RunLikeChild.blogspot.com Has Moved!

This ship has sailed!
 RunLikeChild.blogspot.com has moved. 
The new blog address for Run Like Child is:

RunLikeChild.wordpress.com

 Please visit my new blog address and continue to follow. Same posts, different address.

Dreaming About Spring and Summer

Daydreaming about Lake Nokomis in full color

The current temperature here in partly cloudy Minneapolis is -1°F (-18°C). The windchill is -15°F (-26°C). These last couple of days have been a chilling reminder of how hard it is to live in the extreme North of the U.S. When winter days are frigidly cold like they are now it's so easy to become mildly depressed. There's something hollow and cruel about a -1°F day. The Sun offers no warmth and only 8 hours of light. Exposure to air is cold poison to the skin and lungs. The bleak view from my kitchen window is snow that has hardened into ice and I'm tempted to wrap a scarf around the lifeless leaf-less tree in my front yard. Life outdoors is completely still.

Daydreaming comes in handy on days like today. Although the first day of spring is still 56 days away, even the first signs of spring excite me. Spring and summer in Minneapolis are my two favorite times of year. There is a fresh buzz everywhere. I love how the leaves on the trees clap on warm breezy days. There's also that noticeable mood shift when Minnesotans can relax their shoulders and actually feel the Sun's warmth. When spring and summer hit, I try my hardest not to take a day for granted and look forward to storing memories for winter survival.

Here's what I'm daydreaming about today all of which signify the coming of spring:

1. When the snow melts!
2. Washburn High School Track.
3. The Jeff Galloway Minneapolis Training Group Kickoff.
4. Registering for the Get in Gear 5k and Half Marathons.
5. The very first smell of spring!
6. Wet grass.
7. When the Sun is warm again.
8. The first green sprouts on the trees.
9. Longer daylight.
10. My kids playing in the backyard.
11. Painting my toe nails a dazzling springtime color.
12. Reading outside.
13. Blowing bubbles with my kids on the front steps.
14. Enjoying a day with the windows open.
15. Driving with the windows down.
16. The return of birds and butterflies.
17. Running with one layer of clothing and shorts.
18. The melting and greening of Lake Nokomis.
19. First backyard burger of the grilling season.
20. Enjoying a Leinenkugel Summer Shandy outside.
21. The smell of freshly mowed grass.
22. Saying hello to my neighbors from the backyard.
23. Enjoying a day outside in a summer dress and sandals.

If you're like me daydreaming about warmer days, what are you most looking forward to?

Stress Sparks Brain Growth

It does us no good to pigeon hole ourselves into a life devoid of intensity, excitement and challenges believing that we're safe from emotional turmoil. Stress is all around us in our day to day lives, in our finances, culture, catastrophic events, grief, and the unknown. Since stress is unavoidable, how do we cope?

I go for the run.

In previous posts, I've explained how running allows me to face my anxiety as well as the connection between running and the mayhem of my life. I'm a mother of four children with normal stress like everyone else. Additionally, my past has included surviving divorce, the death of loved ones, job loss, severe financial strain, and single motherhood. I know stress.

Over the years I've learned to build a coping tool-kit, which includes self-care activities such as meditation, visual prayer journals, self-kindness exercises, crafting, reading, practicing gratitude, and yes, beer. By far, however, the most effective self-care activity that I indulge in is exercise. After a challenging run, a Jillian Michaels dvd, or Zumba I'm much more ready to handle whatever mayhem is thrown at me. When I'm at the height of training for a race when the weekly miles reach into the teens and twenties, I relish in my joyful nature and how easily things roll of my back. Sure, stress is unavoidable, however I'm so much more emotionally prepared to handle it.

How does this work?

I first read the term stress inoculation in the book, Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John Ratey, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and have been fascinated with the idea ever since. Stress inoculation works similar to receiving a vaccine. Stress is introduced in a limited and controlled manner to promote emotional immunity for future stress.

The article, "How Do Muscles Grow" by Young sub Kwon, M.S. and Len Kravitz, Ph.D. explains the process of muscle growth in biological terms. Simpler put, the brain is a muscle and operates like every other muscle in our bodies. When worked, muscle fibers in the brain as well as the body tear, rebuild and become stronger due to an increase in muscle fiber across the muscle.

When the brain is active it does not distinguish forms of stress. Activity is activity whether it's emotional, traumatic, educational, or exercise. Stress in the brain is registered as activity that causes neurons to kick it in high gear. As neurons are worked, they're damaged. Given the appropriate time to repair, they're hardier than before due to an increase in neurons.

When we feel stress it is the emotional output of brain activity.

What exercise does.

Putting ourselves in limited and controlled situations that are stressful inoculates us against future stress. In addition to the physical demands and awards of exercise, the brain also undergoes an intense workout. Multiple parts of the brain are triggered into action; hormones are released for muscle function and the intensity of the activity is taken into account. After the exercise is completed, information is stored. Muscle memory in the body and brain take place. And muscle fibers in the brain and body tear, rebuild, and become stronger.

I believe that the highly sought after runner's high is the emotional response to the stress and accomplishment of running.

When it comes to future stress that we all know is unavoidable, assemble a self-care tool-kit with exercise as the most essential stress vaccine. Consider running as armor to the fight or flight human instinct.

It's time to consider something different other than the widespread belief that exercise is only meant for people who need to lose weight. Exercise has evolved out of our human bodies' necessity to move in order to survive.

I'll end with a few quotes Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall, a book worth reading with a handle on running as the human response to the fight or flight instinct..

“Perhaps all our troubles - all the violence, obesity, illness, depression, and greed we can't overcome - began when we stopped living as Running People. Deny your nature, and it will erupt in some other, uglier way.” 

=

“Suffering is humbling. It pays to know how to get your butt kicked.”

=

“We've got a motto here-you're tougher than you think you are, and you can do more than you think you can.” 


References

McDougall, Christopher. Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Best Race the World Has Never Seen. ISBN 978-0-307-279187. http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/6473602-born-to-run-a-hidden-tribe-superathletes-and-the-greatest-race-the-wo. Retrieved January 18, 2013.

Meichenbaum, Donald. “Stress Inoculation Training: A Preventative And Treatment Approach.” http://www.brown.uk.com/anxiety/stress-inoculation.pdf. Retrieved January 14, 2013.

Meichenbaum, Donald. “Stress Inoculation Training for Coping with Stressors.” http://www.apa.org/divisions/div12/rev_est/sit_stress.html. Retrieved January 14, 2013.

Ratey, John. Spark: The Revolutionary new Science of Exercise and the Brain. Hachette Book Group. ISBN 978-0-316-02835.

Rizzo, Albert. ” Stress Inoculation.” (video.production). PBS. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/waging-war/immersion-training/stress-inoculation.html. Retrieved January 14, 2013

Young sub Kwon and Len Kravitz. “How do muscles grow?” http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/musclesgrowLK.html. Retrieved January 17, 2013.

Happy Birthday!

http://imagespublicdomain.wordpress.com/2011/01/16/dr-martin-luther-king-jr/

Goal Setting

Last summer, I started a series called Why I Run with the intent to offer encouragement for remembering and honoring the seed of want when we do the things that drive us the most. Well, I run to accomplish goals. Goal setting helps me to face and barrel through the anxiety of self worth and ensures my life is value-filled.
Whether I'm:

 running parenting writing cooking paying bills reorganizing praying self caring marketing

Trying to be a better nicer honest person

I set goals.

Here are my goal setting steps:

                                            Reward self for every accomplished goal. 

                                      Divide large goals into accomplish-able steps.

                              Make space and time for improvement.

                      Create a mantra out of the goal.

              Visualize the goal.

      Make the goal a challenge worth accomplishing.

Set a realistic goal.

In other words...

I will set a goal that I know with hard work I can accomplish. 

The goal is within my means and does not go beyond into the world of fantasy and fairy tale. 

The goal will take me on a  journey that I will grow from and into. 

I will pray and meditate about this goal. 

I will speak positive thoughts within myself. 

If I mess up, I won't beat myself up. Instead, I will re-group, realign and keep moving forward. 

I will concentrate on making one step at a time and not be overwhelmed about the journey ahead.

When I reach my goal, I will congratulate myself and indulge in a job well done.

The Victory Is in the Finish Line!

Image courtesy of 10incheslab at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Jeff Galloway Training Group Minneapolis & St. Paul

If you desire to begin running, are a beginner runner, or a seasoned runner, Jeff Galloway has something for you. 

I'm so pleased and can barely contain my excitement to announce the kickoff of the Jeff Galloway Training Program in the Twin Cities! We're set to have fun, keep it moving, and run injury free with Jeff Galloway's philosophy. 

Please visit the Active.com website in order to register:

http://www.active.com/framed/event_detail.cfm?CHECKSSO=0&EVENT_ID=2070065

Who is Jeff Galloway?

A former Olympian carrying more than 40 years of experience in the sport of running as a runner, coach and consultant. He has developed the proven Run-Walk-Run™ method.

The Method:

• Improves Time.
• Reduces Fatigue.
• Conserves Muscles.
• Prevents Overuse and Over-training.

v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v

Make Crossing a Finish Line Your New Year Resolution in 2013! 

v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v  v

The Minneapolis and St. Paul - Twin Cities - Kickoff is set for March 6, 2013 at 6:00 pm at the Washburn High School lunchroom located at:

201 W 49th St 
Minneapolis, MN 55419

You'll receive a packet of information along with a training and Magic Mile schedule. 

We’re training for two exciting races! 

• Get in Gear 5k Training Session begins on Saturday, March 9, 2013 at 8:00am. This is an 8 week Getting Started Program aimed at crossing the finish line of the Get in Gear 5k on April 27, 2013 at Minnehaha Park.
• Red, White, and Boom Half Marathon Training Session begins on Saturday, March 16, 2013 at 8:00am. This is a 16 week Half Marathon Program aimed at crossing the finish line of the Red, White, and Boom HalfMarathon on July 4, 2013. Celebrate Independence Day with a spirit of success!

Jeff Galloway Training Groups meet once a week on Saturday mornings at the Lake Harriett Bandshell in Minneapolis. All training groups are led by Pace Group Leaders and every pace is taken into account. Training groups offer support, encouragement, and accountability. We cheer you on from Week 1 to the finish line.

If you have any questions or need more information, please contact me by leaving a comment or send an e-mail at: Gallowaymsp@gmail.com.

% % %

We’re also looking for enthusiastic people to join the training group as a Pace Group Leader. All we require is a desire to encourage others. Registration with the Jeff Galloway Training Program is FREE and training is included. Please contact me if you’re interested at: Gallowaymsp@gmail.com. 

If you're outside of the Twin Cities, there are other training groups throughout the United States. Please visit Jeff Galloway's Training Groups Page.