The Weekend Report: Hand Me That Unitard (aka Sister2 Runs a Marathon!)

As you may know, Sister2 ran the DC National Marathon this weekend. What you may not know is that she did so in neon spandex and a gold unitard. Were you out watching? Did you see that girl? Did you cheer for her? Or call out some version of  “Love your outfit! Nice spandex! Great uni!”?

Well, I was the more normal one next to her. And proud of it!

Why the costume? Isn’t a normal running outfit enough, you may wonder?

Well, she ran Boston last year in a greeny-yellow unitard…so she might as well uphold that tradition…and if you’re flying cross-country to run a race, you may as well do it right, right?

Oh my gosh what am I going to wear? She wondered the night pre-marathon. She stood in my living room, alternating between two equally ridiculous outfits, trying to make her decision. Ugh! This is like the most preparation I’ve done for this race!

That statement is obviously not true. Because despite her absurd apparel, this girl can run (you already know the story of how she started marathoning). She’s only 20, and yet she has now completed 2 marathons in under 4 hours! So don’t let the uni fool you…as many DC men discovered early Saturday morning: Once the uni passes, it’s gone for good!

And I’m going to go ahead and take just a teeny tiny little bit of credit for her awesome finish. I did help! I swear! My friends and I were out there cheering at Mile 3, and when she passed us again at Mile 17, I jumped in to keep her spirits up through the last 9.2.

I tried to make myself useful. I “amused” her with chatting and useless information.

Then my big chance to actually be “useful” (and I use that term very loosely) came at Mile 23. She had mentioned that her arms were starting to chafe against her body, which is awful on a run.  So when we came up on a water/aid station, I saw my chance:

Ok, Sis2, I’ll just stop at this med station real quick, grab you some Vaseline, and catch up. No problem!

So I stopped, and put on my best lost-and-desperate face…and…nothing. There was no one at the medical station! What??? Seriously, what if I had been a dying marathoner???

I stood there for a moment, wondering what to do…I saw the big box of medical supplies…looked around one more time to see if anyone would come help me…and then started digging through their stuff. Vaseline – jackpot! I scooped out a chunk onto my finger, and jumped back in the race.

But enough time had gone by for Sister2 to get way ahead of me. Her pink spandex was just a glow in the distance. Oh man, time to run! I started striding after her, doubtlessly impressing those who had already run 23 miles with this sudden burst of mid-marathon energy.

(This part of the course was an out-and-back. Which just means that you run out on one side of the street to a turning point, do a U-turn, and run back on the other side of the street.)

So there I was, dashing after Sister2, as she passed me on the “back” part of the out-and-back. She gave me this look, and waved me over. It’s not like I was actually in the race…I could have just turned there and joined her.

I can’t! I can’t cheat! Don’t slow down, I’ll catch up! I yelled at her. Because no one around me knew I wasn’t really in the race. And just think how pissed you would be if you saw someone cutting corners like that!

Eventually I caught up…and pretty much saved her life with Vaseline. So yeah, that’s my story.

I didn't plan on crossing the finish line. I saw the barriers lining the course about 200 yards before the finish, and prepared to duck out. Ok, I’ll meet you at the end! I said. But then I saw that poor Sister2 was not looking good. She was gagging…I was concerned…so I stayed with her through the finish.

And she ran 3:30:50!!! (That's about 8-minute pace...and a 25 minute personal record!)

All bow down to the super-speedster in the crazy outfit!!!

After the race, we took full advantage of the free stuff (bars, mochas, cookies? yes please!) at the post-marathon festival. Then we ate our weight in brunch buffet, and went to the zoo.

I’m proud to be her sister! Wouldn’t you be?

Do's and Don'ts of Running Clothes

To start off, I just want to clarify that I did not run the NY Marathon. Last week’s Friday post was from my guest-blogger, Matt, who is conducting the Barefoot Experiment. He ran the NY Marathon – yay Matt!

So thanks to all of you who wished me luck/congratulations – I appreciate the thought, but can’t take the credit. I did a great job of watching the race…on tv…from the comfort of my couch…unfortunately, that’s not really worthy of congratulations.

 Anywho, now that my conscience is clear – I am sad to inform you that guest-blogger Matt is unable to post this week. Sad face. Thus, you are stuck with me for the 5^th day in a row. I know, I know, life’s rough. But just try to cope, and look forward to hearing about Matt’s barefoot running next week!

 As we head into winter, a few people have asked me for recommendations on running clothes. My first thought? Ummmm..huh? Didn’t your mama teach you how to get dressed? I mean, as I said yesterday, “I am more of the roll-out-of-bed with a groan, grab the least offensive-smelling pile of clothing, and throw myself out the door (both eyes may or may not be open yet) kind of person.” But then I thought about it a bit more, and realized my initial reaction was a bit unfair.

Good running clothes are important when you live somewhere with extreme temperatures (and by extreme I mean anywhere other than the Bay Area…jeez I miss home!). And if you’re relatively new to running, then navigating the world of advertising and consumerism can be tough. Obviously Nike will tell you that you need 6,000 varieties of clothing for the winter. But that’s probably not true. As a non-affiliated, non-money-making blogger, I have no biases, and no motive to steer you wrong! And actually, I am extremely cheap, so my advice could save you quite a few dollars…

I hate running inside, and I hate doing mileage on treatmills. Thus, I will be the girl running outside in the snowstorm/hurricaine/sub-0 temps. Which means that I need winter clothes.

Disclaimer: Everybody is different (duh). I tend to over-heat, so I prefer to wear fewer layers. I would rather be slightly underdressed than overdressed. Also because if you wear too much and sweat, and then the wind picks up, you will be all kinds of freezing!!!

 So here it is: Mollie's Do's and Don'ts of Running Clothes

Don’t wear cotton when it’s cold – it will absorb your sweat, and then keep that sweat next to your skin…which will make you colder.

Do layer. I have thinner shirts, and then a few medium-weight shirts, then a couple different-weight fleeces. Depending on the temperature, I may wear any combination of those.

Don't buy clothing with hoods. They never work, and are annoying and floppy. If your head gets cold, just wear a hat. 

Do buy gloves. I have a very thin pair of non-cotton gloves that are enough for me. However, I have friends who need to wear full-on ski mittens to keep their fingers from turning black (literally!).

Do get a headband or hat. I prefer the headband to keep my ears and forehead warm. The top of my head doesn’t get cold, so I don’t feel the need to wear a real hat.

Do get shirts with thumb-holes. These are God’s gift to me.  When it’s not quite cold enough for gloves, they keep your hands warm. And when it’s really cold, they solve the issue of cold wrists by making sure there is absolutely no skin exposed between your hands and sleeves.

Don't bother with a raincoat. If you're running in the rain, you're going to be wet. If you're rearing a raincoat, then the wet will be held into your body, and be clammy and disgusting. Give up on dryness and focus on warmth. 

In the pants department, I only wear spandex. Why? Well, 1) I love it. and 2) I don’t like bagginess on a run. And swishy pants make it sound like someone is sneaking up behind me…does anyone else have that problem?

Do get a pair of good fleece-lined spandex (for the really cold days).

Do get a pair of thin spandex (for the days when it’s windy/rainy, but not too cold).

Don’t buy CWX spandex. These are supposed to be designed to support your knees and IT bands…but for some reason they ride down as you run. If you don’t like having to pull up you pants every stop-light, then don’t buy these!

Do check yoga clothing websites and stores. They're good at spandex, and have a lot of variety

Don’t think that the only place to buy this stuff is at expensive running stores. Try Marshall’s, TJ Max, and Overstock.com. As long as it’s not cotton, it’s probably good to go!

 I’m not really going to endorse any brands. Most of my clothes are Brooks (thank you Overstock.com), Nike (thank you Nike Outlet Store), and Athleta (thank you Mama’s job). So you can see that my purchases are mostly due to economics rather than preference. Good running gear is worth the expense though, because it does last a long time, and it does make running in the winter possible and enjoyable.

 

Have fun! And happy shopping!

 

 

Wise Words on Days Off

When in doubt, take a day off.

It’s such a simple statement. Logical. Easy to follow. But somehow…not.

For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, let me explain. Running every single day is not good for you. After every workout, you get tired (obviously). If you continue to work out and run and work out and run, your muscles do not get the recovery they need to build up stronger. So essentially, by overtraining (aka, not giving your muscles a break), you are actually breaking yourself down, rather than making yourself faster.

That is how my dad explained it to me back in the day, and how I will continue to understand the recovery process. I take a well-deserved day off every week. (Or at least every two weeks.)

And the key is to take a day off before you really need it.

Let me illustrate:

Day 1: You go out for a run, and you’re tired. So you think, hmm….bad day. Oh well.

Day 2: You go out for a run, and you’re tired again. Crap. Another bad day. Maybe it’s time for a day off.

Day 3: Day off.

What a waste. Two crappy runs + a day off. When what you could have done is take Day 1 off, and then get 2 quality days afterwards!

And a planned day off is possibly one of the best things ever. I wake up in the morning thinking not just, I’m not going to run today, but, I’m not supposed to run today. It takes away all guilt. And then the day after a day off I feel rejuvenated and excited to run. Days off help remind me why I love doing this crazy sport. After a whole day without a run, I actually miss running, and I get excited about getting out there again.

So I’m going to take a moment and add days off to my list of favorite things (along with pumpkin desserts and spandex). Check.

That being said, one of the worst things EVER is an unplanned day off. (Sidenote: I’m a planner, I like to plan – so when something is not in my plans, it totally throws off my life.)

An unplanned day off occurs when something is wrong. Like something hurts. And I know, from too many experiences, that running through the pain is probably the worst idea ever. Because 3 months into pooling/biking/not running all you think is WHY THE HELL DIDN’T I TAKE A COUPLE DAYS OFF AND SOLVE THIS PROBLEM BEFORE IT STARTED??? (Sorry for the all caps – some things I just feel really strongly about.)

Conclusion: take a day off when things hurt. So where is the problem? Some things are easier said than done. Running through pain, to a certain extent, is what distance runners do. But it’s important to distinguish between ok pain, and pain. If something feels odd one day, then it might be ok (you slept funny/tweaked something/walked too much in the wrong shoes/whatever). But if the same thing hurts the next day – STOP RUNNING IMMEDIATELY. And take the day off.

For more info on days off:

TRAINING TIP OF THE WEEK: KARA GOUCHER

Kara Goucher knows it's better to take a day off now than be injured later

Runner's World Articles:

"The Rest Is Easy"

"BALANCING ACT: 

The best regimen includes speed, distance, and days off. The trick is in the mix."

 "Make Every Run Great" 

2. Not resting enough. The day after a hard workout, you may be tempted to train even harder. Beware! Just when you're motivated to push to new limits, you're also most prone to getting injured. Take a day off from running, or at least go very easy the day after a long or hard run (especially a race).

"Bring Balance To Your Week"

3. Rest 1 day per week. If nothing else, the planned day off frees you from thinking you must find time to run every day.

The Weekend Report: Happy Halloween - Spandex NOT Optional

Ah Halloween. Quite the weekend. I tell people I don’t really like Halloween, but that’s only partially true.

I don’t like the pressure to go out and do something awesome, and I find the “I’m a slutty _____!” costume concept a bit obnoxious. And I HATE being scared. But I like fun-sized candy, and I love candy corn. I do enjoy dressing up, but I never want to put much thought into it.

So here I found myself, going as a jazzercise instructor for the 4^th year in a row, just because 1) I’m lazy, and 2) I am the proud owner of amazing glowing pink spandex. So that begs the question – why wouldn’t I dress up 80s?

I am in the process of giving many high-fives to myself, because I resisted the urge to stay in not once, but twice this weekend! That’s right, I went out and got my Halloween on two nights in a row! Friday night (post-tempo run) I donned my spandex, whipped up a side pony-tail, and headed out to a party all the way in Silver Spring. Good times.

By Saturday night, I kind of felt that I had already done Halloween…BUT I had promised my friend, Miss 6x6, that I would go out with her. And be fun (rather than my default: slightly cranky/hangry/tired). We weren’t planning on meeting up until later in the evening because she had an “adult” party to go to at 7. So I went for a run, showered, and made dinner (buttercup squash curry).

 As I was about to curl up in my happy place (my couch + large bowl-o-food + jammies + Top Model/Top Chef/Project Runway), my phone rang.

6x6: Mollie, get dressed, this party is insane and you have to come!

Me (hemming and hawing): Weeelllll, I’m not ready yet. And I still have to eat dinner…

6x6: NO! Do not eat dinner. Get dressed. It’s catered and Georgetown Cupcake is here!!!

 Woah. Though most of me wanted to be in the aforementioned happy place, I knew that this was not an opportunity to miss.

Pink spandex? Check. Thong over it? Check. Side pony? Check. I’m dressed and ready to go in 10 minutes flat. 

And the party was definitely worth it. It was hosted by the neighbor of a friend in Georgetown. There was valet parking, carriage rides, full catering with servers (aka dinner food, h’or de’oeuvres, cheese platter, fondue, etc.), a bar made out of ice, smoke machines, decorations, a DJ, cupcakes, and a room full of dessert!

Umm…awesome! We went “out” afterwards, and got our fill of other girls’ boobs (really? really? put those things away!), and crowded bars. But bottom line is – can I be invited to the neighbor’s Christmas party??? 

So for the rest of the week I will be sitting here at my desk, making myself sick with the bag of candy corn Boss #2 got me. Happy Halloween everyone!