Race Recap: ING NYC Marathon

On November 2, I watched video of Red Sox left fielder Johnny Gomes placing the World Series trophy on the finish line of the Boston Marathon. It was described by some as a moment symbolizing triumph in the wake of tragedy, the uniting of victims of a horrible crime in celebration. I am sure for many—though not all—it was a moment of healing.

My moment of healing, however, did not come until the next day. As I wrote in this space earlier this year, as a Boston Marathon veteran, the marathon bombings felt deeply personal to me. When I ran Boston in 2011, the marathon course, and the sport of marathon, became a part of me. Since that date, I have felt a need to reclaim the marathon for myself, to prove to myself that the joy of marathoning had not changed and to feel like I was a part of the resilience—and that is how I ended up on the morning of November 3, and the foot of the Verrazano Bridge, determined to run 26.2.

Despite the chilly air and win, I loved running across the Verrazano. The view of the city was amazing, and the energy of the runners even better—we had all worked so hard to get that moment, and finally it was happening. When we pulled into Brooklyn two miles later, I took out my headphones and tried to take it all in. The crowd energy was incredible. I ran up 4^th Avenue screaming Boston Strong at every Red Sox hat I saw in the crowd as I powered north.

I was finishing a strong first half of the race as I pulled into Queens. Seeing my family in Queens gave me a great boost, and even better, Natalia jumped in to run with me through what is said to be the hardest part of the marathon, the slow uphill over the Queensboro Bridge. We hit Manhattan and were greeted by incredible crowds. Sixteen miles down. Only 10 more to go.

At about Mile 18, my left foot started to hurt, my quads got tired, and I became daunted by the fact that I still had 8 miles to go. I told myself to just push through to Mile 21, where my family would be waiting. Breathe deep, enjoy the sounds of the marathon, one foot in front of the other. Somehow it worked, and seeing my family motivated me to have another good mile.

Until Mile 23.  Fifth Avenue toward Central Park is a gradual uphill, and though I ran this mile in training, it was much harder when I already had 23 miles under my belt. My left knee hurt on hills. My hips hurt. I had a toe that was killing me. I was disappointed in myself for slowing down after my strong start. I wanted to be done.

The scene on Central Park South.

Somehow I slogged through, and soon there was the 25 mile marker. So close. I picked the pace back up and was determined to finish strong. Seeing Dave and my Dad on Central Park South motivated me to pick my knees up high and keep running. 800 meters. 400 yards. 200 yards. I can see the finish line. And before I knew it, I was there. I had finished the New York City Marathon in 4:45:14, six minutes faster than my Boston time.

I tore out an Asics ad from the NYC Marathon program two years ago: “First you feel like dying, then you feel reborn.” I could not think of a better way to describe running a marathon. When the medal was put around my neck, I felt like I stepped into a better version of myself. One that was strong, wiser, and capable of overcoming anything.  

At home that night, I kept thinking of ways I could have done it better. I should do two 21-mile runs in training to work on pushing through the 18-mile wall. I should work on having negative splits. On the tough mile 23, I was actually disappointed in myself—I was running near the 4:30 pacer for much of the first half, and I could have finished in 4:40 if only I had been able to better push through the walls. I am, however, extremely proud of my finish—picking the pace back up at the end is not something I was able to do as a runner two years ago.

I owe so many thanks to so many people for their love and support throughout my training process, but few shout outs in particular are warranted: to my parents, both for driving down to New York and for years of being my number one fans; to my sister Sara, for trekking through four boroughs to see me, to my Mexican sister from another mister, Natalia, for being the most amazing cheerleader and training pacer, to Sophy, for organizing an amazing post-marathon party, and to Dave, for, well, everything.

But most of all, I owe a thank you to the city of New York, for giving me the opportunity to accomplish both a dream and some emotional healing through running. The race reminded me that marathoning represents the best of the human spirit—people pushing their bodies to achieve new feats, determination and will triumphing over the physical, community uniting to cheer on strangers as they perform these acts. I was truly blown away by the number and energy of the spectators throughout the boroughs. NYC, you are now right there with Boston, tattooed on my feet, and I will forever be grateful for this experience.

I get by with a LOT of help from my friends

With only six weeks left to go until the NYC Marathon, last week was time to step it into gear—more mileage, and a long run of 18 miles.

I was much more nervous than expected going into the 18-miler. In every other long run I had done (training for the Boston Marathon, the Marathon itself, and a 16-miler last month), I bonked out at Mile 14. I’d hit a wall where I just felt like there was nothing in the tank, and my legs would stop turning over quickly. I could get through the remaining miles through a combination of running, walking, and sheer determination, but it never felt good. Since I planned to do my 18 with one of my best friends biking for 14 and running the last four, I was rather embarrassed that she might see me struggling through the bonk.

I was in New England for the weekend for the Jewish holiday, and we chose a route around the Mystic lakes: a 7 mile loop that we would do twice, with Shannon joining for the first loop, then a 4 mile loop where Natalia would get off the bike and run with me. It started off perfectly—the weather was slightly cool, and I was so busy catching up with my friends that I barely noticed the first 5 miles go by.  We missed a turn that caused the loop to go from 7 miles to 5.4, but I knew I could easily make it up.

After we said goodbye to Shannon, we continued on for what felt like an hour. I checked the mileage, and we were only at 8.2. Not even halfway there. Ugh.

But then a funny thing happened. To correct the prior mistake, we started running down side streets…we’d go out half a mile or a mile, then come back. 8 became 9, 9 became 11, 11 became 13, and our pace was still sub-11 minute miles…then up Mystic Valley Parkway to the parking lot where Natalia would stash her bike, and we were at 14.5. Two out of three phases complete.

Natalia and I set out toward Bacon Street, and another funny thing happened: I felt okay. My quads felt a little worn, and I wasn’t going fast, but I felt like I had some fuel in the tank and was still doing sub 11 miles.  We rounded a cemetery, went through some side streets, then took a right back on Mystic Valley Parkway. As neared the end, Natalia started to sprint. And without thinking about it, I did too.  I am not sure if I was running off real energy or adrenaline, but it was a runner’s high better than any I had ever felt before.

I am not sure if my strength came from just having a good day, if years of training have just made me stronger, or if I finally figured out my nutritional issues. But I know that a large part of why I ran so well is that I was just having so much fun with Natalia and Shannon.

I have always thought of myself as a beginning runner. I took up running late in life, when I started a stressful law firm job and wanted an excuse to be outside more. Even after I ran my first marathon, I felt that running was a hobby I had only recently gotten into. But with the 5^th anniversary of my first road race having occurred a few months ago, I recently realized, running is not a new hobby for me but a lifestyle. I love to always be training for something, to plan all my meals around fueling for a long weekend run, to get up on a Saturday morning and spend most of the day running or biking, and to be too tired to do anything else because I got up early for the activity.

A huge part of truly feeling like a runner is having become friends with an amazing group of women for whom endurance sports are a lifestyle.  These women, who I met through a now-defunct company called Boston Performance Coaching, made training not just something I did for an hour ever day, but the purpose of my days.  Even after having left Boston for New York, the women I met through BPC continue to offer me training advice and support (in both athletics and life) on a daily basis. Though many, including myself, have mixed emotions about the company itself, I will forever be grateful to the group for introducing me to these incredible women, who have helped me achieve things I never thought possible.

And also, they are responsible for me eating a lot of recovery bacon.

Adventures in Urban Cycling

The Queensboro Bridge. I'll be running over it in just 98 days.

The plan for June and July was simple: 10-12 mile run on Saturday, then long bike ride (50+ miles) on Sunday. Add a few short workouts during the week and I’d be all set—ready to ride 190 miles in the PMC and start my long marathon training runs in August. The problem with the plan: I didn’t realize how exhausting 7 weeks of back-to-back intense workouts would be.

The problem with this schedule, I realized, is that I never got a chance to sleep in. Every single morning for 7 weeks, I had to get up and be somewhere, either work or a work out. Many of these workouts occurred on mornings after I had been traveling or at an event and I didn’t necessarily get 8 hours of sleep. After an abnormally hot weather long run and a hilly 80-mile ride last weekend, I was dying for a morning to lay in my bed, sip my coffee leisurely, and just relax.

So I cancelled my 50 mile ride today in Northern Jersey today and decided instead for an afternoon “tourist ride.” Though there are bike paths along the entire circumference of Manhattan, I’ve never actually ridden the loop. The paths are relatively flat, and you can’t go very fast due to the number of casual riders and runners on them. It would be a perfect route for a relaxing pre-PMC ride.

The Freedom Tower.

It started off well. I entered the West Side Highway bike path around 91^st street and headed south. On the west side, the lanes are wide and well marked. The weather was cloudy and a bit rainy at times, which made the crowds slightly thinner. As I headed into Lower Manhattan, I got a nice view of the new Freedom Tower, which I had never seen in its full glory previously.

Battery Park was a mess—construction meant that I had to ride in the road, which was rather congested. I followed a rider with a bell through the traffic and soon found myself on the East River path. This was not so pleasant. The path is narrow in many parts and a bit ugly (some stretches are under overpasses). It stops completely at 37^th street because the UN building is in its path, and one has to ride streets up to 63^rd.  Somewhere in the 80s, it stops completely again, and one has to climb a staircase to the overpass where it continues. Throughout lower Harlem, the “path” is made of tiles, which make for a rather bumpy ride on a road bike.

Though the path is named the “Manhattan Waterfront Greenway,” it actually leaves the waterfront at 120^th street and one has to head inland across Harlem to catch it again. I enjoyed seeing the beautiful old brownstones of Harlem for a bit, but when I got to upper Harlem, I couldn’t find the entrance to the trail. The bike path signs pointed down a hill, and a bike lane went down the hill a few blocks and then just stopped at an entrance ramp to the Harlem River Parkway.. I stared at the fork for a good 5 minutes and finally realized that there was a small break in a cement barrier that lead to a sidewalk. I followed that and it put me back on the trail.

Bottom of the GW bridge.

I had to take another street detour when the trail ended at Dyckman Street. Again I had an issue with a lack of signage to where the trail picked up again on the Hudson River at the GW bridge, but I found my way fairly quickly. The upper part of the Hudson was beautiful—lush greenery, wide lanes, and lovely views of the river. I enjoyed seeing how many people actually use the green space, and in particular, smelling delicious bbq they were cooking.  I quickly made my way south back to my starting point and headed home.

It was just the workout I needed for today—time in the bike seat without being too physically challenging. Though it wasn’t the nicest ride ever from a serious rider perspective, it’s pretty awesome when you think about how much green space Manhattan has given the number of people and the value of that space.  This space is used by an amazingly diverse set of people for a number of purposes, and it made me feel good about NYC to be a part of that.

With this, I will declare my PMC training officially done and take it easy this week. Next stop: Sturbridge!  

My Journey to 26.2: The Challenges of Desert Training

My Vegas bike. Don't tell my New York bike about her.

My first week of official marathon training offered an easily doable set of workouts (short run, a few short bike rides, and only 10 miles on the long run) but rather daunting weather conditions: temperatures in the 110s while I was in Vegas for the holiday weekend.

I have been struggling with training in Vegas for the past year and a half, since I started dating a wonderful man who lived there.  The situation poses a number of unique challenges.

First is jet lag. It’s not just that Vegas is 3 hours behind New York—the Vegas lifestyle causes bedtime to be about 9 hours behind New York. Staying up late the night I get to Vegas results in my body being completely confused about when to sleep, which in turn causes me to lack energy for the long run.  My body similarly gets confused about when it is supposed to eat and how much.  I hate getting up early when I’m in Vegas because it puts me on the complete opposite schedule of Dave (who works nights). But on many days, early is the only time it’s cool enough to work out outside.

Which leads to the second challenge, climate.  June and July are unbearably hot in Vegas, and even in the other months when it’s a bit cooler, there are few trees to prevent the sun from completely baking you. At all times of year, the air is extremely dry, which is hard on your lungs if you are used to humidity, and even harder from a hydration perspective.  There are few public water fountains in the neighborhood where I run and no carts selling water like there are in New York.  Last weekend, the temperature did not dip below 100, which meant that there was no point of the day when I felt it was safe to run outside. 

The third challenge is finding a place to work out. Dave lives in the middle of a hill, which means that somehow whichever way I go when I head out his door, I end up doing the first few miles of my run uphill. I belong to Equinox, which doesn’t have a branch in Vegas, and the boutique gym trend (where one can pay for things like spin and pilates by the class) has yet to really hit Vegas. Much of my athletic equipment (bike, bike trainer, foam roller, yoga mat) doesn’t fit neatly into a carry-on suitcase.  I broke down and bought a bike in Vegas a few months ago, but finding a place to ride has been difficult, because to get to Red Rock Canyon, where most cyclists in Vegas hang out, I have to ride 8 miles uphill.

Obstacle course race in Vegas in May.

So how am I overcoming these challenges? I’m trying as hard as I can to schedule my longest runs for weekends when I am in New York. I’m not wild about running in the humidity either, but at least in New York, it’s easy to get water on the run. When I do have to do long runs in Vegas, I’ll either do 5-mile long loops around the house or have Dave create water stops for me so I can refill my water bottle at regular intervals. I’ve been experimenting with various forms of hydration. For running, I need water in the bottle I carry to wash down my Gus, but I drink electrolyte drink at the water stops (I’ve come to prefer Nuun over Gatorade because it has less sugar). For cycling, I invested in a Camelback insulated water bottle, which really does work to keep my water fairly cool despite the sun.

I also broke down and joined a local Vegas gym. I spent a long time looking for day passes and pay-by-class gyms so I would only have to pay for what I used, but I figure out that these options cost more than the monthly membership at the Las Vegas Athletic Club. The gym is not fancy (I have to bring my own towel) but it serves its purpose.  And, it has an indoor track that is rather nice—no incline, and about half of it is framed by floor-to-ceiling windows that look out onto the desert.  I got a little dizzy after 2 miles of loops, but I was able to alternate 2 miles on the track and 2 on the treadmill to get in 10 miles last weekend.

I’ve yet to figure out a good solution on the jet lag other than just powering through to the best of my ability.  I’m opting for fewer, longer trips to Vegas this fall instead of frequent short ones, which I hope will let me adjust better to the time changes on both ends.

Now, if I could just figure out how to run in New York’s insane humidity.

My Journey to 26.2: Here We Go Again

Monday, July 1. For two months this date has been highlighted on my calendar: start of NYC Marathon training.  As today, I am committed to 16 weeks of early morning runs, a pasta and gu diet, blisters, and no excuses.

To be honest, I am a bit scared. Training for the Boston Marathon two years ago was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.  I woke up at 5:30am every day, I rarely hung out with people unless they were willing to run with me, I left parties at 10pm because I was too tired, and I went on exactly zero dates. I went 112 days without missing a workout, and the only reason I broke the streak was that keeping up the streak caused me to get bronchitis.  I loved the challenge of pushing my body to new levels every weekend, but I hated the stress and exhaustion that came from balancing an intense workout schedule with my job. Though I knew I had guaranteed entry into the NYC Marathon, I spent most of the beginning of the year making excuses as to why I couldn’t run: the timing wasn’t right, I travel too much, it would be too hard to balance the training against my long distance relationship.

Then the Boston Marathon bombings happened. On the night of April 15, all I wanted to do was run 26.2 miles. I began doing some longer runs as part of training for the Covered Bridges Half Marathon on June 2, and suddenly I felt incredibly grateful for two working legs and the chance to push myself through running. Four thousand people were denied the opportunity to finish the Boston Marathon because of terrorism. Fifty thousand people were denied the opportunity to run NYC because of Hurricane Sandy last year. I had the required mileage base from training for CBHM. I couldn’t pass up this opportunity.

Having made a decision, I’m going to need a few things to help me through the training:

1) Training Plan: the amazing Kelly Cassidy, who took a girl who struggled through 11-minute miles and turned her into a marathon runner, kindly agreed to create a training plan for me. The concept will be the same as last time (alternating weeks of intensity and recovery) but the running mileage will be more. I did a lot of cross-training for Boston because my body wasn’t quite ready to absorb the impact of intense running. I’m a more mature runner now and ready to push myself a bit more on mileage.  

2) Outfit: Looking good is key to any successful training plan, and most of my running gear was for cold weather since the winter I trained for Boston was so brutal. Lucky for me, Lululemon’s spring color happens to be my favorite color as well: purple.  (Thanks also to Natalia for my awesome purple “I don’t sweat, I sparkle” shirt).

3) Training Music:  I have to recycle songs for longer runs, but for short ones, I created a nice playlist to spice things up. Fun.’s Carry On really speaks to me right now (good recovery after hills song), and I downloaded a few hits from the Biggest Loser soundtrack to motivate me.   

4) Ground Rules: A few guiding principles to help me do this right:

·      No flip flops. I love the ease of slipping them on, but the movement of using your toes to keep your shoes on kills your feet. My two favorite pairs are going in the trash today.

·      Flexibility is a good thing. I did a lot of classes the first time around, which meant that I was committed to the same schedule every week. This time, I want to allow myself to move workouts around so that I can have more of a social life—and in particular, accommodate my relationship. I’m looking forward to the flexible cross-training days that Kelly has built into my schedule.

·      Don’t be afraid to take an extra day off. As long as I get in my long runs, I’ll make it through 26.2. If I’m not feeling well, or jet leg is killing me, I’ll be better off in the long run if I take an extra day off during the week.

·      Don’t skip the stretching. Avoiding injury is crucial. I’ll be taking another session of an awesome yoga workshop, JackRabbit’s Yoga for Athletes, starting August 14, and will be committed to this and foam rolling after all long runs.

Though I’m nervous, I’m also excited. Running Boston made me a stronger and better person—and that’s why I took what happened on April 15 so personally.  I can’t wait to see what joys come from going through the 26.2 experience a second time.

Race Report: Covered Bridges Half Marathon

The group was all smiles before the race.

The Covered Bridges Half Marathon was going to be MY race. I picked the perfect course—fairly   My four long training runs were the strongest I’ve ever had in training.  I hydrated for three days in advance and was careful in my diet to build up carbs but avoid sugars. I picked out the perfect outfit (purple of course). For the first time in two years, I felt like I had a chance at a PR. But Mother Nature threw me a curve ball: a heat wave.

flat, with idyllic scenery.

I spent most of the ride to Vermont the day before the race watching the car temperature climb—90, then 93, then 95. I am slightly accustomed to running in heat thanks to having to train on weekends spent in Vegas, but not at all acclimated to running in humidity. On paper, it was in the mid 70s when the race started, but without a cloud in the sky and near 100% humidity, it felt significantly warmer.  

By the first water stop, I knew just finishing was going to be a struggle. My leg muscles were swollen from the heat and already feeling tight. I could feel my heart racing and started to feel a bit light-headed.  I said goodbye to my dream of a 2:05 finish and I quickly switched to survival mode—walking through water stops every two miles so I could grab two cups of water, walking for a minute whenever I felt my heart rate get too high or got chills, and overall, just trying to enjoy the opportunity to have such a beautiful run instead of worrying about time.  It took me a good mile to get over the disappointment, but once I stopped worrying about time, the miles began to melt away. I crossed the finish line at 2:19:19—over a minute faster than my prior time on the CBHM course.  

My reward for a job well done.

[The race did end up being a PR in terms of the quality of bacon consumed post race. Thick, local cob smoked bacon is so delicious you will want to move to Vermont and get a farm with a golden retriever just so you can eat it every weekend. But I digress.]

Every mile of this race was one of the most hard-fought for miles I have run in my life (rivaled only by the last 10 of the Boston Marathon). But they were also some of the most worth it. The course truly is beautiful—it weaves through the adorable classic New England town of Woodstock, over a covered bridge, past some farmlands (first time I have ever been cheered on by a cow), and then winds along the Ottauquechee River to the Quechee Gorge. (first time I have ever been cheered on by a guy in a kayak). After so much training in New York City, running in the quiet countryside was a huge treat. Numerous bands played along the course (and unlike the Rock and Roll races, these bands were actually good). I particularly appreciated the brass band at Mile 10—brass bands always remind me of my grandmother (a trumpet player), and thinking of her strength in life motivates me.

I also learned an important lesson: sometimes pushing through an obstacle (heat, injury, emotions, etc.) is more of an accomplishment than a time PR. I am proud of myself for understanding my body and the science of running well enough to know what to do to get myself through the tough conditions. I am happy with how strong I felt during the parts I did run despite the bad weather. I am proud of myself for balancing a long distance relationship and long distance running and for getting my training runs in despite constant jet lag.  In training for this race, I put myself in a position to take on a goal I have had for the past two years—running the New York City Marathon. 

So, I better figure out how to run in heat and humidity. Training for New York starts 4 weeks from tomorrow, and it’s not getting colder any time soon.

Love that Dirty Water

April 18, 2011—the day I ran the Boston Marathon—was one of the best days of my life. I spent most of my life hating running, but I fell so in love with the lore of the Boston Marathon that I dedicated a year of my life to preparing myself for the challenge of running 26.2 miles. I pushed through Heartbreak Hill, kept going when I wanted to give in, and had the most incredible feeling of accomplishment and pride when I crossed that finish line.  Today 23,000 people woke up thinking that the day would be one of the best days of their lives, and it turned out to be one of the worst for many of them and their friends and family.

I am always sad when I hear news reports of mass violence, but today felt personal. Though I am temporarily displaced from Boston, it will always be my home. Having had the experience of running the Marathon forms a huge part of who I am. I have witnessed countless marathons in Boston and I know the Marathon is not just about running 26.2 miles. It's about the entire community coming together to celebrate the patriotic history of the city and to push ourselves to accomplish feats we never thought possible. The Marathon is Boston and Boston is me.

A friend said it best: “As a runner, as a Bostonian, is like such a personal attack on your family. And if you want to fuck with my family, you fuck with me.”

I started off feeling sad and worried. Then I began to feel angry. And then I started to want run. I had a sudden urge to lace up my shoes, go out to Hopkington, and show those responsible that they cannot take this away from me. There is no doubt in my mind that the Marathon will go on next year, and it will be Boston’s way of showing the world that we are strong. And I want to be a part of that.

So if anyone hears of a charity spot for 2014, please let me know. I’m all in for Boston.

Becoming an Urban Cyclist

This morning I found myself actually in New York City and without work for the first time in over a month. Since it is spring and the day was warm and sunny, there was only one thing to do: get on the bike.

I was a bit nervous heading out for today’s ride because it was my first time exploring NYC by bike outside the confines of Central Park (I refuse to count last year’s 5-Boro bike ride as exploring by bike because I walked at least half of it due to crowd congestion). I am afraid of bridges, and it turns out I live on an island, and thus any serious bike riding is going to involve at least two bridges. But more than the bridges, I was nervous because I am used to throwing the bike on the back of the car and driving to a ride start out in the open where the roads are wide and contain few stop lights.

I chose a New York Cycle Club ride from City Hall to Rockaway Beach that would be a total of 45 miles. I had been wanting to check out the group for some time now, and today’s ride was billed as a slow, social trek, perfect for my first long ride of the season. And indeed, it was. We headed out over the Williamsburg Bridge and then came up into Park Slope and Prospect Park. Then into Ditmas Park, which I was surprised to learn is a rather suburban neighborhood full of gorgeous houses.  Much of the first 10 miles was stop and go through the streets of Brooklyn, but I did not mind the extra time in the sunshine.

We wove out through Sheepshead Bay, and there I got my first glimpse of ocean for the day. Then over the Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge and we were in Rockaway. Rockaway is, apparently, a peninsula to the south of Brooklyn, home to miles of beach that I had no idea existed in New York City proper. We rode north a bit, grabbed food at a bagel bar, and enjoyed delicious sandwiches overlooking the ocean, watching surfers try to ride tiny waves.  The scene was absolutely perfect: sand, water, blue sky, that amazing ocean smell.

After lunch, we headed over the bridge into Howard Beach, then enjoyed a tour of scenic Queens. Howard Beach was not exactly as nice as Rockaway, but I did enjoy seeing a few new Queens neighborhoods and particularly liked riding through Forest Park. We took the Queensboro bridge back into Manhattan and the views of the city skyline were just beautiful. The group disbanded at 60^th and 1^st, and then came the real challenge: biking through Manhattan streets to get home. Luckily, despite the best attempts by tourists in Central Park to stand clueless in the bike path, I made it. 

I loved today’s ride because it epitomized everything I love about biking: spending warm days outside, learning new things about the area in which you live, and the feeling of accomplishment that comes from taking yourself so far on just your little bike.  Though at points I longed for the open roads of Concord and Lexington, I also appreciated the unique things that one can see by cycling through city streets.

The one downside on the day (well two if you include the awkward sunburn on the lower half of my arms) was that smelling the ocean air reminded me of the “Lobster Roll ride” that the PMC crew and I did the last two years, which in turn made me really “homesick” for biking with them. In particular, for two years, Jen has been right behind/ahead of me on the roads almost every summer weekend, through hundreds of miles of hills, in heat waves and rain storms. Even though we’ll still do the PMC together, training without Jen and the rest of the gang is going to be sad, because that is the essence of summer to me. I am glad to have made new friends today and explored new areas, but I can’t wait to see the old ones on August 4.

Half-marathon Fever

I’m a bit stressed at work today (I’m second-chairing my first trial starting a week from today), and taking a break to plan races always makes me feel better.

The first half of 2012 looks like it’s going to be a giant wash for me race-wise. For various reasons, it’s been a rough couple of months at work, both in terms of hours and stress-level, and I’ve been traveling a ton (some for work, some for fun). Usually training helps me de-stress from work, but what I’m finding right now is that because I am being pulled in so many different directions, my brain and body reach points where they just shut down and all I can do is lay on the couch and watch old Friends episodes on Nick at Nite. I had to give up the dream of a fall marathon because I just can’t handle that structured a schedule this year. I’m signed up for an Olympic triathlon in June (Rev3 Quassy), but right now I’m 50/50 on whether I’m actually going to do it.

But, my trial will be over by May 11 at the latest, and I’d like to do some various stress level improvements at that time, including re-focusing on training. Today’s Boston Marathon inspired me to plan my race schedule for the rest of the year.

Here’s what I’m thinking:

August 4-5 Pan-Massachusetts bike ride. 190 miles and a least 10 fluffernutters.  I can’t wait.

August 26: I’m torn between the Queens half-marathon and the Cranberry Olympic triathlon. Queens has two advantages: I don’t have to travel, and it’s a scored race that counts toward my 9+1. But that doesn’t leave me much time to build up the running distance after PMC, and it could be a rather hot 13.1 that time of year. Cranberry is my favorite triathlon course, and some of my Boston tri friends would likely join me.

October 9: Staten Island half-marathon. Local and gets me credit toward the 9+1.

November: Debating between Newton Chilly half (Nov. 11) and Philly half (Nov. 18). Newton is one of my favorite courses despite the hills and represents Nos. 2 and 3 on my list of top times. And many of my friends race it. Philly is supposedly a beautiful and flat course, and it would be nice to try something new.

December 15: Toying with the idea of the Hoover Dam half. I go to Vegas all the time anyways, so it would be nice if one of my trips could enhance rather than detract from my racing. But desert air is not easy to run in, and the early race start time could hamper Vegas festivities. At least the race is on Saturday morning so I could still enjoy Saturday night in Vegas.

I can’t decide whether three halves in three months is a great way to work on speed or a great way to injure myself and have a bad last race. I learned this past fall that three weeks apart is too close for halves if I want to race them hard, but I would get a full month between all of these races.

Thoughts? And more importantly, who wants to join me?

To 26.2 or Not to 26.2?

When I signed up for the 2011 Boston Marathon, I thought that I was just checking an item off my bucket list. But somewhere during the training process, I convinced myself that not only could I run a marathon, I was a marathon runner.

Following Boston, I set my sights on Marine Corp Marathon for 2012. I wanted something in the fall, it has a great reputation, and it has personal meaning to because my brother-in-law and his brother were Marines. But now that registration is in a few days, I’m having second thoughts.

Training for a marathon is probably the most rewarding thing I have ever done. But it took a lot out of me.  I got up at 5:30am most weekdays, did some sort of intense workout, went to work, got home around 8, and tried to get in bed as fast as possible. I was constantly tired from this schedule, and my social life was limited by the strict nature of the schedule. In February and March, there were a grand total of 2 nights when I stayed up past midnight, and 1 night when I set foot in a bar (where I drank water the entire night). I had exactly zero dates during this time. By the time I started my taper, I could barely even breathe thanks to a sinus infection that turned into a lung one due beating up my body for all those months.

And during this time, I was lucky to not be busy at work.

My concern with signing up this year is that between work and various family/life commitments, I have spent most of 2012 feeling like I have the weight of the world riding on my shoulders. I wake up in the morning, look at the pile of dirty clothes I haven’t had time to put away, and wish the world would just slow down its spin for a few minutes so I could catch up. Then I go to the office, where 15 different people want something different from me at all times. I’m scheduled to second-chair a trial in April, which means the next two months are not going to get any better—in fact, they will probably be worse.

On the other hand, while sometimes my workout schedule may make me appear to the world as insane, it is what keeps me sane. When I enter the gate to Central Park, I feel like I leave the world behind me. Running lifts the weight off my shoulders and helps me process the stress. The one thing I see when I wake up in the morning before the pile of clothes is this Adidas marathon-themed ad on my wall that reads “First you feel like dying, then you feel reborn.” It’s there because that is exactly what a marathon feels like, and thinking of that feeling every morning makes me smile.

The other consideration weighing on me is that as a woman who wants to have children someday, I don’t think I have many marathon running years left in the near future. I know that there are people who push themselves to run while pregnant or not long after childbirth, but I have no desire to put my body through that (particularly given the demands my job will likely place on my time as well). Maybe I’ll come back to marathon running later in life, but at least as the plans work in my head, I have maybe 3 more marathons in me before I transition to a different stage in life (although, Cupid has been giving me some rather raw deals lately, so perhaps I have more than I think).

So, there is a serious dilemma in my mind: do I make the big commitment, knowing that it will be an exhausting summer/fall but that I will be devoting myself to something that I love, or do I take it easy and focus on other things?

At the moment, I’m still leaning toward signing up. I did a 4-mile race on Saturday, and when I hit the 3-mile marker, my immediate reaction was disappointment that there was only one more.  The truth is, I’m not happy unless I’m challenging myself. And there’s no challenge like 26.2.  

Please Put Your Shirt On and Other Gym Etiquette Tips: An Open Memo to the Ladies of Equinox

I’ve been spending a bit more time at the gym lately due to a sudden and unexplained aversion to running in bad weather, which has made it apparent that the ladies who frequent the New York City Equinoxes lack common sense when it comes to functioning in a large and crowded gym. So I have crafted this handy list of gym etiquette tips for their benefit:

·      Unless you are Gwyneth Paltrow or Cameron Diaz, your midriff should be covered at all times outside the locker room. If I wanted to stare at belly buttons, I would have gone to the beach.

·      If you are an out of shape 60-year old lady, please do not take your clothes off at your locker and then walk naked to the shower. Either take your clothes off in the shower or put a towel around you when you change at your locker. No one wants to see that.

·      The benches between the lockers are for changing, not reading. In fact, perhaps you could find a more appropriate place to hang out and read than the gym locker room.

·      The muscles you should be working on the bike are in your legs, not in your mouth.

·      There is limited mirror space in the locker room. Don’t bring 6 different lotions to put on your face at the gym. No one needs that many lotions to begin with, and you’re hogging the space.

·       If you insist on changing in the shower, you should have your membership revoked. There are limited showers, and pre-work hours, there are always people waiting. This tip should not be confused with the above tips regarding covering up: put a towel on, come out to the locker area, and change with minimal time of nudity.

Enjoy your workouts, ladies!

Why is it so hard to find a decent spin class?

A former colleague of mine often joked that he was going to put a spin bike in a conference room as a way to make it easier for me to combine my love of spinning with my work. He was right that of all my indoor workouts, a good spin class is my favorite. I find it easiest to push myself in that atmosphere and love the combination of great music and sweat to wake myself up in the morning or help me forget a bad day in the evening. But the difficult part is, as I have become more aware of the principles of endurance training, have come to realize how bad most spin classes are; rather than enjoy myself, I spend most of spin frustrated by the lack of skills of the instructor.

My problems with gym spin classes are three-fold: (1) the instructors don’t explain the layout of the class, which makes it difficult for me to figure out how much to push and when to leave a little in the tank; (2) only 30% of the instructors bother to give instructions as to where your RPMs and heart rates should be (assuming you even go to a gym that has put RPM computers on their bikes), which leaves you with little clue as to how hard you should be pushing at any given moment; and (3) their goal is simply to keep you moving for 45-60 minutes, rather than design a workout that is going to push you from a cardio or other athletic perspective.   I’ll also put in a dig against the instructors who think it is okay to use a remixed version of Adele’s Someone Like You in their playlist—it is a ballad and is way too depressing to be a spin song.

When I moved to New York, I checked out a number of gyms and spin classes in the area. Sadly, none were very good. I was most excited to check out SoulCycle, a well-known studio focused solely on spinning and could not have been more disappointed. First of all, the studio charges $30 for 45 minutes of class. I like my weekend workouts to be at least 1.5 hours, which means I would have to pay $60 for just one day of working out. Second, the routine that was used in the class that I went to was just, to put it bluntly, retarded from an athletic perspective. I refer to it as the blow job routine, because the instructor had us bend over the handlebars and bob up and down repeatedly. I think that this was supposed to give the effect that we were working our arms and therefore getting a whole body workout, but I could not discern any actual athletic benefit from the movements. I belong to Equinox, and with the exception of an amazing instructor who worked in Boston who is also a triathlete, every spin class I have attended there has, with varying degree, suffered from the same defect—there is no actual thought given to the athletic benefit of the workout. (My friend Laura Van Orden Rudberg should also be called out as an exception to this, because she runs a great class, but is, alas, several hundred miles from me—but again, she’s a triathlete).

I realize that not everyone who attends a gym spin class is training for an endurance event like I am—in fact, I’m sure many are there to burn a few calories and get out the door. But things like interval training and giving structure to the workout would help everyone, no matter what their athletic goals or abilities—and that’s why I don’t understand the refusal of Equinox or other gyms to incorporate these principles into their classes.  (And FYI, Equinox instructors, having different moves that last 30 seconds and repeat is not interval training. Interval training incorporates real rest periods that challenge your heart to go fast and then slow down). The New York Times health blog had a great post early this week on a study earlier this week showing that interval training is more beneficial to the heart than a short moderate intensity workout (http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/15/how-1-minute-intervals-can-improve-our-health/?src=recg if you are interested). I’m not sure if the issue is that the spin instructor certification is not rigorous enough or the gyms just think the path of least resistance is the one of most profits. Whatever the reason, it frustrates me that I pay a not insignificant amount of money for a monthly gym membership and they can’t do a good job at this basic workout.

So I am stuck with traveling 30+ minutes each way for spin class with my triathlon group at 5:30am or trying to put my own print on the gym classes because at least they have good music.  I think I’ll just start counting down to outdoor cycling time.

Fighting the Winter Workout Blues

I have to admit, I hate the gym. I like running and cycling because the feeling of getting somewhere makes me feel like I accomplished something. And the routes entertain me.   Sitting in one place and moving my legs in circles for an hour while watching the same spot on the wall bores me to tears. So, this time of year, when the weather gets ugly and the mornings are dark, staying motivated to workout becomes a challenge.

Last year, I survived the winter workout blues because I didn’t have a choice. I was training for my first marathon, and I had to get in those morning miles no matter what. I also survived because I had a very structured workout schedule where people I knew expected me to show up for things (admit it, BPC folks, you would have been lost without my ipod playlists).  This winter, I have neither a pressing goal or workout buddies, so staying motivated when my bed is warm and the walk to the gym cold is an issue.

I have two goals for this winter.  First is to stay fit without pushing too hard. In January of 2010, I began training for a triathlon. I went from that to a half-marathon, to the PMC, two more tris, two more halves, and then my first marathon. And I went from that to my first Olympic tri, another PMC, and another tri. Despite being completely worn out at that point, I pushed myself through two fall half-marathons. I need to scale it back a bit and let a few injuries heal so that I will be in proper shape to attack a marathon next fall.

The second goal is to work on core strength. I became an endurance athlete at the age of 27, with little prior training and very little muscle. I’ve built up my cardio strength a lot in the last three years, but my core strength remains undeveloped. Part of this comes from having spent the last two years in race mode—I couldn’t do strength activities like kettlebells or TRX or even pilates because I would pull the hamstrings and ab muscles I needed to get me through my log runs. My next race is not until March 25 (NYC duathlon), so that gives me a good 4 more weeks to focus solely on my core.

I have been experimenting with the various classes to help me accomplish this goal. I did a kettlebell class at the JCC when I arrived in New York, and while the instructor was phenomenal, the classes were too expensive and the schedule too inflexible for me to continue.  I’ve tried kettlebells at my gym, and but when there are 30 people in the class, it’s impossible to get the attention from the instructor required to do it correctly. Last week I checked out a TRX class at a new boutique fitness studio in NYC, which I greatly enjoyed despite the face that it kicked my butt. Two drawbacks, though, is that it’s a bit further from my apartment than I would like (15 minute walk from the subway on the other end), and paying by the class is a bit expensive when I already pay for the Equinox membership.

My friend Patty recently introduced me to Pure Barre, which is like pilates but with a ballet bar, and that has been my favorite new workout to date. The NYC studio has only been open a few months and is relatively unknown, such that classes are rarely full and I get plenty of help from the instructors.   I’m not great at getting out of bed and turning on the cardio first thing in the am, and I love the Pure Barre workout because it is calm and I can close my eyes if I want to. And I’ve been discovering ab muscles that I never knew I had.  The studio doesn’t have a shower, which is frustrating, but my gym has a branch right outside the subway stop where I get off for work, so it adds very little extra time to my morning for me to pop into the gym and shower. 

My current plan is to get as much Pure Barre as possible in before February 11, when my new client unlimited package expires, and then go down to one day a week while I build up cardio in anticipation of March 25 duathlon. I’m also signed up for a half-marathon on April 15, so I’ll need to reintroduce long runs into my schedule shortly. After having to spend last winter training despite the weather, however, it’s nice to have the flexibility to stay indoors on a crappy day!

Looking Ahead to the 2012 Season

I was at a triathlete party last weekend, and it seemed that I was the only one who had not planned their race schedule for 2012. Time to start planning!

I have three goals for the 2012 race season:

(1) I want to run a half-marathon in less than 2 hours. My current PR is 2:07, a 9:42 pace, achieved at probably my strongest point in marathon training. I’d need to improve that pace by 32 seconds a mile—not an insignificant feat, but a doable challenge over an entire year.

(2) I want to PR my second marathon. Since my first marathon was Boston, whatever one I choose to do next is necessarily going to be an easier course, so I think this is a very doable goal. The harder part is figuring out how the marathon fits into my race schedule in a way that will not result in overtraining or injury.

(3) I want to earn guaranteed entry to the 2013 New York Marathon through New York Road Runners’ 9+1 program. This requires participating in 9 NYRR scored races (which can be short, 5K or 10K races) and volunteering at one race.

My plan, then, is use a few spring half-marathons to inch my time closer to the 2-hour mark, pick a fall marathon, and then a half-marathon as part of that training where I can meet my goal. My biggest challenge in this schedule is going to be that the PMC, a 190-mile charity bike ride on August 4-5, eats up all of July from a training perspective, and I’ll need to make sure I get a bit of rest from that before beginning the intense part of marathon training. Marine Corps Marathon (end of October) and Philadelphia Marathon (middle November) make a lot of sense, since I wouldn’t have to start 18+ mile runs until September. I have a slight preference for Marine Corps since my brother-in-law was a Marine, so that is my first choice if I can get in.

As far as half-marathons go, I am looking for suggestions from the endurance sports community. I registered for the NYC half lottery (March 18), but since that is not guaranteed, I am looking at alternate options. 13.1 is running its first race in New York on March 24, but “inaugural” could very well mean “we still have kinks to work out”. The Brooklyn Half in May helps toward all three goals.  I liked the experience of traveling to try a new half (even if I didn’t like the Vegas half itself), so I’m looking for ideas for a September running trip. The 5 and 10Ks should be easy to add in without much planning, and if I do the two half-marathons, I only need 7.

Then there is the matter of triathlons. I liked Pat Griskas Olympic (June 16) but I am hoping to be in Boston that weekend for the arrival of my new niece or nephew (congrats, Gail and Michael!). Rev3 Quassy Olympic (June 2) is a possibility as well, though I worry about being able to get through a 1-mile swim that early in the open water season. Alternately, I could do Great South Bay Sprint (June 3) and perhaps throw in Patriot Sprint when I am in Boston on the 16^th. I don’t race in July because of PMC training, so the question becomes whether an August triathlon can fit into the marathon training plan—and if so, which one? Cranberry (outside Boston) is one of my favorite races and site of my best ever bike leg—but, when added to the PMC, that’s a lot of schlepping of my bike back and forth to Boston next summer. The real question is whether to do a sprint or Olympic. I’d like to get in one Olympic on the 2012 season, but it would wipe me out from running for a few days when I need to be ramping up marathon training.

So, my dear readers, what do you think? Any recommendations for September halves or other NYC-area triathlons? Anyone want to join me on any of these adventures?

Race Report: Viva Las Vegas

When I heard about the Vegas Rock and Roll half-marathon, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to combine my two favorite hobbies, endurance sports and poker. On paper, the race looked perfect: it was not until 5:30pm, so I could gamble on Saturday night and not worry about having to go to bed early; the race course was flat as a pancake; and it took you down the strip at night when it was all lit up. After a strong race during the Newton half, Vegas seemed like a great opportunity to make a run at my half-marathon PR (2:07). Unfortunately, the race proved much more challenging that I had planned.

Over 45,000 runners showed up for the race, including thousands of walkers. While there was a separation between the half-marathon and the full marathon, there was no wave system for the half-marathon.  Runners had been assigned to corrals, but no one controlled the crowd to put runners in the proper corral. As a result, many walkers and slower runners started near the front of the race. I started off motivated for a PR, and pushed hard to get through the crowd on the first two miles—and started adding extra distance to each mile from all the weaving.

Right before Mile 3, I got a horrible cramp and had to slow down. It got better, but the crowd did not, and I continued to feel stressed about the lack of space in which to run. Nutrition and hydration was also a problem. Though the temperature was in the 50s, the desert air was still very dry. I drank a steady stream of water and Gatorade starting Saturday morning up until race time on Sunday, and I still felt dehydrated around the middle of the race. Switching time zones also meant that I wasn’t hungry when I should have been and therefore ate less than usual. Not being at home made it more difficult to control diet in a way to maximize energy—for example, I had to beg a waitress at lunch on Sunday for a basket of bread because there was just nothing that was all carbs on the menu. And sharing a hotel room with three other people was not exactly conducive to a good night’s sleep before the race.

At about Mile 5, I gave up on the PR. I had been so wrapped up in worrying about my time that I was not having fun and appreciating the experience. So I slowed it down and tried to relax and enjoy the lights of Vegas at night. It took a lot more work than usual to push myself through each mile, but I just kept going and slowly but surely they passed by. At Mile 9, we began to approach the main part of the Strip again, and seeing it all lit up at night was rather awesome. My cheering squad was at Mile 11, so that motivated me for two more miles (thanks Sarah, Greg, Sophy, and Soneth!).

The last two miles felt like I was running uphill even though it was flat. The stress of the crowd, the pain from more cramps, and the dwindling energy made me very emotional. Keith, my steadfast running buddy, encouraged me to think of my post-race meal as motivation. But it didn’t help. I hit the last mile and just started counting down the minutes. The approach to the finish was so crowded that I could not have sprinted even if I had wanted to. But finally, I was done.

While it was not my best race experience, I learned a lot. First of all, I learned that when signing up for a new race, I need to do more research on race size and set-up beforehand. And I can’t sign up for races that are three weeks apart from each other—that’s not enough time for a full recovery. I do think that I built up some mental fortitude by dealing with the crushed expectations and pushing through. Hopefully that will help me continue to improve.

Many thanks to Keith for sticking with me throughout the 13.1 and keeping me from losing it in the crowd!   

Runnin' Down the Perfect Playlist

As the weather gets colder and more workouts move inside, having a good workout sound track becomes even more crucial. I am a person who always needs noise, whether it is in the office or on the running path, so I have spent a great deal of time thinking about the art of the perfect playlist. And at the request of my friend Laura Miyakawa, here are some of the guiding principles I have developed.

First, a caveat: while music can help motivate you in a workout, wearing ear buds can be a safety risk at times. I never, ever wear my ipod when I bike outside. Since moving to New York City, I have stopped using them in some of my outdoor runs as well, particularly when running with a group or on a city street. I love music when swimming laps, but if the pool is crowded, the AudioH2O device stays in the lockerroom. Sometimes being alone with my thoughts for an hour is not all that bad.

With that in mind, here’s some advice on how to create a motivating audio experience.

1) Pick songs with tempos that match the workout you are doing. For running, most of the songs should have a steady, slightly fast beat, with a few faster songs to motivate you to push it every so often. For an indoor cycling workout, I look for songs that have fast choruses for sprints and use some slightly slower songs for climbs. For swimming, since I am incapable of sprinting in a pool anyways, I go more with just songs that make me happy. Some examples of my favorites:

·    Running: Anything by Rihanna (her songs have great beats); the Biggest Loser soundtracks, most Katy Perry songs, Tom Petty’s Runnin’ Down the Dream, We Weren’t Born to Follow or You Give Love a Bad name by Bon Jovi.

·    Cycling: Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance is the perfect interval song. Stronger by Kanye West is a great hill song, as is the new song Princess of China by Coldplay with Rihanna. Many U2 songs work here as well—Beautiful Day, Mysterious Ways, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking for.

·     Swimming: I often shuffle the soundtrack from a show or movie that makes me happy, such as Glee. An 80s playlist is fun in the pool as well.

2) For a race, add a few songs that make you laugh or smile. These are songs that remind me of particular people or sings that I love—songs that I connect with emotionally and give me strength to push through. For me, these include: Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey (my life motto), Centerfield by John Fogerty (love thinking about a brand new baseball game about to start), the Ohio State Fight Song (Go Buckeyes!!), Kanye West’s New Workout Plan (inside joke with a good friend), Love Bites by QED (reminds me of college roommates who are still my best friends). I started putting Motley Crue (Kickstart my Heart or Dr. Feelgood) for a friend in our indoor cycling class last year, and it has stayed on the playlist as a reminder of the important role that the Boston Performance Coaching crew has played in my life (same with Total Eclipse of the Heart, though that was on the list to annoy someone, not please).

3) Add a few new songs for each long-distance race. You’ll get excited when the song comes on because you are not used to hearing it and that will help you get through the distance. For Newton half, I used Stereo Hearts (the GymClassHeroes version) (awesome lyrics), All of the Lights (Dustin Pedroia’s at-bat music), and Lady Gaga’s Edge of Glory (glory is a motivating word when you are on hills).

4). Pick a few songs that just motivate you. I like girl power songs, like Beyonce’s Single Ladies, or songs about just seizing the moment, like Eminem’s Lose Yourself. Katy Perry’s Firework is also great for this purpose, because it has a really uplifting beat and lyrics that make you feel like you’re awesome. My half-marathon PR is thanks to this song coming on at Mile 12 and me deciding to “Firework” the mile.

This weekend, I will be running my first Rock and Roll half marathon (in Las Vegas), so I won’t need a playlist. I’m looking forward hearing what the bands have to offer and taking in all the sounds and sights of the strip at night. But I don’t know how I’ll get through it without some “Livin just to find emotion hiding somewhere in the niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.”