Garmin pro athletes Alexi Pappas and standup
paddler Jenny Kalmbach were at the Garmin HQ for a Facebook chat, and since I am a longtime Garmin (Forerunner 220) runner and am sort of obsessed with how cool and inspiring Alexi is to mere mortal runners
like me, I thought I would transcribe her replies here. You can watch the full video below, including all of Jenny's replies, and also be sure to follow @GarminFitness and join the facebook.com/garminfit page.
Q: How do you structure your day and fit in everything you want and have to do?
A: The first thing is, I lay out my clothes and everything the night before --
which sounds like the person I didn't think I would grow up to become. But it
makes the day a lot easier. That way, when I wake up and head to practice,
everything is ready to go. I do normal things like eat and practice but I also
eat every day.
December 1 will mark 10 years since I became a runner instead of a smoker and changed my life. On the way to that 10th runnerversary, I am going to celebrate with an occasional top 10 post.
10. Li Nings (2008). I worked the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, representing Major League Baseball. At Opening Ceremonies, I marveled as Li Ning, a local legend who was China's first-ever gold medal winner, "ran" around the roof ring of the Bird's Nest tethered to ropes. Then on the morning of Closing Ceremonies, I went to a local mall and bought a pair of his shoes. Li Nings were the top running brand there, and I communicated (as best I could) with salespeople that I wanted a pair of them. Unfortunately they put me in a pair that ran a size too big, so it wasn't long before I donated these. I wish I had kept them, in hindsight, but they went to a good cause.
Thanks to my brother-in-law Joe for hooking me up with one of his trusty rides, a Schwinn Circuit. It has everything I need and I just need to do a tape job on the handlebars. The benefit for me is going to be big, a way not only to cross-train heading toward upcoming marathons, but also just to keep it fresh as I zoom toward my 10th runnerversary in 2016. You gotta mix things up.
Sweet ride, nice to meet you. It's been a long time since I actually rode a bike, believe it or not. Here we go! Follow me @Marathoner on Twitter and @Marath0ner on Instagram.
By Rachel | First, I want to thank ASICS for letting me choose any outfit I wanted from their ASICS Meatpacking District Store! I chose this Abby Tank and the Tiger Capri instead of clothes for FREEZING weather. To be honest, I can't stand running in weather this cold. It has been in the teens almost every morning. It is just so hard for me to motivate myself to get outside for a run.
From Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve, holiday traditions will bring us cherished memories of a lifetime . . . and some real challenges on the training front. ASICS & Pear Sports Fitness Expert (and NYC Marathon finisher) Michelle Lovitt is kind enough to share these important tips entering into this holiday season so you can make the most of a wonderful time of year and stay within your fit lifestyle.
Ready? Here goes:
1) Drink plenty of water before and after a meal. Water will not only help you feel more satiated it will help increase your metabolism and help your body burn calories more efficiently. Keep in mind that the increase in calories burned is modest, however the water keeps your body hydrated and functioning properly.
2) Don't drink your calories. If you partake in holiday festivities limit your alcohol (and eggnog) consumption to no more than two glasses. Drinking caloric beverages daily not only dehydrates you but also packs on unwanted pounds with extra calories.
Being on the ASICSLA Marathon Blogger Team for Sunday's race has had many advantages, and one of them is being coached by Andrew Kastor, who trains Olympians and elite runners in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. It is a privilege, to say the least. I wanted to make sure running friends of mine might benefit from some of Coach Kastor's insights, so I am relaying these instructions from him for the final days:
Rest to conserve your energy. Get off your feet, and when you have the chance to sit down, take it! Maintain the diet you have been adhering to the entire training season. Just because your training volume has decreased, it doesn't mean that your caloric intake should be reduced as well. You should actually plan to put on one or two pounds this week, as your body is storing up precious calories, electrolytes, fat and water reserves that will be drawn from during the marathon.
Visualize yourself crossing the finish line as many times as possible before the race begins. See yourself throwing your hands up in the air in jubilation as you complete your 26.2 miles. For those of you with a goal time, envision that finish line clock ticking away, with the time you would like to hit, the time you've been dreaming about for the last few months (or years), in big, bold numbers before you.
And last but not least, DO NOT DO ANYTHING NEW!!! If you have not done it, or used it in practice, DO NOT try it during the race!
THE RACE
Coach Kastor also offered great motivational help for the marathon itself. First, he quoted his wife, U.S. women's distance legend Deena Kastor, from the opening line in the movie "Spirit of the Marathon": "Sometimes the moments that challenge us the most, define us." Then he shared these words with us:
During the race, there will come a time when you have to choose how hard you're going to push yourself. Some athletes will choose to stop and rest, and others will continue to push through the discomfort, forging ahead to their marathon goals. How strong will you be when the going gets tough? Will you be able to look yourself in the mirror on Sunday afternoon and honestly answer the question, "Did I give it my all?" or "Did I rise to the occasion?" Will you be proud of yourself and your accomplishment? You should be.You should already be proud of yourself for sticking with the training program, getting up early to get your long runs in on the weekends, running in all kinds of weather conditions, because getting this far is a challenge in and of itself… The marathon is merely the reward.
However, it is also a test of will and perseverance. And if you studied hard, if you followed the plan throughout the months, you’re ready to go! Each of you has committed a tremendous amount of time and energy to your marathon goal, so dig deep and do yourself proud. I know you can ace this final exam.
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.
New music can inspire a runner in his or her training, as well as new apparatus to listen to it along the way: a new device, new earbuds, or some new way of feeling charged by fresh and fast-beat jams.
Last weekend, I was especially stoked for my long run at Central Park, and this time it was because of the music. I had the Songza app's Marathon Workout playlist for a personal half-marathon.
Elias Roman, CEO and co-founder at Queens-based Songza, had graciously emailed me the link when we met last week during his lecture in NYC. I wanted to make sure a review followed.
First of all, I have to harken back to 2007, my first full year of running after I quit smoking. We still used MySpace back then. I created a group called Athletes & iPods, and it grew to a sizable membership. We were runners who exchanged our latest training music. The premise worked great then as it does now. The big difference is the way the music is delivered, and back then, we were the playlist curators.
I love the Songza app because ethnomusicologists curate the playlists. The app learns about the user through continued usage, and then caters its playlists based on your moods at the time. When I found out there was an actual marathon-training playlist, I had to jump on it.
Last Saturday was rainy, but it was a lukewarm rain and that's the best kind of running. After the NYRR Team Championships were through, I started my way on 2+ loops of Central Park. My iPhone was strapped snugly into my Nike biceps band, earbuds in, ready to roll.
Songza delivered one fast-bpm hit after another, mainly blasts from the past. A lot of '90s music mixed with recent fare. Destiny's Child. Ciara. Lady Gaga. Lionel Richie/Commodores. Nelly. Spin Doctors. J-Lo. Christina Aguilera. Songs that made me think about the performers, and in some cases the memories they brought when they were hits, whiling away the tough miles including Cat Hill and the Harlem Hill.
The highlight by far for me came just after I completed my first 6-mile loop. As I was headed under the bridge at Strawberry Fields on the bridle path, in solitary bliss, Michael Jackson's "Bad" came on. It made me fly. I pumped my fist in the air a few times, along with the beat. I spread my arms out like wings, soaring. That moment made the playlist for me.
After two hours, I encountered my first and only issue with the Marathon Workout playlist. It's a big one, but fixable.
Justin Timberlake's voice came on, and I suddenly realized that I had heard that about 6 miles in. Then I heard the familiar "Bust A Move." It was great the first time. Then another, and another. It was repeat time.
That's cool if you're from Kenya. The marathon world record is 2:06, about the same length of the Songza Marathon Workout playlist with no repeating. My PR is 5:13 and I can only hope to do that again this November at the ING New York City Marathon.
Songza's curators need to at least double the amount of music on this playlist. Do this and I will be happy and will recommend it to all my fellow marathoners. Songza: please tweet me @marathoner if you do this.
Once I get into the 3- or 4-hour range, honestly I am frequently tugging at my earbuds, needing a respite from the beat. So I can't predict how closely and how often I will listen to a playlist at that point. But I still want the fresh music to be there that long, so each song is new at least for that day's run. After the playlist became clearly in repeat mode, I bailed on the playlist and listened to iTunes.
Another option would be to create a Marathon Workout 2, although that is less attractive to me, because after a couple of hours on the hills of Central Park in the rain I'm not into opening and closing apps. What I don't want is to be asked to choose a different playlist in the workout genre. Running is running, not weighlifting or spinning or aerobics. If it says Marathon Workout, I'm using it for marathon training.
For my recovery run two days later, I opened the Marathon Workout playlist again, thinking perhaps it would be all new music, a new day. The first three songs were ones I did not recall from the long run. But then came a long line of songs that had played on Saturday, so simply re-opening the playlist was not a solution. It definitely just needs more songs curated and they need to play continuously for 4 hours or so if needed.
I am gradually getting into #beastmode again now, ramping up my training program, long runs on the weekends and speedwork and tempo runs on trails and strength training at the gym. I will need power jams along the way, and Songza's playlist is very promising so far, bordering on just right with a little tweaking.
As a great year in running finishes in style with the #12RunsOfChristmas, I wanted to take a look back at my own favorite races in 2012. What are yours? Here's my top 10:
1. Paris Marathon, April 22. Starting at the Arc de Triomphe (right) and running past the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral and Eiffel Tower and alongside the Seine and French-kissing your wife at the finish is not going to be beaten by any marathon anywhere.
2. Portugal Day 5M, June 17. Finished in 52:11 at Central Park, a 10:26 pace that marked my fastest since 2008. One of those sultry days when you feel light and fast.
3. Harrisburg Marathon, Nov. 11. Makeup race for the canceled NYC Marathon. Hated the 3 miles of nature hills that ruined my finish time, but everything else about it was wonderful and the race organizer was great.
4. NYC Half, March 18. Running through Times Square while the taxis are forced to go elsewhere is too cool not to be in the top 5.
5. Miami Marathon, Jan. 29. I.T. Band syndrome collapse at mile 16 cost me an extra hour. But man is that a beautiful course. Running through South Beach and out toward Key Biscayne is dreamy.
6. #12RunsOfChristmas, Day 1. I only had to run one mile on the first day, and I ran with my English Bulldog King Bingley. If you knew King Bingley you would laugh all the way.
7. Brooklyn Half, May 19. It's the best finish in running, at least in my experiences. You wind up on the boardwalk at Coney Island and then hit Nathan's for dogs and drinks. 2:29 finish OK for me.
8. All-Star Game 5K, July 8. Great course in Kansas City. When you have people like George Brett around, it has to be good. Bad bottleneck at the finish, but otherwise it was a blast.
9. Halifax, Yorkshire County, England, April 17. This was my favorite non-race training run of 2012. I ran in the rain in upper England while we were visiting family. Along the way I stopped at a historic cemetery and was moved by a tombstone that read: "PEACE PERFECT PEACE." I said a prayer for an entire cemetery of those who rest in peace. Then I ran onward to Sowerby Bridge, past fish & chips stops and breathed in the classic scenery on my first voyage to Europe.
10. NFL Back to Football Run, August 30. New York Road Runners brought in Giants players and decorated the start at Central Park with NFL team flags -- a great vibe on the night the season kicked off. 4 miles in 42:22, and it was fun to see all the runners in NFL jerseys. Great tech shirt, too.
I am running the 4/15 Marathon de Paris because I was not accepted in the 4/22 London Marathon lottery. I still have enjoyed my regular London Marathon emailers, for tips like these:
Training tip 1
How can I prepare myself for the difficult second half of the marathon?
If you are well prepared, the first two hours of the marathon will be relatively easy. After that, things start to get a little more complicated. Not only will you become increasingly physically tired, but your mind will also be telling you that it's time to stop and have a rest. To counteract this, try to make your body move more efficiently in the first half of all your training sessions from now on. If you feel in control of your body, your mind will adapt to this and you'll gain a psychological advantage for the second half of the marathon.
Training tip 2
How do I deal with nerves? Nerves are an integral part of races and for the first-timer they are with you pretty much from the time you enter the event to the minute you run over the finish line. Try and talk to people who have run your chosen event before and ask for some tips about getting to the start and about the course, to put your mind at rest. Read as much as you can about the event, both in the race-day instructions, that you should be sent a month or so beforehand, and on the race website.
Since the Miami Marathon on Jan. 31, I have gotten married, gone on a honeymoon with Lisa to Curacao, worked around the clock with Spring Training under way, enjoyed my slippers and coffee each morning while watching blue jays and cardinals and squirrels take over our back deck, and I have taken the longest break from running since I became a runner on Dec. 1, 2006.
Rededication time is here. I wasn't going to write this because I believe in "Just Do It," but I thought some of this might be helpful to other runners who I know are in my shoes, so to speak. Here are some ways I am rededicating myself.
1. Drink water.
It always starts there. In a perfect world I will drink a gallon a day according to my son Matt. I am just grabbing a Poland Spring here and an Aquafina there. Just. Drink. Water.
2. Buy new running shoes.
Today I went to Super Runners Shop at Grand Central Station and bought a new pair of my trusty Brooks Glycerines -- pictured above, along with new WrightSocks and some GUs. It is my fourth pair of Brooks -- they are "neutral" and are good for above-average arches like mine and they keep me injury free. I have learned in my running career that the ONLY thing that matters about running shoes is that you are healthy. Color, style -- it means zero, so much zero that you can't even see it. After 2 runs they are dirty and you never will think about the color and style after that. The only thing that matters is that you don't have shin splints, plantar fasciitis, knee trouble and more. If you find a pair of shoes that work for you, never ever leave that model unless the shoemaker moves on. If you ever listen to anything I say, listen to that. Unless you like a hundred little sword-like jabs in your shins during your run.
I had to get used to the design on the latest Glycerine look, and I liked it more when I read what is inside the shoe itself. The pictures tell the story above.
3. Schedule some races.
I know this but I had to be reminded -- thanks, Roxy and Traci! I signed up for the NYRR8000 race this Saturday morning at Central Park. I won't be fast but I will be back amongst thousands of other runners and moving my legs one step at a time, and that is the road to a marathon. I don't have anything else on the docket. Too much has happened in my life recently. I will get there.
4. Have a Purpose.
You need a purpose for everything in life. Why am I running? It is good to ask yourself often. I once learned from Tony Robbins that if you want a better answer, ask a better question. Why am I running? I decided to become a runner because I wanted to live a long life for my three boys, rather than smoking and coming up with excuses why not to work out. It makes me feel free. It gives me more energy to be great at what I do for a living. It makes me a happier person, and that makes me a better husband. It increases my creative thought process, which opens new doors in my life and in my job. And because I am pretty good at it when I train. It helps me meet more friends, which is always a good thing, and I cherish friendships I have made through running, as we all like to support each other through thick and thin. Most of all: Running makes me a finisher in life. I finish things. I dance across the finish line.
Who were you dedicating your first races to? To my Dad. To my boys. Who did you raise money for in your first marathon? Team for Kids, to help fight childhood obesity. How many people have you helped with their fundraising? Countless runners. What was it all about? Having a purpose. Inspiring yourself and inspiring others. Running with meaning.
5. Nutrition. Eat smaller portions, and more often. Work in some green stuff, some nuts, some fruit. Stop being a regular at the cupcake place downstairs at work. I know what I need to do. The all-inclusive resort food binge is over. Do I remember fish?
6. Enjoy warmer weather. I know this will be a natural help for me. The days of the 2-foot snowfalls, I think, are over. At my best I am able to train no matter what the conditions year-round, but nothing beats running in shorts and sweating. I much prefer running outdoor to running on a treadmill, and I also like when the running path is not covered with snow, meaning less chance of stepping badly on rocks and turning an ankle.
7. Write this. Hey everyone, do some things that commit yourself. I am never embarrassed about finishing in the back of a pack during a race, but I would be embarrassed if I follow up on this blog post by sitting around and gaining another five pounds. I am going to try. Thanks for reading this far.
8. Keep a log. I need to get back to doing this. I really only was diligent about it my first year of running. I saw one of my marathon times go way down after I had stopped logging my runs, so I just kept running without logging. It is important to do it, though. For one thing, you know how many miles are on your shoes and when to retire them -- one reason I ran with a horrible blister for 14 miles in Miami. More importantly, you guard yourself from increasing mileage too fast from week to week, and you have a better idea where you in your training. This is the one thing I cannot say with total confidence I will do. I am talking to myself right now.
9. Powerjams! Some of my friends may remember when I started the Athletes & iPods Group on myspace at the start of my running days. Sadly, my iTunes library is still mostly composed of that same music. I want to start back but I want to have some new music. I use Pandora heavily on my iPhone. I rarely listen to the iPod app on my iPhone. I take the old iPod with me when I run and the music is old. It is time to work on this section of the list, no question about it.
Game 2 of the ALCS was a 5:27 thriller in Florida, and I worked all night in our MLB.com offices in Manhattan. I was planning to run the Staten Island Half Marathon in the morning, making it 5-of-5 in running each borough of the year-long New York Road Runners Half-Marathon Grand Prix series. I had my stuff laid out and set the alarm for 6:30 with plans to get to the Staten Island Ferry and same-day registration. Alas, at 6:30 I got up, fell asleep standing up after 2 hours sleep, and decided to listen to my body and not be tough guy. I went back to sleep, woke up at 11 and ran my own Half Marathon at Central Park, relaxed pace in about 2:27. I did the bottom 5 loop, then the full 6-mile loop including Harlem Hill, and then I tacked on the lower (1.7 mile) loop. Throw in the short run from my place, and it's 13.1 miles, a makeup Half.
Now it's time to taper. No more heavy fuel belts for me. No injuries, 100-percent healthy and strong. Inside of three weeks until participation in a real, major sporting event. A great baseball postseason, and an in-progress, MLBAM-record consecutive streak of nightly big-picture articles for the MLB.com homepage. The World's Greatest Marathon, with an untouchable 2 million spectators and 100 bands ready to be part of the show. Reading "Double Cross" by James Patterson, unputdownable. A great MLBlogging community that's growing like crazy. My own book up my sleeve. A certain someone. Things are pretty cool.
I am feeling so much stronger and more prepared for the New York City Marathon at this point in preparations than I was exactly one year ago. At this point last year, it was my first full year of distance running and I was dealing with a succession of overuse injuries and back soreness. Yesterday I finished off my first week of at least 35 miles in training, and now I am headed out the door to get an even bigger week started on an early Monday morning.
What I love most right now is corework. I LOVE COREWORK. Each day I am setting a PR for crunches. Yesterday it was 125. This is a lot for me. They are starting to come so easily. I typically bail off after several miles wherever the grass at Central Park calls my name, and right there I toss the sunglasses and cap and proceed into rapid crunches in which I pull my bent knees in at the same time as my head is going up. I am usually able to do these in two or three sets, starting with about 75. In between, I do leg lifts. After my crunches and leg lifts, I roll over into long planks, and at that point I am sweating gallons. I incorporate a bit of some painful stretching that the folks at Infinity Sports taught me in late May, sometimes regular pushups. Then I am back on my way running, and after my run I usually stop at a park bench at Strawberry Fields and do bench-ups forward (25-30) and reverse (20).
So far I like my Li Nings that are pictured in my previous post. They are slightly too large as noted (I had to buy them quickly because Closing Ceremony in Beijing was hours away). I am rotating them with my Brooks Glycerines, but they are getting worked in, and I am determined to run with them for the NYC Marathon. It will be part of my tribute to China, as I am dedicating my NYC Marathon to all of those people who made such an impact on my life last month. I will be wearing the shoes from the man (Li Ning) who ran around the top of the Bird's Nest and lit the cauldron that signaled the start of the Olympic Games.
Some of my runs are better than others. Yesterday I cut my long run short because I was feeling as gassed as ever. It was a pretty active week/weekend on the social front. I had a second date with someone exciting on Friday (Xtreme Bowling at Chelsea Piers) and that melted into Saturday afternoon, and we have a couple of dates lined up this week. I will be running the Queens Half Marathon on Sunday morning. That race is going to get me to the 40-mile weekly mark for the first time in my life. I don't know what to expect. My official PR for a Half is 2:12 (Brooklyn), and my unofficial is 1:56 set over 47 laps of that Wukesong Baseball Field during the Olympics in Beijing. I don't expect to be anywhere near the latter because that was pancake-flat, perfect packed clay and wind-shielded on a gorgeous late afternoon. I am sure I will see hills, humidity and huffing. But I am setting a goal of 2:05 and either way I am feeling strong for me.
My big X-factor will be October. As usual I will spend it out on the Major League Baseball road, at playoff series to be determined right through the World Series. That will mean getting creative with running routes, crosstraining at hotels, and trying to deal with a tough schedule that includes finishing work at 2 or 3 in the morning and then big workdays right after -- with the occasional 6 a.m. flight to wherever. It is really hard to keep a consistent routine in October, but I am not going to let anything stand in my way of the 4:50 goal at the NYC Marathon.
Brag About The Boys: I have to say something about my dudes back in Missouri. Matt has just started his junior year at Mizzou, where he is Dean's List in Finance and ready to kick butt again. Hearing him talk about tailgating before Tiger football games is so funny now. Ben just turned 17 on Friday, and he is playing varsity and JV football as a junior. In his first start on JV, he intercepted a pass at the goal line, had two QB sacks, a ton of tackles, and in varsity he is playing special teams. He is sore but he is strong. So strong. And he is working with mentally challenged kids at his high school and making me so proud. Josh is enjoying his first year in high school! Ben is helping him out there, and that is what I love most, that I raised my boys to look out for each other. They will always be there for each other. They are all doing great, and as always we communicate the best we can in this crazy world where a Dad can live too far away.
Hell with that "Basic Marathoner" training schedule I cited in the previous blog. I just looked on the New York City Marathon site and I am bumping up to the "Competitive Marathoner" schedule. That one's for me. This is the page I am printing out and keeping with me these next 18 weeks:
I just did 27 miles as my final Base Week, so jumping up to 32 this week is OK. Plus, I run 6-7 miles on a pretty standard basis because I love to run around all of Central Park. The other one called for 4-milers out the wazoo; my frequency will just have to increase. I'm ready for it. I am part of the Big Cat running team. I am not a little tiny baby kitten sucking milk out of an eyedropper.
My goal is 4:50 and I have some serious ass kicking to do. It is going to hurt, but no pain no gain. I only live this one life and I am going to push myself to the limit. My work habit ain't no habit, man, I do it on purpose; I push myself to the limit so my talent'll surface. Yeah, that's right. Here we go.
BTW, welcome to any new Twitter friends. I am @marathoner over there. My contact info is right here and I also am responsible for MLBlogs and my community blog is right here.
That is how long until my third 26.2 mile journey of discovery. The 2008 ING New York City Marathon is scheduled to start on November 2 at the base of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, and this time I will be ready. After building up my base recently, it is now time to officially start training.
I finished that event in 6:08 in my marathon debut last November, landing each right step on a different area for the last 14 miles due to excruciating plantar fasciitis pain. I had tried to compensate by crosstraining at hotels while working the entire month of October on the road for our Major League Baseball postseason, but I felt ill-prepared for what I would face. Although ecstatic about just finishing, I looked forward to progress and in April I ran a 5:21 in the hilly St. Louis Marathon, which included my best Half ever. So my goal now is to go from 6:08 to 5:21 to 4:50.
Here is my plan of attack, and I ask that my marathoner friends feel free to offer any suggestions as appropriate. I am driven.
HEALTH CHECK
I just got off the phone with my local sports medicine doctor's office in Manhattan, and made an appointment for 9 a.m. Thursday. I have three issues to monitor:
(a) There is a growing issue with my right patellar tendon area, tenderness just below the kneecap. I have been icing after I run. Last night I ran around Central Park late after work, and came home and iced it. It ached really bad after the icing. I can tell that at my present "base pace" I could be headed for knee trouble.
(b) Left Achilles tendon. This is the same problem I had leading up to the St. Louis Marathon. It never went away, so it was chronic. During that run last night, it was daggers at about the 2.5-mile mark, and a few times it made me want to stop, though I didn't. I don't want to push it to the brink of rupture, so I also need to have the good doc show me how to manage it. (I hope I don't get a layoff.)
(c) Weight. The last week I have been trying to eat smarter, and still I squeezed in a PB&J sandwich and milk just to apparently piss myself off. I was just raised that way. I can't survive just eating almonds. I am trying my best, and I am drinking water constantly, and I know I should eat a little something every few hours. Eating late is my biggest problem due to my schedule, I think. This is the area where I drive myself crazy and I will do my best, but right now I am carrying too much weight and I would like to drop at least 10 as fast as possible. I have a ton of nutritional guidance including from my athletic sons; hopefully I can be strong in this area. I often suck really bad in this area.
RUNNING SCHEDULE
I am not running with Team for Kids this year, so I'm on my own somewhat. I am going to use one of the training schedules that are thankfully posted on the NYC Marathon site. This is the one I will follow:
There are other plans from which to choose, suiting many different levels. You should take a look at this page for yourself.
My base right now is just fine for the start of this. But again, it might be affected by whatever the doctor has to say Thursday so stay tuned.
Bob and Shelly Glover are the two authors of the Runner's Training Diary that I use, so I am very happy to follow their plan. I know that many thousands of other NYC Marathoners follow it so I'm in good company. It has all the speedwork breakdown I will need to know as well.
STRENGTH TRAINING
Time for me to get serious about my NY health club membership. I will use the Xpress Line with its eight machines to work all the major muscle groups. That will help me avoid the natural wear that otherwise happens to the joints, causing knee and hammy trouble. I was doing this before the STL Marathon and I know it made a difference; my quad lift was much better in that race. That is where I will work the core as well, and as usual I will bail off in the middle of many runs onto the grass of Central Park and just do crunches, side-ups, planks, leg lifts/etc right there under the sun to sweat and hopefully lose more weight.
PROFESSIONAL CHALLENGES
If it's like last year, once again I will deal with a tough (one I love!) October schedule, where I am constantly traveling and at ballparks for the Division Series, League Championship Series and World Series. Last year I got lucky with a World Series sweep in Denver. This year's World Series starts on Oct. 22. If there is a Game 7, it would mean that my travel day is Friday, Oct. 30 (Expo day). And if I'm on the West Coast (let's say the Angels are Game 7 home team and I return from L.A.), there will be some jetlag to go along with the obvious challenge.
This time, there is another big challenge. I will be working the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. I leave Aug. 5 to get there in time for Opening Ceremonies, and will depart on Aug. 22, the day after Closing Ceremonies (and men's marathon, which I can't wait to watch). I will be going everywhere the U.S. Baseball Team goes, buses to the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, other events, wherever they choose, so those Olympic athletes will dictate my schedule. While I am there, I will try to adhere to the above training schedule as religiously as possible. I have been told about the occasional "black air" as pollution is worse there than anywhere on the planet, but others have told me that it clears away for extended stretches. I will deal with the schedule and the air, and I will deal with a full day of flying one way and a full day of flying the other way, and unless something changes it will be hello middle seat for me on both of them (knees).
EQUIPMENT AND MUSIC
I have the tunes to rock the bod with the pod, but papa need a new pair of shoes. The Brooks Glycerines I bought for the STL Marathon have been gold, at least as far as I can tell (knowing the knee is barking). The woman who sold me those correctly discovered that I have high arches, which no one bothered to check before. That made a difference. I might get the same ones, but I am tired of green, and I am up in the 300s with them now. I need to rotate shoes. I am good on other equipment, a closet full of the right gear. I need more GU, lots of GU.
FINISH LINE DANCE SONG
I already have a reputation as that guy who dances across marathon finish lines. No one else does so I guess I am 2-for-2 and officially the solid gold dancer of the marathons. I am undecided on what song to dance across the NYC Marathon finish line to this time, so it's TBA. I am open to suggestions. Last year, in honor of my TFK lime green racing singlet, I danced across the finish line to Peaches & Herb's solid gold classic Shake Your Groove Thing:
EXPERIENCE
I just know that this is going to make a huge difference in my second New York City Marathon. I know what to expect. I am not going to stop at a pay phone booth on the street in Brooklyn this time and call my Mom collect or stop to pet an English Bulldog for five minutes (that put me over 6 hours!). I am going to "chunk it" and focus on 10-10-10: 10 miles, 10 miles, 10K. I am going to stay in the middle of the streets, rather than last year when I hugged the right shoulder so that I could high-five 1 million kids (seemed like it)...that saps energy.
There is a long way to go, but I know from last year that 4 months flies fast. Especially when you factor in one month spent in China and one month spent working the MLB postseason. That's half of my upcoming training, so that tells me right there that I have my work cut out for me. I will be disciplined, I will try my best to eat right and keep guzzling oceans of water, I will remember that not long ago I was smoking cigarettes and lifeless, I will have the heart of a champion.
Please come along for the ride and leave comments and tell me what's up in your world, too. It's time to train for the New York City Marathon!
