Advice..My Two Cents Worth

 

Advice. Input. Counsel. Suggestions. Guidance.

Whatever spin you put on it we have all gotten our fair share. As we get older the information we have received tends to echo in our ears until we find ourselves repeating these same formulas out loud!
We repeat the teachings of our parents with childhood quotes like, "Do unto others as they would do unto you." or "If you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything at ALL."
Well I love quotes, verses and mantra. It sticks with me. It is simple and easy to remember.
I was on the Facebook wall of "I <3 to run" and she had a post that got me thinking. ADVICE. The question was "What is the best running advice you have ever gotten?" Now there were like over 220 comments but I am going to share my top ten FAVORITES that have impacted to ME!

"BEST RUNNING ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED"

1.  If you can tell the difference between Soreness & Pain you can run as long as you want and  as far as you want.
2. Get Comfortable with Uncomfortable! 
3. Your mind will wear out before your body will. If you can control the mind, then you can control the body. 
4.  There will be good runs and bad runs. The bad runs make you stronger and makes you appreciate the good runs! 
5. Who cares about your Time, just pass the Finish Line!
6. Run your Own Race
7. 10% Rule -don't increase long run/weekly distance by more than 10% per week
8. Roll, Stretch and Ice
9. Don't wait till your tired to take your Chews or drink your water.

AND Number 10..My Personal Favorite Advice that was given to me as written on I<3 to Run:

Anita Andy Harless BEST: 1ST part of Marathon you RUN with YOUR legs, 2ND part of your Marathon you RUN with your mind and finish your RUN With Your HEART!!

Friday at 7:59pm · · 27

 So Of course that then sparks a flame to go deeper. On Facebook today I asked "What is a Piece of ADVICE that was GIVEN to You, that has spoke Volumes in your LIFE??????" 

Here are the TOP 10 Answers

1. Lois G. "Remember you did not cause it and you can not fix it."
2. Victor F. "You catch more Flies with honey than Vinegar." 
3. Mel D. "Some People are just Stuck On Stupid."
4. Debbie C. "It'll all come out in the wash."
5. Bruce Deborah B. "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." 
6. Rebecca Elaine K.. "It's less about you and more about them."
7. Susan Hyatt B. "Be still and Know that I am GOD."
8. Rebecca Matt H.  "Don't sacrifice the eternal on the alter of the immediate."
9. Noelle Winters B. " Do right till the stars fall."
10. Christopher S V. "Yeah, I am lucky. The Harder I work, The Luckier I get."

 Having fun with this I even asked my kids, Alec my 9 years old says "Don't get caught in the Drama!!"

And Austin my 12 year old says "Watch the waste in basketball. Play Defense."

But all this advice. How do we always know what is good advice? How do we know what information we should receive or we should discard. I know I have been given advice that was not very good for me. I have been told multiple times that I should Not run, Or that Running is bad for my knees.

For me...I choose the source the information is being coming from. WISE counsel. Sound Counsel. Counsel that comes from a Clean Heart. Check Check Check.

Overall the most accurate, most sound and best advice I have continuously gotten has come from the Bible.

Proverbs is FULL is WISDOM! Here are 5 Words of Wisdom from Proverbs:

1.  Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
2. Proverbs 12:19 "Truthful lips endure forever, the lying tongue, only for a moment."
3. Proverbs 15:1 "A mild answer calms wrath, but harsh words stir up anger." 
4. Proverbs 10:12 "Hatred stirs up dissension but love covers all wrongs." 
5. Proverbs 19:1 " Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and a fool."

 RUNDOWN

Yesterday was my long run. 16 miles. It took 2 hours and 20 minutes roughly. I ran at a 8:47 pace. It was LONG and boring. To get through it I left my CHIA H2o at the house and decided to break my run into 2 stops at home. The second stop I grabbed my water and finished my last 6 mile loop with Chia in my hand. I had a pocket full of Juice Plus chews for my nutrition and with the water I felt good the whole run. It was incredibly windy but I was surprised at how good I did all by MYSELF. Yeah, I had no company or no partners other than the music dancing in my ears, but I just sucked it up and did it anyway. 

Today I went to the gym. I chickened out with the wind. It is so difficult to gauge your pace with the wind smacking you around. I decided I would let the Dreadmill beat me up rather that the elements outside. I did one mile at a conversational pace then 5 miles of repeats and finished back at my conversational pace the last 2. 

Breaking up your runs really help not only time to go by faster but also preventing the  boredom from terrorizing your mind. Running is so much MIND work. Yes, there is some foot work involved but it really is mostly a MIND Game.  

Be careful what you Feed that Brain with!! You not only need to Watch what you put between your ears you also need to Exercise your mind and Protect it.  

 

What good Advice have I Missed?? Please do Share! Finishing with that  Last Piece of ADVICE:

John Sanchez "Always put Toilet Seat Down. :)"  lol

Anita

Fire Runner

Tina and I....Trailer Park Girls~

 I DID the Active Treadmill workout AGAIN!! I even added another rep to the first set! The entire workout was 7 miles for me. It took about an hour. I didn't get sick to my stomach this time, but it did hurt just the same. As I was finishing my 5th rep on the first set I kept juggling whether or not to do another rep. My mind said "DO IT push Past Discomfort" but my body said.'"NO, I will hate you forever".  All in. I am so glad I did it. Yes, it hurt, Yes, I sounded like you needed to call EMS, Yes, I was sweating like a stuck pig...BUT YES I DID IT!!! That has to count for something! Think of me on your next "NOO, I will hate you forever moment." And give yourself a little more..You Can Do IT!!!

A little Piece of Me: Fire Runner
I grew up a "Trailer Park Kid". Before I knew there was a stigma about those Kids, I had already fit into the description.
My mom was a single mom, alcoholic, addict and didn't work (she couldn't-disability), that's another story.
My sister and I ran the streets because anything was better than being at home. I stayed the night mostly at others houses' if I could. Back then there were no cell phones so I wasn't worried about my mom chasing after me. Half the time she didn't really know where I was. I very rarely stayed in my own bed during the school weeks let alone weekends! It really is a wonder nothing ever happened to me, living in the trailer park was no candy land. I took care of myself from the time I could remember.

This is a running story before I was a runner. I was a 15 year old trailer park kid. My mom was bindging pretty bad. I hated to be home. I would come in the front door of the trailer and if it was locked I would break in my front bedroom window, removing the screen then shimmying the glass till it unlatched. Once I got in I would access the home front. If Mary Lou was tanked, angry or passed out I packed my bags and bolted. Never thinking of any one but myself. My poor little sister. Gina, my sister was the classic enabler, she gave mom whatever she wanted, mom would be fine, Gina would take care of her.

Off to "Tina's" trailer over on Apple Ct.  I lived at the beginning of the park and she lived in the far back. Tina's family were always so welcoming. Everyone but their dog. That stinking dog "Peppy" was the mangiest mutt I ever met. That mutthole dog would always nip at me, I was so scared of the thing. Tina's dad was a volunteer firefighter for Brandon. He had one of those radios that get all the 911 calls .
One night asleep on Tina's floor we awoke to chaos. Her Dad had gotten a call of a trailer burning down in the park. I can't remember anything other than running. No shoes, cold wet pavement against the soles of my feet and panicked. No one said it was my house...I just knew. I ran till my lungs were about to collapse, then I would walk briskly, half running..The fear would then set back in and I would break back into my sprint.  My mom would not only drink until she passed out, she would smoke cigarettes and drink till she passed out

I could see all the lights as I approached my street. My fears were confirmed. I am not the most brilliant book smart person..you should know this if you follow my blog (my writing is terrible) but what I am is pretty street smart. I KNEW they were at my house and that Mary Lou fell asleep with her cigarette...again.
Everyone was fine. I was probably the worst off. I was out of breath, angry and totally embarrassed of my mother who was still drunk and my friends dad on the scene. I ran breathlessly  all the way there to discover what I had already knew, now I just wanted to run far far away........

Proverbs 30:5 “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.”

Her dad was a saint, he never made me feel bad or uncomfortable, my mom cleaned up for a minute, and life continued as I knew it in the new trailer!
 I regurgitate these memories with love and healing. I learned running away from things didn't make it go away, But RUNNING to God made things easier. I am not anything special but I know I am better than I could have been. I thank GOD for his protection on me.  Struggling with things I had NO control over as a kid taught me to fight for everything I have, to never give up and to Recognize IN LIFE WHAT CHANGES YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE to not continue the cycle.
But Above all..TO TRUST..Truly trust In GOD. Someone BIgger that me, Bigger than my hurts, Bigger than addiction..To Give It all To him...And when I did..He Carried me~

Anita~

If The Shoe Fits!

Shoes. I have ran in different ones, they say if it's not broke then don't fix it. Well I have been broke in more ways then one!! From financially to physically I have been BROKE! That is why I have tried different shoes.
I have ran in ASAICS, BROOKS, and Saucony. I have even ran in flip flops, and barefoot. But for now I am running in Brooks.
I recently switched the type of shoe I am running in for no good reason.This is the first time other than running barefoot on the treadmill that I have had blisters and bleeding. I have over 25 miles on my shoes now and my feet did pretty good today. Not sure the change was a bright idea...

Brooks Dyad..My shoe!!

Did you know that EACH of your running shoes land on the ground about 800 times!! That is not including your distance, your weight or the terrain you are running on. New shoes are important to not only your running but your ankles, knees, hips and the list goes on. If you get injured in one area it can start a trickle effect costing more than a new pair of shoes...Which run between 90$-120$.

*The rule of thumb is you should purchase new shoes every 300-500 miles.
*Do not buy your running shoes at Kohls!! I know they sell Asaics and are in the "running" section, but that is the bottom of the line of the top brand.
*Go to your local Running Store. They will fit you like a champion. The workers are usually running coaches, runners themselves, or closely related to running and can give you expert advise. The staff will not only fit you, they will watch you run, check your arch and give your feet other personal attention.
They will put you in a shoe that is designed FOR YOU to give you the best results.
*When you go to the running store remember to go in the afternoon when your feet are more swollen, your feet tend to do this throughout the day.
Bring in your current running shoes so they can look at the soles. There is a history they can read on the tread of your shoes. There are signs of over pronation(inward rolling of the foot) or excessive supination( outward rolling).
My Favorite running stores are:
Baumans Running http://www.baumansrunningandwalkings.com/
Complete Runner  http://www.thecompleterunner.com/
Hansons http://www.hansons-running.com/

I have had a few people ask me about shoes and today a friend of mine again asked. "Sara" wanted to know if I have any suggestions. It is a personal preference. I am not a DIVA. I don't care about color or bling, But some do..Mizuno's are good for the Diva Runner.  I just want shoes to keep me going the distance. Some people use the NIKE Plus and think they can only use NIKE shoes with the pocket in the foot pad. Not true, they make sleeves that lace up for any shoe that will hold your sensor. But if you are a Nike person that is your thing, My Running partner, "Katie" Loves Nike.

There is a lot of power in having the right tools. I LOVE getting new shoes, new socks, new shorts, new arm bands, even new music for my Ipod. If just makes me feel good, It doesn't make me run faster, but it is like Mantra, it JUST MAKES things Better!!

“There are clubs you can’t get into. Neighborhoods you can’t get into. But the roads are always open.” -Nike 

"Run but Don't Hide." Saucony 

"Run Happy" Brooks

Chia Seeds

They were first introduced to me through the Book "Born to Run".

Benefits of Chia Seeds for athletes according to Pure To Raw: http://www.pure2raw.com/2009/09/benefits-of-chia-seeds-for-athletes-and-dieters/

• do digest easily
• are absorbed very easily
• muscle and tissue builder
• an energizer of endurance
• have extensive hydration properties
• good source of protein, calcium, potassium and iron
• high in both soluble and insoluble fiber

• 2 times the protein of any other seed or grain,
• 5 times the calcium of milk, plus boron which is a trace mineral that helps transfer calcium into your bones,
• 2 times the amount of potassium as bananas,
• 3 times the reported antioxidant strength of blueberries
• 3 times more iron than spinach
• copious amounts of omega-3 and omega-6, which are essential fatty acids
• gluten free and vegan

I use Chia on my long runs mixing it with water about 30 minutes prior to running...It is tasteless so a dash of lime juice is refreshing.

RunDOWN:
I ran this evening with Andy. It was was so nice out. I knew he would like the company and I had company on my long run yesterday..PLAY IT FORWARD! Still quite sore, but tomorrow REST!!

It was WAY prettier then the camera captured!

Anita