“He was too small for football and he got tired of sitting on the bench all the time.”
- Ray Prefontaine, on how his son Steve got started in running

Just like an interception in the red zone or a half court shot that goes in at the buzzer, sometimes a little spark is enough to get you rolling again. I’ve come to find that those same unexpected sparks are just as important in running.

I’ve found over the years that it’s the unexpected things in life that are most inspirational. God painted sunrises, chance encounters with other runners or even spontaneous route changes. While they never seem to happen enough, they do seem to come when you need them the most. Still in my running haze, I’ve needed multiple sparks to keep my fire burning. You hear about race depression and burnout but until you struggle thru it, you can’t quite get a grip on it. No matter what people say or do, you have to do it yourself.

One of these moments came Sunday morning. Nothing spectacular by any means but it’s just what the doctor ordered. Feeling good during a 5-miler, I pushed myself a little harder than I should have this early in training. Not feeling 100% in quite some time, I need to take advantage of these moments every time they make an appearance (carpe diem). Hitting the halfway point quicker than normal, I worked on a quicker stride rate on the way back. After a strong showing on “the Hill Home” I turned in my quickest time for that route.

While nothing that will make anybody stand up and take notice, it’s exactly what I needed at this stage in the game. An affirmation that thru all the injuries and self doubt, that there is still a spark and a desire deep inside dying to be let free.

Now the only question that remains is will I let it?

RMFR

“At our East German youth festivals one year, I won 10 gold medals and one silver. And my father was angry about the silver.”
- Uta Pippig

“When I was small I was very naughty and my father chased me with his belt to give me a thrashing. Maybe that was how I got accustomed to running.”
- Fermin Cacho, 1992 Olympic 1500 champion

I don’t cross train. I did swim for awhile but it didn’t stick. I don’t really like going to they gym and even if I do go, I find a way to run there anyway…so what’s the use? I’ve used an elliptical machine once and didn’t feel it gave me the workout I was looking for. I’ve got a reason to give it another try now.

After reading Dean Karnazes’ blog about the ElliptiGo outdoor bicycle, to say I’m intrigued is the understatement of the century. It’s like when you were a kid and had to have the latest new toy that was advertised during your favorite afternoon cartoon (yes kids, cartoons used to only be on after school and on Saturdays). In fact, it has that “wow” factor that even has my cyclist boss daydreaming about lunch workouts on this gym machine on wheels.

The first ElliptiGO’s where shipped out in February and the next batch comes out and pre orders are now available for April delivery. While a little spendy ($2,199 with a $750 deposit required when ordered), as a runner looking for a cross training alternative, I’m dying to get my hands on one. I’m also thinking this could be the crossover I’ve been looking for to bridge that gap between cyclists and runners out on the roads. If not, it will just give them something else for their arsenal.

Anybody out there had the chance to try out the ElliptiGO? Would you spend $2,199 for one? If I could, I would!!!

RMFR

“My parents had a certain idea of what they wanted their ‘little girl’ to be and it did not include a budding track star.”
– Grete Waitz

For years, I’ve been collecting samples of KT Tape from the various marathon health expos. The routine was the same, I’d just throw them into the bottom drawer in the bathroom and forget about them. It started to be quite an impressive collection. In total, I had around 15 sample packs stacked nicely in the back. I never thought twice about using them…until recently.

Just so there’s no confusion, I have not been asked to endorse this product in any way (although I hope they read this and send me so more).

I know it’s redundant, but injuries have plagued my year so far. When achilles tendinitis showed up, I decided to give this dusty tape a try. I haven’t had to tape anything since I played high school football so when my wife and boys caught me shaving my ankles, you can imagine the conversation. Let me just state that my kids now understand that most women shave their legs and most men do not. That’s all I have to say about that (in my best Forrest Gump impression).

The samples of KT Tape had two strips and very detailed instructions on how to use the tape for various injuries. If that wasn’t enough, their website has brief videos on how to apply it. Now while the videos and instructions make it look easy, it does take a little practice so you don’t fold the tape over on itself and if needed, keep it from splitting. My collection very quickly decreased as a couple of early morning attempts didn’t go quite as smoothly as I had imagined.

I wasn’t quite sure if it would help or even work at all but to my great pleasure, I had great success with it. The easy runs didn’t have the burning and soreness they did without the tape. There was support that helped me train lightly without having to sit out another week while it healed. I’ve never studied kinesilogy but I can tell you it definitely helped ease my achilles and when my ankle started giving me problems, it worked there too.

I’m a KT Tape convert now and I can promise that any future samples won’t be sitting in my bathroom drawer anymore. We’ll save that for my samples of sunscreen instead.

RMFR

“I ran to get a letter jacket, a girlfriend. I ran because I was cut from the basketball and baseball teams. I ran to be accepted, to be a part of a group.”
– Jim Ryun

“It was a big ego trip. All the kids I hung around with were impressed. But then I took about a five year layoff.”
– Don Kardong, on a 4-mile run to his grandmother’s house when he was 10 years old

“When I first started running, I was so embarrassed, I’d walk when cars passed me. I’d pretend I was looking at the flowers.”
– Joan Benoit Samuelson