The Longest Run

Dear Mrs. Longest Run: there are others who know your pain: For Those Not Running, Training Can Be Just as Taxing .

Here's the report from the New York Times on this year's Chicago Marathon: Another Hot and Steamy Marathon in Chicago .

It's 5:30AM. Chris and I are up and getting ready for the big day. I had a short but good night of sleep (I woke up at 4AM) but feel rested and ready to go. Latest weather report looks ok. It will be in the low 60's at the start and the mid-70's by the time we finish, with partly cloudy skies and moderate humidity. We leave here in 45 minutes....

Had a nice time at the Race Expo picking up our race kit, checking out some running products, and meeting Tom Green of Runners' Lounge . You only have to spend 5 minutes at the Expo to get the sense this marathon is a huge event. Here are some pictures: (with an extra link in case you can't see the slideshow)

Here's a cool new interactive map of the marathon course - perfect for spectators trying to plan out where to catch their favorite runners (Mrs. Longest Run, this means you!). My favorite feature is the links to photos of spots along the course - definitely worth checking out. And for the real die-hards, here's a Google Earth file with this year's course.

I'm a big fan of the Runners Lounge website and blog; it's been a great source of information during my training. I recently signed up to participate in a 21-Day test of a self-massage tool called 'The Stick'. I'll pick up the stick at the Marathon Expo in Chicago this weekend and will write about my experiences in a dedicated forum on the Runners Lounge site. Related articles by Zemanta Announcing The Stick 21-Day Challenge Get Ready for Chicago! Carbo-Loading the Chicago Way

I can't express how moved I am by the outpouring of help in response to my request yesterday for doctor/physical therapist recommendations. In spite of a full day of meetings, I was able to see a doctor, have a physical therapy session, and get a set of x-rays yesterday. While I don't yet have the results of the x-rays, it seems that my problem is just a strained muscle rather than something more serious (like a stress fracture). I can now go into the marathon Sunday confident in the knowledge of what's up with my body. For those of you who are interested in the details, I have a strained adductor muscle in my right leg... I do have to say I was surprised to hear how many of you have physical therapists or massage therapists who you swear by - it makes me wonder what I've been missing out on! On a more serious note, the lesson learned is that it makes sense to develop a good relationship with a doctor and/or a therapist who can help you get through the inevitable ache...

Some interesting notes from the race organizer today. Exciting and daunting stuff.... Welcome to race week for the 2008 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. The race is only days away, and participants from across the country and around the world are waiting in eager anticipation to hit the ground running on the historic streets of Chicago, where more than a million spectators will be standing curbside and cheering them on. And... Question of the Month For our September Question of the Month, we asked: Marathon veterans, what last-minute advice would you offer someone who is preparing to take on the marathon for the first time? “There is only one piece of advice, and it's an essential element to having a good marathon. Quite simply, ENJOY IT! You have to get into the whole event, not just the race. Make the most of the Expo. Get excited about buying new running kit that will proudly tell your friends that you ran the 2008 Chicago Marathon when you get home. Go and check out some of th...

If you are interested in tracking me (or any other runner) as I progress through the Chicago Marathon, you can sign up here . Here's what you'll get (according to the official Chicago Marathon website): Spectators can electronically track multiple runners along the race course by receiving real-time updates via e-mail or text message throughout the race. Updates will be received as runners cross the 10K, halfway (13.1 miles) and 30K checkpoints, as well as the finish line.

Here's the week 15 training update: Week 15 target mileage: 35 miles Week 15 actual mileage: 28 miles Target cumulative miles through last week: 585 miles Actual cumulative miles through last week: 561.8 miles Variance: (23.15) miles Training miles to go: 41 Last week was ok. I had a great couple of runs in the middle of the week ( including Wednesday's new PR ) but somehow ran out of steam at the end of the week. Torrential rain knocked me off my game Friday morning (I couldn't run my typical 3 mile warmup in Central Park before doing strength training) and the hard session with my trainer Friday left me sore and achy going into Sunday's long-ish run; the run was supposed to be 15 miles but I went out assuming I'd only do 11. Conditions were gross - warm and humid - and it was one of those runs where every step was a chore. I've not gone back yet to look over the full training program, but I have the sense that my good training weeks (such as last week) are oft...

A few of you have asked if the race will be televised. Below is some information I recently received. I'll also post details soon on how you can get updates via email on the progress of specific race participants. 2008 Broadcast Information Whether you are in Chicago or across the world, you can catch live action of the 2008 Bank of America Chicago Marathon on TV, radio and/or the Web. Check out exclusive coverage from the Bank of America Chicago Marathon’s broadcast partners: *All times are Central Universal SportsNBC 5 Chicago NBC 5 News coverage begins at 6 a.m. followed by live on-air and on-line coverage of the 2008 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, 7 to 11 a.m. The Score Sportsradio 670 AM On race day, The Score Sportsradio 670 AM will bring you all the race action live from 7 to 11 a.m. Prior to race day, Bank of America Chicago Marathon preview shows will air on The Score Sportsradio 670 AM on Saturday, September 27, from 7 to 8 a.m. and Saturday, October 4, from 7 to 8 a.m...

Just finished the last long run of my training program. 22.06 miles at a pace of 9:49 per mile - in case you are wondering I was out running for 3 hours and 36 minutes. I would like for the time to have been a bit better but I receognize that it's been a long training week; including last Sunday's Queens half-marathon, I've run nearly 60 miles in the last 8 days. I'm definitely looking forward to a day off.

....for the 2009 NYC Marathon. With 9 races (including 5 half-marathons!) completed this year, all that was lacking was my volunteer duty. I worked the Long Training Run (a 20 mile run for people in training for this year's marathon) on Saturday; despite a crazy early start (I had to be in the park at 102nd Street on the east side at 6AM) it was actually a pretty enjoyable experience, aided by the fact that I saw three friends running while I was working the race. With the receipt of the note below, I'm officially in for 2009! Dear ANDREW On behalf of New York Road Runners, I want to thank you for volunteering at the Long Training Run # 2. NYRR and the 2342 finishers could not have put on the event without you. Be sure to save this email as a confirmation of your attendance. If you volunteered in order to earn entry into next year’s ING New York City Marathon (along with completing nine qualifying races and being an NYRR member as of January 31, 2008, and remaining in good stan...

Very helpful post over at Runner's Lounge yesterday: Tapering: The hay's in the barn . Only ten days remain before I begin my taper. One of the bloggers over at Runner's Lounge (Tom, a regular participant in the Chicago Marathon) recently left a comment on a post of mine. In the comment, he says: Thanks for leaving a comment and glad you get some benefit from Runners' Lounge. Seems like you made the right decision to skip the workout. And glad you had a good 20+ mile run. You'll do great at Chicago. I love running Chicago and have run it many years. I can be of any help, let me know. Keep up the good running and posting! Nice to have the support out there!

My training schedule for the Chicago Marathon includes three runs of 20 miles each and one run of 22 miles; starting this weekend I've got one of these extra-long runs every other week before beginning my taper (easing off the mileage to be fresh for the actual race). I got started at 6:15 this morning while it was cool (around 60) and very, very foggy; there were periods of time during the first 6 or 7 miles where I couldn't see more than 10 or 20 yards in front of me. Overall the run went very smoothly, though the last 4 miles were really, really, really, really tough. The pain and tiredness in my legs was like nothing I've ever experienced before and I also found it hard to concentrate - for a while I couldn't remember whether we live on Lake Drive North or North Lake Drive.... I'm very pleased with the final results: 20.75 miles in 3:30:54 - good for a 10:10 minute/mile pace. The pace of my long runs has gone from 10:36 to 10:24 to 10:10 in the last month, so I ...

Courtesy of Steve (thanks!), check out this slideshow of one man's marathon story: By the time I finish this talk, everyone here will want to run a marathon view presentation (tags: san francisco aids marat... the wall pasta glycogen )

On the occasion of passing the 800 mile mark last week, here's an update on the full year-to-date stats. These were the figures from the end of April : Days in 2008: 117 Runs in 2008: 63 Total mileage: 361 miles Total time running: 55 hours Average pace: 9:07 minutes/mile Races: 4 Runs >= 15 miles: 1 Runs between 10 and 15 miles long: 8 Runs between 5 and 10 miles long: 21 Runs less than 5 miles long: 33 And the latest figures (current through yesterday's run): Days in 2008: 216 Runs in 2008: 132 Total mileage: 830 miles Total time running: 127.2 hours Average pace: 9:11 minutes/mile Races: 8 Runs >= 15 miles: 4 Runs between 10 and 15 miles long: 17 Runs between 5 and 10 miles long: 55 Runs less than 5 miles long: 56 I've been really fortunate so far: no injuries (though plenty of aches and pains) and no major weather-related interruptions (though plenty of unpleasant heat and humidity). Here's hoping the good fortune continues!

Set out early this morning for the week's scheduled long run, planning to do 16 miles. I felt great for the first 12 miles or so and figured my pace would be pretty good as a result. I reached a point in the route where I knew exactly how much distance I had remaining, but my total time at that point seemed kind of high. When I finished and sat down to calculate the exact mileage, it turns out I'd actually run 17.3 miles. Oops! Overall, the pace was about 15 seconds/mile faster than my last long run, so I wasn't imagining things after all; I was a full 30 seconds/mile for the first 12 miles. While I expected to be slow given that this was my fifth day in a row to run, I suspect I benefitted from attacking the hills of Central Park earlier this week . Two other notable items: I completed the workout with only two stops - one time to fill my water bottles and one time for a pit stop at the gas station. Also.....I almost had my first experience throwing up from exertion/exhaus...

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 ...

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...