I stare at the toilet a lot

Filed under Running by on December 8, 2011 at 12:50 pm {2 comments}

This is one of those posts that I know is inappropriate, but I feel like writing it anyways. Mostly because my little hobby has become an obsession. Avert your eyes if there are things that you just don’t want to read about.

At the beginning of the year, I went to a running seminar about hydration and nutrition. It was fascinating for a lot of reasons, but mostly because there was a whole portion that dealt with pee. Yes PEE! And in my need to be perfect, I followed this guy’s advice to the letter. His advice? Every time you go to the bathroom stare down and note what color you see. Dark yellow? Drink more water. Clear? You have drank too much water. Pale yellow? You are perfect. Collect your gold star for the day.  And so this is why I stare at the toilet a lot and adjust accordingly.

This is kind of vital advice for runners, because our runs live and die by how well our bodies are hydrated. There’s really no other way we can tell than looking down. And the non-runner could really learn a lot about their hydration levels by doing the same thing. We all do need to stay well-hydrated after all.

After almost a year of being awesome and looking down, I started in with dizzy spells and one semi-fainting incident. Doctor time! I’m lucky in that I have a great doctor who really does listen to all of my symptoms and addresses them as best he can without getting too much into how weird I am. And I am weird. And it is very, very rare to find a doctor that doesn’t think I’m lying. The diagnosis (or more accurately, the guess) was Vasodepressor Syndrome. This was the first time I had ever heard of it, but I kid you not, one of the treatments is to make your pee clear. This is happening with loads of Gatorade (I really hate Gatorade) and water. I’m up to my eyeballs in this stuff. And still… no. I think it’s because it knows that I’m a runner and I’m supposed to watch out for overhydration. But really? A little help here? I don’t think I can drink anymore.

Related: For a fun activity, ask Bart Yasso what color his pee is. He’s a famous runner and all, so I swear this is a totally normal question. It’s just funny to me. And probably to you. And probably to your followers. His answer to me? “Very funny” I don’t think that’s a color, Bart.

Running for Good

Filed under Running by on October 25, 2011 at 7:30 am {17 comments}

Look at me run!

On Saturday, I started something that just seems impossible, a little stupid and a lot crazy. I started training for a marathon. I know. Lots of people start training for a marathon. But for me, it was a big deal.

I’m going to let you in on a secret that I could only whisper to myself, because I was that ashamed of it: I quit running. I didn’t mean for it to happen. I didn’t consciously let it happen. I just had this mental block. I am too fat to run. I look ridiculous. People are laughing at me. I got hurt and it was only going to happen again. Other people need my time more. And, probably the worst of all, was I really worth all of this effort?

I finally answered that last question with a resounding, “YES,” as I started out on Saturday. Was it hard? Yes. Was it painful? Yes. Was I worth every ounce of work I was putting in? Yes, YES, YES!

Two runs in, I can already feel the difference. My lungs are taking in more air. My legs already feel stronger. And all of the water I am drinking is making me feel amazing as well. It’s just a whole rediscovery process of why I love running and why it’s always stuck with me.

Now, I know I feel this way right now, but I want to make sure I always remember this. I have been wracking my brain as to how to make this last and to make sure that I get myself to the finish line of the marathon. I have come to the conclusion is that now is the time to rely on my #catholicguilt (it’s always a hashtag). Yes, it’s time to manipulate that for some good.

What I am asking from you is simple: Help guilt me into getting my training runs done.

Say what? How can you possibly do that? It’s easy! I have 50 runs to get done between November 1st and December 31st (oh dear God, kill me now). For all 50 runs, I want to have someone sponsor it by buying a $5 blue key to help bring awareness to the plight of refugees. What do you get out of the deal? First and foremost, you get an AWESOME blue key that you can display to help bring awareness to the fact that 43.7 million people are currently considered refugees. You will also get me to not only dedicate a run out to you, and well… I have some creative ways of thanking people. And me? I get tons of #catholicguilt and my butt out running.

So how do you participate? Go and buy that blue key. And then come back here and comment with what date you’d like to sponsor. To give you a heads up, I never run on Sundays, I always run on Saturdays and it varies in between. But like I said, out of those 61 days, I am running 50 days. So chances are, if you have a date in mind, I’m running on it. And if you don’t have a preference, just say you’d like to sponsor a run and I’ll put you on the next date.

Yes, 50 keys is a huge undertaking, but I know we can do it… together… just like how I plan on finishing the marathon. Because, yeah, there’s no way I’m finishing this goal without the love and support of all you guys!

Race Report: Westerville Rotary 5k

Filed under Running by on July 7, 2011 at 12:00 pm {no comments}

Last year, I ran the Westerville Rotary 5k (run by Premier Sports) and found it to be one of the most enjoyable races I had ever run. In fact, I had such warm feelings for it that I was looking forward to running it despite my injuries. Yeah, it wasn’t fun.

First off, let me put it out there that I shouldn’t have been running this race. I haven’t been able to run much since I hurt myself and I was in no shape to run a race. Plus, my knee hurt pretty badly after only doing 3 miles on Saturday. I’m stubborn though. I wanted to repeat this race badly and I thought I could do it without hurting myself further.

It was a hot and humid day. I did my least favorite thing and waited until that morning to get my packet, so I got there super early. This all meant that I was a tired and grumpy Betsy.  Unfortunately, Grumpy Betsy is still with us and might be writing this blog post…

They changed locations this year. They went from Alum Creek North Park to Hoff Woods Park. Although I understand the need to change the location (it’s a growing race), I think it was a bad set up. Things got a little chaotic, because the runners didn’t really know where we should be congregating and we obviously were getting in the way of registration and packet pick up.

Getting across the start line and then the first part of the race were extremely close quarters and meant that conditions were less than ideal for a run/walker. I felt guilty about doing my walk breaks, but I needed them. This meant that I probably pissed off more than one pure runner.

I had a bad race and I knew I was going to have a bad race going in. I at least got it done in just under 40 minutes, but everything about the race went poorly for me. My body started revolting even before mile one. I thought my knee was going to be the problem, but the lack of conditioning and the heat are what got me. It’s more than a little depressing to say that.

I also screwed up with my Runkeeper. I had it all set up to go when I started, and then I accidentally pressed the wrong button twice. That meant I went without it, since I was frustrated with my phone. I honestly hate running races without hearing that friendly voice in my ear telling me how I’m doing. I won’t do that again.

The final disappointment about this race hit the hardest. Last year, this race had BY FAR the best post-race snack. They had whole wheat bread from Great Harvest Bread Company with honey on top. I am a little embarrassed to say that this may have factored into my decision to do the race. I got to the end and there was fruit and bagels from Panera. While adequate, that made them just like every other race.

The Westerville Rotary 5k seemed to be a race that was still trying to get the kinks out this year. I’m willing to stick it out and do a three-peat of this race next year, but I’m hoping that it works some of these kinks out and returns to being my favorite race again. And yes, I hope I work out some of my kinks too.

RunFest or My Obsession With Free Stuff

Filed under Running by on July 5, 2011 at 12:00 pm {no comments}
Running Shoes

Dear RunFest Vendors, Mama would like a free pair of sneakers. Just putting that out there.

I have two major past times that occupy most of my free time. The first one is running. I may not spend a huge amount of time running, but most of what I do (eating, drinking, other exercise) go towards making my running better. The other past time is really my favorite: Scheming to figure out how to get free stuff. There’s just something very special about the stuff that I have gotten for free. They all have a story and I like telling those stories. This is the story of how my two past times collided in an event called RunFest.

Last year, Heather Whaling, the person that handles some of the great PR that comes out of the Columbus Marathon, invited me to this event put on by the marathon and dangled this free mp3 armband in front of me to make sure that I would go. Do I own an mp3 player? No. Do I wear stuff on my arm when I run? No. But I wanted that armband, so I went.

I wasn’t really sure what I was getting myself into. This was a first time event and I was a new runner. Wow, did they do it up right.

I got to the table that they had set up outside and got my free armband. I felt like a winner already and I hadn’t even walked in yet. I got to the first table, which was set up by my running store, Fleet Feet Sports Columbus. Score! Free shirt and GU! It kept going on like this. Free thing after free thing and it was actually really good stuff. And then they gave me food too! I had hit the cheap runner’s jackpot, and I may have milked it just a little bit.

As much fun as the free stuff was, I also ended up learning a lot about the Columbus running community. We have A LOT of running clubs and they all seem to be dedicated to helping people run better. If it weren’t for the fact that I had already found a home in Marathoners in Training, I think I would have a hard time choosing between these clubs.

This year’s RunFest will occur on Saturday, July 9th from 1-4 pm. I would suggest getting there early and bringing a bag, because it’s promising to be even bigger than last year with even more free stuff. And yes, I’m planning on being there right at 1 pm and tackling anyone that gets between me and some free technical shirts.

 

Full disclosure: Heather is obviously a friend and I was asked to help get the word out. This is a fantastic event though and I would highly suggest every runner in Columbus gets their butt there.

Running Surfaces: They’re not all created equal

Filed under Running by on June 30, 2011 at 7:00 am {no comments}
Awesome running surface
A running surface that will not hurt your knee, but will get you muddy.

Hurting my knee has been kind of a blessing in disguise. I’ve been learning A LOT. But probably the most useful is about running surfaces. Now for most runners, this is probably common sense. Well, I’m not that kind of runner.

1. Sidewalks: This was where I did a lot of my runs. I was concerned about safety and was trying to stay out of the road. This is just an injury waiting to happen. It’s the hardest surface that you can run on and that means you are pounding on your legs that much harder. Running already is doing enough pounding. Get off the sidewalk.

2. Roads: I’m still afraid of getting hit, but this is probably the best place us surburbanites can run. It’s weird to say, but the road is just… softer. Of course, you should run against traffic to keep yourself safer and if it’s dark out, wear reflective clothing. My doctor gave me one other piece of advice that I didn’t expect: Don’t run on the same side of the road every time you’re out. Yes, this goes against the whole idea of running against traffic, but there is a reason for it. Most roads are dome shaped. Running on the side means that one leg will be slightly lower than the other and the legs will not be worked in the same way which can lead to… injuries! Who woulda thunk it?

3. Trails: This is the preferred place to run. It’s the softest on your legs. Of course, I’m talking about the relatively flat trails, not the straight up and hey I don’t remember ever going down trails. Not that those are bad. I just hate them. I run on a trail once a week with my running group, but running by myself on the trail near my house just doesn’t work for me. I have to run in the morning, and I’m not big on running on a trail… by myself… with no one else around. Your schedule and personality may allow for a better time though, and I’m severely jealous of people that can run at other times.

4. Treadmills: Let’s pretend this dirty word was never written on my blog and never speak of it again. Yes, I really, really hate them-that-must-not-be-named.

So my runs put me on the roads now. It might be a sub-par running surface, but it’s my sub-par running surface and I love it. Where do your runs put you?

Welcome to my little corner of the world!

Filed under Baking, Living With Depression, Running, Social Media Thoughts, Vegetarian Life by on June 13, 2011 at 3:33 am {no comments}

I’ve unsuccessfully tried to keep personal blogs going. When I go back to figure out why I’ve lost interest, it’s been pretty easy to figure out the problem: I have too many interests for a focused blog. So I’m relaunching and am going to try to incorporate all of my major interests. I could fail, but hey, it might work. The topics I’m focusing on for the time being are:

1. Baking: Most people that know me personally know that I’m a little ridiculous with baking. I’m a stress baker. I swear the entire time I’m doing it. After I’m done, I feel better and there’s something delicious in my belly. The best hobby anyone could have by far.

2. Living With Depression: This is my every day. I think there are a lot of misconceptions surrounding depression and I’m hoping to correct some of those by describing some of my symptoms and the habits I’ve had to adopt to get through them.

3. Running: I love running. The push to be beat your best, the dependence on yourself and the obsessiveness over everything having to do with your body… It’s meant for my personality and there’s just so much to share.

4. Social Media Thoughts: I’m the co-founder of #tourismchat, I help others with their social media and I engage in a little bit for my job. I love it and I love helping others understand it. I’m hoping if I get back to writing about it that I can connect with more people that need help.

5. Vegetarian Life: This is something else that I live with every day. Between health issues and a severe love of animals, the vegetarian life was the right life for me. I’m slowly learning more and more about the nutrition I need and what has animal products in it. It’s hard stuff and I want others to learn from my mistakes.

I have tons of other interests that I’m sure will show up on this blog, but for now, this is where we will start. I’m hoping that we can learn lots together and have tons of fun. And here we go…