Countdown to Boston: I did it!
Julie Hammer, TOCs Marketing Director and a three-time Chicago Marathon finisher, ran her first Boston Marathon on April 19.
Boston.
Ive run all my life. I lack hand-eye coordination, so running just worked for me and I was pretty good at it, pretty fast, so it felt right. I ran throughout high school and did the varsity thing and big-time races. After high school I was tired and flaked on track in college (just didnt show up). Biggest mistake ever. After college my job was crazy-intense and all I did was work and travel, so running never happened. Back in 2007, I made running a priority when I said Im going to run a marathon, and I havent looked back yet. While it took me three tries to get to Boston, it made Boston that much more sweet. Race weekend in Beantown was one of the best weekends ever for me. I got to travel to Boston to run the Boston Marathon, which is something Ive wanted to do ever since I put my first Nike Pegasus on at age 16.
The city had such energy; runners were everywhere in the crazy Boston marathon colors, and I had so much adereline pumping that I couldnt stop smiling. Its funny, though, because while youre super excited to run, youre also terrified of what might happen and the pain that will ensue. Its a weird balance of energy, but you do it and the rewards are high. I ran the marathon with my friend, Anna, and cant tell you how much fun we had along the way. We put our names on our tanks and people were calling our names all throughout the course so we would hear go Julie, go Anna all 26 miles and it rocked.
Boston is a high-five marathon and your best bet is to run on the sides so you can high-five the spectators and little kids (it makes their day and yours). The race starts off downhill, and as Rundown editor Liz Plosser said, let the circus unfold around you and that I did. We got through the first half strong it was cool to see all the different towns of Massachusetts as you ran from Hopkington to Natick to Framingham to Wellesley and on and on. Wellesley was incredible. Anna and I practically had tears in our eyes. I cant express how cool it is to run through a sound tunnel for 2+ miles particularly as you cross the halfway mark. I also cant express how comical Newton was with the drunk Boston College kids...which came at a pivotal point of the race...mile 22...when I began to get tired, so it was a blast to have crazy support and sound especially as we tackled and tore up Heartbreak Hill.
And, as usual, the wheels start coming off at 23 and you start to forget who you are and where you are and you just want it to stop. All I could tell myself is to just keep moving so that it will end. Landmarks become your best friend, and as soon as I saw the Citgo sign, and the Hereford street I knew I was home. Turning the corner to Boylston is like nothing else I've experienced....its just awesome...and the finish line is a beautiful blue and yellow, and for once, even thought you didnt run it in 2:25:00...you feel like an elite and thats pretty cool.
My journey started with a goal to just get to Boston and progressed into running Boston well, and now to knocking off 10 minutes in Chicago 2010.....Looks like Ill always be running and trying harder every time. This bodes well for me because runners are like no otherstrong, determined and consistently defying the impossible. It feels so good that this is my life nowand that my flaky years are behind mebecause this is how I choose to be. This is how I want to be.
My first half: Digging the double digits
Jessica Herman, TOCs The Get writer, shares the experience of training for her first half-marathon.
Id be lying if I said the entire training process for the upcoming half-marathon has been painless (literally or figuratively) and endlessly self-satisfying. It hasnt been. I have admittedly dreaded that long Saturday run more than once, cursed my sore joints and day-dreamed about returning to the swimming pool for a more forgiving type of workout. But, thanks to the looming date of the race, Ive quieted those little voices telling me to quit while Im ahead.
And finally last weekend, it all seemed worth it again. One week ahead of schedule, I exceeded the daunting 10-mile mark. For as many people whom Ive witnessed run 13 or 26 miles without batting an eye, the thought of myself reaching the double digits seemed like a near impossibility. I not only proved myself wrong, I enjoyed doing it. Despite the relentless gusts of wind, I enjoyed seeing the other runners on the lakefront, I enjoyed my two episodes of Slates Culture Gabfest, I enjoyed the feeling of my core tightening, and most of all, I relished looking down at my Nike sport band at the end of the run to see Id logged 12 miles.
In the future, as I hopefully become a stronger runner, I imagine Ill find as much satisfaction in the process of running the distance as I derive from attaining my goal. For now, Im happy to add the new notch on my belt.
Tri anything: An inspiring run fuels a new goal
Jason Heidemann is both the Comedy and Gay & Lesbian editor at Time Out Chicago. He maintains a very busy schedule and does not have time to train for a triathlon, but he's foolish like that.
A few nights ago, I enjoyed my best time ever on the treadmill. I ran 5 kilometers in 23:19. My previous best is 23:27. My endorphins are still high five-ing one another and with the sweet smell of success still percolating inside, I've decided to officially throw my hat into the ring and compete in the 2010 Chicago Triathlon (sprint distance) in August. This both thrills me and makes me want to vomit a little.
My first and only experience in this area was a sprint distance tri I competed in as part of the 2006 Gay Games. You see I had visited Sydney, Australia some years back and wrote an article about the 2002 Gay Games there. I decided then that if the Games ever came within a stone's reach of Chicago, I would compete. Lo and behold, they came to my backyard in the scorching hot summer of '06 and I was thrilled to train for and complete my first triathlon. My original intent had been to do something easy like run a 5k (or bowling!) but I decided instead to do something that would scare the hell out of me and competing in a triathlon qualified nicely. It was an extraordinary journey.
I trained with a group of guys called the Chicago Razors. Our motto was, "Swim, bike run! Three ways are more fun!" You gotta love that zesty gay humor. It was a huge challenge for me. I have zero core strength and consistently performed slower than my fellow triathletes. I kid you not when I say that I embarrassed myself constantly. When we did a mock version one week before the Games, I faired so poorly that I all but decided to throw in the towel (Kids editor Judy Sutton Taylor convinced me otherwise).
On game day itself, disaster struck. After getting just 2.5 hours of sleep I threw all my gear together at the crack of dawn and jumped on the red line (I was living in Edgewater at Bryn Mawr and Kenmore Aves at the time) only to realize at the Fullerton stop that I'd left my team jersey back at home! I decided to go back for my jersey thinking that I'd throw my shit into my car and just drive down to Monroe Harbor, but then I realized I had no idea how to remove the wheels off my bike and get them into my car. More disaster!
By this point, it was about 35 minutes until race time and I was all the way up in Edgewater. For about 2 minutes I decided to call it quits, but then I had a thought: What if I hop on the bike path and race there as fast as I can? I literally flew down the lakefront path like a mad man, past all the weary folk who were just winding down after the L.A.T.E. Ride and arrived at the transition area with about 4 minutes to spare. A kindly gent who was competing in a relay version helped me set up my area and get me fitted into my wet suit. I kid you not, I jumped into the water about a minute before the shot gun went off. Sufficed it to say, it was an incredible experience. I not only finished, but lived to tell the experience.
As of this writing, I have 125 days until the 2010 Chicago Triathlon. That's basically four months to get my sorry ass in gear and I need your help! I feel incredibly rushed, disorganized and overwhelmed as I begin this journey. I plan to use this space to update my progress. Please feel free to share your thoughts, suggestions, training ideas, tips, recipes and so forth.
See you at the finish line!
My first half: Music to my ears
Jessica Herman, TOCs The Get writer, shares the experience of training for her first half-marathon.
This week I come to you on a quest: finding the perfect running music.
At the start of my training, my iPod had stopped functioning, so I experimented with running sans soundtrack. Id heard it was a good time for deep thinking, but for me, those runs couldnt have felt longer.
When I got around to replacing my iPod, I was waving the Taylor Swift-fan flag night and day. I thought the angsty lyrics and melodramatic, slow-tempo tunes would suit my long, contemplative runs, but I found myself hitting repeat on the few fast songs for a solid hour.
At my nine-mile run, I hit my stride the first half with Slates Culture Gabfest podcast, getting so caught up in the discussion of Alex Chilton and The New York Times new William Saffire that I hardly noticed how far Id gone. Except by mile eight, what I really needed was a jolt of energy, and the Luna Sport Moon Energy Chew wasnt cutting it. Meanwhile, Ive tried a few mixes courtesy of friends, but none have provided that perfect blend of distraction and motivation that I seek in a running soundtrack.
So Im asking you, what do you listen to?
10 weeks to 10 miles: Guilt isn't helping...
Judy Sutton-Taylor, TOCs Kids editor, juggles a very busy job, two kids, and a million other things. Add training for the Soldier Field 10 Mile race to the list.
"Why do you always have to go to the gym, Mom?" my seven-year-old daughter asked me this weekend. It wasn't a question I'd expected. I'd always figured that putting an emphasis on fitness was a good thing for my kids to see; that watching me carve time out of a busy day for a workout would help them learn that it needed to be as much a priority as brushing your teeth and having a good breakfast. Besides, most days I manage to get to the gym and back home before my kids are even up in the morning.
To be honest, I didn't think it mattered that much to them. Whether my daughter was just trying to lay some on-the-spot guilt or she really felt like my trip to the gym took away from my time with her, I don't know. But her comment got me thinking about whether the time I'm trying to spend training for this run is more selfish than anything else. I'm already plagued by guilt on the days I don't pick my kids up from school or can't help out with a midday art project in their classrooms. This is one more thing to add to the pile.
Will my daughter one day look back on the times she's watched me train for and run races as proud moments or ones that left her feeling like she wasn't my top priority? Exactly how much will I be shelling out for her therapy as a result of my indulgence? I'm not sure what the answer is, or what I'll end up doing about. I haven't registered for the 10-mile yet, and this hasn't helped me with my decision.
TOC runs Boston
TOC's Marketing Director Julie Hammer is off and running in Boston today!
Finish!
3:38:53 (8:21 minute/mile pace, Congratulations! Julie ran a smart, speedy race and achieved her goal of re-qualifying for Boston at Boston!)
At the 40K...
3:27:41 (8:22 minute/mile pace, Julie is so close to the finish line! Hang in there!)
At the 30K...
3:01:22 (8:21 minute/mile pace, with just a few miles to go Julie still has a Boston qualifying time well within sight! Go, Julie, go!)
At the 25K...
2:34:35 (8:19 minute/mile pace, with just over a 10K to go to the finish line and traversing the infamous Newton Hills, including the monster climb up Heartbreak Hill, Julie is hanging right in there!)
At the 20K...
2:07:50 (8:15 minute/mile pace, she's in a tough hilly section so it's smart to back off the blistering pace)
At the half...
1:47:18 (8:11 minute/mile pace)
At the 20K...
1:41:43 (8:12 minute/mile pace, hanging tough as she approaches the screaming girls of Wellesley College at the half-way point)
At the 15K...
1:16:02 (8:11 minute/mile pace, nice work, Julie's dialing into her race pace!)
At the 10K...
0:50:58 (8:13 minute/mile pace, she's settling in and speeding up!)
At the 5K....
0:25:34 (8:15 minute/mile pace, the course begins on a decline, but smart racers will reign in all of their pent up energy and save it for the Newton Hills in the second half of the race)
Watch a TOC staffer run Boston!
TOC's Marketing Director, Julie Hammer, has blogged about her experience training for her first-ever Boston Marathon on this site. Tomorrow (Monday, April 19, Patriot's Day in Boston) she will finally toe the line and run the 26.2 miles in Bean Town. We'll be following her along the way with live updates of her progress along the course.
Needless to say, just making it to Boston is a pretty huge deal. (Julie ran Chicago three years in a row and qualified on her latest try!) But she wants to run fast, and she'd be thrilled to qualify againon the hilly Boston course. And we want that for her, too. We'll be rooting for her from our office, and we hope you'll stop by to check-in!
10 weeks to 10 miles: And so it begins
Judy Sutton-Taylor, TOC's Kids editor, juggles a very busy job, two kids, and a million other things. Add training for the Soldier Field 10 Mile race to the list.
I have no idea how I got here. This week, I start week four of the 10-week Fleet Feet training program for the Soldier Field 10 Mile. I've run intermittently through most of my adult life, but I am no runner: I have asthma, a host of chronic problems from old sports injuries and almost every step I take in my running shoes does not come easy.
But I'm also a full-time working mom trying to do the day-to-day juggle, and for me there's no workout as efficient as running for the little time I can carve for workouts. And I love the feeling I have at the end of a run, especially a raceeven casual runners get that awesome runner's high. On top of all of that, I'm a glutton for punishment and a sucker for a gimmick. So I guess that's how I got here: When the e-mail popped into my inbox to train for this racewhich ends on the stadium's 50-yard line with an announcer calling out your nameI was sold.
I had only been back at running for about two weeks after a nearly nine-month hiatus when I took the plunge, and it's been a mixed bag so far. Scheduling issues and fear have kept me from joining the program's weekly group runsI am just too self-conscious for that kind of social interaction (that said, I really wan my technical shirt!).
I'm doing all of the suggested training on my own, when I can fit it in. I've done the bulk of my runs indoors, on a treadmill, but I clocked five miles on Saturday, which my handy training sheet says is right where I should be. Still a spouse who's now traveling on business and a busy few weeks ahead of me have me worried about how much longer I can keep this up and squeeze in longer runs.
Which is why I still haven't taken the most important step: actually registering for the race itself (I have until May 3 through the training program). Maybe next week.
Countdown to Boston: The beauty of spring running
Julie Hammer, TOCs Marketing Director and a three-time Chicago Marathon finisher, will be running her first Boston Marathon on April 19.
Friday morning's run is the epitome of why I run in general. The weather was perfect; crisp and sunny, birds were chirping, the flowers and trees were starting to bloom. The world seemed alive again. I was thinking on my run that training for Boston has allowed me to watch the seasons shift and equate that change to my emotional cycle during my training season...dreading runs and dreary mornings, slipping on ice, enduring frostbite despite wearing 500 layers to joyful, relaxed runs with sunny scenery and just a windbreaker.
Speaking of which, I got to show off my new 2010 Boston Marathon jacket while running that morning, and that just made me have the best run...maybe it was also because one woman wished me luck on the path! How nice, right?
So, were seven days away and Ive never been more excited for Boston than I am now. It goes to show that training is not just physical, its good to get some mental training and excitement in the mix.
I also cant believe that I have missed out on spring running for the past three years...I guess thats another reason why qualifying is so sweet for me.
My first half: Early morning conditioning
Jessica Herman, TOCs The Get writer, shares the experience of training for her first half-marathon.
At the risk of offending of every reader whos a runner, Ill admit that I never pegged athletes (namely runners) as dancers. But within the first two minutes of my second Core Running class this week, that theory was shot. I was the uncoordinated one. As we made our way, one by one, up and down the room, I experienced that sinking feeling I remember from dance classes I took as a kid. We werent sashaying or leaping across the middle of the room, but the movesan Irish dance-like leap (apparently good for the hip flexors) and something like a pawing horse gesture (for stride improvement)required a decent amount of coordination.
And in all honesty, I dont think I can even blame the ungodly hour of this 6am class for my stumbling. Fortunately, the warm-up ended within five or 10 minutes, and we spent the rest of the hour cycling through a circuit of moves including pull-ups to Supermans to pushing a piece of equipment back and forth across the room. By the time we got to stretching, my whole upper body was feeling the burn. It was a great reminder that theres so much more to smart running than simply running.
