Easing back in...

I'm easing back in to running, but its hard mentally. A 30 minute run feels like nothing, but I know I can't just start running ridiculous miles and expect to not get injured. My running volume came way down during IM training and I've definitely gained some weight in the last month of laziness. I've got to ease back in before increasing my mileage, because there are many things that could cause an injury.

I ran for an hour last night. Then today I did a 30 minute run today, even though it felt like nothing. I wanted to throw down an hour or hour and a half, but I knew that would be a bad idea. I'm going to try and get in an hour tomorrow but keep the pace really easy.

Happy New Year to all!

Terrible Run

I'm using my time in Texas to try and get back into the mental mode of running. I got out of the habit while taking a break after the IM. Then it got cold and all my motivation disappeared. I went out for a 30 minute run today and it felt awful. That's motivation enough. I feel ridiculously out of shape.

Ironman World Championship

Its on NBC right now.

I'm watching and now I want to do another Ironman.

That didn't take long...

A week later

Its been slightly over a week and I haven't done much healthy. I ran for the first time last night though. I only put in a little over 3 miles. I didn't feel terrible, but I definitely didn't feel "right." I'm currently on my way to Portland for NXN, so I should get in some good runs while out on the west coast.

I'm still riding a bit of a high from the race. 11:46:09, and I couldn't be happier. I've been working on the race report, but its taking a long time. Its VERY long. Right now, I'm about 1/3 done with the cycling leg. As soon as I finish the race report, I'll get up posted to the blog.

I'll try and get some stuff up over the next few days as well as we showcase the Spike Bus at WHQ and NXN.

KMF

KMF...Keep Moving Forward. That's my mantra for the swim. I went back out this morning and it was a little easier than yesterday. However, I have no crazy delusions that the swim is going to be easy. I can swim all day in a pool, but put me in open water and I have issues. I can and will tackle the swim tomorrow, but it isn't going to be easy. I'm going to be slow, but the plan is just to keep moving forward. Once I'm out of the water, I have a long day ahead of me, but the "hard" part will be over. I'm sure I'll hit some lows on run, but I have the mental toughness to gut out the run.

The Ironman...140.6 reasons/dedications, sort of...

the goal was to have this posted tonight, but it has become apparent i will not finish this before i need to go to bed. So, i'm posting what I have. It was much harder to come up with the full list than I had expected.

Swim

Mile 1 - is for my parents. Without your support over the years, I'd never even be at the starting line.
Mile 2 - is for Francis and his patience. Thanks for working with me at Coney Island to get over my open water anxiety. I can't thank you enough
Mile 2.4 - is for Shay. Thanks for the wetsuit hook-up.

Bike

Mile 1 - is for Texas 4000 and all my Tx4K crew. Without you, I would have never discovered my love for cycling. We've got 2.5 months of memories that will last a lifetime.
Mile 2 - is for Jonathan Cane. I can't even begin to thank you for everything, but I'll start with "thanks for answering the million emails I send."
Mile 3 - is for my friends who don't understand my obsession with this stuff who have hardly seen me in the past 6 months. Its almost time to get my life back.
Mile 4 - is for my people at mktg. Paul, Ross, DC, Shaun, Christina. You've all helped me out in some way on this journey. Giving me a day off, subbing for me, offering encouragement, etc. Thanks.
Mile 5 - is for anyone who rode even a single mile with me during training.
Mile 6 - is for Central Park. I can't even begin to count the miles I've logged there.
Mile 7 - is for the Spoon in Nyack.
Mile 8 - is for Bunbury in Piermont.
Mile 9 - is for 9W. I'd go crazy if I couldn't get out of Central Park. Thanks for many great out-and-backs.
Mile 10 - is for my iPod. You've distracted me for many, many miles.
Mile 11 - is for Race Across the Window and the entire team. Thanks for kicking off my training.
Mile 12 - is for anyone who ever doubted me. Thank you. You only serve to fuel my determination.
Mile 13 - is for everyone who believes in me. Thank you. You fuel my determination.
Mile 14 - is for Sam. You may not have realized it, but when you were pouring me a beer and telling me how you didn't want to get another email from me saying I hadn't reached my goal, it motivated me.
Mile 15 - is for crossing another item off my list.
Mile 16 - is for the Health and Fitness forum
Mile 17 - is for Kickrunners
Mile 18 - is for the thousands of training miles I did when no one was watching.
Mile 19 - is for Universal Sports. All those hours of coverage from different IMs helped keep me motivated.
Mile 20 - is for Pat West. Texas 4000 may have ended 5 years ago, but every mile I ride is still in your memory.
Mile 21 - is for Lloyd Curington. Texas 4000 may have ended 5 years ago, but every mile I ride is still in your memory.
Mile 22 - is for MC Leipard. Texas 4000 may have ended 5 years ago, but every mile I ride is still in your memory.
Mile 23 - is for Joanna Osborne (Watson) - Texas 4000 may have ended 5 years ago, but every mile I ride is still dedicated to you. Congrats on kicking cancer's ass.
Mile 24 - is for bonktown. Thanks for all the cheap gear.
Mile 25 - is for Accelerade.
Mile 26 - is for BodyGlide. Where would we be without you?
Mile 27 - is for Lawrence Towle. I miss you.
Mile 28 - is for Eula Prenger. I miss you.
Mile 29 - is for the pool at Bally. We've spent a lot of time together.
Mile 30 - is for Kelly. You've always believed in me and always encouraged me endlessly.
Mile 31 - is for tackling the Ironman in year 31.
Mile 32 - is for the 1999 Houston Marathon. 4:52...I'm hopefully going to beat that time in the Ironman.
Mile 33 - is for Tempe Town Lake. I WILL conquer you.
Mile 34 - is for Francis. Thanks for letting me borrow the trainer.
Mile 35 - is for Terry. Thanks for all the advice on AZ.
Mille 36 - is for making it to the starting line healthy.
Mile 37 - is for my Trek. Just b/c you didn't get to make the trip out for the race doesn't mean I don't love you.
Mile 38 - is for Aggie Football become bowl eligible (even if it will be a craptastic bowl).
Mile 39 - is for (hopefully) no flats.
Mile 40 - is for the gorgeous Arizona weather.
Mile 41 - is for carbo-loading.
Mile 42 - is for Bev and her unending positivity.
Mile 43 - is for getting my life back soon.
Mile 44 - is for my nephews. Sorry I live so far away.
Mile 45 - is for balega socks. best. socks. ever.
Mile 46 - is for Pam Reed. Thanks for having me at badwater and thanks for the last-minute tips for IMAZ.
Mile 47 - is for my wetsuit. Tomorrow we are teaming up for a successful swim.
Mile 48 - is for NSQ and her absolute insanity. And I mean that as a compliment.
Mile 49 - is for all the texts, calls, voicemails, emails, and messages I've gotten over the past few days. Thanks to everyone.
Mile 50 - is for the Finger Lakes 50 miler. You helped me push my limits and proved what I could accomplish.
Mile 51 - is for Jim. That 42 mile training run last year was as unforgettable as they get. Thanks for sticking it out with me.
Mile 52 - is for the finish line. I saw you the other day. I will see you tomorrow.
Mile 53 - is for Endurolytes. Please help me keep the cramps away.
Mile 54 - is for the gorgeous desert scenery.
Mile 55 - is for powerbars. I don't really like you, but we'll have a truce for a day.
Mile 56 - is for beer. I miss you.
Mile 57 - is for the very unhealthy food I can't wait to eat after I finish.
Mile 58 - is for City Coach.
Mile 59 - is for Tiffany. Thanks for all the positivity. Thanks for pacing me last year at the 60K.
Mile 60 - is for the Knickerbocker 60K. Sucks this won't be the 4th straight year, but maybe I'll be back next year. Good luck Stephany and Claude!
Mile 61 - is for Worku. We'll miss you when you leave.
Mile 62 -
Mile 63 - is for Mt. Dew. I'll be looking forward to you in my special needs bag at mile 63.
Mile - 70 - is for arriving in Anchorage on the 70th day of TX4K.
Mile 93 - is for my bib number: 393.
Mile 100 - is for running 100 miles. It will happen.
Mile 112 - is for my bikes. We may not always have perfect days together, but at least you will never break my heart.

Run

Mile 1 - This one is for you Dad. Because we never got the chance to run the Marathon together, I know that was a tough day for you. I'll always look back on that 5K with great memories though. However, Freebirds was a bad choice that day.
Mile 2 - is for my sister, Jamie. Raising 4 boys is more difficult than anything I'll ever accomplish in my athletic life, yet somehow you've been getting up and running in the mornings before tackling your life. That is inspiring.
Mile 3 - is for Boston. You're next.
Mile 4 - is for the NYC Bridges. I've run you guys countless times and I never tire of the views of the city you provide me.
Mile 5 - is for RUN NYC. You guys keep me going.
Mile 6 - is for Roz. Thanks for the cookies. Thanks for the GU. And thanks for always being happy.
Mile 7 - is for all my JackRabbit people. For 2 years, you guys fueled the fire and kept me motivated.
Mile 8 - is for Tessa. Your helped restart my passion for running when you asked me to get you ready for the Queens half marathon back in the day.
Mile 9 - is for my 9th marathon, even if it is part of a bigger race.
Mile 10 - is for Roctane.
Mile 11 - is for Jene and all the miles we logged back in the day. Long live Tour de Bridge Challenge!
Mile 12 - is for the NYC Marathon. You change the city for a day and motivate thousands.
Mile 13 - Chris Bergland. Thanks for all the motivation you gave me, even if you never knew you were giving it.
Mile 14 - is for Katie. This one is for you since you had to miss NYC.
Mile 15 - is for running the Brooklyn Half after knocking out 56 miles on the computrainer.
Mile 16 -
Mile 17
Mile 18 - is for November 18, 1999: Nathan Scott West, Christopher Lee Heard, Bryan Allan McClain, Christopher D. Breen, Jamie Lynn Hand, Chad Anthony Powell, Lucas John Kimmel, Miranda Denise Adams, Michael Steven Ebanks, Timothy Curly Jr., Jerry Don Self, Jeremy Richard Frampton. We will never forget.
Mile 19 -
Mile 20 -
Mile 21 -
Mile 22 - one is for Jen and Erika. Because we are connect by November 22. Kick Philly's ass and just remember when it gets tough, just know you have a lot shorter day than I do. I expect nothing but PRs from you two ladies.
Mile 23 -
Mile 24 -
Miles 25 & 26 - are for Greg. These miles are for your last two rounds of chemo. Cancer sucks, but you are kicking its ass. These miles are for you b/c you've been robbed of running this year.
Mile 26.2 - is for me. I don't know how I'm going to greet you .2, but its been a long time coming. I might laugh. I might cry. I really don't know.

Checked in

I went down to the athlete village and got checked in, bought some swag, got my bike etc. Snapped a few pictures while I was down there...

After I picked up my bike, I went out for a 40 minute run. I took it super easy, but still seemed to by pushing 20 mph with little effort. I rode through some fairly scenic areas just north of Tempe before heading back to the hotel.

After getting back to the hotel, I put on my running shoes and went out for super easy 15 minute jog. Everything feels really easy and loose right now, which is good. This evening, my dad and I went back down to the park for the mandatory athlete meeting. On the way down there, we passed by the athlete's village again and they were setting up the finish line, so I snapped a quick picture of that as well.

That's all for today. I'm just going to veg out for the rest of the night...

Open-water Anxiety

I went down to Tempe Town Lake this morning for a quick swim. Its a good idea anyway, but I did it for multiple reasons. I went to see what the water temps felt like (its cold), and I went down there to see if I was going to have issues. Of course, I did. It took me about 10 minutes to get settled down and control my breathing and then I was fine. I swam for about 20 minutes. I'm going to go back in the morning for another 15 minutes or so just to give myself a little more piece of mind before sunday. I don't know why I have these problems, but its really annoying...Its all in my head, but I've yet to purge it permanently. Luckily, I know it passes. I'll be slow on the swim, but I'm ok with that.

I'm headed down to the athlete village in a little while to look around and pick up my bike. The weather is awesome here. I'll post some pictures later today.

Arrival in Arizona

I made it here...and all my gear made it. I was ridiculously paranoid my bag would get lost. Last night I meticulously divided all my gear into two groups:

1) carry-on - anything that was deemed 100% necessary to the race (pedals, tri shoes, etc)
2) checked back - anything that wasn't necessarily needed, but would REALLY suck if I didn't have.

Luckily, everything is here. I'm going to head down in the morning and get a swim in. I have a feeling that's when everything is going to really hit me, b/c it hasn't yet. I had a much easier time wrapping my head around running 50 miles than I have with the Ironman.

The camera is charging and I should have quite a bit of down time, so I have a feeling this blog will see a lot of action over the course of the next few days.

Btw - I am bib #393. You can track me on sunday on the Ironman Website.

Less than a week...

There's nothing I can do now. The work has been done. I just have to stay loose and try and shake this head cold I've had for the past few days. I also need to try to not forget things I need to take with me. My bike is on the way, so that's a big one.

I did an easy hour and a half on the trainer yesterday. Today will be an easy run and an easy swim.

I honestly can't believe this race is less than a week away.

Last Long Ride

I got in my last long ride today. I was a little delay in getting out the door, so I had to finish up on the trainer, but for the first 65 miles I had a wonderful ride. We got some great weather, so I rode up 9W to the Tappan Zee Bridge and then came back. When I got back, I threw the bike on the trainer and knocked out another 2 hours while watching football.

Riding felt good and I got down my timing for Accelerade intake during the race.

Two weeks

Only two weeks out. Yikes.

Yesterday I knocked out all 3 disciplines, but didn't go very hard on the bike or the swim. I hit the pool first with an EASY 25 minute swim. Then I came home and put the bike on the trainer for a quick, easy 30 minutes. As soon as I got off the bike, I went out for a 4 mile run. I kept it comfortable, but it was a fast 4 miles. I was definitely under 7 min pace.

Tonight I knocked out 15 miles. I kept the pace easy, but still managed to go under 8 min pace. I wound through Williamsburg, went over the bridge, down to and over the manhattan bridge, then I turned around and retraced the route.

I didn't get out on my run until this evening b/c I had to work today. We went out to Jersey to get our first look at the Spike Bus and see how it works. This thing is both ridiculous and badass at the same time. Its a school bus that will go to XC (and eventually track) meets. The side folds down and inside is a really cool experience. There's t-shirt customization, a spike tune-up station, shoe displays, a plasma for Nike iD, an playstation, satellite radio, etc. I'll try to post some pics soon. I'll be out on it from time to time over the next month or so. The kids are going to REALLY love this thing.

Going nowhere. But I'm not cold.

Thanks to Francis I now have possession of a trainer. Its fairly cold outside, and I really didn't want to have to deal with freezing on the bike. I put in 2 hours and 15 minutes tonight on the trainer while watching basketball. Its not the same as actually riding, but I doubt I would have lasted that long outside in the cold. Its a trade-off.

Earlier tonight I put in a solid 40 minutes in the pool at a pretty good effort. The race is getting close. Too close.

"Run for Your Life"

We did a private screening for Nike+ VIP members on friday night for this movie. Its been out for a while, but I never got the opportunity to see it until last week. This film is phenomenal on multiple levels. It not only gives a nice history of the NYC Marathon and Fred Lebow, it is inspiring and makes you want to get out and run.

If you get the chance, go see this movie.

Last long run

Today was my last long run. The weather was gorgeous. Due to long work hours (thanks to the NYC marathon), I didn't have a chance to get a long run in this past weekend, so I knocked out 20 miles today. In the spirit of the marathon, I ran a few sections through Brooklyn, Queens, and Central Park. Along the course near the Pulaski Bridge (the halfway point of the marathon), the road was speckled with discarded gel packets. As I thought about the thousands of runners who pounded the streets, I once again thought of how great running is. A mere 48 hours before, some of the most elite distance runners in the world were running the exact course I was on. In running, participants are on the same course as the professionals. That doesn't happen in other sports.

I felt pretty strong the entire run. Now its time to dial it back and knock out some riding and swimming before dialing those back as well. Less than 3 weeks.

Its finally over

The Human Race 10K and the NYC Marathon are over, so work is finally slowed down and I can get back to finishing off my training. The past 3 weeks to a month have been very bad. I haven't trained anywhere near enough, but I just didn't have time. And when I did, I was just too exhausted. With that in mind, I've thrown out time goals. I just want to get across the finish line in AZ. There's no doubt in my mind. I'm crossing the finish line. It will just be a matter of how hard I can push myself.

Tonight I got in an easy 5 mile run and then hit the gym for a 1 hour swim. I don't really feel like I've lost much on the swim, but then again, I swim so slow I can't really lose a whole lot.

Swim

45 minute swim tonight. I'm back on the upswing when it comes to swimming. I feel like I'm going to have not problem getting through the swim in AZ. I'm still not going to set any nautical speed records, but I feel pretty confident that I can get through it.

Now I just need to feel confident in the other two disciplines again.

Rainy, cold 10 miler

got in a 10 mile run tonight.

work has really gotten in the way of training lately. My confidence has taken a dive. I'm really wondering how I'm going to get any quality training in before I start my taper. Oh well, too late now. Race day will be here before I know it.

Feeling better about AZ

Last night I knocked out about 58 miles in the park late-night. Its kind of nice riding in the park at night. Its dark. The city is lit all around you. There's very few people in the park. The city sounds quite and the air is cool. Its not often you get to feel "alone" in NYC, but riding at night gives you that feeling. Really the only other time is when its snowing at night during the winter. At that point, you have the park to yourself and the snow dampens all the ambient noise.

My legs felt a little "dead" this morning, but they rebounded quickly as the day wore on. I got in about 45 minutes in the pool and then came home and knocked out 9 miles in Brooklyn and over the Williamsburg Bridge.

All that is great, but what really made my day was getting the following email...

Greg finished up his last round of chemo on Sept. 18th. He's slowly getting back into running but said it's been harder than he expected, after four months of chemo he put on 25 lbs and lost most of the muscle he had, but at least it's over. Greg has also started working in the Brooklyn store again a few days each week.

The results from his follow up CT scan came back and there is still one enlarged abdominal lymph node remaining. The chemo was still very successful considering when he started there were two tumors in his lungs and five in his stomach. The next step now is surgery, because with one node remaining simply staying on surveillance isn't an option. The specific type of surgery that Greg needs is called an RPLND.

Greg has decided to make the trip to Indiana University to have Dr. Richard Foster perform the RPLND. He, along with a handful of other doctors at IU, practically wrote the book on TC treatment, and he does more RPLND's annually than any other surgeon in the world. When the survival rate for TC went from 5% to 90% in the '70s, it was due almost entirely to discoveries made by these IU docs.

The other reason he decided to go to IU is because they were willing to negotiate with his insurance company. Greg initially wanted to go to Sloan Medical Center in New York City. But with the high cost at Sloan (twice as much in some cases), the odds of approval by the insurance company there were pretty slim. Now he'll get the same level of care, if not higher, for a much better price. Our insurance company has agreed to work with IU, now it's just a matter of how much of it they'll cover, but even some is better than none.

The surgery is scheduled for Nov 5th and is usually followed by a 5 day hospital stay. The best possible outcome is that they find only scar tissue, not active cancer. That would put him on a 5 year surveillance plan. If all goes well Greg should be back to work and feeling pretty good around January 1^st.

Greg asked me to express his thanks everyone for all of the fundraising efforts. The financial burden of his treatment for the past few months and the upcoming surgery has been removed and Greg has been able to focus entirely on getting better. Between the money raised and his health insurance, he will have to spend very little if anything out of pocket.

That brightened my day. I really couldn't have asked for anything better to be waiting in my inbox this morning.

Run As One

Tonight at work, we had an elevated event where our two Monday night runs reunited into one run ending at The Irish Rogue for food and drinks. The event was awesome and there were some great pictures from the event. I'll try to post some if I can remember.

Riding the high of a great event, I knocked out 7.5 miles late night at a pretty good clip.

BOSTON!

Dear Scott W. Towle,

This is to notify you that your entry into the 114th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 19, 2010 has been accepted...

Pool

I got in about 45 minutes in the pool tonight. I did a few intervals and then swam laps. Nothing exciting, but then I don't really find much about swimming exciting.

20 miles and Chicago

I celebrated my 4-year anniversary of moving to NYC with a 20 mile run. I did a short 4.5 mile loop through Brooklyn and then tackled the bridges. I went over the Williamsburg, over the Manhattan, and then over the Brooklyn. Then I retraced my route to home.

This year I elected not to run the Chicago Marathon. As a matter of fact, I have sworn it off for the rest of my life after running it on the two hottest days in the history of the race in back-to-back years. Of course the weather was great this year. Well, it was a little cold, but better than the heat of the previous two years. Sammy Wanjiru set a new course record and several of my friends got their Boston-qualifying time.

Six weeks until Arizona...

60 miles and Kona

I got in 60 miles this morning before watching lots of college football. It was a fairly easy ride, but miles are miles I suppose.

In Ironman-related news, today was the IM World Championship in Kona. I correctly predicted both winners (but who didn't, really). Chrissie Wellington dominated the womens' field and set a new course record. Craig Alexander overtook Chris Lieto on the run (ran a sub 2:50 marathon!) to take the title.

Some Articles

for your reading pleasure:

Exercisers Drink More Alcohol

Marathoners not sticking with it

I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. Amateur doping.

Night Ride

I got in 39 miles tonight after work in the park. It was the first time I've had to cut a ride short due to police "investigating a suspicious package."

Last night I got in a quick swim. I've been lacking on the updates lately...gotta correct that.

Less than 7 weeks to the IM. Yikes!

Swimming

I had a good 70 minute swim tonight. I warmed up, did a block of freestyle, then some sprint intervals, and then another long block of freestyle. I'm getting much better in the pool. I can tell my form is getting better, although I still have quite a bit to work on.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

I just finished this book by Haruki Murakami. It wasn't anything amazing, but I found it fairly entertaining, I think mostly because its a book about running by a normal guy. Its just a guy who not overly fast that enjoys running and what he thinks about it. There were several passages in the book that really grabbed me though. Here's a couple:

...I'm going to keep running marathons, and not let it get me down. Even when I grow old and feeble, when people warn me it's about time to throw in the towel, I won't care. As long as my body allows, I'll keep on running. Even if my time gets worse, I'll keep on putting in as much effort--perhaps even more effort--toward my goal of finishing a marathon. I don't care what others say--that's just my nature , the way I am.

But pain seems to be a precondition for this kind of sport. If pain weren't involved, who in the world would ever go to the trouble of taking part in sports like triathlon or the marathon, which demand such an investment of time and energy? It's precisely because we want to overcome that pain, that we can get the feeling, through this process, of really being alive--or at least a partial sense of it.

Coney Island Open Water Swim - Part II

The sequel was much better thanks to a patient Francis. Immediately after entering the water, I had all kinds of issues getting my breathing right. Francis worked with me showing me some exercises to calm myself down in the water. Step-by-step I worked until I was putting everything together, swimming normally, and breathing correctly. Once I got settled down, we swam down to the pier and back. It wasn't super fast, but I was able to put in around a mile in a little over 30 minutes. My only issue is still a slight freak out when I see jellyfish floating by my face, but at least I know I won't have that problem on race day. I'm hoping to get in a couple more open water swims before race day.

After returning home, I went out on an easy 6 mile run over the Williamsburg Bridge and back. It had been a long time since I'd done that run at night. It made me remember how beautiful the city is at night.

Busy week = a little behind

Work got busy this week, so I missed several days of training. Oh well, not much I could do. Today we went up to Van Cortlandt Park for the marathon training program. I got in 18 miles. I wanted to run 20, but my right calf was super tight almost the entire run. It got even worse after I stopped for a bathroom break about 10 miles in. Regardless, it was still a pretty solid run and I ran at a fairly good clip for a good portion of the run. The weather was also great and it was good to run at a different location. Central Park the West Side Highway get old, fast.

Mon/Tues Workouts

Mon: 6.1 mile run at around 6:30 pace. I felt fantastic the entire run.

Tonight: Spent and hour and fifteen minutes in the pool. Did a few sprint intervals, a lot of freestyle working on form, and a little breast stroke during recoveries.

OWS

First open water swim in 5 years. I went out to Coney Island with Francis and Nate for an open water swim. Well, I'm glad I went...I needed it, but it didn't go well. I don't understand why I have a mental freak out when I get in open water for the first time (or first time in a long time). I can't get my breathing right if I put my head in the water. After a while, I settled down and was able to swim somewhat normally. I need to get at least a couple more under my belt before race day to ensure I don't have the same issue during the IM. All-in-all, I spent a little over an hour in the water. Not a great swim, but it was good to get it done.

Brick

I got up a little before 6 am this morning and rode in to meet Shaun at the Runners' Station. We met at 6:30 and started riding shortly after. We rode up the west side and went over the GW Bridge. Due to time constraints, we turned around there and headed back south. Shaun split off at 92nd street and I continued south down the west side highway path. I got back to the Runners' Station about 8:15, changed clothes and headed out on the long run with the 26.2 Training Group.

We ran across Chambers and over the Brooklyn Bridge to Tillary St turned around and headed back over the bridge. Back in Manhattan, we went down to the East Side Running Path and went north to the East 6th Street track. We did a quick mile on the track and then ran up to 34th street before turning around and retracing our path. I skipped the second mile on the track in order to get back to the Runners' Station and make sure everything was under control, but I ended up getting in just about 15 miles. I felt strong the entire run and really didn't feel like I had ridden for an hour and a half earlier that morning.

Gotta love a strong brick workout!

Team Hoyt

I stole this from Coach Cane, but I've always loved Team Hoyt. Their story can't be posted enough. I put money on it that my mom and my sister cry when they watch this :)

Excercise is Addictive.

I now have an excuse when people ask me, "why?"

oh, and I did 55 miles on the bike this morning before work. I'll be running and swimming later this evening.

Ironkid

I don't personally know this kid, but he rocks. I love seeing kids get involved in running/cycling/triathlon. Austin is the son of one of the guys that posts on a Health & Fitness forum that I frequent. Check him out and root him through Nationals

Austin's Blog

Recovery Monday

I "slept in" this morning, getting up at the normal time and not working out before work. I did somewhere around 6 miles with Run Club tonight. We went over the Queensboro Bridge and then over to Roosevelt Island. It was a little sketchy in some areas, so I dropped back to make sure the back groups were ok and just decided to take it easy on the way back in. I didn't really feel sore from the weekend until after I finished the run tonight.

First Century on the Cervelo

I got up this morning and knocked out about 13 miles before meeting Francis and Nate at the Runners' Station. We then headed north and picked up YMC and subsequently another guy in Riverside park. We headed out over the GW Bridge and added on a random guy named Daniel. Nate led us on the back way to Piermont and then we went through Nyack via 9W before making a rest stop at Rockland State Park. After Rockland, we continued north on 9W before turning off on 304 and heading west/southwest. We thought we knew the route, but we somehow ended up at 59, where cyclists are prohibited. Nate consulted the GPS a few times and we found a new route back to 303 and then to 340, which led us back to 9W just south of Piermont. We decided to take 9W back to the city. We quickly dropped Daniel as we climbed back toward the state line. Once back into New York, Francis and I switched off pulling the pace line and eventually we looked back and realized we had dropped everyone. I was feeling REALLY strong and Francis even told me he was having trouble keeping up. We stopped and waited on the group to catch back up and then headed back down and over the GW. I rode with Nate and Francis back down to the Runners' Station before making the 6 mile ride back to Brooklyn. I got in right at 100 miles. I was hoping to get in a run after the ride, but I had to get back into the city for a softball game.

I'm starting to feel really strong on the bike and I'm hoping to get in a century on most weekends from here on out.

Twenty

I was a bit worried about going 20 miles today after not getting in a long run last weekend. The weather was nice this morning, cool and overcast. The route was up the west side from the Runners' Station to 59th St and over to the Park. Then up the Bridle extension, 2 extended bridle loops, one regular bridle loop, and the back to the Station. I arranged to meet Gary at the Park (6 miles into my run), and he wanted to get in about 8-10 miles with me while I was in the Park. Shortly after getting onto the Bridle loop, we passed Bridget and Tim, who joined us for about 6 miles of the run. We cheered on the leaders of the women's 4 mile race in the park. Gary, Bridget and Tim parted from me and I did my final regular bridle loop solo. I then headed down the west side highway, starting to feel a little fatigued. I definitely was fading a little the last 5 miles, but was able to finish feeling relatively good...much better than I thought I was going to feel after missing a long run.

Boston

Dear Scott:

Your entry for the 114th Boston Marathon has been received, and your credit card has been authorized for payment in the amount of US $130.00. You may notice a pre-authorization draft on your credit card statement. This authorization will be removed in approximately three business days. The actual charge will not appear on your credit card until your entry has been verified and accepted. Entry verification and acceptance can take four to five weeks depending on how quickly we receive the official results from your qualifying marathon. Please make note of your Submission ID #: 20003503.

You will be notified of your acceptance by email and first class mail. Your notification of acceptance will be sent as soon as we verify your official results from your qualifying marathon. When you are accepted, your name will be posted in the Boston Marathon section of the B.A.A. website, www.baa.org, under "Entrants."

Please contact the B.A.A. registration office at 508-435-6905 (or send an email to registration@baa.org) with any questions regarding your entry.

We look forward to your participation on race day!

Boston Athletic Association

Go hard or go home...

Well, I didn't have great training in Texas, but I sure jumped back in head-first today. I hammered out a decent 42.5 miles before work this morning, averaging just under 20 mph, which included some city riding and plenty of Central Park hills.

I went out to the track with Run Club tonight for a little speed work. It was a 1.75 mile jog over and then we did 1000m repeats. I did the first two repeats with the fast group and then dropped back and did two more at a slower pace. I sat out the last two repeats and then jogged back with the group. The legs felt heavy, but not too bad.

I wrapped up Run Club and then headed to the gym for an easy 45 minute swim. I was going for an hour, but my calf was cramping. I was definitely dehydrated and low on electrolytes from the day.

All-in-all, it felt great to be back out pushing my body to exhaustion.

Texas

The great state of Texas was great for me mentally. The great state of Texas was terrible for my training. I only ran twice (one 62 minute run and one 37 minute run). I didn't get on the bike and I didn't run. I ate terrible and I overate. However, it was a nice break as training was starting to wear me down. I got a chance to eat what I want, have some drinks with friends, and allow my body to rest for a few days.

Texas, I still love you, but you are not good for Ironman Training.

Bike problems, but for once it wasn't me

Francis and I went out for a long ride today. We met at the Runners' Station and headed north. When we got to the GW Bridge, I slowed down realizing that the south side of the bridge was closed. As I turn around, I see Francis riding up with something in his hand. His rear bottle cage holder broke off a couple blocks back. The aluminum bracket broke. He removed one cage and mounted it to the downtube, stuffed the saddlebag into his jersey, and ditched a bottle. We went to the north side of the bridge and negotiated the annoying stairs and then headed north up 9W. When we got to the state line, we started the big descent. Francis was in front and as we came around the bend, I noticed he was motioning to slow down. I was doing about 40mph when I saw the first road flare. Several more called attention to a police car and an ambulance. They were loading a single cyclist onto a stretcher. It didn't look good, but we continued on the descent not wanting to linger and cause a wreck ourselves. We went through Piermont and then to Nyack making a quick stop at the Spoon to refill water.

We continued north and rejoined 9W and started the big climb just before Rockland State Park. About halfway up the climb Francis yelled for me to stop. I circled back and he exclaimed that his pedal fell off. It somehow came unscrewed. Luckily it was and easy fix, but it always sucks to have to restart on a big climb. We blew past Rockland State Park and continue north on 9W until we hit the 40 mile mark on Francis' computer at Haverstraw. We turned and headed south where Francis got a flat at the Upper Nyack High School. After changing out the tube, we quickly rode back to the spoon and topped off water before hammering back to toward the city. At the top of the climb and the state line, Francis once again had to screw his pedal back in again. Once back in New Jersey, we consistently hammered over 20 mph and got back to the city fairly quickly.

We parted ways at the Runners' Station and I headed back to Brooklyn. When I got to Brooklyn, I was just over 85 miles on the day, so I decided to ride around until I hit 90 miles. When I got home, I threw on some running shorts and shoes and headed out on a 3.5 mile run. The run was kind of tough, but I seemed to settle in to a pace after a couple of miles.

I had a pretty good sunday. I'm ready for my next long ride to break the century mark.

Strong Long Run

This morning I did 18 miles with our marathon training group. Despite the persistent, soft rain, the cooler temperatures made for a much easier run than the past couple weeks. We ran up the west side highway and then into the park for two extended bridle loops. It was wet and muddy, but I felt strong for the entire length of the run.

Wetsuit!

I picked this up today. Thanks for the hookup Shay!

Morning workouts

Yesterday morning, I made it to Lasker and swam for an hour. I got in a good workout, but I extrapolated my time and distance over 2.4 miles. I found out that I'm quite a bit slower than I was hoping. That pace would keep me well under the time cutoff for the Ironman, but I have a lot of work to do to get in better swim shape.

This morning I met Francis and NSQ in the park to knock out some mileage before work. We rode loops in the park and then hit the west side highway once the park was opened to traffic. I knocked out about 43 miles, and as NSQ noted, I seemed to get stronger as we put more mileage behind us. The legs are getting better, but man more miles need to be logged.

Help Greg Fight Cancer 5K

Tonight was the 5K to benefit Greg. Before I got there, I had read that there were 660 people preregistered for the race. That number sounded great, but I don't think anyone was expecting what happened when we go there. The turnout was incredible. They ran out of race numbers at 900 and the lines for on-site registration were so long that the start of the race was delayed for over 30 minutes! When I lined up at the start, I looked back and it was a sea of people as far back as I could see. There had to have been well over 1000 people. That kind of turnout for a race that was put together in less than a month is incredible. The course definitely wasn't flat. The course was two loops. The first half of each loop was down and the second was up. I ran at 20:4x, which is ok, but not that great. My time really wasn't what mattered though, it was the outpouring of support for Greg. He had come straight from chemo and walked over to the race, but he still looked great and was in good spirits. I got to talk to him for a good chunk of time after the race and he was very positive--something that will go a long way in his fight.

Wednesday Workout

1.75 mile warm-up...then i took it easy at the track workout. The workout was 5 X 800m with 400 recovery at marathon pace. I jumped in with the 7:30/mile group, which meant I did the 800s at 7:30 pace and the 400 recoveries at 8:30 pace. Next week, I'll jump back in and do an actual speed workout. I think I'm going to try and alternate wednesdays...one easy, one speed work.

Long swim

I swam at Lasker pool tonight for about an hour and fifteen minutes tonight. That's definitely my longest swim workout to date. I took a couple breaks and mixed in some breast stroke, but I was happy to see that I was able to swim for that long.

My legs felt dead most of the day. I tried to meet up with JC to work on my swimming, but I forgot I had promised to meet up with Sam to play some basketball. After fruitlessly searching NYC for a need for an air pump, we settled for going to see District 9.

When I got home, I went out for a quick 3 mile run and then jumped on the bike to do some repeats on the Williamburg Bridge. After my 5th repeat, I got a flat and had to walk 3 miles home. Awesome. I think my road bike hates me. That's the 4th flat in the last 4 rides on that bike.

Hot and Humid

We were a bit short on staff, so I paced the 9:00/mile group for our marathon training program. We did 16 miles up the west side, into Central Park, and back. Although the pace was easy for me, the heat and humidity took its toll. By the end of the run, I was fairly drained. I rehydrated, changed clothes, and then jumped on the bike.

Francis, Nate, YMC and I headed over the GW Bridge and took the back way up to Piermont. Luckily, Nate knew the way, b/c I would have gotten completely lost. The back way was a nice alternative to the usual ride up 9W. My legs were completely dead from the run earlier in the day, so climbing was next to impossible for me. I really struggled to do any climbing. YMC stuck with me and we took it easy on the way back as YMC and Nate picked up the pace and disappeared. I ended up riding a little over 60 miles, which was solid mileage, but it would have been nice to feel stronger.

I weighed myself when I returned home and found that I was down a little over 8 lbs from my morning weight. I need to hydrate a little better in the future.

Last night I crushed the track workout. I had a crappy day at work and decided to just run it out on the track. The usual 1.75 mile warm up to the track was followed by:

1600
1200
800
600
400
400

The last 400 wasn't part of the workout, but I decided to throw it in to leave everything out there. I did all the intervals at sub 6:00/mile pace, running a faster pace with each interval. The 1.75 mile cool down back to Paragon was pretty tough.

This morning I got up at 6:30 and met Bev at Lasker Pool in Central Park. I got in a little under and hour of swimming. I really like Lasker...not very crowded and I can get a better workout than at the gym pool b/c its a longer pool. I plan on trying to go regularly until they close it after labor day.

More from Badwater

Here's another cool link from cnn. Read it here.

A few things for your reading/viewing pleasure

Running is good for your knees.

Here's a cool Badwater story.

and "Performance." It'll only be funny if you are a cyclist.

The world is conspiring against my training

I got up at 5:45 am this morning and got ready for a morning ride. I got out the door and made it about a half mile from my apartment before my rear tire blew out. I didn't have a spare tube on me and since I was close to home, I didn't want to take the time to patch the tube. By the time I walked home, I knew I was going to miss the group, so I just decided to pack it in. I'm about to head to the track workout, so I'll get in a run during that. Hopefully I can get in an abbreviated ride after the run once I get home.

Swimming without head injury

Simple 30 minute swim workout, this time sans a fight with the pool ladder. Much more enjoyable. Much less blood. Bilateral breathing is finally coming along. Time to start increasing the endurance though.

Run, Run

Tonight was an easy ~5.5 miler with Run Club. My legs still felt a little dead, so I took it easy. Gary came out and we ran it together at a fairly easy pace. Mondays are easy...I like them.

Five Years Ago...

Sunday Run

I got up early sunday morning and met the Harriers in CP for a long run. My legs were dead, it was humid, and I felt like crap. Regardless, I got in a little over 13 sluggish miles at around an 8 min/mile pace. I felt fine on the flats, but the slightest increase brought out the fatigue from the previous day's ride. Running on tired legs, I need to get use to it.

"Long" Ride

Francis met me after work and we went out for a long ride. At mile 25, we decided to do a time trial up one of the most difficult climbs of the day, which pretty much meant our legs were dead for every subsequent climb of the day. We went up to Piermont and turned around there. Adding in my mileage to and from brooklyn and the riding I did to scout an elevated run we are doing on the 17th, I put in a little over 70 miles on the day. I've got a long way to go...

Blood in the pool

I went in for an easy friday swim workout, and decided to practice flip turns in the pool. I pushed off the wall and came off crooked. I was in lane 1, where there is a ladder about a body length from the end of the pool. I went head-first into the ladder. It hurt quite a bit, but I finished my workout. When I got back to the locker room, I noticed blood on my forehead. Apparently I was bleed in the pool for at least 15 minutes without anyone even noticing. Glad the lifeguard was being aware of what was going on.

Up early and riding

I got up early and met Maria for a few loops in the park. We started riding at 6:30. After 3 loops, she had to leave, so I picked up the pace and added two more loops and a short out and back along the Hudson. I got in a little over 40 miles before work.

During Run Club, I clocked an easy 5.5 mile run to complete the double.

I apologize for my laziness

I've not just been lazy here, I've been lazy with training. Although I have been training much more than posting, I haven't been training like I should. Yes, I'm admitting it. That was the first step. Now I'm serious. I have to be. Its time for morning rides. Its time for two-a-days. Its time for some serious mileage. Its time to drop the excuses.

Last night I did about 5 miles with Gary at Run Club and then hit the gym for a quick weight lifting session and then 20 minutes in the pool. My workouts were terrible, a result of my laziness.

I've got a lane at the pool reserved for this evening. Then a run. I'm riding tomorrow morning before work and I'll do the speed workout tomorrow night. I'm working on a long run for this weekend, a potential open water swim, and I've got a ride lined up on saturday afternoon with Francis. This should kick-start me back into a serious training regiment, which will carry me to the most glorious, immortal words in all endurance sports...Mike Reilly saying, "You...are...an Ironman."

5K to help Greg fight cancer

I'm long overdue for an update on my stuff, including badwater, but this is more important. Greg has been a friend of mine from almost the day he moved to the city. We worked together at JackRabbit for over a year and he was a member of my first Texas Independence Relay team in '08.

Greg Hamilton was diagnosed with testicular cancer in June of 2009. The cancer has spread, so he is currently undergoing four months of chemotherapy, and if that is not successful he intends to undergo major surgery to remove the cancer from every part of his body. Before the diagnosis he was training to run his first Ultramarathon, a 50 miler. Now, between the disease and the chemo, he struggles to climb the stairs to his apartment. His dream of joining the FDNY has been put on hold while he focuses all of his energy on getting better.

Greg is 22 years old, and has worked at JackRabbit since he arrived in NYC almost two years ago. As an assistant manager first in the Union Sq store and now in the Brooklyn store, Greg has helped thousands of people start running, get faster, and reach their goals. This is our opportunity to give back for all the support he’s given us over the years.

There are all kinds of costs when fighting cancer, and only a few of them are covered by medical insurance. Greg’s parents live in Washington State, so travel and lodging are big expenses. Greg’s cell phone bill has doubled. Transportation to and from treatment, plus dozens of co-pays, adds expenses. Greg needs extra medical supplies while he is recovering from chemo, and all of his food needs to be delivered. While he is working at the Brooklyn JackRabbit occasionally, his income is nowhere near what it was and will not be at least until chemo is complete in October. If he has to undergo surgery, that’s another 3-6 months of recovery from the surgery where Greg’s expenses will be high but his income will be low.

When: Tuesday, August 25, 7p

Where: Prospect Park, the race starts at the Bartel Prichard lot near the movie theatre.

Race Registration: $20. (ALL proceeds go to helping Greg with his fight against cancer. There is no T shirt so that more of the proceeds can be directed to fighting cancer)

'Team In Greging' T-Shirt: $20. ALL proceeds from the sale the the 'Team In Greging' shirts will go towards helping Greg fight cancer.

Make a donation - if you would like to make an additional (non tax deductible) donation please do so through the registration link.

Online Registration & Donation Link: http://www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1775486&assetId=9d464e64-c31f-4a78-a987-34bde72eaf1d

*Volunteers Needed - if you or a friend would like to help out on race day or with pre-race day preparations please let us know at programs@jackrabbitsports.com

Monday

Nothing special today. 5.9 mile run with Run Club at sub 7:00 pace. Then hit the pool for a 30 minute swim.

In news unrelated to me, Chrissie Wellington recently smashed the women's world record for the Ironman. She's going to dominate the women's field for a long time to come.

Newtons

I got a free pair of Newtons while I was at Badwater. I did my second run in the Newtons. The first was just a quick 20 minute run the other night to see how they felt. Tonight I did a 6 miler to really give them a test. I definitely felt like I was getting a slightly higher turnover, especially while running uphill. Toward the end of the run I could definitely feel my calves were a little tight. I could feel the lugs a bit when running downhill, which I wasn't a fan of.

I'm not a convert, but I don't dislike the shoes. I'll probably rotate them in and use them as a supplemental shoe, maybe running in them once a week.

Photos, Photos, Photos...

I had time to kill in the Las Vegas airport, so here's a link to the photos!

Big finish!

Pam powered her way away from the guy who was gaining on her and finished in 29:02. 2nd place woman.

I don't think any of us have an ounce of energy remaining. I have a whole new appreciation for those of you who came out and paced me at knickerbocker 60K.

I will post a wrap up eventually, but I just don't have the energy.
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Long, long ascent

Pam is still ascending. Pacheco blew by earlier. Pam has another runner closing in. She's still moving but is running on fumes. We are doing what we can to rejuvinate her.

I can barely keep my eyes open. Everytime I blink my eyes burn. If I stop moving I instinctively start to doze off.
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Back from the dead

Pacheco is now running this brutal ascent and is hot on the trail...
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And up the mountain

Pam is on her way up Mt. Whitney. We split up the team to resupply and have a short bit of downtime. I just took the best swim of my entire life. I was caked in dirt, salt, and stench. I feel even better than when I brushed my teeth. I have new socks on. Less than 15 brutally vertical miles left.
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A woman posessed in lone pine.

Pam was blazing. She's slowed down just slightly, but she's still moving. Almost at the 120 mile check-in.
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Pacheco bonks.

Pam just passed him. He's walking. He was with the leaders last night.
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New game plan

Pam now has headphones on and is running 'solo.' One person is trailing her spraying her down with water. She's picked up the pace quite a bit. We are nearing Lone Pine. Still about 5 miles out.

I'm hungry. I just finished pacing, so now I'm wide awake.
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Fatigue

Its really setting in. I'm having a tough time staying lucid. We are all tired of every food and drink. I can't imagine how tired pam is of everything.

She's closing in on 120 miles. She's still the 2nd overall woman. Jamie Donaldson is having the race of her life. She's tearing it up and has a good shot at breaking the female course record.

Its getting hot again.
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Sunny morning

Just got done with another shift running. Its now 7:30 am. Pam has been running for 21.5 hours now...is that right? I can't do math right now, I've been awake for about 26 hours or so. Running is the easy part. It keeps me awake. Its hard to concentrate. We've still got several hours ahead of us.
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19

We just caught up to the 19-year old runner. He was in the 6 am wave. He's still going but looks like he's got some serious blister issues. 19 years old!
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Almost 100 miles

Just short of 100 miles. Pam is sort of having a rough time, but she keeps moving. We're trying to get calories into her for more energy.

I shut my eyes for 2 seconds earlier and fell asleep. Of course I immediately woke up.

The sun is rising over the Sierras, which is quite beautiful. Its going to be very hot soon.
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Oh...

She's about 82 miles in. Incredible.
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Clean teeth and contacts

You can imagine how much of a pick me up brushing your teeth at 3 am is. I feel like a new person.

You also can't imagine how hard it is to put in a contact in the blistering sun in death valley.

Pam is still motoring along on a steady diet of horchata, oatmeal, and water. Its incredible how much it has cooled off tonight. Its actually somewhat chilly.
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Father crowley

I'm about to run with pam again. This is an incredible experience.
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Cell service, nope

Haven't had service since yesterday. Its been a LONG hot day, but the stars are amazing and there's an amazing breeze. Pam is in the top 5, but there's a lot of jostling of positions up front. We passed dean a long time ago.

I'm going to have some great tan lines!
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Closed? No problem!

We stopped at ACE Hardware to get some coolers. A guy out front was painting the curbs by hand. He informed us the store was closed. Pam somehow convinced the guy to open the store and sell us the coolers.
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Tonopah, NV

We just bought groceries in Parumph, NV. Its hot, but reminds me of texas summers. I honestly miss the repressive heat sometimes.

On the way in to town I saw a sign for Tonopah, NV! We rolled through there in '04 after 117 miles and 5 mountain passes. It was the day of the infamous "pizza buffet" song.

This post is dedicated to all my Texas 4000 peeps!
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Morning Run

Its 7 am and I just finished a run. That doesn't happen very often. I'm not a morning runner. However, I slept A LOT last night. I passed out early, so when I woke up this morning I felt fantastic.

The same group as last night went out for a run, but Pam joined us this morning. Its already warm out. I went through 20 oz of water during a 30 minute run. I can't even imagine what its going to be like tomorrow.

I'm watching the end of the tour. Then breakfast. Then a 4 hour drive down to Death Valley.

Stuffed

Vegas buffets are the epitome of fat Americans. I can't believe how much food I was able to shove down my throat. If you find yourself in Vegas, I highly recommend the chocolate mousse at the buffet in the Luxor...i had two.

After the run earlier, we sat at the pool for awhile discussing race strategy and such. I've already gotten some great tips regarding the Ironman and ultras. Pam and some other crew members are veterans of countless races, and they are full of experience.

Right now I'm watching the replay of the Tour de France and debating if I want to go work out in the gym. Its about 7:30 here, but my body is on New York time. It feels much, much later.

Looks like there's going to be a 6:30 am run tomorrow before breakfast. After that, its a 4 hour drive to Death Valley. Hopefully I can get some pictures uploaded over the next few days, but my phone isn't cooperating with posting photos. I'm not sure when I'll have wireless again after I leave Vegas.

I have to give a shout out to my boys Kevin and Paul who are driving across our fine country right now. GBA guys, G.B.A.!

...until tomorrow...

Quick run to test the waters

I met Stephany at the airport and the we were picked up and driven to the hotel. We quickly divided up supplies between the two vans.

Four of us just got back from a quick 30 minute run. Its really hot, but we kept an easy pace to get a feel for what it'll be like during the race. Although it will be 20+ degrees hotter at badwater. Coming from the mild NYC temps, this is a shock.
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Arrival

After an absolutley ridiculous night/morning, I'm finally here. Its hot!
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Headed below sea level, on very dry land

Tomorrow I ship off for Badwater. I'll be updating when I can on the race and my experiences there. It should be interesting!

The Cervelo has arrived!

its a go-fast bike. Tomorrow, I ride!

Night Owls

This explains me.

Around 8 or 9 pm every night I "wake up" and I'm wired. I love running/riding in the evening and especially at night. I've always felt as though I get a better work out at night. It also may explain why I've done well when I've had to travel a distance to a race in the morning rather than competing shortly after waking up. Even though I get less sleep, maybe the travel time allows my body to "wake up" and I get a better performance.

Or maybe its all in my head...

Fast Five

I ran with run club tonight. I'd initially meant to take it easy, but found myself up front with Worku and the lead group. I cut out and only did 5 miles so I could get back and sign people up for marathon training, but I still ended up averaging about a 6:35 pace for the run. That's fairly quick for me.

After the run I hit the gym for a quick full body workout.

Brick

I planned on a long bike ride and a short run, but my bike had other plans. I got about 16 miles into my ride and flatted. No big deal, right? Wrong. As countless cyclists passed and asked if I needed help, i told them no and continued changing my tube. I started to air up my tire and then my pump broke. I waited, but no one passed. I tried to fix the pump, but to no avail. Still no one passed. I started walking. No one passed. Eventually after I walked roughly a mile another cyclist stopped and I borrowed a pump. With an inflated tire, I rode the 16 miles back home, not wanting to risk going farther without a pump.

When I got home, I changed and headed out on an 80 minute run. Its not what I'd planned for the day, but not a terrible workout.

Tough Track Work

The shorter stuff has always been tough for me. The longer the workout/race, the better I feel doing it. Short stuff hurts. The track workout tonight was shorter work, but I felt like I got a REALLY good workout.

2 X 800 @ 5:40 pace
2 X 600 @ 5:30 pace
2 X 400 @ 5:20 pace

all with 200 recovery. We also got in 1.75 mile warm-up and a 1.75 mile cool down.

Western States 100 Starts Tomorrow

Should be a fast race this year on both the men's and women's sides.

here are a couple articles from RW that profile the two top men and two top women.

Men

Women

Recovered? I think not...

Image by wallyg via Flickr

Last night we moved the Run to the Runners' Station due to a private event that had Niketown closed to the public. It was the trifecta of NYC Nike Running. We combined the Runners' Station (Ross), The Running Van (Spenser), and Run Club (me). Ramon decided we should run some repeats over the Brooklyn Bridge. Nevermind the flocks of tourists and the fact that we had miles of the running path on the west side to work with. I jogged over with the front group and started up the incline. My calves immediately tightened up, and felt like they were balling up. They were reminding me of the ridiculousness I'd put them through less than a week ago at Mt. Washington. I watched as the front group pulled away. My legs wouldn't carry me up the incline at anything even resembling a decent pace. I mailed it in early and just did one out-and-back on the bridge. As soon as I got back on flat ground, my pace returned to normal and I hauled back to the Station.

I'm taking today off.

More Running

Tuesday I ran with Tiffany during Run Club. We just did some easy miles on the bridal path b/c she's having some shin issues. The rest of the group went up on the road. I felt ok, but not great. logged a little over 6 miles.

Wednesday I went with Run Club out to the track and did speed work. The workout was 800, 1200, 1600, 1200, 800. First three intervals at 5K pace and the last two intervals at 3K pace. I wasn't feeling that great, but muscled through the first three, hitting the 1600 at 6:29. During the 1200, I felt a weird tightness in my leg, so I dropped after a lap and walked it out. I jumped back in on the final 800 and the tightness was gone. The whole workout felt terrible, but I guess that tends to happen after running a tough race the previous weekend.

Swim....Run

no bike tonight, but I got in a decent 35 minute swim (getting just slightly better at bilateral breathing, but I still suck at it) and then knocked out a run. I didn't take a watch and I didn't measure the distance, but if I had to estimate, I'd say it was 6-6.5 miles and I probably did it at around 7:30 average pace.

City Coach Summer Solstice Century (shortened)

I didn't get home from New Hampshire until almost 9 pm last night. By the time I got back, the riders had already been in the saddle for 2 hours. I had debated back and forth if I wanted to head down and ride with them. I finally decided it would be good for me to blow off some steam from a stressful/crappy past couple weeks. I got home, ate a quick bite, and then headed toward Prospect Park.

I don't know why, but I always get mixed up riding down to PP. I have no problem getting back, its super easy, but for some reason...Last night was no exception. I found myself in a somewhat shady area of brooklyn at night, using the GPS on my phone to figure out which street to turn on. Eventually, I got down to the park and started soft pedaling around the loop waiting on the group to catch up. After about a quarter of a lap, Shane caught up to me. We chatted and he told me that he had flatted, so he separated from the group. He and I rode together for a bit and after about another 1/4 of a mile, Shane flatted again. Just then Cane and Leanne caught up, so I latched onto their small group and started riding.

The full group was pretty spread out for much of the beginning of my ride. Eventually Gary caught back up and then we were able to completely regroup when everyone stopped for their food stop. From that point we pretty much rode as a group until the final couple of laps. I found myself out front and decided to pedal out some stress, so I pretty much hammered solo for the last two laps.

I would have liked to have been able to do the full century, but with the ride down to the park and the ride back, I definitely got in over 60 miles. My bike is covered in crap from the ride. The road in the park was wet and we had a nice big 2" deep puddle of water covering the entire road to ride through every lap. I've gotta find some time to clean my bike soon...It looks horrible.

Nothing like knocking out some decent mileage on a Sunday night.

Mt Washington: One tough Run

I took part in the 49th annual Mt. Washington Road Race on Saturday. I put my name in the lottery a long time ago and forgot about it. Then one day I got an email saying I was a lottery winner. So was Shaun. We laughed and joked about it knowing it was far on the horizon. Then Saturday came.

I got up early and ate a bagel, banana, and a clif bar. We made the drive to the start of the of the race, traveling through intermittent rain. When we arrived, the sky was overcast, but no rain was falling. We checked in and wandered around the grounds wasting time until the start of the race. We finally were able to find the guy we had offered a ride down from the summit, loaded the car, and then sent Shaun's mom up to the summit. The report from the summit was that the overhanging clouds were low and that visibility at the summit was over 100 miles. I waited in line for what seemed like forever to go to the bathroom one last time before the race started and then Shaun and I walked up to the starting line.

Shaun wanted to film a bit of the start, so I went into the mass of people and he stood in front of the starting line. The MC said a few things and then a cannon fired (which scared the crap out of everyone) to signal the start of the race. I started out at an easy pace. Shaun ran back to the starting line and then caught up to me, filming as we ran the only flat (short) section on the course. Soon the course started skyward and the sweating began. From the first few steps up the mountain, I knew it was going to be a brutal run.

I quickly left Shaun behind. I actually thought I was running pretty slow, but I guess it was actually "fast" b/c Shaun didn't hang very long. The incline was steep and as I was running, I thought to myself, "there's no way the entire thing is this steep. I'm sure there are sections that will be this bad, but this has to 'flatten out' a little." Shortly after that, I think it might have gotten steeper. Mile 1 came up a lot faster than I was expecting. There were short sections where the road wasn't quite as steep, which actually felt flat, until I looked up and realized the road was still rising before me.

By the time I made it to mile 2 I was already questioning how far I'd be able to run before having to take a walking break. I started bargaining with myself. I'd see a tree or a pole and tell myself I had to run to it. I continued this until I knew I was closing in on the mile 3 marker and then promised myself I had to run until I got to that marker. My calves were burning. The muscles in my lower back were burning. My clothes were soaked with sweat, but I continued making deals with myself.

When I hit mile three, I told myself I had to run to the halfway point before I would allow myself a walking break. However, my pace continued to slow and I found myself walking. I picked it back up and went through the halfway point at 46:58. We had entered the clouds and the temperature was cooling, which seemed to breathe new life into me. I settled into a slow, but steady pace as the road continued skyward. I passed the mile 4 marker and started in on mile five.

The pavement abruptly ended and we ran along a nicely packed gravel road. It was at this point where the road seemed to go vertical. I'm not sure if the road was actually getting steeper or if I was just getting that tired. I had to walk several sections of this stretch. It seemed like one of the longest miles of my life. I kept looking for the mile 5 marker, but it seemed to never appear. Finally, I reached the marker and the road flattened. It wasn't even a faux-flat section. The road was actually flat. I picked up the pace (along with everyone else) and rounded a corner. There were several race photographers snapping away. Around another corner, the road bended skyward again and the course was full of people walking again.

I fought the urge to rest my screaming calves. Visibility had dropped to about 50 feet or so, but the temperature seemed to be warming up again. Somewhere around mile 6, I rounded a corner and the clouds were gone. Clear skies above and clouds below. The transition was so sudden that it took me a little while to look up. As soon as I looked up, I was wishing I hadn't. I could see the road twist up the mountain and the scores of tiny runners making their assault on the peak. I wisely looked away from what was coming and took in my surroundings. The clouds stretched below me as far as the eye could see. There was a single peak protruding from the clouds in the near distance, but other than that, it was a sea of cotton. I put my head down and kept putting one foot in front of the other and worked my way up the road.

I got up to a ridge and was able to look back down on the course where it emerged from the clouds. I imagined someone else coming out of the clouds, seeing my current position, and cursing. It made me laugh on the inside a bit, knowing that's where I was not so long ago. About that time, a girl running next to me blurted out in exasperation, "where is the mile 7 marker!" I laughed out loud, we rounded a corner and saw the marker. There was also a sign that said "photographers ahead, be sure to smile." I figured that meant I should look like I wasn't suffering too much, so I tried to put on my best running "face" and rounded the corner. The Mt. Washington Observatory came into view and I ran past the photographers. I knew I was close to the end, but my legs just didn't want to carry me up the incline.

I promised myself one more short walking break and then began my final assault. The course wound around the back side of the summit and then up to the top. When I got around the back, I finally saw the ridiculous finish. Almost everyone was walking up the final stretch. It was a ridiculous 22% grade. I gritted my teeth and started in. My legs burned as I went up the final couple switch backs, but I could see the finish. There was no way I was going to walk. I made the last turn and picked up my pace to finish strong. I crossed the finish line in 1:40:28.

A blistering ~13:30 pace. It was slow, but I conquered Mt. Washington. I finished 218th out of well over 900 runners. I didn't think that was too bad since I could only run bridges for hill work and since I was at sea level the previous day.

Bilateral breathing: I suck at it

I got back in the pool last night for a quick 30 minutes swim. I really need to start working my breathing from both sides, so I incorporated breathing on my left side. I'm terrible at it. I just can't seem to get it right. Eventually, I suppose. That or I'll drown.

Prior to going to the gym to swim, I knocked out an easy 6 miler at run club with Tiffany.

Nine Mile Monday Night

I needed to relieve a little stress last night, so I went out on a run. I left behind the watch, the sportband, and the ipod. I just ran. When I got to the Williamsburg Bridge I just decided to run it for a while. After a few repeats, I headed home. I got in 9 miles. The weather was amazing, with a slight breeze. There was another girl pounding out repeats on the bridge. We passed each other 4 times during the course of our runs. It made me happy to know someone else was crazy enough to be knocking out bridge repeats at close to midnight on a monday.

Texas A&M wins 2 National Championships!

over the weekend, A&M won both the Men's and the Women's Outdoor Track & Field National Championships!

The Men's Championship came down to the final event. Exciting finish. Read about it here.

The week in review

I've been bad. I haven't updated, but its been a bit of a crazy week.

Last weekend I was able to get in a couple decent runs, including one just over 2 hours. I did a bike/run brick of 55 miles/6 miles.

Wednesday was the Chase Corporate Challenge. The race itself was a complete cluster. Terrible, terrible organization and execution. I managed to run a 22:18, which was a 6:22/mile average. That's definitely the fastest race pace I've ever run in any race.

I'm looking forward to a weekend of running, riding, and swimming. The cervelo should be done soon, which I'm also pretty excited about!

RATW - Recap

3,000 miles.
7 days, 1 hour, 15 minutes, 5 seconds.
92,694 calories burned.
$5,300 raised so far.

It was a long, long week. Riding for 3 hours a day was the easy part. The rest of my week entailed getting up at 3:50 am each morning and working from 9:30-8:15ish every day. I even decided to throw a half marathon into the mix. I was fatigued and dragging for 7 full days, but I wouldn't change it if I could.

The ride was quite surreal at times. After the first 20 minutes or so of riding, Shane would be sleeping soundly as I pedaled away on the computrainer. Each day, I watched the city wake up from behind a glass window. It was as if the outside world was the store window display I was looking at, rather than the opposite. Watching the city wake up was a really cool experience. People walked by. Some were curious, some gave thumbs up or waved. Others stood and watched a little too long--creepy. Then there were the people who had to be stereotypical New Yorkers. They walked by and didn't acknowledge that anything was even going on.

Saturday was probably my favorite of the days, simply because of the craziness of it all. I had an adjusted shift from 4-7 am, rode 56 miles, jumped on a train, and went to run the Brooklyn Half. The running felt way too easy. I cruised through to a 1:36:xx finish without really even trying too hard. I thought sunday would be rough, but I knocked out 54 miles without much trouble. Monday started out rough, but ended up being my best day of riding. Tuesday, I was rewarded with a day of soft-pedaling. I only had to hold about 14.5 mile per hour pace, which resulted in an easy 37 mile day.

The finale was pretty low-key, yet very fitting. JC finished up to a smattering of cheers and applause from a small crowd of customers, fellow riders, a few friends, and store employees. The group of riders posed for pictures both inside and outside of the store, and surprisingly, we were able to amass all 8 riders in the middle of a work day.

It was pretty amazing that we pulled this off over the course of a week without any major injuries and not a single person showing up late for their shift. I'd like to thank each and every person who came by and supported not just me, but any rider. The gatorade, mt. dews, food, gels and such were great, but the important part was your physical presence. It was an amazing pick-me-up, especially for those of us who rode through the night and early morning.

Thanks to JC and Shane for organizing and overseeing the event. I know you guys were running on fumes. Thanks to my teammates who pedaled the other 21 hours of the day. Thanks to all for the donations. And most of all, thanks to JC for inviting me to be a part of the team.

Five Years Ago Today...

We mounted our bicycles and began an epic journey to Alaska.

RATW Update

Sorry for the lack of updates on race across the window, but I've been tired. I'm currently about 30 miles into day #5. Yes, I'm typing this on my blackberry while riding.

I've gotten at least 50 miles in every day, including a 56 miler yesterday which I capped off with the brooklyn half marathon. I ran a 1:36:xx to finish off 2/3 of a half ironman.

I can't wait to finish up this last 80 minutes and then go back to bed!

RATW - Day 1

I've been up since 4 am and I'm completely exhausted. I've been ingesting a steady supply of caffeine, but it seems to only be keeping me from passing out, not giving me any energy.

After taking off most of last week (although I did run 1.5 mile repeats up Gore Mountain on saturday), I jumped head first into Race Across the Window. We started yesterday at 11 am, but since my shift is from 5-8 am, I didn't have my first ride until this morning. I got up at 4, packed my backpack and rode through the darkness from Brooklyn to JackRabbit in Manhattan. When I got there, the store was completely dark save the lights in the front window. Shane was furiously pedaling shirtless in an empty store.

He let me in and while I readied for the my turn, he finished off his shift on the bike. After a quick calibration, I was off and riding. Shane stretched and showered while I clicked of the first of my miles. Just under and hour into my ride, I looked out the window to my left and saw Bev's smiling face. We let her in the store and she quickly volunteered to go get food for me and coffee for Shane. She returned with a couple bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwiches and a Mt. Dew. I quickly ate half the sandwich and started ingesting the sweet sugar and caffeine.

Bev kept me entertained, while I tried to ignore the fatigue in my legs. Killer showed up to bring Shane more coffee and chat with us. I waved to several passersby as they stopped to read the info on RATW and watch me pedal. Roz showed up a short time later with cupcakes, but unfortunately I had already met my quota for sugar and didn't really want one. Roz snapped some pictures and then I finished my shift mashing the pedals.

I ended up logging a little over 50 miles and averaged 18.5 mph. The first couple hours weren't too bad, but after that, things started getting uncomfortable. Hopefully wearing better shorts tomorrow will relieve some of the pain.

A HUGE thanks to Bev, Roz, and Killer for coming by this morning. It really helped get me through. Tomorrow I do it all over again...

It hurts so good

I'm sore. Ridiculously sore. I'm in pain. I'm hobbling.

And I'm loving every minute of it.

I have an entire year to think about Boston. By the time it actually comes around, I might explode from sheer giddiness. Saturday I was just another marathoner. Yesterday, I became a Boston Qualifier.

BOSTON BOUND!

3:05:17, 28th overall, and 7th in my AG. I'll type up a race report later, but here are my splits:

Mile 1: 7:13
Mile 2: 6:59
Mile 3: 7:00
Mile 4: 7:19
Mile 5: 7:04
Mile 6: 7:15
Mile 7: 7:09
Mile 8: 7:03
Mile 9: 6:14
Mile 10: 6:42
Mile 11: 7:04
Mile 12: 7:13
Mile 13: 7:19
Mile 14: 7:09
Mile 15: 7:08
Mile 16: 6:53
Mile 17: 6:58
Mile 18: 6:53
Mile 19: 7:05
Mile 20: 7:02
Mile 21: 7:01
Mile 22: 7:11
Mile 23: 7:18
Mile 24: 7:15
Mile 25: 7:02
Mile 26: 7:08
Mile .2: 1:27

I was fairly consistent with my pacing. You can see where the hills were (both up and down). Although miles 16, 17, and 18 weren't anything super steep. I like seeing strong miles late in the race.

Almost Finished

Taper Tuesday

4.5 relatively easy miles tonight.

I'm going absolutely crazy. I need to run this race now. The taper is killing me. I'm just ready to run...5 more days of doing very little. I'm ridiculously antsy.

The good news is, the weather is looking better. Right now the forecast is a low of 44 and a high of 64. I just hope it stays that way.

Coach Cane and I discussed a strategy for the race last night. If I stick to it and do what I think I can, Scott will be a very happy person come sunday afternoon.

Hiking at the Delaware Water Gap

Today I took a group out to the DWG for one of my last trips for AS. It was the first time I'd been out there hiking since last fall. The weather was perfect and I had a good group, which always makes things more enjoyable. We went up the usual red dot trail to Mt. Tammany and then wound our way back down the blue trail. Instead of returning following the stream, we turned and retraced the route back up to Mt. Tammany and down the red dot trail. Not a lot of wildlife, but we did come across a large snake (probably a rat snake) that was laying on the side of the trail. I think the total mileage for the day was somewhere between 7 and 8 miles. Not too bad.