Racing with Music. Faux Pas?

I can't wait for June 2012. Why you might ask? Because I am vacationing to Hawaii! So, naturally I checked up on races in the Hawaii area and the annual Kona Marathon is going to be taking the place the same week I'm there. So, naturally, I'm going to run it. 

While I was investigating the website, getting a feel for the race, I noticed that they have a strict rule about running with music:

"Our top priority is to ensure for a safe race for all participants. For your safety and other runners safety and in accordance with The Road Runners Club of America and USATF Rule 1.44.3(f) we prohibit the use of electronic devices using headphones on the course at all times. You are subject to disqualification if you wear headphones on the course"

This got me thinking...Is running with music a faux pas in the racing world?

Personally, I do not run with music. I used to but, before my first race, a 5k, my friend John told me to not run with music. He told me, "there's nothing like your first race. Why would you want to block it out?" Touche, John, touche. So, I ran my first race, the Corktown St. Patrick's Day 5k, without my iPod and it wasn't bad at all! I loved being outside, enjoying the sights of downtown Detroit, the drunk people on the sidelines cheering us runners on and of course, runners receiving/giving encouragement to runners. The best thing about the race was seeing/hearing all those things and creating a great first race memory.

But, what about other runners? Contributing in today's blog post is New York Marathoner, John F. Martin,Chicago Marathoner, Jackie Kosakowski and Detroit Free Press Marathoner, Patrick Beirne.

 

New York Marathoner, John F. Martin.
Photo Credit: John F. Martin Photography

"Never, ever. I'm a purist. I much prefer (and need) to listen to my body. I also don't like being isolated from the environment - music takes away too much. And during a race, there is no reason for it. All the sounds and sights of a big race shouldn't be missed. At both full marathons I've run, there was live music and/or crowds cheering the entire race. It's insulting to all of them to run with headphones, I think. Then there's the safety factor - if you can't hear a car, a bike or other runners, risk of injury (or worse) increases exponentially."

Chicago Marathoner, Jackie Kosakowski
Photo Credit: Race Day Photographer

"I will race more often than not with music. But, my headphones and iPod were broken most of 2011 so I didn't really train with music this year. In the past, I usually did.  It's hard for me to answer that. I used to prefer it but once my shit broke I got used to not running with it. Now i run to my Netflix. But, I mean yeah I guess I do like running with music. Or i dont know - im indifferent I think. Outside I don't care but inside I guess I do prefer to run with music."

Detroit Free Press Marathoner, Patrick Beirne

"I can't run without my iPod. For me it is my breathing. If I can hear my breathing, than psychologically it just makes me feel tired. The music covers up my breathing and I run so much more effectively. I know that races supposedly don't allow you to use music, but truthfully I think that is just for competitive runners. For recreational runners like myself, I really don't think anyone sees a problem with it. I have heard the argument about being aware of your surroundings and all but that's never really been a concern for me."

So there we have it folks, some say they need music, some are indifferent and some, like me, prefer to not run with music. Although, I do have to agree with Jackie. Running on a treadmill sucks and I do prefer some sort of entertainment. 

What do you prefer? Running with or without music?

Anyone running the Turkey Trot tomorrow? I will be running the 10k! =)

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Wicked Halloween Run 10k

6.2 miles?? EASY!

My goal for the race was to be under an hour. It was a relatively flat course. If I ran below a 10 minute pace, I could hit my goal time.

Some of the costumes were hilarious! Some person dressed up as a horse. How that person ran 6.2 miles in that thing is beyond me. I dressed as Harry Potter. My brother's girl friend bought me a Gryffindor shirt for my birthday as a joke and since it was a t-shirt, it was the perfect outfit to run in.

The weather was perfect running weather! I started off running 4 and 1's with a fellow BW3 at a 10.30 pace...This was way too slow for me and I didn't really feel like interval running so after the first mile of intervals we split ways and I ran the rest of the 5.2 miles. I knew I needed to increase my pace by a lot if I were to make my goal time. My Garmin told me I was running between an 8.30-9.20 pace. I never went above 9.20.

I never felt out of breath and I didn't stop for water at all, I didn't need it. It was a great run and I never once thought it was grueling. My knee did tighten up but overall it was fine.

Final Time: 59.58

PR'd by 2.42!

On my way home from the race, I realized my mentality about running has changed. 3.1 is a fun run, 6.2 is a short race, 13.1 is a long run and I'm itching to do 26.2. Who would have thought?


What are some great marathon you've ran?


Upcoming Races:
Sunday, Nov. 13: Bid Bird 10k (hoping for another PR)
Thursday, Nov. 25: Turkey Trot

Detroit Free Press Half Marathon

Two half marathons in ONE month....AM I CRAZY?! 


Yes. Yes, I am.


Pre-Race Day:


Well, let's just say it was homecoming weekend at CMU...Now let me tell you that there was a 5k before the homecoming game....one more update, it was freezing and drizzling. Mind you, I told myself it was going to be a training run because I was running the Freep the next day. Did I listen to myself? NO! I semi-raced it and ended up having really sore thighs. Awesome. 


At least I received a medal. Dumb. I am dumb.


Race Day:


I woke up with a stuffy nose and sore throat. Awesome. Not the best way to wake up on race day.


Mom and I left at the crack of dawn to beat the traffic. We parked in the Joe Louis and met up with Paul and Mary. It was only a short distance from the start line so we walked the difference. 


One word to explain the Detroit Free Press Marathon: Mass Chaos. Okay, that was two words but, that's what it was. There were people everywhere. Shoulder to shoulder. Being bumped into every two steps. Literally insane. 


I left my Mom at the bleachers and Paul, Mary and I headed to our pace times. Since Paul and Mary ran the Chicago Marathon the weekend before, we decided to take the intervals to 3 and 1's. (Do you still think I'm crazy?) 


The start line was amazing. I have never seen anything so extravagant and inspiring. The start line designers should give themselves a pat on the back! 


I hate bridges. I get nervous and start sweating just thinking about crossing one. Good thing I had to run across the Ambassador Bridge and it was the first thing I had to do. yay.


To tell you the truth it wasn't that bad. I thought it was going to be way worse than it actually was. But, I did notice that I started gravitating to the edge and that made me a little nervous. Kinda like when you're watching a train and your body moves forward. It was that sort of feeling. 


Once we were in Canada, we had a DJ welcoming us and reminding us of the terrible MSU/UM outcome. (Boo State!) But, it was actually really cool to see the Detroit sky line from Canada. We are always so accustomed to seeing Windsor so it was cool to see it from the other side. 


We were in Canada for a good 3 miles (I think). It started drizzling as we were making our way towards the tunnel. This tunnel was SO much worse than the bridge. Imagine 20 thousand runners going through the same tunnel. It was hot and it was sweaty and I could barely breathe. Worst mile of my life. One of the most memorable moments during this race is when all the runners came out of the tunnel and you could hear everyone take a big gasp of breath. A breath of fresh air. (get it?)


My legs started to really tighten up while we were in Corktown and I think we only had 4-5 miles left. So, I wasn't that worried. At the beginning of the race, I wanted to PR. By mile 11, I wanted finish. I stopped at every water stop because I had the sick throat thing and I really slowed down my pace because of my legs.


With 3 miles left, Paul and Mary told me that we can finish it. So we just ran it in. I saw Kelly and Steve (family friends) on the sideline and my Mom was waiting for me at the finish line.


Overall, it was a great race. I overcame my fears of bridges...kinda and found a new hate for tunnels. Will I run the race again? Yes. Will I still hate the tunnel? Yes. 

Final Time: 2.21"12 

PR'd by 3 minutes!

Upcoming Races:

November 13, Big Bird 10k

November 24, Turkey Trot 10k

Brooksie Way Half Marathon

So more than a month later, I will tell you about my experience with the Brooksie Way.

As I may have mentioned in previous posts, my goal race was to run the Brooksie Way Half-Marathon. I felt as if I needed something to strive for since I am out of college. Plus, it didn't hurt that the race was on the day of birthday! Some people get drunk for their birthday, I run a half-marathon. Ha!

The week before the race, we did a training run on the Brooksie Way course. I was a little nervous especially because I didn't have a lot of time to do training runs on my own. Weekdays were filled by work and cheerleading practice. By the time I got home, I was beat. So, when I did train it was a quick 3 miles. 

The training run definitely put the race into perspective and I'm glad we did it. I knew where the hard parts were and when I needed to slow/increase my pace. For example, the course is flat for a good mile and then right after that flat mile, there's a huge incline. I think that was at mile 7. Not fun.

Needless to say, I'm glad we did the training run.

Race day!

To make it a non-stress morning, I listened to other marathoners advice and prepared all my stuff the night before. I filled up my water bottle, packed sweats for after the race and put all my racing gear together. I tried to go to sleep early but, I was so nervous/excited!

My Mom and I left the house at 5 a.m. to get to Oakland University by 6 a.m. We got there super early so my Mom and I just relaxed in the car for another hour. The race was supposed to start at 8 a.m. but there were a ton of delays because of construction. I think the race ended up starting at 8:30. Anyway, we got there at 6 a.m. to meet up with my Brooksie Way training group. I'm glad we got there as early as we did because we missed the atrocious parking lot traffic. 

Once I met up with my group, we headed over to the tent where the other BW training groups were meeting. This is where I started to get a little nervous. There were a ton of people and the energy was unreal! Everyone was so amped it made me that much more nervous/excited. 

As we lined up in our pace groups we discussed the plan of action for the race. We decided to run 4 and 1's at a 9-10 minute pace. Perfect. The first half was a lot of fun and my body warmed up after the first mile. It was freezing that morning and I was really nervous I was going to be cold the entire time. (I was wearing a short sleeve tech shirt and running capris). 

The second half was tough. Tienkein Hill took a lot out of me. It was definitely a struggle after that hill but, it was moderately easy compared to it. My knee started hurting around mile 9. I never had knee issues during my training run so I have no idea what I ended up doing to it but, it was super tight the rest of the race and the day after. 

I decided to ditch the intervals and run the last 3 miles. I figured, it's a 5k. I can do this. I saw a couple of the BWs on the side cheering on other BWs. It was awesome! I love the fire at the end of the race. 

When I turned the corner to the finish line, it was a little emotional for me. I had a million thoughts going on in my head and it was such a great achievement for me to have fully finished a goal. My Mom cheered me on by the finish line and I sprinted it all the way in. 

Overall, it was a great experience. I love my BW3 group and if it wasn't for them I probably would have never achieved this goal. So thank you for being amazing!! 

You know what they say, you'll always remember your first. 

Final Time: 2.24

Is fueling while racing important?

In my running groups, we always talk about fueling for our long runs, especially, a half marathon, or a full marathon. As Paul says, "Don't wait for a race to test."

The Science:

Bear with me for a minute while I try to explain to you why we need to fuel for long runs.To keep the body healthy for long runs, we have to maintain normal levels of glycogen in the blood. Glycogen is the way your body stores carbohydrates for future use. It's important because glucose is brain and nervous system food and the brain requires to act normally. For example, have you ever felt woozy or have a headache because you didn't eat anything? It's probably because your blood sugar is low. Which means the liver ran out of glycogen due to not eating carbs. This directly affects exercise because one system is functioning normally the others won't as well i.e. muscular system.


Carbohydrates:

Stop thinking terrible thoughts about carbs. Carbohydrates are not the enemy! The sole purpose of carbohydrates is to provide energy to the body. This is especially important for distance runners as it is the source of quick energy. It is recommended that runners' diets consist of 50-70% carbohydrates.

There are two type of carbohydrate, simple and complex. 

Simple carbohydrates consist of one or two molecules. Therefore, they are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. But, that's not always a good thing. Although it's great for a quick spurt of energy, it also induces an insulin response. As a result, the blood sugar returns to the low level resulting in decreased energy and performance.

Complex carbohydrates, unlike simple sugars are made up of several glucose molecules linked together. The result, a slower process of absorption into the blood stream. Experts recommend that the majority of the calories obtained from carbohydrates be in the form of complex carbohydrates.

 Examples of high complex carbohydrates: ALL the good stuff. whole grain pasta, whole grain bread, brown rice, potatoes. 


Although carb baskets are a carb, they are usually a simple carbohydrate because they are made with white flour and have fewer nutrients, and tend to be less satisfying and more fattening.


But, it doesn't stop me from indulging in some of my favorites:

Olive Garden...mmmmm

Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits...mmmmm

Texas Roadhouse Dinner Rolls with Cinnamon Butter...double  mmmmmm

Feul/Energy on Long Runs

Rule of thumb:

Jog for 30 minutes, H2O will suffice. 

Longer than 30 minutes, you gotta get yourself some carbs!

HOW TO REFUEL:

• Sports drinks: But make sure they have a 6-8% carbohydrate concentration.
• Ex. 15 grams of carbohydrate per 8-ounce serving equals 6.25% of carbohydrates
• Recommendations: Gatorade Endurance or PowerBar Endurance
• Gels/Sports Beans: Sugars in the gels provide fuel! 
• Select a gel that has 25-30 grams of carbohydrates and 50 mg of Sodium
• Chase with water NOT a sports drink
• One gel/packet of sports beans after 60 minutes of running and then every 45 minutes
• Recommendations: GU Chocolate, GU Milk Chocolate, Jelly Belly Sports Beans 
• DO NOT TRY THE FRUIT FLAVORS...I almost puked when I had the tropical punch Gu.

• Energy Bars: jam-packed with carbs to satisfy hunger
• Select bars with 40 grams or more of carbohydrate
• WARNING! Too much fat can delay digestion.
• Ideal: 200-250 cals with about 5 grams of fiber and 10 grams of protein

INGREDIENTS TO AVOID: 

• Partially hydrogenated oils
• High fructose corn syrup
• Artificial dyes

LOVE YOUR HONEY! 

• Sure, love your significant other but, love the natural honey too! It's a great fast-acting carb! 

I hope you learned same fabulous information about fueling. 

Do you have a go-to fuel flavor?

Wishlist Races

I'm not sure if I have ever shared this but, I have an addiction to medals. I love the hardware I get after a race. 

That being said, here are a few of my "wishlist" races based strictly on their medals:

ALL the Run Disney races have the best medals (if you're a Disney fanatic like me.)

2012 Walt Disney World Half Marathon, Jan. 5, Orlando, FL.

Disney's Princess Half Marathon Weekend, Feb. 24, Orlando, FL.

Tinkerbell Half-Marathon, Jan. 27, Anaheim, CA

I was actually going to sign up for the Tinkerbell Half-Marathon but, it was sold out. Next year for sure! 

Surf City Medal, Feb. 5, 2011. Huntington Beach, CA

Love this Surf City medal. The race is known for its medals. Definitely on my wish list.

Although medals are fun and cool. I especially like them because of the memories that are associated with them. It's a symbol of accomplishment! 

If you have any other medal recommendations pass them along. Would love to hear which medals you think are the best!

BIG update: Races

Race updates! 

July 24, 2011: Run for the Remedy 5k. 

One of the reasons I like running is because most of the time, races benefit some sort of organization. Run for the Remedy benefited the Children's Leukemia Foundation. I always like to push myself harder in these races because I know that how much I'm "hurting" or "suffering" it's nothing compared to what they're going through.

Race time: 27.20, PR'd by 3 minutes! 

August 6, 2011: Advokate 10k

This race was also for a cause. "AdvoKate is a volunteer organization supporting pediatric brain tumor prevention and reseach, as well as other childhood-related causes. It was established to honor the memory of 6-year-old Kate Hrischuk of Rochester, MI, who lost her courageous battle with an intrinsic brain stem glioma in early 2007. advoKate was founded by Kate's parents whom have taken on the mission to raise awareness about the issue of limited available research on the disease that took their daugher's life. With the help of event participants and sponsors, advoKate has, so far, raised nearly $50k for the cause. For more information about Kate and her story, visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/katehrischuk" Taken from www.advokaterun.org.

The race itself was hilly, I ran way too fast in the beginning almost an 8:30 pace and I was running 4 and 40's. It was probably the worst first half I've ever raced. 

Race Time: 1.02, PR'd by 5 minutes!!! 

Next up on the race agenda:

September 11, Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Run - Detroit 5k

October 2, Brooksie Way 1/2 marathon

October 16, Detroit Free Press 1/2 marathon

October 30, Wicked Halloween Run 10k

November 24, Turkey Trot 10k

Will I be seeing you at any of these races?