Can You Feel It?! 20.52M Charity Miles for the Micheal J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

This saying says exactly how I felt yesterday SORE but not SORRY!! 

On Sunday I trekked 20.5M. It was the longest distance in my training for the marathon. The first 6 miles went nice and easy. Walk-Jog. Jog-Walk. The second 6 mile stretch got harder. Though my knee brace lent support, I was starting to get sore. So we did a little more walking than jogging. And, the final loop was just a wonderful long 8.5M walk. Knowing I could go this far was the mental boost I needed to feel more confident that "I CAN, YES, I CAN!" cross the NYC ING Marathon finish! It's just 6 more miles. I still have time for lots of strength training and cardio- I am feeling it!

I started my trek in a Central Park teaming with picnicking, cycling, running, walking park goers, and more. The sun ablaze. And, ended with the twinkle, twinkle of little stars making their way into the evening sky.

I kept up with my Charity Miles treks for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research with a 2 mile walk in the rain, last night. All the while thinking, "slow and steady." The walk had the effect of a short recovery run the day after a long run and I am feeling like the bionic woman today getting, stronger, faster, better!!

2012 NYC ING Marathon Countdown 21 Days: Back to the Tried, Tested and True in Running Shoes

It's just 21 days to the Marathon. Where did the time go? I feel like it was just yesterday when I announced to family and friends "I'm in!" I guess the training days went by so quickly, because I was really having fun!

My longest run to date was 18.76M 14 days ago. I pushed myself a bit but scanning my notes of what I had been doing up that point in my training, what I eat the day before a long run, amount of rest, workouts during the week, pace etc. I found that the the one variable that was different, that may have lead to my hurting my knee was as simple as not wearing the same running shoes I had been wearing all along. I did not know then what I know now about not changing into new running shoes with less than 5 weeks before a marathon. I will add this DO NOT change the type of running shoe you are used to running to something very different. I have been transitioning from sneakers with a lot of support to minimalist ones that have a more barefoot feel for over a year and a half and did all my marathon training in either my Puma H-Street for short runs up to 6M or New Balance Minimus for anything longer.

I am known to run in just my stocking feet for up to 5 miles and will do the occasional full barefoot run. I got into barefoot running by chance. I forgot my sneakers on a business trip so I ran in just my socks on the treadmill at the hotel gym and enjoyed it. I was on the mend from an ankle fracture. All of my PT was in bare feet. Something about the barefoot run just felt more comfortable for me. As time progressed, the shin splints, fallen arches and other issues I had improved. I did my research on barefoot running before looking for and joining a barefoot running group (Barefoot Runners NYC). I got excellent tips on running form from the group's organizers and more experienced members. So, what made me want to change to a running shoe that had a higher wedge and additional support (a pair of Puma's I have that are similar to the Puma 550)? Listening to others about the logic of wearing running shoes with more support and believing that as a newbie to marathon running this would be the best. But, was not the best at this stage in the game.

I love my daughter's catch phrase, "You do you!" Short for "Be Yourself!" "Don't do things just because others are doing them," etcetera, etcetera. Somethings may work for me others may work for you. So, "You do you. Man" "You do you!" Thanks, Krystal for you regular reminders!

Running in his barefeet because there were no more Adidas running shoes in his size, Abebe Bikila gets the gold in the 1960 Olympic Marathon.

A side can be taken pro or con barefoot running, pro or con wearing running shoes of one type, brand or another. Just as you listen to your body to stop when you feel you have run enough or push when you feel you can go an extra mile, choose the footwear that feels just right for you. This will help reduce your, risk of injury in addition to good training and conditioning.

This weekend  those training for the ING Marathon will be doing their last long run before tapering down until race day. Generally 20 to 22 miles depending on if it is their first time running a marathon or not. It is my first so I should be doing 20 miles.Yesterday, my daughter and I trekked 3.3 miles of which we jogged .75 miles while our other J.K.O. teammates ran. It was one very fine Fall day. Today should be just as great.

I want to get to the start of the marathon healthy and ready to rock, so I am not pushing it! In a few hours I will head out in my old faithfuls, my NB Minimus and trek the mode and distance that is just right for me :)

Stepping UP! The Charity Miles 26 Day Challenge

About a month ago while waiting with a J.K.O. Running teammate for others to arrive for our weekly evening run, a gentleman asked if we were doing "Charity Miles." There are many groups of charities that meet to run in Central Park regularly, most notably Team in Training and Achilles International. I thought to myself "Charity Miles" must be another one. "No we are not doing Charity Miles," I replied, "What is it?" Gene, the founder of Charity Miles who was in the park to run with others that day, proceeded to tell us about this app he created for Android and I-Phones which allows people to raise money for a charity while they walk, run or bike.

Can you imagine that? Raising money for a charity while you are just enjoying a walk in the park with your dogs? Earn 25-cents/mile if you walk or run or 10-cents/mile if you bike.

The Charity Miles app took moments to install and I have been using it ever since. I love that it keeps a history of my workouts. By tapping on the bar graph icon on the bottom left of the start menu, you can view details of the last 20 you completed; distance, time, whether you selected to walk, run or cycle, the charity and impact.

 

The impact for each charity will be different. For example, for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research or Autism Speaks, the impact will be funding for minutes of research, for Habitat for Humanity a number of pieces of lumber and for the ASPCA a number of puppy and kitten vaccinations.

If you turn your phone horizontally you will see a bar graph showing the miles you trekked during the last 7 days. You can scroll the history to your first Charity Miles workout by tapping on the right arrow.

The app tracks the distance via the GPS on your cell. You will get an email confirmation with details of your Charity Miles impact along with an attachment of a map showing where you trekked. An added bonus if you do not already have a tool to map your runs.

To use the Charity Miles app you do need to have a Facebook account and to have your workout sponsored to support the charity you selected share a post on your feed. For those who do not have or want to have a Facebook account this is the only drawback of the app. There is an option to tweet as well, but it is not necessary to have your workout sponsored.

The Charity Miles Challenge- Just 1 Mile a day for 26 Days during the month of October - Welcome Fall!

I have been using the Charity Miles app since I installed if for my runs. With the NYC ING Marathon a few weeks away I have been thinking of ways to step up my workouts. Charity Miles sent an email to subscribers on Monday regarding its marathon challenge for the month of October. Trek a minimum of one mile a day for 26 days during the month of October and win a Charity Miles tee shirt.

Since my mother has Parkinson's Disease I decided that I would step up the challenge by logging in Charity Miles every day until, I cross the ING Marathon finish for the Micheal J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. I decided that on the days I do not log in a run, I will log in a walk. For those of you looking for a way to stay fit but cannot find time, consider this, depending on the speed of your walk, whether you are carrying anything etc. you can cover one mile in 25 minutes or less. If you don't have time in the morning, do it later in the day. Set a side some time during a lunch break. Walk to run errands if you can instead of going in your car whenever you can. Get families, friends, co-workers, into the action. The app is FREE and remember #EveryMileMatters.

Singing in the rain or shine, tired or not, I am enjoying skipping the bus and walking home from the train. For Mom :)