West Side Motorcycle craziness

As we left home for our long Sunday run, we crossed paths with a pack of motorcycles jamming down Tillary Street in Brooklyn.  I lamented not running with a camera, but we were embarking on a 20 mile run, too long to carry accessories.  We crossed the Manhattan Bridge, braved our way through Chinatown & shot up the West Side Highway to 96th street, where we saw the motorcycles again, cruising up the highway.  It wasn't until Monday that we realized what we almost witnessed.

The motorcyclists, whether on purpose or by accident, initiated a 5 minute chase with an SUV after one of the motorcycles was tapped on its rear bumper.  This story proceeded to become national news, then scandal - all I can say about the incident is that we saw the gang revving and running red lights in downtown Brooklyn, giving all motorcyclists a bad name.

Our actual run was without incident- the West Side was crowded, usual for a lovely fall Sunday in NYC.  We crossed back to Brooklyn via the Brooklyn Bridge, which I have never seen so crowded.  It was like plowing through Times Square on New Years, with tourists all snapping the same pic while standing on the line in the center of the bridge.  A much more gradual climb than the Manhattan Bridge, and perhaps a fun distraction, playing Frogger at the end of a long run, but I was glad I didn't get clipped.

Running is gross

The other day, I shredded the backs of my heels while wearing some new shoes around Manhattan.  You'd think I'd learn, being a runner, that walking in Civilian Shoes is not the way I should be getting blisters at this point in marathon training.

Which pair of shoes would you think is made for walking?  You'd be wrong.

I bought some children's flipflops ($1.99) and some Band-Aid Blister Block Cushions ($4.99) at Duane Reade - well, guess which was more effective at remedying the blisters.  Yup, the flipflops.  It was slightly suspect to wear too-small shoes around this very grimy city, but the band-aids stuck to my skin and ripped off many more layers over the next few days as I tried to remove them.

Gross, I know.  Well, guess what?  Running is gross.

When I first started marathoning, I admired my older sister for her training rigor.  She would tell me about coming home from a run and her socks would be full of blood.  Yeah.  I've experienced this a few times but have since learned the value of puffy band-aids, and I safety pin them into my running shorts so I'll have them if I start to chafe.

V is for Very Sad & Hurty.

Speaking of chafing, I've been reading more about what female runners term "the marathon tattoo"- painful chafing marks that appear after an extremely long run.  For some reason, mine have gotten worse under my arms, but I think it's because I run in cotton tank tops instead of super athlete gear.  I've tried band-aids, vaseline, Glide & whatnot, but it all disintegrates by mile 14.  Leaving me to silently scream in the shower when the salt runs into my wounds.

The grossness doesn't end there- there's sunburn, sweat & spit- not to mention other unprintable topics of running ick, but it's totally worth it (as long as I don't have to smell your Ben-Gay after a race).

I guess for the time being, I need to be wary of my everyday clothes and shoes, and work on being comfortable between runs.  Save the pain for when I train.

Race for a Beer!

Our T-shirts are here!  These awesome, limited edition shirts, designed in cooperation with Lagunitas Brewery & Omprakash are available for purchase to support our fundraising efforts for Omprakash and the NYC ING marathon.

Seriously, this is something I do almost every weekend- run through my hangover...

Race for a Beer/Running for a cure

These American Apparel 100% cotton tees are available for a limited time (until Oct. 19th)!  The front says "Lagunitas: Race for a Beer" and the back reads: "Running for a cure... for my hangover.  but really, for a reason... omprakash- connecting volunteers, classrooms & communities".  Lagunitas Brewery is awesome for allowing us to use their logo & good name, and we hope sales of these shirts will help Omprakash do some more great work in supporting volunteers & international non-profits!  Free shipping if you want to pick up your shirt from me before the race- I'll give you a beer if you want to stop by!

Or, if you don't want a shirt- just give some money directly!

The Brooklyn Bridge Park & Squibb Bridge

This summer was fantastic for running the ever-evolving Brooklyn Bridge Park.  The double-bridge views stretch from 34th street to the Statue of Liberty, and it's a mecca for tour buses and wedding photographers.  They've slowly been opening sections of pathways along the waterfront, and the indigenous plant landscaping is filling in to create beautiful terrain.

You don't have to run through this, there are paths.

And it's bouncy!

And in May, the long-awaited Squibb Park pedestrian bridge opened (with little fanfare), connecting the Brooklyn Heights Promenade to the park below.

The suspension bridge that crosses the BQE was designed with "trail bridge technology", which makes it flexible and lightweight like the boardwalks in our national parks.  So there's a slight give as you run over it, zig-zagging down to the park.




Sadly, fall has come, and so they are closing down sections of the park to begin construction on the Pierhouses, a project that is sure to last deep into 2014, thus undoing the nice running sections in South BK Bridge Park.  Instead of traipsing next to the BQE byway traffic, we shoot back up to the promenade, then loop down the Squibb Bridge, around the best parts of the park and back up Columbia hill, giving us much of the nicest parts of the park without the traffic-y air quality along the roadway.

On weekends, the new restaurants- Fornino pizza, Ample Hills ice cream & Luke's Lobster (to name a few)- attract loads of tourists and it can be somewhat of a cluster*** by the water.  I suggest running earlier or expect an obstacle course of tripods & strollers.   Or, if you can't beat em, join em- and stretch out on the grassy hill with the sweetest view ever of downtown Manhattan.

Sometimes there are scandalous sunbathers!

For a pleasant additional quarter mile, I like to loop around the new Pier 5 soccer fields, where I can give my feet a rest on some soft fake-grass turf.  

Run-spiration

Yes, there's perspiration, but today I mean to tell you about running inspiration.  Specifically, my running inspiration.

When I began training for my first marathon, I didn't enjoy running.  Quite the opposite.  It was a way for me to get in my exercise in the most efficient way, to aim for a goal, and to participate in a fun group activity (but preparing on my own time!).  I have my ups and downs and days I don't want to run, but on crisp fall NYC days like today, I love it and love that I get to be outside, enjoying the day and the beautiful views.

But back to starting out- those first few miles weren't so easy.  Here are a few of the people who helped along the way:

Hal Higdon

Hal is the most influential marathon icon for me, in that I've utilized his training programs for every marathon.  They're free, simple 18 week schedules that I just copy into my phone or a simple paper calendar.  Finally a use for those free calendars that come with magazines!  I started on the Novice schedule, but have worked my way up to Intermediate II, which has 2 20 milers in there.  He offers guidance and tips for every week, if you need support or advice on those gnarly cramps or stretching.

Also he's just an awesome runner dude, who also makes some dope art.  Hal's the real deal.

Christopher McDougall

Born to Run made me think way more about running: my technique, the history & mechanics, and other runners and their stories.  If you haven't read it, you should.  It's "A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes, and the Greatest Race the World has Never Seen"- the story of the Tarahumara Indians, who run naturally, expertly, and at great lengths through the Copper Canyons of Mexico.  McDougall explores their culture, and mixes in his own narrative most entertainingly.  He changed the way I run.  

Kathrine Switzer

Kathrine has run 39 marathons, won several and is an all around great spokesperson for running.  But the story that most impresses me is how she was the first female to run the Boston Marathon in 1967.  She just jumped on in there, challenging the race officials and changing the ethos of women's athletics at a time that dudes desperately needed a female kick in the butt.  She talks about how people thought that if women ran marathons, their uteruses would fall out.  Yes, she was a wakeup call.

Prospect Park on a Sunny Run-Day

I've officially switched to MapMyRun from gmaps-pedometer. I can actually embed my running routes on here now!

It was a beautiful day for an easy Prospect Park run, my standard 7 mile loop that I save for leisurely weekends when the traffic going up Park Slope is less of an issue.

James Stranahan believed that a park in Brooklyn, "Would become a favorite resort for all classes of our community, enabling thousands to enjoy pure air, with healthful exercise, at all seasons of the year..."

Prospect Park is Brooklyn's better-than-Central-Park.  Seriously, Fredrick Law-Olmstead developed it over 30 years, fixing all the mistakes he made in Manhattan's major park.  It's a pain when there's traffic rolling through on weekdays- or when people see fit to run or bike in reverse- putting everyone in peril- but it makes a sunny day feel so much sunnier.

As long as the water fountains stay on a few more months, I'll keep up my Prospect Park weekend loop.

Dodging fishing lines under the Verrazano

Today was an 18-mile run, a slight jump in distance from last week's 15, but mentally a way bigger step towards the marathon.  We're about 6 weeks out now, and fall is quickly descending upon NYC, reminding us November is around the corner!

We chose the Belt Parkway bike path for this week's run, since you don't have to cross bridges or navigate too many busy sidewalks, which can be a taxing part of city running.  Last week's 15-miler through Williamsburg was way too draining!  This one is a pleasant run that takes you to the corner of Brooklyn- you see the diversity of this borough coming together to enjoy the views- and the fish.

Owl's Head Park (Owl's Eye View)

The Belt Parkway run, like all NYC waterfront runs, has its pros and cons.  We run about 5 miles to get to the starting point, Owl's Head Park in the corner of Bay Ridge.  A sweet little park with a gorgeous view of Manhattan, Owl's Head also has water fountains and public bathrooms to use before setting out on the meat of the run.  The pathway beyond the park takes you along the waterfront, underneath the soaring Verrazano-Narrows Bridge- which I'll cross on foot in November, but someone should make it easier for pedestrians and bikes to get to Staten Island (Change.org is trying!).

The views are great, there are no stoplights, and not too much traffic to contend with- even on weekends!  One bothersome aspect is also a virtue: the fishermen lining the waterfront are a pleasant spectacle, but I was running with the constant fear that I'd get hooked or run through a line!  They clearly need to look before they cast, but that's not obvious to these fisher-dudes.

The view from the pathway

We turned around at the Bay Parkway intersection, at the crowded softball fields before Toys-R-Us. The path continues and can take you to Coney Island, but that makes the run far too long for today.   One more mile and you hit Calvert-Vaux Park (which I waited impatiently for them to finish, but it's pretty much just soccer fields & benches)- which has water fountains.  We got a Mr. Softee at the truck parked at the final pier of the path- a great way to re-energize for the home stretch!



Belt Parkway Pathway under Verrazano-Narrows to Bay Parkway (18m)

Pros:
Views
No Traffic
Not crowded
Water Fountain
Bathroom
Mr. Softee truck ($2.50 cone)
Some off-road options (dirt)

Cons:
Fishermen
No stores (for water or snacks)  
Running through the industrial part of Brooklyn under the Expressway sucks.
It's an out-and-back (as opposed to a loop)
Sometimes combination bike-path/running-path
Uneven pavement
Next to Belt Parkway Traffic

We saw:
A guy who needs to throw that fish back
A guy on roller skates
A girl in all fluorescent running gear
The Millennium Skate Park at Owl's Head
The mysterious Candy Factory on 3rd Ave (we smelled, not saw- was it Chocolate?  But it smelled like Tootsie Rolls!)
The Draft Barn - could be fun.

Running Rhode Island

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Pausing in Providence

Tree-lined Blackstone Boulevard

Training runs in other cities can be tricky, but they're ultimately satisfying.  You have to have a bit of a heading, an adequate sense of direction, and/or the gumption to ask for directions if you lose your way. But you always see something cool, and get a better feel for a place faster than you would if you were walking... and if you get lost, it just means a longer run!

Comfy off-road running terrain

Rhode Islanders want to help you find your stuff you lost.

Fortunately, this weekend in Rhode Island, we were close to Blackstone Boulevard, a lovely pedestrian pathway that's listed on the National Register of Historic Places!  The dirt path is separated from traffic by grass and trees, and was moderately busy with peds running and heading to the farmer's market in Lippitt Park- but we enjoyed the quiet relative to our NYC runs.







After traversing the 1.6 mile stretch, we wandered down to the waterfront and found Blackstone Park, which was strangely empty considering its tranquility on this fine fall Saturday.  We loved passing the New England-y homes lining the neighborhood streets and briefly considered what life would be like if we deserted our dear old Brooklyn for a little bit of peace.  Then we ate some lobsters and went home.

Blackstone Park in early fall

               

Marathons to Run for Fun

When it comes to choosing a marathon, you should select based on a number of options: your date range for training (when can you train?), location (where can you go? where do you want to go?), and, of course, marathon fun level.  I usually forget all about convenience of dates & location in lieu of the fun level and weirdness of marathon.  Here are a few marathons you might choose for their fun potential:

Marathon du Medoc

We saw oysters up ahead

The self titled "longest marathon in the world" considers itself thusly because you are running forever through France's Loire Valley while you drink glass after glass of wine.  Runners are costumed, and the starting line hosts acrobats & fireworks, and villagers hand you pate as you pass by their storefronts.  I ran this race in a little under 6 hours, alongside a team dressed as a steamroller.  We might have been faster if we didn't stop for a dance party in the steak tent at mile 23.  I think we tasted 13 of the roughly 17 wines available on the route.


The Berlin Marathon

Dirndl required

This run is fun because it's the flattest (read: fastest) marathon in the world.  I think every race is the somethingest something in the world.  It's also humungous, with at least 40K people when I ran it in 2010.  I ran my personal best 3:50 for this run, and followed it up with a trip to Munich, where I drank at least my weight in beer to make up for calories lost in Berlin.

The Vegas Marathon


I guess this marathon has had some blunders in recent years, but when I ran the half a few years ago, we had a blast.  It's a really long, hot race, but the half was just fine for me- basically the strip and a little more of the dirty underbelly of Nevada.

But when you're done, you're in Vegas!







Safari Marathon

The Big Five marathon is a great way to use that cold hard cash you've been collecting in cube in a storage unit.

I mean, it's probably the most expensive way to run a marathon without raising money for a good cause, but I'd love to run alongside antelopes and in the footprints of elephants.  There's also a poor man's Safari Half-Marathon in San Diego, which I bet is fun too, just less African.



There's also the Solar Eclipse Marathon in Australia, the Great Wall Marathon in China, the Polar Circle Marathon in Greenland- but now I'm wandering away from fun into traveling/adventure-thons.  Look out for my next post...

Marathon Training schedules- 9 weeks to go!

When it comes to training schedules, my love for Hal Higdon runs deep.  The man has a plan for every type of runner, every goal and every available time commitment- and he's seen me through all 7 of my races.

Here's the schedule I used for the Northface Endurance Challenge in June... now that I'm training for NYC ING, I'm starting at week 9, but feeling pretty confident.

Check out Hal's site for more training programs, ranging from 5K walks to an ultra-marathons, and recovery programs, nutrition tips and amazing artwork.

Training runs and maps

It's nice to have several goals while training- apart from gaining distance and speed, I like to see more of the city. For my first marathon, I tried to run over all the bridges I could in the NYC Metro area. I was pretty successful overall, with the exception of the Verrazano Bridge- a motorized-vehicle only bridge that links Brooklyn to Staten Island. That bridge is my White Whale- I can't wait to cross it on foot after years of seeing it span overhead while I run along the waterfront.
Training for this race, I'd like to mix up my usual runs with some more adventurous routes. I have two base runs- a 4-6 mile loop of the beautiful new Brooklyn Bridge Park, and a 7-10 mile loop of Prospect Park. I do these on weekdays, then try new runs on the weekends when I have more time and distance to hit.
View Short runs in Brooklyn in a larger map

In an effort to share my routes, I'm also experimenting with how to include maps on this blog. One of the limitations of this technology is the inability to share our running routes, but maybe it's better to just have an idea of a running route, and explore how to get there. Then again, when you're on mile 16, you don't want to realize that the entrance to the bridge is a quarter mile inland. For longer runs, I use gmaps-pedometer to gauge a distance, then wear my GPS watch to make sure I'm reaching my target distance. It's nice to keep ideas of where bathrooms and water fountains are, in case you don't run with supplies. An attempt to upload my June Marathon route from my GPS watch... failed:

The Northface Endurance Marathon

It would just be too easy for that to work. Instead, I found I can use MapMyRuns:

Create Maps or search from 80 million at MapMyRun

NYC Marathon for Omprakash!

The Northface Endurance Challenge, 6/13

I ran my first marathon 8 years ago: the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco.  I think I did it because there was chocolate on the course, and a dude in a tuxedo presented you with a Tiffany's necklace at the finish line.

Now, as I approach my 7th marathon, I run because I love having a goal to train for- it's a way to see the city and be outside almost every day.  I like the way I feel when I'm "in marathon shape"- and because I love it when my metabolism shoots up and I can eat everything in sight.  But the real inspiration for running the NYC Marathon is that I get to run across my favorite city in the world,  supported along the way by my fellow New Yorkers, and I get to support my favorite organization while doing so.

I joined Team Omprakash last summer, when they offered me a volunteer grant to travel to Costa Rica to film their Cross-cultural Education Workshop.  It was an extraordinary experience, to learn about Omprakash and their mission to connect individuals with free international volunteer opportunities, while supporting a myriad of non-profits and NGOs around the world.  In one week, I was totally on board with Omprakash and their partner organizations- which champion education, health, economic development & the environment.  You might say I drank the Kool-Aid.

Now, a little over a year later, I've committed to dedicate my time, money and body to support Omprakash and their partners.  I'll be running the New York ING Marathon- 26.2 miles through the 5 boroughs of NYC, and raising visibility (and $2,500) for Omprakash.  After 6 races (one earlier this year)- running is the easy part.  That's why, for the first time ever, I'm sharing my training here- to let people know what it's like to train for a marathon in New York City, share my running routes & experiences while raising money for Omprakash.  I know tens of thousands run this race every year, but it's still hard to do, and that's why I'm proud to do it for a cause I believe in!

Follow me here, and share your own experiences training & running in New York City!