Runners are crazy

Winter gear

Starting to run in summer it’s very cheap, you only need to buy good shoes, then you start running with traditional cotton t-shirts, and after a couple of trainings you buy the right running t-shirts – easy enough.

Now that temperature are approaching 10° C, better move to different stuff: I discovered Mizuno Breath Thermo products and I’m enthusiast with them. Read more:

• Exothermic Property of Breath Thermo: The fabric characteristically changes the moisture absorbed from the body into heat. The colder it is, the higher the heat generating effect of Mizuno Breath Thermo.
  
• Moisture Absorbing Feature: breath Thermo has extremely high moisture absorbing power to control humidity (water vapor) and heat between the body and the outside environment. Consider it a buffer against sudden environmental changes.
  
• Antibacterial and Deodorizing Features: The yarn itself has antibacterial and deodorizing functions to prevent odors.

Pretty impressive? And look at the graphic, isn’t it cool? There is even a nice website here, full with stuff.

Another progress update

Many weeks of silence, but a lot of training done. The first training program finished easily, the second one lead to reaching the distance of 10k was quite easy as well.

And now?

Training programs alternating walk and run do not seem to attract me anymore, I moved to continuous running, even if with different paces. I know I have to increase speed, and I am – slowly – improving there. But I’m stuck in a sort of a limbo waiting for the right program to appear, leading me to run the 20k distance.

The right tune

Running gear is always composed of, basically, a pair of shoes, appropriate clothing and an audio player. Music becomes then a very important choice: it can be inspiring, motivating, and helps keeping you concentrated on your activities, leaving the rest of the world “outside” of you.

While there are tons of suggestions for runner’s playlists (here and here, as an example), I encourage to spend time in order to build your personalized one: I found that 100 – 120 songs ensure enough variety for normal trainings, let’s say, up to two hours: and in creating it, don’t hesitate to include these old Barry Manilow or Tom Jones songs that you always loved, they can be relaxing, funny and motivating as well.

Progress

Date:    21/lug/2009 Distance:    2,57 kilometers Elapsed Time:    20:35 Avg Speed:    7,5 km/h Avg Pace:    8:02 per km	Date:    18/aug/2009 Distance:    6,19 kilometers Elapsed Time:    45:32 Avg Speed:    8,16 km/h Avg Pace:    7:21 per km
Date:    19/sep/2009 Distance:    10,10 kilometers Elapsed Time:    1:15:25 Avg Speed:    8,03 km/h Avg Pace:    7:28 per km	Gee, after two months of training, 10K! If it was NYC, I would be well ahead in Brooklyn! Anyway, still lot of work to do on speed…

The first run

Right shoes – done. E-course enrollment – done. Find the right place: easy one, I live close to a park, flat and with plenty of roads for running – done. Find the right time: it’s July, better not to start after 8 AM, I will be there at 7:45 AM – done.

Ready for my first lesson, an embarrassing “1/1 x 10” (stands for run 1 minute, walk 1 minute, ten times, for a total of 20 minutes).

Great start, I can do that. At the third minute, breathing desperately from nose and mouth. At the sixth minute, situation improved. Before the end of the training, decision taken: “I will run NYC marathon within two years”. A new, middle-aged, white-aired, close to midlife crisis, runner is born!     

Why I'm Running the New York City Marathon

I love this post, I found it amusing, sad, and absolutely inspiring.

“A couple of years ago, I walked uptown to Central Park on one of those perfect November days. The air had a bite to it while the sun shone bright. It was the day of the New York Marathon and I thought it might be fun to watch the runners nearing the finish line. So, I joined the crowd about a half-mile before the race's end at Tavern On The Green. With my arms resting on the cold cordon, I saw an incredible spectacle of people pushed to the very brink of collapse. I expected exhaustion, but what I didn't expect was to see just how much these runners had to EARN their prize. It was emotional. The pain was etched into their faces so deeply, you'd swear they'd spend the next 3 weeks looking like Abe Vigoda.”

Finish the story here.