Earlier this month a story broke about Kiran Gandhi running the London Marathon during her menstrual cycle without any sanitary pads or tampons. You can read the article here. In a nutshell Kiran, who is a drummer for the singer M.I.A., was free bleeding to draw awareness to women in third world countries who don't have access to feminine products during their cycle and to remove the shame from period shaming.
In typical internet fashion comments exploded everywhere. Many of the people that had a lot to say were other females and they weren't standing in solidarity with Kiran and her views. Women were dragging her name through the blood, so to speak, and expressing their frustration and overall disgust with her way of highlighting these issues. But the only comment that I was remotely interested in reading was from Tigist Tufa, the winner of the London Marathon that Kiran ran in.
She made her thoughts and opinions known to the world in this article and I think it's safe to say that she wasn't happy with Kiran's form of expression either. Tigist could have used her platform of wining a prestigious race in a mind blowing time of 2 hours and 23 minutes to address issues plaguing females around the world, but no one was interested. She called People magazine to talk about the race and her preparations but they were only interested in the "tampon girl" and quickly hung up on her.
When I first came across this article I quickly scanned it and then forgot about it. But as I kept seeing more and more comments pop up on my Facebook and Twitter feeds I decided to take another look at what was really going on and determine if it was worth forming an opinion. Though it is likely to change, as it stands my opinion is this. I think Kiran is brave for making such a bold move and I think Tigist is correct in her observations and opinion.
I can't say that I've felt any sort of period shaming in my lifetime and I doubt that there will be any in the future. In general, women are made to feel inadequate in various aspects of our lives and unless you are able to be confident in yourself and your opinions it's very easy to be swayed with the changing winds. Of course I'm saying this as an American woman in her mid-thirties. I'm unaware of all the atrocities that women endure in other countries around the world and to an extent I'm able to freely voice my frustrations. So if a woman is in the position to bring attention to an issue that is plaguing other women, maybe we should take a look at what she is saying rather than completely dismissing her voice.
On the flip side of that, amazing athletic feats should not go unrecognized. Tigist's performance places her in the top twenty elite female winners of the London Marathon. That deserves praise! Tigist had an amazing performance, pacing herself with the front of the pack for the majority of the race and then kicking it into high gear and blowing past everyone in the last three miles. The last three miles! I have no comprehension of running a 5:41 pace for 23 miles and then saying okay now I'm going to run faster. WHAT!? How did she train? What was her diet? If I wear her shoes will they help me get to the finish line faster? All of these are questions that should have been asked but weren't. Runner's World did a great article about TIgist and you can watch a short video highlighting her finish here.
But this whole situation did one main thing... it got everyone talking. Whether you wanted to see Kiran with her blood-stained pants or watch Tigist cross the finish line you were drawn in. The other benefactor of this story is running in itself. Someone reading these stories and commenting on either end just might take a moment, go to their local running store, buy a pair of shoes, lace up and hit the pavement. In the midst of all this chaos a new runner will have been initiated, and in the end isn't that what really matters?
Monday, August 24, 2015
Sunday, August 23, 2015
First week of school and first week of insanity
To make matters a bit more complex my youngest daughter was noticing that her sister was missing in action, so that meant that I had create distractions and diversions so that she wouldn't get upset (or at least too upset because every morning she asked for her sister). Each day was filled with activities and adventures and when I put her down for a nap I would, without fail, take a nap myself. Here was our insane schedule.
Monday we spent the day hiking trails and doing some animal exploration. We checked out two parks and got to see turtles, butterflies, lizards, frogs, and at least five different species of birds.
Tuesday morning was my five mile run and later on the little one and I went to the zoo and splashed around in the fountains. Every week they have water activities for toddlers to cool down in the summer heat. After the fountain she wanted to run around and look at all of the animals.
Wednesday we explored yet another trail with my mom friends and their kids and got to see some more Florida wildlife.
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| Can you see the alligator tail? |
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| I think the snake was posing for the picture |
Thursday we went to the science museum and aquarium. My little one could spend the entire day in here looking at the fish and exploring all of the hands on exhibits.
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| Where was this lite-bright when I was a kid? |
Can you guess where we went at the end of the week? If you said a trail you would be correct! The trail had a very nice nature center with some aquariums.
The park is also on the beach so after we walked the trail and walked around the nature center we changed our clothes and headed for the beach.
I was supposed to run early Friday morning but I knew that I was going to be out later that evening. So I skipped out on the run and gave my friend/running partner a heads up.
And although I was a bit down about skipping out on my Friday run I made up for it today with my long run.
A moderate 18 mile run in 90 degree heat. From this point on my long run mileage will go up and down with the longest distance reaching 22 miles twice. So the fact that I'm able to write this post and refrain from passing out means that I've done pretty well this week. I can't say much about next week though.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Ain't nobody messin' with my clique
Running groups/clubs are a great way for fellow runners to talk, bond and get some miles in at the same time. I never thought I would join a running group but here I am, six months in with one and the benefits have certainly outweighed any disadvantages. What I find so interesting is that even though we are have the common denominator of running, we still seek even more commonality within runners. Just like any other situation where you have a large group of people getting together and meeting on a regular basis, running groups have cliques.
Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines the word clique as a narrow exclusive circle or group of persons; especially : one held together by common interests, views or purposes. Naturally any group of runners would be considered a clique because we have running in common. But as I have experienced, not only with my running group but many other groups, there are cliques within cliques.
When my running group gets together on Sundays for our long runs, you can see the groups formed in the parking lot before we start. While we all say good morning and have a quick chat with one another, we soon begin to migrate towards our "people". Most of us can float between multiple groups but so often we tend to stay with our troop.
Some of these sub-groups are:
On the off chance that a large portion of a sub-group didn't show up to a run, the remaining member(s) tend to just float about waiting for the moment we all start our run. I can certainly relate to this. Now that I've found my "people" I don't take the time to really engage with any of the other runners when my sub-group isn't there.
Initially this bothered me and I felt that it was important to mingle with ALL of the runners. Now, when my clique isn't at a run session I just keep to myself. I've become accustomed to our conversations, our silence, and our pace. Inserting myself into another group means that I have to now talk about their topics and run at their pace. Who has time for that? I'd much rather trail behind another group, or pace just ahead of them so that I can either see or hear them and know that they are there. Of course some days I just run by myself. That's when I really don't want to be bothered.
I keep telling myself that it's about the camaraderie and to not shut myself off from talking to other people. And then I say f-- it. There's something so cathartic about telling stories about my toddler when she did something to make me angry and then turn around and make me laugh. Or expressing my emotions about black men and women getting killed and how I fear for my children and my wife. Or laughing about my upbringing and finding a shared experience with a fellow runner. I enjoy these runs in part for the thoughts, ideas and moments I am able to share and it sucks that I can't always feel that when I missing my clique.
Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines the word clique as a narrow exclusive circle or group of persons; especially : one held together by common interests, views or purposes. Naturally any group of runners would be considered a clique because we have running in common. But as I have experienced, not only with my running group but many other groups, there are cliques within cliques.
When my running group gets together on Sundays for our long runs, you can see the groups formed in the parking lot before we start. While we all say good morning and have a quick chat with one another, we soon begin to migrate towards our "people". Most of us can float between multiple groups but so often we tend to stay with our troop.
Some of these sub-groups are:
- the fast runners
- the slower runners
- male runners 40 and up
- female runners 40 and up
- ethnic runners
- runner parents
On the off chance that a large portion of a sub-group didn't show up to a run, the remaining member(s) tend to just float about waiting for the moment we all start our run. I can certainly relate to this. Now that I've found my "people" I don't take the time to really engage with any of the other runners when my sub-group isn't there.
Initially this bothered me and I felt that it was important to mingle with ALL of the runners. Now, when my clique isn't at a run session I just keep to myself. I've become accustomed to our conversations, our silence, and our pace. Inserting myself into another group means that I have to now talk about their topics and run at their pace. Who has time for that? I'd much rather trail behind another group, or pace just ahead of them so that I can either see or hear them and know that they are there. Of course some days I just run by myself. That's when I really don't want to be bothered.
I keep telling myself that it's about the camaraderie and to not shut myself off from talking to other people. And then I say f-- it. There's something so cathartic about telling stories about my toddler when she did something to make me angry and then turn around and make me laugh. Or expressing my emotions about black men and women getting killed and how I fear for my children and my wife. Or laughing about my upbringing and finding a shared experience with a fellow runner. I enjoy these runs in part for the thoughts, ideas and moments I am able to share and it sucks that I can't always feel that when I missing my clique.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Am I a running snob?
When I indoctrinated myself into the club of running, one thing I noticed that was a constant conversation/concern was speed. Even when I ran by myself and didn't have another runner to keep up with there were always articles, apps and races highlighting faster runners. So naturally I assumed that speed was the thing to achieve at all costs and I became obsessed with it. I would push myself to run at speeds that were way too hard for me in the beginning which is probably why I stopped and started for so long, and also why I constantly suffered minor injuries.
Speed is something that seems to be an either popular or sensitive conversation and I have been on both ends of the spectrum. Unfortunately I have been one of those people who didn't want to run with the "slower" crowd. I put slower in quotation marks because everyones idea of slow is different. I was always under the impression that unless I was running hard and fast every single time, then I wasn't reaping the benefits of running.
Just yesterday someone vented on Facebook about being called a jogger because their pace is in the double digits. My initial thought was Ouch! No one and I mean NO ONE in the running community wants to be called a jogger. That's the most derogatory thing you can say to a runner. And yet other runners use that word so casually when it comes to people who run a 10 minute per mile pace or slower. Unless you were running everywhere as a child, or your body is perfectly designed for running, or you're from Kenya you had to start somewhere. And even the previous examples I gave doesn't mean that those people will start their running career at a 7 minute mile.
I tell people all the time that I love the running community because we are all inclusive but more and more I see that this isn't really the case. As human beings we have a tendency to want to categorize ourselves whether for our own comfort or to put others down (or both). The running community is no different in that we tend to idolize the fastest runner, yet talk bad about the slower runner. Now that's not to say that we can't congratulate the people who are faster, who have trained harder and committed themselves to this sport day in and day out. But I also think that we should honor the people who struggle to finish a mile without stopping.
Truth is that the boom in running is due in large part to the middle and back-of-the-pack runners in races. These are the people who on top of working a full-time job and managing a family, have decided to take up the sport of running and do it because it fulfills a need. A friend also reminded me that many runners whose pace is in the double digits tend to be overweight, another group that is overlooked (and sometimes criticized) by other runners.
In the past I didn't say bad things about runners slower than myself but I also didn't say really positive things either. My perspective soon changed when I got a taste of my own medicine. I started a training plan over a year ago that had me running at about two to three minutes slower than my pace was at the time. To a non-runner that may not seem like a lot but it is a considerable difference. I remember reviewing the plan and thinking I can run so much faster than this. Why am I running so slow? Though I wanted to drop the plan I had already made the commitment and decided to keep it.
After only one week I was beginning to eat my words. Running at the slower pace was much harder than it was running at my faster pace. I found out that my form was absolute crap, something that was hard to detect when I ran faster. I also discovered that I really had no endurance. When I ran at a faster speed I could go no more than seven miles max without completely bombing. The slower pace helped me to gain endurance, built up my cardiovascular system and mental capacity for longer distances. To solidify my change in thinking I ran a race at a slower pace and discovered that all the other people who were running around me were working just as hard, if not harder, as the runners who already finished.
Another interesting experience that I've had is with the group that I currently run with. I've been with the group for only six months or so. When I started the group I only did the longer distances so I often ran at a slower speed. After doing some speed sessions and the other runners noticing that I'm a faster runner than they thought, more of the members began to engage me in conversation. I didn't want to think that this was the case but it was pretty hard to deny the truth. Now that I'm viewed as a fast runner amongst the group, my slower paces are considered smart training practices.
I don't post my running stats as often as I did before. When I do post I often debate whether I'm sharing my experience out of sheer excitement for my new achievements or I'm just showing off. Before I click share I have to ask myself What am I trying to convey by sharing this? I don't always get it right but I continue to work on it.
All the runners who've been doing numerous marathons at break-neck speed had to have a beginning. Even those of us who continue to reduce our times the more and more we race get caught up in chip times and paces. How soon we forget that it wasn't always this way and we had to work hard to cut our 5k time from 40 minutes to 35 minutes. The trick is to not look at the back of the pack with disdain but with admiration.
Speed is something that seems to be an either popular or sensitive conversation and I have been on both ends of the spectrum. Unfortunately I have been one of those people who didn't want to run with the "slower" crowd. I put slower in quotation marks because everyones idea of slow is different. I was always under the impression that unless I was running hard and fast every single time, then I wasn't reaping the benefits of running.
Just yesterday someone vented on Facebook about being called a jogger because their pace is in the double digits. My initial thought was Ouch! No one and I mean NO ONE in the running community wants to be called a jogger. That's the most derogatory thing you can say to a runner. And yet other runners use that word so casually when it comes to people who run a 10 minute per mile pace or slower. Unless you were running everywhere as a child, or your body is perfectly designed for running, or you're from Kenya you had to start somewhere. And even the previous examples I gave doesn't mean that those people will start their running career at a 7 minute mile.
I tell people all the time that I love the running community because we are all inclusive but more and more I see that this isn't really the case. As human beings we have a tendency to want to categorize ourselves whether for our own comfort or to put others down (or both). The running community is no different in that we tend to idolize the fastest runner, yet talk bad about the slower runner. Now that's not to say that we can't congratulate the people who are faster, who have trained harder and committed themselves to this sport day in and day out. But I also think that we should honor the people who struggle to finish a mile without stopping.
Truth is that the boom in running is due in large part to the middle and back-of-the-pack runners in races. These are the people who on top of working a full-time job and managing a family, have decided to take up the sport of running and do it because it fulfills a need. A friend also reminded me that many runners whose pace is in the double digits tend to be overweight, another group that is overlooked (and sometimes criticized) by other runners.
In the past I didn't say bad things about runners slower than myself but I also didn't say really positive things either. My perspective soon changed when I got a taste of my own medicine. I started a training plan over a year ago that had me running at about two to three minutes slower than my pace was at the time. To a non-runner that may not seem like a lot but it is a considerable difference. I remember reviewing the plan and thinking I can run so much faster than this. Why am I running so slow? Though I wanted to drop the plan I had already made the commitment and decided to keep it.
After only one week I was beginning to eat my words. Running at the slower pace was much harder than it was running at my faster pace. I found out that my form was absolute crap, something that was hard to detect when I ran faster. I also discovered that I really had no endurance. When I ran at a faster speed I could go no more than seven miles max without completely bombing. The slower pace helped me to gain endurance, built up my cardiovascular system and mental capacity for longer distances. To solidify my change in thinking I ran a race at a slower pace and discovered that all the other people who were running around me were working just as hard, if not harder, as the runners who already finished.
Another interesting experience that I've had is with the group that I currently run with. I've been with the group for only six months or so. When I started the group I only did the longer distances so I often ran at a slower speed. After doing some speed sessions and the other runners noticing that I'm a faster runner than they thought, more of the members began to engage me in conversation. I didn't want to think that this was the case but it was pretty hard to deny the truth. Now that I'm viewed as a fast runner amongst the group, my slower paces are considered smart training practices.
I don't post my running stats as often as I did before. When I do post I often debate whether I'm sharing my experience out of sheer excitement for my new achievements or I'm just showing off. Before I click share I have to ask myself What am I trying to convey by sharing this? I don't always get it right but I continue to work on it.
All the runners who've been doing numerous marathons at break-neck speed had to have a beginning. Even those of us who continue to reduce our times the more and more we race get caught up in chip times and paces. How soon we forget that it wasn't always this way and we had to work hard to cut our 5k time from 40 minutes to 35 minutes. The trick is to not look at the back of the pack with disdain but with admiration.
Friday, August 14, 2015
The force is strong with this one
Not too long after my last post my old daughter made a decision about playing sports. She was no longer going to play volleyball; instead she would:
RUN!
The same week that she made this revelation she had been running a mile in our subdivision. One day she came into the house, huffing and puffing from a hot run and told me that she was changing her mind about volleyball. She told me that running was hard and for the entire mile she felt like she was going to die. But once the run was over she felt great and for a moment thought that she would be able to do this more often. After I congratulated her on her revelation I laughed and said, "That feeling never goes away."
On so many occasions I practically begged my daughter to come out with me on a run. When she started training for volleyball and asked me to help her run for endurance I secretly thought that this would be the gateway to becoming a runner. I figured that if she would just keep doing it that she would learn to love it.
After one of our runs I asked if she would mind me looking at her form. There were some things that she had been complaining about and I thought her form might be causing some of these issues. But after seeing her glide across the pavement with such ease and effortlessness I automatically assumed that her issues were simply due to being a new runner. Her form was great, so great in fact that it brought a slight tear to my eye. Oh if she could only tap into this amazing potential. She could be an elite runner!
In a split second I noticed that I was starting to do that thing. The thing that so many other parents do when they notice a great source of untapped potential in their child; I was projecting. So I took a step back and stopped pressing the matter. I had forgotten how hard running was in those early stages and though I still have my bad days and crappy runs, my consistency has managed to override my frustrations. If she wanted to run it should be from her own decision, her own idea rather than a push from me. I mean, that's how she decided to play volleyball. The decision was all hers and I was so proud of that.
So when she approached me in the kitchen with a half-smile across her face, breathing deeply with sweat dripping from her face and told me that she wanted to run, how could I not be excited?! I had brought her into the fold and couldn't wait to lace up our shoes together and hit the pavement.
RUN!
The same week that she made this revelation she had been running a mile in our subdivision. One day she came into the house, huffing and puffing from a hot run and told me that she was changing her mind about volleyball. She told me that running was hard and for the entire mile she felt like she was going to die. But once the run was over she felt great and for a moment thought that she would be able to do this more often. After I congratulated her on her revelation I laughed and said, "That feeling never goes away."
On so many occasions I practically begged my daughter to come out with me on a run. When she started training for volleyball and asked me to help her run for endurance I secretly thought that this would be the gateway to becoming a runner. I figured that if she would just keep doing it that she would learn to love it.
After one of our runs I asked if she would mind me looking at her form. There were some things that she had been complaining about and I thought her form might be causing some of these issues. But after seeing her glide across the pavement with such ease and effortlessness I automatically assumed that her issues were simply due to being a new runner. Her form was great, so great in fact that it brought a slight tear to my eye. Oh if she could only tap into this amazing potential. She could be an elite runner!
In a split second I noticed that I was starting to do that thing. The thing that so many other parents do when they notice a great source of untapped potential in their child; I was projecting. So I took a step back and stopped pressing the matter. I had forgotten how hard running was in those early stages and though I still have my bad days and crappy runs, my consistency has managed to override my frustrations. If she wanted to run it should be from her own decision, her own idea rather than a push from me. I mean, that's how she decided to play volleyball. The decision was all hers and I was so proud of that.
So when she approached me in the kitchen with a half-smile across her face, breathing deeply with sweat dripping from her face and told me that she wanted to run, how could I not be excited?! I had brought her into the fold and couldn't wait to lace up our shoes together and hit the pavement.
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
My inspiration
Last year my oldest daughter decided that she wanted to play volleyball. She had to do a lot of preparation in order to get ready for practice because she's never played a sport before. My wife and I worked with her doing some conditioning exercises and running to build up her strength endurance. My daughter found out from some of her friends who are on the volleyball team that they also play in a club outside of the school team. So she called up the coach and started getting herself ready to play.
Within about three months she progressed in leaps and bounds and really started to become a volleyball player. Since the school year was ending she was going to be practicing and conditioning with the beach team to get ready for try-outs at the end of the summer. Three nights a week we were up and down the road going to practice and we even spent two to three days going to our local park where there's a volleyball court for her to practice on her own. I was so proud of her and the hard work she was putting in to become a better player.
During one of our extra practices she got a bad shoulder injury and wasn't able to continue. Her shoulder had been giving her some problems a couple of times before this but it wasn't nearly as bad as this particular time. What I didn't know was that she was having shoulder issues before she even started thinking about volleyball.
She talked to her coach and the coach referred us to a physical therapist who would be able to assess what was going on. We found out that she has an unstable labrum joint which causes her shoulder to "float" out of the joint. The P.T. told us that this is very common among young athletes and that she would need to build the muscles around her shoulder joint. If she didn't build up the muscles and her shoulder kept slipping out the joint, then she might start getting tears which would mean that she would need surgery.
Even though this news felt like a hard pill to swallow, my daughter decided that it wouldn't deter her from playing volleyball. All that was fine and good until she went to practice two days later and her shoulder slipped once again. This time the school coach was there and informed her that she would need to take it easy and possibly find another sport to play. This crushed my daughter. She had been working so hard and was just beginning open gym at her school so that she could try out for the team.
Once she got home (and after a couple good cries) she made a decision. She would take this entire year to build up her strength and work on serving and attacking with her left arm rather than her right arm which was the one that was giving her trouble. I was impressed! She decided that this setback would not stop her from playing volleyball. Instead of giving up and turning her back on something that she really wanted to do, she would put the work in to make her wishes come to fruition.
So many times as a parent you wonder if the words of encouragement that you tell your kids are really absorbed. I always tell my daughters how proud I am of them when they accomplish something that was a hurdle. To not only be proud of them but to be inspired by them is such a wonderful feeling. I guess those encouraging words do stay with them.
Within about three months she progressed in leaps and bounds and really started to become a volleyball player. Since the school year was ending she was going to be practicing and conditioning with the beach team to get ready for try-outs at the end of the summer. Three nights a week we were up and down the road going to practice and we even spent two to three days going to our local park where there's a volleyball court for her to practice on her own. I was so proud of her and the hard work she was putting in to become a better player.
During one of our extra practices she got a bad shoulder injury and wasn't able to continue. Her shoulder had been giving her some problems a couple of times before this but it wasn't nearly as bad as this particular time. What I didn't know was that she was having shoulder issues before she even started thinking about volleyball.
She talked to her coach and the coach referred us to a physical therapist who would be able to assess what was going on. We found out that she has an unstable labrum joint which causes her shoulder to "float" out of the joint. The P.T. told us that this is very common among young athletes and that she would need to build the muscles around her shoulder joint. If she didn't build up the muscles and her shoulder kept slipping out the joint, then she might start getting tears which would mean that she would need surgery.
Even though this news felt like a hard pill to swallow, my daughter decided that it wouldn't deter her from playing volleyball. All that was fine and good until she went to practice two days later and her shoulder slipped once again. This time the school coach was there and informed her that she would need to take it easy and possibly find another sport to play. This crushed my daughter. She had been working so hard and was just beginning open gym at her school so that she could try out for the team.
Once she got home (and after a couple good cries) she made a decision. She would take this entire year to build up her strength and work on serving and attacking with her left arm rather than her right arm which was the one that was giving her trouble. I was impressed! She decided that this setback would not stop her from playing volleyball. Instead of giving up and turning her back on something that she really wanted to do, she would put the work in to make her wishes come to fruition.
So many times as a parent you wonder if the words of encouragement that you tell your kids are really absorbed. I always tell my daughters how proud I am of them when they accomplish something that was a hurdle. To not only be proud of them but to be inspired by them is such a wonderful feeling. I guess those encouraging words do stay with them.
Monday, August 3, 2015
On your mark...
So as of last week my marathon training has officially begun. Technically I've been training for the past two months or so. This year I really didn't want to have such a hard start with training because I was dealing with some mental anxiety about officially starting. While my level of fitness is completely different then last year I still has some nerves.
When I was preparing for my first full marathon I really focused on increasing my miles. I started out averaging between 25-30 miles per week and managed to peak at 50 before my taper. 26.2 miles was new to me and I had no idea what to expect. I was terrified of hitting the wall and figured that if I focused more on T.O.F. (time on feet) that I should be able to keep the wall at bay. But like many first time marathoners I ditched my race plan the minute the sirens blared. I went out faster than I planned and though the wall didn't surface until mile 22 and I was able to recover in mile 24, the struggle was very real.
This year I'm running the same race so I'm already familiar with the course. I'm no longer a newbie and after running in some additional races this year I've gotten better at keeping my excitement in check at the start. As far as my plan goes the only thing that will change will be my long runs. My weekly runs will go as such:
Tuesday: 5 miles
Wednesday: Alternate between tempo runs and hills (average 4-5 miles)
Friday: 7 miles
Sunday: long runs (12-22 miles)
I also do yoga and weight training three days a week. My focus this year isn't so much on miles or endurance but speed. Before I even started training I used a half marathon as a guide to see if I made any progress in getting faster. Last year my half marathon time was 2:17, this year it was 1:57. In one full year I managed to shave twenty minutes from my time with absolutely no speed work. While my nerves center mostly around training I'm pretty excited about the actual race.
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