The West Coast Hails (California Dreaming)

So it has been far too long since the sole XY in the group (I need to recruit some more testosterone toting team-mates!) Other than general lackadaisical laziness preventing me from writing, I have in fact moved to the West Coast. San Francisco to be specific.

This marks my second full week here, meaning that I've now been here long enough to have settled in to the bar scene, the new office life, and most importantly, the running scene.

Before coming here, I'd heard many a story about San Franciscans being incredibly outdoorsy and active, and hence the running would be splendid. Well, so far my experience would be errring on the good side, but definintely still within the category of "caveat emptor."

The good:

The weather is absolutely perfect for running. In the mornings and evenings there is almost always a light fog, the air is cool and moist, but not unbearably humid. There is generally a good breeze - strong enough to keep you cool, but not so stern that it slows you down when you're running into it. This is all a serious breath of fresh air (I know, I'm sorry) compared to the sauna that is New York in the middle of summer.

• Average High Temperature July is 66F (19C) with zero rainfall
• Average High Temperature January is 57F (14C) with 5" (13cm) rainfall

The view is generally splendid - the hills mean you get wonderful vistas of the city, and the Embarcadero has views of both the Bay and Golden Gate bridges. It's tough to beat this as eye candy whilst running:

Then again, we are in San Francisco, so don't be surprised if this is the view you get:

The hills are absolutely gruelling and hence incredible for Comrades training:

The Bad:

The hills are absolutely gruelling and hence incredible for Comrades training:

Seriously have you seen these hills?

Block Length and Light Timing is COMPLETELY off for runners. All of the traffic lights in the city are bizarrely short with no specific direction of preference (each way seams to get the same amount of time irrespective of size of road) thus you will find yourself stopping at every...single...light... and trying to run in the direction of traffic on main avenues won't help at all. The only place to get a feasibly long run is on the Embarcadero, or one of the Southern streets in SoMa.

All in all, I'd give San Francisco a 3.5 / 5.0 for runners. The weather means that it's a hell of a lot more comfortable run than in NY, but the hills and the lights make it a frustrating killer, unless running on the Embarcadero, in which case you have to play dodge the tourist!

I'm sure after a few more months here I'll discover more nuances in the running scene here, but that's my take for now. Next up, this Sunday will be taking a 10 mile run in Golden Gate park, which has been recommended to me by many a local as "better than Central Park!" Ostentatious and ballsy to say the least! We'll see...

Who are we?

For those new to reading the blog, we thought we'd officially introduce ourselves. We've put together a quick "About Us" page, the contents of which are below. We also have a few guest bloggers, and will be sure to update with their details too.

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Monica "The Munncey Marauder" Munn

As a panacea to her post-college existential crisis, distance running has become Monica's latest obsession. An avid fan of traveling, running, and all things insane, Monica thought Comrades sounded like the perfect adventure when Greg drunkenly suggested it last winter. But before making her way to Durban, Monica will be tackling the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC this fall along with countless other races across the country. Look for her training in the NYC urban jungle this year!

Running Ethos: Go big or go home

Sheryl "Dr Plodd" Smithies

South African born and bred has always looked upon the Comrades with an overwhelming sense of pity for the insanity of the runners which generally overruled a vague, transient guilt for watching from the comfort of my couch (or the sidelines of the race) drinking a g&t. Greg (the brother) was the one who put this ridiculous idea into her head and it was affirmed by Theresa (also an insane comrades wanna-be). Sheryl is known for being a slight hypochondriac who self-diagnoses and self-medicates and will push through the pain with the help of a good few myprodols.

Running Ethos: Drugs are Good!!!

Greg “Shin Splints” Smithies

A native South Africa, Greg has been on a cross-continental adventure for the last 7 years, living in Philadelphia, New York, and most recently San Francisco. Monica was the terrible influence that unleashed the running animal in him. Greg was the crazy-person who suggested running the comrades (he was drunk at the time, as per usual.) He is known for running too-far too-fast and hence constantly being out due to injury.

Running Ethos: There’s an app for that

Forget about the pain, this is the Comrades

Time for a Comrades geography lesson! Last night after straggling home from my abysmally painful track workout (5 miles of 800m sprints in July is always a stupid idea, FYI), I cuddled up in bed with my laptop to watch The Long Run. The movie tells the story of a grizzled, veteran running coach who was never able to complete Comrades, but pins all his hopes on a new prodigy who has the raw running talent to be the top woman at Comrades . Okay, so the acting was meh and their depiction of distance runners occasionally left something to be desired, but the movie did me give a taste of what to expect from the race course.

Oh, and the hills. THE HILLS. As silly as it sounds, it's not the 56 miles that truly frightens me. If I run slow enough, I can chug along seemingly endlessly. No, it's the brutal, punishing, steep uphills that leave me feeling nauseated. Allow me to digress for a moment and give you the highlight reel of impossible hills we're going to be forced to climb (or crawl) up.

1. Cowies Hill: In The Long Run, Comrades is on a down year so the race concludes with the dreaded Cowie's. For us, this is the first major hill we tackle, but from all accounts it's the easiest - a gradual, winding slope. It still takes ~10km to get through, but compared to what comes next it's a cake-walk.
   
2. Fields Hill: A little ways after the half-marathon mark, you hit the first killer hill - Fields, which is practically a straight vertical ascent for 2km followed by a quick descent for 5km. I can hear my quads and knees crying already. There's no real rest for the weary for as soon as you think you've earned a respite, Botha's hits you with the next uphill.
   
3. Valley of a Thousand Hills: In Cry, the Beloved Country, Alan Paton wrote "There is a lovely road that runs from Ixopo into the hills. These hills are grass-covered and rolling, and they are lovely beyond any singing of it." Keeping my fingers crossed I'll be able to appreciate the beauty of the scenery, but around mile 40 when you hit Paton's landscape, I'll probably be more interested in throwing myself down a hill rather than admiring it.
   
4. Polly Shortts: Oh Polly, you sound so cute and harmless. False. Once you hit the "Little Pollys,"it's a grueling 20km climb to the finish line in Pietermaritzburg. Someone better be prepared to carry me up those hills.
   

I'm officially scared shitless. End story. Amby Burfoot, an accomplished American marathoner, once commented about Comrades that the "Up run is just one big piece of hard work. It keeps coming at you and coming and coming, and it never gives you a break. Never." Great. Good thing I'm a masochist? Burfoot finished his Up Comrades a few years ago, sneaking in under the 12 hour deadline with a nice 50 minutes to spare. My goal is less ambitious - a time of 11:59:59 will suit me just fine.

Corpse colored hot pockets aka Kim's foray into barefoot running!

Continuing with the past week's theme of running accouterments, today Kim dissects her first crack at barefoot running. Beat me to it! Oh and sadly I wasn't creative enough to come up with the phrase "corpse-colored hot pockets" to describe the Vibram FiveFinger gloves; credit goes to the crazy reviewers at Runner's World for the most apt description ever.

Hi everyone! Back for guest post numero dos, on something that seems to be stirring up a lot of attention lately: barefoot running. In the past two to three weeks, I've seen two huge articles about the idea that maybe we weren't built to use extremely padded running shoes, another on what walking in heels does to one's foot over time, gone on a soul/sole-searching quest to get Monica new running shoes, and managed to get into a position where I attempted a barefoot run myself.

First, we set the stage with Monica's quest for new shoes, which ended successfully (see her post below), and demonstrated how big of a difference the right pair can make when running insanely long distances (or short ones!). If you've ever ended up with ankle or knee pain from running, chances are you may part of the majority of the population whose feet either overpronate (ankle turns too far inward) or supinate (ankle turns too far outward). The trick to being able to run comfortably is usually thought to be the correct pair of shoes, which can help you correct your stride to be more neutral and place less stress on your joints...

Or maybe not! There have been small pockets of barefoot running devotees forever, and Abebe Bikila even won the 1960 Olympic marathon in Rome running barefoot, but I'd say that the new interest peaked with the release of Born to Run, about the Tarahumara of Mexico who basically run ultras for fun, in little to no shoes. So, when Monica's mom forwarded this article, and I ran into this one a day later, it didn't seem all that odd.
The theory goes that while wearing shoes, you put too much pressure on your heels striking the pavement. If you run barefoot, you shift the impact more towards the balls of your feet, roll them, and generally move in a more evolutionary natural way. Is it true? Arguable. But, each time I bus on up to NYC for another NYRR race, the number of people running in Vibram FiveFingers or Nike Frees seems to increase. And our lovely tester-of-all-things-running Monica has started saying it'd be something she wants to try.

So, when I accidentally left my running shoes down the shore (whoops) and set out to run 6 miles in old shoes from crew (let's recall that crew is more of a horizontally oriented sport), it wasn't long before I was ready to stop running because I'm now incapable of running without my lovely Asics. There is nothing that will make you want to stop running more than imminent blisters. Around the same time, I was moving inside for my last two miles (still training my asthmatic lungs to deal with humidity). The idea that immediately pops into my head is to finish up the last two miles barefoot. Good plan?

Eh, mediocre plan. One caveat most people will note about barefoot running is that it takes some getting used to. I learned a lot about my stride in those two miles, including that I drag my feet horrifically. Poor form aside, you can definitely tell the difference between what feels natural in shoes and what feels most comfortable without them--I found myself on the front outsides of my feet looking more like a dancer doing a terrible job at leaping than a runner. Overall, I'd probably try a pair of "barefoot" shoes on short distances, and stick to my nice support shoes for longer ones. The muscles used in running without shoes change pretty dramatically, and I woke up sore on Wednesday to atone for throwing my body into something it wasn't used to.

The real solution? Just run on the beach!

Fake it till you make it

Yesterday the New York Times published an article on the latest discovery in the science of running. According to sports scientists, long distance runners can improve their performance by rinsing their mouths with a carbohydrate solution. That's it. No messy energy gels, no mid-run snacks, just a highly concentrated starchy solution that you don't even have to swallow. Simply swishing your mouth out with a carb solution apparently activates sensors that trick your brain into thinking carbs are on the way. In turn, your brain prompts muscles and nerves to work harder with the promise of fuel. All lies but it works.

For shorter runs, this finding could be great news for runners, particularly those who's stomachs are easily upset by food or are prone to cramping. Consuming sports drinks or solid carbs doesn't technically affect performance during shorter work-outs as the body can't metabolize the carbohydrates for food in under an hour. But interestingly, the study shows that even if your muscles don't have time to use the carbs for fuel, carbohydrates still activate brain areas associated with muscle activity and rewards, which caused participating runners using the solution to go farther during a 60 minute test run. Endurance runners take note - marathoners will still need to work in carbohydrates/calories, however, as during extremely long exercise sessions muscles need new sources of glycogen to replenish burnt-out reserves. Definitely considering giving the carbosolution a shot on my next tempo run!


Speaking of psychological trickery, Kim and I will be employing a somewhat unrelated technique to make us feel like we're hardcore at August's Bronx Half Marathon - skanty running. No, we're not ACTUALLY running naked, although there are nude races (there is absolutely no way that is comfortable for either gender). More accurately Kim and I will bust out our fiercest skimpy running outfits for an extra shot of confidence (or shame) at our next half marathon. After seeing a shiny gold Lady Gaga-esque corset running top at Paragon's two weekends ago, Kim and I were sold on the idea. Awesomely, that photo is in the top ten results when you search for "shiny gold sports bra." Done and done. While we may not be speed demoning through the course in the late summer heat, we'll definitely look the part for a PR in spandex hot shorts and running bras. Yes, we're going to be those runners. Judge away.

These shoes are made for running

Saturday morning Kim and I dragged ourselves out of my bed and sleepwalked up to 110th St. (UGH) for NYRR's Splash and Dash 10k. Given the pea soup like humidity, there was very little dashing occurring; most of the run took on the form of a slow plod up and down hills. Regardless, I finished comfortably without feeling like I exerted myself too much, which was the goal of this particular race. As I discovered today (yay first day of training!), the majority of my marathon training runs are mind numbingly slow, so I need to get reaccustomed to running very relaxed pace . I mean seriously, 11min miles?! Rationally it makes sense - slower miles means decreased chance of overtraining, injury, and builds critical mental capacity to get through multi-hour runs. Guess it's time for me to invest in some good books on tape. Very tempted to get a subscription to Audible so I can zone out on easy runs while listening to the New Yorker.

Second important takeaway from Saturday - I needed new shoes like nobody's business. By the first mile, my toes were screaming for a toebox that didn't feel like stabbing knives into my nails. Not fun. Running shoes should be replaced every 300 to 500 miles as over times sneakers lose stability and shock absorption capacity. I've been overdue for a new pair for a month or two now, but far too lazy/cheap to go by Paragon's in Union Square to get fitted for a new pair. For any NYRR members out there, FYI - Paragon's offers a 10% for all running related gear. Definitely helpful when you're dishing out for a new pair of shoes!
Immediately tried on the latest version of Brooks GTS Adrenaline, which have been my go-to shoe for the past 6 years. However, after numerous problems with blisters and pain with my last pair, the running specialist offered me a pair of Mizuno's to try on that were in theory better suited to my feet. Despite my initial skepticism and loyalty to my beloved Brooks, the Mizuno Wave Inspire are AH-MAZING. So much lighter, springier foam, and a snugger fit. I feel horrible for cheating on Brooks like this (yes, I am that sentimental), but it was time for a change and I definitely felt like training started off on the right foot (pun entirely intended) with a new pair of shoes. Was enjoying my run so much today that I accidentally ran more than my prescribed six mile easy run. Whoops? Hopefully they'll keep me this fresh throughout all of training!

Run, Lola, Run aka Running in the Garden of Horses

Today we have a lovely guest post from Dasha (!!), who managed to work in a touristy run while visiting Stuttgart. Obviously Dash isn't in Germany in the photo, just evidence that running is also very handy when terrorizing Tanzanian goats...

So while Monica has been training for her 192,839,280kilometer-uphill races, I am lucky if I motivate myself for a 200 meter trot every other week. However, while I was visiting the lovely German city of Stuttgart, I got dragged out for a run by one of my friends. Now, to be fair, my friend K works on one of the U.S. military bases in Stuttgart and actually has a physical component to his job; therefore, our definition of "running" was a bit different.

I am currently on month 2 of 8 of an around the world trip, and I have to admit that running is one of the best-est ways to see a city. Not only do you cover the territory faster, but many popular running paths are just the exact mixture of passing by some very scenic sites, and being off of the tourist path. Stuttgart is Germany's sixth largest city (at least according to Wikipedia), and has a very nice public park right in the center. The name Stuttgart roughly roughly means "Garden of Horses" from "stout" for horse and "garten" for garden or compound. Interestingly, some hypothesize that the Stuttgart city seal is actually the basis for the Porsche logo; so it seems like the perfect place for a run!
One thing about European cities is that they are just so much more friendly for pedestrians and bikers. Some cities (like London) have bike paths that are adjacent to the roadway, while others (like Stuttgart) have bike pathways adjacent to the sidewalk. Word of wisdom, beware of the later! While running in Stuttgart was very nice because it involved a minimal amount of street jogging, the cyclists can freaking get ya! One thing that is kind of funny slash peculiar is that Germans do not jaywalk. Ever. Now, as any city runner can tell you, jaywalking is an essential part of actually being able to run in a city. So while I am sure we offended German sensibilities with our rampant jay-running, it definitely beat waiting for every street light.

The Stuttgart public park is quite large and very beautiful. Because my legs gave out after the first 35 minutes of our run, I was very thankful that the park also had an extensive kids' playground. While my friend elected to keep running for another few miles, I enjoyed some quality swinging on the swings time! As much as the layout was very pedestrian/biker friendly, I really wish they had stuck some water fountains somewhere in the park; thanks to global warming this summer has been an unseasonably hot one in many parts of Europe, and with temperatures close to 90 by the time we hit the park, I was really wishing for a hydration option (guess I should purchase a hydration belt, right Monica?). On the way back I was re-energized by views of the castle, and (not going to lie) dreams of the beer awaiting me at the end of the run. Nevertheless, I would be lying if I didn't admit that the following days my legs were begging for mercy.

And so it begins

One week from today training for the Marine Corps Marathon officially begins! Rationally I should be nauseatingly nervous, but quite honestly I'm downright excited for training to start in earnest. Like schoolgirl on prom night excited. For the past year, I've run consistently - slowly building my base and tackling distances that this time last year I would have scoffed at. While I've talked about running a marathon for years, I never took the leap and committed myself to the actual running part of the dream. Minor details. This time is different though. My registration fee is paid, marathon tech t-shirt has arrived, and most importantly I'm now confident in my ability to log the miles necessary to pull this off. That's not to say I don't envision moments when I will want to burn my Brooks sneakers and quit. Thankfully the combination of a detailed training plan, tons of NYRR races, and my amazing race partner Kim should be more than enough to keep me on track.

After several weeks of research, I've settled on a 16 week training plan courtesy of Runner's World. The plan offers a solid combination of easy runs, speedwork, gradual mileage increase, plus necessary rest/cross-training days. Every three weeks the mileage backs off a bit to prevent injuries and burn-out. A sample week will look something like this:
Mon/Wed/Sat - Rest / Cross-train
Tues/Fri - Easy run (6-8mi)
Wed - Tempo run / speedwork (5-9mi)
Sun - Long run (10-20mi)

I won't be running more than 4 days a week, a prospect that does slightly worry me. My natural impulse is to run as much as humanly possible in preparation for the daunting task of running a marathon. Clearly, however, that would not be a particularly responsible or safe way to go about training. As much as I'm looking forward to the MCM experience (and Comrades after that), running is an activity that I'd like to continue throughout my life, which means not blowing out my joints in my mid-20s as a result of overambitious training. Me, take on more than I can handle? Neeeeever.

Sadly Kim and I won't be able to train daily together for the race, but we have signed up for a bunch of races this summer/fall to keep us honest and force us out on the dreaded 20 mile long runs. Yes, runs. Our training plan includes three 20 mile runs before the actual marathon. AWESOME. Luckily, many of NYRR's summer races are timed perfectly to overlap with the training plan's scheduled long runs. It will definitely be a ton easier to slog through 3 hour runs with volunteer manned water stations and post race bagel/banana stands. Also speaking of race prep, Kim and I are in the market for a team name. Any ideas? Something preferably that won't raise awkward questions from my parents when they see it printed on our singlets...

Upcoming races:
July 10 - NYRR Splash and Dash 10k
July 24 - NYRR Queens Half Marathon
August 1 - NYRR Marathon Tune-up #1 (14M)
August 15 - NYRR Bronx Half Marathon
August 28 - NYRR Marathon Tune-up #2 (20M)
September 19 - NYRR Marathon Tune-up #3 (20M)
September 26 - 5th Avenue Mile
October 31 - MARINE CORPS MARATHON