In 2012, I ran two marathons and one half marathon. For each marathon, I ran approximately 710 training miles. That's well over 1,000 miles run in 2012! Here are a couple interesting things that I have learned:
1. Fire your glutes! However, in order to fire your glutes, you must have strong glutes. After running up and down many hills while training for Boston, I finally had reasonably strong glutes! (Towards the end of the training season my pants were actually a little tight in the rear. I felt like J-Lo). At some point, I figured out how to use them too! They make all the difference.
2. Hips don't lie! Strong hips are happy hips and happy hips make happy runners. After sitting in front my computer fiendishly writing my dissertation, my hips got weak and my J-Lo glutes vanished. My hips were not strong and consequently very, very pissed. In fact, they went on strike before the Sydney marathon. It was the WORST running experience of my life. Never let your hips get weak.
3. One should think twice before taking a seat offered by volunteer at the end of a marathon (especially if the seat is a wheel chair). That seat will surely lead to a bed in the medical tent. The medical volunteers will whisper sweet nothings about beds, hydration, and massages. Do not believe them! They will poke and prod in unmentionable places an stick with you needles! You will not be hydrating with mimosas as you had planned for the last five miles of the marathon. Its all a ruse. Do not take the seat!
4. One needs a strategy to run a successful marathon. When I ran the New York Marathon (2011), my strategy was to have fun. I took off weaving around the quads singing Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind" to myself. It was awesome, until mike 20. Then I hit a ugly wall. By the time I had finished, I had ran almost 28 miles (from all the weaving) and felt like I horrible (mimosa didn't even sound good). In Boston, I had a good strategy. Then I saw the weather report and revised. I ran the first half conservatively (unlike New York), drank and ate at regular intervals, blew kisses to the girls at Wellsley, waved to my dad and finished with a smile (sort of). A race strategy is a good thing!
5. I have excellent running friends! We often play a game called "Kill, Marry or F**k?" A person is given a list of three people and has to choose one to kill, one to marry, and one to f**ck. To my knowledge, I have never been killed. I think that is a sign of strong friendships.
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