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Hi everyone, happy Wednesday. It’s been a crazy week in America. I can’t stop thinking about what happened in Virginia this weekend and I couldn’t come here and hop into my weekly recap without expressing how horrified I am. The Nazi rally in Charlottesville and our President’s empty, late response have left me nauseous and angry. It’s 2017 and I can’t believe I live in a country where the President’s first instinct is that Nazis and not-Nazis are to blame for a White Supremacists rally. I am screaming livid that there even was a White Supremacist rally and that Nazi flags are being waved at all. If you have a good way to get involved in fighting for kindness and equality, let me know, I want in.

In fitness news, I’m in week 6 of training for the NYC marathon. Following Hal Higdon’s plan, week 6 was a “drop back” week which means this weekend run was shorter than week 5’s weekend run. Here’s some background on why most marathon training plans have cutback or drop back weeks weeks written by folks who know more about running than I do.

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This Sunday, I ran the Guido’s Gr8t Road Race in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

I signed up for this small town race in March, a testament to my neurosis that I felt the need to commit to a race that most definitely wouldn’t sell out (fewer than 90 people ran it) five months in advance. The first 75 sign ups were promised a tech-t, and I love a good race shirt. I was #3 to sign up. Awkward? 

Guido's Gr8t-T

Guido’s Gr8t-T

This 8-mile race was run by the Berkshire Running Center, a sneaker store in Pittsfield, Massachusetts that I’ve never been to.  It started and ended at Guido’s, at high-end supermarket that I love in Great Barrington, not too far from Matt’s parents’ house.
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Happy Sunday!

Thanks for your marathon advice last week on Facebook and elsewhere!  I’m three weeks into marathon training, so you know, just 15 more to go. So far I am loving it. Life is getting very busy and these runs serve as a sanity check that I don’t know that I would otherwise take. The weather – for anyone reading outside the eastern seaboard – has been brutal. Hot, humid and just a sweaty mess. I downloaded the AccuWeather app last month so we could check the weather for our wedding weekend from a 10th source and now I get bright orange HEAT ADVISORY alerts three times a day.

Like everyone else, I probably should drink more water before/during/after runs but please add that to the list next to stretching of easy advice I’m not taking.

Here’s what went down last week:

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Training for your first marathon is a big undertaking; I know, I’m doing it now. I’ve asked some of my friends with a marathon or two (or five) under their belts to share wisdom borne from past experience. Here’s what I learned:

TRAINING

Nutrition

“SALT SALT SALT. I can’t emphasize this enough. I literally ate salt packets when it was really hot. Each time you do a water break have a salt break also. I found that JUST drinking Gatorade didn’t cut it.” -Steph G, 3-time marathoner

“Gatorade is key on any run longer than 12 miles.” -Aman S, marathoner

“Though one should keep to a nutrition plan that they’ve set for themselves and not change too much (and practice it on your 20 milers!!!) I did find eating the bananas given out on the course really helpful! they don’t upset your stomach and you can eat them easily while running.” – Camilla G, 2-time marathoner

Marine Corps Marathon 2013

Karen V after the Marine Corps marathon 2013

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