It's My Runnerversary August 22, 2007, How long have you guys been at this. (Read 122 times)

I started in 2008. It's all logged here in RA, 12781 miles.  Sports bras had been invented.

I started on June 5, 1982.  I was 16 years old.  I had been smoking a pack of cigarettes a day since 9th grade, and when I went from living with my mom in Gallup, New Mexico, to living with my dad in State College, PA, it was a massive culture shock, and I was told the cigarettes had to go.  So I convinced my dad to buy me a pair of $19.99 Brooks running shoes at Rapid Transit in State College, and with some money I had from a restaurant job, I bought a pair of white, cotton gardening gloves that fall, so I could look like Bill Rodgers when I ran.  I ran 2 miles every morning and every evening, and eventually worked my way up to about 40 miles a week that year.  I think about those 1982-83 miles every time I go home for a visit now and run at the age of 54.  The mile pace is a lot slower now, but it feels basically the same.

You're still logging 75 miles/week.  Impressive.

Joined RA on October 1, 2011, and logged my first workout — a “long” run of 7.6 miles. I’ve logged over 19,500 miles on this site since then — current streak of 93 consecutive months of at least 100 miles. I’ve met and learned from some amazing people as a result of RA interactions.

[My first running memory was in 1973, when Mark M., who lived 2 houses down the street, beat me in a race around the block when I was about 8 years old. He stayed 5 feet behind me and out-kicked me at the finish. I never got over it. Sports bras were not a thing back then, as far as I knew, but jock straps were big.]

 

 

Stotan principles are many and varied, but most importantly it involves training by feel, embracing a holistic regime of natural diets, extremely hard training in natural surrounds, and mental stimulation. By stotan principle you live and train on tenets.  I know some Stotans who take a different approach to training but though different they are all based on phronesis (practical wisdom) learned from experience and then applying it effectively.  To some it seems to lack a science based approach as training schedules are not regimented and planned out. I have my own four tenets that are the cornerstone for my athletes training

1. Honesty    40%

2. Flexbility 30%

3. Self reliance 20%

4. Mental Toughness 10%

 

All of which are weighted so the most important is Honesty. Honesty keeps you from over training, it helps you recognize impending injury or burn out. Reaffirms, by evaluating your commitment. If you are honest in your approach to your training, you hold yourself accountable and train to the level you've set. Honesty also make you choose smart attainable goals.

 

Flexibility is my favorite. My girls love it. Honesty make them consider a workout as assigned. It leads them to be able to think be empowered to make choices and changes.  "Am I on my 1st day hmmm its an intense workout?".  In steps tenet 2, flexibility, that combined honesty let them say "coach I have my period today so Iam just going do to a longish easy run which is better than hard intervals considering my present condition.

 

See how it works, I use these examples because I mostly coach women. Stotan principles allow you to not merely follow instruction but to promote changes that best suit the athlete.  I tend to be long winded so I'll stop here, its simplified but I hope you get the point.

This is very interesting. In and of itself and also I'm finding that by necessity as I'm getting older than these tenets are forcing themselves on me and requiring that I follow them or forget about running at all. Do you follow a "natural" diet yourself?

 

This is very interesting. In and of itself and also I'm finding that by necessity as I'm getting older than these tenets are forcing themselves on me and requiring that I follow them or forget about running at all. Do you follow a "natural" diet yourself?

I follow a "healthy diet, it incorporates a lot of natural foods, but I don't strictly adhere to the "Natural" diet.

May or June 1976 at the end of law school.  Decided to go "jogging" with a classmate.  Went in a scary direction-  faster jogging getting back to the law school!  Haven't stopped since then for any significant stretches of time.  I've had time off due to injuries or cross training with the other triathlon sports, yoga and spin, but running is my first love (except when I hate it).  I hope I have a couple more decades left in me.

Ran off and on starting at 16 in 1990.  Used to alternate between 2.5 and 4 miles (no watch) on dark country roads in between corn fields in Illinois.  Was going to go out for cross country, but chess club interfered.  I wish I could use my running experience with that youthful body, but life doesn't work that way.  I didn't start logging runs until age 30.  First marathon on my 35th birthday.  Discovered I was actually (relatively) fast at age 44.

Started with RA in June 2008 when I went out for a run after moving to Austin.  Eleven years and 14,000 miles later I'm still going.  It's gone fast, but at 45 I'm a much better runner than I was at 34.

In my mid 40's I decided I needed to get off the couch and joined a masters swim group. Wasn't a great swimmer but it got me moving and I enjoyed the structure. Met a gal who was training for a tri and we talked running. NEVER thought I could do it, but started running in 2007 and all of a sudden it's 12 years later 😄.

Running, and exercising in general, has become a big part of my life. It is also a huge stress reliever for me. Dealing with job pressures, my mom's long journey with Alzheimer's, and all of the everyday stuff that we all deal with. Sometimes I wish I'd started running in high school or college, but now that I'm getting closer to 60, I appreciate that I move forward everyday!