A Guide to Running Vocab

As per usual, if I am training for a marathon, this time of year is usually all about one thing for me: Running. That's right, it pretty much consumes my life. Does it have to? No. Do I make it? Yes. That's just me I guess. When I put my mind to something, I really have dedication and discipline toward it, especially in the home stretch. And that's what this time of year is. The home stretch. T-3 weeks until the NYC marathon so of course its pretty much all I can think about. I eat, drink, and sleep for this race. Because of that, I decided to dedicate this post to some terms that have taken over my life as of recently, but some for as much as the last 4 and a half months. Geez, this really is a big commitment when I really think about it. And that's why I am so intense about it.

Those people that are runners are probably familiar with some of these terms. While some are more common than others, many of them are used often enough in the running community (at least the one I am a part of) and are commonplace. Others might hear us nut-job runners talking and think we are speaking our own bizarre language. So without further ado, here is a little vocab lesson on some runner terminology.

One Day: Ironwoman!

Many of us have a bucket list. Places we want to go to and see and things we want to do or accomplish. My bucket list is quite long, but one of the things on top of my list is to complete an Ironman Triathlon. (And yes, its spelled Triathlon, not with the "a" between the "t" and the "h." Weird, I know!) An Ironman is a crazy distance of 140.6 miles comprised of a 2.4 mile swim, then a 112 mile bicycle portion, and, finally, 26.2 mile run. That's right, after swimming almost two and a half miles and biking over 100 miles, you get to run a full marathon. Sounds awesome, right? Why yes, yes it does. To me.

But seriously, I know this sounds absolutely crazy, maybe even torturous to some people, but to me, it is the ultimate endurance challenge and one I want to complete at some point in my life. One day. And at the very minimum I would want to do the half Ironman. I mean, that's only 70.3 total miles.

All That Goes Into a Race

The New York City Marathon is almost upon us again (one month from today!!) and I once again have mixed emotions of nervousness and excitement. I have worked so hard training for this bad boy and I want my hard work to pay off and have a great race. Duh! If you know me, you know that running has taken over the last 4 months of my life so the end has to justify the means. It has to.

But I am not the only person that has worked hard and is part of this great race. There are so many different components and different people that make the marathon so incredible. There is all the stuff happening behind the scenes months in advance and the stuff right in front of our very own eyes on race day into this. And to be honest, its more than a race, its an event. 26.2 miles is no joke. And when its 26.2 miles through the five boroughs of NYC, its totally one of the best things to ever experience.

Miley: Moving On...

Full admission: I DVR’ed the Miley Cyrus documentary “Miley: The Movement” on MTV Wednesday. Don’t judge. I was curious. And I was finally able to watch it yesterday morning and man, it was interesting to say the least. Miley’s just being Miley I guess you could say.

Now, I am not a fan of Miley per se, but I’m not gonna lie, I like some of her music. Seriously, I love “We Can’t Stop” and I was always a huge fan of “Party in the USA” and the older “See You Again.” And I can dig “Wrecking Ball” and “23.” Since I am too old to have ever watched “Hannah Montana,” I really don’t have a clue what that show was about or even Miley pre-“movement,” as she calls it. (Except that she snagged the gorge Liam Hemsworth for a long time.) Much of the knowledge I have of Miley Cyrus I get from my US Weekly and the other tabloids and blogs I read.