To Half or Not to Half, that is the Question...

Running a "5KaDay" has proven to be a challenge. But not an insurmountable one. I am now finding my daily 5K runs to be easier, smoother, and much more enjoyable than they were when I first started this odd experiment just three weeks ago.

Which means it must be time for a new challenge. (I'll have to check my birth certificate, but I'm fairly certain my ancient Gaelic name means crazy woman, because there's no other explanation for this quest for running perfection. But, I digress.)

So, naturally, I have been scouting out more 5Ks, 10Ks, and even Half Marathons in order to up the ante in preparation for this fall's Marine Corps Marathon.

But oddly enough, I keep getting tripped up on the "Half" Marathon.

You see, I don't do anything halfway in life. In career, life, love, or relationships. It's all or nothing. 90mph toward the brick wall, or nothing at all. Where I’m from, doing anything “half-assed,” well, that was thought to bring shame upon the family name. (You think I'm kidding but I seem to recall that being a direct quote.) I admit, it may be simple semantics. A psychological block. But the "Half" marathon is a real conundrum for me.

I'm up for a 10K, to be sure. I’ll be there in a few weeks. But I desperately need the expert opinions (and the not-so-expert opinions) on the training benefits of the "Half."  Are there specific, concrete training benefits to doing a Half? Do I even have time to run one between now and October? Do I need to run a Half in order to prove I can run a whole marathon? Or can I just do as I've always done: go big, or go home?

Tough Mudders

 

Photo credit: www.Murrieta-MudRun.com

 

Being in Politics, I fling mud for a living.

But I've never actually run in the mud.

Until now.

Last night, my girlfriends signed me up for a 5K Mud Run complete with obstacle courses and well, you guessed it... 'lots and 'lots of mud.

Surely this must be every guy's dream. Groups of women pushing and shoving and covered in mud, right? Well, I'm perfectly happy to throw the Women's Lib out the door, because frankly I'll do (almost) anything for a good cause.

Our team will run to benefit the troops at Camp Pendleton, CA when we take on the Murrieta Mud Run in Riverside County, Southern California, on September 10, 2011. The race is one day before the 10-Year Anniversary of 9/11, and I can think of no greater way to honor the victims of that day than to run through any sort of conditions to benefit the brave men and women who have sacrificed themselves in order to deliver justice for the acts of that fateful day.

If you live or run in the Southern California area and would like to join our team, e-mail me.

Now... let's get down and dirty, girls!

Reflections on Running

Over the weekend, there was an exceptionally good trending topic on Twitter: #WhyIRun. 

It was interesting to see what runners from all walks of life listed as their reasons.

Confidence. Strength. Fresh air. To clear the mind. To prove a point. Relieve stress. Blow off steam. Achieve a sense of accomplishment. Get into shape. Lose the baby weight. To fit into that bikini. Look good in those skinny jeans. And one recurring theme that needed only one word: chocolate.

Reading others' reasons for running forced me to reflect upon #WhyIRun. Fitness ranks up there. Same with those size 6 skinny jeans. But upon closer examination, it turns out the mental vibe is just as important – if not more important – to me.

I run mostly to clear my head before or after work. Every time I set out for a run, I think it’s going to be a purely physical release. But it always ends up being a mental release, too. Like a kid at Christmas, I will never cease to be amazed by the things I am allowed to process while running. Whether it’s solving a work problem for a client, or figuring out my own long-range life plan, it just clicks. A true mind-body connection that I’ve not been able to replicate anywhere else.

So, what’s your reason? Why do you run? Join the fun and Tweet it at #WhyIRun.

Run Like Nobody's Watching

I saw a t-shirt the other day that read, “Champions are made during the off-season.”

And you know what, it’s so true.

When an event is weeks or months away, sometimes we lose sight of the fact that how we will ultimately perform that day is largely determined  by how we prepare now. Sure, the day of a big event is (relatively) easy – it’s filled with ‘lots of fanfare and excitement and cheering crowds. But during the days when there is no applause, no one cheering us on, and no audience in the stands, that is when we are forced to reach down deep. I am convinced it is in those days that we really become a champion.

They say Character is what you do when no one is looking.  I believe the same applies to running. You can run a 5K a Day, or not. Show up to the gym or the running trail, or not. Run the full distance, or not.

So go ahead. Run like nobody’s watching. Because during the off-season, chances are, nobody is. But come race day, if you’ve trained like a champion, chances are that’s exactly what you’ll be.

A Cause Greater than Oneself



The Semper Fi Fund, recently featured in the North County (San Diego) Times.


















This year, I am running the Marine Corps Marathon to benefit the Semper Fi Fund, an organization that provides assistance to injured U.S. Marines returning from war.

This is my first year running for a cause. But it won’t be my last. In fact, now I can’t imagine running a race any other way. Running for charity has added a whole new dimension to my training – it has forced me to run for a cause greater than myself. 

As runners, we are so fortunate that organized races today have adopted more charity partners than ever.  Whether you feel passionately about our troops as I do, or about Alzheimer’s, Breast Cancer, children’s cancer, or (fill in the blank with the cause of your choice), it is easier than ever to raise funds and awareness for a cause which you care deeply about.

In this charitable age, it turns out that the benefits are mutual for runners, charities and even the participating races themselves. The New York Times running blog reports that running for a cause has provided a huge boom to organized races: http://marathon.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/21/running-for-charity-fuels-a-boom-in-marathoning/. Now that’s what I call a win-win-win.

Whatever your cause, I encourage you to seek out a charity partner on your next race. Most races have a section on their website called “Charity partners.” Simply click through the race's official website and find a cause that’s right for you. In the meantime, here are the Charity partners for what I consider “the top three” races in the U.S.:

The Marine Corps Marathon: http://www.marinemarathon.com/Register/MCM_Charity_Partners.htm

The Boston Marathon: http://www.baa.org/utilities/charities.aspx 

The ING New York City Marathon: http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/galleries/charities/index.shtm. 

As for my Marathon effort, I invite you to read more about the Semper Fi Fund and the incredible stories of young spouses they have supported, the injured U.S. Marines and NAVY personnel they have assisted, and the homes they have retrofitted for heroes returning home in much different conditions than they left. If you’d like to support my team’s effort for the Marine Corps Marathon to benefit the Semper Fi Fund, you can contribute here: http://www.active.com/donate/semperfifundmcm2011/jenniferk

Here’s to running for – and living for – a cause greater than ourselves!

The X-Factor



The Mothership: 24 Hour Fitness HQ in Carlsbad, CA


















I’ve heard people talk about cross-training for years.

How it helps your performance, flexibility, reshapes your body, and protects against injury.

Well, turns out they were right.

Over the past year, I’ve taken to cross-training like Tammy Faye Baker at a mascara sale. And it has been a real eye-opener.

I can honestly say it has made me a better runner.

While I rarely give shameless plugs and the truth is, I’m not really even a “joiner,” I have to give credit where credit is due. After God and self, all the credit for my current conditioning goes to 24 Hour Fitness. (And before I start World War III, I am sensitive to the fact that you East Coast’ers have Krunch Fitness – or fill in the blank with your local fave – but 24 Hour Fitness owns the West Coast. If you’re workin’ out anywhere in California, you’re there.)

If you haven’t been to a gym in a while, let me tell you: They’ve made it so easy to cross-train, they have removed all barriers and excuses for anyone to be out of shape. (How dare they. Bastards.) Whether it’s getting a personal trainer who can tailor a program to your specific needs (and believe me, I’ve had some weird ones over the past few years), or simply immersing yourself in one of their “Group X” classes, you owe it to yourself to get in there. The personal trainer you have to pay for, but the classes, those are free. (We love free.)

While working in Southern California, I’ve had the privilege to work out at the corporate headquarters of 24 Hour Fitness in Carlsbad, California (pictured, above). When I’m there, I almost want to write them a thank you note or ask at the front desk if there’s a guestbook I can sign, with a note telling them how much they’ve changed my life. Because if it hadn’t been for the cross-training – which they have made more accessible than ever for this amateur athlete – I wouldn’t be where I am today. And I certainly wouldn’t be running a 5K a Day.

So, 24 Hour Fitness, if you’re out there and you're listening… Thanks!

For Those About to Run, We Salute You

We are a nation of runners.

If Paul Revere hadn’t had a horse, I’m convinced he would have run cross-country to tell the news.

I was reminded of our nation’s love of running tonight as I found the treadmills at the gym more crowded than usual this Monday night.  And I mean really crowded.

Then it dawned on me. It's the day after the women’s World Cup championship game. And not just any World Cup game. One of the most exciting series for the U.S. in recent years. Not since Brandi Chastain ripped her shirt off at the Olympics have Americans been so in awe over women running up and down a field. Everywhere I went this past weekend, people were abuzz and impressed by the sheer athletic ability of these women – specifically their running endurance, which was on full display. And that’s the thing about professional athletes, they inspire the best in all of us.

You don’t have to be a championship athlete to run. People run every day in this nation. In fact, it’s truly the people who keep this place running and I think it’s high time we salute them. The soldier returning from war with one less leg to run on. The first-time runner. The student athlete. The FedEx guy delivering that special package from Mom. The fireman who runs into the building, not the other way around. The mother of four running her first half-marathon. Just a few of the people who make this nation great.

To the U.S. women's World Cup team, you have the salute of an inspired nation. Welcome home. You make us proud. And more importantly, you make us want to get out there and run.