We’re back on!

October 18, 2013

On Tuesday, there was tons of chatter that because of the government shutdown the Marine Corps Marathon was in jeopardy of being canceled.

The organizers made a statement on their Facebook page saying they were exploring other possibilities. However, because of the large size (30,000 runners) of the race, and the fact that the long distance would be ran mainly on federal land it would be difficult to come up with an alternative route.

Last year, I understood the reason for canceling the New York City Marathon. Sandy caused devastation to the city and if the marathon went on it would have brought more chaos to an already chaotic city. But on Tuesday, I also understood the feeling of disappointment the participants of the New York City Marathon must have felt, that day. Because on tuesday, when hearing that the race I am registered to run, the Marine Corps Marathon, was in jeopardy of being canceled I began to panic. I felt angry because no natural disaster was preventing this race to go on, instead our government was. The roads are fine, the race is paid for, volunteers are ready, 30,000 runners have spent their summer preparing to run, some from other places who already have hotel and flight arrangements. I was angry, disappointed, and in panic mode. The Shutdown has gone on long enough.

A funny shirt to possibly wear to the expo or even after the race. They also have tanks. http://www.lookhuman.com/design/32627-i-run-better-than-the-government

The Marine Corps Marathon organizers promised they would make a final decision by Saturday the 19th, and notify participants the status of the race.

On facebook people were voicing their opinions about what they plan to do if the race is canceled. Some said – we should all show up anyway, 30,000 runners, should just run the course anyway. I know people were just trying to make their point, but just running the race anyway made me feel worse. Hell no, I want my race timed.

So I was thinking of plan B. If MCM was canceled I would register for the Richmond Marathon. Richmond is scheduled for November 16th and registration is still open. Although, Richmond is not as exciting for me as MCM, it is still a timed (Boston Qualifier) 26.2 miles.

But thankfully…

Phew… The government ended the shutdown last night and this morning the Marine Corps Marathon organizers announced the race was back on!

On Instagram:On their website:

Official Statement regarding the 38th Marine Corps Marathon

A special thank you to MCM and MCM10K participants for your patience during the recent period of uncertainty. It is with great pleasure that the MCM can officially announce we are on. We are SO on. See you at the start line!

A video announcement: Watch here.

So I am excited again. Can’t wait to do the damn thing!

Also, I want to make clear that this is a running blog and that is why I am writing about how the government shutdown has affected the running community. I don’t want to get into politics on here, but I do want to make clear that although running is important to me, it is nothing compared to those that were furloughed. There are bigger and more serious issues going on, that don’t just effect our nation, but effects people globally.

I wasn’t furloughed, but after 16 days of the government being closed, things started to feel weird around here. It was quiet and slow… Because a large amount of the population in the DC area are government employees and military, if they don’t get paid, they feel unstable and don’t buy things – which effects the economy, housing market, etc. When everything is closed, tourist don’t have a reason to come, which also effects the economy. I could go on and on…

In the end, I am happy things are starting to go back to normal around here. I hope everyone who was furloughed had a good first day back to work.

Is the Government Shutdown Affecting your Running?

October 4, 2013

I am from the DC area. Most of the time, I love being born and raised here. But some days I hate it. I hate that the majority of the people I come across in some way for the government. I hate that when I go to a comedy show, it is ALWAYS jokes about politics. I hate how everyone is a work-o-holic, being career driven is not a bad thing, but have some balance in your life. I hate when I travel to a different city, such as New Orleans, Miami, or Las Vegas, and I tell people I am from Washington, DC, they automatically start ranting their political views.

On another note, one of my favorite things about the DC area is the running community. This is a running city. If you are a city runner, you can do a loop along the national mall around the monuments. If you love running over bridges, try running the Key Bridge, Memorial Bridge, 14th Street Bridge, or even the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. If you want to visit Arlington Cemetery you can run through it. If you love running along water, try the Mount Vernon Trail which takes you right along the Potomac. Rock Creek Park is a trail that takes you right to the National Zoo. C&O/Capital Crescent Trail is shady and scenic. We are also blessed with a variety of popular races, that runners from all over register to run every year.

Tomorrow, I plan to run my 20 plus miler, for my marathon training. However, because of the Government Shutdown the trail I was planning on running, is closed, because is a National Park funded by the government. Many facebook status’ are mentioning how park police are ticketing runners/cyclists that are on these bike paths/running trails. These trails include, the Mount Vernon trail, C&O/Capital Crescent Trail and many others.

So I guess I will have to hit the sidewalks of DC to get my run in… I’m just thankful I am not running a race through one of these National Parks this weekend. Runner’s world reported some of these races have been canceled. And hopefully this Shutdown won’t affect the Marine Corps Marathon – the marathon I have been training for, which is scheduled at the end of this month.

How is the Government Shutdown affecting you?

Election Night in Washington, DC

November 8, 2012

At 11:30 last night, when I heard the Presidential results, I was with my mom watching the election coverage on her TV. It was really cute, because secretly my mom is a political junkie, and she was cheering at the TV like it was a football game. And although, this was great fun to me, others found different ways to celebrate. Below are some photos that my friend took.

Party at the White House!

And it is times like these, that I appreciate my home, Washington, DC. The streets were full of patriotism and passion. No other city has the opportunity to start a celebration out front of the White House, on Election Night. Washington, DC, can… and … did!

Proud to be a Runner. Proud to be an American.

November 6, 2012

“If you want to run at a fast pace, you need to train at a fast pace several days a week.” – Hal Higdon

Before I wasn’t too worried about speed, and never did any speed work training. But now, I know I can run a 5K, 10K, 10 miler, half marathon, even a full marathon. I think after 2 full marathons, I finally have the right to call myself a runner. So it is time to take my running to a different level. I have decided it is no longer about, “Can I run this milage or not… ” because I have already proved that I can, physically and mentally. So my running is now about doing my personal best. And in order to break old records and create new ones for myself, I need speed drills.

I was always confused on speed drills. Maybe that is why it has taken this long to try one out. But I tend to always complicate things, when really it is very simple. Hal Higdon says, “If you want to run at a fast pace, you need to train at a fast pace several days a week.” So that is what my plan is. The only thing that I regret is not starting this speed work training sooner. My half marathon is in less than four weeks. But my one fitness goal for November is to train properly for this half marathon. Training includes, speed work, tempo runs, long distance runs, strength training, and some mild stretching.

On Sunday night, I felt really good, after I ran, my 5k speed work training run. So I decided today to try it again.

RUN ANALYZE

SUMMERY from my Garmin

Distance: 3.12 miles

Time: 26:03

Average Pace: 8:24

Best Pace: 7:20

Calories: 253 C

Run Cadence: 96

TREADMILL DETAILS

Again I ran this on the treadmill. (I hate the treadmill, and usually run outside) This time, I started out running at 6.8- 7.0, for the first mile. Then on the second mile I brought it up to 7.0-7.5. The third mile I ran at 7.5-7.8. whole time I felt really good. I never felt like I had to stop. I felt like I could keep going. This is a very good sign, but I think I can push myself more. Next time I do speed drills I am going to do interval training and really sprint hard.

Again I ran in my Newton- Distance U. This is the lightest and most minimalist shoe in my shoe rotation. Because of the shoes, my run felt light, easy, and fast. I still want to work on bring my Cadence up.

STRENGTH TRAIN

I also have been trying to do more strength training. It is a must for me on days when I do speed drills. I am really trying to strengthen my core. So below are the details.

seated dumbbell rear deltoid raises – 3 sets (10 reps) 5 lb dumbbells

seated dumbbell front raise – 3 sets (10 reps) 5 lb dumbbells – this was my favorite one and this one intensely works your abs.

weighted crunch on stability ball – 3 sets (10 reps) 5 lb dumbbells

plank on forearms while balancing on the stability ball – 3 sets 1 minute each

VOTING

Also everyone knows what today is…. ELECTION DAY! So this morning I woke up at 6:40 am and was at the polls by 7:00 am. It felt good to be so productive before work – getting my work out in and my vote on. As you may or may not know, I live in Washington, DC, which is by far the most political area in the USA. Sometimes being surrounded by politics all the time can be exhausting and stressful, but today was a happy day. I am so proud have the freedom to vote. It is days like these that make me grateful that I was born an American.

My sticker. My proof. I voted.

If you haven’t had the chance to vote yet… it is not too late!

Official Statement regarding the 38th Marine Corps Marathon