I Run Because....(& Oiselle Giveaway Winner)

RUNNING...

Last Wednesday was National Runner's Day.  Every year I love to call out this day and to celebrate it with my fellow runners.  This year I asked you to tell us 'why you run'.  More people responded to this question than to any other question I've posed since I started this blog over two years ago.  Turns out, A LOT of people run in some way, shape or form and those who do are very happy to tell us why.  I did offer up a Oiselle goody bag to sweeten the deal, so that might have increased the response rate a bit.  It's all good.  I, myself, would have answered for that reason alone.  But, I like to think the main reason people wrote in is because, like me, they are so ridiculously enamored with the sport and all that it does for them that they want to shout it out to anyone who will listen.  I wish I could have shared every single response with you but that would have taken up a boat load of time - both yours and mine.  So, instead, I attempted to sum it all up by throwing out a few (okay, more than a few) that I related to, or laughed about, or cried over, or had never heard before but totally appreciated or...you get the idea.  Beth at @RxBethOnTheRun wrote, "...I can't imagine my life without running. Running has forever changed my life."  Wow.  That pretty much sums it all up for me, too.  Many thanks to everyone who wrote in for this one.  Here's to another great year of running for all of us.

I run because...
~ I love it.
~ It's part of me.
~ It makes me happy. 
~ I like to challenge/push myself. 
~ It's awesome.  
~ It makes my body feel good.
~ It makes me feel strong and confident.
~ It reminds me that I'm stronger than I think.  
~ I'm setting a good example for my son and daughter.
~ It's a great stress reliever.
~ I can justify my need for more pizza. 
~ It's freeing.
~ It's beautiful.
~ If I didn't, I would lose my sanity.
~ I love the way I feel when I'm done.
~ I can.

I run for....
~ the joy it brings to my life.
~ the memories of people that I've lost.
~ the connection - to myself, through social media, and with nature.
~ a break.
~ that feeling of shared excitement when everyone is lined up at the start of a race.
~ my health.
~ the competition.
~ peace.

I run to...
~ fit into my jeans.
~ listen to great tunes.
~ explore the city.
~ be with friends.
~ live forever.
~ wake up in the morning. 
~ celebrate my daughter.
~ tell the universe my story.

** Congrats to Maureen Polson, the winner of the Oiselle giveaway.  Her answer:
"I run for my health, to challenge myself and now also to make a difference as a Miles For Miracles runner for Children's Hospital Boston."  Awesome reasons, Maureen.  Enjoy your Oiselle goodies!

...AND MUSIC

Listen to this:
Where I'm Going - Cut Copy  

Race Recap: Samantha's Harvest 5k

RUNNING...

Samantha & her dad.

Over the past few weeks I have been battling plantar fasciitis.  About 3 weeks ago, I raced a 5K and I completey crashed and burned; both physically and mentally.  If my foot could have talked that day, it would have said, "guess what, this freakin' hurts and I don't want to do this anymore until it feels better."  But then who listens to their foot?  Certainly not a runner.  I powered through the pain and, as you can expect, I had a sub-par performance.  I was bummed but not surprised.  The next day I gave my coach the low down and we agreed that we would put speed work on hold and focus on distance running since the short stuff (track work, tempo runs, 5Ks, etc) was aggravating my foot.  While I was totally on board with his plan and ready to shift gears, I had this nagging feeling in the back of my head that I needed to get one more short race in sooner rather than later to remind myself why I do it and what I am capable of.  I truly didn't feel the need to PR or put any added pressure on myself....I just needed to do it.  To my good fortune, I found the Samantha's Harvest 5K which was happening in nearby Reading, MA this past Sunday.  Perfect!  Samantha's Harvest is an organization that, in their own words, "works to raise awareness by providing funding for programs and organizations that directly enhance the lives of individuals with Down syndrome."  It is run by Samantha's parents and the 5K is one of the many events they put on to support their cause.  Samantha, who's 11 years old and has 2 older brothers, was at the race greeting runners and hanging out with a bright smile on her face.

Samantha, before the start of the race.

From the moment I got there, I felt different about this race, in a good way.  I decided I would forego my usual warm-up routine where I tend to hang solo, listen to music and stretch and jumped right into a conversation with a lovely woman named Kim who, like me, had been able to sneak away from her husband and kids that morning to get the race in.  We chatted for twenty minutes, hid our car keys together (not as if we really needed to), walked to the starting line together and then wished each other the best.  Getting in the zone before a race is great and often necessary for me, but just soaking in the kindness and good vibes of my fellow runners got me pretty fired up, too.  The weather was hot and the course was fairly challenging but the scenery was gorgeous and the many twists and turns kept it interesting.  As I headed down the final stretch, which happened to be on the Reading High School track, I could see little Samantha clapping and cheering for all of the finishers.  Really, there are no words to describe how cool this was.  In that one moment, my exhaustion was totally outweighed by the wave of emotion that came over me.  Talk about perspective.  Plantar what??  Once I had cooled down and had a chance to re-group, I stumbled over to a gentleman who was waving on the runners as they stepped onto the track to finish.  We started talking and he gave me a little more information about the Samantha's Harvest organization and all that it does for those involved.  Then he said something that kind of took my breath away.  "We try and do so much, and there is so much more out there we can do, but we also get pretty tired so we have to be conscious of that.  All of it can be pretty overwhelming but, clearly, it's worth it."  Right then I realized that I was talking to Samantha's father who was just laying it out there and being totally honest and open.  I have two kids of my own and I am overwhelmed on a daily basis.  I can't even begin to imagine what his days are like.  I told him I was thrilled to have found his race, that I would be making it an annual tradition, and that next time, I would try and bring a bunch of friends along with me.  He smiled and thanked me for coming.

Me & Samantha's mother, Lisa, at the end of the race.

When I left the race, I felt different and really good.  Not because I had run a time that I was pleased with, which I had.  But because the overall experience had been incredibly moving and totally invaluable for me.  Each race has a purpose.  Many of them are fundraisers.  That is not often the reason I sign up.  But, moving forward, you can bet I'll be thinking about it when I click to pay.  Many thanks to Samantha and her parents for helping me see the bigger picture.

...AND MUSIC

Listen to this:
Champion Sound - Crystal Fighters  

You Know You're A Runner If....

RUNNING...

My bathroom, post-wash.

On Wednesday, in honor of National Runner's Day, I wrote about why I run.  Today, I'm going to take it one step farther and talk about how you know whether or not you are a 'runner'.  Recently, I was doing my laundry and I realized two things....first, very few of my clothes go in the dryer (see pic).  And second, almost all of my clothes (ie. shorts, tech tees, sports bras) can be balled up and thrown into a basket.  Basically, I have a lot of freakin' running clothes and very little else.  I am both a runner and a high school running coach, so I am typically sporting these duds on a daily basis for most of the year.  But still; wow.  I think I officially have more running clothes than non-running clothes at this point.  This is one of the many ways I know that I am a 'runner'.  Below I have listed out a few more of the tell-tale signs.

You Know You're  A Runner If...

1. At least 75% of your wardrobe consists of running and/or workout clothes.
2. When you're walking and you have to wait at a red light to cross the street, you reach to stop your watch; even if you're not running (or wearing a watch at all).
3. When you check your calendar, it's not to see if you are free for the evening, but to see if you are racing the next day (which will determine whether or not you can go out the night before).
4. When you purchase running clothes, you try to find items that will work for running, school pick-up and maybe even dinner with friends.  Oh yes, these clothes do exist.

Oiselle Mio Mesh Tank

5. You're overly picky about the color of your running shoes.
6. When you're in your car and you start driving up a hill you think to yourself:
 ~ Thank goodness I am in my car and I don't have to run up this puppy.
 ~ BUT this IS a really good hill and I should come back and run it some time.
 ~ I really need to get more hills in lately.
 ~ I hate hills.
7. When you're planning your day, it is broken up into pre-run and post-run.
8. The weather determines your mood, not because of the weather itself, but because of how your run will likely go in that particular weather.
9. You hear a random song on the radio that would be perfect to run with and you pull over to write it down; even if you have to get off a major highway.
10. You do all of these things (& more) day in and day out.  And you don't think twice about any of them.

So...what's the verdict?

...AND MUSIC

Listen to this:
Drum in Your Chest - BIGkids  


*AND DON'T FORGET* to enter the OISELLE giveaway.  Tell us why you run.  Win a bag of Oiselle goodies.  Done and done.  Contest ends next week.  Hurry!

National Runner's Day & Oiselle Givaway

RUNNING...

I also run because....

~ It makes me happy.
~ It pushes me out of my comfort zone.
~ It makes me feel like a badass.
~ It sets a good example for my girls.
~ It makes me feel young.
~ It gives me an excuse to buy running shoes & clothes...lots of them.
~ It is part of my job as a coach.
~ It gets me outside.
~ It justifies my coffee addiction (sort of?)
~ It gives me a reason to listen to, purchase and share music.
~ It gives me something to talk/write/learn about on a daily basis.
~ It makes me a better wife, mom, friend, & person.
~ It takes me somewhere new (mentally & physically) every time I do it.
~ It's freakin' awesome.

Why do YOU run?

WANT TO WIN A OISELLE GOODIE BAG? The lovely ladies of Oiselle have donated this sweet orange spike bag that they will send directly to you filled with some mystery Oiselle goodies.  Not even I know what's inside.  But, if it's from them, it's gonna be good.  To enter, comment below.  Tell us WHY YOU RUN.  That's it.  Then if, you haven't already done it, go outside and run.  See you on the road.

*Contest is for US and Canada residents only.  It will run thru Wednesday, June 12th.  Winner will be chosen via random.org.  Many thanks to Oiselle for this awesome contribution. Good luck!

...AND MUSIC

Listen to this:
I Love You - Said the Whale