1. Chances are, you've realized that you're a little nuts anyway--why not go the next step and sign up for a race? Runners get up at five, sometimes four in the morning, to run marathons and the like. I'm sure you've done crazy things, too. It was a chilly morning in Queens when I realized that running provided a sweaty outlet for all of us lunatics; there we were, lined up for blocks at six am, waiting for shuttle buses to take us to the start of a half marathon. The only other people around that early on a fall, Saturday morning were people going to work. They looked at all of us like we were crazy. Hey--they were on to something.
2. Running is SO effing popular right now. The NYC Marathon grows in numbers every year. In 2010, over half the participants were running their first marathon. Forget the fact that Oprah and Lance have ran marathons, your friends are doing it, and your friends used to be the laziest people you knew until they started running. Get off the couch.
3. You already have a lot in common with runners. They like the same things you do--wine, pizza, beer, burgers...that's four things already you can discuss when you join a local running group. Sure, we take running seriously, but beer tastes seriously better after putting a good five miles in.
4. Running gives you a sense of achievement and pride, no matter what the distance. Runners, like you, are sweet on the outside with a competitive core tucked in the grit of their shoes. Runners Ego is the small smile we have when we realize we ran a faster 5k this week than last week, or when we finish at the top of our age group. Runners at all levels experience a sense of self-worth and satisfaction when they sit in front of their eggs and pancakes at brunch and know they've earned it. And there's nothing more satisfying than the moment you run so much, you become a running mentor to someone just starting out. "I ran my fastest yet," someone recently said to me. I beamed as though a kid had just given me a drawing to hang on the fridge with a magnet, I was so proud of my new running friend. :) That so makes running worth it.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Hot Lessons from the Queens Half-Marathon
Each summer, I run the Queens Half Marathon in July. It is always a scorcher, and since I recognize that I tend to wilt in the heat and truly run at a snail's pace, I vow each year to do better than the previous year. This requires more training time in the heat, and early on this summer, I realized that was not going to happen. I just hate anything above 80 degrees.
Here's where I went wrong: Confidence. Since I have done several half marathons, some more prepared than others, I thought that I could run this race fairly easily with a bare minimun of distance training. I knew the course was fairly flat, and I was prepared to sweat through it. I thought running twice that distance would give me enough training elasticity to make it through anything.
I was wrong, friends. Painfully wrong, even though I wasn't necessarily running for prize money or anything. Training is crucial, and though I am a master at holding myself up mentally, I simply lacked the amount of physicality needed to finish this race without any sort of injury. (Really, preventing injury should be more of any runner's focus, but let's get real--how many of us just zip out there day-to-day, ignoring pain, because it feels good to know we put in a good six miler? A show of hands, anyone?).
Now here's where I went right: Confidence. I knew I didn't train enough. I also knew I needed that race as part of my 9+1 to do the marathon next year. I was going to finish the race, carefully, by setting a good pace for myself the first few miles. I made a plan. Learning how to make a plan is an important step for any runner; subsequently, I would argue that knowing how to adjust that plan is crucial to being a successful runner. Within five miles of the race, I saw two ambulances alongside the course, helping runners already overcome with heat exhaustion. This is a wake-up call--take it easy, I thought. I adjusted my plan to run (slow) through the whole half to running to mile 8. At mile 8, I was going to see how I felt, then maybe continue to mile 9. I had to re-adjust this plan after mile 7, when the heat was taking its toll on me. I walked for five minutes, then picked it up again. I had to keep adjusting my plan this way as the race went on.
As I rounded the corner to the finish line, I felt it--something in the top of my left leg being torn, pulled, wrung out like a wet rag--and I knew I had done it. I injured myself.
Egads, this is not a fun injury. I am not even sure what exactly I injured. It could be a fussy I.T. band, maybe my gracillis or TFL...either way, it is something that crosses over my hip and possibly my knee, and it hurts like all hell during hip extension. I thought for sure it would be fine after a few days of rest.
WRONG AGAIN: I went out for a leisurely six miles five days later. I knew I was pushing it after mile four, but my route was an out-and-back, and I did have to get, well, back. I did, painfully, and now I am done. This, friends, is when cross-training and rehab come in. Officially. Technically, they should be there as a preventative measure for runners. Train all the muscles so that your primary movers have something to fall back on when they tire. Stretch. And KNOW WHEN TO QUIT. Now, I definitely have to take a break from my kicks and settle for something different in the ways of sweat, or I am going to further injure myself.
For other runners who have been put-out of the race for awhile (and for those who don't own their own pool for water-running), here is a list of exercises to try during your break from the soles (Ahhh, puns galore!): *
For cardio
Spinning, clycling, elliptical, stairmaster, jump rope, and jumping jacks. A fast-paced, light resistance, circuit-type weight routine can also elevate your heart rate to ideal aerobic conditions. Take a dance class, try some zumba, do whatever you can for that cardiovascular high.
For strength
Side steps, lateral and medial lunges, step-ups, pilates, yoga, push-ups and other core work (planks, side planks, etc). Try focusing on your upper body strength for a change, instead of your gams--buy a few dumbbells and rock it out at home. Balance it out.
Returning to running slowly. You do not want a groundhog's day injury.
Good luck in your new endeavors, and stay tuned for a shoe update.
*These exercises are NOT injury specific, and some may make things worse depending on your injury. They are BROAD, general suggestions/alternatives to running if you can't get your run on. If you have a serious injury, only a doctor/physical therapist may accurately and safely give you a guide of exercises and therapy to try.
Here's where I went wrong: Confidence. Since I have done several half marathons, some more prepared than others, I thought that I could run this race fairly easily with a bare minimun of distance training. I knew the course was fairly flat, and I was prepared to sweat through it. I thought running twice that distance would give me enough training elasticity to make it through anything.
I was wrong, friends. Painfully wrong, even though I wasn't necessarily running for prize money or anything. Training is crucial, and though I am a master at holding myself up mentally, I simply lacked the amount of physicality needed to finish this race without any sort of injury. (Really, preventing injury should be more of any runner's focus, but let's get real--how many of us just zip out there day-to-day, ignoring pain, because it feels good to know we put in a good six miler? A show of hands, anyone?).
Now here's where I went right: Confidence. I knew I didn't train enough. I also knew I needed that race as part of my 9+1 to do the marathon next year. I was going to finish the race, carefully, by setting a good pace for myself the first few miles. I made a plan. Learning how to make a plan is an important step for any runner; subsequently, I would argue that knowing how to adjust that plan is crucial to being a successful runner. Within five miles of the race, I saw two ambulances alongside the course, helping runners already overcome with heat exhaustion. This is a wake-up call--take it easy, I thought. I adjusted my plan to run (slow) through the whole half to running to mile 8. At mile 8, I was going to see how I felt, then maybe continue to mile 9. I had to re-adjust this plan after mile 7, when the heat was taking its toll on me. I walked for five minutes, then picked it up again. I had to keep adjusting my plan this way as the race went on.
As I rounded the corner to the finish line, I felt it--something in the top of my left leg being torn, pulled, wrung out like a wet rag--and I knew I had done it. I injured myself.
Egads, this is not a fun injury. I am not even sure what exactly I injured. It could be a fussy I.T. band, maybe my gracillis or TFL...either way, it is something that crosses over my hip and possibly my knee, and it hurts like all hell during hip extension. I thought for sure it would be fine after a few days of rest.
WRONG AGAIN: I went out for a leisurely six miles five days later. I knew I was pushing it after mile four, but my route was an out-and-back, and I did have to get, well, back. I did, painfully, and now I am done. This, friends, is when cross-training and rehab come in. Officially. Technically, they should be there as a preventative measure for runners. Train all the muscles so that your primary movers have something to fall back on when they tire. Stretch. And KNOW WHEN TO QUIT. Now, I definitely have to take a break from my kicks and settle for something different in the ways of sweat, or I am going to further injure myself.
For other runners who have been put-out of the race for awhile (and for those who don't own their own pool for water-running), here is a list of exercises to try during your break from the soles (Ahhh, puns galore!): *
For cardio
Spinning, clycling, elliptical, stairmaster, jump rope, and jumping jacks. A fast-paced, light resistance, circuit-type weight routine can also elevate your heart rate to ideal aerobic conditions. Take a dance class, try some zumba, do whatever you can for that cardiovascular high.
For strength
Side steps, lateral and medial lunges, step-ups, pilates, yoga, push-ups and other core work (planks, side planks, etc). Try focusing on your upper body strength for a change, instead of your gams--buy a few dumbbells and rock it out at home. Balance it out.
Returning to running slowly. You do not want a groundhog's day injury.
Good luck in your new endeavors, and stay tuned for a shoe update.
*These exercises are NOT injury specific, and some may make things worse depending on your injury. They are BROAD, general suggestions/alternatives to running if you can't get your run on. If you have a serious injury, only a doctor/physical therapist may accurately and safely give you a guide of exercises and therapy to try.
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