Category: running

Running In The Heat Can Make You A Stronger Runner. Here’s How To Do It Right.

On By idratherbestrongthanskinnyIn marathon training, running, The New York City MarathonLeave a comment

For runners, summer means more than weekend getaways and trips to the beach—it’s also synonymous with fall marathon training. Odds are, if you’re planning on running one of America’s iconic fall road races, like the New York City Marathon, the Chicago Marathon, or even the Philadelphia Marathon, you’re going to be running through some pretty hot weather. 

Now that I live on the West Coast, temperatures are way more ideal for summer running, but even I’m not immune from the effects of the sun. Additionally, summer travel—whether I’m going back to the east coast or just an hour or two away—exposes me to a far wider range of elements. 

Running in the heat can be difficult, and even more strenuous for certain people. But here’s why you shouldn’t immediately dismiss hot weather runs: Studies have found that running in the heat won’t just increase your rate of perspiration (which is helpful for cooling down your body), but it can also increase an athlete’s blood plasma volume, which leads to better cardiovascular fitness. Training in the heat can also reduce overall core temperature, reduce blood lactate, increase skeletal muscle force, and even increase your training capabilities in colder temperatures.

That’s right—some experts support the claim that heat acclimation can actually be more beneficial than altitude training when it comes to positive physiological adaptations. Santiago Lorenzo, a professor of physiology at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and former decathlete at the University of Oregon, told Outside Magazine that he believes heat acclimation provides “more substantial environmental specific improvements in aerobic performance than altitude training,” citing the fact that heat training does a better job at increasing VO2 max than altitude, and also makes athletes better at dealing with a wider range of temperatures. 

However, the benefits of training in elevated temperatures doesn’t change the fact that summer running can get us all hot and bothered. So many things can go wrong, from pesky annoyances like chafing, to more dangerous outcomes like heat stroke. To help you stay hydrated and happy during your long runs this summer, here are my top 10 tips for hot weather runs. Continue reading “Running In The Heat Can Make You A Stronger Runner. Here’s How To Do It Right.” →

On Body Positivity, During NEDA Month

On By idratherbestrongthanskinnyIn food, Inspiration, runningLeave a comment

I don’t talk a lot about body image–not because I don’t have thoughts on it, but because I don’t want to say the wrong thing or be insensitive. However, the fact of the matter is that I was incredibly insecure about my body for a long time. Unfortunately, I think this is an issue that affects everyone at some point: There’s always media images telling us what is and isn’t acceptable, and what is and isn’t considered to be beautiful. Now with social media, we are constantly exposed to “flawless” images of friends, models, influencers, and others–many of whom appear to be super confident about themselves and how they look. In part because of how much our lives are on display, I think it’s more difficult to today than ever before to become secure in your own skin. That’s why I want to talk about how running has affected my body image for the better—especially when there is so much already out there about the link between negative body image and running.

Here’s something I don’t usually admit: I originally started running to lose weight. In my early teenage years, I carried some uncomfortable extra pounds around my waist that at the time were probably just due to not hitting puberty yet, but in the moment, made me feel hideous. I didn’t love the person who looked back at me in the mirror. I hate to think that my relationship with something I love so much now began as a vain endeavor, but it did. The summer between eighth grade and my freshman year of high school, I cut out all snacks in between meals. I would eat a single Lean Pocket (lol, remember those?) for breakfast, and started running for 20 or 30 minutes in the evenings. At the time, I hated running, but I equated the practice with burning calories. Continue reading “On Body Positivity, During NEDA Month” →

Running the 2019 NYC Half? I’ve Got A Plan For You

On By idratherbestrongthanskinnyIn cold weather running, headlines, Inspiration, marathon training, runningLeave a comment

If you’re running the United Airlines New York City Half Marathon on March 17, 2019, and are a little lost when it comes to where to begin or how to train, I’ve got a plan for you!

Customized training plans tailored to your skill level and personal goals created by me (RRCA-certified running coach Erin Kelly) will be delivered to your inbox within ~3 business days.

Plans are $150 and can be payable via Venmo.

What are you waiting for? Sign up here to get a customized training plan today.

 

Here’s How To Commit To Your Next Race

On By idratherbestrongthanskinnyIn cold weather running, Inspiration, marathon training, running1 Comment

Taking on the challenge of a new goal is no easy feat, but with the correct training and preparation, there’s an incredible opportunity to have a wonderfully rewarding experience. Of course, that’s not to say that taking on whatever distance you’ve set your sights on won’t come without its difficulties. However, with the correct mindset and commitment to your goal, you’ll be prepared to navigate the intricacies of training.

 Here are a few ways that might make it a little bit easier.

1. Find Your Reason:

With every undertaking, it’s important to recognize why you are choosing to do what you’re doing. Self-motivation is incredibly important, and powering through early morning training runs and/or difficult workout sessions will be all the more easier when you have a good reason for it. Whether your reason is to improve your health, take on a challenge you never thought you’d accomplish, or knowing you are raising money for an incredible cause, take a few moments this week to think about your individual ‘why,’ and write it down. Put your why—or your whys!—somewhere you’ll see them every day, so you’ll reinforce your own reasoning on yourself on days you might lose sight of your goal. Continue reading “Here’s How To Commit To Your Next Race” →

The Sac, Squeeze Burger, and Knee Circles: California International Marathon Race Recap

On By idratherbestrongthanskinnyIn marathon training, race recap, running, travel3 Comments

I signed up for the California International Marathon after a successful go at the San Francisco Marathon in July, and some polite (yet persistent!) encouragement from a friend. I had heard about the race’s notoriety for being a flat and fast course from many others, and the combination of a few friends already confirmed to run and the event at 99 percent capacity months out, my FOMO got the best of me, and I signed up.

As per my usual race weekend shenanigans, I traveled with a group of friends—Victor, Jeremy, Erika and Nick—to Sacramento the day before the race to hit up the expo and get our bearings before race day. We stayed in an Airbnb about six miles from the Sacramento Convention Center (where the race expo was), which I like to do versus staying at a hotel because there is more room to spread out the night before (and there’s a kitchen to make breakfast the morning of the race).

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After visiting the expo, grabbing dinner (we ate at Big Stump Brew Co—I got a chicken sandwich), and stopping at a CVS to grab last-minute necessities (vaseline for Victor, cold brew for me, toilet paper for all of us), we retreated back to the house, made a quick game plan for the morning and most of us were in bed by 9pm. Continue reading “The Sac, Squeeze Burger, and Knee Circles: California International Marathon Race Recap” →

Pushing for a PR Sabotaged Me. Here’s How Embracing Failure Led to Better Results

On By idratherbestrongthanskinnyIn fitness trends, Inspiration, marathon training, running, The Boston MarathonLeave a comment

My friend Erin and I have a set of rituals for our weekly early morning runs.

It involves multiple 5 a.m. alarms, a quick accountability text, a subway commute that always seems to get delayed, and sometimes, a twinge of regret (why do we torture ourselves so early?!).

Once we’re finally ready to run, the excuses begin: “Don’t hate me if I’m slow,” I’ll plead. “I was up until midnight finishing an assignment.”

Erin almost always rolls her eyes, citing a different reason for why she’s not feeling 100 percent. And usually, I breathe a sigh of relief. Whew. No pressure if I’m dragging ass today.

But lately, I’ve been second-guessing this lackadaisical approach to our training. We’re both naturally competitive, career-driven, accomplished women. We work full-time, take on side gigs, have thriving social lives, and in our spare time, we run marathons (and qualify for Boston). What about that says, “Let’s take it easy today, shall we?” And yet, this excuse-riddled scenario continues to repeat itself.

After some reflection, I realized that this hedging behavior doesn’t just apply to running—it also overflows to my career and personal relationships. I routinely preface my participation in group brainstorms with, “I don’t know if this is a good idea, but…” to soften the blow if my suggestion is rejected. I find myself telling friends that I’m “cautiously optimistic” about a new guy I’m dating to buffer my real feelings, just in case it doesn’t work out.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized I was holding back in just about every aspect of my life. It was unsettling, to say the least. And I’m not alone: I hear similar caveats all the time, often from other runners: I’d love to run with you, but I’m not that fast. I would train for that race, but I have a lot going on right now. I missed a PR, but I wasn’t really going for it on this hilly course.

Looking for some kind of explanation for this behavior, I called up Ben Oliva, a sport psychologist and mental performance coach for SportStrata.

Read the full article on Runner’s World.

Photo by Ian Tuttle

No, Running Isn’t Always the Best Therapy

On By idratherbestrongthanskinnyIn Inspiration, running, The Boston Marathon1 Comment

When my boyfriend broke up with me unexpectedly in the spring of 2016, I needed to do something drastic to deal with my emotions. So I signed up to run the New Jersey Marathon a week before the race in an attempt to qualify for Boston. I believed that the validation of a BQ would help me feel better about the whole ordeal, and maybe even help him realize what he was giving up. But instead of feeling amazing, I crossed the finish line with more than 10 minutes to spare, only to feel emptier and lonelier than ever before, enlightened by a depressing realization: Running—fast or slow — wouldn’t make anyone love me.

Running has been my go-to way to deal with my emotions—happy or sad, good or bad, positive or dark—since training for my first marathon in college helped me cope with the unfortunate combination of heartbreak and general life ambiguity. Phrases like “Running is cheaper than therapy!” and “I run because punching people is frowned upon,” are routinely splashed on running-themed bumper stickers, social memes, and apparel, and reinforce the idea that running offers a healthy mental outlet. Most major fitness publications—Runner’s Worldincluded—have publicly celebrated the sport’s proven advantages as a unique form of therapy.

I’m not here to discredit running’s ability to help improve mental health. Studies show that running can boost your mood, reduce stress levels, help manage anxiety, and be as effective as taking antidepressants. I am skeptical, however, about the degree to which we’re praising the connection between our weekly mileage and our emotional wellbeing. And that’s probably because I’m a runner whose mental health requires more than miles can provide: I also routinely see a licensed therapist.

Read the full article on Runner’s World.

Running On a Budget: goodr Sunglasses Review

On By idratherbestrongthanskinnyIn fitness trends, Inspiration, running1 Comment

I recently (just about a month ago) relocated to the sunny suburb of Berkeley, California. I’m here to take classes at the University of California Berkeley (UCB) Extension School as I take the pre-requisite classes necessary to apply to physical therapy school. This decision did not come without a huge amount of tedious (and agonizing) overthinking, planning, pros and cons-style lists, and of course, a formidable amount of fear. Continue reading “Running On a Budget: goodr Sunglasses Review” →

Desiree Linden Didn’t Just Win The Boston Marathon — She Reminded Me Of The REAL Reason I Run

On By idratherbestrongthanskinnyIn Inspiration, race recap, running, The Boston Marathon, travelLeave a comment

About two weeks ago, I saw something on my Facebook newsfeed that stopped me mid-scroll: the weather report for the upcoming Monday showed a light monsoon with teeth-chattering temperatures. On any other Monday, this type of disheartening weather would be, well, just another Monday. But it just so happened that this Monday was also the day that roughly 30,000 runners were planning to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to Boston, an event formally known as the Boston Marathon.

As a registered runner who’d been training for the race for almost five months, I began to feel my excitement for the race turn into unease. Maybe it won’t be so bad, I thought. Maybe it will be like one of those snowstorms they make a huge deal about, and it doesn’t even flurry!

It ended up being a historic race for many reasons. Not only were the wet, cold, and windy conditions some of the worst many of the runners had ever seen, but Olympian Desiree Linden became the first American woman in 33 years to win the marathon. But more on that, later.

This was my thirteenth marathon, so perhaps I should have had an inkling that something would happen to throw it out of whack. I left for the race wearing multiple layers, a hooded poncho, and plastic bags secured with rubber bands around my sneakers. “It looks like you’re heading off to a day at a chemical plant,” my friend Laura joked as I geared up to face the elements. When I got there, the Athlete’s Village (where runners congregate before entering their starting corals) was worse than anyone anticipated: mud everywhere, puddles 10 Porta Potties wide, runners in rain getups even more ridiculous than mine. We laughed at the absurdity of it all — what else could we do?

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Nevertheless, I had trained hard for this race and was determined not to let bad weather stop me from reaching my race goal — a marathon PR, or a personal record. But even the most elite runners had eschewed their runderwear for full rain jackets, which is pretty much unheard of in the professional running world. Despite the universal setback, there was only one real solution: continue to move forward, towards Boston.

I’d love to tell you that despite the conditions, I crushed the race. That I didn’t let it phase me. That, gosh, I thrived in the harsh conditions, just like the men’s winner, “citizen runner” Yuki Kawauchi, who blew everyone away by besting the pros to become the first Japanese man to win the Boston Marathon since 1987. But alas, I did not (thrive, that is). I kept up with my goal pace until about mile 13, when I started feeling an extra tightness in my quads, and, was I just imagining it, or was the headwind more powerful now?

I had trained hard for this race and was determined not to let bad weather stop me from reaching my race goal

Read the full story on Bustle.

6 Boston Marathon Charity Runners Who Could Use Your Help Right Now

On By idratherbestrongthanskinnyIn cold weather running, Inspiration, marathon training, running, The Boston Marathon1 Comment

The Boston Marathon is an amazing event for so many reasons. Not only is it an opportunity for athletes to showcase their strength and resilience, but it’s also a chance for the people of Boston and spectators from out of town to show their utter and complete love for the city, and its runners.

In addition to being a showcase of some of the world’s most powerful athletes, the Boston Marathon is also an incredible opportunity to raise awareness and money for life-changing causes, charities, and organizations. From research institutes that fund important cancer research and treatment initiatives, to hospitals with a mission of transforming outcomes for individuals who have suffered from traumatic injuries, many runners are out there not only chasing PRs, but their own personal finish line — like a world without cancer, or a better life for trauma survivors.

To learn more about some of the amazing charities and programs aligned with The Boston Marathon, I found six runners ready to toe the line in Hopkinton on Monday who are running for so much more than themselves. Check out their stories below to get inspired — and consider making a donation to their preferred charity or organization.

Kevin Walther: Stepping Strong, Brigham & Women’s Hospital
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“I was inspired to run my first Boston Marathon in 2016 after witnessing year over year the spirit and determination of countless runners with medical challenges. Following the marathon bombing, I wanted to give back in some way and found Brigham & Women’s Hospital. The Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation does incredible work to fuel trauma and care research that is truly saving lives. Can’t wait for another 26.2 in Boston!

Fundraising page here 

Andrew Gorman: Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge

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This is my third year running for Boston for DFMC. I’ve raised ~$40k for cancer research in the past, and the team consistently raises $5+ million. I run and fundraise in memory of my mother-in-law Maryellen, my grandfather William, and in honor of several of my friends who have battled cancer. One hundred percent of every dollar raised goes to cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, one of the top cancer centers in the country.

Fundraising page here (~$300 short of $13,100 goal)

Amanda Ordway: Boston Medical Care

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Running the Boston Marathon has been at the TOP of my bucket list for over 13 years.  I honestly envied all the runners when I saw them walking around the weekend before with their Marathon jackets, or even when they are bundled up in those aluminum foil blankets after crossing the finish line.  Seeing someone complete something that takes so much time, dedication, hard work, and perseverance, it’s just incredible.  I wanted to be one of those people that I’ve looked up to.  I wanted to push myself and see myself accomplish something so big! This year, I’m running on behalf of Boston Medical Centre. BMC is a truly remarkable hospital, and your support goes directly towards helping them continue to provide exceptional care, without exception to anyone who walks through their doors. For the past 15 years, Boston Medical Center has proudly participated in Boston’s historic marathon, raising more than $4.7 million for the hospital. 

Fundraising page here ($3,029 short of $10,000 goal)| @Arordway
*Amanda will be getting a custom race kit from adidas and The Woolmark company. The Woolmark Company contributed $5,000 to this runners’ charity program.

Joe Dusseldorp, Mass Eye and Ear

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My name is Joe Dusseldorp, I am a plastic and reconstructive surgeon from Sydney, Australia, working at the Mass Eye and Ear in Boston. I have been inspired by the life-changing research taking place here. Much of this is possible due to generous donations given to the Mass Eye and Ear marathon team. 

I am a first-time marathon runner, and training for a marathon in Boston has been cold! So I am hoping to find supporters to help me fundraise to help Mass Eye and Ear reach its goals. One of my personal goals is to help to find a cure for children born without one or both ears. This condition known as microtia has no known cures and treatments vary around the world.

A Swiss company, Auregen Biotherapeutics, headquartered in Boston, is developing the ability to 3D print a patient’s missing ear using their own cartilage cells. Auregen has kindly offered to match any donations so that any donations I receive can go twice as far.

Fundraising page here
*Joe will be getting a custom race kit from adidas and The Woolmark company. The Woolmark Company contributed $5,000 to this runners’ charity program.

Danielle Maccini, Boston Medical Center

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If you had asked me a year ago if I could run the Boston Marathon, I  would have laughed it off! Never in a million years would I think I’d be ready to take off in single digit days to run my first marathon, let alone the coveted Boston Marathon. But here I am!

My journey began a little over a year ago: I had the chance to work on a local film surrounding the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings. I was hired as an actor, but the company also made a point to bring in real marathon runners as well as people who were there in 2013! Of course I knew what happened, but to hear these first-hand accounts truly opened my eyes! It blew my mind! The way these people described the running community and Marathon Monday was like nothing I had heard of before. I knew I needed to experience this for myself.

Fast forward to the 2017 Boston marathon, where I spent my first time actually watching and being a part of the crowd, and it was truly remarkable. That day I made a promise to myself that I  needed to run this race.

I committed to two things:

1. To raise some money and awareness for an amazing charity,

and,

2. To cross that finish line! I’ve always been really active but never a runner, so to pull his off I knew I  would have to work really hard. Through my journey I’ve not only grown stronger but I’ve met some incredible people, inspired others, and truly made a difference for my charity Boston Medical Center. Now all that’s left is race day, and with so many people backing me I’m ready to take it on! 

Fundraising page here | $719 short of $10,000 goal| @heyitsd123
*Danielle will be getting a custom race kit from adidas and The Woolmark company. The Woolmark Company contributed $5,000 to this runners’ charity program.

Malinda Ann Hill, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer

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My twin Leah and I deemed ourselves Twins Run in Our Family so we could share our experiences running together to raise awareness and funds for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer. I am running Boston in memory of Leah’s brother-in-law and our grandmother, both of whom died of cancer. Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation was started by 4-year-old Alexandra “Alex” Scott who died of neuroblastoma in 2004. Alex’s Lemonade Stand is very close to my heart since I’m the bereavement coordinator at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where Alex was treated. By age eight, Alex had raised $1 million for cancer research. As of today, the foundation has raised $150 million for cancer research. I am motivated by how Alex achieved so much in her short life. Her legacy lives on and continues to inspire others to make a difference in the lives of children with cancer.

Fundraising page here | $395 short of $1,000 goal