Why the Holidays are perfect for running

In the midst of this holiday season, it's important for the runners of the world to remember why they run--why it is important, and why we must maintain focus in the hustle and bustle of the
season.

So, as a gift to all you runners, here are Maggie's Top 10 reasons why we must continue to run
through the end of the holiday season, and how I maintain my focus and inspiration:

10. Egg nog. Drinks made of eggs and heavy cream--as delicious as it is, it is definitely one
of the thicker, heavier indulgences I have. I can (for the most part) bypass the cakes and
cookies--but I love this seasonal drink with a passion.
9. Family. We all love our families (don't we?)...at the same time, I find the visiting and
socializing can be stressful and can quickly turn into a contest over who has done the most in
the past year. The stress can lead to food (or egg nog, or wine), and everything combined can
wreak havoc on my mood, attitude, and figure--therefore, a good run before or after (or both)
can help relieve this pressure for me. Plus, quite often, there are family members I see only a
few times a year. I, personally, don't want them to see me stressed and crazy...and feeling bad
about myself.
8. New clothes A. No one wants to put on the new pair of pants they've waited 6 weeks for to
find they are a bit tight...and I want to enjoy Christmas...not stress about my butt being too
big or my stomach protruding more than normal...
7. New clothes B. If presents aren't fun enough, taking the new running shirt or shoes out for
the inaugural trek can be as exciting as returning to a warm house and drinking egg nog--guilt
free!
6. Pictures. I'd be looking at them all year. Enough said. (and this year Santa brought Ted a
camcorder...again, enough said).
5. Resolutions. Every one makes New Year's Resolutions, and the majority (myself included)
involve some sort of weight loss. If you are anything like me, a week off from running can be
detrimental to the endurance and I, for one, do not want to be mistaken for a "trendy" runner,
just starting running, which will die off in a week or so.
4. Spring races. Already I have races planned for January, February, March, and April. And
they will be here before I know it.
3. Sleep. Along with the hustle and bustle and stress and craziness comes alot of running
around and lack of sleep. By maintaining activity, I sleep well and soundly, staying at my
best for the next day.
2. Energy. Ted always says that I do the most after a run. After a good run, I will buzz
around the house, cleaning and baking and taking care of everything I need to do. The good run
allows me to maintain my energy level, allowing me to take care of the ever-growing chore list.
1. Lights. Very little takes my mind off of the weather or darkness of a late-night or early-
morning run in December as the Christmas lights up around town and down the streets. It's my favorite part of running in December, and I always feel sad when January rolls around and it's
just another typical winter run.

Merry Christmas, and enjoy this last week of the holiday season! 2008 will be here before we all know it, and I look forward to hearing of your running adventures--and sharing mine!

The Allegory of the Cave

One of the all-time worst subjects I ever was required to take in college was psychology (how ironic that I hated it so much, I had to take it twice). Out of those two semester classes (each taken at two very different schools by two very different professors), one story stuck with me. That is Plato's analogy, The Allegory of the Cave.

If memory serves me correctly, one of the theories offered in this description was that humans will grow so accustomed to their current environment that change of any sort is not welcome, and can be downright painful, even if the change is a positive one. The comparison Plato makes is a group of people who are held prisoner in a cave for some time. They create their own environment and comfort based on the position they are in, and create their own fears and logic on why a life outside what they have is better. In this case, they view shadows of their guards, creating the illusion the guards are much bigger than they really are.

When finally freed and brought up into the sun outside of the cave, the bright light is too much for their tender eyes, and instead of waiting for their body to adjust to its new surroundings, they long to be returned to the prison from which they came.

I love trying new things, and I am a firm believer of taking what you have and going with it, and not yearning for the past or wondering "What If". However, a big downfall I also have is my comfort zone. I'm not one to deal with change, and will put off any change as long as I can.

At the risk of sounding extremely shallow (because in the great scheme of things, this new change in my life is about as minuscule as the pine needle stuck in the hardwood floor that I cannot seem to get with the vacuum or dust brush or my fingernails), I am trying right now to apply this allegory to the fact that the Cool Running website announced they were merging with Active Trainer. I have known this for some time, and I am almost through the denial stage. My bookmarked favorite is still "Cool Running", and I had refused to transfer my data. I am now at the point where I must do so, and I must move forward with this. I panic that my data won't transfer over, and get ill about the idea of losing years' worth of stats. Is this new site better? I think so--it has training routes, claims to be easier to use, integrated maps for planning runs...but I refuse to allow myself to grow accustomed to it--to learn it and find out how to use it. I don't understand why I can't keep using my old (albeit ancient) Cool Running log and running map to mark out my own routes.

But now I must learn to do just that. I will try to take my own advice and move forward, accepting this change that has been handed to me. I'm not happy with it--I knew how to use Cool Running. I don't know how to use this. I feel silly, and I still can't figure out how to pull up reports on running, or to see how many miles I've ran in the past week, month, or year. I desperately keep checking Cool Running's website, hoping they will decide to return to their log for users, and I need to remember this is probably better, and to let myself adjust.

A Runner's Wishlist

With the holiday season quickly approaching (almost too quickly...I think I was just saying I could eat anything I wanted because I just ran a marathon...), many of us good girls and boys are putting together our seasonal wish list for the Spirits of the Season--be it Santa Claus, Dominic the Donkey, or--as Ted's father in South Philly used to tell him--the Septa bus driver.

The runner's wishlist can tend to be a bit different than the normal person's (I use the term "normal" quite literally here). I got a jumpstart on my wish list by purchasing new kicks and a new headphone set for my iPod ahead of time. Ted oh-so-thoughtfully suggested that maybe he should wrap up the empty shoe box and empty headphone box anyway, but I gently reassured him my List of Favorite Wishes still has plenty for him to pick from. Some of the top picks? (enjoy my shameless plugs for products where I am benefiting absolutely none by listing them--a marketer's dream).

1) Brooks HVAC Seamless Running Top: I'm sold with this top and the special cuffs that can wrap themselves around my cold little fists while running. How genius is that!? Forget the mittens and gloves that are usually being carried by mile 3 anyway...with this neato shirt, warm hands can be revealed easily, and re-wrapped when they get cold again!

2) Trail shoes: I have no idea what consists of a good trail shoe, but I know I am going to need one. A few races I have my eye on for the upcoming year include not only the Lehigh Valley Half, but a January and February trail run in Allentown. Why? Because I enjoy getting dirty when I run, and I enjoy trail running, and this just looks like fun (I could still be grossly misled, however).

3) Fluffy Boots: These oh-so-cozy boots look like some of the most comfortable things I have ever seen. Known also as apres-ski boots, I think they could also be quite defined as apres-cold-morning-run boots.

4) Turtle Fur: (now there's an oxymoron if I ever heard one) I don't know if a neck gaiter would actually be comfortable to wear while running--I have visions of myself drooling and breathing all over it, creating all sorts of condensation that only causes my skin to get wet and cold...but the idea is worth a try, isn't it?

5) Nike+ Running Shirt: Or any Nike+ product is fine--if it holds my iPod for me, and keeps the headphone wires under control, I'm sold!

But, in all honesty, like most runners, I'd be happy with a warm pair of gloves, a new pair of socks, and another year of my strength and health so I can keep racking up the miles.

Happy Holidays, everyone! May all your running wishes come true!

‘Tis the Season

‘Tis the Season for many a wonderful thing—beautifully decorated houses, cheerful faces, amazing sales, thick and creamy egg nog, the wonderfully chocolaty chocolate covered Oreos and other goodies given to me by my vendors at work, carols sung by the mistletoe, rosy red cheeks…

…frostbitten fingers, moonlit runs, runny noses…

…and bundling myself up so warm and cozy before leaving the house for my pre-dawn runs that a half mile into it I’m begging for places to stash my clothes. I’m not used yet to this weather. I complain every other month about not being used to the weather. When it was 40 degrees I was overdressing. Now that it’s 18 when I go outside the past few mornings, I look more like Ralphie’s little brother in the Christmas Story trying to run in his snowsuit than an experienced runner. I’m never ready for this brisk cold, no matter how much I try to remind myself how quickly I warm up once I get started. At 5:00 in the morning, my brain isn’t listening to any reasoning as I shiver in my 100+ year old house, while Ted still slumbers peacefully underneath the down comforter, with thoughts of sugarplums dancing in his head. It’s as much mental as anything when I pile sweatshirts and fleeces, trying to warm up in general and prevent my body from forcing itself back into bed.

Ted is still enjoying his recovery time. I have a feeling his recovery time is going to be milked as long as possible, while I couldn’t wait to get back out. Will power is a strong trait, and it’s a very powerful and odd feeling when 50% of you wants very much to go out into the dark, brisk morning for a nice run, and the other 50% of you wants very much to head the other direction into the dark, and return to the layers of blankets and pillows and burrow down for another hour or so of sleep. Fortunately, most of the time, the run wins.

In two months, I’ll be complaining about weather some more. Two months from then, as it gets warmer, I’ll complain about not being used to the heat. It’s a vicious cycle and, unfortunately, the Eastern PA weather does not typically repeat itself, so nothing can be expected. Each season is different each year—two years ago, we had a foot of snow now. This time last year, I think I may have been wearing shorts still?

Regardless of the weather where you are, enjoy the runs. Each season has its perks for me, as a runner, as well as its downfalls. But each run continues to maintain the same perk, regardless of the temperature—and that is all I need to focus on…not the chapped skin I’m developing from rubbing my nose raw with my gloves or my chapped lips from licking them while running…or the realization that really, I have another 3-4 months of this.