My Top 5 Tips for Beginner Runners - "Road Rules"

I was asked to update a story that was done on me in a magazine back in December and with the update they wanted my top 5 tips I have would give to new runners of things I have learned since I started running my "Road Rules".

    1)     Get the proper shoes for your feet. Go to a professional running store and have them fit you for the correct shoes. See my blog post here.

2)     Buy running apparel, running is easier and safer if you are comfortable and have the correct clothing. Make sure you have safety equipment when you run. Lights, clothing that reflects and a way to contact someone if you fall or are hurt. See my blog post here. I always carry my phone and on long runs I have a battery back up. I just purchased an ID bracelet from Road ID. If something happens my information can be accessed by EMS workers, while completely protecting me.

3)     Always have water with you in some way; dehydration can lead to serious problems to your health. See my blog post here.

4)     Never run with your back to traffic. Run against the traffic so cars can see you and you can see cars. I run early in the mornings while it is still dark, when there is less traffic, but there is still traffic and I am very aware of cars, as they hopefully are aware of me. I have a headlamp that shines right at the cars and I wear fluorescent colors, reflective clothes and vest, but I run against traffic so I am aware of all cars coming at me. I have noticed here in the warmer months more people are running earlier in the mornings. But some are running with traffic, it actually scares me when I pass them running, they don’t know what is coming up behind them and some wear dark clothing. Please be smart and run so you can see and been seen.

5)     Take running one step at a time. Never push yourself beyond what your body can do. Ease into running to build up distance, speed and endurance. Listen to your body if you need to rest, rest.  See my blog post here.

What a Privilege to be the Guest Speaker at Luncheon

The ECW (Episcopal Church Women) of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church have a Luncheon every year for their Women’s Day Celebration and this year it’s the 58th annual. This year's theme was “Your Heart and Your Health”. So they contacted the AHA (American Heart Association) and asked if they had a speaker that would be able to come to the luncheon and speak on Heart Health. The Director of Communications and Marketing, Sarah Fedele, who I worked closely with (she wrote an article in Outdoor Woman Magazine (you can view the article here, page 10) about me and asked me to do an interview on TV for National Go Red for Women Day (you can view video here)) emailed me and asked if I was willing to do this luncheon. God in his infinite wisdom had opened up my schedule and allowed me to be free to do it, so I said yes.

It was awesome. The women were very inviting and super sweet. It was very comfortable there too. I asked the director of the event if 20 minutes was the absolute maximum time allowed or could I have 30 minutes my story was running a bit long. She said she really wanted for me to stay in the 20 minute time frame, so I cut more bits out of my story. But when I got up to the podium and started, I was a bit confused; I got the laughs where they needed to be and got a lot of "Amen’s!" where those needed to be. But when I came to the end for a few seconds you could hear a pin drop it was dead silent then they started to clap, loudly, I sat down, but I was worried I went long. I did notice as I was speaking the men that were there to help serve started to wander in from the kitchen first one then all 4 by the time I finished. As the luncheon wrapped up, I asked the director did I stay in the time frame, I was a bit worried I went over, she said "I didn't really care once you started, I wanted you to go on and not finish that was awesome". I was flabbergasted. That's why there was silence when I finished, they didn't want me to be finished. 

When I was leaving it took me a good 20 minutes to get out to my car, almost all the ladies came by to see me and talk to me. Several wanted to hear me speak again. I was blown away. 

I have prayed for the Lord to give me the opportunity to share my story and help others save their lives and their hearts. He has started me down this path.

I am Now Officially a Runner

This is a short entry today; I am working on the rest of the story of my second half marathon. But today I want to talk about the marks (sometimes literally) of becoming a runner. It’s not about how you run, when and where, but what happens as you run. For me I just hit running 1000 miles after one full year and a month I have ran 1000 miles and I have no injuries to speak of. I asked my running hero about black toes and toenails falling off. She asked “Do you have that problem?” I said “No, I just keep reading about this problem and it concerns me, and I want to know how to avoid it.”

“Well, truthfully it’s caused by people not picking up their feet and stubbing their toes as they run, you keep from doing that you will be alright” my hero tells me.

I sigh in relief I don’t stub my toes ever, I make sure of that, when I run I am very cautious. Which also causes me to think about falling and I have a plan, don’t fall.

Now I am a Tuesday’s child and any one that knows the nursery rhyme will recall that “Tuesday’s Child is Full of Grace”, yeah right, not me I fall or trip on flat surfaces. But after I started running I have been very diligent in watching my footing and any obstacle that may be in the way. I pray a lot too. I have even been questioned about my running and not having any injuries or falling. One person said you are not a runner until you have at least fallen once. Well guess what, I officially became a runner today, I took a spill on this morning’s run. I was off the side walk on the road avoiding the tree line that was an obstacle that could make me fall and when I went to go back on the side walk I hit the curb, as I was falling I was about to hit a fire hydrant in slow motion all the scenarios of what would happen next went through my mind: broken bones, gushing blood from a cut, knocked out and no help, having to call an ambulance… Nope forget that I have too much to do I can’t be injured. So I hopped on the one foot still attached to the ground and avoided the hydrant just in time to twist my body to land on my side in the grass. Whew disaster avoided, body check, can I move, Yes, can I breath, Yes, can I stand, Yes, can I still run, YES! Everything still works. Then it hits me, yesterday I hit just over 1000 miles running and today I take a spill, I am excited about the fall, I didn’t get hurt, but I am an official runner twice over in distance and taking a tumble and I have earned the right to call myself a runner. I just hope I don’t get black toenails. 

Even though I have blue painted ones now.

Remember, battle scars can be proudly displayed, but try to not get any in the first place, safety should be your first priority.

Does Running Cure Depression?

I have been struggling with posting this article (there by putting my very private thoughts & feelings on display), but this is a subject that I feel needs to be addressed. There are people that will be shocked when they read this, but I want everyone to know this is something I overcame and I want to help others to overcome it too.

I have never been diagnosed with Depression, but I have had depressed moods all my life. The deepest and darkest ones were when I lost a business and when I was fat. I have friends who have been diagnosed with Depression and they tell me what I experienced was Depression. However if you don’t tell anyone about these moods, you can’t get diagnosed. As a fat girl, I struggled with thoughts of hate (hating myself), sadness and suicide. Twice I came up with a plan to carry out the suicidal thoughts. Both times God stepped in and stopped me, putting me on a path that would change my life and make things better. I share this with you only because there may be someone reading this needing and looking for help having these same thoughts. I have sought therapy and have overcome those dark thoughts, but I have also discovered running; which I whole heartedly feel keeps my depressing moods in check.

I heard about a study on the radio that told of a Psychiatrist that did a Depression study. I don’t remember all the logistics of the study, just the meat of the matter. So this Doctor had 20 people in this study, 10 he told had to walk/run everyday for 6 months, even if they didn’t want to even if it was too cold or raining (they would have to walk indoors) but no matter what they had to walk everyday, they were taken off their meds completely. The other 10 were given lower doses of their meds but they had to walk too, however they could skip days, whatever they felt like they could do; if they were tired or in a depressed mood they could skip their daily walk if it was cold or raining they could skip.

All of the participants had to keep a journal about how they felt everyday during the morning, midday, afternoon and evening times. After 6 months the doctor had his final results, the 10 that were not on meds but walked everyday said they felt great, several said in the beginning they would feel bad in the morning, but would force themselves to get out and walk and by the end of the walk were better and felt good. At the end of the 6 months none went back on their meds they were prescribed walking for their meds. The other 10 were not so lucky, by the end of the 6 months almost all of them quit walking and their meds had to go back to the normal dose.

Here is one article about Exercise and Depression.

So when I say that running saved my life in more ways than one, I speak the truth and the truth will set you free. My heart attack was caused by a number of things, being overweight, eating unhealthy, being lazy, smoking all this lead to depression which in turn caused me to eat unhealthy, be lazy, smoke and gain weight causing me to be fat, causing my heart attack. It was a vicious cycle. But God again stepped in and helped me to get out of the cycle so now I am healthier, thinner, have more energy, happier and have joy everyday of my life. Running is a big part of that, because when I can’t run I feel it after two or three days. I am slower, runned down, depressed, no, not depressed but I feel drained and sad; there are times when I have to go several days without running. I grin and bear it but as soon as I can I get back out on that road I feel my spirits lift immediately when I hit that asphalt. I know that I will always run if something were to happen to prevent me from running, I will find a way to continue running. God has given me the strength and will so far, I know he will carry me through so I can always be running. 

As I am no doctor and have no medical degree, I say this, if you feel depressed or have suicidal thoughts and you are reading this please I beg you seek help; you are not alone in how you feel. You can start to get help here: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/suicide_help.htm