Support

One of the ongoing themes for me during this “learn-to-run” thing has been support.  What you can do with support and what happens when it’s lacking. 

I have always been a sucker for really comfortable shoes.  Buttery smooth leather; thick, squishy soles; warm, cuddly interior.  So obviously running shoes are of major importance.  One of my concerns has been about how my feet and legs would hold up.  I haven’t really had past problems, but running is pretty hard core, and cement and asphalt are not friendly surfaces.  Plus a long ago horoscope once mentioned that knees could be a weak spot for people with my birthday, so I definitely needed to take care.  I really wanted sneakers that would cradle my feet, support my arches and ankles, and save my soles from the pounding.  And if at all possible, make me run faster.  Inside Track was the place to get them.  I spent over an hour trying on 6 different pairs of the most squashy, comfortable shoes invented by man.  Each new pair sent me sproinging around the parking lot (they let you test them out!).  I settled on the Brooks Glycerin 10.  They have treated me well so far.  The ground is still pretty hard and a mile has not gotten any shorter, but I feel like those shoes are helping me out every step along the way.

The Turkey Trot 5K back in November was my first ever race.  I had no idea what to expect or how the race would work.  I had the spiffy sneakers, but really had no clue what I was doing there.  However, I wasn’t alone.  The other “girls” were there too.  Melissa was our coach support that day; Charles was out of town.  I could tell Melissa’s back was bugging her (this was about two weeks before her surgery), but she got us moving and motivated, and helped me get focused and feeling positive.  And then she was hooting and hollering for us at the finish line.  And we all joined the cheering as each person finished.  It was amazing!  It really clicked with me that day what it meant to have this group of people with me on the journey towards the Run for the Arts.  The 5K race also taught me the importance of a really good sport bra, a lesson I continue to keep close to my heart (ha!).

Some of the toughest times for me training-wise have been when I’m out on my own.  Schedules have been pretty crazy lately and it has been challenging to find time when we can run together.  Easter Sunday morning I was out on my own, aiming for about 8 miles.  Things started out well enough, but about mile 3 I fell apart.  I had no energy, could only run a few minutes before I needed to walk, and I felt kind of queasy.  Home seemed really far away and I was nowhere near my goal.  But I was kind of near Charles’ house and I figured, if nothing else, I could go sit on his porch until I felt better.  So I kept going, just walking but moving none-the-less.  These were roads the group of us had run before and in the back of my mind I knew I could do it because we already had.  Yes, it was a strange kind of Harry Potter "patronus" moment, but it worked.  I made it around the route I had planned, and I felt the invisible support of the group through the rest of that run.  It started raining when I was about 10 minutes from home, but that was OK because now I have conquered that too.

One of the primary reasons I felt I could start this journey was the support I knew I would find with the Gamut Girls.  And the support has been beyond what I thought it could be every step of the way. 

I'm back!  Hello there!

Okay - back to writing on the blog - has it really been 3 months since my last post??  There have been many changes over the past three months - some of which include my body getting a bit leaner and also my body starting to turn on me a little bit.  Ah, take the good with the bad, right?  My right knee...I'm wearing a brace and starting to do extra exercises during the week in the hopes of strengthening the muscles and stopping the pain.  On the positive side, however, running is definitely a part of my life now, and I feel better on the inside, and my clothes fit better on the outside.  A pretty good trade off, right?  I know that I could still do more during the week, though.  Now that Daylight Savings time has come back around, I can see myself being outside more often and for a longer period of time; adding running to that extra time is now a must. 

All that being said, I think I should be totally honest - I'm starting to fear the 10 miler a bit.  I don't want to "fail" (I don't even know how I would fail, but I guess I just want to do well - I'm not sure what that looks like, however...).  I've set the small goals of trying to run 2 miles at a time and then walk for a little bit.  I'm also going to set the goal of trying to run the entire bridge.  My last goal is to do the 10 miler in 2 hours or less. 

I am definitely in need of motivation.  I need someone to kick me in the butt and say - go do it - get out of the house - go, go, go! 

So here we go - and I mean GO!  Gamut Girls - we are one!  We are a united front!  Let's run this race!  Go, go, go!

KG's first ever blog

KG here, proud new member of the Gamut Girls Squad.  Actually, not that new at Gamut, but very new to running.  I’ve been working with Gamut since Merry Wives of Windsor, 1997 Free Shakespeare in the Park.  I’ve been running since October 14, 2012.  I really don’t picture myself as a runner.  My history with running, and really any kind of sport, is spotty at best.  There was the tortuous “Fun Run” in 7^th grade, 8 laps around the track every Friday gym class.  As if gym class isn’t bad enough when you’re in 7^th grade.  There was marching band in high school, two weeks of band camp at the beginning of the school year, then football games and competitions each weekend for the next four months.  OK, not really sport, but it did take some effort and foot-brain coordination to play an instrument and move around the field and not trip over yourself or anyone else while doing so.  Four years ago I did accomplish some running around the riverfront and downtown Harrisburg on a semi-regular basis.  It was a very pretty September and October.  The riverfront has always been one of my favorite places.  But then it got dark in the evenings and cold outside, and I got bored, and my spiffy running shoes lay lonely in the closet. 

And then it was October 2012.  My life was the usual busy schedule of work and planning for the next show at Gamut (Hamlet).  I think it was Jennie that posted a note on Facebook about the Gamut Girls Squad planning for the 2013 race.  The Gamut Girls had really inspired me last year.  It was so cool to see these ladies working together towards a goal.  It was a heck of a thing they were doing, challenging themselves, and contributing to a worthy cause.  I mean all of us who have met through Gamut participate in the arts in some way.  We know first-hand the impact arts can have on people and community.  But sometimes you have to make the effort to show the world that arts are important.  But I digress. 

Running.  Boy, I wanted to do it.  I wanted to have that goal and challenge myself.  I had lost a little weight and wanted to keep doing so and to keep working on getting healthier.  And I really, really wanted to be a part of that fabulous group of ladies!  But, seriously, running?  10 miles?  How insane was I?  Could I possibly run 10 miles when driving 10 miles seems really far to me?  But, honestly, it didn’t take much to convince myself to try.  So I replied to that Facebook posting and caught up with the ladies on their next run.  And it was tough, I couldn’t even run for a mile.  But it was also pretty amazing, and I could walk for more than a mile.  I made it through that first time.  And so here I am, planning on a 7 mile run this afternoon.  Still trying to figure out just how crazy I am to plan to run 10 miles in less than a month.  But I think I’m in great company!

Amy's Post - Hi Y'all!

Wow - this has been quite a journey so far.  Let's go back a bit...

So, approximately 5-6 weeks ago, I met my good girlfriends at Charles Hooker's house in order to start this running journey extravaganza.  I was nervous, worried, and positive that I would not be able to run - at all.  Having never really played sports (only in the shadow of my much more sportily-gifted sister), I thought running would render me an utter failure in the world of being physically active - as usual. 

Well, there is a magic that happens when good people get together and are supported by a patient, caring coach.  Sports-shmorts - I am running!

The past few weeks of Sunday runs have produced a much happier, less-stressed me.  I look forward to our runs together as a team, and I think of my individual jaunts almost as therapy - I know I'm going to struggle a little bit, but afterwards I feel so good - so ready to tackle the rest of my day, that the small-time struggle just falls away; it doesn't matter.

When Jennie threw out the idea of signing up for the Turkey Trot, I thought - YES!  Let's DO IT!  A few days later, KG and I mapped out the course, and I have to say, this helped me a bunch.  Knowing where I was going / what to expect made me relax during the actual run.  Note to self - repeat this for any other upcoming races!  :)

Race Day, as I've come to expect, contained supportive, caring friends and (surprisingly!) family (calls from / to my family in Colorado and a shocking message afterwards that my cousin finished about 2 minutes behind me...what??) which made the experience a soon-to-be tradition for me.  Because I was surrounded by racers ALL THE TIME during the race, my competitive side started to emerge bit by bit.  I wanted to keep going; I knew I could do it; I felt the pride that is connected to completing a goal.  Heading toward the finish line, I saw my husband Dan - taking pictures and yelling "Woo Hoo...GO, Amy!"  His words of encouragement helped me to jog across the finish line, and man, as I did, that the rush of adrenaline definitely kicked in.  I immediately joined Melissa and friends to cheer on the rest of the team. 

The team - KG, Carolina and Jennie - we were a team that day. 

So now, I'm loving my runs through New Cumberland, and I look forward to our Sunday runs as a member of The Gamut Girl Squad.  I'll admit - I'm still a little nervous about running a 10K...this seems like a LONG WAY, and it is - but my team and I will make it.

Until next time...

Welcome the New Squad

Hi all.  "Coach C" here.

So....with a cliff hanger, we ended the last installment of the Gamut Girls Run Squad Blog-o-report-o-gram.

Briefly, everyone did fantastically in the race and the group raised the second highest overall amount in donations in the event!  Donations that went directly to support your Harrisburg Shakespeare company!


I'm proud of everyone in the squad for both those accomplishments.

A few weeks afterwards, we debriefed at a diner just outside Halifax Pennsylvania.  Image the scene!  Besides the many memories relived and stories retold, we knew looking forward that we wanted to have a Gamut team out for the 2013 Run for the Arts.

Good people, faithful readers: that team is here.  That team is now.

And you may already know some of these brave souls!

Once again (after some wrangling with recruitment efforts) the team is all ladies.  (Except for this guy - but you won't be hearing so much from me.)

In the next few posts, they're going to introduce themselves to you, let you know what the hey they're doing here.  (And some of the Alumni might even let you in on their trials and tribulations from last year's race and...well, most of 2012.)



I'm excited for you to meet them and so looking forward to the next few months of training toward April.

best,

c

MANY, MANY THANKS!

Only have a few minutes here, but I just wanted to say that I've never been so excited AND nervous about something in my entire life!  Okay wait, I amend that... when I gave birth to Carolina I was probably just as (if not more) excited and nervous.  This has been a crazy ride - most definitely!  Tomorrow, we take off at 9:00 a.m. on City Island.  My goal is to finish.  I have a feeling that I will be walking that last mile or two, and probably limping at that, but I just have to keep telling myself that I can do this!  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the last six months of our training and thanks for your contributions to Gamut on our behalf!  See you on the other side!

Eat and run.

We're turning into the home stretch now. Training is going well, and after a long run last Sunday at Wildwood (three 3.1 mile loops) all feel confident.

As the squad has been easing into longer and longer runs, hydration and nutrition on the go has become more and more important.

The trick with running and food is finding something that’s easy for your body to absorb mid-stride. When your heart rate is up and blood’s being shunted to working muscles, the last thing your body wants to do is deal with a four-course meal. Or shrimp bisque.

Here’s a homemade energy bar recipe I made last weekend for the Wildwood run. Melissa and Alexis wanted the recipe up - which I'm happy to share in the hope that I'll be able to sample their versions in the future.

Ingredients

2 cups nuts (I like to combine cashews and almonds)

2 cups dates (pitted dates, or the “rolled” cylindrical date bits from the bulk food aisle)

4 tablespoons coconut flakes.

Dried fruit to taste

You’ll need a food processor.

1. Grind the nuts finely.

2. Add the dates and coconut to the nuts. Continue to blend/grind. The ingredients mass will begin to form into a dough-like substance. If it’s too dry to form together, add a small amount of water while blending.

3. Add some additional fruit and blend. I’ve had luck with cranberries, dried strawberries and dried blueberries.

4. Place the combined mixture into a small flat dish (like a 8X8 baking pan) and press into a firm layer with a spatula.

5. Refrigerate if desired.

6. Cut into bars.

Easy to make, easier to eat!

We all look forward to next Sunday. I've even gone so far as to preregister for the race today (which for a last-moment guy like me is a pretty heady development - I am exceptionally bad with preregistering.)

I've never looked so forward to April fools day.