Confessions of an Amateur Athlete

Janie here.  Guest Blogging for my dad, Jeremy.  He's a human, and they can sure be a nuisance to run with! But let's face it, humans need their exercise too!  I run with my human all the time, and it definitely takes patience. First off, they're tough to get going in the morning.  They're stubborn and insist on sleeping in.  But you've gotta get them up early before it's too hot or too late.  So be persistent.  Enough licks and they'll wake up.  Eventually, just walk on your human.  That'll do the trick. Once your human is up.  Here's the really tough part.  They take FOREVER to get ready!   Jeremy is always fumbling around for some nasty drink... called "coffee"... before he will finally start putting on his stuff!  For some reason humans have to wear tons of "clothing" and carry all sorts of gear.  But if they want to carry all that stuff, let 'em.  At least THEY can carry your water. All I ne...

EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!     First off I'll be running the AZ Rock N Roll Half-Marathon this weekend!  Woo hoo! Getting excited! Even though I know I'm not ready to PR on this one... I'm still going to have a blast with friends and just bask in the racing atmosphere!   Besides all of that, I'm excited to announce that I'll be doing an "Instagram Takeover" throughout race day!  I'm an I'm Fit Possible Ambassador and that's the account I'll be taking over.  Hop on Instagram and give them a follow!   I'll be posting pics AND videos there throughout the day and it should be a lot of good old natured fun!  Join me as I take you along on the adventure!  I'll also post everything later in a detailed race review as soon as I can next week, so stay tuned for that.      In the meantime... head on over to Instagram and follow "I'm Fit Possible "!  And while your at it, go ahead and give me a follow too! (runner_...

  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 ...

                                 It's time for a little running Rants and Raves!     Everyone is getting a start on their 2014 Resolutions.  So the runner/walker traffic on sidewalks and trails has increased exponentially. I'm glad so many people are getting active and enjoying the outdoors. That being said... if you're going to take a leisurely stroll along a very popular path, make sure to  LEAVE SOME ROOM for everyone else! Too often I am running along and come across moms with strollers lined up four-across down a narrow path... or a family of six taking a walk together side-by-side.  I've had to dodge actual car traffic just to get around these road blockers!  Courtesy: thesmokinggun.com    Have you ever came across this before?  How do you react? Do you politely say e...

 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...

 Hello everyone! Besides myself, there are so many other runners with unique stories that can help inspire or entertain everyone. So I thought I'd take the spotlight off myself and use one Friday out of every month to feature a different runner and get some insight into what makes them tick!  Let's meet my first ever Friday Feature victim... Phoenix's own CBS 5 News Anchor and 3-time Boston Marathoner Catherine Anaya ! Q. So a little background info. Where are you from and how long have you been with KPHO, CBS 5 News? A. I'm from Orange County, California...I've been at KPHO for.... 10 oh.. gosh 11 years this month!! Q. How long have you been running competitively? A. About 7 years. Q. You've ran Boston three times...what was your best time/PR in Boston? A  .3:29:58.                           ...

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...

  2013 was a great year by far.  I have too many fond memories to list them all.  Too many races to review, both good and bad.  But I will say, my biggest triumph, was being a part of an Ultra team for the Ragnar Relay So Cal! 200+ Miles and 24 hours of torturous pavement pouding, divided amongst me and five other guys...  And I loved every minute of it!  The more I challenge myself and push past my limits, the more accomplished I feel.  And that is what has inspired me to really push myself in 2014 and make it a year to  outdo myself!   Instead of setting a goal only focusing on one particular race... I've decided to make one that encompasses the entire year!  I'll be taking on the "Run This Year" Challenge! What exactly am I getting myself into? The challenge--to run 2,014 Kilometers in 2,014.  That's roughly 1,251.4 Miles for the entire year.  A mere 30 miles a week...but... for the entire year !  (and ...

  Knocked out 16 Miles today! How did it go?  Well, I finished it.. that's saying something! The weather was amazing! (70 degrees and sunny in the winter time, that's why people move here to the desert!)  I felt great overall, my leg muscles were really fatigued though.  But that happens from time to time, especially when training, so I'm not too worried.  It was slow but I got the mileage in and that's all that counts right now!    Today's run... so awesome!  definitely felt more like Fall than Winter.. but that's a good thing! :)    While running I thought about all the questions a lot of non-running friends and family ask me... as well as some beginning-runner friends.  I thought I would take the time to address some of those now.  So in honor of my 16 miles I picked 16 of the most common questions I get asked! 1.) What do you eat before a run?   I don't have a set thing that I eat before my run.  But I tr...

  Time for a real confession!  I'm a runner and I can't even touch my toes! courtesy: mensfitness.com/training/endurance/top-10-yoga-poses-for-men   Seriously, my flexibility runs out somewhere right around my knees.  You're probably thinking... so what? Well for us runners, the whole body has to be a well oil-machined or else when one muscle gets tight, it throws everything out of whack.  Causing back issues...IT band problems... the works.   I've read numerous articles about debating when to stretch.. before a run vs after a run.  Tried them both, but I'm just not disciplined enough to stick to it.  Let's face it, I'm in a hurry like the rest of you to get back home and watch the next episode of (fill in any number of tv shows here).  Who's got the time when Netflix is calling?                                             ...