A commemorative post from last years NY Marathon…Go bold pace runners!!
I have always been a “zen” runner, no watch, just taking the miles as they come. In the NY Marathon I lost my center and I went out too fast and I didn’t even realize it until mile 15. Then I spent the next 11.2 miles suffering. I had to come up with some solid reasons to keep running:
1. that darn e-mail message going to my husband on his blackberry every mile while at my son’s soccer game. I talked to him every time I crossed that pad…”i am hating it honey“…it helped.
2. that woman at mile 20 that said to me “ You got it girl- keep it going“ (remember to go to a race and yell for someone)
3. a double tall soy latte when I finish
4.three weeks off from running and sleeping in late (6:30am).
5. family and friends following online…I am trying here…
6. the wheelchair competitor that passed me on mile 23.
7. the woman runner next to me on miles 24 through 26 who was also hurting…and was still pushing
8. thinking of my “long distance” friends who are so tough
9. believing it will be better next time. I will use a watch and monitor every mile
10. thinking that if I gave upevery speech I have ever given to my children about quitting would be null and void.
I don’t think I have met a runner yet that isn’t slightly obsessed with food. I have even known a few manorexic male runners that could go on forever about restraint of calorie intake. We all know we [run] what we eat. So after two successful runs this week, I am back to shrewd food choices.
I recently signed up for the Hungry Girl newsletter and I am amazed at some of the great information/recipes that she offers her readers. She sends out daily e-mails with reviews on food products and posts recipes using easy store bought items made healthy! You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter. She has appeared on Rachel Ray making low-fat onion rings with Fiber One cereal that boast a calorie/fat count one third less than usual. Hungry Girl has two books including her recent one which is 200 recipe under 200 calories. She really makes it easy for not only the time management challenged, but also those of us without much culinary imagination (that’s me!).
There are also incredible food blogs out there that give you step by step tutorials on making some great meals. If your “before a long run oatmeal” is getting you down, try Kath Eats / tribute to oatmeal…banana whipped and toffee…yum. Smitten Kitchen has the most amazing recipes including this one of Jim Lahey’s Pizza Bianco–a heavenly way to take in the necessary carbs and find a little piece on earth (with a good salad and a glass of red wine). [click to continue…]
A little fun first…this video is for all you fall marathoners out there. I was out for a run with my long distance friends yesterday, some of them had run the Chicago Marathon and they were back on the road. They are experienced marathoners and each have their own recovery methods. It’s amazing how great they looked. Here are five tips for recovery:
1–Keep moving after the race: walk as much as you can right after the race. A walk back to the hotel is great. A nap or at least a rest before hitting the town is also good. I am usually so excited it’s over that the adrenaline keeps me going until I collapse happily into bed. I feel like the more I move around (slowly) after any race, the better I feel the following week.
2–Re-hydrate immediately and eat as soon as you can: after all that goo/liquid during the race, it is sometimes hard to get it down but it is important for recovery. I usually eat a half of protein bar with a bottle of water/or a recovery drink (chocolate milk is good) until I can stomach dinner. A meal high in carbs with a little protein is perfect. A goat cheese, artichoke and roasted red pepper pizza with a glass of wine comes to mind…
3–Relieve muscle soreness/pain (right after): I always take an Advil right after a marathon. It takes away some of the muscle soreness. If I am really hurting in one area, I follow the RICE ( Rest-Ice-Compression-Elevation) routine. I am not one to jump into an ice bath, but I know runners that say it helps. I prefer a warm shower and some cozy clothes.
4-Rest: Take the next few days (or a week) off from running. Handle yourself with care. Your resistance will be down as your body recovers from the race. Eat good food and continue to hydrate. A massage feels great once the initial soreness goes. I like to stretch everyday (slowly-ouch!) to loosen muscles. [click to continue…]
The last time I ran a marathon, I took the Boltbus. This time, I am flying to Chicago…with some trepidation. The week before the race finds me frantically combing through my running log and training plans with that sinking feeling. It finally dawns on me that, thanks to my so called life (and sore knee), I have completed fewer long runs and less total mileage than ever before. Some of my long runs were dire. I worry, is a dark running cloud following me?
Chicago is my kind of town. A stroll through Millennium Park reveals flowered landscapes reminiscent of London’s Green Park, Grant Park (the setting of Obama’s election night speech) and the Jay Pritzker pavilion, an outdoor concert site designed by Frank Gehry. Its steel ribbons adorn the cityscape (once referred to as the City of the Big Shoulders.) We pass the Cloud Gate, an elliptical sculpture reflecting the skyline and the Crown Fountain, glass block towers that project video images of Chicagoans amidst jets of water. The Art Institute of Chicago’s Modern building is airy, light filled and uncrowded. We contemplate the mastery of a Magritte sunset. While passing the Gold Coast (Oprahland), overlooking Lake Michigan, we glimpse a beach with palm trees! We recall The Spirit of the Marathon documentary, wondering, “is this where they trained?”
The food is terrific. At Mercat a La Planxa, we savor Barcelona tapas and pineapple mojitos. The flavors are bold and vivid. Andrea discovers a night-before-the- race gem, Fianco-a neighborhood trattoria; new wave, yet hearty Italian fare. Jane and Ralph, married, veteran marathoners (and doctors!) bring a lighthearted air to dinner, reminding us to enjoy the ride.
We taunt the marathon gods by running in customary but new sneakers (Andrea), a brand new Chicago Marathon shirt (Jean) and a 2007 Vermont Marathon shirt (my own brand of lunacy.)
The race is huge, yet every detail is impeccably orchestrated (lightening quick check in at the expo, plentiful porta potties, Gatorade and water.) Waiting for the race, it is so very cold. By mid race, the temperature reaches the 50’s and it is sunny. [click to continue…]
