from boston to bagram

did you know that the boston athletic association helps provide a "shadow" event for our troops in afghanistan (and formerly iraq)?

hosted and coordinated by the u.s. army's 10th sustainment brigade, the b.a.a. generously provides official finishers medals and t-shirts for participants and volunteers free of charge. runners ran almost three laps on the roads around bagram airfield to log the 26.2 miles, and volunteers set up aid stations every mile (my employer hosted one of the aid stations).

the marathon was open to anyone military or civilian serving in the afghan area of operations. most of the participants were already on the bagram base, but some traveled from as far away as kandahar (340 miles away).

is it just me or does anyone else want to go afghanistan to run the "boston" marathon now? bagram 2013, who's in?

ps: capt. anthony calingo, interviewed in the video, ran a 2:55 but as you heard him say he's "not really competitive". what?!

video from defense video & imagery distribution system (dvids) an operation that provides a connection between the media around the world and the military serving in iraq, afghanistan, kuwait, qatar and bahrain.

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i can and i will

saw this on facebook over the weekend and thought it was share-worthy.

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sat to death

mini-updates to address some of the various questions that have been asked recently:

• sugar - haven't noticed much of a direct change. my skin is a little better in general, but that could just be from the overall cleaner diet. i think i do feel more "alert"/focused though, and i know that sugar-free is healthier all-around.
• caffeine - haven't had any since june. strictly decaf or tea for me!
• sleep - i haven't been the best at "no electronics at night/in the bedroom". i know i should read, but sudoku is more enticing. i'm usually not tired at bedtime, but i try to force myself to be. typically, i might sleep from 11:30-1:00, 3-6:30 (have to get up for work). not ideal! on the weekends i avoid making morning plans so i can sleep in, once i slept until 1pm. yikes. i know sleep is important for your body in a number of ways, including healing, and i need to straighten this out soon. one small victory - i'm off the sleep-aid medicine i was taking and some nights (usually the weekend) i do sleep for 7-8 straight hours.

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following up on my previous post about my extreme laziness, here's an infographic to motivate us all to get up and move a little more.


via: "medical billing and coding"

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"at least you're trying!"

-- he yelled condescendingly as he drove by during my monday evening run.

am i running that slow? (yes, it was an easy day)

do i look that fat? (i didn't think so)

why are we so quick to judge others, be it in running or life in general?

• he doesn't know that today was an easy run day, and that i hit my target hr zone like a champ.
• he doesn't know that two days ago i did my first brick (/bike ride period) of the year, and my hamstrings are still sore from the effort.
• he doesn't know that i've run 10 marathons and qualified for both nyc and boston.
• he might think i have room for improvement here:

 and here:

• but he doesn't know that these muscular legs beat a lot of thinner, skinnier girls in races.
• he doesn't know that today i have another appointment with the cardiologist.

"be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle." --[plato]

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life=risk

photo by a team parent

over the past three years i've helped on-and-off with a local high school cross country team, and this weekend was the county meet. the varsity boys lost the county title for the first time in 8 years placing 2nd, but the varsity girls, jv girls and jv boys all won their respective divisions (once again). watching the high schoolers always motivates me, but by the time i get home i am tired and lazy. the same was the case this weekend. luckily this "30-minute" goal is working for me, and i am enjoying the variety of exercise choices i have everyday. sometimes i feel like i am 'cheating' on running though since i'm not running 6 days a week anymore. i am doing well at not being anal about it - you have to admit i've come a long way! (can i apologize once more for being such a whiney brat back then?)

i do still run though of course, and today i got in my long run - double digits! umm the last time i did 10+ miles was september 10th, sheesh. i set out without water or gu with the intent of toughening up mentally. i planned to take it easy for the first 5 miles and then pick it up a little in the second 5 for a negative split. do you ever "black out" in the middle of a run? in mile 4 i was running up a long hill, and then i don't remember anything until i was at the top of the hill and checked my pace and noticed it had slowed dramatically. i was successful with the negative splitting though -- averaging a 9:15 in the first half and an 8:02 in the second. depending on how the coming week goes, those faster miles may have to count towards my 4mi tempo goal.
(eta: by "black out" i mean more of a "zone out". i didn't pass out on the side of the road or anything)

sunday (10/24) am run: 10 miles, 1:26:29 (avg pace 8:39), 71*

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i've seen this before somewhere (probably from my dad), but saw it again on running free and had to re-post:

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let's run

josh saw me creating my giveaway winner video the other day and had to one-up me. it's pretty good if i do say so myself.



after mulling over a sunny, warm friday afternoon run - he got up and logged his miles. i think it was the first belly-search that convinced him.

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a call for help:
fellow runner keith has been having some hamstring troubles which recently seems to have crept up into his back as well. he's looking for some insight on what he should do - feel free to share your $0.02 with him - whether a medical professional, formerly injured soul, or simply a wise runner.

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something extra

running has felt weird ever since recovering from vertigo back in march. i used to cruise through easy and long runs at an 8:30-9:00/mile pace. lately it seems i'm slowing down, as i've seen a few too many 9:20-9:30 splits and my avg heartrate is higher than the norm too. i've been sleeping 8-9 hours a night now that i'm back in sc and my body/legs feel even more tired than usual. i know it's possible that i need to readjust to a less intense schedule and the extra rest (averaged 5-6 hrs sleep in ky).

it's getting warmer of course, which takes some getting used to, and i was spoiled by pretty flat terrain in kentucky so i have some rolling hills to get used to again. a little disheartening to think i once powered up these hills at a 7:30-7:45/mile pace, and now am a solid 2-minutes slower with death chasing me down. :)

 

left - sc; right - ky

not the worst hills ever but still, gonna have to readjust!

i'm a little frustrated by it all - no one wants to feel "off" for weeks on end, but i know things will eventually "click" again.

it takes something extra to be a runner. to willingly subjugate ones self to daily punishment for seemingly no reward. that honest defiance of today's "i want my results now" mentality is what sets us apart.

there is no magic pill.

as runners, we know we won't be better tomorrow from what we do today (in fact, tomorrow, we'll probably be worse than we are today). tomorrow is not the goal. the goal is weeks from now, months from now, years from now. the acceptance of deferred gratification is what sets us apart and makes us unique. (the fact that the overwhelming majority of us do it without ever being paid a penny just makes us weird)

[quote from ultra brad]

happy national running day!

wednesday 6/2 am run: 8.4 miles, 1:18:00 (9:17 avg pace)
avg/max hr (169/186), 76* (85% humidity)

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attitudes

your attitude towards life defines not only who you are, but your values also.

whatever it is that has been bugging you, doesn't seem so big anymore, does it?
if only we all could have the spirit that this little boy has!

(a forward i got from pops earlier this week)

i kept all the negative nancy's out of my head friday/saturday and had a most-excellent long run! a positive attitude definitely goes a long way (i know, i could afford to work on mine sometimes). happy weekending!

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tiart: pick six

by the time the mid-week rolls around, i'm beginning to be tired from the long days and squeezing my life into place. it hasn't been the easiest to get into the groove of "take it and run thursday's" by runner's lounge, but i am trying!

this week's extra fun question is brought to you by jill at finishing is winning:

you get to run the last six miles of your next marathon with 6 different people. they can be dead or alive; famous or not famous. who are these people and why did you pick them? furthermore, why did you pick them for the specific mile you did? remember, you get an extra .2 miles with runner #6.

i've never ran a marathon with someone else period, so that would be pretty cool to begin with! ok, obviously i've ran with other people since races have a few thousand runners, but never anyone i knew. i've started with friends but lose them somewhere along the way.

mile 20 - hello! you guys are my peeps! you've all inspired and motivated me over the course of our "friendship". i'm totally recruiting each of you for this mile.
mile 21 - an m&m character-person. like i need to explain this one... unlimited source of m&m's for the mile. that may not make for a great race, but it'd be one delicious mile. plus, they do say that sugar is good for speed.
mile 22 - ryan hall. he's just awesome and seems like a really great guy. definitely a great runner and role model. on some of my less-fantastic days i'll replay his "ole" video in my head and feel the drive and determination pumping back into my veins.
mile 23 - my sisters. they each completed their first 5k this year, and my older sister also ran a 10k. i love that they are building up their own love for running and a healthy, active lifestyle.
mile 24 - my parents. because they are my parents! they've done a lot for me through the years and supported me at many youth-sporting events, college regattas, and now in my random running travels. they were there for me after my first marathon, and even though i told them "don't let me sign up for another one of these again" they knew better than to get in the way. ;)
mile 25 - gotta reserve this one for mr. j, my best friend, biggest fan, and future mr. chasing the kenyans. hopefully one day he'll run a full marathon with me, but for now i'll settle on the last 1.2!

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i beat the snooze button today and got in an easy double for the day. i'm definitely feeling the effects of only getting 4-5 hours of sleep, and had a bit of a headache when i headed out for my second run. luckily it was only a super short one, as i am still in hopes of gently easing into doubles and they say to start out with a 20-30 minute second run. i also had dinner plans to get to and, of course, not much time. my legs felt tired and heavy on my pm run, but they did get up for a 4am run so i cut them some slack.

so... it appears that sock code is already malfunctioning. i am assuming that means the "availability" did not last long (it took me a few days to actually post it). sorry for falsely raising anyone's hopes. :-/

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tiart: motivation tips & tricks

i always read many of your posts participating in take it and run thursday (tiart) put on by runner's lounge, but have yet been able to join in and instead try to leave comments on each of your tiart insightfulness. for the past few weeks and many upcoming, tom and amy have turned the tables and opened up the job of tiart host. i eagerly accepted, excited to finally get to play along and hoping to start a routine of participating. hey, with weeks of notice, surely i could be on the ball for my own tiart right?

you've probably noticed the recent "case of the mondays" here in lindsay land. for the past few weeks, i've struggled on some individual runs as well as entire weeks of mileage. with the opportunity to solicit advice from the running experts through hosting tiart, i took my recent frustrations and opened them to the running-blog world --

whether training for a specific race or just running for the fun of it, we all experience the ups and downs of running. what do you do to get yourself motivated to run when it feels like it's the last thing you want to do?

lately in my own running journey, i have had a huge deficiency of mojo. some days are fine and the run is good, but others are completely depressing. i've tried a few different tips and tricks that have worked in the past to try and jump-start myself again. my next marathon is two months away and i'm starting to worry.

what do i do when the motivation is running low?

• toughen up. i'm sure some days i'm just feeling lazy and need to buck up and get the job done! this is probably my first line of defense - i head out to get the miles in knowing that the run usually turns out decently.
  
• pump up with some upbeat jams before the run. after a long day at work, i'm not always in a running-mood and an hour long commute doesn't help. i often use the commute time to indulge my inner hip-hop backup dancer and shoulder shake my mind into wanting to run. (there are only so many dance "moves" i can do in the car)
• compromise. i'll tell myself i can swap the day's workout with tomorrow's or i'll allow myself to cut the mileage short. most of the time my mood picks up once i'm out there and the endorphins are flowing.
  
• rest. sure i might still feel guilty about it and beat myself up a little, but occasionally i give myself the day off. i believe that lack of motivation is sometimes the body's way of telling you it needs a break. this would probably be more effective if i didn't guilt trip myself over it.

the problem for me is that these mind-tricks haven't completely pulled me out of my motivation-rut yet! i'm interested to know what you all do when you just "aren't feeling it".

what are your personal motivational tricks? have a good pump-up song to share? comment below or join in the tiart fun with a post of your own.

as part of hosting tiart, here's a small glimpse into the places and races i run!

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we got ourselves a game

week in review (7/20 - 7/26):
total miles: 65.10 (new mileage 'pr', didn't think i'd make it!)
time spent running: ~ 9 hours 20 minutes
avg hr: 156.17
avg pace: 8:41/mile (avg temp: 76.67*; i don't really miss running in 90*)
off days: 1

"the theory of evolution says ‘only the strong shall survive.’ maybe so. maybe so. but the theory of competition says that just because they're the strong doesn’t mean they can’t get their asses kicked."

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nyc half marathon: fresh air fund-racers

itching to run or race a half in a few weeks?

the nyc half marathon will be held on august 16th of this year, and the fresh air fund-racers are looking for runners to join their team! (sponsors also quite welcome too).

the fresh air fund provides free summer experiences in the country to more than 1.7 million new york city children from disadvantaged communities. each year, thousands of children visit volunteer host families in 13 states and canada through the friendly town program or attend one of five fresh air fund camps. host families open their hearts and home to a nyc child who would not otherwise have the opportunity to escape the hot, crowded city streets. [from faf website]

the 2008 new york city half marathon presented by nike was a huge success. over $125,000 were raised for the fresh air fund, which was put directly towards their free programs for nyc kids. hopefully 2009 will be an even bigger success!

while i will not be able to attend this race myself, i hope those of you closer to nyc will strongly consider it! there are many worthwhile causes to support in the many road races we all run, and the fresh air fund is one of them.

one of my favorite things about the fresh air fund is the "friendly town" program. in this program, fresh air children (6-18 year olds who live in the city) stay for two weeks or more in over 300 friendly towns across 13 northeastern states from virginia to maine and canada. the program provides the children with the opportunity to run barefoot through the grass and experience a suburban/rural lifestyle in contrast to the concrete jungle of the city. check out the website and faq's if you are interested in being a host!

if you are unable to participate in the half-marathon or hosting a child, but still want to support the cause - volunteers and tax deductible donations are also accepted.

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running this week has been uneventful thus far. hoping to get in a quality workout tomorrow after a consult with the oral surgeon (getting out of work early, yay!; going to dentist... eh).

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now or never - put in overtime

this song caters to my slightly ghetto side that i still haven't outgrown. i was jammin' out to it at work today while i had the pleasure of putting together a very exciting spreadsheet about each and every part of an induced draft fan. seriously, down to the washers. snooze.

anyway, it helped pump me up for a run today. i also took tom's advice from yesterday and just ran, ignoring my gadgets. i still wore my hrm and nike+ so that i could put the data on my spreadsheet. i'm a dork, i know. running spreadsheet = good; snoozelicious id fan spreadsheet = boring. (i taped my + back together for now, believe it or not there are no sporting goods store around. shocking i know.)

when i plugged in my data i was pleasantly surprised with a better-than-easy-pace easy run. i guess i have been focusing a little too much on my time/pace/hr lately and needed a good chill-out run. thanks for all the supportive comments yesterday!

tuesday (6/9) pm run: 7.2 miles, 1:01:49 (avg pace 8:35), avg hr (166), 88*

yep - 88 degrees, solid easy run, hr within the zone. by george i think i've acclimated.

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a family affair

just a quick but huge shoutout to two of my sisters - running their first 5k's (/races ever) tomorrow! unfortunately i can't make it due to being stuck in kentucky but i will be cheering for them from afar.

my big sis & i doing something random in annapolis last april

my big sister - who started weight watchers awhile ago when the doc said she was becoming pre-diabetic and has been doing awesome at eating healthily, working out, and shedding pounds ever since. i set her up on the couch-to-5k program and she killed it, never missing a scheduled run. she's become addicted to running like me and sometimes even goes out for a non-scheduled run. like most of us runners, she's also already looking ahead to future races before even completing the present one!

my younger sis and buddy on easter of this year

my younger sister - who has been running casually on and off for a couple of years asked me for a training plan for her and a friend to train for the cooper river bridge run (a 10k). their plans for that race and trip to charleston fell through, but they found a local 5k to run instead and the price was lot friendlier to their college-student budgets. she's showing true runner traits as well - she likes to go for a run to relieve stress and wears a running/sport watch even when dressing up.

good luck sisters!! :o)

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gabrielle jennings

what were you doing when you were 10 years old?

i know i was active, playing soccer and church-league basketball, but i was by no means awesome (at sports). of course i am awesome in general.

meet gabrielle jennings. a ten-year old from louisiana.

she runs, and she runs fast.

this cutie ran an 11:58, 3200m in the recent louisiana state high school indoor championships at lsu. yep, 5th grade, running in the high school champs, and beating all the high school girls.

what's my 2-mile pr? oh right, a 12:32. and i thought that was a good time!

track and field videos on flotrack

her key to success? she runs about 2 1/2 miles most days and intervals every other week. guess i should cut back on my mileage!

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off to the races

big occasions and races which have been eagerly anticipated almost to the point of dread are where great deeds can be accomplished.

-jack lovelock

this one's been staring at me from my bathroom mirror every day for the past 8 months or so.

well i'm off! thank you all for the good lucks and well wishes the past week or so. pending rides in ambulances, i'll be sure to post quick updates on how i do. i know i'll be thinking of you throughout my 39.3 mile journey and the motivating, inspiring, and funny things you have taught and shared with me. i'm going to try hard to come away with more memories of in-race activities than what random child's song got stuck in my head so i have something semi-interesting to say. i'm still trying to tell myself i am not going to race the full, but it's difficult. i'm competitive. i'm sure my legs will help convince my brain on sunday morning. i told jess we could just take it easy and take pics with the characters and stuff. you can't always rush through life, have to slow down and enjoy it - right?

i'm also already dreading not being able to run all next week... i know i need a few days off, and i'm only shooting for 7, but still, not really looking forward to time off.

good luck to all the other disney runners, goofy nuts or not!
brian @ a runner's blog
denise @ rundmt
kim @ kimpossible
(and anyone else i can't think of! sorry, having a brain lapse!)

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courting the pain

races always evoke some dread about pain that will come. but we can't escape the fact that the more discomfort we accept in a race, the faster we will run. successful racing means courting the pain.

-john elliott

this time next week i will be picking up race bibs, chips, shirts, and swag at the disney world marathon weekend expo. i'm growing a little nervous, as always, but i'm constantly playing some of my favorite motivational quotes and songs in my head. i will run a sub-1:38 half and i will survive the full. i want to put a time goal on the full too, but i'm not so sure how many muscle fibers i'll have left after the half. sub-4:00 would be good, sub-3:50 would be better, another bq would be flippin' awesome... but i'd take a sub-4:00 (if i ran a sub-1:38 half).

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make the most of everday

had a serious family emergency last night and not sure if/when i'll run today, but for the first time in a long time running is just not a priority right now.

long story short, my dad was kidnapped, robbed and stabbed last night, but they found him and the nutcase. (a friend of the dude turned him in.) thank the lord his injuries were not life-threatening, and we were able to leave the er in the late hours of the night/morning. my daddy is a good man, he did not deserve this.

burger, i thought a lot about you last night as the events slowly unfolded and i can't imagine what you went through a few years ago. i'll especially be praying for you and your family this christmas.

we're all doing ok, especially pops. he's making jokes as usual and just trying to get some rest and avoid the "paparazzi". thanks in advance for your thoughts, warm wishes and prayers.

love and hug your moms and dads and sisters and brothers, and have an especially wonderful christmas with your families. don't take a single moment for granted.

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cliff young

came across this story the other day and just had to share it. enjoy!

The legendary story of Cliff Young is already known to many runners. If you're aren't familiar with it, you're in for a fascinating read.

An Unlikely Competitor

Cliff Young

Every year, Australia hosts 543.7-mile (875-kilometer) endurance racing from Sydney to Melbourne. It is considered among the world's most grueling ultra-marathons. The race takes five days to complete and is normally only attempted by world-class athletes who train specially for the event. These athletes are typically less than 30 years old and backed by large companies such as Nike.

In 1983, a man named Cliff Young showed up at the start of this race. Cliff was 61 years old and wore overalls and work boots. To everyone's shock, Cliff wasn't a spectator. He picked up his race number and joined the other runners.

The press and other athletes became curious and questioned Cliff. They told him, "You're crazy, there's no way you can finish this race." To which he replied, "Yes I can. See, I grew up on a farm where we couldn't afford horses or tractors, and the whole time I was growing up, whenever the storms would roll in, I'd have to go out and round up the sheep. We had 2,000 sheep on 2,000 acres. Sometimes I would have to run those sheep for two or three days. It took a long time, but I'd always catch them. I believe I can run this race."

When the race started, the pros quickly left Cliff behind. The crowds and television audience were entertained because Cliff didn't even run properly; he appeared to shuffle. Many even feared for the old farmer's safety.

The Tortoise and the Hare

Cliff Young

All of the professional athletes knew that it took about 5 days to finish the race. In order to compete, one had to run about 18 hours a day and sleep the remaining 6 hours. The thing is, Cliff Young didn't know that!

When the morning of the second day came, everyone was in for another surprise. Not only was Cliff still in the race, he had continued jogging all night.

Eventually Cliff was asked about his tactics for the rest of the race. To everyone's disbelief, he claimed he would run straight through to the finish without sleeping.

Cliff kept running. Each night he came a little closer to the leading pack. By the final night, he had surpassed all of the young, world-class athletes. He was the first competitor to cross the finish line and he set a new course record.

When Cliff was awarded the winning prize of $10,000, he said he didn't know there was a prize and insisted that he did not enter for the money. He ended up giving all of his winnings to several other runners, an act that endeared him to all of Australia.

Continued Inspiration

In the following year, Cliff entered the same race and took 7th place. Not even a displayed hip during the race stopped him.

Cliff came to prominence again in 1997, aged 76, when he attempted to raise money for homeless children by running around Australia's border. He completed 6,520 kilometers of the 16,000-kilometer run before he had to pull out because his only crew member became ill. Cliff Young passed away in 2003 at age 81.

Today, the "Young-shuffle" has been adopted by ultra-marathon runners because it is considered more energy-efficient. At least three champions of the Sydney to Melbourne race have used the shuffle to win the race. Furthermore, during the Sydney to Melbourne race, modern competitors do not sleep. Winning the race requires runners to go all night as well as all day, just like Cliff Young.

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daily ledger

if a man has greatness in him, it comes to light, not in one flamboyant hour, but in the ledger of his daily work.

- beryl markhan

as i flipped through my random quote book i started my senior year of high school ('02) i came across this quote and it reminded me that it will take a lot of time, dedication and hardwork, but if i continue to make the most of each day and each workout, i will one day reach the goals i have set for myself.

with that said (i swear i'm not being hypocritical), i took the day off from running - felt a little 'off' last night, didn't get much sleep, and felt blah-zy all day at work (one of the old men i work with said i looked pale?). it also poured all day leaving rivers of water on these non-shoulder streets. so once again i am trading my rest day and will do my 800's tomorrow afternoon. good thing my off day is on friday and not monday so i can take advantage of a little flexibility.

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