I’m a runner but more than that I’m a marathoner.

Four years after I started running, that simple statement still brings a smile to my face.

Because of my own internal self-doubt, my journey to becoming a marathoner seemed daunting., almost overwhelming, but in the face of every setback I held onto my dream.

At 36, my journey began with a two block, stress reliever run.
My mother, who has Parkinson’s disease, had recently broken her hip. Watching her recovery and trying to help both of my parents was difficult to say the least. I went for that initial run because I knew I had to find a better way to cope. I knew I couldn’t run far, but it didn’t matter. Maybe I could build up to a couple of miles over the next few months. Maybe I couldn’t. It didn’t matter. All that mattered right then was that I needed that run.

When I finished that first run, I collapsed on my front lawn, dry heaving and drenched with sweat. I was a mess. Luckily, something in me had already changed and rather than give up I ran three blocks the next day.

Those first few months of running weren’t easy. I slowly improved, but I always felt out of place and had to purposefully force myself not to worry about what I looked like or think about who might see me. I had to keep running.

A few months later I started dreaming about running the New York City Marathon. Mind you, I hadn’t even run a 5K yet, but somehow the marathon idea was implanted in my brain. I was a volunteer fundraiser for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research by this time and I knew the Foundation sponsored people for the race. I knew I could run for them if I wanted.

A few months later, I finally entered and finished my first 5K and I loved it. I was hooked on the whole race experience. I immediately contacted the Foundation and asked to run the marathon for them in 2009. When the time to truly commit arrived though, I chickened out. The self-doubt set in again and I convinced myself that I could never run 26.2 miles.

But I didn’t stop running and I eventually entered a 10K as a way to force myself to run more than five miles. At the start of that race I was so nervous. Those 6.2 miles felt like a marathon to me. With my husband and little girls cheering me on, I started and ultimately finished my first 10K in just under 10 minute miles. I finished 123rd that day and was elated.

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size-medium wp-image-2843″ />It was my five year old though who taught me a very important lesson about life and myself on that day. On the way home she asked me if I knew why she liked coming to my races. I had no idea and honestly thought she hated coming to them. When I asked her why, she shouted, “It’s because you always win!” It was at that exact moment that I mentally committed to running the 2010 New York City Marathon. It took my five year old to teach me that anyone who has the courage to run a race is a winner.

Once I made that mental commitment everything started to fall into place. I found a great training plan, an unofficial coach magically appeared, friends started offering tips and my husband began to believe that I would in fact enter and finish the marathon.

The training was not easy and there were a few times I questioned if I could do it but, luckily I had the added incentive that I was running to raise money for a cure. I’d committed to raise $5000 for the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Friends, family and even

some strangers had donated on my behalf and I couldn’t let them down.

Each time I stumbled figuratively and literally, I got back up and took one more step. I reminded myself that my difficulties were nothing compared to what my mom lived with everyday.

Marathon Sunday, November 7th, 2010 soon dawned and as I made my way to the marathon-starting village in the wee hours of the morning I was nervous and excited. I had no idea what this day would hold, but there was nothing more I could do. I had followed my training plan to the letter and I was ready to be a part of over 45,000 people running through the streets of New York City.

I will never forget that day, the day I started and finished my first marathon. I will remember all the spectators, the hugs and cheers from my family, the companionship of all the other runners and of course, crossing that finish line, having the medal placed around my neck and officially becoming a marathoner.

I have now finished the New York City Marathon twice and will be there again in 2012. I’ve raised just under $25,000 for the Michael J. Fox Foundation and will surpass that mark this year.

Although I’m proud of these accomplishments, I am most grateful for the journey. I have changed physically because of my running, but the most important changes are mental. I now see my limiting beliefs much clearer and work to change them when they crop up. I have learned that people are kinder and more generous than I ever imagined when you are willing to let go of fear and let them help you. Most importantly, I have learned that if I set a goal and truly want to achieve it, I can do anything. Sometimes it takes starting with two blocks and a few years to believe in myself, but if I can run a marathon then anything is possible.

Karen Janos is the is the creator of Running with Karen. To learn more about her fundraising efforts visit Karen's Team Fox page.

The post Finding the Winner Within appeared first on beyondlimitsmagazine.com.

I have been running now for the better part of seven years. During that time I have been able to build up a decent strength base in my legs and feet. I am still a big runner though and one of the reasons, other than eating too much, is that I have neglected zone training. In my last post about the fantastic app, iRunner from Digifit, I talked about the ability to pair a heart rate monitor with their app to see which zone you are training in.

For the past few weeks, I have been running with the Biologic Bluetooth Smart Heart Rate Strap, provided to me by Biologic.

While running with this heart rate strap, I have paired it with the iRunner app and have been able to track the zones I train in while I run. At times it is really disturbing to see just how slow I need to go to stay in the correct zone for long distances. I am glad to have the feedback though because this heart rate strap combined with the iRunner app is making me a smarter and stronger runner.

When you purchase the Biologic Bluetooth Smart Heart Rate Strap, the box contains:
- The heart rate sensor
- The chest strap
- A handy extension strap
- An instruction manual
- CR2032 battery

Let’s take a closer look at the strap.

First, the Biologic Bluetooth Smart Heart Rate Strap is a very comfortable strap to wear. Previously, I was using a standard Garmin heart rate strap that was mostly plastic, so this comfort strap is quite an upgrade in feel and flexibility. It is secured by means of a speed hook. At first, I was concerned that I would force the speed hook to come undone with the motion of my running, but I have been proven wrong, it stays put with no problem at all. The comfort is also increased because the electrodes are integrated into the strap. You will not even notice they are there. The heart rate sensor attaches to the strap using two snaps. Simply snap the sensor into place, moisten the electrodes with a little water, wrap the strap around chest and you are good to go.

The Biologic Bluetooth Smart Heart Rate Strap has an edge at the end of your workout as well. Because the heart rate sensor is easily detached, the strap can be washed. Please note, the strap cannot be submerged and it is not advised that you use any sort of detergent, but you can run it under some cold water briefly to get any funky odor out. Once rinsed simply hang dry and you will be good to go for your next run.

Prior to using this heart rate strap, I had no concept of what Bluetooth Smart was or how it will change health and fitness monitoring. Prior to Bluetooth Smart, the standard that all sensors used to communicate wirelessly with other devices was ANT+. While that system is still very much in use, it will probably be phasing out over the next couple of years.

Before purchasing this heart rate strap, know that you must have one of the following IOS devices to use it because earlier phone models simply do not have the ability to communicate with Bluetooth Smart devices – iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, the latest iPod touch, and new iPad. I am not sure why anyone would possibly want to run with their iPad, but hey, if you can find an armband to carry it, more power to you. I am not experienced with Android devices, and to avoid the risk of misinformation, I will rely on you dear reader, to determine whether or not your current Android device has Bluetooth Smart connectivity.

Back to the point, Bluetooth Smart is an upgrade to Bluetooth connectivity in that the connected devices use much less power to attempt to connect to one another. To give some perspective, I went on a 3 hour run yesterday and I started with a full charge on my iPhone 5. I used this Bluetooth Smart Heart Rate Strap the whole time and when I finished I had only used about 35% of my battery. If this had been a previous Bluetooth technology, not only would I have drained the battery, but It would have only lasted for about 2 hours. This is a fantastic improvement over the previous Bluetooth technology and that is why ANT+ may be on the way out.

What works?

- The chest strap is very comfortable and easy to maintain. I like the fact that I can unsnap the heart rate sensor to clean the strap up a bit
- The Bluetooth Smart technology is not a battery goblin. You can track your training and still make some calls to brag about your accomplishments on the drive home from the track (unless you ran to the track that is to say).
- Bluetooth Smart technology allows pairing with any Bluetooth Smart enabled IOS or Android device
- The CR2032 battery is included and easy to find when you need to replace it.
- The strap can be adjusted to fit chests from 26.8” – 59”. That wide sizing range means it is not just reserved for professional triathletes to use, but it can be used by the rest of us.

What needs to be improved?

- The only possible change I can think of for the Biologic Bluetooth Smart Heart Rate Strap would be to make it machine washable. That is a tall order with a bunch of electrodes running through the strap itself, but it never hurts to ask.
The Bottom Line
The Biologic Bluetooth Smart Heart Rate Strap is a comfortable, easy to use heart rate strap that won’t drain your battery and is easy to clean. So, go forth and make sure you are running, biking, jazzercising, etc. in the correct zone. You will stay active much longer in life.
Biologic sells the Bluetooth Smart Heart Rate Strap on their website for $69.00
Do you have experience with this or any other heart rate strap that you liked (or disliked)? Please leave a comment and let me know about it. I’m always interested in hearing about the latest and greatest running / fitness gear.

Jonathan Keeth is a father of two

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and the husband to a beautiful and patient wife who tolerates his obsession with running shoes and gear. Jonathan is the author of odyssey100.com where he blogs about his two great goals, training for his first 100 mile race and losing 100 lbs so he never has to register for a race in the hippo class again.

The post Biologic Heart Rate Strap Review appeared first on beyondlimitsmagazine.com.

When I first heard about a birthday run, I thought it was some kind of

urban legend. Do people – grown adults – really run a mile for each year of their age? At the very least it must have been a tongue-in-cheek poke at the propensity of endurance athletes to push things to the extreme (and a little beyond).

I know that more and more people are testing the waters of ultra-endurance running, demonstrated by the growing numbers of 50k (and beyond) races. Those races are crowning events that come after months of training, and are shared with like-minded athletes who congregate at an appointed time and place to celebrate their love of the sport.

But does an individual really wake up on a day that holds importance to no one but himself, lace up his shoes and head out to run dozens of miles in complete solitude? A year ago my response was a hearty laugh as I headed out for a 4-mile training run. This year, on my 35th birthday, my answer was, “Yes.”

Let me say here that I’m no stranger to the idea of a birthday adventure. I spent the week of my 30th birthday camping in Death Valley, and my 33rd was marked by a multi-day backpacking trek in the bowels of the Grand Canyon. I’m also somewhat familiar with distance running, having finished my third marathon just two months ago.

Over the course of the past year, the idea of this kind of run took on far more significance to me than just a lighthearted and frivolous way to mark another birthday. My life situation came together in a way that made this kind of endeavor almost make sense – I had just finished 17 months of dedicated triathlon and then marathon training, and my fitness was probably at an all-time high. On the other hand, my wife and I are expecting the birth of our second child next month, and the training schedule I’ve known for so long is going to come to an abrupt end.

My birthday just happened to fall in the window between my final spring race and our impending addition – the perfect opportunity for a last-gasp adventure.

But, on a slightly deeper level, this run was a chance at redemption. While I’ve hit some of my fitness goals over the past few years, I’ve fallen short on others that have held particular significance. This was my opportunity to step away from the time-focused competitiveness of race day and chase a goal that was entirely within myself. It was me, the run, and nothing else.

Even as I took the first steps of my 35-mile journey I wasn’t sure I would reach the end – not because I lacked confidence, but because I just didn’t know what to expect from my body in the later miles. And, while it became a bit of a struggle (mostly due to nutrition issues and not physical stamina), I finished the distance in about 6 hours.

The end of this run was nothing like the marathon, with its cheering crowds, helpful volunteers and the flood of emotion that greets the dramatic conclusion of a long training cycle. Aside from the relief that I could finally stop moving after 35 miles, I was almost stunned silent by the fact that I could actually complete something like this.

You see, I don’t picture myself as a particularly talented or gifted athlete, or as someone who doesn’t have a firm grasp on logic. Before and after this run, people told me I was insane and had lost my mind. From my perspective, though, I’m just a regular guy who likes to run. But I also like to push myself and explore just how far I can go.

Trying to find words for that drive is difficult, and attempting to explain it to non-runners is almost impossible. But I think readers here can relate, no matter what distances they’ve covered. As we get faster and go farther, there’s always the sense that something more waits ahead. In fact, I can’t imagine the sadness I would feel if, someday, I realized I had reached the zenith. As utterly drained as I felt after my recent marathon, I knew inside that 26.2 miles was not my upper limit. And now I know that limit resides somewhere beyond 35 miles, too.

The post The Birthday Run – A Step By Step Journey Through the Years appeared first on beyondlimitsmagazine.com.