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 ...

 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...

  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...