A couple of you seemed confused-- I did not run the marathon yesterday-- my entry is for the NYC 2011 Marathon. Road Runners (the NYC nonprofit that organizes the event) makes you run 9 races to get automatic entry into the FOLLOWING year's marathon. So I'm in, but not until 2011. When I run this thing-- you will know. Hopefully, you will be out there to watch.
That said, I did do my first long run in a while this past weekend. I ran 7.5 miles around Lexington (in giant figure eights). At this point, I think it's official that I'm slightly banged up: my right achilles tendon gets a bit tight when I'm running and I feel it on stairs. Historically, all of my longer term injuries start with that one, because I compensate with the rest of my legs. I'm not sure what caused the tightness, but I did do the math and realized I put 400 miles on these "new" shoes. That means, it's time to retire them. Shocking.
I've spoken to a few of you about this blog and what types of posts you enjoy reading most. I had a couple of requests for more discussion of "gear" and the process of going to buy new shoes. As a result, I'm going to incorporate pictures onto the blog for the first time and do a photo documentation of my coming trip to Marathon Sports. I'm pretty sure I'm just going to buy the same shoe again-- it really worked for me. But for the sake of entertainment, I'll let them give me a couple test drives.
For those of you who did run the NYC Marathon yesterday-- congratulations! I hope your recovery is smooth and quick.
T-365 days.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Running is my Yoga
Yesterday, I submitted an application for an apartment in Jamaica Plain. Gentlemen, picking an apartment for you and your wife without her there is high pressure. I don't recommend it. But I remembered to look for closet space, so 10 points for me.
Jamaica Plain should be the best of both worlds for the 2 of us. I'll have lots of great running spaces and G will be surrounded by the Vegeletariet (voting block of vegetarians). I see JP as Boston's Hippieviille. Actually, more luck Hippie-Yuppie-ville. JP is for the Hippies and Yuppies who think and act like they're Hippies. It's AWESOME.
It shouldn't be too hard for G (G is my wife) to find yoga nearby. She got into Yoga at the same time that I started running. I venture to say it has changed her life. Go look this one up on google images-- it's only a matter of time before she's in the Scorpion pose. She can already do a headstand. BADASS. Meanwhile, I can ALMOST touch my toes.
It's kind of a running joke that I won't ever try yoga. But I'm finding my own ways to meditate while running. Since the move to Boston in August, I have not once run to music. I've been running to the beat of my own drum. What I've noticed is without musical distraction, running provides the best time to step back and evaluate what's on your mind. I'm embarrased to admit that during roughly half of my runs, I'm thinking about sports, sports news, fantasy sports, fantasy sports news...sigh. I need to get a life.
Fair warning-- the next paragraph of this post is nacho cheesy.
But recently, I've been thinking a lot about G. She's a trooper. She's the one who got me into this running thing in the first place. A year ago, G is the one who reminded me how much I liked training for the 2006 Brooklyn Half Marathon. And then she reminded me again. And when my initiative for signing up for the first race was roughly equal to my initiative for cleaning the bathroom, she's the one who went on the website with me and made me do it. She's the one who came out in the middle of a sub zero January race to cheer me on (though we didn't see each other at the finish line). The New York City Marathon is on Sunday. One year for Sunday (knock on wood), I will run this race for me. But I would not be there if it wasn't for her.
Jamaica Plain should be the best of both worlds for the 2 of us. I'll have lots of great running spaces and G will be surrounded by the Vegeletariet (voting block of vegetarians). I see JP as Boston's Hippieviille. Actually, more luck Hippie-Yuppie-ville. JP is for the Hippies and Yuppies who think and act like they're Hippies. It's AWESOME.
It shouldn't be too hard for G (G is my wife) to find yoga nearby. She got into Yoga at the same time that I started running. I venture to say it has changed her life. Go look this one up on google images-- it's only a matter of time before she's in the Scorpion pose. She can already do a headstand. BADASS. Meanwhile, I can ALMOST touch my toes.
It's kind of a running joke that I won't ever try yoga. But I'm finding my own ways to meditate while running. Since the move to Boston in August, I have not once run to music. I've been running to the beat of my own drum. What I've noticed is without musical distraction, running provides the best time to step back and evaluate what's on your mind. I'm embarrased to admit that during roughly half of my runs, I'm thinking about sports, sports news, fantasy sports, fantasy sports news...sigh. I need to get a life.
Fair warning-- the next paragraph of this post is nacho cheesy.
But recently, I've been thinking a lot about G. She's a trooper. She's the one who got me into this running thing in the first place. A year ago, G is the one who reminded me how much I liked training for the 2006 Brooklyn Half Marathon. And then she reminded me again. And when my initiative for signing up for the first race was roughly equal to my initiative for cleaning the bathroom, she's the one who went on the website with me and made me do it. She's the one who came out in the middle of a sub zero January race to cheer me on (though we didn't see each other at the finish line). The New York City Marathon is on Sunday. One year for Sunday (knock on wood), I will run this race for me. But I would not be there if it wasn't for her.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Back to NYC
Just a quickie today. I'm going back to NYC tonight...hope to beat the traffic. Maybe do a treadmill run tonight. Any television on demand advice for running would be appreciated for the weekend.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Demoralizerization and Incentiveator 3 and 3
We're overdue for one of these sections.
Demoralizerization 3: Running Shorts...On Men
I'd like to meet the man (or woman) who designed these. To be fair, the fabric is typically good for running. And I suppose if you're professional or even just really into running, the shape of these suckers is perfect. No unnecessary fabric on skin rubbing...I get it. In fact, I feel it's an inevitable moment when you are getting serious about running that you go to the store and try a pair. "Hey, these are really comfortable! I get it! And only 20 bucks! Super!" So you leave the store. But let me ask you a question. Have you noticed that all running stores have mirrors only for your feet? There's a reason. And that reason is my pasty white legs.
Gentlemen, I know a healthy dose of confidence is important. I'm all for you wearing the thing that you feel good in. But if you "feel good" in running shorts and you're not Kenyan-- well, I beg you to reconsider.
True story, I bought a pair and realized they were too short only when I had gotten to the park. Fabric has a way of moving differently when you're running...can't really explain that one if you don't get it. Maybe the "uh oh" eyes of all living creatures in a one mile radius clued me in. Needless to say, those shorts were retired after just three miles. Dad, please note...this post can also be applied to ALL of your running gear.
Incentiveator 3: Running in the Rain
Let's not get carried away. I'm not saying it's wise to go outside during Hurricane Gargamel and pull a Lieutenant Dan. But on those misty days-- or even in a heavy drizzle-- you'll feel like a bad mama jamma. Think of it this way-- if you run hard enough, you're going to sweat anyway. In the summer a nice rain can feel like auto-cooling system. Everybody who sees you out there will think-- "dang, that guy's hard core." And you'll think, "you know what? I am hard core." Cause you are. So the next time you hear yourself say, "Nah, it's raining. Can't run," give it a go. You'll see.
Demoralizerization 3: Running Shorts...On Men
I'd like to meet the man (or woman) who designed these. To be fair, the fabric is typically good for running. And I suppose if you're professional or even just really into running, the shape of these suckers is perfect. No unnecessary fabric on skin rubbing...I get it. In fact, I feel it's an inevitable moment when you are getting serious about running that you go to the store and try a pair. "Hey, these are really comfortable! I get it! And only 20 bucks! Super!" So you leave the store. But let me ask you a question. Have you noticed that all running stores have mirrors only for your feet? There's a reason. And that reason is my pasty white legs.
Gentlemen, I know a healthy dose of confidence is important. I'm all for you wearing the thing that you feel good in. But if you "feel good" in running shorts and you're not Kenyan-- well, I beg you to reconsider.
True story, I bought a pair and realized they were too short only when I had gotten to the park. Fabric has a way of moving differently when you're running...can't really explain that one if you don't get it. Maybe the "uh oh" eyes of all living creatures in a one mile radius clued me in. Needless to say, those shorts were retired after just three miles. Dad, please note...this post can also be applied to ALL of your running gear.
Incentiveator 3: Running in the Rain
Let's not get carried away. I'm not saying it's wise to go outside during Hurricane Gargamel and pull a Lieutenant Dan. But on those misty days-- or even in a heavy drizzle-- you'll feel like a bad mama jamma. Think of it this way-- if you run hard enough, you're going to sweat anyway. In the summer a nice rain can feel like auto-cooling system. Everybody who sees you out there will think-- "dang, that guy's hard core." And you'll think, "you know what? I am hard core." Cause you are. So the next time you hear yourself say, "Nah, it's raining. Can't run," give it a go. You'll see.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Turkey Trot
Point of reference-- I decided not to use anybody else's name on this site early on. But for my sibs, K = older sister, J = older brother, M = kid sister.
J is close to my opposite when it comes to running. He likes to go as hard as he can right out of the gate-- and he is more motivated by a fast mile than distance. Reminds me a little bit of a six year old entering Toys R Us. In high school he and I played many of the same sports, but we had very different skill sets. J was an endurance and speed guy. His best sports were cross country, track, and though he may get angry with me for saying this, he sucked at baseball and soccer. My greatest skill was always hand eye coordination. I pitched on the baseball team, almost never struck out, la ti da. But if you lined the two of us up and had us race-- J would dust me road-runner-ditching-the-coyote style. Little chunkopotomus that I was and Gumby that he was-- the best match we always played was one-on-one tackle football in the backyard. He had 4 years and half a foot on me-- but if I connected with him, I don't think he enjoyed it. Oh one-on-one tackle football. Only us, J. Only us.
As we've gotten older, J and I have actually become more sports compatible. Sometimes he pisses me off with his time obsession on races, but he's done something truly great-- he's gotten many of my family members to sign up for a 5-K on Thanksgiving morning. I probably would have run that day anyway, but probably not in a race. I'm really excited to have a race again. Haven't had one since June. It's a fun feeling, dodging bodies, playing predator/prey, hearing the collective kalump of thousands of feet. Even if you hate running, it's tough not to get at least temporarily jazzed about it.
Just 5-K. But something tells me it will make the 2nd slice of pumpkin pie a little sweeter.
J is close to my opposite when it comes to running. He likes to go as hard as he can right out of the gate-- and he is more motivated by a fast mile than distance. Reminds me a little bit of a six year old entering Toys R Us. In high school he and I played many of the same sports, but we had very different skill sets. J was an endurance and speed guy. His best sports were cross country, track, and though he may get angry with me for saying this, he sucked at baseball and soccer. My greatest skill was always hand eye coordination. I pitched on the baseball team, almost never struck out, la ti da. But if you lined the two of us up and had us race-- J would dust me road-runner-ditching-the-coyote style. Little chunkopotomus that I was and Gumby that he was-- the best match we always played was one-on-one tackle football in the backyard. He had 4 years and half a foot on me-- but if I connected with him, I don't think he enjoyed it. Oh one-on-one tackle football. Only us, J. Only us.
As we've gotten older, J and I have actually become more sports compatible. Sometimes he pisses me off with his time obsession on races, but he's done something truly great-- he's gotten many of my family members to sign up for a 5-K on Thanksgiving morning. I probably would have run that day anyway, but probably not in a race. I'm really excited to have a race again. Haven't had one since June. It's a fun feeling, dodging bodies, playing predator/prey, hearing the collective kalump of thousands of feet. Even if you hate running, it's tough not to get at least temporarily jazzed about it.
Just 5-K. But something tells me it will make the 2nd slice of pumpkin pie a little sweeter.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Brian Boitano
Ha! How great is this? I can write from my ipad. it's pretty rockin to be honest with you.
It's getting cold in Boston. I suppose that mean that it's time to invest in some nicer, warmer, running clothes. It also means that the difficult decision is nearing: Do I get a gym membership? The roads won't be ice-less forever. I wonder what Brian Boinano would do...
What would Brian Boitano do if he were here right now? He'd run an extra mile or two, that's what Brian Boitano'd do. When Brian Boitano was in the Boston Marathon, running for 1st place-- he say to run real hard, suck it up, and keep up with his pace. When I asked Brian Boitano if I should buy a gym membership, he told me that's a good idea so on my ass I do not slip. So what would Brian Boitano do if he knew I was writing this post? He'd probably file a suit or two cause that would hurt the most...
Happy Monday everybody!
It's getting cold in Boston. I suppose that mean that it's time to invest in some nicer, warmer, running clothes. It also means that the difficult decision is nearing: Do I get a gym membership? The roads won't be ice-less forever. I wonder what Brian Boinano would do...
What would Brian Boitano do if he were here right now? He'd run an extra mile or two, that's what Brian Boitano'd do. When Brian Boitano was in the Boston Marathon, running for 1st place-- he say to run real hard, suck it up, and keep up with his pace. When I asked Brian Boitano if I should buy a gym membership, he told me that's a good idea so on my ass I do not slip. So what would Brian Boitano do if he knew I was writing this post? He'd probably file a suit or two cause that would hurt the most...
Happy Monday everybody!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Looking for guest bloggers
Must be on the running topic, but looking for a once a month kind of person. Let me know if you're interested!
As for me, short update today. Running is good. School is good. Going to write a "theory of change" article for the blog on running shortly.
-Chris
As for me, short update today. Running is good. School is good. Going to write a "theory of change" article for the blog on running shortly.
-Chris
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