Kathy Runs

Running and racing is an empowering combination. When a couch potato becomes a jogger, a jogger becomes a runner, and a runner becomes a racer, there’s a moment when the world opens up, and they’ve realized that they’re a part of the ever growing club of dedicated, enlightened runners around the world.

Guest Blogger, Haley Cloyd, talks about getting into running after many years as a swimmer. She recently trained for and completed her first half marathon, the Sauvie Island Flat Half Marathon. (And something tells me that she’s not stopping there…)

---

Haley’s gear the morning of her July 4th Half Marathon

I used to hate running. HATE running. Okay. Maybe hate is a strong word. But it certainly wasn’t my first choice when it came to exercise. I grew up swimming so running with all its pounding and sweating seemed so uncomfortable, so I avoided it. Don’t get me wrong, I went on a few runs here and there, always had a pair of shoes I COULD run in, if the mood hit me [which it did about twice a year].

Then, all of a sudden, I signed up for a half marathon.

It all started when I signed up for this fitness challenge, the goal being to exercise 26 of 30 days in April. About two weeks in, having run four times in those two weeks, I decided I wanted another, bigger challenge…so why not a half marathon. Forget that I’d never run more than six miles in my life. Forget that I still wasn’t entirely sure about this whole running thing.

Promptly after signing up for the Sauvie Island Flat Half Marathon I emailed Kath and, full of adrenaline, told her what I’d done and asked if please, please, please she would help me train. Within five minutes I had a training plan up on my Google calendar and was set to go. All I had to do was follow it.

And I did.

More than just following it, more than just running the required miles, more than the intervals, more than all of that…I FELL IN LOVE WITH IT.

I fell in love with the shortness of breath.

I fell in love with the sweat.

I fell in love with the sound of my feet on the pavement.

I fell in love with the warmth of exertion as it made its way through my legs.

When my alarm went off on the morning of July 4 I was ready and terrified and ready. My running buddy picked me up and we headed to Sauvie Island. I remember standing in line for the port-a-potty. I remember my mom and dad showing me their handmade signs. I remember getting a little choked up as all the runners counted down the last few seconds before the gun.

And then I remember running. I remember worrying if not wearing a watch was a good idea. I remember the sunlight spilling over the fields and the surprise of seeing the back of my uncle’s old property as I rounded a corner just before the five mile marker. I remember miles seven to ten being really hard.

I passed the ten mile marker and realized all I had left were three little miles. Three miles, that was all. And the difficulty of the last three miles disappeared. Around mile 11 one of the race photographers grabbed a picture. Mile 12 was marked by a bit of encouragement for a racer who’d passed me earlier and seemed to be slowing, “only one more mile, you got this girl!”

My legs were warm from the sun and warm from the effort. I could feel the end of the race before I could see it. The finish came into view and somewhere, somehow a voice said, “finish strong, let’s do this!” And I did.

My first thought after crossing the finish: I’d do that again.

My second: 26.2 doesn’t seem that long….

---

For more from Haley, visit her blog: HKC

I have to admit, I love new gear. It represents all the untold adventure that fills me with excitement… and it happens to be new, shiny, colorful, and it makes my old shoes jealous.

So now that Fall is officially here, it means two things:

• Go into the closet and get out last years running clothes
• Go to Sports Basement and indulge… buyers remorse? Nah, I’ll run off the guilt later.

Buying new fall clothes isn’t for dummies, however. You don’t want it to rip/chaffe/pull/pinch in the wrong spots. That’s a lot of clothing to worry about. So, I’ve put together a list of my favorite running clothes for Fall (luckily I live in San Francisco, so I get to try out Fall clothes year round).

I love jackets. They make me happy (it’s the little things).

Here’s one for the rain: Marmot PreCip Rain Jacket

I have this jacket in blue, and it’s lasted me several years. Marmot does a great job of making it so light weight that you barely notice you’re wearing a jacket. It’s also tough, I always come home dry even after a hail storm!

You’ve probably seen me wearing my Puma Hoody. It’s warm, reflective, and pink! Puma Hoodie

When you’re running in spandex, I don’t care what anyone says, looking stylish is necessary. Thankfully, Nike has this nailed. Enter the Nike Women’s Core Tech Running Capri

My fall shoes this season are the Nike Lunar Glide. At first test, they gave me a decent blister on my left ankle, but all first dates with shoes are awkward. After we got over the nervousness, my Lunar Glides and I feel into a nice rhythm, and they’ve been good to me ever since.


Lastly, I must apologize to the men out there, I don’t really have the ability to review your products, but I did find a nice fall clothing guide at Runner’s World: RW Gear Extravaganza. If you can’t find anything there, but still have the itch to go shopping, any of your female friends will welcome the gift of new running apparel for fall!

World record holder for the marathon distance, Haile Gebrselassie, will be running the Berlin marathon on Sunday, September 20th and the man is driven.

I consume a lot of running news, blogs, videos, books, magazines, short stories, photographs, etc., and I’ve come across some bold statements (mostly from the mouth of Steve Prefontaine), but Gebrselassie takes confidence to a new level. “Berlin is not a problem – it is more like flying,“ he says with a smile on his face and you can see the ambition twinkling in his eyes. The man is an animal, a machine, a running fool. It’s as if God said, “Here is a marathoner!” and he gave the world Haile Gebrselassie. (Note – in this case God is gender neutral, and religion agnostic).



Gebrselassie (pronunciation) set the world record last year by running the marathon in 2 hours 3 minutes and 59 seconds. He missed the Beijing Olympics because of pollution, but this year he’s planning on doing it again. He has some stiff competition from Kenyan Duncan Kibet who is currently 28 seconds slower than Gebrselassie. But the world record holder isn’t concerned about competition, “my concentration is in the distance itself and not the athletes. Athletes are one thing but the distance is the most important one. If you only think about Duncan Kibet, what about the rest. We all are doing our best race.”

Gebrselassie wants to prove himself to the world in the only distance he runs, the marathon, and he has the determination to do it. “I have two plans,” the 36-year-old said on Friday. “Breaking the world record is one thing and to win the Olympic title (in 2012). This is a very important thing for me. I have no other distance, only marathon.”

I believe it all started when runners decided to take off their shoes and strut their bare feet around town starting the barefoot running revolution that is sweeping across the nation, provoking imaginative products, and if you’re part of the club, you can sport a barefoot runner’s t-shirt!



One runner in North Carolina decided to take the barefoot trend one step further by stripping down and getting back to basics in the nude. Just as our ancestors did, this brave runner is baring all while zipping through the streets of Waxhaw, North Carolina. The runner hasn’t been identified, and is a bit of a mystery to the locals. No one can say whether he’s a she, and she’s a he, she’s wearing beads, he’s wearing a coat, she’s wearing running shoes… apparently the naked runner is so fast no one can get a good look at who the nudist really is. I’m willing to be that the naked runner’s speed isn’t an accident, if I were running in my birthday suit, I wouldn’t be jogging!

Why run naked? “Shop owner Kathy Matthews has been trying to get inside the naked runners mind, saying ‘It’s humid so maybe she’s hot?’ She even wonders if the naked runner is starting a trend, saying ‘Hair from the 70’s is coming back, maybe the streaking [too]?’” (From Fox News in Charlotte, NC)

Living in San Francisco, I’m surprised I haven’t seen more nudists running Embarcadero, Golden Gate Park, Twin Peaks, Ocean Beach, or many of the other popular running destinations around town. I have a hard time believing there’s a trend brewing, but I will definitely keep an eye out for the less dressed runners!

---

Update: Perhaps the mystery runner is a graduate of the Nike Bear Butte Training camp?

Lately I’ve been running in the wee hours of the morning. This requires a lot of planning, motivation, determination, and just plain stupidity. Luckily, I have a live in running partner who helps with the first three requirements and shares in the last one. Together we rise from our beds, and the success of our run is completely dependent upon whether or not the other one hears footsteps in the hallway. Sometimes it’s me who is the first one up, sometimes it’s Elizabeth, but inevitably we always make it out the door before the crack of dawn.



San Francisco is an interesting city to run in when the sun is just starting to wink at us from across the East Bay. Sure, it’s a city, so there are the typical things to watch out for and this is why it’s fantastic to have a running partner who also owns a Doberman. But there are also the nonthreatening strangers who are doing their thing before the day starts.

On early morning runs in San Francisco you’re likely to spot the normal settle of riff raff from the night before. You’ll also see the uber fit, this is a classification of person that is beyond your normal recreational exerciser. These people are obsessed, they sleep in their running clothes (which, admittedly, I have done before and still do on occasion), they get up 30 minutes before departure just to make sure their properly fed and watered. Next, you see the dog walkers. These are fantastically friendly people (although sometimes their dogs don’t reflect the same warm personality). They are out getting a morning walk in before the big commute to the daily grind. Finally, there are the people who surprise you. These are the individuals, or groups who make me look twice. Elizabeth and I were on top of Bernal the other day when we saw a group of worshipers before the sunrise. They were speaking in either a language I just didn’t recognize and certainly couldn’t understand, or they were speaking in tongues. We’ve seen them on the hill a handful of times, once a woman asked us not to call the police. I should take this as a sign, but they don’t bug us, so I wont bug them. We’re strange to each other, and there’s something wonderful about this.

I’m lucky to have this experience for a lot of reasons:

• It keeps me healthy
• I have a friend to do it with
• Adventures, no matter how small, are a nice way to begin the day
• A hearty appetite for a rewarding breakfast
• I’ll always have a story to tell at the coffee machine in the morning…
• My crack of dawn is a lot better than Stan’s…

Via my friend, Daniel N. over at DailyMile. Kara spoke at Nike Town in New York for Fashion’s night out, and then went for a quick three mile run around the city. Daniel was lucky enough to get a chance to run with her, and awesome enough to get her to record a shout out for me! Thanks, Daniel! How’s that for motivation?

I returned home from a great couple of days in the Sierras to an email in my inbox from Kara Goucher. Of course this message took priority over the multitude of unread emails that had accumulated during my four day internet absence. The email came to me through a fan page on Facebook, so I can only feel as special as the the rest of the few hundred fans on Kara Goucher’s facebook page. Regardless, it was a much welcome surprise.

Dear amazing people in my life,

I really don’t even know where to begin, but I wanted to thank everyone who took the time to write well wishes to me through my sisters. I just took the time to sit down and read them all and I am a gushy mess right now. My face is puffy as a blow fish because I have been crying the whole time. But they aren’t sad tears, they are tears of happiness. I can’t believe how wonderful people are to me. It simply touches my soul.

I had a wonderful time training for the World Championships and I had a wonderful time in Berlin. When things went bad in the race I felt so frustrated and sad. I felt like I had been given this huge opportunity and I had blown it. I felt devastated and I wondered if people would be disappointed in me. Needless to say reading your messages has been truly healing for me. I honestly believe, in all my heart, that a person’s success is a direct reflection of the support they receive. I have so much support it is insane. I have gotten as far as I have because people have believed with me and taken the journey with me. I cannot ever explain this properly, but it has simply changed my life. No goal is too big, no task is impossible.

I love running so very much, but I love the connection it has given me with other people even more. Most of the people who wrote to me don’t even know me, and yet your words touched my heart. I can’t thank you all enough for supporting me and helping me to keep chasing my dreams. I haven’t changed my goals at all. I want to be Olympic Champion and I will continue to strive toward that goal. I can’t think of a better way to thank my fans for their unwavering support. But one thing I have learned is that even if I never win an Olympic medal, I will always have the support of some very special people.

Thank you all so much. You have moved me and healed me. The wounds of Berlin are a lot smaller now and they will only help me in the future. I hope you all realize how much I sincerely appreciate you all. I have been blessed a million times over. Thank you so much for being a part of my journey. I look forward to continuing on with you all in the future.

Much love and thanks, Kara

Fellow runner and blogger, Caleb, has taken on the challenge of feeding the local community. Who’s local community? Anyone’s! Through his blog, Bonkproof, he’s calling on people to donate canned food supplies to their neighborhood food pantries, soup kitchens, schools, churches, community centers, etc.

His goal is to reach 2,620 cans by the time he runs the Portland Marathon on October 4th. You can help by donating cans and checking back on his blog to watch the progress.

Help Caleb Bonkproof local communities!

Last weekend I ran the in Aptos, CA (nearby Santa Cruz). This was my first trail race and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. There’s something about all women events that are incredibly motivating, empowering, and just plain fun! The race was organized by Terri Schneider with the help of Penni Bengtson. They organically put together a successful, green event that, from where I was standing, was highly organized, friendly, and professional.

Terri is one of those ultra runners who, despite her humility, can’t help but inspire the runners and endurance athletes around her. In the days after the finish at the first annual Dirt Inspires Women’s Trail 1/2 Marathon, she wrote a letter to all the women who ran the race:

From her blog: Dirty Inspirations

Over 10 months ago I was diagnosed with a partially torn Achilles tendon and had to back out of a race/trip to Antarctica. For someone who thrives in physical discomfort and challenge, I was deeply taken back and required to reevaluate my life for the next year. After the initial shock and disappointment and staring at many months ahead without my beloved trails, I decided to live vicariously though you. If I couldn’t run on trails then I was going to support a lot of other women in getting out there.

Seeing each of you beaming on Sunday, loving the trails, embracing the struggle and accomplishing a tough course, it hit home for me, yet again, that there is immense power in a challenge in nature. When we head out to the woods for a trot we’re able to leave behind all man-madeness. There are no observers of our effort, no car noise, cat calls, or signage offering us an opinion on who or what we are supposed to be or look like. The redwood trees don’t care if our butt is a bit too large, we still have bed-head or forgot to put lotion on our legs. Nature is indifferent to our perception of self. We have a clean state on which to define who we are as a woman and athlete. In offering us this indifferent medium in which to run, the redwood forest gives us one of the most powerful gifts we can accept as women—the ability to choose who and what we are and how we view ourselves. Even for an hour or so.

For a while after my injury I had a tough time going into Nisene Marks even to ride my mountain bike. It felt like revisiting unrequited love. But getting back on the trails to hike water up to the Hoffmans aid station or to mark the trail made me realize that even passions that are squelched for a bit still hold a strong flame. Putting on this race helped me revisit that passion, through you, this past weekend. Your experiences definitely changed up the color of the last 10 months to a much brighter hue. Thanks for that.

I look forward to seeing you all next year.

Terri

I want to give a huge thank you to Terri and Penni for organizing the event, and for the 300 women who made my first trail race amazing. I will definitely be racing again next year… and this time I know what to expect!

A few months ago I signed up for a race called the “Dirt Inspires Women Trail 1/2 Marathon.” This year marked the kickoff for the race, and it was a massive success. Three hundred women gathered in Nisene Mark’s State Park in Aptos, CA to run 13.1 miles through a dense redwood forest. The trail follows a fire road mixed in with a fairly technical single track trail; the total elevation gain is 2425′.



The race started in Aptos Village at 8:45 am, and the vibe was supportive, and encouraging with just the right amount of competitiveness. From the village, the route wound up steep hills (a mix of fire road and single track) until mile 8, where it steeply drops into mile 9. After mile 9, the course continues back on the same mix of fire road plus single track that the runners started with, and finishes on a steep down hill back into the village.



The race was serene with hundreds of women storming through the redwood forest like a train. After a few miles it thinned out, and I was able to make friends with women along the way, encouraging and watching out for each other. Coming into the finish line was tough. The steep hill in the beginning of the race definitely took a lot out of me, and as I came close to the finish I had trouble trusting that my legs wouldn’t buckle as they pounded the pavement on a steep 3 mile decent into the chute. I finished on a high, and thoroughly enjoyed my first trail race. You will definitely see me reporting again soon from the trail!