Making It Another Ten

Well, another weekend training run for the Mountain Goat has passed, and it was a challenging run from the get go...

Waking up early after a late night of watching The Walking Dead was quite appropriate because I had nothing on hose zombies except for I could think about the task before or rationalize a way to stay in bed.

I did roll out of bed, and I hit the road for downtown Syracuse where I promptly arrived just before the start of the run with upwards of 300 other runners.  This morning I ran alone which made it that much more mentally taxing.

I ran to the music in my iPhone. As always the start is unbearable.  My legs and back ached and my mind was telling me to quit.  I slowed my pace and watched the other runners.  The best distraction and motivation a runner can have is to chill and observe the surroundings, especially the runners.  Runners are quite varied in their appearance... One guy looked like a jigsaw puzzle.  He wore long sweat pants covered by jogging shorts and several shirts of various colors and sleeve lengths.  As I ran passed him, I wondered if he actually dressed himself and realized how silly he looked.  I would have said, "Is he blind or something to dress like that" until I witnessed a first, a blind runner.  She ran while holding onto her sighted running friend.  Now that was inspiration.

I felt good now that we were about a mile in.  I was acing just over a ten minute mile and reached the water tower of our first descent into Strathmore and Hiawatha Park.  More hills and another beautiful downhill; I love going downhill.  An opportunity to go fast and rest simultaneously.  Unfortunately, I still had many aches and pains in my legs and back plus ankle pan.  Yet I ran forward determined to make it those ten miles.  My pace quickened nonetheless.

As I trudged up Colvin, I passed a friend who was walking and two other friends passed me floating on clouds.  Very impressive.  I decided to stay close to them to maintain a nice pace through Thrndon Park for that final hill and quick descent toward East Genesee St and the finish line at Armory Square.  I made it to the square and kept running to my car saying to myself, "what a hard run, but I'm glad to have completed the course for a third time."

My only words of encouragement are to "stay the course."  Finish the race my friends.  Train hard and never waiver from your goal because its achievable.  Overcome the negative aches and pains that push you to quit.  Replace the bad thoughts with the happy thoughts of success and the joy of reaching the end.

With that said, "I'll see you on the road."

Thinking... An untitled Post Noe Titled

 Running and Management

It has been a long time since my last post.  I fell away from writing as I fell away from running long, bu for different reasons.  I tried to start writing again several times only to stop abruptly because I wasn't writing about something I love.  I love to run and enjoyed my stories of running in a variety of places and talking about the people who I have met and who inspired me while running the miles.

This weekend, I was just beat by late hours and could not get out of bed to run the Mountain Goat training run so I forced myself to run ten miles on Sunday morning.  I ran a solo ten miles of hills and flats.  I even doubled back to run a steep incline and a long gradual incline to "pretend" I was running up the short hill in Hiawatha Park and the long gradual, and final incline of Thorndon Park; if I hadn't done this, I would have felt guilty.  There were several times I wanted to quit.  My legs were burning and my mind was bored.  Yet, I trudged onward, finishing my own training run.

I think of many things while running alone. I think of friends past, running mates whom I haven't run with since my back surgery in 2010, and all the things I hoped to accomplish, but haven't.  Hence the reason why its so critical that I run and finish what I start.  Running, unlike work, places only one obstacle before me, me.  There is nothing out of my control once I head onto the asphalt.  I can control my mind, my pace, my breathing, and my desire to finish.  In work there are too many obstacles, too many people who interfere or just get in the way, too many managers who believe good management is molding everyone to them when they should be managing talents toward their strengths.  Running allows me to manage my talents to my strength, running fast down hills and slow up hills while maintaining a consistent and engaged pace on the flats.  I know my weaknesses and I know what hurts.  I have only had one manager who understood that...  But that another story about successful management best saved for another blog that may be worthy of creating.

Todays weekly run take homes for me are the following: 
1) Run and finish what I start.
2) Find someone to run long with so I can generate more endurance and better stories.
3) Do not expect a manager to manage you toward your strengths, only I can do that for myself.

See you on the road.

"Where, Oh Where, Has Oilcan Gone?"

Where has Oilcan gone, if not out training for a marathon? I can say for a fact there are fewer mysterious sightings of the OC than there are of Elvis on a daily basis. You may See him at North Medical Center or out at Ocean Sushi or Starbucks, but its doubtful you’ll see the OC running.

Running has not been an option for Oilcan. As a matter of fact, if you haven’t noticed, he’s been out of the running loop and desparately wants to get back into the loop. So Oilcan will start appearing on these pages on a bi-weekly basis writing something; he’s not sure what, but it will be something to stay involved.

But really, where has Oilcan been? He has been on the DL, the disabled list. All those humorous injury stories have been realized to a high degree. Again, read his stories and don’t do what he does because its a recipie for disaster.

Ok, where do I begin… I really haven’t been the same injury free runner since training for the San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon with the Team in Training and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I recall over training and suffering severe hamstring pain which caused me not to run for two weeks prior to the marathon. (details on my training for San Diego can be found under Bill’s TNT Tab.) I did run San Diego on May 31, 2009 and struggled severely from mile 21 to the end. the pain in my hamstring was awful, but like all addicted runners its mind over matter. The pain is pushed to the side while thoughts of completing the run take over and push you toward the end where rest and cold beer are the reward. I do believe that was the beginning of my “disk” problems.

After San Diego I took a few days off and started running again. I ran Paige’s Butterfly run; my first ever run that hooked me on running. I ran it slow with a friend and felt good. I ran the Boilermaker with that all too familiar hamstring pain. I intended to run slow, but seing other runners pass me bugged the hell out of me, so I hit the golf course and decided to pace myself and a couple of friends out for a good finishing time. I lost my two friends in the crowd, but I finished strong and fast over the last 5 miles of the run to average. just above an 8 min mile pace. I was pleased. Yet the pains were worse the next day. Walking was very tough for a few weeks. I rested for a week. I continued to run with pain. I figured that’s what happens when you push for better times.

I ran the Burn Run, and finished in pain but with a pace just under 8 mins/mile. I just brushed it off as muscle aches. The pain moved to my calf. However, knowing my pain now which is a combo of severe hamstring, calf, quad, and IT pain that radiates under my left foot I know I should have seen someone. Maybe I could’ve avoided my current debacle of walking with a cane (well a pitching wedge since I will not use a cane.) The IT and quad pain mentioned above arose from training for the Walt Disney Marathon.

I pushed it in the fall of 2009 while training for Disney. I ran the Philadelphia Half on November 22 and was pacing well until mile 11 when severe hamstring and quad pain struck. I finished with a pace near 9 mins/mile, but I could’ve done better. I felt ok before the run started and I was cruising with a plan through the city streets. I blame the hills of Dexel University for exacerbating my injuries which I ignored. A few days later I found myself in Brooklyn running the Prospect Park Turkey Trot and surpassing my previous years PPTT by 2 minutes. My knees screamed and my quads cried. But I met my goal and followed my race plan. Although not in great shape, I returned to Syracuse Saturday night and ran 18 miles alone on Sunday morning. It was snowing. I ran along 31 to Morgan Rd to Buckley Rd and up 370 where the trouble began near mile 15. I ran gimply the last three miles (something I would experience at Disney) and took a week off to run a hilly 20 miler in Cortland two weeks later.

If you have ever run the Leaf Peeper Half Marathon in Cortland you are familiar with the route we ran for the 20 miler. All the muscles in my left leg tightened at mile ten. The smart runner would have stopped. Not me. I remember saying to my running partner that if I couldn’t fight the pain of the last 10 miles how could I ever expect to beat the pain of the last six miles at Disney. I ran on and finished. I did not run again for at least a month prior to the Walt Disney Marathon. (That whole adventure is also on the Bill’s TNT Tab.)

Well with all that being said, I have not been the same since Disney.I have run off and on, but not with much confidence and with a lot of trepidation. The last time I ran without pain was the first Mountain Goat training run this year. A few days after it was all she wrote. All the left leg pain in the world returned. The exercises given to me by PT no longer worked. However, The oxycodone and Skelaxin cocktail made me “feelgood” but it did little for the pain.

The moral of this long drawn out story is to be careful. Listen to your body. Take time off after races and long runs. Don’t worry about going fast when training. Go slow; save your knees, muscles, and tendons for another day. If you hurt bad, see your doctor and let her make the appropriate diagnosis and referrals. Following a conservative approach to running, especially if your just starting and 40+. I don’t want you to hear those infamous words, “Where have you been?” Be smart and do as I say not as Ihave done.

See you on the road.

Cold Weather, Walkers, and Wheelchairs

Upon arriving at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL I was able to settle down at the Caribbean Beach Resort, chill for a little while, and take a bus, provided by Disney to all resort guests, to the Marathon Expo to pick up my race day packet and bib number. The marathon expo is located at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex the Spring Training home of the Atlanta Braves. Very exciting. My race day number was 21931. The pre-race registration was 24,000. That was for the Sunday marathon and did not include those who participated in the 5K or the half marathon on Friday and Saturday respectively.

Aside of all the anticipated race excitement and the nervous energy to run my second and "final" marathon, the cold weather, rain, wind, and sleet truly dampened the festivities for the weekend. I grew weary of the cold after spending Friday at the Magic Kingdom. I missed the kickoff pasta dinner and the team Team In Training meeting because of 2 reasons, 1) I was confused as to which tickets were functional and what or if I was supposed to wear a wrist band or not. 2) I didn't realize we were having a meeting because I, sometimes, don't listen well to instructions. I was quite the ditz that weekend. Nevertheless, spending time at the Magic Kingdom with my kids, and nephews was fun. Space Mountain has been upgraded: it has new cars, is much smoother, and faster than I remember as a teenager when I frequented the Magic Kingdom often while a Sr. in high school and in college.

Saturday morning started early for the half marathoners. I met the Team in Training crew at 3am at the CBR food court and wished them well as they departed for the race staging area outside Epcot. The air was cold. It had yet to turn. I returned to my room, slept for a few more hours and hopped a bus to the finish line around 8am. The rain was falling and transitioned to sleet. The sun slept and wouldn't open her gorgeous eyes until Sunday while running through the Animal Kingdom. It was so cold I abandoned the finish line and retreated to the Team In Training rendezvous tent and waited for my team mates to return . I can say this, once Rene and June arrived back at the TNT tent after crossing the finish, I, like most folks, headed for the bus and returned to the resorts. Participating the after race festivities was not going to happen; it wouldn't happen Sunday either. It was just too cold.

I rested the remainder of the day at the CBR. I needed to rest my knee which I injured a month earlier running the Philly Half, the Prospect Park Turkey Trot, and a 15 miler in B'ville in the same week. week or 2 later I completed a hilly 20 miler in Cortland that truly hobbled me. So, I took a couple of weeks off and rested on the eve of the marathon. The Jets surprisingly defeated the Bengals for the wild card and the Cowboys spanked the Eagles. I wrapped my IT Band with tape following directions off a You Tube Video and Harland, the Binghamton team coach. I felt comfortable and gained some confidence that I could finish. I have few friends who believes in me more than I believe in myself. They each said I would finish it regardless of the pain. One in particular believed the pain would melt away by the adrenaline rush of the marathon.

Race morning started with a 2:30am buzz from the bedside alarm. I dressed in a tight white tech shirt under a singlet, covered with a long sleeve tech shirt to keep warm. It wasn't enough. I was freezing as I walked to the food court. The trek to the bus and then form the bus to the staging area outside Epcott was brutal. Thank God for giving modern man plastic garbage bags. I slipped one over my head to break the wind while occasionally tucking my head inside the bag like a turtle hiding from an approaching lawn mower. I waited for the 20 minute "death march" with the team, but stuck with Nick, Sarah, and Andrew most of that time shivering and teeth chattering. Listening to my blackberry tunes on Pandora Radio was my only distraction. I shivered and swayed to the music in the cold while listening to the easy sounds of the Sex Pistols, the Ramones, and the Clash. I guess it was about 4:30am or so. The Disney Marathon "death march" commenced near 5:30am. The corrals filled fast while many runners stepped into the woods to take care of business, the epitome of an opportunity missed and jumbled nerves.

Nick, Andrew, Harland, and I stood in our corral while the girls pushed forward toward their corral. As usual, the corrals were not policed well which allowed the "walker" to move closer to the starting line and to become obstacles along the miles. I can recall, within the first two miles of the marathon a series of three women walking, locked arm in arm across the road caused a log jam as runners darted left and right to get around. Runners banged, bumped, and jostled each other because these three ladies owned the highway. Unbelievable! My knee screamed each time I had to dodge walkers and squeeze into small openings to progress a few feet as a running back charges forward to break through a goal line defense. I reminisced about my days playing football in high school... well I couldn't find many holes back then. However, I did find many defenders bigger than me willing to crush my head into the turf.

We stood in corral H waiting for the start. I switched my blackberry to U2 Radio and listened to that genre for the entire marathon. The fireworks blasted for each corral signaling the next wave of runners to begin. It was still cold. My left knee shouted for me to stop. I pressed on regardless of my mind telling me to quit. I shed the black plastic bag, my temporary turtle shell and wind breaker, somewhere before entering Epcott, maybe a half mile into the run. By mile 2 my knee seemed to disappear from my thoughts and a painless pace that steadily increased locked in. By mile 4 I felt warm enough to remove my outer layer tech shirt, Philadelphia Half Marathon shirt., and passed it to Maura who awaited us to run by. Yet, my hands were frozen. Opening GU and holding cups was difficult.

To keep my mind clear and focused from the cold air I thought about my race plan: GU every 6 miles, Powerade and Quench Gum when necessary, and food when hungry. I ended up only taking 4 Powerade cups throughout the marathon and a single banana as we approached Animal Kingdom. The plan seemed perfect. It was perfect I decided by the time I crossed the finish line.
However, before I crossed the finish line there were many miles to be tread. I decided to enjoy this marathon and take my mind off any possible pain and cold by actively participating with the spectators who lined the parks and streets. Whenever I saw a crowd of quiet spectators I would shout out, "Let me hear some noise!" The people always responded by cheering loud, clapping, and whistling. Many reached out their hands for five; I love it when the little kids hold out their tiny paws looking for a slap. That is very uplifting during a race, more than Powerade or GU. Cow bells could always be heard. "Let me hear more cow bell", I would shout and the cowbells increased in volume and number. The runners around me seemed to enjoy the enthusiasm I brought to the crowds because it lifted their spirits too. That is the secret and the joy of running a marathon, taking in the views, the sounds, and the people-- fellow runners and spectators. All are a vital part to a successful experience.

In the Magic Kingdom, I had the crowd hooting and hollering, whistling and belling, but then I added a celebration of the NY Jets victory from the afternoon before. "J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets." I hoped to get a good response but no one cared. Oh well. Trial and error. That was a big mistake. I would try it again later in the run; same result-- nothing.

The marathon was well organized. Yet there were two issues that drove me nuts, 1) narrow roads and 2) too many walkers. From the start to about mile 22 walkers got in the way. Walking obstacles became dangerous as some roads narrowed. Along the narrow course Disney organized many water and Powerade stations. Unfortunately, tossed cups and spilled liquid quickly became black ice. Runners were slipping, sliding, and falling as they darted to and fro to avoid the walkers. If the runners couldn't get around the walkers they had to slow down and disrupt their pace. For runners with knee pain or muscle aches, like me, this wrecked havoc on the body. Once I get moving, stopping/slowing makes it difficult to get moving consistently again. My team mate Andrew took a header when attempting to run through a water stop only to be knocked over by a walker who decided to cut in front of him to reach for water. Andrew pulled up and slipped. He landed on his fanny. He was lucky he could pop up and continue on. I Maybe it wasn't really that big a deal since he promotes the Zithromax of diabetes drugs-- Januvia; only kidding my friend.
From mile 5 to mile ten we ran up World Drive. This long flat road would take us into the Magic Kingdom. World Drive had many spectators lining both sides: cheerleaders and bands from local high schools were there, elementary school kids cheered and gave out five, and a hot air balloon greeted us as we stepped lively on our magical path to Wally World. We ran into the Magic Kingdom parking lot around the back side of Space Mountain and entered the park heading into Tomorrowland, Frontierland then through Cinderella's Castle and out the front of the park to Florida Way which took us behind the Polynesian Resort. From miles 11 through 15 we ran along Florida Way toward Animal Kingdom. Animal Kingdom definitely smelled like a zoo, but the wild atmosphere of the park made it feel as though you were running through small villages in Africa, India, and S.E. Asia. It was cool. It was here that the roads were the narrowest and contained winding paths with small rolling rises. Before entering Animal Kingdom, right at mile 15, my sister called. Since my blackberry is my "ipod" I took the call. Runners text during races but few if any take phone calls. The looks I got when i said, "Hello" were priceless. I felt fantastic. I wasn't tired, and I spoke to Coleen for a few minutes. Having the phone conversation made this part of the run seem like a Saturday morning run at the OLP, easy with good conversation.
Miles 17 through 21 were the most boring. It was all highway running between Animal Kingdom and Hollywood studios. This is also the hilly part of the marathon. My knee did't like it, not one bit. There was a brief 1 mile out and back between miles 20 and 21 before taking a right to mile 22. This is where I slowed dramatically and started the gimpy part of my run. Yet, I knew if I persevered and reached Hollywood Studios I could regain my stride on the flats for a short 5K to end the marathon well. But that was not to be. I gimped my way to mile 22 and entered the back lot of Hollywood Studios. I saw mile 23 grabbed some Hershey's Miniatures, mostly Mr. Goodbar, my favorite miniature. We ran into a dark tunnel in the costume area. I came out feeling good except for the knee. Then I made a misstep. I stepped into a "pothole" and caught my right foot on the edge and fell onto my hands and left knee. I was helped up by three runners and a TNT coach who was monitoring mile 23. I could't run. My run for final glory and a better time than San Diego was over.

I was very angry because I wasn't tired. I never hit a wall in this marathon. Like I said earlier, my plan was perfect. After falling and getting back up to run, and realizing that I couldn't brought me back to a Seinfeld episode wheen Elaine tried to get her boyfriend to LaGuardia by beating the traffic on the Van Wyk. She failed due to "a five car pile up on Queens Blvd..." Just as I failed due to an unfortunate mishap. So, I walked for a half mile until I could achieve a slow, limping jog by mile 24. The crowds who saw me fall and saw me limping my way to the finish were very supportive. They called out my name and encouraged me on to Epcott and the finish.
The last 2 miles around the Epcott Pavillion was torturous. I ran slow. I ran with pain. I reached the ball. Almost there. I turned to the left, mile 26 and a gospel choir. I saw the finish. 2/10ths to go. I took off to look strong at the finish and to remain under 5 hours; now my new goal. I shouted to the finish line crowds to make noise. They did. It was a great feeling. I remember seeing one person clearly, she shouted my name multiple times and cheered me on, It was June; she had run the half on Saturday in horrible conditions and here she was in the cold cheering me and others on to the end. All I can say is "Thank you."

I crossed the finish line. It was over. My phone rang. It was Bernie. I said, "I can't talk right now. I crossed the finish line at the Disney Marathon, can I call you later." He wanted to tell me about his date and possibly complain about the Mets horrendous off season acquisitions. I received my medal and foil wrap to keep warm. I finished the race, I felt good, unlike San Diego I could walk and didn't need the medical tent... so I thought.

The Disney Race Personnel approached me because of my severe limp and cut knee and forced me into the medical tent. They also forced me into a wheelchair. Can you believe it? I was wheeled into the medical tent. They layed me down, gave me a Powerade, and checked out my knee. I even received massage treatment for my IT Band. They took some info, I chugged the Powerade and insisted I was ok and could leave.

After Thoughts: Somewhere between miles 6 and seven I caught up to our team's coach, Kim, and Sarah. while running with the coach form PA, Jason. Kim asked me if I was going to stay with them for a while. I responded, "Sure, I'll stick with you until I get bored." And I immediately took off. Later that night Kim told me she and Sarah thought I was rude and didn't think it was funny. Oops another mistake in judgement.

On the flight home, I discovered that Harland had waited for Kim and Sarah in Epcott. He stood in the England Pavillion sucking down a glass of Guinness; Harland stopped running, got in line and purchased a glass of beer. He even had one waiting for Sarah. I missed out again because I didn't stick with the girls. Serves me right. Yet, if I would have known where to get a Guiness as I gimped along the Pavillion my leg would have been miraculously healed by the dark elixir of suds.

All in all, it was a nice marathon. Unfortunately the weather conditions made it challenging at times and ruined any post race festivities, including the Victory Dinner that evening at Hollywood Studios. It was so cold Paul and I ate and hopped a bus back to the CBR while Karen, Brandon, and Anna hit the rides.

A final note: The Disney Marathon is a nice run, but don't expect to blow it out since the walkers and tight roads slow it down significantly. You don't run in the parks as much as you would like. I would say that 6 or 7 miles may be spent inside the actual tourist portions of the parks while the rest is all behind the scenes service roads and highways. There are hills. Not big but long slight grades which can cause pain if you have knee or hamstring injuries going in. I recommend taking 800 Motrin and loading up on Biofreeze. This combination works well for me. However, it is not recommended to take Motrin when running long distances since kidney damage can occur, but Tylenol just doesn't cut it.

So, I resolve not to run anymore marathons. I shall stick to halves because they are much easier to run for pleasure and without injury while still getting the full marathon effect for fan support and festivities. Where will the next destination be? Seattle, NYC, San Francisco... I don't know yet. Let me know if you have any good ideas.

See you on the road.

Two Runs. One Week

What a fantastic week for running. Here in the northeast we have had unusually warm weather and the rain has not been to bad; it has fallen in spurts. If you time your run right you may stay dry and score a couple of races like I did: Philadelphia Half Marathon on November 22 followed by the Prospect Park Turkey Trot on November 26.

Running Philly was a blast although I travelled alone, ate alone, and toured alone. Eileen and Pam were the only friends who I caught up with; Pam at the expo, she was running the full marathon and Eileen at the starting line, she too was running the full marathon. I know Eileen finished well, just over 4 hours, which was her goal. Congratulations to Pam and Eileen for finishing another marathon strong.

My trip down began with a long solo drive to The Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. The traffic was heavy that day my friends like an old man sitting upon his throne. It took about an half hour to go around the block to find parking. Once the car was parked I checked into the hotel and hurried to the expo, picked up my packet and purchased a Philadelphia Marathon cap. The expo itself did not have much. Unlike San Diego, which had vendors galore and give away items, Philly was all about selling paraphenallia. Who needs those magnets that help you maintain balance while running? Sorry Lisa, just had to throw that in. Spy belts at every stand, but those are necessary. Buy one if you haven't gotten one yet. No GU or chew samples could be found. So, I caught up with Pam and her family on my way out of the expo and headed back to the hotel.

After making a valiant attempt to have dinner with some friends, I ventured out on the downtown Philly streets, hailed a cab, and told the cabbie, "650 S. 9th St." He promptly drove away from the hotel, and we trekked to south Philly (aka Little Italy). The destination was Ral['s. It is the oldest family owned Italiamn Restaurant in America. The food is out of the world. The setting fits its history. It looks like something from a mob movie, small store front, maitre d up front, and the dining rooms, three floors worth, packed with people. Baboo Bhat would have been proud to serve "all the people."

I was brought to the bar on the second floor to wait my hour to be seated as an individual guest. I leaned back against the wall and just watched the people around me. The bar tender was a cool guy; definetly part of the family. He chatted with the folks sitting on their stools doling out wine and mixed drinks to whomever. Large families surrounded most of the tables. Many having dinner before the big race. Young and old, kids and toddlers. This is an awesome place. I just love it here.

My name was called, "Bill! Follow me."

The maitre d and the wait staff called the head guest by name. It was a nice formality that made you feel as though you were an important guest. Being alone, it was special. i was a loser for being alone, but special because I was alone and being seated as a VIP. Well, in my mind anyway. I was taken to a section where there were three "couples" tables. Against the wall was a couple who seemed out of place for each other. The guy just sat and listened while "his date" seemed to have a problem living. I don't believe she had a positive thing to say all night; not that I was listening.

The couple on my left were cool. The big guy sat next to me. We faced the front of the restaurant. I didn't get his name. Yet I think I saw him in a movie once... His girlfriend had a heavy Jersey accent and was a blast. I spoke wth them during dinner. I ordered spaghetti with marinara sauce and a beer, Miller Lite. A cup of coffee and a canoli chased the spaghetti. It was a night to remmeber. I jumped a cab back to the hotel and called it a night. The cab coming out was ten bucks while the cab going back was 5. Hmm, who ripped me off, I wonder? Who cares, its Philly, Little Italy its to be expected. What a night.

Well, not much to do after returning to the room, so I hit the hay for an early morning and a second shot for an official time in a half marathon that didn't require jumping over stumps, sloshing through streams, nor running up hills. Just smooth city streets,

The Philadelphia Marathon and Half Marathon start together, in front of the art museum and winds its way through the city and quaint neighborhoods. I ran the first two miles with Eileen and my tunes of choice to begin the run was U2. I switched it up to Guns n Roses and then Jimi Hendrix. As I ran up through Drexel University, I moved on to AC/DC. Drexel University started a small hill climb uet I maintained a quick pace, it wasn't until mile 11 that I coukd no longer ignore the quad and knee pain. I slowed from an 8 minute pace tp an 11 or 12 minute pace unti; about 12.75 minute pace. I finished strong and completed the race 7 minutes faster than i ran the Cortland Leaf Peeper Half at 1:50:51.


After I crossed the finish line I promptly returned to my hotel, showered, and checked out so I could visit the Philadelphia Art Museum to climb the steps that Rocky Balboa climbed, to see the beautiful art work inside the museum, and then to see the statue from Rocky III.
I had never visited an art museum. So, I joined a guided tour of the Gorky exhibit. Interstingly you could see how his painting evolved over time; yet he stayed true to his abstract, cubist roots, Early on he used a lot of paint. Color rarely blended, and figures would fade into the flat, wall-lke background. By the end of the your his paint thinned, and he allowed the paint to flow into the painting. The study work where he prepped for big murals were the most spectacular. The vibrant colors and ideas were more stunning than the actual finished pieces, tome that is. Time ran short. I had to go. The Philly trip was great. I will never forget it because I successfully did all I planned without relying on anyone else.


I returned home to prepare for my next adventure which would bring me to Prospect Park in Brooklyn on Thanksgiving morning.

Wednesday afternoon I started my trip to Long Island with two of my four children, Paul and Anna. We made plans to visit my uncle and cousin on Thanksgiving day and then to visit West Islip, my home town, for a bagel and a short trip to the beach followed by a quick stop to grab 20 White Castles with cheese.

We made it to LI on Wednesday night, and I hit the sack promptly for an early wake up call to leave for Brooklyn. I just love running in events in other cities. It fantastic to experience other people and cultures, to see new streets, landmarks, and sounds. In Brooklyn, during this trip, my GPS took me in a different way than usual. I say countless of Orthodox Jewish folks walking the streets. They dressed in all black from head to toe except for a white shirt. All boys had long curls. in a way they reminded me of the Amish of Northern New York and Lancaster, PA. I witnessed hundreds of people, runners, of all ages, shapes, and sizes arriving by foot, car, bike, and train to Run the Prospect Park Turkey Trot. Its a nice 5 mile run around the lake in two loops, an inner and outer loop. There were about 1700 runners.

I decided not to worry about time like I do before every race until it starts. Then i get antsy and have to take off, but this time I had a plan. I took the first mile at 9 min/mile pace. I increased my pace at each mile and ended averaging an 8:02 min/mile pace and beat my time from the previous year coming in at 40:09. I was satisfied considering I forgot to take my usual 800 motrin although I did load up on Bio-Freeze. The weather was warm with some clouds and no rain. However, I will blame one girl who was slow near mile three who kept cutting me off from passing. if she would have stayed out of my way I could have made it below 40 minutes. It not me, but everyone else, right? I would never get in any one's way, would I? Well, ok, it was my fault and I accept full responsibility for nor not finishing under 40 minutes.

Once the race ended, all of us runners continued through the shute after having the chips removed from our shoes and headed for the Prospect Park Pavillion. Awaiting us were Brooklyn bagels, coffee, and hot chocolate. A bagel and hot chocolate never tasted so good. Oh, the prospect park Track Club gave us all a running cap to commemorate the run, running gloves, and a gold medal. Even after being delayed by that girl, I still pulled of a victory, i finished and felt good, and earned a GOLD MEDAL with a picture of a turkey. Oh yeah. You gotta love it. I can't wait until next year.

What else awaited me on this fine Thanksgiving day? My uncle, hearing that I was hoping to start biking gave me his old road bike; a Centurion Expert Iron Man bike. Old, but in good condition. I can't wait to start riding. I also met a young cousin of mine who runs for the Islip varsity X-Country team at the age of 13 and he is ranked in the top 5 for running in the town of Islip which consists of all the Town of Islip school districts. As a matter of fact, he runs a 19 minute 5K.

Then I visited my cousin Lisa and ended the night drinking wine, Tequila Rose, and beer with her husband and neighbors; I even gained another Facebook friend, Jee. So, long story short, these are two terrific runs. I hope to run them again, and i encourage all of you to leave your localities and run for a new adventure. take in the new restaurants and museums while watching the people. You can only win and feel good by the end of the day.

See you on the road.

The Baldwinsville 16 Miler

Today was a Friday unlike any other Friday. It was the eve before the wine tour; the first wine tour of my life that would prevent me from running with the Team in Training tomorrow morning out in Cazenovia; it was the Friday where I would be pulled over and not receive a ticket. Now that is a funnier story than the Vaseline story. I had to run the 16 and Nick decided to run it with me.

He and I decided to meet at Baker High School in Baldwinsville and begin our trek up Oneida St to Budweiser Highway, aka 631, then down 370 to John Glen Blvd., and over to 57, back up to 31 and back to the high school. Darkness fell upon us while running 370. Aside from the headlights of the cars passing by at speeds which I'd rather forget, the darkness was blinding. The stars shone bright. What an awesome evening to run. The breeze was light and the air was cool. I remember saying to Nick, "It would have been a crime to not run tonight."

We didn't see any living wildlife on tonight's run like we saw last weekend. Last weekend showed us a coyote crossing the street about 100 feet in front of us; a cat that ran like a rabbit then darted into the woods, probably to be eaten by the coyote, and countless birds migrating south except for the beautiful Cardinal that landed on a branch to our left while approaching Horseshoe Island. No, tonight we smelled the aroma of a dead skunk, cow manure (which penetrated the nostrils and would not leave), and the scent of stagnant water among the brush of Onondaga Lake Park.

Once we reached route 57, Nick took his GU. This was just beyond halfway. At mile 10 I took some GU when Nick uttered the phrase, "I feel strong..." Memories from last week's run came back to me when he said those words and gained agreement from me until mile 12 where we both started to fade, and our dreams of planning a 4 hour marathon at Disney also began to fade. Yet tonight would be different. Tonight we would not fade. Tonight we would demonstrate to ourselves that we could achieve the impossible, a 4 hour marathon. We ran well. We ran fast, for us anyway. Until... until I fell on the edge of route 31. Like a good mentor, I carried the Gatorade on my belt and fell while putting Nick's bottle onto my belt. I slipped off the lip, twisted my ankle and landed on the rocky street. Thank goodness it was dark because I didn't realize the large amount of blood that drained down my leg from my knee until I got home. I bled so much that blood splattered onto my left leg, dripped onto my clean, white Adidas running shoes, and stained my socks on both feet. I sit here now, on my bed typing this story with a torn up right knee and a couple of band aids.

Normally I may feel the pain, but not on this day. I picked myself off the street; well, not exactly, Nick picked me up off the street. Nick watched me hobble a little while. Then we ran. We finished the run. Last week's run saw two tired runners. This night saw two motivated runners with a goal. To run 16 miles with in 2.5 hours. We did it. We pushed the limits of physics as we dashed down the gradual slope of Oneida street to Baker High School. It was 16 miles according to my premapped run. Yet, according to Nick's Nike Sports Band it was 17.4 miles or something. I will never live this down.

What is the secret to running without pain? Its easy. Lots of Bio-Freeze, compression shorts, and 800 Motrin. That is the recipe for successful pain free running. I still feel nothing. Tomorrow, I will feel nothing when the pain hits me since "red, red wine makes me feel so fine and keeps me rocking all of the time..."

So, I will see you on the road.

Weekend of Races

The last weekend of September saw two popular races go off on Sunday morning: The Falling Leaves 14K in Utica which includes a scenic run through the South Woods and the Strathmore Parks Run that includes an awesome hill top run around the reservoir and the water tower.

Sunday was a rainy day, and I am certain the ominous weather, especially in Syracuse, kept many runners away. However, if you chose to make the trip out to Utica the rain did not fall. The Falling Leaves Run was dry and fast. The temperature was cool and perfect for running. On the other hand, the Park Run, which commenced at 2pm, was affected by a continuous downpour. I stood by cheering the runners on for their last lap of Hiawatha lake and then for their final turn to the finish. All the runners were drenched.

Now with the details, as many as I can recall since I was neglect of duty and did not write immediately following either run.

I ran the Falling Leaves with my buddy Todd, and we met his neighbor Annmarie just before the start. Todd was dealt a bad blow. His race number, on a Sunday, missing Mass, was 666. That's not good. No one wants "that number". Yet he ran well and finished feeling good. Although its not a good sign to receive the "number of the beast" before a run, the good news was the T-Shirt. As in previous years, the give-away was a dark blue, long sleeve tech shirt with the Falling Leaves logo in orange . Very nice.

Like last year the race was staged from the Radisson Hotel on Genesee St. and offers the runners a nice venue for pre race and post race comforts, clean bathrooms and showers, and the usual bagels and refreshments. Before the canon fires to kick off the run, all stand tall, hats and hands over their hearts while a young lady sings our National Anthem. Soon, the canon fires and runners bolt across the starting line (U2s, Its a Beautiful Day rang in my ears as I started since any day running is a beautiful day) and begin the uphill run down Genesee St. to Oneida St. and a left on the Parkway to Valley View Golf Course. All is uphill, generally a gradual grade. Once into the course which follows the same route as the Boilermaker the elevation changes and veers off the Boilermaker route and heads into and up the trails of the South Woods. Here is where I took my first short sip of water.

The South Woods are a series of well manicured trails that wind upwards among tall trees whose leaves are a variety of colors. The inclines are sometimes gradual, but more steep. I hate hills, but love going down. So, running down the trails of the South Woods make the energy push up the hills well worth the struggle. The only caution of the South Woods trails are the wet leaves on the ground and the many turns that are tight. They remind me of the hills the Road Runner runs as he is chased by Wylie Coyote. The good news is there aren't any falling anvils.

Once the runners return to the bottom of the hill, they exit at the same water stop they entered on. Here I took a GU and some water for the final run out of the golf course and the home stretch from Park St. to Oneida, and the down hill sprint to the finish line on Genesee St. I felt good. I stayed with a couple of women who seemed determined to finish strong, and they kept me at a steady pace. As I turned onto Genesee St. the finish line comes into view gradually. Once its visible the slight grad decline begins. Your speed picks up. I picked up the pace passing the women and one guy just before the finish while listening to Billy Joel's New York State of Mind.

Todd ditched Annmarie about a 1/4 miles from the end. He insists that she told him to go ahead, but I don't believe it. He promised too stay with her. It must have been the "number" that drove him to abandon a friend just before the finish. Annmarie finished right behind Todd. Everyone had a good time and we can't wait for next year's run.

Regarding the Park Run, I only participated as a spectator so my scope is blunted, but I'll give a few highlights. I stood in the pouring rain wearing my black Mets cap, a blue running wind breaker to resist the water, and jeans. I was soaked by the end of the race. I stood by the "crossroads": the area where the runners entered back into the park to run their last lake loop before cutting across to the finish line stretch. There were many of my friends who run with Lake Effect, young kids, high school kids, older guys, and ageless women. It is great to observe all the varied runners, its very inspiring to this day.

John, a Strathmore resident and organizer of the run had one of his sons running. The young lad only runs this race and doesn't train that hard for it, but he always finishes the race. he looked great. Bob, who runs faster when he is not running with me, had trouble passing a young girl on that last loop, and, if I remember correctly, didn't pass her. She finished really strong. John, Brandi's husband, barely beat a young girl across the finish; rumor has it that he knocked her down inches before the finish and squeaked in by a nose. It can be competitive out there.

Ray said he didn't make it in time to register and decided to go home. he called me as I approached the park. He blamed traffic on 81. I think he was scared of the rain. Ray, if you read this, I want you to look at Brandi when you go into work and acknowledge her courage to finish the park run after she had already run earlier that morning at the Lube Run. She has guts and is an example to us all of true grit and determination. Congratulations Brandi and John for demonstrating a capacity to push each other further each time out.

All in all, it was a good day. In the words of Bono, "... a beautiful day."

See you on the road.