In order to complete any kind of long distance race, you need more than just training. You need to have motivation and commitment. Over the last few weeks I have found myself lacking both of these.

 
I’ll admit my lack of motivation is due in part to the early hour of our runs. I’ve been quite vocal in my disdain to each of the coaches for having to be up and functional on Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. There are laws here against these kinds of cruel and unusual punishments.

 
Start times aside, everyone who is signed up for the Philadelphia Marathon has some kind motivation or drive for doing so. For some it’s to take first place, to get a better time than last year, while some people are just looking to finish. Many of the self-proclaimed “Turtles” are running our first marathon. During the first Saturday run we each shared why we are in training. Some of the most popular reasons were to get into better shape, many are joining after having children, and also to be able to say we completed the race. Even though I was half asleep still, as we went around the circle introducing ourselves and explaining why each person was there it was hard not get infected by everyone’s motivations.

 
Motivation is one thing; being committed enough to get the most out of the training is a whole other story. Perhaps I have been going through the motions because of my stay at Chez Excel Physical Therapy is ongoing, or maybe it’s a psychological thing because the distance isn’t much further than this Spring’s Broad Street run. Who knows what the reason might be, but after running this past weekend all of us were given a lesson on commitment.

 
Karen, who has been one of the biggest Team Philly motivators since the Broad Street training, surprised us all when she showed up Saturday morning. Gone were her trademark braids and in their place was a sleek, short cut. She said that she cut her hair specifically for Team Philly, which she further proved Saturday afternoon after posting a picture on Facebook with the caption, “I am so committed, I got a Team Philly haircut!!!”
And she wasn’t kidding. Cutting her hair was more of a commitment than most people would be willing to make.

 
“The hair issue is a big deal for black women,” Karen explained, who has previously had short hair. However she adds, “It still was big because locks are more than just a hairstyle to a lot of people. [But] it was me saying that my health and wellness was more important than a hairstyle.”

 
Hearing Karen talk about the symbolic gesture made me realize if she can take such a huge step that all of us should be able to make at least a tiny step. With 14 weeks left until the Philadelphia Marathon, this lesson didn’t come a day too soon. Maybe I’ll even get a haircut to join Karen in solidarity.

Posted by Jake Maroney.  Jake is training for the half marathon.

August 11, 2010

Here we are again… greeting friendly faces by Lloyd Hall on a Saturday morning.  This is where we will all meet for the next 4 months , every Saturday morning.  Hugs and handshakes from old teammates and the interesting stories of the new faces give this session a family reunion type feel.  Still it is 8am on one of my few Saturdays off from the hospital.  I have to admit part of me wishes I was at my dining room table drinking my freshly roasted and ground, single origin coffee, reading the newest Food and Wine, and sitting next to my fiancé, who hates the word fiancé and is really more zombie than human at this hour.  Ahhhh, but no.  This is the first day of Team Philly Training.

Still having flashbacks from a week’s worth of hellish ER shifts, I listen to our coaches review the plans and begin the active stretching.  I have to admit I am not a huge fan of the active stretching, but it becomes an ingrained part of this weekly ritual and feels familiar.  Then, at last, separated into our assigned pace groups, mine being somewhere between slow and snail, we begin.  The sun is beating.  Suddenly this 80 degree morning, which had felt like a reprieve from the previous week’s heat, feels a bit punishing.  Still, we all chat and pound our way through this exercise.  At first everyone runs together, then after the 1 mile mark a few runners with other goal in mind turn back and now it is just us.  We run with one common goal, the Philadelphia Marathon.

I am not an elite athlete, but I have successfully completed a marathon and now I will successfully complete another.   A few years ago I made a New Years’ resolution to run a marathon.  Usually I find the idea of a New Years’ resolution a bit ridiculous as I would like to think that I am constantly working to improve myself rather than setting merely one goal a year; a goal so often forgotten before the snow melts.  That year, however I made and completed a resolution.  I trained and fundraised with Team in Training and on October 19, 2008 I crossed the finish line of the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco.  Since then my feet have barely stopped and I have run several other half marathons, always knowing that I had more marathons in my future and one marathon in particular in my heart.

The Philadelphia Marathon…the idea of running the 26.2 mile course, through my city of brotherly love, makes me truly ecstatic.  I love the city of Philadelphia.  Quite frequently I am defending my love of the city to my colleagues at work, who so often overlook some of the more subtle charms within its limits.  Admittedly when you work in an ER, where you constantly have to bob and weave to avoid flying fists and loogies, the city’s charms can be quickly forgotten, but a terrific baseball game, a delicious meal, or an early morning run around the loop consistently jogs my memory.  Luckily Team Philly helps keep me running and remembering.

The inspiration I find on these training runs is what makes the ungodly heat, large blisters, and chafed skin bearable and frequently even a little laughable.  With my teammates and a few thousand others we will run through my hometown and past America’s history on November 22^nd.  I will successfully complete this great marathon.  As I reach the end of mile 4 I find I’m already looking forward to next Saturday.

Posted by Erin Finn. Erin is training for the full marathon. 

Posted by a fan, Mayor Nutter cheers on finishers of the Philadelphia Marathon.

 What an amazing day for the Philadelphia Marathon. As I sit here and look out onto the finish line, there are so many stories that continue to emerge.

“Today is a great day for a marathon,” said Mayor Nutter. “Our course is flat, fast, scenic and historic. Philadelphia continues to be one of the best cities in the country for running.”

This is my second time working at the Philadelphia Marathon and it never ceases to amaze me how quickly the sport of running continues to grow. I really believe that if our race doubled in size, we would still sell out registrations.

Keeping up with the excitement in the crowd, Mayor Nutter admired the marathoners for their tremendous dedication and courage, physically and emotionally.  As far as running it, he smiled and said he would “stick to being mayor.”

I hope you’ve enjoyed my blog posts and hope to continue read this beyond the race.  Thanks again for your comments, suggestions and continued interest.

John Crews, 25, and Amy Kelly, 23, first met as teammates on the track and cross country teams at North Carolina State. The pair share a love for running, and today, top finishing times.

Finishing at 2:17:15, less than 30 seconds short of the men’s record, John Crews won his first Philadelphia Marathon title and third overall. The NC State mechanical engineering graduate student finished to the sound of a dozen friends and family members screaming his name as he crossed the finish line.

Included in that crowd is his biggest fan, Philadelphia native Amy Kelly, his fiancée.  Kelly herself just finished her first Rothman 8K in third place with a time of 28:54, which, to put it in perspective, is an average pace of 5 minutes and 18 seconds, or a little faster than 11 miles per hour.

“Running has taught me so much about life,” Kelly noted. “I’ve learned discipline, persistence and, overall, how to be a good person.”

When I asked the to-be-married couple whether they envision their children to be runners, both answered with an enthusiastic nod. After all, Kelly’s father is also her running coach and her mother is a long distance runner.

Back in Raleigh, Crews teaches an engineering class to undergraduates when he’s not studying. He returns to the South this week and hopes his students have followed his progress.

“I have some runners and tri-athletes in my class, so I hope they’ll be proud of me,” said Crews.

Both Crews and Kelly hope to return next year to run as husband and wife. Fittingly, their wedding party is composed of runners on both sides and a pre-nuptial run is in the works before the big day.

“I loved the course. It was a nice, fast run, and very scenic,” continued Crews. “The last mile was emotional; it’s still sinking in that I won.”

Mia Swenson pictured with her half marathon medal.

Just a few minutes ago I had a chance to speak with half marathon top finisher Mia Swenson, a 24-year-old New York City native and first-time runner in the Philadelphia Marathon.

While Swenson has been running since she was 11, she made the decision to run her first half marathon last fall. She chose Philly because it was a fast course and friendly to marathon newbies.

And her finishing time wasn’t bad for a first-timer: fifth place in the half marathon female division with a final time of 1:20:56.

“The finish line and fans cheering for me on Chestnut Street were my favorite parts,” said Swenson. “When I finished I was relieved and tired, but excited.”

Swenson has no formal plans to run another marathon again, but something tells me another marathon is in her future.

Good morning, runners!

As race participants are already off, we’ve truly been blessed with a beautiful day. It’s sunny and about 41 degrees now, but it will heat up to about 58 degrees — perfect race weather!

Today I’ll be blogging live from the Philadelphia Marathon, so stay tuned for my interview with Runner’s World Chief Running Officer and author Bart Yasso and many others.

Best of luck to everyone and see you at the finish line!

From humble beginnings of only 1,500 runners, this year’s race will involve 20,000 participants and more than 100,000 spectators along 26.2 miles of history in Philadelphia.

Sullivan, of course, should know.  He’s run every single Philadelphia Marathon since its founding and tomorrow, he hopes to complete his 16^th marathon in Philly and 138^th overall. He’s also the founder of irunicoach.com, a running coaching and consulting company in his hometown of Freeburg, Pennsylvania and online.

He credits his long list of marathon finishes with a six-day running routine before race day. Roughly, his race routine breaks down to the following schedule:

• Day 1:  Run 40 minutes at a comfortable pace with 20 minutes of one-minute pick-ups (alternating one minute of running fast with one minute of easy running)
• Day 2:  REST
• Day 3:  Run 40 minutes at a comfortable pace then 20 minutes followed by 30-second pick-ups
• Day 4:  Run 30 minutes at a comfortable pace
• Day 5:  REST
• Day before race:  20 minutes at a comfortable pace

A hearty breakfast on race day also helps.

“I eat about 1,000 calories for breakfast on race day,” said Sullivan at the Mayor’s reception on Friday night at JW’s Steakhouse at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. “Some people eat more, some eat less, but for me 1,000 calories seem to work best.”

As for tips on the course of the Philadelphia Marathon, which is known as one of the fastest races in the country because of its mostly level course, Sullivan has a few.

“Around mile seven and a half where Chestnut Street turns into 34^th Street, don’t be surprised if you feel like you’re running uphill. I find it’s good to prepare mentally and reserve some energy for that point,” suggested Sullivan. “I also find that staying positive after crossing the finish line is important because the second half of the race is very different from the first half.”

And while his favorite part of the course is still crossing over the finish line, he also enjoys the diversity of the course, familiarity and recognizable faces along the race route, including one fan who has cheered him on for the past 12 years. 

Tomorrow Mark will be one of 10,000 marathoners, 8,000 half-marathoners and 2,000 Rothman 8K participants to put their best foot forward in the 16^th Annual Philadelphia Marathon.

Runners, race organizers and fans wave from a Trolly Works double-decker bus wrapped for the 2009 Philadelphia Marathon.

Just an hour ago, City of Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter, City Representative and Philadelphia Marathon Executive Director Melanie Johnson, members of Students Run Philly Style, sponsors and fans gathered at the legendary Rocky statue to discuss the details of the upcoming 2009 Philadelphia Marathon Weekend.

Some of the highlights included today’s successful completion of the inaugural Philadelphia Marathon First Wave Warrior Race abroad, the unveiling of this year’s medal design, the City’s ongoing commitment to sustainability during the marathon and the announcement of the Rothman 8K race migration to Saturday during the 2010 Philadelphia Marathon.

While 20,000 participants will race here on Sunday, hundreds of men and women serving our country finished the Philadelphia Marathon this morning in the Bavarian region of Germany. This opportunity was facilitated by legendary race announcer Rob Powers and supported by the City of Philadelphia. We should be receiving some photos soon, so as soon as I receive a few, I’ll be sure to post them on this blog.

In the crowd, audience members wiped away tears as Isaiah and Jessica, local high school students and participants in the Students Run Philly Style program, shared their stories about their personal and athletic evolution. Both will be running in the Philadelphia Marathon this weekend.

For those who won’t be running on Sunday, cheer zones are set up in each neighborhood along the marathon’s 26.2 miles.  You’ll see mascots, musicians and other surprises along the route.  Also, I encourage you to upload photos to our Facebook Philadelphia Marathon Fan Page to show us parts of the course that our team isn’t able to cover.

Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes looks at the Philadelphia Marathon. I’ll be blogging on Friday to give you an all-access look into a private awards reception, attending the Runners’ Buffet on Saturday and interviewing participants, coaches and other race greats such as Bart Yasso, Runner’s World Chief Running Officer and marathon coach, Bill Rodgers, former Olympian, 22-time marathoner and winner of the 1974 Philadelphia Marathon.

And of course, on race day, check back here for updates throughout the day.

I wish everyone luck as race day approaches and hope to see you this weekend!

The 16^th annual Philadelphia Marathon will be a banner year for our city with 20,000 runners of all levels participating from around the world.  This race also involves hundreds of others behind the scenes to make the event a great success: volunteers!

Last year because I could not run the race (I was recovering from a tendinitis injury), I decided to “be a part of it” and volunteer.  I met elite athletes, top area runners, people who have overcome all odds to realize their dream in running in a marathon and many, many other interesting people.

Volunteers are needed in all areas of the race — Health & Fitness Expo assistance, course marshals to help direct runners, hydration stations to provide water to racers and post-event finisher medals and heat sheet distribution.

Our partner, Philadelphia Cares, is asking interested volunteers to sign up via email at volunteer@gpcares.com and recruit others to do their part in making this historic event a success again this year.  You can volunteer for shifts on Friday, November 20; Saturday, November 21; or on race day, Sunday, November 22.

And here’s the best part: all volunteers receive a Philadelphia Marathon sweatshirt. I still wear mine proudly and encourage you to do the same after the race.

It all began when I was a youngster stealing sips from my mother’s cup. First it was a sip without her noticing and then before I knew it I was starting my day with a three-cup fix. Soon I was yearning for ice cream made with it.

For decades, caffeine and I have enjoyed a loving relationship, mostly through coffee.

When I need a little boost, there is my cup of Joe full of caffeine. On nights out, you can find me with a soda in hand.  So it would make sense that this relationship would transcend my pre-work routine into my workouts.

Many runners swear by a cup of black coffee before a run because they say it gives them a boost and allows them to run faster for a longer amount of time. I can attest to this theory because, after a friend recommended it to me, I noticed that I was able to run without fatigue and now I’ve made it a regular part of my long runs.

According to research, drinking coffee or ingesting other forms of caffeine is said to improve a runner’s time by 10-15 percent. While this struck me as odd, I tested it during two Sunday afternoons. Sure enough, my times improved when I drank a cup of coffee 30 minutes prior to running, but it was closer to eight percent, not 10.

Caffeine is said to have three main advantages: it helps burn body fat as fuel instead of glycogen, it releases calcium stored in muscles which assists in an athlete’s endurance and speed, and it lowers the rate of perceived exertion, as stated in Bennett Alan Weinberg and Bonnie K. Bealer’s book, The World of Caffeine. On the down side, caffeine causes your stomach to produce more acid, thereby potentially leading to indigestion; it affects the quality and length of sleep time; and the biggest downfall, it makes urination occur more frequently.

While greats like ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes prefer coffee or caffeine before a workout, others remain skeptical. The International Olympic Committee, for example, listed it on its prohibited substances. (To be clear, the Olympic Committee banned excessive caffeine, with an equivalent of 500 milligrams of caffeine or more. In layman’s terms, that’s about five cups of coffee per day when “caffeine in moderation” is defined as three cups a day.)

Despite the cons, I write this as I enjoy my cup of Old City Coffee and prepare for another enjoyable run.