PREPARING AND RUNNING MY FIRST MARATHON

I want to finish the NYC marathon in November and half-marathon in August. I have no time goals since these will be my first races ever. I am still relatively new to running. (I've ran on and off for years but never consistently). I started running last November but had to take a break due to injury. I started again this past March. Am I crazy to attempt a marathon at this point? Possibly.

But I am training a lot smarter this time around. I am following a “run/walk” program from this book called “Marathoning for Mortals” by John “the Penguin” Bingham. At the start of the program, it says to run 3 minutes, walk 2. By the end of the program, I will be running 5 minutes, walking 1–and this is probably what I will do for the marathon. I have been experimenting though with taking less walking breaks and if I am short on time, I will run the entire workout. I am doing 2-3 workouts per week, plus one long run on the weekend. In addition to running, I do karate twice a week, yoga twice a week, and occasionally swim, lift weights, Pilates or walk. My two biggest concerns at this point are time and injury. I have a daughter and I will be starting Graduate school in the fall so making sure I fit my workouts in will be a challenge, but I think I can do it. And I am always concerned with getting injured, but I make sure I include rest days and adequate stretching before and after my runs.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006 I managed to squeeze in a 30 minute run on the treadmill this morning (between dropping my daughter off at camp and rushing off to work). Felt good–no aches or pains. Usually I do a “run-walk” while training (run 3 minutes, walk 2–which is why I haven't been running with the group lately), but since i was short on time today I decided to just run the full 30 minutes.
I will do yoga at lunch today.
Tomorrow I will swim in the morning, Pilates at lunch, and karate in the evening. My next run will be on Friday.

Thursday, July 20, 2006
I just came back from my morning swim. Even though I'm not a great swimmer, it still feels great and it gives my body a rest from running.
I am often concerned that maybe I'm doing too many “other” activities and not enough running. I am training for a marathon after all! But who's to say how much is enough or how much is too much? I guess it's different for each person and it depends on your goals.
For instance, my goal is to finish a marathon. I don't care if it takes me 7 hours (which it probably will). As long as I finish strong, happy, and upright, then I have succeeded. Tomorrow's goal: run/walk 45 minutes (plus warm up & cool down).

Friday, July 21, 2006 approx. 3 miles I woke up this morning tired, stiff, and tight. I didn't know if I had it in me to complete the planned workout for the day. But I guess the good/bad thing about writing this blog, is once you commit to a workout in writing, you can't back down! So I went to the Vanderbilt YMCA during my lunch break. Rather than doing a strict Run 3/ Walk 2, I just ran and walked according to my whim (and my knee). The first mile was tough–my right knee and ankle kept acting up and I took frequent walking breaks, stretched for a bit, then went right back into it. The 2nd and 3rd miles went much better and I finished the workout fast and strong. Tomorrow I will rest up and gather some strength and energy for my long run on Sunday–9 miles! I can't wait.

Monday, July 24, 2006 Here are the stats of my long run yesterday:
Total mileage (including warm-up & cool down): 11.6 miles.
First loop in park: really easy–run 3 minutes, walk 2.
Second loop: medium intensity–run 3, walk 2.
Third loop: medium–run 1st mile, walk 5, 2 miles–run 3, walk 2.
Slight aches in knee and ankle, but eased up during second loop.
Hips and hamstrings tightened up after 2nd loop, but felt better after a long stretch.
Each loop I averaged about 45-50 minutes. (No, this is not a typographical error–I really am that slow)

Tuesday, July 25, 2006 2.6 miles (Run 3 minutes, walk 1 minute) on treadmill before work. My ankle was a bit achy again, but i figured out that a lot of the aches in my lower leg usually are a result from tight muscles in my hip and butt region. I usually don't stretch too much before i run, but I will make more of an effort tomorrow. I stopped in the middle of my workout twice to stretch out my leg and loosen my hip. But the end of the workout my aches were gone and i was cruising. My body was so happy i finished off with a few minutes of 10-minute per mile pace. I wish I had more time…I would have ran more!

Wednesday, July 26, 2006 Weight training–lower body. Yoga class at lunch.

Thursday, July 27, 2006 3.4 miles (steady 12-minute-per-mile pace for 40 minutes) on treadmill.
I had a nice long stretch before this workout and boy, what a difference it made! My body felt great–no aches or pains at all and I didn't have to take a single walking break. For breakfast I had peanut butter & jelly on 1 piece of whole-wheat bread and 6 ounces of Endurathon sports drink–which also helped make this workout great!

Friday, July 28, 2006 Supposed to be my day off–I ended up walking about 3+ miles during lunch. Next run: 6-miler on Sunday. My goal is to reduce the number of walking breaks–hopefully to just once after each mile.

Monday, July 31, 2006 Unfortunately, I missed Sunday's long run for various reasons–I had my daughter with me, I didn't feel like spending 2 hours on the treadmill in yesterday's heat (I have no AC or fan in my apt.), and I fell asleep just before my scheduled run (due to the fact that I only had a couple of hours of sleep the night before). I hope to avoid this in the future by getting my long run in as early as possible..like on a Saturday morning. I did however complete 3.6 miles during my lunch break today (run 3, walk 1). As usual, I started off stiff, but finished feeling great.

Tuesday, August 1, 2006 I was very short on time this morning. I only managed 1.5 miles–each minute I increased the speed by a tenth(4.5mph the first minute, 4.6, 4.7, etc. up to 5.1, then back down). It was short but made me feel good especially after a stressful commute to work. I have yoga class today at lunch, karate class after work.
I will do another short run tomorrow morning.

Wednesday, August 2, 2006 I missed this morning's workout. I have yoga class at lunch time. Tomorrow my lunch hour will be dedicated strictly to running (the same exact workout from Monday, July 31).

Thursday, August 3, 2006 3.66 miles (mostly run 3, walk 1 & I ran the last 13 minutes). Gradually increased speed from 4.5 mph to 5.0 mph). I haven't decided if I am going to do another workout tomorrow because I have a 10-mile long run scheduled for Saturday. I might need to rest up for it.

Friday, August 4, 2006 Rest day

Tuesday, August 8, 2006

My “long” run on Sunday didn't go too well. I ended up doing only 5 out of 10 miles. I went out too fast in my first loop around the park (I shaved like 8 minutes off my time and finished it in 42 minutes, and I ran the first two miles straight). Unfortunately, for my second loop, my left calf tightened up and no amount of stretching would loosen it up. It got bad enough for me to cut the workout short.
I took Monday off because my whole body was sore. I'm going to cross train today and tomorrow. My next run will be on Thursday. And I'm going back to my usual slow run/walk pace. I will have time after the marathon to become a speed demon. Right now, I need to stick to my original training plan.

Tuesday, August 8, 2006 Yoga at lunch. Karate in evening.

Wednesday, August 9, 2006 Aqua workout during lunch. This workout is tougher than it looks. Don't let the fact that this class usually consists of little old ladies fool you!

Thursday, August 10, 2006 Now this is more like it…4 miles, about 50-55 minutes on treadmill (run 3, walk 1). This workout was definitely a lot more conservative in terms of speed. I didn't want a replay of my long run last Sunday. I felt a little stiff at first, but felt great by the end. I have a massage scheduled for tomorrow (can't wait!) and a long run of 12 miles on Saturday. While running, I keep saying to myself “slow down…take it easy” which helps me relax and make sure I don't overdo it.
I have karate class later this evening.

Monday, August, 14, 2006 Summary of long run on Saturday: 14.8 miles (including warm up and cool down) (Run 3 min, walk 2 throughout). I am shocked and proud of myself for accomplishing this. It took me about 3 hours and 45 minutes to do 4 loops in the park (alternating counter-clockwise and clockwise loops)–including a short break at the half-way mark to buy a second bottle of gatorade and some fruit gummies–that really gave me the energy to keep going. By the 3rd loop I started talking to myself and to the ducks! Singing and humming really worked too. My muscles tightened up frequently, so every other walking break, I did a mini stretch and then continuted on. It is such a different and wonderful experience to run in the dark. Sure, some parts were a little spooky and desolate. But there were police everywhere because of the concert that night. A nice little treat–after each loop I got to hear songs by Queen Latifa, Jill Scott, and Erykah Baduh. They all sounded great. All in all, I think it turned out to be a great run. Afterwards, I stretched under the stars, treated myself to a slice of pizza and soaked in a warm bath. And I was hardly sore at all the next day. In addition, I had to be up at 6:30 to meet up with my karate class for our annual beach training at Jones Beach. Today is my rest day, but I will probably swim at the Y. And I have 4 miles planned for tomorrow.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006 3.52 miles (Run 4 min, walk 1), about 48 minutes including warm up & cool down. Felt great. No aches or pains. (Running speed varied from 4.5 mph to 5.0 mph, walking speed 3.6 mph to 4.0 mph). 2 karate classes in evening.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006 Rest day/yoga at lunch.

Thursday, August 17, 2006 3 karate classes in evening

Friday, August 18, 2006 I had planned on doing my usual 3-4 miles, but at the last minute decided to sign up for the 5 mile race tomorrow in Central park. So I only did 1.25 miles on the treadmill.

Saturday, August 19, 2006 My first race ever–5 miles in Central Park. I was a little nervous and I wasn't sure what to expect. I did expect to finish dead-last in about an hour and a half. Good news is I wasn't last and I finished in a little under 1 hour. I averaged an 11:51 mile. This may seem like a grandma's pace to most runners, but this is definitely a personal best for me. I was going to do a run/walk but I got caught up in all of the excitement and ended up running the whole thing. The last mile was tough but it felt so great to be cheered on by my fellow BRRC members. (Thanks guys!) I am looking forward to next weekend's half-marathon. I haven't decided on a game plan yet (I'll probably do a run/walk for the first half, then run the second half).

Monday, August 21, 2006 4.0 miles (55 minutes including warm up & cool down) – Run 4 min, walk 1 & ran last mile. Felt good. Speed varied from 4.6 to 5.0.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006 Yoga at lunch, karate in evening

Wednesday, August 23, 2006 Rest day/yoga at lunch.
Run tomorrow.

Thursday, August 24, 2006 1 mile–Felt bored, tired, stiff, stressed, lousy…this run was not gonna happen. 2 karate classes tonight, rest day tomorrow, short run saturday, half-marathon on Sunday (yipes).

Friday, August 25 & Saturday, August 26, 2006 I decided to rest both of these days.

Sunday, August 27, 2006 Holy Cow! Today was the NYC 1/2 Marathon. I was out the previous night, didn't go to bed til 1 a.m. Both of my feet were blistered raw from the shoes I was wearing the night before. And I was soooo tempted to sleep in and skip the race. Even on the way to Central park, I considered turning back several times. But by some miracle, I actually made it to the starting line, and ran the whole thing (!) in about 2 hours and 50 minutes. And I got my very first medal ever! Running down 7th Avenue towards Times Square was so much fun and probably the highlight of the race (next to crossing the finish line of course!) I'm starting to think I just might be able to run the entire marathon. We'll see!

Comment: If you look like this after your first half Marathon, you can go a lot further – Geert

Thanks Geert!!

Monday, August 28, 2006 After the race yesterday, I soaked in a hot bath w/ Epsom salt, and rebandaged my blistery feet…ouch! My body didn't feel too bad considering what I put it through. It was definitely the most I've ever ran (without walking breaks) and definitely the fastest. This morning however, I felt more stiff and sore and I think the nail on my second toe is gonna fall off. I've also decided to do more core work in my training 'cause I found that after a long run my back tends to gets a bit achy.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006 Yoga at lunch. 2 karate classes planned for evening.
I'm gonna try to squeeze in a workout tomorrow after work because I am busy every lunch hour this week. And I start school on Thursday. This is going to be tough but I can do it. I have a 4-mile race scheduled for Sunday. Should be pretty easy compared to the 1/2 marathon from Sunday.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006 3.5 miles (Run 4, walk 1) approx. 45 minutes, plus warm up & cool down on treadmill at home. Ended with a few “hills” and backwards walking. I read some place that walking backwards occasionally helps balance out your leg muscles. Finished with some stretching and ab work. Too many distractions at home…I had to get off the treadmill several times to answer phone or attend to my daughter. Plus the workout on my treadmill felt a lot tougher than the YMCA treadmill for some reason. My blisters haven't fully healed yet either which made it a less than ideal workout, as well. I might run again on Friday. Not sure yet.

Thursday, August 31, 2006 Rest day. I had a friend coming in from out of town and it was my first day of Grad school!!

Friday, September 1, 2006 4.5 miles on treadmill at YMCA. 65 minutes (run 4, walk 1), plus warm up & cool down. I ended the workout with 4 “stride drills”…this is where I run fast for 30 seconds, walk 1 minute, repeat. Finished with some stretching and ab work. Felt good overall.
Tomorrow will be two karate classes (including fight class). I might ride my bike in the evening, then 8 mile long run on Sunday.

Monday, September 4, 2006 10.4 miles (including warm up & cool down) in Prospect Park (Run 4, walk 1 & ran last two miles). Felt okay. I tried an energy gel for the first time half way during this run. Gross! It did the trick though. It gave me some energy but only lasted for 2 miles. I didn't have my usual gatorade with me (only water) which negatively affected my workout. And my diet this weekend was awful–too much junk food. I will make more of an effort to eat better from now on.

Tuesday, September 5, 2006 Yoga at lunch/rest day. I had a small bowl of oatmeal (no sugar) for breakfast. So far so good. Although I did have a bon-bon (or two) at 6:45 a.m. Hey, I had a crazy morning–my daughter's first day of kindergarten, plus had to drop off some “samples” at the vet. I can finally relax a bit at work before school this evening.
I will continue to eat healthier (at least until the marathon). Yoga tomorrow, plus I will try to run after work.

Wednesday, September 6, 2006 I still feel sore. I took a bath with epsom salt this morning which helped a little bit. I can't believe I didn't stretch after my long run on Monday! And I didn't properly nourish myself and didn't carry my usual gatorade. I'm just glad I'm making these mistakes (& learning from them) now and not during the marathon. I will rest up/do yoga today, tomorrow & Friday. I need to save my energy for a 16 mile long run this weekend. I am registered for a 4-mile race on Saturday morning so I'm not sure if I should include that as part of my long run or just save my long run for Sunday. I will see how things go.

Thursday, September 7, 2006 Long day of work and school. I managed to squeeze in 1 karate class in between.

Friday, September 8, 2006 No real activity unless you count picking up my race number/chip from NYRRC.

Saturday, September 9, 2006 Fitness Games 4 miles race (completed in 45 minutes). Felt good & I ran the whole thing. My Pace/Mile went down from 11:51 to 11:20 since the NYRR Team Championships. But then again this race was 1 mile shorter so that may have had something to do with it. Lesson learned: Don't drink too much caffeine the night before a race! After the race, I went down to the Y for “Fight Class”.

Sunday, September 10, 2006 I missed my long run of 16 miles. I had my daughter with me so I couldn't run in the park. And I did not want to spend 4 hours on the treadmill.

Monday, September 11, 2006 Another day…no running.
I took a strength training class instead

Tuesday, September 12, 2006 Again…no running.
My body feels a little sore from yesterday's class. I have school tonight so my next opportunity to run will be Wednesday after work. Besides the race from last Saturday, I haven't run since Labor Day! I need to get my act together if I want the marathon to go well.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006 Yoga at lunch. 4.1 miles on treadmill after work, approximately 62 minutes because I took a really long warmup. Left hamstring and glut were still tight/sore from Monday's Strength class, but the run went pretty okay.

Thursday, September 14, 2006 Ugh. I had to be up at 6 this morning. Got my daughter ready for school, dropped her off at my mother's, went to do “Field Work” at Richard Green High School (had to sit through two math classes and 1 social studies with a bunch of teenagers), then to the Y for stretching and a strength class. I just had lunch and now I'm at work.
After work is karate, followed by a mad dash to Hunter College for my Social Foundations in Adolescence Education class. If I'm lucky, I can make it home before 10…just in time to help my daughter with her home work, spend some time with her and get ready for bed. Needless to say…no running today. But I will tomorrow!

Friday, September 15, 2006 4.2 miles, about 57 minutes (including warm up & cool down) on treadmill during lunch (Ran 5-7 minutes, walked 1). Felt pretty good. Although, while I was stretching, I was coming out of “Child's Pose” and it was as if someone was pulling a rubber band really tight and fast in my right hamstring. I just froze, then stood up and tried to shake it out. I'm starting to get nervous that any day now I'm gonna develop some injury and have to quit. Only 7 weeks to go! I'm going to rest tomorrow (and by rest, I mean get up early for 2 karate classes, including fight class). Then I will really rest the remainder of the day…for my ultra-long run this Sunday – which will be my longest ever – 16-18 miles!! woo-hoo! Will let you know Monday morning how it goes.

Sunday, September 17, 2006 16+ miles(Run 3, walk 1 – 5 loops in Prospect Park, plus warm up & cool down). Felt good in spite the fact that my mileage this month was really low. (My last “long run” was a 10 miler two weeks prior.) I went really slow and I split my run into two parts – I ran 3 loops, then took an hour break to stretch and refuel. Then came back and did another 2 loops. I drank mostly gatorade during this run. But during my break I had a mini wheat bagel which was probably a bad idea. I had cramps during the second part of my run. I also had some mild tension/tightness in my left hamstring and lower back. And I think I need to buy some proper running pants. The ones I wore left this burn/chafe/blister on the front part of my hips (where the seam meets my waist). I didn't time myself, but each loop was under 50 minutes. I soaked in a cold bath afterwards and I didn't feel too sore. My favorite part of the run – for the last half mile (or quarter mile) I finished with some sprints. Each sprint lasted about 15-20 seconds. It felt so great to go fast. For my next long run next weekend, I plan on doing more sprints, as well as adding a few hill repeats.

Monday, September 18, 2006 I had a great strength class today. My legs felt like jello afterwards.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006 So…I made it to the treadmill at the Y during lunch. My legs/butt were still sore from yesterday. I think I made it up to .8 miles before quitting. [Take careful note of the decimal before the 8]. I think today was meant to be a rest day. So I came back to work and had tuna salad on a croissant and a slice of cheese cake. Today definitely called for some cheese cake. And why do they call it “tuna salad”??? So it can give the impression of being healthy? I've had a difficult and stressful month (can you tell?) and tomorrow is my birthday. I hate birthdays.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006 Yoga at lunch.

Thursday, September 21, 2006 Walked 2 miles, strength class/Abs class during lunch, karate class in evening. After karate, I ran/walked 1 mile from YMCA to School. I got there in 10 minutes (a lot faster than taking the train!) By the way, while I was in karate class I saw Geert running past!

Friday, September 22, 2006 I had a long lunch break today so I decided to take my workout to Central Park. I didn't have my watch on me so I couldn't keep track of the minutes ran vs. the minutes walked. I've now realized the importance of wearing a watch. I ended up walking more than running. And I'm not sure of the distance either because I stayed in the lower part of the park.

Saturday, September 23, 2006 Two karate classes

Sunday, September 24, 2006 11.6 miles(ran 4 min, walked 1 min, including warm up and cooldown + 3 loops in Prospect Park). Felt good. Each loop was exactly 44-45 minutes each. I did 3 loops in a row without stopping. I stretched for 20 minutes afterwards at the Prospect Park Y. Happily, after stretching I was just in time for the Yoga class–one of the best yoga classes I've had in a long time.

Monday, September 25, 2006 My body feels good…not too sore. I think that yoga class really helped my body heal after my long run. I have a strenth class scheduled today during lunch and a short run for tomorrow.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006 3.04 miles (Run 5, walk 1…approximately 42 minutes total on treadmill during lunch). Felt okay. Had to cut the workout short a bit to get back to work. I may have strained my left hamstring/groin area. Hopefully the soreness/uncomfort will be gone by Friday's run. (Definitely hopefully by this weekend's long run of 18 miles).

Wednesday, September 27, 2006 Yoga at lunch

Thursday, September 28, 2006 2 mile walk, strength class, 1 karate class

Saturday, September 30, 2006 2 karate classes. I hurt my lower shin during fight class. (I was about to kick this girl and my shin/lower ankle area struck her elbow) Boy did it hurt! The moment it happened I knew I was in trouble. And of course the first thoughts in my mind were will this affect my running???

Sunday, October 1, 2006 I guess now I know the answer to that question. My leg was hurting all of Saturday night. I was scheduled to run 18-20 miles today and at the last minute had signed up for the Norwegian Half-Marathon…thinking I could do the half, then run 5-7 miles more afterwards to complete my training for the day. But on Saturday night, I decided that trying to run that much on an injured leg would be pure stupidity. And there was no way I would risk hurting myself further just 5 weeks before the Marathon. Deciding not to run was a really tough decision and I was quite depressed about it. Well….I woke up Sunday morning feeling better (probably because of all the Motrin I took). This got me excited. Maybe I'd be able to run after all??? So I ate my usual pre-race meal (Peanut butter & jelly on whole wheat bread, and a glass of gatorade), put on my new BRRC singlet, sneakers, etc. It was a rainy Sunday which kind of reminded me of the NYC Half-Marathon from August. I was getting really excited. I think I must have walked 5 blocks before my leg started throbbing enough for me to turn back home. I spent most of the day in bed with my feet up. By the evening, my leg was feeling better again. I walked a couple of miles and I went for a 3 hour bike ride around Brooklyn.

Monday, October 2, 2006 I took it easy again today. I walked about 2-3 miles around the neighborhood.
My leg isn't feeling 100% better, but it reminds me of the injury I had last year. I think it's stress related more than anything. I've read these articles once about injuries and how sometimes it's all in your mind. There could be absolutely nothing wrong with you but if you are really stressed, all of a sudden you get these phantom injuries. And the more you think about these injuries, it's almost as if you're making it worse by thinking about it. My goal this week is to try to relax, but I definitely need to get back into running. I haven't run since last Tuesday.

Tuesday, October 3, 2006 I can't wait until this marathon is over. I feel like I'm walking on egg shells all day, afraid that any false move will cripple me and I will not be able to run or walk this marathon. Maybe it's pre-race jitters. Whatever it is, it's driving me crazy. At this point, my goal is to finish the marathon. Period. I don't care if it takes me the full 8 1/2 hours. I don't care if I have to walk the whole thing…or crawl the whole thing. I am going to cross that finish line no matter what. Here are my goals for this week: Tuesday – yoga at lunch, 2-3 karate classes in evening, Wednesday – yoga at lunch, 48 minutes run/walk in evening, Thursday – 2 mile walk, strength class, karate, run 1 mile to school, Friday – 48 minutes run/walk, Saturday – 2 karate classes, Sunday 18-20 miles run/walk, yoga afterwards.

Tuesday, October 3, 2006 Yoga at lunch. 3 karate classes in evening (including fight class).

Wednesday, October 4, 2006 Yoga at lunch. 4 miles on treadmill after work. (Run 5, walk 1 minute for approximately 59 minutes, including warm up and cool down). Felt okay despite soreness in my legs from the previous day's karate classes. I took a few stretching breaks throughout workout, drank gatorade. I've gotten some of my confidence back.

Thursday, October 5, 2006 Walked for a bit in between school and work. (I skipped strength class and I will not run the one mile to school because I want to save my energy for tomorrow's work out.) I will go to one karate class later this evening.

Friday, October 6, 2006 Approximately 3 miles on treadmill during lunch. (Mostly run 5, walk 1 for about 40 something minutes). I bought a new pair of Saucony Omni sneakers yesterday. I used today's workout to break them in. The first mile felt weird and I had to stop to stretch and to retie my shoelaces. On and off I felt a little achiness in my shins, ankles, knees. The second and third miles were great. I spent the last 12 minutes speeding up by .5 increments every 30 seconds. I reached “10-minute-per-mile” pace which felt really good. Tomorrow is complete rest. I might take a short walk around the neighborhood and do some stretching. My favorite new activity is lying in bed with my legs at a 90 degree angle against the wall. It really speeds the recovery in my legs. Sunday, hopefully, I will do the 18 mile tune-up. It will be my last really long run before I start to taper. Although, it seems like during the past 5 months all I have been doing is tapering. But at least this one will be planned.

Sunday, October 8, 2006 18 miles (Marathon Tune-Up Race). Hmmmmm…Where to begin?? I completed it in 3:45. I know..shocking isn't it?? I ran most of it. I walked from mile 16 to 17 'cause my back was cramping up and my stomach was doing somersaults throughout the race. Plus I lost about 10 minutes waiting for the porta-potty at mile 16. I should have used it earlier on in the race but I didn't want to waste any time…and of course I ended up being uncomfortable and unhappy for 16 miles. Rule of thumb for the marathon, no matter how long the wait is, use the porta potty the first chance you get, get it over with, and that way you can enjoy the rest of the race. Okay, enough about that. Needless to say, I was quite sore the next day. Today (Tuesday) I'm feeling better. This week I plan on doing a lot of walking, swimming, and yoga. I will attempt a short run on Friday. Overall, I am so happy that I was able to complete this race. And I easily could have gone on a bit longer, except I was getting really bored by mile 17. One more thing, thanks to Denise (also from BRRC) for running with me during part of the final stretch and for all of your great marathon advice.

Monday, October 9, 2006 Lots of rest and cold baths/showers

Tuesday, October 10, 2006 30 minute swim during lunch, 1 mile walk

Wednesday, October 11, 2006 Yoga at lunch, 1 mile walk

Thursday, October 12, 2006 Lots of stretching, 1 mile run/walk on treadmill, 10 minutes on elliptical machine, 7 minutes on recumbent bike, 10 minutes on row machine, 12 minutes of “hill” work on treadmill (just walking, no running), 1 karate class in evening. I love circuit training. It's never boring. And I figured some hill training will definitely help with those bridges during the marathon. My new sneakers still feel weird. I felt pressure/slight achiness in my right knee, left ankle, both hip joints. I don't know if it's entirely because of the sneakers or from something else.

Sunday, October 15, 2006Staten Island Half-Marathon 13.1 miles. I finished in 2:40 (net time) – 10 minutes less than the NYC Half, despite having to walk a huge bit of the second half. Another good thing about this race was the views of the Verrazano, and the water, etc. Plus with the marathon only a few weeks away, I used this race as a mental dress-rehearsal since this is where we will be starting. This was also my first “cold-weather” race – again more marathon preparation. What I didn't like about the race was the first 4 or so miles, we were running through what looked like deserted alley ways, which I guess isn't so bad except they didn't have water stops at every mile. I need those stops – not so much for the water, but that's usually when I insert my 30 second walking breaks. Without those walking breaks, I think I was burning out by mile 7. Another thing I didn't like was that the course goes out and back. So before I reached miles 4 & 5, the faster runners were already heading back towards the finish – which annoys the heck out of me. I find it very discouraging. I had a similar experience last weekend with the 18 mile tune-up. (We were doing 3 loops around the park. When most of the “fast” runners were finishing their race, us “slower” runners still had 1 more loop to complete. I hate that.) And on the way back all of the down-hills turned into steep up-hills. And the wind wasn't helping matters much either. It was very challenging to motivate myself to keep running. And it absolutely did not help that for the last 3 or 4 miles there wasn't a single water stop!! I guess they must have ran out. And for the second race in a row, they didn't even have any bagels or fruit left at the finish. And no medal?? It was an awful race, awful organization, and absolutely no incentive to run it except for the fact that it was in Staten Island and therefore a bit of extra “preparation for the marathon”.

Monday, October 16, 2006 I begin my official 3-week “taper” today. I think I would have had a better experience yesterday if my legs were fresher (I had run the 18 mile tune up the previous week so that was two long races in a row). Plus I didn't carbo-load properly since running the race was a last minute decision. I took a cold bath yesterday, kept my feet/legs up, and took 3 motrin. I don't feel too sore today. I'd like to do some light cross training this week – walking, swimming, yoga, karate. I'll run/walk a few miles as well. I've also decided to force myself to take more walking breaks during the marathon, especially during the first half. I want to enjoy the race and not burn out at mile 6! I know my training the past 5 months hasn't been ideal. But I can't worry about the past. The only thing I need to think about is the best way to make it through the marathon on November 5.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006 30 minute swim

Wednesday, October 18, 2006 Yoga at lunch

Thursday, October 19, 2006 Light walk around the city, 1 karate class.

Friday, October 20, 2006 Run/walk 2.5 miles(run 5, walk 1). I feel very tired today. I might be getting sick. I hope not.

Saturday, October 21, 2006 2 great karate classes.

Sunday, October 22, 2006I may have caught my daughter's strep throat. It didn't stop me from doing a long run on Sunday of a little over 13 miles. I ran/walked the last 10 miles of the marathon route & then some. Apparently I wasn't the only person who had this idea, since plenty of people were running up First Avenue and down 5th & into the park. My knees and ankles feel a bit achy today (Monday). I know it's because a) my sneakers are ready to be changed and b) concrete is the absolute worst thing to run on. I've had to change the new sneakers yet again, and I don't think I'll have time to break them in before the marathon. So my current sneakers will have to suffice til after the marathon. Oh and by the way, Gu and Powerbar Gels are a rip-off. You can easily get similar results from honey…and it costs next to nothing compared to the Gu. I used about 5 packets of honey during my long run and they worked fantastically. (One packet w/ water every other mile, a few gulps of gatorade the other miles). And since I didn't have a watch on me, rather than running 5 minutes, walking 1, I just used the city streets to dictate when I take my walking breaks (walk 1-2 blocks for every 10 ran).

Monday, October 23, 2006 My throat feels sore. My shins, ankles, and knees a bit sore. The next two weeks will be a serious taper…as in mostly light cross-training, relaxing, eating really well, and resting. I will skip the halloween party on saturday. The 5-mile Kickoff on Sunday will probably be the most running i'll be doing in the next two weeks. I'm also debating my friend's birthday party (set for the night before the marathon). Here's my current dilemma: During the Staten Island Half, I wore my BRRC singlet and a light zip-up sweater around my waist. The weather has cooled considerably since then and during yesterday's long run I wore a long sleeve running shirt. Which kept me comfortable. My dilemma is I would like to wear my BRRC singlet during the marathon to support my team. But at the same time I want to be comfortable & not cold. And if I wear both (i.e., my singlet on top of my long-sleeve) I risk being too warm (not to mention fashionably uncoordinated – and we all want to look good in our marathon pics, right??). Actually, a more serious dilemma is that I have not received my “marathon card” which supposedly was mailed out on the 13th. I will keep checking my mail-box.

Thursday, October 26, 2006 This hasn't been a great week. I've been battling this chest cold/strep throat thingy which seems to be getting worse and worse. My body feels stiff and achy. Hopefully, it'll be gone by marathon time. (Not that it would stop me from running, I just hope I don't kill myself). I've been trying to take it easy. My exercise this week consisted of a yoga class yesterday, and walking a few miles today. I will be skipping the karate class scheduled for tonight. I'm trying to rest but it's difficult to do (too many exams, presentations, research papers due for school). My crazy schedule is finally catching up with me. I will rest as much as possible this weekend and will attempt the 5-mile kickoff on Sunday.

Sunday, October 29, 2006 Poland Springs 5-mile Kickoff. I was feeling a little bit better – not coughing as much. It was a very windy race and a challenge not to let my race number fly away! I finished in 58 minutes – which is about normal for me. I tried not to go too fast since the marathon is only a week away. I carried my own gatorade and ate a packet of honey right before the race. I know I probably didn't need either because it's such a short race, but I wanted to recreate what I plan to do on Nov. 5th. I have decided to wear my BRRC singlet on top of my long sleeve. The weather has cooled down enough that I think I will be comfortable – not too cold and not too hot.

Monday, October 30, 2006 Short walk around midtown manhattan.

Tuesday, October 31, 2006 Still coughing. 5 days to go!! Yoga class during lunch helped clear up my lungs (for a little while)

Wednesday, November 1, 2006 Yoga at lunch. Still coughing. Feeling really sluggish and sleepy. 4 days to go!!

Thursday, November 2, 2006 Feeling better today…not coughing as much. I'm heading over to the Expo during lunch today to pick up my race number. I'm so nervous I think I'm going to puke. My left quad was feeling funny this week ever since Tuesday's yoga class. It's not too serious, but just feels weird. 3 days to go!!

Friday, November 3, 2006 Still coughing…but my body feels relatively good and well rested. No pains, aches, etc. (knock on wood). I picked up my goody bag and # yesterday. I also signed up for the 5:30 pacing team. So that will be my time goal. But if for any reason it feels too fast for me, I will definitely slow down and take my own pace. My only real goal is to finish with as little pain as possible. This will be my last blog until after the race. I will continue resting, hydrating, and carbo-loading. I also need to wash my running clothes and get anything else I need ready for Sunday morning. It's showtime!

In all honesty, the hardest part of the day was waking up at 4 a.m.! The race was fantastic and everything I imagined it to be. I finished in about 6 hours –later than my “secret” goal, but I achieved my original goal that I set for myself about 16 weeks ago. And that was to finish! Before the race was even finished, I was already thinking about next year. So here's the scoop. I started at a slow and comfortable pace. I ran through 16 miles (stopping only to drink water, gatorade, eat honey). By this time though, I was feeling some achiness in my back. By the time I reached Queens, I started walking a lot more. I tried jogging a bit, but that really hurt. It felt a lot better to just speed-walk and I passed a lot of people this way. I got a second wind after leaving the bronx and started running a little bit more. Then I walked again in Central park. And it felt great. I jogged the last half a mile which hurt some more but I pushed through to the finish. All in all, it was a great race and the crowds are amazing.

It's true what they say – the NYC marathon is a “humbling” experience. And by mile 18, it made me realize how inadequate my training had been. Now that the marathon is over, I would like to start fresh and build a solid base of running. My average weekly mileage was about 10-25 miles..and this was usually counting the “race of the week”. And very often my mileage was even lower than that! Sometimes, nothing at all. So my goal is to build up (slowly, of course) to at least 30-35 miles per week. I would also like to do more strength training – particulary in my core and lower back. I have to complete just 3 more races before the end of this year to be guaranteed for next year's marathon. And I know next year will be even better.
Thanks for reading. This blog is over