Ironman Watch

I don't wear a Smartwatch.  I have an old Timex Ironman.

Yup.  I like my old Ironman.

Your Bones Aren't Smart

Your bones aren't smart, so you have to be smart for them.

Your joints don't naturally articulate in the correct way.  They just move and twist and crunch together however it happens when you throw your leg out there.

Be cognizant of how your posture and gait affects your joints.  Modify as you move to get everything working in the easiest way.  I'ts a mechanical puzzle, and the clues to getting it right are how your joints and muscles feel.

For example, I often get a dull pain in my right knee after about 45 minutes of running.  One of my solutions is to change the way I point my foot as I strike with that foot.  My right foot stike looks like this as I run:

Strike pointing towards 12 o'clock.
Strike pointing towards 11 o'clock
12 o'clock
1 o'clock
12 o'clock
11 o'clock
12 o'clock
1 o'clcok
12 o'clock
Repeat

Eventually I find a strike that reduces the dull knee pain.  Sometimes this can take a mile or more.  Usually it's pointing my foot at 11:58 as I strike, but not always.

You need to be the brains for your bones.

Modify Your Shoes

As your shoes wear, it can be helpful to modify them.  Your natural thought might be to add shoe goo and cushioned insoles to the worn spots, but consider going the other way, especially if the wear is more pronounced on either the inside or outside of your foot.

In my case, I get some wear on the outside of my heels, even though I try to use a forefoot strike.  When my heel becomes worn on the outside, I then trim the inside with a knife.  This allows me to continue wearing the old shoes, and I feel it actually improves the mechanics of my gait and foot strike.

Snot Rockets

You either shoot snot rockets, or you don't.

I do.

The technique is to hold one nostril shut and forcefully exhale air out the nose, clearing the open nostril of all debris.  It's healthy and good for you to expel all that bad gunk, although don't be so forceful that your ears pop.

The best way to learn the technique is by running in the rain.  That tends to get the fluids flowing, and if you are sloppy, cleanup is much easier.  Probably alone is best.

You should learn this.  It's good for you.  Sometimes you just need to trust me.

Wind Chill

Today I will get soaked on my run.  But the weather Gurus believe it will actually feel like the actual temperature actually.  Go figure.  Why don't they calculate "Rain Chill?"

The concept of wind chill means it feels colder when it's windy.  For a runner, this just causes more extreme feelings.  Running in to the wind I suppose you experience super-wind chill, but running with the wind, it sometimes feels like wind... warmth.

I tend to not believe the wind chill, but to read the actual temperature, and then not if it's windy or not.

Runner's Demons

Demons often hound the runner.  They are tenacious and merciless.  But run towards the morning and the demons are made irrelevant.

Traffic

There tend to be two philosophies for running with traffic.  One is "Own the road," and the other is to just be careful.  I am completely in the "careful" camp.

My number one rule is: If there is going to be a car vs runner accident, don't be there.

"Own the Road" runners like to be in the cartway, hold their line, and yell at cars who don't give them wide berth.  I find this frustrating, scary and dangerous.

Here are some of my rules.

• Run on the left, in to traffic (in the USA). You want to see imminent death with a clear eye.
• On rural roads, step off the road for oncoming traffic.  Pull up and walk if approaching a dangerous intersection.
• Don't always cross at the busiest place - for example, in small towns I prefer to run the alleys rather than the main streets, which allows for easier crossings one street at a time, rather than at four-way intersections.  
• If an oncoming car is preparing to turn left, assume cars behind will swing out around them into the pedestrian lane.  
• Assume every car is being driven by a 17 year old who is texting on her phone, while eating and crying.  It's up to you to get out of the way and not be an accident.  
• If something looks the least bit dangerous, remove yourself from that situation quickly.  
• Cars are big and heavy - they will win.

Wear something reflective.  At night wear a headlamp up front and a red flashy in back.

Lobster Gloves

This winter we've had some really cold mornings, less than 10 Degrees Fahrenheit.  I discovered my Garneau bicycle gloves make great running gloves.  They are exceptionally warm.

They are "lobster" style gloves, meaning they have individual fingers, but also a fold our covering that encases two pairs of fingers.

Purchased from Performance Bicycle, which always seems to have good stuff.

Find Something To Do

If you are going to be out there pounding the roads for 45 minutes, it's important for you to find something to do.  Otherwise, you will just be tortured by daemons and haunted by the thoughts of all your past mistakes and failures.  The common ways to occupy your mind are:

• Music.  Wear earbuds and listen to music.

Earbuds

• Learn a language instead of listening to music.
• Listen to Supreme Court arguments.  You freak.
• Run with a friend.
• Run with a dog.
• Run to a bar.  Then run back.
• Run with friends to a bar.
• Run on a trail with technical footing.
• Run pushing a baby in a stroller
• Run in ALL weather conditions.
• Run at night, then run in the daytime.
• Stop and take photos along the way.

Photo of Lancaster Junction Trail, Lancaster PA, USA

My favorite is to take pictures.  I always have a phone or a waterproof camera, and wile away the miles looking for interesting things to take photos of.  Then when I get home I post them to all those good places like Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and Blogger.

I have a sweet little Fujifilm XP70 Camera.  More on that in another post.

13 degrees F

The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons why I Run

Here's the quintessential graphic novel that explains why we run.  Click in!  It's like six pages long.  Enjoy!

The Oatmeal.