Survey on Runners

Hi Runners,
I am doing a survey for my Statistics class on runners. I will provide the questions below and would appreciate those who can participate in answering them. There are just 10 short questions geared to runners; competitive, recreational or simply for those who just run for whatever reason. If you can comment to my post with your answers that would be awesome! :)
I will post the results that I come up with on Friday.
Thank you for those who choose to participate.

1. What is your current running program?

A. Run greater than 50 miles per week

B. Run between 40-50 mpw

C. Run between 30-40 mpw

D. Run between 20-30 mpw

E. Run between 10-20 mpw

F. Run between 10 mpw

2. How long have you been running?

A. More than 20 years

B. Between 10-20 years

C. Between 5-10 years

D. Between 2-5 years

C. Less than 1 year

3. How would you best describe yourself as a runner?

A. Very Competitive- race seveal times a year

B. Somewhat Competitive- race a few times a year

C. Dedicated Recreational- rarely/never race but running is a high priority

D. Casual Recreational- run a couple times a week when the opportunity arises

4. How old are you?

A. Over 50

B. 40-50

C. 30-40

D. 20-30

E. less than 20

5. What is your gender?

A. male

B. female

6. Are you interested in world or national competition?

A. Yes

B. No

7. Do you include stretching in your training?

A. Yes

B. No

8. Do you take supplements to improve performance?

A. Yes

B. No

9. Do you habe a coach?

A. Yes

B. No

10. What is important to you about running?

A. Physical fitness

B. Setting personal records

C. Relaxation

D. Looking good

E. Camaraderie

F. Competition

G. Setting world records

H. Other

I wanted to share one of my favorite running quotes with all of you:

"Top results are reached only through pain. But eventually you like this pain. You'll find the more difficulties you have on the way, the more you will enjoy your success." -Juha

Urban Cow Half Marathon 10/03/10

I signed up for the Urban Cow Half Marathon about a week before the race. After running the SF Marathon the longest run was 8 miles, so I was not expecting to do well in this half marathon. Well I surprised myself and only if I knew along the way I could have made it to the podium.

I road down with my girlfriend Jenna and a few of her friends. They were doing the relay together! We got to the race about 45 mins early. When we got there I had Jenna use the KT Tape on my rotator cuff and IT Band.

The start of the race I decided to stick with the 01:50 pacer. As we got to mile 6 I felt strong and started to pick up my pace. I found myself in the rhythm and holding a great pace. Usually my IT band or rotator cuff starts to bug me, but ever since I used the KT Tape I don't have pain. At mile 10 I still had energy and was not fatigued. I decided that I would pick up the pace and push myself the rest of the way.

About a mile away from the finish line I see my Aunt and Uncle along the side cheering me on. It felt good to see them and to have their support. The last 1/2 mile was all out! I sprinted to the point where I felt like I was going to vomit or pass out! After I crossed the finish line I was ever so thankful :)

I met up with my girlfriends after they complete the race. We checked our race results and I was shocked! I ended up placing 4th in my devision. If I would have known that I would of fought for 3rd, but I had no idea.

My SF Marathon my overall pace was 08:35 and the Urban Half was 08:13. Each race I am getting faster! I am in training for CIM and my goal is to qualify for the Boston Marathon! I can do it :)

Race Results:
Finished: 01:47:35
Pace: 08:13
Overall: 448th of 3120
Female: 122nd of 1976
F19-24: 4th of 103

I find myself accomplishing my dream and becoming a faster runner! It feels great to be at this point right now :)

Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed it and inspires you to push yourself beyond what you think you your body can handle. Just remember it's all mental!

San Francisco Marathon 7/25/10

After signing up for the SF Marathon I had to find where I was going to stay. I called every hotel that was near the start line and they were all booked. I didn't want to have to drive down the morning of the race.....so I kept doing my research. Few days later I remembered that I was part of the RATPack and found out that they were traveling to the race together. They already had a hotel booked at the Le Meridien, so I split the cost with two other gals.

I decided to take the Amtrak from Sacramento to SF the day before the race. Saturday morning I got on the Amtrak and took off. Let me say it was fairly early in the morning and I fell asleep instantly...p.s. with no ear plugs! After arriving in SF I took a bus that I thought was going to take me close to my hotel; however, I ended up having to take the local transit to get near my hotel. After I found the hotel and checked in I headed straight to the Expo. Picked up my race bib and signed up to be part of the 3:40 pace group. From the Expo I took a shuttle to Sport Basement, which if you have never been you should make it a must! I went there to pick up Rock Tape since that is one of the only places that carry it. If your not sure what Rock Tape is click on the name and it will take you to there website. There tape works wonders.

Not too long after getting back to the hotel it was about time for dinner. I brought my own chicken and Quinoa for dinner, but really wanted more food than that. I walked down the street looking for somewhere to get some grub. Along the sidewalk there was a sign that said organic something or another....lol and the first thing I thought of that's where I am having dinner. I walked down this ally way to this restaurant. I ordered some Greek salad with bread. All I really wanted was the bread! Not the norm, but need the carbs for the race. After dinner I headed back to the hotel to eat the rest of the food I brought. Yum yum... I was stuffed!

Finally, around 8 I met the two other gals I was rooming with. We chatted for a few and started to prepare for the race. We were checking one another just to make sure we had everything....lol it seemed like I was the one with the least amount of stuff and doing the most miles. After setting everything up it was time to get my rest. We lay down to go to bed and one of the gals shouts out " now if your phone goes off I'm going to kill the person who called". To me it was so funny because I knew that it was going to be mine.

I actually slept great the night before the race. Woke up about 2.5 hours before my race. The first thing I did when I woke up was made my oatmeal and coffee. Then I started to put my clothes on and make sure that I was all set and ready to go.

Off to the race!! I had two friends who came out to support me. I met up with them before the race started. It was about 5:20am and I started to make my way to the start line. I started to get a little nervous, so I started to talk to those around me. The horn goes off and it was time to go. I started my I-Pod and Garmin GPS.

Live Update:
crossed the Bridge 7.6 Mile at 6:46 AM
Course time: 01:03:39
Pace: 08:23 min/mi
Live Update:

crossed the Half

Course time: 01:50:36

Pace: 08:27 min/mi

Live Update:
Crossed the 20 Mile at 08:31 AM

Course time: 02:48:49

Pace: 08:27 min/mi

At this point in the race is where I slowed down. My IT Band started to give me pain into my knee.

Live Update:

Crossed the finish line 26.2 Mile

Course Time: 3:44:56

Pace: 08:35 min/mi
Overall:
1004 out of 0
Women:
146 out of 0
F 20-24:
13 out of 0
Age/Grade:
60.21% Place: 928

The entire race I felt strong and focused. I mentally was prepared and stuck to my training. I had the best race so far especially considering the hills. My goal was to qualify for the Boston Marathon, but was shy of 4:56. I will accomplish this in the CIM marathon in December. Good luck to you runners out there!

IT Band Injury

I have IT Band issues when I over train and from lack of stretching. I need to make stretching just as important as every other part of my training or I am going to continue to have injuries.
I was doing some research for allison1080 and came across some good information that I wanted to share with everyone.

Iliotibial Band Syndrome -

The dull ache initially starts in the beginning of my run and last the entire run. The pain goes away after I am done running. If I continue to run and don't take time off the pain is severe and prevents me from running. At that point downhills and uneven surfaces are the worst.
The IT band tenderness or inflammation is caused by form being off, lack of stretching worn shoes, excessive hill running, uneven surfaces, and/or overtraining.















There is a lot of information out there on self-treatment and medical treatment. My advice would be to stop running if it is severe pain or even mild. There are many times that I don't stop training even when it is mild and it becomes a bigger problem in the end.
I take IBU, ice my knee, use tiger blam cream, stretch, yoga, roll out on foam roller or straight PVC pipe. I am one to give advice on this and need to take it in myself. I am not perfect by all means, but please don't make the same mistakes I have made. It can be painful and takes longer to recover. I can say from personal experience it is so hard to stop running especially in the middle of my training. I have to remind myself that I can still swim and bike.. It is soooo important to take time off when IT Band pain starts to occur! I can't stress it enough!!!
Ice religiously..... stretch stretch stretch.... take something for inflammation.... AND DONT RUN

Who or what inspires you?

I run in honor of Savannah Lee Campbell. Savannah was only 9 years old and had Malignant Brain Tumor.
I met Savannah through her older brother James. James and I were good friends. I knew right away that their family were brave and strong. After meeting and getting to know Savannah she became my inspiration and hope. This young girl knew exactly what was going on with her and stayed strong.
She was a bright young girl who was a fighter. Just a few days ago this little girl passed away. I still will continue to run in honor of her! God bless her and her family.
I share this with you guys to remind you of who or what that inspires you in your life today. I will never forget the impact Savannah and her family had on me.
"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same."
Below are two pictures. These pictures were taken back in 2008 of Savannah and I.





























She is adorable and a girl I will remember forever. I hope you have something or someone who inspires you in your life too :)

Recipe # 3

Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Yummy... Delicious!

Ingredients:
3 bananas (not ripe, best if 4-5 days old)
2 cups of whole oats
1 cup of cranberries or dates (no pits)
1/3 cup oil
1 tbsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients together and let it sit for 15 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

This is a great recipe for those who crave sweets... I sure do and there is no better cookie than this. It hits the spot every time for me! Let me know what you think if you try them out! Enjoy :)

Recipe # 2

Stir Fry!!

Ingredients: (FYI, everything is from Trader Joes)
3 large pieces of chicken
1 bag of broccoli (already sliced)
1/2 bag of carrots (already shredded)
1 bag of stir fry vegetables (use whatever you prefer)
3/4 (of jar) General Tsao stir fry sauce
chili flakes to taste
sea salt and black peppercorns to taste
Brown or white rice (whatever you prefer)

Preparation:
Slice chicken into long strips. Put olive oil in the bottom of a big frying pan, then place chicken in pan. Turn the burner on medium heat (which on mine is a 5 or 5 1/2). Cook the chicken until it is done and then drain some of the juice out of the pan (not all of it because then it will dry the chicken out). I coat the top of the chicken with chili flakes, sea salt and black peppercorns. Then I throw in the stir fry vegetables, broccoli and carrots. I mix it all up and let it cook until the vegetables and soft but not mushy. I then add General Tsao stir fry sauce to it and let it simmer for about 5 minutes or so. I Buy the frozen rice that cooks in 3 minutes, so if you don't make sure to cook the rice way before you start the stir fry.. You know those rice cookers can take forever!! :)) After it' all done I place the rice in the bottom of the bowl and the stir fry on top.

I hope you guys enjoy like we did! I have many other recipes, so if your craving something or need ideas please twitter or facebook me. I would love to give you ideas. :))