John Madigan's Blog

NYC Marathon

This past weekend I ran the NYC Marathon. It was my 4th marathon and favorite marathon to date. 

The course

What's great about the course is that it feels like a well planned sightseeing tour. Starting in Staten Island offers the opportunity to take the Staten Island ferry and experience nice views of the Statue of Liberty. Shuttles whisk runners from the dock in Staten Island to the starting line.

Experiencing Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan (1st Ave and Central Park) by foot is absolutely ideal. What better way to get to know a city than to run it? 

As far as the elevation goes, the course is mostly flat with the exception of a few inclines over the bridges and at the end in Central Park. The inclines on the bridges are somewhat unnoticeable because most people are focused on the views from the bridge itself (at least I was). But careful not to try and go to fast and waste much needed energy.  

The fans/supporters

Except for the bridges, the course is completely lined with enthusiasic fans/supporters cheering the runners on.

Some of the best signs I saw people carrying:

"Hurry up! It's cold as hell out here."

"Worst parade ever!" 

The organization

The team behind the marathon did an excellent job. Everything from the communications, the expo, transportation, lodging suggestions, and the race itself were coordinated beautifully. 

There was only one part of the marathon experience that needs to be reexamined. The end of the marathon after the finish line was a logistical disaster. At the end of the marathon, all the finishers are pushed into a narrow corral that is lined with the UPS trucks carrying runner gear from the start line. There isn't an opportunity to leave this corral because it's fenced in. Thousands of runners are literally stuck in a corral, standing up, after 26.2 miles of running. Not fun. People were getting sick next to me because we were packed so tightly together with no chance at getting some space.

That being said, it was a small price to pay for the positive aspects of the race itself.

Overall

The NYC Marathon was a fantastic experience. Highly recommended.  

On Running

I'm not a big fan of books about exercising. Or running. But I stumbled on one recently that was both insightful and endearing. 

It's called What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Mrakami and it loosely follows his preparation for the NYC Marathon. Since I'm currently training for the NYC Marathon, the book holds a special significance for me.

Here are a few passages I thought were particularly good.

On running and thinking:

"I'm often asked what I think about as I run. Usually the people who ask this have never run long distances themselves. I always ponder the question. What exactly do I think about when I'm running? I don't have a clue."

On why to run:

"Running has a lot of advantages. First of all, you don't need anybody else to do it, and no need for special equipment...As long as you have running shoes and a good road you can run to your heart's content."

On priorities:

"I'm struck by how, except when you're young, you really need to prioritize in life, figuring out what order you should divide up your time and energy. If you don't get that sort of system set by a certain age, you'll lack focus and your life will be out of balance."

These were just a few of the quotes that resonated with me. If you are a runner, I'd highly recommend picking up a copy.

29 things I've learned in 29 years

I'm turning 29 this year. It's been a good ride thus far. Here are a few things from both observation and experience I've learned in my ripe old age of 29:

(1) Good sleep, food, exercise, water are vital to a productive day.

(2) Everything in moderation is a good philosophy - especially with respect to food/drinks.

(3) Exercise has more than just physical benefits. Exercise influences your emotional health, happiness, and overall sense of well being.

(4) Not worrying about what others think is the best way to live. It's also incredibly difficult in your teens and 20's to not be influenced by your peers.

(5) Surrounding yourself with people you admire/respect is much more important than whoever will go out and party/drink with you.

(6) Buying someone lunch is one of the most powerful networking tactics you can use. Do it often. 

(7) To get to know someone, take a long car ride or travel with them. You'll get to know a completely different side of them and develop a much more intense connection.

(8) Meeting someone of quality in a bar/club is unlikely. Although quality people go to bars/clubs, they aren't looking for their mate. Rather, meeting someone through a friend is a much wiser strategy.

(9) Find a means of creating passive income for yourself. Whether this is via investing, an online biz, or some other means, it's crucial to find a way to get paid even when you're not there.

(10) Read, read and read.

(11) It takes time to really get to know yourself.

(12) Don't get married until you're ready. There's no reason to do it too soon.

(13) Being in a relationship because you are lonely is almost always the wrong reason.

(14) Friendship before romance can increase the likelihood of a relationship's success.

(15) Experts write. Start writing.

(16) Public speaking isn't as scary as you may think. We are conditioned to think there is something frightening about communicating to a group of people. There isn't. 

(17) Treat others how you want to be treated. Be nice.

(18) Laugh - life is too short not to laugh.

(19) Push yourself. Try things you wouldn't normally do. Go outside your own comfort zone.

(20) Invest as early as possible. Save and invest. Save and invest.

(21) Spend less than you earn. 

(22) Avoid debt, including student loan debt (if you can).

(23) Higher education is useful, but comes at a great cost (unless someone else is paying for it for you). If your parents or family will pay for it, do it. If you are paying for it yourself, realize that you will be forced to pay back huge tuition costs for probably years to come.

(24) Do something you enjoy. Working in a place/job/environment that doesn't fit who you are will do strange things to you physically and emotionally. The sooner you recognize when something isn't the right fit and make a change, the better.

(25) Give people the benefit of the doubt. If someone burns you, learn from it. But don't become jaded because of one bad apple.

(26) Find a way to create more quietness (some call it "consciousness") in your life - whether you are spiritual or not, finding quiet time is imperative. 

(27) Family and friends are what makes life great. Tell them so.

(28) Money is a tool you can use, not the other way around.

(29) There is always more to learn. Anyone who claims to know it all doesn't know how little they actually know.

And the Winner is...

Thank you to everyone who supported me in running the LA Marathon. Because of the rain, it was by far the most difficult marathon I have ever run. But I finished!

Here is the list of rockstars that donated to Meals on Wheels (the nonprofit I was raising money on behalf of):

1. Shelly Locks
2. Erin Deviny
3. Sara LaBree
4. Laurel Rosen
5. Michael Madigan
6. Jenna, Brian and Baron Linnekens
7. Kelly Craven
8. Debbie Lee
9. Marguerite Hanley
10. Kiran Bedi
11. Jeremy Davis-Turak
12. John Ebel-Davis
13. Etan Basseri
14. Ana Fass
15. Sol Chum
16. Cindy Young
17. Lynne Thomas
18. Nicole Campbell
19. Gianna Assereto

In total, we raised $368 (more than $100 above my initial goal). THANK YOU!!

As I mentioned in my first email, I am giving away five $20 Starbucks cards to people chosen at random who donated to the cause.

To pick the winners, each person was assigned with the number next to their name above. My coworker picked 5 numbers out of a basket corresponding to the numbers. The 5 chosen winners are:

1. Cindy Young
2. Sol Chum
3. Nicole Campbell
4. Erin Deviny
5. John Ebel-Davies

Congrats and thank you so much!!!

LA Marathon & Meals on Wheels

As some of you know, I'm running the LA Marathon this year.

Also, I am raising money for a local nonprofit, Meals on Wheels. Meals on Wheels is a great nonprofit that provides nutritious meals to the homebound or the disabled in Santa Monica and surrounding areas.

Here is the ask: I was hoping you could help me reach my fundraising goal of $260. It's an achievable goal and I hope you will help me get there.

I'm asking that 26 people to donate exactly $10 (no more, no less) to sponsor each one of the miles I run in the maraton (technically the marathon is 26.2 miles, but we'll call it 26 miles). If you want to donate more, that's great, but I'm just asking for $10.

As an additional incentive (not that you need one), I will be giving away five $20 Starbucks giftcards to five people (chosen at random) who donate at least $10 to the cause. That means you have a 5 in 26 chance (almost 20%) of winning a $20 giftcard. If more than 26 people donate, only the first 26 will be entered in the raffle for the five giftcards. The winners will be chosen at random the day after the marathon.

Here is the link to my fundraising page:

www.active.com/donate/mealsonwheelswest/JMadiga3

I have tested the fundraising page and made the first $10 donation. But don't worry, I'm not eligible to win one of the five $20 giftcards :)

If you have any questions, let me know. Thank you for your help!

 

You Know You're Training for a Marathon When...

I'm training for the LA Marathon right now. During my run tonight, I started thinking about some of the oddities of marathon training. Hence the following list....you know you're training for a marathon when:

• You're tempted to race your coworkers to the end of the block  
• You size up people at the gym based on their running shoes
• You stay on the treadmill longer than the person next to you just to prove you can
• You think that wearing a "workout tool belt" is an acceptable workout accessory
• You turn down drinks with friends to go get your "runner's high" instead
• You think "bleeding nipples" is an acceptable topic of conversation
• You consider a 10 mile run just a "decent" length run
• You become a connoisseur of different types of "goo's"
• You know the difference between regular socks and "marathon socks"
• You considered shaving your legs to increase your time (and you're a guy)

While I'm obviously joking, marathoners are definitely a quirky bunch. Maybe we're just in it for the finisher's medal at the end of the race :)

Marathon Video

Here's a quick video of me after finishing the LA Marathon. The cover picture of the video is strange looking, but the video is nice :)

LA Marathon & Room to Read

A few days ago I signed up for the 2010 LA Marathon. This is my second marathon and first attempt at raising money for a nonprofit in the process. 

The first marathon I ran was the 2008 San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon. I highly recommend the San Diego Marathon to any first-time marathoners because the course is relatively flat and the climate in San Diego is conducive to running. 

The nonprofit I picked to raise money for this year is Room to Read (a nonprofit dedicated to improving illiteracy in third world countries). It was founded by John Wood, a former Microsoft executive, who has also written a book about his experience leaving the private sector to found this nonprofit (Leaving Microsoft to Change the World).  

The 2010 LA Marathon has a great course, one that is different from previous years. You can see the course map from Dodger Stadium to the Beach here ("Stadium to the Sea"). There is also a great promotional video for the marathon here.

My goal is to raise $10 for each mile I run (26 miles) =  $260 

It's an achievable goal and I hope you will help me get there.

I will be asking friends/family to help me reach my fundraising goal. But with one simple caveat. I am only asking for a maximum of $10 per person. No more, no less. Basically, I am looking for one sponsor for each mile I run (at $10 per sponsor). For you math geniuses out there, that means I need 26 sponsors :) 

To kick things off, I am going to sponsor the first mile myself. This means I only need 25 more people to donate $10 to reach my goal of $260.

You can donate by visiting my donation page here: 

http://roomtoread.kintera.org/general/johnmadigan

Thanks for your help!!!

Starter Tips for Running a Marathon

Running a marathon is one of the most challenging and rewarding goals you can attempt. There's nothing like the first time you finish 26.2 miles.

I've run 3 marathons now and here are a few tips that are worth noting befor you run your first marathon:

Books

There are a number of great books on running a marathon. My favorite is Jeff Galloway's  Marathon:You Can Do It! The book is full of useful strategies from an expert marathoner.

Shoes

Good running shoes are essential. Yes, good shoes are also expensive. But don't skimp. Pony up for a nice pair of shoes because they will support your legs better and make the experience more enjoyable (and less painful and likely to cause injury). I suggest going to a specialty running store with a knowledgeable staff (a good example is Top to Top in or  Phidippides Encino).

Training

Hal Higdon, a marathon guru and running afficianado offers some great training schedules on his website. I simply printed one out and checked off each run that I did on the schedule. Accountability for your training program is what will make the difference between an enjoyable race day and a miserable one.

Also, don't skip the long run(s) in  your training program. You need to find out what it feels like to "hit the wall" when you reach mile 18. I thought "hitting the wall" was something that runners made up just to scare novices, but then I hit it at mile 20 during my first marathon. 

Hitting the wall feels like you can't keep going. Every part of your body is telling you that it's had enough. 

Running Groups

Running groups exist in most major cities - check out team in training. I prefer to run alone, but for many people it is a great social activity. Tired of meeting singles in bars/clubs? Runners are among the nicest folks I've met. Who knows who you will meet?

Music

Some marathons allow you to listen to music and others don't. I love listening to my ipod shuffle while I run. Make sure you check the rules & regulations for your event. Also, if the weather is tempermental during the time you will be running, make sure you have a way to protect your ipod from the rain. I ruined an ipod shuffle by not protecting it well enough during the 2011 LA Marathon (it poured rain the entire time).

The Rub

There will be some chaffing when you spend multiple hours running. Whether it happens in between your legs, or on your nipples, it makes sense to apply a vaseline (or similar product) to those areas to prevent chaffing and/or bleeding.  

Final Thoughts

Enjoy it! Race day is a celebration of all your training and effort. By finishing a marathon you enter the ranks of the less than 1% of the population. Something to be very proud of!