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Posts Tagged ‘running’

Super Sunday 5

Posted in motivation, race recap, racing, tagged race recap, race report, racing, running, Super Sunday 5, supersunday on February 9, 2012| 6 Comments »

My very first road race was the SuperSunday 5K/10K – all the way back in 2009.

I had no idea what I was doing and it showed. I entered the 10K and finished in a respectable 46:58. The following year I entered it again (again in the 10K) and ran what was probably my best performance in a race to date other than the Smuttynose Marathon in 2010, finishing the 10K in 39:29.

In 2011, due to bad weather conditions, the SuperSunday 5K/10K was cancelled. I was disappointed to say the least.

This year RaceMenu Chief, Alain Ferry, decided to change things up a little. He moved the SuperSunday Race from Downtown Boston to Cambridge and changed the distance to 5 miles (with a bailout at the 5K mark). The course is a large, relatively flat triangle, with just a couple of tiny hills.

***

As regular readers already know, I spent the second half of 2011 struggling to find my running motivation (and if I’m going to be completely honest, I was struggling to find motivation to do anything!). Despite having a 50-mile race in September and a marathon in November (you can also see the video of that marathon here), my training was minimal at best. In fact, I probably only ran 50 miles total in the 6 to 7 weeks leading up to my 50-miler. I ran even less leading up to the marathon and almost completely stopped running in the month of December.

I was at a low point.

But then I started to see posts on Facebook and dailymile of friends who were starting their training cycle for Boston 2012. At first it hurt to see those posts. I missed getting into Boston this year by 33 seconds. It wasn’t fun seeing so many friends (virtual or otherwise) running toward my hometown marathon knowing that I would be on the sidelines watching the crowd go by.

But then sadness and anger turned to determination. I may not be running Boston this year, but dammit, I was gonna get back next year – of course, with the new qualifying standards, that means taking at least 4:20 off of my PR of 3:19:19.

4:20.

260 seconds.

Nearly 10 seconds per mile.

Oh boy!

I found my Spring marathon – Sugarloaf on May 22nd (I’d love it if you would come run with me). It is supposed to be one of the fastest marathons in the country. I started my training, stumbling out of the gate, unable to maintain pace in a Lactate Threshold run, but determined. After initially settling on an 18 week plan, I decided to build up my base for 6 weeks and then train in earnest for 12.

And that brings me back to last Sunday.

As of last Sunday, I am halfway through my build up period. I was scheduled for 14 miles, but decided that I wanted to race the SuperSunday 5, not just because I have always raced the SuperSunday race, but also because I wanted to see where I was physically.

***

Having found my Vermont 50 buddy JB and convinced him that we should shoot for 35 minutes, we made our way to the starting line. Temperatures were in the low to mid 20’s and everyone was bundled up in long sleeves and running pants…everyone that is, except for me. I was in my usual singlet, shorts, hat and gloves.

Right before the start one racer asked me, “why the hat?”

“Excuse me,” I said.

“Why the hat,” he said, “if you’re going with the singlet and shorts, why are you bothering with the hat and gloves?” I explained that since we lose a large chunk of heat from our heads, that wearing a hat in fact allowed me to run in a singlet and shorts. He nodded, muttering to himself, “you know, that kinda makes sense.”

JB and I had placed ourselves well back from the front. I had no desire to hang with the sub-6:00 milers. 7:00 miles was what I was looking for. I figured it would be a good marker to see where I was.

After the starting gun went off and we started to go, I quickly realized that we had moved back too far in the pack. We bobbed and weaved our way through, trying to hit out pace. It didn’t help that both of our Garmins were getting confused by the tall buildings. One moment we were supposedly running 8:00 miles, the next a 5:15. About a mile out, we finally found our groove, getting there at just about 7:00.

Me and JB settling in.

At this point, with JB trailing behind me a bit, I began to go back and forth with a woman who could not have been more than 5 feet tall, and that only on days when the moon and sun aligned properly. I would pass her and then she would pass me and then I would pass her again. On and on it went for a little over two miles. As we approached the 5K mark I pushed to pass her, but I knew if she passed my again, I wasn’t going to be able to catch her.

As we passed the 5K check off, I hit a wall. We had been running 6:50’s for a couple of miles and unfortunately, my legs were just not ready. As I watch the woman go by me, JB came up on my left. He was looking strong. He had been smart and maintained an even pace where I had let myself get sucked into the game of racing one individual. I was running out of gas.

At the 5K mark...mugging for the cameras before my legs gave out.

I knew I had less than 2 miles to go, but my legs felt like lead weights. I told JB to stay with the group that had passed us. He tried to encourage me to stick with him, but I just didn’t have the juice. At this point, I just wanted to finish with a 35-handle. It wasn’t going to be easy.

The next mile was a daze. I was simply trying to run as fast as I could without completely running out of gas. Mile 4 came and went unnoticed (a van had parked in front of the mile marker). When my garmin beeped 4.5 miles, I looked at my watch.

31:18.

I had 3:42 to get to the finish line. Just under a 7:30 mile. I pushed myself to go, dragging my legs behind me.

As I came around the final turn I could hear footsteps coming up on my right. I could see the clock with a 34-handle.

Those two things helped me find my kick. I broke into an all out sprint (the garmin claiming that I closed out the race at a 4:16/mile pace).

All. Out. Sprint.

I left the footsteps behind me and passed a guy who had just passed me only minutes earlier.

I guy in red I think is Footsteps...the guy in green had passed me just a half mile earlier.

After crossing the finish line, I nearly collapsed. That was a lot harder than I had anticipated. A year and a half ago I could have done a 35 minute 5-miler with a smile. On Sunday, I struggled.

But I did hit my goal. In the end, the official chip time was 34:56 – good enough for 6th out of 57 in my age group and 107th overall out of 744 runners. Not bad for someone just getting back in the swing of things.

Afterward JB and I hit the party tent and ad a couple of beers.

getting ready for some beer!

Alain knows how to throw a race and even better, he knows how to throw a post-race party – 5 different kinds of beer and all the wings you could eat – perfect for Superbowl Sunday.

***

Despite hitting my goal of 35:00 or better, I still have plenty of work to do before Sugarloaf in May. My 34:56 only translates into about a 3:25 marathon according to McMillian’s Running Calculator. Obviously, that is nowhere near good enough.

That being said, I’m pretty happy with the progress I’ve made so far this year. It’s not going to be an easy road back to Boston, but that’s kind of the point, isn’t it?

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The Toughest Ten Minutes of the Day

Posted in health, motivation, training, tagged body in motion, couch potatoes, Inertia, motivation, principles of physics, running, toughest ten minutes on January 31, 2012| 8 Comments »

4:10 AM – the alarm on my phone goes off – a mix of a loud snoring sound and the phone vibrating on my nightstand.

4:10 AM.

Ugh.

Am I really gonna do this? Do I really WANT to do this?

10 miles? Really? It’s 30° outside.

It’s cold.

It’s dark.

I could just hit the snooze…or better yet, just go back to sleep until 6:45.

Sleep is good right? We all need sleep, don’t we? Maybe I’ll just close my eyes…

***

I’d rather be sleeping….but then who’s gonna run these miles?
– My post on Facebook at 4:12AM

***

As I covered my 10 miles during the predawn hours this morning, I realized just how good I felt being out there on the road.

Yes, it was early.
Yes, it was dark.
Yes, it was cold.

But I felt great. Despite my apathy at 4:10AM when the alarm went off, throughout my run I. Felt. Great!

I talk a lot on this blog about inertia. It is one of the strongest fundamental principles of physics – a body in motion tends to stay in motion, a body at rest tends to stay at rest. I believe it also is a fundamental principle of the human condition. One of the most difficult things for us as humans to do is to change our inertia – couch potatoes rarely get off of the couch. Compulsive exercisers rarely stop – for fear that they might not get going again.

The key, for those of us in the middle, is to understand that inertia is real and that to go from rest to motion, we must go through what I like to call the “Toughest Ten Minutes of the Day”. It’s those ten minutes of putting on the shorts and shoes, walking out the door and moving that in all likelihood is the hardest part of your workout…unless maybe you’re doing hill sprints, but that’s a different kind of tough. No matter what your workout is going to be, no matter how physically demanding, the key is overcoming the mental hurdle – the anticipation of the pain or burn, the expectation of the cold air, the knowledge that this could take a couple of hours, the call of your pillow, comforter or couch.

That ten minutes before your run can be the most difficult part of your workout. Unlike a job you may not like, you are not getting paid to run. Unlike a class you are dreading, you are not paying to attend. In both cases you have the extra motivation of dollars to show up. Unless you are Ryan Hall, Kara Goucher or the like, you are not getting paid to run. The motivation has to come from within. You have to fight that feeling that maybe I’ll just sit here instead for this workout.

I promise you, if you can overcome those toughest ten minutes of the day, whether in the predawn hours, midday or late at night, the payoff is well worth it.

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I am not Tim Pawlenty

Posted in boston marathon, motivation, training, tagged finish line, iowa straw poll, lactate threshold, marathon pace, marathon training, quitting, running, Sugarloaf Marathon, Tim Pawlenty on January 18, 2012| 7 Comments »

If you don’t follow politics at all, you may not know who Tim Pawlenty is. He is a former governor of the state of Minnesota who decided to run for President. He was part of the large field of Republican candidates who were vying for their party’s nomination. Last summer, after finishing a distant 3rd in the meaningless Iowa Straw Poll, Pawlenty unexpectedly dropped out. Who did come in behind? Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul. He finished ahead of everybody else, yet, because he didn’t finish as strongly as he would have liked in a straw poll, he quit.

***

New Word Definition:

Pawlenty – verb, pawlentied

1. to prematurely stop, cease, or discontinue: She pawlentied what she was doing at the first sign of trouble.

2. to give up or resign; let go; relinquish: He pawlentied his claim to the throne. She pawlentied her job.

***

Earlier this week I started marathon training for the upcoming Sugarloaf Marathon. 18 weeks from this past Sunday I hope to cross the finish line in Kingfield, ME in under 3:15:00. I need to run a sub-3:15 in order to qualify for Boston once again. That’s over 4 minutes faster than I have ever run a marathon. For my very first run, my program (the Pfitz 18/55 plan) called for a Lactate Threshold Run – 8 miles, with 4 of those miles coming in at or around half-marathon pace.

Half-Marathon pace for me should (read: used to) be around 7:05 per mile. Try as I might, on that first run I couldn’t maintain a pace faster than 7:30 per mile for the required 4 miles. Mentally is was a blow. 7:30 per mile is 4 seconds slower per mile than the pace I would need to run 26.2 miles in order to achieve my goal.

And I could barely maintain that pace for 4 miles?

My first thought was I need to re-evaluate; maybe I’ve passed my peak in running; maybe it’s time simply to log the miles, run the races, but ignore the times; maybe I should quit my quest to return to Boston.

But then I thought of Tim Pawlenty. He has GOT to be kicking himself right now. After the carousel of conservative Republicans who have taken turns being the “Anybody But Romney” candidate, Pawlenty has to be wondering “what if?”.

Pulling out prematurely is never a good thing…

***

And so, despite the disappointing finish in that first training run, I am pressing on, because, dammit, I am no Tim Pawlenty!

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Semantics

Posted in diet, health, tagged calorie tracking, counting calories, diet, lose weight, new year's resolution, resolutions, running, semantics, weight loss on January 11, 2012| 10 Comments »

There's an app for that...

Every New Year hundreds of thousands of people vow to change their ways, to improve themselves. These “resolutions” come in all forms, but one of the most common is about weight loss and fitness. My friend Greg over at Pre-Dawn Runner wrote a post recently about just these sorts of resolutions and why 90% of the time, people are bound to fail at them – whether it is over-ambition, too vague goals, or simply not knowing where to start, a lot of resolutions grind to a halt before they even get started.

One of the suggestions Greg had was tracking calories. I have had many a friend ask me what they can do to get fit and lose weight, and I almost always reply with “running and calorie tracking”.

You may have heard of and rolled your eyes at the concept of calorie tracking, thinking, “I’m not going to be one of those people who counts calories”.

If you are, I want you to stop for a second and reread what it is I suggest and what it is you say you don’t want to be.

Go ahead…

Go back and read my reply and now read your response.

There is a difference, albeit one based on semantics. What you call “counting calories” I call “tracking calories”.

I believe there actually is a huge difference between the two.

What’s the difference, you ask?

If you are counting calories, that implies you are keeping an eye on a certain number that you are allowing yourself throughout each day. Every time you “count” a meal, you are subtracting that number from what you’ve been told your total for the day can be. Each passing meal, snack, or beverage becomes something that you dread and in the end the joy of eating is taken away. At that point, you probably give up on counting calories.

Now, if you are tracking calories, you are simply keeping track of what you eat. As the days go by, you come to realize, based on the data you’ve collected, just how much you are eating. You may find that some days you eat more, others you don’t, but eventually, you get to a point where simply start to make better choices because you know what’s in the food you are taking in. If tracking the calories themselves seems too time consuming (though there are apps for that) take one step back and simply keep a food diary.

The concept of tracking calories or keeping a food diary isn’t about worrying and wringing your hands over every meal or snack, but rather to give you a picture of what your habits are – which then allows you to visualize making changes for the better. As you make those changes, the proof is right there in front of you in both your notebook (or smartphone) in black and white, on the scale and in the mirror.

It’s a lot easier than you think!

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Clean Slate

Posted in training, tagged clean slate, mojo, New Year, resolution, running, training on January 9, 2012| 6 Comments »

I have never been big on New Year’s Resolutions. I find them to be somewhat silly – seriously, if you want to do or change something, why not do it the moment you think of it? Why wait for the turning of the calendar?

That being said, I must admit, there is something about wiping the slate clean and starting anew.

While I was out for a run on Saturday, I spent my time contemplating 2011 in terms of running and fitness. I started that year with a bang, averaging nearly 200 miles per month for the first 5 months. But then something happened. I interpreted it as losing my mojo, but if I’m going to be completely honest with myself, I think I just burned myself out. Even with big races on the horizon (Around the Lake in July, the Vermont 50 in September and the New York City Marathon in November) I just couldn’t get myself motivated and back into a rhythm.

I kept telling myself, “next week…next week I’ll get back into it”, but it just never happened. I ended the year probably averaging less than 50 miles per month over the last 3 or 4 months (that’s including the races!).

As I ran my quick 4-miler on Saturday, I looked back at 2011 with some regret and disappointment. For a year that started off so promisingly in regards to running, competitively it ended in the dumps.

But now, it is 2012 – nothing has changed except the number at the end of the calendar. Nothing has changed, yet maybe everything has changed.

I now have a clean slate. 2011 is gone. 2012 is here.

I don’t know if I have it in me to ever hit 3:15 in a marathon (what I need to get back to Boston as a qualifier). After pouring so much energy into reaching Boston in 2011 as a qualifier, maybe that fire is gone. That doesn’t mean that I won’t try come May at Sugarloaf. My 18-week training plan starts next Monday. My plan is to train hard, but not burn out – for that reason I am going to stick to the Pfitz 18/55 plan as opposed to the 18/70.

2011 ended in a mess – my running was haphazard and inconsistent at best. 2012 won’t start off with the explosion of miles that 2011 did, but hopefully, I will be able to find a steady, consistent pace…that IS what running a marathon or longer is all about, right?

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Reason

Posted in health, motivation, tagged Charity, giving, health, obesity, running, self care, self motivation on December 21, 2011| 2 Comments »

This video is old, but I saw it just the other day for the first time. It made me think of my ongoing struggle to get back into the swing of things.

This video is relatively new. It was posted by a doctor who is advocating exercise in a very simple, easy to understand way. The statistics quoted should be enough to get you up and moving.

[tweetmeme source=”luau” only_single=false http://www.URL.com]

I hope that you will take the time to watch both videos.

As we get into the thick of the Holidays and the spirit of giving, I can’t help but wonder how many of you aren’t thinking of/giving to yourselves, forgetting that, as much as you want to be able to take care of those around you, if you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be good to anyone.

As daunting as it may sound, taking care of yourself doesn’t mean you have to train for a marathon, like Roger, the gentleman in the first video. As the second video points out, just 20+ minutes a day of walking can reduce your chances of getting high blood pressure by nearly 30%.

30%!!!

What I like about the first video is not that the guy ran a marathon (though that is awesome!) – no. The thing I was most moved by was that he latched onto a reason to get himself moving. Sometimes, doing it for ourselves is not enough motivation. We seem to disregard the concept of self-care, or at best put it low on the priority list. Sometimes what it takes is a cause, a reason. Roger found that cause in his niece and because of that, he was able to find the courage, the strength, the reason to keep going; and he is now a transformed man.

If you are struggling, and self-motivation isn’t enough, do it for a cause, a reason – your daughter, your son, your mother, your dad, your sibling, your spouse, a friend or do as my friend David does in this —>post<— about charity.

I have never bought into the concept that we are destined to remain the shape we have lived with or are currently in – I was a lollipop until after college (big head, toothpick body). You can change your body, mind and soul. They go hand in hand in hand.

Find a reason. Find a cause.

After they thank you for your efforts, you’ll inevitable thank yourself.

Why do you run?

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Proof of god

Posted in Odd Ball, Uncategorized, tagged God, proof of god, running, sports, tebow, tim on December 16, 2011| 4 Comments »

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A while back ago I wrote a post railing against the Almighty. It was a dark time in the Luau household.

I was angry.

Bitter.

Lost.

Since then, I think I may have come around to the idea that god exists.

How else does one explain the phenomenon simply known as Tebow.

Here is a young man who, by all accounts, is exactly what he presents himself to be – a devout follower of Jesus who doesn’t seem to have a mean bone in his body. For those who somehow have missed Tebow-mania, he is the 2nd year quarterback of the Denver Broncos, who, against all odds and lack of sound throwing mechanics, has managed to save the season of his team – the team started the football season 1 – 4; since taking over the starting job in Denver, he has led them an 8 – 5 record and has his team sitting in first place of their division.

That’s 7 – 1 as a starter – with poor throwing skills and a simplified offense. His performance during the first three quarters of each of his games has been dismal, I mean “you should bench this guy” dismal. Yet, somehow, at the end of almost each of these games, during the last minutes of regulation, Tebow is simply magic, dare I say, divine – enough so that his mid-contest prayers have led the Global Language Monitor (the online equivalent to Webster’s) to acknowledge Tebowing as a word – Tebowing, the act of ’taking a knee’ in prayerful reflection in the midst of an athletic activity.

But it hasn’t only been what Tebow does on the field – it’s the weird things that are happening to the opposing teams late in games. Defenses that were tight vises though 58 minutes, suddenly loosen over the final two minutes; offenses that simply need to kneel on the ball, run plays that leave time on the clock for Tebow to work his magic; fumbles; interceptions – all unlikely happenings in the final minutes of a game played by supposed professionals.

Yes, there are angels in the backfield and they are being led by the Mile High Messiah.

The thing is though, this doesn’t help me in my rant from so many weeks ago. The fact that “g”od is helping the Broncos win and propelling one of his favorite sons to victory only goes to solidify my doubt in “G”od.

While god lifts Tim Tebow, He continues to allow autism to torment my little girl and millions like her. While god helped Franco Harris catch the immaculate reception, He continues to allow savage acts of violence against the fairer sex, all in the name of religion. While god led Curt Shilling and his bloody sock to victory in game 6 of the 2004 ALCS, He allows disaster upon disaster to kill hundreds of thousands of innocents.

Maybe god really did make us in his image – sports fans who think the Red Sox winning the World Series after 86 years was a bigger event in 2004 than the election of our first African-American President.

And so Tim Tebow and god face their first real test this weekend when Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots travel to Mile High Stadium.

A win for the Broncos will only go to further Tebow’s messianic following, but a loss will, in my opinion, do him no damage – everybody knows that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are football deities in their own right.

Maybe the Greeks and Romans had it right.

What does this have to do with running? I’m not sure, except for maybe the fact that before my next race and maybe at one of the water stations of my next marathon, I’m going to Tebow and pray to Ryan Hall and Kara Goucher.

Why do you run?

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Another Hazard?

Posted in health, tagged good shape, health, running, sick on December 15, 2011| 6 Comments »

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I went to the doctor’s office yesterday. The last week or so I’ve had this water-logged feeling in my lungs and have been suffering from what I can only describe as fatigue and lethargy. In addition, as I explained to the doctor, my throat feels “hairy”. It had become bad enough that I spent Tuesday morning in bed because I felt so bad.

Finally, Jess firmly insisted that I needed to go see a doctor. Pneumonia has been going around and she didn’t want me to put myself at risk for no reason.

So I went.

The doctor did all of the usual things – heart rate, blood pressure, ears, mouth, throat culture. Then, because I was complaining about some shortness of breath and a heavy chest, she ordered an x-ray to make sure I didn’t have anything seriously wrong with my lungs. Everything came back A-OK – aside from slightly elevated blood pressure (a genetic trait I inherited from both parents) everything was not just normal, but better than normal. Even my hacking lungs came back perfectly clear on the x-ray.

***

Some of you may remember a post I wrote back in March about the Hazards of Running. Well, I’ve got one more to add after my visit to the doctor. After examining me thoroughly, the doctor said the reason I felt so crappy was that I was in such good shape.

Huh?

Right. I didn’t get it initially either. The bottom line was that all the running and push ups and healthy eating had created such a well-honed machine that a little bronchial virus threw the whole system off kilter. Essentially, if I were overweight, eating processed foods and smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, my body wouldn’t notice a minor virus taking up residence in my lungs, but because my system is cleaner and leaner than most, I got sidelined by what is pretty much just a cough.

Ah, the price for feeling good all of the time.

Maybe it’s time to start eating Twinkies and smoking Camels again.

Why do you run?

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New Page on Run Luau Run

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged 10K, 5K, Half-Marathon, marathon, Race Pace Buddy, running, ultramarathon on December 6, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Check out the new page I created for all those looking for a Race Pace Buddy:

https://runluaurun.com/race-pace-buddy/

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Move It

Posted in motivation, training, tagged motivation, running, winter on December 5, 2011| 3 Comments »

"You've got to Move It, Move It!"

[tweetmeme source=”luau” only_single=false http://www.URL.com]

As much as I appreciated the extra hour of sleep the Sunday of the New York City Marathon, I have to admit, I really dislike giving up daylight savings time. It just makes it feel like winter is that much closer.

I begin to hit the wall that much sooner. I reach for a glass of red wine or a beer that much sooner (What? it’s only 4PM? Really? But it feeeeeels like it’s 5PM!). It doesn’t help that the temperature has dropped below 40°F at night.

This is a difficult time of year for runners, well, for this runner anyway. It gets harder to motivate the body to get outside and run. It doesn’t help that I have essentially taken the last several months off from consistent, higher mileage.

What’s this runner to do?

The last couple of winters I’ve had the advantage of having a treadmill in my basement, ideally located in front of a TV with a DVR attached and all of my favorite show religiously recorded. Having my favorite shows on made “dreadmill running” much less dreadful. Unfortunately, I killed my treadmill a month or so ago. 3 years of intense, regular running finally broke it in two, literally. My mileage has suffered for it. The treadmill was always my last line of defense against laziness.

There’s always the gym I suppose, but it has always felt a little silly to me to drive to the gym just to use their treadmill – and talk about dreadmill – running on a gym treadmill is about as exciting and fun as watching grass grow or paint dry.

No, running at the gym cannot be my answer, at least not entirely.

The simple truth is, I will have to do what I have always preached: push the boundaries of what feels normal, move into that space that is uncomfortable and make it my own – make it comfortable; make it a habit. I constantly tell my non-running, non-active friends that if they want to get active they need to force it upon themselves to a degree. One cannot wish oneself into shape. One cannot wake up one morning and decide, “I am a runner”.

It’s not that easy.

If it were then this country wouldn’t be facing the obesity problem it faces today…

***

Last week, I managed to slowly get back into pre-dawn running. It’s going to get harder before it gets easier. My body and mind are going to fight me.

But it’s still dark!!! It’s so cold!!!

I tell my friends “2 to 6 weeks.” That’s the time necessary for the habit of running to imprint itself onto your muscles, your routine. If you can stick it out, the internal drive, the fire from within will finally kick in and instead of pushing yourself out the door to run, you will be drawn out by the “need“.

With Sugarloaf 6 months away, I have about 6 to 8 weeks to get the fire piping hot again so that my training will be about training and not about motivation. Maybe part of my problem this summer and fall was that I didn’t have a time goal race, an “A”-Race lined up. I was “qualified to register” for Boston, my goal for the Vermont 50 was to “just finish” and New York was all about fun. Well, the 50 is done, fun was had in New York, and, unfortunately, I missed getting into Boston by a mere 33 seconds.

I don’t like the fact that I will not be running Boston this year. I get it, I understand it, I accept it. But I don’t like it. I don’t plan on missing 2013. And there may lie my motivation to move, to get back into the habit.

Whatever your motivation may be this winter (lose/hold off the holiday pounds, achieve a time in a Spring race, get into better shape), just keep moving. Fight the urge to potato long enough and I promise you it will go away. You’ll be happier for it.

Why do you run?