Coffee House

SNAPSHOT

Manitowish Waters, WI at Dixie’s Coffee House

DIGGING DEEPER

While on my sons’ high school nordic ski trip I stole a few hours at a perfect coffee house. The decor is tasteful and thought through, Wisconsin cabin influenced. The conversations drifted around with laugher and interest. Everyone relaxed. Coffee houses bring community and connections.

Lately, I have been consumed by life’s circumstances and my inspiration to write has weaned. However, a knowledge seeking runner sent me a message asking for some advice on her new endeavor of trail running.

My favorite way to communicate is one on one. To take a person’s unique question and tumble it over in my mind and return with a hand full of pebbles for them to contemplate. That is my love. Simple conversation. Simple communication within a community. Just like the waves of voices filling the coffee house.

And so I pass these pebbles of tips onto you. In hopes that it will spark conversation within you and your community.

QUESTION - What are your Trail Running Tips?

Here are a few trail running tips that come to mind from my experiences.

• Develop your ankle strength

• Stretch your calves and feet before and after running

• If you are following someone on the trail don't run too close to them. Your eye needs to see the terrain that is coming so maybe 20-30 feet behind your running partner is good.  Take turns leading.

• Don’t avoid hills. Power walk/climb the steep hills, the strength gained from the lifting of your body up the hill is valuable.

• Use a combination of train running and trail hiking. Both will increase your strength and endurance.

Question - How to keep Healthy and Injury Free in the later years?

Here are my tips for the runners that already have many many miles in their log books

• Train with the body you have now, not what you had in the past. Your body can accomplish new goals.

• Value your now body for all the experience it has, putting less focus on the weekly mileage and more on the quality of your miles. 

• The key is recovery, complete the needed workout just at the point your body is adapted and primed for a new stress. Read through this article for more information.  

• Seasons, cycles, let yourself have on and off stretches of time where you change focus or allow for extra recovery.

• Invest in young runners. You have so much to give.

SOLUTION

The running community has expanded beyond the coffee house to all over the world. Connect with runners, share with runners, and grow together!

Runner's Amazon Book List

SNAPSHOT

Booklover Runner

DIGGING DEEPER

My Amazon Book List— Those that I have highlighted, referenced, and devoured!

Ok, check it out. See which ones you want as Christmas presents, to find at your library, or to add to your audiobook collection.

My favorite categories of items are BOOKS, BAGS, and BASKETS. Oddly, they all start with the letter B, but they are my candy. I know what I love about books: well written, only as long as they need to be, insightful, and eye appealing.

So I searched though my bookshelves, Audible app, amazon ordered list and picked out my recommendations. These are the books that have survived the test of time or are new favorites.

Podcast interviews, the library bookshelf, and favorite authors are the many ways that a title will first get my attention. Often I request books from my library regional system and preview it to find if it is worth the time and money investment to purchase.

If it passes the test, I choose if audio or print format will be the best way to consume its contents.

Some printed books I highlight like crazy as a form of interactive learning.

Others are more for reference material. A conversation with a friend can cause me to research a deeper reason for my answer or intuition.

The audiobooks are often helpful for busy driving days and to share with my family through the audible app.

You may note that my list does not contain just running books. We are whole people with diversity within our bodies and minds. The interplay of different parts shapes us in unique ways. Growing ourselves as a whole being and not just in one facet will generate good health.

SOLUTION

A good book will take you away and return you changed.

Pass another cough drop, kleenex please

SNAPSHOT

Limit your running when you are sick with the cold.

DIGGING DEEPER

On Thursday my run was way slower than usual, yet I felt I was putting in the same effort.  Then I attempted my normal lifting weights routine and couldn't even lift my usual dumbbell once.  Not even once!  I knew something was really off! 

Friday morning just after leaving our home I felt that dry mouth sensation moments after drinking a sip of water, the first sign of an oncoming cold sickness. I was out of the house for the day and wouldn't be near my Vitamin C tablets until evening.  The day wore on and the throat got worse.  By bedtime, I was eating ice cream, smoothies, and Danielle Walker's applesauce. 

Thankfully Saturday was a low key day with the skies bringing in wicked thunderstorms and only 2 hockey lessons/practices for one of my sons.  With my husband home, I was off the hook from transportation duties.  I read the entire Chasing Slow book by Erin Loechner (wow, awesome book) and slurped up the bone broth.  I wasn't much better and the night was painful and long.

Sunny Sunday rolled around and I figured I was done with the cold and could soldier on with my backlog of errands. I'm in control, right? However, by midday, all I wanted was be in bed.  As you know, moms don't take more than one sick day, so the food was purchased, freezer picked out at Best Buy, and library books returned.  The squash, chicken, and dinner all got cooked.  I thought my saving grace would be a good night of sleep before the start of a new week.

"Mom, my stomach hurts so much!" pleaded my 15-year-old son. I couldn't deny him comfort through the trips to the bathroom and tucks back into bed.  Not so hard if it weren't for the fact that I was pleading also for painless sinus canals and continuous sleep. 

So it is Monday today and I am still so sick and still hoping for a good nights sleep. I did do a short run today only because it had been so long since my last and a friend would be waiting for me.

I don't plan to run tomorrow. I will need all my energy reserves for kicking this cold.

NOTE: When you move to another region of the US you get hit harder with sicknesses as you have not built up an immunity to that region's germs.  This is going to be an interesting year!

My view of the USA regions include Colorado in the Midwest section.

SOLUTION

My personal guidelines for when to skip my daily run due to sickness.

Fever or Stomach Pain = NO RUNNING

Congestion or Sore throats = RUN EVERY OTHER DAY at most//Fresh air is helpful but limit energy expenditures

Headaches = Safe Walks

HAPPY WINTER COLD SEASON, HAPPY RUNNING

Press Play

SNAPSHOT

PODCASTS = Top Platform for gathering knowledge on running and life!

DIGGING DEEPER

Since 2013 PODCASTS have enlightened, informed, entertained, and challenged me as a runner. Some of my top reads have come from podcast author interviews. The relaxed nature allows for the conversations in the podcast to be realistic and eye-opening. The FREE aspect gives me the opportunity to sample different tenants of our sport. I have learned so much about ultrarunning, strengthening, training connections of different sports, psychology, injury, running form, the health of the Track and Field sport, coaching, etc...

Here are the sports mainstays that fill my queue and ears.

The Strength Running Podcast

Endurance coaching topics with many author interviews

The GAINcast

Old school coaching meets innovative theory

Magness & Marcus on Coaching

The insides of elite coaching and the sport of Track and Field/ Cross Country

Trail Runner Nation

Ultrarunning conversations galore, you will think you are on a long run with friends

The Rich Roll Podcast

In-depth interviews on life and endurance running

I navigate through the recent episode lists finding those that appeal to me. Often listening to them in the background of my run, drive, or housework.

SOLUTION

Download your device's Podcast app and press play.

Question for YOU

What podcasts do you recommend?

Book Review- Your Best Stride

SNAPSHOT

4/5 stars for the book Your Best Stride: How to Optimize Your Natural Running Form to Run Easier, Farther, and Faster- With Fewer Injuries by Jonathan Beverly (Former Running Times Editor)

DIGGING DEEPER

This gem was found while listening to the Strength Running Podcast by Jason Fitzgerald.

First, as a library loan, I realized this synopsis of all things running form related would need to be highlighted, referenced, and snapshotted for years to come.  Quickly Amazon delivered it to my door so that I could delve into it further with highlighter and living room floor at hand, highlighter for all the details and floor for all the practicing.  

This book has realistic exercises and tips on all parts related to form for runners to turn words into actions.

 
Backing up now, YBS refers to many other authors and experts that I have gleaned good insight from in the past.  What is great about this book, however, is the weaving of knowledge and practical application from many experts. The author doesn't have the experts rival each other's opinion but lets them complement each other.   Thus making the flow of the topics clear and concise. Love it!

 
This is why I recommend the book to you.  It is like 6 books in one!  I devoured it on Sunday evening.  Often trying out the different stretching or strengthening examples in between soaking up the information.

So what did I gain from this 200 page cumulated expert form guide?

ONE --- I knew it all along. I told my training partners during my first injury in my foot as an adult runner that it was coming from the hips.  Something is not right in my hips.  I knew it before the research was screaming it.  Yes, your running injuries are most likely from tightness or weakness in your hips.  

TWO --- YBS did not suggest a long protocol that would take 1 hour of daily devotion.  It suggested to pick from several options and BE CONSISTENT.  Surprise, I agree too.  Primarily because my experience says consistency and program flexibility works!

THREE --- Your arms matter.  Your posture, arm carriage, and shoulder mobility all impact your stride and running form.  After saving my legs but sacrificing my shoulder in a fall a few years ago, my stride was messed up until my shoulder was healed and mobile again. 

Many more points were made in the book and I am sure you will find yourself quoting and using the advice. I know I will be sharing them with my athletes! 

So why only 4 out of 5 stars? Videos, I want videos of the stretches and strengthening exercises. I like to see the movement.  Hence why I was on my living room floor testing out each move. Curiosity caught my 13-year-old cross country runner, as he joined in with me.

Checking out the iPod game posture to see how the curling forward of the upper body can shorten our chest muscles and limit our shoulder's range of motion.

SOLUTION

There are several reasons I had an awesome workout today (4x800 intervals), but one of them has to be the gained knowledge from reading YBS last night.  I stretched my hip flexors, ran tall, drove my arms back, and powered with my gluts.  Thanks J. Beverly!

P.S. I gain nothing financially from this book review. I am just a runner that found a book and gave it 4 stars!