Run 18, San Antonio

I got out for a short run in San Antonio along the famous riverwalk, which, by the way, if filing for bankruptcy! Anyway, I got run 18 squeezed in between meetings on Tuesday. It was hot in Texas and I had a good sweat, which I haven't had while running since probably October.

Much Better

I got out yesterday. It felt much better. My two runs this week really hammered home the importance of rhythm in running. Tuesday was a choppy run and I felt lousy. Thursday had more unbroken stretches and it felt better. There were a few choppy parts and I felt not great. Stopping and starting is hard. I did what I think is a five mile loop, it was a variation on my normal five mile loop. I added in a big climb that I haven't done in maybe two years. The hill was neither as steep nor as long as I remembered it -- a good sign, I think. I saw a group of HS girls out on a track team training run, dogging it. They saw me coming and got all nervous, like I was their coach or something. I was going to tell them to do the miles, but just grinned at them as I ran by. One girl grinned back, she knew I knew what they were up to. Pretty funny.

Where I've Been, Two

The week after the NB Half started nicely with a quick 4 mile errand run on St. Patrick's day, and ended in a total downer. I got caught up in starting this new venture and flaked on running. I was set to get out for 10 on Saturday and 15-16 on Sunday -- I was jut going to go for it. During a Saturday wrestling match with Child One I took a wicked (accidental) poke to the eye that scratched the cornea and had me in agony the rest of the day. I basically couldn't keep either eye open on Saturday so laid around with both closed until Sunday when the poked-eye was barely functioning. My whole weekend was shot and with it my week.

Well, water under the bridge, so I got out today and took Child Three for his first stroller run. He's been walking in the jogger with Mrs. A, but this was his first run, and it was less than stellar. It was challenging and I felt crummy. I made the mistake of heading out at 2:30 PM -- school pickup in town and tons of traffic. good times. The wind was howling and in my face all the way back, more good times. I got out for a slow 4.75 though and will go again tomorrow. Gotta get back on the horse. It's getting to crunch time and I need to buckle down and RUN.

VTR, I'm sorry, I missed something, somewhere, but you're injured again? Total drag, I'm sorry. Give a shout if you want to talk.

Eliptical

20 minutes on the eliptical today. Patience...patience.

Run 17; iPod, Part 2

Mrs. FA is out with a close friend today to run a 4-mile NYRR race. Her friend recently beat breast cancer but is now staring down possibly more daunting health challenges and she started running only recently, I think partly as therapy. It's the friend's first race. So while Mrs. FA runs about 2 minutes/mile faster than her friend, today they're running the race together.

So with the little FAs playing at a neighbors I put my healthy, hardship free body out on the road again this morning, with the iPod. Still having trouble keeping the right ear bud in place, but the music was very supportive.

The playlist:

Eminence Front, The Who
Where the Streets Have No Name, U2
Don't Believe the Hype, Public Enemy
Here it Goes Again, Ok Go
Everywhere, Michelle Branch
Blinded by the Light, Manfred Mann
Favorite, Liz Phair

It's another beuatiful day in NYC, if temps are below 40 degrees. I ran my 5k Reservoir Loop in 29:44, during which I walked about 100 yards to try to shake off some piriformis pain.

Peace, fellas.

Run 16; iPod, Part 1

Mrs. FA has been after me to try running with the iPod for about 6 months. So I tried it this morning. (She bought me these ear buds that snuggle into the ear canal, b/c the standard ear buds fall out of my ears when I'm standing still.) Tell you what. I liked it. There was a time during the run when I struggled to keep the buds in my ears, and I gave up on the music for a while before a remedy presented itself. I definatlely felt more focused with my swerve on. I think that for where I'm at right now, the music might keep my head in the run. But I need more data. So I am going to try it again on the next run. I'll post the playlist.

Ran the Reservoir loop again. It's a BEAUTIFUL day in NYC, lots of people running, cycling, power walking, walking dogs, doing their thing, etc. Forgot the watch, so no time today.

Peace, fellas.

Run 15

Hello, Gents. I got out this morning at 7:00a and ran for just less than 30 minutes. I have a short version of the reservoir loop on which I turn right at the bottom of the reservoir and head back uptown on the west side bridle path. (Door to door this is about 5 to 7 minutes shorter than the full loop, and when I run in the morning I run this route to make sure I get to work on time.) The weather is temperate and there were lots of runners and lots of folks running with their dogs, which was cool to see. I don't often run the Park in the morning and at this time of year there are still so few evening runners, I enjoyed the busier Park vibe. Otherwise, nothing special about this one, just a workaday run, checked off my plan for the week.

I have some upcoming warm-climate travel, Tampa and San Antonio. I'm looking forward to a run around the Alamo, and a post with appropriately historical and literary color, ala Call Me Ishmael.

Congratulations to AG and VTR for solid performances at the Noo Beffud Half.

Peace,

Noo Beffuhd Half

As AG mentioned, I too ran the New Bedford Half. He had a great lead in about the history and feel of the race. Great post there, so I'll stick to my performance.

(Interesting that I wore a watch and was all about my splits. AG didn't and kicked butt while soaking in the entire experience and surroundings. Accessory-driven perceptions?)

Anyway, my goal was to run this at marathon pace (around 7:30) for the first 5 or so miles then slowly drop down to half-marathon pace (7:04, derived somehow from my marathon goal time). Since we're still a ways out from the actual marathon, this was less about the goal than it was about seeing how things felt. I was told to think of this as a training run with friends, support, adrenaline, etc. For me, the goal was there to structure the event and give me an overall approach.

The day before the race, I did a relaxed three miler with about five "striders" built in to stretch things out. Striders are new to me. They are essentially 30 second intervals in which you built up to a sprint over 10 seconds, hold it for 10 - 15, then slow back down over the remaining time. It was a low-key run, but I noticed that my left calf was tight. Not a great sign. I awoke on race day with more tightness, but hydrated up and departed for the race.

Unfortunately, the tightness never really went away during the race. It did loosen a bit, but I was always thinking about it, which hampered me some. Still, I was happy with my results until mile 12 and change, when the leg tightened considerably. Despite plenty of fuel left in the tank and no other muscle issues, I couldn't complete a full stride and had to limp in to the finish. Disappointing, but only because of the injury. Overall, I still did well (10 seconds off my PR) and am happy with the result (minus the last mile). Now the challenge is to get healthy quickly and without relapse. It will happen.

Anyway, enough talk. Here are the splits, which tell it all:
mile 1: 6:43 (adrenaline)
mile 2: 7:24
mile 3: 7:16
mile 4: 7:27
mile 5: 7:13
mile 6: 7:11
mile 7: 7:13
mile 8: 7:04
mile 9: 7:35
mile 10: 7:12
mile 11: 7:09
mile 12: 7:24
mile 13: 8:43
Total: 1:35:39

Off to the races. Looking forward to the next one.

Call Me Ishmael

Once upon a time in America New Bedford was one of the wealthiest cities in the country owing its riches to the whale ships that set out and then the fishing industry. Whaling is no more in this country and the fishing industry in the North East is more than moribund (New Bedford once had that largest commercial fishing fleet in the US, into the 70s). This leaves New Bedford, or Noo Beffid, or Noo Bedfid depending on local accent in a rather precarious state. It's gritty and run down nowadays and was even in the days of Melville -- the opening chapter of Moby Dick contains a pretty memorable description of the NB waterfront that still fits today, though the major import into NB these days is heroin etc.

Anyway, in an effort to boost civic pride and bring visitors to NB they hold a big half marathon each year that draws a good field, one month prior to Boston. There were lots of fit runners and the field was quick. It was a fun race and I really enjoyed the distance (my first half) and seeing VTR and Mrs. VTR was great. It was nice to know there was a friend in the field. I felt good coming into this. VTR noticed I was in thee zone based on my expression, though I didn't even realize I had the game face on -- a good sign.

Prior to the start I was calm and collected and I felt a good energy inside of me. I really intended this to be a training run, knock off a bunch of 9s and see what I had in the last couple. Well, I covered the 10K in about 50, not blazing but not bad. Seven rolled around in 58 and change and 8 came up in 66-7. I crossed 10 in 83, the fastest 10 of my life and I knew the New Bedford Half was going to be a special run. I burned the final 5K in 24 minutes and change -- a nice 5K for me on any day. My time as I crossed the finish line was 1:47 and change. My goal had been 1:57, so I was pumped.

The bummer was there were no start line time mats so my time was gun time. I've not been timing my runs since December so I my splits are what I remember as I ran by the mile markers. I ran with Dick and Rick Hoyt from about miles 3-5. Dick and Rick are legends and as I passed them up the first big hill at mile 3 I told him "it's an honor to be on the course with you, sir." He smoked me on 4-5 and I passed him again around 6 -- Dick was laboring a bit. Miles 7-9 were sort of brutal behind the breakwater, but also exposed to a stiff onshore breeze from 8-9. I was trying to follow VTR's advice and run with a pack but I couldn't stay with a group. Cool thing from this part: giant storm surge doors behind the breakwater. Mile 12 was almost all uphill and it was a grind. I'd been running with this woman in her mid-late-twenties for most of the race. She made a move at the halfway, I caught her again passed her at 10 and then she smoked me up the 12 mile hill. I congratulated her on her kick and she seemed pleased.

I had a great time. I was strong and in the zone and I enjoyed that (the wheels never fell off the wagon, though I was wondering if they would). They need mats at the start. New Bedford is far from scenic, but I'll go back next year and do it again. I've also completed my race for March and I'm now a quarter of the way though my race/month goal in 2009.

Where I've Been

So, I've been gone for two weeks. All is well, just worked through a series of stomach bugs on the Quarter Acre that set me back about a week or so. So, Mrs. A went down hard on Sunday (3/1) and I went down fairly hard on Monday (3/2). I slept from 2 PM Monday until 7:30 AM Tuesday after shoveling all morning with a sour stomach and lots of aches. The rest of the week was not great, so there was no running.

Last week I went out on Sunday (3/8) for a lousy, wind sucking and weak-legged 5 with Child Two. I was sore on Monday and busy as heck Tuesday and Wednesday which left me concerned about the New Bedford Half. I headed out Thursday for another 5 or so and felt OK. Inexplicably, I decided that I needed to run 10 on Friday in order to remember what it felt like to go double-digits before Sunday. So, I went 10 and felt pretty good. Saturday I was a bit stiff but active with the kids and was feeling good for Sunday -- I was going to treat it as a training run, which it was. The New Bedford Half Marathon, however, gets its own post.

Run 14

Got out tonight at 8:15p on the 5k Reservoir loop and ripped it. Ran it in 29.12, which is good for me. The temperature is 34 degrees. There were only two other runners on my route. It felt good.

Late 8

While talking to AG yesterday around 6PM, I realized that I was not on an off-day after all. I had an 8 miler fartlek on the schedule. Thank goodness for the time change because I completely spaced it.

I hit the heavily rutted, potholed, muddy road from my house at about 6:40. The run consisted of a 2 mile warm up, 5 X 3 minute "sprints" (again, loosely defined sprints) with one minute warm down between each one, followed by an easy run in for the remaining miles.

This run was tough going mainly because of the light. The interesting thing was that I was less impaired by the poor visibility and footing than I was by worrying about the poor visibility and footing. I just couldn't concentrate or get any steam going because my head was not in the game. Yet another reminder of the power of the mind in training. In the end, I got my satisfaction from the fact that I went out and got the miles in, not from the act of running. Still, I'll take it.

New Bedford Half Marathon is on Sunday, and I'll be there along with AG. Apparently this is a great race where lots of records have been set. Looking forward to the rush of the start.

Later boys.

Runs 12 and 13 - Back to Basics

So here's where I'm at:

I tried to go about 3.5 miles this past Monday evening on a new route. It was tough going. No lungs. Walking. My big take-away was, my 2008 gains have been lost due to my recent erratic running habits, caused by the holidays/winter/my Q1 travel schedule but also by my lack of focus on working around those obstacles. So I decided that I need to go back to the beginning and get my legs, lungs, and most of all, mental toughness-on-the-road back.

So I got out last night on my trusty 5k reservoir loop, and I huffed my way through it in 35+ minutes. I am going to stay on this route and run it regularly until I start to see some progress, as I did when I started this last summer. My next run is Friday night.

Due to a family life scheduling snafu I will not be running the NYRR 8k this weekend. So my next race will be the 10k in May. This is not a bad thing. The 10k will be a stretch distance-goal for me, and I've got some time to ramp up for it.

On the upside, the added daylight in the evening hours is VERY welcome, even if it is still quite chilly.

Peace, fellas.

3 Days, 3 Runs, 3 Continents

...and 60 degree difference in the temps! I'm sticking to running 2-3 miles a day until all injuries heal. Managed to run Sunday before flying out for this weeks business trip. Ran in London in Hyde Park, very cool. Makes me envious of FA running in the park. After a 12 hour redeye, I headed out for a quick 2 to start the metabolism again. Ran along the Singapore River at around 10 AM local time. Mistake. Very hot and humid (90+). Needless to say the body isn't acclimated for that kind of heat after the winter we've had. Headed out this morning for my 4th run at 7:30 AM and it was bearable. Hoping the warmer weather helps with the joints. I'm jonesing for some real training runs!

Back with five

I'm back in VT, and it feels good to be running on a familiar road again. I got in a five miler today after work -- nice to have a chance to take advantage of the longer days, though I don't want to make the post-work run a habit. It's too easy to blow off after a tough day.

Everyone ok out there? Quiet on the blog lately.

Runs #10 to 13

Been crazy with work and family the past couple of weeks, but I haven't been idle. Staying with 3 easy miles as a max until all the injuries resolve themselves. None are getting worse, just not much better. Finally saw the doc on Wednesday. I have a spur in my left ankle that I was probably born with. Might be the cause of my pain. Not sure I'm buying it. At least its not a stress fracture. Hopefully the warmer weather will help all around. I'll have more options for cross training with the bike and swimming.

Six at altitude

I was happy to get a run in this morning after a hard day of skiing yesterday. I started at about 8700' above sea level, ran down to about 7700' and back up. I felt the burn, but I'm not sure if it was from the altitude, hills or skiing yesterday, which was hard work.

It's snowing again today in Alta, UT. We got 14" yesterday, which made for some fun skiing. As much as I'm ready for spring, fresh snow out here is a whole different story.

Later boys.

Seven "Sprints"

I did my sprint workout today, and it went like this:
2 mile warm up
7 x 2 minute sprints followed by 60 second cool down after each one
Cool down for the remaining miles.
Seven miles in total.

I was glad to get this one in, even though I didn't set any speed records. I felt very slow and sluggish for all except maybe the last sprint and the cool down. Coincidentally, that's when the wind was at my back. Wind's a killer when it's in your face.

Check it off, punch it in, done for another day.

Unexpected

Mrs Agricola got super ill in the middle of Saturday night. She was down for the count all day Sunday, so no 15 miler. I need to figure out if I can make it up sometime this week. Last week was a poor training week. I need to go in the AM but the infant (wh0 is now 5 moths old, and needs to stop this) is up 3 times each night and it is wreaking havoc on us. So mornings are hard right now. It's fine, I'll find a way and rebound. Twelve inches of snow on tap for tonight. This winter needs to end.

Not dead yet

I haven't been able to carve out time to post, but I have been running this week. I felt under the weather Tuesday - Wednesday, so I took a breather. I got back on track with a five miler on Thursday, a seven mile hill workout on Friday, three on Saturday, and the biggy, a 16 miler today.

Here are some random thoughts about the runs and the week...
- Running is good for sinus issues. Gets things flowing and to FA's point on lungies, you can just expectorate them out as they show themselves
- If you feel like crap on the run, keep at it for a bit and give your body a chance to rebound. I thought I was going to hurl on my hill workout (and not due to exceptional efforts). I was really slow and felt weird through the first three reps. Reps four through six were a different story altogether, with number six being the best of the day. I'm glad I gave my body the chance to work itself out, so I could feel the satisfaction of the workout.
- Running with people is more than a good thing, it's necessary if you're going to run a lot. It mixes things up and reminds us of the connections to be made through being active. I've run on my own for the past two weeks, but had a friend join me for nine of the 16 this morning. It made a big difference both in terms of adding variety and the camaraderie.
- Gear! I went out and bought two (yes, two) new pairs of shoes this week. I realized that my training pair usually expires about a week before the marathon, which stresses me out. Coach recommended getting the two pair, so I have two to train in (in case one gets wet, muddy, etc.) and one to break in with about 50 miles right before the race, so their perfect on race day. I got two pairs of Ascics Gel Nimbus to go with my other pair of Brooks. The Ascics were simply cushier. Gear is fun.
- I'm going to invest in a Garmin GPS watch thingy. I'll let you know how that goes. Again, gear is fun.
- GMAA -- I joined the Green Mountain Athletic Association this week to get a discount on my shoes. Not sure what the GMAA is all about, but it feels kind of cool to officially be part of a larger VT contingent of runners.
- Repetition brings strength. I'm no longer paranoid about injury. I have some tightness here and there, but nothing like my first couple of weeks on the program when I thought each step would bring a tear or strain. I'm getting stronger which is neat to feel.
- Do bears poop in the woods? Not sure, but Berry's do.

We're heading to Alta this week, which means my posts will consist of stories about skiing and short runs. I get back next Monday and have my first training race, the New Bedford Half Marathon on March 15. I'm curious about this race. Don't know at all what to expect, although the coach says she and I will come up with a plan/goal for it. Imagine that, a structured goal beyond finish time.

Later boys. Thanks for indulging me as I catch up.

Fast Five

Child One learned how to ride a bike today! We're psyched for her.

After taking some spins around the local playground we headed home and I headed out for a run with a neighbor. He was getting ready to go, and I invited myself along. It was good for motivation. He hadn't run two months due to a calf strain, and was looking forward to getting out. He thought he'd run 7:30s. I didn't say much except, you set the pace.

Now, to be honest 7:30 is way faster than I wanted to run before tomorrow's run (any workout to be honest), but I knew I could drop off if need be, and I also wasn't sure he'd be able to drop the hammer like that. He set the pace and was pretty winded not long into the run, as we ascended a long hill, and I just cruised along, beating him up each climb and ratcheting it back a bit on the flats to reign in the pace. That said, we still ran a sub-40 5 miler and he was there the whole time. He has also run me into the ground in the past and does workout in the 7:15-7:30 range when in shape. It was great to run with another human being . . . fifteen on tap for tomorrow, in what's shaping up to be a nasty weather day. Good times.

Run 11

So I got out tonight around 6:25 and pointed myself east on 110th Street. I ran the length of Central Park North, a slight downhill the whole way so I was feeling like an animal when I rounded the corner to head downtown on Fifth and hit the slight but relentlessly steady uphill climb all the way to 90th Street. Murder. I joined the ReseRvoir loop there and turned against traffic, rounded the bottom and was heading back uptown on the West side when I looked at my watch. Only 21 minutes had elapsed since leaving the apartment. Only 21 minutes. I thought I was gonna die.

I arrived back at the apartment about 12 minutes later after a short breather and light jog the remaining distance. Its time for me to get my HR monitor fixed and start wearing the strap again. I need the biofeedback to help me set a sustainable pace.

Ran An Errand

I headed out today around 5:15 PM. A bit late but I wanted to get the run in, and I had a craving for crusty bread with our pasta so I ran to Trader Joe's about 2 miles away with a little bag over my shoulder to buy a loaf of bread. I dashed into the store, grabbed a baguette, tossed it in the bag and headed home. I literally ran an errand.

Since today is Ash Wednesday and we're now in Lent I was observing the stricture, and will continue to do so for the next 39 days, of fasting between meals. I actually bonked on my run a bit. I was shaky and hungry over the last half. I'm not a huge snacker but I do graze throughout the day to keep some calories coming in and it's amazing what a difference they make and how different I felt without them. I was ravenous at dinner.

Final thing, I got this link over Twitter to this article "Why runners usually make great employees." Great article, and very true, I think.

Run 10

Gents, great run tonight. On a whim I left the reservoir track on the East side, and headed uptown on the Park Road to the 102 transverse and came across, cutting along a foot path to return to CPW. So it was slightly longer than my usual 5k Reservoir loop, and I ended the run at the top of a new hill, breathing heavy and wobbly. Light jog home. Feeling pretty good right now. Eating quiche. Aiming to get nine runs in before the 8k on Mar 14, with a little cycling if I can help it. I've finally had it with winter in NYC!

An observation on luggies. I've always wondered why runners spit. Aside from having a distaste for swallowing luggies, which has never bothered me, overly, I observed this evening that spitting on an exhale is easier than holding one's breath for the moment required to swallow. Who knew?

Peace, fellas.

Mind games

I ran 15 miles today. Solo. 2:20. In a snowstorm. I'm proud of that.

I almost turned back about three times in the first three minutes because running on unplowed roads in a snowstorm seemed ridiculous. I felt like I should be skiing or doing something fun. Then I convinced myself that running in the snow really isn't that different from snowshoeing or cross country skiing. All are great workouts that take place outdoors in the snow. Once I made the mental shift, the run got way easier. I didn't give the tough footing a second thought, took the wind in stride, and went with it. It was actually fun on those stretches when the endorphins kicked in. Plus, I knew this run would be tucked away as "what are you made of" material for the marathon. I am glad I stuck with the plan and got it in.

One other note on this run. I ate a huge biwl of oatmeal with bananas and strawberries and drank a big mug of coffee about an hour before starting. I felt the energy from that meal through most of the run, and I supplemented along the way with almost a full package of Shotblocks. It's all about the fuel, and I'm sticking with oatmeal for long runs from here on out.

Still snowing up here, by the way. We got about 8 inches already today, and it's supposed to snow throughout the night. And that's on top of about 10 inches a day at the ski resorts from Thursday - Saturday. Bring on the spring skiing...in about a month!

Short

I got out today with a half in mind and I came up short. I underestimated my out because I didn't map the run prior to leaving and instead of 13.1 did 12.2847 (1:47). Oh well, for the next half, I now know where to go -- it's a decent route and if I'd pushed it .5 miles more, I would have been in the money. That said, I felt pretty good until about the last 2.25 miles when my head didn't seem entirely attached to my legs but the legs just kept going, and my head felt somewhat swimmy. I'm not feeling as chipper today as I did last week after the ten, but all in all, no complaints. It drizzled for the last five miles and I finished just as it started coming down with more intensity. Good workout, onto the new week -- I need to get more in-between runs, that will help a lot.

Let It Flow

I got out today though I was totally unmotivated to do so. Once I got going I had trouble not fighting the run, it took a couple of miles, maybe 2.5, to just relax and let it flow, which it did eventually. It ended up being a good run, 5.2 miles, and I am psyched that I went. I have to confess that I bailed yesterday. The day got away from me a bit, and when it was time to go I just bailed. Yesterday was gray and cold and windy, and though probably in the high 20s it was that really penetrating, heavy chill, and I just couldn't get over the mental hump, and the cold in my bones.

Thirteen or so tomorrow, probably in less than ideal conditions, but I'm ready to attack it.

Run 9

Gents! Got out for about 38 minutes today on my old standby, the resevoir loop. It took 38 minutes because I walked for about 1/4 of the route. I feel like I need to get my lungs back, and it was cold, which didn't help. But it's a beautful mid-winter morning in NYC, and it was a pleasure to be up and about.

The FreeArtists' late Winter and early Spring weekends are filling up. For running events, I am looking at a another 4-miler in March (this one's for colon cancer. Sheesh.) and a 10k in May. Need to think about that some more. Will advise.

Hill run

I ran 7 with a hill workout today. The hill workout was the same drill as last week -- 2 mile warm up, 6 x 90 second hill sprints, cool down with the rest of the mileage. It felt good.

This week, I've seen a lot of the tightness from the last few weeks go by the wayside. I think it's a combination of my body getting used to the workouts and my focus on eating and drinking more on run days. I'm more and more convinced that fuel is key to preventing injury and feeling good out there.

Have a good weekend!

Alive, P90X, A Couple of Florida Runs, Life Run

Hello, all,

I am not dead, but I have taken a hiatus from running to work on P90X for a second time. I am beginning the fifth week of the training program and I feel great. Just a variety of workouts that I have stated before and I did not want to bore you. I am working out with a buddy here which has helped the motivation immensely and we are watching what we eat most of the time. Great to have a training partner and someone to keep you honest. I will post photos in the coming weeks, but I am not quite ready yet.

I did get out on a couple of runs on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning for 30 minutes each. Both were along Ft. Lauderdale beach and they were beautiful and windy. It also got me thinking about writing something profound so I thought I would try my hand at Haiku. After doing some research, the more accepted way to write English Haiku these days is 3 - 2 -3, but 7-5-7 is also acceptable. Anyways here goes.

Toes on sand
waves rush
feet wet - great.

I lean left
wind blows
Lean left more.

Finally, I wanted to mention something I did on my 38th birthday a couple of months ago. I decided that day, and every birthday after it, i would complete a life run. One minute of running for every year I am able to celebrate. In deciding this I felt that I have the ability to get out and run whenever I really want. There are so many others that do not have the luxury in time or physical ability to actually go out and do this. I think it is a simple way of appreciating the fact that I am alive and possess an amazing tool - our bodies that allow us to do everything we do in our lives.

Peace.

Run's #7, 8 & 9

So 2009 is not starting off so well on the running front. Since my last post I've run 3x. Last Wednesday was a 3 mile run without much fanfare. Left shin hurt a little, but didn't slow me down. Took a couple of aleve in advance which may have helped. On Friday, I tried to run the same route. For the first time since I've started running again (7/28/08), I had to stop mid run. Both shins were killing me. The right shin, which had never hurt before, is the one that stopped me. Had to walk the last mile back to the office, and it was a painful walk. Of note is that I didn't take aleve prior to the run. Thoroughly frustrated, I finally made an appointment with the doc for next Wednesday. Technically the appointment is for my wrists and ankle. At this point, I can't run or play golf the way I want to. Best if everyone keeps their distance from me these days. I did manage to run 3 this morning. 2 aleve an hour before helped. Only mild discomfort in the shins during the run. What puzzles me the most is why the shins didn't bother me at all for the first 6 months. I was heavier then and running longer distances. After the ankle induced 4 week layoff, the shins have been giving me problems. WTF. I may be a less frequent poster on the blog for a while. While I enjoy the progress and experiences of everyone, it adds to the frustration that I can't get out and do the same.

Rest and sprints

Today was a good run. I was supposed to go yesterday, but took the day off because I got in the way of a slapshot on Monday night and took a puck to the calf. I was still a bit tender there (and overall really), so I got in an extra day of rest, and it really did me some good.

My task today was a 6 miler with a 2 mile warm up, followed by 5 x 2 minutes of sprints with one minute rest in between, and ending with a cool down for the remaining miles. For the first time in a while, I didn't feel like I was on the verge of a muscle strain. I felt stronger and that was a first. Like Agricola, I think the benefits of the mileage are starting to kick in to the point that I'm feeling them during the shorter runs. That's satisfying.

Here's to equal parts mileage and rest -- both are important if we're going to get there on Memorial Day Weekend, right A?

Benefits

Forty minute run today.

Ran for a couple hundred yards with another guy, just a random runner. He's doing the Hyannis Half this weekend. I almost ran with him on his route, but I didn't have time to ascertain where he was in his run. I continued with my out and back. As I finished I saw him running by the end of my street. I got my run in before the next round of snow, which is falling now. I felt good and noticed the benefits of having gone longer on Sunday -- I love that!

Under My Belt

I got my first long run of marathon training under my belt yesterday I got for 10 at 7:40 AM. I walked back in the door after a quarter mile walking cool down at 9:25. No watch, no data.
I felt good throughout, and surprised myself a bit. I'm feeling no soreness today and ran the whole thing with the exception of the turnaround when I chowed some orange shot blocks and swigged some water/electrolyte drink for the return journey. I'm in better shape than I thought so I was happy, and am happy to have the double digit distance under my belt.

Two things about yesterday: First, I used my new REI Double shot water pack (2 water bottles, and a little pack between for things). It was very comfortable, and I liked it a lot, it fit well across my back. I think I can recommend it. Second, I carried one bottle with Nuun Tri-Berry Electrolyte drink. It's a low calorie, sugar free sport drink and I liked it very much, though it's got some fizz nd was a bit sudsy on the run. Gatorade etc. makes me feel nasty after a while so I'm happy to be trying the Nuun. I usually drink it post-run as a recovery beverage, but it seemed to work pretty well on the run.

Happy belated birthday to BR. Have a great year.

Run Milano

Ms. FA and I are in Milan, and we got out for a run this morning at 7:30a. Our hotel is two blocks from the Duomo, so we ran around the giant cathedral and down Via Dante, a pedestrian thoroughfare of restaurants and shops. We turned right at Castello Sforzesco and took back streets past the opera house La Scala, turned onto an out-and-back to the Public Gardens, then back to the Duomo through the Galleria Vittorio Emanual.

It was an early Sunday morning, so aside from some old men walking dogs and a few restaurants setting up for breakfast, it was a quiet run, about 35 minutes. I haven't measured the distance yet. It was about 40 degrees, clear and bright. It put us in a great mood, made us hungry for breakfast and was a great way to see a little bit of the city. We spent the rest of the day on a day trip to Verona, and fly back to NYC tomorrow.

Peace, fellas.

Long Morning Run

I got in a 12.75 miler at 7:00AM this morning. I ran with a friend, which made time go by relatively quickly. We ran it in about 2 hours for somewhere north of a 9 minute/mile pace. No speed records, but this was about getting the distance in. I had some tightness, so I think that slowed me a bit -- that and the fact that it was 12 miles! I'm starting to feel like a hypochondriac with the tightness, but I'd rather be slightly paranoid than regretful after a muscle pull.

Not much else to report. Have a good one.

Another run

I got a 5.5 miler in today at lunch. This was my easy day, and it felt good to just cruise.

I met with my coach today and learned that I'll probably have to up my food intake as the miles progress. I'd bet we all underestimate the amount of energy we burn as we run, and I know very little about what I should be eating and when. I've always subscribed to the everything in moderation philosophy of eating, which has served me fine. It will be cool to look a little more closely at food as fuel as I get into the training.

The one great tip for today was that I (we) should eat something immediately after finishing a run, like before cool down. The coach suggested a banana, energy bar or a big glass of chocolate or regular milk. I chomped a bunch of almond (the only thing I could find at the moment), and they were the best tasting almonds I had ever had, so my body must've appreciated the protein. Anyway, passing along a good tip for the group in case you hadn't heard that one before.

Otherwise, the run was uneventful.

Have a good weekend, boys.

And, Another One

I got in a 40 minute run that didn't feel so great and I'm not sure if it's because I lost a bunch of conditioning in my most recent hiatus or if I came back harder than I went out even though I was trying to do the opposite. It was quite cold and the wind was swirling and the sun was fighting to come out and stay out so there was some weather challenge today. This was a check it off, run, today, totally.

Oh, Yeah, Running

Finally, I got back out. I'm going to stop talking about momentum etc. Every time I mention something like that I go on these weird hiatuses and miss a week . . . so, whatever, I ran 4 and change today. It didn't feel great but the footing was great compared to what it has been and the temp was in the mid-40s. Last year I had trouble in the middle weeks of the plan. This year, I'm working out my laziness and malaise now. I was up at 6:15 today but couldn't find my gear. It's all laid out now and ready for tomorrow morning, so I'm going to head out in the AM and get these runs in early. I need to go earlier because my day piles up on me.

Got it in, felt OK. It's all good.

That word again

Fartlek.

Today was another day of the sprints. I did a 2 mile warmup followed by 8X60 "sprints" (nothing fast about them) and warmed down for a total of 6 miles. It took about 47:15 minutes. I did the run at lunch, which ended up being a great thing. I felt fairly lethargic this morning because of hockey, beers and a 1:00AM bedtime last night. I had a presentation to make at 2:00 today, and the run put me in the right mindset. Nerves were in check and it went well. There's another fringe benefit of running -- it clears the head, shakes out the cobwebs and calms the nerves...at least on this day.

Run #6

Shin has been the problem of late over the ankle. Felt good enough for a 3 mile easy run this morning. Wore an ankle and shin support for the first time. Not sure if it helped or not, but I'll try anthing at this point.

10 with friends

I braved the -2 degree temps to get in a 10.7 miler this morning with a couple of buddies. The weather actually wasn't bad. I layered up, and there was no wind. I'm finding that the wind is the real killer, not the temp. Not much to report. We did the run in 1:31. It was good to get out and keep on track.

Looking forward to two days off to recuperate.

Super Sunday 5K UPDATED

Looks like they found me. I was pretty close on my estimates. Looks like there were quite a few left off the intial results.

Official:
Overall: 184/513
Div: 27/52
Age: M30-39
Gender: 103/175
Pace: 8:53
Finish: 00:27:34


All Unofficial:
Overall: 168/483
Div: 28/54
Age: M30-39
Gender: 94/164
Pace: 8:53
Finish: 00:27:33

Easy 3

I ran a comfortable 3 today at lunch...then pounded a Reuben and a plate of fries. So, much for enjoying the endorphin high. It doesn't last as long when you choke it down with a bucketful of grease.

The sammy was good, though, and I checked off the run.

Happy Friday, fellas.

I'll show you lumpy!

This is also proves I finished as it was taken just before the finish line. Still not sure what happend to the official results.

Short Run

Got in a short one today. Three and three-tenths miles. Nothing really to report. Footing was lousy again, it was pretty chilly and the sun was setting. I felt good though and was starving at dinner. My body is already reacting and that's good. I'll try to get one in tomorrow and something in this weekend, but we're heading to NH to hang with PR and his family and skiing is on the docket so we'll see what happens. This week's schedule is a bit compressed, but I'm feeling some momentum. The unit is still hurting today, I think it actually got abraded by my tights and the soreness is not in fact frost bite (THANKFULLY!). I will be monitoring the situation carefully, however so check back in for updates. Fascinating, no doubt though you'd all feel a bit bad if I did lose the thing to frost bite, admit it. I still didn't find my wind undies, but wore a pair of shorts beneath my tights and that insulated sufficiently.

For your entertainment, I've posted a pair of images taken of me in last weekend's race. I never look as good as I feel -- I'm surprised by how lumpy I look. I've got to work on that.

C-c-cold

I got out at lunch today for 5 miles, the first 2.5 of which was into a brisk wind. Chilly. Luckily, with the turnaround I had the wind at my back for the whole return. It's amazing how much wind can effect the perception of temp. It felt downright balmy on the run home.

Anyway, I was pumped with the run. It felt great to conquer the impulse to skip it because of the cold, and it felt even better to be on the VCM training program. It might have helped that I talked to the coach to get a better feel for the program. I get the sense that I'm going to learn a lot, be challenged a ton (she mentioned at various times during a 10 minute conversation, running until I puke, running until drool is pouring out of my mouth, running at a pace that I can't speak, and various other wonderful images of my future). But today rather than be annoyed/intimidated/freaked, I was psyched to have the opportunity to be pushed by a pro.

I know the downers will come, but today was a solid, solid run.

Dropping Temps

I got out towards sunset today and had a nice run. The scheduled called for 5, so I did it I think -- I had no watch on and have no idea how long I was out nor how far it really is though it felt close to five. I felt pretty good through the first half and little tired on the second half. The footing was crummy again -- we had more snow yesterday -- so much energy was wasted in slips and slides. Today was a cold day and it was amazing how quickly and how much colder it got as the sun set. It seems silly to say it out loud, ("Yes, Agricola, when the sun sets it gets colder . . .") but the temp drop was dramatic and rapid. The cold felt like a face-slap today and sort of stung. I also didn't have my wind-undies on today, and though not windy I've still got some residual twinge in the unit which got a little chillier than I like it to. I'm racking up some toughness points though, so that's good, I guess.

Fartlek

So, I have this coach, and I'm trying to figure out whether or not I'm into the program. On the one hand, it was a gift, and I should just embrace it and go for whatever she throws me. On the other, running is an extremely personal pursuit for me. I do it for me and make my own decisions about it. Answering to someone else (or feeling like I have to answer to someone else) is not my bag with running -- I put enough pressure on myself for work deliverables, I don't need pressure layered onto my recreation. The trick is keeping my mind in the place that this is coaching thing is an experiment, one that will push me and expose me to running ideas and practices that I haven't encountered. At the end of the day, I'm the one doing the running (and chosing to do it), coach or not. The coach is a bonus...at least that was the intent.

Anyway, after missing yesterday's workout, I got up early today and hit the road for a 6 mile fartlek run that went like this: 2 mile warm up, followed by 8x30 second sprints with 60 seconds recovery in between, followed by the remaining distance as a cool down. The sprint thing is called a fartlek (I think). I've never done one, and I have to admit it was very cool. My legs felt a bit like cinder blocks, but I think that was mainly because my body was freaking out trying to keep my working parts warm in the -1 degree temps. (I wish the bod had sent some blood to my nether zone -- I literally almost threw up as the frank and beans thawed out. Seriously, it hurt that much.) Anyway, I went for it on the sprints and definitely didn't set any speed records, but I did get out of my comfort zone. I felt curious doing it, like I was exploring or something. Hard to describe, but it was cool. I ended up pushing it hard for the last mile of the "cool down" to get close to a negative split for the back portion of the out and back. I ended up about even on that front. It was a solid, energizing run.

I'm still on the fence about the coach. Yesterday's run peaked my interest, so I'm in for another day, which means I have to do my first hill workout tomorrow. I'll let you know how that goes.

On another note, I had my most productive, positive day in a few weeks today, and I attribute it fully to the run this morning. It's amazing what a decent burn and some endorphins will do for you.

Later boys. Glad to see this blog heating up again after the January chill.

Run #5

Ran 3 yesterday morning. Still a little sore from Sunday's race. Intended to run 4.5 route, but decided to cut off and run 3 due to shins. Ran the same pace as the race on Sunday. I'm starting to think I may be turning into a mental midget on race days. I use to be a "racer" and relay anchor in H.S. Someone who wasn't always the fastest, but "raced" better than most. So I'm a little perplexed as to what my problem is. I'm also getting more frustrated with the injuries. I can deal with shin splints, and hopefully that's all it is. However, it seems like its always the left shin/ankle/foot that gives me problems. Getting closer to making that doctors appointment.

Super Sunday 5K Race

Other than catching up with Agricola, there isn't much I'll take away from this race. Having only trained 2.5 times since Jan. 1st, I should have been more prepared for the results. The only thing that hurt during the run was my lungs. Shins were sore afterwards, and for the next 2 days. To add insult to injury, I'm not listed in the official times. Not a great first chip experience.

All Unofficial:
Overall: 168/483
Div: 28/54
Age: M30-39
Gender: 94/164
Pace: 8:53
Finish: 00:27:33

Super Bowl Sunday 10K Race

Bennu and I ran together yesterday in a race along Boston's waterfront. I did the 10K and it was pretty fun. The course was flat and moderately fast though speed is a relative term right now for me. I'm not feeling too fast these days and between snow, ice and illness it's not that surprising. I'm trying to take a Zen approach and just run. Time, speed, fitness levels etc., will all come with repetition.

That said, I did look up the results for yesterday's run and here they are:

Overall: 172/723 Div: 46/125
Age: M30-39
Split: 25:05 Split Pace: 8:05
Finish: 00:48:48 Finish Split 7:52

That's pretty good for this time of year and given that I was sick for the better part of last week. I negative split the second half by a bunch and that's cool. I kicked nicely for the final .2 K and as I was approaching the finish line I heard a dude pounding the pavement behind me. Never wanting to be passed in the last mile, never mind in the final few steps I picked up my tempo and beat him by a step or so. I turned and looked at him and he was mad that I'd picked it up so much. I smiled and kept going. I know, not very Zen, but I haven't totally killed my competitive streak.

Official Gridiron Classic Stats

My official time was 38:24, a 9:36 pace.

Among men aged 35 to 39, I finished 404/495, and 3430/5256 overall.

Mrs. FA and I are not competitive with one another but we do compare our individual results. I am proud to note that she is far more competitive in her age and gender classes, finishing, for instance, 223/376 women aged 35 to 39.

Peace, fellas.

Run 6, The NYRR Gridiron 4-Miler

Mrs. FA and I ran the Gridiron 4-Miler this morning in Central Park.

Though the weather warmed to the mid-30s, there were not nearly as many runners as at the frigid holiday classic in December and that made for a much easier start. There was also less fanfare and celebration, and NO music, so the start was less exciting. I think this race is a box-to-check for folks working towards a marathon qualification. And it is mid-winter, after all. The whole race had a let's-get-this-one-done vibe.

My unofficial time was 38.25, and given my lack of training I'm happy with that. It's a fine benchmark for the rest of the year.

I started out super strong and felt great for the first 2 mostly up hill miles. The third mile threw some hills at me that I wasn't expecting, and shortly after the 3rd mile marker something happened and from then on I was just happy to finish. I regretted passing on the water breaks and not eating more breakfast. If that's what bonking feels like, then I did it.

I'll post my official time tomorrow when I check in on your adventures. Peace,

Good Way to Start the Day

I met a couple of friends at 7:00AM this morning for an 8.2 mile loop. There are some big hills on this route, and I was glad to have company. I initiated this run, which felt good. I'm going to enlist this crew for regular Sunday morning runs, which will get earlier as the sun starts to show more of itself.

This was my first official training run for the marathon. I'm off until Tuesday, with the usual hockey game Monday night.

Have a great weekend.

Run #3

Attempted to "run" 3 miles this morning on ice, frozen snow, semi frozen slush and ice melt/sand mix. Wasn't much of a run. I was able to cover most of the upcoming race route. Even though there are no hills, its always good to be familiar with the route prior to race day, lesson learned from last October's run. While I'm definitely not fit, I'm fit to run for Sunday. Ankle is sore, but in different, less harmful way. Expectations for time are only to beat last October's blistering 27:27.

Run 5

I've been called out. I deserve it.

I ran SLOWLY for 30 minutes on a treadmill at a very nice gym in Saint Louis yesterday morning. Have to say that this particular treadmill has given me second thoughts on treadmills, about which I've complained before. Yesterday's treadmill was all tricked out, way more comfortable than the one in our basement gym. It had more useful features and its own TELEVISION. Nice!

Between work and the cold weather, 2009 has been tough for my running. (This post is Run 5 for '09.) Interestingly, it just occurred to me today that the decline in running must be contributing to my palpably heightened stress this year. So a greater effort I must make.

Sunday is the NYRR Gridiron 4-miler, and Mrs. FA has convinced me to stay in the race. She's been running like a jackrabbit lately, so I plan to throw myself at the race and try to keep up with her lovely form. I'm certain to underperform my December 4-miler, though props to Agricola for pointing out its usefeulness as a baseline. And if I can run 2x before Sunday, bully for me.

Peace, fellas.

P.S. I've got a great one coming for the "running as experience" crowd on the blog....will be in Milan for several days mid-February, and am bringing my running shoes.

Lunch fiver

I got our for 40 minutes today at lunch time. I made myself go because I'm supposed to get four runs in this week, culminating with an 8 miler on Saturday morning. I'm enlisting friends to run that one, hoping the old Sunday morning crew will join me.

This run was fairly uneventful, but of course I have a couple of comments/notes. I hit the warmed up/endorphine high zone at about 8 minutes into the run. It was strange for me to be in the zone that early, but it was a welcome departure from my normal, longer warm up. I love those little highs (this one lasted for about 3 minutes). On a performance front, I ran the out portion in 20:16 and the back in 19:57 -- I always like to race myself on the way back in, so that was cool.

That's all. Hoping to keep the minor momentum going tomorrow.

How about you FreeArtist? (yes, that's a call out.)

Kickoff!

One.

I got out today and did tomorrow's run today. We're scheduled to receive 6-10 inches more of snow tomorrow so I did my scheduled fiver. I felt pretty good on the second half of the run though the first half was a bit labored. It will be easier to do three in the snow, though if we receive the predicted amounts (heaviest snowfall between 6-10 AM) then even that might be tough. The temp was 18 F and skies were largely clear though you can see the front's leading edge.
Things were quite frozen and footing was OK. There are larger stretches of bare pavement than there were on Sunday. It will be all crudded up again soon though.

Run #2

Three miles this morning at a decent pace. Shins & ankles felt fine before and after. I ended up running only once last week as the ankle still felt iffy. Plan to run Thursday and then the 5K race (ugh) on Sunday.

Frozen 10K

I got out for a 10K this afternoon while the sun was still in the sky and there was a modicum of warmth from the sun. Warmth is a relative term these days and I keep defining it down with each cold snap. It was about 15 F when I got out today, and it didn't feel that bad!

Nothing major to report. The sidewalks and roads were a bit better today, and at least what was slush Friday is now more frozen and slightly better for running. A couple of young guys in cars mad me really nervous, and killed my rhythm as I slowed and hugged the shoulder. One kid was more concerned about hitting the pedestrian sign in the crosswalk with his father's Audi than he was of hitting the lunatic jogger whom he didn't see . . . the other kid was drifting my way as held his cell phone to his left ear with his right hand and steered with the left.

Anyway, I felt pretty good though the groin and thighs were feeling Friday's effects. I've got a way to go, but I've got 18 weeks to get there. The program starts in earnest tomorrow with a cross-training day. I'm hoping to do some yoga with Mrs. Agricola. My hope for this marathon training effort is to not get all wrapped up in the size of the effort (which I did last year) and just try and get out there as much as possible and come as close to 90 runs and 646 training miles as I can. I'm looking forward to it. Here we go!

Sixer

I got in a 6 miler this morning. It was -1 when I left the house, but there was no wind so it was actually beautiful out on the roads. Crisp and clear. Good way to start the day.

Check

20 minutes on the eliptical, 15 minutes of weights and stretching. Check it off.

Muscle Grinder

I got out again tonight. A social event last night prevented me from running on Thursday. I'll shoot for two more this weekend. I was going to go short, but decided to push it a bit and finished somewhere in the neighborhood of 5. It was an OK run but I was slightly hampered by traffic and lousy footing. The footing made this run a muscle grinder. I felt very tight in the muscles on the front of my pelvis that connect down into the thigh and I think it had to do with trying to control the flailing legs. Every foot plant on slushy snow (which were most of them) resulted in very little drive and my legs going all over the place. I must have tightened the muscles to try and control the flail -- it actually feels as if I did sit ups today the way the muscles in my lower abdomen feel. The inability to power forward was annoying. Some runs are annoying, what can you do? Back at it tomorrow and Sunday. Marathon training program starts Monday!

Cold, Dark, Icy, Slow

I went out late in the day again today. It was a cold, dark, icy and slow run. Because of the cold I went on my short route and picked my way over frozen slush, strips of frozen melt water and lots of packed powder. The poor footing forced me to be patient and methodical and that's a good thing right now. Aside from not taking a spill or turning my ankle, the best thing about today is that I got in my run, got my reps, got my blood flowing, heart pounding, lungs working and enjoyed the experience. Running in conditions like today's is like trail running. You have to be very tuned into the path, and your feet, and really watch where you are going. I felt very focused. One more run tomorrow then rest day on Friday. My legs and lungs felt good. I'm raring to go on the marathon training program which begins Monday.

Layers

I had a hard time getting out of bed today. I had planned on getting up a bit early because I had to get a 3 miler in, and I had a busy day on tap. Unfortunately, anticipating the day made me bury my head in the warm covers for a bit longer, and just like that the morning run was out.

I did manage to get out at noon, though. Even though I have a lot going on at work, I knew I'd need the energy to get through an afternoon of number crunching. I figured the jog would provide stress relief leading into my project and clarity as I dug into the data. It kind of worked.

More importantly, the run felt good. It was short and uneventful, which is what I'm going for as I start up again. It was a cold day, and I was well served by my layering -- a thin Patagonia base layer is my newest addition, and it felt great.

I have to say that guilt played a part in getting me out on the roads, too. The coach said I should get three runs in this week, and a 6 miler on the weekend. If I missed today, I would've been behind in my first week. That's just not right.

Later boys.

Inauguration Day

I got a run in this evening. Nothing major, just a little trot through town, after sundown and before dinner. The roads were sloppy and gross, and it was chilly but it felt good to be running. I used the run to process some stuff and was reminded again of the therapeutic benefits of running. I came back in a great frame of mind versus my departure frame of mind which was fairly dark and frustrated. It was a good run.

I got the results from my New Year's Day 5K. I came in 16 out of 60. I am happy with that result.

Today is a good day for our country. An historic moment that proves yet again we live in the greatest country in the world. Inauguration Day is always a cool day in my book (regardless of who won the election) because of the ceremony and associated symbolism and the fact that this is the forty-fourth peaceful transfer of power over the past 226-odd years -- a remarkable accomplishment, to be sure.

Starting over...hopefully.

My planned 2 week hiatus turned into over 4 weeks. Two weeks rest for the nagging ankle injury, one week for a severe cold, one week for work/cold/weather etc. The ankle is pain free, even first thing in the morning. It still feels off, inflexible rather than stiff. The plan is to try and run short and slow over the next couple of weeks and not run on consecutive days. Hopefully, the loss in weight, the change in running stride and awareness of the injury will help keep it at bay. I'll know more tomorrow morning.

I finally made it out this morning for a 3 mile jog/run. (My back ordered replacement HR belt showed up yesterday after 5 weeks of waiting, I took this as a sign that it was time to run.) Route was fairly snow packed and icy, but was manageable. The lungs took a beating. Felt like I was starting all over again. I have the 5k in 12 days. I'm still planning on running, but it will be more of a training run than a race. Oh well. Boston Corporate Challenge is the next scheduled event, although I hope to run a 5/10k before that.

Run 4

Mrs. FA and I got out at her parent's house Saturday afternoon on the three mile out and back I've posted about before. It was 14 degrees and I'd forgotten my long pants, so I ran in shorts, which in hindsight was plenty stupid but tell you what, it was my best run since the race on December 13.

The Feb 1 race approaches and with only five runs since Dec 13 I don;t feel remotely ready. I am going to make the effort for the next 10 days and re-asses, but am thinking I'll run it one-way-or-the-other and see what happens.

Peace, boys.

First run

I ran 4 miles this morning with a friend from Hingham who is visiting for the weekend. It was 8 degrees and snowing, but it felt great. Heck, 8 degrees is downright balmy after the intense week we've had.

I am pumped to be back on track with running. I have, per the coach, three runs to get in this week with a six miler next weekend.

Feels great.

Holy Crap

So, Mrs. VTR got me a running coach for Christmas. I will train with her Feb - April in preparation for the Vermont City Marathon (VCM) on Memorial Day weekend. It's taken me a little while to get used to the idea, and I'm pumped up for it now.

I got my first email from the coach on Friday, and my response was a combination of nervous anticipation and excitement summed up by two words, "Holy sh*t."

Here's a bit from that email, "I would like you to plan on doing a few half marathon races if possible. The first is The New Bedford Half Marathon in New Bedford, Ma on March 15th. The second is The Unplugged Half Marathon on Saturday April 11th. Please sign up for Unplugged ASAP on teh Run Vermont website, as it will sell out soon!!!!"

It's most definitely on.

Anyone interested in joining me for one of the half marathons above?

Snowshoeing

I took the kids to a local golf course for some sledding and snowshoeing this afternoon. It was a beautiful, cold day. We walked along some fairways for a bit and when the kids got tired and grumpy I plopped them in the a sled and dragged them back to the car. By no means was it a major workout but it just what the doctor ordered. My layoff left my legs a bit sore today and tromping around in the snow has left them feeling good. Another run tomorrow.

Monkey Off My Back

All day today the temp was hovering around 8-12 Fahrenheit, but I didn't let it deter me. It was time to stop being such a wimp and get out there and run. I felt the urge strongly yesterday, but too near sundown, so postponed until today. I felt pretty good despite my layoff and the cold. I wore the yellow lenses in my Smiths. I'm not sure what the yellow lenses really do, but they do seem to heighten contrast in low light which was useful since I was running in the gloaming; and I think that they are fun. I wore my GoreTex rain coat with hood to help keep me warmer and it worked nicely. On the return leg I pulled down the hood because I was sweating pretty good; so much so that while stopped at a stop light steam billowed out from under the hood and fogged my glasses from the inside. That's kind of cool, actually.

I feel as if I got the post-holiday-dead-of-winter-monkey off of my back and that's good. Training for Vermont City starts 1/26/09, so this coming week is about running on the training schedule of Tuesday - Thursday, Saturday - Sunday with cross training Monday and rest Friday. I'm into it and feel confident this year. Last year the schedule wigged me out and I felt overwhelmed. I'm in known territory and am happy that my last marathon was less than a year ago rather than four ears ago -- like last year. Here we go!

It's official

I signed up for the Vermont City Marathon today.

And so it begins...soon.

Struggling in 09

I am struggling to get out on the road, boys, and stay out while I'm there. I've been out 2x in 09, and they were short, slow, uncomfortable, and lazy efforts. I have many theories about why it's so, none of them are satisfying.

So I am hoping that a change of pace helps. I am in San Francisco Mon - Thurs this week, and Boston on Friday, and aim to run at least 3x. So if any of you guys wants to join me for an EARLY run Friday morning in Boston, I'm staying near Post Office Sq, and can send my coordinates by e-mail.

Peace, fellas.

Beautiful Run

Phat and I took a wonderful run today through his lovely seaside town, down quaint streets and past amazingly well-preserved 18th century homes. We ran out to a beach and stopped to look at the serene water of Buzzards Bay with a flat gray sky overhead and piles of scallop shells at our feet. I said to him as we approached the water "I love running. Though I don't always like it I do love it." Today, I loved running. Today, was a great run with a great friend, and it helped me reconnect with him, the weather, the surrounding world, myself, running . . . it was amazing. I don't know how far we went or what our pace was, but that wasn't the point. Running was the point, and it rocked. I'm psyched for my next run. Thanks, Phat.

Cape Cod Bluebird Day

As the photo above shows, yesterday was a bluebird day on Cape Cod (stealing a term from VTR). We went down to visit my in-laws before they depart for sunny Florida and I decided to sneak in a run. It was a gorgeous day and despite not being totally motivated I got out for 5+ -- how could I not?

There was a surprising amount of snow down there and roads with few year-rounders were downright treacherous, but it was relatively mild (high-20s, mid-30s) and gorgeous (see above photo). I saw a big hawk near the end of the run -- not a Red Tail, but I'm not sure what kind. I also stopped for a minute or so in the early going to watch some little ducks swimming and diving. I have no idea what kind of ducks they were as marine, riverine, estuarine birds are nearly impossible for me to ID.

My right hammy started tightening up on the run and that started to pull the back muscle above my right glute in an uncomfortable fashion. It's sort of twingy right now. What was the stretch that you guys were talking about prior to the CCM to alleviate this? My back has been bugging me for a bit, and I thought that it was injured from moving C3's seat around. That it's related to running is oddly comforting because I think it can be stretched out, and is not a lifting /weight bearing related injury.

First Run, 2009

With 60 other crazies I got out for a 5K road race in my town. It was about 9 degrees Fahrenheit with stiff breeze which made it feel even colder. I was joking with some of the other runners that I just paid $20 to run a course that I run all of the time for free, and not very often at 9 F!

I had fun and finished well. I have no idea how fast I went out and in what time I finished, but based on the fact that it was an out an back with a loop in the middle between mile 1 and 2 and I got to see the lead pack a couple of times I estimate that I was in the top quarter to third of runners. A cold weather survival tip: I put body glide on my face today and it seemed to work to keep me from getting totally chapped (Vaseline works well in this type of weather as well) though it didn't keep my face from going quite numb!

Some running resolutions for 2009:

1. At least one race/month (one down!)


2. Break 4 hours at Vermont City


3. Break one hour at Hale


4. Do another tri this year (maybe the Granite Man*)


5. Put together a team for "100 on 100" (anybody?)**


6. Run Falmouth closer to, or better than my 2007 time


7. Put together a couple of Cape Cod Marathon Relay teams

Happy new year!
*I looked up the Granite Man distances: .75 Mi. Swim / 15 Mi. Bike / 4.2 Mi. Run (also listed at 3.7 mi.). It also might be the same weekend as 100 on 100, hence maybe.

Final 2008 Run

I got in my last run of 2008 this morning, in the snow, again. Today was a tougher run than my solstice snow run. It was about 10 degrees colder, much windier and the snow was fine and abrasive. However the course works the wind was in my face very often and I could hardly see along certain sections of the road. The snow was caked in my eyelashes and brows and my face was wet and cold. I toughed it out though and finished the year strong.

On the gear front I wore my entire new Sugoi rain suit and it was nice. It's not as warm as my trusty Patagonia, but the jacket's neck fits more snugly and that's a great bonus. It was very comfortable and kept me dry and warm while breathing well.

So, here we are, again, another year in the books. I think it's been a good year on the blog. We've certainly posted a lot and run/worked out a lot. It's good to see. Thanks for doing this, it's very gratifying as the instigator of this experiment to see that it works -- both as a workout motivator and as a way to keep in touch. It's succeeded beyond my goals and that's because it's so active. Thanks guys.

A happy, healthy, safe, prosperous, blessed and mileage filled New Year to all.

Christmas Bills Due

I wrote in a comment this morning that I've been living on a diet of cookie and cocktails and it's true. I've been eating Pfeffeneuse, Joe Froggers, Sugar Cookies and Chocolate Shortbread cookies for about 2 meals per day and washing them down with everything from beer and wine to Sazeracs and Negronis . . . not exactly a diet for fitness nor running success. I got off my duff though and did a labored a run around town. It was in he 30 minute range and it was sort of painful. The Christmas bills have come due.

My short off-season feels deleterious but I'll be OK. It was a cold, bright, beautiful and super windy day. Because of the wind I debuted of a new piece of gear. Mrs. A bought me a Sugoi rain suit for Christmas and I wore the pants today to block the wind and they worked very nicely. The new suit will make VT City training a bit more comfortable since it will rain and snow during the cycle. I hope to get out tomorrow to end '08 strong and then I'll be doing a New Year's Day 5K here in town to kick off my race/month goal in '09.

Run 61

Got out for 30 minutes at about 5:00p. It was a beautful evening for a run. It must have been 65 degrees today, with a steady breeze from the west. Anyway, for a change I crossed the 102 Street transverse, then ran against Park Loop traffic to the Resevoir Entrance at 90th Street before doubling back along the resevoir track to rejoin my usual route home. I am still clearly clawing my way back to some semblence of running form after a fairly intense Christmas season, and now leaning heavily toward running the February 1 NYRR Gridiron 4-miler. The motivation will be, well, motivating? Huh? I'll be allright...

Run 60. Oof-Duh.

I ran last night for the first time since the Holiday 4-Miler on Dec 13. The last two weeks have been tough...a very difficult work week ended with a 48-hour stomach virus. The virus ended just in time for Christmas week and its heavy feasting and flagons of wine. So I was happy to be back to the road, but given the circusmtances I did not measure time or distance. I did suck wind for appx 25 minutes, then limped home. On the upside, my doctor today says that my blood pressure is a super duper 117/72, which is due I am sure to the regular exercise.

I am thinking of running a NYRR 4-mile race on February 1. Will advise.

Peace, fellas.

Hike/Run

Not sure if this mornings jaunt was a run or a hike. Managed to survive without killing myself. It was VERY slippery. Ran the usual Monday morning 4.5. Managed to find a clear path for most of the run. However, there were a couple of stretches that hadn't been plowed with no alternative route. Zero with the windchill. Brrrrr.

Solstice Snow Story

I've been thinking a lot about this blog and how really it's a collection of good stories, some better than others. This thought has lead me to start trying to go for runs that are good stories. I got one today. I headed out around 12:30 this afternoon for a run in some crazy, snowy conditions and it's the Winter Solstice: sunrise was 7:10 AM and sunset is 4:14 PM . . . I covered somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 - 3.5 miles. Not my longest, but given the conditions, good enough for today. I was slippery but not too bad, and I adjusted my stride a bit and all was good.

I saw one other runner today just before we got to church at 9:45 AM and then no others the rest of the day. I was basically alone on my trot. There was no gradual increase in snow on this run, it was snowing the hard whole way. I wore a couple pair of socks and that was good -- something I'll do more of this winter -- as well as a GoreTex raincoat with my hood up. I was very comfortable. I once heard that the Inuit have seven words for snow to describe different types of snow. Well today I ran on/in powder, packed powder, plow churned, foot trodden, tire packed, slushed and just-snow-blown snow. I'm not sure that's what the Inuit had in ind, but they live where they live and I live where I live.

Snuck One In

I spent my morning doing some networking and other things and then decided to hit the road at around 1:30 PM. I set out on stroller route, which is 4 and change, just as the snow was starting come down but continued to fill in and get heavier during the course of the run. The snow is very small flakes and fairly dry and blowing all over. It was blowing in my face for the last half mile or so and I have to admit that I was glad to be done because I could barely see. All in all it was fun, though and a bit out of the ordinary. It was cool to be out in the weather as it intensified. The weekend is supposed to be unsettled at best so I'll see what happens on the run front. I'm hoping to sled out back with the kids, and if there's enough snow, maybe we can get in a snowshoe on a local golf course. I'll let you know.

Shutting down

Was slightly hung over this morning and tired. Would have bailed if it where not for the impending storm arriving. Might not be able to get another run in for a few days. Ankle/shin was painful today. Had to slow down significantly just to finish. Ended up running 6.2 at 9:40 pace. Given the forecast for next week, holidays, and work schedule, I may shut down the training for a week and ice the injuries.

Healing

Forced myself to run an easy 3 yesterday morning. Nothing like seeing sleet bounce off your face. I was planning on a very easy run, not that I had much of a choice with the weather and footing conditions. I skipped Tuesday's run due to the shin splint. Plan is to drop the weekly mileage down to 16-18 for a couple of weeks until I heal. The ankle is much better and the shins are getting better as well. I've been religiously icing both every night regardless of how they feel and I think its paying off. Still hope to get the longer run in tomorrow morning.

Crunch! Crunch!

Taking advantage of my under-employed situation as well as the facts that Mrs. A was working from home and that Child 1 & 2 were at school I headed out at 12:35 for a lunch time run. It was a classic, nasty fall/winter day: temps in the mid-30s, spitting rain and a nice crusty coating of ice and sloppy slush all over the place. I did 5.2+ (I missed a turn and added an additional block which actually equals two blocks because it was out and then a return). Still no watch, so no data.

I was just running, enjoying the late fall/early winter bleakness. It was cool to get on non-cruddy pavement because then the run got really quiet and peaceful, I was gliding. When I was on the crud I felt like I was making more noise than a stampede of bison. Crunch! Crunch! Crunch! I felt good throughout except after I returned. After each of my last three runs I've had some nasty . . . expulsions while sitting upon the pot, shall we say . . . I think that I am fighting some sort of stomach bug. Generally I feel fine all day, everything is normal except post-run. I guess, as long as it's post run and not intra-run . . .

Winter cross training

A good variety of activities over the weekend. This post is about documentation tonight.

Saturday -- skiing at Bolton Ski Resort. A great little mountain. Little VTR1 had his first lesson of the year. Since the lesson is from 9 - 3, I got to ski with a couple of buddies. Couldn't have been better.
Sunday -- skate skiing at the in-laws. If you ever have the opportunity to try skate skiing (like cross country but with a skating motion), do it. Rythmic like running, but more fluid. Very cool.
Monday - Tuesday -- did the Monday night, Tuesday lunch hockey circuit. Got my butt kicked Sunday night, but was redeemed with a fun goal on Tuesday.

Feel good and tired this evening.

Holiday 4-Miler Update

The results are up on www.nyrr.org. My official time was 37.56, slightly better than I thought, though I was in the bottom fifth of men in my age group, placing 263rd out of 330. There's a metric I can work on for the next race.

There were 4,878 finishers, and official temp was 27 degrees with 13 mph winds.

Runs 51 & 52

Managed to get 2 quick (8:00 pace) miles in yesterday at noon. I was trying to run a little quicker as I felt good and wanted to mentally get past the 8:00 pace hurdle. Might have been a mistake as my left shin is hurting today. Still managed to get out for my usual 4.5 today. Left leg below the knee had all sorts of issues, weakness, ankle sore, shin splints on both sides of leg, blah, blah, blah. The worst part is everything else feels great but I can't unleash the dogs! Still managed a decent 9:00 pace today. It would have been 9:30 a month ago.

Absence

Nice to see the blog rolling on without me. I've been away from this and running since last week. Last week was a drag of a week for two reasons. First, I only got one run in and second, I lost my job on 12/4. It is what it is and these are the things that happen in life . . . PR we should talk about your marketing plan, I'll call you.

So, I've been laying low this week licking my wounds and drinking a fair amount, networking and hanging with my kids. I've not run so much until today when I got out for an out and back on my stroller route. I don't know how long it took my watch is dead so I went data-less, and I didn't do the hwole thing and then stopped at the end to talk to some neighbors. It was cold tonight and I felt pretty good. It felt good to get back out there and I feel like it won't be a big deal to get back on my cycle. I don't think that I'll race this month, but that's OK. I'm lined up or January and maybe February, right Bennu? Please send details about the February race you were mentioning

Run 59 - Holiday 4 Miler

Mrs. FA and I ran the New York Road Runners' Holiday 4 Miler this morning. We reigstered for this race shortly after the CCM. Over time, I grew tired with the idea of it, grew tired of running, wary of the cold, and anxious to get it behind me and take a break. At registration in October, my goal was 37 minutes. Standing in the starting pen at 7:50a today, with temps in the high teens, I was certain of 41, 42 minutes or more. At the end of the race, my watch said 38.15. I tried to memorize my splits along the way. I can't get the time to add up, but I know the last mile was my best, under 9 minutes.

I totally exceeded my expectations. The crowd (more than 7,000 runners!), the weather (cold, crisp, and clear) and the course were invigorating. I'll run again on Monday, and am looking for another event.

Peace, fellas.

Run 50

Should have worn goggles this morning. Torrential rain, wind and much flooding made for a sadistically enjoyable run. Ran my Castle Island 10K route for the first time in over a month. Other than the ankle issues, felt pretty good. Ended up just under 58 minutes for 6.3 miles. Shockingly, this was a PR for the route by over a minute as I was only trying to run at an easy to moderate pace. I didn't see any other idiots running this morning, only dog walkers. Which makes me wonder who was crazier.

Random comments:

Any one ever experience a bone spur? I'm trying to identify my ankle injury and the symptoms seem similar.

I signed up for the Marathon Sports Super Sunday 5K on February 1st. Its right on the waterfront in South Boston and literally on my older short running routes. That will be the end of my winter program.

This was run number 50, and a memorable one at that. 160 miles and counting.

Run 58

I had only 25 minutes and didn't want to out-and-back, so headed off on my usual resevoir route but left the resevoir track early and looped back on the Park Road, running the Great Hill in reverse and exiting the park at Adam Clayton Powell Blvd to run surface streets back home. I ran a little harder than ususal due to the hills. I am not going to run again before the race Saturday. Having a hard time getting excited for it, frankly. More thoughts on this later.

Hockey times

I played hockey on Monday night and Tuesday at lunch. Monday night was a tough one. We got our butts kicked, and I felt like I was never really that close to the puck. Good workout, but not all that satisfying.

I signed up for the Tuesday session because hockey is my only consistent activity right now and one day a week isn't enough. I'm glad I went. I scored a hat trick, and felt great out there. It just reinforced how different (and unexpectedly good) each workout can be.

That's all from up north. Snow in the forecast for tomorrow night, and skiing on Saturday.

Later boys.

Sore

Ankle very stiff/sore getting out of bed this morning. It loosened up quickly enough but is still worrisome. I'm thinking a doctor's visit is quickly approaching. Ran my 3 mile greenway loop at 26:56. Negative splits as I started very slow. I was sore all over from yesterdays run and needed to ease into the run. Amazing what only one week off will do.

Holiday pounds - too eat or not to eat, that is the question.

So as Agricola mentioned a few posts ago about keeping those holiday pounds off, I just read this great article about the choices we make, particularly when we travel. I thought it might be interesting reading for everyone. http://www.burnthefatblog.com/archives/2008/12/my_holiday_fitness_challenge_t.php

Cheers and keep on sweating.

Got the sneakers out last night and hit the road...

NOT. A little too cold out there. Decided to just hit the treadmill for a little over 4 miles. Also, got out for a run for 40 minutes on Saturday. Its not pretty, but I am churning some runs out and trying to keep those holiday pounds from keeping in over the next few weeks. I think it is pretty interesting how I can feel my body trying to eat more to fight off the cold and stay content. Fighting the urges and working out is the key because you don't want to spoil a good workout with a bunch of calories. Board has been silent, but it keeps me going even if I don't post every day.

I'm back, sort of...

Last week was supposed to be a light week, it ended up being a zero mileage week for two reasons. 1. I totally neglected to plan my sleeping periods and ended up fairly jet lagged (not the norm for me.) and 2. the ankle was still sore. I was hoping a week off with over 40 hours of flight time would sufficiently rest the ankle. Unfortunately, it doesn't feel any better although everything else does. The good news is that I still managed to lose a couple of pounds, airline food in bus. class isn't all that bad for you.

While I started to run in late July, November was my first real running month. November total was 18 runs / 71.5 miles / 9:22 avg pace. August - October total was 27 runs / 71.2 miles / 9.27. Probably explains the ankle injury.

Despite the soreness, I still went out on my 4.5 mile loop today. Went out a little to hard as the muscles all felt fresh. Ended up running a PR by about 20 seconds although I kind of crashed on the last 1.5 miles (HR avg was 169, highest in a while). Still happy with the sub 40 minute run.

I'm going to keep running and icing for a few more weeks and see what happens. Hopefully the weight loss coupled with stronger and refreshed legs will help alleviate the ankle issues. If not, I'm going to head to the doctor early January to have it checked out.