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.