13 Random Notes on the Olympics

I want this look! Credit: Nike

I'm not going to lie: It's definitely turning into Olympics central around here. It might not seem like it 100 percent of the time on Fit-Ink--because I can't keep up with all the action of training, working, recovering, event-attending, and Olympics-watching--but it's obvious offline. Two TVs running during primetime, recording coverage especially when I have to leave for a swim or run, live streaming on the swimming because I simply can't wait seven or eight hours to watch the tape delay, and engaging in random Olympic discussions like the one where a friend thought Ryan Lochte sounded pompous after he won gold in the 400 IM. Basically, I don't know what I'm going to do with myself when the torch is extinguished in two weeks because I can't watch sports 24/7.

Enough about me and my Olympics love that borders more on craziness and obsession rather than adoration. Here's a baker's dozen of random facts, comments and notes--mostly swimming related--that I've noticed in the first three days of London 2012 competition.

1. I'm not shy on my love--and strong following--of the swimming events. And I can assure you that I follow the sport any time it airs on TV, not just during the Olympic years. You can learn a lot about your own stroke mechanics by watching these Olympians especially when you look at the underwater views. I know I'll never swim breaststroke like Rebecca Soni--I can barely swim a 100 free that fast and that was when I still had some of my sprinting speed--but the girl whisks through the water. Matt Grevers pushes an amazing amount of water behind him as he powers through the 100 back (Did you see that underwater shot? It was insane). And then watch any freestyler and you'll pick up plenty of tips to make your stroke a little faster and more efficient.

What You Didn't Know about the Chicago Women's Half Marathon

Freihofer's Run celebrates women runners, too. Credit: michaelstyne

I might be making a bit of a broad assumption but when you're a runner, a triathlete or an endurance junkie, it's tough not to get excited about a new race that lands on your radar. I know I've been giddy over Ironman St. George (or maybe I was more freaked out by its intensity) and Ironman New York City (even though I still have no desire to pedal the Palisades Parkway or bounce between New Jersey and New York in a single race). I was thrilled to read about the now defunct Lakeshore Marathon--a spring marathon for Chicagoans on the Lakefront Path that disappeared after 2005. In the last year, I've heard about several new events landing in Chicagoland from the Zooma half marathon in Lake Geneva to the Run for Your Heart 5K that was held indoors at McCormick Place, and from Fort2Base with its unique nautical mileage to the upcoming Big 10K and Chicago 10K. And I've often registered for a newer race instead of a mainstay, especially when one is closer to home than the other or most cost-effective.

That last thought is something I could totally see myself doing with the inaugural Chicago Women's Half Marathon and 5K on June 24. It's in Grant Park--far closer than the triathlons I considered in Pleasant Prairie and Lake Geneva. It's new--as you can tell from the use of inaugural. And as far as half marathons go, it's pretty affordable--$65 for the half and $35 for the 5K.

But we took the thrills and chills for the Chicago Women's Half one step further and dug up the facts that you may not have known about the race. I never would have known No. 3 until someone told me. Here's why you'll want to get excited for this inaugural 13.1-miler through the Windy City.

Fit-Fact: Eat Your Veggies

How often did you pass on the veggies on your plate as a kid? Or how many times did Mom tell you to finish your veggies or tell you dessert was a no-no as a result? Well it looks like eating those veggies wasn't just a ploy on Mom's behalf. Sure, we know about the antioxidant powers of certain fruits and vegetables, and how they're a lot better to put on our plates than processed foods we'll crave in a weak moment in front of the vending machine. But it looks like Mom is right once again, and all of the coaxing and prodding at the dinner table to clear your plate of veggies wasn't for naught.

Take the colorful produce aisle at the store, chock full of carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, asparagus, broccoli and beans. Those vegetables are screaming to get into your blood stream, not just to make the blood vessels flexible thanks to the antioxidants, but to help ward off cardiovascular disease. I read a Twitter feed by Women's Health that caught my eye--that a daily one-serving increase in veggies can decrease your risk of heart disease by 4 percent. And for heart disease being a top silent killer among women, my eyes lit up. Yes, it's hard to cram some of those fibrous foods into your system, but if there's a health benefit involved, why not trade the chips and ice cream (my downfalls) for some carrots and cucumbers, or beans and lentils, which are known to decrease heart disease?

Need some help selecting from the produce aisle? Try these three vegetables that are rich in antioxidants and can help set your ticker on the right track.

• Broccoli. Full of flavonoids, a power-packed antioxidant, this shrub is rich in calcium, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, manganese, selenium and copper. Plus it's full of nonsoluble fiber that will help clean out the intestines and absorb nutrients.
• Kale. Rich in more flavonoids and nonsoluble fiber, you'll also find calcium, vitamin A and vitamin C as stand-out nutrients.
• Carrots. With a one-two antioxidant punch--carotenes and flavonoids--carrots also pack in nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin B, vitamin E, manganese, selenium and copper.

But whatever the choice, variety is key. The different colors signify different combinations of nutrients. And try to stick to fresher products as they'll have more nutritional properties than something that's been on a shelf a few weeks. Photo grabbed from cellissimo at flickr. Posted by Kate

1 Day to Boston Marathon: Where Are You Going to Watch?

The packets have been picked up. The hotels in Boston crammed to capacity (there's one thing to stimulate the economy, haha). The Invitational Mile and B.A.A. 5K runners sprinted through the streets of Boston this morning. The runners are carbo-loading and resting up for tomorrow's big race. You get the idea: Marathon fever has hit Boston and the final hours to 2009 lift-off are ticking away.

While tomorrow's runners are aiming for some shut-eye and packing their essentials for their run, I'm thinking it's the spectators buzzing around online for information on watching the race. So to pay homage to the crowds I love coming out when I run, this one's for you.

We've outlined the towns that runners pass through from Hopkinton all the way into Boston and spectators manage to make their way into all of these towns, lining the street and providing plenty of motivation and cheers for the runners. Groups will often camp out in one location all day, bringing bowls of candy or pretzels to offer to runners, grilling out in front yards (those hot dogs smell soooo good), spilling out of the bars in between rounds or after the baseball game. There are definite spot along the course that are easier for on-lookers to reach--town centers, the intersection with highway I-95, train stops--and those that are more difficult where I have yet to see spectators in the two years I've run the race. Boston.com created a great list for spots to watch the race unfold--I wish my mom had spotted this when we had to create a blind plan of attack in 2007. That same site will also tell you about the train schedule and closings you might encounter on race day to help you navigate around the city.

It may or may not be a no brainer, but if you have a car and want to go into Boston to watch, you may not want to use it. I realize this is coming from a tourist's point of view, but we suspected traffic would be horrendous anywhere near the race course--we had a rental and my parents debated driving out to a spot to watch and then driving back in. I can't speak for most of the course but I remember not seeing traffic when running over I-95 and greeting the cheering masses but being engulfed in traffic walking back to my hotel after finishing and then trying to leave the city. And this could just be me, but dealing with a drive through jammed zig-zagging one-way streets isn't fun.

Instead of using the car, you could hop on a train to reach a destination, especially if you're in the city, aiming to make it out and back over the course of the race. The commuter rails travel out to Ashland and you can see some of the stations from the marathon course. Yes, you'll be dependent on the train's schedule and have to deal with crowds and lines, but you can even catch some of the course from the train when the runners are traversing along the T tracks in the Brookline vicinity. Not that my mom is the expert, but her and my husband decided they could travel as far out as mile 16 and still make it back to Boston to watch me finish. It worked for them--even though I passed right by them while they stood there--and they probably could have traveled even further had they known I'd be far off pace that day. And they claim they saw me run by at the finish line, where they stood thick in the crowds on Boylston Street and I didn't know whether to look right or left and I focused on the finish line, all too happy to finish and end the running pain. My dad confirmed my mom's plan last year when she led him out to the mile 16-17 area, just before the Newton hills, and then back to Boston. And lucky for them, I waved as I ran by both spots--and handed off my jacket--knowing the general vicinity for where they'd be watching. This time they stood at the turn onto Boylston Street to watch me make the final turn in the race and run toward the finish line, and I could see them as I trudged up the hill. Good watching spot, Mom and Dad!

But the one thing to keep in mind is that some of the watching all comes down to luck. You can always plan to head to one location and upon arrival have to improvise, settle on another spot, because others thought that your spot looked pretty inviting too. My parents definitely admit that they never expected to find that spot at the Boylston intersection. Same goes for bleacher viewing and public transportation. The bleachers line a great viewing spot at the finish and it's always worth a shot to search for a seat there because you might just get lucky and score a seat. And with the T you could either wait forever for a train or be able to hop on right away and get back to the finish--but expect a squeeze especially as you near downtown.

As for favorite spots from the runner's vantage point? I'm a fan of the throngs of people out in Wellesley, Chestnut Hill and Brookline, mostly because the college campuses are right there and bring lots of noise and support. It also makes me second-guess my decision not to attend college in Boston (but then again I may have never become interested in marathons had that happened). Regardless, the crowds are plentiful and with a little gentle squeezing you can find a spot to watch. And remember a course map to aid in navigation.

Not making it to Boston on race day? If you're like me, there's a really easy to watch the race, especially the much anticipated elite run down. Tune into Universal Sports either online or through your cable provider to watch all the action. Good luck with the viewing either in person or over the airwaves. Photo grabbed from dsearls at flickr. Posted by Kate

2 Days to Boston Marathon: Duel in the Sun

Spring and sun finally arrived around here today, so I only found it fitting to remember the year the Boston Marathon became the "Duel in the Sun." That and after all of our reporting on the American runners Elva Dryer, Kara Goucher, Ryan Hall and Brian Sell gunning for 2008 champions Robert K. Cheruiyot and Dire Tune, we could see a repeat duel battling toward the finish line on Monday.

The year was 1982 and it was a race that came down to the wire and in the way it's always described starts to remind me of a horse race or the 100-meter dash at the Olympics where a photo finish determines the winner. But at Boston, it was two Americans running toward the finish line neck and neck only to finish two seconds apart. Those two men were Dick Beardsley, a farmer from Minnesota who trained through his home state's frigid winters, and Alberto Salazar, who hailed from nearby Wayland, Mass., and now calls himself Kara Goucher's coach. Beardsley and Salazar battled between first and second from the Newton Hills at mile 17 to the finish line with Salazar ultimately winning in 2:08:52 and Beardsley in 2:08:54. It was the first time two men had run under 2:09:00 in the same race and in sun-scorching conditions no less.

Talk about giving a show to the spectators lining the marathon course from Newton into Boston. Beardsley, no Salazar. Salazar, no Beardsley. Then both sprinting to the finish line trying to outlast the other. And yes, Salazar did run away with the victory, but not without paying the price. In battling Beardsley throughout the race, you could almost say he was so focused he forgot to refuel. Just after crossing the finish line, he collapsed and needed to visit the emergency room for IV attention. Word has it he received six liters of water intravenously because he didn't drink during the race--note to runners: Be sure to frequent the water and Gatorade stations.

You can read far more about this exciting race in John Brant's Duel in the Sun--definitely a recommended read in my book--which recounts the race-day excitement while telling the story of each runner and his preparations. Now here's to watching and waiting for what might unfold on Monday. Photo grabbed from amazon.com. Posted by Kate

4 Days to Boston Marathon: Predicting

I know I'm probably starting to sound like a broken record, but this year I'm not one of the runners boarding a plane due for Beantown this weekend. Yeah, I'm definitely bummed to not be able to share in some of the pre-race jitters and taper message boards but I was excited last night when I found a contest to help ease my woes and get me excited about race day beyond cheering for those I know who will be on course.

I'm calling it the Super Bowl pool of the Boston Marathon...a Boston Marathon Prediction Contest presented by the cassidy feed. It's your chance to rank who will finish in the top 10 on Monday and guess the finish times of American runners Ryan Hall, Brian Sell, Kara Goucher and Elva Dryer. The site provides the names and qualifying times of the elite runners, but you can write in the names of any marathoner whom you think can finish in the 10, elite or not. If you're good with your guesswork, you collect points to win some fun prizes like a Strands/Puma tech tee or a goodie bag loaded with running treats. To score points, you have to either select the athlete's exact finishing position (100 points), have a runner finishing in the top 5 who finishes in the top 5 (50 points), have a runner listed in the top 5 who finishes in the top 10 (25 points), choose the winner (300 points), choose the winning time down to the second (500 points), choose the correct time for one of the Americans (500 points), or pick the winner's time or the times of one of the Americans within 5 seconds (100 points). Winners are selected based on point totals.

The contest is free to enter, the only catch is that you can only enter one. But hurry, entries are due by Sunday eat midnight ET. Who's with me on the numbers game? Hmm, with a field of 25,000 runners and knowing that anything can happen on race day, this might be a larger crap shoot than I bargained for. Posted by Kate

Recessionomics: We're Hitting The Gym More

The tinier our paychecks get and the more penny-pinching we become these days, it seems one industry is busier than ever: Fitness clubs. In fact, while unemployment soars to new highs, the gym- and fitness-club market is on track to grow by more than 2 percent this year, according to a fascinating story on Bloomberg.com.

Gyms like Equinox and Life Time Fitness report that folks are using the gym more and more often--as way to thwart anxiety and get away from the stress. Equinox is even adding more Zen-minded classes (like yoga, meditation and Power Nap) to keep up with the demand. Also surprising: folks who are unemployed and/or recently laid off aren't cutting off their memberships--they're using their new excess of free time to hit the gym and get in shape.

I love this trend, but let's face it: We can't afford everything we want in the name of our health. Some goodies have to go. Faced with less pennies to spend, what would you nix first? Ready, set...vote! Photo grabbed from 401k at flickr.

poll by twiigs.com

6 Days to Boston Marathon: The Fast Pack

The Boston Marathon website has been updated with all things related to race day. Runner's World has enough Boston information to keep runners and lusters--me included--visiting 24/7 until Monday with weather reports, interviews and blogs. And I'm convinced that searches are starting to pick up online related to this famed race. So with all the talk surrounding this marathon that has kept people training all winter, slogging through snow, ice, chilling winds and subzero temperatures, just which elites will be toeing the line come Monday morning?

With the marathon Olympic Trials being held for the U.S. women the day before Boston last year, the home-soil talent was a little shallow, which makes this year even more noteworthy to have Kara Goucher gunning for a victory lap. I know it probably sounds like we're ga-ga for Goucher, but how can you not be when she has a chance to win a race that an American woman hasn't won since Lisa Larsen Weidenbach in 1985? Aside from Goucher, some other names to note among the women's field include another American, Elva Dryer from Colorado, and 2007 winner Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia. Dire Tune, the 2008 winner, is back as the top seed, along with two other female runners who hail from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Bezunesh Bekele and Atsede Habtamu.

When it comes to top runners on the men's side, especially foreign runners, you're either a Cheruiyot or from Addis Ababa. Tekeste Kebede and Deriba Merga round out the Addis Ababa crew. Robert K. Cheruiyot is back to defend his title while Evans and Robert are the Cheruiyots trying to topple him. Meanwhile Olympians Ryan Hall and Brian Sell will be vying to bring the Boston title into U.S. hands.

On a side note, I was hoping that last year's top U.S. female would be back to race, but I didn't see Ashley Anklam's name among the entrants. I say this because Anklam ran a blistering 2:48 last year and finished in 15th place overall thanks to both her fast feet and many of the Americans too sore from Trials to run the following day. And I had the luck of meeting Anklam briefly last year although it was really our mothers who carried on the small talk. I was cleaning up postrace in a room set aside for runners at the Westin and Anklam used the shower after me to clean up for a press conference. I'm not as lucky to run with Deena Kastor so this was my glory moment, especially since it was by chance. OK, enough already....

Look for some of these names come Monday. One of them should be leading the race at least at some point, maybe even running away as the victor. We shall see. Photo of 2008 winners, Dire Tune and Robert K. Cheruiyot, grabbed from sports.gay.com. Posted by Kate

10 Days to Boston Marathon: Rosie the Running Rogue

Many Boston Marathon runners opt to ride the school buses out to the Hopkinton start of the race. Some even have a bus or private charter to stay cozy on at the start. But any runner knows it's a 26.2-mile foot race back to the finish line, a long two-plus hour journey that can get so intense at times you wished you could hop back on that bus--or the T--and ride to mile 25 to run the final mile. Unless you want to pull a Rosie Ruiz, but be sure not to be the first across the finish line.

With Championchips, checkpoints and cameras on the course, it'd be near impossible these days to accomplish the Rosie Ruiz feat at the 84th Boston Marathon. On April 21, 1980, Ruiz was the first female to cross the finish line in roughly 2 hours and 31 minutes. But she didn't legally cross the finish line. It was later revealed that Ruiz jumped onto the course around Kenmore Square, only about one mile from the finish line, and ran from there. Now as most urban legends would go, there are surrounding rumors that she started the race and took a bus to the near-finish or that she dropped out and rode the subway to where she began running again. Yet some tales don't mention that she started the race at all--although I would hope that she didn't wait in the crowd near Fenway Park all day and at least put forth the effort to run more than a mile.

Eventually race officials figured out the scam and Ruiz was stripped of the title. And it turned out that Boston wasn't the first place she started the stop and run. Looking back on the incident, The New York Times indicated that she pulled out of the 1979 New York City Marathon, rode the subway to Columbus Circle and then crossed the finish line in 2:56:29. That time would be fast enough for her to qualify for Boston and end up on the list of those who could register. I thought I read that crossing the finish line was unintentional--that another runner on the subway said to come and watch the runners finish.

Regardless, some believe that Ruiz never intended on winning the race. She may have just wanted to finish and flash her finish time to her coworkers who thought she was an expert runner. Maybe it's just the opposite of an age-old saying and this time the early bird never gets the worm? Photo grabbed from inhistoric.com. Posted by Kate

Fit-Fact: Can't Run Without It

Random facts are some of my favorite finds, especially when they pertain to my favorite activities. Check this out: Runner's World shared a cool fact about the safety pin. That tool that all of us runners use race day to affix race number bibs to our fronts turns 160 years old today. Who knew?

Read more about the patent on the pin at RW, it's cool stuff. Photo grabbed from Rudy Malmquist. Posted by Kate

11 Days to Boston Marathon: Rick and Dick

Team Hoyt, the father and son duo, Dick and Rick. However you might recognize this pair, you've mostly likely seen them on the course, watched them on TV footage either at Boston or the Ironman World Championships (yep, they've been there too, most recently in 2007), or read about them in Runner's World. Dick pushes his son along many a course, giving Rick the legs he never had.

You can read a more in-depth history on their website, but in short, 47-year-old Rick was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, cutting off oxygen to his brain, and developed cerebral palsy. While Rick's body lacks, his brain does not and he's been able to communicate through a computer, graduating from college and telling his family he loved sports. Dick wanted his son to live as normal a life as possible so when Rick said he wanted to do a 5K race, Dick pushed him, and this started their streak of nearly 1,000 races together. They first entered the Boston Marathon in 1981, and now at age 68, Dick will be running it again, pushing Rick to complete No. 27.

But one of the most awe-inspiring feats that really gains them notice--and jaw drops--is their competition in the Ironman. It's hard enough to complete that race alone, but Dick has to pull a raft holding Rick during the swim, pedal and specially-designed bike to seat Rick in front, and then push him through a marathon. Team Hoyt most recently completed the Ironman distance in 2004, and fell just short of the swim cut-off at Ironman Hawaii in 2006. Now they've switched over to the 70.3 series when it comes to triathlon--you may have caught them on NBC on April 12 during the airing of the 2008 Foster Grant World Championships 70.3. And they're still making it to the Boston start line when they're healthy and able--they missed 2007 due to some health ailments but have made all the other starts since 1981. Good part too is they're from the Boston area, so they don't have far to travel for the famed race. They're even being honored on some of the banners this year as pictured above. Photo grabbed from Paul Keleher (banner) and Just_a_friend (2006 running) at flickr. Posted by Kate

12 Days to Boston Marathon: Breaking and Entering

Credit: AP/Wideworld Photo

For the 12th random fact surrounding the Boston Marathon, I didn't know where to start. (And note to self: Don't talk to your sister at the same time, all thoughts go out the window.) Top racers over the years? Random facts about the winners like the last American to win or the year the course distance fell short? I had brainstormed several ideas while writing about the weather--more by accident they popped into my head as I poured over race history details--but couldn't narrow it down to just one. Until I decided to honor the women, those competitors in the race who couldn't always be a part.

We wouldn't even be able to talk about Kara Goucher toeing the Boston Marathon start line this year, or Deena Kastor and Joan Benoit Samuelson running in past years, without the help of a few pioneers. And Liz and I obviously have to credit these pioneers as well since we've both been fortunate enough to make it to the line, and surrounded by thousands of other women.

I know I shouldn't be surprised by the fact that women were barred from sports competition on a variety of levels just 40 years ago. I'm not trying to go all Title IX here, but I always think I would have been screwed had been born in the time of suffragettes, pre-Rosie the Riveter, or the Victorian Age (forgive me if some of my historical facts are off). But the Olympics have been laden with men-only sports and events, professional sports had the men first and women almost as an after-thought (OK maybe that was just A League of Their Own), and any woman has probably heard the tale of marathon running being dangerous for females and they couldn't put their bodies through an enduring 26.2 miles. So while America's longest-running marathon has been going strong for 113 years, the women have only legally been a part going on 38 years.

Legally is the key word here. Part of my favorite part of Boston lore are the sneaky, but sweet, ways women made it into the race in the 1960s. The first woman to make it to the line? Roberta Gibb in 1966. But while Boston history recognizes her as the first female in the race, she never ran with a bib number in the three year's she participated, '66, '67 and '68. Nope, Gibb hid in the bushes until the race started and then emerged to start running--and she did finish each time.

Then there's Kathrine Switzer, whose name often sticks out as the female first at Boston. Or at least that's how I associated her name. And that's because in 1967 Switzer was the first woman to receive a bib to run the race, as registered runner K.V. Switzer. Marathon officials tried to pull her off the course once they realized that K.V. was not a male runner, and her time is recorded as an unofficial 4:20. She tells the story best in this excerpt from The Spirit of the Marathon--Switzer also notes the participation of some other female bandits in years succeeding her run.

The problem females faced with entering the marathon stemmed from the AAU--Amateur Athletics Union--which did not formally accept women participants in long distance running. They finally started to allow female entries into its sanctioned marathons in the fall of 1971, and by 1972, eight women started the Boston Marathon and eight finished. And Nina Kuscsik became the first official female finisher--according to Switzer she was a bandit in prior years.

Not only did these women pave the way for Boston participation, but marathoning in general. I'm always fascinated at the facts that show the grow in marathon partcipation numbers, specifically in the women completing the feat, where it's growing closer to becoming a 50-50 split between guys and gals. And if all of the registered women do in fact make it to Beantown for this year's marathon, more than 10,000 of the registered 25,000 runners (approximately) will be women.

That leads me to two more facts involving women that will be coming...Rosie Ruiz and Nancy Rollins, who'll be racing on April 20 and one really cool Chicagoan. Well, Nancy's from Evanston, just north of the city, but I digress. Photo grabbed from kathrineswitzer.com. Posted by Kate

13 Days to Boston Marathon: How Many Towns Was That?

Point-to-point marathons can either play with your mind and wreak havoc on a runner's mental game, or it can be one cool bragging right when you realize you ran the distance that many people drive. When you're heading out on the bus from Boston Common to Hopkinton High School for the Boston Marathon start, it just might hit you that you'll be running nearly this same path in just a few hours. And that can either be daunting or motivating.

Before you get to Beantown and end your 26.2-mile journey in the heart of Copley Square and nearly in front of the Boston Public Library, what the heck did you run past to get there? You could probably study the course map a million times, but once you're out there, everything becomes a blur. How many towns pack in the spectators to greet you and how many signs do you pass welcoming you into each main drag?

I had to stop counting the signs in 2007 after the welcome mats to Ashland and Framingham started numbers whirling through my head. Already a painful race, the thought of the number of miles left before reaching Heartbreak Hill or entering the Boston city limits made each step seem that much further from the finish line. But looking back it's pretty cool to realize I ran through each of these areas on my journey east to the city:

• Hopkinton--race start
• Ashland
• Framingham
• Natick
• Wellesley--happy halfway and home to Wellesley College
  
• Newton
• Chestnut Hill--home to Boston College
  
• Brookline
• Boston--Boston University, Fenway Park and the finish line

There's more to each of these towns that just a name and there's something special to find whether it be a statue, a landmark, crowd support to remember or a course feature. After only running through the various neighborhoods of Chicago during other marathon treks (at least until Boston 2007), the town to town travels really captured my attention. And to think I ran through eight towns on one day made my head spin. Silly, I know. Photo grabbed from wickedlocal.com. Posted by Kate

14 Days to Boston Marathon: And It's One, Two, Three Strikes You're Out

If only marathons allowed for a seventh inning stretch: Stop the clocks when a runner needs to break, maybe stretch sore calf muscles, chow down a gel without its contents sloshing through your system, visit a porta-pottie. But alas, that's not the case, and my reference to the famed chorus that reverberates through the stands at a baseball game refers not only to Opening Day of the 2009 baseball season but to an event that coincides with Boston Marathon race day.

While the runners travel from Hopkinton to Copley Square, they know they'll pass through several towns; the campuses of Boston College, Boston University and Wellesley; and pass by Fenway Park and the Citgo sign that dot Boston culture. But what you might not know is that the marathon isn't the only event taking place on Patriots' Day in Beantown...Fenway is packed to the rafters with Red Sox fans for a special midday game that typically wraps up as the marathoners are making their way into Boston proper. The crowds thicken, adding to the race fever, and the cheers roar on.

Local legend--or one passionate fan--professes that the Red Sox have played on their home turf every Patriots' Day since 1960, with the exception of off days in 1965 and 1967 and the players' strike in 1995. They're also the only team in major league baseball to host a morning game, a tradition they've stuck to since 1903--at least for the most part since they had to share daytime rights with the Braves when Boston was still a two-team town. The game starts at 11:05 a.m. and spectators flood into Kenmore Square to watch the runners afterward.

The Red Sox record on Patriots' Day stands at 65-48 through 2008. In 2008, the Sox won 8-3 against the Texas Rangers. This year, they're set to play the Baltimore Orioles. And the stakes are on the line for the Sox to keep up their winning streak: They haven't lost on Patriots' Day since 2003, and the streak started with a win against the Yankees in 2004. Photo grabbed from Claire A Taiwan. Posted by Kate

15 Days to Boston Marathon: Forecasting

With less than 15 days before the 113th running of the famed Boston Marathon hits the streets of Beantown, why not explore some of the fun facts surrounding the race? I'll countdown to race day with some random bits of information for the race that filled to capacity a few months ago and expects to draw at least 200 runners from Chicago itself, and almost 800 from Illinois. They're all associated with the race and published in random order with no specific level of importance.

Today I'm kicking off with something that will hit home to all of us in the Windy City, who stared out the window into a snow storm yesterday. If you're a little shocked at the snow falling on April 5, don't be surprised if you see some other unusual happenings from Mother Nature come April 20. She's been known to brew some crazy clouds and hellacious heat over New England before. Take some of these notable years:

• 2007--a Nor'easter was expected to thrash down on Boston Monday morning, just in time for the race. It poured Sunday night and waiting for the buses in Boston Common to ride to Hopkinton was a puddled mess, but the rain slowed, at least for most of the race, to only make the run a little chilly as opposed to soggy--kind of like the 2008 Banco Popular Chicago Half Marathon that runners called a monsoon. And Boston.com labeled that day as having the worst weather conditions since 1970. Yikes!
• 2006--according to one blog, this year had temperatures that runners could only dream of for running a 26.2 journey. Lucky ducks! He even checked out the Farmers Almanac forecast for the day and it didn't sound too bad.
• 2004--this day sounds a lot like the 2007 Chicago Marathon that many runners would like to forget. The temperature was 83 degrees when the race started at noon and 86 degrees by mid-day when many runners were finishing. The crazy part is that didn't keep runners from crossing the finish line: 20,404 entrants, 18,003 starters, 16,783 finishers. A record number of runners were treated for heat-related illnesses on this hottest Patriots Day since 1976.
• 1999--another warm day, although nothing in comparison to 2004, where temperatures reached 70 degrees in Wellesley. But 98 percent of those starting the race finished despite the warmer day.
• 1976--the Bicentennial year race went down as the "run for the hoses," with temperatures swelling past 100 degrees and more than 40 percent of the 1,898 starters to pull out before finishing. This is the hottest Boston Marathon on record.
• 1970--you'd have been pretty determined to run this race which saw tons of rain and 44-degree chilly temperatures.
• 1968--temperatures were a bit on the warm side, at 72 degrees, the year Amby Burfoot, now an editor at Runner's World, captured the crown.
• 1961--Boston gets cold too, facing 39-degree temperatures and cold winds blowing off the Atlantic.
• 1958--another hot one, where this April day rose to 84 degrees. And the 1956 Olympics runner-up Franjo Mihalic won and is the first and only Eastern European resident to win the race.
• 1952--again it was hot, where temperatures reached 88 degrees.
• 1941 and 1942--these years went from one extreme to the other. It was a warm 72 degrees in 1941, followed up by a chillier 44 degrees the next year.
• 1914 and 1915--both of these races were labeled as being held on unseasonably warm days.
• 1909--not quite a run for the hoses, but with marathon running not being as popular as it is today, I'm surprised the race was even held with temperatures reaching 97 degrees. Heat wave!

Race day weather really can be a total crap shoot. Not only has the race had its ups and downs of extremes in its 113-year history, but you never know what'll happen from one year to the next. Take 2008 where it was almost starting to look a little like a repeat of 2007--minus the downpours--before the race started. But in the time it took to board a bus in Boston Common and arrive at Hopkinton High School the gray sky started to push out and it began to warm up. When the second wave of runners took off for Boylston Street, the sun was out and it had warmed to 60-something degrees, good for spectators and not so good for all runners, especially those of us who dealt with winter cold and snow while training.

As for the 2009 forecast? Weather.com only forecasts 10 days ahead, but it lists the average high at 58 degrees and the average low at 42. But the highest recorded temperature for April 20 was 89 degrees and the lowest was 21. Accuweather's 15-day forecast only goes as far as Sunday, April 19, and that's predicted to be 46 degrees and overcast. Or if you're looking for the Old Farmer's Almanac prediction...that's calling for cool temps, maybe some showers. I wonder who will be right. Photo grabbed from mccannjl2002 at Flickr. Posted by Kate

P.S. 15 days was technically on Sunday, I just got a little late with my posting so you'll see a double for today with No. 14 arriving later.

Fit-Fact: U.S. Hockey Team Wins Gold

Regardless of the sport, anything relating to the Olympics excites me. And while you might be wondering how this relates to Fit-Ink, this is one Olympic fact that I didn't realize occurred on this day. And it's one that year after year keeps its notoriety among the sports annals. Now the drumroll for today's Fit-Fact...

The Miracle on Ice happened 29 years ago today. On Feb. 22, 1980, the U.S. hockey team defeated the Soviets in Lake Placid at the Olympics Games to come one step closer to winning the gold medal. The Soviet team was considered to be the best amateur team of the time and the U.S. team barely skated by, 4-3.

Thanks to The New York Times for sharing this bit of Olympic trivia--I spotted this while perusing my e-mail newsletter from the paper. Photo grabbed from Mr. T in DC at flickr. Posted by Kate

Fit-Fact: First Family Fitness

After a weekend in Chicago, news of dinner at Table 52, and a friend on Facebook status updating to say he waved to Mr. Pres and he waved back, I've got Obama on my mind.

But I'm not talking about stimulus bills and politics. When Michelle Obama was announced as the latest First Lady to grace the cover of Vogue, Kathy Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb commented that she had great arms and must work her upper body. At inauguration time, a photo circulated through my e-mail linking to a photo of Obama riding through Hyde Park on a bike. OK, that seemed to poke fun at our Chief of State, but he is known for shooting hoops. Hence the announcement that daughter Sasha would be joining a basketball team at her new school. So with all of these active Obamas, it didn't surprise me in the least when a few weeks ago my guilty pleasure reading on People.com uncovered dirt on the Granny-in-Chief, Michelle's mother.

Turns out that the woman many media outlets have started calling the First Granny, Marian Robinson, loves doing yoga.

And she's not the only one in the family getting limber. Robinson's yoga partner is Sasha and Malia's godmother, Eleanor "Mama Kaye" Wilson. Robinson's younger brother, Stephen Shields, serves as their yoga instructor.

I'm still wondering how Michelle's getting those svelte arms (can I steal some secrets?), but I'm loving the athletic chops of this family. And not just Grandma and the immediate family. Maybe Grandma was a star athlete who never met her true calling, because there's something in the genes of that family. Michelle's brother Craig can hold his chops on the basketball court and played college ball at Princeton. He's currently the men's basketball head coach at Oregon State University and previously coached at Brown University. Any one-on-one action between in-laws? Photo grabbed from chimpomatic.com. Posted by Kate

PS Apologies for any lackluster posts by me the past few days, I feel like I've been in a mental fog. Hope to snap out soon!

Fit-Fact: Trees at Deer Valley

That's skiable--the trees aren't as tight as they look--Centennial at Deer Valley

While I'm really trying to move away from the skiing references--after all I've been back in Chicago for two weeks--I still have skiing on the brain. Of course, it doesn't help that I whine about the weather all the time (and sorry for mentioning it constantly, too), wishing I could trade Chicago flats for Rockies peaks. But as I'm yearning for more ski time and sorting through my pictures from my last trip, it's really difficult to part with thoughts of Deer Valley, Park City and Alta, and all of the interesting things I learned about the areas. That Park City was a mining town and the old structures on the mountain--there's one near the Bonanza lift and another by Thaynes--were used for mining the mountain. That Alta operates snowcat skiing but on a very limited basis. That Deer Valley prunes its tree skiing spots.

Prunes its trees? I thought I was hearing things when Craig McCarthy, Park City Chamber of Commerce Communications Manager, confirmed that Deer Valley picks through its forests each summer to make for pristine tree skiing in the winter. No forays into the forests only to hit a pack of trees so tight you can't pick your way to the bottom. No dead-ends or random branches to hit you. No wonder I like these tree runs--I can actually pick my way through them without tumbling into a tree well or wrapping myself around a trunk (and trust me both have happened). I'm someone who tries to avoid trees at all costs--even if it means skiing a green--yet at Deer Valley the trees seem less intimidating, still challenging, and offer the hope of untracked powder on a snow-less day. My faves: Centennial off the Lady Morgan Express lift and Ontario Bowl. Posted by Kate

Fit-Fact: Happy Birthday Alta

Alta in 2009

With all of the cold weather and snow we've been having in Chicago, I've wanted nothing more than an escape to ski country, one of the few places where I can tolerate--and love--the hours outside and pray for another snow dump. So when I read about this ski news, it had to become a Fit-Fact for the week.

Alta Ski Area, one of the last skiers-only areas left in the states, turned 70 years old. While I knew it was celebrating its 70th season, I didn't realize that the date of opening was pinpointed and recognized. Turns out that Alta opened its lifts to skiers on January 15, 1939. The Collins lift, Utah's first ski lift and the fifth in the U.S., opened to 350 skiers.

Here's a little comparison for what's changed (or hasn't) in the past 70 years at Alta:

• In 1939, a lift ticket cost 25 cents for one ride, $1.50 for the full day.
• In 2009, a lift ticket costs $59 for a full day, plus a $5 charge for the reusable Alta card that serves as your pass for the day.
  
• In 2005, the Collins lift, which was upgraded a few times since 1939, was replaced with a high-speed quad that travels higher up the mountain, also christened Collins.
• In 2002, Alta and Snowbird paired up to offer a joint ticket for skiing between the resorts.
• Alta continues to use the same World War II howitzers to blast for avalanches in the area.
  
• Alta still is for skiers only. Snowboarders have to stay in Snowbird. Posted by Kate