4 Weeks to Go

Distance 6 miles

Time 1:07:42

Perfect sunny day for the longest run I've done in a year and a half. The only downside was that half the city seemed to think so, too. In addition to a crew tournament and a bicycle race, there were hundreds of runner, bikers, rollerbladers, and walkers out enjoying the sunshine. I actually love to see so many folks outside being active, but it made for some dodge-and-weave running.

H and I ran together again, and it was his first 6-miler ever. He's been struggling with some shin pain, and being a chronic shin splint sufferer myself, I know how tough it can be. He was a complete rockstar, running the entire distance and keeping up conversation with me the whole time. I'm really proud of him, and I can't wait to run the BSR together.

I got hit by a serious case of the sleepies on the car ride home, and by the time I got in the door, I was so exhausted that I told Todd to shower first so I could take a quick nap. On the floor. In my running clothes.

I seriously considered calling it a night after my shower, but I was roused by the promise of Turkish food from S&H Kebab House. I replenished my calorie reserves with some shepherd salad, döner kebap, and a perfect piece baklava. If you're in the Philadelphia area, I highly recommend S&H.

The Rainbow Connection

Distance 3 miles

Time 30:12

Ran at the gym (boo!) after work thanks to unpredictable thunderstorms all day. And I drank half a beer beforehand at my boss' 50th birthday celebration, so my hopes weren't particularly high for this run. Turns out it was great. And I saw a rainbow on my way to the gym - a big, full arc. Awesome.

Maybe there's something to the drinking/running combo. These guys seem to dig it.

April Fool

Distance 4 miles
Time 43:03

Slow, leisurely run to welcome April. Now that the weekday runs are getting longer, I need to get up earlier to get them in. I fell asleep on the bus ride to work today. At least I didn't drool on the person sitting next to me.

5 Weeks to Go

Distance 5 miles
Time 53:55

Frigging gorgeous day for my first 5-miler in over a year. I was supposed to run with my brother again, but he's not feeling well, so I went it alone. Kelly Drive was insane with another crew competition, but I overheard someone say that there are only two weeks left in the season. Sweet!

5 miles was a really important turning point for me the last time I did the Broad Street Run. Something about reaching the halfway point makes you believe you'll actually be able to do the whole thing. I'm definitely feeling optimistic about finishing, though I'm not so sure about doing it in < 10 minute miles like I hoped. I guess we'll see.

Early

Distance: 3 miles
Time: 31.37 minutes

Short and sweet. Even though it's my final day off of work this week, I still got up at 5:30 to head out to Kelly Drive with Todd. I like that guy.

Treadmill

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 41.38

I have a few days off work, so I didn't have to get up at 5:30 to run today. It wasn't my easiest run ever, and I couldn't say much for the scenery, but I beat my last 4-mile time by over a minute. I'll take it.

6 Weeks to Go

Distance: 2 miles

Time: 20 minutes

Went running with my brother H today. It was the first time I've had a running partner in over a year, and it was awesome. H is training for Broad Street, too, so I'll hopefully get to do a few more training runs with him. I'm a little worried about the jump to 4 miles on Wednesday, but Hal's training plan has never let me down before. Here's hoping.

Mornin'

Distance: 2 miles

Time: 19.02 minutes

Short, quick (by my standards, anyway) run. Felt great. Ready for spring.

7 Weeks to Go

Distance: 4 miles

Time: 42.40 minutes

First 4-miler in quite a while.  Not my fastest, but it was surprisingly fun, and  I felt pretty good. Lots of crew hoopla on Kelly Drive, so I went off-roading for a half-mile or so. Have to remember to keep my hips straight and stop leading with my left.

Pre-dawn

Distance: 3 miles

Time: 32.52 minutes

Super slow run, but I got the mileage in. That's what counts, right? Right?

8 Weeks to Go

Distance: 3 miles 

Time: Meh 

Lovely, muddy run on the Wissahickon, but seriously, what's a girl got to do to get a port-a-john around here?

Out of Doors

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 18 minutes
The Skinny: Finished strong, but the frigid wind makes me cranky.

Beginning at the beginning

After a miserably cold (albeit short) winter of sloth, I need some motivation to get back in shape. The Broad Street Run is on Sunday, May 6, less than 10 weeks from now. Not wanting to finish last is probably as good a motivator as any.

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 20 minutes
The Skinny: I'll get back to you when I can breathe again.

So I lied.

Distance: 3.9 miles
Speed: 10 minutes/mile
Weight: 119 lbs.
Sounds: Disc 2 of Silberman's Best of 2004 compilation

Yeah, yeah, I know. The race is over, and I said I was going to discontinue this blog when it was. But hear me out, alright?

The Broad Street Run was amazing. I loved (just about) everything about it. Here's a quick recap:


Saturday, 4/31, 2 p.m.: Attended Health & Fitness Expo at Naval Yard; picked up race bib, timing chip, and goodie bag; purchased brown Coolmax® shirt for race

Saturday, 4/31, 6 p.m.: Had dinner with TT at Villa Di Roma; ate my weight in gnocchi

Saturday, 4/31, 10 p.m.: Drank a glass of wine to calm my nerves and promptly fell asleep (note: this NEVER happens. Usually, when I'm excited or nervous about something, I can't sleep at all the night before. Must have been the gnocchi.)

Sunday, 5/1, 5 a.m.: Woke up and had a lightly buttered (thanks, Tom!) whole wheat English muffin and a vitaminwater™

Sunday, 5/1, 6 a.m.: Applied BODYGLIDE® to my boobs and soles of my feet

Sunday, 5/1, 6:30 a.m.: Pinned my bib number onto my shirt; stuck myself with safety pin twice

Sunday, 5/1, 7:05 a.m.: Had our picture taken by a Philly Department of Recreation photographer (or so he said) while waiting for the Broad Street Line

Sunday, 5/1, 7:10 a.m.: Boarded the BSR; Realized EVERYONE (except for one poor guy who was obviously going to work) was wearing a race bib and sneakers

Sunday, 5/1, 7:20 a.m.: A billion runners got on the subway

Sunday, 5/1, 7:25 a.m.: The subway stopped for no apparent reason

Sunday, 5/1, 7:30 a.m.: The subway started again

Sunday, 5/1, 7:32 a.m.: A billion more runners got on the subway

Sunday, 5/1, 7:40 a.m.: More runners got on, and I lost sight of TT

Sunday, 5/1, 8:00 a.m.: After standing on the subway for almost an hour, we finally poured out into the Olney Station; I began to freak out at the number of people

Sunday, 5/1, 8:07 a.m.: Stood in line for one of the 100 Porta-Johns™ in the Central High School Athletic Field.

Sunday, 5/1, 8:13 a.m.: Saw Maggie & Shatt waiting in the next line

Sunday, 5/1, 8:17 a.m.: Walked into a Porta-John™ and saw an enormous turd on the seat; opted to wait for another Porta-John™

Sunday, 5/1, 8:23 a.m.: Headed towards the starting line and continued to freak out at the number of people

Sunday, 5/1, 8:27 a.m.: Tried to do a few quick stretches while waiting for the race to start; disappointed that I couldn't find any of my friends (except for TT)

Sunday, 5/1, 8:30 a.m.: The gun went off, but we didn't hear it, because we were so far back

Sunday, 5/1, 8:37 a.m.: We finally started moving S-L-O-W-L-Y

Sunday, 5/1, 8:40 a.m.: Squeezed TT's hand and told him I'd see him at the finish line

Sunday, 5/1, 9:35 a.m.: Passed my office building at Broad & Sansom where my wonderful, amazing coworkers were waiting to cheer us on; gave Julie a happy birthday shout-out

Sunday, 5/1, 9:36 a.m.: High-fived Rendell in front of the Bellevue; his was a little weak, but whatever

Sunday, 5/1, 10:01 a.m.: Hit mile 8, and realized I felt good; got annoyed that I didn't run faster from the start

Sunday, 5/1, 10:19 a.m.: Entered the Naval Yard and had a quarter mile to go; got SO FRIGGING EXCITED by the crowds and cheering that I ran as fast as I could to the finish line

Sunday, 5/1, 10:22 a.m.: Edged some poor woman out of the way to make sure the photographer could see me (he did)

Sunday, 5/1, 10:23 a.m.: Crossed the finish line and instantly felt like I had climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, cured cancer, and won an Oscar all at once

Sunday, 5/1, 10:27 a.m.: Found TT and hugged him so hard it hurt


There you have it. It was an amazing experience, so amazing actually that TT and I are planning to sign up for the Philly Distance Run in September. So though I won't technically be a broad on Broad, I will still be running. And occasionally, I'll be blogging, too.

8556: A photo essay

Broad Street Run 10 Miler - 2005 Results

Total athletes: 12050 (Females: 5295 / Males: 6754)

Final time is when I actually crossed the finish line; chip time is the amount of time from when I hit the starting line to when I crossed the finish line. Since there are thousands of people running, if you aren't in the very front, it can take you several minutes after the gun goes off to get to the starting line. Hence, the chip time. AG refers to Age-Graded Results. I still don't understand what they are.

Holy crap.

Twelve hours from now, I'll (hopefully) be approaching City Hall.

Fingers crossed, folks.

Cue up the theme from Chariots of Fire

My boss, Tom, is a former marathoner and a great human being.



He's been extremely supportive of the four of us in the office who have been training for the BSR. Here are his final words of wisdom, imparted upon us today:

Okay Runners:
Only two days to go! Theresa and Betsy were talking to me yesterday about what to eat the morning of the race, which made me think of a number of things I used to try to do or remember on race day. Take these for what they're worth. Everyone is different, so just use those that work for you:

1) Breakfast
I would try to eat 3 hours before the race, because it normally takes me a while to digest food, and you don't want anything to repeat on you during the race. And because you'll probably have some butterflies, digestion will be slower this morning. I would eat light food lightly. I've never heard of anyone starving to death before a race. Three pieces of lightly buttered toast and water. I tend to stay away from juice because it can be acidic.

2) Bath
Optional. I have very tight muscles, and it takes a while to warm up. So for a morning race, I would take a bath after breakfast and try and let the heat loosen them up.

3) Ben Gay or Myoflex
Normally thought of as an after exercise tool, many runners spread this on their muscles to help loosen up before a race. Same idea as the bath. Apply an hour before race time. Bear in mind this stuff stinks (unless you can find the odorless kind.) Wash your hands pretty thoroughly after you apply. You don't want to accidentally get this stuff in your eyes or groin area--very painful.

4) Stretch
Same theme as bath and Ben Gay. Do this off and on for the last half hour before the race. Stretch before you run. Slow stretches and hold for 30 seconds. No bouncing.

5) Bathroom Break
Perhaps the most strategic move you will make all day--when to get in the line for the port-a-potties. You'll want to pee within 20 minutes of race time, so you don't have to stop during the race. Figure about 1-2 minutes for each person in line and you'll have a sense of when you'll get to the front.

6) Tea and Aspirin
Two "performance enhancing" drugs that are legal. Caffeine is a stimulant which tends to improve athletic performance. Aspirin thins your blood, which enables your body to cool more efficiently. Particularly useful on hot days, but even useful in moderate weather, because you will be sweating. Both tea and caffeine are definitely optional, and depend on your tolerance of them. Aspirin can cause stomach upsets in some people. If you're one of them--skip it. Tea can make you jittery, so if you're already nervous, may not be helpful. If you decide to use either of these, be sure and wait till 15 minutes before the gun to take them. If you take them too early, you may need to go back to the port-a-potty at an inopportune time.

7) Drink During the Race
Some bonehead at the New England Journal of Medicine recently published an article about someone "overhydrating" during a race. I'm sure it happened, and is theoretically possible for you to do so, but you would have to drink LOTS AND LOTS of water to do it. Far more likely is that you dehydrate. So, drink every two miles or so. If they serve Gatorade, Powerade or ERG (all basically the same), drink that at every other stop, with water at the stops in between. Drink half to whole cup (4-8 oz) depending on how you feel at each stop. Some people try to drink on the run to save seconds. I never learned how to do this. For the few seconds extra it takes to drink while you walk, you will be grateful later not to have swallowed air while trying to drink on the run. Belching and running don't mix well.

8) Start Slow
In the early part of the race, you will be excited, but caught in a lot of runner traffic, and the pace may be agonizingly slow. You will be tempted to zip around all the traffic and start running your pace right away. If you do you'll end up running extra mileage that you'll wish you had back later. Resist the temptation to start fast, and run slow and straight. Every step you save in the beginning you'll be grateful for at the end.

And watch out for other runners. All that congestion has led to people getting tripped up at the start of the race, shoes being stepped on, etc. Just try to keep some space from you and the other runners at the start. Some jostling is unavoidable--just try to minimize it.

9) Finish Strong
If you pace yourself well at the start, you should be able to speed up gradually as the race goes on (miles 3-8). If so, you'll start to pass other runners. Great adrenaline surge from passing people in the latter half of the race. It's really fun to finish strong. Odds are that as you get to the last couple of miles, you will start to tire. This is where your brain needs to take over from your body. Your body will be saying "slow down, slow down", but if you're within 2 miles of the finish, you'll make it. Just concentrate on maintaining your pace and running smooth. You will make it, and you won't pass out. The human body is capable of much more than we think.

10) Drink After the Race
Lots of beer! I have it on good authority that hops, malt and other grains are very good for post-race psychological recovery, although shockingly, this has never appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Good luck to all! Wish I could be there to cheer you on, but will be cheering in spirit, and look forward to the post-race analysis on Monday and Tuesday.

And here’s Jim’s Cliffs Notes version:

1. Buttered Bread
2. Bath
3. Ben Gay
4. Bend
5. Bathroom!!!
6. Bergamot & Bayer
7. Beverage Breaks
8. Bobble
9. Burst
10. Bacchanalia!!!

Seems like sound advice. Especially number 10.

The Stroll

Distance: 4 miles
Speed: 10.07 minutes/mile
Weight: 119
Sounds: Beautiful Girls Soundtrack

I've had a weird pain in my right foot since Sunday. It feels sort of like I bruised the ball of my foot. Is that even possible? I was able to finish the four miles today, but it hurt. My game plan is to take it easy until the race and hope the pain goes away. It works with breakups and hangovers, so why not foot pain?

Speaking of the race, it's this SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY. Here's a rundown of people I know (and like) who will be running it with me (or more likely, ahead of me):

Todd:


Betsy & Geoff:


Jim:


Whitney:


Jamie from the New Wave:


I couldn't find a picture of Jamie. Sorry. Anyway, if you're at the race Sunday and see any of these fools running, feel free to give them an encouraging slap on the ass.

Yo Em...

Distance: 8 miles
Speed: 11 minutes/mile
Weight: ?
Sounds: inner dialogue