Marathon Training Begins This Week

Ok, I have been putting this off long enough but I must start my 2017 NYRR Marathon training, ASAP. Last week, I did not run a single mile while on vacation in Spain. *I guess a single kilometer would be more appropriate because the metric system is used in Spain* Obviously, I did not do any running this week, because I have been a mess trying to recover from partying for 9 days straight and jet lag. I think I went to bed no earlier than 2am last week.

So, I will pinky swear to myself that I will be my begin my training on Monday . . . or maybe Tuesday  As of today, I have 148 days (or ~21 weeks) until the marathon, which will be held in November. I know that many training programs typically are 16 weeks but I have not been in the running game since October. I don’t know why but I kind of lost my excitement of running for a bit . . . maybe it was longer than a bit.

In other housekeeping news (or my list of “needs”):

1. I need to buy a new pair of running shoes. That will be done on Sunday.
2. I need to start running in some NYRR-sponsored races, if I want to qualify for the (9+1 qualification program) for the 2018 NYC marathon. Matter of fact, I will register for a couple of races after I submit this post.
3. I really need get more involved with the NYC running community. I am a member of the NYC chapter of the Front Runners but I rarely attend any of the runs and social events. Perhaps, I will check out my weekly FrontRunners Gram to see what is going on this month.

I'm back . . . Again

Ok. I have not been here in a WHILE, probably since November/December 2016. I do not know why but this year has been so up and down.  

I do not know what happened after the Montreal Half Marathon (Oct. 2016) but I just lost interest in running.  I planned to take a couple months off before training for the NYC Half in March….THEN I threw out my back badly (a relapse of my herniated disc) in January. I had to visit the emergency room twice in one week. I had to defer the race till next year. 

Now we are in May but I have not really done anything related to running. Also, I have not been doing any bike riding due to the intense winter we had in the northeast. 

*** Yeah, Yeah, I know that I am coming up with a lot of excuses***

I will say that I have been enjoying Zumba (4 times a week) over the past few months. I needed to do something to keep my cardio up. Plus, I have been doing some weight training to retain some muscle mass. 

Back to the title of this post. Last year, I completed my NYRR 9+1 program, which means that I am registered for the NYC Marathon in November. EEK. Thus, I have to start training as if I am I a true novice to long distance running. One mile at a time, right?

I am a little afraid but I am up for the challenge. That said, I am not looking forward to long runs during the summer. 

See ya in the streets. 

I'm Back

I have been kind of absent from blogging after the Montreal Half Marathon, back in October. But, I recently started a new job and quite frankly I really have not been running, since the Half. Since I was not running, I really was not interested in writing too much. Now I am back because (on a whim) I decided to start training for the Rock n Roll DC Marathon that will be held in March. 

The funny this is that after deciding to run the marathon I get this wonderful email from NYRR

This email states that I have been selected to run the NYC Half Marathon. The conflicting issues is that the DC Marathon in on March 11 and the NYC Half is March 19 and I think that in my mid 30's I do not know if I can run two big races two weekends in a row. As of now, I will train as if I am running the full marathon and we will see what happens with regards to the NYC Half. 

We shall see how it goes. It is a little late and I am tired, so I will have more post content in my next update. 

Let's see if I know anything about running

Currently, I am sitting in a somewhat boring seminar, the topic matter is irrelevant, and I came across an interesting email from Mapmyrun.com's blog, entitled "10 Things Only Runners Know" by Erica Bellman. I have decided to comment on each of these things to see how much I know as a runner.

Let's start.

1. Running is the best way to discover a new place.

I find this to be true, especially running through the streets of Bed-Stuy, my new neighborhood in Brooklyn. For example, you can find many cute coffee shops, bars, and restaurants that you would ordinary miss during your busy commute. As many people know, New Yorkers are all about getting from point A to point B without getting boggled down with too many details and wasting too much time.

2. But, there is no place like home.

Eh, I think that I get really bored running the same routes over and over. However, it is fine because you have a "home-field" advantage. For example, I get somewhat bored with NYRR-sposored races because 90% of the races are in Central Park.

3. Those lucky shoes.

Yup, this is correct. I really hate when I find a running shoe that I love and then find out that the shoe has been discontinued the following year/season.

4. You run what you eat.

This is kind of inaccurate for me, because I really do not pay attention to what I eat when I train. I tried to focus more on nutrition while training for the Montreal Half-Marathon but that did not pan out too well. I still ate and drank crap during my training period. Maybe one of these days, I will get it together.

5. Water fountains are your best friends.

FALSE. You will NEVER catch me drinking out of a water fountain in a park in NYC. I hear people pee in those things.

6. When you have to go, almost anywhere will do.

This is true to a certain extent because it is a 50-100 dollar if you are found taking a leak in the city. I always make sure that my bladder is completely empty before going on that long run.

7. The comforting camaraderie between strangers.

Eh, I guess. I think that I am focused too much on my music to notice people around me.

8. Your running buddy is also your therapist.

I do not really run with other folks. For me, running is a mechanism to be in my own world for an hour or so.

9. Just how good it feels to get out there again.

This is very true. I have not ran for a few weeks and I am longing to get back out there; especially because the Northeast is having a freakishly warm fall.

10. The runner's high is real.

So very true, especially after a tough hill run or sprint workout that you know you killed. I do not know about the high fives though.

It looks like that I agree with many of these things/feels as described by Erica.

Ok, time to get back to this seminar.