So it's t-minus 12 days until my official marathon training starts and I'm planning my training schedule. I'm using Hal Higdon's online training guide and it neatly spells out mileage for every week. I, however, felt the need to take it a step further and coordinate my miles with what I have going on and assign runs to each day. Without going into the feet-numbing details, here are some highlights of what I have to look forward to.
Week 5
This is the week where my long run reaches double digit miles. On October 10, I'm scheduled to run 10 miles. This should be interesting since I imagine there will be a birthday event for my niece and I'll be in Decatur. Guess I need to start mapping some routes.
Week 7
In most marathon training programs, the long run of the week takes place on the weekend. This can be challenging for people who have, you know, lives. On this particular week, I'm going to be having a life and going down to Columbia, MO to attend Mizzou homecoming with my friend. The likelihood of me running 12 miles that weekend is not so good. So instead of my 3, 6, and 3 mile days during the week, I am now scheduled to run 6, 9 and 6 mile days. The good news is that if can survive the week in the vertical position, I only have to run 3 miles in the Show Me State.
Week 9
On this illustrious week, my long run jumps to 15. While this is nothing particularly special in and of itself, what makes this noteworthy is that the long run the week before was only 10 miles. Progress is pain. Sigh...
Week 12
The good news: this is only a 3 day work week. The bad news: I get to run 5 miles before Thanksgiving dinner. More good news: guilt-free Turkey Day! (or pasta day, as is the case in my family)
Week 15
The dreaded longest run of the training schedule falls during this week. I have the pleasure of doing a 20 mile run on the shortest day of the year. Given my anticipated speed level, that could very well mean this run will encompass more time than actual daylight on that day.
Week 16
Christmas week! In my infinite wisdom, I decided to give myself Christmas Day off. However, that means I need to run 8 miles on Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas to me. However the much more important aspect of this week is that it evokes the sweetest word known to marathoners: taper. That means that your longest mileage is behind you and you taper your mileage from here on out. Best. Christmas. Present. Ever.
So beginning on Septebmer 7, my life will not be my own for the next 18 weeks. So if you're looking for me, check the streets!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Marathoning Can Save the Amercian Economy
Running a marathon is different that your average daily run in many ways, all of which I'm sure I'll be complaining about at various times in the next 4 months. One such difference is the amount of financial commitment it takes. For starters, the average race entry fee is 3 to 4 times higher than that of your neighborhood race. I guess it must be to pay for all that extra Gatorade on the race course. The good thing is that with that kind of money on the line, there's no way I'm backing out. I'm in this now.
Training for, and running, a marathon requires a wardrobe of accoutrements that most women will probably never put on their shopping lists. So for the sake of education, here's the breakdown of items I've acquired on my quest to run 26.2 miles.
Running shoes. We're talking serious running shoes, not, unfortunately the trendy new "it" style of shoe that you want to wear to look cute. No, these are strictly utilitarian. First you must discern if you are a pronator or supinator, which are fancy ways of saying "what part of the foot takes the brunt on your footfalls?" and then purchase shoes accordingly. It can pretty much assumed that said shoes will have be mostly gray. Yawn...
Moisture wicking clothing. Through the magic of modern technology, we now have these wonderful articles of clothing that weigh next to nothing and dry super fast. No longer do we have to wear those cotton t-shirts that grow in length over each sweaty mile. Thankfully, these do come in colors other than gray. However for some ridiculous reason, they make them in white. No woman with sweat glands should ever buy a moisture-wicking shirt in white. Seriously.
Sports bra. Not just any sports bra will do. Any woman with breasts that don't need training must have a "high impact" sports bra. Now, we do have choices. There are compression styles which basically just mash you so hard that your breasts start to come out of your back. Then there's the encapsulation styles that are reminicent of Madonna's cone bra ensemble from the early 90s.
Shopping for these gems of the fashion world can be an interesting experience. This year I needed a new bra and starting looking at various stores. Apparently Bloomington-Normal only has small breasted runners so I had to move on to Peoria. Luckily I found a store that carried a selection of sports bras that were actually bra-sized instead of small, medium & large (yeah, right!). My mom was with me and was helping me find some styles to try on. As she looked through the racks (heh, heh - racks!) she held up one that listed it as being my size. My comment to her was "These are not fitting in there!" And you know what? They didn't. Luckily, other manufacturers were more generous with the amount of fabric used.
Gu. This is where things start getting interesting. Gu, for the running novices, is a pudding-like edible substance, available in a variety of flavors, that contains a lot of nutrients endurance athletes need to replace during long workouts. They come in little packets that you tear open and slide down your throat with water while without missing a step. Unfortunately for me, the last time I trained for marathon, I threw up after every Gu "meal." For obvious reasons, I will be replacing the Gu with Cliff Bars, Cliff Shots or some other nutritional wonder that boasts some adventure athlete on the package.
Fuel belt. These nifty elastic devices hold your race numbers and, much like a plumber's belt, provide spaces to hang a variety of other necessities, including the aforementioned Gu. During the 4 or 5 hours that I will be running through the Disney parks I will likely have uses for a variety of items like a Cliff Bar, my inhaler, an iPod, and possibly a small recliner. The added bonus of these fuel belts is that you look like a "real" athlete.
Body Glide. I know this sounds kinky, but it's actually very practical. This wonder product, which comes in a container that looks like a deodorant stick, has saved many a woman's thigh. Distance runners apply this to areas prone to chafing - the inner thighs, bra bands, where the sleeve ends, etc. If you're interested in buying some Body Glide for yourself, be sure to purchase it at a reputable sporting goods store. I can't assure you that there aren't other products sold at, umm, other stores that also go by the name Body Glide. Caveot Emptor.
Nip Guards. Ok - these are for men, but they are so intriguing to the folks I've mentioned them to that I thought they merited inclusion. I've seen many men finish long races with 2 blood stains where their nipples used to be. Why? Because they didn't use Nip Guards! Yes - they are what the name implies. They guard the nipples. Now years ago, the smart guys used Band-Aides but those are cotton t-shirts in a moisture-wicking age.
So that's my list for now. I'm sure it will grow in the coming months. I don't want to tally how much money these items represent. Let's just say if President Obama could get more Americans to run marathons, this recession would be so over!
Training for, and running, a marathon requires a wardrobe of accoutrements that most women will probably never put on their shopping lists. So for the sake of education, here's the breakdown of items I've acquired on my quest to run 26.2 miles.
Running shoes. We're talking serious running shoes, not, unfortunately the trendy new "it" style of shoe that you want to wear to look cute. No, these are strictly utilitarian. First you must discern if you are a pronator or supinator, which are fancy ways of saying "what part of the foot takes the brunt on your footfalls?" and then purchase shoes accordingly. It can pretty much assumed that said shoes will have be mostly gray. Yawn...
Moisture wicking clothing. Through the magic of modern technology, we now have these wonderful articles of clothing that weigh next to nothing and dry super fast. No longer do we have to wear those cotton t-shirts that grow in length over each sweaty mile. Thankfully, these do come in colors other than gray. However for some ridiculous reason, they make them in white. No woman with sweat glands should ever buy a moisture-wicking shirt in white. Seriously.
Sports bra. Not just any sports bra will do. Any woman with breasts that don't need training must have a "high impact" sports bra. Now, we do have choices. There are compression styles which basically just mash you so hard that your breasts start to come out of your back. Then there's the encapsulation styles that are reminicent of Madonna's cone bra ensemble from the early 90s.
Shopping for these gems of the fashion world can be an interesting experience. This year I needed a new bra and starting looking at various stores. Apparently Bloomington-Normal only has small breasted runners so I had to move on to Peoria. Luckily I found a store that carried a selection of sports bras that were actually bra-sized instead of small, medium & large (yeah, right!). My mom was with me and was helping me find some styles to try on. As she looked through the racks (heh, heh - racks!) she held up one that listed it as being my size. My comment to her was "These are not fitting in there!" And you know what? They didn't. Luckily, other manufacturers were more generous with the amount of fabric used.
Gu. This is where things start getting interesting. Gu, for the running novices, is a pudding-like edible substance, available in a variety of flavors, that contains a lot of nutrients endurance athletes need to replace during long workouts. They come in little packets that you tear open and slide down your throat with water while without missing a step. Unfortunately for me, the last time I trained for marathon, I threw up after every Gu "meal." For obvious reasons, I will be replacing the Gu with Cliff Bars, Cliff Shots or some other nutritional wonder that boasts some adventure athlete on the package.
Fuel belt. These nifty elastic devices hold your race numbers and, much like a plumber's belt, provide spaces to hang a variety of other necessities, including the aforementioned Gu. During the 4 or 5 hours that I will be running through the Disney parks I will likely have uses for a variety of items like a Cliff Bar, my inhaler, an iPod, and possibly a small recliner. The added bonus of these fuel belts is that you look like a "real" athlete.
Body Glide. I know this sounds kinky, but it's actually very practical. This wonder product, which comes in a container that looks like a deodorant stick, has saved many a woman's thigh. Distance runners apply this to areas prone to chafing - the inner thighs, bra bands, where the sleeve ends, etc. If you're interested in buying some Body Glide for yourself, be sure to purchase it at a reputable sporting goods store. I can't assure you that there aren't other products sold at, umm, other stores that also go by the name Body Glide. Caveot Emptor.
Nip Guards. Ok - these are for men, but they are so intriguing to the folks I've mentioned them to that I thought they merited inclusion. I've seen many men finish long races with 2 blood stains where their nipples used to be. Why? Because they didn't use Nip Guards! Yes - they are what the name implies. They guard the nipples. Now years ago, the smart guys used Band-Aides but those are cotton t-shirts in a moisture-wicking age.
So that's my list for now. I'm sure it will grow in the coming months. I don't want to tally how much money these items represent. Let's just say if President Obama could get more Americans to run marathons, this recession would be so over!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Yeah, but how are you gonna get there?
So running a marathon in another state involves more planning and details than your average jog in the park. Throw in 2 parents, 2 friends, multiple travel agents and a fickle airline industry and you can see how the 20 mile training run might just be the easiest part of this whole endeavor.
The Parents
My parents were nice enough to agree to come down and watch me run. I'm glad because no matter how old I get, when I'm running a race I just always enjoy it more when my parents are on the sidelines. My dad is in super good shape this year and decided he'd like to run the 1/2 marathon. Despite gentle warnings from me that the race closes early so he'd better register, he did not do it early enough and got shut out. (When are they gonna listen to me anyway?) So now he's running the 5K which is 2 FULL DAYS before the marathon. If I want to watch him run (and I do) I need to leave with them on Thursday. I have been explicit that I do not want to visit the Disney parks before I run as to save my legs so I'll be down in Florida for 3 days sittin' around. Oh - and my parents recently informed me they have to leave on Tuesday so that's one day in the parks with them. Hmmm...
The Friends
I'm super excited that my friends Bridget and Jennie are coming with me to cheer me on and play in Florida. Since we're all watching our budgets, I tell them not to come down until Saturday and I'll meet them at the hotel. So we're all trying to plan our trip and discover an awesome airfare of $74/each way to Orlando. I tell Bridget and Jennie to jump on it and book the flight and call my parents. However, for some inexplicable reason they aren't ready to book their flights. In order to get on the same flight back with Bridget and Jennie back on Thursday (instead of my parents' Tuesday departure) I want to book at the same time. Mom's suggestion: book the flight home and wait until they are ready to book the flight down. So now I have a flight home from Orlando but no flight down to Orlando. Hmmm...
The Travel Agents
The one thing that everyone seems to agree on is that a travel agent is the way to go to get the best deal on Disney packages. Problem is, everyone has a travel agent. My friend Wendy suggested one that specializes in Disney trips, my friend Jennie has one she likes that she used for a previous Disney vacation and my parents have one that is in my dad's running club. I'm sure they're all good, but I don't care who we use. Hmmmm...
The Fickle Airline Industry
Pretty much everyone knows that you never know what you're gonna get with the airlines. Remember that half of a flight that I've got booked? Well, I'm pretty sure it's gonna cost me more to book the other half. But my mom assures me she'll pay the difference if (read "when") the rates go up by the time they decide to book. Well, at least that's not my problem anymore...
I'm tired just thinking about all of this. We haven't even taken a stab at booking the hotel yet. Why don't you guys handle that while I go for a run?
The Parents
My parents were nice enough to agree to come down and watch me run. I'm glad because no matter how old I get, when I'm running a race I just always enjoy it more when my parents are on the sidelines. My dad is in super good shape this year and decided he'd like to run the 1/2 marathon. Despite gentle warnings from me that the race closes early so he'd better register, he did not do it early enough and got shut out. (When are they gonna listen to me anyway?) So now he's running the 5K which is 2 FULL DAYS before the marathon. If I want to watch him run (and I do) I need to leave with them on Thursday. I have been explicit that I do not want to visit the Disney parks before I run as to save my legs so I'll be down in Florida for 3 days sittin' around. Oh - and my parents recently informed me they have to leave on Tuesday so that's one day in the parks with them. Hmmm...
The Friends
I'm super excited that my friends Bridget and Jennie are coming with me to cheer me on and play in Florida. Since we're all watching our budgets, I tell them not to come down until Saturday and I'll meet them at the hotel. So we're all trying to plan our trip and discover an awesome airfare of $74/each way to Orlando. I tell Bridget and Jennie to jump on it and book the flight and call my parents. However, for some inexplicable reason they aren't ready to book their flights. In order to get on the same flight back with Bridget and Jennie back on Thursday (instead of my parents' Tuesday departure) I want to book at the same time. Mom's suggestion: book the flight home and wait until they are ready to book the flight down. So now I have a flight home from Orlando but no flight down to Orlando. Hmmm...
The Travel Agents
The one thing that everyone seems to agree on is that a travel agent is the way to go to get the best deal on Disney packages. Problem is, everyone has a travel agent. My friend Wendy suggested one that specializes in Disney trips, my friend Jennie has one she likes that she used for a previous Disney vacation and my parents have one that is in my dad's running club. I'm sure they're all good, but I don't care who we use. Hmmmm...
The Fickle Airline Industry
Pretty much everyone knows that you never know what you're gonna get with the airlines. Remember that half of a flight that I've got booked? Well, I'm pretty sure it's gonna cost me more to book the other half. But my mom assures me she'll pay the difference if (read "when") the rates go up by the time they decide to book. Well, at least that's not my problem anymore...
I'm tired just thinking about all of this. We haven't even taken a stab at booking the hotel yet. Why don't you guys handle that while I go for a run?
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Are you crazy?
"Are you crazy?"
That's the question I get most often when people find out I'm going to run a marathon. Though, to be honest, I've noticed most people have foregone the politeness of posing this as a question and instead stated it as fact: "You are crazy." Why would I want to do such a crazy thing? Well, if you don't know what fartlek is, have never run until you've thrown up and then run some more, or subsisted on a diet made up partially of Goo, then you'll never understand so you can stop trying. But I do have reasons.
Ever since I've known what a marathon is, I've admired the people that could run one. Eventually, I started to think that I'd like to do that. Later I decided that it was my goal to run a marathon. Anyone who knows me knows that at that point, there's no going back. I would run a marathon. So in 2002 I trained for, and successfully completed, the Chicago Marathon in 4 hours, 57 minutes and 30 seconds - not fast, but in the vertical position so all went well. Despite losing my free time, my toenail, and on some occasions, my lunch - I felt it was time well spent.
After I finished the marathon, people started asking if I was going to do it again. I didn't think I would, but my answer was pretty standard: "Never say never." Shortly thereafter, I learned of the Disney Marathon and the coveted Mickey Medal that finishers received. Being a Mickey fan for most of my life, I decided that I wanted that medal, but the marathon training took so long that I thought I'd just do the half marathon. Apparently, finishers of the half marathon earn a Donald Duck medal. Upon learning this, I believe my response was, "I don't want no duck." So the marathon it is.
My official training schedule begins on September 7, 2009. I'm gonna need all the help I can get so I am enlisting my friends and family to join Team Raegan. My plan is to record my efforts, trials and victories for myself and the people that think I'm crazy but love me anyway. Join me as I test my determination, my physical limits and my sanity. It should be a crazy ride!
Oh, and just for the sake of full disclosure, here's another marathon fact: this will be my 2nd marathon. My dad, who has and will always run faster and better than me, has only run one marathon. That's not to say there's any connection between that and me running this marathon. I'm just sayin'....
That's the question I get most often when people find out I'm going to run a marathon. Though, to be honest, I've noticed most people have foregone the politeness of posing this as a question and instead stated it as fact: "You are crazy." Why would I want to do such a crazy thing? Well, if you don't know what fartlek is, have never run until you've thrown up and then run some more, or subsisted on a diet made up partially of Goo, then you'll never understand so you can stop trying. But I do have reasons.
Ever since I've known what a marathon is, I've admired the people that could run one. Eventually, I started to think that I'd like to do that. Later I decided that it was my goal to run a marathon. Anyone who knows me knows that at that point, there's no going back. I would run a marathon. So in 2002 I trained for, and successfully completed, the Chicago Marathon in 4 hours, 57 minutes and 30 seconds - not fast, but in the vertical position so all went well. Despite losing my free time, my toenail, and on some occasions, my lunch - I felt it was time well spent.
After I finished the marathon, people started asking if I was going to do it again. I didn't think I would, but my answer was pretty standard: "Never say never." Shortly thereafter, I learned of the Disney Marathon and the coveted Mickey Medal that finishers received. Being a Mickey fan for most of my life, I decided that I wanted that medal, but the marathon training took so long that I thought I'd just do the half marathon. Apparently, finishers of the half marathon earn a Donald Duck medal. Upon learning this, I believe my response was, "I don't want no duck." So the marathon it is.
My official training schedule begins on September 7, 2009. I'm gonna need all the help I can get so I am enlisting my friends and family to join Team Raegan. My plan is to record my efforts, trials and victories for myself and the people that think I'm crazy but love me anyway. Join me as I test my determination, my physical limits and my sanity. It should be a crazy ride!
Oh, and just for the sake of full disclosure, here's another marathon fact: this will be my 2nd marathon. My dad, who has and will always run faster and better than me, has only run one marathon. That's not to say there's any connection between that and me running this marathon. I'm just sayin'....
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