Blue Dawgs Running

The Final Chapter

2011-04-25T09:15:00.000-04:00

It's been awhile, I know. And, now, I don't want to make a big deal out this. But, it's time to say good-bye to this blog.

That doesn't mean I've quit running. As a matter of fact, I've signed up for a triathlon class. It doesn't mean that I'll quit writing. I just don't know what format that might be in the future. I will tell you that, if I start another blog, I will post a link to it on here.

A lot of things happened over the past two years that have changed my life and my way of thinking. And, everytime I wanted to come back here and write, I couldn't. It was too hard. I had nothing to say or, at least, share. But, it kept bothering me that there was this blog thing I started but, really never quite had closure on.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed doing this and sharing my experiences with the world. Along the way, I 'met' people through comments, e-mails, posting on SteveRunner's blog, etc. who eventually 'friended' me on Facebook and, truly, I consider a friend of mine though I never met them face to face. What a weird, wacky, world we live in. But, they thought enough about me to do this and I am grateful that they did.

My idea of starting this blog was to share some of experiences with SteveRunner, traveling, being part of a running group, training for events, etc. But, life has gotten in the way, that, well, frankly, I'm not that interesting any more. Steve does a great job on what he does and you should continue listening to his podcast. I don't travel for work or pleasure as much I used to so, it's not like I can show you places I run when I travel. And, economics has forced me to take a long, hard look on events I sign up for so, instead of the 14 or so per year I was doing in the past, I only do a handful from time to time.

Looking back, I had fun with this blog. I used to look forward to doing this and sharing pictures, videos, trying to figure out new ways to make it interesting. But, when I wasn't writing as much, because of work, family circumstances and other things, I thought it was time to shut this down. But, it's like saying good-bye to an old friend. You know you have to but it's a tough thing to do and find the right time to do it.

So, this is my closure. Those of you, who actually read this throughout its life, I can't thank you enough. You kept me coming back and wanting to do more. Those of you who've left comments and told me they enjoyed the blog, I'm still trying to figure out if you were just being polite or if you actually did enjoy it. :-) Either way, thank you.

I hope everyone meets their goals in running and life in general. The number one thing along the way I learned most, whether its running or life, is you are the only thing stopping yourself from achieving your goals. I KNOW you have or can have the physical capacity to do the things you want to do. I KNOW IT!!!! It's convincing yourself that you can. One of my favorite quotes I read about running (and life) and I'm paraphrasing, 'the courage is not in finishing a marathon but showing up in the first place'.

If I decide to start it up again, I will post where I will be. Peace be with you all.

2011--Another New Chapter in Life

2011-01-24T15:19:00.000-05:00

According to the Mayan calendar, Hollywood and The National Enquirer, this is the last full year of very existence because, in 2012 we are all going to kiss our behinds good-bye. Don't have enough savings in your 401(k)? Don't even worry about it because you won't be around to spend all that money you saved. Kids' Education? Only if they are graduating this year do you even have to think about. Go ahead. Let them take the next year off, lie around the pool, heck, even travel. Just make sure they are home in time for the end of the world next year.

Me? I'm making contigency plans just in case they got it wrong. So, I'm not spending 2011 making up for lost time and entering a race every weekend while I can. I'll assume I'll see 2013 and spend the year like any other year and try to race a normal schedule.

2010 took an emotional toll on me where exercising, running and competing took a back burner. I thought I lost my competitive edge and wondered how to get it back. It wasn't the love I lost. It was the heart. There is only so much you can deal with at the same time. And, somehow, stressing myself out to train or participate in a race wasn't in the cards. And, I thought there was something wrong with me. Turns out there wasn't. Just being human last year.

So the goals this year are: Half-marathon sometime in the spring, a tri here and there, marathon in the fall in tribute to those I've lost over the past few years. I'm not following any training schedule but I am preparing myself to get better. I'm upping my running mileage during the week, doing dreadmill work, and wanting to get my basement heated to use for exercise useage especially strength training. That might not be much but it's a heck of a lot better than I've done in awhile. There is some stuff that lingers from 2010 that I'm still dealing with. But, I know the times I've been out and exercising, it's been a lot easier to deal iwth.

Much to My Surprise....

2010-11-10T15:26:00.001-05:00

Ah, Florida. The sun, the beach, the palm trees, the COLD?????

Yup. I was in Florida over the weekend and it was a bit nippy. Not just Florida nippy. But, anywhere nippy. Temps went down into the 40's, which wasn't too bad. It was the wind that went with it that made it a bit chilly.

While I was there, I thought it would be a good idea to run one more 5k race for the year. I've only run two previously this year and found one in Daytona Beach, just a half hour from where I was staying. Paint the Towne Palmer College 5k starting at the Jackie Robinson Ballpark on City Island at 8a.

As you'll see from the pictures and video, people were bundled up.

The course was through the historic district of Daytona Beach and was flat. Very flat. The biggest hill was the one you see on the video when we crossed the bridge to the finish line. I kept on thinking, 'boy, I wished I was in shape. This would be a perfect course for a PR.'

I finished in 91st place with a time of 26:47. Not bad considering. I always liked to hang around for the awards just in case. Good thing I did. Much to my surprise, I finished third in the Male 50-54 age category. Now, let's put this in perspective. If I was any other category older than me, the only age group I would have finished in the top three was the Male 70-74 age group. So, it was one of the those days I was in the right place at the right time.

Pictures and video from the race below (and my award). Enjoy!

Entrance to the field

Where you pick up the numbers

Bridge you cross at the finish

Jackie Robinson Ballpark (Home of the Class A Daytona Beach Cubs)

The finish

After the race

Not a great picture but my third place award

The finishing line

Kid's run

A Tribute To My Father

2010-10-29T15:03:00.001-04:00

I am trying to adjust. This new way of thinking, living, doing. You see, my father passed away earlier this month. And, even now, almost 4 weeks later, I still can't believe it. I think it's all a bad dream. I relive over and over the last conversation we ever had. Not knowing, it would be our last conversation. Talking about how great he felt, about my garden, the weather, and not having to cut my lawn for three weeks because of the lack of rain over the summer. I want to remember every word we said to each other that night but I can't. Because I thought I was going to talk to him again.

I did talk him. In the last hours of his life. I told him that I loved him and he was the best father a son could ever hope for. He didn't respond. He couldn't respond. But, I was assured he could hear me. And, I thought to myself, 'why didn't I tell him all those things when he could understand?' Because, in my family, you didn't say it in words. You said it in actions. And it was understood because you can see the love in the things we do for each other.

In the first 80 years of his life, my father was never in a hospital. Not even when he was born. The family story was my grandmother refused to pay the doctor when he showed up at the house because he wasn't there when my father was born. ('Why should I pay? You didn't do anything!') But the last two years were very difficult for him. We joked with my father and told him he saved up all his sick time for the those years.

He fought a brave fight. Never complained. Okay, only once. When he couldn't get his driver's license earlier this year. He didn't want to be reliant on my mother to drive him to get his haircut. Wanted to do it himself. Even though he could barely walk.

The night he was dying, we looked in the Bible for words to comfort us. We found, what we thought, were the exact words to describe my father in 2 Timothy 4:7:

I have fought a good fight,
I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith:

Dad, I will miss your wisdom, your kindness, your advice, and your love. I will miss talking about the weather, the garden, the Steelers, fixing things around the house and fishing. I could never have asked for a better father than you. The pain is over, Dad. Rest in Peace.

My Three Sons

2010-09-27T16:10:00.000-04:00

(Ernie, Robbie and little Chip)

On September 6, 2010 between the hours of 8:30-11:30p, my dog, Ellie Mae, gave birth to three boys. We named them Robbie, Chip and Ernie, in reference to the 'sons' on the 1960's TV show, 'My Three Sons'. Two of the 'boys' were healthy and strong. One of them, Chip was a preemie. We knew it was going to be a struggle to keep him alive and healthy. But, my wife and I decided it was worth the effort and we had to take the responsibility to do so.

For the first week, it wasn't so bad. Little Chip would get pushed around when he was nursing so we had to keep an eye on him to make sure he was getting his share. As added nourishment, we were told tube feeding him as a supplement would be good. We were nervous about doing this as putting the tube in wrong could go down his lungs instead of his belly. But, after awhile, we got comfortable with what we were doing.

The second week, something changed. Chip was no longer nursing and was strictly relying on the tube feeding for his meals. No matter how hard we tried, he wouldn't take his mother's milk. We had to tube feed him every 4 hours day and night to keep him alive.

It was hard. Boy, was it hard. My wife would set the alarm in the middle of the night and we would both feed him. One of us would stay with the puppies to make sure they were ok at night. Little Chip, whose legs and arms weren't fully developed yet, struggled to keep warm and would cry at night as to find his brothers to lay next to them. We then had to pick him up and have him snuggle to one of his siblings, which would quiet him down. Until they moved, and we would have to do it again.

As time went on and I grew more tired by the day, I realized that my past marathon training really was helping me get through this time. I knew I couldn't give up. That, this would end at some point and, if I kept going, the reward would be at the end of the adventure. So, through the tiredness, we pushed on because we felt little Chip was worth it and would make a good pet someday. As the days went on, he was gaining weight, grams at a time, but still the weight was going up, not down.

I wish I could tell you this story had a happy ending. Little Chip died on Sunday, September 26 in the morning. Nature, indeed, loves her little surprises. Even though Chip lived for three weeks, he left a mark in our lives, one that we will not soon forget. In looking back, I can only say we wouldn't have done it any other way except change the outcome.

So, those who are thinking about doing a marathon or are training for a marathon, know that what you are doing is not just preparing for a race but preparing for things in life that will test your patience, your endurance, your soul. And, at the end, no matter what the outcome, you will be a better person for it.

Fat Elvis

2010-09-17T15:35:00.002-04:00

Still the mucous monster holds me captive as I enter the third week on what seems to be an endless sickness that I can not shake. I had to go back to the doctor once again to get another round of anti-biotics and to be scolded (in a nice way) that I shouldn't have stopped my inhaler just because I misplaced it. The good news is I am breathing once again, albeit, with some periods of utter clogginess that has to be cleared. I am being faithful to the doctor's orders this time and am taking my meds as prescribed. Again, I say, I am SO glad I am not running Sunday's the Philadelphia Rock n Roll Half Marathon (nee' Philadelphia Distance Run) as I would be pulling my hair out now worrying about whether or not I should run it afterall. Luckily, I can sleep in and take care of my health. (To those who are running, the very best of luck. It seems they have changed the course this year and the last 4 miles will be on MLK Drive, not Kelly Drive).

But, the lack of races doesn't bother me one bit, though, in truth, I thought they should. So, why isn't it bothering me? There is a special edition of Rolling Stone out that names the Top 100 Beatles Song. I saw Paul McCartney this past summer and he talked about some of the meanings to the songs he wrote as a Beatle. This peaked my interested as to the origins and inspirations of other songs, so I purchased a copy of the magazine.

I had the magazine for awhile but, late one night while not being able to sleep, I picked it up and started reading about each song. There was a picture in it of 'the boys' that John Lennon talked about later in his life as he mentioned he didn't particularly like. He remembered there was so much going on in his life at the time when the picture was taken, that he wasn't taking care of himself at all and, frankly, didn't care how he looked. He admits this being the 'fat Elvis' period of his life.

And, so it is with me. Not that I've gotten fat. Maybe a little. But, since the beginning of the year, I couldn't drive my life with an exercise regime or race schedule. There were too many other things pulling at me that I didn't want to be responsible for yet something else. I wanted to let go and have a 'fat Elvis' running period of my life. If I ran, I ran. If I raced, I'd race. But, I didn't want to look at calendars or charts or calories.

I will one day. I promise. I see my friends improving their running while I muddle about. I'm envious. That's good. I think about what location I can go to in order to run a fall half marathon, or, dare I say, a marathon? So, there is hope. I just need to be 'fat Elvis' a little longer.

A Yearly Tradition Continues

2010-09-03T12:49:00.000-04:00

Though I love this time of year when the weather gets cooler, there is one downside. Every year, I seem to get sick just before August ends. This year was no exception. I'm not sure if it's the change in temperature (though, in truth, was very little change in temperature over the past week as it's been freakin' hot all summer long) or what happens to be flowering this time of year (ragweed, maybe?).

It irrititates me to no end when I'm training for something like the Philadelphia Distance Run (now known as the Rock n Roll Half) and get sick. Panic mode sets in as when to go out again without coughing up a lung. Luckily, I have nothing like that on the horizon so I'm just sitting on the sidelines until breathing becomes more of a normal activity rather something optional. By the way, the diagnosis was bronchitis and very strange how it all happened.

Wednesday of last week, I woke up with a minor sore throat. 'Uh-oh', I thought, 'here it comes.'  It starts out as a cold or persistent allergy symptons. But, I'm a mere speed bump for colds as it quickly develops into a sinus infection before long. And, so, it was no surprise when I started coughing on Thursday but well enough to carry out the day at work. By Friday, well, you have to make a choice here. Do you tough out over the weekend or go to the doctor and nip in the bud right away? I'm not one of those people that hem and haw about visiting doctors. Nope. Fix me up and get me back out there again as fast as you can. So, off to the doctor I went.

He listened to my chest, looked at my ears, nose, throat and said, 'well, it's not pneumonia.' I started at him blankly as I didn't even know that was an option we were discussing. "OK,' I said, what is?' expecting to hear sinus infection.  'You are borderline bronchitis,' he stated. What? How does one become borderline bronchitis having feeling sick for just over a day? But, there it was and here I am now.

I feel better now. Sort of.  I can function on most things.  Though eating ice cream is a bit of trick.  (Let's just say it was a kin to having diarehha of the nostrils.)  A couple of more days and I'll be out again soon enough.

2010 Spring Mill Athletic Ivyland 5k (The Pancake Race)

2010-08-24T13:29:00.000-04:00

I just looked at my running history and I had a 'I had no idea' moment. You see, this past Saturday, on August 21, 2010, I ran the Spring Mill Athletic Ivyland 5k. Every year, I try to run this race as it was the first one I ever did on my long list of races through the years (ok, I DID run in 3.5 mile Corporate Challenges in New York City in the late '80s/early '90s but my 'training' would be running for about a month before the event). What I was looking up was, what was the year of that first race I did? Guessing 2005? No, that doesn't seem right. I was close. It was 2001. Wow. Almost 10 years of entering races.   That was two age groups ago.

Ivyland, Pennsylvania is the smallest borough in Bucks County with a land area of .3 square miles and a population of less than 500 (according to the 2000 census). Even though it's tiny, it is steeped in history from signers of the Declaration of Independence from the area to NASA lunar astronauts training at the Johnsville Naval Station only a few miles from the course.

Of course, the other reason to run this race are the pancakes after the race.  The race is associated with the local peach festival and it's origin was to promote that event. But, the race has taken on a life of it's own as, locally, it's known as the pancake race. The local firefighters will serve you a helping of pancakes along with coffee, orange juice and peaches. (Winners of the age groups got spatulas for their own pancake races.) When I ran the first time, some 9 years ago, I thought ALL races would be serving up pancakes. I was disappointed in my next race when I got a few brouchures but nothing to eat! With the T-shirt, you get all of this for a very reasonably priced entry fee of $15. Seriously, I love this race.

My race report will be short. I ran slow. Slowest I've ever run this race. But, in truth, I didn't want to push myself. Officially, I ran the race in 27:59 (I question that official time as I know I was past the finish line and clock at 27:56. Won't squabble over three seconds) . First mile, is through the town of Ivyland and a small housing development which I ran in about 8:45. The second mile, geez, that's the killer. Seriously, it is all uphill except maybe 100 yards at the top. It's not a steep hill but it just doesn't quit. Looking at my Garmin, I did that second mile around 9:15. The third mile? Well, you know the hill I was just talking about? You go down it, through the housing development and a few blocks into 'downtown' Ivyland. For some reason, I almost think that downhill is tougher than the uphill. You want to shift into high gear there but, every year, I still thinking I'm recovering from that uphill and get stuck in neutral.

My time was almost 2 minutes faster than my previous 5k I ran in early July. Of course, that race was run on Wednesday night with temperatures reaching 97 degrees (F). I felt good about this race. I don't have my game face on this year. Slowly but surely, I'm getting there. It will all click together I'm sure. And, when it does, watch out Eric and Chief. I'll be gunnin' for ya!

Side note to this event---The race was on Saturday but you can go and register in person on Friday night, which I did. As I handed in my registration, the event director looked at my name and said, 'You're Steve Runner's friend, aren't you?' There is no use denying it so I said yes, I am. Her son was with her and she said, 'we both listen to his show. We enjoy it so much. Especially, when he beat you in that race!!!! That was so funny.' That race, to this day, haunts me personally and will forever haunt me while the internet is still alive! But, her son turned to me and said, 'his show has changed a lot recently. He's more mellow now. I liked it better when he was more self-absorbed.' I had to laugh. What a smart kid he is!!!! :-) Steve was invited to do a podcast report in a future race. Luckily, Steve likes pancakes so it shouldn't be too hard to get him here.

Thoughts from a Grumpy Old Man

2010-08-20T15:22:00.000-04:00

This posting has nothing to do with running but, I have a place to rant, so why not?

I have found a problem with social media. It doesn't lend itself to debate. The art of conversation and true discussion is lost. And, the world and it's people can only tolerate 10 seconds sound bites or short quips to make their point. For example, I have a friend who showed a clip of a movie whose subject is about the United States increasing national deficit on his Facebook page. If you have ever seen a Michael Moore movie, well, let's just say it is an anti-Michael Moore film.

I commented basically saying that, 'I understand people's concern over the deficit and how this will affect people's grandchildren but didn't Ronald Reagan increase our national deficit at an alarming rate as well and people thought the world was coming to an end then? Politicians always seem to use the national debt as part of scare tactics.' Strip all the politics aside, I was really interested in finding out if the two eras were similar or different. But the answers to my comment was basically, 'well, Obama is a poopy-head'. Sigh. This is helpful?

The world of media, my first love growing up, has changed so drastically since I was young. There is more concern about Lindsay Lohan's prison time than flooding in Pakistan. News commentators are considered 'real' when they are nothing more than entertainers. All of them. And, to paraphrase Allen Iverson, 'Mosques? We're talking about mosques?' Really? Does it truly show how patriotic you are if you take one side or another? Where are we getting our information from and should we really trust it anymore?

Below are links to three articles I recently read voicing my frustration over the world we live in. It is sad we cannot compromise and find solutions without looking like we are 'caving in' to the other side. I hope people realize the way media (social, mainstream, seems to be all.) is set up now, we are all lemurs jumping off cliffs when they tell us so. My suggestion is to find alternatives to Fox, msnbc, CNN because they will just scare you to death. But only if it increases their ratings.

Who decides the News? by Kara Miller

August: The Media's Silly Season by Mark Leccese

Consideration seems a relic of the past by Joanna Malloy

Just Another Day on the Lake

2010-08-13T10:15:00.001-04:00

It's been awhile since I ran around Lake Galena. Not run AT Lake Galena, which I do most every week with my wife. But, run AROUND Lake Galena, which is an approximately 6 mile run. However, hints of autumn are in the air, which means it soon will be winter, which means getting out for a 6pm run on a weeknight in an area that doesn't have street lights will soon be a thing of the 2010 past. It was time. The Blue Dawgs needed to meet at the lake for a weeknight run even though the furthest I've been going is about 4 miles and the temps were in the 90's (F). No matter. I'll go as far as I can then walk/run the rest. It will be a fun evening.

Of course, lots of the Blue Dawgs are vacationing now so Eric, Mark, and myself met up in the usual parking lot by the boat house where you can rent a boat and enjoy a relaxing time drifting, paddling, kayaking, fishing on the lake.

We started off talking amongst ourselves for the first mile. After the first mile, Eric (whom, we believe, discovered the Fountain of Youth as he is kicking Chief's and my butt all over the place this year) picked up the pace and started to pull ahead. Mark and I ran together for the next mile until we got to the Nature Center and I had to run in and get a drink of water. At the Nature Center is the beginning of the only real hill around the lake. But, the real hill is over a half mile in length at a 8 percent grade. On a hot, muggy night, I needed to take a short break before tackling it. So, Mark continued on while I ducked in the Nature Center to the water fountain.

I knew I was not going to run the entire four miles left out there. I knew that going into the run that night. So, I ran when I felt like, walked when I felt like but only to take a break from the humidity.

Along the way, I saw four teenage boys goofing around on a rowboat. Three were sitting down, one was standing up rocking the boat. The three sitting were calling the guy standing 'George Washington' in reference to the Emanuel Leutze's famous painting of 'Washington Crossing the Delaware'. And, of course, none of them had lifejackets on. This, I thought, was a recipe for disaster.

As I was finishing up the run, legs now heavy, probably more from my insistence of not bringing along water on a 6 mile run rather than being THAT out of shape, I looked to the lake and saw people swimming in the lake. 'That's strange', I thought. 'I don't remember ever seeing anyone swimming in the lake before. Must be for an open swim class. But, at 7 o'clock at night?' That's when I heard the first cries of help.

Now, I'm a male and, at one time, was a teenage boy (long, long time ago) so I am guilty as of anyone horsing around. So, when the first cries of help went out, I was a bit skeptical. But, the cries of help following sounded more sincere. And, more panicky. And, there was a flipped over boat in the middle of them. Oh, boy.

A group of girls, whom we first saw running ahead of us when we started out and I assumed were from a local high school cross country team, went towards the boys in the lake. Their coach, ran up towards me saying, 'I'm calling 911.' I thought about jumping in the lake but was afraid my legs would cramp up before I could get out to them. They didn't seem to be in immediate danger as they were treading water and no one seemed to be struggling only scared. So, I jumped in my car and headed for the park ranger station. Along the way, Mark and Eric, who were sitting at a bench unaware of the situation before I told them ,went down to the lake to see if they could help. The ranger station is about a mile away, and, unfortunately, no one was there. So, back to the spot to see if there was anything I could do.

By the time I got back, there was a motorboat out on the water with the boys in the boat. Then the police arrived. Then, the EMT. Then, the fire truck. All because they were goofing around.

Now, I am glad no one got hurt. Really, I am. And, there were some scary moments. But....

How stupid of them to do it in the first place? Maybe it's because it's been so many years since I was a teenage boy but I don't ever remember goofing around so much and taking that type of risk. I'm not saying I never went out on a boat without a life jacket but I knew I was capable of swimming to shore in an emergency. To bring out the police, emergency squads and fire trucks. Never, ever did I do something THAT stupid. I don't know if they broke any laws but stupidity should be against the law and they should have had the book thrown at them. Not only did they put themselves at risk, but those trying to help alogn with the emergency teams to help save them. UGH!!!!! I didn't stick around to find out what happened to them but the police were still there and they hadn't left yet so I'm guessing they were none to happy about it either.

I'm hoping my next run around the lake won't be so eventful.

Notes: Good luck to the Falmouth Road Race runners on Sunday. I was lucky to have run this race so many times in the past and it was always a great time hanging out with SteveRunner for the weekend. It was part of the summer I looked forward to. The day will come when we can renew our rivalry once again. In the meantime, I've been wanting to see Paul McCartney in concert forever. This weekend, I will get my chance.

The Cost of Running

2010-08-02T10:53:00.000-04:00

For the past few years, I have run around 14 races a year. And, like most years, I didn't realize I raced that many times until after the year was up and I entered them in my Excel spreadsheet. And, I wondered, how much did that cost me to run those races?

In truth, I budgeted for those races so it didn't hurt me economically. And, for some of the local big races (Broad Street Run, Philadelphia Distance Run, for example), I was part of a corporate team so my company paid my entry fee. But, in these times, the corporation has decided to not to field a team for those events. And, my situation has changed a bit, so that most races are becoming a luxury item for me.

But, even if it hadn't, is a 5k really worth $25-35 entry fee? Is a half marathon or marathon worth over a hundred dollars? I guess, it depends.

I would say I would be in the distinct majority saying that races have become too expensive. But, most people will complain, hold their nose and pay the entry fee anyway. I have yet come across a race that participation is lower than the year before. And, like any good business, the race charges as much as the people are willing to pay. And, still they come. To paraphrase my favorite Yogi Berra quote, people stopped going because it gets too crowded.

What would be worth giving up? A tech shirt? A medal? Less water stops? A free meal after the race? Those things, as you might guess, cost money. And, people want that cool tech shirt and that cool medal and that meal after the race. Don't they?

Races aren't just run on their own, so to speak. They have to compete with other races for your attention. In some instances, they have become a tourist destination. In more local terms (much more local), they are a social gathering.

But, this year, I had to step back and ask myself is what I'm getting out of the race really worth the entry fee? Afterall, you can run a 5k, 10k, half marathon, heck, even a marathon for free. And, in truth, there was one particular race last year that was a light bulb moment for me.

I happened to be in San Francisco in December on business last year. And, the local running club held a 4 mile race in the shadows of the Golden Gate Bridge. Near Fisherman's Wharf. With no official numbers. Just tags identifying the runners. And no T-shirts. Unless you wanted to purchase them separately. And we ran on the sidewalk. No local cops blocking the streets. Early enough that it wasn't too crowded. And, you ran two miles until you saw the chalk mark on the sidewalk telling you to turn around. And, I got a ribbon for finishing the race. I was timed by an official looking clock. And, it cost me $5 for the whole experience.

Granted, the race was in San Francisco and if it was any place else, I'm not too sure I wouldn't be complaining rather than praising. But, I started to wonder, did I have any less fun in this race than one with all the bling?

So, this year, intentionally or unintentionally, I began to look for inexpensive races or no races at all. I will tell you that I do miss running races every few weeks. It helps in motivating me getting out the door to train. And, in the future, I do intend to make a fall or spring race a tourist destination either for myself or with friends. But, for now, my wardrobe will suffer as I won't be able to update to too many of this year's fashions.

I'm not in Kansas anymore

2010-07-08T12:30:00.000-04:00

But, it sure felt like it!!!!

Last year, on my baseball halfway-across-the-country trip, I ran a 5k in Kansas. I was just getting over swine flu but I ran the race nevertheless. In what I considered, to be the hottest conditions I've ever run a race before. It wasn't hot but humid as well as I limped in around a time of 32 minutes.

Yesterday, I ran the Moyer & Sons 5k in Souderton, PA in was similar conditions to what my 5k in Kansas was. Except, the temps at the start of yesterday's race hovered around 99 (F).

My strategy---don't push myself. Just take it easy. Afterall, it was my first race of the year.

My goal--run the whole race even the hills at around 30 minutes. If I ran the whole race, I would be happy. If I ran it under 30 minutes, even happier.

I'm pleased to say that I, in fact, did manage to run the whole race even though there were bodies strewn about dealing with the heat. You could just tell that they had gone out too fast. Did they struggle. Boy, did they struggle.

I was the turtle yesterday. Slow and steady.

With around 200 yards to the finish, I saw the clock and realized I could beat 30 minutes. So, I picked it up and started passing people left and right. And, got in under the wire. Without blowing a gasket. I clocked myself at 29:45. And, I was very happy without result as I still had enough energy to meet up with the Blue Dawgs for Trivia Night at the Blue Dog.

It's good to be back.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

2010-07-07T12:40:00.000-04:00

The Moyer & Son 5k in Souderton, PA is tonight. I've been planning on running this race since June. It would be my first 5k of the year and I've been looking forward to getting out and doing a race this year.

So, what's the problem. Well, the high temperature for the day is suppose to be 101 (F). Granted, it's cooler than yesterday's 102 (F) but not that much. Do I still run it?

I wasn't going to try for a PR whether it was 101 or 51 (F). It was just to get out a get a race under my belt. Didn't care too much about the time (too much, anyway).

So, deciding now on whether or not if it's worth it or just wait until next week's Phil's Tavern 5k.

I promise I'll be careful.

Where I run (Florida)

2010-06-28T15:27:00.000-04:00

I did this one other time but used by cell phone and RAN when I took the video. The feedback was, THIS SUCKS, or words similar to that. So, when I was down in Florida running through Smyrna Dunes Park, I took another shot at this to capture where I run when I am down there.

I didn't want to speak over the audio and video to try to capture what it's like to run through this park with the waves crashing in the background. I start the video on Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, across the Indian River, pan right to see Daytona Beach 10 miles north and then dolly back (sort of) to see the whole park. I do a 360 of my surroundings and you can see the boardwalk that goes through the park that you run on. The boardwalk is approximately 1 1/2 miles.

At the end, you will see a white round dome, which is a NASA tracking station. Seriously, pretty cool stuff.

Enjoy!!!

A Good Sweat

2010-06-22T16:18:00.000-04:00

I'm sitting here at the Daytona Beach (Florida) International Airport, in the shadows of the Daytona Speedway, waiting for my plane to take me back to Pennsylvania, so I thought I would share some thoughts.

I had a chance to run about three times down here on the boardwalk that runs through the Smyrna Dunes Park. The boardwalk goes through a turtle nesting ground area and is about a mile and half long hugging along the ocean. It's one of the my favorite places to run here or anywhere. But, it does take some getting used to.

My first run was 3 miles and I was dying. It is soooo hot when there is no breeze off the ocean and the sun is beating down on you. The second time I went out, I did 3.7. Juuuuuust a little bit longer. And, finally, on the third run, I figured out there is a right way to run the boardwalk. If you go counter-clockwise you get to see more of the ocean, Daytona Beach in the distance and the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse. But, more important, you get a real nice breeze and the sun is behind you when you are finishing up when the breeze is still.

So the third time out, I did 4 miles. And, each time, I was drenched in sweat. You know the kind. The kind when, even when you take a shower afterwards, you are still sweating. At the end of the run, my legs were wobbling, my clothes were drenched, I was hotter than hotter could be but, after I got some water, I felt like I accomplished something. And, I couldn't wait to run it again the next day.

For some reason, a run is different, in me, in Florida than it is in Pennsylvania. If I ran in the same conditions at home, I would be complaining. But, here, I was loving it.

I would much rather run in Florida in the hot and humid than Pennsylvania in the cold. It just feels better.

Slowly but Surely

2010-06-11T12:10:00.002-04:00

I ran 6 miles yesterday. I ran 4 miles Tuesday. This is a big fat deal for me.

All this year, I have said, 'I'm coming back. Yup. Any day now. I'll be right on the road.' Only not to do so. I have been fine. But there has been some family health issues that I have been dealing with that have zapped my time and energy in dealing with. It has taken an emotional toll on me and running (or exercising) were not tops of my priority list. But, I've said this before and I apologize for doing so again.

But....

Like others I have used food as a substitute for exercise. I looked at life and said, it's too short to not enjoy and I enjoy all kinds of fattening food so why not? Why the f*** not? '

I am now 10 pounds over my normal running weight. I always prided myself for being roughly the same weight as I was when I got married 21 1/2 years ago. Not right now. And, in truth, in some odd way, I had to gain that weight to snap me out of my exercise funk.

What I found, when I have been getting back into running, was the difficulty getting over the mental aspect of it. I would only go a few miles, look ahead over the next 500 yards or so and decide that it's just too hard and start walking. I could not bear down and plow through. Until last Tuesday...

Last Tuesday, I went out on a run on Kelly Drive in Philadelphia. I ran two miles out, turned around, and headed back to my car. For the past few weeks, I would look down Kelly Drive towards Center City and it looked like a looooooooooong way to go, convincing myself I didn't have the stamina. Tuesday, when I did the turnaround, I looked right instead of left and focused on the Philadelphia skyline. Joe, I said, you are going to do this. There is no reason you need to stop. I didn't think of the pain. I started to think of anything and everything else and wanted to enjoy the day.

After the run was over, I felt good. Real good. I felt I had broken a barrier that was keeping me back. And, it was my own doing.

So, slowly but surely, I am coming back to myself I have come to know over the past few years. My biking (did I tell you I got a new bike? White Lightning I call it) has picked up and am challenging myself more. Swimming has been spotty but still getting out when I can. And, I am eyeing either the Moyer & Sons 5k in Souderton, PA on July 5 or Phil's Tavern 5k in Blue Bell, PA on July 14 as my first race of the year.

My problems have not gone away. I'm still dealing with them. But, I'm starting to run again because of the reasons I started in the first place. To help deal with the stress and to make myself feel good again.

St. John of the Cross School (Roslyn, PA) 1953-2010

2010-06-03T13:26:00.004-04:00

I have been going there on weekends and reminiscing. Sitting on the steps and looking out over the playground. Looking at the walls on the outside of the building where I used to flip baseball cards in a child's version of gambling of our life savings away. Looking at the spot where, I swear to this day, I got in trouble for vandalizing the building, though thinking I was being efficient and smart, for banging the cloths used to erase the chalkboards against the wall. The smudge is still there. I guess Mrs. Paris was right.

I could go on and on about the lifetime memories I carry from belonging to this parish and this community. And, part of that is what makes me sad--it truly was the last time I felt a sense of community in my life.

So, these are the last days of my grade school before it closes down for good. So, thank you, St. John's.

Thank you, Sister Joan Bernard
Thank you, Miss Elgin
Thank you, Mrs. Dressler
Thank you, Miss Malloy
Thank you, Sister Amadeus (and Mrs. Adamo, and other substitutes that year)
Thank you, Mrs. Paris
Thank you, my seventh grade nuns whose names I have forgotten
Thank you, Sister St. Michael....

....for helping to make me the person I am today. You have been a great influence in my life and my classmates lives, and, let's face it, for good and/or bad. But, a major part of it, you were.

Looking at the school, it is showing it's age. What once was home for 8 hours a day to thousand of children at a time is now done to a few hundred. The last time alumni can walk the hallways is tomorrow night on June 4.

Good-bye, old school. You will be missed.

Starting Over

2010-04-05T08:31:00.003-04:00

It's been too long since we took the time
No-one's to blame, I know time flies so quickly
But when I see you darling
It's like we both are falling in love again
It'll be just like starting over, starting over --John Lennon

I can see why people might get discouraged when they first start training for a race or just run for exercise. Back when I first started running and racing, my last race of the year would be a November 7.1 mile race at the Mount Hope Estates in Lancaster County, PA. The start/finish of the race was a small winery. They didn't give out T-shirts but wine glasses to all participants. It was a beautiful run through the Amish countryside which, I felt, was a great way to end the season. And, then, for the winter I would play racquetball once or twice a week to keep 'in shape' until middish-late February when I would start running again. (Unfortunately, that race doesn't exist anymore. I think it was folded into another race run in that area around the same time.) But I wasn't running marathons, half-marathons, and, for the most part, hardly anything more than a 10k.

Since then, the Blue Dawgs were formed with the idea of keeping us motivated knowing there will be other people showing up on a cold winter's Wednesday night willing to run the hills of New Britain, PA throughout the season. And, for the most part in the past few years, I was there on those Wednesday nights to be fit enough to participate in the Bucks County 5k spring series races.

But, this year, I went back to my old ways. Partially due to the 80+ inches of snow we had this winter (have I mentioned that once or twice or maybe more?) and other reasons, I took some time off from my running lifestyle. And, since the beginning of March, I started to run again. A few miles a week. Slowly getting back into it. And I mean slowly in so many different ways.

When I started again, I wanted to make sure I didn't overextended myself. And, I also always think I can do the same things I did 30 years ago. So, I set out to run about 3-4 miles with the Blue Dawgs on a chilly Wednesday night. I was TIGHT!!!!!! (and not in a good way). You could've used my hamstrings to play banjo at the Grand Ol' Opry. The next day, I was sore. Everything, including my feet, hurt. I mean I only took off a month and a half!!!!! But, I was discouraged that I felt this way having taken so little time off. I could only imagine those that are just starting out to run and train.

I knew the tightness would eventually go away once I got out there a little more. But, it wasn't the next time out. Nor the time after that. I was showing signs of Plantar fasciitis up until last week so I was concerned that I wasn't even going to be able to run at all this spring. But, again, like everything else, even my feet muscles needed to be stretched a bit. So, having known all this ahead of time and still feeling discouraged, imagine if you didn't know this beforehand? You can almost see why people would give up. I mean, I'm not sore when I don't run and then I'm sore when I run. So, why would I run? (If you are running for the first time, don't give up. There is a lifelong payoff that is hard to measure)

In my mind, at least, as the late, great John Lennon once said, it has been long since I took the time. Time does fly so quickly. This year, for me, it'll be just like starting over.

While I was away.....

2010-03-29T11:44:00.002-04:00

To say it's been a long winter in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States is an understatement. It's been a very looooooooonnnngggg winter this year. Over 80 inches of snow in a region where we usually get 20 inches. Plus, I've been dealing with some other issues in life that made it seem that much longer. But, since springs arrival, it's been getting a little better everyday.

So, people have been asking me, what was up with my cryptic blog entry in February? Well, here's the story. Having to deal with the facts from above was bad enough. I hadn't been running, my mind was going blank for a weekly entry on the blog and, afterall, this is suppose to be a running blog, right? I couldn't really write about running if I wasn't running. But I felt obligated to write SOMETHING once a week.

The kicker was when someone hacked into my e-mail account and started to send spam to everyone in my address book. I had to apologize over and over again as I was really embarrassed by what was being sent. I finally got to the point and said, 'Stupid Internet' and decided to walk away for awhile.

Since then, the snow has melted, no more unauthorized e-mails being sent out, still dealing with things in personal life (they just keep coming) but handling it better, and doing some running. A little.

I had time to think about what I wanted to do with this blog going forward. I had time to think about what I want to do about running. My conclusion was I want to keep running (and triathlon training) but not as intense as I have done in the past few years. I want to spend time with my wife on a Sunday morning and just talk. I want time to rest up when I need to. Which is why I haven't committed to any race as of yet. Because if I do, then I will focus on that and do what I need to prepare. I will keep running (and swimming and biking). But, in the meantime, I want to take the time to smell the flowers along the way.

As for my blog, I will continue with it but probably not necessarily on a weekly basis. Best way to describe is from time-to-time. I used to be able to do it more during lunchtime but can't do that as much anymore. For those that have read it in the past, I hope you have enjoyed it and continue to enjoy it.

So, there is one bit of news and that is I am looking for my first bike for triathlon. I borrowed Mitch's from the Blue Dawgs last year but wanted to get my own this year. I am looking for a road (is that the right term?) bike as opposed to a strictly tri bike due to a few factors but mainly cost. So I'm looking at aluminum vs. carbon. Again, mainly cost will be a factor but want to make sure I'm not being short sighted on this. I'm looking for advise to find out if I would be sorry if I went aluminum if my intention is to ride one or two tris a year. (Sprint/Olympic at best).

So, there you have it. I wish you all the luck in the coming spring season.

2010 CB Family YMCA 5k Video (Bootleg Edition)

2010-03-24T19:14:00.002-04:00

First of all, I want everyone to know that this is not the official video of the CB Family YMCA 5k held last Sunday, March 21, 2010. You can find it on the official Bucks 5k Spring Series website. TZ Sports does a great job putting the video together with the music.

This version is me playing with my newer toy (my laptop) with my video editing software. I needed an excuse to use it so here is my take (that's film lingo for those not in the know :-) ) of the race. It's a small start and it doesn't have any music with it. It's in the raw!!!!!!!

You will notice at the beginning that the National Anthem is played before the race. I absolutely love this tradition and it's something Skip S. does when he is running in the race. From all of us competitors, thanks for doing this.

As you may have guessed, I didn't run this race. But, I am coming back. Slowly. More on that later. Hope you enjoy the video.

A Shifting of Priorities

2010-03-03T17:39:00.004-05:00

Some things have come into my life that have me shifting my priorities on what I can accomplish on a weekly basis. Unfortunately, this blog has moved down, hopefully temporarily, on the priority list of what I can do. Running has been another casualty on that list as well but, with spring and daylight savings time right around the corner, that may change as well.

My feeling is I will be back to writing. It has helped me along the way. If you read me on a regular basis, thank you. I didn't think anyone would and it was nice that people did and left me comments. I still regard you as friends even though I may never have met you. I also have to take my e-mail address off the blog as a precautionary step. Those in my address book may know why and I apologize if I caused you any inconvenience.

Thank you all for your support in the past. I hope to be talking to you soon again.

Greetings from Siberia

2010-02-18T08:57:00.002-05:00

Being from the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, I always thought we had the best weather overall. In the summer, it gets hot but not as hot as some places in the country. And, in the winter, it gets cold and snowy but certainly not as cold and snowy in places like New England, that's for sure. Well, this winter has been just a little bit different than most.

As it has been explained to us by numerous weather people, massive amounts of cold air from Canada has made it's way South and the same time that massive amount of precipitation coming from the Gulf of Mexico is making it's way North. And, funny enough, it is meeting in the Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC area. Not once. Not twice. But three-four times. So, as the Winter Olympics in Vancouver have been crying they don't have enough snow, well, come and take it fellas because there is plenty more where that came from.

Philadelphia, on average, gets about 20 inches of snow per season. This year, Philadelphia, so far, got 70 inches of snow. So, if you live in the Sierra Nevadas you are probably asking what's the big deal? But, around here, well, we just aren't made for these conditions. Two Saturdays ago, we got hit hard with a storm. Which would have been ok if we weren't hit hard last Wednesday with another storm. Which would have been ok if it just melted!!!!! But, the temperatures haven't gone above freezing that much and it just lingers. (The picture above is my sideyard with a path. I had to create that path to get to my backyard. Else, I would have waded in snow knee-deep. For a 6'3" guy.)

Because of all the snow removal operations I have incurred and the craziness of my recent work schedule, running has almost been non-existent for me in the past few weeks, almost for most of the new year. I had great intentions coming in to 2010 but it faded away a bit. I have done some cross-training with racquetball and swimming but I know my cardio won't be there for the start of the Bucks 5k Spring Series, therefore, I will most likely delay the start of my season until April sometime.

And, on top of that, I may need to be a little choosier in the races I run this year. As most people, money is becoming a bit tight. For the past two years, I have averaged about 14 events per year. But, this year, I may have to re-think doing that many. It will be a hard pill to swallow but the money for the entry fees will be needed elsewhere this year. But, on the other hand, each event will have more meaning.

Around here, there are glimmers of spring coming. Reports that Phillies pitchers and catchers are reporting to Florida. Baseball = warm weather. Temps are starting to climb into the 40's (F) for day time highs. Nights, though still chilly, are not being measured by the wind chill factor. And, March is just around the corner.

In the meantime, just in case, I am teaching my dogs how to pull a sled. What does 'mush' mean anyway?

(Notes: If you have been following the winter Olympics on television or are a big fan of the Olympics in general, check out the blog Nicole's 2010 Games. Nicole is a blogger I regularly read and she happens to live in Vancouver. The blog is her take of the Olympics from a native's point of view. I've really enjoyed reading it over the past few weeks. )

A Hall of Famer

2010-02-09T11:15:00.003-05:00

I often kid with people that I peaked, in my professional life, at 21. Since, then it's been downhill. Don't believe me? How many people do you know worked for a coach who would eventually win a NCAA Division 1 basketball title (Rick Pitino) and work with someone who was a few electoral votes shy of being President of the United States (John Kerry)? Well, you can add worked with someone who has been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame to that list.

Earlier this month, Jon Miller was selected the recipient of the 2010 Ford C. Frick Award and will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this summer. (click here for the story). And, I worked with Jon when I was first out of college at a radio station called WITS.

At the time, Jon was the Boston Red Sox radio play-by-play announcer along with Ken Coleman. WITS was the flagship station for the Red Sox and even had their studios in the Fenway Park complex. I was the producer/board operator for the Boston Red Sox at the time. What was my job? I was the guy who played the commercials, jingles, top of the hour IDs, and sitting in the studio during the ballgame. It was a fun job, especially for a kid straight out of college.

In 1981, the unthinkable happened. Baseball went on strike. No one could believe baseball would ruin the summer for millions of people. There would be no sitting outside on a summer's night listening to a baseball game on the radio. The people in the Boston area were depressed. So, WITS came up with an idea to give the audience their baseball 'fix'.

While the strike went on, Jon Miller 'broadcasted' Red Sox Strat-o-Matic baseball games. So, Jon would play the simulated game first, write down the results inning-by-inning, and then go into the studio to record the 'game'. My job, in working with Jon, was to set up the studio for him to use and help where I could (like play the commericals). It was a wild and crazy idea but amusing to be part of it. Some people loved it, some hated it but Red Sox nation got it's 'fix' of baseball until the strike was over. Click here to hear Jon Miller describe those times in an NPR interview.

Of course, Jon has gone on to bigger and better things as he did play-by-play for the Baltimore Orioles, now with the San Francisco Giants, and ESPN's Sunday Night baseball game. I know Jon will never read this but congratulations, Jon. It is well deserved.

(Notes: This past weekend, the Philadelphia area got socked by a major snowstorm. Philadelphia got 28.5 inches. Bucks County (north of Philadelphia where I live) received about 18 inches or so. Well, tomorrow we are expecting another round of snow with the same amount predicted. If it happens, it will be the snowiest winter in the area's history. I guess the little groundhog was right when he saw his shadow. )

Turn It Off

2010-02-02T09:45:00.004-05:00

Winter, for me, is usually the time for maintaining (somewhat) my endurance. I don't have any particular races in mind but will try things as they come up. Long story short, I'm very boring in the winter as far as running stories or insights or whatever you want to call these blog entries. So, I turn to subjects that are not necessarily related to running but still on my mind nonetheless. Here goes...

I have my political views like everyone else. Don't necessarily like to talk about them mainly because I don't like political arguments. They get too heated for me, sometimes, and I doubt you will change anyone's mind in dealing in political debate. And, as a card-carrying member of AARP, the slogan we follow is, 'well, it was never like that before in my day...'.

Well, it probably was. I like reading about history, especially about early American history. If you think politicians are nasty today, read up on what Andrew Jackson had to endure in the presidential elections he was involved in. But, I digress.

But, it is hard not to notice the mood of the country and how politics is about making the other party look bad and not about finding ways to help the country. Sticking to your principles is the 'right' thing to do, compromising is a sign of weakness. Or, so it seems.

And, why has it come about like this? I could easily say it's the media. But, I don't believe that to be true, not for a minute. Those shows, strictly delivering news, are not the problem. Those channels that have to deliver 'stuff' 24 hours a day, 7 days a week are to blame. They need to have content. They need to have provacitive hosts/hostesses/topics/opinions to draw people in so their audience numbers can go up and they can charge more to advertisers. Nothing wrong with that. But, I think people can get lull into watching these shows, get mad about the topic, and wind up not thinking it through for themselves.

And, it doesn't matter if it's Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, Keith Obermann or Rachel Maddow. They all do it. To get your attention. Not to make you think. But, for you to watch more. And, get angry about how 'stupid' the other side is. Well, no more for me.

The DNA of every American male is wired to flip channels in the course of a night. Jerry Seinfeld had a great line that males don't care what's on, they care what ELSE is on. So, I am guilty as anyone in flipping through the channels. And, stop and watch Glenn, Bill, Keith, Rachel, etc. to see what they have to say. And, get angry. Because I can't believe people don't see the wisdom of 'our' side.

But, I made a New Year's Resolution this year to myself. As I flip through the channels (see above, I'm not STOPPING that. That would be impossible. It's part of my genetic makeup) I will not watch News Opinion shows. Why? Because it's not news. Never was. Never will be. It's noise. Plain and simple. And, listening to noise can scare people. But, if you don't listen to the noise anymore, it won't scare you half as much. You can read the facts and form opinions for yourself. You don't need people yelling at you saying, 'I'm right and they are plain wrong.'

And, something else happens. Your blood pressure goes down. And, you feel better about yourself. And, you are not as stressed as before. And, you begin to see both sides of the argument. And, you can see a way forward for this country, this world if only people would be willing to compromise.

So, I'm turning them off. No more. I will not listen to their opinions because it is purely entertainment. They are there to provoke. They are there to fill dead air. They are there to make money. Pure and simple. Nothing wrong with that. But, they do not have a vested interest in making this country, this world a better place to live. And, they will not tell me how I should think. It's only been a month since I've made this committment to myself. And, already I feel much better for doing so.

Wish It Could Be Different

2010-01-26T14:00:00.004-05:00

Short blog this week. Family and work demands are taking priority at the moment.

I've been blogging now for almost three years. (Yikes!) And, it is a way to keep the creative juices flowing and have a bit of fun with it. I don't go into too controversial topics and keep it as light as possible. I don't have a lot of visitors but, hey, the ones I do have I consider friends even if we never met.

But....

Recently, I was getting some anonymous postings in my comments section that had nothing to do with the topic of the day. I didn't think anything of it at the time and thought it was random. However, it was happening more frequently. Nothing offensive, mind you, but just annoying.

Well, it wasn't going away. And, the anonymous postings (bordering on advertising) were continuing to be posted. But, I was resistent in putting up security.

Well, the time has come that, my bit of fun has got to be more secured. And, I hate the fact that I have to do it. And, the fact there are people out there that will do stuff like this. But, that is the reality in this digital world.

The change is not earth shattering. I am reviewing comments before they are posted. Not that big of a deal. But, again, the fact that I feel I have to do this to protect the integrity of the blog bugs me to no end.

I am hoping this doesn't dissuade you from posting comments. I love comments. Wish I can get more. Just another day in cyberspace.

(Notes: Sunday a week ago, I was going to participate in the 8 mile BCRR Winter Series. Except, when I got out of bed, I couldn't walk 8 feet. My back tightened up and I could barely walk. Took me awhile but it's starting to come around again. I went for a four mile walk/run over the weekend and that seemed to have stretched it out a bit. Congrats go out to my dog, Ellie Mae, as she has recently won her championship. It was a big deal in my family.
RIP--Adam Cartwright a/k/a Pernell Roberts. Bonanza was one of mine (and my Dad's) favorite shows.)

The End of an Era

2010-01-18T10:02:00.008-05:00

If you look at the pictures below, it's pretty non-descript. In a town that is pretty non-descript. It was built in the 1950's to withstand nuclear attack from the Russians. And, I remember signs posted outside the building saying it was a Fallout Shelter. It will not be missed by the world in general. But the 50 some-odd classes that have graduated from there, it was the center of their world. Yesterday, I found out that, St. John of the Cross in Roslyn, PA, where I went to school from grade 1-8 will be closing its doors this June. And, I will be very sad to see it go.

But, not surprisingly, the world has changed since I was in grade school. Back when I started first grade, we had 40 kids per class and three classes in our grade. And, that was the same for all 8 grades. There were, about 1000 kids in the school, in any particular year. Now? There are about 100+ kids in the entire school.

Back in the 1950/60s, families were moving out of Philadelphia and moving to towns such as Roslyn and the surrounding area. I didn't live in Roslyn and was considered to be 'living in the sticks' because we had a dirt road and the mailbox was up the street from us. I only lived maybe a 1/2 mile away from the school. But, today, the area has changed. Families are moving further away from Philadelphia (and Roslyn) and new schools are being built there. Schools, such as St. John's, have to try to compete with new public schools being built in the area. We are starting to see consolidation of venerable parochial high schools in Philadelphia that were some of the largest in the country. So, closing St. John's comes as no surprise to any of us.

As I grow older, more and more I try to cling to what was familar to me. Though, there is less and less to cling to. The house I grew up in is still there but you would never recognize it anymore. I once showed a picture of how it looks today to my parents and said I was interested in buying it and what did they think? It took them awhile to notice it was the house they raised their kids in. My grandparents' house in western Pennsylvania was torn down and a new house was built. And, now, my old school is being shut down.

Going to school at St. John's, being part of that parish, being from that area, was the last time I ever felt a sense of community in my life. I have tried, and in reality, do have some sense of community with runners in the Doylestown area. But, back then, what parish you belong to was part of your identity. Our school was revered (feared?) in our athletic programs. Even through high school, you were partially identified by what parish you came from. I'm not sure if it's the same today.

I am sad this day has come though not surprised. The pictures below were only from a few years ago. To me, it looks like the same desks, the same clothes closet, the same blackboards, etc. that I used when I went there (and probably were). I'm hoping over the next few months, there will be some reunions and open houses of the old school. I'm hoping that, somehow, it can remain open as part of the community in the future. I keep thinking how many families sent all of their kids to get an education here. But, no longer. Not after this year. The times they are a-changin'.

(When I was a kid, these hallways looked huge. Back then, it was where I went to first, second and third grade.)

(I'm pretty sure this was my fourth grade class. Except for the positioning of the desks (which would have been facing me), it looks much the same as it did then.)

(Notes: I want to wish a Happy Birthday to my buddy, SteveRunner, who is celebrating, probably something like his 85th birthday or thereabouts this Tuesday. I can' t say for certain he is celebrating his 85th birthday but I'm only guessing by his appearance. Geez, life has been tough on this poor guy. Happy Birthday, Steve. See you in Falmouth!!!!)

My introduction to the BCRR Winter Series

2010-01-13T12:26:00.003-05:00

It will fun. Seriously, we all have a good time. And what better way to stay in shape over the winter?

For years, this is what I've heard from my fellow Blue Dawgs about the Bucks County Roadrunners Winter Series. And, for years, I've been meaning to go over to Tyler Park and run in a few of their events. But, as the series progressed and the weekends went by and my Sundays were taken up by other things that came up, I never had a chance to do it. Until this past Sunday.

When I woke up on Sunday, I began to read an article in the newspaper about how this is the coldest winter in the US in over 25 years. I turned on the TV to watch the morning news and they talked about how this day was the coldest so far this winter. And, now I know why the Dawgs are Blue. Because it was freakin' cold out!!!! My wife asked me, 'is it safe to run in this cold?' I dunno. I assume people from other parts of the world that were colder ran outside as well. I didn't think I was going to be the only one there. Plus, this was a test of whether it was better to run in the extreme cold or extreme heat.

I left my house around 8:00a for a 9:30a race. My car therometer said it was 16 degrees (F) outside. Damn, that's cold. Now, I have to tell you upfront. This race is equivalent to baseball's spring training for me. I was running to keep in shape for the spring. So, anyone (Chief) who happened to have beaten me (Chief) in this 'race' (Chief), doesn't really count. It would be like Detroit Tigers beating the Phillies in March in Florida. Yes, it happened but who remembers those games (Chief)?

I didn't know the layout of the land so wanted to make sure I had plenty of time in case I got lost. I arrived much earlier than expected and was one of the first to sign in. I have to admit, it was the first time I saw an open fire for warmth in a race. And, in truth, it felt good.

Now, on our Wednesday night Blue Dawgs run, we run a fairly hilly course. All through the years, I heard from the Winter Series runners that, these hills on Wednesday night are nothing compared to the Tyler Park. So, I was expecting the worse.

The race on Sunday was a 5.3 miler. And, apparently, needed to be altered a bit to avoid some snow still on the original course. But, not knowing the course at all, I wasn't aware of these changes and how or if it was going to affect me.

The race starts uphill. My old rival, Chief White, (Chief, I wanted to emphasize OLD here but I won't . This is my birthday present to you) and I were running side by side. Chief was saying how out of shape he was. Really? I kept this little nugget of information in the back of my mind. I got to the top of the hill first and didn't think it was that bad. And, in truth, for the first 4 miles or so of the race, didn't find the hills to be too bad at all. And, all this time, Chief and I were running, if not next to each other, certainly within striking distance of each other. Until....

I should have been tipped off when Chief said, 'We're not running Dairy Hill, are we?' But, it hadn't been that bad up to this point? I was in front of Chief going down the hill. Can't say the same going up. I was having problems WALKING up this freakin' hill (tip of my hat to Kelly for the adjective describing hills in general) let alone running up it. Chief just plowed through and got up the hill a lot sooner than I could. He's out of shape?

From that point in the race, it was literally all downhill. Chief was probably 15 seconds in front of me at the top of Dairy Hill. Oh, I could have probably caught up with him and made it into a REAL race. (Cough, cough). But, why humble the guy? I mean his birthday was coming up and it wasn't a REAL race in my eyes anyway. Why spoil his fun?

I did the 5.3 miles in about 49:10. I was pleased with that considering the freakin' cold and the freakin' hills and I hadn't really run a whole lot since my San Francisco race. And, in the end, having a chocolate covered donut (or two) with some hot apple cider did seem to ease the pain in my legs and my shivering body. Some people at work asked me how did I stand the cold? The answer: I didn't think about it and what I was doing. I just did it. Because, if I took the time to think about it, I would have realized that people don't generally do this type of activity in 16 degrees (F) weather.

This Sunday's race is an 8 miler. I am repenting for my sins of over indulgence over the holidays and the fact I gained a little weight. If it's not raining (much rather run in the cold than the rain), I should be out there. Fun? You betcha!!! And, by the way, it is easier to run in the extreme cold than the extreme heat. Harder to start. But, easier to run.

Goals for the Year 2010!

2010-01-07T13:10:00.004-05:00

Let's see. First, my home computer blue screened and is knocking on virtual heaven's door. Soon after, joined by the dishwasher. Then car goes in for state inspection and, viola, $800 later passes inspection. Finally, the final day of the year, my father goes into the hospital with pneumonia. Whew!!! As much as I have enjoyed 2009, I was glad to see 2010 arrive as it can only get better from here. Right?

So, this is the time and place that I announce to the world my plans for 2010. Well, here's the problem (and why it has taken me so long to post this, besides the lack of computer. Yes, this is borrowed for the moment.) I don't have goals this year of a fanfare. Not after last year. Looking back on my post for goals in 2009, I was pretty focused on what I was going to do. This year, well, not so much. But, here goes (in no particular order).

I will tri, tri again. I plan on making triathlons part of my schedule for the year going forward. In truth, I enjoyed doing that (and training for that) more than I do marathon training. I'm back in the pool on Friday. And, what I want to achieve is to learn how to breathe from both sides. I want to tackle this lightheadedness I get when getting out of a pool (or lake). I think I was so overwhelmed by information and instruction given to me last year that I didn't have time to think about it. I just did it and hoped for the best. I needed to get in shape for the swim and didn't matter how I did it. Well, I have some time now to try different things. I'm not in a rush at the moment and don't have to do 50 laps on Friday. I want to get more comfortable and breathe better.

I also am planning on getting my own bike in March. I want to thank Mitch from the Blue Dawgs for lending me a bike last year. And, in truth, I have been bitten by the tri bug and am willing to make the (financial) committment to getting something for myself. I also want to thank my wife who, about 10 years ago, bought me a mountain bike that I used for a year before I started running. I tried riding it to use for the tri but, there is a big difference. It was a Christmas present and I hate to not use it but.....

As it stands now, I want to do Lake Lenape again and stretch myself a bit and, maybe, do an Olympic tri. Beyond that, it will be based on how my vacation and everything else falls into place. But, I don't want the tri of last year to be just a one night fling.

Winter running--Last year, at this time, I was coming off an Achillies problem. And, because of that, I was an admitted slug coming back from the injury. This year, I want to run throughout the winter. I am looking forward to the Wednesday runs with the Blue Dawgs. I want to run some of the races in Tyler Park in Bucks County, PA on Sunday mornings and tackle those hills I keep hearing about. I want to run in Ambler, PA at the Frostbite 5 miler in February. And, I am willing to take all the lumps that come with it as I just started running again, as of yesterday, having taken a month off. I am hoping when the Bucks County 5k Spring Series starts up at the end of March, it will not be a warmup but something I can beat Eric and Chief in. :-)

Falmouth?--For the past two years, one of the goals was to beat Steve at Falmouth and to make sure I was prepared to do so. This year? I'm not sure if I will be doing Falmouth. It's not that I don't want to but I might not take two running trips this year and save my running weekend with Steve for the fall. If you are a sports fan, you know how difficult it is for teams to repeat their accomplishments from the previous year if they have won. Well, last year in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, I proved to myself that my previous one victory over Steve wasn't a fluke and I can do it occasionally. So, to be honest, I'm not as 'hungry' this year to beat him. Not that I won't try but the best way to describe it is that it won't be my focus this year.

Same old, same old--Bucks County 5k Spring Series, Broad Street, PDR (Rock n Roll Half is what they are calling it now), etc., etc., etc. Don't plan on doing anything 'wild' this year. No planned races in faraway distance lands. Except in fall. And, even then, I have a feeling it's going to be fairly local. (I have my eye on Freedom's Run in October but that's only a three hour drive from my house). But, I do want to be more competitive this first half of the year than I was last year.

The blog--I almost quit a few times last year. Changes in my life were making things more difficult to post on a weekly basis. And, in truth, life, in general, had me a comin' and a goin'. And, I saw some of my blog comrades fall by the wayside for various reasons. I was sad to see this as did follow the ups and downs of their lives and felt I was losing friends along the way. But, in most cases, they came back in a different form one way or the other and lived to see another day.

Those changes in my life haven't changed. And, I will be a comin' and a goin' more and more this year. But, as the saying goes, 'when a door closes, another opens'. So, yes, my lack of a home computer at the moment is annoying. But, luckily, I was able to save documents and pictures from it. And, I have a new one on the way. With a webcam. And, picture and video editing software. Hmmm? I don't like giving pearls of wisdom on camera so don't expect to see that. But, I can edit 'Places I Run' into one video so I'm not just showing you a 30 second clip of a start/finish of a run, race, walk, whatever. So, my postings maybe more visual than in the past.

That's it. 2010 is starting to look up for me already. We are all in this together. Support and encourage the people that mean the most to you. Hope everyone meets their goals for the new year.

Missing 'The Big One'

2009-12-21T11:16:00.003-05:00

I watched it all unfold far away. I tried to be involved but found it impossible to be there. You see, the Northeast of the United States had one of those 'snowstorms of the century' this past weekend and I missed it.

I was in Florida for a few days helping my parents as my father had surgery for a bonespur on his spine. He stayed in the hospital a few days longer than expected. Not from any complications from the surgery but something unrelated and more for a precautionary standpoint. But, he is back home now. It wasn't the case for me, however, as my flight was cancelled on Saturday as the storm hit the Philadelphia area.

Mind you, I was feeling a bit guilty as my wife was now stuck with a house full of dogs and had to shovel the driveway as she didn't know how to use the snowblower. And, I was 'stuck' in 70 degree (F) weather with the sun shining brightly. (Oh, ok, it DID get down into the 50's (F)overnight one night and I had to put a long-sleeved shirt on. I'm taking it I'm not getting any sympathy for that).

So, on Saturday, I went down to Orlando airport and changed my flight for 5p to Ft. Myers to Philadelphia on Sunday. In the meantime, I was able to help my father in the house (something I didn't think I was going to be able to do based on his extended hospital stay and my travel schedule) and get him settled down and into a routine.

Sunday came and it looked like the flights were on. Except when I got to Orlando, my flight to Ft. Myers was rescheduled to 5:20p instead of 4:50p which would make me miss my connection to Philadelphia by 5 minutes. No, wait. The flight from Ft. Myers to Philadelphia has been changed to 8:15p. I got on the flight out of Orlando and hoped for the best.

As I got off the plane in Ft. Myers, I turned on my phone and instantly two messages popped up. My flight to Philadelphia was now 12:35a. UGH!!!! But, wait!!!! The second message said it was now taking off at 6:35p. I looked at my watch and it was 6:15p!!!!! Where the freak do I go? I found the first Southwest airline person and ask where do I get the Philadelphia flight? 'Well, right here!', he said. 'And, we are leaving in 15 minutes!!!!' Good thing I ate in Orlando as my original plan was to have dinner in Ft. Myers.

I took off at 7p and arrived in Philadelphia around 9:15p. And waited. And waited. A gate was not available. But, my thinking was, I, at least, was IN Philadelphia. I looked outside of the plane and saw the snow piles on the side of the runway. That IS a lot of snow out there. We found a gate and deplaned around 10p.

Got down to baggage claim and saw stacks and stacks of baggage. Patience, Joe, patience. You've gotten this far. Luckily, none of those bags were mine. But, I have no idea whose they were as there was lots of suitcases and lots of people around but not lots of people taking the already piling up bags of suitcases. A half hour later, the luggage off of my flight came out and there was mine!!!!!

After getting my car, it took about an hour to get home. My wife shoveled out just enough of the driveway to get two cars in and that was good enough for our needs. I walked in my house exhausted from the day's events but too wired to fall asleep right away. I was lying awake thankful that my father was doing better and proud that my wife handled the difficult situation of the 'snowstorm of the century' by herself. For the first time in at least a week, I was able to sleep knowing that everything is allright.

I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and I hope you all have a great 2010. I anticipate many changes for me in the decade to come but let's take it one year at a time. Peace to all and I look forward to writing more in the coming year.

2009--A Year in Review

2009-12-14T14:58:00.006-05:00

At the end of each year, it is a time of reflection of what we have done. Below are some of the highlights of my 2009. I'm not quite done for the year as I hope to post once more before Christmas. But, if I don't, I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and best wishes for the New Year of 2010. Happy Holidays!!!!!

Overall: Wow! What a year it has been. I wanted this to be a different year for me as I celebrated my 50th birthday last May. I participated in 14 races in 5 different states and 3 different countries. I ran in 8 different states (PA, FL, MA, IL, NV, CA, NJ, KS) either in a race or just for fun. This time last year, I thought I was going to do 2 marathons in 2009. I did 2 half-marathons instead. (Philadelphia and Nova Scotia) I ran my first international race in June (England) and then another one in October (Canada). I participated in my first triathlon. I ran, essentially, injury-free. (Yes, I had the flu in June. But, that wasn't due to running.) And, my friend George and I drove from Philadelphia to Kansas City, watching a baseball game in the cities of Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City. This year will be one for the ages.

Best Race: When Steve (Runner) and I started the Valley Harvest Half marathon together and after the first mile and he said to me, 'this is a slow pace?', I knew I had him that day. It's not often I can brag and say I beat Steve in any race. As a matter of fact, only a month later I lost to him in the Whiten 5 mile race on Thanksgiving. But, on that day in a land far, far away from home, I was in peak enough shape on a course that described itself as having 'rolling hills' (if you consider a one mile incline a rolling hill), to notch another victory in our friendly rivalry. I had run a half marathon only a few weeks before this race and took those lessons learned into this race. It was fun to rub it in to Steve that a 50 year old broken down man could still beat him once in awhile.

Worse Race: I believe, when you toe the line for a race, you should be ready for the race. Doesn't matter if you recently were fighting the flu and have driven halfway across the country to be in this place. Doesn't matter if it was hot and humid and most likely, dehydrated. If you are there, you are racing. The Terri Tough 5k in Olathe, Kansas proved to be the worse (time-wise) 5k I ever ran. Not by a little. But, by a lot. And, I remember going out in a reasonable pace for the first mile. But, that hill. That hill that suddenly appeared on the course about halfway through the race. It was my undoing. They don't have hills in Kansas, do they? After getting up that hill, I mentally (and physically) fell apart. The way I felt the last half of that race was I how I usually feel at the end of a marathon. Don't get me wrong, I loved the course. And, if I'm ever in the Kansas City area again in late June, I would do that race again. I just didn't like it that day.

Biggest Surprise: When Steve and I stood in line at customs at the Halifax airport, we began talking to a local of what to do in Nova Scotia. 'Don't drink the wine here. It's awful', he said. 'That's too bad', we replied. But how many wineries are there in Nova Scotia? Turns out enough to satisfy a weekend visit. And, you know what? The local was dead wrong (or a wine snob) in his assessment of the local harvest. Steve and I had a chance to visit a few wineries in the Wolfville area and were very pleased with what we were served. So much so, I brought a few bottles back for the holidays. What was most interesting was talking to the people at the wine tasting and finding out these particular wines are only grown and served locally as it is too expensive to export them. It was something we didn't expect when we decided to participate in the Valley Harvest Half marathon.

Proudest Moment: I never, ever thought I would participate in a triathlon. But, last year at this time, I was coming off an injury from marathon training. And, quite frankly, I was looking for something new to do to get my juices flowing. So, I decided, for good or bad, I was going to find a triathlone that was right for me in 2009. And, with the help of Sharon, Skip, Chief and my tri classmates at the Central Bucks Y, I was able to achieve my goal and finish a triathlon. Mitch, Mike, Joan, and Kelly were at the race as well cheering me on. And, when I crossed that finish line, I said it was the stupidest thing I did with a huge smile on my face. After a marathon, it took awhile before I would agree to do another one. Within a few days of the Lake Lenape tri, I knew this is the thing I wanted to do to replace that 'marathon finish high'. That day, I wanted to prove you could teach an old dog like me a new trick.

Biggest Disappointment: If only. If only I learn lessons from the past and finish a race properly. I was beating Steve one year in Falmouth and let my foot off the gas with a 1/2 mile to go and he wound up passing to beat me. I vowed something like that would never happen again. Except it did. The last 1/4 mile of the Gloucester Township Scholarship 5k in April, in the corner of my eye, I saw someone gaining on me to the finish. Looking at him and judging his age, I didn't think he was going to be a threat for any chance of 'bling' I might be getting in the Clydesdale division of the race. I was wrong. I finished second in my division. Guess who was first? The guy who passed me at the end to beat me by 1 second. Yes, one second. Where's the competitive fire? I should given him an elbow. :-)

Biggest Thrill: Two weeks ago, I would have said running a race in England was my biggest thrill of the year. Except, when I ran the Ferry Building 4 mile along the Embarcadero, passing Fisherman's Wharf, in the shadows of Alcatraz in San Francisco only to see the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance as I crossed the finish line, well, it's hard to find a better setting than that for a race. I remember standing around at the start and just smiling. This was cool. Way cool. And, in truth, the low tech aspect of it was kind of fun too. I thought I was going to come from the farthest distance to run this race. Until I was talking to the couple from England. And the guy from Ireland. Oh, and there were people from Australia. And New Zealand. Did I mention South Africa? And, is Hawaii really further than Pennsylvania? At least, I travelled further than the people from Wisconsin that were in this race. I still stare at the picture I took of the finish line with the bay in the background. Can't believe I had the chance to do that race.

Scariest Moment: I came out of Lake Lenape and ran towards where the bikes were kept. I stood there ready to put my shoes, helmet, etc. on. And, I suddenly felt I was ready to pass out. I staggered and needed to sit down before I fell down. I honestly didn't know if this was normal. An adreneline rush? A heart attack? I didn't know if I should continue with my triathlon or call for medical attention. I had worked so hard to be in my first tri that I knew I was stubborn enough not to give up and someone was going to have to drag me off the course. To this day, I'm still not sure what happened or how to prevent it in the future. Talking to different people, I have some ideas. What I think happened is the way I breathe in the water and not getting enough oxygen in my system as I transition. Over the winter, I want to practice to see if I can improve on this as I plan on doing more tris in 2010.

What I Will Remember Most From This Year: From a non-running perspective, I still think back on my baseball trip I took in June. In some ways, it was so non-stop going from stadium to stadium day after day that I didn't really appreciate it when it was happening. All I want for Christmas this year is a collage to hang up on my wall made up from the momentos I picked up along the way and the pictures I had taken during the trip. From running? About a quarter mile from the finish of the Lake Lenape Triathlon, you have to make a right hand turn to the end. As I was coming up to the corner, Mike, Mitch, Kelly and Joan were calling my name, cheering me on. As I turned the corner, Joan and Kelly began to run with me, encouraging and coaching me to finish strong. Does it sound similar to my experience at the Harrisburg marathon the previous year? You bet!!!! I can never find the proper words to thank people who run with me, coach me, mentor me, and cheer me on. And, at the end of that race, to feed off the excitement Joan and Kelly had in cheering me on, was immeasurable. And, seeing how happy Sharon and Skip were that another one of their 'students' had 'graduated'. That is what I will remember.

Ferry Building 4 mile Run Race Report

2009-12-07T00:58:00.019-05:00

The entry fee--$5. No T-shirt given out (but I bought two to support the club). No race numbers. Just little tags to identify us when we finished. No police to hold the crowds back. As a matter of fact, not really any crowds. Just a few people out there cheering the ones they knew running. Racing at it's bare bones. And, this race was as it fun as it gets for running.

The Ferry Building 4 mile race, held in San Francisco, starts at the intersection of Jefferson and Hyde Streets, (if you are familar with SF it's where the cable cars turnaround by Fisherman's Wharf) heads down the Embarcedaro for 2 miles going past Fisherman's Wharf along the way, turns around at the Ferry Building (there is a chalkmark on the ground that showed the turnaround. No one was there to instruct us) and heads back from whence we came to the finish. The finish? A view of the Golden Gate Bridge. The swag? A Finisher's ribbon from the San Francisco Runners Club.

It was a very chilly morning with the wind off the water blowing hard. I raced in layers similar to what I wore at the Valley Harvest Half. And, like the Valley Harvest Half, I was overdressed about 1/4 mile into the race. Once the buildings along the Embarcedaro blocked the wind and the sun came out, it warmed up and so did I.

We ran in the streets and on the sidewalks. We had to run around tourists and other runners not in the race. But, the views were amazing. The experience was amazing. And, to top it all off? A Sea Salt Caramel Hot Cocoa from Ghirardelli at Ghirardelli Square. What a great way to end my race year.

Below are some of the pictures from the morning. Enjoy!

(A view of the Golden Gate Bridge at the start area of the race)

(The sign-in table)

(Looking at the course at the start of the race)

(Fisherman's Wharf)

(The cable car turnaround with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background)

(At the starting area of the race)

(Me with my 'race number' on)

(Another view of the harbor)

(People gathering at the sign-in table)

(Trying to stay warm before the race)

(Waiting for the race to start)

(The start line)

(View of the TransAmerica Building on the course)

(The course about 1.5 into the race)

(The Ferry Building where we turned around)

(The Finish Line with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background)

(Runners gathering after the race)

Whitin (MA) 5 mile Race Report

2009-11-30T11:10:00.009-05:00

Not really a race report but just some pictures of the Whitin 5 miler that I ran on Thanksgiving Day with Steve (Runner). Steve and I ran most of the race together but he took off the last quarter mile and beat me by 20 seconds or so. Steve's wife asked me to let him beat me so he doesn't pout over the winter. I felt bad so I obliged. :-) To be fair, Steve and I thought we were about the same fitness level--he has started to ramp up his miles since the Valley Harvest Half and I have started to ramp down for the winter. It was a good race but, at the end, I couldn't sprint with him at the finish.

As it turns out, I will be in California next weekend and have my eye on a 4 mile race in San Francisco on Sunday. Hopefully, I'll post pictures from that race next week,

(Steve and I in front of the Whitinsville Community Center at the start of the race)

(Walking up to the starting line in Whitinsville, MA)

(Shouldn't this turkey be in the oven and not on her head?)

(People lining up at the start)

(A Pilgrim turkey?)

(Our Pilgrim forefathers were a lot faster than me this day)

(The chute at the finish)

(The finish line of the Whitin 5 mile Race)

Sights and Sounds of the 2009 Philadelphia Marathon

2009-11-23T13:27:00.009-05:00

Here are some of the sights and sounds of the 2009 Philadelphia Marathon/Half-marathon/8k race. To everyone in the United States, enjoy your Thanksgiving this week and travel safely wherever you go.

(The start line of this year's race)

(Men's Marathon winner, John Crews (2:17:15) getting his medal)

(Women's Marathon winner, Jutta Merilainen (2:46:44) crossing the finish line)

(Lesley Van Arsdale of CBS3 covering the race)

(Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter (in Phillies hat) )

(Looking at the finish line with the Art Museum in the background)

(Sign for the marathon)

Videos of the race:

(Some marathon finishers)

(More marathon finishers)

(What the runners see as they head to the finish line)

Good luck Philadelphia Runners!!!!

2009-11-19T10:14:00.005-05:00

This Sunday is the Philadelphia marathon. I was hoping to post some pictures of the banners in the city and the mile markers that are on the road as I drive into work on parts of the course. Never had the chance to stop and take the pictures. However, I am planning on heading down to the race as a spectator. I know a few people running the marathon and half-marathon so hoping to catch a glimpse of them and cheer them on. Good luck to Eric, Diane, Mark, and Rich on Sunday.

The race starts at 7a. Which, in the back of my mind, is why I was dragging my feet in signing up. I was thinking of doing the half marathon as it's a bit different than the course they use for the Philadelphia Distance Run in September. Still, it will be nice to watch a race instead and be a part of the buzz of the crowd. I am planning on going to the Expo tomorrow to check out the sites and sounds.

Well, Steve(Runner) and I are having a rematch. This time it's a five mile race in Whitinsville, MA on Thanksgiving Day. I think Steve has a good chance of beating me. I have been running since Valley Harvest and actually have been feeling pretty good in my runs. But, they tend to be shorter runs so haven't kept up the mileage that I think he's doing. Still, if I beat him two in a row? Well, there will be no living with me as I will have to give him 'subtle' reminders during the winter of this fact. :-) (Do you think 'Dear Slowpoke:' is a little too subtle?) I'm looking forward to the race and catching up with Steve for a few hours on Thanksgiving.

Swimming has gone by the wayside a bit (ok, fully). Realistically, I hope to pick that up in January again. But, I learned a lot this year in swimming so maybe I can get up to speed a little bit quicker this time. I have made it my goal to play racquetball once a week since the half marathon ended and I have stuck to that. Might be a little tough to do that over the holidays but still plan on trying at least. It's a great way to keep me motivated in the winter.

Lastly, thank you to the reader from Redlands, CA who was the 10,000th visitor to my blog since I began keeping track. (The site counter below will tell you different but that keeps track of unique visitors) Now, some blogs will reach that milestone in a few days/weeks/months. It took me awhile and, in truth, I was probably responsible for being 5000 of those visitors by correcting mistakes. Still, I want to thank you all for taking the time reading this blog and posting any comments good or bad. It's not always interesting but then again, neither am I so it's a good reflection of me. :-)

Again, good luck to my friends and all the runners in the Philadelphia marathon/half marathon/8k. Hopefully, I'll have some pictures to post next week.

For the 10.2%

2009-11-11T08:14:00.004-05:00

I read in the paper, the other day, that unemployment in the United States has reached double digits. That's the highest it's been since 1982. And, they are projecting the numbers not getting any lower anytime soon.

You may have heard this story before (and I apologize upfront if you have) but one of the reasons why I started running because I was unemployed at the time. I realized then that a job is not just a paycheck but it gives you a sense of accomplishment for the day. Even if you hate your job (and, believe me, there were times that I did), I still felt I did my best that day and I could sleep at night knowing that. When you are unemployed, you still want to have that feeling but you don't know where to turn to get it. Sometimes it leads into a downward spiral that is hard to bring yourself back. And, whatever your views are on healthcare reform, I can tell you I'm for it in some way shape or form because when I didn't have it, I was scared to walk outside of my house in fear that I would break something and would bankrupt our future because of my clumsiness. (But, I digress)

I would drop my wife off at the train station in the morning and then go for a run afterwards. At first, it was just a few miles. But, boy, did that feel good. It was breaking new ground for me. And, after the run, I couldn't wait until the next day to run some more. This loss sense of accomplishment of being out of work was now being filled by ability to run further than I ever ran before. This feeling carried me through the day knowing, if I pushed myself in the morning and I didn't die, then there is no reason to believe I couldn't push myself for the rest of the day in finding a job. It was a struggle and, as weeks went by, my enthusiasm waffled. But, looking back I realized it helped me so much get through that difficult time in my life. So much so that my first year of running in races, I would take a moment to pause and think about those families affected by unemployment and say a silent prayer hoping they find the strength to pull themselves through.

I have an idea but not sure how I would go about setting it up (if anyone wants to steal my idea and 'run with it', feel free). I thought about establishing a small charity to cover entry race fees for those unemployed. I know, personally, I would cut way back on races whenever I was out of a job. It was a luxury not a necessity. Yet, I know most people are more motivated to train if there is a future race they have signed up for. My charity would cover that race fee provided the person would be willing to train for the event. Now, the person can't ask for a race fee the day of the race. But, it would be a long term goal so that person can find the motivation to get up every morning, and, in the end, have that sense of accomplishment they might be missing in their lives. The name I thought of, for the charity, was the Run Fund. Like I said, it's an idea and, if you know of someone who knows how to establish charities, please, go for it.

So, if you are one of the 10.2% Americans who are unemployed or someone in another country in the same situation, don't give up hope. Your dreams may be derailed for a bit but, with effort and the right attitude, you can get them back on track. I know it's easier said than done. But, in the meantime, find something else that will help you get back the right attitude. For me, it was running. For you, it might be something else. Take it one step at a time. You will never look back once you have done it.

(Notes: Click here to read an article in the November 11, 2009 edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer about a different approach to running. Steve(Runner) has mentioned this in the past in his podcast and thought about attempting it in the Valley Harvest Half marathon. I can understand the thinking behind it, and I agree that shoe companies probably overengineer some of their products but I don't think I could run without shoes.)

Can't Believe a Mario Bros Beat Me

2009-11-02T08:53:00.013-05:00

It was a dark and stormy night......

Ok, it really wasn't but it was warmer than normal with intermittent showers on Halloween morning. Below are some pictures before the race of the Skeleton Skurry 5k in Hatboro, PA. The Mario Brother that beat me was a friend of mine from kindergarten/grade/high school that ran the race that day with his family. The funny thing was he is the same guy that tapped me on the shoulder at Philadelphia Distance Run to say hi. I didn't know he was going to run this race either. Just turned out that way.

Race was a lot of fun especially with all the people dressed up. Some people were very clever with their costumes. I have no idea how they ran in them. Please enjoy the pictures below.

(The start of the race at Pennypack Elementary School)

Sunday morning after the race, my cat Fiona died. She had cancer for the past few months. I am grateful the doctors at Buckingham Animal Hospital were able to extend her life for a time for us to say good-bye. I was never a cat person growing up but her and our other cat, Hannibal, were a joy to have. (Hannibal died a few years back.) We had Fiona for seventeen years. This morning, when I woke up, it was the first time in quite awhile that I didn't have to feed her when I was home. I will miss the routine of saying good morning to her and giving her treats before I said good-night to her. I will miss having her around as most times when I would post this blog she would be at my legs wanting her ears scratched. She will be missed and not to be forgotten.

And the results are in.....

2009-10-30T13:43:00.004-04:00

Last Wednesday, the Blue Dawgs got together from the summer recess. I saw people off and on over the summer but it was good to get everyone back together again and do some hills in Chalfont.

Joe and Diski were there. Diski is training to walk the Philadelphia half marathon in November. She has had injuries off and on for the past few years that have prevented her from running. So, she has turn to walking instead and Joe is joining her in her training. They are nice people so I'm glad Di has found a way to join us on Wednesday nights. Wouldn't be the same without them.

Eric was there. He is also training for the Philadelphia half marathon but will be running it. We look forward to seeing Eric on the front page of the newspaper the next day as he has a habit of showing up in newspapers, magazines, you name it. Must be his dashing good looks. :-)

Mark was there as well. He walked with Joe and Diski. I think I heard he ran that morning so didn't want to run again that day. I didn't see Mark over the summer as I did last year. Last year, we run with the TZ Sports group on Thursday nights and would run past his house along the course. We would always yell out for Mark to come out and play with us. Most times he did. Mark's wife would come out as we were heading for home and offer us a drink of water from their driveway. A welcome reprieve indeed.

Mike was there. Mike was telling us his theory on training. He was wondering how much training was really needed? He was giving us examples of how he would just show up at races with little training and do really well. Oh, sure. If I was skinny with talent, I could probably do the same thing. Mike is a good guy. He doesn't always have the chance to come out on Wednesdays with us so it's always great to see him when he can.

Kelly 'I hate !@#$%$ hills' was there as well. Kelly just recently did the Wineglass marathon. She almost, almost qualified for Boston. Only if she was a year older. And, to think that last year I thought I could run with her in the Harrisburg marathon. She swore this was her last marathon. But, I don't think so. If you are THAT close to qualifying for Boston, you have to go for it. She will. She just needs to forget about the pain of the marathon.

Among the missing that night was Boyd, Joan, Mitch, Chief and Melissa. Melissa had a good excuse. Just a few weeks ago, her and her husband welcomed their new son into this world. (Congratulations!). I expect to see little Perry training for the 2032 Olympics in a few years time.

After the run, we headed down to our namesake, the Blue Dog Tavern. Watched the Philies, quaffed a few adult beverages, ate like we were carbo-loading, talked about our summers, had a few laughs. Really enjoyed myself.

As we were leaving, we forgot to do one thing. Elect our new president. To qualify for the election, it is best NOT to show up for the first meeting. At least, that is the tradition we follow. My unanimous consent, Chief White was elected the Blue Dawg president for the year. Heavy is the burden of this elected office. The president is responsible for collecting all the dues for the group. Since there are no dues for the group, we felt Chief could handle collecting them. The president is responsible for ordering the first round. OK, I made this up but he should be.

Last year, I spoke about losing my mojo. Not wanting to run. This year should be different. I'm looking forward to hangin' with the Dawgs again this winter.

(Notes: Most of you, after looking at Steve Runner's time at the Valley Harvest Half marathon, thought that he ran like a grandpa. (I did too). Well, you were close. Congratulations goes out to my friend Steve as he recently found out that his stepson will be having a child so Steve will indeed be a grandpa. Soon, he will yelling at kids to stay off his lawn to complete the picture.)

Images of Nova Scotia

2009-10-21T10:15:00.017-04:00

I wanted to take one last opportunity to talk about my trip to Nova Scotia. I have spoken ad naseum about the reasons for such a trip. In the beginning of the year, Steve(Runner) and I were looking to do a marathon. By July, we both agreed it made more sense to do a half. I wanted it to be someplace that I had never been before and, chances are, may never have the chance to return. We floated out ideas of Fargo, North Dakota or Eugene, Oregon but decide to visit one of the Canadian Maritime provinces instead. We were originally intending to go to Prince Edward Island but the cost and the timing to get there for a long weekend was a bit too much. So, we decided to go to Nova Scotia. And, I'm glad we did.

Nova Scotia turned out to be everything I expected it to be. And, more. Beautiful coast. Wonderful foliage. Quaint little towns. And, unexpected? The amount of good wineries in the area.

Below are some of the pictures (and videos) I took of the trip. I hope you enjoy.

(We had the chance to visit 5 wineries while there. I picked up a Maple Wine from here, surprisingly good as a dessert wine.)

(The Cornwallis River at lowtide in the morning. Look at the difference from the picture below when it was at high tide in the afternoon.)

(Around Scots Bay area)

(At The Lookoff. If anyone goes there in the future, could you look for Steve's glasses? It's where he lost them.)

(Bay of Fundy)

(The further side of the river is where most of the race took place)

(Along the Bay of Fundy)

(The German restaurant along the coast where we had lunch)

(Along the coast of Bay of Fundy)

(Waterfalls)

(The block dot is one of the seals we saw along the way)

Finally, here are some short videos that I had taken.

(In the town of Scots Bay, looking out at the Bay of Fundy)

(Near Margaretville, Annapolis County)

(Hours later after I've finished, washed, had lunch, still waiting, Steve does his last lap towards the finish line.)

2009 Valley Harvest Half Marathon Report

2009-10-16T13:50:00.002-04:00

I sit here trying to figure out, trying to summarize the race that I ran in Nova Scotia. I was thinking of taking the angle of how I beat Steve(Runner). Which, would be a great angle since, in fact, it's true. :-) But, I will also tell you this. Steve is a good friend of mine. We've known each other for half of lives. We do a have friendly rivalry going and some trash talkin'. But, it's all in good fun. The weekend was my continuing celebration of my 50th year on this planet. And, I wanted to do something different. So, I went to the edge of the earth. Or so it seemed. Steve was kind enough to go with me to help in my celebration. Thanks, Steve.

So, do I write about the course? Funny thing I think about this course are people's point of view. I read this on several blogs and websites this was described as a flat course with a few rolling hills. Personally, I would describe it as a hilly course with a few flat spots. This was the hilliest half marathon course I've run. But, saying that, the hills were not monstorous. They just felt like they would go on forever. And, unfortunately for me, I was feeling nauceous going up them. To the point, at mile 10, I was ready to give my breakfast up. But, thankfully, didn't. I kept thinking, I had a 5k more to go and, whatever hills there were upcoming, I was just going to have to walk up those. But, I kept thinking Steve was going to be right behind me and catch up. Funny, when you are in the middle of a a situation like that, how much you don't care. You care afterwards. But, not when you are going through it.

Besides the hills, and, probably because of them, the course was scenic. The race started in downtown Wolfville, NS and headed west out of town. About 2 miles out of town, you turned right and headed to Port William. Before going into Port William, you crossed the Cornwallis River. Now, the area was noted for their tidal changes. It is no more evident than it was crossing that bridge over the Cornwallis River. In the morning, you literally could walk across the water as it was that shallow. By the afternoon, the river had risen about 50 feet. Watching the tide come in was like watching floodwaters. On a daily basis.

Most of the race was in Port William and the surrounding farmland. It was 3 miles into the race that I realized that I had overdressed for the occasion. I was dressed as Nanook of the North. And, for good reason as the race started in the 30s (F). But, the sun was out. And, in reality, I could have been comfortable with a long-sleeve shirt and shorts. Instead, I was bundled up for an impending snowstorm. Except, never happened.

My first 4 miles were at a nice even pace. I took a few walk breaks afterwards only to settle my stomach. I learned my lesson in Philadelphia and was determined to keep things at as much of an even pace as possible.

The turnaround on the course actually happened about 7.5 miles into the race. And, then more hills followed. I thought of Kelly and her 'love' of hills. I imagined her cursing these hills. I didn't have to imagine me cursing these hills. Because, I was doing just that.

Finally, around mile 9, there was one long downhill back into Port William. It was there you could really get a view of the river and the tidal basin and the hills surrounding the area. Just beautiful.

I crossed the Cornwallis River again at mile 10 and continued on following my steps of the first three miles. I turned right onto Route 1 and headed back into Wolfville. Suck it up and make it happen.

The finish line was in the Acadia University football stadium. Almost a full lap around to the end. I was running with someone along side of me, who, thanked me at the end as he was pacing off me. I've done that before and it's funny how you really feel the need to thank someone for doing that when, in fact, they have no idea that they were. About 50 yards from the finish, the name is called over the PA system. And, they even pronounced the last name right!!!! I saw the clock closing in on 2:04. It was then I was determined to beat that time so I made a mad dash. Gun time: 2:03:45. Chip time: 2:03:01. I beat my Philadelphia time. On a tougher course. And, no Steve around. I was feeling happy.

As I waited for Steve to finish, one of the runners who I was running with along the course, was about 50 yards from the finish and decided to make a dash as well. Except, she collapsed in a heap, grabbing her thigh. I suspect she cramped up. She was lying there, crying, wanting so much to cross that line. The paramedics rushed and helped her. She did get up and was limping. I felt so bad as she never crossed the line. All that work and only 50 yards from your goal. Ouch.

After Steve crossed the line, it was time to spend the afternoon riding around, tasting the wines of the region. It was a nice way to finish up the weekend.

I want to thank the people of Wolfville, of Nova Scotia, the race directors and the people who participated in this race. You are some of the friendliest people I ever met. There was a little issue with my registration. They couldn't find me. And, yet, they took me at my word that I did register and was going to give me a number anyway. Turns out, I registered my last name first. I was never one to follow directions anyway.

For a more complete race report, I encourage you to download and listen to Steve's podcast episode 209. (Also, listen to episode 208B for my interview of Steve).

Images of the 2009 Valley Harvest Half-Marathon

2009-10-14T19:27:00.013-04:00

Hopefully, by the end of the week I will have a full race report. In the meantime, here are some pictures I took of the 2009 Tm Horton's Valley Harvest Half-Marathon.

(Registration at the Acadia University Gym)

(Steve (Runner) and I before the race)

(At the start)

(About two miles into the race heading towards Port William)

(Someone offered to take my picture so he went ahead of me and did so. If I can only get my camera back....(I'm in the middle) )

(About 5 miles into the race)

(The hills weren't steep but the hilliest half I've ever run)

(Heading towards the turnaround)

(Finally, downhill. About 9 miles into the race)

(Steve (Runner) crosses the finish sans shoes. He ran the last 200 yards barefoot)

(Steve and myself after the race. Somehow Steve musters a smile after losing the race to me.)

iFitness MiniSportsBelt

2009-10-05T12:03:00.003-04:00

There is a story I tell of a race I did in Souderton, Pennsylvania one hot July night. That night I was in the midst of setting a new 5k PR when it happened. You see, I used to carry my car key in a shoe pouch. But, as I in the last mile of the race, my shoe pouch started to flap with potentially my car key falling in the middle of the street. I had to take the time to fix it except I didn't fix it right and it started to flap again in the next 100 yards. I was so peeved (not the word I really want to use here), I bent down and tore the pouch off my shoe and stuck my key in my pocket. By then I lost all my momentum and finished seconds off my PR. I never ran with a shoe pouch again.

So, I started to use a wrist pouch. And, they are good. Does the job. But, a little uncomfortable sometimes. Plus, on a good hard day, you can wring out the wristband. And, if you don't be careful, it can get a little funky sitting in the gym bag in a hot car.

A few months ago, Kelly, from the Blue Dawgs showed me her mini Sports Belt. Yeah, yeah, I said. That's great. But, I don't do sports belts. Oh, I've tried. Get yelled out by runner friends for not having one on when doing longer runs. They bounce. They push against the nerves on my back. They are just soooooo uncomfortable. But, let me tell you, and, I don't say this often, Kelly was right.

When walking around the Philadelphia Distance Run expo, there were a few booths selling these. I've been wanting to take my Canon camera along for races/runs and wanted a reason to retire the mini-cam. I thought, for $20, I'll try. So, I bought an iFitness minisportbelt.

Last week, I did two laps around Lake Galena for my final long run before the Valley Harvest half marathon this coming weekend. I ran the first lap (six miles) with the belt on and nothing in it. It was pretty comfortable. Really, didn't even notice I had it on. I stopped at my car and took my wristband off, placed the key in the sportsbelt and took my camera along as well.

I ran about 100 yards. Yep, here it goes. Bounce like crazy. Feel it everytime I take a step. But, in reality, it was what I was expecting. With some adjustments, (keeping the pouch on my front right hip) I never felt it again for the second lap. Even to the point, where after my run, I forgot I didn't take it off, did some errands before I got home and was surprised I had it on still.

I don't think iFitness has the exclusive market on these. I could be wrong. I seem to recall there were other companies selling something similar. But, I can tell you that this is a product I would recommend. Once again, goodbye to the mini-cam. And, dare I say, goodbye to the wristband pouch. I have a new friend with the iFitness minisportsbelt.

(Notes: I think only I would have a chance to go anyplace (within reason) in the world to run a race in the fall and decide to go north instead of south. As of today, the weather forecast in Wolfville, Nova Scotia on Sunday, October 11 is windy with winds out of the west at 24mph. High of 52 degrees (F) which will feel like 40 degrees (F). That's high for the day. Not the race. Need to make sure I bring the long pants and not rely on running in shorts for the race. Still, I have never been to the Maritime Islands of Canada and am looking forward to my trip with Steve (Runner). It will be an adventure.

Pictures telling a thousand words (roughly)

2009-10-01T09:15:00.004-04:00

Look at that guy on the right of this blog. No. The far right. The guy in the blue shirt with the bicycle behind him. What do you see? (There are a number of my friends biting their tongues at this very moment looking for an appropriate answer to that question). Does that guy look relaxed to you? Or even worse (because, in truth, I actually look like I'm running in that picture). Look at these pictures. The guy in the yellow shirt this time. Yep, same guy as last time but, if there was a penny in those clenched fists of his, he would be making Lincoln cry those fists are so tight.

I did learn a lot of things out there when I was running PDR. Okay, don't wear the Brooks Adreneline 9s just yet for a lengthy run. Not quite broken in. Don't wear the new DryMax socks in Nova Scotia. Wear the older ones. Will do just as good if not better. When there is a gap in your socks by your toes, don't say, it will be allright and then complain about blisters afterwards when it's not allright. Fix it before the race starts. And, make sure you do a few miles the week before even if you don't have the time. Find the time. To do a few at least. Those little tidbits were easy to think about and fix. What I didn't really think about was how did I look? Or specifically, how did I feel?

I wrote a blog entry before about bad running habits. Even made it a New Year's resolution to try to correct them last year. One of the worse habits I have is not running relaxed. But, what does that mean?

First time I took notice of it was in a race that Steve (Runner) and I did one time in Connecticut, the day before the Falmouth Road Race. As I was finishing the last mile of a 5 mile race, a perfect stranger, who was cheering us on, looked at me and yelled, 'Hey you. Relax out there. You are running tense. ' Who me? I'm digging in. I want to have a strong finish. Who in the world isn't tense out here?' But, I knew what she was saying.

Flash forward two years from then to this year's PDR. And, I look at the pictures of myself. When you are out there, doing the best you can to finish in the fastest time possible, all you are thinking is finding something inside of you to finish this thing off. So, you dig deep. And, when I do that, automatically my arms go up and fists clench.

I will tell you now that I am not sure if I will ever know how to truly relax in a race. And, yet, if you ever watch an Olympic event, the announcers will always mention how relax the winners look as they cross the finish line. But, because of the pictures from PDR, it will remind me to chill when I run. Keep those arms down. Relax that kung-fu grip of mine. Don't be so stiff when I run. Just relax.

2009 Philadelphia Distance (Training) Run Report

2009-09-22T09:33:00.004-04:00

Sometimes you get too comfortable in preparing for a race. Now, mind you, the Philadelphia Distance Run WAS a training run and not necessarily a race for me. But, the weather was nice, I had a nice base since the spring, why not rev the engines and see what this baby can do? 10 miles for my previous long run should be enough, don't you think? Shoes? I'll just use the new ones. I broke them in a bit. I did a seven miler with them just last week. They should be fine. Did I ever wear these socks with these shoes before? Doesn't matter. I'm just using this for a long run to prep for my half marathon in Nova Scotia in three weeks. It will be fine.

(Picture on the right is the site you see as you come into Eakins Oval and the last quarter mile of the race. Picture was taken 2 days before the race. )

It was a beautiful morning to run a race. Ideal weather conditions. Cool with no wind. I was excited to do the race from the start. I got up early. Got down there early. Plenty of time to do the potty line dance. Even ran into a kindergarten/grade school/high school friend of mine in the starting corral I was in. It was going to be good day.

My objective really was to take it easy. I knew I was going to go out somewhat strong but wanted to settle in with a 9:00/9:30 pace. And, I was right. The first three miles were around 8:30 per mile. And, I was feeling good. Very willing to back down and I did. Finally, after four miles, I settled into a target pace.

At around mile six, my right hip started to bother me. What the...? I was slowing down a bit but still within pace. I wanted to hit the seven mile mark at around 1 hour. Yep. Did that. But, what's up with this hip pain? I never had this before. And, then the leg cramps started. So, I had to back off some more.

And, right around mile 10, yes, the furthest I had done for training up to that point, is when the wheels really started to come off. Both hips were hurting. Both legs were cramping. And, now, my left foot was developing blisters on the two small toes. I felt like I was back in the old days when I didn't know how to prep for this race.

I kept on telling myself that this was no surprise. And, it is STILL just part of my training. All I'm doing is running around Lake Galena twice except I'm doing it with 12,000 other people beside me. Well, mainly in front of me.

And, in truth, I did convince myself this was all true. I wasn't upset with myself. I wasn't kicking myself. I started to do a walk/run and kind of enjoyed the experience of just being part of a huge crowd of runners. I looked at my watch and realized that there was no way to finish under 2 hours. And, what's the difference if I finished in 2:01 or 2:04 at this point? And, seriously, it was a beautiful day.

I finished the race in 2:04:19. This was my sixth PDR and it was my third fastest time. I ran a good 10k. And learned a lot about where am I at for the half in Canada in the last 10k. I also learned that I need to be a bit more focus on prepping for a race, training run, walking about town even and not take it for granted. Can't just mail it in. Now, if only my hips would stop hurting.

The 2009 Fall Preview

2009-09-16T12:49:00.004-04:00

This was the plan for this fall. Philadelphia Distance Run in September, Valley Harvest Half-marathon in Nova Scotia for October, and to wrap things up, Philadelphia Half marathon in November. Until I saw the price of the Philadelphia Half Marathon. Yikes!!!! A hundred bucks???? And, time was of the essence to make a decision because registration was almost sold out. I wanted to wait until after the Valley Harvest Half to make that decision. Well, as it turns out the decision was made for me as the half is officially sold out. (Sometimes the best plans are the ones you don't make).

In reality, that IS the plan for the fall. I haven't thought about any 5ks or any other races. Doesn't mean I won't do them if I have a free weekend and the weather is nice. I just haven't geared myself towards any. And, I've done this on purpose.

The last few years, I noticed I've burned out at the end especially last year. I had a problem with my Achilles that left me on the sidelines for a number of weeks. Once I started to heal (pardon the pun), I couldn't get back 'into it'. Whatever 'it' was. I found myself focusing so much of my emotion and time to one event that, once it was over, I was drained. I didn't want to run. I didn't want to play racquetball. I was going through the motions. It wasn't fun anymore for me. It just was and nothing more.

So, I thought about it over this year as I was determined to make sure I kept up my mojo over the fall and winter. The key idea I had was to make sure I was having fun. So, I have decided to put future marathons on hold for the time being and readjust my focus on keeping in good enough shape in doing half marathons when I feel like it. In that way, the longest time I'm out there training for any event is no more than an hour or two.

And, I want to continue doing triathlons next year. I had a good time in the one I did but couldn't figure out how to add additional ones to my schedule this year. So, I've made a commitment to myself of, at least, doing 32 laps (roughly equivalent to 1/2 mile) once a week over the fall/winter. The one thing I don't want to do is to start from scratch like I did in March. I also want to figure out how to avoid this dizzyness I get after a swim, like the one I had during the Lake Lenape race. If I can't avoid it, at least, what is the best way to cope with it during a race. And, sometime after the Valley Harvest race, start up my racquetball games with my cousin. Again, fun to do and great cross-training.

So, I'm looking forward to the Philadelphia Distance Run (or PDR in this part of the world). I plan on using this as a training run for Valley Harvest. The longest run I have done, to date, is a 10 miler. I want to run this race in between a 9 to 9:30 pace. The weather forecast seems to be almost perfect though cloud cover at around 9:15a until 10a would be welcomed. (The last mile of the race is a slight long uphill and in full sun. Can be tough when you are trying to finish).

The signs are up in the city. Sounds like a great expo this year with chances to meet up with the likes of Ryan Hall, Catherine Nedereba, Frank Shorter, John Bingham and Constantina Dita (2008 Olympic marathon gold medalist). Let autumn begin. (I'll be runner 7736 in Start Corral 7).

(Notes: This was a media release that was sent to me (imagine that!) that did sound like a lot of fun and a good idea for those that never have a chance to finish in the top 10 of an age group category. I wanted to add it here and hope you agree that it's a great promotional idea for us middle-of-the-packers. Just waiting for a promo from a fast food joint that offer a prize for the 2064 age group placers. Then I have a chance. :-) )

1st, 2nd … 64th Place!
MGD 64 Rewards 64th Place Category Finishers at
2009 ING Philadelphia Distance Run

CHICAGO (September 14, 2009) – To celebrate its first year as the official beer sponsor of the 2009 ING Philadelphia Distance Run, and add a little fun and excitement for runners, MGD 64 today announced it will award an exclusive prize pack to the 64th place finisher in each age category.

MGD 64 prize packs will be awarded to the male and female 64th place finishers* in each of the thirteen age categories. Each winner will receive a gift basket full of fun items including branded apparel, a pedometer, a subscription to Competitor Magazine, Inside Triathlon, Triathlete Magazine or VeloNews, and other great items.

“MGD 64 is the perfect beer for social and active beer drinkers with on-the-go lifestyles. Celebrating the 64th place finishers is a great way to reward runners who are literally on the go,” said Tristi Pfeiffer, MGD 64 marketing manager. “Whether runners place first or 64th, everyone can reward themselves with the fresh, crisp taste of MGD 64.”

In addition to awarding prize packs to the 64th place finishers, MGD 64 will host an experiential area at the pre-race ING Philadelphia Distance Run’s Health & Fitness Expo at the Pennsylvania Convention Center where legal-drinking-age consumers can receive product information and samples of the 64-calorie beer. And as a post-race reward, MGD 64 invites all legal-drinking-age participants to celebrate their achievement with one free MGD 64 at the beer garden at the Finish Line Festival in Eakins Oval.

“Our partnership with MGD 64 is a great way for us to provide our participants, as well as their friends and families, with the best light beer available,” said Anton Villatoro, event manager for the ING Philadelphia Distance Run. “We utilize our Expo and Finish Line Festival to provide health and fitness products and information for our participants. This is a great setting for a brand such as MGD 64 to introduce its fresh, crisp taste to thousands of people who definitely have something to toast after finishing the race.”

With just 64 calories and 2.4 grams of carbohydrates, MGD 64 has steadily grown in popularity with calorie-conscious consumers since it launched nationally in the summer of 2008. This is the brand’s first year as the official beer sponsor of the eleven-event Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series which hosts races in Nashville, San Diego, Seattle, Chicago, Virginia Beach, Philadelphia, San Jose, Denver, San Antonio, Las Vegas and Phoenix.

*Only participants 21 years and older are eligible to win the MGD 64 prize pack

Is the 'New' Media Getting Old?

2009-09-08T13:19:00.003-04:00

Something has changed in my life (yes, thanks, I still have my job) that I might not be able to post to my blog as often or as much information as I have done in the past. Nothing major, mind you, but it's not as easy for me as it has been in the past.

I also started to notice a trend in the past few months in that, some of my favorite blogs are disappearing or aren't updated as often as they have been in the past. Which leads me to the questions I've been asking myself, 'Is the idea of running blogs going away?' Are people still taking up the idea of creating a new running blog for themselves? Or are we now strictly Facebook, Twitter, or any other new social media users? In other words, is/was blogging just a fad?

I don't have answers just theories. First, in the beginning, people have a specific objective to creating a blog. It's used as a motivational tool because your training for a race is out there for the world to see. Afterall, you don't want to let the world down, do you? And, after you have finished the race, there is nothing else to write about. You've achieved and you've moved on.

Another reason is to let people you know (not just the world) how you are doing in your running reality. But that was before Facebook, MySpace, etc. became familar to all and you can target your audience to only those that YOU know as opposed to letting the whole world know. So, no more blogs because you can just let your FF (Facebook friends) know what you are up to.

And, then you have me. My type. The ones that don't get the opportunity for creative writing in their lives so will take pen to paper or, I guess, keyboard to screen now and bang out some thoughts that are going through their head and wanting to tell someone who might care. Or might not care. But, hey, at least it's out there.

Over the summer, I've thought about shutting down blog production. It's been 2 1/2 years since I started. I had to think 'why am I doing this?' And, more importantly, 'why am I continuing to do this?' I'm pressed for time at work, at home, for my training, for my wife, for my dogs, yada, yada, yada. But, more concerning to me, I started to feel I was not coming up with any new good ideas, thoughts, opinions, words, to express myself. And, I still might not be.

But, in the past 2 1/2 years, I have 'met' some new friends along the way. And, it has been 'met' in a pure virtual way. There are people who I correspond with that I have never physically met before. I don't know what their voice sounds like. If I ran into them on the street, I wouldn't recognize them. But, if these people shut down their blogs, I would wonder forever about their lives, their spouses, their children, their races, everything that I know about them. And, I wonder, if people feel the same way if I decided to shut down my blog. So, I press on. Hoping that my lack of my creativity on some entries is made up by the entries I do feel I was most enjoy doing.

But, what do you think? Is blogging now something 'old'? Do you know people who still start up blogs?

(Notes: I'm going to try something new here. I'm going to run a contest. The winner will be sent a T-shirt from an upcoming race that I do. (It will be up to me which race it is, though. :-) ). Now, the rules are, you can't google or use the internet or do research to find the answer. Now, obviously, I can't enforce that rule but just want to do this for fun. So, just try to guess the answer.

Here's the question: What does Garret Hobart, William Wheeler, William King and Schuyler Colfax have in common?

If you want to guess, please leave a comment with your answer so others can view it. If no one gets it, I will provide clues along the way until someone does. Once we have the right answer, I'll ask the winner to e-mail me their address and shirt size and I will send along a race shirt. (Those who are in the Bucks and Montgomery County areas of Pennsylvania are not eligible to participate as they can run the same race as me to get their T-Shirt. :-) ) Good luck.

Where I Run (Delaware River)

2009-08-31T07:40:00.007-04:00

I wanted to do 10 miles over the weekend. My regular route was closed for construction so I decided to head up to the Delaware River.

Below are some short videos of where I run when I head up to the Delaware. The first video is in the town of Stockton, New Jersey. But Joe, you might ask, why do you go to New Jersey when you live in Pennsylvania? Stockton is about a half hour from my house and a good place to start the run. Parking is easy and you can either go north or south on the Delaware & Raritan Canal Trail. The trail is around 30 miles long running parallel to the Delaware River.

What you see in the first video is a 360 degree view of where I start my 7 mile loop. I run from Stockton south for about 3+ miles to the town of Lambertville, NJ, then across the bridge over to New Hope, PA, up and short hill and pick up the canal path on the Pennsylvania side and head north for another 3+ miles to Center Bridge, PA. The second video will show you the bridge that I cross to finish up the 7 miles.

If I need to add any additional mileage, I will head north on the towpath (just for a change of scenary). There is a good run from Stockton north to Bull Island but you can't cross into Pennsylvania and run on the towpath coming back. A few years ago, there were a series of floods that washed out the towpaths on that side of the river. They rebuilt it once for a hefty sum of money only to have it flooded again washing out parts of the path up and down the Delaware. They have talked about rebuilding once again but, with these tough economic times, not sure when they will happen. Luckily, the Pennsylvania side is not totally closed but you have to know where they are open or you'll be in for a big surprise.

As a frame of reference, Stockton is about 10 mile north of where Washington crossed the Delaware on December 25, 1776.

The towpath is a mixture of sand and gravel. After Saturday's heavy rain, the run on Sunday felt a little like running on the beach. Believe me, I had some dead legs at the end of the run.

Anyway, I hope you get a sense of one of the places where I train. It's a beautiful area and I enjoy going up there on an early weekend morning.

(above: beginning of the Stockton loop)

(above: at the end of the 7 mile loop)

Steve Runner on the BBC

2009-08-27T09:12:00.006-04:00

Just found out that Steve Runner will be on the BBC Cambridgeshire as a guest on the Sue Dougan show to talk about running. He should be on around 9:30a EDT (14:30A UK time).

Here's the link if you want to listen in:

BBC Cambridgeshire (click on the 'Listen Live' section on the right. You will need Real Player to listen in.

If you didn't catch it, click here for a replay.

I've Been Everywhere, Man!

2009-08-24T18:04:00.006-04:00

It certainly seems I have done my fair share of travelling this year. This weekend was no exception as my wife and I went down to Washington DC to meet up with her family. But, the weekend started off with a 5k race. The annual Ivyland 5k or as the locals call it, the 'Pancake race.'

We woke up Saturday morning around 6a to the sounds of thunder, lightning and heavy rain. At that point we were questioning our sanity on whether or not to run this race. This particular event has a special meaning to me as it was my first race I did when I got back into running and stayed with it. So, I like to try to run it whenever I can. Plus, the entry fee is very reasonable and you get free pancakes, peaches, coffee and orange juice at the end. Who doesn't like free? By 6:45a, the rain had lightened up and we decided to just go for it.

As we were waiting around for the start, the rain had eased up but the humidity was like a blanket over us. Luckily, it wasn't hot just humid. I wasn't going to push myself anyway. Humidity and I don't seem to get along very well and that day would be no exception. It will make me nauseous if I push it and, with the second mile being all uphill, it didn't make sense to do so. My goal for the race was just do sub 9:00 miles.

By the first mile (which I did in 8:15), I was pretty drenched in sweat. And, the picture wasn't going to get any prettier. As I mentioned, the second mile is long, slow uphill climb. I was passing people along the way but paid for it as I crested the hill and tried to recover. The third mile was down the hill you just climbed. I don't know why I never think of this until after a race but I should bring a bandana or small washcloth on days like this. Your eyes sting from the sweat pouring down. A hat could help but why don't I just carry something in my pocket?

As I rounded the bend to the finish line, I felt strong. I sprinted the last 100 yards with relative ease and finished officially at 26:25 (26:19 watch time). All three miles were under 9:00 so I was pleased with the results. Leading up to the race, my wife wasn't sure how she was going to do but she did fine. I was proud of her as she doesn't have a lot of confidence when she trains but tries hard during the race and does the best she can. After the race, we headed directly to the firehouse and scarfed down our share of pancakes as we needed to hit the road for Washington DC.

It only takes about 3 hours to get to Washington DC from our house. I've been down there many times but I never get tired of going. We stayed in Alexandria, VA which is great town to visit in and of itself. Plus, it is convenient to just hop on the Metro to go into Washington.

The trip down was uneventful until we hit the city itself. Then it poured. And poured. My wife's family didn't get down there until later than expected. The plan was to go see the Washington Nationals play the Milwaukee Brewers that night as we had tickets to the game. I was never in this stadium before so I saw it as an extension of my baseball trip back in June.

It was dinnertime by the time my wife's family got there, so we decided to eat in Alexandria before heading over to the game. It was still coming down pretty hard so we knew that either the game was going to be in a rain delay or, if not, who the heck wants to sit out in the rain anyway?

We headed for the game after dinner and wound up missing only the first two innings (though we did miss out on a chance to get a Frank Howard bobblehead and the Brewers were up 7-2 when we entered the stadium). It is a nice stadium, but, in my travels, all the new stadiums are nice now. The crowd was on the smaller side, I'm sure because of the weather but the team isn't that good as well. There were areas of the stadium that was closed and it didn't have that buzz you get from a large crowd. Still, the Nationals did have a chance to come back as they wound up tying it at 8-8 but losing at the end, 11-9. It was long day and night and we were all ready to go back to the hotel.

On Sunday, we headed for the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. It had been awhile since I was there and, again, it's something I don't ever get tired of going. We spent most of the day there and, in truth, we didn't get a chance to see everything we wanted. It's just a great place to walk around and see history, especially seeing the Apollo 11 command module in the 40th anniversary year of its flight. You look how cramped the conditions were and the fact the computer power for the mission was equivalent to running something with today's cellphone and you just wonder how they did it. Truly amazing.

Afterwards, we walked around a bit before heading home. The dummy that I am forgot to bring my camera along (by the way, it doesn't count if you take your camera out of the drawer, charge the battery, put it in a place that you won't forget to bring it along but don't actually physically place it in the luggage) but did have my cellphone to take some pictures.

Despite the weather, it was a fun weekend and a good way to start winding down the summer and prep for the fall.

(Notes: SteveRunner and I have signed up for the Valley Harvest half-marathon in Wolfville, Nova Scotia on October 11, 2009 as we celebrate the 3rd annual World Wide Festival of Races weekend. Though my intention at the beginning of the year was to run a marathon as the finishing touch of my 50 years of life celebration, it became more appealing to me to train only for a half marathon instead. Plus, Steve agreed with me that it might be best for him to slow down this year and let his ankle heal a bit. As of now, I plan on running the Philadelphia Distance Run in September and possibly do the half at the Philadelphia marathon in November. It may be too ambitous and I may say the heck with that after Nova Scotia but that's the plan so far.)

(Above: Washington Monument)

(Above: The Capitol Building from the National Mall)

(Above: The Lunar Lander at the Air & Space Museum)

When The Hero Takes a Fall

2009-08-18T12:49:00.005-04:00

When I read the news, I sighed. I didn't know how to react. Nor did I think I should react. But, nonetheless, I shook my head and sighed again in disappointment. The story I'm referring to is about the basketball coach of the University of Louisville, Rick Pitino and his affair with another woman other than his wife and the aftermath. And, you are asking, why should I care? Because Rick Pitino was my boss for two years when I was in college.

In the past several years, people I knew, 'heroes' in my eyes, one by one have shown their human frailities. First, it was baseball players and the whole steroid controversy. I was disappointed but not shocked about players taking drugs to find an edge over their competition. I recently read the book Ball Four by Jim Bouton which came out in 1970. Even back then, Bouton mentioned the proliferation of 'greenies' to give a player a boost before gametime. But, I didn't know any players personally so it didn't directly affect me and I still love the game of baseball.

But, then the priest scandal broke about the sexual abuse and the years of coverup that followed. Having been an altar boy, I understood how that could have happened. Growing up, priests were men to be admired. It was what your parents hoped how you would model your own life. So, for the most part, you hung on every word when a priest spoke. When the list of priests that were involved in the sexual abuse scandals in Philadelphia were posted, and there were some priests that I knew and served Mass with, it absolutely broke my heart. I couldn't believe it. No, not them. And, why did the Archdiocese hide these men?

But, my faith in mankind was starting to return in the past few years. Then, I read about my former boss and his affair in the restaurant. You see, I was a manager for the Boston University basketball team when Rick Pitino started out as a head coach. He interviewed me for the job and hired me. The first year, I was an assistant manager to the team. By the second year, Coach Pitino named me as the head manager.

There was no pay involved. At least, directly. Coach Pitino knew that so he gave me a $500 scholarship so I didn't have to work outside of basketball for the year. (It would probably be equivalent to getting a $2000 scholarship today). He would also 'give' me paying jobs to do. For instance, he would ask me if I wanted to make a few bucks to be the official scorer for a basketball game. To a starving college kid, who wouldn't want to? But, during the game, when his emotions would run high, it was interesting the 'discussions' we had if he questioned the official scorer's decisions.

I also had the chance to come to know his wife. They were just starting a family back then. You see, Coach Pitino was only 26 when he was hired as the head coach for BU. One time, the team went out to San Diego over winter break to play a university out there. (Name of the university escapes me). The game was at the San Diego Sports Arena and we had practice the day before the game. I showed up on court and coach approached me and said, 'My wife wants to go shopping in San Diego. I have one job for you today. And, one job only. You need to babysit my son and you have the whole Sports Arena to do it in.' I am the youngest child in the family. I didn't have kids in my life at the time. I had no idea how to entertain a 3 year old. So, I walked around, up and down, around and around that Sports Arena for two hours as the team practiced.

Through the years I have followed Rick Pitino. I have followed the ups in his career as he brought different teams to the Final Four and, finally, winning a National Collegiate Championship at the University of Kentucky. I have followed the downs in his career as he tried to venture into the world of the NBA only to fail not once but twice. I followed the story of the death of one of his sons. I admired him the way he handled things and how he was able to keep coming back because he believed in himself. And, I think the same way as I go through life.

But, then I hear about his affair and I ask why? Why would you do that to your family? Why would you do that to your spouse? And, I think of Mrs. Pitino and the humilation she must have felt. And, I ask myself, is there any more truly good people in this world?

The more I thought about, the more I realized that the thing these people have in common was power. They had the power of thinking they won't get caught. There would be no ramifications. And they abused that power. Why, they think this way, I don't know. How they live with themselves I don't know. And, then I think of my father, who truly is a hero to me.

He was a kid born in the coal mines in western Pennsylvania who didn't have electricity for the first 12 years of his life. He taught me the values of hard work and keeping my nose clean. He and my mother brought my sisters and I up right. He had hard days in his work life. He has some hard days in the past few years with his health. But, he never complains. He is an 'everyman'. And, usually, 'everymans' are the heroes that should be followed.

It is hard when your heroes fall. But, maybe its my own fault. Maybe they shouldn't have been heroes at all to start with. Maybe if I stay within my own family I'll have all the heroes I need.

The Everchanging Dynamics

2009-08-10T13:27:00.004-04:00

It's been awhile since we've all got together. It's not unusual we go our own separate ways in the summer, but, this past 12 months has been different. You see, the Blue Dawgs are stepping out on the town tonight. Or, in reality, we are running a few miles and heading for the Blue Dawg Tavern for a cold one or two.

I often marvel at dynamics of a situation. How do people converge, that, for a brief moment, they all think alike? What do I mean? A few years ago, there were quite a few fellow runners that would meet up on Wednesday nights in the summer and run together. Then, a few of us (what became known as the Blue Dawg group) kept on running through the winter. There were very few times any of us would miss that night. And, the spring/summer would come and, the scene shifted with more people added, but all thinking alike. And, then winter. Summer. And on. And, you swore, that it would go on forever. Or, at least, it felt that way.

But, things in life change. Jobs change, careers shift, people start families, injuries occur, what was once a high priority doesn't feel that way anymore. The dynamics of the situation have changed. And, you try to put your finger on where. Where did it change? And why?

Can that dynamic ever be recaptured? Is it like putting the genie back in the bottle? What you once took for granted, you now reflect on how special that moment in time was. When a group of people all thought alike and wanted and could run together.

There are times we get together individually. But, the summer runs on Wednesday nights have all but disappeared. Or, maybe, it was me not paying attention and they are still happening. Dunno. But, I miss the comraderie.

I look forward to this evening to find out how everyone is and, as Eric T wrote to us, to tell of our summer war stories. And, maybe it will not be just to tell stories but to plan new ones for ourselves. You can bet I won't be taking it for granted.

(Notes: For the record, I did go through Falmouth withdrawal. I thought about it all morning yesterday and wondered what the weather conditions were for the race. Hopefully, things will be different next year.
RIP--BR.

Different Ways of Finding your Motivation

2009-08-02T21:28:00.003-04:00

One of the things I wanted to talk about, when I was training for the triathlon, was where I was training. No, not where I ran, as it was pretty much the same places where I always run. And, I don't think there are too many differences in indoor swimming pools, though, I think the YMCA pool was longer than the pool at LA Fitness. (Not that you would care.) No, I was looking for a place to train for the bike portion of the race. And, I was looking for a place different than I normally trained. So, I went back to the future.

During my triathlon class, something my coach (Sharon) mentioned was to try to find a neighborhood that you could ride in to do training. In that way, you are off the main streets and less likely to get injured. My neighborhood would have been fine (I've run around there many times) but it is a bit hilly. Plus, I wanted something different. I decided to go back to the neighborhood of where my grade school is located. It was a perfect place as it was slightly hilly in spots but mostly flat.

Now, you might want a short history of me to understand that, even though I live about 20 minutes away from where I grew up, it wasn't always that way. You see, I lived in Boston for 10 years. Then New Jersey for 10 years. And, 12 years ago, I came back to live in the Philadelphia area again. And, the past few years, I began to reconnect with the people who I knew growing up in the area especially those I went to grade school. Though I've passed by my grade school on a number of occasions over the years, I felt like a tourist just passing through the area. I might drive through maybe 2-3 times a year. Even though I didn't live that far away.

So, I would take my bike and park in my old school's parking lot. The first time I did it, I drove around looking for a good loop that I could do. I knew I could find 3-4 mile course as I swear I lived 10 miles from the school to start. And, to get to any of my friends' houses would take hours. Ah, nope. As it turned out, the neighborhood was a little smaller than I remembered.

But, after some trial and error, I did find an appropriate loop about 3+ miles long. Whizzing by, I would look at the houses and think, 'So and so lived there.' And, 'this is the way I would take to the park when I was visiting so and so.' People who lived there now must have thought I was nuts as I would do 3-4 loops around. Luckily, I did run into a few other people on bikes so I didn't feel like a complete idiot racing around.

After I was done for the day, I would sit on the steps of the school and just think about days long ago when I would play in this schoolyard. It's not a glamorous place. It's just your everyday, run-of-the-mill school that you would see in Anytown USA. But, in this everchanging world we live in, it was nice to have something anchored that hadn't changed. People find different ways to motivate themselves to train. Mine was to go back and reconnect with my past.

(Notes: In some ways, it won't seem like I went through a summer this year. This coming weekend is the Falmouth Road Race on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Though I was selected in the lottery to run the race, Steve (Runner) was not, so I've decided not to take the trip up by myself. I've been doing the race for the past 5 years and its been a bit of summer tradition so it will feel a bit strange not to do it.

Speaking of Steve, yet another change of plans for the fall. We both decided not to do a fall marathon but instead concentrate on the half marathon instead. Steve has had a nagging ankle injury and, in truth, I wanted a break from 4 hour long training runs in August and September. So, as of today, this moment, we are considering either the Valley Harvest Half-marathon in Wolfville, Nova Scotia the weekend of October 9 or the Prince Edward Island Half-marathon the following weekend. Valley Harvest is presently in the lead as, in comparing the logisitics and costs with both, it seems to be the more 'friendlier' to get to and on the wallet.

And, yes, as predicted, it has been a short transition as I am starting to get back into the swing of things for training. I am going to include some swimming and biking as I train for the half marathon. Yes, a little more running as well but I don't want to fall too far behind as I look forward to next year's opportunities to compete in triathlons :-) )

(This picture has nothing to do with this post. I was starting to download some pictures on my computer when I put my camera down on my desk at this angle. When I looked through the viewfinder, I liked the composition and the lighting so I took the picture. )

Transitioning

2009-07-27T10:33:00.005-04:00

Good thing I did a triathlon so I could use 'Transitioning' in my title. :-)

I'm not really an emotional guy (is that an oxymoron?). But, there is one thing I have found myself being emotional about. And, that is, the end of an event that I have been focusing on. Oh, I don't breakdown and cry afterwards. But, I do have a hard time transitioning into the next big thing.

I can be singularly focused on something. Put my heart and soul into it. And, all my emotional energy. Which is what I did for my tri. For the past few months, that's all I cared about. Dreamt about. Lived. Breathed. And, now it's over.

So, I've been having a hard time getting up for the next big thing. And, unfortunately, that's what I need to do to keep my training going. Yes, I know I am not the only one this happens to. I know there is a letdown for most people after their 'big' event. So, I'm not alone in this. But, for me, it usually happens in the fall so it feels kind of weird happening in the middle of summer like this. Especially, since the past few weeks as been all about family which left me little time for any kind of training.

So, yes, I am transitioning right now. Trying to do it as fast as I can like I was taught. Things should get back to normal for me starting next week. And, here's the hard part. I want to continue to do tri training. I really liked it. But, realistically, I won't have the time to enter any events for the rest of the year. Steve and I are still going to do something in the fall but still to be determined. Most likely, not a marathon but probably a half. So, as of today, I plan on doing two halfs in the fall. Not sure when but there you go. And, I'm going to throw in some bike and swimming into the mix. I can feel the emotions starting to bubble up right now...

(Notes: This has been a busy year for me in travelling. This past weekend, I went up to the Bufallo, NY area for a family reunion. (My niece moved up there.) I had a chance to see Niagara Falls which was definitely on my 'bucket list'. Below are some videos I took as we traveled on the 'Maid of the Mist' which brought us under the falls on the American and Canadian sides. Enjoy)

(Above: Niagara Falls, USA side)

(Above: Niagara Falls, Canada side)

Lake Lenape Triathlon Race Report ('bout time)

2009-07-20T09:48:00.007-04:00

(Myself, Ben, Courtney, Michelle, and Sharon (our coach) after the race)

It was only a coincidence that my summer vacation with my wife and dogs happen to start the day after my triathlon. No, I didn't anticipate of using the whole week to recover. But, with all the training and the focus on the tri I did, it was nice to unwind.

So, how was the tri for me? Well, I always thought it would be a cold day in hell before I ever did a tri. That almost happened. Because, waking up at 4am that Saturday morning, the temps were in the 50s (for July?). And, as we traveled to Lake Lenape, it was getting colder!!!!

I met up with Kelly and Joan at 4:30a to form a convoy on our way to Lake Lenape. Kelly had done the race before so was more familar with the surroundings once we got there. It was 59 degrees (F) when we started out from Chalfont and the temps were getting lower as we headed towards the Jersey shore. I can't say I slept well that night. Mostly cat-napped the whole time. I mean, I'm doing a triathlon!!!!!

We got there with plenty of time to spare. I met up with Mitch, Mike, Sharon, Skip and my classmates. We were nervous but ready to go. It was showtime!!!! I found my spot in the transition area and set myself up. It was a little crowded but managed anyway. Then, I realized I packed the shirt I was going to wear in the other gym bag in my car, which was about a mile away. Errr. Ok, I have time. Plus, it gives me a chance to warm up. Thank goodness I have my bike. Got the shirt and came back to finish my transition setup. OK, I'm ready as I'll ever be.

The air temperature had risen to the mid-60's by the start. The water temperature was in the 70's. It turned into a very comfortable day afterall.

The swim portion started in 7 waves. I was in the last wave, which, in truth, I was glad. No pressure of people behind me in a different wave passing me on the swim. As we were standing around, waiting our turn, Mitch told me that it was traditional for someone to hang back with a newbie and, as the newbie was swimming, have their pants pulled down. We laughed about it but I was closely looking just to make sure he was only kidding.

I was at the far right hand side of my wave. I wasn't taking any chances of getting engulfed with the good swimmers. And, we were off. I ran out into the lake. And, I started swimming. In my first triathlon.

I remembered to start out slow. About 3 minutes into the race, I picked my head up just to see where I was in relation to rest of the field. I wasn't the slowest and just kept chugging along. As a matter of fact, before the turnaround, I caught up with some of the people in the wave ahead of us!!!!

I think someone wrote a comment on my blog about the surreal feeling you get in the swim portion of the race. I have to agree wholeheartedly. You are out there swimming along and not feeling like you are moving at all. Swimming in the pool helped with the endurance but technique was hard to fathom. Kelly was right. I kept on moving the best I could.

I had little confidence in my swimming abilities to start but, I have to say, as I got more comfortable, I did start to pick up the pace a bit. I think it was more of seeing the shore and just wanting to finish this part up. As I reached shore, I thought, 'that wasn't so bad' and headed for the transition area. That's where I almost DNFed.

As I was standing there trying to get my bike off the rack, I almost fainted. I was wobbly. I almost fell to the ground head first. Should I continue? Was this something serious? I sat on the ground to put my shoes on. Luckily, there weren't that many participants left in the transition area so it wasn't that crowded. I took my time getting my bike ready. I was bound and determined to, at the very least, start the bike and see how I feel.

(I felt this way on a number of occasions getting out of a pool after practice. I'm still not sure if it is dehydration, which I don't think it is, or staying at a horizontal position for the swim and then suddenly standing in a vertical position. Similar to the feeling of getting out of a chair really fast and your head spins. Most people think that's what it was.)

As I was off on my bike, I almost immediately was being passed by others. At some point, I have to figure out why this happens, as I seem to be expending as much energy as they are while biking. I still think I may not be going in the right gear to maximize my efforts. Still, I do have a tendency to hold back a bit and 'rest' up for the run. I was feeling much better and cruised along the best I could for the 10+ miles.

I made it back to the transition area and went off for my run. I didn't have my Garmin so I had to rely on how I felt on my run. I shuffled a bit on the first quarter mile but settled in to a nice pace. And, then I began to pass people!!! And, more people!!!

I knew I wasn't setting a blazing pace but still enough to remain competitive with the people still out on the course. I was waiting and waiting for my stomach to get upset. It seemed, everytime I practiced, I would feel slightly ill. But, this time, nothing. I was feeling good. And, continued to pass people along the way.

With about a quarter mile left on the course and one left turn to the finish, I saw Kelly, Joan, Mitch and Mike there to cheer me on. Kelly and Joan began to escort me to the finish line, encouraging me along the way. That meant a lot to me as I grateful for their cheering me on. And, I finished. I finally did it. I achieved my goal. I was a triathlete. At least for one day.

I keep getting asked, 'will I do it again?' The best way to put it is I am in the flirtatious stage with the triathlon. I'm not sure if I will do one again this year. In truth, I have been so focused on this event that I didn't think of any others for the rest of the year. Plus, what I need to figure out is how does this fit into any training I do? But, it is safe to say, that there were things along the way, I want to improve upon. And questions keep going through my head. Can I really swim a 1/2 mile? How do I improve on my biking? And, really, I can run faster than that. There's only one way to find out those answers.

(Lake Lenape, NJ)

Lake Lenape Triathlon Results

2009-07-11T19:59:00.002-04:00

Overall my time was 1:25:51
I did the 1/4 swim in 11:51
The 10+ mile bike ride in 40:03
And the 3.2 mile run in 29:15

I placed 236 out of 282 participants

More details to come later.

The Day of Reckoning

2009-07-06T09:06:00.004-04:00

Since this past March, I have thought about this moment. That was the day I decided to start my training for a triathlon. I struggled so mightily those first few times. I would swim freestyle for four laps then breaststroke for two. And, I only lasted twenty minutes in the pool. I remember getting out of the pool that first day and saying to myself, 'How am I ever going to do this?'

This being the Lake Lenape Triathlon coming up this Saturday, July 11. It is to celebrate my 50th year of existence on this earth. Birthday cake and well wishes would have been nice. No. I have to do it the hard way. I have to get up 4 o'clock in the morning and drive to the Jersey Shore to swim in a cedar lake without a wetsuit, to ride a bike over 10 miles and then run a little over a 5k. All in the name of fun.

I have to say this is the most I have trained for an event. When strictly running, I would run 3 maybe 4 times a week in training. For this event, except for the two weeks I was travelling, I was doing something almost everyday with 1 day of rest a week. Meaning, I was either swimming, biking or doing some running. Even then, I was doing some 'brick' workouts with a run after a bike ride.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. And, I think I am most nervous about things that aren't in my control. Yes, I know, there isn't a whole lot I can do about it so I shouldn't sweat it. But....I was reminded of it when we were training last Monday. Skip, one of our coaches at the Y tri class, was going to show us how to change a tire. Somehow, I became an involuntary volunteer, as I had a flat with a 100 yards left in our transition training. It just brought to my attention that something like that could happen in the race. Running, for the most part, you have control over a situation. Biking, well.....

My plan is to have fun and finish. It's the best advice I give to anyone running a marathon/half marathon/10k whatever for the first time and I should live it myself with this race. I have made no committments to any other future triathlons this year or beyond. But, I have enjoyed this training more than I have when I was just running.

I will say that I am in awe of anyone who trains for triathlon. I am doing a sprint tri and I know how hard I've trained for it. I can't imagine the time and effort of a longer triathlon. I can't imagine doing a Half Tri or an Ironman. It's not just their physical skills but their mental skills as well. To have the patience and the will to go on, especially the training, is beyond my comprehension.

Wish me luck on my quest to be a triathlete by Saturday.

(Notes: I ran the Revolutionary 10k Run on Saturday. The weather was absolutely beautiful with low humidity and temps in the 70's (F). I wanted to use this run as a test of my endurance for the tri. I have to say I was disappointed in my time (55:56). Even though I ran 9:00/miles, I thought I could have done better than that, especially with the gorgeous weather. But, for the past month, I have been, and I can't describe it better than this, running with 'dead legs'. My legs are tired almost as soon as I start the race. I guess I was disappointed as I thought the tri training would get my legs stronger. I will need to adjust my training in the future to allow times when I do races.
For the second year in a row, the good people of Falmouth, Massachusetts have decided to not allow my friend, Steve Runner, to partake in their little race in August. I, on the otherhand, have been accepted. My theory is that they have had enough of the media frenzy when Steve Runner comes to town. Falmouth is a small town but too much is too much. I did the race last year without Steve but, most likely, will skip the race this year as a sign of rebellion of not allowing a true New Englander like Steve to participate. Pay no attention to the internet rumors of me lining the city coffers to exclude Steve and to allow me in. All false accusations. I wanted to race Steve this year. Honest, I did. I thought I had a good shot. I just can't imagine what horrible thing Steve must have done to exclude him from the Falmouth Road Race two years in a row.
And, I believe, Steve and I might be rethinking the PEI marathon in October. When Steve told me of the rejection he faced with the Falmouth Road Race, he also mentioned that he was still having problems with his ankle. I think it is time for Steve to rest his troubling ankle though I don't think he will take my advice. He did hint of doing another race so I need to call him up and see what he had in mind. We shall see.

Lessons Learned from an Open Water Swim

2009-06-29T12:37:00.005-04:00

Last month, I ran into Kelly from the Blue Dawgs group at one of the local races. It was right after my '(Re) learning How to Swim' post from May 12th. She asked me how things were going with my tri training. As we were talking about the training, she mentioned about that post. Basically, she advised me that, the method of swimming I am being taught is correct, but, in reality, it's not like that at all. It's great to be taught that in the pool but, a lot of times, style goes out the window when you are racing against people in the tri. Her advice: do what comes natural to you in the race. Eventually, think about the Total Immersion method but for your first one, just relax and do the best you can in the swim.

As we were discussing this, I wasn't sure what she meant by it. It seems to be a much better method than I was doing. The way I was swimming, my shoulders were aching after 100 meters. I was physically exhausted as I had so much wasted energy in each of my strokes. This way felt so much better. Then last Sunday, I participated in an Open Water Swim Clinic at Lake Nockimixon. It was light bulb moment.

An Open Water Swim Clinic is just as the name implies. It is a reality session. We're not in the pool any longer, Dorothy. There are no sides to cling on to after 50 meters. There is no chlorine to swallow. There are no lines to follow. You are in a lake and everything that comes along with swimming in the middle of the lake. Meaning, there is no bottom of the lake that you can see. Heck, you can barely see your feet treading water. You can barely see 10 feet in front of you. This is as the race is. Still want to do a tri?

For the first 30 minutes of the session, we were being taught how the morning was going to unfold. Questions were being answered. But, you could see on most everyone's face, can I do this? We were all nervous. People were talking. But, no one took their eyes off the water.

Finally, we got in the lake. Now, I was going to be brave and go in with just my tri suit on. But, it was rainy, sweatshirt-type of day so I was talked into wearing a wetsuit. Thank you for whomever talked me into it. I was grateful as I swam around and others teeth were chattering.

The instructors took us out in groups to swim around different buoys. I started out and decided to go slow. Then I thought of Kelly's words. I wasn't Total Immersion swimming. I was swimming to swim to the next buoy. Technique was not considered. Getting to the next buoy was my only concern. I didn't care how or what I looked like. And, I was gassed after 75 yards.

Now, don't forget, I was coming off of a long holiday and a bout with the flu. Still, it made me nervous that I was this tired for such a short distance. Me being a guy thought I could just go out there and swim. Tail between my legs, I joined the newbie group and listened to my instructor.

She said to go slow. I was. No, go even slower. I readily admit, I didn't think that was possible. So, I tried to go slower. I felt I was going nowhere at all. But, I did get to the buoy without too much effort spent.

Finally, we were sent out to do an approximate 1/4 mile distance. Perfect. This was the distance in the race. I want to see what it was going to be like to do this distance in the lake.

Coming into this tri training, I really thought that swimming was going to be an asset for me. I have to admit it has been humbling for me as I am just a very slow swimmer. And, even though we weren't racing that day, they wanted to show us how it would feel when people are trying to beat you. So, we pushed and jostled with each other with lots of 'sorries' thrown in. As a matter of fact, I was swimming along when I punched a woman in the face as she was floating on her back. She wasn't hurt but valuable lesson for both of us.

As the day ended, I was so thankful to have that opportunity. It would have been a shock to the system to try to do the triathlon just with pool experience. And, it also gave me confidence that, in fact, I can do that distance in the open water. And I thought about Kelly's words as I was out there, swimming around, trying to get to the next buoy and feeling I was going nowhere...just do what comes naturally and I will be fine. Thanks, Kel.

(Notes: There are two more sessions left in my triathlon class before the Lake Lenape triathlon on July 11. I can't thank enough my classmates, who I know we will all do well in our triathlons, for their support. I especially want to thank Sharon, Skip and Chief for the wonderful job they did as mentors and teachers. I have learned so much from this class and about myself. They were patient in answering all our questions and have helped out so much in preparation. Thank you for being great teachers.
I thought about writing a completely different subject for this entry but was afraid where it was going to take me. I couldn't help but notice that, recently, two celebrities died at the age of 50. One, of course, is Michael Jackson and the other was the pitchman, Billy Mays. I'm not saying I'm anything like them in health and well-being. But, it did make me pause and think. I've been asked time and time on why I do these marathons and triathlon things. I can keep telling myself, if I don't do it now, I may never have the chance to ever do it in my life. You just never know.)

Extra Innings

2009-06-24T15:21:00.008-04:00

Here are just a few of my pictures from last week's baseball trip. After this entry, it's all about running again. Hope you enjoy them.

PNC Park in Pittsburgh

Fireworks Display at Progressive Field in Cleveland after the game

Outside Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati

Me outside of Wrigley Field in Chicago

Me at Busch Stadium in St. Louis with Gateway Arch in background

Kaufmann Stadium in Kansas City

Day Six and Seven of the Baseball Road Trip

2009-06-21T12:37:00.007-04:00

Day Six--This was going to be the easiest driving day. Thank goodness for that. We were tired and weary. I still had not fully regained my appetite back so, as much as I wanted to sample the local cuisine, I was just trying to eat to stop me from getting too bad a headache. The heat in Midwest wasn't helping much. But, this was the last long drive of the trip. St. Louis to Kansas City straight across Missouri on I-70.

We got there in less than 4 hours and the hotel was directly across from the stadium. We had our tickets. No need to worry about parking since we could walk to it from the hotel. Needed to find something to do for a few hours before game time. So, off we went to Independence, MO to go see where Harry Truman lived.

Independence was about a 15 minute drive from the hotel. It was a neat little tour of his house. It takes about 15 minutes to go through it and, for me, brought back memories of how my father's relatives used to live. Very homey, kind of dark inside, but you can picture ol' Harry and Bess muddling around the house. Harry's hat and coat are still there by the side door where we last left it. Fun experience. Afterwards, back we went to the hotel, parked the car and off to the stadium we went.

Now, for Phillies fans, Kaufmann Stadium is a bit historic as it was against these Royals that the Phillies won their first World Series. Since, then, Kaufmann Stadium has been refurbished and a nice job they did in refurbishing.

This was the most kid-friendly ballpark I've ever seen. Beyond centerfield, there is a kid zone where kids could play mini-golf, they had a mini-stadium for kids to hit balls, they had a speed gun zone, a carousel, and much more. The stadium looked good too though, if you had a ticket way upstairs you are walking a distance to get there.

And, as quiet as the Cardinal fans were at home, they were that loud on the road. Cardinals took a 10-1 lead and made sure the Royal fans were aware of the score. They were so sure they were going to win that they took their best player out (Albert Pujols) halfway through the game and let the pitcher bat and not use a designated hitter the rest of the game!!! The Royals staged a brief rally but still lost 10-5. After the game, there was a brief fireworks display to round out the evening and the trip. 7 games in a week. We were done.

Day Seven--We were going home today. But, not without a 5k race in the morning!!!! Thanks to Jennifer, author of the blog Life is a Gift. RUN, I found a race in the Kansas City area that she recommended (she lives in the area so that helped). (Unfortunately, Jennifer was out of town so we couldn't get together to do this race).

The race was the Terri Tough 5k in Olathe, Kansas. The race was dedicated to Terri Mathis Zenner, who was a social worker in the area and was killed while visiting a client. It was held in Heritage Park. The course was mainly around the lake. But, it was another hot, muggy morning.

Still not feeling 100% because of the remaints of the flu the week before, I just wanted to take my time on this race. The first mile was on a path through a grassy field making a turn to run next to the lake. I was feeling alright at this point having gone out slowly for a change. The first mile was around the 8:40 mark.

Nice flat course. If I can maintain this pace, I should be good. At a mile and a half, someone threw in a hill. What? Where the heck did this hill come from? It wasn't a speed bump. It was a genuine hill. As genuine as a mid-80s degree (F), 90% humidity type of morning that I was in. UGGHHHH!!!!

When I got to the top, there was a water station. I was ready to take two cups and throw all over my head. Except the water was orange. WATER?, I yelled. 'No, just Gatorade', they yelled back. Good catch by me.

The second mile was a little over 10:00/mile pace. But, then the wheels came apart. My legs were jelly. The sun was out. My not eating right for the week had caught up with me. I was toast.

The third mile was on the other side of the lake from the first mile heading back to the start/finish line. As much as I tried to will myself to run, I was gassed. It wasn't worth any hospital visits as I was going home that afternoon, so I took my time going in. Unofficially, I came in around 30:56.

After 5 cups of Gatorade and some Chris Cakes (the pancakes served after the race), I was feeling a lot better. Actually, probably the best since the trip started. I was starting to get my appetite back. Great. Just in time for work.

I stuck around for the awards ceremony just in case. I didn't see a lot of men my age so who knows? Good thing I did. At the awards ceremony, I was announced as the winner of my age group. Only problem I was announced as winning the female 50-59 division. Which I would have been very proud of if I was a female. (Do they do things differently in Kansas that I'm not aware of?). Obviously, a mistake was made and, as it turns out, I didn't place in the top three for the males 50-59 (though, if I ran my 'usual' race of 25-26:00, I would have been in the top three).

After the race, it was time to go back to the hotel and back home. Our flight was delayed for two hours, so I didn't get home until 11p that night. The next morning I had to get up for an open water swim clinic for my triathlon training.

The trip was great. I didn't 'find' myself or anything like that but it was nice to see parts of America I wouldn't have seen otherwise. We met a lot of nice people along the way. We had a lot of fun at the ballparks and saw some great games. But, it was tiring. I don't think I'm going to turn 50 ever again. It's too exhausting.

(Notes: Below is a picture of where the Teri Tough 5k race was held. This is Heritage Park in Johnson County, Kansas. On the opposite side of the lake, right-side, is the first mile of the race. The left-side of the picture is where you came back for the third mile.

Also, below is a short-video of part of 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' in Wrigley Field. )

Days Three, Four and Five of the Baseball Trip

2009-06-19T08:19:00.005-04:00

No internet access for the past few days (well, free internet access anyway)

Day Three--We arrived in Cincinnati by mid-afternoon. Not knowing what to do before the game starts, we decided to take a one-hour riverboat cruise on the Ohio River. This killed two birds by a) giving us something to do before the game and b) having the opportunity to go to Kentucky, which is where the riverboats were on the other side of the river. You see, there were two states east of the Mississippi I've never been to--Kentucky and Michigan. Cross Kentucky off the list.

The cruise was nice. I enjoyed it a lot. As we were cruising, we saw a sign, on the Kentucky side, advertising about parking there for the game and taking a boat to the stadium. Well, we were already there, so why not? So, after the cruise, we parked in their lot, and took a boat across the river where it dropped us off at the foot of the stadium. Perfect.

We got tickets to the game and they were by far the best tickets we got so far. It is going to be a great night for baseball. Until the third inning. Because that's when the rains came. Not a little sprinkle. A deluge. For two stickin' hours.

We had to be in Chicago for an afternoon game the next day so we decided we had to ditch the game. The problem was we didn't know when the boat was coming back to pick us over. And, we didn't have a phone number to call. So, we waited down by the river and prayed it would soon come. Talking about feeling out of control of a situation.

We waited about 10 minutes and the boat did arrive. On to Chicago.

Day Four--We had to get up early to get to Chicago for an afternoon game. This was the day that our timing was perfect. We got to our hotel before noon and checked in. Got our bearings for the subway uptown to Wrigley. And off we went.

It was a city series game between the White Sox and Cubs. The atmosphere was electric. Good nature razzing between both sides. And, we finally made it. Wrigley Field.

I've been to Fenway Park in Boston and expected something similar. I wasn't disappointment. Wrigley doesn't have the amneties as other stadiums. But, it does have charm. From my perspective, I think you either love it or hate it.

The White Sox won the game 4-1. It was a quick game. Too quick as I wanted to drink in the atmosphere some more. After the game, we walked around in the stadium until we were thrown out. Then, we walked around outside on Waveland and Sheffield to look at the seats on the roofs across from the stadium. I didn't want to leave but it was off to St. Louis.

Day Five--We are getting tired at this point. It's been a long week. From Chicago to St. Louis was the longest drive of the trip and I'm still trying to recover from my flu.

When arrived in the afternoon, we headed to the Gateway Arch because it was always something I wanted to see. So, off we went following the directions of our Garmin GPS to head on I-64 East into the city. Except its closed. ARRRRGGHHH!!! How do we get into town? Well, thank goodness for the Garmin because it has a detour feature. So, it took us down Forest Park Drive, which was a road parallel to I-64 and got us in no problems.

There was a huge contrast between our day in Chicago and St. Louis. The Chicago game, I was wearing a coat. In St. Louis, it was hot. Stinkin' hot. 92 degrees (F) hot. So, I did get to see the Gateway Arch but no time to go to the top. And, it was hot just walking around.

Luckily, the stadium was close by but it was hard to get out of the A/C of the car to watch the game. Busch stadium is nice. Very fan-friendly. Easy access to bathrooms and food. And, the hamburgers at the Hardees stand on the third level were delicious. It was a good crowd, though rather on the quiet side. We sat in the upper level third base side. Out of the sun. But, it was still hot. And, the Cardinals lost 6-3. We are now off to Kansas City for the last game.

Second Day of the Baseball Trip

2009-06-16T07:47:00.003-04:00

We had a chance to 'get to know' a little bit of the Cleveland area, so, in the morning we took an hour's drive to Canton and see the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I asked my friend, George, what should I do next as I have now seen all four major sports halls of fame? (Basketball, baseball, hockey, and football). He said, well, there is always the golf and tennis halls of fame? True, very true.

In the afternoon, we went to the Rock and Roll HOF. Now, we said, without knowing the cities in detail, we were going to make stupid mistakes along the way. Yesterday's was a beaut. We found a great parking space right next to the museum on the street. It was only for max four hours long but didn't think we were going to take that much time. As it turns out, we did and expected to possibly see a ticket on the windshield. Which we did. To the tune of $250. Now, both of us, I swear, did not see we parked in a handicap spot. So, we didn't get the ticket because the meter ran out but because we parked in a handicapped spot. Still fee guilty about it.

If I was an Indians fan, I would be really mad at my team last night. It was a very looooooonnnngggggg game last night. 4 hours. 26 hits. 26 runs. The Indians were up late in the game 12-7 and blew it. Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers hits a grand slam in the 7th inning and the Brewers went on to win 14-12.

But, night wasn't a complete lost as we got a 'Rick Vaughn' bobblehead doll (a character from the movie 'Major League' which was a movie about the Cleveland Indians) and a wonderful fireworks display after the game. On to Cincinnati.

Day One of the Baseball Trip

2009-06-15T07:00:00.003-04:00

We started off from my house Sunday morning at 7:30a. We had to get across the state of Pennsylvania into Pittsburgh by 1:35p gametime. Plenty of time. Or so we thought. As one Pittsburgh pedestrian told us as we looked for a parking space, 'we arrived on a nightmarish day.' You see, Pittsburgh is going through major renovation in the downtown section which are closing main arteries. On top of that, there was an Arts Festival around the area we were looking for parking. And on top of that, we thought there might have been a parade in town because the hometown Penguins won the Stanley Cup in hockey. Well, we were wrong about the reason but right about the parade. Apparently, a gay pride parade was tying up the traffic as well (not that there isn't anything wrong with that!)

We did eventually find parking in downtown and crossed the Roberto Clemente Bridge to PNC Park. The game was starting so we were anxious to get in. But, it was a beautiful day and so were a lot of other people waiting in line to get tickets. So, we waited. And listened to the game. Finally, we got the tickets (discounted to $11 a piece because the game started) and got in.

A beautiful stadium. Just wonderful. And we had a good time there though it was weird as it was 'Turn Back the Clock' Day to 1909 and there were no music at all during the game. It was kind of nice to be able to talk between innings.

We left a little early to get to Cleveland as we found out there was a game there that night as well. We made it. In plenty of time. And almost saw a no-hitter by Cliff Lee of the Cleveland Indians. He took a no-hitter into the 8th inning. Gave up a hit on the first pitch of the inning. But, he pitched a gem shutting out the Cardinals 3-0.

Off to the Pro Football and Rock and Roll Hall of Fames today and back to the Indians tonight.

Pictures later.

Back Home Just To Go Back On The Road

2009-06-13T15:06:00.004-04:00

I'm back in the US now and ready to head out for my baseball road trip. This past week, something happened to me that never happened before. I got sick on a business trip.

I have been sick since Tuesday night when we were on our way to Plymouth, England. Woke up next morning with no energy and feeling sick to my stomach. I was like that the rest of the week which made for a painful flight home yesterday. I went to the doctor today and have been diagnosed with an unspecified flu-like virus. Not likely it was swine flu but not totally ruling it out. My luck. Anyway, luckily, I'm starting to feel much better since I leave for Pittsburgh tomorrow.

To the right is me on the London Eye with Big Ben in the background.

Postcard from London

2009-06-07T13:40:00.008-04:00

I must be in England because I am sitting in my hotel watching Australia-Sri Lanka cricket highlights.

This is going to be a short entry as I am tired and my wireless internet connection is not the best. The 5k I did was an experience. Very similar to US events but there were subtle differences. Truthfully, not sure if it was US-UK differences or just this event was a little different. For instance, they did not have a water station but handed out water bottles that you took and handed to perfect strangers watching the event. Also, they had a men's and women's changing area before the start of the race.

The day started out with tremendous rain and was tempted to rollover in bed for an extra few hours of sleep. But, by 8a when I left the hotel, the day was filled with brilliant sunshine and remained so for the event.

The race was two laps around Battersea Park which is near the Thames River. Dummy me forgot my GPS watch so had no idea of the pace I was doing. I had an inkling of what it was as the clock was running at the finish area and you had to go through the finish for the second lap of the race. Another difference is there are no mile markers. Kilometer markers yes, but no mile markers.

All in all, it was a lot of fun. Below is a video of the start of the race. I was going to post other videos and pictures of the race but, currently, as I stated, not the greatest internet connection. I will later. Plus, it's midnight. Time for me to go to bed.

Enjoy.

Testing 1,2,3...Is This Thing On?

2009-06-04T09:06:00.005-04:00

This is just a test video from my new Canon Powershot SD1200 IS. This camera is about the size of my cell phone but a little wider. I realized the resolution of the video from my camera phone wasn't that great. But, the pictures from my other Canon digital camera were great but it is a little bulky to carry around and the video feature wasn't that easy to use. I am hoping to use this camera to replace the mini-cam (farewell, mini-cam) and to do some video shooting around different races and runs that I will be doing. Chances are I won't be in the video as I like to shoot pictures but not be in them. Oh, from time to time, I may pull a 'Hitchcock' and make an appearance. But, only when necessary.

Anyway, the video below is a typical day around the house for three (of my four) dogs. Ellie Mae is the one who is missing in the video as she was at a dog show at the time.

I wanted to test what the quality of the video would be after I posted. (And to make sure it works). I saw the video on my computer and it looked great, especially in comparison with the video from my phone. Nice thing is this camera has video stabilization. Of course, I will test this video stabilization feature when I do my 'Where I Run' features.

Enjoy.

June is Bustin' Out All Over!!!!

2009-06-01T13:01:00.004-04:00

The next few weeks should be (to quote Artie Johnson) 'very interesting'. (If you don't know who Artie Johnson is, well, go look it up in your Funk & Wagnall).

On Saturday, I will be leaving for England for a week. Next Sunday, I will be participating in my first 'international' 5k. A race in Battersea Park in London. I've been wanting to do this for awhile now. But, in never seemed to work out right. The times that I have gone over never seemed to coincide with a race that was near where I was staying over there. But, this time the timing is perfect. Battersea Park is not far from where I am staying in Kensington.

In truth, it's just another race, right? Probably. And, people from England speak English, right? Just like Americans. Right? Well, wrong. Winston Churchill once said that America and England are two countries separated by a common language. It is so true. That's why I am very much looking forward to finding out what the English do differently than an American 5k. I hope I will have time from work to give you a report. And, maybe a few pictures?

The week after that is my baseball trip with a friend of mine who also turned 50 this year. To view where I am going, there is a link to the 'Websites I Often Visit' on the right side of this blog. Under 'June Baseball Trip'. If you are wondering, this trip will take us to Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City to watch a baseball game at those cities. Plus, we will be seeing a part of the US that I haven't seen before.

It will be Thelma and Louise. Except we're males. And, we don't plan on driving off a cliff in the final scene. (Maybe more like Dumb and Dumber?) At the end of that week, I plan on doing a 5k in Kansas. Thanks to Jennifer, blog author of Life is a Gift.RUN, I've been able to narrow it down to two choices for June 20th in the Kansas City area. The one that Jennifer recommended the Teri Tough 5k looks like a great race and is the one I will be aiming to attend. However, it's a bit further to get to from where I'm staying and starts a little bit earlier than Run the Good Race 5k which is the other race I'm looking to do. So, depending on the Friday before, which is our last baseball game, I will decide which race to run on Saturday before I fly back home to the Philadelphia area.

What about my tri training, you say? Well, that should be interesting as well. Yesterday, I tried to simulate the bike/run portion. I rode my bike for about 11 miles and then ran 2 miles right after that. I felt pretty good. (Of course, I went home to cut the grass in the afternoon and my riding mower went on me. I wound up cutting an acre of lawn with a push mower. Don't mind doing it. Just not after a training run.) So, I expect to be doing very little training on my bike for the next few weeks. And, probably very little swimming (of course, I have the whole English Channel to practice in). So, it will have to be running to keep me in shape.

So, my intention is to update this blog more than once a week while I'm gone. With pictures. Or, it will be the exact opposite and you will hear crickets from this blog for the next three weeks. And, then LOTS of stuff telling you what happened. It will be very interesting.

(Notes: One of the people I know, through the Bucks County 5k Spring Series, is riding a bicycle across the country following the Lewis & Clark Trail starting in Oregon and heading east. He left over the weekend and starts today. His name is Ed and you can follow his adventure on his Crazy Guy on a Bike website. I also have a link to it on the websites I often visit. )

Take Off, Hoser

2009-05-26T13:13:00.004-04:00

Between those words, 'Back Bacon' and 'eh' is the only Canadian I speak. And, it looks like I'll need to study up on it as Steve and I have decided to head to the Maritimes in the Great White North for our fall marathon. Right now, we are aiming for the Prince Edward Island marathon on October 18 with the Valley Harvest marathon in Nova Scotia on October 11 as our backup plan. Backup plan? Yes, in case something comes up for either one of us and we can't make the weekend of October 18. October 11 is close enough that we can adjust our training schedules.

I've been to Canada probably a dozen times or so. Mostly in Montreal or Toronto. (I went to Expo '67 in Montreal as a small child.) This, however, will be my first time going to the Maritimes. My wife and I have talked about going but never had the opportunity to do so. I think our discussions were around which island to visit and we were afraid of picking the 'wrong island' to go for a vacation. As I stated before, the marathon I picked this year was to a place that I wouldn't be going otherwise. Parts of Steve's family is from that area so it's a perfect choice for both of us.

Back to speaking Canadian. I know, I know, Canadians speak French and English. And, I'm sure Canadians are tired of hearing everyone saying 'eh' to them. But, in the late 1970's/early 1980's, there was a late night show called SCTV, which was a parody of independent television. One of the sketches they did was a panel show hosted by Bob and Doug McKenzie which played up (purposely) to Canadian sterotypes. Bob was played by Rick Moranis and Doug was played by Dave Thomas. (Here is a Wikepedia entry describing the show http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_and_Doug_McKenzie)

At the time, it was very popular and the characters wound up with albums, records, and a movie. Recently, I read a list of the 100 most popular characters in television history and they were left off the list. (That's why I rarely pay attention to these lists because they are tilted to recent history. ) I've included a YouTube clip of the characters. If you do not remember them growing up, you will probably not think its funny. If you remember staying up late to watch SCTV (which was almost as popular as Saturday Night Live), then you will appreciate the sense of humor. This was my introduction to Canadian culture.

In any case, Steve and I agreed we will make our final decision for the trip when we meet up at Falmouth, the weekend of August 8-9.

(Notes: I think I'm starting to get the hang of my recent swimming lessons. At least the part where you are 'rolling' your body with every stroke. I started to do that in practice and have found my shoulders are not so tired after the session. I also feel that I'm getting to the other side of the pool a lot quicker. Or at least, it feels like I'm getting there a lot quicker. I'm scheduled to do an open water session at Lake Nockimixon on June 21 which will be the real test of whether I do what I was taught or what comes naturally for me. My biking and running are going well, so far.
Also, I did purchase my new toy. Instead of the Sony camera, I decided to go with the Canon Powershot SD series camera. I'm still learning the features but better quality videos of where I run should be coming soon.)

Summer Plans 2009

2009-05-18T12:20:00.003-04:00

This coming weekend, Memorial Day weekend, is the unofficial start of summer here in the United States (could have fooled me as there are frost warnings posted for this area tonight). The Bucks County 5k Spring Series is winding up (one more race) so it's time to look towards what is coming up in the next few months. Oh, you can say I have a few plans.

The first one is kind of an unintentional plan. I am leaving for a business trip to England on June 6 and arriving the same day. A colleague of mine, based over there, suggested we do a 5k together the following day of my arrival. You see, last year, when he was over in the US for a weekend, I took him to a local race and he wants to return the favor. So, on June 7, I will be doing my first international race, the Festival of Running 5k at Battersea Park in London. It is close to where we are staying so it works out perfectly.

The following week is my 50th birthday road trip that I have been planning for months. A friend of mine, who also turned 50 this year, and I are traveling from city to city for a week going to a baseball game every night in a different stadium. We start the journey on Sunday, June 14 by going to a Pittsburgh Pirates day game. From there, we head for Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, St. Louis and finally Kansas City for a Friday night game. We are flying back home late Saturday afternoon which gives me enough time to run a local race around the Kansas City area. Jennifer, author of the Life is a Gift. RUN blog, and who lives in the area, has been helping me choose a race that will be convenient from where I am staying. Unfortunately, Jennifer will be away that weekend so we won't be able to run the race together.

After my baseball trip, I will be ready for my first triathon, the Lake Lenape Sprint Tri scheduled for July 11. From my two trips mentioned above, it will be interesting to see how much training I will be able to do during those weeks. Biking is almost out of the question but I can continue my conditioning by running. I hope the hotels we have booked have pools but, in reality, will I have time? Got to play this one by ear and hope I have the time to get in one or two swims. As far as another tri this year? Dunno. I haven't thought that far ahead and have only been focusing on Lake Lenape. Let me get through this one, please? :-)

The day after Lake Lenape, my wife and I are vacationing in Vermont for a week. With our dogs. All four of them. We wanted to do a 'get away' week as opposed to a big trip like we did last year going to Hawaii. We thought we could save some time, money and effort by taking our dogs along. But where? We found a place in Mt. Snow, VT called the The Paw House Inn. It lets us keep our dogs there for the day and take them back to the room at night. Considering the cost of boarding the dogs when we go away in general, it's worth a shot.

Falmouth is still on the schedule for August but, as the summer fades away, a fall marathon is then on the horizon. Right now, Steve and I haven't settled on one, but, we were looking to do one in Canada. Like Prince Edward Island. Or Nova Scotia. I know, I know, we better settle on one 'cause I have to start training soon for it! I think it will depend on what weekend works out best for both.

And, to record all of this, I decided to upgrade my video camera from my phone to, probably, a Sony W220 as a birthday present to me. I was looking at the Flip video cameras but decided I wanted still photography and video camera in one. I should be getting it this week.

So, as you can see, I have a busy summer ahead of me. So, what are you doing this summer?

(Re) Learning How to Swim

2009-05-12T10:52:00.007-04:00

I thought I knew how to swim. Apparently, Joe don't know swimming. At least how to swim efficiently.

As a boy, I would spend endless summers at the Sunny Willow Swim Club right up the street from my house. My parents were very insistent that my sisters and I knew how to swim and were not afraid of the water. I would have to get up early, once a week, (and, early for a kid was probably 8AM) and take swimming lessons.

If you wanted to go into the deep end of the pool, you had to take a test. The test was swimming from one end of the deep end area to the other side and back. If you made it, you got a band to wear to signify you qualified. If you weren't wearing the band, you couldn't go in the deep end. So, you had to remember or you were stuck with the kiddies at the shallow end.

I would say I've been swimming since I was about 6-7 years old. I've come to find out last Monday that I was doing it wrong. Oh, I could do laps. Have been for the past few months since I really started this tri training. But, if I was going to do a triathlon, I had to learn to be more efficient in the water. What really woke me up to this fact was when I was asked to count the number of strokes I did doing one lap. I was told it should be around 18. I was in the mid-20's. In doing this, I was using up more energy than I needed, therefore, possibly tiring myself out before I hit the bike and the run portion of the race.

Now, one of the things that is great about being a newbie are these lightbulb moments. I am sure people, who have done triathlons in the past, know about this. Live this. And, it's not a big deal. But, for me, it was undoing something that I have been doing for the past 40 years.

What they were teaching me was Total Immersion swimming. It's about gliding in the pool just enough to save your energy and let your propulsion take you a little bit further. It's about making sure I'm not sticking my head fully out of the water to catch my breath. It's about rolling your torso as you take a stroke to give you a little more power. It's about sticking my chin down as I move forward. The mantra I was taught to make sure I'm doing things right is, 'Look at the fishes, listen to the fishes.' This makes you think of keeping your head down as you swim and then tilt your head just enough out of the water (and your ear pressed against the water) to catch your breath.

My coaches studied the way I was swimming. Then they gave me a thousand different tidbits on ways to improve. And, I tried them all at once. And nearly drowned in doing so as I was throwing water in my mouth as I tried this new technique. OK. I was told to concentrate on one thing at a time. Probably a good idea. The first thing I started with was breathing as, I suspect, it's the most important thing. Then we got out of the water and watched the former collegiate swimmers do laps. Wow! What an eye opener as they make it look so effortless. They can do a lap in about 13 strokes, half what I can do. And, they are moving a lot faster than I can.

When I first thought of doing a triathlon, I was confident that it was just a matter of getting in shape and I knew about the techniques of swimming, biking, and running. Oh, I have a lot to learn.

(Below is a video I found on YouTube that shows the Total Immersion technique they are teaching me. When I'm in the water, this is what I think I'm doing. From my coaches, the word is I'm better than I was when I first started. No comments about trying to teach an old dog a new trick.)

The Turning of a Decade

2009-05-04T08:16:00.008-04:00

50 years ago...

Dwight D. Eisenhower was President of the United States
Fidel Castro comes into power in Cuba
Nikita Krushchev is the leader of the Soviet Union and engages VP Richard Nixon in the 'Kitchen Debates'
Harold Macmillan is the UK Prime Minister
The Day the Music Died as a plane crashed in Iown killing Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Richie Valens
Alaska enters the Union as the 49th state; Hawaii enters as the 50th state
The microchip and Etch-a-Sketch were invented
Mattel's Barbie doll is launched
The TV show 'Bonanza' premiers on the NBC network. It's the first regularly scheduled TV show presented in color.
The US Grammy Awards are started
Motown is formed
Lee Petty wins the first Daytona 500
NASA announces the first American astronauts which the news media dubs 'The Mercury Seven'
Average cost of a new home in the US is $12,400
Average cost of a gallon of gas in the US is $0.25
Average cost of a new car in the US is $2,200
And, this Wednesday, 50 years ago that day, John and Elaine had their third child, their first and only son who was born in Germantown Hospital (PA) at 7:20am and weighing in at 8 pounds, 7 ounces.

Yes, another decade down. I have run my last race in the 40-49 age group.

Since the beginning of the new year, I have started to reflect on my life. I know I have been very lucky through the years. I have great parents and a good relationship with my sisters (even though they tortured me as the youngest :-) ) and their families. I have a wonderful wife who comes from a wonderful family.

There have been speed bumps along the way but nothing that wasn't overcome. My biggest scare? In the early '90's, I was diagnosed with Epstein-Barr disease aka chronic fatigue syndrome. It was a virus that had no cure and there was no certainty I was going to get rid of it. My fear was that this was going to be my life from now on. After a few months, I was able to resume my life the way I wanted to live it. And, I started to think about not taking life for granted anymore.

What have I learned in my life that I can impart words of wisdom to you from this old sage? I can be clicheish and say eat healthy, stay in school, obey the commandments, etc. Which are all important, don't get me wrong. But, there is one thing, as I look back, that I wish more people did. Communicate. Never think you know what the other person is thinking. I've learned this in my home, social and business lives. Talk to people. If you have a disagreement, try to understand it from their point of view. Why are they thinking this way? What information do they have that led them to this opinion? Talk it out. You may still disagree. But, you may be able to understand where they are coming from a lot better.

Also, in the lines of communication, don't let time slip away in reaching out to people you've known through the years but haven't been in contact with. One of the best lines I remember is, 'Days are long but years are short.' It goes by fast, believe me. Reach out to an old high school/college friend, a favorite aunt/uncle/cousin, etc. It's not always easy, I know that. There is too much to do in your work-a-day world. But.... I ran a half marathon in my father's hometown where my uncle lived. I stopped by my uncle's house to say hello and wound up watching a baseball game with him and talking. I had a good time just sitting there and talking with him. At his funeral, years later, my cousin told me it was something that he mentioned quite a bit and was thankful I remembered him. It breaks my heart that I didn't do it more often.

I won't bore you with the changes I have seen through the years. I won't even say that, 'in my day' things were better. They were. In some things. In others, I wish I was young and had a chance to start it all over again. In the beginning of this entry, I mention the microchip as being invented 50 years ago. Over the years, this, I believe, has had the most impact in our lives. From the microchip came the personal computer. From the personal computer came the internet. From the internet came different ways we listen to music, read our newspapers, watch our shows, get information, to reach out to old friends, to meet new ones that you never met face-to-face. Cars are different. Appliances are different. The newspaper industry, which has existed for hundreds of years, is radically changing. We go further and further into space. Because of this invention called the microchip.

Regrets? I have a few. (No, I won't break out in song and sing, 'My Way'). In reality, I don't have regrets. I may think about how life would have been for me if I made a different decision. But, I don't regret not taking that path. There are times when I regret not having children. But, it was a decision we made, along the way, that we wanted to focus on our careers. (And, no, thank you very much for your kind offer, but, I don't want to take your children.) I guess regret is the wrong word. But, I wondered if I would have been a good parent and what kind of children I would have raised?

I face the reality of, what someone at work described, 'having more past than a future.' I hope he's wrong but it's most likely true. A few years ago, I asked a college friend what he thought about as we were about to turn 45. His reply, 'In college, I didn't think we would have made it to 40. Everything after that is gravy.' Gravy indeed.

I'm not saddened by this landmark event in my life. Hey, it beats the alternative. I'm happy where I sit in life. I've learned a lot about myself through the years. Of my strengths and weaknesses. Of what I'm good at and not so good at. I try not to worry about the future. I know that the next decade will bring a lot of changes. And, as the years go by, I understand the saying of how youth is wasted on the young.

There are three thoughts I will leave with you in this entry. First, show patience in life. It's never easy but it will carry you a long way. Second, don't listen to advice. OK, that's not entirely correct. I guess best to say, carefully listen to advice. I've learned the best teacher in my life is me. I can be taught a million ways until Sunday of how to do something but, unless I experience it first hand, it will never sink in. So, let your own life be your best teacher.

Lastly, your body will age but your mind won't. I've had numerous conversations with people through my life that still think as if they are in their teens and twenties. That's not a bad thing. Don't get me wrong. They have matured. But, don't look in the mirror to see how old you are. Look in your heart. Live life to the fullest.

(Notes: Congratulations to the Broad Street and the Lehigh Valley Half marathon runners. Not the greatest conditions to run in so I have more respect for you to even towing the line out there. Congrats to Mom on the Run blogger Karen who set a PR in the Indy Mini-marathon on Saturday. Congrats to Mind That Bird for pulling off the second biggest upset in Kentucky Derby history. If I only played the Superfecta that day.)

Where I Run (Las Vegas)

2009-04-27T10:00:00.015-04:00

This was the second time I've been in Las Vegas. The first time was fifteen years ago on vacation for a few days. I went on business (yes, business) this time attending the National Association of Broadcasters convention. (Not to bore you with the details of my job but I work in the web broadcasting department for my company and we wanted to see what was new and exciting for the future).

Having been ill the previous week, I was bound and determined to keep up with some of my training when I was in Las Vegas. I thought I was going to have a chance to swim but, the pool was too small to do laps at the Las Vegas Hilton (where I was staying) and the water was too freakin' cold!!!! So, I ran about 3 miles every morning I was there around the Hilton complex.

At the very bottom of this entry are two videos of my 'Where I Run' series I am doing. Granted, I don't run in Vegas all the often (as a matter of fact, this was the first time). But, thought it might be interesting. I am enjoying doing these series and probably need to upgrade equipment if I continue doing more of them (video camera phones are ok but I know they are not the best. But, very convenient to take along).

I got back Thursday night and the heat followed me home as it has been in the 90s (F) over the weekend. Feels like summer already. Friday night I did (2) 12 laps plus (2) slow, medium, fast laps in the pool. Saturday, I rode my bike (thanks Mitch!) 8 miles to get used to it. I didn't have a chance to run the borrowed road bike. It's much easier to ride than a mountain bike. And, Sunday, I ran 6 miles around Lake Galena in the morning. I should say I ran/walked in. It does feeling I will never get my stamina back. Patience, Joe, patience. Just keep at it and it will return.

Anyway, along with the videos, below are some pictures from my trip. I had a chance to walk 'The Strip' on Wednesday night. Hope you enjoy.

(Notes: I kind of made this decision before, but I won't be participating in the Broad Street Run this year. I've been focusing on my tri training and, truthfully, never had a chance to get in some longer runs for the event. I just didn't think I was ready for it. )

(above: Las Vegas Hilton where I was staying. Barry Manilow was appearing there for a permanent show. Could have bought some Manilow water from the Manilow store inside but decided to pass on that.)

(above: A statue of Elvis Presley outside of the Las Vegas Hilton. Elvis had an eight-year exclusive run in their showroom. 837 consecutive sold-out performances, entertaining some 2.5 million people. As the plaque states: Elvis, the king of Las Vegas.)

(above: The Flamingo Hotel at the corner of West Flamingo Road and Las Vegas Blvd.)

(above: The Paris hotel on 'the Strip'.)

(above: The Bellagio Hotel)

(above: The Bellagio Hotel and the start of the water fountain show that begins every 15 minutes)

Leaving (for) Las Vegas

2009-04-20T14:35:00.003-04:00

I leave for Las Vegas in about an hour's time so this will be a very short posting.

Last week's tri training hit a bump as work became the priority and I came down with a bad case of allergies. In truth, I made my friend's and spouse very happy as I was speechless. My allergies affected my ability to speak. I wound up with a sore throat and dizziness for three days straight. Believe it or not, the thing that got me feeling better was a weekend trip to Massachusetts where, I guess, the pollen I'm allergic to, didn't blossom yet. As soon as I got back yesterday, it hit me again and felt dizzy until today where the rain has helped keep the pollen down.

I am promising myself that, though I will be busy in Las Vegas, I will find the time to get out there and go for a run and do some swimming. I don't want to fall too far behind. I had some momentum going for me and I don't want to lose it. I hope to take some pictures and maybe a video or two of where I run. Hope to have it all posted by Friday.

(Notes: As I am writing this, I know a few people still out on the Boston Marathon course. I know they will finish so I want to congratulate them and all Boston runners. I wish I could be out there one year.)

Flat is Good

2009-04-13T08:14:00.006-04:00

So, what's the difference between Pennsylvania and New Jersey? I am sure there are some funny answers to that questions from both sides of the river. But, for me the difference between Pennsylvania and New Jersey is....about 1 minute.

This past Saturday, I ran the 14th Annual Gloucester Township Scholarship 5k in Clementon, NJ. The race was about and hour and fifteen minutes from my house and, when I woke up, it was pouring rain. Now, you are asking yourself, what the heck was he thinking when he entered this race? It was for a good cause. It was in support of a friend.

You see, a few months ago, a work colleague of mine, decided to change her life. She would get up early every morning and hit the treadmill for a half hour or so. She decided to start to eat healthy. Finally, after all this time on the treadmill, she decided she wanted to do a 5k. She asked me and a few other colleagues at work who also ran, would we participate in the race with her? She picked the date and place. It was my duty to show for the race.

Let me tell you, a few hours after I woke up, it started to pour. No matter. I've raced in rain and cold before. Just gut it out and call it a day. Besides, as much as staying in bed on a day like that seems comforting, it would not have been worth it considering the harassment I would have experienced from my colleagues for not showing up. So, off I went to New Jersey.

When I got there, I met up with my colleague. Her family was there to support and cheer her on. Having done 80+ races, you forget how exciting that first race is. She was confident but nervous. She was asking me a lot of questions. I told her, don't run for time just for the fun of it. You will notice the difference between running by yourself and against others. And, you'll be surprised how fast the race really is. It will feel like forever when you are out there but, after the race, you'll wonder where it all went.

So, why is there a minute difference between Pennsylvania and New Jersey? Every race in the Bucks County 5k series, there is a hill. And, you can't get away from it. Because that's the topology of the land. You may be having a decent time in a 5k, only to have it shot down by the hill. However, this course was advertised as flat and fast. And, it was. South Jersey doesn't have the hills as where I live. There was some inclines on the course and some wind gusts knocked you over a bit.

I did the first mile in 7:44. At that point, it started to show there were only 54 runners in the race as we started to spread out a bit. I saw people ahead of me but not worth challenging to catch up with them. So, I settled into a comfortable pace at that point. I knew there was someone behind me but far enough away that I didn't consider him a threat to my pace.

At around the 2.75 mile point of the race, there was an incline you had to go up before making a right and heading for the finish. As you ran up that incline, you were running right into the wind. I felt I was running in a vat of tapioca up that incline. I made the right to head for the finish and suddenly, the guy behind me who was not a threat was on my shoulder and started to pass me. I looked at him and decided he wasn't in my age group but I'm going to make him earn the fact that he passed me. So, I sped up a bit. He answered the challenge and beat me. I ran a 25:18 to his 25:17. And, if you look at that time, it's almost a minute faster than the New Hope race last Sunday. In reality, I didn't think much of it afterwards as I wanted to cheer my friend in.

I waited for her with her family. We saw her coming around the corner and her kids began to get excited. As she headed to the finish, her family and the rest of us were cheering her in. She had done it and in great time for a first time out. The proud look on her family's collective faces was something to see. They were so happy. She was so happy. And, the rest of us were very proud of her as well. It was worth the trip just to see that.

Well, I stuck around for the award ceremony. As it turns out, I placed second in the Clydesdale division (200+ pounds). There were 5 Clydesdale participants in total. And, they were all 10-20 years younger than me. And, the guy who beat me? Yep, it was the guy who passed me at the end. As it turns out, all the awards were the same if you finished first, second or third in your division so I wasn't too bothered by that (I keep telling myself). And, for my colleague? Yep, she won an award the first time out. I was glad for her. I told her that doesn't happen everyday but, nonetheless, she should be proud of the award and proud that she went out there and ran the race. We all are.

(Notes: Congratulations to my alma mater, Boston Unversity, as they won the NCAA Ice Hockey men's championship on Saturday night in overtime against Miami (Ohio) University. A great game as the Terriers (BU) had to score 2 goals in the last minute of the third period to tie to send into overtime. Also, good luck to the Boston marathoners next Monday. I know you will do well. I got a road bike from my fellow Blue Dawg, Mitch, who has lent me the bike for my upcoming triathlon. I want to thank Mitch for helping me out. I appreciate it.
RIP, Harry. Yours was a truly legendary voice!!!!!

The Return of the Mini-Cam

2009-04-06T08:45:00.012-04:00

Well, my triathlon training is going well so far. I've been pretty good about swimming twice a week since early March. I was able to get out on the bike around the neighborhood for a 5.75 mile ride. Not bad considering I haven't been on a bike for years. I also am riding a mountain bike which was a Christmas present from my wife about 7 years ago. I hate to give it up but I also know I'm at a disadvantage using it for a tri. Not sure what I'm going to do.

One of the advantages of training for the tri is the cross-training its letting me do. My miles are suffering a bit but, having said that, I look forward more to getting out there and training again. I've been able to do 34 laps in the pool for a half hour. My goal is to do 16 freestyle laps without stopping, which is approximately the length of the swim portion of the race. So far, I'm up to about 8 laps of freestyle, 2 laps of breaststroke, and then back to 8 laps again, and on. After the half hour, I do 2 full-out laps of freestyle with 2 laps of breaststroke to cool down. I know it doesn't sound like much but it's a big step for me to where I was in early March.

Since I've done all this cross-training in the past few weeks, I was interested how I was going to do in the NewHope-Solebury Spirit Run 5k this past Sunday. It was a beautiful day. Temps were in the low 50s (F) and not too windy through the race.

I felt really good for the first two miles of the race. Actually, I was surprised I felt this good. I certainly felt better than I did in the Central Y 5k two weeks ago. But, the last mile has a few hills and I continue to struggle on hills. It is strange because I feel I'm back to my previous fitness level when I run on flat or downhill but, reality sets in when I run up hills (Patience, Joe, patience). (I also have to mention that in my non-competitive year, I did beat Chief and Eric in this race. Just mentioning it. Eric was injured so I give him credit for running the race at all.)

For this race, I decided to pull out the ol' mini-cam. I thought it was a good time to take some snaps along the way and show you parts of the course. There is a video, produced by TZ Sports, that shows the start and entry onto the track for the finish of the race. (I posted it on 'Last Race' on the right hand side of the blog.) If you look closely, you can see me crossing the start (look on the right hand side about halfway through the start. I'm tall with a yellow shirt) and coming onto the track (I'm the zombie-like runner, shuffling his feet. You could have caught me, Chief!). Hope you enjoy.

Because of my recent lack of miles, I'm having second thoughts on running the Broad Street race this year. I really haven't run more than 6 miles in any one training run. I haven't had time to put in that 8 and 10 mile run. I've been focusing so much more on the tri training and the 5ks that Broad Street has been more of an afterthought.

My company's deadline to enter as a team member is this Wednesday. Doesn't mean I can't sign up later (just not for free :-) ). So, I'm a bit on the fence about it right now.

Enjoy the pictures below. (The start of the race on the New Hope-Solebury High School property.)

(Going down Ferry Road into New Hope)

(Steve White ahead of me in the race. (But, not for long. :-) ).

(Making the turn from Ferry Road to Main Street in New Hope. The Delaware River is in the background.)

(Around the two mile mark on West Mechanic Street)

(The finish line in the background on the New Hope-Solebury High School track)

Opening a New Door

2009-03-31T08:07:00.002-04:00

Back in January, it was just an idea. Something I wasn't sure of. Something others talked about but wasn't sure if it was for me. But, gradually, I accepted the idea. Started to embrace that, in fact, there was a way for me to do this thing. I knew I was going to have to make some sacrifices along the way (don't we always?).

Yesterday, I committed myself to this idea. I signed up and attended my first triathlon class. And, I can't weasel out of it because my good friend, Chief White...yes, the Chief White that I run against in local 5ks, is one of the MENTORS!!!!!!

Seven years ago or so, I remember thinking about starting to run longer distances and entering races. I remember the first time I ran 20 minutes WITHOUT STOPPING!!!! The sense of joy of accomplishing that feat. With my running now, I have lost that feeling of newness. Signing up for a triathlon class has given me back that feeling of trying (pardon the pun) something different in life. At the beginning of this month, when I swam two laps freestyle WITHOUT STOPPING started to bring back those feelings of small accomplishments.

I was asked last night, why, why did I sign up for this class? My answer...I wanted to celebrate my fifty years of existence on this planet. I want to prove you can teach an old dog, like me, a new trick.

The more and more I thought about the individual pieces of a triathlon, the more I thought it is something I can do. Swim 1/4 mile? Yeah, I grew up learning how to swim. I can do that with some training. Bike 10 miles? How hard can that be? I'm running 10 miles in a few weeks down Broad Street. Could it really be more difficult than that? And then run a 5k? I would do that every weekend if I could. And, on top of that, have people I know teach and support me along the way? As my teacher (Sharon) said last night, 'we thought you would have been out here sooner'.

I don't expect to be good at this. But, the point of the class is not necessarily be good. The motto: Compete to Complete! Just like I tell people when they enter their first marathon. Don't have a goal time. Do it for the experience. See what works and what doesn't work for you. If you enjoyed it, then think back on that experience and how you would change things to be more competitive if you want to. I have to keep that in my mind for myself.

I am excited. This has given me a renewed vigor for training. I can't wait to get out there every day now. And, I have the backing of my friends along the way. There's no turning back now.

Ready, Set...Spring!!!!!

2009-03-23T12:32:00.004-04:00

I think the best way to get my mojo back is to run that first race. And, struggle. And, have Eric and Chief beat me. Soundly. And, despite what I say about enjoying life and not worrying about times that will be my wake up call.

--February 9, 2009 Blue Dawgs Running Losing My Mojo posting

RINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I should have been in the prediction business. (Of course, if I was, my 401(k) wouldn't have turned into a 101 (k) ). Yes, the above situation happened. Just as I thought. Yes, Eric and Chief (and 296 others) beat me. (I said it, Eric, happy now?).

Yesterday was the start of the Panera Bread Bucks 5k spring series with the running of the Central Bucks Family YMCA 5k. Game time temps started in the 30's (F) climbing (barely) in the 40s. But the sun was out and people were anxious to get their spring going. How anxious? They delayed the start of the race by 15 minutes because people kept showing up to register for the race. Time to shake off the winter rust.

Since early March, I have been getting my mojo back. I am starting to focus on competing in a triathlon in the summer. I'm swimming twice a week for about 30 minutes. Nothing hard. Just building up so I can do 16 laps at a competitive pace. (About 1/4 mile). Also did a six mile loop around Lake Galena on Saturday. Throw in a one hour racquetball session and there you have my week!

Besides swimming, I am getting out more and more for runs now that it's warming up. Biggest problem? The better shape you are in, the easier you can bounce back from a cold. At least that's my theory. Because, I can't seem to clear the congestion that I have from this cold I had starting last month. No, no, I'm not using that as an excuse for my performance yesterday (Sure didn't help going up that last hill, though). Back to the race.

My first mile was ok. I felt better than I thought I would. Didn't push myself. Just relaxed. I did it in an 8:15 or so pace. Next mile I eased up because I felt I was laboring try to breathe. Still, the mile was around an 8:45 pace. What I'm finding is, running up any hills at the moment really, really sucks. (Kelly, you are much more, shall we say, expressive, than I am when it comes to describing hills but this will do for now.) Yes, I know, for the most part, any hill is not a barrel of laughs but I can really feel a difference between running on flat surface and hills. And, that last mile has a 1/2 mile gradual hill to it. And, it knocked me for a loop yesterday.

My final time was 26:56. My worse 5k in nearly three years. It was almost 2 minutes slower than last year's race. (Sigh).

It's just the start of the season. Still plenty of time to have a good year. Though, I have to keep reminding myself, I declared this a non-competitive year. Yeah, right. Good luck with that one. All I have to do is to remind Chief and Eric and SteveR this is my non-competitive year. I'm sure they'll go along with that. Everytime I see them. After a race. I'm sure they will be telling me, 'I see you decided not to compete in this race afterall?' (Chuckle, chuckle, chuckle). Word of advice. Be careful when you stop and smell the roses. You might get run over doing so.

Discovery Shuttle Launch

2009-03-19T13:01:00.004-04:00

Something for the weekend. When I was in Florida last week, I had the opportunity to experience something unique and, that was, to view the launching of the Space Shuttle Discovery. New Smyrna Beach, where my parents live, is about an hour's north of Cape Canaveral. My father and I went down to the beach to get a better view of the launch. Below is video I had taken. In the middle, someone asks me if I was taking pictures with my phone. My reply was that I was my using taking video. (Just to explain what that conversation was about.)

The video is about 3 minutes in length. If you stay with it, at the end you will see the booster rockets separate from the shuttle. (You will see separate objects in the sky. Those are the booster rockets). When my father and I were walking away from the beach, you could still see the shuttle as a bright object in the sky. It was about 5 minutes after the actual launch. We were told later that the shuttle was actually over the New York/New Jersey area at that point. If only traveling was that easy! :-)

Hope you enjoy the video.

Where I Run (Florida edition)

2009-03-16T21:04:00.012-04:00

I'm back from my Florida long weekend. The weather was absolutely perfect with highs in the 80's (F) with low humidity all five days I was there. I went to a couple of spring training games over the weekend, which was a lot of fun and, for the most part just relaxed and took it easy.

I did have a chance to get out and get some runs in as well. I was staying in a town called New Smyrna Beach, which is about 10 miles south of Daytona Beach. North of town, where the Indian River meets the Atlantic Ocean, (called Ponce Inlet) there is a park called Smyrna Dunes Park. This park has a 1.4 mile circular boardwalk where people go to get there walks and runs in. (The park also is a nesting ground for sea turtles which were out and about as I ran.)

I was able to get two runs in over the weekend. A 3 miler and a 4.2 miler. Running this just emphasized how out of shape I got over the winter and the work I need to put in to get back in 'racing form'.

One of the things I might try to do this year is post videos of places of where I run. This is my first attempt on this. Understand I am no Spielberg. (Especially when my thumb gets in the way of the camera. Unfortunately, there is no second takes to my videos.) Also, I'm using my video camera from my phone, so the quality might not be there. It was easy enough to use for a run.

In the coming months, I'm hoping to capture some footage of other areas where I run and also some races I'm doing. Races may be tough but I've deemed it a non-competitive year for me so there's more of a chance I'll allow myself the extra time to pull out the camera and get some footage. (Of course, I say that now in March. Just wait until I see Chief, Eric or another Blue Dawg in front of me. That camera ain't coming out then!)

So, to set the stage, below are four video clips (about 3 mins each, except clip 3 which is about a minute) of what it's like to run at Smyrna Dunes Park. Again, apologies as I know I had my thumb in the way in clips 3 and 4. (FYI. Be careful of watching this video if you get motion-sickness.)

While I was in Florida, I also had the opportunity to watch the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery. I have video of that launch where I saw it from my vantage point in New Smyrna Beach. I hope to have that posted later this week.

Any comments to the video would be much appreciated.

(Notes: The Bucks County 5k Spring series starts this weekend on Sunday, March 22. As most of the races in the spring are ones I have done before, I would like to bring back the race T-shirt exchange. The idea behind the race T-shirt exchange is to exchange shirts with me for upcoming races that you have done year after year and you don't necessarily 'need' that shirt anymore. So, send me an e-mail and let me know you are interested in exchange race shirts. Let me know the size of shirt you want and the address where I can send it. I will let you know my shirt size and my address of where you can send the shirt you got from your local race. As always, only non-worn shirts will be accepted. :-) )

The Interview

2009-03-04T09:18:00.009-05:00

Thanks to Jennifer :-) at the Life is a gift. RUN. blog for these interview questions. Since you posed these questions to me over a week ago it gave me a good think. It was an interesting excerise to do.

1. When not running and blogging, what else do you like to do in your spare time?
Spare time? :-) I do like to travel. I like to experience new things so there have been very few places that I have gone back to for vacation. But, having said that, I like to travel to familar spots for long weekends like Boston or Florida. The one thing I like doing on vacation more than anything else is waking up and reading a newspaper and having a cup of coffee first thing in the morning. That, to me, is relaxing.
I used to be a more avid watcher of sports but not so much anymore. I'll follow sports but mostly can only keep up a conversation about baseball.
Still, after 20+ years of marriage, I like to hang out with my wife and play with our dogs. My dogs will absolutely crack me up sometimes.
I'm boring, aren't I?

2. What is your favorite race and favorite distance to race?
Do I have to pay attention to the verb here? What 'is' my favorite race? Or what 'was' my favorite race? What the heck. I'll answer both. What 'was' my favorite race was the 2006 Disney marathon for a variety of reasons. Leading up to that race, I was sent over to England (twice) for business. I had to do a 12 mile long run through central London and, a few weeks later, had to do a 16 mile long in the English countryside. But, the race itself was none other than I ever experienced. The course was set up well. The volunteers were wonderful. And, even though it was my second marathon, it was the first that I didn't finish limping in. If you ever did this marathon, you will wind up comparing this marathon to all others that you will ever do.

What 'is' my favorite race, year after year, is the Falmouth Road Race in August. I love the beach and the course is right along the water. It is a beautiful course to run. There are a lot of name runners that participate such as Frank Shorter, Joan Benoit, Bill Rogers and Catherine Ndereba and Deena Kastor from time to time that you get to meet and talk to. Interestingly, it is not a very good course for me. Though beautiful, there isn't a lot of shade and I have had some interesting times out there. Still, a great weekend when I can get up there.

Favorite distance? I've come to like the half marathon but I think, deep down, I'm still a sprinter so probably the 5k.

3. What is your greatest athletic moment? (Doesn't have to be running)
I thought and thought and thought about this. Not because there were so many, but because there were so few. :-) Let's just say that the one sport I lettered in high school was bowling (Which is true). The one I kept on thinking back on was the one I have few details on and have nothing to prove it ever happened. In grade school, I was the anchor of a sprint team (not sure of the distance) at an indoor meet at the Philadelphia Convention Center. I remember taking the baton and flying past someone who was in front of me and breaking the tape to win. We only won the heat, not the race, but it was the only time I remember breaking the tape. I've won championships with teams in volleyball, softball, basketball, etc. but I don't recall being 'the guy' that won the event for the team.

4. Have you learned anything about yourself since starting your blog?
I realized how much of my life is about riding on the coattails of Steve Runner. :-) I started writing this blog about 2 years ago. I promised myself, if I was going to do it, I would commit myself to it and post at least once a week. Barring vacations, I've been pretty good at doing it. I've also sort of fulfilled one of the things I wanted to be when I grew up and that was a columnist for a newspaper. I never pursued it because I didn't think I had the talent to maintain a living out of it. The other thing I find myself doing is looking at a situation and saying to myself, 'this would be a great post!' Or, looking at other blogs for ways to be more creative with my blog. I thought I would get tired of posting after a year but, surprised myself how much I continue to enjoy writing.

5. Since you gave up potato chips for Lent (brave soul) what is your replacement for their crispy, salty goodness? :-)
I would have a small bag of potato chips for lunch almost everyday at our cafeteria. And, I went cold turkey. I'll have the small bag of apple slices instead of the chips that went with the sandwich. And, it was tough for a few days. But, now it's not so bad. But, I also gave up snacking between meals. The snacks I eat are generally healthy. In the right amounts. I may have gone over the 'right amounts' from time to time. And, that has been more difficult. I haven't been great with this. But, it does make me think more seriously of what I eat.

To play along:

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

(Notes: I'm off to Florida for a long weekend with my parents and catching some spring training games. I thought about doing a 10k when I was down there but, having gone out last Saturday on a 3 mile tempo run, I realized that I'm not in race shape yet. I got a LOT of work to do to get back into shape. I started playing with my new Garmin 405. It certainly not as noticeable to wear as the Garmin 101 is when you are running, which is a good thing. Also, picked up a pair of the Brooks Adrenline 9's today. So, if anything, my running might stink but I'll be stylish this year.
Last Friday, I was asked to give a speech to honor our fourth grade teacher who is retiring this year. Ours was the first class she ever taught. )
RIP--Tweety

Mother Nature's Sense of Humor

2009-03-02T08:52:00.004-05:00

Whew! Thank goodness February is over. The first two months of 2009 has been a bit tough. Cold. snowy. Actually had to use my snowblower three times so far. Haven't done that in quite a few years. But, all that's over now. Because it's March! And the warm weather is coming. I just know it. As a matter of fact, I'm so confident that it's warm outside that I'm going to wear shorts and a short-sleeve shirt today for my run. I'll just tie my shoes up and I'm ready to head out the door. In. The. Snow.

Well, winter isn't quite over yet. I'm sitting here at my desk looking outside as the snow comes down. And down. And down. Predictions are for this area to get 6-12 inches of snow today. You can cross the 6 inches off your list, as we already hit that, and hope that it doesn't hit the 12 inch mark. I had to go out early this morning and shovel my yard. Yep. I have to shovel an area in the yard for the dogs. If we get 12 inches, well, I'm going to have to build a little tunneling system for them to get around.

Nonetheless, it was a productive week for me. I actually went out for a run on Wednesday! On Tuesday, I wasn't so sure I was going to be able to as I went to the doctor's to be told I had a sinus infection. So, I wind up living on anti-biotics and Mucinex-D for period of time. But, I felt good enough Wednesday afternoon and meet up with the Blue Dawgs and did a little over 4 miles.

Saturday, I went to the gym to cross train for about an hour and it felt great to get lost in a workout. And, Sunday, March the first, I decided this was the day to start training for my tri. So, I went for a swim. Or at least tried. Or, should I say, I swam but, boy, is that tiring! I was in the pool for twenty minutes. Freestyle. Breaststroke. And I ache. I purposely didn't try to push myself. All I wanted to do was to get some laps in. Oh, yeah. I got some laps in. But, geez, do I ache today.

I guess what I probably should do is to read up on how to get started. (Yes, typical guy's response to life. Start something and THEN read the instructions afterwards.) It was a bit discouraging to see someone next to me swim lap after lap after lap without stopping. As for me? About 4 laps straight and then catch my breath for a minute, breaststroke a lap, catch my breath, etc. After I got out of the pool, I was flat out tired. I got a long ways to go before July and the tri.

Still sore today but I got a new toy yesterday as well. So, it will be something to take my mind off my stiff muscles. I got a new Garmin 405. I haven't had a chance to take it out of the box yet. I have seen others wear one and it will be nice not to have a clock face halfway up your arm anymore. And, I'll be able to save my workouts on my computer which will nice to have around. Geez, maybe, I'll even start wearing it on my Wednesday runs and won't have to keep asking Eric or Melissa how many miles we've done? They'll appreciate that.

There goes a snowmobile up the road. Just 11 days away and I'll be in sunny Florida for a long weekend. Watching baseball. Eating a hot dog. Drinking a beer. Basking in the warm sunshine. In the meantime, excuse me as I tie up the laces of my snow boots and clear out the driveway.

Join Us At the Table (RRT Episode 18)

2009-02-22T13:51:00.008-05:00

My stint as a guest on Runner's Roundtable was so successful that I have been asked to co-host from time to time on upcoming episodes. Or, to be more realistic, they needed people, even me, to help out once in awhile.

With that being said, please join Nicole, author of the blog Running Bébé , Mike, author of the blog Westy's Running , myself, and host Martin from the RunningRamblings podcast (currently on winter hiatus) on Tuesday night, February 24, 2009 at 9pm EST as we welcome Laura, author of the popular Frayed Laces blog to the Runner's Roundtable to talk about running and life in Hawaii, becoming a Marathon Maniac, and what it's like working with dolphins all day. (If you are wondering why SteveRunner isn't on the show, well, the powers that be wanted a witty and intelligent host as a change of pace, so they asked Martin to host instead.) It should be a great show and I look forward to participating. (Click on this link to join us live.)

Also, below is another video in the series, 'What are the Dogs Up To?' In this episode, Ellie Mae participates at the Rockland County Kennel Club Dog Show in Suffern, NY last Saturday. She was the only dog in her class, so won by default. Sadly, she didn't do much after that. Still, she looked like she had a lot of fun. (A friend of ours is showing her here).

(Notes: I'm feeling much better so I'm going to start running again. Last week, I had no energy but it is starting to pick up. As most of you know, it's still cold out but not as cold as before. Plus, more hours of sun in the afternoon, so it will give me more chances to go out for a 3-4 mile run before going home. Also, I'll be going to Best Buy sometime in the near future to get a Garmin watch. The blood is starting to flow again.)

February 25, 2009 Update: We stumbled out of the block last night, but, once we got the momentum going, the show went great. Click here if you want to listen to the Podcast or you can subscribe via iTunes.

The Buying of Tickets

2009-02-20T15:01:00.005-05:00

It's not very often that I'll write a posting on a Friday but I'm a bit ticked off and want to vent.

As you may know, I am planning a trip from Philadelphia to Kansas City with stops in between to watch baseball games at various cities along the way. This trip is planned for the week of June 14. I knew the toughest ticket to get would be for a Cubs game as they are playing their crosstown rivals the White Sox during that time. The game, I was planning to go to, was either June 16 or 17. June 16 was my preferred date as it is a night game and was somewhat easier to get to. But, I would have settled for a day game on June 17 but a little bit tougher to get to as I would have had to leave Cincinnati early in the morning to make the afternoon game.

Well, today was the first day of single game tickets for Cubs home games at Wrigley Field. And, I was ready. I signed in a half hour before the tickets went on sale and waited in the internet waiting area. And waited. And waited. For three hours. Until the screen refreshed and told me that the tickets for the June 16 were sold out. 15 minutes later the tickets for the June 17 game were sold out. Errr.

Just for the heck of it I checked stubhub.com, which is the legal way to re-sell 'extra' tickets you have for a ballgame. So, for instance, Aunt Minnie came to visit you at the last minute and was going to stay with you for a month. Well, you have to sit at home and entertain Aunt Minnie during her visit so you can't make it to the game that you bought tickets for. You put the tickets on stubhub.com and try to sell your tickets because you don't want them to go to waste.

However, they shouldn't be allowed to appear minutes after the ticket booth opened this morning!!!!!! As of this writing, there are 671 tickets available in prices ranging from $78 to $1000 per ticket on stubhub.com for the June 16 game. Or 2 to 5 times the price of the face value of the ticket. So, people are buying tickets in order to sell them.

I'm sorry but I have a big problem with ticket resellers. For Christmas one year, my wife went to one and wound up paying $140 for two $20 seats for a Sixers game. The game wasn't even sold out. She didn't know any better because she doesn't usually buy tickets.

The only thing I will say about stubhub.com is that you are at least guaranteed there is a valid ticket waiting for you. If you ask me, this situation where, tickets are available minutes after the tickets go on sale officially, is highway robbery.

Always Blame a Sibling

2009-02-17T08:57:00.005-05:00

It's my sister's fault, really. You see, when we went to the Temple-St. Joseph's college basketball game at the Palestra last Thursday, she asked me have I been sick anytime during the winter? Her and I have an unofficial contest of who is the first to get sick after Christmas. It normally happens that both of us will, at some point, it's just a matter of when.

I answered her confidentially, no, I have been able to dodge the bullet and feel pretty healthy. I think I'll be able to make it this year without coming down with a cold.

Naturally, the next day, when I was in a meeting, I felt a sore throat coming on. But, I was talking a lot in the meeting, so not too surprising. Come Saturday, the sniffles and sneezing started. And, then the body aches. By Sunday, I was laid up in bed. I'm just beginning to get a hint of feeling better. I do want to take the time to thank the company that makes the tissue product, Puff with lotion. It has saved me a great deal of irritation.

So, needless to say, I haven't been running except for last Wednesday night with the Blue Dawgs. Bit of a stop and start year so far. But, I am not worried. To paraphrase Rocky Raccoon, 'I'll get better, better, as soon as I am able.'

(Notes: Below are some pictures I took at the Palestra, one of the great venues to watch a college basketball game. It was a great game with Temple leading by 10 points with 54 seconds left and almost losing the game at the end. St. Joseph's were down by 2 points with 6 seconds left to go and the ball. But, the last shot was no good and Temple wins by 2.

Also, one of the things for me to look forward to is a long weekend in Florida in March. I won't have a chance to see any Phillies games, as they are based on the west coast but do plan on seeing some spring training games with the Braves and Nationals who are closer to the east coast, which is where I am going.)

Losing My Mojo

2009-02-09T08:44:00.004-05:00

I've lost my edge. I've lost my focus. I've lost my desire. I've lost my gumption. I've lost my passion. In short, I've lost my mojo. And, I don't know where it went. (And, no, I don't think Dr. Evil is holding on to it.)

You see, I haven't felt energized to go out for a run for awhile now. I'm kind of just going through the motions at the moment. I'm bored running at the lake. I'm bored running by the river. I'm looking for new places to run but nothing is jumping out saying, 'run over here!'

Oh, I'm not too worried about it. I'm pretty sure it's a temporary thing. I think a lot has to do with the weather. You see, up until two years ago, I didn't really run in the winter. I would quit in November and not take it up again until mid-February to prepare myself for the Bucks County spring series. And, then I would participate in the spring series and my times would be crap and I'd kick myself for not continue to train in the off-season.

But, this year, the weather has been particularly cold. I haven't been too anxious to test my mettle. We've had little snow, but, what we did have, stayed around and made things icy.

And, I don't seem to have the competitive drive as years past. As I stated in an earlier blog, this year is about celebrating life and not breaking records. I want to stop and smell the Ben-Gay.

Besides, I'm sure a lot of people go through this but February is a particular bad month for me. I've learned this through the years that, in February, I keep my head down and try to plow on through without making any big life decisions. For example, after I graduated from college, I lived in a studio apartment in a town called Lynn, MA, right outside of Boston. I was working in radio but only making $10,000 a year and was struggling. I was offered a job in Philadelphia for three times that but not in the field that I studied for. Well, that winter in New England was a bad one. Snow storm after snow storm was hitting the area. I couldn't take it anymore, so in February of that year, I decided to quit radio and move back to Philadelphia and take the money. One of the worse mistakes I ever made and it took years to recover from it.

I also said, in an earlier blog, that I didn't have any resolutions this year. I think that's kind of hurts me. I'm goal-driven. And, right now, I don't have any short-term goals. Just things I would like to do later in the year.

So, how do I shake off the funk? Well, the snow melting this past weekend sure did help. I can see my lawn again (and the mud the dogs track in.) And, days are getting a bit longer. And, pitchers and catchers report to camp this weekend. Sure signs of spring. And, it won't be long before we get to daylight savings time again.

I think the best way to get back my mojo back is to run that first race. And, struggle. And, have Eric and Chief beat me. Soundly. And, despite what I say about enjoying life and not worrying about times that will be my wake up call. I also think shaking things up a bit this year is called for. Not sure what that means yet. But, it's February. Can't make that decision now, can I?

(Notes: Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers for my father. We received good news and he is cancer-free! He is doing a bit better every day. Again, I am very grateful for your kindness.)