Summer 2013 Megafuntastical: The Red Hook Marathon

So I did a marathon over the summer. Of swimming. In Red Hook. For a t-shirt. Here is the third and final post in the series I like to call Summer 2013 Megafuntastical.

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New York City Aquatics has been operating their outdoor pool adult lap swim summer program for years now. This was the first year I took advantage of it.  Carla started a Facebook group page and added a bunch of us SCBkRs.  I imagined visiting the pool a few times to complement my running. But then we spotted this:

        "Participants who swim 25 miles or more over the summer will receive a free t-shirt..."

Tempting, but I was focused on my running and training for my A race and did not see earning that prized t-shirt as a reasonable thing to do. And then my calf happened. So the quest for the Night Owl T-Shirt began.

Red Hook Recreation Center: My second home for the summer

Endurance fitness translates.  It was demonstrated while cycling through the Berkshires in June and swimming in the Red Hook Pool in July. All the running I do translates to other activities. My first dip in the pool went for 3/4 of a mile, the second for 1.2 miles, and the third for nearly 2 miles.  I got into the habit of getting to Red Hook as soon as possible after work, trying to be at the door at 6:55pm as they let the evening lap swimmers, or Night Owls as they called us, into the building.  Then I'd swim until the lifeguards blew the whistle.  That generally equated to about 90 minutes of swimming. Some days I'd arrive late, but still for a solid swim. It was enough to feel like I wouldn't lose much while allowing my calf to heal.

As the sessions accumulated, it occurred to me that the t-shirt may actually be in reach. I started getting tingles of motivation. Twenty-five cumulative miles over the summer could mathematically be achievable for me. But maybe not everyone saw it this way for themselves.  Maybe not everyone was interested in devoting so much time in the water over the summer. I wished they were.  I came up with the charts because I'm a data geek.  I came up with the badges to get more of my friends in the pool.

One of my favorite badges.  I'll be back on that track in a couple weeks

This badge was a big deal, a real confidence booster, I think. So many earned it and are on their way to an actual half Ironman!

Don't knock it until you've tried it.

This one was a hit and many swimmers earned it

It's hilarious how much fun I had with this. It seems everyone did. More than thirty of us hit the pool and twenty six participated in the lap tracking and badge earning. Why are these badges so motivating?  Why was the t-shirt such a prize?  I have no idea. I suppose it's the same with finisher medals at the end of races or that pretty cool hoody for the Brooklyn Marathon. Some people save their race bibs, others get tattoos commemorating their achievements. But that's not to say events without awards aren't fun.  One of my favorite thing is finding small, inexpensive, medal-less events to run. Perhaps that, in and of itself, is a badge of awesomeness, too, though...

Just a sample of the mileage we covered

As we approached the last few weeks of the summer, the pool started closing at 8pm. Because of this, my planned 90 minute sessions would be limited to 60. And where I thought I'd have plenty of time to squeeze the 25 miles in, I now saw I'd be one or two days shy, leaving me a couple miles short of 25, but more to the point, it would be a couple miles shy of that t-shirt. I wasn't having any of that.  Neither was Jon.  We both cut out some plans, rearranged our schedules and ducked out of work "early" to get laps in.    With the fear of weather causing an issue, I left an extra day at the end.

This one only applied to Jon and I.  I have a feeling next year more of us will earn it.

Sun sets on the season

On that last Friday of the season, I surpassed 26.2 miles.  Both Jon and I earned our t-shirts, but our quest did not end there.  It seems there was a end of season swimming party, where t-shirts were handed out, that we were not invited to.  We had the option of either going to the NYC Aquatic headquarters in Flushing Meadows, Queens, or calling them up and asking them to transport the shirt to the borough office of our choice.  We chose the latter and Jon's shirt made it safely to Brooklyn.  Mine did not.

From a fitness perspective, swimming saved my summer.  My calf, in all its painful glory, prevented any meaningful miles on foot. September came and my running returned with a sucessful Reach the Beach Relay. It was now October, a week before what would have been my Marathon, what was now my next half marathon, and time to finally wrap up the quest the only way that seemed fit.  I ran 8.7 miles to Flushing Meadows and claimed my prize.

Quest complete.  At least for 2013...

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"It was a summer of extra-ordinary magnitude."

This statement will forever identify one distinct and amazing summer for me- the summer of 1994- which had nothing to do with swimming or running or cycling, but rather Mountain Dew, Cooler Ranch Doritos, and blacksploitation movies.  It was the summer the sky opened over Rotterdam, life long friendships were forged in the fires of funk and ridiculousness and the Squad was formed.

Perhaps it's too early to say, but I'm going to say it anyways.  This summer and all its megafuntasticalness will stand the test of time.

Summer 2013 Megafuntastical: Seven Week Furlough

Wait woah woah woah... It's November and I'm not yet done rapping about a summer full of miles.  Here is the second post in the series I like to call Summer 2013 Megafuntastical.

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On the last day of May, I ran my 200th mile of the month, reaching that soft goal and still feeling healthy.  I eased back my mileage in June, going instead to the bicycle for workouts, including my Acton to Rotterdam ride with Mark, feeling good about where my fitness was and how healthy I felt.  But by the end of June, my calf began aching, just a bit.

My calves regularly give me issues, so I didn't think too much of it.  A bit of rest, a lot of rolling and stretching, and I should be able to run through it.  But weeks passed and it wasn't getting better.  On July 3rd I ran a 5k race that I scheduled to be my first test of the season.  I was to use this result to set my workout paces for the next few weeks.  It was a sloppy, rainy evening in Prospect Park and I PRed by 3 seconds.  But that calf, that bloody calf, wasn't feeling so hot.

I stretched and rolled, but I did not rest, still convinced that it wasn't abnormal. After a marvelous run to Coney Island with SCBkR on the Fourth of July, I scaled back, not running for seven whole days, in hopes I would heal it time for the Boilermaker. It didn't.

Mid ride fueling on our way back from Nyack

SCBkR gathers for a Fourth of July run

SCBkR on the Coney Island boardwalk on the Fourth of July

So comes the question, "Why do I train?"

It's obvious that running the Boilermaker at this point will just make things worse.  I need more than a scale back; I need to lay off running for a bit.  If I skip the Boilermaker, I will already be 7 days into the healing. But if I run, well, I forfeit that week and will need to start all over again.  It was time to measure priorities- my A event of the season/year or this super fun 15k that I want to run every year for the rest of my life.  I chose the Boilermaker, and subsequently, to be sidelined for two weeks.

SCBkR... Warriors... TNT... or TIT... we represent!

Rendezvous with Ed, Kait and the Closes once again

Pool Party hosted by Kristen's family (yes, my friends are hot).

RonFire!

Ha ha... I wish it was only two weeks...

Those fourteen days passed, and though I did test the calf on a couple very short runs, the real test came on a 10 mile jaunt with Amanda in Lake Placid.  We were up in the Adirondacks camping and cheering on the Ironman event, volunteering, swimming and cycling, and having a blast.  But that run did not go well. We took off from the village and out onto the course, watching the athletes cycle their 112 miles. The calf hurt pretty much from the start.  I should have stopped.  I was naively hopeful, which is ridiculous since I am no novice and this isn't the first time my calf has felt this way. At the end of the run, I "iced" my legs in Mirror Lake, drank beer, ate a burger, and enjoyed the rest of the day.

Biking the IM course with Jon

Last shift of the race, fueling and hydrating the athletes

Cross Training: wading, floating, laughing and drinking

Two days later, I tested it again with a quick 6.2 miles along the Mohawk River bike path with no better result.  It honestly felt no better than it did over two weeks prior. It was disheartening. I let seven days pass before my next run of just 1.2 miles, which still felt bad.  So I stayed off the road for seven more days. How many weeks is that?  We were now in to August.

Finally feeling good and still holding on to the hope that I could prepare myself into to run the Mohawk Hudson River Marathon in October, a started running again. But by the third day, the calf started aching again. By the end of the fourth day, I had to face the cold hard truth: I was back at square one again.

Cross Training: Roofing

Cross Training: Fist pumping

Cross Training: Hula hooping

More than a month had passed since the Boilermaker and by this time I was questioning whether to drop to the half marathon or defer completely until next year.  My focus turned from that event- my planned A event of 2013- to getting healthy in time to participate in my seventh Reach the Beach relay.

I rested ten more days, then built back at a rate that seemed ridiculously slow. It was a conversation with Amanda that convinced me to try that. A healthy me would consider my normal 5.3 mile to-the-park-around-and-back route a short run.  But I kept my distances around 2-3 miles. It worked.  On September 8th, I formally switched to the Mohawk Hudson Half Marathon.  And on the 12th, I headed to New Hampshire with the Warriors once more.

Cross Training: Jumpshots

Cross Training: Baby holding

Had I gone to a doctor in any of this time?  Physical therapy?  No and no.  I visited Leslie and am convinced her magic hands helped, but it was clear massage alone wasn't going to do it. Still, I did not go to a doctor and the weeks rolled by.  I know I send runners to doctors all the time. But I seldom go myself. I've just never gotten useful information from one regarding a running injury before. That's not to say you'll find the same result (and if I recommend that you visit a doctor, please believe that I think it's best for you).

Here are my thoughts on doctor visits. For the type of pain I was feeling, I believe the only thing they could do is confirm how long I should not run for. If it was a strain or a sprain or even a stress fracture, they would have given me a time range, probably in weekly units, for how long it would bother me and how long I should not be running. They may be able to tell me the thing that hurts- the soleus or posterior tibial tendon or whatever, but not necessarily what caused it. A visit to the doctor would not speed up my recovery.

Being smart and disciplined would speed up my recovery- and prevent injury. That's what I still need to work on.  It amazes me that I'm still trap myself like this. So to be proactive, I will start taking more detailed logs of my runs, specifically noting if anything ached or felt off. And when I do declare an injury, I will log its recovery- another idea I credit to Amanda.

I'm happy to say that my calf is now ok and I'm ramping up for another go at a marathon.  I share my frustration with you through the words above, but hopefully you see what fun I had regardless, through the photos.  And in my next blog entry, which I swear will come sooner rather than later, I will tell you how swimming saved me.

Cross Training: The Red Hook Pool

Summer 2013 Megafuntastical: Berkshires Tres Veces

I've been absent from this blog because of a summer that has been just too much fun. Now well into autumn, it is time to catch up a bit.  Here is the first post in the series I like to call Summer 2013 Megafuntastical.
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I love how the thread of life bunches up, sending me to the Berkhsires tres veces in less than a month. It’s as though life writes its own narrative, twisting and turning, falling and climbing, and I am but the transcriber.

Going Rogue

Memorial Day Weekend came and after months of preparation, on the road, in the trails, and on a few excel spreadsheets, the team headed for the hills of Berkshires.  Thirty six of us (or so) drove a few hours in the rain so that we could run in the rain, cheer in the rain, stand in the rain, and play drinking games indoors.

The trail was muddy and wet. The hills were steep and forced lots of walking. I started toward the middle, which may have been a mistake.  My intention was to race, but I was stuck behind a few folks as the course funneled onto a single file trail in the woods.  Luckily the runners were courteous and let me pass where possible.

The terrain was rough in some parts, the trail consisting of jagged rocks.  And I saw people in nothing but Vibrams.  I was pretty close to wearing my Merrell Trail Gloves and was thankful that I did not.  I settled on the Merrell Mix Masters which served fairly well.  I'm still not convinced about the upper, but the toe box and sole feel great. 

I came close to falling numerous times, almost tripping or rolling my ankle, but managed to stay on my feet. Some teammates weren't so fortunate, arriving bloodied at the finish line- but with smiles, too, which I loved seeing. Throughout my run, other than my own survival and fun time, I was thinking of the team which we trained for this day.  We took them to some pretty challenging trails in preparation, and I think that may have scared a few of them.  The thing they hadn't experienced was the rain.  I hoped they weren't hating life up in the hills. More than that, I was wishing they were loving it.

I didn't run with a camera, but one can always count on Rachel for pics.

Why do I love trail runs? They're honest and unforgiving. To survive, much more than a road race, a runner has to yield to the terrain, taking only what it will give. There is need to anticipate each step, to be present and mindful. In a way, a runner becomes one with the trail and in this way can really get to know his/herself.

There's talk of us doing this again as the Rogue Alumni event for Summer 2014.  That chatter has me a little bit excited.  No lie.

The Union

My Guatemalan family arrived while I was away for the team's rogue event.  We spent the week in Brooklyn and I juggled work, running, and family as best I could.  There simply weren't enough hours in the day.  But on Friday, May 31st at approximately 10:41PM I crossed the 200 miles threshold for the month. A few days later I was back in the Berkshires for my brother’s wedding.

I had been wanting to get back on the bike for weeks. This was my first ride since September.  I left with a vague plan of tackling about 30 miles. 48 miles later, I had visited Vermont for ice cream and a cider donut, climbed a bunch of hills, and made my ass really sore.  I mean, really sore.  It was great.

The Berkshires: Great landscape for a ride.  Great views.

Entering Vermont.  On the hunt for ice cream.

Assuming "biker" also includes "cyclist".  Because we badass.

On Wednesday, I was looking to run about 10 miles.  Not wanting to do an out and back, I searched for a loop on the country roads available to me and found a 12 mile loop that included a somewhat aggressive elevation climb.  I realized as I got ready to leave that I forgot my water bottle which is kind of a drag for a 12 mile run, but felt I would be just on the inside of my dehydration range and would be fine.  But whoops, I got lost and did 15 miles.  That run kinda sucked at the end.

Roads?  Where we're going, we don't need roads...

In the middle, though, it kinda ruled.  I ended up hitting the trails for a second time in the Berkshires, parts of which reminded me of Scotland.  And On the easier parts if this run, when I could think, I outlined the speech that I was going to give at my brother's wedding the next day. 

Picture doesn't do it justice.  So green.

View from the top.

Father’s Day Ride

Mark and I had been trying to make plans to train together all spring, but our fairly busy schedules never quite lined up.  After he suggested a weekend of training near his home in eastern Massachusetts, for some reason I suggested we ride from his house to Rotterdam.  Well, I know why I did.  I wanted to spend father's day with him *and* my dad and this seemed like to logical solution.  As things played out, it became apparent that my dad wasn't going to be in Rotterdam.  He was going to be in Brooklyn that day, ironically, in my apartment.

We stuck with the plan, though, and surprised Mark's mom in Rotterdam on Saturday instead, and I got back to Brooklyn to visit with my dad on Sunday. Though it rained right up to the minute we started, the clouds broke and we saw nothing but sunshine from then on out.

Psyched to get started!

Day One

Day Two

Ride Statistics

More Photos Here

The trip spanned 178 miles over two days with an overnight stay in Northampton.  I made it a point to have us stop in Amherst for some Antonio's Pizza.  The ride was quite manageable, even though I hadn't trained for this. I moved along at a fairly slow pace and Mark was patient with me. The hills were no joke, but it was a beautiful ride.  This touring trip with the overnight stay was great fun.  And it made me miss being on a bike.

And seeds of doing another Ironman were planted... 

On the Cusp of 200

I've pushed my legs hard, pulling back when I thought I needed to. This month, I topped 50 miles in a week once and 40 miles twice. Feeling good about the base I've built, I started to wonder if May would be my highest mileage month ever.  So I looked back.

My father, grandmother, and me back in the 70s.  It was also Christmastime.

Sunday, while visiting my grandmother's grave, I naturally thought about her funeral about 6 years ago.  Kim was with me- my significant other at the time and the wonderful individual who introduced me to running.  I'd only been running for maybe 15 months. Back then, I didn't log mileage or geek out over shoes.  But I'm certain my May total has surpassed anything I had done to that date.

I hit the Minuteman Trailway later that afternoon and headed east.  It brought back memories of runs of the past.  I did my first ever 18 mile run on this trail, with Mark riding his bike along side me. That was 2006, and I was in town to visit my grandmother for her birthday- the last we would celebrate together- and I was 4 months into training for my first marathon and TNT event.

Kim and me in Alaska, 2006.  First marathon and first Team in Training event.

When I reached the end of the Minuteman Trailway, I headed toward the Charles River. Apparently Memorial Drive along the river is closed off to car traffic on Sundays, leaving it open for pedestrians.  This was part of the May 2009 Race to Remember Half Marathon that I ran with my Warrior-mates.  It was my first half going solo, and while I did love running with Kim, it was quite meaningful to be able to find a new independent identity in my running.  It was somewhat symbolic, perhaps, of my life at the time, transitioning to a new life and a new me.  This was the year I returned to TNT as well.

Charles on the left, Memorial Drive on the right, goslings in the middle.

Before Sunday's the run, May's total sat in thirteenth place as far as mileage is concerned, right after August 2009, which my have been my only healthy running month of a frustrating fall season, and right before March 2012, during my ramp up to Ironman fitness levels and just prior to a rather stressful April which included the end of my 13 month relationship with Emily and somehow injuring myself with turf toe.  By the end of the 19 mile run through these Boston suburbs, May 2013 was seventh on the list, ahead of August 2011, the point at which my switch to midsole search was coming to fruition, and behind this past March.

Wow.  This past March ranks in the top 10.  As does April. And here comes May.

May is currently sitting in fourth place.  The months ahead are all from the glorious fall 2010 season of training. That season has been in my mind, a target for me to reach- no - surpass.  I've definitely approached things differently this time around, slowly building a hardy base. I'm still building that base and have only introduced pure speed and strength work into my routine a couple times so far.  Still, I know I'm not yet as fast, but I can feel the progress.  And after the Berkshire Trail 15k this weekend, hills, weights and speed, (oh my!) will become the focus.  I expect my mileage to drop in June because of this (and the 180 mile bike ride Mark and I have planned), which is fine.  High mileage has always just been a means to the end- that end being fast times.

With nine days left, I am 56.4 miles shy of 200.  Will I make it?  My calendar says yes.  But I will listen to my body and do the right thing.  I will not over train just to hit this arbitrary number.

I Don't Waffle. I Eat Them.

My second test of the year came with a little bit of fanfare.  Despite finishing 87 seconds slower than my 5k PR, I finished first in my age group and 8th overall out in Clinton Township.  It helped that the faster runners ran the 15k instead.  And it was a small field.  Still, I'll take the little medal and the sub 7:00/mi pace and move on to the next.

My pacing was pretty good on this somewhat hilly course, as it was during my latest half marathon and that's encouraging to me. I'm going to line up more 5k tests.  Because of their shorter distance, I'm able to test myself more frequently and (hopefully) see progress sooner.  Something around Father's Day would work out best, I think.  And I can sign my parents up, too.

8th out of 186 ain't bad.  But I want faster.

It's May already and I had imagined being faster than this by now. Building this base has been a slower process than I expected.  Adding to the delay was a stubborn series of colds that just wouldn't let up around the end of March. That killed my training momentum.  And I've had to avoid the gym and my love of free weights because of some issues with my back that Leslie is working on.  Can you believe it?  Two visits and she didn't even touch my legs because if the mess that was my back. So my upper body and core are lacking in strength, too.

But it would seem I'm back on track.

I've gotten a lot of miles in on my urban commute workouts.  They are exactly what they sound like and I  normally do them at a pretty fast click.  I like to think of them as fartleks or cruise intervals.  Sometimes I have to slow down because of pedestrian traffic and sometimes I have to come to a complete stop because of car traffic. But when I can let loose and go, I do, like on the Manhattan Bridge on my way home or though Harlem on the way to Yankee Stadium for a game.  Ranging 6 to 7 miles, they've been great to integrate even more into my workout routine.

I've been seeing progress in my long runs, specifically my *bad* long runs.  A bad long run I did last week where I felt sore and sluggish and where my bowels weren't cooperating translated to an 8:43 pace over 16 miles.  A few weeks ago, that would have more likely been a 9:30+ pace. I'm sure my fitness plays a part, but specifically, I'm feeling more efficient with my form.  I'm able to hold it longer and easier, staying relaxed throughout, sometimes even getting more relaxed as the run progresses.  A good 16 miler translated to an 8:30 pace two weeks ago.  Both these runs were done at effort level 2.5ish out of 5 on average.  I will need a good long run at this effort level to equate to a 7:45ish (or less, hopefully) pace to get to a sub 3-hour marathon.

On a 12 mile urban commute and 1/2 mile hill repeat combo day, I took note of the salt buildup on my face.  It is getting warmer and my miles are getting longer.  A sweat test will be in order some time in June.  It will be good to get a measurement of that again before it gets the better of me.

My face is as salty as my attitude.

Last week my mileage was 51.8, including a 7 day stretch that was 60+.  I felt pretty beat up by Saturday, but that is to be expected.  Monday I rested, sleeping 14 hours(!), recovering from that mileage as well as the excellent fun times that happened over the weekend, including the Run for Hope, which raised money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society via the RALLY campaign, and cheering the New Jersey Half and Full Marathons.  This week I have another 50+ miles planned and don't expect there to be any problems. Last night's urban commute was completed at a 7:29 per mile click including a sub 7:00 mile coming off the Bridge.  Thursday, I'll be introducing 1/4 mile hill repeats into my workouts to make my lungs and heart bigger.  I'm hoping the SCBkR tHrILLer group will be out to run with!

TNT BK just before the Race for Hope 5k put on by the students of the NJHS at the Battery Park City School, which was only part of the day's training.  These runners completed between 9 and 18 miles before noon.

With miles up and french fry consumption down, I've been losing fat at a descent rate.  Nothing extreme- it's probably one pound a week now, but I don't weigh myself so I don't really know.  I just go by feel- how my jeans fit, but most importantly, how I feel on a run. I am pretty excited about being at a point that I'm happy enough with to eat fries again.  I miss fries.  Especially from Bear Burger and Dram Shop. And Daisy's disco fries.  Yum.  I think I'm close.  I probably have another month before I start cheating giving myself a french fry allowance. Maybe sooner if I continue with these 50+ mile weeks in a healthy way!

Flea market find after a trail run in the Atlantic Highlands on the Appalachian Trail with the team. Now I'm gonna eat waffles for breakfast, too!

Processing

A week has passed since the Boston Marathon and the bombings that took place. As the residents of Watertown cheered for the capture of the second suspect Friday night by the dedicated police and FBI, I had to turn away and immerse myself in big cats playing with boxes to escape a bit. I'm relieved, but still, I remain troubled. 

Why does this happen?

I heard about the bombing almost immediately via Facebook, probably the same way millions did.  And via social media I started accounting for my friends running and cheering in Boston. I sent out texts and made phone calls.  And I received them, too.  I'm a runner- a marathoner- and I could have been there.  If it wasn't for a work trip, I may have gone to cheer. Or maybe if I met my time goals, I could have qualified for this race. My family and friends know this and they reached out to know that I was ok.

I felt attacked. That could have been me near the finish line, cheering our teammates.  Worse, it could have been my family. As runners, we all shared this sentiment.  Jeanette wrote so here. Gina shared her thoughts here. This Jezebel article agrees and expresses how so wrong it is. 

But this wasn't about attacking runners.  This wasn't some scheme of vengeance by a runner that couldn't BQ.  I suppose it is all speculation at this point, as it has been all week. I don't want to fall into the trap that so many do. As soon as I heard about the explosion, I hoped it was simply an accident. When it was discovered to be at least two bombs, well... It was an attack our way of life- that's no speculation.

I run because I can.

My Team in Training family regularly sites this mantra.  Though usually referring to our health, it is applicable here.  I am fortunate to have the time, the funds, the safety, and the freedom that allows me the pleasure of a run for fun. I appreciate this fact and am thankful for every stride.

What could possibly drive someone to terrorize? 

Saturday during our Red Hook Ramble, Debbie, a new runner, asked me what I thought about while I ran.

"Life," I responded.  "I try to solve the worlds problems and my problems."

She thought I was kidding.  But I wasn't.

I think about the background of the suspects and how they seemed like normal Americans. They emigrated to this country to seek a better life.  So did my parents.  What drove these men to do such a horrible thing? I try to comprehend.  I fear not doing so and over simplifying this would lead us to be vulnerable to another attack.

I worry about racial profiling and the Saudi student who was detained and questioned, home searched and scrutinized because of the color of his skin or his accent or his religion.  I worry about what fear could drive a good person to do. I'm thankful my president has similar concerns. 

"Does it work?" Debbie asked.

"No.  It's pretty repetitive."

I don't find many answers on a run.

"But it's therapeutic." 

Brooklyn loves Boston

More BK to Boston love

The spirit of runners on full display

Spring Exponents

Sunday came sooner than I was expecting.  The result was a 1:41:41(ish) half marathon time- better than I was expecting, though worse than I was hoping.  I paced myself well and maybe held back more than I had to, but only slightly. I achieved negative splits, managing the head and tail winds well.  Nothing ached and nothing was strained.  The race itself was small- no medal and only gun time. Of 348 finishers, I placed 74th which puts me in the top 21%. The results are still far from where I want to be  But all in all it was a good outing.

I've barely gotten in any speed work.  I did a few hill repeats with Laura a couple weeks ago and some fartleks during my urban commute workouts.  I was tentative about pushing because my base wasn't feeling substantial enough.  But I now have 4 straight weeks of 30+ miles each, including a half marathon race, done.  I'm recovering nicely from the race and am hungry for speed.

The Thursday Thriller workout has been a great midweek short recovery session.  With my urban commute workout and coaching miles the night before, only about 12-13 hours separate these two workouts.  The SCBkR crew has been a great motivator, from Laura's texts to Kris's puppy pics to Amanda's photo directing... and brunch!  Yes- brunch on a Thursday.  I have yet to make it, but it's definitely a priority.

Thursday Thriller crew.

So I've taken down about 300 miles for the year and am on a 144 mile per month pace currently.  I don't expect that to be my final average, but -just gonna geek out a bit here- if it were so over all 12 months, my year total would be 12³.  I know, I'm a dork.

Next stop- a 5k test in about a month.  Time to reacquaint myself with North Hill!

Year of the Snake

It is the year of the snake and I've just been reminded how old I am.  February has come and gone, as has Chinese New Year (ok, ok, *Lunar* New Year to be less chino-centric).  Being that I was born in the year of the snake, this concludes my third calendar cycle of life.  Yep, I'll be thirty six this year.

My dad made these amazinng dumplings. This pic has nothing to do with running.  But I had to share.

I don't really worry about age (yet).  But more than *western* new year, the coming of my fourth year of the snake has made me reflect.  I don't do resolutions, but I do like goals and lists.  Someone recently told me that I was a goal oriented person.  I never thought of myself as such, but I think she's right.  Maybe many of you can relate to this, but if I don't sign up for a race that kind of scares me, I don't stick to my training.  I skip runs, don't bother with hills or speed, and eat a lot more french fries that the average human should.

Other than having these goal events, you all help keep me accountable. And by *you*, I mean you my friends who read this little blog, who I hang out with regularly, and who I run with.  You support me and hopefully you feel I support you.  I can declare my intentions and goals to you and you help me stick to them.  So thanks.

One of a handful of snow runs this season.  I tire of my running tights. Let spring commence!

If you've been reading along, you'll know the big goal for me this year (or longer if it takes) is to go sub three hours in a marathon. Complementing this, I have a goal to run 1,200 miles in the year (both lunar and western calendar).  I am still a long ways away.  Just this week was my first 30+ mile week (excluding race/coaching in Bermuda) since mid-July 2012.  I was surprised when I looked this stat up, but it helps explain why it's been so damn hard to make the climb back up and develop the base I need to achieve this ambitious goal. 

To put things further in perspective, I only had 3 weeks of 30+ mileage since running the 2010 NYC Marathon.  Only three.  Including Ironman training.  Wow.  But in the glorious season leading up to that race, between the end of May and end of October, I had 14 weeks of 30+ mileage, including a few 40+ and a couple 50+ weeks.

This doesn't come easy to me. Speed.  I say this to people and I don't know if I am believed.  I have to work for it.  My running log doesn't lie.  When I compare myself to the 2010 version of Joel, I'm definitely slower.  But I'm hoping that I'm also smarter and that me patiently building a healthy base will get me where I want to be.  Time (and race times) will tell.

I took the team to the Palisades Park in NJ and made them scale these stairs.  Twice.