Philip Ciccarello » Marathon

The Off-Season

Philip — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 02:06:12 +0000

After accumulating over 550 miles in 2009, I need a break. January-February is considered my off-season. Why do you ask? There are three reasons:

Recovery time
Running in the cold is no fun
Snowboarding season

Two weeks before Thunder Road Marathon (12/12/09), I developed an upper quadriceps strain. With the race nearing, I knew it was going to be an issue, but I ran anyway. Post-race my left quad was in bad shape. I took two weeks off, ran while I was in Jamaica for Christmas, and then immediately put a stop to all running until my leg was healed.

Instead of running outdoors in the cold, most of my time is spent indoors working out with free weights or playing racquetball. Twice a week, I will sneak in a run outside when the weather is mild, while keeping notes of how my body and legs respond.

The third reason why I take a break is due to snowboarding. I learned to snowboard when I was 14, and have never missed a season. This year, some friends and I went to Sugar Mountain, NC to ride in extremely cold weather, 8 degrees to be precise. In a few weeks, we will be going out to Colorado to conquer a few mountains. See you on the slopes, not on the road…

POST Marathon Reflection

Philip — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:47:04 +0000

With my first marathon in the bag, I wanted to do a brief reflection on my experience. Running 26.2 miles was amazing. The course was a great tour through Charlotte, and everything was organized very well. During the marathon I had great support from many friends, plus locals that came out to support the runners. Below are a few things that I will remember for next time…

1. Start out slower. My first 13.1 mile split was 1:37, and my finishing time was 3:34. The last half of the race I slowed down considerably. At mile 18 and mile 23, I had to stop and stretch due to leg cramps.

2. Stretch more before the start. Yes, I am guilty of not stretching before the race. I did go for a 10 minute jig-jog, and when I got back to stretch it was too close to the start, so I just lined up.

3. Better diet. The night before the marathon I ate a few pancakes and a couple pieces of bread. The morning of the marathon I ate a banana with half a bagel. Next marathon I will eat a bit more food to ensure extra calories are stored.

I wanted to extend a special thanks first to my wife Adrienne. She provided amazing support and dealt with my training program / diet for the last 4 months. Second, my parents who made the 5 hour drive to run in the 5k, and support me at the finish. Third I would like to thank the local Charlotte Running community for all the tips and support prior and during the marathon; especially Tony Jabon, Shelby Harrington, Ieva M. Augstums, Kristen Rigby, and Rasmus Eger Pedersen – thank you!

P-

Marathon Ready

Philip — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 03:01:39 +0000

Well it’s officially 3 days before my first Marathon (Charlotte Thunder Road, Dec 12th). There is a lot going through my mind right now. I am going to sum up the feeling as anxiety & nervousness mixed with confidence. Over the past 4 months I have stuck to a strict intermediate I Marathon Training Program, provided by Hal Higdon- yet I still feel that I could be more prepared.

Workouts have been very light this week to continue tapering and avoid lactic acid build up.

Monday – Shoulders/core

Tuesday – 3 miles/stretch

Wednesday – 3 miles/stretch/core/light back

Thursday- Rest

Friday- 1 mile run/stretch

Saturday- *Marathon*

My legs feel ok, with the exception of my left quadricep and achilles, which I injured running in the mountains Thanksgiving morning. Today I actually went to a sport therapist for any relief prior to Saturday. Work was done in the area that was causing the pain (massage, electrotherapy) and kinesio tape was applied for comfort and stability.

Kinesio Tape

Meals have been consistent with a normal week before a race.

Monday

Breakfast- Oatmeal peanut butter

Snack- Half a pomegranate

Lunch – Chicken & rice

Snack – Orange

Dinner-Pepperoni pizza (yes 5 slices)

Tuesday

Breakfast- Cheerios and milk

Snack- Nuts & apple

Lunch- Peanut butter and jelly sandwich

Snack- Brownie

Dinner- Blackened chicken pasta with asparagus

Wednesday

Breakfast- 3 slices of French bread & butter

Snack- Nuts & blackberries

Lunch- Leftover blacken chicken pasta & asparagus

Snack- Brownie

Dinner- Lobster pasta with vodka sauce

Thursday – ?

Friday – ? But pancakes for dinner

Sound sleep is key tonight and Friday, so I am cutting this short.

-P

Virgin Marathon Runner

Philip — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:16:22 +0000

Over the last 12 years I have been running races and working out religiously, but have never done a Marathon. For those not familiar with the term Marathon, I included a brief history borrowed from Wikipedia: The marathon is a long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42.195 kilometers (26 miles 385 yards, or exactly 26⁷⁄₃₂ miles) that is usually run as a road race. The event is named after the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens.

Some would ask why I have never done a marathon, and my answer is simple- I never wanted to dedicate that much time to running. This year, 2009 will be the year that I finally get a marathon under my belt. I will be running Charlotte’s Thunder Road Marathon on December 12^th. With the race only a few weeks away, training will be my major focus. After a bit of research, I have decided to follow Hal Higdon’s Intermediate Marathon Training Schedule, which can be found here. So far the program has been working well. My legs and body are gradually adjusting to increased mileage without any injury or pain.

P-