Marathon: You Can Do It

After three months of marathon training on road I have decided to shift my next three runs to running on a grass track. The purpose of the shift is to give my legs, especially the ankles a break from the hard tarmac surface.

One way I  avoid suffering an injury is to alternate my training surface.  I run on tarmac for a few months then shift to a grass track for a short while.

Yesterday was my first run on grass and its was one of the fastest run I have run for a long time. Three months of running on tarmac and doing hill runs has made me strong and fast.

Benefits of a Track

1. Speed work, A flat surface allows you to accelerate as fast as your legs can run.

2. Minimizes Risk of Injury, Whether the track near you is a grass or an artificial track, the soft surface reduces the risk of a running injury.

3. Helps In Injury Recovery. After a running injury I start running on grass first before getting back to road running.  If it feels good on grass , its safe to run on tarmac.

3. Easy to Measure Your distance. A standard track measures 400 meters. Two and a half  laps is equal to a Kilomete. By calculating the number of laps, times 400 meters you can easily tell the distance you have covered.

Tags: Marathon, Running, Speed work

Every time I finish my run I feel so good.

Scientist in Germany published a report in March that proves that running can make you high. According to the paper my feeling of joy is not just a matter of feeling satisfied with doing something difficult like finishing a 10k but a result of biochemical effects on my brain.

The paper says, when you are running chemicals are released that alter your mood and those chemicals are endorphins. Endorphin is the natural hormone that is responsible for feeling happy. Running does elicit a flood of endorphins to the brain. The more endorphins a runner’s body pumps out the higher you feel.

This report explains why some us find running so addictive.

“Happiness is Running“

Growing old doesn’t mean you have to be sick, bored and unfulfilled.

Anyone who has visited runners world website must have read about Sister Madonna Buder. The 76 year old Catholic nun has completed over 300 marathons and 34 ironmans (2.4 mile swim, 112mile bike run and a 26mile run). This nun is one of the many running inspiring stories around.

She took up marathon running at 49 after she heard from a  runner that it harmonizes the body, mind and spirit.

At first she had self doubts whether it was okay for a nun to compete. She doesn’t worry anymore. “You don’t need to apologize for the gifts you’ve been given,” she says. “Only apologize for not using them.”

She is quoted as saying “I train religious” I believe Pope Benedict would agree to that!

Tags: Marathon Running, Old Runners, Running, Training

I was listening to Kobe Bryant interview on CNN sports and from his comments, I have to say being a pro athlete is difficult. While for recreational runners like us we are happy to have a good time, for the pro athlete taking second place is not good enough

LA lakers had just lost to Boston Celtics (131-92) in the 2008 NBA championship and even before laker’s players had swallowed the pain here was Kobe speaking to press.

The media guys can be insensitive: this is how they opened the interview, “Kobe how does it feel to be here”

Kobe Bryant “It sucks”

His patting shot “second place means you are the first loser”

Better luck next year L.A Laker’s fans

My last sunday morning run was affected by my travels to watch Kenya soccer team play Zimbabwe. After spending a four hours bus ride on Saturday I woke up on Sunday morning feeling exhausted and I felt tempted to put off my morning run.

But for me a sunday is never a sunday without running just like my mother who a sunday is never a sunday without attending mass.   Every time I talk with my mother on the phone she has never hidden her displeasure with my choice to spend sunday morning road running. She would rather have me singing in church but I politely remind her I don’t know how to sing!

Effects of Travel

I first did a few stretches and hit the road. I normaly take a mile to get my lungs to adjust to running but this time my panting was heavier than normal and my legs felt heavy. I thought of stopping the run and walk back home but instead I decided to jog and see what would happen.

It was after 45 minutes of running that the panting disappeared and running got easy.

Tags: Running, Training