Confessions of an Amateur Athlete

  There are a lot of "tips" out there to staying motivated and reaching your 2014 goals. I've mentioned some of my tricks HERE .  But I thought I'd give you a few more that you may not have read or thought about.    I'm very big on running with friends.  As I've said, it's a great motivator and holds you accountable. But sometimes there just isn't anyone available or willing around.  So what do you do?  I say grab your pooch!  swimbikerunphoto.com    Now, not EVERY dog is made to run, or can.  But on those days where your lacking some motivation, and you have a pup who can handle the activity... strap on that leash and go!  Or if you've been wanting to get a dog...  this is a great excuse to go to a shelter and rescue your new running buddy!  Dogs need exercise.. and so do you.. so why not enjoy a little together ? Before you do though, there are few you things you should know about running with ...

 We've all set our goals, written down our resolutions, and are ready to tackle those challenges this 2014.  But the hard part is staying motivated in the months to come! vegannerd.tumblr.com   One of my tricks to sticking with my goals are REWARDS!  That doesn't necessarily mean food... although sometimes it can be.  What I'm referring to are small "treats" for reaching certain milestones along the way.   And I don't mean if you run one mile you'll buy a plane ticket to Hawaii... that may be a little excessive, but if that's your way of motivating yourself and you have the money, go for it. What I'm talking about are smaller rewards to make the big goal ahead not seem so far away.    For example, I have a race in two weeks  (the AZ Rock N Roll Half-Marathon ) and my training has been going very well.  So I rewarded myself with a new pair of running shoes!    The Brooks Ravenna 5 , are...

Me running through the desert trail   It's rare that I can tell you my long run felt amazing, that I had tons of energy, or that I could've went farther.  But today was an exception.  I was feeling good... and adventurous... so I pushed it to 20!   I do have to give props to my running partner of the day, Steve.  He suggested the extra miles half-way through our run and we both decided to go for it! That's the great thing about running with a friend sometimes.  You can push each other past your limits and see just how far you can go.   Where was all my energy coming from?  Maybe it was my overnight oats for breakfast.  Maybe it was the amazing weather... sorry all of you dealing with major snowy and icy conditions, but this is the advantage to living in the desert! But don't ya'll worry... you'll be laughing at me come summertime!   Besides all of that.. I do believe Steve pushing me was definitely the big factor that h...

Running an 18-miler this weekend!  It's going to be tough but it's all part of the thrill !  On one of my previous posts, I answered a lot of questions from friends and family about my running.  I received lots of great comments and positive feedback on that one, so I thought I'd answer another big question a lot of people ask about my really long runs. WHAT DO YOU DO THE NIGHT BEFORE YOUR LONG RUN? Well, I mostly stick to the basics.  But here's my typical checklist: Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Eat a carb and protein loaded meal.   (such as pasta with chicken and broccoli) Make sure to eat early, no later than two hours before bed. Do some light stretching. I'll use my foam roller to loosen up my tight IT band, and lately I've been doing a little light yoga as well.  So far, that's been really helping. Go to bed early!!  courtesy: mankipedia.com (This is a big one.  I know you don't want to take...