Posts

Showing posts from July, 2008

Race Report: NYC Half-Marathon

Image
Well, it turns out that last weekend's race was in fact the slowest of the 4 half-marathons I've run this year. While I was disappointed in my finishing time I'm really glad I ran the race. Running down Seventh Avenue from Central Park to 42nd Street - with the entire avenue blocked off on both sides and relatively full of spectators - was the coolest running moment I've ever had. Pictured below, courtesy of NYRR, is a view looking up Seventh; not as dramatic as the view I had looking south to Times Square and beyond, but it gives you a sense of what it was like. There was a brief period of time Sunday morning where I wondered if (hoped that?!?) the race would be cancelled due to some pretty impressive thunderstorms in the area. By the time I left our apartment at 6:15 the rain had slowed to a drizzle and the big thunder and lightning had moved out. After the storms departed we were left with....hot and humid. The NYRR stats page on the race says 70 degrees and 90% humi

A New Perspective On Hills

Image
I've always dreaded running hills and believe they are a weak spot for me. I will frequently pass people while running in the park on a flat or downhill grade only to be passed by those same people on an uphill. I'm reading a new book published this week called Run Faster from the 5K to the Marathon: How to Be Your Own Best Coach ; the author is a Brad Hudson, a coach who is currently training Dathan Ritzenhein , a member of the US Olympic team. Ritzenhein ran last Sunday's NYC Half-marathon in 1:01:38 - almost exactly half the time it took me; he placed third (the only American in the top 10) - about 4,900 places ahead of me. Kind of puts things in perspective.... In any case... Hudson's book is very good so far. One of the centerpieces of his training approach is the use of hills for a number of different purposes, the argument being that running hills can contribute significantly to overall fitness levels. Without having a fully developed plan for incorporating some

A Strange Definition Of 'Amenities'

Image
Also from the recent Chicago Marathon newsletter - some good advice for first-time marathoners: While there will be no shortage of runners leading the way, “knowing the course” means knowing the locations of the mile markers, aid stations, medical facilities, restroom facilities, PowerGel distribution, entertainment zones, and much more. As an endurance sport, the marathon will challenge you mentally and physically like never before. Being keenly aware of the resources and services available to you along the race course is critical. In particular, you should know where you can find race day essentials such as Hinckley Springs water, Gatorade, drop-out buses, medical and restroom facilities. These necessities can be found at the 20 aid stations along the course. Prior to the race, be sure to familiarize yourself with the aid station locations by viewing the course map and list of icons representing each amenity online at chicagomarathon.com. While you’re at it, learn the streets and ne

I LOVE THIS!

From the most recent Chicago Marathon newsletter: Did you know? The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is internationally known for its flat and fast course. There are no significant hills and the highest area of elevation is 24 feet.

A Very Fine Run

Had a really good run today - adding an extra lower loop of the park to turn a scheduled 7-mile run into 8.9 miles. Finished the run in 1:19:48, which is 6+ minutes faster than the last time I ran this route (about a month ago). It's a great feeling to run more than the target distance; I feel like it gives me flexibility to shorten or even skip a run later in the week. Seven tomorrow, three on Friday, and sixteen on Saturday....

Weekly Training Update, 11 Weeks To Go

Here's the week 6 training update: Week 6 target mileage: 40 miles Week 6 actual mileage: 38.6 miles Target cumulative miles through last week: 208 miles Actual cumulative miles through last week: 201.5 miles Variance: (6.49) miles Training miles to go: 418 Left it just a little short last week, so I've still not done a full 40 miles in a week. This week's number is *just* 37, including a 16 mile run on Saturday.

Race Results: NYC Nike Half-Marathon

Finished today's race in 2:02:47 (unofficial time). Not my fastest time and not my slowest time among the 4 halfs I've run this year. Full report to come later.

Running Down A Dream Does It Again & the NYC Half-Marathon

Image
Running Down A Dream calls out a pair of New York Times articles on half-marathons in Half Marathons are So Hot Right Now . You can find the NYT articles here and here . I'll be running in the NYC Half this weekend. Here's what I have to look forward to: Central Park At the Start, runners and spectators will hear the singing of the national anthem. NIKE Sponge Station - (Seventh Avenue btw 54th-55th Streets) Stay cool at the Nike sponge station. Times Square Sing-A-Long - (Eastside of Broadway and 44th Street) At 44th street and Broadway, spectators and runners alike will have the opportunity to sing along with Broadway performers as they belt out favorite classic songs. Don’t worry about forgetting the lyrics; they’ll be displayed on a giant video screen that will also feature a live runner cam. Who: Broadway performers Catherine Porter, Ben Roseberry, Susan Spencer and Matthew Stocke along with over 10,000 runners running through Times Square What: Sing-a-long to all-time f

A Great Story

Image
As you can imagine I love talking about my running journey with friends and colleagues. I have a colleague at work who is on her own running journey; she ran her first half-marathon earlier this year and is now training for the New York City Marathon. Check out this link to learn about her story.....

And I Thought It Was A Big Deal To Run A Marathon.....

Image
Jaw-dropping story from Wired Magazine on an ultra-long distance runner named Dean Karnazes: The Perfect Human . Karnazes at one point ran 50 marathons in 50 days. Wow. Some of my favorite quotes: SHOW YOUR BODY WHO'S BOSS: "The human body has limitations," Karnazes says. "The human spirit is boundless." Your mind, in other words, is your most important muscle. As a running buddy told him: Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention to arrive safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: Wow!! What a ride!" GET USED TO IT: "To prepare for the searing heat of the Badwater race, Karnazes went on 30-mile jogs wearing a ski parka over a wool sweater. He trained himself to urinate while running (emphasis added) . He got so he could go out and run a marathon on any given day – no mileage buildup or tapering required. This training made the extreme seem ord

Great Marathon Story

Image
I love the web. I am a regular reader of Lifehacker and read with interest a recent post called: The Best Tech Tools and Fitness Plans to Get in Shape. That post led to Hack Attack: Motivate yourself and Hack Attack: How to hack a marathon - two post chock full of goodies about preparing for and running a marathon (the Chicago Marathon specifically!). Best of all - a link to a runner's story of his New York City Marathon experience at The New York City Marathon: Now It Can Be Told . If you only have time for one of the links, check out the last one. Kind of makes me wonder why people put themselves through this....even though I really know the answer why.

The Big Picture

The Boston Globe runs a feature called The Big Picture , featuring 'news stories in photographs'. I've enjoyed it a lot in the couple of months I've followed it. The most recent entry is a set of photos from China - Beijing mostly - in advance of the Olympics. There are some great shots you can check out here .

Weekly Training Update - 12 Weeks To Go

Here's the week 5 training update: Week 5 target mileage: 37 miles Week 5 actual mileage: 36.9 miles Target cumulative miles through last week: 168 miles Actual cumulative miles through last week: 162.9 miles Variance: (5.14) miles Training miles to go: 458 No long run last week as I split Saturday's 13 mile run into 2 separate runs (see Commitment......or Insanity ). This week will be my first 40 mile week, and I'm off to a good start with 9 miles on the treadmill here in Baltimore this morning. Next week is an 'off' week - I have to run *only* 37 miles; after that - 7 weeks in a row over 40 miles, peaking at 45. Yeow! The NYRR/Nike NYC Half-Marathon is this coming Sunday, which will be a fun way to get in a long run.

Commitment......or Insanity?

This week's training schedule included a 13 mile run for yesterday morning (Saturday). While I thought I'd adjusted to the heat and humidity, that's apparently not the case. I set out at about 7AM yesterday and got my fanny kicked by the combination of heat, humidity, and hills up in Connecticut. I decided to stop after about 7.5 miles and call it quits. There's an argument to be made for running a route where quitting is not an option, as I stopped running at ou house just before beginning my second loop of Candlewood Isle. Given that I'd run 18 miles last weekend, I felt pretty lame for having stopped and had the sense that I could have in fact finished the planned 13 mile run if I'd just pressed on. In the end, I set out again late yesterday afternoon for another 5.5 miles, thereby finishing what I'd started. It was a grueling hour of running, but I felt great for having finished the day's target mileage (albeit in two segments) and enjoye

Fun Freakonomics Post

Funny post on the NYT/Freakonomics blog: Cheap Wine

Weekly Training Update - 13 Weeks To Go

Image
With my first really long training run under my belt, here's the week 4 training update: Week 4 target mileage: 35 miles Week 4 actual mileage: 36.1 miles Target cumulative miles through last week: 131 miles Actual cumulative miles through last week: 126 miles Training miles to go: 495 I feel I'm getting into a rhythm now. For the first couple of weeks of the training program, I wasn't dealing well with the fact that I *had* to follow a specific schedule; it was a big mental shift to go from a mindset of 'I'll do around 30 miles this week' to 'I have to follow a specific day-by-day plan if I'm going to get in all the appropriate training allowing for work trips, vacation, etc.' It's also a big deal for me to have gotten through the 18+ mile run last weekend as it gives me confidence in the training program and new insight into the mental and physical challenge of stretching out the distance to 26.2 miles. Although today's run was shorter th

Calling All Marathoners

My friend and marathon partner Chris and I were talking last week about what we might do the night of the marathon. Since neither of us has run 26.2 before, we don't have any sense at all of what we'll be up for. So....for those of you who have run a marathon - how did you feel the night of the race? What are we likely to have the energy for? Let us know in the comments or via email. Thanks!

Right Back At It.....

Had a very nice run this morning and felt no ill effects from the long run last weekend. I ran 6.2 miles total, including the 5.1-mile Central Park loop at a pace of 8:30 per mile. I think I'm finally getting used to the humidity and my pace is improving as a result. More details coming soon on Saturday's run as well as the weekly training report. Stay tuned!

Did It!

Don't have the official mileage yet, but I finished 18+ this morning in 3:14:30. Thank you to everyone who sent good luck wishes via the comments or email!

Wish Me Luck!

The marathon training program I'm using includes 5 runs of 18-22 miles. I'm doing the first of these tomorrow when I'm up in Connecticut. I'm shooting for 18, which will be 2 miles farther than I've ever run. I've been tired and achy this week. I'm not sure why but suspect it has to do with lots of mileage in the heat and humidity. Though I've been dreading tomorrow's run for most of this week, now that I've figured out my route I'm starting to get a bit psyched for it. Wish me luck!

Lots of Joe McNally....

Image
Joe McNally is a photographer who is well-known for the magic stuff he does with lighting. I came across a long entry on his blog today that I wanted to share with you. The entry, which is called Welcome Adorama! and concerns his efforts to maintain a group of photos he took for a project called Faces of Ground Zero, is an interesting story and has some great pictures. This post follows one from last week called Rollin' With The Pride of Midtown ; if you are interested in photography you'll enjoy his detailed description of how he captured this fantastic image of a firefighter driving his rig through Times Square. Even if you're not interested in the process you should still check out the photo! McNally published a book earlier this year called The Moment It Clicks: Photography Secrets From One Of The World's Top Shooters . I recommend it highly.

Random, But Interesting

Yesterday's run was 5.5 miles in Central Park; in just 49 minutes I lost 1.8 pounds of water.

Check Out My Wordle

Image
According to the Wordle web site , "Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes." Here's a wordle of The Longest Run from July 7, 2008.

"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional."

Image
Haruki Murakami has written a memoir titled What I Talk About When I Talk About Running that is worth checking out if you are a runner (full disclosure - I work for the book's publisher). The book will be released July 29th. The quote I used for the title of the post comes from this passage, where Murakami writes about a mental aspect of running marathons - having a mantra: One runner told of a mantra his older brother, also a runner, had taught him which he's pondered ever since he began running. Here it is: Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. Say you're running and you start to think, Man this hurts, I can't take it anymore. The hurt part is an unavoidable reality, but whether or not you can stand any more is up to the runner himself. This pretty much sums up the most important aspect of marathon running. An excerpt from the book was published in a recent issue of The New Yorker, but unfortunately all that's online at this point is an abstract . You ca

Weekly Training Update - 14 Weeks To Go

Image
I looked at the Chicago Marathon website today and was excited to see the countdown to the race is in double digits. Last week was a good training week, especially since it seems I'm over the cold that has been dragging me down. I might even be adjusting a bit to the heat and humidity..... The weekly stats: Week 3 target mileage: 34 miles Week 3 actual mileage: 34.7 miles Target cumulative miles through last week: 96 miles Actual cumulative miles through last week: 89.9 miles Variance: (6.1) miles The week four schedule includes runs of 5, 7, 5, and 18 miles. I'm a little intimidated by the concept of 18 miles, but there's not much to be done about that. I will be in Connecticut and will have to do three loops of our neighborhood (and then some) to get to the mileage goal. Not ideal, but better than running on the busy two-lane roads in the area. I'm still looking for good alternative routes in CT but haven't come up with anything yet. Overall, I'm feeling good

Is It Possible To 'Beat The Heat'?

Very relevant article in the New York Times on exercising when it's hot and humid: To Beat the Heat, Learn to Sweat It Out . Lots of information on why we're affected by the heat and humidity but unfortunately there's not much to be done other than just getting used to it, or as the article says: "Heat is the X factor. Sometimes you have to just forget it and move on."

If You Love Hamburgers.....

...then check out the recipe at Cook's Illustrated for Old-Fashioned Burgers . The site is subscription-only but this recipe is currently available free. I made these hamburgers a few weeks ago and can comfortably say they were the best burgers I've ever made!

Two Great Concerts

Image
I had the chance recently to see one of my favorite musical artists, Lyle Lovett, twice in the space of three days. Lyle played with his Large Band at the Beacon Theater in New York City on Sunday night and at Ives Concert Park (outdoors) in Danbury on Tuesday night. Both shows were fantastic. The band played a lot of songs from Lyle's most recent album, It's Not Big It's Large [Deluxe Edition] ; it's a great album you should check out if you've not heard it. We had a bit of rain at the show on Tuesday, but as we were walking in we were treated to two rainbows - something I've never seen before. In the photo below, the second rainbow is somewhat faint, but you can see it to the right of the very visible one. Below is a shot of Lyle and part of the band from the end of Tuesday's performance. The Large Band is a collection of a group of what seem to be pretty accomplished musicians, and it seems to me most of them have been touring as part of the Large Band fo

On Listening To Customers

Over at Photoshop Insider , today's guest blogger - John Nack, the senior product manager for Adobe Photoshop - has a great post responding to Photoshop Insider's poll asking users what new features they'd like to see in the Photoshop product. The post is a fascinating interesting inside look inside the innovation/product development process and the tradeoff between giving customers what they want as opposed to giving them tools they didn't even know they needed. There are parallels here to book publishing as well, where there's a sense that it's the publisher's role to be a tastemaker for the consumer - to select and publish books in anticipation of interests readers might not be able to identify.

Running In The Summer - Too Much Information?

Image
Dressed and out of the apartment about an hour after yesterday's 9 mile run, I'd clearly not had enough time to cool off as I arrived at work a dripping, sweaty mess. Later in the day I was pleasantly surprised to find Running Down A Dream 's Top 5 Tips For Post Run Cool Off ; the tips will come in handy over the next couple of months.

Weekly Training Update - 15 Weeks To Go

Image
This is the first of what I hope will be weekly posts as I work through my training program for the Chicago Marathon on October 12. First, some stats: Week 2 target mileage: 32 miles Week 2 actual mileage: 21 miles Target cumulative miles through last week: 62 miles Actual cumulative miles through last week: 55.2 miles Variance: (6.8) miles Last week was a pretty big miss. As I mentioned here , I was fighting (am still fighting) a head cold that has affected my running. After sleeping 10 hours on Friday night (about 4 more than is typical for me) and waking up feeling like junk, I decided I could not face the day's scheduled 15 mile run. Everything I've read so far suggests the weekly long run is the most critical part of a marathon training program; those runs are supposed to be sacred. I opted to take a sick day/mental health day in the interest of recovering more quickly and managed to make up some of the lost mileage by with a decent run on Sunday. The week three schedule