The NYC Insider's guide to the NYC running is inspired by the thoughts and experiences of a New Yorker who has run the NYC Marathon twice and is now training for 5 Half Marathons - one in each of the five boroughs.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Multi-tasking
I have a 15-minute walk to and from Central Park where I usually run, so the idea of using that time to tone my arms (as suggested in the Fitness magazine article "Walking Workout: Tone Your Arms As You Walk") really appeals to me. Here's the workout:
Warm up by doing three big, slow arm circles in each direction to prime your shoulder joints.
Do 25 reps of the Upright Row, which targets shoulders, upper back, and abs: Make a fist with each hand and start with hands near hips, palms facing you; bring both fists up to armpits, skimming torso with knuckles and keeping elbows bent out to sides higher than hands throughout movement; squeeze shoulder blades and upper-back muscles together to draw elbows back, raising fists to shoulder height; lower hands to start.
Do 25 reps of the Chest Press, which targets chest, biceps, and abs: Make a fist with each hand, arms straight down by sides, palms forward; keeping shoulders down and back, contract abs and lift both arms straight in front of you, palms up, to press pinkies together at shoulder height; squeeze chest, then lower arms to start.
Do 25 reps of the Lateral Press, which targets shoulders and triceps: Make a fist with each hand and raise elbows out to sides at shoulder height, fists at armpits, palms facing in; keeping elbows fixed at shoulder height, slowly swing fists down until they're perpendicular to ground and then out, ending with arms extended straight out to sides, palms facing behind you; bend elbows to return to start.
Do 25 reps of the One-Arm Reverse Fly, which targets your shoulders: place left hand on left hip and, making a fist with right hand, rest it on top of left hand, palm facing in; draw shoulders down and back; with right elbow slightly bent, lift right arm on a diagonal to right and up, ending with right hand slightly higher than right shoulder, palm forward; lower right arm to return to start; repeat with other arm.
If I start now, I should look better in my sleeveless tops by the time the weather is warm enough to pull them out of the closet!
It has been weeks since I've been running, but I was finally back out again. I started with some sprints, running against my 11-year-old son, who left me in the dust as he never has before. We haven't run together for some time, so I'm not sure if he's improved dramatically or if I'm just really out of shape. I followed up with a short, moderately-paced run along the river. It's a beautiful day and it felt great to be back on the road.
I'm haunted by the thought that I should have kept running through the pain during last November's NY Marathon (and thereby reach my goal time). Sure my right knee was putting me in terrible agony and I was worried that I was doing permanent damage -- but since it turns out that it was only a case of runner's knee and that after 2 days of being unable to walk and a week or so of taking it easy, all was fine. So did I wimp out too early and start walking?
The round-up in February's Runners World makes me think so. It's full of exhortations like "focus about the parts of your body that don't hurt (e.g. my index finger feels great!)" and quotes from folks who tell themselves they've been childbirth and the war in Iraq so "pain on a run is nothing that I can't handle." There were a couple of tips I'm thinking of trying:
getting lost in an audiobook (instead of my usual music) so the miles fly by
dedicating each mile to someone special - you wouldn't want to 'fess up to walking anyone's mile
break the run into small pieces - just keep going to that next tree and then down the next hill, etc.
see success - weight loss, a healthier me, etc.
count blessings - remind myself that there are too many people who wish they had two healthy legs to run on
I will probably never run the Boston Marathon - I don't currently have the speed to qualify, plus doing intensive training all winter would be tough for me. And although I'll always love Boston (having been raised nearby and with plenty of relatives still in the area), NYC is my true love. Still, it was fascinating to read about an elite runner who is planning to challenge Boston's speed record next month. You can read the story in Running Times magazine.
I've had a miserable cold for about a month now. Three weeks into it, DH insisted that I see a doctor -- so I did -- but sure enough, the MD confirmed that it was a just a cold and I should drink plenty of liquids, get lots of rest, etc. (Things I was already doing.) I'm just getting to the stage where I'm not coughing and blowing my nose every 5 minutes and actually thought about going out for a run this morning. Unfortunately, it was 28 degrees F and so I decided to wait another day or so...
I learned when I volunteered last Thursday that most NYRR races are capped this year to prevent crowding in Central Park. Some of the races I had thought about running to fulfill my 9 races in 2009 (and thus be guaranteed a spot in the 2010 NYC Marathon) are already filled up, so I think I need to sign up quickly for the runs the rest of the year. Here are the ones I'm thinking about:
Mother's Day 4M- Sunday, May 10 Healthy Kidney 10K - May 16 Japan Day @ Central Park- Sunday, May 31 NYRR New York Mini 10K - June 7 Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile - Sunday, Sept. 20 Norwegian Festival Norway Run / Grete's Great Gallop - Saturday, Oct. 3 Poland Spring Marathon Kickoff - Sunday, Oct. 25 Race To Deliver - Sunday, Nov. 22 NYRR Joe Kleinerman 10K - Sunday, Dec. 6
I spent the afternoon at the NYRR office handing out race packets to runners who will participate in the Colon Cancer Run on Sunday. This was a result of the new volunteer requirement for guaranteed entry to the NYC Marathon. The big surprise? I had a really good time hanging out with the NYRR staff and the other volunteers. The former impressed me with their dedication to the sport; the latter with their diversity and enthusiasm.
I recently read about National Running Day, a celebration of the benefits of running that is scheduled for June 3. I've got to be sure to support the event by scheduling a run that day!
I generally run with an ipod tuned to playlists I create just for running. I've been listening to bits and pieces of my marathon playlist ever since last November. Interestingly, on the big day, I didn't actually hear all the songs as I ran. The crowd was loud of course, and there was such good music here and there that I turned it down from time to time.
Anyway, as I listen to the playlist again and again, I realize that some songs just don't work for me. The tempo might be fine, and I might like them fine under other circumstances, but they just aren't right for the road. So between now and Nov. 2010, I'll be fine-tuning the playlist, for sure.
At this point, I think it is doubtful that I'll be able to run a half marathon at the end of April. This is week two of a miserable cold that has kept me home with my cough medicine and tissues. I'm bummed.
I loved the recent New York Times article about women who pick up running later in life and find, to their surprise, that they are good at it and that they really enjoy it. I ran occasionally in high school and college, but nothing serious; just a few miles here and there when I felt especially flabby. But since having my second child, I've become a much more serious runner, with 2 ten-milers, a 1/2 marathon, and the NYC marathon under my belt. I was never sure that I could do it -- but I love that I can!
Back in the 1970s, when the sport of running was relatively young, I remember two local runners whose very different experiences with running had a long-lasting effect on me. A man, Rick Bayliss, owned a running shop and was well-known as a leader in area races. A woman, Janet Scott, was raped during one of her jaunts on a lonely road. The local media coverage was sensationalist and I remember my frustration with the unfairness of it all.
Since a lack of get-up-and-go has kept me off the running track in recent weeks, maybe I ought to try this tip: the scent of jasmine improves sleep and makes people more alert the next day.
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