Back on the horse with a new record distance

Taking two days off after a lousy run really turned out to be a great idea, even though it was not really planned. Sunday I could not run because of scheduling issues, and Monday I woke up a bit later than usual and woke up tired after going to sleep very late on Sunday night, so a run was out of the question.

Last night I was exhausted and went to sleep earlier than usual, and woke up earlier than usual as a result. I was feeling great and when I went out for a run I was undecided as to whether to go for a run of about 9km or to try for a long run.

I started off with 3km out to the end of Kishon and back, as that is flat and it is a good stretch to start with, both as an addition to another distance without having to run out too far and possibly get stuck somewhere, and just for a nice flat start.

I was feeling strong and great so i decided to go for a long run. I ran out to the 375, and with a couple of additional detours to add a bit of mileage, such as turning left on the 375 towards Gush Etzion for about 500 meters, and then turning towards Neve Michael for another 500 meters out and back (each way), I only had to run a short distance past the satellites, and by the time I got home I was at 15.5km. Another record distance for me since returning to running.

And, not only did I hit a new record distance, but when I looked at my watch I discovered I had shaved a fulled 11 seconds per kilometer off my speed from my recent previous runs, both long and short. I felt great the entire time, but I was surprised to see such a significant boost in speed.

One thing I did differently is that I took water with me and drank a bit on the road but planted it for my return run when I might be feeling a bit weaker. So, I drank a bit along the way, and maybe that helped, but in general I was feeling strong.

Don't give up after a bad run. or a bad day at anything else in life. Get back on the horse and try again another day.

First lousy run

on Friday I had a great run, after Thursday's 14km long run. I did not know how long of a run I would be able to sustain on Friday, so I went out with an open mind, and was hoping for anywhere between 6km and 9km.

I ended up running about 7.5km and felt very good the entire way, so I considered that a good run.

Tonight however was one of those runs that was just lousy. I went out thinking it would be a good run, after a day and a half of rest from Thursday and Friday's runs. I went out and my legs felt like they were filled with lead. I just could not move.

I had been planning on running the entire Kishon and back, which starts with a flat 3km, and then a circuit around RBS, totaling about 7.5km.

Seeing how it was going, I decided to bail much sooner. I was going to run just the first 3km and call it a night, but in the end decided to do a circuit of RBS instead, making my run a total of about 4.5km. I figured even a lousy run is better than nothing, and at least I was sweating out a few calories. We can even call this a recovery run, if necessary.

I must say though that this was really my first lousy run since my return to running. Sometimes it happens. You just have to push through and put it behind you.

back in Israel with a new record..

Having arrived back in Israel from the USA yesterday, I was conflicted as to whether I should run a long or a short run this morning. I suspected I would not wake up early enough anyway, but if I would, should I keep it short as my body might be tired form the travel, or should I go for long as I have not yet run long this week due to the travel schedule?

I woke up early enough, so that was not a problem.

After a momentary glitch with some pain in a foot that almost made me bail on the run at the very beginning, I persevered and continued running. The pain went away a just several moments later. I felt really strong and decided I would try to go for a long run.

Everything felt great until the last 2 or so kilometers when I felt worn out. I finished with 14+km, a new high since my return to running, and according to my GPS watch my speed was also just slightly faster than it has been until now.

It felt great to be able to come back and run like that right away, especially with the addition of hills here that don't exist in Chicago. Maybe the "high" of being back home gave me that extra boost...

winding down in Chicago

Today's run might have been my last in Chicago. I am not sure I'll get one in tomorrow. Today I ran 6.5km through the neighborhood. I didn't have a route in mind, just went exploring. I wanted to run through one of the old parks we used to play in. It used to have a little zoo and a duck pond, though I had heard a few years ago that they got rid of the little zoo.

Indian Boundary Park seemed much smaller than I remembered it, but they say the size is the same. Anyways, had a nice run. Good weather, though a bit humid.

I would have thought running flat would have improved my speed, but, alas, it did not. This might just be my new speed.

It has been fun, and I am happy I was able to run a bit and temper the amount of food I have been eating with burning some calories by running. Maybe I'll get one last run in tomorrow, maybe not. There is a forest preserve trail I would like to run on if I get the chance.

running in Chicago

I am in Chicago now and for the first time am running abroad. I started my running "career" in Israel and this is the first time I've been abroad since then.

Yesterday I ran a short 6km run through the residential neighborhood in which I am staying. It was interesting to see my old neighborhood this way.

Today I ran 13km through a beautiful bike trail that is adjacent to the North Channel of the Chicago River. It goes through a large business district but the trail is through a beautiful park-type area. I ran through the neighborhood from Howard down to Devon. At Devon I ran across to McCormick and took the trail up north all the way to Dempster. At Dempster I turned into Evanston crossing the river and down through Harbert Park to Main, crossed back to McCormick and ran the trail back down south to Touhy and then through the neighborhood up to the house.

Beautiful run through the grassy areas. There were geese and squirrels, lots of bikers, some walkers and a few other runners.

Breaking through

Since I started running regularly again, I have limited my topside in distance to about 10 kilometers. I have run as far as 10.5, but I have refrained from letting myself hit the 11km mark. I felt I could probably do it, but I really was not yet ready for it. I needed to build up strength before going to the next level, breaking through the 10km mark.

Last night I decided that today would be the day. I have been running well and feeling strong, and while I am still slower than molasses I am at least noticing a slight increase in speed even when going the longer distances.

And I just ran 12 kilometers, without walking, without taking breaks, without struggling, and at the same consistent speed I  have been running at in my most recent runs.

Feels great!

back to running

After a long break from running due to a combination of laziness, fairly consistent sedentary behavior, and a bout of tendinitis in my ankle, I have motivated myself to start running again. I had a few false starts where I would go for a run a couple times a week and then it would fizzle out and I would go a month without running until I tried again. But now I have been running 3-5 times a week for the past 3 weeks, and I love it. I like how I feel, I like the weight-loss, I like the energy it gives me. I think it is real this time. I don't know yet if it is going to lead to another marathon in the near-future, but at least I am out there running, burning calories, and getting fit.

I started off with very short distances, and now I am easily running distances of 10-11km. The biggest "problem" is that I am slower than molasses - yes, even slower than before. I am not looking for any specific target speed, but I would feel good if I were able to at least get close to the speed I used to run at. Slowly but surely I see my speed getting a tiny bit faster each time...

It is a bit easier when thinking of every run as a recovery run!

And when you wake up at 4am to get a run in before having to start an early day, you know your commitment is strong!

Shid Injured

slight tendinitis in the ankle, and a slight tear of the ATFL..  and Osteoarthritis in the knee...

that's what I get for switching out of barefoot running shoes and back into regular shoes...

The good, the bad, the Jerusalem Marathon!

I have, for now, given up running full marathons. I did not particularly enjoy my most recent marathon or the training leading up to it. Without enjoying it, the time commitment is just too great to continue running them. But it is really much more than the time commitment that made me "quit".

Running a marathon is a great challenge. it takes a lot of training to build up the stamina and endurance. And it is highly addictive. At a certain point I stopped seeing it as a challenge. After all, I have already run 6 marathons - I know I can do it. There is no longer a challenge in it. And I don't want to be addicted to it. As soon as I finished my last marathon, in January, I was already looking toward the next marathon I could register for - and that was immediately after I decided I didn't want to run any more. I don't want to be addicted - I want to run because I enjoy it, not because I am addicted to it.

For now I have decided I will run half-marathons. 21.1km is a good distance. It is a challenge, it is difficult and it is not what I consider to be overkill (aka abusive) for the body.

I participated in the Jerusalem Marathon this past Friday by running in the half-marathon event. The Jerusalem Marathon is a wonderful event - it is a city marathon, with local residents lining the streets and cheering. Music is playing around the city. It is a beloved city to me, it is the holy city. And running around it in beautiful weather with about 20,000 other people is just a wonderful experience.

The weather was beautiful, the city was beautiful the people were beautiful. I saw the city, I saw friends, I saw fellow runners, and I saw lots of people, both runners and pedestrians, out celebrating life.

The one disappointing part was in a section I had never before seen - the beautiful Derekh HaRakevet - the Railroad Road - in the Railroad neighborhood, a.k.a Bakaa. We ran through a park that used to be old railroad tracks. This was a beautiful section, and the old tracks have been redone as a walkway designed to look like railroad tracks.

The downer in this section was that a bunch of local residents were out protesting the marathon. They were chanting and held up signs that said things like "you celebrate and we pay the price", signed by the restricted residents of the Railroad neighborhood. They were upset that large sections of the city, including their neighborhood, had been shut down for much of the day. Understandable, but very short-sighted. The marathon brought 20,000 people to various parts of the city. Those people spent lots of money in Jerusalem  be it in hotels, shopping, and other tourism dollars.

A couple days before the marathon I heard Mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat on the radio talking about it. One of the things he said that I found very interesting was that every running should run with a fellow runner from Jerusalem. Barkat explained that the city has so much history that each runner should run with someone who knows the city and can explain it to them as they run through it.

That is a phenomenal idea. I knew the history of some parts, but not of other parts. I think it would be a lovely thing for the next Jerusalem Marathon. Perhaps a project can be included in the marathon registration in which runners would be partnered-  those who want to "guide" and those who want to be "guided". It might be an overwhelming task, but I think it is a wonderful idea. As I was running, I was passed by a group, I think it was a group of army runners, who were doing just that - the leader of the group was explaining the different areas as they passed through them.

approaching the finish line. photo courtesy of Sharon of Real Jerusalem Streets

some friends who are fellow runners, post Jerusalem Marathon

in Jerusalem even the marathons have synagogues!

for the 1st time I did some pre-race warm-ups after spotting the trampolines...
the added risk of twisting an ankle right before the race made it to enticing to pass up!

What a  wonderful experience. I hope to do it again next year!

Running Two Weeks Straight

It has been a long time since I wrote here. The truth is that after the Tiberias Marathon in January I got into a rut and hardly ran for a while. i just felt like my body needed a break. At the same time I could literally feel myself getting more and more lethargic by the day, and gaining more and more weight by the day.

I did not plan to run the Jerusalem or Tel Aviv marathons, and I did not run them. Interestingly, as the dates for these marathons approached I began to feel bad that I was not running in them, and that urged me to decide it was time to get myself back into running. Sure enough, starting off slow and with short distances, i went into an intensive running streak for nearly three weeks. The first week I ran just a couple of times, but then I went two weeks running every single day. There were days in which I could feel my legs were tired, and on those days I kept it short - 5 or 6km, and slow, but most days were in the 8-9km range, and some days were in the 12-13km range.

By the end of the 2 weeks, I was feeling strong again. I am looking forward to a strong summer of off-season running, and then getting back to the marathon training.

One thing I really enjoyed about the running these past few weeks is at no time did I put on my GPS watch. i ran a very natural pace, completely based on how I felt. It is really a joy running without looking at the watch constantly to make sure you are not running too fast or too slow.. I am considering that next marathon season I will run with no watch and run the marathon naturally paced and not watch or expectation paced, and see what happens.

Sh*t Barefoot Runners Say (video)

Sh*t Barefoot Runners Say

This is pretty funny..

The Tiberias Marathon 2012: Running On A Pulled Hamstring Can be Enjoyable

I did not set any personal records at this years Tiberias Marathon, but I think I enjoyed this one the most of any of the marathons I have run to date. Running on a pulled hamstring can do that to you.

While I can honestly say I never before pressured myself to run with any specific time goal in mind, I always did have certain expectations based on my training. There were runs where I did better than those expectations, and runs where I did not perform as well as I had expected. Either way, going into a run with either goals or expectations leaves one spending way too much time and energy in the marathon focused on the watch, paying attention to pace, trying to meet a goal.

Running with no expectations, on the other hand, lets one just enjoy the run.

I ran this Tiberias Marathon without any real expectations, let alone goals. I did not train efficiently or seriously. Most weeks in training I ran only two runs, and only a couple times did I run 3 times in a week. I only ran 3 times 30km+, and only 3 times in the mid-20s. I fell far short of the training schedule output expected by our running club.

As well,, the past 3 weeks or so I have been nursing a sore hamstring. I do not know when I hurt it, but it has been hurting me. I even considered dropping out of the marathon, considering it would be stupid to injure myself even worse. I decided not to considering that I had recently run the Eilat half-marathon on the pulled hamstring, and was mostly fine. I knew that if i could limit myself and only run as fast as the hamstring would allow me to, and not try to push it too much, I would be ok. Slow, but ok.

So, I went to Tiberias planning to run just fast enough that I would feel my hamstring would not allow me to run any harder than that. And when I would need to slow down more, I would do that. And hopefully I would not need to turn back after 4 or 5 km.

Running with no expectations meant I was not concentrating on my pace. I made a last minute decision to wear my GPS watch, but I don't think i looked at my pace even once during the entire race. I mostly used it to track my distance, and the time of day.

I was running a slow but steady run, with my hamstring letting me know how I was doing. At a certain point, somewhere at about 13km or so, a friend caught up with me and we ran together, as we were running a similar pace. We chatted, something I never really did in previous marathons, not wanting to waste energy, and I chatted with other runners as well.

The most interesting thing was proudly wearing my Bet Shemesh Running Club t-shirt prompted numerous quips and comments from other runners and bystanders, considering Bet Shemesh being prominent in the news the past few weeks for negative reasons.

So, I ran together with Meir. We came up to the halfway mark, and I saw that if i could keep it up I might even break the 4 hour mark for the finish. It was something I had not expected - I had been assuming I would finish closer to 4:30. I knew it still was not realistic, as the end is where I slow down a bit, and in Tiberias especially the last 7km is much more difficult than the previous 35 - and not just because it is the final 7km, but also because it goes through some ups and downs and there can be a strong wind off the lake. But seeing the time at 21km, made me wonder, curiously, if I could possibly still beat 4 - not make a PR mind you, but beat 4.

I also went into this marathon with a different gel strategy than used in previous marathons. Previously I was not a fan of the energy gels - they are difficult to consume, and I was skeptical how much they really help. In my first marathon I think I used two gels. The next marathon i used no gels and set a PR. After that I used 2 gels in Jerusalem marathon and no gels in the Tel Aviv marathon. I decided that i would max out on gels this time. I figured because of my hamstring and low-level training I would need the energy boost. Over the course of the marathon I took 5 gels. Did it help? I have no idea.

I continued running with Meir until 27km. At that point I badly needed a short bathroom break. Meir kept going, and I took a brief break in a porti-can. Continuing on my own, I kept wondering if I could catch up to Meir. he really wanted to break 4, and I did not think I would be able to. But I kept thinking he could not be too far ahead, as my break was very short.

Coming up to 29, 30 and 31 km markers I saw I was still on pace to break 4. The hard part of the marathon was still ahead. At 33km there is a short but steep uphill, and from there the course goes through ups and downs. That is also where it begins to dog you down, where the voices in your head need to be fought off.

At 33km I slowed down considerably. What had turned into an absolutely beautiful day for running, despite early storms, was starting to get cold and windy. I was starting to feel tired, and my hamstring area was cramping up at times forcing me to adjust. Somehow I found it in me to continue running. I did not stop for any breaks - not even those times where you do not really need to urinate but use it as an excuse to stop for a few moments - and pushed myself to trudge on. I kept going, reveling in the encouraging cheers of the onlookers. At about 39km I saw Meir a bit ahead of me struggling himself. I set him as my goal - I would catch up to Meir. I felt bad for him, as Meir really wanted to break 4. By this point it was clear 4 was not going to happen. After I passed Meir, and tried to encourage him a bit, I kept going. At some point I started to feel light-headed. i started telling myself that since I did not break 4 I might as well just walk the last 2 or 1 kilometers. That's when the crowds of onlookers starts to get larger, and I just kept pushing myself to continue. The old thoughts came back to me - only one run out to the satellites and back, 3 circuits around Dolev, 1 around Dolev, etc. I kept finding ways to tell myself that this was doable.

And then I passed the 42 km marker. At that point there is a slight rise in the course, and the finish line is on a slight decline, allowing for a nice string finish. I do not think I worked up the energy for a strong finish - I just trudged right through the finish line.

I must say that besides for a couple difficult points and the voices in my head late in the race, i really enjoyed this run. I chatted with people, I slapped and gave 5 to kids on the side cheering us on, and I really enjoyed the experience of running this race.

Running the marathon is always overcoming a challenge. Each person has their own challenges, and overcoming them in such a magnificent way is a life-changing experience, letting you know, reminding you, that you are inc trol, that you do not have to be limited.

Tiberias Marathon

One more week to the Israel Marathon in Tiberias!

Ready or not, here I come!

Eilat Desert Half Marathon

It has been a long time since I wrote anything here about my running experiences and thoughts. I assure you that in the interim I have been running a lot. At the same time I have not been running nearly enough. It seems I have been running close to the minimum necessary to make it through the marathon sort of respectably. My running has been at an average of about twice a week - including usually a medium run of about 12-14km and a long run. The past couple of weeks, as we finished the bulk of the training regimen and began to move into taper mode, I actually ramped it up a bit to 3 times a week.

In the interim I also ran the Bet Shean half marathon. I came in with better results than I expected at 1:52. I was 11 seconds off my half marathon record. I give credit to an army trainer who I discovered in the middle of a marathon leading a running group form the army. I tagged along with them at the same pace and pushed hard. At about 19km they lost me and pulled ahead. i think I finished about 1 minute behind them, but it was this trainers solid running and encouragement to those in hsi group that kept me running at a hard enough pace to finish that well.

Most of the running has been pretty boring. While I enjoy the running, I get the feeling of "been there done that" for a lot of the training. I was out looking for some new experiences. I found one in the First International Eilat Desert Half Marathon. I signed up for it with another friend and made plans to go down.

The trip would be daunting - a drive down to Eilat in the middle of the night, running a half marathon on nearly no sleep, running a half marathon on a trail with a difficult course, in my Vibrams (trails are always more difficult in Vibrams) and then getting back home in time for the Shabbat. Now this was definitely going to be a challenge!

So, here is what happened. We left at 1 AM, giving ourselves ample time in case we would meet unexpected problems on the road, if we would need to look for the meeting point, and this would allow us to possibly catch a few winks before the race.

Josh drove us down and did a great job of getting us there in one piece in exactly the amount of time the GPS had said it would take and that we had planned on in the best scenario. After settling down upon arrival, we stretched out for a short nap. After we got up at about 6 we got our race kits and davened. The forecast had been for warm and sunny weather, but at this point it was still pretty cold. We warmed up and stretched and got ready to run.

The race began at 7 am. We began at the edge of Eilat in the parking lot of the BIG shopping center. From there we ran out, crossing the street and entering the trails through the canyons. The trail led us mostly uphill, though not steep, through the first 9 kilometers of the race. For some reason I kept thinking to myself that these seemed like the longest kilometers I had ever run.

The race was fun, but difficult. the trails were an unusual surface - very soft rock mixed with some sort of sandy surface. A lot of the trails were very soft and good for my feet. The bigger problem was that often the soft sand was deep and gave little resistance. sinking in to that made the running slower. As well, there were some rockier sections, though none were so big or long that they were too difficult to deal with.

The canyons were amazingly beautiful to run through, and it was definitely a change of pace and scenery from the regular running and training.

I was running it pretty slow, probably for a variety of reasons. The trails are always slower for me because of the Vibrams, the lack of sleep, the amount of uphill in this course, and more. During the run I felt my hamstring start to hurt a bit and I took it easy because of that as well.

As we were coming close to the finish, I started to speed up. I ran the last kilometer pretty fast, spotting targets along the way - runners ahead of me - and deciding I was going to pass him or her. As I passed, i would eye the next runner as my target. I was really zipping along, and my hamstring was starting to hurt more. I had to keep remembering to shorten my strides, each time I would feel the sharp flare of my hamstring.

I kept passing runners on my way to the finish lines, and in the last 300 meters I really poured it on, going full speed ahead, and ignored the hamstring. i passed everyone along the way and powered through the finish line. the final time was my worst half marathon ever, finishing at 2:29, but I was there just looking for a different experience, not really trying to run a specific time, so it was a great experience.



And then Josh drove us back, after we rested up a bit, cooled down, and had a bite to eat, and we made great time getting home for Shabbos!

Jerusalem Marathon 2012 (video)

Jerusalem Marathon 2012

I know I owe you a lot of writing. I have been negligent in this regard. For now, to hold you over, here is a new video showing the route for the Jerusalem Marathon 2012. If you are familiar with the route form the 2011 marathon, you might notice that it seems like they have made some changes..

As they say:

The second Jerusalem Marathon which will take place on March 16, 2012, holds a unique and picturesque roads, leading you through museums, national institutes, parks and gardens, for a great experience of sports and good time.


Sit back and watch our course map, take notes, enjoy the view and visit the official Marathon website for tips, running stories, training programs and much more.