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

Too hot to handle

After over a week of 90degree sweltering days, it's official - summer has hit New York City. For most New Yorkers, that means cranking up the A/C, escaping to the Hamptons, or searching for entry into the city's elusive private pools. For runners, though, it's the time of year that most of us dread - a potent combination of long training runs for the fall marathon circuit and suboptimal weather (to put it mildly).

Luckily the folks at Runner's World complied some tips on surviving long, hot runs. Adjusting your schedule to take advantage of cooler mornings, bringing some speedwork onto the treadmill, and finding creative ways to avoid dehydration are all solid ideas to train safely in the summer heat. A big challenge for a lot of runners is staying hydrated, which is critical to running in high temps. If your running route isn't littered with water fountains, then you might want to considering investing in a hydration belt. While it's not the sexiest fashion accessory out there, the belt holds up to four small water bottles and also has a small pouch to store your keys, Metrocard, and snacks for those extra long runs. Definitely very practical. Kim and I even bought matching red belts at the Broad Street 10 Mile Expo a few months ago! Sadly they were out of hot pink...

Personally, I'm a total wimp when it comes to hot, humid weather so I've been sticking to the treadmill for the past couple weeks. Unfortunately, that's not going to cut for my long weekend runs once marathon training starts in two weeks. Early morning (ugh) runs are going to become a staple of my running lifestyle. This morning, I decided to bite the bullet and start getting in the habit of waking up early for runs. Got up at 5:30am and sleepwalked my way over to the FDR for a 6 mile run. Eventually woke up a few miles in and enjoyed the miraculously beautiful weather and fresh breeze coming across the river. Best way to start the day!

Speaking of staying cool, Kim and I will be braving the heat to run the NYRR Splash n'Dash 10K next weekend. 10K may not sound very far, but by 9am I'm sure the humidity and heat will make the distance a bit brutal. Thankfully the race finishes at Lasker Pool in Central Park and the fabulous NYRR race coordinators have reserved it for race participants to take a refreshing post-race dip.

Running along the beach front Durban

A long-awaited Hail from the lone runner across the sea in deepest, darkest Africa. I decided to take the proverbial bull by the horns and actually grab a friend for a proper run last Sunday. Up to now, I have only managed a few kilometers here and there before my hip-hop dancing class twice a week. But now that the World Cup is here the city has really done a lot of plastic surgery, giving it a beautiful face lift. Our beachfront has gone from being a rather dirty, unsafe area, inhabited by many street children, vagabonds and petty criminals to one of the most beautiful beach fronts I have ever had the privilege of walking on. The police presence is phenomenal and the absence of all the usual suspects suspiciously obvious. All walks of life are making use of the new walkway, people with their dogs, people rollerblading, cycling, walking and running. Even some wheelchair athletes make use of the broad walkway to get some sunshine. The sand artists make the beach so much prettier with their sand castles depicting many African themes - the big 5, the new stadium, people suntanning. Throw them a few bucks and make their day.

Starting out on the run was easy, taking in the sights and wondering where many of the tourists were from (uh - duh - that was obvious, they were all wearing their country's football jersey). With no stops along the way, we made it all the way from Sun Coast Casino to Ushaka Marine world at the other end. For once, I really was not worried about making it all the way back. The absolute energy from all the people strolling, running, cycling along seemed to sweep us to the end. Once we made it all the way back to our car, it was lovely just sitting, having a drink and taking in all the people going by. Behind us the new Moses Mabhida stadium stands proudly and guards us. A true feather in Durban's cap. I am so happy to say that I am proudly South African- can you feel it? IT IS HERE!!!!!! Comrades, here we come! AYOBA!

Comrades Training Schedule

Both Monica and I are training for marathons in October (I'm doing Chicago, she's doing the Marine Corps.) So up until we finish those (hopefully with sub-4h20 finishing times for a better Comrades qualification), we'll be doing our own separate training.

However, once that's done, we're going to have the long slog to ramp up from 26 miles to 56 miles. If you're interested in what that sort of a training schedule looks like (or if you want to follow along!) our training calendar is now available here:
Comrades Training Schedule

Running across the Bridge of Sighs

Hello from Venice! Just spent the past four days exploring the alleys, canals, and wine bars of this lovely city and of course, had to top off the trip with a run. Exercised both my running and crazy muscles this morning when I went I ventured out of the hotel at 6am to brave the streets. Armed only with my Hoya basketball shirt and slip of paper with my hotel's name, I spent the next 40 minutes sprinting up and down the myriad of stair cases (unexpectedly good hill training for Comrades...) and getting a chance to see the city finally sans touristas. Not only a fantastic run but also managed to avoid being kidnapped and getting trafficked. You think I jest, but seriously my mum was having vivid ightmares about this... Minor details.

Photos of Venetian adventures to come soon!

All my runner ladies

Courtesy of Kim, a great article on "8 Wonder Foods for Female Runners." These days it's impossible to pick up an issue of Runners World or troll a running blog without reading an article on the best foods, ingredients, or crazy Native American protein powders to supplement your running and maximize performance. However, many of them force readers to search out ingredients that you could only maybe find in your local veganlocavorefairtradesustainablyorganic market. Eh, that sounds like far too much effort. This article offers accessible advice for health conscious runners, and some tasty recipes to help you tap the various benefits of several foods. Although the author gears the article towards female runners' needs, the nutrition tips are applicable for most athletes. Pretty sure pomegranates' antioxidant power doesn't gender discriminate.

Personally, I'm usually slightly skeptical of the ever changing "food of the day", preferring to focus on eating well balanced meals full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and MEAT. Hey, I'm a growing girl - I need my protein. Speaking of healthy running snacks, spent Memorial Day having a much needed bakeathon and whipped up a massive batch of my favorite whole wheat muffins. NYTimes' Mark Bittman posted this recipe a few months ago, and it's absolutely one of the most flexible quick-breads I've tried. The recipe can hold up to 3/4 cup of whatever add-ins you like, giving you so many yummy variations! For the past month, I've been itching to get my hands on all the fresh berries abounding in my farmer's market. So Monday I picked up some fresh blueberries, threw in a handful of oatmeal and poof! oatmeal, blueberry whole wheat muffins. Definitely my new favorite combination!

What recipes are you dying to try this summer?