Spring, Sprang, Sprung!

According to the calendar, it's Spring. The thermometer may not agree, but we know the warm days are coming. I've been thinking about spring, but not that kind. The infinite wisdom of the English language allows for several alternative meanings for the word spring.

The spring I've been thinking about is the elastic device used to store energy. For the physicists among us (or Big Bang Theory fans),  what I mean is displayed in this graph on the right.

For everyone else, the photo below might make more sense.

 We use springs all the time, but don't think much about them. Springs store potential energy and release it when acted upon by a force. I'd like you to create this image in your mind: even if this wasn't a great winter of running for you, you've been storing energy, just like a spring. Now, with a force applied, you can release it.

Maybe that force is a burst of sunshine, or your training buddy's phone call. Maybe it's the entry fee for an upcoming race, or maybe it's a new pair of shoes. Whatever the source, you're ready to spring into action.

Achieving balance between storing energy and using energy is an art. A well-made spring is an amazingly simple device that has mastered that equation. We can learn a few things from springs, like the importance of stretching, and that for each action there will be a balancing reaction.

It's spring and you're a spring, so it's time to tap into your stored energy. Strap on your shoes, head for the doors, and let yourself go. Don't worry if winter training didn't go as planned. You have plenty of stored energy, and stored memories.

Off you go. Spring, sprang, sprung!.

Now, about those temperatures. Can we convert some kinetic energy into thermal energy? I'm ready for Spring!

Couch to 5K in Just Two Weeks (and Other Lies)

This has been an odd winter. We've had long stretches with no snow, a few big bopper storms, and lots of lazy shovelers. Ice covers many running paths, and my forearm, hip and ankle have the bruises to remind me of how quickly up can turn to down. When is spring coming?

The calendar says spring begins on March 21, but Minnesotans know that date is more of a tease than reality. Ok, last year it was 80 degrees in mid-March, but not much later we had wind chills in the teens. If this hasn't been the winter of your training dreams, you may have been seduced by the come-ons that you find in running magazine articles and ads. Who wouldn't want more fitness with less work? Why shouldn't you be able to wipe away a weary winter with a few quick workouts? A 5K in two weeks? Sure, why not?

Pardon me while I take off my coaching hat, stow my knowledge of exercise physiology, and stifle my guffaws. There, now I'm ready to offer you unbridled enthusiasm for your new racing goal! Let's go for it!

Here are seven tips to take you from couch to 5K in just two weeks. No really, I mean it!

1. First, register for the race. There is nothing like having some skin in the game to motivate you.
2. Second, prepare your body to train. If you've been running a little, a 5K is a stretch but doable, but if it's been zippo, you need to work into it. You only have two weeks, so you can't dawdle, but on day one, just add a little walk, take the stairs not the elevator, and skip the second dessert. Baby steps!
3. Third, buy new shoes. Sure, I used to own a running store and I think the world would be a better place if everyone bought new running shoes, but this time I'm strictly referring to the magical motivational power of new sneakers. It's as if they're saying, "take me, I'm yours," but in a running sense and not creepy at all.
4. Rent an inspirational movie. Running Brave, Without Limits or Prefontaine are good choices. Stay away from The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. Anti-social schoolboys aren't what you need right now.
5. Start running. Eventually you just have to run. Try a block, a quarter mile, a mile, whatever you can handle. Walking is ok. Crawling is not.
6. Do something for fitness every day. That includes running, walking, swimming, really anything that keeps you moving. Get up from your desk more often. Park farther from the door. Sniff your sneakers. Keep moving!
7. Who am I kidding? You can't really get fit in just two weeks. You can, however, start down the road. And as long as you're on the road good things can happen. Just watch out for cars. And ice.

Bonus question: What winner of the race that is now called Irish Run Saint Paul also had a role in the movie Without Limits? Share your guess on our Facebook page.

Changing Directions

Track runners know exactly where to go: run hard, turn left. I'm more of a cross country runner, where every course is different and you expect twists and turns. You learn to welcome those changes and the challenges they create. Changing directions isn't only necessary, it can be fun too!

This is a year of zigging an zagging for The Sporting Life. Our first event of the year, Irish Run Saint Paul (Sunday, March 24) changed names (it used be called the St Patrick's Day Human Race), headquarters (now Ramsey Jr High in St Paul) and literally changed directions with the course (the new start faces west instead of east). All that makes it almost a new event despite a 40+ year legacy.

Our next event is also on the move. Grand On the Go is evolving from Grand Old Day On the Go, with a date change to Sunday, April 21 (registration opens 2/27/13). When Grand Avenue Business Association (GABA) decided that they no longer wanted the races as part of the Grand Old Day festival, we began to look for alternatives. The event will now be part of a new TSL initiative, in partnership with GABA. Grand 4 Fitness will be a series of health and fitness initiatives up and down Grand Avenue for four days in April (18-21).

Of course change doesn't mean throwing out everything. Irish Run Saint Paul will be covering most of the same terrain as the old route, just in a different order. Teams are back, and it's still part of the MDRA Grand Prix and USATF Minnesota team circuit.We're even bringing back a post race party that had been missing for a few years (details coming soon).

Grand On the Go will feature the familiar course and format (8K skate and run, 5K run/walk and youth run). Teams will be back too.

Zebras on the move

Social media is a great tool to keep up with changes. Be sure to check out or Facebook page and Twitter feed. We'll be coming soon to Pinterest too.

How is 2013 shaping up for you? Any big changes? It isn't always easy, but with the right attitude, changing directions can be fun. Happy zigging!