Thursday, March 27, 2014

The secret to running faster.

Once I was sixteen-years old.
(Oh really? yes, really.)
At this point in life, I had run a good 6-ish races. Times were going up, too.
So one night when Colin was over for supper, I asked him how to run faster. And this is what he told me:

"The only way to run faster, is to run faster."
-Colin

My internal reaction was like "oh pish-posh."
This wasn't exactly the answer I was looking for. No, I was hoping for some magic spell that would make me just go fast. Without the work of actually going fast. And needless to say, I ignored what he said for the next two years.

But in the end, he was right.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Opinion #3: I do kind of like running on the track.

For the following reasons, I do at times really enjoy running on the track:

  • I love seeing the people pass by. It's enjoyable. It distracts me. And I run so much faster when there's someone watching. I don't know how, or why, but something just kicks into high gear. I find an energy that I didn't realize was there.
  • I get lost in the time and in laps. It will be "just one more lap..." 5 laps later. Or "just until the end of this song..." (yes, I do still listen to music while running. I haven't quite leveled up to go completely without it. I sometimes do. But lately, most of the time, no. And that's another opinion for another time) but then another song I love comes on. And so I run. 
  • Thoughts will just cycle through my head, in a way that they don't when I'm running outside or on the treadmill... 
  • Distractions are taken away. Which, in one sense, can be a not as great thing. Like, there is less to distract from what is happening. But it can also be a good thing. I push myself harder. I'll be like "Can I go faster? Oh yes, I can" and I do. 

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Opinion #2: Indoor running. Track vs. Treadmill.

Okay, I already said that I prefer to run outside more than inside. 
But what about those situations where I have to run inside?
Or choose to run inside?
I then have another choice to make, which, when it comes down to it, doesn't end up being a choice at all because it's so obvious what to choose.

Track or treadmill?
Go around in endless circles or go nowhere fast?

Track. Hands down.

Honestly, treadmills scare me. I could count on one hand the number of times I have used one.
It's like, I have this image running through my mind of running on one, falling, and having my face shredded to pieces. And so yeah, because of that fear, I run on the track 95% of the time.

There is one thing that I do like about treadmills.
The fact that I can set a speed and force myself to run that. It's good for speed work. Or, it's good for giving an idea of what my body will feel like to run a certain pace. Other than that, track is my best friend when it comes to indoor running.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Opinion #1: Indoors vs. Outdoors

Ever since I began running, I have been a complete, hardcore, outdoor runner. But that's because I had no other option. That is, until this year.
Now that I'm in college, I have the option to run on the indoor track or a treadmill.
And my, have I taken advantage of the option. Honestly, it's been nice to have this available on the crazy freezing/snow days that have taken place this past winter (as in days where it's -30˚ windchill, and it's not even safe to run outside).

Well, now that I have the whole background out of the way, here's my opinion:
I like outdoor running so much more than indoor.

  • I also feel that it's better training. I run mostly at home, and so with that I get a variety of conditions to train through. That is, the roads at home are dirt, it's all hills (always going either up or down), because it's on higher ground there is always strong winds present. Also, running no matter the weather; rain, snow, 90˚+, 45mph winds... And so yeah, if one only runs inside, they're not half as used/their body isn't trained to run in the multitude of conditions that persist outside.
  • It's hot running inside. I mean, in the summer it's hot outside. But at least it doesn't smell.
  • It smells inside.
  • There's not much to look at inside.
  • There's so much beauty outside. I've seen so many amazing things in my outdoor runs; nature and such. One time I caught a snake. Another time a turtle.... Yeah, it's just cool.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Friday, March 14, 2014

Pre-race Jitters.

So tomorrow is another race. I think my 21st. It's the Irish Jig, a race I have competed in the past three years or so. It's a rather large race of over 4000 people. At any rate, I get nervous the night before a race, even now. I don't completely understand why, but I do. It's like, I dread it and am completely excited for it both at the same time. I think I may get more nervous than I used to. Scratch that, I know that I get more nervous than I used to. This is due to the fact that I no longer run just to get a t-shirt. I actually run in competition. Not necessarily against others (though it is fun when I place high in my age group), but against myself. I have a drive to make personal records. And so I get nervous and almost hold back as a result. At any rate, we'll see how tomorrow goes.