Monday is my off day from running. Today I will strength
train (Heavy day) with Russian Kettle bells.
I had a lovely
time at the movies today with Luke and Sam. This was Sam’s maiden voyage to a
major movie theater. We had a great time seeing Tooth Fairy with Dwayne
Johnson. It was a perfect movie to see on a cold, windy winter’s day when the
boys are on vacation.
Have a
great day one and all… g’nite dad, I miss you !~
Excellent and very challenging Kettle bell workout last night.
Roads still very difficult where we are and whilst I prefer to run in hills in preparation for Boston, my instincts were that the only possible place to run outside today without driving a long way north was Ocean Ave. in Spring Lake and Belmar. I set out at 9.30am to drive over there. I wanted to be home by 11am to watch my beloved Chelsea in a huge game versus Arsenal (which they won 2-0) !! I arrived in SL to find my theory quite accurate. I set about a run in 25 degree temps with a 10-14mph wind from the NW which I had in my face in the first half. I was bundled up pretty well and did not feel the cold too badly and the bright sunshine helped. The road the further north I got towards Avon became better and better. I had a beanie and full face ski mask on. I went north for 3.5 miles in 26.07 (7.28 pace) and returned back to the start in a surprisingly good rhythm given the cold, 22.57 (6.33pace) – this does not tell the whole story as I did not bring it under 7 min pace until probably 2 miles to go so the last mile and a half or so were fairly swift. I was very happy to salvage such a good run on a day when I was not even sure I would run at all. It may not be the 13 that was on the schedule but it keeps the engines ticking over. It will be light calisthenics later before the Super Bowl !
Have a great day one
and all… g’nite dad, I miss you !~
Wow, did we get hit with the second doozy of a snow storm here in southern Monmouth County this winter. It wiped out any chance of track which is a shame but for all bad there is equivalent good. In this case, it meant Kathleen did not have to go to work and the boys were home and we all had a little sleep in, breakfast together which is rare. I even had coffee in bed before breakfast today- luxury for me ! and rare ! last night I cautiously planned to go to the indoor track at Monmouth Univ. this morning but driving was too hazardous so I bailed.
After brekky I did more schedules for our UPS racing team followed by taxes, so I am super happy that is out of the way.
I shoveled some with Kathleen outside and the boys are having a blast outside with the other kids from the hood in the snow…. I went heavy kettle bells yesterday so I am about to go light today and make it more of a cardio strength workout.
We had a great time with pizza and a movie last night and ‘ This is It’ is incredible. Whether one is a fan of Michael Jackson and his music or not, one cannot fail to be impressed by his commitment to detail, his professionalism, his amazing talent and his ability to remain humble under pressure. Something I can learn, as can we all.
A relaxing night at home on tap with my family and then we wil see if I can manage a scheduled long run tomorrow.
G’night all, enjoy the Super Bowl tomorrow. I am looking forward to it and I will be rooting for the City of New Orleans but have great respect for Payton Manning and the Colts program. Before that game I will be rooting for Chelsea in their London derby against Arsenal live on FSC at 11am est…
G’nite,
Dad, I miss you !~
From the Catskills
to the Cotswolds, from the
In this techno age enviroment that we now live (and for the most part appreciate the comforts and luxuries that this technology affords us) it is still gratifying to know that in running, a pair of shorts, t shirt, socks and shoes and we are on our way..... roads, tracks, trails or a combination thereof and we are good to go.....
Now many of you
know that I love to surf and there was once
a time that I would have said that no other element would have provided
me the spiritual satisfaction that running provides (well nothing with my
clothes on) but now I have to qualify that statement as surfing and connecting
as one with the force of nature that waves and swells provide also has its own unique sense of spirituality.
However running is also unique to me in its primal sense of movement- the need
for human locomotion with no other equipment or element to move us except the
force of our own strength generated against Mother Earth. On that cool misty
night where the air is rich and the oxygen thick and absorbable, where
attention and awareness to our own rhythm and beat of the night excites us to
the point where we give ourself goosebumps as we see that finish line
approaching in that imagined state of mind, a fantasy of reality; perhaps a
previous experience. I have finished the marathon of Napa 1998 in my head
hundreds of times in my mind, perhaps my most satisfying race, I have relived
the moment over and over again like rewinding a movie and it never fails to
live up to the joy that it gave me at the time it was happening- or perhaps a
run in the cool dawn as the sunrises over the ocean or the mountains with the
only sound the sound of your own heartbeat and the closest visible thing to you
is the vapor of your own breath....simply magical...... no equipment required
(perhaps an IPOD) -in fact outside of the optional IPOD there is entirely too
much equipment used by people these days- people beeping and squeaking all
along the road with this latest gadget or that latest gadget.... that is just
my opinion but I cannot be a hypocrite because the law of running says that you
can do as you please- it is your world to explore and your life to lead, so
beep and squeak away with a GPS or Distance pod or fifteen water bottles splish
splashing there way down the road snuggly tied to your back. We are told what
to do too much in this life, by this product to help you sleep, this product to
help you gain weight, this product to help you lose weight, this one to improve
your sex life or whatever other non sensical gizmo they are trying to shove
down your throat- I say go run a hard 5 miles and have the libido of your own
Casanova baby, pull back into your house after a good track workout like
freakin
......So through rain and wind and shine, lace
Coach GP......................Dare to Fail !
Overcast, about to snow- no wind at all – temp mid 30’s….. calm as calm can be and almost perfect for an easy distance run.
Ran from home down to the beach, along the boardwalk in Manasquan and then up Main st into town and then across the Brielle hills dropping down into Brielle, clipping along at 7 min pace- covered about 8.5 miles in the hour. Finished at my boys school where I picked them up and walked home with them which was great.
I felt great on the run. Especially pleased after the beating I took this morning at UPS for four plus hours. What a workout !!!! speaking of workouts- I had a good kettle bells session last night and will do some more strength work later today..
There is a ‘storm a coming’ – perhaps a foot of snow so track is cancelled for the morning but I hope to work out indoors at the Monmouth University track.
Our family is all so busy during the week so Friday night is family night. Kathleen makes pizza and we watch a movie together. Tonight we are watching ‘This is It’ The Michael Jackson movie which Kathleen and the kids have seen and love….
G’night all – G’nite dad, I miss you !~
The course:
Today I went back to the senior circuit.
Today’s conditions.
Temps in the high 30’s but
with a steady fresh 15mph wind out of the west it felt harsher. A west wind
sets up badly on this course.
The agenda.
As per last Thursday, today
was not a tempo run. For a tempo run on the 10k course, I do a two mile warm up
including strides as I would for a track workout. Today was just a light progressive run, from
marathon type effort down to threshold. As per last week I wanted it to be a
quality, controlled and somewhat relaxing and smooth progressive run. I started
out from my house heading west into the wind. The conditions seemed ok but
chilly for sure but sunny. I wore ‘Ronun’ flats, tights and Under Armor ¾
sleeve stretch shirt and a high tech Mizuno long sleeve shirt over the top.
After about 3-4 minutes I arrived at the course and started the 1st
1k into the first hill and into the teeth of the wind just like last week .I
felt ok in the first mile, actually better than last week but was slower in 7.08 caompared to 6.05 last week… I was
relaxed but not swift at mile two in 6.48.29
compared to last week’s 6.47.48. I felt ok and relaxed but did not have
the turnover of last time out and hit mile three in 6.43.61 to last week’s 6.36
and now it was time for the 4th and toughest mile. I arrived at mile
four with a 6.40.27 to 6.34 last time (
this was my most satisfying mile of the day) and feeling pretty good at this
point- mile five in 6.25.70 to the previous 6.17, then mile six which is mostly
up hill for the first 1200 meters and bang into a strong wind was achieved in a
very satisfactory 6.32.00 to last week’s 6.18. The total time for the 10k
including the last .2 was 41.28 to last week’s 40.47…
Here is the lesson for
you young athletes !
It was about engendering
the adaptaton. It was about recreating the effort of last week which was spot
on… I just did not have the turnover of last week (although the fitness is
there) but I did not force the issue. I could have got frustrated and upped the
pace to match or surpass last week but this would have increased the effort on
the day to tempo level and that was not the plan. The plan was light
progression working down to lower end of threshold. It is about keeping control
of the ego- I achieved the goal and matched the light progressive effort of
last week without straining, it was just that the effort yielded a slightly
slower turnover today. That is why I put the comparative splts in so that you
can see the comparison between today and last Thursday !~ All in all it was a
very good run and just part of the developing process !!
Time to hit Russian Kettle
bells now and then get to sleep for a 3.30am wake up call for my work at UPS….
G’night all – G’nite dad, I miss you !~
A nice relaxing run. At my age of 46 I
typically take two days
off from training after a run of longer than 20 miles such as the 21 miler I
did in Miami on Sunday. Back at home today it was 40 degrees, light west
breeze, pleasant running weather and after a mile or so I found a nice relaxing
groove to get back in the swing of things. I enjoy my Wednesday runs on my
local challenging 10k course in Brielle while my sons take yoga. The days are
getting noticeably longer each week :) Today I just ran sections of the course.A
night with my sons ahead and then a 4am start at UPS ~
ING
Miami marathon 2010
Well
where to start? What a weekend.
I arrived in South Florida on Friday afternoon at 5pm. I arrived to the
Intercontinental hotel at 6pm and immediately set about changing, stretching and
going for a run on a lovely warm 75 degree Friday evening with the town a buzz
with the race weekend, the Pro Bowl, the upcoming Super Bowl, a Miami Heat game
in town and also the theaters, restaurants and cruise ship passengers. I ran
out by the cruise ships in Miami Bay and had a wonderful five miles. Then
shower, stretch and off to Camillas for my annual sojourn to my favorite
Brazilian restaurant to meet with my friend and elite athlete coordinator
Miguel Dias..
The Hotel is also the hotel where the New Orleans Saints were going to be
staying so the hotel was a buzz with anticipation and there was Saints
memorablia everywhere.
Early night and up Saturday morning for a 5.30am TV call for the 5k which
finishes at legendary Nikki Beach. I did pre race interviews, especially
amazing was an interview with Desmond, a graduate of the CPHI (Community
Partnership for the Homeless). Desmond was in the military but after returning
from tours of duty, he fell on hard times and was devastated by the loss of his
Mother and his life spiraled out of control.
He
spent the next ten years homeless in Miami before finding help through CPHI and
now, Desmond speaks to groups to help them, attended school and has actually
now applied to Harvard Law School…. Amazing ! it was a great TV
interview…. Then on the beach I interviewed many finishers
including Elva Dryer of 2004/2008 USA Olympic track fame. A super lady and more
on Elva later..
It was then I had a moment of inspiration… more on this later…
I then left Nikki Beachwith the TV crew to go to the expo where I prepared for
what would be a packed house for my lecture in the middle of the expo at the
ING lounge. ING came up to me and said their techs would be doing live
FaceBook and Twitter updates about my lecture while it was happening.www.facebook.com/ingrunnersnation & www.twitter.com/ingrunnernation
After my lecture I was interviewed on camera by ING themselves…
then it was back to my TV duties where I had to interview Ann
Glover ING’s Marketing Director for the Americas about the company’s
sponsorship of the race.
Then, perhaps the highlight of the weekend….
On TV ( and while a good size crowd gathered including John Brodsky and Laura
Demeo, two friends of mine from NJ) I was to interview USA running sensation,
Ryan Hall. I was to ask him questions about his running and his involvment with
Nissan and their Masterhift program http://www.mastertheshift.com/
.
I also spoke to Ryan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Hall_(runner)) about
his and his wife Sara’s ‘Follow The Steps’ charitable program that includes
providing aid and relief to Haiti earthquake victims.
I will post some video of this. It is not that great quality but it was
shot with my Flip video camera whilst we were being filmed by the television
crew.
I will post some other videos of the weekend too.
Later that evening I was off to the elite athlete technical meeting followed by
the dinner. I was joined at dinner by Ronnie Holassie my great friend and two
time Olympic marathoner that lives in Florida. He just won the marathon for
Palm Beaches in December and is looking to defend his 2009 at the Gasparilla
marathon later this month.
Earlier in the day I chatted with professional US runner Matt Downin about Team
Strands that had a huge presence this year at the event. www.Strands.com
It is a very cool training log site and techno virtual clubhouse where all
kinds of training and fun information can be exchanged. Visit and/or join our
new group there Stingersworldwide . I will keep a training log there and you
can also visit to see my various race PR’s.
I had dinner Saturday evening with a number of the Strands runners including
Michael Ash, Josh Moen, Meghan Armstrong and Elva Dryer. I was also with Jaime
Calzada, Alana Vinitskaya, Gabriel Rodriguez and Michael Wardian. I
really enjoyed meeting Meghan who was a 2008 Olympic trialist in the 5000 and a
definite contender for the 2012 Olympic team and also Elva Dryer, a two time US
Olympian (2000 – 5000m – 2004 -10,000 and lives with her husband
Russ and five cats near Boulder Co. Elva is a character and everyone
therewas extremely gracious, enthusiatic, fresh and full of positive life and
energy. After dinner I visited with Ronnie his wife Dee Dee and their
delightful two year old son Jeremiah (who can run like his dad) and then it was
to bed for an early night and also with Miguel.
At 4.30 am Sunday I met my TV broadcast partner Dave Ragsdale for what would be
our 8th year together. Humid and warm temps met the runners and
I will post some video later.
A great time covering the event and doing post race interviews. Meghan won the
half marathon in sub 1.17 effected by the heat. Two weeks ago she ran 1.13 in
Houston. After the race we all ate like champs in the ING Vip Tent and
then cheered the children on who were completing their final mile of the ING
Run for Something Better program http://www.orangelaces.com/
After all was said and done, it was back to the hotel stretch and out the door
for a 21 mile run over the Venetian Causeway from downtown to Miami Beach where
the place was especially vibrant with all kinds of holiday makers and of course
Super Bowl stuff everyhwere. Temps in low 70’s, windy at times and breezy at
others- it was awesome… I had a really strong run with no problems and a good
confidence builder for Boston.
Later that night my friend Dane Rauschenberg of 52 marathons in 52 weekends
fame and author of the great book about his incredible story ‘See Dane Run’ ,
Ronnie and I went to the ING Miami marathon post race party at the Hard Rock
Café downtown Miami and had a blast.
The next morning I grabbed some breakfast at the hotel and the Saints were in
town and all was very exciting. I caught a ride to the airport with Ben Nemser
and Steve Mendleson. Steve is in charge of security communications
for the NY marathon, the NY Jets and the ING Miami marathon. Last
week he was on the sideline in Indy during the Jets/Colts game.
So I mentioned my moment of inspiration…
Years ago I was urged and encouraged by my athletes, especially the Iron
Maidens to write a book. As you all know, it eventually happened. I
have been asked for a few years to turn the book into a DVD. I would like
to but have been at a loss as to who should or could film it. It hit me
in Miami… the same TV production company that I have worked with since 2003 at
the Miami marathon. I broached the subject and they loved the idea…. We
are working on the concept and on all the logistics but I can tell you that the
Run Tall Run Easy DVD will be shot in Miami late 2010 or early 2011. I am
absolutely thrilled !