Need Help?

Here are some helpful websites that may/may not get you running faster or get you more motivated or give you a few laughs when training gets tough.

DC Rainmaker

A systems engineer guy that tests out GPS watches, bikes and other running/triathlon related gadgets and posts seriously obsessive results on this blog.  If you are in a market for such gadgets, check this guy’s posts.  You’ll find what you need and what you’re looking for…AND you’ll get immensely jealous of his exotic travels.

Mile-by-Mile Guide to Boston

Some woman named Peg ran Boston Marathon 12 times (which really dates herself, so she should stop boasting that) and put together a really clear “what to expect” guide of Boston.  It’s a good read and get you prepared, but once you actually start running the race, you forget what she said…Also check out Boston Marathon Terrain Specific Spreadsheet.

Greg McMillan’s Treadmill Workout

We are all familiar with Coach McMillan’s running calculator.  This treadmill workout is a speed workout designed to get you the maximum VO2 and LT workouts indoors.  It’s hard workout and it requires some hand-eye-coordination so you don’t fall off while making the speed adjustments.

Jack Daniels Training Tables

It’s not the booze.  Jack Daniels is a famous running coach.  For those that are obsessed with spreadsheets, predictions, and training paces, this is THE best spreadsheet ever.  You can put in how fast you can possibly run if you lost 10, 20, 30lbs, you can find out how terrible you will do if the temperature hit 88F.  It’s a bit hard to get used to all the numbers and it may not necessarily work for you, but at least it makes you FEEL better.

Float On

Elite Canadian Marathoner Reid Coolsaet’s blog.  He’s just funny, inspirational, and you realize…Elites.  Just. Like. Us. (but like 5 minutes per mile faster)

Over40Runner.com

For the Masters of Running.  Masters have Masters problems and concerns.  She seems to writes pretty well in that obsessive compulsive way that we like.  Her goal is to run a marathon in every state.  (Girl, you should start with every continent first, cuz there’s only 7…) We like her because she has a really good chart that shows how heat can affect speed, unless you’re Xena.  Then the chart works the other way around. 

Runners Connect

A collection of articles that’s basically an FAQ for all things running…like, “How slow I’m going to be if I don’t run for a week because I’m going on a Poop Cruise?”  It’s got a lot of information from professional trainers and coaches, like Mark Fitzgerald and Greg McMillan.

….and finally, training blog of one of our own….

Club News: 2

Race Results. 
Even thought it’s not reaaaaaaally spring until the water fountains in Central Park goes back on, spring racing season has officially begun for many Agonites.  3, in particular had an awesome run this weekend in Virginia.  Linda and VeggieRachana (who subsist on three peas and three romaine leaves) PR’ed in Virginia Marathon (both BQ’ed – not to be confused with BBQ’ed), and Kathy came in second in her under 20 age group for the VA Half.  Many more Agnoites took to the road in NYC with NYC Half as well.  For some (like Xena), NYC Half was just a warm up for bigger “A” race (aka Boston) and for others, this was their real deal and totally ACED it.  Either way, we are all super proud of ourselves!

Speaking of NYC Half, Ms. Mary Wittenberg was seen personally congratulating and thanking the NYC Half Marathon finishers at the finish line.  She stayed there for a long time, shaking hands and patting backs of as many finishers as she could.  It’s been tough for Ms. Wittenberg lately, but her efforts at the finish line didn’t go unnoticed. 

Club Points Race Raffle.
To get you to come out and try your hand (or legs, or feet) at NYRR’s Club Points Race more, Capt Crunch Chris has come up with a great plan. 

Every Club Point Race you run this year, you will receive ONE raffle ticket at our annual Holiday Party.  At the party, we’ll draw for one winning ticket for an AMAZING gift.  And we’re not talking coupons to McDonald’s here.  Something that will make you go, “OMG, I can’t believe my team just gave me this!!!!!”  So the more races you run, the more raffle tickets you get, which means you’ll have a better chance of winning the AWESOME gift.  Oh, and the best part?  You don’t have to be at the Holiday Party – you can always proxy a team mate to go and get the raffle tickets for you.  …just ah, make sure you got witnesses so your proxy won’t skip town with the GORGEOUS gift.

So far, Capt Chris, Ron, and G-Man has already earned 1 raffle ticket each from running the Coogan’s 5K.  There are 10 Club Point Races – which means, if you run all 10, you have 10 chances to win the FABULOUS gift!

Now that there is more motivation to run these races, what are you waiting for??  Go sign up for a Club Point Race already!!

Barefoot Running

Here at Agony, while we say “Agony o’de Feet”, we don’t really like to put our feet through hell.  After all, if we don’t take care of our feet, we won’t be able to run.  So we can’t help but notice all the poor suffering feet of barefoot runners.

NYT had a little article this week about a doctor who took an interest at the number of injured barefoot runners. 

NYT says, “Those who believe in barefoot running often point out that humans ran and walked without shoes for millennia before footwear was invented. They argue that being unshod is normal for humans and should reverse past injuries related to modern running shoes and prevent future ones.” 

So why the injuries??  The good Dr. Douglas Brown was BAFFLED.  As any good doctors with a curiosity would do, he actually took the time to do some research to see if in fact, barefoot running can have an adverse effect.

…………………………….do we need a funded research for this?  Really?

Just look at the quote from NYT – how the whole argument of barefoot running rest on the fact that we use to run barefoot millennia ago.  But…you know what….?

·         MILLENNIA AGO, not many people were dedicated “runners” that competed regularly in endurance or speed road races.  If they ran, it was for a life reason – like hunting or going to war.

·         MILLENNIA AGO, places people ran the most wasn’t paved concrete or asphalt everywhere. 

·         MILLENNIA AGO, people ran slower, more cautious about where they stepped and how they stepped.  They weren’t training for a PR in Half Marathons.

·         MILLENNIA AGO, people did not do high mileage long runs.  Sure they may have ran long miles, but it was in little chunks. (see #1)

·         MILLENNIA AGO, people were smaller and lighter.  DUH. 

·         MILLENNIA AGO, our diet was totally different.  We probably ate more calcium and iron, resulting in stronger bones.  (see paleo diet)

While we always say “to each’s own” or “there’s always a top to the kettle” or “you’re always someone’s fetish” and we’re super liberal about everybody and everything in general, funding a research where the answer seems to lie in COMMON SENSE is not something we like to see.

Barefoot runners always like to point out the super fast African runners and say, “well Africans run barefoot!!”.   Yea.  African tribal hunters in Masai bush run around barefoot.  Last we checked in on Coach Alem’s friend, Haile Gebrselassie, he was wearing neon colored top of the line Adidas shoes.