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The financial costs of running (besides sweat, pain, and tears)….

running man 1The other day someone asked me what activity they could do that wouldn’t involve investing a lot of money. Running! I proceeded to tell them how they only need a decent pair of running shoes and some workout clothes. After I sold them on running as the cheap workout, I realized that I myself have invested money into running over the years. A lot money now that I look back.

1. MP3 Players: Most runners I know run with their iPod, iPhone, or some MP3 player. Music entertains us as we run. I have issues with my iPods getting water damage from my sweat (eweee, gross). I have been through several in the past 6 months and was forced to do my long runs sans music for a few weeks. And you know what – I dug it. You are left alone with your thoughts and you take in your surroundings. And I felt I could control my pace better. I did a few 15-18 milers this way. But when my replacement iPod arrived at my door, I was quickly back to running with Rihanna and Beyonce.

2. GPS watches: As a beginner, I didn’t feel a need to track my mileage. As my training got more intense, I needed to know how much I was running down to the tenth of the mile. I invested in the Nike + sensor that attached to your shoe and iPod. I then bought a Motoactv. And just recently, I purchased my first Garmin. I can’t wait to test it out. Continue reading

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Racing Etiquette

I never seem to think about manners as it pertains to racing until the first few miles of a race.  Off days, practice runs, even group runs….the thought never crosses my mind.  It’s not until those first few miles of a race that I always think I need to write these rules down so that everyone knows what is appropriate and best for the racing field.  So here is my take on proper racing etiquette.

1. Don’t jump corrals.

Corrals are set up for a reason. They have a purpose. And you should be honest when submitting your anticipated finish time. By jumping corrals or putting a faster finish time than you can do; you are hurting those runners that worked hard to get into that corral. You will slow the race field down. The beginning of a race is crowded to begin with so it makes it more difficult to have to navigate around slower runners.

2. Don’t spit in the crowds.

Yes, I have felt spit on me on more than one occasion.  Despite what you think of your accuracy, there is always a wind or crowd factor. If you need to spit, move to the edge and spit on sidewalk and ensure no one else is coming up next to you.

3. Watch the elbows.

Why people run with really wide elbows I’ll never know. But they do. In that case, be cautious of the people around you. Don’t try to pass a herd of tightly packed runners with wide elbows. Yeah, it hurts to get hit in the chest with your bony elbow.

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Filed under Rules of the Road