Sports On The Blog

So you want to run a half-marathon. Maybe you’ve already signed up. Maybe you’ve never gone further than eight or ten miles at this point and you’re a little worried. Or maybe you’re not worried, and you just want to know more about the experience. If this is you, then read on because two years ago, I never would have dreamed I could run a half-marathon.

Up until that point it had been a fantasy. But not really. I knew I couldn’t really do it. I didn’t have a trainer. I didn’t belong to a running group. I didn’t even subscribe to a running magazine. I was just running for myself probably three to five miles a few days a week.

Then one day, while chatting with my son’s teacher, I told him I wanted to run this half-marathon, but there was no way I’d be ready for it.

Mr. French squinted in the sun, raising his arm to shield his face. “Nah, you’re ready,” he said. “If you can run ten, what’s three more?”

And I had run ten miles–once in my entire life and that was two full months prior, my biggest running achievement ever. I tried to back out gracefully, but he said he’d been thinking about running that race himself, and that he’d take me with him to register. I couldn’t back out now.

That’s how it came to be that I would run a half-marathon with my son’s teacher. I expected that he would go ahead because I’d be slow, but Mr. French said he was going to run the race with me.

“I’m not running this race for speed. I need the mileage,” he said.

I could tell we were at two different spectrums when it comes to physical fitness. Mr. Ironman tri-athlete approached this thing the same way I considered walking to the mailbox. But none of that mattered. I was thrilled that he was willing to run it with me.

“Okay, so my goal is just to finish even if I have to walk a while.”

“That’s right,” he said. “But you’re going to make it.”

“Yeah, but in case I don’t, I want you to keep running.”

He didn’t answer, and I was relieved because I figured he agreed with me. Then he me gave some pre-race advice.

“The night before, eat carbs for dinner, spaghetti, bread, something like that. Eat light in the morning, and don’t run anymore between now and the race.”

Was I crazy? What am I doing, I thought. I’m just going to slow him down, and possibly irritate him, make him give my kid bad grades. But it didn’t happen that way. Not at all.

It seemed like a million people were there, waiting in the early morning fog, stretching, jogging in place, doing runner-type things and wearing runner-type clothing, eating running nutrition bars. I felt out of place, like I’d come to a costume party and I’d forgotten my costume. Lines flowed a mile long from rows and rows of Port-o-Potties. I’m not going in there, I thought. Think again, I found out.

We walked toward the end of the line because he said the faster runners go first. He also said it was best to start out slow to save energy for later. We stayed slow for a couple of miles. At mile three, we took a drink and increased our speed a little. He suggested we take a drink at every aid station.

I started to feel tired at mile five, but I knew part of that was in my own head which was confirmed when Mr. French looked at me and said, “You’re not even sweating. Let’s pick up the pace.” He glanced at his watch. “Plus, you look way too happy.”

I was happy. Running a half-marathon is FUN. We talked like we were just hanging out, and there were so many interesting and nice people. All walks of life were represented!

He said something about our split time. That’s running lingo. My brain dismissed it immediately. Who cares about time? I was having fun.

“We’ll see a little hill in a bit.” He warned. “It’s going to last until the end of the race.”

Not long after that we ascended this “little hill.” Yeah, it seemed to go straight up. Around the middle of it, I thought I was going to throw up.

Mr. French said that was normal. We only needed to slow down and “Here, take a piece of hard candy.”

Sometime, around forever, I saw banners in the distance.

“Okay now, you go, if you have anything left. Go!” He said.

I found out I did have something left. I picked up and ran hard right through the finish for a time of 2:14. Mr. French followed. It struck me even at that moment. He had let me go ahead, had pushed for me to finish for time. Generous to the end.

Me. I did it. I couldn’t believe that I had it in me all along. All I needed was a little encouragement, a little company, and someone to believe in me.

Even though, when we got to the car, Mr. French said, “I can’t believe you ran the whole way. I thought we were going to have to walk for sure.”

Amazing. He had never let on before.

“You know, you did so well,” he added, “you could run a full marathon, no problem.”

Yeah, and I could be President too, I thought. But guess what? It’s been two years since that first race, the San Diego AFC. And I have run a couple of marathons. I also signed up with a running club and I subscribe to a running magazine. I guess I’m one of those “runner-types” now. Thank you, Mr. French, wherever you are, for making that a wonderful first half-marathon experience!

Natalie Rohwer lives in Murrieta, California where she is in constant pursuit of a personal best by continually training for various road races with her fellow running buddies.  Natalie was a recent recipient of the Dean’s Distinguished Fellowship Award to study creative writing at UC Riverside where she is the assistant fiction editor of the literary magazine, CRATE.  You can find more articles about running, training and nutrition at: http://www.runningcenters.com .

Article Source: http://www.abcarticledirectory.com

If you are into the sports that are part of track and field, it is important to make sure you get the right shoe. Running shoes are the most important piece of equipment a track lover can purchase. It is important that you, like the pros, spend some time checking out shoes until you find the best running shoes for your individual feet. Despite the temptation, it is vitally important that you avoid buying shoes that simply look good. You need to look for shoes that are going to be right for your feet and your track event. Fashion should, at best, be a secondary factor in your decision.

Once you know that it is important to choose the right running or track shoe, you need to know what it is that you are searching for in your shoe. First of all, you have to realize that shoes for a track and shoes for road and trail running are totally different. One type is made for a nice flat track and the other is made to deal with wet, uneven ground.

If you have the wrong shoe, improperly fitting shoes, or any shoe not proper for your activity, you are putting yourself in danger of injury. Track shoes need to be perfect for your feet or they are just a waste of your money.

When your feet touch the ground, they will roll either towards the outside or for some, towards the inside of the foot. You can find out what you do by checking out the wear on the soles of your current shoes. If your shoes wear out on the outside first, you are under-pronating. On the other hand, if you are wearing out the inside of your shoe more, then you are an over-pronator. If your shoes are not worn, have a fellow track runner watch you run from behind to look and see what you are doing. It is important to know what type of pronator you are so that you can get the right track shoes.

Once you do that, you can determine what you need in a track shoe. If you are a neutral pronator you need a shoe with balance and a flexible makeup. If you under-pronate you will need a well-cushioned shoe. If you are a moderate pronator you will need something with heavy stability. Finally if you are a severe over-pronator you will want what are called motion control training shoes.

Once you have sorted out what kind of track running you are going to do and what kind of pronator you are, you have to consider the fit of the shoe. The best way to tell if a track shoe fits well is to try it on and see if it feels good. Always make sure you try on any shoe you are considering buying.

When it comes to track running, the type of shoe you use is of the utmost importance. No matter what you are doing, you should find the shoe that is the best for your foot. It should first of all be able protect your foot based on what type of running you will be doing. Lastly, make sure you try the shoe on so that you get one that fits properly and will allow you to run the track in comfort.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

The Author: Joshua Poyoh is the creator of www.shoesguide.resources-to.com where you can find out more information on How To Choose Your Running Shoes