Stories Matter

Yesterday I had the pleasure of speaking on a panel at the Putting the Pieces Together: Building Effective Partnerships for Children, Youth & Families conference, an event organized by SOAR, a coalition of organizations in King County, Washington that support children (see Panel Discussion below). The panel offered tips on how non-profits can use social media to advance their work. I highlighted how Ning.com and Facebook are effective tools for marketing an organization and connecting with parents, and offered examples of how I've used them at Foundation for Early Learning.

But that's not really what this post is about. Really, I want to share what happened AFTER my panel discussion.

The Power of Stories

After my session was up, I thanked the moderator and headed over to participate in a conference session as an attendee. After scanned the open sessions, the title "Effective School-Community Collaboration" piqued my interest. I headed for room 202.

This panel discussion included partners from a the Seattle Shakespeare Theater and Seattle Public Schools. Within just a few minutes, the presenters told a story of John, an eighth-grader in the special education program. He never spoke up in class, and was particularly shy around other students his age.

Despite this, John enrolled in the after-school Shakespeare collaboration between the theater and Seattle Public Schools. He was even brave enough to take on a role that required him to charge across the stage with a short staff (weapon) and announce the attaching group of actors in a production of Henry V.

By simply showing a photo of this boy, and sharing this quick story, the panelists were able to highlight the effectiveness of their partnership (theater helped John discovered his voice). A fairly complex idea, all communicated with just a few words and a photo. Wow.

What's my take-away from this session?

Include stories in as many places as you can. They deliver messages extremely well, and make your work come alive.

Is Running Addictive?

Sure, drugs, alcohol and cigarettes can be addictive, but can running be, too? Hmm... This came up on a recent walk with a friend. Carol and I looped Greenlake and she mentioned how she knows some folks in the ultra-marathon  community (people who run 50, 75, 100+ miles at a time) who are recovering drug addicts.

Carol mentioned how for these extreme runners, in a sense, one addiction was given up for another. In this case, a chemical dependancy was exchanged for a runner's high (see this article in Science Daily on treating alcoholism).

Maybe running is addictive?

I mean, running, like most sports, releases Endorphins into brain. This simulates some of the same sensations that occur from narcotics (though, probably to a lesser extent).

Jogging along, one foot in front of the other for hours on end is tough. And yet, people still do it. Maybe it HAS to be addictive, otherwise the trails and streets in the NW wouldn't be as packed as they are with enthusiasts.

But that's just my thoughts on it. What do you think? Is running addictive, or is a "Runner's High" just a covert marketing ploy by the big shoe companies?

Add a comment below.

-R4C

Make 'em Talk

How do you get a quiet audience at a discussion panel to share in the interaction on stage? You take away the microphones. Let me explain.

After witnessing disastrous Q & A sessions when conference attendees were too shy to line up at microphones and ask questions for a discussion session, I realized we needed a better way to solicit questions during a live event. Our solution was to take away the microphones and to use mobile phones instead.

In preparation for Foundation for Early Learning's annual luncheon with over 600 attendees, I setup an SMS text message service using a “short-code”, a unique string of five numbers to make texting easier. In this case we used the service Mosio, but there are a number of great, low-cost services that do this.

During the 2010 Luncheon, we flashed a PowerPoint slide with the short code on the screen and encouraged the audience of 600 attendees to send their questions for the panel using their mobile phones, instead of their voice.

Our result? We received dozens of questions, and cultivated a robust discussion within the panel on stage. Best of all—no uncomfortable silence!

I'm Not An Athlete

I played two, terrible seasons of little league when I was in 3rd and 4th grade. My position was left outfield (or "left out" as my teammates reminded me).

All the youth helmets were too small for my oversized head, so I had to borrow a coach's helmet before meekly trudging out to the plate. I failed to hit the ball even once during any of my  dozens of at-bats.

The only play I was ever involved in was when a ball was hit into the air, struck me in the head while I attempted to catch it, and bounced into the glove of my teammate. See, I told you. I was just terrible.

Despite the bribe of a post-game soda with the team, I told my parents at the ripe old age of 10 that my career in baseball was over.

"I guess I'm just not an athlete" I thought.

And with that, I said farewell to the dream of gracing the front of a Wheaties box. Sports were just not for me.

It took me almost 15 years to realize that I was actually wrong about this.

Nope, I didn't start playing Little League as a guy in my 20s. What I realized was that we are all good at some type of sport or activity. I WAS an athlete, I just needed to find the right sport.

I first stumbled upon this realization when I took up weight lifting in my mid-20s and became pretty good at it. Later when I was introduced to hiking, and found I could trek for miles, my sore ego from playing "left out" didn't hurt so much. Now as a runner, I am a fully-converted evangelist for this philosophy.

Every person has a sport or activity that they can excel at. You just need to find it!

So, the kid  who never hit a single pitch in little league (me), just ran his second trail race yesterday, the 10 mile Grand Ridge Solstice Race organized by 4th Dimension Racing.

I took the race on a day's notice, and my body was still recovering from a fast and hard 6.3 mile run from the night before. Despite this, I put one foot in front of the other and pushed through 2,000+ ft of elevation gain.

To my surprise, I not only finished the race, but captured 5th out of 28 runners! This is the first time I've ever finished a race near the top! Despite the mud and tough descents, I felt amazing at the end of the race!

While I may live my whole without hitting a pitch thrown in baseball, I'm ok with that. I'll just keep running around in the woods, smiling and having fun.

As the familiar bumper sticker reads "Real athletes run, others just play games". For me, that sounds great.

Walk to NYC – Day 2

After 18 hours and 19 minutes of walking, split over two days, I finally limped into upper Manhattan. I was tired and knew I wouldn't be able to make it to my final destination, Grand Central Terminal in time for my bus to Philadelphia. Defeated, at the 143^rd Street Station I took a #1 train downtown. Out of a 65 mile walking adventure, I failed just four miles from my destination. Shoot.

The day before, my brother and I had left from his home in Newburgh, NY in search of an adventure. Mike came up with the idea to walk to Grand Central Station, and since I’m someone who can't turn down a challenge, I took him up on his offer.

So, just like that. We strapped on our backpacks and hit the road.

Our first day of hiking ended earlier than anticipated. The June heat and distance was taking a toll on both of us. Mike seemed particularly dehydrated, so we stopped after 25 miles (out of a planned 30 for our first day). Outside of its bone-chilling (and much appreciated) air-conditioning, our motel in Peekskill was a dump. Luckily, we didn’t stay long.

Mike and I started our second and last day of the trip at the painful hour of 4:30am. As the sun rose, my feet felt strong, but I started to realize the challenge ahead. Today we needed to walk ~41 miles–farther than I’ve ever traveled on foot in a single day.

We followed along Route 9 and Route 9A, again paralleling the Hudson River as we cut further into Westchester County. Luckily, the weather was noticeably cooler than the day before, with temperatures rising into the lower 80s. A cloud cover also helped to mute the blistering sun that had scorched us yesterday.

As we continued south, the town names started rolling in faster and faster: Buchanan, Croton on Hudson, Ossining, Briarcliff Manor, Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, and Irvington, and on, and on.

Seeing the world through the eyes of a walker (or runner) means you see things so much more vividly than if you were speeding along in a car, or riding a bicycle.

We passed landmarks like the home of the first African-American Millionairess, Madam C.J. Walker (1867-1919) and the first golf course on the continent (1686).

As the miles rolled past us, Mike and I were making progress towards our goal of reaching Grand Central Station. Unfortunately, this was not without a toll.

My brother started to show signs of discomfort as we passed mile 40 on our trek. Finally, at Hastings on the Hudson he told me he couldn’t go any further. Mike had work the next morning and couldn’t risk further injuring a serious cut that had developed under his foot. Mike told me he was done.

“Shoot, you know what this means” I joked. “This means we’ll have to do this again together another time!”

After we deciding to try the trip again together next Thanksgiving, I hugged Mike and he got on a train headed back home.

I took a moment to rest, then continued the walk south. Now I was going it solo.

The rest of the route cut through the dense urban streets of White Plains and Yonkers. I was warned by locals about the “sketchy” areas up ahead, but guessed that my sweat-soaked clothing and disheveled hair made me the scariest looking thing around.

I just kept plodding forward. One foot in front of the next.

My walk passed high-rise projects with courtyards littered with trash, children cooling in water from open fire hydrants, and emaciated prostitutes trailing what looked to be well-fed pimps.

As I crossed over from Yonkers into Manhattan, I had hoped that I’d be magically rejuvenated. Unfortunately when the moment came, no such bolt of energy arrived. I had covered 37 miles since that morning and my feet were smashed to a bloody pulp (I didn’t have the courage to look).

Despite the pain and my sluggish pace, I continued south and made it to 143^rd street in Manhattan. It was now 6:00pm.

I had been traveling for over 12 hours today and realized that I wouldn’t be able to stumble the remaining 100+ blocks, and still make my bus to Philadelphia where my Aunt was waiting to pick me up.

I realized I would have to quit. My walking journey was over.

I took a moment to grieve my failure, then headed down into the subway.

I made it to the station in time to catch my bus. My Aunt greeted me when I rolled into Philadelphia two hours later. While I wasn’t able to finish my walking adventure, I  had a great time with my brother and got to see a lot of amazing sites along the way. Mike and I will attempt the walk again soon.

In the meantime, this experience has reemphasized for me the idea that people can find amazing adventures everywhere. I know I did.

-R4C

Totals:

• Miles Traveled: 61.84
• Time: 18h:19m (over two days)
• Calories Burned: 6,011
• Altitude Gained: 7,000+ feet

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10YNK3E826o]

Walk to NYC - Day 1

This morning at 5:30am, my brother and I started a walk (click here to learn how we got this idea) from his home in Newburgh, NY to our final destination, Grand Central Station in New York City. This is a journey of endurance and independence for us, and today proved more challenging than I expected.

Now, I've run marathons before, but this time it was just the two of us; walking unsupported, in and out of towns and counties.

It was hard.

As the temperature climbed into the upper 80s, Mike and I hiked over two mountains, through the United States Military Academy at West Point and crossed the Hudson River on the Bear Mountain Bridge.

While scenic, the steep, winding road we took saw groups of motorcycles tear past the small shoulders. Wind from the cycles threw us a breeze as we cautiously walked the white line on the road south.

Today we covered a little more than 25 miles of our 65 mile journey.

In order to avoid the hottest hours of the day, and to finish the journey tomorrow, my brother and I will need to start our trek at 4am. I'd better head to bed.

My next post will be from Grand Central Station. See you then.

-R4C

Find Adventure Anywhere

"Wait, what do you want to do?"

I was sitting outside a coffee shop in Seattle talking on the phone with my brother in upstate New York.

"What if we left my house and just walked to New York City?" suggested Mike.

I was surprised. My brother wasn't the sporty-type, but he did have amazing endurance from over a decade in the Army.

"Whoa. That's... that's like 60 miles."

Mike corrected me.

"No, actually, it'll be more like 64 or 65 ...and I want to do it in my work boots. It'll be like I just left my house on a stroll and we'll land in Grand Central Station on our second day of walking."

"So, what do you think?"

After taking a moment to figure out a route using Google Maps and searching for a town to stay in overnight, our plan was set. "Yeah, let's do it!"

So, next Saturday, June 5, my brother and I are going to start this adventure (this is a great story about another walking trip). I share this because I believe we can find adventures anywhere and for any budget.

From a running commute to work, to strolling on a local beach at daybreak, life-changing experiences are just steps from our door. Best of all, you can create these adventures for yourself, without the burden of race registrations or time trials. Just go and be awesome.

Hiking the great peaks of the world is an amazing feat, but it doesn't come without huge costs. A small fortune, tens of thousands of pounds of gear and dozens of sherpas are required to put just a single man or women on the top of a Himalaya peak.

This is an adventure, no doubt. But I believe you can find similarly amazing experiences closer to home, too. Whether you're in Seattle, L.A, Miami, or even Newburgh, NY (my hometown), a rich, active life is just around the corner.

If you too believe you can find adventure anywhere, add a story in a comment below.

As for Mike and my walk next week, I'll be sure to post photos and notes from our trek as soon as I can.

-R4C

Injuries... Ouch!

On Thursday nights, I put on a neon green soccer jersey, lace on my cleats and play co-rec soccer with a team of other haven't-played-soccer-since-4th-grade folks on my co-rec team, Bugaga (I have no idea where the name came from, a war cry?). While cross-training in another sport can give your primary running muscles a break for a day (quads, gluts, hamsprings, etc) , and helps to  develop your stabilizer muscles (great for trail running or dodging traffic), soccer can sometimes be a little rough on the body. The violent cuts back and forth, the quick sprints and battles for the ball can leave you bruised on even the easiest of games.

How do I know this? I'm laid up in my bed right now.

Bugaga is winless this season, so during last night's game against the fierce Scarlet Begonias, I was pushing extra hard to get a win. This unfortunately,  didn't work out well.

Early in the second half I was playing midfield when I cut hard right for the ball and rolled my right ankle to the outside. I hobbled off the field, angry that I'd have to sit out the rest of the game, and dreading a delay in my training schedule for my upcoming race. This was my first delay since in training  running last fall. Fudge.

Injuries can sideline any athlete. However, runners are particularly susceptible. This is because running is such a full-body activity, and because it pushes you aerobically harder than most sports (think ping pong and golf, etc). Even a minor injury or sickness can potentially sideline you for a few days, if not longer.

Swollen Foot

What can  runners do? Here are some tips that have helped (and are currently helping) me. NOTE: I'm not a doctor. Please seek medical assistance from a professional to get the official answers.

1. Make sure you know your injury When you're training for a race, any lost training time can impact your race time, or even if you can finish, so finding out what injury you sustained is critical. If you're like me, and rolled you ankle playing soccer, go to the doctors as soon as possible to make sure there isn't a hairline crack in your bone, torn ligament or worse. Time is of the essence, so making sure you know what's wrong.
2. Take care of  yourself Once you are sick or injured, drop the tough guy front and give in! As long as it isn't serious, let friends take care for you, rest when you feel tired and eat healthy foods. If you are really sick and need more then just a few Tylenol, go to the doctors. Even a checkup that finds nothing major can put your heart at rest and can ensure you don't spend your energy worrying.
3. Getting back to things When you're over your cold, or healed form your injury, try to take it slow getting back into running. I know we all know this, but its worth restating. A formula I use is to start back at 1/4 intensity and 1/4 distance of your normal run. Then slowly increase both intensity and distance each week by a quarter until you're feeling back to your old self. This of course all depending on how long you've been out of things and how ill you were.  Try to take it easy and just be happy that you're out and about, no matter your time or distance.
4. Preventing injuries Injuries, at some point, are unavoidable. However, I've found you can greatly cut down on the likelihood of getting hurt by doing a few simple things. Try to listen to your body and know when you're pushing yourself too far. Cross-train in another sport or activity at least once a week to add variety to your training schedule and to rest your primary muscles. Lastly, make smart decisions. Don't run in unlit areas that you're not familiar with (potholes and pits can snag feet).

Ok, I've got to get back to icing my ankle. If you have any tips on healing or staying healthy, feel free to add a comment below.

Welcome to Lost Lake

Running a marathon is hard. Now, take those 26.2 miles and add another eight, spread the aid stations out by about nine miles, and swap the wide and smooth paths of a road race, with a single track, rooted, ankle-crushing trail. Oh, and to top it all off, you're running this race up and down Mt. Chuckanut, gaining over 8,200 feet of elevation.

What do you get? The Lost Lake 50k (really 33-34 mile), an amazing race just outside of Bellingham, Washington.

This was my first official ultra-marathon and probably the hardest thing I've done so far.

Let me back-track for a moment. I've run the distance of 50k (31.2  miles) before. On city and county roads, I've looped out and around until my watch read just over 30 miles. This was tiring, and I enjoyed a beer and a burrito when I was done, but this was no ultra-marathon. This was me just running around town.

What I learned yesterday from running the Lost Lake 50k is that this shortest of "ultra" marathons (usually set at 50k, 50 miles, 100k and 100 miles+) has less in common with the marathon, then it does with an adventure race or mountaineering expedition. What I learned is that it's an entirely different beast.

• Walking Race: Almost all the competitors walk/hike up the major mountain ascents that can pitch upward until you're crawling hand over foot.
• Self-Motivated: Almost all the race you spend by yourself or maybe with a few other runners. No cheering fans, just you finding strength to keep moving forward.
• Sightseeing can be Limited: For five, seven or twenty hours you're staring at the ground to ensure your feet don't land unevenly on a root or a rock. If you do twist your ankle, you might have to hobble miles until you get to an aid station.
• Distance only Kinda Matters: Yes, 50k is far, but distance isn't your problem. What you need to worry about are stream crossings, rationing food and water properly, mountain scrabbling and accidentally wandering off the course.

I'll write a full review of this race another day, but I did want to share one observation. The Lost Lake 50k had a few hundred competitors, with many women and men not fitting the traditional sterotype of an ultra-marathoner (you know, wearing a Red Bull t-shirt, over-using the phrase gnarly).

Lost Lake 50k Finish

I met a woman in her 40s that would easily fit in walking her dog at Greenlake (just before her knitting club), a man in his late 50s who looked more like a cheerful grandfather, than one of the top competitors, a pet control business owner and a military maintenance civilian. This list of unique personalities goes on, and on.

It was inspiring to learn the stories of so many people who the traditional athletic stereotype might have overlooking. No mountain dew, heavy metal music or fawning fans. Just guts, without glory.

These are a few insights into my first official 50k. Feel free to add a comment if you have any ultra-marathon suggestions or inspirations.

-R4C

Who's Your Competition?

Recently I spoke with Stephanie, an employee of REI and alum of the Masters of Communications of Digital Media Program at the University of Washington (I graduated from the same program). She shared a wonderful message with me. Here we go... As a retailer of high-quality camping, hiking and sporting goods, REI could consider other sporting goods stores (the Sports Authority, etc) their competition. Stephanie told me that CEO Sally Jewell promotes a very different view.

So, who's the competition?

XBox 360, Sony Playstation... and so on.

Brilliant huh? Instead of being stuck inside in front of a TV, REI wants children and families to explore the outdoors, climb mountains or go camping in our great park system. REI values being active and wants to promote this to the world. What a great message!

This values-based competitiveness probably not only makes a workforce more productive (and inspired), but also is a smarter business approach. Why should sports retailers fight over the same small market, when you grow your market with new consumers.

Values-based competitiveness probably doesn't work for every industry, but it might be a fresh way for you to look at marketing or strategy for your organization. Give it a try.

My Big Clothes

I'm going to talk about how to donate your "big clothes" to charity.

Running burns calories like few other sports. While the stats are dependent on a number of factors including a runner's weight, speed and altitude, here is a basic formula. Take your weight and multiple it by .75 in pounds to find out how many calories you burn each and every mile (thanks, Runner's World).

So if you're a 170lb runner, you burn about 127 calories a mile. Multiple that for a pre-Marathon 5-mile training run, and you're burning over 600 calories on each of your training runs for the big race. Wow! This means if you're currently wearing your "Big Clothes", keep your routine up and pretty soon you'll be sizing down and getting race-ready. So you have a little context, each pound of fat has about 3,500 calories.

Let me tell you my story.

A few years ago (before I was a runner),  I had ballooned up to 209lbs on my 5'11'' frame. I didn't have much muscle to blame it on. I was just well, overweight. I was wearing my "big clothes". My size large shirts were pulling at the sides when I tried to tuck them in. My 36'' jeans felt uncomfortable as I sucked in to button up. I wasn't obese, but I knew I needed to lose weight. Luckily, two things happened that dramatically changed my figure.

1. Life Event First, I had to have double jaw surgery to address chronic pain that I had been suffering from for years. As part of the recovery I had to limit my diet to liquid-only foods. Despite my best attempt to keep my calories up (milk shakes, fruit and protein mixes), my weight started to drop into the sub-200 lb range within a few weeks. This, combined with making smarter food choices, started me on my path towards my prime weight.
2. Running What really made the difference for me, and took a temporary drop in weight and made it permanent, was running. I talk about how I "discovered" running in this post, but basically just fell into it as I healed from jaw surgery. By slowly increasing the distance and frequency of runs, I started to make a major dent in my weight. First losing five pounds... ten pounds... and later twenty pounds. I was finally moving closer to my target weight and was the fittest I'd been in over a decade.

Donating my Big Clothes

How did I celebrate? I went through my closet and drawers, and pulled out my "big clothes", the same shirts, shorts and pants that were pulling at my frame just a year before.. After I had a sizable pile, I delivered the clothes to a local Goodwill. On the same trip I even picked up a few new shirts and shorts as I felt proud to wear sizes I hadn't fit into in years.

If you are struggling with your weight, I hope you can find a path towards your target weight and eventually, to getting rid of your "big clothes".

Run Therapy

Everyone talks about the runner's high, the feeling of euphoria as the Pituitary Gland releases Endorphins into your blood stream during exercise, dangerous situations and well, sex. As a runner, this feeling can be particularly intense when cresting a hill on a strenuous route or when pushing your body to make a new personal record (PR). Either way, a runner's high is almost always a wonderful feeling. Well, in this post I'd like to talk about the opposite emotion: the utter pit of despair that is "runner's low".

Burke Gilman Trail

Runner's Low is something we all experience; athletes and non-athletes alike. It's the feeling that you had a bad day. You were just injured in training. Your cat bit you. You crashed your car. Your boss is giving you trouble at work. As my favorite childhood book reads, you're having a "terrible horrible no good very bad day". Things pile up and you just feel... low.

Well, a few weeks ago I was experiencing my own "runner's low". I won't get into the details, but it involved losing touch with someone who was once a good friend. Driving home, a heavy stone sat in my stomach, a sour taste coated my mouth and my body was sapped of energy. I'd normally call a friend, but it was late, and my family's on the east coast, three hours further into the night. I walked into my house and dropped my bag by the door.

I was exhausted and frustrated.

I didn't know what to do... so, I ran.

As soon as I started lacing on my sneakers, the grief that I was experiencing started to cede; replaced instead by a calm. While I couldn't control the craziness of the day or the disappointment from hours earlier, I could control this moment. I could run.

And so, I bounded out my door and began my normal loop, cutting through the park, and down around the lake. The night was especially dark. When I was about to turn back toward my house, I felt a moment of inspiration and decided to go farther into the night.  It was past 10:30pm now, but I was feeling inspired and plotted a way down to the Burke Gilman trail.

I didn't know where I was going, but the sense of autonomy was exhilarating. That night I ran 15 miles in the darkness, eventually looping back to my home up north. By the time I got to bed, I felt better about the day. This run was exactly what I needed.

That was run therapy.

Running is its own unique therapy. While it won't replace guidance from a professional, it can help balance you in a way few other things can. Running at a strenuous pace is, well, just really hard.Your chest is heaving, your muscles are straining and you really just can't worry about test scores or promotions, heartbreak or hairlines.

You can only worry about being present, and in the moment.

So the next time you're feeling the "runner's low", try to head out for a jog. Just put one foot in front of the other.

Brighter moments are ahead.

Choose Terrible

Running is a difficult activity for almost everyone. However, when planning your next fitness run or when training for a race, you might want to try something to make things a event harder. Challenge yourself by picking the worse of two routes.

Sounds odd?

Choose Terribly - Street Photo

Consider this. You get up early in the morning, lace on your sneakers andneed to pick your route. You have the choice of running the same, comfortable course you've done a hundred times before. This is the flat loop that conveniently is right by your house and brings you past your usual landmarks, or as an alternative, you could pick that scary hill by the arterial road that you've driven past, but never attempted. What should you do?

My suggestion is, choose terribly and go with the hill.

This is what I recently did on a run in North Seattle. You see, I have this favorite 6.5 mile loop I do down around Greenlake on side streets and park trails. The course winds past beautiful craftsman homes and fragrant lilac bushes.  There is little traffic, gorgeous sights, and while I have to tackle a few small hills, everything is gradual and easy to ascend.

Something caught my eye recently while driving around town on random errands.  I've taken this arterial road in North Seattle that quickly dips down a few hundred feet, then climbs upward as the road wraps south towards Ballard. I was always intrigued by the sight of this road--climbing into the sky. However I never thought of running next to it because of the heavy car traffic, and well, the difficulty of the course. Frankly, nothing about this stretch of road is appealing for a runner.

And yet, last week I chose to run it.

The reason I chose to try this route is solely because it WAS unappealing. By charging up the hill and by enduring the honks and traffic, I'm becoming a more flexible runner. I'm learning how to deal with a tough pickle.

So, why should you choose terrible?

By challenging yourself today, you're becoming a better runner for tomorrow. So, when the weather turns and it starts pouring on your first 5k race, or your 20thmarathon, you'll be able to get past the discomfort, traffic or environment and complete your running goal.

Have you recently run a strenuous or mentally challenging route? Add a comment below and tell others how it has impacted you.

Just remember to always be safe. And when you've tackled that tricky route successful, be sure to treat yourself to ice cream or something else special.

Nipples, Nails and Everything Gross

"It's pretty bad...are you sure?"

I carefully pealed off the bandage and showed Holly my toe, exposing the place where my second largest toenail should have been.

"Wow, that... that just looks terrible" she said.

Holly was right. The toe, missing its nail, looked downright horrible--like an alien amongst four other normal brothers.

The toenail was destroyed on a recent trail race. The downhills had propelled my second longest toe into the front of my shoe. Stomp after stomp, the repeated blows crushed the nail into oblivion.

When I got home I discovered the damage and finished removing the nail. Yikes!

Luckily, and surprisingly, I had no pain. I just cleaned up my toe, smeared on some antibiotic cream, and covered the injured little piggie with a band-aid (and my toes were once so pretty. Oh well, C'est la vie).

I mentioning this to a few veteran runners and it turns out that this isn't that uncommon, especially if you have any toes (like mine) that are longer than your big one.

Below are a few tips I learned from caring for my missing toenails, so hopefully you won't have to encounter this gross side-effect of running too often.

While I'm at it, I might as well cover other gross stuff that comes up for runners.

So... if you're not easily grossed out, and haven't already bolted for another blog, read on...

Toe / Toenail Protection

What causes you to lose a toenail from running? It depends on a lot of things including how much you run, what type of running you do (flat/hills/trails) and your foot anatomy. You might be one of the lucky ones and never lose a toenail due to running. But for many, it's kinda just part of life, particularly if you're running longer distances and doing lots of steep trail work.

A few things can help mitigate this.

• First, make sure the mid-part of your shoes laces are tight enough to keep your foot seated in rear of the shoe. This reduces the likelihood that your toes crash into the front of your sneaker.
• Make sure you have the right shoe size. Some runners will run in a shoe that is a half or full size larger just to ensure their toes don't impact the front of the sneaker.
• Lastly, trim and care for your nails before you head to the track or trail. By keeping things trimmed, you'll be less likely to damage them on your next steep descent.

Skin Irritation

Sometimes on longer runs its the little things that get you. Your quads don't give out on you. Rather, you're defeated by the collar on your shirt rubbing your neck.  Over 10...20...or 30 miles the innocent looking shirt you put on transforms into an unrelenting menace.

By making sure your clothing doesn't move excessively and rub your neck, back or armpits, you can avoid a lot of discomfort. Don't test a new shirt fabric or shirt cut on your longer runs. Go instead with an old faithful.

Also helpful are skin anti-chafe balms like Body Glide. These types of balms, coupled with technical running shorts (the type with the underwear built in) can also help with fend off chafing on the inner thigh (luckily, no photos for this one).

blood on shirt

Chest Area (for men and women)

Yes, I'm talking about nipples. The  simple motion of a technical shirt (with sleeves) shifting back and forth across a man's nipples can draw blood and cripple even the strongest runner. I've seen runners finish marathons with streams of red covering the fronts of their technical shirts.

Not a fun sight to see and probably an even worse feeling to experience. Luckily, this can be avoided. I run almost exclusively in sleeveless shirts or singlets. This is because without sleeves, the shirt is less mobile on your chest. When you swing your arms, your shirt stays put.

Male runners who prefer to stay with sleeves can also cover their nipples with duct or medical tape, or for shorter runs (say, under 10 miles) can use vaseline to protect themselves.

What should women do?

Mo, a female runner recently told me that ladies should invest in a quality sports bra to help protect themselves. "Never go out without it. A quality bra offers great protection and support."

Sounds like great advice.

How I Got Into Running...

Usually the weather in September in Seattle is amazing. For enduring nine months of chill and rain, the gods reward us with beautiful, humidity-free summers full of brilliant sunsets and crisp nights. Today, unfortunately, was different. Misting rain was chilling the air, hiding the mountains and ruining BBQs.

My buddy Anthony was in town, a stopover as he geared up for a motorcycle ride to Alaska. He planned to stay for about a week as he ordered more parts for his 500cc Buell Blast. Each night we spent watching The Long Way Round, a true-life mini-series about Ewan McGreigore and a buddy riding motorcycles around the world. Anthony would draw out his course on a huge wall map he bought, making sure there was somewhere to stop every 150 miles for gas. We'd drink beer and reminisce about life back in college on the East Coast. It was amazing, but at the same time, I was also envious of Anthony.

You see, I had sold my Suzuki TL-1000 in the spring to help pay for jaw surgery. Because of my finances, and because I was still healing from the procedure, my summer so far had been vacation-less. I would have loved to take off with Anthony on an adventure through British Columbia, the Yukon, and on to one of the last frontiers, Alaska. But no, I sold my v-twin Suzuki earlier in the year, and anyway, I had work on Monday.

A desk and cramped office waited for me, along with what I assumed was a life of normalcy. Crap.

Despite the rain and temperatures hovering in the 50s (bone-chilling when you're riding at 60mph), Anthony decided to backtrack, and ride his bike down to Portland for the day. On his journey into Seattle, another biker had mentioned a museum outside of Portland that he "had to see" and a particular stretch of road that was perfect for carving turns on a motorcycle. Not wanting to miss out, Anthony took off mid-morning for a day trip on his motorcycle. While I, nursing my injured ego, stayed home. Shoot. I didn't realize I was just minutes away from running a half-marathon.

After Anthony rode off on his bike, I putzed around the house for a few minutes. I downed a bowl of cereal, then laid on my couch shirtless and watch a few videos on Hulu.com. After neither The Office, or Raisin Bran could satisfy my hunger, I decided to get out of the house.

I've run around Greenlake countless times. The 3.1 mile path is looped by thousands of Seattleites each day. Mothers pushing stollers, runners, and friends catching up, the artificial lake is one of the jewels of the city. Before I left my house I tossed on a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt, and laced up a busted pair of Target sneakers (brand unknown).

The gray and blue shoes had been used for years as cheap gym shoes, and the seams had begun to tear. I think I had bought them for $20 four or five years before and they look exactly what you would think a five year old pair of Target sneakers would look like. But, this wasn't a big deal. I had run or run/walked Greenlake many days before. I wasn't a runner, but it gave me a way to warm-up for weight training, a past love.

I drove a mile and a half down to Greenlake. Parked my 1995 Honda hatchback near the bakery and crossed the street. The cold temperature and light rain had kept most folks away from the normally busy path circling the lake. Without stretching, I started off on a lazy jog; baggy clothes flapping in the air.

I was never a runner, but would do a mile or two to try to keep my weight down, or to destress after school or work. My routine would be the same every couple of weeks. Head to Greenlake in the same outfit, at the same pace, (and usually) with the same struggle to finish. This time however was different.

As I rounding the last turn in the three mile run, I wasn't forced to walk to finish. Instead I thought "maybe I can do two", and passed the start to begin another loop. I wasn't running fast and my feet began to hurt as my shoes deteriorated. But, I kept going.

At half-way through the second loop, the rain started to let up, and I was happy for the reprieve. This was the farthest I had EVER ran... 3.5 miles, 4, 4.5. I just kept plotting along, and to my amazement, I didn't stop.

As I finished my second loop of Greenlake (6 miles!), I realized two things. First,  I felt that I could go farther--that surprisingly, I still had energy to keep jogging.  My second realization: my feet were suffering incredibly.  The middle toe on both of my feet are the longest toes, and therefore were taking the brunt of the force as each foot slid forward in my crumbling shoes, smashing into the front. I was guessing that I'd lose my toenails when the day was done, but didn't want to stop to check.

Despite my feet, I kept chugging along. And this little train had more to go. As I started my third loop of the lake, I decided try to run the length of a half marathon, 13.1 miles, or basically four times further than I'd ever run before. That meant two and a quarter more loops around Greenlake, beyond the two I just completed.

Surprising myself, I kept going. Mentally, I kept envisioning the idea of an adventure and chuckled at the idea that we all have opportunities to test ourselves right before us. "Yeah, I guess so", I thought.

Soon enough, miles eight, nine and ten slipped by, and I was facing my final loop of the lake. Visually I was a mess. My arms were flapping, my nipples were brutally chaffed from my shirt (novice, I know. But this was my first time running) and my stride was falling apart into a stumble from one step, to the next.

Luckily, I didn't stop, and finished the 13.1 miles, just as the sun was coming out.

I had just ran my first half-marathon. No one noticed my feat (or swollen "feet"), but every atom in my body was firing. I was elated and energized, like I had discovered a winning lottery ticket that had been tucked under a couch for years. I didn't know that this power existed in me.

After I got water, I limped to my car, drove home and inspected my wounded feet. Sure enough, the nails on my middle toes were  smashed and dark purple with blood. When Anthony got back from his day trip, I told him of my bizarre journey.  After looking at my toes, he both congratulated me and questioned my sanity.

While it was a few days before I tried to run again, from this first experience, I knew it was something I could do and enjoy. Within a week I picked up a pair of real running shoes, size 12 Adidas Supernovas. They felt amazing and sparked my passion for running.

So, that's how I got hooked. What's your story? Add a comment below.

Patriotism at the Mall

Originally published in The Daily

Americans have had a lot on their minds lately. Soldiers are battling insurgents in Iraq and a resurrection of violence has erupted in Afghanistan, not to mention the recent domestic tragedies of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which killed thousands and displaced millions of Americans.

No, these aren't tranquil times at all. How have we possibly weathered the last few years so punctuated by violence, scandal and tragedy of mammoth proportion?

We shop.

Just as easily as the evening news transitions from reporting another soldier's death to a commercial for Aquafina, America's awareness shares a similarly fickle route. Through image and word, we are exposed to the vast drama that unfolds around us and with a solemn and sincere voice we express our grief. After that tack another magnet on our Hummer to pledge our allegiance. This though, has not always been our way.

During the first and second World Wars, limits were placed on consumable goods as troops devoured resources. Civilians contributed their time and energy and civically engaged by planting patriot gardens to develop self-sufficiency while making due with older automobiles and appliances.

The gauge of one's patriotism was not the size of their flag, but rather the impact of their contribution and service. Later, during one of the most volatile periods of the Cold War, President Kennedy proclaimed, "...ask what you can do for your country."

After 9/11 our current President George W. Bush asked us to shop and continue with our lives undeterred in spirit and unfettered by taxes.

The contrast in contribution couldn't be greater.

There may be a very good reason for the modern American's disengagement. We pay little for the consequences of our government's actions or our own as citizens.

Since President Richard Nixon repealed the draft in 1973 and the armed forces were transitioned into an all-volunteer force, healthy men no longer have to digest the newspaper's international section with such gravity and trepidation. In today's military, the soldiers that sacrifice their lives for our wars are mostly from rural and economically depressed communities.

Our present laughably immense national debt appears just as inconsequential as it does immense. This added to the image refined by our leader's press offices that every catastrophe is either under control and bound to improve, or an unavoidable consequence of modern society, persuades the average citizen to throw up his or her hands and accept the day's events without reservation.

Can we do better, or are we consumed by the lure of consumption? Will Americans loosen the grips on their iPods just long enough to reach for a pen or a protest sign? As the amnesia of 9/11 subsides, and in the wake of numerous wars and natural disasters, Americans have the supreme opportunity to invest in our nation, engage in our government and directly contribute.

Donate your spirit, time and energy to help others domestically and abroad. While the daily distractions of modern life are unrelenting, a return to civic involvement might very well be coming back in fashion -- and it's on sale.