Mentor's Corner: Meet Luke

Luke Reardon was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in the Spring of 2008. He spent two weeks in the hospital losing over forty pounds before the doctors were able to diagnose him. His involvement with CCFA started when he interned at the Minnesota/Dakotas Chapter of CCFA in 2009. Since then, he has participated in Team Challenge, Take Steps and Young Professionals Group. Along with fundraising, he has also been a CCFA advocate during the “Day on the Hill” in Washington , DC. His leadership skills and passion have proven to be a great asset to the Young Professionals Group where he now serves as the Fundraising Committee Chair. Most recently, he participated in his second half marathon while acting as a mentor for Team Illinois at the 2010 Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon in Las Vegas benefiting CCFA. His favorite memories come from Team Challenge. “It’s always inspiring to hear others’ stories of what they have and continue to go through. It was amazing to see everyone’s hard work pay off,” Luke says of this past Vegas race. Luke serves as a role model and an inspiration to those with IBD but when asked what inspires him, Luke responded, “I am inspired by the courage and determination I see in people with IBD. It never ceases to amaze me how resilient those of us with IBD are. I have heard stories of what others have dealt with and it amazes me how they were able to cope with what they had to go through and maintain a positive outlook. These people and their stories inspire me to do what I can so they, and others, will never have to be the subject of such pain again.” He is thankful for his health and the opportunity to improve the health of others. “I am not a doctor, nor will I ever be, but I can still have a valuable impact on IBD research,” he says. Luke’s humanitarianism and drive to find a cure is a true inspiration to us all.

Mental Toolbox by Coach Stacey

What do you have in your mental toolbox?  If you are new to this whole half marathon training program, my guess is not much.  If you are an experienced endurance athlete, then you should have several things, but no one has a packed, there is no room for one more thing in my toolbox, toolbox.  Your mental toolbox is a topic that you will hear me speak about, write about, and stress how important it is.  There is nothing that will carry you through without a doubt more than your mental toolbox.  Well, except your feet of course!  But, what is a mental toolbox?
 Each time you go out for a training walk, run/walk, run, there is something to learn, something to remember, something to put in your mental toolbox so that if it happens on event day, you can go back in your mind and say to yourself, “I’ve done this, I know how to handle it.  I know what to expect, and how to not let it de-rail my race.”  This is why it is so important that you go out in all kinds of weather.  Saturday was a perfect day.  Perfect!!  Although, it was spitting rain at the beginning, it was a little windy, and a bit cold, it was perfect.  Why?  Because you got three mental toolbox items for the price of one.  If one race day, if it is raining, windy or cold, then you have already walked, run/walked, or ran in it, and you already know that you will be fine.  Yes, you may be cold or wet, but you can go on and finish.  It is all about having the experience and then turning it into a learning experience.  Even this morning, with the snow, it was a perfect metal toolbox day.  No, it is not going to snow in Napa, but it isn’t always about the race that you are doing right now, but a race that you may do next, or even one that you haven’t thought about. 
 I know that it is hard to go out and do your training when the weather is bad, or when you are tired, or don’t feel very good, but I urge you to do just that.  Go out, open yourself to the experience, learn, and store it in your mental toolbox.  I promise you that at some point durning your race, what ever race that is, you will use something that you have stored in your mental toolbox, and will be thankful because it will get you through whatever it was that confronted you.
“Feel the Fear and Do It Anyways!”
Coach Stacey

Mentor's Corner: Meet Amy

My name is Amy Kovacs and I am a 24 year old resident of Highland, Indiana. I work as an Electrical Desginer at Superior Engineering while I finish out my degree at Purdue University Calumet in Electrical Engineering. In what little free time I have I love to run, read, and pretty much sit around and watching movies or not do anything. I am a huge movie buff! I am also a fan of country music and I am always on the lookout for somone who also shares that passion.

I joined Team Challenge last season for their Vegas Run as a whim. I, myself, have never had any dealings with Crohns or Colitis nor had I even heard of it until after I joined. I joined with the intention of just meeting some people, raising some money, and of course having the time of my life in Vegas! Obviously, as I am a mentor now, it has turned out to be so much more than that. I cannot even think of a good way to put into words! Everyone is going to have a blast this season and thats for sure!

A word from Coach Stacey

Happy Wednesday!  You are now in week two of your training; if you have any questions regarding your training schedule, please contact either Coach Brad or Coach Stacey.  We were pleased to see many of you out at training on Saturday, and we are hoping that everyone is able to come out this coming Saturday.  We will be meeting in the same spot at Montrose Harbor, after working out the glitches, hopefully it will be smooth sailing.  We would like to take this opportunity to go over a few things that you should expect or do for your longer trainings on Saturdays.

1.   How should you dress? The rule of thumb is that you should dress like it is 10-15 degrees warmer then it really is outside.  If you step outside and you are comfortable, you are OVER dressed, and will quickly want to peel off clothing.  If you are freezing, then you have UNDER dressed and should add a layer.  If you are chilled, you are dress just right.  Also if you are worried, dress in layers so that as you warm up you can peel off layers.  Right now because of the craziness of the weather, bringing a windbreaker is not a bad idea because after you have warmed up than you can take it off and tie it around your waist.

2.  Hydration Systems-Take sometime this week before training to find a hydration system that you think will work for you and bring it with you to training on Saturday so that you can start to get used to it.  You may find that it does not work for you, so keep the receipt so that you can take it back.  You may have to try several before you find one that will work for you.  It may work when the mileage is low, but once it gets higher it is uncomfortable; that is another thing to think about. 

3.  Body Glide, Runner’s Lube, Diaper Rash ointment, Foot powder, oh my!  Though the milage is still low, at some point you are going to want to start using these items.  Once the weather gets warmer and the mileage ramps up you may start to notice chaffing.  For women it will be where you bra rests, for men it will be your nipples, but for everyone, it may happen under your arms where the arms cut out, in between your butt cheeks, and if you wear a i-pod around your arm, it could happen there too.  It happens when you are constantly rubbing in the same area.  Body Glide or Runner’s Lube will help with this.  I personally like Runner’s Lube, but Body Glide is readily available, where as I have to order Runner’s Lube online.  Again, it is going to come down to what works for you.  Really, diaper rash ointment?  Yep!  As the weather gets warmer and the level of sweating that you are doing goes up, and the wet shorts stay in contact with your butt you will get diaper rash.  There are several one’s out there, again the one that I have found that works well for me is Burt’s Bee Diaper Rash Ointment, but there are others out there, and one (though, I cannot remember the name of it) goes on clear.  Now, about foot powder, this will help with blister prevention; you want to use the Body Glide or Runner’s Lube all over you feet, in between your toes, around the heel, on the top of your toes, and then you want to put foot powder in your shoes.  Not a lot, but a nice sprinkling.  This will absorb the moisture, the lube will allow your foot to move without chaffing (hence, one cause of blistering).  Many of the powders with have some kind of menthol which is also cooling to your feet.  So start experimenting with these items to find out what ones work for you.

4.  Path Etiquette-This is something that we as coaches take very seriously.  There have been times when individuals from other training group are out and they are 4 or 5 abreast taking up the whole path, making it difficult to pass or get around them.  A person calls the office to complain, and it makes all charity groups look back, so please take this serious.  Only run, run/walk, walk two (2) abreast, no more.  If you need to stop, go off the path before you stop, and if you are transitioning between running and walking make sure that you glance behind you to make sure that no one is right on your back, if they are, go to the side and let them pass and continue with your intervals.  If you choose to run with an i-pod or any other mp-3 player, please only use one earphone; this is so that you can remain aware of what is going on around you.  As the weather gets warmer more bikers, strollers and roller bladers will be out, and you want to make sure that you can hear them when they are behind you.  I have seen my share of bike/runner crashes, and we do not want any with our participants, so please make sure that you can hear what is going on around you.

5.  Bring a towel, change of clothing and a pair of sandals.  Again, this will apply more when the mileage is higher, but starting now so that you get used to it is always a good game plan.  You are going to want to dry off, and change if you are able, but you are really going to want to get out of your shoes and into something else, and sandals are great.  There is a bathroom across from where we will be at the Lakefront, but be aware that it does not open until 1.May.

6.  Pedicures-This is something that I recommend that everyone do throughout their training.  It will help to keep the calluses from building up, keeping your toenails nice and short, and a good massage, you can never go wrong with that.  Do not let them use a credo blade (straight razor) on your feet, if they want to use one, ask that they use a foot file instead.  FYI, beauty schools do pedicure fairly inexpensively, so it is a good way to go.

Remember to eat and hydrate well, sleep well, and follow your training schedule.  But most important--COME TO SATURDAY TRAININGS!  This will make all the difference in  your experience not only with Team Illinois, but with the half marathon as well.  As always, if you have any questions please feel free to contact one of your coaches.

“Feel the fear and do it anyways!”

Coach Stacey

Mentor's Corner: Meet Maggie

Hi I am Maggie, I am currently an unemployed teacher that has loads of time on her hands. I have had Crohn's for 32 years, but have been in the longest remission to date! Yeah 6 years! That is why I was mentally strong enough to start an endeavor like Team Challenge 1/2. I have been physically strong enough most of the time, but have always been fearful I would ask/get all this money and never be able to run the race. Honestly I don't think people are giving you the money just because you are running/walk/crawling the race. They are doing it for YOUR CAUSE & CCFA! I completed the 1/2 marathon last year in just over 2 hours by run/walking it. I am typically a runner, but thoroughly enjoy the run/walk aspect because it doesn't take so much out of me that I can enjoy the run or the scenery around. Plus, I am not exhausted where I can't enjoy the rest of the days in Napa Valley California! I have a dog,Tigger, that you may meet on some of the short runs, he is the light of my life. I grew up just outside of Chicago and have lived lakeside for the last 15 years. I am goofy, full of energy and often am willing to make fun of myself if it makes others feel more comfortable or laugh. So basically Team Illinois has at least one crazy mentor. I will be happy to chat anytime. Really I will. Now go enjoy a run or a run walk. 

Barefooting by Coach Brad

If you hang out with runners long enough,you are bound to hear someone mention barefooting. What is barefooting ? Barefooting is essentially what you probably think; running or walking without shoes. The barefooting phenomenon seemed to gain traction (pun intended) in 2009 soon after the publication of a bestselling book called “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall. I won’t review the book for this article, other than to say it is a very entertaining read that promotes barefoot running while intertwined with a fun and sometimes compelling story. 

Are there benefits from barefoot running? 

The short answer is yes. When feet are cradled in shoes, the range of motion is reduced and the shoe absorbs the shock of the foot plant. (Foot plant is the when the foot lands on the ground during running or walking and NOT a form of athletes foot fungus) Without shoes the foot is forced to absorb the shock and in effect is strengthened. Also, walking or running without shoes forces the athlete to keep body mass distributed over the midfoot rather than just the heel area on impact. The result is more shock absorption with the entire foot and less in the lower leg, which can contribute to injuries. 

Are there drawbacks to barefoot running?

There are certain aspects of barefooting that can cause issues. If you are a beginning walker or runner, the initial stress of barefooting on weak foot muscles can lead to injuries. Road debris, such as rocks or broken glass can also cause injuries to the feet. Gum is also an unpleasant find for barefoot runners.

What should beginner runners do?

Most beginners should focus the majority of their workouts on the aerobic side of increasing their endurance engine (heart and lungs – the circulatory systems). As their fitness levels increase, muscle strength in the transmission (glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves and feet) should also increase. Barefooting should be limited to walking around the house or short 5 minute walks. There are a few basic exercises that beginners can do to strengthen the feet without actually running or walking barefoot.

Perform the following 4 exercises on a daily basis to strengthen the feet.

Toe Fan: In a seated position, lift your feet up to a comfortable height. Spread all ten toes out as wide as you can and hold for a slow count of 15 before you relax. Repeat 3 times.

Toe Grip: Place a towel or washcloth on the floor. Use your toes to grab and lift the towel/ washcloth off the floor. Hold for a slow count of 10. Repeat 3 times on the one foot before repeating exercise on the other foot.

Tippy toes: Stand up tall on your tippy toes, just like when you need to reach a top shelf. Walk 30-40 paces before taking a 5-10 second rest. Repeat 3 times.

Heel Walk: Shift your body weight to your heels. Lift your toes and front of your feet up high and walk on your heels. Walk 25-30 paces before taking a rest for 10 seconds. Repeat 3 times.

In summary, strengthening the feet through barefooting or exercises can be beneficial to reduce lower leg injuries and increase strength and speed. These exercises are a great supplement to your training program.

Team Challenge: You can: challenge • change • cure!