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Blue in New York

Posted in motivation, New York City Marathon, Odd Ball, racing, tagged Autism Speaks, fund raising, ING New York Marathon, running on October 12, 2010| 9 Comments »

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Okay friends, New York is less than 4 weeks away. When I first put it out there that I needed to raise $2600 to run the New York Marathon for Autism Speaks, you put me there in less than 4 weeks. I was amazed and humbled how quickly my circle of friends rallied around to support this cause that is so very important to me. I am extremely grateful. For the last couple of months however, I’ve been stuck at a little over $3,000. Nothing to sneeze at for sure, but I know I can do better. So I’m throwing out a challenge.

If I can manage to raise $8,001 ($1 more than the goal of the fundraiser currently standing in 5th place among New York runners) before the Friday (11/5) I leave for New York, I will do this:

Yo! Wuzzup?

That’s right. I will, for the first time in my life, dye my hair, and not only will I dye my hair, I will dye it Autism Speaks Blue. Come on. How many of you wanna see me walking around New York City with blue hair?

Here’s the link to my fund raising page —>HERE<—

Get me to $10K, and maybe I’ll even dye the dog!

Why do you run?

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Chicago Marathon 2010

Posted in Odd Ball, race recap, tagged Chicago Marathon 2010, Portland Marathon 2010, race report on October 10, 2010| 4 Comments »

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I need an ice bath. It has been a long, long day! The temperature started out nicely for the Chicago Marathon, but they quickly rose to unbearable levels, reminiscent of my late miles at Providence. By the time I was done, I was exhausted. Chicago definitely took a lot of energy out of me.

What’s that? You thought I ran a marathon last week? Didn’t I just run Smuttynose? And now I ran Chicago?

Um, well, uh, yes! I did run Smuttynose last Sunday, and, um, no I didn’t run Chicago. But the truth is, between watching the event online and tracking a plethora of friends on Twitter, it made for a long, emotionally intense day.

The elite men’s finish was one of the most incredible ends to a marathon I have ever witnessed, even more exciting the the women’s finish in the 2009 Boston Marathon. Sammy Wanjiru simply amazed. I found out shortly thereafter that my friend TK had been yelling at her computer 300 miles away, just like me. It was comforting to know I wasn’t the only crazy one being thrilled by this finish on a small, low-res screen. Then, over the course of the next 5 hours I tracked friends (not only at Chicago but at Portland as well), many of whom were attempting BQ’s of their own, many others simply having the goal of making it to the finish line.

As the news of splits of various friends (@DP_Turtle, @runnrgrl, @calebmasland, @seeksboston26mi, @jenn_if_fer, @anivs19, @sclevine, @runwithareason, @MarathonBrian and many others) came through, the excitement of what they were going through was almost palpable. I wanted to get out there and run with them, each and every one of them. Instead, many of us sent them encouragement via Tweets; I wanted New York to come sooner than the 4 weeks away it stands now.

I believe that most of my friends that were attempting to BQ succeeded. Everyone finished despite the soaring temperatures. Some friends had to dig extra deep during gut check time, but each and every one of them did so.

Gut check time for me came 7 hours in when I realized that my right thumb was shaking, literally shaking, over my iPhone. It wasn’t long after that the last of my buddies was in and I was able to give my thumbs the well-deserved ice bath they needed.

Who knew that watching a marathon from afar could be so intense!

Congrats to all of you who ran marathons this weekend!

I need YOUR contributions to a project that I’m working on. Interested?

All you need to do is send me a paragraph or two telling me why you run and/ or why you think others should run. E-mail it to me at “runluaurun at gmail dot com” (written out so the bots don’t start sending me spam).

If you can, please include a picture of your favorite running shoes and tell me what kind of shoes they are. Also, please let me know how you would like to be referenced (real name, nickname, pseudonym, etc) just in case this project actually ever sees the light of day.

The more responses I get, the sooner I can put it all together, so please don’t be shy about forwarding this to your running friends and spreading the word.

Thanks!

Luau

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Forecast

Posted in boston marathon, motivation, Odd Ball, racing, tagged boston marathon, BQ, running, Smuttynose Marathon, weather forecast on October 2, 2010| 2 Comments »

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Today’s weather forecast for the Smuttynose Marathon in Hampton, NH:

Sunny to partly cloudy, high of 58° with a chance of BQ.

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Honey Water

Posted in diet, Odd Ball, other, training, tagged Honey Water, Hydration, running on August 25, 2010| 7 Comments »

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Lately I’ve been hydrating and recovering with Nuun Water and mix1. Both are great at what they do. I love that the Nuun tablets make them completely portable. I also find that after a tough workout, mix1 definitely feeds me the nutrients I need to be refreshed sooner. Both are great for on-the-go athletes that need to throw something in the bag for a trip to the gym.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depends on how you see it), the other day I was out of both Nuun tablets and mix1. I was setting out for an easy paced 12 miler so I knew I needed something more than just plain water. As I scoured the kitchen, hoping to find a stray tablet, I recalled what I had read in Born To Run about the Tarahumara drinking chia frescas, a combination of chia seeds, lime juice, honey and water. It was said that this simple concoction kept these runners going for hours and hours. Last summer I tried making chia frescas on my own, but had found that the chia seeds tended to clog the spout in my water bottles. Nothing more frustrating that being 30 – 40 minutes into a run, squeezing your water bottle and getting nothing out of it. My solution? I took out the chia seeds and ended up with a citrus honey drink. By the time Fall came around, I had simplified it even further by taking out the lime. This simple honey water solution powered me to my 7 minute half marathon PR in November (1:33:14).

I’m not sure why I eventually moved away from the honey water. Maybe it was because I ran out of honey one day or because my buddy Mike was recommending Nuun. I don’t remember. Regardless, but late winter I had switched to Nuun almost exclusively.

So the other day I was setting out for a 12 miler, and with no Nuun available, I went back to my old reliable. What a pleasant “re-discovery”. A nice side effect of drinking the honey water instead of the Nuun was that I didn’t need to pack any Gu’s either. Taking a few sips of honey water every 10 – 20 minutes provided me the steady stream of simple carbohydrates I needed to maintain a consistent pace. I also found that I was needing fewer gulps per mile . I’m sure I’ll still mix in the Nuun regularly (you really can’t beat the convenience factor), but I have really enjoyed the honey water over the last four or five workouts. This past Sunday I felt refreshed and able to continue after at 15 mile marathon paced run. I’m still tinkering with the ratios, but a 5 – 10% solution seems to be working best for me.

Now if I could only get to hand out honey water at Smuttynose and New York, I’ll be all set!

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Banner 18

Posted in motivation, Odd Ball, other, tagged basketball, Boston, Celtics, running, superstition on June 9, 2010| 2 Comments »

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So as runners, we tend to find new and interesting ways to keep ourselves motivated. Whether it’s an attempt to beat our previous month’s mileage or outrun an online friend (you hear me @5KJunkie?), we use what we can to motivate ourselves. As young sports fans growing up, many of us believed in “the jinx”. When watching a game, if you were sitting in a certain spot when your team got hot, you didn’t move for fear of jinxing them. If you were holding a certain beverage, even if it was your girlfriend’s girlie drink, when your team came to life, you continued to hold that drink, despite your girlfriend’s protests, for fear of jinxing your team. If you were wearing a ratty old t-shirt when your team upset another, you were sure to wear it for the next game for fear of jinxing them.

Yes, the idea that you or I could have a profound effect on the outcome of a professional sporting event is completely ridiculous. We know that but we continue to act as if the outcome could depend solely on us.

I attempted to combine these two things (motivation and superstition) this week in an attempt to help my hometown Celtics get one step closer to their 18th NBA championship, however I made one fatal mistake, at least when it came to game 3. On Monday and Tuesday, with the series tied 1 – 1, I ran a total of 18 miles, thinking that the my running those miles would bring luck to the Celtics. What I failed to realize was that one cannot create the luck. My running the 18 miles had nothing to do with the lead up to the C’s win on Sunday. PLUS, for Tuesday’s game, instead of sitting on the couch where I was for game 2 (a win), I went to a buddy’s house to watch the game.

So now I’m re-jiggering. I went out this morning and ran 6.03 miles, the same distance I ran the day after Boston lost game 1. All I have to do now is follow it up tomorrow with a 9 miler (like I did the morning of game 2) and then make sure I am on MY couch tomorrow night for game 4, a definite must win for the Celtics.

Do you believe?

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I Know That Look

Posted in health, motivation, Odd Ball, tagged exhaustion, marathon, running, tired on May 21, 2010| 8 Comments »

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This post has nothing to do with running. Well, maybe in the metaphorical sense, but anyway…

I was at the grocery store yesterday, working my way through the aisles when I happened upon the baby section. You know the one with the diapers, baby shampoo, formula and baby food. Every time I walk down that aisle, I rejoice and celebrate the day I bought my last package of diapers for my kids. It is a good feeling.

As I mosied down the aisle, I noticed this guy standing in front of the babyfood and formula section. He had to be somewhere around my age, prematurely grey, left hand holding a scribbled list, right hand on his forehead.

I thought to myself, I know that look.

It was the look of sheer exhaustion. I thought, That’s the look I have after running a marathon.

But then the past came flooding back to me in a very intense wave. No, that wasn’t the look I have after a marathon. This was a look of a man who had just run a marathon everyday, for the last 60, maybe 90 days. I suddenly remembered that feeling during those first few months of parenthood when a solid night’s sleep is nothing more than a wish or a fantasy. THAT is exhaustion.

I am going to carry the image of this stranger in my head the next time I am running a marathon and remind myself that exhaustion is simply a matter of degree. When I feel myself fading at mile 23 or 24, I hope I will remember to think of that guy and find a way to push myself harder – find that reserve we use during those first few months of parenthood.

I gave him a reassuring smile as I passed him. I think he was too tired to understand what it meant. I hope he eventually gets a decent night’s sleep because 10 minutes later when I passed the aisle again, he was still standing there with the same confused, tired look on his face.

I am convinced that if you have endured those early months of parenthood, you are capable of running a marathon.

Okay, so maybe I was able to find a way to bring all back to running…

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Get Some

Posted in health, Odd Ball, training, tagged Coregasm, exercise, Women's Health on May 18, 2010| 5 Comments »

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So, since the beginning of this blog, I have been a huge proponent of physical exercise. True, I definitely skew toward the power of running, but quite honestly, as long as you get sweaty and breathe hard, I don’t care how you get your daily burn. I still feel that running was the best way to achieve this…

…that is, until today.

Today I read this article from Women’s Health Magazine. Yes, I know, it’s Women’s Health. It was on a friend’s Facebook page, okay? So anyway, go ahead. Click on the link and read the article and then come back. I’ll wait. Oh, if you are the type that is easily offended, don’t bother.

Are you back? Did you just run to the gym to do some core exercises? Maybe some hanging leg raises?

The sad part is that this article really isn’t directed towards me, though I guess that would present problems of its own. Seriously though, for all the women out there looking for a good reason to hit the gym, I can’t really think of a better selling point. I mean, really, I’m surprised that there aren’t groups of women coming out of the middle of a Pilates class for a cigarette! Talk about a feel good workout! It puts the Runner’s High to shame. AND you don’t need anybody or anything else with you. I mean seriously, if I were a woman I think I’d be a core-exercise nut!

I’ll tell ya, going to the gym from now on is going to be a whole new experience!

Here is the actual workout recommended by Women’s Health Magazine.

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Finish

Posted in motivation, Odd Ball, tagged Boston, Cavaliers, Celtics, Cleveland, Finish Strong, GIve Up on May 14, 2010| 1 Comment »

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Last night the Boston Celtics ousted the Cleveland Cavaliers from the NBA playoffs with a 94 – 85 victory. The Celtics did it with a full team effort on both ends of the court.

That’s great Luau. What’s that have to do with running?

As a Celtics fan I was thrilled, but as a sportsfan and as a runner I was extremely disappointed in the Cavaliers. Not because they lost. I wanted them to lose. No, it was the fact that the Cavaliers gave up with 75 seconds left in the game down only by 9 points. Conventional wisdom states that you foul your opponent in that situation with the hopes chipping away at the lead. It is a tactic that rarely works, but when you are about to be eliminated from the playoffs, it is what you do. A lot can happen in 75 seconds, anybody who has every watched a basketball game knows that, but the Cavs simply gave up, never giving themselves that chance.

It got me thinking. I hope I never, NEVER give up like that at the end of a race. I am not a super fast runner. I won’t ever win a big-time footrace, but I can place well and beat my previous efforts. If I had given up in my last half marathon, I wouldn’t have PR’d by over 7 minutes. Had I given up in my last 10K I wouldn’t have managed a sub-40 race. Had I given up in Boston or Providence I wouldn’t have PR’d twice.

What the Cleveland Cavaliers did last night was competitively unacceptable. I feel for the Cleveland fans. It’s never easy to have your team eliminated from the playoffs. However, I have no sympathy for LeBron James and the rest of the Cavs after they simply gave up with so much time left.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with being a participant or pacer for a friend, but if you are there to compete, and injury doesn’t take you out, then don’t just finish. Especially if you are being paid millions of dollars to play a game, don’t just finish. Fight to the end and finish strong.

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Inertia

Posted in motivation, Odd Ball, training, Vibram Five Fingers, tagged Inertia, running, taper on May 10, 2010| 4 Comments »

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Definition –

Physics.
a.
the property of matter by which it retains its state of rest or its velocity along a straight line so long as it is not acted upon by an external force.

It’s been a week since Providence, 3 since Boston and 6 since the Eastern States 20. Despite, or rather because of the 3 races, I have essentially been in a state of constant tapering for about a month and a half.

I miss running.

Yes, I’ve run the races, enjoyed the crowds and had a lot of fun. But I miss the miles. I ran only 82 miles in April. I know that’s nearly 20 miles a week and for many people that’s a lot, BUT compare that to the 160 I ran in January and 210 I ran in March, and you can see how it might feel a little light. It’s all a matter of perspective, I know. So now that the big races are over, it’s time to ramp it up again, right?

Well, it should be, but there’s a problem. There’s this thing I’m fighting. A universal law that is very, very powerful. It’s called inertia, and I’ll tell you right now, it’s very hard to fight.

Now I know I just put up a post about downsizing, but that was more about the races I chose to run rather than the monthly miles.

I WANT to run. I do. But I’m finding it hard to make the time. That’s really all it takes. I just need to make the time, but right now, I’m finding it very hard to do so. Don’t get me wrong. The time is there. I could get up early, I could stay up late, I could stop sitting in front of the computer typing away on Run Luau Run and make the time. It’s just that I haven’t. It’s almost as if that taper that started at the end of March doesn’t want to stop. And unfortunately, the Taper has the universe on it’s side. Inertia is a real pain in the ass.

So this week I will fight the universal laws and I will drag my butt outside and just do it. The amazing thing about inertia is that it works both ways. That’s why tapering is so hard to begin with, right? So I’ve just got to build up a little momentum and inertia should take care of the rest. There’s gotta be a few other things in my life that I could apply this science to. Maybe I could finally start writing that book. Force myself to write for two weeks and inertia can take care of the rest.

It’s time to run. Here I go…right now…see me going?…what’s that? Celtics highlights are on Sportscenter? Maybe I’ll go afterward…

Full Disclosure So I actually wrote this post about an hour before I picked up my new Vibram Bikila’s. They should definitely help me motivate!

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Jumpseat

Posted in motivation, Odd Ball, tagged Charity, ink, Providence marathon, purpose, sharpie on May 2, 2010| 4 Comments »

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Thank you to all of you who donated $22 to various charities and brought some sense of purpose to the insanity that is running 2 marathons in 2 weeks. Here are some shots of those who will be riding the “jumpseat” today at the Providence Marathon.