I became a runner in 1977 when I joined the junior varsity indoor track team and realized immediately that I would never be a sprinter but I likely running distance. I ran the two mile indoor race, very slowly. I do not remember my finishing times, but I was almost always that last one across the finish line. I was 15, and liked running. The training runs included 6 and 8 mile loops up Heart Break Hill, and around the Chestnut Hill Resevoir on the Newton /Brookline line. I was a sophomore at Newton North High School, the running craze was huge, and my family would watch the Boston Marathon on Comm. Ave, near Braeburn Country Club, on farther along near the Newton City Hall.
My dad thought that sports would be good for his nerdy younger son (my brother was more of a natural athlete). I remember what a big deal it was when my dad brought me to Quin's Sports Shop (I think that is what it was called) to buy my first pair of running shoes. They were Addidas Country, white and with green trim, leather, and they cost an unbelieveable $30.00. I ran just one season of indoor track, but I saw myself from that moment on as a runner.
For the next 8 years I was a bicycle racer, and I lived on my bicycle. Then after college I did not have time to race, or train or even ride my bicycle. Flash forward and I am 30 years old. I am overwieght, and out of shape and on a day hike with my wife and our friends. We start running up and down the trail jsut goofing around. I looked my wife and I wife and said "I have to run. I need to buy a pair of running shoes and start running. But I don't know if I will be able to do this unless I try." We had very little money so the idea of buying a pair of running shoes to see if I could be a runner was a bit a leap.
Bang! I became a runner again. After a 15 year break I was running again. I ran most summers, and stopped in the fall when it got dark and cold. In 1996 I ran my first road race a 5K. My race goals were simple, do not finish last, and break the 10 minute mile. I was not last, and averaged a 9:27 pace.
In 1997 I ran two road races. In 1998 I ran 8 races and in 1999 I ran a dozen races including the Cape Cod Marathon. I thought that I would run one marathon a year but life gets in the way some times.
November 2002, I had just turned 40, my mother had died in September after a long battle with cancer, and again I was really overwieght again and out of shape. I had avoided a few of my favorite races that year because I did not want to know how slow I had become. My clothes were tight and my job was just burying me. My son was 2, and my wife and I were getting more confident in our ability to raise him. I decided that exercise (running and going the local Y) had become a priority. My wife and I had also decided to join weight watchers in January.
I started running again that December. With the support of my running friends and a desire to run a fall marathon I worked out pretty hard. Weight Watchers was a godsend for me. When I joined weight watchers I was up to 195 (I had been down to 170 when I ran the Cape Cod Marathon) I lost weight quickly. By February I ran a PR in a local 10 miler that I had been running for years. By the end of April 2003 I had lost 40 lbs.. I was running PR's in all of my races. Weekly speed training became apart of my regular work out routine.
It has been quite a ride for me. I qualified for Boston at Hartford in 2003 with a time of 3:09:36. I ran Boston last year in the heat in 3:20:42. I ran Hartford again in 3:09:01 (I went out hard and fast to break three hours, crashed and burned), and now I am running Boston again in 5 days.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Monday, April 04, 2005
A Fast Five Two Weeks Before Boston
It really is two weeks til Boston. I just stepped out for a five mile jaunt more to burn some calories than for any desire to train. When I train I am very disciplined, and when I taper - I really taper. That said I had a great run tonight. It was 42 degrees and mostly clear. I have been a walking zombie for much of today, but tonight's run really brought me back.
Work is insane these days. I am the greenhouse manager for an herbaceous perennial nursery in Deerfield, and it is still too cold to put plants outside, but our greenhouses are full. We make room by shipping plants out to our customers, often begging them to take the plants early. Of course we will soon be on the phone with a number of growers explaining that their plants are on the way, but delayed. Every week I go through my crop schedule and decide what plants need to be planted now, and what can wait. Besides the greenhouses the farm has 35 + acres of field grown perennials. The field is my biggest customer in 8 weeks I have to deliver about 500000 plants to the field. We are propagators. We grow small plants and sell them other nurseries that will pot them up and sell them to garden centers.
That is my life. Work, play with Ben, and run. Occasionally see my wife when we are not working.
Balance is what life is about. When I find some I will post its secret here.
Good night.
Work is insane these days. I am the greenhouse manager for an herbaceous perennial nursery in Deerfield, and it is still too cold to put plants outside, but our greenhouses are full. We make room by shipping plants out to our customers, often begging them to take the plants early. Of course we will soon be on the phone with a number of growers explaining that their plants are on the way, but delayed. Every week I go through my crop schedule and decide what plants need to be planted now, and what can wait. Besides the greenhouses the farm has 35 + acres of field grown perennials. The field is my biggest customer in 8 weeks I have to deliver about 500000 plants to the field. We are propagators. We grow small plants and sell them other nurseries that will pot them up and sell them to garden centers.
That is my life. Work, play with Ben, and run. Occasionally see my wife when we are not working.
Balance is what life is about. When I find some I will post its secret here.
Good night.
Saturday, April 02, 2005
Two Weeks Til The Boston Marathon and It's Time to Taper
I have not posted any thing in four weeks, so a quick update is required. I feel better prepared than I did when I made my last post. I have run 2 more 20 mile runs and the New Bedford Half Marathon over the last three weekends. Sunday I will go out for 12 miles, if Mill Village Road is not washed out ( four inches of rain is predicted).
Last year my number in the Boston Marathon was 4540, this year I ran Hartford 35 seconds faster and my number has improved to 4144. The official race information has arrived that includes a postcard that I have to bring to the race expo to retreive my number and chip. I am getting excited about the marathon. I hope the weather is not insane.
At the New Bedford Half Marathon I had a great day and ran a PR time of 86:19. This was unexpected and really wonderful. My pace was 6:35 per mile, which strikes me still as hard to believe. The great thing about this race for me was that I was not trying to run a specific time. I wanted to run the best race that I could, and I did. I ran a very measured race, and found my self running strong and fast through mile 12. I now believe that I can run a PR at Boston and I am going to keep my goals simple.
Last year my number in the Boston Marathon was 4540, this year I ran Hartford 35 seconds faster and my number has improved to 4144. The official race information has arrived that includes a postcard that I have to bring to the race expo to retreive my number and chip. I am getting excited about the marathon. I hope the weather is not insane.
At the New Bedford Half Marathon I had a great day and ran a PR time of 86:19. This was unexpected and really wonderful. My pace was 6:35 per mile, which strikes me still as hard to believe. The great thing about this race for me was that I was not trying to run a specific time. I wanted to run the best race that I could, and I did. I ran a very measured race, and found my self running strong and fast through mile 12. I now believe that I can run a PR at Boston and I am going to keep my goals simple.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
One More March Storm
Just under 6 weeks til the marathon, and I am getting nervous about my lack of recent mileage. The lingering winter weather has not helped. I have managed 3 twenty mile + runs, the last one at a 7:31 pace, but I have not run long in three weeks. Scary. I the Jones Town and Country a week ago Sunday, and this weekend Lisa and I visited her family. So this Sunday I have a 21 mile run planned, and then a half marathon on the 20th, and my last 20 on the 27th. That should do it.
It is March but last night we got slammed with a winter storm that came in with 50 mph winds and near zero temperatures. The storm started as rain in the morning. I ran 10 miles in a 38 F rain before work. Then the weather got ugly.
I did not run tonight, I am taking a class at Biet Ahavah called a Taste of Judaism. It is an introductory three night mini seminar on what it means to be a Jew. It has been an interesting experience, but I have been able to run Wednesday nights last week and tonight. Next week is the last night of the seminar. I may take a more involved course in Judaism after this introduction.
So tonight, I am heading off to the synagogue early because Lisa volentered me to help set up. That is good because I like to help out, but I am running tight on time when I drive my car in to a mud hole hidden by the snow and ice from last night in my drive way. The car sinks in the mud, there is a foot of water around. I ran back to the house and took Lisa's Legacy to the seminar. After the class I tried digging the car out, snow blowing around it, and finally calling A.A.A.. An hour later my car was out of the mud and back on paved part of the road.
It is March but last night we got slammed with a winter storm that came in with 50 mph winds and near zero temperatures. The storm started as rain in the morning. I ran 10 miles in a 38 F rain before work. Then the weather got ugly.
I did not run tonight, I am taking a class at Biet Ahavah called a Taste of Judaism. It is an introductory three night mini seminar on what it means to be a Jew. It has been an interesting experience, but I have been able to run Wednesday nights last week and tonight. Next week is the last night of the seminar. I may take a more involved course in Judaism after this introduction.
So tonight, I am heading off to the synagogue early because Lisa volentered me to help set up. That is good because I like to help out, but I am running tight on time when I drive my car in to a mud hole hidden by the snow and ice from last night in my drive way. The car sinks in the mud, there is a foot of water around. I ran back to the house and took Lisa's Legacy to the seminar. After the class I tried digging the car out, snow blowing around it, and finally calling A.A.A.. An hour later my car was out of the mud and back on paved part of the road.
Monday, February 28, 2005
More on the Jones-Town and Country
Here are some funny observations on yesterday's 10 miler. The race was won by local speed god Paul Low. He won the race easilly in 53:30. Under the heading of speed is in the eye of the beholder, Paul Low said, "It was so slow at the beginning." He lead the pack through the first mile in 5:27.
There were 361 finishers, first male was Paul Low, first female his wife Kelli Lusk in 1:03.09.
The turn out was low. It was clear, cold and windy day. The course is all about hills with three steep climbs in the last mile. This race is a must do for me. I love the course because you can not just run it. The course begins fast with a mostly down hill run over two miles, then a very steep mile up hill followed by two more miles of mostly up hill running. Miles six and seven are fast mostly down hill. Mile 8 is an up and down stretch. Mile 9 has a good long up hill in the last third. Then the final mile has three short steep hills, with a down hill finish in to the Wildwood School parking lot.
Post race is always the best part of a race, especially if the race went well. A piece of pizza, a yogurt, a powerade, and a small bowl of soup waited for the finishers. Then came shared race moments with friends and strangers.
There were 361 finishers, first male was Paul Low, first female his wife Kelli Lusk in 1:03.09.
The turn out was low. It was clear, cold and windy day. The course is all about hills with three steep climbs in the last mile. This race is a must do for me. I love the course because you can not just run it. The course begins fast with a mostly down hill run over two miles, then a very steep mile up hill followed by two more miles of mostly up hill running. Miles six and seven are fast mostly down hill. Mile 8 is an up and down stretch. Mile 9 has a good long up hill in the last third. Then the final mile has three short steep hills, with a down hill finish in to the Wildwood School parking lot.
Post race is always the best part of a race, especially if the race went well. A piece of pizza, a yogurt, a powerade, and a small bowl of soup waited for the finishers. Then came shared race moments with friends and strangers.
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Jones-Town & Country 10 Miler
It is an amazing gift that you have if you can line up on a starting line in February for a ten mile road race with the assumption that you will finish. Most people can not do this. So if you can, you really have no reason to get all wigged out because you did not finish as fast as you wanted to. We are all guilty of this. Once you can run a 10 mile race, you want to run it faster. And once you have run 10 miles fast, it seems to be the end of the world if you do not match or exceed your performance next time.
Fast is relative of course. I heard too many people say today, "I ran really fast, for me." For me. There should be no need for the apologetic acknowledgement of one's own accomplishments. You know if you ran fast, it should not matter that your definition of fast and another's definition are so far apart. I have run the Jones-Town & Country 10 Miler six times in the last seven years. It is one of my favorite races, and I have many times run great races there . Great is not what it used to be. Today I ran a good race. I have gotten faster over the last two years, so that a fast run today could not hav been imaged two years ago.
Right now I am sore, and exhausted. In seven weeks, bring on Boston.
Fast is relative of course. I heard too many people say today, "I ran really fast, for me." For me. There should be no need for the apologetic acknowledgement of one's own accomplishments. You know if you ran fast, it should not matter that your definition of fast and another's definition are so far apart. I have run the Jones-Town & Country 10 Miler six times in the last seven years. It is one of my favorite races, and I have many times run great races there . Great is not what it used to be. Today I ran a good race. I have gotten faster over the last two years, so that a fast run today could not hav been imaged two years ago.
Right now I am sore, and exhausted. In seven weeks, bring on Boston.
Monday, February 21, 2005
Thoughts Before A Long Morning on the Road
Sunday morning 5:20A.M. (yesterday)
Do I really want to do this? It's cold out. It is warm in bed. I should go out. Yhea, right. Must do long run. Ben will be up soon. Can not wake up Ben.
It is dark out. Coffee. Coffee. Coffee. Press red button on Braun coffee maker. Italian Roast from Trader Joes. Brain beginning to function. Coffee good. Oatmeal in crock pot since last night, perfect after seven hours.
Okay, I am up. Am I really going to do this? 8 degrees outside, 65 inside. Time for breakfast.
Oatmeal with bannana, and brown sugar. Gatorade. Pack up a Power Bar and more Gatorade for the run. More coffee. Good thing I laid my clothes out last night, and ground the coffee. The weather guys said 10 dgrees. It is ten outside. I have synthetic every thing on today (except for the Smart Wool socks). Two pairs of tights, cool max shirt, Bergeline long sleeve, Hind long sleeve, wind proof top, and another pull over. Gloves, synthetic balaklava, wool hat and scarf.
This will be worth it. I hope it is worth it. Yhea, it's worth it.
Open the front door, step out side and turn on the Garmin. 6:40 A.M. It's cold, but here I go....
Do I really want to do this? It's cold out. It is warm in bed. I should go out. Yhea, right. Must do long run. Ben will be up soon. Can not wake up Ben.
It is dark out. Coffee. Coffee. Coffee. Press red button on Braun coffee maker. Italian Roast from Trader Joes. Brain beginning to function. Coffee good. Oatmeal in crock pot since last night, perfect after seven hours.
Okay, I am up. Am I really going to do this? 8 degrees outside, 65 inside. Time for breakfast.
Oatmeal with bannana, and brown sugar. Gatorade. Pack up a Power Bar and more Gatorade for the run. More coffee. Good thing I laid my clothes out last night, and ground the coffee. The weather guys said 10 dgrees. It is ten outside. I have synthetic every thing on today (except for the Smart Wool socks). Two pairs of tights, cool max shirt, Bergeline long sleeve, Hind long sleeve, wind proof top, and another pull over. Gloves, synthetic balaklava, wool hat and scarf.
This will be worth it. I hope it is worth it. Yhea, it's worth it.
Open the front door, step out side and turn on the Garmin. 6:40 A.M. It's cold, but here I go....
Friday, February 18, 2005
This is me
Hartford Marathon, October 2004
I am trying to get this picture in my profile. Until I do, this is me.
Monday, February 14, 2005
Nine Weeks to Boston
Yesterday I got off my second 20 miler in two weeks with a solo run to Amherst and back. I headed off just after dawn and ran on slippery roads through a thick snow squall. This is a flat course that ran one morning last summer. It is a good run when you want to check away from all that country road solitude that I usually run with.
I do most of my runs solo, including the long runs. I could not have made these runs a few years ago, simply because I used to get wigged out running alone for so long. The Amherst - Northampton railtrail was my running course of choice for long runs, I like to see that there other humans out there. I must be gettings older or something, but I no longer mind the three plus hours of solitude that my long runs provide.
I just got in from a 4.5 mile run around town. I headed out a little after 10:00 PM, and ran out to North Main Street to Routes 5&10, and back. There was a fresh layer of snow on the ground and a freezing ran was coming down. By the time I got home the rain had become heavy. Slippery cold and wet, it does not get any better. My late night roads are slow. I can deal with this.
Wednesday night I have board meeting with my running club, the Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club. Pizza, upcoming races and awards for the most improved runners come out. The web link to SMAC is http://www.sugarloafmac.org/ .
I do most of my runs solo, including the long runs. I could not have made these runs a few years ago, simply because I used to get wigged out running alone for so long. The Amherst - Northampton railtrail was my running course of choice for long runs, I like to see that there other humans out there. I must be gettings older or something, but I no longer mind the three plus hours of solitude that my long runs provide.
I just got in from a 4.5 mile run around town. I headed out a little after 10:00 PM, and ran out to North Main Street to Routes 5&10, and back. There was a fresh layer of snow on the ground and a freezing ran was coming down. By the time I got home the rain had become heavy. Slippery cold and wet, it does not get any better. My late night roads are slow. I can deal with this.
Wednesday night I have board meeting with my running club, the Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club. Pizza, upcoming races and awards for the most improved runners come out. The web link to SMAC is http://www.sugarloafmac.org/ .
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
First 20 down, and 10 Weeks to Go
Running brings to mind the gifts we are given in life. For me running keeps me balanced in the rest of my life. Three hours out or even 35 minutes around town and my crazy existence becomes makes sense. Work creates stress, and running releaves it.
I ran my first 20 miler of the year yesterday with my friend Donna. We ran a hilly route through Deerfield in excelent weather. The temperature was about 25 at the beginning of the run , and pushing 40 by the end. No frozen Gatorade at the end of this run. Our pace was fast, steady and felt good for the whole run. More than logging time and distance it was great to share perspectives on running and training with another runner who is as serious about her running as I am with my own.
It is ten weeks from the Boston Marathon, and I will try to pack in 5 more twenty milers in the next 7 weeks. Six 20's have been the core of my marathon prep for my last two marathons. The plan is simple. Train the distance, run at least half of the long runs fast. I am not a person to plan out intervals, tempo runs and long slow runs in advance. A typical training week for me is this:
Monday - Think about running.
Tuesday - 5 to 6 miles around either before work and late night. Run slow because I am usually tired at night. Pace likely to be 6:35 to 9:35 miles.
Wednesday-See Tuesday.
Thursday - Speed work- This my tread mill time at the Greenfield Y. I will run 7 to 11 miles on the treadmills in 50 to 75 minutes. I also do a around on the nautilus loop. Once a week I do not mind running on a treadmill. The secret for me to enjoy the treadmill is to go fast enough that if I slip I'll be tossed into brick wall and killed instantly.
Friday - See Monday or Tuesday.
Saturday - 4 to 10 miles, slow because I am running long the next day.
Sunday - 16 to 24 miles. These are often the fastest runs that I will do all week (except for Thursday). I do about half my long runs under an 8:00 pace.
This is basically my running program. In the summer instead of the Y I run in a weekly 5K training race (then I will run the course one or two more times). My weekly summer mileage is higher than my winter running goals. Last summer I topped out my weekly mileage at 62 miles, in the winter I will not likely get about 55 miles. Most weeks will be bellow 50 miles.
I ran my first 20 miler of the year yesterday with my friend Donna. We ran a hilly route through Deerfield in excelent weather. The temperature was about 25 at the beginning of the run , and pushing 40 by the end. No frozen Gatorade at the end of this run. Our pace was fast, steady and felt good for the whole run. More than logging time and distance it was great to share perspectives on running and training with another runner who is as serious about her running as I am with my own.
It is ten weeks from the Boston Marathon, and I will try to pack in 5 more twenty milers in the next 7 weeks. Six 20's have been the core of my marathon prep for my last two marathons. The plan is simple. Train the distance, run at least half of the long runs fast. I am not a person to plan out intervals, tempo runs and long slow runs in advance. A typical training week for me is this:
Monday - Think about running.
Tuesday - 5 to 6 miles around either before work and late night. Run slow because I am usually tired at night. Pace likely to be 6:35 to 9:35 miles.
Wednesday-See Tuesday.
Thursday - Speed work- This my tread mill time at the Greenfield Y. I will run 7 to 11 miles on the treadmills in 50 to 75 minutes. I also do a around on the nautilus loop. Once a week I do not mind running on a treadmill. The secret for me to enjoy the treadmill is to go fast enough that if I slip I'll be tossed into brick wall and killed instantly.
Friday - See Monday or Tuesday.
Saturday - 4 to 10 miles, slow because I am running long the next day.
Sunday - 16 to 24 miles. These are often the fastest runs that I will do all week (except for Thursday). I do about half my long runs under an 8:00 pace.
This is basically my running program. In the summer instead of the Y I run in a weekly 5K training race (then I will run the course one or two more times). My weekly summer mileage is higher than my winter running goals. Last summer I topped out my weekly mileage at 62 miles, in the winter I will not likely get about 55 miles. Most weeks will be bellow 50 miles.
Sunday, February 06, 2005
Saturday, February 05, 2005
Friday, February 04, 2005
Running On
I had a long day of gettting little done at work today after I offered to bring the company truck to the dealer's service center in Westminster, VT (an hour's drive). The plan was simple:
1. Drive truck to shop for service.
2.Bring about 2 to 3 hours of work with me so that I could waite for the truck to be finished.
3.Be back by noon.
I should have just bagged it all early and called for a ride. At 5:30PM my boss picked me up because the truck had to stay for a computer issue. Oh well. Let's talk about running.
It should be a four day running week this week. I managed about 5.5 miles late night on Tuesday.
Tonight after work and a quick bite to eat with the family I headed to the Y for my Thursday night work out. I ran 10.9 miles in 75 minutes. For me this was a really great run. I imagined running the Boston Marathon, which I will do this April (ran it last year for the first time). My imagined run was absolutely wonderful with none of the pain and fatigue of the real thing.
Training is going well. My Thursday night tread mill runs have been fast, solid workouts. My Sunday runs have been done diligently, and this past Sunday's 18 miler had some moments of speed, I have not been in my groove for a long run in this training cycle. Maybe tonight is sign that things are about to turn around.
I am slowing learning how to post pictures to the web, and to this Blog. I still do not understand the process well enough. The picture of me in Holland was supposed to be in my profile. It is close.
I signed up for the Jones Town and Country 10 miler in Amherst. This is a great race that comes on the final Sunday of February. My goal is to finish in 66 minutes. The course is very hilly, and ends with a final two miles of mostly up hill running. Before the Boston Marathon I will run the 10 miler, the New Bedford Half-Marathon, and the Ron Herbert 8 miler. Should be fun.
1. Drive truck to shop for service.
2.Bring about 2 to 3 hours of work with me so that I could waite for the truck to be finished.
3.Be back by noon.
I should have just bagged it all early and called for a ride. At 5:30PM my boss picked me up because the truck had to stay for a computer issue. Oh well. Let's talk about running.
It should be a four day running week this week. I managed about 5.5 miles late night on Tuesday.
Tonight after work and a quick bite to eat with the family I headed to the Y for my Thursday night work out. I ran 10.9 miles in 75 minutes. For me this was a really great run. I imagined running the Boston Marathon, which I will do this April (ran it last year for the first time). My imagined run was absolutely wonderful with none of the pain and fatigue of the real thing.
Training is going well. My Thursday night tread mill runs have been fast, solid workouts. My Sunday runs have been done diligently, and this past Sunday's 18 miler had some moments of speed, I have not been in my groove for a long run in this training cycle. Maybe tonight is sign that things are about to turn around.
I am slowing learning how to post pictures to the web, and to this Blog. I still do not understand the process well enough. The picture of me in Holland was supposed to be in my profile. It is close.
I signed up for the Jones Town and Country 10 miler in Amherst. This is a great race that comes on the final Sunday of February. My goal is to finish in 66 minutes. The course is very hilly, and ends with a final two miles of mostly up hill running. Before the Boston Marathon I will run the 10 miler, the New Bedford Half-Marathon, and the Ron Herbert 8 miler. Should be fun.
Monday, January 31, 2005
18 Down and Running Economy
Sunday's 18 mile run was indeed 18. No bad weather, bad kharma or lost inspiration for this run. I did hilly loop in Deerfield starting out the door at about 7:30 A.M. It was 12 degrees F when I headed out the door and 25 when I returned. A stop at Jerry's place for a bagel and coffee after the first 2 miles helped to keep me on track. I have about 8 weeks of serious running ahead of me to get ready for Boston. The last three before the marathon are tapering weeks meant more for recovery from training than any further conditioning.
Next Sunday I will make another loop on most of the same roads for 20 miles. River Road, Hillside, North Hillside, Upper Road, Lower Road., hills. Up hills, down hills. Donna and I will try again to meet at Sugarloaf at 7:00A.M..
Donna is running a 100 miler in May down in Virginia. She thinks that it will take her between 25 and 30 hours to finish this thing. I have signed on as her pacer for the last 30 miles. My job will be to run alongside her and keep her going when her body and mind say enough is enough. Donna did say that I could jump in around mile 50 for the last 50, but then I would need a pacer. This will be an adventure.
Next Sunday I will make another loop on most of the same roads for 20 miles. River Road, Hillside, North Hillside, Upper Road, Lower Road., hills. Up hills, down hills. Donna and I will try again to meet at Sugarloaf at 7:00A.M..
Donna is running a 100 miler in May down in Virginia. She thinks that it will take her between 25 and 30 hours to finish this thing. I have signed on as her pacer for the last 30 miles. My job will be to run alongside her and keep her going when her body and mind say enough is enough. Donna did say that I could jump in around mile 50 for the last 50, but then I would need a pacer. This will be an adventure.
So it's freaking cold and you hate to be cold, but you gotta run, but it's freaking cold so whatta you gonna do? You have to dress for the elements. Here is observation on wardrobe that I had a while back on a long cold run. Thoreau's Economy, not in long shot. This is what it takes for me to stay warm when I run.
- Two pairs of running tights, $40.00 * 2 = $80.00
- Running socks (double layer), $6.50
- New Balance 856 ( favorite running shoe in years), $75.00
- Super Feet inserts (I have very flat feet), $30.00
- Poly Glove liners, and heavy gloves, $15.00 + $30.00=$45.00
- Polypro underwear, $6.50
- Bergeline top, New Balance heavy top, and Hind Hydrator top. $30.00+$30.00+$45.00=$105
- Poly baliclava, and wool hat, $15.00+$25.00=$40.00
- Luminite Wool Blend Pullover Jacket, $65.00
Total so far: $453.00
Add on my Garmin Forerunner GPS, $150.00,
Grand Total: $603.00
Running suddenly does not sound so cheap after all. The one good thing about this list is that I have aquired all this stuff over the last five or six years. I couldn't cough up this much for running in one dose without feeling ill. Also you can get by with many layers of old clothing to simply avoid freezing.
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Making this Short
Running update.
Boston is little more than 11 weeks away. I have serious training ahead of me. I am running well at the Y on a treadmill. I have not been on the road since Sunday, and tomorrow I am out for 18 miles.
Thurday I ran 7.25 miles at in 50 minutes on a treadmill. I started out slow, but finished the last mile and half at better than a 6 1/2 minute pace.
Donna has asked me to pace her over the last 30 miles of a Virginia 100 mile run in May. This could be fun. I have cleared this with Lisa. It will be an interesting adventure.
Keep on running,
Running Guy
Boston is little more than 11 weeks away. I have serious training ahead of me. I am running well at the Y on a treadmill. I have not been on the road since Sunday, and tomorrow I am out for 18 miles.
Thurday I ran 7.25 miles at in 50 minutes on a treadmill. I started out slow, but finished the last mile and half at better than a 6 1/2 minute pace.
Donna has asked me to pace her over the last 30 miles of a Virginia 100 mile run in May. This could be fun. I have cleared this with Lisa. It will be an interesting adventure.
Keep on running,
Running Guy
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Post Blizzard of 2005
I went out for a seven mile run around town Sunday morning. The wind was gusting at 25 to 35 mph, and it was about 8 degrees. I had so many layers on I could have withstood a direct hit from a snow plow and not known it. The weather was not a problem, but a longer run could have been a bad idea.
There were no cars on the road at 9:00 A. M. Sunday morning. The snow really shut things down, but there were a few people at the Deerfield Market, and a niehbor at Jerry's Place.
I went out mainly to prove that I could. Also, I needed to have some mileage to record. I am training to for the Boston Marathon, so skipping a long run on the weekend is a problem. Mostly mileage is a mental problem. I need to run to prepare for the marathon, but I need to run to simply convince myself that I can. You have to run to prepare. What ever you do, you have believe that you have prepared for this.
When I got home Ben wanted to play with me in his room with his trains. Kids are a handful, sometimes it seems that it is too much keep your cool when they are driving you nutz. Then there are times where Ben looks at me with total trust, and gives me a piece of his cookie, or toy, and I can only wonder how anyone with children could be an asshole.
Children are so precious, how can any one who has one not want to be the best person they can be? Ben is four. Ben inspires my wife and I to be better people, then there are those days where Ben is really four and we look at each other and think, "Ebay, we can sell him on Ebay."
Keep on running. I have to find out what Donna did for a run yesterday.
There were no cars on the road at 9:00 A. M. Sunday morning. The snow really shut things down, but there were a few people at the Deerfield Market, and a niehbor at Jerry's Place.
I went out mainly to prove that I could. Also, I needed to have some mileage to record. I am training to for the Boston Marathon, so skipping a long run on the weekend is a problem. Mostly mileage is a mental problem. I need to run to prepare for the marathon, but I need to run to simply convince myself that I can. You have to run to prepare. What ever you do, you have believe that you have prepared for this.
When I got home Ben wanted to play with me in his room with his trains. Kids are a handful, sometimes it seems that it is too much keep your cool when they are driving you nutz. Then there are times where Ben looks at me with total trust, and gives me a piece of his cookie, or toy, and I can only wonder how anyone with children could be an asshole.
Children are so precious, how can any one who has one not want to be the best person they can be? Ben is four. Ben inspires my wife and I to be better people, then there are those days where Ben is really four and we look at each other and think, "Ebay, we can sell him on Ebay."
Keep on running. I have to find out what Donna did for a run yesterday.
Sunday, January 23, 2005
Maybe a long run isn't such a great idea.
Tonight I got back from the Y and my wife told me that I had a message from my friend Donna on the answering machine. It has been brutally cold here in New England, and now we have a blizzard bearing down on us.
Donna is an ultra marathoner. She runs 100 mile races and finishes in top 25% or better. The great thing about having a friend who is an ultramarathoner is that her workouts make mine look pretty reasonable. I am running two marathons a year, she runs neary four marathons in 21 hours. When I need make my training look reasonableI to my wife, I just have to point to Donna and I am off the hook.
So, Donna is tough. She is as dedicated a runner as I know and I like training with her. I have run many winter long runs with her over the last two years. The weather has never been an issue worth cancelling a run in the past. We have run in rain, snow and sub zerotemps with strong winds on top of that. She called tonight to cancell tomorow's 18 miler. She was so appolegetic for wimping out on a run in 24 inches of snow, with temperatures around 9 F, wind chills in the -20's. I was not planning on going out for 18 miles in those conditions to save my soul. I will try for 4 to 6 miles in the morning.
My last two Marathons have have included only two long runs with other people. Last February I went out with Donna and five of her running buddies for a 20 mile run throught the Pelham Hills and Mount Licoln in Pelham, MA. It was cold but the run was great. Every one on that run was planning to do the Boston Marathon in April; I knew that I was in great company.
You can run for many different reasons, but if you do you will find a community that accepts you not because your a great runner, but because you are a runner. Show up often enough, and you are in.
Donna is an ultra marathoner. She runs 100 mile races and finishes in top 25% or better. The great thing about having a friend who is an ultramarathoner is that her workouts make mine look pretty reasonable. I am running two marathons a year, she runs neary four marathons in 21 hours. When I need make my training look reasonableI to my wife, I just have to point to Donna and I am off the hook.
So, Donna is tough. She is as dedicated a runner as I know and I like training with her. I have run many winter long runs with her over the last two years. The weather has never been an issue worth cancelling a run in the past. We have run in rain, snow and sub zerotemps with strong winds on top of that. She called tonight to cancell tomorow's 18 miler. She was so appolegetic for wimping out on a run in 24 inches of snow, with temperatures around 9 F, wind chills in the -20's. I was not planning on going out for 18 miles in those conditions to save my soul. I will try for 4 to 6 miles in the morning.
My last two Marathons have have included only two long runs with other people. Last February I went out with Donna and five of her running buddies for a 20 mile run throught the Pelham Hills and Mount Licoln in Pelham, MA. It was cold but the run was great. Every one on that run was planning to do the Boston Marathon in April; I knew that I was in great company.
You can run for many different reasons, but if you do you will find a community that accepts you not because your a great runner, but because you are a runner. Show up often enough, and you are in.
Friday, January 21, 2005
Getting on track.
Tonight I headed out for a Weight Watchers meeting and my Thursday night at the Y. Tonight's meeting was not too interesting, but I find that it is easier to avoid the 6 lbs. Of M & Ms under the secretary's desk at work if I go. If I don't run for several days I am not a happy person, and I begin to think that my running days are over. It's nutz, but I get over it pretty easy.
I headed into the Greenfield Y around 6:30P.M., I thought about bagging the whole thing. There were the familiar Thursday night faces in the Nautilus room, and cardio room. This was good sign. I headed down to the locker room to change.
This was a good night. I started on an elliptical trainer for 25 minutes. Did a long circuit on the nautilus equipment. Then back to the cardio room for 8 miles on a tread mill. The tread mill can be a real challenge because it is so freaking boring. The cure, run really fast. Fear of being tossed off the machine into a concrete wall does keep it interesting. I also try to visualize running my next marathon.
Tom G. (a local community theater guy) came in tonight. Except for a hello we really did not say anything to each other. Years ago I was in a production of a Christmas Carol with Tom and he totally terrorized me. Not intentionally, well maybe intentionally. I was Bob Crachit, and he was Ebeneza Scrooge. He was a very a serious local actor and singer in the regional Opera company. Every one was intimidated by him. He always sat alone during rehearsal and just scowled at the rest of the cast. I had never done any acting before in my life, and at 35 I was about to step on stage as Bob Cratchit in front of hundreds of people. The director told me that I was cast as Cratchit not because I was a great actor, but because I was Bob Cratchit. Tom was Scrooge, so he really did scare me. I acted in three more plays before my son Ben was born. When he is older I hope that we can get back to community theater as a family.
Running on the tread mill tonight was the easiest it has been in months. After I ran the Hartford Marathon in October I had a hard time getting the joy back in to my running. Since Christmas things seemed to have turned around, just as I was beginning to train for the Boston Marathon this April. I should not be too surprised, as it took me two months last spring to recover from the 2004 Boston Marathon.
The tread mills at the Y have a 25 minute limit on all of their programs including the manual setting. I cranked up the pace gradually over the first 5 minutes to a 7:13 per mile pace. Then every minute I increased the pace by a tenth of a mile. I finished the run with the last minute at a six minute pace, 3.55 miles. Then I got some water, and did another 25 minutes. I ran the most of the second 25 minutes at a steady 6:58 pace. Then I increased the speed on the machine over the last 12 minutes. I did a final mile to cool down. End of work out. High on endorphins I headed out home.
I headed into the Greenfield Y around 6:30P.M., I thought about bagging the whole thing. There were the familiar Thursday night faces in the Nautilus room, and cardio room. This was good sign. I headed down to the locker room to change.
This was a good night. I started on an elliptical trainer for 25 minutes. Did a long circuit on the nautilus equipment. Then back to the cardio room for 8 miles on a tread mill. The tread mill can be a real challenge because it is so freaking boring. The cure, run really fast. Fear of being tossed off the machine into a concrete wall does keep it interesting. I also try to visualize running my next marathon.
Tom G. (a local community theater guy) came in tonight. Except for a hello we really did not say anything to each other. Years ago I was in a production of a Christmas Carol with Tom and he totally terrorized me. Not intentionally, well maybe intentionally. I was Bob Crachit, and he was Ebeneza Scrooge. He was a very a serious local actor and singer in the regional Opera company. Every one was intimidated by him. He always sat alone during rehearsal and just scowled at the rest of the cast. I had never done any acting before in my life, and at 35 I was about to step on stage as Bob Cratchit in front of hundreds of people. The director told me that I was cast as Cratchit not because I was a great actor, but because I was Bob Cratchit. Tom was Scrooge, so he really did scare me. I acted in three more plays before my son Ben was born. When he is older I hope that we can get back to community theater as a family.
Running on the tread mill tonight was the easiest it has been in months. After I ran the Hartford Marathon in October I had a hard time getting the joy back in to my running. Since Christmas things seemed to have turned around, just as I was beginning to train for the Boston Marathon this April. I should not be too surprised, as it took me two months last spring to recover from the 2004 Boston Marathon.
The tread mills at the Y have a 25 minute limit on all of their programs including the manual setting. I cranked up the pace gradually over the first 5 minutes to a 7:13 per mile pace. Then every minute I increased the pace by a tenth of a mile. I finished the run with the last minute at a six minute pace, 3.55 miles. Then I got some water, and did another 25 minutes. I ran the most of the second 25 minutes at a steady 6:58 pace. Then I increased the speed on the machine over the last 12 minutes. I did a final mile to cool down. End of work out. High on endorphins I headed out home.
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