Race Report: 2009 ING NYC Marathon

Caution: this is long post and contains many pictures.

Sunday morning started early, but not too early. I actually got a fairly good night's sleep. Much better than I had thought I would. I met Gracela (who took most of the pics in this post) in the subway station at 59th and Lex and we got on the R train with other runners. Not long later, we were at the Staten Island Ferry station with thousands of other nervous and excited people in all sorts of running gear eating all sorts of pre-race meals, pinning on numbers, checking shoes, stretching, finding their teams, chatting away or listening intently to their iPods to keep the nerves at bay. I was SO glad to be there with Gracela and have someone to talk with and laugh with. I didn't get too nervous the whole time.

We finally filed out of the waiting room and onto the ferry. Other runners took official transportation buses or charter buses. I have a feeling those would have taken much longer than the ferry.

Waiting to get off the ferry, we could see the Verrazano-Narrows bridge, which is the start of the race.

We were then loaded onto buses and driven what seemed like 20 minutes (I have no idea how long it really took) through downtown Staten Island to Fort Wadsworth. I'm not sure how it works at other marathons, but there were many people dressed up in costumes. Clowns, drag queens, Zico coconut water bottles, and this guy. You might be able to make out the Eiffel Tower. Pretty impressive. Unfortunately, I never saw him on the course to see if he could really run in it.

There was a bit of mist and light rain in the early morning, so runners were decked out in ponchos, rain gear, and plenty of garbage bags! I can't even begin to tell you how many languages I heard in the start village.

Once we were out of the bus we made our way through the starting village and ran into Chris and his wife (who I had met on the Expo shuttle on Friday) and wished them good luck. They had quite a sizable group and large balloons to promote their organization. I didn't have much time for last minute preparations once I got to the Green start area. The announcements were already saying the corrals for wave 1 were closed and those in wave 2 had to get their bags to the UPS trucks. I was a bit nervous I was going to be late so I was rushing around a bit so I could get to the corral and make one last stop at the porta-potties before the start.

The start of the race was pretty non-monumental for me. I was on the green route for the second wave in corral C. We were still in the holding area while the National Anthem was sung and the cannon shot. We just filed out of the area and onto the lower level of the bridge and toward the starting line. I had heard stories of how crowded the start always is that you can hardly more let alone run. Well, I had no problems with that. The bridge was FRIGID! There was a nice breeze the entire way across that almost took my hat a few times. Thank goodness I had gloves on or it wouldn't have been pretty brutal. I kept a steady and slow pace, even on the downside. Others were passing me by the whole time, but I tried not to focus on that. I was running my own run, not theirs. And I knew that for me, it was best to keep the same pace on the downside of the bridge than to speed up and use too much energy right out of the gate. My feet weren't hurting and my legs felt pretty fresh at the start. I'm used to waking up early and starting my runs early. I'm not used to waking up at 5:30am for a 10am run, so I was a bit nervous about all of the downtime and if I was eating at the right time. As we came off the bridge we were on the highway and a few people were on the side cheering for us as we entered the neighborhoods. I was running by a group of Scottish men running in kilts who continuously corrected people as they cheered for their skirts!

I've never really explored much of Brooklyn, but I got a nice tour of it yesterday. We went through neighborhoods full of families, industrial areas, quaint streets with boutiques and cafes, and a lot of cheering crowds singing, handing out paper towels and Kleenex, bananas, and 'Free Fish Fuel' (aka Swedish fish). There were fluid stations every mile after the 3rd with Gatorade and water. I ended up walking through almost all of them because they were so slippery and I was too worried that I would slip and fall and be out of the whole thing. Just after mile 8, when the three colors combined, my right foot started to ache. It ached the rest of the race. My lungs were great, my legs were pretty good, and my left foot was okay, but not the right. We hit the half way point on our way into Queens.

People cheered as we went across the Pulaski Bridge and curved into Queens. The route through Queens was mostly industrial but there were still a lot of enthusiastic crowds. Have you ever noticed noticing a person or group of people, then loosing sight of them, unknowingly, only to notice them again a few miles later? Well, that happened to me quite frequently. Particularly with a group of French runners, male and female, all wearing matching shirts who would frequently take pictures of the group or members of the group with emergency responders or just random people cheering. There was the group of men in kilts, two women who would talk on their cell phones while running (I saw this often and I still can't figure out how they do it!) or the group of guys wearing pink metallic tights, green shorts and pink tops running with no shoes. We ran past classic rock cover bands, high school concert bands, gospel choirs, random people performing something on the sidewalks, people blasting jazz and concert music through radios, rappers in Harlem, and rock bands all throughout the city.

Next thing I knew, we were making the turn onto the 59th Street Bridge. I ran this once with Gracela a few weeks ago and now it was time to do it for real. I had heard that this was the hardest part of the race. Everyone was silent. All you heard were feet hitting the cement. For the first time I started noticing people off to the side stretching or resting. One guy tried to start a cheer, but no one else was up for it. As we made our way to the end of the bridge, we could start hearing the roar of the crowd on 1st Ave. A few people were on the bridge, including a couple who noticed my hat and cheered out "Go Spartans!!" that gave me a little boost to keep it up.

1st Ave was loud and raucous, just as I remembered it from being a spectator. As I got closer to 70th St I made my way to the west side of the street and picked out the green and white balloons! I stopped for a minute to hug my family. It was an awesome sight. I am so lucky to have had them there cheering for me. Knowing they were out there supporting me, every step I took, and whether I finished or not, meant the world to me. My foot hurt and my quads were starting to tighten up, but I was now much closer to the end than the start. We made our way up 1st Ave and across another bridge into the Bronx and the 'High Energy Zone.' We passed a woman with several signs next to her. When I ran past she happened to be holding one that said "Pain is temporary, Pride is forever." That was exactly what I needed. I said that over and over in my head for what could have been a mile, and several more times before I hit the finish line. How did she know I needed that? Our jaunt through the 5th borough was pretty short and no offense to the Bronx, but I was so happy when we got back into Manhattan.

Going around Marcus Garvey Park was great. The vibe from the crowd was great. I had packed enough for 4 servings of Shot Blocks but only had two of them. My stomach was feeling a bit uneasy and I was focusing too much on my foot. Heading down 5th Ave was exciting. Having my name on my shirt was one of the best decisions I made. so many people called out my name and kept me going. It really does help! I knew my family would be around 90th St or just inside the park, but around 95th I heard someone call out my name. I looked back and saw a friend and co-worker and his family. It was amazing!! I ran back to them and got big hugs and words of encouragement. It was a bit of a blur but so awesome. As I ran off, I teared up a little. I was about 3 miles from the end. Then I saw the balloons again and my family. Everyone around them cheered for me too! MAJOR ENERGY BOOST!! By this time, I had started walking a couple blocks almost every mile and had stopped to stretch my quads a couple times. I knew I wouldn't have a killer time, but all I cared about was finishing. "Pain is temporary, pride is forever."

We turned into the park and I was on my home turf. I have run this section so many times I could do it with my eyes closed. I ran the straight away along the reservoir and hugged the center where it didn't slope towards the curb. The crowds were cheering and clapping. I pushed my way up Cat Hill and eased my way down but just as we were hitting 72nd I knew I had to walk a bit so I could save my energy towards the end. A man standing on the side called my name and urged me to keep going. "You're almost there, you can do it. Just push your way through the hill." I hate it when people say "You're almost there" when you're still 2 miles away. "Almost there" is when you can see the finish line. I picked my pace back up as we went downhill and out of the park. Two policemen were standing on the side cheering us on and gave me high fives. Then it was out to Central Park South. I had to slow down a little. I knew an uphill was waiting for us inside the park and I wanted to cross the line running, not limping. After seeing only a handful jump in throughout the whole race, I saw a bandit pulled out of the race as we entered the park. As we got closer to Tavern On The Green, I started to pick up my pace a bit and sprinted towards the finish line. I threw up my hands and smiled for the cameras as I crossed the line I had been dreaming of for two years.

It had been a long road. One that was painful at times and difficult at others, but it was such a great feeling to cross that line and be handed the medal. So, I know I was only one of 43,000 other people who crossed the finish line yesterday, and that is quite a lot of people, but in the scheme of things, I'm now one of a relatively small group of people who can say that they've run a marathon. My finish time wasn't as good as I had hoped when I signed on to do this last year, but I finished and that's pretty fantastic.

Because of all the road closures it took a couple hours to get home. By the time we got off the bus my right foot was hurting pretty badly but we made it out to dinner a few hours later after a freezing cold ice bath and a nice shower. We walked past people sitting in restaurants lining Columbus Ave wearing their heat blanket and eating a big meal. I don't know how they do it! I couldn't stomach much food until hours later and even then it was half a cheeseburger and an ice cream sundae (if I can't indulge in it after I run a marathon, when can I?). It was a great day that went by in a bit of a blur, but I will never forget it.

9 races and 1 volunteer credit to qualify. Months of training. Countless pairs of shoes. Countless hours and miles on the road. 2 aching feet. 5 boroughs. 26.2 miles. 1 NYC Marathon finishers medal!!

The Day After

We're going to breakfast soon so I will write MUCH more later. In the meantime, I'm sure a few of you are wondering how yesterday went.

In the meantime, I can tell you that I AM A MARATHON FINISHER!!! I crossed the finish line of the 40th Running of the ING NYC Marathon in 4:57.

More details to come later. Have a great morning and thanks for all the support!!

Only Hours Left

There are no more days left. Only hours until my first ING NYC Marathon. By this time tomorrow, I will have crossed the finish line, had a medal put around my neck, picked up my food bag, my personal bag from the UPS truck and met up with my family on the UWS. The weather forecast has been changing quite a bit the past few days, and it looks like it won't be too bad after all! The rain should move through overnight and we might just have a few sprinkles to deal with at Ft Wadsworth. This is FANTASTIC news! I have run through the rain several times, but I wasn't particularly looking forward to hanging out in the rain for a few hours before the race even begins. Anyway, it looks like it'll be good and I jumped for joy this morning when I saw the forecast! I do hope though, that the rain doesn't force them to cancel the fireworks tonight. Rather than fighting the crowds we might head up to our roof to catch them if it's not raining.

Yesterday was our trip to the Expo at Javitz Center (one of the hardest places to get to in the city). Thank goodness the marathon offers free shuttle service from several spots in midtown. Our bus was packed and a nice couple squeezed over and offered a seat to me. They are from Ireland, have been in NYC several times before and have run marathons before, but this is their first time running NYC. I spoke with Chris on the way to Javitz and turns out he is the founder of an International Non-Profit and had been in Detroit not too long ago speaking about his organization. I plan on writing a post about it later on.

This is, obviously, me after picking up my number (38011) and goodie bag.

Most people point to the finish line in this picture, I pointed to my apartment. We will cross our street twice on the route (1st Ave and in the park) I hope I don't feel a huge desire to veer off course and run home! No. I won't. No way! I want to cross that finish line!

After we explored the expo for a few hours, purchased Asics/Marathon gear, talked to the women at the Cherry Industry booth (representing the Michigan Cherry Industry and distributing cherry juice samples and Michigan dried cherries!), picked up some cheer signs for my Dad to decorate tonight (he has the best handwriting of the four of us) and a few other stops, we got on a bus uptown and had lunch on the Upper West Side. Then we took a walk through the park to check out the finish line since my parents won't see it tomorrow.

Woody had to work yesterday (if you're wondering where he is in all these pictures) but didn't feel well when he got home. Unfortunately, he had to miss out on going to Blue Note to see Ron Carter, Russell Malone, and Mulgrew Miller. Let me just say, they are amazing. It is always an honor to see such great jazz musicians. I sat there in awe of these guys who played with more ease than most people speak. It was beautiful and relaxing. A great way to spend the evening. I would have taken a picture, but it was too dark and my camera doesn't do well in those situations without a flash (yes, I know, I need a new camera). I was exhausted by the time we got home. Woody was already asleep - trying to get rid of whatever he got.

This morning I ran an easy 2 mile jog, we went to Neil's for breakfast so I could load up on their awesome Maple Walnut Pancakes, a banana, and scrambled egg whites, and I've been hanging out at home all day getting ready, slowly, for tomorrow. Woody has been resting so he'll feel okay to cheer for me tomorrow and my parents went to the Guggenheim (I didn't want them bored all afternoon). I've been trying to keep my mind off of tomorrow and have done a pretty good job of it. I think I'm ready. I KNOW I'm ready. Just have to remember to set the clocks back an hour and get to the start on time!

I have my clothes set out (including my throwaway sweatsuit), my pack filled with the Black Cherry Shot Blocks, Pomegranate Luna Moons, Kleenex, and my phone. My race bag has a little food to eat while we're waiting to start, garbage bags to sit on instead of the wet ground, extra socks, the State hat I will wear for the race (I'll switch from the winter hat I'll wear on the way there), and as many people have suggested, I also have some toilet paper in my bag! I heard to be prepared for the porta poties to be low on this necessity. A post race bag is ready with a hoodie, compression socks, gloves, and I'm making a pb&j sandwich Woody will add along with my Ronnybrook chocolate milk to have on the way home. I think that's enough stuff for a simple run through the city!

Okay, time to chill for a bit more before we head to Lenny's for my pre-race dinner. I hope Tall Mom On The Run had a great Halloween Half Marathon today! I wonder if she wore a costume?!

I hope you all have a great Halloween! I'll be back soon to tell you all about the race!

ING NYC Marathon Setup

My parents have arrived for the weekend, they're getting settled in, and I'm about to head to bed. I have to get some sleep while I can, since I doubt I'll get much Saturday night! Before I go to bed though, I wanted to share a few photos with you that I took on my way to work today. Enjoy and have a good night!

Almost There

Bet you could have guessed. 3 days till the Marathon.

Today is my last early morning run before the race. I'll be heading out in about a half hour. Looks like the rain we've been having since the end of my run on Tuesday, has finally stopped. Yesterday, I realized at one point that neither of my feet hurt for the first time in over a month. Let me tell you, that was exciting! I was walking fine without any problems. Unfortunately, my left foot is hurting a bit this morning, but not too badly. I have a good feeling that I'll be okay on Sunday. Just have to be careful that I don't do too much on them between no and the start. I'm heading over to the expo tomorrow and can not wait! So many vendors to see, information to pick up, and 2009 NYC Marathon gear to choose from! Hopefully it doesn't ratchet up my nerves even more!


*****

Have you heard of this recent study conducted by Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity on the marketing of breakfast cereal towards children? It's not completely surprising, but it is pretty incredible how some cereal companies market extremely unhealthy foods towards children and save the good, healthy stuff for adults. Maybe they think kids just want the sugary, colored stuff and won't touch the healthy cereal that fills their parent's bowls? Maybe they think that they have to get the kids hooked on different cereal than the parents so that they'll make twice as much money (the parents have to buy the sugary stuff for the kids but the bran cereal for themselves - two boxes instead of one). I don't know, but it's kind of crazy.

Here are a few low lights:

• The average preschooler sees 642 cereal ads per year on television alone, almost
  all for cereals with the worst nutrition rankings.
• General Mills markets to children more than any other cereal company. Six of the ten least healthy cereals advertised to children are made by General Mills, including the advertised cereal with the worst nutrition score—Reese’s Puffs, which is 41% sugar.
• Cereals marketed directly to children have 85% more sugar, 65% less fiber, and 60% more sodium than cereals marketed to adults for adult consumption.
• All cereals marketed directly to children — including Cocoa Puffs (44% sugar), Cap’n Crunch (44% sugar), Froot Loops (41% sugar), Lucky Charms (41% sugar) and Cinnamon Toast Crunch (32% sugar) — meet industry’s own nutrition standards for “better-for-you” foods. (not sure about you, but I think it's pretty crazy that something with over 30% sugar content can be "better-for-you." What is it better than?)

You can read more about this study here.

Time for my run. Have a great day!

4 Days!

Oh my gosh! 4 days. FOUR DAYS!! That's it. Well, 3 days, 23 hours and 57 minutes (according to the website right this minute). 4 days until I wake up early, throw on my running gear, grab my already packed bag and head out to meet Gracela to take the subway down to the ferry to go meet up with 40,000 other runners and take a several hour long foot tour of New York City. After years of thinking about this and months of preparing, it is finally almost here and that fact is starting to really sink in. I am one of those people who like to be as prepared as possible, likes to be early, and ready for anything. This trait forced me to read the marathon handbook from cover to cover the night it came in the mail (and re-read sections a few times since). I have read blog posts, the marathon website, Runner's World (both the magazine and website), anything I can get my eyes on. It wasn't bad until yesterday when I started getting that pit feeling in my stomach. I told Gracela is completely opposite from me. She knows where she needs to be and when and that's all she cares about. She knows where the expo is, what has worked for her on her long runs, where she's going to meet her friends after the race, where they are eating that night. I wish I could be like her. I am on information overload and I think it may be backfiring. I told her yesterday that I need to distract myself and try to forget that we have this race on Sunday. It's a good thing I have a lot of work to do today and tomorrow. I can bury my head in invoices and marketing plans. That should keep my mind of Sunday, right? Oh, and the fact that I have a lot of cleaning to do tonight before my awesome parents arrive tomorrow night!

I'm not running to hit 4 hours, I am not even setting a time goal for myself. Well, I would love to get in under 5 hours so my name will be in the NY Times on Monday, but if that doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. I just want to take a fun tour of the city (there are so many neighborhoods that I have never been to in the 5 years I've lived here), soak in the atmosphere, and cross the finish line. For my first marathon, is there much wrong with the mind set that this is another long run? Just with a few million people along the route? Even with all the reading I've done, I'm still not really sure what to expect. It's different for everyone and I'm just hoping that my story is one of the good ones!

What do you do to keep nerves down before a big race or event? Any tips?

Have a great day! If you're on the East Coast, I wish you a dry commute this morning!

It's Still Dark Out

Woody just left for the gym but I'm hanging out here for a few more minutes before I head out for my run. With the sun not rising until well after 7am now I don't feel all that inspired to go out running at 5:15am. I'll head out around 5:45 and hope to get my four miles in before the rain starts. I hear it's coming. Out over central Jersey and on it's way. We're in the low 50's and it's already 80% humidity. Today is going to be a great day for my hair, I can tell ya that! But really, I'm okay with it raining today and tomorrow. Thursday and Friday look nice right now, a little bit of rain Saturday but just cloudy on Sunday. I can deal with that. Really shouldn't be looking at the weather yet. It can change so quickly. Really need to stop that!

Hopefully though the rain will end tomorrow before the first World Series game. There are a lot of people out there, especially those paying thousands of dollars per ticket, who are desperately waiting for the series to begin. It's an interesting dynamic in the city. You have the Yankees fans, the Mets fans, and the (fewer in number, but stil active) Phillies fans. We have all three in our office! I mean, Philly is only an hour and a half from here. It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out. I, am not a fan of either three of the teams, although I've been to both Yankee Stadium (not all that) and Citi Field (pretty fantastic) this season.

Last night I had a meeting in the Village for a Step Up event coming up on the 7th (I'll write more about it later) and I often find Step Up meetings a great excuse to stop by Peanut Butter & Co. for a sandwich since it's literally around the corner. I ordered the Dark Chocolate Dreams sandwich - a fantastic combination of Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter, cherry jam, and coconut. YUM! It's decedant and oh so good. I really wanted some chocolate yesterday but am trying to cut back this week, so why not have chocolate peanut butter?!

Okay, I have to get ready for my run and out on the road. Instead of going into the park this morning I think I'll run up and down 5th Ave. I feel a bit safer running in the dark when I know there are people around and there aren't any racoons to jump out at me from the bushes like in the park (seriously, they are not nice animals!). 5 days till the MARATHON!!!

Oh! I want to say congratulations to April who ran the Marine Corps Marathon in 3:24 and qualified for Boston! Woohoo!! AMAZING!!

Have a great day everyone!

Fitness Class Review: Pilates at Kinespirit

I was going to wait until after the marathon to start this feature, but I have the perfect opportunity now, so why wait?

Here it goes: the first Fitness Class Review.

Studio/Gym: Kinespirit (www.kinespirit.com) 40 E 23rd St. NY, NY
Class: Pilates (and Gyrokinesis)
Date: 10/24/09
Teacher: Chantal (and Jen)

Class Description (from the Kinespirit website): Pilates is a training system that uses specially designed spring resistance-based equipment (pictured at right) or specialized mat exercises to develop core and full body strength. The first emphasis is on building a strong, supported, yet supple spine. Gradually the entire body is challenged to connect into this strength, and the whole body becomes more integrated and stronger as a result.

Review: First off when you enter the space, you leave your shoes at the door and can place your belongings in a locker. The space is one large room that runs the length of the building, separated with two cloth hangings that separate the space into three sections. The back is for Pilates and mat classes with the restroom, dressing room and lockers, the middle space is the reception area, and the front space contains the Gyrotonic® towers. Looking at the class schedule, it seems Kinespirit focuses on Gyrotonic® classes as there are several more of them than Pilates classes. However, they do offer one on one classes. The equipment appears to be in good condition and they have several towers, exercise bands, mats, and other complimentary pieces. Chantal and Jen, the co-owners, were inviting, friendly, and answered all our questions. They seem extremely knowledgeable and have a good deal of experience. Kinespirit opened about three years ago and they have a second studio uptown that is solely for the practice of Gyrotonic®.

For full disclosure, I took this class through Step Up Women’s Network. We offered it to our members as a Passport to Health event and Chantal and Jen volunteered their time and talent. We had two classes available – Pilates and Gyrokinesis (the mat based version of Gyrotonic).

Class began promptly as we all took a seat on our mats. Throughout the class we engaged our core, using our ab muscles to slowly raise or lower our upper body or to hold positions. Chantal would direct us to use our exercise band to help with resistance and allow us to lengthen our legs further for a variety of exercises, then she would have us do the same exercise without the band in order to engage more muscles and work harder. Her directions were clear and she demonstrated almost every move. She was conscious of the fact that we were all at different levels of proficiency with Pilates and often provided us with variations of specific moves in order to fit each person. I do so much running and other cardio for my usual workouts, so relate sweating and shortness of breath with a hard workout. This was definitely a change of pace for me. After class my core and legs felt like they had been through a workout but I didn’t quite feel as stretched as I thought I would. Perhaps that comes with classes using the Pilates reformer? I’ll see how I feel tomorrow, but I’m still not sure the workout was as fantastic as I thought it would be. I did learn a few new moves that I will integrate into my regular stretching routine though, and I’m definitely thankful for that. They will strengthen my back, which is an area I want to work on.

I didn’t take the Gyrokinesis class, but I did take a few pictures of it to share with you! I took the class last year to try it out before our first event with Kinespirit. I do remember that my lower back felt more loose and I felt a bit more limber than normal. Again though, this is not a sweat inducing class, so if you’re looking for a good sweat, you’ll need to hit a sauna or steam room after. Two things to note about Gyrotonic® - the movements are flowing and similar to swimming, it includes 360’ movement while Pilates is front and back, and the creator of the practice, Juliu Horvath, is still active and teaching. Unlike yoga and Pilates, Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis is still evolving and expanding as its creator continues to develop the practice.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time at Kinespirit today and the other class members seemed to as well.

On another note, Penn State just beat U of M in the Big House 35 - 10. It's a good day. Now I just have to keep looking for updates on the MSU score! Neither team has put any points on the board yet.

Tomorrow is the start of Marathon week with the Poland Spring Marathon Kick-Off 5 Mile Race! I went to the NYRR office last night after work to pick up my number and t-shirt. The place is buzzing with excitement and overflowing with banners, posters, merchandise. It was great and definitely pumped me up!

Back from Michigan

I’m back!

Sorry for being MIA for a few days. We were in Michigan enjoying the chilly fall weather and Spartan Football! We got back pretty late last night – our flight was delayed 1.5hrs – so this will be a short post.

I stopped by Playmakers, a local running shop on Friday and picked up some new gear, including two pairs of socks and a new top. I’ve been reading a lot about graduated compression socks and how they do wonders for preventing leg cramps and getting the blood flowing back where it should after long runs. Well, I picked up a pair of Oxysox and asked one of the salespeople if they’re any good. He highly recommended them and mentioned some people wear them while running but he prefers not to because they look stupid. I picked up the pair and decided to wear them with my Nike capri’s on Saturday for my very early run.




















I was on the road at 6:15am so I could get my 15 mile run in before the noon game. It was 27 degrees and DARK in Okemos so I was very glad to have a small flashlight my mom lent me and the battery powered red light flasher from my dad. Definitely important to be safe and have lights or reflective gear when you’re running in the dark. I enjoyed my run, going by tailgaters grilling and drinking, and feeling good. The rest of the day though, I had pretty brutal stomach cramps that were a bit frustrating. This happened last week too after my 20 mile run but I hadn’t experienced them before. After a bit of research I believe they were caused by dehydration. Because the weather was cooler I didn’t feel the need to drink as much as I had in the past and I didn’t take as many walk breaks. I think those two changes were big mistakes. I don’t have any more long runs left before the marathon (two weeks away!) so I will just have to be sure to take more walk/drink breaks during the race and hopefully that will help my stomach later in the day.

I still had a great time at the game, and cheered the Spartans on to a 24-14 win over Northwestern!
















Well, now I have to head off to work. I have a feeling that a big coffee is in my future!

Still Running

I’ve been struggling the last few weeks with sore feet. Well, more than sore, actually. Painful. At times it has been difficult to walk, so needless to say, I’ve been quite worried about my marathon prospects. I visited a stand-in podiatrist (mine wasn’t available) two weeks ago who didn’t see anything on the x-rays, taped up my left foot for a few days, and told me to come back in a week. Yesterday was my checkup with the podiatrist I had seen four years ago when I fractured my left foot. He pushed and prodded and declared that I have stressed my tarsal-metatarsal joint, in both feet. Apparently I am quite talented because he has no idea how I managed that.

The Doc prescribed lots of ice and anti-inflammatories, but said I can run! He has run 18 marathons and was just in Chicago working with the elite runners over the weekend, so I trust his judgment and advice. I was fitted for orthotics that I will have to wear after the marathon, but that’s okay. I used to think orthotics were for older people with delicate feet and were a sign of weakness, but I’ve actually learned that several of my peers wear them and really like them. If it means I can keep running and walking as much as I like to and it will be more comfortable, I am all for it. With fashion the way it is, most of us do not wear the shoes we should to protect our feet and then we end up with foot problems. I think it is especially evident here in the city since many of us walk a lot. We’re too worried about what the shoes on our feet look like (and for good reason in some instances) that we forget the fact that we only have two feet and we need to be good to them.

Even though I have pain at some points during the day, I am SO happy that I do not have stress fractures and I can still run the marathon! I have one more 15 mile run to do and then I’m in full out taper mode. Hopefully that will help lessen the stress on the joints and after the race I’ll take it easy during recovery to heal. This experience is about crossing the finish line and completely months of training. My first marathon is not about hitting a time goal for me. I want to take in the entire experience, see the city, the people, the excitement.

Today's lesson: take care of your feet people!

It's Turning Colder

I woke up this morning and it was 47’. Yes, I know that’s not bad compared to where some of you are, but it’s all relative, right? It’s fall. In some places it’s like winter. I think all the meteorologists I’ve seen have said that this is much too early for such cold weather. This is just a guess on my part, but it’s probably a result of global warming. Another reason to recycle, conserve, and do our part to take care of the earth.

Yesterday, I ran. It was a beautiful morning: a bit chilly and a few fluffy clouds on and off. My foot was still bothering me a bit and at times was worse than others, but I got through all 20 miles and it actually hurt less after the run! I was looking forward to the run with a bit of trepidation since I didn’t know if my feet could take me through the whole thing. I was using this as a gauge of sorts and was elated when I finished. Tomorrow I go see the podiatrist again and hopefully the x-rays will come up clear again.

Long runs can be a lot of fun. You’re probably thinking this is a joke, but now I really enjoy them. When I was training for the half last year, I though 13 miles was a huge feat, now it’s a great outing. I’ve done my long runs on my own, which may seem pretty difficult to some, but I like having the time to myself to think, enjoy the weather (rainy or sunny), go at my own pace and again, have time to think and dream.

Yesterday as I was running back uptown along the west side highway, I found myself in a sea of pink. The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer was finishing up. I have such great admiration for all the women (and a few men) who walked for 2 days to support the cause and all of the friends and family cheering them on. These women dotted the city with pink all weekend and helped to bring attention Breast Cancer Awareness month and the need for more research and making information and services easily available for ALL women. I also have great admiration for all the women who are dealing with and recovering from breast cancer. They are strong women who we should all admire and learn from.

Beautiful Sunday

I woke up this morning with a bit of apprehension and a bit of excitement. I've been dealing with a slightly injured left foot this week since my hill workout Tuesday morning but had scheduled a run with my good friend/colleague/marathon buddy, G. I stretched a few times yesterday and iced my foot hoping it would help for the run today. It was 59' and still a bit humid from yesterday's rain this morning. The sun was also out but the weather forecaster said it would be cloudy on and off all day. I don't know about you, but forecasts like this always make it difficult for me to decide what to wear. You don't want to be too cold before or after, but you also don't want to be too hot and uncomfortable just a few miles into the run. Well, I made my way to the subway and out to Queens to meet G at her apartment. Her knee has been bothering her and with my foot the way it is we weren't sure how far we'd get, but we had a plan. Run over the Queensboro Bridge (mile 15 of the marathon), head up 1st Ave (mile 16-18) then cut over to 5th Ave where we could pick the route back up and jump into the park at 90th to run the last 2.2 miles of the race. She often runs the bridge but I hadn't done it until today. It was great to see what the entrance looks like, what the incline feels like, how far it goes. I've heard it's the hardest part of the race because you're 15 miles in and all you hear are feet hitting the surface. I'm going to concentrate on the end of the bridge when we'll hit 1st Ave where thousands of people line the street to cheer on the runners as they eat their french toast and sip mimosas! Plus, I know that my family won't be far up the road once I turn the corner. It's all a mental thing, right? Right.

I was pretty worried the other day when I had a fairly disastrous run but after today, I'm feeling much more confident. Just have to keep this going. It was great to spend the morning running with a good friend, enjoying the beautiful weather and getting in a few miles.

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My husband and I don't cook often. It's not that we don't want to cook, it's more because we are exhausted by the time we get home from work and would rather put together a salad or sandwich. Last Sunday my sweet husband cooked a great dinner for us and then he surprised me Monday night by cooking again! I was in heaven! Two nights in a row! Not that he hasn't done it before, but it was just a nice surprise. This weekend is my turn to cook. It's officially fall now and what goes well with fall and football? Turkey Chili. I don't have a recipe, but somehow it always turns out pretty well. I just throw in a few cans of beans, ground turkey, tomatoes, green and red peppers and onions. Voila! It's simmering now and making our apartment smell amazing! The best part about chili is that it makes plenty of leftovers and tastes even better the second day!

I hope you've all had a fantastic weekend!

The Hills

I’m going to be quick today. I did a different workout than most mornings and it took a little longer.

Don't worry, I'm not going to write about my latest thoughts on the new season of The Hills. Today was a hill repeat workout. I started with a 2mile warm-up run up 5th Ave and back. Then I did 4 repeats of Cat Hill. Four isn’t that much, really. Six would have been better but I knew I had to watch my time. Cat Hill is about a quarter of a mile, so with the jogs back to the bottom of the hill between each one, I got in another 2 miles. To finish off the workout I did a cool down of another mile on 5th Ave. I wish I had gotten 6 or more miles in, but I feel good about the workout and pretty happy with my performance. I feel like my legs kind of forgot what it’s like to go fast this year, so it’s a struggle to go faster. My lungs are ready to go but my legs need a little coaxing. Good thing my goal for the marathon is to finish and not necessarily to hit a specific time. Never the less, it was a good workout this morning to prepare for this weekend’s race. Grete’s Great Gallop is just over two full laps of the park – which means lots of hills.

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I’ve been doing well shaking up my breakfast so far this week. Check out these yummy looking pics! What do you eat for breakfast? Hopefully not a Pop-Tart (just saw a commercial for them after a segment on childhood obesity. Interesting timing, don't you think?)

I hope you all have a great day and don’t forget, Biggest Loser is on tonight!

A Minor Setback

First, let me take a moment to apologize. I started this blog with the intention to talk about a wide range of topics – fitness, nutrition, environmental issues, tips for living a ‘green’ life, and running – but lately I find that I’m really just writing about running. That is probably due to the fact that running is on the top of my mind these days. When I’m not running or working, I’m probably thinking about running. With only 34 days left until the Marathon, it pretty much consumes my thoughts, my dreams, my conversations… there is still so much I need to do and accomplish before November 1st. So, I will try my best to add a few pointers or bits of information along the way, but please excuse me while I have a one track mind for the next month.

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As you all know, I was supposed to run the Marathon Tune-Up today. Unfortunately, I have to admit it didn't happen for me. After taking a sick day to rest on Friday, I got a good night's sleep Friday night and felt better Saturday morning. I didn't want to go back on my commitment to Step Up so I made my way to the W Hotel on Lex to volunteer at the annual fundraiser Step Up & Step Out. I have to say, I had one of the easiest jobs possible - sitting at the membership table to answer questions and sign up to members! I met some great women yesterday and the event was a success, but I was exhausted by the time I got home a little after 5pm. An hour later I had passed out watching Lethal Weapon 4 and my husband woke me up just before 7. I never take naps, so it was obvious that I still wasn't back to normal. The weather forecast on all the local news channels and the Weather Channel were saying rain was coming into the area and wouldn't be out until Sunday afternoon. Not good. I decided to set my alarm for 5:15 take a look outside and check the weather before making my decision. If it was cold and raining I would have to skip the race. I need to get better, not worse. I wasn't even sure if I would be able to finish the first lap of the park, let alone three of them!

I didn’t sleep well last night. Maybe because I had taken the nap or maybe because I was worried I wouldn’t get my run in today. Either way, it was pouring when I woke up and there was a huge green glob covering the tri-state area on the radar. It was cold too. I made the tough decision to get back into bed and add two hours to my alarm. It continued to rain until about 4:30 this afternoon, so I’m glad I went to the gym and got in a workout on the elliptical and the stationary bike. I also did a bit of stretching and used the foam roller to work out a few kinks in my legs.

Kim, a Step Up friend, who is also co-owner of In Shape, LLC, was kind enough to offer support and advice today. I’m so nervous that I’m really setting myself back by skipping the long run today. She assured me that being healthy is most important and it’s okay that I missed the long run today. She also suggested that I do two runs on one day to bump up my mileage and as long as my second run is a couple miles longer than my first and I push through the last few miles, it’ll be similar to one long run. I don’t know if I’ll be able to get in two runs that equal 20 miles, but I am going to make this happen. Thanks for the advice and support Kim!!

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This week I am going to change up my diet a bit. Monday thru Friday I basically eat the same breakfast each day. It’s easy, it’s healthy, and I know it will keep me full and satisfied until I can eat lunch. I ran out of yogurt on Friday and I didn’t get any this weekend so I wouldn’t be tempted to fall back into my regular routine. Instead, I’m going to have either oatmeal, hard boiled eggs, or Kashi cereal and skim milk. I’ll continue to have fruit and toast with peanut butter since I know that helps satisfy my protein needs, but the yogurt and granola is out! It’s so easy to fall into a pattern and not get out of it. For months I ate a veggie patty with avocado (or a laughing cow cheese wedge) and lettuce, carrots, humus and an apple, every day at work. My breakfast wouldn’t change either and dinner was pretty much the same from day to day. No alterations no compromises. Our bodies get into a rut when we do this and we need to mix it up every once in a while. I’ve been better about my lunches this year, but not my breakfast. This week, I’m going to change that and next weekend I’ll let you all know how I did. Hopefully I’ll be much healthier and have more energy.

I boiled the eggs today so I don’t have to worry about finding time during the week. Lucky husband, I boiled a few for him too!

Under The Weather

Today is my mother’s Birthday. She is one of the most amazing people I know. She has always done everything she could for me and I know she always will. Not only is she my mom, but she is my friend and an inspiration. I probably don’t say it often enough, but I love her and appreciate everything she does for me, her family and friends. I hope she has a wonderful Birthday and a great time up north this weekend!

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I stayed home sick today. I have a pretty nasty head cold that started with a sore throat on Wednesday. After feeling pretty lousy at work yesterday, I decided the best thing for me (and my colleagues) would be to stay home today, sleep in and rest so I could kick this thing quickly and get back out on the road and to work. I was supposed to run 5 miles today, but that didn’t happen. Yesterday I only got in 4 miles before I had to quit. It was, and is, disappointing. Sunday is supposed to be my second 20 miler, although I’ve signed up for the NYRR 18 Miler Tune-Up. I HOPE that I can get through volunteering for Step Up’s fundraiser tomorrow and feel well enough to run Sunday. I am SO nervous that I won’t be able to run. It’ll be a huge setback for me and I don’t want to face it. Trying to come up with a solution, if I have to miss the run I think I’ll do it on Monday morning before work. Yeah, that means I’ll get in a little late to work, but I think it will be okay if I start at 5:30am. Oh, I hope it doesn’t come to that.

My diet today hasn’t consisted of much. For the most part, when I’m sick, I lose my appetite. Fruit is the best thing to eat when you’re sick. It’s clean, fresh, healthy, and doesn’t weigh you down. I’ve had an apple, tangelo, a Cold Buster Jamba Juice smoothie and half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for a little protein. Have you ever noticed how many people drink the HUGE Jamba Juice smoothies? It’s pretty incredible how many calories they’re consuming. Yeah, there’s fruit in there, but so many of their smoothies have juices, dairy, sorbet, frozen yogurt…. Someone can consume enough calories for two meals with one smoothie! And then, some people even eat them WITH a meal. Wow. But, if you check out the nutritional facts, what is really going into the smoothie, and keep to the 12 oz version, you’ll probably do pretty well there. I think today was the 2nd time I’ve ever had a smoothie from Jamba Juice. I hope it helps bust my cold!! I still plan to have an apple, tangelo, and pomegranate seeds today. Yum. I really hope I can get rid of this cold quickly. It's such a beautiful fall day today, so it's especially hard to be sick when the sun is shining so bright!

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If you haven’t seen this yet, I encourage you to check out the current issue of Newsweek or Newsweek.com. They spent quite a long time ranking the biggest 500 companies according to how ‘Green’ they are. The ability for a company to be Green definitely depends on the industry they are in – some inherently have an easier time turning Green than others – so they’ve taken many factors into account. I definitely think it’s a good idea to pay attention to how environmentally conscious a company is when you are purchasing their product, so this is another good resource. A few of their rankings and/or reasoning seem a bit off to me, but it still provides some interesting information and insight. I definitely recommend that you check this out when you have time.

Do something fun and healthy with your friends and family! Have a great weekend!

A Need For Speed

Most of the people reading this blog are probably family or friends and have at least some knowledge of what I've been through over the past year. If you don't know, I'll give you the short version. I was diagnosed last November with Cushing's Disease, meaning that a tumor had been found in my pituitary gland. This tumor caused the pituitary gland to tell my adrenal glands to produce more cortisol than I really needed. Because the symptoms were not extreme it took quite a while to diagnose. After experiencing the symptoms for several years, I had finally found my way to a fantastic Endocrinologist at Weill Cornell Medical College, Dr. B., who ran test after test and at times, took more blood from me than I even knew I had to give! I had surgery to remove the tumor on January 7th. Even though my surgeons did a great job, I stayed in the hospital for 5 days and I ended up in the emergency room a few days later because of complications. I'm feeling much better now and taking everything one day at a time.

I couldn't work out, at all, for a month after the surgery and then it was still a while before I could run or really do anything that would create physical stress. It was difficult, but I was so tired and worn out that at least for a while, I wouldn't have been able to do anything anyway. Before my surgery I had a 39:33 PR on a 5M (7:54 per mile) and that is the pace that remains on my NYRR bib each time I line up. My pace is no where near that anymore. My time has slowed so much it's almost incredible. I can still run at a good pace, but I just can't keep up like I could before. It's really amazing how much it took out of me.

I've been bad about speed work this year. I set my PR and had several races under 8 minute miles after I had completed a running class through NYRR. But because I've been focusing on endurance this year and I've been afraid to push too hard (thinking "what if the incision tears again?!) I have hardly done any speed work this year at all. Until this morning.

After reading a few running blogs, I decided to try it on a treadmill at the gym. I haven't been on one since recovery. It makes sense to do it this way though since there are no flat, uninterrupted paths for speed work in the park. Even the track around the reservoir is filled with people and has its share of dips. Well, the workout went well. Not fantastic, but well. I pushed myself harder than I have for a while but I didn't go crazy. I only did 4 repeats - 1x800 and 3x400, and then I got on an elliptical for a bit after my cool down. I feel pretty good and am encouraged to do it again next week and go a little further. Even on the walk to the gym this morning with my muscle man husband, I was second guessing my plan, but I followed through and feel confident I can do it again. Hopefully I'm not too late and a few workouts like this will help me get through the 26.2 miles I have ahead of me.

But for tomorrow, it's back to the park.

Back Out There

I attempted to run this morning and got in a fairly slow 5.5 miles. My knee felt fine but I was worried it would start hurting at any moment, so I took it really easy and didn't push myself. I have a big run coming up early Sunday morning. The 18 Mile Tune-Up consists of three full laps of Central Park. Might not sound too bad unless you've run the Harlem Hills. These 18 miles will be harder than the first 18 of the marathon. I have to get a lot of sleep this week, rest up, eat well, get my runs in and stretch A LOT!

A friend of mine has a gig tonight at Rockwood Music Hall on the Lower East Side. He's an amazing guitarist and I encourage everyone reading this in New York to come out. They're on at 9pm and you can check out Cameron's site here.

Also, I want to remind you about the NYRRF Young Professionals Committee's fundraiser at Dewey's Flatiron tomorrow night starting at 6:30. Drink specials and raffle prizes. $20 at the door for 2 drink tickets or $35 for 2 drink tickets and a technical tee. This is for a great cause so please come out and support.

If you're stuck uptown because of all the UN traffic and can't make it to Dewey's, check out the free public premiere of Ken Burns' new documentary The National Parks: America's Best Idea. I saw the huge stage and screen being erected this morning on the East Meadow in Central Park (just off 5th Ave in the 90's) while I was on my run. There will also be live performances by Counting Crows and Augustana. This sounds like another fantastic documentary from Burns and I look forward to seeing it. If you've figured out a way to be in two places at once, please let me know. I could benefit from that tomorrow night!! Click here for info about the event.

Eat something yummy and healthy, go for a relaxing walk, and have a great day!

Another Week Begins

Well, my knee still wasn't feeling that great last night. My training schedule called for a rest day so instead of trying to make up my lost miles from yesterday I slept in hoping that another day of rest will help my knee. So far, so good, but we'll see how I feel once I get to work! Hopefully I'll be back on the road tomorrow morning! It's a beautiful morning so I'm a little sad not to have seen the sun come up, but it's okay. Better to rest than to push too hard and make things worse.

Leaders from hundreds of Nations are swarming to NYC this week for the UN General Assembly. Security was tight yesterday as I walked around, especially near the Waldorf-Astoria where President Obama will be staying. Why they announced where he is staying, I'm not sure, but I think that might be where he always stays if he is in the city overnight. There will be protests and demonstrations, traffic jams, and delayed public transit. Hopefully they will make some decisions and agreements that will actually help people and our earth. Over 100 countries are meeting to discuss climate change. This is an issue that is one of the most important facing our time. If we don't do something now, we are going to be in big trouble and our grandchildren may have much, much more to worry about than health care.

Over Labor Day weekend we took a tour of the UN. The tour doesn't actually take you through much of the buildings, more through an exhibit and then into the room where the General Assembly meets. Did you realize that ALL nations that are part of the UN are considered the Landlords for the buildings and grounds? That means in order to make any updates or renovations, the majority of nations have to agree. Only recently did they finally agree to make the first renovations - to the security council chambers - after 10 years of negotiations. How crazy is that? Hopefully it doesn't take 10 years for them to come to agreement on measures to combat climate change.

Doing The Salt

I had a 13 mile run scheduled for yesterday. Because it had been a while since I had been able to get to the Union Square Farmers Market, I mapped out a run that would finish just a few blocks away.

I've heard and read a lot about doing "the salt." According to Dr. Lewis G. Maharam, the medical director for NYRR, the ING NYC Marathon, and several other marathons, people who run or race a 10K distance or more, should take 1 fast food salt packet just before starting their run and another half way through, in order to prevent hyponatremia and cramping. What is hyponatremia? Well, it's a condition that occurs when there is a reduced blood sodium concentration. When sodium levels get too low, people can experience nausea, dizziness, and even brain swelling, unconsciousness, and seizures in very extreme cases. This blog post explains the condition and what causes it thoroughly. Because I desperately want to finish the marathon with the least amount of issues as possible, I decided to give this a try. Now, I am not a fan of salt. I never add salt to dishes when cooking and I always opt for salt free pretzels. There are a few occasions when salt is good - tortilla chips are always best with a little salt, for instance - but I usually stay away from it. I will follow general advice and increase my salt intake in the week leading up to my longest runs and the marathon, but I had a hard time imagining that taking an entire salt packet on its own would be okay. And I was right! I stood just inside the park at 8am yesterday, ripped open the small packet, emptied just half of it onto my fist and licked. DISGUSTING! No way could I finish it and I could still taste the salt 6 miles down the road. I'm really not sure how I'm going to do this, but I'll try again later this week when I'm running 7 miles. How do people do it?

I felt fantastic after the run and enjoyed a quick around the farmer's market before heading home. Later that afternoon the back of my left knee started bothering me. Today, I couldn't run. I tried, but was limping and I know to stop running if an injury effects my form. I'll do a little research to find out what's going on, ice it several times today and hopefully I'll be able to run in the morning. With only 41 days until the marathon, I don't have much time to nurse and injury.

Happy Friday!

I thought I'd pass along a few good things today.

Recently I came across this blog - http://www.operationbeautiful.com/. It has a fantastic message and I encourage everyone to check it out, participate, and spread the word. Such simple actions can really change someones day or even their life. I especially encourage you to take a few minutes and read the personal emails that people have sent in.

Next week I am participating in two fundraisers. If you know me, you might think this is a bit odd since I typically find it very difficult to ask people for money. Even for extremely worthy causes, I have never liked asking people to give up their hard earned dollars. Well, these two fundraisers allow you to have some fun and support good causes!

First, on September 23rd is a Happy Hour and Dewey's Flatiron (210 5th Ave) hosted by the NYRR Foundation Young Professionals Committee. There will be drink specials and raffle prizes. The admission is $20 at the door for two drink tickets or $35 for 2 drink tickets and a YPC technical shirt. All the fun starts at 6:30pm, so bring your friends and help support the Foundation's mission to provide running opportunities to children across our country and in South Africa (www.nyrrf.org).

Also, next Saturday September 26th, is the annual Step Up Women's Network fundraiser. This time, we're hosting a day long designer shoe sale! Check out the details here and stop by The W Hotel on Lexington for shoe shopping and pampering!

I'm off for a 13 mile run tomorrow morning and hope to finish at Union Square so I can pick up a few things from the Farmer's Market. It has been hard to get there lately with my training. Apples and vegetables are my favorite picks. You can't do much better than buying produce straight from the farmers!

Good luck to the Spartan's tomorrow!! I hope they've learned from last week and play a good game against Notre Dame!

Have a great Friday!