The Big Mac Meal and Other Indulgences

A question commonly pondered by runners -

"Do I run to eat?" or "Do I eat to run?"

One may quickly say "Eat to run, of course!"

But then consider the delicious meals they've enjoyed while training. After all, if you're burning off 1,000+ calories on a Saturday morning, you can have whatever you want for breakfast! Here are some I've enjoyed this season.

One of my personal favorites is the Big Mac Meal -

I want the entire meal, in it's original form - no Diet Coke, no medium fries. Give me the all-american, fully-leaded Coke and large fry. I treat myself to the meal in the last few weeks of marathon training.


Another favorite is Garrett Popcorn's Carmel Crisp -

I don't know what their secret is, but I know it involves a lot of butter, and I LOVE butter. It just so happens that a McDonald's and Garrett Popcorn Shop are located on the ground floor of my office. Lucky me! I've gotten a small bag and devoured it in one sitting a few times during training.


My favorite meal by far is breakfast. Who doesn't love french toast? Or Captain Crunch for that matter? How about combining them, and topping them off with butter and syrup -

Captain Crunch french toast has become my post long run recovery meal, washed down with chocolate milk.


Certainly there's an adult beverage to add. My favorite this summer is Goose Island's Sofie -


What more can I say. It's just delicious!


It's easy to see I run to eat.

Read more >> Options >>

Taper Madness

Less than five days to race day, and already, I can't focus.

Well, I can't focus on work or things to do around my condo, or anything I would normally be consumed with.

No.

Instead, I am focusing on things like -

Checking multiple weather websites at various times in the day.
Newsflash: They haven't changed...today.

My boss said he didn't feel well this morning. Am I going to catch his cold?

Reading the Marathon website and runner participant guide...again.
You never know, I could have missed something.

Varying degrees of positive and negative thoughts.
For example, "Training went really well. I can do this. [Then I think] I sprained my ankle just over a week ago, what am I doing?!?"
Scenarios like this go on and on.

Hoarding race day gear.
I've checked that my clothes and clean and that I have enough Gu.
I'm sure I'll check it all again...tomorrow.

Hazards appeared on my normal lunch time run to Buckingham Fountain.
None of them are new - cracks in the asphalt, cyclists, crosswalks - but today they are all safety issues.

Suddenly I have a quite vivid account of the last few miles of the race last year. They were hard. This experience is tough. Why am I doing this to myself again? How can anyone love inflicting pain on themselves?

Even with those thoughts, the pros still outweigh the cons, and I can' t wait.

I'm ready for you...Wednesday.

The Last 5 Miles

[26M marking at the crest of the Roosevelt Street Bridge. One week after the 2009 Marathon]

The first 20 miles of a Marathon are much easier than the last 6.2.

For the Chicago Marathon's course, that's on the South Side as you travel through Pilsen, Chinatown, Bridgeport, IIT and then the South Loop.

Last year Kim agreed to jump in with me around 21 off of Archer Avenue. I asked her to bring some good stories and jokes. I may not be talking much at that point, but I'd need her to.

Her placement was key. I wanted her to be after 20 but before the busy Chinatown area so she'd be easier for me to find.

The last few miles, leading up to 21 were challenging. But mentally, I told myself I just had to get to Kim.

She picked me out of the crowd. She jumped in, asked how I was doing, and then asked me what I needed. She had her pockets filled with any thing a marathoner could need (advil, gu, gum, water). I didn't have to tell her what to bring - She knew exactly what someone needs at mile 21.

Running through Chinatown and down to Sox Park wasn't all too bad, but that changed as we turned to go east over the Ryan. I knew I still had some work to do, and this is where Kim really turned in to my coach.

Heading north felt like a warp zone. I was still moving close to my pace, but it felt so slow. Each block seemed to be a few blocks long. I started calculating how many blocks I had left. We remember being at Cermak (2200S/22nd) and thinking that Roosevelt was (0). I was out of it.

Kim continued to be encouraging, telling me stories and asking how I was feeling.

We had talked about her jumping out in the South Loop before the crowds became too thick. Around 17th she asked me what I wanted her to do. I asked her to stay with me, so she did.

As we headed further north, it dawned on me that my previous calculations were wrong. Roosevelt was 1200S or 12th, not 0. I was closer than I thought. Ok, I thought, just make it to the bridge. Once you're at the bridge, you're just about done.

It was right before the bridge at Roosevelt that Kim jumped out. The course was on the north side of the bridge and the south side was closed off. Kim jumped onto the south side of the bridge and ran along with me, just on the other side of the planter dividers.

Through all the cheering from the hundreds of people on the Roosevelt bridge, I could hear Kim saying -
"You look great. You've got this. Use your arms!"

Then I looked to the left and saw my Mom, Dad and my best friend. I thought, how lucky am I to have people I love supporting me?

I looked over to my right and saw just her head over the planters. That's when I started tearing up. How lucky was I to have a friend that was coaching me through the toughest part of the race?

I turned the corner onto Columbus and saw the finish line. I could still hear Kim cheering me on above everyone else. I crossed the finish line. A wave of emotion came over me. I had not felt that way during my first marathon.

I walked through the corrals and saw Kim at the fence. I walked up to her and thanked her. I could not have imagined doing that last leg of the race without her.

Seeing how different the last five were in 2008 and 2009, I wonder what 10.10.10 holds?

Red Light, Green Light

Training can be like driving in traffic.

You catch the green lights for awhile, then you're stuck at a red.

Yesterday I visited my doctor to get her assessment on my (k)ankle.

Me: "I twisted my ankle over the weekend while running."

[show kankle]

Me: "It doesn't hurt to walk on. It just looks bad because it's bruised. I am running the Marathon in 11 days."

[Doctor shoots a crazy look]

Dr: "Sorry, you're not running a marathon." She went on to explain how I could injure it more by continuing to run or cause a longer recovery period later on.

RED LIGHT

[Surprise, surprise; I start tearing up]

The Doctor did say she'd call to get a second option.

In the meantime, I called my Mom, who's very good at understanding sob talk.

Then I called Kim.

Kim is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to any aspect of running. She suggested I first and foremost listen to my body. I have time to still recover, and there's nothing you can do right or wrong during the taper.

Then, later in the evening, I went to see Erin, my massage therapist. Erin echoed what Kim said.

As I was driving home from the massage, the doctor called. She had spoken to an orthopedic surgeon. Turns out, the OS thinks a marathon can be pulled off while recently recovering from a sprain.

GREEN LIGHT

Running for a Reason

Every runner has a reason.

To lose weight. To get in better shape.

Some of us run for bigger reasons than ourselves. We use running to benefit causes we hold close to our hearts.

The above photo is of a building along the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago. Each summer, the building is transformed into the Chicago Marathon mural. One of the people featured on the building this year is William Beiersdorf. William is the founder of Salute, an Illinois-based charity benefiting active military and their families.

William, a Naval reservist, was called to active duty for more than a year the day after 9/11. While serving his country away from home, his family endured severe financial hardships. After completing his duty, William and his wife founded Team Salute to provide financial assistance to military families. William and the organization now operate a running team at the Marathon each year to raise funds and awareness for the cause.

As my brother prepares to head to Afghanistan in early 2011, [his 4th deployment while serving in the US Army, and now as an Army Reservist] I am hard pressed to find a cause that effects my family more. My brother has served in the Army for most of his adult life. I cannot think of a service for which I could be more grateful.

It is for these reasons that I am running as part of Team Salute on 10.10.10.

The Big Fall

Everybody falls sometimes.

I do more than others.

I'm constantly running in to stuff. Tripping. I'm a klutz.

But Saturday's 12 mile run turned ugly at mile 11 where, somehow, I fell and twisted my ankle. Luckily no one else was injured in my massive plummet to the ground.

The entire 10:30 pace group stopped to see if I was ok. [Thanks again guys for not leaving me in the dust.]

I got back on my feet, and Sara, Tomas, Carrie and Jen walked with me.

I was so touched that they would stop and walk back with me. When I said something along those lines, the response was 'We're tired and were looking for a reason to walk!'

After running 40+ miles last week, we're all exhausted.

As for the ankle, it's turning in to quite a sight to see of purple and gray bruising.

I'm resting, icing, compressing and soaking in epsom salts.

No running til at least Saturday I've decided.

The good news is, although it's a bit stiff, I've not lost range of motion or am I in pain.

I'm hoping in time the swelling will go down and I'll be back to normal.

In case anyone's counting, the marathon's in 13 days.

You Know You're A Marathoner When...

[taken from a friend's email forward]

Your "easy" runs top the weekly mileage of 95% of the general population.

You eat like a 400 lb. man, and look like you're starving.

You miss a run and you're irritable and pissy all day and evening, as well as the next day.

Your friends gag when they catch a glimpse of your toes.

You roll your eyes when people talk about low carb diets.

"18 weeks" becomes your most important unit of time.

You start debating about Higdon.

You'd rather run a marathon than go on a "real" holiday.

You no longer think people who run marathons are crazy.

After finishing a really tough 26.2-mile run, your first thought is: "Next race, I'm going to...."

You have a pile of shoes in your closet because you feel like you have to have new running shoes every 400 miles.

Any run less than 16 miles feels like an easy workout.

You spend too much time on the Internet reading about other peoples' workouts.

You say you're going out for a short run and come back two hours later.

You think high 40s/low 50s and overcast sounds like perfect weather.

You get up earlier on weekends than you do during the work week.

You shower about 12 times a week.

Every time you see a runner when you're driving you feel like you too should be running, even if you ran 15 miles earlier in the day.

Your favorite shorts, singlet, socks and shoes cost three times as much as the clothes you got married in.

You tell your wife, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend that you want a marathon entry as a birthday present.

You think 40 miles is an easy week.

When you're driving somewhere and you see a distance to next town sign and automatically calculate how long it would take to run there.

You plan your vacations around your training schedule. A trip to Colorado is an opportunity to get some great hill work in. You could never imagine going on a cruise or a small Caribbean island. Trying to map out a 20 miler would be too hard.

When someone asks you how far you are planning to run, you say "I'm ONLY doing 10 today".

When your non-running friends stop calling you to hang out the night before you do your long runs.

You start planning your training for the next marathon before you finish the one your training for now.

You wear more electronics on a run than are in the dash of your car.

You tell non-runners you ran 5 miles when you really ran 15. Just so you won't have to sit through the "Wow, that's far!" conversation.

You gasp when you see someone running in everyday gym socks.

Your car smells a little sweaty from your running shoes in the back seat.

Your tan line is just above your ankles

Curbs & Stairs

Post 20-miler, routine movements become difficult.

Meet your new worst enemies:



and



Suddenly, negotiating these concrete and wood obstacles are a challenge as your entire lower body is, to some degree, sore.

You find yourself planning routes ahead of time that avoid them.

Is there a ramp or an elevator near by?

You know you're sore and entitled to taking it easy while you recover.

Other people see you walking funny and think you're either injured or just plain lazy.

You think about telling people 'I ran twenty miles yesterday.' as an excuse, but you worry that they'll entire think you're gloating or crazy. So instead, you say nothing, and let people assume what they want.

During your much-slower journey to where ever you're going, you see someone else mimicking your moves. You smile or nod at each other. You think, 'Yeah, that guy gets it. He just ran twenty too.'

Ready to Run

Today marked the longest training run I'll do this season.

CARA organizes a great event - The Ready to Run 20 Miler.

The event is not a race, rather an organized training run to simulate the marathon experience. Groups of 50 people who run the same pace are formed for a wave. Many paces have multiple waves.

We started this morning at Foster Avenue Beach, heading north on the lakefront path, right around 7:30am.

We went north til about Bryn Mawr, then headed south.

The lakefront path is 18 miles long, so CARA throws in a few diversions away from the path to make up the difference.

Today I made it to 17 before the distance started to get to me. Getting to 18 was tough. Once I reached the 18 mile marker, I had to tell myself that running another 20 minutes was nothing. What's two miles, right?

The finish line was at the South Shore Cultural Center. Our pace group got together within 312's beer garden and had a few drinks to celebrate a great run.

Now we start to taper for race day!

The infamous mid-week 10 miler

This morning I headed down to the boardwalk to run along the Bay.

I headed north yesterday, so I headed south today.

The boardwalk went from sidewalk to a wider sidewalk to asphalt to a bike trail to...Sea World.

Somehow, without realizing where I was running to, I ended up in front of the entrance to Sea World.

I figured this run would be a journey being it is the longest run I'll be doing on my own, but I didn't think I'd end up at Sea World.

I've had better runs, but the weather was beautiful as San Diego so often is.

I was able to explore a bit and didn't get lost.

I think we'll call it a success.

Vacation Planning and Training

Tomorrow I'll travel to San Diego through Thursday.

Kim asked the details of my trip over lunch today.

As I began to explain my flight times and dates, she smiled and said, 'Oh, so you'll do your long run tomorrow morning in Chicago and then fly out. Do your weekday runs there, then fly back in time to rest before the 20 miler.'

Yes. Everything she had said was correct. Without realizing it, I had meticulously planned how I'd get training in while traveling.

The other two people at the table thought we were crazy.

It came to no surprise to Kim, she has done the same sort of planning while training for marathons over the years. We discussed terrain in San Diego. Ten miles could be rough through the hills, but the weather will be mild.

I used to worry about getting runs in when I traveled, even if I was just driving out to the burbs for the weekend. Now, it seems almost second nature to fit it in whenever I can.

Did I mention I have two issues of Runner's World packed in my carry-on?

Running in the Dark

I used to be an evening runner.

Then I became a lunchtime runner.

Now, this year, a morning runner.

Tonight, I went back to my roots - a 9 miler starting at 6:30 P.M.

I started late because I wanted to run with some fellow 10:30's in CARA's training group. CARA holds midweek runs on Wednesdays during Marathon Training at Montrose.

Tonight is the first time in three years I went.

I was spoiled in 2008 and 2009 - I was able to talk my friend and former co-worker Katie in to running with me. Katie was training for the Chicago Half (held in September) both years, so it was easy to talk her in to doing some mileage with me.

It also helped that our offices were right next to each other.

It also helped that she was easy to convince.

We might talk about running earlier in the day, but around 4 P.M, we'd certainly talk specifics.

Sometimes we'd start out doing just 5, then we'd turn it in to 7.

Sometimes we ran in flash floods, accompanied by tornado sirens.

Sometimes we'd be chased by Canadian Geese or attacked by nats.

Last week, I didn't get up at 5 A.M. to finish 9 miles before work. I went after work, by myself. I found myself thinking of some very strange things trying to keep my mind busy for an hour and a half. The underlying theme though was that running 9 miles alone sucks.

Which brings me to tonight. For the first time in three years training with CARA, I showed up to the mid-week run. I was happy to see some familiar faces there. The run went well. Right around North Avenue, the street lights started to come on. We were not to our turn around point yet and we'd be running home in the dark.

But somehow, even in low light, it was great. The pacing was outstanding (thank you Kim and Carl) and 9 felt great instead of a slow form of torture.

36 Mile Week

A 36 mile week consists of -

4 Tuesday Morning
9 after work on Wednesday
5 at lunch on Thursday
&
18 on Saturday

A 36 mile week feels like a truck ran over you.

A 36 mile week is not scared of calories, so you eat like a beast.

A 36 mile week requires multiple packets of Gu, including Roctane for the 18 miler.

A 36 mile week puts you to bed before 10.

A 36 mile week takes your social time and converts it all to prep, recovery, or actual running time.

A 36 mile week laughs at the sight of heels.

A 36 mile week is good friends with your foam roller.

Lake Michigan: Chicago's Best Ice Bath

Last week after the 16 miler, we hydrated and stretched. Then a small group of us headed to the Lake, removed our shoes and walked in. I was the first one in, and Tomas snapped a photo of me wading towards deeper waters.

Ice baths are a common practice for runners to recover faster from a tough run by reducing muscle pain and soreness. But who wants to fill a bathtub with ice and get in? Lake Michigan seems like a more practical solution, and couldn't be more conveniently located to our training site.

After a ten minute soak, I headed home for breakfast: Captain Crunch French Toast. Then a nap.

Eating Machine

Diets?

Who needs them when you're running 25+ miles a week.

Unfortunately, most of us don't have many 25+ weeks on the calendar, but while we do, we live it up.

Jen, a running friend of mine, posted she had a Molly's cupcake and gelatto for dinner one night. That's the beauty of this stage of training.

Last night I had half a package of Double Stuf Oreos with milk. They were delicious.

I have no idea how many cookies are in a package, but I know double stufs are calorie-rich individually. Yum!

Jar of Fuel

Some people have a bowl of fruit on their counter.

Or a container of cookies.

Not me.

I have a jar of fuel in gummy and gel forms.

Clif Shots, Shot Blocs, Gu, Roctane, Hammer Gels

They come in a variety of flavors - coffee, mocha, mint chocolate, tri-berry, raspberry...the list goes on. I'm partial to the blueberry pomegranate and vanilla orange flavors right now.

I could tell you they are delicious as perfectly-rippened fruit or warm cookies, but they are not.

Gu serves a purpose - it is an energy food designed to be quickly and easily digestible so it can be eaten during endurance events. A person may take one to two Gu's an before their workout and one to two each hour during their workout.

That adds up to a lot of Gu.

9 Down. 9 To Go.

Last Saturday. Early Morning. Montrose Harbor.

Announcements are made.

'What week are we in?' is asked.

'Nine' is shouted.

Which means, we are halfway through the training program.

Training's flying by this year.

I can't believe I'm running 26.2 in nine weeks....

And, for the 'Shout Out' record, Kim, saw you first this week. First time in three years, I know, I know...

You Think You're Hardcore Until You Meet an Ironman

Marathoners. They seem normal to me now. My life's surrounded by them.

Triathletes. I'm impressed with the entire process - the wet suits, tri bikes, transition logistics...

IRONMEN. Really? Regular people can complete Ironman distances (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile ride, then a 26.2 mile run)? Now I'm amazed.

It makes marathon training look easy.

To put it in to perspective, a marathon accounts for only 1/3 of a Ironman, so I suppose we could say training for a marathon is only 33% (or maybe less) of that of an Ironman.

I met Jim over four years ago. He is my best friend's fiance. He wasn't an Ironman then, but he had it on his mind.

He completed Ironman Louisville in 2008 and is preparing to do the same race again this year. I can speak of the training process only through what I see and hear from him.

It involves very long bike rides, hours in the pool, lots of running, serious eating and sleeping.

Last week he drove up to get some open water swim time in at Ohio Street Beach.

I'm too scared to get in there and try. He swam a few miles in it.

After he finished, I met him to presumably hand back his bag so he could head home. I was incorrect. He grabbed just his hat and running shoes and asked me where he could pick up the lakefront path. He had a quick 8 miler to knock out.

Jim can eat with the best of them. He holds a record for most shrimp ate at one Red Lobster location due to a bet with co-workers to which, he won. The bet involved the losers buying the winner's meal. Jim was so confident he'd win, he didn't bring any money with him.

I know people that love sleep, but Jim's a professional. A recent rehab of their bedroom includes a top-line memory foam bed, high thread count sheets, and black out curtains.

In late August, Jim will go down to Louisville to better his 2008 finishing time. His sister Jen will go with him, competing in her first Ironman.

I wish them the best of luck.

Date with a Foam Roller

This is a foam roller.



To the naked eye, it is a simple piece of equipment used for stretching. The foam roller is actually a torture device. Manufacturers of foam rollers will try to convince you with their advertising that foam rolling is fun.

See exhibit A:




No one, in the history of humans using the foam roller, has ever smiled when doing so.

Why you ask? Because the foam roller elicits pain. Pain that you were not aware you had until you rolled on it. Sometimes the pain makes you sweat from places you didn't know you could and say four letter words your Mom wouldn't be happy to hear you say.

After the 13 miler Saturday, I did not foam roll. I should have when I felt good. Instead, I've been foam rolling every night this week. My IT band is sore again.

I may be able to one-up the weather, but no one will ever one-up a foam roller.

Late Start to a 13 mile Group Run

Thunderstorms and Saturday mornings seem to go hand in hand the last few weekends.

Hence, Saturday morning at a quarter to six, I'm standing in my kitchen eating breakfast and getting text updates to if the group will go out. There is lightening, which is what would cause CARA to cancel the run.

After some back and forth with Larry and Tomas, I find out that the 6am group would be delayed til 6:30. Then, we assumed, the 6:30 group would go out later as well.

I drive down to Montrose and get out of my car at 6:43. I see NO ONE. I talk with a CARA volunteer setting up gatorade and she tells me everyone left at 6:30am.

Which means...I may be running 13 miles...ALONE.

I do some quick math and make decisions as to how I'll try to catch my group. I'll pick up my pace to 9:45 or so and I'll use the water bottles in my fuel belt instead of stopping at the aide stations.

The weather was overcast and cool which made the run rather easy. No music and running alone is rather boring. I found myself recalling ABBA songs in my head and thinking of what I needed from the grocery store.

I told myself if I could catch up to the group south of Ohio Street, I wouldn't worry about the last mile and could come back with them. If the group passed me north of Ohio, I would have to do the entire run on my own.

I was lucky. I ran in to my group right in front of Navy Pier. Classic.

The run back was great. The miles flew by.

Sometimes you have to do a bit of 'speed' training in order to catch your group, but it's always worth it. Especially when you're wrapping up a 12.25 mile run at 9:30am instead of starting a 13 mile by yourself at that time.