Thank you All Who Supported me for the B.A.A. Half Marathon 2008 - Go Dana Farber TEAM!

The water stations were plentiful; the PowerAde Power Gels that were handed out were well timed and useful. The people that ran the race were talkative and excellent sportsmen and women. The race ended with free Gatorades, Bruger's Bagels, Bananas and Wise potato chips. Thank you sponsors for the food at the end it is much appreciated.

Not going to lie folks pretty sore today after the race, but feeling good. Will rest up for a week and then CharityRacer is hitting the Lowell Marathon fondly known as the Bay State Marathon or the Bay State Challenge. I think I said in one of my prior posts that the Bay State Marathon is not for charity. I am just running this one to stay sharp and to put another marathon under the ole belt.

As long as we are on the subject, let’s talk about picking the right race. I am running the Lowell Marathon because the course is great. It is one of the best beginner courses for people who have never run a marathon before but want to run one. There is only 1 major hill and it is just a roller, not steep, just long. This is good, it does not gas your legs as much, just puts the ole lungs to the test, but the downhill afterwards gives plenty of recovery time.

I would say if you are thinking about doing your first marathon and live in the Boston area the Bay State Marathon in Lowell is the perfect first race.

Mkay that’s all the time I have below is the results from the B.A.A. Half Marathon I ran as part of Dana Farber team. As always, find a team, raise some money for charity, get in shape, have a good time and take your first steps to becoming a charity racer.

CharityRacer – B.A.A. Half Marathon - 2008

13.1 miles later Time

1:45:35

Susan G. Komen - Race for the Cure - Huge Success

The Massachusetts Susan G. Komen race for the cure was epic. I only raised 30 dollars for the cause but I had a great time at the race. It was well organized. The course was not too challenging and the weather held out so that we had some sunshine for fun time. Ended up taking down a 21:46. Not great but it is a start eh? Gonna try to train up and make the magic happen in the BAA Half Marathon as part of the Dana Farber Team / Jimmy Fund. Get out take your first steps and become a charity racer.

It's like the NYTimes writers are reading my blog

Not likely, but the NYTimes just put out an article in line with what I recommended below in the "listen to your body" section I wrote. For your reading and training pleasure and for a much more qualified opinion with a better writing style that does not utilize unnecessarily long run-on sentences CharityRacer bows to the wisdom of the New York times.

The dangers of over training.

And the price you pay. It is the Goldilocks question - you need just the right amount of training. But if you listen to your body you will be able to take your first steps, find a good cause and become a CharityRacer.

Labor Day Weekend was no work at all -

NHL my friends NHL - some people believe that this is the National Hockey League, they would be part right. In the CharityRacer world and in the running world NHL means NO HEAVY LIFTING! That is what this weekend was for me. I went out on Friday night for a little jog, probably laid down about 5 miles then I went out to dinner with my roommates.

Saturday, woke up, went for a morning walk, cleaned up the house a bit then hit the bricks with my roommate again. We did a 3 mile loop with a big hill at the end. My two roommates, who I am intensely proud of, are taking their first steps. I do not know what has motivated them, but they both decided to start running and I applaud the ladies fully. They actually get the gold star. They are doing the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k race. They are running as part of team Talbots and I know they will do great.

Sunday went out with my new found run loving roommates and one of the fiance (super boyfriend in my book) and did the 3 mile cruiser with the big hill kicker again at the end.

What is the training recommendation today?
HILL TRAINING!

Find a hill and hit it. Accelerate through the entire slope and use the down hill as your rest time. Do not slow it down too much because you want to stay warm. Later on when you get to be more a running hero, you can do what I like to do and push it down the downhill on ever other loop up and down to get the legs used to higher speeds.

I pick a hill where I can do at least 6 up and downs. If you are in the Boston area I recommend Summit Ave in Brookline. It is a monster. You lay down 6-8 of these bad boys and you are hill ready.

Hill training is great for strength building and assists with explosive power and speed. As well hill training is a mental readiness gold mine. If you can push it up the hill when you are beat, pushing in at the end of the race is much easier. As well, if you are doing a charity run and you encounter a hill in the course you are ready to go and stay sharp.

So moral of the story, take your first steps like my roommates, I already feel like we are even better friends and now we can spend some more time together on the weekends. Find a cause, meet some new people and become a charityracer!

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure - Fight Breast Cancer

This is a 5 K. That I and millions of others across America will be running.

All right kids another race is being added to the mix. Charity racer wants you to go out and sign up for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. There are a bunch of Race for the Cure events. They are held all over the United States and run at all times of the year. You can find a Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure event near you by using the find a race link below. As well I will put a perma link on the right hand column to the Susan G. Komen website.

The reason -
The race for the cure is a fantastic way to get involved in a charity racing / running for charity program. The website lets you register as an individual (like I did) or it lets you make a team of runners. It can be any type of team. You can do it with your co-workers, family, friends or who ever else you think that you have a common bond or interest with in the world.

The result –
Woman all over the world are affected by breast cancer. It is one of the most preventable forms of cancer and one of the most treatable forms of cancer if it is detected early. Hoewver, the cancer still goes undetected and lives are still ravaged by the disease. The Race for the Cure raises money for research, support and hopefully one day a cure for this disease that affects so many of our loved ones. Take the first steps get a fund raising page and help fight breast cancer.
The websites -

My Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Donation website.

Race for the cure

Find a Race for the Cure near you to help fight Breast Cancer

Sept 08 Mass Race

Mass race for the cure registration site

CoolRunning.com - New Perma Link

Hey Kids! New perma link added. I added Coolrunning.com. CoolRunning is a great site that lets you find all races in your geographic area. Or you can search for races by length or type of race. The website is easy to navigate and in a lot of instances it lets you register for races directly through active.com. Give CoolRunning a look and find a race to run. Make the magic happen people. Find a cause and raise some cash. Hit those mean streets. Increase your health and the health of others.

Cheers.

Listen to your Body - The Goldie Locks Problem

Today is a rest day for me. Laid down 10 miles yesterday. I am taking a rest day for a couple of reasons. First I went out last night and played Bar Trivia. We did not win. Second, after work tonight I am going over to school to give a talk on professionalism to some new first year students (I am a third year evening student and therefore full of wisdom) Third, and finally my body hurts right now. Which brings us to today’s topic for Charity Racer. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.

One of the biggest mistakes that I see new runners make is over training and not listening to their body. Now listening to your body is a Goldie Locks problem. Listen to your body too much and you under train because you hold back when your muscles are just naturally sore from training. Listen to your body not enough and you get a stress injury or an over use injury. The trick? Is the pain sharp or is it dull? That’s the answer. Sharp pain means stop. Dull pain, or soreness then think about your training regimen. If you have been pushing the envelope but not killing yourself, and you have been stretching before and after the work out, with proper warm ups and cool downs. This sounds like you have muscle soreness but still maybe able to work out.

Or have you been doing speed training, not stretching, no cool downs? You may have pulled or strained something and may need to take a break. Listen to your body grasshopper.

In my case my hip flexor and groin are real sore. I am going to give them a day. Do a warm up tomorrow, stretch see how they feel and make the call. It could just be soreness from putting on big miles, or a mild strain. I will do a nice RICE regimen and take it easy for 3 days. (slow 4-6 mile runs) With an anti-inflammatory before I go to bed. Listen to the ole body it’s pretty smart.

As always – find a charity and take your first steps. Hit the bricks and become a charity racer. There are always people in need. It was Edmund Burke who said “all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” Do something!

https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=276859&supId=227485633

Tonight -

Went to Boston Sports Club - did some weight circuit training they have 8 stations set up to be a full body lifting work out. Then hit the treadmill for 45 mins. Today 8/12/08 will be a distance day.

2008 Start! Boston Heart Walk

As a Boston kid I have to help and promote all the up coming charity walk and racing events! Here is a great event that is coming in September. It is the Boston heart walk. Proceeds from funds raised from the Boston Heart Walk help fund the American Heart Association. The Boston Heart Walk is a great event to meet people, hear some good music, eat some good food and have a great Saturday. Better than sitting inside and you get to walk all along the Charles Rive esplanade. Good times for family and friends, bring your walking shoes.

Critical Facts -
2008 Start! Boston Heart Walk

Saturday, September 13, 2008
DCR Hatch Shell
1,3, or 6 mile Routes
10 am Start!

Adsense Added to Charity Racer Blog

Mkay folks! I just added three adsense units to the charity racer blog. The goal will be to set up a channel in my adsense account, track all proceeds/revenues that come from Charity Racer and all money generated by this blog goes to charity! Every little bit counts.

What I have done already this summer: Prep work 1

Before deciding to sign up for the B.A.A. Half Marathon as part of the Dana Farber Cancer Research team I ran a race at the end of July. The race is called the Jay Challenge, it is held in Jay, Vermont and has become something of a tradition (although it is only 2 years running for me). http://www.ultimatexc.com/JAY.html is the website.

I run/ran the full marathon; however, the race is actually not a marathon as it is 33 miles long. The race is through some of the hilliest, muddiest, wettest and rockiest terrain that I have ever seen. The race is pretty brutal. To get ready for Jay and in part to get ready for the B.A.A. Half Marathon I try to run 4-6 days a week. However, I do believe that 3 days a week can suffice for a half marathon. Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. All should be distance days. Back when I ran cross country we would do 3 days a week in the off season and after a month or two of running most people on the team could cover 9 miles easy.

The short days where I am super busy will be a 4 mile run into Boston with my backpack on, with my work clothes hanging out in the ole back pack. The back pack actually adds like 10-15 pounds of weight on so it is good bonus training. I just strap it down real tight so it does not bounce around a whole lot and I put my shoes in the back so they are touching my back through the fabric to keep things dry as well as well tensioned and organized. (sound crazy, and it is but you gotta do what you gotta do to get the training in).

First point of order, distance, distance, distance. If you do not put the miles on and invest the time in getting the distance down the race will not be as fun and you will not do as well. If the distance is a challenge then speed does not matter. Get comfortable running the 13 miles. However, if you are going it on a whim and you have not ever run a race like this before, then I would say get at least to 6-8 miles preferably the 8. Second point of order, sneak in training, take the stairs, go for a 30 min walk on your lunch break while you eat a sandwich, walk home and think of other ways to creep some extra movement into life.

The longer training days (normally nice night after work or a Saturday or Sunday morning) are 14 -16 mile runs. I try to do three big distance days and two days of hill training and lifting or speed work outs and lifting. The speed work outs are not that useful for the 33 mile long race but are important for the shorter races that I run. I like to do 5ks and five milers as well. I did the Doyle's 12th Annual Emerald Necklace Road Race http://www.doylesroadrace.com/ which is a nice five miler. For speed days I’ll head over to the Harvard track and hammer out some 400’s.

Today the game plan is a 30 min lifting session followed by an hour of treadmill running. The treadmill is not a great place for some people, but, I think it is a good tool to use so a racer can feel the pace that they are trying to hit.

As always, take the first step, lace up those shoes, find a good cause and get moving. If you want a proxy runner here is my donation page. Thanks in advance.

https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=276859&supId=227485633

B.A.A. Half Marathon Information

In the last post I forgot to include some critical information about the Dana-Farber sponsored Half Marathon. Here are some essentials.

B.A.A. Half Marathon®
Event Date: Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008 Race start time is 8 a.m.
Event Location: Race starts and finishes at:
Roberto Clemente Field, Park Drive, Back Bay Fens, Boston

To learn more about the B.A.A. Half Marathon®, click here.

Dana-Farber fundraising

I lifted this from the Jimmy Fund website (just so we give credit where credit is due)

B.A.A. Half Marathon - Join a Team and Raise Money for a Cause - Meet new people!

The Boston Athletic Association Half Marathon is a well known race put on by the same organization that runs the full Boston marathon. The race is 13.1 miles long and if people register early they can run for themselves, however, the B.A.A. Half Marathon offers a great opportunity to sign up for a team. There are various charities that you can run for and if you go to the B.A.A. Half Marathon website you can see the list.

Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) Half Marathon

I personally signed up to run for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. They are funded in part by the Jimmy Fund.

Here is there page if you are interested in signing up for the B.A.A half as part of their team.

Jimmy Fund Events

Their site has an event finder on the left had side which is great to see if there are races near you if you are not located in the New England area.

If you are looking to run they are a great organization to join as part of a running team. They help set you up with other local runners, provide an informative packet on fund raising and they give you a great website to raise donations (shameless plug for myself below)

My Personal Jimmy Fund Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Fund Raising Page

That is my personal fund raising page where I am trying to hit the modest goal of raising 500 dollars for the Dana-Farber cancer Institute.

My training to follow later today or tomorrow, I’ll give some details of what I have already done to get ready for this race and also include some of what is planned. Please visit all the sites and if you are feeling like a hero visit my donation page and drop a buck or two in the donation tank. Every little bit helps, thanks for reading and I hope you too become a charity racer.

One last thought, I am adding a perma-link on the right to the Jimmy Fund website to their find an event near you page! Let’s rock.

Great Running Sites!

Just added a new perma link. Linked to WalkJogRun.net. WalkJogRun is a site that lets you map out any running course. The site is great for first time runners to the professionals. It shows how far you will run, lets you save your own routes if you log in, lets you email running routes to friends and it will estimate how many calories you burn on average based on weight and pace. I highly recommend using this site to see how far you are going on training runs. I use the site all the time to measure out my runs to make sure that I am putting on the right amount of distance.

More sites to follow!

First Post - Goals

When ever you start a new endeavor it is important to set goals. Goals should be aspiration, but they should be reasonably attainable if the proper amount of hard work and dedication are committed to the cause. Goals should be noble; however, everyone is on their own scale of ability and achievement. For some the simple act of taking the first step on the road and no longer being afraid to run is noble. For others running fifty mile ultra marathons, while raising money for charity, while holding down a full time job and being a parent is the noble goal. The important part is that goals are set with the good faith intent to complete the goal and the good faith effort put forth to bring the goal to fruition. Goals are challenging. Goals should not be feared. Here are my goals for this blog:

1. Create a blog that lists a bundle of charities, non-profit organizations and foundations that sponsor or put on races to raise money for their cause.
2. Provide a place where people can donate to charities if they do not know anyone personally who is running for a cause. (E.G. I’ll put up the donation page for any and all races that I run for a cause).
3. Provide motivation for people to take the first step and start to run their own races for good cause/charities.
4. Provide my training schedule.
5. Provide my personal (non-expert) training tips and tricks.
6. Try to get people to take the first step.
When you sit down to write a paper, a one page note or a fifty five page thesis the hardest part is getting started.