I'm just now healing from the Disney Marathon Sunday. I ran it with my brother Scott (Team Hadfield) and we did so in memory of my father who passed away last year from a brain tumor. Disney was the nucleus of our family vacations. My parents use to throw us in the van and drive us from Chicago to Orlando in the Spring. We would be arguing by the Indiana border, have barricades up to separate us kids by Tennessee and my parents were ready to burn the "Sound of Music" eight track tape because it was the only thing we wanted to listen to. Ahhh, the good times:)
It truly was a magical marathon. It is rare to have a perfect marathon from start to finish but we did just that. It was warm for us (65 and very humid 78 by the end) so we took it slow. We took pictures in every park and believe it or not there were lines to get photos with the Disney characters! We picked up the pace in the second half (negative split) and he ran his fastest mile at the end. A picture perfect way to run a marathon! There is almost nothing better than being able to run hard at the end of a race. It takes patience and discipline, but if you can pull it off it is the best! Plus, your finish line photo looks great too.
Life has a funny way of coming back to you. I spent my childhood vacations at Disney World with my family and it always brought us closer together. And this trip was just as special. Four theme parks, 26.2 miles and a fantastic 15th Anniversary Marathon Medal. What is better than that?
Now it is on to Cabo San Lucas for the Half Marathon with my team Chicago Endurance Sports. It should be a fun race with only 2,000 runners and a peaceful weekend with great running buddies. I have been focusing heavily on my recovery over the last few days. Although I ran the marathon easy, it still takes a toll on the body. I soaked in ice (pool) after the race, ate well, and walked regularly Sunday and Monday. Today I got a massage which really helped to loosen up my legs. Tomorrow I will walk easy and stretch and try a very easy run on Thursday and Friday. Full marathon recovery can take up to 4 weeks and depends on age, intensity of your race performance, training and nutrition to name of few. Recovery starts the minute you cross the finish line and continues for weeks. I feel good and I'm looking forward to running a race in Mexico.
Coach Jenny Hadfield
Author, Running for Mortals and Marathoning for Mortals
Here's to a year full of happy miles and plenty of smiles. I am looking forward to getting back on the trails this Spring and perhaps even tackling another Ultra Marathon or two this year. But before I can dream about what Spring and Summer may bring, I have to focus on the next two months and the adventures ahead...
Next weekend I am running the 15th Anniversary Disney Marathon with my brother Scott. He's trained hard and it will be his first so it should be a fun journey. The last time we explored Disneyworld together we were knee-high to a grasshopper and there was only ONE theme park there. I know, I am dating myself...
The following weekend our team from Chicago Endurance Sports is running the Cabo San Lucas Half Marathon. I know, it is a tough job but someone has to do it:) Then at the end of February my husband John and I are staff and crew for the Antarctica Marathon Expedition. The trip down there is adventure enough! I put together a slide show from last year's race so you can see how hard the course is. A brutal course filled with off-road hills, two 17% glacier climbs for 3/4 mile and mud or snow that can reach up to your knees at times! Two hundred runners travel from all over the world to tackle the last continent. Most finish, but everyone comes away with a pocket full of humility and a life-changing story.
I am grateful to have so many adventures this season. It's what keeps life interesting for me!
Here's to your next adventure. What is YOUR next adventure?
Coach Jenny
Excuse me for a second while I get up on my soapbox...
Over the weekend a friend sent me this blog post
on salon.com. I encourage you to read it but beware, feelings of anger and thoughts of throwing
something across the room may happen. 
The Cliff Notes version is the author (who has never actually finished a marathon, but tried once) writes about how Oprah and all the slower runners have wrecked the competitive spirit. He writes:
"With all these runners, and all this technology, you'd think America wouldbe turning out faster and faster marathoners. Instead, the opposite ishappening. The more we run marathons, the slower we get -- an averageof 45 minutes slower over the last 25 years. Ryan Hall is the swiftestAmerican-born marathoner ever. His best race isn't in the top 250 ofall time."He must not have done his homework when he wrote this blog on Friday because Ryan Hall beat the Marathon Trials record from the early 80s with an outstanding 2:09:02 on a very challenging, hilly Central Park course. And it was only his third marathon ever. That, and the top three men (Dathan Ritzenhein and Brian Sell) a spot on the Olympic Marathon Team are training on "Teams"sponsored by Nike, Brooks/Saturn, and Asics. These companies are investing in developing elite US marathon runners BECAUSE of the masses. And it is working.
He also fails to mention Deana Kastor who broke the American Marathon record and won a bronze medal in Athens. Little does he know that the elite runners are getting stronger because of the masses of mortal runners toeing the line at marathons. The elite runners are also the first ones to encourage mortals to run. They are by no means negatively affected by the slower runners. The larger the race, the larger the prize purse and sponsorship. Runners fast and not-so-fast contribute to their winnings.
It also hit a cord with me because he blames Oprah and the Penguin, who just happens to be my loving husband. I don't know Oprah but I love who she is and what she's done. Her marathon was all about transformation in
her own life. And she ran it in a very respectable time too. John has spent the better part of 12 years motivating inactive people to get active and discover the runner within. With obesity creeping up to being the most deadly disease in the nation, getting people active is a very good thing.
And yes, the average finish times are slower than they were 20 years ago, but there were a mere 1,000 or fewer runners in marathons then too. The times are slower because there are 30,000 runners not 1,000! It simple math. Not to mention, had the author tried to run a marathon 20 years ago, he would have been in the back of the pack. Which is the group he is blaming for the dumming down of the sport.
Today's runners fast and slow are motivating tomorrow's champions. The sons, daughters and even grandkids are watching their parents finish the race and that not only motivates them to run it also gives them permission to try. Life is short. Get out there and run, cycle, and be fit. And never let anyone tell you that you can't. Because being a marathoner is not about how fast you get to the finish, it is about having the tenacity to train, prepare and gather up the courage to show up at the start line.
Happy Trails,
Coach Jenny
I ran my first Ultra-Marathon last Sunday and I'm still on a high. It was a 50K [[The Glacial 50 Trail|http://badgerlandstriders.org/GT50/]]]] on part of the 1,000 mile Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin. First-time experiences have a way of unleashing new energy and excitement. I remember my first race, my first marathon, and my first Eco-Challenge. The mystery of the event keeps a constant flow of motivation to train, prepare and of course, obsess.
Although I trained well for the Ultra, I had no idea what the race would bring and that is what makes the journey so darn exciting. It was an out-an-back course on a very technical single track trail full of rocks, roots all covered in the fall's leaves. I tend to like technical trails better because they demand your constant attention. One look at your watch and you could be flying through the air and down on your face.
I love large running events, but I love the serenity of a trail even more. There is also an honesty about Ultra's that I found refreshing. But then again, that could be more about it being my first. Firsts are always refreshing because they're new! Collectively about 105 people towed the line and the race was started with a shout out from the director. No chips, no music, no pace teams. Just 100 or so people looking to tackle 31 miles on a tough trail. It reminded me a lot of my first few adventure races. The races are out there for the experience, not the swag.
As we set down the road towards the trail, I positioned myself in the back of the bubble. Since this was my first one, I wanted to pace wisely so I would look good for the finish (good meaning vertical). I was surprised at how "friendly" the runners were and listened to them chat for the first few miles. I met a runner with a picture on his back and asked him who she was. My running partner of 12 years," he said. He went on to tell me all they had done together and how she was in her fourth round of chemo for breast cancer. For me, it really put perspective on the day. I thought of my dad, who we lost last year from a brain tumor and his journey. It was the first time I could talk about him without falling into sadness. The miles went by as we discussed her spirit and the hope to some day find a cure for all cancers. My dad was with me every step...
As I reached 15.5 miles and the half-way turn around point many of the lead runners were coming back on the trail. The course is set up as an out-and-back. The competitor inside me starting tapping on my shoulder. "I know you are out here to just finish this thing, but if you push a little harder you can pass some of these nice runners." The first half of the race was all about conservation in the hopes of finishing and as I passed the half-way mark, the race became all about picking off runners (nicely) along the trail. There is nothing like being strong enough in a race to be able to pass people.
As the course rolled up and down the rocks seemed to multiply and the hills grew steeper. (Total elevation gain is about 6,000 ft) I didn't remember that many rocks on the way out! It started raining and it quickly became more difficult to navigate over the slippery roots and rocks. My mind was growing tired of looking for the next spot to place my foot. One false step on a rock or root and you're down on your face. In fact, falling is a big part of ultra-running, especially as you fatigue.
Surprisingly, I was able to pass a few runners as I counted down the miles and then something kicked in. The song "The Fire Inside" from Bob Seger came on my ipod and all hell broke loose. It is one of those songs that motivates me to leap tall buildings in a single bound. My arms started moving faster and my legs followed. I passed a hiker with a cute dog and he yelled out, hey, you have about 7 runners just ahead if you push you can catch them. That is like telling me, hey, there is a sale going on at my favorite store and if you get there early enough you'll hit all the good stuff! I kept hitting the repeat button on my ipod and kept passing runners. What a high! As I finished up running my fastest mile of the race, I saw three men and a truck which for this race was the FINISH and couldn't believe it was over already. Don't get me wrong, I was ready for it to be over at about mile 25.
It was a great race and a breaking moment in my life. I've been stuck in a fog the past few years dealing with the loss of my father, grandmother and dog. Running this race cleared the fog and unveiled the trail ahead.
Getting off the beaten path unleashed the fire inside and for that, I am grateful.
Happy Trails,
Coach Jenny
Coach Jenny Hadfield offers training tips and tricks for runners and walkers of all levels.
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