Well hello IT band.

One thing I've learned is that for some things, go to the expert. For example, getting properly fitted for running sneakers. You or I looking at our feet probably wouldn't know what kind of shoe to wear, so best to rely on someone who does.  Another area where I turned to the expert is injury prevention and treatment.

Of course you'd go see someone if you are injured or have pain, right? Wrong. Too many people run through pain. It took me far too long to realize that if something is hurting when you run, your body is yelling at you to stop and re-evaluate what you are doing. It could be the shoes, or maybe a long term injury that you thought "comes with the territory". Our bodies are made to run (think back to when you were 5, you ran everywhere), so if there's pain, there is probably a reason. 

My right knee has always given me some trouble. For years it hasn't felt as good as my left, which feels strong and stable in comparison. My left is just a tab more unsteady, and I was experiencing pain during runs. My new shoes took away 85% of the pain (go figure). At the TNT kick off event, there was a physical therapist there who I started talking with. She suggested it might be a good idea to get an overall assessment early in training, to evaluate any muscle weaknesses that may contribute to existing pain or injuries down the road. I made an appointment the following Monday.

My assessment didn't reveal anything spectacular. I knew I (thankfully) didn't have too many major issues, but what it did reveal was quite a large muscle imbalance in my lower body. My left leg and hip were a lot stronger than my right, which resulted in knee pain in the latter.

Long story short, two months of PT and a series of stretches and strengthening exercises later, my left leg/knee is feeling good.  One of the things I do regularly is foam roll. It's a piece of foam (that's probably worth about $1.00, but which running stores sell for about $20), that you lay on and roll your leg muscles over, especially the side of the leg where your IT band runs from the hips to the knee. It's like a deep tissue massage, but for much less. At first it is extremely painful, but overtime the IT band loosens and becomes more pliable. It then better supports the knee and help it track properly.

The IT band... it's a good find!

Heartbreak Hill, you've got nothing on us.

Today we ran our longest distance to date... 16 miles! I can't believe it. We started from our usual spot in Back Bay, and ran out and back on the last leg of the marathon course. We ran Heartbreak Hill, not once but twice. The Boston Marathon course is fairly flat until runners reach mile 19/20, where they hit the Newton Hills, also known as Heartbreak Hill. Comprised of three distinct slopes amidst rolling hills, what makes these hills particularly hard is their placement in the marathon. They come at the very end, when runners are running on empty and their legs feel like jello. But, it is also what makes the already prestigious Boston Marathon a notorious course to run. This is not amateur hour. The Newton Hills will eat you. Only the strong survive.

Speaking of survival, I sometimes think of marathon training as being on an episode of Survivor. After each week and Saturday run I make it through, I feel "safe" for another week. Not kicked off the island yet.  The Marathon gods have not defeated me. I'm still in the game (take that, marathon gods).  

Sometimes I feel like "The Marathon" is like a fictitious character, or monster is more like it, who is trying to defeat all who tackle it. As soon as you sign up, it tries to take you down at all angles. I recently watched the movie "Spirit of the Marathon" and one runner said "you need to respect the marathon", meaning you need to respect and train for 26.2, or else you will pay. There is no "winging" a marathon. The distance will laugh at you, and you will be defeated. I am doing my best to respect the marathon. It will have to find someone else to eat for breakfast.

Next Saturday is a 10 mile run to recover from the last three long ones, and then we climb in distance again. Never thought I'd say this, but 10 will seem short in comparison. But when did a 10 mile run become "not that long"? Must have been somewhere along Heartbreak Hill.

16 ... and we lived to talk about it...!

14....16....!



Go Team!



This week marks #10! And welcome long runs. 14 last week, and a daunting 16 this week (including Boston Marathon's Heartbreak Hill). Last week we ran through Southie to Castle Island, and this week we're running the last leg of the Boston Marathon course, out and back. Wish me luck!

Marathon Monday is next week, so exciting! For those of you out of staters, Marathon Monday falls on Patriots Day in Boston, and many businesses close for the day. It's like Christmas but in April. 

I am sneaking away on my lunch break to catch a glimpse. I'm going to my favorite spot. It's the corner of Boylston and Hereford in Back Bay. Once the runners turn onto Boylston, they can see the finish line for the first time (!!). Such emotion on each runner's face. It gives me chills just thinking about it!

Do The Breath

Training for an endurance event necessitates certain things: strength training, cross training, endurance runs, healthy diet, enough sleep, etc. But recently I've heard a term that piqued my interest. It's a part of one's training that rises above the rest. Something that gives them an "edge". This ladies and gentleman, is called 'the secret weapon'.

I found this amusing. Sounds like something out of a murder mystery. My TNT coach recently talked about hills in her neighborhood that she would inevitably run each time she went out for a jog, simply because they were at the start and end of her course if she were beginning from home. "I swear those were my secret weapon, because when I went out for group runs I killed it."

Do I have a secret weapon? If not, I want one! Turns out I might have one all my own. Has it helped me break records and win races? No, but that's not what I'm aiming for anyway. Has it helped me become a stronger runner? Absolutely.

It all started in the basement of the elementary school down the street from my apartment. Elementary school gym? you might be asking. What strenous activity can go on there.  We begin with the breath, Do the breath, my instructor repeats over and over. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Engage, don't clench. Again.

Is part of some new age spiritual awaking practice? No. Yoga? (I'll get into my love for yoga in a moment). Close, but not yoga. 

Pilates.

It all started almost 4 years ago when my friend and I decided to sign up for Pilates offered through Brookline Adult Ed. Previously having completed three rounds of Cooking Classes (aka eating class), we figured it would be good to switch it up and try something new. Fairly confident in my abdominal fitness, I thought, 'This will be fun. I'm not too worried about it. I'm in pretty good shape, I can handle a few crunches."

Flash forward 8 weeks to the end of the first session. I was sore. I mean every-part-of-my-body, sore. Arms, legs, ABS, neck muscles. Not only was I sore the last week, I was sore every week up until that point. Every single class would leave me aching, and by the time I recovered it was time for the next class. This isn't what I bargained for, I thought. If anything only my abs would be sore! Why can't I move my arms normally! Will the back of arms ever stop hurting?? I pleaded. I begged, but with each class the soreness persisted.

I soon learned Pilates, particularly this class and this instructor, is no joke. I remember about 10 minutes into my first class I knew I was in for it. I couldn't do half the moves! It was a STRUGGLE. My point in sharing the agony of that first session was that I for sure under estimated the power of pilates as a total body workout.

It got me thinking. Here I am with just myself and my mat. No free weights, machines, or props. And it is the most incredible full body workout I've ever had, all in 2 hours a week. How can that be? Don't you need weights or those bulky machines at the gym to build muscles? Turns out all you need is your own body weight. That is what I love about Pilates, is that it uses gravity and your own body weight for resistance. I was once told the best measure of how in shape you are is how well you're able to manipulate your own body weight. For example, can you hold plank for at least a minute (from hands and knees, extend legs all the way) without collapsing? At first I couldn't. Now, several Pilates sessions later, I can.

And it feels so natural. Jerking a bulky machine up and down with varying amounts of weights just doesn't feel right after you've done pilates or yoga.

In a world where we rush from place to place, and where our lives have been simpled by machines, we rush to another place in which we voluntarily exert force against other types of machines. This place is known as "the gym." While I am all for gyms, and the opportunities to increase fitness and overall health that are offered, I have been fortunate enough to explore an alternative, and I believe a much more natural way, of gaining strength in the mind and body. 

My Pilates teacher often tells us before class to bring the mind in. If you're mind is elsewhere, you're unable to maintain the necessary focus to do each move. Same for yoga. Yoga is based on the premise of bringing the mind and body together, so that when you're in an strenuous pose (as in life, we are often in uncomfortable positions), you can bring your focus to your breath to calm your mind and get through it moment by moment.  Similarly, yoga uses natural body weight as resistance with a focus on sustaining different poses while muscles are stretched and strenghtened.

How can I tell Pilates has helped? For one thing, I stand up taller when I run since I'm supported by better abdominal muscles. Why is this important? It helps reduce injury since my running form is better (knees over feet, not leaning forward or slouching). Also a stronger core/upper body I've noticed helps to propel me forward with each stride. Since every movement originates from the core (think about it, they don't call it your "core" for nothing), it makes sense that if it's strong, movement of the extremities will be more efficient (less work needed) since you're not compensating for a weak center. And when I'm running hills or doing a track workout, I do the breath. Bringing focus on your breath and not how tired you are really helps!

Four years later (three of which I took Pilates on a regular basis), I am not longer sore (yay!). Each class is still challenging, but I wake up able to move my arms and legs like a normal person. I'm more flexible, stronger all over, and have a new appreciation for the connection between mind and body. Try it! You'll be glad you did.

Directional Signs

When I look back on how I came to this place in my [running] life, it was anything but a straight shot. By no means did I wake up one particularly motivated day and say, "I'm going to train for a marathon." Rather it was a series of twists and turns. The best way to explain is to describe the path which led me here...

I decided to run my first half marathon in Fall 2010, after my roommate had run the year prior and inspired me. Then, 13 miles was a daunting task, just like any new distance. But I was determined to take on the challenge. I googled "1/2 marathon training schedule", found one I liked, and started running.

Thinking ahead to those 10 mile runs and not wanting to go it alone, I set on a mission to find other people in the area to run with. So next, I googled 'Boston running groups' and was presented with a list of 15 or so. Some were outside the city, and others were in Cambridge, Somerville, and of course the prestigious B.A.A. (Boston Athletic Association) running club. Being new to the idea, little did I know most charge dues, have a coach, organize speed workouts once a week on a local track, and offer a environment for competitive running (aka people who have retired from the sport but still do it for fun).

Not ready to jump into a full fledged running club, I read online that a local running store had a run group that met Saturday mornings. This seemed a great alternative to a formal club, and it was right up the street. So I went that next Saturday.

The first time there was another runner my pace and was wanting to run the same distance, so we paired up. The week after, I wasn't so lucky. Everyone was much faster, and they left me in the dust (literally!). No way could I keep up with the other runners that week and their 7:30 pace (or something equally as speedy). They were all training for an upcoming marathon and after about a half mile, I fell behind.

Even though this didn't pan out, it was my first taste of organized group running with people I had never met, and it was fun (minus the leaving me in their dust part). I liked running with a complete stranger just as much as I did a friend, and it made the time fly by.

Still wanting to find other runners in the neighborhood (and my pace) to train with, I looked into two other groups that looked promising. One was TMIRCE (The Most Informal Running Club Ever), and the other was Community Running. I started with Community Running. They looked like a group of friendly runners, and they even volunteered together (I've been meaning to get back into volunteering, this could be a two for one).  And most importantly they welcomed all ability levels. The only disadvantages were that they charged a fee, and their meeting spot for long runs was across the river (meet to run at 7:30am on a Saturday, that means I would have to leave to catch the bus at 6:45am...). Nonetheless, I signed up to receive their daily emails.

Then one day, one of the members had posted a message about a new run group in the Brookline/Brighton/Allston area. Great! I thought, this was my neighborhood and would be very convenient. I was excited and emailed the group organizer to get on their mailing list.

This group was very unlike the first two. Since the group was brand new, there were no set runs, just members emailing out a location and time and asking if anyone wanted to join. I ran a few times with various people during the week and enjoyed the company.

Getting farther into my training, I was still hoping to find someone to run my long Saturday morning runs with. I emailed this group and a handful of people responded that they were interested. I ended up running consistently with a girl named Anita. It was great to have company and I really cherish those training runs. It was my first time exceeding 9 miles, and with the scenic backdrop of the Charles River on beautiful summer mornings... what could be better?

One Saturday, another member of the group came along. He was training for Chicago, and had dabbled in different running groups around town. He was also a member of TMIRCE - The Most Informal Running Club, the other group I had saw online that piqued my interest. Turns out this group was formed because the founder was fed up with pretentious running circles in Boston, so he and a few friends started their own and made it very clear that this was a fun, informal, running group for anyone. No dues and all ability levels welcome. It seemed to spread like wildfire, and in the three years it's been around, hundreds, if not thousands, have joined for a run at one point or another. And the greatest draw, besides the "informal" part, is that everyone sticks around for a pot luck breakfast where people socialize and refuel.

So the three of us continued on our run, and near the end, he pointed across the street at a playground area and said, "Oh, that's where TMIRCE meets for their runs." "That's where they meet?" I said. It was just over the BU bridge, and not hard to get to at all (maybe a 15 minute walk from my apartment). At that moment I felt he was my personal tour guide, guiding me in the direction of where I was meant to go next.

I continued running with Anita each week. I ran my half marathon in October, and for sure my training had paid off. What a great feeling!

Late Fall, I wanted to continue running to stay in shape, so I joined TMIRCE for their weekly runs. Immediately I was welcomed with open arms, and before I knew it I had a new running partner, Elisa. This was definitely more my scene. Just a friendly group of runners getting together each week, as much for the socialization and eating than for the actual running. And they begin each run with a striking of a gong!

One week, two of Elisa's friends joined. The four of us ran the usual loop around the Charles - up to the Museum of Science and back down the Cambridge side to the BU bridge - all in all about 6.5 miles. Me and one of the friends starting talking, and I learned they had both run two marathons and were training for their third. They don't strike me as marathoners, I thought. That was back when I thought someone who ran a marathon looked like an Olympian, with not an ounce of fat and a frame supporting well defined muscles. These girls looked just like any other girl in her 20s, but wow, they were not only one time marathoners, but were working on their third.

They had done their first two through Team in Training. At that point I had only briefly heard of TNT, but wasn't very familiar. She described the support they were given throughout, the fundraising component, and overall what a great experience it was. I tucked that conversation into the back of my mind, still no where close to signing up myself. Then I decided to make it a point to learn more, since the conversation did inspire me in some small way, or maybe a big way without even realizing it at the time. I came home and went to the TNT website, and watched the intro video, and was truly moved. What a great way to help a worthy cause, while fulfilling a life long dream!

Some weeks later, I saw ads on the subway for TNT - "We train to beat cancer" was their slogan. At that point I said fine, I'll call and attend an information session. The rest is history. I threw caution to the wind and signed up for the my first marathon!

Some may say it was just a matter of time before I signed up for my first marathon. This could not be any farther from the truth. Had I not been guided here, I am sure I would not have arrived of my own accord. I truly believe I was directed to where I am today. If I had never signed up for the Community Running list serve, I never would have learned about the Brookline/Brighton/Allston run group, and I never would have run with that guy who told me where TMIRCE met, and I never would have gone to TMIRCE to meet Elisa and her friends who told me about their experience with TNT. And without them telling me about it, I wouldn't have been inclined to look more into it and attend an informational session, and ultimately join the Boston TNT team and train for San Diego.

Sometimes life gives us directional signs as to where we are meant to be!