Beth Ostrosky on running the Marathon
Beth Ostrosky didn’t bask in marital bliss the morning after her star-studded Le Cirque wedding to Howard Stern in October. Instead, she ran eight miles.
“I had to stick to my plan,” said Ostrosky, referring to her strict training regimen for the New York City Marathon, which she’s running on Sunday.
Ostrosky, 36, told us about her intense marathon preparation and her new husband’s important role in the process.
How did you decide to run?
Ever Sunday in November when the New York City Marathon happens, I’ve always said to myself, ‘I want to do that someday.’ But I didn’t have an incentive to run. I’m the spokesperson for the North Shore Animal League and I was seeing Lance Armstrong on every interview raising money for his charity. And I thought, ‘My gosh, that’s the perfect thing for me.’ My goal was to raise $10,000 per marathon mile, in hopes to raise $260,000. I raised over $280,000.
More after the jump.
What’s your training program like?
When I spoke to my trainer at Reebok about it, he said, ‘I want you to follow the Road Runners first-time marathon training program.’ It says how many miles you should run and your cross-training. My trainer took care of the cross-training and stretching. And then it was up to me to fulfill all my running.
Who do you run with?
I have a girlfriend, Jane, who’s running the marathon with me. I’ve also been training with Howard. He’ll run up to six or eight miles with me. And it’s fun when I run with him because he keeps me laughing, keeps me smiling throughout the run.
Were you always athletic?
My father played football in college. My mother played sports. My older brother played basketball at University of Vermont on a scholarship. My younger brother played under Joe Paterno at Penn State for four years. And I played basketball growing up in high school. And when I was modeling in Europe, I couldn’t guarantee that I was in a hotel with a gym. So the one thing I could rely on was bringing my sneakers and running outside.
How has your body changed since you started training?
I was watching ‘Oprah’ six months ago and Dr. Oz was on. He challenged America to cut out sugar from their diets for two weeks. And I am addicted to sugar. When I lived in Germany, I would eat Gummi Bears or Hot Tamales or Swedish Fish or Jelly Bellies. I know every candy, forget it. So before a run I would eat 15 Tootsi Rolls. So I decided to take Dr. Oz’s challenge for two weeks. And I dropped weight, my whole body transformed.
What do you eat?
I’ve been eating bagels with butter and peanut butter every morning. Then I’ll have a banana as a snack. Then I’ll have my soy latte. Then for lunch I’ll eat a big salad with protein or a sandwich. I’ll even order French fries at a restaurant. Last week, Howard and I went for dinner at Felidia and I ate an order of pasta, an order of chicken parm and a loaf of bread. The challenge is going to be after the marathon not eating as much food. Or I’ll be a big roly poly pig.
