How I learned to love running

"Runners are truly sick individuals. What kind of person actually chooses to be worn out, exhausted, and sore?"
Verbatim, that is what I said, until the day I became one of those "truly sick individuals".
This is how I learned to love the run, and how you can too!


I'm short. Like, 5 foot nothing, can't-reach-the-shelf, jeans-are-too-long, I-can-pull-off-6-inch-heels, need-a-booster-seat-joke short. My size was perfect for gymnastics and cheerleading and I always thought of my height as a blessing for my sports...then I joined the track team. Everyone was long, and lean and about a thousand feet taller than me, but I was strong and muscular and more importantly for the sake of track and field-I was fast. Ok, that isn't entirely true, I was only fast for about 200m and then my little legs were exhausted and I found myself being passed by all of my amazon teammates.
While I was lifting after practice, my coach pulled me aside and said "Triton, I'm going to get you in the best shape of your life."  Growing up, I was very defensive, and I thought I was a decent athlete, so this comment completely threw me off. Was I out of shape? Needless to say, my days as a track & field star were short-lived and my running shoes were thrown into the back of my closet to collect dust for a few years.

Fast forward five years, I was working on goal setting with a client and she asked me to train her for a marathon. Wow! Now that is an impressive goal! During that time, I was only running 200m-400m sprint intervals in my own workouts, never even thinking about taking my distance further. As a personal trainer, I always try to practice what I preach, but damn, I didn't think I could even run a solid mile, and this girl wants me to train her for a marathon. In order for me to get her into "the best shape of her life," and prepare her for success, I knew my own neglected running shoes would need a good cleaning.

About a quarter mile into my run I had already began cramping and I was out of breath...why would anyone want to put themselves through this hell for 26.2 miles?  Uncomfortable as I was, I pressed on and surprisingly finished my first mile before I started walking. An older man ran past me and said "keep up the good work!" Um, excuse me Mister, what are you talking about? I am clearly struggling to collect oxygen and move my ass-what good work is he talking about? Wait, I just completed the mile I had originally doubted. Sure, it wasn't enough to even complete a 5k, and it took me what felt like forever and a day to get from point A to point B...but I still got there. At the beginning of my run, I was helping someone else improve and reach their fitness goal. By the end of my run, I had a goal to improve my own.

LOVE THE RUN.
-Wear comfortable clothes and shoes: a well-fitted sports bra, light socks and clothes that don't need constant adjustment are a must!
-Create a playlist. Let your favorite artists keep you trotting. Choose music with an upbeat tempo, I don't see how Beethoven can keep you motivated.
-Know your route (or get lost if you want)
-Start by walking for 5 minutes!
-Keep good form. Let your arms swing naturally, keep your knees soft, and don't ball your hands into fists.
-Pace yourself. Find a speed that you can maintain.
-Just breathe, your muscles need oxygen!
-Take in the scenery.
-Don't say can't. Didn't you learn the power of the brain in kindergarten?
-Relax, let your mind wander. I come up with some of my best ideas when I'm running!
-Find a mantra: "no pain, no gain"
-Hydrate!
-Bring a buddy.
-Challenge yourself: sign up for a race!

TRAINER TRITON'S RUNNING STATS.
-Fastest completed mile time: 6 minutes
-Slowest completed mile time: 14 minutes
-Current mile time: 10 minutes (my hips don't lie!)
-Favorite running surface: pavement
-Least favorite running surface: sand
-Longest running distance: 15 miles, West side highway NYC
-Favorite running weather: Cool with a slight breeze...but I'll run in the blazing heat, humidity, snow, rain...
-Current playlist: Chase & Status, Calvin Harris, The Wanted and anything mixed by DJ Earwaxxx
-Favorite Running shoes: Lime Green Saucony Kinvara 2, or Blue & White Nike Lunar
-Running Motivation: Usain Bolt and traffic. Totally weird, speeding cars make me move faster.
-What I love about running: the run itself. The "runners high" is no myth!
-What I don't love about running: roadkill, traffic lights and weird tan lines.
-Current running goal: to improve mile time (running speed)

If you don't like cardio, I feel bad for you son. I got 99 problems, but I still run for fun.

Change your mind, change your life!
-Meghan