It's a mistake. It's a MIStake!

Have you ever noticed that you can find cheesy, 80s lyrics and/or video to support almost any blog topic? Really! No kidding.



Check out those shorts! Whoa!

Anyway . . . today's Take it and Run Thursday topic at Runners' Lounge is "common mistakes and cardinal sins of running." You're probably thinking, "Her biggest mistake has to be her overuse of the word awesome and ending too many sentences with an exclamation point! Or, perhaps, that silly italicizing thing she has going on." Oh, readers. Readers, readers, readers. No. Those might be mistakes -- might be -- but they are not the type of mistakes I want to write about today.

Today, I'm writing about my running mistakes. Yes, I make mistakes. Often, in fact! So just for fun and giggles or however you want to think about it, here is my . . .

Happy Runner Top 10 Running Mistakes

1. Tight hamstrings. Ugh. I just can't ever seem to loosen up the hamstrings. They are tight. It's a problem.
2. Not crosstraining. Runners need to cross train. As much as I love to run, I've learned that only running can lead to problems. I'm pleased to report that over the winter I added a lot of cross training to my schedule. I'm hoping it becomes a habit.
3. Wearing high heels the night before a long run or, really, any run. Let's just say the feet hurt the next day. A lot. Not good for a run.
4. Wearing high heels, period.
5. Avoiding morning runs. Oh, I wish I could get up in the morning and go for a run. I just can't. I'm not that person. My running would improve with morning runs. I know this.
6. Being inconsistent. I've been known to go through periods when I rarely run and periods when I run a lot. In recent years, I've become more consistent with my running and this dedication has paid off. But I've still been known to slip into the old, bad habits now and then.
7. Not hydrating properly. You would think that by this point in my running life I would be able to keep myself well hydrated. Oh, ha ha! I have to remember to drink enough water every day. Heading out for a run slightly dehydrated is a mistake I've made more often than I care to admit.
8. Starting out too fast. Whether in a race or returning from an injury or heading out for a long run, starting out too fast is a big mistake. I've paid for that mistake by burning out, getting re-injured, and having to cut a long run short. Nothing that I enjoy.
9. Giving up and giving in. OK, everyone knows that I am a cold weather wimp. I wish I wasn't! But, I am. I make the mistake of giving up my outdoor runs in the winter every year. I occasionally tough it out and I'm always proud of myself when I do. Overall, though, I wimp out. I'm trying to fix this . . .
10. Forgetting how much I love to run. There are days when the last thing I feel like doing is changing into my running gear and going for a run. Maybe I'm too tired. Maybe Conal has been cranky and I haven't even been able to get the breakfast dishes into the sink, let alone think about what to make for dinner, move the laundry from the washer to the dryer, or even make the bed. Those are the days when I need to remember how much I love to run and how good I will feel after a run. I sometimes make the mistake of being lazy. And laziness, unfortunately, doesn't make a crappy day any better.

There you have it. My running mistakes. Got any to add? Feel free to share!

~ Felice

Run Faster Winner!

Selected at random (using the very handy tool at random.org), the winner of Run Faster from the 5K to the Marathon: How to Be Your Own Best Coach is I Run for Fun! Congratulations! Send me your address (email: felicehalf [at] yahoo [dot] com) and I will send the book right out to you.

Thanks for the great response to the giveaway. If you didn't win, I highly recommend checking out the book. It's probably available at most libraries (you could ask your library to order it if not) and it is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other book retailers.

Congratulations, I Run for Fun! Happy Wednesday, everyone!

~ Felice

Ten things to be happy about.

1. A beautiful toddler who has suddenly decided that closed-mouth kisses are where it's at.
2. A husband who listens to my rants about whatever it is I need to rant about. And boy-howdy can I rant.
   
3. New jeans from White House / Black Market. That fit. And are comfortable. Yet stylish.
   
4. Sunshine!
5. Exercise TV. Especially Jillian with her, "I want. You to feel. Like you. Are going. To die." And, "Your shoulders. Should be. Screaming." I do, Jillian. And they are.
   
6. A check in the mailbox.
7. A babysitter for Saturday night.
8. A juicy orange and a cup of coffee during nap time.
   
9. The memory of two strong, invigorating outdoor runs this past weekend.
   
10. A mega-storm that wasn't so mega.

Was feeling glum. Don't know why. Coming up with 10 things to be happy about is always a good way shift perspective and shake off the glumdrums. Or doldrums, if you prefer. I'm going with glumdrums. But I don't have them anymore so it doesn't really matter!

Hey -- don't forget that today is the last day to enter the drawing for the RUN FASTER giveaway. The response has been great and I really think that whoever wins the book will enjoy it and, I hope, get a lot out of it! I'll post the winner tomorrow.

Enjoy the rest of the day, everyone!

~ Felice

But it was sunny . . .

Yes, yesterday was a beautiful, sunny day. But it was also cold and windy. So, on one hand, it was a perfect day for a run. On the other, it was a perfect day for lying around in sweats, eating cheese fries and watching yet another Judith Light made-for-tv movie. Luckily, the run won out.

But it was cold! Man! I didn't expect it to be so cold. I guess it was about 30 degrees but the wind chill made it feel like it was about -20 or something like that. I got in a 4.25 mile run at 8:50 pace and felt great. It cannot wait until all of my runs are outdoor runs again.

While I was running, the hubs took Conal ice skating for the first time. I've been saying, "No hockey!" practically since the day the kid was born but, hmm, he does look cute in those skates:


So, we'll see what happens with that. Considering that Conal is not yet two, we have plenty of time to figure it out.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend, everyone!

~ Felice

**Don't forget to enter the RUN FASTER giveaway! The winner will be announced on Wednesday so you can enter until the end of the day on Tuesday.