Final Week!

"If you want to run, run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon." -Emil Zatopek (famous Czech Runner)

This week is going to be remarkably easy. Just a few 3 mile runs, a light work load, and a lot of time to

get mentally and physically prepared for the race. I just tried to book an hour long "sports massage" for the week, so hopefully that works out. The race is coming at a perfect time. My fall season at work has finished out, it's becoming too cold to teach private lessons outdoors on the side, and the marathon is coming at a very docile time. The calm before the programming, marketing, staffing, planning and teaching storm that will hit again in January. I'm feeling great and I'm ready to go. Here are a few updates on how things are going. 

Fundraising: I'm closing in on the $2,500 mark and am almost 70% to my total goal. We had a great event a few weeks ago at the Just Tennis Clinic and Raffle. Read more about this on our Just Tennis Blog. 

Fitness Level: Despite the pumpkin pie blizzard with whipped cream and nutmeg I just devoured while Halloween costume shopping, and the cup of pumpkin spice coffee I'm savoring right now, I'm feeling very fit. 

I don't feel like I've evolved into a rippled, superhuman, accelerating blur of awesomeness, but I do feel more energetic. There's more of a spring in my step, I feel quicker and lighter, and I feel like my body has become more fuel efficient. I was always fairly good. Maybe along the lines of a Nissan Altima. But now, after all this training. I feel like a Toyota Prius or a Honda Fit. Not the quick, muscle bound sprint of a Maserati or the awkward yet dependable clunkiness of a fuel efficient SUV. Yep, I'm in total Prius mode. Let's hope I can add a little more horsepower!

Highlights: I'm really looking forward to the diversity of the crowd in this race. I tuned into all of our conference calls with Kathrine Switzer, the 1974 winner as well as the Director of Philanthropy for the NY Roadrunners. As he went through the course, he emphasized the energy and diversity of the crowd. In certain stretches, we'll be cheered on by hoards of hipsters. In others, Hasidic Jews. A few miles down the street, we may be entering a vibrant Hispanic Community. I'm really excited to see the unique personality that each borough brings to the table. I know that my Mp3 player won't be necessary for this run. The cheering of the crowd, the competitive spirt of the runners around me and my own thoughts will be all I need. 

USTA Middle States: Michael, Kate, Marge and the entire team at Middle States has been very helpful in getting my name and my cause out there. The most recent story was great. I know not everyone is able to donate, but it's nice to be out and about or teaching on the court and hearing a parent say "HEY! I saw you in the USTA Newsletter!" That's much better than what I used to get recognized for: "HEY! Aren't you the guy that wears those weird toe shoes at the gym?" The answer to both of those questions is a resounding yes. 

**One last thing. I've always wanted to "Run with the Bulls" in Pamplona. This weekend, I may not be getting chased by bulls throughout the streets of Spain, but I will be "Running with the Pigs" in New York! My friend and fellow avid traveler keeps an active Piggie Blog of her always interesting travel and life adventures. 

In each post, she featuring photos of local sights and locations, starring her 3 plastic pigs. I'll be guest-posting with my own plastic pigs at the New York Marathon. Maybe next year, they'll visit the original pigs in Chicago for the Chicago Marathon! 

I'll post once again on Saturday from New York City and I'll be sure to include lots of pictures, posts and stories. It should be a truly memorable weekend. 

Tapering, Updates, and a Minor Injury

"Ok, you guys are getting a lot of shots back. NOW, it's time for a challenge." I said.  "I'm going to start playing the points out with you!" I stood in the loud, echoing gym of a local elementary school, trying to speak over the cacophony of kids and bus announcements. Just a typical day running the after school elementary "Tennis Club" to twelve 3rd and 4th graders.

The first point of the first drill, I reached up to gingerly tap a backhand back to the player, and of course, my ankle gave way a bit, resulting in a slight "roll." The funny thing is, it was that SAME kid who hurt himself last week after reacting to a ball that I hit. The tables are turned now! I felt a dull, nagging pain that I knew would inhibit me from training for a few days.

I really need to stop joking about getting injured. Or at least make sure I have a wooden table, chair, or other surface near me each time for me to knock on.

So yeah, needless to say, I took Thursday off of running. I was able to manage 30 minutes on the arc trainer today and it was completely painless, so I'm just taking it one day at a time. Hopefully I'll be feeling pretty close to 100% for the upcoming marathon.

This weeks training program felt like a breath of fresh air. I'm basically "tapering" now. I've already reached my optimum training capability for this marathon, and now my only job is to maintain the level so I feel fresh on race day as opposed to achey, creaky and burnt out, which is always a possibility with overtraining.

Here are a few updates on all things USTA Serves and running related for me right now

Fundraising: I'm very close to the $2,000 mark, thanks to generous donations from friends, families, clients and colleagues (my Making it Happen page is updated with Thank You's).

Tonight, I'll be hosting a tennis fundraising event at my neighborhood courts, following our successful "Tennis Olympics" event I held a few months back. This event will benefit the USTA Serves Foundation, my run, and the Philadelphia Area Team Tennis Association.

It will feature a 10 and under match, a junior clinic, and an adult clinic followed by pizza, beer, refreshments, and a small scale raffle in the clubhouse. I'll definitely surpass the $2,000 mark after tonight.

Inspiration: I recently finished "Born To Run:" The book everyone was talking about, which chronicles an American writer and casual runner traveling to Mexico in search of the remote Tarahumara tribe who live deep within the copper canyons in their own isolated existence and are regarded as "super athletes" with uncanny barefoot distance running ability.

The book goes into great detail about the people he meets while in Mexico, the motley crew of unique and talented runners they assemble in the states to travel to Mexico for the race, while simultaneously delving into the kinesiological/research behind successful running. From bushmen in Africa tracking prey for miles and miles until they collapse from exhaustion, to extensive research done to prove that humans are born to run long distances while quadrupeds like Cheetahs, antelope and rabbits are not. Sure, they're extremely quick, but not over the course of long distances.

The dichotomy made for a very good read. The scientific running research, the social and cultural phenomenon of the Tarahumara, and the feel-good story of the race itself.

It inspired me to not only conquer this marathon, but to conquer more races. Longer races. I finished the book and immediately emailed editors at Men's Health and Runner's World magazines in search of a freelance running gig. I was feeling inspired to explore the remote corners of the world to do something similar. Think Anthony Bourdain meets Dean Karnazes.

I'm now reading 2 completely unrelated books ("the Unbearable Lightness of Being and The Biography of Dave Grohl") but the inspiration from "Born to Run" is still lingering.

Feeling: Aside from the nagging ankle pain and the occasional nights out on the town, I'm feeling fantastic. The 19 mile run went flawlessly as I cruised down the Chester Valley trail armed with my Camelback, energy gels and mp3 player in hand. 10 mile runs now seem like casual strolls on a beatiful day. The key  element now is my "mental game." Hopefully this 10K run this Sunday will be yet another reminder of my development as a runner during this training.

I'll post next week with more fundraising updates, a recap of my 10K race, and any last minute rantings I want to get out of my system before the big day!

Feeling Ready, Experimenting with Fueling Strategies, and Conquering a 19-Miler

When my NYRR Training Week #9 Schedule arrived in my inbox, I knew I'd have my longest run yet on the agenda for the week.

The training guide used effective foreshadowing and alluded to it last week by stating the following in regards to the 11 mile run I had that week: "you'll scoff at the distance run this week, but you need to squeeze a shorter distance in between your 2 longest runs." I knew it was coming. I've never run this far before, so the night before the run, I chugged water, made a nice pasta dinner, and went to Sports Authority to pick up some gatorade chews, energy gel, and a Camelbak so I could stay hydrated and not end up face down on the trail somewhere. I always thought these Camelbaks looked awkward and clunky, but my hydration comes first!

I opted for the Chester Valley Trail this time around; a winding, scenic trail that effortlessly combines dark, wooded stretches with open, sunny trail space. The way the scenic woods transitions into the sunny open space makes this trail a little more energizing than Struble.

I actually went for a late evening run there last week and as I entered the dark stretch of the woods, the sun set. Being the 5 year old kid that I am, I blasted my headphones and sprinted like a Kenyan towards the homestretch for fear of forest-dwelling hermits, creepers and monsters emerging from the woods. Your head really does some interesting things when you run.

Anyway, I won't break this run down mile by mile, but let me just say that opting for a fueling strategy this time around was absolutely pivotal.

If you go for a run longer than 16 miles, I'd highly recommend the following strategy (assuming you have a Camelbak).

• Every 20 minutes, take a swig or 2 of gatorade from your Camelbak
• At mile 13, indulge in a small packet of energy gel. This time around, I chose strawberry banana. I don't know if it was the deliriousness of the long run, but the taste was almost orgasmic
• As you cool down, have a pack of 6 gatorade energy chews

Aside from the fact that I couldn't get out of my car after getting gas post-run (my hip and achilles tendon felt like they were on fire), it was a successful run. I ran it at a pace of 8:27 per mile (my anticipated marathon pace) and because I survived with flying colors, I treated myself to a Wendy's double cheeseburger meal before I had to go teach tennis for the afternoon.

For every long run, I try a different training playlist. My first one, I enjoyed the earth shattering, mind numbing beats of my dubstep/electronica mix to help zone me to the end. This one contained a little more hard rock, pop and contemplative pop rock anthems. This song powered me through a few key moments: 

I'm thinking that this will be the longest run of my training and it was great to not only get it out of my system, but to do so successfully. My training plan prepared me for the chance that the run may not go well. Let's just say, I don't think I'm going to take 2 days off. Looks like my legs won't be thanking me any time soon. 

"What if your Long Run does not go well? Although you will undoubtedly be upset, you can learn a lot from this. First off, try to determine anything that may have contributed to your bad day. Did you forget to fuel, sleep poorly, get a blister, have a bad dinner the night before, etc? If this was the case, then you just learned what not to do for the marathon. If you did everything right, then perhaps you are a bit tired. We have plenty of time to rest up but it would be a good idea if you take the next 2 days completely off. Yes, that is fine and your legs will thank you."

Post Run Thoughts: As I inhaled my gatorade chews, checked my emails, and somehow willed my legs to walk back to my car, I realized I wasn't THAT fatigued. Sure my legs felt like jelly and my head was spinning like I just inhaled one of those helium balloons, but my lungs and my heart were ready for more. If I can maintain this pace on race day, feed off the adrenaline of the crowd and not get excited and jump the gun early on..well...I'll let this guy tell you how I'm feeling. Let's just hope I don't run the wrong way...