If you run, you are a runner.

Navigational Art By Colleen Yorke, © 2015.

When Samantha lost her leg, the news that a prosthetic leg will help her to walk again did not provide much comfort: "The pain in my leg was nothing compared to the one in my heart." Sam lives to run. And eventually she does, trading her wheelchair for crutches. Her crutches for a temporary prosthetic leg. Her temporary leg for a better leg. And finally, her better leg for a running leg. We all have our hurdles in life.  And we have our dreams. 

Making dreams come true takes patience, dedication, discipline, and determination. Maybe that is why many of us like running so much. We get out of it what we put into it, one step a time. This year I have the privilege and honor to be an ambassador for the Asics 2015 Los Angeles Marathon. I also am in my first year of law school. Needless to say, time is a balance act.  While last year I focused on achieving personal records and putting in the mileage, training for the race is different this year. This year is all about running, taking in a city I love and I finally call "home". The struggle of running 26.2 miles is obvious, emotions flow freely, and most of the competition is with ourselves. But every year again, I am inspired by the stories surrounding the Los Angeles Marathon. Dreams in all colors and sizes.  Running, I learn again and again, is more than a sport. It is life.

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if you’ve been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership to get. You just run." - John Bingham

Running Stride

Navigational Art and Directions, © 2017.

Finding our 'stride', as with everything else in our lives we want to improve on, takes time and experience. Over time we all have developed our own running technique. We have a set amount of “collective leg power” to propel forward.  Some of us run on their heels, others on their toes. Some of us scurry along like a mouse on a mission, other runners leap gazelle-like. When I run, I imagine sliding the tip of my shoes on the ground without actually touching it. I’m a mid-foot striker, and I land it above my center of gravity in line with my body.  

"Over-striding" meaning having too long of a stride is a major cause of both hamstring and knee injuries. Most of us have a low cadence - the number of strides us take per minute. The longer we take with each stride, the more time our foot spends on the ground, and the more energy our legs have to expend to support our body weight. When we run, we want to spend the least amount of time on our legs as possible. 

Colleen Yorke, 2017.

In a way, running has a lot do with the laws of physics. Energy expenditure is directly proportional to how much we go up and down. If we minimize up and down movement, we can lower our energy expenditure. An engaged core, a forward lean from the ankle (not the hip), a shorter, more compact stride, a faster stride rate and striking underneath our body weight, can help us find our footing. 

Energy expenditure is directly proportional to how much you go up and down. If you can minimize up and down movement, you can lower your energy expenditure. The more you lean forward when you run, the more it adds a horizontal component to your energy usage. - See more at: http://www.chirunning.com/blog/entry/the-physics-of-running#sthash.T7ImAqXu.dpuf

That being said, there is no correct running form. Some elite runners enter the finish line, exhibiting an upright torso, including previous marathon winners. We find our stride, as we find and define ourselves. What is your running technique? 

Having too long of a stride, or "over-striding," is a major cause of both hamstring and knee injuries. This is when you land with your feet in front of you instead of under you. Not bending your knees when you run will create stiffness and poor circulation in your legs. Your knees should be bent at a 90º angle when you are warmed up and running at a good, medium pace. - See more at: http://www.chirunning.com/blog/entry/10-components-of-good-running-form#sthash.Jl6Vceuk.dpuf

Day 8: Count-Down to the Marathon

Navigational Art and Directions By Colleen Yorke, © 2015.

Today I wanted to write about matters of the heart. Sometimes we are so focused on reaching the horizon ahead, we forget to credit the long way we have already traveled. Maybe there is a time in our past we have simply run over, dreams and aspirations we dismissed out of hand, or sideline support we deemed as baggage and too heavy to shoulder. But, success does not happen overnight. It takes time and many steps to emerge from the shadows into our own spotlight. Little moments make up the big picture.

Training for a marathon takes time, discipline and dedication. Constantly we are reminded of how human we really are. Running long distance does take its toll on our bodies. Blisters, fissures, sores, hard falls are all part of the experience. Yet, we get back up. Why? What is it that motivates us to keep going? 

Earlier today I watched an inspiring news report on a six-year old boy named Maceo Bleu. Born with a rare congenital heart defect, literally half a heart, he was not expected to live. With 13 surgeries, including 6 open heart surgeries, three days of coma and being on life support, the young lad has fought a battle most of us can not even comprehend. His motivation? "Even a half heart can love wholeheartedly," Maceo responded. The heart is an amazing organ. No matter how much we dictate the course of our life with our head, and how much we think we can suppress emotions coming from the heart, the heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing of. If the feelings are there, they will aflame all the same, no matter how much we try to keep our cool. 

Burning through 800 finish lines, about 400 pairs of shoes, and long past the 100,000 miles mark, the equivalent of running around the world more than four times, Mike Fanelli, an avid runner and real estate agent, has covered a lot of ground. His motivation? “I tell runners to divide the race into thirds. Run the first part with your head, the middle part with your personality, and the last part with your heart."

We do not always get the proper nourishment or exercise. We stress ourselves out. But when it comes to matters of the heart, we know what is most important to us. Last night my heart flip-flopped, and I registered it with gratitude. Yes, the heart charges, when there is no charge left. 

With the Los Angeles Marathon being only 8 days away, trust your heart.  

Love Letters to Los Angeles

Navigational Art and Directions By Colleen Yorke, © 2015.

Los Angeles is an ever evolving living collage of characters and impressions. Lost and found souls, trying to find their way through Los Angeles’ unpredictability, take comfort in the chaos. As the city grows on the characters, they grow with it. Small villages inspired from memories of life abroad pop up everywhere; street signs and storefronts remind of  a home away from home.

In the east side of city, by MacArthur Park, conversations shift to Spanish. A smell of chili and grilled cheese lingers in the air. The walks are littered with wet paper, crushed orange-drink cartons, and broken glass. Some rusting car bodies, compacted into cubes, are stacked behind a steel-mesh fence. Large murals of arrested moments, astonishingly three-dimensional, appear to leap out of the worn-out white-stucco barrios.

Life happens, we all have our favorite L.A. stories, which have influenced us, shaped us and helped us to discover who we are. Young voices contribute fresh perspectives. Retro comes back into style with a twist that makes them feel new all over again. In the image-making capital of the world, adding our footprint in a city that is constantly reinventing itself is maybe purpose enough.

So, tonight, put on your running shoes and join the DTLA Running Group for a beautiful night run to MacArthur Park!