Fitness Posts and Narcisism

Last week I shared an article about a Science Daily article (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150521213743.htm) which discussed a study that concluded that "Facebook status updates about their romantic partner are more likely to have low self-esteem, while those who brag about diets, exercise, and accomplishments are typically narcissists, according to new research."  Many people shared the post and there was a lot of discussion.  Some humor.  Some hurt feelings.  

I should in the interest of full disclosure state that I have never posted any workout related Facebook material.

Me being Awesome at the top of Pinnacle Peak

OK, I have.  But I really don't think the takeaway from the article was: if you post fitness selfies you ARE a narcissist.

Me being Awesome dragging my sled

I think the point that can be taken is that we should ask ourselves what our motivation is for sharing things on social media.  I do know several people that have told me my running posts have inspired them to start running.  That warms my heart.  I've also had several people confess that they un-followed me (or un-friended me) because it was just "look at me running" and "look at this awesome place I ran at" and "look at how awesome I am."  Although I'm not that sure what they are talking about.

Not just being Awesome but looking Awesome at the comrades finish

Over time I have started to think about my motive for my posts, and from time to time check back on my wall and ask "Is there too much me?"  Sometimes I fall short.  Sometimes I look back and say "wow....that's way too much you."  Other times I successfully try to find a way to motivate or inspire people without making it about me.

All the stuff between these hands is Awesome! (sorry Aaron)

I guess other signs that we might be a little too into ourselves are: posting every split, posting every workout, making sure we have the best selfie angle (i.e. if you apply makeup and get into a yoga pose you might be making it about you) posting every meal, posting 50 hashtags, etc.  Do we post about bad runs?  Do we post pictures when we fail?  I know many of us would rather be caught dead than have an embarrassing picture of ourselves show up on Facebook, but it happens. (Just not to me).

My Awesome shirt!

We should also address the "don't judge me" crowd.  We need to come to grips with the fact that EVERYTHING we put on Facebook is, to some extent, a cry for judgment.  I know we don't want to admit it, but each time someone "likes" our post they are judging it (favorably).  We need to come to grips with the fact that when someone posts something negative about us, they are also judging us, just negatively. (Not that this has ever happened to me).

Gordy agrees.  I'm Awesome.  #NotReally

So if you post your 5 mile run and you are more than happy to have 100 people "like" it and 25 people call you "beast mode" you should also be willing to accept the person that says "5 miles isn't that far" or "is this really something that needs to be on Facebook."  You can't say "Don't judge me, unless you think I'm Awesome!  *Note: Race Directors....this applies to you too.  If you are fine with being blown by 100's of satisfied runners you can't bitch about those runners that want to post about their disappointments too.

I think it would be a mistake to simply say "this article is dumb" or "I'm not a narcissist!!"  Instead, I think it gives us some food for thought about our relationship with social media.  No, I'm not saying over-think it.  No, I'm not saying change what you do per se.  But I think we could all learn a lot by looking into our behaviour, especially on social media, asking ourselves why we do what we do and making sure that we are being honest with yourselves and the Facebookland.  This is especially so as more and more of our life begins to be lived virtually.  

Next up for me, crewing and pacing at the Leadville as part of training for the Bear100 while trying to pump out a healthy dose of podcasts.  :)

Running Friends

If you're like me you have two (or more) sets of friends.  Running friends and regular friends.

Most of your regular friends are people you made a decision to become close to for some reason or another.  Maybe they were your neighbor, or you worked together.  Maybe you have a common interest or even a friend in common.  Nonetheless, the common thread with all of these people is that for some reason you decided to create and form a friendship.  These friendships ebb and flow at times based on your common interests.  You switch jobs.  You give up stamp collecting.  You move.  These friends also tend to change.  There are people in my life that were critical connections a decade ago that now....well... I can't even think of their last name.

Flatlanders Dog Days of Summer 8 Hour Fatass 08-06-16

It might just be me, but running friends seem different.  Obviously there are people in your running group or club.  They might start out like the friends described above.  But if you run long enough (meaning a long period of time) or long enough (meaning a really long distance) you might make a different kind of friend.  What I call my "running friends.

I can't tell you some of my running friend's names or what they do for a living.  I might not know the names and ages of their kids.    Nonetheless, the bond that you will make with people on the trails or on really long runs will be, in many way, more intimate than all of the other relationships in your life.  You'll tell them about your chaffage and diarrhea.  You'll tell them all your secret stories from your life, the stuff you would be afraid to tell anyone else, simply because it gets your mind off of the fact that you are suffering and will be for many more hours.  Some of these friends you'll keep in touch with on Facebook or Strava.  Others you won't even think of until the next time you bump into them at a race, and they won't mind your lack of contact at all.  You'll pick up right where you left off. There's just something about running friends that's different.

Sure, there are more than a few narcissists and drama queens and serial assholes, just like in any other social group.  But I submit that running friends are the best friends you'll have.  They'll know just what you need and when you need it.  They'll say the right thing to change your mindset.  They'll believe in you, even when you don't believe in yourself.

So next time you are out on a 30 mile training run, or 3/4 of the way through a long race look to your left and look to your right.  You're next best friend might be right there, waiting for you to lean on them.

Re-Taste of Chicago II - 2014

The Starters

On July 27, 2014, I put on the second annual Re-Taste of Chicago fatass (ultra)marathon.  The event was inspired last year by Jimmy Dean Freeman's 5000 calorie LA Marathon Route Run.  The event basically follows the route of the Chicago Marathon (OK, it's closer to 30 miles - sue me), but throws in 9 REQUIRED eating stops.  Here is a video from last year: http://vimeo.com/72294207

Billy Goat - Eat an entire Cheezeborger!

Stop Two - Chicago Style Dog or Cheese Fries

The rules are simple: run the entire route, eat all of the food, do not throw up.  You puke, you DNF.  You fail to eat the food, DNF.  Last year 12 started and 4 finished.

Stop 3 - Ann Sather - Eat a Cinnamon Bun

This year every single person finished and ate everything, inlcuding the fact that I threw in two undisclosed stops: a half of an italian beef sandwich and (at mile 29) a cup of (bad) Chili with cheese and raw onions, and a (PBR) beer.  I should mention it was 90 degrees all day!

Stop 4 - Lou Malnatti's - Eat a Piece of Chicago Style Pizza (thick crust)

Stop 5 - Greektown - Baklava!!

Stop 6 - Mario's Italian Ice (Mario is second from the left)

Bonus half on Italian beer sandwich with your Italian ice

Stop 7 - Commales Tacos - Eat a chicken taco

 

Stop 8 - Egg Roll - ENORMOUS

Stop 9 - Spicy Fried Chicken!!

 \

Undisclosed Chili and Beer Stop - Mile 29

A piece of Cake must be eaten to be an official finisher

Winner - Aaron Braunstein!!

With everyone finishing I guess next year I will have to raise my game!!!  Special thanks to the volunteers, without which this wouldn't have happened: Kylia Kummer, Eric Skocaj, Siamak Moustoufi, Vicki Brassil, Amanda Runnion, Whitney Richman and Jen DeSalvo!!

New Beginnings

NEW BEGINNINGS

          Well, it certainly has been a crazy March/April!  In mid March a group of friends and I decided to set up a small informal ultra running Facebook Group so that our friends could connect and meet for runs and talk about ultra running.  Little did we know that it would develop into a close to 200 person club.  As you may guess, this created quite a bit of administrative work, as well as conflict.  All's well that end's well because I now have a way to run with my friends without any drama, commercialism or superimposed authority figures.  The group is called the Flatlander Ultrarunners in Chicagoland.  The website is:

http://www.flultra.com

          And our Facebook group can be found at:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/218252358381561/

          So far we have a great group of hardcore ultra and trail runners.  I think it is going to be a solid group.

          The other thing I did in March was train my ass off for the Potawatomi Trail Races 150 Mile race.  I came up about 50 miles short, DNF'ing at mile 100.  I went into the race confident and well trained.  My wife Kylia was there to crew me throughout and all my friends were there.  The race also has the best RD's around.  They treat everyone like family.  In the first few loops I ran a little too fast and had way too much confidence.  I really believed I would finish 150 miles and break 48 hours.  My training and experience at SOB 50 really paid off!

          Then I got sleepy.  Then my feet started to hurt.  Then they started to hurt even more.  I knew by mile 70 that it wasn't going to be my day.  Between the streams and the blisters I reached a point where it was a reality that I wasn't moving fast enough to finish 150 miles within the cutoff.  (or....it became clear that I wasn't tough enough, trained enough or talented enough to push through what I was experiencing and finish anyway).  It's a tough call.  I'll let you decide.

          Fortunately for me I was sent ultra angels from the heavens.  My friends Tony, Joy, Matt, Julie and Eric formed a group of people that were changing to a goal of only running 100 miles.  We stuck together.  We laughed.  We labored.  We made it to 100 miles and got our 100 Mile DNF Buckle.  I consider it a great day.  I consider it a learning experience.  It was both a 150 DNF and a 100 finish.  Looking back, I know I made the right decision.

          The highlight of March/April was watching my friends finish at Potawatomi and cheering for them at the Mad City 100k.  I have to admit, I can't watch a finish line without tearing up.  I love watching others succeed.  Even in the face of my own failure.  I don't want to list you all.  You know who you are.  I want you to know that you amazed and inspired me.  I can't get enough of your success.

50 Mile Finisher - Tony Silvestri

Last second decision to run 100 - FINISHER - Katerina Claiborne

150 Mile Finisher - Melissa Pizarro

First 100 - Jeff Moss

150 Mile Finisher - Tiffany Dore

What it is all about

          What's next?  I am pacing Alfredo Pedro in the Indiana Trail 100.  After that, I need to train my ass off for the Comrades Marathon in Africa followed shortly thereafter by the San Juan Solstice 50 Miler.  I have some work to do!

World's Longest turkey Trot - Completed

On Friday November 29, 2013, through Saturday November 30, 2013, Alfredo Pedro Perro (a/k/a Moose) and I completed the World's Longest Turkey Trot.  We ran 91.5 miles from the Bean at Millenium Park, Chicago, Illinois:

to Milwaukee, WI:

We started at 7:00 a.m. on the 29th running up the lakefront path.  Our friends Melissa Pizarro, Ed Cook and Kim Fitmiss joined us initially.  We were in great spirits and we engaged in plenty of Shenanigans throughout the day:

Over the course of the day Kim, Melissa and Ed headed back to the city leaving Alfredo and I to buckle down and crunch some serious miles before dark.  We were lucky most of the day because we had the wind at our back and the temperature stayed right around 28 degrees.  We had some very long stops to eat  which allowed us to dry off some clothes as well.  We were not in a hurry.

As the night fell and we approached Waukegan, we were joined by pacer extraordinaire (and KM 100 female winner) Shelley Cook!!  We also had some crew assistance from Alfredo's wife Kiki!

It got a bit colder at night, but nothing major.  We had a few moments.  We also struggled to find places that were open for food and drink. We had a major high when we hit the Wisconsin border:

But then a reality check when we realized we had many sad and dark hours of pounding the pavement to go. 

And then the greatest crewperson in the history of man joined us!  Tony Weyers!!!!!

This man saved our lives.  He crewed us for over 12 hours in the cold dark emptiness of the world's flatest and boringest country roads.  He got us shakes and coffee and (cheap imitation) Gatorade.  We would not have finished without him.

I'm not going to lie....during most of the second half of this run we decided it was a bad idea, too much pavement, completely stupid.  Alfredo started with a injury that kept nagging him.  He was a warrior.  The night hours were cold and boring.  Although we heard Shelley Cook's life story due to an unfortunate overcaffination incident, not much happened until the sun came up the next morning and we enjoyed some Racine Danish Kringle.

This picked us up a bit.  Then we had a rather long debate about where to finish.  The Fourth Base is actually in West Milwaukee, and the prospect of running through Milwaukee wasn't attractive to anyone.  So we decided to run till we saw a Milwaukee sign.  And we begged Tony to find the closest Milwaukee sign.  It ended up being 91.5 miles to the sign....and it was 91.5 miles to the Fourth Base too.  Go figure.

As we got closer our friends and family came out to join us.  We actually raced the last 2 miles.  I have NO idea why.  

I want to thank Tony Weyers.  He carried us.  Shelley Cook kept us from losing our minds at night.  Ed Cook, Kim Fitmiss and Melissa Pizarro - thanks for pacing and joining.  To all our family and friends that cheered, followed us on FB and/or sent us messages, you were the reason we didn't quit.

These types of events are hard.  Set aside the fact that we ran 90 plus miles all on pavement in below freezing temps.  The real challenge is that there is no real good reason why.  We were asked that question countless times along the way.  Eventually we started cracking up when people asked.  We never had a good answer.  "Because we said it out loud" didn't make sense to people.  "Because we can" seemed arrogant.  There was no buckle or medal.  It's not on Ultra Signup.  Most people will never know we did it and we have nothing to show for it.  That's the best part.  We just did that.

I ran the entire distance in Hoka Bondi B's.  Most of the Strava Data can be found here (in parts).

http://www.strava.com/activities/98087221

http://www.strava.com/activities/97793633

http://www.strava.com/activities/97809496

http://www.strava.com/activities/97882272