One foot in front of the other.
No, this isn’t going to be an entry about me recommending shoes. What I do want write about is this….I’ve had a few people ask me “what type of shoes due you recommend?” I usually answer with “that depends.” I know that seems vague but it really is the truth. Let me tell you a story…..When I first took up running, I went to my local Modell’s, a big box sporting goods store in the NYC area, and picked out a pair of shoes simply based on brand recognition and what felt comfortable. As I got more into running I started speaking to other runners about shoes. I bought my next pair of shoes from a local New Balance store. I told a person working there that I was training for my first marathon. He went to the back and gave me a pair of shoes to try on. They felt comfortable and lightweight so I took them. As my training progressed, I started to get shin splints, my toes started to bleed, and I developed some blisters. At this point I became friendly with some serious runners who told me to check out a specialty running store in a town next to mine. I go to the store and the next thing I know someone is analyzing my feet and I’m on a treadmill with someone video taping me running. After that ordeal, the person emerges from the back with 3 or 4 pairs to choose from. I found the one that like, and I’ve been buying that shoe ever since.
At this point you’re probably asking yourselves, what’s the point? My point in sharing my story is this: if you are serious about running, it’s important to wear the right shoes for you. Just because I wear a neutral cushoined shoes doesn’t mean you can. One reason many running-related injuries occur is because people are wearing the wrong shoes. Get yourself a gait analysis at a specialty running shop and get fitted for the right shoes. It will make a world of difference.
After a stop at a port-a-potty, I headed inside the host hotel to find Dailyrunner who picked up my bib and chip the day before. I dropped off my bag and headed outside to the start area. An announcement was made that there was going to be a 15 minute delay in the start of the race. I took the time to seek out Julie, author of the blog Raceslikeagirl, who was running the half marathon. We chatted for a bit and then I went back to find the 3:50 pacer.
The race finally started a little bit before 8:00. The NJ Marathon is a double loop course with the start and finish on the promenade adjacent to the beach. The loop is mainly through neighboring residential areas. The beginning miles went by pretty quickly. I had no problem hanging with the 3:50 pacer and, at the time, thought I’d be able to finish the race with him. I stuck to my plan, hydrating starting at mile 4 and taking a gel every 6 miles. My wife and daughter didn’t make the trip down with me so it was nice seeing EN, a friend from Nike Speed, just before the half. Hearing his words of encouragement pumped me up. We finished the first half in 1:54:17, right on pace according the my pacer. Soon after we started the second loop, which by the way did not play any Jedi mind tricks with me, the rain started to pick up. For a while it was still refreshing but around mile 20 it started to get heavier and really started to bug me. Soon after that I run through a few puddles and my shoes started to feel like a ton of bricks At mile 21, my left knee started to hurt. I think it had something to do with the uneven road surfaces and twisting in ways the human body is not meant to twist in order to avoid puddles. At first it was bearable but at mile mile 23 I had to take a 2 minute walk break. I hated taking a walk break with only 5k to go but I was really hurting. The walk break did the trick, I got a second wind when we made the final turn towards the finish. EN was there with less than a mile to give me one final push finish. I finished strong and crossed the line in 3:52:54 (8:54 pace). Unfortunately, I did not run a negative split. My second half split was 1:58:37. Considering the problems I was having with my knee and shoes, I’ll take it. I got my finishers hat, medal, and refreshments and made a beeline for the bag check where a dry and warm set of clothes awaited.
3:52:54 is a PR for me besting my 3:55:08 I set at the Marine Corps Marathon in October 2008. Every race has it’s own challenges and surprises. With the NJ Marathon it was the weather. Setting a PR in less than perfect conditions is definitely cause for celebration.
Lastly, congrats to Dailyrunner on achieving a BQ after almost 5 years of trying. Check out his race report on his blog (linked above).
Getting ready for the race was difficult for me, since I had a rehearsal until 10:00p in San Diego the night before my race. That meant that I didn’t leave San Diego until 10:30 and had to drive to my hotel in Costa Mesa (only 90 miles). So I checked in at midnight and was laying out my stuff (shoes, Wrightsocks… great investment by the way, Nike running shorts and sports bra)for the race and getting settled until like 12:20a. Luckily I had all my Hammergels and stuff packed in my belt before I went to work on Saturday. I got up 5:00 and was in the hotel lobby at 5:30a for the shuttle to the start. I was a little anxious that morning, and really tired as it was my first day off in 2 weeks, but I good and alert which is what I hoped was going to help keep me going.
Sunday morning was a little grey and overcast and in the mid 50s which was nice. I wish it would have stayed that way, but alas it warmed to the mid 60s and sunny by the end of the race which was a little warmer than I would have liked, but it’s southern California what can you do?
The race was scheduled to start at 6:30a and we officially started it almost 6:40a, I think. Those 10 minutes between when we were supposed to start and the gun were the most anxiety filled of my life! I was all ready to go and then standing and waiting in a pack of thousands of people nerves started to get to me. But after the national anthem and 2 passes of a helicopter to take pictures we were off. The full and half marathoners all started together which meant that the energy was great because there were just SO MANY people.
I placed myself right at the back of the first corral, since I thought I would be finishing in the front half of the 4th hour and when we got going excitement took over and I was going like a bat out of hell. First mistake. The first 5 felt great. It was mostly downhill (sweet) and I was booking it and feeling really solid. I ended up without even pushing just ahead of the 3:40 pace group. Then my shins decided to give me trouble. I have been working on a raked stage for the last weeks and I have shin splints so I knew that I was probably going to have trouble with them, but I was sort of hoping that it would hold off and bug me later. That was the first time I dropped my pace, but I kept going. Stopping wasn’t an option. It was keep running or keep running. As I kept running I managed to get myself through the pain and started feeling good again.
There was a large chunk of this race that was on bike trails through a nature reserve, which was beautiful, but man was it lonely. I much preferred being out on the road where there is someone at least every little bit screaming and clapping for you to keep going. These trails, which were paved (mostly, I’ll get to that) weren’t really even and were solid rolling hills. I trained in southern California and south eastern Virginia… I’m not good with hills. Right around mile 9 (I think… I was solidly in a haze by that point) there was a hill, and not a small one and I actually said out loud “You have got to be kidding me.” It was short, but steep enough for my legs to say screw you.
At mile 12 the half marathon course broke off and we marathoners were left on our own for the remainder of the race. I started feeling solid again at that point. I had dropped my pace but knew that if I didn’t then I wouldn’t cross the finish line. We ran through South Coast Plaza, yes they really took us through a mall parking lot, and it crowded with people screaming and cheering which was exactly what I needed. We then went through another set of bike trails, my least favorite of which was UNPAVED and UPHILL. I wanted to cry. This was at mile 22 ish, maybe 23. I hadn’t run on sand or dirt EVER… I mean EVER. I wasn’t prepared at all for that and my body was not a fan. By that point I think I was running almost all on heart anyway, so a shock like that was killer. But I just kept going.
As I closed in on the finish line I knew I had to just keep going but thankfully the crowds picked up again and the street was pretty well lined in people. The finish line was in the Orange County Fairgrounds so we were winding through the parking lot to scream and cheers. That was when I found what little I had left and ran with everything I had for the last straight to the finish line.
Then I teared up. I had done it. In 7 months of training I had gone from not running at all to running a marathon. A MARATHON. It still amazes me that I did it. I had never been happier or prouder of myself. My friend Christine was waiting at the finish line cheering and laughing. I think knowing she was there was what gave me the last push to get to the end.
My official time was 4:16:23. I was 484th overall 151 in women and 13th in my age group. I’m thrilled. I now have a PR for my next marathon.
Unfortunately I still don’t have a running picture where I don’t look pained, but I’ll send one anyway. Maybe the official pictures will be better
I would have never thought that I could do this. But here I am, a marathoner and hunting for my next race. Brandon you pushed me to do this when I doubted myself. Thanks man!
Megh
Yesterday, a runner collapsed and, unfortuantely died at the Nashville Half Marathon. Today, New York Road Runners canceled the More Marathon because of the heat. Nashville, New York, as well most of the U.S. has been hit with an early heat wave. Temperatures have been in the upper 80′s during the day. While this might seem like great weather to go to the beach or enjoy a barbecue, it is absolutely dreadful to run in. I thought this would be a good time to share some tips on how to deal with the heat.
These are things that work for me. Please take it easy out there.
I apologize for not guest blogging in a while. I’ve been very busy at work and just came back from Florida. I celebrating Passover with my family in Boca Raton. I’ve blogged about the challenges Passover posed in terms of running.
As I was catching up on some back episodes of BMP, I realized I haven’t posted here in a while. If you’ve been following my training, you’ll remember that I was having some calf problems before I left for Florida. At Brandon’s suggestion, I got myself a foam roller. I cannot thank you enough for that advice. It really loosened up my calf and I haven’t had any pain or discomfort since then. If you don’t have a foam roller, do your body a favor and get one.
I’ll be back later this week with another entry. Until then, you can continue to follow my training at runanskyrun.blogspot.com. If anyone is running the New Jersey Marathon or Half Marathon on May 3, please let me know. I will be great to meet you. I’ll be running the full.
AG
Brandon’s Marathon on Twitter!!
Buckeye Outdoors Podcasters Contest— JOIN MY GROUP!!!
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Fans of Brandon,
I just checked the results from the Shamorck Marathon and I’m happy to report that both Brandon and Danielle are officially marathoners.
Brandon finished in 4:31:30 and Danielle finished in 5:00:34. Great work you two! Have a safe drive back. We are look forward to the race report.
Please take a minute to leave Brandon and Danielle some words of encouragement as they are running the Shamrock Marathon on Sunday. As Steve Runner says “run strong!” but most importantly, HAVE FUN!
Enjoy the Yuengling at the end! I’m looking forward to the race report.
The first thing most runners focus on after crossing the finish line of race is their finishing time. Did I set a new PR? What was my pace per mile? Did I place in my age group (I should be so lucky)? The one question that is often neglected is “did I run a good race?”
In this blogger’s opinion, pacing is more important than setting a PR or winning an age group award. We all practice our target pace during out training runs, but that invariably changes once we toe the line at our next race. The first piece of advice veteran marathons dish out to new marathoners is “don’t go out too fast!” Easier said than done. Try as we might, most of us get caught up in the excitement of the race and go out too fast. I’m guilty of it, just read my most recent race report.
Most runners aim for that often elusive “negative split.” A negative split is running the second half of your race faster than the first half. The key is to harness your energy during the first half of the race by running comfortable, even splits. When you get to the second half of the race you should slowly unleash your energy and pick up the pace during the later miles.
In my opinion, running a negative split can at least, if not more rewarding that setting a new PR.
As always, Brandon and I love hearing from you. Please leave comments on the blog. Also, if you have topics you would like either Brandon or myself to discuss, please let us know.
Ari
runanskyrun.blogspot.com
Hi Brandon,
I just wanted to let you know that I officially ran my first 10K Saturday
morning and lived to tell about it. As you know, I am a very inexperienced
runner. Looking back five months ago, I would have been thrilled jogging for
five minutes in Central Park. After living in New York City off and on for
the past three years, I knew my “upper west side” lifestyle was a fun and
costly illusion that had to end. I packed up and moved back home to
Tennessee. Luckily, my friend Amy also moved home before she began school
in January. We were both sulking and frustrated to be back in our small
hometown of Maryville, TN. We knew we needed a hobby or an activity to get
us out of our slump, and because of all of your encouragement, Brandon, we
decided to start running. We ran our first 5K in October and I can finally
say I ran a 10K on Valentines Day! The only thing missing was my friend
Amy, who is now back at school in Iowa, but we talk on the phone throughout
the week and remind each other to keep running. While singing with you in
Virginia, I remember hearing about your training for triathlons and
marathons, thinking how amazing it would be to complete a race. I just
wanted you to know that you were the first person who ever looked at me and
said, you can do that. I was shocked. Of course, I was your girl who could
sing a song, drink my weight in Guiness, have the biggest hair in the
room…but RUN? I thought, if this guy thinks I can do it, maybe I can. A
week before my 10K, my own father said there was no way I could run 6.2
miles without stopping. He bet $100 against me. Well, guess who has $100
in her wallet? 
I just wanted to say thank you for all of your help, and
keep up the good work. I wish you and your wife luck at the Shamrock
Marathon, and maybe one day we can run one together.
My buddy Jason whom you have heard me speak about a bit was on a run Northbound on the Westside Greenway when he witnessed US Airways Flight 1549 crashing into the Hudson River. Below is the account of what he saw.
so Brandon, while you were running inside, I was out doing an easy six along the westside highway. I started running north and just got past the litte “zig” in the path right before you get to the straight-away where you can see all of the boats tied up. Well, there’s a clear shot up the river at this spot and I saw a plane coming in a bit low. Real Low. At first I thought it was a small sight-seeing place of sorts. Then I saw it was a much bigger plane, like a 727 size, but couldn’t really make out the insignia on the tail.
Thoughts are running through my mind: “Is it a movie plane? (I saw crew trucks on my to the river)” “I don’t see smoke.” “The signal lights are flashing.” “Is it a government plane?” As he was coming down the river, it went from level to nose up as it passed me and now I’m thinking that the pilot is now pulling up to start climbing
It’s fully got my attention now, so I come to a halt and hit stop on my Garmin. I needed to see how this is going to play out. Well, I’m watching, and the plane is not climbing..kinda floating down in landing position. Now I’m wondering if they have seaplanes this big I didn’t notice landing gear. Then Splash. Big Splash. I think my jaw dropped and my eyeballs popped out of my head! Definitely not a seaplane and most definitely not a planned landing. Unbelieveable. I hit start on the Garmin and headed south to check out the action. Everything else from here on you can read in the press…
I gotta say though…that was one nice emergency landing!
With winter in full swing here in the northeast, I thought I’d like to share some tips to help recover from a cold weather run. I don’t know if there is any scientific basis for these but they all seem to help me.
1) Get out of the clothes you ran in. If you’re running in your neighborhood, change everything as soon as you get home. If you traveled to your run bring a dry top or two with you. It’s important to get the sweaty tops off of your chest as soon as you can.
2) as tempting as a hot shower might be immediately after your run, do not shower right away. I usually give myself 30 – 40 minutes in dry warm clothes before I take a shower. One of the reasons space blankets are given out at the end of a marathon is to regulate your body temperature. By waiting before you shower, you’re allowing yourself time for your body to adjust from being out in the cold to more normal temperatures.
3) Hyrdrate – just because it’s cold out doesn’t mean your body does not need fluids. Do not drink very cold or something very hot. Try something lukewarm.
4) Take vitamin C. I’m not going to attempt to explain the science behind this, but I’ve heard that Vitmin C is an excellent way to keep your immune system healthy. I usually take an Airborne when I get home. It disolves in about 8 oz. of water and has 1000 mg of Vitimin C.
These are things that work for me. If you have other tips to share please leave a comment.
Ari
runanskyrun.blogspot.com
As Brandon mentioned on BMP #26, I will be guest blogging every now and then on Brandon’s site. I’ll try not to use this forum to plug my own blog, Brandon does enough of that already, but please do check out my blog at runanskyrun.blogspot.com.
By way of introduction, I am 36 years old, live in Bergen County, NJ, I’m married for 12 years and we have a beautiful 7 year old daughter. My blog mainly deals with my running and my struggles to balance, running, work, family, and religious obligations. I’m also a huge NY Yankees fan so every so often you’ll see NYY-related entry on there.
Enough about me. … I thought I’d use my first entry to discuss treadmill running. Brandon has mentioned a few times that he hopes to use the treadmill more if weather does not allow him to get outside for a run. Here are 3 workouts I use if I’m ever forced inside:
1) Progression Run: this is the workout I did today. I started my run at an 8:20/pace for the first 2 miles. the next mile I ran at an 8:00 minute pace. the last mile I ran at a 7:53 pace followed by 5 minute cool down. I wanted to do a 5th mile at a 7:45 pace but time didn’t allow today.
2) Intervals: If you can’t get out to the track, you can use the TM to simulate your speed intervals. Start with a 2 mile warmup and a comfortable pace. You can then do 400m (1/4 mile), 800m (1/2 mile), or 1600m (1 mile) intervals just as you would on the track. Make sure you recover enough in between intervals.
3) Hill Training: The TM is also great for simulating hill training. One of my favorite hill workouts (courtesy of Men’s Health Magazine) on the TM is to run at pace slightly slower than your 10K pace and do the following:
Feel free to extend the distance of the run by following the same pattern. If the speed feels easy, by all means increase the speed.
I, and Brandon, would love to hear about other treadmill workouts you all use.
Brandon’s Marathon on YouTube!
Sentara New Year’s Day 5K Results
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The boys over at the Running with the Pack podcast recently ran the Tussey Mountainback 50-mile Relay and kicked some serious ass. Here is Allan’s email about the event as well as a video he shot.
Thanks so much for visiting my site! My name is Brandon Wood and I am the social media manager and a customer service rep for Newton Running. This site and podcast follow my adventures on the way to competing in and training for all kinds of endurance events, especially triathlon and running. Click the "About Me" tab for more info!
Who: This contest is open to anyone and everyone in the U.S. and Canada (also APO)! Tell your friends!
What: Stuffitts! I have spoken about these simple yet awesome shoe savers in the past. Click here to read more about them. I cannot say enough how great they are!
When: Starting NOW! This is an ongoing contest that will be every month, or until every person on the planet has nice, fresh smelling shoes!
Why: Because Stuffitts are awesome! The folks at Stuffitts are being SUPER generous and I also want to give you guys something that I think is a great addition to any athletes arsenal!
How: On the last podcast episode post of each month (example: Episode 99 on June 28 HERE) entrants should leave a comment (however long you'd like). On the following week's show (the first show of each month) I will draw, by random number generator, one winner! That's it!
Good luck!
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