Running and Safety; Selected for The News Letter at Work (Friday Weigh Station)

After 6 years, I finally got picked to have a featured article in our company's monthly news letter. Since I work in the Safety Dept., I was asked to write something about my running and a bio, and to tie in Safety some how for all of the drivers. Each week, we pick a safety topic and make hand outs, and visuals for the drivers to see. This week, the safety topic is on healthy eating and exercise, and how it effects your job, etc.. So for the news letter, I was asked to write something on myself, as well as on proper nutrition, running safety, etc.. Driving can have a very negative impact on your fitness. Time is something that is scarce. I remember, when I was a driver, finding time to fit in my runs was a nightmare, let alone, trying to eat healthy. But when it boils down, it's all about choice. Being a driver and running was a very difficult thing to manage, but I did it. Now, my hours are pretty consistent since I am off the road more or less, so that helps out more than you know. I started changing my diet from soda to more water, and from chips to fresh fruits and vegetables, and it paid off. A bunch of drivers are going to read this, so I thought I would fill it with stuff they may not know about, that us runners know very well or should know, or not know yet, but will find out sooner or later. And if you are new to this blog, this may present an about me moment as well. This was written for a news letter, and not intended so much for this blog, but thought I would share.
Three years ago, I decided that I needed to change my life by incorporating a healthy diet along with exercise. In high school, I was on the Track & Field team, so I decided to start a running, since that’s what I knew.

So I started running, mainly to lose weight. When I began, however, most of it was walking. I also slowly changed my diet around. I found that a healthier diet is the key. Since then, I have lost close to 40 pounds. Now, on average, I run close to 50 miles a week, and 100 when I am training for a Marathon, etc... Running is the one exercise that I really like doing that keeps my body in check, so I keep at it. Being more fit has definitely had an impact on my driving. I am more alert, more mobile, and I usually never have to worry about passing my DOT physical.

Marathons ran – 2 - Harrisburg Marathon (2010) and the Gettysburg North South Marathon (2011).

Half Marathons ran – 3 – Harrisburg Half Marathon, 2010 and 2011, and the Gettysburg Blue Grey Half Marathon, 2011.

Upcoming Races

The Outer Banks Marathon in NC, November 2012

The Bataan Death March 102k Ultra in the Philippines, March of 2013 (63.3 miles) with a cut off time of 18 hours. This one requires a Support Crew that monitors your safety on the road, as well as your hydration levels, etc..

Just with driving, there are many safety factors that you need to consider while running.

Hydration is essential. You just can not wake up on race day and chug a bunch of water. For a marathon, you need to make sure that you are hydrated at least 3-4 days prior by sipping water constantly through out the day. You don’t want to start dehydrated, because you can not catch up. On the other hand, drinking too much water in itself can cause hypotremia (water intoxication), in which your body does not get enough electrolytes. Too much water will dilute your body’s system and major organs.

When you leave the house to go for a run of any distance, it is important to let some one know where you are going. When I go trail running, I especially let some one know where I will be and for how long. I often bring my cell phone along with me as well.

We don’t have a lot of sun light in the winter months, so I often find myself running in the dark. When I do this I make sure that I have on high visibility wear along with a reflective vest, and head lamp. I am sure that you have heard of runners getting hit by cars. So to prevent this from occurring, I run facing traffic, and I make sure that they see me.

In the summer time, you can risk the chance of certain skin caners due to too much sun exposure. To help counter this, you need to wear sun block (not sun tan lotion) with an SPF of at least 45. Another preventable measure is to try and cover up as much as possible with a light colored fabric.

As you can see, being safe plays an important role throughout your entire life at home and everywhere, and every second of the day; not just on the job. Being safe is also being selfless, by helping those around you with their safety too. Safety should not be taken lightly at any point in time, but should play an important role in your life, for yourself, for your family, and everyone around you. If you are interested in starting an exercise program, it is important to make an appointment with your family doctor to get checked out for any potential problems. Remember to start slow as to prevent getting burned out. Results do not, and should not happen over night, but with the right attitude, determination, and the right diet along with exercise, you will be on track to a new healthier you.

It's Friday, and I thought I would just my weekly weigh in here, in case more people (haha) are interested in reading the above. So....here we go.

Week 1 - 207
Week 2 - 205.2 1.8 loss
Week 3 - 203.4 1.8 loss
Week 4 - 202.2 1.2 loss

Average loss per week now - 1.6
Total lost - 4.8