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.

Team in Training Info Meetings

As I was responding to a query from a reader, I realized that I don't know as much about the local Team in Training programs as I might (and you can't miss the groups as they run in Brooklyn).

The group has regular information sessions (bars, libraries, take your pick). I've linked it here, and some of the upcoming ones in Brooklyn are listed below.

Saturday, January 9 - Brooklyn

11:00 AM
Carroll Gardens Brooklyn Library
396 Clinton Street
At Union Street

Monday, January 11 - Brooklyn

7:00 PM
reBar, 147 Front Street
Between Jay & Pearl Streets

Tuesday, January 12 - Park Slope Brooklyn

7 p.m.
Union Hall
702 Union Street at Fifth Avenue
*Food Will Be Provided*
To RSVP e-mail Alyssa at alyssa.rashbaum@lls.org

Headphones or Not?

I'm back in New York after a 4-hour trip from Boston, irritated by a pod-phone wearing driver on I-95 who braked unnecessarily several times (and punctuated by an adorable 2-year-old who has a predilection for puking when she's on long car trips), so put this in perspective:

Jim Gerweck at Running Times, in a recent issue, raised the issue of headphones and wearing them during races (given the popularity of the iPod). His main point: They aren't safe for the runner and those who are surrounding them.

I'm reading the letters to the editor in the November issue of Running Times (not online yet), both pro and con, and it's leading me to think that perhaps the issue isn't being taken seriously enough, despite the USATF "recommendation" banning them in races (a move that may be overturned).

Some races have banned, them, others have not. (Almost all local Brooklyn races, with a couple of notable exceptions, haven't made a statement, and NYRR hasn't taken a serious stand beyond a suggestion that they not be worn.)

It's one thing if you're running in Prospect Park or Central Park and you cut in front of a runner to get a cup of water and you don't hear them calling out a warning. That ranges between irritating and unsafe. It's another thing if you're running on a road where there are cars and you can't hear the horn.

I've been running for 25 years, and my hearing is one of the most important parts of my training, whether it be in a controlled environment (treadmill) or not. So please explain to me: How do you justify putting yourself at risk by running with headphones at a volume that you can't hear other things? And if you are racing and oblivious to other people, how do you put them at risk?

I'm more than happy to turn up the volume on my iPod when, oddly, I need to concentrate (I would have the music loud when studying at college at, today, at times when I really want to zone in, I love having the music in the background, which helps me focus). But I won't wear the iPod while running because a) I like hearing the background and b) I don't think it's safe - -I rely on all my senses while running on the roads. (Even smell, which is why I run near a certain coffee shop in Dumbo early in the AM).

I know my mind is made up, but that's not the point (and never is on this blog): What do you think?

Training With People

Earlier this week, I was doing a hill workout over at the Columbia Heights hill near the Promenade (over in Brooklyn Heights). It's a short, steep hill (maybe 150 meters, 8% grade? - I need to use a GPS to get this thing measured) - anyway, perfect for the shorter hill workouts.

So, my first four are run at: 42.6 seconds, 43.1, 42.5, 42.6. I'm feeling, a little fatigued, but thinking I'll do a couple of more. I'm also thinking that I'm getting a good workout.

I'm walking down the hill (remember, the knee injury, which I continue to baby) and I see another runner - male, early 20s, built like a runner, stretching out at the bottom of the hill. I'll call him Z. We start chatting and agree to push each other for the next few hills. I joke that I'm going to hold him back (though secretly thinking that maybe I can take him.) Hah.

The next hill is done at something under 39 seconds. We stayed together for the first 50 meters (Z was being nice), and then he accelerated away. He didn't break a sweat. We jog back down the hill, run another couple (both sub 41 for me, probably sub 37 for him). Z just moved from Manhattan, looking for some running ideas, racing thoughts. I wasn't planning on it, but run an eighth hill, again sub 41, but now totally gassed. I give him some ideas, hope we run into each other again.

The point of this post isn't to talk about my times on the Columbia Heights hill (which go from the street crossing at the base to the second tree at the top, right after the crest, if you really care). It's actually two different ideas:

-- First, one of the things I love about running and racing is that you get to meet so many different people. I find it perfectly natural to go up to complete strangers and talk to them, whether they just outkicked you at the finish line or you happen to be approaching the same water fountain). I learn so much just from talking to other runners, regardless of ability, age, or what not, because while they have a shared experience, it's also completely unique. My dry cleaner runs, which we realized after he passed me/I passed him at a cross country race a couple of years ago. Who'd a thunk it?

-- Secondly (and, the ultimate point): Training with people, especially those who are slightly better than you, will make you a better runner. Not only will they give you the mental and emotional support that you might not find when you train alone, they likely will push you to perform better. Z was great timing for me, because I got a much better workout. I've also found that the speed/tempo workouts that are so necessary to get to the next level are comparatively easier done with other people than by myself (others may find they excel without anyone around them, to be sure).

OK, so that said: Where do you find people to train with? I'll post some places, both club-oriented and free flowing, over the weekend. But also, keep in mind, it's also permissible to walk up to that person you've seen countless times every morning, running the same route, and strike up a conversation.

Running in Park Slope at 6 a.m.

Readers, I recently received an e-mail from someone asking about running in Park Slope/Prospect Park in the early morning. Thoughts?

"I live in Park Slope and have been running in the evenings for awhile. However, would like to become more of an AM runner. Any thoughts about if it's safe to run in Park Slope at 6 am? I have a feeling that there are probably a lot more folks out there than I think and I'm trying to convince my current running partners to try morning runs, but still not sure if I want to run the back end of the park by myself at 6 am."