Finally following orders

I remember a conversation I had with Ian ~2 weeks ago. He mentioned the training of a world class runner and the 'easy' run pace and how much slower it was than the race pace. It got me thinking about what I do when I run easy/tempo/intervals etc. I am sure I'm not the only guilty party here, but I don't run my easy efforts slow enough. I was always afraid of slipping back into being slow so I would make sure I would hit a certain average for my easy runs. I am sure it was too fast, too much intensity for 'easy'.

I was sick all last week so I have not run in a week. I had a run scheduled for this morning, an 'easy 4 miler'. Wingman came along with me. I told him this was going to be an easy effort and that I was not going to run faster than a certain pace. There was a goal to this workout (as with all workouts) and by golly I was going to nail it. So out we went. With the wind. Big mistake. Basically the route was an out and back route. Of course this meant I would be running two miles back into the wind to get home. And it was windy.

Wingman ran alongside me and when a car was approaching, he would tuck in behind me and run single file until it was clear again. I kept the pace easy, staying true to the goal of the workout. Despite the headwinds, I kept the effort easy by dropping my pace. The feeling I had was I could run that pace all day long so I knew I nailed it.

When we turned back into our development, Wingman did some pickups. I opted to stay back and run my workout. In the past I would have been tempted to chase him down, but that would defeat my workout. Craig Alexander discussed this in a podcast I've listened to a few times already. Working out with a group is good, but don't lose sight of your workout goals. This is going to be crucial for me heading into the new year. My off days will be few and far between so I need to make sure my easy efforts really are easy. If not, my season will come to a screeching halt very quickly.

Where do I begin...........

So for the 2nd time in a month, I came down with a cold. I am sure a patient came in sick and I got it from them. I wish people would stay home when they are sick. Now they come in, get me sick, and in turn I am sure I made a few other patients sick. And the winter cycle begins. I think I need to look into working part-time ;-) (May-October). I missed all my workouts this week. I felt too crappy to even try to workout. All I could muster was walking on the treadmill. I had two vacation days I had to use-or-lose so I took off Friday and Monday. I spent Friday running around, getting a haircut, shopping, etc. Monday we were going to play golf, but now it looks too windy to play.

Yesterday was the HoHoHo Holiday run in Bethpage. I've run this race every year for the last few years but I had to bail this year. I am getting over the cold and I knew the air temperature would not help me. Cold air into my lungs would have set off a coughing fit, just like the Turkey Trot. Lesson learned. So instead I went down as the 'official' photographer for the Wingman and my all-things-Australian coach Ian. Joan was spectating as well. I dressed in layers and stood ready at the start. It's a two loop course so I knew I'd see the guys a few times. The guy that actually won the race was pretty fast. Wingman and Ian did a great job themselves. I snapped a few photos of them in action:

 Wingman in action

The Flying Aussie - making it look easy as usual

After the race we went in for the awards and clapped wildly for Ian as he collected his 2nd place award. Afterwards we went out for breakfast. We had a great time catching up with Ian and Joan before the hectic holiday season sets in.

Later that day, Wynn and Teresa stopped by to pick up some extra cycling helmets for their crew coming out next weekend. I just picked up a new helmet for myself and the Wingman in the last month so we had plenty of spares lying around. After catching up with them, we planned a New Year's Day ride with the usual suspects. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and the 6 of us can get out. And no ride is complete without breakfast afterwards!!

Today I went downstairs on the trainer to ride. I would have gone outside to ride with the Wingman, but my Jewish mother Wynn advised against it. I tried a new workout called "Suffer-fest" and they do not lie. I suffered every minute of it. This particular workout was designed to be a climbing session. They mix in video from real cycling races and you have to match the efforts. It was a pretty cool workout and you do get wrapped up in it. When it was over I did a little strength work. Not for my legs though as I could not feel them, just the upper body stuff.

Tomorrow I may sneak out early for a short run or back on the bike trainer to shake the legs out. All I know is I don't have to go to work tomorrow!! I have more time to sleep in and recover. Wingman is off tomorrow too so we have some time to spend together. I think we'll head out and get my pool membership started. It's time to get back into the pool.  I have a few things on tap to help get me into the pool more this year. Some of them require me to beg a little at work with the boss for a longer lunch break in exchange for working later, joining a new masters swim club, and/or joining a local pool. We'll see what shakes out. I am switching over to part-time in the winter months (4 days work instead of 5) so that will help me in the winter get into the pool and get a long workout in as well. Early January the boss and I will sit down and figure out what days I am taking off.

For now, I am rested and ready to tackle the last workouts of 2011 that will usher me into 2012 ready to race!! I am focused and ready to take on the new challenges and goals that lie ahead.

Silly Season

This is the time of year where my intense training takes a back seat. I enjoy late October through November when I don't have to work too hard when it comes to swim/bike/run and just enjoy getting out and running or riding. The real work picks up again come December/January. That mindset came in handy when I was sick last week. I hadn't had a cold in about 2 years and then last week I was sidelined with a cold. I left work early on a Friday to come home and rest. I had to skip a race the next day as I wasn't even close to 100%. With the holidays coming the following week, I had to rest up. So that weekend I spent it home taking it easy then it was back to work Monday for a shortened (sort of) week.

Thursday I ran a 'turkey trot' and knew as soon as the gun went off I had nothing to give. My chest felt heavy and so did my legs. I had been completely inactive for over a week and a 5k was a tough effort. But I took it easy and just planned on enjoying the exercise. I was coughing a bit about halfway through and finished feeling a little horse, but I was glad I ran it.

Thanksgiving dinner was spent at Dolores' house with Big Lou making dinner. We always do our group shot at some point, but this year I decided since it was nice out I setup the camera and gathered everyone outside for a quick shot. With two small kids added to the mix, I was nervous we would not get the shot with them looking forward. I would set the 10-sec timer on the camera and then run into the group so there is no one behind the camera to get the attention of the little ones. Needless to say these two are true professionals and we nailed the picture on the first shot.

La famiglia (the italian crew)

Dinner as always was wonderful. And more importantly, Louie and Lily were wonderful new additions to the family dynamic. 

Friday was back to the grind at work. Too bad many of my patients didn't remember their appointments, and some that remembered canceled which makes for a sloooooow day. 

Saturday was a fun day. First I went out and did a long run. I just ran with a regular watch, not my garmin, and just run for time. It was a nice to not be focused on splits or how fast/slow I was going. I just had to run for time - distance was not important. I was laboring towards the end, but that was no real surprise since it was the longest I had run in a while. Then it was me and the Wingman off to Newark for the NJ Devils game. I love ice hockey and enjoy watching it live. Hopefully this season we'll get to a few more games.

Sunday we went for a longer ride. I hadn't been outside for a ride in a month so today was an effort for me. The last few rides were on the trainer so I had no wind to contend with. Today was a different story. There was a slight wind to contend with but I just kept it comfortable. When we got home, I took a quick shower and then a nap!! Been a while since I took a post-workout nap. My folks came out for a visit and we went out for an early dinner.

I will be able to dedicate more mentally to my training next season without the stress of school/studies. The time management aspect of working will be interesting, but I might make some changes that would benefit me. I am eager to take that next step in my training and racing. While the 2nd half of my season was not as good as the first, I am pleased with how my racing mindset has changed. What I am thinking during a race has evolved over the last year. I think I got a big boost from my late 2010 surge that catapulted me into 2011. My attitude going into each race was different that it ever was. I am looking forward to seeing what I can do in 2012 and hopefully springboard into a huge 2013 when I plan on going long again.

What a week.......and I have a plan

I'm sitting here wiping my nose and sniffling. Haven't experienced a cold in over two years. This is pure misery. Today was the final straw. I had to take a generic brand of Nyquil to help me sleep last night. I finally managed to sleep through the night. It was the first night this week that I was able to sleep. I went to work as usual, but I had a tough time trying to talk. I decided early on to pack it in. I made it through the morning, finished my paperwork and left at lunchtime.

As soon as I got home I put on some 'couch clothes' and made myself comfy on the couch. It wasn't long before I was out like a light. I had a great nap and before I knew it the Wingman came home. We had dinner and he took me out to get a little ice cream to speed my recovery. What a guy!!

While home this afternoon, sniffling, I was thinking about how I am doing at work so far and what I need to improve on. I look at what other PT's at work write in their notes and compare my notes to see what else I could be looking for or testing. I have also decided I need an accent. Patient's seem to respond to Sinead's accent so I figure I will work on one. Obviously I cannot use an Irish accent since she has the market on that one, and I think an English accent is too close. Instead, I will hire Ian as my 'coach' and learn how to speak like an Aussie. I'll be like Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. I promise to be a good student and work hard. I think if I can develop a good Aussie accent it will also translate to a faster swim/bike/run split. We all know how fast they are. In Kona, Australian men won the last 5 world champion titles and an Australian female won last year and was runner up twice. Sounds like a win-win situation to me. Hey Ian, let's make this happen!!

Tomorrow morning we're heading out to Lynbrook for a race and then having breakfast with our good friend Jennifer. The race won't be pretty since I havent' run all week, but I will get through it and then enjoy catching up with Jennifer. Every week we watch Modern Family together via Facebook. Hopefully soon we'll have a Modern Family viewing marathon of season 1. That would be awesome!!

A brief update

What a whirlwind the last few weeks have been. Almost two weeks ago, I left on Friday night for DC for a race with the Wingman. We flew down and settled into the hotel. The race was Sunday and I had a fast turnaround as I had to be back at work Monday morning. My flight back was 10p and I landed at 11p in Islip. By the time I got home it was close to midnight and I had to be at work for 8:30am. Needless to say when that alarm went off at 6a I was completely wiped out. I managed to get through the day, but when I got home I wanted to do nothing but sleep. I waited for the Wingman to come home (he flew home Monday evening with his cousin) and then I went to sleep.

I was constantly on the go with work all week. I was working in two different offices so I had to keep track of what days I was working in what office. This is hard to do when you are sleep deprived. And to make it worse, I had my first patient conflict to deal with on Tuesday. I won't go into details, but basically there was a patient that walked in and was having a meltdown in the reception area. Being the 'Supervising PT' in the office, I stepped in to deal with this person. By the time the whole situation was done and they left the building, I was mentally wiped out. This situation reared it's ugly head again on Thursday and, once again, I had to handle this person.

Friday I was back in Sag Harbor with my regular caseload. That evening I had to leave for NJ for a Foot Disorder: Biomechanics course. The Wingman was staying home. I made the drive Friday night and got to the hotel pretty late. I got some sleep and drove to the medical center for day one of a two day course. Within the first hour or two, I realized I learned that most of what I was taught in school was a bit outdated. The instructor for the course was outstanding and I was able to re-learn so much about the foot. The day went well and for dinner I was meeting up with a friend from school. We spent several hours chatting and before I knew it, it was late. Once again I was going to be sleep deprived. Day two of the course went well and by 5p I was back on the road home. I made it home at a reasonable hour (sort of) and somehow coasted my way through work on Monday.

I am so looking forward to not setting my alarm clock Saturday. It will be so nice to sleep in a little bit and not travel all over the place. Sunday we have a race, but it's a local one. Thank goodness!! I have so much to do.

Crushing Dreams and a Beatdown at the Ridley

This past weekend I made my return to the Ridley 5k after a 1 year hiatus. I've done this race every year since 2002 but last year the Army 10 Miler conflicted with it. On Saturday morning I lined up for the 5k.

The main road the race starts and finishes on was ripped up for repaving so that meant taking it easy on the way out and back. But once off that road, it was all out. When the gun went off, I started out at a comfortable pace as I made my way down 25. The crowd fanned out quickly and I had some room to run. I had a race planned the next day so I knew this would not be an 'all out' effort. The turn off came quickly and I was running well.

Before I knew it I was coming up on the 1 mile marker. Ahead of me I saw a small runner. At most she came up to my waist. She was wearing a pink shirt with shorts that had matching trim. She looked like a child of one of the central american farm workers up here. On a whole, they are short people so she could be a 7 year old or a grown woman in my age group. Either way, I had to keep her close. As I came up along side her, we established eye contact. I taunted encouraged her by giving a thumbs up and said "good job". She took this as a challenge and ran ahead of me. I smiled knowing full well she was about to get a beatdown by me. I let her go a little but knowing she couldn't hold on. I maintained my speed and quickly came back to her. This time I didn't look directly at her, but I could see out of the corner of my she was looking at me. I mumbled "hasta la vista, baby" and put down the hammer. At this point I had 2 miles to put her away. There would be a few opportunities on the course to judge how far ahead I was.

The first roundabout came up and as I went around a small turnaround I didn't see her. For all I knew she was right behind me. I looked for her as I went up the road and still didn't see her. That meant at this time she was still not too far behind. I was running scared here. I didn't want to have this race end in a showdown. I turned down Riverside Drive and headed towards the next turnaround. After I turned around the traffic cone, I looked for my prey. She was a good distance behind me now. I knew if I didn't slow down, the crushing of her dreams would be complete.

I kept up my pace and was nearing the finish line. I made the final turn off 25 and headed to the finish line triumphant!! I kept my eye on the clock and saw my victim making her way up the road. She wound up finishing ~3 minutes behind me. When I looked up the results later, I saw that she was 7 years old. It's never too early to crush the dreams of a child. Ah, I love the smell of a good beatdown, smells like victory!!

Fulfilling a Promise

Last year at this time I was doing some fund raising for my cousin Michael's medical bills as he was about to undergo chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant after a relapse of his leukemia. When I brought him the money I told him when he was well enough he had to run a race with me. He promised we would run together. Sadly, Michael passed away in March and we never had our run. After his wake his mother said they wanted to do a race with me like Michael had promised. I searched the web for something in the fall and found something that could get everyone involved.

Fast forward to yesterday and Wingman and I headed out to East Brunswick, NJ. We arrived at Cathy and Paul's house in the morning. Carolyn and her boys, Danny and Nico, and Rosanna and her daughter Juliana came to Cathy's house before the race. Even my aunt Katherine tagged along. We formed a caravan and drove to the race start. We were missing my cousin Cindy because she had to work and couldn't get out of it, but she sent her husband Jim and their daughters Kathryn and Lauren. Michael had plenty of people representing him.

This event had a few races - a kids pumpkin dash, 1 mile fun run, 5k and 10k. We were split between the 1 miler and 5k. Carolyn was the official photographer for the 5k race. Carolyn, Aunt Katherine, Cathy, Rosanna, Juliana, Danny, and Nico rounded out the cheering squad after their 1 mile fun run.

The course was a simple out and back. It gave us all plenty of opportunity to see each other on the course and cheer each other on. I have to say I was so proud to see Kathryn and Lauren running out there. The Wingman saw Kathryn running on her own and doubled back to run with her and coach her to the finish. Jim and Paul stayed with Lauren and got her through the race.

Overall it was a great family event. I was so grateful to everyone that stepped up to help Michael with his promise. It truly made my day and next year we are all planning to do this again!!

Lauren and Kathryn before the race. Clearly someone

is proud of her race number!

 Wingman and Danny finishing up the 1 mile fun run

 Danny making some adjustments to his race shirt

Carolyn trying to give the illusion she's 

running in with Nico

 Cousin Cathy and Aunt Katherine

 Our cheering squad, ready to go!

Nico, Danny, Juliana and Rosanna

 Carolyn's foot........

Kathryn finishing her 1st 5k under the 

watchful eye of Coach Wingman

 Victory!!!

 Paul, Jim and Lauren. Seriously, she gets

major style points for this finish!!

 Someday my hair will bounce this nicely when I run

The whole crew!!

Michael, your family came through for you yesterday, 

but I know you were there running with all of us.

Thank you.

Hello small chain ring, so nice to meet you.......

My off season has begun so I am not training for anything. But I still enjoy getting out and riding. Today I had plans to head out with Wynn and Crazy Mark for a ~3 hour ride. I had an appointment at noon up island so I told Wynn we needed to be on the road at 7a. They were more than happy to oblige. Wynn had a route picked out that would hopefully shelter us from most of the wind blowing out there this morning.

I drove to Wynn's house and Crazy Mark was already there. We chatted in the kitchen for a few minutes with Teresa and then it was time to head out. At 7a, it's not quite light out, but it's not dark either. We must have looked like a strange site wearing sunglasses, but before long it was pretty light out. We zipped along the back roads heading west towards Middle Island. The usually quiet roads were busy with detoured traffic from the LIE. There must have been an accident or some kind of closure to warrant all the cars we saw.

The roads were mostly flat until we were up in Middle Island and heading north from there. Usually I am used to flat land riding, but this was considered hilly to me. I wasted no time in dropping down into my small chain ring. I haven't been on this ring in ages. And today I spent a good deal of time in it. Wynn was up ahead and Crazy Mark and I were bringing up the rear.

Rocky Point was the last hilly area I rode through. I could feel the fatigue setting in. It's been a month since I rode more than 1.5 hours. My last long ride (3 hrs) was my race in September. I also had to keep one eye on the clock too. When we got to Wading River, they turned up north to add on a little more and I bid them farewell and headed back to Wynn's house. The ride back was tough. I was alone to ride into the wind. I had no one to take turns blocking the wind. I just kept my head down and pedaled hard.

Before I knew it I was back in Wynn's development. I had completely forgotten about the big hill to get to his house. Crap. Once again, I dropped down onto my new best friend the small chain ring, and got up. I packed the bike into the car and went inside to say goodbye to Teresa. She graciously have me a few brownie cupcakes and I made quick work of one of them. Sooooo good after a long ride.

I really enjoyed the route today and am looking forward to getting back out there again soon. Group rides in the fall are so much fun!

Mission Report: Army 10 Miler

My latest mission was the Army 10 Miler down in DC. My training has been sporadic to say the least due to a lingering leg injury. It was getting better and I was ramping up my mileage again slowly, but then I was sick for a week, and when I returned to running, the leg pain started coming back. I opted for a new pair of running shoes and tried some taping during the week. It seemed to keep the pain away so I had my fingers crossed for the race. My longest run going into it was ~7.35 miles so no matter how you slice it, this was going to be a tough race. The last two miles are tough to begin with, but if you are covering them with a lack of run fitness, it has the makings for a brutal morning.

Friday night Wingman and I departed for Washington, DC. We got in pretty late and went straight to the hotel and to sleep. Saturday morning we got up and made our way to the expo to pick up our race packet. I also had to think about what weapons I was going to use for this race. Would a standard military rifle do?

Or should I bring the rocket launcher?

Or do I just go with a simple Black Hawk?

The Black Hawk is very impressive in person

Instead I just opted for a simple pair of Asics:

Weapon of choice for the Army 10 Miler

The race changed slightly this year. The start and finish lines were moved to different areas of the highway. Just getting to the Pentagon was a near nightmare. The Metro was hardly running any trains so we had to wait almost 20 minutes. Once we got to our stop, we had to wait almost 15 minutes just to exit the station. Once above ground, we dropped off our bags and made our way down the highway to the start. It was crowded so I gestured to the Wingman to follow me. 

Once we got up to the race start, I relaxed knowing we were now settled in.  Since I haven't trained 100% for this, it was just going to be a 'Sunday run' and not a race. The problem is, once that cannon goes off, I can't control what the HOTS will do. I knew that I could get to the 6 or 7 mile marker comfortably, it's the last 3 miles that had me worried. 

After the Star Spangled Banner was sung, the cannon went off and my mission began. I went up the road about 1.5 clicks and turned off on an exit ramp to get onto the Arlington Memorial Bridge. This bridge is like a minefield for me. I had to watch every step I took. The bridge is all cobblestone and one wrong step could tweak my shin splint and end my mission right there. I followed a 1.5 foot wide solid cement border along the edge of the bridge. Once I secured the bridge, I circled around the Lincoln Memorial. I know this part of the course like the back of my hand. I knew which lanes to be in to prepare for the turns. I made sure not to follow anyone to closely so I could see the pavement at all times. Last thing I needed was a pothole or rough road surface. I also avoided stepping up onto curbs. I turned onto Constitution Ave and ran past the Federal Reserve building. After a sharp left, it was an uphill climb towards the Watergate Complex. I swear I shed a tear every year I go past. 

Another sharp u-turn and I came around the back side of Watergate and then along the Kennedy Center. I was 3 miles in and was making good time so far. I started to think that if I could put in a few fast miles, then maybe I can minimize the damage late in the race. But for now, I just kept my focus on feeling good. 

Before I knew it my Garmin buzzed I noticed that I was 4 miles in and that each mile time was almost identical which means I was running very even splits. I knew I would be able to rendezvous at the 5 mile time check with plenty of time to spare to keep the mission alive. Once I crossed the timing mat I was running down Independence Ave and along the National Mall. The streets are heavily lined with spectators so I knew I had to keep moving fast. I turned at the American Indian Museum (seriously, there is a museum for everything in DC, so PC down there) and made the turnaround. The only glitch so far was not being able to open my gel packet. I fought hard with it and finally got it open and swallowed it down quickly. 

By now I was 7 miles in and entering no-man's land. It's a slight uphill back up Independence Ave so I made sure I didn't gun it. Every step now was in uncharted territory. Fatigue, my enemy, was waiting for me with every step I took. It was getting warm out and I could feel my eyes burning from the salty sweat running down my face. Would my mission be in jeopardy? With each buzz of the Garmin, I reviewed the split. I was still making decent time, but I knew the dreaded highway awaited me. This highway is tough because it's constantly rolling. You're up, you're down, you're up, down, etc. It really wears away at you if you went out really hard (or haven't run more than 7 miles in a few months). 

Mentally, I was calculating how many more minutes I had to run. After you cross the George Washington Memorial Bridge, you have 1 mile to go. I knew this was almost over. I finally made my way up the last hill on the highway and then raced downhill to the Pentagon. In years past, this means your race is almost over. But with the new course, you still have ~ 1/2 mile to go. This was the longest half mile of my life. I was doing the math and looking for visual contact of the finish line. Once I had it in my sight, I ran hard to try and salvage a course PR. I flew across the line and managed to set a course PR by 16 seconds. It was nowhere near my 10 mile PR, but the lack of running and this being a tough course made that impossible. 

Wingman and I flew back to NY tonight and for the most part my legs feel fine. The only thing is it feels like I was hit in the calves with a baseball bat. Go figure.........

My race season has officially come to a close. The rest of the fall season are short, fun races to help me get back some speed and fitness. I need to sit down with myself over the next few days and figure out what I want from next season.