Clarifying

Of all of the things I like about being my own boss what I don't like is the never-off nature of starting our own thing. It interferes sometimes with my life which is really much more important than my work (and always has been). I tend to get short lately and have little patience. Running helps me deal with that -- a reality hammered home when I'm not running as much as I should. I got out yesterday afternoon in the dark. It was cold and windy. There were no other runners out. The Christmas lights were on in folks' houses. I went 3.3. It was beautiful and clarifying both physically and metaphysically. I was strong and quick (I can run!). I pondered some stuff and settled on a course of action. It was good. I then got home, showered, hydrated & drank a beer. I yelled at my kids about something stupid. I've still got a ways to go. Embrace the process. Find the center.

Tri, Trails & Steak

Last weekend we were at a family wedding outside of Portsmouth, NH. My brother and his family were in town. The day after the wedding he and I went for a brief -- 25 minutes, I think -- trot through Newcastle, NH. It was lovely, rolling and scenic. Frequent ocean views to our right on the way out and a nice little turn around down by Portsmouth harbor with a view of an old fort. The weather was beautiful and it was great to run with my brother. We also saw a couple of deer in somebody's yard (I saw one on last week's trail run, at the edge of an orchard and the woods).

Sunday I didn't do much except eat a massive meal at Capital Grill. My brother and I headed out Labor Day afternoon and took a rocking trail run through the Fells Reservation in Winchester/Medford. It ended up being more than I'd bargained for (see massive meal, Capital Grill, Sunday night) at about an hour of up and down, side stepping and root hopping. The air though was gorgeous piney and clean. We ran around the Winchester water supply and the presence of basically a mountain lake was really amazing. It was a butt kicker of a run, but I'm better for it. Again, it was awesome to run with my brother who is really a gazelle.

Wednesday night I did a full run through of the tri that I'm doing this weekend. It was fun even though I had a splitting migraine during the day and I sort of felt like I was in slow-mo all along the course. The swim went pretty well, but it felt longer and I felt slower than the advertised 400 yards. I was more comfortable on the mountain bike last night and found some lines that I'd not see the first ride last week that I hope will help Sunday. It's a fairly punishing ride at 5.3 miles with some big climbs and some tricky descents. The run went well once the leg wobble stopped. I just shifted into an easy lope through the woods and felt good throughout. I'm looking forward to Sunday, and am going to have the family come out and watch. It should be around an hour, perhaps more -- the swim is longer, I think... -- and it's supposed to be a beauty of a day.

Suburban Duathlon

I did a duathlon today, or maybe even a modified tri. I raked for a good two hours with a couple of dump runs to get rid of my leaves. Picked up C1 down the street at a play date and took her on a quick errand. When we got home I geared up and went out for 31 minutes.

Raking is a great workout. It works the upper body, the legs, the abs. You do dead lifts and hustle barrels to the pickup, then drag it out of the truck bed and do it all again. I did a shortened stroller router this evening (solo) and it felt really really good. I'm having a good time right now just getting out and running. I'm shooting for minutes rather than miles and while I'm firmly in the 4-5.5 range right now the mileage is not the thing -- time on the road is. I'm trying to figure out some new routes, but I've been out 4 times since last Sunday and run three routes and that has helped immensely.

I dedicate today's run to my Dad's sister-in-law's father. He died today at the age of 95! He lead a long and good life. I liked him very much. He'd been sick a couple of weeks ago and in the hospital. He got sick again and said, no more hospital, no more medications. It's time. I think that's pretty amazing, brave and wise. It was time for him, he knew it. He accepted his mortality, and took control. It's not sad. It's empowering.

Running and Crying

The light was out by 10 PM and the alarm was set for 5:30 -- I was ready to go out and get 5 miles this morning before Mrs. Agricola's early morning meeting (7 AM . . . ). I was having trouble sleeping, I was tossing and turning and I couldn't get comfortable. The phone rang at 11 PM. It was my brother. He told me that my Great-Uncle, Tim, had died that evening from cardiac arrest. He had been sick for about three weeks with a baffling array of ailments that left him essentially non-compis-mentis and unable to communicate with his family and his doctors. While sad and not the desired outcome his death was probably for the best. I lay in the dark pondering the death of yet another family member when the phone rang again, it was my mother. We spoke briefly. She was crying. Mrs. Agricola and I chatted for a bit before sleep finally overtook both of us around midnight.

I didn't hear my alarm until 5:40. I rolled out of the rack and got dressed, determined to get some miles in and to dedicate them to my uncle. The time I lost forced me to start cutting back on my distance. I was picking up my pace and huffing a bit as I came up a long false flat (which I ever realized was a false flat until today), looking at my watch and considering what piece of my route to cut out when I stepped on a piece of asphalt that turned my ankle and sent my flying. I rolled in the street for bit clutching my ankle. Then moved to the strip of grass between street and sidewalk, cursing a blue streak through gritted teeth. I leaned over on my side and noticed that my head was about 6 inches from a piece of dog-poop . . . even in the midst of this there was some humor to be had.

The dog poop inspired to stand up and head for home -- this run was done. I was about 2.25 miles out, I'd been running for about 19 minutes, but could get back home in about 1.6. I walked for a bit and tried to run. No dice. I walked a bit more, a bit further then ran up a hill. The pain wasn't bad but I didn't like how I was favoring my bum tire so stopped. I came to a point about 7/10s from my house, with a cutout up the road that would shorten it a bit more and I decided to run.

I made this decision at the bottom of the hill that I sometimes mention kicks my butt a bit, and I ran it with a bum tire but a pretty good stride. I started thinking about all that had transpired since 11 PM the night prior, but mainly about my uncle and his family -- despite being in his mid-late-70s, he had a 17 year old son getting ready to graduate from high school . . . and there I was, running and crying. I could barely see, my eyes were filled with tears that started running down my cheeks and I sobbed as I strode a very familiar section of road. I was thinking about what to say about my uncle, and this is what I came up with:

He was a good doctor, a good husband, he loved his son fiercely. He was a good man.

There really is nothing more to say.

Veterans' Day Weekend

I got in two nice runs Friday and Sunday evenings, sandwiched around a day of manual labor on Saturday. I was scheduled for a run on Friday AM but I got a wicked headache on the way home Thursday night and was feeling the residuals on Friday morning. I laid low, went to work and then bailed early. Mrs. Agricola had a meeting Friday afternoon and when I got home we had a baby sitter staying with the kids so I took advantage of that situation and got in a good four miler at around 4:45 PM. I felt really good and enjoyed my trot -- covering the distance in 32:57.

I raked and mowed my yard on Saturday and that was a couple of hours of good solid work -- it was my first yard work since building our patio in October.

Sunday I took the kids out for the day -- a Boston Adventure -- while Mrs. A did some freelance work. After coming home I went for a 5er yesterday (5.3 actually, in 42 minutes). It was a beautiful afternoon and I enjoyed this run as well. These have not been my fastest runs but my legs feel good and my wind is decent -- I'm looking forward to a productive winter and hoping to take advantage of the cooler (colder) temps to build up my mileage.

I'd like to make sure to give my thanks and deepest respect to our veterans who have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice to defend this country and all for which it stands.

Family Run 2

I met one goal this weekend which was to get out with the whole family for another family run. We did a little different route and had a nice time on a gorgeous day for a 30 minute trot. Mrs. Agricola started out blazing and paid for it at the end. She's getting stronger and as a result is having some trouble with the pacing aspect of her workouts. That's a good problem to have I think; and the pacing piece will work itself out. The kids were ensconced in the stroller with animal buddies and snacks. Child Two was very quiet, uncharacteristically so, and Child One sang "Bingo Was His Name-O" over and over again.
We had a good time and are looking forward to the next run.

I didn't get out for my trail run Sunday, but I did manage to make a huge pot of Chicken Curry and an apple pie, so the day wasn't a total wash.

Family Outing

Yesterday was a beautiful day, and the whole family went for a run. Mrs. Agricola has been running and building up her endurance. We've been going solo for reasons of differing running-fitness-levels and child care stuff, but yesterday we went out together, all four of us. Child One and Child Two rode in the stroller carrying various animal buddies, snack sacks and drinks. They didn't fight or complain until the immediate end and it was a great time with one exception.

For some reason, my kids love to take a spin around the block when either leaving or returning to the neighborhood. So there we were, geared up, loaded up, ready to run . . . and the kids wanted to go around the "blocky," as Child Two calls it. Rather than disgruntle the passengers before departure we humored them. The entire neighborhood was out yesterday and there we were, pushing a laden jogging stroller, wearing our running garb and feeling really self conscious . . . it was a funny in an uncomfortable way. We felt like total dorks.

We endured and hit the road. Mrs. Agricola set the pace -- though running with me she pushed it a bit more than she normally would have -- and recorded a PR! It was a good workout on the 3.3 route that I frequently run and post about up here. It was great fun to have a running buddy, three actually!

Cape Cod Long Run
VTR's family and mine are getting together on the Cape this weekend for some socializing. VTR needs a long run for the CCM and I thought it might be fun to get some people together to help him run it and take on a team approach to his long run. Let me know if you're interested.

Trail Racing...Family-Style

Every Tuesday night during the summer months, the Catamount Outdoor Family Center (http://www.catamountoutdoor.com/) hosts a 5K trail running series, which is a riot. Competitors range from local high school cross-country teams (these guys fly!) to a husband and wife in their mid-80's to recreational runners like us. They have two courses which run on single track trails through old farming meadows and woods. Both courses are beautiful, although one is a killer with lots of hills and switchbacks.

The races are truly a family affair. The owner of the Center and his grown son manage the race and are out there every week. Spouses often alternate running and watching the kids on a weekly basis, and there are two shorter races for "cubs" (age 0 - 6) and "cadets" (age 7 - 12).

The entire VT Runner family typically runs a bunch of these races each year, but this was our first one of 2007. VT Runner the elder (4.5 yo) has "raced" for the last 3 years, but has always alternated between running, walking, being carried, picking flowers, rolling in the long grass, and/or bursting into tears at the starting line. We really never know what to expect. Last night, he surprised us all by charging the race (probably about 100 yards long) and having a ball. He had so much fun, that he ran the route no less than 5 times and was a ball of sweat by the time my run was done. He did not want to stop running, and even raced to the car. VT Runner the younger (2 yo) also "ran" the entire route a couple of times and was very proud of herself. I was proud of them both.

My race (Mrs. VT Runner had kid duty last night) was also fun. I ran a 22:26 for the 5K route, alternately shadowing and leading a couple of guys at a steady but hard pace. At about the mid-point, I needed to focus to keep pushing, so I started repeating a mantra to myself, "No fatigue in the legs, no fatigue in the lungs," but quickly changed it to "Strong legs, strong lungs" because I didn't like saying the word fatigue. Can you tell how strongly I believe in the power of positive thinking/imagery in running?

I really needed the help for the last 1K because I ran my 3rd kilometer as if it was my last. I still don't know how I turned a "3" into a "4" on the 3K mile marker sign, but the mistake was painful. In the end, I guess it turned out OK because I posted my fastest time ever for this 5K. I think I was inspired by the kids' performances. How cool is it to be at the stage where we can truly share our passions and activities with the whole family? I have a feeling it's only going to get better from here.

Bachelor Run

Time: 37:52
Avg HR: 157
Peak HR: 177
Calories: 611
Distance: TBD miles
Start Time: 5:50 AM
Training Effect: 4.6
Temp: 58 F
Date: 7/17/07

Three fourths of the Agricolas were on Cape Cod yesterday, so I was bachelor guy last night. I missed my family but it was pretty relaxing last night, lounging on my porch, reading. I got to bed fairly early and out of the house with no distractions and no dirty diapers.

I need to run more, but I also need to stop partying. Last week was a party week, awash in cake and beer . . . not exactly optimal training diet. Anyway, I went out on one of my newer routes and it went pretty well, pretty quick. It's in the 4-5 mile range, probably middle-4s. There were tons of bikers out today, 3 pelotons of about 70 riders total went zipping by me today. No offense FA, but bikers are unfriendly. They look at me and I at them like alien creatures. Maybe our unfriendliness is just a mirror back at our ourselves -- maybe I'm an unfriendly runner. I was influenced by VTR's post about eye contact and testing a hypothesis on my trot.

The bikers are pretty superior and unfriendly -- I think it comes from the complexity and cost of their machines. They at least stare at you, but give no sign of recognition
The runners 'round here typically give a wave or some sort of nod, smile etc.
Some The friendliest and un-friendliest folks are the lady fitness walkers in their cotton tee-shirts and shorts. They can go either way: big happy smile, or utter disregard/lack of acknowledgment.

Beautiful!

Time: 25:58 (PR)
Avg HR: 157
Peak HR: 179
Distance: 3.3
Start Time: 7:00 AM
Training Effect: 4.0
Temp: low-60s
Date: 6/20/07

Took a shorter run today, in order to ratchet down my intensity a bit, but I'll head back up towards four miles on Saturday. It was a gorgeous, crystal clear day -- perfect running weather. I did the reverse of my short route and left the big hill at then end. I'm going to start adding more hills into my regimen so to be ready for the Falmouth Road Race on 12 August. I confirmed my entrance yesterday on their site, I'm in, so that's cool.

Happy Birthday to my brother, and congratulations to him on his Graduation from his plastics surgery residency. On to Houston this weekend for him and his. Good luck!

Memorial Day Weekend

Here's my log for this past weekend:

Saturday, I cross-trained with Manual Labor. I worked in the yard for a good 4 hours, edging, spreading mulch, trimming various flora and planting a bush. It was good, honest, hard labor, very sweaty and dirty. I was beat the next day.

Sunday Played lacrosse-keep-away on the beach with my nieces. It was a good thirty minutes of stop and start sprinting. I almost blew out my knee, however, when I planted my foot in the sand and my knee locked because my foot didn't move. That would have been nasty.

Monday I went running with two of my favorite people -- my kids. I threw them in the double-jogger and went out for 36:43, with an average HR of 153 and a max of 168. We covered 4.2 miles and it went very well -- no real fighting and no real demands made by my little passengers. We had a nice chat and both serenaded me the whole way. When you figure that my little ones weigh a combined 60 pounds and the stroller weighs nearly 20, and you factor in blankets, snacks and stuffed animals I was pushing around 80 pounds and that changes the workout. I have to say though, that once you get the cargo rolling you actually have to restrain the whole thing -- so, while you're pushing, you're also holding back. We ran on the shoulder at times, in sand and grass, and that really added a whole different dimension to the workout too. Despite the fact that the Cape route is pretty flat, the off-road effort made it seem like running up-hill. I'd love to go out with my kiddies every week and given that they behaved so well, I think I will try it again this weekend.

How'd the race go VTR? I'm looking forward to the post.

Brothers, Running

So, my brother and his family were in town this weekend and we spent the entire weekend at our parents' house, the families all together. It was a great weekend and awesome to get that unbroken familial time. He and I took a 30 minute run on Saturday punctuated with a 7 minute stop at a downtown store to buy a top for his wife -- they had a dinner and she had forgotten to pack her dressy tops . . .

We had a good run and a good chat and off-set some of the caloric horrors of the weekend. He was a runner in high school and still has a runner-like body. He hasn't run in two months -- an infant and a surgical residency will do that to you -- but he's still in good shape, and the run came pretty easily to him. We haven't run together in a long time and it was great to do so again. It was nice to have a partner with whom to pass the time and especially nice that that person was my brother.