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March 2008
How was your marathon day?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Congratulations to the 15,000 runners in Sunday’s ING Marathon and Half Marathon, (including at least nine AJC runners)!
Despite the weather it was an exciting event and wonderful to see such a diverse mix of folks. Some folks came prepared for the cold and rain and some men went shirtless.
Did you see the guy running barefoot?
It was a good race for me, especially considering my legs were weak from the start. And unlike last year when I vomited shortly after I crossed the finish line. This year I cried.
I was happy to get this race under my belt. And I had a network of support ranging from my brother rooting me on - as well as my nephew and his girlfriend who ran the half marathon - to my other brother in Alaska and friends tracking my run online.
Once again the cheering zones helped energize runners too. Sometimes I needed to hear ‘Your doing great,’ or ‘You’ve got this, just stay strong.’ Many neighbors held out donuts or fruit to give runners sustenance. I lucked up on a blueberry cereal bar around mile 14 that gave me a boost through mile 23.
How did you make out? Did the weather affect you?
And maybe it’s me but from mile 20 on, there seemed to be a hill around every corner. Share your ING experience.
MORE: PEACHTREE ROAD RACE INFO. State of the Art Marathon Training. USA Fit/Team Spirit. Active Trainer. Atlanta Track Club. Road Rules. ING Georgia Marathon.
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What are your pre-race rituals for marathon day?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You’ve got months of training under your belt. Now it’s time to get to steppin’…er, running.
Sunday’s ING marathon is already shaping up to be an interesting day weather-wise. The forecast predicts rain and temperatures in the 50s.
A colleague told me he ran in rain during last Thanksgiving’s Atlanta Marathon, and it was not fun, he said.
Nevertheless, there’s half a weekend before race day. How are you going to spend it? Do you have any pre-race rituals that put you in a good frame of mind?
Marathon weekend is once again a family event at my place. Folks are in from out-of- town, including my 13-year-old nephew who questioned my sanity last year for wanting to run 26.2 miles. If it indeed rains this year, he will really think I’m nuts. (Also my older nephew and his girlfriend are running the half marathon for the first time.)
Like last year I’m going to have a nice steak dinner on Friday. And on Saturday I plan to mostly relax, load up on carbs and pray that I complete the race in official time without injury.
Here’s a few race day tips from authors Danny and Katherine Dreyer’s book, “Chi Running.”
— Start warming up 20 minutes before the race with a slow easy jog.
— When the race starts, don’t take off too fast. It’s OK to lose a couple of minutes up front.
— Check your pace in the first mile. Don’t get lulled into a comfort zone if you’re faster than your projected time. You’ll pay for it later, so slow down.
— Drink before you’re thirsty. Take in electrolytes before you cramp. Adjust your form before you get tired.
Share your race day tips with us.
(And on Sunday’s late day running blog, post comments on your race experience.)
MORE: PEACHTREE ROAD RACE INFO. State of the Art Marathon Training. USA Fit/Team Spirit. Active Trainer. Atlanta Track Club. Road Rules. ING Georgia Marathon.
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Four Runners
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The countdown is on for Sunday’s ING Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon.
Every serious marathoner has a story that speaks to their love or respect for running. Here are four participants in Sunday’ run.
Race start time is 7 a.m. Runner’s are staggered by estimated finish times. Take note of their bib number, follow the map on the race website and cheer them on.
Rendell Jackson, 33, Atlanta
Race: Half marathon
Running Story: Students at King Middle School set the stage for Jackson’s half marathon run. The physical education teacher guided 170 students as they logged 12 running miles in ING’s Run for Something Better Program.
The program, for middle school students in Atlanta and Dekalb, was set up to help children become more physically fit by running the distance of a half marathon over nine weeks time. Atlanta Falcon Keith Brooking will lead nearly 400 middle schoolers from the program on the final 1.1 mile at the ING race.
“I want to run to further inspire them and lead by example,” said Jackson. The former CFL and Arena football player said any run over 200 meters is a stretch for him.
Cheer him on: His bib number is 20433. At Seven minutes per mile Jackson will likely reach his halfway point at the Carter Center between 7:45 and 8 a.m. and finish the race about 8:30 or 8:45 a.m.
Sherry Coulombe, 30, Dacula
Race: Half marathon
Running story: When it comes to endurance, The Dyer Elementary School teacher is well-equipped. She started running after gastric bypass surgery in 2003, when her weight had reached nearly 350 pounds. Now she competes in triathlons and is 170 pounds lighter.
“Running is something I never thought I’d be able to do,” she said. “When I first started I didn’t think I could get to a half mile but I made it to two miles.“
Coulombe decided to change her lifestyle through exercise after the surgery. She ran the Strong Legs 10K in November 2004. And jumped to the Chicago Marathon in 2006. “I got that runner’s high and from that moment on I felt, if I can do a 10K, what else can I do,” she said.
She can do triathlons. Her most recent was Ironman Florida last November, where she swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles and ran 26.2.
Cheer her on: Her bib number is 18388. Running 10 1/2 to 11-minute miles, Coulombe should reach Carter Center just past mile 6 between 8 and 8:15 a.m. and finish the race about 9:15or 9:30 a.m.
Todd Sherwood, 50, Anchorage, AK Race: Marathon
Running story: Adjusting to Atlanta’s hilly unfamiliar streets should be a piece of cake for Sherwood. He and his 18-year-old daughter have jogged along Anchorage running trails at night with flashlights, he said.
And there’s the bears to think about.
“I have personally had to do a 180 on a running trail in an Anchorage park because a black bear stepped into my path,” said Sherwood, a municipal attorney for the North Slope Borough in Alaska.
He’s currently on active duty as a Judge Advocate General (a military attorney known as a JAG) at Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City, Fla.
When Sherwood learned about his 60-day assignment, he searched the internet for marathons in close proximity. In April he plans to compete in the Beach Blast Triathlon in Mexico Beach, Florida.
Sherwood started running six years ago. He runs year round, often in Alaska’s snowy climate. “Running on fresh snow is like beach sand,” he said. Some folks put spikes on the shows to manage icy terrain, he said.
Cheer him on: His bib number is 1682. Sherwood’s goal is to run a nine-minute mile. At that pace he should run past mile 12 on the Agnes Scott College Campus at about 8:45 a.m. and finish the race just after 11 a.m.
Helen Klein, 85, Sacramento, Calif.
Race: Half Marathon
Running story: A six or 10 mile morning run is routine for Klein, a retired nurse. She started running at age 55 and has run nearly 100 marathons and 140 ultra marathons.
Klein followed her husband Norman into the sport to avoid worrying about him during races, she said. She trained for her first ten-miler on a track that Norman mowed for her on the side of the house.
“I was embarassed to go out [in public] in running shorts,” she recalled. “I ran twice around it the first day. I had good strong quads and back from lifting heavy patients. Aerobically I had difficulty breathing but I added one lap every day. At the end of 10 weeks I could run 12-minute miles.”
She continued running to stay healthy. Her running career includes a 145-mile stage race across the Sahara Desert and a five day 100-mile stage race in the Himalayas. Norman, 70, runs less often because of injuries, Klein said.
“I have no health problems whatsoever except for allergies,” she said. Klein, who will appear at the ING Expo, said she had planned to run the full marathon but has felt hampered by allergies that flared up during the Napa Valley Marathon earlier this month.
As much as Klein runs, she’s certain that her pace has slowed in the last year. There’s a difference between age 84 and 85, she said.
Cheer her on: Her bib number is 3606. Running about 11-minute miles Klein should pass Carter Center just past mile 6 about 8:15 a.m. and finish the race about 9:15 or 9:30 a.m.
MORE: PEACHTREE ROAD RACE INFO. State of the Art Marathon Training. USA Fit/Team Spirit. Active Trainer. Atlanta Track Club. Road Rules. ING Georgia Marathon.
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Do you get the post-race blues?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ING Race director Victoria Seahorn, who has run 30 marathons, recently summed up what many runners feel during and after a race.
She said, “People get out there and you’re sucking wind thinking, ‘My God, let me get through this.’ And then at the finish line, you say, ‘I want to do this again.”
The feeling is that great. Your goal is fulfilled.
But after the celebration, do you get the blues because the intense training and race is over?
As Seahorn said, I quickly knew at the end of last year’s race that I wanted to do it again. I was gonna miss that huge goal of 26.2 miles in front of me.
For some of you Sunday’s ING event is prep for other upcoming marathons or ultra marathons.
It’s training for when blogger John Tackett runs the Boston Marathon in April.
And it’s prep for two colleagues here at the newspaper who are training for a marathon in Cleveland, in May.
Others like me will settle back into a normal routine.
In the book “Run Your First Marathon,” author and nine-time New York marathon winner Grete Waitz says, people don’t always realize that running a marathon is both psychological and physiological, so feeling a little low after accomplishing such a big goal is natural.
What do you when the race hoopla is finally over?
UPDATE: Read reporter Leon Stafford’s story, “Workers Remove Glass from Centennial Park Before ING Race.”
MORE: PEACHTREE ROAD RACE INFO. State of the Art Marathon Training. USA Fit/Team Spirit. Active Trainer. Atlanta Track Club. Road Rules. ING Georgia Marathon.
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Ready for the marathon?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m getting hyped for Sunday’s marathon.
A year ago today was the inaugural ING. The pre-race excitement of hanging out at Woodruff Park with my family is coming back to me.
It was dark that morning as people gathered. The weather was already balmy. The Kenyan runners were doing practice runs around the park. And I was bouncing on my toes humming the theme to “Rocky.”
Are you ready for Sunday? When is your last run before race?
I have slight soreness and a small knot on my thigh and don’t plan to run again until the marathon. My brother, who’s my primary race adviser, has ordered me to get a massage, and for peace of mind have a doctor check out my leg. (Regular doses of Advil have already helped too.)
As we’ve said before, trainer Gayle Barron recommends two to three massages before marathons to release built-up lactic acid.
She’s also big on ice baths after long runs to relieve soreness.
“If you fill the tub with tap water and then take a bucket of ice from the fridge and gradually add it in; it will take all the soreness out of your muscles,” she says. “It’s hard to stay in there but you will be rejuvenated.”
You all will have to tell me about that one. I flee from extreme coldness.
Atlanta Chiropractor Dr. Norman Eng, who’s volunteered in medical tents at New York City marathons, advises ING Georgia runners to be mindful of common issues that kick in when they hit the “wall” late in the race.
He recommends at least 15 minutes of lower extremity stretches before and after long runs.
“Those are the areas where I worked on most during the race,” he says.
He also urges runners like me who lose a lot of sodium while running to carry salt packs and gels.
“In basic terms, If you are drinking too much water and sweating a considerable amount, your salt levels drop and you can get sick,” Eng says. [Or vomit like I did at the end of last year’s race.]
For more info click this link to the New England Journal of Medicine.
MORE: PEACHTREE ROAD RACE INFO. State of the Art Marathon Training. USA Fit/Team Spirit. Active Trainer. Atlanta Track Club. Road Rules. ING Georgia Marathon.
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What’s your strategy for running in pollen?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Maybe we’ll get lucky and sneak through ING marathon weekend without pollen seeping into every pore of our bodies.
On Wednesday the pollen count was considered extremely high at 534 but by Friday it had dipped down to 58.
Just a four-mile run in thick pollen air can wipe me out for the rest of the day. What’s it like to be groggy from hay fever for 26.2 miles?
Before last year’s ING, I experienced a few allergy symptoms, but on race day I popped an allergy pill, took Flonase and felt fine.
I suffered, like many people, weeks later as the drought and pollen season wore on. Remember how you could see and smell smoke from the wildfires? I often ran on the treadmill instead of outside.
Do you curb your running at the height of allergy season?
Many of you travel to run marathons in other cities. Has the climate change ever kicked up your allergies?
For instance allergy season starts during spring here in Atlanta, but in New York I usually caught the hay fever bug in the fall. Many marathons in the Northeast take place during that time.
Maybe you have a strategy or even a homemade remedy to fight allergies at this time of year. If so, share them with us.
For more info check out reporter Vikki Conwell’s recent allergy story.
ING MARATHON UPDATE: Due to tornado damage at the Georgia World Congress Center, the expo for next week’s race has been moved to the Georgia Dome. Schedule times for packet up and seminars are the same. For more info click here.
MORE: State of the Art Marathon Training. USA Fit/Team Spirit Active Trainer. Peachtree Road Race. Road Rules. ING Georgia Marathon.
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Looking for a good long distance run??
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ING MARATHON UPDATE: Due to tornado damage at the Georgia World Congress Center, the expo for next week’s race has been moved to the Georgia Dome. Schedule times for packet up and seminars are the same. For more info click here.
Some of you who are training for the ING and other marathons asked for suggestions on routes for long distances runs. We checked with marathon trainers Jeff Galloway, Jim Duguay and Gayle Barron.
All three are fans of the Silver Comet Trail. It’s flat and runner friendly. And you can stop intermittently to rest or drink fluids.
Keep in mind that many trails have desolate spots, even the popular Silver Comet. For better safety on long distance runs, go with a partner.
Here’s more routes from the running experts.
From Galloway, who has trained more than 250,000 runners:
Kennesaw Mountain Trails. “Without overlapping you can go 15 to 16 miles,” he says. “But there are plenty of loops and you can get in as much running as you want. The scenery is beautiful. It’s almost like being up in the North Georgia Mountains. If people are not used to running trails, it’s not a good idea. There are rocks and places where you can step into a hole or twist your ankle. ”
He also enjoys running through the Ansley area in midtown Atlanta. Galloway says, “There are so many places there where you can weave your way through neighborhoods. You can find low traffic areas. There are a few spots that you have to cross major intersections to get a longer run in. Piedmont Park is one of those sections [that you can build into] your long run course.
From Duguay, a member of the Atlanta Track Club’s Men’s Masters Team:
He likes the 16-mile Roswell Trail System that starts at Azalea Drive and Willeo Road in Roswell. Run down Azalea Drive and just before Roswell Road shift to the path that follows under the bridge, to continue the trail.
Duguay also suggests the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. The path is marked for mileage. In East Cobb, you can start on Columns Drive and continue into the recreation area. And in Sandy Springs you can enter from Interstate North Parkway off I-285.
From Barron a former Boston Marathon winner: Just get in your car and map out a route in your neighborhood.
That’s what I did years ago. It makes for a very convenient run. Share your favorite long distance routes?
MORE: State of the Art Marathon Training. USA Fit/Team Spirit Active Trainer. Peachtree Road Race. Road Rules. ING Georgia Marathon.
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On long distance runs, Where does your mind go ???
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Your iPod is on ready. It’s Saturday afternoon and time to get the week’s long distance run under your belt.
But during your run where does your mind drift to? Are you thinking about your family, work, or just taking in the sites?
I’m just trying to settle in for the first few miles. It’s not that different from a road trip in my car. I know I’ve got some miles ahead of me and I’m trying to reach cruise control.
What are you thinking about once you get to automatic pilot?
When I was running with a walkman, I’d tape a talk radio show to listen to while I ran.
These days most runs with my iPod are sort of a meditation for me. But when I’m doing a long distance run, you want to know what’s really on simmer in my subconscious? It’s what I’m going to eat later on.
I’m thinking, ”After I shower and change, what great meal is going to be my reward…my guilty pleasure.”
Last Sunday after 16 miles it was a small pizza and red wine.
SIDE NOTE: We’re looking for 3 or 4 unique runners participating in this year’s ING race for a story I’m working on. Maybe you or someone you know is running in tribute to someone or celebrating a milestone. Shoot me an e-mail and tell me about it.
MORE: State of the Art Marathon Training. USA Fit/Team Spirit Active Trainer. Peachtree Road Race. Road Rules. ING Georgia Marathon.
Do you fear running-related death?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A reader recently sent a note to me saying that he wants to take up running but he’s scared that he will have a heart attack and die.
It wasn’t something that seriously crossed my mind before he brought it up. In intense heat, for instance, I’ve feared I’d collapse yes, but die? No.
Do you ever fear dying from running?
A 27-year-old runner died earlier this month just after he completed the Little Rock Marathon in Arkansas. News reports said the preliminary autopsy reports were inconclusive.
I admit I was startled by last October’s Chicago Marathon when the race was stopped half way through because of record temperatures near 90 degrees. A runner collapsed and died. An autopsy revealed the 35-year-old runner’s death was due to a heart condition and not the heat. However, nearly 50 others were taken to area hospitals that day. And over 250 people were treated at the race course for heat-related problems.
I couldn’t help but think of last year’s ING race when the temperature soared over 80 degrees. I’ve written about how tough it was for me. How did the heat affect you?
Another runner, who was 25-years-old died the same day as the Chicago Marathon during the Army Ten-Miler in Arlington, Va. An autopsy showed he had coronary artery disease.
After the Chicago race CBS News reported that marathon deaths occur in about 1 in 50,000 runners.
Earlier today I talked to Dave Watt, executive director of the American Running Association. Several years ago a study by medical directors at the Marine Corp Marathon said deaths occur in 1 in 100,000, but the figures fluctuate as doctors consider the point at which the person died, Watt said.
Did the person die during the race or a short time afterwards? What type of symptoms did they have?
The ARA has two medical associations comprised of doctors who run and study marathon-related deaths.
“Part of the debate that’s been looked at is what constitutes a race-related fatality,” Watt said. “In the past someone may have died or showed some symptons after they completed the race and that didn’t count [as a marathon-related death].
One thing’s for sure, marathons have become more popular with average folks every year. Watt suggests first time runners test the waters as they would with any new endeavor. Start with a 5K or half marathon before jumping into a full 26.2 miles.
NEW UPDATE: The New York Times reported today that Ryan Shay, the runner who collapsed and died, last November, during the U.S. Olympic Trials in New York City, had a heart condition.
According to the New York City medical examiner’s office, Shay had cardiac arrhythmia caused by an enlarged heart and died of natural causes.
News researcher Joni Zeccola contributed to this blog.
Also click this link for a story from Friday’s paper on young athletes and hidden cardiac problems by reporter Gayle White.
MORE: State of the Art Marathon Training. USA Fit/Team Spirit Active Trainer. Peachtree Road Race. Road Rules. ING Georgia Marathon.
Will tornado damage impact the ING marathon?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The race will take place as scheduled on March 30, says race director Victoria Seahorn.
The 26.2-mile course was not severely affected by Friday’s storm, she said.
But as we know in addition to residential areas, there was storm damage at Centennial Olympic Park, the Omni Hotel at CNN Center and the Georgia World Congress Center.
Centennial Olympic Park is the site of the start/finish line. The Omni Hotel is site headquarters where a spaghetti dinner is planned the night before the race, and many out-of-town runners and guest athletes are scheduled to stay there. And the Georgia World Congress Center is host to the health and fitness expo where runners will pick up their race packets on March 28 and 29.
At least this was the plan.
“The race will go on,” said Seahorn. “ “It’s just the logistical parts that we have to make sure of.”
Damage at the GWCC, for instance is not in the planned expo area, however, building inspectors have to make sure the structure is safe, she said.
The storms damaged several sections of the massive building’s roof, rain water washed down walls and burst pipes and soaked carpets. (See reporter Leon Stafford’s full story at this link).
We’ll keep you updated. Also visit the ING website.
How were you affected by the storm? Do you live in the neighborhoods directly hit?
On Saturday, Blogger John Tackett posted:
“Well this morning, at 4:30 a.m., despite the damage to downtown Atlanta, I did an 18 mile run from my home in East Point to my office in Buckhead. Got a little wet when the rain came through about 6 a.m., and it was eerie to run down the middle of Peachtree (and I mean the middle of the street) in downtown and not encounter traffic. Only other people I saw downtown were police, clean-up workers, and lots of homeless folks.
There was a local news crew there and they reporter yelled out at me, “Why in the world are I running after all that happened last night?” My response, “Despite what mother nature throws at us, we as humans need to get back into our daily routines as soon as possible.”
Hopefully all my “online running buddies” fared well in regards to the storms, and look forward to seeing you all at the races…”.
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Time for a new running shoe
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You know how misery loves company?
Well I’d like to hear that someone shares my angst when it comes to finding the right running shoe.
I’m buying new sneakers this weekend, and a shoe with both cushion and ankle support would be wonderful.
What about you? Have you ever altered your shoes for comfort? My editor says he knew a guy who sliced the bottom of his shoes with a razor.
I wrap my ankles in ace bandages before I run and always figured a custom-made shoe would be the smart way to go, but Dr. Alan S. Rothstein of Windy Hill Podiatry Associates , says to hold up on that idea.
“It’s not necessary to buy a custom shoe,” he says. “There are so many brands and models for every type of foot. It’s very rare that a person would need a custom shoe. Go to a running specialty store and get sized. [Try on] a half size larger than your regular shoe and wear socks that you run in.”
(Even before you buy a shoe online, check it out it in the store first, Rothstein says.)
Does how a show looks matter to you?
I bought my current pair of running shoes about this time last year - right before the ING Marathon.
It was an ordeal. I found a great pair of Mizunos. Well actually, they would’ve been great for someone who required less support. The store was nice enough to take them back after I ran in them and realized I needed a stronger shoe. Then the sales guy spent an hour, to no avail, trying to find a better pair.
I stopped in Sports Authority a few days later. A couple of sales guys spent two hours hunting through shoe boxes and calling other locations to check sizes for me. I finally settled on a pair of Asics and spent an additional $25 on inserts for better cushion.
It was worth it because I’m still running in them, but it’s time they retire.
ROTHSTEIN’S TAKE ON ACHY ANKLES AND JOINTS
The podiatrist says that when folks complain about their ankles, he usually suspects something else.
“Usually people are talking about joints that roll when they stand. That’s not ankle, that’s foot,” he says. And that could call for a stronger heel counter, [a device in the heel area of the shoe which minimizes pronation] or a different wedge that better supports the foot.”
Tendinitis sufferers sometimes use an elastic ankle support that wraps or slips over socks and helps to avoid pressure from the top of the ankle.
If it truly is an ankle (or foot problem, says Rothstein) an orthotic insert may be necessary. It’s made from an impression of the foot and gives flexible support.
When it’s time for a new sneaker, how easy is it for you to find the right shoe? Are you running and fragile feet?
MORE: State of the Art Marathon Training. USA Fit/Team Spirit Active Trainer. Peachtree Road Race. Road Rules. ING Georgia Marathon.
How did you get Hooked on Running???
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Whether you’re an elite runner or more of a slowpoke like me, one thing rings true for everyone.
We all love it.
John Tackett, 51, started running nearly five years ago as a way to lose weight. Now he’s 140 pounds lighter after running seven marathons and six half marathons, he says.
This year’s ING is training for when Tackett runs the Boston Marathon in April.
“I was always a large guy,” says Tackett, 51, who weighed more than 300 pounds. “I [started] jogging around the neighborhood as part of the diet.”
At first the East Point resident was out of breath, but these days Tackett, who now weighs 170, concludes his runs by racing his dog back to the house, he said.
Along with those neighborhood runs back in 2004, Tackett built up miles on the treadmill. In a year’s time he worked his way from running around the block to finishing the Peachtree Road Race and completing the 2005 Atlanta Marathon.
But it was the half marathon at the 2005 Museum of Aviation Foundation run at Warner Robbins that gave Tackett, his first runners’ high.
“It was about mile 11 at the back of the airbase and I was like ‘how tranquil is this’ ” he said.
He was hooked.
Many of you have blogged about your recent or upcoming marathons. What led you to your first marathon or half marathon?
Shonda, another avid runner, said by email that she just kind of fell into her first half marathon in 2007.
She wrote: “At the encouragement of a friend I signed up for the ING half marathon last year even though I’d never run a race, not even a 5K! It took me 3 plus hours to finish, but it opened the floodgates.”.
Since then Shonda says she’s run five half marathons. And she’s training for Chicago’s full marathon in October.
What’s your story? How did you get hooked on running?
MORE: State of the Art Marathon Training. USA Fit/Team Spirit Active Trainer. Peachtree Road Race. Road Rules. ING Georgia Marathon.
Give Yourself a Treat Before Race Day
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The clock is ticking. Race day is March 30.
And former Boston Marathon winner Gayle Barron says mid-level runners training for the ING Georgia Marathon should start thinking about how to taper down their runs.
Another thing, get a massage.
“During long runs lactic acid builds up,” she said. “A massage pushes that out. It’s going to help you with flexibility.”
Barron says ideally, runners should get two to three massages before race day.
Do you usually get massages to prep for race day? Which type do you get and where do you go?
This weekend Barron will trim long runs in her marathon training program, USA Fit/Team Spirit to 14 or 15 miles.
Keep in mind there’s no pat training program. Olympian Jeff Galloway says he has runners in his program, Run Free with Jeff Galloway, train 26-30 miles before marathon day.
In following Barron’s suggestions, my longest training run was 18 miles two weekends ago. Followed by a 15-mile run on rigorous hills last weekend.
This coming weekend Barron suggests I return to Silver Comet Trail and run no more than 16 miles.
“It’s not normal that I would have someone do 16 miles [at this point], but you started out late in getting your long runs in, ” she said. “But I don’t want you to get hurt or your legs to give out.”
After that Barron says I should trim my next long run to 10 to 12 miles.
Where are you in your training? What’s going to be your longest run before race day?
MORE: State of the Art Marathon Training. USA Fit/Team Spirit Active Trainer. Peachtree Road Race. Road Rules. ING Georgia Marathon. Run Free with Jeff Galloway.
Which Song gets you Over the Hump?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You’re on the final five miles of your long distance run and several hills lie ahead.
Which tunes carry you home? A little Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Earth Wind & Fire?
With five miles left on my 15 mile run, this weekend, I called on da Lord with gospel tunes to help me over 12 more steep hills.
Yolanda Adams’ slow-paced song “The Battle is the Lord’s” pulled me up the most grueling hill.
And later Martha Munizzi’s hip song “Till the Walls Fall” spirited me on the final mile.
If I’m just cruising along, I enjoy R&B/Pop singer Robin Thicke’s tune “Everything I Can’t Have” or Joss Stone’s “Girl They Won’t Believe It.” Both songs have soulful beats that energize.
Send your favorite running tunes to me here.. We’ll share them with our readers. And please keep the helpful comments coming on the worst hills in metro Atlanta. We’re going to use them in a special package on “heartbreak hills.”
THIS WEEK’S LONG RUN
Yesterday’s 15-mile trek was tough compared to last week’s long run on the Silver Comet trail. I ran my normal route but it seems I’ll never get used to those hills. One part of the run includes a four-mile stretch on Huntcliff Trace in Sandy Springs. The road has at least 20 hills, counting both directions.
I told myself that I should be worn out.
While I struggled up one hill, a woman walked to the end of her driveway and encouragingly said, “Good for you” as I passed.
The run was also notable for another reason. I ran on the correct side of the road.
But get this, there was someone else running on the wrong side of the street. A man, who appeared to be an experienced runner, pushed an infant in a carriage.
A few seconds after I saw him again, about 20 minutes later, he crossed over to the correct side of the street.
For me, running on the right side of the road is going to take some getting used to. But it was nice to be able to run a little more in the street (until cars approach and I move to the edge of the road).
Several drivers waved.
Still I could see one driver jerk his steering wheel, because he didn’t see me until a few moments before he passed. And another driver seemed to toy with me by swerving towards and then away from me.
THIS WEEK’S TRAINING
To allow my legs to recover I’ll run five miles on the treadmill Tuesday and include upper body weight training. Wednesday and Thursday will be 5 to 6-mile runs outside and lower body weight training. Saturday is an 18-mile run.
MORE: State of the Art Marathon Training. USA Fit/Team Spirit Active Trainer. Peachtree Road Race. Road Rules. ING Georgia Marathon.
Running on the Wrong Side of the Road
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m guilty.
My normal route has no sidewalks and unless it’s dark or foggy outside I run with the flow of traffic on the side of the road. In poor visibility, I’ll run facing traffic.
Sally Flocks, president of PEDS, a pedestrian advocacy group says, “When you’re walking [or running] in the street, you should be facing traffic. The law requires pedestrians to yield to cars, which means it’s your responsibility to get out of the way.”
Flocks recalls a fatal accident in 1999. A Lawrenceville mom and her three children, walking along the side of the road, were blindsided by a teen driver dialing a cell phone. The mother’s two-year-old son was killed.
“That’s a really good example of what runners need to be aware of. You have to recognize that drivers are not paying attention, even if you are,” Flocks says.
Which side of the road do you run on? Do you think it makes a difference one way or the other? When you’re driving, do you care? Had any close calls?
In summer camp, as a kid, I was taught to walk with the flow of traffic. Been doing it ever since but now every once in a while on my running route, a driver or resident becomes annoyed enough to scold me.
Not realizing the error of my ways, I continued on the wrong side of the road for nearly three years.
Last summer a driver made me so angry with his protest that I later went online to confirm to myself that I was right. (I had planned to get a T-shirt with bold print that said, ‘I AM running on the correct side of the road!’ )
I continued to run on the wrong side because I’m used to it.
That is until today.
Flocks made a lot of sense.
Odds of Survival if hit by a vehicle per Sally Flocks:
MORE: State of the Art Marathon Training. USA Fit/Team Spirit Active Trainer. Peachtree Road Race. Road Rules. ING Georgia Marathon.
P.S. A lot of you have left great comments about the worst hills in the Atlanta area. Keep them coming. Read the blog here. Or send your hill suggestions to me here.
How do you fit in Training?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Yesterday a colleague asked me if I run after work.
I had to laugh because no matter how strongly I intend to run in the evening, at the end of the work day I’m drained, and running is not a reality.
On work days, I run in the mornings. And believe me I’m not a morning person.
This morning I got out just after 6 a.m. and ran five and a half miles in one hour and 20 minutes. The run felt pretty good although I was slowed by those pesky hills and fog as daylight appeared.
Speaking of hills, yesterday I asked about “heartbreak hills” in the Atlanta area. Here are two formidable climbs that came to us by email and the blog. Send more to me here.
Rolling out of bed wasn’t too hard today, but there have been days when it seemed like everything stood in the way of me getting out of the house, be it rainy weather or a poor night’s sleep.
Even a couple of years ago when I was a caregiver for my late mother, it was a struggle to slip out for a run before she rose in the morning after tending to her during the night.
How do you fit training into a crammed work day, getting the kids ready for school and extracurricular activities or other commitments?
MORE: State of the Art Marathon Training. USA Fit/Team Spirit Active Trainer. Peachtree Road Race.
Push Push: Worst hills in ATL for runners
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gotta love Atlanta’s running community.
One of the most wonderful aspects of last year’s ING was the diversity of the runners.
I didn’t feel out of place. There were men and women of all ages, colors, shapes and sizes.
And like me some finished late in the race. Others were unofficial runners.
But Ouch! One blogger asked, “7 hours why bother.”
Can’t speak for others but for me it’s the personal challenge. I may be slow but I’m moving forward. I’m not walking but that would be OK too. I’d still be moving forward - toward my goal.
With about a month to go before my second marathon, i’m doing OK on training. I ran 18 miles on the Silver Comet Trail. The trail is flat, especially compared, to my usual route but that didn’t make it easy.
I started out at the Silver Comet Bicycle Depot on Floyd Road and ran 10 miles round trip towards the East/West Connector.
My energy was low and I was starting to feel nauseous when I returned to my car. But I took Running experts Jeff Galloway and Gayle Barron’s advice on sugar intake.
I ate a few Skittles; drank water and Gatorade; went to the restroom and re-wrappted my ankles. Then I ran another 8 miles in the other direction on the traill.
Ten miles took two hours and 26 minutes. The next eight miles were slower at two hours and six minutes.
Now I must return to talking about those treacherous hills in my neighborhood. One I call “heartbreak hill.” It’s on the final six miles of my run.
It takes me three to four minutes to get up that doggone thing. It’s a long slow burn. I’m pushing saying, “Don’t stop, keep going” I set mini goal markers such as a bush or a driveway. Sometimes it feels like I’m tip-toeing up the thing. But I never stop.
If I don’t think I can run up it, I don’t run down it in the first place.
What’s your “heartbreak hill?” Where is it located? We’d love to even write a story about the worst (or toughest hills) in the Atlanta area. Shoot me an e-mail if you have one and tell me a little bit about it. Where it is. Where it is on the course of your run. Your hill strategy. That sort of thing.
MORE: State of the Art Marathon Training. USA Fit/Team Spirit Active Trainer. Peachtree Road Race.
