inspiration

I'm inspired to ask you what music you're all listening to, to help you get out the door, or while you are training? What's hot?

First there was Chaing Kimbia; now we've got Chasing Glory, as well!

I guess this is the runners' equivalent of porn. Finding Internet sites that let you watch films of men and women... running.

With the bonus that alongside the heavy breathing you often get inspiratinal music, too.

Did you see the stunning photograph "Early morning approaching Rabbit Ears Pass" posted by raukerman?

Jetfuelburner, who is no slouch himself when it comes to pictures, reckoned it would make a superb motivational poster.

Have a look-see and tell us what inspiring word or phrase you would put on it. Go here:
Early morning approaching Rabbit Ears Pass

Actually no such race exists. I just happened to run about 16 .2 miles yesterday and wanted t catch your attention. Why? Well, because I talk about myself incessantly, mostly.

But in reality, it is because I can completely understand why so many of my friends race as much as they do. Yes, coming from me that is the pot calling the kettle black but nevertheless I can see the desire regardless. You see, this run is now the longest since October 2004 where I did not receive a medal or a t-shirt at the end.

Nearly 800 days has passed since I ran over 13 miles for either the heck of it or in training. Take that in. I have run 62 of my lifetime 64 marathons in that span of time. I have run 6 half marathons. I ran one 50 miler. All without "training". Bragging? Not at all. Just trying to show how conventional wisdom sometimes should be seen as what it is: a guide. Do not follow it blindly. Take it in, roll it around and combine it with your own experience. Listen to your body. Then act.

I'm a sucker for films with a "Rocky" kind of theme. Underdog treated unfairly, given second chance, trains like crazy, changes his/her life, becomes a champion ... even better when the action is realistic.

If you're with me on this, you'll want to see "Stick It!" No, not the kind of movie you would normally want to be seen walking out of the video store with ... I mean, it's about women's gymastics of all things. But wait ... this is the real deal ... it's not about 12-year-old freaks ponsing around in spandex, but proper athletes -- the cast includes a world champion or two and several Olympians -- in hard training and competition.

Legend has it that Dick Beardsley, the two-time Olympic marathon qualifier and the fourth fastest American ever to run 26.2 miles, coached himself from a book.

The story had intrigued me for years. Call me slow, but I only recently realized that Dick's own story, "Staying the Course" was still in print. I finally got a copy and laid the legend to rest. Having just run 2:20 for 44th place in the 1979 Nike/Oregon Track Club marathon, Dick realized he had a good crack at becoming world-class - if he kept improving. (By the way, he still tops the Guinness Book of World Records list for the longest consecutive series of faster marathon times - 13 in all.) At that point, as he puts it: "I didn't have a coach, but I had a book: 'Self-Made Olympian' by Ron Daws. It was my bible. I referred to it constantly for workouts."

Is the magic in the coach, the schedule, or the runner?

I'm beginning to think that the greatest gift a coach can bring to the table is the ability to encourage people to train consistently over time.

Yes, there is the technical aspect of knowing/feeling numbers and quality of reps and intervals and hills, but the most important thing is to keep people at it. That's where "the schedule" comes in. You get it once a week and know roughly what you'll be doing when... it makes it easier to find the time and to motivate yourelf knowing that there is a purpose to it AND a group of people waiting for you at 5pm!