Post Sandy: Lessons Learned

drop off point at a local restaurant

I have a super snack to tell you about but I’ll hold off until Thursday because there are a few things about the whole NYC marathon fiasco still bugging me. The marathon is one of my favorite events, I love the stories, the challenge involved and of course New York is my home. The conspicuous generators and finish line are right across from the Foodtrainers offices and as I walked to work post Sandy the signage and set-up seemed so inappropriate. It all hit close to home. While, in the end, the marathon was cancelled there are important lessons to be learned.

Don’t Let Others Make Your Decisions

Before the city cancelled the race, I heard from clients slated to run the marathon.  Each of these runners, who trained long and hard, came to the conclusion that they would not run. Many said things like “it doesn’t feel right” and others hadn’t had power or had been relocated. Regardless of what the city said they were out. In the blogosphere and on Twitter and Facebook there was another sentiment. “The city decided the race was on and they must know what’s best.” Really? If the city thinks it’s ok to gas up thousands of buses while people wait in line for hours, they know best? If the city thinks it’s in good taste to start, as planned, on Staten Island blocks from where people lost everything, they know best? If the city thinks we should close roads and bridges for a road race, while trains are still out of order and traffic a mess, they know best? The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics tells me artificial sweeteners can be part of a healthy diet (don’t get me started).  I understand if you’re not seeing the news coverage or live in another country but if you were here in the city, as I am, you know better than that. In the end we all make our own decisions.

Hobbies are Hobbies

For many, the marathon is an incredible journey that takes commitment and dominates your life for months. There’s a part of marathon training that forces you to be selfish. I’ve trained for races that didn’t happen because of weather or injury and though initially upsetting, you realize that it’s just a race. For the vast majority of those scheduled to run Sunday running isn’t their profession. I tweeted that running for most people is a hobby and received some replies “no to me it’s so much more” and in all of these tweets “me” figured prominently. People didn't want to let go of their training and their mission to see what was happening around them. This advice is coming from a prodigy in petty but there are times when that’s all trumped. The New York Post said, “In the long haul you can always go for a run. You can’t always have your dignity and your life.”

Let Voice Be Heard

The mayor’s  “the race will go on” mentality was challenged by writers, politicians, police officers and publications who knew it wasn’t right and made their voices heard. I’m sure those who follow my tweets or FB posts may have been annoyed by my marathon-related messaging but it bothered me until the word “cancelled”. Whether it’s related to Sandy or Prop 37 good things can happen when you really believe in something and speak up. Some people, even some good friends, didn’t like that I suggested running was selfish or that resources, despite NYRR’s claims, were being diverted (and proof of that was Mary Wittenberg’s announcement that port-o-potty’s and generators would be redistributed to storm victims not that they were diverted). I hope that once you get over the personal disappointment you see the bigger picture, the sad picture that endures for so many in this area.

Lessons for Children

It shouldn’t take a national disaster for our children to learn some things but in our case it did. I wish I could tell you my boys were excited to make packages for firefighters, clean up the park where they play soccer or walk bundles over to donate. Initially they weren’t but they soon realized this is what you do. We’re also talking about what we can do for our planet and the weather we experienced. The thought of another Sandy should remind us that climate change is real, despite what many people have told us. We now know better.

What do you feel were the lessons learned from Sandy? Other than The Red Cross, any organizations helping out others should know about? Any thoughts on the marathon fiasco?

Some ideas:

Foodbanknyc

NYC Food Trucks for Sandy

A Second Slice of Pie (for Charity)

Wednesday, I was about to get on a call with a writer for Oxygen Magazine about, of all things, whether or not to eat before exercise. As I sat at my desk reviewing my notes, I received an email from a client. She forwarded something she received from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s marathon and triathlon fundraising group Team in Training (TNT). Many years ago I ran a marathon with TNT and even conducted sports nutrition lectures for a few them. While I have not worked with them in many years, I have the utmost respect for what they do both for research and the individuals they train. Many participants are first timers who complete in half marathons, full marathons and even Ironman races. 

While I do think TNT is great, that was a little bit of fluff, here is what the email said and it’s not pretty. I'll paraphrase but you can read the whole thing here.

Subject: You’ll earn an extra slice of pie

Though not a pie person, they pulled me in. The email starts with “the holidays are nearly upon us”.  Thanksgiving is over a month away so I’d have to disagree there.  They go on to say, “while everyone else is feeling guilty about that second slice of pie, we say, “Go for it!”  TNT coaches will get you in great shape “training to do something extraordinary while you’re making the difference in the lives of cancer patients and their families.”  And then there’s the list of “exciting events” you can sign up for.

Translation: If you sign up and agree to raise money for one of the races below you can stuff your face this holiday season and end up like one of the overweight people in the accompanying photo. They are smiling because they have a massive sugar high and have not yet crashed. The have medals around their necks are for not only having the suggested second piece of pie but the whole friggin’ pie (a Runner’s World approved food).  Didn’t you hear when you run a marathon you can eat whatever you want? Yep, it’s true and when you run one for charity you can double that.

Give me a break, this is a recruitment letter. Some PR team penning it felt they could bank on the promise of eating food, sans guilt, getting people to sign up. My issues with this strategy are numerous. They are playing off of many people’s holiday anxiety. A month ahead of time they are telling us to blow it. “Go ahead…indulge.” They do not mention treating yourself to a piece of pie or your favorite food they want to have two. They tell you that despite indulging your coaches will get you in great shape. And the kicker? They throw cancer in there. As my client said, “this is bait and switch in the name of charity.”

If you run a marathon or raise money for charity do it because you want to get in fantastic shape or because it’s a cause you really believe in. You can’t eat whatever you want when training for a marathon or any other time. Guilt or no guilt indulging without restraint leads to weight gain.  And if you really want to “earn” or burn off two pieces of pie, plan on running 9 miles.

Do you find exercise makes you eat more or less? What do you think of Team in Training’s strategy with this email? If you think it’s sneaky, tell them. In their words “Go for it!”