Gear Junkie or Douche?

I wouldn't consider myself a high-maintenance gal and I definitely didn't grow up that way. I love to shop at Costco, Walmart, Old Navy... Gap clearance is as expensive and high scale as I go (I should say in America, since nothing in this country that is good quality costs as little). However, I have come to notice, that as the years go by and I am becoming more obsessed with running, I find that I cannot stop myself from indulging in all the "gear" one would need to look their best, feel their best while running and making all those around them envious. I do attribute this obsession partly to my stint working in the 1st professional running store here in Israel, Pro:Sport. During one of the many years I was studying at Wingate and living in Givat Shmuel, I worked in Tel Aviv at Pro:Sport helping people find the right running shoe for their foot, making sure that they had the sweat-wicking dry fit running shirt that wouldn't slow them down, the sunglasses that blocked the glare of the sun so that they wouldn't run into the street by accident, the watch that made sure they were getting the most out of their workout, the fuel belt that held their water for those hot days and long runs so they wouldn't dehydrate, the right socks and even the right underwear that wouldn't ride up as they run. Most importantly, I received the employee discount and made sure that I took the utmost advantage of that perk. I slowly stocked up on sneakers, socks, dry-fit shirts, fuel belts, sunglasses, hats and water bottles. The one thing that I have yet to buy is a watch. I think that the main reason for my not buying a watch is that I can't be bothered with all the technology and linking it to my computer, downloading all the different programs making sure that it works, too much of a headache, I like simple, (yet elegant). The truth is, my favorite part of working at Pro:Sport was the anatomy/biomechanic aspect of finding the right shoe for each individual.

After the 2 great years working in Tel Aviv, I moved to Jerusalem and had to cut back on my gear purchases but only for the reason that I couldn't make it to Tel Aviv as often. Soon after, I started buying my running shoes online and having them sent to my house in Edison and then brought over here or I would go to specialty running stores in NJ. I then started "importing" Clif Bars, Gatorade packets and Jelly Belly Sport Beans along with my Runner's World magazines. I would occasionally make my way to TA on my rare days off to get my gear fix. Slowly but surely, I was finding more convenient stores to go to, although none compare to Pro:Sport. My last trip was almost a year ago and I picked up the newest fad in running, the Vibram Five Finger Sprints (you can read about that experience and all the woes of running "barefoot" by clicking on the link). I love them! I love walking around in them, training in them, running in them is another story that will take more time to get used to and when I have the time to try them out slowly without worrying about not utilizing that time to train for a marathon... I love the looks I get and the comments people make when I wear them out in public. My dad told me that there is a huge billboard on the Turnpike that has a picture of the shoes with the caption "What the heck are these?!" I wish I could find it online to post here... I was so excited when I saw people running the 1/2 marathon last week in them. Hopefully one day I will run a race in mine.

So, to the point of this post.

Once I started training for the Venice Marathon last year and had to go out for long runs, my pre-run organization was taking longer and longer, for the one reason that I had too much to put on before I could leave my house. My leggings, special sports bra, socks, shirt, hat - all dry-fit and sweat-wicking - my fuel belt filled with gatorade and water, some beans, some form of a clif bar, depending on the distance, phone - also depending on the distance - and music. What happened to the simple days of just lacing up and jetting out the door?? Anyway, at first I was a little self conscious that I looked like an idiot, that I would be better off with just hat and headphones and a regular set of running clothing, then I realized, who the hell am I kidding, I love that I look like this and that is the exact reason that I buy all the things I buy. You gotta walk the walk in order to talk the talk. I wanted all the people out there on the street to be envious/think I'm crazy. When I train for races I make sure to wear my previous race shirts, that is unless they are really ugly or I have given them away to my family, just so that people know I am serious. Not that the average exerciser wouldn't know that I am serious, on numerous occasions at the gym I have been asked what my sport is. I have yet to come up with the perfect answer. I tend to be baffled by the question and always leave out the most important part to my answer: "Oh, I am a personal trainer and I run marathons."

This week, I have not run. I took the time to let my hip get a bit better and I will see on Sunday how I feel when I go for my run.

Of course this post would not be complete without a link to Runner's World. So here is their page on all the Shoes and Gear needed to become the Junkie we all are deep down inside.

'Till next time.

Peace.

Jerusalem 1/2 = Any Full.

Jerusalem, March 2011, first full marathon for the city.

Everyone had to pick up their bib numbers at the ICC building from Tuesday to Thursday.

Wednesday there was a terrorist bombing outside the ICC building. I was kind of hoping that they would cancel the race... 2 months ago, I called the marathon organizers and told them I couldn't run the 42.2km and that I would like to run the 1/2 marathon. Instead of cancelling and re-registering, they told me I could just change the race I was going to run at the marathon, day of. So that is what I did. Thursday I came to the ICC building to pick up my gear, asked them to change races and they said no. (I was kind of hoping that they wouldn't let me run...) BUT, me being the Israeli I guess I am turning into, decided to do what I want and run the 1/2 with my bib number covered and chip on my shoe and see if anyone will notice. (They did not.)

Friday, 6am, wake up. Was I nervous, yes. Was I excited, no. Did I show that I was nervous, no. Did I want to throw up, yes. Morning espresso, a banana - thanks to Yoel - a clif bar, some Nir Barkat sighting and correspondence - thanks to Danielle - and we were off to the starting point. The question we asked ourselves: "What the hell are we doing here?" was a good one but we didn't have any answer other than, "why not?". There was a good energy in the air, but who really wants to run 21.1km in Jerusalem on a cold and rainy Friday morning when you could be sleeping in a warm bed, especially when you didn't train enough for the distance, let alone the hills. The countdown began, we didn't hear a gun shot (which I think was smart on their part, we all would have ducked for cover, rather than start running), and we were on our way. Danielle, Yoel and I stuck together for the beginning. Up a small hill, down a small hill, up a BIG hill, down a small hill, up a hill into the Old City, down hill to go back up another big hill... you get the point. The course was historic, not for the places that we ran through, rather for the hills that we ran up and up and up, each one harder than the last. After the Sultan's pool I let Danielle and Yoel go ahead of me, my hip needed to go slower... All in all, it was a nice route, running through the Old City, running past places I see on a weekly basis, seeing all those people cheer me on, Deena with her sign (thank you!!!) really helped me get up Rechov Yehuda, running alongside Nir Barkat and his whole entourage for a while going to the Tayelet and the UN building. The worst hill was Kovshei Katamon at kilometer 18. It was nice to see some of my clients out cheering me on but I was happy to be finished. Thank god I didn't miss the finish line like the winners of the marathon did. Apparently they got a little confused at the end and ran 200 meters longer than they had to and finished at the 1/2 marathon finish line and not the marathon finish line. They gave them their prizes anyway... I finished the half marathon in the same time it took them to finish the full marathon... It was said that this marathon was one of the hardest international marathons in the World. I agree. I was more sore after this race than when I finished the marathon in Venice. Maybe one day, 20 years from now, I will run the full 42.2 km here in Jerusalem.

It was nice to see my school mates at the end of the race giving massages to the finishers. I just cut the line to say hi, I didn't have the time/need to get a massage, but they did help a lot of people who were sore and whose legs were cramping, thank god that my legs didn't cramp up. Here is an article from Runner's World about how to prevent muscle cramps. Now it is time to rest up in-order to make sure I can run the marathon in Berlin come September time. I know that resting up will be as hard as running the marathon, probably harder, but I will try and not run as much and do more cross training and leg muscle building exercises.

Since I didn't "finish" the marathon rather the half marathon, I was not photographed at the finish line and I was "disqualified" from the race. They did record my half marathon time, however, so I know my time, faster than the last Jerusalem Half, 3 years ago, and same timing more or less as Tel Aviv, last year, which means a lot. 1- if I trained, I would have finished a lot faster, 2- I wasn't as out of shape as I thought. 3- if my hip heals properly, I could definitely finish the Berlin marathon in under 5 hrs.

The only pictures from the race I have are Danielle and Yoel finishing:

and me and Yoel posing with the blow up bears for Nicki (will be posted soon)

'Till next time.

Peace.

One Week. Yay?

How am I supposed to be feeling exactly one week before the 1/2 marathon?

Considering I had originally signed up for the full marathon, in my manic-euphoric state, proceeding my first marathon, I think that I would be disappointed in myself for taking the easy route. I'm not disappointed, I'm still participating in the race. I'm not ecstatic, I think I'm too tired to be in that state of mind. I'm not nervous, I have run 21km before, granted not on the route that this race takes, but I have ran some of the route. I am ambivalent as to what I feel towards this race. I have had plenty of time train, but that doesn't mean that I have used that time wisely. I should have been keeping track of the runs I ran, jotting down how I felt before, after and during, written down the food I was eating to fuel me for these runs, not have been discouraged by the weather and not have been needing to nurse an injury. Considering that I have not been the perfect example of one who will excel at this race, I will be happy with just finishing. I wish I could say that I feel that during the time I was supposed to be training, I excelled in another field. I guess that would be the Chinese Medicine field, considering that is where I put most of my focus, mentally and physically. I think that maybe Glee might be the blame for some of my blah.

All I know, now that the weather is getting much much better and I have 2 months to heal my hip "injury" and work on having more energy, that I will be approaching the Berlin Marathon with a totally different attitude.

To ensure that attitude I consulted my running bible, Runner's World, and came across a very informative article, Fear No Run.

Wish me (us) luck!

Peace.

I will still be running with Ilan in mind, through the most important city, Jerusalem.

Crazy things are happening all over the world and we are still worrying about how fat we look.

Earthquakes, tsunamis, people being killed, being dying suddenly, its seems as if the world is slowly falling a part. At these times, we either become selfless or selfish. I hope that for the most part, we reach a balance that lasts with us always and not only in times like these. There is a way to be selfless and selfish at the same time, it may take some conscious effort tho.

Some people who didn't know me before I moved to Israel don't know that I struggled with my weight all throughout my adolescence. People ask me how long I have been exercising and into health and fitness and the answer I give and the truth, is 9 years, come Pesach time. Before April 2002 I was fat. I didn't consciously over-eat, I just didn't move and ate what I wanted, when I wanted. I can't remember if it was triggered by anything, if it was emotional eating, or just that I ate and didn't exercise at all. I'm sure if I tried really hard to remember or if I asked my parents, then I would know but it isn't all that important to me now. What triggered the drastic change, and I call it that because it was drastic, compared to my lifestyle before April 2002, was a bacteria that caused an infection in my stomach and caused me to be in a lot of pain and discomfort whenever I ate. Solution = not to eat. It wasn't as simple as that, but that's basically how it started. Now, most of the people who have known me for the last 8 years, know that in the beginning of my life here in Israel, there was very little that I would eat. No dairy, no meat (which I constantly reminded people was not because I care about the animals not to eat them), very few vegetables, no wheat products............ it goes on. At the same time that I stopped eating, I started to exercise. I would go to the gym 3x a week after school to swim, run, use weights... I instantly felt the change. Obviously I lost weight, there was a lot to lose, and I was feeling better digestively. Oh, and I would drink lots and lots and lots of water. Now, I don't usually talk about my fat days, not because I am ashamed, I am proud that they are behind me, but exactly because of that, they are behind me and I don't feel the need to discuss them on a daily basis. Now, that does not mean that I don't think about them weekly, that I am not conscious of my body and how it is today compared to my high school days. I try not to let it rule my life, but being in the field that I am in and surrounded by health and fitness, it has become part of my lifestyle, who am I kidding, it has become my whole persona. I try not to impose it on others, I have come to the realization that "if you will it, it will come" applies to all aspects of life, especially health and exercise. You can't force anyone to be something that they don't want to be, it just won't work, you will get frustrated, they will hate you and the whole endeavor will be a failure.

Now, why did I decide to bring this all up today? Obviously it has to do with Runner's World. There was a great article written by Peter Sagal about how the "The memory of being fat never subsides—even after you become fit." And I have to agree with him. I liked this excerpt the most:

"If you've ever been fat, you will either be fat for the rest of your life or you will worry about being fat the rest of your life." I came across those words 20 years ago in the play "Fighting International Fat," by Jonathan Reynolds. A pretty obscure place to find the underlying thesis of your waking life, but one doesn't get to choose. That casual observation struck me with the profound power of its obvious truth, much like Kafka's observation, "The meaning of life is that it ends." Kafka did not then add, "...but once you're dead, you won't gain weight." Which I would have found comforting.'

You can read the rest of the article by clicking on the link below:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-297--13846-2-1-2,00.html

So, I guess, the point of today's post is to remind all of you out there, that self image is not all there is in this world, there are more important things, like making sure you tell the people you care about, how much you care about them, show appreciation to those who help, be nice to people even if you don't know them................... It ain't easy, believe me, I am not "little miss sunshine" but I struggle and I hope that I succeed, just like I struggle and hope that I continue succeeding with my health and weight. And I try not to let it rule my life.

'Till next time.

Peace and Health :)

Tricks of the trade.

The Jerusalem Half Marathon is 3 weeks from today.

Am I ready, you may ask.

I guess, would be my answer.

They have changed the course, so we will be treading on new ground. Tomorrow Danielle and I plan on conquering at least some of the new course. I haven't run since Monday, but that's ok, Monday's run was a long run and my hip wasn't doing so well. This time I will take the Excedrin before the run, not after.

I'm actually kind of excited to have a new course to the marathon. It means that we will be experiencing new parts of this amazing/controversial/interesting/insane city. The original route was a cause for some controversy, since we would have been running through East Jerusalem, in which some Israeli members of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions committee wrote to the sponsors of the race, Adidas, and asked them to withdraw its sponsorship calling the race a "running apartheid". The marathon course was changed to exclude East Jerusalem, in my opinion, its a shame. Who cares that it was out of the "green line"? I am sure that if Israeli Arabs who live in East Jerusalem are running in the marathon would want the privilege to run past their homes. I am sure that the world would not care that its "occupied territory", someone would even make a heartfelt documentary about it.

There are so many things in life that are a lot more important than worrying about where goddamn race courses travel through.

Life is more important.

I just found out that a friend of mine was died in a car accident in California. I think that I will run this race in his memory.

To Ilan Tokayer.