Posts in the Races Category at , Page 11

24 Hours of Running

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Cait — 11 Comments ↓

No, not me, but many do it. Ultras. As if 26.2 miles weren’t enough, let’s kick it up a notch.

I’ve never really been 100% certain about how I felt about ultra marathons. Trust me, I’m an Obsessive Compulsive Runner to the bone (or at least getting in some kind of workout if I can’t actually run) but it really made me question if I’m THAT OCR-ish. “Could I actually keep going that long? Would I want to go that long? Would I get bored because you are running at a ‘slower’ pace? How the heck would I even start that thing, ‘okay, one mile down, 115 to go?!’ ”

Ya, that would be after the finish line!

Then another part of me brings up, “Dang, how much fun would it be to chow down after one of those ultra’s…heck even DURING one of those things!”

The event does fascinate me but I’m not sure I’d ever actually do one. I mean being able to run a 15-minute 5k fascinates me and I know for darn sure I’ll never actually do one of those! But back to ultra’s, they are growing in popularity and getting more press as of late, so here are a few of my own personal experiences as well as factoids I’ve found:

* I’ve always counted Alberto Salazar as one of my heros (both running and as a person) and to hear some of the stories about how he trained for the Comrades Marathon are EPIC. He went on to demolish the course record, but he’s said that race was one of the hardest things in the world. It took everything to keep going…that says a flipping lot in my book. If a man with that much grit, who did long runs wearing a weight vest, did repeat miles on a treadmill to have the heater blasting in his face to best mimic the conditions of Comrades, tell me that race almost did him in, it really makes me question if I could hack that.

* Very recently I had the pleasure to interview Michael Wardian, a current ultra marathon superstar. He’s unique in the man races an insane amount but still retains an incredible amount of speed; he’ll do 100 mile races and come back a day or two later to run a marathon. He’s got a qualifying time for the Olympic Marathon Trials this January AND he’s earned a silver medal at the 100k World Championships…that is range. Even more astounding to me was that he still has a ‘regular job’ despite criss-crossing the globe on a weekly basis AND does the majority of his training on a treadmill. Why a treadmill? Because that way he can babysit his two young children…I respect that even more. Next time you think the treadmill is too mind-numbing, think of Michael busting out some ultra long runs in his basement.

* Another famous ultra marathoner, Scott Jurek, attempted to break the 24 hour record (188 miles) this past weekend in Taiwan. While he fell short he still clocked 106 miles and retains the US record of 165 miles. I think what gets me here is that in Taiwan the race was held on a 400 meter track. Seriously?! I think the mental burnout factor alone is crazy.

* A few years back there were two prominent runners who were the ‘face’ of ultra running: Pam Reed and Dean Karnazas. They both wrote books and the media liked to play it up to be a sort of rivalry…Pam the nice, mom versus the boisterous and ‘celeb-hungry’ Dean. Dean did come to Nike while I was still there and I don’t think it’s fair to judge people without really knowing them and I want to keep this a positive post, I will just say he’s not lacking in the ego.

So ultra’s. Would you, could you run for THAT long? Do you find them appealing?

As it stands for me, I think it’s fascinating, but it brings up a bit of an insecurity in myself…I honestly don’t know if I could do it.

1) Have you ever though about doing an ultra marathon?

2) Does the thought of running that long appeal to you?
The other thing, is I think I’d just get too antsy running at the pace you have to in order to finish…I’d want to get done…lol.

3) Any tidbits you’d like to throw in here about the event?

Check Me Out on RunningTimes.Com Yo…And Some Vicarious Running

Posted on December 11, 2011 by Cait — 16 Comments ↓

Weekends…let’s roll out the races. Can I just say I’m afflicted by more than a little runner-envy, I wish my darn foot would cooperate and release me from elliptical purgatory…just saying. 😉

Enough of that though, I’m thankful that I can at least cross-train, and maybe we can all get a vicarious speed fix from what some other awesome harriers are up to. If you’re a high-schooler and don’t live under a rock I’m sure you know that the Footlocker National Cross Country Championships were today down in San Diego, CA. I was lucky enough to go my junior year and I will say they make you feel like rockstars…for anyone who wasn’t a qualifier this year and not a senior, don’t give up and trust me, use it as a carrot for motivation to work your tail off to make it next year. 🙂

For the ‘adult’ set there were the USATF Cross Country Club Nationals up in Seattle, WA and I have to say I was really excited to see that Brie Felnagle won this year. I watched her race at the Nike Oregon/Washington Border Clash her senior year of high school and she is one of those runners who makes it looks effortless. She’s got some wheels and usually more of a 1500 meter gal on the track. In the guys’ race Jonathan Grey came out the winner but recently turned pro, Matt Centrowitz, took fourth. As I’m sure every good track nerd knows this kid is coming off of a mind-blowing track season, taking Bronze in the 1500 meters at this past World Champs. As a collegiate for the University of Oregon he was our fastest American…that has to sting, Lagat.

Tomorrow I’m already putting my cheering pants on for Kara Goucher, Shalane Flanagan and Lisa Koll (Uhl) in the Miami Beach Half Marathon tomorrow. I’ll further be sending positive vibes to Simon Bairu and Tim Nelson, also members of the Nike Oregon Track Club. Of course anyone and everyone who’s racing good luck, I’m not playing favorites. 🙂

Speaking of races, I know it is really common for people who finish a race that they’ve been shooting for and thinking of for months and months and to react as such: excitement…and then coming off of the high feeling as if, “okay, now what?” It’s called post-race anti-climacticism (okay, guilty, I made that up), but sometimes people express feeling even a little depressed or like they have nothing else to shoot for or motivate them to run.

Well, if you want my two cents, I’ve written it all up here online at Running Times: ‘Stuck in Waiting: Staying motivated through the lull between season’ so you can wander on over there if you’d like. To tide you over I’ll say this:

*if you need a race to motivate you to run, that’s okay, just find one and sign up for it.
*if you just did, say, a marathon and feel like, “been there, done that” challenge yourself with a totally different goal. Maybe work on speed and try to get a fast 5k out of yourself…and vica versa.
*everyone has dips in motivation, so don’t feel like a ‘bad runner’ because of it…in the article there are tips to get you through that

That’s it for this runnerchick tonight! Congrats to any and all racers of today and GOOD LUCK to those of tomorrow…remember, I’m vicariously getting my miles from your feet…just saying. 😉

1) Did you do and cross country races recently or in the past? Do you prefer cross country or trail courses, track races, or road races?

2) What’s a tip you have for getting yourself through a lapse in motivation?

3) Did you race this weekend or have one tomorrow?

What to do After You Cross That Finish Line (If Your Lunch Comes Up, Try to Miss Your Shoes)

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Cait — 17 Comments ↓

So I had the fine pleasure of watching one of my friends finish her first marathon this morning…gotta love that agony/excited to be almost done/thanks for cheering for me/oh lord I want to be done look that she gave down that final stretch. 🙂

Bam, finish line.

Her choice of race fuel, was our sugary little friends. 🙂

It made me think about what you do after you cross that line. It was interesting to watch what different people did today: hunch over and almost…oh, there it comes. Dazed and confused sort of try to meander the finish chute until a race official comes and guides them so they don’t run into the fence. Shouts of excitement and well-founded pride. Many came to a dead-halt and after 26.2 miles I don’t blame them.

While every race and every distance of course offers its own challenges (speed vs. endurance, hills vs. track, etc.) there are some general things that we should all keep in mind after you cross that line or break that finishing tape.

Smile for the camera...people are watching. 😉

* Collect yourself and be a good sport: this might sound kind of ‘Hallmarky’ but it’s very true; whether you are a winner or anywhere else, people respect a good sport. If you win and are still unhappy with the time, put on a fake smile and congratulate the other finishers. If you put up an obvious stink you insult your competition…in front of people, even if your race was stinky, at least be considerate…then you can rage away once you get some privacy.

* Workout: say what? This may sound kind of crazy but hear me out. Depending on where the race was in relation to your season, how long it was, and some other factors you could actually jump on a prime time to increase your fitness by going right into a workout after you cross the finish line. When I was training with the Nike Oregon Project, this is something Alberto Salazar is known for in training his athletes. There are a few reasons; one, physiologically after a race there are a TON of hormones coursing through your system and it’s at this elevated time that it is found you can get more benefit working out in this window than a day you do just a ‘normal workout’. Two, if the race was only a 5k, most of our workouts would have worked out to be more volume. Three, if you’re waiting to peak for a race much later in the season, you would benefit from getting in a more volume workout. Finally, I think there is a huge mental benefit too…workout out when you’re already tired proves you can do more than you think. The last thing I’ll say, and it ties into the endorphins and hormones after a race, you will actually feel a LOT better than you think in that workout. So jog an easy mile or so and then do your mini-workout (ex: 3 or 4 x 800) Tip though: in your race, don’t even think about having a workout after or that you still have more. That will just hold yourself back, so still go out there and race.

* Cool-down: okay, I’ll grant those marathon finishers a free pass on this one for the most part…BUT after any other race you DO NOT want to go from an all-out effort to zilch. All that lactic acid that built up will just sit and stew in your muscles; as counterintuitive as it sounds running, no matter how unappealing it sounds, is the BEST thing you can do to recover.

* Chow down – refuel and rehydrate: there is a crucial 30 minute window of time that you NEED to get food back into your depleted muscles. Think a combo of protein and carbs (a bar would work as it’s easy and fast, but you could do some turkey and a bagel…etc) and make it your first priority once you are done running. I’m blanking on the exact percentage here, but it’s somewhere around a 60% drop in muscle recovery if you wait until after that 30 minutes…no good.

* Ice/Massage/Stretch: if you did a really hard effort and have access to ice right after that may be worth a grimace-worthy bath. And as always, treating your body right and staving off an injury is an ongoing kind of upkeep in our sport. Be smart, don’t neglect the ‘little’ things and you’ll be far better off in the long run.

The last thing I want to say which is also very important: chuck self-consciousnees OUT THE DOOR!! Now, I did make some wise-cracks about people in the finishing chute, but I make fun of myself too. I have never had a good running shot, and I joke about it, because I really don’t care. Running is tough stuff, you don’t need to look pretty. So if you cross the line with a loogie stuck to your cheek, have dried salt all over, and your mouth is twisted into a wry look of disgust or pain…who the heck cares? I’ve been there, and so has everyone else. Wear that pain proud, and be proud of yourself. 🙂

1) Worst mistake you’ve made after finishing a race?
Probably the cool-down, I was young and didn’t want to run another step…I paid for it in soreness later.

2) Best tip you have for after a race?

3) Anyone race this weekend and care to brag on themselves?

City of Sin Forecasts Flocks of Runners With Un-sinly Missions

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Cait — 7 Comments ↓

All the cool kids are doing it. The marathon.

But we've established I'm FAR from cool already...

I was on the fence about writing one, and my reason is this: No I have not run a marathon *horrified gasps* but I still think of myself as a runner. The marathon has grown in popularity an insane amount in the recent years; it happens, the mile used to be the lovechild event but now it’s the 26.2’er.

Yet for as long as I can remember being a runner, anytime anyone see’s me out running or hears that I like to run I get this, “Do you run marathons?” When I answer no I can see their looks of shock…then disappointment…then pity, “Oh, poor girl, she thinks she’s a runner.”

Do not get me wrong, I would love to run a marathon one day, I haven’t yet for a few reasons but I do want to eventually. I do have the name One-speed Chock for a reason and I love long runs…so I’m sure it’ll happen. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the event, but I also have a tremendous amount of respect for the other events: would you walk up to the World Record holder in the mile, ask them if they have run a marathon, and then deem them an unworthy runner and give them that ‘pity’ look? 😉

Regardless of the reason, I do love seeing a mounting passion in people for running and if it takes the marathon to do it…godspeed! I think it’s just funny sometimes. THAT said…because that it’s an Olympic year fast approaching I wanted to do a quickie post on this.

Turns out that it won’t be hung-over bachelors, bachelorettes, or all the people in the middle wandering the streets of Las Vegas this weekend. Well, there probably will be those too, but the city of sin is being taken over by runners too! There are two big marathons this weekend, the first is the Rock n’ Roll Marathon in Vegas as well as the California International Marathon (CIM) in the Sacramento area. What do the two have in common?

They’re both faster courses AND the last ditch effort for anyone hoping to make an Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifying time. The trials will be in Houston, TX in January…ahhh, so the bar has been set, and I do know there are plenty of men and women lining up with some lofty goals and dreams.

Yet even if you’re not with Olympic Trials aspirations, best of luck to anyone who is running in either those marathons, and any other for that matter. My earlier ramble was of course no love lost on runners who ARE marathoners, more just poking fun at the mass public who lump all runners into a single category. 🙂 Mostly, just a teenie vent at the people who do offer up that pity look when they hear the phrase, “Yes, I’m a runner…but no, I’m not a marathoner.” 😉

If your feet are torn up from miles, you stank of sweat, and you know what a fartlek is you are a runner…and one day I’ll join the marathon club…

1) Do you know ‘that’ look I’m talking about, whether you do run marathons or not? Let’s get both perspectives!

2) Have you run a marathon or what is you choice event?

3) Do you know anyone running in either marathon this weekend? Are YOU running them? Any of them going for the time standard?
Yes I do some some people…gooooood luck! 🙂

4) You’re a runner if…

Redlining and the All Important ‘E’

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Cait — 18 Comments ↓

Warning: you are approaching empty.

This post is inspired by two things, so bear with me. The first is this hilarious picture from SkinnyRunner’s blog…who amongst us hasn’t played chicken with that empty gas alert gauge on our car? (okay Seinfeld fans smile at the flashback to Kramer here)

Is it just me or does it constantly seem like I’m trying to one-up the empty gauge. With gas, part of it is because I cringe as I whip out the debit card…it just seems like with gas I don’t get an actual, physical return. Yes, it gets me to where I need to be, but what do I actually GET…it feels like wasted money.

We play chicken with the E in other areas of our life too. Just how much can I accomplish in this hour…I work best under pressure, so come the 11th hour and it’s crunch time you better watch me churn things out like a tornado. (little tip here: I know this about myself, so I try and ‘trick’ myself by setting a pre-deadline deadline…I’m anal about having something important done early)

With running, there are TONS of E’s…but here is where it’s a bit odd. Some of these E’s you need to avoid and others you need to kind of embrace and play around with. An obvious E is fuel, this is one you don’t want to play chicken with…we’ve all made the mistake of mistiming our eating (or making a really bad food choice too soon before a run…those curly, cheese and bean fries don’t taste too good the second time, no?) and it doesn’t feel too good to bonk.

Probably another not so smart food choice...

Injuries could count as E’s to avoid…especially if you sense one coming. Danger, Will, Robinson…abort. We feel that pull, get the sinking ping in our gut and know, “Uh-oh…I pushed it a little too far, shoulda been smart. Hope this one isn’t too bad.”

But here is an E that we need to always be working towards getting more comfortable with. This is where I tie into the second thing I read at Jay Johnson’s site: Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. Pain. That little red alert gauge starts to light up when we feel that pain, that burning, the lactic acid shuffle. Our mind starts telling us to back off and cool it, but here is where we need to play chicken with that blasted little needle and E alert sign.

Redlining it, pushing the envelope just far enough, straddling that line. Sometimes we overshoot and bonk the rest of the workout or race…this is where bad races/workouts can be excellent teaching tools. But practice makes perfect and the more often you callous yourself to that uncomforted the better you get at reading yourself and properly straddling that line, so you finish with a killer workout and get the best out of yourself.

As Coach Jay puts it, you fail sometimes, yes, and end up with a less than ideal workout result. But that’s why we do them, they are practice for the races and you know what they say about all that practice…eventually you’ll get it right. So play chicken with your brain in the pain drain. Running is so mental, and this aspect of mental toughness, grit, is something that we can forever be improving at. Hardening ourselves up ever more, reaching different levels.

1) What other E’s do we have as runners? Is it one to avoid or one we need to play chicken with?

2) We all have moments of coming out the loser in our game of chicken…any good fail moments to share?
So many…I’ll do this one: a 10k track race and my splits were all over the place; not so much in the actual mile times but the laps, one super-fast then slow to compensate, like a fartlek in a race. Not good for the old bod and never got into any kind of rhythm. Well, the mile splits still were looking fine and I was on track for a good PR, so I pushed the fifth mile. Crazy how much difference a single lap can make, night and day. BAM…that last mile was about a minute slower, and that last 0.2 of that 6.2 miles never felt looooooonger.

3) What is a great lesson you took away from a fail moment?
Get into a rhythm dorkette.

‘Twas the Night Before Some High School Cross Meets

Posted on November 26, 2011 by Cait — 5 Comments ↓

Cross-country champs comes but once a year. 🙂 Okay, I won’t go too crazy on that sentiment because technically there are LOTS of things that come but once a year…for instance 9:36 on 11/25/11 only comes but once a year too, right? Haha.

But because there are plenty of seasons wrapping up here I wanted to do a post. Yes, for all the NCAA fans those cross champs happened on Monday. Congrats to all the great college showings there! Living in California, during high school I really associated Thanksgiving weekend with the State Championships; California likes to be all special and be the VERY last state to hold their champs and it is tomorrow.

Along with that, the National High School meets are starting the rounds; there will be Nike Team Cross Champs (NXN) as well as the first few Footlocker Regional Meets. Now, even though I’m FAR graduated and becoming a geriatric, I still get a little excited buzz when I think about all these meets.

Especially in high school, the first time you go to any of these events they seem, in a word: Epic. We’ll just say Nike does know how to do it right and you start to feel a bit like a rock star…and being a sport where you’re not exactly thought of as holding that status, it feels weird. Oh, and did I mention the schwag? Ya, that’s not a bad deal either. 😉

So, to all those athletes and teams prepping for these big races: Good Luck. I’ll just say a few things, some words, and some fond memories:

* CA State Champs: I don’t know what the weather forecast is in Fresno, but my Soph year it was a mud slide, some real cross country. What’s great about cross is times really can get chucked out the window (varying courses and conditions do that) and it’s really competition…vying for the win, getting one more spot higher to help your team’s score. Get gutsy.

* State Champs again: the night before my Junior year my coach said some rather inspiring words that I still remember today — “The first mile is just about keeping the nerves in check…be smart and don’t go out too fast, but get out fast enough that you’re not stuck behind so many people that you then have to weed your way to the front. The second mile is tactical…stay smooth and strong, start thinking about moving up and putting yourself where you want to be. The last mile is heart…how bad do you want this?”

* Footlocker West: my Frosh year this thing blew me away. I was in runner-dorkette awe, I lined up and remember looking to my right and left and seeing harriers that were idols to me. Looking back I’ll just say this to anyone: on the starting line we’re all equals. Sure, there are people that may be faster or in better shape, but on any given day you don’t know what the future holds. Remember you belong on the starting line and race for yourself, race your best.

* Footlocker Nationals: I only got to go once, but think about regionals on steroids. (please people, know I’m joking, there are no actual drugs involved here…haha) Live it up while you’re there, relish those freebies and meeting the pro runners that rock…soak up the experience. Be focused on the race, yes, but don’t be so intense that you ignore how lucky it is you get to be there…so have fun. That is what cross is about too. Have fun (actually I always liked the distractions before because they help limit getting overly nervous), and then when the start gun cracks, go for it. You can be both: a person and a racer…and in that racer role you can be fierce and ‘out for blood’ but after you cross the line you can be the nicest person in the world. The athletes I respect the most are like that…they can kick your @$$, turn around and congratulate you, and cool-down with you all in the span of an hour.

Good luck racers, and even if you too are a ‘geriatric’ far removed from high school or college cross country don’t worry you can still be excited for these guys. PLUS…the USATF rounds are still to come and the road racer warriors are never to be ignored. 🙂

1) What is one of your fond memories from high school or college? If you race for a team it can be about that but it doesn’t have to be.

2) Any words of advice you have for anyone going out for a race?

3) Are you racing this weekend?

Turkey Trots, Charity Bets, and Some Holiday Tomorrow…

Posted on November 24, 2011 by Cait — 11 Comments ↓

Fair warning, this post will be all over the place. It’ll be dishing up a fine slew of sides, sort of it’s own little bloggy feast. In a break from any kind of tradition, we’ll start with the main course.

Gobble, Gobble, turkey wobble. Yes, Thanksgiving is tomorrow for those of us in the States and I’ll break out the festivities early. I’m pretty sure that yes, indeed, the first Thanksgiving involved a mad dash for the bird, racing bibs and all.

Whether you are partaking in a Turkey Trot of some kind or not, there are a slew around and a big one going on in California is the Run to Feed the Hungry in Sacramento. Now, this race is kinda special to me (cue sappy little music…haha) because back looooong ago it was one of the very first 5k road races I ever did. Actually, it was the first one that was more than a dozen or so runners and here is my funny little story:

I had just joined a local running club and had no idea what this whole running thing was outside of you ran until it hurt and you crossed a line. I was fuzzy on the kilometer thing but got that it was a little over 3 miles…pick jaw off the floor, yes, three miles was long back then!

I was young and following the leader, the other girls lined up in the front row and while the Run to Feed the Hungry wasn’t as colossal as it is today it was in the multi-thousands at that point and I wasn’t in any kind of fast-person-deserves-to-be-in-the-front shape, we’ll just say that. Right before the gun went off my mom grabbed my shoulder, white knuckled, “Honey, just so you know you need to get out fast. There are LOTS of people behind you and I’m not kidding if you go down you will get trampled to death.” Thanks, Mom.

BOOM…gun goes off. The good news is I am alive today. Anyways, I remember it was a lot of fun, but not going to lie a major highlight was probably the slew of eats afterwards…I remember pizza.

This year, the Run to Feed the Hungry has a fun little twist. For anyone who doesn’t know, Michael Stember (he grew up around these parts and it has a local appeal here too) is dusting off the racing flats and running for charity. There is a deal though, he is challenged to run a sub-18 minute 5k. Now, if you look at his past PR’s, he is a former Olympian after all, you’d laugh and say he should be able to run it backwards. But, he hasn’t been competitive for awhile, and I can attest that if you don’t use it you lose it. 😉

Anyways, I give him props for both putting himself out there and making a dash for charity. My bet is he does break 18 (I doubt he’d put himself out THAT far without some kind of gauge in his fitness) and the American Indian Model Schools get some charity proceeds.

Speaking of fast runners there are also some big guns racing in a Silicon Valley Turkey Trot; one of them is Dathan Ritzenhein. Trust me he’ll break 18 minutes and it’s one of his first races back from a long line of injuries so GOOD LUCK to him!

Told you this was all over this place, and we’ll end with some mashed taters and pumpkin pie. I am a fan of pumpkin pie, but mostly because I scoop out the top part and save the crust for last…it is the best part and I like it all soggy from the pumpkin stuff. Wow, yum.

On that note, Happy Thanksgiving to all!

1) Are you running in any turkey themed races tomorrow?
No, I’m not but trust me I’ll be putting in my sweat session.

2) Putting yourself out there and broadcasting a goal certainly ups the ante; if others know what you’re shooting for you can’t really take it back. Do you have one you’d like to share? Are you vying for any PR’s?

3) Something you are thankful for?
My family and some cool friends.

On the Ever of the NYC Marathon, it’s Worth Remembering That…

Posted on November 6, 2011 by Cait — 5 Comments ↓

I’ve gotten sucked into NYC Marathon hype…not unduly of course because I think there are plenty of things to be excited about. Is it strange that I’ll post all of this and I’m not even running the race? Oh well if it is, I’m a runner geekette so I can be a fan and post if I want to. I do think it would be really awesome to run it one day.

I thought it worth doing a couple previous NYC highlights over the years, and a part of the idea came to me cause Cecily over at ReRun Running did something similar for another race she IS running in. 🙂

Source
The first woman to run in the NYC Marathon was Nina Kuscsik in 1972; she actually took part in a sit-in with all the other female entrants on behalf of gender equality. They waited ten minutes after the gun and then took off; Nina won NY two times, snuck herself into the 1969 Boston Marathon before being officially recognized as the Boston winner in 1972. Further, she was a propelling force in getting the Marathon instituted as an Olympic event for women.

Source
What has made a lot of press recently is that one of the legends of the NYC Marathon, Grete Waitz, died earlier this year and thus the organizers have dedicated this 2011 running to her. Between 1978 and 1988 Grete won nine times, set the world record for the event a total of three times (even in her first attempt) and what I found astonishing was that she really entered the first time kind of on a whim. She had been a track star, setting twice the world record for the 3000 meters, and I read in one of her tributes something like, until the marathon her longest training run was about 10 miles! She is certainly one of the greatest female distance runners, but she also did a lot of wonderful charity work and co-founded a cancer federation. She is certainly missed.
alberto salazar and cait chock
Another one of my great running idols, Alberto Salazar, won three times from 1980-1982 set the world record for the event in 1981. He was the last American to win until Meb Keflezighi finally changed that in 2009.

Paula Radcliffe, the current women’s world record holder, has won three times. Kara Goucher made her debut at the distance in 2008, Shalane Flanagan also made her first attempt at the 26.2’er in 2010, coming in second and making her the top finishing American female for the span of 20 years.

This year it’s going to be Lauren Fleshman’s turn to tackle the marathon for the first time. On the men’s side there is plenty of talk of a new world record in the works…only time will tell.

So I don’t feel like I’m the only one who should be excited for this year’s event even though I’m not running. Like I’ve said many times before, running IS the best sport around…GOOD LUCK to those racing! 🙂

1) Are YOU excited for the marathon? Do you have any tidbits you’d like to add?

2) What else are you excited about this weekend?

3) Who are some of your running or athletic heros?

When You’re in a Pinch You Have a Decision to Make

Posted on November 4, 2011 by Cait — 12 Comments ↓

“But my biggest fears come from things like, what happens if I have to, like, go poop? I mean, what do you do? Really. Do you stop or do you just do it?” This comes from Lauren Fleshman as her biggest fear going into the NYC Marathon. I’d have to say that would rank up there in my list of fears should I be entered in a marathon. So today, it’s all about poop.

I have horrible GI issues, my mom too, I guess I inherited some poopy pants in the gene pool. Fair warning, this post may disgust some, but I’m going to put it out there because 1) it is what it is…c’mon, if you’ve been running long enough you’ve experienced this on some level 2) perhaps we can take some solace in the fact that we’ve all been there and 3) maybe we can swap tips and if nothing else stories…oh, let the good times roll.

I remember the first time I had to go on a run; I was with my mom and up until that point I thought the whole pooping behind the bush was just disgusting. But we all have that breaking point…you know, the butt clench waddle, then the feeling of, “I need a bush NOW!” It then becomes more a matter of, it’s either going in a bush or in your pants…what would you rather choose?

From that day on, I’ve cast aside any judgement on making your own personal port-a-loo…and can joke with other runners, “If you go out on a run and someone in the group comes back with one less sock, you just don’t ask questions.” I’ve compared poop stories with the best of them, and what really gets me…what REALLY bugs me is that the blasted ‘issues’ can be so unpredictable…it’s like a nasty game of Russian Roulette, you never know when it will hit.

Will it be in the middle of a hard workout, a long run, or horror of all horrors, a race?! It’s one thing to be nervous about time, place, feeling good, but how about soiling yourself? Not so settling on the nerves.

I know some of it just comes down to the person, I love how Shut Up and Run’s philosophy is just like mine, in that she isn’t afraid to speak the truth. We’re all friends here, we won’t judge, and if you do judge I’m sure your day is coming, just trust me.

In marathon prep, part of it comes down to finding what works for you fueling-wise, but even then, if you do all things ‘right’ there is the unknown of the GI Monster. Forget the Gila, this thing is far more terrible.

So Lauren poses the question right, “I mean, what do you do? Really. Do you stop or do you just do it?”

Paula Radcliffe had to choose during one of her marathons and she opted for the pop and squat. Over the years I’ve gotten my P&S to a very short interval, so you wouldn’t lose too much time…it’s just a matter of hoping there is the right bush in the right place.

Where do you stand on the issue?

1) Are you going to take part in the poopy debate?

2) Do you admit to the pop and squat, or the bush dive?

3) What would you do in Paula or Lauren’s situation, obviously on their level they wouldn’t be able to hide the fact of either choice?

A Century-load of Motivation

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Cait — 5 Comments ↓

If you’re feeling tired in a race and cave to sneaking a peek behind you, if you see this man behind you it should act as a swift burst of motivation!
100 year old marathoner
(Image Source)

Fauja Singh, at 100 years old, recently set the World Record for being the oldest person to complete a full marathon. This was done last week in Canada’s Toronto Marathon. (Actually, what’s really cool is you can read a first person account of Singh’s journey because the rocking Christina ran alongside him for a part of it, so go check her story out!)

You see, that’s where I want to be when I’m 100. Actually, let me correct myself; I’ve said many a time in regards to the ever-increasing life-expectancy: “I only want to live as long as I can still be ‘me.'” Read that as: I can still run and relish in snarky, sarcastic humor.

So, IF I make it to 100, I better still be kicking and living in sweating running clothes…just saying. So, to those who feel they can’t do something and set limits on themselves, take a look at Singh. What I find even more incredible about his story is that his FIRST marathon wasn’t run until the spry age of 89. You see, it’s never too late to turn to the ‘running side’ and become one of us crazy masses. It also proves you should keep challenging yourself and setting new goals, step out of your comfort zone.

His time for this century-aged marathon was 8:11:05; interesting to note that in completely the Toronto Marathon he also established the records for 100-agers in the 100 meter, 5000 meter, and five other distances along with the 26.2 miles. His sights are ever looking forward and up next is of course the grand-daddy of them all: The Olympics.

Juuuuuust hold it…he wants to be a member of the torch relay for the London games. 🙂

1) How old do you hope to be?

2) Do you plan on running/being active up until that last sleep?
You bet, if I can’t I may just go senile.

3) Most inspirational thing/person/quote/etc. that you’ve seen or heard of lately?

4) Do you have a current goal you’re working towards right now?