The highs and lows of a healthy lifestyle ...

Dealing with injury disappointment in 5 helpful ways 

Choosing a runners life also means choosing a life of highs and lows.
It's not always about endorphins, finish lines, medals and high fives. Blood, sweat and tears are very, very real.

It starts with a high.

I was super excited when a number of readers of my blog contacted me to tell me that they had been inspired to enter this year's Melbourne Marathon. "Great news", I said and immediately became their number one cheerleader.

However now with only 3 weeks to go before the run I am sharing their disappointment as they have withdrawn due to injuries. "Aaaaaaaagh", I cried,  "It's not fair"! The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Before even reaching the start line.

What to say?    Here's 5 things to remember that are part of the runner's life.

1. WELL DONE FOR MAKING THE COMMITMENT

Just remember that you did much more than those who made excuses, those who said "I could never (or would never) do that", and those who said "why?" You took the first step (pun intended!), the biggest one .... the step of signing up.  You did a lot of training.  You became healthier and happier. Well done!  Regardless of what happened, you are closer to your goal than those still sitting on the couch. 

2. INJURIES HAPPEN .... 

The message came in like this ....

"Hey Macca, How is your training going? Unfortunately I have had to withdraw due to Achilles tendinitis - just a bit shattered. Time to refocus and aim for 2015..."

Another was due to a stress fracture that no matter how much positive thinking was applied just wouldn't go away.

Injuries range from blisters through to knee reconstructions.  They happen. Typically I am always running with some sort of strain, tiredness or ache. As I get more experienced I get better at listening to my body and knowing what the difference is. Sometimes I just suck it up, other times I get it treated. I ask questions, I share, I try and know what's going to be really bad to push through, but I accept these as part of really being a runner.

Us mere mortals get injured .... but so do the very best. My marathon hero, Ryan Hall, had to withdraw from the London Olympic Marathon. Now that's disappointment.  But the best also use it to their advantage, turning these days into motivation for the future.  That's a good mindset to have. 

This is Ryan Hall, he knows about being exultant in winning .....

... and hobbling in disappointment.

3. THERE'LL BE ANOTHER RACE NEXT YEAR

God willing,  next year the Melbourne Marathon will be on again (and it might even finish inside the mighty MCG stadium!)  Better to enjoy it and finish strong rather than be finished protesting "I'll never do that again!"  You have to fall in love with the idea of training and enjoy the multi-month journey, it's not just about the 42.2km on the day.

4. IT'S JUST A RACE .... NOT LIFE AND DEATH

Worse things have happened to other people today. What's more important is to remember that we are only competing against ourselves, and not the pack. Put it into perspective.

HOW CAN YOU HELP OTHERS? 

I've saved the best advice to last.  When you start thinking about others you'll feel less sorry for yourself.  My friend Tim raised over $10,000 for a charity so he could run the famous New York Marathon.  But a cyclone wiped out the event.  Did he stop?  No, he picked himself up and helped out with the relief efforts.  Now that's inspiring.  Then he went back the following year and smashed it!

You've got a lot of time over those many runs and many months, I encourage you to think about who you could help and how.  Put your mind to this and the kilometres will fly by, the weight will fall off and you'll be achieving goals much bigger and more important than claiming that Marathon medal.

Share with me what you think this might be.  I'll be your number one cheerleader!

Call me "Mr. Ambassador" ... introducing Janji.

Groucho Marx famously said that he "never wanted to belong to any club that would accept him as a member."

Well I've been invited to join a new Club and, unlike Groucho, I couldn't be more stoked! But more about that down the bottom ...

I want to introduce you to a business, a social enterprise, a cause, a movement  - all rolled into one.

About 2 years ago I came across a small article in the US Runner's World Magazine about a company that was producing running gear using themes of developing countries and then providing funding for life changing projects within those countries.

Had me at hello!

This was an awesome concept.

Introducing Janji -  a running apparel brand that provides water to those in need.  

The first Kenya-inspired design I saw.  But also Haiti, Peru, Ethiopia ... and more. 

So I started to poke around, read their story, check them out.  I liked what I saw. A lot.

Janji's vision is to use the power of running to create a healthier and happier world.
Buy a piece of Janji gear - give someone water for a year.
Nice. Simple. Sweet.


                                  Here's their website:     http://runjanji.com

                                  Here's their story in 90 seconds on YouTube:
                                            ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7UVcTle4c0&feature=youtu.be


So I started to buy some of their gear.  Nice.  In fact I was lucky enough to be their first Aussie customer!

Then at this year's Boston Marathon Expo I met co-owner Dave (and bought some more gear!).  I was a bit excited and thrilled to have a great chat with the crew.

Meeting co-owner Dave Spandorfer

And now I've been invited to join a tribe of runners as part of Janji Corps! I'm pretty stoked about that.  Why wouldn't you be? Any chance to encourage others to help others through things they love.

'Run for Another'.  The first of many Janji tshirts I'll own.

What do you love to do?  No matter how much you love it I know how you can take that lovin' to a whole new level ..... use it to help others.

Run for another.
Swim for another.
Knit beanies for another.

Whatever it is knock yourself out!


Andrew McKenzie

$100 per pair of shoes sounds like a fair deal ....

I don't blame the shoe companies.

I don't blame the marketers  - I'm one of them!
I don't actually know who to blame.

But I'm sitting here watching courts full of young Aussies playing basketball wearing shiny great shoes. They are awesome!  Great colors and styles.  All have that 'new shoe' look about them.

But it gives me a conundrum.

The shinier the betterer!

I wish I had $100 for every pair of feet here.  How could I get every kid to spend $100 on new basket ball shoes and not $200.  Then think what could be done with that extra money.

Do the maths:  10 kids per game = $1,000 per game.

Even at half price allowing for discounts and hand me downs.

Every kid here has shoes that are shiny and new. Nike the most. A few Adidas, a few Asics. 

I can't see any Michael Jordan's out there. But I can see plenty of his shoes.

My kids are out there too. Wearing great shoes that are, admittedly, hand me downs.

Not just cool shoes .... you have to have the latest cool Nike socks as well!

Basketball was created for social purpose. Now that purpose appears long lost amidst the culture of shiny new footwear somehow justified as necessary.

Now I'm just as suckered into this as well. Ask me to run a marathon in a pair of Dunlop Volleys and I'll give you a pseudo-scientific/health reason why I couldn't possibly.

It goes to the heart of consumerism. Why buy a Mercedes when a Commodore gets you there at the same time (and I'm as guilty at selling these to anyone).

Yes, it was a little strange taking photos of feet. Wonder what the people sitting next to me thought!

So here's the challenge amidst the conundrum. Instead of making it 'cool' to wear the latest and greatest shoe endorsed by an overpaid NBA star, how could we make ourselves cool by wearing shoes that don't require Kobe Bryant to earn $34 million in endorsements - in 2014 alone!  

How might we make our status and worth - and self reward - measured by what we have to give to others.
Make giving the reward rather than getting?

How can we make 'giving' more cool than 'having'?

Make being the best we can be = 'cool'. Wrapping up our identity in doing good not looking good. Linking our identities perceived 'worth' to how we share with others.  Imagine these basketball players saying "you're cool  'cos you gave 'x',  not have 'x' ", or "You deserve that cos you shared 'x' not  asked for 'y'". Even better; "You have worth because you gave away a shirt, not because of the shirt you wear."

I don't get it. I struggle with it.

Recently I heard the true story of a place where the richest person gives everything away in their community and gets to wear a gold cloak. His identity not tied up in the cloak but the esteem that comes from giving everything away. Now that's pretty "cool".

Wish you could buy an extra foot in height as easily as you can in shoes!
Would have helped my game for sure!!

I admit I don't get this consumerism thing. I struggle with it.
But I do believe that changing the world starts with me. That "be the change you wish to see" is true.
So I'll do what I can do. And try not to judge the kids who will grow out their new shiny shoes and buy newer shinier ones by the time I finish this post!

I'll try and make giving my reward, do what I can do and find my worth in the journey.

Or maybe I just should buy shares in Nike. 

Awesome stuff from U15 800 metres - by Benjamin McKenzie

Hi. This is Benjamin McKenzie here. Dad’s always going on about these cool stories that come from running so I wanted to share one of my own.

Recently we had a multi-school athletics carnival day. I competed in a heap of events but the big story of the day was the Under 15’s 800 metres.

There was 12 runners lined up next to each other on the starting line. The gun went and one of the runners, Jake Shepherd from Plenty Valley, was tripped up.

This is Jake's picture from Facebook

Matt Perry from Donvale saw Jake on the ground and stopped and helped him up.

Matt then sprinted off to catch the other runners. Amazingly, he not only caught them but he got a lead of ten metres! By the end he was too tired from having to sprint after everyone and eventually finished third.

Jake posted about it on Facebook saying:

“got tripped at the start of a race at athletics today. so a guy (different from the one who tripped me) comes and helps me up. he ended up third, so probably sacrificed a first place and a spot in the next round to help me. people are awesome.”

It got a heap of likes.

I probably wouldn't have done that because it meant you probably didn't have a chance of winning if you did that.

I think it was awesome of Matt to be willing to give up his position and chance of winning the race to help Jake to get up again.

What a difference a year makes. 2014 Boston Marathon inspirations....

What a difference a year makes.

"Run like you stole it” is one of my favourite banners that you often see held up by fans along a marathon route.  For this year’s 2014 Boston Marathon it could have read “run like someone else stole it”. 

Because that’s what happened in 2013. The event was stolen from us runners, regardless of whether or not we’re from Boston.

Looking back on what I wrote 12 months ago after the 2013 event is a pretty grim picture:
http://runninghelps.blogspot.com.au/2013_04_01_archive.html

Going back to Boston this year was a decision made in the hours after last year’s tragedy. Despite having ticked it off my running bucket list it was an easy decision to make, to be part of the biggest running event of 2014. But I didn't realise quite how big - and important - it would be. 

What a difference a year makes. Here's what inspired me most at Boston this year ...

Outside the Boston Gardens: the Celtic's stadium.
"Boston Strong" was the theme of the week - spoken, displayed, worn, tattooed. 

1. THE CITY

2013 was, regrettably, the most famous running of the race ever. So 2014 was always going to be bigger in every way; number of runners, media coverage, and, above all, emotions.  I only discovered recently that “Boston bombings” was the number one Google search of 2013.  Yes, that big.

The Boston Celtics: A standing ovation, nary a dry eye. 

The Boston Red Sox:  Poignant. Powerful. Impressive tribute. 

Accordingly, tributes were plentiful. From the Vice President encouraging everyone to “reclaim the finish line”, through to survivors and families who were (rightly) celebrated, many of them becoming the face of this year’s event. The swirl of emotions surrounding this year’s event wasn't for the elite, but for the common runner, regardless of whether they had qualified for Boston or not. 

The authorities did a great job.

Lines remained constant outside Marathon Sports, the site of the first bomb. The One Fund continued to raise millions and the city embraced the running world like never before. And the tributes were all beautifully, sensitively, tastefully done. Couldn't fault any of them. Well done. 

Prayer flags, hand knitted scarves and "blessing of the runners". The Churches were packed - and right in the middle of it all. 

National Prayer Flags - contributed by the people and spread across the Boston Common. 

The Boston Library hosted a tribute based on the impromptu shrine built at the Police barricade last year. 

2. SOME OF THE INSPIRING PEOPLE I MET

This is Ryan Hall. America's fastest ever marathoner and one of my running heroes.
He gets the tag 'hero' in my books because I admire him more for what he stands for, how he goes about it
& what he pursues more than what he achieves. 
He ran & helped Meb win this year. Selfless. Amazing.

"The Man in the cowboy hat" was a central hero, rushing in to help others as soon as the bombs went off last year. Carlos Arrendondo will forever be a national hero.
Tatyana McFadden won the women's wheelchair race - weeks after winning the same event in London to top her 'grand slam' of the year. An incredible back story (like Meb).  Found in a Russian orphanage with spina bifida, adopted, , given a chance, turned into a hero. Helping others. Wow. 

Janji, founder, Dave Spandorfer. Janji is a sports brand close to my heart. Buy a piece of Janji apparel and give water and life to those needy in third world countries. Fantastic. We were their first ever Australian customer and it was a delight to meet him and some of the Janji crew. 

Bart Yasso. His title at Runner's World Magazine is "Chief Running Officer".
Cool. Legend. Say no more. 

What's more inspiring than introducing your son to a 73 year old man who has pushed his 51 year old disabled son in a wheelchair for over 30 Boston Marathons ........
Dick Hoyt. 

Truly worthy of a statue  (Dick, not Benny!!)

Dean Karnzes. The ultra marathoner.
On Time Magazine's list of most influential people in the world.

And many, many more.  I would have been happy just meeting all these people and not even running the race! (Well, not really but there are many impressive people we can learn a lot from).

3. THE RACE DAY CROWDS

The race was run in ideal weather conditions. Running alongside amputees, survivors, and wheelchairs was amazing as the crowds, estimated at over a million and double that of previous years, was deafening. They carried many along for the ride. They turned Boston into a stadium of noise.

      Check out the dude on my right. A double amputee, running for the Martin Richard charity team (MR8).                
Martin was the first death in 2013 - the 8 year old who captured hearts with his "no more hurting people" sign.
His sister lost a leg, his mother brain injuries... their family was there again this year.
The cheers for these runners was bigger than any AFL cheer squad ever. 

There were many Aussies along the course. Running with your name or country written on your shirt guarantees an extra boost of fan power energy. Sure security was everywhere, but I felt extremely safe. Safe enough to take my 13 year old son along with me to experience this memorable running experience.

Daffodils were planted along the length of the course by volunteers - in time to bloom during the event.                      'The Marathon Daffodils' were one of many, many powerful visual memorials. 

My first ever live satellite cross to the Today Show!

4. THE WINNERS

The winners were deserving, Rita Jeptoo now a 3 times winner in the womens; Tatyana McFadden completed a wheelchair “grand slam”, and Erst Van Dyk won his tenth wheelchair Boston. Amazing.

The finish line 2014. What a difference a year makes. A glorious sight. 

Meb. A winner at 38.
"God give me the strength to get there"

This photo is from 2013 when I met Meb Keflezighi. Another of my heroes.    
Olympic medallist, New York winner. Now Boston winner. 
Born in Eritrea, Africa he grew up with very little (didn't even see TV until he was 10!) and fled civil war to the USA via Italy. His book "Run to win" is a great story of overcoming and never giving up. He said to me last year "Make it count". I wrote it on my hand. 
This year he wrote the bomb victims names on his bib. He made it count. 

But the biggest winners were the ordinary runners, those who had qualified and those who hadn't. And the hundreds of bombing victims that ran. Every one of them was a winner this day. Together we "reclaimed the finish line" as the Vice President had urged. 

Seemingly everyone running turned it into a tribute run. 

With the race run, the post-race celebrations returned. The celebration that had been ‘on hold’ for 12 months was now allowed to unfold. We could finally enjoy ourselves and enjoy being runners again. The fact that Meb Keflezighi won made the celebrations even more exciting.  No one was in any hurry to leave. The post event party energised the city. It’s like the AFL Grand Final when your team wins … but in this sport, everyone is a winner!  People ‘high five’ you and congratulate you …just because you’re wearing a running bib!

More powerfully is when people come up to you and say "thank you" and shake your hand. They're saying "thank you" for coming. Thank you for restoring their event. Thank you for restoring their city.  

5. THE EVENT

The Finish Line and the post-race celebrations that we all wanted to see.

The Boston legend will only continue to grow.  So if you want to experience the marathon at its most historic, add qualifying for Boston to your bucket list. You’ll be part of a great tradition, an inspiring event and better than Wimbledon or the Golf Masters, remind yourself that no other sport allows you to join in with the elite and be part of its biggest event of the year. Only running.

This year the world’s runners reclaimed the finish line, Boston reclaimed its strength and event. The 119^th running will now go on, bigger and better.

I was privileged to be part of it. It was a very important event and had a sense of importance I have rarely found. It was a joy to take my son, to teach him stories, tell of legends, meet quality people, learn history and understand why they are important.

Benny learnt a marathon lesson too!

It was important. Because it was a day that taught the world a lesson we runners know - you never run a marathon alone. You keep going. You never quit. As a result, people moved on. As the Vice President, Joe Biden, said earlier: "My God, you have survived and you have soared."

I feel privileged to have witnessed it and been part of it.

It's important to me when others get inspired to join others to run. Join me?

Andrew McKenzie (3:15:37 - PB)

Postscript:  I couldn't help wondering about the bomber, locked in a Boston prison. Did he have access to watch the race? Did he see the way the world moved forward? He surely heard about it. What does he think and feel now? He lost. 

Revenge...fun...and instant gratification ... by running?

Some people do strange things for revenge, for fun, or instant gratification. 

Sometimes they are interchangeable. People do revenge for fun. Sometimes instant gratification means dishing out revenge (like the road rage incident I witnessed today). Often instant gratification = fun. 

But its strange to think of running being the platform for each of these. Interestingly, this last week I have come across running being used for all three:

1. Instant gratification

This week someone said to me “Melbourne Marathon has opened for registration. I've been training for 5 weeks. I'm going to run and then I’ll be fit and healthy.”  It was as though they thought "fit and healthy" comes just as easily as clicking their fingers. Good luck, my friend,  you've got a long way to go …… 

Running a marathon is anything but instant gratification.  There’s a big misconception I wish I could eradicate about running marathons.  Just because I ran one once upon a time, doesn't mean I can do it again.

Or thought of in a different way, no matter how experienced I may be at falling out of a tree, whenever I do it it still hurts!

The concept of instant gratification simply doesn't exist for marathons.  It’s impossible to think today “I will run a marathon tomorrow” and then go do it – without hurting! After months of training guess what ... it still hurts!!  Its just a question of how fast you run and how much it hurts. That’s what training helps with. 

I often hear people say “I wish I could run a marathon” or “one day I will run a marathon” (probably just as often as “you’re crazy”).  Well if you say that, just forget all about instant gratification ……

I loved this cartoon. I wish it was that easy!

2. Revenge

This week I heard some really different motivation for running this year’s Boston Marathon:  “It’s the best form of revenge I could think of”.

Wow – that made me think.

Yes, running it in revenge – and fundraising for it – is great, I initially thought. (I know of some people who have raised money for cancer from a run and crossed the line triumphantly in memory of another person, but that’s a bit different.)

But it’s instant gratification: I run the marathon and I fix the revenge issue. Unfortunately its not that easy. The issue of addressing terrorism goes on – and will take a marathon to overcome.

Option 1.

Option 2.
Better.

Option 3.
My choice!

3. Fun

Yesterday my daughter and I ran the Color Run together. It’s promoted as the “happiest 5km on the planet”. And it was. 5km around the Australian Grand Prix circuit was great fun – nothing else. Everyone was deliriously happy. It was an amazing cacophony of people amped up with happiness. Wow. 
The power of happiness wins.

That's us in the white tshirts ...

Doing a 'snow angel' in the blue zone (happiness makes you do crazy things!)

Told you you'd recognise our white tshirts!  Crazy fun!
Maybe they have got this "happiest run" thing right.

So run because its fun. Run because its hard. But there’s no value in revenge – running or not. And the same goes for instant gratification:  if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. 

Run for others. Run for yourself. Run.

What do you run for? 

To be resolute or to make resolutions??? That is the 2014 question!

Running self-portrait.
(NB: Not drawn at actual time of running!)

January, 2014: To be resolute or make resolutions?

How strange that two words, whilst so close, can have such different meanings. Funny language this English one.

New Year’s resolutions abound at this time of year. Many resolutions are about people’s commitment to getting fitter, stopping smoking, losing weight and generally being healthier. However, I've just been reading an article about how 20% of people don’t last 24 hours before failing their new year’s resolution!  

While running this week I was thinking about the important difference between being resolute and making resolutions. 

             * Being resolute is defined as “To be firmly resolved or determined as the temper, spirit,                             actions, etc.”

             * Making a resolution is defined as “A formal expression of opinion or intention made.”

So I think the difference between being resolute and making a resolution is one word:  action.

I can be as resolute as I want to but until I take action it means nothing.

So this year I’ve moved from being resolute about my running to making a resolution – by joining an athletics club.

Funny thing me joining a club. I’ve always been a follower of Groucho Mark’s famous quote; “I wouldn’t want to be a member of any club that would have me”.

But there’s a few reasons for doing this;

                1.      To get better one must run against those who are similarly aiming higher. You can go so far and so fast in your training, but nothing pushes you along like ‘the pack’.

                2.    I have a son who is keen to go deeper into his athletics. I believe in the idea that “the family   that runs together stays together.”

                3.    I’m closer to running slower marathons than I am faster. What’s my limit? Can I break 3:15? I’ll never know if I don’t have a go now.  A few years down the track and I’ll be pushing                              “just to finish”.

So thank you Diamond Valley Athletics Club for you wonderful welcome- and the opportunity to have a few trial runs with you.  I’ve now signed the form, paid the money;   put the resolution into place.

Finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon.
I'm looking forward to crossing the 2014 one. I think it will be an emotional event. 

My running goals for this year (so far) are:

Oceania Masters Games, January 2014

Half  marathon in Bendigo – tomorrow!

Eltham Fun Run, March 2014

Our local event, run by the local YMCA.  10km on trails we know well. My sons will compete in the 5km event.

 Swisse Color Run, March 2014

Last years Australian Grand Prix run was one of my favourites. This year it’s a Color Run (my first) for 5km around the track.  Running it with my daughter.  (I guess its kind of strange to give running event entries to my children for Christmas presents …. but the family who runs together stays together ….)

Boston Marathon, April 21^st, 2014.

Locked and loaded. Entry accepted. What an emotional journey that will be.

Melbourne Marathon, October 2014.

This will be number 6.  I’m chasing 10 and that coveted ‘Spartans’ singlet.

And who knows what the Club will have in store for its members ….

And I’m already thinking ahead to 2015….

There’s some big dreams that will require some big planning …

Or some resolute ideas that will require resolutions.

Stay tuned for that.

And I’ve allowed myself to dream about future events I’d love to compete in. These events pepper  my Pinterest boards ... just to tease! Check our my Pinterest page for a look see at all the 'bucket list' events:

 http://www.pinterest.com/amckenzie11/events-i-want-to-run/

What are your running or fitness dreams this years? Are you being resolute or making resolutions?