-Pee Wee Herman

I used to pride myself on the fact that I “taught myself to run”.  It really wasn’t a choice I made to train alone. I just didn’t have any friends and family who were interested in it. Sure, I got a lot of support and bit of admiration throughout my early training, but there was always an underlying feeling of, “She’s a little bit crazy, right?” I remember my very first 5K back in September 2008. My family dropped me off at the start and I had no idea what to do with myself for the half hour . . . → Read More: From Lone Runner to A Circle of Friends]]>

“I’m a loner, Dottie. A rebel.”

-Pee Wee Herman

I used to pride myself on the fact that I “taught myself to run”.  It really wasn’t a choice I made to train alone. I just didn’t have any friends and family who were interested in it. Sure, I got a lot of support and bit of admiration throughout my early training, but there was always an underlying feeling of, “She’s a little bit crazy, right?” I remember my very first 5K back in September 2008. My family dropped me off at the start and I had no idea what to do with myself for the half hour before the race began. I fiddled with my race bib, stretched out my calves a half dozen times and pretended to be really interested in my ipod. The race itself was a great experience but looking around me I saw all these people who knew each other and I wasn’t one of them.

The next spring I ran a few more 5Ks and my first 10K. My family had other plans during the 10K so I drove myself to the race, ran it, and drove home again with little fanfare. I was The Lone Runner but I was also getting good at it. Every weekend I was adding another mile onto my Saturday runs until I got up to the magical number 13. A half marathon! On my own! I was so proud but I still felt like I was floating along the edges of a running community and had no idea how to connect with it.

Then came the summer where everything changed.

I often pinpoint it down to when I met Annie on Twitter, but there were many other factors at play as well. There were the Badgerland Striders and their wonderful marathon buildup runs. This was also the summer that Dailymile kind of exploded. Everywhere I looked there were people wanting to meet, connect, and share their running and fitness experiences. I found myself going from,“What do I talk about on a long run with strangers?” to “Who can I talk to about running next?” This was something very out of character for me.

This past weekend I ran my first 50 mile ultramarathon. When I first signed up, I knew I had my spectacularly awesome buddy, Krista, to run the race with but I never expected to have a “crew” along the course. Honestly, when a race is going to be 10 to 12 hours long, how could I expect anyone to give up their Saturday to cheer for that amount of time?  When I committed to the race I planned to take advantage of the drop bags system and have everything I needed left at various aid stations for me- gels, salt, snacks, extra shoes, socks and such. But then I found out that Amy and Annie were wanting to not only crew for us  but get up at 2:30AM to drive me out to the start. At each aid station more and more friends joined the group until we had a whole cheering section at the finish.

The Lone Runner is no more!

I still love solo running. I ran one of my marathons this year alone and had a fantastic time and a PR to boot. But I also ran a trail race with four fantastic friends and crossed the finish line with arms linked Red Rover style. It used to kind of bug me when I would hear someone say “I couldn’t have done this race without you!” because I would feel like that person was diminishing their own capability. I see now that while I may have the ability to complete distances alone, the presence of a running buddy (or four!), a race crew, or a whole finish line party can make the whole experience, well, an experience. It’s not that I couldn’t do the race without them, but they definitely made the whole thing easier and overall, more special. I’m not saying I’ll never find myself alone at a starting line ever again. Sometimes it feels good to strike out on your own and quietly accomplish new things. But I’m more appreciative than I’ve ever been to have the support of good friends.

Who are your running buddies? Call ‘em out in the comments. Show some love!

Here’s some truth: Walking is not easy.  I remember walking in the Komen Race for the Cure nearly 10 years ago.  This was years before I had . . . → Read More: Walkers Unite!]]>

As you can see from Amy’s awesome half-marathon recap yesterday, participating in races doesn’t have to be about being an elite runner.  Yes, it’s no secret that a lot of the Fit Milwaukee crowd loves to run. However, did you know that a majority of 5Ks have a 2-mile walk paired alongside the running race? In fact, at many fun-runs a number of people sign up for the 5K distance and walk the whole thing.

Here’s some truth: Walking is not easy.  I remember walking in the Komen Race for the Cure nearly 10 years ago.  This was years before I had ever had the inkling that I wanted to run because frankly, I thought people who did so were out of their minds and I would never have that kind of endurance. Anyway, I walked 3.1 miles (in the rain) in about 45-50 minutes and let me tell you the next day my hips were SORE.  Even last week while on vacation my muscles were aching from walking everywhere. Walking for long distance can utilize a completely different set of muscles than running, and it takes much longer to cover the miles- meaning you spend more time on your feet out in the hot sun, rain, or whatever the conditions may be.

Wait! I wasn’t trying to scare you away from walking. I’m just trying to emphasize what a great workout it can be. I’m also not saying you should walk a half marathon. (Although that would be pretty cool, right?) However, if you’re a walker and feel left out of all the races going on this summer, don’t be! There’s no reason why you can’t get out there too. In fact, here’s a little list of upcoming 5Ks to get you started:

Hank Aaron State Trail 5K Run/Walk
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Miller Park
Race Start: 8:30am

Arthritis Foundation’s 5K Run/Walk to Irish Fest
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Veteran’s Park
Race Start: 10:30am

Walk & Run for Wishes 5K
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Henry Maier Festival Grounds
Race Start: 10:00am

Feel Free to Breathe 5K Run/Walk
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Veteran’s Park
Race Start: 8:30am

Any walkers interested in getting together to do a 5k? Let’s see if we can help some people connect.

*Photo by mollyali