Running is an individual sport, many would say. After all, it is your own two legs and two feet and you put one after another and you do it by yourself. There is no ball to pass or there is no opponent to tackle. Many of us get drawn to running perhaps because of this simplicity. Just put your sneakers on and off you go... However, when you start running miles and miles, days and days like many of us do, one starts seeking mates in motion. Running mates they are. Many of us are connected under our glamorous club for that social aspect of running.
Social aspects of running aside, if you are a committed runner who runs 3+ times a week, however easy it is to go off for a run, you start running out of time for other activities in your life. Hence there comes the need to socialize while running.
Lately, I have been noticing social aspect of running from this angle: how in our busy lives in New York, we started squeezing in our socializing needs and our dates into our runs. Once upon a time, when I was a runner, I was taking advantage of running dates extensively. Tim Guscott and I would have running dates twice a week. Since, I have always been the sleepy one, Tim would come to my building and wake me up with a call from my doorman and we would catch up over our 7am runs. Fatai and Adam just caught up over their tri-borough 15 miler last week. Kieran, Chris Stoia and Patrick Guilfoyle had explored Palisades Park over a 12 mile run a few weeks ago. These are just few running dates that I came under my radar recently.
As I was browsing photos on facebook - the new phenomenon that is well adopted by our club membership as well - I noticed another social aspect of running. The away races we venture out together. Zander and Rich Ervais are the most famous running mates who have been exploring the world over marathons while deepening their friendship. I had one such trip with Mikey B, Michael O and Alex Kristofcak to Virginia Beach Marathon and Half Marathon in 2007. Gerrit, Peter McGrane, Mike Terry, I.J. Frame and Dave Lin were captured on facebook photos doing a 30K race upstate a few months ago. If you haven't done one of these running trips, find your mates and organize one already. One can't write about running trips with mates without the mention of Reach the Beach - a 200 mile relay race dozens of us participate every year in September.
This "mates in motion" concept is not contained with just friends running together. Mates in motion sometimes go into the territory of mating. As running becomes an obsessive topic of conversation in one's life, it is natural progression to receive invitations to running-dates, romantic ones, from other runners! Personally, meeting a potential date at the start of a race has long been a fantasy of mine. When your life is so full of running and related periphery social activities related to running, wouldn't it be nice to have a runner boyfriend/girlfriend as well? Some of you already got your fair share of that already :-)
Mating and running are great, but most of the time, we are still sometimes alone and log those miles with just our daydreams. Still, even on a run just by yourself, you are still not completely left alone. For instance, you can still meet a random stranger who might catch your eye passing by you on West Side Highway or on central park hills. Wouldn't it be lovely if those two guys or gals who check each other out while passing by each other stop and say hi rather than going back home to post on craigslist's missed connections about "the runner in grey shorts and yellow tank top and who totally checked him out and then turned back after passing him right on 23rd street on West Side Highway?"
You are sometimes alone with your dreams while running, however in this running city whether you actively choose it or it stumbles upon you, you are surrounded by mates in motion. My mates in motion, please email me with any questions you may have or any stories you may want to share. I don't know the answers to all questions, but I know quite a few people that I can ask. cenk.bulbul@gmail.com
June 2008 -- Dirty Closet Secrets
You can tell a lot about people by looking at their closets. Typically we "stuff" our closets with our "stuff." All the goodies we want to hide (or not) from the outside world are all freely floating in our closets. And sometimes our fetishes…I am sure some of you already started nodding with a naughty smile on your faces. Don't worry I am not going to ask you (yet) about what's in your closets. First let's talk a bit about my dirty little closet secrets.
My closet: It is very organized and very clean at all times. Just like my apartment that had won the nickname of "laboratory" after passing many checks after "random visits" of my friends over several years. Once, one ex saw my bed unmade one day, he couldn't hide his surprise: "Cenk! Your bed is unmade, are you ok?" So when you dig in to my closet it's the same cleanliness and same obsessive order. Although I have many fetishes... He, he! On a random check of my closet you can find more than my obsessive-compulsive personality: You can find out that I am a runner because I have 5 pairs of sneakers. But what's that box behind the running sneakers?
It's my dirty little closet secret: On the top is my latest addition to my box - a battery-operated vibrating machine. It's a vibration that I can't feel well, however it's supposed to be very "useful." It's called a bone stimulator. It heals stress fractures by sending waves to your fractured bones. I plug myself to it every night these days. Then next to it my biggest love of all times. My foam roller… I acquired that one when I had my IT band injuries. There is nothing better than a roller to open those knots on your IT band. A runner friend claims that he sleeps with his foam roller. He uses it like a body pillow…
Now we started digging down my box and we find my yoga mat. It's rarely in the box though. It usually serves the purpose of a bedroom rug when I stretch my hamstrings and quadriceps with my matching purple stretching band. After trying to do my stretches with my very expensive belts and breaking the buckle on one of them, I acquired this cheap stretching band.
What are those rubber rolls there in the colors of the rainbow? They are my thera-bands. They come in three different colors: Red, yellow, green – each color is a different intensity. They are for strengthening my shin muscles. I make a loop at the one end of the band and hold the other hand in my hand and while watching "No country for old men" I gently pedal my ankle 3x30 on each leg and there we go: Stronger shins.
Oh, there is my stick. Do you know "the stick?" I acquired this one after doing "Reach the Beach." You roll the stick on your legs and it is supposed the help with the blood circulation. It is kind of cool, but not one of my favorite toys. What's that chain over there? Oh that's my bike's lock! It's in the wrong box! Let me put it in the right closet...
And there are my cyro cups. They are not in this box. They are in the freezer. They are little plastic cups, with a ring at the rim of the cup, so that you can hold a cup of ice at the rim with the help of the ring and slide the ice up and down your body parts that needs to be iced.
I think that's about it for my fetish box. Isn't that already enough? I am amazed how much running "stuff" I acquired over the years to help my running – not to mention the running outfits, which are a topic of another article.
Not to disappoint naughty readers that were expecting to hear about my real fetishes. Here are two fetishes, but related to running again: Did you know that there is an underwear run in Central Park every July? Did you also now that there is a costume-optional (i.e. nude) run in SF every May? To register "Google" and to see images "You Tube," "Chipotle underwear run" and "Bay to Breakers" respectively.
You now know my closet secrets – some naughty some not as much. What's in your closet? What are your dirty little closet secrets? Please email me with any fetishes, uhmm I meant questions you may have or any stories you may want to share. cenk.bulbul@gmail.com
Happy vibrating and rolling and icing…
May 2008 - Give it Back to Me!
One Saturday morning in April:
I am at the wrong place once again as I have been in the past several Saturday mornings. I am supposed to be at the Front Runners Fun Run in Central Park. Instead, I am in the shower praying to a God that I don't believe in: The God of Shower Heads. I look up at the shower head pouring cold water down on my stubbornly injured right leg and pray, pray to my fake, but readily available God – The God of Shower Heads: "Dear God, please give it back to me, give my foot back to me, give my leg to me!" This is a point that I hit a mental low. I can't imagine not running again, but it's been so long that the hope is sliding away from my heart and my mind. And I cry and I screech: "Please give it BACK to ME! Give it to me. I want my leg. I want my running back. I can' t "not" run! Please, please give it to me…"
I have been holding up pretty well up until this shower episode, but I had a moment of weakness…a real low… It is good to hit these lows because they give you clarity in the midst of confusion. Until today, a few weeks after the shower episode, I was at a stage that I couldn't even explain to my friends - you, what my injury was. Quickly after the shower episode, I decided to pay another visit to my sports medicine doc – Dr. Klion. Before I tell you the verdict here is the very confusing story of last six months:
Six months of cloudy thoughts and an omni-present shin pain:
I started having severe shin pains right when I started running again after I ran NYC Marathon last November. Dr. Klion' s first diagnosis after an X-ray and a physical exam was that it was a normal muscle tension because I had just run a marathon. He thought that the source of my pain was my tense tibia muscle and related tendons – that is the big muscle that runs down one's shin. Right then and there a weird flip-flop journey of non-diagnosis of my "tibia pains" started.
During 2 months off no running and unnecessarily too much stretching to un-tense my tense tibia, I met a new pain at a new place: under my foot – at the ball of my foot. I first met this new lovely pain as I woke up one morning in December. It had made no reservations before checking into my healthy foot. I wasn't even running or even doing any form of exercise when my "sesamoiditis" started. [ http://www.foot.com/info/cond _sesamoiditis.jsp ]. However, it quickly peeked after I started running in January after two months of hiatus. The "tibia pain" was there too, but at the acuteness of the "sesamoid" pain, Dr. Klion, the podiatrist that got quickly involved with my case, my dead grandma who appeared to me in a few of my dreams those days and I – we – all forgot about the poor "tibia" and decided to send Cenk' s right foot to physical therapy for 6 weeks.
6 weeks of sesamoid therapy ended successfully with a new pair of orthotics – another addition to the ever-growing expenses of injury – a dimension that I can't ignore anymore with all the co-pays of PT and doc visits. So I started running again in early April and quickly got reminded of my long forgotten "tibia" pain every-time I tried to follow my getting back to running after gazillion months of hiatus program. Then one morning right around those days I found myself praying to my shower head.
The verdict: It is your responsibility to claim your health!
Thank god I snapped out of that shower very quickly and called Dr. Klion. Despite, my anger at him of not helping solve this issue faster, he knew the history of the case best and all he had to do was prescribe an MRI for the tibia. 10 days and an MRI later, finally we have an answer. I have something that I hope none of you ever have to meet: "Stress Fracture."
I am now back on my hope and healing trajectory once again. Off my feet once again – at least 12 weeks. No physical therapy. The only treatment for a stress fracture is apparently absolute rest. Perhaps I can swim. Hell knows when I will be able to run again. But I will.
Injuries are all what we all fight with. Something like running that seems so simple, so nature-gifted to the men and women …but it sometimes breaks our bodies down. Running is kind of a bitch when you abuse your body with it and it punishes you for that without mercy. If you also have a bit of a confused sports medicine doc like mine, the consequences can only be coped with strong mental and physical stamina. That's what I have been doing the past six months. Just like Mikey Benjamin, Will Parry, Paul Holmes, Katrina Amaro and many of you once did and are doing… Even writing a running column when I am not running seems like an oxymoron. However, I have a very good lesson learnt: Own up your injury. It is your responsibility to have it diagnosed and heal it. You know your body better than any Dr. Klion. Better yet, don't abuse your body, so you don't have to meet a total bitch – an injured leg!
Please email me with any questions you may have or any stories you may want to share. I don't know the answers to all questions, but I know quite a few people that I can ask. cenk.bulbul@gmail.com
Happy training!
April 2008 - Perfect Distance Runner Physique
When I wanted to run middle distance with my college track team almost 20 years ago, my coach dismissed my wish immediately excusing this outright “No” to my broad frame – particularly tree trunk legs. He simply said: “You are a sprinter!” I obeyed and ran 100m in college. I was never a star or medal winner at that distance and my heart and eyes have always been at 5000m – the distance at which I actually won a gold medal at a local race in my age group at the age 34. During college, anything more than 5000m looked such an impossible distance to me since all I did was sprint drills and 100-400m repeats.
I always asked this question to myself: “Is there a perfect distance runner physique?” Finally, I did some research to find an answer to this question before writing this light article. Frankly and unfortunately, I was unable to find anything online and in my running books library to answer my question. However, I believe this is not such a difficult question to answer by intuition. By simply doing a content analysis of all the top finishers' photos of more than 10 marathons all around the world in the last three years, I can conclude one universal truth: “World class elite distance runners are all skinny – short or tall – but super skinny!” Here is the photo that speaks thousand words: Paula Radcliffe dwarfing Gete Wami from last years NYC marathon. Only thing common in their physique (apart from gender) is that they are both freakishly skinny!
This shouldn't be a surprise to you. Over the years, we all observed many newcomers coming to the club with a little belly and in 6-12 months becoming slimmest studs (guys and gals) with incredulous race finish times. I was once one of them…sigh! ? Of course, some very rare broad amd muscled runners like our own Jason Rudman or Ramon Frisneda also run near-elite times. Lance Armstrong is another example. However, even Lance's story from 2006 to 2007 NYC marathon shows that shedding some 10+ pounds can help shave 10+ minutes from a sub-3 hour marathon time.
Runner's World Magazine's April 08 issue may provide some guidance to non-elite but serious runners on the most important trait and concern of runners: weight and nutrition respectively. Interestingly, Runner's World made this exact same topic a cover in just this month and they are displaying losing weight stories of regular Joes like you and me.
Now that I got my single-most obsessive topic of weight loss and running off my way, I can briefly touch on other qualities of perfect runners. Although there is no visible physical commonality of perfect runners apart from being mostly skinny, there are some physiological commonalities. For instance every runner has an innate propensity to speed and also an innate propensity to run distance. These genetically coded propensities determine the base level and upper limit of speed and distance running. However, these propensities once again do not correlate to any physical shape or form. Moreover, they could be improved with training and this way everyone can run at their upper speed limit at the farthest distance. If you ask me how – I say read Koach Kelsey's column!
I will just reveal one last secret about perfect runner physique that I found out through an unusual personal experience. A year ago, at my regular annual check-up my EKG came out as unusual. My doc identified some unusual spikes in my EKG. I was referred to a cardiologist who did all the required detailed follow-up tests to only find that my heart was in perfect condition. After having forgotten about that episode, a new check-up specialist found out the same anomaly at my resting EKG during my regular check-up this year and once again tried to send me a cardiologist. I refused that extra expense and instead took my EKG to my new primary care doctor. Knowing that I was a serious runner, she laughed at me looking at my EKG and told me that it was the typical EKG of a long distance runner: “You guys have big hearts and your heart pumps more blood at every beat and that causes those spikes!” That was a relief and nice fact to know about myself. I have a big heart. Perhaps, I am not elite level skinny, but I have a runners' heart. Yay me and yay you! You do have big hearts too. As if you didn't know that already…
Please email me at cenk.bulbul@gmail.comwith any questions you may have or any stories you may want to share. I don't know the answers to all questions, but I know quite a few people that I can ask. Happy training you big-hearted people!
March 2008 - Marathon and Love – A Very Personal Story
I had written about my actual experience of running the NYC marathon before. I also wrote a lot about it when I was preparing for the marathon. I also wrote some about my marathon training runs between my boyfriend' s (now ex) apartment and mine. Now, both of these significant life episodes are memories and I see so many similarities in my experiences between the two and I would like to share the joint story…
NYC Marathon was my first marathon and was a very unique life experience. I was delirious once I got off the Verrazano Bridge having faced the non-stop cheering crowds of Brooklyn. I was so elevated and so excited seeing many and many people, thousands of them cheering their lungs out for the runners that I just lost control of my running. Add to that condition the perfect marathon day weather, I ran with no control of myself. I ran out of my pace and sped the first half in 1 hour 41 minutes. I knew I had to slow down and go back to my target pace – the pace of 8 min/miles I had trained on for several months, but my mind had no control over my legs. Every mile marker I was realizing more and more I was way out of control. My body – my legs eventually collapsed on Queensborough Bridge with 4 cramps in my legs. I barely dragged myself up 1 st avenue over to the Bronx finally clocking 2 hours and 7 minutes in the second half – walking running and jogging, but I didn't give up. I finished. My friend Charlene ran-walked with me at miles 22 and 23 and demanded me that I do not injure myself. It was too late of a warning, I knew I was already injured, but I had to persevere. I had to see that finish line.
8 months of a relationship is rather short, but it was my longest in my active gay life so far. I thought it would never end from the first day. I loved him like there was no tomorrow. However, I now realize that I loved him more than I can handle and more than necessary. I first consummated myself and then him. In a tragically similar experience to my experience of the marathon, the 1 st half of my short relationship was exciting, new, and irrational, but felt good. The 2 nd half of it was a struggle of perseverance on my part. No more words are required to describe, you can build the parallel story.
What have I learned? I learned that it is the person, the character of the person, the person's core traits that define how that person will run the marathon or be in a relationship. It was the same me in both situations that made both experiences unique. I am an overly emotional person whose emotions frequently take over his mind – actually a beautiful one! The delicate difference in these experiences is that I had control over my marathon finishing decision despite the risk of injuring myself. However, it takes two to tango in a relationship.
Is life so miserable for overly emotional runners and lovers? Not really, I had exactly the similar experience to my marathon experience when I ran my first half-marathon. I walked, I threw up, I ran the sloppiest race of my life up that far when I did my first half-marathon. Then I learned how to still be the person I am and how to be a successful half-marathon runner. So I believe there is hope for me for doing another marathon without changing my core personality. I can learn from good or bad but significant life experiences. There better be chance for me! I am already signed up for Chicago Marathon this year. Love is not so predictable as signing up for a marathon, but the beauty is in that uncertainty, no?
Now the focus is on me. So hold on tight to listen to my physical therapy adventures and my adventures with my new road bike. Yes, until I get back to running I will be riding my new bike. Otherwise there is no way I can keep up with my new year's resolution of looking like a runner again. Well, I already shed 5 pounds, but I still have some way to go. You all know that in our ruthless dating jungle of New York, few single men have mercy for a little belly ?
Please email me with any questions you may have or any stories you may want to share. I don't know the answers to all questions, but I know quite a few people that I can ask. cenk.bulbul@gmail.com Happy training!
February 2008 - Faster Faster Faster
My friend Vicky asked me how she could run faster last week. Last year at this time, my friend Mark Mascolini and I were sitting on the benches at the Armory before a speed training and were discussing how he could regain his speed he had lost at around those times. I have been asking the same question to myself constantly. I had gotten faster and faster in the past few years. Now returning yet from another unwanted break from running I am asking the question to myself a bit differently: "How can I get back into shape again without having to take yet another unwanted break?"
I suggest that the answer to the getting faster question depends who is asking the question. The answers for Vicky, Mark and I are all different.
Vicky is an exercise freak. All forms of exercise including running are therapy sessions for her. Although she is very athletic and fit, she can't run very fast yet. Vicky - I think you should take running more seriously and program your other form of exercises (yoga, swimming, aerobic classes at the gym, your personal trainer, etc.) in a way to support your running. You need to build a base mileage that you commit to and run every week to log those miles. You should try to have a shortish long run of ~10 miles every other week. Once you have a mileage base of 25 miles or so that should slowly grow from 10 miles a week in a few months, you can try to do some interval training - that is 0.5-1 mile repeats at a target 5K-5M race pace. That should be about 8:30 min/miles for you as starters.
Mark's getting faster story is history now. He ran a whopping 3:30 NYC Marathon last November and he is now at 74% age-graded performance at races. I think Mark was racing a bit too much back then and his body was tired and he needed to take a break - reducing mileage and racing. I believe he did those good things and he is now back to sub 7 min/miles. Mark slowed down to accelerate again. It was great to see him run like the wind up 1 st avenue when I was dragging my cramped legs at mile 17 of NYC marathon last November.
And I - the emotional runner - need to become more cognizant of running. I need to control myself. I should stop racing my work-outs. I should stick to my pace in work-outs. I should run the fun runs as fun runs. Last Tuesday was my first speed work out - at the Armory - after 3 months of hiatus from running. I could barely do 8:15 min/mile repeats. Last time I was at the Armory I could do those mile repeats at 6:15-min/mile. However, my 5 mile race pace is around 6:40 min/mile. That means I was about 25 seconds/mile faster at the work-outs. That over-ambition at every work-out worn my body out and I fell apart after the marathon.
At least, I learnt a lesson: "Take it easy, boy!" I am now back to the drawing board. I am reading the two books my friend Tim Guscott gave me as gifts for my birthday: Road Racing for Serious Runners and Run Strong . That is my attempt to think and to bring control to my running: Reading about it. No matter what type of runner you are and what your solution to getting faster is, you should remember to build strength through stretching and weight lifting and cross-training. Speed comes with patience and as an end to means - means of training and racing smart.
Please email me with any questions you may have or any stories you may want to share. I don't know the answers to all questions, but I know quite a few people that I can ask. cenk.bulbul@gmail.com Happy training!
January 2008 - My New Year's Resolution
I am sucked into the PMS (post-marathon syndrome). I am eating whatever comes my way during this jolly holiday season and I am not running at all. Gym is a distant memory, being kept busy by so many holidays-related obligations. The result is the unavoidable enlargement of the hips, thighs and the waist. A friend of mine yesterday was being nice: “I can't really tell from your face that you gained 8 pounds.” I wanna hara-kiri myself. I am sure some of you can relate to my story. Obviously my new year's resolution is to get in to shape again. Simply put, I need to lose weight!
I am being a total slob, but many of you are still running. The club's participation in the November and December races was amazing. You, my friends, you are fit and have no need to make a resolution to lose weight like me. So what resolution should you make? I think I can help even the fittest runner to find running related resolutions. I will need to pull my PhD to do that. Yes, I know a lot of research-based facts about how to make successful New Year's resolutions and how to make them come true. Here are my two major cents for you:
First, make resolutions about how you are going to get there rather than what end result you will achieve. Let me explain: Make resolutions about training, not about race results. For instance make a resolution that you will incorporate speed work outs in your training and will do one speed work out each week. Alternatively, make a resolution to run at least 4 times a week. Do not make a resolution that you will break 7:30 minute mile a pace or you will beat so and so in races. Research shows that it is very hard to predict end results, but it is easier to have control over the means to achieve end results. Simply put, if you make training resolutions you will finally get to the end results. On the contrary, if you make results-related resolutions you will get impatient to achieve them and you might get injured or burned out before you get there.
Second, make qualitative resolutions and not numeric ones. That is simply because it is very hard to predict numbers, but you can be subjective about qualitative achievements and you may get there more easily and be happy. For instance, if you say “I am going to run a 47 minute 10K race,” it might take a whole a lot from you to be able to do that, but if you say “I am going to run a very fast 10K,” you may be happy multiple times. A 48 minute 10K might be very fast for a given day and on some other day a 44 minute 10K might be very fast. Look, this way you might even beat the originally considered numeric goal of 47 minute 10K.
I hope all this psychological mambo jumbo makes sense. If not, just keep in mind to make reasonable resolutions and focus on your training. Results will follow with patience. Most importantly, if you see me around these days don't tell me that I am fat. It is better to whisper about that among yourselves. Happy holidays and have a great new year my friends.
Please email me with any questions you may have or any stories you may want to share. I don't know the answers to all questions, but I know quite a few people that I can ask. cenk.bulbul@gmail.com Happy training!
December 2007 - WINTER RUNNING – WEAR CLOTHES!
So it is that time of the year again: Us runners, especially gay runners need to cover ourselves up while running on the roads. One might think - No more showing that beach tan or no more showing the beautiful tattoos either! But you still have the chance to hint the beautiful form that you have formed while training for a marathon, because as you might have thought or already experienced, winter running clothes are almost always very tight fitting: So this is your chance to build a super-hero wardrobe for yourself. Here is my personal journey of acquiring my super-hero wardrobe that might inspire you as well:
My adventure of acquiring winter running clothes started with my friend Richard Ervais giving me a pair of fleece gloves for my birthday last year. I had to match those gloves with caps and hats I had from previous years. You can acquire your hat(s) and gloves in any of the running stores in the city. Make sure you get a technical hat and gloves, not cotton or wool ones, so that you don't get frostbite.
The challenge is the tights and the layers. I have a few sets of gears that I alternate amongst depending on the weather and my style worries of the day. For a dry not so cold day (~45-50F, breezy) I wear my knee socks (sold at the soccer, baseball department of sports goods stores), long shorts (6'' or 9'' inseam), long sleeve technical tee (any kind - sold everywhere) and sometimes depending how cold it is I wear my Nike windbreaker .
For colder days, I alternate between two running tights I have and some top layers I have:
I have one pair of light running tights that I bought from Nike. I had bought mine from Niketown on 57th Street a few years back, however searching the web you can find cheaper alternatives. For colder days (less than ~45F), I have a thicker pair of tights from the store at TWC building at Columbus Circle (The Running Company). This pair I have is from Asics and they had the lighter version of the same tights which came at a cheaper price. Remember to ask for the 10% NYRR discount if you shop there.
Both of my running tights are black, so being the stylish runner I bought a pair of Navy Blue tights online to match my FRNY singlet that I wear over a white long sleeve t-shirt at winter races. For fashionable racing, I bought a white Asics Compression Fitted long-sleeve tee. I also have a Nike white long sleeve that has a zipper in the front to ventilate when you unexpectedly get warm while racing. To get the navy blue tights was a challenge, because they weren't available at any retail store. I first browsed the Asics website to locate them then I ordered them from www.roadrunnersports.com. They are the “Asics Aptitude” tights if you want a pair for yourself.
For the tees and jackets, I followed the advice of my friend Tim Guscott and I acquired a long sleeve Cold Gear T-shirt (like a skin tight turtleneck) from Under Armor. Apparently all I need is a winter windbreaker (somewhat thicker than the light windbreaker I have) to complete the outfit. This Cold Gear tee is really made of a thick fabric with different feel in the inside than outside.
As much as I have a fetish-like interest in all these super-hero outfits, I did not feel very comfortable walking around in all these tight clothing, so I bought a very cheap pair of Adidas warm-up pants ($35) from the Running Company. You can also buy Front Runner warm-ups to wear on top of your tights.
One of the key details to remember is to make sure you order the right size when ordering online. I quickly found out that as much as I am a small adult male in this part of the world (5'8'' 150-160#s depending on how much I have been running), I am actually a medium super-hero on some brands and styles. I am medium at Under Armor's super fitted long tee. I am small at the Asics thick winter tights, but I am medium for Asics Compression tee and Aptitude tights. Much of the variety exists only on the internet, but you can get a feel for the fabrics and sizes in the stores.
Once you get out there running in cold weather you quickly realize that you need layers and you don't need to wrap yourself in blankets. I don't dare to run at freezing temperature, but who knows: One needs to be ready for all conditions. You never know when your feet will want to pound the roads again. For instance, I dared to run the Bronx Half Marathon at 14F last February.
Happy and warm running! Please email me with any questions you may have or any stories you may want to share. I don't know the answers to all questions, but I know quite a few people that I can ask. cenk.bulbul@gmail.com. Happy training!
November 2007 -
PMS - POST MARATHON SYNDROME
I think I have been displaying a very self-centered attitude in this column in the past few months, because I have been writing more and more about the marathon. Just because I run the NYC marathon, all of you had to bear with the subject Good news everyone, a few days after I publish this month's column that will all be a memory and hopefully a sweet memory!
I am writing this column on the first day of my taper, that is three weeks before the race day and I already started imagining the sweet minutes and days after the marathon: Post Marathon Syndrome. So what is Post Marathon Syndrome (PMS)?
PMS starts with recovery and that starts with as soon as crossing the finish line. Experts say that eating some sort of carbohydrates within 30 minutes of crossing the finish line of the marathon helps recovery significantly. Coach Kelsey would say: "Make sure you stretch!" Those brave-hearts out there can try Zander Ross - the marathon maniac- method: Ice bath. If you are a pussy like me and greatly dislike ice baths, you could try Ryan Singer's solution: "Run hot water from the shower on you while sitting in an ice bath." Pain-killers and a long nap might also help very well to ease the pain your might experience immediately after the marathon. No matter what you do, you will have a well-deserved celebration. Plan ahead a good celebration the night of the marathon and make sure you drunk yourself.
After recovery, you might enter into a period of emptiness and laziness. In this period some of us might start questioning the meaning of life, perhaps not? After having run almost every day for 4-5 months, you might feel a bit aimless when you wake up in the morning. As for me, when I wake up 7am in the morning and realize that I can sleep more... Sigh! That will be really nice. This PMS is not such a bad thing after all as some might think.
I have a fear about PMS though. During that lovely and lazy period just after the marathon, I might start getting fat. To fight the possible weight gain during PMS, I am planning on overdosing on yoga, trying out swimming with the gay swim team and lifting some weights (after an almost one year hiatus)! You make sure that you plan your choice of exercise as well. Especially with the changing seasons and cooling temperatures outdoor running might be more of a challenge during PMS.
Come December, I am sure most of us will be over PMS. You may even start considering shelving your finisher's medal after secretly carrying it over your neck (under your shirt, I hope) for a month. By December, I would start considering going to Armory for our traditional FRNY winter work-outs. However, Armory workouts are only twice a week, so if you are a runner at heart like me and need more, you might consider running in the cold as well. That means shopping for winter running gear. This PMS is really cool, isn't it?
Please email me with any questions you may have or any stories you may want to share. I don't know the answers to all questions, but I know quite a few people that I can ask. cenk.bulbul@gmail.com Happy training!
October 2007 -
Top 10 List for Marathon Training Motivation
A fellow Front Runner recently asked me a question that was bugging my own mind in the last few weeks: "What do you do if you've been running for a while and are finding it more and more difficult to get motivated to train for a marathon? How do you combat that, "ugh, I have to run for another two hours on Sunday morning! Just shoot me"?"
I would say my friend read my mind. Apparently, I am not alone trying to drag myself out of bed 5 am on a rainy Saturday morning to do a long run of 20 miles. It is beyond human trying to add up miles week after week for the last 3 months to make sure that I had run enough to complete my weekly mileage. I am also sure that the motivation challenge extends beyond just getting out there and "doing the miles…" When I hit the wall during my long runs, I want to stop, walk, pee, eat, scream, simply drop out, but I keep on running: left, right, left, right, left, right…
So what are the TOP 10 strategies that might make it easy/easier to get ourselves through these last few weeks of marathon training:
Do your long runs with Front Runners. It is an amazing experience to bond over misery. Check the FRNY calendar for the schedule. Make sure you are in town and ready to do the Blue Line Run on October 14 th , 2007.
Our club has 6-7 weekly regular runs every week. It makes it easier to run with a group of people. So run with the club, long run or not!
If you can't do the FRNY runs, try to schedule your runs and long-runs ahead of time and plan fun activities after your runs. So you run to your rewards. I usually run to a nice brunch or drinks with friends or sometimes to my boyfriend J
Try to rest or cross-train one or two day a week. A few days of rest brings new energy to your mind, heart and most importantly legs.
Find creative reasons to run. I run-commute as I wrote about it on here two months ago. Conveniently my boyfriend lives 7.2 miles away from my apartment, so I run-commute between his place and mine.
Plan a run in a new place. Change of scenery and feeling of discovery are always good motivators. For instance, take a weekend day-trip to Hudson valley to see the Fall colors and run by Hudson River J
So…but what to do when you are ready to drop out on a long run: Just imagine the marathon start. Thousands of runners line up to go through an amazing experience. The only way you can pull yourself to the finish successfully is by not dropping out today. So keep on running. Aim that lamp post ahead of you and then that big tree and then go up that hill there will be a downhill just after that. Ok, if you must stop just take a mini-stop: walk for 50 steps and then take off again.
Pick a few friends that you can count on as committed runners with proven track record of self-intrinsic motivation and make run-dates with them: If I am going to a birthday party tonight I make sure that I make a run-date for next morning
Start shopping for your marathon outfit. The motivation to test a few clothing alternatives for "the big day" might push you a few more weeks closer to the race day.
Please email me with any questions you may have or any stories you may want to share. I don't know the answers to all questions, but I know quite a few people that I can ask. Email me at cenk.bulbul@gmail.com. Happy running!
