Frigid Fiver

Thank goodness for the warm weather.  I'll be running the Frigid Fiver in Newburyport on Sunday.  First race since October, so I am excited.  This will kick off my 2014 racing season, and I couldn't be more excited.  First of all, it looks like the weather is going to be perfect for racing, at about 46 degrees (I guess that's not all that frigid, huh!).  Second, a nice 5 mile race in familiar territory excites me.  This race is is my own back yard, so that's what excites me so much!

Now that I live in Newburyport, I plan to do my warmup run by running from my house to the starting line.  Hows that for a close race!?!

It'll be nice to be outside running again.  I've been hitting the treadmill over the last few weeks, which is not all that fun.  Considering the alternative of freezing my buns off, the treadmill has been my only option.  At least I've been able to stay fit, right!

Anyway, looking forward to the race this weekend, regardless of the cold, or lack there of!  Let's just hope I don't melt before I cross the finish line!  Happy running!

One Run For Boston II

On July 1st 2013, One Run For Boston made running history when runners crossed the Boston Marathon finish line carrying a baton that started in Venice Beach, California and was passed from person to person across the US, thus becoming the first non-stop relay to cross.  Here I am holding Miles, the baton that crossed America, last year!

Over 2000 runners helped complete the 3300 mile journey, raising $91,000 for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.  In the process an inspirational running community was born.  I have made friends doing this run that I hope to have for the rest of my life!  One Run For Boston, or ORFB for short, has become a symbol of hope and positivity that inspired a powerful grassroots movement which continues to unite the running community at races across the country!

This year One Run For Boston returns to blaze an even brighter trail across America and will coincide with the first anniversary of the Boston bombings. This time the One Run For Boston family of the relay hope to raise $1,000,000 for the One Fund Boston. 

The journey starts March 16, 2014 in Santa Monica, California with stage 1 of 336 stages. I am running stage 335.  The finale arrives in Boston on April 13, 2014 - 8 days before the Boston Marathon.

I’d love you to be part of it. I am writing to ask for your sponsorship to help raise funds for the One Fund Boston. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Menino announced the formation of the One Fund Boston on April 16, 2013, the purpose of which is to raise money to help those families most affected by the tragic events that unfolded during the 2013 Boston Marathon.

My desire is to honor the victims, encourage the survivors and support the families by running in this relay. To sponsor me, simply click on the link below, then click on “sponsor me”.

http://www.onerunforboston.org/u/nealgrasso/

Thank you so very much for your thoughtful consideration and generosity.

Happy Running!
Neal

Discover more about One Run For Boston online at:

• http://www.onerunforboston.org
• http://www.facebook.com/onerunforboston
• http://www.twitter.com/onerunforboston

Donation details:Donations for this event are collected by the One Run For Boston Fund, a fund of the Essex County Community Foundation. Donations to this fund will be passed on to the One Fund Boston. Essex County Community Foundation will send a tax acknowledgement letter to donors of all donations of $250.00 and above. Essex County Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization.  Tax exemption number 043-407-816

Catching up

The holiday season makes it hard to stay on top of things.  While I did not let my fitness routine falter, I took a hiatus in writing this blog.  So, I thought I would catchup on things today. 

First, I've successfully maintained my fitness routine despite the busy holiday schedule and inclement weather.  I've been out for a few runs over the last few weeks and even though there was plenty of ice and difficult running conditions, I only face planted once.  While I love winter running, sometimes, for safety sake, you have to suck it up and hit the treadmill instead.  Needless to say, I have done just that over the past few weeks. 

One of my outdoor runs was at Maudslay State Park, which is just beautiful in the snow.  This park is such a pleasure to be in at any time, regardless of the season.    I started running there this fall and I have been trying to hit the trails at least once a week ever since.  However, icy conditions have made it kind of hard to get there often over the last month or so.  I was only there once.

As I mentioned above, I have been spending quite a bit of time on the treadmill these past few weeks.  I always loath running on treadmills, but the alternative is not running at all or risking injury, and I don't like those options.  I still cross train on a regular basis, but I try to run at least 3 days a week to maintain form and efficiency.  So far so good!

I'm looking forward to a little more daylight and a little less ice in the coming weeks so that I can spend more time outdoors.  Until then I will have to be satisfied with the treadmill and cross training.  I will also do my best to keep up with the blog!  We'll see how it goes.

Until then, happy new year, and

What do you do when you are on the road?

As I have been traveling all week, this issue has been on my mind.  Many folks that I talk to, at the gym or at work, tell me that when they are traveling they have a hard time consistently getting their workouts in.  I can empathize with this.  So many factors can confound my ability to get a workout in (the quality of the gym facilities, the time of you, the nature timing of meetings, etc...).  However, with a little planning and some diligence, your travel agenda should not hamper your work out schedule. 
First, if you travel some place regularly, choose a hotel with a good gym.  I can't tell you how many times I walked into the "gym" to find something like this...

Ok, so this is a bit extreme, but it happens.  So stay at a nice hotel with a decent gym.

Second, plan you workouts.  Know ahead of time when you are going to work out (mornings, evenings, lunch, etc...).  If you have it planned ahead of time, then you are more likely to do it.

Third, if you need to run outside like I do, do a web search and found parks, running trails, or other safe neighborhoods near your hotel where you can go running.  Again, doing a little research ahead of time will enable you to get out the door quickly, get in a quality run, and get back safely. 

Finally, fourth, if you can't do any of the above, you can bring a few items with you (weights, a jump rope, a Thera-Band, etc...) and do your workout in your hotel room.  I had a client tell me last year that he just does some push ups and sit ups in his hotel room.  If that's all you do, that's fine.  Here are a few articles I recently read that were helpful on this point.

6 Circuit Workouts for Runners Who Travel
No Equipment Travel Workout

So, don't let travel plans dampen your workout plans.  Have fun, and stay in shape!

Who wants to run long . . . really long?

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.

- T.S. Eliot

This is a great quote, whether or not you are a runner.  Many long distance runners, especially ultramarathon runners, ascribe to this motto.  I am not an ultramarathon runner . . . yet!  You can see where I am going with this, so I will save you the suspense . . . yes, I plan on tackling my first ultramarathon in 2014.  I just need to figure out what will be my first race.  I'm thinking 50K to start, so any suggestions would be appreciated.

Some of you may be asking "what is an ultramarathon?"  For those of you who have never heard of ultramarathons, these are race distances that are greater than a marathon (26.2 miles).  A 27 mile race = ultramarathon!  A 127 mile race = ultramarathon!  It's that simple!

What does it take to be an ultramarathon runner?  That's a hard question to answer.  I have no idea.  Since I'm in the process of researching this myself I thought I would share my research with you.

To get started, I've compiled some quotes from ultra runners who have plenty of experience in this arena to gain some insight into what it means to run such extreme distances. 

“Unless you're not pushing yourself, you're not living to the fullest. You can't be afraid to fail, but unless you fail, you haven't pushed hard enough.”
- Dean Karnazes

“The longer and farther I ran, the more I realized that what I was often chasing was a state of mind--a place where worries that seemed monumental melted away, where the beauty and timelessness of the universe, of the present moment, came into sharp focus.”
- Scott Jurek

“Think Easy, Light, Smooth, and Fast. You start with easy, because if that’s all you get, that’s not so bad. Then work on light. Make it effortless, like you don’t give a shit how high the hill is or how far you’ve got to go. When you’ve practiced that so long that you forget you’re practicing, you work on making it smooooooth. You won’t have to worry about the last one – you get those three, and you’ll be fast.” 
- Micah True (aka Caballo Blanco)

“We've got a motto here-you're tougher than you think you are, and you can do more than you think you can.”
- Christopher McDougall

Coolest Ultramarathon Ever . . . The Western States!

If you want to learn about what it takes to run an ultra marathon, you can read some books, like Ultramarathon Man by Deen Karnezes, Born to Run by Chris McDougall, or Eat and Run by Scott Jurek.  All three of these books provide an account of one of the coolest ultramarathon ever . . . The Western States ® 100-Mile Endurance Run.  Described as "truly the ultimate challenge for the long distance runner"  and "entry in this event should not be taken lightly". 

This race starts in Squaw Valley and ascends from the valley floor (elevation 6,200 feet) to Emigrant Pass (elevation 8,750 feet), a climb of 2,550 vertical feet in the first 4 miles. From the pass, following the original trails used by the gold and silver miners of the 1850’s, runners travel west, climbing another 15,540 feet and descending 22,970 feet before reaching Auburn, a small town in the heart of California's historic gold country.  Check out the cross section of the race route below (pretty scary)!

Cross Section of Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run.

It starts a Squaw Valley (right) and ends at Auburn University Track (left)

You can learn more about this race by watching Unbreakable, the documentary film made in 2010 that followed the runners taking part in the race that year.  It's amazing!  I can only imagine the pain involved with running 100 miles over such terrain, but there is a secret part of me that wants to do this so bad!  I just have to work my way up to it slowly, so I don't beak along the way.  My journey begins now!  Wish me luck!

A Fantastic Marathon in Scenic Maine!

Start of the Maine Marathon, 10/6/2013.  I'm in the top center - blue hat, purple singlet over a white shirt!

Start of the Maine Marathon, 10/6/2013.  I'm in the top right with my head turned - blue hat, purple singlet over a white shirt!

I completed the Maine Marathon this weekend and enjoyed every minute of it!  Here are some highlights:

• So many inspirational runners raising money for many good causes!  The MA Team-In-Training team was only 10 runners out of thousands who ran this weekend.
• Ran with KC Fitch of Portland, ME, who was also part of the MA team.  She was a great running partner!  We helped each other stay on pace and execute a sound race strategy.  Thanks KC!
• The coaches from Team-In-Training kept our spirits up, and made sure we were running strong!  It was great to have such support.  
• The views along the route were spectacular.  Downtown Portland, Casco Bay, Yarmouth, foliage, beautiful historic homes, and rolling hills.
• The music was great.  Live music at many of the water stops.  Really helped in the last few miles!
• Wonderful volunteers.  My family, Stacie, Mia and Michael, volunteered at the 4.6 mile water stop.  They were great volunteers and had fun doing it!
• I ran a personal best by more that 2 minutes (see below).

Finishing strong at the Maine Marathon, 10/6/2013.  Go Team!

I placed 252nd out of 923 runners; 183rd out of 519 male runners, and 24th out of 55 men in my age group.  My half marathon time was 1:52:22, my marathon time was 3:46:41, and my pace was 8:41 minutes/mile.  Best race of my life!  I couldn't have asked for a better day, a better group of people to run with, or a better cause to support!

Thank you to everyone who supported me!  Thank you to my family for enjoying the weekend with me and for volunteering at the 4.6 mile water stop You did a great job!

For those of you aspiring to run a marathon...do it, and let me know!  I'll be happy to run with you!

Until then, run happy, and run strong!

Peace!

Gearing up for the Maine Marathon!

I'm getting ready to run the Maine Marathon this Sunday.  I'm very excited.  I've trained long and hard for this and I feel more ready for this race than I expected to be.  Every time I head out to run I feel comfortable and relaxed.  I've pushed my workouts hard so that when it comes to race day, I won't feel the need to do more than I am capable of.  I can't wait to hit the road and complete 26.2 miles.

This is my second marathon.  My first marathon went well, but it was hard!  Here is what I wrote after my first:

I finished the Baystate Marathon today.  3:47:58.  I placed 508th out of 1144 runners, and 120th in my age group!  I was hoping to run faster, but as the saying goes, even the best laid plans go awry sometimes.  Let's just say, I should have fueled better.  Oh well, there's always next time!

Anyway, right now I'm too exhausted to write more!  I'm just proud to have raised more than $1,300 for the North Shore Medical Center's Cancer Center, and to have finished the marathon in a decent time, considering the circumstances.

Wow, I tough race, but a good time and a good feeling overall.  Well, this is "next time" and what I have I done so far?  I've raised more than $1,800 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and I am ready to fuel better, run stronger, and run faster! 

So, in two years I have raised more than $3,000 to help those struggling with cancer.  What a privilege it has been to serve and support those who can use a helping hand!  I won't let them down, nor will I let any of my sponsors down.  For those of you who donated, thank you.  For those of you who have not yet done so, it's not too late!

Thanks, everyone!  Look for an update on Monday!