digital media

I finished the ING New York City Marathon in 4 hours and 36 minutes and 52 seconds.

I was rockin' the race for the first 13.1 miles. Had I kept up my pace I would have posted a sub-four hour race.

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But around mile 18 I hit the wall...worse than that, I started feeling nauseous and stopped consuming carbs (I was wearing my iFitness belt which was stocked with blocks and beans)...

...that being said, it was a great race - the weather held out and there were only a few showers around 5am so that by the time I hit the Verrazano-Narrows bridge the pavement was dry.

My favorite poster created by a spectator read: "Pain is temporary. Pride is forever." I must have seen at least three posters with the same phrase and each one made me smile.

I was interview over e-mail about my experience running in the marathon and here is some of what I wrote...

I have been a casual runner since college - so since 1996. I was initially attracted to the sport because it is so low maintenance. All you need is a good pair of shoes and everything outside your front door becomes fair game....I trained for 21 weeks. I ran three to four times a week, strength trained twice a week, incorporated yoga stretches into my cool-downs and improved my diet by eating less processed foods....I was one of the lucky 18% who got picked for the 40th running of the ING New York City Marathon via the lottery. All the training, all 21 weeks, was totally worth it. The experience of running through the streets of New York City will be with me forever.

Miles ran - REST

Athlete Alert sponsored by Time Warner Cable opened today at 12noon EST.

You can track 4 people as they run the course via e-mail only.

“Splits will be reported at every 5K mark along the course as well as at the start, half-marathon mark (13.1 miles/21.1K), every mile after the half-marathon mark, and the finish.”  Read more...

Who I'm following:

• Paula Radcliffe
• Joan Benoit Samuelson
• Edward Norton
• Jorge Torres
   

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I made sure to get my last long run in on Saturday morning before my salon appointment. I ran ten miles and was ready to sit for as long as it would take for my hair makeover.

The entire salon appointment took 2 hours and 30 minutes. And it was well worth it.

The blonde is gone - and I'm back to having as close a color as we could find to my natural hair color  - and I like it.

(I took this photo of myself just after I left the salon)

I've never been able to replicate the smooth, straight hair that I get after going to a salon - but it's nice to know that my natural curls can be tamed!

A journalists primary job is to deliver the news to their audience.

However the job of a journalist (print, online, broadcasting, even radio!) is to be in front of the camera more often than it was say even one or two years ago.

Being able to deliver the news is critical, but I felt that I was falling short on the presentation.

Getting my locks in order was one strong step in the right direction to getting me closer to what a journalist in the 21st century newsroom is all about.

Read: Makeover - Hair emergency (Part I)

Miles ran - 10 (yesterday)

Have you heard that the worst thing you can do before a marathon is change your routine?

Of course you have.

Well, I'm breaking that rule. Big time.

During the past few weeks I have been standing in front of the camera - videotaping running events and journo-related events - and posting them here on my blog and on my YouTube channel. You know those stories you read about how a person is walking down a street, minding their own business and they see someone in a store front reflection they don't recognize only moments later to realize they are looking at themselves...that is what happened to me on Thursday after watching my latest 'A day with Seth Godin' video.

How is it that no one has told me that the heavy crown of brown hair on top of my head and the straggly blonde highlights on the bottom looks unprofessional and unkempt (to say the least)?

I couldn't believe I had been walking around for so long looking the way I did.

Need proof for yourself? Check out this image-grab from my latest YouTube video. YIKES!

(Bed head alert! I had been up since 3:30am, but that is no excuse for standing in front of a camera looking like this...)

This afternoon I have a 3-hour long appointment at a local hair salon where the mission is to get my hair chemically processed back to its original color.

Am I nervous? Of course.

Do I see another option or recourse? Short of cutting off the blonde sections of my hair and leaving me with a bob - not a flattering style for me - not really.

Could I wait until after the marathon? Yes.

Does my appearance affect me professionally on a day to day basis? Absolutely.

Should I wait until after the marathon? No.

Wish me luck!