Climbing Again?

I was about ten floors up the first stairwell of the Presidential Towers climb when I came up on the climber ahead of me.  This stairway is pretty tight, and there is no room for passing.  Just as I was about to resign myself to 35 more stories following a slower climber, we got to a turn and she stepped aside for me to pass.  With a smile on her face. 

 

I thanked her, wished her luck, then continued on up.  That might be the aspect of the American Lung Association’s Climb up the Presidential towers that made it most different from the myriad of other stair climbs in Chicago.  With some of the others, like the Hancock, AON, and Willis Towers, the stairwell is wide enough to pass, and people rarely move aside to make passing easier. 

 

This is the third year the Lung Association has hosted this stair climb as a fundraiser.  They do a great job organizing it and keeping it running smoothly through the maze of buildings.  It’s doubled in size in just three years, to almost 2000 climbers this year.  The most obvious difference is the Towers themselves.  Rather than climbing 95 floors at once in the Hancock building, the Presidential Towers climb involves climbing up 180 stories.  But they come 45 stories at a time.  After you climb one tower, you take the elevator down, and run to the next one and keep climbing. 

 

I wasn’t sure how I would feel, the day after doing a 14 mile run on the Prairie Path, but once we started up the stairs, I felt fine.  Psychologically, I think it helps knowing you only have to get up 45 floors before you get a break.  That’s really only about seven or eight minutes of climbing before getting a chance to catch your breath. 

 

The secret to stair climbs, as best I’ve been able to determine over the last decade or so of doing them, is that they are 90% cardio.  Sure, it’s good a workout for your legs but you can climb a lot faster if you can breathe.  And that makes it all the more appropriate that everyone was climbing to benefit the American Lung Association.  Many of the climbers have been personally affected by lung disease.

ABC-7 was a co-sponsor of the climb, and my colleague Ravi Baichwal did public service announcements inviting people to climb.  I'm sure that helped spread the word.  Ravi had a conflict and was unable to climb, but I'm sure we'll get him out next year.  He is a good athlete, and we've done stair climbs before.

And while there is a competitive aspect to these climbs, I found this one to be more focused on finishing, and less on the competition.  You get to chat with the other climbers in the elevator on the way down to the start of the next tower.  I finished the third tower, and was feeling great, but realized I had to run over to do the live shot for TV, so I had to skip the fourth.  I got some well-deserved grief from the others in my elevator car!

I was able to interview one of the top climbers, Jesse Berg, and one of the top fundraisers who helped bring in a total more than $250,000 this year.

This is the third stair climb event I've done so far this year, but I believe my climbing 'season' is over.  It's time to concentrate on the running season, and I'm looking forward to the Shamrock Shuffle in a couple weeks.  Hopefully the cardio workouts from these stair climbs will simulate the benefits of getting on the track for speed workouts.  That would come in handy about mile three of the 8k shuffle.

See you on the roads......

 

 
 
 
 
 

Time to Lace em Up

It was probably at the worst point of the race for me, about 11 and a half miles into the March Madness half marathon, and I was looking pretty bad.  Let's just say I was ready to be done.  That's when one of the course officials recognized me and yelled, "Go Garcia!".  I laughed to myself, thinking about how the state I was in at that point is not how most television reporters want to be seen.  But it had the reverse effect on me, giving me a little boost to push the last mile and half to the finish.

I must have amnesia.  This was the third time I've run the race, known to many as the 'Cary half'.  It has a small, but almost cult-like following in the running community.  They limit it to about 1000 runners, and it sold out this year in an hour.  That, despite the reputation for horrible weather (cold, snow, rain etc.), and a difficult, hilly course.  In short, it's hard.

But it's a great early season test, challenge, and workout.  So, when my friend Tom, who has run it at least ten times, twisted my arm, I decided to pin on a number for the first time this year and line up. 

I was happy to see a large contingent of my friends from my Elmhurst Running Club at the starting line.  Seems like I apparently know a lot of crazy runners.  Many of them are preparing for spring marathons, and this race really works well into training plans.

My friend Tom hopes to run well at the Grand Rapids 25k race in mid-May, and this was also a good test for him.  He's been training on a pretty good program.  As for me, I was just hoping to finish in one piece.

I'm planning on several other half marathons in the next two months, as well as a couple shorter races.  But I haven't really done any specific training for any of it.  I've been doing long runs on the weekend, and short runs during the week.  That's about it.  So I was really feeling a distinct lack of confidence at the start of the race. 

Tom was hoping I would help pace him for much of the race.  I was hoping to keep up with him for a few miles, then struggle to finish.  But after we started out the first mile in about 7:25 or so, we were feeling pretty good.  I just kept running about that pace, and chatting with Tom until I noticed we were going through the 7, and 8 mile markers.  After about 9, I was feeling good, and actually started to surge ahead.  That lasted until about half-way up the big hill at about 9 1/2 miles.  Tom went flying by, and I yelled my encouragement.

It had started raining pretty good at that point, and I thought about just jogging it in from there.  Based on my expectations at the start I would have been satisfied with the day.  But I still felt ok, and so I kept up the pace, and Tom stayed within sight a few runners ahead of me.

As I hit the 10 and 11 mile splits, I realized if I kept it up, I could end up breaking 1:40.  That is the time I ran here last year, but that was in the midst of marathon training, with speed work under my belt.  I had no such preparation this time around, but, hey, when you find yourself in a good position in a race, and you're still feeling ok, you just have to go for it.  So I did.

As we rounded the final turns and the finish line was in sight, I was a little bummed that my watch battery had died at about 8 miles, but I knew I was close.  So I tried to give it a final little push and got to within sight of the finish line clock.  I could tell I was going to make it comfortably.  1:39:43!

All in all, it was a really good day.  Tom ran just a few seconds over 1:39.  He says he's right on target.  I was about 30 seconds behind him.  And I got to pose with some of my better looking running club friends afterward!  It turns out it was actually one of my best half marathon times in the last several years.  I'm hoping that is a good sign for the rest of the season.  Now that it's begun.

See you on the roads.....

 

 





 

Tweener Time

Aside from my occasional turn as a model for Fleet Feet's fashion shows, noone is likely to confuse me with a fashion expert.  I have to wear suits for work, but, otherwise I live in jeans and t-shirts.  When it comes to running clothes, however, I do have some opinions, if for no other reason than I wear them just about every day.  But even then, rarely do they match.

Fashion takes a back seat to function in running.  I dress for the weather.  In the winter, that's usually pretty easy.  Throw on a bunch of layers.  Same for the summer.  A t-shirt and shorts is usually good.  But early spring can be more complicated.  It's not quite warm enough for just a t-shirt, not so cold you need a bunch of layers, and you have to take the possibility of wind and rain into account.

That's why I called this entry 'tweener time'.  And that's why I decided to write about some of the new running clothes I've been trying out, which are perfect for this time of year.  I'm relying on my wife's photography skills and opinions about how the stuff looks.  I can tell you how it is for running.

For my 10 miler on the Prairie Path Saturday morning, I had to take several things into consideration.  It was overcast and chilly, but not cold.   There was a possibility of some drizzle, but the biggest factor was a pretty strong wind that made it a seem little colder than it really was.

So I chose running tights, and a half-zip from lululemon.  Over that I wore the new Hydrolite  jacket from Sugoi.  The combination was perfect for the weather.  I was warm enough, but not overheated.  The jacket is perfect for this type of weather, because it's incredibly lightweight, but very effective in blocking wind and rain.  It was also very comfortable.

The tights and half-zip, I have to admit, I've worn for most of the winter as well.  But they are very versatile.  The tights were fine in temperatures in the upper 30's, but I also wore them for my coldest runs of the winter when it was near zero degrees.  They are the most comfortable tights and top I own.  Something about the fabric makes it soft and more stretchy than most of my other stuff. 

The funny thing is that lululemon started out making women's yoga clothes, but they've branched out into running gear.  About 75% of the store is women's stuff, but the men's stuff they have is really high quality.  One of the guys I run with mentioned, out of the blue, that he likes the lululemon running stuff so much that he bought stock in the company.  They have several stored in the city and suburbs, but you can also order their stuff online.  http://shop.lululemon.com/store/productslist.aspx?categoryid=500&pagesize=15

When it's a little warmer, without wind, you can try just the top and shorts.  Their shorts come with a liner which is perfect for those 'not quite summer' days.  It helps keep your hamstrings and glutes warm.  My wife's opinion is that these are the nicest looking shorts I own.

Given the trend toward 'minimalist' running shoes, I call these 'maximalist running shorts.  For the sake of comparison, I took a picture of them next to a pair of Nike shorts I wear for races in the summer.  I thought it best not to model them for you!

I also tried the Sugoi shorts on.  The fit is a little different than the lululemon, but they are lighter and don't have the liner, so you might feel faster.  When it's a little warmer, but you still want to keep you upper body covered, you might try the look below.  I find my upper body needs a little more protection than my legs. 

 
Sugoi is the Japanese word for 'incredible'.  The company is about 20 years old and was born in the basement of it's founders, one of whom was a cyclist who wanted to produce bike shorts that were better looking and more comfortable than what was out there at the time.
 
They now make some pretty nice running clothes as well.  I've worn their stuff for years. You can find their clothing at most running stores in the area, but you can also find them online at:  http://www.sugoi.com/usa/eng/ 

Spring is one of the best times of the year to run, but you definitely want to listen to Jerry Taft before you head out so you can dress for the weather.  The right running clothes for the conditions will keep you going longer and feeling better.

See you on the roads.....

It's Only March!

 
And already the Bank of America Chicago marathon has closed registration!  This is getting to be a familiar story.  Every year the race fills up a little more quickly.  Even though they have developed a (mostly undeserved) reputation for having hot weather during a couple of the recent races, Chicago is still a marathon that draws a tremendous number of runners from all over the world. 

 I suppose the fact that it's already full is a bit of a relief for me.  I was still sort of mulling the possibility of running a fall marathon, and Chicago would have been my first choice.  But now I don't have to think about that anymore!  Not really, if I decide to do one, Milwaukee or St. Charles are among a number of good local options.  And they aren't full yet.

In my training right now, I'm just starting to focus on the half marathons and other races including Shamrock and Soldier Field that I have  planned in April and May.  I have a basic idea of some other races I plan to run through mid-august right now, and I think that's ahead of my normal curve.  But no, I have not really thought ahead all the way to October yet.  And that, of course, is the problem with registration filling up so early.  I never thought I'd be like one of those 'old-timers' saying "I remember when you could walk up the night before and sign up".  But I am.

The first marathon I ran, a year removed from college cross country, was the Drake Relays marathon.  I did no specific training, but went with a friend to pick up her packet the day before, and, on a  whim, signed up on the spot.  She had trained, and though I was running a bit, I had not trained for a marathon.  She dropped out at ten miles.  I finished in some dreadfully slow time.  I didn't run another marathon for a decade.   I eventually forgave her!

There was a time when you could have an experience like that in Chicago, signing up at the last minute and running, but those days are long gone.  We don't have a lottery like New York.  And we didn't sell out in one day like Boston this year, but the registration for Chicago is still pretty amazing.  The registration now closes long before most of the training programs get started.

 
And it's potential bonanza for the dozens of charities that still have entries to offer.   Most of them still have spots available, offering coaching, an entry and other advantages in exchange for meeting a fundraising minimum.   For some, it's just the incentive they need to get out there and do a marathon.  For others, it's a way to turn their marathon experience into something more meaningful. 

 As for me, I'll probably opt for some other races, and be happy just standing somewhere out on the course cheering the runners along on marathon day.  Below is an excerpt from the Press Release the Bank of America folks sent out.

See you on the roads..... 

CHICAGO - Registration for the 2011 Bank of America Chicago Marathon closed in record time today as the maximum 45,000 participants signed up in 31 days for the 34^th annual event. With a 26.2-mile course that is world renowned for its speed, the rate of registration was an "event record" for Chicago and a fitting prelude to a race where thousands of participants will be striving to achieve their own personal records. Today, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon also announced that a record $12 million was raised by runners during the 2010 event for local, national and global charitable causes.

"We are no strangers to records at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon where numerous world class athletic performances were achieved over the years; but these two records are truly meaningful as they speak to the enthusiasm from runners around the world who want to be a part of our event and the thousands who use the race to make a difference in their communities," said Bank of America Chicago and Illinois Market President Tim Maloney. "It's an honor to help enable opportunity for 45,000 runners to pursue their goals at an event that has such a significant economic and charitable impact on Chicago and beyond each year."

Entry into the sold-out event can still be obtained through the Bank of America Chicago Marathon's charity program, which has generated nearly $60 million since its inception in 2002. More than 90 affiliated non-profits have available entries for the 2011 race. Visit www.chicagomarathon.com  for charity program details and information on how to register by joining a charity team.

"The record rate of registration is a tribute to the 34-year tradition of our event, as well as to our partners in the community, the City of Chicago and our sponsors who lend their support and resources in helping us produce a wonderful experience for our participants year after year," said Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. "We look forward to welcoming the class of 2011 to Chicago on October 9."