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Top 10 Marathons to Run in America

30 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by in Running, Sports, Top 10 Lists

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It starts with a jog that speeds up to a run. Next comes the 5K, 10K and then before you know it, you are signing up and training for your first marathon. Your preparation takes months of discipline, dedication and sacrifices over grueling and tiring long days, but in the end you wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. You compete. You feel the glory of finishing what you set out to accomplish. And now you can check one more item off your bucket list. Or perhaps your first marathon is the start of many. Kudos to you either way!

When it comes to finding a marathon to compete in, there is no shortage of offered races in the United States. From the Big Sur Train and Whidbey Island Marathons in the West to the Mardi Gras and Lower Potomac River Marathons in the East, marathoners have hundreds of races to choose from each and every year. The decision typically boils down to location, timing and personal preferences.

For marathon runners wanting a wonderful experience with the course, events and race management, below is my list of the top U.S. marathons, listed chronically by the next upcoming race dates. Any of these marathons will make your training and tireless perseverance all the worthwhile.

Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Race Date: October 7, 2012
Runners: 45,000+
Course Overview: Known for being fast and flat, this course offers a scenic tour of Chicago and its lively neighborhoods, as well as a convenient start and finish in beautiful Grant Park, attracting attracts both elite athletes and amateurs alike.
Certification: USATF
Contact: Bank of America Chicago Marathon, 135 South LaSalle Street, Suite 1160, MC: IL4-135-11-61, Chicago, IL 60603; phone 312-904-9800; e-mail office@chicagomarathon.com

Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon
Race Date: October 7, 2012
Runners: 8,000+
Course Overview: Dubbed the “Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America®,” the Twin Cities marathon is full of crowd support and exceptional scenery, starting at the Metrodome in Minneapolis and finishing at the state capitol.
Certification: USATF
Contact: Twin Cities In Motion, 2635 University Avenue West, Suite 190, Paul, MN 55114; phone 651-289-7700; email info@tcmevents.org

Portland Marathon
Race Date: October 7, 2012
Runners: 8,000+
Course Overview: Three loop marathon with a fair amount of small hills and one large one at mile 17 well organized and caters to the runner, a large amount of spectators and lots of music a fun one to run.
Certification: USATF
Contact: The Portland Marathon House, 1888 SW Madison, Portland, OR 97205; phone 503-226-1111; email info@portlandmarathon.org

ING New York City Marathon
Race Date: November 4, 2012
Runners: 33,000+
Course Overview: The course takes marathoners through the streets of New York’s five boroughs: Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan and finishing up in Central Park, uniting dozens of culturally diverse neighborhoods.
Certification: USATF
Contact: New York Road Runners Club, 9 East 89th St, New York, NY 10128; phone 212-423-2249; e-mail marathonmailer@nyrr.org

Marine Corps Marathon
Race Date: October 28, 20132
Runners: 21,000+
Certification: USATF
Course Overview: The course runs on both sides of the Potomac, along the Mall, through Georgetown, past nearly every memorial in town, and back in a large loop to the Marine Corps’ Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery.
Contact: Marine Corps Marathon, PO Box 188 Quantico, VA 22134; phone 800-RUN-USMC; email marine.marathon@usmc.mil

Honolulu Marathon
Race Date: December 9, 2012
Runners: 20,000+
Course Overview: Runners start on Ala Moana Boulevard, Hawaiian for “path by the ocean,” go west along the waterfront toward downtown Honolulu, loop through downtown and head east through Waikiki  before ending their hardships in Kapiolani Park.
Certification: USATF
Contact: Honolulu Marathon Office,3435 Waialae Avenue, Suite 200, Honolulu, HI 96816; phone 808-734-7200; email info@honolulumarathon.org

Walt Disney World Marathon
Race Date: January 13, 2013
Runners: 15,000+
Course Overview: An entertaining run through all four parks, staring at Epcot, on to the Magic Kingdom, then to Animal Kingdom before finishing in Hollywood Studios with Disney characters cheering along the way.
Certification: USATF
Contact: Run Disney, P.O. Box 10000, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830; phone407-938-3398; email rundisney@email.mydisneyparks.com

Los Angeles Marathon
Race Date: March 17, 2013
Runners: 14,000+
Course Overview: Full of glitz, glamour and maybe even paparazzi, the LA Marathon is more than a race; it’s a total community effort with support and encouragement at every turn of over 70 points of entertainment along the course and famous landmarks at every mile.
Certification: USATF
Contact: LA Marathon LLC, 871 Figueroa Terrace, Los Angeles, CA 90012; phone 213-542-3000; email info@lamarathon.com

117th Boston Marathon
Race Date: April 15, 2013
Runners: 22,000+
Course Overview: Considered to be one of the more difficult marathon courses due to the Newton hills, near Boston College, the race runs through eight Massachusetts cities and towns: Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, and Boston on Patriot’s Day every year.
Certification: USATF
Contact: Boston Athletic Association, 40 Trinity Place, 4th Floor Boston, MA 02116; phone 617-236-1652 e-mail registration@baa.org

Rock N’ Roll San Diego Marathon
Race Date: June 3, 2013
Runners: 13,000+
Course Overview: Featuring ideal running temperatures in a scenic coastal setting on a course that is as flat and festive as they come with upwards of over 40 bands play live music on 26 stages and,000 cheerleaders encourage runners to the finish line.
Certification: USATF
Contact: Competitor Group, 9477 Waples Street, Suite 150, San Diego, CA 92121; phone: 858-450-6510; email info@competitorgroup.com

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana

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Hill Work – Why Run Up When You Can Cruise Flat?

26 Monday Mar 2012

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Ever since I have lived in my house, over 10 years now, I have basically run the same course. Out my door, up my driveway, and off I go on a plotted course throughout my area. It’s a route filled with beautiful wooded scenery, uninterested horses, grazing cows, and the forever watchful dogs who always announce my coming and going. I have many stories of running by undetected skunks, crossing the paths of bucks, and trying to outrun approaching thunderstorms.

The course I take is mainly hill work. There are a few spots where the run is flat, but the great majority is hard hill work at high crescendos. The run can be made even more challenging when caught by the sun’s rays on a hot summer day. On these occasions, you can find me playing hopscotch with the spots of shade and sprinting through the areas were the sun shines bright.

Not too far from my house, about a 10 minute drive away, is a beautiful paved running path through the handsome woods that follows alongside of a glistening river. Struble Trail is a multi-use rail trail marked by the mile and often filled with other runners, cyclists, and skaters. There are fishermen standing in the water trying for a catch or two and walkers, many with dogs, out for a good brisk stride. Ah, company as I cruise along! Best of all, it’s completely FLAT and smooth! Or is it better?

There is no debate that running is an excellent cardio workout, benefiting your lungs and skeleton system. Both types improve your cardiovascular health, burn calories toward weight loss, and increase your lean muscle mass. There are also the endorphins that kick in that wonderful mental high and the reduction of stress and troubles as one plots along their course of choice.

But while both are intense physical workouts, hill running nudges out as the winning answer as being better for you. For starters, it challenges all of your major muscles further, especially working your upper leg muscles and backside as you push upward, while strengthening and toning your calves, quads, hamstrings, and glutes along the way. As one trainer once said to me, “running up hill lifts your butt and reduces any sag.” That’s an enough of a motivator for me!

Those who run on an incline also gain a more powerful stance and improved stride in almost all of the eight lower-body muscle groups, equating to a quicker running time when on flat surfaces. You will strengthen your hip flexors and Achilles tendons, develop more power in your calf muscles and quads, and increase your lower half strength and overall endurance.

Since running up also requires more energy, you will additionally increase your muscle elasticity and burn even more calories. How much more? Two hundred calories an hour more that running on level ground! For a 150-pound person, that is 1,000 calories per hour running uphill versus 800 on the flat. Increase your speed or add weight to your run, in your backpack or with ankle or wrist weights, and burn even more calories.

Enough said to keep me going on my hilly route! It’s nice knowing I’m working by body harder and I do love the results I see on my body. On the weekends, I may break the hills for the nearby flat trail for an easy five miles. Change up is good and gives my body the break of a lighter workout.

Either way, flat or uphill, you can’t go wrong with either running surface. It’s a win-win situation with the benefits of the cardio workout. So lace up, apply sunscreen, and get out there to reap the rewards of a good run.

Be fit. Be strong. Be well.
Adriana

Running on a Treadmill vs. Outdoors – Which is Better

07 Monday Nov 2011

Posted by in Exercising, Running

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Running. It’s an athletic activity I’ve been doing as soon as I learned how. At first, it was chasing after my big brothers and their friends in flag football, baseball, flashlight tag, or hide-and-seek outdoors.  Next came running on organized sports. I played on basketball, softball, field hockey, lacrosse and track teams all through my schooling. And my competing running events began when I was still in high school.

To train and condition myself for the teams and events, I ran, I ran and I ran. I would run up to six days a week, weather permitting, until I purchased my first gym membership at age 18. I was then able to run despite the pouring rain, heavy snow, or wicked winds since I could now run inside on a treadmill.

What’s the difference between running on a treadmill and running outside? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Do you get the same results? While studies show running outside is the better choice, I am here to share with you the pros and cons of both running types.

First and foremost, running on a treadmill is easy and convenient. Perhaps there’s one in your home or you use a treadmill in the gym. Either way, you as the runner just needs to pop on an available one, set your settings, and off you go – no matter what the weather conditions are like inside and out.  An added bonus, you’re safe from possible strangers.

On a treadmill, you can control how fast you go and how far to run. You get to track how many calories you burn and even your pulse. Some treadmills have a variety of course works to choose from or different incline levels to challenge yourself. And to help pass the time away and prevent monotony, you can run alongside a friend, listen to music on your headset, or watch a show on a mounted TV.

Treadmills are great for speed work, pacing, and interval training. They are also good for injury prevention and rehabilitation since most have soft padded surface and are designed with a lot of “give” – all lessening the impact of your pounding body. Treadmills are additionally ideal for those who are overweight as it helps the body along and allows for slow gain momentums.

What is missing with treadmills is the lack of wind resistance, unchanged terrain, and lesser muscle exertion since the treadmill belt helps propel you along. Running bio-mechanics are also different when running on the treadmill. Runners run with less of a forward lean, stride lengths are either longer or shorter, and support time is longer for your support leg that is on the ground than outside running. All this equals less muscle work and fewer calories spent.

The lack of terrain is a huge difference. A treadmill doesn’t have any way to simulate running downhill or sharp around the corners. So to help amp up your running results on a treadmill, raise the incline to at least one percent or slightly more to better simulate the energy expedited when running outdoors.

So what are some of the other added perks to running outside? Well for starters, you can almost run anywhere and can alternate your course at any time – exposing yourself to different terrains. You can run on pavement, a track, grass, the beach, or even the bleachers at a nearby school, all aiding in greater muscular development and strengthening of your legs. You also get the added mental bonus of enjoying the change of scenery and inhaling the wonderful fresh air that – a clincher for me – while also soaking up your daily dose of Vitamin D from the sun.

Running outside prevents monotony and boredom. In an instant, you can dash into a sprint or switch to a side step to mix it up. You can run with a group of friends – training for an event – or take the family dog along. The best part, you can easily challenge yourself, exert your muscles more, and expend more calories versus when on the treadmill.

There’s no doubt that running on a treadmill and running outside both provide two very different experiences and two valuable workouts. To me, running outside is better physically. I see better results, personally, when I run outside versus on the treadmill. But you should analyze your own circumstances and decide which best fits your situation – running on the treadmill or running outside.

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana

Sneaker Tips for Runners

15 Friday Jul 2011

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When you’re a runner, your number one most important piece of gear is your sneakers. Once broken in, they become the beloved shoes that embrace the road, weather cool rain, and take whatever you dish out during your runs. They go with you to the gym, get packed in your bag during travels, and sit by your door waiting for you to grab them to go run.

Yes, to a runner, our sneaks are precious. The longer we keep them around, the harder it is to part with them, even when the padding inside becomes worn, the soles thin out and holes begin to appear on the shoe itself.

That’s why I felt a little saddened when I had to part with my last pair as recommended by my physical therapist. I had run way too many miles on the duo and she felt there are sneakers with better support out there for runners. She scribed down a couple brands and models, and off at went to the running story.

Wearing the right footwear is very important when exercising or playing a sport. Cleats for most field sports, boots for riding horses, barefoot for surfing and sneakers for running. When you wear the right shoe, you will be able to work out and play longer, lessen your chance of an injury and decrease how sore you might feel after finishing. The proper shoes give you the support you back needs, wriggle room for your toes, and ventilation for your feet to breathe. Below are some additional tips when buying sneakers to run in.

1.       Before entering the running store, know your arch support and pronation, the motion of how your foot rolls during your stride. This is critical for correct shock absorption and forward propulsion.

2.     Bring your old sneakers with you! The salesperson will know a lot from how you wore your last pair. Also, let them know what type of running you do, including terrain and mileage.

3.       Bring the socks you wear while running. This will help give you a more accurate feel of how the shoe fits.

4.       When trying on each pair, walk around the store in them to evaluate each pair according to their comfort, support, and fit.

5.       If down to two different pairs, place one shoe on each foot for a comparison and take a brief jog around the store. This was my deciding factor when choosing my new pair.

6.       Considering adding an insole, such as Superfeet, to your footwear. This will decrease the amount of shock that is absorbed by your body.

7.       If you run back-to-back days or more than four days a week, you should have at least two sets of sneakers and rotate them. This gives them longevity and avoids irritation and excessive wearing in any particular area.

8.       Keep track how many miles you run in your sneakers, and toss them after 400 miles due to the wear and tear. If you don’t want to keep count of your miles, then get a new pair every 4-5 months.

Keep in mind that everyone is unique, and there is no single perfect shoe. Use your running shoes just for running. Socks also make a difference. Cotton socks can cause blisters since they don’t breathe well or effectively remove moisture. Thermo-regulating performance socks that absorb the moisture are best for running.

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana

My Secrets to Aging Well – Part 1

14 Monday Feb 2011

Posted by in Abdominal Muscles, Anti-Aging, Cardio, Exercising, Fitness Classes, Health and Wellness, Running

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Yesterday was my birthday; I turned 40-something. I wasn’t ashamed to admit my age to those around me since I very easily look 10 years younger. Whenever I tell my age, all respond, “Noooo! Really?” in total disbelief, which of course puts a grin on my face as it would anyone hearing those words.

In celebration of my special day, I took myself shopping to some of my favorite clothing stores. I easily slipped into my standard XS or size 0. While changing in the dressing room, I smiled to myself and felt very blessed as my body still looks only 25 with its firmness and sleekness.

At 5’4″, I weigh 100-105 pounds. I am very tone and still very solid with just the right amount of muscle definition; not to the point I look like a body builder, but to the point one can tell I go to the gym regularly. No belly fat. No saddle bags. No double chin.

My facial skin shows no wrinkles, only a hairline which no one else notices but me. My Italian olive skin keeps a year round slight tan while my dark chocolate brown hair falls past my sculpted shoulders. And to top off my younger-than-my-age look, I dress the latest fashions and keep my hair cut to current trends.

So how do I do it? Besides dressing the part, how do I stay so young and fit looking? What are some of my secrets that have defied the aging process? What is my regimen like to achieve such lasting results?

Well, there’s a lot that goes into it how I have evolved to where I am today. All has been a way of life for me from the very beginning, with my parents’ own healthy ways, and have continued to develop throughout my life. I fell in love with sports and fitness at a very young age, so working out is like playing to me. I have never smoked, rarely drink alcohol and always pay attention to health in the news. I also maintain a balanced lifestyle of work, family and fun with as little stress as possible.

My Schedule. I am Type A and have an enormously high energy and endurance levels as anyone close to me can vouch. I am ambitious, driven and determined; the Energizer Bunny without any given caffeine. Here’s a quick rundown of what I do weekly to stay fit. I run six days, lift three to four, abs six to seven days, yoga one to three times a week, Pilates three times, cycling once, swimming one to three times, and finally boot camp and lift-it classes once a week each. Yes, that’s all in one week. Yes, I do have a full-time job and thensome. Maintaining my workout regimen is a priority for me. I love doing it and I love the payoffs.

 

Running. This is my number one, must do workout activity. If I just have 30 minutes to workout, this is how I will spend it. Depending on my availability and if I’m on a treadmill versus outside, I run 4-5 miles a day, six days a week. If I am training for an event like I am now, then one of the days I will reserve for a long run and run a higher mileage based on my planned out schedule. I prefer to run outside as I enjoy the fresh air and scenery and like the end results I see on my body better. I do believe running outdoors versus on a treadmill are two different types of running (like swimming in a pool versus the ocean) and exert certain leg muscles differently.

 

Abs. I love working my abs and do so almost daily. I start out with a warm up, 100 crunches on a fitness ball followed by 25 sit-sups with a six pound medicine ball, twisting my torso side-to-side when I’m in the almost upright position. Next, 300 straight on crunches with my legs at three varying angles to catch the three areas of my abs. Then 200 crunches on the ground with my lower torso turned 90 degrees left, then another 200 twisted right. This is followed by 300 sit-ups with bent knees and hands behind my head. In between each 100, I do 25 reps of hand reaches. I wrap up with three sets of toe-to-toe beats while still on my back, then I flip over for planks. Remember, good form is very key and pulling your belly button to your spine at all times is a must or else you will build out.

 

Check back next week when I continue to share how I stay fit and young looking. I’ll discuss what I do for weight training, fitness classes, swimming, cycling, diet, skincare and sleep.

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana