Most Improved Runner

I know exactly how much my running improved during my first year as a novice runner, so I’m qualified to congratulate myself. I’m proud of myself, and not ashamed to admit it!

Non-competitive runners don’t get trophies and plaques, but with the magic of the computer, I can pretend to be the recipient of lots of awards. In the page of Making Strides, I show off my simulated hardware. Click here for larger image: Most Improved Runner

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Crime Against Fashion

My first year as a novice runner was almost all upbeat and positive. The one notable exception was when my jacket was stolen. How rude! The nerve!

As I point out in this page from the Making Strides book, the irony is I’d just lost enough weight to fit into the jacket’s matching sweatpants. So I’ll continue with my fashion foible of wearing mismatched running clothes. Click here for larger image: Crime Against Fashion

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Cross Training

Professional trainers advise that cross training — doing a variety exercises — is important to enhance performance and to minimize the boredom factor. It works for me! Running has improved my cardio capacity tremendously, a real plus for other sports.

Bike riding, surfing, and backpacking were all easier because of running. And running was easier because of them. In this page from the Making Strides book I show up with some outdoor equipment. Click here for larger image: Cross Training

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By the Numbers

Numbers and systems of measurements are all around us, giving us a way to put things in context. Pie charts, graphs, lists, and tables — it’s hard to escape the persistence of numbers, especially in sports.

Racers thrive on numbers, but for a slow runner like me, my metrics have to be based on something other than speed. In this page from Making Strides, I recall other numbers significant to my running. Click here for larger image: By the Numbers

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Hilary is (not) That Poor Girl

It was an odd sensation to know I was being pitied, especially when I didn’t feel disadvantaged. OK, so I’m a slow runner, but so what? There are other aspects of my running that deserve more attention, like the fact that I’m doing it at all!

For someone who enjoys scenery as much as I do, the natural beauty that surrounds me on my runs enriches my life. The beauty of where I run is a recurring theme in the pages of Making Strides. Click here for larger image: Poor Girl

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Pawn in a Running Game

Sometimes progress doesn’t happen in a straight line. I found that was the case in my first year of running. There were periods of steady improvement mixed with periods of stagnation from which I had to deliberately push harder to improve.

One step forward, three steps back. Reluctantly, I had to give up running temporarily to recover from a minor injury. It reminded me of a board game, which I show here in this page from the Making Strides book. Click here for larger image: Running Game

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Motivation

Anyone who has ever started – and stopped – an exercise routine knows the difficulty in keeping it going. But WHY is it difficult, and what can keep it going? I guess I’m not satisfied with just being a graphic designer, now I’m dabbling in pop psychology!

I’ve read a lot (from the security of my couch) on the topic of exercise motivation, but I’m pretty sure I know best what motivates me! This page from the Making Strides book lists just some of the carrot and stick motivators that work. Click here for larger image: Motivation

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What Not to Eat

It took some trial and error to figure out what – and how much – I should eat before going on a run. I’m not talking about a complex system of optimum nutrition and hydration, just what it takes to stay comfortable for a morning jog.

Eating the right combination of foods takes effort. There are foods to fulfill every nutritional need, and foods that create a “distraction” while running. This page of the Making Strides book shows some of the foods I learned about – the hard way. Click here for larger image: What Not to Eat

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