Marathons+Moderation Guest Post #29

Today’s guest post is from a new to me blogger, Laura, who happens to be one of my only runner friends who has been published in Runner’s World! How cool is that? This gal crushed 50 marathons before the age of 25 and has since gone on to become a pacer for multiple marathons and one of Athleta’s  Power of She sponsored athletes! I hope you enjoy learning a thing or two from Laura during today’s Marathons+Moderation installment!

imageAs a frequent marathoner, people often ask me how I find the time – not just to run the races, but to train. They often assumed that when I was pushing for my 50 state challenge (I ran a marathon in all 50 states in two years), I must have made running my full-time job. Far from it! I work in strategy consulting, and work anywhere from 50-80 hours a week. Furthermore, because my job demands that I be on site at my client (whether they’re in Texas or Virginia), my schedule never constant – so I can’t get into the kind of regular routine that many people believe is necessary to run a marathon. I want to let people know that despite all those things working against me, I still did it – and you can too. Here are my top tips:

Finding a time to run
I have always been a big fan of morning rather than evening running. In the morning, you can set your alarm and get your workout done before anybody or anything else has a chance to get in your way. Morning workouts put you in a great mood for the rest of the day – it feels great to know that while most people were just getting out of bed, you were getting in a workout and making more progress toward accomplishing your goal. Plus, if you’re running outside, I just think it’s so much prettier and peaceful and in the morning than in the evening – especially if you live in a big city. As a Manhattan resident, I’m used to all kinds of craziness on the streets in the evening, but I love going for a run at 8am on a weekend and finding the streets so empty that I could practically run down the middle of them. Morning running just puts me in a good mood!

If you try morning running and still don’t love it, that’s totally fine – you have to do what works for you. If you get nothing else out of my post, I hope you take away that marathon training is all about flexibility. Don’t let some silly schedule or anyone’s rules on the "right" way to train stress you out. Just like your body has to get used to running for 4+ hours at a stretch, your marathon training plan has to evolve and adapt to your lifestyle. Heck, I didn’t even have a "training plan" for my first marathon, aside from always going for a long run on the weekend! It didn’t matter – it was what worked for me. Besides – a flexible approach will not only help you to avoid overstressing your mind, but it will also help you to prevent injuries, since you’ll be listening to your body instead of some silly calendar.

Laura Skladzinski - 2012 Athleta Sponsored Athlete

Finding a place to run
I spend a lot of time in unfamiliar cities, where it’s not that easy to go on a "usual" running route. Instead of looking at a new location as a challenge, look at it as an opportunity to try new places and new terrain. Incorporate some principles of Parkour into your run: if you come to a bridge, go over it; if you come to a hill, go up it. Sometimes when you know the area, you unconsciously plan your running routes to avoid a challenge, so resolving to stick to your path can actually be a great way to mix up your workout and prepare for a marathon course that you’ve never run before.

One of the great things about running is that you can just take off and go. If you’re really good with directions (I’m lucky enough to have that skill), use your run to explore the city – just make sure to ask your hotel concierge about any parts you may want to avoid for safety reasons. If you’re directionally-challenged, find a main road that has a sidewalk and go for a nice out-and-back… and maybe bring a cell phone, your hotel address, and cab money in case you do get lost 🙂

For a more structured approach to finding a route, you can always try Googling running routes in that city… or better yet, try to find a running blogger in the area. The running blogger community has introduced me to people from all over the country, and since they tend to write about where they run, I’ve heard about some pretty neat routes. When I got staffed on a project in Boston, one of the first things I got excited about was the chance to run along the Charles River, since I had read many Boston-area bloggers’ reports of doing just that. If you don’t know of any running bloggers in the city you’re visiting, a quick Google search can remedy that – and help you find blogs you might never have heard of. To learn the ropes, you can even email the bloggers you find and invite them to go on a run – they’ll probably have all kinds of insight about the city and things to point out along the route, and as a bonus, you may make a new friend.

When you can’t get out and run

Maybe you’re in an area where it just isn’t safe to go for a run, especially if you only have early morning and late night times available. Personally, I hate the treadmill, so that just doesn’t work for me as an option. Instead, cross-train! I think many runners overestimate how much actual running they need to prepare for a marathon, compared to just time being on your feet and breaking a sweat. For my first marathon, I logged a lot of hours on the elliptical – which had the added bonus of being lower impact than straight-up running.

I always planned for a long run on weekends, when I knew for sure that I’d be home and could plan my schedule around my runs (vs everything that always comes up on weeknights). I found that one long run a week was enough to get my legs into shape for a marathon, and supplemented my long runs with activities like weight training (to strengthen my leg muscles) and cardio (to work on my endurance and willpower). Marathoning is so much about the mental training and the persistence, so doing something like 2 hours on a boring elliptical will definitely help you prepare for that 🙂

Don’t forget the mental training
I have done many marathons where I’ve gone in completely undertrained (oops), and finished with some pretty remarkable times given the circumstances – and I believe it’s due to the mental component of marathoning. Spend at least some of your "training time" figuring out mental tricks to get you through the tough times – sitting on a plane waiting for takeoff is a great time for this kind of planning!

For example, I have always loved listening to music while I run with Airdrives headphones that simultaneously allow you to hear everything around you – it’s incredibly dangerous and dumb to wear regular headphones while running. For my first marathon, I sent out a Facebook message to all of my friends and asked them to send me an mp3 file of a song that would remind me of them or would otherwise inspire me. I then made a playlist of all the songs I got, titling each song with the name of the person who sent it to me. When my motivation waned, I would look at my iPod and be encouraged, knowing that person was supporting me and cheering me on from afar. I think the fastest mile of my race was mile 17, when my best friend’s selection of "If you’re going through hell, keep on going!" came on 🙂

Finally, relax

Whether you’re traveling or not, life is always going to get in the way of your marathon training – and you have to be ready to accept that. Maybe your alarm clock doesn’t go off one morning, and you oversleep and miss your only chance to work out that day. Maybe you plan for an evening workout but then at 7pm your boss asks for another report… by 8am tomorrow. That’s okay! Again, I feel very strongly that the one long run on weekends is enough to prepare you for a marathon – so during the week, you just need to do the best you can.

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Marathon+Moderation Guest Post #28

Holla – Healthy Happier Peeps! My name is Jocelyn and I blog at Enthusiastic Runner.

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I am excited that Ashley asked me to guest post for this series. I finished my first marathon in November 2010, and now I am training for my 2nd marathon on May 2012.

I find that one of the hardest parts of marathon training is balancing your life, work and training. My first marathon I didn’t balance my life at all. Now, the second time around, I want to make sure that marathon training doesn’t take over the rest of my life. Please note that I am in no way an expert (not even close) but here are my marathon training tips (take it or leave it):

  1. Schedule Everything. And I mean everything. You are obviously going to have your marathon training schedule, but you also need to figure out when you are going to fit in other things: friends, family, dating, relaxing time, haircuts, doctors appointments, grocery shopping, work, etc.. (yes, even if you have a 9-5 job put it on the schedule).

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  1. Kill two birds with one stone. If you can run with friends or family (or even as a date – good luck with that btw) – DO IT. If you look at all the activities on your schedule (see #1), you are going to notice that your schedule can get real busy real quick. But that doesn’t make marathon training impossible. One of the tricks is to do two things at once (please don’t date and go to the doctors at the same time), but running with friends/family is completely doable! Group runs are even better…

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  1. Think Small, but Dream Big. I know that when I talk to other people (non-runners) about signing up for a marathon the idea of marathon training can seem overwhelming. My advice is to think small – meaning focus on the run you have THAT day, not about the 20-mile run you have in 12 weeks. In 12 weeks you will be ready for that 20-mile run – trust me. Be patient. But in order to even start a marathon-training or sign up for a marathon, you must DREAM BIG. So start with that.

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Source: http://pinterest.com/pin/154952043398947700/

  1. Get A Running Coach. If this is your first marathon, this is completely NOT necessary, but if you are trying to make a specific goal time then I HIGHLY suggest getting a coach. At first I was completely against this idea, but then I got a running coach and it completely changed my training. If you need a coach – I recommend Dorothy (http://www.mile-posts.com/)! (see photo below)

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  1. SPARKLE. Honestly Run Team Sparkle skirts (http://www.team-sparkle.com/) have changed my whole race attitude. I always thought that you had dress a certain way when running a race… now I realize I don’t have to take myself so seriously. Also, sparkles = speed. In case you didn’t know.

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  1. Eat well and Don’t over eat. A huge misconception of marathon training is that you can eat what you want whenever you want. WRONG. Not just because you will gain weight, but you won’t feel as good running. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t indulge every now and then. My advice: If you are going to indulge – make it count.

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  1. Hydrate. Sounds simple but during the winter I always find this extremely difficult. I never really feel thirsty, but I know I have to drink water or else I will start feeling sick. So I always keep a huge bottle of water on my desk for during the workday. I also like to drink NUUN a lot to keep my electrolytes replenished.

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  1. Start a blog. I first started blogging so that my friends and family could keep up with my marathon training, but now I love it! Honestly it helps getting feedback from other bloggers/readers regarding training. It will also help you make friends to run with (See #2)

 

  1. Download New Music. Every Tuesday morning when iTunes updates the new music for the week, I start downloading new songs that will be fun to run to. I am always asking people for new suggestions…although I have a love for country music…

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  1. Have some freaking Fun! Why else are you running a marathon than to have fun? No one is paying you to run a marathon (unless you are a professional athlete which in that case please stop reading this post – I will give you zero good advice). YOU signed up for a marathon, so you might as well enjoy it!

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Have fun Marathoning! Later Gators!

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Marathons+Moderation Guest Post #26

Editor’s Note: If you participated in the Home for the Holidays Virtual 10K don’t forget to submit your times here and email me your pictures as we will be choosing winners by December 31st! Also, check out the photo album here!

I’m Melinda, a founding member of the New York Flyers, former member of the Central Park Track Club, and trying to get my groove back. Approaching the 50-year mark—I am 48—I told myself last year that I finally have to complete the big one. Most people have completed a marathon in their first two years of running, according to Running USA. But, here I am after 38 years on the roads…and nothing!

When I used to be a fast runner, I decided to run the New York City Marathon in 1989. My training partner and I were at the start on the upper level of the bridge. Note that the start was arranged completely different from now, as everyone went off at the same time. The women’s start, along with the master’s men, took off from the top center level of the bridge. What the foreign men didn’t realize was that men were prohibited from the first 21 rows of runners and could be disqualified if they passed the elite women before two miles in. Needless to say, the guys didn’t realize that. After Fred Lebow, the founder and late race director of the NYC Marathon, realized that there were men at the front of the women’s start, he began screaming at them through his megaphone and kicking them out. Scared, I turned to my training partner and asked her what was going on, “Fred’s kicking the guys out. They don’t belong here.” I found myself moving up and then realized that I was in the second row—Ingrid Kristiansen was in front of me. Yes, the eventual winner. She crossed the finish line, but not me. I had to drop out with hypothermia at mile 19. The sag wagon was a school bus which followed the course—slow torture watching those who I ran with on their way to completing the race. For me, unfinished business.

Unfinished Business to be Finished was the goal for 2011. I signed up for the NYC Marathon lottery, but didn’t expect to get in after being selected for the NYC Half via lottery. Who gets in to two races in a year via lottery? So, I signed up for Chicago. Lottery Day finally showed up and I wasn’t selected, or was I? The searchable database said “not selected,” so I was relieved I signed up to run in the Windy City. Later that afternoon, a friend wrote on Facebook that he had seen my name on the NYC list. No way! I had already checked. Went back on the database and there I was! Wait, two marathons in one month? Not exactly what I planned for the Year of Unfinished Business!

It gets worse. I was asked to help put on the inaugural Empire State Marathon. No problem. Wait, the race is a week after Chicago? No problem, three marathons in four weeks. How does this relate to moderation?

Planning trips and running distances that you’ve never done before in your life requires moderation. At the age of 48 and having run 38 of those years, you develop a unique sense of what your body can handle and what amount of recovery you need.

Add a twist to the story: while training on the Erie Canal Trail in May, a 2-year old child attached to dysfunctional parents ran in my direction and trying to avoid him, my foot caught a gopher hole and I went flat out. Are you kidding me?! The skin wound was severe and I was not allowed to run for two weeks, but it healed fine (though with resultant war wound scars). As training progressed toward double-marathon month, my patellar tendon flared badly. This is where moderation set in.

My training required me to only run on flat surfaces and limit my mileage. But, how was I going to complete a marathon on limited mileage? I got through the 20, but the 13 mile drop down weekend to follow is where my knee seriously flared up. My physical therapist took me off of long runs and put me on a schedule of shorter base runs with cross training on the weekends. No long runs for five weeks prior to Chicago, but I did get in a two-hour EFX workout. I do not recommend that anyone tries this—worst workout of all-time.

Moderation required me to run only four days a week with scheduled rest days on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. When I was younger, we were always told that running 6-7 days a week was the gold standard. Double workout days were also common. Take it from this 40-something year old woman, training is overrated. Or, is that, “rest is underrated?!” Plan your rest days accordingly.

Here we go! Got to Chicago and the excitement of runners at the expo and folks from Chicagoland was awesome. Seeing the banners up on streetlamps on Michigan Avenue set in, “I am finally doing this!” I promised myself that I would not drop out, no matter what. Moderation in pace was absolutely key, as the race day temperature was supposed to get up to 80 degrees. My mantra for the race was “crossing the finish line is the only option!”

image The start was bounding with excitement and we finally took off. Getting through the first six miles was easy, but the heat was starting to seriously set in. As we exited Lincoln Park, we got blasted. It wasn’t the heat, it was 2 million people from Chicago out to cheer us on. The sound was so loud, it scared the you-know-what out of me!

imageI felt like I was in the Tour de France with folks pushing out onto the street and us having to attempt to pass through. I was angry at first, but people were actually giving out bottles of cold water and Gatorade. I was so psyched. This was about to get better. A woman walked out into the street with a huge bag of ice in her arms. As we saw her, we ran in her direction and ripped it open! I put some under my hat. This woman was a godsend!

The people were so kind and thoughtful. People made it a point of calling out your name. Whole church congregations came out and cheered on loudly. The volunteers were amazing, they not only gave out water, sponges, and ice, they also acted as spectators and cheered you on and called out names. A guy around mile 23 started running with me to help push me toward the finish. Crossing the Finish Line Is the Only Option.image

As I turned right over the bridge at 26 miles, I freaked out. The mass of people at the finish was unbelievable. The last turn toward the finish put visions of entering the Olympic Stadium in my mind. I felt like an Olympic champion! People were about 15-20 rows deep at the finish stands and calling out my name. I finally crossed the finish line!

imageRecovery was easy, but I returned home only to continue work on the Empire. No rest for the weary. We had few volunteers, so a majority of the work was put on my shoulders. Two days after returning home, here I am putting up tables, banners, and moving endless goody bags for runners. I spent 14 hours per day on my feet putting this thing on—more than 2,400 runners from 35 states and six countries. Lots of aggravation and problems, but the runners didn’t notice. Thank goodness. Only one runner sent to hospital and she is fine.

Next stop: NYC Marathon. For two weeks, I contemplated bagging the race. No. This is The Year of Unfinished Business!

I finally made it to New York, but had tremendous anxiety and could not calm down. I couldn’t eat and was scared that I was too exhausted to finish. My non-runner friends and father told me to drop out if I wasn’t “up to it.” This is The Year of Unfinished Business.

The bus traveled from the New York Public Library to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge at 6am. My start wasn’t until 10:40am. It was cold and dark, but Dunkin Donuts was giving out coffee and awesome hats to keep us warm.

imageThe four-and-a-half hour wait to the start was brutal. On the bridge, the foreigners were going crazy taking pictures. What I wasn’t expecting, was that this would take place most of the race. The cannon went off. Frank Sinatra was playing on the speaker system and my first experience with a “tourist,” I mean a runner, stopping in front of me happened at the apex of the bridge. I had to dodge him to prevent getting seriously injured. Brooklyn is finally here! The first three water stops revealed disorganization and having to wait for cups to be filled, but I kept going with the flow.

I started feeling it as we got on the 59th Street Bridge. I swear that is the longest and most monotonous bridge I have ever crossed! On First Avenue, my left quad began cramping like crazy. I stopped to stretch it out. Most people ignored me. A woman came over wearing a long fur coat and emotionless, asked me if I was alright. No worries! Crossing the Finish Line is the Only Option! She looked at me like I was nuts.

This began the long road of the run-walk. I had a bad headache, was freezing, and my quad was screaming at me. People kept encouraging me. I started focusing on signs. Anything to get my mind off. I finally made it to The Bronx. One sign still resonates with me, “You are doing what less than 1% of the world’s population has ever accomplished.” I started running consistently again!

Back on the Island of Manhattan, the trek down Fifth Avenue was brutal. Once again, as in Chicago, a guy started running with me to help move me toward the finish. I got into Central Park and knew I would eventually get to Tavern on the Green. But, how long would this journey take?

The last 5K was total breakdown. It didn’t help that I would finish in the dark. Get to the start in the dark. Ran the last couple of miles in the dark. Something is seriously wrong with that. This is a marathon, not an ultra marathon. As I started up West Drive toward the finish, there were still a few holdouts still in the viewing stands. Not what I was hoping for based on my experience at Chicago.

imageUnfinished business was now finished! Volunteers were plentiful at the finish area. Thank you! Someone was there to congratulate me and put a medal around my neck at the finish. He even gave me a hug…I needed that!

I was freezing and dying to get my dry clothes at the UPS truck. But, the crowd was not moving. There was a bottleneck. As I stood there, I started to decompensate and became disoriented. There were medical folks walking up and down the sides of the line. I grabbed onto one. He looked at me and took my arm, “come follow me.”

I was triaged and brought to a cot. This was a mini hospital. Eight people were working on me. Labs were taken and I was given two bags of warmed IV fluids. A physical therapist worked on my quad and foot cramping. I started to feel better, but still couldn’t eat or drink on my own. As I looked around the tent, the other cots were being removed and I realized that I was closing down this tent. I had been there almost three hours. I asked her how many runners they treated in that one tent—“1,500 and a few were sent to hospital with chest pain. We didn’t expect this many at our tent. Usually, the last tent gets slammed.” I didn’t feel so bad after all. There were others also having issues. Thankfully, there were no deaths.

Two hours later, I was in a restaurant having dinner and thought “two hours ago I couldn’t have imagined walking on my own, medal around my neck, and eating out.”

For the second time in a month, I have Crossed the Finish Line. The Year of Unfinished Business is now finished!

Next stop: Rock ‘n Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon. The madness never stops. I love it. My moderation: running half marathons. This will be No. 14.

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