Six weeks and not exactly six miles . . .

Well, my six week running and blogging experiment has come to an end. My thoughts? Well, first, I like blogging! Second, I hope I continue to run with consistency, but I highly doubt I'll ever be the person who gets up at 5 in the morning to get in 6 miles. I'm okay with that.

I've also discovered quite a bit about myself, namely that I run to feel good and feel good because I run- funny how that works. Also, while I run I write blog posts in my mind; Judy Jones, get out of my head! On a more serious note, through all the running, all the reading about running and all the Advil I've taken because of running over the last month and a half I have a great respect for everyone who gets out and there and attempts it. It is a way more mental activity than I ever realized- and there is nothing more terrifying sometimes than being alone with your own thoughts.

A big thanks to everyone (all 7 of you!) for reading my blog, you were all so supportive and passed along some truly wonderful tips and suggestions. The journey doesn't end here though, you'll find me running along the East RIver, while trying to take a picture of a fellow jogger wearing denim cutoffs and a belt- I was never ever able to get a picture of that guy, but I swear he exists.

I hope to run into you soon.

JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge- The Experience!

15,000 people ran this year's Corporate Challenge. The Challenge spans multiple US cities and countries around the globe. It is truly an experience. You can't go 3 inches without seeing some sort of JP Morgan branding, but what I found truly interesting is the myriad of brands- every company that participates takes advantage of the opportunity to brand the heck out of themselves- from the t-shirts the runners wear to branding at the hospitality tents, to the homemade signage the spectators and cheering sections brought.

My unofficial estimate is that about 80% of the companies participating at this year's Challenge were banks. If you haven't read the news in the last year or so- banks have a pretty bad rep. Which is why participating in events like this are so important. They give people (read: the people who work for banks and are starting to question if they working at the right place) a warm, fuzzy feeling of camaraderie and humanity. As they run past a giant banner with the Goldman Sach's logo, they think to themselves: maybe working here isn't so bad after all, they are donating money to multiple charities around the globe, they are making a commitment to my health and fitness goals and they chipped in to buy me this oversized scratchy t-shirt. It makes the whole Senate Banking Committee investigation seem a little easier to swallow.


" I swear to make sure our executives understand that physical fitness is just as important as fiscal fitness."

JP Morgan has been holding these Corporate Challenge events for the last 32 years. Each year the event seems to get bigger, more diverse and full of flashy signage and branded t-shirts- which is all in the name of physical fitness and making people hate banks a little less.

Recommitting to Committing

These last few weeks have been rough on my running schedule. Long hours at work, plus class three days a week, equals not a lot of time or energy to run. My lack of commitment made me question whether or not I actually want to run. As I see it, if this was truly something I wanted to do, I would push myself harder to get up and just run- come hell or high water. Maybe me and running were not cut out for each other.

Then I realized something: these last three weeks I have been in a rut; I've been exhausted, lacking energy, full of anxiety and the only thing that helps me clear my head, give me a jolt of energy and on some level gives me peace is the thirty to forty minutes I take a few times a week to go running. My relationship with running is very love-hate. I hate getting up early, having achy knees, but I love the way it makes me feel. I am truly a better person when I run- I'm happier, more enthusiastic and less grumpy, which benefits most people who are forced to be in my presence.

Running may not need me, but I've come to learn and accept that I need running. So this is my recommitment to committing- the extra effort of getting up 30 minutes earlier, provides me with clarity, peace of mind and an over all better outlook on life. It doesn't matter how slow I run, or how many miles I log, what matters is how I feel when I run. And after the generally pukey sensation subsides, I feel pretty darn good.

Here's an amazing story from a woman named Jenny. She runs to clear her head and conquor things that I couldn't even possibly begin to fathom, this is sure to get you out of bed on those days when you don't feel like it or at the very least snap you back to reality and realize just how lucky you truly are.

http://www.c25k.com/jenny.htm

So, my lazy running readers what do you do when you are feeling down? What do you wish you could recommit yourself to?

People watching is my favorite pastime.

Part of what I love about running (when I actually get myself out of my apartment and out on the pavement) is the element of people watching. The East River Running Path and Central Park are a hotbed for good looking people, weirdos, tourists and my personal favorite-- different running styles. I find it really interesting to watch people run. Some people look unbelievably graceful and make it seem so easy, others look like they are about to die; and there are an abundance of people who run like they are back in 2nd grade and playing outside during recess.

Which brings me to the point of this post: how different social media outlets can be used as a useful tool for runners and complement my blog. Some days I have trouble motivating and others I wonder if I'm running "right". This is the perfect opportunity to use YouTube to find both great inspirational videos and well as videos that provide visual aids on how to improve my running gait- the below clip probably won't improve your style but will make you smile.

Another great tool is Twitter and Foursquare- this is a fantastic opportunity to reach out to my readership and let them know quickly when and where I'm running should they want to join me. There's nothing more motivating than having a running buddy and no better opportunity when running to guilt my partner into guest blogging on my site. It's always nice to get an alternative point of view.

When running solo, great music is key, linking highly rated iMixes from iTunes on my blog is a way to keep my readers engaged and running! I often do a quick search on iTunes for running mixes so I don't get bored on my runs- I think this is something my readers would appreciate, but iTunes also allows for comments, ratings and reviews which helps keep the conversation going.

iTunes is also valuable to download videos which demonstrate useful stretches and cool down routines onto your iPod, so you have them ready to go.

Social media can have a huge impact on my blog, it takes it from being a fairly one sided conversation to a fully integrated and engaged experience for my followers.