Seventeen in the City:

Well, Boston is just getting over a messy storm that blew into town a week ago. The minimal snow in itself was not a problem, but the icy sleet followed by low temps and high winds did a great job of encasing the streets and sidewalks in a slippery glaze. Our team practice was cancelled for the week due to conditions in Wellesley towards Natick (our planned route AWAY from the hills!), and we were advised instead to train on our own when weather allowed.

Saturday morning had Tim and I planning possible routes via Google Earth, and we headed out to scout out which roads were actually passable. We ended up selecting a variation of a reverse Boston Marathon route. We headed out onto Commonwealth Avenue, running towards the Public Gardens.

We flipped back at the gardens and then ran up past Kenmore Square and onto Beacon Street, basically up the marathon course backwards. For anyone who is interested, there is a great fast motion film of the actual marathon course as it starts in Hopkinton, running for 26.2 miles to its finish on Boylston Street here. And it's only one song long...

The best part about the run was bumping into Team members who were doing long runs on their own. We also were fortunate at the bottom of Heartbreak Hill to see a water volunteer from Joints in Motion, who generously offered us Gatorade and candy. It was hard running unsupported, and we lost some time stopping into various stores for drinks, but we did make it, running out over the hills, and then turning and coming back over them. We ran a great portion of this run in the road with cars, and many were none too happy to be sharing the streets with us.

The good part? We will be back to training with the team this coming week AND with a shorter run of only 13 miles. Yeah!

Tips:

Challenges while running, whether fatigue, cramps, or just an 'off' day, can happen to anyone. The trick in training is to work on your brain's ability to manage those challenges. Thomas S. Miller's Programmed to Run has an excellent section on mind and body control. His theory is that the brain has two sides- the right brain/programmer and the left brain/critic. When you start recognizing a problem running, the left brain sometimes works in a way that is harmful, flooding the brain with negative feedback, and as such incapacitates the programming side of the brain from effectively carrying out function. The trick that Miller offers is that the voice of the critic can be managed by giving it another 'task'- according to him the left brain can only perform one verbal task at a time. By offering another verbal command to your left brain, you can remove the negative critic and effectively manage both sides of the brain to your benefit.

Giving energy/getting energy:

Never underestimate the importance of giving positive energy, whether it is waving at that runner coming towards you or gesturing a thank-you to a car that is letting you by. Maybe not everyone will smile back, but you will remember those who do. This is one thing that you will not run out of if you give it away. Try it and see!