My Community is Hosting a Road Race: Now What??

by Julie Drozdowski

I recently ran a half marathon in a city in upstate NY.  It was a lovely race with good support, particularly from the local Police Department
and the race crew.  Generally when I have run races, the local community has been wonderful; but there is always an incident or two that gets me thinking about what could be better.  So, I asked some running friends what they loved and didn’t love about running races in a city.

Here are some tips from your friendly area runners…


DO:

• know when the race is and what streets will be closed when.  It is usually pretty well publicized
• map out a way to cheer at multiple points, it keeps things interesting for everyone.
• more cowbell, noisemakers, be loud, be funny (runners love to laugh)
• be original (play music, play instruments, dance, costumes, high fives from kids)
• volunteer, or at least be supportive.
• keep track of where your elite runner is place wise, especially if they have a goal.
• call out names, or even bib numbers. Make it personal-you never know how much it means.
• make funny posters, Google has some great ideas.
• stick around and cheer on the runners at the back of the pack, they need the most encouragement, since they've been pushing themselves for a much longer time
• ask your runner friends and family what they would like in terms of support.
• consider jumping in a running a block or two with a runner you know, especially toward the end when they’re tired and need the motivation to finish.

Greater Binghamton Bridge Run

May 3, 2015

Don't miss out, register now!

DON'T:

• get mad at runners or volunteers for blocking streets. The road marshals are trying to keep the runners safe.
• cut in front of runners, even slow ones, especially near the finish line.  It’s not an obstacle course race (unless it is)
• smoke in places where the athletes will breathe it in.
• take food/drinks intended for runners.
• say “you’re almost there” unless the finish line is in sight.  Most runners push at the end and don’t want to burn out 
• yell “Run, Forrest, run” (or any other cliché for that matter, be original!)

Above all, please remember that races will happen and runners love your support (and participation!)  Don’t be afraid to encourage the runners in your life and give us a cheer when we run by.

Spectators: an Important Part of Every Race

By Michael Cordi

My first race was Saturday Oct 1, 1971 - four days after my first run. I was 12 and it was a terrifying 1.5 mile cross-country race at Arnold Park in Vestal. I remember a few things from that blur of a 10 minute run. One of those memories is the spectators. If you’ve ever been to a high school XC race you know there are plenty of spectators screaming and cheering for you, for everyone, as you push yourself along the trails.

Fast forward to March 7, 2015 and Confluence Running's Parade Day Mile. One mile up Court St to Main along the parade route, lined with thousands of screaming spectators. Those people have no idea how much they motivated me. When I was getting tired their encouragement kept me going. It was like I didn’t want to let them down, though I didn’t even know them and most of them didn’t know me!

Whether the runner passing by is the first or the last, competitively fast or simply seeking a personal record or to just finish, you spectators motivate us to keep going, to keep pushing. You give meaning to the training runs before or after work, the hard workouts when we runners just want to sleep in or stay home and watch TV. Yes, you are an important part of the race.

I don’t run, train, and race because there will be spectators, no one really does. But on race day, when people are cheering for me(!) I can’t describe how much I truly appreciate you being out there. I mean, look at this - you are out there in the rain, the cold, the snow, the wind, the heat and humidity. You’re probably thinking how crazy I am for being out there running. But guess what - I am just as impressed that you’re out there supporting me.

There’s this thing about the loneliness of the long distance runner - the inner battle when I race; the voices in my head telling me to slow down and take it easy. You, the spectator, are a louder voice and you keep me going.

You keep me going when I’m having a great day and I’m with the leaders.  You keep me going when I’m having a bad day and I’m further back than I want to be. You keep all of us runners going all along the course and especially (at least for me) at the finish. There is an incredible feeling coming into the finish of a road race, the course lined with spectators, feeling so tired and physically uncomfortable, as you cheer for us to keep us going for a few more steps to the finish.

If it was a great race, you’re cheering my accomplishment, if it was a bad race, your cheers are consolation. No matter what, your cheers make the training and racing worthwhile.

But you know what?

Your cheers help, not only the leaders, not only the middle of the pack age group aces, they help (and maybe this is where you help the most) the runners at the back of the pack- the last runners to finish. Remember, they didn’t lose the race, they won their own battle with the same demons telling them to slow down even stop; and, they struggled for a longer time.

The Greater Binghamton Bridge Run Needs You!

One of the major area races is coming up May 3rd , the Bridge Run. Thirteen-point-one miles (there’s also a 5K) around Binghamton. It’s a long way to run and we need help. Yes, some runners can finish a half marathon in less than one hour, but most of us are out there longer. Some of us are out there for two hours or even three or more. In a marathon they might be out there, running, for four or five hours. You, the spectators, help them just like you help the leaders. You keep them going all the way to the finish.

So get out there! Get some family, friends, and neighbors. Make some signs and cheer for every runner. Show community spirit, make your neighborhood the loudest most boisterous one out there.  Have fun with it!   Throw a race-watching party!  Go to the finish line and watch the winners win but stay and watch everyone and cheer real loud to drown out the voices telling them to stop. Take in the scene as people celebrate their own little victories.  Be inspired while you inspire others! Who knows, this might motivate you to be one of the runners someday.

If you’re a spectator you may never know how much you’re appreciated and how much you’re needed. But you are just as much a part of the race as the volunteers, the race director, the timing system, the awards, and the food and drink after.  Let's make this a great race, together!

Boilermaker: a Beginner's Journey

By Rebecca Vandawalker

For a few years, my friend Sharan from college had been trying to get me into running.  She had started a marathon training program herself as an absolute beginner and she had fallen in love with running.  I laughed off her suggestions.  First of all, Sharan is tiny and I am not.  In college she was the girl on the crew boat with the bull horn shouting at the team rowing.  She is also adventurous and I wasn’t.  She is from Malaysia but ended up at the University of Rochester just like me.  I had never run before nor did I have the desire to try.  Nonetheless, she brought up trying it every time we talked.  When I went to visit her one time, she took me on a run.  She had this little timer that beeped every so often and she would tell me when we had to run and when we could walk.  I was proud of myself that I even kept up for 45 minutes.  I was out of shape (not that I had ever really been in great shape) and not exactly thin (not that I have ever really been thin either).  Sharan was quick to point out to me that my steps were too big and that I tried to go too fast.  Well, like everything in life that I don’t want to do, I tend to just try to get it over with.  Then she took me to this palm reader who told me that in the next few years I would change my life and get really into physical fitness.  I laughed.

Needless to say, I didn't run again for a while once I left her house.  Anyone who knows me knows that I have a stubborn side and that I don’t like to listen to others advice for my own life.

Fast forward a few years:  My girlfriends and I are having our annual holiday get together and trying to figure out when we will be able to see each other again.  Someone makes the suggestion that we all sign up and run The Boilermaker 5 K.   We all agreed.  Maybe it was the wine but we did.  We all had plans to train.  I did not do too well with this.  I walked the Rail Trail a few times a week.  I figured that at least I could walk 3.1 miles in 45 minutes if I hustled.  Some of my girlfriends did some training.  My friend Cori seemed to really take to running.  She had done cross country when we were in high school.  She started signing up for 5k’s left and right.

Becky before her first Boilermaker 5k

By the time came for The Boilermaker 5k, I was scared to death.  I even have the before pictures to prove it.  I got up really early in the morning, puked because that is always what happens when I am nervous, and debated whether or not I should eat or drink coffee or water.  I was afraid my nervous bladder would mean I would spend most of my time in the port a potty.  At least I was not alone in this.

All of us were texting each other about what we should wear and if we were eating or drinking.  None of  us really knew what we were doing.  We all started out together when that gun went off.  We ran with the sea of other runners.  Some people really looked like they knew what they were doing while others looked just as lost as I felt.  I made a promise to my friends that I would do this so I started running.   I was out of breath in the first 2 minutes and walked and ran the whole way.  I felt like I was dying.  One of my girlfriends started hyperventilating and didn't finish the race.  I was way behind three friends and two were behind me.  I was on my own.  A funny thing happened though about a mile in.  A woman I didn't know started running and walking with me and encouraging me.  She pushed me when I wanted to quit.  I cannot remember her name but I will always remember what she did for me that day.  She got me over that finish line.  She kept yelling, “We got this Becky!”  I started to believe it.  My time was 44 minutes and something.  I finished under 45 minutes.  I got a finisher’s pin.  I promised myself that day that I would do this the next year and actually train for it.

Ready for your first 5k?
Sign up for the Greater Binghamton Bridge Run 5k!

Feel the sense of accomplishment that comes 

with finishing your first race!

Fast forward to December that same year.  I started doing some exercises at home to make me stronger.  After I did these a few times a week for a month or so, I decided to try running.  I got a book about the Run-Walk Method by Jeff Galloway.  Jeff Galloway was the one who actually trained Sharan for her first Marathon from scratch.  I started going to the rail trail a few times a week.  I would run for a count of 30 in my head and then walk for a count of 30 and just kept doing that for a few miles.  After a few times out, I would run for a count of 60 and then walk for a count of 30.  I did this for quite some time and each time, I would try  to run longer and longer.  I seemed to have trouble breathing.  I called Sharan up and she said to slow down and make sure I could talk while I run.  If I couldn’t talk, I was going too fast.  I told her that I run alone and am not talking to anyone.  I simply count in my head the whole time.  She said I needed to find a group.

Mission: Accomplished.  First 5k done!

I set out to find a group.  Luckily for me, I have a local friend who runs and he invited me to a Beginner’s Group Run at Confluence Running in February through Facebook.  I was very nervous to go since I didn’t know anyone there.  I showed up with Jeans on over my running tights and a regular hat.  I had on the only running sneakers that I owned.  Well when I got to the store, I realized I looked ridiculous in my jeans and ran out to my car and took them off.  I came back in and stood against a wall.  A few of the guys there came up and said hello but I am sure that I did not look at all approachable.  I can be very closed off in new situations.  I like to watch and figure people out first.  Then the group went out for a two mile run.  It was a mile out and a mile back.  I had never run even a quarter mile without stopping to walk yet.   I started out with someone that just walked and I began to run.  After a little while, she went back to the store and I kept going.  I walked and ran the whole mile up and almost the whole way back.  I was alone until I noticed someone from the group ran back to finish with me.  Helen introduced herself and said she was getting back into running after a break.  We talked a bit and then became Facebook friends.  Because of the time she took to reach out to me, I came back.  I learned to run with others.  This helped me with my breathing and my pace.  Once I got my breathing under control and pushed past those feelings that I couldn’t catch my breath, I just breathed through it and begin to run without walking.  First I ran a whole quarter mile, then three quarters of a mile, and when I finally ran a whole mile without stopping, I was so proud of myself.  By the time I went to my next Beginner Group Run, I could run the whole two miles without walking.  I became more open to the other runners.  I even recall when someone asked me if I was training for a race, I said I was training for the Boilermaker 5K but really I was going to be running from now on.

Becky after her second Boilermaker 5k!

I made it to the Boilermaker 5K last July.  None of my friends did the 5K with me this year.  Cori did the 15k and so did my brother and sister-in-law.  I was on my own but I did not stop the whole time and my time was over 12 minutes faster than the first year.  I really felt like I earned that beer at the finish.  I have worked on distance since then and still attend the Beginner Group Runs so that I can get to know new runners and do for them what Helen did for me.  Next Sunday, I will run and hopefully finish my first Half Marathon which I will run with Cori.  When my runs get tough, I automatically start going back to counting in my head.  I just think that since that is how I started, it just keeps me going.  Well that and the fact that I really do like to run now.

Morning Cuppa: Caffeine for Performance Enhancement

by Coach Matt Gawors

Caffeine is a ubiquitous drug that can enhance the body’s chemical processes. When most people think of caffeine, a picture of a mornin’ cupoa joe pops into their mind. When most think of the use of caffeine, so often it is a substance to get jolt of energy in the sleepy time morning or mid-afternoon.

Athletic Performance


But what about caffeine use in athletic performance? Can it be used efficiently? Is it a necessity? Is the use that effective? Yes, Yes, and YES! Major studies have been done on the effects of caffeine on athletic performance and these are some results from Active.com:


“The average improvement in performance is about 12 percent, with more benefits noticed during endurance exercise than with shorter exercise (eight to 20 minutes) and a negligible amount for sprinters. More benefits are also noticed in athletes who rarely drink coffee, hence are not tolerant to its stimulant effect.”

Recovery

Caffeine can not only be an effective tool in athletic performance, but athletic recovery as well. Because caffeine speeds up chemical body processes, it inherently speeds up the time it takes for the body to repair itself from previous workouts. Additionally, Caffeine can increase the effects of carbo-loading for race weeks. Read Caffeine used as a Recovery agent for a more in-depth analysis.

Register now for the Bridge Run Half Marathon and 5k!

Legality

But is this legal in endurance sports? Again, Yes! In the ITU, USAT,as well as USATF rules it explicitly states that Caffeine is NOT a banned substance and can be used in competition.

How about ethically? Is it wrong? This is a matter of opinion but I believe it is not wrong. Caffeine is widespread, available to everyone, and is generally not harmful (extra high doses can trigger anxiety attacks and such).

According to the New York Times, “Caffeine, which is legal under International Olympic Committee rules, is the most popular drug in sports. More than two-thirds of about 20,680 Olympic athletes studied for a recent report had caffeine in their urine, with use highest among triathletes, cyclists and rowers.”

Dosage

So what is the proper dosage of this drug? Studies show that fewer than 2mg of Caffeine per kg of body weight has no athletic enhancing effect while over 6mg of Caffeine per kg of body weight actually hurts athletic performance.

Less than a month to sign up for the Parade Day Mile!

Click here to register now!

Source

Where to get it? Your first thought is probably “coffee.” While this is easily the quickest and cheapest way to obtain caffeine, studies show that caffeine in coffee may not be utilized as effectively as other sources. While this may be true, other options include eating 1000 calories of 90% dark chocolate (I love chocolate but let’s not get carried away), tea, or caffeine pills. Personally, I’ll take a few more ounces of the joe’ to compensate.

How to use caffeine efficiently?

When used on a regular basis, the effects of drugs on the human body tend to diminish over time. This is no different for the use of caffeine. Those who use it as a wake-up call every morning are going to see less pronounced effects.

While I haven’t found any studies pertaining to the tolerance effect of caffeine, I recommend scheduling it’s use sparingly (not daily) based on trial and error experience. I find that the athletic enhancements of caffeine diminish greatly after using the drug three or more days a week. Use caffeine twice a week on Lactate/Aerobic Threshold and VO2 Max days to enhance training performance. Three weeks before an “A” race, use is cut down to once a week to break tolerance levels so there is a greater effect during race week.

Schedule caffeine use on days with higher carbohydrate intakes for maximal carbo-loading. A study from the Journal of Applied Physiology (July 2008) found that glycogen levels were substantially higher with carb/caffeine ingestion as opposed to just carb ingestion. Most endurance athletes would call this glycogen storage “carboloading.”

Example for a Build week in Triathlon

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
90min Ride 90minSwim	2 Hour VO2Max Run	90min Run 90min Swim	2.5 Hour LT Ride (Long Sets)	90min Ride 60min Swim	60min Swim	2 Hour Weighted Run
	Caffeine		Caffeine

Why Run the Mile? The Parade Day Mile!

By Coach Michael Cordi

Brooks Johnson was one of the best distance coaches in the USA. He coached Stanford University and National Teams. I remember he used to say, “Speed kills …. those who don’t have it."  Johnson was coaching runners at the highest level of the sport who wanted to win NCAA, National, and Olympic and World Championships. But his philosophy can be applied to any runner at any level who wants to improve.

There comes a point in any runner’s journey where “just finishing” is no longer the goal.  You’ve finished your 5K, 10K, ½ marathon, marathon. Now what? How about getting faster? Setting PR’s? Beating that Age Group Ace who finishes just in front of you every time you race?

To achieve your goals you need speed. A recent article posted on the Confluence Running Beginner’s Running Facebook page suggested that racing a mile might help you run a faster marathon!

Race a mile? Isn’t that intensely painful? Don’t young college age studs run that real fast?

Well, yes but so do thousands and thousands of Age Group runners all over the nation in all-comers track meets throughout the winter, spring, and summer. Just check out results posted on the Fingerlakes Runners Club and Triple Cities Runners Club web sites and you will see that, yes, anyone can and should race the mile.

Why?

I can tell you from personal experience. I used to be an 800 runner and I loved the mile. I could run 2:00 for the 800 and breaking 5:00 for the mile was a walk in the park. But there was a catch, I was young, real young, and had natural speed in my legs. I started my running career as a cross-country and track runner and had the natural speed of anyone from 14-20+ years old.

Then, I stopped racing on the track, I stopped running short repeats and I lost my speed. So, last fall I decided to go back to my roots and train for and run some 800’s and miles. I admit I’m not as fast as I used to be but I noticed something really cool. When I would go out for an easy 6 miles, what used to feel easy at 7:50-8:00 pace now felt like I was barely moving along at 7:20-7:30 pace!

What happened?!

I’ll tell you what happened - I got some speed back in my legs. You see the key to running to your personal potential is leg turnover- how fast your legs turn over from stride to stride. I was propelling myself along the ground faster than before with less effort because my legs have speed. After 15 years of neglecting that part of my training I actually felt fast again!!!

A lot of my Team Confluence friends will tell you that last fall I swore off any race longer than 5K. I just wanted to race fast (and I have to admit, being ranked #1 in the USA in my AG in the 800 for a few weeks got me excited).  But back to the easy runs. I got thinking (as I watched a 13:15 5k runner run his first ½ marathon in 60:51, one of the fastest times ever by an American): Hmmmm maybe I could run a faster ½ marathon because I have this new found speed in my legs!! I mean if I could “jog” 6 miles in under 47:00 on a cold and windy day after a long day on my feet at school, maybe I can run a decent ½ marathon!!!

Sign up NOW for 

the Greater Binghamton Bridge Run Half Marathon & 5k!

www.binghamtonbridgerun.org

How do you get this speed?

It’s easy (ok, it’s painful but the idea is easy) you train for and race a 1 mile run. Check out local opportunities- the TCRC will offer meets in the spring and summer with runners of all abilities so no one has to be intimidated.

Parade Day Mile!

Coming up March 7 (www.paradedaymile.com) is a 1 mile race down Court and Main Streets right before the Parade! Confluence is bringing back this event from a few years ago for good reason - it’s fun. I know - I’ve done it. Running by thousands of screaming parade goers is a riot.

Bring your friends and sign up - if you’re 21 you get a free beer at the finish! Set a goal to run a mile March 7 and to get there add some speed to your weekly routine. You’ve never done it? It’s easy (ok, it’s NOT easy but figuring out a program is). Keep your mileage where it is (World Class Milers run mega miles, like 100+ per week). So, don’t decrease mileage, just add a couple workouts twice a week.

Don't miss out!  

Space in the Parade Day Mile is limited!

Don't miss out on the fun! Space in the Parade Day Mile is limited to 500 runners, and we expect it to sell out fast! With cash prizes for top finishers, awards for best costume, and the screaming crowds of spectators, this is going to be an awesome race.

Register NOW to make sure you can be part of this exciting new event.

Use Coupon Code "BLOG" to get $2 off your race registration.

Speed Work in Disguise

Frank Shorter, 1972 Olympic Marathon Gold Medalist and the guy who got this whole running boom thing going once said, “Hills are speed work in disguise.”

Warm up, cool down 1 mile, 2 miles, whatever suits you. I recommend hills once a week. Run up and jog/walk down. Over and over as much as you can/want to/have time for. Find a hill- roads, grass, sidewalk, it doesn’t matter. Keep it short (you want speed) 50-100 meters and do it. Or, you can run hilly courses- go out and run how ever many miles you want and make sure you go up and down as many long, short, steep, gradual hills as possible. Lucky me- Endwell is great for that!

Go Fast!

Then, once a week try something shorter than you’ve likely done. I think the perfect distance is 300 meters with whatever recovery interval you feel is appropriate for you and your level of fitness. Find a track run 300 repeats.

The time you should run? Honestly, don’t worry about it, you’re new to this plus the weather might not cooperate. But, as a guideline figure out the pace you can do (or think you can do) for a mile. Use one of those running calculators if you have to, but find a time. Let’s say you think you could run 1 mile in 6:00. Now comes the math- divide- 6:00 is 1:30 per 400 and it’s 1:08 for a 300.  If we're talking hitting an 8 minute mile, then you're looking at 2:00 per 400 and 1:30 for 300.  There you go - easy math.

Think like a Kenyan

No track? There’s snow on the track? The local high school team is practicing? Run them on the roads? You don’t how far 300 is on the roads? Run for your target time then rest. Then run some more- however many you can based on your ability and time constraints. Many of the great Kenyan runners come from an area with no track, so they improvise - no excuses. If there’s a secret to Kenyan success it’s that they make no excuses they just do what it takes.

I do them at 5:00 am - I am very lucky to live on a block that measures 409 meters around and it’s flat. I also live at the bottom of a hill that is about 150 meters long. Lucky me, again.

The point is, you can do them. Your time for the repeats doesn’t matter and do not overdo it. What you’ll notice is that fairly quickly your legs will start moving faster with no extra effort.

If you like it (I LOVE speed work) add in some 200’s and 400’s - all at mile pace.

One other thing that anyone can do, anywhere are 100 meter strides. At the end of your run, you do four or so 100 meter “runs” at about the effort you would race a 5K.

This is Important

At the end of a workout you should not feel all sore and tired (that’s for Gatorade commercials). You almost feel refreshed, like you just did something good for your body (because you did)!

You’re training your legs to run faster. These workouts WILL make you a faster runner at every distance (including the marathon) and you just might find that you like the shorter races more.

Running and racing is about a lot more than just finishing. It’s about finishing at the limits of your own personal potential be that a ½ marathon in 1:00 or a 2:00. Getting faster is fun and rewarding and completing a tough speed workout is a great feeling.

Change up your running and gain some speed and you can run the classic distance the 1 mile run! See you on Parade Day!!!

Why Everyone Should Run Cross Country

We’ve talked about being a real runner; all you have to do is race. But now, we’re gonna talk about how to become a REAL runner. Not just someone who laces up shoes and enters a race, but a REAL, hard core, old time, runner.

It’s simple (but definitely not easy):

Run a cross-country race. 

Better yet, be a part of a team. Get out there in the crisp autumn air, or maybe the cold, rainy, autumn air. Whatever the weather (in XC it doesn’t matter). Just try a race and you’ll be hooked.

image from http://ancientolympics.arts.kuleuven.be/

Cross-Country is the purest form of racing. The very first Olympics in 776 BC had one event, a race along a river. It was only about 200 meters long, but it was along a river, on the ground that the gods put there for the Ancient Greeks to use. 

Back in the day, when the church was the main social gathering place, people would have running races from one church to another (hence- steeplechase because churches have steeples) over whatever terrain was available. Over stone fences, through creeks, but rarely on roads (and the roads were basically dirt anyway unless you were somewhere where Rome had conquered and they were cobblestone).

According to English writers Montague Sherman and F.A.M. Webster cross-country took its organized form in England in the late 1800’s. They called the races “Paper-Chases” or cross-country steeplechases. Here’s how it worked:

A couple of runners called “hares” (hence the term harrier) would set out on a run and lay strips of cloth for the pack of runners, called hounds, to follow. The idea was that the first hound to catch the hare won! I got all that information from a book titled Cross-Country Running, by Marc Bloom 1978. 

image from http://www.artofmanliness.com/

So, now you know how the competitive aspect of the sport of running began, so go out and do it. Cross-country races are hard to find but we are lucky enough to have Confluence Running who not only can find you races but can provide an opportunity for you to be a part of a team. That is one part of running that most people who started running as adults never experienced.

Team pre-race huddles, post-race pictures, maybe even a uniform all make the painful  XC race worth it. I realize that some people are apprehensive about it but cross-country runners are the most supportive group out there. Get some friends (you only need five runners and extra are always welcome) and sign up for a race. If you REALLY want to have fun get a pair of spikes, but they certainly aren't required. Run over natural terrain, up and down hills, through a forest or nature preserve. It doesn't have the technical nature of trail runs. The idea isn’t to slow you down but to give you a natural challenge and a break from the same old 5K road race or the time consuming half-marathon and marathon training programs. 

I guarantee you’ll love it, “That was fun!” is a common post-race exclamation. You’ll also develop a very real respect for all those teenagers out there in the most popular high school sport in the nation. You’ll understand and appreciate what they go through every week. You’ll feel like a kid again when you run through the mud and come back in a condition where you can actually take a shower with your clothes ON! There was once a local high school race where it was so muddy they had to hose down the hallways of the school where the runners gathered after their races!

Check out www.SouthernTierCrossCountry.com for the STXC Series, form a team, and have some fun!

Thanks and thanks to Marc Bloom for a book I’ve read and re-read countless times. Oh, and thanks to my teammates for getting me through my first cross-country race in 30 years!

About the Author:

Michael Cordi has been a dedicated track and cross country coach for years, as well as an active and enthusiastic member of the running community in Binghamton, NY.

Why I Run: Bridging the Gap to Fitness

Flipping through my mental rolodex to the afternoon of February 24th 2012 as I stood on a scale in my doctors office watching in horror while the nurse continue to slide the weight on the scale higher and higher. The weight kept climbing like the thermometer on a summer afternoon. Two hundred pounds, two hundred and fifty, finally the mercury stopped at three hundred and eight pounds. I was mortified!

That afternoon while sulking and depressed I made a life altering decision to lose weight. The very next day drastic change came to my diet. I began to walk six miles a day five days a week and slowly things began to change for me. My body started feeling better. The digestive issues I had been having were suddenly gone. I began to have more energy and my walking began to speed up.

Fast forward to an afternoon in late April as I returned from the local Agway where I had purchased some fertilizer for our lawn. After lifting these extremely heavy bags from my car I happened to notice that each bag weighed forty five pounds. Taking a step back, standing there in amazement it had just hit me: I, myself had lost forty five pounds. Lifting those bags of fertilizer really put things into perspective for me.

Joe becomes a runner in his first 5k, 2012

A week later several friends had begun to push me to run a 5K race. Now, I had not run since playing high school lacrosse twenty two years prior. I was resisting all I could but my curiosity would eventually get the best of me. Our family registered for the Binghamton Bridge Run 5K as we had planned to walk it. Race day finally arrived and upon our arrival the half marathoners had just begun to come in. The atmosphere was electrifying. I was so excited to be a part of what was going on but really having no clue what was going on. All I knew is that it felt good.

Now it was our turn and as we stood waiting for the gun my wife looked at me and said “You know you want to run.” I politely replied no I’m going to walk.  BANG, the gun goes off and the tightly packed crowd of runners begins to move. My wife looks at me and says again “You know you want to run” and I looked back with a huge smile and I was off. Mile one, I am feeling great as a gentle pat on my back gets my attention and WOOOSH, my thirteen year old son goes flying on by.

Now with the finish line in sight, my adrenaline pumping I noticed that most of the runners who
ran the half marathon were lined up along the finish line clapping and cheering the 5K runners as
we crossed the finish line. Wow, I thought to myself, what a sense of community.  Runners of all skill levels cheering and supporting one another. I was hooked!

My first ever 5K race was now complete, finishing in 35:19. The Binghamton Bridge Run sparked an entire new lifestyle. Today, September 2nd, 2014, I’m in training for my first ever marathon. On November 2nd 2014 I will be running the New York City Marathon.





About the Author:
Joe Geronimo is a father, husband, runner, photographer & throw in locomotive engineer for good measure.  He is also an active member of Triple Cities Runner's Club and Team Confluence.

How Do You Know If You're A Real Runner?

I’ve been running for 43 years. September 29, 1971 was my first cross-country practice at Maine-Endwell. I was in 7th grade and on my first run EVER I ran 7.6 miles UP Struble Road to Robinson Hill- down Country Club to Taft, UP Taft and down Hooper back to the High School.
I remember being so sore in bed that night wanting to quit and, in an era when parents didn’t baby their kids, my mother told me that if I quit I was a wimp. Thank God she made me continue to run because within about four days I was no longer sore (this includes running my first race on my fourth day of running) and hooked- for life. Back then, running was different - everyone was hard core, serious. The first road race I remember was a “5 mile” race around the grounds of the State Hospital. The spectators were patients watching out the windows. There were about 50 runners and everyone was “good”. Everyone was a serious runner who trained and raced hard.
The running boom hit and numbers grew. How many people remember the Sun Run in Downtown Binghamton? Over 600 in the 5K; I have to admit it felt really cool to be a young kid and finish up near the front with all those people running.

This leads up to a race I was in sometime in the early 1990’s, a friend from high school was running and told me that he was “not a REAL runner like I was”. Well that got me thinking - Just what IS a real runner? According to him, he wasn’t a real runner (and I was) because he ran a time in the mid 20’s for 5K and I was somewhere around 17:00 + or -. I was at the front of the pack and he was at the back of the pack.
OK, if I was a REAL runner then what about the guys who were running 15:00? Did THEY make ME “not a real runner”? Then, what about the guys running under 14:00? Were the 15:00 guys not real runners? I watched the Olympics and one guy won the 5000 meter run. Was he the only “real runner” in the race, in the world?
The answer is (and I speak with over 40 years of experience folks) NO!!!! 
Truly, honestly, we are ALL real runners.
Do you go out and train when your schedule allows you to? Do you run the mileage your lifestyle lets you run? Do you enter races and run your best? Trying to beat your PR?
Then you are a real runner.
I was thinking about it the other day and here’s what I think: When you run there is a time when both of your feet are off the ground at the same time. When you walk one foot is always touching the ground.

So now that we’ve solved that problem let’s move on to our perceptions.

When I was younger I could run 6:00 per mile easily, I could do workouts of 400 meter repeats at under 65 seconds and even under 60 seconds and 300’s in under 45 seconds. Now, if I even approach 7:00 on a training run I’m excited (and by approach I mean get that fast). I do 400’s in 1:20 and 300’s in 1:00.
Am I any less of a runner now than when I as 25 years old?

No way - I still love it and feel great doing it.

Maegan Krifchin at Confluence Running

Confluence Running has these “Beginner Group Runs". Experienced runners run with newer runners. Our motto is “No runner left behind”. I really enjoy these group runs. Running along at 10:00-11:00 per mile and YES!!!! One of my feet is always off the ground!
Are these people real runners? They sure are. They are out there doing a very healthy activity and becoming “better”, so to speak. In the words of Maegan Krifchin, a Pro Runner from the Syracuse area, they are becoming the best “me” they can become.
We all have our own level- 12:39 for 5K, 15:00, 17:00, 21:00, 31:00. If you’re out there running, your best, becoming a better “you”, then you are a runner. 

A REAL runner.


5K, 10K, ½ marathon, marathon, ultra- it doesn’t matter the

distance, it’s the effort, it’s YOU being YOUR 

best.

Yes, you are a runner and you should think of yourself as a runner. I’ve been a real runner for over 40 years and I respect you, so you should respect yourself.  




About the Author:

Michael Cordi has been a dedicated track and cross country coach for years, as well as an active and enthusiastic member of the running community in Binghamton, NY.

Just a 5k: Why Even After Two Marathons I'm Still Intimidated

I hear it all time time at packet pick up for races or running groups on Facebook: "I'm only running the 5k."  As if the only thing that mattered in running was the distance you're capable of enduring.  As if someone who can "only" run as far as 3.1 miles is not a "real" runner. 

I, too, was guilty of this when I started running.  Running even a 10k distance seemed completely unimaginable to me, though I knew others could do it.  I never thought I'd run a half marathon, let alone complete a full marathon distance.  I knew I was the bottom of the barrel, distance-wise.  "I'm not that kind of runner," I'd think,  "I'll never be the person that can go so very far."  It was all I could manage to pull off my 3 mile training runs a few times a week.  I remember making the decision to run a half marathon and wondering whether I'd ever really be able to make it that far.  

That far.  That's what entered my head.  Speed wasn't my goal, though I liked the idea of it.  I had a tendency to obsess over the numbers and find where I ranked among other runners after a race.  I loved hitting those PR goals.  But instead of pushing for personal speed records, I pushed for distance records.  How far is my body capable of going?  Ten miles?  Twenty miles?  Fifty miles?  I still don't know.  I have yet to find that limit and it's still very interesting to me to go the distance.  

A 5k race is a very different beast, however.  It's not the long, slow endurance of discomfort, but the short, fast endurance of as much pain as you can manage.  Contrary to the attitude of most beginner runners, who treat it as if it's just a stepping stone, the 5k is it's own entity.  It's its own race.  It's worthy of respect, in its own right.  How many Olympic 5000 meter runners say "oh, I'm only running a 5k" on race day?  My guess is not a single one in the history of the games.  The 5k is a difficult race - not quite a sprint, but still short enough to push yourself extremely hard.

Now I find myself in the position of being close to really competing against the top athletes in my area in a 5k.  I was never a runner, I started running at 30 years old after having 3 babies and years of neglecting my body.  I began running just to add some interest to my life and hopefully, finally, lose the last of the baby weight.  Those local elite athletes were placed on a pedestal that I never expected to approach, yet now, several years and thousands of miles later, I find myself nearing their pace, slowly but steadily.  The pedestal I placed them on in my head is now completely intimidating to me when I consider racing them.  I'm inexperienced in racing, anyway, having tried many different distances but no single distance frequently.   

Now, however, I've landed in a place where I'm approaching the runners I idolized.  It's exciting and terrifying all at once.  I keep thinking "how did I get here?  I'm not a 'real' runner."   I feel like I don't deserve to reap the benefits of all the work I've done. I feel like I'm not worthy. But the reality is, I am worthy, and I am ready to take that step.

This evening, I'll be running my first 5k in more than two years.  "Only" a 5k, but I find my heart racing and panic building every time I think of it.  I know I can run the distance, but the speed is a completely different question in my head, let alone the pain involved in pushing myself as hard as I possibly can for 3.1 miles.  I realize now that it wasn't a pedestal that I've put them on, but rather a stepping stone. And today, I'm taking a deep breath, swallowing my panic, and taking that terrifying step up to that stone.

About the author:

Jenna Jenks runs, writes, and raises her 3 children in Binghamton, NY. In her spare time she knits and dreams about training for triathlons.