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. ;)