Boston Marathon Training: Learning to Be Flexible

All in all, another solid training weekend. Shaun and I handled six miles on the Charles today…with minimal ice (thank you New Balance for clearing the ice and snow this year!) and a serious wind kicking up on the Memorial Drive side. We finished strong, running about a 9:30 mile. This was Shaun’s first 6 miles EVER, and he killed it! (He’s passed out right now as I write, but well deserved!). My ankle held up pretty well too. (I’m icing now as I write). So I am psyched to run 8 next week on the roads of Western Mass!

As we were running, I was thinking about what I should blog about, which brought me to My 2 Rules of Flexibility that all runners should abide by:

1)Always remain flexible with your training schedule. This doesn’t mean skip a long run or train without paying attention to mileage, but make sure to listen to your body and your mind. If you’re sick, injured, or just plain exhausted..it ‘s OK to move your long run a day or so to give your body some recovery. Or, if you get impromptu all you can eat “Hungry for Hockey” Bruins tickets for example, doing your long run on Sunday instead of Saturday is fine too (Thanks Laura and Kev! We had lots of carbs before our long run today!!


2)Keep your body loose and Flexible! If you haven’t tried a foam roller and you’re a runner, you’re crazy. This thing massages deep muscle tissue like no other. I finally got my own from City Sports this weekend. I love it more than anything else I own. I love it so much, Shaun is worried.

Also, a big congrats to Nicole Pinney Farrell who just ran her first 4 miles without stopping. These Pinneys are natural born runners!!

Couples who Run Together..Paint Together!

This Saturday, Shaun and I finally decided to take the plunge...Yup that's right, we FINALLY painted the apartment! After painting a sea of bright green, we had a good hour to kill while the paint dried. Lucky for me, Shaun's been running a few times a week, so we decided to take a gorgeous 4 mile run on the Charles. It took me a while to get my head in the game, since it was the first time running outside since the ankle has rehabed. But it felt great...and running with Shaun was exactly what I needed to push through the nagging "I want to be done with this run" thoughts that crept into my brain on mile two. Not to mention, Shaun kicked my butt, so that was extra motivating! Marathon for Shaun?? Not sure if he'd be into it, but I think he's up for a 6 miler next weekend!!

Also, GREAT news..we are up to $3500 in donations for the Melanoma Foundation! A special thank you to the Hubspot team, who made several donations today!! Even more motivation to keep pushing.

What motivates you??

Run Forever!

"I have to make funny faces in pictures!" - Bill Rodgers after yesterday's photo shoot ;)

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to hang with Bill Rodgers, 5 time Champion of the Boston Marathon and honorary captain of the Melanoma Foundation's Running for Cover Team. Our team met with Bill and his buddy Roger Park for a lesson in biomechanics of the foot and injury prevention. Let's just say, I was able to have Roger confirm that I have a higher tendancy for ankle sprains and foot pain. I'm a Supinator - only 10% of runners Supinate - or put major pressure on the outside of the foot. Roger Park actually makes custom orthodotics for running legends, like Joan Benoit Samuelson (He kept referring to her as "Joanie"!), so I knew I was in good hands. Biggest lesson for me? I actually need to switch the left and right foot orthodics to get the best support. If you've never been appropriately fitted for your sneakers..do it!

Bill also gave me a signed copy of his book,The Complete Idiot's Guide to Runnning, which will be up for auction in February! He told me modestly that he had no idea why his shoes were sold for $10,000 at an auction once! Ummm Bill...here's why:



He signed the book with his new motto "Run Forever!" and joked that "It used to be "See you on the roads but now I'm getting old..so it's Run Forever!"If anyone has ever met Bill, he's one of the most laid back and inspiring runners I've ever met. He truly LOVES LOVES LOVES to run and he loves helping others get started. Plus, he's oddly hillarious, here's an example from his book:

"At a race in Japan once, I startled all the runners by popping a potato in my mouth just minutes before the start. I had a few stomach problems during the race, but new my opponents were completely psyched out. I won".

haha..maybe I'll try that this year???! Any other suggestions to psych out my competitors???

Make Way for the 1st Annual Brad Pinney Wine Tasting & Silent Auction for Melanoma! plus..frozen corn.

I have to say, with the new year in place, things are defintely coming together! My ankle is successfully rehabbing after a 3 month-long sprain and I've been cleared to train harder, our fundraising event is gaining steam with tons of local attention and amazing auction items, and we're already at $2100 in donations for the Melanoma Foundation! So far, 2010 is bringing it home!!

A few things to remember:
Save the Date for the First Annual Brad Pinney Wine Tasting and Silent Auction! On February 20th we'll be celebrating Brad's tremendous spirit of giving and raising money for the Melanoma Foundation. The event will be held at the Hampden Country Club in Hampden,Ma. Join us for complimentary wines from over 6 vineyards from across the globe, complimentary beer samples, yummy food and over 20 auction items for bidding. It's going to be a great night! Big thanks to our sponsors and the Pinney family for putting this together! Amazing auction items include: a week long stay at a beautiful Cape House in Truro,MA, a one night weekend stay at the Liberty Hotel Boston, high end jewelry, art, a weekend stay at Sugarbush resort, spa gift certificates and even skis!! Tickets must be purchased in advance. Tickets are $50 if purchased before January 30th and $60 if purchased after that date. To purchase tickets, please contact me at natalie.deangelo@gmail.com See you there!



Today's Training Tip? Use organic corn to ice ailments. Organic is better for you. ;)

The 12 Days of Christmas Training (for Boston)

Here’s what happens when you give me way too much time on a plane and a marathon blog to write. Merry Christmas!!

On the 1st day of Christmas Training, my true love gave to me:
A donation to my marathon fund (Tax Free!)
On the 2nd day of Christmas Training, my true love gave to me:
2 running gloves and
A donation to my marathon fund Tax Free!
On the 3rd day of Christmas Training, my true love gave to me:
3 weeks of taper,
2 running gloves,
And a donation to my marathon fund Tax Free!
(ok, you know how the song goes..here’s the shortened version)
On the 12th day of Christmas Training, my true love gave to me:
12 Kenyans winning!
11 Legs a leaping!
10 spandex ripping!
9 fans a dancing!
8 ankles icing!
7 racers swimming (on off days)!
6 laces fraying!
5 Golden Gu Packs!!
4 heartbreak miles!
3 weeks of taper!
2 running gloves!
An a donation to my marathon fund TAX FREE!

How could you NOT donate after that holiday insanity?!

Who are YOU running for?

This week in my BURN class, one of my clients came in in a sad mood. (For those of you don't know what BURN is, it is my running interval class at the gym where I work). Anyway, she mentioned her brother in law Dennis, had just been diagnosed with severe thyroid cancer. As we continued to run, we decided to dedicate the run that night to Dennis, and in our own way pay tribute to his life and celebrate our health.

An old running coach of mine told me once that he used to dedicate each run to someone he loved, who had been through or was going through a hard time. That is why I am running Boston for Brad, and why we ran for Dennis on Monday.

I am reading a book now called Born to Run, and it's about the best runners in the world, the Tarahumara, a hidden tribe who can run hundreds of miles without stopping, without fatigue, with a smile on their faces. These runners don't run for time, or medals or money, they run for the pure love of it. They run out of love and kindess an compassion for others (Seriously, read the book). It may be the only way they can run for 100s of miles and not die. They are pretty inspiring to us as Americans, who mostly run to shed a few pounds in vain or to gain some sort of recognition or sponsorship.

We can certainly learn from my old running coach, and from the Tarahumara. Next time you go out on your run, dedicate it to someone special. Run for that person selflessly. It will absolutely make that run seem a lot easier and a heck of a lot more worthwhile.

Until tomorrow,
Nat

A Lasting Legacy...

I had been dating Shaun Pinney for a few months after he decided to introduce me to his father, Brad. All I remember thinking was,"This is a big deal, I'm meeting the parents!" We met at Fenway Beer Works and in walked Mr. Pinney, a towering man of 6'5". But as soon as he smiled, my intimidation dissapeared. When we finished dinner, I remember going to shake his hand. Instead he gave me a huge hug and we both chuckled, because we were on a "hugging status now." I will never forget that hug.

Although Brad had recently been diagnosed with cancer, his strengh and giving spirit was immediately evident. I soon learned Brad Pinney spent his life going above and beyond for others - whether it be in the line of fire as Captain of the Wilbraham Fire Department, volunteering his time on countless community boards or simply by being a good father, husband, coach and neighbor - he was an example of what it truly means to give 100% to others. When Mr. Pinney passed away, there was a line for hours outside the door, hundreds of people from the community coming to pay respects and thank him for his generosity.

Although I never got to know Brad like his friends and famlly did, I consider myself closer to him than ever before. The Pinney family has welcomed me into their home and I am so grateful for that. Their strength and generosity is clearly a legacy of the love and closeness Mr. Pinney built within his family.

When Nicole Pinney (his daughter) told me they were ready to celebrate her dad's life, we began brainstorming. She is a true reflection of her father in so many ways...always thinking of ways to get involved and genuinely help others. That is what led us to the Melanoma Foundation's Running for Cover Team.

Please donate to our cause by making a donation in honor of Brad. All proceeds will benefit the Melanoma Foundation's programs for early detection and skin cancer prevention.

And please keep following this blog! I'll be posting lots and lots of marathon training pics in the months to come!