Running for Marge

Back to the Hills

2011-10-11T20:42:00.002-04:00

Back on track this week, I hope. Three hill repeats. I thought about going for four but, ever worried about injuries, after the two bum weeks, I figured I would wait. I'm on good time for meeting my goal this week and I'm already only a half mile from last week's mileage.

I cooked some stew today, after my last cooking adventure went awry. (I tried the slow cooker for the first time but am not entirely familiar with its whole deal and was making chili with dry beans. So...just not right.) I got a recipe for Irish Stew from a pub cookbook. Only I substituted beef for the lamb and basically cut the amount in half. The rest of the stew includes carrots, celery, potatoes, onion, and barley. It didn't turn out very much like beef stew, or anything like the picture in the book. But it is full of vegetables and with a little salt, it isn't bad really, aside from looking quite pale. I was going to make some brown bread to go with it but realized I was out of eggs. Maybe tomorrow since I don't anticipate a run.

two bum weeks

2011-10-09T19:07:00.002-04:00

So last week I didn't meet my goal either. I had an adjusted goal but didn't hit that either. Babies are a lot of work!

Today I ran 3.8 miles for my long run. Because I haven't been reaching my mileage goals, my weekly mileage goal can't really go anywhere.

This week's goal: 10-13 miles

I can't believe the NYC Marathon is so close! I can't imagine how I will feel on that day. It is going to suck to not be running!

Life Gets in the Way

2011-10-04T14:48:00.002-04:00

I fell a little short last week. But only by a bit so I'm moving on. Things happen and life got in the way. Still...I decided to get in my "long" run yesterday and see how my ankle was feeling. Though the weather was cold, dreary, and drizzly, I felt really good after the fall back week. So I extended my distance a bit to 3.4 miles. Not a huge jump but I'm not going for records here. I just wanted to get in a longer run and see how my body felt.

Today I am feeling a bit sore. But I didn't sleep well (baby and cat, of course) and I have NOT been eating well.

Tonight I will head to Whole Foods to pick up a few items. I have a few recipes to prepare over the next few days that actually include...what are they called?...vegetables. Yeah, vegetables.

I can't believe it but I'm starting to identify with the Runner's World articles that talk about Running Mommies, etc. I become more of a cliche each day!

This week's goal: 10-13 miles

good thing

2011-09-28T15:18:00.003-04:00

My right ankle has been bothering me and we have been going through some tough times with our cat's health. So this cut-back week has come at the perfect time.

Today is dreary and wet out. But I skipped three days in a row to give my ankle a break and wanted to see where things were at today. I went slowly in an attempt to avoid slipping and to not push the ankle too much. Despite this and a few walks around the sharp corners and several water stops, I still ran about 12 minute miles. Not too bad for a slow run.

Goal Met

2011-09-24T19:15:00.002-04:00

Finished out the week with a slow 2.5 miles today. My legs felt dead. And I can't seem to stop sweating. I suppose that means (well, the dead legs part) means that the hills worked?

This week's total: 10.5 miles

I should probably have used this week as a cut-back week. But I suppose I wanted to push up my mileage above 10 before cutting back. Some sort of psychological thing? Perhaps. So next week I will cut back 20-25% or so on my mileage to allow my body to consolidate any gains I have made thus far.

Next week's goal: 7-8 miles

Head for the Hills

2011-09-22T20:44:00.003-04:00

So tonight I decided to Head for the Hills. Basically, hill repeat workouts are as follows: find a hill and run up it, then do it again and again. My town is fairly hilly and my long runs in the past have inevitable included hills. But I have avoided hill repeats because, well, they are HARD.

The last time I remember doing hill repeats was with the R2R team last August. I remember feeling down afterwards because I was so far behind the others. Hence my avoidance.

But now I have less time to run so I need to work harder when I am running. So hill repeats will now be in. Tonight there were only three but next week we'll look at doing four.

Only two more miles this week to hit the low end of my goal. So two to four miles in the next two days.

feeling good

2011-09-20T15:13:00.002-04:00

Did a 2.5 mile run today without walking! Well, except for a few seconds right after I start that is part of my warming up. It is really hard for me to write that and stay proud of myself. As soon as I write it, my mind tells me all the reasons it is ridiculous to be proud of that: I'm still overweight, I'm still REALLY slow, I have run so much farther than that that I shouldn't be proud of such a short run. But again I try to push those thoughts out of my mind.

Someday I will be able to train for and run another NYC Marathon for the NYC Alzheimer's Association. And someday I will run a race and have my daughter cheering for me. I remember running a half marathon a while back and seeing a little kid with signs cheering on his Mom. I remember choking up and hoping for the day when my child could be out there.

I can't remember if I already took note of this but I washed and dried my stopwatch ring. Since I can't find my regular running watch (maybe I left it at work?) and now the ring doesn't work, I've resorted to running with my Cateye bike computer! It does what I need. But I don't know what my problem is with running watches. I really hope to own a Garmin Forerunner someday. Lots of somedays...

My goal for the week is 10-12 miles. It is only Tuesday and I'm already at 5.6 so I'm doing well.

long run

2011-09-18T16:51:00.002-04:00

Today is a beautiful sunny day. I figured today would be a great day to do my long run for the week since R isn't working and the baby seemed to be fairly un-fussy. Not to mention that I am pretty up to date on the laundry!

I've got a good head start on the week now. I'm trying to stay within myself here. I am doing the best I can with what I've got. I won't be training for a marathon in the next few months but I can be a bit healthier, get in some exercise, and work towards improvement.

I'd like to run 10-12 miles this week. Today I did 3.1 in about 37 minutes. I was trying to slow down and take it easy. Even though this isn't a very long long run, it is the longest I have run in months and I wanted to treat it as a long run. I've read that maintaining a purpose for each run is a good way to stay focused and improve.

Tomorrow is a big work day for R so I may or may not be able to run. I may just do a Jillian workout to keep things fresh and not get bored. Or perhaps I will pull out the kettlebell.

adding on

2011-09-16T23:00:00.002-04:00

Was concerned about my streak after two days of not being able to run. But managed to get in two miles today. Though I am not able to get long runs in due to time constraints, I'm aiming to run more days than not and have accomplished that this week and have Saturday still left!

I haven't been cooking for the past few days. Take out and frozen stuff. No good. But the result? No dishes in the sink!

three-fer

2011-09-13T21:02:00.002-04:00

I can't remember the last time I did three days in a row. But tonight I did 2.8 miles, making it the third running day in a row. It felt like it. My legs were a little heavy and it felt slow. But I'm not sure how slow since my watch shut off towards the end. No matter. It was not a great run but it now goes in the log book.

I think tomorrow will be a rest day from running.

longing

2011-09-12T21:40:00.002-04:00

I had intended to run a bit longer and slower today. Well, I got the slower part right. But I set out and by the time I was at almost two miles, I felt a bonk coming on. So I stopped after two miles and headed inside for a shake. Still...a good start to the running week and I'm feeling pretty good about my progress so far. Wondering when I will race again.

Yesterday I marinated some chicken and today cooked up a lunch of grilled Cuban chicken with black bean and mango salsa. Tasty and a Weight Watchers recipe! Will definitely make it again though it does take a little bit of time to prepare the marinade. I guess it doesn't take ALL that much time but since I really haven't cooked much, all of these meals lately has seemed to take forever. Not to mention the dishes! I can't keep up!

I did get to the bottom of the laundry basket today though. I texted my Mom about it and she said, "Not for long! The baby will soon spit up on something or you will eat something and get it down your shirt!" My Mom sure knows! About five minutes later, the baby spit up and had a diaper leak. Oh well.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring!

day by day

2011-09-11T21:16:00.002-04:00

Yesterday didn't go so smoothly so I wasn't able to fit in a run. It felt bad but I have to remember to take one day at a time and do what I can.

I did manage to try my hand at the breadmaking and was pleasantly surprised at how easy it really was! Just a few ingredients made a large loaf of bread. Though it was a bit dense, it was otherwise just fine and we have so far enjoyed some wonderful toast with jam and slices with peanut butter and banana. Good stuff. I'm thinking I might try to make the rosemary sourdough we like so much from Whole Foods. That stuff is really expensive but we LOVE it so if I could figure out how to make it myself, that would be fantastic, tasty, and money saving!

Tonight I WAS able to fit in a run and it was awesome! I ran 2.5 miles at quite a relatively fast pace. Trying to get home quickly has really been helping I think. I tried to stretch a bit more than the last time and will try to fit in a bit more stretching before bed.

something new in food

2011-09-09T14:08:00.002-04:00

So since reading about some friends who have basically started their own small farm in their back yard and hearing about their milking their goat and preserving peaches, I've also found myself happening upon several food blogs and books. I'm not a foodie by any stretch of the imagination. But I do want to be a bit more cognizant of what foods I am eating and will eventually be feeding my daughter.

In my previous post I mentioned the zucchini I got at a local farmer's market. I love the idea of canning and preserving and eating local and fresh foods. But I haven't made the time to put in the effort to really making meals this way. Since I am not working right now, I figured I could at least put in a bit of time. So I have cooked a few things and been to the farmer's market and am looking at trying some new things.

I have told myself I will NOT go about my usual pattern of diving in head first and immediately disappointing myself and giving up. Let's face it...I have a baby and a lot of laundry to do and I am still going to be eating frozen dinners sometimes! But I want to try to eat better both for my family and for my running. Eating better will make me a better runner. Well, maybe not if I make cookies, but you get the idea.

So I've added a food links section and will add things that grab me. Next thing might be making some Grandmother Bread.

no run today??

2011-09-09T13:38:00.004-04:00

I woke up relatively early this morning. It isn't early, of course, but by the time we get through the night with the baby, our time to get up time gets later and later. But my sister-in-law stopped by on her way back home from a long trip to see the in-laws. So we got up for a bit of a visit and some coffee and zucchini muffins that I made with the zucchinis they gave me for free at the farmer's market. But I digress...

When I got up, my calves felt like rocks! I made sure to stretch them quite a bit last night after my run because they were feeling kind of tight. I haven't been taking a long enough time to stretch after my runs because I feel like I need to get done quickly and get back to the baby. I feel like I did work hard yesterday if only for a short run. It felt good.

Today I don't think I will run because last night was tough and I don't know that I'm ready for three days in a row! But I might look up some exervised I can do with the baby. She is a good weight for weighted squats so there must be other things I can use her as a weight for!

It's a beautiful day today so I will at least be taking baby for a walk.

hurry up

2011-09-08T20:54:00.003-04:00

Had to try to get in something short tonight. So I figured I better push it. Did about 1.5 miles in 15:39, with almost no walking and a few fartleks thrown in. Now I can't stop sweating. Ugh. Looking forward to the Fall weather.

2.5

2011-09-07T17:04:00.002-04:00

It is a dreary, drippy day out again today. But it isn't as bad as it was out yesterday so I snuck in a two and a half miler around the block. It is pretty humid out but also pretty cool. It felt good to add on a bit to the two milers I have been doing. My plan is to do a few more of these and work up to three miles a few times a week and then add in a weekly hill workout for a while. We'll see. Best laid plans and all...

not today

2011-09-06T18:24:00.002-04:00

My attempt at text posting earlier did NOT work. So much for that.

I really wanted to fit in another run today but it is raining and I am tired. Seems like each run I complete, the more I look forward to the next one. I got my latest issue of Runner's World today. It was damp all around the edges. Still readable though!

Some days I get really depressed thinking that I might not be able to run the marathon again for YEARS because the baby needs so much of my time. It isn't that I am upset by that so much as that if I ran FASTER, I could get my runs in quicker and get back home. But I can't take four or five hours for a long run like I used to. You know what though? I can only take things one day at a time and get in a run when I can and go on to the next day when I can't.

quick

2011-09-05T23:53:00.001-04:00

Squeezed in another two miler late tonight. Went out after 10. Was a bit faster...around 23 minutes but who's counting?

and another

2011-09-03T21:24:00.002-04:00

I didn't plan on it but I was feeling out of sorts this evening so I ran it past my wife and went out for another two miler. True to my past experiences, it was a bit rougher than last night but I still felt pretty good. And after a run, I feel so much better. Crazy how that works.

Baby

2011-09-03T15:17:00.002-04:00

Our baby was born on August 4, 2011! She is fantastic and healthy and awesome! However, she is also VERY time consuming! I didn't run for over a month. Last night I finally was able to enough done and she was settled enough that I was able to go for a quick run. Well, maybe "quick" is an overstatement. I'm not entirely sure because I can't find my watch!

The house is in a bit of a shambles since Hurricane Irene came through last weekend. We didn't have water pressure for a few days. Then we had water pressure but weren't able to drink the water or use it to wash dishes. The water company was handing out bottled water but they would only give out two gallons at a time. So I was making two trips a day to pick up water. It was exhausting and I have never been so thankful for modern amenities! Thankfully, we never lost our power and only briefly lost our phone/cable/internet connection.

Last night I did the run around our block. That is my don't want to get to far from the house but need to get in a run two miler! It is a few times around the block but not so many that I start to go nuts. I have done it up to four miles but that is a bit much. I honestly thought it would be a lot rougher than it was. I did walk a few times since I didn't want to push it too hard on my first run back. I just kept thinking that the baby is the best excuse for not running that I've ever had! But I also can't wait until she is old enough to ride along with me in a jogging stroller1

After I stretched a little and took a shower, I told my wife I felt human again. I've got to make sure I make time to run. It is better for my mental and physical health than not running and even if it is only for a half hour or so, it is so worth it.

Base

2011-07-20T17:17:00.002-04:00

I often feel the urge to blog when I simply can't...in the subway, while I'm running, while I'm driving, etc. I suppose it doesn't much matter but I would like to be more consistent. I kinda feel like that with most things in my life so I suppose blogging shouldn't be much different.

Our baby is due in less than two weeks. I am super excited and scared. And I'm not sure if I'm happy or embarrassed to say that the only thing I've got to hold onto in terms of coaching my wife through childbirth is marathon training.

Can't eat during labor? How about Gatorade or Gu? The pain is inevitable? Count foot strikes! Oh wait...that doesn't quite go one to one does it? You get the point.

The R2R team is already in full swing and I must admit to some pangs of jealousy. Though I also feel a bit relieved to not have to do super long runs in the heat. It has been in the 90s for several days straight this week. And the little bit of running I have been doing has been inside the air conditioned gym.

Mostly I'm just trying to keep some kind of base. I am also trying to increase my run:walk ratio. But overall I'm really only running about two miles about three times a week, plus some weight training.

Never Better

2011-05-14T10:28:00.002-04:00

I was on a good roll but I guess it has now been a month since I've posted. It happens. My running has fallen a bit off but not quite as much as my blogging. But there is a lot going on in my life right now so I'm really trying not to beat myself up.

In a few hours there will be guys here ripping out our old carpet and installing new stuff. They are moving all the furniture but we had to move all the stuff that was on the furniture, which was a much larger task than I originally thought. Monday the contractor shows up to start the lead paint remediation on our ceiling and to install our dryer vent. Though I am excited about all of this, I am totally stressed. On top of it all, preparation has been done with my ever growing pregnant wife who has had a horrible cold for the past week. All prep for parenthood I suppose.

Still, I have gotten some running in. But it hasn't been what I had hoped for in preparation of my half marathon next weekend. It is going to be a tough race. But I am trying to plan to just enjoy the day and settle in to a comfortable run/walk to finish. I won't be looking to PR.

I know I will not be running the NYC Marathon this year and it has me a bit sad. Though I certainly won't miss the 15 mile runs in the summer heat, when marathon Sunday gets here, it is going to be a rough day. Still...I will watch on TV with my new baby!

So without that late fall looming mammoth run, what am I to do? I will need a new goal after next weekend. And I need to lose some weight. All of this stress has lead to some really terrible food choices. Free cake at work certainly didn't help this week! But I need something I can manage and that has some flexibility involved. With a newborn, I am certain I will not be able to manage an inflexible training plan for a long race. Perhaps some Crossfit? Some shorter runs? Run Amuck is in June and I would like to do that if we aren't travelling that weekend. Hmmmm. Lots of options.

5 x 400

2011-04-13T21:18:00.002-04:00

Such a simply looking workout. Actually, it wasn't too bad. But part of the reason it wasn't so bad is because I skipped yesterday's workout. Okay, okay, so I SAID I was going to go to the gym if it was raining. But I had plenty of excuses and so I didn't go. But tonight I did go over and take advantage of my free week.

I got on the treadmill and did about a half mile of run/walk warmup. Then I did my 400s at about 5.5mph (about a 10:43 mile). Looking at the number makes it seem kind of slow. But I didn't want to overdue it and I've never run a race over a mile that fast. I started with recoveries of 200m but it felt too long so on the fourth and fifth go, I cut it to 100m, which seemed better. I did push my last repeat up to 6.0 for the last 200m because I felt like I could. I can definitely go a bit faster next time. I won't push it too much higher but I did feel like I could push a little harder.

In total I did about 2.25 miles but the time doesn't matter really since it includes recovery walking. Good stuff.

Tomorrow was scheduled as a rest day because I have plans after work. I doubt I will get up early enough to get to the gym or go for a run before work. And I want to be sure I'm getting enough sleep. I made that my priority last night and although I still wanted a 3pm nap, I felt a lot better overall.

Make Me Strong

2011-04-11T20:41:00.002-04:00

I was on my way home from work and thinking about how much I had to do and how much I didn't want to do my scheduled workout. Then I remember that I wrote here that I had stretch and strengthen tonight. Not that anyone is checking in on me but I didn't want to let myself down. So I did what I had to do. Thirty minutes later, I feel a little stronger and a lot better about myself.

Tomorrow is a three mile run. I think it is supposed to rain. So I am going to join the gym. I plan to only be a member for a few months. But it will help me not avoid runs on super rainy days. I don't mind running in a bit of rain but getting soaked last year, though it felt triumphant, is not something I want to repeat on an ongoing basis. Plus, I keep skipping interval workouts and I think the treadmill will help with that. As I type this, I am thinking I might not go because I feel guilty about spending the money. Hmmm...well, I am committing to doing my run tomorrow, regardless of how it gets done.

One foot in front of the other, my friends.

Five Is The New Long

2011-04-10T18:15:00.002-04:00

I did five miles today. Slowly. But I did it. I have lost so much but keep reminding myself that I'm only concentrating on this race, this week, this run, this segment, putting one foot in front of the other. That, in essence, is how everything happens. So...continue putting one foot in front of the other and I will finish. And I did.

I started out doing 5:1 intervals but after two of these, my left shin was screaming. Again, my hip was fine. So though I berated myself for my weakness, I dropped to 3:1 and finished out there.

I'm sure I wasn't helped by the snacks from yesterday. We drove up to Yonkers to have dinner with some friends and go see Red Molly perform at a benefit concert. One of the members of Red Molly went to high school with my wife and our friend so it was also a mini-reunion. We were plied with snacks (brownies, fruit tart, and whoopie pies!) and had a great dinner and I really enjoyed myself. The music was fantastic! I highly recommend checking out Red Molly on their tour if you get a chance. And Abbie Gardner has just put out her latest solo CD, which is so good, we listened to it twice on the way home! She is one of the few artists who never rotates out of my iPod rotation.

My yoga class is cancelled this week so I think I'm going to rotate my schedule a bit and do stretching and strength tomorrow.

One foot in front of the other, my friends.

At Least I've Got Music

2011-04-09T14:44:00.002-04:00

I've got no rhythtm today. I did a short two mile run but felt wrong the whole time. My feet were flapping down on the ground and I felt like I was flailing my limbs around. My legs felt like lead and everything felt tight. Two miles! That's it! Ugh.

The arch of my right foot is bothering me now. I'm not sure why exactly but I'm icing it. My hip has been bothering me but I think I've figured out that I am rotating my knee out when I run so I need to strengthen my quads and hamstrings and make sure I am keeping my knee in line. At least that is my theory on that. Naturally, my hip is not bothering me at all right now. I definitely don't want to deal with plantar fasciitis again so the ice is staying on my foot. Fingers crossed. Tomorrow is a long run.

Just the Beginning

2011-04-08T21:43:00.002-04:00

I had planned a short run tonight. But life had other things in mind. I met up with my (pregnant) wife at the train station and she looked horrible and thought she was going to faint. So I concentrated on getting her home and safe and comfortable. Then the cat was sick all over the house so I followed her from spot to spot cleaning up. Then I went to pick up some food because said wife was hungry. Now I am pooped.

I am sitting on my butt watching Rachel Maddow and drinking a nice cold beer. I'm feeling kind of bad about it but I'm going to choose to give myself a little bit of a break tonight.

Tomorrow is a short run and Yankees v. Red Sox!

WWJD (What Would Jillian Do?)

2011-04-07T22:22:00.002-04:00

Yes, tonight's three mile run felt like the first episode of a new season of The Biggest Loser. I often run around my block, which is about .4 miles, especially if it is dark and/or cold or if I think I just might not make my planned route that day. So tonight when I got home on the late side, I decided to do my three mile run around the block.

I started out with my music on. At some point, I turned it off to be more aware of my surroundings because there were some people walking by. Then I completely zoned out and forgot to turn it back on. I have a lot on my mind so I think I have missed this time to just let my mind go and do what it wants.

Since the marathon, I have gained approximately 15 pounds. I have no real excuse for this except for not exercising and eating cookies and drinking a lot. But also, my wife is expecting a baby and I am claiming sympathy weight!

As I lumbered around the block, thinking about nothing and everything, my legs felt heavy and I wondered how I could possibly have run 26 miles just a few months ago and be struggling through three tonight. Then I told myself that that is not the point. Today is today is today. And I told myself to focus on what I was doing at that moment, which is something I am not so good at but on which I am working.

Once I finished, I immediately started in on the strength exercises I learned in PT and that were scheduled in tonight's plan for after my run. My planned workout tonight included a three mile run and strength training. I completed this. I could tell you a hundred other things I SHOULD have done or ways in which I was too slow, bad in form, and didn't try hard enough. But what really matters is that I did what I was going to do.

I think it was Maya Angelou who said, "You are what you consistently do." I don't have to be fast or run like a gazelle. If I run, I am a runner.

I'm not gone

2011-04-03T22:57:00.002-04:00

So...yeah...I suppose I should update this thing. And I will do so, soon.

Today I did my first four mile run since the marathon, which I promise to write about really soon. I have followed my standard winter workout again this year. What does that mean? Well, it means a lot of eating, beer drinking, and not working out. The results? Poor. So, I'm going to get back on track. More to come...

Bring It

2010-11-06T15:46:00.002-04:00

I'm packing up and watching Run For Your Life: The Fred Lebow Story. For those that don't know, he is the founder of the NYC Marathon. Though I'm still a little nervous, now I am into the part where I just want to run! Tomorrow is going to be a GREAT day!! See you at the finish line!

Taper Madness and More

2010-11-03T20:32:00.003-04:00

Only a few days to go! I'm getting pretty nervous. But I'm also excited.

I haven't fallen down the stairs again, which is good news. My tailbone still bothers me in a number of situations but the pain I feel while running is really more of an annoyance. There is no telling how it will feel after 26 miles but I will have to face it when I get there.

Since I last wrote, I had a birthday. It was pretty laid back and I liked it that way. Well, except for the flat tire I had to deal with during the day after I got my pumpkin (pumpkin!) muffin at DD. I'm looking forward to seeing Manhattan Transfer at The Blue Note next month. My wife got us tickets!

My last long run was on Saturday. I managed 8 miles pretty uneventfully. I was relieved. Tonight I did just two miles and tomorrow I am planning on one last run with the team.

With the taper in mileage, I am now able to obsess over what the weather will be and what I will wear! I'm nervous about it being really cold. But I think I've finally figured out what I'm going to do: short-sleeved shirt under my long-sleeved shirt, with my singlet over top and sleeves underneath. I have layers and the sleeves can be adjusted if I get too hot. I plan on wearing gloves as well. I might only really need them at the start but they are cheap so I can toss them later if they are a bother.

In the next day or so I will probably write out my whole race plan. I'm hoping to learn from my mistake last year and stick to it more carefully this year. Hopefully writing it out will help.

you probably won't believe me...

2010-10-26T19:46:00.002-04:00

but less than a week after falling down the stairs on the train, I was carrying a basket of laundry down the stairs and slipped AGAIN! Am I getting old now?? Ugh. This time I bounced a few steps, hit my upper back on another step, and did God knows what to my arm.

Today I went to the doctor. And I have been gripping any and all railings around stairs!

The x-rays showed that I haven't broken anything! I have a nasty bruise on my arm and have been told not to do any cycling. He said I should sit on a donut but I can't find one anywhere. I am extremely relieved and had actually started to feel better this morning but decided I needed to go to the doctor anyway if I was going to be able to mentally handle the marathon. I needed to know I wasn't going to do some kind of damage to myself. He said, "You can run it if you can tolerate it."

So tonight I eased back into some running with a 2 mile run with a 5:1 run:walk ratio. It felt a bit weird getting back out there but, although I was a bit hesitant and slightly uncomfortable still, the pain was bearable.

I suppose last week just had some sad energy anyway since it was also my Grandma's birthday. I'm hoping the excitement of race day starts to creep in soon.

And then things got complicated

2010-10-23T09:57:00.002-04:00

So...last weekend I was scheduled to run my longest training run of 20 miles. I got my things set up and started out. It was chilly but not horrible. I was feeling pretty comfortable. I did a loop and then stopped at home for a Gu and to pick up my sleeves because I was feeling chilly. I did another loop and stopped again at home at about 10 miles. Then I just didn't want to go on. I was feeling okay. I wasn't sore or hurting or tired. I just had no interest in continuing on. So I went inside.

I felt guilty about stopping but figured this feeling would pass and I had finished 19 miles and would be okay in my training even though I didn't finish the 20.

Then early in the week I was getting on my train to go to work and I slipped on the steps heading down into the lower level of seats. It happened quickly. And I landed square on my tailbone. People around me reached out for me but no one was able to save me. The pain shot through me and I was unable to move from the shock. Everyone was staring and I was just holding my breath and waiting for the moment to pass. Someone got up and gave me their seat and others went to find a conductor. Long story short here...I got some ice and some anti-inflammatory medication. I sat awkwardly the rest of the ride and managed to get to work. But I couldn't sit and left work early to come home and ice my backside.

Now it has been about a week since I have been on a run. I still feel pain when sitting or walking. I'm not as uncomfortable as I was the first day. But I'm not sure what to do besides wait for my body to heal. I called my physical therapist friend to ask her just how hard it would be to break my tailbone. But even if it was broken, they can't cast it so I would still just be waiting around!

I've tested the waters a few times but running across the street but my body is telling me not to do that. I'm getting a little nervous but I know there isn't much I can do at this point. Mostly I have my fingers crossed. Maybe tomorrow???

Back

2010-10-10T18:49:00.003-04:00

So I was away for a while on vacation. Well, a family wedding and a few days away alone with my wife, which was very nice. It was a bit rough coming back. I did get a few runs in while I was away but not as much as perhaps I should have.

This morning I was scheduled to run the Staten Island Half Marathon. But I ultimately decided not to go. It was a tough decision but my wife worked on Saturday and was working today and I wanted to be able to see her so I figured I would spend the morning with her, drive her to the train station, and then do my run later, which is what I did. I finished my 12 miles and enjoyed the beautiful day. Now I just wish the weekend had another day to it!

one more thing

2010-09-22T21:29:00.002-04:00

One of the photographers took a team photo before the Tune-Up!

Push

2010-09-22T21:00:00.003-04:00

So...I survived the 18 miler. I know you were wondering. It was tough! Three laps of hilly Central Park is no...well, WALK in the park! I started and kept up a 10:1 run:walk ratio for the first two laps. That's over 12 miles.

The third lap started to get tough. My hamstrings started to hurt and my will started to fade. At one point after about mile 15, I thought to myself, "I don't want to feel like this again." It was bad. But I dropped to a 5:1 and ultimately a 1:1 just to keep moving and get it done. I finished in 4:04 with almost nothing left. Just before the final turn, I saw Coach Ali and one of my teammates. They cheered for me and I shouted that I knew there was one teammate behind me. It was so nice to FINALLY have someone at the end of a race cheering for me. I don't think that has ever happened with the exception of one duathlon a few years ago. I was sure to thank Ali for waiting and told her how much I appreciated someone being there.

The good news is, I made it just under the cut off for having the race count in the nine races for next year's marathon qualifying. Why am I talking about next year's marathon? Because I'm certifiable!

Anyway, once I finished, I hobbled over to get my bag that I checked, just as they were putting the baggage area into the trucks! (I sometimes can't believe SO MANY people are SO MUCH faster than I am!! WHY can't I be that fast?!) I found a spot in the shade and stretched for a while. Then I got up and prepared myself for the 10 block walk to my car. As I left the park, there were a few souls struggling to the finish and I shouted a few words of encouragement. You really don't realize how much that can help until you're out there begging some higher power to help you move your feet just a little longer.

As I was walking, I heard Ali shout my name. She walked me to my car and we talked kettlebells and ice baths...good stuff. I managed to find myself a chocolate milk and get my shirt changed in the car without flashing too many people. Then the long trip home.

I did spend some time in the ice bath once I got home. But my legs were bothering me for the rest of the night anyway. I tried some more ice and ibuprofen but not much worked. As I look back at my training log, I realize that not only did I have two low mileage weeks before this race, the longest I had run was 15 miles. So I was really pushing it. No wonder my legs hurt!

Monday I just did a 30 minute walk and was feeling much better except in the evening I had some crazy stomach bug. Food poisoning? I don't know.

Yesterday I did two miles but didn't take a walk break at all, which was a nice change since I knew I was only doing a few miles. I had intended to do more but the train was late, which meant I had to wait for the bus, which meant it was already almost dark by the time I got home. Still...I talked myself out of doing nothing and got in a few laps. Then I got to bed at a decent hour.

Tonight I did the 5.3 mile loop and tried to push my running pace on the run part of my run:walk. Right at the point at which I am farthest from home, I started to see lightning. What did I learn? Even the threat of lightning won't make me faster! Still, the wind was nice, except for the acorn that popped me in the head at somewhere around the 4 mile mark! It started raining shortly thereafter but it didn't pour so it actually felt quite nice.

It is still storming so I am going to finish this up and head to bed so I can fall asleep listening to the rain.

2010-09-18T18:11:00.003-04:00

I started the week hopeful. But Sickness: the Redux happened. I was down and out for real. But I cannot miss another long run and so tomorrow's 18 mile race will happen, no matter what.

Because I have had so few miles in in the past two weeks, I was feeling really nervous and went out for a quick 2 miles this afternoon. It didn't feel good but it didn't feel like the end of the world either. So although I would like to get in under the four hour cut off tomorrow, it won't be the end of the world if I don't do that either. As long as I can keep at 13 minute miles, I will be fine. But first my goal has to be to finish. It is secondary to get in under the four hour cut off.

I will have to be up around 4am however, so I'm off to eat something and relax before an early bedtime.

sick

2010-09-12T14:08:00.002-04:00

Where was I? Great run on Wednesday, with great plans for a high mileage week, followed by tiredness, scratchy throat, etc. Thursday at work I felt like I was coming down with something and decided to skip Thursday night's run. Friday morning I woke up and my throat was on fire! I could barely speak as I called in to work to tell them I wouldn't be in.

Mostly, I have slept throug the past three days. Sleep and tea. I couldn't even stay awake for the book on tape I was trying to finish! Today I am finally feeling like I am on the upswing but still have a bit of a scratchy throat. I was determined to get out for some sort of run today, since I obviously had to scrap my (gulp) 17 miler from yesterday. But today it is gloomy and rainy and it just doesn't seem like a good idea to head out there. So I'll take one more day and get some more rest and hope for a good week. I'm nervous about missing a huge run like this. But there is no going back and it isn't like the marathon is tomorrow or anything. Besides, I suppose it is better to get completely better before putting more stress on my body. Generally, I think I have been more consistent with my training than last year. I credit my awesome team!

On the menu for today then: a little more coughing, a lot more tea, a bunch of laundry, and some shopping for this week's healthy meals. Running will return tomorrow!

breezy

2010-09-08T20:43:00.002-04:00

So last week I did my long run a day early because I was going to be spending a few days in Vermont with friends. We had a fantastic time but the only exercise I did really was a lovely hike on a Nature Conservancy trail and walking between the deep fried Oreos (yum) and the funnel cake (more yum) at the Vermont State Fair.

But a few days off fit nicely into everything because I really don't want to feel burned out like I did last year at the end of training. Tonight I was back to work with a 5.3 mile loop. I did it 5 minutes faster than I did it on Thursday! But I think a large part of that, besides the rest, was the breezy weather outside! It is super fantastic to have some leaves rustling and a cool breeze blowing while running. I love the fall and I can sense it creeping in.

Last night we had our "Halfway There" party and picked up our new gear. I had a great time with my teammates and am so happy I decided to make the extra effort to get in some group activity this year. I can't get over what a smart, energetic, kind group of folks they all are.

tired

2010-09-03T20:56:00.002-04:00

Last night I did a 5.3 mile loop, mostly in the dark. The thing is, last year I remember that as soon as the heat of summer went away, so did the light. Last night, dark AND hot! Yuck.

For various reasons, I decided to take the day off of work today and get my long run in. It is a step back week in my schedule, which means instead of increasing mileage every week, ever forth week the mileage is actually a little lower. So this week's long run was "only" 11 miles.

I slept in and obviously needed the rest because even though I didn't wake up until 11, I still wanted a nap later. And I didn't really accomplish much other than holding the couch cushions in place. So I got a late start. Still...I finished all 11. It's 9pm and I feel like I could honestly head to bed and turn in for the night.

Other than feeling tired on the run, I felt pretty good. No major pains and my legs and hip were generally ok. My hip is still bothering me a bit but with the good advice I got from two physical therapists and a coach (thanks Ali, Trish, and Brian), and with my new shoes, I think things have gotten much better. I have been concentrating on my form as well.

Just 64 days to go!

better

2010-09-01T22:03:00.002-04:00

Last night I was not able to make the group run in Central Park. So I decided I really needed to continue making Tuesday night a really hard effort and I think I set a new 4 mile PR! I ran my usual 4 mile loop and took a few walk breaks as I planned. For the first time EVER for a run over one mile (my one mile PR is 9:17 but I do think I might be able to do better than that now) my per mile average pace started with a 10!! I still have a way to go to meet my goal of running a 30 minute 5K but at least I felt a little bit of progress.

Next week we are having our "halfway there" party. I am really looking forward to spending some sedentary time with the folks on the team. Soon after that will be the 18 mile Marathon "Tune Up" run in Central Park. Last year I did my 18 miler at home and gladly missed out on the pouring rain that fell on my brave teammates.

Tonight I had planned to run a 7 miler but life got in the way. So I will do it tomorrow. Time for bed!

15

2010-08-28T16:40:00.002-04:00

Wednesday I met up with a friend after work and we did a slow four miles on the West Side. I was really beat from the Tuesday workout and had no idea exactly how slow we were going. I think it took us almost an hour! But we stopped at water fountains and took walk breaks. And of course there is the requisite stopping to put the Cheerios back into the cup of the not yet one year old who was along for the ride. Afterwards, we had a drink at her house and I chatted with her husband for a bit, and left my broken down orthotics with her to be sent off for re-covering. She is a physical therapist and is the one who actually fitted me for the orthotics to begin with. I didn't just leave my stinky orthotics with some poor friend!

It has been a stressful week and I needed to give my body a rest. I took Thursday and Friday off.

This morning I absolutely did NOT want to run. I had a million reasons to skip it. I can do it tomorrrow. I'm not feeling well. I don't even have my new shoes OR orthotics. All true. But I did it anyway. Surprisingly, though I didn't run all that much faster that I did last week on my 14 miler, I didn't feel so bad through most of it. Tired, sure. But I didn't get that feeling in my legs that told me they really wanted me to stop please. Don't get me wrong. They did tell me when I was done that they were not happy with me. But I stretched them and soaked them in an ice bath and we are at least back on speaking terms. Thanks legs!

Sometimes when I am running these hard or long runs, I want to give up. I want to sit down and say forget it. And then I feel guilty because I know that my Grandma couldn't give up and take a rest. She had no choice but to go on with the hand she was dealt. In the end, she couldn't talk or walk, let alone run 15 miles. I am blessed today with good health and a beautiful day and I need to be thankful that I can run this far and still come home and stretch out to read and take a nap.

I miss my Grandma so much. I have lost a number of family members but most were gone before I was an adult. It isn't that I don't miss them or love them but none have the same space in my memory. I'm not sure what else to say about that. Saying I miss her doesn't even seem like enough. Hopefully she knows what I mean.

just wow

2010-08-24T22:07:00.005-04:00

Today has been a long day. Out the door at 7:45, train detoured to Hoboken, bus into Manhattan, work, work, work, then Group Run. Oh. My. God.

Tonight we did Indian Sprints. What are these? Basically, the team runs in a straight line and every minute or so the person at the back of the single file sprints to the front. It wasn't just that our "warm up" run was already ahead of my PR pace, OR that I got a pebble in my shoe at one point and had to catch up to the speed demons. Basically, I was sucking wind the whole night! The muscles in my throat hurt from trying to pull the oxygen into my body. And my shoulders started hurting from some psycho-physiological (did I make that up?) misfire that leads my body to believe it can pull itself along if I could just find a way!

I hope my team forgives me for swearing like a sailor at them for most of the night. And I feel like I need to leave an open-ended apology for everyone on the train home. I try to keep my stink to myself but it isn't like I can wrangle it!

Then I had to stop for gas on the way home. Get home, feed the cat, head upstair to shower, step in cat hairball "present," clean myself, remember to use soap, clothes in washer, STARVING!

Lately I have noticed that after a run, once I have satisfied my thirst and gotten clean, my body DEMANDS protein. Usually this means I can't stop thinking about a grilled chicken sandwich. Tonight I couldn't even wait for the chicken to cook so I made eggs instead. Eggs, cottage cheese, and whole wheat toast with almond butter. Gone!

Time to head back to the train station to pick up Ren, who add to the Tuesday night excitement by having choir practice on Tuesdays!

How will I reward myself for the day? Tomorrow is a two-fer! A workout in the morning and a workout at night!

Spin

2010-08-23T20:21:00.002-04:00

I probably could have been outside but it was a bit cool, a bit dark, and a bit damp. So I opted to be inside on the bike trainer tonight. I did just 30 minutes with no real plan, just easy spinning. I'm not quite sure how I was on the bike for so many hours for Memory Ride a few years ago but I sure have lost my...um...thick skin! But I got it done. Now I am chowing down on leftover Chinese food: steamed chicken and vegetables with brown rice. The cat is very interested!

first marathon nightmare

2010-08-22T19:09:00.003-04:00

I forgot to mention...last night was the start of the marathon nightmares. More than two months to go and they've already begun! I was running a marathon but we had to bring all our own food and drinks in duffel bags and then go get them and put them away when we were done with our pit stops. Only I could never find my stuff! I was so hungry and couldn't find my food. I woke up and realized I was ready for breakfast!

New Week

2010-08-22T19:03:00.002-04:00

I had planned to do a few miles today but the rain kept coming so I decided instead to do a strength and abs day. Best way to get that done? Jillian Michaels. Yep, she yelled, I sweated. Now my abs hurt and my hamstrings and butt are shaking while just trying to make the bed. Mission accomplished!

Tomorrow is a cross-training day. Haven't checked the weather but hopefully I'll be outside on the bike instead of inside on the bike trainer.

On

2010-08-21T15:01:00.002-04:00

It's the end of another week of training. And I'm tired.

Tuesday after work I met up with my teammates in Central Park for hill repeats. Don't know what that is? It is pretty much like what it sounds like...run up a hill almost as fast as you can, then do it again. We followed that with finishing off about four miles. Then Gatorade! I don't know where the new flavors come from but I was introduced to lemonade flavored Gatorade, which may have been the highlight of the evening, other than running with Meghann and chatting about her wedding that is next month!

After the workout, on the way home, I was feeling a little down. I really enjoy my team and I feel like making more of the group runs this year will help me improve. But I feel a little guilty. I worry that my lack of speed holds others up. And I realize that when I'm in the group, I am extremely aware of my discomfort with my speed and the shape of my body. BUT I also realize that NOT pushing myself or NOT working harder certainly isn't going to make me faster or fitter. So onward!

Today I finished out the week with a 14 mile run. I started off well, planning to go slowly and just git 'er done. The weather was good and I had my Gatorade and Power Gels lined up on my porch. I've increased the run part of my run/walk intervals. Of course, I faded after the first five, and dragged myself through the final four, including a trip of course into a park to refill a water bottle. As I walked toward it, I was desperately hoping it worked. And it did! Oh sweet clear liquid! I really needed it, too. I'm not sure I would have made the whole run without it.

I got home and hopped (okay, let's be real...there is no "hopping" after running 14 miles but you get the idea) into an ice bath with a tall glass of chocolate millk. Actually, I started running the bath, set the glass next to the tub, and went to finish my stretching. Apparently my cat needed a carbo-boost because I caught her drinking my post-workout recovery beverage! Bad cat!

Next week's plan is: 25 miles, 2 cross-training sessions, 2 strength training sessions. Onward!

One Gu Will Not Do!

2010-08-14T16:49:00.003-04:00

I've run enough half marathons now that I pretty much know what to expect...from myself, from the course, from the support along the way. So why do I still get so nervous?

Part of the reason I am nervous about the Bronx Half Marathon tomorrow is that I just realized I only have one Gu! Long story short...I have sent my wife off to the running store for Gu. If you are like a lot of my non-running friends, being sent to a running store in search of "chocolate or tri-berry Gu" probably sounds a bit odd. But for runners, this is totally the norm. I usually use three Gu's during the course of a half marathon. So one Gu will not do! I've got my fingers crossed that she can find the store, get what I need, and bring it home to me for my race tomorrow.

The last half marathon I did was horrible. It looks like tomorrow's temperature will be fifteen degrees lower than it was for the Queens Half so I am feeling relieved about that! I don't really have a time goal but of course usually want to at least fall within my standard half marathon finishing time, which does NOT include the extra half hour it took me in Queens!

no more zero

2010-08-10T22:31:00.002-04:00

I've been a really bad blogger. I know it. Sorry.

Basically, the Queens Half Marathon beat the crap right out of me. It was the worst race I think I have ever done. And that is saying a lot! It was 13.1 miles of pure hell on July 24. It was horribly, terribly hot. I, of course, had to get up super early to drive to Queens. Before the race, after roaming around for a little while, I finally found some of my R2R teammates. I love those guys! Most of us lined up towards the back. I stuck with them for about the first mile but realized I really needed to pull back and that if I tried to keep with them much longer, it was going to be a disasterous day. Little did I know, it was going to be a disasterous day anyway!

They peeled off to wait in the first porta potty line. Still...after waiting there for what they said was like 10 minutes, they gave up and started running. Naturally, they caught and passed me! Speed demons I tell ya!

Most of the race is a hot, hellish blur. This is the first time I can remember thinking about dropping out of a race. I didn't. But it was HOT. Did I mention it was HOT?! It took me more than three hours to finish and at several points, people around me commented on horribly they were performing and how it was and how awful they felt. At least I wasn't alone!

The week after the race I didn't run a bit. Nada. Zero. Bad idea. So last week I knew I had to step it up. I got in a solid 18 miles. I thought about making a few of my runs longer to get in more miles but didn't want to overdue it after a week of nothing. So last week was successful. I also tried to push my pace a bit.

This week I have the Bronx Half Marathon on Sunday. Well, it sorta counts as next week but I am thinking of it like it is this weekend so it is my weekend long run. I have never run the course before and though I'm not totally looking forward to it, it is truly very nice to have run a half marathon before 10am!

What a Week to Be a Runner

2010-07-11T11:53:00.002-04:00

It has been a HOT week. Like...really really hot! So my weekly total mileage was again lower than I wanted...14 miles. But there were a few days this week that running was just not going to happen because the temps were hitting record highs.

Thursday I got up early and ran a short run. Then Thursday night was yoga in Bryant Park. It was great...a lower body workout but my whole body had to work. My shoulders, back, and abs were sore the next day, in addition to my aching calves and quads. Yesterday was my long run for the week...9 miles. But I waited until 6 or so to start and it was so comfortably cool out I was really glad I wasn't doing a long run in the heat that has been around the past few weeks. So this morning I am sore.

Today is a scheduled cross-training day. But I think I may end up just taking a long walk with my wife.

dumb things I've done

2010-07-05T22:02:00.001-04:00

This morning I DID set the alarm early. But I did not get out of bed and put on my running clothes. Of course, this meant I ended up doing three miles in 90 degree heat. Dumb. Really dumb. It is hot out there when it is 90 degrees! But I got it done. More hot running tomorrow!

the good, the bad, and the ugly

2010-07-03T21:12:00.002-04:00

So the bad news is that I only did 12 miles this past week...one four and one eight. The days just got away from me.

But the good news it that I lost three pounds this week!

Today's run was hot because I am a glutton for punishment. Apparently the only I hate more than running in 90 degree weather is getting up early to run. So I did an eight miler at 2pm. I decided to try out the handkerchief with ice but I didn't really have a handkerchief readily available so I just cut up an old shirt, rolled up some ice cubes in it, and tied it around my neck. It was a pretty good way to keep the heat off for a few miles. But I'm pretty sure I looked like a tool running around. Oh well.

Pop Tarts

2010-06-29T21:04:00.002-04:00

That is all I could think about on my run tonight. Yesterday we buckled down on the eating and it feels good. But even though I had a cereal bar and a banana before tonight's run, I was so so so hungry by the fourth mile. I know my body has to adjust to fewer calories in a day. But I fear that adjusting to fewer PPD (Pop Tarts per day) will take a little longer.

I did make it through my run and was thinking that I probably didn't have enough protein today. So I will work on that tomorrow.

Tonight was the first group run of the new team. I had planned to go and was really looking forward to it but time constraints just made it impossible for today. Hopefully next week will work out.

Yeah, I'm still thinking about Pop Tarts. My Mom sent cookies yesterday but I immediately had to package them in packets of two and put them in the freezer. I have such a sweet tooth!

Back At It

2010-06-27T12:45:00.002-04:00

It has been a long but productive running week.

I had my first 20 mile week since last year's marathon and I met my fantastic new R2R 2010 team! It took some work organizing around a bunch of things but I did manage to fit in a few hours of volunteer time at a NYRR race this week as well.

This week I'm aiming for another 20-22 mile week. Like last week, I'm sure this will involve a few really early morning runs. I don't know why I never learn my lesson but yesterday's 7 miler didn't get started until about 11am, which means I was running during one of the hottest points of the day. I've got to stop doing that!

Last year I lost about 25 pounds before the marathon. I have managed to put back around 10 of them. So I need to get back close to that weight, and hopefully lower than that. Now that I've announced it to the world (well, the teeny, tiny, perhaps nonexistent world of my blog readers), it has to be done, right?

it starts now

2010-05-31T17:08:00.003-04:00

It's almost June. June will be a fresh start. This past week was bad again but today I did three slow miles. It's hot out there! As I was running I was remembering those long hot runs last summer. But it will be coming my way again.

I'll be running the NYC Marathon again this year!

I'll be running again with Team Run 2 Remember, to raise money for the NYC Alzheimer's Association. So in just a few short weeks my runs will start to get much longer. I'm not looking forward to running in the heat but I am looking forward to spending some more time with some great people, raising money for a cause that is important to me, and running a faster marathon!

This week I have a lot going on but I'm hoping to get in 20 miles. Something to shoot for. Let's get er done!

come into the fold

2010-05-28T14:25:00.002-04:00

I've been pretty inconsistent lately and it didn't help that we went on vacation right before the Brooklyn Half Marathon. So my longest run before this race was nine miles. That means that I wasn't as prepared as I would have liked. But I finished in 2:37, which is only about two minutes off my half marathon PR so I guess I'll live.

The race itself was really great. I haven't run this course before. It was two loops of Prospect Park, then over to Coney Island and ending on the boardwalk. The weather was perfect. It was sunny but not overly hot. Since I had prepared so poorly, I told myself that my goals were to finish and to enjoy the day. I did indeed accomplish both of these. But my lack of preparation hurt me. My body was pretty sore afterwards. Because I parked towards the start and this wasn't an out and back course, I had to take the subway and walk a few blocks back to my car. I took it slow but was already sore and for some reason I still can't figure out, I chafed really badly on my back. This has never happened to me before so I can't figure out what was different.

Anyway, the two loops of the park were nice and cool. Because I'm so slow, I got lapped pretty quickly but it doesn't bother me all that much because I really just admire the skill and dedication it must take to be able to run that fast for that far. It's actually kind of nice to even see those athletes during a race since I only really see them milling around before the race or picking up their hardware afterwards.

Once we were out of the park, I know a lot of folks thought Ocean Parkway was pretty boring. And it was fairly monotonous in terms of the view. But it was SUCH a beautiful day, I just settled into running and watching the people sitting on the benches nearby. I did almost take out an Orthodox man and his son. But I blame them for trying to cross in front of me. I'm not so fast that I come out of nowhere! And I hate it when people cross in front of me and don't make a clear effort to try to get out of my way. I'm already running 13 miles! Don't make me run around YOU too! I didn't hit them, just so you know.

When I got close to the boardwalk, I considered pushing to try to beat my PR but then reminded myself that that wasn't a goal for the day, that I hadn't prepared for that, and that it didn't really matter just then. So I kept my normal pace and watched the people watching us run by and admired the view of the beach and the water and ran across the finish line.

After I got home and took a bit of a nap, we went to my brother-in-law's house to spend some time with the in-laws who were in town for a wedding. My sister-in-law has talked about running a marathon before but it never really seemed like a top priority. However, she seems to have decided to join the fold and train for a half marathon with me! We are thinking about doing the Disney Half Marathon in January, which sounds like it will be a LOT of fun! I like the idea of pulling someone else into this crazy world.

finally a good week

2010-05-08T16:31:00.002-04:00

This week's total was 19 miles. Finally a solid week. Today I did a long, slow 8 miler which was the longest run I've done since last year's marathon training. And I'm happy to say that I ran it within 2 minutes of the time it took me the week before the marathon. I have one more long run next weekend before the Brooklyn Half Marathon on May 22. I have not been figuring it for a PR race so I'm just going to enjoy the day.

Tuesday I ran with my friend Trish and her baby. I pretty much always run alone so it was a nice change to get out and run while also chatting along the way. The time went quickly and, although we aren't exactly sure how far we went, it was nice to get in some miles running along the West Side by the water in NYC. We'll definitely do it again.

One of my goals this year was to run a race I haven't run before. I think that will happen next month with RunAmuck Mud Run. I've been wanting to do a mud run for a long time and this one looks like a lot of fun and at a doable distance.

forever getting back on track

2010-05-02T13:43:00.002-04:00

First I was sick. Then I was sicker. Then it got cold. Then it got HOT. I'm struggling to get back into a routine and it isn't going smoothly but I'm trying.

I think I'm finally over the sickness(es) that I was fighting. And the cold weather seems to be gone. However, the cold weather passed right past warm weather and has gone to hot weather! I had a few weeks in a row that I did less than five miles. This past week I got in 11 and am hoping to get things together in time for the Brooklyn Half Marathon in a few weeks. It's going to be tough but I've decided I just want to get it done. I'm not expecting a PR.

Yesterday I planned for a seven miler. But the heat just killed me combined with my low mileage weeks. I ended up only doing five and feel guilty about it. But this past week was an improvement and I've lost a little weight so I'm moving in the right direction!

sick, sick, go away

2010-04-10T09:12:00.002-04:00

I didn't run that seven miler. And I didn't make it in through the lottery. I know they randomly reject thousands of people every year but somehow, every time I take it a little personally!

So far this week I have run a grand total of three miles. Gross. I have been so sick for so long I finally went to the doctor. He said he thinks I am a victim of what he calls "The Double Sick." Great, doc. Now what? I have a few prescriptions. I started taking the first one but my head still feels like it is stuffed with cotton balls. Whatever. I'm running today.

Take Two

2010-04-02T12:01:00.003-04:00

On April 7th the results of the 2010 marathon lottery will be announced. Will I be in? I've never made it in through the lottery before but maybe this will be my year!

That's right...we're doing this again!

Since I last posted, I slacked off for a while and then got back into it. The dark, cold winter proved a challenge in terms of keeping to a running schedule. But in December I ran a 10K and since then have ramped back up, running a 4 mile PR last weekend! I'm currently training for the Brooklyn Half-Marathon, which will be in May and will be my first half-marathon of the year. I'm really looking forward to a wonderful spring race.

Because of a great opportunity through my job, I was able to spend some time hearing about the great research going on at the University of Pittsburgh at the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. Dr. Klunk, who is the co-director of the Center and was featured in the HBO documentary The Alzheimer's Project, presented a lot of great information. It was really exciting to hear about the discovery of Pittsburgh Compound B specifically.

I've been fighting a cold but am scheduled for a 7 mile run tomorrow. We'll see about that.

NYC Marathon - The Aftermath

2009-11-11T13:18:00.004-05:00

Crossing that finish line was amazing. But I have absolutely no idea how I made it to baggage. I kept moving. Someone peeled off a Heat Sheet and put it around me. Then another woman wrapped it and put a sticker on to hold it in place. Thankfully they were there because I couldn't have figured out the Heat Sheet in my state. It felt so fantastic around me. I never quite knew why they were needed but loved it so much I kind of wanted to keep it.

I kept waddling on but somehow managed to miss the bags of food. I thought it was behind me though and I didn't want to go back. My knee was hurting a lot and I wanted to sit down, though I knew I had to keep moving to get the blood flow back to the rest of my body besides my legs. I hobbled up and took off my hat so someone could place the medal around my neck. Fantastic! Keep moving. I got my picture taken at some point because I thought I might want it but I look so much like hell and couldn't really muster a smile yet that there is no way I want the photo! Keep moving. I headed to the truck that had the appropriate number for my baggage and picked up my bag. Keep moving. I pull out my cellphone and try to text Ren. Because of a lack of communication, my family wasn't at the finish line. Everyone felt bad but there were indeed where I told them I wanted to meet them. Still, I called my Dad to find out for sure. And I kept walking. I must have been limping because a woman walking next to me asked if my knee was hurting. She said she was walking the same direction and offerred to carry my bag for me. She said she had had knee surgery and knew how hard it was to move. I thanked her and told her I had only a block or so to go.

My Mom, Dad, wife, and friend Larissa were all waiting for me! They carried my stuff and asked if I needed anything. If I had been more with it, perhaps I could have gotten some neat things but was able to coax my wife into a bodega to get me a chocolate milk. Then she tried like hell to hail a cab. No can do. Most of the cabs were full and the one guy who stopped for us refused to take us to Queens! He was supposed to have to take us to anywhere in the 5 boroughs but wouldn't, even after my wife explained we were just going to the other side of the Queensboro Bridge and that I had just finished the marathon. What a jerk! Eventually, I decide I'd rather struggle with the subway steps than wait any longer. I was getting cold and just wanted to get back to the hotel.

I had to take the subway steps backwards because it was just too painful to go forwards. The air from the tunnel blew my Heat Sheet up and over my head. I'm sure I was quite a sight! But eventually we made it to Queens and we slowly made our way the two blocks to the hotel. My Dad stopped to buy me some fruit salad, which was the first thing that looked remotely edible to me. We got back to the hotel and I soaked in a cold tub for 15 minutes. Ren took such good care of me. Once I drained the tub and started to shower, I asked her to go get me some Neosporin. The chafing from my sports bra really ravaged my chest and I was red and sore. Then I said maybe I could eat a chicken sandwich. So she got food orders from my parents and headed out to pick up everything.

Finally I was clean and warm and hobbled over to my parents' hotel room with my ice pack on my knee. We all sat and ate and talked. Such an amazing day.

The next morning Ren had to head to work. My parents and I went over to the diner to get some breakfast. I had a huge plate of blueberry pancakes, with eggs and bacon! Yum!! We had several refills of coffee and talked for a while. Then we got up and went to pick up the paper. I knew my time was too slow to be printed but wanted to read the race coverage. Then my Dad helped me pack my car and we had to say goodbye.

As I write this, it has been just 10 days since the marathon. For a few days, I was stiff and hobbling. But the muscle soreness has faded and people are now done asking what it was like and wanting to see my medal. The chafing on my chest is really the only physically obvious problem that I still feel. And I have since been on two runs, both less that four miles!

Already, my team is talking about next year. All the money isn't even in and counted yet and we have raised over $325,000! This video coach Jeff put together really says it all. Beware: you will get choked up! Thanks to the whole team for being a fantastic group. I can't WAIT for next year!

NYC Marathon - The Race

2009-11-11T12:38:00.005-05:00

I started off running with a handful of folks from my team, including Emily, Jeff, and Natalie. Jeff was running around taking photos like a crazy man. The first mile over the bridge was really cold and windy and I wishes that I had held on to my sweatshirt and my headband. I made a mental note to remember that next year. (That should have been my first clue - mile 1 and I was already planning for my next marathon!) I also hoped that I would get lucky and run on the top of the bridge next time so I can see the iconic view at the start. We reached mile 1 in about 12 minutes. Mile 2 was downhill and I didn't realize it but we finished it in about 10 minutes. I should have stuck to my plan and walked every 10 minutes but I was with teammates and the adrenaline took over. But I knew I couldn't keep this up and shortly I decided that there was space enough for me to get over so I walked and let everyone go ahead. I was alone the rest of the route. Well, with 40,000 friends, of course.

Heading in Brooklyn was absolutely amazing. The crowds were cheering and had signs and held out tisses, water, slices of oranges, etc. Lots of cowbell! I was overcome with excitement and joy. And I was comfortable running and had eased into my run 10/walk 1 combo by this point, though at some points it was difficult to get off the the side so I wasn't in the way of other runners. There were tons of bands on 4th avenue. Somewhere around mile 8 or so a runner next to me made some comment and I asked her if she knew where we were. I knew I was in Brooklyn but had lost track of what mile I was on. We guessed and she asked if it was my first marathon. It was hers too so we had a little first timer high five and off she ran. I pulled over to use a port-a-potty then because it was the first time I saw a row of them without lines.

Williamsburg started to get quiet. Then I started to think about how far I had left to go. But I knew we had to be getting close to Queens and my family was waiting for me right before mile 15. Somewhere around mile 12, I realized I was STARVING. I downed another Gu but for some reason, I felt a strong urge to have FOOD. I took a few Tootsie Rolls from a woman and chowed on them. Then an angel appeared and held out a banana. I grabbed it! Yahoo! That banana was my saving grace! I worried about about cramping after I ate it but it didn't happen and soon I was back into a groove. My mind kind of stopped and I just kept running and watching around me, taking it all in.

Then we hit Queens! The time from hitting Queens to reaching my family felt like forever. But as I turned the corner for the street I knew they were on, I couldn't wait to see them. My Mom had a balloon and my wife had made a sign. My wife knows nothing about running so I was really touched that she had watched on TV that morning in order to include a note to Paula Radcliffe on the sign warning her that I was going to be the best runner on that day. My Dad was there also, as were my friends Ursula and Will, who I was very surprised but happy to see! I got my care package from them and managed to get some more Body Glide on me and I was about to run off when Ren handed me her iPod. I told her I had mine and didn't need it but she told me I had to take it. I took it and waved goodbye. I ran off fishing in my pocket for my ear buds.

Heading over the Queensboro Bridge, I started tearing up. The iPod my wife had given me was filled with messages and songs from friends and family...words of encouragement written by them and songs they sent for me to listen to. It was fantastic and a boost that really helped. But I did pause it for a few moments right before turning into Manhattan because I wanted to hear that 1st Avenue roar. But it never came. I turned the corner on to 1st Avenue and thought...really? this is what everyone has talked about? There was no roar. There was hardly much of anything really. I was bummed. But I was able to go back to my iPod and listen to my friends again. So that's what I did.

I'm not sure what street I was on but I decided I needed to pull over and stretch. My hamstrings were feeling tight and I needed to regroup. Kismet! Two people came running over to me and startled me while I was stretching. I had just happened to stop right near where my friends Larissa and Allison were!! I was so happy to see them. They are dear friends who also lost a grandmother to Alzheimer's and Allison is also a runner. They brought water and we walked for a little bit together and talked. I think at that point my brain was really shutting down because I don't think I said much. My mind just told me I just had to keep going until I reached the end sometime. I told them thanks for making me cry on the bridge (they had submitted for the iPod) and thanked them for coming out and I ran off again.

Heading into the Bronx was chilly again over the Willis Avenue Bridge. The thin orange mats over the grates were not very helpful and the blacktop was lumpy and full of potholes. I had just gotten done telling myself to go slowly and be careful not to trip when a guy in front of me did a face plant right on the bridge. A bunch of us stopped in shock. I looked around and decided I would keep running and see if there was medical staff up ahead. There were enough people flailing their arms that the cops noticed and started walking back to check on the guy. I felt a little badly that I kept going but figured there wasn't really anything I could contribute by standing there watching.

The Bronx was fairly short and quiet. There were a few people out cheering and I grabbed an orange slice. The people that were out cheering were amazingly supportive. I was so grateful whenever people shouted encouragement. I was getting tired and wishing for the end but people would yell out, "You're doing great. You've gotten to the Bronx! Soon you'll be back in Manhattan and headed for the park!" It just shows you how mental the marathon is that those words can help so much.

Just like that and we were back into Manhattan. All five boroughs covered! And Harlem had a party going on! Lots of people dancing and clapping and cheering. A perfect pick me up. Then I saw the Park! Running along Fifth Avenue just after mile 23, I saw my friend Christine and her Dad! She was jumping up and down and cheering for me, holding signs and everything. I stopped and walked and she and her Dad walked beside me and chatted for a bit. I barely remember anything I said. But it was so great to see Christine, one of my biggest supporters and someone who also lost a grandmother to Alzheimer's. I thanked them for coming and waiting for me so long to get to where they were waiting and I headed off.

I had really slowed down at this point. I was focusing on just putting one foot in front of the other. But my left knee was hurting and I was just tired. So I pulled out the picture of my grandmother than I had with me and I just clutched it and went on. I started to get a lump in my throat but it scared me because my breathing got crazy and I thought I would pass out. So I had to not think too much about missing grandma but just kind of asked her to help me to the end. For some reason, I didn't realize how much running there actually is inside Central Park at the end of the race.

At mile 25, I was slogging along and there were two cops standing to the side smoking cigars! I thought I would vomit right on them. Up until this point, the police had been fantastic and were cheering with the rest of the crowd. So I was shocked that they would be so unbelievable at this point. I must have made some gagging sounds because the woman running next to me asked if I was okay. I told her I just needed to get away from the smell. Gross! What were they thinking?!?

I knew I was going to finish. But the 5k split between 35k and 40k took me nearly an hour! Awful! Then I saw people with their medals and I saw the sign for 800 meters to go! I started to hear the crowd and see the lights. It was so awesome! 400 meters! That's just once around a track! Then I could see the finish line and the bleachers! I mustered up just enough energy to lift my arms over my head and I FINISHED!

NYC Marathon - The Prequel

2009-11-05T20:14:00.006-05:00

On Friday I left work a little bit early and headed to the Javits Center to pick up my race packet. After I had what I needed, I walked around for a while but was worried about jinxing things if I bought stuff that had “2009 NYC Marathon” on it. So I bought a pair of arm warmers and pretty much just looked at everything else that was there. I was sure to dedicate this to Marge though.

Saturday morning I was up and packing my stuff. Over and over I checked my bags to make sure I had all the things I had though of over the training I had done: baby aspirin, bagels, bananas, tissues, etc. We packed up the car and headed to Queens.

We checked into our hotel in our old neighborhood just in time to quickly change, make sure my parents had arrived, and run out the door for the team pasta dinner at Carmine’s. We grabbed a cab, figuring it would be quicker, but then got stuck in traffic and ended up getting to the dinner about an hour late. We missed David Hyde Pierce but were in time to grab some salad and soon the pasta started appearing. I nervously chatted with teammates I was just meeting and ate some food. I bought a team shirt for my Mom and we headed out sort of early.

When we got back to the hotel, we went to see my parents, who had brought me some old clothes of my Dad’s to wear on Sunday morning while waiting for the race. They also brought me a few birthday presents and Mom baked a cherry pie and attempted Grandma’s molasses cookies. I was too nervous to eat them then but enjoyed the fact that my Mom brought them, since both remind me so much of Grandma. I handed over course maps and we talked a but about when and where they would meet up with Ren in the morning and where I would see them along the course and afterwards. Then I headed back to my room.

I was so nervous Saturday night that I mostly kept putting things into my bag and then taking them back out to make sure I had put them in there. Ren thought this was quite funny and kept reminding me that I had done all the work already and was going to make it to the finish. I went to call the front desk for a wakeup call and then realized there was no front desk button on my phone! So I set the hotel alarm clock and the alarm on my phone. Then I remembered that I had to turn the clocks back an hour. Then I checked and rechecked to make sure the alarms were both set. And finally I decided I just needed to go to sleep.

I actually slept fairly well. I usually wake up several times during the night when I stay in a strange place. But I rolled over and went back to sleep. No nightmares like some of my teammates had had along the way. Then at 4:20am my alarm went off. Marathon morning!

I packed up my stuff, kissed Ren goodbye, and headed for the subway. What an odd morning of marathon runners and late night Halloween revelers heading home from their parties. I hopped on the 7 train to Grand Central and when I switched trains to head to Union Square, I saw Coach Brian and teammates Lindsay! Naturally, Brian said he had had to run to catch the train! The man never stops running EVER!

We got to Union Square and loaded up the two team busses. They drove us to Staten Island and dropped us off. It was starting to drizzle a bit and it was cold. I was getting apprehensive. I didn’t want to run in the rain. Yuck. But it stopped just as quickly as we waited in a line (for what?) next to what seemed like a million French people and I row of port-a-potties!

Our team hung fairly close together as we were herded through the check point into the starting village. I stuck pretty close to my teammate Comanche and her friends. It was her first marathon as well and we spent a lot of the morning laughing at how crazy we were to be doing this and how we packed absolutely everything to bring with us!

Folks from the team starting headed out for the first wave. Then the second wave. I was in the third wave. A few of us went together to checks our bags with UPS and get in line for the bathroom. A handful of teammates huddled together nervously at the start and Coach Jeff took a few pictures of us.

Then, the third wave cannon went off and “New York, New York” started playing and it was time to run!

a note on fundraising

2009-10-31T10:02:00.002-04:00

A few people have asked me about my fundraising. When you click on my fundraising page, you can see what has been donated and paid already. However, what you can't see are as yet unpaid matching gifts from companies that provide matching funds for employee donations to charity. Thankfully, the company I work for matches donations dollar for dollar. And many of my colleagues have been very generous with both their money and their support for me. (Special shoutout to Christine, who has been especially supportive with her bake sale and the marathon care package she put together for me. She is too cute!! Thank you Christine.) Anyway, so the total dollar amount I raised isn't really reflected on the page you can see. What I can see is the total once my company pays up and it is over $4,000!! Thank you to everyone who donated!

oh my

2009-10-31T09:55:00.002-04:00

So what is everyone up to tomorrow? Yeah, I think I'll run a marathon or something. Yikes! Right now the forecast looks like the rain will leave by 3am, which is something I can live with.

My mind is all over the place. We will be driving to Queens this afternoon since I decided it would be easier for me and for my parents if we stayed at a hotel that was close to a subway. And we'll be in our old neighborhood with easy access to the marathon route in Queens. I will miss my kitty while we are away though. She is a calming influence. Well...sometimes.

I went to the Javits Center yesterday to pick up my race number and baggage bag. It's real now. I thought I was in the very last corral but there is one behind me! Woohooo! Now my mind is racing in a million different directions. I can't believe I'm doing this. What was I thinking?!

10 days!?!?

2009-10-22T07:45:00.002-04:00

Yikes. I've been slacking off. Badly. This morning my wife forced me up and out for a run, thankfully. I shouldn't even be blogging because I'm already late for work but since I'm doing two jobs and staying late most nights, I'm not going to feel too badly for an hour or two this morning.

I'm running out of steam. But our team is over $230,000 now! This is amazing and awesome!

the weather is not cooperating

2009-10-17T11:08:00.005-04:00

I just couldn't do it this morning. I feel terrible but I didn't head into the city for the group run. Because we didn't have an option for a bag drop, I couldn't imagine running without bringing an umbrella and a change of clothes for my trip back on the train but since we didn't have a bag drop, I also couldn't imagine running while carrying that stuff.

It is supposed to be rainy and feeling like the temp is in the 30s all weekend. I was thinking I might be able to get up a little early, fit in a 10 miler, and go to work a little late Monday morning but I have a client board meeting at which I need to be. Hmmm.

We make plans and God laughs.

running in the dark

2009-10-15T22:29:00.002-04:00

So now it is dark before work and after work. What does that mean? I run in the dark! And now it's starting to get COLD. But it has to get done so last night I headed out in the cold dark night and ran four miles. I nearly lost an eye running into a tree branch but managed to get out alive.

The waft of word burning sparked memories of visiting Grandma and Grandpa for Christmas. They lived in a small town at the end of a dead end street. At Christmas it was reminiscent of Bedford Falls from It's A Wonderful Life. They had a word burning stove that Grandpa kept stoked and it was always toasty in the living room. It was just cozy. And then...I thought of Grandma's cherry pie. The crust was perfect and had sugar sprinkled just so on it. I love cherry pie but, as usual, no one makes it like Grandma. Man, I miss her.

It's supposed to be in the low 40s and rainy all weekend. Not great weather for a 10 mile run. Ugh. I'm going to have to dig out my gloves and balaclava. Let's hope it isn't like this for November 1.

17 days to go! Gulp.

one more thing

2009-10-11T13:36:00.001-04:00

The NYC marathon start is done in waves. And runners are assigned color-coded race numbers in order to know where to go and what time they start. I'm in wave 3, which, I'm pleased to say, is color-coded GREEN (grandma's favorite color). I'll take this as a good sign.

Where have I been?

2009-10-11T13:22:00.003-04:00

I've been a bad blogger. But I've been running! And working. I'm so tired! I just got home from my last half marathon before race day. Just 21 days left! I can't believe it is so close.

Last month I got up super early to drive to Queens (yay Queens!) to run 13.1 miles. It was great to be in Queens again and to break up the monotony of the same old routes I've been running. I finished with a time that was 9 minutes and 15 seconds better than my best half marathon time before that!

Last weekend I ran the longest run of my training and the longest I have ever run...20 miles. It took me five hours to do it and I was getting a little bit bored of my four mile loop but I was focused on finishing and not hurting myself and I did both so I guess it is a success. I wasn't feeling my best and think I will likely be a little bit faster than this for the marathon.

This morning I ran just two seconds slower than the Queens race in Staten Island. Two seconds! I MUST get a stop watch that shows seconds after I hit an hour. Once mine hits an hour, I only get hours and minutes. Surely I could have found another three seconds to squeeze out another PR! But really, I'm pleased with the time because I had a headache all morning and felt not so fantastic for the first four miles or so.

Along the route I saw a bunch of my teammates. Unfortunately I wasn't wearing my team shirt. I decided to wear a long sleeved shirt but was concerned about overheating if I wore my team shirt over it. I did kind of regret it a bit because people didn't recognize me. I wish I didn't have to miss so many of the group runs.

Work remains insane because they haven't yet replaced the guy who left last month. So I'm doing his job too! I've been stressed and tired from that and after that and getting home in the dark, I have been slacking too much on my weekday runs. I need to get on that this week.

So far I am remaining injury free. Keep your fingers crossed!

Now it is time for a nap.

skipping another run

2009-09-03T19:37:00.002-04:00

I feel so guilty skipping today's run. Yesterday I felt like I was getting over my cold a bit so I headed out but decided to cut my 7 miler down to 5 because it was getting dark and I didn't want to overdo it. I managed to run what I think is a new 5 mile PR without really trying. I felt pretty good. Today I feel like a snot faucet. Too much information? Oh well. I'm hoping that by resting today and getting out of work a bit early tomorrow, I will be ready for my 15 mile run on Saturday. Did I just type "15 mile" and "run" right next to one another??

The weather has taken a much appreciated turn and it feels absolutely fantastic to run in the cooler breezes and end up at home not completely soaked in sweat and red-faced. I'm almost looking forward to my next half marathon in a few weeks to see if I might actually improve my time simply because the weather is more favorable.

I saw molasses cookies in the store a few days ago and thought of Grandma. Sometimes I buy them but of course they are never like grandma's cookies.

2 more months to go!

2009-09-01T17:22:00.003-04:00

Time seems to be flying. And I haven't updated in a while. I continue to be so appreciative of all those who have donated. It is really wonderful to feel like I am really making at least a tiny difference with my effort.

Saturday my long run was "only" 10 miles. I was looking forward to a drop back week but with hurricane Danny on the way, I was thinking I might be in some trouble. And I was. I ran the entire 10 miles in the rain. Mostly it poured. I was absolutely drenched. I stopped a few times to attempt to wring out my shirt but it didn't really help. For the most part, my feet avoided getting squishy until I inadvertently stepped in a big puddle and spent the last few miles just waiting for it all to be over. My iPod stopped working at one point so I was wet and running in silence. What a perfect mental test for marathoning! I also realized that the while spots I kept noticing on my shirt were detergent being washed out!

When I got home, Ren was there to bring me two towels (one to stand on and one to dry off with) and a big plastic bag to put all my clothes in. They went directly into the washing machine and I went directly into my cold bath to soak. Unfortunately, as I was draining the tub and preparing for my hot shower and looking forward to finally being dry and clean, Ren yelled from downstairs that the tub was leaking into the kitchen! Great! I hadn't yet paid the plumber for the LAST visit to our place! Thankfully, the dripping isn't too bad and only dripped when the tub was draining and not during showers so we'll be able to make it without a deluge until the plumber can get back.

Sunday we drove to Philadelphia for an overnight "vacation" and a short but much needed break from the day to day. It is only about a two hour drive from where we live. We had one really great meal out, complete with wine pairings, took a more fun than expected night time bus tour, people-watched in Rittenhouse Square, had perhaps the oddest room service experience ever, toured Eastern State Penitentiary for longer than people really should, ate a requisite cheesesteak at Jim's, and walked A LOT. We really crammed a whole lot into our two day summer vacation!

Unfortunately, I seem to have picked up a cold along the way. So today I stayed home from work and have attempted to feel better but mostly I have been sniffling all day. I should go for a run today but I'm going to cancel because I think I need to rest and hope that tomorrow I feel better.

more about Marge

2009-08-17T21:09:00.003-04:00

I think it is probably easier to sit down and write about running that it is to write about Grandma. And I do need to write about the half-marathon I ran yesterday in brutal heat. But I keep thinking about Grandma.

Marge was the last living grandparent I had. She was the only one I really knew as an adult. She sent me birthday cards in college. And she included the requisite grandma check, if memory serves. Because I am running for her, I think about her all the time now. In some ways I feel closer to her because of this. The down side is that I find myself wishing I knew her better and mourning all the lost moments I should have been able to have with her.

When it became clear that Grandma was progressing further into her illness, I remember travelling to where she lived for Thanksgiving dinner. I think it was the last time I saw her that she knew who I was. I remember very little about the day except that it was at my cousin's house and that Grandma kept asking where her purse was. So I kept reassuring her and getting up to "check" on it. And I remember hugging her as much as I possibly could. I can be a bit excessive with my hugging (just ask my wife) but Grandma just smiled and hugged me back...over and over and over. There is a picture somewhere of that day but I'm not sure where it is. Still...it's plastered into my brain. In that picture, I can see the illness in Grandma's eyes. She was smiling but a part of her was already gone.

I didn't see her many times after that. I lived far away. And if I'm being truthful, I had a really hard time seeing her in the nursing home. I got a call one day from my Dad that said that the nurses had said she had stopped eating. Since Grandma had prepared for this ahead of time, she had specified that no heroic measure were to be taken and that she was not to be fed by a feeding tube. It was time to wait and see if she would start eating again or if this would be the end of her suffering. I felt compelled to go see her.

Seeing Grandma in the nursing home was one of the most difficult things I have had to go through in my life. She couldn't speak or focus on anyone, she couldn't walk or move on her own, except for an odd tick she had developed where she brought her hand up and looked as if she was brushing some crumbs off her upper lip. She looked uncomfortable to me. She didn't wear her glasses anymore at that point, and her face looked different. By the time I was able to get there, she had begun eating again. But someone had fed her and dropped some food on her shirt. I was heartbroken by this. It's a horrible memory. I asked my Dad to fix it. I could have done something myself but somehow when I'm upset, I just want my Dad to take care of things. And he usually does.

Once we left and got into the car, I took out the scrapbook my Aunt Jan had made for me and given to me before we had left to see Grandma. She said it was for after I had seen her. I opened it and immediate began sobbing. I couldn't explain why so I just handed it to my Mom. My Aunt had put together a book of happy memories from my Grandma. She had written in it about how hard it had been for her to see her Grandma in the same circumstance when she was younger. And she wanted me to be able to remember better times. The photo on this page is from that scrapbook.

Grandma hated milk! Who knew! Her favorite color was green. Hence, the color of this page. She and my grandfather watched and followed the projects on This Old House. To this day, when I hear that theme song, it brings me right back to their living room and hearing them update us on all the projects that had led up to a particular episode. And I still don't enjoy and am not good at jigsaw puzzles but I would give anything to sit at the table with her and my Dad and my Aunt while they drink coffee and work a puzzle until late into the night. I can still hear the creak of the dining room chairs as they shifted in them to look across the table for just the right piece.

I didn't think too much about these moments until I started spending hours and hours every week running alone and thinking about how angry I am that I missed out on 20 or 30 more years with my Grandma, sharing book suggestions, laughing at old stories, and waiting to see when Grandpa would next pull out his harmonica and put on an impromptu kitchen concert for all.

what a difference a shoe makes

2009-08-12T07:13:00.003-04:00

I was planning to wait until pay day but because it came so close to the half marathon, I had to bite the bullet and get some new gear. I went to Paragon Sports first because my New York Road Runners membership gets me a discount. They have a large array of sports clothing and gear but though I was able to get a new pair of shorts, they were sold out of my shoe, didn't have the Gu I wanted, and then said that the shirt I was buying was NOT actually 20% off like the sign said. I got the shorts and some Sports Beans and a hamstring brace. Then I was so annoyed with the other stuff that I forgot to give them my NYRR card! Argh.

I really just shouldn't bother going anywhere besides JackRabbit Sports. As a frequent shopper there, I automatically get 10% off just by giving them my name. They had my Gu, had my shoes in stock, the detergent to wash my stinky technical fabrics, and a moisture wicking shirt for $5! Plus, they are nice there. I feel faster just being in the store.

So last night I got on my new shoes, shorts, hamstring wrap, and shirt and went for a run. A short two miles to test out the gear, test out the shoes, and see how my hamstring was feeling. Why did I wait so long to get new shoes?!?! They aren't called the Cumulus for nothing. Though I sometimes feel like I need to be wrapped in neoprene before heading out the door. The wrap felt good and the shoes were awesome. So it was a really comfortable two miles. I'm relieved.

spotlight

2009-08-08T12:55:00.002-04:00

I'm today's spotlighted athlete on the team blog. Take a look by clicking here.

let it rest

2009-08-07T21:27:00.005-04:00

My hamstrings have been making me nervous. I pulled my left hamstring a few years ago and it wasn't pretty. I was playing softball at the time. I sprinted to a base and felt that awful pain. I was left with a big bruise and several weeks of physical therapy. I eventually healed and added my physical therapist to my list of friends. Good thing because after I healed I went on to finish a half marathon, which left me with patellar tendonitis and sent me back to PT.

This time I really want to not be hurt. I have been pretty consistent with my training and have added mileage at an appropriate rate. Though I'm not sure I'm any faster, I am already more prepared for the half marathon than I was then, and I still have more than a week left. I still do my physical therapy exercises to strengthen all of my leg muscles and I sit in a cold bath after every long run. I also weigh about 20 pounds less than I did the last time I ran a half marathon.

This week I have felt tired and stressed and sore. So I decided to skip my Thursday run and give myself three full days away from running. Tomorrow I'll run a short 3-4 miles and do a long, slow 12 miles on Sunday. After reading this article, I'm reminded that I probably need to eat a little more a little closer to finishing my long run. Maybe I won't feel so tired. Getting more than 6 hours of sleep a night would probably also help.

git er done

2009-08-04T21:10:00.002-04:00

Sunday's plan was for 11 miles. I had an idea that I might want to get up early to get it out of the way but didn't really set myself up for that and when I woke up around 8am it was pouring out so I went back to sleep. I was prepared to go out in the rain but the thunder and lightning kept me indoors. I figured if I was meant to take a rest day, I was meant to take a rest day. Then I checked the weather forecast and there was a clear spot forecasted for later in the day. So at 4pm I set out. It was actually much more comfortable than the past couple of weeks because the rain had cooled things off and it was later in the day so the sun wasn't beating down.

Tonight I had a five miler scheduled. Since it was a shorter run, I wanted to push the pace a bit. So I did but felt gross because all my moisture wicking clothes were in the wash and I ended up wearing cotton. Ewww. Still, I'm going to have to check my logs but I believe I set a new five mile PR (personal record for non running dorks).

I showered but I still feel moist so I think I'm going to go ice my hamstrings and scarf some food. Yes, dinner at 9pm is totally normal in my house.

run, eat, sleep, repeat

2009-08-01T23:26:00.002-04:00

I did a really slow five miles today. My right hamstring was still bothering me so I decided it was because my entire town is uphill. No matter which way I run a route, I have to go uphill. So when I did my speed work the other night, it was also uphill. I felt enough better before I went out for my run that I wasn't too worried but I wanted to be careful. I kept my speed and heart rate down. And I will do the same in the morning when I head out for 11 miles. Yikes. The half marathon is in two weeks. I'm really glad the second half of the race is flat!

I didn't ice

2009-07-31T22:56:00.002-04:00

All day today I've had a sore right leg. I think it's my hamstring but it is one of those annoying pains that seems kind of beyond explanation. I iced tonight and stretched a bit. Hopefully by tomorrow I will have recovered. I think it's unrelated but I can't find my knee braces either. Every run I leave something out. Ugh.

Today I went to the running store and got a new pair of moisture wicking socks, body glide, and Gu. Bring on the 16 mile weekend!

Note to self: clean the tub because you'll likely be soaking in for most of Sunday.

I'm in

2009-07-30T22:45:00.002-04:00

It's official. I'm signed up for the race. Just three long months of training to go!

There are many nights I want to blog but after work, running, and working on the house, I'm tired! I need more sleep or more coffee.

Today I had a short three mile run. Fartlek. It translates to "speed play" but it felt more like speed no fun. I figure that when I run intervals, though they are faster than my normal pace, I run slower than my normal pace on the recovery portion so I end up exactly the same speed at the end. Oh well.

I really am into numbers and the science of running. I've read too much for my own good I think. I would LOVE to know my accurate max HR but I don't want to go through the hell of the test to get it, which basically means running until my heart wants to pound out of my chest and run a minute more and see how fast my heart beats. So I try to stick to HR zones but I'm often skeptical of how close to the zones I actually am.

How's this for a boring post?!

Today my Runner's World issue came! The best day of the month!

didn't feel like running today

2009-07-21T22:46:00.002-04:00

But I did it anyway. I had planned on doing five miles but when I got home I had a plumbing project that I started last night and had to finish. Then it was starting to get late and dark and I didn't want to get to bed too late. So I did three miles. It felt pretty good and much, much cooler than Sunday's sunny run.

Now it's time for bed.

10 Miles

2009-07-20T21:47:00.002-04:00

I skipped the 5 miler and felt better. So I did the 10 miler. It took forever since I am already slow and it was hot and humid out. It felt good to finish and I am happy that today I don't feel a lot of ill effects. Of course, I followed my run with stretching, and ice bath, and further icing of hot spots. I think it is time for new shoes. And I have to remember that when I am doing long runs, I need Gatorade AND water. I had Gatorade and GU mouth and I needed to clean it out a bit so I turned on our hose and got a nice mouthful of hose water. Yuck! Thankfully several neighbors in my community were watering their lawns so I had some relief there.

to run or not to run

2009-07-18T19:15:00.002-04:00

So perhaps I've been so tired this week because I have been coming down with something. Today I have napped a lot and was about to go out on my run but have a sore throat. So now I am arguing with myself about going or not going. I think I've decided to not go out today and to rest and hope to feel better tomorrow because I have a ten miler to do. Boy do I feel guilty about it though.

just one crappy run and a fundraising milestone

2009-07-16T22:59:00.004-04:00

I had a short three mile run tonight. Every second of it was terrible. I could barely drag myself down the road. I'm thinking it was just an off day. I was hungry all day and probably didn't choose the most nutrient packed foods. Plus, I've not had enough sleep this week. Whatever the reason, I'll be back on the road this weekend and hoping to feel better.

I was hesitant to send my fundraising email to my colleagues at work. I didn't want anyone to feel uncomfortable. But I was overwhelmed with their support. And their generous response put me over my first $1,000 mark!

long runs

2009-07-12T21:10:00.002-04:00

I have been doing my weekly long runs on Sunday. After last week's step back run, this week I moved forward again, adding another mile. So nine miles today. I saw four bunnies and a deer ran across the street right in front of me! At around mile five, a great Dolly Parton song came on my iPod (doesn't everyone have Dolly on their running tracks?) and I felt like my grandmother was with me and telling me I could do this. It felt really nice.

Before I applied for Team Run 2 Remember, I had signed up for the NYC Half Marathon. I was hoping to beat my previous time for the race. I'm on the fence about whether I'll be able to do that at this point. But I have a little over a month before the race and I know I will be more prepared this year than the last time I ran the race a few years ago.

How to Run Your First Marathon

2009-07-10T20:34:00.005-04:00

This article makes me both nervous and excited. I've read so many stories of people finishing their first marathons and vowing to never run one again. I'm hoping to stick to my plan, get support from my team, and finish without wanting to die.

aches and pains, physical and emotional

2009-07-09T20:55:00.004-04:00

Today's run was an easy 3 miles. I went extra slow because my knees have been bothering me. Last week I was out of my usual routine and I think I'm paying for it this week. I skipped my usual Monday strength training, ran on gravel for my Sunday long run, and didn't follow it up with an ice bath. So everything hurts.

I followed the run with some strength training and stretching and will ice while eating my (late) dinner.

I was running with some Miles Davis on my iPod and was just chilling and thinking about what perhaps Grandma would have thought of this. She always had school pictures and newspaper clippings on display for her kids and her grandkids. Whenever I start to get too sad, though, I can quickly drum up good memories of weekend mornings chatting and laughing at the island in Grandma's kitchen. It was there I developed a wicked love of crumb cakes because that was the only time we ever got to eat them. Grandpa was the one who stocked up on those, I think. Oh how I wish I had developed my love of coffee in time to sit in the kitchen and nurse a cup while laughing with Grandma.

The Beginning of the Blog

2009-07-08T22:43:00.003-04:00

Naturally, now that I have this set up and ready to go, I'm too tired to post anything substantial. Be sure to check back soon, however, because there is definitely more to come.

In the meantime, be sure to visit my donation page at http://teamr2r.kintera.org/pat and make your donation!