No, Andre 3000, it's not "Ice Cold", it's running in the morning or later in the evening.
We had some pretty warm weather this past weekend which worked out great for folks heading to the beach aka "Down the Shore" here in Jersey, and most other outdoor activities. What it wasn't good for was running.
I couldn't believe the number of people out running around 2pm yesterday. It was about 90 degrees and they were not in the proper hot weather gear ( light weight dry-fit gear, a hat, etc). These folks looked miserable - and as I was comfortably driving by with my AC keeping my car at a comfortable 70 degrees; I was wondering why they would put themselves through that kind of stress. It's not to say you can't work out during a hot afternoon - you certainly can. But if given the option, doing your runs early in the morning or later in the evening will be more comfortable, you'll perform at a higher level and most importantly it will be safer.
Dehydration is a serious problem that runners always have to be wary of, and if you choose to go out for a jog during the afternoon, make sure you have plenty to drink along with you, sun screen and the right clothes to keep you cool. The easiest solution still is just to time your runs for cooler parts of the day and not be the weirdo running in sweatpants during a hot afternoon. But that's just me.
To succeed this fall at the NYC marathon, I've determined that I need to get down to my "fighting weight". Nothing crazy, but hauling a few less pounds couldn't hurt! I feel that I do a decent job of training, but could do better - so I have a schedule that I'm going to be following. That's only half the battle though - the part that I feel like I have a handle on, but probably don't is my food intake.
It's easy to fall into the trap of telling yourself, "well I just ran, I can eat whatever I want!" To a point, you do have some latitude with caloric intake, but running a few miles isn't license to eat a cheese steak (even though I like to tell myself that it is)
Offering some motivation each time you pick it up
So, I decided to keep track of my food intake, with two fabulous pieces of technology. The first, is the "Lose it!" app. It's free if you have an iPhone, and probably on other platforms as well. There's a website too if that's preferred. But basically I can put in my meals and exercise and it'll give me a daily report of how I'm doing. Sounds nerdy, but you do sort of get into it - it's like keeping score. You can even scan the bar code on food packaging and it will automatically input what you're eating. The other item in my fitness arsenal is this little bad boy pictured to the right. The FitBit.
This guy is like a pedometer on crack. It tracks your steps, but it also tracks the number of stairs you climb, miles traveled, calories, and then syncs with the FitBit website - which links with "Lose it!". What all this means is that if you're active - you take the stairs at work, walk instead of drive somewhere, etc - this will give you credit and help you more accurately track your calories burned in a day - so you know what you're real food targets are.
There is no one-size-fits-all food plan, and maybe this is what ends up frustrating people. If you work out and walk a lot during your day - you are burning more calories and in turn need to eat more than someone who isn't as active. It's a great way to get serious about your nutrition and honestly isn't that hard. The FitBit unfortunately isn't free - but maybe trying the lose it app first (which also allows you to manually enter exercise) is a good way to see how you like this method. I'm a fan, but I'm also pretty type A!
"Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son"
This timeless advice from Dean Wormer may seem obvious, but not to the new friends I made on my train yesterday evening...
I was coming home from school on a beautiful Sunday and just as soon as I settled in to my seat, a line of drunk, sloppy 21 (19) year olds got on the train. I knew I was in trouble when I noticed the line of ironic sunglasses and the 40's of beer in hand, but seeing drunk people on the train is nothing new, and I figured at 4pm, maybe they would be alright. Wrong.
Now, let's be clear - it's fine to have a good time, and I don't even
care if you're drunk on the train really. It happens and it's certainly
better than them driving somewhere. But acting like idiots and being
disrespectful is not ok.When everyone has to hear each detail of your (not that interesting) day of drinking, and how much you hate so-and-so at the top of your lungs, that's the line.
Thankfully, they got off the train pretty quickly- at which point my whole car applauded. This reaction provoked some colorful language from the herd of "classy" ladies and gentlemen, but whatever - they were gone. I may have added an Oscar the Grouch inspired "Scram!". I'm not proud. (Maybe just a little)
Moral of the story, boys and girls - it's not ok to be a jerk, regardless of your BAC.
Sorry for the delay in posts! I've been stuck in meetings and trainings for the last two weeks, but wanted to check in with a quick thought.
I am as guilty of this as anyone - taking things too seriously sometimes. I get caught up worrying about "did I train enough for this race?", "what is happening at work?" and so on. I then go and worry about things that don't even have a real bearing on anything except for my unreasonable expectations of myself. "I didn't learn how to speak Spanish yet" and "I didn't finish writing my book yet" are the two that are in my head now.
Ridiculous.
As crazy as this may sound, I need to have more fun sometimes and not worry so much about what I'm accomplishing to such a ridiculous degree. This is why yesterday, while I was at the JnJ company story, I purchased a box of Muppets Band-Aids. Why? Because they are hilarious.
If you want to get deeper on it, have you ever really had fun with something as boring as a band-aid? It's a good way to think about things. Either something boring, or perhaps it's a fun solution to a problem or disappointment. You got a cut? It's an opportunity to wear a picture of Kermit on your arm.
Well, it's Monday morning, I'm moderately sore, pretty tired, but feeling excellent about my race yesterday morning. Here's a recap of the action along with some thoughts and lessons that hopefully can help you achieve your running goals, or at least make you laugh (no promises there though). There wasn't a ton to report from the race itself, which is actually a good thing - a pretty uneventful 13.1 miles.
Friday: Packet pickup. This is the one day during a race weekend that I feel like a bad ass. Most of the dudes who run endurance races are smaller than me, so when we're checking in, I feel pretty tough. On race day, that all changes, but for now - I'm the man.
Pretty much every race has some sort of expo associated with it. The bigger races have huge set ups with pretty much every vendor you could think of for running, and some that have nothing to do with running like car companies. This race had a pretty modestly sized expo, but plenty to check out. My advice is to do a quick lap if you'd like, but don't spend too much time there. You're better off staying off your feet as much as possible before the race. Also, you are tempted to try free samples of drinks and whatnot, and this isn't the best idea ever. It's not Sam's Club - leave the samples alone. It can also be tempting to buy some new gear for the race while at the expo, and this ,as you can guess, is a huge no-no. Don't use anything new on race day. Shoes, clothes, food, drink, ANYTHING. You don't want to throw away months of training to an injury because you wanted to look fly in a new pair of shoes. Don't be that person.
Getting my shirt all set
Saturday: Took it easy as much as I could and hydrated all day. This is critical. Really you should be hydrating all week, but really focus those last two days. Don't "carbo load" This isn't necessary. Eat good healthy foods, and yes, work some carbs in there like a nice pasta dish or whatever - but don't go crazy with it. If you eat 3 plates of pasta for dinner, your body will absolutely hate you the next day. Avoid Fettuccine Alfredo - Michael Scott did not read this blog obviously (clip below). Basically, eat good normal food, some lean chicken, whatever. If you eat crap, prepare to feel like crap. If you eat good foods, prepare to feel good. Also, lay out your gear and have it all set up (water bottles, bib pinned to your shirt, etc) - this will save you time and anxiety the next morning. Also, put your name on your shirt or arms so people can cheer for you by name - they definitely will and it helps.
GTL - Gym, Tan, Long Branch
Sunday: Race day. The race started at 6:50am(!), so we left
home around 4:45am to get there around 6. It's a good idea to plan on
getting to the race early so you have time to settle in, and stand in
the porta-potty line. Seriously. Just get in line, it'll take 20 or so
minutes and by the time you get to the front, you'll probably be happy
you got in line. It's not cool to have to run into the woods at mile 1
(this happens a lot more than you'd think, avert your eyes).
The first couple of miles are always really crowded, and it's wise to pay close attention to what's going on around you. There will be people passing you, weaving, moving around, etc. Just stay focused. After that though, you can ease into a groove and run your race. I felt pretty strong the whole time and actually kept a constant pace the entire 13.1 miles which was a goal of mine. Never got too fast, or too slow.
Around mile 9, I saw Stephanie and Ilya(pictured above)'s wife, Katrina, cheering which was a huge boost. Be sure to agree on spots to look for each other. This race didn't have a lot of spectators, but larger races can have thousands of people along the course. In Chicago I was able to find my cousins about 4 times all over the course and it really kept me going.
The last mile and a half of the race goes up the coast, and while the view was awesome of the ocean - there was a cold wind coming off of it, right into my face. To make things a bit more challenging, the whole last mile or so is a slight uphill. I told myself that I wanted to run in the last mile, and I'm happy to report that I was able to achieve that. When you get to the end of a race, it's all mental. You have to keep telling yourself "you can do it!". If you're me - you're also telling yourself "don't be a wimp!". I sprinted in the home stretch (like a boss) and ended my run on a total high note. It was a great run and hopefully I can say the same thing in a couple of months when I'm crossing the finish line in NYC.
I'm going to bring things down considerably from Monday's post, but before I continue, I just wanted to thank everyone for the overwhelming response that I received. It meant a lot, and I hope my story meant something for you all as well.
My race is this weekend, it's a half marathon, so certainly a physical and mental challenge. When I run, I usually listen to music, but not on race day. This is mainly a safety thing as it can get sort of crowded at times, especially towards the beginning. But it also allows my mind to relax and take in what's around me; the spectators, other athletes, the sites, whatever. There is one other good reason for it.
During the last part of a race, your body begins to break down. This is seen more dramatically during a full marathon, with the last 6.2 miles having been described (accurately) as hell. In a half, you still have a last push to endure and it's certainly not comfortable. What works for me is pumping myself up, getting psyched and "letting loose" emotionally. This is easier for me without Ke$ha or whatever playing in my ear. I think about why I'm running (as described at length in the last post), the training miles I put in, how good it's going to feel to cross that finish line, and everyone who is cheering me on so I don't let them down. It's about being completely honest with yourself and being in the moment. As long as you do that, and do your best, you can't lose.
The inspiration for today's title comes from the Rolling Stones song, "Let it Loose" from 1972's "Exile on Mainstreet". I really love this song mainly for how raw and emotional it is. It's very stripped down and is one of the best examples of what the Stones really are - a down and dirty blues band. It's one of the most honest sounding songs from their catalog, and serves as a great sonic metaphor for the end of a race. Rely on who you are, and pour everything you've got into it - just like the last minute or so of the song feels like Mick and the backing vocalists are giving their last ounce.
I couldn't believe the number of people out running around 2pm yesterday. It was about 90 degrees and they were not in the proper hot weather gear ( light weight dry-fit gear, a hat, etc). These folks looked miserable - and as I was comfortably driving by with my AC keeping my car at a comfortable 70 degrees; I was wondering why they would put themselves through that kind of stress. It's not to say you can't work out during a hot afternoon - you certainly can. But if given the option, doing your runs early in the morning or later in the evening will be more comfortable, you'll perform at a higher level and most importantly it will be safer.
