Thanks Re: the marathon qualification, most people get in through a lottery (me), but there is automatic entry for for those who meet certain times, as well members of the NYRR who by running a certain number of "points races," can get an entry as well.
Good luck, Ray. Hopefully the rest of your body can convince your knees not to whine too much on the day of the race, or afterwards. I'm aiming for a future Pittsburgh marathon myself, or one of the smaller ones in the midwest (which is where I'm from, and which will feature fewer hills). That's a couple-three years down the road, though. When I was younger, I did things that make Jim look like a master of moderation. I hope those days are behind me. Ray, how many people are in the NY marathon? It's one of the world's biggest, isn't it?
My fave right now are my Asics Gel Trabuco's. They just fit me perfect. I've worn New Balance 704s or 705s or whatever number they are in the store and have been pleased with them. You really can't go wrong with any of the trail shoes out there made by companies like adidas, Nike, asics, New Balance, Salomon, etc. Just make sure you get a shoe that fits your foot well. Trail shoes that I am rotating through... Asics Gel Trabucos...by far my fave shoe of the bunch. Fits me damn near perfect. Pretty aggressive tread. Montrail Diablos...at first glance you'd think that it was shoe for the road cuz it looks so stripped down. One thing I don't like about this shoe is that it does not have a traditional tongue. Instead it's more of a booty. I wear trail running socks and they are slightly thicker than your normal run of the mill running socks and sometimes it takes alot of force to get my foot into the shoe. Proponents of shoes with booties claim that the bootie keeps out debris. Yes I do agree but at the same time I'm the type of guy that likes easy foot access. This is a very light shoe when compared to my other two trail running shoes. I don't think I would take this one out on really hardcore trails...this one sticks to mainly the road or easy dirt trails. Teva Elden Trail: This shoe borders on being day hiker instead of a trail running shoe. A very beefy shoe. Tremendous amounts of cushioning. It does not feel light on the feet. Please keep in mind that I do not know the exact weights of these three shoes. If I was to rank lightest to heaviest it would go Montrail, Asics, and these. But this shoe has performed admirably in the foothills above Boise, Idaho.
Scheduled to run in a 10K Sunday morning. Hopefully they will have caught the sniper or else I would expect the race to be cancelled.
Good luck! I've read that there's something like 2 million spectators along the NYC Marathon route. I'm sure they'll help you keep your mind off the pain and keep the adrenaline flowing. I ran my first marathon here in Providence last week. I felt great when there were people around cheering, but it rained, so there were some really lonely sections of the course. I hear you on the last miles of the marathon. I once heard this adage that marathons have 2 halves, the first 20 miles and the last 6.2. I couldn't believe how true this was. The last 10k took an eternity. Not trying to get off topic, but anyone here do triathlons? I started doing them this summer and had an absolute blast.
I did a run/bike/run duothlon (sp?) back when I was 1) fit, and 2) Meissenic in my inability to moderate my exertion. It was fun, and I finished closer to the middle of the pack than I thought I would, but I had a case of "sewing machine leg" for 48 hours afterwards. If I ever do a conventional triathlon, I'll need to learn how to swim first, since I don't think they allow you to wear floatation devices. Fear, thanks for the trailshoe rundown.
I have done a handful of duoathlons (hell I can't spell) several years ago but have not done any since. I don't know how to swim..otherwise I would be a tri geek. I'd like to get back into doing them. I was suppose to do one this past summer (2k run, 10 ride, 2k run) but plans fell through. This past Saturday I only ran for an hour. A nice slow, lazy run. And on Sunday I did a quickie 45 min ride.
Back in my days of running... I've run in some really cool places (keep in mind that I am a city person and like running in crowds than in isolation of nature). Barcalona - the old city Edinborogh (sp) - around the main park below the famous castle. Oxford (spent a term there) - all over, but usually along the Thames heading toward London. Montreal - Basically downtown, but it was a 8-10 mile run which was unusual for a me on vacation. Qubec - The castle - this was my favorite run of all time. Has a couple of good hills. On the cliff over the St Lawerance for good viewing, and had varying surfaces (boardwalk, stone, asphalt). Chicago - along the Lake. Not very novel, unless you've never done it. What greatness.
I think I'm getting soft in my old age. I was thinking about this while running on the treadmill at the gym this morning. I've never liked running in the cold much, and still don't. The thing is, though, what qualifies as cold for me has changed. It used to be I'd run outside at any temperature down to around 15-20 degrees. Now it's more like 35-40. Oh well.
Speaking of cold weather running... I wonder if anyone else has this problem: I wear glasses (and don't want contacts) and of course they steam up on cold days. Anyone know how to avoid this, or if there are any products that prevent this? While I'm in the "does anyone else have this problem" mode... for the life of me, I can't run on treadmills without getting shinsplints, even if I do all the requisite exercises. Anyone know what's up with that?
Join the crowd. It all depends for me I guess. If it's windy when it's that cold then I stay inside and do my cardio work in there. But if the winds are calm, I really don't have a problem with running in that cold of weather. Are you warming up properly? What kind of shoes are you wearing?
i think they make some spray that you can use for your glasses, but since i don't have contacts or glasses... i couldn't tell you where to look (ask at a running center store) as for the treadmill... you have to be altering your stride when you run on a treadmill, it should be softer than running outside
To add to that...what I've noticed with me..and my friends can tell you the same thing..is that when I/we run on 'mills...we tend to start out faster than we normally do when running outside. This could be a contributing factor to your shinsplints.
i'd think that should be a great reason to go outside i get shin splints no matter what (result of getting smashed between two cars... long story, and yes it was during practice)... i got through highschool by refusing to learn what shin splints were... since i didn't know what it was, i couldn't have it i made the mistake of reading up on shin splints when i was in college and then discussing it with a doctor BOOOOOOOOOOOO
I've been running since '97. I run enough to keep in shape. I'm not an egomaniac and run marathons, half marathons or even 5Ks. I run 2 miles every other day. The other days in between I use a stationery bike for 20 minutes. I like a little variety in my training. Thats all you need. Dont go overboard on this crap. I am not a morning person, so I always run at night. Some things I have learned. Try not to run on concrete if possible. I read that sidewalk concrete is 17 times more harder than grass. I believe in cushioning your running shoes to the utmost. Add sorbathane pads to your regular running shoes. Spend money and get good shoes. Dont be cheap on something pertaining to your feet and possible injuries. Dont live in your running shoes. What I mean in that is use them for running ONLY. Not for your everyday activities. Streching before runs is important too.
Thanks I still need some longer training runs before I can put in a very good 10K. Not Marine Corps related , just a local 10K in Leesburg.
belated congrats from me, too. A training reminder I wish I'd heeded Sunday night: Never rehydrate with prune juice. No matter how good it tastes, it will not work quite the way you need it to.