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Vienna native Alexander Chalphin shares what it takes to run the Capitol's marathonIt is easy to lose faith in humanity every now and then, living in the DC metro area. We’re bombarded with negative images and stories, from our own lives and the media, that exemplify corruption, greed and violence. All too rare are celebrations of human strength, generosity and joy that we know exist, but sometimes can’t see through the blinding malevolence of the evening news or the rush hour commute. This weekend was one of the greatest, most refreshing demonstrations of the intrinsic human capacity for good I have ever experienced. It was also a ton of fun. I woke up the morning of the …
The Marine Corps marathon is less than a week away. I'm not nervous yet, but I'm getting a bit fidgety; missing the achiness and exhaustion that has been such familiar Monday morning companions these past few months. My training schedule had me down to very short runs through Wednesday, after which time I'm supposed to rest completely. I'm a little concerned about my IT band tightening up, so I hope to sneak in a few light miles, drills and stretches later in the week. At meal times I'm trying to stuff myself with as much as the dining halls will allow in hopes of storing up as much glycogen …
It may be a cliché, but in running you truly are what you eat. As a stereotypical college student, my diet consists of far too much pizza, hamburger helper and cheap beer for me to preach any kind of healthy eating habits. But I've learned much about eating on the run from conversations with veterans, my own research and trial and error over the past few months. One of the many banes of the beginner runner (or even the out-of-shape old-timer) is the "side stich" or "cramp". There are almost as many cures as there are explanations of this uncomfortable ailment…
Training for a marathon is somewhere between art, science and voodoo. Plug "marathon training schedule" into your search engine of choice and you'll find hundreds of plans to peruse. Many have been carefully thought out and claim justification from rigorous modern science, endorsement by recognized running gurus, or both. Though details vary, most regimens for novices advise a steadily increase in mileage over the course of a few months. Most plans usually peak around 40-50 miles per week, with "long runs" of 20 miles, about one month before race day. Subsequent weekly totals gently taper to …
