The Dreadmill

Week 3 of marathon training has begun.  That means a long run, a speed workout and a tempo run sandwiched around two cross training workouts.  I have to leave town on a business trip tomorrow, so I did  the speed workout tonight -- on the treadmill.  And we are going away this weekend to take the Official Older Daughter  off to camp, which means it is going to be hard to squeeze in the long run.  Really hard.  I was kind of thinking I would get up early and do it before work on Friday, but not sure that will work with this business trip now in the mix.

So, as I was running tonight, the solution hit me: run on a treadmill on my trip.  UGH.  17 miles on the mill.  That makes all the sense in the world, but just not sure I can do it.  Any suggestions are entirely welcome.  I have an iPod and I sure hope my hotel has a nice gym.

Below is the chart of my speed workout tonight.  It was fast, and hard and went by very, very quickly, maybe because I was dreading the next treadmill workout....

Tears of a Clown

The long run of the week was set for Saturday. Friday night we had an incredible lightning storm and rain. Thus Saturday morning was very humid, with steamy conditions on the ground with the night rain evaporating, and kind of warm, maybe 70 degrees.

The schedule called for a 15 miler at marathon pace plus 45 seconds. Thus, I set a pace for 8:40 on Garmin and decided to run. Given my calf issues from last week when I ran up and down a jillion hills, I decided to run on a relatively flat course. The only problem is that I really didn't know how to hide water, gel, etc, so I had to carry it with me for miles 5-15. That was unpleasant. Miles 1-5 was a big loop, so I put some down where I started. Then I picked up 2 bottles and headed off on the remaining 10 miles. That was a bad decision. It was like running with two hand weights. I have to come up with a better plan next time. I have run with a water belt before, but didn't really like it. I may have to revisit that, though, because I sure can't carry two bottles with me as I run.

The splits were pretty good, except for one mile. I pay attention to my pace. I watch it, and I can feel it. Mile 7-8 Garmin had me running a 9:08 mile -- about 40 seconds slower than any other mile in the route, and over a flat stretch to boot. When I saw it on my Garmin during the run, I thought that can't be right -- it must have some stoppage time built into that mile. I was also under pretty heavy tree cover, and maybe Garmin got lost. I have no idea. Has anyone ever had that happen? Garmin get lost and not interpolate the points right and thus have an oddball pace for a bit? I also looked at my path on the map created by the GPS. It was not spot on like it normally is, which gave me more credence to the idea that Garmin got lost. On the other hand....technology rarely lies...and the more likely answer is that I dreamed off and lost focus and ran a slow mile. But I remember when Garmin was showing me the mile pace and my then actual pace (it shows both) and I ran the last quarter in like 7:30 pace, even as it was telling me my mile pace was 9:30 something. And I was like -- WHAT??? But then the mile clicked over and I was back on track and pace...Oh well.

And one really bad mind trick happened -- I had my route planned out in advance, but as I came close to the end, I realized it was about 3/4 mile too short. So as I telling myself to run to the end of this loop and then home, I had to improvise and add on another 3/4 mile. That was really not pleasant. I suppose it is good mental training, but still.. when you are exasperated, ready to be done and home but know you have to add another several detours to hit the number, it just is hard.

One really big health issue developed in this run...nipple chafe. I noticed on about mile 10 red spots on my shirt. But what are you going to do at that point? I wasn't in pain, and I was five miles from home. So I pushed on and didn't really worry about it. It got worse. When I got home, Mrs. Wolve (Official wife of NY Wolve) shrieked OMG what happened? Are you OK? I was fine, even if my white shirt was covered with red spots running down the front. That running shirt (even thought it was expensive) is headed to the trash. And I'll be a little more careful about antichafe stuff before I go out. Only one blister -- on the inside of my big toe. Ran in my Gel Kayanos because I haven't run in the Lunar Trainers yet and didn't want the first run to be a 15 miler.

In the end I ended up 15.25 miles at 8:25 average pace even with that crazy, hopefully wrong, mile thrown in.

Distance Split time Pace vs avg. Elev. chg.

1.00 8:24 -00:00.47 +82
2.00 8:15 -00:09.29 +8
3.00 8:05 -00:19.13 -39
4.00 7:58 -00:25.91 -76
5.00 8:49 00:24.47 +5
6.00 8:25 00:00.25 +9
7.00 8:14 -00:10.31 +4
8.00 9:08 00:44.01 +32
9.00 8:18 -00:05.87 +5
10.00 8:47 00:22.57 +4
11.00 8:25 00:01.20 -29
12.00 8:08 -00:16.51 -10
13.00 8:24 -00:00.71 +5
14.00 8:13 -00:11.52 -21
15.00 8:31 00:06.82 +1
15.24 2:03 00:04.90 +8

Seven Traits

Tammy Runs WV tagged me to list seven traits about me.  Ok, here goes...

1.  I don't like eggs.  Can't stand them really.  Scrambled, poached, fried, hardboiled, etc.  The consistency seriously makes we gag.  I will eat eggs with additional flavoring added, like in an omelet or with salsa.  I love Migas.  But a big plate of scrambled eggs -- just the smell-- will make me wretch.

2.  I don't look like a runner.  I am big (6'2"or so) and carried extra weight around for a while.  But even at my heaviest, most out of shape, I could still run 9:00 minute miles or so.  I am the person that, in a race, someone says, I can't believe I got beat or passed by that guy.

3. On the other hand... I have fast friends.  My two best running friends are both really, really fast.  One runs sub 3:00 marathons over age of 40, and another runs around 3:10. Whenever I want a slice of humble pie, I think of them.

4.  I love running in Central Park, most of the time.  With traffic from cars, not so much, but I rarely run with cars int he Park, so I just love it.

5.  I don't really like "running" books.  I like books about training, etc., but the average book about the joys of running just don't get to me.  The joy derived from running is intensely personal, and it is hard to read about someone else trying to express it.  I have a hard time explaining it to others, but wouldn't the world be a better place if everyone was a runner?

6.  I love New York street food.  I haven't eaten at most of New York's fancy restaurants and I love them.  but recently (last several years) I have eaten more and more off street carts (I don't mean hot dog guys; I mean lunch time street carts).  Once I overcame my germ fears, and actually tasted the food, you can get a really tasty, unique, quality meal in just an amazing package.  I challenge anyone to eat food from Kwik Meal cart at 46th and 6th and not be blown away.

7.  My favorite sport is college football.  Love to watch it, and most fall Saturdays are devoted to it.  Michigan and the SEC are the Best.  I probably know more about the SEC than most people (even kids) in the city.  On a Saturday, count on me watching football.

Intervals

Following the FIRST program, I ran an interval speed workout tonight . One mile slow, then 4 x 800 splits at paces listed in the FIRST book. Then a mile or so cooldown.  For those who are not versed in speed workout out terms (which I really am not either), that means running 800 meters 4 times at a certain pace. Also, there is a rest interval of about 2 minutes between each 800 meter sprint.

FIRST has me running my 800 meter interval in 3:12. I run most of my miles on a treadmill, which posed an interesting quandary: how to figure out the proper treadmill speed setting to run the interval. And the book lists about 5 different intervals I will eventually use, and I might change my goal pace, so I thought I would create a simple Excel spreadsheet to do it. To spare everyone the hour of my life it consumed, I didn't find an elegant Excel solution.* So, anyway, to cut to the chase, that translated into a 9.3 mph treadmill setting. That is fast for me. That was also going to mean lots of treadmill speed changing and to avoid having to think, I actually wrote out the workout on a little Post-it to stick to the treadmill while I ran. (The post it was eventually soaked with sweat and fell off.)

It was a good workout; not a crushing one, just solid and challenging. The 800 meters were a good interval distance for me. Enough to be challenging, but not so much that I thought I wouldn't make it. It sure made the workout fly by, too. I was always looking at the clock to see how much of the interval I had or how much time until the next one. I did 5 miles before I knew what happened. And I am not completely wiped out. As much as I had been dreading this workout, it actually felt great. Maybe this FIRST thing isn't going to grind me into the ground.

I also ran all of these paces at the treadmill listed pace. My footpod -- which is calibrated with my GPS watch -- always has me running faster (and thus farther), but that is another post for another time.

My Nike Lunar Trainers are set to arrive Friday. I can't wait. I'll probably take them for a quick spin Friday night and then maybe use them on the Saturday 15 miler. But tomorrow is a rest day. Ahhh...

* It is easily done on paper I know. The first step is to convert 3:12 per 800 meters into a per mile pace. Easy enough, even in Excel, but then try taking that per pace and calculating miles per hour -- all in excel, using the formulas rather than just setting it up to do the math. I figured out a way, but it was basically using excel as a calculator and not the best way.

New Gadget

I love gadgets, and will usually lust after the newest and latest gizmo. But I am always a little hesitant to jump, so I end up buying something a week or two after it is out. Not today.

I just got the new Blackberry Tour for Verizon. It is wonderful.


First, a blackberry will never be an iPhone. I have an iPod Touch, which is basically an iPhone without phone, although it does have WiFi, so I can surf net, send email, etc. My wife has an iPhone. An iPhone is great, its cool and a truly wonderful device. But it really not a good device if you type and send a lot of email or lengthy ones. And our IT folks at work won't support an iPhone, so I can't get one for work even if I wanted to.

I have had a Blackberry Curve (the 8330 for the bb cognescenti), and have been waiting for the Tour (a/k/a the Niagara) for some time. I want a Blackberry Bold, but that is only available on AT&T, and that won't work for me. So I saw an ad for the Tour yesterday and literally went right then to the store and got it.

What do you get? A bigger keyboard than the Curve, but not as big as the Bold. A size inbetween the two. A glorious screen, updated software. A much better web browser. Faster processor. Is it a huge upgrade? Hmmmm. I did not like the small keyboard on the Curve, so for me yes. If you love the Curve, I would not rush out and get a Tour -- it won't be that much different or that much of an upgrade. And the new Tour has a micro USB port (as opposed to a mini USB on the Curve and every other old blackberry), so all my cables and chargers (including the one I just bought in Colorado) won't work for the Tour.

And my first battery was bad. I had to go back to Verizon store and get a second one (which was an easy swap out, without much hassle.)

But so far..loving the new phone...

Running Shoe Thoughts

I like buying new running shoes.  I currently have about 4 pair, but really use two of them. I am a mild overpronator, not much though, and can wear neutral or stability shoes.  Because of my size (6'2" ish and 187 or so), I generally get a stability shoe.  Right now, my current favorite setup at home is a pair of Asics Gel Kayano 15, size 12.5.   Size 12.5 is kind of a funny size.  Most running stores stop carrying half sizes at size 12 so the choices are either a 12 or a 13.  I have tried 12s and 13s and never got it quite right.  So, I search out my 12.5 and have to leap if I see a pair I like in my size.  I also try to buy locally to support running stores, and I love the feeling of buying a pair and taking them for a ride.  Something about ordering shoes over the net is much less fulfilling.

At the gym right now, I keep a pair of Brooks Trance 7 to run with.  They are great, awesome, wonderful and my first pair of Brooks.  I love the way they fit and feel.  My Asics have given me some toe discomfort over the last several months, including blisters on the tips of my toes and a couple black toenails.  Of course, I have been running harder and faster in them, so it may not be the shoes.  But the Brooks just seem to fit right.  Alas, they are reaching the end of their days, and it is time for another shoe and another pair.

I tried Brooks because my last bestest favorite shoe was the Asics 2130 (in Orange/Black).  They were great and awesome too (liked them better than the Kayano, even.)  But at the end of their life I bought the successor to the 2130, the Asics 2140.  Although the press generally had them as the same shoe, they fit me differently and feel different.  The first several times I wore them I got enormous blisters on the inside of my heel and just didn't feel right.  That was the end of them.  If anyone wants a pair of slightly worn (30 miles?) 2140's size 12.5, let me know.  I will probably send them off to Shoe 4 Africa  (I save all my old shoes and send a box once a year or so.)

That led me to Brooks -- I got a good deal on the Trance 7, they looked cool, and felt good.  And have turned out to be great.  I can't wait to get the Trance 9, which just came out (but, alas, am having trouble finding it in 12.5).

One shoe I have been keeping an eye on and splurged on yesterday is the Nike Lunar Trainer.  They are totally different, and like no other shoe out there.  I tried them on at the running store, and they feel different.  And they have a curved last so you look down and it seems like your shoes are not on straight.   Nike has just discontinued them in favor of the Lunar Glider, and I tried that shoe on last weekend.  It had a high arch support and felt a little odd.  And I didn't like the way it looked.  I'll give that some time.  But I ordered a pair of the Lunar Trainers off the net at a steal of a price (and in 12.5 to boot), and should be here tomorrow.  I can't wait to see what they feel like and give the olds Brooks a rest.

First FIRST long run

This weekend was the first long run in my marathon training program. According to FIRST, it should be 13 miles at Marathon Pace plus thirty seconds. For me, that means 13 miles at an average pace of 8:30. I ran two loops around my hilly seven mile course in Westchester County, which has about 300 feet of elevation gain and loss per loop. A couple of tough hills and then other rolling pieces and some flats. Plus, I know where to strategically hide water and gel along my route so that I don't have to carry it with me.

Without getting into boring splits (which I'll post below for my own review later in this 16 week cycle), I ended up going 14.1 miles with average pace of 8:21. Felt pretty tired after, and my left calf muscle was killing me. Tight, and just sore. It is still sore two days later, but not so bad.

For gel, I tried something new -- Accelerade Gel. It was good, and I liked it. Accelerade's hook is that it has some protein in it, so, according to its science, it is absorbed faster by the body. I couldn't tell really. But it tasted OK, had a decent texture, and did not upset my stomach. I also drank Accelerade sports drink, and it tasted OK I guess. One thing I did taste and seemed to give me a boost was Amino Vital drink. Amino Vital supplies amino acids, and given that amino acids are supposed to help create energy in cells, the theory is more amino acids means more energy. I have no idea if that is correct. But I did have a chug of drink at mile 7 and it seemed to really help. I am little hesitant to build too much of it into my workouts because it is not available in any race or in the marathon.

As for diet,I forgot how hungry a big run can make me. I ate like a mad man all day. Pretzels, chips, bread, steak, potatoes, beer, you name it. Now I remember why it is so hard to lose weight while training -- my appetite is just huge. And yesterday (Sunday), the day after, I was still starved and gorged on carbs too. But my weight was only up three pounds from my carb-less state. (Eating or not eating carbs significantly affects water retention, and for me can produce a swing of up to 5 pounds.) So, I am not worried about relative weight right now.

One week down, 15 to go. This week's long run will be 15 miles at 8:45 pace. I may run on flat course this week to give calf muscles a week off from hard stuff.

And I had many technology glitches this weekend. Managed to erase my iPod Touch. And I left my Nano at the gym, which is a real disaster because it had all my running lists and tunes. And I love that Nano -- so much so that I am giving up my Touch soon.

Run up hill; run down hill; repeat 11 times

A hill workout. Wow. Tonight, I ran a hill repeat workout with a running group I have belonged to for over a year and never actually done anything with, the Reservoir Dogs. (The Central Park Reservoir is one of the most famous loops in Central Park, and the name is obviously a play on that and the movie.) I joined the club after I saw them at a race several years ago and they seemed like they were young and fun. Alas, my schedule never really allowed me to join the runs or otherwise do much. But a friend joined the group and tonight he encouraged me to come along on the Wednesday night hill run. According to FIRST, I was due for a speed workout, but I figured a hill repeat would do just fine.

So we met in Central Park at 7 pm. I haven't run in Central Park on a weekday in years, and I was blown away by the number of runners, bikers and people in general -- more than on a weekend. It was also a beautiful night, so many people were out, but wow, what a great place to run. (I love running in the city.)

Anyway, the workout was actually up and down Cat Hill 10 times at whatever pace you could maintain. It was a quarter mile up and then a quarter mile down, with an elevation gain of about 70 feet on way up. I have lots of hills in my runs, so I wasn't all that worried. But this was different. For starters, it was up and down and up and down, etc. Normally, when I have a hill in a run, it is run up to the top of the hill, and then it is either flat for a while or back down and then flat. It is not up a hill every other quarter mile. And some of the guys in the group were FAST. So after quickly concluding they would dust me, I ran my own pace and workout. It was really, really hard. Because of the way we came into the park and were late to meet the group, we actually ended up running the hill 11 times. My legs are really beat.

This FIRST program may decrease the number of runs, but it sure can beat you up. Three HARD workouts a week is just hard. For an "off" day, yesterday I rowed for 45 minutes on the rowing machine. And then I had a 30 minute stretching session with a trainer. That felt both great and terrible. She really pushed and pulled my legs and hips and back. I am sore and tired from that. She told me my hamstrings and quads are way too tight and I need more stretching to loosen them up. I hate to stretch really, so this came as no great shock. That was one of the reasons I booked the session-- to get a good stretch. I highly recommend it if anyone has the chance.

Tomorrow, I am taking the day off. A hard tempo workout Monday, rowing and stretching Tuesday, hills Wednesday means Thursday is an off day. According to FIRST, I need one more hard workout this week -- a long run of 13 miles at marathon pace plus 30 seconds. That should be OK given my recent runs (for example that will be about a minute per mile slower than my recent half marathon pace). But then next week is another series of HARD workouts. Maybe the FIRST program should be renamed the HARD program.

Home Sweet Home

I am back from vacation and Colorado and running at 8000 feet above sea level. I have no pictures of my run because, as I headed out on my last day, I found out my camera battery was dead. And no store in town sold a charger or new battery. Only choice was to buy a new camera. Uh, no thanks.*

My last Colorado run was a 10 miler. I had been running out of town -- upriver and thus uphill -- on the way out of town. My running route had been 3 miles out, turn around and 3 miles back. At the midpoint, I had gained about 250 feet in elevation -- a pretty solid gain, and a nice downhill run home. For my ten miler, I thought I would just continue along the path for another two miles, turn around and come home.
That was a bad plan. After about 3.5 miles, the path went from a biking/nature trail beside a rolling river to a path on the side of the road that ran up to a mountain pass (and the continental divide about 7 miles up the road). From mile 3.5 to mile 5, I gained almost 350 feet, up to 8550 feet. That was a crusher. But I couldn't turn around -- it would have felt like such a defeat not to reach my goal, and I was almost there...keep going...look at my Garmin..only half a mile more...wow this is hard. Any way, during that hellish mile 4 to 5, I had to stop once or twice to catch my breath, and ended up with a 11 minute mile. And I never felt more proud of that mile -- up almost 300 feet. (Then I turned around and ran home. Mile 5-6 (down that hill) was 7:02, as was mile 6-7.)

I also took a water bottle with me, which I drained by about Mile 6. I also wanted to take a PowerGel or Gu with me, but the only thing I could find was a package of Cliff ShotBlocks, cranberry flavor. I have to admit I am not a fan. I didn't like having to chew them, and with a dry mouth, they just seemed to stick to my mouth, tongue, etc. They had the consistency of between gummy bears and jello, if that is possible. I missed my Chocolate PowerGel. Oh well, that is life.

So now I am back in New York. At sea level thankfully. I ended up running 5 days of a 9 day vacation. Not so bad. Probably gained 1 or 2 pounds from eating, drinking, etc. I actually had a chocolate chip cookie for first time in 4 months (and I love chocolate chip cookies.) But now back to healthy eating, no drinking and a running schedule.

Now it is time to start training for the New York marathon, which is November 1. I have decided to follow the FIRST program. That program advocates 3 strong workouts in a week, with two cross training days and two rest days. In essence, each run should be a hard one, and that intensity conditions the body to greater endurance, etc. The workout paces are challenging and the workouts are hard. No more just getting to gym, putting on headphones and zoning out for 45 minutes on t he treadmill. For example, today's workout was 10 minutes easy 35 minutes at Lactate Threshold pace (85-90% of max Heart Rate) and then 1 mile cool down. It is a real push to make myself run at this kind of pace. Of course, when I look around there is always someone running faster -- somebody ran 5 miles at 5:30 pace on the treadmill next to me.

We all have our own pace....

*A link to some pics I found on Flickr of the trail in Colorado that I ran on. It was actually greener (and had more wildflowers) this year than in the pictures (which were taken in 2007) because of the massive amount of rain in Colorado this year.

One Week atop the Magic Mountain

So we have been in Colorado about one week and I have learned several things.  First, running at 8000 feet is hard, hard, hard.  The lower oxygen level means higher heart rates and harder work to maintain the same pace.  Because you feel your body working harder and struggling, it is much harder to get into a rhythm or pace or groove.  Its just heavy breathing, pushing pace, pushing oneself further.  And I know that I won't get any altitude training effect when I go back to sea level -- apparently you need to be at altitude for 20 days to get significant training boost (mainly increased red blood cell count).  So, my runs have been hard runs, and recovery is more difficult.
Also, it is much drier up here -- much less humidity.  That means I am always thirsty, and on my runs, just parched.
Finally, my appetite has been crazy.  I have been ravenously hungry almost non stop.  But when you stop to eat, you get full without eating a huge meal.  And then like three hours later, back to starving.  I have no idea what my weight will be when I get back to the flatland.
Finally, it is simply beautiful here.  Today on my run (in which I crossed the Roaring Fork River 6 times), I saw an uncountable number of chipmunks, bear tracks,  2 rabbits, and a female deer munching on grass about ten feet away from my trail.  That is in addition to various kayakers, paragliders and fly fishermen.  Just another lovely summer day in Colorado.

Happy 4th and a Race Report

Happy Fourth of July!! Fourth of July is really special in this town in Colorado where we go.  A parade, fireworks over the mountain, and just aq general air of community and friendliness.  Just perfect here.  And today's weather is picture perfect. Sunny and 75.

I started the morning, as I have for several years, with the Boogie's Diner 5 mile race.  I have run this race for years, and usually come here out of shape, and not adjusted to the altitude.  Plus, because we are on vacation, I usually am coming off a big dinner, lots of wine and a late night from the night before.  This year, I still am not adjusted to the altitude (8,000 feet) and had like 15 drinks last night.  But I am in better shape than ever before.  A note about this course.  It starts close to the base of the mountain and then runs downhill, down river for about 2.5 miles; then, it turns around and makes up all that elevation over the next 1.5 miles; and mile 4-5 is relatively flat, with an uphill finish.  The key is not to run too fast at the start and then hold on for dear life on the hill in miles 2.5-4.  In fact, I have never made it up that hill without walking.  The altitude, the grade, the wine, my weight and condition, whatever, have all conspired to make me walk at least part of the way up it.

I set my Garmin race partner at 7:40, and honestly had no idea if that was going to hold or not.  I ran 6 miles yesterday at this altitude at 8:01 pace.  My legs are really shot after all the recent racing and the half marathon last weekend.  Before we came out, I decided not to run this race, but nostalgia and the general feeling of fitness in the mountains overcame my sense of closure from last week.

The long and short of is that I came out super fast, as could be expected.  First mile was 7:07; second mile was 7:25.  Both of these miles are really downhill, losing about 200 feet.

The turn comes at about mile 2.4, with the next half  mile being a crusher. My split was 4:25 (gaining 131 feet); mile 3 to 4 was 8:18, with a gain of another 130 feet.  And I felt so spent.  But I didn't stop and walk. Mile 4-5 was run through town with a slight uphill finish, ran it in 7:10 or so, for a finish time of 38:22 or so 

I have no idea what my age grade time was, and at this elevation it is kind of meaningless.  Running at 8,000 feet is much, much different than running at sea level.  Last year's race was the first race in which I wore my Garmin 405 and heart rate monitor.  This year my time was over 6 minutes better, and my heart rate about 10% lower.  (Last year I hit 191 on the HRM running to the finish; that is kind of scary that my heart was pumping that fast.  This year, my finishing HR was 176.)

Now off to the parade!!

Distance Split time Pace vs avg. Elev. chg.

0.50 3:19        -01:01.59 -50

1.00 3:48 -00:04.19 +6

1.50    3:45 -00:10.62 -43

2.00 3:42 -00:16.75 -27

2.50 3:46 -00:08.37 -63

3.00 4:25 01:09.04 +131

3.50 4:09 00:37.63 +65

4.00 4:09 00:36.83 +62

4.50 3:41        -00:18.14 -49

4.97    3:25 -00:25.33 +30

Ranger Wrap-up

When I was a kid growing up in Texas, one thing we always did was listen to the Texas Rangers. The games were not on TV, and cable had not come our way, and the games were not on cable anyway.  During the nights, in the car or at home, we listened to the game on the radio.  Listening to a baseball game on the radio is a sublime and largely forgotten pleasure.  Listening on the radio, you have to imagine the play at the plate or Nolan Ryan's fastball.  Now, every game of almost any team is on TV, online, on SportsCenter and on TV -- no imagination required.

Anyways, at the end of each game, they would play this thunderous, rolling music and it was time for (cue music) .... the "Ranger Wrap-up"  post game show.  It was a replay of the calls of the key plays of the game, with an interview of the player of the game. (The player of the game received, I kid you not, a free pair of Haggar slacks for his trouble).  

So, this is my Ranger Wrap Up for my completed training cycle.  I really began this phase on St. Patricks Day and I knew the end point would be the day we were to leave on our summer vacation, July 2.  I started by running the NYRR 8000 meter race (essentially 5 miles) on March 15.  I ran that race to win $100 bet with a friend as to whether I would break 45 minutes. I won. 

But on St. Patricks Day, three days later, a Tuesday, I got an email from the folks that take pictures at NYRR races that my race pictures were available.  Now, I know I never look good in race pictures, and did not imagine that I would be a gazelle chewing up the course.  But I was truly unprepared for my pictures.  I looked terrible -- overweight, bloated, out of shape, you name it.  At the time, my BMI was approximately 29.5, and I knew I needed to drop some weight, but my gosh those pictures!  A picture says more than a thousand words, and in this case it was so true.  

Thus, I got serious about a diet and to further that diet and fitness goals, my running.  This blog really hasn't been about my diet because I find talking about a diet uninteresting, really;  diets are also very individual.  In contrast, one of the joys of running is the community it inspires in its participants.  And the amount I learn from others and can give back.  So, even thought I haven't discussed the diet much, it has been in the background. And on one level it has certainly affected my workouts and running -- nothing sucks worse than running when you are hungry or forgoing the post workout recovery drink or snack in the name of calorie counting.

As a way of keeping myself motivated and honest, I had sort of made a deal with myself to post on the blog the results of this three and a half month cycle, for better or for worse.  

And I apologize in advance if this note seems self congratulatory, but I think I can say that, without a doubt, the last three months have been among the healthiest and most athletic of my life.  In sum, I have lost 44 pounds, and about 6 inches off my waist; my BMI is now 23 or so.  In the last three weeks, I have set PRs in 3 different distances (5 mile, 10K and half marathon), and all by a wide margin. And I didn't get hurt (aside from a few nasty blisters, one of which I have now on my second toe).  

As I close this cycle of diet and training, these are my thoughts, reflections and ultimately, my successes and failures.  I ran a half marathon under 1:40, which was very unexpected for me.  My last two races predict a marathon time of 3:25 (but my goal for NY Marathon will be closer to 3:30, I think).  My resting heart rate is as low as it has ever been -- around 50.  My blood pressure has decreased and is now 100/70), and my cholesterol dropped to 163 (100/63).  As for my heart rate on runs, it is hard to compare.  Today I ran on the treadmill at about an 8:00 pace at 78% Max HR for 6 miles.  When I started, I would run 4 miles at 9:30 pace at 85% max HR. 

I think much of the progress over the short time period has to do with the fact that I have not been so out of shape for very long.  Indeed, it was just 16 months ago that I started the blog and weighed only 10-15 pounds more than I do now and was running 1-2 per week.  And I have run marathons before, so deep down my body had some running efficiency and training built in.

From the blogosphere, I have learned a great deal about training, motivation, nutrition and gear.  I attribute the success of these months to dedication, commitment and a desire to be better for my family and myself.  My gear, my shoes, my Garmin 405 and SportTracks have certainly helped in this cycle, not only to understand my body and training, but also to demonstrate the real progress I was making. 

Ultimately, though it comes down to the Nike motto: Just Do it.  No one cares about the excuse, and everyone can think of one, but in the end, just do it.  And I am glad I did.  

And now for vacation...