Friday, December 27, 2013

Top 5 @Marathoner Running Highlights in 2013

As long as I can write this post at the end of each year and conclude that I JUST KEPT RUNNING then I consider it a very successful year!

But of course, we don't just run. We look for new challenges and exciting adventures that keep our running interesting and add meaning to our lives. So without further ado, please allow me to count down my top 5 running highlights of 2013:

5. Run For Boston. After the Boston Marathon bombings, we all bonded together in the running community and went out in the streets in support of our brothers and sisters who were impacted. I was among many who donned blue and yellow "I run for...BOSTON" running shirts and hit Central Park for the first official New York Road Runners race after that tragedy, the City Parks Run for the Parks 4-Miler. The Boston Marathon bombing was the biggest story in 2013, and naturally it hit home especially in the running community. It was good to see so many people rushing to help in any way they could, and another reminder of how running brings good to society and puts you in a position in life to help others. Also, I am constantly uplifted by the stories of so many who were injured on Boylston that day and have surged back in life with a positive attitude. And just to show how much this subject rather dominated my life in 2013, consider that I left Fenway Park in the middle of the clinching game on Oct. 30 and hiked quickly over to the bombing site so that I could interview Red Sox fans and citizens on what it meant for a World Series title to help their healing process. I then rushed over to a Copley hotel lobby to type my story and FTP the videos to our Major League Baseball Advanced Media HQ back in NYC, and my story and video from that night can be found on MLB.com right here. I really thought the City of Boston should have been TIME mag's Person of the Year, but I can live with the Pope.


4. Publix Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon. You can't ask for much more than a pancake-flat run that starts on beautiful Las Olas Boulevard and runs all the way along the Atlantic Ocean surf up to Hillsboro Inlet and then returns back to the Fort Lauderdale strip for the finish. I unfortunately hit a couple of snags that day -- a freak cold front that iced us over at the start line, and a stiff wind out of the North that was in my face for half of the marathon. But all in all it was worth the signup last February, especially after having already run the Miami Marathon twice. We stay each January at our family's condo in Fort Lauderdale, so this worked out amazingly and my family and friends stood out front of the condo and gave me some much-needed support. Maybe the star of this show is the medal. They are very creative, and for this one the race organizer handed out seahorses. The medal was so heavy and with moving parts that there actually was a defect, causing some of the medals to break. But they kept their promise and shipped everyone with a broken medal the replacement, and I have to say I love having seahorses on my wall! Run this race!

3. Marathon Maniacs #6697. I was all excited to finally earn membership into the Maniacs after that Fort Lauderdale marathon, because it was my 10th overall. Alas, I found out that I'm just a dummy. I had actually qualified for entry way back in 2008, when I ran the Knickerbocker 60K ultra within 15 days of a previous marathon (New York City). So for five whole years I could have been a Maniac and had a nice low roll number there. Hey, what the hell, I finally was welcomed aboard. Maniacs have a ton of camaraderie, and you get a lot of inside information and help along the way in terms of race entries and training. I am still waiting to wear the yellow and red gear to show off my Maniac status, but I expect to have years and years to do that because I am a runner for life and now I am a Maniac for life. Who else is a Maniac?

2. ING New York City Marathon. I wanted to keep the "ING" in this just as a final nod and thank-you to the longtime sponsor of the greatest marathon in the world. They meant a lot to me. Now it's the TCS New York City Marathon, and shortly I will take advantage of my 9+1 qualification in 2013 -- at least nine scored New York Road Runners races and one volunteer assignment -- and enter the 2014 race. Looking back on the 2013 race, I was a little bummed that my training was substandard and I could not approach my 5:13 PR. But in the big picture, this one was for my Mom, who was diagnosed in 2013 with lymphoma and at this writing is responding beautifully to chemo. The most painful moments of that marathon journey were the times when I tried to put it in perspective and remember what my Mom is fighting. Mine was just a race. After we missed 2012 because of the cancellation caused by Superstorm Sandy, it was nice to have the NYC Marathon back, and not just back but bigger than ever -- the largest race in WORLDWIDE MARATHON HISTORY. It is still hard to accurate describe the thrill of being cheered on by 2 million spectators and enjoying 100 musical performers and diverse neighborhoods and the conga lines of children who just want you to high-five them as you go by. And the creative signs!

There were a lot of candidates for my Number One. I thought maybe I should go with the first day of 2013, when I ushered in the year by inventing my own #12RunsOfChristmas -- those late nights running in the cold by myself at Central Park just to keep my streak. Or a very typical training run, maybe in the rain, just you and the open road or trail, the kind of run that makes you know you are alive. Or possibly the Staten Island Half because I actually climbed a freakin U.S. Army rock wall at the end of it. And then I thought, Hey, the Fifth Avenue Mile because I ran a faster pace than any time in my life. And you could argue for Boston here, but honestly I would only do that if I had run it or been involved, and I am never going to be fast enough to run the Boston Marathon. Had it not been for something that happened in the last month, my discovery of a new bathroom on the West side of Central Park honestly was going to be my No. 1 in 2013, because that is just how important knowing where the relief is while you run.

So, ladies and gentlemen, a drum roll if you please...

1. #ASICS! The same premiere running company that has been so important in my running life -- from my first pair of shoes in 2006 to all that Expo apparel I have purchased through the years -- approached me and asked if I would like to run for ASICS. ME! I am not from Kenya and I do not train in Mammoth. I am in my 50s. ASICS asked if I would like to be part of the ASICS LA Marathon Blogger Challenge, for which they would provide race entry, air and hotel, 12-week training plan and followup from elite Coach Andrew Kastor (Deena's husband), and ASICS gear shipped to me during the winter. This is very cutting-edge stuff for a running company, in fact for any company. (Hello, Runners World? Story.) I give big props to ASICS for reaching out to the running community in this way, for about a dozen of us, and I look forward to extolling their virtues as I continue training for my March 9 marathon that starts at Dodger Stadium and ends with a Forrest Gump pose at Santa Monica Pier...ever so fittingly for this MLB guy. I can't wait for 2014!

Please let me know how your own Year in Running went! Happy New Year, Pleasant Running and Peace on Earth. - Mark

Thursday, December 19, 2013

NYRR #runchat transcript

You don't have to be signed up for a particular race to get big value out of following that race's Facebook or Twitter pages. For example, here is a transcript of the last live chat of 2013 with New York Road Runners coaches. No matter whether you are an NYRR member, follow facebook.com/NewYorkRoadRunners:

  • Ashlee Reilly Hi guys! Happy Holidays! What's the best and most effective way to build endurance back up when coming back after an injury that had me out of commission for a while? I've been doing walk/run intervals, but I would really like to decrease the amount/time of walking and be able to more consistent during the running portions (which I would like to be longer in time/distance!)
    Like · Reply · 22 hours ago
    • New York Road Runners (NYRR) Ashlee Reilly--You've pretty much answered your own question: gradually replace the walking with running until the walking isn't needed anymore. You can also add cross-training sessions with low-shock options like swimming, cycling, elliptical trainer workouts, and deep-water running if you want to put in more time.
      Like · 1 · 22 hours ago
    • Ashlee Reilly New York Road Runners -- thank you! Glad to see I'm on the right track with getting back up and running! Any tips for increasing speed once I've switched over to mostly running? (I've always been pretty slow, ~12:00min/mile, and it would be nice to break out of that rut a little bit!)
    • New York Road Runners (NYRR) Ashlee Reilly--You should add an intervals/speedwork day. This means running for short bits (like a minute at a time) with rests between them, and running faster than usual (even quite a bit faster) for the "pickups." Let's say you're doing your 12:00's easily. Try doing a warm-up mile at that pace, then doing three 1-minute runs at about 10:00 per mile with two minutes of slow jogging after each one. Finish with another easy mile. That's an intro to the kind of training that will make you faster; you'll gradually add repetitions and pick up the pace. Good luck!
      Like · 1 · 22 hours ago · Edited
  • Leila Saramäki Some coaches say that going to gym and getting muscles is not good for runners. What is your opinion? Sorry my bad English... I write from Finland, Kuopio and we have here running team Rauhalahti Road Runners  That's why I joined this group 
    Like · Reply · 22 hours ago via mobile
    • New York Road Runners (NYRR) Finland! Your country knows more than we do about running distances; do you know who Hannes Kolehmainen was? (I'm not just going to say "Paavo Nurmi," obviously.) If you're a marathon runner, these coaches have a point--extra muscle weight won't help...See More
      Like · 1 · 22 hours ago
    • Mark Newman
  • Nick Cevasco What are some good training tips for doing the nyc half marathon first timer
    Like · Reply · 22 hours ago via mobile
    • New York Road Runners (NYRR) Nick Cevasco--first time at the NYC Half, or first-time half-marathoner? If the latter: the three most vital elements to training for a half are a long run (starting at what's currently long for you and gradually increasing it each weekend or on two out of three weekends) until you can run 10-13 miles comfortably; second, a faster run of about half the race distance ("tempo run"), and third, the kind of speed workout that we just described for Ashlee, above. If first-time YC Half runner: All the hills are in the first five miles! It's flat and fast after that. Good luck.
    • Mark Newman
  • Erik Lennon Rodriguez 7:30 per mile is a good start????
    Like · Reply · 22 hours ago via mobile
  • Patrick Voo what are your thoughts about transitioning from marathoning to ultrarunning? what are the key training changes that make it a smooth move?
    Like · Reply · 1 · 22 hours ago
    • New York Road Runners (NYRR) Patrick Voo--the element that changes is typically just the weekend long run or runs: ultrarunners often do one on each of the weekend days. The rest of the week may actually decrease in mileage and/or number of days of training because of the demands of running so far at once (or twice) on the weekend. A friend of ours here at NYRR just won the 60K in Central Park in her first ultra; she raised her weekend run from 20 to 25 to 30...it worked very well.
      Like · 2 · 22 hours ago
    • Patrick Voo thanks for your response guys - much appreciated!
    • Mark Newman
  • Tom O'Beirne What kind of weight training can you suggest? I find my weight lifting schedule really is pretty terrible during endurance season.
    Like · Reply · 22 hours ago via mobile
    • New York Road Runners (NYRR) Tom O'Beirne--most distance runners don't do leg weights, but do things like lunges and plyometrics (jumps, squats, etc.) with body weight instead. Upper-body lifting can help in a shorter race--sprinting uses the arms a lot--but carrying extra muscle weight is generally counterproductive for distance runners. Look at Mo Farah sometime--he's thin as a rail, but he's far from weak; the top runners do tons of core work and other less-bulking strength work.
      Like · 1 · 22 hours ago
    • Mark Newman
  • John Schweighardt Does wearing long pants instead of shorts on a cooler day slow down your running time?
    Like · Reply · 22 hours ago via mobile
  • Oscar Barillas When Does the training program for the NYC Half starts?
    Like · Reply · 22 hours ago via mobile

  • Julie Gonzalez I'm training for my first half in January and I'm nervous about running in slush, ice, sleet, snow, etc. Any advice or recommendations?
    • New York Road Runners (NYRR) Julie Gonzalez--good question. Runners can break bones slipping on ice--especially the often-invisible "black ice." Running in snow is typically okay until it gets deep, when it throws your footplant off and can cause hip-muscle strain. Slush: very unpleasant without super-waterproof socks; look for neoprene. (Bike shops are good sources.) Sleet is just painful if it hits you but it won't endanger you or slow you down much. HOWEVER: The cure for all of them is an indoor workout on a treadmill or a cross-training session or another aerobic-exercise machine--or, best of all, a speedwork session on an indoor track.
      Like · 1 · 22 hours ago
    • Mark Newman
  • Christine Boyer McKeon How much room is there for improvising in a training plan for a half marathon? Not always able to do the weekly mileage... But always the long run.
    Like · Reply · 1 · 22 hours ago via mobile
    • New York Road Runners (NYRR) Christine Boyer McKeon--More than you might think. See our reply to Ashlee above; cross-training can be substituted for running when running isn't possible or easy or when you're maxed out on run mileage. The elements that you should try to keep in your program are a tempo run (or the equivalent in a cross-training workout) and a speed workout (some kind of intervals). But the most important element is the one that you're always doing, luckily.
      Like · 1 · 22 hours ago
    • Mark Newman
  • Claire Harrison I currently train 6 days a week in preparation for a sub 3:15 london marathon can this be achieved over less days less miles? Will provably reach around 80 per week
    Like · Reply · 22 hours ago via mobile
    • New York Road Runners (NYRR) Claire Harrison--that's enough mileage, no matter how many days you run it in. Whether you can break 3:15 is another matter; we'd have to know a lot more about you and your running. But many world-class athletes take a day off per week. Be sure to taper in your last three weeks--something like 60-40-20.
      Like · 1 · 22 hours ago
    • Mark Newman
  • Øistein Røisland My next race is Boston Marathon. Can I replace some of the easy runs and long runs with cross country skiing without losing too much?
    Like · Reply · 22 hours ago via mobile
  • Meredith Johnston How many miles should I run in my sneakers before its time for a new pair? Training for Boston Marathon '14. Thanks!
  • Laura Cope how do you recommend eating for longer runs? I've heard two hours before, but by then, I'm hungry again! thanks!
    • New York Road Runners (NYRR) Laura Cope, Two hours is about right to be sure that you can use the nutrients; too long after that and you'll just feel full and carry it through your run. Carbohydrate drinks are a good middle ground before and during the run. Feeling a bit hungry before a run isn't always a bad thing, either.
    • Laura Cope awesome! Thank you!!
    • Mark Newman
  • Kristen Moody Stepanishen Hello Coaches! I've run 3 half marathons and it seems each one is getting slower than the last. Yikes! I think my problem in the last two was losing steam after mile 10. Do you have any training suggestions to help? I usually do one LSD, one speed workout, then easy jogs. Thank you!
    Like · Reply · 22 hours ago via mobile
    • New York Road Runners (NYRR) Kristen Moody Stepanishen--what did you do before the first, fastest race? We suggest that you replicate that training. Also: How close together were the three races? You might not be recovering completely or getting the time to properly build up ad then taper again for the next trace. Lastly: Are you going out too hard? Wait until at least 10K into a half before you race anyone, including your past selves.
      Like · 1 · 22 hours ago
    • Mark Newman
  • Yolande Rose How long of a break should I take from running to allow a stress fracture in my shin heal?
    Like · Reply · 22 hours ago via mobile
    • New York Road Runners (NYRR) Yolande Rose--that's a question for a doctor, but layman's wisdom says that more rest is better after something that serious; in other words, err on the side of caution. Stress fractures can be signs of other trouble, like nutritional deficiencies.
    • Mark Newman

  • New York Road Runners (NYRR) Thank you for tuning in to the last Live Chat of 2013. Happy Holidays--use than time off for running, not just eating! We'll see everyone in the New Year.
    Like · Reply · 2 · 22 hours ago