I thought about treating myself to a pedicure when I got home from my run this morning, as a sort of "welcome to training season" sort of thing. Then I realized the worst possible use of money immediately before training season could be a pedicure. Thank God I'm going to Aspen and not Oahu for a winter retreat; these hooves are about to get even worse.
Number of Miles Run This Week: 40. I set out for 11 miles this morning, and after 4, I strongly considered throwing in the towel because I was so hungry. Instead, I spent the next 7 miles thinking about what kind of delicious sandwich I was going to eat when I was done. It's appalling how motivated I am by food.
Number of Beers Consumed This Week: 8.
Number of Late-Night McDonald's Trips This Week: 1. You'd think, with only 8 beers, I couldn't possibly have gotten to Happy Meal-levels of intoxication. You'd be wrong.
Types of Beers Consumed This Week: Founders Porter, Labrador Lager, Bud Light.
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Wednesday Wrap Up: Ho, Ho, Ho-ly Crap
The title above could reference a number of things, including, but not limited to:
Number of Miles Run Last Week: 29. Despite having 2 double-digit runs last week, my mileage was on the low side. Food and booze got in the way. I don't feel bad about it, though, since as I mentioned, spring training is basically here. I'll take a little food coma now while I still can.
Number of Beers Consumed Last Week: 12. I think.
Types of Beers Consumed Last Week: Bud Light, Guinness, Brooklyn IPA, Sapporo, Blue Point Oktoberfest (this was actually really good, even though I swear I don't drink Oktoberfests, and also I seldom like anything from Blue Point), Bear Republic Peter Brown Tribute Ale, Smuttynose Robust Porter, Victory Prima Pils.
Moving right along...
As I mentioned above, spring training season - of the running variety - is upon us! Based on my usual Training Peaks marathon plan, Day 1 of Boston training kicks off on 12/30. But if I'm really going to tackle this 50 miler (for which I have yet to register; I will, but I'd rather first spend all my money spoiling my nephew at Christmas...) in May, training for that kicks off on 12/15. That's on Monday. Shit.
My training for my first 50 is really with finishing in mind. Granted, I want to finish strong and not have a sad-sack, woe-is-me, I-am-literally-broken pity party along the way (a la Connemara Ultra). To that end, I conducted a somewhat exhaustive Google search for a training plan, during which I kept displayed on one computer monitor several tabs, including my work calendar, my personal calendar, and the wedding websites of everyone I know getting married in 2015.
In addition to schedules, here's some of the other criteria I took into consideration:
With all that in mind, I found a training plan that seemed like a good framework from the Ultraladies (I don't know who they are). The original plan looked like this:
5 days a week of scheduled running left me a day to either cross train or add another run, which I appreciated. Further, a three week taper is both what I'm familiar with, and also allowed for the running of the Boston Marathon the week before if I cut other workouts. Lastly, midweek mileage seemed manageable even with a job that has frequent travel and late-night events. So far, so good.
- my diet of late. All crap, all the time. Shockingly, a steady diet of baked brie hasn't been kind to me, my digestion, my self-esteem, or my running.
- my sense of astonishment when I realized the time to start training for what I plan to be my first 50 miler starts, like, now.
- my feelings of discouragement, when I just left my (windowless) office and went into the hallway, where I had a great view of the blustery, snowy, generally unpleasant, and already quite dark conditions outside. At 3:57pm.
Number of Miles Run Last Week: 29. Despite having 2 double-digit runs last week, my mileage was on the low side. Food and booze got in the way. I don't feel bad about it, though, since as I mentioned, spring training is basically here. I'll take a little food coma now while I still can.
Number of Beers Consumed Last Week: 12. I think.
Types of Beers Consumed Last Week: Bud Light, Guinness, Brooklyn IPA, Sapporo, Blue Point Oktoberfest (this was actually really good, even though I swear I don't drink Oktoberfests, and also I seldom like anything from Blue Point), Bear Republic Peter Brown Tribute Ale, Smuttynose Robust Porter, Victory Prima Pils.
Moving right along...
As I mentioned above, spring training season - of the running variety - is upon us! Based on my usual Training Peaks marathon plan, Day 1 of Boston training kicks off on 12/30. But if I'm really going to tackle this 50 miler (for which I have yet to register; I will, but I'd rather first spend all my money spoiling my nephew at Christmas...) in May, training for that kicks off on 12/15. That's on Monday. Shit.
My training for my first 50 is really with finishing in mind. Granted, I want to finish strong and not have a sad-sack, woe-is-me, I-am-literally-broken pity party along the way (a la Connemara Ultra). To that end, I conducted a somewhat exhaustive Google search for a training plan, during which I kept displayed on one computer monitor several tabs, including my work calendar, my personal calendar, and the wedding websites of everyone I know getting married in 2015.
In addition to schedules, here's some of the other criteria I took into consideration:
- Given that all my training for everything to this point has been mileage-based and not time-based, I knew I wanted to stick with mileage-based training for my first 50 miler
- My weekly mileage during Chicago Marathon training this summer peaked at 77 miles. This felt heavy, but manageable. Some "just finish" 50 mile training plans called for peak weeks of 50 miles, which felt much too low for me. Conversely, 90 miles felt too high; I want to finish a race, but I'd rather not wind up single and jobless from spending ALL my time running as a result.
- I did not want to run two-a-days. I take a lot of time to get ready, where ever I'm going. My view is: what's the point in heavily investing in nice clothes (which I do, to a fault...) if you wear them with wet hair and no makeup? As a result, I'm only showering once a day.
- I did not want a plan with prescribed paces. While this is my first 50 miler, it's not my first ultra, and I'd like to use own my (admittedly limited) experience to gauge how fast I should be both training and racing. I didn't want to be locked into 35 mile weekends if those 35 miles were meant to be run at a 12-15 min/mile pace - ain't nobody got time for that. Also, I will actually be running a marathon during the course of this training, and while I have no intention of racing it, those Athlink results are forever...
With all that in mind, I found a training plan that seemed like a good framework from the Ultraladies (I don't know who they are). The original plan looked like this:
 |
| Source |
However, closer examination revealed the mileage looked to be on the low side, peaking at 62 miles. So I made myself a little spreadsheet and started making some changes. And kept making some changes. In fact, the last change I made was 30 seconds ago when I went to upload this and saw I should be running 16 miles this Saturday, event though my longest run in a month has only been 12 miles. Anyway, here is my very much still under construction plan right now:
 |
| In the 30 seconds since I first hit publish, I already had to go back and make another change... |
While the peak mileage is still only 70, I have two 70 mile weeks in there, two 60+ mile weeks, and five 50+ mile weeks. That should, hopefully, get my legs good and used to running tired.
So, that's the plan. Any thoughts (besides "don't run Boston the week before," because I know that seems like a foolhardy move, but it's done)? Any tips?
Monday, December 1, 2014
Monday Wrap Ups: In Which A Child Ruined My Thanksgiving
It's been a hot minute since I've updated this space, so I'll quickly get through the wrap ups before tackling the matter at hand.
Number of Miles Run, Week of 11/17: 34. This was the first week it felt like winter in New York. I had been considering giving up my gym membership, but of course the first time it got below 30 degrees, I was on the treadmill in my short shorts. Old habits die hard.
Number of Beers Consumed, Week of 11/17: Just 3. Don't worry, I more than made up for that last week...
Types of Beers Consumed, Week of 11/17: NYAC Ale; Bell's Best Brown.
Number of Miles Run, Week of 11/24: 30. I had been planning on a few more, but then I got hungry and forgot.
Number of Beers Consumed, Week of 11/24: 11. Boom. And probably 2 bottles of wine, single-handedly. 'Tis the season.
Types of Beers Consumed, Week of 11/24: Two stadium-sized Bud Lights at the Barclays Center, a Maine Beer Company King Titus Porter, Bell's Best Brown, Stillwater's Brontide Swarzbier (spell check doesn't recognize any of those words), Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, Sam Adams Light from my Dad's personal supply, Full Sail Pilsner, and Half Full's Bright Ale.
Number of Hot Dogs Consumed, Week of 11/24: 1. Back in business, baby!
In addition to warming up the Thanksgiving engines with a hot dog, I also enjoyed incredible mashed potatoes, dressing (some people call this "stuffing," but the idea of stuffing anything into a dead, raw animal is revolting, so, dressing it is), biscuits, and other soothing starches. This morning, my body was like "vegetables!" but my stomach was like "spinach artichoke dip is a vegetable, right?"
While my Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot was a race of one, whereby I raced against the dogs trotting around the arena on the televised National Dog Show from the relative comfort of my parents' basement as the snow fell outside, I did participate in an actual Turkey Trot on Saturday. After Ryan's triumphant first 5k, she rallied the troops for our hometown Rye Recreation Turkey Run with the promise of post-race brunch. Eager to prolong my food coma, I eagerly agreed. So on Saturday morning, TG and I boarded the train back up to Westchester for the race.
(True story: when we were getting our train tickets, TG wanted to walk up to the window and ask for "two tickets to paradise." It's funny because it's true. #everythingsbetterinryeny #myglorydayswere15yearsago)
Let it be known, the 5k is not my specialty. In fact, I sort of hate it because you have to run hard for a not short amount of time. But as the gang stood around before the race, everyone started asking me if I was going to win. Normally, when people ask if I win races, the answer is no, because, duh. But back on my home turf, and with enough goading from my friends, I figured I might as well give it a shot.
I lined up close-ish to the start, but when the gun went off, I realized I wasn't nearly as far up as I should have been, the big giveaway being that the turkey was in front of me. After very nearly stepping on his plush tail and taking him out, I weaved my way past him.
The 5.2 mile and 5k races start together, so it was hard to gauge where I was in the pack and against whom I was racing. As I charged up the first hill about a quarter mile into the race, there seemed to be quite a few people around me, all seemingly strong. Perhaps I had gravely misjudged the caliber of the field.
The pack continued together down Forest Avenue and into Rye Town Park, setting for so many illicit beers and cigarettes from my youth. In fact, as we sprinted along the beach, fingers freezing, I consoled myself by telling myself I had done this very same sprint so many times in my youth, and this time, I wasn't running from the police.
As we left the park, the 5.2 milers turned left, and I was able to see how many 5k-ers were around me. I could see about 10 in my direct line of vision, and began picking them off. I took off two men right away, then coasted down Dearborn and made a right on Milton, where I made a move to take out a woman. She picked up the pace and held me off as I got beside her, but I didn't let up. Together, we came to another woman, and I made another move to pass, this time dropping both of them. I could see 3 more people ahead of me, two women and one guy (boy, really). I knew the rest of the course was straight and flat until the right turn to the hill and the finish. I glanced at my Garmin and saw a steady 6:24 pace. Telling myself I was nearly done, I tried to reel in the next woman.
As we crossed the street to make the right turn, I could tell I was gaining on her, but knew I might run out of room before I could run her down. We came up the final hill to the finish line, and her parents, who looked to be about my age, started screaming "MOVE IT, NATALIE!" As it turns out, I think one of my friends might have been her babysitter growing up, so my self-worth took a beating when I realized I was racing a child. Anyway, Natalie edged me out, and I finished in 20:47, a second and a half behind her. (She won the 13-17 age group, and I died a little inside).
As it turns out, I was the third woman, seventh overall, and won my own age group, so naturally, I made all my friends stand around in the cold to watch me receive my medal. They cheered embarrassingly loudly, and then we all started drinking, which is one perk Natalie can't enjoy. Sucker!
I'm sure that's a 5k PR for me, though I don't keep track because again, I hate the 5k, and getting out kicked by a minor certainly doesn't make me like it any more (the first female finisher was also a child, but she's an undergrad (ugh) at my alma mater, Colby College, and so I'm less mad and more proud).
I hope you had enjoyable Thanksgivings!
Number of Miles Run, Week of 11/17: 34. This was the first week it felt like winter in New York. I had been considering giving up my gym membership, but of course the first time it got below 30 degrees, I was on the treadmill in my short shorts. Old habits die hard.
Number of Beers Consumed, Week of 11/17: Just 3. Don't worry, I more than made up for that last week...
Types of Beers Consumed, Week of 11/17: NYAC Ale; Bell's Best Brown.
Number of Miles Run, Week of 11/24: 30. I had been planning on a few more, but then I got hungry and forgot.
Number of Beers Consumed, Week of 11/24: 11. Boom. And probably 2 bottles of wine, single-handedly. 'Tis the season.
Types of Beers Consumed, Week of 11/24: Two stadium-sized Bud Lights at the Barclays Center, a Maine Beer Company King Titus Porter, Bell's Best Brown, Stillwater's Brontide Swarzbier (spell check doesn't recognize any of those words), Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, Sam Adams Light from my Dad's personal supply, Full Sail Pilsner, and Half Full's Bright Ale.
Number of Hot Dogs Consumed, Week of 11/24: 1. Back in business, baby!
In addition to warming up the Thanksgiving engines with a hot dog, I also enjoyed incredible mashed potatoes, dressing (some people call this "stuffing," but the idea of stuffing anything into a dead, raw animal is revolting, so, dressing it is), biscuits, and other soothing starches. This morning, my body was like "vegetables!" but my stomach was like "spinach artichoke dip is a vegetable, right?"
 |
| For reasons unknown (read: drunk), Thanksgiving included a dramatic champagne presentation |
(True story: when we were getting our train tickets, TG wanted to walk up to the window and ask for "two tickets to paradise." It's funny because it's true. #everythingsbetterinryeny #myglorydayswere15yearsago)
 |
| That turkey next to me (the one with the beak; not Rich) didn't smell very good. |
I lined up close-ish to the start, but when the gun went off, I realized I wasn't nearly as far up as I should have been, the big giveaway being that the turkey was in front of me. After very nearly stepping on his plush tail and taking him out, I weaved my way past him.
The 5.2 mile and 5k races start together, so it was hard to gauge where I was in the pack and against whom I was racing. As I charged up the first hill about a quarter mile into the race, there seemed to be quite a few people around me, all seemingly strong. Perhaps I had gravely misjudged the caliber of the field.
The pack continued together down Forest Avenue and into Rye Town Park, setting for so many illicit beers and cigarettes from my youth. In fact, as we sprinted along the beach, fingers freezing, I consoled myself by telling myself I had done this very same sprint so many times in my youth, and this time, I wasn't running from the police.
As we left the park, the 5.2 milers turned left, and I was able to see how many 5k-ers were around me. I could see about 10 in my direct line of vision, and began picking them off. I took off two men right away, then coasted down Dearborn and made a right on Milton, where I made a move to take out a woman. She picked up the pace and held me off as I got beside her, but I didn't let up. Together, we came to another woman, and I made another move to pass, this time dropping both of them. I could see 3 more people ahead of me, two women and one guy (boy, really). I knew the rest of the course was straight and flat until the right turn to the hill and the finish. I glanced at my Garmin and saw a steady 6:24 pace. Telling myself I was nearly done, I tried to reel in the next woman.
As we crossed the street to make the right turn, I could tell I was gaining on her, but knew I might run out of room before I could run her down. We came up the final hill to the finish line, and her parents, who looked to be about my age, started screaming "MOVE IT, NATALIE!" As it turns out, I think one of my friends might have been her babysitter growing up, so my self-worth took a beating when I realized I was racing a child. Anyway, Natalie edged me out, and I finished in 20:47, a second and a half behind her. (She won the 13-17 age group, and I died a little inside).
As it turns out, I was the third woman, seventh overall, and won my own age group, so naturally, I made all my friends stand around in the cold to watch me receive my medal. They cheered embarrassingly loudly, and then we all started drinking, which is one perk Natalie can't enjoy. Sucker!
 |
| 1st old person to finish! |
I'm sure that's a 5k PR for me, though I don't keep track because again, I hate the 5k, and getting out kicked by a minor certainly doesn't make me like it any more (the first female finisher was also a child, but she's an undergrad (ugh) at my alma mater, Colby College, and so I'm less mad and more proud).
I hope you had enjoyable Thanksgivings!
Monday, November 17, 2014
Monday Wrap Up: Crowd Sourcing Race Advice
In the month since the Chicago Marathon, I've said to quite a few people that, if I never ran a faster marathon, I'd still be happy and content. Sure, I might not feel that way 2 years from now, but in the immediate aftermath of the race, rather than thinking about how I could have gone 3:10 if I'd eaten better/slept more/worn shorter shorts, I'm mostly thinking "damn, I am really psyched with that performance."
That said, I don't intend to retire from the marathon anytime soon. I'm registered for Boston in April already, and see no reason why I wouldn't also run a fall marathon next year, as I'm in the habit of doing.
But as someone who's motivated by goal setting, and who finds the most satisfying part of distance running to be the chipping away at a training plan en route to those goals, it's somewhat unsettling, when people ask if I'm going to try to PR in Boston in April, that my answer is "no." I want to have something to work towards, but right now, another marathon PR isn't it.
Naturally, of course, I've been thinking about ultras. I've long said (haha, distance pun) there's plenty of room for improvement for me in ultras; my last ultra, 39.3 miles through the Irish countryside, was not the race I hoped it would be. And both of my other ultras have been afterthoughts following goal marathons. I'd like to take some time to train specifically for an ultra.
I haven't made any firm decisions yet (don't freak out, Mom), but I've done a little research into races that might work for me, considering my travel schedule, my role as permanent wedding guest, and the fact that I have a boyfriend whom I'd like to be able to see from time to time. I think I've targeted a 50 miler in May that fits the bill, and I've talked it over with TG, who alleges he won't break up with me if I add a long run to my weeks on Sundays in addition to Saturdays (on the plus side, he anticipates his squash game will get very good). The race in question is the week after Boston, which means I wouldn't be dragging out my race season either. Basically, I have Ultra Sign Up open in another tab as we speak and am just trying to work up the nerve to register.
On the one hand, 50 miles sounds like SO MANY MILES. That's nearly twice the length of the marathon! On the other, it's less than 11 more than I've already run (with a broken foot), and the training plan I found isn't really that much more running than the 60-70 mile weeks I put in for the Chicago Marathon.
Anyone want to try to talk me into or out of this plan? Take to the comments, please.
Number of Miles Run This Week: 44. That was an accident. I ran longer than I would have otherwise on Tuesday, since I had the day off work, and then I ran both Wednesday morning and Wednesday evening. It's unclear if I'll ever run again, though, since this morning the doorknob fell off my front door and I'm currently trapped in here with Dorito...
Number of Beers Consumed This Week: 6.
Types of Beers Consumed Last Week: Bell's Best Brown Ale, Bud Light, Dale's Pale Ale, Shipyard Monkeyfist IPA.
That said, I don't intend to retire from the marathon anytime soon. I'm registered for Boston in April already, and see no reason why I wouldn't also run a fall marathon next year, as I'm in the habit of doing.
But as someone who's motivated by goal setting, and who finds the most satisfying part of distance running to be the chipping away at a training plan en route to those goals, it's somewhat unsettling, when people ask if I'm going to try to PR in Boston in April, that my answer is "no." I want to have something to work towards, but right now, another marathon PR isn't it.
Naturally, of course, I've been thinking about ultras. I've long said (haha, distance pun) there's plenty of room for improvement for me in ultras; my last ultra, 39.3 miles through the Irish countryside, was not the race I hoped it would be. And both of my other ultras have been afterthoughts following goal marathons. I'd like to take some time to train specifically for an ultra.
I haven't made any firm decisions yet (don't freak out, Mom), but I've done a little research into races that might work for me, considering my travel schedule, my role as permanent wedding guest, and the fact that I have a boyfriend whom I'd like to be able to see from time to time. I think I've targeted a 50 miler in May that fits the bill, and I've talked it over with TG, who alleges he won't break up with me if I add a long run to my weeks on Sundays in addition to Saturdays (on the plus side, he anticipates his squash game will get very good). The race in question is the week after Boston, which means I wouldn't be dragging out my race season either. Basically, I have Ultra Sign Up open in another tab as we speak and am just trying to work up the nerve to register.
On the one hand, 50 miles sounds like SO MANY MILES. That's nearly twice the length of the marathon! On the other, it's less than 11 more than I've already run (with a broken foot), and the training plan I found isn't really that much more running than the 60-70 mile weeks I put in for the Chicago Marathon.
Anyone want to try to talk me into or out of this plan? Take to the comments, please.
Number of Miles Run This Week: 44. That was an accident. I ran longer than I would have otherwise on Tuesday, since I had the day off work, and then I ran both Wednesday morning and Wednesday evening. It's unclear if I'll ever run again, though, since this morning the doorknob fell off my front door and I'm currently trapped in here with Dorito...
Number of Beers Consumed This Week: 6.
Types of Beers Consumed Last Week: Bell's Best Brown Ale, Bud Light, Dale's Pale Ale, Shipyard Monkeyfist IPA.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
On The Run: Team RWB
Today is Veterans Day here in America, and in light of that, I thought I'd take a moment to share a little about an organization with which I've been involved for the past several weeks.
Team RWB is dedicated to enriching the lives of America's veterans by connecting them to their communities through physical and social activities. As the daughter of a disabled veteran, I feel especially compelled to support our service-members, and as a runner and a nonprofit professional, I figured I had plenty to offer. So I reached out to Team RWB in late September to ask if I might be able to get involved in whatever capacity for which they had need. The New York Chapter Captain, Joe Quinn, invited me to join them for their Wednesday evening runs in Central Park.
On the way to my first run, I wanted to throw up, I was so nervous. Like, first date-levels of nervous. As a civilian, I was worried I wouldn't have much to offer the group, conversationally or otherwise, and would feel wildly out of place. Maybe I should just bail and email Joe and suggest I offer pro bono Board development or sponsorship procurement or some other non-profity bit of assistance instead.
In reality, that fear couldn't have been further from the truth. The group that showed up for that first run of mine was roughly 50% military, 50% civilian, and without exception, everyone was kind and welcoming and engaged me and everyone else in conversation. Topics ranged from upcoming races to recent travels to preferred race fuel to my own connection to the military (hi, Dad!).
In my runs with Team RWB since then, I've gotten to know more about some of the usual attendees, as well as to meet new members each Wednesday. While I travel a fair amount, I'm never made to feel bad about missing a Wednesday, and am invited back week after week. In fact, when I emailed Joe last week to let him know I was in San Francisco and would miss the New York run, he connected me to the San Francisco Chapter Captain!
In addition to the weekly Manhattan run, Team RWB has runs in most other boroughs (I have no idea what goes on in Staten Island...), as well as one-off events like Cross Fit and fencing. There is also a monthly new member social, should you be interested in drinking beers (you should be). There are also opportunities to get involved with more particular emphasis on veterans and servicemembers: on Sunday, the Team will participate in the 9/11 Memorial's Salute to Service. Again, all opportunities are for veterans and civilians alike, in fact, what sets Team RWB apart from so many other veterans' service organizations is that it's specifically designed to connect veterans to civilians in their communities. There's a great article addressing this very issue, in which Joe says non-veteran participation is key: "It breaks that 'other' capacity, and you really get to know people. so rather than 'Oh, there's that veteran, he must have been in Western Iraq,' it's 'There's John, he has a wife and two kids; he's part of the community; he's a Mets fan. Oh, and by the way, he's a veteran.'"
If you're interested in getting involved with Team RWB and are based here in New York, I encourage you check out the Wednesday night Central Park run. We meed at 6:30 at the 72nd Street Transverse, overlooking Bethesda Foundation. Or visit Team RWB online and sign up to learn more - Joe provides weekly emails with information about Team runs and other activities. If you're not in New York, check out the website and find the Chapter Captain in your area to get connected.
Thanks to all our veterans and service-members.
Team RWB is dedicated to enriching the lives of America's veterans by connecting them to their communities through physical and social activities. As the daughter of a disabled veteran, I feel especially compelled to support our service-members, and as a runner and a nonprofit professional, I figured I had plenty to offer. So I reached out to Team RWB in late September to ask if I might be able to get involved in whatever capacity for which they had need. The New York Chapter Captain, Joe Quinn, invited me to join them for their Wednesday evening runs in Central Park.
On the way to my first run, I wanted to throw up, I was so nervous. Like, first date-levels of nervous. As a civilian, I was worried I wouldn't have much to offer the group, conversationally or otherwise, and would feel wildly out of place. Maybe I should just bail and email Joe and suggest I offer pro bono Board development or sponsorship procurement or some other non-profity bit of assistance instead.
In reality, that fear couldn't have been further from the truth. The group that showed up for that first run of mine was roughly 50% military, 50% civilian, and without exception, everyone was kind and welcoming and engaged me and everyone else in conversation. Topics ranged from upcoming races to recent travels to preferred race fuel to my own connection to the military (hi, Dad!).
In my runs with Team RWB since then, I've gotten to know more about some of the usual attendees, as well as to meet new members each Wednesday. While I travel a fair amount, I'm never made to feel bad about missing a Wednesday, and am invited back week after week. In fact, when I emailed Joe last week to let him know I was in San Francisco and would miss the New York run, he connected me to the San Francisco Chapter Captain!
In addition to the weekly Manhattan run, Team RWB has runs in most other boroughs (I have no idea what goes on in Staten Island...), as well as one-off events like Cross Fit and fencing. There is also a monthly new member social, should you be interested in drinking beers (you should be). There are also opportunities to get involved with more particular emphasis on veterans and servicemembers: on Sunday, the Team will participate in the 9/11 Memorial's Salute to Service. Again, all opportunities are for veterans and civilians alike, in fact, what sets Team RWB apart from so many other veterans' service organizations is that it's specifically designed to connect veterans to civilians in their communities. There's a great article addressing this very issue, in which Joe says non-veteran participation is key: "It breaks that 'other' capacity, and you really get to know people. so rather than 'Oh, there's that veteran, he must have been in Western Iraq,' it's 'There's John, he has a wife and two kids; he's part of the community; he's a Mets fan. Oh, and by the way, he's a veteran.'"
If you're interested in getting involved with Team RWB and are based here in New York, I encourage you check out the Wednesday night Central Park run. We meed at 6:30 at the 72nd Street Transverse, overlooking Bethesda Foundation. Or visit Team RWB online and sign up to learn more - Joe provides weekly emails with information about Team runs and other activities. If you're not in New York, check out the website and find the Chapter Captain in your area to get connected.
Thanks to all our veterans and service-members.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Monday Wrap Up: California Dreaming
Shoot, what a nice series of runs I had in San Francisco
last week. I already wrote about a
number of them, but Friday morning’s run turned out to be the best of the
bunch: I headed even further along Crissy Field, the bay and sandy beach to my
right, all kind of interesting birds in the marsh to my left, the Golden Gate
Bridge straight ahead, and dogs out for their morning walks all around. Friday was the only foggy day I had all week
in San Francisco, but the cool mist made for a just perfect morning. I ran 11.6 – more than I planned to, but I
couldn’t help myself.
Then I read my book sitting by the Bay Bridge before it was time to leave.
Then I spent 5 hours on a plane. The worst.
I took Saturday as a rest day and enjoyed a leisurely stroll
around the Reservoir back in New York, and then last night, took Mike the Bike
on the Roosevelt Island Tram for an evening ride. With every ride, I get more comfortable, and
sooner, and Roosevelt Island was a great place for me to practice riding in
traffic without the pressure of actual terrifying Manhattan-type traffic. Basically, it was like riding my bike in the
suburbs when I was little. It was also a
good way to practice getting my bike through the subway turnstile. Turns out, I need a lot more practice at
that.
Number of Miles Run Last Week: 33. Though I only ran 4 days last week, I was
happy to have gotten 2 double digit runs in.
This is probably right about the maximum number of miles I’ll be looking
to run in the weeks before Boston training.
I want to start things off next month excited to train, and not burned
out already.
Number of Beers Consumed Last Week: 6.
Types of Beers Consumed Last Week: Calicraft’s Oaktown
Brown, Cigar City’s Maduro Brown (so syrupy!), Bell’s Best Brown (in case it
weren’t apparent, I really love Brown Ales in the fall), Bud Light, Stella,
Sierra Nevada.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
On The Run: San Francisco (Again)
Sometimes when I'm traveling for work and am slammed with meetings, the easiest way for me to adhere to my training plan is to just hit the treadmill; no mapping out routes in unfamiliar cities, no budgeting time in case I get lost, no waiting for satellites to load. It's boring and somewhat depressing, but also, work isn't paying for me to sightsee on foot, so it's not really their problem if the only sights I see are the inside of conference rooms and my own reflection in the mirror opposite the hotel treadmill.
Luckily, my schedule in San Francisco this week has left my mornings mostly open, and coupled with jet lag, I've found myself with ample time to run outside before conference sessions and cocktail functions. My familiarity with the city has also meant I didn't have to do too much research into where to run, so for the last three days, I've tossed on my Kinvaras and headed to the Embarcadero.
The Embarcadero is a great place to run, and I'm certainly not the only person taking advantage of it. An uninterrupted sidewalk along the bay, it's filled with runners, walkers and cyclists in all directions. Facing the Ferry Building, you can make a left and run towards the Golden Gate Bridge, or make a right, and loop around AT&T Field. Despite its hilly reputation, San Francisco along the water is pretty flat, which makes for some pleasant miles. If you venture far enough west, you'll hit a few hills at Fort Mason, and then plenty more as you enter the Presidio. But from the Financial District where I'm based for the week, you can get in a solid 10 miles to Crissy Field and back without too many climbs.
Below are a couple of shots from my morning runs this week. Thanks for the sunrise views, jet lag!
Luckily, my schedule in San Francisco this week has left my mornings mostly open, and coupled with jet lag, I've found myself with ample time to run outside before conference sessions and cocktail functions. My familiarity with the city has also meant I didn't have to do too much research into where to run, so for the last three days, I've tossed on my Kinvaras and headed to the Embarcadero.
The Embarcadero is a great place to run, and I'm certainly not the only person taking advantage of it. An uninterrupted sidewalk along the bay, it's filled with runners, walkers and cyclists in all directions. Facing the Ferry Building, you can make a left and run towards the Golden Gate Bridge, or make a right, and loop around AT&T Field. Despite its hilly reputation, San Francisco along the water is pretty flat, which makes for some pleasant miles. If you venture far enough west, you'll hit a few hills at Fort Mason, and then plenty more as you enter the Presidio. But from the Financial District where I'm based for the week, you can get in a solid 10 miles to Crissy Field and back without too many climbs.
Below are a couple of shots from my morning runs this week. Thanks for the sunrise views, jet lag!
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Monday, November 3, 2014
Monday Wrap Up: In Which I Complain About First-World Problems
Not a lot to report from the World HQ of Will Run For Beer. Last week saw my first double-digit run since the Chicago Marathon, which was nice evidence that I can, in fact, still run double digits. I was somewhat unsure myself, seeing as though I've spent the past three weeks really cultivating my "eating and drinking with reckless abandon" skills, which left little time for endurance running.
Last week* also saw, of course, the New York City Marathon. I was pleased as punch to be spending it indoors in a cozy sweater with eggs and breakfast potatoes and beer and television and not outdoors in Staten Island with those unfortunate pink-and-orange Dunkin Donuts hats. If you asked me (and many people did), yesterday was not a good day for a marathon, weather-wise, but I am delighted for all of my friends who enjoyed themselves nonetheless. I do hold a special place in my heart for the New York City Marathon, but even my own parents spent part of the Sunday on which I did run the race indoors with breakfast foods and alcohol, so I don't feel too bad about climate-controlled spectating.
Number of Miles Run Last Week: 28. Pleased as punch with that number, actually. I'm starting to get to the "now what?" stage of my post-race recovery. I'm already registered for Boston in April, but that seems impossibly far away. I have a few 5ks/Turkey Trots on the docket this month, but those are more social than anything else. I'd love to line up a 50k for the spring, with the thinking that if I never ran a marathon faster than my most recent PR, I'd be totally fine with that, but there's plenty of room for improvement on the Ultra front for me. Any thoughts?
Number of Beers Consumed Last Week: 8. While that doesn't sound like THAT many beers, I feel like I drank a lot last week. Work was killer early in the week, and in addition to marathon celebrations, I had 3 cocktail parties mid-week and a wedding on the docket over the weekend as well (MUCH FANCY!). I'm going to chalk it up to making up for those missed drinks while I was dry before Chicago.
Types of Beers Consumed Last Week: Bud Light, Long Trail IPA, NYAC Ale (I presume that this is the exact same beer as the 1912 Ale that is served at Manursing, and it's probably like a Sam Adams rebranded for every country club in the tristate area. Anyone know?), Smuttynose Bouncy House Session IPA, Founders Harvest Ale.
And now, off to San Francisco. This is, God willing, my last scheduled trip of the year. On the one hand, I like having the chance to visit other cities, and drink their beers and run in their streets (and hotel gyms...). On the other hand, I pay several thousand dollars a month to live in New York and I'd like to get my money's worth. In 2014 alone, I've been to Chicago four times, San Francisco twice, Boston twice, Atlanta, Los Angeles, DC, Portland, San Diego, Philadelphia, Bend, Fire Island, Lake Placid, Miami, Old Forge, and Wilmington. That I haven't yet reached George-Clooney-in-Up-in-the-Air status on airlines is surprising and discouraging.
*I recognize that "last week" technically ended on Saturday, 11/1, and therefore, it is this week that saw the NYC Marathon, but here at WRFB HQ, we act like fancy Europeans, and our weeks run Monday-Sunday. And by "our," I mean "mine and Dorito's
Last week* also saw, of course, the New York City Marathon. I was pleased as punch to be spending it indoors in a cozy sweater with eggs and breakfast potatoes and beer and television and not outdoors in Staten Island with those unfortunate pink-and-orange Dunkin Donuts hats. If you asked me (and many people did), yesterday was not a good day for a marathon, weather-wise, but I am delighted for all of my friends who enjoyed themselves nonetheless. I do hold a special place in my heart for the New York City Marathon, but even my own parents spent part of the Sunday on which I did run the race indoors with breakfast foods and alcohol, so I don't feel too bad about climate-controlled spectating.
 |
| Plus, I yelled loudly enough for Meb that I'm sure he heard me as he ran by outside. |
Number of Beers Consumed Last Week: 8. While that doesn't sound like THAT many beers, I feel like I drank a lot last week. Work was killer early in the week, and in addition to marathon celebrations, I had 3 cocktail parties mid-week and a wedding on the docket over the weekend as well (MUCH FANCY!). I'm going to chalk it up to making up for those missed drinks while I was dry before Chicago.
Types of Beers Consumed Last Week: Bud Light, Long Trail IPA, NYAC Ale (I presume that this is the exact same beer as the 1912 Ale that is served at Manursing, and it's probably like a Sam Adams rebranded for every country club in the tristate area. Anyone know?), Smuttynose Bouncy House Session IPA, Founders Harvest Ale.
And now, off to San Francisco. This is, God willing, my last scheduled trip of the year. On the one hand, I like having the chance to visit other cities, and drink their beers and run in their streets (and hotel gyms...). On the other hand, I pay several thousand dollars a month to live in New York and I'd like to get my money's worth. In 2014 alone, I've been to Chicago four times, San Francisco twice, Boston twice, Atlanta, Los Angeles, DC, Portland, San Diego, Philadelphia, Bend, Fire Island, Lake Placid, Miami, Old Forge, and Wilmington. That I haven't yet reached George-Clooney-in-Up-in-the-Air status on airlines is surprising and discouraging.
*I recognize that "last week" technically ended on Saturday, 11/1, and therefore, it is this week that saw the NYC Marathon, but here at WRFB HQ, we act like fancy Europeans, and our weeks run Monday-Sunday. And by "our," I mean "mine and Dorito's
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Wednesday Wrap Up: I Almost Died Again
Last Friday morning, I went out for my run before work, as usual, and headed towards Central Park. I ran across 57th Street and turned uptown on Third Avenue. The light changed, and I ran through the crosswalk at 58th Street. I got about halfway across the street before, suddenly, I was lying on the ground, in the middle of the street, in the dark. I was pretty sure I was going to die.
The whole reverse taper is happening, slowly but surely. Running still feels way harder than it should, and my "long" run last week was a whopping 8 miles. My sincere hope is that it gets better just as soon as I have time to sleep well and eat properly, two things that haven't really been working for me since the marathon, since work has been so busy. Looking ahead, I have - guess what! - another wedding this weekend! It's my last of the season, unless anyone I know goes the surprise nuptials route. Then it's off to San Francisco for business, which (God willing) is my last business trip of the season. As always, though, I'm looking forward to some miles there.
After a second or two, I realized I was still alive, but wouldn't be if I didn't get up before the light changed again, so I collected my keys, stood up, and crossed the street. I reached the corner and stopped to examine myself. A bruised and skinned knee, two skinned palms, a skinned shoulder, and a banged up elbow. 2 blocks into my run. Genius.
Fortunately, I recovered from my injuries and was able to attend - you guessed it! - another wedding over the weekend. My trip to the suburbs also afforded me a run among the changing leaves, two breakfast dates with my dad, and a champagne hangover.
The whole reverse taper is happening, slowly but surely. Running still feels way harder than it should, and my "long" run last week was a whopping 8 miles. My sincere hope is that it gets better just as soon as I have time to sleep well and eat properly, two things that haven't really been working for me since the marathon, since work has been so busy. Looking ahead, I have - guess what! - another wedding this weekend! It's my last of the season, unless anyone I know goes the surprise nuptials route. Then it's off to San Francisco for business, which (God willing) is my last business trip of the season. As always, though, I'm looking forward to some miles there.
Number of Miles Run Last Week: 22.
Number of Beers Consumed Last Week: 3.
Types of Beers Consumed Last Week: Long Trail IPA, Full Sail Pilsner, Bud Heavy.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
How'd You Do That?
Since the Chicago Marathon last week, a lot of people have asked me how I got down to a 3:13 marathon from a 4:22. I'm still not convinced I didn't accidentally take a short cut, because it seems really fast to me, but the results indicate I ran the whole thing.
The marathon is different for everyone, everyday. I've had what I thought was awesome training and ended up with a shitty race, so a large part of my answer to "how'd you do that?" is "I got lucky."
Another part is "I picked a good race;" Chicago is notoriously flat and fast and held at a time of year when the weather gods might very well be kind to you, as they were to us on Sunday.
But luck and weather aren't exactly great tools to rely on when you're looking to improve your time. I thought it might be interesting to share what else I think helped me get faster, and get your feedback on what's sped you up, or conversely, what hasn't worked. So, here are some things I did differently in the lead up to Number 18, and my best guesses at how they impacted my performance:
1. Mileage. I had multiple 60+ mile weeks this season, and one week with 78 miles. In the past, I've typically had 3 weeks of 50+ miles. So the volume of my training definitely increased this season. But along with it, so did the amount of running I did on tired legs. Some of that is a function of volume: your legs are probably more tired when you've run 40 miles going into your long run than when you've run 25. But this season I also moved around the day on which I did my long run a lot, so I almost never had a full week of recovery between long runs, and sometimes just had 2 or 3 days between them. I actually specifically thought about that, my practice at running tired, in the later miles in Chicago. It was a good reminder that I could, in fact, keep going at a strong pace.
The flip side of this, of course, is that with increased volume and decreased rest, you're upping the odds of injury. This season, I was smart about it. That was not always the case...
2. Speed work. The single biggest factor in my getting faster, especially as I was trying to BQ for the first time, was speedwork, and I've kept at it weekly during training since then. Mile repeats, 800s, tempo runs. If you want to run faster, you need to run faster.
3. Strength training. I added a thrice weekly lower body strength training workout to my regimen this year in a desperate attempt to fix whatever was wrong with my hip. I can't claim that this was a panacea, but adding squats, lunges, and clam shells has made a noticeable difference not just in my leg strength, but also in my balance. So if I ever decide to run a marathon on a ship deck, I'm covered, I guess...
4. Cross training. Again, while not necessarily new this season, committing myself to cross training just once a week (generally in the form of SoulCycle) over the past couple of years has, I think, helped stave off injury while maintaining cardiovascular endurance. Plus, doing something other than running makes us use other muscles and reflexes, and in the final miles of the marathon, weird-ass shit can happen and suddenly in order to keep moving forward, you have to start doing high knees or hold your arms above your head or utilize your body holistically, and that includes engaging non-running muscles.
5. Nutrition and weight. I've lost about 7 pounds in about as many months doing absolutely nothing difficult. I eat less crap (think fresh fruit instead of Doritos from the office vending machine if I need an afternoon snack). I do less mindless grazing (making actual meals for dinner instead of cheese and crackers, then hummus, then cereal, then peanut butter...). And, since the Social Diet way back in March ("social" component being short lived), I've been keeping a food diary.
I feel like that's some big taboo secret, but in all honesty, it's easy and it works. I never set out to lose weight, but being more cognizant of and intentional about what I was putting into my body had the added bonus of taking a few pounds off. It is remarkable how good one feels when one's diet is not 80% processed cheese (conversely, I demanded TG order us a Papa John's pizza after Abbe and Baker's wedding a few weeks ago, and OMG processed cheese has a time and a place and it is 1am and in a hotel room after a wedding.)
6. Massage. I'm not a big foam roller (don't yell at me), but that doesn't mean massage is off the table. I demanded a lot of massages from TG this season, and I want to be clear that I don't mean the sexxxxxxy kind. Typically, they involved lots of yelling ("Stop pushing there!" "You're hurting me!" "Oh my God, seriously, stop!") and were not at all relaxing for either of us, but ultimately, I think they did help speed up recovery.
If you don't have a boyfriend with whom you'd like to fight, I am also a big proponent of a quick chair massage at the nail salon. 10 minutes will work out the knots you've tied yourself into sitting at a desk all day and then hunching up while you're running. Which reminds me...
7. The Standing Desk. I stand at my desk. As you'll recall, it's a pretty shoddy set up, constructed mostly of boxes of expired liquor donations and annual reports (the nonprofit life is a glamorous one), but it gets the job done: not only do I feel better not being all crammed up and bent over, but since I'm standing there, I'm much more apt to engage in some stretching of my IT bands or quads while I'm on a conference call or something.
8. Cats. I have a cat who wakes me up at 5:00am with his teeth and claws, which means I have no desire to hit snooze and stay in bed with that vicious monster. Get a cat, never miss a morning workout.
Something I don't think has an impact on my speed? The dry period.
For races at which I have big, hairy, scary goals (Chicago, Boston), I stop drinking alcohol 4-6 weeks beforehand. In part, making a commitment like that sets the tone for me, mentally, that This Is A Serious Undertaking. Physically, the thinking is that I'll sleep better, make better eating choices, and be better hydrated. Truthfully, I don't know that any of those things actually happen, for me. I get a lot of sleep (7.5 hours a night at minimum. #childfree) regardless. Not drinking has the effect of freeing up calories for indulging in something else. And drinking Diet Cokes instead of beers at a bar doesn't have the hydration impact I should be going for. And when it comes to the race itself, the relationship between sobriety and speed seems to be a crapshoot: I drank a beer the night before Rehoboth and had a good race on crap training, and didn't touch the stuff for 5 weeks before the Hamptons and tried to DNF at mile 13. I keep doing it because the mental part is actually important to me, but I definitely wouldn't put it on the Must Do list, if you were asking me to make you one.
So, that's what worked and what hasn't for me. What about you? Try any of the above? Have something else in your arsenal that works like rocket fuel for your racing? Convinced that foam rolling is for chumps? Share your thoughts in the comments.
The marathon is different for everyone, everyday. I've had what I thought was awesome training and ended up with a shitty race, so a large part of my answer to "how'd you do that?" is "I got lucky."
Another part is "I picked a good race;" Chicago is notoriously flat and fast and held at a time of year when the weather gods might very well be kind to you, as they were to us on Sunday.
But luck and weather aren't exactly great tools to rely on when you're looking to improve your time. I thought it might be interesting to share what else I think helped me get faster, and get your feedback on what's sped you up, or conversely, what hasn't worked. So, here are some things I did differently in the lead up to Number 18, and my best guesses at how they impacted my performance:
1. Mileage. I had multiple 60+ mile weeks this season, and one week with 78 miles. In the past, I've typically had 3 weeks of 50+ miles. So the volume of my training definitely increased this season. But along with it, so did the amount of running I did on tired legs. Some of that is a function of volume: your legs are probably more tired when you've run 40 miles going into your long run than when you've run 25. But this season I also moved around the day on which I did my long run a lot, so I almost never had a full week of recovery between long runs, and sometimes just had 2 or 3 days between them. I actually specifically thought about that, my practice at running tired, in the later miles in Chicago. It was a good reminder that I could, in fact, keep going at a strong pace.
The flip side of this, of course, is that with increased volume and decreased rest, you're upping the odds of injury. This season, I was smart about it. That was not always the case...
2. Speed work. The single biggest factor in my getting faster, especially as I was trying to BQ for the first time, was speedwork, and I've kept at it weekly during training since then. Mile repeats, 800s, tempo runs. If you want to run faster, you need to run faster.
3. Strength training. I added a thrice weekly lower body strength training workout to my regimen this year in a desperate attempt to fix whatever was wrong with my hip. I can't claim that this was a panacea, but adding squats, lunges, and clam shells has made a noticeable difference not just in my leg strength, but also in my balance. So if I ever decide to run a marathon on a ship deck, I'm covered, I guess...
4. Cross training. Again, while not necessarily new this season, committing myself to cross training just once a week (generally in the form of SoulCycle) over the past couple of years has, I think, helped stave off injury while maintaining cardiovascular endurance. Plus, doing something other than running makes us use other muscles and reflexes, and in the final miles of the marathon, weird-ass shit can happen and suddenly in order to keep moving forward, you have to start doing high knees or hold your arms above your head or utilize your body holistically, and that includes engaging non-running muscles.
5. Nutrition and weight. I've lost about 7 pounds in about as many months doing absolutely nothing difficult. I eat less crap (think fresh fruit instead of Doritos from the office vending machine if I need an afternoon snack). I do less mindless grazing (making actual meals for dinner instead of cheese and crackers, then hummus, then cereal, then peanut butter...). And, since the Social Diet way back in March ("social" component being short lived), I've been keeping a food diary.
I feel like that's some big taboo secret, but in all honesty, it's easy and it works. I never set out to lose weight, but being more cognizant of and intentional about what I was putting into my body had the added bonus of taking a few pounds off. It is remarkable how good one feels when one's diet is not 80% processed cheese (conversely, I demanded TG order us a Papa John's pizza after Abbe and Baker's wedding a few weeks ago, and OMG processed cheese has a time and a place and it is 1am and in a hotel room after a wedding.)
6. Massage. I'm not a big foam roller (don't yell at me), but that doesn't mean massage is off the table. I demanded a lot of massages from TG this season, and I want to be clear that I don't mean the sexxxxxxy kind. Typically, they involved lots of yelling ("Stop pushing there!" "You're hurting me!" "Oh my God, seriously, stop!") and were not at all relaxing for either of us, but ultimately, I think they did help speed up recovery.
If you don't have a boyfriend with whom you'd like to fight, I am also a big proponent of a quick chair massage at the nail salon. 10 minutes will work out the knots you've tied yourself into sitting at a desk all day and then hunching up while you're running. Which reminds me...
7. The Standing Desk. I stand at my desk. As you'll recall, it's a pretty shoddy set up, constructed mostly of boxes of expired liquor donations and annual reports (the nonprofit life is a glamorous one), but it gets the job done: not only do I feel better not being all crammed up and bent over, but since I'm standing there, I'm much more apt to engage in some stretching of my IT bands or quads while I'm on a conference call or something.
8. Cats. I have a cat who wakes me up at 5:00am with his teeth and claws, which means I have no desire to hit snooze and stay in bed with that vicious monster. Get a cat, never miss a morning workout.
Something I don't think has an impact on my speed? The dry period.
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| Whereas not drinking beer is overrated... |
So, that's what worked and what hasn't for me. What about you? Try any of the above? Have something else in your arsenal that works like rocket fuel for your racing? Convinced that foam rolling is for chumps? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Monday, October 20, 2014
Monday Wrap Up: The Week After
I spent most of the week immediately following the marathon in a food-and-alcohol fueled stupor in Chicago. In addition to the mashed potato pizza establishment, I also found myself in a place that served tater tots with a side of Cheez Whiz, and a place that served gallons of wine for $20. The Midwest, man...
While the caloric indulgence is nice, in the short term, one of the other perks I've explored, post-race, has been the freedom to do things other than specific prescribed workouts. While I try to incorporate some semblance of cross training into my weeks during the race season, and I run because I like to run, there's something to be said for not being beholden to a pretty strict regimen. So here's what I did last week:
Monday: Binge eat oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and drink Charles Shaw Sauvignon Blanc on the couch because it turns out Nina lives near a Trader Joe's.
Tuesday: 20 minutes of yoga in my room (I stayed at a Kimpton property Tuesday-Friday for the business trip part of my week in Chicago, and they have yoga mats and on demand workouts in every room). Hour walk on the treadmill at my hotel. I'm a strong proponent of getting moving pretty soon, post-race; I've found it really helps with stiffness. That's what he said.
Wednesday: 20 minutes of yoga in my room. I'm not really a yoga person, as you probably know, but this on demand workout was super gentle stretching that felt awesome. I'd even incorporate it at home, except I have a cat, and cats and yoga don't mix. 3 mile run to make sure I still could run (survey: sort of...).
Thursday: 20 minutes of yoga in my room. 5 mile run because I stinking love running in Chicago.
Friday: Pancakes. 1.5 hours gentle stretching on the flight. Just kidding; I just wanted to use this opportunity to mention that I got upgraded to first class, so I could have stretched if I wanted to. Instead I did work on my laptop and ate a bowl of those warm nuts, and then after I finished them, wondered if I was meant to have shared them with my seatmate.
Saturday: Terry Fox run with Ryan. This was Ryan's first race of any kind and I do believe she had a great time! She ran the whole time, which is extra impressive because, while advertised as a 5k, the Terry Fox Run is more like 5k-ish. And not in the "my Garmin says I ran longer, so definitely the course was long" kind of way (and my Garmin doesn't say anything because it's still cracked out after Chicago.) The 5k sign on the Terry Fox course is about 3 tenths of a mile ahead of the finish line. So Ryan, who diligently followed the Couch to 5k Program, got more than she bargained for. Naturally, now we're trying to convince her that, since she went 3.4 miles, she might as well register for a 4 mile race.
After the race, I got a shameful pedicure during which the nail technician looked extremely troubled by the calluses on my feet.
Sunday: Set out to run 8 miles, but my legs told me 6 was enough. Stuck to the bridle path, which was really forgiving. Came home, made pumpkin bread. Added 50 minutes of bike riding in the evening, because I bought a bike a month ago and rode it one time.
This morning, I went spinning. Wednesday, I look forward to running with Team RWB again. I'd love to go for a hike out in CT next weekend. Being able to do whatever workout I feel like doing is awesome, and I think I'm going to really like this off season.
Number of Miles Run Last Week: 18.
Number of Beers Consumed Last Week: You know honestly, not that many. I think maybe just 2? I drank SO much wine in Chicago.
Types of Beers Consumed Last Week: Revolution IPA.
Tell me: what other things should I be trying with my new-found time not spent doing specific workouts? Refine method piyo zumba rowing? What's your favorite workout that isn't 3 hours of running?
While the caloric indulgence is nice, in the short term, one of the other perks I've explored, post-race, has been the freedom to do things other than specific prescribed workouts. While I try to incorporate some semblance of cross training into my weeks during the race season, and I run because I like to run, there's something to be said for not being beholden to a pretty strict regimen. So here's what I did last week:
Monday: Binge eat oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and drink Charles Shaw Sauvignon Blanc on the couch because it turns out Nina lives near a Trader Joe's.
Tuesday: 20 minutes of yoga in my room (I stayed at a Kimpton property Tuesday-Friday for the business trip part of my week in Chicago, and they have yoga mats and on demand workouts in every room). Hour walk on the treadmill at my hotel. I'm a strong proponent of getting moving pretty soon, post-race; I've found it really helps with stiffness. That's what he said.
Wednesday: 20 minutes of yoga in my room. I'm not really a yoga person, as you probably know, but this on demand workout was super gentle stretching that felt awesome. I'd even incorporate it at home, except I have a cat, and cats and yoga don't mix. 3 mile run to make sure I still could run (survey: sort of...).
Thursday: 20 minutes of yoga in my room. 5 mile run because I stinking love running in Chicago.
Friday: Pancakes. 1.5 hours gentle stretching on the flight. Just kidding; I just wanted to use this opportunity to mention that I got upgraded to first class, so I could have stretched if I wanted to. Instead I did work on my laptop and ate a bowl of those warm nuts, and then after I finished them, wondered if I was meant to have shared them with my seatmate.
Saturday: Terry Fox run with Ryan. This was Ryan's first race of any kind and I do believe she had a great time! She ran the whole time, which is extra impressive because, while advertised as a 5k, the Terry Fox Run is more like 5k-ish. And not in the "my Garmin says I ran longer, so definitely the course was long" kind of way (and my Garmin doesn't say anything because it's still cracked out after Chicago.) The 5k sign on the Terry Fox course is about 3 tenths of a mile ahead of the finish line. So Ryan, who diligently followed the Couch to 5k Program, got more than she bargained for. Naturally, now we're trying to convince her that, since she went 3.4 miles, she might as well register for a 4 mile race.
 |
| That Garmin is just for show |
After the race, I got a shameful pedicure during which the nail technician looked extremely troubled by the calluses on my feet.
Sunday: Set out to run 8 miles, but my legs told me 6 was enough. Stuck to the bridle path, which was really forgiving. Came home, made pumpkin bread. Added 50 minutes of bike riding in the evening, because I bought a bike a month ago and rode it one time.
This morning, I went spinning. Wednesday, I look forward to running with Team RWB again. I'd love to go for a hike out in CT next weekend. Being able to do whatever workout I feel like doing is awesome, and I think I'm going to really like this off season.
Number of Miles Run Last Week: 18.
Number of Beers Consumed Last Week: You know honestly, not that many. I think maybe just 2? I drank SO much wine in Chicago.
Types of Beers Consumed Last Week: Revolution IPA.
Tell me: what other things should I be trying with my new-found time not spent doing specific workouts? Refine method piyo zumba rowing? What's your favorite workout that isn't 3 hours of running?
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Race Report: Chicago Marathon
On Sunday, I ran my 18th marathon in Chicago in 3:13:58. I have a weird anxious feeling like maybe I accidentally cheated or something, because a 3:13 marathon seems A LOT faster than I ever could have run. In fact, it's one hour and nine minutes faster than my first marathon. I've come a long way, baby. (Literally. 26.2 x 18 is 471.6 miles, and that doesn't include the distances I traveled training for them).
Pre-Race: TG and I arrived on Saturday morning, having decided to spend Friday night at home in New York, where I could sleep in my own bed, eat my own food, and freak out quietly in my own apartment. We went straight from O'Hare to the expo, which was approximately 12 hours away by taxi. I think realistically it was about 20 miles, way far south in Chicago, but it took forever.
Once we finally arrived, however, the whole packet pick up process was easy. I snagged my bib, my shirt, and a couple of things from the expo I'd neglected to pack: Body Glide, a new SpiBelt, and a pair of Kinvaras, which I actually did pack, but when I find them on sale, I snag them because I hate the new model and need to hoard the old ones.
At mile 22, some dudes were offering ice cold beer. I grabbed a Dixie cup and gulped it down. Ice cold it was (its provenance was questionable, however... is Schlitz still on the market?). "Oh shit," I thought. Am I showboating?" I felt guilty and put my head back down, concentrating on ticking off the miles, which seemed to be coming faster than I expected.
Pre-Race: TG and I arrived on Saturday morning, having decided to spend Friday night at home in New York, where I could sleep in my own bed, eat my own food, and freak out quietly in my own apartment. We went straight from O'Hare to the expo, which was approximately 12 hours away by taxi. I think realistically it was about 20 miles, way far south in Chicago, but it took forever.
Once we finally arrived, however, the whole packet pick up process was easy. I snagged my bib, my shirt, and a couple of things from the expo I'd neglected to pack: Body Glide, a new SpiBelt, and a pair of Kinvaras, which I actually did pack, but when I find them on sale, I snag them because I hate the new model and need to hoard the old ones.
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| Sweet backpack. You look 12. |
After a while, we got pretty hangry, and no amount of free samples of protein granola and Gatorade could hold us over, so we got back in a cab and headed to the Fairmont Millennium Park, our home base for the weekend.
(A note about this hotel: It was extraordinarily convenient to the race start at Grant Park. There was also a complimentary shuttle between the Expo and the Hotel [which we discovered after we paid for a cab]. That said, this hotel was also sort of exorbitantly expensive without being particularly luxurious; our room had two double beds, and maybe smelled like smoke or mildew or something not that awesome. The convenience factor can't be overstated, but I might look for another hotel in the neighborhood, as there are dozens within a couple block radius, rather than staying here).
We dropped off our gear and walked a block away to Sweetwater, where we grabbed a lunch of chicken fingers, tater tots, and other wholesome and nutritious foods and caught up on college football.
While many pre-race afternoons are spent napping, watching TV, and generally hanging about on dry land, Saturday afternoon found us on the Chicago River aboard the "Volts Wagon," a 21 foot electric boat my friend Nina had rented for the afternoon. Though random, our afternoon cruise was actually a great way to unwind before the race while resting our legs. (my friends covered a lot of ground by bike on Sunday)
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| #goGarnets |
After our sea voyage, Cate, Nina, TG and I headed to Osteria Via Stato for a pasta feast. Go here and eat the bread. If you're allergic to garlic, as I am, avoid at all costs the olive oil.
We ate dinner, we laughed, we made a plan to meet up after the race, and by 7:30pm, TG and I were in a cab headed back to our hotel.
I'd like to say this is the part where I calmly laid out my bib person, took a shower, and drifted peacefully off to sleep.
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| Those are the Kinvaras I bought at the expo. Do as I say, not as I do. |
This is actually the part where I laid out my bib person, burst into tears because I'm not great at managing anxiety, and blew my nose into TG's shirt. I know that sounds dramatic, but I'm just being real. It wasn't even that I was nervous about how I'd race the next day; it was more that, for 16 weeks, I'd been working very deliberately towards something, checking my progress off on my to do list day-by-day in seemingly manageable chunks, and it suddenly occurred to me that the something had arrived. It was like I realized a big part of my life was coming to an end, even though the cycle can be repeated forever.
Also, I was tired. Sleepy, yes, but drained, too. We all choose to do this because we love it and it fulfills us in one way or another, but that doesn't make it easy. Juggling training and a job and a relationship and friendships and travel and Dorito is a lot (you try balancing all that while a cat is biting you in the Achilles; it is not easy).
Also, the taper makes me super emo and introspective.
Eventually, though, I apologized to TG for being a lunatic and calmed down enough to get to sleep, and when I woke up the next morning, I was back to Level 10 excited about the race.
Race Morning: I was up before the alarm at 4:50 and started brewing coffee into the world's teeniest coffee cup (another knock against the Fairmont. "What is this, a coffee cup for ants?"). I suited up, went to the bathroom a few times, played a couple T.Swift/Carly Rae Jepsen/Imagine Dragons/Ludacris jams, and kept glancing out the window at the street below to monitor the crowds headed to the park. By 6:30am, I was ready to head outside.
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| Human Bib Person! |
I tossed on some throw away clothes and TG and I headed downstairs (two small boys in the elevator in their footie pajamas said to their dad "Why is she wearing a garbage bag?" Poor guy didn't know what to tell them). By now, Michigan Avenue was flooded with runners and their loved ones, and progress was slow. It was 6:50 when I kissed TG goodbye and entered the Park at Jackson Street, slogged through the security line, dashed over to gear check, and headed towards Wave 1, Corral B. Promptly at 7:20, Wave 1 corrals closed, the National Anthem played, and everywhere around me, Garmins found their satellites. At 7:30, the elites were off. At 7:32, so was I.
The Race: My pace bracelet had me running even 7:35s for the duration of the race. My plan was to go out at pace and run for five miles before I put any thought into making adjustments, etc. This was more difficult than I anticipated because, from the get go, my Garmin was WAY off. The race starts in the Loop, where the buildings that make up the Chicago skyline have their foundations. Coupled with the short stretch through a tunnel at the half-mile mark, there was a lot of satellite interference. 9 minute miles, no 5 minute miles, no 6 minute miles. Before the mile 1 marker was even in view, my Garmin clicked off a mile. I tried to relax and find a comfortably hard effort as opposed to focusing on my watch. At mile 3, I felt the pinching in my hip start up. "Goddamnit, this is going to be a long race," I thought. But after a dozen strides during which I focused on my form (abs tight, hips squared), the pinching resolved itself.
5k split: 23:13
My about mile 3 and a half, my Garmin seemed to be giving accurate paces, even if it was off on distance. I glanced at the race clock at mile 4, and the pace bracelet on my wrist. I was right on target. "Maybe this is my day after all," I thought. But 22 miles is a long way to go, so mostly what I did was put my head down and focus on running. And I do mean "put my head down." I spent the vast majority of this race looking at the ground 5-8 feet in front of me, cognizant of feet and potholes and steel grates and anything else that might cause me to step funny and tweak my hip. Good thing I've been to Chicago many times before, because I saw almost none of it on Sunday. I was so focused on looking down and staying upright that it took TG shouting in the loudest and scariest voice I've ever heard come out of his mouth at mile 5 to bring my attention back to the present. I veered over to the left side of the road to say hi and give him a big smile and hoped he'd interpret that as the all clear.
10k split: 45:53
I made my way up towards Wrigley, then through Boystown, and finally into Lincoln Park, where I knew I'd see my friends. I glanced at my Garmin again. The time of day was displayed. Figuring I'd bumped it somehow, I pressed the button to get back to the timing screen. It started searching for satellites. I started panicking. Without the first 8 miles worth of time, how would I know how I was doing against my pace bracelet?
Thankfully, I realized within the mile that the pace per mile feature still worked, so I could start my watch again, ignore the cumulative time, and still get an accurate reading on how I was doing as compared to those 7:35s.
As I headed down Clark towards my friends, I saw that the total time clock on display at mile 9 read 1:08 - exactly the cumulative time I was targeting to have by mile 9 on my pace bracelet. As someone who cannot do math (ask my CFO), this was a godsend to me.
And speaking of godsends, Cate, Nina, and TG were underneath the mile 9 clock screaming for me. I relayed to them the Garmin woes but gave them a thumbs up. I knew I probably wouldn't see them again before the finish, which was a bit of the bummer, but was happy to have spotted them all the same.
Cate also reached out to offer me a bagel with salmon cream cheese, which I declined, but thanks for offering, friend... But it was a good reminder to start taking some fuel of my own, so I reached into my SpiBelt and took out my Ziploc of Swedish Fish. I fished out 4 and ate them one at a time, and stuffed the rest of the plastic bag into my sports bra.
At this point, my Garmin had been ticking of 7:25s with some consistency. (Also at this point, I had no more splits to go by, since my Garmin was effed, so you're not getting any more splits until the end, either. Is that annoying and stressful? TELL ME ABOUT IT). I knew I was a hair fast, but truthfully, putting time in the bank during the marathon has worked pretty well in the past for me (STOP YELLING AT ME), so my plan became to hold steady at my pace until the halfway mark and then reevaluate.
By 13.1, the race clock said 1:39 and my pace bracelet said 1:39:30, so I knew I was continually putting distance between my finish time and my goal. That said, I was also working for it. Not at an unsustainable level, but enough that I decided to hold steady yet again, instead of trying to pick up the race and aim for negative splits. I decided to reevaluate again at mile 17, when I'd have fewer than 10 miles to go. I ate a couple more fish.
I always think that the real heavy lift of the marathon, the meat of the work you're putting in, comes in miles 16-20. Those are the unglamorous, slog-fest miles. As I passed the mile 16 marker, I thought to myself "this is where you'll run a PR, or not." Head down.
When I got to mile 17, I glanced down at my wrist again to see where my pace bracelet said I should be versus what the race clock said. My Garmin was once again showing the time of day. "Don't freak out," I told myself. "Reset at the next mile marker and rely on the splits." The 7:25s kept coming. It was like I had found the exact sweet spot - a pace that I was just on the upper limit of what I could sustain. A few times, I thought "I'm going to ease up on the effort, just five seconds a mile or so, until mile 20." But by the end of each mile, I found myself back under my target pace.
At mile 20, I let myself imagine what it would be like to break 3:19. I knew the race clock started a minute or two before I did - maybe I'd break 3:18, even. I tried not to get greedy. 6 miles is still a long way, 48 minutes if I have to slow down now, maybe more. I did some mental math. Just thinking about it made it hard for me to breathe. "Don't start crying, dummy; you haven't done anything yet, and also you need to breathe in order to finish."
At mile 23, I heard my name over a loudspeaker and was momentarily confused. Can I hear the finish line this far away? And how do they know I'm coming? I realized it was Josh, out cheering on his team with a megaphone and taking photos. I couldn't hide my excitement about my impending finish.
At mile 24, my left hamstring started tightening up, causing a hitch in my step. It's a sensation I've felt before, most often when I'm doing tempo work on the treadmill. It goes away immediately when I slow down, but until then, feels like my knee might give out with any step. I put all my attention into my stride, making sure I was taking long, strong steps. "Don't do anything stupid."
Mile 25. 1 mile to go. 800 meters to go. Turn a corner, up a hill. 400 meters to go. Mile 26. I could see the finish clock.
3:16:15.
Beaming, I crossed the line.
I did it. After so many seasons, I finally got my sub 3:20. I had no idea what my finish time was, but I knew it was a substantial PR.
Having gotten choked up just thinking about a PR at mile 20, I was surprised I didn't burst into tears when I crossed the finish line. Instead, I was practically vibrating, I was so excited. I let out a huge whoop as I made my way through the finish chute. "You still have a lot left in the tank, eh?" said the finisher next to me.
I grabbed my medal, my food, MY BEER, and made my way through the finish line area to grab my bag from gear check. (One of the wonderful perks of finishing much faster than your seeded time is that there is no line at all to get your bag). I shuffled through the post race party, eager to find my friends. Our plan was to meet back at the hotel, which seemed an interminable distance away. I just wanted to find them, to thank them, to celebrate with them. Also maybe for them to tell me where the hotel was, exactly, because it turns out I am not great with directions.
As I made my way back through Millennium Park, I looked up and saw a blonde, a brunette, and a tall guy in a blue jacket, each with a bike. MY FRIENDS! (My incredible friends who gave up their weekends [and almost their bagel sandwiches] to watch me run by for 15 seconds. My friends, to whom I owe so much. Thank you, my friends.)
"3:13:58, that's incredible!" they said. "Who ran a 3:13:58? Me?" I was stunned. "You guys, I'm like a legit fast person now!"
(As if on command, a random stranger in the park approached and asked to take my picture. This is the second consecutive marathon after which this has happened. Has anyone else experienced this? It makes me feel equal parts like a celebrity and like someone who is going to be the subject of digitally edited revenge porn or something - what else do you do with pictures of strangers?)
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| Not strangers. Also my mom is on the phone in my hand. Hi mom! |
The rest of the splits, which I found out from the surprisingly efficient runner tracking app:
15k: 1:09:03
20k: 1:32:23
Half: 1:37:11
25k: 1:54:57
30k: 2:17:53
35k: 2:41:06
40k: 3:05:10
Finish: 3:13:58
Average pace: 7:24. Negative splits and everything. Thanks Chicago!
As far as the Chicago Marathon goes, it will be my favorite, probably forever. It's fast and flat and it's just a great city to go to and I love everything about it (except the Fairmont, as discussed). Run this race.
As far as marathons in general go, they are also my favorite, definitely forever. Yes, they are hard and scary, and take a lot of physical and mental strength, and even if you have that maybe sometimes they make you have weird crying fits, but there is not a single thing in this world more satisfying and fulfilling to me than setting a goal, even a big, scary one, chipping away at it, maybe falling short a couple times, and ultimately achieving it.
I wish everyone could feel this feeling. I am so, so lucky.
Here's to the next great adventure!
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