running

While running the body experiences a series of shock waves that start at the foot and travel up the back of the leg to the back of torso, landing right at the lumbar spine. The discs of the lumbar vertebrae are designed to absorb a certain amount of shock, but as we age, the discs become less supple and flexible. Running on pavement subjects the discs to repeated pressure that can eventually lead to generalized low back pain and in some cases, severe back pain in runners.

During a 13 mile run with my Galloway Cincinnati running group, I overheard a conversation that has changed the way I’m training and running. It was a tough Saturday long run, mainly due to the recent bout of anemia I was fighting.  At the time, I didn’t know I was anemic, just thought running was getting harder when I thought it should be getting easier!

Christmas Eve morning. Weather was perfect for a 13 mile run and I was looking forward to burning up a few calories before the holiday feasting began. Unfortunately, even good weather, the company of my running friends and the promise of a 1,300 calorie burn wasn’t enough to make it a good run. It was bad. It was tough.

Frankly, it sucked.

Are you ready to become a faster, more efficient runner with fewer injuries? Is your current cross-training routine just not working for you?  Have you heard about Pilates and want to learn more?

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We start with the basics, so even if you are new to Pilates, you will be able to follow along! Everyone is welcome to attend and bring a friend - you'll both get a great workout!

A year ago on November 17th, I went to dinner in a Chicago suburb with an acquaintance from Cincinnati that completely changed my life. That dinner was actually a first date and the acquaintance became my best friend and husband. But that dinner almost didn’t happen because I used to be self-conscious about the way I ran.

What does running have to do with dating?  Well here’s the story:

It's officially been a month since I ran the Chicago Marathon and I am still excited about running a new PR 4:50, a full 27 minutes faster than Chicago last year.

Once again, it was a hot and sunny day, less than ideal conditions, and I probably should have backed off my goal to accommodate for the heat. But I didn't. I couldn't! I had a PR to get and I wasn’t about to let a little heat stand in my way!

Approximately one week from today I will be running the Chicago Marathon, which I ran last year on October 10, 2010.  This time, it will be a very different race. 

I am a marathon runner, and when discussing this with people I usually get one of two responses – “Wow, that is so amazing, I could never do that!”, or “What was your time?” To the former I would typically respond with humble words of encouragement and inspiration, “Oh, it’s really no big deal, lots of people run marathons”, or “You’d be surprised what you can do if you just stick with the right training plan”. To the latter I would simply say “Oh, I run for fun, not for fast”.

I spent years feeling like the body I had wasn’t good enough.  I was fixated on my shape and tried to change it, or at least change the way I felt about it.  I tried therapy, self-help books, meditation, running, swimming, biking, even personal trainers. This all helped me to feel better about myself, but none of it gave me the body I wanted.