Running and Travel

The good thing about traveling is that it gets you exposed to all kinds of different ideas and places, especially new running routes (even if blogging gets dumped to the wayside for a short time).

Let's focus on the positive parts though -and it's apropos, considering it's marathon weekends in Boston and London. More than 100 Brooklyn runners in Boston, and I expect to see a fair NYC turnout in the UK.

*When I travel, I run. Mapmyrun or Gmaps Pedometer is a great way of figuring out routes from where you are staying. And on Mapmyrun, you can see what other folk have done in the past.

*Take the unexpected path, even if you don't expect to. When I run in new routes for the first time, I invariably get temporarily lost. Or I have no idea where I'm going. That's the fun of it. Don't be afraid to ask. Again, that's part of the fun. And tacking on an additional 5-15 minutes to your run isn't going to ruin your training - just run slower, or even take walking breaks.

*Find a destination race, and plan a trip around it. MarathonGuide.com is a great place to start.

*Plan a trip, and find a run to fit your needs. For example, I'm up in the Boston area a lot, so use New England Runner and Cool Running to plot out some ideas (these are both great for the Northeast, I might add.)

*Look up a running group online from the area, and send a quick e-mail to see if you can join them on one of their weekly runs. I did this up in the Boston area a few years back since I wanted to go long and I wanted company, and enjoyed a wonderful 16-mile loop on Heartbreak Hill into Wellesley (and back).

Good luck everyone racing this weekend.

Heading to Boston and Not Running the Marathon?

Sign up tomorrow for the BAA 5K, held Sunday of Marathon weekend.

Entries are limited to 5,000 - I suspect that you won't see a lot of local entries, but a ton of national entries as "running tourists" (I'm one this year) converge.

It won't close out as fast as the marathon, but will probably get filled quickly. Entries start at 10 a.m. The course is relatively flat (there's one short, steep hill).

Fall Marathon Woes

If you're running a fall marathon, though procrastinating about a choice - get a move on.

Consider: Mount Desert Island Marathon, ME, on 10/17, Baystate Marathon in Lowell, MA on 10/17, and Mohawk-Hudson Marathon in Schenectady, NY on 10/10 - all closed.

Hartford and Philadelphia remain open.

For now.

For those seeking a Boston qualifying time at this point, with no plans: Hartford on Oct. 9 seems to be the best bet. I still think that Boston will close within days - if not hours - of its registration opening of Oct. 18 at 9 a.m. (at that point, the server will crash for a bit, I suspect). Too many people got burnt last year, and I don't think you can count on running a race the following weekend, or any later in the fall, if you want to get into Boston 2011. Philly won't do it.

NYC Marathon Lottery Results

So, NYRR has held the lottery - you're either in, and perhaps celebrating (?) (!) at a NYRR lottery party tonight ... or maybe not.

120,000 applicants, according to this release ...

Plenty of other marathons this fall, BTW, so don't despair - check this listing out for other options.

Marathon News

* The historical Yonkers Marathon is this weekend

* Philadelphia Marathon on Nov. 22 is sold out for 2009

* New Jersey Marathon early fee deadline is Oct. 1 (still plenty of spots at this point, but you only have to pay $80 - very cheap for a marathon these days)

* Registration is available for 2010 Boston Marathon (if you've run a qualifying marathon, and are thinking about doing it, worth getting it in by the end of the year).

Fall Marathons: Get Ready

Didn’t get into the big marathons this fall (I’m talking New York, Chicago or Marine Corps)?

Never fret, there are plenty of Northeast marathons to choose from – some flat, some challenging, some picturesque, all of them still open (hopefully) as this writing.

Here’s a list as you ponder your travel/training plans. There may be some smaller ones that I’ve missed, and if you know of any that are worthwhile, by all means, post a comment or send an e-mail. It does look like the Westchester Marathon and the Atlantic City Marathon won’t be held this fall (based on the lack of information on their Web sites) – if someone knows of dates of these races, please let me know.

By all means, check out MarathonGuide.com if you’re thinking about traveling elsewhere – it has an extensive list, along with comments from racers, elevation charts, etc.

Aug. 25: Self-Transcendence Marathon, NY

Sept. 13: Rochester Marathon, NY

Sept. 13: Lehigh Valley Marathon, NY

Sept. 13: Erie Marathon, PA

Sept. 20: Adirondack Marathon, NY

Sept. 20: Yonkers Marathon, NY

Sept. 26: Hamptons Marathon, NY

Sept. 27: Clarence Demar Marathon, NH

Oct. 3: New Hampshire Marathon, NH

Oct. 4: Maine Marathon, ME

Oct. 4: Wineglass Marathon, NY

Oct. 10: Hartford Marathon, CT

Oct. 11: Mohawk Hudson Marathon, NY

Oct. 11: Steamtown Marathon, PA

Oct. 18: Bay State Marathon, MA

Oct. 18: Amica Marathon, RI

Oct. 18: Mount Desert Island Marathon, ME

Oct. 25: Cape Cod Marathon, MA

Nov. 1: Manchester City Marathon, NH

Nov. 8: Harrisburg Marathon, PA

Nov. 14: Richmond Marathon, VA

Nov. 22: Philadelphia Marathon, PA

Chicago Marathon Also Closed

Ahh, the days when you could wait until the last moment and sign up for the race.

For those of you making fall marathon plans, please note that Chicago is also closed.

I will say, I just received the brochure for the Adirondack Distance Festival, including a marathon, in the mail - Sept. 19-20. It looks enticing, and relatively nearby, if I didn't already have another commitment.

Among my many to-do lists - put together one of fall marathons (I need to do this for my own purposes, given my flameout this spring) that are potential Boston qualifiers, which I'll share.

Fall Marathon Update

Those of you dithering over your fall marathon selection may need to make some planning now. While many (Hartford, Philadelphia et al) remain open, others are starting to close.

Chicago is closed except for charities and tour groups. And Twin Cities in Minnesota said last week they had only 2,500 spots remaining.