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| e-newsletter | December 2012
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 Follow us on Twitter@MarathonBeyond Do you know a Marathon & Beyond subscriber who should be featured in e-Xtra? Send us an email. We love to hear what our friends are doing! |
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 M&B at Calif. International Marathon
Our M&B staff had a terrific time in Sacramento at the California International Marathon seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Kudos to all the folks who ran in the rain on Sunday - about 100 of them wearing their M&B yellow rain ponchos! Holiday Gift Subscription If you're still looking for a gift for a runner friend, M&B is all about giving. Order a gift subscription, and we'll give your friend a pair of M&B Hanteens, and we'll give  YOU our newest product, a pair of yellow M&B socks! We introduced them at CIM and nearly sold out. Order your gift subscription from our online store, and in the comment box, tell us what you want us to write on the gift card - and remember to include YOUR sock size! See specific ordering information at the end of this newsletter. |
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Between the Lines:
"So You Think You're Tough"
Marathon & Beyond magazine is tailored specifically for marathoners and ultramarathoners. Our mission is to provide practical advice on running or preparing to run endurance events - marathons and ultradistances. M&B includes complete training programs; easy-to-apply, cutting-edge scientific information; insightful examinations of the personal side of longer distance running; profiles of major marathons and ultramarathons; and regular columns focusing on specific aspects of running. The magazine also provides readers with a forum for sharing ideas, insights, questions, experiences, and concerns.
BUT as our name suggests, in our November/December issue, we took things a step "Beyond" into the world of the Tough Mudder. The Tough Mudder philosophy is illustrated in the "Toughest Mudder Pledge":
As a Tough Mudder I pledge that ...
I understand that Tough Mudder is not a race but a challenge.
I put teamwork and camaraderie before my course time.
I do not whine - kids whine.
I help my fellow Mudders complete the course.
I overcome all fears.
 | | Tough Mudder Philosophy |
For the average person, running a marathon is the ultimate challenge, and for many runners, it is. There is nothing easy about running 26.2 miles. Others take the leap into the world of ultrarunning, going beyond the marathon distance, often running on technical terrain and even for days at a time.
So, what makes us push our physical limits, and how do people manage to keep pushing?
Numerous books and scientific articles have been written on this subject, but most psychologists and scientists agree that "mental toughness" is a key component of endurance sports. There's a lot of talk about mental toughness, and it means different things to different people. But one thing is certain: it is more than simply telling yourself you're going to do something. Here are some ideas to consider when it comes to being mentally tough:
- How you do anything is how you do everything. It is a common belief that stress brings out a person's true character. Whether you're running a marathon or a Tough Mudder event, endurance sports are stressful. So are the issues of daily life, like dealing with work deadlines or teenagers. Do you make excuses? Or, do you take 100% responsibility and press on? There is a direct correlation with how you handle everyday stresses and how you handle the stress of endurance events.
- Persistence is a learnable skill. Perseverance is not just something you "have" or are born with. You learn it by watching others and by practicing it over and over. It's the old "Use it or lose it" adage. Just as you train your muscles, you must train your mind.
- There is no room for instant gratification. You are "in it" for the long run - literally. Mental toughness demands that you gradually push yourself into places that are consistently uncomfortable. Emotional or mental stress often accompanies physical stress. Knowing that you will have rough patches - and that you will get through them - helps keep you in the game. You will experience discomfort, but being mentally tough means you must forego immediate gratification for the reward of the long-term benefit.
- Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change. Just like brushing your teeth and taking the same route to work are habits, so are looking at problems as challenges and mistakes as opportunities. Silence the negative voices in your head. Your thoughts are your worst enemies. Just as you schedule your physical workouts, schedule mental workouts. Closely monitor the voice in your head, and if it is not helping you reach your goals, it is keeping you from them. Change course and take a different path.
Whether you're running a marathon or ultramarathon, climbing the Sears Tower or Mt. Kilimanjaro, competing in a Dirty Dash or a Tough Mudder, it's all about finding and going beyond your perceived physical limits.
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 Word on the Street
Sunburst Marathon
June 1, 2013
South Bend, Indiana
2013 marks the 30th anniversary of the Sunburst Races, one of the premier regional running events in the Midwest. Held each year in South Bend, Indiana, the race begins in downtown South Bend and finishes on the field of the venerable University of Notre Dame football stadium. Six different events make up Sunburst Races. On Friday evening, a Family Walk meanders through downtown South Bend that attracts roughly 500 young children and their families each year. Race Day events include a Fun Walk, 5K run, 10K run, Half Marathon and Marathon. The Sunburst Marathon is a Boston-qualifier. Both the marathon and the half marathon are certified by the United States of America Track & Field (USATF) governing body. Proceeds from Sunburst Races benefit the Memorial Children's Hospital. The marathon and half marathon travel a beautiful course along the scenic St. Joseph River; the marathon also includes parts of Mishawaka, Indiana. Parts of the course include "out and back" elements, meaning that runners go out, and then return along the same route in some instances. With a relatively flat course and an elevation in South Bend of approximately 725 feet, the Sunburst Races are an ideal venue for setting personal records or qualifying for specific races. One exception to the flat nature of the course is "Hallelujah Hill," located on Niles Avenue. While not particularly long, this hill is steep and, at about Mile 23, reaching the top of it is truly a "Hallelujah" moment for many runners! Another short, steep hill also appears around Mile 11, though that one allows for plenty of recovery time coming as early as it does in the race. Click here for more information about the Sunburst Races. |
 Talk on the Trail
Vermont 100
July 20-21, 2013
West Windsor, Vermont
The Vermont 100 Endurance Race is one of the original 100-mile runs in the U.S. and a part of the Grand Slam Series of Ultrarunning. Each year, 300 runners attempt to finish this hilly race over beautiful Vermont back roads and trails under the 30- hour cutoff time. A well-trained few finish in under 24 hours. (Photo: Spectrum Photography, Scott Miller)
The course starts and finishes at Silver Hill Meadow. It is a "shamrock" loop, consisting of 70% dirt or jeep roads with the rest on woods trails (there are a couple miles of pavement). The course both climbs and descends 14,000 to 15,000 feet. In the words of Devon Crosby-Helms, 2008 women's winner, "Vermont ain't no joke!"
The Vermont 100 is the only 100-mile race in which both runners and horse riders share the trail. Often the horses fall right into place behind a "pace runner" and continues on happily. Runners and riders alike stand at the finish line cheering in the last runners.
Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports is both host and beneficiary of the Vermont. Not only do Vermont Adaptive volunteers help put on the Vermont 100 race, but they also teach sports adapted for people with disabilities, rent adaptive sports equipment, and promote adaptive sports throughout New England.
Click here for more information about the Vermont 100 Endurance Run.
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 Subscribers of the Month Jonathan & Kathleen Wendel
At Marathon & Beyond, we feel like we "know" our subscribers, but it's always fun to meet up with them in person. At the CIM, we met up with Jonathan and Kathleen Wendel, two of our long-time subscribers. We decided to profile them BOTH in this month's feature.
Jonathan and Kathleen Wendel (aka Half-dome and Donut Queen - more on that later) have been avid M&B readers for many years. This professional couple from Ames, Iowa, has been running marathons (& beyond) together for about 17 years, once they realized that their three children were old enough to not risk filing charges of abandonment while their parents were out training. Their adventures since that time have taken them far and wide, coast to coast, and to marathons (er....or beyond) in all 50 States. With two busy careers (Jonathan is a biologist and administrator at Iowa State University, and Kathleen is a pediatrician in a private practice), they face the usual challenges of "fitting it all in" and of dealing with the logistics of squeezing travel and races into two very busy schedules.
 But, they are in love with the running lifestyle and all that it brings, including the fitness and health, of course, but also the many friends, the memories, and the pleasures of running and traveling together to races in many distant places. "We are so very fortunate to be able to do this together," says Jonathan, noting that he and Kathleen are not just husband and wife of 34 years, but also training partners and travel companions. In addition to having each other, they both cherish their other companions in their running group in Ames, including their close-knit group - John, Beth, Greg, Barb, Rolf, Brenda, Troy, Joe, Nancy, Mike, Mikey, Allen, Eve, and Ricardo - with whom they have traveled together to many marathons, including Boston on several occasions. "We have so much fun as a group, and know each other so well after all of these years of running together," notes Jonathan, commenting further that the group collectively has accumulated helpful information about "all kinds of topics, including training, tapering, nutrition, and...er...aging!"
Their running adventures have taken them beyond the U.S. boundaries to marathons in Europe (including London, Prague, Amsterdam), and to the Caribbean for a couple of week-long running vacations as part of the Cruise to Run - "an illegal amount of fun," says Kathleen. Now that they have completed marathons in all 50 states, one wonders what might be next? "How about running all races sponsored by a microbrewery," quips Jonathan, or "marathons near wine-country," says Kathleen. With respect to the latter, they are looking forward to the Marathon des Chateaus du Medoc through the heart of Bordeaux next September as part of a vacation that will also take them to the south of France to run (and sample wines) from that region as well. Their focus at present, however, is training for Comrades Ultramarathon in South Africa this coming June, which is an "up" run this year. To help them prepare, they have signed up for Catalina Island and Big Sur marathons as hilly training runs, among others.
 So what about those road names, "Half-dome" and "Donut Queen"? Well, Jonathan's was earned, in part, as a reflection of his "growing forehead" - "I am gaining face", he says, and because the climb between the two granite monoliths in Yosemite is called "the nose" - "so my road name honors my prodigious proboscis." Kathleen's road name reflects her standing as the three-time defending champion of Ames' 5K Donut Run, in which an increasing amount of time gets deducted from one's finishing time with each successive donut consumed. In this respect, a few years ago, Kathleen broke the world record in the women's 5K (in "donut-adjusted time"), consuming 13 donuts while running a 24-minute 5K! "I have a secret method for getting them down quickly," says Donut Queen.
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Upcoming Marathon & Beyond Events
Napa Valley Marathon Expo - Napa, California - March 2-3, 2013
Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon Health & Fitness Expo - Champaign, Illinois - April 25-26, 2013
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Contact Us - We'd love to hear from you!
Marathon & Beyond
206 N. Randolph St., Suite 400
Champaign, IL 61820
877-972-4230 (toll-free)
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 Are you still looking for a gift for a runner friend? M&B is all about giving. Order a gift subscription, and we'll give your friend a pair of M&B Hanteens. PLUS, we'll give YOU our newest product, a pair of yellow M&B socks!
You can call our office at (217) 359-9345 and tell us the code word e-XTRA Holiday Socks.
Or, order online and put the code word e-XTRA Holiday Socks in the comment box. Also, tell us what you want us to write on the gift card - and remember to include YOUR own sock size!
Click here to order your gift subscription.
| | Offer Expires: January 15, 2013 |
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