Tree Fresno's 11th Annual Run Through The Trees

Coming up on Sunday March 9th, I will be running in Tree Fresno's 12th annual Run Through The Trees in Tower. The 6.1 mile run starts at 8:00 AM and a 2 mile Run/Walk starts at 8:05. The race starts at the corner of Van Ness and Olive and ends at Wishon and Olive so if you don't want to run or walk it, you should come out and watch (Ed you could wave from your window). If you want to see the course and get more information go here.

The race fee is only 20 bucks and you get a free, and I am sure extremely cool t-shirt, porobably with trees on it. I believe this is also the same day as the 6th Annual Valley Classic Bike Race, so it will be an action packed day.

The Spirit of The Marathon Review

Well, I loved it. The individuals they followed during their training and running of the Chicago Marathon were varied in their experience and personalities but all were very likeable and you really wanted them to do well. It also didn't focus exclusively on these individuals but in addition went into the history and progression of marathon running, the rise in popularity of marathons, the history of women and marathons and the very unique way this sport combines amateur and professional athletes in the same event. The film makers were also able to put it all together in a very cohesive and smooth manner that made it easy to watch.

They followed both a male and female elite runner who were predicted to be contenders to win the race. The female elite athlete Deena Kastor was the 2004 Olympic Bronze Metalist and was the tinest little thing I had ever seen but amazingly tough. During her training she broke her foot and had to stop running for 6 weeks while it healed. During the race she battled with the defending champion the entire way and despite her training setback ended up taking it by a mere seconds (I was on the edge of my seat, biting my nails). The elite male was a Kenyan, Daniel Njenga. He had a heartbreaking backstory and had run this race 3 times where he placed 3rd twice and 2nd once so you know everyone wanted him to take it and we were almost as heartbroken as he was when he placed 3rd (the following year he placed 2nd). It was, as always, amazing to see elite athletes race. Anyone who can run a 5 minute mile for 26.2 miles is awe inspiring and possibly a freak of nature in my opinion.

Then they followed a couple who were both training to qualify for Boston. For those of you who don't know, to qualify for the Boston Marathon, athletes must meet the designated time standard which corresponds to their age group and sex. So I would need to run a 3:40 marathon to qualify (about an hour off my last time). The man hurt his knee during training and was unable to run but his wife did and she qualified. They were a funny couple and the parents of a young baby so I am even more impressed that the wife and mother was able to accomplish that so soon after giving birth.

Next they followed two first time marathoners, both were female and both had different approaches to their training. One trained alone and the other trained with a group . I could completely relate to both of them, their struggles and the roller coaster ride that you experience when training for your first time. My favorite individual though was 70 year old Gerald Meyers who was running his 4th marathon (he ran his first when he was 65). He was a hilarious and I fell in love with him when the frist thing he said was that he runs marathons for "the free t-shirt of course".

What I really loved about this film is that it did a great job of showcasing why marathons are so wonderful and unique. There really isn't any other sporting event where amateur athletes compete with elite athletes at the same time on the same course. The runners in the back of pack literally follow the in the footsteps of the elite athletes that came before them. It is also something that almost anyone can do if they put the time and the hard work into it. Most people don't think they can ever run 26.2 miles and when they do it is one of the most incredible feelings in the world. You see a lot of tears at the finish line but you shouldn't assume those are tears of pain. Often times they are tears of joy and pride and of accomplishment. The film captured those moments wonderfully.

When this film is reeased it is certainly going into my (somewhat odd and eclectic) collection of dvds. It really has pysched me up to run the Train of Two Cities Marathon in November. I have only run marathons and half marathons in large cities where there are a lot of specators and I am unfamilar with the course and the area so I am excited to run something in my own backyard. Hopefully this becomes an annual event for me.

Running Revisted

I have been re-thinking my approach to fitness lately and even though I have loved running in the past, I believe it is time to take a break from it. I have always known that long distance running can have negative health effects but I have brushed that aside because I also got a great deal of mental benefits from running. It has been a good stress reliver and there is something about spacing out and day dreaming while listening to my ipod that is just good for my soul (I say, tongue in cheek). I talked to my trainer about my running several months ago and she warned that if I do a lot of long distance running and aren't vigilent about my diet and getting plenty of rest etc., it can have a negative effect. That was about 2 weeks before the anemia kicked in. The period of time before my marathon and several months after I never felt very healthy. I was exhuasted all of the time, I felt weak, and I kept getting sick. Before my trip to Europe I decided that I would take a break from running since I wouldn't be able to run over there anyway, and pick it back up in August to start training for a fall marathon. Well in the past few months that I haven't been running I have felt a lot better physically. I am not as tired, I have more energy and I feel stronger (plus the dark circles are starting to go away so 5 people a day arent commenting that I look really tired). I know that part of the problem with the anemia was my diet wasn't supplying my body with enough iron, but even with efforts to change that it didnt make a big enough difference. I was also unable to weight train as much because when I did leg work, my legs were tired the next day and I wouldn't run as well. Right now I am doing 45 minutes of weights or exercises that incorporate squats/lunges or the medicine ball and 30-45 minutes cardio on the bike, eliptical, or walking on an incline uphill almost everyday and despite working out more than I did when I was running, I am not experiencing any knee or hip problems that I was before and I have more energy. I also see my strength improving and muscles developing where there used to only be scrawny and I like the way it looks. I also feel I can be less stringent on my diet so although I am still keeping it healthy, I don't have to scrutinize the carbs and the protien like I have had to do in the past (although I still need more protien). The bottom line is I feel and look better now than I did as a runner. I still think I would like to run the Fresno marathon next year, but I may hang it up after that. Besides I can still get my mental breaks from walking around the neighborhood with my ipod and I won't be limping afterwards.

Fresno Marathon? Sweet!

Last week I read in the Fresno Bee that they are going to be adding a full marathon to the Trail of 2 Cities Half Marathon that runs annualy in November. The innagural race will be in November of 2008 and the course runs from Woodward Park to Dakota and Clovis and back again. This is very exciting news! I have always wanted a local marathon to run in so I don't have to drive to another city and sleep at a hotel and then drive home the same day as the race and I can be familiar with the course before I run it. Fresno is also the largest city in the state not to have a marathon. However there have been marathons twice in Fresno's history, one from 1978-1987 and the other in 1999. The running community is growing in this area and it is about time there is marathon that reflects this. This is a great opportunity for people to try long distance running out and also for people to watch a marathon if they haven't seen one run. There will also be a field of elite runners and if you have never seen an elite runner race it is unbelievable. One year and seven months to go!

Burritos, running and more!

I am feeling sad and angry from the horrific events of yesterday. Not much else to say about that that hasn't already been said, just a very tragic and uncessary event that should not have happened.

I got a free burrito from Chipotle yesterday. Mmmm Chipotle and yay to free food.

I had trouble sleeping last night, first time in a long time that has been a problem. I was hot and I couldn't get comfortable and my stomach was hungry for some reason (despite eating the entire Chipotle burrito).

My running is on a steady incline lately. I have been running faster and easier this past week and hopefully that continues. I still can't seem to pinpoint why some days are great running days and some days I struggle despite keeping a food journal and paying attention to how well I am sleeping and what I did the previous day etc.

Currently listening to some Social Distortion. I wish I could have caught them when they were in town last week, but they sold out. Good stuff none the less.

Tay in da wind

Today I have a middle of the week long run scheduled to boost up my mileage. Typically I will do a long run on the weekend and do shorter maintenance runs during the week. Since I get off work at 4 and it stays light until probably around 8 or so I have plenty of time to make one of my maintenance runs into a training run during the week. Unlucky for me I decided to do that today, which is freakishly windy. I really dislike running in the wind for various reasons but mostly since I do my longer runs at Woodward my allergies are really going to act up which as any allergy sufferer knows is generally unpleasant and down right irritating. I have however been looking forward to the run all day because I am stressed out about work and in an overall bad mood and running is always a cure for that. Snot to the wind in an hour and a half.

LA Marathon

This past Sunday I ran my second full marathon in Los Angeles. I finished 4,810 out of 26,000 runners with a time of 4:43. Before the anemia came up my goal was 4:30 so I didn't quite make that, but in light of the circumstances I did ok. I can honestly say that I had absolutely nothing left in me at the end of the race and it was the best I could have done so I am relatively pleased. I will be running another one in the fall so hopefully by then I will be able to run the race healthier than I am now and improve my time.

As I am hobbling around these last few days more than a few people have asked me why I would want to do something like that to myself. Well maybe I am slightly nuts or perhaps a glutton for punishment or both but I sincerely enjoy both training for and running races. When I first decided I wanted to run this marathon I was living in Austin and was going through a hard time. I was really depressed for a few weeks and I knew I needed to pull myself out of it. I thought that if I had a goal to strive for it might help distract me and keep me from being so down on myself. I decided that running another marathon would be my best option and I threw myself into training. For the last month I was living in Austin I would wake up at 4:45 am and run in the morning and then after work I would run again. Slowly I started to feel better. All of the hours I spend on the road I fully enjoy because I am able to turn on my ipod and daydream or just completely zone out. For me running is equally good for me physically and mentally. If I am having a hard day, going for a run always improves my mood.

So why a marathon? Well it is a challenge and I like to be challenged. If you have never been to a marathon as either a participant or spectator I would reccomend you do so. Go to about mile 22 when people are really struggling, grimmacing in pain and wondering if they are going to be able to finish. At that point for a lot of runners it is no longer about physical conditioning but it is pure mental strength and willpower that keeps them going. See them again at the finish line and they may still be in a lot of pain but you also see their pride. At one point I was having a great deal of pain in my hips and I stopped to bend over because that was the only way I was able to get any relief. As soon as I had, two runners and spectator told me to keep going and encouraged me not to stop. Now dont't get me wrong I had no intentions of stopping, but the fact that they saw I was struggling and took the time to say a few words to support me meant a great deal.

Thats the other reason I love races, it reminds me that people are still nice and good in this world. You cover a lot of neighborhoods when you run 26.2 miles and there are spectators cheering you on the entire way. We didn't know them, they didn't know us but they clapped and cheered when we ran by. For a good portion of the race we ran through neighborhoods that were not considered the good parts of town. The houses were older and run down and the people who lived there didn't look like they had a great deal of money, but they were the best spectators throughout the entire race. Many of them were handing out orange slices to the runners they thenselves had provided. Some had their hoses on and were spraying the runners going by and the kids would line up with big grins and their hands out so you could give them a high five as you ran by. It sometimes suprises me how helpful and supportive people can be to a complete strangers, but having that support is priceless when you are the one running, especially when you struggle.

Don't get me wrong though, marathons are not all puppies and rainbows. There was the hour long line to use the porta potty at the start of the race because some genius decided that 5o porta poties would be enough for 26,000 runners. There was the poorly constructed finish line that was clogged with people because there wasn't enough room for everyone. And there was the walk to the family reunion area that was at least a football field in length, uphill. Oh yeah and then there is the pain. But aside from the minor annoyances, I am damn sure glad I did it and I am damn sure going to do it again.