Tag: Motivation

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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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

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

“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

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

“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!