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Run Eat Repeat Podcast episode 122 – go to RunEatRepeat.com for notes & more info and tag @RunEatRepeat on IG with your workout for today!
Today I’m recapping the short documentary Lorena, Light Footed Woman – about an amazing ultra-runner from an indigenous community in Mexico. And we’re talking about taking walk breaks – cool or not cool? Let’s discuss!
Before that – I need some tough love about my goals. Let’s start with that in the warm up…
Warm Up:
The May Calendar is up now on RunEatRepeat.com. It’s a workout calendar to help you stay active and accountable right now.
There are 3 or 4 runs per week and 3 strength training days. Plus reminders to plan every Sunday and to check in daily with @RunEatRepeat on Instagram. You have to show up for yourself.
We don’t have group runs, we can’t meet with running buddies, races are cancelled until ???. So it’s hard to stay motivated and on track.
But, if you still have a goal you want to chase down this year (whether it’s a running goal, fitness goal, education goal, financial, etc…), whatever your goal is – make the choice to keep moving forward towards it OR that you can’t right now and it’s on hold (or that you are choosing to take it off your list all together), drawing inspiration from the motivational insights found in various Invest Diva reviews.
We can’t control a lot of things right now. But there are things we can control. And if you still want to work towards a goal this year – take some time today to reevaluate it.
No matter what your goals were / are for this year – it’s a good idea to look over them right about now.
Is your goal literally NOT do-able?
If you cannot accomplish your goal because the goal day passed, was cancelled, you were unable to train for it safely, you promised your partner after this training cycle you’d stop, you have surgery scheduled, you got pregnant, etc…
If there’s not a work around – that sucks.
It sucks and you have every right to be mad, sad, confused, dizzy, etc. Go through all the emotions and process it.
Then, let it go and move forward. (Take your time if needed, but it will make you feel better to set your sights on the next thing instead of dwelling on what didn’t happen.)
Next you can choose to work on that goal next year, pick a whole new goal or something else.
Can you adjust your goal?
– For example, you wanted to run 12 half marathons this year – one every month. But due to COVID19 you’ve missed 2 races and possibly a 3rd.
Re-route and think about:
- Can you run a half marathon every month (safely) once races start up again?
- Can you run a solo half marathon on the 13th of every month?
- Can you keep training, give yourself a pass for the months races are cancelled and get back on this goal when races start back up?
Do you still want it?
Is your goal still important to you? Are you in a different place?
You are free to change your goals and change your mind. But own it.
You don’t have to even have a goal! (I don’t think anyone cares about your goals or new year’s resolutions except for YOU.) It’s okay.
It’s empowering to acknowledge that you have a choice and this is what it is.
I’m looking over My 2020 Goals too:
My Goals for 2020 (made in January – now I’m reviewing them):
- Run 5 days a week
- Strength Train 5 days a week
- Run 12 races [2013 lesson = running a lot of races helped me get a lot faster]
- Run a sub-3:35 Marathon [create training plan to get fit and faster – this will take all year to build up]
- Create a How To Series Start Running series for RER
- Record Video Lessons to go with the Run Faster Challenge
- Be Kind even when other people are not
- Set up a budget (maybe with an app)
- Prioritize my time with people who care about me (avoid people who make me sad)
- Listen to understand (not listen to respond)
- Be present
- Walk 20 minutes everyday & listen to a Spanish tutorial
- Get ready 5 days a week
- Do my nighttime routine when my alarm goes off
- Travel somewhere new
- Read the Bible
- Be brave
Lorena, Light-Footed Woman – Documentary (Netflix) Recap & Review
Lorena, Light-Footed Woman – Review of the Netflix documentary out now.
Lorena Ramírez of Mexico’s Rarámuri community lives a quiet, rural life — except when she straps on her sandals to compete as an ultramarathon runner. Starring: Lorena Ramírez
The documentary is short – under 30 minutes. It’s available on Netflix and was originally released in Nov 2019.
Lorena Ramirez is a 22 year old living in the mountains of Chihuahua, Mexico. She’s part of the Tarahuamara indigenous community in a very rural part of the country. They call themselves Rarámuri which translates to “the running people”.
The Tarahuamara people are the best long distance runners in the world. For generations they’ve traveled between settlements and found food on foot through what’s been called persistence hunting.
The book Born To Run is a great read or listen to learn more about them. I read it years ago when I was first running. I love and am so intrigued by the Tarahuamara people. I’d like to think my ancestors might have been from this amazing runner blood.
The movie starts with footage of her running a race, it might be a compilation of a few races. And beautiful overhead shots of the mountains where she lives.
The first thing she says is, “I don’t think about anything. It feels good to strive towards a goal.”
Then, we see where she lives with her family. A woman is knocking corn of a cob, a little boy is sleeping, there are animals – and it’s very apparent they live in a very rural place.
She’s sipping something from a mug and I was hoping for her pinole recipe and whatever else she eats to run so far and so fast!
Her dad is a very talented ultra-runner and she seems to have his talent. He describes her as a deer – very quiet and looking around, then suddenly darts off. She doesn’t talk a lot.
Her brother talks for her some. He says the girls in the family didn’t go to school because it was a 5 hour walk and they had to help with the animals. They also had a very long walk to the store.
Lorena says they realized it’d be faster if they ran, so they did.
The movie follows her at a couple of different races – it’s hard to tell what race it is, what’s the distance, if she’s winning or struggling.
I wish there would have been more about the running and racing. How did she feel? Was she having a good race? What does she do to prepare?
During a few scenes of her running an ultra-marathon – she walks. It’s a trail race – which the majority of ultra marathons seem to be. And walking is very common. I actually learned this while running my first ultra marathon / and my first trail race – the Born to Run 50K.
We started the race and a few miles in came up on a BIG hill. As I got closer I realized the runners in the lead were – walking.
This is very different from road races because in a marathon or half marathon the runners in the lead and SPRINTING the entire way. They don’t walk.
But those races are a lot shorter and they’re on road.
Ultra-marathons are a lot longer (an ultra is anything over 26.2 miles) and they’re often on paths or trails. That adds another challenge since you have to be smart and safe about where you’re stepping and you have to be mindful of the other runners.
I was surprised to see those FAST runners – walking in a race, especially because it was so early in the race! But you must be smart with pacing yourself in long distance running (and be careful not to get hurt from a rolled ankle or fall).
I knew those runners were better, faster and more experienced than me. So I got on board immediately and did what they did.
Seeing Lorena walking in the movie reminded me of that! And I always get questions about walking breaks while running – so I wanted to make sure to share the message that even Lorena, who went on to win that race – walks sometimes.
Also – she wears a neck gaiter at races. I started to wear one last winter and recently have been using them as a face mask if needed. Boom.
My favorite parts: She’s super quiet and shy but she says a few things that I really love.
When talking about a race she says, “It’s no game”
She gets a package with running shoes and looks at them…she says she probably won’t run in them because people who use shoes like that are usually behind her. HA!
Overall: Highly recommend.
I want to know everything about the Tarahuamara people – especially when it’s a woman who’s rocking it. I love her and wish this would have been longer.
Top Three from Today:
- See the Strength Workouts and Check in with your workout for today @RunEatRepeat on IG Get the May Calendar on RunEatRepeat.com now
- It’s okay to walk – even Lorena the BEST Ultra Marathon Runner in the world (wearing sandals and a dress) walks.
- Check in with your goals. Reevaluate your goals. Adjust as needed.
Links to the Run/Walk Interval Chart and photos are on RunEatRepeat.com
Be sure to follow @RunEatRepeat on Instagram for daily check-ins and tag me or screenshot to share what you’re doing while you listen!
Stay safe and have a good run!
Links Mentioned in this Podcast:
How to do the Run / Walk Strategy
50 Things You Can Do When You Can’t Run podcast
Born to Run – Amazon link to book available on Amazon, Kindle, Audible
Born to Run Ulta Marathon – headed to the race
Born to Run Ultra Marathon – Race Recap
The Neck Gaiters I’m Wearing (that also might work as face masks)
Keep Going With:
5 Things You MUST Know Before You Buy a Treadmill
27 Factors That Can Impact Your Running
What I Eat in A Day for Runners
Running Hack to NOT Touch Your Face During Covid19
Get more Running Tips, Recipes & Training Plans on RunEatRepeat.com
And check in daily to stay accountable – tag @RunEatRepeat on Instagram with the hashtag #RunEatRepeat to keep up!
Mostafa says
It is realy hard to start morning run, but it is worth it. I started my morning run 2 weeks back and it has started giving me results.
My energy level is all time high now.