New Year, New Decade, New Resolutions.

We are at the end of the first decade of the new millenium. What have you accomplished in the last 10 years? I am happy to say that I have accomplished alot, at least I think so. First, I survived and graduated high school, that was pretty easy. I moved to Israel, also pretty easy, when you just jump with your eyes closed and only open them years later :). I have travelled the world, not all of it, but there's still time. I have been to Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, France, Budapest, Prague and Italy. I have gone to school for higher education and have built a nice niche for myself and my profession here in Jerusalem. I'm a personal trainer, masseuse, hydrotherapist and am studying Chinese medicine. I have participated in many charity events, be it through running, biking or just raising awareness. In 2010, I dedicated my running to myself. I chose a goal and worked towards it in a way to better myself and not for the benefit of anyone else. It may seem selfish, but for me it was the right thing to do. I enjoyed every moment of my training in 2010. No matter how tired I was, how hot it was outside, how many annoying questions I was asked, in the end it was all worth it. To actually say that I have run a marathon is a great accomplishment and I am proud of it. I'm actually sorry that I didn't start this blog 10 years ago, I would have loved to know what my New Year's resolution was for 2000 and onwards. I doubt I would have thought that I would accomlish all I have these last 10 years. Hell, who am I kidding, I was the laziest person I knew back then, I had been to Israel once in my life and was iffy about the whole Aliyah aspect AND I wanted to be an architect and live in California.

The definition of resolution that I find the most fitting for me right now is: "The fineness of detail that can be distinguished in an image". I wish that we would be able to have the clearest of resolution on the image of the next 10 years of our lives. It would certainly make life easier but it would also take the adventure and fun out of what we will experience. Uncertainty is what makes us continue on the journey called life. My resolution for the years to come is a simple one. To always remember that there is a reason for everything, not to get caught up in the small annoying details and to focus on the positive.

Oh, and to run another marathon or 3, of course.

Here is a link to an article about easing back into running after a lay off. I have decided to sit the Jerusalem Marathon out this year. I was training but it was not fun and running is supposed to be fun. I will run the 1/2 marathon and if it doesn't rain tomorrow, eh, even if its raining tomorrow, Danielle and I will be running to the forest in the morning (yay!). So, with a smile and a grimace we will run up hills and I will enjoy the journey only once its over, but at least I know that I will enjoy it.

To a new decade of running, enjoying life, new experiences and to health.

'Till next time, in 2011.

Peace.

Motivation?

There are days when its too cold in my room to get out of bed in the early hours of the morning, how am I expected to want to run on those mornings, or evenings for that matter? When I've been working all day and am just getting in the door after leaving 12 hrs earlier... There are days when I push off the run as much as I can and there are other days when I find a window of opportunity and run on it. I always feel better when I'm done with the run and sometimes even while I'm still running. I guess amnesia goes both ways, for forgetting the good and the bad of running. When I was done with the marathon I said, sure I can do another one! Now that I'm training for one again I ask myself, why?? I'm hoping that on one of my longer runs this week the answer will come to me. I haven't found one that I am satisfied with that really is my source of motivation.
So I ask you, those out there in cyberspace who actually read this: "Where do you get your motivation from?"

Till next time,

Peace.
Please check out my website: http://www.rachelshealthandfitness.com/

It's that time of year again...

Except here in Israel we don't really get winter. Until last week I was still wearing short sleeves and would never even consider going out for a run when there was still daylight. Then Chanukah came and along with it an insane fire up in the Carmel that killed 42 people and displaced hundreds. It took 4 days to control and finally extinguish the fire but not without the help of our neighbors and friends all over the world. That is when the rain came. After the fire was out. A lot of people ask why the rain couldn't have shown up a week earlier and then we wouldn't have had a fire at all. I say its god's way of teaching us a lesson, that we shouldn't take anything for granted and know that life isn't in our hands. There is a bigger picture that we aren't supposed to see but just have faith that it will all be alright. After the rain came the wind. In some places it was 120 km/h. I don't know how strong it was in Jerusalem but it was really hard to walk across the street without being afraid a tree would fall on you or a cow would come flying over the building and knock you over. I contemplated going out for a run, and instead opted for the treadmill option. I ran a nice tempo run but I should have been running a long run of 16km. Now I'm glad that it has started to be a bit cooler and that the rain is filling the Kinneret back up and watering the ground so that our country can look a lot nicer, but I don't appreciate it when the weather and other circumstances mess with my training schedule, especially in the 1st week.


I don't consider myself a control freak or someone who gets uptight about little things but I do believe that when it comes to a training schedule, especially for a marathon, every run is important especially if you have doubts about the outcome, like I do. Danielle might think that I had a nervous breakdown and she may be right about that but I'm not so sure... I just got annoyed and worried and nervous about maybe not being able to pull off this next run which is in a little less than 4 months. My speed workouts and tempo runs are going great. The long runs are what seems to be the hurdle I need to get over. You would think that after running a marathon any run that is shorter would be a piece of cake, but they aren't. I think I have to sleep more and I won't be as tired or lacking the motivation to go out in the cold and run for 2 hours. This week's long run wasn't so successful. I tried to run on the treadmill but I was sooooo bored and couldn't finish the 16km for many reasons that I won't get into but after running 6 I called it a night and did some weight training and abs. The next worning I woke up a 5am to run a 10km and watch the sunrise, before going to work and then school. It was nice a crisp morning and thankfully I have a great jacket and gloves to keep me warm, making the hour and the feat a lot easier. I still ran my needed weekly mileage so I should be happy about that, and I am, I'm just hoping that from here on out, I can keep to my Sunday, Wednesday, Friday schedule of long run, speed work and tempo runs. Of course Runner's World has a video about running long runs on the treadmill when the weather doesn't allow the sane to run outside. I thought that all marathoners were in-sane but I guess not.

I kind of wish it would snow, I like running in the snow.

Until next time,

Peace.

Voodoo Chile?

You know that I am a Runner's World junkie and that I worship the paper they publish on, but when it comes to boredom at work, I turn to their website, which is just as satisfying. Since I study Chinese Medicine and eventually want to open a sports acupuncture clinic (lightyears from here and now) I thought it would be cool to see what the experts at Runner's World had to say about alternative therapies. I believe that acupuncture and herbs can be just as efficient as preventative medicine as it is for healing injuries but all I found was an article on Natural Cures for Running Injuries. I will keep on looking and maybe I will send the Magazine some proof that it can be helpful... :)

Here is an exerpt from the article which you can read in length by clicking on the title above.



Acupuncture

The Promise: This ancient Chinese practice involves inserting fine needles in specific areas of the body to improve circulation, restore energy, and promote healing, says Patricia Piant, an acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Integrative Medicine Program in Glenview, Illinois.

The Science: Research has been controversial, due to the difficulty of creating a placebo effect with needles. But studies have shown that acupuncture stimulates endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, and also increases range of motion.

Who Should Try It: In 1996, the World Health Organization issued a report on the efficacy of acupuncture, saying that it could benefit patients with knee pain, plantar fasciitis, sprains, lower-back pain, and osteoarthritis.



Herbal Remedies

The Promise: Proponents of herbal therapies say that the phytochemicals in plant-based supplements enhance the body's ability to heal itself--rather than just masking symptoms--and can treat muscle and joint pain and swelling.

The Science: Herbal supplements don't undergo the rigorous testing of traditional medicines, and they aren't subject to the approval process of the Food and Drug Administration. But a 2007 review of studies concluded that the supplements devil's claw and white willow bark could help reduce back pain. And the remedies Jurek uses--arnica and bromelain--have been shown to reduce swelling. Garlic, ginger, and red pepper are also known to decrease inflammation.

Who Should Try It: Herbs with anti-inflammatory powers can treat plantar fasciitis, back and knee pain, sprains, and muscle stiffness, Piant says. Spicing up your meals is the best and safest way to start. Talk to your doctor before taking any over-the-counter supplements.



I believe in herbs as much as the next chinese practitioner, I just don't connect as well with them...



In other news, TRAINING STARTS SUNDAY!!! (I still believe that I need to be institutionalized for contemplating the full marathon here in Jerusalem but I am ready for the challenge! Bring it! Danielle, put on your game face.) I haven't really been running this week but it was a needed break from hitting the pavement, I biked instead. I hope that I make it thru the training, that's the hard part... And since I have a stalker keeping track of my every move, I guess I can't really let her down, she goes to my school.



Until next time.



Peace.

What motivates me?

I was reading the latest issue of Runner's World {more like devouring it the second I got home after picking up the package my parents sent with Chevi, which consisted of 1 December issue of Runner's World, a freezer bag filled with Clif Bars and 9 postcards with yours trully waving to the crowd - my mom - as I finished the marathon and captured by the marathon photgraphers(!!)} and I came across an article called Get Fired Up and the article interviewed all different types of people who live different lifestyles but share the same interest in running and began to analyze what motivates each person to continue to wake up or go to sleep really late just so that they can get in that much needed run. It all boils down to the fact that you have to want to run as opposed to thinking that you need to run and then everything else will fall into place. Obviously there are aspects that motivate us to want to run. They are competence, relatedness and autonomy. I guess all 3 motivate me to run.

Competence meaning that you started at a certain point a certain way and over time you improve to become a better runner. Check. I now enjoy sprinting up hills.

Relatedness is the feeling of belonging to something greater and being part of a community, of runners. Check. I feel part of a community of runners, especially during races but if you asked my non-running friends they would say I'm part of a community of crazies :)

Autonomy is being in control of your running destiny, its up to you if you are going to run today and no one will give you slack about it except your conscience. Check. I am in control of my own destiny, I guess. I chose to sign up for the Jerusalem Marathon and therefore I am following a certain training schedule where I have to do what it says or I won't feel so competent anymore.

All technical terms aside, I like the way I feel after a run and even sometimes during a run and that is what keeps me running.

Until next time.

Peace.

Runner's high. Addictive?

So...
I have been contemplating running the Jerusalem Half Marathon in March and was planning on keeping up the running, but with less intensity, before starting to train again for another race. And then... someone told me that I should just do the full marathon if I've just done the marathon and running feels good, that I'm in prime shape to do another one in 4 months' time. Plus, I get to be part of history and run the 1st ever Jerusalem Marathon! I live in this city, might as well take part in such a great event. So... I signed up and paid (so that it's official).

Now I have to start training. I have decided to try another method called the FIRST method. Their approach to training is "Less is More", meaning running 3 quality runs per week, each day a different type. Sundays will be my long run days, Wednesdays my speed work and Fridays my tempo runs. Plus 2 days of 45 minutes of cross training and weights (of course)... I think I should be able to keep up with this program with school and all the other things that I do. I will just be administering acupuncture to myself to keep me awake and strong :)

Since the marathon is at the end of March, I don't officially need to start training until December 8th which gives me a good amount of time to get back up to running for an hour and a half. Danielle and I went for a 45 min run Sunday night and it was really good. I decided to sprint up all the uphills without telling her but I think we did well. This Sunday night's run will be a little over an hour and Wednesday will probably have some sprints and Friday a nice short/fast run. There will definitely be hill repeats this time around since there are a million hills that need to be conquered during the marathon itself. I don't even want to talk about the route. Its going to be nice, scenic, historic and LONG. It also cuts back on itself numerous times which I am less thrilled about but in the end it will be a big challenge and thats what I'm looking for. Over the passed week I have come to the conclusion that people should challenge themselves at least once during their life to feel alive and worthy to be living (not necessarily in the form of a marathon). I did it once and it felt great. That runner's high really is an addictive drug. Some people say its dangerous. I say they are just weaklings.

'Till next time.

Peace.

Back in the game. Almost.

The marathon was two weeks ago and I feel as if it never happened. I went to the gym last week pretty much everyday, each time concentrating on a different muscle group and using the stationary bike for about an hour. Thursday night I tried out the treadmill and with only 20 minutes that I had to spare, I think it went pretty well. I ran the first 11 minutes on 11 kmh, walked 2 minutes and the last 6 minutes I ran on 12 kmh. Sunday night I decided to go out for a run. It was really cold so I wore my Solomon running jacket, which is amazing and I should have brought it to Italy, next time... I ran down Azza to Gan Sacher, cut through the park and ran up Bezalel and back home. I think all together I was out for 20-25 minutes. I met my cousin in the park, by chance, which was nice. We ran a bit together and then parted ways. All in all, I think it was a successful first attempt. My legs were definitely tired on those uphills and I think I should have started out a bit slower than I did.

Tonight I will try again and hopefully, Danielle will come with me this time.

Officially Insane :)

Its done. I have run and finished a marathon. I flew to Italy to accomplish this feat. I say that it was worth it. I think that I was more nervous about missing my flight than actually running. There is a huge sense of camaraderie at the race, no matter who you are, who it is thats wishing you good luck, in what language it is being done, its a great feeling. I was lucky enough to meet some great people throughout the run. In the beginning it was my pacer group, since we were all part of the "My First Marathon" package, it gave us a reason to be bunched together and share our woes about the race. There was one guy who runs Ultra trail races of 50km or more, standing there biting his nails and telling me he was nervous. There was another woman from Finland who is at least my moms age but will be running another marathon soon. She had the same crazy Nike running shoes that I did, in the magenta bright pink. She was so happy that someone else had them since they do seem to be the least high-tech shoes out there compared to all the real high-tech gear that everyone else had. I, too was relieved. As the we lined up and got to talking, everyone was so surprised that I said I was from America, but when I told them that I flew from Israel they were like, yeah that makes sense. Then they would proceed to tell me how lucky I am to be on vacation now and how they get to run today but have to be alive to go back to work tomorrow. I really like listening and (more so) watching Italians speak, even though I understand only one or 2 words that come out of their mouths, I get the idea of what they are saying by their gestures.

As a true Runners World junkie, I had all the to-do's down pat. I set up all my gear for the race the second I got to the hotel to make sure that nothing was missing, the night before the race I did a chceck to make sure it would all be working the next day. I had my breakfast out, my shirt and bib number (F1293) set up, my fuel for the race (Jelly Belly sport beans and my Kidz Clif Bars), at least 2 alarms set up for the morning. I ate my breakfast and got to the transfer bus on time, I knew to go to the bathroom when the lines weren't that long and I wouldn't be stuck right as we were lining up. With all this planning and being so ready, it turned out, my pit stop was way too early... When we were lining up to start, I had to pee soooo badly! But I decided to wait until we began running. Bad idea. 45 minutes later, when we actually did start running, I could hardly move, thats how full my bladder was. So with another few women, as we went passed the starting point, we all made a dash for the port-a-potties, found one that was unlocked, went to the bathroom as fast as possible and made a dash back to the pack. Needless to say, I started last. There was no one running behind me. I thanked my fast twitch muscles tho, who got me all the way back to the 4:45hr pacing area with the help of Fiona, the woman who went to the toilet before me and who was also aiming for the 4:30 pacers. We made it all the way to the 8km point together, but I let her get ahead of me since I was trying to keep my energy more than expend it, considering we sprinted the first 5km (with the estimated 7 min for the whole pit stop, I made the distance in 22 minutes...!) Fiona was running her second marathon, the first being in Edinborough with another 30,000 participants, last year. She has a friend who was supposed to run with her but who was injured right before the race, so she was running for her 3 friends waiting at the finish line. I hope that she made it thru the rest of the race well.

As the kilometers kept on flying by, I was really happy not to be counting in miles... Every 5km there was a water station and every 8 or so they had sponging stations. At first I had no idea why I had 2 sponges in my race bag and was told to make sure I had them while we were running. I had never encountered them before but the instructions said that they were for sanitary reasons. At a certain point they turned out to be really refreshing when I wanted to wash the sweat off my face. After the half way point they started offerring Powerade and food at each "fuel" station. The clementine wedges really got me thru each 5km after that. At one point I had either caught up or slowed down (I'm not really sure anymore) to these 2 guys who were running together in matching outfits and we would keep passing each other, either they would pass me or I would pass them. This usually happened when we came upon the uphill parts to the race. There weren't that many and they weren't steep at all, but this is where I attributed my training in Jerusalem to beating everyone up the hills to. When I would see a hill coming, I would slow down a bit right before we hit the hill and then sprint up to the otherside and get back into my running/walking pace. This is where everyone else around me would be walking up the hill and staring at me like I had 3 heads for having the energy to spring the up hill. The truth was, I found the hills so much easier than the flat parts, I could see the end and that motivated me to go quicker. On the flat ground, there was no end, it just kept going and going and going (like the energizer bunny)...

Almost everyone along the way had headphones with them and there were certain times during the run that I was happy I had brought my nano along and had it tuned to my classic rock playlist, but most of the time I wasn't really using it. Since we started at least 37km outside of Venice, we had all these little towns to run thru and in each town's main street (picture one block with maybe 5 stores - something even smaller than Raritan Ave and our million ice cream stores and hairdresser/nail salons), there were bands set up. The first one we came across was when I was running with Fiona, I was like - hey! they're playing The Rolling Stones! - it was very exciting. There was some other guy singing U2 and Bob Marley, you had Sting and the Police. The best was the Kiss cover band singing in the whole get-up of white faces and black make-up, around kilometer 32. By the time I got to kilometer 30, I was like, hey there's only 12 more km to go, I can do that and I did. My dad asked me what I was thinking about as I was running, since it is a great time to reflect and I know that alot of people do. I over heard this guy, who finished in 3 hrs flat, saying to his friend that at a certain point he just had to stop and started bawling on the side of the bridge. I don't know what it was that was going through his mind at the time, but it must have been powerful. In retrospect, I'm sure that there was a lot I could have been reflecting on, it being 5 hrs and the end of my first quarter of a century in this world, but that was not the case. The whole time I was running, the one thing that was going thru my mind was: "What the hell have I gotten myself into..." When I hit the 1/2 mark I was ready for the race to be over, I had had enough and I guess I didn't think that I needed to prove anything to anyone but to myself, that indeed I could finish the distance and that that's all I was there for and at some point I said to myself and next time I will do better. There will be a next time, in a different foriegn country and I will be training a bit differently and hopefully injury free and make it in less time. I guess that means that this is not the end to the blog (!!) there will be more to come.
Now the bridge that goes from Mestre to Venice is 3km long, all flat. It was the longest 3 km I have ever run. I thought it would never end. At the end tho, there was a nice uphill bridge that took us to the 13 bridges that had been installed so that we could have a fairly straight route to the end of the race thru St. Marco's Square. Before I made it to the longest bridge I came across this girl, who I had seen here and there while I was running (I think she was the only other person running that was near my age, everyone else was sooo much older), who was walking and crying. There was another women trying to comfort her and encourage her to keep on going but the girl (I never got her name, unfortunately) had just run the Berlin Marathon the month before and had thought that she could handle another marathon so soon but her body was telling her otherwise, her quads were totally cramping up and she could hardly bend her knees and she thought that she was going to puke. So I slowed down as well to see if I could help in anyway, fortunately, earlier in the run I hadn't listened to my parents' preachings and had taken candy from a stranger and put it in my pocket. It looked like a mint and I figured that if other people were taking it, I would take it and probably end up throwing it out later on in the day. I gave it to her and as she was eating it, I told her where I had gotten it from and we then speculated about it being crystal-meth and how she hoped that it was... In the end it seemed to help her nausea, so maybe it was crystal-meth. Along the bridge we ran and walked a bit together but I lost her when we got to the end and I sprinted up the bridge as she continued to waddle on. Once we got into Venice I really got some of my adrenalin back, it was exciting, there were only 5 km left, I would be done soon. Then came the signs: "13 bridges to go!" yay! Which is really the truth since that was the easiest part for me. I didn't sprint the last 5km like I sprinted the first 5 but I ran pretty much all of it, except for the times that I stopped to take pictures of the signs saying how many bridges were left, or of the spectators around us cheering us on, or of the sites, since I really didn't have much time to actually tour Venice. At the bottom of the last bridge I made a dash for the finish line and I have to say, it was very emotional to actually be done, to know that I had really accomplished this huge feat. I RAN A MARATHON! was what was going thru my mind as I was finishing, thats what the hell I was getting myself into.

I had gotten my mom a seat in the spectator stands so that she could see the finish easily. It wasn't hard to spot her in my Nike hat and her white hair. She saw me right away and I heard her screaming, "Rachel! You did it!" It was over and I was ready for it to be over. Once we found each other at the end and I got something to drink and I got my finisher's medal (its really heavy, btw), there were massage tables set up with therapists and this long line of sweaty people waiting for massages. Right next to them there was this electrode station where they set up this machine of 4 patches that pump electrodes into your muscles and vibrate them for 20 minutes so that they loosen up and the blood flows better. It was a little weird but it worked. I'm just sorry we couldn't stay long enough for them to do my whole body. For 2 days after I couldn't fully extend my back it was too sore and it wasn't that pleasant walking up and down stairs. I think I did ok and recovered fairly well. I only need to take a nap the day after the marathon and all the other days that we were in Italy we walked and walked and walked and walked and walked. The pasta was amazing, I ate penne and pomodora sauce before and after the marathon and pretty much any chance I could get. I had gelato the last day that I was in Italy, just because I knew I would never live it down, had I not. I am really glad that I waited until the end of my trip to have some or else thats all I would have been eating the whole time, pistachio and coffee gelato.

Now that I am back and it has been a week since I ran the marathon, it feels like years ago, I will be taking it easy for this month running wise, I'll probably run once or twice a week outside and the rest of the time I'll cross and strength train back at the gym. I think that my next big race will be the Jerusalem Half Marathon in March, there is no way I am running a full marathon here, I may like hills better than flat ground but not 42km of hills, I'm not that insane.

Until next time...

Peace.

Now, what y'all've been waiting for...

The marathon takes place at the end of Week n. 16...
Here is my past week's training schedule

My 1st Marathon 2010 – Week n. 14

Monday, October 4
 20’ slow running
 3’ stretching
 5 x (5 half squats / 100 mt skipping / 100 mt knee lifts /100 mt strides)
 15’ run

Tuesday, October 5
 rest

Wednesday, October 6
 5 x (15’ run / 2’ walking)

Thursday, October 7
 rest

Friday, October 8
 20’ slow run
 3’ stretching
 10 x 100 m strides
 3 x (3 km slow running / 2 km medium speed run)

Saturday, October 9
 rest

Sunday, October 10
 4 x (30’ run / 5’ walk)

The runs this week have been done with Danielle (!) or alone with my music. Sunday, which is not up there, we ran an hour and a half, up lots of hills and we survived. It was a lot easier than we thought. The funny thing is that all the other runs that I had this week that required hills were really easy to do too... Thankfully the course is pretty flat. Monday I ran a bit and did the intervals than ran home, got ready for yet another wedding, ran home and got ready for football practice. Although Tuesday was a rest day I was working on my feet from 630am to 9pm. I think I fell asleep for about 20 minutes sometime during the day. Wednesday morning I was supposed to run at 630 with Danielle. She asked me to call her when I woke up, which I did promptly at 6 to which her reponse was "No.". So I went back to sleep for an hour and went out for the run at 730. I pretty much the same route we did on Sunday just in the reverse order with some detours. I was so stiff when I started out, and tired but, it went well. The weather has taken a great turn around and I wish it could be like this all year. I hope that its like this in Italy the day of the marathon.

Today is Friday, which means many things. Most importantly that I have a crazy run to do before Shabbas starts and since I am having at least 13 people over for dinner I have to make sure my run is done in time. I don't have any busses to catch but I do have an apartment to organize and make sure its clean and presentable and that all the food tastes good. Thankfully yesterday wasn't too busy. I had a client at 630 and from the gym I went straight to the shuk. I love being there when I can walk around freely and talk to the vendors while they are unloading the produce. I was in and out within 15 minutes got home and cooked everything by 12. Brian supplied me with a soup recipe that I'm sure came out great. It was Chevi's birthday this week so I think it calls for a celebration with some wine and amazing chocolate liquor that I have... Too bad there's no whiskey.

Sunday is going to be another independent half marathon day. Should be interesting. I will be taking my water, sport beans and camera. Kind of like a trial run, just half the distance...

Holy Crap.

So, are you before or after?
When's the marathon?
Are you ready?
What's the course like?
Are you really going to run the whole thing?
Isn't a marathon only 10km?

Enough already!

I have not run yet.
The marathon is in 2 weeks.
I am in denial that it is taking place.
The course is pretty flat with the exception of 14 bridges that surround Venice that we are apparently running over.
I'll probably run/walk the whole thing, more emphasis on the run part. I will be running with a camera, so I hope that the pictures don't come out blurry.
No, a full marathon is 42 km. Nothing less. Anything else is called by its name (ie. half marathon, 10k, 5k races.)

October 25th will be after the marathon. Then you can all ask me how it was.
MY next question will be: What now?

You crazy, Girl!

This week has been full of holidays. I don't like holidays, they throw off my whole schedule. However, they do give for some interesting improvisation for training days. Friday was a regular running day. Sunday was the reinstating of Danielle into my training runs! (Yay!) Its insane how running with someone else makes the experience so much more enjoyable and easier. I did the same route on Thursday morning and it was torture. We went for an hour and a half, with a few pit stops along the way, some pushups and situps in Gan Sacher with the Yeminites and a really, not so bad, run up Betzalel. Monday I went for an hour run, after football practice, in my new neon pink running shoes. They happen to be really comfortable and if you spot some neon feet passing you buy in Italy, its me; I just have to get used to the color... Tuesday was rest day but instead I went on a hike with Noa, Danielle and Frayda

Nachal Katlav

We had a great time. First we met Zion who helped us decide which route to take (thankfully Noa took a picture of the map, otherwise I don't think we all would have made it home...), we got ourselves organized. Realized that other than the fridge, Frayda forgot to bring some crucial supplies, but thank god she remembered her neck scarf. May I also point out at this point that Danielle doesn't like hikes, just in case I forget to add it the million other times in which we were reminded of this fact. We started on the black trail, at a nice downhill pace, enjoying nature and marvelling at the fact that it wasn't that hot. We then hit a fork in the road. Which way to turn? I don't know, maybe we should have gone straight on the blue trail but I remembered distinctly that it was black, green, blue, black. After a civilized dispute we turned down the green trail and met a group of counselors preparing the hike for their campers. They were preparing plays about the nachal in which we were hiking and invited us to be their audience, but not before they asked us at least 50x what we were doing in Israel. The plays were funny and informative but the best part was the man who joined us in the audience. Halfway thru the plays I noticed he has this squiggly yellow bracelet on his wrist. I pointed it out to Danielle and Noa who have been sharing a similar stolen bracelet from Danielle's little sister. As we are trying not to laugh out loud the plays have come to an end and Frayda is yelling at the guy next to us: "Excuse me, sir, excuse me? Excuse me! Are you aware that you and her have the same bracelets??" Guy to Noa: "Well, is yours as cool as mine??" At this point they both take off their bracelets and show them to the audience and we have to vote on who has the cooler silly band. I don't think it could have been any funnier. We went on our way, followed the trail which took a turn uphill and Frayda decided that instead of hiking in flipflops, she was going to give it a try barefoot. As we passed a group of other hikers they asked outloud to themselves, 'is she barefoot?' to which we answered, 'yes, yes she is.' That lasted until she decided to sprint to the end of the trail, because, if she already had her heart rate up so high she wanted to use it till the end. We made it to the end, made it home and showered, ate and passed out. Or I should say most of us showered and most of us passed out. Frayda didn't shower but she did pass out on my couch when we were watching a movie later that night. I didn't pass out but I did shower, right when I got home.

Wednesday was a new day. I was a bit sore and a bit tired but my feet were fine. I went for my massage in the morning, worked a bit, gave my clothing for chag to Danielle and Eytan to take to Ramot and proceeded to make my way to Ramot on foot. Running there wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It took me 50 minutes to get there and I was prepared with my running belt filled with frozen gatorade which melted and warmed up by the time I got to my destination but it served me well while I was out there. The heat was semi-bearable. The run was good, my foot hurt a bit on the down hill but not as much as I thought it would. I was sweaty and hungry but I lasted till dinner without biting anyone's head off. (I was first in the shower...) I wasn't even that tired, I could have gone for more. It will be my new route in the winter those mornings I give the exercise group in Ramot, can't wait!

Today I have a 12km run with some intervals thrown in. I hope that I make it to the last bus to Tel Aviv on time...

Next week is Holiday free! Thank god. No more cramping on my style...

Peace.

Pass the weak, hurdle the dead.

I did it. I ran the 21.1km of the half marathon. It was on the treadmill though and it was in 4 segments and it was on 5 hours of sleep and lots of alcohol from the wedding the night before and it was between being at work for 4 hours and then going back to work for another 4 hours. It was intense. I was exhausted. Ask anyone who saw me after, I was a zombie.

BUT........

Nothing hurt! My back was a little sore and it was hard to get from standing to sitting to standing again but thats just because I was exhausted. My hip was good, my foot was good. I think it has to do with the shoes I was wearing. I have 3 active pairs of running shoes, meaning that I switch off between 3 pairs depending on my mood and what I wore for the previous run, but ever since I have started to pay attention to how my body feels after these long runs I have come to the realization that one pair of shoes makes my hip sore, the other kills my foot and the third, tfoo tfoo knock on wood, doesn't really bother me at all. (Now that I've said something, its going to start to bother me...) Now I just have to keep running with that one pair and I should be good. Its not like I have that long until the marathon, its in a month (!!!!!!!) but I have been thinking of getting a new pair, breaking them in a bit, wearing them for the marathon and then having them plated in gold and put with my first ever pair of shoes, I could make a collection of 1st shoes...

After the half marathon I had 2 days of rest scheduled. It was much needed just because I was exhausted and had no time to fit in runs. I had a full day Tuesday plus a wedding at night and then a full day Wednesday with chag starting at 5 leaving no time for an 80 minute run. I instead went for a run Thursday morning at 730, way before anyone was out and heading to shul, which was kind of nice, I had the streets to myself. I decided to expand my regular route a bit and went to the Central Bus Station and ran on the bridge. There was a guy taking pictures on it as I was up there and I should have asked him to take one of me and send me a copy but I found a picture that looks just like the one he would have been taking (the sun was a bit lower at the time), all you have to do is picture me running down the ramp...

Once I got to the hotel strip on Herzl, I took my regular pit stop and got something to drink since it was pretty hot out already. I continued down to the hospital, took a right and ran down to the botanical garden and home up Azza. As I was getting to my apartment I started to see the lulavs making their way to shul. What I needed was a nice hot shower and some ice cold water. After that was done and I ate some breakfast it was time to go to lunch. Boy was it hot. I brought water with me then...

Today I have a 15km run, done also in 4 segments. 20 min warm up, 3x (4km + 300 m). Next week I'll be doing my runs at night again when its cooler. We had cool weather, for like a day, and then it got hot again...not fun. I want snow!

ONE MONTH FROM TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!! (Then I will officially be a marathoner...)

At first I was afraid, I was petrified...

But 3 days of eat, pray, sleep have come and gone and I have survived! It wasn't even that difficult. I think I slept more than I ate and prayed, which I obviously needed, but all in all it was a nice, welcomed long weekend of some r&r. Each meal was a little different than the last and most of them were dairy (so that means that I didn't eat much) and light, my favorite was Friday lunch that we boycotted and didn't sit down to eat which was great since Friday night we had yet another meal and we were actually hungry for it. I didn't go for a run on Friday like I thought I might, it was just too awkward to go out in Efrat and run when everyone else wouldn't do such a thing. Instead, I walked the dog 2x a day for 1/2 hour each time and by the time Shabbat afternoon came around she refused to go with me :) so instead of pulling, I let her lead and we went on a totally different route and it was actually quite nice. My foot was still not up to par and I have been using a homeopathic cream and massaging it into my foot 3x a day and after my 1:40 run Saturday night, it feels great. My quads on the other hand, are a bit sore... Thats what happens after not running for a week outside on the hills of Jerusalem. I am really hoping that the track of the Marathon isn't hilly, then it will be a breeze to run since I have been trying my best to tackle all the hills I can, no matter how slow going they end up being. The fact that my foot is better can be attributed to many things, who knows if the cream really helped, the foot massage I could use everyday, 3x a day, for the rest of my life, if my feet hurt or not, (preferably done by someone else...), and I'm sure that taking a rest helped the most. All that combined, I think I'm ready for the crazy schedule I have this week. I have an intense 18km run on Friday and since Saturday is Yom Kippur, I will be running the half marathon on Monday after loading up on food this week...

Where's Danielle when I need her???

I can handle running solo for long runs but to suffer thru the Jerusalem Half Marathon route solo is just depressing. Maybe it will build character...

Peace.

Um...Ok.

So, I have been patiently and religiously following the training workouts that I have been receiving ever since I signed up for the "My First Marathon Training Program" via the Venice Marathon. I read the introductory letter and believed that I understood it and accepted what they had to say. However, being a religious reader of Runner's World Magazine (for at least 4 years now) and building most of my philosophy on running and training by what they have been teaching me, I find it a bit hard to fully accept these new means of training for a marathon, especially since I have not run one before. Let me explain. A while back, I'm sure those of you who have been reading this blog will remember the frog like shoes, I purchased my very own Vibram Sprints. I was extremely excited to start wearing them and running in them and getting weird looks from innocent civilians and I guess I jumped into the whole running with them too quickly. Once my feet started to hurt I stopped running with the Vibrams but continued running, of course, my feet didn't hurt in my running shoes. Then my foot started to hurt all the time. I automatically went to see the sports medicine doctor in Jerusalem since I don't have the time or the peace of mind for an injury that will take long time to heal and I was envisioning the worst case scenario, stress fracture. Thank god I went to the doctor and he told me that I was ok to run the marathon and that there is nothing to worry about, I just don't have perfect feet like Zola Budd and I shouldn't be running barefoot. He gave me a little pod to put on my insole and told me to cross train for a week and then get back to my training. Phew, thats over, but my foot still hurts...And I am a little skeptical about the diagnosis but I am trying to accept that he was right and its not a big deal. In the meantime, I contacted the trainer from the Marathon and told her about the minor setback and proceeded to ask her about long runs. She told me not to worry about the week lost in training since my cross training has been pretty close to the runs that were scheduled and its just a week. The part about the long runs, which have been embedded in my mind as essential to being ready for a long distance race like the marathon, she wrote:
"My method does not use the long-slow running method. What we've been working on doing is building up your body so that your muscles are stronger and more elastic. In the following weeks we're adding intervals and a little longer distance, but the furthest you will run is on the 10th of October where I'll give you a two and a half hour workout. That said, in the ten years we've done this program, everybody that toed the line made it to the finish. With great times even."
I am usually not this skeptical but as a true Koenigson and true to being my Father's daughter, I go with my gut and my gut is telling me that something about this whole story is a little off. Maybe its just my nerves talking and telling me that I am crazy for contemplating a full marathon. Truth be told, I have improved my speed, I ran a kilometer in 5:12 minutes (11.5km/h!) at the end of a hard workout last week, even with my foot hurting. I am trying to keep an open mind and trust those who are leading me, hopefully, to the finish line.
I ran yesterday for the first time in a week, its slow going, still a little sore in the foot but much better. Some more acupuncture in the palm of my hand and I am hoping that my foot will be all cured. (No, that was not a joke, and yes, it hurts like a bitch.)

In the spirit of the new year, חג שמח ושנה טובה!

Peace.

This is all I have to post today...

My mantra.

Life in a sauna

It is HOT!!!!!! and I do believe that I am slowly melting away. All I do is sweat. Its gross.

I now train at night, once the sun has gone down and its not boring into my skin. I didn't get to the track this week but I did run in Gan Sacher and its really cool to see all the people who are there to run. It makes it a much more enjoyable experience when you know that there are people around you suffering through a workout and sweating as much as you are. It seems that just by stepping out of my apartment I lose 2lbs in sweat. Like I said, gross. I ran Monday's session in the Vibrams and other than my feet being sore, I felt great! No back pain, no knee pain, no hip pain. I'm really starting to like them and get into the new gait but inorder to prevent stress fractures in my feet, I have to be patient. I'm not that patient of a person...

Check out this article: http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/baring-it-all-the-barefoot-running-trend-2337336/ I can see this becoming sooooo addicting. Thankfully, they are cheaper than running shoes and don't need to be replaced every 700km.

Let us hope that the weather will lighten up a lot. Please.

Peace.

Ummm....

Wow, its been almost a month since I last wrote and I am sorry for not keeping you up to date on my marathon training. I have been running, and alot, but I guess that I have not had the time or the patience (to deal with my computer from the ice age) to write any new posts. Now I have Danielle to point out that I have been lacking in the blog area so I guess that this post is in her honor. Oh, and considering that most of my runs have been solo, there aint that much to talk about. Thanks Danielle.

So what has happened in the last month... A heat wave that has yet to break and humidity that I can not seem to get used to. If I don't take my afternoon nap, I don't make it through the day. I have also taken to sleeping on the floor in my room that has the best possible cross breeze and the tile is soooo much cooler than my bed. There are days when I run at 630 am just before it gets too hot and then there are days in which I run at 9pm after its cooled down some. My best running time is noontime and that is definitely not the best time to be outside these days, so that is when I get treadmill time. There are weeks when all I do is eat and then there are weeks when its sooo hot I can't think about eating anything but ice cream, preferably Ben and Jerry's or Fruitbar frozen yogurt (soooo good with strawberries and granola on top and drizzled with tehina and chocolate sauce) but I'm not picky... Yesterday I ran for 2 hours and burned like 1500 calories and had a can of ice cold Dr. Pepper with my breakfast. I justify that can of soda with the run, kind of like after the Tel Aviv half marathon and the Coke. I have decided that I kind of like running au' naturale - barefoot, not naked, and have purchased a pair of Vibram Five Finger Sprint running shoes. Its a whole new world! Its like learning how to walk all over again. The point of the shoes is to get the benefits of going barefoot with out all the caluses. It builds the muscles in the foot that we don't get a chance to work on while using sneakers, improving stability, balance and proprioception. Plus side, less money and less joint pain. Down side, it takes a long time to break them in and in the meantime, my calves are KILLING me. Thank god for weekly massages :)

Check out the not so socially accepted shoes that are becoming more and more popular. These are the exact ones I have, color and all:Just the other day I saw this really fit looking, all American athlete walking down to Gan Sacher in a pair of Vibrams and I ran to catch up to him so that I could ask him a few questions about the shoes and what his recommendations are for starting out with them. They are really odd looking, I admit, but I'm secure enough in myself that I couldn't really give a shit what people say about whats on my feet... :) I must get that from my mom...

Now, there are 2 new running grounds that I have discovered, Gan Sacher and the Givat Ram track. Since a lot of my training is kilometer based I needed a measured ground in which to run so the track obviously would be the best option and its free! but can get a little monotonous. So I went onto Walla!maps and mapped out the park and found that one of the shorter loops is exactly 1km, which is perfect. Plus they have these exercise machines and a nice stretching area that can really come in handy for after the workout. The one downside about the park in the summer, is this being Jerusalem, it has become a pooling ground for bar-b-qing Charedim, (not in the cannabalistic sense, in the, there is no where to move without being bombarded by 10 children ranging from ages .5 - 12 all wearing the same outfit and eating hotdogs and icepops and not moving out of your way as you try not to run them over, sense). I have run 2x with the vibrams and the first time was Saturday night in Gan Sacher with my friend Eytan. Let's just say that my whole stance was off and it felt like I should have been sprinting the whole time, which would have been able to help me keep up with Eytan since he is a bit faster than me. I'm good at sprinting, just not uphill and especially in new shoes. But we both broke out of our routine, not as hard for me to do, and it was all in all a pleasant experience and opened my eyes to a whole new world of running. (I'm hoping my calves will one day forgive me. It hasn't happened yet.) The next time I ran with the Vibrams was on Monday when I had speed work to do on the track and I figured if I'll be doing 8*100m sprint repeats I might as well wear the shoes since the track is softer ground and sprints require me to run on my toes anyway for maximum speed. It was then really hard to run back up Ramban since my legs were totally shot, but I did it slowly, stopping to buy some apple juice at the kiosk, which prompted the guy there to comment on how long I had been running for and how hot it was outside since he had spotted me run down the block earlier, all while he was getting my juice which slowed down the process to non existant, when all I wanted was a freakin' drink so that I wouldn't die. Anyway, I have a couple of hard training weeks coming up and then a test on how that has improved my running times. Let's hope it all will pay off...

There does seem to be an opportunity to fit in a race before the marathon, exactly 2 weeks before - on 10.10.10, Nike will be have a worldwide run and here in Israel it will be in Tel Aviv. I will be there, Danielle will be there, Noa will be there(!) Will you?

The Italians can be brutal...

So, apparently, when I signed up for the Venice Marathon I signed up also to receive weekly training workouts from the official trainer of the marathon. This makes me really happy for many reasons, one that I am entitled to a perk that I wasn't aware of and more importantly second, that I have someone else telling me what I need to do making it so much easier to stick with the training. I'm already at the end of the 2nd week.
That all said, the Italians are trying to kill me. I ran at least 30km already this week and have another 12 today and probably that many on Sunday. Each week I get the workout for the following week and they aren't easy but they make me feel good. I will try and upload the links to the workouts each week so that you can see how I am suffering :)
4 runs a week, with a day of swimming thrown in there and lots of time on my feet.
Now all I have to do is book a flight and hotel in Italy and I'll be all set!
First week's training:
http://www.venicemarathon.it/mfm2010/mfm_01_en.pdf
Second week's training:
http://www.venicemarathon.it/mfm2010/mfm_02_en.pdf

It has begun...

Slowly but surely I will succeed. My training officially started on Friday. Today it is Tuesday. I have run 3 times. Each run was 5km more or less. I even went out last night at 10 to run. I will hopefully be writing up a real schedule soon. My runs will most probably take place at 5am, before it gets really really hot out. Here is a link to an article about safe running in the summer time, or in the case here in Israel, running in hot weather whenever it decides to visit us.

Two of my runs have been on the treadmill breaking in my new running shoes bought in the Duty Free at the airport. They live up to all that I expected! Last night was a late night fast run outside to Gan Sacher and back up Azza. It was a good run but made it hard to wake up this morning for my training session and then one on one kick boxing that I decided to take today. As I am writing this, my right hand is still a little shaky, just means that I beat the crap out of the pads and it was awesome! I can't believe I haven't boxed in such a long time, 3 yrs, at least. We're talking about opening a self defense/martial arts group (me and the other trainer, who is the Israel champion in Jujitsu), so I might be boxing a lot more soon. :)

Next mission for this week: 10k run on Friday. Can't wait! Still not fun solo though...

Guess who just got back today...

"...Them wild-eyed boys that'd been away,

Haven't changed, had much to say,

But man, i still think them cats are crazy.

They were askin' if you were around,

How you was, where you could be found.

Told them you were livin' downtown,

Drivin' all the old men crazy..."

So, I'm back from Barcelona. It was a great extended weekend, just what I needed. And, yes, I tried to run Friday morning, it went ok, I'm not going to go into all the details, lets just say I was in a lot of pain and walking worked out better than running. And boy did I walk. All I did was walk, all over the place, at least 6 hours each day. The city is beautiful, great architecture and such a fun and light feeling of summer and vacation. I had no phone, no watch and no one to have to answer to. I was able to do what I wanted, when I wanted and how I wanted. I saw museums, nice parks, sports stadiums, the beach and of course the Port. At the end of every day I sat on the boardwalk by the marina and watched the water and the sailboats and the people passing. I finished the book I was reading, Anthony Keidis's autobiography Scar Tissue, did some shopping, got lost alot. Great vacation.

I was gone for all of 4 days. Never have I had so many messages as I did when I got back. Either people just didn't care that I was away and called anyway or weren't listening when I told them I was out of the Country for the weekend... It was if the world was coming to an end and I was missing it. Anyway, I'm back and everyone is a lot calmer, life can go on now.

I took lots of pictures, if you want to see them I'll email a link, I am not in the mood to upload any to the blog, maybe next week.

Back to training...

The marathon is in 4 months!!!!!! I have to really buckle down now. I have the number of some guy who will help me make a schedule for myself which is easier than copying what's written in the Runner's World magazines since its something that, hopefully, I'll understand. Danielle, where are you???? Who am I going to run with? Now that I got used to running with someone, its hard to go back to running solo.

Today is a treadmill day. 1 hour workout.

Have a great weekend!

(Too bad I'm not in Europe anymore...)

What can I say?

"It's been such a long time, I think I should be goin', yeah

And time doesn't wait for me, it keeps on rollin'

Sail on, on a distant highway, I've got to keep on chasin' a dream

I've gotta be on my way

Wish there was something I could say.

Well I'm takin' my time, I'm just movin' on, You'll forget about me after I've been gone

And I take what I find, I don't want no more, It's just outside of your front door..."

Now I am sure that Boston was referring to something other than running when they wrote this song but I think that it fits in perfectly with my relationship with running. It has been some time since I wrote my last blog entry and I have numerous excuses but the truth of the matter is, I wasn't running as much as I was before the TLV Half Marathon, which is normal but I felt that I needed a break from it all. The running, the writing, the hurting. The longest runs I have done have been around 6km this past month. I have thrown in a bit of speedwork here and there when I didn't have enough time to properly get in a workout. Apparently I am what they call and nerd when it comes to studying, especially when I am studying for a class that I really enjoy and want to do exceptional in, not just good. So, for the past month I have been studying and studying and studying and studying, trying to get in work and workouts and the test is finally over and done with. I am tired. I need a vacation, be it from life, school, work or running on a schedule. So I am flying to Barcelona for 4 days, an extended weekend, and you better believe that I will be travelling with my running shoes. What better way to see a new city than on foot, running? I have seen many a city this way and at a much different perspective than if I was on a tour bus or walking with a friend.

Once I get back from my long weekend away, I will have to buckle down and start my marathon training. Venice is not going anywhere and I have 4 months to get in shape to run the marathon on my 25th birthday and of course the Marathon's 25th anniversary :)

In order to make sure that I do everything correctly, I will be making a calender with all my running workouts preset on it with little flexibility so I will be forced to run even when all I'll want to do is jump into the pool from the heat of the summer.

Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv

(Title should be said in the sketchy Sherut driver voice from outside the Central Bus Station...)

Where to begin?

If you have been following this blog, you know that the main reason for me running the Tel Aviv Half Marathon was that I missed out on the Jerusalem Half Marathon back in March due to a slight back injury. These passed 2 months have not been pain free but I have been trying to do what I can to get back in shape for such a long distance. I was soooo ready back in March. May was a different story. My longest run was 17km but it wasn't the best of runs and left a lot to be desired. I can't tell you that the days and hours leading up to the race went smoothly, 'cause they didn't. I will explain everything, in detail, with some very funny very typical Rachel 'stressing out' stories.

The race was Friday May 14th. I was all set to go to sleep early the night before, in my own bed, wake up early and take a sherut to Tel Aviv at 5am Friday morning and get to the starting point on time for the race. I had everything all planned out. Everything except for the fact that the last time to pick up our race numbers and schwag was by Thursday night 9pm in Tel Aviv. I didn't freak out, I was calm since my friend Lisa, who lives in Tel Aviv and was staying in Jerusalem for a class we had on Friday, which I was missing, said that I could sleep in her apartment, THANK GOD, and it was all going to work out fine. All I had to do was pack everything and go straight from school to Tel Aviv pick up my stuff for the race and find her apartment. It all worked out well but I was starting to get nervous about the race. Like any good Koenigson, I set my alarm to go off and leave me with way too much time to get ready in the morning and make it on time or extremely early to the starting point. I watched some TV, tried to settle in and eat some pasta for dinner, but I could not for the life of me fall asleep. I think I finally fell asleep around 12ish when I started the process at 10. I also woke up every 2 hours, which wasn't that often since by 430 I gave up and started getting ready. Its a good thing too, since when I went downstairs to catch a cab, no one was stopping. I guess I didn't realize that 5am is prime time to come home from partying. I finally found a cab that stopped and begged him to take me, after he dropped the other passengers off, to the race. Little did I know that this was going to be a long process. First we had to find the French tourists an ATM that was working so that they could take out money to pay for the, finally at the 3rd ATM we were successful. Then we had to find roads that were open inorder to drop these guys off at their hotel. It would have been much cheaper and much faster had they walked from where I was picked up but there's no use getting all wound up about it again, now. So as we were driving in circles up and down Allenby, the same street I would be running up and down a couple of hours later, I started to get a bit agitated. Every side street was closed off. We finally found a street to turn down that would take us in the right direction and drove like law abiding citizens until one cop yelled at us for stopping at a red light, since there was no real point. So the next red light we drove thru and got stopped by a cop and yelled at for not abiding by the rules. As he was yelling at the driver for not stopping I got fed up and firmly asked him "if he thought he could let us get on with the drive since I needed to get to the start of the race that was starting any minute now and he was just holding us up." So he goes to me, "what, you're really running in the marathon?" and like my wonderful, sarcastic, agitated self, I said to him "no, I just like dressing like this and driving around a 5am for the fun of it." He let us go... We dropped the Frenchies off, but not without hearing from them how much they hate marathoners. Finally we were on our way and followed another cabbie who "knew where he was going" to the closest possible start to the marathon and I had to walk another 10 minutes to get to the start. Needless to say, Danielle, who had come from Jerusalem, got there before I did. I went to the bathroom and with 5 minutes to spare found my place in the line to start and we were on our way. I barely had time to stretch, but I had already technically warmed up...

I started the race with the chills and sweating a bit but I didn't really take that much notice to it, I thought that I was just worked up and nervous from the whole build up that the more had held for me. The chills stayed with me the whole race, all 2.5 hours of it. Looking back it probably wasn't the smartest idea to run the race like that and I probably had a fever or something since I did come down with a cold after the race, but its too late now to do anything about it. I finished, not with in the amount of time I had hoped for, but I finished. The first half I ran at a good pace, and had I kept that pace up I would have finished in a decent time but the exterior pathogens that had invaded my body got the best of me. By kilometer 12 I was ready to pass out and give up, just then some guy old enough to be my grandfather passes me walking and goes "you can't stop! its not good! keep running!" So that's what I did, cursing him the whole time, I kept running. From the beginning though, I was stopping at the water stations, since I am sure I have mentioned before, I can't run and drink at the same time, the water just pours down the front of my shirt, and I was already cold, I didn't need to add to that aspect. Anyway, I continued to walk when I hit each water station, but quickly picked up the shuffle that had become my rhythym somewhere along the way. By kilometer 17 I was really done. I felt that my walking pace was faster then my shuffle so I alternated walking and running until the end.

I made it to the finish line, just barely alive. Thankfully I had taken advice from other runners and pinned clifbars to my pants and had eaten them along the way but I needed salt. Danielle and Emily found me took my picture and I tried to make it into the area where they were sitting, which required taking off my running chip. It felt nice to sit down but I wasn't so sure I was going to be able to stand back up. Slowly I made my way to them, got my gatorade sat down and stretched. After a nice amount of time we started to make our way back to Tel Aviv proper. We walked a bit to get out of the park and to get the bus, found the bus, switched busses and got off at the totally opposite side of the street to our most important destination the cupcake store. Now, back in March when I signed up to run this thing, Danielle sent me the link to the store and we both agreed, hands down that thats where we were going after the run. So, we went and it was amazing and I never use that word lightly. The first thing I did was ask for a coke. Not diet and not coke zero, one hundred percent regular coca-cola and it hit the spot perfectly. I downed it in two gulps and almost asked for another one but restrained myself. Then we had to decide on the cupcakes that we wanted. The flavors ranged from cookies and cream and pina colada to red velvet and chocolate peanut butter. I had the oreo one and a vanilla and apricot one and we all shared tastes from each others different cupcakes. Then we split the peanut butter and chocolate one 3 ways. It was all well worth it and a nice reward for the distance run. We then started on our way back to change since I thought that it was enough of walking around all smelly and gross even if I was wearing the "Noa Shirt" and getting great responses to it.

I showered, changed and then went to the Tel Aviv artists fair, Nachalat Binyamin, which was right next to where I had slept, and bought myself a bracelet as a congratulations for finishing the 21km. After a little bit, the sun started to get to me and I made my way back to Jerusalem where I proceeded to cook for shabbas and then pass out on the couch until my guests arrived. By the time I made it home I was walking like an invalid and it was nice that I didn't have to go anywhere until the next day to the King David for lunch...

I am not as sore as I thought I would be, which is a good thing and I'm not complaining. Now I have to start my marathon training. Slowly and carefully with the least amount of injuries possible along the way!

Maybe I'll stick another short race somewhere in the middle.

Peace out.

Here's a picture of me crossing the finish line...

One Week.

Its been a while since my last confession.

I feel like I haven't been running enough. I don't know why, because I have, but it just seems that these Saturday runs are throwing me off balance. Truth is, I love running on Saturdays. I'm rested, there's hardly anyone out and about and the pollution isn't as suffocating. Last week I experimented with running at around 630 pm when it was a lot cooler and I had slept about 14 hrs the night before. I went for a 17km run, pretty good for 2 weeks before the half marathon. It was nice to run with the sun setting and the wind blowing and not dying of heat stroke. Danielle was away for the weekend, so this last run was solo. I got home right as Shabbat was ending, perfect timing. And you know what, I wasn't as tired this week, from the long run at least. Tired from lack of sleep is a different type of tired.

The Tel Aviv Marathon is next Friday. I'll also be running that race solo, but with another 2000 strangers... I better make a good playlist. The 2 weeks before the race are time for tapering down on mileage and for upping carbohydrate intake. I have been doing both... This week I ran 2x, A tempo 4.5 km run, in 24 minutes and a 7k easy morning run on Wednesday with Danielle. Today I'll be doing the bike and some sprints. Next week I'll do a 10k on Monday and that will be it for running. I have been piling on the pasta as well. Not too much, but more than I would normally have.

Next week I will be running with the shirt we made for Noa! I'll try and post pictures...

Now its 6 months till Venice. Time to start training for a full marathon!

Have a great weekend, mine will be restful, no running this time.

Peace.

Mmmm... Meat.

So I ran again this Saturday. I woke up early, filled my fuel belt up with Gatorade, slapped on the sunscreen, donned the hat and sunglasses (camouflage) and went to pick up Danielle. I can't say that I was mentally ready for the run but I sure as hell looked the part. We started off walking to the Park and once we got there we started to run. It was already a bit on the hot side and we could tell it wasn't going to be an easy run. The run was going well, no one bothered us with retarded comments and the one couple we spoke to asked us for directions to the Zoo, which as Danielle pointed out, I gave like a real true Israeli - take a left and a right and go straight until the end. Once we got to the Jerusalem Forest I started feeling a little sluggish. It wasn't the lack of fluids, that was pretty much under control, I was drinking. The hills were killing me when the week before that wasn't the problem. Last week I went for acupuncture in school and they really helped me with my lack of energy and the ability to keep my eyes open... but that was the aftermath of the run, not the run itself. So Danielle said something extremely true, that I need to eat meat and not just tehina for my protein and I realized that she is right. I do fluctuate between eating meat and not eating meat and my energy levels are really screaming for meat right now.

When I got home from the run I showered ate some lunch, no meat in it just yet tried to read, slept for 2 hours and studied. Today I woke up feeling like I had run 15km in the blistering heat, which is indeed what I did, so it wasn't that surprising but still not fun. I did some errands and realized that I was starving so for lunch I bought myself a chicken wrap which was delicious and eaten pretty quickly, I will spare you the details. Instead of studying all afternoon I fell asleep at my desk for an hour. Once I woke up, I did some yoga to get my blood flowing and went back to studying. After work I was starving again so this time I went to the supermarket and bought steak burgers. Meat can still be made in a healthy manner, so I just put 2 patties in the oven and cooked them. I made a really nice sandwich with tehina, tomatoes and red onion on pumpernickle bread for the patties and had a great dinner. I have no idea how long this meat rampage will last but it seems to be helping. Last Sunday night I was asleep by now, so we are on a good track.

I don't think I filled you in on my workouts from last week so here it goes. Monday - pretty much 1/2 hr of sprints, which surprisingly enough, went really well until the end, when I thought I was going to die, but that's the point of sprints. I took Tuesday off since the bike just wasn't working out for me. Wednesday I slept in also and went to school where they did wonders and jump-started my system. I walked home from school and Thursday morning I went to the gym and ran 5k increasing the pace from 9kmh to 11.5kmh with the last kilometer being at 11.5kmh, which impressed me. Friday I did the bike for 1.5 hrs since there was a decent movie on the television. Thats the only way I can stay on the bike for that long, if there is something decent to watch...

That's it. Today I took the day off from exercising, just walked to town and back and did a bit of yoga to wake up.

To my readers out there, you don't have to worry about Saturday runs in the near future, they will be put on hold for the next couple of weeks... When they do happen the time is going to change to either 8am or 6pm. I think 6pm is a much better time, but that means not eating too much for lunch, which can be hard to stand by, we'll see.

The Tel Aviv Marathon is in 3 weeks!! Hopefully if I keep up being a carnivore I will be able to run the 1/2 marathon and not just the 10km.

Crime and Punishment

Saturdays are my day of rest. Saturdays I barely get out of the house. This Saturday morning Danielle and I went for a run. I remember the days that I would sleep until 1130 Saturday mornings, stumble down to lunch, read a bit and go back to sleep until the evening. I was up this Saturday at 8, I don't know why... I had my coffee, ate some breakfast, read a bit and got ready for our run. I met up with Danielle and we started with some stretches. Now it wouldn't be Israel if some old guy didn't comment on what we were doing and how we were doing it all wrong, since he's a masseure, he knows what he's talking about, I shouldn't punch myself... I'm also a masseuse and the Chinese are violent people... (On a side note, last week I was walking with friends and having a conversation about working out when this guy who was walking in the street near us drinking a beer with his wife while pushing their child in the stroller decided to join in on the conversation. Needless to say, everything he said was completely false, even though he is a personal trainer himself, and I held back from correcting him since obviously it would have been a lost cause. It seems that on Saturdays people are more obnoxious than usual when it should be the opposite. Its Shabbas, give it a break.)

Although we live in Jerusalem the holiest city ever, there were lots of people out and about once we got to Gan Sacher. When we started however, we had the street to ourselves pretty much, except for the one woman who stopped us and thinking she needed directions we complied, only to hear her say "you are osim kosher!" (meaning - you are exercising!) Thank you lady, we didn't realize. We continued on our way and I couldn't understand why I couldn't breathe, my legs were working fine, they didn't hurt and they weren't tired. My nose was stuffed! So that took away from the multitasking of running, breathing and talking. I tried, it just wasn't working. (Now I know how you feel Phelpsy Jr.) We explored a new route, for me at least, past the Central Bus Station and through part of Kiryat Moshe which I strategically made sure that we crossed the street as to not get stoned for desicrating the Holy Sabbath. We then came to familiar ground and made our way back home. It was really nice to see all the people in the Park exercising, playing ball, hanging out, kind of what would be your typical Sunday but on Saturday...

We made it home in decent shape, ate lunch and then Danielle went on her way and I decided to hang out on my porch in the sun. After an hour I came inside and tried to read on the couch a bit but fell asleep after 5 minutes. An hour later I woke up and went over to a friend to study and after 20 minutes fell asleep again for another hour. All this sleep did not prevent me from sleeping well at night and Sunday morning I could hardly get out of bed. I didn't go to the gym, instead I did some yoga (which I am in love with - by the way) and went to work. I went to sleep last night at 10. I don't remember the last time I went to bed at 10pm. I could not keep my eyes open. This morning when my alarm went off at 630 I did not want to get up. Since I had to go to work, I pulled myself out of bed and once I got to work I made myself a big cup of coffee. I am still tired as I am writing this and I would love to just close my eyes for a little longer.

Why am I so tired???

Conclusion: God must be getting back at me for not using Saturday as my day of rest. That seems to be the only logical explanation.

I will try this experiment again this coming Saturday. I will let you know how it goes.

Got Inspiration?

"Don't follow your dreams, chase them."

So I threw my back out. That was like over a month ago. I have been taking it easy, trying not to overdo it, stretching, doing yoga, strengthening the area. I want to run, I really do. But the big question is: why do I still hurt?

Pesach came and went and I say good riddance. Enjoying holidays has never really been my forte and Pesach is always the least favorite. I tried to run as much as I could. The weather was pretty great for running, probably the only time of the year that I will be able to say that about the weather. The problem was, every other day was another chag. So I think that I ran, maybe, 2x. I went to the gym, thats for sure, did the elliptical a lot on a high resistance level. As the time went on my hip didn't feel any worse and was slooowly getting better. Now the pain has moved to the outer thigh, which, in my perspective, is much better than being in the inner hip area. Now that I am back to my regular routine, I can get back to writing about running since I'll actually be running, whether I like it or not. The Tel Aviv Half Marathon is in a month, that is my inspiration.

I have started sprinting again, which is always hard but always rewarding. I think that I overdid the whole sprinting last time around and will be leaving it to once a week and not more than that, but I love it so much. Like I said, I have also incorporated some yoga into my daily routines, helping me wakeup in the morning and stretch properly before or after my workouts. (Here is a link to the yoga classes, I have been doing the yoga for runners podcast - its free) I have seen an improvement. I have also gone back to school and I love being the guinea pig when it comes to orthopedic problems. Sometimes I come home smelling like I smoked 10 packs of cigarettes in a hermetically sealed room but after a while the smell wears off and people start sitting next to me again on the bus and I feel better.

Patience is a virtue that I do not have.

Today, weather permitting, will be our return to long runs. Us being me and Danielle. Tel Aviv is in a month and I would really like to run the half marathon. Depending on how today's run goes and how I feel afterwards, I will decide which distance to run. I want to be able to run the Venice Marathon in October. So I have to find some patience. For that I listen to Guns and Roses.

Peace out.

Some technical difficulties...

For some reason the second to last post (before this one) showed up on February 18th instead of the beginning of March, when I indeed wrote it. So some of the information may seemingly be a little bit out of order and not connected to anything, but it is.



I also promised some links to hip exercises and stretches. Most of my information is taken from Runnersworld.com which anyone can go to and search and find some great running tips. If there are other websites you swear by as I swear by this one, let me know.

Hip strengthening exercises. (Just click)



Hope that they help!

I think we need to take a break...

2010 Jerusalem Half Marathon! Woohoo! Let's do it! Are you ready???

I was so pumped and full of energy the day of the race. I had cancelled my registration 2 days before as a precaution so that I couldn't officially run. The day of the race I made sure not to wear the right running shoes nor a sports bra. I was still so pumped. I went to pick up Danielle and I was definitely more pumped than she was, it took her most of the walk to the start of the race to get excited. I made sure that we had everything, or at least that Danielle had everything she needed. I was going to be spending the 2hrs waiting for her to come back studying for my test the next day. The only thing I forgot was sunscreen, it was raining for christ's sake that morning, who would have thought I would get to school looking like a tomatoe! On the way we stopped for coffee, which helped a little to wake Danielle up. We walked part of the race to get to the start, so that helped some more in getting the adrenaline flowing. We got stuck in a downpour but kept on going, getting even more pumped. We got to the stadium where the race was starting and there was a lot going on. Danielle took advantage of the port-a-potties and in the process almost got accosted by some idiot who didn't understand that red meant there was someone inside and that the door was locked for a reason. The funny thing about that was that the same guy took our picture later on with Shneller before the race started, reinforcing my original assessment of his idiocy. I was not the one to ask him to take the picture, that was Shneller.

After Danielle got all the things she needed, I have to say that the schwag was a little on the shvach side, we put on our shirts that I had made the day before. The story behind the shirts is a funny one. Our really good friend, Noa, has been fighting lymphoma for the past 6 months and we are happy to say that she is all better, her hair is growing back, slowly and ever so blonder making her look like a punk (I wasn't going to say the L word) and we were so proud of her making it through this really trying time that we wanted to support her and run the half marathon in her honor. So I took up the idea with Danielle about making the shirts and obviously her answer was "helz yeah!". We just needed the right line for the shirts...The shirt read on the front: "Our friend got cancer and all we did was run a marathon." On the back it said: "Hanley & Koenigson for Buchman" with a running decal beneath: (minus the Hebrew)

The part of the story that can be found amusing is that we didn't tell Noa we were running with the shirts, it was a suprise. Then I got really nervous that she would be mad at us for making the shirts in the first place, its not like we didn't have one for her, but maybe she would be offended by what we chose to write on them... When we were all dressed we got many compliments on our endeavor, people didn't seem to think that it was offensive, or at least they didn't tell us to our faces. We took pictures, obviously, and I will post them as soon as I get them. Then Shneller wanted to get pictures with us, but that made me even more anxious, "she's going to tell Noa before we get a chance to!" so we told her that she had to keep the shirts a secret. So we have everything on file and I was so nervous about letting Noa know that we said we would ask her mom if she thought that we should tell her about the shirts. I don't think it got around to that, since Danielle told Noa that night and Noa just laughed in her face. So, phew. All that pressure and being nervous, for nothing. We will gladly and proudly wear the shirts in each race that we participate in in 2010.

The next race for us will be the Tel Aviv Half Marathon in May. In the meantime, getting to the title of this entry, I think its time for me to cut back on the mileage and let my hip flexor heal. I think I diagnosed what seems to be the problem with my hip. A tight iliopsoas muscle that has caused some sort of tendonitis/bursitis in that area. I do believe that might be the origin of my back problem since the tight muscle in my back is exactly where the psoas muscle originates from. Yes, you can call me a nerd, everyone else does... Anyway, it would be smart to lay off the running until it heals, which will be extremely hard for me, harder than not running on Thursday. I will try, I can't promise I will succeed but I will stop running if it gets worse and just try and ice the area and do lots and lots of stretching and strengthening of the iliopsoas muscle.

Now for some pictures from our trip to Pro:Sport:

Photographer: Noa Buchman

Rolling up my sleeves to start the analysis... Danielle's Feet!

Sporting my fuel belt...

We all came out happy!