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?
Monday, May 18, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
(Re) Learning How to Swim
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.)
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.)
Monday, May 4, 2009
The Turning of a Decade
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.)
Monday, April 27, 2009
Where I Run (Las Vegas)
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)
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)Monday, April 20, 2009
Leaving (for) Las Vegas
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.)
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.)
Monday, April 13, 2009
Flat is Good
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!!!!!
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!!!!!
Monday, April 6, 2009
The Return of the Mini-Cam
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)
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