When I run, I normally follow the same route or a variation of the same route. It’s comfortable to do that, and I know my mile markers. I also run in the dark of morning, so I tend to stay where the streets are well-lit. But once in a while, I . . . → Read More: I Know a Place]]>

“I always loved running…You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs.” – Jesse Owens

When I run, I normally follow the same route or a variation of the same route. It’s comfortable to do that, and I know my mile markers. I also run in the dark of morning, so I tend to stay where the streets are well-lit. But once in a while, I turn down that street I’ve always wondered about and end up somewhere new. These are the places that make me grateful to be a runner, and excited about finding these surprises.

For me these place are:

Airport Park

Plane landing over Airport Park

If you are in Bay View and you head down Clement Ave or Whitnall Ave, eventually you’ll run straight into a hill that kinda looks like the Teletubbies are on the other side of it. But, on the other side is NOT Teletubbies – it’s PLANES. If the wind is right, they fly in low right over the park to land on the runway. In the evening, the twinkling lights of the airport are breathtaking. I could stay there for hours watching planes and wondering where people are going, but I just keep moving.

Danger Cliff

Sunrise over Danger Cliff

Take the Oak Leaf trail south from Bay View… a bit past Grant Park, and soon the trail will wind around past a clearing to the left. You can’t see Lake Michigan until you venture down the path a bit. Watch your step though, because there’s a dangerous, steep eroding cliff back there. I stop here to watch the sunrise over the lake and I swear it’s different every time.

Red Lighthouse

Red lighthouse at sunset. Photo by Mike Collins

This place isn’t really a secret, because it’s somewhat of a landmark in the area. But many people don’t know you can get there to start your run here. Just drive allllll the way down Erie and then turn left at the Riverfront Pizzeria, go under the Hoan and there’s a parking lot down there. In the summer, I like to sit in front of the lighthouse and ruin the photos that the people on the boat tours are trying to take of the lighthouse.

* * *

I’m pretty sure if I wasn’t a runner, I never would have discovered any of these places. It’s just one of the many reasons running is my favorite activity.

Do you have a secret or special place where you run that you stumbled across by accident?

Strides for Crohn’s is a 2(ish) mile fun run/walk on November 13, 2011. The event, which benefits the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, is not a race. It’s a fun run with some cool people for a great cause.

What’s a fun run? It’s NOT an organized race. It’s just a group of people getting together to run or walk. No one’s timing you, so there isn’t pressure to go fast. The point is to . . . → Read More: Strides for Crohn’s]]>

Here at FitMilwaukee we love to highlight local fitness events. Frequently, we share news of 5ks and other local races. Today we have something a little different.

Strides for Crohn’s is a 2(ish) mile fun run/walk on November 13, 2011. The event, which benefits the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, is not a race. It’s a fun run with some cool people for a great cause.

What’s a fun run? It’s NOT an organized race. It’s just a group of people getting together to run or walk. No one’s timing you, so there isn’t pressure to go fast. The point is to have fun and help out a local charity.

• WHAT: 2(ish) fun run/walk, raffles, food, beer, etc
• WHEN: Sunday, November 13. Packet pickup begins at 11 a.m., fun run to start around noon.
• WHERE: Horny Goat Hideaway (2011 South 1st Street, Milwaukee, WI 53207)
• HOW MUCH: $25 before 11:59 p.m. November 6th, $30 thereafter.

Space is very limited for the fun run/walk. Visit www.stridesforcrohns.com to register.

(Disclaimer: I am one of the event organizers.)

***

As someone who is physically active and wants to improve your level of fitness, you know all about the wear and tear that running and other active sports have on the body. Eating whole natural foods is the first step to giving your body what it needs to keep . . . → Read More: Supplement your Run]]>

I had some questions about which vitamins and minerals I should be taking to keep myself in top running form. I reached out to Lisa Sarnowski, who has helped Fit Milwaukee with nutrition questions in the past. She put me in touch with her colleague Erin Harner, who specializes in sports nutrition. -Anne

***

As someone who is physically active and wants to improve your level of fitness, you know all about the wear and tear that running and other active sports have on the body. Eating whole natural foods is the first step to giving your body what it needs to keep up with your training schedule. Increase the amount of nutrient-dense foods you eat like fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and cold-water fish first. If you’re eating a lot of bars and packaged products, swap them out for simple snacks like an apple with almond butter or carrots and hummus. There is no replacement for whole natural food.

As your fitness level improves and the number of miles you log each week grows, it is important to consider supplements to do just that- to supplement your healthy whole food diet. The truth is that exercise places an increased demand on the body for both macro-nutrients, protein, carbohydrate, and fat, and micro-nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. This is because your body is burning more fuel (a.k.a. calories) and your muscles are working harder. To rebuild and repair your muscles and supply the body with what it needs to keep up with your active lifestyle, supplementing your diet is the fastest, easiest, and most effective strategy. With thousands of supplements and brands on the market, narrowing down what to take is difficult. Remember that your main goal when taking supplements is to help your body recover from your workouts and to help prevent injuries from occurring.

Here are the top three essential supplements for runners:

1. Vitamin/Mineral Supplement

This will help fill in the gaps from your diet and give you the extra micronutrients that your body needs. Look for whole foods based multi-vitamin/multi-mineral compressed tablets or capsules. Also, take a look at the dose recommendations on the bottle. The RDA’s or Recommended Daily Allowances on the bottle are in percentages for each nutrient. 100% of your RDA is not all you need for the day to be healthy- it is all you need so you won’t get a deficiency disease like Scurvy. Know that you will likely be taking multiple capsules or tablets a day to get what you need.

2. Omega 3 Supplement

For runners, Omega 3 fatty acids act like natural ibuprofen. They reduce inflammation and joint pain in the body and speed recovery. Flax seeds, cold water fish, and krill are all high in Omega 3’s. You can find Omega 3’s in multiple forms including liquids and capsules, and of course in the foods they are extracted from.

3. Joint Support Supplement

Constant pounding on the knees and ankles as well as joint pain are two of the biggest factors preventing runners from staying active. Taking a joint support supplement containing glucosamine and chondroitin can be really beneficial to alleviate pain and promote elasticity in your cartilage. To obtain a synergistic effect, look for a joint support formula containing both glucosamine and chondroitin.

When choosing a supplement brand, it is important to keep three criteria in mind: quality, quality, and quality. Natural, organic, raw, pure, whole foods- these are terms used extensively in the supplement industry so don’t let them fool you. With supplements, you generally get what you pay for. Really good quality supplements are usually more expensive, so set your budget and find the best products you can for the money. Low quality supplements like the typical one-a-day types you find at the drug store are usually made of inferior quality synthetic nutrients and can do more harm than good. Another thing you can do is to go to your local health food store or supplement store and ask for recommendations for each of the three essential supplements for runners. Choose wisely and do your research.

About the Author

Erin Harner, MS, CHC is a Sports Nutrition and Athletic Performance Coach. She is the founder of Empowered-Athlete.com and owner of Healthy Habits International LLC, based in Fort Collins, Colorado. Through her articles, workshops, teleseminars, one-on-one coaching, as well as online mentoring via her home-study course and blog, Erin empowers athletes throughout the United States to perform their best in sports and life.

I’d like to issue the following challenge to all you walkers out there. These techniques will quicken your pace and have you covering ground faster and more efficiently. You’ll get in that ‘sweatzone’ where your workout really counts.

Go ahead, take my challenge!

Using MapMyRun or Gmaps Pedometer, plot out a one-mile route . . . → Read More: Pick up the pace: A challenge for BRISK walking]]>

As a coach with Team Challenge, I help people of all different levels and abilities complete the 16 week training to the half-marathon distance. This is no walk in the park — it’s 13.1 miles — a long, long way to walk! So we explore techniques to help us walk faster.

I’d like to issue the following challenge to all you walkers out there. These techniques will quicken your pace and have you covering ground faster and more efficiently. You’ll get in that ‘sweatzone’ where your workout really counts.

Go ahead, take my challenge!

Using MapMyRun or Gmaps Pedometer, plot out a one-mile route in a direction away from your starting point. Wear a stopwatch and time yourself on the way out. When you hit one mile, note your time and then turn around and time yourself on the way back.

On the way out, time the your regular walking pace (a casual conversational walk with arms down) and on the way back, employ the techniques below to keep a BRISK pace — and I bet you your pace will quicken by at least a minute per mile.

When you’re out there walking, think ‘BRISK‘.

Bent arms
Rapid feet
Inhale deeply
Stand tall
Keep your legs behind you.

Ready? Challenge yourself to walk as fast as you can. Cover that ground quickly, get yourself sweating and breathing hard! Use shorter, faster steps, actively using the feet, and keeping the elbows bent at 90-degrees and driving vigorously toward the rear. Keep a tall posture but lean forward from the ankles and allow gravity to help you.

For further reading, check out this article by our Team Challenge national walk coach, Dave McGovern.

Here are some examples of speedwork you can to to get faster and stronger:

1. How about six minutes brisk, one-minute normal pace, six minutes brisk, one-minute normal pace, six minutes brisk.
2. Hills are also an excellent way to start speedwork. Find a steep hill (like LaFayette hill), work your way up, come back down and do it again six times. Gradually add extra reps until you can complete 10.
3. Try just a 25-minute run or walk with BRISK bursts of speed. Look for the next light post or mailbox or city block and move as fast as you can to it. Take a moment to recover and go all-out again!

What are some ways YOU pick up the pace?

The Ice Age Trail Alliance (IATA) is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization headquartered in Cross Plains, Wisconsin. Its mission is to create, support and protect a thousand-mile footpath tracing Ice Age formations across Wisconsin. More than 3,000 members nationwide support the IATA in the completion of its mission through on-the-ground work and financial gifts.

I frequent a segment of the trail near Delafield – Lapham Peak -  but I was curious about the rest of the trail . . . → Read More: Supporting the Ice Age Trail]]>

I had a chance to visit the Ice Age Trail Alliance headquarters near Madison last week.

The Ice Age Trail Alliance (IATA) is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization headquartered in Cross Plains, Wisconsin. Its mission is to create, support and protect a thousand-mile footpath tracing Ice Age formations across Wisconsin. More than 3,000 members nationwide support the IATA in the completion of its mission through on-the-ground work and financial gifts.

I frequent a segment of the trail near Delafield – Lapham Peak -  but I was curious about the rest of the trail — it winds all through the state.

The portion of the Ice Age Trail I use is always well-maintained, dotted with yellow markers so that I don’t get lost, and ‘enhanced’ with bridges, boards and planks in areas that might be otherwise too wet or  muddy to cross. Believe me, spend three hours in wet shoes and socks and you are looking for any safe place to cross the muddy waters.

The land isn’t owned or operated by any one entity, rather it is shared among various state and local chapters and private owners. But all this maintenance is done by volunteers! And it’s supported through the Ice age Trail Alliance.

One program in particular piqued my interest: The Mobile Skills Crew. This is a group that sets up a weekend outing that provides meals and a place to camp for interested volunteers. This is in exchange for their manpower! The weekend is spent building a portion of the trail! Sounds like a great team-building opportunity or a fun camping adventure.

If you’re interested in learning more about the trail or the Mobile Skills Unit, check out the http://www.iceagetrail.org.

For hiking or running the trail (or snowshoeing or cross-country skiing), check out the trail map. It allows you to zoom in and overlay current conditions or closures. http://www.iceagetrail.org/trail-map-and-current-conditions

If you’d like to become a member of the IATA you can do so at various levels starting at $35 for a one-year membership. You’ll get discounts on their awesome printed atlas and trail guides!

Happy Trails!

A lot of times, you hear about how fast people run races. Don’t get me wrong. I have a time goal. It’s just no where near that of my close friends. When they’re running an “easy” 9 min pace, I’m busting my ass trying to keep a sub 15 pace.

I consider myself a runner. I run/walk and I’m ok with that. Of course, I’d love to get to the point where I’m only running and not walking unless I really need a break. But, I like the . . . → Read More: Slow running – it’s the new fast!]]>

I’ve never been fast. I don’t even know if I’d ever care to be fast.

A lot of times, you hear about how fast people run races. Don’t get me wrong. I have a time goal. It’s just no where near that of my close friends. When they’re running an “easy” 9 min pace, I’m busting my ass trying to keep a sub 15 pace.

I consider myself a runner. I run/walk and I’m ok with that. Of course, I’d love to get to the point where I’m only running and not walking unless I really need a break. But, I like the freedom that walk/running gives me. If I only ran, my workouts would be less than a mile. But with slowing things down and alternating between running and walking, I’m able to cover many miles.

This weekend, I ran just over 6 miles in about 90 minutes. Am I going to win an award any time soon? No, but I was beaming with pride when I realized this was the FASTEST I’d ever done 6 miles. A year ago, I was run/walking at a much different pace. I would hope to average 16-17 minutes per mile, but be happy with anything less than 18:30. Now, my slowest walking pace is in the 16-16:30 range… but usually falls between 15-16. My previous FAST time is now my SLOW time.

I know that as I lose weight, my pace and endurance will continue to improve, but I don’t expect to be qualifying for Boston ANY time soon.

I’m focusing on creating attainable goals for me and my body. And, if slow running is the key, then I’ll embrace it with a big sloppy kiss.

Last week, I wrote a very cathartic post on my blog about how difficult it is for me to run with anyone else. Go on. Read it. If you’ve ever felt like you’re not good enough to run in a group, read it twice. I’ll wait.

Done?

Ok, good.

The response to this post was overwhelming. Emails, gchats, comments, Facebook messages, etc. I never in a million years expected people to respond as they did. (I’m still surprised anyone reads my blog.)

I realized that I’m not alone in my running insecurity. Then I noticed some talk on Twitter that was all too familiar to me, “Oh, you won’t want to run with me. I’m super slow.” This is my general response when someone asks me to run.

It forced me to swallow my pride and do something I’ve been thinking about doing for a couple of months now. I’m starting a slow running group. All are welcome to join us (there’s a group on Facebook)… and there will be a forum coming soon. You don’t have to be fast or slow or even a runner to join us. Walk/run/crawl/skip whatever the hell you want. The key to this group is acceptance and no judging. Yeah, I said it. Don’t judge. Don’t judge people for being too fast. Don’t judge people for being too slow. We’re all in different places in our fitness journeys. We’re beginners. We’re veterans. We’re runners (or walkers).

We’ll be having a group “run” Monday, March 28th rain or shine. Meet us at Lake Park in Milwaukee at 6pm. We will be near Lake Park Bistro. I’ll probably have a 2-3 mile route planned, but you can feel free to do as much or as little as you like – and, please, please, please go at your own pace. Don’t feel you have to speed up to catch up with someone else… especially if your body isn’t cooperating. Go at your pace. Do your own thing… and I’m sure you’ll find someone who’s at your pace! It sounds like we have people with an average pace (whether running, run/walking or walking) of anywhere from 11-18 minutes per mile. If you’re faster or slower than this – please still come and join us!

I’ll leave you with these words from John Bingham, the father of slow running:

“It was being a runner that mattered, not how fast or how far I could run. The joy was in the act of running and in the journey, not in the destination.”

Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa is launching a new club for mall walkers, called the Mayfair Mileage Club. The club will reach out to and reward people who use the mall for their daily workouts.

The club officially launches Monday at 7 a.m. Members of the program will receive a free pedometer and will be invited to keep track of their miles.

When members reach 100 miles, they will receive a Mayfair Mileage . . . → Read More: Mayfair unveils new mall walking fitness club]]>

Are you a mall walker? Mall walking or jogging is a great way to get some exercise when you don’t want to do it outside or you don’t have a gym membership.

Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa is launching a new club for mall walkers, called the Mayfair Mileage Club. The club will reach out to and reward people who use the mall for their daily workouts.

The club officially launches Monday at 7 a.m. Members of the program will receive a free pedometer and will be invited to keep track of their miles.

When members reach 100 miles, they will receive a Mayfair Mileage Club T-shirt. When members reach 500 miles, they will receive a $20 Shop, Etc. mall gift card. Maybe you could use the gift card for a new pair of shoes?

Mayfair will also have a quarterly newsletter for members that will share info on heart health, exercise, walking and exercise gear and nutrition.

If you’re interested in more information, stop by the mall and visit the guest services desk.

If you are looking for more information on mall walking in general, check out this excerpt from The Complete Mall Walker’s Handbook.

Most mall walkers choose a mall and walk at that one on a regular basis. Other mall walkers like to vary their routine by exercising at different local malls. You can do whatever works for you, depending on what’s available in your community.

Some of the larger malls nationwide have mall-walking programs that draw large numbers of walkers.

{…}

If your local mall has perks like this, take advantage of them! This is a great way to make the most of your mall-walking experience. Plus, you can get to know other mall walkers and even make friends with them.

Be sure to show your support for the program and let the sponsors know what’s working. Give them feedback about the speakers, special events, incentives, and so on. Offer comments about the program newsletter, if there is one, and ideas for new articles.

This is the part where you visit Christine’s site, read the Spoon Theory, and then come back. Go! (And then come back!)

Photo by Eva Eckblad

The first time I read that piece, I cried. Hard. Someone had put into words exactly what frustrates me about my medical shenanigans. Each day I have a fixed number of spoons to use, and I have to plan my life around that. Along . . . → Read More: Reconstructing a Beer Runner: Spoons.]]>

For those of you that have never heard of the “Spoon Theory” by Christine Miseradino, I encourage you to go to her website and read it. Then come back. It’s okay. I’ll wait.

This is the part where you visit Christine’s site, read the Spoon Theory, and then come back. Go! (And then come back!)

Photo by Eva Eckblad

The first time I read that piece, I cried. Hard. Someone had put into words exactly what frustrates me about my medical shenanigans. Each day I have a fixed number of spoons to use, and I have to plan my life around that. Along with work, kids, and other regular stuff, how am I supposed to maintain any sort of training schedule?

The past two months have been frustrating for trying to meet with my trainer on a regular schedule, to adhere to any walking or running plan, or even have enough energy after work to play with my kids or make dinner for my family. Some days, just getting showered and dressed takes everything I got. I get so frustrated.

So I’ve decided to look at training a bit differently.

I am always conscious of how many spoons I have at my disposal on any given day. I am also aware that sudden head pain or loss of vision could cut that number in half. I am no longer predictable. So here’s what I’ve decided to do. On the days that I only have enough spoons to get through the “regular” stuff, that’s what I’ll do. It might be disappointing if I was looking forward to a run with friends or an event that I’d trained for, but that is what I’ve got to accept, and I’m (mostly) done crying about it.

How will I make that all seem okay?

On the days that I know I’ve got extra spoons, I am going to get out there and rock people’s faces off. No, I’m going to rock my own face off. Or something. Well, whatever it is I’m doing, I’m going to rock it out. And apparently, there will be lots of people without faces, or, yes, well, it’s going to be really fucking awesome, is what I think I’m getting at.

An example of this face rocking madness? No problem.

This month I raised money for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. I was unable to train for the Half Marathon race this year, but I wanted to raise money for my favorite charity, go to Memphis to support my sister in her awesome kick-ass race day, and spend time with the patients, families and HEROES of St. Jude. It is my favorite Half Mary on the planet.

We drove 10 hours down to Memphis with no expectations. I went to bed Friday night with no expectations. I woke up on race day with no expectations. I dressed and walked to the starting line with an idea of what I could do, an idea of how many spoons I could burn today, and what it would cost me later in the week, but no expectations.

So, I started to walk.

Inspired by my REAL heroes, the kids of St. Jude, I pushed myself as fast as I could (14-15 minute miles), for almost 12 miles.

And then I ran.

I ran the last mile or so. I ran my first mile since my second surgery. I ran across the finish line feeling strong and happy and completely out of spoons.

And it was worth it.

So that’s how I’m going to figure out how to do this. I’m on my way to being the beer runner I once was. One spoon at a time.

Later gators.

Fit Milwaukee will be meeting this week to assign team captains and teams… and there will be some incentive for your team captain to register your team early… at least one of our teams will have their registration fee refunded! That means your team will get to run for free!

Fit Milwaukee will keep registration open until October . . . → Read More: Indoor Marathon Relay: Join FitMKE!]]>