Hayley's Reasons for Running

Now that I am making some progress in this new “running adventure”, I have decided it will be good to spell out the reasons I run. I know in my mind the reasons why I chose to do this type of fitness, but writing these reasons down will certainly prove to be helpful and motivational in the future – when I need to remember why I’m doing this I will have this list to reference. These are not in any particular order:

I run for me.
I’m not a selfish person, but running is absolutely something that I do which is first and foremost for me. I enjoy having some alone time, time to clear my thoughts, escape stress, mull over things, etcetera. It’s so hard to get this time in today’s world, where I’m constantly bombarded with ways to entertain myself (e.g., TV) that are completely mindless. Being on the track, treadmill, or open road, gives me this gift of precious alone time and greatly improves my mental well-being.

I run for perspective.
Along the same lines as what I was just saying, it’s so easy for me to get caught up in the stress of school, paying bills, etcetera. Going for a run reminds me that life is really much simpler than we have a tendency to make it. I can observe people around me, from a couple taking a walk with their baby in a stroller, to a homeless man, to kids playing in a park. I can appreciate a beautiful tree, flower, or bird. This is all so simple, but these are things I don’t take the time to take note of unless I run by them. Not only can life seem simple and beautiful, but I can also be reminded how fortunate I am. Unlike the homeless man, for instance, I have someplace to return to after my run. This connection to my surroundings gives me perspective.

I run for my loved ones.
Exercising will give me a longer, healthier life. I can therefore spend these additional days with my family and friends, the ones I love. The idea is that I will achieve not only a longer life, but a fuller life as well. More time with those that I love adds up to a happier life. I can have a longer, fuller life with the man I love. I can experience the joys of watching my future kids and grandkids grow. Who wouldn’t want these things? Moreover, the idea is that my own running and commitment to fitness will motivate my loved ones to take up fitness as well. That way they can be around for longer, fuller lives as well! Our multi-state family fitness effort is a testament to this reason to run – we are all motivating each other.

I run for health.
This is an obvious one, and is directly tied in to the above reason of running for my loved ones. I want to live a longer, healthier, fuller life. In order to do this I need to stick to my fitness plan, lose weight, and combat the many predispositions I have to illness and disease. By starting now, my chances are excellent to avoid things like heart disease, diabetes, and so many other things that have plagued my family. I do not want those things because I’ve seen what they do to individuals and their loved ones!! On a lighthearted not, you might say I’m fighting my genes by trying to fit into smaller jeans. :) Not to mention, running has other health benefits that aren’t necessarily physical, including improvements in mood and energy. The endorphins that come with exercise improve my general mood, making me a happier person who’s more able to deal with the changes, surprises, and rocky times of life. I also have more energy which allows me to do more in a day than the average person can. With this energy I can also keep up with those kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, and all those other young ones that I love. :)

I run for inspiration.
When I need inspiration, I can find it all around me. As I run around the track in my gym and see an elderly man just walking the outside track, I think ‘Good for you! You’re going a great thing to stay in shape’. As I watch my friends and family members run races to improve their health and lose weight I am awed by what they accomplish. This inspiration works the other way as well. I can actually give others inspiration as I complete runs and races. People who might not be physically active otherwise can be inspired when they hear about my goals or see me crossing a finish line. That in itself is amazing! Furthermore, when people learn that I’m striving to do these things even with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, they realize that they can absolutely strive for these things as well. To be someone’s motivator in this way is an extraordinary gift that running provides.

I run for t-shirts and medals.
These simple, material things are a symbol of my accomplishment. It’s great to be awarded for the races I complete and these things make me feel very proud and satisfied. They also keep my hungry for more, motivating me to the next challenge and the next award. The t-shirts I can wear every day to showcase my achievements and also to inspire others to do the same races. The medals are just for me, but they are also displayed proudly in my home, where friends and family who come to visit can know what I did and be inspired.

I run for structure.
The goals I have set for myself – 5K’s, half-marathons, eventually marathons – they all require training plans. These plans give me the structure I need so that I know I’m training properly in order to achieve my goal. As my husband has said, they take the guesswork out of running. This is vital in order to keep me running, because if I didn’t have a training plan and a goal in sight I would likely make excuses and still be sedentary. Besides keeping me running, the training plans also give structure to my day in general. If I know I have a five-mile run of schedule I can aim to complete that first thing in the morning. Then I can eat, shower, and have energy to tackle the rest of my day knowing that I’ve already accomplished something. In other words, this structure allows me to manage my time better, which is always a wonderful thing.

I run for charity.
This is a reason for running that I didn’t really discover until I started looking into races. Many local races benefit my community (like the Health for Friends 5K I just did). Many benefit wonderful charities and organization, and it’s great to run these races knowing that I’m supporting a great cause.

I run for food.
To end on a lighthearted note, I love, love, love, to eat! I run to increase my metabolism so that I can still eat great food and not feel too guilty. Whether it’s Maine lobster, Rusty’s Frozen Custard, Dysart’s Poutine, J. Tim’s Dirt Wings, Pat’s Pizza, Olive Garden, chocolate in just about any form, or any of my other favorite foods…I run to eat them. :)

I am sure these reasons that I run will continue to change as I get older. Nonetheless, here they all are. I hope they give you a place to start in making your own list. :)

Happy Running!
Hayley

Disney Trip Planning

Are you starting to plan for the Disney Vacation in January? Use this post to ask your questions and to start the conversation.

T-Shirt Idea

By request, I am posting a modifed version of my original email sent out earlier in the week to help keep the t-shirt ideas in one place. Below is the e-mail:

H and I were talking. We were trying to figure out who is taking part in what races. The reasoning, and I give this credit to H for coming up with the thought, takes us back to the idea of a t-shirt. Let’s say we have 12 people take part in the 3 different races over the weekend. We total up all the mileage they would accumulate and have some sort of shirt design to go something like this:

Oh, Happy Days!
215 Miles
3 Disney Races
1 BIG Family

The mileage obviously would change depending on who is registered for what. Just another idea to play with for the t-shirt ideas. Later this summer I will compile all the t-shirt ideas and send them out for a vote.

So far, by my recollection we have the following:
5K (open for registration):
P & Tk
Va & Ka
Vi

Half-Marathon (closed to registration, charitable entries may be available):
A
B & H

Full Marathon (open to registration, 60% full as of 05/08/08):
A
B
Ke
M
P
S. E.

Now, back to the 5k. The 5k race course takes you through Animal Kingdom. The Half Marathon is on much of the Marathon race course, starting and finishing at Epcot and traversing to and through the Magic Kingdom and back. However, the start point of the half is not the same as the full marathon, there for there will not be the loop around like there was this year, where you could stay in one place and see someone start and then see them on mile 4. Does that make sense? I hope so. The marathon course to my knowledge is still the same and will start and end at Epcot, taking you through the Magic Kingdom, through the Animal Kingdom, to the driveway entrance of the Wide World of Sports, through Hollywood Studios and the Disney Boardwalk.

Packet pick-up is located at the Wide World of Sports Complex at the Disney Health & Fitness Expo beginning on Thursday 3p-8p. This is important for the 5k racers, but full and half marathoners may also pick up their packets at this time. Friday’s Expo and packet pick-up hours are 9am-8pm, with Saturday’s hours being 10am-7pm.

Race times are as follows: Circle of Life 5k, Friday, 7am; Half Marathon, Saturday, 6am; Full Marathon, Sunday, 6am.

Half-Marathon Still Possible

If you were hoping to do the half-marathon but realized it was closed out by the time you decided there is still hope. If the marathon is not possible and the 5k is too short, you may be able to gain an entry into the 2009 Disney Half Marathon through a travel group or charitable organization. Please check out this link and pick your charity to see if there are openings.

http://disneyworldsports.disney.go.com/dwws/en_US/marathon/events/detail?name=MarathonWeekendGroupsCharitiesDetailPage

If it does not work for you when you click on it, copy and paste the whole thing into one line in the address window. You may also retype the entire thing into the address window if you do not know how to copy and paste. Give it a look.

Links to Disney Marathon Weekend

To get information about the Disney Marathon Weekend (including registration), follow the link below. From this page you can get links to all the races (including course maps).

http://disneyworldsports.disney.go.com/dwws/en_US/marathon/listing?name=MarathonEventListingPage

Feel free to use this blog entry to share other links and information about the races.

Typhoon Lagoon: Mary's Review

Today on the e-mail list I mentioned my intentions to go to Disney's Typhoon Lagoon during our trip to Walk Disney World (WDW). I am setting up this blog to explain and answer some of the questions readers asked about the park. Please ignore this post if you are not interested.- Mary

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Of all the Parks at WDW, my favorite is Typhoon Lagoon! I like it even more then the Magic Kingdom.***

I have been three times and loved every bit of it.

Here are some of my favorite things about Typhoon Lagoon:

- They have lots of places for young kids to explore in safety. This isn't a water park just for adults. AND it's not a park just for kids. It's a good blend of activities that accommodate a wide variety of ages and people (assuming you are a person who likes the water or who likes to people watch).

- In January there will not be many people at Typhoon Lagoon. It's a real treat to have no waits in line and your pick of where to sit.

- The rides are great and with no lines you can go on them again and again.

- With me, price is important and the basic adult price for admission to Typhoon Lagoon is $41. The basic admission to Magic Kingdom (or one of the other parks) is $75/day.

- It's different from the Theme Parks (and makes a nice respite from the go-go rush-rush pace of the Theme Parks) AND it is still Disney in the good ways. Everything is accessible. They accommodate children and adults. It is clean, fun, and there are thoughtful "Disney touches" everywhere.

- It's part of the WDW system so there is free transportation to Typhoon Lagoon if you are staying on the Disney property.

- The final reason it is my favorite park is because I love to swim and be in the water! I also love to sit and people watch.

Some of the drawbacks:
- It is a "weather permitting" place. Of course, it won't be as cold as Bar Harbor in July, but it can be rainy or storming.

- The beach won't have the classic Disney characters strolling around. This is not a drawback for me but it may be a drawback for those with young children.

- It is open fewer hours then the Theme Parks. In January, Typhoon Lagoon is usually open from 10-5.

For More information:
Here is a link to the official WDW web-site: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/parks/parkLanding?id=TLLandingPage

Here is a fan-site with more info:
http://www.allearsnet.com/btp/faq_tl.htm

*** WDW includes several categories of attractions, including 4 Theme Parks (Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studio, and Epcot), 2 Water Parks (Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach), 2 Miniature Golf courses, 2 outdoor shopping/restaurant areas (Downtown Disney and The Boardwalk), The ESPN SportZone and facilities, and a few other smaller attractions scattered around the thousands acre compound.

Why I Run

The question has been posed, why do I run? While there are probably just as many reasons to not run as there are to run, I had to take a few moments to really seek out why I am hitting the pavement, treadmill, trails and concrete. Much of my list came to mind while I was where else but amid a run. Some of my reasons are common amongst numerous other runners. Others may be unique to me.

First and foremost, I run for MYSELF. This is one of the few times I am selfish and do something for me. I have come to find it allows me some alone time. Getting out on the open road and breathing in the nature around me helps to clear my thoughts, workout plans and problems, analyze situations and scenarios. My wife might say it gives me the time to conjure up some kind of Rodgers and Hammerstein ideas. In addition, being a Libra, it is in my nature to always weigh the pros and cons.

I run for HEALTH. After drinking and eating my way through the college and ESPN years I managed to put on a pretty good share of pounds. Through my running I strive to lose weight, stave off illnesses and diseases, and improve my overall fitness.

I run for EMOTION. Finishing a training run is satisfying. The days and weeks prior to a race are full of nerves. Toeing the Start Line is a sense of joy. Ticking off mile after mile as I traverse the course is exhilarating. Crossing the Finish Line is elation. Receiving a finisher’s medal is a sense of honor. And, there is a sense of pride in wearing the race t-shirt knowing I had run in the race.

I run for STRUCTURE. I find the training leading up to the road races lends itself to a more structured regimen for me. I like to have a set plan. There is room for flexibility to compensate for unforeseen circumstances, but the structure of the training gives me something to strive for and takes out the guesswork.

I run for INSPIRATION. Whether I am in search of inspiration for myself or offering up inspiration to others, it is there, therefore I run for it.

I run for ENERGY. Hearing the cheers of encouragement from spectators, hearing the comforting words of the volunteers, and seeing the smile on a little kid’s face when I run by and high five his or her outstretched hand, that is the energy I seek.

I run for FAMILY. I run so I may live longer and am able to spend more time with my loved ones. I run to provide family support when needed.

I run for CHARITY. Most road races are organized to help raise funds for a charitable cause. It is my pleasure to provide a donation to the charitable cause for the honor to run in their race.

And finally, I run for FOOD. Not just any foods mind you. I run to eat more pasta. I run for Little Debbie Swiss Rolls, Olive Garden Tiramisu, Pat’s Pizza, McDonald’s double cheeseburgers, Prudie’s whoopie pies, Maine lobster with butter, Grammie Jane’s fruit salad, Fenway Franks, and Dysart’s Poutine.

There you have it, the reasons I run.

Boston Walk for Hunger. Mary puts in 4 Miles

Hi all,

The following message was sent around via e-mail and several folks suggested I post it on the blog so others could read it. When I get pictures from the event I will try to figure out a way to post them so that you can see our achievement.

- Mary

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Put me down for 4 miles on Sunday.

I walked those miles as part of the Boston Walk for Hunger. It was a 20 mile walk and I was only able to join the group for the start and the finish because I needed to go to work in the middle.

But let me tell you about the experience.

I was walking with a group of homeless men who had raised pledges and decided to join the 5,000 other fundraisers (for those who don't know, my job is a program director and chaplain to the homeless community of Boston and Worcester Massachusetts).

There were 12 of us at the start line and in many ways we were similar to the folks around us. We wanted to get some exercise, we wanted to be part of the large-group atmosphere, we wanted the sense of accomplishment that comes after 20 miles, and we wanted to end hunger and poverty! We were also a group unlike any other. Where other walkers had fancy shoes and slick windbreakers, our group members were walking in all the clothes they had and shoes from donations that were either too big or too small. Our group had raised funds from their friends (who are also living on the streets) and the pledge sheet included donations of dimes, quarters, three dollars… three cents. And the men I walked with carried backpacks filled with every item they owned.

It was so exciting at the start of the walk. My group knew it would be hard and were ready to endure for as long as they could. So, with determination, we each put one foot in front of the other and got to work.

I needed to leave at mile 2.5 and, before I departed, received a big hug from each person. When I joined them at mile 18.5, only 5 people from my group remained. There had been many hugs along the walk as other folks needed to leave (to check into their shelters early or to attend other programs).

As we came closer to the end, their spirits’ were high and empowered. They were tired and overcome with pride. It had taken 9 hours! But they were determined to stay together and to go as slow as the slowest person needed. Because of that support and camaraderie, everyone, even the slowest person, could finish.

So put me down for 4 miles on Sunday. Some of the best walking I have ever done.

Stair Math

We have been working on the stair math. Here is a summary of what we have decided - in case any visitors want to contribute.

A is walking up the stairs at her office building to get some exercise during the day. We want to know the distance she travels up the stairs.

When A is going up stairs the true distance she travels should be the diagonal distance - because she is going up AND across. Think of it this way: If you put a plank of wood on the stairs to make them flat, that is the distance she would have walked - like going up a hilly road. To get the measurement of that distance, you can calculate it knowing the height and depth of the stairs.

You have to assume that there is a right angle on the stairs where the height and depth meet - but that is a good assumption, or you would notice a tilt to the stairs. (We also assume that each stair has the same dimension, so once we know one stair, we can know the sum of the stairs.) Use Pythagoran Theorem and you get that the square root of the height squared plus the depth squared is the hypotenuse (the distance traveled). If it is 8 inches high and deep, that is ~11 inches per step, so with 11 flights of 24 steps each, you are at ~0.05 miles.

This is the correct way to measure it - not the up and the across, because she is not shuffling her feet. A - you do not have to measure the arc your foot makes. We don't do that when you are walking outside to get distance.

Unfortunately, as nice as the pedometer quick calculation was, it was WRONG. Sorry to get the hopes up. I told you the average stepping distance was 2,000 steps per mile. That would mean a step/stride of ~32 inches per step. As we stated, the hypotenuse is only ~11 inches. At 11 inches per stride, you have to go 5760 steps per mile. Since you only go 264, you are (again) at ~0.05 miles per your 11 flights of stairs.

Any other ideas on how to get a nicer number? Maybe we should look at heart rate, and results of blood pressure and lactic acid production? Going up those 0.05 miles of stairs is way harder than going 0.05 miles to the coffee machine.