2017 NYC Marathon Training

Running the NYC marathon in 2014 was my first venture into training for a full marathon. Yes, I run many races and many half marathons at that, but a full one was a different beast. 

My first full marathon was a lot - I got injured during training (my knee was pretty much busted), and the windiness on the day of the race was crazy - but I was determined to just finish no matter how many times I had to stop for the bathroom. And I did. In 5 hours and 3 seconds. 

My First NYC Marathon is Done!

Oh Lord, I can't believe I actually qualified, trained for, and ran this marathon! I have had my eyes on the NYC Marathon for a long time as the biggest marathon in the world. In fact, I have had my eyes on a marathon for a long time. It's so difficult to believe you can actually make your body run 26.2 miles at once.

But with the support of my friends, the right running schedule, and the right strength training and stretching schedule, yesterday I successfully ran my first marathon. This is totally going on my resume by the way.

I ran my first 20 miles!

So it's no secret that I have been training for the NYC marathon. I'm excited, scared, nervous, happy, all things at once. And I've hurt myself a couple of times. So when I do reach a big milestone, it is celebrated as a BIG milestone. This weekend, I ran my first 20 miler. I am so proud of myself and I wanted to share it, but the journey continues and I will be back at it next week.

Are you training for any races?

Cheers Eights & Weights!

My 100 Happy Days Challenge

There is nothing more awesome than living in the moment. I believe that the past should not drive our today, and the fear of tomorrow should not stop us from achieving greatness now. No, I don't always live like this (although I want to). So I decided to take it one step further to finding happiness in the moment by participating in a 100 Happy Days challenge.

How does it work? Sign up at www.100happydays.com. Then challenge yourself to find at least one thing a day that made you really happy, and post a photo of it. Easy!

Okay, it sounds easier than it is because sometimes, we go through entire days without many happy thoughts. So it is pretty challenging to find something every day that makes you happy, especially on tough days. But you'll probably find that looking for joy in the small things makes you realize that you have so much more in your life than you thought.

Above is a photo from my day 1. I got these new Brooks Pure Connect running shoes courtesy of my brother. He says they will help me with my marathon training :) How many people have brothers that support them on their fitness journeys? 

Cheers Eights & Weights!

I'm In! The 2014 New York City Marathon

Yay! I've worked hard on this all year so I'm really happy I'm finally in. Yes, I still had to pay a hefty sum, but I'm walking on clouds so it's okay...lol. I'll be raising awareness for a Nigerian charity as part of my run campaign, so if you know any charities you think I should know about, please reach out :)

Cheers Eights & Weights! 

So I Ran My Last 2013 Race!

2013 has been a great running year for me. It has been very difficult dealing with injuries and the weather and breathing (while I was out in Colombia), but I have learned a lot about my body and myself. This past Sunday, I ran my last race of 2013! Yay! 

This means many things for me: One, I will still be running during the winter, but I will not be competing because my body needs time to recuperate (and because I don't particularly like competitive winter running); and Two, I have now qualified to run in the 2013 NYC Marathon! So watch out for me next year.

If you are a sponsor looking for someone to showcase your products in the 2013 NYC Marathon,... ahem... we can talk...lol.

We will be talking more about yoga, strength training, and even gearing up for winter running for the rest of the year :)

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Running in the Media Maraton de Bogota

Today was great. Not because someone bought me flowers or I spent it partying with my friends, but because my body is in pain, and I'm happy for another accomplishment. 

The 2013 Brooklyn Half Marathon

The Brooklyn Half Marathon is one of those races I have wanted to do every year, but couldn't because something always came up on the same day. So when spots opened up for this year's run and I was available, imagine my excitement!

My First Half Marathon

It’s almost summer time, and those of you that know me know that I like to run races in allergy season. No, I’m not crazy; I just like to challenge my body and what better way to do it that pound the pavement with other crazy folk before the weather gets all hot and sticky?

But this week holds a special significance for me because on Sunday, May 6th, I ran my first half marathon! For those not familiar with the mileage on these things, this means I competed with thousands of other people to finish off a 13.1 mile race. That’s right: 13.1 miles! I’m on my way to a full blown marathon.

Now, I may seem pretty excited but the hours after the run yesterday were anything but exciting. I felt a little like someone else had taken over my body and I was feeling their pain, not mine. As an avid exerciseaholic (yes, I made up a word), I sometimes underestimate the pain that comes with new fitness experiences because I usually like workout pain. This was on a whole different plane though, and when I analyze it I understand why. I ran that race and did not stop once. Yes, for about two hours, I did not stop once.

Anyway, pain aside, you must be able to tell that I am extremely proud of myself. Though it was painful, it was one of the most exhilarating experiences at the same time. Knowing that I could control my body to achieve something most people can’t made me feel good. And although I know that the rules usually discourage music, I’m so grateful I had my run playlist. If you’re building your own ‘Power Playlist’, I’ll share a few of the songs on mine in a future post so that you have some ideas. All I can say is music does really push you further. Well, that and the gentleman's voice on my Nike+ iPod app. He is amazing :)

What preparation worked for me? 

• Not running the day before. I was so tempted to just get a few minutes in, but I’m glad I didn’t. It gave my muscles and joints a chance to relax, especially my knees and ankles.
• Eating that morning. About an hour before the race began, I had a bagel to keep my energy up. I usually don’t eat before my runs, but I’m glad I did.
• Stuffing some energy food in my running pouch. I am one of those runners who hates carrying anything when I run. But I stuck a mini energy paste sachet in the pouch of my pants, and I’m glad I did because I needed it between mile 8 and 9.

I did make one mistake though. I did yoga a couple of days before my run to relax, and almost hurt my knee in crow pose. I’m pretty glad God spared me there. However, the lesson I took from that is that when you’re supposed to be taking it easy, do workouts that don’t have the tendency to hurt you. I mean, what’s the point if training if you get hurt at the last minute?

So a big thank you to all those who supported me on Twitter and Facebook! If you have any marathon stories to share, we’d love to hear them.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Marathon Tips: Tapering

What is tapering, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you! Usually, we push our bodies when we exercise because it helps us burn calories and stay healthy. However, when we are training for intense extra-normal physical activity like an athletic event or a marathon, we put our bodies through even more intense daily activity because we are training, not just exercising. Our bodies weren’t necessarily created to go through that level of intensiveness continuously.

Now, as humans, obviously we want to keep pushing ourselves farther right before our goal because we think it makes a difference. But in reality, the last week before your marathon doesn’t change too much around what your body is capable of. If you could reach only 10 miles last week, you probably won’t magically be able to reach 15 miles 2 days before your big run without stressing your body out completely.

So yes, I know it doesn’t seem to make too much sense, but this is why it is important to rest the week before your workout. Most seasoned runners actually start to reduce their daily mileage a couple of weeks before the race. This process of slowing down and running less miles is called Tapering. Don’t discount it because it is pretty important.

Most trainers will advise you to start slowing down your mileage as you get closer to the date. I would say the best advice I have received is to cut runs to about 50% of what you normally do. A few days before the race, you should probably only be doing about a third of what you usually do, especially if you’re used to consistently running long and hard.

The day before the marathon should probably be a day you don’t run at all or a day that you run a very short distance, just to keep your feet going. Focus on getting your energy in on that day by eating right.

But be warned. It’s not all roses and lilies when you are tapering. Your body may not be used to slowing down and so you may find yourself cranky, losing focus, and convinced that you have no energy. Rest easy; the big race is just days away and you’ll be back to your regular self in no time!

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: Runnerspb.com

Marathon Training Tips: What to Eat

So if you follow Eights and Weights on Twitter (@eightsnweights), you probably know that I’m training to run the New Jersey half-marathon in a couple of weeks.  It is a 13.1 mile race, and so it can be pretty grueling if I am not well prepared.

It is a fact that many marathons do not get big involvement from Nigeria, and a lot of West African countries (I know you know East Africa puts in their time). And it is not due to lack of talent, but lack of resources and focus in my opinion. So let’s work to change that. It won’t be easy, but with the right preparation, we can definitely do it.

If you have ever run a race, you know that a lot of the work has to do with feeding yourself. You may be prime and ready to go, but if your body is not properly fueled, it could fail you.

I have been doing some research as I get a lot of information from Runners’ World, and New York Road Runners, and so I thought I’d share some of those nutrition tips with you.

• No surprises on race day: I’m a big supporter of preparation. While you train, try out foods to see what works for you. But do not, and I repeat – DO NOT – use race day as an experiment. Don’t eat cereal that morning when you usually eat toast because you do not know how your body reacts to eating cereal before a race. This extends to a couple of days before as well.

• Stock up on carbs: Now, that is not exactly how it sounds. I don’t mean go out and eat all the pasta you can find. But try to eat whole grains and natural plant carbohydrates to bulk up on energy a couple of hours before your run. It helps you store than slow-releasing energy you get from whole grains.

• Be careful with the energy drinks: Depending on how much you sweat, it’s a good idea to drink some Gatorade or something with electrolytes to keep you hydrated. However, I always say nothing is better than water. Keep drinking water so that you stay hydrated as you run. I’d say you should probably drink water every 20 minutes during your runs.

• Eat during the race: If you’re running continuously for over an hour, it is a good idea to pack in some energy food like a few nuts to chuck in as you run. If your body is not used to expending so much energy at once, you could quickly start losing steam if you don’t get replenished constantly.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: Buzzle.com