Runner's Poems and Quotes

"Runner's Poem"

The knees, the knees, oh, lord, the knees.
They hurt as bad as doctor's fees.
Piriformis, tendinitis
Shins that splint, severe arthritis
Meniscus torn? The pelvis scanned,
Beware the iliotibial band.


"Running"

My breath is hampered, my face is bright red.
My legs are becoming weak and useless,
And now my hair is matted to my head,
From all my gross sweating I look a mess.
The hills seem to grow with each step of mine,
The wind whips my legs, as the cold grows worse.
I concentrate on the sidewalks cracked lines.
Blood pumps through my veins, my heart is the source.
When I run my world quickly whizzes by.
Running lets me contemplate my troubles,
My options seem to extend to the sky.
Running down the hill my slow pace doubles.
I start to head home, looking for my street,
Cleansing mind and body, running is a retreat.

Author: Amanda Rae Klohmann, USA


"Long Distance Runners"

They don't like running in the heat,
because only so many layers can come off
as their shoes bounce along the street
and the city's exhaust makes them cough.

Because only so many layers can come off,
unlike the adding of shirts in winter,
and the city's exhaust makes them cough
they sometimes wish they were sprinters.

Unlike the adding of shirts in winter,
they prefer long distances in fall.
They sometimes wish they were sprinters,
though their talent in speed is small.

They prefer long distances in fall,
though spring is also nice.
Though their talent in speed is small,
long distance runners pay the price.

Though spring is also nice
as their shoes bounce along the street,
long distance runners pay the price.
They don't like running in the heat.


Running Quotes

“It hurts up to a point and then it doesn't get any worse.”
Ann Trason

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

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

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

“I'm going to go out a winner if I have to find a high school race to win my last race.”
Johnny Gray

“I always loved running - it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs.”
Jesse Owens

“Running is my church.”
Joan Van Ark

“I believe that the Good Lord gave us a finite number of heartbeats and I'm damned if I'm going to use up mine running up and down a street.”
Neil Armstrong

“Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?”
Peter Maher

“A lot of people run a race to see who's the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts.”
Steve Prefontaine

Athens - Here I come

Got my airplane ticket bought, hotel booked and
entry fee paid. I guess I am going to Athens, Greece
this November to run in the marathon and have a
vacation. Susan and I have never been out of the
country so this will be quite the adventure for us.
We will be traveling with 23 other people, some
from the RunnersWorld group and some not.
Anyone got any Euro's they would like to donate?

Heat Alert

EMSA has issued another heat alert today according to the Tulsa World. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are very dangerous. Listed below are a few precautions recommended by EMSA.

• Reduce outdoor activity, particularly during the late morning and afternoon hours.
• Limit alcohol and caffeine consumption, and up your water intake.
• Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing.
• Spend as much time as possible in an air-conditioned environment; visit a library, indoor shopping mall, community center or other such venue if you don't have air-conditioning at home.
• Play close attention to those at increased risk for heat-related illness, including young children (under age 4), senior citizens (Ken), people with chronic medical conditions such as heart disease or high blood pressure (Susan), and outdoor laborers.
• Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle.
• Runner's - drink, drink and drink more throughout the day before running.

Free Tools For Runners

Free Tools For Runners

• Track your miles: Free RW Training Log
• Calculate your finish time: Pace Calculator
• Calculate your training paces: Training Calculator
• Run your best time: Marathon Pace Guide
• Get more Training Tips: Free Newsletter

23 Miles on a Wednesday Night

You never know what your running friends are going to talk you into.

Here are my miles splits:
1: 4:45
2: 4:57
3: 5:44
4: 4:47
5: 5:39
6: 4:49
7: 7:50 (stopped for a break)
8: 5:02
9: 5:32
10: 4:39
11: 5:26
12: 5:13
13: 9:31 (a longer break)
14: 5:53
15: 7:01 (these hills are slowing us down)
16: 5:17
17: 6:26
18: 5:12
19: 4:26
20: 4:08
21: 4:11
22: 6:13
23: 4:49

Total time: 2:07
Avg Speed: 10.8 mph

Did I forget to mention this was a bicycle ride? This was the longest I have ever ridden in my life. The longest ride up til now was 10 miles which was on Monday night.

After our normal Tuesday night run on Riverside we were standing around having some usual discussions. Larry and Stefanie invited Ken and I to join them for a Wednesday night bike ride with the Tulsa bicycle club. The crazy guys we are decided that just might be fun, besides, we need to be doing some crosstraining. So we said yes.

We met up and off we went. Soon the speedy riders were out of site. That is just like my running. Soon the fast runners are nowhere to be seen.

Ken, Bronda and I stayed together for the duration.

We had a good time and would like to go out for more bike rides in between running days.


Ken


Bronda


Break time and filling the water bottles

Should marathoner's take baby aspirin?

Click here for article:
Should I Take a Baby Aspirin Daily?

Click here for follow-up article:
Follow-Up to Baby Aspirin Advice

Running Off the Beaten Path

Run enough mileage over the years, and you will no doubt suffer some sort of impact injury: for example, stress fractures, plantar fasciitis, and shin splints. Put simply, running pounds your body.

To stave off impact injuries, many runners mix up their training with lower impact exercises such as cycling, swimming, yoga, etc. Yet, some diehards refuse to give up their daily runs. Running is a part of them, and they are not about to relinquish that essential component of their person so easily. If you fall into that category of runner, yet you are concerned about the prospect of impact injuries typically occasioned by running, you ought to consider mixing in some trail running into your training regimen.

When you are trail running, you are running atop a much more forgiving albeit at times uneven surface. Trail running therefore allows you guard against the typical impact injuries occasioned by running, while simultaneously getting your running “fix.”

Here are some of the other considerable benefits offered by trail running:

Trail running often improves your ability to run hills. Most of the hills that you will encounter along the trail are far steeper than those you might encounter on the road. Trail running therefore affords you a great opportunity to develop your climbing lungs, and build up your quads and calves.

Notably, trail running enables you to develop and strengthen different muscle groups that you do not typically draw upon during road running sessions. Although trails offer a softer running surface, they almost always present a more uneven running surface. Uneven terrain in turn compels your tendons to provide a stabilizing force during your footfall and lift. Indeed, some challenging trail runs may even cause you to employ your abdominal and core muscles in an effort to stabilize your body. Consequently, trail running affords you the opportunity to develop and strengthen a variety of stability-oriented muscles and tendons.

Variety, variety, variety. Running the same road courses over and over again leads to boredom. Trail running mixes things up and gives you a chance to see and enjoy the sheer beauty of a forest or park. Plus, the comparative silence offered by trail running in a park or forest is often a welcome respite from the smog, traffic, and noise characteristic of urban runs.

(Copied from MapMyRun newsletter)