Running Gratitude: We Are So Lucky
We are so lucky.
My dear running pal Jodi and I said this as we hugged each other good luck and went to our separate corrals for the start of last week’s New York City Marathon.
I met Jodi 25 ((!) years ago in our local running club, and since that time we have traveled many miles (literally, figuratively) over many roads near and far, mostly around the local Great Swamp National Refuge, in New Jersey (prettier than it sounds), but also in marathons in Nashville, Bordeaux, France, and Cape Town, South Africa–how’s that for a trio of far-flung destinations?
Thank you, legs.
A few weeks earlier, Jodi had completed the Hawaii Ironman, also known as the World Championship, which we all know is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run. Jodi got in as one of 100 athletes in the Legacy Lottery, which means she had to complete 12 (!) Ironmans in other states, including two in the past two years. The cutoff for the Hawaii Ironman is 17 hours; Jodi got into the shape of her life over the spring/summer only to tear a hamstring a couple of months before race day. Dang! Still, she finished in 16:30-something.
Dear pal Jodi was one of 100 “Legacy” athletes at the 2018 Hawaii Ironman, her 16th Ironman finish–wow!
Oh, by the way, Jodi is 63.
Thank you, lungs.
My dear running pal Susan, a k a Fast Teacher Friend, started the NYC marathon in an earlier wave than Jodi and me. About four weeks prior, Susan had run a 50K called Run with the Navajo, across Canyon de Chelly, in Arizona. Before the start, 200-ish lucky runners face the east to watch the sun rise over the canyon. In the paraphrased words of the website: “Runners experience the traditional values of Navajo distance running by running as a celebration of life, running as a form of prayer and running as a way to better ourselves.”
Wow! I am so lucky to have such cool friends!
Canyon de Chelly had experienced an unusually wet fall. The out-and-back course crossed 33 ice-cold streams—yes, that adds up to 66 ice baths over the course of 35-ish miles. Yikes!
Thank you, feet.
Now I’m not going to suggest that life is all perfect crisp cool running weather and post-run espresso chip scones without weight gain. That positivity is Olympian Deena Kastor‘s job.
Not all of us can run. You might have plantar fasciitis or a bad back that limits your miles. Many of us are slowed by the stress of dealing with some health issue in our immediate families, from inexplicable chronic hives to terminal illness. Some of us face economic uncertainty in a changing job market while staring down impending college tuition. (Eeek!) Even as we recognize how lucky we are to keep a roof over our kids’ heads and sneakers on their feet and Thanksgiving dinner on the table. Life happens to everyone.
This is why I am so grateful for the run: Because it suspends me from the daily noise, even if for just a half hour. Maybe it’s a trick of forward motion, but somehow, even if I am ruminating on the mean thing that person said, when I run, I feel like I am moving through it.
Thank you, mind.
I get slower every year, but really truly that is okay. Because in the end, the only thing that really matters is that running just makes me feel better. And for that, I am grateful.
Presumably, if you’ve read this far, you know what I mean. We are so lucky to have this. Thank you, Dimity and Sarah, for letting me write here! Thank you, readers, for reading.
Jodi, Tish, Susan and young friend Fraser, who serves in the Army and has two small children, at the start of the New York City Marathon
IN THIS THANKSGIVING WEEK, WHAT ARE YOU MOST GRATEFUL FOR ABOUT RUNNING?
#338: Gab-Session w/ Best Running Friends Sarah + Molly
Sarah and BRF/co-host Molly Williams got stood up at the last minute by a guest, so they settle in for a gab-fest. They conversationally skip from Molly’s tenant (her oldest daughter’s 25-year-old boyfriend) to Sarah’s twins’ musical to Portland water issues. Find out what Molly would do when she becomes mayor! The running buddies then debate their 2019 training plans, with SBS showing a glimmer of desire to race again. There’s talk of honing speed…within reason. An easy-going, laugh-filled conversation between two close friends.
Mercury Mile fuses fashion and function for all runners: Take $10 off your stylist fee by using code AMR at MercuryMile.com
Living Proof: Experience beauty products developed by MIT scientists! For a free sample of their award-winning dry shampoo with a purchase, visit LivingProof.com/amr and use promo code AMR
The 2018 AMR Holiday Gift Guide
We scoured the internet, asked the tribe on Facebook, and came up with the “must-have” items for everyone on your list this year!
1. Safe and sound: AfterShokz Trekz Air keep your ears open as you listen to tunes + podcasts.
2. New CEP run tights to keep you snug all winter long.
3. AMR’s Cape Cod Retreat: A weekend away with your (new) BRFs.
1. Tasty, healthy recipes w/ a side dish of inspiration: Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow.
2. Celebrate her–and her accomplishments–with an Erica Sara pendant.
3. Eyes straight ahead (+ shielded by Goodr Sunglasses) let her talk from the heart.
1. Brooks shoes: the perfect ride for many happy miles!
2. New year = new stats + new Garmin to track ’em!
3. Follow her lead: STRONG by 2x Olympian Kara Goucher.
2. CEP Women’s Run Socks 2.0 provides the perfect performance squeeze.
3. Pre-dawn or post-work, see + be seen w/ Knuckle Lights Advanced. P.S. Use code BRIGHTLIGHTBRIGADE for 10% off!
1. Six legs, hands-free: Stunt Puppy Stunt Runner let’s you run free.
2. Doggone bright idea: Light up your pooch with NoxGear LightHound.
3. Keep their paws warm all winter long with these booties from Ruffwear.
What did we miss? What’s on your list this year?
Dry Martini: Some Runs are Weird
Worry not! I haven’t forgotten to assemble the list of half marathons that you all suggested last month. It’s at the end of this post and I’ll explain how I compiled it down there. (And if I were a more clever-than-average bear, I could figure out how to hot link as if it were a footnote. Sadly, I am not a clever bear today.)
First, a story from Saturday’s long run:
Winter is coming to my neck of New York State. The wind this weekend had teeth, which I didn’t really notice until I was a mile in and still not warmed-up. The wind was also making it hard to breathe, somehow. By mile two, I was supremely crabby and cold and over it. But I still had four miles to go.
See that dip in my Strava chart? That’s where the weird thing happened.
In front of the McDonalds, the one whose bathroom has saved my Saucony capris on more than one occasion, a medium-sized dog charged across a busy street directly at me.
My first response was to prepare myself for being bitten. Said preparation was swearing. There was not much more I could do at that point.
But biting is not what happened. Instead, the dog launched herself at me like I was a long-lost friend, one whose pockets were full of bacon. I grabbed her collar so she wouldn’t run back out into traffic. A random guy about my age was pulling his flip phone out of his pocket as he walked towards me.
As I was trying (and failing) to calm her squirmy butt down, another random guy (older, this time) came sprinting out of the McDonalds. He was taking his belt off as he ran toward flip-phone guy, squirmy dog, and me. Which made me wonder what, exactly, had been going on in the Play Place until I realized that his (genius!) plan was to use his belt as a leash.
With that extra help, I managed to get a look at the dog’s tag, which let me know her name was Oreo and that her owner had a phone number. Flip-phone guy called and left a message. Just as we were all trying to figure out what to do next (and Oreo continued to try to climb/lick/snuggle with me), a young dude came sprinting from the nearby neighborhood, crossed the street, and scooped Oreo right up. She snuggled in. He mentioned that she’s new to him and he had no idea she could climb fences.
Given that I recently found myself in a similar circumstance with a rescue pup, I wished him luck.
In all of the chaos, I did not get a picture of Oreo. Instead, enjoy this snap of my fence-climbing rescue, whose antics were only stopped by an invisible fence.
Two minutes later, after flip-phone guy and belt-guy and I celebrated a good deed well done, I started running again. Those last four miles just flew by, frankly. I do wonder if Oreo misses me.
In other news:
I’ve arranged the races that you all suggested (plus a few I’ve found) by date, mostly because that is how I plan. I did leave the Eau Claire race off of the list because I know I’ll be running it at the retreat. Also, it appears that no one like to run in July, which makes perfect sense to me.
January
F3 Lake; Chicago, IL
Houston Marathon; Houston, TX
February
Surf City; Huntington Beach, CA
Mercedes Half; Birmingham, AL
Mississippi River Half; Lake Village, AR to Greenville, MS
Rock ’n’ Roll New Orleans; NO, LA
March
Shamrockn’ Half; Sacramento, CA
Myrtle Beach Half; Myrtle Beach, SC
Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, SC
Wrightsville Beach; Wilmington, NC
Little Rock Half; Little Rock, AR
Wicked Marathon; Wamego, KS
Carmel Marathon; Carmel, IN
April
Oak Barrel Half; Lynchburg, TN
Savannah Women’s Half; Savannah, GA
Oklahoma City Memorial; OKC, OK
Salt Lake City Marathon; SLC, UT
Whidbey Island Marathon; Whidbey Island, WA
Drake Relays Half; Des Moines, IA
May
Flying Pig; Cincinnati, OH
Happy Girls; Bend, OR
Windemere Marathon, Spokane, WA
Run for the Cows; Redding, CT
Avenue of the Giants, Humboldt, CA
National Women’s Half; Washington, D.C.
June
Thelma and Louise; Moab, UT
Garry Bjorklund Half; Duluth, MN
Missoula Half; Missoula, MT
Kona Half Marathon; Kona, HI
The Great Ferry Race; Bainbridge Island, WA
July
August
Oregon Wine Country; Dundee, OR
Skinny Raven Half; Anchorage, AK
13.Wine; Baroda, MI
September
Monument Marathon; Gering, NE
Ocean City Half; Ocean City, NJ
Hogsback; Colebrook, CT
Green Lake Half; Green Lake, WI
October
Urban Cow Half Marathon; Sacramento, CA
Bull City Race Fest; Durham, NC
Urban Bourbon; Louisville, KY
Run Crazy Horse; Black Hills, SD
Fargo Mini Marathon; Fargo, ND
Detroit International; Detroit (and Windsor, Canada), MI
Hartford Half Marathon; Hartford, CT
Jazz Half; New Orleans, LA
Toronto Waterfront Marathon; Toronto, Canada
November
Richmond Half; Richmond, VA
Seacoast Half; Portsmouth, NH
Rock ’n’ Roll Las Vegas; Las Vegas, NV
December
St. Jude’s; Memphis, TN
Rocket City; Huntsville, AL
Tucson Marathon; Tucson, AZ
Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon; Rehoboth, DE
See anything that intrigues you? And are there any half marathons I should add?
AMR Gears Up: Best Running Lights for Keeping you #SafeAsaMotherRunner
Welcome to Another Mother Runner Gears Up: Our new gear testing column! We are going to have #motherrunners put key running gear—capris, headlamps, socks, bras, etc.—to the test, and deliver the results to you so that you can grab the gear that works best for your running and body.
Adding less daylight to the mix of family, work, life, and running, means you’ll probably end up logging quite a few miles in the dark. While running in the dark can be exhilarating and surprisingly liberating, the key is to be prepared. And that means be able to see and be seen! Thankfully this isn’t a new problem, and there are a wide variety of creative options on the market.
For the most part, our review focuses on products that light your proverbial path, be it a city sidewalk, urban street, or trail deep in the wilderness. To be seen, look for clothes and accessories with 360 degrees of reflectivity, flashing lights, and rear facing lights so you “shine bright like a diamond!”
Our testers wanted to feel confident in being able to see where they were going, not just to prevent trips, but also to see what’s in their surroundings for personal safety reasons. Being visible to motorists was another concern, and we have the ultimate solution for that!
We asked testers to consider ease of use, comfort, how the products worked on the run, and whether or not they would recommend them to a friend (it was a resounding “Yes!” for all of the products on this list).
The winners, listed in alphabetical order, are…….
BioLite HeadLamp
“Damn, this is bright!” was our tester’s initial response when she turned on this slim fitting, almost diminutive, lamp mid-way through her run. And talk about seeing your surroundings: She saw way more shining eyes in the darkness than she was planning due to a herd of deer chilling trailside. A passing mountain biker even expressed envy because the BioLite was brighter than his torch. The balanced design of the light didn’t bounce, and comfortable headband fabric (with rear reflectivity) stayed put without pulling hair, and also fit well with a beanie. It’s easy to change the angle of the light, which has five illumination modes and indicator lights to show battery level.
Price: $49.95
Lumens (measure of brightness): 330
Powered by: USB rechargeable batteries
Perfect for: Seeing all there is to see on dark roads and trails
Grab it at: bioliteenergy.com
Black Diamond Sprinter Rechargeable Headlamp
The powerful beam and rear strobe light of this lamp (#safeasaMotherRunner) inspired our tester to call it “the Holy Grail of headlamps!” She appreciated that it could adjust enough to fit her small head comfortably and without bouncing. For testing purposes, her husband tried it too, and also gave it a thumbs up for adjustability without bounce. The light is housed in a super durable, rain and sleet proof casing, and has three light modes.
Price: $79.95
Lumens (measure of brightness): 200
Powered by: USB rechargeable battery
Perfect for: Rainy nights and the darkest of trails
Grab it at: blackdiamondequipment.com
Turns out we sent these to a tester who prefers running without anything in her hands (except maybe pepper spray), and…… she loved them, saying they were surprisingly comfortable to run with, even for her. They have adjustable silicone hand grips that are easy on your skin and work with gloves for cold weather running. They are also waterproof and will work in temps down to -40 degrees Celsius (at that temperature you’ll find us inside on the treadmill!). The lights have three power settings, with wide flood beams, and a handy magnet holds them together for storage, so you don’t have a lonely light in the bottom of your gear bag.
Price: $59.99
Lumens (measure of brightness): 280
Powered by: Rechargeable with a handy charging dock stand
Perfect for: Runners who aren’t fans of headlamps and want to level up on their flashlight game
Grab ‘em at: knucklelights.com
Night Trek Shoe Lights
While the lights are able to illuminate your way about 30 feet, our tester liked angling them towards the ground to see roots and cracks in the pavement. “I also like that other runners and walkers are able to see me, and there’s no risk of shining light in their eyes.” Our tester said they were easy to attach to her shoes, and, while they are light, they were still noticeable at first. Once she was on the run, she declared running with bright lights on her shoes to be “super fun!”
Price: $69.95
Lumens (measure of brightness): 150
Powered by: USB rechargeable batteries
Perfect for: #motherrunners looking for hands-free versatility (like when you’re holding a dog leash)
Grab ‘em at: nighttechgear.com
“This is my go-to piece of safety visibility equipment for running anywhere near traffic.” Pre-dawn, after dark, our tester wears it any time she’s out walking or running in low light. When a piece of gear is this unobtrusive–it easily adjusts to fit over anything from a tank top to winter layers–and effective, there’s no excuse not to use it. In a city or urban setting this may be the only light you need, but if there’s no ambient light, consider adding another light. You can set the lights to one of eight different colors (or cycle through them all) and set them to flash or not. The lights turn to red when the batteries are running low, and the rest comes in three sizes: extra small/small/medium, large, xl/xxl. Our tester’s only complaint is that the batteries aren’t rechargeable, but the vest is so good at what it does, she’s willing to overlook that detail.
Price: $69.95
Lumens (measure of brightness): 40 lumens
Powered by: Disposable batteries
Perfect for: Shining bright and being seen when running near traffic (as a plus, you can wear it to Burning Man or your next neighborhood rave #partylikeamother)
Grab it at: noxgear.com
Petzl Bindi
“I love how small and lightweight it is, and barely noticed it was there,” said our tester of this handy little light. It’s lightly curved to sit comfortably on your forehead, with a cap or beanie, and can even be worn around your neck, thanks to the quick-pull adjust on the bungee cord strap. It’s small, meaning buttons are small as well, but once you know where they are, our tester found it easy to adjust between the three brightness levels on the run.
Price: $59.95
Lumens (measure of brightness): 200
Powered by: USB rechargeable battery
Perfect for: Extra brightness when running on city streets and through urban neighborhoods
Grab it at: petzl.com
Princeton Tec Snap
What’s so sweet about this product is its easy versatility. Our tester used it as a flashlight, hooked it to her dog’s collar (a carabiner is included), and as a headlamp. Which was a bonus since she isn’t a fan of most headlamps, but, even though she’s a naysayer, she even found this to be comfortable when worn as an actual headlamp. It even comes with a bike mount in case you want to pop it on your handlebars! The water-resistant Snap has one large, easy to find button that switches it between the three light modes.
Price: $39.99
Lumens (measure of brightness): 200
Powered by: Disposable batteries
Perfect for: Value conscious runners who want one light to do it all!
Grab it at: princetontec.com
Streamlight Bandit
Talk about easy. This no frills, one button, durable light clips to your cap, pack, or jacket, or can be used with the included headband for added brightness at an easy price point. It’s has three light modes and is weather resistant.
Price: $29.99
Lumens (measure of brightness): 180
Powered by: USB rechargeable batteries
Perfect for: Clipping to your favorite cap for extra light on neighborhood jaunts
Grab it at: streamlight.com
Did we miss your favorite light?
Disagree or agree with the reviews?
Let us know in the comments below; it takes a #motherrunner village to find the perfect gear!
I [Heart] the New York City Marathon
There is nothing easy about the New York City Marathon.
So why do I love it so much?
It’s hard even getting INTO the NYCM. Last year, a record 105,000+ people entered the lottery to secure one of 15,000 bib numbers. The other 35,000 numbers go to international runners, charity runners and other “guaranteed” entrants—sponsors, affiliates and oh, right, the professional runners. Those people. The ones who might actually win.
When I first ran it, in 1989, I filled out a paper application, wrote a check, put a stamp on an envelope and took it to the post office. Which I realize sounds as quaint and improbable as riding a horse and buggy. Nearly 25,000 people ran it; less than 5,000 were women. We got cotton T-shirts, which I still love.
And with more than 50,000 participants, every part of running it is a logistical challenge. I left my house at 5:30 on the morning of the marathon to get to the staging area on Staten Island, and sit for a couple of hours waiting for my start and didn’t get home until 5:30—that’s a 12-hour day for four+ hours of running through the five boros of NYC (that is, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan).
AND the course itself is hard! Not that any marathon is “easy,” but NYC has so many hilly rises and dips in the second half that I’ve never managed a “negative split”—that is, to run the second half faster than the first. This year, I ran the second half only 4 minutes slower than the first half, which felt like a minor victory.
If this doesn’t sound like a fantastic way to cover 26.2 miles, I do understand. The NYCM is not for everyone.
So, wait, WHY do I love it so much?
If you live in the greater NYC metro region (I’m in NJ), NYC is THE marathon.
People (non-runner division) ask, “Are you running THE marathon?”
If you’re running a different one—say Philadelphia—the non-runners say, with perhaps a little pity, “Oh. How long is THAT marathon?”
And then there are the famous spectators. When you cross from Queens to Manhattan on the 59th Street bridge and hit First Avenue around mile 16, you run into a tunnel of sound so loud, it’s the closest you’ll ever get to feeling like Taylor Swift making her entrance to a sold-out crowd at MetLife Stadium.
Nearly 2 million spectators line the course, and this year it was more packed than ever, I think because the weather was perfect for them—55 degrees and bright sunny sun. (Sun and 55 is not “perfect” for runners, despite what the TV announcers told you, especially for those of us who start late and run slow.) The spectators pushed in so far that at times it was like running through the Tour de France. Allez allez allez!
Daughter Nina spotted me near the 23 mile mark. Hooray!
The subway makes it easy for spectators to see their runners in a few spots. My people—boyfriend Rick and daughter Nina—came to mile 8 in Brooklyn, and miles 17 and 23 in Manhattan. It’s such a charge to find YOUR people in the great screaming sea of spectators. Thank you, Rick and Nina!
And then there are all the different people running the race—young and old, slim and not so, multi-marathoners and first-timers. I chatted at the start line with a woman from South Africa. With all due respect to the elite marathoners, the “real” runners are just as interesting (if not more so) to me. The runners in the “streaker” club wore bibs on their backs with the number of NYCMs completed—I saw a man with 47 on his back! 47! That’s almost back to the very first NYCM! (1970)
Honestly, the NYCM is as exciting to watch as it is to run.
Holy quadriceps! Last year’s NYCM champion Shalane Flanagan at the start of last Sunday’s race.
Around the 20-mile mark, I heard people say that Mary Keitany won. It was her fourth NYC win, and her time of 2:22:48 was only 17 seconds off the course record, which would’ve earned her a nice $50K bonus. (Dang!) Last year’s super champ, Shalane Flanagan, came in third. (Some men won the men’s race, I’m pretty sure, but they’re not my problem.)
Next year, 2019, will be 30 years since I ran my first NYCM. (Wait, how did THAT happen?) I hope I can get in, because I think that would be a pretty cool way to circle back to the beginning of my marathon adventures.