Non-runners sometimes misunderstand distance runners. They can’t, for the life of them, understand why we happily spend countless hours trucking around town in rain, in the dark, in snow and ice, braving speeding cars and barking dogs. And what about OUR KNEES? Don’t we know that running wrecks our joints?!? My hunch is that every distance runner has fielded this inevitable question from a non-runner at some point. And how should you respond to such concern? With the truth. Running does not hurt our knees. Say it, and say it proudly. Need proof? For one, you can point to a 2013 study published in the journal Medicine …
First Marathon: The In’s, The Out’s, & The Point Of It All…
I just had coffee with a friend who will be running her first marathon next weekend. As we talked about the in’s and out’s of preparing for this momentous occasion, I had flashbacks of what it felt like preparing for my own first marathon. I remember that whirlwind of mixed emotions like it was yesterday. The conglomeration of exhileration, self-doubt, fear, and pride. The agonizing over my outfit, the poring over weather forecasts, the back and forth over fuel options and travel accomodations. Looking back, I’m glad I planned out each detail…because I ended up racing in a 40 degree, 4 hour rain storm. …