Long Run Tool Kit

Once upon a time, I used to think that a mile was a long run. It was so bad that I would start sweating at the mere mention of running.

Oh how far I have come since those days – literally and figuratively.

Now a long run means something like double digit miles to me.

And believe it or not, I love the long runs. They’re my favorite part of training. I love the whole eat-lots-of-carbs-before-the-run part, and the-watch-movies-and-go-to-bed-early part, and the run-through-ten-NYC-neighborhoods part, and the run-by-the-rivers-and-bridges part and best of all, the mini I-just-finished-my-long run weekend celebration of brunch.


It’s almost as much fun as go out to dinner and enjoy nice wine and delicious tapas and sleeping in nights. Almost, folks. Almost.

The nice thing about running is that any old fool can do it: no fancy equipment or expensive gym memberships required. Even legs are optional (and I'm not trying to funny on this point, just trying to point out how lame all my old excuses were).


But after some training, it becomes obvious that perhaps a few pieces of special equipment might make the run go just a tad bit smoother. In my world, there are five main things that you need in your long run tool box. Sure you can go without them, but I guarantee that they will make your run easier.

Protection from the elements

Assuming you run long runs outdoors, there are lots of things to deal with like rain and sun and heat and snow and hills and wind and…the list could go on. And running outdoors means that you will commune with nature. Like it or not, there is no glass box to wrap around your body and protect you. If you need that much protection, then get thee butt to the gym.


Sun: Sunblock + sunglasses or a hat. Never forget these!
Rain: Hat, possibly water-proof shell for cooler temps, synthetic socks and gear to prevent chafing
Wind: Windproof shell for cooler temps
Snow: Water and wind proof outer layer, plus cold gear
Cold: Sweat wicking (no cotton!) layers, with a wind proof outer layer if necessary
Heat & humidity: Sweat wicking clothing for close fitting gear

Nutrition

Before-before: The night/day before eat easily digestible carbs – this doesn’t mean only grains - fruits and vegetables count too. I like to cap off my nights with some sorbet or a yummy cupcake. (I stay away from really heavy or dairy dishes like ice cream and cheese cake.)



Before: A meal of simple carbohydrates. I like a banana and/or one of the Thrive gels.

During: Water, water, water! Plus either Gatorade or some simple sugars – try the energy gels, energy blocks, honey packets, jelly beans, gummy bears, dates. I go for honey (Whole Foods cafes have them!) and energy gels.

Within 30 minutes after: A meal of mostly carbs, plus minimal fat and protein.

Within 1.5 hours after: A hearty meal filled with protein, fat and carbs. A bloody mary is optional.

Running Outfit

The basic outfit is: running shorts, shirt, running socks and for ladies, a sports bra. Anything that is fitted should be made of a synthetic sweat wicking fabric.

You can get creative with the tops, that shirt that says ‘Seniors 2001’ is perfect, but I really suggest that you wear specialty shorts. Running shorts are super light even when drenched in sweat and they allow the greatest amount of unrestricted movement.

Since I wear running shorts with the underwear built in, I don’t wear underwear. Oh, you didn’t want to know that?






Protection against Friction

In running, there will be friction. Body parts might rub against other body parts or against clothing. Sounds a little dirty, right? Actually, try more like painful. Chafing sucks, and most any long distance runner will experience it at some point. My sports bras cause chafing under my arms. It’s not pleasant.

To prevent chafing, wear synthetic sweat wicking clothing. However, this is not a guarantee. If you find that you are chafing, apply body glide or Vaseline to the affected areas prior to your run.

To prevent blisters, make sure you have the right sized shoes. They should be ½ to 1 ½ sizes bigger than what you normally wear. Feet swell when running. Also, invest in sport socks. I’m sure you will be surprised to know that the socks should be made out of synthetic sweat wicking materials. Cotton is the enemy when running.



Safety first

I know you don’t want to think about it, but during a run it’s possible that you might get injured or sick and be unable to help your self – carry identification with you and emergency contact information.

I also always run with either my credit card or $20.00 and sometimes a Metro card. You never know when it might start hailing and you need to head home early.

I don’t run with my cell phone, but that’s an option. Particularily if you don’t live in a city and can’t hail a cab to take you home in the rare instance that you might need to abort your run.

Bonus Item!

It’s totally not mandatory, but definitely very fun. Music! My runs just don’t exist without music. As evidenced from my weekly Music Monday posts. If music isn’t your cup of tea, maybe a pod cast, the good old radio, an audio book or even a running buddy.

NOTE: All pictures are from Wikipedia's picture database.

Waterlogged

The rain gods are out to get me. It doesn't matter if I venture outside in a rain coat, rain boots and with an umbrella. The rain will find a way to get to me.

It might start raining sideways, or a cab will speed by when I'm crossing the street and spray water all over me. It's a good thing that it's perfectly acceptable to hurl profanities at no one in particular in the city.

The rain always comes when I have things planned outside: I have had tickets to two baseball games this year - both have been delayed by rain by at least an hour and a half. Someone clearly doesn't want me eating over priced hot dogs and drinking over priced low-brow beer.


Puddles, an especially unfortunate side effect of rain, are also out to get me. They have ripped a flip flop off my foot too many times to count. And though, I know that it's not yet pants season for me, those puddles are just waiting for my hemlines so that they can jack up my dry cleaning bills.

The worst part of the rain is that its not predictable. If there is a 10% chance of rain in the evening and I don't bring my umbrella, it will rain cats and dogs. If there is a 90% chance and I pack the rain gear, the sun will shine.

Don't even tell me about running in the rain. The trees provide limited respite from the rain but the puddles are so numerous that running through puddles of mysterious depths becomes mandatory, unless I want to zig and zag for five miles.

See, I'm telling you, the rain gods are out to ruin my summer - and maybe a few others as well.


But with all this rain, I have learned a few things about how to manage training when there is rain.

Plan to run in the rain. The most die hard runners will run in any weather condition, and most races will go on rain or shine. I am not so crazy. If there is a blizzard, I stay indoors. But since races rarely get cancelled, try to run on the lighter rain days or chance it when rain clouds are threatening. This will help you figure out what sort of gear would work best on a rainy race day.

If possible, be flexible with your schedule. So you do yoga or take a spinning class once a week? Try to rearrange the running schedule, to allow the rain day to occur on a rest or indoor cross training day. Of course, if it's supposed to rain every day, this isn't an option.

Run on the treadmill. I really hate treadmills. I do it, but I just can't stand the idea of all that sweat and steps getting me no where. To make treadmill work more fun, try doing a short speed work-out or planning your run around your favorite T.V. show. I love getting in a treadmill run while watching The View.

Run on an indoor track. There are several gyms in the city with indoor tracks and you can have access to them for a week or so by signing up for a trial membership. Chelsea Piers, Reebok Sports Club on the UWS, and three NYC parks and rec tracks in Manhattan.

Most importantly, don't let rain derail your training plans. The idea of running the rain seems scary and more than a little bit crazy, but it's not like you are going to melt in the rain, right?

How To Begin An Exercise Plan

I know you probably used to be the most active person ever. Soccer practice, dance lessons, swim team, pick-up basketball games, alumni softball, and just general avoiding the couch, then suddenly life got in the way, and you stopped working out.

In early 2008, after working for two years post college, I was putting in roughly 60-70 hours a week, many of them while eating on an expense account for work. I was working out once a week, could barely run a mile, and wasn't able to fit into the even the largest size at some stores. A picture of me and roommates together, me looming over my tiny roommates like the Michelin man finally inspired me to get my act together.

But though I was already a fan of spinning, and a former swimmer, the prospect of running to lose weight hadn't yet entered my mind. In fact, I was almost violently against the idea with a laundry list of excuses just waiting for anyone who suggested that I 'go for a jog.'

Then in the spring, at the suggestion of my very expensive trainer, I grudgingly signed up for a half-marathon. Here's how that half turned into a habit.

1. Find a activity that you like. This is crucial. You can't just say you want to be a runner. While I didn't like running per se, I've always loved endurance training - the slow burn for an hour or so, and I rarely get bored. In fact, I enter a meditative state almost and tune out. Relaxing.
-->You get bored quickly - try a class at the gym
-->You like to be around people - try joining a boot camp class or martial arts
-->You are really out of shape and feel awkward at the gym - Try riding a bike
-->You love football/soccer/basketball - Find a race to train for
-->You are plugged into the iPod all day - Try running to a favorite playlist

2. Set aside time; sacrifice something else in your life. It's not enough that you simply dedicate an hour each day to exercise. You must look at your life, look at your daily (and it has to be something you do almost daily!) activities and figure out what you can give up. I gave up my daily morning ritual of slowing getting ready and eating breakfast, and some TV at night. Some things you can give up:
--> Television. Give up a few shows. Come on...you don't need them!
--> Chores. I bet you love this one. Delegate tasks, do them less frequently, pay someone else to do them.
--> Streamline rituals. Buy prechopped vegetables for dinner, pick out your outfit at night, organize your sock drawer, get a key hook, basically figure out the things that you run around frantically for in the a.m scrambling to do and find a way to eliminate the problem.
--> Cooking. Cut out a few elaborate meals and substitute quick salads, and do a little prep work on the weekend. I will cook a big batch of quinoa or farro to use all week.

3. Budget some money to make this happen. You will need a new sports bra, some new sneakers, money to pay for your gym class, or even a bottle of water after a hot workout in July. Don't deny yourself these simple items, give up something to make room in your budget. Cut out:
--> Restaurants: one to two meals a week is all you need
--> Make your own lunch: This comes up to savings of around $25-$50 a week
--> Get free checking: varies, but $5-$25 a month
--> Stop using your non-bank atms, try a no fee ATM
--> Make your own coffee
--> Cut out a few drinks on your nights out.

4. Make a committment. Outloud, with your wallet, on Facebook, to your coworkers, to your worst enemy, to your boss. Basically find a way to announce your intention loud and clear. If you don't want to announce it to the world, that's okay. But tell someone outside of your immediate circle of people. Tell a few people actually. The more that you hear yourself saying to others "I'm going to run a half marathon this fall," the more it becomes real in your mind.

Good luck!

Training Plan the Week of March 21st

Last week something momentous happened: I ran outside in shorts. Yes, it was a bit chilly, but wow, did it feel good. I'm looking forward to more runs in shorts.

Here's the training workout for this week:

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 3/4 mile at 5K pace with each 1/4 mile in between each, then 4 1/4 miles at 5K pace with 1/10th of a mile between easy, then repeat one 3/4 mile at 5K pace, strength workout
Wednesday: 3 miles at race pace
Thursday: 7 miles, easy, strength workout
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 10 miles
Sunday: 4 miles, rest, spinning, etc.

Training Tip: I often train at my 5K and 10K pace intervals. How do I know what these are? If you haven't raced at these distances before or your last race at these distances was too long ago or your fitness level was dramatically different, then you are going to need to "guess" your pace. I use the Running World pace converter. I plug in my half-marathon goal time to get a projected pace I should run for a 5K or 10K. Of course, nothing is ever perfect and I might not actually run a 10K at that pace, but it's a goal to shoot for anyway.

Running Shoes That You Will LOOOOOOOVE

Today, I’m going to tell you a love story. Nope, not the bodice ripping, jaw-dropping, heart pounding love fest you were hoping for (keep your mind out of the gutter.) This story is about feet.


Do I have your attention now?

Once upon a time, there were two feet who decided that after trying tap dancing, pointe ballet and high heels, they were going to start running.



The running started modestly with short two or three mile jaunts in a trusty old pair of sneakers that the feet had relied upon for several years. You know the type of shoes I’m talking about: They were flashy, and really cool and even the high heels were a little jealous of them. But the shoes were not very supportive and they squished the toes too.

Yep, they were that kind of shoe.

However, the feet were a tolerant bunch and so they figured that these problems were the normal sort that every couple experiences and they would work themselves out in time.

Spring turned into summer, and the feet started running longer and faster distances. But by midsummer, the honeymoon glow had dulled, and a nagging pain started up in the knees and soon spread to the bottom of the feet – before too long even walking was unbearable.



The feet, pretty sure that they were out of the running business forever, went to the doctor’s for an official confirmation.

But the doctor wasn’t ready to relegate the feet to a life of walking. The prescription: new shoes and orthotics.

Skeptical that the shoe was the source of the problems, the feet decided to take a trial break with the fancy shoes and try something else. After a nerve racking session at the running store, the feet found themselves toe to toe with the polar opposite of the old shoes.

These new shoes were sturdy and practical, and their insoles came out so that orthotics could be placed inside the. The feet were skeptical. After all the shoes were boring white, completely off-trend and not very cool.

After a few weeks of rest, the feet finally got up the courage to take a run in the new shoes. Surprisingly, the run was effortless and painless. Before long, the feet and shoes were running all over the big city, miles and miles of pain free running. The feet knew that they had found the one.



Some months later, the feet and shoes took the big plunge and ran a marathon together. And they lived happily ever after.

The End

Ok, but seriously so you want to know about how to find the perfect running shoe?

Well, I am going to give you the simplest, best advice ever. It’s the only thing you really need to know about shoes: Go to a running store and ask the sales people to pick one out for you.

Here’s what they’ll do: When you get to the store, they’ll assess your foot pronation. A good store will ask you to run to assess your gait (some might ask you to simply walk around, but you should really run in sneakers to get the right assessment).

Foot pronation refers to the way that the body weight is distributed during a step. There are three types:

Normal pronation: The distribution of weight is even throughout the entire step.

Over pronation: The foot rolls inward after making contact with the ground.

Under pronation: The foot rolls outward after making contact with the ground.

Check out this article and the videos for more information. The videos really help.

Then, the running store will do an arch test. You can assess your own by doing a test on a paper bag. (The running store clerks are usually pretty good as sizing up an arch by sight.) Get a paper bag that you aren’t going to use anymore, dip your feet in some water and then step on the paper bags. Don’t get your feet too wet, because you want to be able to see your foot prints.

Flat feet: The entire shape of your foot is imprinted on the paper.

Low arch: There is a small dry area on the inside middle portion of your foot.

Average arch: The dry area extends to the middle of the foot, to two-thirds of the way.

High arch: The dry area extends almost across the foot. A thin line connecting the ball and heel may or may not be visible.

The running clerk will recommend a shoe based upon your pronation. I wear a nuetral shoe from Brooks called Ghost 3. I have stuck with the Brooks neutral line for the last five years, only changing up the shoes to get lighter models. The running store will be able to help you find a shoe that fits your arch type and gait, but beware of these things:



(1) Pronation may change over time. I was once a severe under pronater, and now have a very neutral gait. The shoes changed my running style.

(2) Custom arch supports are necessary for every runner. You might not need orthotics like me, but do expect that you will have to buy separate insoles.

(3) Good running shoes always have removable insoles.

(4) Expect to buy running shoes 1 to 2 sizes larger than other shoes. They should be really loose when you try them on unless you have just run for several hours. Your feet swell during running so you need to have room for them to swell. (Sometimes after long, hot runs in the summer, my feet don’t fit into many of my high heels –eek!)

(5) Make sure the running store assesses your gait while running. It could be completely different than when walking.

(6) While you’re at it, get running socks, as they will help prevent blisters. A lot of blisters from running are just caused by sweaty cotton socks that are rubbing at the skin. (In fact, cotton is pretty much the enemy when running. The only mostly cotton thing I wear are men’s undershirts.)

(7) Replace shoes every 300-400 miles. You don’t need to be super diligent about this. I can usually tell when I need new ones because a whole host of aches will suddenly spring up during a run. You can just estimate your total mileage on the shoes.

(8) Run around in the store on the shoes. I don’t care if you feel dumb doing it. You will feel dumber if you take the shoes home and find out you can’t stand to run for one minute in them.

(9) Go to a running store, if at all possible. Most running stores will let you try out the shoes and actually run in them, with a full exchange policy. If you don't have a running store close by, try a sporting goods store. Try to avoid going to a department store or shoe warehouse. If you really don't have access to these places, try using this site to help you find a good shoe. (It's not the best site but should help you narrow down some models, which you can then make a list of and try on at the store. Also, note that Asics, Brooks, Mizuno or Nike are the most popular running shoe brands.)

The cardinal rule of a good running shoe is that it should feel good to run the moment you put them on. There is no break in period where you suffer through blisters or have to stretch out the shoe. They need to fit right and feel 100% awesome immediately.

So before you start whining about how running hurts all your joints in the your legs and maybe a few in your arms, make sure you’ve got the right shoes on your feet and that they still have some miles in them.

The Short but Meaningful Life of the Marathoner's Sneaker

It started out as a little ache in my right foot and became a dull pain in my hamstring, before finally stopping me in my tracks when my left knee started throbbing.

Had the running finally gotten to me?

Was this half-marathon training schedule too intense?

Nope. All I needed was a new pair of running shoes.

The latest pair were bought about six weeks before the marathon and I ran two 20 milers on them, plus all the other workouts in between. Running shoes only last about 300-400 miles, and for me it's closer to the 300 mile mark.

So, that night I left work at six o'clock on the dot and headed to the running store.

"One of these, please," I said to the store clerk waving my favorite running shoe in the air.

"Would you like to try them on?"

"No thanks. I have five pairs of them already," and with that I got my sixth pair of running shoes in a year.

So what exactly happens to all those sneakers? Well, they start off looking all clean and fluffy.



Then put them on your feet, run all over Manhattan, and Brooklyn too, just for fun.

Don't forget to jump in the puddles when running around the reservoir.



Check out how much the entire rubber sole has been compressed and worn down.



They started out looking like this.



Stick sweaty feet inside them every day. (The ones on top are the new ones, with the old orthodics in them.)



Download the best running songs...



Check all the stress and worries at the door...



And just run.

Music on Repeat & Training Plan the Week of February 28

Good Morning!

Here's my training plan and some new music to start off your week.

This week's goal is to keep my IT bands healthy while still maintaining my training schedule. If your IT Band is inflamed or you think it might be, please consult a doctor. I have no professional right to diagnose or treat injuries, and I'm just sharing my experience.


So you've never heard of an Iliotibial Band?

It's a band of fibrous tissue that connects the butt muscles to the knee and runs along the outside portion of your upper thigh. It stabilizes the knee joint and can end up getting inflamed during training as the major muscles - such as your butt, and top and bottom thigh muslcles - in the leg are strengthened as part of training. If the IT band's strength does not keep pace with the other muscles, than the stronger muscles put a strain on it. The end result could be IT Band Syndrome.

It manifests as knee pain (a tugging pain on the front of the knee) and for me, as a very sharp pain on the side of my hip. Tina of Carrots 'n' Cake posted an article recently on her blog about how to deal with IT Band Syndrome. She has some great advice and information on ITBS, but the Running World article that she sourced also has a lot of details about other injuries as well.

Now, back to business. Here's the training schedule.



Monday: Pilates
Tuesday: Treadmill workout - Repeat two times, walking 7-8 minutes between: run 400 at 5K pace, cool down 100, run 1200 at 10K pace. Run 1.5 miles at race pace, lots of stretching and foam rolling afterwards
Wednesday: Run 4 miles easy or spinning
Thursday: 6 mile run: Warm-up & cool-down 1 mile, then for the middle 4 miles, alternate 5 lamposts (1/4 mile, 5 city blocks) at 10k pace, and 2 lamposts (1/10th of a mile, 2 blocks) at easy pace
Friday: Spinning or rest (depends on the IT Bands), strength
Saturday: Spinning or elliptical or easy 4 mile run or rest.
Sunday: 13 miles, with last mile faster than first mile

Depending on how tender the IT Band is, Wednesday, Friday and/or Saturday could be rest days.

And here's the new music for the week.



This week, after all the remixes and club music, I've been downloading I felt a little more mellow this week.

Made for Us by Mackintosh Braun

Little Lion Man by Mumford & Sons

This Must Be It by Royksopp

Gone Too Far by Dragonette

Bang Bang Bang (Count & Sinden Remix) by Mark Ronson & The Business Intl

Enjoy the music and may your IT Bands never bother you!

Half Marathon Training Plan

Boys.

You’ve got to love what that testosterone makes them do.



Every so often, during marathon training I would meet a boy and he would tell me that he could run a marathon. That’s not such a strange thing to say if you regularly run fifteen miles every weekend or are a professional soccer player.

But those boys...they just can't ever say something sensible and rational.



I’m not talking about runners. I mean your average boy. The ones who will paint their bare chests and stand in forty-degree temperatures for an entire football game.


I know of two boys, one who joined a sixteen mile long run despite never running double-digit mileage before, and another who ran the New York Marathon on a six-mile-a-day habit.

In case you haven’t noticed, I am not a boy and I like my knees, so when I decide to run a half-marathon, I have to train for it.

In the past, my half-marathon plans have involved running about 3.5-5 miles three-four times a week before work with one long run on the weekend. For the first half, the long runs started at six miles and maxed out at eleven miles. The second half-marathon topped out at fourteen, and for the third, I was training for the marathon and was at the sixteen mile long run point.



Now that I’ve got a few races under my belt, I’m ready for a challenge. I’ve adopted my plan from Runner's World. It’s a blend of their intermediate and advanced plans. I’ve made a significant number of changes to both schedules and I have added in cross-training and strength work.

Don’t get confused. I am NOT an advanced runner, but I have found that I can race a half-marathon much more successfully if I actually run slightly further than the race distance. I would not recommend that a new runner tries to run greater than the race distance without consulting a coach or trainer.

My general plan works like this:

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Speed workout, typically a few longer distance sprints at race pace or 10K or 5k pace. There are no 100 meter dashes in this plan.
Wednesday: Spin and strength train or run easy for one hour.
Thursday: A tempo workout, usually a mid-level distance at race pace.
Friday: Spinning and strength
Saturday: Long run, starting at 7 miles and ramping up to 14 miles.
Sunday: Spin or mid-distance run, but if I’m in a lot of pain from Saturday or I just had too much fun on Saturday or I just want to spend all day shopping in Soho, then it’s a rest day. (I’m not trying to break any world records here.)

Here’s this week’s schedule:

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 3 x 1 mile @ 10K pace, with 400 yds cool down between each mile
Wednesday: 5 miles easy or Spinning
Thursday: 6 miles, with some little uphill sprints and bursts
Friday: My very favorite spinning class!
Saturday: 12 miles (I'm already a few weeks into my training, hence the high weekend mileage)
Sunday: Spinning or 5 miles.

If you are looking for a beginner’s plan, here are the two I recommend. Hal Higdon’s and Running.About.com. I like the Running World’s beginner plan as well, but if you are new to running, speed work can be daunting. And completely unnecessary. No one I know, did any track work for their first half; however, if you ran cross country or track than maybe you would like the challenge.

Do you follow a cookie-cutter training plan or make your own?

NYC Half Marathons

Last year, I made a major mistake at the Brooklyn Half-Marathon: I forgot to sign-up. It gets worse too. I didn't realize it until the day before the race.

UH OH.

Wow, was I embarrassed.

Boy, was I majorly disappointed that I couldn't run thirteen point one miles in Brooklyn.

I even tried to buy a bib (illegally) on Craig's List. Turns out a lot of people want run half marathons in Brooklyn.

So I consoled myself with some red wine, macaroni and cheese and a cupcake. Hey, when life gives you lemons, make a big comfort meal of carbs and cheese and wash it down with vino.

Lesson learned. Check race registration confirmation. Check it again. Email the race organizers to double check.

Of course, there's always next year right? Nope. The 2011 Brooklyn Half Marathon is May 21st, which is five days after I get home from a ten day trip in Espana.

I guess there's always 2012.

But I still wanted to make sure that I got a New York half marathon in this spring. There are a lot of great half marathons across the country, like Chicago and Boston, but I didn't want the stress of travelling. The only stress I'm looking for is the stress that comes from running thirteen point one miles, fast.

I did some research and came up with a few halfs in the area. Here's what I considered. To even get in the running, the race had to be easily accessible from my apartment in the Upper East Side, so I limited it to races within the five boroughs only.

More Half Marathon: I ultimately nixed this one because it's two loops in Central Park, which is where I run daily. Plus Central Park is very hilly and not exactly good for PR's.

NYC Half Marathon: This race
is closed and the only way to get guaranteed entry is by raising over one thousand dollars for charity. It's a big ticket race and I seriously considered it, but the uncertainty of March weather in NY and the chore of raising money during my busy season at work ultimately deterred me.

13.1 New York: This is the one I decided to go with. The entrance fee is manageable - eighty-eight dollars. The course is pretty flat and it's not an out and back, but it's almost a loop course. But at least it's not a loop that I run weekly.

There are some good races right outside of New York City too, like the Unite Half Marathon and the Long Island Half, but these are outside of the city and would require hotels and cars, or else a huge commute the day of the race.

Unfortunately, if you are a looking for a race in the NYC area, all the races I mentioned are closed except for the 13.1 New York and the NYC Half if you are willing to raise money for charity. Even Brooklyn closed in a few days.

But the good news is that the NYRR will be hosting the Queens, Bronx, Staten Island, and Grete's Great Gallop later on in the year. So if you are looking for a NYC half, all is not lost.

Central Park 3.73 Mile Jog

Here's a run that takes you by Bethesda Fountain, the mall, and around the bottom of the reservoir.

Today it was only 22 degrees during my run and my legs were starting to tingle because I didn't wear my extra thick tights so I had to turn around early instead of completing the small loop. Oh well, lesson learned! Under 25 degrees, I have to bust out the thick tights. (In case you are wondering, my thin tights are from Nike and feel like spandex and the thick ones are from Hind and feel like thin fleece.)

Happy Tuesday! Raw Recipe to come later on in the week!

Ready, Set, Go

As anyone who has ever spent months upons months preparing for one big day, a few miniscule moments of life, knows, when the countdown can be kept in hours, rather than days, mixed feelings abound.

From food choices to my social calendar, for the last five months everything has been organized around a training regime. It started out as a chore. A chore whose results I desired, but whose tasks I did not enjoy nor really mind. It was simply a part of my life to be tolerated, much like brushing my teeth. But over time, toleration turned into adoration.

The logical assumption is that running thirty plus miles a week has flooded my body with so many endorphins that it was just a hangover from the "runner's high." Perhaps that is part of the answer, but the real cause of this love affair with running is this blog. Finally putting pen to paper (ehh, fingers to computer) and expressing all the crazy thoughts that come to me when running, turned out to be the x-factor in this marathon training plan. Just as much as I have enjoyed conquering each mile, I have loved sharing my experience.

But all good things must come to an end, and the marathon is right around the corner. After the marathon, I will post once more to recap the marathon and then I will plan on signing off until next marathon training season. But before I head out to Philadelphia for the experience of a lifetime, I wanted to share (once more) my favorite blog posts and the story of my blogging/running experience. Read through them once more and then lace up your shoes, and do something that you always wanted to do but never thought you could do.

Here's my first real blog post: Waking Up and Working Out. It's by no means the best one, but it's my first and thus that makes it special.

I had written Central Park Jogger long before I actually typed it out. Central Park brings so many runners together and those runners put all of my excuses out of business. If they can do it, so can I.

Mid-summer I changed jobs, and this inspired a story about quitting a run. Quitters is one of the first times I tried to draw a parallel between life and running. It's right around this post that I finally found my blogging voice and started to love the blogging as much as the running.

Is it hot in here or what? represents my second foray into drawing a parallel between life and running. This time I tried to show how running through the second hottest summer in New York helped me reconnect with my sixteen year old self. Corny? Maybe, but then again the heat makes me do crazy things.

By the end of September, my love affair with marathon training was in full swing and this post was my attempt at trying to get others to drink the Kool-aid. For the love of the run might be my favorite.

October brought some pre-marathon anxiety and worry, but these were quickly resolved when I volunteered to help at NYRR's Grete's Great Gallop Half Marathon and then I shared my story in Plus One, Minus One Wall.

And now, I'm off to Philadelphia to run twenty-six point two miles.

Delayed Gratification

The first marathon is a scary event. That's why I'm trying to pad the experience with lots of good things as well. So that no matter how nervous I am or how bad the bonk is, that I will still be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

No more coffee. I quit coffee a few weeks ago, but have intermittently had a cup or two when extra tired or before a big run. I'm looking for that big burst in energy that a cup of coffee will provide after a two week caffiene detox.

Oldies but goodies. I frequently download new music before long runs. There is nothing like a new song to help me pick up the pace or run an extra mile. But now, I'm building up a collection of new songs to be listened to for the first time next Sunday. I'm already excited about this song.

I know it doesn't seem like much, but I love coffee and I'm missing it dearly. And the music, well I'm okay without new music, but man, oh man, am I excited to hear all my new songs. Hmmm, sounds like I'm trying to bribe myself a little?

How many plates of spaghetti?

I like to be able to quantify things. It gives me a sense of order in the world. The preparation for a marathon is the perfect numbers game. In order to make it twenty-six point two miles, training lasts eighteen weeks, and another fifteen weeks for the beginner. All training programs, should include one long run a week with a minimum-maximum distance of twenty miles.

When I found out that there is a calculator which calculates the carbohydrate caloric need to fuel a marathon at a specified pace, I was intrigued. The pre-race carbo loading has been a bit of an art this season. I started with the classic Italian pasta dinner before long runs, but as my mileage crept up, the overflowing plate of pasta went from fuel to a rock sitting in my stomach.

So then I decided that carbo-loading could be a two day event. I had read that Grete Waitz, the great NY Marathoner, never ate a big meal before a marathon, and I decided to try out her method. So two nights before the big run, I ate a big meal with some protein and little fat, and then I continued to eat carbohydrate heavy meals through lunchtime the next day. By carbohydrates, I don’t necessarily mean bread, pasta, and more bread. Vegetables and fruit have carbohydrates and so I mix those into my diet as well. The Friday night meal is just a big salad full of vegetables, croutons, and maybe a little cheese.

This combination has worked much more spectacularly than I anticipated, but sometimes it leaves me a little hungry mid-run. Hunger is preferable to feeling stuffed when running double-digit miles, but I would rather not feel it. So I plugged my stats into the endurance calculator and clicked “compute”.

What did that little magic calculator come up with? Well first of all, it told me my aggressive best marathon performance time – of 3:18! I’m still laughing over that one. Maybe in another lifetime. But it also said that I need to eat 1560 calories from carbohydrates to achieve my goal time of 5 hours. That’s almost a whole extra day of food. Now that’s a goal that I can wrap my mind around.

It's Quiet Time

Week two of taper is here and the marathon is only twelve days away. Now it's really time for me to rest and relax.

Despite all the positive health benefits that running has brought to my life, marathon training has been tough. I'm starting to suffer from IT Band Syndrome, and I am plagued with phantom pains and aches like never before. I'm not sure if its my body or the human body but at some point this marathon training has become just about all that my body can handle.

The effects of training are starting to bleed into other areas of my life. I'm so tired that I can't stay up late anymore and I can't fit into a few pairs of my high heels because my feet have either grown or they are swollen all the time now.

But as much as I know that I need this rest, it gets boring after a while. I mean how many movies can I really watch? So I have some things planned to break up the monotony, including a trip to the spa and a day of painting pottery. I'm also going to spend some time cooking and baking.

Only twelve more days....

New York Marathon Madness

As you know, I'm planning on running New York in 2011, and so I'm using this year, the year that I'm not full of nervous and pent up energy, to revel in the NY Marathon fever.

Today, the last two miles of my run are on the last two miles of the marathon course. I tried to make the most of the run and visualize that I was running the last two miles of my marathon, but I was hopped up on a cup of coffee and it did not work at all. Oh well, I tried.

Also on my agenda this week is the marathon expo and a five mile race.

Wings at My Feet - The Marathon Racing Shoe

Marathon Taper time is here and aside from all the relaxation and meditation that I'm supposed to engage in, it's also SHOPPING TIME!

Ok, so it's really not shopping time, but it's time for me to get together all the gear that I need for the marathon, and if I don't have something, I would of course need to buy it. So this really isn't the fun, glamorous shopping we do on 5th Avenue, unless of course the running store makes you giddy, but with all the running stores and specialty sports stores in New York City, it's definitely not boring.

All year, I've been running in a pair of light Brooks running shoes, and a few months ago at the running store, I was introduced to a light pair of racing shoes called Launch from Brooks. They are pretty flimsy and only last 100-200 miles (in marathon training speak that would be two to five weeks), so I didn't buy them, but now that I'm tapering, I'm going to start rotating those shoes with my current, sturdier pair.

I've been dreaming about these new shoes for the last two months, and tonight, I finally get to realize this dream. I know what you are thinking. New shoes that weight only six ounces less are not going to help me out. But in the big, bad world of marathons every little thing counts. And six ounces after twenty miles can feel like sixty pounds.

Today, I'm running my last long run.

The days you think are going to be big ones, they are never as big as you make them out to be in your head. It’s the regular days, the ones that start out normal, those are the days that end up being the biggest.

Today marks my last long run. It's the last weekend where I will have to start thinking about what I'm eating two whole days before the big workout. It's the last time that I will be "busy" one night of the weekend. Busy eating, sleeping and running, that is. It's the last weekend morning that I will wake up early and venture out into the city that never sleeps during her morning nap.

So naturally, I'm jumping for joy that I finally get that long run day back to myself. Not so much.

I'm not sure when these long runs went from chore to pleasure, but I suddenly love every inch of them from the waking-up-early-part to the cold-bath-part. Of course, those long runs aren't all cupcakes and sunshine. I usually hit one or two patches during the run when my mind becomes hyper-conscious of every footstep already taken and everyone footstep yet to come and the miles stretch out for days.

But it's awful and awesome all at the same time.

When I cross my "finishing line" and stumble to a bench to stretch out, I'm all smiles. In fact, before I even finish, as I shuffle down musuem mile past all the tourists taking pictures of the park and the museums, I'm smiling like a fool. I hope I'm doing my part to dispell the myth about angry New Yorkers.

That sense of accomplishment after a run is so huge and yet so singular and personal. During the run, it's all about the next step, but when it's over, and I stare down the miles past, I still cannot help but be surprised that I actually ran that far. I imagine that for someone who has been running their whole life - the Ryan Halls of the world - that this would just be another day. But to me, who only two summers ago I tackled my first run in Central Park by running barely a mile and a half, to me, it's almost a miracle.

I've definitely had periods in my life where I've been more fit than I was two years ago. In high school, I was borderline obsessed with swimming and trained year round, sometimes twice a day. During graduate school I picked up a six mile a day run habit. But when I moved to the Big Apple, working long hours and partying took precedence and my health fell to the wayside. And that was exactly how I envisioned my life unfolding in this city. After all, isn't that what we see on television and in the movies?

Life in this city is supposed to be a grand whirl of new restuarants and designer coctails, four inch high heels and jobs that require late hours and suits. Or it's about trying to make it for the love of your art, and discovering the awesome counter-culture that thrives in every corner of the city not overgrown with tourists. But instead of all of that glamour, I found my way, dirty and sweaty, on a run.

And that's why I will miss these long runs, because each time I finish a long run, it reminds me that things never turn out the way that I expect, and that good things come from the small and seemingly inconsequential decisions. They fill my weeks with a regular and grand sense of accomplishment that gives me the courage and the strength to try to tackle the impossible in other areas of my life. As the sports writer John Hanc put it, "I've learned that finishing a marathon isn't just an athletic achievement. It's a state of mind; a state of mind that says anything is possible."



Quote from "What a Difference A Day Makes" of Grey's Anatomy.

Addicted

Like any addict, I didn’t think this was going to happen to me. It started as a once in a while habit – a pick me up after a late night of cramming for exams. It wasn’t long though before I progressed to a daily fix, first laden with sugar and milk, and then as the addiction grew roots into my system, I craved it black and scalding hot. If I didn’t get my cup of coffee first thing in the morning , there was no hope for the day.

Though I was completely hooked on my daily cup, I had not reached junkie-status. A cup or two a day did the trick often enough. I probably would have continued on in this state for years, had I not decided to enter the world of marathons. Long
training runs and daily six a.m. workouts demanded that I start thinking about how I fueled my body immediately before and during strenuous exercise.

But instead of turning to whole foods, I followed popular training advice and decided to supplement with scientifically formulated options from the running store. Shot blocks, gels, sport beans, chomps – whatever you call them. They are small, sweet, portable snacks, no bigger than two tablespoons and contain the proper ratio of electrolytes and simple carbohydrates. To make the gels sexy, extra vitamins or herbs are added to the gels promising to help a runner go faster for longer. In plain English, they’re legal performance enhancers.


Being a coffee addict, I naturally scoffed at the super herbs and amino acids, and went straight for the extra caffeine. Between 60-70% of all the products contain some caffeine. The average is about 30 mg of caffeine which equates to 20-30% of an average cup of drip coffee. But, I’m trying to run a marathon here.

I need all the help I can get.

So I skipped right over the ones that said caffeine to the ones reading ‘2x caffeine.’ At first, I only took one ‘2x caffeine’ during the last 3-4 mile slug. But as my mileage creeped up, I switched over to only amped-up caffeine dosages, so that I was soon consuming the equivalent of 1-2 cups of coffee during the run. That’s in addition to the two cups that I downed with breakfast Then I discovered the espresso shot gel from Clif Bars. 100mg of pure caffeine right before the run to put me at around 5 cups of coffee on a long run day – all before noon. At that rate, I was going to need an IV from Starbucks on race day to feel any effects whatsoever.


Then I read this interesting book called “Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life” by Brendan Brazier. The book espouses an excellent theory about how to nourish your body while performing extreme exercise, and it also highlighted a rather obvious principle about the use of stimulants during exercise. (And no, it’s not the vegan meals that help you perform better either. Here’s a link to the No Meat Athlete’s blog post on the basic premise of his book if you are interested.)

There are two ways to get energy: directly from food consumed or stimulation. When I eat a banana and a granola bar, the carbohydrates, fat and protein in these items will help fuel my impending run. My body will literally digest the food and use it directly to power the run, as opposed to storing it for later (for fat) or for regular maintenance (cell regeneration). When I drink a cup of coffee, it will stimulate my body and only feel like I have increased energy. I’m buying energy on credit when I drink a cup of coffee, and I’m paying for energy with cash when I eat a banana. But when the workout is over, my body pays back that energy plus interest, leaving me exhausted for the remainder of the day.

In “Thrive” Brendan doesn’t discourage the use of caffeine to enhance workouts but he strongly advocates that it should be used sparingly and only during the most strenuous workouts or races. By only using caffeine sparingly, a true burst of energy and endurance is felt. Just like I plan to race my marathon in a lighter pair of Brooks running shoes than I’ve been training in, the idea that I would be able to actually feel a surge of energy from a cup of coffee seemed like it could be a huge physical (and psychological) advantage.

So I quit coffee. One day I woke up and just didn’t have my daily cup. I did the same the next day too, and the day after that. This was not a painless activity. The first day I felt lightheaded, the second day I had a pounding headache, and the third day I couldn’t focus. Note what I didn’t feel: tired, which is naturally what I assumed I would feel without my daily kick in the pants. Eventually, after less than a week’s time all withdrawal symptoms had passed. .


After abstaining from coffee for a whole week, I had my first cup of coffee right before a long run. Not only did I feel the coffee stimulate my body into overdrive, but I felt excited and even giddy about a four hour workout. Then when I set out on my run, that nervous energy dissipated into a cool, lightness which took me right through the eighteen mile hurdle. After failing to complete eighteen miles on two separate occasions, when I finally did conquer that distance, I felt that I had reached pre-run fueling nirvana – if such a thing exists.

I’m oddly very proud that I kicked my coffee habit, and super psyched about the new little boost that I can look forward to from a cup of coffee on race days. And that’s just the thing about running marathons. It takes me to places both literally and figuratively that I never before imagined. A year ago I would have acted as if giving up coffee was akin to going without air, but now after a few pages from some book, I’m off it.


To someone who hasn’t run a marathon, the greatest part of the whole exercise would seem to be crossing that finish line, but as I’m getting closer and closer to my big day, I have a sneaking suspicion that the race is just the cherry on top. More and more, the training seems to be the most magical part – from the way a fellow marathoner can become an instant friend to the surprise realization that I can get ready for work – including a shower – in under 15 minutes. But of course, I still haven’t actually run a marathon yet, so what do I know?