Monotony can kill off enthusiasm for our most intense passions. It's up to us to keep things fresh. For most of August 2009 to the present that passion has been running. Previously I was a faithful gym rat counting reps and not miles.
Early teenage asthma prevented me from running. I worked through it, managed it, and finally (mostly) beat it. Asthma be damned.
I chose the August 2009 New York City Half Marathon as my first race. I gave myself about 3 months to train. I set my goal for a sub 2-hour finish time. Results - 13.1 miles in 1:52:24 with a pace of 8:34. I will never forget what it felt like to cross that first finish line. In a word? Incredible! Yes, I cried.
What's happened since then?
A year of races, becoming part of a running team offering invaluable support and education, and discovering that New York City is the best place for me to live my life off the road and on.
My Personal Records:
4 Mi. - 2010 Run for the Parks - Central Park - 30:17 / 7:34 pace
5 Mi. - 2010 Father's Day - Central Park - 39:07 / 7:49 pace
10K - 2011 Joe Kleinerman - Central Park - 47:05 / 7:35 pace
1/2 Marathon - 2010 Staten Island Half - 1:44:55 / 8:00 pace
Marathon - 2011 Tokyo Marathon - 3:47:12 / 8:40 pace
60K (37.2 miles) - 2010 Knickerbocker - 6:49:41 / 11:00 pace - (took way too many breaks)
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
Free Marathon Panel Q&A
Been a long while since I posted anything. Guess I’ve been too busy training with my team and racing. To all, please RSVP here and register to participate in a free marathon panel which will provide helpful info on training and running the big race. Did I mention it was FREE? Hope you all out there can make it! If not, we will post a link to the recorded panel on our team website. All info is in the link.
Somewhere in the world someone is training when you are not. When you race him, he will win.
Tom Fleming’s Boston Marathon training sign on his wall
Ran 7 sets of 800s last night. I was pleased with pace again. I only did about 3 of these at 7 min/mile pace. The rest were sub 7 and holding 6:30 pace for a few felt okay. Great job to the team! They’re all getting so fast. It’s awesome to see this steady improvement.
Best part is no aches and pains today which means all the off the track strength training, stretching, compression wear, and cross training is paying off. Next up DC Sun Trust Half on March 26th. Like the quote says, with every 800 I huff and puff through that means maybe 2 people I can pass on the course? Can’t wait.
Good luck to all running the NYC Half this weekend!
…a reminder that The Dashing Whippets Running Team will be manning a water/cheering station at around mile 11. I LOVE watching runners racing as it’s inspiring as well as educational.
Then next week about 30 of us go to DC to run the Sun Trust Half/Full Marathon. I’m doing the half and am so psyched as it’s my favorite distance to run. Hoping for a PR!
To be nobody but yourself in a world that’s doing its best to make you somebody else, is to fight the hardest battle you are ever going to fight. Never stop fighting.
E.E. Cummings
It is very rewarding to feel and see progress. I am going to put my head down and keep plugging away. I believe the best is yet to come.
Shalane Flanagan, 2nd woman finisher at the 2010 New York City Marathon (via moveyourbooty)
I got chills when I read that interview with her in RW. Soon she and Goucher will be vying for the women’s Olympic marathon team spots. Go girls!
I got my picture on the NYRR website for the Al Gordon!
Matt, one of our fearless men’s captains running his a$$ off and getting his pic on the New York Roadrunner’s website. Yes, it’s cold but that’s the look of someone running their heart out. He’s often heard saying something to the effect, “If you don’t feel like puking at the end of a race, then you didn’t run hard enough.” Go Matt! Glad he’s on my side.
Here’s the Dashing Whippets plaque for third place in the NYRR Men’s B division!
A big shout-out to the guys on our team who took 3rd place! Hmmm, the women’s team really needs one of those for 2011. Running’s not about the medals or the accolades but they don’t hurt!
Endurance athletes in particular benefit from fuel-efficient complex carbohydrates because of the extra calories burned each day. You need to aim for even more total carbohydrates than the suggested 50 percent. You can eat (in fact, may need to eat) more total calories without worrying about weight gain. The average runner training for a half marathon and running 20 to 25 miles a week probably needs a daily caloric intake near 2,500 to maintain muscle glycogen stores. As your mileage climbs beyond that, you need to eat more and more food, not less. In all honesty, this is why a lot of runners run, and why they train for marathons. Their common motto is, “I love to eat.
Linda Houtkooper, Ph.D. a registered dietitian at the University of Arizona via Hal Higdon
(via queenoflean)
The caveat here is of course to eat for fuel to maximize performance and not just take in junk calories. I love to eat and it’s great to eat decadently from time to time but I wouldn’t try to fuel a 50 mileage week with sweets or junk food. But yes. If you’re running those miles…EAT! Go for it.
Mmmm…
Dinner will be late tonight, so a big breakfast was in order to last me slightly past lunch time so I won’t be starving come 5pm.
1/4 cup steel cut oats
1-1/4 cup frozen organic blueberries
1/4 cup greek yogurt
1 tbsp chia seeds350 calories; 55g carbs; 15g protein; 7g fat
I’m not going to lay off or quit just because I’m busy. If I used being busy as an excuse not to run, I’d never run again. I have only a few reasons to keep on running, and a truckload of them to quit. All I can do is keep those few reasons nicely polished.
Haruki Murakami, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. (via runningchitony)
Seize the [running] day!
