If you have never completed  a marathon before, or have it checked off your list but are looking to do another, training  groups and clinics are great way to get off the bat with basics/getting back to basics – whichever the case may be. I’ve found group training to be particularly helpful during the rough patches of marathon training and am currently looking for a local group to kick start training for 2011’s LA Marathon.

Coach Bob Hickey, who will be guest speaking for the IE Running Club, sounds like an all around marathon rock star. Not only has he completed a handful of across the country relays, he’s also a Guiness Book of World Records holder for distance running. I don’t know about you, but if someone like this is coaching a walking marathon completion, all previous shame regarding run-walks, etc  have suddenly diminished in my mind.
For more information on meeting times and places for the Inland Empire Road Runner’s club please visit the Road Runners LA Marathon web site.

Still only a few days post the LA Marathon and all I see are blog posts, local news articles and tweets about how this person or that person either PR’d or practically died in the streets I like to call home. For me, it was definitely not my race, and by not my race, I mean I didn’t even have the chance to step to the starting line.

I’ve been replaying the weekend and the week prior to the race over and over in my head, trying to figure out if I’m disappointed in myself, if I feel good about the decision or if I even care at all (I at least got my Roadrunner’s training shirt and a crapload of miles and training out of it). There were also three JT sitings from people on twitter who allegedly saw me run by them… not sure how that happened.

The short and skinny of it is: I’m the Maid of Honor for my cousin Pamela who is practically like a sister to me. She and her fiancé were actually the only ones who went and cheered for me at my first half marathon and at the LA Marathon last year (they had no idea they’d be hanging out for about six hours in Downtown LA but cheered and took pictures as I limped towards them at the finish line). With the wedding coming up in a few weeks I started thinking about my recovery time… this was only my second marathon and I really didn’t know what to expect. All I knew is that it wasn’t till my 8th half marathon (Surf City this year) that I bounced back in no time.

I could tell that she (my cousin) was also worried about me not being able to walk for a few days or limp around for a week or two (last year I suffered a really bad injury and was in a brace for a month). She also had a severe bridal emergency, buckle down break down the marathon weekend so I had to cancel my tweetups and hanging out with some of my favorite running friends.

But, as important as doing this race was to me, I realized that it was just self-importance and that I really had to take the spotlight down for a second because the race will be there next year but she’s only getting married once (I hope).

The whole decision and experience also made me wonder about how supportive people were in other runner’s lives with things like races. I don’t usually expect people to come and cheer for me at a race (let’s be honest, it’s not the most exciting thing in the world unless you’re into running or like to see people suffer), but when they do without suggestion or if someone acknowledges some aspect of my running it really means a lot.

But running isn’t everything.

Oh my god, YES, I did just say that… and I don’t mean it in the sense to make light of the matter for myself, because at the end of the day, I’m the one who didn’t get to run, and people won’t give it a second thought. Now with whittled down races to only significant ones (Ragnar + San Diego RnR + Malibu next) I kind of think of races like I think of going out clubbing with friends – you get dressed in your best outfit people take pictures of you that are later posted on huge event sites, etc. But, you can’t do it all the time. This doesn’t mean that you should stop dancing. My favorite part of doing races is all the training that goes into them.

I’m still running (actually I’ve been running a LOT this week). I’m training for my Ragnar Relay (April 23 – 24th) and am shooting for a 100 miles before the end of the second week in April. Right now I’m working out the racing/running/life balance – that’s still a huge conundrum to me. When you start something off (especially the new breed marathoners) like running it’s hard to not let it overtake your life. So that’s were I’m at.

Consider this my non-race race report. My battle with the LA Marathon continues – till next year!

Oh yeah – and I’m in stealth training mode till the wedding is over but in Ragnar Relay full swing. (Spoiler Alert: My Team’s costume theme is “Escape From Burning Man” and my first Ragnar leg will be starting at 2am. Can you say EPIC?!) Stay tuned.

Like my high school basketball coach implored, “Quit looking at your feet, you’ll never get anywhere!” This is true of almost anything, especially when it comes to running. Marathons are a competition, but they are also a celebration of city life, and in the case of the new and improved LA Marathon “urban life.” For Los Angelenos, it’s really one of the few days that makes for a good excuse to get out of your car and explore on two feet this wildly complex and eclectic city.

This piece, directed by local boys Rick and Buddy aka Six Stair, ‘Don’t Forget to Look Up’ is a reminder to take in the sights, sounds and people as runners traverse the wide expanse between hillsides and shoreline. Narrated by Peter Abraham, Creative Director for the LA Marathon (Sun March 21st), the film is witness to the myriad of signs and strange little monuments that we pass each and every day. His natural ability to voice the spirit of this event, turning 25 this year and uniquely revamped, as well as put into context the even playing-field that has become running’s  involvement in LA history. Unlike any other urban city, running is part of the fabric that makes living here so great. Once upon a time the band Missing Persons sang that “Nobody walks in LA,” but time is certainly showing that almost everybody “runs in Los Angeles.” Take a peek at Six Stair’s vision of the new route from Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica as they “ran” it, on skatedecks and in 4-cylinder beaters.

Watch for more coverage from a runners perspective here at kspace.tv featuring our own Jenn Tran. Also, check out the new LA Marathon poster created specially by Shepard Fairey’s team at Studio One.

Be sure to take a look at Six Stair’s ‘K is for Kalifornia’ piece, one of 3 of the new K•Swiss video series ‘Things That are Classic’ paying homage to the iconic brand’s Classic heritage.

So, last year I made LA my very first marathon ever. I was one of seven featured runners for KABC talk radio who did a sports feature on the history of the race.

When I listen to the audio I think 1) WOW I wish I was still 28 (not that 29 is that  bad)  2) damn, I sound really really chipper for an early Sunday morning trail run – if only I knew what was going to happen to me on race day (I blew out my knee mile 18 and cried the last 8.2 miles till I limped across the finish line) and finally 3) OK, I did not run the Seattle Marathon and I sure as hell am not going to BQ this year…

In fact, I don’t know if I want to qualify for Boston. I still love running, but back then it was a desperate escape from all my problems and now it’s a celebration of who I am. I used to run because I had something to prove to myself and in essence, I felt like I had something to prove to the world: that I am an athlete damn it.

The way I see it now is, I don’t have anything to prove to anyone. I may not be the fastest person in the world or have the best endurance, but I challenge anyone in telling me I don’t have the most heart in doing everything I can to pull through a race. Knowing that, I’ve learned to let go on the worries of time, race photos, age group standings and expectations. I just run because that’s me.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I’ve been thinking a lot about why I am running this race in the first place, it’s my second marathon and after my first marathon (LA Marathon 2009) I promised myself that I would never do another 26.2 mile race ever again. Then they announced the course… and now here I am two weeks away from impending marathon numero dos. That thought along brings me to asking myself my next question. Am I a marathoner? Like, officially?

Someone once told me that running a marathon makes you a marathoner no matter how many times you’ve done one. I usually like to tell people who used to run a lot but are currently benched due to injury that “once a runner always a runner” – but what really makes this true? For me, it’s just a mindset. The unwavering decision that you are making that commitment to wake up every morning and go through your training run. The decision that you will drop 2 bucks a pop for gross gunk to shove down your throat every hour that is aptly named “Gu”… not to mention the wholehearted commitment to stretching in weird poses, submitting your body to torture devices like the foam roller, the stick, body glide, silly outfits… the list goes on.

I still ask myself these questions and although I know that my marathons will continue to be few and far between (I do love a good 13.1 race) I’ll have to say yes, if you’ve ever watched the Spirit of the Marathon and cried multiple times (men included) then you have answered that question too. Tomorrow: more tapering. Oh, and in case you were wondering I just received my marathon BIB# = 6546 Runner/Walker, so watch out for it!

I created a twtvite to have a list of people on twitter so folks know who to cheer for on race day. I’m still trying to figure out whether or not I’ll be live tweeting the marathon (depends on possible iPhone transition). If anyone is interested in LA Marathon pre- or post- race tweetup feel free to ping me for more info. Word on the street is the LA Marathon twitter account is also trying to organize a tweetup (you can follow them here @lamarathon).

Most likely, dinner will be early the night before somewhere near the Staples Center (which is where the packet pick up will be). Italian of course. Not too pricey. I’ll also be sure to update the twtvite for anyone who is interested in going to dinner.

Post race tweetup will be dependent on a few things 1) interest at large and 2) if I make it out alive (kidding – sort of).

Sounds pretty neat – although I am not quite sure if I am down with constantly tracking everything I do. Buying and actually using a heart rate monitor is as obsessive as I’ve gotten recently. I can see this as a useful tool for anyone who is a hardcore calorie tracking junkie… (The Fitbit site also allows you to enter the amount of calories consumed so the site can calculate total calories burned on any given day.)

It seems a little over the top for even someone with as much OCD tendencies like myself… Still, you can color me intrigued. I can see this as something that might be a useful and cheaper alternative to someone who is not yet to the price range commitment of a high end running water like a Garmin but is beyond the needs of a cheaper alternative like the iPhone RunKeeper app.

You can now pre-order a fitbit on the company site. See for yourself on http://www.fitbit.com

Recently, an ultra runner friend of mine had suggested low heart rate training after hearing me complain about my frustration with my pace. A few searches on eBay and about 40 bucks later I found myself constantly strapping my ribcage before a run with the device that allegedly is a great marker of how much effort you’re putting into your workout.

I learned to love running by heart rate zones because 1) it’s easier to increase mileage and 2) even if my pace is not exactly where I want it to by, if my heart rate is high enough (or in the right zone) I’m at least happy to know that I got a good run in and am really working towards my goal pace.

Once I started dedicating myself to HR I improved my mile time by 40 seconds and have made some significant strides with regards to how I approach my training.

For more info on target heart rate training: Wellness

There is also a cool document on the LA Marathon site on heart rate and other training methods.

Resources: Running Training Methods

When I signed up for the LA Marathon (day of opening) I knew going in that I absolutely needed to have some formal training under my belt. Marathon one left me benched for almost two months and I never thought that I would find myself where I am today… about 50 days away from marathon number two… and still not feeling quite ready.

I signed up with a package to train with the official training group for the LA Marathon, the Road Runners (headed up by Rod Dixon – Olympic medalist and former NY Marathon winner.) The concept behind the Road Runners is simple, you surround yourself with a group of people who run at your pace and allow the group to keep you in rhythm and motivated to stay on pace.   (There’s more to it like a full training plan, nutrition and general training advice and a SLEW of pacers.)

Day one with the Road Runners was like my first day at school. I was so nervous and had no idea who would “buddy up” with me in my training group (we run 2 x 2).  Despite the nervous feeling, it was amazing to meet so many runners at varying levels of experience. Everyone there had a common goal, and it wasn’t just to finish, it was to finish strong.

Unfortunately for me and as is the case for a lot of people in my situation (super active racers) I missed a good chunk of my RR training due to my half marathon schedule. This weekend is actually my triumphant return to Road Runners training (don’t judge me I’ve been training on my own)… with hill training! We’ll see how it goes.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Road Runners training program you can visit their site here.

If you love music as much as I do, then you can’t do a run without your iPod Shuffle clipped to your hat, jacket, tank, shirt, etc. That being said, I’ve recently been exposed to the idea of “cadence running” – basically the BPM (sound familiar?) of your feet hitting the ground. What is commonly known as BPM (beats per minute) is equated to SPM (steps per minutes) for runners. You cadence or running BPM should fall within the 155-165 range (elite athletes are usually in 175-185 range!)

How does this relate to music? Well if you’re a natural dancer like I am (casually trained in high school – seriously) then rhythm is very important to your running as well. If you’d like to know what BPM your stride rate (stride rate = steps per minute) comes in at you can check out hellasound.com they created running music synced to your stride rate (steps per minute AKA SPM) and have a cool stride rate finder MP3 that you can use to figure it out.

Once you know what your BPM is you can now go through your massive music library and pick out the songs that are right for you. I use a BPM analyzer called BPMer to do this (it’s an iTunes plugin). The plugin isn’t free but you get a lot of bang for your buck. The interface is easy to use and you can sort your iTunes list by BPM to pick out songs to make a solid running playlist. Thanks to this little gem I know that only some of the songs on the new Peaches album would be good for me to run to… and some old school Morcheeba + Basement Jaxx still rank high in my “Best Of” for running playlists.

There are plenty of sites that exist who offer playlist generators or BPM databases such as jogtunes, boldpacemusic, etc. However, I don’t usually find myself using sites like those as much because they cater to more mass marketed music and would not have information that I would need for music that I tend to lean towards.

Here’s a song I fell instantly in love with (clocking in at 145 BPM – my stride rate at the moment): Ku-Bo Ft. Daniecell – Sumanita (Daniel Haaksman Remix)

Also – if you’re at a dead loss and looking for new suggestions for bands, songs, lists etc you can always feel free to ask me in the comment section (or suggest some bands I might not know).