This past weekend, I attended the USA Pro Cycling Championship, in Greenville SC.  Saturday was individual time trials and on Sunday afternoon, there was a road race.  On Sunday morning, amateurs could go and ride the same course that the professionals would ride in the afternoon.    >> Read more

Two or three years ago, I decided that I was interested in doing a triathlon. For those that don’t know, a triathlon includes three different events, also called “legs” – swimming, biking and running. Usually, it’s in that order, and the distances vary, depending on the type of triathlon. 

There was one main issue with me doing triathlons: running. I didn’t do it. I felt like I didn’t have the body for it, and I wasn’t sure where to start, but I figured that I probably shouldn’t just go out and start doing it.  I mean, I knew that it was basically left followed by right, followed by left, and so on, but what else was important to know?     >> Read more

To read the first post I wrote on running the Couch to 5K challenge and runners' resources, click here.

Okay, you got me - I haven't run one step since I swore up and down to you that I was going to get back in the figurative saddle.  I even finally managed to get my boyfriend running, something I've been trying to do for a year now, and he hasn't managed to budge me from the couch.  So: renewed commitment, I promise.

Running is an appealing sport because it doesn't take a lot of stuff to get into it and enjoy it.  In fact, while magazines are generally struggling to keep ad pages and sales up, one title that's doing quite well is Runner's World - people don't have a lot of extra cash right now, but they still want to get fit, and running's a great way to do that.

The one thing you do need is shoes, and I don't mean just any shoes that have a swoosh on them.  You can run in the shoes you have for a few weeks until you're sure you're going to stick with it, but at that point you'll need to get some real running shoes.  Good running shoes should be properly fit to you in an actual running store, not a sporting goods store or a big box mega-emporium.  If you run in poor quality shoes or even shoes that just aren't right for your feet, you can get seriously hurt.  You really need to go to a store that sells nothing but running stuff and have their experts fit you, especially if you've never run before and don't know what kind of feet you have.

For more information on running shoes, we've got a lot of publications to keep you current on the new models.  Of course, we have the magazines dedicated to running which I discussed in my last post, but you can also find reviews and comparisons of shoes from a lot of other sources.  Did you know that you can search some of our library databases specifically for product reviews?

If you haven't used our library databases, you're really missing out.  I'm going to give you some steps now on using EBSCOHost Masterfile to search only for reviews of running shoes.  You can print these steps out as a guide or keep them open in another tab or window while you try it out.

1.  Go to the Research Tools link on our Web site (from here, you can click the link I just made for you or the one at the top of the page.  When you're on the main home page, you can hover over "Research & Learning" on the left side of the page and click on "Research Tools" from there.)

2.  Pick your subject - we're going to News and Magazines.  Check out all the cool databases we have on so many subjects! 

3.  Scroll down to EBSCOHost Masterfile.  This is a big database that has millions of magazine and newspaper articles.  It's a great start for periodicals research on any topic.

4.  To the right of the screen, you'll see that each database has links for "Home Access" and "Inside the Library."  If you're at home, you'll click the "Home Access" link and then put in your library card number and PIN.  If you're inside the library, you won't have to enter that information. 

5.  Now you're in the database.  Under the search box, you'll see a link for "Advanced Search."  We'll need that, since we only want product reviews, not just any articles about running shoes.

6.  On the Advanced Search page, look for a box towards the bottom right of your screen that says "Document Type."  Select "Product Review" there, and in the main search box at the top of the screen type "running shoes."  You don't need to put it in quotes.  Click the "Search" button, and you'll see a list of results.

7.  If a specific article is available in full text in this database, it will have links under the title that say "HTML Full Text," "PDF Full Text," or both.  These are the links you need to click to actually read the article.

8.  If the article is not available in full text, we might have it in the library!  You can check our print holdings at Periodicals at Main with the library catalog.

Of course, the big running publications do a lot of articles on shoes.  The Runner's World Fall Shoe Guide appeared in the September issue.  

Of course, there's more to gear than shoes.  You don't need to spend a lot of money on running clothes, but I really suggest that you avoid cotton at all costs - it chafes, and it doesn't stay warm when wet.  You need wicking fabrics like Cool-Max and other technical fibers to keep you dry and comfortable.  Surprisingly inexpensive technical shirts, shorts and pants are available at many stores.  Runner's World has a story in the August issue on good cheap running clothes.  (Women: even if you're looking to save money, do not scrimp on your sports bra.  Save money elsewhere.  It is not worth it.  Trust me here.)

And that's all you need to get started in a sport for a lifetime - some good shoes from a real running store and some inexpensive non-cotton clothes.  Of course, you can be a real gear-head like me and get yourself a whole wardrobe of amazingly silly-looking tights to match your huge GPS watch, but you don't have to.  In fact, you'd look a lot cooler if you didn't.  (I know, I look like a huge idiot when I run.  Please don't tell me you saw me running if you recognize me - it's embarassing.)  Have I convinced anybody to start?  Let me know!    >> Read more

Speaking of running, have you noticed a lot more runners on the road recently?  It's not surprising - it seems like a lot of people pick up running when it starts to get a little bit cooler.  You see a lot of them around Halloween and Thanksgiving, and then by Valentine's Day you stop seeing new runners and just see the really tough ones who wear shorts, gloves and a hat when it's fifteen degrees outside. 

I started running last year around this time, but right after the Providence Heart and Sole Women's 5 Miler that Zola Pierterse won I sprained my ankle.  My sprained ankle turned out to be a torn tendon.  Then my torn tendon turned out to be a stress fracture, and I was in a cast for a few weeks.  Since then I've been cleared to run again, but it's incredibly hard to get back in the saddle - it's been like starting a really balky lawnmower with a pull cord.  I'll get up early one morning and run, and then not do it again for two weeks, then get up early and get in my shoes and everything and sit around reading my e-mail until it's too late... you get the picture.  It's hard to get into a routine once you've lost it, and it's demoralizing to have to start over at the very beginning again, and it's scary to run after an injury.  Even if you're doing everything you're supposed to do, it's hard to shake the fear of getting hurt again.

So, I'm starting again at the beginning, and I'm challenging you to start with me!  I'm going to get serious about it again.  I'm going to run with my dog, who definitely needs the exercise.  I'm going to start waking up early again, and eating breakfast again, and I'm definitely going to lose the ten pounds I gained after that cast got put on!  I'll tell you how I'm going to do it (which is exactly how I did it last time, so I know it can be done.)

Bazillions of people have started running with the Couch to 5K program.  (That's right, bazillions.  Look it up.)  That link goes to a collection of resources to help you succeed - you can see the program, get it in other languages, read some inspirational essays about it and get podcasts that will help you do it.  The Couch to 5K program is a self-motivated 9 week program designed for the absolute novice.  You only have to do three workouts a week, and in fact you should NOT do more - the rest days are when your body gets better at running.  You start out doing intervals and work your way up to running continuously.  You can run by distance if you have a track handy, but in my opinion it's much easier to run by time - for example, in the first week you do 20 minutes, alternating 60 seconds of running with 90 seconds of walking.  You can do anything for a minute, right?

And here's the secret - I tried to do this three or four times over the years and I failed every time, because I was doing it with a watch.  I don't know about you, but if I know I only have a minute left, that minute is the longest minute that has ever cooked a bag of rice.  That minute lasts for six eternities, and I am probably going to give up before we are done with that lousy stinking minute.  What you need to do is get an mp3 player - it doesn't have to be a fancy iPod, a $20 model will do - and download one of those podcasts at the link above.  Then you don't look at your watch.  You run when the podcast tells you to run.  You lose track of time and you concentrate on your running, and then sometimes it's actually a surprise when it's time to walk!

The other secret to actually going all the way?  Now, right this minute, register for a 5K.  That's 3.1 miles, and I know you don't think you can do it if you've never run before, but you can!  Here's a schedule of South Carolina races for the rest of this year.  Last year my goal was to run Cold Winter Day, which is a 5K in Forest Acres the day after Christmas.  It was my first race, and it was awesome!  I didn't run the whole thing (I was recovering from a sinus infection, so I walked some) but I still had a great time.  And of course, my mother beat me and won a medal, because that's what she does these days to embarass me.  When I was a kid she'd embarass me by calling my teachers and telling them I had to sit at the front of the class because I couldn't see from the back, and now she humiliates me at races.  She started running at the same time as I did, by the way, and she's 68.  What's your excuse again?

The fact is, if you have a concrete goal and you've already sent your money in, you have a lot more motivation to keep going.  A lot of people get really excited and gung ho the first few weeks, because they see a lot of progress - it's a real thrill to watch your body adapt and learn to do something it's never done before, and the change in the beginning is dramatic.  After a while, it's getting easier, and you've been doing it for awhile, so it's easy to take a day off, and then be too busy the next day, and suddenly you haven't run in a few weeks.  A specific event (that you've already paid for!) keeps you motivated.  Plus, it's a lot of fun - you feel like a real athlete when you pin your number on, and the other runners are so nice.  I don't know what it's like in the front of the pack, since the only time I ever see the front of the pack is when the real overachievers run the course a second time for more of a workup and come up behind me, but back in the back people are amazingly supportive and friendly.  There's a real cameraderie among runners.

One more secret - come to the Periodicals desk and look at our running resources!  Maybe it's obvious to you that we've got a lot of books on running (we do, of course - 796.426) but have you thought about our magazines?

Runner's World is a really fantastic magazine - it's got a lot of stuff for the beginner and the advanced runner.  Every issue is crammed with gear reviews, nutrition information, advice, exercises and human interest stories.  A lot of content is online at their Web site, including some nice little utilities like a "what do I wear?" calculator where you can input what it's like outside and get suggestions on whether it's cold enough to wear pants. 

Women's Running has kind of a weird history - it used to be Her Sports + Fitness, which seems less like a title change and more like a completely different magazine, but nobody asks us in Periodicals before they do stuff like that.  You wouldn't believe the paperwork.  It's directed specifically at women runners and includes targeted gender-specific information on preventing injuries, nutrition and other topics.  I'm glad to see it, since Runner's World has to split their clothing and shoe guides between men and women, and I don't want to see any ugly menswear when I go shopping for cute running clothes.

If you're feeling really ambitious, Triathlete is your magazine.  Why stop at running?  Wouldn't it be restful to get off your feet for a bit and onto a bike?  (No, probably not, actually.)  I like reading Triathlete because of the amazing people in it - it's awe inspiring to see what the human body can do!

So, I'm registering for Cold Winter Day again, with the goal of beating my time from last year (shouldn't be hard!) and I expect to see you there.  You get a t-shirt!  I'll be posting updates and more beginner running advice as I work at getting back into shape, and I'd like to see some comments on what you're doing!  Seriously, am I talking to myself here?  Comment!    >> Read more

South Carolina is a beautiful state.  Many of its remarkable outdoors retreats can be found right here in Columbia, SC!  If you enjoy recreational activities and being outside, then check out some or all of Columbia's city and state parks.  There are facilities for everything from walking, running, tennis, soccer, baseball, bicycling, roller hockey and even inline skating.  I try to take advantage of these parks as much as possible.  They are great for exercising and spending time with family and friends.  I've even reserved two evenings out of the week to go walking with a group of friends.  What's even better is that there's no fee to gain entry to most of the parks.  Below are some highlights, and much more information can be found on the Web sites below. 

You’ve likely seen on the news or read in the paper that today’s youths have higher rates of obesity than children just 10-20 years ago. These youths are at a greater risk for a variety of health risks, including diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma, to name just a few.  You can help prevent this dilemma by encouraging physical activity, and you can participate, too, to keep yourself healthy. 

As if raising children wasn’t already vexing enough, parenting in the new millennium presents its unique concerns.

I was discussing the challenges of staying physically fit with a coworker who is in great shape, and I told her I was looking for something easy and inexpensive to do that would give me more of an aerobic workout.

...like exercising. Not that long ago, I found that it was dark, or very close to dark, when I got off work.    >> Read more

Are you a woman who desires to exercise (maybe) and be fit (definitely)? Are you aware that regular exercise can minimize your risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, and certain cancers? (Regular Exercise Keeps Women on Track, Source: Tufts University, 2001.)     >> Read more