No No NY....

As expected, tens of thousands of runners received the "thanks for entering" e-mail this past week.  Yes, I was among the 77,107 hopeful runners that paid a non-refundable $11 for the honor of being told not to make plans for NYC in November.  Approx. 9,100 were given good news that they hit the lottery.  Do the math, thats approx. $850k collected by the NY Road Runners from people hoping that their number would be called.   Big money in this sport, big money indeed.  Add to this total another $255 for all of the 50,000 runners (40,000 non-lottery runners qualify by their times or are running for a charity), or another $12,750,000, and we are talking some serious change.   I would say the sport of running, and in particular road races, is alive and well.

In fact, approximately 541,000 runners completed in an American marathon last year.   Thats an all-time high.  At least until 2014, when many believe that the events in Boston last April will result in even larger numbers running.

Even more impressive are expectations that more than 2 million runners participated in a half marathon in 2013.   This will not come as a surprise to any of you that have been racing this distance.  Where there were once races with 100 participants, we now see multiples of that number.   Clearly, the half is the distance of choice.  And for good reason.  It's about as perfect a race as there could be.  Short enough that most runners willing to put in a little work can finish.  And long enough that even the most accomplished runners have to respect the distance.   The best of both worlds.

Last week was a good week of running for me.  Nothing too long but just felt good on all 4 runs.  Capped it off Saturday morning with a Colonial Road Runners group run.  My plan was to run an easy 5 on a familiar loop.  For me, thats anywhere from 45-46 minutes.  Instead, I fell in with a couple of gents and found myself pushing pretty good once we got going.  Ended up running 6.5 with 4 of the 6 miles below an 8:30 pace.  For this time of year, thats pretty good.  

Next up for me is Doyle's Emerald Necklace on April 13, a 5 miler organized by Doyle's Pub in Jamaica Plain.  The distance should be a good challenge for me as one piece of my training that I have not started yet is speed work.  At almost 50, the body tends to handle the request for more speed a bit differently in the spring.  We shall see.  Anything around 41 minutes will make me very happy.

Hopefully this is the week you take those first few steps.....you won't regret it!

Run FOR life, not from it....

JD

One Small Step for Man.....

Just back from a quick 4 miler through the beautiful streets of Raynham.   It's a bit of a race against mother nature at this time of year.  I am not a morning runner so that little window at the end of the day between the commute home and sundown is precious time and not to be wasted.  It felt good to get out although at 41 degrees it's tough to dress efficiently.  I usually end up overdressing and carrying my hat and gloves back.  This is the type of weather that also challenges my respiratory system.  And no, I don't have trouble breathing.   Rather I suffer from the natural byproducts of labored breathing in cold weather.  So to those drivers on North Main St waiting for the light to change, my sincerest apologies for blasting out a few snot rockets.

I thought tonight I would share a few thoughts about getting started with a running program.  Why tonight you ask?   Because this is the perfect time of year to start.  Cool days make for perfect conditions and removing heat from the equation makes things a little easier on the new runner.  If you have started a running program in the past and didn't last very long, do not despair.  A few tips and maybe this is your year.   Personally, I believe most runners quit for two reasons.

First, pain or injury.  And I do not mean the usual aches and pains the day after a run.  That is to be expected as the body shakes off the effects of relative winter inactivity and lack of vigorous exercise.  The good news is this is temporary.  The pain I am talking about is more acute.   The knee you can't walk on.   The hip or lower back that makes it difficult to get up from your chair.

Second, lack of goals and a plan to achieve them.  Let's face it, starting a running regimen is difficult.  Running without a plan makes it even more so.  The smallest investment in time can go a long ways toward achieving your goals.

Pain - first, I am making the assumption that you have been medically cleared to begin a running plan.  That assumption aside, acute pain is usually caused by improper footwear or being impatient with your progress.  If you are serious about running, your first stop is to a running store for a professional shoe fitting.  When your foot strikes the ground, it may roll inward, outward, or may land in a fairly neutral position.  Running shoes are made to stabilize this movement, called pronation.   Only a trained eye can determine your level of pronation.   Yes, you will pay a little more for running shoes at a specialty running store.  But seriously, when you are writhing in pain from runners knee, you would gladly pay the extra $20 to make the pain go away.

The second reason for pain, being impatient, goes hand in hand with having a goal and a plan to achieve it.  The old adage "slow and steady wins the race" certainly applies here.  There is absolutely no shame in starting with a run/walk/run program.  As a rule of thumb, a reasonable starting point would have you run/walk/run for 30 minutes 4 times a week.  Or even starting with a brisk walk.  Don't even pay attention to mileage.  At this point, how far you go is irrelevant.  When you find that you are running the entire 30 minutes, only then do we start worrying about and tracking mileage.  When we have a mileage base, and you are feeling like the 30 minutes isn't enough, then it's time to increase your effort by adding no more than 10% to your total weekly mileage.  So lets assume that your 4 days running has you going a total of 10 miles.   The following week we will tack on a mile, or 1/4 mile a day.  This slow and steady progression, accompanied with proper footwear, will set you up for injury free running.

There are dozens of great running plans online.  Just Google "starting a running program".  Be reasonable with your expectations.  But have a plan.   And put YOU first.   Put the dates in INK on your calendar.  These running dates have to be your focus goal every single day.   Aside from family and work obligations, your run HAS to happen.   As scheduled.   Every day it's on your calendar.

With a little planning, and reasonable expectations, your first 5k is not as far off as you might think.  More on that in the next blog........

Run FOR life, not from it.......

Why not me?

Why not me?   There are blogs about just almost everything.   Go ahead, pick a topic, any topic.  Type it in that little Google box and add the word "blog".   I challenge you to find a subject that someone, somewhere isn't talking about.   I'll wait.  A blog about bark mulch?   Yup, several.  Azaleas?   Yes, more than a few.   Catching the spring theme here?  Just came in from inspecting the yard.  Mother Nature has been a nasty bitch this year, hasn't she?

So why not me.....me and running to be more specific.  Is it possible that people give a crap about what I think about running?  Is it likely that I give a crap if people give a crap about what I think about running?  We will find out I guess.  

So this blog will center around running.  It will veer from time to time as I often experience a stream of consciousness when I run.  May dabble in politics, perhaps financial markets, and most definitely my family.  They are a constant source of material.  I will probably have to put a self imposed filter of at least an hour after a run in which I cannot write.  I don't know if its the endorphins or lack of oxygen to the brain but I've come up with some pretty crazy stuff on my longer runs.  Luckily reality sets it after I finish.   Otherwise I might be standing on the working side of a beach bar in Nevis right now.  

From time to time I will rewrite about races or runs that I have have participated in.  If all goes well this spring, at some point this summer I will write about training for my third marathon this fall.  Hoping for NYC or Chicago but more likely something on a smaller scale.  Perhaps my stories or experiences will motivate you to take those first few steps.  Often the hardest and longest steps.   But most rewarding.

DISCLAIMER:   I am not a fast runner.   I am a middle of the pack guy.   I can run one sub 7 minute mile mile.  Just one.   I can run a 22 minute 5K, a sub 1:50 half marathon and I have a 3:59:03 marathon under my belt.  I am no expert....but if Barak Obama can write about leadership, I can write about running.  Take nothing here as the gospel.  many have forgotten more about running than I will ever know.  These are just musings.....

New Bedford Half Marathon - Sunday March 16, 2014

This was probably a mistake as I was nowhere near ready to run 13.1.   My last race was the Frosty 1/2 Marathon in my hometown of Raynham back in December.  Probably my best race ever but I was coming off a very rigorous training program for the Marine Corp Marathon in late October.  So my training level was still where it needed to be.  Ran the Frosty in 1:48, average pace 8:15.  It was a brutally cold day but thankfully light winds.  Excellent race by the way, Sandy and Dawn from the CRR nailed it.  The problem is, after the Frosty I got a serious case of winter blahs.  Still ran regularly but a lot of treadmill work and not a lot of dedication.   Fast forward through the holidays and into the new year.  I had decided to give the Colonial Road Runners Grand Prix Competition Series a serious go this year.   Its a series of monthly races in which club members get points for where they finish in their age group (40-49).  There are races every month.  And there in March is the New Bedford Half.

My longest run leading into the race was a 10 miler 8 days before the race.  The CRR  hosts group runs every Saturday out of the Raynham Lions Club so I joined in with a few local runners for an easy 10.  (More on the CRR and all the awesome things they do for the local running scene in a future blog).  So suffice to say expectations were pretty conservative.  Anything under 2 hours and I'm a happy guy.  Just finish in a respectable time and don't get hurt.

Race morning was uneventful.  Proper pre-race ritual. No need for details here, just trust me that I am a creature of habit and these rituals are important to me.   Let's just say they are "regular" events.  Picked up good friend Steve and off we went.  

Aside:  I highly recommend a running partner.   Runners tend to be social types and sometimes just knowing someone else is suffering along with you serves as motivation.  Unfortunately 95% of my runs are solo.   

It was sunny but chilly, one of those days that are impossible to dress for as a middle of the pack runner.  New Bedford presents its own issues as several miles are run along Buzzards Bay and conditions can change on a dime.  Aside from the weather, New Bedford is also a hilly course.  We started out and as usual got caught up in a race pace probably not correlated to my training.   If my memory is correct, I believe we were running 8:15ish for the first 2-3 miles.   Fortunately at mile 3 we hit the monster, Hathaway Road.  Hathaway is one of those hills that make you question why in the Hell you signed up for this race.   Its about 200ft of incline over about a mile.  Just a long, slow, lactic acid pity party.  We made the turn at the top and both Steve and I agreed that the last mile had sucked.   Again, great to have a running partner.  

Miles 3-8 are favorable for the runner.  Flat to moderate down hill and no wind.   I worked on getting my heart rate down from the climb and settled into a nice cadence.  According to my trusty Timex Run Trainer, about 8:45 pace.  Also dealt with the inevitable heating up and stripped off top level.  Unfortunately that level had my bib number pinned on.   Rookie mistake.   Miles 3-8 include some of the better parts of New Bedford.  My favorite stretch is running along Buttonwood Park.  Closed road and lots of people cheering.  At some point I lost Steve.  I recall hearing him say he was slowing down for water.   I was feeling OK and not due for water so kept moving.   

At this point, the competitive side of me reared its ugly head.   Smart thing to do given my training would have been to be happy running at a 9 minute pace and finish on the right side of 2 hours.  But no, the hill was behind me and I had a nice stretch of gradual downhill so I stepped it up a bit.   You're probably asking yourself, weren't you just saying how great it was to have a running partner?   Yes, for me but it's inevitable in every race that at some point I shut out everything around me.  Seriously, I tune everything out....it's a flaw.   Including running partners.  I know, you're probably thinking...what an a-hole.   All I can say is that a race is different than a run.  I'm sure Steve understands.

Uneventful for next 5 miles.  Felt OK, not great.  Then we made the turn at Fort Rodman and BOOM!    Hello wind.   Other than hills nothing sucks more than wind.  And it was an in-your-face steady 15-20 mph wind, not an occasional gust.  The other little treat for New Bedford runners is a 100ft incline at mile 12.  Yes, wind=suck, hill=suck, wind+hill=kryptonite.  That's runners algebra for you non-runners.   Anyway, the last 1.5 miles felt like I had a 30 pound rucksack on my back.  (more on that later if I ever get around to blogging about the Marine Corp Marathon).

The beauty of technology is that I knew that a sub 2 hour time was a given.  Now it became a "how far under" challenge.   Another weakness of mine, it's great to meet goals, better to smash them. (tip:set reasonable goals)  So I mustered up what little energy I had and crossed the line in 1:54:03.   Must have looked like crap because for the first time in my life I had medical staff ask if I was OK.   Yes, just old, thank you.  

From there it was back to the YMCA for a rubber fishwich sandwich and some warm air.  No disrespect to the race organizers, I love the rubber fishwich.   It brings me back to grammar school!!!

Well, that's about it for today.   If a 1/2 marathon is a goal for you, you won't do any better than the two I mentioned above.  The Frosty and New Bedford.  And if you are reading this and thinking that a half marathon is impossible, just know that I walked the last 3/4 mile of my first 5k.  (Thanks to you, Dupie).

Run for Life, not from it!!!

JD