Congratulations to Monique Rubin of Mo Travels who is the winner of the a bold pace give-a-way! Monique is also a runner/writer and world traveler. She is an expat from California that now lives in the Netherlands with her family. Check out her travel/running blog Mo Travels. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
As runners we all engage in varying amounts of self-talk. Our inner conversations are amplified in the most defining moments of a race or run and for me sometimes, the only thing that gets me to the finish line. Cami Ostman’s book Second Wind, One woman’s midlife quest to run seven marathons on seven continents is a wonderful peek at the transcript of her inner dialog including an introduction to both the bitchy and wise parts of herself (yes, we all have these). A depressed Cami takes up running after her divorce and vows to take on seven marathons (actually so many more) on seven continents as her quest to heal. This cathartic journey is well documented in rich detail through each country. I enjoyed this book for many reasons. I share her love for running, travel and the relentless analytical quest for personal growth. This is a different kind of running book. There are no tips for better times, training schedules or supplements. This is about appreciating the journey of training, planning and running a race for the quiet lessons it extends. As each race presents an opportunity to run down her fears, she becomes more confident and self-aware. We are introduced to a cast of kind characters who aid her in her travels and offered a feast of cultural insights and natural beauty backdrops. I was reminded of Eat, Pray, Love and Women Who Run with the Wolves as I was reading. I am all for the warrior woman and I felt myself cheering her on in each city.
Running does for many of us, what it did for Cami. We challenge every ounce of our physical selves and by doing so we are forced to take a long, hard (26.2 mile) look at our inner life. I am reminded by this book to stand quietly at the start of my next race so I can perhaps hear the voice of my own warrior woman and what she is trying to tell me. Bravo Cami.
Second Wind was featured in the January issue of Oprah Magazine and noted in the Oprah online book recommendations.
10 questions for Cami Ostman:
1. Running skirt friend or foe?
I like the Nuu Muu exercise dress: http://www.nuu-muu.com/home.html – cute, comfy and covers the bum on days when the bum wants covering.
2. What is your idea of the perfect run? Details please…when, where and with whom?
The sun is shining (rare in my neck of the woods). It’s 72 degrees and the Dave Matthews Band is playing in my ear. My little Boston Terrier, Fuji, is running beside me on the gravel trail that weaves through our town. We stop at a pond at the three-mile point so Fuji can wade in up to her belly and get a drink and then we continue on to Starbucks so I can get a coffee before we make our way back home.
3. Describe your present state of [running] mind and your goals/races for 2011? Is there a marathon out there that really calls to you now?
I had some plantar fasciitis in my right foot at the beginning of the year, so I’ve been working hard at healing. I put in a lot of time water running and biking. I’m feeling great now! I just did two terrific half marathons: the Happy Girls Run in Bend, OR and the San Juan Island Half Marathon at Friday Harbor, WA. Both were fairly hilly, but I felt good after each and very encouraged. As for the marathon that’s calling me… My husband and I were in Punta Arenas, Chile last March, getting ready to fly to Antarctica. While we were there, we stayed for a few days at a hostel where we met two other Americans from Park City, Utah who were involved in organizing the Park City Marathon – http://www.pcmarathon.com/home1.htm. We promised we’d get to Utah to run the race, and it looks like this year we’ll get there. The course runs mostly on trails and has a downhill finish (my favorite kind). I’ve never been to Utah and look forward to the race and exploring surrounding areas.
4. What one training tool/item/gear can you not live without? And if the marathon is the metaphor for life, can you recommend a mantra to race with?
I cannot live without Body Glide. For better or worse I have a hefty bosom and in spite of buying the best sports bras, I still chafe. Body Glide is the only thing that totally prevents this and it’s less messy than Vaseline.
My mantra on a hard run (you know – the kind when you feel like you’re dragging a herd of elephants behind you) is “one step at a time.” I say one word with each step. And this is my mantra for life too. I’m a huge fan of being absolutely in the moment—not worrying about when something (a run or a long day at work) is going to be over or dwelling on the past. On some runs I repeat, “Breathe. Breathe.” It’s pretty basic, but we forget to do it sometimes.
5. Many of the marathoners I know (including myself) are obsessed with their training and diet. There was not much mention of these in your book. What did/do you use as your guide?
I’m not overly obsessed with my diet. Maybe if I obsessed a little more I’d drop five pounds and run a little faster. I eat mostly what I want in moderation. I do cut back on cheese and wine before a race, and I do try to make sure I eat in a balanced way with plenty of veggies and whole foods—and I don’t eat mammals. As I mentioned in my book, my family struggles with obesity, and I’ve always been grateful I figured out by the time I was twenty that if I exercised and didn’t overeat, I wouldn’t have to follow suit. Still, the older I get and the more I see my body changing, the more careful I’m becoming with what I put into my body.
As for my training, my husband, Bill, sketched out my first training schedule. He does a lot of reading about training and nutrition. I appreciated his attention to detail on that first round of training. When you’re first getting started, you’re just happy you can run from the end of the street to the telephone pole, so I needed all the help I could get.
Later I tried the Galloway system, but found that I lost my train of thought when I walked and that bothered me. My basic schedule now is that Monday, Wednesday, Friday I run 4, 6, and 4 miles respectively (sometimes 5, 7, 5). Then I do a long run on one of the weekend days. I gradually increase the length of the long run each week according to what I’m training for. Lately, I’ve been doing speed work and working on my form with a coach, too.
6. I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Bill. I think many runners experience that back/front of the pack dynamic at some point and your willingness to let him shine elsewhere in the race stood out for me (and yet another metaphor on relationships). Was he always supportive of you writing this book and documenting your relationship and do you think you would have gone on this quest had you not re-connected with him?
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