had an interesting conversation with one of my coworkers over lunch the other day. He was intrigued by my sudden rabid interest in running. It turns out that he and his wife go for frequent walks in and around my neighborhood so he knows many of the routes that I often run. We were discussing interesting routes in my neighborhood and he mentioned several that are particularly scenic, or have some other nice feature, but they all had the same stinking problem - hills! I've mentioned before that I detest running hills - it just absolutely kills me. So on this particular day, I was explaining this to my coworker. He seemed to understand, but also like he wanted to ask me why I was being such a baby about the hills - he was too polite to actually ask though.

At some point in the conversation, he said something that amounted to a comment about me really enjoying running. To which I replied, "Well see, that's the funny thing about me as a runner, because I really don't enjoy the actual running all that much, its what comes after that keeps me going." I then mentioned things like the feeling of relaxation, energy, increased focus, and of course the feeling of accomplishment. He leaned back, and nodded sagely, and said "Ah, so its not that you like to run, its that you like to have run." Exactly! He then went on to add "So by avoiding hills, you're trying to keep the actual running part from being as unpleasant as possible." Once again, he was dead-on.

See, here's the truth of the thing. Running hurts. It is sweaty, your legs will hurt, things will chafe, and at times it will be just plain miserable. There will be mornings where you won't want to do it. You are going to feel self-conscious - if you're over-weight, you're going to feel like people are staring and judging you. You are going to sweat buckets. Your calves will be sore. If you have stairs, you may have trouble going down them the morning after a run because your legs are so stiff.

But you know what else? There will be days when your run is perfect. You will feel strong, and accomplished. You will feel completely empowered because YOU did this. No one else can do this for you. You will feel energized and happy. And you will feel healthy. You may even reach a point with your health or size that you haven't seen for 5, 10, 20 years - or maybe a point that you've never seen before, ever.

So yeah, at times running can suck, but that's why I'm a Have Run-er.

Gear: Sports Bras

Ah, the dilemma of women runners (or athletes in general): how to find the perfect torture device to hold down your ta-tas while still letting you breathe, and not requiring a degree from MIT to get into/out of.

First, a little info on sports bras in general. The first thing to look for in a sports bra is impact level. Low impact sports bras are for things like walking and yoga. Medium impact sports bras are good for just slightly more vigorous activity, such as hiking or skating. High impact sports bras are for very vigorous activities like tennis and, of course, running.

The next thing to know is the style of sports bra that you're looking for. Compression sports bras do just that: they squish and flatten your ta-tas into your chest to keep them from moving. This typically works best for smaller breasts. Encapsulation sports bras keep each breast in its own little padded cell. They are molded for specific cup sizes and are best for larger breasts.

After those points, its all about personal preference. Sports bras come in all sorts of fabrics, colors, patterns, and cuts. It may very well take a significant amount of trial-and-error ( I went through 3 or 4 before finding the one that I use now). If you have big boobies it can be more difficult to find a bra that is both comfortable, and fits right.

A few tips:

1. Try them on (duh), but then jump up and down, run in place, ask an associate if its okay if you jog up and down an aisle. Really road test it as much as possible.

2. Be patient. This is going to take some time.

3. To avoid the contortionist act, look for a sports bra with a closure of some kind (not strictly the pull-on kind).

4. For an absolutely-no-motion encapsulation sports bra, try the Enell. Enells are a little pricey, and aren't the prettiest things in the world, but they feature a front snap closure system and are the most recommended bra for big-breasted runners. Check them out here: www.enell.com

5. Be willing to look in unexpected places. Being a C/D cup myself, I had quite the search for the right sports bra. My previous ones ranged from soft cotton with nearly no support, to a compression one that required my husband's help for me to get out of. Finally, I took to the web to see if I could find a recommendation for a good sports bra for big boobies. I tried an Enell, and while tons of women absolutely swear by them, they weren't my favorite - I felt a little like I was wearing a bullet-proof vest...but then I came across an interesting recommendation. A couple of runners on one forum recommended a Danskin Now sports bra, carried by WalMart. Now, I know what you're thinking, and I don't buy anything at WalMart besides soap, razors, vitamins, and the occasional DVD either. But, having gone through 4 or 5 top brand sports bras, and having already dismissed the Enell, I figured it was worth a shot. So I went and found the bra in question, and fell in love! It has a back closure, good fit, and good support. This is it: Danskin Adjustable Sports Bra The website says that it only comes in the blue and the pink, but if you go into a store they often have other colors (mine is black and silver).

Above all, don't compromise! I am incredibly picky about my bras. For my sports bra, I wanted a decent amount of separation, and also for them to not be so plastered to my chest that it would be hard to even be able to tell that they were there! But at the same time, they are big, and I needed support. It took time, patience, frustration, persistence, and an open mind, but I finally found one that I love!

An ounce of prevention...

I confess: this post is a direct result of my run this morning. It SUCKED!

I live on a hill. This makes it somewhat tricky to plan loops that start and end at my house - no matter where I go, there is up-hill running involved. So last night I was playing with the run mapping on My Loops on livestrong.com that I mentioned yesterday. I had the idea that since it is a rather big hill, that I could plan the run to go along the crest of the hill, and therefore have no up-hills. It ended up looking like an out-and-back kind of loop - 17 blocks down, turn right, go 2 blocks, turn right again, 17 blocks back. The elevation chart under the map concurred - it showed only very minimal changes in elevation, and nothing very long in duration. Yay!

So we went out this morning, and the minute we stepped out the door a feeling of foreboding hit me - it was already 80 degrees out, and only 8 am. Uh-oh. Well, I thought, I may have to stay late at work tonight, and according to my hubby it only got down to 73 overnight anyway, so it wasn't likely to get any better. So, off we went.

First problem: there were a lot more side streets on this route than there are on the one we normally run. That means more stop-and-go's, more holding the kids' hand across streets, and just a generally difficult time keeping a rhythm of any kind.

Second problem: there was a section of about 2 blocks on the "out" leg that had no sidewalk! Not a big deal for adults, but with little kids, it threw a kink in things.

Third problem: it was really hot, and despite a lack of clouds, managed to be humid too. Also, for whatever reason, my son is more comfortable in pants than running shorts so he was roasting not long into the run. This made for uncomfortable, overheated, and therefore, whiny kids.

Fourth problem: the elevation chart LIED!! The whole 17 blocks back were UPHILL!

But how could this have happened? That's what I wanted to know! I had left the map open on my computer and when I went to look, there had been some kind of glitch where it registered my starting point at sea-level. This means that the whole rest of the route looked about level. After going back and reloading the page, and setting up the run again, the actual elevation chart looked like this:

D'OH!!!

The moral of the story: maybe drive new routes first?

You must run, before you run hills...

Ok so its not as catchy as "You must walk before you run", but its still just as true. The reason why toddlers must walk before they run has to do with muscle development. There must be a base amount of muscle tone and development, all of which is acquired by walking. Once the muscles are sufficiently developed, toddlers stop simply toppling over when they try to run, and finally take off.

As a runner, you are once again a toddler. No, that doesn't mean that you can wear a diaper to work. Unless your boss treats you like a baby and you want to make a statement - in which case, please send pictures! No, new runners are just developing and slowly strengthening key muscles and tendons. Here's where the hills come in: don't do it!

When I first started running, my husband and I were trying to figure out what to do with the kids. We came to the conclusion that we would have to bring them with us, so we asked them whether they would rather run with us, or play while we ran (probably around a track while they played in the grass in the middle). They said that they wanted to run too. So then we had to find a place to run that would be safe with young kids. There is an absolutely adorable park near us that has nice rolling hills and a 1.5 mile jogging loop with its own lane. Perfect!

I had wondered about the wisdom of running hills, but as my husband pointed out, you have to run hills sometime, and if you do it from the beginning, then it won't be such a big deal when it comes up - after all, you'll have lots of practice. The logic was seemingly airtight.

So we did our runs for the first several weeks - and a couple repeated weeks due to allergies and the flu - in this lovely park with the bucolic rolling hills. But then I got the weirdest sensation in my left hip joint. It felt like it needed to pop, but it wouldn't - no matter what I did - and it hurt to walk. After a really good, deep stretch it felt better, so I decided to investigate what it might be. I went to the library and checked out several books on sports injuries, injury prevention, and so on. The culprit: strained groin muscle.

It turns out, I was trying to run before I had spent a sufficient time walking. I hadn't built up enough of a base strength to be able to run those nice, rolling hills. And the really funny part? It wasn't the up-hills - it was the down-hills! When you run down-hill, you shift your weight back, take shorter strides, and basically just run completely differently. Now don't get me wrong, the up-hills can be just as bad - after all, its just like down-hills but in reverse: we lean into the hill, and really dig to try to get up the hill (or just take tiny steps, which still alters which muscles you're working). Going up-hill puts even more strain on your knees than you were already subjecting them to, and it makes the run more difficult than it needs to be for a beginner runner.

So what to do? Plan your runs to avoid hills if at all possible. If its not possible, minimize how many hills there are, and try to keep the incline as low as possible - the steeper it is, the worse it is. And above all, don't try to pop your groin muscle!!

Facebook Poll

A few days ago someone asked about t-shirts. So, I posted a poll on the FB fan page to see whether there is enough interest to consider opening a store.

Go vote!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Running-for-Fatties/138179499592073

Gear: Shorts/Pants/Tights, etc.

Since your legs do most of the work of running, it is understandable that there are a multitude of options for how to clothe them while running. Firstly, know that as long as it is made from some sort of active-wear type fabric, it will probably do. After that though, come the options.

Tights

Guys - don't worry, they're not see through, and usually aren't pink or have flowers on them (although I understand that pink ones can be found for support of breast cancer research) . Nope, running tights are those things you see runners wearing that look like a sleek swimsuit for legs. They are meant to be worn like a second skin, and are surprisingly warm despite the lack of appreciable amounts of fabric. However, because of this inherent warmth, they are really meant for cold-weather running. They are perfect for late fall, winter, and exceedingly early race mornings. Running tights come in several lengths from all the way to your ankles, to just above the knee, and everywhere in between.

Lightweight workout pants

These are sort of the catch-all workout pants that seem to be good for everything - running, yoga, ellipticals, chasing those damn kids off your lawn, whatever you want really. I personally like to wear them when its a bit chilly for shorts, but not cold enough for tights. These are arguably the most flexible of lower-body running wear. They come in all sorts of lengths, colors, designs, brands, and so on. In fact, you probably already owned some before you even started running!

Shorts

Ah, running shorts. We've all seen them. Some of us even have nightmares about them. But as a runner, they are absolutely indispensable. As noted in another post, there is no need to wear underwear with them. They come in a number of different cuts and styles. There are the ones that look like the love child of boxer briefs and a swimsuit, the ones that are flowy, brightly colored daisy dukes, and there are the ones that combine the two (yep, it looks like you're wearing the daisy dukes over the boxer swimsuit, but its really one piece). Then of course there are ones that come to about mid-thigh. They are loose and airy, moisture-wicking, and excellent for keeping you cool. They come in all sorts of colors, patterns, and levels of ridiculous-ness. And they are absolutely essential.

In general, for a year-round runner that plans to run outside, all of these are necessary additions to the running wardrobe. There will be days when each is most appropriate to the current weather.

A note on sizing

As aggravating as it may be, most running clothes run small. I know, right? So that means that if you are normally an XL, you'll likely need a 2- or even 3X. As if that isn't demoralizing enough, most stores that carry running clothes don't stock extended sizes. Its not that they're not out there, the stores just don't carry them. For example, Nike makes running shorts all the way up to 3X, but good luck finding them in a store. An exception may be a factory store, but that will depend greatly.

However, there is hope! Reebok has managed to stay sane. When I first started running, I was an XL (about a size 18 or so). However, when I tried on Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, etc, not only were their XL's too small, they fit tighter than my underwear! It was ridiculous! I couldn't even pull some of them on! And then came Reebok...as far as I can tell, Reebok fits true to size. Sure enough, their shorts fit! Last weekend, I went to my Dick's Sporting Goods (which has an enormous running wear section) to see if I could find these mythical extended sizes. Nope, they don't carry them. They carry men's sizes up to 3- or even 4X, but no women's sizes over XL. Dick's even carries the extended sizes on their website, but come on! Running shorts are sized weird, and frankly, most bigger people are shaped differently than the bean-poles that they design these shorts for, so if anyone needs to be able to try on running shorts, its fatties! I would love to start a campaign to demand appropriate exercise wear for bigger sizes be carried in stores, but where to start?

What do you think? What's your preferred running bottom? Have any suggestions for the rest of us?