Packing For Race Weekend

Runners World has a great list of what to pack if you are running a race out of town. Their intended audience is those traveling for the upcoming NYC marathon, but its great for any one of us traveling to a race. Its hard to think of all of these things when you have so much else going on in your head (duh, 26.2 just around the corner?) so a little list might be beneficial for at least a quick peek.

Race Weekend Packing List

RUNNING STUFF
• Running shoes (plus extra pair)
• Light running jacket and/or vest
• Race day apparel
• Extra running shirts and shorts
• Running socks
• Fleece pullover or insulated jacket
• Running pants or tights
• Running watch (plus extra, if you have one)
• I.D. bracelet
• Sunglasses
• Knit cap
• Running cap with visor
• Thin gloves


NUTRITION
• Race day gels, beans, or bars (if you plan to carry some)
• Sports drink or drink mix of choice
• Healthy snacks for trip (fruit, fig bars, pretzels, etc.)
• Any special pre-race foods you might not be able to find locally
• Fast-food salt packets, if you plan to "do the salt"


ELECTRONICS, ETC.
• Cell phone
• Cell phone charger
• MP3 player
• MP3 player dock and/or charger
• Travel alarm clock


MISC.
• Copies of Runner's World and Running Times magazines (to read while waiting for the start Sunday morning)
• Large garbage bag (in case of rain)
• Directions to race expo
• Registration/confirmation card
• Band-Aids
• Extra safety pins
• Petroleum jelly or Body Glide
• Antacid tablets


OH YEAH, AND...
• Street clothes and toiletries and stuff.

Personally I think the list is a bit excessive, but its a great list to go over. Pick and choose what you think you need and go from there. Also, dont forget to bring everything you pack back home with you. I forgot my cell phone charger in my hotel room after the Vegas Marathon ;)

By the way - good luck to any and all who have a race this weekend. NYC or otherwise!

Bring On The Liquids

Ok, this is not related to anything, but I got so excited when I saw this on the news that I had to post it! It looks like airline restrictions on liquids will be eased in 2009. I travel pretty frequently (at least, pre-Brooke!) and this 3oz thing drives me crazy. I happily put up with the limitations because I appreciate the ability to travel - but packing can be a nightmare. For men its easy - most of the time my husband doesnt have a single liquid he even wants to bring. But when I start adding up my makeup, beauty and hair products I have to start making cuts. I bring two of the quart ziplock bags - one in my husbands suitcase and one in mine ... and I still find myself having to make complicated decisions. For instance, whether to bring a tiny bottle of hairspray or a tiny bottle of spray gel because I cannot fit them both. Oh, the trauma!

But it looks like by next fall the TSA will lift the current restrictions. While we will still have to remove liquids and get them scanned, there wont be the 3 oz rule. By 2010 we will be able to keep the liquids in our bags.

Not only will this be a benefit for me, causing me less packing stress, but its going to save so much time in security! I cant tell you the crazy things we have seen checkers pull out of peoples luggage - usually involving huge bottles of alcohol. Why people dont know about the restrictions just blows my mind, but having to wait while their bag is checked and rechecked really chaps my hyde. And the good thing is, by the fall of 2009 Brooke will be 1 and its likely we will be traveling a bit again. That means that I wont have to worry about the 3oz rule, and shouldnt have to declare her bottles as medication (which is the current practice).

I Didn't Do It

I started thinking more and didnt run my trick-or-treat trot. People got me concerned that I might mentally feel better than I physically am. I also get regular emails from "What To Expect" and this weeks article was on abs ... after a baby. It says:

Don't look now, but there's probably a hole in the middle of your belly. A very common pregnancy condition known in medical circles as diastasis, it's a gap in your abdominal muscles that can develop as the abdomen expands. It can take a month or two after delivery for this gap to close, so make sure your belly is in good shape before you start those crunches or you'll risk an injury. In the meantime, you can do this exercise to help the separation heal: Lie on your back, knees bent, feet on the floor. Exhale and slowly extend one leg along the floor. Inhale and bring the leg back to the bent-knee position. Repeat with your other leg.

So I decided to take a step back and may do the exercises they talk about in the email. There are also some options for me when I am ready to get back into shape. The two I am planning on doing are the Mom & Baby Yoga at my local studio and Stroller Strides. Stroller Strides is a program for moms and their babies that includes Power Walking and body toning using the stroller. Both the yoga and Stroller Strides require a doctors release - which means I cant start either until after my 6-week postpartum checkup. Since everyone keeps suggesting I wait 6 weeks, thats what I'll do. I guess its back to fitness in a little over 2 more weeks!

Is It Worth the Free T-Shirt?

I'm trying to decide if attempting our local Trick or Treat Trot this Sunday would make me a fool or a super-hero. I havent run since I did the Wacky 5K on March 2nd. Since that date I dont think I have even walked at a fast pace. Top that off with the fact that I spent (what felt like) an eternity pregnant ... and just had a baby a little over three weeks ago.

But I feel good! In fact, considering all of the above I feel pretty great! And I have to start somewhere, right? I have the option of doing the 5K (versus the 10K) and get a t-shirt for my effort ... and thats whether or not I cross the finish line running, walking, or crawling. But is it too soon? Am I being silly thinking this is even an option?

When Winners Are Losers

Declared SF Marathon winner on right, finisher with fastest time on the left. No need to wonder why the woman on the right looks a bit ticked off.














Vanilla, over at Half Fast, was kind enough to post some info on the San Francisco Marathon Winner, who actually didnt win. Huh?

Turns out, the fastest time for the Nike San Francisco Marathon was 2:55:11 ... posted by Arien O’Connell. The problem? She wasnt registered as an "elite" runner and started with the rest of the pack 20 minutes behind those that were registered as "elite". When the first "elite" runner broke through the tape, she was declared the winner. Nora Colligan from Austin, Texas took the marathon title with a time of 3:06:30.

Interesting enough, a similar situation occured in Chicago with the mens group! According to The San Francisco Chronicle, a Kenyan named Wesley Korir finished fourth (even though he wasn't in the elite group) and started five minutes after the top runners. The same ruling was made in this situation as was in San Francisco: It didn't count. Just as O'Connell wasn't declared the winner in SF, Korir didn't collect fourth-place prize money in Chicago.

A Change of Heart
Although they initially refused to acknowlege it, it now appears Nike is going to announce the real winner - and I have to think the blogosphere had an impact here. If it werent for the viral effect the web has, this type of news would not have spread - in fact, the only person who would have known Arien was the true winner would likely have been Arien herself. Here is a letter from Nike posted on Run to Win:

Hello,

Nike is announcing today that it recognizes Arien O’Connell as a winner in last weekend’s Nike Women’s Marathon with the fastest chip time, completing the full race in 2:55:11. She shattered her previous time and achieved an amazing accomplishment.

Arien will receive the same recognition and prize, including a Tiffany bowl, the full marathon elite group winner received. Arien was unfortunately not immediately recognized as a race winner because she did not start the race with the elite running group, which is required by USATF standards. Because of their earlier start time, the runners in the elite group had no knowledge of the outstanding race Arien was running and could not adjust their strategies accordingly.

Learning from the unique experience in this year’s race, Nike has decided today to eliminate the elite running group from future Nike Women’s Marathons. Next year, all runners will run in the same group and all will be eligible to win.

Nike has a proven track record of supporting athletes and we’re proud to be able to honor Arien and other athletes who surpass their goals and achieve great accomplishments.

Sincerely,
Nike+ / Nike Running

Note the most interesting part: they are eliminating the elite group from future marathons! I wonder if this will start a trend? All marathons I have seen have an elite group - and as I mentioned earlier, this certainly isnt a freak occurance! "Elite" runners do not always post the best times :)

Someone Elses Body

Brooke is 3 weeks old today - time has this amazing way of flying by
and standing still at the same time. She is now about 9.5 lbs and
gaining by the minute ... I'm now only 4 lbs above my pre pregnancy
weight. I know that's great and I should be thrilled, but the body I
have been left with must belong to someone else. My hips are wider.
My thighs are bigger. My stomach is jello-jiggly.

Although it's only 4 lbs not a single item of my clothes fit.
Maternity clothes fall off me and I couldn't squeeze myself into my
old clothes if my life depended on it. During marathon training I
would go up and down 5 lbs all the time - a good pasta dinner or
hearty dinner can easily tip the scales at 5 lbs ... But my clothes
always fit! That's how I know this body isn't mine.

Whoever stole my body please return it. No questions asked. Reward
offered. (If you return it in better shape than previous owner kept
it, reward will be doubled)

Vest-a-Dog

My husband likes to watch the tv show Cops (a reality show that follows the police in a variety of different towns and states) and since he is the master of the controller, I also have the joy of watching the show. As an animal lover, I have often been concerned when they use police dogs ... wondering how many of them are injured or killed in the line of duty. These dogs are often sent into a dangerous situation to find and deter some sort of armed criminal as the first line of defense. Today on our local news I learned about an organization that also seems to be concerned about the safety of our K9 law enforcers: Illinois Vest-a-Dog.

According to their website, Illinois Vest-a-Dog "is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the lives of K-9 police dogs through the purchase and donation of bullet and stab resistant vests". The organization has just donated its 300th vest, which are made by International Armor and cost $825.

There are a bunch of ways you can help including making a tax decutable donation. It looks like a pretty cool organization with a great cause!

Baby Steps: Yoga, Baby!

Runners World has featured a blog by Lisa (Baby Steps), who chronicled her running through a pregnancy and is now working on making her post-baby comeback. Her recent post was all about yoga - both during her pregnancy and now in the "Mommy & Me" class.

After my 6-week checkup with the doctor I should (barring any unusual problems) be cleared for exercise and Brooke and I will start attending "Mom & Baby" yoga at Bloom Yoga (the same studio I went to for pre-natal classes. The class meets twice a week for a little over an hour and should be a great way for me to start getting back into gear. I'll see how I handle that before I decided whether or not to let my friends sucker me into a 2009 Marathon (they are talking DC-Marine Corps)

Marathon Recap

Today Becca, Bradley, Kevin & Patti came over. They came over to show off their Chicago Marathon finishers medals, gloat about the fact that they got to avenge the Chicago Marathon ... and, of course, to see Brooke!

Everyone was thrilled that they got to finish this year, despite another high heat index. All of them were extremely pleased with the level of support they received on the course, from the information provided by both signage and volunteers to the water/gatorade provision and spectator support. Unfortunately I was not able to go watch them due to the fact that Brooke just wasnt having it ... but I followed all of them via online runner tracking all day. I received frequent updates through both text and email (the text versions were faster received) and felt almost as if I was with them ... in a virtual sense!

I'm asking them if any of them would like to do a guest blog recap - if theyre willing I will post that soon. Now the question is: When you conquer a demon whats the next step? Are they done with the world of the marathon or is there more training on the horizon? For me, I feel the bug biting just because I got to witness their excitement and sense of accomplishment today ... and because I sat at home missing them (and actually wishing I was running with them) all day yesterday. But, with a baby less than 2 weeks old and another 4 weeks until I can even get clearance to exercise, running is absolutely the last thing on my mind. Cant say what the long term future holds, but I can tell you that in the short-term I will spend my time cuddling with Brooke instead of hitting the pavement. And for that, I have no regrets :)

Medals Piling Up?

There is a pretty neat organization called Medals4Mettle that facilitates the "gifting of marathon finisher's medals from marathoners to people who have demonstrated similar mettle, or courage". Recipients may have exhibited courage through dealing with disease, handicaps or similar challenges.

If you are interested in donating your marathon, half-marathon or triathlon medal, download and complete the Legacy Medal Donation Form and send it along with your medal to the corporate address listed on the form (or to a regional address listed on the website Contacts page)

Marathon Math - Time Out Chicago

TimeOut Chicago, a magazine that focuses specifically on arts, entertainment and culture within the Chicagoland area, dedicated its last issue to numerous Marathon-related topics. Including Marathon math, a bunch of numbers/stats about the 2008 race. Here is some of the data for your enjoyment :)

31
The number of years the marathon has been run. Last year marked the first time runners were pulled from the course midway through the race.

88
The record high temperature recorded on race day last year—October 7, 2007—breaking the day’s previous record high of 86 degrees set in 1982.

66 The average high temperature for Sunday 12, this year’s race day, according to weather.com. The date has an average low of 48 degrees, a record high of 83 degrees—set in 1973—and a record low of 34 degrees—set in 1987.(This years predicted high, as of today, is 78 degrees!)

35,000
The number of runners who toed the start line in 2007. (Approximately 10,000 people who registered to run didn’t participate last year.)

45,000
The number of runners registered this year. This is the second year the race is being capped at 45,000 participants.

41,780
Gallons of Gatorade available to be dispensed to runners in 2007

46,080
Gallons of Gatorade available at the aid stations and finish line this year—a nearly 4,500-gallon increase from 2007.

51,984
Gallons of drinking water available to runners in 2007


54,600
Gallons of water that will be available to runners on the course this year—an increase of more than 2,500 gallons from 2007.

5
Aid stations and medical tents added to the race course, increased from 15 last year to 20.

700
The number of medical personnel available to support the runners, up from an estimated 500 last year. And to supplement the main medical tent at the finish line, another tent was added near mile 26 this year.

10,500,000
The dollar amount raised by approximately 6,600 charity runners for 85 nonprofit organizations at the 2007 race.

12,000,000
The dollar amount that more than 6,800 charity runners plan to raise this year for 110 nonprofit organizations.

4
The number of colors in the Event Alert System, a communication system introduced this year to warn runners about adverse weather and course conditions. The system uses color-coded flags, icons and signs to keep runners informed: green for low alert, yellow for moderate, red for high and black for extreme.

Tom's Chicago Marathon Tips

Runners Lounge blogger Tom Green has offered a "top list of must knows" he has accumulated after 11 Chicago Marathon experiences. Its always great to hear from someone with a great race history and something all those running Chicago might want to check out! Runners Lounge: Tips for Marathoners for Chicago

Chicago Marathon Course Tour

Ok, I am not a fan of Carey Pinkowski, race director for the Chicago Marathon. If you want to know why, search this blog for his name and I am sure you will find several rants). Regardless, we are in the final countdown to the Chicago Marathon and this video (found on Runners World) walking through the course and pointing out different landmarks is pretty interesting ... whether you are running on Sunday or not!

Brooke Angeline

Brooke Angeline graced us with her presence a bit earlier than expected (but none the less welcome!) at 1:13AM on 10/1/08.

She was 19.5 inches long and 7lbs 14oz in weight.

We are all doing great and will be in the hospital for a few days until we get to go home (and Brooke & Wrigley finally meet!)