Episode 4-456 – Destination Marathons

The RunRunLive 4.0 Podcast Episode 4-456 – Destination Marathons  (Audio: link) audio:http://www.RunRunLive.com/PodcastEpisodes/epi4456.mp3] Link MarathonBQ – How to Qualify for the Boston Marathon in 14 Weeks - Chris’ other show à Intro: Hello my friends and welcome to episode 4-456 of the RunRunLive Podcast.  Today we have a conversation with Mark Janik who leads a travel company called Destination Marathons.  I thought it would be cool to talk to Mark as we come out of lockdown.  I think we are going to see a big surge in destination races as people revenge buy from being couped up so long.  That’s an actual term being used now: “Revenge Travel”. In section one I’m going to talk about a successful, little nutrition experiment I did last week.  In section two I’m going to give you a different, maybe new, hopefully helpful view on how to deal with difficult work situations.  As I look out my office window it is full on summer.  The green of greens has descended on everything.  It is always amazing to me the unbridled enthusiasm of the New England summer after 8 months of cold.  It’s really something.   The tree pollen is very high.  There is a layer of yellow dust on everything.  Makes it hard to breath.  Well – I went for my follow up with the knee doctor and he gave me the green light to start running again.  I started out with a mile around the athletic fields, then jumped up to a 5K in my neighborhood.  Neither of which will be inspiring any move scripts.  I am slow, weak and heavy.  I then showed up for my club run on Sunday morning.  I told them I might be able to eke out 4 miles easy.  They said ‘no issues just come with us’.  Ollie and I ended running 8 miles with them.    I have to be honest I was struggling at the end.  Not because my knee hurt. Because I’m in terrible shape.  I found it to be fitting karma because I was always known as the guy who scared off the new members.  But the knee does still hurt.  Specifically when climbing hills.  There’s a spot where I get a stabbing pain when I toe off.  I’ve decided to keep trying to get out 3 times a week for 40 minutes or so but stick to the flats and keep it slow.  I’m still riding my bike on the off days too. The Doctor wants to give it some more time and look at it again in July.  He’s no help.  Not a lot of good news I’m afraid.  I’m going to have to figure out how much of my race calendar to scrap in the fall.  It’s all a bit disheartening.  I feel like the walls are closing in.  But I will eke it out. Isn’t that a funny little word? Eke?  This word is e-k-e, not eek, e-e-k.  Eek is an interjection of being startled, like “eek, a mouse!”  No, eke, is a good old Anglo Saxon word that originally meant to supplement or add to.  Like “He would eke his emu farming income with some freelance needlepoint.” We use it today to mean more of a sense of struggling to get by with just enough.  First usage of eke is traced by the Oxford English Dictionary, that grand old dame of word books, to 1596, so a late Elizabethan word for you to try in a sentence.  See if you can eke it out. Ollie is doing fine, but I’m going to have to get some help with him.  He has some behavior issues and hasn’t learned his basic, life-saving commands.  He’ll come when called but only when it’s convenient for him.   I can’t let him off leash in the woods because of all the traffic, especially the horses.  I’m perfectly ok with keeping him on leash.  If he doesn’t respond to voice commands then it would be irresponsible and potentially dangerous to let him off leash.  The challenge I have is that having him on leash, especially when I’m already struggling to run.  It’s hard.  And frankly, no fun. Even in the harness he tries to drag me at the worst moments and throws off my balance.  It’s exhausting.  I feel like we’re constantly fighting.  So I’m casting about for some professional help to get some control over him.  One option I have is to send him off for a 3-week deep training session, where he basically goes away and comes back trained.  I would love that option, but up where I live it would cost me the better part of $4,000 dollars.  I’m almost at the point where that seems worth it.  Other than that he’s an absolute sweetheart.  He’s loving and energetic.  It’s not like he’s tearing the furniture up, he just needs to get some training and unlearn some bad habits.  I had him in for a grooming appointment today, so he smells good too.  I see that a lot of races are running this summer.  I got an email from the Hyannis triathlon this morning.  I also saw that they’re planning to run the Peach Tree on the 4th of July.  Let us know what your plans are.  I have to see how I recover before I make any big plans.  Remember our talk with Dr. Sarb Johal back in April about how to mentally survive the apocalypse?  Well he’s killing it.  .  He has a new book out on how to get good sleep in the apocalypse.  He’s coined a new phrase Coronasomnia.  I read an interesting this week about how most people really only have 4-5 good hours of work in them a day.  The key is to realize that you can only do good work some of the time and the rest of the time you’re not going to be as effective or efficient.  The challenge then is how to schedule the important work into the times when you are manifesting your best self.  Something to think about! On with the show!     About Zero ZERO — The End of Prostate Cancer is the leading national nonprofit with the mission to end prostate cancer. ZERO advances research, improves the lives of men and families, and inspires action. Link to my ZERO page: (for Donations) … I’ll remind you that the RunRunLive podcast is ad free and listener supported.  What does that mean? It means you don’t have to listen to me trying to sound sincere about Stamps.com or Audible.. (although, fyi, my MarathonBQ book is on audible) We do have a membership option where you can become a member and as a special thank you, you will get access to member’s only audio. There are book reviews, odd philosophical thoughts, zombie stories and I curate old episodes for you to listen to.  I recently added that guy who cut off is foot so he could keep training and my first call with Geoff Galloway.   “Curated” means I add some introductory comments and edit them up a bit.  So anyhow – become a member so I can keep paying my bills.   … The RunRunLive podcast is Ad Free and listener supported.  … Section one – 24 Hour Fast - Voices of reason – the conversation Mark Janik – Destination Marathons Destination Marathons was started by Mark Janik in 2018 after a 30 year career with Merck. Being a runner himself he knew about all the hassles runners face preparing for race weekends and he started Destination Marathons to create a much better, stress free weekend so runners can have a great time. The company is based in Charlotte, NC and completed 7 race weekends before the pandemic including the Boston Marathon. NYC Marathon, Marine Corps Marathon, Kiawah Island Marathon, Publix Atlanta Marathon/US Olympic Trials, and Wilmington Marathon. Destination Marathons became an official tour operator for the Berlin Marathon and is recognized as an official travel agency with their IATAN certification. The company provides ideal race weekend accommodations, pre race pasta dinners, gear check, post race celebrations, massage therapists and if needed race day transportation. There are always on site hosts to make sure everything goes smoothly. They will do “everything but run for you”. Future trips include Grandmas Marathon in Duluth, Boston, Berlin, and Disney Marathon Weekend. They are a team of experienced runners who will provide excellent service and create opportunities so their guests can connect and achieve their best. It began with "The Horse" I (Mark Janik) have been a runner since my junior high school days in Michigan. In those days, they called me “The Horse” on my track team. Since then, I’ve been an avid runner and have always loved to travel. After retiring from Merck following a 30 year career in sales I decided to start my own runners travel company. Having run over 35 marathons and half marathons I knew first hand how difficult it was to find a hotel in a city where thousands of other runners are all looking for the ideal place to stay. I knew how difficult it was to try and get a reservation for several friends at an Italian restaurant the night before and I knew how hard it was to connect with other runner friends who were in town for the same race but staying in a different location.  The reason I started Destination Marathons was to create a much better experience for runners. A hassle free, worry free weekend where they can focus on having a great time. We design stress free trips for runners so our guests can connect and achieve their best.  Hi Chris, If you haven’t already please take a deep look on our website to see our story, the charities we support and our blog. Take a look at the reviews prior guests have given us both on our FB business page and at our Google Business Account: The largest running club in Charlotte called Charlotte Running Club has profiled us at least three times and they have been a great partner. Here is the review that Club President Chad Champion wrote about after our very first trip. Talk to you tomorrow (Wed at 7 pm Eastern) Thanks! Section two – Turnin g difficult work situations to your advantage -   Outro   Ok my friends we have traveled to run the end of episode 4-456 of the RunRunLive Podcast.  And a good time was had by all. It’s going to hit 90 Farnheit today here.  I got out early on the rail trail with Ollie and ran about 40 minutes. It was hard and hot.  It takes about ten minutes for him to calm down enough to run with me.  I got out pretty early, but everyone else had the same idea and the rail trail was packed.  I had to keep Ollie close, which he’s not good at.  That’s my schedule as of today.  I bike 3-4 days a week and try to run 40 minutes or so 3 times a week.  The knee will only let me run on flat, even surfaces.  There aren’t many of those where I live.  I went out in the trails behind my house Tuesday and it was too hilly, the knee wouldn’t let me do it.  I had to hike home.  I went out on a flatter trail on Thursday, without Ollie, and it was ok but I still had trouble with the roots. So it’s the rail trail or the track for me.  I asked the Knee Dr. about getting some PT but he wasn’t willing to prescribe that. I’m going to have to look and see if I can’t find a 30-day knee stabilization and strengthening routine I can do on my own.  It’s not much, but it’s something.  I feel a bit like I’m in full on retreat from the fitness lifestyle.  But, I’ll keep looking for that break in the clouds, that ray of sunshine, where I can put my head down and run hard towards the freedom of it. And when that time comes. I’ll see you out there.   MarathonBQ – How to Qualify for the Boston Marathon in 14 Weeks - Rachel -> Coach Jeff -> Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.