It seems the past two weeks have been almost too much to bear, not just for me, but for everyone I’ve spoken to - my co-workers, my parents, the waitress at the bar last night, etc. The weather’s been horrible, work’s been piling up, and there’s definitely some sleep deprivation in there too. Despite all these obstacles, I still find myself running and working out, as do my colleagues, friends and acquaintances.

I’ve been thinking about the dedicated and talented athletes that will soon be participating in the Olympics. They’re the elite of the elite and have dedicated their entire lives to training and preparation. The recognition these athletes and their trainers receive is well deserved - medal or no medal. They made it to the highest level and should be proud.

You know who else should be proud? All of the weekend warriors out there, who, despite having kids, jobs, and other obstacles of life in their way, still lace-up their shoes and step onto the pavement. You might not receive a gold medal or have the national anthem playing for you in front of the entire world, but you’ve accomplished something just as worthwhile. We don’t have all the time in the world to train and may only be able to go running when it’s convenient, but we do what we can when we can. So, the next time you finish a race or just jog around the block, remember that you’ve accomplished a GREAT feat - you’ve stepped up to the challenge.

Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character. — T. Alan Armstrong

J.D. of Get Fit Slowly has decided that he wants to run a marathon, and he posted this past weekend about his first day of marathon training. J.D. is a great writer and the post was a lot of fun to read, but what struck me about the post were the important lessons about training I learned by reading between the lines.

Seek Guidance from Those in the Know

Have you set a training goal for yourself? Awesome! Do you know what it’s going to take to accomplish your goal? If not, don’t be afraid to do a little research and to ask for guidance when and where you need it.

“To meet this goal, I need help. I need a coach. Fortunately, Mac’s wife, Dr. Pam, is able and willing to offer her help. She’s Coach Pam to me now.”

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Via Chosen Apples comes news that Grantwood Technology has released a new Nike+ compatible armband they’re calling the “tuneband“. The tuneband supports all iPod nano models (one version for the 1G/2G nanos and another for the 3G nanos), provides access to all of the nano’s ports and click wheels, and comes with a cut-and-peel screen protector. The 3G version comes in multiple colors while the 1G/2G model comes only in black.

Both the tuneband and the shoe pouch are available from Grantwood Technology’s site and Amazon.com. Prices for all of the tuneband models are $12.99. You can bundle the tuneband with a shoe pouch for and extra $6. Based on early Amazon reviews, you could do a lot worse than dropping $12.99 on the new tuneband armband.

(You might recognize the Grantwood Technology name - Scott wrote about their excellent shoe pouch in “10 Different Ways to Attach a Nike+ Sensor to your Shoe.”)

Jamie, the Diabetic Runner, has put together two running challenges for the Diabetic Runner 2008 Challenge: the DR1K and the DR5H.

“I started this challenge for the vast community of blogging runners and diabetics. I’m hoping to inspire many to do great things, to push themselves to extraordinary heights, and to raise awareness of diabetes, and the United Nations’ designated “World Diabetes Day” held every year on November 14th.

…And no, you don’t have to be diabetic to join the challenge.”

The challenges are both year long challenges. The DR1K challenge is 1,000 miles in 2008, or about 20 miles per week. The DR5H is 500 miles, or about 10 miles per week.

I’m not diabetic myself, but Courtney’s story really got to me, and when I saw that she was involved in the DR Challenge I decided that I’d give it a go myself. I wanted to challenge myself to run more, to run harder, and I wanted to help spread the word. I chose the 500 mile challenge, and as I’ve only got about 60 miles under my belt this year, I’d better get moving!

Visit the DR Challenge page to sign up for either challenge. If you’re a Nike+ runner, you can scroll to the bottom of the page and find links to join the DR1K or the DR5H Nike+ challenges.

Good luck to all the Diabetic Challenge runners!

One of the things that I love the most about Nike+ is the wide variety of people the product appeals to. Everyone has their own unique reasons for picking up a Nike+ sport kit, and sometimes those reasons are truly compelling. Such is the story of Courtney Benefiel of RidetoRemedy.com. Courtney was an athletic 11-year-old when she was diagnosed with diabetes.

“I had just finished the 4th grade when I got diabetes. In the 5th grade it was a struggle to participate in P.E. class once a week. When middle school and high school rolled around and other kids my age where complaining because they had to take P.E. I was crying because I couldn’t.”

While Courtney’s diabetes kept her from sports for many years, her dream of skydiving prompted her to take charge of her disease and take the necessary steps to be athletic once again.

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Gasp! You mean you can cheat technology?! You can, yes, but it’s not only morally wrong, it also won’t help you to become a better runner. We weren’t sure whether to publish this article or not because we certainly don’t condone any of these tactics, but just to prove that it is possible for an insidious runner to cheat the system and to highlight potential cheating with the Nike+ system, we’re going to share these ideas with you.

1. CREATE IMAGINARY RUNS
   Can’t be bothered to run, but you want to win a challenge? Simply use the Nike Plus Edit Web site to quickly create an XML file based on your imaginary 50-mile run before work today. Add the XML file to your iPod, and then before you know it, iTunes has uploaded your mileage to your open challenge(s). Pure evil personified!
2. TRICK iTUNES
   Did your run not go so well today? Wanted to run 10 miles but only ran two? No problem! Edit your most recent run before you upload it to Nike+, and trick iTunes into publishing your pretend workout!
3. CALIBRATION
   Calibrate your Nike+ incorrectly, on purpose. Tell your iPod that you are going to calibrate over one mile, but only run half a mile. Oh how impressed your friends will be when you slash your personal bests by 40% over the space of a few days!
4. MULTIPLE IPODS
   Why use one iPod when you can have two, or even three?! Attach a sensor to each running shoe and BOOM! A 10-mile run suddenly becomes a 20-mile upload. Slightly expensive, admittedly, but people with a lot of money are probably more likely to cheat than those who do not, don’t you think?
5. WEAR NIKE+ ALL THE TIME
   This is the least serious way to cheat as technically, it does involve exercise that you are responsible for. Simply wear your Nike+ device wherever you go! Walking around the house, strolling around the mall or the grocery store, all those footsteps soon add up! But why stop the evilness there? If a friend or a relative is going out somewhere, attach your chip to their shoes and ask them to record their mileage on your behalf!

Remember, you can cheat all you want online, but when it comes down to that real race against real people, we will all know who has been telling the truth and who has not. Be warned!

When I was running the Couch to 5k program, I almost always ran in the morning, really early in the morning. Since graduating from C25K, I’ve found that I simply don’t have the motivation for those early morning runs. Sure, I frequently run before work, but I’m not getting up at 5am anymore.

One of my favorite times to run is over a long lunch. I’ve got a gig (and a boss) that’s flexible enough to allow for a long lunch if I come in early. Coming in an hour early gives me time for a two-hour lunch, plenty of time to head to the house, jog around the neighborhood, grab a quick shower, and make it back to work with time to spare. It’s a great way to get out of the office, clear my head, get some fresh air, and energize myself for the rest of the day.

When’s your favorite time to run?

Last week I was talking to a friend of mine who pays $120 an hour to a psychologist in hopes that the past, present, and future frustrations of his life will go the way of the dinosaur. Not to sound too much like Tom Cruise, but I told him that maybe he should try running.

Granted running isn’t for everyone, but it definitely isn’t as expensive as most forms of therapy. And, many people, yours truly included, receive the same results - the same clarity and relief that most professional psychotherapists offer. All you need is a good pair of shoes and the time you want to spend. Whether you want your “therapy” sessions to last half an hour, an hour, four hours, etc. is completely up to you. You can go any time of day that best suits your schedule. If you need to reschedule, no problem.

So, if you’re looking for the best form of meditation to help in all of life’s troubles and transgressions, lace up your shoes and hit the pavement.

The doctor will see you now.

For as long as I can remember, my mom has been a runner. So, what better gift to get for her birthday than a Nike+ kit. Now my mom, as I’m sure many other moms, isn’t the most technology-proficient person on the planet. At first she was a little hesitant in wanting to set it up and use it. However, after a bit of encouragement and salesmanship from me on the benefits of using the chip, she went off on her first run. Now with three runs logged, she is HOOKED.

Be creative with Mother’s Day this year and get her the gift that keeps on giving. Two out of three moms recommend the Nike+ Kit.

Do you have a pair of trusty running shoes that used to be white? Perhaps a pair that looked great in the store and beautiful out of the box, but after a couple of hard miles aren’t quite as pretty as they used to be? Try restoring that “new shoe” look with lemon juice and sunshine.

You might also try freshening up those old sweats, t-shirts, and specialty running shirts with this handy tip:

Remove unsightly underarm stains from shirts and blouses simply by scrubbing them with a mixture of equal parts lemon juice (or white vinegar) and water.

There are 25 more lemony tips at 27 Household Uses For Citrus Fruit (via Lifehacker).