5/3/20 update: Try their live streaming class here.
“Feel free to lose your shit!” bellows the instructor over a throaty Decemberist song.
My classmates scream, grunt and shake in response.
“The Class” by Taryn Toomey is a sweaty body weight workout in Tribeca right next to the Four Seasons. The vibe is upscale hipster and the studio looks like someone at Goop designed it. The beautiful people in the class move as if they’ve caught the Holy Spirit in a mega church.
Oh hello! Mostly posting to create a complete 18-week recap of marathon training! Here’s what I did the week before the marathon. If you missed it, my NYC Marathon recap is here.
The goal here was to rest rest rest and also shake out my legs and nerves.
Most training plans include a tapering period 2-3 weeks before a marathon. This means you run less, and slow the eff down in fitness and ideally in life. The theory is the work is done, your strength and endurance are built and it’s too late to try to work on speed. Now it’s time to relax and get/be healthy. The goal is straightforward: Show up to the marathon well-rested and eager to run.
I’ve heard the taper can make you go crazy. Some dub the moody response some runners have “Taper Tantrums.” I figured I’d have some issues here, but it’s not what I predicted. I expected to feel the desire to run more than I was permitted to and to feel frustrated and nervous about the lack of mileage, but au contraire. All I want to do is sit on the couch, forget running, take some naps and eat pretzel croissants from City Bakery. (I’m averaging three a week. Too much?)
I would like to interrupt this complaining with a gratuitous wedding photo!
I ran 4 miles yesterday at a 10-minute per mile pace (on the slow side for me) and it was a workout, not a casual jaunt in the park. Everything feels HARD. I’m still sore from the 21 mile run. Which was like, 10 days ago. So I’d say things are going only OKAY. I feel DONE.
Let’s start with a little roundup of interesting bits and bites from around the web before I dive into week 13 of marathon training.
99U (Adobe’s creative online mag) shared 7 pieces of advice to help you approach your own work, pulling from the wisdom of some incredible creative minds, including this from Kurt Vonnegut,
“Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage, no matter how well or badly, not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what’s inside you, to make your soul grow.”
NY-ers, Self magazine is teaming up with some great fitness brands and hosting group runs around the city through the end of October. It’s all free, check it out.
Outside Magazine published a “Go List” of 6 places to visit where the dollar is currently strong. (I love Outside Mag.)
Runs for Cookies is a new-to me blogger. She lost 125 pounds through some major lifestyle changes, but that’s not the only thing that makes her so incredibly interesting. She bares it all on her blog, and her honesty, transparency and good humor make it very easy to connect with her. Not sure where to start? I really liked this post.