Hitting the Wall – Jenna

It is amazing how 10 miles seemed far, and now onto 14+ miles, things are getting easier as the miles fly by. Typically things are going well. I'm staying healthy and making sure I am eating and drinking enough so I don't get run down. It is also getting easier to decline late night plans Saturday night, and hit the hay early so I have plenty of energy for my long runs on Sunday mornings. However, I learned the hard way this past weekend, upon mile 11 of 14, what "hitting the wall" really feels like. I haven't been good about bringing Swedish fish, my running food of choice, with me, and although I wasn't mentally tired, I felt like I just couldn't stay moving. I felt totally fatigued, like my legs were made out of lead, which had me walk/jogging the last three miles, and eventually calling it quits a bit short of 14. I won't make this mistake again! My goal this week is to try the "goo" and see how I like that. All in all, training is going well and what is keeping me on track is the fact that every mile accomplished will make those 26.2 miles easier come April 18!

Battle in My Mind – Jacqui

I just completed week four of 14 weeks of training. The mileage is really beginning to add up as my training plan ramps up. This week alone I ran 22 miles. I am proud to report that I hit a “cool” first milestone: my short run was six miles this week, the same distance of my long run in week one! It is pretty hard to believe that I could think of a six mile run as short, but this shows how quickly things are progressing.

Thankfully, my body seems to be taking the abuse in stride (bad pun I know). Once I purchased real running shoes and began a more rigorous stretching program, my pains seemed to fade away.

Though I have put in a lot of mileage to date, I still have not found that elusive runner’s high. On my 10-mile long run this week, the miles seemed to pass slower and slower – though I did keep the same pace. I am beginning to see that the true battle is going to be in my mind, not my body. Surprisingly my legs are able to keep moving without much protest. It is the mental aspect of willing them to do so that is challenging.

I have experimented a little in meditation running and that really helps me pass the miles the best. In this practice, I think of nothing and look at a white brick wall while running on the treadmill (still no outside training due to the weather). If my mind wanders to a thought, then I just refocus again on nothingness. Since I have never been one to meditate, this is not easy for me and is taking some practice. So for the time being, I switch around from watching a show on TV, to listening to music on my iPod, to meditative running. This week I also plan to dabble in some audiobooks that I downloaded. I just need to find something to get my mind off the mileage marker and I think I will be all set!

Fuel Trial Run – Todd

The snowstorm last week kept me from running again until the long run that ended week six. I wanted to try something different with nutrition and hydration in an attempt to feel better for runs longer than nine miles. For a future long run I will try some high-tech sports bars and gels but first I wanted to try something simple. I bought CVS Brand Candy Orange Slices for 99 cents. There were 23 in the bag. I ate a couple every mile and drank three Honest Kids Berry Berry Good Lemonades, one every four miles. All of that totaled to about 1100 calories and 20 ounces. I ran 15 miles, of which the first 13 felt great. I couldn’t taste anything sweet for the rest of the day. I ran back and forth on Comm Ave between Walnut Street and the Mass Pike with a hundred or so other runners training for the Marathon. After my run I took my kids to the Museum of Science where we had lunch, watched an Imax Film about the Great Lakes and wandered around the exhibit halls. This morning I saw only one other runner while running faster than my normal pace for three miles through slush.

Getting Ready for 17 – Elise

Not much to update from my last blog. I ran my longer weekend run (six miles) on Friday of this past week because I was taking a short trip to New York City. This was my first time in New York City and I think the amount of walking I did made up for not taking any runs. This coming weekend I will be doing a 17-mile run. I think I have decided on doing the Charles River Loop, from St. Auburn's bridge to the Science Museum bridge. My audio book is getting really good so it is keeping me motivated to run, since I only allow myself to listen while I'm running.

Expert Advice: Shoe Wear and Foot Problems

Bruised toe nails? Get ready for them to fall off. The first two toes are particularly prone to bruising and can be related to shoes being even a 1/2 size too small. I'd make sure you keep your toe nails trimmed short and look into getting a slightly larger pair of shoes. Given that we have 2 1/2 months until the Marathon, you have plenty of time to break in a new pair. Actually, this is the perfect time to get new ones…because come race day, your current shoes will be 2 1/2 months older and have at least 320 more miles on them! Can you believe it?

It is recommended that you replace running shoes every four to six months or 400 miles, depending on body weight and your distance, frequency, etc. I'd suggest buying two pairs of the same shoe now, and alternate them with each run you do. This way, come race day, they're not worn out (only 120 miles each) but they're both broken nicely.

Basically, running shoes come in one of three basic styles: cushioned, stability and motion control. Cushioned shoes are typically recommended for runners with a neutral or high arch who just need cushioning and a shoe that lets their foot move naturally. On the other end of the spectrum are motion control shoes that have a reinforced arch with high density foam built into the arch. These shoes are better for people with collapsed arches/flat feet and will help to control overpronation (collapse of the arch during running). Stability shoes are a blend of motion control and cushioning for those that might be mild overpronators, but want more cushioning/less support.

If your current shoes are working for you, then don't rock the boat, stick with what works. If you're not sure, then visit one of the many great running specialty stores in the area or feel free to contact me. They'll be able to evaluate your foot type and gait pattern and make some recommendations. Bottom line, it should be comfortable! Run easy!

Learning about Hydration - Todd

I ended week five of my training with an 11-mile run on Saturday. I went up and down Commonwealth Avenue between the Fire Station and Boston College. My older kids were in a science class all morning, so I played Cars (the movie) with my youngest son for two hours in the morning. After a small lunch I started my run. I rehydrated with “Honest Kids” juice pouches, the same ones my kids drink at school. I drank one every four miles. The first nine miles were great and the last two were miserable. I hope I can do something different with my nutrition and rehydration next week. On Sunday the kids and I went sledding and my legs didn’t feel too bad climbing up the hills. I started week six training today before the snowstorm. Some of my friends are becoming my unofficial coaches with recommendations for specialized compression garments and speed work. I haven’t decided to buy the fancy pants, but I did run two of my four miles today at a pace of eight min/mile, over one min faster than my regular pace.

Week 3 of 14 – Jacqui

My body and my treadmill are beginning to feel the effects of all the mileage that has been adding up: 52 miles to date! I have watched my treadmill calorie counter reach 999 – only to then start over at zero! I have also discovered that my treadmill has its own thoughts about marathon running. It apparently thinks no human should run for prolonged periods, as it stops when the clock goes over 99 minutes. This was not a fun fact to discover. As I was nearing the end of the longest run of my life (nine miles), suddenly the treadmill stopped! I suppose I am lucky that I didn’t fall and hurt myself, but I wasn’t thinking about how “lucky” I was at the time.

I am observing the effect running is having on my body. I have developed a bruised toe, which probably means a good pair of running shoes is in order. I fear breaking in a new pair of shoes, but at this point I think either the shoes go or the toenail goes. And after a long run the other day, I also had soreness under my arms. Who would ever think one could experience chaffing there? I have also begun to develop stiffening and tightness down my left leg. I was thankfully able to easily identify the area of concern and initiate a relieving stretching regimen. Though these problems all seem easily fixable, they have opened my eyes to the demands I am asking of my body.

Since I’m burning so many calories on long runs, I am beginning to wonder about other aspects of the marathon – like hydration, nutrition and digestion. I looked for a couple of books on the logistics of running a marathon. There are actually many of them out there. Believe it or not, there is even a Marathon Training for Dummies book! Since I sometimes feel totally clueless about what I have gotten myself into, I figured that was a good book for me. Hopefully next week, I will be a whole lot more informed and slightly more experienced!