Fun on Foot Running, Walking Blog » Uncategorized

Fall Running Season at Last

Administrator — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 23:33:43 +0000

In the northeast, summer has been very hot and humid this year and not conducive to comfortable running. However, that long-anticipated change has arrived. As of last weekend, the temperature and humidity both dropped to respectable levels and running started to feel easy again.
In New York, last Saturday brought the running of Grete’s Great Gallop, the early fall traditional half marathon conducted within Central Park. It was a particularly touching event since it memorialized the passing of Grete Waitz, famed and beloved nine-time winner of the NYC Marathon, who succumbed to a lengthy battle with cancer early this year. The race was run in refreshingly pleasant conditions, although still a touch warmer than some of us prefer.
I have been struggling all summer recovering from an injury and the weather has contributed to keeping my performance level down. I ran Grete’s and was delighted to see my performance getting back near where it should be. Nola leapt out into the park Monday and ran a 23-mile long training run without a second thought. Welcome fall running conditions!
We runners now have a busy calendar for a few weeks. There are forthcoming marathons in Chicago, Washington DC, New York City, and Philadelphia, to mention a few. Nola and I are looking forward to the Staten Island Half next weekend and then the NYC Marathon on November 6. It is a busy schedule but very enjoyable training conditions, thanks to the arrival of the fall weather.
Best wishes to all runners preparing for the great fall races! Arrive fit at the start line and let the routine play out…

New on the Fun on Foot Website

Administrator — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 18:27:24 +0000

We are reshaping the www.funonfoot.com website to distribute more runner information free. We have started with the Philadelphia section where we have added a high-quality, high-detail Schuylkill River Trail Map for free download (comparable with our popular Boston Charles River Map). We are also offering free printable mini trail maps for the major local trails.
We invite you to check out www.funonfoot.com/philadelphia.html and provide your feedback. Watch for similar improvements for other cities later this year.
Warwick and Nola

I Can Hide but I Cannot Run

Administrator — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:10:14 +0000

I wrote comparatively little about running this spring. This is not because my interest in either running or writing has diminished, but because I have been sidelined from the sport. When last running season finished and I leapt onto my skis, I sadly managed to tear my Achilles – I think the running and the skiing must share the blame. This condition wiped out my skiing season and has caused a muted start to my new running season. My ankle was immobilized in a boot for three months but, thanks to a Platelet Rich Plasma injection, appears to now be well on the mend. I can even run a few miles now but not at the pace I am used to. I am nevertheless hopeful that by the fall I shall be back close to my old form.
It is always enjoyable to get back to New York City for spring through fall. The running community here is so active and enthusiastic. Participation is growing and a new problem we face is that most New York Road Runners events fill up a substantial time in advance. The July 30 Queens Half Marathon is already full and the July/August NYRR Long Training Runs are flagged as near capacity. Be sure to register early for any event you particularly want to enter.
From now on, I expect to be reporting on many New York running events so watch this space. Good luck runners and avoid those injuries!

As Good as Races Get: Brooklyn Half Marathon 2011

Administrator — Sun, 22 May 2011 23:19:24 +0000

The Brooklyn half, my favorite NYC half marathon, was run on Saturday May 21. The course involves two-plus quite hilly laps of Prospect Park, followed by a straight and level run down Ocean Parkway to Coney Island, with a finish on the famous boardwalk.
It was a perfect day for such a race. The weather was friendly. There was no rain (surprising for NYC this spring). The 7:00 am start at Prospect Park is nevertheless a challenge for all participants, given the questionable nature of MTA transit at that time of day on a weekend.
The organization was excellent and the festivities at Coney Island at the finish most appropriate.
The biggest problem was that many budding entrants were not able to register. The cap on the race allowed only 6,000 finishers this year compared with over 7,000 in 2010. Many of my teammates were disappointed with simply not being able to register.
Personally, I ran and greatly enjoyed the 2009 and 2010 Brooklyn half marathons. Unfortunately an Achilles tear has me sidelined at present. However, that did not keep me away from cheering and partying at Coney Island.
Congratulations to all finishers! Be sure to diary this event for next year and do whatever it takes to secure an entry!

Gifts for Runners (With Free Shipping)

Administrator — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 22:57:31 +0000

We have some excellent, inexpensive gift ideas for your family or friends who are runners: Books with ideas and maps for more interesting routes to run in cities they visit or where they live, plus much more running information about those cities. For the gifting season we are offering:

For the road-warrior runner:
The award-winning 388-page guide to running in 14 major cities (Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington DC). “Fun on Foot in America’s Cities” $11.99 (compare retail $20.95)

For the New York City region runner:
The city’s top running guide, 380-page “Fun on Foot in New York” $14.99 (compare retail $16.95)

For the Boston region runner:
The 292-page regional running guide “Fun on Foot in New England” $11.99 (compare retail $16.95)

For the Philadelphia region runner:
The 104-page regional running guide “Philadelphia Running and Walking” $9.95 (compare retail $10.95)

And for the gifting season (from now until December 26) we are offering free standard shipping (by USPS media mail). Pay by credit card or Paypal. Enter the discount code “freeshipgift” on checkout at www.funonfoot.com

Toronto Waterfront Marathon 2010

Administrator — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 21:23:00 +0000

On Sunday I ran the Toronto Waterfront Marathon and Nola ran the simultaneous half marathon. Toronto is a special place for us, having lived there in our college days. Furthermore, our daughter and her family live there now.
It was an excellent marathon, on a flat and scenic course, with a large and enthusiastic crowd of supporters. There were roughly 4,000 marathon runners and 10,000 half marathoners and the weather conditions were perfect for running.
In general the organization was excellent, with ample water stations, restrooms, and entertainment. The start logistics were a little tricky, because of the large number of people crammed into a tight part of downtown. Traffic in that part of downtown was a total disaster – no surprise to anyone who knows the city. Nola and I averted all problems by staying overnight in a hotel very near the start and I would recommend that to any out-of-towners running this event in the future.
For US runners, note that all signage along the route is in kilometers – nothing in miles. This should not be a problem except my runner’s watch failed along the route. Therefore my mind spent much of the route doing kilometer-mile-pace conversions (not a bad way to keep it busy, actually).
We would highly recommend this event to anyone seeking an early fall marathon in the future – they do not come any better!

Philadelphia Rock n Roll Half Marathon Coming Up

Administrator — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 01:24:47 +0000

The Philadelphia Distance Run, arguably Philadelphia’s most prestigious annual running event, has this year morphed into the Philadelphia Rock n Roll Half Marathon. Not much has changed from past years, except for the addition of a little pizzazz and general fun. The race is on Sunday, September 19, starting and finishing near the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Nola and I are both entered to run the race. We shall also be at the Expo at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Friday and Saturday, September 17-18. We shall be autographing books there for all-comers, and the event is open to the public at no charge. We hope to meet many of our running colleagues and readers there.
The bad news is that the race is already full so it is too late to register now. However, all information you might need about the event is at: http://philadelphia.competitor.com

A Long Hot Running Week in New York

Administrator — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 20:06:20 +0000

Today Sunday ended a very intense few days of city running activities. Last Sunday was the 5-mile Fathers Day run. Thursday evening was the American Heart Association 3-mile Wall Street run, Saturday was the Pride 5-Mile Run in Central Park, and today was the Achilles Hope and Possibility 5-Mile Run in Central Park. All four of these races were qualifying races for the 2011 New York City Marathon so all were popular for that reason in addition to the fundamental support causes of each event.

Having just moved back to New York for the season, Nola and I were no exceptions to the involvement. We both ran the Wall Street and Pride runs and volunteered to work the Achilles run. All were fun but all suffered from one negative factor – heat and humidity far higher than we runners like.

What impressed me most was the unrelenting strength of most runners in failing to let the heat and humidity dampen their spirits. If you run a little (or a lot) slower on hot humid days than on runner-perfect days, that is just normal. Perform as well as you can under the circumstances, and feel satisfied with your result. Your performance will undoubtedly add to your longer term strength and stamina building.

Orange County Marathon, Half, and 5K

Administrator — Thu, 06 May 2010 22:32:55 +0000

On Sunday, Nola and I ran in these Orange County, California events. Still emerging from our mostly-non-running winter in the Rockies, I took on the half marathon and Nola the 5K.

It is an exciting course. The half marathon spans the cities of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. It was one of the most pleasant I have run, including a stretch on the ocean shore plus some beautiful terrain through the nature reserve around Newport Bay. The course is mostly flat, although there are a couple of very nasty little hills. The marathon extends in a loop from near the end of the half into the cities of Irvine and Santa Ana to end at the same finish line.

My main warning to runners contemplating this event in the future is that the logistics are complex and you need to give good attention in advance to where you stay and how you get around. The start and finish lines are several miles apart and the shuttle services between them are tenuous, not aided by the many street closures that occur. We stayed the night before the event in a hotel near the marathon/half start and had our own vehicle. We were very happy we did it that way.

Bottom line, I finished the half in a respectable time but, more importantly, Nola won her age division in the 5K for a GOLD MEDAL!

Warwick Ford

Calories Burned Per Mile

Administrator — Wed, 05 May 2010 01:42:41 +0000

One figure we runners and walkers need to know is the number of calories our bodies burn while out on-foot. One reason it is important to many of us is the weight-loss factor. If I know that today’s run or walk burned more calories than I would intake by drinking a beer or eating a cookie, I shall feel no guilt about consuming a beer or cookie after the exercise.

However, for endurance athletes (including marathoners) the rate of calorie loss is important for another reason. It helps us know what carbs we need to store before and intake during a run, allowing us to better plan our race days.

The answer has always been a bit of a mystery to me, since there are so many calorie calculators on the web and even devices like treadmills tell me how many calories they think I burned. But, amazingly, these different sources of answers frequently disagree with each other. Furthermore, many of those calculators present their answers in an unhelpful way – for example, they will tell me (for my body weight) how many calories I would burn in 30 minutes of exercise running at 8 miles per hour. Unfortunately, I do not run in 30 minute segments and I do not think of running speeds as miles per hour.

But I do know my body weight and I do know the mile pace I run on every outing and I do know how far I go. The calorie-related figure I really need to know is how many calories I burn per mile. I decided to pin down that figure for different body weights for the paces we typically run or walk.

I have put together the table we need and included it in a new free article on our website at www.funonfoot.com/resources.html I recommend you read the full article since there are a few provisos around the final figures given, plus supporting information.

Use these easily memorized figures in planning your next endurance run.