Shavi's first 50 miler run is coming up!!!!

It is Shavi's first 50-mile run on April 7, 2012. We are both nervous and at the same time excited about it. Shavi has been doing a great job in training himself but even then, it is just not easy! The run is called AR50 (American River 50 miles). This ultra-marathon is a qualifier for Western States 100 Mile Endurance run.

AR50 is not going to be easy since it has hills in the second half but that what does not kill you, makes you stronger! Right?:)

There are so many side-questions:
1. Will the GPS run out of juice in the middle of the run?
2. Is it a good idea to change shoes in the middle of the run since half trail is asphalt and the other half is hills.
3. Will the mp3 player run out of juice? Should not, but who knows!
4. What if the KT tape comes off?
5. What if the Chaffing cream's effect doesn't stay that long?
6. Hope it's not too hot/sunny and doesn't rain either.

Well, all I have to remember is to give him a carb-loaded diet on Thursday and a low-fat diet on Friday since the run is on Saturday. Hope he remembers to drink lot of water the entire week. I also need to remember to help him pack all his stuff including running food and I need to be there at all the accessible points on the trail to cheer and support him. He needs to remember to only RUN and finish STRONG! You can do this, sweetheart!:)

His first ultra marathon (50 kms) in the books

Yet again, Shavi made me proud of him. He ran his first ultra marathon (50 kms) on March 10, 2011. The trail run called 'Way Too Cool 50K (almost 31 miles)' was in Cool, CA. The run involved an overall 9000 ft. elevation change. Shavi aced it by completing it in 5 hours 55 minutes.

After a very hectic training which he started much later than the others, after getting back from our India trip in mid-January, I think he did an excellent job. Even though he was expecting to complete it in 6 hours 30 minutes, he completed it in much less duration. He was impressed by the aid stations on the way and good arrangements by race management. And I was impressed by him and by so many other people aged 60+ running the 50 kms trail run. Shavi felt excellent after the run and had all the smiles:) Keep it up, Shavi!

Now, his next goal is AR 50 which is a 50 miler!! It starts at American River, Sacramento, CA and ends in Auburn, CA. He is still wait listed on the race but let's see. Until then, his training continues:)

Key to Long distance running: Fuel and hydration.

If you are into long-distance running, then here are some tips from my husband who has run several marathons and is now training for his ultra-marathon (50-km run) with SacFit group. He is a pace coach for the 9 min/mile pace group.

Before the run:

1. Do not run empty stomach. Have something like a toast with peanut butter or something which you digest easily.

During the run:

2. Power food: Our muscles need some fuel while running long distance runs. Try Gu. It is like a thick gel. Have it with water every 40-45 minutes of running. There are PowerGels for those who do not like thick gels. There are chews available too: Cliffshots and GU chomps. These will help the muscles to repair.
3. Electrolytes: Endurolytes by Hammer is like an electrolyte but has more than just sodium. It also has calcium, magnesium, potassium, B-6 and manganese. It is good to prevent cramping after the run. One at the beginning of the run and one every hour should be just fine. It all depends on how long you run and how hot it will be. The S-CAPs also by Hammer is just a sodium replacement.
4. Water: The important thing to remember is to drink water with whichever supplement that you choose.
5. Muscle food: After you are done with running, the muscles crave for food. So, within 30 minutes after you stop running, have some protein mix or chocolate milk. Have atleast 350 calories after running for a couple of hours.

After the run:

6. Snacks (These can be used during longer 2hour+ runs too): Some good running snacks include: Honey Stinger Waffles, peanut-filled pretzels, Pringles chips, Sports energy bars. You might also even want to try the after-running Sports drinks for recovery.
7. Stretching: Do not forget to stretch after running, before your body cools down. Click here for some stretching exercises.

How does he do it?

Running Marathons is for sure not easy. I wonder, how do you keep yourself engaged and concentrated for 26.2 miles!! Shavi ran his second full marathon this year (2011) on December 5. It was the California International Marathon (CIM). He beat his personal record (PR) by almost 1.30 minutes, finishing the marathon in 3 hrs 47 mins. Of course it required a lot of training and dedication. Waking up every day at 5am for training and running long miles for more than 6 months for sure requires a lot of determination. Running with a group makes it little easier. It is hard but seeing the 8000 people run this marathon and cheering Shavi was very motivating for me. These people are full of energy. Kenya's Monyenye won the men's marathon, finishing in 2 hrs 11 mins and 50 secs. Ethiopia's Serkalem won the women's race, finishing in 2 hrs, 33 mins and 40 secs. I am proud of Shavi and hope he continues with his running! Some day, I hope to get there as well!

My First Half Marathon - April 30, 2011

I can now check-off one item in my to-do list - running a half marathon. Yaayi, I finally ran my first official 13.1 miles (almost 25 kms) in the American River Parkway half-marathon in Sacramento on April 30, 2011. I ran at a pace of around 12 mins/mile, completing the run in 2 hour 41 minutes.

It was a good sunny and a windy day. I found a running buddy who was planning to run at my pace. We kept talking on the way which made it easier. There were live bands playing, aid stations and people on side-walks cheering the runners all throughout the trail. It was like a festival. I did not even use my mp3 player for once.

Note for my running buddy, Jeff: If you stumble upon this blog some day, then I would like to thank you for running with me and making my first half-marathon easier:)

I was all excited that morning and a little anxious too as I was having pain in my shin when I started the race. I ignored it, thinking that it was just a normal cramp. It got worse after I crossed the finish line in pain. It seems like a shin splint but I guess it'll be fine with time. That will not dampen my running spirit. Kids fall or get injured when they learn to walk/run:) At least I get to relax that way:)

I have to admit that when I was running in pain due to my leg, I was thinking, "Can someone remind me again - why am I doing this!" I got my answer at the finish line where Shavi was waiting for me after completing his half-marathon in 1 hour 48 minutes (his new PR). What a sense of achievement it was! I loved it - waiting to recover from my shin splint and do it again:)

How could I run!

It is never too late to run - I guess I learned this when it was too late but actually not:)

I ran my first 10K race on Thanksgiving day in Sacramento, November 2010 (http://www.runtofeedthehungry.com/) with Shavi. Having practiced for hardly 2-3 weeks, I was ready only for running 5K but Shavi inspired me for 10K on the race day when he assured to run with me at my pace. This made it easier for me and I ran at a pace of 11:15 min/mile. This was my second race after my first 5K race at a pace of 10:30 min/mile in March. Now when I look back one year from now, I can see myself not being able to run even half a mile.

Truly, Shavi has been my inspiration, especially after he ran his first marathon - The California International Marathon (CIM) on December 5, 2010. He completed the race in 3.99 hours with an exceptionally great pace of 9 min/mile. How could he not be an inspiration for his wife!

I have now registered with his running club - Sacfit (http://www.sacfit.com/) as I look forward to spending some more running time with Shavi ;-) and practicing for a half marathon. Yes, you read it right - Half Marathon in May 2011. Hope I can do it!

In other words, it sure is a tough thing but once you have the motivation and inspiration, nothing is impossible. When in doubt, have faith in yourself!

The Thanksgiving Run

Finally it was 'Thanksgiving' last Thursday and we had the much awaited Thanksgiving Marathon that morning. It was an awesome experience. Even though I was not among the 30,000 people registered to run, I was feeling great supporting Shavi who was running the 10K marathon. There were people of all ages - starting from 7-8years to old people on wheelchair - running and walking in the 5K and 10K race. The enthusiasm of the people on wheelchair for the run was amazing. I had never seen such a big crowd in Sacramento ever. There were all sorts of stalls and music playing. Even people with kids in strollers were running/walking - it was just astonishing to see so many people supporting the cause - 'Run to feed the hunger'.

I did not have to wait much for Shavi at the Finish lane - he was there much before we were expecting - he ran 10 kms in less than 50 minutes. Shavi finished the marathon among the 1st 1000 people out of the 30,000 people running. I am proud of him that he could make it within the 1st 800 with so many professional runners.
We did not know before that The Sacramento Thanksgiving Marathon is the most famous marathon of US and has the most people running. We have the pictures posted on our facebook profiles.

Though it was a sad week - it was just a couple days after the Mumbai Tragedy news, we still tried to cheer up ourselves on that day. It was quite hard - the heinious crime - the Mumbai shootings on 26/11 had left such a deep impact on everyone concerned. Well, I dont even want to get started on this topic. There are 2 kinds of people - one who just talk and complain and the others who act and I do not want to fall in the 1st category as I know that I can never fall in the 2nd category:(