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Paula Radcliffe

{10 Questions} for Kara Goucher and her new MADD card and tee

by Monica on July 9, 2010

Kara Goucher is a rock star in the running world.  She is beautiful and sweet and tough and strong.  She has become the paradigm for the modern running woman and fast becoming it for the modern running mother.  I am waiting for her to meet me in the lobby of a hotel in NYC and enjoying the surreal feel of the moment…a journey that began months earlier by a simple gesture.   I have sent many of my Remanents running (and otherwise) inspired cards and tees to people I have genuinely admired over the years, and have received some of the most gracious responses.  The one I received from Kara Goucher was just that–a heart felt note and sincere interest in my running and business.  She makes her own cards to inspire her friends.  So I asked her to design one (just for fun) with me for charity and she was in.  Wow.

We live on opposite coasts, but with e-mails and mailings laced with reassurances like “less is more” and “keep it simple” flying back and forth, we very easily find common ground. We go with a Keith Haring-ish drawing by Kara and a Remanents pun (Kara is often described as a world-class runner “with a heart of gold”…she’s that, and BOLD).  It was an effortless collaboration as she picks a shirt style, envelope color and tells a story to inspire on the back.  She’s a designers dream.  Kara chooses MADD [Mother's Against Drunk Driving] as her choice of charity.  Her father was killed by a drunk driver years ago and this will honor his memory.  As a mother of teenagers and a young adult, this one is a cause close to home. (See article on Kara’s family and MADD)

I am really excited to see Kara coming through the front door of the hotel.  She greets me with a warm smile.  She introduces me to her good friend Paula Radcliffe (yes, I am kind freaking out a little to be among these ladies).  They have come from a luncheon and were just discussing the specifics of working out later in the hotel gym.  It could have been any one of the running women I know scheduling their next workout.  I am struck by their “normalness” and by the fact that they are working out the night before a race.  Paula catches the elevator back to her room and Kara and I head off to get the new “Kara-tee for Charity”.   She runs upstairs and returns shortly looking SO adorable with her baby belly and with husband Adam in tow.  LDFs Jane and Jamie have tagged along to help out and are masters at keeping her engaged in conversation while Andrea takes some shots.  Adam is charming and kind.

I get to jump in with Kara for a few of the photos and we head out onto the street in front of the hotel to take a few more.  We are amazed that this incredible couple is still hanging with this forty something crowd.  They are full of genuine excitement for the arrival of their son, a new house and the next part of life.  It was hard to remember that they are world class runners and not just another really nice couple from Oregon trying to give back.

So Kara and I hope you will consider buying one of these cards or one of these tees so we can donate 100% of the proceeds to MADD to honor her father.   They are only available online at Remanents.

Thanks Kara and Adam, you are a great couple and great sports and we know you will make incredible parents.

10 Questions for Kara:

1. Running skirt, friend or foe?

I have to admit this to everyone. I modeled one for a Nike catalog in 2007 and I really liked the skirt. I wore it a lot, even in the Olympic village! I got a lot of compliments on it. But I could never wear it for a hard serious workout, I just couldn’t.

2. What is your idea of the perfect run (details please…when, where with whom)

The perfect run would be on a beautiful sunny day in San Moritz. I have been lucky enough to enjoy several days of sunshine on the most amazing trails there. But for a perfect run, my dad would be there. That would be absolutely perfect.

3. What training tools/items/gear can you not live without? Will you use a jogging stroller?

I cannot live without my sports watch. I have never been able to just run and not worry about time. I like to document how far and fast I ran. No matter how fast or slow it was. I’m a bit obsessive about it. I love my sports watch! I doubt I’ll use a jogging stroller. When I run it’s my time, and I’m at “work.” I can’t imagine worrying about pushing my son around during that time.

4. What is your present state of running mind? Goals?

I am in my 7th month of pregnancy so running has taken a very different role for me right now. Instead of running as hard as I can and getting as fit as I can be, I have been able to just enjoy my running for what it is. It is time to reflect, time to see beauty, time to dream. I still have the same goals that I always have. Win a medal in the 2012 Olympics and win a Major Marathon here at home in the United States.

5. I was struck by the bond between you and Paula, what qualities do you value most in a (running) friend?

I value someone who is kind and thoughtful. I admire people who dream big and who hold themselves to high standards. I really appreciate people who are successful but don’t feel threatened by others. Paula is the greatest female distance runner of all time, but she doesn’t hesitate one second to help me out. That is a rare and wonderful quality. And you have to be able to be totally honest with a running friend. I love to talk, talk, and talk! I’ve gotten the closest to people on runs. There is an honesty there, you can share anything with each other.

OK, enough about running…

6. Best card you ever received? Given?

Asking me what is the best card I have ever received is like asking a mother which one is her favorite child. I have always loved cards. I have huge plastic tubs of them in my garage because I always save them. My mother is an amazing stamper and she has made me some of the most beautiful and clever cards, they are truly artwork. One of my closest friends always seems to send me a card at just the right time, when I am stressed or under the weather. Getting a piece of art in the mail is so amazing. To know that someone thought of you, that someone took the time to write it out and address it. That is a wonderful feeling. I am like my mom, but not as talented. I prefer to make a card, but I don’t have the skill she does. I am horrible at remembering birthdays or holidays, but I always send a card when I know one of my friends or family needs a smile. I have even given them to competitors who I see struggling! I just think that a card can lift someone’s spirits. It really can.
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{10 questions} for Liz Robbins author of “A Race Like No Other”

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by Monica on February 13, 2010

Before you run the New York Marathon, read Liz Robbin’s A Race Like No Other– 26.2 Miles through the streets of New York.  Actually, I think the book should be tucked into every swag bag with the t-shirt and race number.  Runners could fight pre-race jitters in bed the night before engrossed in these captivating stories.  Moreover, they could throw it in with their water and power bars the next morning and pass the dreaded hours of waiting time at the start with Paula Radcliff and Hendrick Ramaala.  Runners would appreciate the many volunteers they were about to pass in a whole new light (who may actually hand them their water).  They would become familiar with the sacrifices of the bold-hearted elite racers like those they will follow through the streets of NY. And how could they not be motivated by reading about the many individuals who overcame heart-wrenching adversity to make it to the starting line?  I would have loved that before I ran in 2008. This book had me at mile one.

We, at a bold pace, have devoured Liz Robbins’ astute and edifying articles about running and other sports in the New York Times and Well Blog. In fact, Liz’s article The Best Marathon Advice You’ll Ever Get (a favorite) will be sent to new marathoner friends in perpetuity. Are you sensing how delighted we are that Liz Robbins’ has agreed to answer our a bold pace questionnaire?

10 Questions for Liz Robbins:

1. Running skirt: friend or foe?

Foe. When I run, I want to wear shorts. When I play tennis, I wear skirts. When I played lacrosse and field hockey, I wore tartan plaid polyester skirts. Enough said.

2. What is your idea of the perfect run (when, where)?

When I covered the N.B.A. for the New York Times, I had my favorite runs on the road.

Venice Beach (not all the way to Santa Monica Pier) – a nice 5-miler watching the ocean

Dallas – Katy Trail (I always seemed to do that run when it was 92 degrees)

Miami – South Beach boardwalk/trail

But, my favorite quick run is in my backyard. A few blocks to Central Park, one loop on the upper bridle path, one loop on the reservoir.

3.  What do you most value in a running friend (or do you prefer music/sweet solitude)?

Encouragement. I run faster with a friend.

4.  What is your present state of running mind? How are those knees…will you ever run the NY Marathon?

My present state of running mind is…incredibly frustrated. I haven’t had a run longer than 30 minutes for months, and I’m spending most of my time on the elliptical right now. My doctor wants me to have arthroscopic surgery. My doctor thinks it’s essential because cartilage is roaming free in my right knee. I knew the pain and the clicking noises were not good signs. Any advice?

5.  Who is your favorite runner to watch (or to cover) and why?

Hendrick Ramaala.

Because he is so genuine and so wise. When I did research for my book, I stayed with him and his family for five days in Johannesburg, and they couldn’t have been more hospitable. Hendrick, the 2004 NYC champion, has time for everyone, young runners, recreational runners, he loves to impart his wisdom. Plus, at age 38, he goes for broke and always thinks he can win. He is an inspiration!

A close second would be Paula Radcliffe. Even though it’s very difficult to watch her as she bobs her head and always looks in pain (since she is), a race is never boring when she is entered.

6.  We think runners are tough (especially women runners!). How do they compare to the basketball players or tennis players you have written about?
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What’s the “right” BMI for a woman marathoner?…Weighing in

by Monica on May 3, 2009

I went to the sports medicine doctor this past Friday and it looks like I have two more weeks in the cast, two weeks of PT, then I can begin to ease back into training.  It gave me such a light-hearted feeling to know the end of my lay-up was near.  Take something away from someone to make them appreciate it…I miss running.

I am now thinking that I need to start getting obsessed about my body again (I know some people are good at that all the time- I am not one of them).  Not being able to exercise has taken it’s toll.  It’s time to shed those extra pounds that have made my jeans a little tighter and my stomach soft.  If I cut back on sugar and ramp up the intensity while training, I am usually able to get rid of the excess.  But what if I wanted to try (before training–because cutting back while training is so hard) to lose even more to improve my marathon time? If losing weight makes you faster, how much do I need to weigh?

I measure my BMI on the Runners World BMI Calculator…mine is 23.17.  The scale says this is normal. That doesn’t seem right, so I decide to calculate the BMI of some of women’s best marathoners:

Paula Radcliffe: 5′8″ -119lbs > BMI 18.09

Written on the bottom of the page on RW: “BMIs below 20.7 (for men) and 19.1 (for women) are considered unhealthy” (fine print must read…unless you are a really fast marathon runner).

Deena Kastor: 5′4″- 104lbs > BMI 17.85  (does this make her really unhealthy?)

Kara Goucher: 5′7″-120lbs >BMI 18.79

Why not try someone who doesn’t run…a swimmer…

Dara Torres: 5′11.5″ (She is almost 6 feet!) -149lbs >BMI 20.78…perfect.

Maybe these runners are just young…I try:

Joan Samuelson: 5′2″- 101lbs > BMI 18.47

Ok, so now I am thinking…next to my BMI it should say “not really normal (actually kind of overweight) if you are trying to improve your marathon time.”

I think I found my answer.

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