Runner for Good

Happy New Year

2012-01-20T18:07:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year

I completed 4 marathons in 2011 raising money for the TeamHope4Warriors and TNT. This year I will continue with TeamHope4Warriors. I am sign up for a halves in St Pete and Sarasota and full marathons in Napa and the Marine Corps so far. I have also committed to St Anthony's Olympic distance triathlon and the Vineman half iron distance triathlon. My goals are still the ever illusive BQ and a shot at a full Ironman in the next two years. Happy to report my Mom is doing well. We have all adopted the Vegan life and are loving it. I loved Forks over Knives and have become a promoter of sorts. Colleen Patrick-Goudreau 's food for thought has also become an inspiration. I hope to show more people what great benefits can be reaped from being Vegan. For starts my marathon recovery and training recovery has markedly improved. I have dropped a few pounds without trying as an extra benefit. I have not had the dreaded "GI " issues while running since becoming Vegan.
I have been training with my two German Shepherds. They take turns pacing me and are great companions.

Savannah Marsthon

2011-11-07T16:36:00.000-08:00

Official time 4:29:03. Dedicated to my Mother and TNT. Thanks to all the friends and family that supported us. My mother was a great inspiration through her chemo. She remained positive and determined and is doing well. Until the day I left for Savannah and she fell and sprained her ankle. Thanks again to my friends Dawn and Howard for taking charge getting her and my father taken care of.
The Rock and roll people do a great job putting on a marathon. Very well organized from the shuttles to the portalets. The course was ok. Not too scenic but open so you did not have to weave. The people were very friendly and welcoming. A good race to do but not repeat. I did not get involved with the TNT events other then to raise my money. There were not others in my town and there was no coaching support. That was ok because I didn't want a beginner plan. I was supported by my friends and family and that was quite enough.
I didnt really have any major regrets in then race. I had a few down spots which responded to nutrition. No GI issues which is key. I must say being vegan was more ofna benefitnthen hindrance in the GI department. I am no more sore and felt better after being vegan.
I faded at the end again. No walking but just slowed down despite trying to maintain my pace. I think I need more tempo runs of longer duration tonhold the pace. Sugar cubes was my new secret weapon during the last 10k. Just enough sugar to the brain to keep then fight
I was quite proud that my daughter Addie ran the half despite a toe fracture 6 weeks ago. I love that she has developed a similar passion for running. And then Joules, Carol and Tom. What great running buddies. They are both gear inspirations.
Now I will turn my focus to the Las Vegas marathon in December.

St. Anthony's Olympic Triathlon

2011-05-04T14:10:00.000-07:00

I did it. 2:42:47 for 1000M swim, 24mile bike, and 10K run.
I worried all week about the swim. I heard it had been cancelled in the past due to wind. I had a poor swim at Ft Desoto which was half of what I was going to swim at St Anthony's. I went up the day before for check in and to volunteer at the TNT tent. I also signed up for the Inspiration Dinner with TNT. I went early and drove most of the bike course and then got lost. But I saw the part that was supposed to be the technical part with the speed humps. Not too bad I thought. I then went to the expo. Triathlon expos are different from marathon expos. First they are outside. I think triathletes like to sweat more. Triathlons are in the summer with hot runs. Marathons you worry more about freezing before the start. The crowd seems younger and more muscular. Marathoners are on average skinny without much muscle. Think underfed and laid back. Triathletes look at their competition. Size them up and down and up and down. You have lots to do.
After I was all checked in I joined the peeps at TNT. Very nice. There were 375 TNT peeps signed up from chapters all over the USA. All very happy to be there and ready to go. Alumni from previous TNT events also stopped by to share stories. I felt humbled and proud to be a part of such an organization. After my time there I met up with Karl from TRifit for a beer and some small talk. He is an experienced triathlete so any insight was welcome. I then went to the inspiration dinner. I was a little apprehensive. I was afraid of hearing too many stories of gallant battles fought and lost. That didn't happen. It was positive and truly inspirational. Participants would had beat Leukemia and Lymphoma and stories of dedicated people raising money for the society. I was knocked off my chair by the keynote speaker: Mama. An eighty years young mother of 7 who took up the 10K part of the relay 5 years ago and raised 80K for TNT mainly by knocking on doors.
Oh yeah the race. When I arrived at the transition area Sunday at 5:15am it was extremely windy. Gusty. White caps in the harbor. They direct made an announcement that the swim had been moved more along the shore line and shortened to 1000M. I felt much better. After getting set up I made my way to the swim start to see the pros go off. There were 32 waves total and I was in 19. I took a quick warm up swim which proved to be helpful. The water was not too cold and the wind was starting to settle a bit. My swim was steady. Better than Ft Desoto. There was a lot of bumping but I didn't seem to get rattled by it. I kept a pretty good rhythm even though my form was not as good as it could have been mainly due to the crowding. I stopped only to adjust my goggles after getting them knocked out of place by a young guy speeding through our wave. After exiting the water we had to run on the sidewalk about a half mile. That was enough for me to get blisters on the pads of my toes.
My bike was near the swim in so in was easy to find in the crowded transition area but that meant a long run to the bike out. The bike was great. I have decided I really like the bike and like to go fast. Fast as I can. I did hold back for the first half not knowing how I would feel as I went along. It was still windy so it was hard to drink. I actually lost my back bottle going over a bump. There were speed bumps around a golf course road that were a little scary since you caught some air but not enough to clear them. The course was technical but not scary.
When I got off the bike it took me longer to get my running legs then I thought. I took a gel but new my hydration was not great. I took Gatorade at all the stations plus had an 8oz hand bottle of infinit . The run course was very scenic with a lot of crowd support. The finish was in the park. There was a good finishers medal, cold towel, and drinks. Food was OK. The free cold beer tasted the best. All in all it was a good event. I look forward to doing it again. Go Team!

Escape from Fort Desoto

2011-04-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

I did it in 1:26 and change. Left the house at 3:45am yuck. I needed to pick up my packet and figured the parking may be an issue with over 1500 participants. All week I dreaded getting in the cold water. If it were wetsuit legal that would eliminate that problem but create the new problem of escape from the wetsuit transition time. Crossing over the sky way bridge the water looked calm. Great because there had been mention of choppy seas. When I pulled into the main drive of the park, there was a huge flag pole with the Old Glory waving fiercely. Um. I arrived at 5:10 am and got a great spot across from the transition area. Perfect. I got my packet and took my gear to the transition area and set up. They announced the water was 74F and wetsuit legal. 74F you bet I was going to wear my wetsuit.
About 6:45 we walked down to the beach. It was still dark but I could see the water exit which seemed to be way out in some sort of lagoon. We walked the half mile down the beautiful white sand beach to the swim start. I got in for a warm up swim not too bad. Triathlons are much more competitive then marathons. You catch people looking at your swim cap color and leg number. If they are the same they check you out. I am still interested in doing my best and don't really care much about the competition other then how to judge myself.
The OVER 40 women group was the third wave. Off we went thrashing about. I noticed pretty quick I was getting pounded by waves that I had not noticed warming up. I ignorantly thought at first it was off a boat. Nope. 4-5 ft chop. Then I learned breathing to the right was a good way to get a drink of salt water. My breathing became erratic and I had no rhythm I started to breathe to the left but I was catching waves and plopping over them like an old wooden canoe. I stopped and looked around every now and then. I was still with the pink caps but not making good time. I finally got a little rhythm right before the last buoy. I definitely need to get out of the early flow and get a rhythm next time. We had to run through the lagoon to get back to the beach. Nice muddy water.
I got my chip Velcro stuck in my wetsuit making transition a little longer. Doesn't take long to kill 4 minutes.
Off on the bike. Felt great. My new Trek is embarrassingly sweat. Too good for me. Oh well I enjoyed it. I passed lot of people. I am proud to report a bike split of 27:54 for 10 miles. It was pretty windy so I was a little caution and only took fluids twice. I was having too much fun passing people. On your left, it is me the slow swimmer.
The run was down a bike path to the Fort. In years past the route climbed the fort. I was waiting but we just went around. They were doing construction. Good enough. Was not that excited about climbing stairs at that point. The return was on a sandy trail that was tough footing in places. The run was 3.4 miles and finished in the parking lot near transition.
It was a very organized event. They had lots to drink and eat and the park was beautiful. I will definitely do this race again. But I need more swimming experience.

Tune up for 2 triathlons

2011-04-10T12:26:00.000-07:00

Did a 10K run at the Venice Sharktooth 10K with the Joules then joined Trifit and Susan from Team in Training for an open water swim. The run course was great. I could have been a little more hydrated I guess but overall felt good and finished with a time of 54:29. I tried out my wetsuit for the second time. I think I sweat a liter of fluid before I hit the water. We swam about 1300M or so.
Today did a bike ride with Team in Training. We did 4 mile intervals. Feeling more comfortable on the Tri bike. Ready for the sprint tri next weekend. Still a little nevous about the Olympic at St. Athony's in two weeks. More fearful of the crowds.
It never ceases to amaze me how people come into our lives at the right times. Again I am very thankful for my old friends and my new friends.

Something good comes out of everything

2011-04-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

Since my mom has been diagnosed with lymphoma many changes have happened. The first of course is dealing with the unknown. How will she and my father deal with the diagnosis. How will she react to chemo. How will her body respond. Being a physician I know the possibilities but not the future. The big focus has been on things we can do. Focus on good nutrition. Take some of her daily stress away. Laugh.
I have been amazed at the outpouring of well wishes from friends and family not heard from for some time. Little gifts to brighten her day and cards have meant so much. Good days are now cherished and reflected upon. Since joining team in training I have witnessed unbelievable generosity. I have met new friends offering unconditional support with my old friends still right by my side.
This weekend I rode 35 miles with Team in training and ran 11 with the Joules. I also took mom to the beach to watch me squeeze in and out of my wetsuit for it's maiden voyage in the ocean. What a great weekend in the face of adversity. The name Joule was originally meant to reflect the energy unit. I must say it has grown to reflect my friends kindness in that they are two of the finest jewels I know.

Publix Georgia Marathon

2011-03-22T17:31:00.000-07:00

Wow the hills! I knew the area around the CNN tower and Emory University was hilly and I looked at the topography map of the marathon but wow. 26.2 miles of up and down. Up and down. At about mile 6 I figured out the theme. Up and down. Beautiful course by parks, Emory University, Georgia Tech, and St Agnes. Extremely well organized and supported. Lots of cheering at all aide stations. Great weather at 55 and cloudy. Addie ran the half and Tom, Carol, and I ran the full. We stayed at the Embassy Suites which was right outside the start. Perfect. It was so nice running another half with Addie two weeks in a row. Pretty pround of the college freshman sucking it up and doing two halves in two weeks. I ran a good 20 miles then started to have left hip/leg cramps in the last twenty. I was forced to walk DOWN the hills and could run up. How crazy. Frustrated that I could not make time on the downhills. My hydration and nutrution was good. My hips just could not handle the hills. Not bad. 4:44 finish. Not my worst by far. I enjoyed the whole thing. We met the Team in Training Atlanta chapter that Addie plans to join this summer.
Mom started chemotherapy this week and so far so good. Her attitude is wonderful.
We brought her back a Team in Training hat. Funny that favorite colors are green and purple. It all works. Now will turn my focus to tri training with a surge towards Grandmas in June if all is good at home.

Be fearless in the face of your fears

2011-03-17T17:49:00.000-07:00

My new mantra. It is working so far. Did a PR at New Orleans that was unexpected. Many events scheduled. Making plans without worries. Then my mother has back pain. Nothing out of the ordinary for a 77 yo women that is very active. Then it got worse. Trip to ER. MRI abnormal. CT scan shows diffusely enlarged lymph nodes. Biopsy a few hours later. Non Hodgkin's lymphoma stage III. Frozen. Get a grip. Line up the team. I am so fortunate to have so many resources at my disposal. So many friends. All lining up to help. Suddenly, I have learned to slow and take one moment at a time. Nothing for granted.
Atlanta marathon on for this Sunday then Mom starts chemo Monday. My race will be over and hers will be starting. I will be her support crew. My race means nothing. Hers everything. I joined Team in Training yesterday to honor her race. I will raise funds for them for her and all of those less fortunate. My hope is that she can be at the finish at the Savannah marathon in the fall healthy. I will still help the wounded warriors but I must honor support her race and help fight her fight.
So we will take one day at a time and help each other and fight the fight and appreciate what each day has to offer. I will be linking my team in training web site and updating as we go along.

PB when you least expect it

2011-02-14T15:45:00.000-08:00

Two marathons completed so far this year. Miami and Mardi Gras. I have been running less and cross training more so I really have not developed the confidence that I have enough to finish a marathon strong. My running sessions have been more specific with intervals once a week, a tempo run and a longer run. The longer runs have been to time and not to distance and I have not run longer then 17 miles. Most runs 14 or 15 miles. They have had tempo miles in them however. I have run 45 minutes at 9:30 pace multiple times. My best marathon pace was 10:35 min miles. I have determined my anaerobic threshold is high 150s to 160s so I tried to run Miami avoiding then160s til the end. In that marathon I had a bonk zone miles 21,22, and 23 then came back and finished strong. I didn't think it was hydration but more low sugar. I have had trouble tolerating the gels late and have fear given the Marine corps experience of 2004.
After 12 marathons, I have learned to avoid dairy the night before. I believably the power off endurlyes to stave off muscle cramps and fatigue. I have not been happy with my pre race breakfast. I am convinced it needs to be twe hours before the marathon starts. This marathon I had coffee maker oatmeal: one packet of oatmeal in a glass and run water through the coffee pot with a packet of sugar. I also had a small cup of coffee and a mini cliff bar. I sipped on a bottle of heed til about an hour before the race.
The temperature was 39f. A little cold for me. I had on thin tights and a 2x compression top with my TeamHope race shirt on top. Still running with the Brooks Launch and injingi toe socks. Learning what mental plan works best for me. Justnlike everything else in my life. Little chunks at a time. No big loads. First 10k then get to half marathon. First 6 miles sports drink then start the gels every three to four miles. Take them with water bits at a time. Sports drink on other stops to thirst. I took endurlytes every half hour after the first hour. I then look to get to mile 20. First to 15 and 17. That is the first spot I can get into trouble. I felt good at Mardi Gras. I substituted a bag of sports beans at 17 to brak it up. I dont need water with them. The next goal is 20 miles just an hour to go. Then just one at a time. I took a mini bag of skittles at 24 miles. Rocket fuel for last two miles. I try to push mile 25 and 26 and enjoy the crowds. It worked for Mardi Gras this time for an all time PB 4:26:48.
Looking at spits only a couple of pace dips so there is a little wiggle room. I still have hopes for the sub four before the big slide. Next up Sarasota half then Atlanta marathon. Must do hill work.

Plans for the new year

2011-01-02T18:24:00.000-08:00

January 2 and I am registered for four marathons. Miami, Mardi Gras, Atlanta and Grandmas. So much for the specific training for times. It looks more like a survival plan. Peer pressure has definitely got the better of me. I think team Joule needs help.
I will begin to fund raise for wounded warriors and plan to run each event for that particular charity. I also plan to keep cross training to transition into triathlons. Sprint distance in the spring and then a 70.3 in August perhaps. Certainly it will be an odd way to base train for triathlons but you need to start somewhere.
Starting tomorrow back to training diet which is mostly vegetarian. Breakfast and lunch vegan then dinner varies. I have found dairy is not my friend so it is easy to avoid.
Happy New Year to all !

My 120 pound journey.

2010-11-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

Marine Corps Marathon 2010

2010-11-02T17:26:00.000-07:00

Another marathon in the books. 4:49. Not a PB or a bust and I did not have negative splits. Many positives. A new reason to run....because I can. The weather was perfect. Sunny and high forties in the beginning and high fifties at the end. The route was beautiful, scenic, and challenging. It is hard not to be patriotic in such a setting with the marines all around and so much pride all around. I am truely proud to be an American.
The positives. My prerace meal was good. A gluten free Java chocolate brownie and water three hours before the marathon start. 10oz of water/gatorade mix right before the start. No hunger at or low sugar feelings at all. I decided to carry only Gu gels and take the Powerade on the course. I began with a full cup of Powerade alternating with a full cup of water with a Gu at the aide stations which were a little further then 2 miles apart. I did get a little thirsty during the second half. If it had been much warmer, hydration may have been an issue. I took endurlyes after 2 hrs for a total of 4 alternating with aminoacid tablets from Hammer. They worked out well. I should have taken more. At mile 19 they gave away Sportbeans which I took and ate one by one. It did help the cramping I was feeling at mile 16 to eighteen. I think the fatigue was more related to decreased training miles instead of caloric depletion but I am not sure. I do not think I could have taken more Gus'. Maybe more sportsbeans.
I never lost my head and I felt I was present most of the race. In the beginning I focused on keeping my HR below 160. I did not want to go lactic and have a 5 plus hour marathon because of pushing for a pace I wanted versus a pace I could handle. I also never had a low moment when I just did'nt care. I kept trying to keep my HR greater then 150 during the second half to maintain pace. During the last three miles I kept pushing although the lap pace does not show so much repeating to myself that slower was not going to be less painful. I finished happy and hard and thanked each Marine I passed for there service. Semper Fi.
I found a new reason to run.. I can. I am healthy and free. Free because of our military who fight to maintain our fredom. Thank you all. At the expo my friend Sally noticed the Hope for Wounded Warriors table. This is an organization that raises money to help our wounded warriors with living expenses, education and other supportive services for them and their families. I was immediately sold. Sally's late husband was retired Navy and we loved him dearly. It would have pleased him so much to help these people. I bought a race shirt and immediately decided that this would be who I would run for from now on in future marathons and triathlons. I wore that shirt with pride and humility in honor of these wounded heros. Thank you.
Things to change. I need to go back to running 3 to 4 twenty mile long runs at whatever pace. I need a longer mid week run as well as the speed work. I think the cross training is good but no substitute for running when it comes to doing well in the marathon. I need to focus on more electrolytes and calculating my caloric intake during the race. I need to run.

Longboat Key Triathlon 2:13:47

2010-10-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

One week to go before the Marine Corps Marathon, I decided to squeeze in another Triathlon. This was the longest yet with 1/2mile swim, 20 mile bike, and 5 mile run. It was the inaugural event for the Longboat Key Chamber and they did a fantastic job. No course glitches, plenty of pleasant volunteers and it was held at the resort. We ran most of the 5 miles on the golf course which is unheard of given the anti runner mentality of most golfers. I can say that having been a golfer and lived on a golf course but never anti runner. They were just skinny people having a good time killing themselves. Anyway, hats off to the race director. I guess the only bad thing that was not in there control was the tide and swim location.
Of course I worried about the water temperature the week before. Projected 76 to 78F. The morning of the race was a little warmer at 69F so it was not cold waiting around. The full moon over the bay was quite spectacular as we waited for the sun to come up and get started. I wished I had a picture. It was wetsuit legal but I followed coaches advise and girled up. No wetsuit which was fine. The bad part was the tide. You had to do a wade, jump, waddle for about 50yds or so to get deep enough to swim. Not in my training. So I floundered and jumped and got all out of breath before I ever put my head in the water. Then I was breathing so hard, I felt the need to breath every other stroke. Just could not settle down. When I made it to the first buoy it got a little better and a swam a good line along the next two. Then trouble started when we made the turn for shore and I swam way right. I had trouble seeing the shore flags and kept going right. Way right like 50 yds. So yes sighting needs work.
Transition to the bike was good. The course was great. Out 10 miles and back. I drank every 10 minutes. I thought I was crushing it into the wind and realized on the turn around that was not the wind direction. The way back was pretty gusty. I did manage to maintain my pace and finished the bike in an 1:00:51.
The run was mostly on the Longboat Key resort golf course and finished with the last 1.5 or so miles on the beach. Very pretty. Very well supported. I loosened up after the first quarter of a mile and was pretty comfortable the rest of the way. Given I will be running the marathon next week I did not push all out on the run.
Afterwards there was a great healthy feast under the big white tent. We enjoyed a great meal sitting out on the driving range. Well done.
Off to Washington, D.C. Friday.

Another Triathlon in the books

2010-10-06T16:14:00.000-07:00

I completed the Siesta Key triathlon last Sunday. It was a great day. I was worried about the water temperatures which were reportedly dipping into the high 70s. I know that is not that bad but I hate to get cold. I gave that up when I moved south. The reality was the air was cool but the water was great. I did the half mile swim in just over 19 min which was my longest swim so far. My line was good and I was fairly relaxed but my breathing was a little quick causing me to have to take a breath every other stroke. Usually, I am every third or forth. I maintained freestyle the whole way so I was happy. I have not gained enough courage to mount the bike with my shoes fixed or dismount while moving so transition times still slower than I would like. The bike otherwise was good. It was a nice ride around Siesta Key and through the village at the end. The run was on the sand. Siesta beach is one of the nicest running beaches in the country. Flat packed sand near the water. The temperatures remained cool so the run was not to hot either. My legs loosened up pretty good and I was able to pick up the pace over the last mile. Run time was 27:33 for a total of 1:30:35. I felt better than the last tri so that was good. One tri left and then the Marine corps marathon. Hope the last long run is good.
I think I am going to sign up with Team in Training for the St Anthony's tri next spring. I would like to give back and little while being blessed to do what I love.

Hot but not so hot

2010-09-12T16:31:00.000-07:00

It was a hot and humid weekend of training. Saturday I was scheduled for 16 mile long run with 15 min pick-ups to 9 min pace. A rice cereal, rice cake with Nutella at 4 am so everything would be digested Started the run at 6:30 am with 30min warm up. Temp about 77F. The fifteen minute pick ups felt good. I programed my Garmin with the workout so I was not getting accurate pacing. I thought I was going faster. Also, heart rate monitor kept sliding down secondary to the Chamois Butter. It is good to prevent chaffing but not good for holding up a chest strap. No I pushed each one to what I thought was a zone 3 pace. Realistically, it was probably slower than 9 min pace and my HR was higher than a zone 3 pace. After the third interval I was mush. It was like someone pulled the plug. Slower and slower. I was taking Infinit and had 8 endurlyes and 3 gels. Totals was 56oz fluid and 530mg/hr Na. Not the 800mg/hr I was hoping for. I felt like my legs were going to seize. The last 2 miles were walk/run slow. Very disappointing. Not sure if secondary to salt and hydration. Do not think it was glycogen issue. Next week I plan to weigh before and after. Aim higher for the salt intake and I ordered a new HR strap for my Garmin.
Sunday was a 1:30 bike ride for 23 miles with the focus just on rpms >80 in the big ring on back. The spin was good to clear out the lactic acid from Saturday's run. It was a sunny but pleasant day and very enjoyable. Nevertheless, I am nervous about my conditioning for the Marine corps marathon. I will run long next weekend and then the following weekend I will be visiting Addie at Emory so the mileage will be low.

Venice Triathlon

2010-09-05T12:19:00.000-07:00

I arrive at 6:30 to the staging area. Unloaded bike/gear and proceeded to the marking area. I have to admit getting marked is fun. One feels like entering a mini Kona instead of the local sprint tri. I met up with the Joules and Trisports team. We made our way to the water which was extremely warm and calm. I was in the third wave (old girls 40 and up). I took off with the pack. It was quite fun with all the kicking and pawing for position. I tried to follow bubbles but there was a bit of a slinky effect so it took a while to get into good form. My goal was to swim the whole way freestyle with good form. I felt quite comfortable but needed to pull up occasionally to sight. I didn't get off line too bad having to adjust on two occasions. When we turned for shore the sun was so bright I couldn't tell where the shore was for a few seconds. I then locked onto a flag and was ok.
I came out of the water feeling good. Barefoot running experience helped me to the transition zone without problems. I grabbed my bike and headed out. My bike split turned out to be my best effort. I averaged over 20 mph for entire ride. No muscle fatigue. Slowing occurred with the congestion of the course and tight turns on the double loop course. I was also slowed by a wreck in front of me. My transition 2 time was slow. I was slow hanging bike and had an indecisive moment of whether to take a water bottle. The run was a little slow but uneventful. Anybody can run 3.1 miles right. Finishing was great. I got fourth in my age group at 1:10:54 so I was happy. I enjoyed a great lunch with the Trifit gang before heading back to Port Charlotte.
I think I can squeeze one more sprint tri in before the marathon in October.

Triathlon plan changes

2010-08-31T16:59:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Earl has lead to a change in plans. Miami Beach has been having some wicked riptides so I have decided to stay local and do the Venice Beach sprint triathlon. I am disappointed about doing a shorter distance but it is probably for the best for my reentry into the triathlon scene. Last weekend I participated with Trifit tri team in a kamikaze style weekend workout. We started Saturday with a 7 mi bike ride to Manasota Beach where we did a run/swim/run session followed by a swim/run/swim session and then biked back to Englewood beach for a picnic. We covered about .8mi swimming and 8miles running. Sunday was a bike/run/bike/run session where we went out 1:40min bike/2mile run/80min bike. It was my longest ride ever totaling 46 miles. And the pace was hard and into the wind on the way out and hard back. I was dropped from the pack of experienced cyclists but they were very encouraging on my return. Trifit is a great group of athletes and I was happy to join in even if I spent most of the day chasing the pack. The Sprint tri is this weekend then it is all eyes toward the Marine corps marathon. I hope all this cross training pays off. My runs are down to three days a week but they are very specific and intense. I definitely want to do more triathlons in the future with 1 to 2 marathons in between. Future goal will be Olympic distance triathlons next year with a future goal of a 70.3. Need a lot more riding and swimming before I sign up for one of those.

The journey has begun

2010-08-15T18:13:00.000-07:00

Big week. Officially started triathlon training. Completed two bricks with a bike then run. Did two swims. One in the county 25 yard pool for 900yds and the other in my endless pool. Running mileage down a lot. My coach assures me this is ok. Definitely feeling the workouts. My runs have all been specific intervals or tempo. Biggest mistake this week was not hydrating and eating properly before Saturday's tempo run. Bonked nicely in the humid hot weather. Had to grab my emergency gel from the car between my fast 10min sessions. When will I learn that you need to fuel high intensity sessions more than the slow recovery runs.
My nutrition has been off this week mainly to the extra out to lunches with Addie before she leaves tomorrow for Emory. Having lunch with her is always special. Too bad this town is extremely limited in healthy choices. Off to Georgia tomorrow so the workout routine will be a little altered. Cross training by setting up dorm room.

Never say never

2010-08-10T10:33:00.001-07:00

I like to run. It releaves stress. It makes me feel good and boosts my metabolism. I can go anytime. Just put my shoes and garmin on and out the door. No pumping tires. I like to swim but don't swim much because I would rather get wet running then jump into the water. I like to swim but just don't that much. I like to bike but have to get gear ready and check the tires. Will not ride in dark or rain. Don't really like the trainer. Hard to push myself on bike. So I like to run. That is what I told the triathalon coach. She said ok. Then I saw a triathalon on Facebook. Proceeds go to Southwest Florida Special Olympics, my favorite charity. It is a little longer than a sprint tri with 1/2mi swim, 18 mi bike and 4mi run. That should be long enough not to hurt my marathon training for Marine Corps in Oct. I'm in. Wait, I have to swim a 1/2 mile in the Atlantic. That means I need to practice-swim. Still good. Went to bookstore: 3 magazines on biking and triathalons. Triathalon coach laughed. Got her way. Now she is in complete control because I need her to get me through the swim and bike as well as run.
Then I discovered an olympic distance (they even have a HalfIM) triathalon in Morgantown Wv on August the 8th which happens to be my BD. I'm in. For next year that is. So I am shopping for Tri gear, reading tri blogs and downloading tri podcast and am hooked. I am waiting on a schedule that will add more biking and swimming to my easy run days or instead of easy run days. I was told this will make my marathons stronger? We will see. For now something to look forward to.

Too fat to fight

2010-07-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

This site was taken from AirForce Ted's website You Dont Have to Run Alone
It is just another example of what the obesity epidemic is doing to our country. Chances are if you read this website, you are not directly affected. Please join me in the fight to educate and demonstrate a healthy lifestyle.

http://www.missionreadiness.org/MR%20National%20Obesity%20Report.pdf

Summer training

2010-07-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

It is certainly summer here in Southwest Florida. I have been starting my runs between 5:15 and 6am. My newest training partner is Tiger, my Dad's German Shepherd. He is almost four and all 110 pounds are full of energy. I have started taking him 2 to 3 miles in the morning before my regular runs. He is great protection and is going well on a short Caesar Milano soft lead. My Shepherd Lexi is getting a little old and little too furry for much running.
This week was week one one of my 16 week marathon training for the marine corps marathon. I hope to run a little faster in this one. I have added a Tuesday speed session and a Thursday longer run. I hope I can keep this up.
The Cardiac running/walking group continues. I am adding in more running intervals now that they are gaining confidences and endurance. The group is growing slowly. I hope to have more patients show up. This week I listened to the Endurance planet podcast and they spoke with the trail Geek of the month. I don't remember his name but the story is similar to others that I have read. He was overweight and out of shape nearly 40 year old that was encouraged to tray a 5k. He liked it and one thing lead to the next and now he has run several 100 miles races and is very conscious of his nutrition and has lost a ton of weight.
I think exercise is the key first step. Especially running. You start running and then start paying attention to nutrition to run better. There is no fad diets or quick fixes just the learned enjoyment of running and then a healthy lifestyle. Otherwise the weight just yoyos on and off.
I had a patient tell me the other day that his son was one of those exercise and nutrition "nuts". I told him he was only a nut in the eyes of overweight sedentary America that we have come to know as normal. Hopefully, someday the nuts will be the known as the couch potatoes that serf from one fast food place to the next.

Firecracker 5K July 3, 2010

2010-07-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

I started a group of beginning runners from my patient population about 8 weeks ago. I put sign up sheets in the office advertising free 5k training on two nights a week. I encouraged all my cardiac patients to consider. Most would not even look at the sheets despite them being posted above the sign in sheets, the sign out, and over the scales. I finally got a few takers and the groupt started. 5 patiennts signed up. One has a temporary knee injury. The remaining four patients have had either angioplasty or coronary bypass surgery. They have met and walked and jogged a little twice weekly over the past 8 weeks. Three completed the 5K this weekend with one winning second in her age group. These were non exercisers. The grew to enjoy the walking/jogging and each others company. They had a great time running/walking Saturday despite the heat. I hope that these folks will set an example for the rest of my patients that that they are too old not to join. Hats off to the group. I think we may need a name.

Hatfield and McCoy marathon start

2010-06-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

Hatfield and McCoy Marathon

2010-06-25T07:40:00.000-07:00

What I did on my summer vacation. I ran the Hatfield and McCoy Marathon. As part of our yearly vacation to WV, I decided to add on a WV marathon. This would be 7 weeks after Boston. I wanted to see how I would feel running 2 marathons back to back. Because of nutritional errors at Boston, I didn't feel like I ran a hard Boston or that I was physically drained. I didn't feel tired or sore when I resumed running after a few days. I consulted Pftizinger's book for a guidelines to running in between the marathons. We did two 17 milers in the 7 weeks between and a 13 miler. A few short tempo sessions but no real focus on speed. The plan was to do Hatfield more as a training run and stick together given the remote area.
Williamson WV sits in southern WV along the Kentucky border and is the site of the Hatfield and McCoy famous feud. There is a great book named the Coffin Quilt that I read before the marathon that tells the story from the perspective of a McCoy child. It was a great read that described the area and locations that we would actually run by. Places like Blackberry mountain that was the steepest climb for about 1 mile. The site of the McCoy massacre and cemetery was also depicted.
My daughter, her boyfriend and Carol and Tom drove down to Williamson from Morgantown in just over 4 hours. They had a tent setup for registration and timing band pickup. There was a map of the course and Addie and Blake confirmed their volunteer water stop at mile 23 at the site of a scrap metal yard. Of note although Addie is a very experienced driver over distance, she has never driven on back narrow hilly roads and was quite concerned. She was told to go to the DQ and make a left and follow the road till she sees the scrap yard. Right on. She did nervously with us as co pilots the day before to get her courage up.
We stayed about 30 minutes from the race start because of limited lodging in the town. Amazing enough, I met Ashland Dave from the podcast Running in the center of the universe at the hotel. He had just finished a 50 mile trail run and had two banaged feet.
We arrived about thirty minutes before the start at the Food City grocery store. There were no significant lines at the porta potties. A first in any race I have attended. We took pictures and lined up with about 450 runners including the half and whole distance. 49 states and 3 countries were represented with many being from the marathon maniacs or 50 staters. Off we went to the start of a shot gun. We went up country roads weaving in and out of WV and Kentucky. As we started up Blackberry Mountain the first thunder boomer occurred followed by a torrential downpour. It didn't last that long but was rather soaking. I am now a fan on Iniji toe sox. No blisters despite 4 plus hours of wet feet. It rained on and off and was moderately humid. There were aid stations every mile with plenty of water, sports drink and friendly faces. Rosanna McCoy and her Hatfield boyfriend were at one of the stations. We ran on small side roads, gravel and even some dirt/mud trails. We ran across a beautiful golf course and swinging wooden bridge. The finish was back in Williamson with Mr. Hatfield and Mr. McCoy waiting. Our time was slow but I felt strong during the last three miles with a pace in the 10:30min/mi range when we split up when we entered into familial territory. It was great seeing Addie and Blake at their water station at mile 23. They were great sports handing out drinks and support in the pouring rain in the middle of no where.
The finish was well supported with cheering crowds and plenty of food and drink. We receive a finishers medal along with a pleasant cold towel and mason jar containing a Hatfield and McCoy Plaque.
I always thought I liked marathons because of the huge crowd sensation. Now I believe the small town scene is also quite neat. I look forward to more small marathons as well as the big city scenes.
It was very special running a marathon in my home state and introducing my friends to the wonderful people and scenery. We even had breakfast with the race director the next day at Hardee's along with everyone else in the town. He was a very humble man with great insight for the race and his town.

2010-05-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

Trifit Duathalon Relay

2010-05-16T11:10:00.000-07:00

The Fit-triathalon was quite an event yesterday at Siesta Key, Florida. There was Sprint distance tri and duathalons as well as international distance tri and duathalons. We signed up for the relay with three mixed teams. The international duathalon was a 5K , then 26mile bike, and 10K to finish. The run was on the beach and the other legs were on the road. They had a huge turn out of people. All ages, sizes and shapes. From finishers to very competitive racers. Mountain bikes to high tech tribikes. There were a lot of families as well. The setting was beautiful on one of the most beautiful beaches in Florida. The swim waves were fun to watch with their different colored caps running into the water. The swam a challenging course in the gulf on pretty calm seas. The water temperature was about 85F. The 5K run was down the beach which is very flat with hard packed sand. The challenge was coming out to the road for transition in the soft sugary sand. The bike leg looped twice around the key which is quite scenic. The 10K went .25mi on trail then down the beach road and back. A little hot by mid morning but nevertheless a pretty run. We had a great time cheering each other on each leg of the race. Everyone gave there best effort.
Most notable was the anniversary of Howards first shock. Four years ago my friend developed a near lethal arrhythmias that required multiple defibrillations as well as multiple procedures to correct the problem. A lot of people would have quit there and then, and lived a life in constant fear. He has resumed an active life and has been training hard to get himself in bike racing shape. His effort was admirable. Another friend had angioplasty 4 months ago and is also back in racing shape. Both have changed their lifestyles but neither had to change their motivation. Both lead quietly by example.
There were a lot of heroes there yesterday in the heat. Some you think would have had trouble walking to get the paper completed the events smiling. There were daughter-dad teams and children and parents competing. It just goes to show you that we can all compete. It just takes the will to get out there. It is my hope that I can encourage people to get out there and tri or du or just run

Greetings from Boston

2010-04-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

Well I finished in 5:02:44. Not one of my best. Not one of my worst. Back to my book of stupid tricks I guess. Just as I thought maybe had things sorted out-bang.

When we arrived in Boston on Friday it was cold and we even saw snow. This prompted visits to the expo to gather more warm running gear. The expo was huge. We even got to hear some of the Boston legends talk. The AMAA meeting was excellent. The first talk was on sudden death and running. We decided no high fives because that seems to happen just before the runner drops. It was great hearing about the running accomplishments of fellow physicians. I was particularly inspired by Dr.Walter Bortz II who was running his 40th marathon at 80. I still have time to get it right.

Boston is a great town with very friendly people. It was especially great to have dear Bostonian friends show us the sights. We kind of ate our way through the town so to speak. We didn't eat bad and had plenty of carbs so that wasn't the problem.

On to the marathon. Great weather. Sunny 44 to 55F. No wind to speak of compared to our training. I ate my timed prerace meal three hours before the presumed start. Plain bagel first mistake. Also a banana and Infinit sports drink. Hindsight: plain bagel with little fat or protein equals gone before the gun. Walking down to the start line I yawned. I was not bored. I was low glucose lethargic. With a gun time of 10:30 am and actual take off time of 10:50am I was missing morning snack and soon to follow lunch. Depleted before I started. I was so afraid to overload that I under loaded. When we took off it was fantastic. Huge crowds were screaming as though we were the elites instead of back of the packers. I wanted to be conservative to start. 10:30 to 10:40 pace was good. Soon I felt as though I had no energy and no motivation. Sluggish. I took a honey stinger gel with no improvement. I repeated it in 40 minutes no better. The next 40minutes I tried a tropical Heed gel. Figured the caffine my boost me. It did. I felt a little better. I just could not push the pace. Stuck in low gear. I then switched to Infinit sports drink. I had concentrated it in my flasks. I took a few swigs every water station and it seemed to be helping but I also started to develope some belly cramping so I backed off. By mile 15 I was falling rapidly. I admitted this was not my day but I was more than capable of finishing at a slow pace. Better to waddle in then go to the woods with "GI issues". I kept taking the Infinit and mixed it with water at the aide stations. I took the PowerGel with 1x caffeine at mile 17 with a boost in my energy. Still slow but ok. I never walked up a hill. My heart rate never got out of control or near threshold. The crowds remained fantastic. As I was going up the hill at 21, I asked "is this heartbreak" to a spectator. They yelled yes you have this. It was the most excited I had been. I felt great going up the hill giving all the BC kids high fives ( it was ok because it was not at the end). I gradually picked my pace up a little and enjoyed the last few miles crazy as it seems.

It is amazing what nutrition can do to you. My training had been good. Not perfect but certainly adequate for a 10 minute pace. The result was disappointing but the straight stretch to the finish was great with all the crowds cheering. I will definitely strive to qualify and return someday. I will be more aware of my prerace fueling with regards to time of day. I will continue to use Infinit sports drink and probably switch back to PowerGels. My hat is off to Boston, its people and the race director and volunteers. A class act. I'll be back.

Count down begins

2010-04-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

We are well into taper mode. Did 10 miles easy on Saturday. Today just 3.2 miles to keep loose. Starting to track the weather. I am hoping for high 50s and dry. I still have a little discomfort on the ball of my right foot. I think it is just a little tendinitis and it gets better as I run. I have decided on my fueling strategy I will mix my Seabiscuit fuel concentrated in two containers which will provide about 700 calories. Seabiscuit fuel is a custom blend of electrolyes , carbohydrates and amino acids from Intuit Sports Inc. They formulate your drink based on your size, effort, sweating and absorption issues. The other 200-300 will come from the Gatorade on the course and a couple of gels. My goal is less that 4:36 and I figure about 200 calories per hour. Usually I go under just because it is hard to ingest much after a while. I will be wearing the Brook Launches and the rest of the kit to suit the weather in Boston.
We will be attending the AMAA medical meeting in Boston over race weekend. Hopefully, will learn some interesting things about distance running and health issues.

Boston marathon and a MRI

2010-03-26T13:53:00.000-07:00

What would training be without an injury or setback. I have had a very mild discomfort on the ball of my right foot that has gradually progressed. Nothing on top but the dreaded stress fx thought has entered my mind. It seemed to have started after a longish run in the Brooks Ghost. I got them thinking that they were a compromise between the minimal Launch and the maximally cushioned Glycerin. Were the Launches causing a problem? no. The Ghost have a little more arch. I think they pushed my foot to supinate a little more. For most part I am a neutral midfoot striker. Anyway, a little tenderness started after the long run and has progressed. I ran the Gasparilla relay in the Glycerins for 19miles with essentially no problems. I have been running in them a little more trying to stretch out the Lauches for the last 100miles. I ran the Sarasota half in the Launches without much problem. Last weekend I developed pain in my right foot at the end of the run. Much like muscle spasm. We did 20 miles a week early just because it was only a little further than 17.3 miles and the weather was good? It did provide for good psychological reinforcement for Joules 2 and 3 that they still had a 20 miler in them. Nevertheless, the nagging pain has persisted. Worse after a run then during. No pain on top with minimal pain with running. Because Joule 3 is a radiologist I was privileged to get a peek at the injury with an MRI. No breaks just bruising around the second metatarsal joint. That was a relied. I figured I was going to run anyway but would drastically taper if there was evidence of a stress fracture. It is Boston. I think I will stick with the Lauches and break out the new ones for the taper and race. The Ghost will sit idle and the Glycerins?

The 4 Joules at the Sarasota Half Marathon

2010-03-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

March 14, 2010 was a beautiful day in Sarasota, Florida. The am temps were 58F as the Joules stood together to start the running of the Sarasota Half. This was our last race before Boston. It was my daughter, Addie's first half marathon.
We took off before sunrise on the side streets of Sarasota to the bay's edge and then down 41 and across the Ringling Bridge. There was some wind but not nearly as bad as we have experienced in recent training runs. We were pretty far back in the field as we emerged from the mile long porta potty lines so the first mile was mainly about dodging walkers and run/walkers. The race went smooth after that and the sun was coming up by the time we hit mile 4. The course is quite scenic and familiar so the miles clicked by. I tried a new drink mix made by Infinti. You can have your own blend made and name it. My is called Seabiscuit fuel. I mixed in a concentrated form for about 300 kcal in a 10z flask. It is a mix of cho and a little protein and essential amino acids. There are also added electrolytes. I squirted a small amount into a cup of water at every other aide station. It seemed to work well. No cramping or GI issues. I finished in 2:02 which was 37/154 in my age group so not too bad. I felt good and could have gone a few more at that pace. The Joules came in in succession all smiling ready for breakfast. Off to the Egg and I we went to enjoy our post race celebration. A great day to be a runner in Florida.

Gasparilla Relay Marathon

2010-03-01T17:09:00.000-08:00

February 28 was the final voyage of the Gasparilla Marathon. They site not enough entrants into the marathon as the reason. They needed at least 4000 to continue. It is hard to believe that a marathon as well run as Gasparilla could not make it. A fast, flat Boston Qualifier in a nice winter climate city with an international airport could not attract the numbers.
Nevertheless, the day was perfect with respect to temperature and sunshine. I saw a few complaints about the finishing headwind but really it was nothing compared to weather we have been having this winter. Team Joule was ready to go more or less. Addie was elected to go first with a seven mile leg. We gave her three weeks warning after basketball season finished. We didn't tell her it would be in the dark as the marathon starts at 6am. (she is afraid of the dark)
As for the rest of the Joules the plan was for us to run together the last 19 miles as a training run passing the torch as we crossed the check points. Meanwhile, Rom developed an Achilles problem pretty much like I had last year and an upper respiratory tract infection the week before. He finally decided to settle for running the last 12 and was definite about running the park 8 loop to get revenge for last years wrong turn. The day before it was decided we would do this as a training run. Not for time or speed. Yeah right. Carol always blames me for dragging her but it is not true. She is dragged by shear determination and grit that never slows.
Race morning we sent Joule 1-Addie off in the dark. Mistake number one- we went to Starbucks the hour before we ran. Coffee and a granola bar. Off we go to meet Addie. She finished strong and smiling. It was her first experience in the crowds of a marathon start as a competitor and she loved the excitement. Carol and I took off happy to get warmed up in the low 40s F temperatures. We took off-fast. Our usually long run pace is 11 to 11:15 min miles for our training runs. My last marathon pace was 10:36. We were running 9:30 to 10 min miles. Carol was leading. We slowed to 10:15 to 10:30 but in the end averaged about 10:30. This was not so good in the end for Carol who started having some GI issues about mile 8 which got worse about mile 12. We met Rom anxiously waiting at mile 14 ready to go. We kept that pace until about mile 12 which called for a bathroom break for the both of us. Rom went ahead afraid that his Achilles would lock up. My stomach was rumbling and I was afraid to take much in the way of gel for fear I would stir things up. I was carrying a flask of heed that was mixed a little strong which did not help. I decided to stick with the water. I did take some amino acid tablets and endurlytes. They eventually kicked in and I was able to pick up the pace at a mile 13 to 14 and took the band from Rom four the last 4 miles. Addie met me to run the last .25mile and we crossed at 4:45. Carol and Rom were about 10minutes back and finished strong.
The post race party was one of the best with food from Columbias and Mich Ultra. We sat in the sun and planned our next run. A great day to be a Joule.
I think that was my last coffee before a marathon. Also, I am going back to the strict rule of eating 2 hours or more before the start. I think the Heed is ok. The endurlytes and amino acids definitely. Not sure about the gels Still a work in progress.
We have the Sarasota half marathon in two weeks as our next run. I plan to race that run if all is well. We hope to get 2 more twenty milers in if possible before Boston. I wore Glycerin 7s for this run. I think I will were the Launches for the half and possibly for Boston.

Boston Marathon Training

2010-02-11T16:07:00.000-08:00

I calculated the big hills starting at mile 16 on the Boston course. The first is .25 miles at 2.5% grade. There is a .5 mile hill at 2%grade and heart break is 2.3 percent for .75 miles. So I plan to start my hill repeats during the week as well as continuing the Punta Gorda Bridge in the long runs and adding the Ringling Bridge in Sarasota as additional training.
We are doing the Sarasota half marathon which incorporates the Ringling Bridge. I would guess the Ringling Bridge is about a .4mile climb pretty steep so it should provide good training.
In addition I am incorporating leg strength training once a week with single leg lunges, reverse lunges. forward lunges, and squats.
Only time will tell how it all pans out. This week a 20 mile run in Punta Gorda

Training runs/races and winter running

2010-01-31T11:15:00.000-08:00

We have completed two races in so far in 2010. The first was the Sarasota Ringling Bridge run. There were 1573 finishers for the 4 mile run. It was very congested in the early miles but a great run over the bridge on a cool January morning in the fifties. My time was 34:32 about 15 sec slower than last year. I am going to attribute it to little speed work and a very slow first mile secondary to congestion. We followed this with a 10 mile training run the next day. This week we did the Hands across the Harbor 8K in Punta Gorda. Time 43:45 . It was very windy on the return trip across the Peace River Bridge but overall a nice day to run. There were only 83 runners and 9 in my age group. I won my age group thanks to Leah D winning overall masters. She usually beats me in the age group. Today we did a 15 mile long run at a slow pace. It was cool and windy in the fifties. It seems we have had more cool runs this year than last year.
My treadmill broke so I have been running outside at 6 am with my running buddies. It is really nice running with them and the sunrise is very pretty. However, there is not much spare time before work so speed work and increased mileage is more difficult.
We are still experimenting with the raw diet. The granola is good. Getting good a smoothies for breakfast. Tried corn chowder made with walnuts, corn, and olive oil this week. Pretty good. I think there are many benefits so far. I had a banana/almond milk smoothie and granola prerun and did well.

Raw vs Julia : your genes win

2010-01-06T10:26:00.000-08:00

I have no doubt that eating a raw plant based diet has health benefits. The nutritional benefits of eating a wide variety of vegetables and nuts are clear. There are some drawbacks of course. It is very difficult to go out to eat and find something besides a green salad, which means you need to eat before or after you go out. If non raw friends find out they will be afraid to have you for dinner or stress out trying to prepare you something special. The prep time requires you to plan ahead for things that need to be sprouted and dehydrated. I do not get the purpose of making raw substitutes for dishes that do not exist like pasta or bread. I do feel from my personal attempts so far to eat fairly raw that I did digest things well without bloating (except for the raw broccoli) and was very satisfied and not hungry.
I am not a huge cream fan and actually do not tolerate it well alone. But Julia Child's movie did inspire me to look more closely at some of the recipes. Butter makes everything better. Cream and gravies. Beef and pork. Sauteed vegetables. Potatoes. Of course the prep time for good French cooking can be extensive. I think the main thing with French cooking is portion size. If one were to consume the traditional American portions, the caloric intake would become a significant problem.
This does not even bring into other favorite ethnic foods such as pastas and breads.
So what to do.
One argument I read for the raw diet was that humans were the only ones to heat their food so it must not be necessary and domesticated animals get similar diseases as humans. To my knowledge wild animals do not live as long as humans. Julia Child and her husband, as well as a lot of French, live quite l0ng and productive lives eating cooked food with all the bad things we were not meant to eat. We all know people that developed diseases young and those who lived to be very old eating a horrible diet. I have definitely seen people and been one of them that drops weight and cholesterol with a vegan diet. I have also seen overweight vegetarians who consume a lot of dairy and sugar. I have never seen a study comparing cooked vs. raw so it is hard to say that a cooked vegan organic diet is worse than raw.
The answer: check your risk factors. If everyone in your family lives to be 100 you can probably live on donuts. If your relatives die young of cancer or heart disease you would be better off with more of a raw diet. I also think the French diet that Julia Child writes about is much different than the antibiotic, pesticide, poorly fed plants and animals we consume today. So again, we are probably better off leaning more toward the plant based diet with organic ingredients. That said the words of Julia are still pertinent. Eat small portions and don't snack.
My plan is to eat mainly vegan (cooked and raw) with a little of Julia and Nuni thrown in there. Keep the portions controlled and run until I cannot.

Happy New Year 2010

2010-01-01T17:24:00.001-08:00

2010 begins today. Last year I fininshe 1486 miles. The goal will be more for this year. The first run this year will be on the treadmill since it is raining so hard hear in Florida. Boston Marathon training officially begins. Will start increasing the base from the low 30s trying to peak in the fifties again. Need to get back to the weight lifting two days a week. Will focus on stability training with this.
On the road to Boston I plan to run a 4 mile Bridge run in Sarasota, the Gasparilla relay, the Sarasota half marathon and a few scattered 5ks perhaps.
I think I will stay with a more basic shoe such as the Brooks launch as opposed to more cushioned shoes. I think less is probably more with the shoes. Core stability with push ups, squats, stability ball exercises and planks will be a big focus. I will get back to healthy eating from this Christmas hiatus.
As for the diet plans, I think I will be searching for middle ground. I would like to eat as clean and organic as possible. More plant based. A good portion raw. Minimal processed foods. I will also add a few special dishes at night be it Italian or something from the Julia Childs cookbook.
The priority is to maintain small portions of the bad stuff.

Porsche in the Park

2009-12-14T04:05:00.001-08:00

A great way to relax on a Saturday. Five Porsches rangeing in age gathered to convoy up to a great day in St. Armands Circle for Porsche in the Park. A beautiful sunny day in southwest Florida was the setting for a great day visiting with friends while wondering around every age, model and style of Porsche you could imagine. Perhaps the most fun was the drive up trading places in line along Interstate 75.
Yes there was an 11 mile run on Sunday to maintain the base building phase on the next marathon cycle.

To be raw

2009-12-07T16:43:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is over. Post Dublin Marathon rest is over. Christmas is coming and a new marathon training program begins. Trying to up my mileage back into the thirties before January so I can spring into good training. We did an easy 10 miler this weekend on a cool morning here in S.Florida at 52 degrees F. I would really like to be in great shape for Boston. I have been experimenting with raw foods/diet. In that I have bought a few books and a dehydrator. I already have a Vitamix and a juicer. The concept is good in that by heating food the natural enzymes are lost and our ability to absorb them decreases. In addition one decreases the chemical exposure to a large degree from processed food. I was vegan for about 2 years and then gradually gave into the pressures of my environment. I think I felt better vegan but it is hard to socialize in a carnivore world. This raw diet takes that problem to a new level. My thought is to eat raw during the day and have a cooked dinner with family at night. That way I can still have a family. They are supportive but too a point. The other problem is the prep time. The soaking of the nuts and seeds followed by dehydration is time consuming. Add cleaning the stinking juicer and I do not have time for my day job which is needed to by all the produce the process, juice, chop and marinate.
It will take some time to get organized. I have converted my junk cabinet into a nut cabinet. I have added nuts and a fruit smoothie to breakfast. More veges at lunch and juicing on the weekends. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-22T15:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving

Lots to be thankful for this year. Family and animals all healthy. My daughter's college applications are in the mail. My practice is still busy and my staff is healthy and still doing a great job after 10 years in private practice. I finished the Dublin marathon without injury and a good time.
We are about to kick off training for the next spring marathon. It will probably be Boston through the American Medical Athletic Association. A good chunk of the fee goes to local charities with the rest going to a medical meeting. I have a little reservation not qualifying but am resolved to have a near qualifying time during the race. My training partners are from Boston and look forward to running on home turf with friends and family watching so it will be a great time. I am going to start the mileage increase adding hills early with long tempos. This weekend we did an easy 10 without problems. We are off to West Virginia for Thanksgiving and I will get to run my favorite hill run on Bacon Run road. We will also run along the Monongahalia river on the rails to trails path in Morgantown.

Great Weekend of Running

2009-11-08T13:11:00.001-08:00

Never before have I ran a race within a month of a marathon. Less than two weeks after Dublin, I did a 10K on Saturday and a 5K on Sunday. Saturday was the Harbor Run in Punta Gorda on our usual training route. There was a 5k, 10K and fun walk with good local participation. It was quite fun to run in nice temperatures in the 70s with fellow running pals. The Joules made a good showing with Tom wining his age group and Carol and I taking second in ours. Today we went a little southwest to Englewood Beach to run the Kiwanis Veterans 5K. Again, the Joules were on with 2 first place age group finishes and a close second. The weather again was great on a known course. I even PRed at 26:25.
I guess finishing the marathon without the death shuffle allowed a quicker recovery. I am looking forward to more training and a spring marathon.

Dublin Marathon Race Report

2009-10-31T13:48:00.000-07:00

Finally, a marathon without stupid human tricks. I have said many times before that I am going to run a smart race only to bullet out of the start to crash and burn and drag myself to 26.2 using the death shuffle. Not this time.
We took 6 people to Ireland including 3 runners. I watched the weather forecasts daily for the two weeks up to the marathon. After training in 85 degree weather, the anticipated cool temperatures were going to be welcomed. However, with past bonking experiences, I know how cold the death march can be if dressed inappropriately. The dilemma was to dress for the bonk or not. When we arrived in Ireland, we quickly learned that forecasting weather there was a bit of a joke. Each day it was sunny, windy, rainy, gusty, cold and warm for variable amounts of time. Only the duration was in question. By the grace of God the day of the marathon was perfect for us Floridians. 55F and mildly sunny.
I wore light Capri's and a light long sleeve running top. My shoes were Brooks Launch with Injini toe socks. I carried a gel flask with 5 scoops of orange Perpetuem mixed with minimal water, a 20oz water bottle and 3 Hammer gels. I finished with 1/4 of the Perpetuem left and 1 gel left.
There were 12,700 runners. We lined up in the 4:30 and over shoot so it took a while to get to the start. That was fine given my history of rocket starts. It was slow in the beginning secondary to crowds, run/walkers and narrow street combination. During the first 5 miles there were intermittent slowdowns and surges. I tried to not zigzag and I watched not to surge beyond a controlled HR of 158bpm. I had determined on long training runs that HRs greater than 160 or so would put me close to lactate threshold. The high 150s would be a potential danger zone. My Garmin was ahead about .2mi so I was off on splits a lot but seemed to be holding about 10:30 seven miles. I hit the half at 2:20 feeling good. I called to family at the finish to let them know all was well. At mile 17 felt a little belly rumbling so I backed down on the Perpetuem and water amounts. I checked in with Carol and Tom who were behind me doing a 2:1 run walk They were also doing well. I kept the frequency constant taking Perpetuem every 20 minutes in the form of sips with 3 sips of water. Mile 17 to 19 was a downhill grade that felt great. I kept waiting for the wall but still felt good. I was also anticipating a big hill at mile 20 but it turned out not to be too bad. I knew when I reached the University of Dublin, it was just a run into town. I started to feel a little confident that this might just be my day. When I hit the expo building mark I got excited because we had walked there from the hotel two days before and it was a nice walk. I was able to start pushing the pace a little and still felt good. As we came into town the crowds and noise grew. It was great to see Addie, Cathy and Howard at mile 25 felling good and pushing. They made it back to the finish as I was able to kick in at 4:36, a PR tie.
My two running partners were spectacular or brilliant as the Irish would say. They took videos and pictures and they ran/walked to a first marathon time. They finished holding hands despite many injuries along the training period. They are the definition of what a positive attitude and motivation can accomplish. Hats off to TEAM JOULE for a great marathon voyage.
The crowds were great. The organization also great. The coarse was a nice variety of rolling hills. The weather was spectacular. Dublin was a great destination race. Thanks to all the Irish for being so hospitable and friendly. It is truly a great country.

One week left until Dublin Marathon

2009-10-18T17:42:00.000-07:00

What a perfect Sunday run. Last longish run for the DCM training. A 10 miler through the usual course with the 4 Joules. The weather finally broke. A cool wind from the west blew in and the morning temperature was 52F. A good day to try out the marathon outfit as the temperature should be similar. I wore Mizuno running capris, a long sleeve top and my Steelers Breast cancer awareness hat. Going to go with the Brooks Launch shoes and Iniji toe socks or smartwool if raining. The wind was gusting but felt great after the long runs in the 80s. We ran a variable pace. Some walk/run with Carol who is nursing an injury. Some pick ups with Addie who is in the middle of xc season and a strong finish sub 8 min pace.
The plan is to go out easy at 10:30 and work my way to 10 min pace. If I feel good and HR stays sub 150 will try to push things in the second half. I feel well trained but who knows what is in store for the big day. So we will say a little prayer and do the best we can and enjoy all that Ireland has to offer. It has been great fun training with a couple of good friends this go around. Hopefully, the best is yet to come.

World Wide Festival of Race-Half marathon

2009-10-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

I ran my WWFR half marathon today in a time of 2 hours and 14 minutes. Not a pr but that was not the purpose. The WWFR is a virtual race with over 1000 runners across the world participating today or tomorrow running a 5K, 10K or half marathon. It was the brain child of SteveRunner of Phiddepidations and a few other podcasters. The idea is to get people involved in running and to demonstrate just how small the world is. Since I began listening to podcasts, I feel as though I run with my virtural friends each morning and take them along on my long runs. Some of my current favorites are Running in the Center of the Universe, RunRunLive, RunDigger Run, DirtDawg rambling diatribes, Runners roundtable, Quadrathon, and Veganrunning Mom and amilewithme. All have a little something different to say and do not require a lot of concentration to appreciated.
Today my loop began in the Ponce de Leon Park in Punta Gorda, Florida. It was 78F in the beginning and was in the 80s by my finish. I did the first 6 at marathon pace and then slowed for the next 5 and then increased to submarathon pace. My HR climbed into the low 160s by the end which would be a bad sign if running the marathon. I think I would have started to slow significantly after 18. I am hoping this is secondary to the heat and humidity. All in all I felt strong so I am hoping that the marathon in a little over 2 weeks will be good especially if running in 50F temperatures.

Last long run

2009-10-04T16:46:00.000-07:00

My last 20 miler is in the logbook. I am pleased to say it went very well. I did 6 miles on the treadmill before it got light to help beat the heat. As before, I do not feel comfortable running in the dark anymore. I then did the next fourteen in Punta Gorda. I ate nothing before since I started at 5:30 am and had dinner late Saturday night. At twenty minute intervals I took sips of Hammer Propetuem concentrated into a paste from the gel flask. I had some left over so I think it will take me the 26.2miles. I will carry a couple of Hammer Gels for back up during the marathon in case something happens. I drank water every 10 minutes or so. I took endurlytes every hour to 45 minutes. While I was running, I listened to podcasts. Brandon's podcast suggested that electrolyte depletion may cause feet pain. I think he has something. At 16 miles I increased the endurlytes and had very little feet discomfort. After the run I had a Revoverite drink and all is well.
Now I will enter the taper period where I will lower the mileage and increase the speed work some. My nutrition plan is good. I now will watch the weather to see what my final clothes will be. I think I will use my waist pak that holds a gel flask and water bottle.

Beating the heat

2009-09-27T10:38:00.001-07:00

Another week of training logged. Long run today was 17 miles. I started on the treadmill at 5:30 am to get 5.5 miles in before going out in the heat. I do not like to run in the dark for safety reasons. I did not eat before running and started taking in Perpetuem as a paste at 20 minute intervals. I only used water for hydration. I did take an Endurlyte capsule each hour. I had no nausea and my legs felt good. I had a couple of fatigue type episodes near the end. I think I may need to take in a little more paste. I mixed five scoops into 1.5 gel flasks and had about 4 servings left.

Training update

2009-09-21T15:06:00.000-07:00

Finished a 20 miler Sunday. Conditions hot and humid. 78F to start at 6:30 am and 89 F at 10:55 am. I can tell just how hot it is by what time my shorts are soaked. If it is around 8 miles into the run I am in trouble. There was a little breeze earlier that gave me a little hope and a few clouds helped as well.
Today I tried a new nutrition routine. As I read in a booklet put out by hammer nutrition they recommend not eating within 3 hours of an endurance event lasting more than 2 hours. So I had a gel at 3 am with water and went back to sleep. I started running at 6:45am and started taking Hammer Perpetuem every 10 minutes which was a couple of swallows and a Hammer gel small serving every 20 minutes. I noticed early that I had no muscle fatigue at the 8-9 mile mark where I usually feel the need for nutrition. Even mile 16 and 17 legs still good. I was just getting hot despite adding another fluid bottle with a MotorTab in it. I finished with total body weakness and some dizziness but no leg fatigue. I was also nauseated. This passed after a coke slushy, ice tea and water. Then I was fine so I think it was more dehydration and elevated core temp more than anything. Today, I feel fine. I also took an Endurlyte capsule every hour for a total of 3. I think these made me a little nauseated as well because I had a wave of nausea about 30min after swallowing them.
I think I will stick with the pre race fast of 3 hours. I may alternate Heed and Perpetuem. I am going to forgo the Endurlytes next run.

Got to love your socks

2009-09-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

Running is thought to be a minimalist sport. Shoes, socks, shorts and and a shirt and out the door. Things are not quite that simple. Take socks. There are running forums talking about gear. Podcasts questions about gear. And of course blogs about gear. No one has ever died from a blister while running, but they are a aggravating. That little nagging pain on your toe or arch that pounds with each step. Not so bad for 3 miles but 26 or 50, nasty. Is it the shoes or the socks. Buy big shoes to prevent toenail loss and get blisters. Deadly combination is bodyglide to the feet and shoes that are too big. What if it rains? I always defer to the ultra guys. They know the tricks from bodyglide to the feet to duct tape. I started with Thorlors which are wicking but thick. My thought was more padding for the long run. However, they can cramp the toes leading to toenail loss-my theory. This marathon training period I have rotated Ascics L and R socks, Balega, Smartwool, and Injini. All have been good and the thinness has not been a problem as far as cushioning. For running in the rain I think I will go with the Smartwool as they seem to hold less water. I have used the duct tape over a blister and it does work. It is taking the tape off your feet that is the issue.
It is great to interact with runners but the sport is not that simple.

Weekly Running Highlights

2009-09-09T07:42:00.000-07:00

Finally, I completed my longest run so far during this marathon training period of 19.5 miles. It was a little less humid and I hydrated a little better before. It was slow but I ran the whole thing. Just needed to get over the mental hump of 19 miles. Now, I will focus a little more on pace as the heat allows. I could see my heart rate starting to climb at the end mainly due to the heat. I used the Hammer produce Heed and Motor Tabs for my sports drink and Hammer banana gel. I also took 3 Endurlyte capsules during the last 2 hours. Not sure if I liked them or not. After the run I drank my usual Coke Icie which is just for the cold rush then a Recoverite drink. I did not have any soreness the next day so I think there may be something to the recovery drink.
We ran the GT Bray 5K on Labor Day which is a local open 5K to open the XC season. The high school teams run as well as the usual locals, coaches and parents. It is a fun event. Since it was the second day after my long run I took it easy and gradually increased my pace at the end. It was more of a tempo run than a race for me I guess. I finished 27:38 which was ok given my race plan. The weather was warm but not too humid. The course is part pavement and part dirt trail through the park. A nice change for a road runner. They had about 430 runners so it was a nice crowd. The finish is along a tree lined dirt trail in the park which allows a lot of opportunity to cheer for runners as they come to the last .1 mile.
I have been watching the weather in Ireland and have ordered running Capris and a rain jacket. Maybe that will insure a sunny day for the race. Gradually getting my gear together and determining which equipment will make the trip.

Running in the rain

2009-08-29T16:28:00.001-07:00

Summer and early fall in Florida is the rainy season. Typically, afternoon rains that are short lived. One might think this would be an excellent time to run and enjoy a brief reprieve from the heat. However, lightening and thunder often accompany these rains. Lightening strikes are very common in Florida and result in several fatalities at year. Therefore, the experienced Floridian takes shelter during these potentially cooling rains.
Today, I ran with my daughter's XC team in Sarasota. The sunrise was accompanied my clouds and rain. We waited til the early storms passed and then went out for the weekly bridge run. It didn't take long for the clouds to find us and periods of rain were strong. The thunder held off until the end and we managed to complete the distance.
Running in the rain does provide an opportunity to test equipment to be used in the marathon. Cloths typically do not cause a problem until at least 15 miles. I have found that SmartWool socks can take a soaking and not leave blisters. Carrying my cellphone in a baggy placed in my waist pouch also helps to keep it dry. During this part of my marathon training I start to decide what clothes I will wear in the marathon. It will certainly be a lot cooler in Ireland, but I am able to decide what rubs an doesn't at this point. Tomorrow is a 20 miler so I will test a new hydration pak with a gel flask for the first time in a while. I am leaning toward the Hammer gels at this stage. I am using a combination of Accelerade and Motortabs for hydration.

This week in training

2009-08-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

Another week in the logbook. 49 miles total. Two speed workouts. The first was 1.5 mile at race pace followed by bridge run. The second more intense was 4 x 1mi repeats at max 8:48. I continue with push-ups and pull-ups and single leg squats as strength supplementation. Mainly, planks for core. On Sunday's long run of 16 miles, I tested two things one not planned. The not planned test was the effectiveness of smart wool socks in the rain. I experienced 4 separate rains during my 3 hr run. One was a foot soaking down pour at mile 8. No blisters from the smart wool so I think they will be going to Dublin. I did a 5:1 run walk program today. I improved my average pace from 11:38 to 11:21. The last long run i did 4:1 run walk after 8 miles of straight running. The pace for the first 8 was similar on both days. I did slow after 10 miles today. I am not sure why. My HR did get into the 150s in the first 8 but not significantly.

Alternative Boston Marathon Training

2009-08-23T11:00:00.001-07:00

Going to get these guys to go to Dublin right Rom

Weekend of Sunny Runs

2009-08-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

Saturday's 6.2 mile run was in Sarasota running across the Ringling Bridge and around the marina. Pictured above is a view from the marina park looking over the bay. The weather was great for August in Florida. Low humidity and a nice breeze. Sunday we ran in Punta Gorda. I added two speed work days this week as well. Tuesday was short bursts of 40 seconds hard with 30 seconds easy for 15 times. Thursday did 3min hard and 2 minutes easy repeating 6 times. On my 18 mile long run Sunday we ran the first 8 straight and then I went to 4:1 minute walk run ratio. That seemed to work well getting me over the 18 mile hump. I am trying to talk myself into the walk run method for the Dublin Marathon. I have heard a lot of great reports from people using this method.

Marathon Training Continues

2009-08-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

Week 4 started with a 14.6 mile run with the Dublin training team in part. Carol walked 3mi while nursing a leg/back injury. Addie ran 11 and Tom and I finished the rest. Slow pace at 10:47mi/min pace. Temp was in the 80s by the time we finished. Monday was a rest day. Today a little introduction to VO2 max training with 30sec hard with 30 sec. easy. for 15 reps. for total am mileage of 3miles. A pm run included a couple of hill repeats of a quarter mile since lightening kept us from the bridge run for a total of 5.5 miles. Easy run Wednesday. Going to the beach for a long weekend beginning Thursday so will be doing some beach runs. My goal this week is also to add another mile to my Vibram five finger running for total of 3miles.

Week 3 of a 16 week marathon training program

2009-07-26T13:14:00.000-07:00

I finished 46.9 miles this week. Should have logged another tenth to make it even. Didn't notice at the time. I feel pretty good so far. I have been running mostly at a slow pace between 10:30 and 11:00 minute miles. My longest run has been 15 miles. We have been running the Punta Gorda Bridge on some days which is 1.4 miles long with a moderate grad as a hill workout of sorts. I have done some 2 minute accelerations on treadmill days but again not pushing too much yet. I am concentrating on more of a mid foot landing so this is taking some adjustment but my calves are no longer sore. I think my knees feel better as well. My plan is to get used to the mileage then start to push the speed a little. Since this is an overseas marathon and I really don't want to injure out so I need to be conservative on the training. I have also been trying to run a mile now and then in my Vibram Five Finger shoes to help strengthen my feet.
I will continue my weight training which is mainly body weight based. Push-ups, planks, birddogs, lunges, squats and pull ups. I

Vibram Five Fingers

2009-07-13T15:47:00.000-07:00

Got my Vibram Five Fingers today. Took them for a short trot around the block. The felt amazingly good and free. Hope to begin using them a little each day gradually building up. I hope they allow me to develop a more midfoot strike and decrease injuries.

Dublin Marathon training has begun

2009-07-12T13:53:00.001-07:00

It is official. I have signed up for the Dublin Marathon in October. My training has started. Ran 13 miles today. Weeks mileage up to 37 miles. Taking suggestions from both Daniels and Pfizigers programs for an 18 week program. Will keep the P90x program in the mix as well as incorporating some barefoot running. I really became a believer in the benefits of barefoot running after reading "Born to Run". Fantastic book. Getting the long runs in before the Florida heat gets to bad will be one of the major challenges. Today I felt great but we ran pretty slow. I have been concentrating on form over speed and it seems to be working already with the near absence of knee pain.

Happy Fourth of July

2009-07-04T19:18:00.000-07:00

A great day to be an American. About 250 runners showed up to North Port's second annual Firecraker 5K. It was a steamy morning in Florida already in the 80s F at 7:30 am. The course was out and back in a residential neighborhood starting from Dallas White Park. My time was slower than usual but fast enough to get second place in my age division. Addie did a personal best for the summer although she was unhappy to be behind me. I think this will be the last race finishing in that order given her steady improvement and my stagnation.
The rest of the day was great ending with a traditional barbecue with friends and family. The fireworks were great again at Boca Grande.

2009-07-02T16:04:00.000-07:00

The last leg of our vacation was West By God Virginia or Morgantown, WV. The park is a rails to trails along the Monongahalia River. A beautiful place to run along the river and by the West Virginia University Aboretum. We took another run across the line in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania up a country road called Bacon run. Deer and wild turkey can always be spotted along the way. It is also a huge hill workout. The weather was mild in the sixties Farhanheit. This a a great change from the Florida humidity. Nothing beats going back to the place you grew up to run by so many fond places were great memories were made.

Next stop Washington, DC

2009-06-29T16:10:00.000-07:00

The next stop on our college tour was Washington,DC. We visited Catholic University, American University, George Washington University and Georgetown University. We stayed at the Hyatt by the Capitol allowing a great run to the Capital Building and Washington Monument. All of the schools offered great opportunities. Of the DC schools Addie's favorites were American and George Washington.
We also had a great visit with our friend Sally making the trip complete.
The scary part of the trip was the redline train crash north of Catholic University. Friends and family out of town called to check on us before we new the accident had occurred. Luckily we were not involved but our sympathies go out to the families who lost loved ones in the event.

Vacation to Nashville

2009-06-28T17:41:00.000-07:00

Our summer vacation to Nashville, Tennessee was to visit Vanderbilt University for a college tour for Addie. People in Nashville are extremely friendly. I must say as a whole one of the friendliest places I have visited. Vanderbilt is beautiful and has offers great opportunities for it's students.
We toured the Country music hall of fame and stumbled on tickets to the CMA festival concert. Again the environment was extremely friendly. The music was fantastic and a great treat for Addie. Some of her favorite stars were there. We ran in the local park with our dog, Lexi. She loved sharing a Starbucks with us after the run.
Pictured is a replica of the Parthenon.

Denise Amber Lee 5k

2009-06-06T14:04:00.000-07:00

The Denise Amber Lee 5K was held at Englewood Beach on the same route as the county line run. The proceeds of this run went to the DeniseAmberLee foundation to raise awareness and support education of the 911 system. Denise was a young mother of two boys who was abducted from her home in North Port in broad daylight who was assaulted and killed. The tragedy was that there were several 911 calls made by her and others who witness what they correctly identified a women in distress and the dispatch system failed. Her husband and family have formed the foundation in her honor to try to educate and prevent further tragedies.
There was a fair turnout for the race despite a brewing thunderstorm all morning. The race went off under good conditions except for a little welcomed wind. The rains, thunder and lightning came quickly as the last finishers were crossing. The Joules were missing one today. Addie had SATs so we had to excuse her. Carol has been battling sinusitis and bronchitis but was there for a strong race to the finish placing second in her age. Tom(rom) finished first in his age group beating his latest pr by 30sec. and I finished first in my age group despite a little slower time.
The Port Charlotte Zoomers running club managed the event and did a stellar job despite the weather and last minute need to assume greater responsibility for the event than just race day organization. Hats off to Bob Geyer and his team for another event well done. The Zoomers is a small running club but organizes and helps run many local 5ks.

http://www.zoomersrun.com/

Bad Guys

2009-06-04T16:24:00.000-07:00

Well I was running before daylight the last couple of weeks to avoid the heat. Same loop I do in the light just 30 min or so before daylight. I have to admit I was a little squeamish in the dark. I carry a light and added pepper spray to my gear this week. The last couple of days running slightly later because my daughter is now out of school. This am while running a truck waited for me and a man opened his door and offer me to get in. I took off and when safely out of range called 911. Gave the police a description and made my way home as fast as I could. Unfortunately, he was between me and the way home so I had to take the long way. The officer later told me the street I had deemed safe in fact was not. A search of sexual predators in the near region yielded 85.
Needless to say I am very disturbed. I will now need to change my route and time. No longer going to run in the dark. A self defense course is in my near future at least. It is a shame that law abiding citizens have to hide behind there gates and alarms while the bad guys roam freely. I am quite thankful for the quick response of the local police but realize their task is daunting. I love the sense of freedom running outside and hate the fact that that is being taken away to a significant extent. We do not have a trail in my town that is safe to run on and many of the roads are either unsafe or have no sidewalks. I wish there was something that could be done to improve the safety of our streets.

Homemade Energy Bars

2009-05-31T07:12:00.000-07:00

I came across a couple of sites showing how to make your own protein bars so I thought I would give it a try. I have been looking for a snack protein bar that is more protein and less sugar, but I do not like all the fat. Before my long runs I struggle with what to eat that is easily digestible because I run very early and don't feel like getting up in the middle of the night to eat. The recipes that I tried looks like it will fit the bill.
You need 1/2 cups of rolled oats, whey protein, peanut butter and your choice of further additions. In a blender grind the oats into a powder and mix in the whey protein. Add this to a bowl containing 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Natural peanut or almond butter would be best and contain less sugar. Mix it up adding a little water to blend it into a dough of sorts. Spread it on a piece of aluminum foil and fold into bars.
You could add some chopped dried fruit or chocolate pieces for extra flavor. Different protein powder flavors will also change the taste. Not bad and you know what you have in it. No extra alcohols or supplemental fats.
Give it a try.

In search of the beachbody

2009-05-26T16:03:00.000-07:00

Addie and I started the P90x program which is a DVD series with Tony Horton. It consists of progressive daily routines of strength training mainly using your own body weight with push-up/pull-up combinations and dumbbell work. There is also a martial arts day and yoga day. It is associated with a diet plan to fit the progression. I intend to maintain my current running schedule in the am and do these workouts in the pm. I think this will be an excellent cross-training activity. It certainly works muscles not used in running and emphasizes core stability training. We are following the diet to about 70%. Cannot give up the pasta but will try to moderate. I am hoping it helps me stay injury free and improve my running speed. Only time will tell.

2009-05-25T13:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day. Thank you to all who have served in our military. I respect you greatly.

YMCA County Line 5K

2009-05-16T17:13:00.000-07:00

Today the Joules ran the YMCA county line 5K. Tom finished first in his age group and Carol and I finished third in our age group. Great fun. About 175 turned out. We joined friends for breakfast afterward. The run was along the Englewood Beach road out and back. Great sunny Florida morning.

Kettlebell training

2009-05-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

The video below show a variation of the Turkish Getup. This is a great whole body exercise that has seven distinct phases. All help improve core stability and muscle strength. Other great Kettlebell exercises include swings and power cleans. These are great cross-training exercises. I am adding these to my routine of planks and bird dogs for core stability.

Steve Cotter Kettlebell Turkish Get Up Instructional Video

2009-05-14T18:29:00.001-07:00

Siesta Key, Florida at sunset

2009-05-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

Great place to vacation and run. Just 40 miles up the road is one of the nicest beaches in the country. White soft sand and a flat packed surface. You can run the entire beach for just over 5 miles. This weekend we ran from the Palm Bay Club to the north jetty and out to the beach road for breakfast and back. Also, did a pm walk for dacquris.
Achilles is cured. Now working on getting the mileage up.

Garmin 305 is my friend

2009-05-01T08:41:00.000-07:00

I purchased a new Garmin 305 last fall as a backup to my Polar RS820 as a mileage, pace, and HR tracker. The Polar monitor is easy to see and the footpod allows good monitoring of pace. The HR band is comfortable. The footpod can be a nuisance at times with the batteries and communication with the chest strap. The Polar software is also quite good to track trends and totals. Buckeye Outdoors requires manual input from Polar devices so I though I would try sportstrack software and upload the Garmin direct. It works beautiful and you can also see the satalite images of your run. The data is just as good as the Polar except for the breakdown of HRs at various points along the way.
I have decided to try the Galloway method for my next marathon. I uploaded a workout on the Garmin to run 4min and walk 1min for the long runs. This was great and I actually ran my last run quicker with the walk breaks than running straight. Cool.

Back on the road

2009-04-28T16:05:00.000-07:00

Glad to report that I have completed my fourth day of running in a row-pain free. It is so good to be back on the road. I have lost a lot of endurance but it will come back. I have also been running in the early evening so it is getting a little hot. I will not be ready for a late spring marathon so I will turn my attention to early fall. Would love to Boston Qualify but not sure I will make it this go around. I will settle for an injury free period. I listened to the Boston Marathon race director during a podcast tonight while running. He didn't seem to enjoy his job. He seemed like a grumpy old man that did not like runners. Maybe he has been doing it too long. It certainly was not a advertisement to run the race. After hearing that I think I would like to run it once and then go on. It also sounds like they may change the qualifying times because so many people want in. He said about 20% of the field were charity runners who do not qualify. There are so many marathons, I think they could afford to have one with only qualifiers. But I suspect they don't want to turn down the money. Funny.

Regional Track Meet

2009-04-25T09:58:00.000-07:00

Nine athletes from Cardinal Mooney HS participated in the regional meet at Golden Gate HS in Naples, Florida. It was a beautiful day except for intermittent smoke from the wild fires in collier county. Jordan progressed on to the state meet by wining the pole vault with a PR of 13ft 6inches. Jillian, a freshman set a PR in the 300M hurdles but failed make the finals. Derick pictured right set a PR in the 800M but the competition was too stiff. The majority of the athletes gave their best effort and can be proud of their accomplishment this season.
Personally, I think I learned more about coaching this year and look forward to applying my teaching and motivation skills again next year.

Energy saving light bulbs?

2009-04-22T16:39:00.000-07:00

OK, I have to admit I bought some of these energy saving light bulbs tauted by the EPA as being green and energy efficient. What about the mercury we are putting into society with the potential breakage and when they do where out? What about the fact that they are made in China whereas the old fashion bulbs are harmless and made in Kentucky, USA? How about the energy in importing these bulbs via ship? I think I will continue from here on out to buy regular USA bulbs and turn them off when I am not in the room to save energy. Mercury thermometer's are taboo because of the toxicity. People only had one thermometer. How many light bulbs in a house?
Mass marketing strikes again.

Districts over but ended on a good note

2009-04-19T11:23:00.000-07:00

Just when you think you are about to give up, they surprise you. The Cardinal Mooney track team that is. Practice the week before districts was anything but fun. Kids fighting and more interested in what they don't want to run than what they can do to help the team. Track is funny in that you run for your own time but the often forgotten part is you need to score points for the team for a possible district tittle. Spring break occurred the week of District so some kids were not going to be there because of vacations or just plain disappeared. It doesn't help that parents are not supportive in teaching kids responsibility. The kids committed to track so they need to see it through. We have to send in rosters in advance which are not easily changed. Relays are best ran with kids practicing together. So kids were absent from practice, went days over break without running, and were not focused at all.
The day of the Districts the weather was cloudy and windy with tornado watches. One of the teams was late because of the weather advisory and the meet was delayed. The storm kept coming south and at 4pm the rains hit along with thunder and lightening. The event was finally postponed until Wednesday. This was fate for us because the kids were not mentally ready. We looked up in the coaches meeting and our kids were playing ultimate frisbee in the middle of the football field. The same kids too tired to run in events we asked of them. Absolutely no senior leadership. In fact they were behaving the worst of all. I lost my cool and gave a good tongue lashing about responsibility, team spirit and pride. They just looked on. When the rain came a few kids help clean up and we went home.
I was disgusted. All the effort to end like this. No body seemed to care. I came home and had a glass of wine and contemplated resigning after this year. I had failed as a motivator and coach.
Then I had a pep talk from my friend Sally. She suggested that maybe I focus more on individual personalities instead of a general message. She taught me her sales tactics of personalities and colors. Red was that of a very creative but somewhat of a stubborn individual. the kind you may lock horns with but ultimately a great asset. Blue was an individual motivated by emotion and words. Yellow individuals were very organized and did well given a task. Green were reward driven. All are needed for a team. Push the bottom to the middle and the middle will improve. So I thought might as well give it a chance. I thought about each kid and what would be there color. I had Addie and a friend make motivational posters with the words for the individuals I had come up with. I bought candy for rewards. Blue and pink PEEPs for the relays and other small candies. Meanwhile one of the seniors had sent texts to some of the kids to get fired up for Wednesday.
Wednesday came and what a difference a day makes. Kids were helping and stepping up to support the team. They cheered each other on and gave it there all. One senior ran so hard he threw up his days intake and more. Boys argued who would take his place in the final relay. The four chosen had never run together. They stood in the middle of the field pumping each other up as never before. They ran the strongest race of the 4 x 400M this entire year with each leg setting a personal best. They fell down together at the finished and gasped for air. The rest of the team cheered them on. The team huddled together for one last Cougar Pride chant. We did not place as a team at the Districts. The boys were 5th and girls 7th. Overall, the best showing of the boys for a long time. 7 athletes move on to regionals. But there is hope for Mooney track. Hope for team spirit and hope that these kids will have learned the value of hard work and the benefit of giving yourself to others.
You did good Mooney track team. I am proud.

Back on the treadmill

2009-04-10T07:02:00.000-07:00

This past week I have started running again, slowly. I started walking 4 minutes and running one, then 3 walk and 2 run, then 2 walk and three run and today 1minute walking and 4 minutes running. Today's mileage was 3.25miles. I still have tightness and a some discomfort in my Achilles insertion but it goes away during the walk breaks. It is definitely encouraging and feels great to run even if slower. I do feel the effects of the layoff but not as bad as I thought it would be. The plan is to gradually increase the mileage as long as the pain does not worsen. I have been on the treadmill all week but I think I will take it outside this weekend.
Happy Easter!

Special Olympians

2009-04-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the area Special Olympics meet. Our local athletes competed very well and set personal bests in several events. Trevor ran a 1:03 400M dash and threw the discus 36feet. Richard proudly ran in the Torch relay. We had a 4 x100 M team. Anna did a 400M wheel chair race and could have gone on and on. Erin demonstrated perfect discus form despite being less than 5 feet tall. Many other athletes did great as well. There next step will be to the state games in Disney World in May. These athletes compete with all of their heart and sole without complaints or requests. They compete every time to the best of their ability. They are happy for their fellow athlete and cheer vigorously for their teammates and the achievements of others. There kindness and sincerity is to be admired. I was glad to help with the event by coaching and cheering. I salute these athletes and look forward to watching them compete in future events.
I would encourage anyone to help these athletes in anyway that they can for they truly compete for the love of the games.

Ok I will cross train

2009-03-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

Well week 6 and still not cured. Actually tried to jog a a little over the last few days but the discomfort increased and I was afraid to make things worse. Have started swimming again and biking. Still doing PT with ultrasound and deep tissue massage. Hopefully, getting close. Listening to running podcasts while driving makes me more anxious to run. Starting to think about a summer sprint triathalon if I cannot get in marathon shape by June.
Track season peaking with Districts in two weeks. Four boys informed me today they would not be there because of Spring Break travel. Such dedication is just what I need right now. I wonder when they look back on there high school years if they will have regrets? Oh well, we will go with what we have left, not that that is a lot. We can barely cover the events. I am sure things will work out in the end. Off to the kettlebell workout.

Achilles Heel

2009-03-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

Have not posted recently secondary my lack of running and prolonged injury. Fine then not fine. It seems whatever the injury 4-6weeks is needed to fix it. This time Achilles tendon inflammation and a possible bone bruise. I walked as soon as I developed pain but it did not seem to help. Motrin, and ice and no running. Steroid injection along side the tendon. Now ultrasound. Gradually, getting better but so slow. I probably made it worse running that leg in the relay but it was worth it. Finally, today I gave in and biked. I had hoped a few weeks of rest and I would be back running. Being on my feet coaching probably does not aid much either but that too is not an option. So I wait. I have still been doing my core stuff and some dead lifts which don't seem to affect my foot. I have completed week four of rest. Maybe I will get lucky and not need week six.

Gasparilla Marathon Relay

2009-03-02T03:57:00.000-08:00

If you have not done one, try one. What a great time. You get to be in the marathon crowd, cheer on your teammates, see part of the marathon and participate in a team effort.
Our team was the 4 Joules because of the electricity we have shared with friends-long story. The plan was for a fun run no pressure. What you don't think about is that a team has the potential for injuries that affects the whole team. Our efforts were strong. Thoughts of Pr's were looming. Then one teammate had a piriformis issue. Next member a cold on race week. Next member Achilles tendinitis(me) and the last fell over the hurdles in track practice leaving her with a banged knee. So far, so good. Not too big of a problem because this team was part of the medical community with resources. Antibiotics were started. Antiinflamatories and icing was initiated. Still problems loomed. I was MRI ed and had my ankle injected with steroids (not the a-rod type, the old lady type) and wrapped and unwrapped. Still the day before limping was obvious with simple walking. Getting around the expo took effort. My leg was to be the 8mile leg. Luckily the TEAM stepped up and insisted the order be rearranged. Not quite legal but necessary for survival. Plus we were not contenders for the prizes anyway. So I was moved to the 4.2 mile clean-up leg, my daughter who fell over the hurdles and last long run was 3 weeks ago at 4miles took the 7mile leg and Tom took the 8mile leg. Carol with her ailing hip stayed the course in the 7mile lead off leg.
The morning of the race it was windy and rain and falling temperatures was predicted. We all went to the start to see Carol off. Great fun. She took off determined and we went back to the hotel for more ice and a little wait. Back to point 2 for the hand off. Carol finished strong and Addie took off confident. The wind and rain started. Intermittent gusts and downpours. We took the bus to the 3rd point. Addie finished ahead of predictions smiling and wet. Tom took off strong not fearing the extra mile. The rain and wind got heavier. The temperature fell. I was afraid to go back so I took the bus to the 4Th point to wait for Tom. It was cold and wet. My ankle was feeling the best it had so I was hopeful. I was also so cold I was determined to run hard just to warm up. I even made several trips to a port-o-let to get out of the rain. (It was out of the way and in good condition). I got the call from Tom. There was a mix-up in the park at the banana station and he went the wrong way. He was to run nearly 2miles extra to get back. He ended up with about a 10miler in pouring rain before the hand off. Luckily, we had purchased cheap ponchos the night before. I ran with mine on the last leg with rain pouring and the wind howling for the first two miles. It then let up and was just cool and windy for the remainder. It was great fun to run the last 4.2 miles of a marathon and actually enjoy and not just survive it. I could encourage others and enjoy the crowd seen. It took my mind off my gimpy ankle. I chanted the mantra that it was only a little bruise and abrasion nothing but a little discomfort that should be ignored. It worked. I kept a decent pace and was met by the other 3 Joules to run the last .2mi to the finish. We got our metals and took pictures and enjoyed the post race celebration.
I must say it was one of the most positive fun weekends and runs despite the little bumps along the way. We had a great team that pulled for each other and would not be stopped. Great fun and great stories. We plan to run more relays after everyone heals a little from this one.
Salute

Sarastota Half Marathon

2009-02-15T16:23:00.000-08:00

Good day at the races. PR of 1:58:33 and 20th in age group. Temperature at start was 65F. No wind and overcast skies made the temperature more tolerable. Felt strong on the bridge going both directions. I think the burpees, strength workouts and speed drills were the difference in time. The pace felt moderate and controlled until the last 3. Legs started feeling heavy at that point. Reality could have struggled through a few more miles at that pace but would then have fallen back.
Next up: Gasparilla Marathon Relay.

Fun day at track practice

2009-02-07T08:42:00.000-08:00

I am going to make Fridays a game or fun day if our schedule permits.
Yesterday we did two games
Frisbee relay: Two teams with a mark 60M down the lacrosse field. Each teams has a thrower. He/she launches the Frisbee and the sprinter takes off and catches and runs to the mark and returns. Team to finish tosses to all participants first wins.
Agility course: I set up various exercises along the perimeter of the lacrosse field. Each team sent one athlete at a time to complete the course. They tagged there teammate upon arriving back for and sent another. First team to finish wins. The first station was a plyometric box to jump on and off. Second; low hurdles to hop over with both feet. Third; a ladder to high knee through with a medicine ball over there head. Forth; 15M to hop on one foot between cones and an final sprint home.

2009-02-06T06:30:00.000-08:00

Completing week 2 of track season. I am working with the sprinters. It is a young but energetic team. We have been working on technique, strength and endurance. We also have Incorporated the 101 day burpee challenge to our strength training and are up to 14.

We will start the jumping events next week. I have identified a couple of guys who I think will be excellent. I would like more to try as many events as they can to get a well rounded experience.

My running is going well. I think the drills and strength training is helping me as well. The Sarasota half marathon is in one week. My mileage is in the low 40s/week so my endurance should be fine. Off to my real job for a little while.

2009-01-24T16:14:00.000-08:00

Today run the Sarasota Ringling Bridge 4 miler with my daughter, Addie. Finished 34:17 watch time and 35:07 official clock time. Felt great. Temperature at race start was 43 degrees F. with little wind. Cold for south Florida. They used chip timing but used the gun for scoring. About 2000 runners so getting to the start took a while with a lot of bunching in the early 1/4 mile. It quickly spread out when we got to the beginning of the bridge at about 1/2mi point.
Up to 13 burpees. Skipped today.
Next race Sarasota half Feb 15, 2009
Special Olympics track season started today. Glad to see all of the athletes. I help mainly with the running events. No limits and no quitting for these athletes. They are an inspiration to all.
High School track starts Monday. I wish these kids were as motivated. Nevertheless, there will be lots of good times and many good memories to come.
Salute.

Just Beginning

2009-01-10T16:27:00.000-08:00

Just starting this blogging thing. Today I ran a nice 10.4 miles at a 10 min/mi pace. It was 55 F and sunny. A great day to run.
My upcoming races are the Sarasota 4mile Bridge run, the Sarasota half marathon and then the Gasparilla marathon as a relay. This will be my first relay. Looking forward to running with friends and my daughter in the relay. We will be called the 4 Joules. This has to do with the electricity associated with cardioversion.
I am also looking forward to starting track practice at Cardinal Mooney HS. I will be coaching the sprint events this year as well as the jumps. It takes a lot of preparation to keep up with the HS wit.
I am also interested in doing a joint venture with the YMCA for cardivascular risk factor modification. I would like to focus on the 30 and 40 something crowd that has got out of shape and are developing early risk factors for heart disease