10 Years of Running

My 10 Favorite: Miles | Medals | Shoes | Bibs

Thursday marks my 10th runnerversary, and thanks to anyone who has been along for the ride. I never imagined I would still be doing this on that Friday of December 1, 2006. That morning, I moved into a new apartment on the Upper West Side of New York City, and it was freshly painted. While waiting for the movers to arrive with my stuff, I walked over to the bodega at 73rd Street & Columbus, to buy a few items. I stepped out, and was standing there at the intersection, with a full box of KOOLS in my hand, ready to light one. I had visited the apartment earlier that week, huffing and puffing up the steps to the third floor, overweight and a smoker for the past six or seven years, to meet the tenants who were moving out. They changed my world, without knowing it, because they told me they belonged to the New York Road Runners club and that they regularly ran and biked Central Park a block away. With that healthy thought in my head, I looked at that full box of KOOLS and I broke it in half, drawing curious looks from women who stood beside me. I went into my new apartment, met the movers, unpacked, and then immediately took the A train down to Times Square and bought a pair of ASICS at a Foot Locker. I went to NYRR.org and paid for a one-year membership. That week I started running hilly Central Park, and on that December 10th I ran my first race, the Joe Kleinerman 10K, finishing with a net time of 1:18:40 (12:41 pace).



I have thought about this moment for a long time, and in counting down the days to this special runnerversary I have been posting several top-10 lists of my favorite things over this past decade of running. Today, I am going to celebrate by running Central Park at 5 a.m., then running around the Washington Monument later in the day, then by popping a bottle of champagne and spraying it all over myself. I am also going to celebrate by posting my final top-10 list, so here it is: 10 unbelievable things that happened after I quit smoking and started running.

10. It taught me to be a finisher in life. Set a goal, work hard, persevere and finish. My first goal was to run the New York City Marathon within my first year as a runner, and I did that in November 2007. In the past month I finished my fourth NYC Marathon, and 17th full or ultra.

9. There are 137 bibs on my bedroom wall. They signify all the races I have registered for and then got up for early starts and put one foot in front of another until I crossed a timing mat. That has equated to thousands and thousands and thousands of miles I have run either in those races or in training. It means my heart has pumped blood in wonderful fashion amid all that activity. I owe a special thanks to the New York Road Runners, for conducting all those races I have run, and to the people who take care of Central Park and keep it so pristine and the best place in the world to run -- my track!

United Airlines NYC Half Recap

By Mark | Sunday's United Airlines NYC Half was my 22nd half-marathon and 111th overall race since I traded a box of KOOLS for a box of ASICS on Dec. 1, 2006. I finished this one with a net time of 2:40:10, compared to 2:26:01 in 2007, 2:46:51 in 2009 and 2:27:45 in 2012. It was perfect running weather in the 40s and a great event. Here's my recap of the weekend, and really it all comes down to that unmatched thrill of taking over Times Square:

ASICS Holiday Wishlist

I dropped in on my friends at the ASICS New York City Meatpacking District Store this afternoon and bought the new PR Thermal 2-N-1 Beanie reversable knit cap. I'll get plenty of use out of it as I start training through another tough NYC winter, this time for the Walt Disney World Marathon scheduled for Jan. 11. It's just $18 and a huge addition:

While I was in the ASICS store, I also took a barrage of photos of ASICS STUFF I WISH I HAD. Let's call it the ASICS @Marathoner Holiday Wishlist. If Santa wanted to drop any of this stuff under my Christmas tree or in a stocking next month, hey you're the jolly mon. Here are a dozen items that especially caught my eye on the "guy side" of the store, with links on asicsamerica.com.

Latest Looks: Inside the ASICS NYC Meatpacking District

Thought I'd give you a virtual look at some of the coolest new stuff at the ASICS Meatpacking District Store in NYC. It's located on 14th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues, across from the Apple Store in what is now one of the hottest parts of town. You can find all of this stuff on asics.com.

Here's my friend Justin, a store staffer who's also an endurance cyclist and marathoner, holding up one of the new Favorite Half-Zips in the color he's planning to buy himself . . .





There are a lot of new touches to this including the light and breathable fabric around the thumb holes, as you can see pictured here from the ASICS product page. I'll be running in this.



Like this Urban Run tee below?



I do. So do others I see. And they have stacks of them, or it's $34 at asics.com. . .



Happiness is a wall of running shoes. Here are four categories I was looking at . . .

CUSHIONING

SPEED

TRAINING

MAXIMUM SUPPORT

There's a whole wall full of those for women as well, obviously. I just did a Follow Friday (#FF) on my ASICS @Marathoner account on Twitter, listing every ASICS retail account around the world, and if you follow those, then you will see some really cool ways they show off their own hot items that are just-in. If I could walk out of the ASICS NYC Meatpacking District Store with one box of shoes right now, I believe it probably would be . . .



. . . and maybe this . . .



There is still room in my sock drawer for a new pair of these . . .



In a matter of hours, I will be looping Central Park in the New York City Marathon Long Training Run #1. We are being blessed with some unbelievably fantastic summer weather lately in the Big Apple, and I figured we earned it after that last winter that tested one's soul. So on these #SummerRunnin days, my thoughts are still of running in tops like these . . .





Make sure the ASICS Meatpacking District Store is a stop on your next trip to New York, or head on down if you're in the area. It's like a playland if you love ASICS, as I do. They have the best shoe testing treadmill area in NYC, so be sure to let the pros there test you and get in the right type of shoe for you so you always get to the start line healthy. Tell 'em ASICS @Marathoner sent you.

ASICS LA Marathon Gear Is Here

Happiness is having a brand-new ASICS store a block away from where you work.
Our MLB Advanced Media HQ is at Chelsea Market in the famous Meatpacking District of Manhattan, and last night after work I put on my ASICS Storm Shelter gear on a cold and rainy night for a run down the Financial District. On the way, I stopped in for the first time at the ASICS Meatpacking District store on 14th Street, across from the Apple Store, and was blown away by what I saw front and center as their main display:

Hello, ASICS LA Marathon gear! Now in the taper of Coach Kastor's 12-Week Training Plan in our brutal NYC winter, it was a real treat to actually see the apparel in front of me. The big race is March 9, from Dodger Stadium to the sea at Santa Monica. It was cool to meet Winnie ("like Winnie the Pooh," she said) and Boris among the great staff in that ASICS location. I bought a new Long Haul Handheld Water Bottle for my run (water faucets are off) and a new pair of Everyday Liner Gloves, and then they let me take photos of these LA Marathon items that are available there for purchase -- an Expo sneak peak!

ASICS Gear Review

Here is the water bottle ($18) and the neon glove ($12) I bought for my run.



I love-love-love the elastic hand strap, which requires no adjustment buckle like some others I have used. That is the real highlight of it for me -- fits everyone. I have mostly used my Ultimate Direction Quick Draw handheld the last few years, a big upgrade on the bright yellow Nathan I started with in '07, and the one thing I do like about the UD version is the rubber top that releases only a small amount of fluid when you bite down. It took a while to get used to that one, but I would recommend it for future ASICS models. Overall, the ASICS handheld is very light, just the right size, more compact than any others I have used.

This winter has been especially hard on my glove supply. I am wearing them out, and they are in such constant use that I have misplaced them like never before. Can't find my awesome 2012 Harrisburg Marathon Expo registration gloves, can't find my old Sugois, just lost a Nike, and I only have one of the 2013 NYC Marathon ASICS Expo Five Borough gloves left that I wore in the race. So it was time for a new pair, and I went as bright and reflective as possible. When you run the West Side path down the Financial District to Battery Park, the problem is not cars, but bikes. These gloves gave me a little more protection, and the best part about all those little ASICS logos on the palm is that they are hard rubber and make it even easier to carry the handheld. These are the Liner models and they aren't too heavy, so my hands did not overheat. Between the gloves and the Storm Shelter Jacket, I was feeling just right.

Let's have a big hand for ASICS and their new NYC store!

I Shall Protect This House

I was up early this morning to hit our BodyQuest gym with Rachel, and it was a terrific speedwork session with leg weights and core training. "Focus on supreme fitness," Coach Andrew Kastor, the coach for our ASICS LA Marathon Blogger Challenge, told me on the phone last Friday. "Think one day at a time." It was exactly the workout I needed on another day when snow was falling yet again in the NYC area.

What I didn't expect was to basically work out much of the day. The same snow that has posed such a challenge in training for a beautiful Southern California marathon course on March 9 has caused serious problems for people in our area, and on this day I was in position to be potentially a victim.

We have a flat metal roof covering half of our deck behind our house, attached to the back of the house and supported around the edges by upright poles and braces. Last night, the Winter Advisory warning on my Weather.com app suddenly mentioned that "flat roof collapses" are likely. Then the most respected meteorologist who I follow on Facebook reposted a list of symptoms for a possible flat roof collapse, and I saw at least three symptoms that applied to my deck roof. We were in trouble with wet snow on the way.

The roof was bulging in spots, with a couple of leaks. I told Lisa and Rachel to not walk under it, under any circumstances. The roof had nearly two feet of ice and snow covering it, bearing as much weight as possible. Someone walking under it could be crushed, pinned, a disaster waiting to happen. I returned from BodyQuest to defend my house. I didn't want to see a collapse, insurance claim and so forth, but most of all I wanted to make sure we have a safe home. That's my most important job as a homeowner.

Because I NEVER STOP IMPROVING, I went to Lowe's to buy lumber to make a T-frame for support. I got five 2x4x8s, could have used a couple more but time was of the essence, plus I had to get down to the city for work. I knew that temperatures were forecast to rise into the 40s in the second half of this week, but this was an emergency. I took the boards home, measured the distance from deck to roof in the center area. I nailed two of the 2x4s together so they would form the beam that goes longways against the roof, and the other three 2x4s would be the legs. I cut those with a hand saw in our dining room, went out to the deck and wedged the new T-frame in snugly so there would be no way it could collapse in the center.

With some assurance now in place, I then proceeded to start shoveling the exposed deck area, which had at least 2 feet of snow and an ice base. That was a long job and the second part of my workout, heaving shovels of ice and snow over the deck railing. Once I cleared out enough room to place a rug and my stepladder, I got onto the top step and began shoveling snow and ice from the top of the roof. What I saw made it even more surprising that the roof had not collapsed yet. I awkwardly hauled off seemingly a ton of snow and ice, clearing the gutter area, and that was just the left half of the roof. I have more to do tomorrow, but this seemingly has removed the crisis and prevented at least one more collapsed flat roof in our area.



















Are you affected by the big snow this winter? Is the drought out West a serious problem for you? 19 days to the LA Marathon. Stay tuned...

ASICS Gear Review - Thermopolis LT Hoody & Lite-Show Tight

This was a truly "super" weekend for running in the New York City area. Saturday was my 16-mile long run up the Hudson River north of the Big Apple. Sunday was the annual NYRR Gridiron Classic 4-Miler at Central Park, preceding the Super Bowl over at Met Life Stadium. The weekend offered a slight respite from the relentlessly cold and snowy winter, which has resumed today.

Thermopolis LT Hoody

Saturday was a perfect opportunity to put my new ASICS Thermopolis LT Hoody to the test. The battering weather let up just enough that I didn't require the Storm Shelter outer layer, feeling in the 20s. I wore a circa-2007 ASICS long-sleeve base layer and the hoody over that.

The first virtue of this hoody that I want to extol is its reflectivity. Right now that seems more important than ever, at least to me. I started running at 2:12 p.m. ET and finished at sunset. I was running most of the way along River Road, steps away from the Hudson, and that's a one-lane road each way. Sometimes the shoulders are precarious, with hedges that provide little escape room, and sometimes the Coach USA bus comes into play. Combine that with the gradual darkness, and I was very wary about always being seen.

Also, I found myself often thinking of Meg Cross Menzies, for whom many of us ran #megsmiles 2 weeks earlier in tribute to the runner killed by an impaired motorist. The optic-colored trim on the Thermopolis LT Hoody is very neon-bright and visible. Even the thumb holes are trimmed in reflective fabric, so later in my run I was less apt to use the thumb holes to snug under my gloves, instead making sure they were visible outside of my gloves as yet another caution flag for oncoming traffic.

The fabric of this hoody is insanely soft and comfortable, but the cut is very flattering and fashionable. The zipper is that same hard-rubber material used for the Storm Shelter line. Yet while it closes out the cold for me, it also is very breathable and my body temperature was perfection my entire run.

I have another Thermopolis that is hoodless, and I especially wanted to break this out because the weather was sure to be variable over the course of 16 miles along an iced-over major river. Sure enough, the later it got, the chillier it was, and my ASICS knit cap was pretty wet by that point. It was an added comfort toward the end to pull on the hood and use the clinch-down hood adjusters to keep it tight. I love that I was able to do this long run with a hood that never bounced or slowed me, because of those adjusters.

The pockets are roomy and I carried a GU in each. There is a nice zippered media pouch on the left breast and an inside hole for earbuds, but on this day I went with my spi-belt as my iPhone would have been a little heavy and possibly flopping for this garment. I really look forward to running in this again.

Lite-Show Tight

For both the 16-mile long run and the Sunday sprint around hilly Central Park's inner loop (in 43:35), I wore only these ASICS black-and-silver tights as the bottom. There was no need for an outer layer, as winds were calm. No need for shorts over them, either. I am definitely more beefy than your average marathoner and have not been the type in the past to wear tights only, but these combined with the long Thermopolis tops has given me a new style that is really comfortable and convenient for my training and races.

Again, I'm going to start with reflectivity because that is really forefront in my mindset and that was a trepidatious course on Saturday (also factor in a lot of bikers coming right at me). The network of detailed paneling seams are all reflective and covered me in that area.

I was surprised by the thickness of the Lite-Show Tight. That's why I did not need an outer layer. And once you have them on, they feel like 100-percent cotton, something you don't want to take off. I checked the label and it says the main fabric is 86% nylon, 14% spandex, while the insert is 86% polyester and 14% spandex. I love the ankle elasticity, keeping my ankles covered and warm.

They felt so good, I didn't wash them and simply pulled them back on Sunday morning. I drove down to Central Park with Lisa and Rachel for the Gridiron Classic 4-Miler and Longest Football Throw competition. It was fun to throw a bomb, but that area of the park was muddy and you really couldn't grip the ball, so my throw was a little like one of Peyton Manning's that night. It was around 40 for the start of the race, which was balmy by Gridiron Classic standards, and I was pleased that these tights were just right, with my Thermopolis LT Half-Zip hoodless as a top over a thin base layer.

Now it's snowing, and it's on to Week 8 of Coach Kastor's 12-Week Training Plan for the March 9 ASICS LA Marathon. I can't wait to wear practically nothing from Dodger Stadium to the sea, but for now, we are dealing with the toughest winter since I've lived in New York (going back to 2005), and I'm thankful I have just the right ASICS gear to get me through it. Happy running.

Fred Lebow Manhattan Half Recap

I just wanted to honor the memory of the great Fred Lebow, co-founder of the NYC Marathon, by saying a few words here about the New York Road Runners' January marathon that was held in his name for the first time yesterday at Central Park.

The Stats:
Finishers: 4,027
Net time: 2:42
Overall races: 94
NYRR races: 82

It is always an icebox 13.1 -- as it was in 2007, when it was my first half -- but this time was the extreme of the extreme. Fortunately, it wasn't as bad as we were expecting. Wind chill at the start was 6 according to weather.com. The sun was out the entire race, a high of 17. Was it cold? Yes. Was it enough to make it a fun run? Thankfully no.

I made a judgment call before walking out the door, putting the ASICS Storm Shelter jacket away and opting for the featherweight ASICS windbreaker from my 2007 NYC Marathon expo. I wore it over two longsleeve layers. I wore a buff and pulled it over half my face for much of the race. I donned an ASICS knit cap, and wore the giveaway signature Fred running cap on top of that.

For bottoms, two layers of ASICS, the PR tights and the Storm Shelter pant. Add Zensah calf compression sleeves, socks and my ASICS Gel Kayano 20s, gloves, sunglasses, a Breathe-Right strip, watch, iPhone and earbuds, 3 gel packs and Grabber handwarmers...and I was ridiculously geared up. I set a personal ASICS record! Fortunately, it all felt just right when I was out there.

The Course

We started at 63rd Street on the West Side, by Tavern on the Green. Our course was counter-clockwise, the usual running pattern at Central Park, which unfortunately meant running up Cat Hill. Two laps, and after the second one, continue around the bottom loop to add the extra 1.1 mile and then finish on 72nd Street Transverse. Volunteers did a terrific job, giving us a clean track after working through the night with salt. I encountered no slippery spots. Huge hand to all the volunteers for this one, photogs too!

Fluid stations were plentiful, some with Gatorade mixed in. It was a day to squeeze the cup and break the ice that had formed, then sip. And at the end, it was a slushy Gatorade that did the job.

The Race

I'm still battling my way up hills right now and mixing in too much walk, which is a little concerning. I'm six weeks into Coach Kastor's 12-Week Training Plan for the March 9 ASICS LA Marathon, and ideally I would be more continuous in my running. Sometimes I wonder whether it's just age, and whether I will really be able to challenge my 5:13 NYC Marathon PR of 2008 (my goal is 5:12). As someone told me today, Father Time remains undefeated. I am doing my best to stay strong, to think ageless.

I was better on the steeper Harlem Hill. I counted backward from 100, as I usually do, and looked down. I actually had a benefit there. My non-fog sunglasses were constantly fogged, a result of my wearing a slobbery buff up to my nose. I could hardly see anything. I could see just enough, though, and for me it was strategy! I don't want to see the horizon on hills.

When I got around to the Boathouse for mile 8, I ran in the right lane and the race leaders were just finishing. I decided to give my watch the day off. I knew that I started at 8:03 a.m., and that's all I wanted to know. When I crossed the finish line, I would look down and check the time and that would be my net. That's what I did. No splits, no frets, just run.

After all, this was a training run for me, my weekend long run (a couple miles short actually). By running the hills, I was preparing myself well for Dodger Stadium-to-the-Sea. I was imagining how nice it will feel running in just shorts and a tee.

I had a chafing fail for the second long run in a row. I'm working in some new gear and getting used to everything. So far my tights are chafing in the thighs, and it was a huge problem in the mile 8-11 range. This despite opening a new Body Glide and rubbing it on liberally everywhere I could think of, over and over. Body Glide did not get the job done. Maybe I need my familiar compression shorts under my new tights. Not a good solution, but comfort wins. My new friend Summerly is a triathlete and she just suggested Skin Sake Athletic as an anti-chafing product used by many of her peers, maybe will try it.

I struggled my way up Cat Hill again, running even less the second time over. But I fought Harlem Hill hard again. I summoned #beastmode mentality and stayed determined, blocking out whatever got in the way. I crossed the finish line smiling with an arm up high, and then one of the volunteers not only placed a heatsheet around me, but took the time to tie it for me.

The Hardest Part

Without question, it was the walk to my car after finishing. I parked on Columbus between 73rd and 74th, and on a summer day that is a blink of the eye. It felt like forever this time. It is really important after a cold race like this to bring you body temperature up as quickly as possible, and with every step mine was dropping until I finally got to the car.

A Word About Fred

Every time I run around Central Park, I look at the statue at Runners Gate near 90th Street, at the familiar man checking his watch for a runner's time. I wish I had known Fred in person. He was president of the NYRR, and it was his vision that led to so much of what many of us take for granted in our lives. His spirit lives on. I can only hope mine will as well one day. I am thankful for all that he did for us.

In fact, it's pretty cool how NYRR now has a full-fledged "Pioneer Series" -- the Ted (Corbitt 15K), the Joe (Kleinerman 10K) and the Fred, all consecutively within a month of each other.

Next up: NYRR Gridiron Classic / Longest Football Throw

This is an annual tradition, the always-frigid 4-miler the morning of the Super Bowl. I'm looking forward to this one, because not only will Lisa and I run it, but so will Lisa's 19-year-old daughter, who is making her NYRR debut!

That is how it goes on. Girls see other girls running the kinds of races Fred Lebow presented as opportunities. Runners become members. A way of life develops, running for life.

@Marathoner Gear Review: ASICS Storm Shelter Jacket

"STOP AT NEVER."

That is stitched into the neck flap of the ASICS Storm Shelter Jacket, and today I saw that as I zipped up my incredible new piece of running gear and set out for a 15-mile ASICS LA Marathon training run at frozen Central Park. Those words spoke to me and put me in the perfect frame of mind for my subsequent 3:20 run on icy pavement.

This was one of the most challenging days I have had in terms of gear selection since I started marathon running in 2007. We were just coming out of Winter Storm Hercules' wrath, with record cold temps and huge snowpiles. On this day, freezing rain was added to the equation. So I had to deal with brutal cold, icy surface, and now intermittent rain just to make it more tricky. My old jacket wasn't going to cut it.

I drove straight to Paragon Sports at Union Square and bought the plaid ASICS Storm Shelter for $130. (Women's version here.) I had regretted not buying one at the New York City Marathon Expo in November. I am lucky that ASICS now sponsors me and ships me training gear, but this was me doing what I have done for the last 7+ years -- buying ASICS stuff, because they make the best running gear, simply put.



I parked at 93rd and Madison amid piles of snow and entered Central Park at Runner's Gate, running counter-clockwise.



As I ran, it occurred to me that this is a remarkably well-named piece of apparel. It truly felt like a storm shelter. It felt not like a garment, or an object, but like a place, a safe haven, total insular protection. It felt like I was going inside while running outside. In fact, I can safely say that out of the 100+ runners I encountered on the 2+ full 6-mile loops of Central Park, I won the Best Dressed Award. If I was on an Oscars red carpet, I was the woman in Vera Wang who everyone talked about. It was that good.

Let's start with my video product review, just to cover some of the features.



The first three miles, the freezing drizzle was coming down. The running path was a slippery mess, and it had that crackled glazed look that you see on 24-hour-old Krispy Kreme donuts. You tried to run on any available black pavement. We could span out onto the whole road, because this day was off-limits to bikes. That made it feel like a privilege to run there, actually. I saw three guys on bikes later in the day and one of them wiped out, because they were idiots. It was for #beastmode runners only.

Here's what the surface looked like:



Here's what it looked like running up the vaunted and icicle-bound North Woods Hill, which I ran up twice:

Here's a panorama shot of the icicle-covered walls along the North Woods Hill ascent:



Then the precip stopped, and I was starting to heat up so I pulled off the hood that had been my fortress. I had my iPhone safely tucked inside the zipper in the left breast, with a hole for my earbud wire. I listened to Pandora the whole day. I had two Chocolate Outrage GUs in each jacket pocket, and I unzipped the long vent flaps on each side of the jacket to release my body heat. Under it I wore a base layer and a long sleeve NYRR shirt, and I could have done without the second shirt. The Storm Shelter is lined, so that serves as your second shirt, basically. It has a great sleeve liner also, and the Lycra wrist gaiters have a gap for each thumb so it can double as lightweight gloves. The hood is removable, when the weather clears. They thought of everything, and it has a fabulous reflection pattern so you are covered running in the dark.



This was the finish of Week 3 in my 12-Week Training Program administered by Coach Andrew Kastor, who is guiding about a dozen of us who were invited by ASICS to be in the ASICS LA Marathon Blogger Challenge. I had a tough time in Week 2 with a lengthy cough and sinus issue, but I think I'm back on track. This 15-miler brought my weekly mileage to 30. I am doing the Beginner/Intermediate program rather than Advanced, because I want to go back to the basics in chasing my goal of a 5:12 PR.

In fact, you can see "5:12" on the mirror of my bathroom. Coach Kastor said in a CNN article that runners should post a piece of paper on their mirror with a number that they will stare at every day, so that they can make right choices to achieve that. So mine is 5:12, which would beat my PR of 5:13 set at the 2008 New York City Marathon. I have dropped 20 to 30 minutes from that over recent marathons and want to get faster. Next to my number is "1,000,000" for King Bingley (aka Chub), representing 1 million treats. We thought he would want to go after that mostly.

In the last five miles of my 15-miler, it began to drizzle again. I put the hood back on, and used the convenient adjusters to snuggle up. It was fascinating. It was like I was a world away from bad weather. I ran past runners wearing the standard knit cap and jacket look, and they looked so exposed. I didn't want my knit cap to be soaked with frozen rain. That's bad stuff. I am so armed for future #beastmode weather. I cannot recommend the ASICS Storm Shelter enough.