All's Right With the World

After a week of feeling ill in various ways, I finally regained my footing, so to speak, and am back on track. I went out for a short 2-mile run this afternoon, on a very unseasonably warm (65 degrees) day, and it was like my world had realigned. Over the past few days, I changed teaching appointments and academic disciplines for next semester and will be teaching Women's Studies at Tufts University and, combined with my physical inactivity, my professional turbulence has left me feeling mentally askew and unmoored. Today, everything was put in order, personally and professionally, and I could head out for a run. It was especially hard to have such professional uncertainty and not have my daily run to work through my decisions. I had become unhitched from my direction. Even though I received my "26.2" bumper sticker in the mail last weekend, I have not put it on my car yet, perhaps by accident, but perhaps also partly because I felt I was disconnected from that part of myself due to being unable to get out for a run. I am all set to stick that baby on the car tomorrow when I head out for a jog.

An Alternative Marathon

With my body still feeling wonky and the weather acting uncooperative, Henry and I have spent several days indoors, undertaking his idea of a marathon: 26.2 books per minute. Seriously, I read him probably dozens of books a day (his books, which means they're short), so I feel like he's got his own marathon going. Here are some of the "miles" (i.e., books) we've clocked in the past day:

Dr. Seuss's ABC
Mei-Mei Loves the Morning
Babybug (December issue)
Boom Chicka Rock
Bear in Sunshine
Bear About Town
I Am Absolutely Too Small for School
The Little Polar Bear
Bear's Busy Family
Chugga Chugga Choo Choo
Mr. Brown Can Moo
Paddington at the Circus
Paddington at the Tower
Paddington Goes to the Seaside
Paddington
Paddington's Lucky Day (pronounced, Paddington's 'Yucky' Day, if you're Henry)
Piglet

I am "the Marathon Mama" afterall, not "the Marathon Lady." One must earn that distinction.

With 20 Weeks to Go...

Still under the weather and not back to running, I was a bit daunted to read my email from the DFMC folks, which informed me that we have only 20 weeks to go before the big day. Learning this fact when I feel like I haven't run in 20 weeks (it's only been five days, but the Feaster Five seems like ages ago) made me need some fresh inspiration for when I get back out there. I then read a testimonial from another DFMC runner, which was provided by the same email.

Larry Bradley – Winchester, MA – DFMC #2 and Boston Marathon qualifier:

I've run 17 Boston Marathons since moving to Boston in 1985. I've run close to ten other marathons, but Boston is my home turf. My 14-year-old daughter, Valerie, was diagnosed with bone cancer in June of this year. She is being treated at Dana-Farber’s Jimmy Fund Clinic now (in fact, she is at the clinic as I am typing this). She will be getting chemo until March 2007. She is the bravest and toughest person I know. I can't imagine what she is going through. I've been running marathons for 20 years. It's what I do. But I have always done it for me. Now I am running for Valerie, so that some day no kid (or father) will have to go through what we are going through right now.

Cheers to Larry for his drive and thanks as well to him for conveying the courage and hardiness of his daughter. Good wishes to both.

Recovery Continued

In addition to just feeling depleted, there's nothing worse for one's motivation to train than getting sick. Although our coach, Jack Fultz, explained that returning to fitness doesn't take long after recovering from illness (just some shorter distances at a more casual pace), I'm finding it hard to lace up my shoes and give it a go. My drive has kind of ground to a halt since coming down with a cold on Thanksgiving, and while my body is close to normal again, my enthusiasm has waned a tad. Not to say that I won't get back out there, and maybe it's the time of year, with so many holiday distractions to command my attention, but nothing looks more appealing than plopping on the couch with some Christmas cookies to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas. Or just plopping on the couch to sleep. Maybe I'll get my running mojo back tomorrow...

Thanksgiving Recovery

This year, my husband, father, and I ran the Feaster Five Thanksgiving Race together in Andover, MA. It was an impressive field of about 7,000 participants, all willing to get up at the crack of dawn on a chilly morning to put in either a 5k or a 5-miler. There were a couple bands playing along the route and many people came out to cheer, which was also impressive, given the cold and, later, drizzly weather. We had a blast and came home with a full-size apple pie each, the reward for all finishers. Henry loved watching the runners (and the dogs) with his grandmother, who kindly kept him company while we ran.

It was a lesson to me to change out of sweaty clothes immediately after such a run, though, because I came down with a cold that afternoon and have been recovering ever since. Here's hoping this is my last cold before the marathon, though with a toddler in daycare, that seems unlikely. "Airborne" is my new best friend.

Virtual Pedometer

When we lived in Cambridge, it was often difficult to clock the miles on our runs from a car because cities have a lot of one-way streets and running paths that cars can't travel. We got this "pen" that will calculate your mileage as you drag the tip along a map, but we always wondered about its accuracy. Now we live in the country, where counting miles from a car is easy, but it can get tedious to drive around with a toddler in the back seat asking, "Where we going?" as we pass our house several times to measure various routes. Besides, I often forget the mileage of my routes.

For city runners who jog on a lot of one-way streets, or any of you who walk or run and are looking to chart out the mileage on a new route: you don't need to get in your car to clock the miles anymore. There are several free websites that will help you out and determine the miles of a path anywhere in the country. Here are a couple of people's favorites:

• You can calculate your own route or check out other people's preferred paths at WalkJogRun.
• Another DFMC runner recommended Gmaps Pedometer, which offers similar services.

Now you don't have to get off your seat to count your miles, but you still have to get off the chair to actually run them.

Your Daily Dose of Irony

New research published yesterday finds that running marathons puts people at a higher risk for developing melanoma. Not a surprising result, given the hours spent outside while training, but perhaps a correlation now made explicit to those of us who focus on how healthy we are for staying in shape.

According to the November issue of the Archives of Dermatology, marathon runners face an increased risk for malignant melanoma in particular, versus the benign variety. They attribute the risk to the obvious--hours under the sun--but add that the sweating makes it worse "because it increases the photosensitivity of the skin, increasing the risk of sunburns," according to Julie Deardorff of the Chicago Tribune. Moreover, the physical demands of the prepping for a marathon can weaken the immune system, such that runners in training who maintain more intense regimens face higher rates of melanoma than those who report less-demanding schedules.

Winter training, while not completely shielded from the sun, would seem to be somewhat protective, due to the layers of clothing and unexposed skin--except for the face. So, in addition to reminding myself to bring along Kleenex, my flashing light, my iPod, etc., I now need to remember to spread on some sunscreen, which I expect to feel ridiculous when it's 30 degrees outside. But I'd like to leave the irony to the statistic and not make it too personally relevant.

New Autumn and Holiday Cards

I am now taking orders for a new line of notecards, the proceeds from which also will go to the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge. These cards feature the beautiful foliage of Westford and various winter scenes in New England.

All images that appear on the holiday cards have been donated by generous photographers Liz West, Linda Marlowe, and Ed Karjala, and the autumnal shots were captured by our resident photographer, Brian. Each card costs $2.50, and they make lovely and unique Christmas cards or gifts with a blank interior for you to write your own message.


Please email me (kristina.pinto@gmail.com) or call (978-703-1441) to order.

Cheers!

Yesterday I attended my first DFMC team meeting in Watertown, where about 60 of us went for a 4-mile run along the Charles River before mingling and getting tips from the organizers for about an hour and a half. It was a gorgeous day for a run, and we enjoyed watching the crew teams on the Charles and smelling the 9 a.m. hotdogs from the tailgaters for the annual Harvard-Yale football game.

It was also great to meet other runners participating in this cause and to chat briefly with Jack Fultz, who won the Boston Marathon in the 1970s. (He rode his bike while we jogged, due to a hip injury).

I was surprised on three fronts during our get-together. First, much to my disappointment, Jack did not arrive still wearing a wreath on his head, nor did he have the golden halo I've pictured him wearing since winning the most prestigious marathon in the world. He was a very nice and normal guy who gave us advice on clothing and cross-training, and offered great encouragement.

Second, because I have never been the most skilled cocktail party conversationalist, I was surprised to find how easy it was to talk to and enjoy the company of my fellow runners. I don't know if I've become better at making conversation or our common interest facilitated easy camaraderie, but I genuinely enjoyed everyone I met. Most of us were from the Boston area, but one woman I spoke with had flown up from Arkansas just for this team meeting. I was anxious that there would be a competitive undercurrent, which can easily happen whenever you get a bunch of ambitious athletes in a room, but nobody shoved anyone into the river to get by, nor was there any comparing of fundraising levels. Just a great group of folks.

Third, I was pleasantly surprised to be given a prize for being one of about 8 people there who had raised more than $1,000. I haven't raised the most by far (there was a guy who had raised over $8,000 already and another veteran DFMCer who presented a check for $10,000 from a road race he organizes every year to benefit Dana-Farber), but it was nice to be recognized for your generosity. I was given a lovely blue mug, which both Henry and Brian independently remarked was "big!" So, cheers to you, for helping me achieve this level of accomplishment so early.

I look forward to attending more of these events, to have the company of others on the long runs when things tend to get dull, to enjoy the tasty catered post-run snacks, and to perhaps earn another big mug to toast your kindness.

Sloshed Mice Run Farther

A study out on Thursday reports that a certain ingredient found in red wine seem to promote the endurance of mice. Mice that were given large doses of resveratrol could run twice as far as those given placebo because the "supplement" enabled their muscles to burn energy more efficiently. The study out of France (of course), noted that implications for the human metabolism should be drawn with caution. In the Washington Post online article, also published by the Chicago Tribune, Rob Stein writes:

Humans would have to take hundreds of resveratrol pills sold in health food stores or drink hundreds of glasses of wine a day to get equivalent levels of the substance tested on the mice, neither of which would be safe.

The authors of the article expressed concern that if effects on humans are concluded, the drug could potentially be abused by athletes seeking performance enhancement. In addition to being found in red wine, resveratrol is found in peanuts, among other foods. We might just see a new generation of running somaliers or a surge in peanut butter consumption in places that are currently repulsed by the stuff, say Kenya. Nonetheless, I hereby suggest that the traditional pre-marathon pasta party now be a pasta and red wine party. If we can carbo load, certainly resveratrol-loading (while a mouthful; no pun intended) is a good idea.

Trash Day

Henry has a book about a garbage truck called I Stink, which I couldn't help mentally reciting while I ran today. Thursdays are trash day in my neighborhood and it seems that no matter what time I run, I find myself with an unsolicited training partner at some point on the route. That's right, my pace car is the garbage truck, which unfortunately moves at about my speed, if you take its stops into account. Yuck. I never seem to get the recycling truck, I notice. Always the garbage.

In other, brighter news, today I received an envelope from the DFMC that was marked important, so I tore into it to find my official entry form for the marathon! It's an invitational entry, which means I don't have to show a qualifying time from another marathon. It's a thrill to have this official permission to run the most famous foot race in the world. The pamphlet shows photos of runners smiling with pride, wrapped in capes of foil after finishing the course. Oh, how I long to envelop my weary body in a shiny new blanket that I can reuse to heat up my leftovers. Today's mail more than compensates for today's smelly run.

26.2 Bumper Stickers

A fellow DFMC runner is raising money creatively by selling DFMC versions of the popular "26.2" bumper sticker. A similar sticker appears here. She describes the styles she's made as follows:

The black and white oval bumper stickers (4” x 6”) can appear as:

1. "26.2"
   
2. "26.2" and “Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge" text appears in smaller print below the acronym
   
3. "DFMC" and “Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge" text appears in smaller print below the acronym

• 1-5 stickers = $3/sticker
  
• 6-10 stickers = $2.50/sticker
  
• 11-19 stickers = $2/sticker
  
• 20+ stickers = $1.75/sticker

She's also selling them through Marathon Sports in the Boston area, but if you're inclined to sell them for her through your local sports store, I'm sure she'd appreciate it.

If you want to show evidence of your support on your bumper (or wherever), please contact Jennelle, who will mail you the stickers for free: Jennelle.moore@gt.com

Eating Red Meat Associated with Breast Cancer Risk

Before I had Henry, I was a committed vegetarian--no red meat, no poultry, no fish. When I had him, I discovered that I could not manage a balanced vegetarian diet and take care of a baby at the same time, so I abandoned my principles and started to eat meat again after 12 years meat-free. Many people know that when I fell off the wagon, I fell hard. I now love any opportunity to eat the following: hamburgers, steak, pepperoni on my pizza, and a good ham sandwich. And nothing makes me crave these things more than a good long run.

So I was disappointed to read the latest findings on foods that put women at risk for breast cancer. New research out of Harvard reports that pre-menopausal women who eat more that 1.5 servings of red meat per day may double their risk of developing breast cancer, compared to those who eat fewer than 3 servings per week. While I don't think I eat more than 1.5 servings of red meat per day (that seems like a lot, no?), I probably do eat more than 3 servings per week. Clinicians who have responded to the study wonder if the growth hormones administered to cattle might be responsible for this risk, noting that these hormones are banned in Europe because of potential hazards to humans.

Also reported by the article are current statistics on breast cancer rates in the U.S. Nearly 13% of women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lives, and the highest rates of this form of cancer in the world are found in the U.S. and the Netherlands. More than 1 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year worldwide.

The study's findings do not necessarily instruct us to forsake the burger but to strive for a well-balanced diet, emphasizing the consumption of vegetables and whole grains, which we're supposed to do anyway. I'll make my ham sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and whole wheat.

What's In My Bag

Now that I've reached the essential milestone of $3000, I can start looking forward to the race. On a spectacular Saturday run in perfect weather, I began thinking about lessons I'd learned from my first marathon in 2002. Mostly, these lessons concern what I carry on race day.

Flickr has a photo group of shots capturing what's in people's bags, which made me think about what will be in my "bag"--a small pack that I'll wear around my waist during the race. I won't have to worry about water, since that's provided along the route, but there are several essentials that I didn't have in Richmond (or which were provided by our parents at various mile markers) that I will definitely carry on me this time around.

1. Kleenex. There's a standing joke in my family that my sister and I never carry Kleenex for ourselves and always ask our mother for it when she's around. True to form, I asked my mother for Kleenex several times during the 2002 race, but this time she'll be waiting at the finish, so I'll have to carry my own.

2. Food. Last time, I carried 2-3 packs of Gu to keep me fueled, but I had been so nervous before the race that I'd only eaten half a bagel that morning and was FAMISHED by mile 15. We even sent our parents to get food for us to have when they met us further on, but that won't be an option this time. I will eat more before the race and bring actual food with me this time. Not sure yet what food that might be.

3. My iPod. I ran with Brian last time, which was great company and motivation, but I'm going solo (at this point anyway), so I will need some artificial company to keep me going.

4. ID. When I collapse in agony, I want the EMT to know who I am ;)

5. A list of all my supporters. So the EMT can read it to me to get me up and running.

You Really Love Me

My best friend Erin is the big heroine of the day for her donation, which pulled me across the $3000 line yesteday. I can't believe that in fewer than six weeks of fundraising, my friends and family showed such love and generosity without being asked twice to help. I feel truly blessed to have such support in my life.

In my essay for Dana-Farber, I explained that I often feel insignificant to the larger scheme, since I devote my time to raising one child and teaching a much-feared course at a small college. I know I make a big difference to the one person I'm rearing and a very small (and probably negative) difference to my students. This project to raise money for cancer research was a way for me to contribute to making a big difference to a larger cause.

At this milestone in my fundraising, though, I've slightly revised my original sense of my significance and am reminded of the line in It's a Wonderful Life that always makes my husband cry (for real; he cries like a baby when he hears it). No woman is a failure who has friends. Thanks to all.

The Treadmill Vs. The Great Outdoors

A lot of people wonder about the comparison between running on a treadmill versus running outside. Treadmills are known to preserve your knees because they offer more spring and cushion on the foot strike, but they are not recommended for race training because they cannot approximate outdoor conditions.

According to fitness expert Josh Salzmann, treadmills give you protection from foul weather, and they allow you to vary your incline and speed, which you might not do outside if you run in a particularly flat area. That said, besides being fairly boring, treadmills limit your range of motion and prevent you from using muscles that you'd use to go around corners, avoid obstacles, and deal with uneven ground. And, the restriction on one's gait can actually contribute to hip and knee problems in the long-term. Obviously, they also cannot provide the wind resistance and climate that give additional challenges and enhance your fitness. All of these things burn calories and contribute to training, particularly if you're preparing for a race. Training for a longer race almost entirely on a treadmill might compromise performance on race day when the above conditions bring on fatigue earlier in the course than might be expected.

All of that said, treadmills are great for winter running up here in the snow belt of Massachusetts and offer an alternative to running outside in inclement weather, as long as they aren't used as the primary surface for training.

Memories of Shirley

I've wanted to post more about my grandmother Shirley, whose memory was a big inspiration to me to raise money for cancer research. I've gathered photos from my father and been thinking about what I would write to remember her. As it turns out, I don't actually have that many memories of Grandma, other than her memorial service, because I was only in elementary school when she died.

What I remember most are the stories others have told me about her. I remember and am told that she had a glamorous fashion sense. I remember and am told that she was an artist, specifically a painter. I remember and am told that she loved boxing, exotic birds, and playing the piano. I remember and am told that each Christmas, my grandmother would decorate a tree completely from scratch, without reusing any ornaments from the year before, and that her Christmas trees were beautiful.
So, because these are most of my memories of her, I will just post these pictures of her with my father as a baby; in her wedding dress; and teaching me to play the piano (even though my sister wound up being the pianist).

Top Five Running Bumper Stickers

5. Marathon: Run, Walk, Crawl, Finish
4. Honk if you're about to run me over.
3. Who fartlek'd?
2. I run like a girl.
1. I run from my problems.

NYC Marathon: Lance, Latvia, and Brazil Get Attention

So the world's biggest marathon took place yesterday (11/5) and as a special hats-off to the runners who would be pounding the pavement for several hours, NBC devoted all of thirty minutes (including commercials) to the event. An inordinate amount of their coverage went to Lance Armstrong, who, despite claiming he's just a regular 35-year-old guy in his first marathon, ran the course with a special entourage that included former race-winning pace runners. He finished in just under three hours.

The male winner, Marilson Gomes dos Santos, gave his country of Brazil their first win in NYC, and the female winner, Jelena Prokopcuka, of Latvia, was the first woman in a decade to win it in consecutive years.

Other than Lance, celebrity runners included Shannon Miller (the Olympic gymnast), NBC correspondent Natalie Morales, and someone named Kim Alexis, who apparently is a supermodel.

Shirley's Garden Notecards: All Proceeds go to DFMC

UPDATE: Check out my new autumnal and holiday cards.

I've finally found a way to merge my sedentary and physical pursuits: crafts and running. To boost my fundraising and nudge up the reading on my DFMC thermometer (see my Dana Farber online donation page), I am now selling handcrafted notecards.

Many people know I'm a tad obsessed with paper and fiber crafts and that I've sent out handmade cards to friends and family for years. I've received a great response to these cards, particularly the series that exhibits Brian's microphotography of roses, lilies, and daisies. I will be selling cards from this series of photos, with ribbon embellishment, to benefit the DFMC and inch my way closer to my goals.


Each card is handmade by me and costs $2.50. To order cards, please email me: kristina.pinto@gmail.com, and include the following information:

• Name
• Address
• Phone number
• Number of cards

I will reply with the address to which you should send your payment and the cost (including shipping) of your cards. I am a small operation, doing this for charity purposes (all proceeds go to DFMC), so I appreciate your patience as I create your cards, and thank you for your donations. (Winter- and holiday-themed cards to come later this month.)

I have titled this series of cards, and the project, "Shirley's Garden" because my grandmother had a favorite garden at my parents' house, which we have always called "Shirley's Garden." And, one of my few memories of her is the smell of rose-scented soap, which she kept in her downstairs bathroom. So, to continue to honor her memory as my inspiration for this marathon, I have titled these cards, "Shirley's Garden."

My iPod Pays Tribute

All Lost delinquents: spoiler alert... So after a very sad episode of my favorite TV show, my new iPod (yes, Brian got me a new one as an early Christmas present; I have been very good this year) honored the memory of Mr. Eko on my run this morning by playing Zola and Destiny's Child's Survivor. Good-bye, Mr. Eko. You were the best one, and you were a good man, before the black smoke thrashed you around the jungle and did you in.

The Cost of a Jog

Who would have thought that a sport that simply requires you to stand up and move forward could get expensive? My dad plays polo--now, that's an expensive sport. So, I'm not complaining too much. However, I just learned from the DFMC coach that it's recommended to alternate between two pairs of running shoes in order to prevent injury. (Using only one model of shoe would overwork certain muscles, which would get a break if you alternate runs with another model of shoes.) Okay then, I'll be off to buy my second pair of running shoes (sorry, Brian--Boston Marathon WINNER Jack says I have to).

Then there are the clothes. In the summer, I can get away with running in nylon shorts and a lightweight shirt, but in the winter, one must layer. Base layer, mid layer, outer layer. And all in tech (read, expensive) fabrics to increase wicking, maintain warmth, and keep out the wind. These layers all make for a bundle of cool-max, polar-fleece, gore-tex fun. Thank goodness Christmas is coming.

And when it's so bitterly cold or blizzardy that the meteorologist tells us all to "STAY INSIDE OR RISK DEATH," there's the treadmill, which we got on sale last summer, thank goodness.

Not that I'm complaining. Who doesn't want an excuse to buy another pair of shoes? Especially if I've practically been ordered to do so by Boston Marathon WINNER Jack.

50 Marathons, 50 States, 50 (consecutive) Days

No, not me. Are you insane? There's this guy named Dean Karnazes who is about to complete this psychotic feat when he runs his 50th marathon in 50 days, finishing up in NYC this weekend. He's known as the Ultramarathon Man, and he looks about as healthy and fit (and seemingly lucid) as could be possible.

I read about him in Runner's World and then heard an interview with him on WBUR, our local NPR station. His story is so incomprehensible to me--running a marathon is usually just a warm-up for him, since he regularly runs 100-mile races (100 miles!!!)--that I wonder if he might just not be human. But given that he in all likelihood is not a creature from outerspace or some genetically mutated superfreak, his fitness does tend to provide extra momentum when I'm tired on a run of, say, 6 miles.

"Come on, you dope," I chide myself, "Dean has run more than 6 miles in his sleep." For real: he apparently has run in his sleep before. I hope his jammies are wicking.

(To see more about Karnazes' mission, check out his website.)