Empire State of Mind

“You guys have been amazing.” I spoke softly as I patted my quads. “I’m grateful and proud of you.” I had stopped just passed the 21st mile marker because my hamstrings started cramping up. My IT bands held strong throughout the race and I didn’t hobble as I had feared. But the lack of training and miles showed.

“I need you to carry me to the finish line. Please, do me this one last favor. I promise to back off.” I had been running 8:15 mile splits up to that point. Actually, it was 8:05 splits through the halfway point, but I started slowing down drastically and was about to even more.

“And I promise to give you the proper rest you deserve. I will let you heal. I will focus on strengthening. I will train smarter.” I stretched my hammies as I pleaded with my legs. They had put up with so much abuse this training season, yet they were still willing to carry on.

“Five point two miles left. Less than a loop of Central Park. I promise to back off.” I looked at my watch. One minute had passed turning my 9:30 21st mile split into a 10:35 split. It didn’t matter. I took my pride, folded it neatly, and tucked it into my back pocket. I hit the lap button on my watch and started to run again.

I maintained 10:30 splits the rest of the race, keeping my cramping legs at bay with my slowed pace and a double dose of water and Gatorade at each fuel station. The crowed grew larger and larger as I made my way down 5th avenue. I heard chants of “Go TEAM!” and raised my fist in victory and appreciation every time. “Go TEAM!” is the Team in Training/Leukemia & Lymphoma Society cheer. They were cheering for me because of the effort and work I was putting in for the cause, and that felt good. I even got a “thank you” here and there.

My friend CH-L and her husband ML came out to cheer for me at what I think was mile 23. I almost missed them. At that point I was dreaming of the finish line and cheeseburgers. I did miss a few people at the end, including my sister and a friend LS at mile 25 and a couple colleagues at mile 26. I appreciate the support though. It was really thoughtful of them to make the effort to see me run. Those last few miles were a real battle as opposed to the first two thirds of the race. I was able to spot MA, my sister and LS (the first time at mile 7ish), a bunch of TNT people, other colleagues and friends.

[caption id="attachment_119" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="LS and my sister spot me, but I miss them."][/caption]

The Verrazano Bridge crossing in the first mile gave me the opportunity to set my mind right. I had seen images of this bridge crossing from the sky and they always looked amazing. I slowed a bit to turn and look ahead of me, to my side, and especially behind me. I was surrounded by a sea of passionate runners. What a sight. And that peeing off the bridge rumor is true. Guys do it. I probably saw fifty guys peeing in the first mile. I don’t know why or where the tradition started. And I wasn’t really interested in partaking.

The energy of the crowd throughout was amazing. There was barely a gap in the course without someone cheering. After experiencing 4th Avenue in Brooklyn, the bridges seemed so quiet lonely. But they offered a natural partition between boroughs. Just with the Verrazano, they gave me time to reflect on the last and prepare for the next. The last bridge, the Madison Avenue Bridge at mile 21, where I had a conversation with my legs, was no different.

[caption id="attachment_120" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Full of energy and excited on 4th Avenue at 11th Street"][/caption]

I passed the panther sculpture at “Cat Hill” just past mile 25 and was glad to see an old friend. I hadn’t been running in Central Park in a long time. When I did run here, it usually involved Cat Hill and doing repeats. This hill made me strong. I smiled through my gritting teeth at the fond memory. “Almost there,” I said to myself… and to my legs. I had heard that often during the course and the coaches made a point of telling us to ignore the claim. Seriously, some people said this at mile 10. But now I really was almost there.

I wanted to burst with speed leave all of myself on the road, but I couldn’t. I struck a deal with my legs. A promise. And if I broke that promise, I probably would have just crashed into the pavement. Steadily, they carried me onto Central Park South, then back up into the park. The finish line came into view shortly after, along with a grand sense of accomplishment. I raised my arms momentarily in victory as I crossed. “Thank you guys.” I patted my quads again as a volunteer handed me my new shiny medal.

[caption id="attachment_121" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Sister and me after the marathon"][/caption]

Thank you all who supported me and the LLS. We raised $2,641 toward the fight against cancer. I could not have accomplished the fundraising without you and my marathon experience would have been lesser. Your support, with your words of encouragement and your cheers on the road really made an impact and I am grateful.

So in the words of Jay-Z, I’m on to the next one.

The Human Race

Nike held their second annual Human Race today, a 10k that was held in 24 cities and that encouraged all to run no matter where they were. Everyone was asked to wear the technical shirt we were given. I generally don't do this- I save it until I finish the race. But this was pretty cool. They were a reddish orange color. I'm not sure exactly, because I'm partially color blind. Regardless, I liked whatever color I saw. And it reminded me of The Gates, that art installation piece that was in Central Park a few years back. We must have looked pretty cool from an aerial view. I hope there are some photos to check out.

I ran about 2 miles to the start from my apartment. Then I completed the 6.2 mile race. My knee started mildly aching around mile 5.8. So that's almost 8 miles without discomfort. Not bad. I'm feeling much better. Coach Michael, my PT guy, has been working on my leg. I'm going to see him one or two more times before the big race. He tried something new on me last time. Kinesio tape. The first time I saw this in use was on Kerri Walsh, the USA beach volleyball athlete, at the 2008 Olympics. It is flexible breathable tape. That's about it... But hey, it worked for Kerri, right? So I have Kinesio tape on my leg right now. And I'm going to stick with it. It can't hurt and it really may be helping.

So this week I will take my best guess at what pace I'll be running and will email people when to expect me at the different mile markers. I really want to say I can do 8 minute miles, but that's probably not realistic. I did 8 minute miles today relatively comfortably, but it was only 8 miles worth. Eh, I guess being early with my estimate is better than being late!

Respect

I've struggled to be healthy this running season. Like a teenager, I felt immortal. Nothing could stop me. If I was running in Brooklyn and got hit by a car, I'd just roll off the hood and keep going. If I was in the Adirondacks running and a mountain lion jump out of the woods and tried to kill me, I'd beat it down, and keep running. If I was in a big open field during a horrible storm with lightening striking all around me, I'd dodge the bolts, and keep on running. Part of me still foolishly believes these things.

Then I remind myself that though these things may not stop me, disrespecting my body will. I set my goals fairly high this year, relative to what I had achieved in the past. My spring training started slow, but ended with a glorious half marathon in Boston where I surpassed my expectations and had a blast with some excellent running friends. So I celebrated by turning it up a notch... and over doing it... and screwing with my IT bands. I won't get into that again. You can see my earlier blog entries if you want to read more whining from me.

I don't think I set my goals too high. I think I just disrespected them. I wanted to qualify for Boston (3:10:00) and was already reading up on the US Olympic trials (2:19:00). I wanted to run the NYC Marathon fast and was dreaming of the Lake Placid Ironman in 2011. Every run, I did fast. My "recovery" runs were fake. I didn't have recovery runs. I didn't see the point. When I ran and felt pain, I ignored it and ran through it. "My body is strong and can recover from anything," I thought.

But really, I was just disrespectful. I took my body and its strengths for granted. Like running an engine into the red repeatedly and expecting your car to not break down. Or making a great starting pitcher throw 150 pitches and assuming he will stay sharp (I'm watching the Yankees right now). It's like killing the goose that laid the golden eggs. My body is the goose and the miles, to me, are golden. I got greedy.

I have eleven days until the NYC Marathon. My new goal is to get healthy and run pain free. In the back of my mind, I still want to be fast. But I need to be realistic. There is nothing I can do at this point to make myself faster. I will take these few days left to stay loose, get healthy, and prepare myself mentally.

One Mile

5:36. It appears I haven't gained any speed since the last time I ran the Continental Fifth Avenue One Mile race two years ago. I had hoped to break the five minute mark, but as the summer rolled on, it became obvious that I wouldn't be able to. Still though, I'm happy to see that I am not any slower. And even though my training has suffered, I'm not doing so bad. It just reinforces my though now. I will be taking it easy on my body, letting my IT bands heal. I do not want to hobble for 26.2 miles come November 1st. I'll do less speed work, same strengthening but shorter, and more endurance mileage work. Today I leave for Paris. My colleague TC was nice enough to book me in a hotel close to a park that is good for running. It is also along the Seine. I hope there is a path along it that I can run on. Mileage will be my focus. I have less than 5 weeks left.

Suitcase Of Pain

This past weekend The Warriors (my relay team) packed up and made our way to Franconia Notch, NH to begin our annual 200+ mile run to Hampton Beach, NH. As always, I have a fantastic time. But it didn't come without drama and pain. About two weeks before we were scheduled to depart, I received a text from Sara asking "So hypothetically, what happens if a runner gets injured and can't run?" I immediately called her. It was a brief conversation. She described a bruise on her calf and feared it may be more than just that. I was falsely optimistic. A week later she emailed me upset that she could not run. It was official- she had a fractured tibia.

Twenty minutes later, I received another email from MP discussing the state of his fractured pelvis and sudden and severe flu (no, not swine flu). He was in no shape to run. Our eleven person team was down to eight (Sara's friend Lauren was only planning on coming if Sara came).

[caption id="attachment_92" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Did you bring your suitcase of pain? Van Two did."][/caption]

I called our captain, Kim, and broke the news to her. She was upbeat and confident that we could handle whatever challenges came our way. I was suggesting we find replacements but she believed we could handle it with the team we had. And she was right. As it turns out, Sara came along anyways to support us which is amazing. Thus, Lauren did partake and we ran the race with nine. Our team pulled together in a very inspirational way, everyone stepping up to do the extra mileage that needed to be done.

MP met us at registration the night before to have dinner and send us off right. After locking his keys in his car and having a local police break in to retrieve them, he joined us for dinner and a couple beers. It felt good getting everyone back together for another go. I handed out the jackets I designed and ordered (customink.com= good stuff) and we got tons of complements throughout the night and weekend.

[caption id="attachment_86" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Kevin and Lauren, with me in the middle. Man, we look cool. "][/caption]

Captain Kim had our start time moved up, fearing that since we had lost a couple fast runners to fractures, we would need the extra time. I think some, including me, thought we'd be ok leaving it as it was. But boy, would we have been wrong. And I was at the forefront of our slowdown.

Friday started off well. Van One cycled through their runners as Van Two cheered them on. My turn came up. I took the slap bracelet baton from Sasha and started off quite nicely. I have a tendency to take off too quickly when it comes to races. I guess I just get over excited. It's common among runners. But this time I probably started off a bit slow and that was just fine. My IT band in my right leg has been acting up and it concerned me. Just two days earlier, I could only run 4 miles before feeling pain. This leg was 8.6 miles long- that's my normal tempo run in Prospect park (to the park, two loops, and back home). My best time at this distance yielded a 7:21/mile pace. I was of course hoping to beat this, but my expectations were tempered by the potential of knee pain. Oh, and that pain came... right around 4 miles in.

[caption id="attachment_95" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Me, 4 miles into my first leg"][/caption]

So what did I do? What do you think I did? I ran through it. And fast. Slowing down doesn't help, it only means I'd be in pain for a longer time. I ran fast and hard and I destroyed my PR. I ran the leg at a 6:47/mile pace. I was very happy. And in retrospect, I feel fortunate to have had such a successful first leg. The next three were fairly disastrous. There was no grace period without pain. After the first few steps, my knee began to ache and did so the rest of my 8.2 mile leg. I powered through it at an 8:01/mile pace and felt disappointed. I could have burned up that road if I were healthy. I had run that leg before and it's such a great leg- rolling hills and night time. Though my knee ached, it was nothing compared to what I did to myself on the third leg of 6.9 miles. That was torture. My van did an amazing job giving me support though, stopping every mile or so, giving me supplies I thought may help (ace bandage did nothing, but I did run with the stick for the last 2.5 miles, stopping to roll out my quad). I completed that leg at a 12:00/mile pace. My last leg was only 2 miles. Pain was the same, but I powered though it. Again, I had imagined tearing up the roads. A two mile leg?!? I wanted to break the sound barrier on that one. I was really hoping to see if I could put in a couple sub 6:00s, but it wasn't meant to be.

[caption id="attachment_100" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="John, Lauren, Sara, and Kevin enjoying spaghetti dished up by girl scouts in Laconia around 2am."][/caption]

I wasn't the only Warrior pushing through pain. In my van, Kevin had an issue with a tendon near his shin (I cannot remember which one). It was doing that grinding thing that isn't so good (anyone who has experienced it will know what I mean). He came into the event with this ailment so he wasn't 100 percent, but he ran strong and we were all proud. John discovered he had IT bands this weekend. The hills (specifically downhills) introduced him to the type of pain I've been dealing with. It was his second leg (the Hills of Death night leg) that aggravated the tendon. But man, did he cream these hills regardless with a 7:45/mile pace.

He often found his runs "boring" which I found hilarious because we gave him the toughest combo of legs. It's interesting though, to see the difference between what drives me in a run and what drives him. I can easily get lost in a run (lost in my thoughts) and take in the scene around me. I love night runs when I'm alone. I love hearing the sound of my feet hitting the ground softly (because soft footfalls mean good form to me). John loves the competition. He likes running in a group and challenging himself against others. And in an event like this, sometimes you are all alone on the road. When I handed the baton to Kevin at the end of my first run, I said to him, out of breathe, "I picked off 15! I picked off 15! See how many you can get!" (Ok, so I can be competitive too). He got about a dozen, including Cape Girl (a whole team wore capes as they ran and we had been chasing them for a few legs). John carried on the trend and counted his pick offs. He got 16 on the Hills of Death leg. VERY impressive.

Lauren turned out to be our strongest runner. Not necessarily the fastest, but in my opinion, the strongest. She was healthy and had great form and a great pace for all four of her legs. I really enjoyed having her in our van and experiencing her first RTB with her. Her preliminary concerns were familiar- the hills, pacing, and the night runs. Yeah, it seems everyone gets spooked about the night runs but then ends up loving them. She beat her expectations and I think, had a very positive experience (she emailed the team 4 days later ready to do it again!).

Sara was a real trooper. I'm not sure I could have tagged along without running. So difficult to not participate. Many people think that I am so disciplined. Ha. No. Sure I train a lot and run at odd hours. But mostly I do what I want to do. And luckily, I want to run. I really appreciated Sara being with us and am looking forward to running with her again soon.

For me, this experience was great. Doing an event like this can't just be about the running. It's a stressful endeavor, running 208 miles and sharing such a small space for 32+ hours. You could lose patience, lose your temper, get panicky or claustrophobic. Your worst traits can get magnified in such a scenario... But so can your best traits if you rise to the occasion. Loyalty, thoughtfulness, friendship, support, patience... Really, this is a test of endurance on so many levels. You could be with your best friend or a stranger and the stress can get to you. But the stress didn't get us. It didn't fracture us- it brought us together. I am very grateful for that. I had a vehicle full of great people who left it all on the road and proved their worth in the van.

[caption id="attachment_91" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Warriors! Come out to play!"][/caption]

20:13

I ran a 5k *test* with my Team In Training group last Tuesday to measure my progress over the summer. The good new is that I improved substantially even though I was out of commission for nearly two months. I shaved over a minute off my time (including running into a little girl- she's ok). The bad news is I'm not yet fast enough to be comfortable with my pace. But, really, that's not that bad. And I'm happy to have seen improvement. I clocked in a 6:32/mile pace compared to my previous best of 6:47/mile. If this were the Troy Turkey Trot I ran last year, I would have placed 4th in my age group right behind my running pal, MP (of Consistency Intensity Rest (repeat) fame). We had planned on taking 1st and 2nd this year, but our individual injuries have hampered that. So we're aiming for 2010 now.

Reach The Beach is ten days away. This is the annual 200+ mile relay race I run with 10 other crazy runners(including MP). It takes us about 30 hours total, I get little to no sleep, and will run 4 legs for a total of 24 miles this year. It is a blast. Can you imagine being in a van with 5 others for 30 hours straight? We are insane, and that really is what makes it fun. Our chemistry and this common bond we have of submitting ourselves to the torture of running these miles and taxing our bodies, testing our limits. I love it. This will be a nice test for me (since the NY Half could not be).

My IT band in my *good* leg started acting up last week. Yesterday I couldn't run more than 2 miles... sound familiar? Well, I treated it last night, did some low impact strengthening instead, and expect to be ok today for a 7-10 mile tempo interval workout. I should be excited about this, but I'm pretty tired right now. I was up late last night working. Ah, but once I'm on the road I'll feel better.

Midnight Run(s)

Occasionally because of long hours at the office, I get home late and end up running around midnight. That has happened twice this week. It's not ideal. But I have put myself in a situation where I have two important and time consuming goals that will be realized at about the same time: End of October. One is of course the NYC Marathon. The other is a large and involved work thing concerning databases and such.

It has been a good week.

I am lucky enough to have a colleague from our Italian office, MZ, here to help. He, along with JS and SR from India, has been working late every day with me to be as productive with this week as possible. I think we have made good progress. There's a ton of work left and I will be pulling 6-7 day work weeks of 10-12 hours per day... It's basically an endurance event in and of itself. Why do I do such things? I guess I really love a challenge and/or I'm psychotic.

My runs have been good. I feel healthy again. I ran a nice 10.2 mile stretch last Saturday. Sunday I did some leg strengthening at the gym, and Monday I had a nice 8.6 mile tempo run (at midnight). When I run at midnight in Prospect Park, I feel like I own the place and any other scant person I see is just passing through. The air is cool and crisper. A few people linger from the evening parties they just had and I can hear conversation and laughter. Jim runs across my path in search for picnic scraps (he's a raccoon. Yes, I named him Jim). It's my park; these are my roads and my running lanes and my hills. I own them.

And then they turn the lights off.

Yes, at some time after midnight, the lights in the 9th Street entrance go off. The main road inside the park is still lit, but getting out of the park on Monday (then Tuesday am) I had the feeling I could twist my ankle at any moment. Oh the gods of fate would have laughed at me if I had. Last night's run (my trusty North Hill / Tempo combo!) finished just before midnight so I didn't have the same issue. I should be smart though, and just slow down if that happens. I'll think about that for next time.

My brother called yesterday to ask about running shoes and a running club upstate. He's taking this running thing seriously and I'm proud! I look forward to running with him soon. I still have to email him the "plan" I drew up earlier this month. Yeah, I'm lame. It's just been sitting in my computer. Tonight, I promise.

Last week I posted 24.6 miles. This week I should be close to 41 miles. Feeling strong, and hopefully getting fast.

Five point three and pain free

I completed my normal easy loop without pain for the first time in many many weeks. Tomorrow night I will hit the hills for the first time in months. I'm cautiously excited.

NYC Half

I was supposed to run the race this morning. When I laid out my training plan, this race was supposed to be a measuring stick of my progress and I expected to be fast. 7 minute miles or less would have been my goal. Anywhere close and I would be happy. Turns out this race still was a measuring stick, but unfortunately I haven't measured up.

I decided not to run this 13.1 mile event because I cannot get past 4.5 miles without pain. I would have finished the race, battling my IT band, and would have made matters worse. The NYC Marathon on Nov 1st is my goal and I had to come to terms with reality.

Reality can really bite sometimes.

I woke up at 6:30 am today (2 hours later than if I actually ran the race) to watch. I packed up my boom box, hopped on my motorcycle, and headed out to the West Side Highway at 16th Street. I don't run with ipods or music, but I do appreciate the music boost now and then on the road. So I blared some tunes for the runners as I cheered them on. It was a good mix starting with Beck, ending with The Foo Foo Fighters, and having some Beatles, RCHP, Foreigner, The Roots, and even Boyz II Men in the middle.

It's a bit frustrating to just watch and not run. But I am a fan, and I did enjoy catching the elites that I am familiar with. Paula Radcliffe of Britain won the women's side. Deana Kastor of the USA streaked by, but didn't place. And Ryan Hall of the USA took third on the men's side.

[caption id="attachment_68" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Ryan Hall, just ahead of Abdi Abdirahman of New Mexico and Moroccan Ridouane Harroufi."][/caption]

Running has always been a favorite American pass time, but it has been many years since we've excelled in the long distances. The Kenyans, Ethiopians, etc have dominated. Ryan Hall is at the forefront of a resurgence of talent in the US. He placed 3rd in the Boston Marathon last April and 10th in the Olympics in 2008. He's only 26. I'm excited to see what he will do in the coming years. He inspires me to not just run, but also be part of this growing talent here in America. So again, it's a bit frustrating to be sideline. I have to be patient.

Yesterday afternoon I ran another 4.5 miles. It was my third run in a row with pain developing at 4.5 miles. I decided to go out and run again later that night. Stopping to stretch a few times, I made it 5.3 miles. So I put in 9.8 miles yesterday (so much for patience). My leg is a bit sore today, both from the run and the treatment I gave it afterwords. I'll rest and stretch today and see how things go tomorrow.

Broken Arm

No, not my arm. My physical therapist's arm. I think I’d trade his ailment for mine. That way I could run and he could work on me.

I shouldn’t wish my ailment on him though. Coach Michael broke his arm in the NYC triathlon a couple weeks back. He is doing a yearlong fund raising effort for the LLS by competing in one endurance event per month. I have one marathon lined up this year. He has a few left and needs his legs more than I do. I emailed him earlier today wishing him a fast recovery… and inquired about my dilemma as well.

My 5.3 mile run last week went well. My Saturday run did not. It was a fun run that I participated in with the rest of my LLS Team In Training group on Park Avenue as part of the mayor’s Summer Streets program. Park Ave was cleared of traffic for pedestrian use all the way to 72nd Street. But I only made it 7.2 miles before stopping because of the same pain. Still, it’s an improvement so I was ok with it until this morning. Again, I couldn’t make it 2 miles. What am I doing wrong? I hope Coach Michael as time to respond. I’m going to try a few things on my own involving my gluteus maximus and a softball. Sounds painful? Yup, it is. But if I can run again, it will be worth it.

Lessons In Wisconsin

I just spent seven days in Waterloo, Wisconsin with my parents and siblings, visiting my cousin Cs, her husband Cp, and new born baby DJ. Our time spent was great. I could go on about how cute DJ is, but this is a running blog not a baby blog.

Oh who am I kidding, let’s talk about the baby a bit. She is growing super fast. From the day we arrived to the day we left, we could really see a difference. She’s about three months old now and while we were there she discovered that her hands are the most fascinating devices in the world. It was amazing to witness this cognitive development; suddenly she wanted to grab things- blankets, fingers, jewelry, etc… The baby also is on the brink of giggling. She already smiles a lot. And when DJ gets fussy, she doesn’t start crying. I can see her trying to communicate, as if the words are stuck in her belly and she cannot force them out. She burrows her eyebrows, concentrating hard to form words or some kind of coherent sound, but nothing comes out. So close.

[caption id="attachment_40" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="DJ, fascinated with the world"][/caption]

Ok, back to running… I am very fortunate to have a cousin who is a massage therapist that married a man who works for Trek Bicycle and has a Wii.

My cousin Cs knows all about trigger points. We discussed what Coach Michael has already done for me and she took it further. She let me look through a couple of her text books from school that described pain, the cause of pain, and the treatment. “The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook”, by Clair Davies. I recommend this book to all athletes… well, actually, everyone should read this regardless. Cs then gave me a session on my right leg and holy moly did she find some trigger points. Intense, liberating pain.

My running mileage was not nearly what is should have been the last few days because of my issues. But Cp helped me out by borrowing a demo bike from the local Trek store in Madison. He was able to size me up and fit me properly as well. The day of my sub-mile frustration run, I took a 2009 Trek Madone 5 series out for a nice 15 mile ride in farmland. Sweet bike. The ride made me feel better about my lame legs; at least I got in a good workout. I think I’m pretty much hooked on cycling. Cp tells me, “I shouldn’t have given you the Porche of bicycles to test. I should have started you with a lower model.” Perhaps he’s right. I cannot drop the $3,900 or so it costs to get one. I’ll definitely have to start with a cheaper bike. Perhaps I can find a good, used “Toyota” somewhere.

[caption id="attachment_51" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Lance Armstrong\'s busted bike from 2003 Tour de France"][/caption]

My brother, sister, and cousin also asked that I put together a running program for them. Cs has some running experience. Bro and Sis do not. I created a 28 day program that will get them running three miles comfortably. We went to the local high school track on Sunday and tried it out. It went well. But as any runner knows, consistency is the key. They will have to stick with this to make it work and only they can do that… though I’ll be signing Bro up for a 5k in the autumn as motivation!

So I ran a bit here and there and I had that nice 15 mile ride. I rolled my quads, got some therapy done to my legs, and tried to rest. And I played with the Wii Fitness game. It gives you a serious workout. I am impressed. I did a bit of Wii yoga which helped me be more conscious of my balance and posture. There were some good strengthening exercises, and fun games to play to improve balance. But the real gem was Hula-hoops. Awesome core workout. My abs and hips are still sore (my record is 321 spins, in case you were curious). I think I may buy a hula-hoop for working out.

Tuesday night I went back out on the track to test my legs. The cork surface softens the impact so I thought it would be good to take advantage of it. It was a nice run. I averaged about an 8 minute per mile pace and made it 4 miles without pain. I stopped around 4.5 miles. Yesterday I spent 15 hours traveling back to NY in a Ford Excursion, checking emails, and getting my legs stiff. Then I hopped into another vehicle and drove 3 more hours back to Brooklyn.

Today I will run again, my “easy” 5.3 mile loop in good old Prospect Park.

...

I couldn't get past one mile today. Frustration.

One Point Eight

Last night I ran for the first time in two weeks. I was hoping to get in at least 4 miles, but all I could muster was 1.8. It was supposed to be a test for my IT band in my left leg. Turns out the one in my right leg isn’t doing so hot. True, I have neglected it the past couple weeks, focusing on the lame leg instead. But I think the 13.4 mile hike deep into the Adirondack back country is more to blame. Turns out hiking in rough terrain is high impact. Who knew?

My “bad” leg seemed ok. A bit tight. My “good” leg did not feel so good. I could have run through it, but then perhaps the cycle would start all over again with the other leg. So I didn’t. I walked back to my parent’s house (I was in upstate NY) a bit frustrated, but determined to give it another go tonight.

I am a few miles outside of Milwaukee in a Ford Excursion with my family. We have been on the road since 6 this morning. We’ll arrive at our hotel around 9:41pm, unpack the vehicle, and I’ll find a place to put in some miles. I just hope it’s well lit and not on a highway.

**Update**
I was way too tired to run when we arrived at the hotel. This morning i woke at 6:30am for two conference calls (work, work work...) and hit the road around 9am. Again, I only made it about 1.8 miles before my leg started acting up. I stopped to stretch it some and continued. I would not let this stop me today. so I pushed through and did about 4 miles. I stretched, rolled out both quads as instructed, iced my IT bands, ate some breakfast, and now I will continue with my day. Tomorrow is another day and I plan on running another 4-5 miles.

Fourteen Weeks for a Twenty Week Program

Coach Michael tells me I've strained my iliotibial band.

I've been experiencing pain on the outside of my left knee now since mid June. Days of rest seemed the only cure. But when training for a marathon, rest isn't something I can afford in that quantity. I have run through pain before. Actually, it's a pretty regular occurrence, as all endurance athletes will tell you. A healthy pain will dissipate over a few miles. Or if it happens to be the last few in your race, it doesn't matter since you'll be finished soon. But the pain I have been experiencing leaves me hobbled and limping for days. No, not good.

I broke down and finally made an appointment at Finishline Physical Therapy so that Coach Michael could check under the hood and tell me what I'm doing wrong. He was one of my first running coaches with Team In Training and has helped me right myself a couple times before. Fairly quickly, he was able to make the diagnosis. He worked on my leg for almost an hour, then told me in detail how I should be stretching and rolling out my leg. Turns out I had been doing that all wrong for the last couple weeks. Great.

After two weeks and two more visits, I am left with just shy of fourteen weeks to train. It is crunch time. Serious crunch time. Coach gave me the green light to start running again, building my mileage slowly (not doing this got me into this mess). Tomorrow I am going to test my leg and if it feels good after a five mile run, I will feel better about my chances in the NYC Marathon.

So what have I been doing for the last couple weeks?

I turned to spinning. You know, the exercise bikes at the gym. Apparently low impact leg workouts are A-OK for my IT band issues. So I've been spinning and lifting weights- squats, leg presses, etc, in hope that I can somehow retain the strength my legs had before this all started. I have been considering doing a triathlon. Granted, it's been two years since I've been on a bicycle (15 years since being on a road bike), and I cannot submerge in water without plugging my nose. Yet I somehow think it's a good idea. Spinning only made me more curious.

This past weekend Pie-man and I volunteered at the Lake Placid Ironman. We filled the weekend with camping, volunteering, hiking, and cycling. We covered about 14 miles one day and 16 miles the next on the hills in the area, he on his road bike, me on my mountain bike. My quads were screaming. They were simultaneously crying, "What on earth are you do to us?" and "We want more... give us more!". Hmmm....

But the next fourteen weeks need to be about pavement-pounding miles: Running. I need to run. Fingers crossed, tomorrow will go smoothly.

[caption id="attachment_22" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Winner Maik Twelsiek way ahead at mile 65"][/caption]

Number Three

Three years ago I ran my first marathon with Team In Training, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's endurance training/fund raising program.  K, my girlfriend at the time, inspired me to accomplish this feat with the intent of supporting an organization worthy of our efforts.  Over the span of five months and hundreds of miles, we raised a combined $12,000.  I was hooked.

November first of this year, I will be running my third marathon, and it will be my second effort with the LLS.  Thanks to the generous individuals who have already contributed in the last week, I have raised $750 in the last week!

A fellow running junkie, Pie-man, suggested I share my training progress with whomever may be interested, especially those who give their hard earned money toward the cause.  I'm not entirely convinced anyone is as interested in reading about running as I am in writing about it, but just in case...

I formally intruduce my running blog.  Yes, that's right, I blog now.

And if you have an itch to support a cause, I suggest this one: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.