What Runners Do: Courage and Encourage

wise running logo 7_25_12Running takes courage.

  • It takes a lot of courage to look in the mirror and decide you need to change.
  • It takes a lot of courage to take the first step.
  • It takes a lot of courage to run out where everyone can see you struggle.
  • It takes a lot of courage to step out of your comfort zone and set a high goal.
  • It takes a lot of courage to face tough speedwork.
  • It takes a lot of courage to choose to run up a steep hill on purpose.
  • It takes a lot of courage to run that extra mile to run a distance you never imagined you could run.
  • It takes courage to register for a race.
  • It takes courage to pin that numbered bib on your shirt and step up to the start line.
  • It takes courage to finish when you do not believe you have the strength.
  • It takes a lot of courage to decide to walk when your pride says to run.
  • It takes a lot of courage to choose a DNF because you do not want to make your injury worse.

Courage is what we runners do.  It is who we are.  Courage defines us.  Courage makes us stronger.  Courage molds us into a new and better person.

Runners know this about courage.  Hence, when we see a racing 1potential runner or a fellow runner that is having doubts, we encourage.

  • We encourage our friends to run because we know what it will do for them.
  • We encourage our friends to run a little farther, a little faster.
  • We encourage our friends when they are injured and let them know that resting is smart and that they will run again soon.
  • We encourage those that are struggling, on the run or in life.
  • We encourage newer and/or younger runners & become their mentors for a while.
  • We encourage others with our presence.
  • We encourage others by sharing our struggles and our successes.

Encouragement is what we runners do.  It is who we are.  Encouragement defines us.

Remember This:

Courage without encouragement will fade. 
Inspire and encourage future and fellow runners. 
I promise that the running community will
pay back what you gave and much more.

_____________

Train wisely, eat well, & enjoy the run!

_____________

The Gift of Running,by P. Mark Taylor, is available in both paperback & e-book

- Paperback Version – Amazon.com $9.00

- Ebook Version – Kindle Store $2.99

- Ebook Version for Nook $2.99

How I feel after setting a Personal Record (PR)

The Gift of Running: A Book for Runners and Future Runners

My new book, The Gift of Running, is now available in both paperback & ebook

- Paperback Version – Amazon.com   $9.00

- Ebook Version – Kindle Store $2.99

I wrote this book for several reasons.  Many of the books on running are tough to read, a lot like technical manuals.  I wanted to offer something more personal, runner to runner.  Moreover, I wanted it to be easy to read for the inexperienced runner.  I think I have accomplished this with The Gift of Running .

Below is the official description.  A small excerpt is included at the bottom of this page.

Book Reviews by Runners:

Book Reviews on Amazon.com:

If you would like an autographed copy of the book, please email me at pmark67@gmail.com

_________________________

The Gift of Running: a book for runners and future runners

by P Mark Taylor

Running is a gift, but not only for the gifted.  Whether you run just for fun or want to become a more competitive runner, The Gift of Running is for you. In The Gift of Running, P. Mark Taylor shows runners how to get started and stay motivated.

The book includes:  advice on how to get started as a runner, tried & true methods of running faster and longer, how to prepare for a marathon, tips on staying healthy & happy, motivation to keep you running, an insider view of the running community, & training programs for a 5K, 10K, half marathon, & marathon.

P. Mark Taylor is a runner & author of the blog at http://www.WiseRunning.com.

Publication Date:    Jul 20 2012
ISBN/EAN13:    0615668607 / 9780615668604
Page Count:    196
Binding Type:    US Trade Paper
Trim Size:    5.5″ x 8.5″
Language:    English
Color:    Black and White
Related Categories:    Sports & Recreation / Running & Jogging
 
_____________________________________

How to read this book:   (an excerpt from the book)

“This book is not a technical manual.  I have intentionally tried to keep my explanations brief and simple.  I have avoided technical terms and explained what I mean whenever needed.  It does offer important research-based information, but it offers more than that.

The book is about:

  • the human side of running,
  • becoming a runner,
  • working to become a better runner,
  • & staying safe, sane, and happy as a runner. 

It moves back and forth between personal stories, quotes from runners, and advice on running.

Most of the subsections of the book could be read independently, but I encourage you to read it from front to back.  This is especially true for the inexperienced runners.  Read the whole thing first, then go enjoy the run!

This book is the culmination of years of running, studying, and life experiences.  Most of all it is about the love of running and my respect for runners.

This book is dedicated to all of those who share my passion for running & to all those who are trying running for the first time.”

_______________

 

Running in the Family: Leading by Example

“My earliest running memories start when I was 5 years old.
My dad was a runner as well, so I would wait for him
to come home from work so that he could time me!”
–Katie MacKey

Once in a while, I get the honor of running with one of my kids.  Three of my six kids have run cross-country and one of the other three has recently become a personal trainer.  Did I cause this?  Probably not.  Perhaps cause is too strong of a word.  Influenced might be more appropriate.  When they were younger, they saw me work out periodically and go for a run once in a while.  That was before I started my second running career.  What was I doing to influence them towards fitness activity?

  • I was working out and jogging for general fitness and I talked about the benefits.
  • I did not require them to join me, but I would invite them to join me periodically.

I must have talked about it and/or invited them to join me hundreds of times before it started to happen.  We had weights in the basement and periodically, the boys would give it a go for a while.  Gradually, one or two kids would periodically ask me to go run a mile with them because they wanted to “get in better shape.”  Each had their own reason, usually for sports or just to look more fit.

Other adults and some of their peers added to the invitations.  Their school added cross-country to their sports and peer pressure pushed one daughter over the edge.  The next year, one son joined the cross-country team.  His stated reason was specifically to add an activity for his college applications.  One more daughter joined the team the third year.  She just wanted something to do.  I don’t care why they decided to start running.  I’m just happy to see them out there doing it!

In the last few years, I increased the intensity and frequency of my runs.  I call it my second running career.  I was fairly competitive in high school cross-country and track, but my first career was stopped short by injuries.  Once I began to give all I had to running, my trips to the gym to lift weights have became few and far between.  At that point I offered my gym membership to my oldest son.  He loves to work out, so he jumped at the chance.  He eventually worked his way into a job at the gym and just recently became a certified personal trainer.  He runs nearly every day as a part of his overall program.

I did not cause my kids to become runners, but I was a part of what influenced them to make that choice.

How do you lead your family and friends into fitness & running?

  1. Be excited.  Display your excitement about your fitness and running activities!   Excitement is infectious.  Talk about the positives for yourself and others.
  2. Invite them to join you.  Be persistent and positive.  Never require.  Never argue.

REMEMBER:    You cannot argue someone into fitness.  Fitness takes commitment.  Even if arguing does somehow manage to get them to do something, they are unlikely to be motivated enough to stick it out long enough to begin feeling the benefits.  They need to want it.  So, stick to the positive influence approach: Just invite.

Enjoy the run!

_____________

The Gift of Running is now available in both paperback & e-book

- Paperback Version – Amazon.com $9.00

- Ebook Version – Kindle Store $2.99

- Ebook Version for Nook $2.99

The Gift of Running is on Amazon’s Hot New Release List

It may just be 15 minutes of fame, but my friend Sean posted on Facebook that he saw my book on the Bestseller List for Running on Amazon.com.  When I went to look, I saw what you see in the picture below.  Having a good day!  :)

Happy Dance! Mutual Encouragement & The Gift of Running

When I visited the www.DailyMile.com this morning to log the 15.3 miles I had just run, I saw that I had a message waiting for me.  Here is what Kim had to tell me:

“Hey just wanted to say thanks for publishing a great book! Your words gave me enough courage to sign up for my 1st race and I ended up having a great time!! Thanks again!”

My first reaction was. “How cool is that!  The book had the intended effect on at least one person!”  My second thought was about Kim.  Today she needs to hear one more message from me to reinforce what she learned from my book.

I replied to her message with this:

“Awesome! Glad you had a great time. Runners rock! …and you are a runner. :)

This whole interaction is an example of what I say in the book about the community of runners.  It is less about competition with each other and more about mutual encouragement.  The competition is with yourself, to be the best that you can be.

Kim is rocking the run.  She learned that racing is a fun thing because runners rock.

Then, Kim decided to send a letter of thanks and encouragement to me.  I returned the favor because (1) she rocks & (2) she needs to know it.

I fell in love with running a long time ago, but I have since learned to love and appreciate runners just as much as the running.  [...which is a pretty big deal because I'm very introverted...]

To Kim I send out a big “Thank you!”  You certainly made my day.  You are why I do this blog and write books about running.

To all of you runners out there.  You rock too.
I look forward to meeting you some day.  :)

Train hard, race easy, & enjoy the run.
P. Mark Taylor

_____________

The Gift of Running is now available in both paperback & e-book

- Paperback Version – Amazon.com

- Ebook Version – Kindle Store

.

Why My Book on Running Is Now Only $2.99

I call this blog Wise Running, but wisdom usually comes through experience.  Experience involves making mistakes.  I have caught myself in the middle of a big mistake.  I broke the rule that I set before I started this blog and the process of writing books.  What rule did I break?   The one on a Post-It note stuck on the wall above my computer monitor:

I set out on this journey:

-  to promote fitness through running,

-  to help others learn how to enjoy running,

-  to encourage my fellow runners,

- and to help runners get stronger & faster.

I was doing a pretty good job staying focused on these goals.  I try to post informative and inspiring things on this blog.  I regularly post encouraging comments and inspirational quotes related to running and fitness on Facebook,  Twitter, and the Daily Mile.

My first book on running, The Gift of Running, is consistent with these goals as well.  It is about the joy of running, staying motivated, staying healthy, and getting faster.

Apparently, however, I forgot to look up at that note when I went to set the prices for The Gift of Running.  When I set the original prices, I looked at fair market value.  I examined the prices of other running books and tried to set a reasonable price.  That breaks the rule because the definition of reasonable in this case is means setting the highest price that seems reasonable and less expensive than most.  Not consistent with my note!

In hindsight, it is more consistent with my goals to get the book into as many hands as possible.  Instead of setting the highest justifiable price, I should have set it at the lowest reasonable price.  That is what I have now done.

The e-book was priced at $8.45.  Starting today, the price of the e-book version of The Gift of Running is only $2.99.

I have also lowered the price of the paperback version.  It had been priced at $14.95, but I have now set it at $9.00.

Both of these prices are as low as I can reasonably set them.  I hope this helps get the book into the hands of more runners, especially new and future runners.  That is why I wrote it.  That is why I have lowered the prices.  I wish I could go back in time and reset the price for those that have already purchased a copy, but I can’t.  My sincere apologies go out to those folks.  I am sorry.

But now I am back on track with my goals.  It is about sharing the gift of running.  It is about encouraging fitness through running.

Train hard, race easy, & enjoy the run!

P. Mark

Runner’s High: How, When, and Why

It is a feeling like no other.  I recall floating along a 6 mile run one time just about 30 years ago.  I don’t have a very good memory, but I remember that run vividly.  I had slipped into a zone where running was more like floating.  I ran fairly fast, but felt no effort.  I felt happy and my body felt happy.  I was as high as a kite!  I never wanted that run to end.

Although I hadn’t been smoking marijuana, the same receptor in the brain that is triggered by marijuana was, in fact, triggered during that run.  I really was high.  I was high on running! Until recently, many scientists actually believed that runner’s high was a myth, a self-fulling prophecy based on a misconception about endorphins.  Endorphins, after all, cannot actually produce the kind of high described by runners.  The scientists were right about one thing: endorphins do not cause runner’s high.  Even so, runner’s high is real.

What causes runner’s high?  A fatty acid called Anandamide.  It triggers the same receptor in the brain that marijuana/THC triggers.  Not only does anandamide make you feel high, but it also dilates your bronchial tubes and the blood vessels in your lungs.  End result: you feel great, run better, and run longer.

How do you get anandamide?  Run!  As you run more regularly and intensely, your body tends to produce more anandamide.  If you want to increase your likelihood of getting runner’s high, you run at tempo pace, just a little faster than your 10K race pace.  This pace adds just enough stress to cause the body to produce anandamide but not so much stress as to overwhelm your body.  It is the “just right” pace for a great workout and a trip to La-La-Land.  :)

You can read more at Runner’s World:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-297–1102-0,00.html

Enjoy the run!!!

_____________

The Gift of Running is now available in both paperback & e-book

- Paperback Version – Amazon.com

- Ebook Version – Kindle Store

.

Table of Contents – Gift of Running

Here is the final version of the table of contents of my new book “The Gift of Running

The book is is now available in both paperback & ebook

- Paperback Version – Amazon.com

- Ebook Version – Kindle Store

Table of Contents

How to Read This Book 

Running Is a Gift for All

… A Precious Gift

…E Pluribus Run-em

……Where I Fall In the Spectrum of Runners

……Why am I writing a book on running?

…Receiving the Gift:  A Word to the Newbie Runner

Enhancing the Gift: Running Longer &/or Faster 

…Running Faster

…Running Longer

…Threshold Pace

……Threshold Pace and the Perfect Race

…Running a Marathon

…My Marathon Story:   From 5:35 to 3:27 in 18 months

Renewing the Gift: Motivation  

…Recapturing the Joy of Running

…Motivation: Getting Out of the Door

…Slaying the Specter of a Bad Run

…Potential, Risk, & Failure

…Racing as Motivation

…Aging Gracefully

……The Fountain of Youth

……Setting Age-Appropriate Goals

Renewing the Gift: Health

…Rest Days

…New Thoughts about Old Stretching

…Where to run: Surfaces, Sites, & Treadmills

…Philosophy of Pain

…RICE for Pain

…Weather Affects Running

…Staying Healthy in the Heat

…Running and Weight Loss

Giving Back: Community & Coaching 

…The Running Community

…Running Buddies

…You Will Never Run Alone

…Encouraging, Exhorting & Coaching

…Charity Fundraising

Training Schedules & Other Resources 

…What is a Training Plan?

…Following My Training Plans.

…From Walking to Running a 5K..

Training Programs:

- Walking to 5K
- Racing a 5K
- Racing a 10K
- Racing a Half Marathon
- Racing a Marathon

…The Right Stuff: Running Tools & Supplies

Wrapping Up the Gift 

_________________________

The Gift of Running: a book for runners and future runners

Funny and Inspiring Running Quotes

“Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts.”  — Steve Prefontaine

“Runners are the ultimate celebration people. Running is just so intense, you’re really experiencing life to the fullest.” — Bill Rodgers

“Jogging is very beneficial. It’s good for your legs and your feet. It’s also very good for the ground. It makes it feel needed.”   — Charles Schulz

“You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can’t know what’s coming.”   – Frank Shorter

The only reason I would take up jogging is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.   – Erma Bombeck

“I used to jog but the ice cubes kept falling out of my glass.” –David Lee Roth

“So much in life seems inflexible and unchangeable, and part of the joy of  running and especially racing is the realization that improvement and progress can be achieved.” Nancy Anderson

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”  – Jim Ryun

“We all have those days, weeks, months – just keep running through it & you’ll come out the other side!”  — Jenn Bacile

“Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they’ve got a second.”  –William James

“Build step by step. Push yourself, but not too hard. Learn. Keep it fun.”  –Matt Fitzgerald

“Running is real and relatively simple…but it ain’t easy.”  – Mark Will-Weber

“We can’t all be heroes because someone has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by.”  -  Will Rogers

“It’s very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners.  Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit.”   -   George Sheehan

“There are clubs you can’t belong to, neighborhoods you can’t live in, schools you can’t get into, but the roads are always open.”   – Nike

“I’ve always felt that long, slow distance produces long, slow runners.”   – Sebastian Coe

“Why aren’t you signed up for the 401K?”
“I’d never be able to run that far.”        – Dilbert

“Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must move faster than the lion or it will not survive. Every morning a lion wakes up and it knows it must move faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn’t matter if you are the lion or the gazelle, when the sun comes up, you better be moving.”   – Maurice Greene (attributed to Roger Bannister  shortly after running the first sub-4 mile)

Finland has produced so many brilliant distance runners because back home it costs $2.50 a gallon for gas.   – Esa Tikkannen, 1979

There are as many reasons for running as there are days in the year, years in my life.  But mostly I run because I am an animal and a child, an artist and a saint.  So, too, are you.   Find your own play, your own self-renewing compulsion, and you will become the person you are meant to be.   – George Sheehan

If God invented marathons to keep people from doing anything more stupid, the triathlon must have taken Him completely by surprise.   – P.Z. Pearce

The difference between a jogger and a runner is an entry blank.   – George Sheehan

“There ain’t no shame looking at a good runner’s back. Now, if the runner sucks, that’s something else entirely… “The Rage, Training Tips “Comeback”

“No doubt a brain and some shoes are essential for marathon success, although if it comes down to a choice, pick the shoes. More people finish marathons with no brains than with no shoes.” – Don Kardong

“There will come a point in the race, when you alone will need to decide. You will need to make a choice. Do you really want it? You will need to decide.” – Rolf Arands

“Most mistakes in a race are made in the first two minutes, perhaps in the very first minute.” – Jack Daniels, Exercise Physiologist and Coach

“Why aren’t you signed up for the 401K? I’d never be able to run that far.” – Scott Adams, Dilbert (4/2/01)

“If you can’t win, make the fellow ahead of you break the record.” – Unknown

“Hills are speedwork in disguise.” – Frank Shorter

“Run like hell and get the agony over with.”  -  Clarence DeMar

“If you run 100 miles a week, you can eat anything you want – Why?    Because…
(a) you’ll burn all the calories you consume, (b) you deserve it, and (c) you’ll be injured soon and back on a restricted diet anyway.”  -  Don Kardong

“Your body will argue that there is no justifiable reason to continue.  Your only recourse is to call on your spirit, which fortunately functions independently of logic.”   -   Tim Noakes

“Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing.  You have to make the mind run the body.  Never let the body tell the mind what to do.  The body will always give up.  It is always tired morning, noon, and night.  But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired.  When you were younger the mind could make you dance all night, and the body was never tired..You’ve got to make the mind take over and keep going.”   -   George S. Patton, U.S. Army General and 1912 Olympian

“My favorite moments are when I pass someone who’s huffing and puffing and all I got are some slightly tired legs” – Troy Streacker

“Aspire to be great instead of good, aspire to be remembered instead of forgotten, aspire to accompish what others have and have not done, aspire to be yourself and nothing else for when you strive to be yourself everything is limitless because you are not holding yourself to the limits of others.” – Troy Streacker

“Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it.” – Oprah Winfrey

“Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it’s all  about.” – PattiSue Plummer, U.S. Olympian

“You also need to look back, not just at the people who are running behind you but especially at those who don’t run and never will…those who run but don’t race…those who started training for a race but didn’t carry through…those who got to the starting line but didn’t get to the finish line…those who once raced better than you but no longer run at all. You’re still here. Take pride in wherever you finish. Look at all the people you’ve outlasted.” – Joe Henderson

“The task ahead of you is never greater than the strength within you.” – Unknown

“Today I will do what others won’t, So tomorrow I can do what others can’t”. – Unknown

“Train hard, race easy, & enjoy the run!”  — P. Mark Taylor

_____________

The Gift of Running,by P. Mark Taylor, is now available in both paperback & e-book

- Paperback Version – Amazon.com $9.00

- Ebook Version – Kindle Store $2.99

- Ebook Version for Nook $2.99

____________

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 38 other followers

%d bloggers like this: