“Warriorman” Runs Again!

ING Hartford Half Marathon

2011-10-15T20:25:00.000-04:00

Waaaaay back in August, I bought a Runner's World magazine. It just happened to be their half-marathon special. It just happened to have a 10 week training plan in it. I just happened to figure out that if I started training the next week, I could totally devote 10 weeks to training. This just happened to bring me right to the time of the Hartford Half Marathon. Dad had run the full marathon in Hartford in 2008 and 2009. I had run the 2008 half-marathon, which was fun because the half and the full run the same course for the first mile. Then, we split and I went one way and he went the other. In 2010, he was injured and couldn't do the Hartford Marathon. Instead he headed out to the Linear Trail for what ended up being his last run.

So, I decided I was going to do the half-marathon for my dad. I couldn't commit to the full because I only had 10 weeks, school was starting, and I hadn't run more than 7 miles at a clip since 2008. My training started off just fine. My "long" runs were 4 miles. I could totally handle that. Then as my mileage started creeping up, so did my self doubt. There were a variety of factors involved. Like, deciding to indulge in too much food and drink the night before a 7 mile run. BIG mistake... All I can say is, thank goodness there was a port-a-potty at a construction site along my running route. 8 miles was easy. I went just before dusk, so I was calm, cool, and collected. 10 miles just so happened to be when the humidity was about 100%. I made it about 7 miles then had to walk and run the (mostly walk) the last three. I was so disappointed in my progress. Up to this point, I also wasn't drinking during my runs. I know.... not smart... But I didn't want to stop and drink. And I did realize that this was contributing to me puttering out as I ran, but I kept coming home disappointing in my progress. So, for my 12 miles, I put a cooler with water outside to entice myself to stop. Except, I ran 10 THEN decided to stop to drink. *sigh* Too late. So those last 2 miles were torture. The last long run was 9 miles. Again, I put the water outside. This time I ran 7 and stopped for a drink. My boyfriend came out while I was chugging water and said, "Well, you only have 2 more to go!" At this point, my eyes started to tear as I whimpered, "But I'm so tired and I don't think I can do 2 more!" He told me to stop then, but I knew I'd feel even WORSE if I stopped. So I ran/walked the last 2. Oh, I also forgot to mention that running routes around my condo and my boyfriend's house have some seriously gnarly hills. I had gotten to the point where I just wimped out at the hills. After mile 6, I wouldn't even attempt the killer hills. I'd power walk to the top.

This all meant that I wasn't feeling so confident approaching my half-marathon. But I had learned some important lessons (even though they are quite obvious). Drinking alcohol and running long distances= bad news. Eating terrible food and running long distances= bad news. Too much ruffage and running long distances= you guessed it... bad news. Waiting too long to drink water= bad news too. And boy oh boy was I getting down on myself. I don't why, but I was trying to be FAST. I'm not quite sure who I was competing against exactly. Somewhere along the way, I forgot why I set out to do this in the first place. That's where my boyfriend came into play. After my last long run, he could tell I was feeling frustrated. He reminded me that I wasn't competing against anyone and that I had set out to do what my dad hadn't been able to do the year before. I was doing it for him and he would be proud of me regardless of how long it took. My boyfriend reminded me that running was fun for me, and that I hadn't been having fun once I started to focus on my times (oh Garmin, why are you so evil?).

After that, I did the rest of my short training runs with a new attitude. I did love to run. It was fun. I needed to have fun while I was doing it. Yes, I still wore the Garmin, but just to see how far I was going. While I was running, I tried to slow my pace enough that I was still having fun and enjoying what I was doing. I finished my runs feeling invigorated, not exhausted. Maybe I was ready after all... I just needed to remember this on race day.

I paid close attention to my diet the week leading up to the race. I didn't have a drop of alcohol the night before and stayed far, far away from high fiber foods (which my boyfriend says I'm addicted to). I even ate *gasp* white pasta (a total no-no for me). Ah, and no salad the day before and frozen yogurt instead of ice cream (a great sacrifice since Friday night is ice cream night). I was ready!

I have to admit, I felt gooooood running my half today. The weather was absolutely perfect. Upper 50's/ Low 60's. Slightly breezy. White puffy clouds. Dad was definitely looking out for me today! I was also good about hydrating. Starting at mile 6, I made sure to have a drink at every station, which ended up being about every 2 miles. I started with water, felt brave and had a sip of Gatorade at the next one, felt good about the Gatorade and had another sip at the next one, and chugged and chugged and chugged water after I finished the race. Right before the end, my mom and boyfriend spotted me and were cheering. That gave me a great boost! Prior to that, a girl my age had spotted my shirt and tapped me on the shoulder as she passed and told me I was doing great. I had taken a picture of dad in the 2009 Hartford Marathon and put "Doing it for Dad" on the top with his birthday and death date on the bottom. This was also to remind me why I was taking on the 13 miles. I almost starting crying after her encouragement, but her words helped me as I was closing in on mile 13.

I ended up finishing (unofficial right now) in 2:04:09 or a 9:30 mile. Not too shabby for me! I thought I killed my 2008 time, but looked it up and realized it had done it in 2:05:35 three years ago. Most importantly though, I had a wonderful time. Running the 13.1 miles was almost effortless. I was calm and comfortable the entire time. Dad must have been there pushing me along.

Now after the race was a different story. I felt sick, sick, sick and sore. A banana and half a bagel later I felt a bit better. I am sorry to say though (and I apologize to my father) that I did not use my free beer ticket after the race. I just couldn't stomach the thought of it. I'm sure he understands though :o)

Some more photos

2011-08-18T15:40:00.000-04:00

Stephanie flys through fire

Jim as "James Brown"

Slogging through the mud

My mom said I knew you could do it, you are a Sattler

My nephew congratulating me on being dirty.

My twenty yards of running.

My Turn! (Views from the Warrior Daughter) and edited by Warrior Kathy

2011-08-16T17:12:00.003-04:00

I've definitely meant to write about at least one of the 5K's I've done during this summer, but I slacked and never got around to it. My friend, her roommate, and I ran the GE Petit 5K back in July. Dad and I had done this race together ever since it started in 2008. My most favorite memory of this race was from back in 2009, where dad and I held hands crossing the finish line, finished in one of my best times, and beat one of my ex-boyfriends by 2 seconds (read about it here). Plus, dad and I always loaded up on Sobe Life Water 0 after the event among the other fabulous give-aways. It was our yearly tradition. So, I was thrilled this year when my best friend said she'd run it with me. My loving boyfriend bowed out (I guess he didn't bow in to begin with), but he said he'd be there to cheer me on. That's why I did a little happy jig when I found out my friend would be running with me. Oh, and her and her boyfriend's roommate too. He also happens to be another ex-boyfriend. I seriously don't have that many, but they keep cropping up at this race. I don't know what it is, but it's like a magnet for them. No ill will towards him though since he'd be running with us. Anyway, it was supposed to be like a billion degrees that day and a billion percent humidity. Luckily, the race started at 9:00 so it was only around 85 degrees and 90% humidity. I started off feeling fast and furious and started to feel more slow and furnaced as the race went on. Luckily, lots of people set up sprinklers along the way to help you cool off. I don't drink and run when it's a 5K (I choke on the water...plus the glugging in my gut is too much), so I slowed down to a slog (slow jog) at mile marker 2 so my friend could catch up after she had her water. That's where we lost ex-boyfriend #2 because he started walking for a bit. I can't blame him though. It was H-O-T! I finished in 27:20, which is a miracle because I thought I might spontaneously combust at the end :o)

And now to August 13, 2011... Warrior Dash Day!
As you all know, mom took dad's place in the Warrior Dash this year. This made it a special event. So my uncle, aunt, 2 cousins, and grandmother all came along for the adventure. We were signed up to run at 12:30, but once we had gotten our bibs, chips, t-shirt, and hat and gone to the bathroom it was 11:50 (oh I forgot... some of this time was spent pointing out men in Batman underpants-- there were like ten of them that day-- and another man dressed like Wonder Woman to my 12 year old cousin who didn't seem to enjoy looking at either). You can technically run at any time during your day and my boyfriend "wanted to get this over with," (love you!) so we lined up for the 12:00 wave. This actually sounded good to me because I had some serious butterflies in my stomach. We were waaaaaaay at the end of the starting chute, but I wasn't too concerned because it's all up the ski mountain for the first mile and a half and you don't start getting time until you cross the starting line. Before the race, my boyfriend had bet me we'd see a banana costume. I said we'd see men in Speedo's. No bananas, but we did see a Big Mac costume. And no Speedo's per say, but there was a plethora of super hero under-roos. We were behind a group of women dressed as Catholic school girls (more on this later). The flames went off and we got started. Some people are jogging to the starting line. Uh uh. No way, Jose. I'm not running up this hill any sooner than I have to. I'll start slogging once I'm over the starting line. I high five the some dude yelling stuff on a microphone and off I go! Yep, that lasts for, oh... 30 seconds? Time to power walk up this mountain! Thank goodness I've inherited dad's long legs so I can pretty much out-walk my own slogging. I'll just break down the obstacles...
1. Barricade Breakdown: Basically a series of hurdles with barbed wire you need to crawl under on the other side. I just use my long legs here to step over, pull the other leg over, and crawl under the wire. Unfortunately, I get stuck behind a woman going a little too slow for my liking. I take a deep breath (okay several of them) to remind myself that this is just for fun NOT time. (Stephanie was able to throw a leg up and over these walls, but since they were nearly chest high for me, I had to pull myself up and over, it was however, easier for me to get under the barbed wire.)
2. Road Rage: Run through tires (boot camp style) with several sets of cars and trucks in the way that you need to climb over. I learned from my boyfriend last year (when I told him he was cheating) that it's easier to bounce off the outside of the tires instead of tip-toe through the middle of them. This was fun, fun, fun! I also think there was some flat space after this so I could run (for maybe a minute). (This is where I received my first injury. I was not able to step up on the bumpers of the second set of cars, so a fellow slow poke warrior offered a helping hand, I slipped and banged my thigh on the fender. That bruise is now a lovely yellow-green.)
3. Teetering Traverse: Sets of balance beams that go up, and down, and up, and down, and up, and down. Some of them are skinnier than others. Some of them have little wooden blocks set up on them to keep your feet from sliding too far forward. Some of these blocks are way too far apart on the ones that go down to actually do anything, so I had to slide my foot far forward to ensure I wouldn't slip off. I learned later that mom went down on her bottom to make sure she didn't fall off (and to think I was worried about her!). (Stephanie didn't mention that I tore a hole in the rear of my shorts when I scooted down the beams. Thank goodness I was wearing underwear, not princess underroos, however, but maybe next year.)
4. Deadweight Drifter: The same icy cold pond from last year, but this time with chained logs in the middle that you need to get over. The first one I could swing my leg over and boost myself to the other side. The second one, not so much. A woman next to me and I figured out if we counted "1, 2, 3!" and rolled stomach first over the log at the same time, it was much easier, so we did this for the next 3. At some point during this obstacle I obtained a nasty hand sized black bruise on my back thigh and scraped knee. However, I didn't even notice these until I had washed off at the end of the race. I did rip my bib off my shirt from rolling on my tummy though and had to stop to re-attach it. (I also figured out that the only way I was getting over those logs was to wait for some guy from the next wave of warriors to push the logs down so I roll over them. But alas, as one young ginger haired warrior glided over the log it came up fast and spun me head first right into the water. I am now soaked and mud covered, but made over the remaining logs, picking up several more bruises on the way.)

At this point, the race was all down hill. Literally. This means that I could run, but I needed to make sure I wasn't going to slide, trip, and/or fall on my way down. ( I gingerly picked my way down the mountainside)

5. Cliffhanger: More wading through giant, muddy, puddles. Luckily, this one only went up to my ankles(over my knees). Then, use a rope to climb up a large wooden wall. Thank goodness I took a rock climbing class!(In my humble opinion, this was one of the easiest obstacles, who needs a rock climbing class, when you are a mom)
6. Deadman's Drop: Climb up a wooden wall to find a straight drop down another wooden wall on the other side. The straight side had a little lip that I lowered myself onto and jumped off of (me too, just scrapping skin off the inside of my elbow). The guy next to me said, "Well that's not safe." Trust me, I know!
7. Rubber Ricochet: This can best be described as a bunch of tire swings hanging that you need to get through. I also think it was the weakest obstacle. If you don't hit the tires, they can't swing back at you. It's just that easy! So, I just zig-zagged my way through them. (being short, it was easy to duck through the tires)
8. Cargo Climb: Definitely a bigger cargo net than last year! Last year the was also a platform on top so you could easily lower yourself down onto the other side. Not this time! It was straight up and straight down. The only problem that was I somehow picked the spot where two ladies were freaking out about going over. Yes, I know, that's not nice. But, they had come to a dead stop at the top. So I was stuck too! I couldn't move over because a steady stream of people were using the net next to me. Finally, one woman's husband came to the rescue, and off I went! (I had men come to a dead stop at the top. Finally an obstacle I could easily manage and I had to wait at the top as well. It seems obstacles were a bit easier further into the race. I was just dead tired from the 1.5 mile uphill hike)

9. Chaotic Crossover: More cargo nets, but this time parallel to the ground like a spider web. The hardest part about this was that people were getting backed up so you had to be patient about moving forward (which I obviously wasn't doing so good with that day). I had a nice little pattern worked out. I'd sit on my tush on the wooden beam, stand and put my hands down to walk, and repeat until the end. (no sitting for me, I bent over and used my hands on the cross beams to balance as I picked my way across the ropes)
10. Petrifying Plunge (aka the giant slip-n-slide): I heart this obstacle. It's so much fun that I'd run the whole race to do it again... okay, maybe not. (I whole heartedly agree) But it's the best part of the whole thing! You lay down on your belly and WHOOOOOOOOSH! You fly down into a mud puddle! Plus it feels super great after all that sweaty hard work you've been doing. I did, however, lose my sunglasses.(kept my sunglasses the whole time, even when I got dunked.) They were on the top of my head and went flying off as I went flying down the hill. Duh. Go figure, right? Good thing they were cheap and old!
11. Warrior Roast: Leap over two sets of fire! I had some sweet momentum here, so I really did leap. It felt like I was flying! This is where I heard my uncle, aunt, cousins, and grandma cheering for me. I gave them a thumbs up and leaped again! After I was done with the race, I watched other people cartwheel and somersault over the fire. Also very cool. (I heard the cheering too and this is only spot I actually ran, playing to the camera of course.)
12. Muddy Mayhem: Scramble through the mud under barbed wire. I got stuck here last year because I tried to swim my way through. That's why my boyfriend beat me by mere seconds last year. I kept expecting him to catch up to me again this year. Really though, you just have to crawl. Much quicker and easier and great for beating your boyfriend this year by almost a minute (really, I'm not competitive...I just have to poke at him a little).

And that brings us to the finish line! I finished in 45:51.75, (1:27:08.45)which was 168 out of 1050 in my age division (133 out of 146) and 2667 of 9292 (8691 of 9292) overall. This put me way in front of the man dressed like Wonder Woman (and me way, way behind). Not too shabby! And yes, I was worried about my mom for a bit. Those obstacles were tough and my mom is a good half foot shorter than me. I had used my height to help me through a lot of the course plus I had seen a few game ending injuries along the way. But, as my grandma had said, "Of course she'll finish. She's my daughter!" And she did (right behind those Catholic school girls we'd been with at the beginning of the race)!

After the race, we hosed down, got some food, and turned our chips in for some beer. My boyfriend and I also got these sweet Warrior Dash beer steins that hold 32 ounces of beer (after all, dad totally would have gotten one). And no, I couldn't finish it myself. I had to share with mom and my aunt. I may be a warrior, but I can't drink like one.

I can't wait for next year's race to be posted because I'm so in! I hope mom is too!(maybe, I did notice registration is now open for next year)

Oh and I'm thinking about doing the Hartford Half Marathon as a tribute to dad. I ran it in 2008 when dad did the Hartford Marathon for the first time. I'm not ready for a marathon yet. I'm technically training for it using a 10 week plan from Runner's World, which actually has me running less than usual at the beginning and forces me to take rest/ cross training days. I've already cheated and run more than I'm supposed to and use my rest days for arms, abs, and elliptical. I figure the cheating will stop once the mileage increases. I'm pretty positive I'm going to do the half, especially since I saw that Al Roker had done the Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon. No offense to anyone that loves Al Roker, but I pretty much took that as my sign of "You can do it!" (Go for it Stephanie, it will be a great one year tribute to your dad)

Post race

2011-08-14T21:39:00.000-04:00

This is a photo of Waldo, my mom Virginia, me, my daughter Stephanie and her boyfriend Jim.

Made it under the time limit imposed by my daughter

2011-08-14T09:32:00.000-04:00

And I lived to tell about it. So it took me 1:27:08.45 to finish the grueling 3.2 miles,but I made in less than the 90 minutes my daughter set before she would panic. She panicked anyway, when medics brought a couple of people in from the course, but then I emerged from the trees slid down the giant slip n' slide, ran through fire, crawled through the mud under barbed wire and crossed the finish line, bruised, scrapped and covered in mud from head to toe.

What made the finish sweeter was when my daughter and her boyfriend said the course this year was much harder than last years. I am a Warrior!

I will post photos as soon as my brother sends along.

I am going to do this

2011-08-11T12:08:00.000-04:00

In less than 48 hours I will be at the bottom of a ski slope getting ready to take that first step, then the next one and the one after that. I will finish.

My daughter and her boyfriend have given me 90 minutes before they start worrying about me. They say that is twice the time it will take them to finish, so even walking I should be able to finish in under 90 minutes. I am hope to do it in less than an hour, but will be happy with 90 minutes.

My baby brother is coming along to photograph the event for us. I hope the pictures are in focus, because I think there will be much laughing. The photos will be posted as soon as we can get them uploaded.

Stay tuned,

Kathy (a/k/a the Warriorwomen)

Warrior Dash August 13th, 30 days to go, oh my!

2011-07-14T11:31:00.000-04:00

I have been working to increase my endurance, so I can make up that f*****g ski slope to the obstacles. Lots of uphill walking, but Rick would be proud that I am running (slowly) down the hills after walking up. Maybe I should sneek into a local ski slope to see if I can make it up the mountain.

Two months to the Warrior Dash

2011-06-13T16:12:00.000-04:00

Ok, on Saturday at a fundraiser for a scholarship fund in Rick's memory(the school he worked for organized a wonderful bowling event), I verbally committed to doing the Warrior Dash on August 13th. Now I just need to get moving so I am not the last person on the course. To those of you that have seen the course at Wyndham ski area, the hill is extremely daunting. If I can make it up the hill (it will be hard on these short legs of mine), the rest of the course maybe doable. Feel free to offer me encouragement as I get ready for this trek. I will try to keep you updated on my progress and there will be pictures of the dash for sure!

Have a good run today and every day. By the way, I am walking not running.

Kathy

To all you Boston Marathon runners

2011-04-21T12:22:00.000-04:00

I want to give everyone who was running in the Boston Marathon a shout out. Being an accountant, April 18th was the last day of tax season, so I had other things on my mind. Patriot's day must have been later in 2010, or I would never have met Jill and Meg. Hope all went well for you and here's to your next adventure. My daughter is still trying to convince me to take Rick's place in this year's Warrior Dash in New York. He registered for it as soon as he could. She says I can walk it if necessary. Thinking seriously about it, now that I have a few months to get ready.

12/12/10 Christopher Martin's 5K... It's for the Children!

2010-12-16T21:42:00.000-05:00

I know my dad wrote about this race before, but he didn't REALLY write about this race. He kind of gave the G-Rated version about how fun it is. For a while, this race was his secret. Mostly because I absolutely refuse to run outside in the cold. But, 2 years ago, it was over 40 and sunny, and I told dad I would run this race with him. Little did I know what I was getting myself into! New England Brewery sponsors the event, so beer flows freely following the race. Being that dad was fairly quick and tall, he would station himself right at the bar, make friends, and become a designated beer passer. DANGER ZONE! The first year I lost count of how many beers ended up passed to me and uhhh... let's say I over-indulged. Not one of my most shining moments. Oh, and Mrs. Marathon Man (AKA my mom) was less than pleased with the shape that dad and I came home in. Luckily, she just let us fall asleep and woke us up for dinner. Oops... but boy oh boy did the two of us have a blast!
I did not want a repeat performance the following year. I took dad's advice and "established the base" following the race. This means I ate a bagel and some doughnut holes. Mmmmm... I somehow ended up being the beer passer last year, but I behaved and returned home in solid shape!
This year...well the weather didn't look like it was going to be so fabulous. At first, it was supposed to snow. Oh poo! That breaks all my running rules. Cold + precipitation = NO RUNNING OUTSIDE! Thanks to my Kindergarteners (I'm a teacher), I came down with a killer cold mid-week. Runny nose, runny eyes, sore throat complete with a funny voice. I took some time off from the treadmill at the gym and actually went home and relaxed on the Thursday before the race. Plus I ate a lot of black pepper and garlic with my dinner. I was told this would knock the cold out of my system. Okay, I'm down to try it. Miracles of all miracles, I woke up the next morning with no runnies. Looks like I'm going to be in good health! Then, I found out it's supposed to POUR on race day. Double poo! This definitely breaks all my running rules. My boyfriend (who never... I mean NEVER runs, but has promised to do this with me) says that he thinks we should bow out if it's raining and being that I'm recovering from a cold, I agree. Hmmm... riiiiiight... That's until I find out that 6 people (most of which who are non-runners) are running with me snow, rain, tornado, or armageddon. I'm honored and thankful to have so much support, but that means I'm running in torrential downpours.
So it figures the weathermen are right on race day. They said it would pour and it certainly is. Thankfully, the race starts right at Christopher Martin's bar/restaurant in New Haven, CT. That means we can wait inside (where it's dry! and warm!) until the race starts. As it gets closer to race time, people slowly move outside under overhangs. Five minutes to race time and we all finally start moving to the starting line. It's funny though. It's cold, raining, and I'm drenched, but I feel such a warmth on the inside. My friends and co-workers knew how meaningful this race was to me and they all showed up despite the absolutely awful day. There's no announcement for the start of the race. Everyone just suddenly starts moving. Thank goodness! I can't wait to start sweating. I'm FREEZING! Running is absolutely hilarious. Dodge a person here, a puddle there, jump up on the sidewalk to avoid a massive puddle, stomp into an even more massive puddle, continue running with pools in my sneakers. You get it. At times, the wind is blowing so hard I swear I'm not even moving. I get to the first mile and I'm around 9:42. NOT acceptable! But eh, this is supposed to be fun. Mile 2 is torture. I'm not quite sure why. The course is as flat as can be, but the cold, wind, and rain are making 1 mile feel like forever. In my head, I'm telling myself that there must not be a mile 2 marker. There just couldn't possibly be. If there was, I would most definitely be there by now. I must say this to myself for about a half a mile, then BOOM! Mile 2 marker. What the... Oh well, I'm at 17 something at this point. Sweeeeet! That's more like it (for me, at least)! Now, I'm thinking of Finding Nemo where Dorie keeps saying, "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..." That seems like a logical chant right now. I start to putter out as I reach the finish line. Some nasty gusts of wind push me back, but I power through. My friend Shannon is there cheering for me at the finish line (she finished around 24 minutes) and I finish at 27:33. Gooooooo me! My boyfriend, bless his heart, finishes about 4 minutes later. Pretty fabulous considering that he doesn't run. We all stand and cheer as everyone else finishes. It's a great atmosphere!
Now, off to par-tay! The boys dig into the hot dogs. No thanks. It's not even 11 in the morning. I can't take a hot dog. Apple, yep! Mini muffin, sure! Free beer... of course! The problem is, as we're standing the sweat starts to cool us down. And it's cold. And it's raining. So, we move inside to the crowded bar. It's warmer, but everyone's still cold and wet and starting to shake. It's going to just have to be one beer this year! Dad would understand. Despite the weather, everyone had fun and says that will run it again next year and I'm holding them to it. Shannon and her boyfriend had even created t-shirts with dad's face on the front that said "Rick's Runners." The back says "Marathon Man, Run On!" Everyone's support that day was amazing and definitely helped me through a day that could have been unbearable. Instead, it left me with another lovely memory.

Manchester Road Race

2010-11-26T12:27:00.000-05:00

So dad and I had run the Manchester Road Race 3 years ago together. It's actually what got him back into running again. I had started running and dad said he would start again if I wanted to do the Manchester Road Race with him. A few weeks before, I gently reminded him that I had signed up and it was time for him to man up and start running again. One morning, he reluctantly laced up his sneakers, got dressed, and went with me to the Linear Trail. I told dad we'd take it easy. Three miles total. A mile and a half down, a mile and a half back. No big deal, right?! Dad said I should just run at my own pace, he'd attempt to keep up, and after I turned around at a mile and a half, I could meet up with him and he'd turn around then and finish my run with me. He kept joking about how I'd probably find him lying in a ditch on the way back. I ended up losing him somewhere along the way, but again, I was supposed to meet up with him on the way back. So, I turned around... and I ran... no dad. I ran some more... no dad... I ran and I ran and I ran... and there was dad! Waiting for me right where we had started. Turns out he hadn't made it very far and had walked back and forth until I finished.

This wasn't such a stellar return to running for my dear daddio. Nevertheless, he kept on keeping on and was there with my two friends and me for the start of the Manchester Road Race. We had even made themed t-shirts for the event with the Fantastic Four logo on it (because there were four of us...get it?!). I don't really remember too much about the race. If I finished before dad or vice versa. What I do remember though, is that I vowed to NEVER, I mean, NEVER run that race again! Unfortunately, the year we picked to run, it was raining. Not just any rain though. Some nice freezing icicle like rain that seeped into your clothes and soaked you to the bone. During mile 2, I distinctly remember waterfalls flowing down all the hills and splashing through them as my sneakers absorb pools and pools of water. To add insult to injury, we had to wait in this rain for the shuttle bus to bring us back to the car. As I stood with my sweat freezing to my body getting pelted by rain, I began uncontrollably shaking. My fingers, toes, and nose turned a lovely shade of purple-black. I don't think I recovered for the rest of the day. I immediately parked my booty in front on the fire place when we got home and continued shaking until I could muster up enough energy to get myself into a hot shower. As my dad often mentioned, I do NOT run in the cold. Yep, I'm a weather wimp. I own it and admit it. That means that the next year dad ran the Manchester Road Race on his own. Last year, he didn't get to run it because my brother had been sick and he didn't get to register. This year, he wanted to run it. I still have the email in my inbox. The subject line is: Manchester Road Race. The message is, "I say YES!"

So this year, I did it. I did it for him. I broke every single rule I had created for myself and got ready to run on Thanksgiving morning. It was NOT over 40 (and honestly I prefer over 50) and it was NOT sunny, but at least it wasn't raining or snowing! I woke up, put on my Under Armor compression leggings, another pair of running leggings over those, a dry wick tank top, a long sleeve tech shirt (complete with thumb holes!), a water/wind resistant fleece, a fleece head band for my ears, running gloves, AND mittens to go over them. Yep, I wasn't taking any chances of being cold. We got there around 8:15. The race doesn't start until 10. But hey, when you're running in a race that's been capped out at 15,000 runners and expecting 40,000 spectators, you get there early! And when I say "we" got there, I mean it was me, Shannon (my best friend who runs faster than I ever will), and our boyfriends (neither one would run with us...boo hiss). Thankfully, Shannon's 5 year old niece had come along too. This worked out well because we spent much time before the race on the hunt for the elusive chocolate frosted sprinkled doughnut and it's side kick: hot chocolate. I never would have guessed tracking down a doughnut would have been so difficult, but then again, I've never tried to navigate downtown Manchester on Thanksgiving morning. Breads, muffins, coffees a plenty. Seriously, what's a girl got to do to get a doughnut around here?! I thought America runs on Dunkin'. We're all going to run, give us some Dunkin'! Oh thank heaven for 7-11 is all I can say. They had doughnuts AND hot chocolate (and a microwaveable sausage, egg, and cheese on a biscuit for Shannon's boyfriend). Phew! Crisis averted. Now for the port-a-potty mission. Thankfully, Fox News had left their potties unguarded, so we were good to go! That is, until Shannon decided she had to go again later. I'm sure you all know that the last minute port-a-potty stop before the race is NEVER a good idea. Seriously, I don't get it. Do your business and get out! Yes, I'm impatient. 15 minutes until gun time and we decided the potty stop was bad news. We ducked under the ropes to the 35-40 minute finishing time (sorry dad... I know, we didn't get the official letter in the mail to let us in here). At this point, I had removed my mittens only. All other layers were still on. And I was still cold.

Finally, the gun goes off. We don't move. Hmmm... I guess this is what running with 15,000 people feels like. Waiting... Waiting... Yay! We're moving, we're moving, whoo-whoo! (Okay, we're kind of moving... I mean, we're walking). It takes us about 2:30 to get over the starting line. I had told Shannon she could leave me in her dust, and like any good friend would, she does :o) I'm feeling good. I mean, except for the fact I can't feel my feet. They're like 2 numb metal blocks pounding the pavement. Boom, boom, boom. I shouldn't have listened to my boyfriend. That extra pair of socks would have been clutch right now. All I can think about while I'm running is "obstacles." With 15,000 runners, there are A LOT of obstacles to dodge. I trip over people's feet. I'm not proud of it, but it happens. I elbow a half a dozen or so individuals too. Again, not on purpose, but there's no where for me to go and I want to mooooooove! Mile 1 feels quick. Although, when I look at the official time at this point, it's somewhere around 11:34. I start laughing. Oops! Perhaps I wasn't aggressive enough. Mile 2 is one giant hill with some flat spaces along the way. Dad would always blow me away on hills. His long stride took those hills, chewed them up, and ran over their faces. I'm like the little engine that could up the hills. I think I can. I think I can. I think I can. I know that this is the worst part of the race. Make it through mile 2 and I'm golden. I want to walk. NO! You're running! (Hey dad, how about a little push right now?!) I will NOT become an obstacle. The clock is at 20 something when I finish mile 2. Okay, that's more like it!

At this point, I'm realizing that yes, I kept too many layers on. I'm HOT. But, the feeling in my toes is coming back. That nice prickly needle feeling tingles through my toes as they come back to life. This is fun! People are everywhere. Running, cheering, celebrating. I must have heard the theme from Rocky 5 times. As I run by some new age place, they bang a gong. How I wish I could talk to dad about the gong after. "Dude, did you see that gong?" "See it?!? It nearly knocked me on my a**!" I'm seeing my times at each mile, but I'm pretty much ignoring them at this point. I'm not a fast runner, but I can run forever at my slow and steady pace. We reach Main Street and many other runner pick up the pace at this point. Not me. I know (from dad) that this is just an illusion. Wait for it... Wait for it... I hear the announcement that this is the minute where the majority of runners finish. Oh poop! The clock says 45:50. Not-ah! I am NOT letting that clock go past 46:00. I seriously growl and sprint to the finish line. I can't wait to see those pictures! I'm guessing I look like some kind of rabid she-beast.

My adjusted time was actually 43:22 or a 9:08 minute mile for the 4.748 miles (I don't know why they just don't called it 4.75...but hey). Not fast, but superb for me! Shannon finished in 37:44 or a 7:57 mile (yep, she's fast). And it was a blast! Thank you dad for giving me the motivation to run this again. And thank you for keeping the rain, snow, and extreme cold away too. I'll be running it again next year too. We'll run together again in December. Christopher Martin's time. Remember: It's for the children :o)

Our Slideshow of Dad/Rick

2010-11-08T21:09:00.000-05:00

Hopefully you enjoy these pictures as much as we do.

Thank you

2010-10-15T09:08:00.000-04:00

Thank you all so much for the edible arrangement. It was a welcome gift, as we had plenty of folks celebrating Rick's life yesterday. I will post some updates as the school he worked at will be doing some memorials in his honor and I would love to share those with you all. We are all hanging in there.

Kathy

photos

2010-10-11T14:59:00.000-04:00

They are not there yet, but eventually there will be a photo montage on the funeral home website. Lots of running photos as well as shots with family and friends.

details

2010-10-10T23:24:00.001-04:00

Once again thank you all for your heartfelt thoughts and comments. Every time I sign in to this blog or Rick's facebook page I am brought to tears by all of the memories and comments that you are posting. If you are interested, the details for Rick's wake and funeral can be found at www.aldersonfuneralhomes.com.

Thank you all

2010-10-10T07:54:00.000-04:00

Thanks to all of you who left comments yesterday. Rick was a runner to the end, even making sure to watch the Hartford Marathon in the morning, before heading out for what we thought was to be a short run to get back in the swing of things. I do not know the name of the young lady who participated in the Hartford marathon yesterday, but he was excited to see you on the news and it was one of the last things we talked about. Meg & Jill, I will never forget how excited he was to meet you in person and both he and I were amazed by your accomplishments and how cool it was that you were actually running THE BOSTON MARATHON! I will post the link for his wake and funeral once I have finalized them.
Have fun running and thank you all for thoughts and prays.

Kathy

The Last Run

2010-10-09T20:05:00.002-04:00

To all of Rick's followers and fans,

My dad had his last final run today. He passed away this morning doing what he loves... running. Please join us in praying for him.

"Warrior Dash" Report: This One's For You, Lindsay!

2010-09-22T20:50:00.006-04:00

(Lindsay guilted me into writing this report)

Please go to my Facebook page for pics. Also, the Warrior Dash website has pics of me. My bib number is 96227. I don't know how to post pics here-Help!!

Due to time limitations, and the fact that you really don't care what I did leading up to the "Dash," I now present for your entertainment, my Warrior Dash report.
As I stood in the roped off starting line area, waiting for the 12:30 start, I felt butterflies in the pit of my stomach. Ahead, as far as could be seen, was an uphill course. A very hilly, uneven, full of rocks and potholes, ski slope course. The course being described on the website as "3.23 hellish miles" should have tipped me off ahead of time that this event wasn't going to be easy. My 3 months of preparation in the gym, plus occasional 4 mile runs on the flat linear trail certainly hadn't included any hill work or adequately prepared me for the "hell" that lie ahead. Yup, I was more scared than I ever was running a marathon. The course consisted of not only the rough, uneven terrain, but also 13 obstacles that had to be overcome. I most feared obstacle 9, the "cargo (net) climb. Back in 1971, while in 9th grade gym class, we had a physical fitness test. Yes, THE dreaded physical fitness test. The one part of it I failed miserably at was the rope climb. I couldn't get more than a foot off the floor. Now I was going to have to climb up and over a 10 foot cargo net. Failure was not an option...but I'll get back to that. At 12:30, we began. At the start banner were flamethrowers, meaning these things that reminded me of the scene in the Wizard of Oz where they meet the great and mighty Oz, and he has these massive balls of flames that scare the shit out of them. Well, as my daughter, her boyfriend, and I went underneath them, they let out a roar, flames shot in the air, and it felt like we were already in hell. I jumped, and nearly had brown colored shorts before I even hit the muddy course. So off I ran. I was a warrior, and warriors run up hills. Even steep ski slope hills. Yup, that idea lasted about 100 yards. You know how you run a race, any race, and as you're running up a hill, you psych yourself up by telling yourself that once you reach the top, you'll be rewarded with a downhill part? Well, no such luck here. As I turned the corner, all I saw ahead was more steep uphill terrain. There wasn't a downhill to be seen. Oh, did I mention that a mountain goat would have had trouble walking up this terrain? I walked, I sweated, I laughed, and I swore. It was obvious that time wouldn't matter. Not falling down and killing myself was all that mattered. So I walked, and ahead in the first sorta level place lie obstacle #1, "Knee High Hell." Knee High Hell was about a hundred or so tires that I had to do the quickstep through. I was surprised at how easy it was. One down, 12 more to go. Shortly thereafter, I came to "Warrior Wall," a.k.a. a wooden wall. It wasn't too tall, and with my long legs, I easily climbed over it. Finally feeling better due to more level terrain, meaning not so steep but still lots of rocks and potholes, I came upon obstacle #3: "Tunnel of Terror." It consisted of two long, end-to-end black corrugated pipes that I had to crawl through. I'm guessing they were about 100 feet total. I got on my knees, looked ahead, saw no one was close by, and started my crawl. Almost instantly, I started to get claustrophobic. I felt confined; trapped. I forced myself to look at my hands, and crawled as quickly as I could. At the midway point, I got bruised where the pipes joined. I couldn't get out of them quickly enough. From there I went through the "Black Forest," which meant running through the woods and across muddy, rocky and slippery areas. I turned a corner, and could hear splashing noises ahead. Up over a small hill lie the "Slithering Swamp." As I went over the hill, I stopped dead in my tracks. Ahead was a pit filled with an unknown depth of water, and mud. LOTS of mud. The pit was about 100 feet long, and about 50 feet wide. Everyone ahead of me let out a blood curdling scream as they entered the "swamp." I was no exception. As soon as I entered the water, my feet sank into the mud on the bottom. The water was about 4 feet deep, and the coldest water I've ever been in. I quickly headed to my right, as the swamp didn't seem to be as deep there. My shoes were filled with mud, and it felt like cement. My clothes were weighed down from the water and mud. Traction was bad, and it was a struggle to get to the end. As I neared the end, I heard my daughter behind me calling for help. She was having difficulty moving, having already fallen in the swamp. I helped her reach the end, where there was a board or a mud-bank we could climb up and out. She couldn't get out of the swamp, so I did what every good father would have done. I put my hands underneath her ass, and pushed as hard as I could, while another person grabbed her arm and helped her out.I then somehow managed to climb out. Five obstacles down, 8 to go. Obstacle 6 was "Walk the Plank." My wife had been very "supportive" by telling me there was no way I could make it across without falling off. OK, so my sense of balance does suck. But that's mainly when I'm at Happy Hour. But that's another story. Anyhow, luckily for me the planks were short and wide, so I easily navigated them. Somewhere around this time, insanity began to set in. I could see the finish area, far below, and also hear the song "Domino" by Van Morrison playing. Yes, I started singing along very LOUDLY. Yes, people gave me strange looks. Anyhow, next came "Rip Van Winkle Way." Who makes up these names?! Rip Van Winkle Way was a series of wooden plank bridges with chicken wire on them for traction. It was challenging due to the wetness from all the swamp monsters going across it before me. Obstacle 8, the "Rio River" was next. It was supposed to be a dash down a river, but I don't recall even doing it. Perhaps it wasn't there, or perhaps I was more insane at that point than I realized. I do remember running what felt like across, rather than down, the slope. Down to my left I spied the dreaded cargo net. I took note of the fact that no one seemed to be having difficulty climbing up and over it. A downhill run, a left turn, and there was Obstacle #9. I was going to own it. I was going to redeem myself for the failed attempt at rope climbing. The f-in' cargo net was going to be my bitch. I took hold, started to climb, and was relieved that it was tight and easier to climb. As I neared the top, I was trying to figure out how I was going to do the up and over part. I decided on what a person at the top called a "combat roll." That's a polite way of saying I did a beached whale flop onto the top landing. Hey, it worked. I concentrated on grabbing on and finding a solid footing for my descent. A short time later, I was back on earth. I had conquered the cargo net. Obstacle 10 was supposed to be a flagstone wall. Ummm, I don't remember scaling a flagstone wall. Perhaps I was too pumped from Spiderman-ning the cargo net; perhaps at this point I had lost all sense of reality; perhaps the wall didn't exist at all. I'll let you pick one, and we'll move on. Next (#11)was the "Catskill Skid." That's a fancy way of saying a giant Slip 'N Slide. It kicked ass! Basically there was about a 50 yard long thick black plastic slide that was fed water by extremely large hoses. I was told that the recommended way to go down it was on my belly. I did, and was greeted by ice cold torrential downpours of water. But WOW, did I slide fast. I was yelling out like a child, and LMAO the entire time. As I hit bottom, I had to hurry up and get out of the way of other slip 'n sliders. The Warrior Roast was next, meaning I had to leap over hundreds of Duraflame-type logs. Ahead lie the final obstacle: "The Muddy Mayhem." That meant getting on my hands and knees and crawling underneath barbed wire and through a muddy water pit that was constantly kept muddy by a pay-loader dumping buckets full of dirt into it. It hurt like heck, because the plastic lining underneath was coming apart, so my knees were scraping on bare rock-infested ground, I still have the warrior wounds from that. Once I was through the pit, all that was left was to laugh a lot and stumble across the finish line. It was truly a fun and rewarding experience. Fun, for the reasons described in my report; and rewarding due to having received a warrior hat, swag, t-shirt, and one free beer for competing the course. As I was running the course, I was thinking about how difficult it was. Any road race I've run, there's always been points in the race where I could "rest," regroup, and let my guard down. That wasn't possible for the Warrior Dash. Even running downhill meant watching every step I took, in order to avoid rocks, slippery mud, potholes, and falling on my face. At no point did I feel like I could let up or let my mind wonder. When I completed it, I told my wife, daughter, and her boyfriend that it was more challenging than running a marathon. In some ways, I still believe it to be true. Bottom line is, if there's a "Warrior Dash" near you, go give it a shot. You'll be glad you did. Also, make sure you wear clothes that you're willing to throw away, and running shoes that you don't care about. I threw my entire running attire away, except the shoes, which they collected for a charity. P.S. A special shoutout to Jill aka onelittletrigirl for giving me the idea/motivation to enter a Warrior Dash. P.S.S. I just registered for next year's event!!

I AM A Warrior!!

2010-09-20T04:38:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I successfully completed the Warrior Dash. I believe it was more difficult than running a marathon. If you have the opportunity to participate in one, DO IT! It is the most difficult, yet most fun, 3+ miles of "running" that you'll ever experience. I'm going to write a race report later if I have the time.

The Farewell Run That Wasn't

2010-09-08T23:30:00.000-04:00

So, I have to apologize and thank 12 of you at the same time. Yesterday, I ran. I ran about 3.35 miles. I don't know the exact distance, or the exact time, since me being convinced I would never run again meant I neglected to charge my Garmin. So after 2 1/2 miles, it said a weak "so long" and shut off.
I ran because of all of you who commented on my pity-party-post. It had been 30 days since I attempted to run. My what were supposed to be final good-byes were said in my blog. I read and reread each and every one of your comments. Amazing how after months of not blogging, the 12 of you responded with kind words and words of encouragement. I also realized I wasn't the only one going through tough times with running and blogging. Most of you were in or still are in a similar situation. Yet you still write your blogs... Yet you still took the time to tell me everything's going to be ok, and that you care. You motivated me. You motivated me to get off of my sorry ass, and to go for a "final" farewell run on a beautiful 77 degrees day. It was 5 p.m., my son was at college and my wife was at work, so I had everything I needed-free time, a beautiful day, and the Farmington Canal Trail to run on. I put on my running shoes, drove the 2+ miles to the trail parking lot, parked, stretched, grabbed my mp3 player, turned it on, and was ready for the grand finale. I was hoping for as painless a run as possible, and assumed that I would be doing as much walking as running. Nothing that had happened lately would give me reason to believe that my knee wasn't going to give me hell. The pain was still noticeable, granted, not always, and walking up and down stairs, or even just walking at times, meant the sharp pain would appear on the inside part of my left knee. THE left knee that has caused me to go to two different P.T.'s the past year. THE left knee that caused me 3 months ago to join the P.T. gym with hopes of strengthening it. For three months I have gone to that gym, seen "Sweet Melissa," my former P.T., and "Gym Dame Donna", who works there and always has kind words to say. For three months I have increased my amount of weight I use, and my amount of reps. For some reason, I never quit. I never gave up. That is, until my latest post. Frustration, aggravation, jealousy, selfishness...you name it, I was feeling it. I reached out to my blogging buddies, posted my woes, and you responded. So there I was, poised to run at the beginning of the trail. I didn't want to start, because starting meant probable pain, probable pain meant I'd have to walk, and walking meant I was through (in my mind forever) running. But start I did. Slowly, to ease into running. I purposely chose songs that many of you suggested I download prior to running the NY City Marathon last November. You were and are still my motivators. As I reached my first goal, the small .31 mi. sign, I did a reality check. I was running at a 9 1/2 minute pace, slow for me, but so what?! I was running, and I was running well. I was running without pain, but I quickly pushed the thought out of my mind. I instead concentrated on my music, and my surroundings. Great music, with each song reminding me of you. Great scenery, with the trees in bloom, and a couple of pony-tailed runners passing me by on the opposite side. If you read my blog, you know I ♥ pony-tailed runners! I ran by elderly people walking hand-in-hand; by mothers pushing their children in strollers. Yes, it was a perfect time for a "last" run. As I neared the one mile mark, I still was pain free. Mile one was around 9 1/2 minutes, but to me it felt like I had only been running for 7 1/2 minutes. Nothing hurt, my breathing was good, my strides were good, and my form was good. I could see far away, down to the next street crossing, around the 1 1/2 mile mark. I decided to go for 3.25 miles, which is the distance of the Warrior Dash I'm competing in on 9/19. I figured I'd have a psychological edge if I could run that far before the "Dash." I continued on, grooving to the music, and just enjoying what was happening. As I crossed the street, I reached the halfway point of my run, and turned and headed back. I was grinning from ear to ear, and looked around, saw no one nearby, so I started singing out loud. I don't recall what I sang, nor does it matter. I was running...I was running without pain. I was enjoying the privilege of running, and I was going to make sure I enjoyed every step of it. Around the 2 1/2 mile point, as I said earlier, my Garmin stopped working. It really didn't matter. Time is only a number. A number that really doesn't matter. I'm so done worrying about my time. Yes, I charged my Garmin. Yes, I'll continue to time my runs. No, I won't worry about how "fast" or how "slow" I've run. I've also learned that it's ok not to be as fast as most of you; or that being faster than the rest of you isn't a big deal. We're all runners. We have that common bond. A bond that I never want to lose, no matter what. So in closing I'd like to once again say "Thank-you." To those of you unable to run right now, hang in there. Things WILL get better. I'm here for you, and so are all of your Followers. So, if you need to vent/whine/complain/yell/scream/say it isn't fair, please do. We care....we're here for you. As I've said before, I love all of you. Rick

I'm a Selfish Person

2010-09-05T08:08:00.005-04:00

My running days are over, at least for now. I haven't run since August 8th. My reoccurring left knee pain has returned, and despite doing everything I'm supposed to do to remedy the situation, it continues to hurt. Running just isn't possible right now. I joined the gym where I was going for P.T. 3 months ago, and continue to work on strengthening my lower body, and now recently my upper body. I'm actually running/participating in a "Warrior Dash" on September 19th in upstate NY, 150 miles from home. That is, if my knee will cooperate. My daughter and her boyfriend are also running in it.
I honestly have to say that I don't read your blogs anymore. For now it's too painful. It's too painful for me to read how much fun all of you are having running, how well you're doing, and the races you've completed and are training for while I can't run. Selfish, yes. But I'm being honest. I miss each and every one of you, I really do. Some of you are friends with me on Facebook, so at least we know how each other is doing, and I appreciate that. So, my plans are this. Go to my doctor, have him send me for an MRI, and then depending on the results of the MRI, decide what my future holds for running. There's an annual race tomorrow, Labor Day, that's 12.4 miles. A co-worker is running it. It's going to be a perfect day: 75 degrees. I've run in it every year. This year I'll be home feeling sorry for myself instead. This sucks. I want to run...I want to blog about my running, and most importantly I want to stop being so selfish and stubborn and read your blogs and comment on them. OK, I'm done. PLEASE let me know if you're running in any races in the Connecticut area (NY, Mass., etc.) in the upcoming months. I do want to support you. I do want to be sociable. I do want to read your blogs and comment on them. Time heals all wounds. I will be back. I WILL run again. You can count on it. Thanks for allowing me to vent. I love you all....

Yes, I'm Alive!

2010-06-24T14:29:00.002-04:00

Yes, I've missed all of you. LOTS to talk about, but of course there's not enough time now. If you're ever curious about what I'm up to, find me on Facebook. Rick Held

"Hello" Again!

2010-05-30T07:33:00.009-04:00

Farmington Canal Linear Park trail 71 degrees. 5 miles; Splits: 8:54; 8:58; 8:56; 8:56; 8:50 44:34; 8:54 per mile pace.

Thank-you to the 6 of you who commented on my short post yesterday. You're all nuts! :-)

Yesterday I ran. Yesterday I remembered what a gift it is to be able to run. Yesterday I appreciated the fact I can run; can enjoy running on a beautiful spring day, on a scenic trail, with lots of people enjoying the day and being active. Yesterday's "music" while I ran was the sounds of nature and people talking.

CRAZY past week. Sunday my wife Kathy and I celebrated our 29th anniversary at Mohegan Sun casino. We had a fun time, but of course didn't win big. However, a growler of Thomas Hooker beer and good food helped ease the pain of losing money. Then another type of loss on Monday. My son called me at 9 a.m. while we were at the casino to tell me my cat "Ace" had been hit by a car and died. Ace was my best bud. He was the cat at the pound that nobody wanted. He wasn't a "lap cat," or so everyone thought. When I told the pound a couple of years ago that I wanted to adopt him, they thought I was crazy. He had scratched me the day before when I petted him for what he thought was too long a period of time. He was a cat that thought he was a dog. We would wrestle; he would lay on my lap and wake me up if I fell asleep by shoving his butt in my face. He was a big boy-16 lbs. of love. He even sounded like he said "Hello" if you dared to ignore him whenever he wanted to go out or come in. So Ace is dead...buried in our backyard. We planted some perennials in his memory, and I'm moving on. We'll probably adopt a cat named "Charlie" from the pound today. Charlie is a macho kinda guy, and another cat that nobody wants to adopt since he's not a kitten. My son's cat, Reyes (named after Jose Reyes of the Mets) will be mad. Oh well! UPDATE: We adopted Charlie Sunday night. It pays to have a co-worker who also works at the pound :-)
I've been back to see "Sweet Melissa" for physical therapy (PT) twice this past week. I'm approved for 3 more visits, and this time I WILL get my shit together by joining the gym there and strengthening my ridiculously weak left leg, and not so strong either right leg. I have had absolutely no motivation to run lately. That's not like me. The weather has been perfect for running. I used to have the excuse that my left knee was bothering me. I don't have that excuse now. It feels about 90%, and I'm confident will be 100% real soon. I joined a running group a few months ago, but out of its 200 or so members, only about 5 actually go out and run as a group. They run about 10 miles from my house, which is fine. What isn't fine is their 8 a.m. weekend runs and no scheduled weekday evening runs. So I guess in reality the free running group I joined is not really a running group at all. I have a few co-workers that have told me for the past 6 months that they either want to learn to run, or just go for a run with me. You guessed it-it hasn't happened. I've given up reminding them it's time to get their asses out and run. So running alone=less motivation for me to run. I'm registered for a half in a month. Time to get it together. So, a start. I joined a team of 14 women and 3 men and will be running next Saturday, June 5th, in the Susan G. Komen Race For the Cure. It's a 5K race and walk to raise money for breast cancer. I'm on a team called "Sonny's Girls." LOL at the team name if you want. My daughter and 2 co-workers are on the team with me. We need to raise $1500 as a team. I know a lot of you donated money to team Autism Speaks when I ran the NY City Marathon last November, but if you have a spare $5 or so that you can donate, please do. Just click on the link here.
As usual, you guys are very supportive whenever I post. As usual, I'm a week behind on blogging. I won't apologize (Thanks, Anne), but I will say once again "Thanks." Thanks for reading my blog, thanks for writing your blogs, and most importantly THANKS for supporting "Iron Mike" after I posted on May 23rd that he needs our support. Isn't it wonderful what a great support group of runners/bloggers you all are? You're 73 of my favorite friends, even though I've only met 4 of you in person. Enjoy the remainder of this weekend, and don't forget the reason we have a three day weekend: It's not about the cookouts and sales at the mall. The real meaning behind Memorial Day is to honor service men and women who died while serving our country.

I Need to Get My Lazy Ass Out For a Run

2010-05-29T08:16:00.002-04:00

Please, no comments necessary (Unless you want to)! I have absolutely no motivation to run lately. What's up with that? Plus I'm a week behind with blogging. OK, I'm a visual learner, and since I posted this, now it means I HAVE TO get my lazy ass out for a run....and catch-up best I can on your blogs...and then post about how I didn't let myself down and actually did go for a run.

PLEASE Read This, A Fellow Runner Needs Our Support

2010-05-23T07:33:00.003-04:00

One of my Followers, 30 year old "Iron Mike," had a Transient Ischemic Attack, or a mini-stroke. As of this past Friday, he was in the hospital. His running blog only has five followers, as he's relatively new to blogging. It would be nice if all of you that follow my blog send him your "Get Well Soon" wishes via his blog. Also, please encourage your "Followers" to do the same. I'm also dedicating my next run to him, and hope that you and your Followers will also dedicate your runs to him. We as running bloggers are one large family. Let's all support "Iron Mike." Thank-you for your help. Rick

Important Stuff: Metabolism Explained in Simple Form

2010-05-16T17:50:00.010-04:00

Welcome new Followers: SeeGirlRun, Pat, and Ewa

Week in Review: 5/8-5/16

Total: Ran 4 days
17.4 miles total
2:31:36 total time; average pace per mile 8:42

8 days since my last post. I have not had the motivation to run or to blog. They're connected, in that when I do run, I don't have any outstanding runs to comment about. They're just runs. Period. They're runs that involve me forcing myself to get into my running clothes and go run. They're runs that I know will initially start with my troublesome left knee freaking out and perhaps giving me a twinge or two of pain, and definitely the "not quite right" feeling, followed by it behaving shortly thereafter for the rest of my run. Weird thing is that my knee bothers me the most whenever I'm lying in bed or standing or sitting still. It's "happiest" whenever I'm running. I said I was joining the gym at the physical therapy place I was going to. Well, I did but I didn't. They have all my paperwork, and my membership begins the first time I go there. The first time hasn't happened yet. It needs to happen. It needs to happen because 1 of 2 things will result. Either the exercises will strengthen my left leg and knee to the point where I can run "normal" again; or the exercises will not work and I'll go back to my doctor and insist on having a MRI on my left knee. I know I have crepitus , but I also feel like there's more to my knee problems than that. Joining the gym I found out yesterday will have an additional benefit. I attended a Weight Watchers staff meeting (I work for them part time) yesterday and learned about metabolism. I'm going to share with you the valuable information that was given to me. "Simply put, metabolism is the number of calories the body burns on a daily basis. The three components of metabolism are: 1) Resting Metabolism,
2) Physical Activity, and 3) Calories Used to Process Food.
1) Resting Metabolism consists of the calories used to keep the body going. Resting Metabolism is the biggest part of total metabolism; it burns between two-thirds to three-quarters of the calories your body uses in a day. The "engine" of Resting Metabolism is lean body mass, which includes muscles, bone mass, blood, organs-everything except the fat. Lean body mass is the biggest determinant of how many calories your Resting Metabolism requires. 2) Physical Activity: Calories burned in physical activity are the most variable part of metabolism, and also the component over which you have the most control. Physical activity is great, affecting more than one segment of metabolism. Resistance training can increase lean mass which increases Resting Metabolism. So, me joining the gym and doing resistance training for my leg(s) and knee has added benefits in that it should increase my lean muscle mass, which in turn increases Resting Metabolism, and Resting Metabolism burns between two-thirds and three-quarters of the calories your/my body uses in a day." A win-win situation for me, and those of you already using resistance training. Ladies, it's ok to hate us men. "Men have more lean mass and less body fat than women. So men have more lean body tissue. Therefore, at rest, men need more calories to keep that lean body tissue going, and we burn more calories in the course of the day. 3) Calories Used to Process Food accounts for 10% of the calories we burn everyday. Speaking of calories, studies have shown that people who eat a light breakfast weigh less than those people who skip breakfast or eat a heavy breakfast." P.S. I n my latest effort to eat/drink more healthy, I haven't had any diet soda (or any soda at all) since May 1st. Thank-you Jill for motivating me to make this healthy choice.

I Have a Life, and So Do You

2010-05-08T07:42:00.005-04:00

Week in Review: 4/30-5/7

Total: Ran 3 days; 11.1 miles; 1:35:47; average pace per mile 8:37

My job has gotten in the way of blogging. I work in a High School classroom as a Teacher's Assistant at a private school for students with learning disabilities. The past week has been hectic. The teacher I work with had 2 PPT's to prepare for and attend, meaning I pretty much ran the classroom for two days, we had a student from our lower school (elementary) visit our classroom for a day, and we're trying to complete 6 art projects per student x 9 students before next Thursday. Did I mention that two of our students are ADHD and not on meds?! You get the idea. I used to worry about not keeping up with everyone's blogs. I would feel like I was a bad person because after all, all of you are my "blog buddies," and blog buddies read one another's blogs and support one another. Then on April 27, Anne had a very meaningful comment to a post I wrote where I apologized for being a "slacker." She said "Don't think of it as slacking, think of it as having a life :)
We'll still be here..." That helped put everything into perspective for me. I'm up to 71 "Followers", with about 20 of you loyally commenting on my posts. I in turn comment on your blogs, and whatever other blogs I have time to read. I think all or most of us understand that if we don't comment on every post we read, that's ok. If we don't write about every run and/or workout we do, that's also ok. It doesn't mean we don't care, or we're not interested in each others blogs. It simply means we have a life. I needed to be told that. So, blog buddies, I still love you all, but no more apologies if I don't post in a timely manner, or if I get behind in reading your blogs. I have a life, as you do, and at some point I will make the effort to "ketchup" on your blogs and my blog. Especially those of you who are my loyal 20 Followers. By the way, I noticed that Anne is a Psychologist. I wish I lived closer to Quebec, Canada. I sure could use her services at times. :-) Thanks again, Anne.
My running continues to go well. I'm running less miles and less days per week, but my times are steadily improving. I'm not concerned with the miles and days run at this point. My next race is a 5K in four weeks, and my half marathon isn't until June 27. My left knee continues to be annoying, meaning it gets stiff while I sleep, and whenever I sit for an extended period of time. It doesn't hurt while I run, but the stiffness and crepitus don't appear to be going away any time soon. I've joined the fitness center at the physical therapy place I've been going to (not the one with "Hot Chick"), so next week I'll begin working on strengthening my weaker left leg. "Sweet Melissa," my latest P.T., is designing a strengthening exercise program for my bothersome left leg. I'm hoping the leg and knee exercises and stretching along with icing my knee post run will be an effective solution.
Well, I'm going to see if I can get caught up reading and commenting on your blogs this weekend. If I don't, then so be it. After all, I have a life, and so do you. However, I can always promise that your comment on my blog guarantees you my comment on your blog. Meaning, thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Have a great weekend, and kick ass(phault) if you're racing.

I Think I finally Get it...A Flashback

2010-04-30T04:45:00.004-04:00

Farmington Canal Linear Park trail 49 freakin' chilly degrees. 4 miles; Splits: 8:45; 8:24; 8:23; 8:22; 33:54; 8:28 per mile pace...I'm getting faster :-)

*Started this on Wednesday, finished it on Thursday. Re-posted it on Friday. :-)

Physical Therapy (P.T.) works. You knew that, right? P.T.'s have magic hands. Seriously. I've had P.T. for groin (You may laugh) and knee issues before, and have always managed to recover quickly and well. OK, just to clarify the groin part, no, the P.T. didn't use his hands on my groin area. (You may laugh again).
Yesterday I could have run, but chose to take an additional day off since I had P.T. and had used the gym. Not that I couldn't have run afterward, but decided to wait the extra day just to be safe, since my left knee isn't quite 100%. It's probably 98%, but hey, why should I have risked it? OK, I confess that I dogged it. Instead I ran today with a 25 mile per hour wind blowing into my side and a chilly 49 degrees temperature. My attire of the day consisted of wearing both a short sleeved and a long sleeved tech shirt, and shorts. I refused to wimp out and wear long running pants. I drove to the linear trail, figuring the trees there would help block the wind, and also knowing the wind would be blowing into my sides rather than my face. Smart, huh?! Had I run my road route, I would have started my run by running into the wind. Not smart. Call me a wuss if you'd like, but at least I was a warm wuss unimpeded by the wind. I decided to wear my MP3 player so I would focus more on the music and less on the sound of the wind howling.
The trees trick worked, the music sounded great (I ♥ the 70's tunes), and so did my wind strategy. Even more important, I felt fantastic. My knee wasn't an issue at all. Once again I felt the old faster mojo return. Flashback here...A few weeks ago, as I was just beginning P.T., I was looking at my 5K race times and my road run and linear trail run times from a few years ago. Three years ago almost to the day I ran a 23:24 5K (7:32/mile pace) race. At that time, I could run a 7:45-8 minute per mile pace on the road and trail. I never incorporated any kind of weight training, speedwork, or anything extra into my routine. I just ran, and ran well. Then came my running 4 marathons over a 2 1/2 year time period, from May 2007 to November 2009. Again, I was just running, and not doing any extra training. During that 2 1/2 year period of time, I learned how to pace myself in order to survive the 26.2 miles marathon distance. That meant running more of a slower and steady pace. More training meant running longer distances, running longer distances meant being more susceptible to injury (Hey, I feel 23, but I am 53), and lo and behold, I've had foot, knee, and groin injuries the past 3 years. Last year after training for six months for the NY City Marathon using the Jeff Galloway run-walk-run training method, I decided to test it by run-walk-running the Hartford Marathon first. I was afraid of "hitting the wall" while running the NY City marathon, since my previous marathon, the 2008 Hartford Marathon, I had done exactly that with about 7 miles to go. I toughed it out after having a mini meltdown, which consisted of me giving the spectators my "death stare" as they cheerfully proclaimed that I "only had fill-in-the-blank starting with 7 miles to go," and also stopping at the remaining water stations and drinking water and crumbling up the empty cups and slam dunking them into the garbage cans. I finished with my best marathon time of 4:22:19...go figure. So after run-walk-running the Hartford Marathon October 10 and the NY City Marathon three weeks later (November 1), I decided that I was done running marathons forever. Yes, I still feel that way. Anyhow, the groin pain I had been ignoring for the months leading up to those two marathons finally got the best of me, and I ended up going to P.T. and seeing "Nuno/Nemo", Hot Chick, and ADHD Dave for the month of February. For those of you new to my blog, it's all documented in my February posts. After finally being cleared to run, I was somehow able to run and finish the NY City Half Marathon on March 21st, despite having a "long run" of 7 miles. My left knee pain returned from a 2 year hiatus the beginning of this month, so it's been back to P.T. since April 6th for me. I decided that even though I liked Nuno/Nemo, Hot Chick, and ADHD Dave, I was going to go back to the P.T. place I had used before. Today (Thursday) was my last day seeing "Sweet Melissa." She told me I have "graduated" from P.T., since my only remaining problem with my left knee is the stiffness that comes and goes. The "snap, crackle, pop sounds" that I still have are due to crepitus, but that's nothing to worry about. I gave "Sweet Melissa" a thank-you card with 5 scratch off lottery tickets in it. She wants to go to Hawaii, her fiancee' wants to go to Paris for their honeymoon in October. I told her she'll win enough $$ to be able to do both.
All this babbling leads me to the present/now/today. My pace per mile has been improving a great deal since I'm groin and knee pain free. For the first time in a long time, I can run normal, meaning without compensating for having pain. I'm starting to think that just maybe I can regain most, if not all, of the speed that I had three years ago. I'm no longer training for marathons, so the slow and steady running rule can be put to rest. I've always been a better than average runner, meaning I usually finish in the top 60-70% in the 5K races I run in, and around the middle of the pack in longer distances races. I like it like that. There's absolutely no pressure for me to run any faster than I want to or am able to, since I'm "average." Last May I actually finished 2nd in my division, in a 5K that was new. For that I received an award of four 2 oz. bags of Brioni coffee and a "Hotel California Tequila" t-shirt. You may laugh, but I was damn proud to receive that award in front of my fellow runners, and having them clap for me. If that's the one and only time I win an award running, so be it. At my age, I'm more interested in the pure enjoyment of running. As it says on the top of my blog, "I run, therefore I am." Being able to run is a gift; a gift we should be thankful we have, a gift we should always appreciate and enjoy. Being a runner is a privilege. A privilege that not everyone can enjoy. As a runner, we owe it to ourselves while out on a run to do whatever it takes to have fun. Bask in your ability to enjoy the sights, smells, and sounds while you're running. There are no bad days of running. A bad day of running is better than a good day of not running or not being able to run."
P.S. Duct tape does a great job of holding an ice pack to my knee. However, it hurts when I pull it off my skin. So I guess I don't recommend using duct tape to keep ice on your knee.
3 comments:

Tricia said...

"A bad day of running is better than a good day of not running or not being able to run."

LOVED that.

today on my blog I said, "After all...a little bit of running is better than no running at all." in reference to me having to come back slow from an injury.

Running IS a gift. :) Thanks my friend, this was great.
April 29, 2010 9:54 PM
Steel Springs said...

Yeah! Congratulations on your graduation! Great post.
April 29, 2010 10:35 PM
Cynthia O'H said...

Glad you're finding your mojo again.
April 29, 2010 11:15 PM

Ragnar Relay: May 21-22: CT to MA

2010-04-28T21:29:00.003-04:00

I can run on a Ragnar Relay team from New Haven, Connecticut to Boston, Massachusetts if I find one more person to run with me on a team of 12. Anyone interested??

"Ketchup" Time

2010-04-27T17:39:00.002-04:00

Is there a Slacker Blogger" award? If so, I graciously accept it. I have blogger writer's block. I've been running, but my runs have been BORING. I still haven't seen roller blading, disco dancing, karaoke singing, linear trail lady. (See my May 20, 2009 post about her). I haven't had any of "Rick's excellent adventures." My latest runs were last Thursday, a 4.1 miler at a very fast for me 8:31 per mile pace; and this past Saturday 6 miles at an 8:44 per mile pace. I'm happy to say I have been meeting my goal of running my splits in under 9 minutes. My P.T. "Sweet Melissa" has continued to work her magic by kneading my left knee. My knee pain hasn't returned, and today she had me spend more time in the gym doing strengthening exercises for my left leg and knee. Thursday I will be "graduating" (as she called it) from P.T. and be on my own to continue stretching and strengthening. I'm seriously considering spending $35/month for at least the next two months to use their gym. It's five minutes from work, it's usually empty or nearly empty when I get out of work, and obviously I know what equipment to use and how to use it there. I won't lie, having "Sweet Melissa" around would be a bonus also. Time to go "ketchup" on your blogs and see what everyone's been up to. Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comments.

A Feel Good Post and New P.T.'s Nickname

2010-04-21T17:29:00.008-04:00

Welcome new Followers misszippy and SeeGirlRun.

As usual, I'm behind posting and reading your posts. However, since tax season is officially over, and my wonderful wife Mrs. Marathonman (Kathy) isn't working seven days a week and about 85 hours a week, I should be caught up in no time fellow bloggers.
First, my running. My last three runs have been pain free. No groin issues, no knee issues, no nothing. I'm giving all the credit to my current Physical Therapist, Melissa. Melissa is about 4 feet, 10 inches tall, standing on her tippy-toes. Like always, I'm going to be a typical male and say that I appreciate her nice personality as well as her exterior features. I will go as far as saying she's got better exterior features than my last P.T. interest "Hot Chick" (aka Lindsay). I've come up with not one, but two nicknames for her. First, I'm showing my age here, but in 1972 The Allman Brothers Band released a song called "Sweet Melissa." So, Sweet Melissa is nickname number 1. A less flattering nickname I've come up with is "Negative 15." Negative 15 refers to the fact that I'm 15 inches taller than her. Of the two, I of course like Sweet Melissa. You're welcome to express your opinion when you comment. Anyhow, Sweet Melissa today did her knee kneading (I'll never wash that knee again), followed by having me go into the gym, and doing five exercises, two of which involved strengthening my weaker left leg. Finally, a P.T. who I believe understands my leg and knee issues. Unfortunately I will be on my own after two more visits thanks to my sucky new insurance, which only approved five P.T. sessions. OK, I confess, two more sessions will be enough if (knock on wood) my knee continues to behave.
I've actually been running without listening to music, and for now enjoying it that way. Listening to myself panting and puffing while I'm appreciating the sights, sounds, and smells (good and bad) of spring here in Connecticut has been my "music." It's a beautiful time of the year here. The trees are getting leaves, the leaves and tree buds are a rainbow of colors, and the warmer temperatures means shorts and a short sleeved tech. shirt when I run. It's definitely perfect running weather. It's especially nice running on the Farmington Canal Linear Trail in Cheshire and Hamden. The birds and swans are back, the squirrels are once again scaring the shit out of me by darting in front of me, and occasionally I'll even see some deer. Most importantly, warmer weather means more female ponytail runners. Sorry, I couldn't resist. However, I have yet to see roller blading, disco dancing, karaoke singing, linear trail lady. (See my May 20, 2009 post about her).
In other news, remember the 6K race in NY City that I was going to run this past Sunday? Well, I didn't. Instead, my wife and I drove to Boston for the quick meet-up with Meg and Jill that I talked about in my last post. Three days later, I'm still so happy that it happened. Unfortunately we couldn't stay over and watch the Boston Marathon as I had originally planned. But, I already have a game-plan for next year's Boston Marathon. Today at work I received our school calendar for next year. Guess what? I'm off the entire week of April 18-22. My point is, next year's Boston Marathon is on April 18th. So next week I'm reserving a room at the Boston Marriott Copley Place for the marathon. Yup, THE hotel where I met Meg and Jill, and that has the awesome sports bar, and is close to all the marathon pre-race, raceday, and post-race action. I'm also going to register to run the 5K race there too. (Got that, Jill)?!

Me, Meg, and Jill in Boston

2010-04-19T18:01:00.005-04:00

Since I wasn't able to go see the Boston Marathon this year as planned, my wife and I drove up there the day before and had a quick (1/2 hour) get-together Meg and Jill. It was so nice meeting them, and they're as down-to-earth as I expected. Meg kicked the Boston Marathon's ass today, but I won't spoil it for her by telling you guys about it. Jill helped out Katie by walking with her, and again I'll allow Jill and Katie to tell you guys about it.
Invite: If any of my blogging buddies want to run the Hartford Marathon (Or half marathon) on October 9th, you have a place to stay at our house. I'm through running marathons, but will be running the half marathon that day.

Hey Boston Marathon Runners!

2010-04-18T07:49:00.002-04:00

The Mrs. and I are headed your way today! I/We would love to be able to meet you. If I haven't already text you (Meg, Jill, Lindsay) or e-mailed you (Ginny, Katie), and you want to meet the one and only Marathonman Runs Again, then please e-mail me at cotaman@yahoo.com and we'll make that happen today! Unfortunately we won't be able to be in Boston for the marathon, but I figured this was the next best thing.

Attention "Bawston" Marathon Runners

2010-04-14T05:56:00.013-04:00

Yesterday's Run: Road: 4 miles; Splits: 9:22; 9:22; 9:05; 8:45; 36:34; 9:08 per mile pace.

This was started: 4/14, completed 4/15...Man, I'm so far behind in this blogging thing...

"Bawston" runners may skip to the end of this post if they'd like. The rest of you must read my entire post first. That's my rule. Deal with it (JK).

I don't know if it was the magical hands of "P.T. Lisa" kneading my knee on Monday, but holy crap I CAN do this road running thing without gasping for breath and having my left knee feel like it's going to implode. I almost wimped out and ran on the trail again, but decided to challenge myself and (gasp) actually run on the road and up some difficult hills. A half mile into my run, as I ascended what I have at times called "The hill from hell." Well, this time it wasn't. I totally expected to be sucking wind and questioning why I still run. I wasn't and didn't. So I raised the bar, as they say, and decided to attempt another longer, more gradual incline (Maple Avenue, for my wife who's probably reading this post). It wasn't difficult at all. It actually went well, and OMG, felt good! Left knee still has issues, but at least the days of experiencing sharp, feels like a knife is stuck in the side of my kneecap, are gone. Hopefully whoever I'm seeing for P.T. this morning will have magic hands like Lisa did the other day. Unfortunately I'm seeing someone different today. Hopefully she will have a weird name, or say or do something entertaining. It's boring laying on a table for half an hour while my knee gets kneaded. My ADD needs to be entertained. I'm not promising to catch up on all your blogs today. However, a comment on my blog guarantees a witty comment from me on your blog. Yup, I'm going elementary school for now. I won't comment on your blog unless you comment on mine. But you won't know that unless you're reading my blog right now. So, never mind.
Attention "Bawston" Marathon Runners...I want to stalk you. My wife and I are going to be there to cheer you on, and of course to have a few brewskies and watch the Red Sox game if we can get cheap tickets. Anyhow, please tell me your bib number and any other pertinent info. that will help me to possibly catch a glimpse of you running by wherever I happen to end up viewing the course from. In return, I promise to make a complete jackass out of myself by yelling out your name if I see you. Then if you actually hear me, you can ask yourself who the jackass was that was yelling your name out from somewhere in the crowd. Also, if I happen to get near the finish line afterwards, I can actually stalk/look for you, and get a nice sweaty and smelly hug from you. On second thought, a handshake will be fine. Oh, and if you so desire, e-mail me at cotaman@yahoo.com and give me your cell phone number, and I'll give you mine. This will probably be the one and only chance we can meet. If I haven't scared you away yet, go e-mail me NOW! Oh, and good-luck. I know all of you will do well, even you, "Birthday Girl" Jill. Meg, I'll take a sweaty hug from you. Lindsay, you'll do well, because you ALWAYS do well. Other "Bawston" blogging buddies, identify yourself now. You deserve a shoutout too!
P.S. For those of you running at Boston, and for those of us wishing we were running at Boston, I present a one hit wonder: Hocus Pocus, by Focus. Yes, I'm showing my age here, but I dare you to listen to it. No, I double-dog dare you to listen to it!! I just know you'll be "yodeling" in no time...

Random Stuff, and Free Stuff

2010-04-12T12:44:00.010-04:00

Want these hydration belts? They're slightly used, in great condition, the bottles are clean, and they're FREE! Just reimburse me for shipping. Post a comment telling me you which one you want. UPDATE 4/13: Black belt with white and black bottles is the only one still available; adjustable size L/XL (maybe will fit size medium also).

Saturday's Run: Farmington Canal Linear Park trail ?? degrees. 4 miles; Splits: 8:32; 8:32; 8:48; 8:39; 34:31; 8:37 per mile pace.

Thursday's Run: Farmington Canal Linear Park trail 73 degrees. 4 miles; Splits: 9:05; 8:57; 9:08; 8:58; 36:08; 9:02 per mile pace.

I'm WAY behind in posting and reading blogs. It's because of my hard working wife working 7 days a week (About 85 hours a week) now as a CPA. She's pretty much home long enough to sleep, shower, get dressed, and go back to work. The extra hours I'm spending helping our 24 year old disabled son has taken me away from blogging. I'm not complaining, just letting you know why I'm not posting and commenting. Heck, if anyone should be complaining, it's her. The end is near: Thursday is April 15th.
Today was my first Physical Therapy (PT) appointment. I'm scheduled for twice a week for the next two weeks, which should be enough. It better be enough, since I have a $20 copay per visit. I really don't have any good PT stories to tell. I saw "Lisa" today, and she spent the half hour session kneading my knee. I'm going to a different P.T. place than I did in February. I just feel more comfortable going there (I've been there before for P.T.)and that's the reason I went back to them. My knee feels MUCH better. I found out the "snap, crackle, pop sounds" are due to crepitus. From the internet: "Crepitus is really just noise and/or vibration that you can feel when you bend and straighten the knee. When you go to the doctor (or P.T.) and s/he moves the leg with a hand over the knee and head tilted, they are trying to see if there is any noise or vibration coming from the knee. Some have likened the sound of crepitus to rice krispies." Crepitus can occur with or without pain. If you have no pain, then it's usually left alone." Which translated means I'm a lucky man!
I pushed myself and ran faster this past Saturday. I was pleased with my splits, and my total time. My endurance still sucks. That too will improve as my knee pain lessens and my amount of days running increases. I have a 6K race this Sunday in NY City. I'm not driving there, so at least I won't have to worry about getting a parking ticket. Well, I'm out of time. Don't forget to let me know if you want either of the hydration belts. Hopefully later this week I can catch up on how everyone's doing. If not, definitely next week.

Good News Tuesday

2010-04-06T19:22:00.006-04:00

I received good news today, and Meg received GREAT news today. Click on Meg's name to read her story. So my good news is that I went to physical therapy today for my "eval," and the P.T. dude's name was "Naga." What's up with that?! First "Nuno," now "Naga?" I must be on Candid Camera (Yes Meg, I'm dating myself here)or something. Anyhow, to make a long story short, it appears I'm OK to run. Best he can tell is that I don't have any meniscus tears or anything seriously wrong. Of course he twisted and turned my leg and knee every which way, and I never felt any pain. I'll be spending some time in their gym doing strengthening exercises and stretching. Oh, and I found out that I've been doing my stretching wrong, and therefore making my knee pain and other pains even worse. More on this late breaking story as details become available...meaning I couldn't schedule any P.T. appointments today, so I have to call and schedule them tomorrow. Thanks everyone for your well wishes-they worked. :-)

Hurts So Good??

2010-04-05T16:03:00.002-04:00

Yesterday's Run: Road: (warm) degrees. 3.11 miles; Splits: 8:53; 9:02; 8:54; :51; 27:40; 8:53 per mile pace.

My P.T. appointment is tomorrow. Thank goodness. Running is not fun right now. It hurts; my left knee is hurting, especially when I first start to run. After the first 3/4 of a mile or so, the pain isn't as bad. It isn't bad enough to keep me from running, but it's painful enough to know that if I continue to ignore it, it won't get better. I have the "Here we go again" feeling. My left knee has hurt before, but not the kind of hurt that when I begin to run, it almost feels as if something's not attached, or loose, inside of my left kneecap. Funny thing is, my total time and splits time are the same. Go figure.

An Uneventful Run

2010-04-03T08:00:00.006-04:00

Yesterday's Run: Road/Linear Trail: 58 degrees. 6.1 miles; Splits: 9:36; 9:23; 9:07; 9:24; 9:18; 9:15; :52; 56:55; 9:19 per mile pace.

Welcome new Follower/Stalker Jen

Another run dedicated to someone who's unable to run right now: Jill. Yes, I've dedicated runs to her before, but she has a special place in my heart, because she's so freakin' funny with her comments on my blog, and in her blog. Go check out her wetsuit adventure here.

Interesting run yesterday. I wanted to run before it got too hot to run without water. I like running in the warmer weather (Duh, who doesn't?!), but I don't like wearing my running belt and carrying water bottles. I feel like I'm weighed down too much. Do any of you know a good alternative to wearing a running belt with water bottles? Or perhaps a lightweight water bottle belt? I drove to the linear trail and even at 11 a.m. the parking lot was full. I parked across the street, did my stretches, and off I went. I wanted to run 5 miles, and decided that at least half of them had to be on the road. I had what's lately become my typical slow and whiny first mile. My left knee was letting me know it could "implode" at any time, and my lungs were letting me know that I still had some work to do to regain my stamina. So, my mainly uphill first mile split time was a slow for me 9:36. Mile 2 was a little better and easier, with a slight downhill section to help, and was a 9:23. Finally I felt warmed up, and reached mile 3 and the linear trail at 9:07. While on the trail I had lots of company, including my favorite running companions, pony tail girls, which always helps me run better. I absolutely, positively hate running alone. The running group I joined as of now does 8 a.m. weekend runs, which is too early for me because of parental responsibilities. Anyhow, while on the trail, I decided I was going to run 6 miles total. So as Rachael/Garmin beeped for mile 4, I turned back and headed for remaining two miles back to my car. I was feeling ok, but not as strong as I would have liked. So I took the slow and steady mentality, plus enjoyed the weather, scenery, and company I had. My split times from miles 4-6 improved from a 9:24 to a 9:18, to a 9:15. So overall, I ran 1.1 miles farther than I had planned, at an overall pace of 9:19. Certainly not a great run, but a run I'm very satisfied with since I completed the extra mile, my knee didn't "implode," and my time was decent. My knee actually feels better today than it has in a while. I'm hoping to run tomorrow, and then rest it until my P.T. appointment on Tuesday. Have a great weekend everyone, and Good Luck to anyone out there who's running in a race.
P.S. Go and read and say "Hi" to another running blogger, Erin She's a great gal, and needs to feel the love of our comments.

Quick Update and Shoutouts, Outline Form

2010-04-01T04:38:00.013-04:00

Sunday's Run: Farmington Canal Linear Park trail: 38 freakin' chilly degrees. 4 miles; Splits: 9:13; 9:07; 9:03; 8:50; 36:13; 9:03 per mile pace.

Yesterday's Run: Road: 53 degrees. 4 miles; Splits: 9:13; 9:04; 9:05; 8:48; 36:10; 9:02 per mile pace.

Welcome new Followers/Stalkers Jennifer, Jameson, Sherri, and Psyche.

1) The official diagnosis of my left knee pain: Lateral Meniscus pain.
a. Meaning I've scheduled an appointment for P.T. next Tuesday
b. I scheduled it at the P.T. place I used to go, meaning no Nuno or Hot Chick
c. I'll explain why next week
d. Of course it now feels a lot better since I scheduled the appt.

2) I received the Chobani yogurt I won from Denise two weeks ago. It's been gone for a week. I miss it dearly.

3) I dedicated Sunday's run to Jill. Go to her blog, leave her a comment, and tell her I made you do it. Jill rocks, and is bummed that she can't run right now. We've all been there. She needs our support. So again, go read her blog and say nice things to her.

4) I dedicated yesterday's run to Carlee. I found out via Facebook that she went for an MRI to see what's up with her aches and pains. Fingers crossed for you, Carlee.

5) I received a very nice hand written thank-you card from Hannah. She's training and running as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training, and raising money for them. I was happy to donate to her cause. She's raised about $4000 so far, which was her original goal, so has upped her goal to $6500. Go Hannah! By the way, she's my adopted blogger "daughter," and I'm her blogger "Dad." Sweet, huh?!

6) After four straight days of rain (anywhere from 5-10 inches total in Connecticut), it's finally going to be sunny and warm. Hello running in shorts, goodbye long pants.

7) "I Fought the Law, and the Law Won" (The Clash: 70's song). I couldn't have my NY City parking ticket dismissed for them having the wrong color (purple) of my car on the ticket. I was able to pay $25 less, meaning $90 instead of $115. OUCH.

8) I've decided to leave my blog with the same name, and the new layout. Final Answer.

Inspiration Through Perspiration

2010-03-28T21:10:00.005-04:00

Check out the pic above. Yup, that's me completing my first marathon on May 5, 2008. Hillery, a good friend of mine, helped me come up with the design. I'm either changing my blog's name to "Inspiration Through Perspiration," or putting that underneath my "Marathonman Runs Again" header. Can someone please tell me how I would change the name and address of my blog should I choose to?? Comments also, please, on the new me!

Check Out My Hot (NOT) Half Marathon Race Pics

2010-03-26T04:38:00.007-04:00

Here they are. Try not to laugh too much. Yup, that's me with the not-so-sexy legs and grey mustache.

Farmington Canal Linear Park trail: 54 degrees. 4 miles; Splits: 9:11; 9:13; 9:02; 8:41; 36:07; 9:01 per mile pace.

I finally went to see the "doctor" about my left knee pain this past Wednesday. It was actually not feeling too bad considering I ran a half this past Sunday. "Debbie's" official title is not "Doctor." She's the next best person to see when your doctor doesn't have an opening, and of course I have no idea what her degree is or what her official title is. So I'll just call her "The Other Doctor," or "TOD." TOD informed me that her husband is a runner. Bonus point for her. She also said I'm having left medial meniscus pain. Fortunately I do not have a tear. Bonus point for me. She wrote me a prescription for 500 mg. of Naproxin, which is anti-inflammatory. I don't really like taking drugs, but in this case I feel it's worth the risk. Of course, like any drug, it comes with a warning about possible side effects: "Taking an NSAID can increase your risk of life-threatening heart or circulation problems, including heart attack or stroke. NSAIDs can also increase your risk of serious effects on the stomach or intestines, including bleeding or perforation (forming of a hole). These conditions can be fatal and gastrointestinal effects can occur without warning at any time while you are taking an NSAID. Older adults (Is 53 considered old by drug manufacturer standards?) may have an even greater risk of these serious gastrointestinal side effects. By taking Naproxin you may suddenly have the urge to sing Culture Club songs. Taking Naproxin during a full moon may increase the risk of growing facial hair and cause you to howl. Naproxin should only be taken during an even minute of an odd hour on an odd day. OK, I'm lying about the last three things. She also wrote me a referral for Physical Therapy. I'm not going there unless I really have to, due to my $20 per visit copay...although the thought of seeing "Hot Chick" again does appeal to me. Oh well, saving money is more important than our visual friendship. :-)
Anyhow, I went for a 4 miler yesterday on the trail. It was pretty uneventful, but I was very happy with my splits, especially the last 2 miles. I had a PPG (Ponytail Pace Girl) for my last two miles. I'm proud to say I "duded" her the last half mile and beat her. Like anyone else, I run better with company, and I guess I should credit her with my faster last two miles.
I registered for my favorite half marathon yesterday. It's not until June 27th, so I have plenty of time to properly train for it. I'm also running the "Dow Live Earth Run for Water New York 6K" on April 18th in New York City. The Dow Live Earth Run for water is a worldwide event, so there may be one near you. Here's some information about it: "Taking place on April 18, 2010, the event will consist of a series of 6 km runs/walks (the average distance many women and children walk every day to secure water) occurring over the course of 24 hours. The events will feature live musical performances and water education activities in an effort to ignite a massive global movement to put an end to this epidemic." Here's the link.

New York City Half Marathon Report

2010-03-23T18:15:00.011-04:00

New York City Half Marathon: 2:05.39 (9:35/Mile pace). 7,109 of 11,494 finishers; 223 of 335 men’s ages 50-54.
Splits: 1) 9:01 2) 8:57 3) 9:04 4) 9:20 5) 9:01 6) 10:00 7) 9:13 8) 9:23 9) 9:09 10) 9:11 11) 9:32 12) 9:48 Last 1.55 miles: 14:00. Total Time: 2:05:39 (9:35/Mile pace). Garmin says I ran 13.55 miles.

(It's a LONG one-feel free to skim through it!)
*Boring pre-race stuff: I set my alarm for 3:30 a.m. I woke up and for a few seconds considered crawling back under the warm covers. Left brain was already trying to be sensible. I instead staggered to the Keurig coffeemaker, which by the way I have named "Katie." Get it, Katie Keurig (Couric)?! OK, bad joke, I know. Katie wouldn't cooperate and brew me a cup of coffee, so I went to Plan B, as in my Black and Decker coffeemaker. Five minutes later I was inhaling my cup of java and ready to get dressed. I had left my running gear downstairs in the guest bedroom so that I wouldn't disturb my wife as I got dressed. I also knew that going up and down the stairs would be a good race morning test of my knee pain. My knee passed the pain test no problem, so there was no turning back. I had decided to wear a short sleeved tech shirt and my long sleeved NY City Marathon over it, along with shorts with long sweats over them. I put globs of petroleum jelly on and between my toes, put on my shoes, attached my D-Tag, and was ready to roll. Well, almost ready to roll. First I had to get rid of the previous night's chili dinner. I knew that eating chili the night before would be a good strategy race morning. Score one for me. I started my car, programmed the address of a parking garage near Central Park into my TomTom (Appropriately named after my wife Kathy, who like my TomTom likes to tell me what to do and where to go), and off I drove. I had a 90 mile drive ahead of me, which Kathy was telling me would take about an hour and forty-five minutes. I would be arriving at Central Park around 6:30 if all went well, so that would give me an hour to park, check my bag, use the portapotty, stretch, and get to the start line. Driving at 5 a.m. on a Sunday morning sure is easy. I've never had an easier time driving from Connecticut to NY. I had the mandatory bathroom stop at Mickey D's about halfway there, followed by two close calls of nearly sharting (damn chili)myself. TomTom did a great job navigating me to the city, and I arrived close to my parking garage destination at about 6:15. Problem was, as Tom Tom announced "You have reached your destination," I couldn't see my destination. The parking garage, which I had researched at home and decided to park in since it was only 4/10 of a mile from Central Park, was nowhere to be seen. Great, NY City has invisible parking garages?! I will add that I don't have the best night vision in the world. If it's not well lit or brightly colored, chances are I won't see it if it's dark out. I drove slowly since no one was close behind me, squinting and desperately looking for anywhere I could park. I turned left, and drove by the baggage drop off area, and saw area 4, which was my drop off area. At least I would know where to go if I found a place to park. I circled back to where TomTom was insisting the parking garage was. I looked on both sides of the street, and still didn't see it. I was starting to panic. It was now 6:30, so I had 30 minutes to find a parking place and drop off my bag. I did one last drive-by where the parking garage was supposed to be, again couldn't find it, and headed back to Central Park. I stopped and asked two of New York's finest (Police Officers) where I could park. They both looked at one another, and one of them said "They didn't tell us where to tell people to park." Great. It was 6:40, there were taxi's all over the place dropping off runners, and I wasn't moving. I was starting to panic. I finally navigated through the taxicab obstacle course, and a parking space appeared on the right. There were cars parked ahead of me, and behind me, so I decided it was a legal on-street curbside parking space. I got out of my car, looked at the curb (not painted yellow), looked for "No Parking" signs (none), looked for any "No Parking on Sunday" signs (there were, but 100 feet behind me). To be 100% sure I was legally parked, I asked a police officer who was sitting in his parked car in a "No Parking on Sunday" space 100 feet behind my car if it was alright for me to park up there, and I pointed to my car. His response was "I don't know." I told him that I didn't see any signs that said I couldn't park there, and since I was from Connecticut, I wanted to make sure my car wouldn't be towed or ticketed. I received absolutely no response from him. I guess that should have been a clue that something was up, but since it was now 6:45, I had been driving around in circles for a half hour, and I had 15 minutes left to check my bag, I wasn't exactly thinking logically. I now know that "I don't know" in NY City police officer talk means "Thank-you for helping me meet my ticket quota for the month." Yup, after the race I had a $115 parking ticket on my car. It turns out that I was parked in a Bus Stop area that had a sign about 10 feet up on a light pole that was about 100 feet ahead of my car. There was no way for me to see the sign in the darkness. Had I been parked behind the light pole (Instead of in front of it) that had the sign with the arrow pointing away from my car on it, I would have been legally parked. I was supposed to know that. I'm going to plead "Not Guilty" since I did some online research and found out that if they make a mistake on your parking ticket, and you plead not guilty, it will probably either be thrown out or the fine will be reduced. Lying colorblind police officer put that my car is purple. My car is black. Did Nissan ever make a purple car? I think not. So I'm sending a copy of my registration along with my "Not Guilty" plea and hoping for the best. By the way, in the brightness of day, I saw the parking garage sign that I was unable to see in the dark just 4 hours earlier. Yes, the parking garage and a few others were all within close proximity of the area of my illegally parked "purple" car.
*Boring Race Report: I was glad I was #4361. By the way, as hard as I tried, I couldn't relate any part of my number to anything. 43? 61? Nope, no special meaning. Well, at least they both added up to lucky "7." So I guess I did come up with something interesting about my number. Anyhow, with about 15,000 runners, being lined up in the 4000 group meant it only took me 4 minutes and 15 seconds to get to the start line once the race began. We ran up a slight, longish hill, around a corner, down a slight hill, and were moving fairly well for the first mile. I don't remember many details, except that I was constantly monitoring my left knee to see if I was feeling any twinges of pain. I was also concerned about pacing myself slow enough to survive the 13.1 miles, since my longest training run had been 7 miles, and I hadn't run more than that since the NY City Marathon last November 1st. My mouth was already feeling like I had "cotton mouth," and of course my gum was in my illegally parked car. Mile 1, Rachael (my Garmin) beeped, and displayed a 9:01. I was expecting about a 10:00 mile, because it was a slow start, and I felt as if I hadn't run very fast. I reminded myself to pace myself, relax, and try to be a smooth runner and slow my pace. There was a good crowd cheering us in Central Park, and just past mile 1 I saw a sign that said mile 7. I knew that a large part of the race was in Central Park, and soon realized that it was the first 8 miles, since mile marker 8 was just past mile marker 2. As I was running mile 1 to mile 2, I realized that I was running the same part of Central Park that I had this past November 1st as I headed towards the finish line of the NY City Marathon. It put a smile on my face, rather than the grimace I had back in November! Mile 2: 8:57. I was flabbergasted. I was thirsty as heck. The first water station hadn't helped quench my thirst or gotten rid of my cotton mouth. I wasn't pushing my pace at all, and I had run a sub 9 minute mile. I guess the beautiful morning, cheering people, and company of runners was making it easy for me. Too easy. I still felt that I needed to make a conscious effort to slow down. Miles 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 featured the Central Park horse poop trench. The road was cement, with a slight trench on the left side which happened to have areas of dried horse poop in it. So between avoiding the trench and poop, I was confident I could slow down my pace. Mile 3: 9:04. Again, I was still concerned about my pace being too fast and eventually catching up with me early on and me running out of gas too soon. Around mile 3 1/2, I came to another water stop. I slowed to a walk, made sure I walked and drank two cups of water, and resumed running. My cotton mouth was gone, and the small, continuous up and down hills of Central Park weren't bothering my knee. Mile 4: 9:20. Better, I had slowed my pace down with the help of a water station walk. I was drinking a cup of water at each water station, which were at the 1/2 mile points of each mile. Mile 4 1/2, a quick walk and drinking of water, and a mile 5 split of 9:01. I was still running with little effort, and the hills weren't yet a factor. During mile 5, my bladder let me know that all the water I was drinking needed to find a new home. At about 5 3/4 miles, there were portapottys off to the left, and most of them were empty. I made a quick detour to one. While inside, I laughed about the time I was wasting, but knew it was a good waste of time. Peeing also gave me time to do a quick reality check. I had about 7 1/4 miles to go, my knee was fine, my breathing was fine, and my legs felt strong. Out I went, and rejoined the pack of runners. Mile 6: 10:00 even. Not bad for taking a pee break. I wish I had more details to report, but I was quickly growing tired of running in Central Park, and was glad to pass the mile 1 sign again and get to mile 6. Miles 6 to 7 via mile 2 went well, and Rachael showed a 9:13 mile 7 time. I knew that I was only one mile away from mile 8, which meant I would finally be exiting Central Park and heading to Times Square. First I had to run up a hill I had run up the first time around, but this time it seemed more difficult. Miles 7 to 8 were a bit of a struggle, and Rachael beeped a 9:23 split time. I was starting to lose my mojo, and was hoping that running through Times Square would help me regain some of it. It was the part of the race I had been looking forward to since I learned I had been accepted to run the half. It was a downhill portion out of Central Park. People were standing along both sides of the street, clapping and cheering. I ran past the Winter Garden Theater, and saw the marquee with Mamma Mia lit up on it. I ran past other theaters, restaurants, and hotels. There was a sing- along complete with the words being shown on a large screen. Unfortunately, I've forgotten what song I was singing as I ran by. Mojo restored, I reached mile 9 at 9:09. I made the mistake of starting to count down how many miles I had left to run. Just 4 miles to go....I scolded myself for breaking my golden rule of focusing on one mile at a time, and NEVER thinking about how many miles were left. Somewhere around mile 10 they were giving out Powerbar gels. I don't really like their gels, but decided to grab 3 of them to help get me through the final 3 1/2 miles. Yes, as I was running to mile 10, I was getting increasingly annoyed at the fact that Rachael was beeping about 1/4 mile before the mile marker. Every mile she was telling me I had reached the mile way too soon. I hate that race courses are measured around their shortest points, and 99.9% of us don't actually run that shortest part. Anyhow, I opened up what I thought was a vanilla flavored gel and sucked it down. The Double Latte flavor caught me off guard. Expecting vanilla and getting Double Latte initially caused me to have a gag reflex. Fortunately just after my 9:11 split for miles 9-10 I was able to chug down two cups of water to get rid of the heavy chocolate latte taste in my mouth. At this point my logical left brain started talking smack to me. I had about 3 1/2 miles to go, and left brain was done running. Legs weren't so thrilled about running anymore either. Left brain and legs were thinking that my entire body was ready to call it a day, since up to this point everything had gone well. Left knee also was starting to let me know that it was getting a little aggravated. It was gutcheck time for me. 3 1/2 miles to go, and my brain and body were going into "we've already overachieved and deserve a rest" mode. I forced myself to begin running again. Now it wasn't fun. It wasn't automatic. It became myself forcing my brain to tell my legs to keep moving. It became my right brain telling my left brain to shut the hell up. It became a mind game of "I can do this, I will do this, and nothing's going to stop me." Mile 11, a 9:32. Mojo was quickly disappearing, this time possibly for good. I sucked down a Raspberry Cream PowerBar gel. It tasted good, and gave me the psychological lift I needed. Since my Garmin was showing mile splits too soon, I knew I had about 2 1/2 miles to go. Less than a 5K, I told myself. I had ingested two gels, drank two cups of water, did a quick body check and decided left knee was going to be fine, and reluctantly resumed running. Left brain once again was questioning the logic of resuming running again. I was running, but it was a survival run. I decided a that point not to stop again until I reached the finish line. I knew the gels and water were plenty to get me through the last 2 1/2 miles. I had become way too fixated on Rachael, watching the tenths of a mile pass by more than I should have. I just wanted it to end. I knew that mile 12 would be somewhere around the 12.45 point on Rachael. Finally, mile 12 arrived, 9:48 after mile 11. Again, a psychological downer, since my 9:48 mile 12 Rachael beep meant I still had about 1 1/2 miles left to run. As I ran towards the final mile markers, Rachael started emitting a series of beeps. She was telling me that her database was full. Normally when that happens, she just deletes old data and continues on her merry way. This time she was continuing to beep and yell at me. I pressed "Enter" as instructed, and nothing happened. Underneath the words, I was trying to see how much further I had left to run. I couldn't tell. Plus I couldn't see the timer. At that point I focused on keeping my legs moving, and stared far ahead looking for any sign of a mile 13 marker. I was actually feeling better at that point, probably from the gels kicking in, and the reality that I was almost finished and was going to make it, and with a better time than I had expected. Finally, a beautiful sight appeared. The number 13, all blue and pretty. I passed by it, and the final countdown of 500 meters, 400 meters, 300 meters...I was turning into my normal get choked up and get a lump in my throat wuss self, then 200 meters, 100 meters. I gave it my all for the final 100 meters, and finished strong with a final net time of 2:05:39. I was expecting to finish around 2:10. Given the circumstances of not being able to run the entire month of February due to a groin injury, a back strain for a few days a week before the half, and then the severe left knee pain for 3 days that stopped two days before the half, I can't help to wonder how I did so well. I'm now convinced that a large part of running is mental as well as physical. We runners have the ability to run. That's obvious. We do it all the time. But it's the mental part of running that allows us to achieve our goals. All the training in the world won't work unless our mental state of mind is trained as well. In a nutshell, tell left brain to shut the hell up and you'll be fine. In closing, thank-you everyone for your well wishes before, and now after the half. I probably wouldn't have run the half if it wasn't for this blog. I probably would have stayed home and used the excuse I was injured. All of you played an important part before, during, and certainly now in my success. I love you all. Post post note: I attempted to take a lower body ice bath after I arrived home. I lasted a whole 10 seconds in the tub, followed by 60 seconds out of the tub. I repeated that 6 times, and was so done. How the heck do you guys do that?! I know they work, but damn, I was FROZEN!!

Some VERY Useful Information For Runners, Especially "Newbies"

2010-03-23T04:36:00.007-04:00

I don't usually appreciate unsolicited e-mails, but in this case I've made an exception. I received an e-mail from a Suzane Smith, who came up with a list titled “50 Essential Health Hacks for Serious Runners”
It turns out to be a very informative article for runners. So, I've provided the link to it above. I must say I will not take her advice mentioned in #6. On second thought, I'm adding this a day later, but to respond to your comments, I've found that petroleum jelly works for male nipple problems too. Sorry if I just grossed you out. Please feel free to comment or add to any of her "50 things to remain mindful of when piecing together a specific, personalized training program."
In other news, I'm hoping to find the time later to write my what will not be exciting NY City Half Marathon race report. How's that for making you not look forward to reading it?! You've been warned....BUT, I will of course use my gift as a writer to make it entertaining. :-)

I Did It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-03-21T13:57:00.003-04:00

Official time: 2 hours, 5 minutes, 39 seconds. My knee is sore, but not as bad as it was. Details later...

2010 NYC Half-Marathon
List by Name: Rick Held

Distance: 13.1 Miles, 21.1 Kilometers
Date/Time: March 21, 2010, 7:30 AM
Location: Central Park to Battery Park, NYC
Weather: 53 degrees, 55% humidity, sunny.

Held Rick M53 #4361 Cheshire, CT USA Overall Place: 7109. Gender Place: 4133 Age Group Place: 223. 2:05:39 0:58:50 1:28:10 1:59:46 Pace/Mile: 9:36

First-Timers Kamais and Yamauchi win the
NYC Half-Marathon
Peter Kamais of Kenya took first in 59:53. Mara Yamauchi of Great Britain won the women's win in approx 1:09:25. A record 11,494 people finished the race.

The Countdown Has Resumed

2010-03-20T06:59:00.001-04:00

"Three-Hour Time Limit
Please note that in the interest of safety, any NYC Half-Marathon participant who is not able to maintain a 13:45-per-mile pace throughout the race (3:00 projected finishing time) will be picked up along the course starting at approximately mile 8 and transported to the finish. The time it takes the last runner (who was at the start line at the start) to cross the start line will be added to the overall 3:00 time limit, ensuring all participants a 13:45-per-mile pace. We thank you in advance for your cooperation with this policy."

15,000 runners; 66 degrees high temperature; New York City. I'm taking the train to get my race packet today. If all goes well, tomorrow morning at 7:35 I'll be running, walking, and/or crawling the half. My left knee pain is practically gone. I can ignore the occasional snap, crackle, pop Rice Krispies sound it sometimes makes. I CAN wake up tomorrow at 3:30 a.m.' drive for 90+ minutes, find a parking garage, get to the start, run/walk/crawl 13.1 miles, and then figure out how to take the subway 8 miles back to where I parked...I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.

Just When I Thought I Was Getting Better, This Happens

2010-03-17T16:38:00.005-04:00

I'm self diagnosing my newest ailment...I'm fuming...Bye-bye New York City Half Marathon. Hello rest and ibuprofen. It's nearly 70 degrees outside, and will be that warm for the next 5 days. So now I'm even more mad. This sucks.

Update: It's 10 p.m., and I just received the following e-mail...Now I'm mad AND depressed
Your name: Rick
Your race number: 497780

Start: East Drive between 95th and 96th Streets
Finish: West Side Highway near Chambers Street
Race Details: See the race page

Please bring a printout of this e-mail and a photo ID with you when you come to pickup; this e-mail will be collected at the NYC Half-Marathon Expo.
You must pick up your own race materials at the Metropolitan Pavilion North, 110 West 19th Street (between Sixth and Seventh Avenues), from March 18 to 20.
No one else can pick up these materials for you, and you will not be able to do so on race morning.
Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. | Friday 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. |
Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. sharp
Write the name and phone number of a race-day emergency contact on the back of your bib.
On Sunday:
Use the clear bag provided—no other bags will be accepted—to check any personal items at the UPS truck on Fifth Avenue (between 97th and 102nd Streets) corresponding to your bib number between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m sharp. Enter your start corral by 7:15 a.m.
This race will have a three-hour limit; anyone who is not able to maintain a
13:45-per mile pace or less will be picked up along the course starting at approximately mile 8 and will be transported to the finish.
Beginning at 7:30 a.m. EDT, your friends and family can watch live race coverage on Universal Sports TV or stream the race on UniversalSports.com. You can set your DVR to watch it later, catch the archived on demand footage at UniversalSports.com, or check our website for familiar faces on Flotrack's feeds from the course.

Hitting a Car; Hitting the Wall; and Poop Talk

2010-03-16T20:08:00.006-04:00

Farmington Canal Linear Park trail: 57 degrees. 6.1 miles; Splits: 9:09; 9:16; 9:27; 9:34; 9:32; 9:40; :54; 57:32; 9:25 per mile pace.

WARNING: Written while I still had a runner's high. This post is all over the place.
Update on my back issue and my "training" for the half. My back pain is GONE! It disappeared as quickly as it came. Thank-you everyone for your suggestions. For now, I'm not seeing the doctor, PT, or a Chiropractor. However, I expect to have to see any or all of the above after running the half on Sunday.
I ran a 6 miler today. I decided that since I hadn't run since last Thursday, and because of my recent back issues, I would take it easy on my body and back and run on the trail. It was a comfortable 57 degrees, the sun was shining, and therefore it was a shorts day. I arrived at the trail at 5 p.m., and was surprised that the parking lot closest to the trail was full. After parking across the street in another lot, I did my stretches. Aren't you proud of me?! My Garmin, Rachael, was getting impatient, so off I went. I immediately noticed that there were a lot of dogs being walked on the crushed gravel part alongside of the paved trail. I learned the hard way a few weeks ago to make sure I kept my eyes open for doggy poo "minefields." One of them "exploded" underneath my right shoe a few weeks ago. Unfortunately I didn't know this until I took my running shoes out of my closet a few days later and happened to check underneath them. By that time, a screwdriver was a necessary tool so that I could chisel the dried super-pooper off the bottom of my shoe. I made the mistake of telling my wife about it. She of course wanted to know where exactly I had walked after entering our house with super-pooper shoe. I of course couldn't remember. Fortunately there wasn't a trail of poop around our house. I think the crushed gravel acted as doggy litter. Sorry, I got sidetracked...Today's run started off great. Here comes another "TMI" moment. About 1/2 mile into my run, I passed by "Pink Ponytail Girl" (PPG). PPG was making me look bad, which today wasn't too difficult, but I'll get to that in a minute. PPG was looking good. Here's the TMI part. Female runners with ponytails are visually appealing. Now, I know a majority of my readers are woman, so I just wanted to put that out there. You may comment on that if you'd like. Or, you can silently call me a "pig" and not comment. Your choice. My wife Kathy (Kash in my comments) reads my blog. I'm sure her comment will be in person. Our couch is comfortable, by the way. So anyhow, my first mile I'm smiling and waving to everyone as I'm running, and having a grand 'ol time. I'm thinking that the layoff wasn't such a bad thing, and my back's not hurting, and my stride is good, my 70's tunes and your suggested songs are sounding good, the sun is shining, life is good, and this planned 6 miler might become an 8 miler. I felt that good. Mile 1, and Rachael sweetly beeps and displays a 9:09 split time. I was psyched. Heck, I wasn't even trying, and I had run a 9:09. Yup, 8 miles was definitely a possibility. So I slowed down the pace a little, so that I could better pace myself for the soon to be longer run. I'm still feeling good, and pass mile 2 with a 9:16 split time. Heading to mile 3, I'm still running comfortably, but common sense took over. I decided that I would turn around at mile 3, complete my 6 miles, and if I was still feeling good, could do another mile out and back to get my 8. Who was better than me at that point? Of course, seeing a few more ponytails passing me by didn't hurt. Sorry, I had to say that. I turned around, and started back. Within the next 1/4 mile, my "mojo" started disappearing. I have no idea why. My fun run quickly was becoming a suck it up and finish run. Lead Leg Syndrome (LLS)arrived. At about 3 3/4 miles, the trail crossed the road. There were two cars coming, and although they are supposed to stop and yield, I could sense that the driver of the first car wasn't going to. I had misjudged the distance between us, and I arrived at the crosswalk at the same time he did. He didn't slow down, and I narrowly avoided running into the side of his car. Fortunately he was driving less than the speed limit (25), so I had enough time to call him a f*ckin' asshole and smacked the rear of his car with my hand as I crossed behind it. At that point he hit his brakes, and I saw him look back to see what had happened. I don't think he ever saw me until he looked back to see what had hit his car. I do think he was in his 70's. There was a couple that witnessed the entire incident, and commented something like "unbelievable that he never slowed down or stopped for you." Yes, I was childish in the way I handled it. However, at least I'm alive and able to admit I was childish. Mile 4 split was a 9:34, not surprising because my LLS hadn't improved, plus my "near death" experience. I continued to suck it up, and although I was slower, I was steady. I wasn't feeling any pain. Mile 5 arrived, "Rachael" beeped, and it was a 9:32. Yuck...but better than I'd expected. After mile 5, I had one last street to cross. There weren't any cars to be seen, so I started across. Suddenly, for only the second time in my running career, I felt as if I hit a wall. Yes, I "hit the wall" at mile 5. It only lasted about a minute, but it was definitely "the wall." So, obviously an 8 miler was out of the question. Making it the final what turned out to be 1.1 miles was all that mattered. It was difficult, but of course this blog makes me accountable, so I did it. That's why I added the extra .1, just to end with something positive. With 5 days to the half, and only one or two more runs to go before it, I'm in trouble. My endurance is poor. Hills are a challenge. My state of mind isn't as good as it should be. I'm hoping that running with 10,000+ other runners on Sunday will help, as will any crowd support that's there at 7:30 a.m. Yes, the race starts at 7:30 a.m. Oh, and I live two hours away, but that's another story...

Back Attack= Training Advice Please

2010-03-14T07:26:00.004-04:00

One week to go until the New York City Half Marathon, and I hurt my back. I want to come up with a "macho" type explanation like I was having wild sex with my wife and threw out my back, but I cannot tell a lie. Yesterday morning I bent down to pick up my shirt, and my back went into wicked, hurts so bad I was dropping f-bombs, spasms of pain. I couldn't even walk, never mind run yesterday. Every time I sat down and got up, my back felt like it was locked in place. It feels better today, but I don't know if I'll be able to run. With a week to go, my longest training run for the half has been 7 measly miles. I didn't run because I couldn't run for the month of February. My longest run of 13 miles or longer was last November 1st, the NY City Marathon. Not running the half is not an option. I'm asking for your advice. I'll probably only be able to run 3 times in the next week. Should I try for a 10+ miler for any or all of those runs? Should I just "take it easy" and get in some miles, and hope I can run NY on adrenaline and determination? I don't care about my finishing time for NY. I just want to run it, experience it, and most importantly have fun and finish it. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. UPDATE: 10 a.m.: Back pain is pretty much gone! I've already been to a P.T., as you know, and going to a chiropractor is not an option. I'm actually looking for training advice, not medical advice. Thanks!! :-)

A Sing-along

2010-03-11T22:17:00.012-05:00

Yesterday's Run: Road: 53 degrees. 4 miles; Splits: 9:20; 9:24; 9:25; 9:25; 37:34; 9:23 per mile pace.Hey, slow, but consistent.

"Nuno nuno, nuno nuno
hey hey-ey, goodbye"
*To be sung to the tune of "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" by Steam. Don't know the song? Click on the red "Steam" word above, go to the YouTube link, and sing along!

Welcome my new Followers/Stalkers Adam, Hannah, Staci, and Anton.
Asterisk time:
* I'm done, AKA "discharged" from P.T. a week early. "Finding Nemo" Nuno, my former P.T. guy, informed me that I no longer needed his services since I have been running pain free.
* ADHD Dave, the gym dude, gave me some more exercises to do at home. He also informed me that he would run the half too if he were me. He admitted that he was saying what he was supposed to say as the gym dude a few weeks ago when he recommended I not run it. He told me he always thought I could run it all along. Thanks ADHD Dave.
* My first exercise in the gym was riding the exercise bike. Within a minute of me being on the bike, "Hot Chick" Lindsay came over and asked me if I had tried (I have no idea what flavor she said since my brain went into OMG here she comes to talk to me and she's so hot mode) DORITOS® yet. We talked for a few minutes as I rode the bike. It was another "deep" conversation about snack foods. If I wasn't married and about 20 years younger, I think I'd have a shot with her. This coming from me, a guy with absolutely no game. I'm a happily married (28 years) runner, not a "player!" To my wife Kathy, who seems to read my blog on a regular basis now, I love you.
* I left "Finding Nemo" Nuno a 4-pack of Guinness, ADHD Dave a Dunkin' Donuts gift card, "Hot Chick" Lindsay a bag of Swedish Fish (Now THAT I remember she said she likes), and assorted other sweets for the rest of the staff there. Yes, I liked them that much and appreciated their help. No, I didn't ask Lindsay for her phone number. Read previous comment about me being happily married.
* Yesterday's run was difficult. I purposely ran a short, 4 miles, mainly hilly road course to help better prepare me for the half in 9 days. The hills killed me. I'm still not where I need to be with getting back my hills mojo. I'm hoping that since the half is in N.Y. City, it won't be too hilly.
* I again dedicated my run to Jill. She is asking runners to dedicate the miles they run to her since she's injured and can't run. In return, she's donating a nickel for every mile we run to Back on My Feet. So, all of my Followers are strongly encouraged to support this worthwhile cause and donate your miles run to Jill.
* Thank-you Lisa for teaching me how to properly put a link in my blog. Have you noticed how I put an annoying amount of links in this post?! Please don't hate her for teaching me how to do it!

My Behind

2010-03-10T04:46:00.037-05:00

Yesterday's Run: Road; 53 degrees. 7 miles; Splits: 9:13; 9:15; 9:15; 9:26; 9:18; 9:17; 9:04; 1:04:48; 9:15 per mile average pace.

If my title has you expecting an ass shot of me, you're out of luck. Trust me, I have no ass to speak of, so you're not missing anything.
I'm behind in my half training and I'm behind in reading your blogs. It's tax season, my wonderful wife is working 7 days a week, so I have extra parental responsibilities and less free time. That's my disclaimer.
Yesterday's run was dedicated to Jill at
onelittletrigirl.wordpress.com
Please go tell her I told you to say "Hi."
My run couldn't have gone any better. Once I got past my left brain trying to convince me I was tired and should quit halfway through, I was fine. Except for temporarily getting lost running down a "court" that led to two house's driveways. My splits were very consistent (See above), and I surprised myself by averaging a 9:15 pace. That was totally unexpected, since I had such difficulty with my road run a few days ago. I even conquered "Hell Hill." I ran for 7 miles, and think I could have run a half marathon distance yesterday if I wanted to push myself. I'm sure my split times would have increased, but so what? Back to P.T. today. I'll update you later or tomorrow about that.

Progress

2010-03-08T04:34:00.020-05:00

Yesterday's (Sunday)Run: Farmington Canal Linear Park trail: 57 degrees. 6 miles; Splits: 9:30; 9:28; 9:37; 9:46; 9:33; 9:10; 57:04; 9:30 per mile pace.

I found a cool website that gives you a better idea of where I sometimes run:
http://www.wj1b.com/Pages%20Cheshire/linear_park.htm

I'm VERY short on time, and want to get this out into "bloggerland," so here goes:
I'm making progress. Slow progress, but progress none-the-less. After Saturday's "I thought I was going to die" run, yesterday's run on the Farmington Canal Linear Park trail went well. It was warm enough to wear shorts. WOO-HOO! I so ♥ it almost being spring. Plus we "spring ahead" Sunday morning and will gain an hour of daylight. I felt great the entire run. My legs were loose and felt strong (Thank-you stretching) and I was in a running zone. I only planned on running 5 miles, but had a roller-blading young couple who paced me starting at mile 4, so I ran an extra mile. We played "cat and mouse," with me catching up to them at times, only to have them skate away. It was nice having someone to run and talk with. They were such a cute couple, and probably about 16 years old. So #23 gray shirt teenage dude, and #14 teal shirt dudette, I thank-you. I felt faster than my split times indicated, but that's OK. With 13 days to go until the New York City Half Marathon, I'm finally feeling excited. I believe my running "mojo" is returning. I'm taking today off from running, but will do my exercise program. It's working, so I'm never going to stop doing them. Maybe I'll even find time to do some yoga. Tomorrow I'll attempt another road run, and see if I can do better running up "Hell Hill."

My Runs Would Suck Without You

2010-03-06T16:44:00.003-05:00

"Because we belong together now
Forever united here somehow
Yeah you got a piece of me
And honestly
My "runs" would suck without you"
-My apologies to Kelly Clarkson

Road: 55 degrees. 4 miles; Splits: 9:17; 9:26; 9:27; 9:21; 37:31; 9:22 per mile pace.

Welcome new Followers Donekerking, Iron Mike, ajh, and Cynthia O'H.

Today's run sucked; or rather at times I was sucking wind. You, my 57 Followers, kept me running until the end. Our blogs unite us a runners, and what's very important for me is that writing this makes me accountable for what I do as a runner. My runs would suck without you.
That being said, I was fortunate enough to win a pair of Yurbuds™ from Christy at It Just Looks Like Slow Motion. Yurbuds™ are "custom sized earbud enhancers that increase comfort, don't fall out, and enhance sound quality. All of this is accomplished while allowing you to listen to your device at a lower volume." I must say that they're a BIG improvement over the loop over the ear earbuds I was using. The sound coming out of them is clear, and best of all since they're custom fitted they won't fall out of your ears. Here's my disclaimer. I am NOT receiving any compensation from Christy or Yurbuds™ to say this. Lets regress for a moment to this past Wednesday. I went to see "Finding Nemo" Nuno for my PT appointment. Funny thing was it just so happened that Lindsay, aka "Hot Chick" was at the receptionist's desk as I checked in. Since I was early for my appointment, she and I had a wonderful conversation about her and her co-workers favorite candy. Let me tell you, it was a "deep" conversation. I'm embarrassed to say that I have no idea what candy she likes. I was too busy having an interior freakout thinking that Hot Chick was actually talking to me. I do remember that her two co-workers like Skittles and Swedish Fish. I first went to Nemo/Nuno, who asked me how running went the day before. I told him first things first, and told him that I knew he had told Hot Chick that I said she is hot. He laughed, and I said that since he wasn't denying it, it must be true. Again, there was no denying it on his part. Great, so now Hot Chick knows I think she's hot, and probably that I call her Hot Chick. Anyhow, I told Nemo/Nuno I had some lingering pain, but thought it was good pain from having done my stretching before and after running. He had me lay on the PT torture table, and pushed, twisted and turned my legs all different ways and asked me how it felt. It truly felt like he was trying to rip my legs out of their sockets, but of course I responded "Fine" since nothing he did really hurt. He saved the best for last, meaning the groin area pain check. He started pressing around my groin area, and my laughing indicated to him that not only was I still giddy from talking to Hot Chick, but also wasn't feeling any pain. Nemo/Nuno then had me go to the gym, where he and ADHD Dave, the gym dude, showed me and had me do several exercises on the big blue ball. Speaking of blue balls, icing my groin area after running really does help. Sorry, I got sidetracked there. So as I started to do the blue ball exercises, I notice that Nemo/Nuno is not watching me do my exercises. Instead he's looking to his left. It just so happens that Hot Chick had gone into the pool to do aqua therapy. I loudly reminded him I was "over here," and that snapped him out of it. I did notice that he and ADHD Dave stood over by the pool area the entire half hour I was rolling around on the blue ball. If you've never experienced the thrill of exercising on an oversized ball, let me tell you it's a lot more difficult than you'd think it would be. I worked up more of a sweat than I do when I'm doing the 15 different stretches I also have to do. As far as PT, I now just have to go every Wednesday until the end of this month, and then see how I'm doing. Which brings me back to today's run. I planned on another 3 mile run, this time on the road. Nemo/Nuno told me to continue running 3 miles max. until I see him again next Wednesday. If I want, I can run faster, but not further. That means my 13.1 mile half marathon, which is in two weeks, has become even more difficult to train for. Nuno/Nemo still says I can run it, but yet can't run more than 3 miles right now?! I don't think he quite understands what's involved in running a half. So Yurbuds, my Garmin "Rachael," and I took off from my house, turned left, and headed up what's normally a challenging, but not- too-difficult hill. Today it felt like Mt. Everest. It was the "Hill from Hell." I made it to the top, but it sapped away some of my energy. So 4/10 of a mile into my run, I was already feeling sluggish. I wanted to quit. The left brain is a funny thing. Those of you who have read my blog for a while know that left brain is
* Logical
* Detail oriented
* Fact oriented
* Interprets words and language
* Mathematical and scientific
* Order and pattern perception
* Strategic

meaning that if you're running and feeling any type of pain or discomfort, then left brain starts freaking out and wants you to stop. Left brain will come up with lots of reasons for you to stop. However, the key to defeating left brain is by distracting it or tricking it. For example, listening to music through your cool Yurbuds will distract left brain, especially if you're singing along. Also, tricking left brain by telling it that you're only going to run a little further, say to the corner, or 2 miles instead of three works. Left brain likes to be fooled. So left brain and I agreed that since Hell Hill made us tired, we could take it easy and run slower, and we would worry about one mile at a time, and if we got too tired, or it hurt too much, then we would walk instead. Sucker! Sure, I slowed down, but at the end I had talked left brain into not only running three miles, but an extra mile because we were feeling better. Overall, I ran at a snail's pace for me, but I'm OK with that. I want to really push myself tomorrow and defy Nuno/Nemo even more by seeing how far and how long I can run on the Farmington Canal Trail. Left brain's really going to be upset with me tomorrow.

What layoff?!

2010-03-02T18:38:00.005-05:00

Today's Run: Linear Trail: 45 degrees. 3 miles; Splits: 9:05; 8:47; 8:50; 26:42;
8:54 per mile average pace. (Thank-you (Garmin) Rachael for keeping my stats)

Welcome to my newest stalker/follower "Thomas."

As I sit here icing my previously injured area (Talk about blue ones), I'm happier than happy. After a 29 day layoff from running, I toughed out a 3 miler and ran a heck of a lot quicker and easier than I expected to. It was an expect the worst and hope for the best run. I was expecting to feel sluggish (only the last mile), some slight pain (nope), and 9:30 to 10 minute per mile pace (nope again). I wasn't going to push myself, and I didn't push myself. I just wanted to have a nice, comfortable, feet and groin don't fail me run. I did. The last mile wasn't as easy as I would have liked, but my stubbornness prevailed and I finished well. Overall, I averaged an 8:54 per mile pace. My per mile pace hasn't suffered on the short runs. It will be interesting to see how well my body handles the increase in mileage the next 18 days. "Only" ten more miles needed per run, and I'll be at half marathon distance. Only 18 days to accomplish this. I'm guessing the hare will soon be running like the tortoise. That's alright, since my only goals for the New York City Half Marathon are to finish injury free and with a smile on my face. By the way, I've learned my lesson. I stretched before and after my run. Now I'll just need an occasional friendly reminder from all of you to keep doing that. Thanks to Lisa, Lindsay, and EZEthan for already nagging/reminding me to stretch.

Am I Cleared to Run? Damn Right I Am!!

2010-03-01T20:15:00.008-05:00

"I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it
I'm about to lose control and I think I like it
I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it
And I know, I know, I know, I know"
I'm So Excited by Pointer Sisters

PT couldn't have gone better. Not only is my PT "Finding Nuno" satisfied with my progress, but gym dude "ADHD Dave" is happy as well. Yes, who would have thought that something as simple as stretching and occasional yoga would do the trick? OK, I know, pretty much all of you! ADHD Dave gave me two additional exercises to do, and actually told me I did a good job. Finding Nuno has cut me back to one visit a week, just to monitor my running progress. I also found out that "Hot Chick's" name is Lindsay. She is a PT as well as the aqua therapy babe. I've informed Nuno that should I require additional PT that he is to refer me to Lindsay. I also suggested that aqua therapy would be very beneficial to my running. He didn't buy that. Hey, at least I tried. So I had time to kill after my PT appointment and before I went to work at my one night a week gig at Weight Watchers. I decided to stop by the bowling alley and "look" at bowling balls since my bowling ball is older than most of you reading this (35 years old). The pro shoppe had a very lonely looking ball, with the cutest blue color and named "Pin Slasher."

It was the very last bowling ball of that color and weight. It really needed a new home. Plus it was on clearance for $50 off, and Pro Shoppe Guy said it was a good ball for a 53 year old 162 average guy who wanted to become a better bowler with a ball designed to better grip today's synthetic lanes and therefore produce better scores for a competitive person like myself who wants to win the staff bowling league team championship. Well, those weren't his EXACT words, but you get my point. I just had to buy that bowling ball. It needed a good home, and my New York Giants bowling bag is the perfect home. So, you know the ending to this story. I'll be practicing with "Pin Slasher" tomorrow after work. Make that Wednesday after work. Tomorrow is the return of "Marathonman Runs Again." Watch out Farmington Canal Linear Trail. That slow and steady runner pounding your pavement will be willing to "Perspire to Inspire." By the way, that's part of what you telling me your running words for my February 21st post is all about. But that's all I'm telling you for now...

February in Review

2010-02-28T20:08:00.015-05:00

Total miles run: Zero, zilch, goose-egg, nada, nil.
Total hours run: See above

First, a shoutout to Carlee, of http://chasingfg.blogspot.com/
(Darn it, I can't get the link to work). She ran in the Hyannis Marathon today. I don't want to give anything away, so keep your eye on her blog for her race report.
I have been a good PT patient and done my eleven different exercises daily since my appointment this past Wednesday. They've actually become easier to do, and I believe I have some increased flexibility in my legs. My groin pain is gone, and has been replaced by a good "stretchy" feeling. I haven't done yoga in about a week. It's on hold while I'm doing my exercises. It's been 4 weeks to the day since I last ran. The New York City Half Marathon is three weeks from today. Tomorrow is my PT re-eval with (Finding Nemo) Nuno. Honestly, I'm expecting it to go well. I want him to give me permission to begin running again. With or without his permission, Tuesday becomes a test run day, only because I won't have time after my PT appointment tomorrow to run. The waiting is over. I've done everything I've been told to do. I feel good, I feel ready, and I'm pain free. Tuesday is my day. Tuesday is the day that "Marathonman Runs Again."

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

2010-02-24T19:49:00.010-05:00

The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you see one more card
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part
Tom Petty: The Waiting

(Welcome newest Followers Whitney, KeriRose, Karen, Beth, and NY Wolve)
Well, my PT appointments are done for the week. Next Monday I go see "Nemo" for a "re-eval," meaning he has to do another PT evaluation on me to see where I stand. But I'm getting ahead of myself. This past Monday I arrived at the PT facility, expecting Nemo to perform his WWE moves on me. Instead, I was greeted by "ADHD Dave," the gym guy. I work in a school for students with learning disabilities, autism, ADHD, etc. It took me about 30 seconds to realize that Dave falls into the diagnosis of ADHD, which he confirmed when we were talking about my job. From Mayoclinic.com: "ADHD has been called attention-deficit disorder (ADD) and hyperactivity. But ADHD is the preferred term because it describes both primary aspects of the condition: inattention and hyperactive-impulsive behavior." So that meant I was more tolerant of ADHD Dave knowing that his constant pencil tapping as I exercised, appearing to not listen to what I was saying and not making eye contact, having on and off conversations with the nearby receptionist, repeatedly referring to his written notes, and having difficulty explaining what exercises I was going to be doing, and how to do them, and walking away and coming back repeatedly was alright because of his ADHD. But, ADHD Dave's quirky behavior also made PT more tolerable and entertaining. Seeing Hot Chick leading the aqua therapy session in the pool also helped make my gym sessions more tolerable. Yes, Hot Chick is the aqua therapy babe. Now I just need to figure out how I can have aqua therapy! I have about a dozen exercises to do while lying on my back or stomach. They're all aimed at helping me stretch and strengthen my lower body, legs, pelvis, and groin areas. Monday I felt like I was wasting my time doing them. I really was in denial, and assuming that ADHD Dave was going to have me do some lower-body, macho man, weight-lifting type stuff. Instead I ended up on the mat doing what I felt like were a ridiculous group of exercises; things like pushing my ass down into the mat, flattening my back against the mat, laying on my belly and picking my upper body up off the mat (and looking like a seal). Today I actually felt like the original six exercises along with the new six exercises were helping me. I felt looser and more flexible, and the ones from Monday were easier to do. Overall, it did 3 sets of 25 reps of each one, so it was a productive 50 minutes of exercising. I asked ADHD Dave if I would be able to run the NY City Half Marathon on March 21. He said it wasn't his call, but in his opinion I shouldn't do it. His main reason was that I wouldn't have enough time to train. Also that I still wasn't properly aligned and as loose as I should be. I told him that I've been running "unaligned" for three years; and tight, so that wasn't going to prevent me from running the half. I told him what I had told Nuno 3 weeks ago: With or without their approval, I am still running the half, since my groin pain is no longer an issue. I asked him when he thought I'd be able to resume running. He again said it wasn't his call, and that it would be Nemo's or "Runner Bob's" call. Runner Bob is supposed to be the running expert there. ADHD Dave said that Nemo would have a better idea of whether I can resume running after my re-eval on Monday. Nemo overheard this, and said that Runner Bob may have a say in the decision also. I'm quickly running out of patience. It's been 24 days since I last ran. I've been able to tolerate the long layoff with the thought that once this is over, I'll be a more flexible and stronger runner. Things happen for a reason, and the reasons in this case are clear. I need to take my training more seriously. I need to stretch, strengthen, do yoga, and become a better runner with better running mechanics. I will start taking running more seriously, but not too serious. I want to improve and to grow as a runner, but not at the cost of it no longer being fun. Now if only I can begin running again, I will be able to experience the fun. I'm so done with the waiting...

I Need Your Help; and Random Thoughts

2010-02-21T06:40:00.026-05:00

First, my random thoughts, in asterisk form:

* I joined a running group!! Thanks to Lisa http://watchlisarun.blogspot.com/ I went to the website http://www.meetup.com/ and found a running group with 300+ members.
* I finally added up my mileage for 2009. No, I'm not technologically smart enough to create a spreadsheet or whatever it's called to automatically track it. I ran a total of 826.41 miles. Not bad considering I didn't run for 3 weeks in January.
* I practiced yoga twice this past week. I bought a DVD, "Essential Yoga For Inflexible People" by Maggie Rhoades for $7.99 on Amazon. I like it. It's a keeper.
* 4 weeks to go until the New York City Half Marathon
* I last ran three weeks ago. YIKES (See asterisk above)
* I'm still doing my stretches, and I'm feeling a little more "Gumby-like"
* Three weeks to go until we "spring ahead."
* If I win the lottery, I'm hiring a Personal Trainer, or at least someone to stretch the heck out of my legs
* I have a crush on Hannah Storm of ESPN. To my wife: as you know, Hannah's happily married and so am I. At least I think we still are, right dear?!

* Welcome to my newest Follower "Bootchez."
* I was tagged with the "Sunshine Award" sometime this past week by Stephanie. http://50marathonchallenge.blogspot.com I'm sure most of you have already been tagged with this award. If not, please feel free to copy and paste it to your blogs and award it to yourself. The award is at the top of my blog. I'm supposed to award it to 12 of my loyal followers who put a smile on my face with their blogs. Well, the 20 of you who responded to my last post may tag yourselves. I never was good at following directions anyhow.
* My wife bought me a Hooker shirt...as in Thomas Hooker Brewing Company. We were there this past Friday night. No, that's not me wearing the shirt.

* I FINALLY figured out how to put a link in my blog that you can click on and go to.
* I'm strongly disliking ("hate" is too strong of a word) a few running blogs that are out there. Why? Because they shamelessly promote way too many products and look like a blogging billboard instead of a running blog. Matter of fact, I stopped following and commenting on one particular blog for that reason. If you want to promote a product, that's fine. I myself have recommended certain products in the past year. However, my recommendations are based on my honest opinion without any compensation or pressure from the manufacturer. There's some other things I could say, but I won't.
* By the way, I'm not referring to any of you. So relax!

OK, I need your help, please. I want everyone to give me one word, or a phrase, that best describes how you feel about running; or that describes running in general. For example, I've already written down determination, inspiring, and a few other words. So tell me a phrase, word, words, or whatever comes to mind when you think about yourself or another runner. I'm not sure if I'm explaining this well, but hopefully you get the idea. I'll explain why I want your word(s) and phrases in about a week. I'll keep you in suspense for now.

Finding Nuno: The Sequel

2010-02-19T11:09:00.009-05:00

PT appointment #4 today with PT guy "Nuno." I immediately decided to ask him the million dollar question: "Will I be able to run in the New York City Half Marathon four weeks from Sunday?" Before I tell you his answer, I'll tell you all the boring details of my PT session. If the suspense is killing you, then feel free to skip the boring details of my PT session. PT session was the same stuff he's been doing. Ultrasound followed by groin area kneading. Once again, no major pain to report. Woo-Hoo! He followed the groin area attack by stretching my legs for me as I lay on the PT table. He made comments like "Good" and "OK" while he was stretching me out. I guess "Good" and "OK" mean I'm progressing. I asked him about my right leg being pathetically less flexible than my left leg, and his response surprised me. Since I favor my right leg and use it more than my left, it gets tighter. I've noticed a significant difference while running the past few months, where it felt like my left leg was just kinda along for the run, and not contributing much. That and mt groin pain was why I went to my doctor, and ended up finding Nuno. I questioned why if I use my right leg more then why is it tighter? He said it's from the muscles contracting and some other technical stuff that I should remember from my OT days but don't. After stretching out my legs, I was done. I didn't get to see "Dave" the gym dude after all. I didn't question why, since (confession here) I was still feeling the after-affects of consuming too many $2 Bud Lights at SportsHaven last night. So the last thing I wanted to do was go in the gym and demonstrate how weak and tired this 53 year old guy was. My next appointment is Monday, so I'm assuming I'll be going in the gym then. Note to self: Get a good night's sleep Sunday night.

*NUNO'S RESPONSE: Nuno wasn't poker faced today. He actually smiled, and his response was a simple "Yes." Of course I wasn't sure I had heard him correctly, so I said "Really?" He once again said "Yes." It's amazing how such a short conversation could have such a powerful meaning. Powerful enough that I got goosebumps while driving home and thinking about it. Powerful enough that I get choked-up just writing about it. Yes, I threw that statement out there, knowing that not only you guys will be reading it, but also my wife and her co-worker who apparently are not-so-secret readers of my blog. I don't care. I'm going to be able to run in the NY City Half Marathon on March 21st, and I'm damn proud and emotional about it. One problem: I forgot to ask Nuno when I can actually start running again. I guess I'd better ask him that question on Monday. P.S. Welcome new Followers jkaiser, L.B., EZEthan, and Brandi.

Finding Nuno

2010-02-15T13:38:00.009-05:00

(I know, this is Nemo)

PT appointment #3 today. PT guy Nuno (his real name) took me into the tiled-over cinder-block room right on time and asked me how I was feeling. I told him there's no more groin pain, which of course is good news. But I told him my back's been hurting, which is not related to the groin pain, meaning the groin pain didn't decide to move out of my groin and take up residence in my back. Nuno recommended I lay with a huge heated pad under my back while he used the ultrasound. Before starting, he asked me when the NY City Half Marathon was. I told him in 34 days, and he said nothing. Interesting. A poker faced no comment. I also told him that even if he told me not to run the half marathon, I was being honest and telling him that I would anyway. Again, no response, but at least he smiled. Nuno went to work with the ultrasound. At one point I told him I bought the Yoga DVD for inflexible people, and he laughed. Yes, my wife and my PT are on the same page with me trying yoga. After about 10 minutes, there was a knock on the door. I was hoping it was hot chick (See February 3rd post), but of course it wasn't. Nuno was needed somewhere else, so he apologized and said he'd be back in a few minutes. In the meantime I was able to determine that above me were 6 fluorescent light bulbs, 25 ceiling tiles, and 36 grids covering the lights. A short time later I realized that my ass felt like it was on fire. The towel between my ass and the humongous heating pad wasn't working as well as it was supposed to. Since my hands were cold, I problem solved and stuck them underneath my ass to warm them up and to keep my ass from being overcooked. I lay there for about ten minutes before Nuno returned. Fortunately the heating pad had cooled a bit so I had removed my hands before he came back. I really didn't want to explain that one to him had he come back and seen me. Nuno completed the ultrasound on both groin areas (stop laughing), and then went for his version of a WWE move: The groin area killer kneading. This time he was unsuccessful in generating any pain at all. Yes, my groin was pain free (stop laughing again). Progress has been made after just 3 PT sessions. When I go back on Friday, he's having me see Dave for some strengthening exercises. He, Dave and I talked for a few minutes and he told Dave I was a runner and running the half marathon in 34 days, and I would be seeing him on Friday. No comment from Dave about the 34 day timetable either. We talked about running, and how I was hoping to strengthen my lower body and core, plus hopefully become more flexible. Dave said we'd start off slow with the strengthening and go from there. Patience is not a strong point of mine. I'm off this week, and can't run. I'm feeling upbeat though, since the groin pain's gone, and I'll start exercises on Friday, along with my stretches, and yes, yoga. Go ahead, flexible, stretchy, and strong people, laugh at me. You can touch your toes, flex like Gumby, and lift more weight than me. But when you're 53 if you are running marathons, are strong, and can still stretch, THEN I'll be impressed. Just watch out for the 80 year old guy still blogging and still running. P.S. Welcome my 3 new Followers: Katye, Jen, and Anne.

PT Session #2...Going, Going, Groin

2010-02-13T07:54:00.005-05:00

I've been a good boy and been doing my stretching this week. Heck, I even took some of your suggestions and bought a yoga DVD: "Essential Yoga For Inflexible People." It cost me $10.97 total, including shipping on Amazon.com, so even if I never use it (Which will never happen, since all of you will nag/remind me to use it), it didn't cost me a lot. Having informed my wife of this, she laughed all the way out the door as she headed to work this morning. Maybe she just happened to think of a funny joke at the moment I told her... Maybe the funny joke in her mind was me buying the yoga DVD. In any case, it should arrive here any day now. Then I will commence doing yoga in a toga.* With just over 5 weeks to go until the NY City Half Marathon, I'm feeling upbeat. My PT session yesterday with Nuno (Yes, that's his REAL name) went well. I would even venture to guess that I'm making good progress. Nuno did the ultrasound thing again around my groin area (Wow, I feel so close to you guys by sharing this!) and once again followed it by kneading and pressing the heck out of the area afterward. Much to my surprise, I had a LOT less pain, meaning the inflammation has decreased, the blood's flowing better, and whatever technical PT razzle dazzle he told me that I've forgotten. Nuno told me to continue doing my exercises at home, and I only have to see him on Monday and Friday next week. So, I will continue to do my home exercises, start practicing yoga when my DVD arrives (Stop laughing wife Kathy who at times reads my blog and doesn't comment), and hopefully soon will be able to incorporate strengthening also. Next week I will be brave enough to ask Nuno how my progress is going, and his opinion about when I can resume running again. I'm off next week, and not being able to run then is bothering me. I guess I'll have to be patient, something which I'm not good at.
Finally, THANK-YOU to Anais, Erin C., Bootchez, and Lisa for the run and exercise dedications. It really meant a lot to me. Also, LMAO at RunKathyRun's "Hurt So Good" song comment. It's funny how my post on my groin issues were able to generate 12 responses from you guys. I think that's a record amount of responses to my blog, but geez, over Gumby and my groin? Seriously though, all of your comments do mean a lot to me, especially since every one of them put a smile on my face. As I've said before, I may not have a lot of followers, but the 41 I have are truly the best. Here's a blog "hug" for all of you, especially the terrific twelve who commented. UPDATE: Yoga starts today. I received my dvd in the mail yesterday. Of course I will not do my yoga if my wife is home...she's such a naysayer sometimes!
*Ok, yoga, but not in a toga

Just Call Me Gumby

2010-02-09T16:24:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I went for my first real PT treatment. After discovering that my copay is $20 (Gasp), I was met by "Noonan" or whatever the heck PT guy's name is. Seriously, it's something like that, and I should be able to remember it, but of course I don't. So I'll just call him PT Guy for now. PT Guy and I headed into the PT treatment room which is about the size of the trunk of a Cadillac. The room is large enough to hold lots of bags of groceries, but barely big enough to hold me and PT Guy. OK, I'm lying, but it was a small room. So PT Guy has me lay down on my back on the PT table, which is 6 feet long, and I'm 6 feet 2 inches tall. So I laid (lie?) there with my heels hanging over the edge of the table, and he tells me to get comfortable, which meant put the two ridiculously thin pillows under my head, and lie there with my heels still hanging over the edge of the table. He then proceeds to tell me the treatment plan. First, ultrasound heat around my groin area, followed by massaging of the groin area, followed by stretching. Now I'm freaking out because I'm not looking forward to PT Guy massaging my groin area. No explanation required. He then instructs me to unbuckle my belt and unfasten my pants so he can put this cold gel on me before he does the ultrasound treatment. He covers my groin area with a towel, and proceeds to use the ultrasound treatment to...well let's let ehow.com explain how it works: Use Ultrasound Therapy to Relieve Pain
Step 1: Recognize the benefits of ultrasound therapy. Increased circulation and decreased inflammation are two healthy advantages of this method of physical therapy.
Step 2: Treat injured tissue with high frequency sound waves. Sound waves are used to penetrate specific muscle areas, causing internal warming to the area. As a result, tight muscles become relaxed, providing relief from pain.
Step 3: Understand that the use of ultrasound increases the blood flow to the affected area thus allowing the proteins in the blood to repair themselves. This is ideal for soft tissue injuries.
Sounds great, huh? Well, apart from the weird pulsating sensation that I felt, and the warmth, it was indeed great. Great until PT Guy performed the next step: The deep kneading of the groin area. (Please note I'm saying the groin AREA, not the groin) OMG, it was torture. After about 5 minutes, I had enough, and thankfully he was finished. I felt some pain, but it was good pain. He followed that with what I will call the "Gumby" moves. The Gumby moves involved stretching my legs in every conceivable direction while asking me if I felt any pain. It was pretty much one extreme or the other, depending on which way he gumby'd me. It made me realize that I still have a long way to go to gain better flexibility. Before leaving, PT Guy showed me two simple stretches I can do at home. Since they're not too difficult or painful, I know I'll be doing them as instructed. I didn't bother to ask him whether I'll be able to run in the NY City Half Marathon on March 21st. Right now I'm taking it slowly and easy, one session at a time. I'm trying to be patient and look at the big picture, where I'm a more flexible and stronger runner. At least that's what I'm telling myself right now to ease the pain of not being able to run.

Straight From the Heart

2010-02-07T07:39:00.017-05:00

I canceled my PT appointment this past Friday. I had to attend an important(?) meeting after our students went home, so blowing it off to take care of groin issues would have been unwise. I searched online and found about ten exercises to do that are good for a groin strain and all involve adductor stretches, which is what PT guy told me we'd be doing. I'll also be receiving ultrasound treatments and heat along with the torturous stretching I'll be doing at PT. Yesterday I did all four stretches, and hated them. Hating stretching and the pain involved is why I'm in this situation now. I've been lazy, having not stretched for about the past year. My (il)logical reasoning for not doing them was because, you guessed it, it hurts. When I did my stretches yesterday, they indeed did hurt. But it's a good pain. I also discovered that when I sit in a chair and cross my right leg over my left leg at the knee, my right knee is up in the air about six inches. That can't be good, especially since I don't have that problem when I cross my left leg over my right. I'll ask PT guy about that. You would think I would have noticed that before, huh?! So I'm adopting the "No pain, no gain" motto for this. I know the temporary pain will help me recover quickly, be more flexible, be stronger, and run faster. My times in 2009 were slower than my previous year. Up until now I was attributing it to becoming older and having plateaued with my running. For the past six months or so I've been feeling more like I've been forcing my run rather than running naturally. Meg explains this better than I ever could in her blog in this post: (Sorry, I STILL can't figure out make it take you to the link when you click on it) http://megrunsalot.blogspot.com/2010/02/power-vs-force.html So for 2010, I'm vowing to stretch and exercise more, using more work and time and less power (again, see Meg's post). Assuming my 53 year old body can get into better shape through exercising and stretching, then I vow to go for PR's in a 5K and a half marathon this year. The trade-off will be that I still have no plans to run another marathon. I would have liked to have broken a 4 hour marathon finishing time and am not satisfied with my NY City Marathon time. But, my training time is limited and I don't have the desire or motivation to spend six months training for another marathon. Training for marathons had become more of a chore than I wanted it to be. Running was no longer fun, and if it wasn't fun, then I didn't want to do it, or reluctantly did it. Maybe I'll change my mind about another marathon once I've loosened and strengthened my legs and lower body and learned to run more naturally and less forcefully. I may even look into joining a running group to help motivate me more. I'm bored running by myself, and up until now not having running goals also made me less likely to run, or run with a purpose. Now I have goals, and that will help. I may look into joining a gym to also keep me motivated to exercise, but only if I can find one that doesn't look intimidating with 20 something year olds as the only members. I get out of work at 3, and there's a PT place a few miles from where I work that has a gym. It's pretty well deserted at 3 p.m. and the people who work there are helpful. It's where I had my PT the last time I was injured. I've also been asked my a few co-workers to teach them how to run once the warm weather arrives, so I'm looking forward to that. Before I go, I have a favor to ask. Please dedicate your next run to me, or someone you know who can't run. Send some of your positive running vibes to them and me, and help us recover that much sooner and faster and become that much stronger. Crazy perhaps, but it can't hurt, can it? Run because you can, because you want to, and because you need to. Running is a gift. A gift that you'll treasure forever and never want to give up. Enjoy your run: admire the scenery, listen to the sounds around you, smell the fresh air, listen to your feet pounding the ground, groove to your music, sweat like a pig. In other words, get out there and run and do whatever it takes to have fun...

Due to Popular Demand...OK, Not Really

2010-02-05T04:57:00.007-05:00

Here's my running songs playlist. Most of you who have followed me for a while will recognize the songs you suggested I listen to 3 months ago. As you can tell, I was/still am an Elton John and an ELO addict. These songs were chosen by my personal taste from having 1970's flashbacks (I graduated from high school in 1974), your suggestions, and by being a geek and doing lots of internet searches for "popular songs." Please feel free to comment and suggest songs for me to add. Happy Friday everyone!

Coldplay: Viva la Vida
Culture Club - Karma Chameleon.
The Cure - Just Like Heaven.
Daniel Powter - You Had a Bad Day
David Bowie - Modern Love
ELO - Hold On Tight
Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - Evil Woman.- Do Ya
ELO - Sweet Talking Woman
ELO: Illusions in G Major
The James Gang: Walk Away
Elton John - Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting
Elton John - Grow Some Funk of Your Own
Elton John – I’m Still Standing
Kansas - Point of No Return
Foreigner - Cold As Ice
Kansas - Carry On My Wayward Son.
KC & The Sunshine Band – That’s The Way I Like It
Europe – It’s The Final Countdown.
KC and the Sunshine Band - Get Down Tonight
Frank Sinatra-New York, New York
Kelly Clarkson - My Life Would Suck Without You.
The Killers - Mr Brightside.
Maroon 5 - Harder To Breathe.
The Five Stairsteps - Ooh Child (Things are Gonna Get Easier)
Foreigner - Dirty White Boy
Matchbox 20 - How Far We’ve Come
Lady Gaga - Poker Face
Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell.
Grand Funk Railroad - Bad Time
The Monkees-Im Not Your Steppin’ Stone
Led Zeppelin – Nobody’s Fault But Mine
Orleans – You’re Still the One
The Guess Who--American Woman.
Led Zeppelin - Black Dog
Pink - Get This Party Started
Pat Benatar - All Fired Up
Green Day - Minority.
Ram Jam - Black Betty.
Rick Springfield – Jessie’s Girl.
Pink - Who Knew
ELO: Mr. Blue Sky.
The Monkees - Day Dream Believer
Led Zeppelin - Rock and Roll.
Tommy Tutone - 8675309 Jenny.
Steely Dan: Reelin in the Years
Toto - Rosanna
Little River Band - Lonesome Loser.
Toto - Hold the Line.
U2 - Beautiful Day.
Lynard Skynard - Gimme Three Steps.
Bill Conte: Theme From Rocky - Gonna Fly Now
Survivor - Eye of the Tiger
Pink- Ur Hand.
The Vapors - Turning Japanese.
Pink - So What
Betty Everett – It’s In His Kiss (Shoop Shoop Song)
The Partridge Family - I Think I Love You.
REM - Stand
B52’s - love shack
Toto - Africa.
Spiral Staircase- I Love You More Today Than Yesterday
The Tokens: The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Village People - YMCA
Madness - Our House
MFSB - TSOP (long version).
The Kinks - Come Dancing
Tom Jones – It’s Not Unusual.
Tom Petty - Running Down a Dream
Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes
Meatloaf - I Would Do Anything For Love
Tavares - It Only Takes a Minute Girl
Tom Jones: She’s a Lady
Dexy’s Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen.
Bon Jovi - It’s My Life
Kevin Rudolf and Lil Wayne - Let It Rock.
Wild Cherry- Play That Funky Music
Green Day-Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
The Pointers Sisters – I’m So Excited
Golden Earring - Radar Love
Apollo 100 - Joy
Alan Parsons Project - Where Do We Go From Here
The All American Rejects - Dirty Little Secrets
The All American Rejects - Gives You Hell
BTO (Bachman Turner Overdrive)- Taking Care of Business.
BTO - You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet.
Billy Idol - Dancing With Myself
Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling
Blink182 - All The Small Things
Elton John - The Bitch Is Back
Bowling For Soup - 1985
Brownsville Station: Smokin’ in the Boy’s Room
Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run.
Bryan Adams - Summer of 69

Great News

2010-02-03T16:39:00.012-05:00

Physical Therapy appointment went as well as I had hoped. Without getting too medical technical, I have a groin strain, inflammation of that area and nearby areas, and a messed up body alignment. Today he was pulling my left leg to even it out with my right and twisting and turning both my legs. I'm scheduled for PT 3 days a week for the next two weeks, then will probably be able to cut back to twice a week. This is what I'll be doing (Of course once again I can't get the link to work) http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/sprainsstrains/a/groinstrain_2.htm I'm taking motrin for the inflammation, and was told not to run until further notice. Of course I'm also not stretching like I'm supposed to, so that contributed to this happening. My next appointment is this Friday, so I guess I'll take it one day at a time, follow his instructions, and get well enough to run as soon as possible. It's times like this that make me even more appreciative of when I can run. I'm extremely happy that I don't have a hernia or anything seriously wrong. Plus I'm sure I'll be even better than ever when this is over. Only disappointing thing was I wish I had gotten the hot girl for my PT. Although having hot girl for PT probably would have been counterproductive since I probably would have been too distracted to focus on my task at hand. Oh well! I don't have any excuses not to go catch up on reading your blogs...so off I go to bloggerland.

Pain Does Not Equal Gain

2010-01-31T19:48:00.004-05:00

I was going to name this post "Oh my aching unmentionable area" or "What a pain in the fill in the blank," but thought better of it.*

Today's Run: Linear Trail: 25 degrees. 5 miles; Splits: 9:59; 9:52; 10:18; 9:58; 9:45 49:52; 9:58 per mile average pace.

Yesterday's Run: Road: 23 degrees. 5 miles; Splits: 9:06, 9:06, 9:29, 8:59, 8:54; 45:34; 9:06 per mile average pace
WARNING: This post is a downer...
Today's run was planned for 7 miles, but I barely made 5 miles. I decided to run on the Farmington Canal Linear Trail today, but on a different part that is in the next town. I needed a change of scenery to help lift my mood and to motivate me. I drove the 5 miles from my house and when I arrived there I was disappointed. It was still covered in frozen snow. Apparently that part of the trail doesn't get plowed. I decided to give it a run, since it was pretty much packed down from people running and snowmobiling on it. Off I went, and it was a slow go. I was having difficulty with my footing, and my toes and fingertips were numb from the cold wind. I knew that it generally took me about 1 1/2 miles to warm up, so I wasn't too concerned. I was resigned to the fact that my time would be slow, and I was alright with that. At about the mile and a half point, my toes and hands did warm up. I kept my gloves on, even though my hands now felt too warm, since the wind chill made it feel as if it was in the teens. Although I was warm, my legs had no power, and it wasn't completely due to the poor footing. I made the decision early on to cut my run back to 5 miles. Ignoring the pain in my groin area (Sorry ladies for this info.) the past 4 months no longer works. Nine hours later, it's still lingering, and actually feels worse. Tylenol doesn't work anymore, and my runs are no longer comfortable, especially afterwards when the real pain begins. Running for two days in a row like I did this weekend is a struggle. My times reflect that. The time has come for me to go see my doctor. My research leads me to believe it's either a sports hernia or a muscle strain. Of the two, the muscle strain would be better. Worse case scenario for a sports hernia is surgery and about 8 weeks of recovery time. To be continued....UPDATE: I'm not feeling as much pain as yesterday. However, I went to my doctor today, Monday. He has referred me to "Bob" the sports medicine dude at a physical therapy/aquatic therapy facility. My appointment is for this Wednesday.
* Not really

Running Naked Was Not a Good Idea

2010-01-28T04:33:00.006-05:00

Yesterday's Run: Road: About 39.6 degrees I think. 3.4 miles; Splits: 8:53; 9:05; 8:55; 3:22; 30:15; 8:53 per mile average pace.

I didn't want to run, but I HAD to run.* I scheduled a haircut after work, I stopped at Double D for an iced coffee (Yes, on a winter's day, hazelnut with cream and sugar), I took my sweet ass time driving home, I got the mail, I read my e-mail, I read my Facebook (Feel free to request me as a friend-link is on my blog, bottom right), and dressed in my running gear as slowly as I could, hoping it would get dark and I'd change my mind. Sunset in Connecticut is 5 p.m now (Woo-Hoo!), so the stall tactics didn't work. So I put on my reflective armband, pressed the on button, and it weakly flashed and died. I took off my reflective armband, grabbed my newer reflective arm band with the bright, flashing red l.e.d. (I think) disco lights, velcro'd (I know-not a real word-sue me)it on my arm, had it keep sliding down my arm, swore, took off before mentioned armband, attached it to the back of my hat, checked out my unstudly physique wearing flashing disco hat in my dark bathroom mirror, got fascinated by red flashing disco lights reflecting in my bathroom mirror, had flashbacks to growing up in the '70's and HATING disco music, snapped out of it, and was ready to go for my run. Keep in mind I had already done everything I could to not run, still wasn't motivated to run, but for some unknown reason decided to run naked. If you've never run naked, I can say that I've done it before, and sometimes it works as far as feeling "as one" with your run, and sometimes (Like yesterday) it affects your performance in a negative way, meaning your run sucks. My run sucked. I was panting like a dog, the cold air felt extremely cold (Gee, I wonder why?!), and my slacker run of 3.4 miles felt like a marathon. Having Rachael** with me didn't help ease my pain. Even though I never felt like I was running comfortably and struggled the entire time, I surprised myself by averaging an 8:53 per mile pace. However, running naked, especially when you're not motivated to run, is definitely a bad idea. If I ever run naked again, I'm waiting until it's warmer and I can be comforted by the warm rays of the sun and the trees with leaves, and all the other great warm weather sights, sounds, and smells. I missed my MP3 player, I needed my music. I so regret running naked, without my MP3 player to keep me company and help motivate me. OK, update: NEVER type a blog at 4:30 a.m! Running naked was a poor attempt at humor on my part, meaning I ran without my mp3 player. Now that it's 8 hours later, I've been scolded by Stephanie, and reread my blog, I see the misunderstanding. So no, I did not run without clothes on. If anyone was offended by this post, so be it!
* Rough day at work
** Rachael is my Garmin. See previous post.

Whatever Direction the Wind is Blowing...

2010-01-26T18:21:00.005-05:00

Today's Run: Road: 40 degrees. 4.1 miles; Splits: 9:03; 9:05; 9:00; 8:40; :44; 36:32; 8:54 per mile average pace.

Whatever direction the wind is blowing, my first mile will always be run into it, provided I'm running on the road. That's a fact I've finally recognized and accepted after 3 plus years of running on the roads of Cheshire, Connecticut. During the winter, this sucks since naturally the wind that's blowing certainly doesn't feel like a warm, tropical breeze. No, it tends to suck the wind out of me and leave me feeling like I'm running underwater. I must look really "cool" in more ways than one to those motorists unlucky enough to drive by me during that time. I wonder how many of them have contemplated dialing 911 to report a 53 year old man running with a contorted face having difficulty breathing. Today was one of those days. I was short on time, so I did my start at my house and run westward uphill into the wind for the first mile run. My other option would have been to start by running north, which of course also meant running my first mile into the wind. That being said, mile 1 was UGLY, mostly uphill, and I struggled to a 9:03 time. I actually expected Rachael, my Garmin, to display a slower time. I'm thinking that since she now has a name (See previous post) maybe she took some pity on me and fudged the time...or maybe not. Mile 2 I felt better, and the wind wasn't a factor. So how the heck did I run a slower 9:05 split? I'm blaming it on Rachael. I think I'm going to like this name thing. If I have a bad split time or a bad total time, it's Rachael's fault. OK, not really. But I really don't understand the slower mile 2. Mile 3, running again into the wind, due to me having fun with my run (Hey, that rhymes) and randomly choosing streets to run on. So go figure, a 9 minute split. Heading for home, wind at my back, and feeling warm and cozy (Gay, huh?!) resulted in an 8:40 mile 4 split, and an extra 1/10 of a mile for good luck took just 44 seconds. Total time was 36:32, for an average mile time of 8:54. Much better than I expected, and very satisfying since my running goal this time of year is a 9 minute or better pace per mile average.

An "Epic" Run(ner)?!

2010-01-25T16:08:00.007-05:00

Yesterday's (Sunday)Run: Road: 35 degrees. 6.1 miles; Splits: 9:15; 8:59; 8:54; 9:02; 9:07; 8:59; :53 55:09; 9:02 per mile average pace.

"Epic": Adjective: Surpassing the usual or ordinary, particularly in scope or size; Heroic and impressive in quality.

Rachael (Mentioned in my previous post) has given me permission to share with those of you who still actually read my blog the kind comments she wrote on the card which she enclosed with the book I won in her giveaway. Yes, I know that was a long sentence. It's 4:30 a.m., and I'm completing this post which I started writing yesterday if you must know. And I'm only on my first cup of caffeine. So sentence composition and structure don't count. So, here are the kind words she wrote: "You are such an inspiration to me and I really hope you continue to run + run hard!" OK, so that's not everything she wrote, but that's the first sentence of it. That's the sentence that you now see under the "Comments" section of my blog. That comment along with her comment on my last post "You simply amaze me. I can't wait until I'm your age** and I can smear my abilities in the faces of little newbies like me. Epic, that's what you are" were very motivational when I went out for my run on Sunday. So motivational in fact that I've decided to name my next child after her.* I wasn't at all excited about going for a run on Sunday. Ever since I've returned from Las Vegas I've been cursing the 30 degree temperatures here in Connecticut. Plus it was dark and grey, not sunny and Vegas "glitzy." With the New York City Half Marathon 8 weeks away, I knew I had to start running longer distances. I drove to the linear trail, parked, and decided a longer than usual 4 mile run would be 5 miles. Told you I wasn't excited to run. At least I was running on the road and the trail, instead of just the trail. Off I went, and my first mile was mainly uphill. I felt like I was running well, but Garmin disagreed. First mile: 9:15. Slow for me, and discouraging since my first mile time usually dictates how the rest of my run will go. I decided to try to relax, listen to my "epic" 70's tunes, and just have fun. Screw my splits. (Note: I will be using the term epic in the wrong way and overusing it from here on). Well, it worked. Mile 2 was an epic 8:59 (I love it when I break a 9 minute split); mile 3 another epic sub 9 minute time of 8:54. Uh oh, slacker Rick's legs getting heavy, and an unepic (almost the word epic) mile 4 of 9:02 and mile 5 of 9:07. Lucky for me I miscalculated when I would arrive at the trail, so with a few extra epic loops, I added on an extra 1/4 + mile and ended up running 6.1 miles instead of my planned 5 miles. Plus my last mile split was an epic 8:59. Overall, I ran for 55:09, and averaged a 9:02 per mile pace. Although it was a little slower than I had hoped, I ran an extra 1.1 epic miles, so I'm (substitute whatever adjectives you want that mean extremely thrilled) that I was able to run 6.1 miles and "overachieve."
I think I covered everything I wanted to say. In closing, I want to say that you need to follow/stalk Rachael's blog. She's freakin' hilarious, she's crazy, and maybe someday she'll run as good as this 53 year old epic runner. :-) I'm terrible at creating links, and it's early, so just go to my previous post and click on the link to her blog that's there. Because, read previous sentence.
* I'm lying. I'm not having any more children. I'm naming my unnamed Garmin after her...until I change my mind, if ever. So my Garmin has a first name, it's R-a-c-h-a-e-l, my Garmin has a second name, it's...oh, never mind. Reminds me of a bologna commercial from years ago.
** Apparently she thinks I'm also ancient. Come on, 53 is...old enough to be most of you out there's father. Point well made. But I still feel your age. So there, 20-something runners!

Thank-You and My Price is Right Story

2010-01-23T13:43:00.010-05:00

Today's Run: Linear Trail: 34 degrees. 4 miles; Splits: 8:39; 8:44; 8:41; 8:32; 34:36; 8:39 per mile average pace.

I had taken the past four days off for some R+R (Rest and Relaxation). Monday's run as I said in my post was a struggle and probably did more harm than good. So I had low expectations as I once again headed to the Farmington Canal Linear Trail for a 4 miler. I was hoping to average around a 9 minute per mile pace, but honestly was expecting more like a 9:15 per mile average pace. Even though it was only 34 degrees, the wind was calm so it felt warmer. (About two months from now is spring...sigh...) As usual, I was wearing my favorite very comfortable Nike running top, shorts, pants, and hat, a long sleeved tech shirt, and of course my running socks and shoes. At the last minute I decided to leave my gloves in my car, a decision I regretted for the first 1 1/2 miles. As I started running, I expected to feel the same WTF pain I described in Monday's post. I didn't, so immediately was off to a better than expected start. I felt comfortable and like I hadn't had a layoff, which was great. My stride felt well, and lead legs and cement shoes feeling were no where to be found. Wow, I was having fun and grooving listening to my combination 70's and current songs on my MP3 player. Mile 1 came rather easily, and still unnamed Garmin beeped and displayed an 8:39 mile. I did a double take. Sweet! I was way ahead of my expected per mile pace. My mile 1 split always indicates how well my run is going to go, so I knew I was going to have a good run today. Miles 1 to 2 felt good as well, and I was enjoying running on the trail with other runners and walkers. During the week this time of year I sometimes run alone on the trail. Mile 2 also seemed to come quickly, and it was a little slower, at 8:44. I was disappointed, since my goal is always to run negative splits. I slowed down at mile 2.03, quickly turned around and headed back. I was determined to run negative splits for the remaining two miles, but at the same time didn't want to push myself too hard due to just getting over my sinus infection and still not being 100%. Mile 3 came and was an 8:41, three seconds faster than mile two. One mile to go, and I was picking up the pace a little bit. At mile 3 1/2 I glanced at my watch, and determined that I was ahead of my mile 3 pace by a little bit. So I increased my speed, again, not too quickly. I completed the last mile in 8:32, which was far better than I had expected. So overall, I had negative splits for miles two through four, and averaged an 8:39 per mile pace. I felt as if I'm back to normal with my running, which is good since the New York City Half Marathon is eight weeks from tomorrow.
Today I received a special gift in the mail. Rachael of http://thebeginningrunnersblog.blogspot.com/ had a contest, and I was fortunate to win it despite having just one entry. I won an autographed copy of The Runner's Rule Book, by Mark Remy. Along with the book was a very nice card with a note from Rachael. If she gives me permission, I'll share with you what she wrote. Thank-you SO much Rachael for the great gift. As soon as I'm done writing my post, I'm going to read the book.
Also, I promised you a while back that I'd share my Price is Right Las Vegas adventure with you. Well, although it still pains me to talk/write about it, here goes. My wife Kathy and I were 2 of 125 people who signed up and paid the $50 each to be in audience of the Las Vegas version of it. It was taking place at Bally's, and is hosted by Todd Newton ("E! News Live," "Coming Attractions" and "Whammy! The All New Press Your Luck"). Dave Ruprecht, who hosted Supermarket Sweep in the '90's was the announcer. Well, for the final showcase showdown they chose two names at random, and I happened to be one of them. So some dude from Boston and I were up on the stage, in front of 123 other audience members, with a chance to win the showcase. Regular Price is Right rules applied, meaning if you overbid, you lose. There was a New England Patriots football, a New England Patriots jacket, a Heineken kegerator, an outdoor entertainment system with a movie projector and inflatable screen, a 4 day cruise for two to Mexico, and a Nissan Versa car. We had ten seconds to write down our bids. I quickly did the math in my head, figuring the football and jacket were about $50, the kegerator about $450, the entertainment system about $500, the cruise about $3000, and the car about $15,000; for a total of $19,000. To be safe, or so I thought, I bid $18,995. He bid $24,999. So if the actual retail price had been between $18,995 and $24,998, I would have won. Well, the actual retail price was only $15,000 something. We both overbid and lost. To this day if I hear the music from the Price is Right, or look at the home version that they give me, I get depressed. I'm getting better though. I guess time will heal me. Telling you guys and everyone I know about it has helped also. Not one person has told me they would have bid less than I did, so that helps. If you would have bid lower and won, I don't want to know, OK?!

"Stone Cold"

2010-01-18T15:58:00.005-05:00

Today's Run: Linear Trail: 27 degrees. 4 miles; Splits: 9:26; 9:33; 9:32; 9:31; 38:02; 9:30 per mile average (snail's) pace.

Cold temperatures, the end of a sinus infection, and a ten day layoff = running at a pace that I ran at when I resumed running 3 1/2 years ago. I have nothing, nada, zilch, zero, good to say about today's run other than I somehow completed it. I wanted to ease myself back into running after a ten day layoff and having just recovered from a sinus infection. Ease myself I did, but by a ridiculously slower than molasses flowing uphill on a cold Connecticut day run. When I began my run, I immediately got a "WTF" reaction from my legs. After all, they had gotten used to 62 degree temperatures in Las Vegas along with leisurely strolls along the strip. How dare I expect them to move faster and in below freezing temperatures? Never mind the fact that portions of the trail were covered with icy slush...and that certainly wasn't a warm Vegas breeze blowing in my face when I turned and headed back at mile 2. Nothing beats "slush running" with a cold breeze blowing in your face as your toes turn to stones. (You can't spell stones without "toes"). Speaking of stones, since when did my running shoes with less than 100 miles on them feel like they're made of concrete?! So yeah, it was a stellar day of running. But hey, I did it. It sucked, it hurt, and it wasn't fun. But I'm back to doing what I love to do... Running. Nine weeks to lose the concrete shoes, shake off the cobwebs, WD-40 the running rust, regain my running mojo, and compete in the New York City Half Marathon. Life is good. As far as a training program, I may use Hal Higdon's Intermediate Training Program (Thanks, Lindsay). Or I may just wing it. I'm not sure how anal I want to be training for a half marathon. Also, I'm low on time, but at some point will update you on my Las Vegas Price is Right adventure. Lastly, I truly admire the few faithful followers who continue to comment on my blog despite the face I'm WAY behind commenting on yours. Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!!! You guys are the best. Hopefully I can catch up this week on your blogs.

Half Marathon Training Schedule Needed

2010-01-17T08:43:00.003-05:00

A quick "Price is Right" update. Since it was a Las Vegas version of the Price is Right, it had different hosts and will not be televised.
I need your help. I need a good half marathon training schedule. I'm finally starting to feel better, so I want to resume running in a few days. However, since I'm visually motivated, I need a printed training schedule to motivate me. Thanks!

The Price is WRONG!!

2010-01-14T08:48:00.003-05:00

If you ever get on the Price is Right Las Vegas version with a chance to win a Nissan Versa, a Heineken kegolator, an outdoor theater system and a cruise to Mexico, DON'T overbid....Yes, I did and I did! Details in a day or two. No, I didn't run while I was there, but I walked a LOT! It was 64 degrees and sunny there...it's 32 degrees and cold here. Plus I lost 3 hours coming back to Eastern Standard Time...and I have a wicked cold...OK, no more whining! Hope all of you are doing well.

Last Run Before Las Vegas Vacation

2010-01-08T17:13:00.004-05:00

Today's Run: Linear Trail: 32 degrees. 4 miles; Splits: 9:00; 9:00; 9:16; 8:45; 36:01; 9:00 per mile average pace.

One last run today before my wife and I head to Vegas for a mini vacation. We're leaving tomorrow and returning late next Wednesday. As much as I want to run in the predicted daily high temperature of 63 degrees (Compared to the 20's this weekend in Connecticut), I probably won't. The thought of packing sweaty running gear for the trip back home just doesn't appeal to me. Besides, I know that I'll probably be drinking too much beer anyhow since I've Googled the names of breweries in Vegas and formulated a game plan for going to all of them. :-)
Today's run was another run on snow. The linear trail had a fresh coat of about an inch or so of fresh snow. As usual, the first 1 1/2 miles of the trail was easy to run on since it's normally plowed and there wasn't much of a snow accumulation. Miles 1 1/2 to 2 were more difficult because of that part of the trail never being plowed and having about 3 inches deep of snow ruts to run around and through. I skidded to a halt just after my still unnamed Garmin beeped at mile 2, turned around and ran back the way I had come. So I had the uneven terrain for miles 2 to 2 1/2 as well. I'm blaming that for my 9:16 mile 3 pace after a 9 minute mile for miles 1 and 2. Once I was back on the blacktop at mile 2 1/2, my legs felt tired. However I still managed to break a 9 minute mile with an 8:45 last mile. Overall, I averaged a 9 minute mile pace, so I'm happy. Speaking of me being happy, I received some good news today: "You’ve been accepted to run the 2010 NYC Half-Marathon on March 21. The NYC Half, like the ING New York City Marathon, is an iconic race that inspires runners and fans alike with a course that includes some of the best sights in Manhattan." This is the first year it's being run in March, so it will be a great (first race of 2010?)race for me to look forward to. After running in the NY City Marathon last November, I know how well New Yorkers support us runners.
Well, I'm still WAY behind reading your blogs, and of course won't be reading them again for another week. My apologies again, and I'll be catching up (hopefully) next weekend. Thanks to those of you who are still commenting on my blog. Your loyalty and nice comments are greatly appreciated. Before I go, I must mention that I HATE going in airplanes. Yup, it's going to be an adventurous 6 hours tomorrow flying from Connecticut to Las Vegas. Hey, at least it's only 5 hours coming home. I guess that's it...sorry for the lack of creativity in this post. Are you still awake?! Hello????

Safety Pin, URC, and Thanks Mel

2010-01-06T16:59:00.006-05:00

1/2 Run: Linear Trail: 27 degrees. 6.2 miles; Splits: 9:32; 9:33; 9:47; 10:02; 10:07; 9:47; 1:50; 1:00:38; 9:45 per mile average pace.

1/3 Run: Linear Trail: 14 degrees. 3 miles; Splits: 10:16; 10:10; 9:57; 30:23; 10:07 per mile average pace.

1/5 Run: Road: 28 degrees. 4 miles; Splits: 9:10; 9:00; 8:56; 8:49; 35:55; 8:58 per mile average pace.

I decided to start the new year with a longer than usual run this past Saturday, so I went to my favorite place to run, the Farmington Canal Linear Trail. It was a brisk 27 degrees and I was dressed in my normal boring running attire (See previous post about running attire). Before leaving home I had remembered to finally take a look underneath my right shoe figuring it was time to remove the annoying "pebble" that was lodged in the bottom. It had been there since the Christopher Martin's Race in mid December, and at times would bother me when I was running or walking. Said pebble wasn't a pebble. It was a
I don't know how I was running with it embedded in the sole of my shoe. That sucker was in deep, so deep that it took me three attempts to pull it out. 6.2, aka 10K was a challenge. I already had cut myself a deal that my time didn't matter, so the pressure was off. Hence my 1 hour and thirty-eight seconds slow and easy run. Actually, it was easy for miles zero to 1 1/2, and 4.7 to 6.2. Those were run on the cleared part of the trail. The other parts of the trail weren't cleared, so that meant I was avoiding ice spots and rough spots in the snow. Back to the trail the next day for what I called the "Ultimate Running Challenge" (URC). It was snowing, the wind was blowing, and the temperature was 14 degrees, with a wind chill around zero degrees. I had doubled up on my tech shirts, put on my running attire, and gotten some supportive comments from my wife and son ("You're crazy" and "Jackass") prior to leaving the house. As promised, I dedicated my URC to Lisa http://watchlisarun.blogspot.com/ who's injured right now. It was definitely a challenging run, since it was more of a 3 mile shuffle due to me not wanting to fall on my ass on the freshly fallen snow covered trail. The wind wasn't a factor until I turned around at the halfway point and headed back. Then it was me vs. the elements, as the wind blown snow kept attacking me. It was me being at one with Mother Nature, since I was running without my mp3 player because I wanted to make sure my ears would be completely covered. The only sounds were my feet crunching in the snow and the wind whistling by my head. At some point during the run I did the math...76 days until the Vernal Equinox. I finished in 30:23, but since I stayed warm and didn't suffer frostbite I consider it a successful and rewarding run. Monday was a day off so I could work my once a week night as a receptionist at Weight Watchers. That in itself is another blog which I may write some day. Yesterday I wanted to run but wasn't going to run. So I posted this on my Facebook: "I need to get myself outside for a run....I have NO, none, zero, zilch motivation to go..." I immediately received a response from Mel, of http://www.second-chances.ca/ which simply said "GO." After I said I would, she sent me some more encouragement, saying "and I bet you'll have no regrets and will be happy that you did :)" Well, that was the push I needed. Although I HATE to run when it's dark out, I indeed did go for a run, and wore my Duravision Pro Reflective Armband with 4 LED Lights so that I was easy to see. My planned 3 mile run ended up being 4 miles because it felt great. I had negative splits, and averaged an 8:58 per mile pace which is faster than usual for me this time of year. So Mel, thanks for the kick in the ass that I needed. I indeed did not have any regrets and was happy that I ran.

Anybody Want to Run From CT to MA?!

2010-01-06T04:52:00.007-05:00

OK, who wants to run as part of a relay team from New Haven to Boston? It's from May 21st to 22nd, and we need either 6 or 12 runners to have a team. "Newbies" welcome. Click on link below (if it works!) or copy and paste for more info.

http://www.ragnarrelay.com/boston/index.php

Remember Me?! Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T07:52:00.006-05:00

Has it really been 2 weeks since I posted and commented on your blogs? Shame on me! I just wanted to check in and say "Hi" to everyone out there in Bloggerland. I'm still alive, still running outside in this ridiculously cold Connecticut weather, and counting down the days until spring arrives. I hate all of you that are complaining about it being too hot! I'll trade you a cold and windy 32 degree "feels like" 10 degrees freezing my ass off and my toes and fingertips are cold day any day! At least it's getting darker later, so I don't have to worry about running in the dark and tripping on sidewalk cracks or running into telephone poles or garbage cans. My times have been consistent; around an 8:50 per mile average pace, with my usual negative splits. The cold air has me gasping for breaths the first half mile or so, especially if I start by running uphill. I compare it to being underwater and trying to suck in air. However I am always prepared: I wear my Runner's ID bracelet that my wonderful daughter bought me. This way should I pass out and become a sidewalk popsicle, the medics have the option of calling my wife or daughter and telling them what a jackass I was for running in subzero wind chill temperatures. No, I won't run on a "dreadmill" or go to the gym. Too "germy" and too boring. My favorite running route, the Farmington Canal Linear Trail does get plowed whenever it snows, but only the first 1 1/2 miles. So that sucks, but I appreciate the mile and a half of quiet time with nice scenery. Surprise, I'm usually the only person on it. Speaking of nice scenery, excuse me ladies for saying this, but I've started appreciating the winter apparel that you wear when you run. It's cool that you have such fashionable attire to wear, while us guys run wearing the boring gray or black...well, at least this 53 year old man does. I just can't wear those leggings that men wear (scary), or something bright and colorful. Women can pull it off, and pull it off well. Heck, you even have hats that allow room for your ponytails. Who's better than you? I'll stick to wearing my bought on sale at a great price Nike or other brand name gray or black tops and bottoms, and leave the fashion statements to all you ladies. Sorry, I got sidetracked...
If I run on the sidewalks there's always areas where they're not shoveled, or are shoveled and have icy areas. Road running becomes a challenge, because there's always a car or two that passes me by as close to me as possible. It's like a game of "chicken." I wish the driver would at least slow down and give me a high five out their window. Maybe I should run with a key in my hand and stick it out as they graze me and reward them with a cool keyed racing stripe the entire length of their car. OK, I'm just kidding...
Hey, I had New Years running resolutions. Let's see, I have to go find them in my blog. Be right back...Here they are! 1) Always have fun whenever I run: Always?! OK, I mostly had fun whenever I ran. Close enough. Goal accomplished. 2) Stay injury free. NOT! After an initial diagnosis last January of Achilles Tendonitis by what turned out to be an incompetent podiatrist, complete with a VERY painful cortisone shot, I actually found out by going to a competent podiatrist in April that I had Morton's Neuroma, which is far less serious and doesn't require cortisone shots. 3) Run at least 1 marathon this year; two if my body can handle the training. DONE! I ran the Hartford Marathon and the NY City Marathon. 4) Place in the top three in my division in any race and win a cheesy award. Well, I did and I did! Back in May I entered a new 5K race, hoping to win an award against less than stellar competition. My strategy worked, as I came in 2nd and won....drumroll please...four 2 oz. bags of Brioni coffee and a "Hotel California Tequila" t-shirt. 5) Read as many running blogs as I can, and be supportive of my fellow runners by commenting in their blogs. That was easy...done! P.S. Welcome to my 3 new stalkers/followers. EricaH, Continuous Changes, and GISRunner 6) Buy the Garmin Forerunner 305 so that I can better track my progress. I was like Ralphie from "A Christmas Story." Ralphie said: "I want an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle!" I said: "I want an official Garmin Forerunner 305 high sensitivity GPS receiver with new courses feature and robust wireless heart rate monitor for optimal performance." Ha! I bought it, and it still needs a name! 7) Run as many races as possible with my daughter. It's definitely quality "father/daughter" time. Did it, and have the best race pic ever with her. See the pic under "About Me" in this blog. 8) Run a race with a "blog buddy." Well, I didn't run a race with a blog buddy, but I did run in the same races as two of my blog buddies: Carlee and Lindsay. I've also met them both, so to me that counts.
OK, gotta go now. Time to go prepare for the new year. I'll be attempting to catch up on all your blogs over the weekend. Happy New Year, my blogging buddies. P.S. Note to self: Redo "Previous Races" part of blog that I accidentally deleted...Grrr

Long Overdue Product(s) Review

2009-12-17T16:50:00.005-05:00

Two months ago I received a couple of free samples of Pom Wonderful products. One was a bottle of their POM Kiwi Juice, and the other a bottle of their POM Nectarine juice. I drank them at that time, and as I was going through my old e-mails today realized that I never wrote a product review about them. So I'm two months late telling you about these products. OOPS!
I won't go into details about the nutritional info, but rather give you the link below so that you can read about the products and their nutritional info.
http://pomwonderful.com/products/juice/100-pomegranate/

First, I must say that I accept free samples of products such as POM Wonderful with the understanding that I will always give an unbiased review, and also not try to convince any of my readers to purchase the product. That being said, I truly enjoyed both juices. They are very tasty, and I feel consuming them good knowing that they don't contain any added sugars, preservatives or colors. The only negative aspect in my opinion is the 150 calories per 8 oz. bottle. However they also contain zero grams of fat. I have also tried their pomegranate and cherry flavors previously and also liked their taste as well. Let me not forget their three flavors of iced coffee: Chocolate, Cafe Au Lait, and Vanilla. I was fortunate enough to receive the chocolate and Cafe Au Lait freebies during the hot summer. They were delicious ice cold on a hot day. The sweet thing about the chocolate flavor is that it doesn't have any grams of fat, and also has 175 mg of natural caffeine per 10.5 oz. bottle. However, the 190 calories are a bit high in my opinion. It will definitely "kick start" you when you need a boost.
So, there's my honest, unbiased POM Wonderful product info. I've also noticed that they have bars, pills, and shots. If I receive any of these from POM Wonderful (hint hint Pom Wonderful) I'll be sure to pass along the info. on them.

Let There Be (More) Light

2009-12-16T19:50:00.004-05:00

Yesterday's Run: Road. 46 degrees. 3.6 miles; Splits: 8:51; 8:47; 8:08; 4:45; 30:31; 8:28/mile average pace.

Today's Run: Road. 30 degrees. 4.25 miles; Splits: 9:04; 8:51; 8:43; 8:25; 2:01; 37:04; 8:43/mile average pace.

I'm so psyched. It's FINALLY happened. We the people of Connecticut have started experiencing a later sunset. Yes, during the next week we actually gain 3 more minutes of sunset. Wow, an entire extra 3 minutes before sunset. A month from now we will have gained 25 minutes of sunlight. Even though I received my Duravision Pro Reflective Armband with 4 LED Lights today from RoadRunner Sports today and wore it during my run, I can't wait to pack it away. Can you tell I'm not a winter person?
Well, two more runs on the road, close to home. I do miss the linear trail, but I don't know if all the snow has melted off it from last Wednesday's snowstorm, and of course it's not lit so I don't have time to run it during the week. My still unnamed and probably never to be named Garmin Forerunner 305 (See December 9 post)and I are definitely BFF right now. We go out and run about and as long as we arrive home in 30 minutes or more, we're both happy. I'm not sure that probably never to be named Garmin Forerunner 305 was being truthful yesterday...it sure didn't feel like I ran an 8:08 mile 3 split. But hey, who am I to argue? Anytime weekdays that all my splits are under 9 minutes and I run at least 30 minutes, life is good. My simple goal this time of the year is to get out at least 2 days during the week and run for at least 30 minutes, preferably before dark. If I break 9 minutes per mile that's even better. I'm hoping to run more miles during the weekend, weather permitting. So overall, if I run 4 or 5 days a week, for at least 30 minutes a run, preferably with split times of less than 9 minutes, than I'll be happy. There's no pressure for me to perform right now. I don't have any races in mind until at least March. Plus Connecticut weather is too unpredictable this time of the year, and it's the holidays, so why stress out? I'm continuing to run negative splits every time, so that's a bonus. Even though I only ran 4 1/4 miles today, my legs and right knee were letting me know that tomorrow's a day of rest. Friday will probably also be a rest day, since my daughter and I are decorating our Christmas tree and home. That should allow me to be well rested for a longer Saturday run, providing the beer and pizza on Friday don't convince me otherwise. Time to go catch up on what all of you are doing..

Christopher Martin's Christmas Run For Children 5K Race Report

2009-12-14T16:07:00.003-05:00

Splits: 8:00; 7:55; 7:49; :46; 24:30 (7:53/M).

First off, how the heck did I run a 22:57 last year? Second, how the heck did I run a 24:30 this year?!! UGH, I felt good, but I think I "babied" myself too much. I don't have any kind of a great race report. It is my favorite 5K race ever, as you'll soon read why. It was a relatively flat course out and back from Christopher Martin's Restaurant in New Haven. The course was new, and it was OK, but I do like the course from the previous years better. No excuses though, the new course didn't slow me down. I slowed me down. I worked up a good sweat, and was actually overdressed for a cool Connecticut day. I could have worn shorts, but I chose not to since it was 19 degrees outside when my daughter and I left my house. My daughter, a co-worker and I all ran the race. We started together, but since I was given permission from the two of them to run my own race, I did. So the quality father-daughter occurred after the race during the post race party in the bar area of the restaurant. First I "established the base," meaning I ate three hot dogs and a bagel in order to have some food in my stomach before heading inside to consume my share of the 15 kegs of free beer that was available. Once inside, I had the important responsibility of passing cups and pitchers of beer back to the other patrons. That's what happens when you're tall and finish 437 of 1609 finishers. So as much as I've whined about my time, I still finished before 75% of the runners. The post race party also has a men's and women's competition with categories such as tallest, best tattoo, best sports bra...well, you get the idea. It gets pretty crazy as hundreds of runners are packed together like sardines in a small bar consuming 15 kegs of free beer (Thank-you New England Brewing Company)for 3 hours while cheering on the competitors. No, I didn't get up on the bar to compete. I wasn't drunk and stupid enough. Matter of fact, I drank responsibly as you can tell since I'm writing this today. :-) P.S. Note to self: Don't attempt to add a race to the "Previous Races" category in your blog when you're tired. Otherwise you may accidentally delete all of your previous race results. Too late....^$#@%$%

Saturday Dedication Runs

2009-12-12T20:00:00.017-05:00

Today's Run: Road. 32 degrees. 4.1 miles; Splits: 9:18; 8:46; 8:38; 8:29; :46; 35:57; 8:46/mile average pace.

I've decided to dedicate my Saturday runs to those persons who are unable to run due to injury. Today's run was dedicated to Lisa, of http://watchlisarun.blogspot.com/. Lisa has a fracture in one leg and is unable to run for a while. She always has kind words to say whenever I post my latest run. So it was my pleasure to dedicate today's run to her.
After reading Meg's post http://megrunsalot.blogspot.com/ about running hills, I decided that I'd challenge myself with some difficult hills today. Once again it was the all too familiar almost winter day, with the temperature being 32 degrees and the cold north wind blowing. I preplanned my run with the first half being run into the wind, and the second half being helped with the wind at my back. The course I set up had two tough hills, and I ran down one hill and up the next. So of course after I turned around and headed towards my home I was also faced with a downhill run followed by the uphill run. The majority of my run was on a main route (Route 10). I always wonder if I'll run by someone who knows me and thinks it's a good idea to beep their horn, thereby scaring the sh*t out of me. I also think that at least half of the people driving by think I'm nuts for running in the freezing cold. Of course I always hope that there's the one or two people who may actually be motivated enough by my running out in the elements to become runners themselves. OK, probably not, but I can dream, can't I?! I really do enjoy running up hills. I think having long legs helps. Plus there's the extra feeling of accomplishment once you reach the top. As you can tell by reading this, my run didn't really have any earth shattering excitements or exciting elements to it. On second thought it did. I was able to run today for Lisa. Lisa, here's to hoping your fracture heals quickly and that you come back stronger than ever. If anyone knows of someone I can dedicate next Saturday's run to, please send me their blog link or their name. Tomorrow at 10:15 a.m. I will be running in my favorite 5K of the year: The Christopher Martin's Run For Children 5K.http://www.jbsports.com/cmchrisrun.htm From the website: "Our Mission - We hope to make Christmas a little brighter for needy children in the New Haven area by giving them not only a toy, but the message of love from friends and neighbors they have never met. Over the years, our race has given over 40,000 toys to children." The post race party has free food and 5 kegs of free beer available. If I don't post a race report for a few days I'm sure you'll understand. :-)

I'm a Negative (Splits) Person

2009-12-11T04:46:00.006-05:00

Yesterday's Run: Road. 35 degrees. (Wind chill very cold!) 4.1 miles; Splits: 8:56; 8:52; 8:29; 8:20; :48; 35:32; 8:37/mile average pace.

(First, I have accepted the fact that it's winter and my new running shoes will get dirty and wet. Thank-you blogging buddies for busting my ass and making me suck it up and be ok with this. I love you all)
Here comes a familiar theme. I didn't want to run yesterday. I'm a weather wimp. I don't like running in the cold, although if my times continue to improve like they have been, I may change my mind. I rushed home after work yesterday and quickly changed into my running attire. The nice thing about living 7 miles from where I work and getting out at 3 p.m. is that I can get home in time to get out and run before the ridiculously early 4:20 p.m. sunset. Another week and a half to go before we start getting a later sunset, but who's counting? (I am). Anyhow, it was 35 degrees outside and windy!!! Yes, it was windy with three exclamation points. I convinced logical left brain that it was going to be ok to go out and run since 1) I was dressed warmly; 2) I was only going to run for half an hour; and 3) Once a mile or so passed, I would warm up and all would be well. Left brain agreed it was alright to run. So out the door I went. Two minutes into my run, I was about ready to turn and head back home. As I reached the crest of a hill I was met by a very cold north wind that was blowing strong. I don't usually have difficulty breathing during cold weather runs, but this wind took my breath away. I was gasping as the cold air reached my lungs. I quickly took a strategic left turn down a side street so that the wind was no longer blowing directly into my face. The quarter mile detour worked. As I reached mile one, still unnamed Garmin beeped and displayed an 8:56. Anytime I start with a sub 9 minute mile I'm encouraged, since my mile splits generally improve once I've warmed up. A left turn back onto the road I had left meant the cold wind was again in my face. At that point I was warmed up, so the wind was actually a plus. I wandered off the street a few times to add on mileage, figuring I'd get to the mile and a half turnaround point that much quicker and closer to home. As I reached 2 miles, still unnamed Garmin barely beeped (it was cold) and an 8:52 appeared. At that point I was feeling so good that I decided to up my run to 4 miles. I was headed back home with the wind at my back and feeling great. I was a running machine, and couldn't wait to see my mile 3 split. Another barely audible gasp from still unnamed Garmin, and an 8:29 split appeared. "No way" I said out loud! It had become another effortless run, and an uphill and a downhill, across the one-way bridge, left onto my street I completed my 4.1 miles in front of my next door neighbor's house in 35:25. My last mile was an 8:20; last tenth of a mile in 48 seconds; overall average split per mile was an 8:37. As I said earlier, I may just become a cold weather running addict if my times continue to improve. Good luck to any of you out there running races this weekend. I'm doing a 5K on Sunday. I promise you that race report and the after race party report will be one worth waiting for. I'm going to try to get a quick start and go for a PR. I don't know if that will be possible since it's a new course this year which I'm not familiar with, it goes along narrow streets, and about 1500 runners will be running it.

My Garmin Needs a Name!

2009-12-09T06:22:00.003-05:00

Yesterday's Run: Road. 35 degrees. 4 miles; Splits: 9:10; 9:06; 8:46; 8:30; 35:32; 8:53/mile average pace.
(First, I'm happy to report that my wife found my missing glove-in our garage. DOH!)
I was almost a "no-show" for yesterdays run. It was dark outside by the time I put on my running attire, but I couldn't back out since I was dressed and ready to run. (Take that logical left brain). I don't like running when it's dark, as I've whined before. I can't see very well with my coke bottle glasses lenses, especially when cars drive by. So I decided to run the same road route I had run the other day. It starts and ends at my home, and involves running on fairly well-lit sidewalks and roads. It's a new route I created by just randomly running out, around, and back to my home. That's why I love my Garmin. I can run wherever I want, and it tracks the mileage. Speaking of my Garmin, I've decided he/she needs a name. Other bloggers refer to their Garmins by name, and I just call mine a "Garmin." I feel as if I'm doing my Garmin an injustice by not calling it by a particular name. So please post your name suggestions in the comments section. Thanks! Back to yesterday's run. I took Monday off because I was feeling ass and leg aches and pains after my weekend runs. My theory is that running in my old shoes (because I didn't want to get my new shoes wet and ruin them) caused me the pains. They're more suitable as casual walking shoes now with the 550+ miles of running I put on them. Problem is. it's winter time, and we now have 3 inches or so of snow on the ground thanks to today's storm, and I'm not going to ruin my new running shoes during the winter. So I may have to deal with some aches and pains during my winter runs, or take a chance and run with my new shoes and hope my dehumidifier dries them out quickly. In case you don't already know, a dehumidifier is the perfect way to dry your shoes. I learned that at a running store. Anyhow, I didn't expect to run that well yesterday and wasn't excited about going out in the dark 35 degrees night. My first mile, as usual, was slow. BUT, it felt good. It was an effortless slower than I wanted to run mile 1. Unnamed Garmin beeped and displayed a 9:10, which actually surprised me since I was expecting a sub 9 minute mile since I was feeling good. I figured that the mainly uphill start was what slowed me down, but again, I was running smoothly. Mile 2 was more downhill, and I was still running smoothly and effortlessly. A sub 9 minute mile 2 was about to happen...NOT! Unnamed Garmin beeped, and now displayed a 9:06. Huh?! I turned and headed back the same way I had just run, and was now not only feeling "smooth," but warmed up as well. OK, so it had taken 2 miles in the 35 degrees temperature for me to warm-up. Fair enough. I ran uphill, turned the corner, up a slightly uphill street, took a left, and now had a nice downhill sidewalk run. I was now experiencing the perfect runner's feeling of being warm and cozy, legs and arms moving in rhythm, and breathing well. Plus my 70's tunes were blaring in my ears. Life was good, and I just KNEW mile 3 was going to be a good one. Mile 3: 8:46. Sweet! Feeling better than ever, I picked up the pace for my final mile. A right turn, across Route 10 (thank goodness no cars to dodge), down route 10, right onto Stony Hill Road for an up and down run. Left at the stop sign onto Country Club Road, wave to the Cox Cable guy up on the telephone pole and the police officer on the ground directing traffic, avoid uneven sidewalk obstacles, right onto Round Hill Road, conquer the steep 100 yard incline, turn the corner, and sprint downhill the last 100 yards to my home. Final mile: 8:30. That's more like it. Overall, a great run, and an even greater runner's high. It's runs like that that really make me appreciate how lucky I am to be a runner. OK, just a friendly reminder to help me name my Garmin. By the way, I've named my TomTom "Kathy." It's named after my wife, who, like my TomTom, likes to tell me what to do! If you're reading this Kathy, I love you! :-)

Hookers Couldn't Stop Me From Running

2009-12-06T20:20:00.030-05:00

Today's Run: Road. 37 degrees. 4.1 miles; Splits: 9:15; 8:49; 8:50; 8:50; :45; 36:29; 8:53/mile average pace.

Yesterday's Run: Linear Trail. 38 degrees. 4 miles; Splits: 9:19; 8:54; 8:48; 8:28; 35:29; 8:52/mile average pace.

Friday night was Hooker night. Yup, I had some Hookers and my wife knew about it. Matter of fact, she was with me. Perhaps I should explain. My wife Kathy, my daughter Stephanie, her boyfriend, her boyfriend's mom, and I went to the Thomas Hooker Brewery. For $10 we were able to sample all the beer we wanted from 5 to 8 p.m. We even got a cool Thomas Hooker mug to keep. Fortunately, my wonderful wife volunteered to be the designated driver. I'm proud to say that two of my co-workers and I are featured for the 12-4-09 Open House photos. If you're curious, check it out here: http://www.hookerbeer.com/gallery/ Click on the Open House 12-4-09 photos, and I'm in the big one/first one. That's me on the right proudly displaying my "growler" full of their Nor'Easter Winter Lager. Needless to say, I woke up Saturday morning knowing that my run was going to be a little more challenging than normal. I chose to run on the Farmington Canal Trail, which is mainly flat, as those of you who regularly read my blog know. I dedicated my run to Lisa http://watchlisarun.blogspot.com/2009/12/baby-steps.html since she's injured and unable to run for a while. The first mile was a struggle, and even though I was alone and yelling encouraging words to myself (Yes, I really did that), I still had a 9:19 split time, which didn't surprise me. I was happy I was running and not burping beer (gross, I know!), and the 38 degree temperature actually felt good. After mile 1 I was feeling pretty good so I picked up the pace. Mile 2 was an 8:54 time, and mile 3 even better at 8:48. I was psyched that I was running my splits below 9 minutes. I decided to really push myself the last mile, and at the 3 1/2 mile point I started listening to Coldplay's "Viva La Vida," which Lisa had recommended I listen to during my NY City Marathon run. I gave it my all, and my last mile was an 8:28. So overall I had a better than expected run with negative splits with an average pace of 8:52. Unfortunately somehow, somewhere I lost one of my running gloves after I completed my run.
Today's run was 3 miles on the roads, and the last 1.1 miles on the trail. It was only 37 degrees outside and the roads and trail were wet from the dusting of snow we received last night. I hadn't gotten a lot of sound sleep because of not having power from 7:30 p.m. until 1:30 a.m. and staying up with my son (long story). Anyhow, as much as I didn't feel like running, I did. Once again I started with a slow first mile time (9:15), but was consistent once I warmed up. My last 3 miles were 8:49, 8:50, and 8:50. It really wasn't as effortless as I would have liked, but I was happy to have gotten myself outside and run. Amazing how writing a blog provides incentive to get my ass outside and run. I didn't wear my new running shoes this weekend because I didn't want to risk getting them too wet and dirty. I guess that means that I won't be wearing them too much during the winter, at least not until I officially get them dirty and wet. Have I really become a running shoes wuss?! By the way, I'm behind in reading your blogs. I promise to catch up in the next few days.

Heat Wave

2009-12-03T21:05:00.002-05:00

Today's Run: Linear Trail. 60 degrees. 4 miles; Splits: 8:47; 8:42; 8:31; 8:14. 34:14; 8:33/mile average pace.

Today's running weather was an early Christmas gift. The normal high temperature in Connecticut for December is 42 degrees. After receiving nearly 2 inches of rain this morning, the sun came out and it was 60 degrees when I hit the linear trail for my run. I was wearing shorts on December 3rd but feeling like I was overdressed since I had worn a short sleeved tech shirt underneath a long sleeved tech shirt. Once I was running and warmed up, which was quickly today, the two tech shirts became too much warmth. However, I was able to have another nearly effortless run. Each mile became easier to run, and I'm finally feeling as if my running mojo has permanently returned. Each mile split was less than the previous mile's, and my last mile was an 8:14. I'm thinking about the possibility of trying for a PR in the 5K race on December 13th. The course is flat, but it's a new course for the race. Whether or not I go for a PR will be determined by how good of a start I get, and how easy it is to run with and around 1500 other runners. As I've said before, it's more about the post race party with the race anyhow. Once again I will keep you in suspense about that until it gets closer to race day.

Bigger is Better

2009-12-02T18:45:00.004-05:00

Today's Run: Road. 48 degrees. 3.6 miles; Splits: 9:16; 8:57; 8:51; 5:08; 32:12; 8:56/mile average pace.

Yes indeed, bigger is better. Today my new running shoes arrived, and they're bigger and better than my old ones. Now that I have those of you with dirty minds attention, I'll explain. I bought the same brand and style of shoes: Asics GT-2140. I ran about 550 miles in my old pair, including two marathons. They were a size 12 and always felt a little tight in the toe area. Well, I found out why when I placed my order at RoadRunner Sports. Their website says to order a half a size larger, meaning I should have been wearing size 12 1/2 all along. Oops! No wonder I had "Purple Toe Syndrome." So of course I just had to go for a run today, even though I was originally planning to take the day off. My goal was to run for about half an hour, or around 3 1/2 miles. I decided to run on the dirt path that cuts through the woods 2/10 of a mile from my home. It's used by the local high school as part of their cross country course, but I had never run on it before. Well, it was enjoyable at first, then came the rocky, uphill, suitable for a mountain goat part of the trail. It was even more difficult because parts of it were covered by leaves, and I was afraid of turning my ankle. I must also mention that at two different points it went off in another direction. I wasn't sure which trail to follow, but decided that the orange spray paint on the ground along the way must have been the path to follow. Where was the scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz when I needed him? On second thought, he wouldn't have been much help either! I finally found my way out of the woods and headed to a main road. The woods and rocks slowed me down and winded me enough so that my first mile was a 9:16. I got my wind back, and felt stronger the last 2.6 miles. I was pleasantly surprised to break 9 minute miles too: 8:57 and 8:51. It seems the key to me running well in the cold is to get warmed up. Once I am, it becomes automatic and pretty much effortless. Just like the good 'ol days. I'll have to make sure I do some pre-race running before the Christopher Martin's 5K Race on December 13th. Although the main point of me entering that race is the post race party. More about that in another post.

Bad Run, Good Run

2009-12-01T20:19:00.003-05:00

Sunday's "Bad" Run: Road. 53 degrees. 5.25 miles; Splits: 9:17; 9:19; 9:41; 9:13; 9:08; 2:05. 48:13; 9:16/mile average pace.

Today's "Good" Run: Road. 37 degrees. 4.1 miles; Splits: 9:32; 9:02; 9:00; 8:31; :48; 36:53; 8:59/mile average pace.

Sunday's run could be called "When Good Intentions Go Bad." I thought it would be a good idea to run 4 miles or so on the road and finish the last mile on the linear trail. It was a strategy that I've used before to trick left brain into allowing me to do some hillwork without freaking out. I decided to run a route that involves running a gradual uphill first mile, followed by a 175 foot long, gradual incline. Once I reached the top I would have a level mile 1 to 2, followed by a mostly downhill run miles 2 to 4 to the linear trail. My reward was to be the final scenic, flat mile on the trail. Problem was, brain forgot to inform legs about the game plan. Legs were not happy about the hillwork. It was a struggle to reach the top. Once I did, legs had already had enough. I figured legs would cooperate with a long, gradual downhill miles 2 to 3. Nope. Legs recruited bladder to remind me that drinking 16 ounces of an energy drink before a 5 mile run is not a good ides. Sure, it gave me the wake-up call I needed, but the time had arrived for relief. So a 30 second delay was in order to take care of business, and a 9:41 mile 3 split was my punishment. I even ran a fun lap around the nice and soft surfaced Cheshire High School track between miles 3 and 4 to try to bribe legs to give me some help. Again, there was no forgiveness in legs for the difficult already completed uphill part of the run. I was extremely happy when my run finally ended after 48 minutes and 43 seconds. My average pace per mile was a snail like 9:16. UGH.
Yesterday was a day of rest due to the rain and me having to work at Weight Watchers. Today I arrived home from work just before sunset, which is now at 4:28 p.m. here. I forced myself to dress warmly and get my ass outside in the 37 degree temperature to run. I don't like running in the cold, and I also despise running when it's dark. My agreement with left brain was to run a nice and easy 3 miler. Hey, it was dark and cold, so I HAD to cut a deal with left brain. I went outside and immediately noticed the bright full moon that helped illuminate the sidewalk. I decided I was going to run random streets around my neighborhood, and keep an eye on my Garmin so that I could finish my 3 miles as close to my home as possible. The first mile was mainly uphill, and my split was a very slow 9:32. Running in long running pants and a long sleeved running shirt felt so weird. My body and my legs felt heavy (Sound familiar?!), and my gloved hands weren't warming up. To make matters worse, the side streets I was on didn't have streetlights. I don't see very well in the dark, and uneven sidewalks certainly didn't help matters. Now I remember why I dislike this time of the year. I felt better around the mile and a quarter mark, and a feeling of effortless running returned. I haven't had that feeling in over a month. I was warmed up, the cool night felt great, my music was loud and rockin', and the full moon was beautiful. I felt so great that I decided to run for an extra mile. Mile 2 split time was a 9:02, mile 3, 9 minutes even. Mile 4 was 61 seconds faster than mile 1 (8:31). Overall, a great run of 4.1 miles and an average split time of 8:59. I haven't averaged under 9 minutes per mile in over two weeks, so I'm hoping my mojo has returned with the cooler weather.

Rainy Day Run

2009-11-27T18:36:00.002-05:00

Today's Run: Linear Trail. 44 degrees. 4 miles; Splits: 9:03; 8:51; 8:57; 8:44. 35:35; 8:53/mile average pace.

I wasn't going to let the rain prevent me from running today. After walking outside to my car, I decided to do a wardrobe change from shorts to long pants (I guess I was in denial that it was 44 degrees and raining) I drove to the linear trail. I decided to run 4 miles, since in my mind 3 miles wasn't going to be long enough, and 5 miles was going to be too far on a rainy day. Great logic, huh? Just as I was about to leave my car, the rain increased in intensity (Meaning it started pouring). I turned on my mp3 player, put on my hat, and left the cozy confines of my car to start my run. I was surprised to see that I wasn't the only brave person (fool) who was at the trail. About 1/10 of a mile past the start is a wooden bridge. Today the wooden bridge wasn't draining so well. I had no choice but to run through the puddles on it, so with 3.9 miles to go, I already had wet feet.(Side note: My new shoes from RoadRunner Sports shipped today). Ahead on the paved trail I could see lots of puddles just waiting for me to run through. It became a challenge to avoid as many of them as possible by either zig zagging around them or running on the crushed cinder on the right of the trail. After about half a mile I was warming up, with the exception of my red hands. Oops, forgot to wear my gloves. Part of me being in denial that Tuesday is December 1st, and it gets cold in Connecticut. I wasn't looking at my Garmin, since that involved moving my long sleeve and exposing more bare skin to the cold rain. At 8/10 of a mile I crossed a street, and the puddles were pretty much gone on the trail. At mile 1 Garmin beeped, and a quick slide of my sleeve revealed a 9:03 split. It was faster than I expected. Around this time the circulation improved in my hands, and the rain had decreased in intensity. I was warm and in a wet running rhythm, and actually enjoying myself. The remaining 3 miles went well, including the last 8/10 back dodging puddles. My average pace per mile overall was actually under 9 minutes (8:53), which I certainly didn't expect on a cold and rainy day. Overall, I ran by four women walking, one man walking, one man jogging, and one pony tail bouncing woman running. Every one of them had a smile on their face, as did I. It had been a while since I've run in the rain. I have to say I really had fun, but I know I enjoyed the hot shower I had afterwards even more.

No Race Today; HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2009-11-26T07:41:00.012-05:00

My son has been sick and traffic was horrible last night, so I didn't drive 30 miles to enter the Manchester Road Race. I didn't register earlier for it since I was waiting to see how well I'd recovered from the NY City Marathon. As much as I enjoy running on Thanksgiving with 10,000 (Update: 14,000 this year) other runners along with 20,000 spectators in an event that's locally televised, it wasn't meant to be this year. I'm OK with that. Family comes first. My son's feeling better, and I get to go to the in-laws house with my family for Thanksgiving dinner rather than meeting everyone there. Things happen for a reason. It was meant for me to spend all day with my family and relatives. I think I'll go register for my next 5K race right now though! Happy Thanksgiving everyone. P.S. To help myself feel better, I just ordered a new pair of Asics GT-2140 from RoadRunner Sports. My current 2140's have almost 600 miles on them, plus RoadRunner Sports has a great sale on everything right now. I also ordered the reflective armband you see below since it's dark here at 4:30 p.m. now.

One More Marathon???

2009-11-24T19:57:00.002-05:00

Today's Run: Road. 48 degrees. 3.52 miles; Splits: 9:13; 9:08; 8:57; 4:32. 31:50; 9:02/mile average pace.

It was cold and getting dark, but I managed to get in a short run. I wanted to have one last run before the Manchester Road Race on Thursday. I ended up being overdressed. Since it was 48 degrees, I decided that shorts weren't an option. So I reluctantly wore my long sleeved top and pants, and a hat. By the halfway point my glasses were fogged and I was sweating way too much. I rolled up my sleeves and put my hat in my pocket, which solved the overheated Rick problem. I felt so-so for the first part of my run, but once I cooled off I felt great. My split times were slower than I would have liked to see, but most important to me was how I felt when I finished: great. I was going to drive to Manchester (CT) to register for the Thanksgiving race, but at the last minute my son started to feel sick. So he's in bed watching tv, and looking kinda green. Tomorrow is the last day I can register. I have a feeling I'll be watching the race on tv instead of running in it. I guess me missing the online registration happened for a reason. As long as my son feels better soon, then I'm ok with not running the race. I always worry whenever he's not feeling well, since he has Muscular Dystrophy.
In a happier note, my wife and I have been trying to plan a 4 day vacation for the two of us. We went from going to Las Vegas to now possibly going to Disney World. She's an accountant, so we'd have to go during the first part of January. The dates she happened to pick are at the same time as the Disney World marathon. I checked their website..it's already 94% filled. Problem is getting a hotel at that time is difficult and expensive. Is it a coincidence, or is it meant to be? Is there another marathon in the future for me??? We shall see. I guess I shouldn't have said "never again" as far as running another marathon. IF we can work out the travel arrangements, and IF it doesn't get filled, then what the heck, I'm going to run it.

Feels Like I Ran a Marathon Today

2009-11-22T17:57:00.003-05:00

Today's Run: Road/Linear Trail. 53 degrees. 5.2 miles; Splits: 9:04; 8:57; 8:59; 9:10; 9:20; 1:46. 47:16; 9:05/mile average pace.

Today's run was similar to yesterdays, with one big exception. I wasn't smiling the entire run. I was frowning from miles 4 to 5.2. I once again parked at the linear trail, and ran 3.7 of my miles on the road, and the final 1.5 miles on the trail. I started my run with some difficult hills, and I think that's what did me in by the time I reached the trail. I had my "lead legs syndrome" for the final mile and a half, even though I was on the flat trail. Now, five hours later, my ass muscles hurt, my legs hurt, and I feel like I ran a marathon today. I guess my body is still recovering from running two marathons in the past six weeks. I may shut it down until the Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving. I'll see how I feel tomorrow. Once again, it was warm enough to wear shorts, but I doubled up on the tech. shirts. I actually was too hot by the time I was finished, even though it was only 53 degrees. I truly enjoy the calmness/serene environment of the trail, especially this time of the year. There aren't a lot of people there, just enough so I always see someone while I run. That's it for today...short and to the point. I hope everyone had a great day of running. :-)

6.2 Miles of Smiles

2009-11-22T08:09:00.003-05:00

Yesterday's Run: Road/Linear Trail. 51 degrees. 6.2 miles; Splits: 9:24; 8:55; 9:13; 9:12; 9:03; 8:56; 1:39. 56:22; 9:04/mile average pace.

I was going to take it easy and go for a 5 mile run on the Farmington Canal Trail yesterday. Since I'm three weeks post NY City Marathon, and my next two races are 4.75 miles and a 5K, there was no use pushing it. My goal for the rest of the year has been to ease back into running, work my way back up to running faster five mile and less runs, and most importantly to enjoy running again. Yesterday's run was a good start. Although my pace was slower than I wanted to run, it felt great. I parked at the trail and immediately changed my plans to running randomly on the roads near the trail, and then rewarding myself by completing my run on the trail. I still had a five mile run in mind, but also knew I could trick my brain to run further by running the road part before the trail. It worked. I love wearing my Garmin since I don't have to plan out my run ahead of time. I can run wherever I want, and so I did. I ran down side streets, through two condo complexes, and along back roads and through neighborhoods. I waved or said "Hi" to everyone I saw, and most people responded. I made sure that I listened to the songs that are on my mp3 player from your suggestions three weeks ago. I LOVE the songs you guys suggested, and they provide more motivation for me as I run. It was great to wear my NY City marathon long sleeved tech. shirt, and shorts. I had a stupid, goofy smile on my face the entire run. Yes, I had that much fun. Plus I ran on November 21st in Connecticut wearing shorts. That was an extra bonus. I think I'm finally OK since my last whiny post. Thank-you everyone for your comments. I needed to vent, you guys commented, and I feel better. Running is fun again. I'm looking forward to the Manchester Road Race (4.75 miles)on Thanksgiving, along with 10,000 other runners and about 20,000 spectators. It's a very crowded run, but I'm in a seeded area closer to the start, so I should be ok. I've gotten good at navigating through the crowd of runners there the past two years. I'm hoping to beat last year's time, but I'll have to see if my legs agree. As long as I have fun, then that's all that matters. Maybe I'll have a shirt made with some weird saying and wear it on Thursday. Anyone have any ideas? Happy running everyone, and I hope anyone out there running the Philadelphia Marathon today does well.

Running on Empty

2009-11-19T19:19:00.007-05:00

"Running on - running on empty
Running on - running blind
Running on - running into the sun
But I'm running behind"

I have been running. I've run 4 of the past 5 days, for a total of 16 miles. Not a lot of mileage, but due to it getting dark early and not having any long distance races in the near future, it doesn't really matter. My times are ok, anywhere from an 8:39 per mile pace to a 9 minute per mile pace. Slow, I know, at least for a short distance. Problem is, I have PMS. Yes, PMS: P ost M arathon S yndrome. Ever since I ran the New York City Marathon, running just doesn't mean as much to me. I spent six months preparing for it. I raised nearly $2700 for Autism Speaks, due to the generosity of you guys and friends, family, and co-workers. Now that I'm two plus weeks post marathon, I'm in a running funk. I'm still stuck on my slower than anticipated finishing time. I could have done better; I should have done better. At least I've read the race reviews and read how other runners also had slower than expected times. That helps me feel better. But I'm so stuck on my 4:39:31 finishing time. I didn't want it to end that way. I wanted to PR with a time of 4:22:18 or better. Even a 4:30 would have been ok. As much as I want to accept the 4:39, and keep saying it's only a number and I'm happy I finished, truth is, I'm not happy. NY was supposed to be my grand finale; my race of all races. Dammit, I can't let go. I feel like I let myself down, and even disappointed you guys. All my training, all my run-walk-run reading and training, and I did worse than I did in the 2008 Hartford Marathon. My PR is from that marathon. I didn't train nearly as hard, hit the wall at mile 18, felt like crap the last 8 miles, and still finished 17 minutes faster than I did in NY. During these past weeks I've weighed the pros and cons of training for another "one last" marathon. The cons outweigh the pros. I always go with my gut feeling. I know that deep inside I don't have the desire or motivation to train for another marathon. I don't want to be held captive by a training schedule for six months. There aren't any marathons close by in the near future, so I can't even give it one last marathon run before my distance training and endurance disappears. I'm done venting and complaining. Moving forward, I'm probably going to sign up for the Manchester (CT) Road Race on Thanksgiving. It's a 4.75 mile race that I've run the past two years. It has about 10,000 runners, and it's as claustrophobic as the NY City Marathon was. Actually, it's worse than NY. Smaller roads with a long uphill for the first mile. A hill that a lot of runners end up walking. Last year I was able to maneuver around all the slow pokes and finish in 39:56. The race is televised locally, and taped on NESN. Plus the crowd is fantastic. I'm watching the weather forecast, and if it's going to be a decent day, then I'll enter it. I need motivation. I need reasons to run. This will be a start.

NY City Marathon: Conclusion

2009-11-10T16:57:00.014-05:00

(My wife jokingly said it took me longer to type the 3 part marathon report than it did to run it. I think she's right)
Just after mile 2 the Blue line (me) and red line runners took a left onto 92nd street, while the green line runners stayed running straight ahead. I was running down Fourth Avenue on the right side of the road, and the red line runners were keeping us company on the left. I was still feeling cold, and cursing out the two NY weather reports I had watched earlier that said it was going to be around 60 degrees and partly sunny. They hadn't mentioned it being windy, and as I stated earlier, I wasn't dressed warm enough to battle the wind. Short sleeves and a tank top just weren't doing it. I was still feeling good, and continuing to interact with the crowd. Garmin beeped, and I had run a 9:37 mile 3. It was time for me to eat 2 of my orange flavored GU Chomps. I had three bags of them in my pockets (24 chomps total), plus a BerryBlast flavored PowerBar. My nutrition plan was to eat two of the Chomps every thirty minutes, plus the PowerBar at around the halfway point. At about 3 1/2 miles, the green line runners rejoined us blue line runners. From that point until mile 8, things were getting too crowded for me. My run-walk-run (rwr) race plan, based on Jeff Galloway's recommendations, was to rwr my first five miles at a 10:17 per mile pace. My marathon finishing time goal was 4:30. I decided that I was going to skip the scheduled walk breaks until mile 6, to help me regain time that I was going to lose at the water stations every mile because of the large amount of runners. I was going to be walking and drinking anyhow, so I figured it would even out. Mile 4 split was a 9:56, mile 5 a 10:00. Although I hadn't realized it, I was ahead of my 4:30 goal time at this point. I was doing a good job at this point of keeping a good pace and walking and drinking. Miles 5 to 8 I was supposed to be increasing my speed. I kept a steady pace, and reached mile 6 at 9:57. The crowds were still cheering loudly and yelling encouragement to me. However, it was time for me to stop "running stupid" (no walk breaks), and start following the plan. I started my first one minute walk break. I was now going to run for four minutes, and walk for a minute, at least until mile 18. Problem was, the fantastic spectators of NY didn't know that I was walking for a reason. For the entire minute, I heard way too many encouraging words of how I could do it, and to keep going. Damn, I hadn't thought about that. I was looking like a slacker, at least in my mind. I resumed running, and reached mile 7 at 10:16. Somewhere between miles 6 and 7, I decided to get rid of my hat. It was a freebie that I had received a while ago in exchange for the less than flattering review I wrote about it. The hat tended to make me sweat too much during warm day runs, and even though it was cool, I was sweating too much with it on. I left it perched on top of a fire hydrant. I'd like to think it found a good home somewhere, and no, I don't miss it! I was already having difficulty with the crowded street as I said earlier, and also now with coordinating my walk breaks as close as possible to the water stations. Mile 8 split time surprised me: 10:40. About this time the 4:30 pace people and their purple balloons disappeared from sight. To make matters even worse, the red line runners were merging with us. From mile 8 until the finish, we were all going to be running together. I was getting claustrophobic, and I was wasting time and energy avoiding the slower runners. Also I realized that I was still not warm enough, and the grey sky and cool winds were getting the best of me. Although I was drinking lots of water, I felt as if I wasn't sweating enough. Weird, I know. I took my one and only bathroom break (Here comes TMI) with several other runners behind a school bus parked on a side street. The porta potties were out of the question. Too few, and the lines were too long. My zig zagging around runners and increased pace resulted in a 10:09 mile 9 split. Not fast enough. From miles 8 to 18, I was supposed to be running at a 9:55-10:00 per mile pace. With the rwr, it would still average out to about a 10:17 per mile pace, and keep me on goal for a 4:30 finish. It was time for me to do some problem solving. First, how did I feel? I still couldn't warm up enough, nothing hurt, but my legs didn't quite have the "spring" to them that I'm used to. I hadn't had my morning cups of coffee like usual, and had switched from GU Vanilla Bean Gels to the Chomps for fear of having the stomach cramps and (TMI again) diarrhea I had after the Hartford Marathon. I think, looking back, that if I had had my coffee and a few GU Vanilla Bean Gels, it may have helped. I may have also done more harm than good by testing my rwr 3 weeks earlier in the Hartford Marathon. I don't really know for sure. I also was resigned to the fact that the crowded conditions were going to work against me. I regretted having changed my estimated finishing time from 4:30 to 4:45 after the Hartford Marathon. It probably cost me a chance to start in wave two instead of wave three. Again, who knows? Also, my music wasn't an effective motivator. The good thing about the noisy crowds and about 100 bands along the course was it was exciting and motivating. The bad was for the most part I was unable to hear my music. At best I could hear bits and pieces of my songs, and the songs all of you suggested. Don't get me wrong. If one of you songs started playing, I did my best to relate it to my situation, and say "thanks" to all of you. So your efforts to help motivate didn't fail. I also was losing some of the crowd support, which was by choice. I started taking my walk breaks towards the center of the road, instead of along the shoulder, where the crowds were. I never did get over the "guilt" of walking and not having people understand why. At miles 8-9, I was feeling like a defeated man. The initial excitement was wearing off. I wasn't feeling so psyched. I had a "left brain" moment of realizing I still had about 18 miles left to go. I wasn't even halfway, and I was cold, and it was my last marathon FOREVER, and I wasn't going to break 4:30, and I had no chance of getting a PR, and STOP!! Time to suck it up. Ignoring left brain became a priority. More obstacles, and a 10:19 mile 10, followed by a terrible job on my part figuring out a rwr that coincided with the water station, and a 10:59 mile 11. Getting mad helped, and a longer run before walking resulted in a 9:50 mile 12. Bad planning again, more obstacles (slow runners), and a 10:55 mile 13. It wasn't helping having thousands of slippery empty water and Gatorade cups to navigate through at the water stops. It seemed like I was running and walking on ice at times. At times the water wasn't poured, and I would wait for my cup(s) of water. Blame it on the massive amounts of runners/obstacles. I reached the halfway point,around the Pulaski Bridge in Queens, and did another left brain dumb thing, as I've done in my previous three marathons. I asked myself if I felt like I could run the distance I just completed; in other words, did I have enough left to finish the marathon? Another mental checklist, and my worse pain was slight pain coming from one toe on each foot. No sign of cramping-I guess I was drinking enough water. Everything else was status quo from miles 8-9. Mile 14, 10:54. Mile 15, 10:45. My split times were slow and depressing. Unknown to me was that the Queensboro Bridge and it's long, gradual 100 foot incline lie ahead. I had read about it, and how it causes runners to quit while running up it, since it's late in the course and a long, gradual incline. It didn't really occur to me that I was on it until I was about a third of the way across it. When it sunk in, it was too late. No amount of planning or problem solving was going to help. Most people started walking. I never walk up hills. I usually thrive on running inclined surfaces. The walkers were spread out and across the entire width of the narrow bridge. I found myself stopping, walking, and trying to get around and between people. Some of them were dropping off to the walkway on the left side, where other runners were resting and getting medical help. It was nearly impossible to do any running, and I was frustrated. As we headed down the deck of the bridge, Garmin beeped, and displayed a 12:15 mile 16 split. Talk about disheartening. Looking down and off to the right of the bridge, I could see down to First Avenue in the Bronx. It was a repeat of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge experience. Thousands of spectators were still out and about, cheering everyone as they left the bridge and turned right. Even though I knew I wasn't going to get a PR or break 4:30, it helped. At that point I vowed to beat my Hartford Marathon time of 4:43. I needed to have something to shoot for. I was not going to let all the obstacles, the cold, and the lack of a "spring" in my gait stop me from reaching my new goal. The pressure was on, but in a lessor, fun way. Between miles 16 and 17 I was offered a wet sponge, as was everyone else. For some reason, even though I was still not quite feeling warm, I took it. I guess I was copying everyone else. I took off my glasses, wiped my face with the sponge, and quickly threw it away. I was too cold, and the water smelled "fishy." GROSS! Miles 17-19 continued on First Avenue, and I was again having difficulty with my 4-1 rwr ratio, but in a good way. I was running between 4 and 5 1/2 minutes before walking for a minute. Blame it on ego and the water stations being at varying distances. Mile 18 was a 10:40, mile 19 a 10:33. I knew I had a good chance at beating the 4:43, and as I said earlier, also knew that 4:30 was a lost cause. I was looking forward to saying "Hi" to Michelle, who I had met at the Autism Speaks dinner the night before. I was supposed to see her and her friends as I crossed Willis Avenue Bridge just before mile 20. I knew that seeing them would help give me a lift. As I crossed the short bridge, I looked to my right, where she said they would be. No luck. So much for seeing a sorta familiar face. Around that time, I started feeling the beginning of cramps in not one, but both of my upper leg muscles (Gluteus Maximus?) started cramping in the back part. It was time for me to slow down and drink more water, both of which I did. I've had leg cramping problems in my left leg in two of my previous three marathons (Not Hartford 3 weeks ago), and I attribute it to not drinking enough water. So mile 20's split time was a slowest 11:04. My leg cramping issues were increasing after mile 20, and there wasn't water to be found nearby. I was very close to having full blown double leg cramping, and I could tell it was going to hurt like hell. I didn't know what to do, other than to slow down to a slow jog and walk. Just when I thought it was going to happen, a woman appeared from the side of the street. She was holding bottles of Poland Spring Water. They were bottles that she had bought, and she was glad to give me one. I thanked her profusely. I couldn't believe she had appeared out of no where, almost like (you can laugh) a Guardian Angel. I drank the water, and it helped a great deal. I passed the 21 mile marker at 11:17...slower yet. I then started to wonder if beating 4:43 was going to happen. My legs were now feeling better, but not well enough to increase my speed too much. Mile 22 came and went, at an 11:06 split. The cramping and everything I keep mentioning (cold, obstacles, etc) certainly didn't help. I knew that I was getting close to Central Park, as we were now on Fifth Avenue. Mile 23, and an 11:10 split. I was mad about another 11 minute plus split. Eleven minutes? I knew I was better than that. I looked for my last hope (I thought) of familiar faces to cheer for me. The Autism Speaks cheerleaders were supposed to be around the mile 23 area. Once again, no luck. I didn't see or hear them. I asked myself whether I was indeed going THAT slow? Central Park was now in my sight. I knew that even though the finish line was in Central Park, I would still have about 2 1/2 miles to go once I entered the park. I didn't want to try to increase my pace too soon. But I also didn't want to look like a quitter or a DNF candidate either if my leg cramps resurfaced. Mile 24; 10:58. FINALLY, despite a huge amount of slow runners and walkers, and possible leg cramps, I had run a sub 11 minute split. I looked at my Garmin, did a quick calculation in my head, and knew I had just under 30 minutes to run what would turn out to be 2.65 miles according to my Garmin, or 2.2 miles marathon distance. For whatever reason, my Garmin loves to torture me by telling me I'm running more than a marathon distance. Either way, I knew that as long as I didn't cramp and have to walk for a long period of time, I was going to beat my Hartford Marathon time. I decided to run for 5 or 6 minutes, walk for a minute, and then run the last mile and a half without walking. I wanted to finish strong, and was hoping my leg muscles would cooperate. I turned off my music, and off I went. Shortly after, I thought I heard someone yelling to me from my right. I was far to the left of the road, and I took a quick look to my right, and listened again. I again thought I heard someone calling "Dad," or something. Still not seeing anyone I knew, and at this point just wanting to get the marathon over with, I increased my speed. Later on I found out I had heard my 27 year old daughter yelling, and that she even was sprinting along the side of the road outside the tape trying to get my attention. I wish I had seen her and my wife there. We had only planned on meeting after the race, so I really wasn't expecting them to be 2 miles from the finish. Mile 25 seemed to come a little easier, as my possible leg cramps had decreased. Another slow but less than 11 minute split (10:44). I had just over a mile to go, and I threw caution to the wind. I was so ready to finish the race, and end my marathon running career forever. I was thinking about the "bling" I would be getting, the goodie bag, seeing my wife and daughter, and how warm and cozy I was going to feel in the foil blanket I was going to get and wrap myself in. I went into an all out, run as fast as I could, tell my leg muscles to deal with the pain, finishing last mile kick. I was high fiving people, and doing some yelling. Goosebumps were taking over my body. I was nearing the finish, and holding back the tears. I vowed not to be crying as I approached and crossed the finish line. I was going to finish like a champ-with my eyes dry, my legs churning, my head held high, and my arms and hands raised above my head. Ahead was the finish line, and I could see the cameras. I veered to my left, so there was a clear shot of me, then back towards the center towards another opening. Dammit, I was going to make sure that #44355 was clearly visible for the photographers. I neared the finish, crossed the finish line, walked several steps, and checked my watch. I had beaten my Hartford Marathon time by nearly 4 minutes. I was happy for that, but disappointed that I had finished in almost 4 hours and 40 minutes. A fitting finish to the day was I was now stuck in a sea of finishers, all heading to get our bling and goodie bags. But that's another post....P.S. Pics of me: http://www.brightroom.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=47685&BIB=44355&S=230&PWD=

NY City Marathon Report: Part 2

2009-11-08T07:49:00.005-05:00

Up the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge we went. The final wave of 14,000 plus runners made quite a noise on the bridge. I was on the right part of the bridge since I was running the blue line. To my left were the red and green line runners. I was almost overwhelmed with everything that was happening. There were runners around me, helicopters flying above with news photographers and security personnel, and fantastic views of the NY skyline, including the Empire State Building rising high in the distance. It was cold and windy. The wind was blowing so hard that I had to keep adjusting my hat (I forgot to mention I was wearing a running hat), and I feared that my race number was going to be blown off my shirt. The bridge was a 200 foot incline, and seemed to go on forever. I couldn't yet see past the top of the peak of the road. It was fairly quiet, except for the sound of 28,000 plus feet hitting the bridge. Oh, and of course the sound of the wind. It was difficult to hear the music on my mp3 player, so I upped the volume. "All Fired Up" by Pat Benatar (Thanks Carlee) was playing. I needed that song at that moment. I was cold. My short sleeved technical shirt and the Autism Speaks tank top, along with shorts and a hat, weren't keeping me warm enough. I regretted not wearing the long sleeved tech. shirt that Autism Speaks had provided. About midway across the bridge, Garmin beeped. 10:13 first mile. Whatever. I just wanted to get off the nearly two mile long bridge. I needed to reach the peak, and head downhill into Brooklyn, where there would be less wind and crowds of people to help me get warm. Finally, I was at the top, and could see what lay ahead. I saw lots of people, but being so far away still could not hear them or distinguish how many people there were. I picked up my pace, taking advantage of the long downhill. I needed to warm up, and I needed to see and hear some cheering people. As I got closer to the end of the bridge, I began hearing a noise. I couldn't figure out what it was. It sounded like rumbling, almost like thunder. But the sky was clear. I was confused. I turned down my music, and neared the bottom of the bridge. Ahead I saw a hand written sign being held up: Brooklyn (heart) NY City marathon runners. (I'm not sure if that was the exact wording). As I got closer to Brooklyn, the rumbling became louder. The rumbling noise was people cheering. Thousands of Brooklynites were lining both sides of the street, holding signs, ringing bells, clapping, yelling, and cheering. I have never heard so much cheering before, even at sporting events. What a great welcome into Brooklyn. Lots of people were yelling encouragement to me. That's the wonderful thing about having your name on your shirt. I was pumped. I had a mega adrenaline rush. I started high fiving and low fiving everyone who offered. Shortly thereafter, Garmin beeped: 9:14. Crap! Too fast, and I had already run two miles without taking a walking break. I was not following my run-walk-run plan...Tuesday: Don't Run Stupid-the final report of my NY City Marathon experience.