Vermont City Marathon is almost here!

Vermont City Marathon is Sunday, May 30, 2010


The last week has been a mix of marathon-envy and feelings of relief that I’m not running the full distance. A tour of recent running highlights:


- Dinner with Beth, Heidi and Jess. Heidi has crammed so many responsibilities and commitments into her schedule and now days before the race she’s questioning whether a foot injury has returned. At least the burgers were delicious.



- I intended to run 10 miles on Sunday to gear up for the 12 miles of relay running I’ll do at VCM, but effort was on par with Ferdinand the Bull. It was so beautiful out that I kept getting distracted by my surroundings: grassy stretches of rolling hills, bright green leafy trees, the bluest blue sky ever, an awesome view of the islands in the Inland Sea, horses munching on the tall grass at the roadside. Who can concentrate on running? I meandered 4 miles and then gave in to the hot, hot sun. Hung out at the lake with friends.



- Well, yes, it has been crazy hot!! Scorching! I can’t imagine how freaked out the marathoners must be by the weather we’ve had. The forecast predicts cooler temps starting today and going through the weekend, but it’ll still be in the 70s on race day. Probably a good idea to hydrate with more that coffee.



- Did I want to be at the Burlington High School track at 6:30 Tuesday morning? Well, no actually. I wanted to be asleep. But as Jess points out, better to get in the workout while it’s not stifling yet. Around 6:45 I was running my warm-up laps and trying to bargain with Jess about exactly how much running she force me to do. It did feel good to be back in action!



- I’m looking forward to volunteering this week with RunVermont. The scores of tasks and people that are set in place are impressive, and particularly heart-warming to those of us who adore organizational details.



- Relay team update: poor Maria was so looking forward to this, won a coveted relay spot in a lottery and rallied our team to get registered. And then made a mess of her knee ligaments in rugby practice and is now sidelined for the race. It won’t be the same without her!

Coffee = Hydration

I read in the June issue of Running Times an awesome column on 'hydration moderation'. It was geared toward high school students who've been raised in a world where a water bottle (and a cell phone) are extra appendages, and even non-athletes are constantly chugging water and Gatorade.

But there was a gratifying take-away for this coffee-slurping office worker:

"the average-size adult needs eight glasses of fluid a day, not eight glasses of water... Any fluids such as juices, milk, COFFEE, tea [etc] can help meet the Recommended Daily Allowance."

And....

"Don't worry too much about the 'dehydrating' effects of coffee or caffeinated soft drinks. Those fears are over-exaggerated."

Nice!

Running Groups

I have been in a funk, and haven't had much to say about running lately. As I've tried to figure out how to get my groove back, two people have recommended that I join a running group. Here for your entertainment are the specific suggestions made by my friend Bill, a former runner, about how to find just the right group and make a good impression:

1. Don't join a group of annoying people.
2. When you introduce yourself, say something like "Hi. I'm Patti. From the looks of your huge ass, I suspect I can run faster than you."
3. Ask them how often they stop for smoke breaks.
4. Never miss an opportunity to remind everyone that "There's no 'I' in 'Team.'"
5. Let everyone know you're serious by wearing all the gear you can find. Heart monitor, fancy watch, headband, spandex running suit, a couple water bottles strapped to your waist, sun glasses, reflective vest and some ankle weights. Try to find some blinky lights.
6. (Deleted by editor. Trust me, it was funny.)
7. Make sure you're eating a pack of Twinkies when you first meet them.
8. Say you want to name the team "Hannah Montana" because you LOVE her! Wearing a Hannah Montana shirt at the time is definitely a bonus.
9. Ask if you can borrow a lot of money from anyone.
10. Offer to give everyone a makeover, because they "could definitely use it."