Ramblings of the Dazed and Confused

Well, this week I finally received my official registration confirmation from the BAA for the 2013 Boston Marathon. Things got fairly confused because they had me down as running a qualifying marathon that I did not run, and did not have the one I did run. May the weather be better than this year because I don't know how much more of this I can take.

And today I finally woke up to the fact that I'm a little over four weeks out from NYC. So I started thinking about what I want to do there in a more concrete sense. Ideas have been randomly bouncing around my brain since Fox Valley three weeks ago. After that race, having accomplished THE goal (the BQ), I told myself, "Oh goodie. Now I can go run NY for the shear fun of it." And yet...

I told the tale, a couple posts ago, of my desperate (fairly pathetic and unpleasant) experience qualifying for Boston by 7 seconds. That race put me in a somewhat manic state for at least a week, and I'm not sure I'm back to normal yet - or will ever be normal again - after that last three miles of torture - internal angst of battling one's inner most demons of suckiness and weakness and the give-into-it monster. My sleeping is a mess, my eating is all off, and yet my energy level seems to just keep on ticking along. I'm waiting to crash and burn in a firey ball of exhausted hungry hollowness...but it isn't happening...yet. Wrangling with that beast left it's mark in a way I'm just beginning to grasp.

I thought I was seeking an 'easy' marathon like the one I ran for my first BQ. It was 'easy' in the sense that it felt 'on' and almost effortless, and I've been craving that fix ever since. What I didn't realize was the effect this last one would have on me. It's not the easy ones that change you, it's the hard ones that push you to the mental edge.

Now this weekend I'm running another marathon, 'just as a training run' - Oy! - and that has consumed a considerable amount of my mental attention (clearly this is not actually just a 'training run'). Simultaneously recovering from one marathon and rebuilding for another marathon (NYC) while throwing another one into the mix "just for kicks" (haha) is a little disorienting, to say the least. And at times I start questioning my sanity (as others seem to be doing more and more regularly). And yet I am feeling more jazzed and optimistic about life than I have in a while. So I must be doing something right.

And so NY has remained on the back-burner of my mind. Until today. Why today? I know not why, but today NY came into view with a ferocity I was not expecting, nor really welcoming. Maybe it was getting the official thumbs up from the BAA, maybe it is that I've been running a lot lately and feeling surprisingly good, all things considered. I don't know. But something broke loose and thoughts started flooding in...Thoughts I was trying not to have.

Based on my time at Fox Valley, I'm pretty sure I'll be in the third wave at Boston. This year I was in the first corral of the third wave (so, very close to the time needed to get into the tail end of the second wave), and I so wished I was in the second wave primarily due to the heat and the rapidly rising temps. By the time the gun went off for the third wave it was well into the 80s and the sun was high and hot and the air was thick with steamy moisture. I'm aware that the chances of another record breaking hot Boston is unlikely, but for some reason I just really want to get a better position.

What does that mean for NY??? Well, my wave/corral for NY is good. I'm up front in Wave 2, which is right after all the fast folks (this was based on my qualifying time, which I am nowhere near right now! But I'll take it) and so it might actually be a race-able situation. Perhaps I can get a better time and then a better position in Boston. So maybe I should go for broke, and really run this thing after all...But wait. This was supposed to be for fun...Fun? And I could completely blow up anyway. I wanted to avoid this pressure. Why do this to myself? Whatever...And so it goes.

And...so it goes. I will, no doubt, go back and forth on this over the next few weeks. Frank Shorter famously said, "You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming." and he might just be right about this. And yet...

2nd Annual National Take Your Daughter Running Day: Oct 1, 2012

October 1st, 2012 is the 2nd annual "National Take Your Daughter Running Day"!! 

This coming Monday, Oct 1st (Grete Waitz's Birthday) 2012 is "National Take Your Daughter Running Day". Some question whether any such special day is either necessary and/or good, after all, aren't we at a place in time where we don't need these things anymore? More women are now entering races (up to half marathons) than men. It seems we've achieved what we set out to do with Title IX (June 23, 1972). 

Am I just hanging onto my old hang ups and perceptions which no longer apply? I ran my first race before Title IX and I was the only girl racing that day. Maybe it's time to just let this go.

Then there's the more troubling question of whether it's even good for me to encourage my daughter to run? Shouldn't I allow her to find her own way, her own passions, on her own? Am I actually hurting her by running with her?? 

Well, I don't think we are anywhere near where we want to be, nor do I think encouraging my daughter to run with me is somehow setting her up for trouble to come.   

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, to the question: Haven't we achieved what we set out to do 40 years ago? I will answer, NO. Girls are still statistically less active than boys. The Women's Sports Foundation reports that by the age of 14 girls begin dropping out of sports at twice the rate of boys. 

Last year I wrote:

"In a recent Christian Science Monitor article, Little girls or little women: The Disney princess effect, Stephanie Hanes notes that: "Girls are participating in sports at a much increased level in grade school," says Sharon Lamb, a professor of education and mental health at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. But, she adds, they start to drop out of sports at the middle school level when they start to believe that sports are unfeminine and unsexy.
The Women's Sports Foundation found that 6 girls drop out of sports for every 1 boy by the end of high school, and a recent Girl Scout study found that 23 percent of girls between the ages of 11 and 17 do not play sports because they do not think their bodies look good doing so."

We seem to be loosing ground on this, and that may be because we think that there isn't a problem. While we have come a long way since 1972, we still have a long way to go. And certainly the national obesity stats do not point to an active and healthy culture!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A couple weeks ago Athleta published the piece "Five Reasons to Run with Your Daughter"(http://www.athleta.net/2012/09/14/five-reasons-to-run-with-your-daughter/). This article sparked a bit of a debate between me and Dawn Coccone, author of " Week Ahead is National Take Your Daughter Running Ray, October 1, 2012" ( http://www.examiner.com/article/week-ahead-is-national-take-your-daughter-running-day-september-30-2012  Ms. Coccone states:

"While it is honorable and timely to for Athleta to post this article, I think you need to be aware that as attractive as the idea of running with daughter is, it might be idealistic to think she will embrace it as you do. If your daughter is already into running or asks you to train her that is a wonderful opportunity, but recall when you were young…you wanted the opportunity to embrace your own passions."

Running with my daughter is no way saying to her that she must "embrace it as [I] do"! Whether we like it or not we can not help but make statements with how we choose to live. My daughter sees me run, she knows when I'm off racing, she knows I coach others to run - she knows that it matters to ME. But she also knows that SHE matters more than anything else to me. She knows that I will support her passions, but she also knows that I want her to have passions. I am who I am. She is who she is. As a parent, one of my roles is to make her aware of the options out there, to expose her to different things and let her decide what she really cares about.

When I was young I wanted to find my own passions, but those are never found in a vacuum - those are discovered through the examples we have around us. We learn from those around us and the example they set may be positive or negative. I hope to be an example for my daughter, which is very different from pressuring her to please mommy - to do what mommy does, or else...

I was so fortunate to have parents who took me and my sister to races. They didn't force us to run. They opened the door and WE walked through on our own. I'm still running. My sister is not. Two different people. Two different paths.

There is a BIG difference between encouragement and pressure - and the argument that one necessarily leads to the other is a fallacious slippery slope argument. The first does not necessarily lead to slipping down that precipitous slope. And the fact remains, that our girls are constantly barraged with messages pressuring them to conform to a feminine stereotype. They feel pressure from their friends, from pop culture, the media, etc. and to argue that parents should be careful not to impress upon their children the passion that they embrace seems wrongheaded. I'm not just sending my child out into the world to flit around like a leaf in a breeze. I am here to help direct her to find her way, to instill values, and clear thinking. I like to read. I read to my daughter a lot. I value intellectual curiosity. Does that mean that she is going to be an uptight overachieving student? A perfectionist trying to please mommy? I don't know. But this is the best I can do.

So this coming Monday, run with your daughter - to school, around the block, down to the playground, up a hill, where ever. Share your passion. Share your time with her. Let her feel the power of her legs, and her heart and the joy of moving through space, side by side.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some stats on girls and sports:
http://www.girlscouts.org/research/facts_findings/sports_and_physical_activity.asp
http://www.aauw.org/act/laf/library/athleticStatistics.cfm

BQ Number Two: With A Little Help From My Friends

The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him.~Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Where do I even begin???

Yesterday (Sept 16th) I ran the Fox Valley Marathon in St. Charles, Ill. This was one of my most emotional races thus far in my 40 years of running. I had no idea what it really meant.

Last year when I qualified for Boston it felt easy. Everything went perfectly, and I felt good all the way to the end. Not so this time. This race was different. Good different and bad different in different ways.

And it all began with Boston 2012 - The hotter than hell Boston that left me feeling that I had to come back so that I could run it and actually "enjoy" it. This new goal seemed to grip me by the throat and shake me silly. And gradually too much began riding on this single goal.

So I headed off to Chicago on Saturday feeling the weight of expectations (mine and those of others - at least my perception of those of others) weighing on me. My feet were a mess and killing me. The weather forecast was for hot, humid weather - not my cup-o-tea. My training for the race was uneven at best, and I really began to doubt myself.  I gave myself an 'out' - if it sucks I'll just call it a training run for New York. But in my heart of hearts I wanted it to be more. I had come here with one goal in mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The morning is cool, but too warm for 7 a.m. Standing around comfortably in shorts and a jog bra at the start of a marathon does not bode well for me. As Danica (of Boston or Botox) and I drive from our motel to the start (both of us have, within the week, been diagnosed with foot conditions/injuries and have been feeling fairly apprehensive. We spent most of yesterday reassuring each other that if everything went pear shaped we'd still be okay!), I ask her if she ever feels "ready" when facing a marathon? I wish I could say I'm one of those runners who goes into a marathon without any doubt that I'm gonna rock it - but I'm always a little scared - or a lot scared - and I always hear that voice in my head: "Why am I doing this???" I try to ignore that voice, but I'm always shaking under my skin.

We make our way to the start. I'm meeting up with a new friend - someone I feel I know well but whom I've never actually met. We're 'facebook friends' and I'm currently coaching her for her first marathon - Chicago -  She ran her first 20 miler the day before and got up at 4 a.m. to drive an hour and a half to cheer me and some other friends on. I see Sandra and her neon yellow sign. We hug like old friends.

 Danica, Sandra, and me. Before...

Soon I find myself moving toward the starting line  - I cross the mats and start the Garmin. And we're off. Things click along fine, as it should be early on in a marathon. It's feeling easy and I'm feeling good. The air is still cool and the trail is shaded from the rising sun.

I run into other people I "know" via social media - other Marathon Maniacs - facebook friends - Say what you will about social media - but for me it has lead to some real and meaningful friendships and a connection to the larger running community that I never had in the old days.

As we approach the halfway point my feet are crapping out on me and my energy is lagging. I cross the 13.1 mat and there's Sandra, small bottle of HEED and a Clif Shot in hand - I stop and grab them for the loop turn around where I'll hand them back off to her. That friendly face, that offer of assistance means the world to me at this point and I pick up my pace.

 Mile 14ish. I'm still upright, and my motion still resembles running!

As I return to her after the mile and a half loop, I hand off the bottle. I want to stop to hug her, but I keep going. She yells "Do you want another one?" I yell back "No. I'm good. Well, maybe later!". 

Things are uneven at this point. I jump into a porta potty for a quick pit stop (something I will regret later). And I keep moving through those difficult miles where you have run far and still have much left to do.

Somewhere around the 20 mile mark it's pretty clear that everyone around me is hurting. I'm hurting. My feet are killing me, though my legs feel really good. I'm trying to ignore the fact that I feel I'm running on club-feet - numb, painful, burning. The sun is now high in the sky and we're on the sunny side of things. You can see the humidity in the air. I look at my watch as we pass 20 miles: 2:58. The split written on my forearm in ballpoint pen says I should be at 2:56:40 - but I added a cushion to that so I'm behind where I want to be, but I'm still okay.

And then there's Sandra, holding out another bottle filled with fresh cold HEED. I fight the urge, again, to stop and hug her, but I feel a deep sense of gratefulness welling up inside of me. I grab it and go. She yells after me "You look strong. I'll see you at the finish!" I do not look strong, but what else can she say? It helps to hear the lie.

As we pass 25 miles I'm frantically doing the math in my head. Can I still do this? I can, or maybe I can, if I really push it, but as I push it I feel I'm running through the thickest molasses. I keep seeing myself crossing the finish having missed the mark by seconds. It's now or never and I have to fight ever ounce of my self-doubting soul to keep from stopping and giving up.

And then I think of Sandra, and I think of my husband (who calmly, or not so calmly, puts up with my craziness) and I think of my daughter who will ask me how the race went - and we pass mile 26, and as I round the corner for the last .10 mile I see that I have to push harder than I ever have (though from the perspective of an observer I'm barely moving), and I see Sandra out of the corner of my eye and I can't hear what she's yelling but I hear her voice, and those last few steps actually feel like a sprint...After crossing all the mats I press the Garmin: 3:54:54 (eventually the official time is 3:54:53 after being told that it was 3:55:07). A BQ (Boston Qualifier) by 6 seconds.

I thank Sandra for her help. I tell her I couldn't have done it without her, and that is the absolute truth. Her help gave me those crucial seconds. Her being there and supporting me gave me the motivation to push when I wanted to just say "screw it". She dismissed my claims, but I know better. I really would not have done it without her. I really would not have done it without the support, day in and day out, from my husband and daughter, and from all my friends. And, even if we can reach our goals on our own, they are more meaningful with the support of others.

We have lunch and say our good-byes for now. At this point I still believe that the official time is 3:55:07 (which means I missed the mark by 7 seconds) - but as I drive to the airport, radio blaring (because Chicago actually has a good station) I actually don't care because I've had a great day.

I get to the airport and look up the official times. I stare hard at the screen which seems to say: 3:54:53. I scan the screen trying to see if I am missing something - but that is what it is:

2439

Caolan

MacMahon

F4549

336

13/73

107/492

3:54:53

I want to jump out of my seat and scream but that might cause some security uneasiness. I text Sandra (she asks me if I screamed when I saw it ;), I call my husband, and I tell my daughter when she asks "How was your race mommy?". "Fantastic", I say. "It went very well."

And as I sit on the airplane flying back to Colorado drinking a Fat Tire for dinner (the first time I have EVER bought a beverage on an airplane!) I begin tearing up and am thankful for the darkened cabin lights - as I think of all the people who stand behind me and support me in this insanity. For me this is what is important in life. We all have our own personal challenges which matter so much to us. And it adds so much when we have other behind us. Then it is full, and great, and unforgettable. 

There are so many others, not mentioned here, but I hope you know who you are. Thank you. I love you!

10 Running-Related Personal Questions

Yesterday, Sarah Bowen Shea from Another Mother Runner posted her 10 Running-Related Personal Questions and challenged other mother-runner-bloggers to do the same - So here's mine...

And it all sorta begins here...

Captain of my HS Cross Country Team, 1981

1. Best run ever:   Colorado Marathon, 2011. It wasn't my fastest, but I did qualify for Boston. It was the first marathon I ran where I felt I did just about everything right, everything clicked, and it felt almost (almost!) easy all the way to the end. Now all I want is more of that! That was some good stuff.

2. Three words that describe my running:   Disciplined, thoughtful, life affirming

3. My go-to running outfit is:  Saucony P.E. running shorts and a Road Runner Sports Jog Bra - maybe a shirt if it's colder that 45 degrees ;) I like it cold when I'm running!

4. Quirky habit while running:  I tend to have certain routes I really enjoy and keep going back to, through the seasons and over years. I have a relationship and a history with my favorite routes and they help tie my running identity together as the years fly by. When I return to my childhood home (where my mother still lives) I run the same routes I ran in high school. Much has changed, but I'm still essentially that young girl running to discover herself.

5. Morning, midday, evening:  Morning - Always. It's the only way to get it done (for me) with a family and work. I've gotten up at 2 a.m. many times if that's what's necessary. Morning runs are also my favorite way to start the day.

6. I won’t run outside when it’s:  I pretty much always run outside. I never run inside and I've only run on a treadmill once, in Maine in 1989, for a VO2Max test. I'm entirely too spastic for the treadmill. I've run through Maine Nor'easters, -15 degree deep freezes, 90+ mph wind storms (I've been blown off the road many times!) and 105 degree Colorado bakers.

7. Worst injury—and how I got over it: Calf tendinosis, 2008. Nothing worked and the conclusion was that my knee was shot to heck. The diagnosis was dire. The MRI showed a grisly picture of flaking and tearing and delamination and just general destruction. Well, that didn't make sense to me, since my knee never actually hurt, and so I went on a 10 month long journey to find answers. My answer and salvation came in the form of many small needles redirecting my confused body! (http://www.chronicrunner.com/2011/10/confessions-of-born-again-racer.html)

 I have this done to various body parts very regularly.

Now I have a little addition problem with needles!

8. I felt most like a badass mother runner when: Boston, 2012. 90 degrees of baking hot love! Walking in the high sun to the starting corrals felt like a walk to the guillotine! I remember running up heartbreak Hill - everyone - and I mean everyone - around me was walking. Now I wasn't moving very fast but I was still running - and I ran the whole dang thing!

 Looking like something the dog dragged in.

Oh, and my feet hurt like heckety heck for the last 16 miles. Now I want to go back and do it again! (http://www.chronicrunner.com/2012/04/episode-three-steady-forward-progress.html)

Badass feet!

9. Next race is: Fox Valley Marathon, St. Charles, Ill., this Sunday (Sept. 16th), then NYC in November :)

10. Potential running goal for 2013: Dunno yet. This has been a big year - Boston, New York, qualifying for and becoming a Marathon Maniac. I'm going to reassess things after NY, though I'm already registered for the Colorado Marathon, 2013. There's lots of things to chew over - lots of directions to go...
 

'I Am Not a Runner'

"To know you are one with what you are doing, to know that you are a complete athlete, begins with believing you are a runner." ~ George Sheehan

I've heard this from so many runners...'I'M NOT A RUNNER' or 'I'M NOT REALLY A RUNNER'.

I spent this past Saturday in Estes Park, CO at Terry Chiplin's beautiful running camp Active at Altitude. attending an "Active Mind" workshop which Terry will be bringing to marathons across the country with his Active Mind Race Camps. At the workshop we explored some ways to redirect and refocus the helpful and not so helpful self concepts that we carry with us throughout our days and nights.

Several of the participants expressed a nagging feeling that they aren't 'real runners' or runners at all. This seems to be a constant refrain - Oh I'm not a 'runner' I just run...or some such nonsense. The usual grounds for such claims are: They feel that they're not running enough, or don't race, or have never run a marathon, or don't run fast enough, or haven't been running long enough, or are too old, or have the wrong body type, and on and on and on...To all of these I say piffle.

Being a runner has to do with attitude, period. I've written about this before in Running or Jogging.There I argue that being a runner has nothing to do with any of the above. Rather I concluded then that: 

"There's a level of commitment and a desire to make running happen even when it's difficult. Runners want to run. Runners enjoy running. Oh, we all have those days when we just don't want to do it - but we do it anyway - and once we do, we usually (but not always) love it. Runners run as an end in itself, not as a means to an end only. Sure, some runners run to lose weight, or for their health - but true runners keep running after they've lost the weight (or haven't) and feel healthy and strong. Runners sometimes run when they're sick or injured, even if they shouldn't. Runners run in the rain and the snow and the cold, and realize that it's actually always great weather for a run. Or, they might suck it up, and run on the treadmill, if there's no other way to get their fix."

However, going to the workshop this weekend made me realize that some recent experiences have upset my world just a tad. They've made me more nervous and uptight about my training. They've left me feeling that I need to compare myself to others. They've undermined what I know I really believe and my pure enjoyment of running. And when I think about it all, and the resulting feelings and reactions I've allowed in myself, I recognize that, in fact, they've pissed me off and made me question my own understanding of me as a runner.

Here's what happened...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Earlier this summer I spent some time in the company of many, many elite professional runners, some Olympic marathoners and very serious amateurs. At first I felt that somehow there was some sort of mistake - 'Um, I don't think I should be here. Why was I invited?', I thought silently to myself. My running resume just didn't measure up. I immediately felt like an impostor - a fake - What if everyone finds out? I may be a "Marathon Maniac" - I may be a 'runner' of 40 years (or that's what I've always thought), but I'm just not very fast - at least by the standards of some - and the disparaging comments (which I do believe are not meant that way) creep into the discussions without some (fast runners) even noticing.

Well, I did my best to fit in and I can hold my own pretty well concerning my knowledge of training and physiology, and my experience with my own running and working with other runners allows me to put on a pretty good act, even if I can no longer run the paces I once considered respectable. I learned so much new and I also learned that I have a pretty good handle on a lot of running stuff. But then there were the little comments thrown in, almost in passing, and these words started borrowing their way relentlessly into my soul like termites eating away at my confidence.

It was simple, and common, and I've heard these things a million times and this time it got to me: Claims that those running over 4:00 marathons probably shouldn't be running marathons - Claims that someone running an 8:30 per/mile pace for a marathon is really a 'glorified jogger'. I wanted to run away and hide...or better, jog away and hide.

God, I hope no one knows how slow I am, I thought to myself.

I wish I could say that I'm over that, but the truth is, I'm battling it right now. I believe that I'm a runner. But the naysayers got to me and I hate it.

Then today I read something that really made me angry...

At this point we've all heard about Paul Ryans bogus marathon PR claims - and I'm not going to go on about that other than to say that lying matters to me - Instead I'm going to focus on some of the comments with respect to his claims.

In the BBC piece "Paul Ryan Marathon Claim: Would You Fib About Your PB?" by Finlo Rohrer http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19462506  David Castle, editor of Running Fitness magazine suggests:

"When we talk about runners becoming proper runners, [it might be] under 3:30 [for a marathon]...Who wants to say they ran four hours? It's an OK time but not a runner's time."

Seriously? I'm sorry but this guy needs to get a life and a clue! I've been running for 40 years. I run every stinking day (minus one rest day a week - though I did have a 3 year running streak back in the 80s - and no, that probably can not be verified unless you want to look at my running log which could have all been fabricated). I run in all weather. I run when I'm sick. I ran through my whole bloody pregnancy (Ya done that Mr. Castle?). And, I was back out every day, with baby in tow, 5 weeks after giving birth. So, this tool is going to tell me I'm not a runner!!!! Yeah, this pushes my buttons. Yeah, I'm feeling a little defensive.

But worse, for many runners, it eats at them, it makes them feel silly and fake - How silly is it to work so hard for such slow times? How silly to spend so much time doing something one obviously sucks at? How can someone justify all this time and effort? These disparaging comments, arbitrary measurements and restrictive definitions of what it is to be a runner are pointless and irksome.

Well, it's really quite simple: I love to run. Period. That makes me a runner. Period. I am a runner.

New York, New York...The NYRR's Very Bad Idea

"Everyone wins the marathon. We all have the same feeling at the start—nervous, anxious, excited. It is a broader, richer, and even with twenty-seven thousand people—more intimate experience than I found when racing in track. New York is the marathon that all the biggest stars want to win, but has also been the stage for an array of human stories more vast than any other sporting event. " ~ Grete Waitz 

Late last week the New York Road Runners announced a new and, in my opinion, bad policy change concerning bag check at this year's New York City Marathon:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

New 2012 ING New York City Marathon No-Baggage Policy to Ease Post-Finish Congestion

For 2012, under a new policy designed to ease finish-line congestion, runners will no longer check baggage at the start of the race, and there will be no baggage retrieval after the finish.
Our primary objective is to provide our runners with the safest and best possible race-day experience. We have received overwhelming feedback from our runners about the need to address the issue of post-race congestion and waiting time to exit Central Park. In response, and in close consultation with New York City agencies, the new No-Baggage Policy was developed over several years to provide a better and safer post-finish experience.
In order to minimize inconvenience to our runners, NYRR has invested in a number of enhancements, including:

• The Marathon Finish Line Poncho, a water-repellent, hooded, and fleece-lined garment to be handed out to every finisher
• Establishing NYRR "Call Home" stations at the start and post-finish so runners can communicate with friends and family
• A new and improved Family Reunion area near the runner exit
• Increasing the number of wave starts from three to four to reduce runner density along the course and at the finish line.

Additionally, in a shared commitment to giving back to the local community, much of the clothing left behind at the start will be donated to charity through a partnership with New York/New Jersey Goodwill Industries and UPS.
We understand that the No-Baggage Policy is a major change for our runners, and we want to do everything we can to keep you comfortable and happy before and after your race.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our concession prize??? This lovely hunter-orange fleece lined poncho! Seriously?? Couldn't they have just given us a nice, simple "jogging suit" or something?

From my perusal of the comments on various running sites and the NYCM Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/ingnycm ), I'd say that most runners are mighty pissed about this sudden change in policy. The NYRR has already acquiring a bad reputation as greedy - charging $255.00 for US runners and a hundred or so bucks more for international runners, all while signing very lucrative TV deal with ESPN ( http://www.irunnerblog.com/running/espn-nyc-marathon-race-fee-debate/ ). This new and "improved" policy is simply making matters worse. NYRR makes more money and the runners get charged even more for even less! When I checked last, there were 618 comments about this change on their facebook page. Every single one of them was negative! And there's now a petition campaign set up set up to show the NYRR how much we RUNNERS(!) detest this policy:  https://www.change.org/petitions/new-york-road-runners-bring-back-the-baggage-check

Now all of this is being done, they claim, for the sake of the runners.The finish area and the long walk away from the finish area turns into a weaving, stumbling traffic jam of dazed runners. Supposedly, this change in policy will shorten exit time by 30 minutes. But from the many stories I've heard from runners with years of experience running NYC, the bag check lines are NOT the issue. Tired runners are the issue - and a lot of them. Many say that once they made their way to the UPS trucks to retrieve their bags the wait was minimal. I just don't buy their story.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So what's a runner to do. Well we're all already committed to the tune of $255.00 and so suck it up, we must.For questions and concerns the kind NYRR directs us to the helpful Q & A section of the website - Where are basically told that we are on our own:

What should I wear to the start?
Warm, water-resistant clothing is recommended for the staging area, which is outdoors. We recommend that you start to set aside clothing now to wear to the start and donate. We will be providing updates and tips from our Medical Director on how to stay warm at the start.

So we better go buy some warm clothes from Goodwill to leave behind which will then be donated to Goodwill. I know I sound like a cheap grouch saying this, but even when I buy stuff at Goodwill, I like to keep it because, well, last I checked, money doesn't grow on trees. Okay - I guess I can deal with this, but the issue is why do I have to deal with this. Is this about the runners or the NYRR?

And hopefully conditions will not look like this because the Fort Wadsworth staging area does not have any shelter. Next time I guess I need to qualify for the VIP treatment that the REAL runners get - Heated tents with complimentary breakfast and pipping hot coffee.  Running The Red Carpet

How can I get warm and dry after the race?
You'll receive your Heatsheet very soon after crossing the finish line, and then your Marathon Finish Line Poncho (fits women and men from under 5' to over 6') shortly after that. We also recommend that those of you who have a friend or family member meeting you in Family Reunion have them bring along warm, dry clothes.

I guess those of us who may be traveling alone to the race (and I'm doing this for financial reasons) and won't have family support are just gonna have to make due with the hideous poncho.

How am I supposed to get to my home or hotel without any money or Metrocard? You can carry a credit card, Metrocard, and/or cash in a pocket, wristband, armband, or small waist pack, or have your friends and family meet you at Family Reunion or a nearby location and give you the items you need.

And if we need to rely on mass transit we better carry some cash or a credit card!  Supposedly the subways are free - but some of us are coming in from New Jersey. NJ Transit is not free. Now, when I race I carry as little as possible - I wear as little as possible, because, well, this isn't a training run it's a race even for those of us who are pretty darn slow.Somehow I doubt that the elites have to carry a credit card in their shorts. Oh, come on people! Who and what is this all about.

There's two real questions/issues that I keep coming back to: 1) Why is the NYRR making things MORE difficult for the runners?, and 2) Why make people upset and poison the whole atmosphere of the race. When we sign up, we know that the NYCM is a logistical challenge, but this makes it more difficult. The feeling most runners seem to be expressing is that this whole policy change is not actually about the runners and the race is no longer about the runners. The feeling is that the NYRR has lost the vision. This is supposed to be about the runners and the community. This is supposed to be the biggest and best marathon in the world. What a disappointment when the runners aren't put first.

I've wanted to run NYC since I was a 16 year old track and cross country runner, standing with my father in Central Park, watching Grete Waitz fly by. Has the spirit changed?

I doubt Fred Lebow is smiling down on these proceedings.

Sleep and Recovery

Recovery: It's the biggest deal in running today. The better and faster you are able to recover from a hard effort, the stronger and sooner the next hard effort may be. But recovery is not just for the body - it effects your mind and motivation and coping skills just as much.

Recently, I've been suffering from temporary mild freak-out episodes, where everything feels like it's coming down around my head: I don't have a moment to think, to write, to reflect, to enjoy life. I'm just going going going...and I proclaim, for all to hear, that something must give or else I will snap.

What the hell is my problem? I've got a good life: A loving and supportive family. A job (actually multiple jobs) that I find rewarding and stimulating (usually). I've carved out time for my passionate pursuits - and yet, I feel just plain w-o-r-n  d-o-w-n to the bone.

What I've come to recognize and accept is that I am not getting enough shut-eye! Sleep often is sacrificed for so called "greater ends" - but at some point you hit the wall. You drag yourself through your day. There's no vim, no vigor in your spirit - You are unable to sort through the moments and happenings of your days and weeks. You feel completely overwhelmed.

We runners spend so much time talking about ice baths, and recovery drinks, and foam rollers, etc. but we're missing THE most important part of recovery. Perhaps it's the key to a flourishing life. A necessary, though perhaps not entirely sufficient ingredient for a good life: adequate, quality sleep!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How fast and how well you recover between hard workouts can make or break a training cycle. Recover well and quickly, and you may reap the benefits of hard runs. Recover poorly, and find yourself slipping into over training, exhaustion, depression...and ever slowing times even with greater effort.

Many runners succumb to the idea that if I just keep working harder I will get stronger, faster - I will become awesome - I just need to do more, run faster...If one VO2Max workout isn't bringing down my times, then I'd better add another. I've just gotta get my lazy butt in gear and push, push, push. But the question is: Does this approach really work?

Work, stress, effort - without recovery means only that you will tear yourself down and never build yourself up. The benefit of a particular run is both the work (which will result in muscular micro-tears) and the rest that allows stressed muscle to heal and become stronger in the process. If that healing does not happen, you will only get weaker, slower, and more susceptible to injury - and of course you're going to be depressed because the harder you work the crappier you feel!

Recently I attended a weekend Coach Training seminar with the Lydiard Foundation. We spent a fair amount of time on recovery and the 12 significant predictors of recovery. Dr. Peter Davis, who served as Exercise Physiologist beginning in 1981 with Nike's Athletics West and later (among other notable appointments) was recruited by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) to direct their Coaching and Sport Sciences Division, made a comment that cut through the air and hit me square between the eyes: Sleep is the number one, most important factor for recovery. And it is the most under recognized factor today, for everyone, for health and well being.

Now, I've known for a long long time that I haven't really given sleep its due, and I always say "tomorrow night I'll go to bed earlier", but let's face it - that doesn't happen. But this comment shook me from my dogmatic overachieving insomnia, and caused me to dig deeper and find out more. Could this be one of my problems?

So, what are some of the effects of sleep deprivation?

Nervous system	Metabolic activity of the brain decreases significantly after 24 hours of sustained wakefulness Drowsiness, reduced concentration and memory Hallucinations and mood swings
Immune system	Reduced immune system function, measured by white blood cell count.
Cardiovascular system	Increased heart rate variability
Other	Decreased in body temperature Decrease release of growth hormone. Depression

http://www.sleephealth.com.au/Importance%20of%20Sleep.htm 

And here's the kicker - while most adults require at least 8 hours of sleep per day, athletes require more, upwards of 8-10 hours of sleep per night. Add to this that research also indicates that all sleep is not equal - WHEN you get the sleep matters - and the more sleep you can get before 12 a.m. the better. So sleeping from 9 p.m.- 6a.m. allows for a better, more restorative sleep than sleeping from 12 a.m.- 9 a.m.

The problem here is not a couple nights of bad sleep. The problem is when we consistently get inadequate sleep. In our go-go-go culture, this is often the case for many of us. We make due and get by on 4-5 hours of sleep and solider on. I've heard many many runners say "You can sleep when you're dead". But this attitude is undermining all of our other efforts! Overtime, long term inadequate sleep results in changes in hormone levels, particularly those related to stress and how we deal with stress, muscle recovery, and mood. Sleep deprivation also leads to elevated levels of cortisol and human growth hormone which may interfere with tissue repair and growth, and glycogen synthesis decreases. Hence, there's a constant breakdown with out the necessary rebuilding and refueling. Over time, this can lead to injury and overtraining as we constantly make demands on our bodies but never allow for repair to take place.

So I'm doing EVERYTHING I can do to get more sleep. If it means I don't have the cleanest house in the world, so be it. If it means I need to scale back on some activities, then that's what it's gotta be. It isn't easy. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But I've been consciously and conscientiously working on this for a several weeks - and the effort continues...

Get stronger - be happier - sleep more. Start today!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's some interesting studies and articles on this subject:
https://trailrunnermag.com/destinations/west/413-stop-sacrificing-sleepf
http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=5812
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-267--13281-0,00.html