Archive for the ‘Race’ Category

A Colorful Way To Race

Wednesday, September 19th, 2012

If you’re a runner, you’ve most definitely heard of the color runs that have started in many cities.  Mud runs? They’re so last season (but still super fun!)  Getting messy, getting tie dyed, and doing snow angels in blue powder is where it’s at.  In fact one race has named itself “the happiest 5k on the planet.”

Photo: www.a-doctor-in-the-house.com

First, what are the options?  The two biggest color races right now are Color Me Rad and The Color Run.  Variations of these trendy races have started to pop up too, such as the Neon Splash Dash.

Second, why on earth would someone pay money to trash a perfectly good white t-shirt?

Photo www.simply-nicole.com

Obviously the answer is: FUN!  It does not matter what age or ability you are.  You can run the 5k you or you can walk the entire distance.  One of the the things we love most is that it’s family friendly.

Photo: www.simplegreenorganichappy.com

The color is made from food grade corn starch … which is good, because sometimes you get it in your mouth.

Photo: www.justkeepsweating.com

Signing up for these races are a great way to get active.  Spend a Saturday with your friends or family being silly.

Thanks to some of our blogging friends for sharing their pictures of the races.  Here’s what they had to say:

Nicole: “The starting line was exciting.  Music, beach balls and powder filled the air.”

Robin who raced The Color Run in Philadelphia said:

“The perfect first run for my younger kids. So much energy, so much to look at, an incredible payoff at the end.  A bonding moment as a family, as friends, as a city.”

Andrea participated in Color Me Rad:

“I didn’t have too much on my body, so I was very grateful!  Bry still has blue under his arms!  Getting the color out of my hair was easier than I thought.  I had to do two rounds of shampoo, but eventually it came out!”

Ash tells us about the clean up:

“The majority of the color came off pretty easily once I got into the shower.
Remarkably, my hair was blonde after a few shampoos.  A little soap and water (and some elbow grease), no one knew I had run the Color Me Rad 5k that day.”

Carlyn (also known as the one with the blue tongue from above) recalls her experience:
“The blue station got me right in the mouth.  It was awful. I spent a good 1/2 mile spitting out blue corn starch.

Photo: www.ashanddiz.com

If you want the full inside scoop check out this video from Courtney:

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Happy Independence Day: A Salute To Fifty States

Wednesday, July 4th, 2012

Laura Skladzinski hasn’t been running long. But what she’s lacked in years of experience she’s made up for with number of races. Laura doesn’t just run races, she runs marathons. She doesn’t just run marathons, she has ran a marathon in all fifty states and broke a world record while doing it.

Laura, who lives and works in NYC broke the record for being the youngest woman to complete a marathon in all fifty states.  What better way to celebrate the Fourth of July than to get to know Laura a little better.

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What was your first marathon (when and where?):

I signed up for the Vermont City Marathon in May 2008, selecting it in large part because it was sponsored by Ben & Jerry’s and promised free ice cream at the finish. My mom and my best friend came, holding signs that said “run to the ice cream, Laura!” Whenever I saw their signs, you can bet that I ran a little faster! I finished the marathon, but instead of wanting to stop there, I decided to keep running them. That feeling of conquering the impossible you get when you cross a finish line… it never gets old, and there’s just nothing like it.

Why did you start running and why did you take on this huge goal?

I started running six years ago, having previously been a total non-jock and the worst student in my grade school gym classes. I began to challenge this idea of myself while doing a college internship in Sarasota, Florida. Finding it difficult to make friends in a strange place, I told myself that I could either be miserable and have a terrible summer, or I could make the best of it and spend the time trying to better myself. I decided that I was going to do two things I had previously thought impossible: learn to cook and learn to run. The cooking was easy; the running was a bit harder for me. I did little loops around my neighborhood, working my way up to longer distances. By the end of the summer, I was able to complete a 5K race. I was so proud of myself, and told everyone I knew – I seriously thought a 5K was like the equivalent of an Ironman! However, I then found myself wondering… if I could push my limits to complete a 5K, how much more could I do? In December 2007, I decided it would be my New Year’s resolution to train for and complete a half marathon by the end of the year. I smashed that resolution before the end of the month! I was shocked that I had been able to do it – I thought for sure I was pushing my limits further than I could go. After that, I didn’t put together a marathon training plan, but I started doing a long run every weekend, increasing it by one mile each time. I figured that I could always add 10 more minutes! By the time I did a 22 mile long run, I knew that I was going as far as most marathon training plans go, so I signed up for one. I had no idea how it would change my life!

Why was this “marathon tour” important to you?

For me, it was just about doing something that I thought was absolutely impossible. I am still so proud of myself for overcoming my high school days, when I couldn’t even run one mile without stopping to walk. I believe that marathoning is something that ANYONE can do, with motivation and training.

Favorite marathon / city?

It’s hard to compare big and small marathons, so I always give two answers to this question. My favorite big marathon was the New York City Marathon. It was my 33rd marathon but my first in my hometown, and I’ll admit that I got teary eyed when “New York, New York” played at the start. The crowds were incredible, and I loved having my friends and family there to cheer me on! My favorite small marathon, on the other hand, was very different – Run With the Horses in Green River, Wyoming. You started at the top of a mesa at sunrise, and all you could see around you were mountains and sky – no buildings, roads, or even farms for miles. It was such a small field for a race that by halfway through the race, I was running all by myself with no other runners even in sight. The course was a dirt trail that was used by wild horses and they would pass the runners at a gallop. It was just incredibly scenic and beautiful.

When / what was your record breaking marathon (the last state)?

I broke the world record as the youngest woman to run a marathon in all 50 states in June 2010, two years and one week after my first marathon. My last marathon was the inaugural Minneapolis Marathon in Minnesota.

Describe the details of your world record.

Before I finished, the youngest woman to run a marathon in all 50 states was 29 years old; I finished one month before my 25th birthday. That led to my blog URL – 50 by 25!


How did your schedule work?  You trained and travelled all while working full time?

I work in strategy consulting, typically between 50 and 80 hours per week. The hardest part for me to deal with is not necessarily the long hours, but team dinners/events and other obligations that keep me from eating healthy and working out. I live in a hotel four days a week and then fly home to NYC on weekends, so there is a lot of time where I need to improvise workouts based on time constraints and available equipment. Since I’m often not comfortable going for a solo run as a woman in a strange city, I typically only run on weekends (one long run a week). During the week, I do strength training (huge advocate of finding a free weight routine that works for you) and intervals on either the treadmill or the elliptical. I almost never do more than 3 miles at a time during the week.

What’s the best advice you could give to someone training for their first?

From a training perspective, I’d suggest doing as many long runs (18 miles or more) as you can. There is a lot of new research finding that running more days per week is not going to help you at all; you’ll do better by doing more high-mileage runs and cutting out the shorter “recovery” runs that are often found in older marathon training plans. From personal experience, I can say that the more you can get your body used to running long, the easier the final miles get – I usually don’t even get sore after a marathon now!

Love that you now work as a pacer, why have you decided to take on that job?

A big part of my motivation at first was financial – paying for race registrations gets expensive! However, once I actually paced, I discovered how much I loved it – much more than just running a marathon on my own. I love getting to cheer other people on and share what I’ve learned about running marathons. I especially love pacing first time marathoners – it is SO magical to get to see how excited they are, particularly as they start getting close to the finish line and realize they’re about to reach their goal.

How did you end up coaching Justin Gimelstob?

Justin Gimelstob is a pro tennis player who made a $10,000 bet with his friend, Andy Roddick, that he could run the NYC Marathon. I connected with Justin on Twitter (ah, the power of social media!) and offered to help coach/pace him. The terms of the bet were set so that Justin had to finish under 4:45, and he smashed that goal, finishing in 4:10! We had a lot of fun, and I was so excited to earn that money for our charity.  (Read about it here)

And because we’re a t-shirt company – did you have any fun/unique shirts or outfits?

  • Ran my first marathon in a shirt that said “Will Run for Ice Cream. When I finish, I can eat 14 scoops!”
  • Ran the 2009 Boston Marathon in a shirt that said “48th Marathon, 1st Boston!”
  • Ran the 2009 Marine Corps Marathon dressed in a Superwoman costume
  • Ran the 2012 Half Sauer Half Kraut Marathon dressed in a German beer girl costume

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Wow isn’t she an inspiration?

You can follow Laura on her blog, Twitter, and on Facebook.

What impossible dream have you made possible?  Are you motivated to start working towards a BIG goal now?

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Posted in Marathon, Race | 3 Comments »

Cross Training For Runners: Squats And Lunges

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

You’ve heard the phrase different strokes for different folks right?  Strength training for runners kind of fits that phrase.  Some runners claim that building up leg muscle will make them heavy, and therefore reduce their speed.  Other runners consistently add strength training to their workout plans to help increase speed.

Finish Line

Squats and lunges are two of the most popular lower body exercises.  They work major muscles groups and you can practice this exercise at home, outdoors or at the gym.  However squats and lunges can also be the most hated lower body exercises, because they’re hard.  The harder they are the stronger you’ll get.

High lunge

Another advantage to squats and lunges are that they can help prevent injury.  When done correctly these exercises will help your stabilizing muscles.  These are definitely muscles that you need to keep good form while running.

Boogie Short - long enough for coverage in squats.

They key is – DOING THEM CORRECTLY.

Tips for proper lunge form:

  • keep your hips straight forward and your core and chest upright
  • keep your knees centered over your second toe and don’t push your knees forward past your toes
  • keep a strong foot, don’t wobble and let your knee rotate inwards

    Tips for proper squat form:

    • the same goes for your knees in a squat – center them over your second toe and don’t push them too far forward
    • push your bum back
    • keep your back straight

      How has strength training helped your race times?  How often do you add lower body strength training to your workout plans?

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      Common Race Day Mistakes Part 1: Going Out Too Fast

      Wednesday, April 4th, 2012

      You’re standing there at the starting line of a race. You’re pumped and everyone is cheering for you. Your family is there and the adrenaline is flowing. You’ve been training for this day for months.

      And then all of a sudden the horn blows and you’ve taken off like someone or something is chasing you and there’s a steak at the finish line!
      (Or a giant cheese pizza if you’re vegetarian.) You’re going all out and there’s not much more you can do to stop it! Then you look down at your Garmin and see that you’re going to PR the race! This is fantastic!

      And then it happens. You realize you went out too fast and you can’t even keep up with yourself. What started out as the amazing race has turned into the turtle and the hare and all the turtles are beginning to pass you.

      Your legs are concrete stumps.

      You crash and burn.

      What just happened? Race Day Mistake #1: You went out too fast.

      So what physically happens when you go out too fast? Your body uses its stored energy all up which leads to muscle fatigue. In a 5k, it means you can struggle in the last mile by going out too fast, but if you go out too fast in a marathon, you’ll struggle through at least the last 6, perhaps even more. And you don’t want to do that.

      It’s hard NOT to go out too fast isn’t it? It seems impossible to avoid!

      But here are some ways to try and dial it down a little:

      -Start in the correct position at the starting line. If you start out at the front of the pack, you’ll try to keep up with the fastest runners. Try not to start too far back, either, because that may mean weaving in and out of the slower runners. Note: don’t be discouraged by people passing you at the beginning, you’ll be passing plenty of people later, once you all get moving.

      -Focus on a relaxed pace at the start. Check your pace at the first mile marker and back off if you went out too fast. It’s not too late to correct it, just slow it down a little and then leave yourself some energy to pick it up in the end. Your best race is run when you keep an even pace throughout the race or you run it in negative splits, which is when you run the second half faster than the first half.

      -Plan to run your first mile slower than you plan to run the last mile. It takes mental discipline and practice to start out slow, so practice going out slow in your training runs and speeding up in the end.

      Have you ever gone out too fast in a race?? How do YOU dial it down? Share it in the comments below!

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      Race Day Rituals

      Wednesday, March 28th, 2012


      Before every race, I can hardly sleep.

      I (try to) go to bed at 10, I toss and turn all night and then I “wake up” at o-dark-hundred to my 5 alarms that go off a minute after each other so that I don’t oversleep. I haven’t overslept yet.

      When I wake up, I have coffee, which is usually already brewing on a timer before I wake up. Usually just the smell of coffee sends me to the bathroom and on race morning, that’s a good thing. Bathroom trips (or lack of) can make or break a race for me. (You’re welcome.)

      My stuff is always laid out for me the night before and my bag is always packed. I know I’m going to get schweaty in the race but I shower anyway because it wakes me up. I apply the body glides and the sunscreens and the Road ID, and I get dressed to go. If it’s a triathlon, I may have slept with my timing chip on. Just in case.

      I have the same exact breakfast before every race and long morning training, a 1/2 whole wheat bagel with natural peanut butter, sometimes honey or strawberry Polaner All Fruit on it, I have my coffee, and I take my favorite protein bar or shake with me to have an hour before the race, depending on the distance or the race (triathlon yes, 5k no.) And I take my water bottle with me to hydrate.

      It’s hard for me to eat breakfast though. I’m not an age-group winner but I am still always a stomach-turning mix of nervous and excited and have nervous stomach until the horn blows and the race starts. It usually makes for multiple potty breaks before-hand, to which I never forget my head lamp or cell phone so as to not be sitting in pitch-black porta potty.

      I usually have a song that I’ve been training to that pumps me up on the way to the race and if I’m in the car by myself, I ROCK OUT THE WHOLE WAY. I am a rock star in the car.

      If someone is in the car with me on the way to the race, I half rock out. The other half of me is rocking out on the inside. Either way, I’m getting pumped.

      I never know what race day is going to hold for me but no matter how similar the race day ritual, every finish line is different and so is the journey to get there.

      And no matter how nervous I am, I LOVE RACE DAY.

      What are YOUR race day rituals?

      Don’t forget to join us on Facebook or Twitter!

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      21 Guns Ultra Marathon: A Race Report

      Monday, February 20th, 2012

      A couple weeks ago, we brought you the story of 21 Guns, an organization that pays tribute to America’s fallen heroes by running in honor of them. Earlier this month, they ran an ultra marathon in honor of two soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan over the summer and Adam of 21 Guns wrote this race report, an amazing story. Thank you Adam and Dan and 21 Guns for sharing your story!

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      This past weekend was a big weekend, as Team 21GUNS had the opportunity to run in honor of 2 Army helicopter pilots who were shot down in Afghanistan 5 June of this year. CW3 Kenneth White and CW2 Bradley Gaudet both stepped in harm’s way voluntarily and paid the ultimate price so that we could live the lives that we live in this great country.

      The race was the First Annual Delirium 24 hour Endurance run in Bluffton, South Carolina. Along with the 24 hour version, one could also sign up for a 6 hour or 12 hour option as well. You would never have known this was an inaugural event, as the organization of the event down to every last detail was spot on. Team 21GUNS opted for the 24 hour version, so at 10:00am Saturday morning, 21GUNS cofounders Dan Tebo and I, toed the line to start the 24-hour journey.

      If you ever want to peel back all the layers and see what you’re really made of, run an ultra marathon. Those ultra runs tend to carry you through many highs and lows while you’re on the trail. The highs can be very high and the lows can be VERY low, requiring you to dig deeper than you ever have before. I think Dan and I covered the entire spectrum of emotions during this event.

      One team member had to make the difficult, but smart decision to end his run early due to injury. This did not end his day, though like the soldier he is, he got cleaned up and set a new goal for his mission. He decided to be there every step of the way to get his teammate to the finish.

      The day could not have started any better, with temperatures in mid 40’s. There was not a cloud in the sky. Dan and I were both pretty relaxed as we ate breakfast at 7:00am– albeit a little quiet as we contemplated what was about to begin. We got the vehicles loaded up and gathered the team: Dan, myself, Larry Salley ( my brother in law and Uber Crew chief), my son, Sean Fitzgerald , Hillary Tebo Dan’s wife future ultra runner Logan Tebo, and of course the cheering section of the four-legged variety, Elsa, Roxie and Koa.

      Once we got to the start line, we focused on setting up the “Aid station,” where we could access all of our supplies during the run. Everything at the aid station, from nutrition to change of clothes, crew members and the race gear served as a reminder of why we were there in the first place: to honor two real heroes and their families. During a brief introduction and pre race meeting you could cut the nervous anticipation with a knife. Dan and I both had our game faces on and were ready to “Get-er Done”.

      The gun sounded and we were off.

      The early miles were filled with a lot of nervous laughter and chatter as people settled into their pace. The biggest issue we had at this point was keeping the excitement of the day from dictating our pace and running too fast. Of course, that is exactly what happened. After a few hours I could tell things were not quite right with Dan. He was keeping his cards close and not letting on that he was in some serious pain. Like the warrior that he is, he made it past the 50k mark (31.2 miles) before making the very difficult decision to end the run portion of his race, and shift all his energy to getting me to the finish.

      For this I am very grateful. Later in the race, his support was critical in getting me to the finish. We continued on clicking off the hours and things really started to get interesting after the sun went down. By this time, the wind was really kicking into gear and the temps started to drop. According to the iPhone app, the temperature dipped to 26 degrees with a wind-chill of 11 degrees.

      Around midnight, fourteen hours into the race, things started to get tough for me. By this time, I had enough clothes on to look like the Michelin man, but I still could not stay warm. From this point on the crew really earned their money in providing support, and we all remained united in our goal to run for the families.

      The mantra was simple at the beginning of each lap. “RFM, RFM” (relentless forward motion) and “just get to the next aid station”. To this point, my hydration and food seemed to be spot on as the race aid station was VERY WELL equipped with anything that you might crave– including some of the best chicken soup I have even eaten in my life. Yet, the time on my feet and the energy draining cold were really starting to take their toll.

      By 3:00am (17 hours into the race) I just could not get warm enough and was shivering uncontrollably. Dan recognized that this might be classic symptoms of hypothermia, so we made the decision to step just off the course and get into Dan’s SUV to warm up before starting the next lap. This strategy continued for the next few hours.

      The sun finally came up around 7:00am. This usually results in a lift of the spirits and for at least a brief period and a lift in pace as well– as people can see the light at the end of the tunnel from an end of race perspective. You no longer have to deal with staring at a small circle of light from your headlamp in the midst of pitch black woods– so dark you can’t see the hand in front of your face. In my case, there was no increase in my pace, as my legs were pretty much shot at this point. However, there was a big boost in my spirit due to the sun and a much needed nap to stave off sleep deprivation. Although from the outside looking in it might have been hard to tell as I dragged along.

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      So it was FINALLY here, the end was in sight. I had just one lap to go. It took the whole team to get me to this point, so the WHOLE team was gonna run that last lap with me. I took the American flag and Dan took the Team 21GUNS flag and we were off on the last 1.7 miles of this journey.

      The course was a loop course with the last .2 miles a straight shot from the woods down the street to the finish. Once we got close enough to see the finish (just thinking about it is giving me goose bumps) we could see what looked like somebody with three small kids. As we came closer, I recognized Sarah, the wife of fallen soldier, Kenneth White. She was standing there with her three kids, waiting for our arrival. That was a real quick reminder that all of the pain and discomfort that Dan and I both endured during this run, paled in comparison (and should not even be compared) to the loss that this young mom and kids have had to deal with every day since losing her husband and their daddy.

      21gunsdelirium

      After finishing, we had the privilege to personally thank Sarah and the kids for their sacrifice and presented them with a very small token of our deepest appreciation. I am still trying to process it all as it was quite an emotional roller coaster for me and the team. I do know that this has really fired me up for the next race, as we continue to push forward in making sure that these warriors are not forgotten.

      Fallen and not Forgotten
      Adam Fitzgerald
      Co Founder Team 21GUNS

      Follow 21 Guns’ adventures:
      Website: www.21gunsfallen.org
      Twitter: www.twitter.com/21gunsfallen
      Facebook: www.facebook.com/run21guns

      Check out our last post on 21 Guns and their journey toward the ultra marathon.

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      9 Pre-Race Tips to Get You Through the Big Day

      Wednesday, October 19th, 2011

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      So you’ve spent hours upon hours upon hours training and (probably) watching what you’re eating.

      You’re gearing up for the big day. It is almost here.

      After spending the last however many months making sure you’ve trained right and that the race will go off without a hitch, you don’t want anything to mess it up in the days leading up to it.

      Here are 9 tips to get you through that big day — from nutrition to hydration to sleep.

      Hydration

      1. Start hydrating two days before the race (at least).

      2. Don’t drink all water. You don’t want to water dilute your body’s electrolytes, so be sure to mix in some sports drink or even a soda in between. Super tip: Still got some long runs in your training? Practice your hydration strategies in the long runs beforehand so you know what works.

      3. The golden rule of racing: NOTHING NEW ON RACE DAY. Don’t try new nutrition, don’t try new gear. Always practice with it first.

      4. Sleep. Chances are it will be hard to sleep the night before the race. So make sure you get a full night’s sleep two days before so you can at least have some sleep in your arsenal. Somewhere.

      5. For a long triathlon (1/2 Iron or Full): drive the bike course beforehand. This might not always be practical because the bike course is very likely long and it will take a while (or you might not even have a car if you’ve traveled). But if you can, it will help you to navigate the day of the race. You can pick out landmarks that will give you a visual on how far you have left (which could be a good or a bad thing of course.) You’ll also be able to know which hills you have to tackle and where they are so you can leave something in the tank when you’re riding.
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      Nutrition

      6. Carbo load doesn’t mean carbo-GORGE. Start eating more carbs two days beforehand but not in one big lump sum. Spread it out into easy payments throughout the day by eating rice, oatmeal, bread, pancakes, bagels, etc. (Things like that, not ALL of that…)

      7. The most important pre-race meal is not dinner the day before the race but LUNCH. So eat a healthy lunch with carbs and some protein. And again, the “nothing new on race day” rule applies. If you’re not used to eating lots of beans and broccoli the day before a race or long run, don’t do it. Stick with what you know or you could end up a gassy mess.

      8. If you’re traveling, find out what restaurants are around and look up the menus beforehand so you don’t have to drive around looking for something to eat. You can also see if you can make reservations because restaurants near the race course get packed the day before.

      9. Find out what brand of nutrition (gels or sportsdrinks) the race is providing and if you don’t want to carry your own, use the brand the race is providing during your training. Remember: NOTHING NEW ON RACE DAY.

      What is your race day prep advice?

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