We did it!

3 months ago we set off with a crazy plan...to run the NY marathon on behalf of African Leadership Academy..
3 months ago 26.2 miles seemed impossible...

3 months ago raising over $3k seemed infeasible....

2 days ago all of our training and hard work were tested

2 days ago we stared down the Verrazano with 26.2 miles of road in front of us

2 days ago we pushed beyond doubt to surpass the fundraising goal

1 run...26.2 miles...5 boroughs...4 hours 1 minute...done!

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Thank you all for your support of the marathon effort. Because of your inspiration, I was able to frolic across the Verrazano, be bop my way through Brooklyn, labor across the queensboro bridge, trudge up first avenue, stumble through the Bronx, hobble down 5th ave and inch my way through central park to the finish!

To meet~40k other people crazy enough to run 26.2 miles was amazing, along the run I encountered blind runners being led the entire way by volunteer guides, soldiers in full garb hiking with heavy packs, disabled athletes willing themselves forward, and finally, thousands of new yorkers at the ready to support the running masses. It was truly awe inspiring.

A LONG recount of the run is below for anyone who is interested. At a high level--the first 16 miles were great, the last 5 were painful, but I am so glad I did it and I hope that it raised awareness of African Leadership Academy! If you are still interested, its not too late to support, please follow this link to donate! http://www.africanleadershipfoundation.org/marathondonate_maryanna.asp

Thanks again everyone. I will continue to update this blog every now and again (though less frequently), please stay in touch!

Peace, love and halloumi ;)

-mvq

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As for the day itself--the LONG version

• The bus: I had to board a 5:30AM bus to Staten Island for the 10am start. It was such a pain to get up that early, but amazingly when I walked downstairs to the hotel lobby there were many runners who like me had to forgo the Halloween festivities for the (ahem) "opportunity" to run 26.2 miles. Outside, there were tons of runners at every corner...it was as if runners had taken over the early morning streets of NY.
  
• The starting plaza: When we got to Staten island we were sent to our corral waiting area based our bib color. I arrived to the blue (aka BEST) corral wait area at ~6:15 and began the long wait. To help the time pass I found a nice box, stamped it down, put it next to a wall and tried to get some sleep--see i did learn something from living in NY for two years ;) While there I took my last bit of water (had to stop taking in fluids 2 hours before to keep from requiring a bio break on the course) and chatted up a few fellow runners to bide the time.


• The start: When it was finally our turn to start, the call for Wave 2 runners came over the intercom and we all nervously moved to the corrals. After a few minutes the corrals started moving and the "extra layers" of clothing started to come off as runners prepped for the actual start--it was amazing to see the massive amount of clothing thrown to the side of the corral, I was totally eyeing some of the clothes! Then as we jogged towards the mouth of the Verazano, helicopters flew above us and an announcer welcomed us and sang "New York New York" as we flooded through the start and across the great bridge! At that moment, the excitement level was so high, everyone was cheering and raring to go!
• The first 15 miles in Brooklyn and Queens: I felt great! Brooklyn was the best borough to run through, the crowds were out in full force, the bands were great (especially this gospel choir which was amazing!). I didn't have much pain, all the runners were cheering each other on, it was fantastic. Fadzai, Aliya and Danielle were there to support in Queens--thanks guys for making the trek!!!
• Entering the Qboro bridge: There was a jumbo screen positioned in front of the course before the turn to the Qboro bridge, as we ran down the bridge it was showing images of runners with quotes about why they were running. As I neared the turn up came a HUGE picture of ME! It was amazing, apparently the operator must have seen my number coming and timed the image. That was such a thrill!
• Crossing the Qboro bridge: I anticipated that this would be the hardest part of the run..unfortunately for me...it wasn't (i'll save that for miles 20-25!). The trudge up this steep incline was a toughy. It was the oddest thing all the runners who were cheering and full of energy just a mile ago went very silent on the long uphill, all you could hear was the charging sound of hundreds of shoes pounding the pavement as I along with the rest of the runners pushed forward against the pain.

• Descending from the Qboro bridge: One of my greatest experiences ever! We had a long downhill and below us, we could see huge crowds awaiting our entry. By the time we hit street level the sound of cheers was at full volume and the sense of excitement was overwhelming. Plus I knew that my mom and cousin were going to be there--that made the descent all the more special! Thank you mom for coming out, when I saw that crazy sign I knew exactly where you were!


• Miles 16-19 up first avenue: This is when the first inkling of dull pain started to creep up my legs. Looking before me, all I could see was an endless road and sea of runners...the prospect of the long run still ahead of me made 1st ave a real challenge.
• The Bronx: It is too bad the bronx wasn't earlier in the run, I think it could have been a good time. Unfortunately, my legs lost all will to move forward and the only way I kept any sort of positive movement was to think about why I was doing the run, and who I would let down were I to walk. Needless to say, I ran...but it was painful. I was not in the best of moods at this point and I def. owe a cheery hello to Adelyn from BCG, I saw her in the Bronx but wasn't in a state to be friendly at the time!
• Harlem: Harlem was cool, I recovered a bit of my abilities (I think the Gu bar-Espresso Love kicked in. Was still a painful march though. Thanks Robin for coming out in Harlem!
  
• Miles 22-24...5th Ave: This, the bridge into the Bronx and the 1 mile to the finish were the most painful parts of the run. It was true will power that got me through this segment as my body was screaming for me to quit...or at least walk! Thanks to Fadzai, Danielle and Aliya for coming out AGAIN for this segment, yes..I know...we will chat about the "laser eyes"!
• Central park and the finish: By the time I got to central park I was running on fumes, all I could do was try my best to focus on keeping the movement and getting through to the finish. This part was extremely painful as I was absolutely exhausted. Thanks to Marguerite and Brittany for supporting on this route, I tried my best to acknowledge you! Even though there were mile markers, the last mile and a half were the longest of the entire run. The race just wouldn't end, the finish line just wouldn't appear! It was so frustrating. But finally, after hallucinating the finish line several times, it appeared and I finally finished
• Medic-Of course...at the finish...I fell out and had to be escorted to the medic tent. Even though I had taken water stops I was severely dehydrated and (as the medic said to the other medic under her breath) "delirious". I felt as if I my head was floating, I was saying the craziest things. I even had the medic call my mom! it was crazy. Then for some reason, even though I wasn't fully "well" I discharged myself and snuck out of the medic tent to start the long trudge back to my bags and then out of the park
• Done!: Mom, Brittany, Marguerite and Robin were waiting for me at the finishers area and gave me the warmest welcome! Luckily mom the marathoner had a great pack of things for the post race period and was at the ready to help me recover! I had such a great team taking care of me! Then we made the long walk back to the hotel(yep walk...i couldn't find a cab!), I took the longest shower in life, tended to my wounds, had a great dinner w/ friends and family and called it a day!

It's go time

Dear friends,

Tomorrow I will finally run the marathon. Thank you again for your kind words of encouragement and a special thank you to all of the donors. I will hold the donation site open until next Wednesday for anyone else who may want to contribute.

As mentioned throughout training. I could not get through training without all of you and when I cross the finish line tomorrow it will not be becase of personal will but because of the community of all of you have pushed me through the rain, snow and fatigue to get my butt out there and train!!!

I want to send a shout out to my co-runners--Jenn PP, Ryan PP, the African Leadership Foundation team, Chantel, Tracee, Mike S., Kristen, Lucimar, Simon, Jessie, the Bridgerunners gang, and SW's husband David--let's go take NY by storm!!

until the finish,

MVQ

Calling all New Yorkers!

Hey sportsfans,

Just a few days away from the start--please consider a donation toALA!

http://www.africanleadershipfoundation.org/marathondonate_maryanna.asp

This post is dedicated to those who will be around NY on Sunday. If you are able to drag yourselves out of bed after the craziness that will be Halloween in NY please come out to support me along the trail!

I plan to start between 10 and 10:10am on the Verrazano Bridge in Staten Island--see below a rough guide of where I will be along the route (times based on a 10:05 start so get to each place about 10 minutes early if you want to see me!), the bold sections are those that will be especially tough where I will need your support most, these are mostly uphill sections, the most important place where I will need support is at the Queensboro bridge areas and on 5th Avenue around125 to 102nd streets (Mile 22):

Mile 2--End of V bridge towards 4th avenue in Brooklyn--10:23

Mile 3--On 4th Ave to 81st street- 10:32

Mile 5--On 4th Ave to 43rd street-10:49

Mile 7--On 4th Ave to 3rd street-11:06

Mile 8--To Ashland Place & Lafayette Ave-11:15

Mile 9--ON Lafayette to Classon- 11:24

MIle 10- On Bedford Ave to Hayward- 11:32

Mile 12--On Bedford to Manhattan Ave-- 11:50

Mile 14-- Pulaski Bridge to Vernon Blvd--12:16

Mile 15/16--Queensboro Bridge---12:25

MIle 17-- Queensboro Bridge Exit ramp to 1st Ave--12:33

MIle 19-- On 1st Ave to 115th street--12:51

Mile 20--On 1st Ave to Wilis Ave Bridge--12:59

Mile 22--On 5th Ave to 120 St--1:17

Mile 24--On 5th Ave to Central Park E at 84th st--1:35

Mile 25 On Central Park E to 66th St--1:44

Mile 26--On Central Park E Dr. to 59th to Central Park W at 62nd--1:53

Mile 26.2--Finish at Taven on the Green--1:55pm

For this information and a map of where I will be please download from this link:

http://www.yousendit.com/download/Z01NT0Nldzh3TGdLSkE9PQ

More information:

Spectator guide -- http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/spectator_guide.htm

Course map -- http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/documents/INGNYCM09_Map_Large_Rev_100909.pdf

Thursday..Friday...Saturday..M Day

We are 3 days away from marathon day please support...

 http://www.africanleadershipfoundation.org/marathondonate_maryanna.asp

As I prepare to head to NY for the marathon on sunday I want to share again why I am running.  This summer's experience working with African Leadership Academy in South Africa exposed me to the realities of the world beyond the west--where children must leave school due to economic reasons, where families must flee their homes due to national warfare their homes, where a good education is apalling difficult to come by.  It also exposed me to how well executed solutions can solve these problems--to ALA.  However, no matter how much effort one puts in to a solution in this world it must be powered by financial support and ALA needs yours.
 
Please consider supporting the marathon/this cause by giving via the link below. And as the countdown to M-day ticks to zero, please continue to follow the blog!
 
 http://www.africanleadershipfoundation.org/marathondonate_maryanna.asp
 

I just received word from my mother about the weather on Sunday--looks like there are going to be showers :(  "Fortunately" I have done my fair share of rain running in boston, so as long as its not pouring, I should be okay.

see ya out there

-mvq

Week before marathon tips

Hey sportsfans,

Welcome to the special edition post--a complete "tip list" for the 7 days leading up to the marathon...well at least what I plan to do between work and sleep! Compiled from online sources and common sense...

Tip 1a: Please support African Leadership Academy (the non profit for which I am running this marathon) via a donation at this link: http://www.africanleadershipfoundation.org/marathondonate_maryanna.asp

1. Catch some zzzz's: Try to get as much sleep as possible to rest the body for what will be an extremely taxing day! Apparently most people are so nervous the night before that they don't get much sleep--this is not a game ender--the most important thing is to get sleep the week preceding and especially the night before the night before. Remember the body is on a 36 hour cycle so as long as you get the sleep you need a day before the race you should be fine.


2. Get your grub on: Definitely carb load the night before the race with pasta/cereals/whole grains (if you can) also this may be TMI--but include fiber/roughage in your meal...trust me (cite Boston marathon woman's winner circa 1980's for more info). It is also important to load on carbs through the week to get the energy into your system


3. Get your drank on: Drink a lot of water, don't drink alcohol, don't drink caffeine (these two dry you out). For me this is extremely important--I tend to avoid water stops during runs (i choke on the h20) and often end up with the spins at the end of the race due to dehydration. I have been chugging water and will try my best to take the water stops from mile 7 onwards during the race!


4. Check out the course: Scope out the hills, visualize the tough spots. Admittedly I have yet to see the actual course. Looking at the map though, I am psyched that we skip the Harlem hills in central park!!! thank you marathon planners!!!


5. Stay nimble: Don't do any long runs within the last 7 days ( i know, i violated with a long one on Sunday...) do a few light runs through the week and plan to take 2 days off (including the day before). Do a little 15 minute jog the day before though just to keep yourself moving. I am sticking to flat 5 milers in the AM the week of. The danger is that you don't want to over-exert yourself to the point where your body can't regain strength in time for the marathon (takes 2-3 days to regain strength form a long run, 1-2 for the shorter)


6. Watch out for biological warfare: This is the worst time to get ill, pound the Vitamin C, take pre-emptive theraflu, don't touch babies (didn't mean this to be a punchline!), watch out for door handles, wash your hands etc.


7. Pack your marathon bag: For pre/post run try to have the following: hand towel, change of shoes/flip flops, sweatshirt, aquophor/vaseline (critical to avoid chafe!), power gels, ipod--charged, sunglasses (for sun and wind), sports drink for finish (to replenish electrolytes), a little bit of money (just in case). For the NY you get a small clear bag for the start--i will put a jacket, my cell phone, a camera and some money in this and I will have my mom hold a bag with the towel, shoes and powerade for easy access at the finish


8. Alert spectators of when to expect you: I plan to run ~9:30 minute miles and will start around 10am check out this course map to plot where I will be http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/documents/INGNYCM09_Map_Large_Rev_100909.pdf also take a look at this spectators guide for the best places to spot runners: http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/spectator_guide.htm I will need the most support around miles 14-20 and I hope to see you all at the finish!


9. Visualize your goal, remember why you are doing this, believe you can make it! my mantras? --just keep going....if those students at ALA can go from poverty to scholar you can go from 0 to 26...if Sean P Diddy "Crazy" Combs can do it, you can do it...if you slow down/stop---it will only take longer! ...i'll add to the list later!

Okay, look out for daily posts from me as we head towards the home stretch, thanks for tuning in over the past few weeks. Also if you have any special request posts/pics/thoughts, send them my way!

A funny quote...and a funny pic to end this note:

A wise friend once said: "The distance between making the right decisions and making the wrong decisions is 18 inches. And that's the distance between your brain and your heart."
A less wise friend once replied: "even for midgets?"

gratzi,

mvq

The final week

Hey sportsfans,

We have entered the final week of training (yes i mean WE!)...the marathon is on Sunday and frankly there is nothing I can do at this point but do a little training to stay nimble and Eat Eat Eat!

Training update: Last week despite a hectic work schedule (think leaving the office past 11pm/midnight...every night...) I was able to get in a few good runs. The best was my last long-ish run on Sunday--11 miles to heartbreak hill and back with my coworker GF. It was a beautiful day and with someone to talk to, the run went much faster than the last time!

Friends on the trail: I mentioned in a previous post that I try to say hello to everyone and make "friends on the trail"...the people in JoBurg were certainly nicer than those here in Boston...but the runners in Boston are 10x more intense! These days on AM runs I see so many Boston marathoners (w/unicorn shirts/hats) in action--they fly right by me, it is amazing the level of athletic ability out there!

Dartmouth: I was able to visit Dartmouth over the weekend-great to see good friends and have a little fun. Thanks RM for being a great host and a BIG shout out to Carly Scott for travelling 8 hours for some quality time at the D! Was also great to see DW, JL, AJ, JM, JP, DW, BD, and all of my other faves! Finally, a shout out to AS and DH for a fun alternative Saturday pm--yay for sober october!

I want to consolidate my thoughts/findings on the last week of training into one post...so check out the next post for "week before" thoughts/tips!

thats all for now!

-mvq

Heartbreak hill

Hey sportsfans,

I know it has been a while since I last posted, so today I am going to do a doubleheader. Post #1= the post I owe yall from last week (written of course as if I wrote it last week), post #2 is from this week.

Okay, so today is erm..Sunday...of last week, Oct. 18th.

On weekends I try to get in a longer run as through the week im only able to average 5-8mi's in the AM. Yesterday rather than run the typical Charles River Run I changed things up a bit and decided to go see what all this hoopla was about heartbreak hill. I ended up running the last ~7-8 miles of the Boston marathon, from my apt to the base of heartbreak hill in Newton/Brighton then back up the hill and in to Boston. I wasn't sure if i would be able to recognize heartbreak hill when i got there but believe me...i knew if when i saw it! To be honest its not the most difficult hill I've encountered the world (that honor belongs to the drakensburg mountains in SA...oh such painful memories), but it is LONG---the hill is about 1.5 miles, the end of the hill is the steepest part and when runners encounter it, they wil have run ~20 miles already....talk about brutal!

On a related note, while running I think a lot about random things. One thing that popped up recently which I was chatting about with a friend (KT) is this idea that it is so much easier to let your self down than it is to let others down. Honestly, if there weren't so many stakeholders in this marathon beyond myself...I likely would have taken the training down a notch by now. This thinking is true with so many things--work, school, home responsibilities etc. I wish that i could say that I have the personal fortitude to balance out that thinking but being honest with myself, for me that statement holds true.

As for other other things...

• thinking about heading to Dartmouth this weekend for homecoming


• went to the Patriots game today...it was snowing....the P's slaughtered the Titans 59-0, luckily I was able to go through my Audax teams and didn't have to weather the elements in outdoor seats at the game! (yes that pic is of a football field...not a hockey rink!)
  

• busy week ahead of me at work--but I'm enjoying what I'm learning here, the things this company accomplishes are amazing!


• got to enjoy the company of one Fadzi Makanda this weekend-was awesome to see her now that she is finished with the stress of the last few weeks!

until next time....

-mvq

and as always...

Please support the cause friends!
http://www.africanleadershipfoundation.org/marathondonate_maryanna.asp

Hello reality

Hey sports fans,

Today I got smacked in the face by reality:

1. Eating lasagna at 1:00am then going for a run at 6:00am is a BAD IDEA. That doesn't give you nearly enough time to allow the lasagna to digest properly. urgerlers.

2. So, I thought I was a decent runner...until I encountered the Harvard or MIT women's cross country team on my run this morning. Talk about a humbling experience. I was doing a moderately fast run this morning along the Charles when these girls blew right by me at warp speed while laughing and talking as if it was easy and fun. All I could do was silently give them a mental high five--they were doing the dern thing!

And that is today's reality check :)
-mvq

The best thing about marathon training...

Hey sports fans,

Question....what is the best thing about marathon training? What have I enjoyed most?

In the true spirit of Cara S. Yang and Pallen Chiu I must say its...EATING!!! I get to eat anything I want to eat anytime I want to eat it. For example, it is 12:50am and I just finished eating a plate of lasagna and am in the process of eating vanilla, almond, granola cereal. And even my friends get to join in on the fun (see left....yes she is eating chicken and waffles ;)

Okay but seriously though...




Running update:

• Rain running: This week has been an "okay week"--I ran in the pouring rain twice this past week. I find rain running so refreshing and after-wards I feel uber hard core, I encourage all of you to try it out! (cue the scene from "Something New" with Sanaa Lathan...."My Hair!!")
• Friend support: I have done most of my training alone--AM runs before work, long weekend runs etc. But the power of having someone encourage you to run or better yet run with you cannot be understated. This AM, I had decided to just take it easy, I mean it is "the day of rest". But, Danielle Hamilton called and woke me out of my slumber to run ...despite my protests and delay tactics we ended up doing a great 8 miler. Gracias!
• Bostonians: I wrote a while back about the importance of making friends/fans on the road. I must admit...people in Johannesburg are so much nicer overall and receptive to cheers/encouragement! I get some salty looks sometimes from other runners here in Boston, but I'll keep working on it and saying hello/good morning etc. while running. Will let you know when the "frost chills"!
  
• Cars: "Dear cars, Please don't run over me or my friends. I have had 3 close calls and this morning DH was hit by a car!! (not injured don't worry)
  

Also I bought my ticket to NY today, M-Day is drawing upon us! (gulp!)

Please support if you haven't already....or if you have!
http://www.africanleadershipfoundation.org/marathondonate_maryanna.asp

The list

Hey sportsfans,

This is a new part of the blog that I call "The Ongoing List". I want to thank all of my supporters thus far and as we approach the "finish line" encourage anyone who hasn't donated (or who wants to extend their support!) to please contribute to African Leadership Academy on my behalf via this link: http://www.africanleadershipfoundation.org/marathondonate_maryanna.asp.

A special "shout out" to a partial list of my supporters thus far...

Nena Sanderson

Christine Quigless
Yves Noel
Dominic Schrader
Sunil Kapadia

Boris Rauls

Mona Moazzaz

Karlyn Adams Barneson

Anita LeVeaux

Danielle Anderson

Chudi Amu

Andrea Mitchell

Alison Little

As we approach D-Day on November 1st check back to see when your name will appear!

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ALA note:

One of my projects at ALA was to help develop the Pardee Library for the Future of Africa. Thanks to the hard work of the new library manager Divine Kangame and others (Gavin, Fred, Library Board, Ryan, Ettie etc.) the library is open and they celebrated with an opening ceremony. This is a huge milestone--hopefully when you all visit ALA you can check it out! Until then a few pics and a video courtesy of ALA founder Fred Swaniker...

https://rcpt.yousendit.com/749658341/560f60095cc0da31e7cf45c1b12fbbad

Back in action!

Hey sports fans,

Great news, I got the results of my MRI back and have no tears in my Achilles....which means... IM BACK IN ACTION! The week before last I got back into my 8mi a day routine. My mom convinced me that I had to do a long run ASAP as the run is getting close so last Saturday I did my longest run..ever.

I ran 23 miles around Boston, in about 3hrs and 15 minutes. Throughout the run I was motivated to keep going by the thoughts of the amazing students and my amazing friends/supporters who have contributed through donations and encouragement to this effort. Not wanting to let you all down has motivated me beyond expectations and I am so appreciative for all of you.

The 23 miler actually didn't feel that awful. Did I enjoy it? ermm no. Am I glad I did it? yes--because now I am convinced that I can do the marathon--I may not get a great time but my goal is just to keep running...if I can do that, that will be success!

This weekend I tapered and did a 14 miler in NY, admittedly this felt more difficult than the longer run the weekend before. I think a reason for this was that 1. I didn't eat right the day before (think nachos, tacos, pizza yum) 2. I hadn't gotten much sleep in the week due to work 3. I didn't hydrate appropriately 4. NY is much much more hilly than Boston--i cursed my way up all of those hills!!

On the health front, I now have a knee issue in addition to an ankle issue, and I get foot cramps all the time--its okay though--3 more weeks and then I can chillax/recuperate!

Running insights:

• Watch out when doing the "run on your toes technique", I know I advised yall to do this in an earlier post for speed, but I think making that switch from running with my entire foot to running on the balls of my feet is what caused my ankle and knee issues--so moderate running on your toes until you have the strength built up in your ankles to support that--I don't yet have this strength but one day hopefully I will--I learned this lesson the hard way :(


• Powerade/Gatorade are your friends: I am officially addicted to these overly sugared cold drinks post run they do an amazing job of re hydrating and energizing you. I recommend this to everyone--these drinks save me so much pain and agony post run!


• A race is not a race...its a run: While running don't try to "beat" those running around you. The temptation is there, you always think "I can go a little bit faster and pass that person", but in reality that can trip you up and cause you to over exert yourself. Run your own race, ignore people around you, congratulate those who pass you, encourage those you pass and you will have a good run--that's the philosophy I try to abide by for a good run and that's what I'll be thinking during the marathon (in addition to thinking about why I'm doing the race: ALA/supporters)

I am working hard to meet my goal to raise $3,000 for African Leadership Academy, as we enter the last 4 months before the run, please contribute if you are able!

http://www.africanleadershipfoundation.org/marathondonate_maryanna.asp

Inspirational quotes/ moment of zen:

It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.
- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey

If we could just get everyone to close their eyes and visualize world peace for an hour, imagine how serene and quiet it would be until the looting started. - Anon

Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious.
- Peter Ustinov

The tooth fairy teaches children that they can sell body parts for money. - David Richerby

Check out the website of ALA student William Kamkwamba who just published his book about his life, very inspirational! http://williamkamkwamba.typepad.com/

(PS: Pic above from box seats at the Patriots/ Falcons game with my Audax analyst class--such a fun game!)

MRI today

Hey sportsfans,

So I got my MRI today on the ankle. It is so weird to the physical structure of the ankle, they give you about 50 pictures of the tissue and bones in your foot/ankle, it is amazing to think about how all these parts move in concert while moving. Having this injury has certainly helped me to think more about not taking my body for granted.

At any rate, see pics from the MRI below. I have no idea what they mean but am hopeful for a positive report from my doctor next week!

Until then...

-mvq

Don't over train!!

Hey sports fans,

It's me writing from Boston. I am a week in to my new job and really enjoying it..loooking forward to what the next few years have in store for me!

On the running front, my ankle is still giving me issues. I am going in for an MRI on Saturday to figure out what is wrong, my podiatrist says it is sever achiles tendonitis...what do i think? I think it is a challenge...i will run through the pain!

At any rate..short post today because i have to be up tomorrow at 5am to do work. Bottom line...running along the charles in boston is beautiful...and.....don't over train. that is what lead to my ankle issues, i was up to ~8 miles every day, with few rest days. My body revolted!

I hope you all are well....and if you havent already, please consider contributing to the cause!

http://www.africanleadershipfoundation.org/marathondonate_maryanna.asp

Best,
Maryanna

Just do it!

Hi there sportsfans,

I am back in action in a new geography! After a glorious 3 months in Johannesburg working with African Leadership Academy I am now back in the states. I am based in Boston now and will start with Audax Group tomorrow. I am a bit nervous about the new role, but excited to learn new skills and challenge myself. Here in Boston, I don't have bridgerunners :(, nor do I have my African cheering squad (more on this later), but hopefully I will adopt a few running buddies, starting with none other than Danielle "I happily ran a half marathon" Hamilton, who is a 1L at Harvard law. Given my likely busy work schedule and the psychotic demands of her law school hopefully we can push each other to "just do it" and get our butts in motion!

Also, please find it in your heart to support the cause. As you know, I am running the marathon for ALA and have a goal of raising $3k to support Africa's future. Please follow this link to contribute: http://www.africanleadershipfoundation.org/marathondonate_maryanna.asp

But I digress...now for the meat of this update in the standard fashion...

Running update:

My ankle is still giving me such pain, I decided to rest it for a week two weeks ago after a run which left me screaming in pain! I don't know what has caused this injury but it is certainly persistent...after running my right ankle swells up and feels very heavy/out of whack (any advice out there?). While resting I tried out Bikram yoga (which my mom has been pushing!) I ended up joining Jordan for a few classes in Joburg. I went almost every day, it seemed to get more difficult every time I did it, going from "easy as pie" in my first class to me nearly passing out and not being able to see/hear in my last class! It taught me that I can go further than I think I can, and I learned how to focus and push myself. While I am not sure if it helped my physical running, it was a great psychological boost! too bad bikram in Boston is $22 a class (vs. ~$6-8 in Africa :(

After the week of Bikram I tried running again and was able to get an 8 miler in last Monday, rest, an 8 miler on Friday, rest, then a 13 miler today. Before I was doing ~8 every day which I think caused my injury (Bruce H. mentioned that he got an injury due to over training for his marathon as well...rookie mistake for me I guess!) I am hoping to do ~8 miles every other day and a long run on the weekends. In Boston I find running so easy....there are no hills, and because I was training in high altitude South Africa I don't get winded as easily! ....lets see how long this lasts....

Running insights:

· Run with your entire body--I learned today on the long run that different parts of your body can drive your run. I found that if one part of my body got tired I could shift my focus to another part and use that as my "engine". For example, I usually focus on my legs but when they get tired I shift to "running with my arms", then "running with my core/abs" then letting gravity pull me by running with a forward lean. When I really need to push myself I run with all of the above! This shifting of focus has helped me in the long runs, hopefully it will help you too!

· Don't think about the total distance-Set intermediate goals for running rather than thinking about the total distance you are running. 13 miles sounds like a lot...but "just running to the next bridge" or "just to the edge of MIT's campus" is much more palatable. Each time I reach an intermediate milestone I feel a sense of success and then push on to the next rather than feeling discouraged that I have 7 more miles, or that I am not even half way done.

· Make your own cheering section--On the marathon route there will be tons of people cheering all the runners...but during training normally only you are there to motivate yourself. That doesn't have to be the case. While in SA I made my own cheering section by waving to other runners/ workers going to work and offering a smile as I ran by. At first they found this awkward (as did I admittedly) but eventually as they saw me every day they became my little cheering section and motivated me along the training runs. Then I would think to myself "I am running for these people, if I fail, I let them down". I am doing the same thing in Boston. The memory of my personal "cheering section" will motivate me during the marathon and hopefully keep me moving! As an aside-- I have a new motivation with the marathon...I want my cheering section from SA to have the same advantages/opportunities as the section here in Boston. It isn't fair that in SA so many people are forced to walk miles to work in the early morning for a paltry salary. They should have the opportunity to do what the Boston cheering section does...walk their kids in fancy strollers, have an ipod (or two), run/walk for pleasure rather than out of necessity, etc. ALA is addressing this gulf in opportunity, hopefully through my small contribution with the marathon/work I can help further bridge this opportunity gap.

· Visualize success-On tough hills in SA I would often visualize my mom or someone at the top saying "you can do it, no sweat etc." and I would envision myself at the "finish", this helps push when you think you can't go any further. It may sound odd, but by visualizing your success or someone pushing you, you can trick yourself into fulfilling that vision. Try it a few times, its amazing what you can convince yourself of!

Inspirational quotes:

· "Rinse the cottage cheese to get success"- Jim Collins, Good to Great (a triathlete was so detail oriented/conscious of his diet that he even rinsed the fat off of his cottage cheese to get the best possible diet for his training---the lesson here is to always try your hardest to do what you can to ensure your success, pay attention to the details)

· "We all have a role in this system...we all must play our part"- Fred Swaniker

· "Ego can't be about that...there is no way Beyonce is really that dumb"- Danielle O. Hamilton (i find that so funny, will think of this whenever ego comes on my running mix)

· "Get out there and run!"- Samosa Velempini

Playlist adds: (i've just found my old running playlists from college, hollerzz!)

· "Ms. New Booty"- Bubba Sparx ft. Ying Yang Twins

· "My love is your love"- Whitney Houston

· "American Girl/ Ignition remix...etc."- Dartmouth Aires (Accapella)

· "99 Red Balloons" (techno remix)- unsure

ALA update:

· The student body has officially doubled to ~200 students and campus improvements have been completed to facilitate the growth in the ALA family. Vusi performed for students and friends on Saturday (very famous SA performer, part of the movement against apartheid, inspiration to Dave Matthews). 2 students recognized by the Liberian President (Sirleaf) for their success at ALA. Finally...I left ALA, I will definitely miss everyone there and will be in touch!

Moment of Zen:

· A little gift from Kathryn Ogletree: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0-Sv6YnxEc

And...a "shout out" to some of my faves from Joburg at my going away party. Thank you again to Jordan for hosting!

Running while sick = bad

Hey sportsfans,

A sick Maryanna checking in on the marathon training...unfortunately over the last few days I developed a cold. It must be from switching climates so often and running in the rain. At any rate, the training continues.

I wrestled for a while about whether I should keep running while sick, but all the online advice seems to point to the sentiment that if you aren't keeling over it basically makes sense.

Sooooo..I took 2 days off last week when I was feeling horrible to regroup and have been back in action...already at ~18 miles training for the week and its only Tuesday! It's weird though, every morning I wake up feeling a little bit better, but in the afternoon, post my morning run I always feel miserable again. I'm convinced that I am just allergic to my office mate Simiso ;)

At any rate, I had a busy last two weeks. When my mom was in town we saw ALL of Joburg (including the Apartheid museum, see pic to above). We dined with ALA staff (see pic at bottom). We had a braai (other pic at bottom).... and we went to Capetown. See I told you....busy time!

As you all likely know, I am running this marathon on behalf of the African Leadership Academy and Sani (see more dets/updates below and checkout their website for more informaiton!) If you are able, I would appreciate any donations to the cause you can offer, follow this link to donate! http://www.africanleadershipfoundation.org/marathondonate_maryanna.asp

Guest blogger:

So, I promised you all input from a guest blogger...my mom! She and my aunt came to visit me last week and of course I got all sorts of great new advice from these veteran marathoners, so here it is:

1. "You do the work now...or you do the work later"--meaning, I can train now, really push myself and have an easy marathon. Or I can dawdle and chill, and have a miserable time come D-Day (that's what I'm calling it now!) With this in mind, I am trying to push myself even harder.
2. "You must keep upping your mileage"--I think I have gotten into a nice little groove with my 8 mile per day runs. Apparently I need to keep pushing the mileage on my daily runs..I've been doing ~8.5 per day this week and next week I hope to push closer to 10 miles a day...wish me luck!
3. "During the marathon..you are going to hate everyone?!"--Apparently after the "easy" part of the marathon (up until mile 15 or 18) one gets fairly irritable. I apologize in advance for any mean things I might say to those near me during that crucial time!

Thanks mom for the advice!

Running update:

As mentioned I have been pushing my daily run mileage, getting up early in the AM sucks! Especially in the cold of winter in Joburg (yes it gets uber cold here!), but when i finish my runs it feels good to go to work knowing that I've already accomplished something!

Also, to encourage my long runs I plan to do a half marathon each of the next two weekends! I am doing the Vodacom half in Midrand this Sunday--I spoke with the race organizer, sounds like it will be hilly but I'll push through it. I think the one following should be easier..I hope! Also some work friends (hi Jenn, Ryan and Chris) may join in as well which will certainly hope push me over the finish line!

Running insight:

• Run on your toes: Nick S. gave me awesome advice when we ran in the Drakensberg, he mentioned that he was taught to run on his toes--it gives you more speed and agility. I have been working to do this on my AM runs. I can definitely see the pickup in speed, though this style change is killer on calves! After my runs, they throb all day long! But that being said, if it works in the long run, I'll fight through the pain ;)
• Be careful and alert during road runs: During a run last week I was almost hit by a car...TWICE! it was my scariest running experience. In one instance, I was running downhill at the end of the run when i was tired, a car was coming towards me and I tripped just as the car was passing me! Thank God I caught myself just before falling because I would have certainly fallen right into the car. Then at the end of the run when I was turning around for my cool down walk a car almost rammed right in to me...I guess they thought I was still moving forward instead of turning around. All of this to say...be alert!
• Find your sprinkler spots: A nice lawn sprinkler is the best thing when you get hot during the run, if you run the same route often try to find the houses which turn their sprinklers on in the AM and time your run so you can run through them! I have gotten lucky, there is a house on the route which has 4 sprinklers which turn on in the middle of my run, it is so refreshing to run through the nice cold water when you get hot!

Motivational quotes:

• "Tryna hope for tomorrow/when I think I can't/ I envision Obama/ I envision the diamonds/ I envision Ferraris..." -Maino, lyrics from "All the above"
• "You either do the work now, or you do the work later"- Mom
• "Yes I'll donate on your behalf to ALA"-supporters...thank you!!!
• http://www.africanleadershipfoundation.org/marathondonate_maryanna.asp

Marathon playlist adds:

• Dota- Basshunter
• I get crazy- NIcki Minaj
• Release me- Agnes
• One tribe- Black Eyed Peas
• Dinosaur on the Ark- Esau Mwamwaya
• Raindops- Basement Jaxx
• Wild Hearts- Noisettes

African Leadership Academy updates:

• Seeing progress on the Pardee library- I am so excited to see the progress on the library space on campus, the construction team is moving swiftly and we are going to deliver an awesome study space to the ~200 students who will arrive in late August!
• 2010 admissions launching--Just as we welcome the newest class, the 2010 admissions process is launching. The newest brochure (with our L2 students) has just gone out and the portuguese, french and arabic versions are soon to follow!
• Vusi Mahlasela to perform on campus-- To welcome the newest class, the world renowned activist and musician (a mentor to Dave Matthews) is going to perform on our very own campus--exposing the students to this kind of talent is going to be huge! It will hopefully get the psyched for the challenge that will be a year of academics at ALA!

A moment of Zen:

In honor of my mom's visit, I give you the gift of awkward family photos, I hope you get as much joy out of it as I have! http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/

New post coming soon

Hey sportsfans,

I will add a new post shortly...look out for it. There is much to report--running recap from last week/this week. News about ALA. More songs for the ipod. AND more running tips from a special guest blogger (my mom) and friends!

-mvq

Just breathe

Dear sportsfans,

I plan to organize my posts into a few sections as laid out below. Hopefully this will make everything easier to follow rather than a huge information dump. Thanks for all of your initial votes of support, please keep them coming over the next few weeks!!

Running update:

Last week, I h

ad my most consistent run week in a while. I ran 7-8 miles in the morning four of the five weekdays last week. I stuck to

my local run which starts at mthe house here in ROsebank, includes 1 hilly loop around the neeighborhood then leads to "part 2' which is a run up to the zoo lake area and a loop or two aorund Jans Smuts/ the Moyo area. It is such a nice run because it is predictable and not so long that I get bored!

This weekend I went to the Drakensberg mountains (see pic of the group and "things you may encounter while running on the roads in Drakensberg" in KwaZulu Natal with some ALA fellows. I surprised even myself by completing a long run in the mountains with a new fellow/runner extraordinare, Nick S. He taught me a good bit about what he learned in his career as a college

runner.

Running insights:

Over the past week I learned a few techniques to hopefully improve my running

• breathing: Breathe in for 3 counts and out for 2 and get into a rhythym during the run. This should ensure that the body gets the necessary oxygen to keep your muscles in top form. Typically people tend to breathe erratically when going up hills especially by maintaining this ratio, and potentially speeding it up, you should do fine on the hills
• going uphill: Obvs, don't stop on a hill...feel free to stop, walk, enjoy the scenery on a mountain! but don't stop on a hill! Also when going uphill, pump your arms harder for added support for your legs. Your arms should be paralel to the hill/street.
• going downhill: Avoid the tendency to lean back, lean in to the hill and stay on your on toes

Motivational quotes:

• "Every time you go for a run, you are only racing yourself. Push yourself to be better continuously."-Nick S.
• "life surprisesus in mysterious ways, good for you taking on the risk of such opportunitis ad running with it.

Marathon playlist adds: The first of what will be the marthon playlist

• "I got a feeling"-Black Eyed Peas
• "Electric City"- Black Eyed Peas
• "RIn g a Ling"- Plack Eyed Peas
• "Alive"- Black Eyed Peas
• "Imma Be"- Black Eed Peas (guess who just bought the new BEP album?)
• "Daylight"- Matt and Kim
• "Jump out ofyour car" Iglu and Hartly
• "We are the people" Empire of the Sun
• "All the above"- Maino
• "Best I ever had"- Drake

African Leadership Academy update:

• Faculty is arriving for faculty training
• Campus undergoing renovations in the library, dorms and classroom spaces to welcome 200 students who plan to start a the end of August! This represents a doubling of the student body.

A moment of Zen:

"Confucious say....crowded elevator smell different to midget"--Anonymous

And so it begins...

Clearly I have gone crazy because I am doing what I have vowed time and time again never to do. Ever since my days of hiding from Coach Johnson during cross country practice and sick notes to get out of races I thought for sure that running was for lunatics. Turns out...I was right...running is for lunatics and apparently...I am a lunatic.

After spending a bit of time at African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa...

I have decided to run the 2009 New York Marathon on November 1 on behalf of ALA and in honor of our IT guru...Sani Iliyasu who passed away in late July, 2009.

Wow, it feels weird to write that because it makes things official. Beyond the obvious reasons for running a Marathon...like the fun of 26.2 miles and the pleasure of waking up at 6am to run in the freezing cold.

A few things are motivating me:

• 1. The amazing promise of African Leadership Academy (www.africanleadershipacademy.org). ALA draws students from all across Africa and beyond, with the goal of developing the next generation of more ethical, intelligent and globally aware Leaders for Africa in all fields ranging from business to politics to social activism to arts..etc. I am hoping that through my effort I can raise awareness and much needed funds to enable ALA to fulfill its mission.
• 2. The inspiring life of the notorious Mr. Sani. Sani, is the architect of ALA's infrastructure and approached life with a sense of honesty un-paralleled in other people I have encountered. He committed himself 100% to everything he got involved with and never compromised himself or his beliefs while pursuing his goals. I hope that I can carry with me lessons from him, including to be more direct, more consistently appreciative, and to not be afraid to be my crazy self!
• 3. The desire to prove that this can be done, I hope that by completing this marathon I will encourage myself and others to keep pushing myself to achieve the impossible!

BUT...I can't do this alone. I will need a community of support in this massive effort! Please help push me through to the finish line by:

• 1. Donating funds to the cause for which I am running: African Leadership Academy via this website http://www.africanleadershipfoundation.org/marathondonate_maryanna.asp Help me to achieve the goal of raising $3,000 for ALA. Any donation you can offer will go a long way towards providing a strong education for the best and brightest of Africa and beyond.
• 2. Providing words of encouragement and (equally as important!) song recommendations for my run play-list! In each of my posts I will continue to expand my running playlist by adding supporter recommended and my own selection of songs to "MVQ's marathon play-list"!
  
• 3. Joining me on a training run--I do 6-8 mile runs 4x a week and a long run on the weekends. Please join me on one/many of the runs!
• 4. Keeping me on track--Check in with me to see if I am sticking to my training goals...if you catch me slipping you officially have my permission to publicly chastise me/ embarrass me!
• 5. Cheering me on during the race- On that fateful day of November 1 please come to NY to support me by cheering for me, screaming my name, passing me drinks/food, etc. I will especially need encouragement at mile 13, 18 and 22--please support me by being along the course at these points or even jumping in and running with me for a bit! I may not be able to chit chat but I will be ever grateful! I hope to complete the race in about 4 hours and 15 minutes--I will post my approximate locations/times in a later post!
• 6. Checking out this blog and posting/sending me words of encouragement!

I will continue to post here throughout my marathon training--I will include updates on my runs, funny stories, mileage/time postings, play-list updates etc.

I hope to see you here again soon!

-MVQ

P.S.- Bridgerunners must be acknoledged...it is because of their encouragement that I finished the half marathon and I hope to run with a few of them during the full!