iSmoothRun iPhone app does everything, except run for you (Review)

**The information of a sweepstakes giveaway at the end of the post.

There's a point in every runner's life when just going out for a run isn't enough. We need to know how long and how fast we went. For many, a pedometer solution, like Nike+ iPod, is satisfying enough. But, if you ever tasted the excitement of a race, especially a longer race, then you have probably also experienced the disappointment with limitations of a pedometer, especially its inaccuracy. And you lusted after the GPS devices the runners around you had.

If you are really a hard-core runner, (and if you have enough money to support that addiction) you probably have a Garmin, or some similar wrist watch with GPS. However, these days we have an alternative solution, for those of us who are not willing to splurge for a Garmin. Most modern smart phones have built in GPS, and support apps that can track your training, log it online and connect you with like-minded and like-footed people.

There are many apps available for all smart phone platforms. I used RunKeeper for iPhone for more than a year - it tracks my distance and coaches me, logs my run on RunKeeper website and connects me with the members of my "Street Team," which is something like an online running group, or like friends on FaceBook. There were certain things I wished the RunKeeper would do, such as log on my data to DailyMile, a social network for fitness geeks. And I wished it would track the mileage I put on my shoes. Many updates later, it still doesn't do those things.

Then I discovered iSmoothRun, a $4.99 app which does it all. And, it does it better than any other app I tried. iSmoothRun uses both GPS and accelerometer to track your run, so based on your average stride, even if you lose GPS signal, it'll still track your distance. You can, for example, warm up outside, and continue your run on a treadmill. It also measures your time, pace, calories burnt, and even your cadence (i.e. how many steps per minute you're taking). It has auto-pause feature, which pauses the timer after 10 seconds of inactivity, but the duration can be set anywhere from 5 to 60 seconds of inactivity. So, if you have to wait for an extremely long red light, the app will pause your training, until you resume moving.

If you base your training on HRM (heart rate per minute), you can connect an ANT+ heart rate belt through a Wahoo Fisica connector (sold separately) and the app will give you updates on your heart rate, and warn you when you get too excited…or work too hard!

The list of features is long and sweet, and I'm not going to list them all. A couple of things I must mention, however, are the setting which lets you duck or pause the music while you're getting audio cues on your training. I like listening to audiobooks on long runs, and often, when the app gives me the update on the distance, I miss a sentence or two of a story. It's not a big thing, but it was something I wished I could work around. Well, now I can set the audiobook to pause, get the update on my run, and the story resumes right where it left off, without me losing a word.

Another big improvement is the way you can customize intervals - unlike RunKeeper, in which you can repeat intervals only if they are of the same kind - for example, I could enter a 1-minute interval to be repeated 12 times, but if I wanted to have 15 minutes warmup before, then I had to enter the warmup and each of the 12 sprint intervals manually. iSmoothRun lets you customize the intervals in groups, and then add those groups into the workout - example, 15 min warmup is one group, 12 repeats of 1 minute sprint with 1 minute recovery is another, I could add to it 15 minutes steady running as the third group, then 15 minutes cooldown…you get the idea. After each interval the app gives you the data for it - speed, pace, length, heart rate, etc.

Finally, the app syncs the data with both sites I use for tracking my training - RunKeeper and DailyMile (it also connects with RunningFreeOnline and TrainingPeaks). I can use RunKeeper live feature on it too, enabling my progress to be tracked live as it happens on the map, which my family uses to estimate how long I'll be gone, and to locate me when/if I get injured. (If you're not on any of those networks, you can still analyze your runs on your device, or have the data sent via email.)


I was so amazed by iSmoothRun, that I contacted the programmers and had a brief e-mail interview with one of them. Here's what he had to say:

Q: Who is behind iSmoothRun App?

A: We are Ros and Manolis, the developers from Lake Horizon Ltd.

Q: Where are you based?

A: We are based in Greece. All programming is done in Greece. The amazing graphics design was done in Denmark by icondesign.dk

Q: Where did the idea for the app come from? Obviously, there are runners behind it, because the app covers most of the requirement a runner can have for tracking his runs.

A: When I tried my first running App I was excited because I could see the potential. Sports watches with the small screens and insufficient computing power had very limited functionality. The idea of having two GPS devices on me while training didn't seem rational. Unfortunately all the running Apps I tested left many things to be desired.

After waiting for 2 years, I realized that no one was going to built the App I needed, because it seems that the target audience for those Apps are the people who don't run, and not runners. That's why we see a proliferation of C25K apps. And it makes sense because the target audience is much bigger, and with easy requirements. Simple GPS tracking and social features are enough. On the other side if you try to build an App for runners (I define my target group as "runners who follow a training plan"), people who race, you have to be prepared to be judged and compared against Garmins and Polars (no easy task).

By that time my Polar broke, I started to get interested in running form, so I needed also something to measure cadence. iPhone 4 was introduced with a much better GPS and battery life. Add my love for the iPhone and programming, and I started the project just for fun.
In one month I had all the basic GPS tracking and cadence measuring done, and was able to use it on my runs. From that point I got hooked and obsessed with the App.  Next step was adding intervals training and coaching. Now the App was starting to be really good. With the addition of the ANT+ sensors (for heart rate monitoring) we had everything we needed.

At the same time the economic crisis in Greece got worse, and I decided to publish the App in the App store.

So that's the story. The App is built by runners just the way we want it to be. We want an App that will help runners perform their training plan, log all the quantitative data, provide a complete log and help them at any point evaluate their training status.

Q: The app is, as far as I could find, iOS only. Do you have plans to spread it to other platforms, i.e. Android, BlackBerry, etc.?

A: Unfortunately, we have limited resources and for the moment we are interested in iOS, since there are a lot more to be done for cyclists, triathletes and runners of course. Better to give a groundbreaking App in one platform than a simply good App for everyone.

Q: What can we expect from iSmoothRun in future? Are you planning to develop a web site, or will continue partnership with RunKeeper?

A: From the beginning we decided to stay focused only on one platform and provide the absolutely best product possible. The version that is coming out in a few days has automatic logging of weather conditions, auto pause for cycling even if no sensors are used, and a tool to calculate and log Heart Rate recovery (HR drop in 60 secs).
In parallel we are working to offer localized versions for the major European languages.

We believe that we have finished the first phase of development, that offers runners and cyclists a truly advanced tool and we are ready to start create even more interesting features. We are very interested in the logging of all aspects of an athlete's life like nutrition, resting HR, weight, body fat measurements, VO2max measurements etc, provide tools for testing protocols like Cooper or Conconi and advanced statistical analysis.

Meanwhile we will keep our strategy of being completely open, regarding the export of our data and connectivity with other web services like RunKeeper or Daily Mile etc. We are not very interested in the social aspects, so we are happy we can focus on our tasks and leave the social functionality to others that have proven to be best at.

Q: What kind of relationship you have with RunKeeper, since your app obviously works in sync with their database, including RunKeeper Live?

A: Since June RK offers a partner program, where anyone can connect and use the Health Graph API. We are very proud to be the first iPhone App, and we do believe we complement RunKeeper's services very nicely. The RunKeeper community has really shown their preference for iSmoothRun and as RunKeeper's API evolves we promise many more exciting features.


**Lake Horizon Ltd. is giving 20 promo codes to listeners of RunCast podcast, to download the app for free from iTunes App Store. The details on how to enter the lucky draw will be recorded in the next episode of RunCast, to be released on Thursday, August 18.

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Running (and singing) in the rain

- A message for wet runners -

Photo credit: brokenheartedrunner.wordpress.com

There was a drummer outside the bedroom window this morning. As I woke up, there was a constant drumroll of raindrops against the glass. I confess, I love to sleep in the pouring rain, as long as it's outside and I'm inside. But, sleep isn't what I was about to do. Running was!

Margaret, my wife, was surprisingly cheerful while we dressed for a run. She's the sleeper in the family, the one who has to be dragged out of bed, especially at 5 a.m. But not today! She hummed and sang the old cliche "I'm singing in the rain". And so we stepped out.

Huddled under the awning, we synced our RunKeepers and stepped into the shower. Here I must explain that Margaret is a fairly novice runner—she was a sprinter and a hurdler in high school, but joined me on my long distance plodding only recently, and has yet to run through the elements. It was pleasant 22 degrees Celsius (71 F) and the rain was more refreshing than hindering.

Margaret dashed out like a bullet, with a gasp and a little yelp when the drops hit her. I sprinted after her, calling her to slow down. She slowed a little, but was still going too fast. I had to explain that we are going to be out at least 20 - 30 minutes and we are going to be soaked, there's no outrunning the rain. The only difference is that she can relax and enjoy the run, or she can run as fast as she started and be miserable. That finally slowed her down to normal pace.

I watched her form and laughed. Her shoulders were hunched and arms were barely swinging, kept up high at her chest. She looked at me under the bill of her hat, rain dripping from it.

"You know," I said, "hunching shoulders will not keep you any drier. You'll get just as wet as if you're swinging your arms normally."

Then I witnessed the transformation. Margaret laughed, dropped her shoulders, swung her arms and splashed on. Like kids, we ran, wadding through the puddles, splashing, spouting the rain pouring down our faces, joking, laughing. Once we surrendered to it, the rain was amazingly liberating. It was such an unusual sense of freedom, we were like children finally allowed to play in the mud.

When we finished, still laughing and dripping water all over the floor, Margaret confessed that she really liked running in the rain. Once the first panic subsided, she said, she loved every step.

And that is our message for all you wet runners out there—there's nothing so liberating as summer rain. Don't fight it, leave the rain-coat at home. Instead, embrace it, surrender to it, and enjoy the run. It will cool you down, leave you feeling refreshed and make you feel alive, like a child you used to be.

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The Black Toenail: The pain of running long

My friend looked at me. There was fear in his eyes.
“Does it hurt?” he asked.
“Does what hurt?” I replied.
“Does it hurt to run a marathon?”
—-
An old friend came to visit last weekend. By “old” I mean that we’ve known each other since he was a teenager, and I was in my early twenties. We trained judo together, and he never fails to mention a beating I administered, which I honestly can’t recall, but there’s no reason to doubt his memory. It is odd how we remember the beating we received and forget the ones we delivered.

It was a fine evening in a fine restaurant with fine red wine. Memories were flowing freely, helped by the drinks. It has been five years since we’ve seen each other last time, and a lot happened in both our lives. He got married, they are expecting a baby. Life sped up in many ways, business-wise and family-wise, and it slowed him down physically. He gained weight, though I tried not to mention it.

On my side, running has become a huge part of life; I shed some 20 lbs (10 kg) since he last saw me, and ran four marathons. Inevitably, the conversation turned to running. I tried a few proven tricks to get him to try, but he just looked at me with glassy eyes. Too much wine, I thought. But, no—it was fear taking hold of him.

Back in our judo days, we subjected our bodies to various kinds of torture for training sake. Running far, with obstacles and speedwork was a part of it. And so my friend removed the glass from his lips after a long pause and said: “I hate running.”

He also developed distaste for gym. So I tried the safe approach: running is easy, it’s natural, it only hurts at the beginning.

It didn’t work.
“I can’t,” he said.
“You can’t…what?” I asked.
“I can’t run. At all. Not even a hundred yards.”

And so I finally understood. Once he was an athlete, a champion in his sport. It must have been horrifying to realize that running to a bus became too tasking.

Then he asked me: “Does it hurt?”
“Does what hurt?” I replied.
“Does it hurt to run a marathon?”

I also understood his fear of pain. In competitors’ sports pain is a part of life. But, once he was removed from such life, he was doing everything possible to avoid pain. And we both knew that one can’t start training without going through the pain of muscles adjusting to the new regimen. There was no point in trying to deceive him.

“I ran marathons that hurt,” I said, “and I ran a few that didn’t. There’s a way to run without pain.”

To start running some people need a nudge, some need a push, and some need a kick in the butt. Some you only need to encourage, some you need to entice, pull by example. My friend is in the last category. It would work if I show up on his door with his running shoes in hands and literally kick him out the door. The problem is of a geographical nature - my foot from Toronto can’t reach his butt in London.

So, I did the only thing I could think of.
“Can I send you a book?” I asked. “But, you must promise you’ll read it.”
He promised.

I’m sending him “Running: Getting Started” by Jeff Galloway. Hopefully, Jeff’s run-walk-run method will ease my friend into once-again active lifestyle. He’ll need it, if nothing else, to chase his toddler around.

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The Black Toenail: Running has made me a wimp!

I run six days a week. I’m healthy. I feel good; mostly tired from my long runs, pace runs, interval runs, but still good. I have less health problems than most guys my age. Yet, I’m turning into a wimp. I obsess over every twitch of a muscle, every crack of a joint, every little ache, real or imagined. I worry it’s the first sign of yet unknown injury, which will keep me away from running, or even worse, from racing.

I took up running few years ago, when recovering from a bad case of herniated disk, which rendered my left leg completely numb and useless. I continued, because it made me feel good and helped me shed a hoop of fat I carried embedded under the skin around my waste. Because of running I’m never sick. I forgot what having cold or flu is like. I’m less stressed and, hopefully, a more pleasant person to be around.

And yet… I just went to cafeteria to grab a hot chocolate. It’s two flights of stairs down from my office. At the first flight of stairs there was a little pop in my right knee. I thought I felt pain under the knee-cap. I stopped dead, started stretching and massaging the area around the knee. I have a race in three weeks! I can’t have an injury now! Especially not an injury sustained during the office work!

It took a while to realize that the pain was gone as soon as it came, if it was ever there at all. I’m so tuned onto every anomaly in my bodily operations that every sound out of the ordinary causes deep concern. When I roll out of bed in the morning, I’m concerned about the stiffness in my back. That tightness in calves - is that the beginning of a cramp? Walking on the sidewalk, I made too long a step - did I pull the hamstring with it? I’m preoccupied with my body like a teenage beauty queen on a prom night.

Running is still a lot of fun, but it made the rest of my non-running life a torture.

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The Black Toenail: Say it with a costume

I can’t imagine running a marathon in a costume. I get pretty hot as it is, only in my shorts and tee. Squeezing myself in an elaborate costume sounds like an extreme act of violence against my own body. But, if you’ve ever participated, or watched a marathon race, you know there are
scores of runners dressed as hot-dogs, superheroes, vikings, even iPhones, etc.

Since the beginning of times, people were sending their messages in unusual ways: written in the sand, cornfield crops, pulled by an airplane, you name it… So maybe this guy with a temple on his head has a message for you. Or, maybe, the runners of Tokyo marathon dressed in costumes only to amuse the spectators. If so — it worked! I wish I was there. But, since I wasn’t, here’s the next best thing: click for photos of some of the costumed runners in Tokyo

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The Black Toenail: Conquering the winter wonderland in Gore-Tex and cleats

A colleague asked me if I run outside in this weather. I nodded. He rolled his eyes, commenting on how I must have never heard of a treadmill. It’s been around -15 degrees C for a few days, cold enough to lose the feeling in your face. I was out for an hour-long run recently and when I came back, I smiled at my wife. Rather, I tried to smile; other than awkwardly twisted lips, my face was completely unmoving. She decided that I must have had a toothache and offered me a painkiller.

Other than spousal misunderstanding, which is sort of natural, I usually face two kinds of reactions to my ice-age running: genuine support and encouragement from strangers I pass on my runs (to whom I must seem a heroic fitness nut), and a complete disbelief and disapproval from people who know me and are concerned about my well-being. To the concerned ones, I often try to explain the pull to run in the winter weather — the muffled sounds of my own steps through the snow-covered neighbourhood; the solitude and peace of being out in sub-freezing temperatures while most everyone else hunkers in the warmth of their homes; my breath trailing me in a cloud, like a steam-locomotive plowing through fresh snow. And, although the signs of life are all around me, I’m the only person out alive, feeling as though the whole white, sleepy, fairytale town belongs to me.

I actually believe that one must have more determination to run on a treadmill with zero external stimuli, than to brave the cold, snow and ice and enjoy the winter views. Breathing in the cool fresh air is better than stuffy, sweat-scented gym perfume. Since I adjust to it by running through the change of seasons, the cold air won’t affect me, and it certainly smells better. In general, running in cold weather is no more difficult than running in the heat. On the contrary, extreme heat could be more dangerous than deep cold, unless you sit down to rest in the Arctic and freeze. When it’s cold, you keep moving to warm up. But when you’re overheating, sometimes it’s not enough to just stop, but you need to take other measures, such as a cold shower, to lower your body temperature.

Winter running is really not a big deal if you’re prepared. I make sure that my shoes have a good thread and won’t slip on snow and ice. For extreme ice conditions, there are YakTrax ice grippers — a set of metal grippers you can strap under your sneakers. It’s great if the shoes are waterproof-breathable, made of Gore-Tex or similar material. I dress in layers, making sure the first layer is a long-sleeved shirt made of moisture-wicking fabric, such as Nike Dri-fit. That takes the sweat away from the skin, which keeps me dry, warm and comfortable. Your feet will love you if you get a pair of moisture-wicking socks as well. For other layers, I usually dress as if it was about 10 degrees warmer than it really is. It feels a bit chilly when I come out, but in five minutes I’m hot and sweating. To soften the cold shock, you can keep your outer layers over the heating vents for a few minutes, before stepping outside.

For maximum comfort — as much as comfort is possible when you’re running through the wind, sleet and ice — I always wear a hat and gloves. To shield my eyes from snow and ice pellets, I wear a baseball hat under the warm winter hat. As for the face, a balaclava keeps me warm, but breathing through the fabric makes it feel like I’m suffocating. So, to maintain control over my facial expressions, I spread Vaseline over my face. It works, just be careful if it’s sunny outside; you can get sunburned if your Vaseline-covered face is exposed too long.

Since I’m running after work, which means in the dark, I clip a blinking bicycle-light to the back of my hat and a couple of reflective bands around upper arms. Actually, the more reflective your clothing, the safer you are. Keep in mind that, even if they see you, drivers can’t always navigate well in slippery conditions. I always run against the traffic, so I can see the cars coming toward me, and be ready to jump into the snowbank if they don’t give me a wide enough berth. I keep a selection of my best curses for such occasions.

Remember to take your time. Running in snow is like running in the sand, it’s more demanding than running on dry surfaces. Don’t push your body, make your runs slower and shorter than you would in the summer. The resistance of the snow will wake up some muscles you didn’t know you had. It’ll make you a stronger runner come spring. And watch out for ice or puddles. It’s easy to pull a muscle or sprain an ankle when slipping on ice. When you come home, have a cup of hot chocolate. Nothing feels better after the deep freeze outside.

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The Black Toenail: Cool gifts for runners: GPS watches, YakTrax cleats

Runners at the start of the annual Toronto Santa Speedo Run on December 10, 2009. (Handout photo)

As a runner, you may expect a runner’s equivalent of the gift of Christmas sweaters from well-intentioned friends who don’t know much about your sport. I know it should be easy to buy gifts for a runner — we always need something, and even things we have get worn out quickly — but we are also very particular when it comes to our gear.
Stay away from shoes, unless you are really close to your runner and know exactly what brand, model and size of running shoes he or she wears. We usually settle on a particular model and size, and are not likely to change those even for a loving grandma.
Same goes for socks. There are different styles and kinds, all related to how dry our feet will be during a long run, and how many blisters we’ll avoid or get because of the socks. With such grave repercussions at stake, it’s wise to let the runner make the sock choice by himself.
If you need etiquette tips on how to politely decline such presents, the best, as with the holiday sweater, is to accept it with a smile. First, swoon over it, “My God, how did you know I always wanted this?”; pause for dramatic effect, then add, “Unfortunately…,” find a valid medical reason why the gift doesn’t work for you: “I’m a bad pronator/supinator and need special shoes.” Then politely ask if you could exchange it for what you really need.
Right, so what can you buy a running-nut? Well, it depends how much you’re willing to spend. For those really close to your heart, there are GPS watches with heart monitors, such as Timex Global Trainer series or Garmin Forerunner with popular models 405, 410, 110 and so on. Although a GPS watch will earn you runner’s eternal adoration, it will also set you back anywhere from $200 to $400.
For tech-savvy runners, especially the ones who like to use their iPhone or Android phone to track their runs, there’s a slew of apps that can be gifted. Some of the popular run-tracking GPS apps are RunKeeper, MapMyRun, Daily Mile and WalkJogRun.
Then there’s Nike+ kit, which comes with a sensor which goes to a running shoe, and sends data to an iPod or an iPhone, which gives audio updates to the runner on how fast and far she is running.
Since Christmas conveniently falls in winter here in Canada, there are other climate-appropriate gift ideas. The YakTrax clip-on cleats are life-savers on icy trails or sidewalks and hand warmers such as Grabber will be a welcome gift.
To make your runner visible to the traffic on those long runs in the dark, consider some clip-on lights. Roadid.com has a neat collection of Firefly lights. Mountain Equipment Co-op has a selection of the headlights straps, too.
Even a simple bicycle light, the annoying blinking kind, that can be clipped onto a strap or elastic band, will do.
Books can always be a to-go choice. The absolute bestseller in running circles in 2010 was Born To Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by barefoot endurance runner and journalist, Christopher McDougall. For more book ideas for runners, here’s a useful blog.
Happy gifting! And a note to runners: don’t drink and run.

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The Black Toenail: The party that is the New York marathon

In the story of my running life, year 2010 is going down as the golden year, the year of great personal accomplishments, the year when I experienced two of the arguably most prestigious marathon races in the world — Boston and New York.

The difference between New York and Boston marathons is apparent from the start. In Boston, everybody was serious about running. New York, which I ran this November 7, is more of a running party. Most of the people registered thanks to the lucky draw; only a choice few, myself included, qualified for the guaranteed entry. To run in New York, you either have to be very fast or very lucky. I could tell from the beginning that there were far more lucky ones than fast ones. Here’s how it went for me.

First mile across the Verazzano-Narrows Bridge is all uphill, a welcome warm-up after the freezing morning. Very soon we are running over discarded shirts and gloves which runners ahead shed as soon as they were warm enough. Leaving Staten Island, the first of the five boroughs of New York, the running tide floods into Brooklyn and is greeted by the first spectators. The almost uninterrupted line of fans, an estimated two million people, stretches from there all along the route and into Central Park’s finish to cheer on the approximately 45,000 runners.

There are bands along the way playing everything from blues and jazz to rock, Dixieland, classical and bagpipes. Some bands are so good the spectators turn their backs to the race and dance. A front-drummer in a Caribbean drumming band gives me a drum-stick salute without skipping a beat, and my steps match the rhythm for as long as I can hear them. Soon they are drowned by another band rocking hard.

The signs held high cheer us on. “You are all my heroes,” reads one. “If I could run, I’d be there with you,” says another, next to the classic ,”the pain is temporary, the glory is forever,” and one woman holding an, “all runners are sexy” sign, which makes me puff up my chest and give her my best, if sweaty, grin. The party atmosphere catches among the runners, too. We are high-fiving outstretched hands, returning waves, cheers and howls.

The day is crystal clear and sunny, the sky azure-blue and, when we run up Queensboro Bridge, the view of downtown Manhattan is amazing. So amazing, in fact, that two runners stop in the middle of the bridge to have a photo taken by a third one, causing the commotion as the rest of us swerve around them. Along First Avenue in Manhattan, the crowds are thicker. A group of runners in shirts with the Italian flag draws ovations from a pack of Italian spectators. Those smart enough to have their names printed on the shirt get personalized cheers. My face hurts from the perpetual smile I can’t erase.

As we get closer to the finish, more and more runners are stretching their spasmodic legs, walking or limping on the side. The crowds are pushing in, making the running corridor narrower. Worst of all, at the water station people grab their cups with Gatorade or water and stop to drink. When legs are tired, it is extremely difficult to control your moves and try to avoid the wall of people suddenly halted in front of you. I manage to squeeze through and reach the final two miles through Central Park. The fans there are the loudest. The noise is so uplifting that I forget fatigue and let them carry me in high pace and higher spirit through the finish line, with a time of three hours, 16 minutes, 59 seconds.

Among the volunteers handing out the finishers’ medals is the New York State beauty queen with a tiara, but the line of male runners waiting for a medal from her is too long and I get mine from another woman with a big smile.

I walk slowly to pick up my bag of clothing, brought here by trucks from the race prep area; I’m still smiling, still so high on the atmosphere and the run that the weariness doesn’t register. Stupidly, the McDonald’s tune pops in my head: “ta-da-da-da-da, I’m loving it!” That reminds me how thirsty I am, so I rummage through the goodie-bag I received at the finish and can’t decide between water or Gatorade. I finish them both and then attack the apple and Power Bar recovery chocolate, which is so thick it glues my teeth together, but is supposed to speed up the recovery of almost 4,000 calories I spent in the run.

In all my previous races, I’d go home right after, shower and nap. Not this time! Still high on the experience, i take a quick shower and sit down to an enormous dinner, eating my way through everything that’s on the table. The relatives I’m staying with are impressed by my appetite.

After dinner, we sit around the TV to watch — yes, really — the recording of the race. In the mass of people streaming in front of the cameras at the start, it’s impossible to see me. But, fast-forwarding to the shots of the finish, there are hoots around the room when I jog through the finish gate as the camera swings over.

Running a marathon may be an endeavour not to be taken lightly, and I would strongly discourage you to even consider it without proper training. But, if you’re ready to run one, the New York marathon is the event which will satisfy all your senses. It is so entertaining, you almost forget how difficult it is.

Some New York marathon numbers for statistics lovers:

Number of runners who started the race:

29,097 men; 16,253 women; total: 45,350 runners

Number of runners who finished the race:

28,757 men; 16,072 women; total: 44,829 runners

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The Black Toenail: Bad back, superhero led to Boston

I confess: I’m addicted to running. On days when I don’t go out for my “fix,” I feel incomplete and slightly agitated, like a smoker without smokes. But it wasn’t always like that.

In late 2005, I was spending my working hours by the computer at work, and my out-of-work hours by the computer at home. I just crossed the line which had “overweight” written on the upper edge and, accordingly, my cholesterol crept up into the red zone. I was over 200 lbs to my six-foot-one-inch frame, sported a neat, but visible potbelly, and my family doctor issued a ban on sweets, fats, potatoes, fried stuff, even 2% milk had to be replaced by the tasteless skimmed variety. In short, my gastronomical life was shuttered tight.

The metamorphosis into an in-shape version of myself started with a pair of contact lenses and a bad back. One evening I bent over the sink to take out my contacts. I felt a strange pang in my lower back, which had been giving me trouble occasionally for years, and I stayed bent. My wife helped me to bed, where I managed to uncurl enough to be able to sleep. Or so I thought.

Before morning I was writhing in bed with excruciating pain in the left leg. At the first light of dawn, I was waiting in the hospital emergency room. A few hours, pills and x-rays later, I was told that there were no physical signs something was amiss and I was sent home. The pain in the leg subsided, though it felt numb. Getting out of the car, I put weight on it and ended up on the ground. I had no control over that leg. The diagnosis? Herniated disk pressing the nerves that connect my brain with my leg. The result: the leg was on its own, disconnected from the brain. AWOL.

In the next few days I learned how to fall without hurting myself. Landing on my backside became second nature.

Thankfully, my superhero, of sorts, changed things for the better — Paul, my physiotherapist. He designed a regimen of exercises, acupuncture and electro-stimulation to ease the pain and, later, regain the muscle control and strength in the leg.

I vividly remember one session on the treadmill. All I could do was cling for dear life to the handrails, while limping as fast as I could. Paul joked, “Don’t worry, soon you’ll be running a marathon.” It turned out to be a prediction.

For months afterward, I went for evening walks. Eventually, they turned into jogs, then runs. Two years later, I was running five to six times a week. I’d put on my iPod, get the music going and my legs would take off. When those outings passed the length of an hour, I became curious about how far I was running, so I bought a pedometer. I easily was going 6 to 8 km on weekdays, and 12 to 18 km on weekends. At my next annual physical exam, I was over 15 lbs lighter, the high cholesterol was only a bad memory and my heart rate slowed. When my family doctor saw me, she was quite alarmed. Apparently, I lost so much weight, she thought I was seriously ill.

I started bragging about all this and Kenny, a colleague and marathon runner, suggested I try a race. That brought Paul’s words back to me with a rush — I decided to turn Paul’s joke into a challenge. So I ran, then ran some more. I registered for the Markham-Stouffville Hospital 5 k race and finished under 20 minutes, a great result for my age group, 40 to 45.

Kenny convinced me to try a longer distance, so I did a Toronto international half-marathon and finished under one hour 30 minutes. What a pleasure that was, to run down Yonge Street through the whole town, with people cheering you on! It felt like I owned the city for a day.

Kenny checked my time and said that I could easily qualify for the Boston Marathon, the mother of all marathons, the oldest and arguably the most prestigious one. Kenny insisted I could do it. Then he checked the calendar — destiny — the Boston Marathon 2010 fell on my birthday. I celebrated turning 45 with 24,000 runners and thousands of marathon fans, finishing safely in the middle of the pack. As I said, I’m addicted to running.

Whether you plan to run a marathon, or just run around the block, one thing is certain—it’ll do you good. Since I started running, I can eat anything I want, yet my cholesterol stays in check. My health is constantly improving and I have no back pain, either. And that, my friends, is priceless.

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The Black Toenail: Runners, keep your feet primed with shoes that fit

During the Boston Marathon last April, I passed a sign, held by a group of cheering spectators: “Don’t worry, Jim, we found your toenail!” I laughed then, sympathizing with Jim. That was somewhere about 25 km along the 42.2 km course, my first crack at it, and my own toes by then were fairly numb. I was certain, however, that all my toenails were accounted for.

That evening, as I limped on my cramping legs toward a diner, I felt a strange pain in my big toe. A detailed examination in the bathroom revealed that it was swollen and the nail had turned an angry shade of purple. There was some bruising visible under the toenail, too, but I dismissed it as just another case of “black toenail” — an ugly blood blister that develops under the nail, common to long distance runners.

Fast-forward three weeks: it was a gorgeous day, hot and sunny — perfect for a barbecue. I put on the slippers I usually wear for the yard work and noticed something strange. The toenail was standing upright, almost completely detached from the toe. The fact that I lost a toenail doesn’t upset me as much as the fact that I lost it at the beginning of sandal season. Now every time I wear a pair of sandals, I have to wrap my big toe with a Band-Aid.

I tested public reaction by walking out naked — without covering the big toe — to some grimaces. It is almost comical how people move away from you at the sight of a nail-less toe, as if it was contagious. Admittedly, a toe without a nail is not a pretty sight, so I vowed to keep it covered.

Why am I telling you this sad story? I hope to solicit some sympathy, and I also want to explain why those black toenails happen and what runners can do to avoid them.

Generally, black toenails don’t hurt, although the pain can be felt shortly after the injury occurs, as in my case. The toe gets bruised from bumping at the tip of your running shoe, especially when you do a lot of downhill running or if your shoes are too small.

Runtheplanet.com offers a treatment which sounds painful. With a certain degree of self-mutilation, take a sterilized needle, drill a hole through the nail and drain the blood underneath to remove the pressure.

Luckily, Mother Nature provides an alternative — do nothing. Keep the ugly black thing hidden from public view and wait until it falls off on its own. I can testify that this method works.

Most importantly, how to prevent the black toenail: Wear running shoes that fit properly. Your shoes should be at least half a size larger than your street shoes. At a local Sportchek, I was admiring a new specimen of ASICS gel shoes when salesperson Mo came along. He said he knows everything there is to know about ASICS running shoes. I exhausted all my questions and Mo was still going strong. With my offending toe secure in my sock, Mo had me try on a pair, fitting the heels all the way to the back of the shoe. Then he measured the width of a thumb between my longest toe and the tip of the shoe. He looked me in the eyes and said: You need to have a thumb-width of space between your toes and the tip of your shoe, or you can bruise the toenails so bad that they turn black and fall off.

I wanted to ask him — Mo, where have you been this spring, when I was buying my old shoes? Instead, I left the store with a new pair of ASICS.

Zoran Bozicevic also produces a podcast for runners and runners to be at runcast.net.

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