Running for Haiti

Guest Blogger! Vinny Marchionni!

| cheriarmour

I am so pleased to introduce to you our third guest blogger!  You guys remember yoga Kerri?  Well Vinny is yoga Kerri’s husband.  We usually see him around the store about once a week or so, and he’s a pleasure to have around.  They win the favorite couple award!  Anyhoo, enough intros – here’s Vinny!

Vinny

“I consider myself a runner.  Since the Nike Pegasus made its debut in the 80’s, I’ve been logging miles three to five times a week.  I am currently training for a marathon and my runs are getting longer.  I’ve been thinking about long runs and I have a theory that I’d like to share.  The key to enjoying long runs is extending the portion of the run that you feel the best, for me this is the middle.

The middle is the sweet spot during your run where you feel the best.  Your breathing is settled, calm and smooth.  You feel nothing in your feet and legs.  Your mind slips comfortably from thought to thought, conscious of the world around you while working in the background on a subject that you enjoy.  I tend to plan meals, deconstructing fine dining and working on recipes.  Other runners I’ve spoken to work on complex math problems, plan yoga classes, or map their next vacation.  The bottom line is if you can extend this portion of your long run you will be able to add distance and have a better time doing it.  So I am always looking for ways to extend the middle.  One way to extend the middle is to shorten the beginning.

For me, the beginning is the hardest part of any long run. This is the two to three miles at the outset that test my dedication and resolve.  During these first miles I’m reintroduced to all my past pains and injuries.  Like a roll call of old enemies, Tendinitis, Fasciitis, and I.T. Band syndrome stand to be recognized.  Things hurt, breathing is labored and I’m wondering why I’m doing this.  I’ve learned that a proper warm up can help.  Double tying your running shoes or stomping around waiting for your Garmin to locate satellites does not constitute a warm up.  A local running coach suggested I try Dynamic Stretching.   I’ll save you the Google search.  Dynamic Stretching is the series of exercises you’ve seen fast guys doing before a competitive 5 or 10K.  With names like ankle pops, high knees, but kicks and glute walk they are probably best left to the shirtless front of the pack guys.  I’ve been doing some basic squats and lunges to warm up the big muscles and it helps.  I can get into the middle sooner and feel fresher during the run.

At the other end of the middle there’s a point in your long runs when your body starts telling you it’s had enough.  Hopefully you are close to your goal distance when you reach this point, but I often find myself a couple miles short when I get into the end of the run. During the last few miles the repetitive pounding takes its toll on my legs and hips.  The result is an ache that is punctuated with every step.  There isn’t much you can do physically to get through the end of your run.  I try to save a few ounces of water and an emergency gel in case I really hit the wall, but for me the end is a mental exercise.  To extend the middle I try to delay the start of the end.  I use all the usual tricks, crank up the power songs and break the last few miles into smaller segments.  I promise to stop at the next quarter mile mark and repeatedly break the promise.  When I’m really hurting I go deep, remembering why I run and how lucky I am.   In the last few hundred yards I try to visualize the finish of my next race and the feeling of satisfaction that comes with reaching a goal.  I guess the very end of the end is actually pretty good.”

Dang!  Couldn’t have said it better myself.  Snaps for Vinny!  Do your next long run, and tell me this mantra doesn’t run through your head!

A few things…

| cheriarmour

1. First off, congratulations are in order! I overshot my goal of 100 miles in this period by three miles today on my long run!  Yay!  I’m proud of myself!

2. Second, I bandited part of my first race today. I’m not proud of this by any means – it was a total accident.

For those of you who don’t know, to bandit a race means to run it without registering and paying for it.  Not cool by any stretch of the imagination.  Not only are you stealing from the race and race organizer, it’s not safe.  Had I fallen and, worst case, died, I would have made some significant trouble for that poor race organizer.

Let me explain myself.  I was finishing up the last leg of my long run today (12 miles, phew!) and I sort of noticed a cop standing in the middle of the traffic circle on Hillsborough (the main drag through North Carolina State University’s campus).  I thought nothing of it until I realized I was caught up in the middle of a large group of folks wearing race bibs.  So I tagged along for about a mile until I could safely dash across the course toward my home.  Totally an accident.  And not something I’ll make a practice of.

3.  The term, ‘chub rub’ is rude and a complete misnomer.  You don’t have to be overweight, or even chubby, to suffer with this serious condition.

For those of you unaware, ‘chub rub’ is the colloquial term that applies to the awful chafing that happens between your thighs when you combine moisture (like sweat), and repetitive movement.  Contrary to what this term may suggest, you do not have to be chubby in the least bit to experience the awful pain and swelling that ‘chub rub’ brings.  (Can we all agree to call it chafing from now on?)  My first half marathon, I wore my favorite Norts (Nike + shorts = the chosen uniform of college girls = Norts) and couldn’t walk or shower without some significant pain once the adrenaline of finishing wore off.

So how to combat this earth-shattering condition?  The answer isn’t to stop running, it’s Aquaphor or  something called Body Glide!  Slather either one of those babies between your thighs or anywhere where you’re prone to chafing (under the band of your sports bra, near your watch, on the back of your heel), and you should eliminate the issue.  Aquaphor gets my vote, because you don’t have to reapply as often, and it doubles as a sweet lip gloss.

Chub Rub

 

PS, isn’t running darn glamorous?  This is photo evidence of me (not very chubby) having to apply Aquaphor before my Sunday morning run date.  Beauty fades, but my class is forever!

Three years later, a bittersweet anniversary.

| cheriarmour

I will keep this short, because I know this anniversary brings a lot of hurt and terrible memories for Haiti and it’s beautiful people.

On this sad anniversary, I wish to Haiti and it’s people continued peace and restoration.  Things are not where they need to be.  Too many folks are still living in tents, cholera is too rampant, and some of us have forgotten how hard it is for some in Port-au-Prince.  An anniversary is a good time to renew hope and awareness to the rest of the world.

Click below to visit Mercy and to view their personal progress thus far in Haiti.  Our work is far from over.

http://www.mercycorps.org/johnhanson/blog/28021

Cold, rainy day in Raleigh

Image | | cheriarmour

Cold, rainy day in Raleigh

It was alleged that we were supposed to have warm weather, and I was only supposed to run 4 miles. But I woke up yesterday it it was POURING. And 43 degrees. (I shouldn’t be complaining. Yoga Kerri ran 15 in the rain and possibly contracted a slight case of hypothermia and still came to work to tell the tale after.)

I stalled for a few minutes until I decided to get my butt out there! Hat. Cheap gloves (from the City of Oaks Half). Nike Stormfly (from our clearance rack). And a very wet pair of socks later? Voila!

Guest Blogger! Carly Swanson!

| cheriarmour

I am once again, thrilled with the opportunity I have to introduce today’s guest blogger, my friend, Carly Swanson!

Carly 1

I met this tiny nugget while I was working for NC State University, in their department of Campus Recreation.  We got certified to teach cycling together, and cross paths all the time in Raleigh.  Carly is usually crossing the finish line first, while I’m rolling in hours mere seconds behind her.  Without further ado, my inspiration to crush a few miles just a tad faster!

“Fast Car and Freedom”

By: Carly Swanson

It’s 5:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning and while many people my age are just getting in from downtown Raleigh or Charlotte, I am heading that way, as part of a 16-mile run scheduled in my marathon training plan. As I contemplate sleeping in, I know that if I hold off on my workout, I would not complete it that day, as I work weekends web producing at a news station. I end up rolling out of bed onto my apartment’s cold, wooden floors to put on warm running clothes and try to eat a banana before I face the wind and dark streets for a few hours.

Some would call my passion for running as an addiction, but to me, it is just something that runs in my family, as my 53-year-old dad logs over 1,000 miles each year and my mom was a high school track coach when she was pregnant with me.  Ever since December 2010, my mom has run in races with me each month, as well as successfully completed three half-marathons.  Our monthly “mother-daughter tradition” keeps me motivated and I hope to look half as gorgeous and healthy as she does when I am her age.  My parents were my inspiration to take on running as a lifetime hobby and as I’ve been around the sport since I literally was in the womb, my parents even said I was the baby who ran first instead of taking baby steps.

This “get after it” and free spirited attitude has been instilled in me and running is something that has helped me gain confidence in other aspects of my life. I cannot describe how much more powerful I feel after completing a run or race and it is something you have to experience yourself to truly understand. This confidence has enabled me to achieve other goals, such as apply and get accepted in to graduate school and work my way up in the news or sports industries to become a reporter one day.  I always feel physically, as well as mentally stronger and healthier after a morning run or workout and it is one of the few moments during the day I have to myself outside of school and work. Running really is a “free form a therapy” and the energy it gives me during the day helps me push tough everyday work and school activities.

As I set personal running goals for myself, I also try to inspire and motivate others to do the same.  My supporters: family, friends and followers are frequently a motivation to me to train and work hard. I feel that if I can show them how running has helped me maintain a healthy lifestyle, they too can easily reap the benefits of exercise with small lifestyle changes. If it weren’t for their support, the training of my marathon would have been extremely difficult.

The unique opportunities racing each month has provided me with ranges from winning the Krispy Kreme Challenge for women in 2012 (eating a dozen doughnuts and running five miles for the NC Children’s Hospital) to treading in pond water up to my nose and climbing through barbed wire and mud in China Grove YMCA’s Down and Dirty Run.

The fitness opportunity I am most thankful of is representing the Oakley Women brand, as an ambassador. I was one of 10 women chosen to represent the brand in the “Perform Beautifully” competition, where over 600 women applied in the fitness industry in 2012. My fellow women ambassadors are like sisters to me and are a group of the strongest, most determined women I’ve ever met. All of their stories are such an inspiration to me, as they are “real, everyday women” who not only enjoy have a passion to lead healthy, active lifestyles, but also help others do the same. They frequently motivate me to set and achieve goals and I recommend learning more about them, as well as finding workouts and healthy recipes here: http://www.oakleypbc.com/Article/Details/dfd636a8-4826-4956-9355-b2c920c6fe37 as I know they can inspire you as well! Connecting with these women and the Oakley brand has opened so many new doors from me and I cannot be thankful enough from the support and fitness opportunities I have taken away from each time I am with this group of kick-butt women.

My Oakley sisters helped push me to sign up for my first marathon in 2012. I was able to achieve some personal running goals, as I ran in Charlotte’s Thunder Road Marathon, where I ran it in 3 hours and 20 minutes, as well as placed first in my age division. I also achieved a bucket list goal, which was to qualify for the Boston Marathon. The best part of my first marathon process was that I made a great friend/training partner in the process and I still enjoy running today (I’m itching to run another 26.2!)

I learned so much about myself after completing my first marathon and I am not going to lie, there were many times that I wanted to skip that early morning workout or just give up because I didn’t think I could mentally stay tough through the pain. It doesn’t matter if you are training for a race or trying to land that dream job, you have the freedom and ability to do accomplish any goal you hold yourself accountable for. Here are a few tips that have worked for me and I hope you can use them to achieve your goals you have set for 2013 and beyond!

-Schedule your workouts/runs/studying like an appointment in a planner. The feeling of crossing that off your to-do list is very empowering and helps set the tone for the rest of the day.

-Announce your goals to your friends, family and followers. This will give you a great support system and then the pressure is on and you are held accountable to achieving that goal!

-Connect with others who have either achieved the goal or are working to achieve that goal too. I frequently look to other runners or fellow Oakley ambassadors for advice and to learn how they have been successful and unsuccessful in their specific interests and niches.

-Remember you hold the tools to build a successful and healthy life for yourself. Do not let anyone stand in the way of achieving your goals. Let that unsupportive person be your motivation to work harder to achieve that goal faster. There is no better feeling than to prove those people wrong and show them how much stronger you are than before!

As Cheri has been such a wonderful motivation to me through her sense of humor, amazing Zumba classes and inspirational blog, I love connecting with other runners and those looking to leader healthier lifestyles on social media! My current goals include: continuing to lead a healthy lifestyle, constantly challenging my fitness routine, completing graduate school, reporting full-time, running in the 2013 NYC Marathon, 2013 Marine Corps Marathon and 2014 Boston Marathon. I frequently post motivational articles, workouts and healthy recipes on my social media outlets and feel free to connect with me and hold me accountable for my goals as, I can also help you achieve yours!

Email: carlyswanson1@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/carlyswanson37
Twitter: @carlysamsonite
Wordpress Digital Portfolio: www.carlyswanson.wordpress.com
Instagram: carlysamsonite”

Carly 2

Thank you Carly!  I hope I can glean a little bit of your magic for my Spring races!

Q: My plantar fascia feels tight and it hurts :( what do I do?

| cheriarmour

This question comes from my dear pretty friend, Liz Passannante, all the way from New York.

liz
Liz Passannante

First off.  I am not a doctor.  So if something bad is actually wrong with you, do NOT listen to me.  Listen to the person who went to medical school, not the girl who still eats Welch’s Fruit Snacks on a regular basis.

Now moving right along.  You’ve run, you’re sitting down to stalk your friends on Facebook, and you realize that your plantar fascia is tight!  (Your PF is a super super thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot.  If your arch is super flexible, your PF is getting a ton of stretch-contract and stretch-contract, and that’s probably why it’s sore and tight).

Anyhoo, so you realize as you’re chilling at home that your plantar fascia is tight and could use a stretch. Here’s what you do in a pinch.

First, sit in a chair, and cross your foot over your knee like a boy sits.  With the heel of your hand (right foot, right hand and visa vera), pull back on your toes till you feel that band stretch.  Again, don’t injure yourself, be smart about the stretch, and stop if you feel like you’re doing more hurt than good.

Then, grab a can of hairspray off the bathroom counter, and spritz your hair.  Look how good you look!

Sike, make sure that it’s one of those metal thick ones, and roll your foot over the bottle.  Bear a little weight if you need to.

Finally, put on your CEP Compression socks and go to sleep!  Don’t overdo the stretch and irritate it further.  In the future, to prevent this, stretch and warm up well before a run.  Don’t forget to stretch your calves and your achilles – everything is interconnected!  And for safekeeping, put a 16-oz Deer Park in the freezer, and roll your foot on this every time you feel that twinge of tightness in your foot.

Great question, Liz!

Running will jack your hair up if you’re not careful.

| cheriarmour

I started my locs I think like 8 or 9 years ago after I was seriously seriously tired of having my hair ripped out while I was getting it braided at the braiding salon in Charlotte we frequented.  I’m also terribly tenderheaded, so the whole thing was a bad deal.

So my hair’s long, looks pretty well kempt for the most part, but it can be hard work when I’m working out.

There’s also the stigma that locs aren’t clean that I like to shake, so I have to make sure that between running, Running for Haiti, teaching classes, and working out, that I’m keeping it together, looking nice, and smelling clean.  You go too long between a wash and this mane begins to cry out for some salvation.

Hot mess of a head, freshly shampooed head, and clean and twisted head.
Hot mess of a head, freshly shampooed head, and clean and twisted head.

I know you’re probably curious about how all of this works.  So usually, when people ask me questions about my hair (maybe a little more often than I’d like), they ask if I can wash it (yes), and how I wash/maintain it.  About once every other week, my hair starts looking a royal mess.  You can see, especially in that picture to the far left, that my roots are super fuzzy and fluffy.  Usually around this point, my scalp is begging for some relief, especially in dry weather.  So I wash with Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Threat Invigorating Shampoo and Conditioner, which leaves me minty fresh.   Finally, I take about an hour and twist every individual loc with a clear twist and loc gel.  Easy as pie.  So if you’re thinking about locking it up, go for it!  It requires some maintenance, but if you’re like me, and you were just completely over braids, weaves, hot combs, or perms, this may be the style for you.  Doesn’t look half bad on me right?

I am a genius!

Image | | cheriarmour

I am a genius!

First and foremost, everyone wave to my mother ::waves:: who is an avid reader! Hello mother!

Plain and simple, I am a genius. I don’t know why I’m sitting here in Raleigh, and not at my MENSA meetings, but it is what it is. Consider yourselves lucky to be in my midst.

So I had to quickly run before work. (Side note, one of my New Years Resolutions should have been to stop dawdling – I can waste time looking up Wikipedia facts like a PRO). And I wanted to take my iPhone with me so I could listen to Katy Perry Pandora. Duh.

Well my phone doesn’t necessarily fit in my iTouch arm band, and it bounces around in my hydration belt so what to do? I put in my Tune Belt that I wear for the mic when I teach Zumba, and I’ll be darned if that was not the best invention idea I have ever had! Didn’t bounce, didn’t make my waist all sweaty, and I was able to enjoy Katy and friends for like an hour! Boom.

Keep yo dog on a leash!

| cheriarmour

Runners, what are we afraid of?  Bad weather, calf cramps, muggers, our GPS watches dying, and dogs.

And I hate to be annoying and preach, but some of you guys need a stern talking-to.

I am the biggest dog person in the world.  One of my favorite things to do is to go on Petfinder.com, and look in the local areas for rescues.  I would love to adopt a dog now, but I want to do right by the dog, and I don’t have a yard, and my apartment space isn’t big enough to house a dog.  

However, there is one instance where my dog love falls a little short.

I was running the other morning, and I ran directly into a Mastiff mix.  If you’re not familiar with the breed, they’re huge.  If I’m not mistaken, they were originally bred to guard South African farms from lions and things, so they’re a pretty formidable dog.  So anyhoo, I run directly into this dog, wandering around on no leash.  So I stopped, hung out for a second, and tried to figure out where this dog belonged, and I was overjoyed that the dog, who quite possibly outweighed me, didn’t eat me.

All joking aside, we have something called leash laws in this country, and it’s inconsiderate not to adhere to them.  I’ve heard countless stories of runners being bitten, mauled, and in more than a few cases, killed.  In the worse cases, a dog has killed a child who was not physically strong enough to fight it off.  “Oh but my dog is so nice!  He/she would never, so I don’t need to leash him/her.” That’s idiotic.  Dogs are like humans beings in that sometimes they have bad days.  Sometimes things set them off.  Sometimes they don’t like the way someone smells, or the way a shirt looks on someone.  And unfortunately for anyone who’s around when they have a bad day, some breeds are ridiculously powerful.  They may not intend to rip a patch of skin off of someone, but the fact is that they’re powerful, muscular, and can do a lot of damage, even when they don’t intend to rough someone up.  So leave them on the leash, especially on sidewalks, outside of bars, at parks, and anywhere where folks may be walking by.

(As a total side note, runners, if you happen upon a dog you’d really like to pet, ask the owner if it’s okay for you to pet their dog! It is rude to just reach down and shove your stinky paw in a strange dog’s face!  I am on your side, but you have to act right around people’s pets.)

That’s enough of my rant.  I’m being totally serious though, that dog I met the other day was big enough to ride.  Yeesh!

Our family dog isn't quite as big as the Mastiff mix I happened upon. Mini is a rescue that my mom picked up about 8 years ago. Genuinely the sweetest dog you have ever met. At about 12 pounds, she's sweet, protective, and the worst thing she does is sit on my mother's fancy couches when we're not watching. <3
Our family dog isn’t quite as big as the Mastiff mix I happened upon. Mini is a rescue that my mom picked up about 8 years ago. Genuinely the sweetest dog you have ever met. At about 12 pounds, she’s sweet, protective, and the worst thing she does is sit on my mother’s fancy couches when we’re not watching. ❤