Fartleks and Fat News

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Kelly

OMG, alliteration.

Thanks for all of your comments to my last post :)

Tuesday morning I set out for my last speed workout before the race this weekend. Coworker John told me to do this:

5-6 pick-ups of 1 minute 30 seconds, with 2 minutes rest in between

Fartleks! I’ve probably done Fartlek workouts only a handful of times, but like most speedwork, just never had the knowledge as to why I should do them more often or regularly. According to coach John, these help with turnover and are a decent workout, but wouldn’t kill me before the race.

I kept the pick-ups at about 7:30-7:45 pace, and it was actually super fun. I didn’t want to die but still felt like I was working. That’s right, I DID A SPEED WORKOUT AND LIKED IT. Wonders never cease. Now the plan is easy running until Sunday, and hopefully I’ll be good to go (fast).

news on fat
In the nutrition world we often talk about the benefits of mono- and polyunsaturated fats (MUFAs an PUFAs) commonly found in foods like avocado, olive and canola oils, wild salmon, sardines and nuts. Eating these types of fats instead of saturated fat (fats found mainly in animal products) can help reduce cholesterol, and some (omega 3′s!) can also reduce inflammation and heart disease risk.

black bean avocado salad – yayyy MUFAs

I’ve always thought saturated fat has its place in the diet and should be eaten in moderation (especially for people at risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc.), but exactly how “bad” is it? A recent study looking at cognitive decline and dementia versus fat intake found that people with a diet in high saturated fat were significantly more likely to have memory loss and cognitive decline compared to people with a higher MUFA intake. Granted, this study was conducted on people aged 65 and older (which none of us are, I’m pretty sure), but it’s interesting to see some more evidence showing the type of fat in the diet may be more important than overall fat intake when it comes to the prevention of various diseases and conditions.

grilled salmon salad from Spring Street Natural

For the record, I do think some saturated fat in the diet is ok (especially for runner peoples like a lot of us are) and definitely enjoy cupcakes, 2% Greek yogurt, eggs, cheese, etc. on a regular basis. I just probably wouldn’t tell a middle-aged individual at risk for heart disease, etc. to do the same thing.

Also for the record: I’m still not an RD (but I will be in less than a year. WOOHOO), and the above is based on my opinions and research.

Question: Do you pay attention to the types of fat you eat? Just fat overall? None of the above? Ever do a Fartlek workout?

Posted in Nutrition, Running | Tagged , , , , , | 13 Comments

internship updates and weekly recap

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Kelly

Last night I was talking to my mom on the phone and she said, “I can’t wait for this weekend, it’s going to be so fun!”

At first I wondered what the heck she was doing… And then I realized this weekend is THE weekend – my race and our (my sister and my) birthday extravaganza in Boston complete with a cameo from my mom. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN SO FAST?

The good news is that I’m feeling ready – for the race and to finally say sayonara to my 20′s. Last week’s running was great, and the two speed workouts I did on Wednesday and Saturday gave me some needed confidence going into the half on Sunday. Details:

  • Monday: 60 mins swim, lifting
  • Tuesday: 8 miles easy
  • Wednesday: 9.75 miles, 2 x 2 miles @ HMP with 0.5 mi rest in between sets
  • Thursday: 8 miles easy
  • Friday: spin class, lifting
  • Saturday: 14 miles with 5, 10, 5 minute pick-ups @ HMP
  • Sunday: 7.25 miles recovery

Total: 47 miles. This week I’m scaling back the mileage a bit and did my last speed workout today (more about that tomorrow).

Internship madness
Yesterday was another one in which I nervously stalked my email inbox every 12 seconds because we were set to find out hospital placements for the clinical portion of my dietetic internship.

lunch: fresh strawberries (tis the season!), pineapple, chia seeds and Greek yogurt

No one in my internship class had a choice on where we were placed, but the powers that be in our program take a ton of things into account when making these decisions, so I definitely had faith that wherever I ended up would be *right* for me. At about 4:00 p.m. I got a text from a classmate, checked my email and there it was. A combination of relief and excitement immediately followed – I was placed at a fantastic hospital in Manhattan that only takes one intern from my program each time. The fact that I’ll be heading into it alone kind of excites me, and I think it’ll give me even more learning opportunities than if I was in a group.

dinner: salmon cake, sweet potato, Brussels sprouts, kale, red/yellow bell peppers and hummus

If that wasn’t enough to make it a great day, I also scored an internship opportunity with a private nutrition practice with specialities that are of particular interest to me. The work I’ll be doing there is on my own time so it’s super flexible, it’ll allow me to learn more about the practice and specialties, and hopefully open another door for future employment when I’m done with my internship come January 2013. Considering I worry daily about employment following the internship and have regular dreams about becoming homeless, this is kind of awesome.

Last night I couldn’t stop wondering how I got so lucky, but for once I’m going to try to stop stressing about when my luck will run out and just go with it.

Question: When good things happen – do you go with it? Second guess it? Do you consider yourself a lucky person? I don’t think I’m lucky AT ALL, but sometimes I think we can make our own luck :)

Posted in Nutrition, Running | Tagged , , , , | 27 Comments

on coaching, books & long run speed

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Kelly

It has been one of the most beautiful weekends in NYC since sometime last spring, and what better way to start it off than with a nice, long run.

The plan was to inject some speed into it with some pick-ups mid-way through the run at half marathon pace. I’ve never really done anything like that before during a long run, and was a little apprehensive as my legs felt kind of junky during the first few miles. It’s times like this when I can be quick to doubt myself (“legs feel like crap now, there’s no way you can do any kind of speed stuff later on”) instead of just remaining confident that I can do it and the legs will start loosening up soon.

The pick-ups were miles 7-9: 5 minutes HMP (8:00/mile), 3 minutes rest, 10 minutes HMP, 4 minutes rest, 5 minutes HMP.

I totally surprised myself in that the pick-ups actually felt good and I had no problem keeping the pace even though my legs were fairly fatigued. It’s funny, I would have never thought to do these on my own, but since co-worker John told me it would be a good idea (and he’s fast and knows what he’s talking about) there was no question whether I would do them. It kind of reminds me of my gymnastics days when I had a coach telling me what to do to make me better – I just did it without question and got better (lies. sometimes I argued and did not listen. but you get the point).

steak, kale chips, sweet potato fries. dinner of champions

I’ve never thought about having a running coach because I love doing my own thing and learning as I go, but am starting to see why it could benefit me. Being told what to do (as much as I don’t like it) makes it easier to just get up, go and trust the workout you’re given is what you need to be doing. Sometimes I forget that I’ve only been running for 7-ish years, and there’s so much I don’t know!

books!
I’m a pretty avid reader, but I read exactly one non-nutrition-related book over the course of this past semester. That’s crazy talk for a usual two-book-a-week person, so I’m nerdily excited to dig into some books I’ve been wanting to read for the last couple of months.

I read this one – A Life Without Limits: A World Champion’s Journey, by Ironman legend Chrissie Wellington – as I laid in the glorious sun yesterday afternoon. I have no desire to do triathlons (just can’t get into cycling!), but I think Ironmans (Ironmen? Ironpeople? hmm) are ridiculously badass, and am totally intrigued by their training and inspired by their guts.

The book went through how Chrissie got involved in triathlons, her travels all over the world, how she burst onto the Ironman scene to win her first world championship in Kona and all of the trials and tribulations that came with defending her title(s). Even though she’s a total beast, it’s nice to read that not all of her races came super easily for her and that she has worked her ass off to get and stay where she is.

I love me some fiction, but also can’t get enough athlete autobiographies/memoirs. Totally inspiring and always make me want to work harder.

Question: Do you have a coach? Benefits/downsides? Favorite athlete autobiography/memoir?

Posted in Ponderings, Running | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

Dinner at Pongal

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Kelly

This whole week I’ve been online stalking our grade reporting system at NYU anxiously awaiting my grades from this semester, and a few of them finally popped up yesterday morning all involving the letter A.

HOORAY!

I don’t care how old I am, I still want to print that out and put it on my refrigerator. I love when hard work pays off and makes all of those long days in the library worth it. Grades aside, I know the most important thing about this past semester is the fact that I feel as prepared as I’m going to be for the hospital portion of the internship. We’re still waiting to hear what hospitals we’ll be doing our clinical rotations at, AND IT’S DRIVING ME INSANE.

Dinner
My friend and old co-worker Jess and I literally planned this dinner date a month ago, when we would both have more free time to catch up. Since Jess is basically a human Zagat Guide (in the best possible way), she picked the restaurant.

Pongal – a vegetarian Indian restaurant – in Curry Hill. I rarely ever have Indian food, but every time I do I remember how delicious it is.

Combination dinner – palak paneer (cottage cheese and creamed spinach-type dish), channa masala (chick peas with tomato and onion), steamed rice, whole wheat flat bread, yogurt dip, dessert rice pudding, rasam soup (spicy tomato and lentil)

As I walked to the restaurant around happy hour time, it hit me that I really wasn’t a part of the whole “corporate world” anymore. I’ve been so involved in school since I quit my job I haven’t really had time to think about it, but I don’t really miss my days in cubeland at all (probably a good thing, since sitting too much may be bad for your health?).

Paper masala dosai, which is a crispy thin crepe-like thing with potato you can stuff in as a filling and a few delicious dips to choose from.

Jess and I went from seeing each other every day for almost four years to not seeing each other for four months, so we had a lot to catch up on. Everything was super delicious, and I even though I want to go back and try more of the 32583297 things on the menu, the company made the night (thanks, JJ!).

Running this weekend
I’m not running the Brooklyn Half like the rest of what seems like every runner in the five boroughs,  but I do plan on getting in a solid last long run on Saturday before next weekend’s race.

The plan: 14 miles with the following pick-ups at half marathon pace mid-way through the run:

  • 5 minute pick-up to 8:00/mile
  • Rest 3-4 minutes
  • 10 minute pick-up to 8:00/mile
  • Rest 4-5 minutes
  • 5 minute pick-up to 8:00/mile

John (very speedy co-worker/encyclopedia of running knowledge I mentioned earlier this week) said these pick-ups will help me practice half marathon pace and give me a little confidence going into the race. And I could definitely use some of that. So we’ll see how it goes!

Question: Favorite Indian restaurant or dish? Channa masala is my new favorite. Do you ever incorporate speedwork or pick-ups into your long runs? Or do you keep ‘em easy?

Posted in Ponderings, Restaurants, Running | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

speedwork done right?

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Kelly

I said yesterday that I planned on a half marathon-specific workout this week, and it made the most sense to do it this morning in order to allow adequate recovery before my longish run on Saturday. Nevermind the drizzle, sore legs and loud sirens that woke me up an hour before my alarm (SACK UP, KELLY).

new shoes made it a little better: Brooks Ghost 4s. The 5′s just came out, but I got these for an insane deal.

I mentioned my plan – 2 x 2 miles at half marathon pace – to a very speedy co-worker yesterday and he asked me what my rest was in between the miles. “Uhhh, hmmm. I don’t know, a mile?” Was my (wrong) answer. Apparently, time allowed for rest matters a lot more than I thought during speedwork – if I rested too long my legs wouldn’t be fatigued enough for the second set and I wouldn’t really benefit from the workout as much. WHO KNEW?

I guess this goes to show I still have a crapload to learn about running and especially speedwork and racing. My co-worker (we shall call him John) is also going to give me some more speed workouts geared towards improving my 10K, and I’m both excited and petrified to try them.

Anyways, John told me to rest for 1/2 mile in between sets so that’s what I did.

The intervals were miles 3, 4, 6 and 7 above. My goal HMP is about 8:00/mile, so for the most part I was right on the money and actually felt pretty good through the last interval. To top it off, the 2 miles following the intervals involved the insane hills between Riverside Park and Central Park on the West side. So all in all, this workout kicked my butt in every way, gave me a little confidence for next weekend and I loved it.

gem from last weekend’s race, clearly far too concerned with my Garmin and not the fact that I’m blinding those around me by my translucently pale legs.

I’m off to work soon, but have fun dinner plans with an old co-worker whom I dearly miss. This whole “having time for a life” thing is kind of cool.

Question: How many different speed workouts do you do? Favorite ones to prep for a 10K and half marathon?

Posted in Ponderings, Running | Tagged , , | 19 Comments

day off, weekly recap, tempeh sandwich.

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Kelly

Yesterday was my first actual day off with no work, homework, studying or class since January 2. JANUARY 2. That is a lot of months ago. What did I do with myself?

I went swimming.

Read the giant stack of New York Times that has been accumulating since finals took over my life.

Went to Fairway (and noted that it is filled with an interesting mix of senior citizens, nannies and children at 10:30 a.m. on a Monday)

Baked some more cookies.

Called my mom.

Deep cleaned my apartment.

Read a non-nutrition-related book.

Briefly stalked President Obama with Abbe (he was in da ‘hood)

Had a lovely dinner date with Celia.

Barbeque tempeh sandwich with caramelized onions, sauteed kale and sweet potato with a side of mixed greens from Candle Cafe

Initially, I had grand plans of traipsing around the entire island of Manhattan without a care in the world, taking care of all the errands I needed to get done and being massively productive. But then a voice in my head was all, “NO. Just freaking relax, yo. FOR ONCE JUST CHILL THE EFF OUT,” and I actually listened.

I’m definitely one to use days off to get lots of stuff done, but sometimes it’s just as nice to do pretty much nothing. I’m slowly trying to recognize when things can wait that don’t have to be done OMG IMMEDIATELY, and think it will work wonders for my sanity.

And the running!
Details from last week:

  • Monday: rest
  • Tuesday: 7.5 miles, 5 @ tempo pace
  • Wednesday: 8.75 miles easy
  • Thursday: 8 mile easy
  • Friday: spin class, lifting
  • Saturday: Healthy Kidney 10K race, 2.5 miles w/u, 3.25 miles c/d, total 12 miles
  • Sunday: 7.25 miles recovery

Total: 43.5 miles

Friday morning spin classes the day before my long run or a race usually loosen up my legs pretty nicely (plus I love the instructor and the fact that she always plays Call Me Maybe…), but I’m wondering if a rest day before the race would have left me with fresher legs that were more ready to take on the gnarly Harlem hills. Perhaps an experiment for next time?

The plan for this week
I’m planning on ramping up the miles slightly (to around 45-47-ish), including one half marathon pace-specific speed workout and one longish run of 12-14 miles this weekend. Then I’ll attempt to “mini-taper” for the race on May 27.

I should also probably start “training” my liver for some birthday celebrating afterwards, but having no alcohol tolerance does have its benefits (i.e., it’s cheap. and I’m loads of fun after just one beer).

Question: Favorite thing to do on a day off? What do you the day before a race? Cross train? Easy run? Total rest? Do tell…

Posted in Ponderings, Restaurants, Running | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

2012 Healthy Kidney 10K Race Recap

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Kelly

I really, really try not to hate 10Ks. They can be fun races, aren’t too long a distance that requires a long post-race recovery time and are a great test of running fitness (I think).

So I psyched myself up for the Health Kidney 10K and aimed for the attainable goal of breaking 48:00 (my PR is 48:08 from last year’s race). My workouts have been going well, so this was feeling totally doable.

SO EXCITED TO RACE A 10K. NEED A TAN.

Spoiler: it was not. And I strongly dislike 10Ks.

After a quick pre-race snack I headed to the start for my usual 2.5 mile warm-up.

I made sure to run by the elite tent and caught a glimpse of Ryan, Meb and Abdi. Not a stalker at all. And then the race started.

Mile 1: 7:44; mile 2: 7:31; mile 3: 7:17
It was pretty crowded at first (per usual at NYRR races), so I did a lot of bobbing and weaving through mile 1 and it was kind of slow going. But then I got into a nice grove and thought a PR was totally doable.

Mile 4: 7:56
And then came the Harlem hill… I mean, I run this hill at least a few times a week, it’s at the same spot in almost every 10K race I run and for the most part I’ve made peace with it. But yesterday morning it felt like a mountain whose only goal in life was to kill me and I hated it with a burning passion.

Mile 5: 7:36; mile 6: 7:46; mile 0.2: 7:31
It took forever for my legs to come back after hoofing it up the hill, and I don’t think they ever really felt “ok” afterwards. These last miles were painful and I had to work hard to fight off the negative bitch in my head telling me to give up.

My legs felt like they were going in slow motion while in quicksand with 10 lb weights on them as I rounded the southern end of the park to the finish and grimaced at Susan, who was cheering (thanks, lady!).

So not only was there no PR, but I completely sucked at running the tangents and/or did way too much bobbing and weaving (10K does not = 6.32 miles. fail).

I grabbed a bagel and apple and ran around the bridle path back home feeling kind of bummed that I couldn’t have at least pushed through the pain a little harder and wondering if I’m just not meant to be that fast.

After 3.25 miles of dwelling on the way home I got over myself and looked at the positive:

  • It was a gorgeous morning and I loved being part of the race
  • I wasn’t too far off my PR
  • Hopefully this race was a step in the right direction for the half (my goal race) on May 27
  • I CAN RUN. PAIN FREE. (<– can’t take that for granted and forget how awesome it is)
  • Another free bagel

I ended with 12 miles for the day, and at the very least, got in a good speed workout slash semi-long run. I’m really looking forward to the half in a couple weeks (IT’S FLAT! HOORAY!) and lots of miles this coming week. One thing I will guarantee: revenge will be had on Harlem hill at my next 10K in about a month.

Question: Did you race this weekend? How do you pace yourself for hilly races (really, I think I need help on this one!)?

Happy Mother’s Day to my awesome, fantastic mom and all of the mom’s out there! :)  

Posted in Race reports, Running | Tagged , , | 19 Comments

and on to the next

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Kelly

I’m DOOOONNNNNEEEE!

Well, kind of. My last exam of the semester was last night, which marks the end of part 1 of my dietetic internship. I can honestly say it was the hardest 3.5 months I’ve had in a while, but definitely the most rewarding. And if I had attempted to keep my full-time job through the semester, my head would probably be exploded in Washington Square or you would find me in the fetal position over at Bellevue by now.

washington square. no exploded Kelly head, thank God.

So a good decision to quit when I did – too bad my bank account and I do not see eye to eye on this one.

Now, the next step is to take what we’ve learned (so much. please don’t leave my head, MNT knowledge) and apply it to actual people at our hospital rotations. Highly supervised, of course. Rotations don’t start until late July/early August, so I’ve got a bit of a break in which I will attempt to work a lot, visit family and friends and try to relax (relax! can you imagine?).

i went for a walk by the east river yesterday evening and felt naked without my flashcards.

So I’m jazzed to be done, but really anxious to find out what hospital I’ll be at and get started!

in other news
I’ve got a 10K race tomorrow morning and the weather is looking fantastic. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to PR (duh), but am going to try to keep the pressure off, enjoy myself and see how it goes.

Lots of running and studying requires fuel, and I’ve been making my own, “healthified” version of oatmeal cookies a lot lately. I usually make them with applesauce in place of some of the butter, but since my applesauce had some unfortunate mold growing overtop of it the other day, I needed a plan B.

Clearly, I enjoy Greek yogurt. But as a cookie ingredient? Why not. (<– this is me, living on the edge, per usual).

They turned out fantastically delicious. Here’s the recipe:

Oatmeal Coconut Cookies with Dark Chocolate Chips

Ingredients:

  • 5 tbsp Earth Balance vegan butter
  • 1/2 cup 2% plain Chobani (or any) Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups uncooked oats
  • 1 cup coconut flakes
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350F.  Melt the butter and whisk together with brown sugar and honey (I don’t have a mixer, so you can also beat together until until creamy if you are fancier than I).  Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Combine flour, soda, salt and cinnamon and add to egg mixture.  Stir in yogurt and 1/2 cup oats, mix well (truth: I don’t completely measure the yogurt, I just add it in until it seems right). Add coconut and chocolate chips until mixed well and add in the remaining oats. This is kind of hard to mix, so I usually end up using my hands.

Drop spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown (my oven is wonky, so I suggest checking them at 10 minutes).  Let sit on cookie sheet for 1 minute an then cool on wire rack. Enjoy!

more fun things
This website has been floating around Twitter and it’s amazing. Ryan Gosling, perfect man and supporter of runner girls everywhere.

Emilia posted this on Facebook and it’s hilarious – When in New York City. SO TRUE.

Questions: What do you do to relax? I need help. Also, who is your ideal “hey runner girl” guy? Ryan Gosling isn’t bad, but maybe I’d prefer my man DJ or Dr. Avery.

Posted in Nutrition, Recipes, Running | Tagged , , , , | 17 Comments

on running while sick

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Kelly

I’ve been feeling slightly under the weather this week – not terrible, but a little stuffy, congested and achey – which is pretty crappy timing since I have a final tonight and tomorrow night. It’s nothing debilitating, but for some reason I absolutely hate when I feel anything less than 100%.

Luckily, I’m convinced that with minor colds like this one, running makes it all better (being fed chicken noodle soup by my mom would also help, but she is many miles away and lord, I’m almost thirty).

Despite this belief, my first instinct was to wuss out on some speedwork yesterday morning and take it easy. Once I got going I felt fine and decided to go for it, and actually got in a semi-decent tempo run.

I’m racing this Saturday so I didn’t want to push too hard; luckily I was pooped after mile 6 anyways. I’m pretty sure each tempo mile helped shake the sick out of me – I felt fine the rest of the day.

This morning I didn’t feel so hot again, but headed out the door with rain threatening to come down at any second. Probably not the smartest idea, but Ali magically appeared as I entered the park and we ran about 3-4 miles together. The rain started pouring down as we parted ways, but just when I was starting to get really soggy and hate life a little, I saw this dude.

hi Meb! remember me? 

Meb’s in town for the race I’m running on Saturday (he’ll probably beat me), and I waved to him and the guy he was with (named Jimmy, we *know* each other in that we both hang out on the bridle path most mornings) as they sped by and they waved back. This means we are totally friends now, right?

lots of dirt: the signs of a successful, rainy run

Running must be magic (well, we already know this, right?), because I feel a bit better again. Probably a good thing, since I have a long day of work and exam #1 to look forward to today.

Question: Do you run while sick? Sometimes? Never? I usually go by the “above the neck” rule – if my symptoms are above the neck, it’s on. But if I have a fever or lots of chest congestion, a day off is probably a better idea.

Posted in Running | Tagged , , , | 16 Comments

Weekly recap, marathon bucket lists

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Kelly

Last night I dreamt I all of a sudden had a baby (in my very small NYC apartment, no less), and left her all alone to go to Pilates for several hours one morning. I don’t know much about dream interpretation (or Pilates. or babies??) but that can’t be good…

Anyways, happy Monday!

Let’s talk about running. I capped last week off with 47.25 miles and was pretty pleased with workouts, pace, and how my legs felt.

  • Monday: 60 minutes swimming, lifting
  • Tuesday: 7.5 mile tempo run
  • Wednesday: 9.5 miles easy
  • Thursday: 8 miles progression run
  • Friday: spin class, lifting
  • Saturday: 15 miles
  • Sunday: 7.25 miles recovery

After working all day yesterday (hellooo 9 hours on my feet), running more than 22+ miles in 2 days and studying until my eyeballs were about to fall out, I was exhausted and tried to “sleep in” this morning. I made it just shy of 6:15 a.m. and did some easy yoga before devising the studying plan of attack for today (4 more days until the semester is over, and I’m definitely counting).

hopefully I’ll have more time to cook things other than roasted vegetables and a sunny-side-up egg for dinner soon

Since my running has been going pretty well lately (knock on wood), I’m kind of bummed I decided not to run the Buffalo Marathon at the end of May. I still don’t think I’d be ready for it so soon post-injury, but I’d be lying if I said I haven’t searched for possible marathons to run in June/July. So far I’ve come up empty (since they would also need to be basically free and in my backyard), but thought I’d share a few races that are on my “Marathon Bucket List.”

Big Sur Marathon

(source)

I think the photo says it all – completely gorgeous course, and it’s supposed to be pretty well-organized and fun.

London Marathon

I love London, and what I’ve heard about this race makes it sound similar to the NYC Marathon in that it seems like a big, 26.2 mile party. I’ve love the chance to run over Tower Bridge, check out the sites with 40,000+ other weirdos runners and maybe meet Prince Harry.

Dublin Marathon

(source)

Dublin is one of my most favorite places – the people are super nice, and I’m sure a post-race Guinness wouldn’t taste half as good anywhere else.

Boston Marathon

This one’s obvious – hopefully it’ll happen before I’m 95 years old.

Question: What races are on your bucket list? Have you run any of these?

Posted in Ponderings, Running | Tagged , , | 23 Comments