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The Best Thing About Running

The Best Thing About Running

There are so many reasons that I run. It clears my head, it keeps me fit, it allows me to eat a little more guilt free, I feel amazing after every run, and the list goes on and on. And while that is a pretty good list to begin with, I do have to admit that there is one thing above all else that I love about running; it’s the running community. I have never been engaged with such a positive and supportive group. This past weekend reinforced this belief and was one of the most rewarding weekends that I have had in a long time.

Two people that I help coach and are at the two extreme opposite ends of the running spectrum, put such a smile on my face and inspired me in such a deep and personal way, I thought that the best way to thank them, was to do what I do… blog. So here is what happened this weekend. Let me preface this by pointing out that these two people belong to an ongoing Fitbit Running group that has me and seven other members. We cheer each other on, share ideas, thoughts, and provide support. This is MY group. I never have met one of them face to face, but they are family.

One of the strongest woman I have ever met had her first attempt at a 100-mile race. Being an extended part of her crew, I was constantly being updated on progress and pulled in to conversations to provide advice and support. It was also my responsibility to keep our Fitbit group up to date. Throughout the day and evening I provided updates and we followed our friend as she went through highs and lows. And like the warrior that she is, every time that it looked like she was done, she found a way to pick herself back up and keep going.

Ultimately, after 82 miles, and just barely making the cutoff, the crew decided that the right thing to do was to stop and save it for another day. I know that our friend left absolutely nothing in the tank, and that the effort was a complete success. How could it be anything less. And when the race was over, our Fitbit family was there to applaud her and support her and tell her how proud we were of her and send her love! It was amazing.

However, what was equally amazing, was that we had another success in our group that weekend. One of our less experienced runners ran his first continuous 5k without stopping! And when I shared that with the group, the applause, pride, support, and love was just as great! You see, it didn’t matter to any of us if it was 82 miles or 3 miles, what we were applauding was the human spirit. These are two people who are challenging themselves to do things that they never have done before and that is inspiring! They are braver than most people that I know.

This is why I love the running community. What we do is hard work and whether you are just starting or have the miles under your feet to attempt a 100-mile race, it is irrelevant. You are a runner and that makes you special. It makes you a part of MY family, and I always have my family’s back. Now go get it, what are you waiting for?

I hope that this post and this blog helps you achieve your dreams! To receive new post notifications, newsletters, and post previews, please SUBSCRIBE!

For behind the scenes photos and comments on my training and personal life, follow me on Instagram: joe_the_runner  Strava: Joe Randene

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Randene Rant! Act Like an Adult!

Just the other day I was reminded of why I do not watch much TV. On the news, they said that a youth soccer league in South Carolina has banned parents from making any noise when they watch their children play. They cannot cheer, they cannot yell instructions at their kid, they simply cannot make a sound. They have to sit in silence. Does anyone else find this insane? I understand what the league is trying to do, they are trying to avoid parents having fist fights in the stands and helping the coaches out by not allowing parents to “coach” from the stands. I coached my fair share of Recreational League Soccer, and I understand how difficult it is for the child when the parents are telling them to do something different then the coach.

But here is the thing. Like so much in the world today, 5% to 10% of the people are ruining things for everyone else. I don’t agree with the league’s decision to handle things this way, but I definitely can see why they feel the need to act. However, why not hire police to be at every game, explain to the parents that their fees will go up and why, and that at any moment, a referee or coach can have you removed by the police if you get out of control. And, if things get physical, arrest people. Has society really degenerated to the point that we are physically assaulting each other over a children’s game?

When I coached, I literally met with the parents before the season started and said “Look, I want this to be a great season for everyone, but especially the kids. Please refrain from coaching your kids from the stands because we may have a different view as to what they should be doing and we don’t want to create confusion. If you want to discuss tactics, we will take you on as an assistant coach because we need all of the help we can get.” By the way, we only had one volunteer! Then I would discuss with the parents how we wanted our team to be represented. We expected our parents to treat everyone on our team with dignity and support, and we wanted to do the same for our competitors. I never had a problem.

During coaching meetings when the other coaches would discuss their “problem” children, I would tell them that I never met a bad kid, but I have met my fair share of bad parents. Or maybe a better way to put it, is parents who behaved badly. Either way, by not letting parents cheer for their children, or the other team, we are basically removing an opportunity to teach sportsmanship from the game, and to allow the kids to feel energized by the crowd for their hard work. It is simply ridiculous.

The bottom line is that these leagues should not even have to discuss this issue because parents should show up to these games and act like adults. It doesn’t take a real man or woman to berate children, coaches, referees, or other parents. It just shows how immature you are and you are setting a terrible example for the kids. A real man or woman would cheer and support the entire organization. It is a lot of work to organize, coach, referee, and lead these children in a constructive way, and the majority of the people doing it are not getting paid or are getting paid very little for their time.

Most importantly, this is supposed to be a fun time for the children, where they can make friends, create memories, learn skills and sportsmanship, and start to understand what is required to get results and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The ENTIRE thing should be about the KIDS, not the adults. If you want to help, volunteer to coach or car pool, and always be a positive presence at any game whether it’s for your child or the opponent. Lead by example for other children, and I cannot believe I am going to say this, but for the other parents as well. We have enough tool bags in the world, we certainly don’t need another one. PEACE Joe the Runner

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For behind the scenes photos and comments on my training and personal life, follow me on Instagram: joe_the_runner  Strava: Joe Randene

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It All Starts With a Goal

I love to help people, I really do. Maybe it’s because I went through what they are going through, and I always wanted someone I could reach out to that could relate. I am sure that they were out there, but I didn’t see them. There are plenty of “coaches”, but not many who have been overweight and can really understand what it means to try and lose weight and start running at the same time. So, I started this blog.

The great part about letting people know that you are there to help, is that they will actually reach out to you and you get to connect with them and share in their journey. But I want to offer people a little advice on WHAT help they are asking for.

Here are some examples of the questions that I get. “I want to run faster, how can I do that?” or “I can now run 5k without stopping, should I work on speed or distance?” The questions aren’t completely bad, but it leads me to answer their question with a question. My question always is “Well, what is your goal?” For me to really be able to help, I need to understand what someone is trying to accomplish.

As an example, if you want to run faster, what distance are you trying to run faster over? If you are trying to run a faster 5k, then I may suggest 400m repeats at a pace slightly faster than your goal pace. However, if you are trying to run your first marathon, I may suggest that you focus on form and nutrition so that we avoid hitting the wall, and in this case, not slowing down too much will equate to a faster race. See what I mean?

The question of focusing on speed or distance depends once again on your goals. Is it simply weight loss that you are after, or running a blazing fast mile? Are you attempting your first marathon? The answer to these questions will allow me to create a plan that will help you achieve YOUR goal.

Imagine creating a trip from your house by randomly picking streets that connect to each other and at the end of that process you discover that your vacation will be spent at a landfill. You created a plan, and you will arrive at a destination, but is it the destination you wanted to arrive at? Of course not. It’s the same with creating a plan for anything in life, before you work the plan, have a clear goal in mind.

This brings up another point as well. To get the best advice, you need to have a thorough understanding of your current situation, so that you know where you are starting from. If you have just completed your first 5k and want to run a marathon, I would offer very different advice to you than someone who has run three half marathons and wants to run a marathon.

So, whether it’s me, or another coach, do yourself a favor and clearly explain where you are starting from, envision a goal that you are working towards, make it specific, and then look for advice. This is what a good goal may look like. “I have just completed my first 5k race in 30 minutes, I run about 10 miles per week, and I would like to run a half marathon in six months.” That one sentence alone will give a coach a lot to work with and get you a better plan and better results!

I hope that this post and this blog helps you achieve your dreams! To receive new post notifications, newsletters, and post previews, please SUBSCRIBE!

For behind the scenes photos and comments on my training and personal life, follow me on Instagram: joe_the_runner  Strava: Joe Randene

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Are You Really Committed?

“The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed.” Martina Navratilova

Commit: “To obligate or pledge oneself” Webster

Ahhhh, it’s that wonderful time of the year, summer! It gets hot and humid, there are barbecues to attend, and vacations to be had. All great reasons to skip a run or two. But if you are like many runners, you probably have races scheduled in the early fall. September and October are big months for 10ks, half marathons, marathons, and beyond. So, what is going to give?

If you are truly committed to your goals, then you already have the answer. Despite all of the reasons above, and quite frankly, if you are committed to your goals, you would probably call them excuses, you will get your ass out there and do the necessary training to be ready for your race or races. However, if you read this and say, “Come on Joe, it’s summer, take it easy for crying out loud!” You’re probably more like the chicken up there. Involved, “I’ll get a run in here or there on vacation, but I’ll skip a few because I don’t have the time.” Instead of committed, “I’ll set my clock and squeeze that 10k training run in before my family gets up.”

It’s not for me to tell you what is right or wrong, because there is no right or wrong answer, and I do not want you to feel guilty for doing what you are doing. But, what I can tell you, is that if you set aggressive goals for yourself in the fall, such as new PBs or finishing high on the leaderboard in your age group, then involved probably won’t cut it. Because there are plenty of other people who are committed.

For me personally, I do the necessary things to give myself the best opportunity to achieve my goals. I run in the heat, I run on vacation, I run before work, and I run at night. I do not always achieve the goals that I set for myself, but I almost never regret the effort that I put in win or lose, because I know that I am committed and putting in the work.

The point of all this is to be sure to be honest with yourself and adjust. If you need the break and want to relax a little this summer, then either adjust your goals or your expectations so that you can still get satisfaction and enjoyment from your running and your races. If you set yourself up for failure, you risk getting frustrated and walking away from a healthy lifestyle, and that would be a shame, because running is so much more than PB’s and medals.

If you are committed and you are putting in ALL of the work, then dig in and go for it! And again, win or lose, be completely satisfied with your effort and realize that what makes our sport so incredible is that there is never a guarantee. Especially when you get to half marathon and above. Anything can happen out there and in my opinion, the very challenge is in the fact that on any given day we can fail. That is what makes the successes so, so sweet!

For those of you who have been following, you know that I have a 40-mile race in October, and I have no idea whether or not I will have a successful day. But I can tell you this. I am committed. I am doing the work, just follow me on Strava and you will see that. My miles are increasing with the temperatures out there, and my diet is cleaned up so that I can try and have my fitness peak at the right moment. Win, lose, or draw, I won’t have any regrets. In a way, I’ve already succeeded; before I ever toed the line.

I hope that this post and this blog helps you achieve your dreams! To receive new post notifications, newsletters, and post previews, please SUBSCRIBE!

For behind the scenes photos and comments on my training and personal life, follow me on Instagram: joe_the_runner  Strava: Joe Randene

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The Trick to Breathing When You’re Running

Let me start with an apology because, like so many things that are worthwhile in life, you have to work hard to achieve this, but it is so worth it. However, if I titled this, “Work Really Hard and Then Your Breathing Will Get Much Easier When Running”, no one would read it! So, for the record, I’m sorry. Ok, let’s proceed.

When I was 330 pounds and started to run, I could barely get 50 feet before I started to huff and puff heavily. We’re talking loud, with stuff coming out of my nose and mouth. My heart would beat so hard, I could feel it in my head. It sucked… BIG TIME. I’m not going to sugar coat it, if I walked up a flight of stairs, I thought I was dying. And the sweat! Oh my god, did I sweat. For no reason! Well, being 330 pounds was the reason, but you get the point.

When I would see runners go by smiling and talking, I would grow jealous. I wanted what they had. That seemingly effortless glide with barely a bead of sweat or a wheeze to be seen or heard. How did they do that? Hard work, that’s how. Breathing comes down to two things. Cardiovascular fitness and effort. When we start running, most of us have little cardiovascular fitness and the effort required to move is on the high side. That combination equals huffing and puffing and a pounding heart. What to do?

Beginner runners need to do something that they probably don’t want to hear, but that is to run slow, very slow if necessary, and carefully increase their weekly mileage. That is how you will build a cardiovascular base. Initially, worrying about “speed work” is just not necessary. Focus instead on form, running slow enough that you can hold a conversation, and increasing your weekly mileage. That combination will build your cardiovascular base and you will actually notice your speed increase over time. This requires patience. Running slow requires patience and when I say slowly increase your weekly mileage, I mean no more than 10% increase per week. PATIENCE.

However, the reward for your patience will be that your breathing will become more controlled AND your speed will increase. Once you have built that cardiovascular base, then you can focus on some specific speed sessions that will push you to the next level.

Now that I have my cardiovascular base built and my cardiovascular fitness is at a high level (my resting heart rate is 42 to 44), I focus more on my breathing pattern and do speed sessions. Regarding my breathing pattern, I prefer a two breaths in; two breaths out pattern, synchronized with my steps. So, imagine as my left foot lands I breath in, as my right foot lands I breath in again, then as my left foot lands I breath out, and then as my right foot lands I breath out again. Repeat.

I am a mouth breather. What I have observed is that breathing is a very personal thing, so I wouldn’t say that there is a “right” or “wrong” way to do it. I would say that most people who are looking for a “trick”, probably haven’t built that base yet and do not realize it. They are probably doing most of their runs at too high of an effort level. I like to say that your easy runs should be EASY, and your hard runs HARD. And most of your runs should be EASY. And EASY will get faster and faster as the miles start to stack up.

I’ll share a story with you to end this post, and when this happened, I kind of just smiled inside. Last week I was running and I was about to pass these two ladies that were conversing with each other on the sidewalk. As I approached them I said, “Good morning ladies.” And they jumped shouting “My lord, you scared me!” I stopped and apologized because I didn’t mean to startle them, but; they never heard me coming…

I hope that this post and this blog helps you achieve your dreams! To receive new post notifications, newsletters, and post previews, please SUBSCRIBE!

For behind the scenes photos and comments on my training and personal life, follow me on Instagram: joe_the_runner  Strava: Joe Randene

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How to Turn a Bonk in to an Opportunity

“Baseball Running is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical.” Yogi Berra (Joe the Runner)

I know that most of you are just like me, your parents, spouses, and people with full time jobs and limited time. So, the time that we get to run is premium time and can’t be wasted. Every training session is important. And, just like me, I am sure there are times that you get out on your run and things do not go as planned. That speed session just isn’t very speedy, or your long run turns in to a long run/walk. Hey, stuff happens. So; what to do?

The answer is that we need to stay flexible with our training sessions and make sure that we always extract something from them, no matter what happens. Now I’m not giving you an ok to just constantly fail during your training sessions. Most of my sessions reach the intended goal, BUT, from time to time something goes awry and I adjust. Here is a recent example.

Last week, I went out for a simple 13k EASY run. I was trying to hit about 5 minutes to 5 minutes and 5 second per KM, nothing special. Then, at KM 10, I just blew up. Bonked… Maybe it was because this was the fourth day in a row in the heat, or maybe it was in my head, I don’t really know, and it doesn’t matter. I slowed to a 5 minute 25 second pace and felt like crap!

At this point you have some decisions to make. You can bag it and walk it in, but as discussed, our training time is too valuable to waste. You can simply put your head down and drag ass home like a zombie, this is a better choice, but still not the best. Or, you can switch from body work to mind work! What I mean by this is, start to practice as if you were in a race.

This is what I did, I said to myself, “Ok, you’re in a race with 3 KM’s to go, and the wheels are coming off, what would you do?” So, I went in to my bonk management routine. I started to scan my body mentally from head to toe, “Is everything ok? Am I in pain or am I injured? I’m not injured, so check! Keep going.” Then I started to think through if anything was hurting or if I was simply gassed. Turns out I had no real pain, and I was just very tired. So, I took a minute to “own” that. I said to myself “Ok, you are cooked, but that won’t stop you from moving forward, so let’s focus on form and try to run as efficiently as possible and get your ass to the finish line.”

As I started to work through my form, I got upright, got my head back up so my breathing became easier, and suddenly started to feel a little better, and during the process of performing that mental check and making adjustments, an entire KM clicked off! So now I only had two to go. Those last three KM’s went 5’ 28”, 5’ 24”, and 5’ 18”. Not exactly a speed demon, but they were getting faster and I finished! So instead of letting that bonk ruin my training session, I actually improved it by working on damage control and putting some more tools in my toolbox.

Let me finish this post by talking about your “toolbox”. Some people call it a “cookie jar”, or “going to the well” or whatever… The point is, that in my opinion, your training is a set of experiences that prepare you for your races. Every time you encounter something in training and overcome it, you are putting a “tool” in your “toolbox”. Ran a tough 10k in the heat, that “tool” goes in the “toolbox”, blew up at KM 25 of a 30 KM long run and finished anyway, another “tool” in the “toolbox”. Once I started to acknowledge the mental side to our training, I started to look at rain, snow, heat, and any other obstacle as opportunities to put more “tools” in my “toolbox”! If I’m a beast, then I go out in the elements, I attack hills, I run in the mud, etc. You get the point.

You’re probably thinking, “Ok, I’m building this “toolbox” so what?” This is where you can go during your races when the shit is hitting the fan and could be the difference between a DNF and a finisher’s medal. I don’t know about you, but I hate surprises during races, and the “toolbox” is my coping mechanism. More hills than I thought, no problem, I’ve run 100,000 feet of vert in training. Tons of rain and mud, been there; done that. Keep pushing Randene… Trust me, when the pain comes, and it will, you’ll be glad that you can reach in to the “toolbox” and pull out the right “tool” to get the job done!

So, the next time you wake up and it’s raining, get excited! Embrace the opportunity to work on your body AND mind, and go buy that “tool” with your blood, sweat, and tears. THAT is what a beast would do.

I hope that this post and this blog helps you achieve your dreams! To receive new post notifications, newsletters, and post previews, please SUBSCRIBE!

For behind the scenes photos and comments on my training and personal life, follow me on Instagram: joe_the_runner  Strava: Joe Randene

Questions, comments, feedback? Please leave them in the comments section BELOW and we can have a discussion!

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10 Great Running Books

I broke this list in to 3 categories. Instructional, motivational/stories, and fiction. The first category will be technical information on things like running form, nutrition, training plans, race plans, gear review, etc. The second category will be true stories that are both informational and inspiring. Some of the books in this category outline a particular athlete’s story and includes information about running, while others are more of a true story where running is involved, but may not be the focus. Finally, I threw one classic running fictional book out there that I believe most runners will really enjoy. All of these books are well loved by me, and have helped me along my running journey. So, without further ado, and with a nod to Nicole M. for the idea, here are 10 great running books and an extra…

Instructional

Chi Running: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury Free Running – Danny & Katherine Dreyer

This is without a doubt, my favorite book on running form. In my opinion, a must read for distance runners.

The New Rules of Marathon and Half-Marathon Nutrition – Matt Fitzgerald

My favorite book on nutrition because Matt breaks it down in a simple way and discusses food as fuel. He also explains the concept of caloric density of food, which for me was a real eye opener in regard to eating and not being hungry.

Daniel’s Running Formula – Jack Daniel

This is the bible of training and training plans from one of the world’s best running coaches. Be warned, there are complete sections of this book that get very technical and may not be of use for the casual runner, but if you are trying to improve your times, this is the book. Jack discusses races all the way up to marathon distance.

Running Your First Ultra – Krissy Moehl

A very good book for those thinking about moving up to Ultra distances. Krissy discusses everything from training, nutrition, gear, race day, etc. She even has a chapter specific to women and their specific needs. I loved this book as I prepared my first ultra because it gave me one source for all of my needs.

Motivational/Stories

To Be a Runner – Martin Dugard

Matt shares stories of the various crazy races that he has done throughout his career, and touches upon so many things that every runner can relate to, in regard to what it means to be a runner. How being a runner changes the way that we live life.

Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner – Dean Karnazes

This is the autobiography of one of the craziest distance runners alive! If you are thinking of running ultras and want a fun filled motivational story, read this book about Dean Karnazes’ life.

Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness – Scott Jurek

Another one of my heroes who wrote an autobiography. Again, this is a great book to get your juices flowing if you are thinking of running an ultra! Even if you’re not, there are some great stories here.

Born to Run – Christopher McDougall

A great inspirational book filled with all sorts of characters and stories, culminating in the “Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen” I couldn’t put this down because it was such a fun read. Caballo Blanco… that’s all I’m saying.

Natural Born Heroes – Christopher McDougall

Chris is a master story teller, and this is a follow up to Born to Run, where he tells the story of Greek resistance fighters on the island of Crete during WWII, and how they used endurance athleticism to outwit the German army.

The Long Run – Matt Long with Charles Butler

This is an amazing story of a New York City firefighter who was hit by a bus and critically wounded, and how he coped with going from an extremely fit person to someone who had to overcome severe injuries and ultimately run the New York City Marathon. Truly an inspirational story!

Fiction

Once a Runner – John L. Parker

This is a completely fictional story about competitive collegiate running that was written in 1978. Although it is fiction, give it a read if you’re a runner, because you will relate to so much of what the book is about. Plus, it’s a love story, war story, and human story. It truly is a classic.

There it is, my list of 10 plus one extra! I would love to know what you think of the books, or any that you feel I missed. Leave it in the comments below!

I hope that this post and this blog helps you achieve your dreams! To receive new post notifications, newsletters, and post previews, please SUBSCRIBE!

For behind the scenes photos and comments on my training and personal life, follow me on Instagram: joe_the_runner  Strava: Joe Randene

Questions, comments, feedback? Please leave them in the comments section BELOW and we can have a discussion!