I like “being in the zone” just as much as anyone else, but we all need to challenge ourselves in order to learn and grow.  When I am “in the zone” you will usually find me on the basketball court, on the golf course, or maybe even conversing with someone of the opposite sex.   If you want to find me “zoning out” just look to my comfortable leather couch and no further.  I’m probably watching some pointless reality show; but enjoying it nonetheless.  So obviously there are many types of zones to be in but today I am challenging you to get out of a zone; your comfort zone?. Where is your comfort zone?  Check somewhere “inside the box.”

Every time I go for a run over 10 miles I try to run somewhere new.  Whether I am starting from my house or traveling by car to a trail-head, I try to experience a new environment on my run.  This weekend it only took 4 miles from my house to get out of my comfort zone.  I ran to a lower socioeconomic area of town early on a Sunday morning where I did not see one person that was the same race as I.  Being around people that don’t look like you is one way to get out of your comfort zone.  Here are some of the things that I noticed in this zone that I was not used to:  a quick handshake on a corner with the two parties retreating quickly in opposite directions, presumably an illegal transaction.  A makeshift soup-kitchen which consisted of a van, a couple of tables, and huge metal container of soup in an empty parking lot with a lot of people happily being served.  A man yelling at a woman walking behind him in a crosswalk saying, “I’m yelling at you because you won’t hurry up.  I’m late to go see my girl!”  She responded with, “I wouldn’t be walking this slow if you hadn’t gotten me pregnant, (explicit name)!”  She looked to be about 8 months pregnant so was understandably walking slowly.  So what does this mean?  It means that in order for us to grow and understand ourselves we must go out of our comfort zones and experience things we may not ever experience.

Running can take you out of your comfort zone.  Not necessarily by traveling to a different place than you are used to but the fact that you are constantly pushing yourself and challenging yourself to achieve new things you have never attempted.  Every time you think about slowing down but instead keep running is moving outside of your comfort zone.  People generally put a lot of effort into keeping their lives constant, but I challenge you to push closer to the edges of “your box.”  I’m always trying to stay edgy, that’s why I watch MTV sometimes to see what the kids are up to.  You have to make a conscious effort to break down your comfort walls.  Although I am a strict proponent of running, try starting with changing up your exercise routine with other activities other than running.  Better yet, try other exercises while still visiting seriousrunning.com and reading this blog daily!  Talk about edgy!

Just like we strive to diversify our investment portfolios (I’m risk-loving so I don’t adhere to this mantra) and our diets we need to diversify our exercise.  I know what you are thinking, ‘I run 5ks and marathons.  I diversify my work-outs.’  Sorry, that doesn’t count running man.  While running is great for the overall health of your body, it does puts stress on the same joints and builds particular muscles more than others.  That is why I recommend adding some other activities to your training.  Some suggestions are mountain biking, hiking, or kayaking to work out different muscles which will actually help to improve your running.  If you are an avid runner, I understand, try changing your running patterns by running on more trails or running steps.  Obviously, I think just by running a different route you are getting outside of you comfort zone so try that at the very least.  Exercising outside of your comfort zone prevent injuries (unless you fall off your mountain bike or something) and will leave your body more balanced.  Now you don’t have to drink as much V8!  Sweet!

Please stop being a square (box) and become a well rounded individual like our ancestors, the original “Renaissance People.”  No, I don’t mean showing your wealth by being rounded (fat) or eating so much that you throw up because you can afford to.  Don’t waste food, there’s soup kitchens in parking lots!

The first time someone told me they had exercise induced asthma I said, “Yeah.  Everyone has trouble breathing when they exercise.  That’s what’s suppose to happen.”  I equate exercise induced asthma diagnoses the same as ADHD diagnosis by saying the child has difficulty paying attention in class.  Every kid has trouble paying attention in class, class is boring at that age.  When I was in school my teachers used to tell my parents that I had trouble paying attention in class and determined it was because I was too smart for the speed of the normal classes; therefore, I did not pay attention.  I may have had higher intelligence than my peers, but for instance, I didn’t already know my multiplication tables before attending class, they were just boring, that’s why I didn’t pay attention.  Who needs multiplication tables anyways?  I’m going to be a cartoonist when I grow up!

Even though I was skeptical, I now know that exercise induced asthma is a real problem for many runners.  Exercise induced asthma is when you get an inflammation in your breathing passages, making it more difficult to breathe for a period of time.  There are many possible triggers and each runner has their own, but some are contaminants in the air such as smoke, pollution, vapors, or dust.  If you have exercise induced asthma try not to ever run in a Middle Eastern country like Iraq; it’s pretty dusty.  Other things that can induce the asthma are respiratory infections, cold and flues, humidity, and even emotional stress; however, once you begin running you relieve stress so don’t worry about this one.

EIA can not be cured but it can be controlled by medication.  If you think you may experience EIA contact your heathcare provider and schedule and appointment…or stop exercising.  Something you can do until then is breathe through your nose when you are resting after a long run.  When the air goes through your nose it warms and humidifies the air before it reaches your lungs allowing for clean breathing.  When you meet your doctor discuss different types of inhalers that may help you and work out a program for how often and when you should use the product.  Some healthcare professionals recommend using inhalers before or after a run depending on the severity of your symptoms.  Try a couple of different routines and see which one works best for you.

Or you can do like our forefathers did:  don’t run if you are sick and don’t run when the air quality is so bad you can’t breathe outside.  Well, I guess they didn’t have to worry about poor air quality like we do now; unless they were sending smoke signals or something.

The other night a friend of mine was hungry after a late night at work where she hadn’t eaten dinner so she ordered a plate of french fries.  The time of the order was actually at 1 in the morning.  My first reaction was, “that sounds great!  I wonder if they have any honey mustard here?”  But then I thought, “wait, a meal of just fries?  Aren’t fries supposed to be a side?….of course they have honey mustard, it’s a restaurant.”  Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for breaking the social norms when it comes to eating; I used to put sprite or orange juice on my rice checks cereal when I a kid, but a fried side as a meal?  That was a bit too much for me to swallow…literally.  Ok, so it wasn’t that hard to swallow.  I had some of them without being offered any at all.  No honey mustard though.

I have found that there are two types of eating habits of runners.  There are those who run to be able to eat whatever they want and those that eat whatever they want and THEN decide to lose weight so they start running.  The first group is typically the more serious runners.  I am a member of the first group.  That doesn’t mean I can eat any type of food after a long run, it’s just that I don’t have to worry about the portions and can cheat a little bit on the types of food I eat.  A good treat after a long run would be a humongous burrito, chips and salsa, and a couple of Dos Equis.  However, although I have always been a runner, I haven’t always been a runner of the first group.  I haven’t ever run to necessarily lose weight either, I just didn’t coincide my eating habits with my running calorie burn.  About 2 years ago I weighed 30 more pounds than I do now.  Although I was still running, and doing about the same distances  that I run today, I was doing all of the other things that would immensely offset my intense workouts, helping me maintain a more roundish figure.  Now I’m more like a V!  I’m thinking of changing my middle initial to “V” but keeping my same middle name; which doesn’t have a V in it at all.  Don’t think that’s impossible.  Let’s just say it wouldn’t be the first time that I have successfully had everyone refer to me as a name other than my legal one.  I am the proud owner of a successful alias!

I used to eat fast food at least 10 times a week.  It was good, cheap, and convenient.  I don’t cook.  I still don’t cook but I don’t eat fast food either.  I eat meals out about 2-3 times per week, depending on what my coupon situation is.  When I eat at home, I eat mostly cereal, soup, Spaghetti O’s, tuna and other items that come out of a can or box and you can eat in a bowl.  I honestly have not had one plate in my dishwasher in the past month.  Not one.  I’m thinking about investing in some more bowls.  I’m a simple man, that’s probably why I enjoy the simplicity of running.

So I decided I needed to shed the extra weight I was carrying around.  It actually wasn’t as fun being large as I thought it would be.   I thought I would be a lot more jolly.  So what did I do about it?  How have I been able to lose 30 pounds and keep it off?  Well, I took my simple style to my diet.  I don’t eat fast food and I don’t drink soft drinks that are not diet.  Plus I keep running.  Same distances, same schedule, same speed as I did before; the difference is what I put into my body.  If you are seeking to lose weight, running or other exercise won’t do it alone.  That is why runners who are looking to merely maintain their size, running and eating unhealthy becomes a zero sum game and you remain the same size.  So, if you want to decrease your size, you MUST eat healthy.

I’m not a nutritionist, so I can’t tell you want to eat, but I can tell you to eat healthy if you want to lose weight.  From my experience, if you are tired after you eat, you either ate too much or ate a lot of fat.  Wake up and eat a carrot!  Then go for a run and burn that carrot plus some!

You’ve been running a lot lately.  You are training for a big race and more importantly, you are a runner, that’s just what you do.  You run; everyday.  Even if you are feeling a little sick or maybe tired, you still go for a run.  Running cures everything.  “I have a fever and the only cure is…more Running.”  Sorry Christopher Walken, but that’s just not the case.

Many runners hate taking a day off from running; conversely, skipping rest is the most common over-training injury.  Weird.  Your muscles need rest.  Running puts strain on your muscles which causes microtrauma and small tears.  Your muscles gain strength when your body is able to rest and repair them.  Without recovery, these tears become more susceptible to injury and over-training.  We as Americans never over-eat, over-analyze, or over-heat (I’m a blog artist, interpret “over-heat” however it strikes you) so why do we over-train?

It is because we live in a go fast, work-hard society which I am all for, but we need to have some perspective on this.  For instance, if you are sick, it isn’t a good idea to exercise heavily.  A good rule of thumb to keep you from overextending yourself is if the symptoms are from the neck up, like a head cold, you are fine to run.  If the symptoms are below the neck, like a chest cold or diarrhea, it’s better to not exercise and stay inside…perhaps close to a toilet.  If you are sick, you need to rest and get the sleep you need.  One common mistake is to give up sleep to exercise when you are feeling ill.  It has been proven for centuries, the best thing for any illness is sleep and rest.  I mean, we all know that “Doctors” were created by Universities who just wanted to charge students tuition for 12 years rather than the standard 4.  It increased college tuition revenue by 200% but it didn’t change the fact that the universal cure for any illness is rest.  So rest.

Believe it or not, you don’t have to run everyday.  I read a runner’s blog today who had been running for 6 years and a month straight, without one day off.  His 1-mile PR was just under 7:00 min and his other PRs were about at that same level of accomplishment.  According to these PRs, I think he would have benefited from a day off.   Give your body a rest and take the day off.  A good alternative is to stretch or do some light exercise.  You can go for a walk with your significant other or children, play a friendly tennis game, or play some B-ball down at your local YMCA.  You can still exercise without straining the same muscles you do everyday when running.

I know you are a Serious Runner.  You’re on this website aren’t you?  It’s fine though.  Swallow your pride, put on your comfy pants, sit on the couch, make a bowl of peanut butter and take a rest day.  It’s really not that hard.

If it makes you feel better, do like this guy did.  Put on your running shoes and clothes and fall asleep on a palm tree patterned couch.  Then, wake up and tell yourself you just came back from a 6 mile run!  Repeat as necessary.

On my long run this weekend I ran up behind another runner, in a less than desirable part of town, which made it obvious that we were both on a very long run.  As I approached the other runner I could see her waist band full of water bottles and thought to myself, “How far she is going?!”  I was personally on a 14 mile run in which the only stop I had planned to make was to release some hydration not to add to it.  However, I do have a running friend that has constructed a map of every water fountain, hose, cooler, and runner friendly establishment in town and plans his runs accordingly.  Now that’s serious.  Maybe I’ll get him to post the map.   I bet mapmyfun doesn’t have this capability.  I wouldn’t know though, I never go to that lame website.

The other runner and I began talking.  She was going about 14 miles as well and asked me the question, “You don’t have any water?!”  She was amazed that I didn’t have any for a 14 mile run which lead me to thinking, how come I didn’t have any water?  I did know of two water fountains along my route but I didn’t stop at them.  What makes me different?  What are techniques that may allow me to go a little farther without water?  It is surely not due to my genetic make-up.  Just ask anyone who has had to post up on me in a game of basketball or sit in a chair I have recently sat in after a long run, I’m a sweater.  To put it in perspective, it takes me about a 4 mile run in 70 degree weather to make my whole outfit drip with sweat.  Some say it’s heredity, I say it’s body efficiency.  Don’t be jealous that my body knows how to cool itself off better than yours.  My body is a machine, not to mention, my future is so warm, I gotta stay cool…that was lame.  Probably the opposite of cool.

At any rate, not being properly hydrated can lead to fatigue, decreased coordination, and muscle cramping, not to mention more serious implications that can lead to hospitalization and even death.  Hydration is something everyone who is active needs to monitor.  When running long distances over 8 miles it is best to start hydrating a few days prior.  I have found this is the best way to make sure you are ready for your run.  I constantly make sure I am well hydrated.  When I think of my hydration for the day I don’t consider any liquid intake other than sports drink or water.  I have found the best thing to pre-hydrate is to make weak sports drink.  You can buy the powder based sports drink (this is cheaper too) and mix it at half the recommended amount or even less.  This beverage tastes the same, well weaker, and while you are not exercising it allows you to intake more fluids without giving you unnecessary extra calories or electrolytes that you don’t need during the day.  My pre-hydration is why I require less liquids while running.  Don’t hesitate, pre-hydrate.

Consuming large amounts of fluid directly prior to your run is not a good way to hydrate.  You should only drink about 16-24 ounces of fluid before every run.  During your run it is a good rule of thumb to try to drink 6-8 fluid ounces per 20 minutes; however, every runner is different and only you know your body.  I don’t bring water with me on a run unless I am going to run more than 14 miles in a moderate weather day.  However, that’s just my preference, but I don’t even like bringing a house key with me or a even a shirt, they’re just so constricting.  Bring whatever amount of water you feel comfortable with.  Also remember to not let the weather fool you on how much water you bring on your run.  Too often runners think because it is cooler out that they will not sweat as much and therefore do not need to hydrate as much.  This is a misconception which can lead to serious dehydration.  A good rule of thumb is for every pound of weight you lose from sweat (weigh yourself before your workout, then after) amounts to 1 pint of water.  So figure out about how much water you usually lose when exercising and hydrate accordingly.  After your run you should drink from 20-24 ounces, or more simply, until you aren’t thirsty anymore.  Try not to “gulp” down any water but drink it slowly to give your body time to disperse the liquid efficiently.  Just like oil makes an engine run efficiently, water makes a body purr.

Your race hydration amounts are more intense than your normal run but it is good to practice your race day hydration.  Just like your practicing your race pace, practice your drinking rhythm for race day.  Where do you plan to stop for water?  It is good to view a map of your race’s water points so you don’t get caught needing water when it is not available.  Also, when you do get your water I have found it is more beneficial to slow down or walk when you drink it.  It doesn’t take that much time and your body with thank you for not giving it a shockingly huge gulp of water as it is banging itself up and down on the pavement.  Slowing down also gives you a chance to make sure you are drinking the correct liquid that you chose to.  I ran a marathon that had red bull girls handing out red bull at the water stations.  The problem was that Red Bull’s hired help was a lot more attractive than the race volunteer staff.  It took about 4 cups of red bull for me to realize that none of the good looking girls had water or sports drink.  Did that mean I stopped getting red bull?  No, I just stopped drinking it.  Drink up!

Can running save you from places you never thought you would be?  One place that most of us never imagine we will end up is homeless.  However, some people do make poor choices and end up without a place to live.  How can we help and make them functional members of society again?  I don’t think there is one specific answer, but I have recently read a an article about how running has been able to help these people.

The article, “Running from Trouble,” in Runner’s World this month tells the story of how one person started an organization to help homeless people in Philadelphia get back on their feet (the organization is actually called Back on my Feet).  It all started with a runner,  waving at homeless people and thinking, “Why do I get to be the runner, and they have to be the homeless guys?  Why can’t we all just be runners?”  This is true.  Running is the greatest equalizer.  You can’t fake a run.  You either run the distance or not.  You either do it quickly or slowly, it’s up to you.  It’s an equal playing field for every runner, the course is the same, shoes are not too different, and every runner has two legs.  So why can’t running bring otherwise separated segments of the population together?  It can.  Since every runner is given somewhat equal opportunities in running, it breaks down the barriers between the haves and the have nots.  Running brings all types of people together.  Back on my Feet is showing this by running setting up running programs with the homeless and competing in half marathons.  None are now training for the Olympics, but it gives the runners a sense of hope.  Running in a crowd of thousands of people, running the same 13.1 miles and shows these homeless runners that they are not different than anyone else.  Also, there are the metaphors of running that help motivate.  Running, just like getting back on your feet no matter how far down you are, takes one simple step and then another after another to reach you goal.  I wonder, what are some of the other groups that may be helped by running?  Does anyone know of others using running to change people’s lives?

As the temperature decreases I have noticed that my motivation for running has conversely decreased.  I’ll admit it, I do not like the cold.  You never hear anyone say, “I love this cold weather, I wish it was a little colder” or “I’m so happy its finally cold!  I hope it never warms up again!”  I’m not a veterinarian, but I did take a class about animals once and heard that humans are warm blooded animals.  Anyone who tries to convince you otherwise is trying to make themselves feel better about their choice of area of habitation.  However, no matter how cold it is where I chose to live, I have to remind myself, “Even though I dislike the cold weather, I have running to do and goals to accomplish.”

I somehow have to motivate myself to get out there and run.  One way I do this is by comparing myself to other people.  I go to weather.com and see all of the other places in the United States that are colder than where I am and imagine that there have to be some people running in that cold weather.  However, comparing myself to normal runners only takes my motivation so far.  I need the stories of extreme runners who push their bodies outside of the realm of normal.

One of my recent motivations has been the 127 people who have completed one of the coldest races in the world, the North Pole Marathon.  This race is held at the geographic North Pole and is run entirely on 6 to 12 ft of ice on top of about 12,000 ft of Arctic Ocean.  Guinness Book of World Records ranks the race as the Northern most Marathon.  Runners set off with running shoes, trail boots, snowshoes, and trek poles with sharpened ends or rifles to ward against polar bears.   These people have completed a race that no human should be able to run.  They must have uncanny mental toughness.

I have decided to use this fact that running in the cold is 99% mental toughness and have told myself that I am running in Tahiti during the middle of the summer.  It has worked for me but I think people are becoming confused when they see me running down the street, in board shorts, no T-shirt, and arm floatys around my biceps; in the middle of winter.  I just tell them, “It’s all in the mind man.”  That alleviates their confusion.

You may call it Mumbai or maybe you’re old school like I and still call it Bombay.  Anyway you want what you call it, one fact remains the same, Mumbai is the largest city and the most densely populated in the world.  To put this in perspective, while Mumbai ranks number one in most populated cities in the world, New York City is ranks number 13.  But perhaps the most astonishing fact is that Mumbai boasts a population density of more than 22,000 people per square km compared to New York City’s 10,000 people per square mile.  That makes Mumbai more than double as crowded as New York City.  I have never attended the Mumbai Marathon but one can imagine a race at least twice as large as the New York Marathon!

Due to the large size this event it was more like a walk-a-thon than a running race because most participants preferred to walk.  Even if they did want to run, there were too many people walking to fight through the crowd.  One participant was even seen on his cell phone during the entire race.  Kids and families walked and roller skated this event while listening to bands playing both English and Hindu music.  So why did all of these non runners participate in this event?  To help the cause.

So what was the cause you may ask?  It’s anything you want.  In the largest, most densely populated city in the world, in this extremely large event, there are no people pushing others out of the way to finish the race.   Participants aren’t becoming frustrated with the amount of other people in their race, everyone is there for the same cause, to help.  Below is Mumbai Marathon’s description of this desire and reason to help from their website at http://mumbaimarathon.indiatimes.com/charity.html:

“World over marathons are revered for the emotional connect that they establish in the hearts and minds of the citizens. A marathon provides the city with a platform to come together in a celebration that cuts across social and economic barriers. It brings together the common man, the corporate czar, the politician, the socialite and the physically challenged onto one platform. It is an event that stirs the conscience of every citizen, encouraging them to reach out in aid of a cause or charity.

Why run for a cause & raise pledges?

Because it is a great way to show that you care;
Because running for a cause and raising pledges can be great fun, and can be much easier than you think – ask any of the people who did so last year;
Because you choose the cause or charity you would like to run for, a charity that you trust to use the pledges you raise in a transparent, accountable and effective way to make a difference to the lives of the underprivileged.”

So next time you are in your car, cursing the traffic, start to think about your next run and contemplate one thing:  What are you running for?

This year on March14th will be the inaugural race of the Bandit14K/30K Trail Run in Simi Valley, CA.  The race promoters estimate 100 to 200 runners to participate in this first time event.  The race starts in Corriganville Park, running over mountains in single-track switchback, at one point you can see the ocean from 2600 ft. above sea level!

Yesterday I was sent two separate articles from friends about running in a poor economy and began to think about how running is affected by it. This is something that I have thought about many times before not only because I am a runner, but also because I am an economist who enjoys getting value out of every dollar. Some of the reasons I enjoy running so much are that it costs nearly nothing and you can do it where ever, whenever. I have never understood people who spend sixty dollars a month for gym memberships when the streets and trails or free. Maybe it’s a social experience for them.  Maybe they do a lot of weight training; I do push-ups and sometimes I even find a bar so I pull myself up above it, over and over again.  It’s pretty hot.  No matter how we exercise though, we can all agree that even in a poor economy it is very important to stay healthy and look your best.  At your job interview you want to look like you have the endurance to work those long hours don’t you?  I thought so.  One often overlooked reason it is important to stay healthy in a bad economy is that exercising is preventive medicine; keeping you from paying high health care costs later. A study found that those who worked out twice a week for 2 years saved 1,252 dollars in health care cost over those who exercised only once a week. Likewise, people who are overweight by thirty pounds typically spend between 5,000-21,000 dollars more on health care than people of average weight.  Not only do they have to spend more money for food, but also on health care costs!  Unbelievable.

Running is also a relatively inexpensive sport. I run almost everyday and it barely costs me a dime. However, there are two aspects of running that can become expensive:  running shoes and participating in races. Running shoes guard against injury and thus may save you money in the long-run (no pun intended). Remember, I value every dollar, and spending a bit extra for a good pair of running shoes is well worth it to me. However, before you spend a premium price for running shoes you want to make sure they are the right pair for you.  On this site at there are detailed descriptions along with runner’s reviews of running shoes to help you make the right decision for you.  You’re welcome.

The other major cost to runners is participating in events.  This cost is a personal judgment call depending on how much money you need to save and how valuable running certain events is to you.  In times like these I continue to participate in the events that I have a tradition of participating in but typically do not try new events or run in the random 10k just because I live near it.  You can decide which races are worth the price based on other runner’s reviews.

You can stop Running out of money and Recession Proof yourself!  Now who’s up for some McDonald’s dollar menu?