Some experts say that following a marathon, you should rest one full day for every mile you ran, meaning 26 days of recovery. Others say you should rest one full day for every kilometer you ran, meaning 42 days of recovery. I say you should rest one full day for every dog photo you snapped at Thanksgiving the week after the marathon, meaning — let’s be honestContinue reading “At Rest”
Category Archives: Training
Out of My Hands
I’m what you might call the kind of person who likes to be in control. I like to make game plans. I like to set schedules. I like to analyze progress, meet milestones and prepare for every possible outcome so I’m never flying blind. That’s why tapering for a marathon is so gosh darn difficultContinue reading “Out of My Hands”
Ill Will
I’ve run my 20-miler. I’ve finished my final track workout. I’ve bought my train ticket, booked my hotel room and selected my outfit for the Philadelphia marathon. Only one more thing to check off my list before the big morning just 10 days away: catch a debilitating head cold. Check. That’s right, folks. With lessContinue reading “Ill Will”
XX
The number 20 has a lot of positive connotations in my book. It’s the perfect sized bill to stash in your pocket for a long-run emergency. It’s the age after which it’s no longer appropriate to wake up spooning a jar of peanut butter. It’s the number of questions it takes to guess which itemContinue reading “XX”
The Heat Is On
If you looked up to DJ Tanner as much as I did circa 1992, you know that doing something just because everyone else is doing it can never end well. Case in point: you shouldn’t cut school just because everyone else is doing it. You shouldn’t stairmaster until you faint just because everyone else isContinue reading “The Heat Is On”
Slim Chance
I recently mentioned to my boyfriend that I was aiming to lose a few pounds to get down to racing weight before the Philadelphia Marathon on November 23. “Well, that’s pretty inevitable, isn’t it?” he said. “How can you train for a marathon and not lose weight? Oh Ben, you beautiful, naïve, sophisticated newborn baby.Continue reading “Slim Chance”
Pain in the Ash
Religion can be a complicated thing, at worst justifying discrimination and genocide, and at best, making it socially acceptable to dip your crackers in wine before noon. A semi-lapsed Episcopalian thriving in the heathen’s paradise that is New York City, I don’t practice my faith much outside of Christmas with the family and muttering “JesusContinue reading “Pain in the Ash”
Novice No More
Since retiring my XL lounge-pants three years ago and committing myself to the sport of running, I’ve run 37 road races, two sub-4:00 marathons, thousands of miles and nearly out of goldendoodle photos to populate this blog. I wouldn’t call myself a running expert, per se — I only claim expertise in such indisputable areasContinue reading “Novice No More”
Ice Ice Baby
There are a handful of things I’m afraid of all year long – giving blood, centipedes, the monstrosities that will be the new Star Wars trilogy – but at least one of my top trepidations only pops up on a seasonal basis: ice. Don’t get me wrong: There are plenty of appropriate uses for ice,Continue reading “Ice Ice Baby”
A Sick Joke
As I enter the second full week of my first-ever running streak, I’m beginning to feel increasingly like Job. No, not Steve Jobs, the American entrepreneur and inventor who I understand dates Mila Kunis. We’re talking Job of biblical fame, who encountered one setback after another (stubbed toe, mass family burial, etc.) at the handsContinue reading “A Sick Joke”
Riled Up Runner 