As we begin that athlete-wannabe adventure we continue to have those Reality
Check moments.  They can be victorious or they can be “what have I gotten
myself into?” moments.

I believe we never stop nor should we ever stop to wanting nor seeking those
moments in our training.  What is working today – most likely, won’t be
working for you tomorrow.

What works for one person may not work for you.  The Reality is you must
know yourself and your abilities to know what is and isn’t “you”. Learn to
Train Smarter, Not Just Harder.

This topic is being lightly discussed amongst many running bloggers.  I
believe as we move forward in our quest for that PR in our given distance -
we will be looking back or stopping to examine what is within our limits,
both mentally and physically.

What was hard to me a year ago (a mile!) – is nothing more than a light jog
to me, now.  After Half Marathon’s, 5K’s and 10k’s – I have learned the most
valuable lessons of them all.   Something a trainer can never match.

Pay attention to your body.  I am happy to know how to sense my gait, my arm
swing.  What is the best warm up for me.  I know the pace I need to run for
my slow, recovery and tempo runs.  I know me, yet – up until about March – I
didn’t trust what I knew about ME. I trained and ran hard, but I certainly
did not train smart.

While I did not take up long distance running until I was 48 yrs old, I did
have a strong fitness and athletic background.  A competitive body builder
and fitness trainer in the 80′s and most recently a Certified Sports
Nutritionist.  Being athletic was not new to me, but running was.  I quickly
engulfed myself into Twitter and learned some incredible tips, that carried
me through my first Half Marathon.

However, in my quest for that famous PR in a 5K, 10K or Half – I made the
horrible mistake of following the lead of a few athletes who had run several
successful key races.   It was my error and my fault.

The mistake is following someone who is a good athlete, but not a Trainer.
A good athlete does not always make a good Trainer or Coach.  Think for a
moment – when did Michael Jordan or Troy Aikman coach a successful team?
Who was the most successful football coach of all time?  Vince Lombardi.
What were his accomplishments as an athlete?

Being an athlete is one skill

Being a Trainer/Coach is another skill

Rarely, will the same person have both skills

This past Spring I was suffering from several aches and pains in my
groin/hip area.  At that time, I went to several people that I ran with, and
my advise was simply to “run it off”

In those same conversations, I was told to run at temp at all times to
ensure I was strong.

In my gut, I knew better – but since these athletes had also run some
successful races in their career, I followed their advise.

A disaster struck in late March – as that constant bad advise caused my hips
to give out on my at Mile 8 on a Half Marathon race.  An injury that packed
on serious medical bills, that could have been avoided.

That was my ephiany moment.  What I had thought along was true.  I had not
been advised nor trained properly, and it was my fault I followed the wrong
advice, for me.

I am now 49 yrs old – how could I possibly expect to train like a 29 or even
a 35 yr old?

After all I read about slow runs, recovery runs and tempo runs – why didn’t
I KNOW not to run at tempo on all runs?  Why didn’t I follow the advise of
THOUSANDS of other runners to ensure I was working my core and other parts
of my body?  Why did I allow the advise of a few individuals override the
expertise of the running community?

Why?  I doubted myself, because I didn’t know myself, well enough.

Now, I do.  I don’t train harder, I train smarter.

I have aligned myself with information and with people who can provide me
the information, I need to be a better athlete.  Most importantly, I have
aligned myself with, me.

Since I have made this decision – I have improved my 5K times by almost 2
minutes and my 10K by 5 minutes.  I have placed and even won several times,
too.  I found what works for me and I do it.  I found me, in this process.

As I head into my next Half Marathon in August (my first one since the
injury) – I feel stronger, I feel more comfortable with me.   I run with
friends, I pace with friends – but my runs are back to running for me.  I
decide the information I will follow, for me.

While I am grateful for the information I did certain from certain
individuals in my early stages, what I learned most is that all I need is,
me.  Me, and my love of running and enjoying race days.   I no longer allow
someone to tell me how to run – because they have no idea what I can do.  I
do.  With so many resources available to me online and resources I can call
upon for advise, I am in good hands.

Will I ever make anymore changes in my training?  Of course I will.  When
the time comes that what I am currently doing is no longer working, it will
be time for a change.  However, this next time – I will know, because I have
learned to know, me.  I am a smarter runner.

I challenge everyone who is reading this article to examine what is working
and what is not working for you.  If something doesn’t feel right, it isn’t.
If you are not getting the results you believe you can achieve right now,
make a change.  Examine and Know Thyself and Run Smarter.  In that process,
you become a better athlete and most importantly, a better person.

Surround yourself with trainers, nutritionists and other resources to
complete your training.  It is about you.  Make sure you focus on YOU.

Run Smart,

Charlene L. Ragsdale
www.RunningWithCharlene.com

This last one seemed to have hundreds of people answering questions and helping each other with valuable information about training for marathons, eating habits and more.  To recap what went on, just do a search on Twitter for #runchat.

Many people listed their blogs which hosts even more great information about eating healthy, running tips and motivational hints that keep us going.

We’ve compiled a central list of most of them in no particular order, and we hope that you find this useful.  If you don’t see yours on here and would like to, please drop us a line at info@everstride.com.

http://Got2Run4Me.wordpress.com

www.happytalesblog.com

http://www.runningwithattitude.com/

Http://fatgirlscanrun.com

http://zanetaruns.blogspot.com

www.TurtlesAgainstCancer.com

http://www.thefitbee.com

www.ontapfortoday.com

http://wildrunnerlove.wordpress.com/

http://www.thefitbee.com

See you next time in the #runchat!

In 60 odd days, I’ll set out on my longest, hardest running tour – a multi-day, June tour of my home state of Delaware.  Delaware?  It’s not California, but it’s still 137 miles in the simmering heat with 24 – 30 miles a day for 5-6 days.  A first for me, in the First State.

Each day, the anxiety tip-toes through the back of mind.  Little hints of doubt here and there in quiet moments.  Have you trained enough?  Are you ready for this?  What’s it going to feel like on Day 3?  What if you don’t finish?

How do I stop it?  Well, I don’t.  It won’t.  It won’t until I’m done or I’m finished, whichever comes first.  I use the uncertainty to push me.  When I don’t feel like running, I have to.  When I feel tired, I have to keep going.  The questions jump in on these runs, but I disprove them and push on.  The Mile Rampage has started and I’m ramping up week by week.

The additional mileage and back to back long days have are preparing me physically and mentally.  But to up the mental training, I’ve been reading lots from other ultra runners.  The writing is no frills.  There’s no fluff, and these runners tell the naked facts of what happens when you hit those walls or when the chafing welts develop in dark, unwanted places.

In addition, to ultra running tales, I’ve dipped into first-hand accounts of Navy Seal training and Special Forces training.  The idea is to push each candidate to their limit and well beyond.  Navy Seal Hell Week keeps a bell in sight and is always an option.  If a candidate cannot take anymore, he must ring the bell and declare to everyone that he quits.

The bell takes that anxiety and all those yearnings to quit and projects it in plain sight.  It’s there.  Ring it and it’ll all be over.  Some do. The stronger ones do not.  No one is forcing me to do this run.  When the pain, discomfort, whatever, gets to be too much, I have my bell too.  But then I declare that I quit.  That I’m not strong enough.  My plan – keep the bell silent.

This First State run is also more than me.  Since I’ve overcome my difficulties with Crohn’s disease, I want to use this run to show others with Crohn’s that there is hope.  It’s not always as difficult as they may feel.

Before I was diagnosed, there was no way I thought I’d ever be running like I am.  Days spent doubled over with cramps.  I was in college and missed classes because the pain kept me in bed.

Today, I feel healthier than I ever have.  I’d like for  others to get to experience this too.  I’ve established a fund raising site on Eventbrite  to raise money for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.

I’m thankful for all the donations I’ve received so far.  It’s nice to see people reaching out for others.  I appreciate EverStride teaming up with blistertoe.com readers and showing support.  Enter “blistertoe” at checkout and a percentage goes towards the Crohn’s and Colits Foundation.  EverStride, thanks too for keeping those chafing welts out of my nether regions on the First State run too.

So am I ready?  I could run 100 miles a day and still feel like I need to do more.  The days keep going.  The doubts are still there.  The Blistercrohn’s First State run is going to be an experience.  I’ll keep running until I get there.

Get this, on an interview with ABC News he told them, it provides a good proportion of carbohydrates, fat and protein for marathon training, but the food used to get the nutrients is ‘not recommended’.

He slowly jogs up hills on the Navajo reservation in northeastern Arizona where he calls home.  He weighs 405 pounds and is not embarrassed by an ounce of it as trucks drive by and almost hit him as his shoulders are so broad.  “With what I’m facing,” he says, “I have to prove to myself I can do this.”

Here are some tips to help you buy the right shoe:
Buy your shoes late in the day
Wear the socks you will wear while you have the shoes on
Stand up to measure the size
Buy a half-size up
Give yourself a thumbnail length between the shoe and big toe
Get comfortable shoes, they will need to be broken in but should feel good
Don’t buy for price, just because they are expensive doesn’t mean they are the best
When running, if you notice a hot spot, stop – could be the sign of a blister

 Take these into consideration when buying running shoes.  Another helpful tip, go see your doctor to learn about the type of foot you have.  This will make running more enjoyable.