Motivated to Succeed

Maintenance run. Trying to just stay moving as we transition back to school. I missed those lil' buggers, even though they are a handful. A lot of talk about people moving on before the end of the year or after June. Got to do some thinking to figure out what I want to do and where I see my compass directing me. I need to find something I love doing and that allows me to still have some sense of sanity, be a better husband, and allow for me to get a run in and feel good about myself. Tired of being depressed.

Total Time: 30:01 Total Distance: 3.26 miles Average Pace: 9:12 

Treadmill 5k. Wahoo.

Total Time: 28:00 Total Distance: 3.11 miles Average Pace: 9:00 

Hiked Monument Mountain with Emm. Saw a couple people. The view was gorgeous at the top. Not too chilly. Afterwards, we went and grabbed a coffee and latte at Riverbend Cafe in Great Barrington before going on our way to run some other errands. Loved it.

Total Time: 1:00:00 Total Distance: 3 miles Average Pace: 20 

A little soreness in the left knee, my weaker knee, so I stopped after 15. Had hoped to do more than 23, which was my longest ever treadmill run last year. There is still time for that, though. Getting psyched about my 2 marathons coming up in February! Got to get in at least 2 x 20 milers in the next month and a half. Did 25:5 x 4 and then 20:5.

Total Time: 2:34:00 Total Distance: 15.1 miles Average Pace: 10:11 

Did 5.55 miles after school on the treadmill. I love running with the lights off on the treadmill. A whole new experience.

Total Time: 52:00 Total Distance: 5.55 miles Average Pace: 9:22 

Quick 5 miles to blow off steam after getting home and feeding Lizzard. Emm is in California with Kara seeing family until the 19th or 20th. Going to be a long, lonely week! Hopefully I can keep the house in order!

Total Time: 46:00 Total Distance: 5 miles Average Pace: 9:11/ mile 

Nice run after work. Worked on fast walking sections too at 5% grade to get my walking muscles ready for Mind the Ducks and the marathons. Getting back in shape. Now wish my weight would reflect that. Goal is to get under 200lbs! 5 miles total.

8:00 AM - Last two nights, temperatures were below zero. Slept well, under blankets. I have to invest in a mummy bag though for nights like these. I absolutely love sleeping in sleeping bags. So warm and cuddly! Original plan was to load up Lawrence of Arabia and watch that, but the computer speakers were not loud enough, so after about 30 minutes, I put on The Biggest Loser, my guilty pleasure. Did the first 2 hours at 25:5 for run:walk ratio. Last hour I did more of 15-20:5 ratio and just held on. Had a huge blister I popped on my right foot, about the size of a fist. Longest run of the year, so I am happy about that. Wish I could figure out a way to minimize sweating problems, as that is my concern with the indoor marathon.

Total Time: 3:00:00 Total Distance: 17.11 miles Average Pace:  10:31/ mile

2:00PM - Light snow and temperatures in the 20s. Have not been feeling well this week, combination of stress and upset stomach/headache. Got on the treadmill though after a productive morning with Emm, making a budget. Ran faster than I have in a long time. It felt good, but am still scared about all the distance I will have to go in just about a month. Gah!

Total Time: 1:09:28 Total Distance: 8 miles Average Pace:  8:41/ mile

6:30 PM - Went for another run as Emma used the elliptical. Just cruised along, a bit slower than earlier today. Ran 4 miles total in 37 minutes.

Total Time: 37:00 Total Distance: 4 miles Average Pace: 9:15/mile 

8:00 PM - What a productive day! Got up early and had breakfast with Emmy. Went down to BART for 2.5 hours and got two weeklies done, all my stuff for tomorrow ready to go, and then hurried up and got home. Helped move Lizzard downstairs, as Emm doesn't want the puppy upstairs any more, and then moved both bookcases with 250+ books upstairs. Went running on the treadmill. Should have listened to Lindsay. Had to stop for a couple minutes at mile 1 because of UPS (Unanticipated Potty Stop). Then hopped back on and ran another 4.33 no problem. Did the last .6 at 8.5mph. Flying! Even with windows open, I sweat a ton. Got off the treadmill and stretched and then did 250 crunches with Emm in the living room. Got to get back to core workouts at the end of each run. All in all a great day. Wish I didn't have to go to work tomorrow.

Total Time: 45:00 Total Distance: 5.33 miles Average Pace:  8:27/ mile

8:15PM - Went food shopping with Emmy after work, and then made dinner for her. We did tacos w/ refried beans. Yesterday was 5.5 months since going pescaterian/vegetarian. Feeling better. Down a few pounds this week. Trying to eat better. Stressed at work with so many people leaving/moving on. Hard to stay focused. Got on the treadmill and watched a little bit of season 5 of Biggest Loser on Netflix. That is always good motivation. This was the fastest run I've done in some time!

Total Time: 32:31 Total Distance: 4 miles Average Pace: 8:07/ mile 

10:00 AM - Emm had to work 11-2:30 today, so I figured I would try to get a long run in today. Ended up doing an easy 10, practicing my run:walk strategy for the indoor marathons. Took a break, and then waited for Emm before doing the second part of the run later in the day after lunch at Panera, and a couple errands to get work shirts and a drawer from Target. Moved the bookcases upstairs the other day, and helped Emm assemble a new one. We are going to form a mini-library upstairs. I think it will make us look more BookSmart haha!

6:00 PM - Ran another 6.2 miles using a 10:2 run:walk strategy as I watched an episode of The Biggest Loser. 16.2 miles in 2:36 today, practicing my run/walk Galloway strategy. I must say I do enjoy the 10:2 much more than the 25:5. I think I am going to adopt the 10:2 for the marathons, and perhaps even the two ultras I am going to be doing this spring. Onwards and upwards. On a side note, the blister I have somewhat resembles Herbert, from Family Guy. 

Total Time: 2:36:21 Total Distance: 16.2 miles Average Pace: 9:39/ mile pace

It's amazing how well I feel, and how "fast" I was able to cover the distance, even though I did a run:walk strategy. Getting excited for the marathons. 

8:30 AM - Not really all that sore from yesterday's run. Felt pretty good, and Emm and I decided to work out before running errands. Hopped onto treadmill and ran pretty well. 

Total Time: 34:31 Total Distance: 4 miles Average Pace:  8:37/ mile

5:00 PM - Needed to get a couple more miles in I decided. Hopped on the treadmill and did 10:2 run:walk as I watched some of the Biggest Loser. Felt good to stack a couple runs this weekend. Next weekend will have to go for a little bit longer so I can feel confident I can do the marathons in February.

Total Time: 37:21 Total Distance: 4.1 miles Average Pace: 9:06/ mile 

7:00 PM - Got home from work, and Emmy made dinner. Yummy pasta and veggies on the stove. Then I got changed and hit the treadmill. Felt really good. Was worried because of soreness at work, walking around. I hopped on the treadmill and soreness was soon gone. Only thing I don't like about running on the treadmill is how much I sweat. I start with a full size towel at the start (dry), and end up with a towel that looks like it got soaked in a bathtub. Trying to get in shape for my double marathon coming up in a few weeks. Not long now! Only 25 days!

Total Time: 47:00 Total Distance: 5.28 miles Average Pace: 8:54/ mile 

7:30 PM - Crazy day at school. One coworker summed it up best when he said "Who put PCP and LSD in the kids's lunches"? Well, made it through that. Miles of Trials, Trials of Miles. Felt pretty good, until the last mile. The last mile was the worst. Nearly saw the wheels fall off.

Total Time: 43:34 Total Distance: 5 miles Average Pace:  8:42/ mile

7:30 PM - Ran on the Treadmill of Tranquility. It was nice to shut out work stress for at least an hour. Just feeling run down right now. Struggling to stay afloat. Waking up early to plan that day's lesson. So far behind and feeling like I am sinking in water. I think I am cranky due to running on too little sleep with too much stress. I am running more than I have in over a year, and yet I am still gaining weight. Angry at myself. As one of my seventh graders so aptly asked this week, "Who lit the fuse on your tampon?". I just don't know. Onwards and upwards. I guess.

Total Time: 48:23 Total Distance: 5.25 miles Average Pace:  9:13/ mile

8:15 PM - Long day of errands, 6 hour online coaching training, and then had to go to the esthetician for an appt that Emmy made for me. Feeling a bit run down. Deciding that I have to make a sacrifice to get the results I need - giving up drinking and hanging out with the guys/gals at work on Fridays. I need to invest that time in my relationship as well as in training, and I am too susceptible to making poor decisions. Jump starting fitness 101 with a morning run tomorrow before going to NY for the Super Bowl. I need to make the effort to get in a solid 5-6 miles each day EVERY day to make it a habit. Ran on the treadmill of tears today. Felt fine though. Getting stronger.

Total Time: 1:28:49 Total Distance: 10.05 miles Average Pace:  8:50/ mile

9:30 AM - 5 Lucky Miles for the Giants in the Superbowl! Busy busy with coaching stuff and trying to get organized tomorrow. Still need to come up with a lesson plan for tomorrow. Will see how that goes. I think I will have to do a bit of planning during the Super Bowl. Glorious run on the treadmill with Emmy on the elliptical. Felt really great. Running is getting easier and easier. Now I just need to get the weight under control. Work stress does not help much, but I think if I give up alcohol and put running first before school, there might be hope.

Total Time: 42:33 Total Distance 5 miles Average Pace: 8:30/ mile 

Ran on the treadmill after dinner. Need to learn to run before dinner, because my stomach never feels well. Dairy does not sit well. Got in five miles, but I bent down to pick something up at work today, and the inside of my right calf strained. I hobbled through the run tonight, but it was not very pleasant. I hope that things are still okay!

 Came up with a pretty neat idea to use with my 7th graders. Am allowing them to have a say in my Heifer Project Runs at the end of the month. Between now and February break, I am having three different awards:

 One section that has best attendance, gets to choose what pair of shoes I wear for the races.

One section that has best homework completion rate gets to choose the color shirt and shorts I wear.

One section that has best score on Interim Assessment #4 gets to choose the quote to go on each of my shirts. (catch being they have to present valid argument to the class and the class will vote to decide which is the best - majority rules).

2 Races - so each of these works twice. 

Total Time: 46:00 Total Distance: 5 miles Average Pace: 9:11/ mile 

5:00 AM - Did a quick 5k run before school. Today is the blood drive my seniors have been working to organize with ARC. Hoping for good things. Hard with only 9 of them. First Annual BART Blood Drive kick off in just about 6 hours! Hoping to get a decent amount of donors from 1-6. Run was nice. Wish I could have done more.

Total Time: 28:00 Total Distance: 3.1 miles Average Pace: 9:02/ mile

AM RUN - Treadmill of Time Travel - Blood Drive was excellent. Some people had to be turned away because we could not accomodate them during the afternoon rush. We ended up with 47 donations total. Pretty sweet! Got home at 7:30pm last night and slept in a bit late this a.m. Then got up and ran while Emma ellipticized before errands and chores.

Total Time: 46:00 Total Distance: 5 miles Average Pace: 9:14/ mile

PM RUN - Run #2. Trying to keep the fitness for the marathons coming up 2 weeks from today. Felt great. It's nice to get the sweat pouring. I feel so much better afterwards!

Total Time: 48:00 Total Distance: 5.10 miles Average Pace: 9:18/ mile

AM RUN - Got up and had breakfast with Emmy - pancakes with banana and blueberries. Then went for a jog while she did the elliptical. The Biggest Loser is giving me some big motivation. Done letting work be the boss of me. I need to say it's okay to not give 100% every day and to take some time for me. More importantly, I need to take time to be with family. Emm is my everything and I am fortunate that she is committed to helping me feel better about myself. 27 pounds to go until my goal of being under 200 lbs again. I think I can I think I can.

Total Time: 51:00 Total Distance: 5.55 miles Average Pace: 9:14/ mile

PM RUN - Second run. My work computer died and I had to make lessons and weekly from scratch on the PC laptop. Hoping everything turns out okay. Was able to jump on the treadmill for another run after dinner and watch the first 45 minutes of one of my favorite running movies, Without Limits. I lost my copy at college, so I have to get that back on my "to get" list. I felt like channeling Billy Crudup or Pre as I ran. Felt so great. And Donald Sutherland is a great Bill Bowerman. Speaking of my Pre (my 2001 Chevy Prizm nicknamed Prefontaine): He is hitting 194,000 miles this week. Am ready to start planning his 200,000 party!

Total Time: 46:00 Total Distance: 5.00 miles Average Pace: 9:11/ mile

7:45 PM - Got home from work and made the mistake of eating before I got on the treadmill. Had to make an IPS at about the 3 mile mark. Then did .5 miles at 15% gradient and 4.5mph, jogging to work some other muscles. Finished it out at the usual 1%. Overall felt good. Got to thinking about the races coming up next weekend. 10 days from tomorrow I will be in Indiana!

Total Time: 48:18 Total Distance: 5 miles Average Pace:  9:39/ mile

Late night run on the treadmill of torture. Getting excited for next week's marathons! 6.03 in 53:00; 8:47 pace!

Hiked Galway Nature Preserve in KomodoSports, and then walked the far end of Crane St. It's nice to know my youngest brother helped make Galway Nature Preserve a bit better for everyone. Now if we could just take care of roots so that it would be runnable!

Total of 57 minutes with Emmy. Felt good. A day later though, am a bit sore in the shin area. Uses different muscles for sure! 

Keeping the horsies in check. Checking out my new shoes that the kids picked out in the competition. Blue Bikilas. Felt okay, a bit tight though.

Total Time: 34:00 Total Distance: 3.55 miles Average Pace: 9:34 

3.15 in 30:00. Feeling good. Getting excited for the double marathons. Am going to paste last year's races below for saving purposes, then update my 2012 race list in prep for my first race! Excited!

2011 RACING SCHEDULE:

• 1/1/11 Hangover Half Marathon (13.11), 1:58:31, good for 194th of 289 finishers
• 4/17/11 BPAC 6 Hour (27.492 miles prorated; 29.65 miles total in 6:22)
• 4/30/11 Berkshire Humane Race 5k (3.1 Miles) 00:23:55 
• 5/14/11 - Mind the Ducks 12 Hour (50.184 miles)
• 6/16/11 - Green Mile Road Race (1 mile) 6:10, 35th place of 204 finishers and 10th in AG.
• 6/21/11 - BART Field Day 1 mile:  6:42 (1st place!)
• 7/4/11 - Pittsfield Independence Day Run 5k: 23:06, 195th overall, 42nd in age group
• 9/25/11 - Brock Trot 10k: Lenox, MA: 54:35, 89th of 154 finishers (coming off a big illness this summer)
• 10/02/11 - Fall Foliage 5k: Adams, MA 24:04, 58th of 163 finishers
• 10/09/11 - Monroe Dunbar 10.5 miler 2:35:13, good for 75th place overall of 94 finishers
• 10/16/11 - Paddy's Pub Shillelagh Shuffle Road Race (5k) 23:48, good for 409th place of 1808 finishers. ANNIVERSARY RACE!
• 10/22/11 - The Great Pumpkin Challenge (10k) 51:16, good for 146th place of 516 finishers! (8:15s)
• 10/30/11 - Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon (13.11) CANCELLED due to 10.29 snowstorm which dumped 22" of snow!
• 11/13/11 - Stockadeathon 15k 1:21:13, good for 15th place in Clydesdales, 7:51 overall (8:43/mi)
• 11/24/11 - Saratoga Springs Turkey Trot 5k24:56, 395th of 3000 finishers. Nice start to Turkey Day!

 

2011 Goals:

• Finish the year <200 lbs.
• Set at least one PR in a distance.
• Finish another marathon
• Complete my first ultra (Mind the Ducks 12 hour)
• Have fun each and every run!
• 1500 miles for the year

BENN’S ITINERARY FOR THE WEEKEND – GOSHEN, INDIANA

Thursday, 2/23/12

Benn to Galway around 6pm with Lizzy (to spend the weekend).

Mom/Daddio/Harry fly in to ALB Airport at 9:15, Home by about 10 or 10:30

Friday, 2/24/12

3:30 am wake up call; on our way to Goshen, IN (12h30m driving time)

5:30 am pick up Jonn from SUNY IT and head to Su’s apartment in Rochester

7:30 or 8am – Breakfast with Su/Rocc either at home, or at the Frog Pond

            Frog Pond: 652 Park Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607 (585)271-1970

9am – back on the road (8h17 min driving time)

5:30-6pm – arrive in Goshen, Indiana

Friday/Saturday Staying at:         Courtyard Marriott

                                                1930 Lincolnway East

                                                Goshen, Indiana 46526

                                                1(574)534-3133

Saturday, 2/25/12   MARATHON #1   @ 8:00 AM

Location: Goshen College, 1700 S. Main Street, Goshen, Indiana

Goal: 10 min slow jog: 2 min walk until done. Goal time: 5h30m End Time: 1:30pm

Sunday, 2/26/12   MARATHON #2   @ 7:00 AM

Location: Goshen College, 1700 S. Main Street, Goshen, Indiana

Goal: 8-10 min slow jog: 2 min walk until done. Goal time: 5h30m End Time: 12:30 pm

Shower, hot-tub, changing on campus (available to runners until 3pm)

Grab lunch quick in Goshen somewhere. On road home by 2:30pm

Sunday, 2/26/12 Goshen, IN -> Buffalo, NY (7h34 min)

Estimated Arrival time to Buffalo (10pm)

Staying at:       RED ROOF INN   1(800)733-7663

                        42 Flint Road

                        Amherst, NY 14226

Monday, 2/27/12 – wake up 7am.

Arrive to Rochester around 930 or so – pick up Jonny (breakfast)

Drop Jonn off at SUNY IT (1130am)

Arrive at Griffin abode (2pm) – Lunch and leave by 3pm

Home to 53 Essex Street by 5pm on Monday, 2/27

Maple Leaf Indoor Marathon #1 - See February 26th entry for full race report.

     Maple Leaf Indoor Marathon Race Report - Goshen, IN (2.25.12 and 2.26.12)

     When I first toyed with the idea of doing two indoor marathons in two days, I was excited, nervous, and arguably a bit naive. I had run two marathons in college, a 6-hour and 12-hour last year, and had recently transitioned to wearing only my Vibram Five Fingers. Nothing I did could have possibly prepared me for the fun, challenges, heartbreak, and feelings of accomplishment that summed up this whirlwind weekend. 

     The idea to run for a cause has always been a goal I have had. Growing up I participated in UNICEF fundraisers and activities for the food pantry, Lions Club, etc. at church and school. In middle school I had the opportunity to attend a weekend campout at a Heifer Project location in western Massachusetts. During this weekend I was fortunate enough to work with others to help this great cause. Heifer International seeks to provide economic security and independence to less fortunate people around the world by providing necessary farm animals to provide work, food, milk, and offspring. I considered Heifer for my run because one of the requirements for this great organization is that the families that receive gifts are not allowed to simply eat the animals they receive. Rather, they are required to raise and mate their animals to produce offspring they can pass on to a neighbor.

     In September, I was fired up and ready to complete a run for a purpose. The Maple Leaf Indoor Marathon x 2 in Goshen, Indiana is in its fourth year in 2012. I set my sights on it for several reasons. Firstly, it was a destination marathon and one of my 48 states yet to run for my 50 state club. Secondly, it was unique in that it was run on a 208 meter loop (I actually prefer running on small loops because it helps me meditate and ‘zone out’.). Lastly it provided a challenge. I had completed a marathon before, then pushed myself to the ultra distance with the 2011 BPAC 6-hour and 2011 Mind the Ducks 12-hour. Never, however, had I tried to run a full 26.22 race on one day and then follow it up with another 26.22 mile run the following day.

     I packed up my bags complete with extra shirts, towels, three pairs of Vibrams, two Nathan bottles and holders, and a couple audiobooks on Thursday and headed to Galway, NY to touch base with my mom, who was returning late Thursday night from Vieques in the Caribbean where she’d been since Valentine’s Day. After only four hours of sleep or so, I woke at 3am and was surprised to see my mom was up and going, despite getting in at nearly 11pm the previous night. The task before us - driving to Utica to pick up my brother Jonn, then on to Rochester to see my sister Su and drop Jonn off for the weekend, before continuing on to Goshen, Indiana by way of Buffalo, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

     We picked Jonn up without incident and then quickly made it over to Rochester and went to breakfast with Su. We were back in the car and on our way before 10am, and were predicted to be in Goshen sometime around dinner time. I reserved a spot at the Courtyard Marriott in Goshen, as it was only 1.9 miles away from the college. We got in and got settled in the room - finding out there was a roaring fire, swimming pool, hot tub, and popcorn machine all in the front entryway! Dinner consisted of Ponderosa as it was the closest to the hotel. Mom and I were surprised to see Amish/Mennonite families in the ‘rosa fueling up too! I hit the pasta, buttered rolls, salad bar, grilled shrimp, and anything else edible to fuel up for the race on Saturday. By 8pm I was back in the room and rested with a little Law & Order before passing out.

RACE #1: MAPLE LEAF INDOOR MARATHON - SATURDAY, FEB. 25

6:00 AM - Woke up and got a shower before changing into race garb - short shorts, yellow Vibram Komodo Sports, and a blue tshirt. Nervously checked email, unsure of why I was doing this. Started to get a little psyched for the trials ahead.

7:00 AM - Headed to Goshen College - by the time the TomTom located the address, we had already found another car headed there and found the Athletic Center and parked! Went inside and scoped out the athletic arena. The track is upstairs, with the bathrooms, shower facilities and everything else located directly underneath. It looked like a pretty sweet track online, and I was a little concerned to find the track was not rubber as previously thought, but made out of cement and a thin covering of foam. Oh boy. “What have I got myself into?!”

7:50 AM - The Marathon Maniacs assembled for a group picture. This is a running organization of certified “maniacs” - oddly enough I had not qualified before to join this organization, but found out mid-way through the race that I would indeed qualify and earn 4 of 9 stars by running two marathons in two days. More to come on this later. They seemed to be a quirky little group with yellow singlets on, calves of steel, and a wide array of shapes and sizes.

7:57 AM - About 30 runners assembled for race directions and a group photo. I was elated to hear someone ask about course maps and course directions. Doug Yoder, the RD, responded “Well I ran the course this morning and it appears to be well marked. If you get lost it’s your own damn fault.” It’s funny at the start of marathons/ultras with small groups. It’s almost a fight to see how far to the back you can get before starting. I started fourth or fifth to last. My goal was to go as slow as possible while feeling “fresh” so as to save some energy for the second, and arguably harder day.

THE RACE (8:00 AM) - I set up my aid station in the far turn of the track. The course consisted of a 4 lane track and generally walkers stayed in lanes 3 or 4 and runners in 1 or 2. I picked a couple people I thought were going at a leisurely pace and started to click off laps. My early estimate had been to run 10 mins and walk 2 mins. I tried to stick to this as much as possible and stay hydrated early on.

I took one BR break at lap 64. Felt pretty good and had started to find a rhythm. This was good, I thought. At least I know I’m hydrated! Great thing about this race is that I had a cheering section every 208 meters. My mom was a great supporter, and helped fill my water bottle, get me pretzels, and offer words of encouragement as I clicked off each lap.

I hit the 13.11 mile somewhere around 2h30m and felt good. Did not take another break until lap 128 to change my shirt. Cotton shirts get really wet, really fast. I could feel my chest already chafing, despite the fact that I had already put bandaids on my nipples (ended up going to Target to buy wicking shirts that night!).

Continued to push on and felt myself battling hydration issues. The eventual winner, Jake Gillette, was trading the lead with Chris Friedman, who had led close to 120 or 130 laps before he got passed and fell about 100 m behind. Gillette ended up blazing his way to a 2:59:47 (winning by over 15 minutes), and I was ecstatic to discover I’d only been lapped about 85 times!

I did not really talk to anyone but ran by myself most of the day. I did exchange briefly with two others at the back of the back who were doing the double (as the majority of us were). Greg Beaulieu was from Ohio and offered a handshake and inquired about me running in Vibrams. I also passed some laps with Jenn Savage, who would become a close friend the second day of the marathon. Perhaps one of the most curious people out there on the track was the self-proclaimed “Maddogs” who ran with dog tags around his neck which clink-clank-clinked with each stride.

I hit the wall a bit early, around mile 17. This was expected as I had not done many long runs (only a couple 15 milers and a 17). I pushed through and continued on. As more and more runners finished, I found the track opening up and tried to focus on the cadence. I had started with 180 strides a minute (a goal for any minimalist runner), but had found my cadence slowing in the latter stages of the race. I was probably more near a 140-150. This would come back to haunt me the second race.

As I neared the end of the race, the folks at the timing table told me “Looking great #13. Nice job, Benn. 12 laps to go!” I made it my goal to run to the end. A couple laps went by. “6 to go, Benn! Keep it up!” 6 Laps? They definitely were not counting right. Another lap “3 to go! 3 to go!” I wasn’t arguing. Turns out number 3 was just ahead of me and the timing people had me confused with him. I pushed on hard, determined to finish feeling great.

I crossed the finish line in 20th place in 5:18:24, good for 19th in my age group. Only one woman had finished in front of me.

After the race, I got changed, went back to the hotel and then went out to grab some food at Chili’s and pick up dry wicking shirts at Target. I was back in the hotel by 6pm that night and I think I slept nearly 11 hours. Race time on Sunday was earlier by an hour, so would have to be up and ready!

RACE #2: MAPLE LEAF INDOOR MARATHON - SUNDAY, FEB. 26

Got up at 6am and got changed quickly. I knew the commute was only 5 minutes and that I didn’t need a warm up. What I liked about Doug’s laid back race is that if you run the second day, you keep the same bib number. I was lucky #13 again. I was excited on the second day of the race to meet my long-time friend Alexis Mazzini. She was coming in from Illinois and was staying at the Courtyard Marriott as well. I walked right past her when I first got there, but after getting changed headed back and said hey. She is an inspiration to me. She is only 18 or 19 and this would be her 13th marathon or ultra race. And I thought I ran a lot!

6:57 AM - Marathon Maniacs assembled and grabbed their picture. Most looked to be in fine spirit again. One guy yelled out to Doug before our whole group picture at the starting line when he asked if there were any questions, “Yeah! Did the course change?!” We all laughed. A good way to start the race off.

7:00 AM - We started the race together. We both agreed we were a little foolish and a lot of dumb, though I guess I was a bit dumber as I not only planned on running 204 laps, but had run 204 laps the day before as well! She asked me why I made her sign up for this and I said, “easy! to have someone else share in this madness!” We ran a few laps together, and settled into a rhythm. I chatted with Doug Yoder for a bit, and then said hi to Greg. He was nursing a blister from the previous day as well. He had finished a few minutes behind me on Saturday, but had planned to go a bit faster today. He went on to have a really good race and ran a 4:31!

I stopped again for a BR break around 64 laps. I remembered today what I did not remember yesterday, to take in salt capsules every 45 minutes. I struggled all day with BR breaks, so I ended up making 4 visits before the 13.11 mark. Oh well. Lost a total of about 12 minutes with these stops. 

The first lap was the hardest. After that it only got easier. I joked with Alexis that the great thing was that though she was starting on lap 1, I had the privilege (or stupidity) of starting on lap 205. I watched a very fast Grant Stieglitz and speedy Melissa Gillette, sister-in-law or wife of the previous day’s winner, racing around the oval. I think I was lapped somewhere near 80 or 85 times. At the 13.11 mile mark my mom and Alexis informed me that Melissa was on world-record pace. I think that the old record had been 3:10 or something like that. Melissa would go on to run a 3:08:53, only one minute behind Grant. As of right now she is certified for running a new world record! Amazing that someone can average 7-minute miles for an entire marathon, let alone an indoor one!

I kept plodding along, chatting with Jen about how Alexis inspires me and how one day I want to be a maniac like them. It is amazing how friendly and inspiring people are you meet while running marathons and ultras. By the halfway point people were saying “Hey Vibrams! Way to go!” I was the only one wearing minimalist footwear, and I see why now. The constant pounding was really taking its toll. I likened the bottom of my feet to that of ground turkey. 

Somewhere I hit 23 laps to go. My mom checked for me. I just wanted to break 6 hours. I pushed hard and did not stop to walk or refill my bottle once in the last 23 laps. Slowly, minute after minute, I ticked off one lap, then another, and still another. It gets easier when you see the numbers decreasing from the 20s to the 10s, and finally the single digits.

I ended up crossing the line in 5:39:07, good for 22nd place overall, and 19th in my age group. I was really happy with my performance. Not only had I exceeded my expectations, but had only gained 19 minutes on the second marathon. 

While I swore off running this race again during the entire trip back to MA by way of Buffalo (Sunday night right after the race) and Rochester, I think I may try my luck and do it again. I raised just over $1,500 for Heifer International and am glad to be a part of a larger cause - changing the world one step and stride at a time. 

I think the take away from this awesome experience is that we all hold a little good in us, an untapped reservoir that allows us to fulfill greater causes. It is humbling to think about what others accomplish. I know it is not a lot, but it is something that I can do and work towards to help others. The Maple Leaf Indoor Marathons x 2 in Goshen, Indiana were worth every step and every penny to get there.

In 408 laps I shared laughs, high fives, handshakes, and life lessons. I look forward to maintaining some of the friendships that I gained during this trip and am anxiously looking forward to my next big races: BPAC 6 Hour in April, Mind the Ducks 12 Hour in May, Memorial Day Marathon (May), and the Self-Transcendence 24 Hour race in Ottawa in September.

Stay tuned for my next big adventure!

Always,

Benn

Easy back to hobbling after the marathons. Nice and slow. 30 minutes total for 2.05 miles. Still a bit tender for tendons on the left outside/bottom of foot from pronation and the stiff track. Overall felt pretty good though.

8:30 PM - Well it appears winter is not going to spare us after all. It figures that on Leap Day we get our one true storm of the winter. Things started getting white around lunch time and the gods of administration decided it a smart decision to not hold us for all faculty PD. A wise decision. I left at 3:45 and made it home at 5! (45 mins longer than usual).

I finally typed up my race report for the Goshen races. I may decide to add some more to it, but I think it is sufficient enough. Decided to get a jog in as it was 1) Leap Day and 2) to test my feet out. Did 2.9 miles for the 29th! Won't get to do that again until 2016, if ever - given the possible Mayan prophecy cataclysmic theory of death and all.

Total Time: 31:31 Total Distance: 2.9 miles Average Pace:  10:52

8:00 AM - Woke up early and went running before going to Northampton, MA with Emma. Some pain in the 5th metatarsal of my left foot. I think I have to make a cognizant effort to increase stride turnover to 180 bpm to be more effective. Also focusing on my diet. Going to try to eat small 150-250 calorie "mini meals" every 2 hours to see if that can help get my metabolism going! Feeling sluggish, but 224 lbs and I know I have gained some muscle. Hard to believe I started my first of two marathons this time last week!

Total Time: 30:00 Total Distance: 3.05 miles Average Pace:  9:50/mile

2:45 PM - Slept like a baby last night. Got up and helped with some chores around the house. Laundry, sweeping, clothes, etc. Drove to Albany to meet Mom, Jonn, and Harry and swap Harry's wallet for my laptop charger. Can't believe how tall Harry's getting. Loved seeing Jonny's Morgan Spurlock-esque mustache! Came home and went on the treadmill. Concentrated on trying to land on my midsole and getting my stride rate up to 180 bpm. It is a tough thing to do. I think if I do at least 1-2 of these type runs a week though my feet will get stronger. Feeling pretty good, despite only being one week out from the double marathons. Sending in some registrations and such later tonight/tomorrow for races and then have to make sure I start booking some hotels! Virtually no pain. Been listening to the second book in the Hunger Games Trilogy. I'm addicted to Katniss and Peeta and Gale!

Total Time: 49:24 Total Distance: 5 miles Average Pace:  9:53/ mile

7:20 PM - Poor night's sleep last night. Went to bed around 9pm, only to wake up to Lizzy bopping me in the face at 1:30am. She was really restless. Maybe she's going through adolescence? After all she IS a 10.5 month Saint after all! Couldn't fall asleep for the life of me. 3am came and went and then about to fall asleep at 4am and the cat this time jumped on my head. Ugh! Turned off alarms and salvaged a 15-20 min "cat" nap, no pun intended, before dragging myself out of bed.

Interesting day at school. Kiddos made me laugh a few times. Last four days with the 7th graders and then back to 6th graders. Ended up hopping on the treadmill after Emmy made a really nice dinner with black beans, coconut rice, grilled plantains/bananas and a mango/onion/cilantro salsa. Really yummy! (and healthy too!)

Ate well today. Raw oatmeal w/ raisins and sugar in the raw for breakfast, two apples for lunch with a chobani yogurt and a light n' fit yogurt. Just got to keep drinking water to stay full! Need to lose those 25 pounds!

Total Time: 48:00 Total Distance: 5.02 miles Average Pace: 9:33/ mile 

7:00 PM - Got through the day. When I got home, had a sandwich and then spent some time with Emm. Drove her to the library to pick up the third book in the Hunger Games series. I am still on book 2. I love them! Dare I say new favorite book series? Got on the treadmill to sweat out some miles. Felt pretty good. I really need to make a concerted effort on my diet. I have done well on the beer front. Only one Guinness in the last two weeks. Need to get the snacking under control though. Have also eliminated most junk food from the "arena". I need to view it as another challenge, just like conquering the inevitable wall in an ultra. If I want to make my goal races, I need to make my goal weight. 24 more pounds to go!

Total Time: 46:23 Total Distance: 5.00 miles Average Pace:  9:16/ mile

9:00 PM - Needed a run tonight. Been stressed with work. Waited for Emm to get out of work at 7 and had a nice dinner with her and then hopped on the treadmill. She was exhausted and wanted to listen to the third book of the Hunger Games series, Mockingjay. I can't wait to get to that book. Still a little over halfway through the second book though. Watched an episode of "Coal" on Netflix. Really like that show. If you ever thought you had a hard job, check that show out. It will add some perspective and bring you back to reality. What an incredibly difficult job. Trying to work on the leg turnover for the run and my trailing left leg. It is slightly weaker and I found that I am running awkwardly on that foot. I think I got to get off the treadmill this weekend and get a long run in at Taconic. That may help. In any event, did first 2.5 miles at 9:30 pace, and picked it up each .25 until the end. Did the last quarter in 5:20-5:30 pace. Felt good to go fast, as Rick Bobby would say!

Total Time: 44:00 Total Distance: 5 mi Average Pace: 8:48/ mile 

11:00 AM - Had a great run at Loumar with Emmy. Brought Lizzy but she started barking and a lady thought that she had been stuck under a car and came to her rescue, only to find we had tied her to the inside of the car. The loop is .29 or so, and every 3 minutes when we came around, Lizzy started barking which in turn ended up starting a chorus of canines around the neighborhood. Emm went ahead and jogged her the mile or so home and then came back. We decided with the nice day to ditch the long run and go hiking instead.

Total Time: 45:00 Total Distance: 5 miles Average Pace: 9:00/ mile

1:00 PM -  Hiked Monument Mountain with Emmy - went running. What a great day and view! Some snow/ice, made for a tricky descent. Ended up driving around after getting a coffee/chai tea at Riverbend Cafe, and eventually went to Koi to get Chinese food. Absolutely lovely! Finished the afternoon finishing up the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy. Couldn't ask for a better afternoon than today!

Total Time: 52:00 Total Distance: 3.25 miles Average Pace:  16:00/ mile

Who said fat men can't run? Hopped on Satan's highway and did the first miles in 9:00 pace. Then sped up to 8:34, then progressed to 7:50, 7:30 and tried to hold on for the last mile. Felt really great. I needed that run. Hoping to get some quality longer runs in in the coming weeks. Trying hard to get miles in with work is tough!

Total Time: 38:xx Total Distance: 5 miles Average Pace: 7:45/ mile 

Ran an easy 3 and a quarter miles today in 28, good for average pace of 8:34 a mile. Sweat does the body good!

Nothing like sweating on Satan's Highway. Had to get some stress out. Angry and upset. But it was good fuel for the run. Did 1 mile at 9:20 pace and then did 4 x .5 mile repeats at 6:55 pace with .25 at 10:00 pace recovery between each. Cooled it on down to the end. Need to do a long run tomorrow.

Went to Boston with Emmy and saw "The Hunger Games" with Missy, Kara and Ian. Was nice to meet Ian for the first time. Really nice to see Missy's apartment which I haven't seen since the first weekend she moved in. Feel very fortunate to have a couple close friends, even if I have stolen them from Emmy. Didn't get runs in because got home late Sunday night at about 8pm. Too tired. But it was a really fun weekend!

Ran at 15% incline after work for 25:00. Ended up running a total of 1.75 miles. Felt great afterwards and was surprised that I didn't feel any soreness A really great run! Good for sweating.

Went for a relaxing run after work and started reading Geoff Williams's C.C. Pyle's Amazing Foot Race again. Read the first forty pages really quickly. It's amazing to think about what folks were willing to do for a little bit of money and a smaller bit of frame. Sometimes I dream about being Ukelele Jake and just jumping on the bandwagon and going where the winds carry me.

Total Time: 1:00:00  Total Distance: 6.03 miles Average Pace: 9:57/ mile 

1:00 PM - Emma had to work 8:30 - 7:00 today. I hopped on the treadmill after getting some veggies to make a casserole dish for dinner. Watched a couple episodes of "Intervention", and then contented myself to reading the next 60 pages of Geoff Williams's book. I really like this book.

Here is one of my favorite parts of the book because I think things haven't really changed. People try to exploit something that they think can benefit them only to have it blow up in their face.

"In another instance, Pyle's advance men came into one town - probably in Arizona - drumming up support and interest in the race before the runners came through. They mentioned the names of some of the runners to one of the newspaper editors, who perked up when he heard about Phillip Granville. "That is rather coincidental," the editor said. "He is Canadian, and so am I. His name is Granville, and by jove, so is mine. I wonder if it could be....

The editor guessed that Granville might be a cousin, and Pyle's men didn't dissuade him. Before the race, the editor wrote a lot of articles about Granville, giving him a ton of publicity and making it seem that he was the finest athlete in all the land, which was not a wholly outrageous statement. Granville, the editor, bragged to his friends that Granville the runner was his cousin. After whipping the town into a frenzy, the editor stood with a group of his friends as the runners came through, anxiously waiting to welcome his would-be relative."

"The editor, who was white, was unaware that Phillip Granville was black, an Oxford-educated Canadian born in Jamaica. It was never recorded exactly what happened when everyone saw Granville run through the town..." (page 104) 

Total Time: 2:28:36 Total Distance: 15 miles Average Pace: 9:54/ mile 

9:00 AM - Woke up a little tired/sore from yesterday's 15 mile jaunt. It is a really good sore, however. One of my favorite feelings of running long, besides the elusive runner's high, is that feeling you get when you wake up, struggle with the sheets to place sore feet on the cold wooden floor and struggle to stand. It's a battle wound, a red badge of courage, and a coveted feeling for any ultra runner. I hopped on the treadmill this morning after pulling a pretty amazing April Fool's Joke, which Emm did not take to be so funny on FB. Ran 3.2 in 30:00 and then hiked/jogged Monument with Emmy in the afternoon for a time of 49:49, one of the faster traverses of the mountain where I proposed to her in 2008. I love hiking this mountain because it is close, has special meaning for us, a gorgeous view, and because whenever I go I always get to follow this one curly-haired hottie! Total mileage for the day was 6.5 miles.

Micah True - "Caballo Blanco" - 1954 - 2012 

8:00 PM - The news of Caballo Blanco's death has been hard to understand, and harder to accept. When I first heard that Caballo went missing, I immediately had thoughts to the numerous times I've read Chris McDougall's Born to Run in which the elusive White Horse makes appearances, only to vanish into the woods and deserts and fog. When I heard that Micah went missing, just weeks after his signature Copper Canyon Ultra Marahon (CCUM), I assumed one of two possibilities - that he was taking time to pursue a personal quest through the woods and trails or that he had once again felt the pressures of corporate sponsorships, media coverage, and personal emails and letters and sought to fade into the limelight. Never once in my mind did I suspect that the indefatigable, the indomitable, the infallible Caballo would possibly be hurt or worse.

Growing up in a home with two parents (both marathoners), running became a passion of mine. From a young age, I sought to challenge myself, to push my limits and then extend them. Until just five years ago, I thought 26.22 miles was my limit. I had done two marathons and did not feel that I possessed the skills or strength to break past the arbitrary marathon distance. I have read countless books, novels, and how-to guides, as well as almost every issue of both Running Times and Runner's World since 2003. And yet, there was something tantalizing about the character portrayed by Christopher McDougall in his bestselling book. There is something elusive and inspiring about a man who sees the sport of ultra running for what it is - a personal quest to push one's limits, to transcend the monotony of daily life and treadmill runs, track workouts, and dime a dozen 5k and 10k races.

Perhaps the thing I admired about Micah's portrayal by McDougall was his tenacity and unbreakable spirit. Rather than conform to expectations, he defined his own life, his own path, and his own goals. What more can one ask for than to live the life you wish? I feel that with the death of Micah True, the ultra running community has lost something special. He brought the spotlight away from corporate greed and back to the simple joys of running for the sake of running. As he helped cover the lives of the legendary Tarahumara in Copper Canyon, he not only brought people's attention back to the basics, but he helped elevate the sport of ultra running to something more than simple competition. His ideals were pure, original, and tangible. He sought out ways to capitalize on the skills and knowledge he had acquired from the Tarahumara and to give back to the tribe that had embraced him when everyone else seemed to push him away.

So what does Caballo's death mean for the sport of ultra running? It seems that with anyone who passes away with some reasonable level of fame, that there is a mad dash to try to "get to know" and understand the individual. Working in the bookstore when Michael Jackson died, I can tell you first hand, people crave revisiting and giving a great deal of attention and care to them despite the fact that he/she has already passed on. What I fear is that the death of Caballo will have the following repercussions:

1) A run on McDougall's Born to Run in hopes of learning Micah's "secrets"

2) The loss of purity behind Caballo's Copper Canyon UltraMarathon - As much as I would love to see another dedicated runner step up to the plate and become an advocate for what the race stands for, I see corporate sponsorship eroding the real reason he developed the race.

3) A souring of relations with the Tarahumara. As people try to seek out the Holy Grail of trails and training grounds that Micah trained and raced on, I foresee people in seek of personal gain and enlightenment at the expense of the natives who live there. I fear that the Tarahumara will recede away from the spotlight and seek to be even more secretive and elusive and untrusting.

4) A new "craze" and increase in barefoot/minimalist running as previously mentioned readers in #1 seek to find personal transcendence.

So what does the death of Micah True - the fearless White Horse/Caballo Blanco really mean for the sport? It temporarily is shedding light onto our introverted love affair with running. One could hope it will effect it positively, but I fear that there will be an increase in people seeking to capitalize on his death. Time will tell. One thing is for certain, however. Micah's impact on the ultra running community is great, meaningful, and most assuredly long-lasting.

Here's to you, Caballo. May you forever be able to run the great trails in the sky with great food, greater friends, and even greater stories to share with one and all.

5 miles for Caballo tonight on the treadmill. 48:30 total, good for  9:42/ mile

8:00 PM - I had a long day at work, compounded by some outside stressors. Some great things however came about today. One of my coworkers informed me of the first ultra-marathon being held in Berkshire County later this year. The best part about it is that the Start/Finish line is only 1.5 miles from our house! It is starting and ending at Hancock Shaker Village. Chris said that I was the only one "crazy enough" he knew to even attempt it. I talked to the race director and it seems like it'd be a great fit for me, as much of the course winds through the woods and up and over the mountains that I run in Pittsfield State Forest so often. My one concern is that it is scheduled for September 22nd, and while it would be great to be able to sleep until 530, get up and make it to the starting line well before the 6am start, I have reservations as I am tentatively signing up for a 24 hour race held in Ottawa in September. I need to really think about the 24 hour race I guess. I might set my sights on the 50 miler instead and save the 24 hour attempt for Across the Years down in Phoenix, if I can swing the money/registration fees/airline accommodations, etc. 

Emma worked until 7 tonight, so I waited until she got home and saw her for a few minutes before I hopped on the treadmill. Did 2 miles easy and read more of Geoff Williams's book through page 180 or so. About .5 miles into my run, the lamp fell off the dresser and the new lightbulb shattered so I had to clean that up first. Kind of funny when I saw it falling. It seemed to defy gravity for a few seconds. Then eased into a workout. Did 4 x 400m at 6:00 pace with 45 second recovery, followed by 1 x 800m at 6:00 pace with 1:30 recovery, followed by 2 x 400m at 6:00 pace again. Legs were pleasantly tired after my short workout.

Total Time: 32:30 Total Distance: 4 miles Average Pace:  8:07/ mile

6:00 PM - Emm had to work the long shift tonight, 11am to 8pm. I got home, and after stopping via New Lebanon in New York for some ice cream to surprise her with, I hopped onto the treadmill for a nice run. Goal was to see how my legs felt and to push it a bit. I wanted to see how fatigued my legs were and how I could make them hurt a bit. I queued up Netflix and was surprised to find a really neat documentary that came out four or five years ago after the unveiling of the seemingly defunct Segway. Aptly titled "10 mph", it follows the traversing of the United States (some 4,000+ miles) of an individual on a segway machine from the west coast to the east coast. I watched the majority of it as I ran. Still trying to figure out how to regulate sweating while indoors. I might set up the box fan to circulate air across my chest and legs. I think just having some sense of wind (more than the ceiling fan) will help to keep me cool without saturating my shirt within the first fifteen minutes of exercise. Felt really good and ran at about an 8:35 pace for the first six miles without any breaks. I made sure not to eat any dairy after breakfast. This helped reduce the likelihood of needing a mid-run pit stop. As such I would call this run a fantastic one! Getting excited about the likelihood of the first ultra marathon in Berkshire County in September that starts and ends at Hancock Shaker Village. I am going to send in my registration today to secure a spot - not that it will sell out ; there are currently only 2 folks that have registered, a woman about my ability from western MA, and an elite from Colorado who can sport times of 7-7.5 hours for the 50 mile distance. I finished the last mile running between 8 and 8:05 pace, with the last lap run at 6:00 pace for good measure. Felt great!

Total Time: 1:00:00 Total Distance: 7.05 miles Average Pace:  8:31/ mile

Got up early to go to the Bonnell's in Harvard. Brought running stuff in case we could sneak away for a run. Ate too much before I went running with Emm in Harvard, MA at her Aunt's house. Went running on the roads around the house in search of an elusive cow. Did not find the cow, but we found two goats and a volleyball court! Miles were: 9:42, 9:38, 8:53, 8:40. Got it done! Emm did not like that I kicked it in at the end :(.

Total Time:  38:31 Total Distance: 4.25 miles Average Pace: 9:04

Did not get home until late. Drove straight home from Harvard, MA early a.m. Got home around lunch time. Then left to go pick up Lizzard from my parents' house, only to get a flat tire in New Lebanon. Somehow limped back home to Pittsfield (10 miles), then took Emma's car. Got back in at about 5:30 or 6 and it was all I could do to get 3 miles in before bed.

Total Time: 25:30 Total Distance: 3 miles Average Pace: 8:30 

Went to bed at 9:30 last night. Around midnight, Emm woke up with stomach pains again. I tossed and turned until about 2:30 when I decided I was up for the day and couldn't just lay there any more with my mind buzzing. I got up, worked until about 4am, then went to the treadmill and did an easy 5 miler. Did 25 minute warm up, 1 x mile in 6:49, then cooled down until the end. Decided to get changed and go in to work early as there was little else I could do. Hoping to be exhausted by tonight so that I just pass out. Saw Lindsay last night. Her face is still messed up! Send a little love towards LBC - she has multiple facial fractures from a tree falling on her face in Harvard when she was helping her uncle before dinner.

Total Time:  43:10 Total Distance: 5 miles Average Pace: 8:38

9:00 AM - It has been increasingly difficult to balance work/home life and get in the runs I need to. It makes me feel better when I get a run in, but I can't enjoy my runs unless they are at night when it is my time. When I typically try to run in the morning, I have a million things running through my head about school. Hopped on the treadmill for an easy one hour run on Satan's highway. Read another 40 pages of Geoff Williams's book. Going to finish tonight and then either another biography of Lincoln or perhaps Champlain. Hoping to get in a nice long run tomorrow while Emm is at work. Only 20 more pounds to lose until I will feel confident enough to run outside!

Total Time: 1 hour   Total Distance: 6.5 miles Average Pace:  9:14

10:00 AM - Projected high of 86 in Pittsfield today (same as Boston). I am happy that I had an air conditioner put in last week! I dropped Emmy off at 930 for work and then rushed home to change and hop on the treadmill. I found that even though I wasn't outside, running today was just as difficult. I instead focused on maintaining a Mind the Ducks like pace with a little jogging for 20-25 mins, followed by a half mile or mile of walking. Felt pretty good by the end of it. Was nice to see the Kenyans sweep 1-2-3 and Hartmann sneak up for fourth. What a day full of comebacks all around! Most of my friends that ran the marathon ended up running 30 minutes slower than they intended. I am dedicated to qualifying for Boston in two years. I need to get the weight and diet under control, and get back to running 40 mpw before I start a program.  One day I shall run Boston!

Total Time: 2 hours Total Distance: 11.1 miles Average Pace:  10:49

9:00 PM - After dinner and errands Emm and I wanted an exercise date. I popped on an episode of "Border Wars" as she had mentioned she had wanted to see it. I took my glasses off and just focused on form. First mile was 9:57, second was 8:44, and final was 7:39. Really banged out the last one.

Total Time: 26:20 Total Distance: 3 miles Average Pace:  8:47

10AM - Morning Run today - Dropped Emma off at work and came home and changed. Did the first 2 miles in 17:13, and then eased into 3 x hill repeats (each about .25-.3 in length). Cooled on home. Felt pretty darn good. More exercise and some pushups and sit-ups to come later tonight. It's commitment time!

Total Time: 37:13 Total Distance: 4.26 miles Average Pace:  8:44/ mile

1:30 PM - Dropped Emmy at work and went grocery shopping. Going to make grilled squash and zucchini on the grill and some portabellas. Wanted to go for a run and was feeling okay. Did a 55 minute Power 90 Kempo X workout this morning around 9am with Emm. My legs were a bit sore after that though. Hopped on and tried to go about 15 seconds faster per mile.  Ended up going a solid hour and did 6.77 miles. Felt great!

Total Time: 1:00:01 Total Distance: 6.77 miles Average Pace:  8:52/ mile

9:50 AM - Decided to get some speed and do a tempo run. Tempo Run - did 15 minute warm up, 5 mins at 8:35 pace, 5 mins at 8:00 pace, 5 mins at 7:38 pace, and then 6 minutes at 7:00 pace. Did a 10 minute cool down afterwards. Felt really great. BPAC 6 Hour race one week from Sunday! Felt really great overall and I feel pleasant and refreshed. I think that they key for me will be consistency. It is hard to get runs in during the work week. I am thankful it is break this week!

 Total Time: 45:00 Total Distance: 5.26 miles Average Pace:  8:33

11:00 AM - Emm did not have to go into work until 2:45 this afternoon. I offered to go hiking with her. We went to Olivia's Lookout - one of the toughest trails but one of my favorites. They've done a lot of work since I was last here last summer; lots of trail maintenance, new signs; I am always wary of trail maintenance. While it generally improves the trail, it also makes it more inviting. I know that two years ago I did a 3.5 hour long run in the woods here and didn't see a soul. Today we saw 4 different people :-\. Power hiking I think hurts more than running! Splits were: 17:08 (uphill); 15:24 (half uphill), 17:14 (half uphill). Max was 7:43/ mile on a brief 20 second downhill run as it was impossible to walk.

Total Time: 52:00 Total Distance: 3.5 miles Average Pace:  14:51/ mile

4:30 PM - After going to the library and returning a book I read this morning cover to cover about a Dutch explorer in Mohawk territory (1634-35), I went for a run. My right calf was a little sore from the tempo run the other day, but other than that I felt really great. Hoping that I can continue consistent training as we go back to school. Have to make an effort to make it so. Really putting in the miles this week. This will be my best week since 2007!

Total Time: 60:00 Total Distance: 6.61 miles Average Pace:  9:05/ mile

Today was pretty much a perfect day. I woke up, celebrated Lizzy's 1st birthday with Emmy; it is amazing how difficult it is to snap a picture of her! After breakfast with my girls, I helped Emmy clean and did dishes and cleaned the kennel. Then we went for an hour hike at Olivia's Lookout. Before we left, while Emm was getting ready, I read a book, cover to cover (see the George O'Connor book on the left). One hour hike and then came back and had lunch with Emmy - grilled cheese. Brought her to work, returned the library book, and then ran for an hour (6.61 miles). Now doing 3 loads of laundry and watching "Braveheart" until I go to pick up Emmy from work. Maybe starting another book tonight. Quite possibly one of the best days ever. 

12:00 PM - Woke up this morning and did a load of dishes, swept the floor, then did 2 loads of my laundry, and helped Emm start hers.  Emm decided to take a bath so I went jogging. It's overcast and in the high 50s or 60s out. Nice weather. Looking like weather for next Sunday in Buffalo is an overnight low of 42, and a high of 58. I won't need spandex this year! Going to be a really nice race, I can feel it already. Today's run puts me at 53 miles of running for the week - haven't done this in training since 2007! If only it were spring break every week. I am going to redouble my efforts going into the last few months of school though to make training a priority. School can wait. Work can wait. Running can't. Did the first 4 miles at about 9:15 pace, and then did the last two miles in 7:56 and 7:58.

Total Time: 52:03 Total Distance: 6 miles Average Pace: 8:41/ mile

12:30 PM - 3 Hours at work, and then came home. What a great relaxing break it's been this week. Trying to think about how to continue this motivation I have for running. I ran 53 miles last week. I was upset though when I got on the scale last night to find I hadn't even lost one pound. I have cut out a lot of sweets and haven't done dessert. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I have 30 pounds I want to lose! I want to be under 200 again! Started reading a really interesting book called "The Hanging of Ephraim Wheeler". It is set locally in Berkshire County in 1806 and based on the trial transcript of an illiterate farmer who married into an interracial family and existed on the fringe of society before being accused of raping his daughter and was subsequently hung. Only read one chapter so far but anticipating a good read!

A week from today is BPAC 6 Hour in Buffalo. Looking forward to seeing what I can do. I am heavier than last year and running in Vibrams (which I suspect might equate to a sub par performance). Last year I ran 27.492 miles [prorated] in 6:00. I'd like to push it a little farther. I have not done as many long runs this year as last year however. I will take it easy and see where it goes.

Had a Gandhi quote running through my head as I ran today. I'll share it. I think it's something we can all take to heart today on Earth Day:

"Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words,  Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny."

Total Time: 1:03:35 Total Distance: 7.00 miles Average Pace: 9:05 

3:00 PM - Decided to do my evening run early. Emm was busy cleaning and listening to an audio book so I figured I would rather do it now then later when we might actually get to spend time together. Pushed the pace the last 2 miles. I can't believe how much I can sweat. You'd swear I was a sprinkler!

Total Time: 23:40 Total Distance: 3 miles Average Pace:  7:53

5:00 PM - Did Power90X Kenpo workout with Emm. Did not hurt as much as the first time, but I was still sweating.  I am finally getting a hang of some of the punches! Total workout time - 1:00:00. 

8:00 PM - Back to the grind again. Today was alright. Got to listen to CarTalk at work. Still sharing the car so Emma had to wake up extra early to drive me to work at 6am. She didn't have to be to work until 930 thankfully otherwise it wouldn't have worked. Day 2 on lose it.com. Going strong. I ate healthfully all day long! Feeling good. Just wish the scale would hurry up and get there with me. Maybe I am not running fast enough? Will have to try to ramp up miles after my birthday marathon. (Net calories after running consumed today: 1216)

Total Time: 45:30 Total Distance: 5 miles Average Pace: 9:05/ mile 

5 amazing miles before Emm got home from work. I have the most amazing wife! Gearing up for BPAC. Will run 5 tomorrow, and then 3 on Friday, followed by a couple striders to loosen legs on Saturday at the hotel. Ghosts in the parking lot say what?!

Total Time: 43:00 Total Distance: 5 miles Average Pace: 8:40/ mile 

5:00 PM - Sore. Pinched nerve possible in back from lifting something the wrong way. Last long run before BPAC on Sunday. Felt pretty good though. Standing, walking/running don't hurt. Only sitting. Relaxed and watched some The Biggest Loser.

Total Time: 1:26:00 Total Distance: 10 miles Average Pace: 8:35/ mile 

4:30 PM - BPAC course looks great. Can't wait for tomorrow. Most grass sections will be runnable. Some sections I will have to stick to the hard stuff. Looking forward to it tomorrow!

Total Time: 32:00 Total Distance: 3.25 miles Average Pace: 9:50/ mile 

Really strong performance at this. Longer race report to come when I get the chance to type it this afternoon. Cliff Notes: Gorgeous weather (started 30 degrees, warmed to 55 and sunny), with minimal wind until last 2 hours. Ran faster than last year. Finished same distance, but 52 MINUTES FASTER. Did first 4 hours running with no walking breaks, then took the last two laps easy. Last long run before Mind the Ducks 12 Hour on May 12th. Mile splits were:

•  Mile 1: 10:48
• Mile 2: 10:19
• Mile 3: 10:08
• Mile 4: 10:27
• Mile 5: 10:02
• Mile 6: 10:10
• Mile 7: 10:41
• Mile 8: 10:21
• Mile 9: 10:06
• Mile 10: 10:01
• Mile 11: 9:50
• Mile 12: 9:51
• Mile 13: 9:46
• Mile 14: 10:33
• Mile 15: 9:43
• Mile 16: 9:53
• Mile 17: 10:26
• Mile 18: 9:59
• Mile 19: 10:16
• Mile 20: 12:41
• Mile 21: 13:24
• Mile 22: 11:38
• Mile 23: 15:12 (bathroom break)
• Mile 24: 13:59
• Mile 25: 13:31
• Mile 26: 12:28
• Mile 27: 14:19
• Mile 28: 12:58
• Mile 29: 11:45

7:00 PM - Walking around was easier at work today. I decided to try to run tonight. Reserved the right to walk if my legs were hurting too much. My quadriceps bare the brunt of any lingering aches and pains. Talked to Mary DaSilva and ordered a pair of CEP compression sleeves for Mind the Ducks. Really exited to see if the Altra Lone Peaks come in the mail today too. Still battling hunger pains. I am eating more fruits and veggies, but I never feel full. Trying to avoid carbs. Started at about a 12 min pace, then warmed up after about .75 and dropped to 11, then 10. Final half mile was at 9:15 pace.

Total Time: 32:22 Total Distance: 3.11 miles Average Pace:  10:27/ mile

1:00 PM - Took a personal day at work. Did a 4 mile fast hike up and down Monument Mountain in Great Barrington and then 20 minutes on the treadmill (2.02 mi). Legs are feeling great! Should be back to normal by the end of this week. Now to get focused on Mind the Ducks! Saw two geese today by a pond with Emm, but no babies. Hopefully we'll see some little ones at the MTD race. On a different note, our pairs of Altra Lone Peaks came in today! Total hike was 1 hour, total run was 20 minutes. Feeling great!

5:30 PM - Was able to navigate stairs at school with minimal pain. I think I might be almost recovered from the race on Sunday. One week from tomorrow until I leave for Rochester to Mind the Ducks! I am thinking I can shoot for 55 miles. That'd be amazing! I will get it done! I am stubborn. I am an ultrarunner. Getting the itch to see the end of the school year. I believe 50 days from today until the last day of school. It seems so far away!

Total Time: 48:20 Total Distance: 5 miles Average Pace: 9:40/ mile 

7:00 AM - Did not get home until 9:45 yesterday. Had a great day at school, brunch with some fabulous friends, an afternoon dinner date with Erin at Desperado's in North Adams to mentally and stomachly prepare for our middle school Cinco de ... Cuatro? Dance. Had hoped to get a run in last night, but was physically and mentally exhausted. Woke up this morning and got an easy run in. Legs feel refreshed and energized. Hard to believe BPAC was not even one week ago! This time last week I was just packing up the car!

Total Time: 47:14 Total Distance: 5 miles Average Pace:  9:27

3:00 PM -  Went for a 2 mile walk with Emma, Lindsay, Kara, Momma Crosh and Eve along a bike path in Harvard, MA. What a beautiful afternoon. Emma saved my life. Around 9pm we were sitting around the table and she found a deer tick crawling across my face! She saved me. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful wife.

6:45 PM - Went running after running errands with Emm. We went food shopping for nearly two hours. A lot of things to pick up for our trip coming up in just a few short days. Only 5 sleeps until we leave for Rochester and Mind the Ducks! Plan is to run 5-6 miles Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, maybe a 5k on Thursday and then resting on Friday. Starting to get butterflies. I ran 50.2 last year in trainers. I am going to push myself to beat that mark and do it in VIBRAMS! Can't wait for our epic team to assemble on Friday/Saturday for a run around Trout Lake!

Total Time: 54:09 Total Distance: 6.0 miles Average Pace: 9:01/ mile 

6:00 PM - Took Lizzy for a walk with Emm around the block. Did 1.3 miles in about 25 minutes. Then hopped on the treadmill and ran 3.76 miles in 33:50, good for 8:59/ mile. Felt really great. Got CEP sock sleeves in the mail today and ran with them on. Going to try them on Tuesday and Wednesday too. Considering wearing them for the 12 hour. Don't know yet. 

Did 1.3 with Lizzy and Emm, and then another 3.75 in 35:00. Emm decided Lizzy is now an outdoor dog and Lizzy does not like it. She has been barking and howling each night incessantly for hours. Pretty sure that the neighbors may consider killing her while I sleep (if I sleep). Definitely don't think I'll ever have any kids!

11:00 PM - Time for tapering tomorrow and Friday off completely. Weather is not looking favorable for me for Mind the Ducks on Saturday. Going to have to pack extra shirts - projected high of 72 and sunny. Must remember sun block too! Did 1.3 with Emmy and Lizzy and then on the treadmill doing 9:15 pace for the remaining 4. Now time to do some school work. Last 4 was 37:03. 

4 Easy Miles @ 10:00 pace - last run before Mind the Ducks 2012. Feeling good, but a little nervous. I hope I can go the distance.

     I think there comes a time in every distance runner’s life when he or she is humbled. Saturday was that day for me. I had done the training, running more miles in the opening months of this year than I have in any other year. I had successfully completed two indoor marathons in two days in February in Goshen, Indiana and had most recently completed 29.5 miles in five and a half hours at the BPAC 6 Hour Race in Buffalo, NY two weeks ago. I felt pretty relaxed and fresh, having tapered nicely in the week leading up to the race. However, as the race day approached and I checked the weather, there was a statistic that scared me.

     Temperature. It is the thing that most impacts race performance for me. It can help me sail on to set PRs and has the potential to sink me like a sack of potatoes. As race week unfolded, I checked the anticipated temperature of Rochester. 66. Doable. 69. A bit too warm for me. 73. Reevaluating and resetting my goals. 75. Oh no. 76. Busted. It seemed every time I checked the weather forecast for Rochester, Saturday’s projected high temperature continued to climb.

     And, while I was reserved in trying to understand the implications for my own race performance from this seemingly statistical nightmare, at least part of me, deep down, knew that this was going to be a test of willpower. Nothing, though, could have prepared me for the ordeal I was going to face come race day.

     Emmy and I both took Friday off of work, her first day off since she started there back in 2010. We packed up the Prizm early Friday morning and headed out towards Rochester by way of Galway so we could drop off Lizzy at her grandparents for some puppy time. The drive was pretty uneventful. Thankfully, Emily had brought along an audio book, James Patterson’s I, Alex Cross. I have never been a James Patterson fan - perhaps because of the cultish following of his readers - but I was surprised by how entertaining and addicting it became to listen to his story of detective Alex Cross and the murder mystery of the century. We would end up spending close to ten hours in the car over the course of the weekend listening to the audio book and wouldn’t finish until we had almost returned home to Pittsfield around 10:00 on Sunday night.

     We stayed at the Extended Stay America hotel in Greece, just outside of Rochester. Friday night we all gathered at Su and Rocco’s apartment to carbo load. Jonny, Harry, Mom, Aunt Jane, Emm and I were all graciously accepted by Su. I know it is always difficult to bring in guests, but especially more so, when the number of guests multiplies the current occupants of said apartment by 300%.   

     The weather in Rochester was gorgeous “hanging out” weather - in the mid 60s or 70s during the afternoon, and cooler in the 50s at night. We had already checked into the hotel before dinner, but did not actually sit down to eat dinner until after nine. By the time we drove back to the hotel it was close to ten o’clock at night. Harry was staying over with us to give Su and Rocco a small reprieve. We brought two air mattresses and quickly blew one up. Unfortunately for Harry he said that it was flat within the first thirty minutes.

     I was out like a light within seconds (as usual). I think I got about five hours of sleep before the alarm went off at 4:40. Climbed into the shower and then started to get dressed for what would be one of the longest races of my life. Got in the car and were en route to Trout Lake by about six. When we arrived, a lot of other runners had already pitched their tents and were “hanging”. I saw Mary DaSilva and Shelley Viggiano and I was really elated to be able to be here for the third installment of Mind the Ducks. It is quickly becoming my favorite race of all time. 

     Got everything out of the cars, two tents pitched and things organized for the day with about fifteen minutes to go. Got my race bib and changed into my Vibram Komodo Sports and then jogged to the port-a-john before the starting gun went off. Got settled in the back with our signature purple “Doodah” Man shirts on. Things always start off jovial and it is fun for the first few miles to just cruise, swap stories, make funny projections and whimsical remarks and just enjoy the moment. I knew that I was in good shape and had put in the training so I was expecting great things. I was NOT, however, expecting the H-E-A-T. 

“SPRING CHICKENS” HOURS 1 & 2 : Starting clicking off miles rather quickly somewhere between 10:00 and 10:20 pace. Before I knew it I had run non-stop for nearly an hour and a half. I had been drinking bottles every two miles or so, and as of yet had not felt any adverse effects of dehydration. That would soon change. Emm hung tough and ran by my side for most of the time. Harry had done three or four laps and then passed out in the tent watching a movie with Jonn. Mom, Jane, and Su walked together and Su in the second hour ran a few laps with me.

“OLD DOGS” HOURS 3 & 4 : Stared to heat up. By about 9:30 temperature was starting to climb into the 60s. I was quickly getting overheated. I continue to down bottles every mile or two. Before I knew it I was already on bottle six or seven of Powerade. Big Mistake. In training I frequently only drink water and take salt tablets and/or drink Heed. I found a good deal on Powerade for 88 cents a bottle at the store and decided it was a good find. Kept taking a handful of honey wheat pretzels every third or fourth lap. This had worked well for me at BPAC two weeks ago. But something did not feel right. I felt the all too uncomfortable feeling that I sometimes get when I run too soon after eating dinner.  I needed to find a restroom STAT.

     I ended up making the journey to the restroom nearly eight times during the race (or at least the part that I was actually lakeside). I didn’t know at the time what was causing this stomach troubles, but I was quickly feeling depleted and dehydrated. I kept up the pace throughout, running a little faster in the two laps preceding each stop, running into the port a john and then exiting at just about the precise time Emm or Su came around.

     Something wasn’t right however. I had to pee two times in the first hour, but then felt the urge but could not actually go after that. Each time I tried, my urine was getting yellower and yellower. Not good.

     I had been dehydrated before. I’ve read “How To” stories and countless stories of ultra distance runners and the way they claw their way back from the bad side. This was going to take some true heroism.

     I hit 16 miles just after 3 hours and felt pretty good. I was setting a good pace despite my issues. I was having a good time, or at least telling myself as such.

     Chafing had been avoided until this point by using deodorant as a poor man’s body glide. I started suspecting that it was the Powerade that was leading me to bowel troubles. The sickingly sweet energy drink was quickly turning my stomach inside out.

     Add to this the fact that the temperature was soon near 70 with blue skies and sun, and I started to resemble a slowly pressure cooked turkey. Something was just waiting to explode.

“GERIATRIC GOPHERS” HOURS 5 & 6 

     So this is what it had come down to. I pushed and did what I could, hitting 21 miles in 4 hours, but had resigned myself after this, to succumbing to the agony of de”feet”. My feet had started to hurt. I changed Vibrams at mile 16 and then again at 24. It didn’t seem to help. The asphalt was starting to turn my feet into meat tenderized stubs. I caught Emm at one point and had a serious heart to heart conversation about goals. Our initial goals had been for 40 miles (Emm had run 38 miles last year and wanted to best this score; my longest Vibram run before MTD had been 29.5 miles at BPAC two weeks before). We had both started so strong and had figured that even walking slowly the rest of the time, we could each easily get to 40 miles. However, what we had failed to take into account during these assertions were the tolls that direct sunlight and rising temperatures have on the ultrarunner’s body.

     Before long I voiced my concern; “I’ve been to the bathroom nearly five times and my stomach isn’t feeling too great.” “Mine either!” Emma confirmed. “I really think that I am going to have to seriously adjust goals here to be successful”. “Me too.” We decided a more likely goal would be to focus on getting each other to the marathon distance by any means possible. This included slow jogging and speed walking, and actually my favorite type of movement - a slow, hand-holding walk around the lake.

     Emm and I decided that we’d shoot for a manageable goal. Emm has not had a great spring of training with work and all and has done a lot of P90X and elliptical use in lieu of training. She decided to shoot for anything over a marathon and would end up logging 27 miles when all was said and done.

     There is something about wandering aimlessly under the sun in circles trying to find the finish line each lap, and then willing yourself to push on for yet another lap that makes you start to think, “Is it true what they say? Am I in fact a little crazy?” If ever there was a day for affirmation, today was that day. 

“ARTHRITIC AARDVARKS” THE EPILOGUE: HOURS 7 & 8

     After I hit the marathon distance I knew anything afterwards was just bonus. I was not seeking to kill myself, especially with a birthday marathon just two weeks away with hills that could kill even the strongest hill climbers, as well as a 12 hour in July and a 50 mile trail race in September.  My goal was simple, to help Su, and Mom, and Emm achieve their goals. We kept going and soon propelled Emm over the finish line with 27 miles logged. I then found my mom and Aunt Jane coming around. Jane had some serious blisters giving her troubles (yes, these blisters could even rival mine!). They were shooting for 50 laps, but Jane’s feet weren’t going to allow it. I sat down with Emm in the shade of a tree as Su and Mom kept going. Jane ended up stopping with about 19 miles logged. Su was dead set on not only becoming a marathoner, but an ultramarathon warrior princess.

55 laps. That became the new goal. Su wanted it. And I knew she would do what she could to make it. My mom wasn’t far off either, down about 8 or 9 laps to Su-Su. After Jane and Emm and I had stopped, I switched into Crocs since my swollen feet were killing me. I could walk. I couldn’t really run, but I could walk. I walked a couple laps with Mom and Su. They were getting closer. Rocco got there with three laps left for Su, and after doing two with mom and Su, mom decided to go and do a lap or two to get even with Su so she could finish her 50th lap when Su finished her 55th. 

     It was really inspiring to see Su finish her first marathon/ultra. It is really something. I guess I don’t really think about it, but not many families can say that their mom, dad, sister, wife, and sister-in law are all marathoners. I have no doubt that one day Aunt Jane, Jonny, and Harry will also become marathoners!

     Shelley really puts on one of the best races I have ever run. It’s supportive, a great environment, and everyone just has a great time. 

     The last hour we were lakeside, before we decided we had had enough and opted to go lay down in the A/C and go to Olive Garden, we were watching an epic battle unfold. Mary DaSilva had battled cramps and an upset stomach and “only thrown up a couple times’ and was coming back to try to get her USATF 12 Hour Record for her age group. Michael “Dreddy” Welden and Egils Robs were in a battle to end all battles. It was really something watching them try to fight for every lap and watching the tactics play out. I was amazed that they ended up logging nearly 67 and 70 miles! Rebecca Schaefer snuck up and finished second overall yet again, this time logging close to 62 miles. I was a little upset with myself in that for the first four hours I was on the same lap and had eventually passed her and was ahead of her for some time. If only the cards had been in my favor and I could have continued. In hind sight, I would have been near the top 20 if I had just kept moving. There is no doubt in my mind that I would have at least tied the distance I ran last year if conditions were right, but there is nothing wrong with 32 miles of movement.

     I’ll take it in stride and start thinking about next year and planning a comeback. Kind of crazy to think that this is the fourth marathon/ultra that I have completed this year, and this was my 8th marathon/ultra total. Some in my extended family call me a freak, but I think I am just a lost 25 year old ultra runner trying to find his way.

     It just so happens that I find that way by running in circles. Lots and lots of them. Best item in the goody bag this year was a MTD12HOUR bumper sticker (which I have already added to Pre the bumper sticker clad Prizm). It reads “I RUN IN CIRCLES”. Epic.

     2012 is not over. There is still hope that I will have a good race or two in me. And if not, I will continue my pursuit to get the good miles in to make 2013 even better. I am dead set on seeing BPAC and MTD 2013 being MY races.

     Onwards. Upwards. Always Forwards. Always moving forward. That’s the key.

6:15 PM - First post-Mind the Ducks 12 Hour run. My left foot has some pain just above the arch and behind my ankle - suspect from overpronation and slapping my feet too hard on the ground. I am going to have to make a cognizant attempt to ration calories if I want to start shedding pounds. I soaked my feet in the ConAir ice bath while Emm and I watched some That 70s Show on dvd. Am going to try to get some extra cash to either pay for the 12 hour race and/or ask my siblings to go in jointly on a birthday present to purchase a pair of Leming footwear for me to wear at work and/or outside on the pavement. Might put orthotics back into work shoes for some extra support tomorrow.

Total Time: 49:00 Total Distance: 5 miles Average Pace:  9:48/ mile

6:15 PM - Left foot pain is almost gone. Considered jogging in regular shoes, first time since last May, but it felt too weird, so I switched into my Vibrams. So much better. Did the last miles hard: .75 @ 7:45 pace and the last .28 @ 6:00 pace. Nothing like some endorphins to feel a bit better about yourself. Now if only I could lose some of the weight! I like running at night because it helps me get the stress out from work. Learning to run early in the a.m. (like 4am) is going to be difficult. I don't know if my busy will like it as much. 

Total Time: 44:30 Total Distance: 5.03 miles Average Pace:  8:51

After the longest work week I have ever had, I ended up sick. Being in a testing room for two days in a row with 23 sick sixth graders is a lot like sticking your hand into a biohazard bin at the hospital full of needles and expecting not to get pricked. Have never seen mucus so green. The bad part is that I can already feel it in my lungs - remembering the hell I called last summer. This can't be happening again.

Total Time: 45:23 Total Distance: 5 miles Average Pace: 9:04.5 

Sign #1 that you are too sick to be running - you bring a set up mucus rags with you and halfway through the run you run out of clean places to blow your nose. Uh! Nose and throat hurt from coughing and blowing so much.

Total Time: 45:20 Total Distance: 5 miles Average Pace: 9:03 

7:15 PM - Still under the weather. Trying to have as much Vitamin C, Emergen-C and Fruits/Veggies as possible. Hobbled through 3 miles. Am worried about running because it seems when I run, it's a natural decongestant and that causes me to cough up phlegm. I suppose that it won't be a problem on race day, as there will be ample places to spit, and in that the heat will most likely be a bigger problem than anything. However, at the moment, I don't see Emm really liking me spitting phlegm on the walls or floor of the newly cleaned exercise room.

Total Time: 27:30 Total Distance: 3 miles Average Pace: 9:10 

3 in 27:00, just to make sure everything is in order for Sunday!

TALES FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SCALE

One “Fat” Runner’s Quest Towards Self-Transcendence

As I walked across the lawn of my old high school on Memorial Day with my dad after the annual small-town parade, he reminisced about his old coach. “I remember once in seventh grade, Coach Baker put me in center field. I didn’t have a mitt and he just put me there. I spent all day chasing balls and finally caught one and threw it into him. He told me, ‘Good catch, Griffin.’ It’s moments like these that stick with you.” His old coach had just passed away after 80-something years of inspiring and guiding youth towards meeting their goals.

There is something enviable in people like Coach Baker and my dad. They are both life-long educators, who have, in my eyes made a commitment to investing in the future of tomorrow by empowering the children of today. When I think about my dad, I respect the endless hours he has put in not to walk away with a huge paycheck at the end of the day, but to walk away knowing that he has made a difference in another’s life. When I think about the thousands of children that my dad has seen as a teacher and principal, I think about the exponential factor of “giving back”. And despite what non-educators perceive our job to be, as a teacher myself, I can tell you that the true measure of a teacher is how he or she talks about the children that are impacted by day to day instruction.

     Each year around this time, I give thanks that we have had the men and women of generations past and present willing to lay their lives on the line to protect the liberties and freedoms that we so often take for granted. There is something about individuals willing to make the ultimate sacrifice that consequently humbles even the most boastful runner. This year I had the pleasure of running the Lenox Memorial Day Marathon in Lenox, Massachusetts in conjunction with their drive to benefit the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

     This had been a long year already for me with two indoor marathons, a 6-Hour, and 12-Hour ultra already behind me. Dubbed “my birthday marathon”, it would be the last race I would run as a 25-year-old. As I slipped on my Vibram FiveFingers and pinned on my bed, the butterflies started to hit. I am always nervous the first time on a course I have not run previously. I drove the last six or seven miles and I knew that it was going to be one hell of a run (The last 10k gains nearly 1000’ vertical feet).

     In the last few years, I have gained some extra weight, and I am one of the bigger runners in most of the events that I participate in. At 6’2” and 230 lbs, I am twice the weight of many of the female competitors. Lining up in the back with some of the other Marathon Maniacs, I thought about the task ahead - traversing the next 26 miles and 385 yards. I thought about my game plan, the obstacles I might face, and my mantra for the day, Quentin Cassidy’s “Miles of Trials, Trials of Miles” from the John L. Parker, Jr. book Once A Runner. I have tried several mantras, but have found this one to work most effectively for me because it is short, sweet, and gets the job done.

     I have always been self-conscious, but I think more so in the past couple years. I have a high-stress job, and I think I have as a result, indulged and imbibed and have gained more weight that I would have liked to. It is not uncommon for me to log a lot of miles running in the dark or on the treadmill in the spare bedroom. Sometimes I feel like it is my own, private air-conditioned sanctuary where I can decompress, reevaluate, and refine lessons for my students, away from the distractions and critical lens of the real world.

     One of my wife’s family friends was in charge of singing the national anthem. I wasn’t really paying attention to the race directions and announcements. I watched as people peeled off just before the start to do their business in the woods. I chuckled as at the high point of the anthem, I heard the splashing of liquid on leaves, the the crunch of twigs underfoot as a burly serviceman tip-toed out of the woods, hand on his chest.

     It was already in the mid-60s at the start. The smell of exhaust and BenGay hung in the air. I always relish the funny quips that mark the start of a long race. Many marathons and ultras I have done do an introductory loop through the starting area, as if to give any half-hearted souls the chance to bow out of the race. There is always the funny jokester who jests “Wow! That was quick! The finish line already!”. I can never tell if they are laughing at or with the poor soul.

     As with any long race I participate in, there comes a time when it is “go time”. That last uncomfortable second when you watch overweight men adjust their jock straps, the devout Catholic make the cross, and the worrisome newcomers, attempt to keep their breakfast down.

     As this was my ninth time at the distance, I was hardly a newcomer. If anything, I was a hardy veteran - Nowhere near my competitors’s however - some of these runners of insanity have logged anywhere from 100 to 200 marathons!

     I chose to wear burgundy shorts and my purple Doo-dah shirt. I love the Doo-dah shirt’s motto “Keep on Truckin’”. It helped me at several low points during the race and I am sure that it helped other runners navigate the hills during the incredibly muggy conditions. 

GENESIS

     The race started and that’s when I had to pee.

     We ran off under the start banner together (half marathoners and full marathoners alike), each setting off on this epic quest we’d undertaken - First timers. Veterans. The unsure. The unfit. We were all together for that moment. 5k and 10k runners and spectators cheered us forward like we were the opening invasion on D-Day, when in reality by the mid-afternoon, we would more closely resemble the brigades from Pickett’s Charge, limping in.

     I tried to find my footing, setting the metronome-like tap-tap-tap as the soles of my Vibrams slapped the pavement (bad form, I know!). After only a couple minutes, when I was sure my bladder was about to explode, I saw that all the Marathon Maniacs were magnetized to a short little personable figure emerging from the side of the road with a camera ... Dave Mari. Dave goes by many names - the “X - Factor”, the most personable maniac in the world, and more often, simply Dave. I don’t think I made any of the photos, but I laughed when Dave exclaimed, “Oh my God I’m out of shape! Time for a walk break!”. We had covered exactly .3 miles.

     One of the things that I like about the Memorial Day Marathon course is that it is set in the heart of the Berkshires - Tanglewood. The first six miles are downhill. The downer? Those last six miles are uphill.

QUICK-TIME MARCH

     Running races with multiple distances together is always tricky. I learned this the hard way the first time (May of 2007). I was still young to the longer distances then and went out far too fast at the KeyBank Vermont City Marathon. There was a multi-person relay going on at the same time, and I quickly found that everyone I was pacing off of started to peel away. 

     After seeing the hasty exit of Dave, I tried to find a place to pee. That has to be one of the most uncomfortable feelings in the world - having a full bladder sloshing around as you put 60 tons of pressure on your joints with each mile.

     Finally I was afforded some reprieve after about a mile. By this time, the line of runners plodding down the road had started to thin out. I was looking anxiously around for a place to peel off, finally finding a nice path through the woods. It was so cool in the shade - Why couldn’t the race go running through here? Oh wait, that’s right. It’s because it was where I had to pee!

     The goal was to go out hard for the first couple hours, and take it easy in the sweltering afternoon sun. I started clicking off miles really nicely. Around mile 6, the half marathoners started to peel away. It had been a lot of downhills, and minus the pee mile, every mile through mile 10 had been under 10-minute pace.

     As we sped towards Great Barrington and Interlaken, I came into stride with an Asian guy carrying a bottle of ice on his back. What a great idea! I followed him for awhile, and then we ran the next 2-3 miles side by side. At the 10 mile aid station I stopped for a refill of my Nathan Quickdraw and he took off, gaining a quick 20 meters on me.

     About this time I caught a trio of women running together as well as a pair of guys. But this was about the end of my fast portion of the marathon. My plan had been for 3 hours, but with the heat, I opted to change plans to 2 hours. I walked and sucked down a salt capsule.

     Mile 11 was relatively flat and crossed a bridge. I started walking at Mile 12 in the shade and decided that to regain my composure I needed to drink a bottle, walk a good 5-6 minutes, and keep it slow and easy.

     Miles 13 through about 15 were “Dead Runner’s Land”. I really struggled and thought about would this be my first DNF? How would I get Emm to find me out here in the middle of nowhere? What would other runners think.

1...2...5...7 runners passed me. Then we came to the graveyard. “Keep on truckin!” someone read aloud as they passed. Indeed. Keep on truckin’. Can’t give up now! Come on, Quentin Cassidy. Miles of Trials, the Trial of Miles. Get it done!

     I started following a lady with a water bottle on her waist and a trio of three men (looked to be in my age division) who had had a rough time. Later I would find out one of them was injured with a hamstring pull, but they had decided to finish it together. They were the only other three people in my age group as well, so I lucked out there. I passed them on the hill leading to the Mile 18 aid station. I made it my mission to stay ahead of them.

     After the second steepest hill on the course at Mile 18, the course made its way towards Stockbridge where the biggest hills on the course were looming. Miles 22 and 26 I had already nicknamed the Widowmakers as I looked at the elevation chart prior to the race. I had caught a group of about five runners and we made our way through Mile 21 together. I lost them on the hill. They were faster walkers than I and my feet had started to hurt. With all the sweating and the fact I don’t wear socks compounding the issues, I ended up with 4 blisters on the arches of my feet.

     By this time the heat was starting to take its toll. I couldn’t find Gatorade or real food at any of the aid stations. Only water or ice. I was lucky I had brought four salt tablets with me. I continued to take a salt tablet every 45 minutes. My feet literally felt like cement bricks - cement bricks of pain. 

     I couldn’t let myself or anyone else down. “Keep on Truckin’”. Eye on the prize. Onwards and upwards. You name it, it ran through my mind. 

     The nice thing with aid stations every two miles, was that I could break down the race into manageable parts. Despite drinking a bottle between every station, I had yet to have the urge to pee since the first mile. I was worried that I was dehydrated. At Mile 24 I spotted two port-a-johns near Makheenac. After filling my bottle and glancing scared over my shoulder, I saw the Three Musketeers including ‘Hobbly’ as well as a limping girl still coming down the hill. I went to the port-a-john ....

     And nearly fell in! Both of the portable bathrooms were on a reverse slope on the side of the road so that if I leaned too much on the wall I felt like it might tip over! I backed halfway out, balancing on the balls of my feet, my arches gripped around the edge of the floor. Leaning at an absurdly weird angle, much like the opening scene from “40 Year Old Virgin” with Steve Carrell, I tried to go. Flourescent Yellow. Not good. Dehydration.

     With two and chump change miles to go, there’s not much you can do. I just had my last salt capsule and downed the bottle. Luckily about .3 miles down the road, a red SUV with NY license plates passed and asked I needed anything. I said that I could go for ice. The passenger gladly obliged, wishing me luck. I could taste the icy cool refreshment of the finish line. No, wait. That was just ice.

HOMECOMING - END OF AN ODYSSEY

     The last two miles were not my best. But, hey, you can’t always predict how an odyssey will end. Sometimes things go really smoothly. Other times, it’s like life not just gives you lemons, but gives you paper cuts first and then squeezes the juice from said lemons into them. 

     It was all about maintaining the fast walk towards the finish. I passed the last race photographer and aid station as I made it up the road on the back side of Tanglewood. After turning right, I found that grey shirt, whom I had been following for about the last three miles, had started to jog. I decided I would jog too, and as the last 26+ was flat, it was bearable. The course map lists the course as 26.36. My watch recorded 26.45. Either way it is slightly longer than the normal marathon course. In truth, does it matter? Not really. But boy did it feel like it mattered a whole hell of a lot at the time!

     After I crossed the finish line, I got a hug from Emmy who made it there in time, enjoyed a complimentary beer from a local brewery, and then toured the Naumkeag flower gardens with her. 

     The rest of my Memorial Day weekend consisted of celebrating my birthday with family and friends. I got a pair of LonePeaks and Lemings (which I am wearing as I type this). 

     As I write my report a couple days out from the finish of the race, I am pondering the question “did this marathon lead to any transcendence or at least make headway towards it?”. In all honestly, no. It was just a bloody hot, suffering, miserable day out there. But I learned that I have a mental toughness to persevere. Life is full of obstacles and opportunities, and I am fortunate enough to see the opportunities that are made available by the obstacles we face. As my quest to learn something deep and transforming about myself continues, I realized something - fat guys run too. You don’t have to be a 130 lb, 5 foot Kenyan to run marathons. Runners come in all shapes and sizes. Life is what you make of it.

     Like my dad and his childhood coach, it is the little things in life that matter. You need to enjoy what you’re doing to make it memorable and sustainable. I enjoy running. I love it. And I want to share these experiences with others. I want to find a way to turn my passion into a cause that directly benefits the lives of others. I feel fortunate to have enviable role models in my life. My family is supportive of my endeavors, which is half the battle. They understand I am not trying to change the world, but merely trying to experience it, one footstrike at a time.

     As the miles of trials continue on, one thing is for certain. I am ready to tackle them in all their brutally uncut and raw forms. We runners are a hardy breed.

MILE SPLITS 

Mile 1: 9:32

Mile 2: 10:08

Mile 3: 9:26

Mile 4: 9:38

Mile 5: 9:54

Mile 6: 9:47

Mile 7: 9:34

Mile 8: 9:42

Mile 9: 9:26

Mile 10: 9:27

Mile 11: 10:06

Mile 12: 12:45

Mile 13: 13:30

Mile 14: 13:58

Mile 15: 12:05

Mile 16: 13:09

Mile 17: 13:15

Mile 18: 12:49

Mile 19: 14:22

Mile 20: 14:41

Mile 21: 14:28

Mile 22: 18:09

Mile 23: 15:26

Mile 24: 14:08

Mile 25: 15:59

Mile 26: 17:16

.45: 6:30

Total Time: 5:28:09 Total Distance: 26.45 miles Pace: 12:30

6:00 PM - Hobbled around a couple days after the Memorial Day Marathon (#9) in the bags. Feeling better today. I think recovered from the cold and on the mend. I took it easy. Really need to watch my diet. I think I am going to start a food journal that I carry with me so I have no excuses. Picked up mile 4 to sub 8 pace, just to see if I could. I would like to think speed will start to come back to me as I lose weight, but it seems the weight does not want to be lost!

Total Time: 44:03 Total Distance: 5 miles Average Pace:  8:48

Still some pain in the inside of the ankle on the left foot. Posterior Tibialis. Not really sure what's up, but I guess I should take it easy, just in case. Registered for the 12 hour race in Wakefield, MA for July 27th (overnight 7pm to 7am) followed by the Color Run in Boston the next morning at 9am. Also potentially registering for a 50km trail race outside of Boston in October on a Saturday. Haven't paid for it yet, but have to move quickly as only 8 spots left. 

Total Time: 27:00 Total Distance: 3 miles Average Pace: 9:00 

A nice sloppy, wet run through the woods at Olivia's Lookout on the Burbank Trail - Ran in my new Altra Lone Peaks - love them, and loved getting dirty. Only downside is that I learned it is really hard to run blindly down a hill with rocks and roots as you are trying to defog your sunglasses!

Total Time: 55:00 Total Distance: 6 miles Average Pace: 9:09/ mile 

Took a couple days off for some tendinitis leftover from the marathon. Feeling better. Did 5 miles in 43:27, an extra mile for my fried Alexis today on National Running Day since she could not run on the disabled list, followed by 3 miles this evening with Emma around the block in 23:42. All in all a really great day! Got the car fixed and it was only $301 (sway bars and right front brake caliper). Pre the Prizm continues to live! Happy National Runny Day everyone!

Weight was down to 224 lbs today! 25 lbs until I am under 200! 

Total Time: 1:17:00 Total Distance: 9 miles Average Pace: 8:34/ mile! 

6:00PM and 7:45PM - Earned my first triple blister (had one old one that had popped from the marathon on 5.27. Then earned a second one during yesterday's run since I ran with my orthotics for first time in a year. Finally, a nice big new one today during the run on top of it. Ran 4 by myself (36:16), and then did the loop around the block, before doing 8 x 100m striders in the park with Emma. Our last one was a 19.8 for me, with Emma running closer to 18 flat. I wish I had her speed! Focus now is going to be to raise mileage and start thinking about a couple night runs in preparation for the July 12 hour. Maybe will sign up for a 5k on July 4th here in Pittsfield though.

Total Time: 1:08:00 Total Distance: 7.5 miles Average Pace: 9:03/ mile 

Had my third BART graduation today - got a rose from one of my seniors, Elena. I was so happy to get the hug and photo op with her. She is one of the most strong-willed, determined young women I have had the pleasure of teaching. Got on the treadmill and did the first 30 mins a gradual progression, increasing .1 mph each lap. Maxed at about 8:35 pace. Then I did 4 x 400m in 90s (6 min/mi) with 1 min "off" between each, followed straight after by 2 x 400m in 75s (5 min/mil) pace. Was flying. I am definitely out of shape and my 230# makes it difficult, but I am determined to get back a little bit of my speed!

Hurt a bit from yesterday's intervals as well as imbibing a bit too much this weekend. Need to focus on getting sleep and some quality miles in this week! Also increased emphasis on eating right!

Total Time: 20:00 Total Distance: 2.05 Average Pace: 9:45 

Still kind of sore. Emm and I took Lizzy for her first hike today. Did about 2 miles.. she was panting so hard about 15 mins in (all uphill), so we took a break and turned and went back downhill.. she was near sprinting. Darn near went ass over tea kettle. Pretty sure we ran an 8 min mile or something on the way down! Did another couple miles on the treadmill, but acid reflux from salad dressing for dinner. Yuck.

Fast hike in the rain with Lizzy and Emma at Olivia's. Tried to tire Lizzy out, but of course it didn't work. She won't stop barking!

Lizzy's first mountain run - We did a great deal of quick running tonight, because after Emm got out of jury duty and work at like 730, it was getting dark. We got to the lookout and met another couple with their chocolate lab and chatted for a bit, before the husband said "Honey, let them go already!" It was cute. We bounded into the woods, and made it to the top in 18:00, 6.5 minutes faster than yesterday, turned around and nearly sprinted on the way down. Despite one impromptu stop by Lizzy, we made it down in 13:10. By far one of the fastest traversings up and down of Olivia's Burbank Trail. It felt good to escape! Up early tomorrow for a track workout.

Ran with Lizzy in the dark. She didn't like it, big ol' WIMP! But it tired her out enough that I hope she'll sleep the night! Forgot my sunglasses at work I think because I cannot find them anywhere here. If I can't find them I'm officially screwed tomorrow. Glaucoma glasses Griffin for the win!

Took Lizzy for a hike with Emm. Bug City. Emm nearly had a breakdown because there were just so many of them. Next time I should wear deodorant so I don't attract so many of them. We tired Lizzy right out. She enjoyed a nice dip in the pond though about a mile from the end. Nice way to start the afternoon. (Total 3.5 miles - ALTRAS)

PM - Did a warm up, stretched, and then stole a workout from Rachel Spatz. I did 8 x 800m with about 90 seconds "off". They were as follows: 4:06, 4:05, 4:06, 4:02, 4:02, 4:01, 3:59, 3:58. Felt strong and fresh and did a slow cool down. Hoping to get in a workout/semi-long run tomorrow. Time to get in shape for the 12 hour race next month. Pushups and crunches tonight! (5.5 miles - ALTRAS) 

Still icing the left ankle. Felt find while running. Just a bit of tenderness when I wake up and walk around. Might be wearing shoes and orthotics this week.

Total Time: 45:00 Total Distance: 5 Average Pace: 9:00 

(PM) - Went to Olivia's Overlook on the Burbank Trail - Went backwards for us, which I guess is the correct counter-clockwise to do the loop.. it seems easier this way. Will have to try this running a loop to see how much faster it is. Lizzy jogged most of the way to the pond, and then enjoyed jumping into the water, though we still can't get her to swim. Total there and back including stop at the pond was about 40 mins. 15mpm pace including the 10 min stop. 

Got to Shady Pines early this a.m. for Field Day. Set up the course. Relay went first 3 x 1 lap for a mile. I wasn't going to compete, but one student didn't have a team so Linscott and I joined them. I was the anchor leg and ended up moving us from 7th to 4th overall, to a 7:40 finish. 3 min break and then we had 10 runners toe the line for the mile. I let the kids go, chatted a bit with a few teachers in the back and then my main man Aidhan Kerin in the back. Just stayed smooth and consistent. Started picking people off as they fell off pace. Before I knew it I caught up to one of my 6th graders, James. Stayed with him for the last lap, but he kicked it into overdrive the last 100m and beat me by one second. Yup. got beat by a 12 year old. Surprising was Chris D. one of my xc runners who averaged 9:30s in his fastest 5k, ran a 7:44 out of no where in the heat and humidity to take the win! I settled for 3rd in 8:07, one second behind James. Tonight, when with Emm and ran Lizzy to Monks Pond and back. 12:56 on the way out, 13:19 on the way back. So humid you could cut it with a knife. Let Lizzy off the leash on the beach of the pond though. She loved it. All in all a good day. Last day of school tomorrow!

Well, I did it. Finished my second complete year teaching at BART - really about 2.3 school years since I started in February of 2010. At times I find myself thinking, "wow, that's it?!". Realistically though, I cannot complain. Most people my age, especially those with education degrees, have such a difficult time finding steady employment in education that they are just leaving the profession altogether. Sal Presti, my buddy from grad school, has stopped looking I am pretty sure, and is currently waiting/bartending and might be moving to Washington, D.C. or Florida to pursue something else. It really has been a rough time, and I feel like ever since about when I graduated undergrad in 2007 the economy has been in the toilet.

The last week was about the worst week of training I've had all week, but I am hoping to change that this summer and get more consistent, focus on my diet, and hopefully regain some speed and shed a few pounds. I don't know how hard it is or what game plan I need to get back under 200 lbs, but I want to make it happen! 

Easy warm up followed by a one mile time trial. hit 800m in 3:01, 1200m in 4:27, and finished the mile in 5:55, the fastest mile since high school, if that's saying anything.

7:00 PM - Ran Olivia's Overlook - Burbank Trail with Emma and Lizzy after she got out of work at 7:00. Lizzy is getting stamina and endurance! I'm proud of her. She really loves the downhills and jumping into Monk's Pond about 2 miles in. She is so funny - stays right with you but has no sense of personal boundaries, so she'll cut you off thinking that it's her trail, not yours. She is pretty good on a 6' leash and will trot right behind you if you hold the leash right behind your back. Ran 2 miles on the treadmill at about 9:30 pace when we got back. All in all a great night. 

6:00 PM - Ran 2 miles on the treadmill and then went with Lizzy and Emm to the trail. Forgot the leash, but Lizzy stayed with us the whole way, minus 20 minutes in when yours truly biffed hardcore and ended up with a nice war wound. She turned and ran the other way, some fearless steed she is! She thought it was a game! All went well and we spent a nice 5 mins or so at the pond where she jumped in. About .5 miles from home, a black bear got startled by Lizzy and Emm up front. It booked it the other way. That was the second black bear we've seen in two years here. They must like the trail as much as we do! Looked at the nice cows on the drive home. All in all a great run. Fastest for Lizzy by far @ 43 minutes for 3.5 miles. She jogged almost the whole way!

Read some of David Bach's "Smart Couples Finish Rich". A lot of it will apply to us in ten or twenty years, but still a good refresher from his "Automatic Millionaire" book. About .28 to the finish, between the a/c unit going (was nearly 91 degrees out today), the treadmill, the light/fan and Emm on the elliptical and me on the treadmill, we tripped the breaker I guess. While I was waiting for Emm to go downstairs to turn it on, in two minutes I counted 130 drops of sweat that hit the treadmill. Disgustingly awesome.

Total Time: 50:00 Total Distance: 5.1 miles Average Pace: 9:45/ mile 

Another day where it was hot outside and hot for me inside. High temperate was just about 90 degrees, and I think that saying it was 77 or 78 was a bit conservative for inside air temp in the house. Once my internal furnace gets cooking the temperature soars, especially in the room with the treadmill. The Lone Peaks are very comfy and I love them dearly, but I don't think they were meant for road and treadmill - the tread is already starting to wear out a bit. Satan's Highway nearly got the best of me today.

Total Time: 55:00 Total Distance: 6 miles Average Pace: 9:09 / mile 

8:30 PM - Hard to focus today. When I did go to the track, there were 9 people on it at 8:00 at night! I miss the country where I could run at nearly any hour on the track without other people on it. Too self conscious to run in front of others. I tried running around Taconic HS instead, but after two laps, a cop showed up to yell at some punks on four wheelers.. whatever he said worked for one lap, but then they came tearing around the corner towards me dogging it in "s" shapes as if to play chicken with me. Needless to say I bagged the run. Doing a 5k for the 4th tomorrow and then enjoying James Taylor at Tanglewood with the whole family and Harry's girlfriend Hayley!

Total Time: 48:00 Total Distance: 5.13 miles Average Pace: 9:23/ mile 

8:00 AM - I was the only one running the Independence Day Run this year. I think most of the Griffins got the message last year and learned their lesson about the heat and humidity. Well, apparently I needed another round of ass-kicking because I was dumb enough to sign up. In my defense, where else can you find a better deal. For only $11.00 you get to run a 5k with a good field and get a t-shirt to boot. It said to arrive between 8:00 and 8:30 so that you could get your bib and get to the start room. Stupid me, I thought that the race started at 9:00, but apparently it started at 9:30, so I got there way too early. I parked by House of India and warmed up to the registration table, about .75 miles, then got checked in and got to the starting line about .5 miles away. Went on a nice jog for a warm up. Decided I wasn't going to take this race too hard - but I did want to run negative splits, 8:00, 7:30, 7:00 - In hindsight that is too large a spread and I should have picked something more realistic for my fitness and ability levels at the moment.

I ended up starting in the middle of the pack and wasted about :17 getting to the starting line after the gun. Then I was forced to pass "lap traffic" as I call it - people I know I can run faster than. I should have reigned in the horses because I have not done any effective speed work in the last six months. I ran way too fast, going through first mile in 7:14, holding on a slight uphill for a 7:40 second mile, and then dying in the last mile. I actually stopped to walk and drink from my water bottle the third mile and ran an abysmal 8:xx. I was also carrying too much stuff - the bad part about no parking near the starting line is that I was forced to carry not only my water bottle, but the free tshirt as well. Maybe next year I will look into packet pick up the day before.

When the race was done, cooled down to the car, changed and just in time to see the Griffin van pull up. Parade was just okay. Went over and hung out at the Chow's aunt's house who lives just across from where Emm's aunt and uncle lived! Small world. Later went to James Taylor. Had fun with Harry, Hayley, Jonn, Emm, Mom and Dad, but concert was just "okay". A let down from JT which sucked. 

I was not recovered from the Fourth of July race - my right calf had a painful twinge in it so I had to stop. I am really bummed - was hoping to get in a long run before the 12 hour overnight race - going to have to try it again at another date - or maybe try a middle of the day run. Felt like a failure. Going to do some biking for cross training - again don't think anything is broken/pulled, but feeling the soreness of racing hard when I should have gone easy. Easier said than done. Too hot this summer to run. I can't wait to move to Bend, Oregon!

Total Time: 55:00 Total Distance: 6.00 miles Average Pace: 9:09 

Went to Ice Glen with Emma. Did a hike to the top of Laura's Lookout Tower in 18:00, then turned and jogged down in 11:00. Temperature was about 86 so it was steamy. It looked like I jumped in the stream below the bridge. Saw two big trout swimming and one little one trying to swim up stream. Then power walked the nature trail along the stream. Not sure what was up today but I was in a cranky mood. Went to Taconic HS tonight to try to get some endorphins and shed the crap. Did perimeter loops in the grass - .55 miles each. Ran progressively faster miles (9:48, 9:03, 8:53). Ended with a strider and light stretching.

Total Time: 1:19 Total Distance: 6.21 miles Average Pace: 12:43 

8:10 PM - Did perimeter loops at Taconic High School after dinner on the grass. 8 loops total. Mile splits were 9:06, 9:05, 9:03, 8:41. Felt pretty good. Right calf still sore from the 4th of July race. Need to work on speed so I'm not effectively embarrassed in October when I do the BayState Marathon with Lindsay!

Total Time: 38:00 Total Distance: 4.25 miles Average Pace: 8:56 

11:00 AM - Relived Don Kardong's racing the streets of Montreal in the 1976 Olympics. Just getting some easy miles in the a/c before going to the library to do some work. I really enjoyed his letter to the six men and women running the marathon in London for us. He seems so personable and willing to offer advice about what worked for him, without the force-feeding that I feel comes with a lot of people that had the spotlight, gave it up, and are asked to reenter it. Hard to believe it's been 36 years since those Olympics. I wonder what might have happened in Montreal had Pre made it there. I know he would have qualified. Never give up. Focus on the present. Plan for the future. Achieve it. That's what I'm going to do. 

Total Time: 50:00 Total Distance: 5 miles Average Pace: 10:00/ mile 

Started with 4.1 miles easy at 10 min pace in 41:00. Later did a tempo run with 1 mile warm up in 10:00 and 3 miles steady in 8:09, 8:07, 8:06 (24:22). Goal for those was 8:10. I pretty much nailed it. Finally cooled down with 2.31 in 22:46 (9:53 pace). All in all felt pretty good. Did the 4.1 in Bikilas (red) and all others in the KomodoSports (yellow). Have an easy run (6 miles I think) @9:37 tomorrow and then long run this weekend. Note: Komodo Sports on left second and third toes - need to fix because rock/stick punctured the fabric several times.

Next Races: Around the Lake 12 Hour on Jul. 27, The Color Run 5k Jul. 28, Hancock Shaker Village 50 miler on September 22, and Bay State Marathon on Oct. 21 (going for a PR).

Total Time: 1:38:08 Total Distance: 10.41 miles Average Pace: 9:25

5:00 PM - Spent the day at the library working on context questions for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Came home and had 5 miles @ 9:37 planned; I went a little fast, I think owing in large part to the link below. According to this I am not only obese with a BMI of 31, but am fatter than 98% of people in my age group. Awesome sauce. Talk about cuing alcoholism... now would be a good time! Ugh! Why am I so freaking heavy when I am eating healthier than I ever have in my life?

Total Time: 47:13 Total Distance: 5 miles Average Pace: 9:26 

9:00 PM - Warm up mile, 1 mile hard at 6:50, 4 x 100 m with recover 100s and a cool down. 100s "on" were :20, :19, :20, :19. I love running at the track in Galway. But took dad's van since Harry took my car to Hayley's. Man is Frank Zappa freaking weird! I had never listened to him before, but some good music riffs and runs, but the lyrics are just disturbing!

Total Time: 24:21 Total Distance: 3 miles Average Pace: 8:07/ mile 

8:40 PM - Went around the block with Emma and Lizzy butt. I think Lizz is starting to like going around the block here, but we need to stretch it out to perhaps the full 5k distance. There is another St. Bernard owner the next street over and St. Bernard owners must all be the same - I know I have Saint Radar and feel compelled to say hi and look at another St. We were walking past the house and they have already come out and said hi to Emm and Lizz before, but the couple were sitting on the couch and got up and creeped on us from the window. Kind of cute. I mean Lizz IS a really cute puppy so I can't blame them! Just 1.5 miles in 20 minutes. 

3:00 PM - Read another fifty or so pages of Jules Verne but Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is really starting to get to me; it's a hard book to muscle through with tricky vocabulary - am a bit lost at how I plan on teaching this to the seventh graders this year! Luckily I got a copy of Michael Crichton's Pirate Latitudes in the mail today. I plopped down on the couch and easily went through the first 100 pages. It is a quick read with an easy storyline to follow. Port Royal is an English outpost in a sea of Spanish colonies. The plague gripping England in the mid 1660s has prevented reinforcements and news from reaching the tiny outpost in the last two years and to fund operations and keep the city viable, the governor has decided to agree to privateering raids on Spanish ships at a towering fort Matanceros. It is full of drinking, lewd and lascivious behavior, and brawny, brawling men - seems kind of strange and a big change from some of Crichton's other works. I guess I wonder how much is actually his work. 

Today's temperature was 92, so I had to play it safe. It was deadly out there! I did about 6.31 miles in one hour flat which was enough for me, then cooled off in front of the a/c. Later on in the evening after dinner when Emily got home we did our usual around the block routine.

Total Time: 1:20:00 Total Distance: 7.81 miles Average Pace: 10:14

9:00 AM - Today was set to be yet another scorcher. Emm is working the long shift today, so I went for a run in the morning, before spending the day trying to get more of my summer planning done. Made it through page 400 of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Also read another good chunk of Pirate Latitudes, Michael Crichton's last book before he died (actually published after his death). I continue to be amazed by the similarities between Verne's TTLUTS and ATWIED. Both stories have four main characters, one of which is wealthy, one of which is never phased by anything good nor bad, and of course one "villain" who deep down is a good guy. Hoping to finish both books tomorrow. Getting my read on this summer for sure.

Total Time: 1:18:09 Total Distance: 8.4 miles Average Pace:  9:18/ mile

3:00 PM - Today was day #9 in the 120 Day Challenge. I feel good. Oddly enough left foot pain only hurts in the morning and then when walking around in slippers or sandals. It feels best when I am jogging! I guess this is a win for the running challenge! Lizzy had a date today with Sunny, one of my seventh graders's pups. We met at Taconic and had a fun time. I can't wait until they are able to come over again though, maybe to the house this time so that they can play in the kennel and Jon can jump on the trampoline if he wants. It would be a fun time! Today's schedule called for a 4 x mile workout. I did a Warm up followed by 4 x MILE @ 7:34, 7:33, 7:34, 7:29 and cool down, 6 miles total. (Total Time 49:21) This was the fastest and most consistent workout I've had in well over a year. I hope the gains keep coming!

Today's Haiku about training: 

Fought hard through the pain,
Equal splits are equal gains,

Nine days down, oh yeah! 

Total Time: 49:21 Total Distance: 6 miles Average Pace:  8:13/ mile

Day 10: 6.5 miles total

Trail Running is clutch, 
Rocks, Roots, and Erosion Bars,
Didn't trip today!

Ran 3 miles on my own (28:30) and then did the 3.5 mile Olivia's Overlook loop on the Burbank Trail (43:00). Making carrots with a honey/ginger sauce and a cheese less pizza for dinner tonight. Long trail run hopefully tomorrow. 

Day #11: Only 2.10 miles after a day of traveling and family and fun, but boy were they quality! .5 mile warm up, 1 mile all out in 5:53 (fastest mile since 2007!!), and .6 mile cool down, 16 minutes total.

A fat man running, 
BMI can suck it hard, 
I came. I conquered.

Day 12: 5 miles (Altra LonePeaks)

Got lost on the trails, 
Let my wife run ahead, oops! 
Made it out alive.

Live to fight another day. 12 hour race on Friday.

Went to Kennedy Park for the second time, first time without snow. I thought we were going to run, but apparently Emma wanted to hike. After nearly a mile of jogging, she said as much under her breath, so I said loudly that I would walk. She decided to keep on jogging, because apparently I am not very agreeable when I don't get my run in for the day. Needless to say I eventually started jogging, trying to double check trails and guess which ones she went down. With more than 20 trails, this proved a daunting task. I started to get really nervous thinking that a bear might come out of the woods and eat me, but I was fortunate that this was not the case. Made it home safe and sound and promised not to run ahead ever again! 

Day 13: 

2.0 miles in 16:45 (8:22.5 pace)
40 pushups
60 situps
60 x curl ups w/ dumbbells
1:00 plank
Easy day because 12 hour race on Friday and Color Run 5k on Saturday.

What am I missing?
Core muscles have gone kaput!
Time to push myself.

Day 14: 1 mile - Got sick overnight and woke up projectile vomiting at 2am. Crawled my way back to bed at 5, only to wake up again with intestinal issues and again projectile vomiting at 7 and 10. I think food poisoning - bad carrots to blame as best I can tell. Spent better part of 28 hours in bed, lost 7.5 pounds from dehydration, but I clawed my way to 1 mile very slowly before the end of the day. Couldn't give up the streak.

Sickness seeks to crush
the will of the runner, but
I am strong. Kiss it!

Day 15: 4 miles (37:59) - Two days until the Around the Lake 12 Hour. Stomach felt good until I had a decaf iced coffee and something didn't sit right. Need to get this resolved before Friday.

Have you ever thought
About life without running?
Yeah, I know... absurd!

Day 16: 2 miles in 18:50 - Around the Lake 12 Hour race in Wakefield, MA tomorrow night, then The Color Run 5k in Lowell, MA on Saturday. Oh boy.

Packing all the gear,
Checking it twice, but I'll bet
I'll forget something!

Day 17: I packed this morning and drove to Wakefield, MA for the 12 hour Around the Lake. I didn't know what to expect as I have never been to Wakefield, and was a little nervous. Traffic was pretty bad, so I am glad I left the house by about 1:15 to ensure adequate traveling time for the 7pm start. This was my first of two races this weekend, and I have been nursing a sore left ankle since Memorial Day. I actually haven't done anything more than a 10 mile run since Memorial Day, so I was planning on using this race as a long training run to start getting in shape for the 50 miler in September. I want to do at least 4 x 20+ milers before then. The Wakefield Inn/Clarion Inn looks kind of straight out of the 70s. Set right along Lake Quannapowitt and a beautiful view though. The race was slated to start right at 7 with four races starting at the same time: Marathon, 12 hour relay, 12 hour race, and 24 hour race. We would all do a ~.8 loop and then start the 3.17 loops after that so that people could all receive a marathon time.

I always love people watching at races - you truly see some amazing characters. I stretched and read some more of Scott Jurek's book. Absolutely love it! Drank about half a bottle of Powerade before going to the line. Heard directions and then got ready for the start. I realized I made a rookie mistake; the veterans of this race know exactly where to park so that they have access to their vehicle at the start of every loop, rather than the end. As this is a timed race and placing is determined by distance, then time, with no incomplete laps counting, I was thinking to myself - this could be bad.

In truth I had set expectations outside the expected realm of possibilities for my current physical state I suspect. After having been laid up in bed for nearly 28 hours with that awful stomach bug at the start of the week, I had to reevaluate my game plan and strategy. This was not a PR race - the loop was too big for my liking, at nearly 3.2 miles. The weather was too hot and muggy and humid (by about the second or third lap, EVERYONE was sweating as much as me - which was actually reassuring for once, as I am typically the biggest sweater at races). 

LAPS 1 & 2: Bided my time in the back next to a lot of 12 and 24 hour runners. Saw the marathon runners and relay runners make like jackrabbits and just take off . There was a lone 12 hour runner out there, but I wonder if he had different motives - the marathon had sold out before the 12 hour, so for only 20 bucks more if someone had wanted to they could pay to do the ultra and run just the marathon (an option that I would later take them up on as started to feel the effects of severe dehydration). At the last minute I had to change my shoes, as my trusty YELLOWS, the KomodoSports I have worn for well over a year and the ones that I have run all my marathons and ultras this year in, finally seemed at the end of their lifespan - plenty of tread on them, but the rubber on the bottom of the big toe had a huge gash exposing the bottom of my toe to whatever would be in the road any time I pushed off. (I saved them though to wear for the Color Run - a really great race to send a pair of shoes out in I think.)

Saw my friend Fran Libasci who I first met at the double indoor marathon in February. She too was "crazy" enough to do both of them last year, and I believe we have both signed up to do them again in 2013. She is a 50 stater and recently finished her 100th marathon. So this was a piece of cake for her. She was looking really great when I saw her on lap 2. She has such a great attitude about the sport and I look up to her.

LAPS 3 & 4: I ran all of lap 1 to get one lap under my belt, and then lost track of lap two, but ended up running almost all of that one too. I stopped for the first time at the start of lap 3, making sure to refill both of my water bottles - I was trying to drink 48 ounces of fluid per loop. There was an aid station at the starting line and another that was located about 1/2 way around the lake. I preferred this one, though it had no solid food, only because it was manned by kids and they were so funny. So awesome to have parents let their kids volunteer at a race like this! One downer that I did not like was that you could not fill your own bottles. I prefer to move into aid stations, with my bottle open, and just fill it and go instead of trying to track down a volunteer to go behind the table.

By now the bugs were out in full force and I swallowed a couple dozen gnats I think as I made my way around the far side of the lake. The relay runners had already lapped me twice and the leaders of the marathon were getting ready to finish by the time I finished lap 4. Truly amazing how fast some people can run. One day perhaps.. 

LAPS 5 & 6: Stopped at my car to text Emm and give an update - Was really starting to get dehydrated. I felt like I could not stop sweating, but no matter how many bottles I drank of HEED, Water, and even Coke, I couldn't get myself to pee. (I actually would not pee for nearly 18 hours after the race, despite flooding my system with liquids). I started to do some walking and used my Fenix E21 flashlight on the really dark spots. Between miles 1.5 and 2.5 there are some really tricky footing on the sidewalk, but what I really like is that there's a nice single track dirt path that people have worn into the grass (more like crazy ultra runners that run loops around this lake). I made use of this for the last three loops. By now it was nearly 11pm at night and people were driving by shouting words of encouragement. I saw a runner go by who has set the World Record for most marathons run by a disabled vet. This was his 141st marathon! Wow!

LAPS 7 & 8: By these last laps, the pomp and fanfare was gone, most of the marathoners had cleared out, but there was still music and words of encouragement from people waiting for their runners in the parking lot. I was feeling cooler, but still could not get my fluid intake regulated. I started thinking about why I'm out here running - to have fun, stay healthy and build towards loftier goals (Hancock 50 miler and BayState Marathon in October). With the Color Run on the horizon in the morning, I decided that a marathon was enough and that I would try to take a nap in the car and then drive down in the morning; I collected my medal and alerted race officials that I was not going to finish the race, but that I had had a lot of fun, and then made my way to the car in the parking lot. I tried to take a nap, but couldn't. My car is too small for my big frame to spread out, and I ended up napping for five or ten minutes then waking up for an hour, then falling asleep again. I woke at 6am and drove down to Essex Community College to meet Lindsay and Emm for the race.

So would I run Around the Lake 12 hour (or even the 24 hour) again? Yes. Will I make sure to have a stronger game plan? You bet. And hopefully I will not come down with a nasty stomach bug just a couple days before the race! All in all a fun race, and I wore my CEP compression shorts after it and I am convinced that they work miracles. I have no lower leg pain, and just a little soreness in the quads. Watch out 12 hour in 2013. I will be back! (Total of 26.22 in 5:41:35) 

Day 18: The Color Run - Boston, MA : 3.5 miles total. Too many damn people. Got to the parking lot at 7am and still not the first one there for a 10am start. Got to the starting line and we were in "wave 3" ... to put this into perspective, each wave had 1,000+ people in it and they were still STARTING waves when we finished our race. Over 11,000 people in attendance. Fiasco = accident on I-495, and no way to get back but to wait for busses in the sun on a road for 2 hours - I didn't wear sunblock because I did not foresee this complication. It was great fun overall, but I will not be doing a Color Run again. Too many damn d*cks on the dance floor!

The Color Run is
so not fun, and yet I want
to wear my tutu (again!)

I kind of like the Tutus, don't you?

Day 19: Legs feel fresh! 20:00 easy recovery run, 2.15 miles total. Ready to get cranking on training tomorrow. I can PEE again! (happy dance). Weight has come back up to 226, but still 5 pounds lighter than before the sickness.

Oh, the Color Run
Your awful burn ain't no fun.
Aloe.... where are you?!

Day 20: 7.5 miles; 4 by myself in 37:30 including 5 x 90 second hills @ 9% grade with 90 second recoveries. Then found we were going hiking on Monument Mountain. Oops. Good training powering up and down on tired legs. So fucking humid though. i couldn't believe how much I was sweating, nearly as much as the ultra a couple days ago. I knew it was getting to Emm too when she turned to me and said, "Can't wait until we move to Bend (OR)". Hallelujah!

Haiku for the day:

Wife taking a bath,
A fly was suffocated
Under her boobies!

Day 21: 5.5 miles in 46:00 including 6 x 800m. Personal Goal was to increase pace slightly between each one. Achieved! Splits were 3:48, 3:43, 3:40, 3:36, 3:29, and went hard 95% effort on the last one, completing it in 3:10. Now that I've reached 21 days, this becomes a habit, right?

800 repeats,
Kicking ass and taking names.
I earned my nap, right?

Day 22: 6 miles in 51:30. Ran steady tempo, with a slightly faster last mile. Pleasantly tired at the end. Pushups tonight and some planks/situps. Got to get this girlish figure looking better.

So this is running,
All it takes is all you've got,
Work hard... big payoff.

On a (+) side, i am down 7 pounds since the start of this challenge. I am eating more healthfully and trying to minimize stress. Feeling better and sleeping better. Starting weight was 231, and I weighed in at 224 today.

Total Time: 51:30 Total Distance: 6 miles Average Pace:  8:35

Day 24: 4 miles including 6 x 200m @ 6:00 pace (:44 and :45s). Total was 34:30. Felt nice and relaxed, no soreness. Finished it up and then did 75 arm curls with free weights, 60 shoulder lifts, and 75 presses.

Just some 200s

I said as I started them.

And now... humble pie.

Day #25: 2.5 miles total, 1.5 mile around the block with Emm and Lizz after a really awesome day going to see Sturbridge Village and a huge Revolutionary War reenactment. Just way too damn hot and muggy today. 1 mile after by myself.

If sweat were worth gold,
Then I'd be a millionaire.
Too bad it ain't so!

Day #26 : just 1 measly mile on the treadmill in 9:38 after watching Usain Bolt run 9.63 and after spending 12 hours at Nonno's house.

Day #27: 9.5 miles - 14:00 into the first loop at Olivia's Overlook, at the Overlook (high point), a hornet flew up my left nostril and stung me. It immediately swelled up and I starting coughing out mucus and was a sight to see. I continued to push it down the other side as I still had 2 miles to go in the loop. Ran into a group of two dozen coeds that were out on a Kripalu walk of some sort. They must have been scared to see my big sweaty, mucusy lumbering form coming right for them. Still ran one of my fastest loops ever, at 35:00. I came home and iced. When Emm got out of work, I was determined to be vindicated and went back up and around the lookout for another 3.5 miles (41:00 ish), and then did an extended trip around the block with Lizzy and Emm when we got home (36:00). First run in my orange NB Trail Minimus. Love them! Favorite shoes of all time possibly. Total moving time today was 1:52:00.

Ouch! Oh no! A bee
Up my nose! Eek! It stung me!
I guess this means war!

Day #28: 5 miles total including 1 x 400m hill at 15% grade and .85 miles @ 5:40 pace. Holy speed Batman! Now if I could just continue to lose some weight! School starts tomorrow. Boo!

We are all heroes,
In our own rights. We toil for
greatness and success.

Day #29: 5.5 miles total, including 4 miles at 9:10, 9:00, 8:38, and 8:27.

School started today.
I'm ready to plug away.
Ask me in March though.

Day #30: I have made it 1 month into the 4 month challenge! Ran 5.25 miles in 45:00, good for 8:34/ mile! Getting stronger every day! Only the second day back to school and I have homework tonight - first 107 pages of "Love and Logic". So far about halfway through it, and like it a lot!

Steady, Relaxed, Strong
I'm present in this moment
Eyes on the future.