week 1 musings

I finished my first week of training.  I think it went pretty good.  My runs for the first four weeks are pretty tame.  My four mile on Sunday was the longest run of the week.  I managed to keep my pace just under 10 minutes which is pretty much my goal.  If I can manage that pace on longer runs i'll be very happy.

My legs feel pretty strong.  Not a terrible amount of soreness.  I am on the fence of wether or not I should get new shoes before the half (marathon).  I think I will certainly be in the market after.  I am interested in trying out a few different brand that offer support for overpronation.  I also wonder if I can resolve my overpronating by concentration on how my feet fall.  Maybe build up the muscles that allow for my ankles to collapse.

Its still pretty much a scorcher out there every day.  Running is definitely not as pleasant in the midst of a New York July.  I feel like i'm running with a sock jammed in my mouth.  That being said, I am running a little faster and, I think, a little looser.

I tried to mess around with my gait yesterday.  I'm trying to almost slide my feet out in front of me when I run.  Its hard to describe, but I am trying to stay cognizant of how high I lift my legs each stride.  Anything to ease the wear on my legs, knees, hips, etc.  

I can't wait to get out to the country again this coming weekend.  I am really looking forward to my long runs in the woods.  It's very soothing out there with the deer and the trees.  Running in Prospect Park is nice, but even though it has lots of trees and ponds I am still very aware that I am still in the city.  I think I am going to try and find some 10K's upstate to go run.  Maybe something in The Catskills or The Adirondacks. 

To beat the heat I went to a Costco type place with my mom last weekend and stocked up on Gatorade.  I think I am good through August.  

Ok. Smoothie time.

pace! how low can you go?



9:15 pace run for 3 miles this morning.  I started officially training today.  Tomorrow and Thursday are 2 mile days and Sunday is 4.  I will build up to a final 10 mile Sunday the Sunday before the actual race.  Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday's are back to back lower mile days building up to a 6,5,6 mile stack towards the end.   Saturdays will be a 30, 40 or 60 minute bike ride.

I ran in the Poconos on Sunday and it was SUPER hilly.  I kept it to 3 miles as I didn't want to push before my training ACTUALLY began. I am going to try to do as many of my long runs up there as humanly possible because; 1) it's beautiful & 2) its hilly as balls.  I also have the use of a pool up there which may come in useful after long runs as a way to work my sore ass legs out.

I went out last night and probably had 1 too many pints which lead to a bad take-out choice which doubled me up in the middle of the night.  I'll spare you the details, but it was not a night of rest.  That being said, I did get my ass out on the road this morning.  I made up for my bad choices last night by packing an awesome lunch of marinated cucumbers and tomato's (from my mom's garden), hummus (home made) and some hard boiled eggs (from a chicken).  A little mezze for me.

Mets got crushed by the Cubs last night.  It was bound to happen.  This is going to be a tough second half.  I don't know if I can handle it.  Harvey is out for the season and both Matz and Syndergaard need surgery at the end of the season.  And Wheeler? Well, I am going to assume that we can forget about Wheeler.

The weather is getting really beautiful out there.  Humidity is down and the mornings are cooler.  Good running weather.  I hope it holds up as that running in a sauna shit is for the goddamn birds.  My weight is neither going up or down.  Steady at about 212 which is infuriating.  It'll happen when it happens I guess.

The Captain has been super cuddly recently.  He can't get enough of me.  He purrs like crazy as soon as I get home and if I don't give him attention IMMEDIATELY, he starts mewing like a broken record.  I love that annoying little fur ball.

All right, gotta get to work!  I'll keep you posted.

cat musings

The Captain caught a mouse in my apartment this morning!

I was on the phone and I heard a pounce and then in he walked, proud as punch, with a furry little rodent his mouth.  I was very proud.  I thought to myself; "What a skillful and brave hunter I have adopted."

Aaaaand then he shit the bed (metaphorically speaking).

After about 3 seconds of proud peacockery he started to try and toy with the little fella.  This lasted about 10 seconds and then the mouse, deciding that this game was for the birds, scooted under my fridge.

The wind was let out of my cats furry balloon.  I thought it hilarious.  He did not.  I left him staring at my fridge contemplating life, death, rodent behavior and, perhaps, allegories concerning birds in hand vis a vis birds in bush.  He's probably still there.

I ran 3 hot miles yesterday.  It was really tough to get out there, but I felt better once I started.  Well, relatively anyways.. I have found that the heat is REALLY affecting me.  I am super sluggish out there.  I invested in a "hydration system" which is basically a backpack with a plastic sack of water in it.  I foresee myself getting a lot of use out of that bad boy.

I have a lot of questions about hydrating and fueling for longer runs and hydrating/fueling during longer runs.  I will have to do some research.  I have no idea what to eat before a long run.  Do I eat the night before?  Morning of?  How much water should I drink?  Can I drink too much?  Will I crap my pants? I worry about having to worry about bodily functions during long runs.  I just don't want to be the guy charging to the port-o-potty (or worse).

Lots to think about.

I'm off to the country this weekend!  A little golf, a little bbq and probably a longish run.

Enjoy your weekend folks!

 oy


Slow run Tuesday.  Really slow and hot.  My leg still feels a little sore so I skipped today and will go for a short one Thursday and a slightly longer run Sunday.  Next week I start my training regime so I want to make sure I get out a few more times this week to keep my legs working.

I'm very excited to start training officially.  I wouldn't say I am without hesitation. It's a LOT of running.  It doesn't really get hairy for a few weeks and then, suddenly, i'm throwing in an 8 miler, a 9, a 10...  Eeesh.

Diet is going well.  I generally have a smoothie for breakfast and a grain or legume salad of some sort for lunch.  Dinner I keep pretty open.  I wouldn't say I go nuts, but a burger is not beyond possibility. For the most part though its a protein and brown rice with some veg.   And water during the day.  Lots of water.

I have a problem with "listening to my body".  For all I know, my body is a lazy turd that just wants to stay in bed.  Maybe it's lying to me?  Today I listened to my body and skipped a run.  My rationalization was that I start training next week and I shouldn't have any back to back runs this week.  That I should keep active, but not stress myself too much.  I'm not quite sure who to listen to in this situation.

My toe is still swollen, but does not bother me at all when I run.  It tends to be bad in the morning, but I assume thats due to lack of blood flow when I sleep.  I'll keep an eye on the little bugger, but I am not too worried.

Ok, gotta run.   Things to do!

slight pull


I think I strained my quad a wee bit during my runs this week.  I am going to take the weekend off and give it a go Tuesday morning.  It's tough to take a day, or multiple days, off.  I really want to jump back into it and to start racking up the miles.

I am off to PA this evening for a weekend of golf and BBQ with my family.  I packed two salads today to give my belly some reprise before the weekend.  I also had a smoothie for breakfast.  I am going to get down below 200 lbs dammit.

Yesterday was unbearable hot and this morning was freaking cold.  The weekend is supposed to get really muggy and hot.   The weather is affecting me more than I thought it would.  I have been drinking so much water it's stupid.  Sometimes up to 6 quarts a day.

Training for The Staten Island Half starts in just over a week.  I am nervous as hell, but really excited at the same time.  I can't wait to get out there and start working!

Neighbors are taking care of the cat this weekend.  I feel like it would be cruel to take him up to my folks.  Big house, plenty of room to run around.  Probably just spoil the little bugger.....

the world and all us in it


The state of our world seems dire these days.

On Sunday almost 300 people were killed during a suicide bombing in Baghdad which took place in a busy shopping district at the end of Ramadan.

Last evening snipers started shooting police officers in Dallas killing 5 and wounding 7.   Apparently as a reprisal for the violence perpetrated on black citizens by members of this countries police force.

A police force which due to poor training, or perhaps (much more terrifyingly) due to an insidious ideology, are gunning down people in the street without, it seems, any cause at all.

Last week a cyclist was murdered in Williamsburg Brooklyn when someone in a late-model Camaro slowed down behind the cyclist (who was in the bike lane) and ran him over, dragging his body 30 feet before leaving the scene.

If there is an answer for all this violence no one has come forward with it.  If there is a way to donate good will like one might donate blood, show me the way.  In Dallas, as in Ferguson, peaceful protest is being met with violence.

People are one-upping each other in their disgust of it all and no one is coming up with a solution.   Its terrifying to me because the outcome seems to be becoming almost too clear.  The blood is starting to flow and the mob is going to soon start gnashing its terrible teeth.

On my run this morning my running group ran the second mile in silence.  We listened to our own breath and footsteps and to the runners around us.  We took 10 minutes to sift through our own anger, fear, frustration and sadness about the state of our wonderful world.

It didn't solve anything.  I repeat.  It did not solve anything.

But it allowed me to let go of some of the static (the anger/rage/fear/sorrow static) and let me, for a minute, try to see clearly.  Without, and only for a brief minute, letting my own insensitivities, fears and flaws get in the way.  

I have no answers and I hope I wouldn't be so arrogant as to think I could offer a solution.

But if you could, be kind to yourself out there today.  Tune out the static for a second if you can.

Virtual, warm, hug to you all.

sore legs and a sunny disposition



I went for a run with my running club yesterday morning.  A sunny, meandering, 3 mile run with a mean hill towards the end.  I kept up with everyone which was nice and I even managed to hold bits of conversation.  We kept our pace at, around, 10:30 as the Monday run is a recovery run.  It felt good.

I took down my calendar yesterday and charted my training for the Staten Island Half.   I am using Hal Higdon's Novice 1/2 Marathon regime.  It builds, incrementally, every 2 weeks.  Every 2 weeks the "regular" runs increase by a half mile and the long runs by a mile.  Week 6 and 9 long runs scale back in distance to, I assume, allow for recovery.

The Sunday before the Marathon is a 10 mile run which I imagine I will follow up with a very cold bath to bring down, what I imagine will be, some very swollen legs!  My calves and quads are quite sore today.  I will continue to run 3 mile'ish runs until my training starts on the 19th and then I follow the program.

Nothing new to report otherwise.

back in the saddle




I did it!

I went out this morning and ran 3.5 miles.

My first run since May 19th and it felt good.  My lungs were a little strained and my time was not so great, but I did it.  I felt like I could have run farther, but I didn't push it.  I will run again tomorrow and then take a break Tuesday.

I feel great though.  My legs felt strong this morning.  I am hopeful.

This is all.