On To Other Things...

Twelve months ago, I began this blog to document my efforts to train for and complete the 2008 New York City Marathon. Now, it’s time to formally bring this chapter of my life to a close with a conversation about why I set out to achieve this unusual goal.


November 22, 2008 marked the fifth anniversary of my life threatening battle and recovery from septic shock and multiple organ failure. The painful and tragic memory of that time has never left me. Running the NYC Marathon and cycling multiple 100-mile century rides this fall was my absurdly symbolic way of saying, "I didn't die. I am still alive."

At this point, the details of my illness are of little consequence. I had just started a new job and my youngest daughter was 10 months old. After a tumultuous nine months of unemployment, it seemed like things were finally turning around. With a new baby in the house, free time was at a premium.

I went to work on Friday, November 21, 2003 and felt a little under the weather. Nothing special. Just a cold, I thought. I had just completed my first 100-mile “Century” bike ride just a month earlier and was looking forward to Thanksgiving and New Years.

By Saturday night, I was dying and didn't know it. A bacteria had taken hold of my system. The loss of my spleen in 1986 made me a candidate for infection, but nothing like this had ever happened before. In the wee hours of Sunday morning, November 23, I was rushed to the emergency room where doctors attempted to save my life

For three weeks, while I lay asleep in a coma, my life hung by a thread. My circulatory system, lungs and kidneys had all failed. A ventilator was breathing for me and my blood was cleansed by a dialysis machine every few days as a team of doctors worked tirelessly to save my life.


Forty-two days later I was discharge. The doctors had succeeded and the cost was fairly minor: four toes were amputated in late January. In order to save itself, my body had turned off circulation to my extremities. A small price to pay.


The journey back to life was short. By March I was back at work and by May I was on my bike, completing the 42-mile Five Boro Bike Tour. But a lingering cloud remained. Year after year, I would return to the hospital on November 22 and visit the nurses in the ICU. It was not a pleasant trip. But I could never let it go. My life had been saved in this place. It was hallowed ground.


So, as 2007 came to a close, I knew I needed to do something to mark the fifth anniversary of this unfortunate episode of my life. And the idea to run the NYC Marathon, with no prior experience as a runner, was born.


Looking back now, it truly was an absurd experiment. But after nine NYRR races, three major biking events and the NYC Marathon, this year will come to a close as one of the most amazing years of my life.


And five years after almost dying makes it that much more special.

The Finish Line

This is what things looked like around mile 17 on First Ave. and 77th Street. I was feeling great and maintaining a very even pace throughout the event. (More photos are available on my Facebook page)

A big thank you to all the folks who came out and supported me on the course last Sunday:

Mark and Benjamin Krasnow, who drove in all the way from Boston!!

Tim "Golden Boy" Riordan, who came in all the way from Louisville, KY and has followed my adventures since 1981 when we both worked at the Burger King in West Orange, NJ.

My parents, Eileen and Arthur Kleinberg, who seemed very proud of their son and are still a little surprised that I managed to complete this whole thing.

My cousin Andrew Gold, the "official" Team Kleinberg photographer who took some great pictures and my aunt, Syma Gold, who also seemed astonished that I could actually do a marathon.

Sakura Komiyama Amend, who has been an endless source of encouragement throughout this entire year and kick-started this effort by giving me my membership in the NY Road Runners Club as a gift.

Jordin, Chloe and Simone Isip who gave me a big yell as I flew past 6th Street and 4th Ave.

Dr. Barbie Gatton, who, as a resident physician at NY Methodist Hospital, helped save my life in 2003. Dr. Gatton is the only person to catch me TWICE along the course without standing in either of my two "official" cheering sections.

Liane Ramirez Swierk who, at 117th Street and Fifth Ave., holds the honor of being my Northern-most cheerleader from her vantage point in Harlem.

Meghan Clinton, who yelled really, really loud with her fiancee, Dave, and managed to get my attention in the final miles of Fifth Ave.

Ted Greenberg, at mile 24, who also yelled really loud and caught my eye as I started to explode in the final miles.

And, a special thanks to Amy Jaick who was there at the starting line and ran her own great race.

Unlike Lance Armstrong, I will not say that this is the hardest thing I have ever done. In fact, doing the BikeMS 100-mile ride last month in the freezing cold rain was probably harder.

The NYC Marathon was, however, the most rewarding thing I may have ever done. Getting out on that course and hearing the cheers from millions of people, you can't help but get pumped up. Feeling the result of 12-months of really hard endurance training as I crossed the finish line gave me a sense of accomplishment that will be pretty hard to top.

When I began this journey, exactly 12-months ago, I had no idea how long it would take to complete 26.2 miles. It all started with one mile on the treadmill. I knew in my heart that if I had to, I would walk. But as the training progressed, the impossible slowly came into focus. I could, indeed, run non-stop for a long period of time and complete lengthy distances.

After I crossed the Willis Ave. Bridge into the Bronx and passed the 20-mile threshold, I sensed that not only could I complete the race, I could do it in a decent time. Twenty miles was the furthest I had ever run. Beyond that distance represented the great beyond. What lay beyond that point in space was impossible to imagine. But I was there.

I had very optimistically felt that 4:30 was achievable. However, if I had come in at 4:45 or even 5:00, I would have been happy. Getting in at or before the 5:00 limit was something of a goal because I wanted to be listed in the NY Times on Monday.

With three miles to go, the course was back in Manhattan and entering Central Park. I looked at my watch -- 4:00 exactly. "I can do this race in 4:30," I said to myself. It was mine to loose. And, we were already in the Park, my home turf. The race was over. With three miles left, it was no longer a question of "if" I would finish.

I kicked into high gear and fought off the pain in my legs that was telling me to slow down. I had no significant pain throughout the whole event but now, in the final few miles, as I fought hard to maintain an aggressive pace, the suffering began.

Exiting out on to 59th Street, the crowds were roaring. I was passing people on either side of me who were running out of gas. I still had fuel. The Time Warner Center was dead ahead. All I needed to do was get back to the Park. Over and over again, I told myself that this race was over. Just finish it.

I kept going. Passing people, looking for holes in the crowd. The course took a sharp right turn and re-entered Central Park. A band was playing AC/DC's "Highway to Hell." My legs were burning as the roadway suddenly narrowed. With fewer holes, I started dodging people faster than before.

And there it was: the finish line. The end of 12-months of training. The end of everything. In a few seconds it would all be over. The clock in my head was ticking very loudly. It was all going to be over. All the early morning training runs. All the miles on my bike. All the people I had spoken to and asked advice. The money had been raised. There was nothing left. I had nothing in the tank. I was being drawn away from the past 12-months and into the future. It was rushing towards me. I had no idea what was on the other side of that line and didn't care. The entire selfish reason for my existence over the past year was about to be realized...

And then it was over. I crossed the finish line. It was over. Finished. I was empty and wasted. I had nothing left. I reached for my left arm to stop the clock.

04:32:08

Notes:

• I arrived at the starting line in Staten Island at 5:59am
• I started the NYC Marathon at 10:33am
• My pace was 10:23/mile
• I burned 3505 cal (35 percent fat)
• My Avg. Heart Rate: 144bpm
• Avg. Heart Rate as percentage of Max: 81
• Max Heart: 206 (an erroroneous number; possible picked up from a runner nearby)
• My finishing weight (what I weighed the following morning when I woke up): 167lbs.

Some statistics about my NYC Marathon performance: 37,899 people completed the marathon this year. Of those, 25,072 were men and 12,827 were women. I placed 27,478 overall, in the 37th percentile among the entire group. Among the men, I placed in the 26th percentile. However, among my age group (40-44), I placed in the 71st percentile.

The conditions for the race could not have been better: 47°F, 41% humidity, wind NE 8 mph.

I was one of 16,257 participants who had never run a marathon before.

4:32:08

Finish time: 4:32:08
Pace: 10:23/mile

And I basically sprinted the last mile. More later, including photos.

Here's a short video of me picking up my number tonight at the NYC Marathon Expo held at the Javits Center. Testing out my new Palm Centro camera.

Free advice

During the course of the previous 12-months, I have solicited advice from as many people as I could. In nearly all cases, the information and tips they gave me has been extremely helpful. Hassan Bailey, my trainer from NYSC, played a very important role early on in this effort by giving me the confidence and motivation I needed to keep going.




However, the single most valuable supplier of free advice has been Todd, the manager of Jack Rabbit in Park Slope. I first met Todd last fall when I came into the store to buy my first pair of running shoes. He seemed like the kind of person I never wanted to associate with: an accomplished athlete who who had probably forgotten more about fitness than I would ever be learning in my lifetime. He clearly knew what he was doing. As an amateur, that's an intimidating feeling.


It wasn't until many months later, when I went to the store to get some advice about a pain in my calf, that we got to talking and I learned just how wise he is in the ways of the triathlete.

So, in tribute to Todd, who promises to be down on 4th Avenue on Sunday, here is a short list of some of the things he has taught me over the past year:

1) How to tie my shoes to relieve pain. Hard to explain but you can make and extra loop with the highest eye. It worked immediately.

2) Use a calf roller. He described it as a deep-tissue massage and it really worked to relieve pain.

3) Triathlete shorts are an excellent alternative to compressions shorts and wick water much better than bike shorts

4) Apply Body Glide to various points on the body to reduce chafing. Apparently they sell more of this stuff than any other item in the store.

5) Take the Prospect Park Track Club bus to the starting line of the NYC Marathon.

6) Perspiration is a good thing, just manage your water intake.

7) Use the Polar RS100 heart rate monitor. It's simple, inexpensive, and works.

Six Days

As the days wind down, I really have very little to do except wait and preserve my health. I just can't get sick. Feeling bad is not an option.

On my way to work this morning I almost stabbed a woman sitting next to me who kept coughing into her sleeve over and over again. If I had not been so tired I definitely would have gotten up and moved somewhere else. Then I noticed the guy in front of me sneezing and the woman to my right who smelled profoundly like cat. It was like some weird "germ spawning zone" and all of a sudden I was the hypochondriac.

I've been taking daily doses of vitamin C to preserve my health which, until today, felt pretty good. Unfortunately, my stomach has been giving me some problems since Sunday when I had some pasta for dinner. That has all been compounded by a dramatic change in the weather that has left me sleepy with a slight headache all day.

I went running on Friday evening at the gym and probably overdid it. I was watching U2's "Rattle and Hum" movie on the monitor and just took off in a sprint during "Where the Streets Have No Name." I think I must have been going at about 9mph at one point. Probably not the best of moves. The guy running to my right seemed like he was training for the marathon as well and must have thought I was nuts.

I ran to and from the gym and did four miles on the treadmill for a total of 5.18 miles that night.

On Sunday I ran from my old neighborhood in Cobble Hill back to Park Slope for a total of about 3.66 miles. I ended up adding a little distance at the end just to kill time. I was hoping to do about 4 miles but it ended up being just 3.66 in about 35 minutes. The weather was great and I tested out all of my equipment.

This morning, under a nearly black sky at 7:16am, I did a lap around Prospect Park. I kept a nice easy pace but started feeling some unusual pain in my ankles and lower calf. Hopefully that will not persist. I took some Tylenol later in the day and the pain seemed to dissipate.

I'm looking forward to sleeping late once this whole thing is over.

Real-time Race Updates

Please let me know if you would like to be included on a list of people recieving my race day e-mail updates. These updates will automatically transmit my movements as I move through the course.

Without getting too technical, I will be wearing a small device on my shoe that will track my progress as I cross specific points in the race. This will also track my start and finish times. As I pass certain points, the device will trigger an e-mail that will be sent to whoever is on my list of recipients.

Some more information about this feature can be found here.

Happy Birthday, Jack!!

Wishing you the happiest of birthdays, Jack! I wish you could be with us in New York next weekend to watch me run the NYC Marathon.

Details

As race day get closer, I am less concerned about finishing the race and more consumed by all the details.

I am number 54037, which is meaningless.

I am in WAVE 3 which starts at 10:20am. Considering that I will be at the starting line beginning at 6:30am, that kind of sucks.

I am a GREEN start. This means I will be on the lower level of the Verrazano Bridge, which also kind of sucks because I have already crossed that on my bike. I was really hoping for the upper level.

Here is the official map for the 2008 Marathon:

A lot of people like to document their run (something I will not be doing). Here are two that I found:

• I think this guy was from out of town

• This person was not running but did a great job of photographing the entire route
  
  
  

Meeting "Big George"

How many people can really say they have met a legend? Someone they truly admire for their accomplishments?

One Friday evening, at a cocktail reception held at Cadence Cycling & Multi-sports Center in Tribeca, I met George Hincapie, one of the world's undisputed cycling champions.

Not only has he successfully completed 13 separate Tour De France, he's been on a winning team eight times! To many people, he's best know as Lance Armstrong's right hand man. But to me, Hincapie stands alone as a testament to cycling greatness. He's out there, working his ass off, day after day, month after month, year after year. I don't think it's much of a stretch to say he's the "Lou Gehrig of Cycling." Needless to say, he's an inspiring character and it was a pleasure to meet him.

Despite the fact that I've spent much of my adult life coming face-to-face with high-profile people, this was a unique experience for me. Not only was I a pure fan, with no professional reason to be at this event, I was making this effort to meet a professional athlete -- not a rock star!

The event was very small -- maybe 40 people at the most. Ironically, Matthew Broderick was among the crowd and, at least for me, I could not have cared less about a Tony-award winning actor. I was in the presence of a champion.

On Friday morning I did a 4-mile run in Prospect Park as I begin to wind down for the NYC Marathon. The numbers, however, were quite impressive. I managed to do the 3.95 mile route in 34:39 (a pace of 8:43/mile) with an average BPM of 156. In just 34 minutes, I burned 522 calories.

Then, on Saturday afternoon, I went out for what will probably be my last "big" run of 14 miles in Prospect Park. The run lasted 2:12:59, at a total pace of 9:25/mile. I burned 1831 calories (30% fat) and had a maximum heart rate of 164 and an average of 147 (nice).

Here's a breakdown of the laps:

1 - 34:03 (9:19/mile pace)
2 - 30:55 (9:13/mile pace)
3 - 32:02 (9:33/mile pace)
4 - 35:57 (9:50/mile pace)

I experimented with three components of the run and each paid off well:

• I ate a fistful of salt before the run to try and reduce my sodium deficiency
• I did not take any Ibuprofen before the run to try and maximize my kidney function. As a result, salt crystals did not form on the surfaceof my skin
• During the final two laps I ate Shot Blocks, a performance food by Cliff Bar. I had the pina colada flavored blocks and they were absolutely delicious. I'll be packing them for lunch during the NYC Marathon.

I finished the run and really felt well-prepared for the big day.

On Sunday I stopped by Jack Rabbit and picked up a new pair of running shoes and a hat. I really feel like a member of the family when I walk into that store and I will wear their logo proudly on race day.

Early this morning, I did just one lap around the Park (35:14). The weather was quite cold at 7:13am when I headed out. Rounding the turn by the lake, it was really kind of magical to be in the park at dawn. The sun was breaking over the trees and the Canadian Geese were taking off to continue their flight south for the winter.

I'll miss moments like that when the training ends.

A Fast Run

Did a blazing fast lap around Prospect Park yesterday morning. Roughly 3.95 miles to/from house - 8:36/mile. I used the pace calculator on Cool Running to measure the time.

Possibly my fastest pace ever for that distance.

Got confirmation that I am riding the bus with the Prospect Park Track Club to the NYC Marathon starting line. That's a huge relief, because now I won't have to wake up at 3:00am on marathon morning.

20 More Miles

On Saturday, I did what was scheduled to be my last "big" run before the NYC Marathon - 20 miles. I chose to do it as a series of six laps in Prospect Park (which technically amounted to 20.7 miles).

Considering I had done the Bike MS event just a few days prior, I felt pretty good. I decided to test out a new fuel source, Gu packets, and see if I got the same cramps and upset stomach I was use to from eating Powerbars.

By the end of the third lap (10 miles, 1:45min), I could feel the chemistry in my body changing. My sodium levels were plummeting and I started to become very thirsty. I took sips of Gatorade but it didn't seem to help. By the 5th lap, I was really feeling the strain -- stopping at every water fountain and licking small droplets of Gu.

In the end, I completed 20 miles, which is all that matters. I burned through 3092 calories which dropped my weight to an unbelievable 166lbs. I was expecting a weight loss of about 2lbs., not 4lbs. (where the hell are these pounds going? Into thin air?)

Unfortunately, I was hoping to do it in 3:30 min. and felt as though I was on target to hit that number until the last two laps. I completed the run in 3:46 with an average heart rate of 148 (84% of maximum). Frankly, that's a little higher than I would have liked. At one point my BPM must have spiked and I hit 164 (93% of max). For more than one hour I was above my target heart rate zone.

Using this pace calculator, the laps broke down as follows:
#1 - 35:00 (9:35/mile pace)
#2 - 32:21 (9:39/mile pace)
#3 - 32:58 (9:50/mile pace)
#4 - 35:21 (10:33/mile pace)
#5 - 38:22 (11:27/mile pace)
#6 - 46:38 (12:46/mile pace)

(the first and last laps should be slightly longer because they include the distance to/from my house)

The total pace for the 20.7 miles was 10:55/mile

It's obvious that I really started to die in the last two laps. I felt it on the road and the numbers really tell the story. Happily, my knees and calf did not exhibit any significant pain. However, the rapid loss of sodium in the first couple of laps was painfully apparent. I could see the salt crystals on my shirts and shorts following the run.

I need to heed the advice of professionals and take salt packets on the road with me.

In other developments this week, I found my throw-away clothes for the NYC Marathon by grabbing an old t-shirt and LL Bean sweatpants someone was tossing away. The sweatshirt is a sweet Champion heavyweight with Nomura printed on the front.

MS Bike Tour - THANK YOU!

Thank you, so very, very much, for sponsoring me for the 2008 Bike MS event. This past Sunday, October 5, despite a bone-chilling, drenching downpour, I completed all 100 miles of the ride.

Through your tremendous generosity, as of today I have raised a total of $3,424. This will likely qualify me as a “Top 200” fundraiser among the 5000 participants in this year’s event.

Without a doubt, this was the most challenging cycling event I have ever completed. The pounding rain turned the streets of Manhattan into a slippery obstacle course. Riders were weaving left and right to avoid potholes filled with mud. Dark storm clouds, combined with water spinning off the tires of other cyclists, made it difficult to see the roadway in the pre-dawn twilight.

The rain had let up as we reached the 20-mile rest stop but the damage was done: my socks and shoes were soaking wet. Thankfully, by the time we completed 50 miles and stopped for lunch, the rest of my body had acclimated to the cold. I knew I could complete the ride and headed into Rockland County feeling pretty confident. The euphoria of crossing the finish line back in Manhatta at 3:12pm made it all worth while.

For those of you who might be curious what a 100-mile bike route looks like, a map of the entire course can be found here.

One very special moment came at around 8:00am, as we rode northbound on the FDR Drive. A large group of women were walking southbound along the East River wearing pink hats and rain ponchos. It took me a second before I realized they were participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. As we passed by, they started cheering for us – and we cheered and applauded right back at them! For the rest of the ride, all I could think about was my friend Sharon, a breast cancer survivor, who was probably among those intrepid walkers braving the downpour for their own important fundraiser.

Although I had set out to achieve a new personal best time this year, the dangerous weather conditions made that goal all but impossible. As we left the starting line, my chief concern was avoiding an accident that might jeopardize my participation in the NYC Marathon on November 2. Ultimately, I completed the ride at an average speed of just 15mph. My total ride time in the saddle was 06:35:51, burning roughly 4041 calories.

At a time of intense economic uncertainty, you proved, in a very real way, that it doesn’t take a lot to be very generous. Every dollar counts. Your support of the Multiple Sclerosis Society means a great deal to millions of people, particularly at a time when so many other worthwhile organizations deserve your support.

Once again, thank you so much.

And thanks also to Jason (no known lastname), a cyclist I met on the road, who stuck with me and lent me his slipstream for much of the ride!

Bike MS - Quick update

Yesterday, I completed the second event of the fall 2008 Endurance Triple Crown: 100-miles of Bike MS event. Pounding, drenching, cold rain at the start. Easily the hardest thing I have ever endured.

Start Time: 7:30am
Finish Time: 3:12pm
Total Ride Time: 06:35:51
Average Speed: 15 mph
Maximum Speed: 36.5mph
Calories burned: 4041 (50% from fat)
Total Time: 07:49:46
Average Heart Rate for Day: 114bpm (64% of Max)
Funds Raised To Date: $3,224

More details later.

Food

I'm doing some research on food consumption before during and after a race and just came across a website with some terrific information. This seems to be a very reasonable approach and one I may try to follow.

I also found this interesting perspective on "Carbo-Loading":
Carbo-loading is a method some athletes use to maximize glycogen stores. The original method began 1 week prior to the event. For the first 3 days, athletes ate a very low carbohydrate diet (about 10% of total calories) and exercised intensely to deplete glycogen stores. The following 3 days the athlete ate a very high carbohydrate diet (about 90% of total calories) and reduced exercise intensity to maximize glycogen stores. Over the years this technique has been modified and the depletion phase has basically been eliminated. Now athletes usually just increase carbohydrate intake for the 3 days prior to the event (about 70% of calories) and decrease exercise intensity. Consult a physician before attempting a carbo-loading diet.

Carbohydrates are the preferred source of fuel for the body. They are found in fruits, vegetables, starches, and other foods. The body converts carbohydrates into glucose for immediate energy or stores it in the liver and muscle tissues as glycogen. Muscle glycogen is used during endurance sports. As glycogen is depleted, an individual may become fatigued and unable to maintain training and racing intensity. With high intensity training, 60-70% of calories should come from carbohydrates. Remember: while we usually encourage high fiber and whole grains, opt for low fiber foods (i.e. white pasta, potatoes, etc.) when training to avoid gastric distress and cramping.

Peeing

Thanks so much to my friend Kim who raised a very important subject: Peeing.

It's an interesting question and one that I myself have sought counsel on from my Running Guru Todd over at Jack Rabbit Sports.

The real pro endurance athletes spend a great deal of time looking at how their energy is consumed during an endurance event. They closely monitor their diet and intake so that whatever is consumed is burned off very efficiently, minimizing waste and the need to void it during the event. There's quite a bit of science that goes into it and measuring caloric intake is a big part of the game.

As for me, I don't have the same issues because I am not focused as much on complete body efficiency. I just want to finish in a decent time for a first time runner. My body fat index, for example, is not that great. Thus, I produce waste and will need to remove it from my body at some point. Todd told me that he has trained himself to pee while he runs and just wipes down his legs and shorts at the next water station. I don't have any plans to employ that strategy.

In my case, my body "runs hot" and my metabolism becomes very high when I ride and run. Consequently I perspire a lot more than most people. I can literally wring out a shirt at the end of a run. So, I get ride of a lot of water that way and spend a lot of time replacing it. Inevitably, I will have excess water that will need to be removed.

The bottom line is that NYRR has port-o-potties stationed along the route at the start, finish and at every mile after the third mile. I anticipate using one, if not more, during the race.

I did a 20.8-mile run on Saturday in some devastating humidity and needed to go once. The bushes in the park worked quite nicely. For the record, I did the run in 03:46:38, which is a little slower than I would have liked. I burned 2943 calories, of which 40% was from fat. That is an absolutely ABSURD number. I think I actually lost 2+lbs during the course of the day.

Despite the killer humidity, my heart rate clocked in at an average of 142 bpm. I like that number because it represents 80% of my maximum heart rate and is a comfortable pace.

I did end up purchasing the Desoto Tri-shorts the other day and they feel great.

I also purchased a new pair of biking shorts in anticipation of Sunday's 100-mile MS Ride. Looking forward to a comfortable ride in some hi-tech gear.

19.2 + 30

I completed my first very long run on Saturday with a 19.2-mile journey from Park Slope to Columbus Circle and back. Despite three separate stops for food, water and bathroom, the distance took only 3:34 to cover. That included treks over the Manhattan Bridge on the way in to Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge on the way out.

Looking at the numbers, I burned about 2554 calories during the trip. The first half took just 1:32 while the return took 2:02 and included all the stops. I began the run at about 7:00am and was home around 10:30am. Note to self: stay clear of cookie dough flavored protein bars. In the end, I think I lost about 2.5 lbs during the run.

The impressive part of the trip was not the distance but the pain in my right calf and left knee. The last time I did a long trip into Manhattan I nearly shredded my legs. This time this time was very different. The pain during the run was completely manageable, thanks in part to the consumption of four Ibuprofen at the start of the day.

Here's a Google Earth image of the route I took:

I felt so good, in fact, that on Sunday afternoon I did a 30 mile bike ride in Prospect Park. I had intended to keep the pace very manageable at around 16 mph but looking at the computer when I finished, I read 17.8mph. That is a great indicator of performance for the upcoming MS Ride which I am attempting to complete at an average of 16 mph.

I recovered on Monday and did an easy 3.9 mile run in Prospect Park on Tuesday morning.

My concerns about the NYC Marathon center around three basic subjects:

1) How can I ensure that I will not have to use the bathroom during the race? This was not a critical problem on Saturday but my concern about having a bathroom to use definitely colored my pace

2) What will the temperature be like and how will that impact what I wear? On Saturday I ended up running in a long-sleeve biking shirt and my fall weight biking tights. Hopefully, the temperature will be consistent during the days prior. Last year looked like this:

Mostly Sunny
High: 59°F
Precipitation: 0%
Wind: WNW 15 mph
Max. Humidity: 54%
UV Index: 3 Moderate
Sunrise: 6:29 AM ET
Avg. High: 58°F
Record High: 78°F (1975)

3) How can I avoid injury between now and race day? This is really the wild card. If I get into an accident or something during the MS Ride, I will have just a few weeks to recover. That's a scary thought. I'll just do my best to be careful.

Based on the training schedules I have been following, I am on track to complete the NYC Marathon. That's a nice feel after all these months.

Picking up the Pace

It's Friday and I have already run 17 miles (5 on Monday, 7 on Wednesday, 5 on Thursday). Tomorrow, I am planning to run 18. Assuming I complete the run tomorrow, it will be the longest I have ever run in one week. According to one schedule, I should be running another 3 miles tonight.

I just checked through a list of 12,000 people from NYC running in the marathon. It was kind of thrilling to see my name on the list.

I have some guilt about not riding my bike since the NYC Century ride. I really should go out on Sunday if my legs hold up.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A massive, marathon size THANK YOU to all of my wonderful, generous, thoughtful sponsors for putting me over the top. As of today I have raised the minimum amount ($2500) for the Thomas G. Labrecque Foundation, enabling me to run the 2008 NYC Marathon. This is a tremendous personal milestone for me and I really cannot thank everyone enough for getting me to this point.

Additionally, as of today, I have raised more than $2,000 for the National MS Society, easily qualifying me as a VIP rider for the 2009 bike tour. As one of the top fundraisers for 2007, I will be wearing a number corresponding to my rank among the 5,000 riders who did the tour last year.

Look for me wearing #100 at the starting line of the this year's MS ride!!

Both organizations are still accepting your donations so, if you have not done so already, please consider supporting one or both of these very worthy causes.

Inspired by JLo

Is it possible for me, in this media-driven, tabloid-saturated age, to be honestly inspired by the selfish act of a mere celebrity? When I found out that Jennifer Lopez completed the Malibu Triathlon on Sunday, I was more than a little bit surprised.

But not shocked.

As a new mother of twins at 39, I have to tip my hat to her for completing the whole course (1/2 mile swim, 18 mile bike, 4 mile run) in about 2.5 hours. She could not have done this without some level of commitment. Judging from the photos, she obviously put in some time. (Nice to see her riding a Specialized S-works bike!!)

Clearly, if I can train for a marathon and two century rides, anyone can. So, good for you JLo!

As for me, the rubber is truly hitting the road and the training is getting serious. On Saturday, I completed my longest run to date -- 16.25 miles from Park Slope to the Koeppel Mazda dealership in Woodside, Queens. (3:04:38, 2487 cal, 145 avg. hrt). I packed two Powerbars and carried a bottle of Gatorade with me. ALong the way I purchased a bottle as well. You should have seen the repair manager's face when I told him I ran all the way there to pick up my car. Priceless.

More importantly, I felt really good at the finish line.

After resting on Sunday, I did a nice 5 mile run on the treadmill on Monday night in a blazing fast 45:36. And I felt REALLY good at then end of that one.

I stopped by Jack Rabbit Sports on Sunday to talk with Todd, the manager and my unofficial running coach. He had suggested wearing triathlete shorts to do the NYC Marathon. As an official "Iron Man," I pretty much take his word as the gospel.

So, for my run on Monday, I did it in biking shorts to get the sensation of running in a pair of wicking shorts. It worked out pretty well so I will probably splurge and get these shorts.

Check Up

NYRR offered a free pre-marathon check up last night and, according to a whole pile of physical therapists, doctors, residents and sports medicine people, I am capable of doing this race despite the nagging pain in my left knee.

They suggested that I strengthen my quadricep muscles and ice my joints after running. Apparently, relying on Ibuprofen is not such a big deal.

Afterwards, I swung by the gym, did some leg lifts and ab work, and ran 7.25 miles.

And my knee was killing me.

Age is not a Factor: Armstrong

Apparently, for real-live athletes, age has no longer become a factor in their lives. This was demonstrated most profoundly during the recent Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Today, however, that concept took on a whole new meaning with the late-breaking announcement that Lance Armstrong would return to the saddle and ride in the 2009 Tour De France.

Twice during the ride on Sunday, when it felt as though my legs would seize up, I thought about my age and just how old I was compared to so many others around me. Many were half my age.

Now, at 37, Armstrong is going where no man has gone before. For many who follow professional riding, it was strange to see Lance on the cover of Velo News recently riding in a cyclocross race -- and coming in 2nd. It's no surprise that he wants back in the action.

Like so many others, I am inspired by his story. Knowing that I will be running in the NYC Marathon with him makes it even more exciting.

The NYC Century Ride

Yesterday, under beautiful blue skies, I completed the first leg of my Fall 2008 Endurance Triple Crown -- The New York Century.

Despite numerous obstacles and almost getting lost somewhere in Queens, I completed the ride in 8 hours, 10 minutes and 23 seconds. I burned through roughly 6,000 calories, lost four pounds and traveled at an average speed of just 12.4 mph.

That is an incredibly slow pace. However, it's important to remember that the ride is America's ONLY all-urban century. None of the roads were closed to traffic. Thus, when riders were not riding on a bike path or greenway, they were dodging oncoming car and bus traffic as well as pedestrians, Rollerblades, and other cyclists. It was almost impossible to build up any momentum and speed because we kept hitting lights and busy street corners. Just clicking in and out of the pedals was a challenge.

Throughout the trip, I witnessed numerous close calls with cars. I was almost clipped once but the car was going so slow it would not have mattered. The route was littered with cyclists repairing flat tires and covered in scrapes and bruises. Considering my tires had 1500+ miles on them before the ride, I'm very surprised that I made it through without getting at least one flat. I had two spare tubes just in case.

As I said to one rider in the first couple of miles, this should be called "The Most Dangerous Ride in America."

The ride began at the top of Central Park at 110th Street and Lennox Ave. at 6:00am SHARP. In order to get there at 5:30am, with enough time to collect my thoughts, get a route sheet and use the bathroom, I needed to leave my house at 4:30am. That corresponded to my alarm going off at 3:55am. I did not return home until 5:30pm.

The ride leaves Harlem in the pre-dawn darkness. However, less than 30 minutes later, we are crossing the Brooklyn Bridge -- just as the sun is cracking over the horizon. It's truly a breathtaking moment. Unfortunately, we had only traveled about nine miles at that point so no one was in the mood for stopping.

The real pain didn't hit until about mile 60, when my back started to give way. By 75 miles, I was dying for a rest. That's when I struck up a conversation with a guy named Andrew who stuck with me for the last two legs of the trip. He moved to NYC from Minneapolis about a month ago to work for the NYC Historic House Trust. He was doing the ride on a fixed wheel bike, without a water bottle and carrying 15 lbs. of stuff in a backpack. I'm shocked he finished it -- and so was he. It was the first time he had ever done a large group event. I tried to convince him to do the MS ride and took his number as we parted but I think it may have been a 3-hour friendship. Either way, I know he helped me along some of those lonely stretches and I think I helped him.

We made it back to Central Park by about 3:00pm. Overall, I felt pretty good. I couldn't stop drinking for hours afterwards. I probably downed four 16oz. bottles of Gatorade before finally falling asleep.

Around mile 10 my left knee started aching badly and, luckily, I was ready. Before leaving the house, I grabbed eight tablets of Ibuprofen. I wanted to hold out as long as possible. By the time we hit mile 35 or so, I really needed the medicine so I took four. Within 30 minutes, the pain had subsided and was dull enough not to pose a problem. Later, at the 75 mile stop, I took two more tablets and gave another one to Andrew.

I'm sad that I needed the painkiller to get me through but happy that I took them. I'm sure I never would have been able to finish all 100-miles without it. The big payout came on Monday morning, when I woke up feeling fine. In all honesty, I almost felt good enough to run!

Tomorrow I'm going to get back into a regular pattern of running and try for 16-18 miles this weekend. If I can do that I'll feel like I am making progress towards the Marathon.

Why Am I Doing This?

Over the last several days, I have spent a considerable amount of time asking myself a very simple question: why am I doing this? Why have I subjected myself to this silly game?

Most days, the answer that I give is this: to be able to say that I did it. To be able to look back on 2008 and say that in one year I completed nine NYRR Races, two 100-mile bike rides, and one NY Marathon. While that may not be much of an achievement for many people, it will mean a great deal to me. At a time in my life when most of the accomplishments in my life seem to center around my children, this is something I am doing purely for me. If that sounds selfish, you are obviously not a parent.

A few years ago, my friend Tom and I were talking. He said that on a personnel application, he was asked about his hobbies. As a busy father and huband, it suddenly dawned upon him that his spare time was rarely spent doing anything on his own or for his own enjoyment. If he could grab a minute, maybe he'd watch a football game. Otherwise, it was his job, his son or his wife.

This weekend, I will be riding in the first of my three main events this year: the NY Century Ride. I did this ride for the first time last year and had a great deal of difficulty. Not only is the ride long, the roads are all open for traffic, raising the stakes as every rider must dodge traffic, pededstrians, dogs and a host of other obstacles. The route is poorly marked and marshall's are virtually non-existent. It's a day-long game of follow-the-leader -- even when you can't see the leader.

Plus, there are lengthy portions of the trip where I will have to walk my bike over bridges and across muddy parks. Sometimes the ground is covered in sand, mud or even glass.

I completed a nice 20-mile ride this morning in Prospect Park to try and work out some of the pain in my left knee. It appears to be healing. But slowly.

Recovery, Training, Pain and Education

The last two weeks have been a curious mix of recovery, training, pain and education.

Following my severe calf and ankle pain from my 16-mile run, I stopped by Jack Rabbit Sports to talk with the sales people who are also experience endurance athletes. They showed me a new way to lace my sneakers as well as two separate exercises to help relieve my calf pain. I took their advice and it seems to have worked.

I had a few short runs around Prospect Park and things seemed to be healing as I headed to New Hampshire for another family vacation.

Over the course of the week, I increased my short run mileage to 8 miles of significant hills which I did on three separate occasions during the week. My intention was to intersperse the running with biking on off days. During one outing, I did a 28.75 mile loop through parts of Tuftonboro and Wolfeboro.

Then, on Saturday, August 23, after traveling more than 1500 miles on my bike over the last 28 months, I finally had a serious accident. After riding 10 miles of a 20-mile trip from Tuftonboro, I smacked into a new Volvo station wagon in the middle of downtown Wolfeboro, just a few feet from where I was planning to take a break. The impact left me sprawled on the asphalt at 8:55am as weekend traffic was backed up in and out of town.

After police, EMT and the Fire Department showed up, I was taken to the hospital. My left knee was bleeding and I had a nasty abrasion on my left forearm. An x-ray of my knee found nothing broken so I was discharged with a bandage and instructions to take lots and lots of Ibuprofen.

The damage to my bike was not severe, but the wheel will need to be replaced. I made a few calls yesterday and at this point, it looks as though I’ll need a whole new wheel which could cost between $100-200. Unfortunately, I can’t do a whole lot of shopping around since the NYC Century is coming up on September 7.

I just hope my knee is back to 100% by then. I ran a loop in Prospect Park yesterday and felt a little stiffness but it seems to be improving every day.

It’s interesting to note that I now have damaged to my right calf and ankle from the 16-mile run and my left knee as a result of this biking accident. It’ll be interesting to see what additional damage I’ll need to sustain before November 2.

A Record-Breaking and Painful Few Days

Last Thursday, I broke my all time speed record for cycling in Prospect Park for my 20-mile route: 19.8 mph. What makes this even more astonishing is that it was just about a year ago I was proud to be able to do the same route at about 18.3mph.

At one point, I joined a group of three other riders and drafted behind the lead man. We formed a 2-2 formation and were blowing through the road. I managed to keep up with them for quite a while until they veered off. I immediately felt the power of drafting and am more confident than ever that I can participate in a high-speed road race down the line.

My enthusiasm was short lived. On Saturday, I decided to run 16-miles into Manhattan to take advantage of the Summer Streets program. The route I mapped out took me from my house, over the Brooklyn Bridge, up Lafayette Street to 4th Ave. and then on to Park Ave. According to my measure, 55th street was the eight-mile halfway point.

As soon as I started, I began to feel a strain in my right calf. However, I have found that once I get running the strain goes away. So, I really did not pay much attention to it.

Until somewhere around mile nine (roughly 34th street on the way back). The pain in my calf was becoming excruciating and a new pain was forming along the top of my foot, right along the dorsalis pedis artery and the trans crural ligament which crosses over the foot.

I tried dealing with the calf muscle by stretching. This worked temporarily and I seriously considered abandoning the run (something I had never done up until this point). By the time I got to Soho, I could not run and was walking, trying to think of a solution. I walked and tried running a bit but as soon as I started to lean forward, the artery pain on the top of my foot kicked in.

I sat down and did some stretching at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge on the Manhattan side. Sitting still seemed to work. I fought my way through the pain and ran across the Bridge to Brooklyn.

I needed to use a bathroom so I stopped in a Starbucks on Smith Street. I finished and started running again, only to be crushed by more pain on the top of my foot. I walked some more, finally stopping on Union Street and 2nd Ave.

For the first time in my running career, I simply sat down on the pavement. I was beaten and did not know what to do. The stretching was ineffective, the pain was mounting and I was afraid of doing some kind of permanent damage to my foot. There was nothing visible on the surface of the foot so I knew that it had to be a strain of some sort.

After sitting for a few minutes trying to work things out in my head, I lifted myself up and fought through the pain again. This time, I knew that if I stopped, I would never get going. So I just ran home.

Two major mistakes then followed:
1) I did not ice my leg
2) I did not have a high-protein recovery meal

The whole 16-mile run lasted 3:09:38. I ended up burning more than 2,200 calories. And while the outbound run took about 1 hour and 18 minutes, the return trip took 1 hour and 51 minutes.

Not a pleasant experience.

I began to feel better quite soon afterwards but the rest of the day was spent trying to figure out what happened and how to prevent it in the future. More to come on that.

Regular Schedule

I did another 20-mile bike ride on Friday morning (8/1) at a nice clip (19.3 mph). That was followed by a 14-mile run on Saturday morning (2 hrs, 19 min)

On Monday, I did some weights and 5.25 miles on the treadmill. It was wet and humid this morning, so I just did one loop around the park and home (3.8 miles). I'll probably target 16 miles this weekend.

I seem to be getting into a regular weekly schedule, which is nice. I like being able to choose bike or run on any given day.

The End of An Era

Had my last session with Hassan Bailey, my trainer at New York Sports Club, on Wednesday. A bittersweet moment. He definitely changed my life and turned me into something of an athlete.

I started training with him in February of 2005, I had a few simple goals:

1) Learn how to use the machines in the gym better
2) Become more flexible
3) Get rid of some extra fat around my gut
4) Feel like I could beat the hell out of somebody on the Subway (The Batman Effect)

Essentially, I achieved three out of four in the years since we began working together. Strangely enough, I am still not all that flexible.

But, more importantly, I feel a lot more confident about my abilities as an athlete. I've learn that the only limits I have are those that I set. It's cliche to say it but it's true. I would never have the confidence to attempt running in the NYC Marathon if it were not for Hassan. It took some time but the results speak for themselves: I ride faster, run farther, lift more, look better and have more energy than ever before. I've dropped more than 10lbs and have hardly modified my diet.

Plus, I feel a lot more comfortable in a gym setting.

The shame of it all is that it took until I was 40 years old for any of this to happen.

For this week, I did four miles on the treadmill on Monday and again on Wednesday. Capped the week with a 20-mile bike trip this morning (19.4 mph). I'll probably do 12-14 miles tomorrow morning.

14 Miles

Ended the week strong with a 20-miles bike ride on Friday evening (avg. 19.3 mph) and a 14-mile run on Saturday morning (2hrs, 15 min). This is, by far, the longest run I have ever completed.

Two notes:

1) During the bike ride, I dropped a guy on a really nice bike climbing the hill in Prospect Park on my second to last lap. He pursued me and I kept ahead of him the whole lap. He finally pulled beside me near the Zoo and said how hard it had been to keep up with me. I told him how tired I was and invited him to pull me up the hill. He said he didn't think he had the strength so I kicked in and drove up the hill to finish the 20 miles. He never caught me. I use to be him.

2) During the run, I ate a strawberry/bannana GU gel as I entered the last lap. The taste was ok but I think I'd prefer something I can chew. The sticky texture was not unpleasant but I suspect that it did something to my insides that is still with me two days later.

If you have not done so already, please watch Randy Pausch's "Last Lecture" embedded below. Dr. Pausch passed away on Friday of pancreatic cancer at the age of 47. I have been following his story for the past few months. His love of life, infectious humor, and contagious enthusiasm is a testiment to the power of the human spirit. He continues to be an inspiration to me in my efforts to complete the NYC Marathon.

Rain

It was a simple question that needed to be answered quickly when my eyes opened at 5:50am this morning: Do I run in the rain, or not?

If it had been Marathon Day, of course I would have run. So, in the spirit of training in real conditions, I left me house in the midst of a thunderstorm, and ran 7.3 miles (2+ laps) in Prospect Park.

An unpleasant, but necessary, experience. With each passing training run I am preparing myself better to complete the Marathon. I guess that's what it's all about.

#9 - A Biathlon

I completed race #9 on Saturday, qualifying me for automatic entry into the 2009 NYC Marathon. The only thing I need to do now is volunteer for an event some time between now and the end of the year and I've complied with all of the strange and silly NYRR requirements.

As with nearly all of the previous races, the event took place in Central Park. Adding a new dimension to the day and turn it into a biathlon: I decided to ride my bike to the starting line, do the race, and then ride home. Doing so added a 9-mile bike trip to the front and back ends of the 4-mile run.

Not surprisingly, it was not such a big deal. The ride took about 40-minutes each way and my pace for the four miler was 8:30/mile, very close to my previous record for that distance. So, adding a bike element to the day did not diminish my time at all. I might try doing a similar kind of thing in Prospect Park using my house as a home point.

Apart from the stifling heat, nothing really unusual to report. Here's what the numbers looked like:

Run For Central Park
Distance: 4.0 Miles, 6.4 Kilometers
Date/Time: July 19, 2008, 8:30am
Location: Central Park, NYC
Weather: 79 Deg. 65% Hum. hazy
Overall Place: 1771
Gender Place: 1302
Age Place: 152
Finish Time: 34:01
Split Time:
Pace/Mile: 8:30
AG Time: 31:25
AG Gender Place: 1200
AG%: 53.6
Total Finishers: Men – 2326 Women – 2281 Total – 4607 Age Group 40-44: Men – 303 Women – 239 Total – 542

Solid Week and 19.6 mph on the bike

Scored a personal best on my bike this past Friday night - 20 miles around Prospect Park at an average speed of 19.6 mph. My previous high average speed was 19.3. There's no question in my mind that the running has been a huge contributor to my bike speed.

Last week, I had a hard workout on Monday followed by a 3.5 mile run on Tuesday, a 7-mile run on Wednesday morning and then an 8.1-mile run on Saturday evening. The interesting thing about Saturday's run was that came less than 24-hours after biking on Friday. I was definitely feeling some minor pain afterwards. But by the middle of Sunday, everything was pretty much back to normal.

These figures exceed all three of my training calendars: NYRR, Runner's World and Hal Higdon.

Still working on my diet. It's tough because I really have no concept of portion size. I am focusing more on what I eat and less on how much. A Powerbar before a run definitely make a difference.

At one point during the week I weighed in at 172.8, which is the lowest weight I can remember since 2003.

New Hampshire

Spent the week of June 30 - July 6 with my family and parents in New Hampshire. The only remarkable thing about the week was the consistency of running and biking. I had set a goal of running or biking each day of the trip. I actually exceeded that goal one day by walking 6-miles in the morning with my mother and running 6-miles later in the day.

The running route did not change much. Back and forth between the house and the Tuftonboro General Store. It was a nice 6-mile round trip with a killer hill in both directions. The owners of the store must have thought I was a little nuts, coming in every day at various times and purchasing the same thing over and over again: Gatorade Rain.

I ran about 24-miles and biked 38-miles for the eight days we were away.

I managed to map out a nice 20-mile bike route that took me along the Tuftonboro and Wolfeboro shores of Lake Winnipesaukee. Unlike my previous routes, this one had a nice balance of uphill, downhill and flats. It also calculated out to about 21 miles, rather than the 18/19 mile routes that I would round up to 20.

On the final ride, I had a great climb up the last hill to the house, clearly demonstrating the power of regular, aggressive training.

The only other development has been structuring a solid training calendar based on information from Runner's World and the NYRR website. With less than 18 weeks left until the marathon, I don't have any time to screw around. I'm either going to seriously train for this thing or I need to get off the bus. Thankfully, my base mileage is pretty good at this point.

I also bought a new pair of sneakers from Asics. Not sure of the model but apparently my foot has grown from 9.5 to 10.5 in the last year or so.

I continue to struggle with diet and picked up a copy of The Runner's Diet by Madelyn H. Fernstrom, PhD. I'm just a few chapters in and so far, it's a lot of impractical words that have limited application to my needs.

However, a few pieces of information do stand out:

A) 1 mile = 100 calories = 2500 steps.

B) To loose a pound a week, you must have a caloric savings of 500 calories. This can be achieved through increased exercise or reduction of calories.

C) A 3-mile walk in one hour burns the same calories as a 3-mile run in 35 minutes.

D) To loose one pound, you need to burn 3500 calories

Interesting facts to keep in mind.

Footnote: On April 26 I completed a 10 mile run with an average heart rate of 147 bpm and a maximum HR of 167 bpm. Strangely, when I bike, I can get my heart to run much higher (176 or so). I've also seen clearly how the heat and humidity can impact my heart rate, respiration and perspiration.

Race #8

The training has taken on a more serious tone as each day brings me one step closer to the starting line. Multiple people have told me that completing the NYC Marathon will take a total commitment and some days I wonder if I really have what it takes.

On June 16 I completed race #8, bringing me one step closer to guaranteed entry for 2009 (The idea that I can plan so far in advance is staggering). This race was definitely one for the record books. Firstly, the night before, I drank two beers and shared a bag of corn chips with Dan Cohen. On top of that, I went to bed later than I had planned. I knew it was stupid but Dan had called early in the week and I felt bad turning down his invitation. Dumb, dumb dumb.

The lesson: training and running needs to come first. Especially above eating poorly and not sleeping.

I didn't feel that bad in the morning but I was definitely anxious. Getting up, I moved a bit slower and ended up getting to the train a few minutes later than I expected. I didn't think it would be a problem, especially seeing all the other runners on the platform. Until, of course, I got the urge to go to the bathroom.

The train didn't come. Five, ten 20 minutes passed. It was now one hour to race time and I was still in Brooklyn. Finally, it came. Then, I discovered that the C line was not running. Now the time is really ticking away. Other runners are getting on the train. It's moving slowly. I'm in a panic.

We finally arrive at 72nd street and I make a mad dash to the baggage drop off. The announcer is calling "one minute until the corrals close" and I realize I will not be able to go to the bathroom. Or drink.

And that's when the humidity hit me: 93 percent. The water was hanging in the air and I needed to drink or risk a whole host of problems. I dropped my bag and sprinted to my corral, almost pushing people out of the way. Standing there nervous, late, thirsty in a pool of sweat was not the way it was supposed to be. Then, I started to see the survivors of prostate cancer scattered throughout the crow of runners. One woman was running alongside her father who beat the disease.

I figured I just needed to finish. Forget the time. Just finish. Drink at every mile. It'll count as long as I make it across the finish line. What's five miles?? Anyone could do that?? Right??

Then the familiar, headless and faceless voice of Peter Chacha gave us our final instructions. And we were off. I grabbed a cup of water as I passed the starting line and kept going. And going. And going, passing people who looked to be in much better shape. About one mile in, I started to approach a man with one leg wearing arm braces. At first I thought it was a rogue runner who had just jumped into the race. As I drew closer, I turned to see if he had a number on his chest. To my complete amazement, he was wearing a number, and looking for the same sense of accomplishment as I was. Other runners started cheering. I almost broke down in tears. It was heartwarming.

The miles past and I kept running and drinking. About half a mile from the finish line, I knew it was over and opened the throttle. Using the last burst of energy I had left, I blew across the finish line at full speed. I was soaking wet down through my socks.

Conclusions: I prefer running in the cold; I need to better prepare for these races; I have come a long way.

Later in the week, I ran as follows:
6/16: 1 mile
6/18: 3 miles at full speed; sprinting for at least 1 mile.
6/20: 10.05 miles (3 laps) in Prospect Park
6/21: 30 miles on my bike

So, for the week ending on 6/21, I completed a total of 19.05 miles running, 49.05 miles of self-powered distance.

Today is Thursday and I ran just 3 miles on Monday night and 6 miles last night (I had targeted 5 but kept going at an easy pace for the last mile. Next week I'll be in NH and my goal is to bike or run every day. We'll see how that goes.

Here are the numbers for Race #8:
WABC Fight/Prostate Cancer
Distance: 5.0 Miles, 8 Kilometers
Date/Time: June 15, 2008, 8:30am
Location: Central Park, NYC
Weather: 70 Deg. 93% Hum. Wind 5 MPH
Overall Place: 2523
Gender Place: 2024
Age Place: 303
Finish Time: 44:26
Split Time:
Pace/Mile: 8:53
AG Time: 41:03
AG Gender Place: 1971
AG%: 51.9%
Total Finishers: Men – 3460 Women – 2051 Total – 5511
Age Group 40-44: Men – 497 Women – 205 Total – 702

RoseAnn, Hal Higdon and my next race

An icy cold Bud Light goes out to my friend RoseAnn who just completed her very first big run the other week -- the Rock n' Roll Marathon in San Diego!! Go Ro Go!!

RoseAnn enlightened me about a very interested training program developed by this fellow Hal Higdon. Apparently, I must be the last runner on earth to learn about this guru and his magical fitness programs. Given my complete novice status, I guess my ignorance can be pardoned.

From the looks of the basic program, it seems like my training is right on target for the time being. I'm happy to see that he recommends some cross-training because I would not want to completely sacrifice my bike riding for this silly running business.

I'm still in search of a good running diet and RoseAnn made a couple of suggestions which I might check out.

This coming Sunday (Father's Day) I will be running race #8 in Central Park, the WABC Father’s Day Fight Against Prostate Cancer (yes, yet another cancer-related event). It's only 5 miles so, in a sense, it's really a waste of my time because it's not part of my training regime. However, it will count towards my nine NY Marathon qualifying races for 2009. I'll post the results of that race some time next week.

Last night I ran eight miles on the treadmill in the gym. I was not really paying close attention to the time. Instead, I just wanted to get use to the distance. Unfortunately, that was probably not the best thing for me to be doing because everything I am reading talks about doing smaller runs during the week (less than five miles) and leaving the longer runs for the weekend. I need to start paying attention to the subtleties of this project or I am going to get myself good and hurt.

ING New York City Marathon -- Entry Number 228793

In 144 days, I will be running the NYC Marathon.

Last week was the lottery for the 2008 NYC Marathon and, unfortunately, I was not selected. Strangely, neither were three other friends who also entered the lottery

However, as I have always said, there was a plan B: run for a charity. And that is ultimately what I will be doing. After making a number of calls to different organizations, I quickly learned that this was not as easy as it sounds. Many charities, including the MS Society, Autism Speaks and The Lance Armstrong Foundation, were sold out.

After searching around a bit, I settled on the Thomas G. Labrecque Foundation which is working to prevent lung cancer through early detection and research. I was attracted to this charity because they specifically focus on educating people that lung cancer is not just a "smokers disease." This is particularly important to me personally because my father in law, Sam, died of lung cancer in December 2004 and had not smoked in many, many years.

So, the formal countdown to the NYC Marathon began this weekend. To kick things off, I attempted a very aggressive schedule over the past 10 days.

Sunday, June 1 - 10 miles in Prospect Park
Monday, June 2 - 1 mile indoors at full speed; plus full workout
Wednesday, June 4 - 7 miles indoors
Friday, June 6 - 20 mile bike ride in Prospect Park; achieved an all-time personal best average speed: 19.3 mph
Saturday, June 7 - 6.7 miles outside in brutal 95 degree heat
Sunday, June 8 - 7 miles indoors
Monday, June 9 - 1 miles indoors plus full workout

For the week ended June 7, I ran a total of 25 miles, which is much more than I need to be at this point. My target is about 15 miles per week.

Add in the 20 mile bike ride and the total distance I propelled myself for the week is 45 miles.

Indeed, the race is truly on.

Race #7 - Running Amok

Despite my infrequent updates, my training schedule has remained very much on track.

Two weeks ago I completed race #7, the American Heart Association Start! Wall Street Run & Heart Walk. They called it a "run" but a better description might be "run amok". Essentially, 17,000 people were unleashed onto the narrow, rickety, century old streets of lower Manhattan and guided through a twisting maze of potholes and steel construction plates. The result was three miles of insanity as runners were transformed into hungry, wild refugees battling for the next airdrop of food. Nothing I had ever experienced could have prepared me to jump into that seething mass of insanity.

I finished in 24:58 for a blazing pace of 8:19, my all-time fastest for an organized run. All I know is, I complete the race and it counted towards the 9 I need for the NYC Marathon.

Since then, training has taken on a more relaxed pace. We spent Memorial Day weekend in New Hampshire where I split my time between running and biking. There's nothing like the rolling hills of NH to build up endurance.

Friday was spent doing a nice 6-mile run from our house out to the General Store and back. I think I did in in about 59 minutes excluding the water stop. On Saturday I completed a strenuous 18-mile ride to Wolfeboro and back going up some monster hills. I took it easy on Sunday and did 21-miles out to Mirror Lake and back. The ride on Sunday was spectacular and reminded me what I liked about biking in the first place. Too bad I now have to balance that off with running.

The rolling hills were almost constant. Just when the terrain seemed to be taking on an even grade, a nice hill would drop in front of me.

Returning home, I ran the loop around Prospect Park on Tuesday at a nice clip. I've since learned that it's a 3.35 mile route which seems like child's play at this point.

The climax of the last couple of weeks came over the weekend. On Saturday I did the PP Loop in 29 minutes. The hardest part of the run was just getting out of bed. On Sunday, I set my sights on 10 miles. While I have completed this distance before, I have not done it in a long time. And, I have generally been running shorter distances faster, rather that extending my reach. This time was very different. I paced myself, drank regularly, and watched my heart rate. The result was a very respectable 100 minutes. More importantly, I could have kept going. Maybe not forever, but definitely for a couple of miles

Other news:

- I did not win the lottery for the NYC Half Marathon in July. This is a bit of a let down after all my preparation but I'll get over it. I was really looking forward to running down Broadway from Central Park to the Battery. Maybe I'll just jump in!!

- I ordered and received my Road ID which now enables me to run or bike without my wallet. This simple, ingenious device contains all of my vital information on a bracelet in case I am hit by a car or pass out during a run. They are a great company and I STRONGLY encourage anyone running or biking to get one.

- My colleague Amy completed the San Diego Marathon in about 4 and a half hours. This is a huge accomplishment for her.. She's been training aggressively for about four months through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team In Training Program. We've been comparing training stories in the office and seeing her complete the mission has reinforced my focus on doing this in November.

- The drawing for the NYC Marathon is tomorrow.

....and the quest continues

Race #6 -- another personal best

Hit an new personal best last weekend for the 10K. I completed the race at a pace of 8:43, just a few seconds faster than my pace for the 4-mile. This is a good thing and I am very proud of myself!

I had an unusual moment of clarity at the starting line as the wheelchair athlete took off. Here we were, thousands of healthy people, all gathered on a crystal clear Manhattan morning in the playground of New York. And after all the pomp and blathering from the sponsors (in this case the United Arab Emirates) we all stood still and applauded for an impaired person, I don't know if it was a man or woman, who took to the course in a wheelchair. You can't help but get a little choked up every time you witness this.

On Sunday, I did an aggressive 20-mile ride around the park at 18.8mph. With the exception of some rough chafing on my chest, I felt very good afterwards.

I am looking out the window at a cold, damp cloudy day, getting chills as I contemplate race #7. It is taking place tonight in lower Manhattan. I'll be running among a sold-out group of 17,000 other people which is an absurd number. I think the largest race I have done thus far is about 7,000 people.

I have not made any mention of my weight thus far but it has dropped since my quest began. I was probably somewhere near 185 when I started running in the late fall. Now, I am clocking in around 176. This is a huge drop for me because it has come without any kind of noticeable modification of my diet.

Here are the numbers for race #6. One note is that I may have hit an all-time heart rate of 170bpm on this race:

Healthy Kidney 10K
Distance: 6.2 Miles, 10 Kilometers
Date/Time: May 17, 2008, 9:00am
Location: Central Park, NYC
Weather: 50 Deg. 80% Hum. Wind 3 MPH
Overall Place: 3053
Gender Place: 2251
Age Place: 313
Finish Time: 54:03
Split Time: 27:19
Pace/Mile: 8:43
AG Time: 49:56
AG Gender Place: 2036
AG%: 53.7
Total Finishers: Men – 3438 Women – 2835 Total – 6273
Age Group 40-44: Men – 463 Women – 259 Total – 722

Race #5 - A Personal Best

Completed my fifth official NYRR Race on Sunday and, in the process, achieved a new personal best pace for the 4-miles: 8:23. Most importantly, I felt pretty good at the finish line.

Here's the lowdown:
New York Junior League Mother’s Day 4M
Distance: 4.0 Miles, 6.4 Kilometers
Date/Time: May 11, 2008, 8:00am
Location: Central Park, NYC
Weather: 50 Deg. 80% Hum. Wind 7 MPH
Overall Place: 1114
Gender Place: 845
Age Place: 131
Finish Time: 33:35
Pace/Mile: 8:23
AG Time: 31:01
AG Gender Place: 771
AG%: 54.3%
Total Finishers: Men – 1563 Women – 1756 Total – 3319
Age Group 40-44: Men – 227 Women – 213 Total – 440

Got the word last night that my trainer, Hassan, will be leaving NYC in August and headed back to school to finally finish his bachelor's degree at the University of Kansas. He originally left in 1993 to play defensive back for the NY Giants. It'll be tough to see him go. He's truly changed my life. I'll make suire to tell him so before our final session.

Four more races to go and I'll be set for the 2009 NY Marathon.

It's Been A While

It should be pretty obvious at this point that although I am committed to training, I am not committed to this blog. Hence the infrequent updates with limited details and unimaginative commentary.

For starers, I've been sick for the past week. Thankfully it's just a cold but it's been lingering and sitting here now, a week later, I am still heavily congested. I'm pretty sure I just got really, really exhausted and stressed with all the running around I've been doing apart from training. The problem with getting sick is that it disrupts an already erratic training schedule.

Despite my illness, and a minimal amount of sleep following a Bat Mitzvah, I still managed to get out of bed at 6:00am last Sunday (May 4) and complete the 42-mile Five Boro Bike Tour. The ride was really fun but, unfortunately, not a really strong workout for me. I traded the workout for some friendly companionship with Ted Greenberg and Alfred Kahn. I had ridden with Ted before and he recently started using his bike to get around town so I was encouraged when he asked me to do the ride.

Alfred and I had previously rode together during the 2004 and 2006 rides. He was by my side when I completed the 2004 ride just a few months after being discharged from the hospital and was my regular Saturday morning training buddy. Unfortunately, Alfred demonstrated a low tolerance for discomfort and did not have much interest in riding in colder temperatures or when it rained. So during the winter months while I kept riding, he hibernated. He wasn't even sure when he was last on a bike and had a slight concern about his ability to climb the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

In the end, both Ted and Alfred did a terrific job keeping up a nice pace during the ride. Considering the roads were jam-packed with 30,000 riders, the three of us did a good job of sticking together and it was a really terrific day.
Here's me with Ted on top of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge after completing about 38-miles for the day

Alfred seemed a bit concerned that he was going to have to walk his bike up the bridge but, lo and behold, he made it to the top

And even though I was still feeling congested, I ran eight miles on the treadmill in the gym on Thursday night (May 8). Unfortunately, I did not complete the 15 miles per week that I am supposed to be running at this point (Sorry, Jonathan Wells. I'm working on it).

This Sunday I have a NYRR sanctioned race in Central Park. It's just four miles but, still, it'll get my butt out of bed before 9:00am on a weekend. This one will be #5 -- just four more to go and I'll automatically qualify for 2009.

That's all in the recent past. Here's a look a things from a few weeks ago:

• On Saturday, April 26, I flew around Prospect Park for 23 miles traveling at a speed above 18.5mph.
• On Sunday, April 27, I ran 10 miles in the Park. I wrote down my pace and time but can't find it right now. Suffice to say, I was feeling pretty good.
• On the following Tuesday night, April 29, I ran on the treadmill. I'm pretty sure it was seven or eight miles but I can't be sure.

So, the bottom line is, it's nice to try and keep track of my progress but with the limited time at my disposal, it's probably better to spend it training than updating this silly blog. Especially because I'm not even keeping such great records of my training. Maybe if I take more photos along the way, it'll be a bit easier.

One note: Dave Finke has put his name in to NYC Marathon lottery for 2008. Hopefully his name will be picked and I'll have someone to run with.

Race #4 and Cancer

I have to say this about running: you learn a lot about diseases. Particularly cancer. I don’t know what it is about the cancer community but they sure seem to love running.

I’ve now completed four races as part of the NYRR club. Of those, two have been dedicated to various cancers (colon and lung), one was populated by Scots (The Scotland Run) and the other was just a run. For people who like running, I guess.

Of the two cancer runs, I had personal connections with both. My father is a survivor of colon cancer and my father in law died of lung cancer a couple of years ago. Ironically, the lung cancer run was put on by a group focused on raising awareness of lung cancer among people who do not smoke. This was the case with my father in law, who had not smoked in many, many years when he was diagnosed with the disease.

After that race, I actually walked around the celebration area (a standard feature at every race) and spoke to a couple of people staffing the tables. After picking up the customary elastic bracelet and brochures, I changed and headed to the subway. That’s when it hit me. Standing there alone in the park, cold and tired, that I would never see my father in law again. He really did die of lung cancer. Just like the man who’s name was plastered all over the race route.

As I continue the training process, I am constantly asking myself why I am doing this. It’s not my idea of fun. It’s taking a lot of time. And, maybe most importantly, at the end of the day, my body hurts badly and I beg for rest.

My latest conclusion is rather simple: I am driven by fear. Fear that I will die regretting that I did not try to complete this task.

Race #4, the TGL classic was particularly notable for my pace of 8:32 over a 4 miles course. This is a solid achievement because it followed a solid 20-mile bike ride the day before, at a rough pace of 18.3 mph. Here are the numbers:

Run As One, TGL Classic
Distance: 4.0 Miles, 6.4 Kilometers
Date/Time: April 13, 2008, 9:00 am
Location: Central Park, NYC
Weather: 49 Deg. 52% Hum. Wind 7 MPH
Overall Place: 2581
Gender Place: 1889
Age Place: 252
Finish Time: 43:11
Pace/Mile: 8:32
AG Time: 31:35
AG Gender Place: 1820
AG%: 53.3%
Total Finishers: Men – 3241 Women – 2862 Total – 6103
Age Group 40 – 44: Men - 389, Women – 274, Total – 663

Third Run+

It’s been three weeks since my last posting, but I have not been sitting still.

A little more than a week ago, I completed my third qualifying race, the Scotland Run. For me, the most important aspect about this particular race was that I completed it while recovering from a significant head cold with the accompanying coughing, sneezing and runny nose. I was pumped up with vitamin c, decongestants and antihistamines and had virtually no expectations other than completing the event.

Although I was recovering from a cold and the race was the farthest distance I had ever run (10k), the results were on par with my previous outings:

Scotland Run 10K
Distance: 6.2 Miles, 10.0 Kilometers
Date/Time: March 30, 2008, 10:00 am
Location: Central Park, NYC
Weather: 37 Deg. 25% Hum. Wind 8 MPH
Overall Place: 4145
Gender Place: 2669
Age Place: 360
Finish Time: 57:38
Pace/Mile: 9:17
AG Time: 53:15
AG Gender Place: 2513
AG %: 50.4 %
Total Finishers: Men – 3644 Women – 3284 Total – 6928
Age Group 40 – 44: Men – 476 Women – 278 Total - 754

This past week I also rode my bike for 20 miles on Wednesday at an average speed of 18.5mph. I didn't feel all that good afterwards. I'm beginning to trade off the pain of training for the pleasure of talking about the accomplishment.

On Sunday, April 6, I ran around Prospect Park three times, for a total of roughly 10 miles (3.25 around plus the distance to the starting line) in about 98 minutes. This was the farthest distance I have ever run to date. That is a little better than 10 min/mile which seems to be my average. Unfortunately, the pain in my legs following that outing was substantial. I can still feel some tension today, two days later.

But, there is a light at the end of the tunnel: If I can complete 10 miles right now, the idea of a half marathon in a few weeks is well within my grasp!

Race #1 and #2

The past seven days represent, by far, my greatest advances towards achieving the goal of completing the NYC Marathon.

First, last Sunday, 3/9, I entered and completed my first scored race to qualify me for automatic entry into the 2009 NYC Marathon. Although it was just 4 miles, the concept of getting out of bed, taking the train in to Manhattan and running a race was completely foreign to me a couple of months ago. Here are the numbers:

Colon Cancer Challenge 4M
Distance: 4.0 Miles, 6.4 Kilometers
Date/Time: March 9, 2008, 9:00 am
Location: Central Park, NYC
Weather: 32 Deg., 43% Hum., Wind 14 MPH
Overall Place: 1323
Gender Place: 850
Age Place: 129
Finish Time: 37:12
Pace/Mile: 9:18
AG Time: 34:22
AG Gender Place: 804
AG %:49.0%
Total Finishers: Men – 1337 Women – 1466 Total – 2803
Age Group 40 – 44: Men – 179 Women – 131 Total – 310

This past Saturday, 3/15, I completed the second qualifying race. Once again, the accomplishment was simply showing up and running. This seemingly simple 8k (4.9 mile) race began at 7:30am on the Upper East side (102nd Street) and required me to get up at 5:00am and trudge through the rain to get to the starting line. Here are the numbers for that race:

Central Park Challenge
Distance: 4.9 Miles, 8.0 Kilometers
Date/Time: March 15, 2008, 7:30 am
Location: Central Park, NYC
Weather: 41 deg., 82% humidity, wind 9 mph
Overall Place: 1231
Gender Place: 896
Age Place: 133
Finish Time: 46:44
Pace/Mile: 9:24
AG Time: 43:10
AG Gender Place: 888
AG%: 49.4 %
Total Finishers: Men – 1137 Women – 644 Total – 1781
Age Group 40-44: Men – 163 Women – 55 Total – 218

Although my pace was a bit slower, I was pleased to be able to complete five mile. As I have explained, the NYRR organization requires each runner to complete nine scored races during the prior year in order to automatically qualify for entry into the NYC Marathon. I am 2/9 of the way there.

Capping the weekend off, I took my bike out today for a a quick 17 miles around Prospect Park on Sunday. I was not going for speed. However, using the heart monitor, I was able to move my BPM to 171, which is the highest I have ever seen it outside of the gym.

Interestingly, when I run I tend to pace ouside of my zone for optimal caloric burn. When I ride my bike, I stay inside the zone almost all of the time. I'll start keeping a closer eye on these numbers as well.