Tis the Season of the Marathon

The Fall season is finally upon us, which means the leaves are turning, pumpkin lattes are brewing, and Fall marathons are in full swing.  26.2 miles has long been viewed as the peak of road racing, and with the cooler temps the Fall is when many of the more popular marathons take place. From the Twin City Marathon in October to the Rocket City Marathon in December, beginning in October a runner has many races from which to choose to conquer.  Listed below are some of the more well known races of the fall.

Chicago Marathon

The Chicago Marathon is known as one of the flattest and fastest marathons of the fall.  Registration opens in the Spring and has been known to close within one week of opening.  This year the race took place on October 13th where more than 40,000 people traversed the streets of Chicago.  In 2005, Deena Kastor, the US women's record holder in the marathon won the Chicago Marathon.

Marine Corps Marathon

Known as "The People's Marathon" this race started in 1976 with 1,175 participants, mostly marines. Over the last 40 years Marine Corps Marathon has grown in size and popularity. Just over 30,000 runners take on the marathon distance through the nations capital. In 1994, the Marine Corps Marathon garnered great attention as Oprah Winfrey completed the 26.2 mile distance in 4:29:15 and began what's known as the "Beat Oprah!" movement.

New York City Marathon

The New York City Marathon (NYCM) is one of the largest marathons in the world.  Each year more than 45,000 participants run the course through the 5 city boroughs of New York.  Taking place the first Sunday of November every year this race has hosted many elite and amateur runners each year, with the exception of 2012, since 1970.  As one of the Worlds Marathon Majors, NYCM garners national and international attention from the world's best runners.  In 1976, Norwegian Grete Waitz broke the women's record and went on to win the NYCM nine times.  In 2009, American Meb Keflezighi won the NYCM, the first American since Alberto Salazar won it in 1982.

While these 3 races are the more popular races of the Fall, there are many other marathons from which a runner can choose to run.  Big or small, local or international, running the marathon is an experience which every runner should consider to embark upon. 26.2 miles to eternity, 1 mile at a time there is no greater experience.  

Keep running!!

Jerome

Go Long and Prosper!!!

This past weekend the Chicago Marathon kicked off the fall marathon season.  The fall is one of my favorite times of year to run.  Morning, noon, or night the air is crisp with nearly zero humidity; great weather to go for a long run.  If you’re an endurance runner there is no escaping the long run; it’s the cornerstone of just about every running plan there is.  But why run long?  Can you get by with a bunch of 3-6-8 mile runs and call it a day?  The short answer is no.  The benefits of running long, full body work out, burns many calories, and improved mental health.

Need a work out, don’t have a gym membership… put on a pair of shoes and go for a run.  Technically speaking, any run over 90 minutes is considered a long run.  Within these 90 minutes you work your arms, legs, abs, quads, hamstrings, back, etc.  Show me one singular workout that will hit that many areas at the same time.

Looking for a high calorie burn?  Running long is the perfect answer to weight reduction, which generally speaking means reducing calories.  There are many tools, formulas, calculations, watches, and scales which will tell a person how many calories they've burned.  If you’re like me, forget all that and keep it simple.  A generally accepted formula to use is 100 calories per mile run.  So, if you run 5 miles, you've burned 500 calories.  So, if a person were to run 10 miles on their 90 minute long run, they've burned 1000 calories.  That’s a pretty good burn!!

Ever have one of those Monday morning feelings only to realize it’s Wednesday and you’re knee deep into it?  Whenever I have a stressful day a long run is there to clear my head, put me into a better mood, or help me work through whatever the situation I’m dealing with.  Running produces endorphins that your body just soaks up.  These endorphins naturally boost your mood, something many runners call the “runner’s high”.  Trust me its real.

So, for you newbies out there still not convinced a long run is for you.  I say this, we all started from zero.  Running long is truly possible for everyone.  But, we all must choose the path we run on individually.  If you decide to one day take that leap, proceed with caution.  Be sure to follow a sound plan, consult your physician, and build slowly.  The benefits of running outweigh the few.  Go long and prosper!!

Big Rome

All State 13.1 Marathon – Race Recap

The date was October 6, 2013; the weather was a cool 61 degrees.  My alarm clock was blaring… the time 4AM.  It’s time to get up for another half marathon, this one, the All State 13.1 Marathon Half Marathon.  I’ve ran this race every year since it started back in 2009.  It’s a great event that takes place in Brookhaven, a residential area near downtown Atlanta.  This year being no different than any other I was looking forward to the challenge this course presents.  I met up with my Atlanta Southside Runner (ASR) friends to make the trek to Atlanta together.  The camaraderie of running buddies makes the experience of pounding the pavement much more enjoyable.  I guess knowing that you aren’t the only person crazy enough to get up crazy hours to prepare and run events gives you a sense of togetherness that only another runner can explain.

The race had a scheduled 7AM start time, we got there in plenty of time to use the restrooms, glide up, and get relaxed before the start.  It was pretty nice to see how many of us came out for this event.  We have a pretty tight group.  We chatted for a while talking about crazy things runners seem to talk about, which funny enough never seems to be about running.  After a few minutes we noticed we were getting strange looks from folks – appears we unknowingly blocked a few restrooms and folks were wondering if we were in line.

The start of the race was quickly approaching; a few of us went to warm up and when we finished the group met back up for a stirring pep talk from Nathan, which made the earth move. J  We were ready for battle.  The announcer signaled, telling all the runners to start getting into their corrals.  A singer song the national anthem, which brought the house down (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it).  Nothing left but to get our Garmin’s synched with the satellites and wait for the count down.  3, 2, 1… we’re off.

Mile 1-3… It’s dark out here… why oh why do I run these events??  After going through my customary self-reflection I gathered myself for the task at hand.  Fritz and I were running together through much of the first part of the race.  This was kind of cool because it made it easier to get settled.  Unfortunately through all the turns we got separated.  Oh well, the race must go on.

Mile 4-6… This was the turn.  The first half of the race is a loop which takes you on a scenic tour of the Brookhaven neighborhood and back past the start of the race.  If you’re new to running you may not like going back by the start/finish only to keep going… heck who am I kidding I don’t like it either.  I’ll have you know, I didn’t bail, and I kept going. 

Mile 7-10… This part of the course, in my opinion, is the toughest.  It follows what seems to be never ending slow inclines only to take you through neighborhoods full of twists and turns.  This part of the of the course has many uphill challenges and one steep downhill which in years past forced me to break more than I wanted too.  The one bright spot were the cheerleaders.  I can’t recall what they were saying, but it got me pumped… I think I even “raised the roof” for a minute.

Mile 11-12…  Fritz and I hooked back up for a minute on this part of the course.  Reminded him that the work wasn’t over… we still had a bit of a challenge to go.  We ran through what to me felt like a torture tunnel, which was a winding course through a soccer field/park.  Apparently many folks knew this was coming; it appears to me that someone paid off their family and friends to write inspirational sayings on the ground in chalk.  If they had asked me what to write, it would’ve been something along the line, “You signed up for it… suck it up and keep going!”

13.1… So, after getting through all of that, there was nothing left to do but finish strong.  The beauty of the back end of this course – it’s sort of like an out and back.  Miles 12-13 connects back with miles 7 and 6, so as you’re headed toward the finish line you get to see and cheer on other runners, which allow you to pump each other up.  It’s also cool to see familiar faces along the way in, like Cristal and Clarke cheering you on, love those guys.  Ahh… there’s the finish line… time to focus, and finish strong.

With the race now complete and newly earned medal in hand, I enjoyed seeing old and new friends finish their race and hearing their stories.  We walked around, hung out at the Phidippides tent taking it all in, enjoying each other’s company.  This is why we run, another successful finish to a great event.