Writing on the Run

Cyber Monday and Some Thoughts on Rest

Today is "Cyber Monday," when thousands take a break from shopping the old fashioned way and go online for their holiday buying as they return to the workplace.  At this time of year, runners should also think about taking a break - - from running. 

 
  

One of the contributors to my upcoming book, author and former Olympian Jeff Galloway, believes rest is the most important training principle for a runner. “Without enough rest after the stress,” he says in Marathon: you can do it! “the muscles are driven to exhaustion or injury. Stress must be balanced by rest in sufficient quantity and quality for adequate growth."  Indeed, many of the  world-class athletes and authors I have contacted for tips and advice give the same recommendation: don't overdo it.  Rest can come in the form of easy training days that follow hard days, easy training weeks that follow hard weeks, and days off with no running at all.  

With all the miles Ultra running superstar Scott Jurek puts in, you’d think he has little, if any, time to rest. Think again. As he writes on his blog at www.scottjurek.com, “I’ve always taken 4 – 6 weeks off at the end of every race season to let my muscles and mind mend from the long months of hard racing and training. I truly believe this recovery period has been instrumental in enabling me to churn out top race results year after year.”

Running Thanksgiving Morning

 

 
   

Thanksgiving is a time to be with loved ones and to recall all that you have to be thankful for during the year; things like family, friends, good health, prosperity, and running -- though not necessarily in that order. The main benefit from running Thanksgiving morning is that by piling on the miles, you can later pack on the calories without the slightest hint of guilt. Indeed, with that 10K you ran at 9 a.m., you don’t have to think twice about having seconds on herbed stuffing, savory turkey, mashed potatoes, or that Jell-O dessert with the marshmallows on top.

Many will find a leisurely run in the brisk autumn air the perfect way to start their Thanksgiving Day. For those who like a little camaraderie and competition, there are countless Turkey Trots to enter. The Capital One Bank Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot, for example, calls itself the largest Thanksgiving Day event of its kind in the country. The 8-mile race began forty years ago and now extends through generations of participants.

And for those who really expect to eat their fill later in the day, the Long Beach Turkey Trot allows runners to compete in all three of its races for the price of one.  A runner can do the 5K (3.1 miles) at 7:30, the 10K (6.2 miles) at 8:30, and another 5K at 9:30 before crawling back home to the Thanksgiving table for much needed re-fueling.  

Every runner should take a run Thanksgiving morning. It’s an expression of appreciation for another good year of running, and a way to make room for all the bounty at the Thanksgiving table -- like that green bean casserole made with cream of mushroom soup and covered with burnt onions. Well, maybe there are some things we’re not all that thankful for.

P.S. Look here for my advice on what wine to serve at Thanksgiving dinner.  Happy Thanksgiving!

   

Mega Marathoners

26.2 x 400 !

I have run three marathons in my career.  I attempted my first one just to see if I could run that distance at a respectable pace, and was fortunate enough to earn a Boston Marathon qualifying time; Boston then became my second marathon.  I ran a third with a friend to pace him through the 26.2-mile distance.  After that, my marathon days were over.  I knew my best distance was the 5K (3.1 miles), and training to run a fast marathon was taking its toll on my body each time.  While I may still attempt an Ultra one day (any race beyond the marathon distance), I am in awe of those who continue to complete multiple marathons each year and each month, even at the age of 70+.   

This article in today's Wall Street Journal decribes those who have run hundreds of marathons in their careers and keep going for more.  Of course, for many, completing a marathon vs. running or racing a marathon is the main objective.  For example, Eugene DeFonzo, one of the individuals featured in the article, took over 7 hours to finish a recent marathon.  I touched upon the issue of marathon times in this post awhile ago, which elicited some good comments.  My view is that no matter what your finishing time - - whether in a marathon, another race distance, or for just a loop around the block - - as long as you lace up the shoes and go out there, you're a runner.   Congratulations.

 

NYC Marathon Winner Suspected of Cheating?

 

Read about the suspicious findings here. 

Are You Tough Enough for this Race?

I was doing some research on "races to run at your own risk" when I stumbled upon England's Tough Guy race.  The first clue that this is not your average cross-country ramble is that all entrants must sign the “Death Warrant” disclaimer that states “All injuries are self-inflicted by your inability.” Nevertheless, thousands arrive every year to the 150-acre site in the English countryside for what the organizers say is “a physically challenging, mentally demanding, fear inducing, visual spectacular.”

Runners in a typical cross-country race may occasionally incur pulled muscles, cramps, and dehydration. Tough Guy participants can expect hypothermia, broken bones, severe cuts, burns, and mental fatigue from navigating manure pits, cement walls, flesh-ripping tire crawls, electrified “jelly fish tentacles,” fire, and icy ponds. “We send people into death,” says Tough Guy creator Billy Wilson, “then we bring them back.” 

Here is a video that will either encourage or discourage you from entering next year's race on January 31st.  You can look here for more information, but remember, you have been warned!  

 

  

New York City Marathon and Celebrity Runners

Congratulations to Meb Keflezighi of the U.S. for winning Sunday’s New York City Marathon, and joining Ryan Hall, Jorge Torres, Nick Arciniaga, Abdi Abdirahman, and Jason Lehmkuhle as the U.S. A. captured six of the top ten places. The U.S.A. was well represented on the women’s side as well. Magdalena Lewy Boulet (6th) and seven others gave the U.S.A. 8 out of the first 14 finishers.

How did the celebrities do?  Peter Sagal, host of NPR's Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me, finished in 3:27:01; Winter Olympian Dan Jansen left the speed skates at home and ran 3:41:43; actor Ed Norton finished in 3:48:01; Miss America 1998, Kate Shindle, turned in a time of 4:06:24; singer Alanis Morissette, running her second marathon in three weeks, ran 4:28:45; Stage actress Sarah Jones ran through the five boroughs in 3:54:02, and actor Anthony Edwards competed the 26.2 miles in 4:08:20. Both Sarah and Anthony were running to promote Shoe4Africa, a charity I mentioned in my post about “What to do With Your Old Running Shoes.”