From the category archives:

Motivational

Taking A Wrong Turn

 

 

Most days I think I have an extremely great sense of directions. Some how while running I slip into a zone and just follow the crowd, or the people on trail who tell you which way to go. Yesterday while running with one of my favorite running groups South Fulton Running Partners for their joint run with Black Girls Run I found myself pushing along with my mind wandering from one subject to the next basically I was in in la la land. The front runners were no longer in sight  for me so I was depending on the guidance of the route support. At a turn I followed the guide and turned right. A couple of moments later the guide zips up on their bike to let me know I turned the wrong way. Another time during a race I lost the trail (made a wrong turn) and turned around to faintly see packs of runners on trail about a quarter of a mile away across a creek and thru the trees. During both of these realizations it was a perfect time for me to beat myself up for not paying attention, for being in la la land, or for being too dependant on being told what to do.

These thought pass through our minds daily. “Should I get up and go to the gym? Nah i’ll go after work…Ah man I forgot my gym bag.” These thoughts and patterns start us on the slippery slope of falling off our best routines. That one bad meal spirals into a few extra pounds and new size pants before our eyes. I have noticed throughout all of my efforts to live a healthier lifestyle I have faced many moments of knowing if I didn’t push myself I would easily fall off track (and yes I have fallen). With healthy eating I know for sure that keeping the good stuff (fresh healthy foods) on hand and near by keeps my weak moments to a minim. I know that keeping races on my calender keeps me active and ready. Running with groups of people, like Urban Run Club makes miles go much faster.

I have found the more on target I am with my daily task of running, walking, bike riding and eating well the more focused and clear I am about things I have going on. Surrounding yourself with others who have the same lifestyle goals is another great way to stay encouraged and focused. This is another reason I have fallen in love with the SFRP, this group of active people run, bike, swim, walk, and race together. They support one another’s goals and how about if you do not know how to swim they are just fine with helping you learn. These are the kinds of positive voices we need to play in our minds when we take wrong turns. Love yourself and only allow positive thoughts to swim around your head and associate with others who will help you along your path.

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Darlene Baltimore’s Amazing Story

Every day you see a runner pass by on the sidewalk, as we sit waiting for the light to turn green, or out on trails while walking our dogs. They become white noise in most people’s days. Well if you pay attention you may start to see familiar faces from day to day. This story was one of the first things I came across this morning. It’s so amazing I had to ask Darlene if I could share it with the world of Urban Run Club. Kindly she agreed. This is an amazing example of what hard work and dedication can earn if you have stick to it-ness. Congratulations Darlene, you are amazing. Enjoy her experience, when you pass that runner on your route, smile, you may never know their story.

 

50 miler finisher 50 miler finisher
“Tallahassee Ultra Distance Classic was the finale of my 2012 race year. Since January, I’ve completed a handful of 5K/10Ks, 11 half marathons, 13 marathons, and 4 ultras. Each race helped prepare me to run my farthest distance to date. I was up in the air about showing up for the race due to my mom falling and breaking her hip on Friday afternoon. Do I go to VA to check on her or do I run the race? After being assured by my siblings that Mom would be okay I made the decision to go for it. I packed my bag and loaded up the car for the 5 hour road trip. I arrived at Wakulla Springs State Park at 4 AM race day.
I quickly check into the Lodge, requested a wake up call, and hit the bed for a power nap. At 6:15 AM, I’m awaken by the front desk. I jump up to shower, dress, and grab my goodies for a 6:45 AM briefing by the race director. At this point I’m tired, sleepy, and praying that I have enough stamina to run 50 miles on 2 hours of sleep. While fumbling to pin my bib on I hear the RD say if you don’t make the final loop by the cut-off time of 8:30, then you will not receive a time or medal. I read that when I registered for the event, but I’d totally forgotten about it. So my strategy changed from running a slow and steady pace to run as fast as I can to beat the cut off time. I was not leaving without my 50 mile finisher medal. LOL!!!
After the RD finished his remarks, I quickly go to the restroom, set up my aid station, then head to the start line. It’s still dark outside and the temperature is perfect. The course is 8 loops of 6.25 miles. It’s relatively flat on pavement. We start promptly at 7 AM. I ran the first 38 miles stopping at each aid station to fuel and hydrate. The aid stations were stocked well with a variety of my favorites; pretzels, PB&J, oranges, boiled potatoes, salt, bananas, M&MS, brownies, cookies, sodas, Gatorade, and water. Also, I had set up my own little station along the route, but by early afternoon ants had taken over, so I just ate/ drank what was at the supported stations. The volunteers were super friendly and supportive. Along the course, I caught up with a few old friends and made a hella a lot of new ones. I enjoyed learning about everyone’s journey to run a 50 miler. By the time I began my 7th loop the majority of the 50Kers had finished and the course was isolated in a few areas. I started to feel some fatigue in my legs, but I was able to manage it with intervals and taking a little more time at the aid stations to rest. I was well ahead of the cut-off time so I didn’t feel any pressure to rush. Before starting my last loop I began to feel nauseated and I vomited. After thinking about it later, I think that I over fueled. I was worried about not having enough energy to sustain me throughout the race due to sleep deprivation so I ate at every station and my body probably did not need it. I decided to play it safe and take it easy for the last loop and coasted to the finish line. My goal was to complete the race sub 10 hours. BOOM! Mission accomplished in 9:24:43!!! I am looking forward to the new year setting new goals and challenging myself to reach new distances. BUT until then, I’ll take the time to rest, recover, relax, and reflect on an amazing year.”
Photo: Tallahassee Ultra Distance Classic was the finale of my 2012 race year. Since January, I've completed a handful of 5K/10Ks, 11 half marathons, 13 marathons, and 4 ultras. Each race helped prepare me to run my farthest distance to date. I was up in the air about showing up for the race due to my Mom falling and breaking her hip on Friday afternoon. Do I go to VA to check on her or do I run the race? After being assured by my siblings that Mom would be okay I made the decision to go for it. I packed my bag and loaded up the car for the 5 hour road trip. I arrived at Wakulla Springs State Park at 4 AM race day. I quickly check into the Lodge, requested a wake up call, and hit the bed for a power nap. At 6:15 AM, I'm awaken by the front desk. I jump up to shower, dress, and grab my goodies for a 6:45 AM briefing by the RD. At this point I'm tired, sleepy, and praying that I have enough stamina to run 50 miles on 2 hours of sleep. While fumbling to pin my bib on I hear the RD say if you don't make the final loop by the cut-off time of 8:30, then you will not receive a time or medal. I had read that when I registered for the event, but I had totally forgotten about it. So my strategy changed from running a slow and steady pace to run as fast as I can to beat the cut off time. I was not leaving without my 50 mile finisher medal. LOL!!! After the RD finished his remarks, I quickly go to the restroom, set up my aid station, then head to the start line. It's still dark outside and the temperature is perfect. The course is 8 loops of 6.25 miles. It's relatively flat on pavement. We start promptly at 7 AM. I ran the first 38 miles stopping at each aid station to fuel and hydrate. The aid stations were stocked well with a variety of my favorites; pretzels, PB&J, oranges, boiled potatoes, salt, bananas, M&MS, brownies, cookies, sodas, Gatorade, and water. Also, I had set up my own little station along the route, but by early afternoon ants had taken over, so I just ate/ drank what was at the supported stations. The volunteers were super friendly and supportive. Along the course, I caught up with a few old friends and made a hella a lot of new ones. I enjoyed learning about everyone's journey to run a 50 miler. By the time I began my 7th loop the majority of the 50Kers had finished and the course was isolated in a few areas. I started to feel some fatigue in my legs, but I was able to manage it with intervals and taking a little more time at the aid stations to rest. I was well ahead of the cut-off time so I didn't feel any pressure to rush. Before starting my last loop I began to feel nauseated and I vomited. After thinking about it later, I think that I over fueled. I was worried about not having enough energy to sustain me throughout the race due to sleep deprivation so I ate at every station and my body probably did not need it. I decided to play it safe and take it easy for the last loop and coasted to the finish line. My goal was to complete the race sub 10 hours. BOOM! Mission accomplished in 9:24:43!!! I am looking forward to the new year setting new goals and challenging myself to reach new distances. BUT until then, I'll take the time to rest, recover, relax, and reflect on an amazing year.
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Indra Goes To Fat Camp

December 7, 2012

  Everyone has been dying to find out why I went to the Engine 2 Diet healthy eating immersion, but more than that what in the world went on at this “fat camp”. Most of you who actually know me know I am now working for Whole Foods Market. After 20+ years of self employment and [...]

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I’ve Got The Blues

February 6, 2012

How often do we plan to get up to go for a morning run, sign up for a race, go for a hike or a bike ride, but then we change our mind because the app says rain, the sky looks questionable, the kids have to go to the… We can always make a no [...]

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Our Trip To The High And Beyond

January 18, 2011

WOW. 5 snow days and we are all out of sorts. Many of us had a great time last week until Thursday night when the 5th snow day was called. Most of my friends and I had bruises and sore stiff bodies from all of the days of playing outside like children. By then, for [...]

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Happy Monday, Happy New Year!

January 3, 2011

Here we are, fresh start, fresh new year, fresh list of goals, ready to change everything about all that we did or didn’t do last year. Well before you go beating yourself up for all the things you did not do last year, make a list of the great things you did. (Pause, write, come [...]

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Run Dem Crew…Still Our Inspiration

October 28, 2010

If you have followed us from the start, you know we were inspired by our dear buds out of London UK Run Dem Crew. This week we had a check in with their founder Charlie Dark. Charile and I compared notes on the joys of running with our groups. The experiences of RDC being sponsored [...]

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Inspiration

September 23, 2010

Inspiration – Watch more Funny Videos

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What Exactly Is This Urban Run Club Thing?

August 8, 2010

This video shot and edited by TRIX is the best view of the Urban Run Club. During this run the group visited the new Atlanta Bicycle Coalition office. The Urban Run Club is not just about running. URC is about living an active life style through all forms of movement. What are you waiting for? [...]

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Exercise

July 20, 2010

There are lots of questions around running and styles of running. There is research that supports all types of health benefits from just a small amount of daily fitness. For example: If you don’t have high blood pressure, you may be able to avoid it by six 30- second sprints three times a week (high [...]

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