i see the light. again.



Great, slow, run this morning.  Truth.

My legs did not feel like stones and, although I was by no means speedy, I kept a decent pace.  I figure it would take me just over 2 hours to run the half at this pace.  I would like to get that time down to 1:40'ish by October.   But I am not going to rush it.

I am encouraged though.  I have felt pretty run down since my race and I was having some doubts about sticking with it.  It was nice to have a positive outing.  Of course I am currently at my brothers in NJ and I have my own shower..... God damnit I need my bathroom finished.

The challenge is being able to train no matter what my current living situation is.  I get that, I truly do.  I think I am am just going to have to remain patient and train when I can.

My eldest nephew is back from college so I am making spaghetti and meatballs for him tonight.  

I love spaghetti and meatballs.

better than a cup o' coffee



3 miles this morning.  Better than 2.  Not quite 5.  But it will do.  I think.

I am trying something new.   Since my race my knees and hips AND ankles have been kind of fucked. Often, when I speak to other runners, I am told that I am over doing it.  I think they may be right, or that I need to learn when to push and when to hold back.  This morning I think I could have gone longer, but I held back.

I want to spend the summer slowly building up to a regular 5 mile run.  I had been doing that, but I think I got there too fast.  I want to start doing regular 3 mile runs 4 days a week.  I want to be ready by August to start training for my half.  I want to own that half.  I want to take that half marathon over my knee and spank its lily white ass (hubris acknowledged).

I am frustrated though.  I watch other runners just bouncing along with a freedom that I have only glimpsed upon.  Does this shit ever come naturally?  Will my body one day remember how to run?  I struggle through each run and try to accept the pain, but it would be nice to enjoy running once in a while.  My guess is it sucks for everyone.  They are just better at hiding it.

I am also becoming very aware of the role of diet in my training.  Since my kitchen has been taken out of the picture my diet has SUCKED.  I am finding solace in bars and cafes as I can't really hang out at home (construction site).  Baseball season SHOULD be great for training because I SHOULD be able to stay at home and watch a game while inhaling brown rice and salad!

Alright, ok. No more complaining.  I did feel GREAT after my run this morning.  Full of energy and ready to take on the day.  Better than a cup of coffee and a red bull.  I even managed to get laundry in and its only 9 am!!!!!

bloody rebellion and possibly a gout attack?


Terrible run this morning (yesterday morning actually. I forgot to publish... oops).

Most foul.

I ran 2 miles and then called it quits.  Like Roberto Duran, I "no mas'd" and gave up.   Oh the shame. Oh the horror.  I suck.

After I quit, as if to embellish the Duran metaphor even more, my nose started to bleed.  Like a fountain.  I left a bloody trail in my wake.  Like a scarlet letter it trailed behind me. Like an accusation.  Like a damning clue.

But, being that said... I bloodily walked to Hell Hill and ran up it.  And then I ran most of the way home (after a brief stretch).  Perhaps as punishment?  Maybe to quiet the negative demons pecking away at my tortured soul.....

And then it seemed like I was suffering a gout attack. Both my dad and my brother suffer from gout. My toe seemed like it was on fire for about 1/4 mile and then it subsided.  I think i'm probably ok as, from my understanding, gout attacks are apparently much worse and don't go away so quickly. Here's hoping anyway.

So, i'll try again Thursday.  My world is a little upside down right now.  My kitchen is unusable due to construction at my place so my diet is basically tacos, fried rice and burgers.  Also, I have been showering down the street as my bathroom is the worksite. I can't wait until my bathroom is finished. Oh, to take a hot bath after a run (or a cold one after a long run?).

I am still riding my bike to and from work.  At least I am not a TOTAL lazy butt.

Womp, womp. Head hung low.  Charlie Brown exit.

lamb, cold beer and a delightful beaujolais ....


Had a delightful 5 miler this morning.

Sure my legs felt like logs and my lungs felt like they had been taken to a cheese grater but, hell, at least I got out again.  I hadn't been out for a run since Monday so I knew it was going to kick my butt.  Nevertheless I got my, soon to be kicked, ass out of bed and made for the loop.

Last evening was a dear friends 41st birthday.

After work I stopped by my local watering hole and had three pints of Sawtooth ESB before heading over to a luxurious lamb dinner where I partook in roasted taters, caramelized onions, peas and buttery haricot verts.  I also partook in some delicious Cru Beaujolais from Jean-Paul Brun.  It was a great evening that culminated in the dinner table collapsing at the end of the meal.  Like a great fighter that spent one round too many in the ring, that damned table just couldn't handle the abuse any longer.....

Of course last nights festivities made this mornings run a little more challenging.  I was sweating like a pig after the first mile, but by the end of the 2nd I was running pretty smoothly.  It wasn't a terribly fast run, but it was good run.  Also, my knees and ankles did not seem too abused which was nice.  I think I may just need to take a few days off when things start to ache too much.  Makes sense when I think on it.  Maybe this is good for me?  Maybe it doesn't always have to be all or nothing.  Maybe I can learn to hang out in the grey from time to time.

Saturday after work I am driving to PA to see my folks.  I'm going to try to get a couple of runs in while i'm there.  That is if I, and my knees, feel up to it!

knee pain and the maladies of midlife



My left knee hurts again.  The inside of my left knee.  It's not a sharp pain, but a dull constant ache that refuses to go away.  Stretching has had no effect either positively or negatively.   It worries me.

I will have benefits again in a few weeks and I will go check it out then.  I hate the thought of it being something serious.  I keep hoping it will just go away.  The funny thing is that is doesn't hurt when I run.  Only after.  Weird.

I am without a bathroom for he next 4 weeks (due to renovations) which is going to make training interesting.  I will have to shower after runs at a neighbors house before I go to work.  I might just run on days when i'm off or close the shop (because I start at 1 pm).  I want to keep it to 4 days a week.  I should have a pretty good run this weekend in PA.  I will be able to run some pretty good hills.

Its been raining a bit in NY and its starting to get a little depressing.  Over all I feel kind of down in the dumps. It may be the fact that my apartment is a work zone, or the fact that my knee is bothering me.  I feel uprooted.

Spring is a funny time.  It always fills me with expectation.  I feel like a kid in the Spring.  Full of wanderlust and distracted by everything.  Highs and lows and yearnings of all sorts.

Man, my brain is a jumble right now.

Ok, off to bed.  I am rambling.

Sweet dreams folks.

small victories, heaving lungs


A wee 4 miler this morning.

Not HORRIBLY painful, but not sprightly and lithe either.  The first mile was like death of 1,000 cuts, but I managed to find a pace of sorts after that.  I wasn't fast, but I was faster than expected.  It was not too bad.  That's the best I can say about it.

The Mets CRUSHED The Giants last night.  A 45 minute, 12 run, 3rd inning that set a franchise record for most runs in an inning. Cespedes hit a double and a Grand Slam in that inning.  Michael Conforto did what Michael Conforto has been doing.   Hitting doubles in the gap like there was a sale on 'em.  Seriously, they beat The Giants like The Giants owed them money.

I thought about this and other things on my run this morning.  Mostly I thought about running etiquette and why the same group of 5 walkers block both lanes of traffic every f***ing morning.  I mean, come on.  Did you learn nothing as a child about manners?  I wished very unhappy, un-tranquil, wishes upon their heads.

I also thought about pain.  I mean, I always think about pain when I run because it always hurts.  I thought about pain, I conquered pain and I considered ending all this pain by switching to another sport, like knitting or checkers.  I also thought about cheeseburgers.

After I finished my run I came home and made my smoothie; Flax seed, Chia Seed, Goji berries, Cacao powder, almond milk, non-fat yogurt, banana, frozen blackberries and peaches.  I then made todays lunch; roast chicken, kale salad & some hummus.  I played with the Captain for a bit and then got on my bike and rode to work.

My ride today was MUCH easier than my past rides.  Maybe its the Amino Acid Supplements I have been taking?  Door to door its about 30 minutes.  I love my new job by the way.  It kind of suits me perfectly.

Man, I am all loopy brained this morning.  More water and more caffeine please.  Until next post!

Ciao.

the lackluster sheen of a spent turtle



I ran 3 miles this morning.

I tell ya, the hardest part was getting out of bed!  I did not want to see what this run was going to have in store for me.  I dreaded getting dressed and the 43 degree temp outside (at the end of April no less) did not help.  I tried these new Nike Compression tights this morning and I must say their large must be for large hamsters, 'cause squeezing into these was like squeezing a holiday ham into an argyle sock.

The run went fine.  I huffed and puffed a bit more than usual and kept at it until I made it to and around the park.  I stopped at 3 miles because my legs are still a little worn down from Saturday and i'm in no rush to start training hard.  I want to build strength and endurance slowly so when I begin to train in earnest I will be ready.

My bike ride was harder today.  I ride to and from work 5 days a week.  Each round trip is around 11 miles.  It's mostly downhill to work and conversly all uphill on the way back.  I go over The Manhattan Bridge which boasts a pretty good climb in both directions.  Today was just tougher than usual.  I felt winded.  I'm pretty sure running and cycling muscles are distant cousins at best.  My legs  did not seem to want to aid my ride in any way.  Dicks.

I had a guilty pleasure for dinner last night.  Pernil with rice and beans.  It's generally enough for two from my take-out place, but I ate nearly all of it.   I housed that bastard for sure.  So this morning I paid for my sins with a very sluggish run, nearly an 11 minute mile.  I am aiming for a run Friday and I hope my legs are in better condition then.

Brown rice and chicken again for lunch.  For my sins....