So for the first two months of 2010 I ran 333.3 miles.  This is 8 miles ahead of schedule.  I had been feeling good until the last week of February, when my legs finally started breaking down.  It was a combination of muscle fatigue and shin splints.  There was nothing to do about this than other than to rest, which I was forced to do last week when I pulled my back out by sitting down on my bed.  Yes, I hurt my back with the simple motion of turning to the side while sitting down and something went dreadfully wrong.  I was wracked with a pain in my lower back that rendered me completely immobile for about 5 minutes, while I tried to figure out how to move without causing the most supreme agony.

Anyway, I suppose it was the best thing that could have happened to me.  It forced me to take the next 5 days off from training.  During that time my legs has a chance to recover (as well as atrophy) while I concentrated on healing my back.  I went to my Chiropractor – Dr. Fenster in Manhattan, and underwent therapy (electro stimulation) and adjustments for the next 4 days.  I also went for a massage that concentrated on my lower back.  By Friday afternoon I was about 80 percent better and had high hope for running this weekend’s Caumsett Park 50K. 

On Saturday before the race, I still wasn’t 100 percent better, but I decided to go for the race anyway.  I got to bed early, ate well and woke up feeling refreshed and only slightly stiff in my lower back.  I didn’t think it would be a problem for the race.  I was more worried about my legs, which had barely ran in the last two weeks, with nothing during the last 5 days.

My friend @aristorat drove to the race and we arrived with only 10 minutes to spare.  There was no stretching, no warm-up run and not even a bathroom break.  It was straight from the car, to the baggage area and then to the start.  I had no running in 6 days with a miserly 10 miles in the past 8 days, but here I was starting a 50K (31.07 miles) completely cold.  Stretching is overrated anyway and who needs to warm up when you are running 31 miles?  It would be interesting to see how my legs would fare.

I tried to run with @aristorat, but he was running a pace I could not keep, so I settled in for a long solo run.  However, soon into the race, a firefighter from Danbury CT named Seth caught up to me and we began to talk.  We were running compatible paces so I ran almost the entire race with him.  We discussed the various races that we’ve done, but in truth, I listened more to all the races that he did.  Seth is under 30, single with no kids and a girlfriend that races with him all over the country.  I can’t even begin to remember the names of all of the races he mentioned.   I always thought it would be great to have a GF/Wife that liked to run with you, or at a minimum show an interest.   Seth is a lucky fellow.

In the beginning of the run I had high hopes of breaking 5 hours and possibly my 50K PR.  I discovered early on into the race that this was clearly not going to happen.  I went into survival mode early and just hoped that I would have multiple second winds.  For the most part, my body cooperated and didn’t give me too much trouble.  I was glad to be running with Seth however, as he definitely kept me moving.  I have no doubt that without him next to me I would have slowed down and probably walked.  After the race, Seth mentioned the same thing to me.  It’s amazing how when you put two people together in a race, that the two of them are able to do better than they could individually.  It’s not like we were drafting off each other.  It has to do with the competitive nature of putting two humans together.

There is not much more to describe about this race.  It’s a 3.1 mile loop course, so you get to see the same things 10 times over.  Not much changed except for the direction of the sun and the amount of miles remaining as the day wore on.  The miles seemed to tick away, except for the 26^th mile which seemed to take forever.  Possibly because that marks marathon distance, but I attribute the slowness of that mile passing more to my Polar GPS missing it’s signal for a time and therefore making the miles between 25 – 26 take forever.

People think it is amazing that I can run such distances.  However, what I am doing is nothing compared to the real ultrarunners out there.  I am a little concerned with how sore I am with running this distance considering all of the miles I’ve put in lately.  I figured I would have been able to run it faster and come out in better shape.  I was beat up after the run and just wanted to rest.  I am not sure what this all means as I train for the Vermont 100.

This weekend was the first double long of the year.  That is I ran long on both Saturday and Sunday.  I am starting off small at first, with just 25 and then 10 miles respectively.  I figured it is time to start compounding the mileage and get used to running on tired legs.  From what I’ve read about training for ultra marathons, it is better to do two large back to back runs, than one single very long run over a given weekend.  I supposed I’ll eventually get up to regularly doing 30 miles, plus 20 miles on a weekend.

The first run was part of the NYRR Haiti 4 Mile run in Central Park.  The run was a virtual repeat of the run I did only two weeks previously.  I basically ran the same route to Central Park, raced the same course and ran the same way home with few variations.  I guess I am getting stronger as it really felt like I did nothing.  I saw @bklynrunner during the 4 mile race and she remarked how I looked like I wasn’t even exerting myself.  Well, in truth I wasn’t.  I run so slow these days that I am strictly back of the pack when it comes to racing.  I don’t like the back of the pack feeling.  It makes me think that no one is behind me and that I am going to be the last one to finish the race.  It’s a disconcerting feeling and one that I will have to get used to if I keep doing 9 mile warm-ups before I begin a race.

After the race, I headed for the West Side Highway for my trip south to the Brooklyn Bridge.  For some reason I developed some gut cramps along the way and realized I would need to find a bathroom.  I don’t discuss this much on my blog or with other non-runners, but running can be a very icky sport at times.  You have everything from snot rockets (I’m an expert at that), blisters, chafing, nipple bleeding (from chafing), gas (farting), vomiting and other GI problems.  I seem to only suffer from the occasional GI distress and today it seemed to bother me.  Fortunately, Chelsea Piers along the West Side has a very conveniently located bathroom that I was able to duck into.  It was warm and clean and I spent a relieving few minutes in it clearing myself out.  Usually I just have gas, but every now and again, I have more that I need to get out. 

That business put aside, I got back to the task of running home.  As I was running, I ran into fellow ultra runner extraordinaire Bob F.  I’ve run into him several times over the course of the years while running long.  We don’t live next to each other, but when you start to cover long distances, you will eventually find yourselves on the same trail.  It was good to chat with him for a while and he was kind enough to let me take a swig of some HEED from his water bottle.  We talked about some upcoming races including the Camsuett 50K in a few weeks which we are both doing.

After we parted ways, I didn’t stop again until I got to the Brooklyn Bridge.  At the foot of the bridge is the usual hot dog vendor that @aristorat and I usually buy water.  I stopped to say hello and bought a bottle of water.  I was surprised at how thirsty I was, as before I knew it the bottle of water was gone.  I need to start carrying a water pack with me.  Being dehydrated is not a good thing.  I took my obligatory picture on the bridge and then didn’t stop again until I reached Park Slope.

In Park Slope, I stopped by the race packet pickup for the next day’s Cherry Tree 10 Mile race in Prospect Park.  Someone I know from the Prospect Park Track Club was handing out the packets and we shot the breeze for a little while.  I debated the merits of running a little longer to make the day’s run a full marathon, but I didn’t feel like extending my distance while carrying the race packet around.  So I just exited the store and ran home.  As was the run 2 weeks previously, my distance was a nice 25 miles.  After getting home, I showered, had some lunch and then took a nap.

The next day I slept as late as I could before waking up to run the Cherry Tree.  The race didn’t start until 10am, so I got to sleep a little late, especially with the race starting right by my house in Prospect Park.  I knew I wouldn’t set any land speed records for it and just felt determined to get it over with.  My right shin was hurting a bit and I feared that this would only get worse as the day went on.

I ran for a good part of the race with a group of women training for a marathon with Team in Training.  It was interesting to hear the running point of view from new runners, especially those that are first beginning their training.  Inevitably the conversation got around to what I was training for and how many marathons I did.  I never know how to answer these questions.  Sometime I think to just say that yes I am training for my first marathon.  I all too often get weird reactions from people, especially newbies, when I tell them the distances I’ve run or the training I recently did.  I think the next time, I’ll just say that I am doing my first marathon and ask them for advice.

Not much else is left to say about the Cherry Tree.  I came, I ran, I conquered.  I finished strong and then met up with my friends for some libations at a local pub.  I couldn’t stay long as my children were waiting for me to come home and bring lunch.  I was hungry by the time I got home and ate 3 slices from the pizza pie that I brought home.  I took a short nap after lunch and then spent the remainder of the day with my children.

I suppose most reasonable people will say that it is possible to have too much of a good thing.  Recently, I’ve been having too much of a good thing, which is no good at all.  When you indulge yourself in excess things start to break down, whether it is spiritually, mentally or physically.  This breakdown is not necessarily limited to you.  As you engage in whatever this good thing is, often times it involves other people.  They can be affected by your pursuit, especially if they share in it.  This good thing could turn into something painful and isn’t pain a warning that you are reaching a critical limit?

The key is moderation.  Moderation keeps you wanting more.  It brings you back to the table saying you haven’t had your fill and excited for your next serving.  When you engorge yourself all the time, things start to get uncomfortable.  When you find yourself in that situation it is time to back off, whether you want to or not.  You just have to pay attention to the signs.

I’ve been running very well lately.  I am spiritually and mentally strong.  I suppose I am getting stronger physically, but signs are appearing that I am beginning to do too much.  My shins are aching again and sometimes when I run it just feels jarring.  I need to back off before this becomes injury.  It’s just so hard to do when the running brings such solace.

The winter has been treating me well so far.  I haven’t minded it at all.  I am not ready for it to leave, but perhaps this is too much of a good thing as well.  It’s been icy and snowy at times and with the amount of mileage I am putting in, it is only a matter of time before I slip, fall and possibly hurt myself.  I’ve always liked being out in the harshest of conditions, but perhaps it would be better if the temperature warmed up and I could start running again in shorts and t-shirt.

 It’s been a week since a winter storm dump a foot or so of snow in NYC.  On the day of the storm, I was a trooper and went into work.  The office was dead quiet and I was able to leave around 1:30pm.  I was very happy for this; as I was able to get home in time to do a run before the sun set.  I met my friend @aristorat around 3pm and we headed out for a 3 loop run of Prospect Park during the blizzard.  People were amazed that we were out there running.  To me, it felt like a perfectly natural thing to do.  It was tough going at times, but definitely one of the more enjoyable runs.  The only problem I had while running was gaining traction.  However, this had more to do with the fact that I wrapped duct tape around my sneakers in order to keep my feet warm.  The tape on the bottom of the sneaker caused me to slip all over the place.  I won’t make that mistake again.

Last Thursday, I had almost taken off from working out.  I was a little tired from the day before, but I was reminded that the road to the Vermont 100 miler is long, lonely and tiring.  I went out by myself in the frigid night air and ran a solitary 6 miles.  I took off Friday and then from Saturday – Tuesday have ran 7, 11, 8 and 7 miles.  Nothing big this past weekend, but it was time I backed off after running marathon distance on three Sundays in a row.

Tonight I will most likely take off.  I will probably meet a friend to have a serious conversation about the future.  I need to make up my mind about what I want and how to get it.  I am not a complete person right now and I need to make myself whole.  Maybe, I’ll come to some decisions and develop an action plan.

I still need to decide what to do this weekend.  I already know I am running the Cherry Tree 10 Mile in Prospect Park on Sunday.  I am debating on running to Central Park on Saturday to do the 4 Mile Haiti run.  If I run to CP, do the race and back home I’ll have 25 miles on Saturday.  I am thinking that it is time for me to start doing double longs on the weekends.  My goal is to get up to 30/20 miles for a Sat/Sun by April and increasing those distances as May approaches.  VT100 here I come.

My long runs sometimes make me think about the disconnected memories you have when remembering a dream.  You can remember fragments of the dream, but sometimes it is hard to put all together.  This is especially true when I embark on a long run by myself.  I am alone in the big city passing through neighborhood after neighborhood, past throngs of people but the only interaction you have is with yourself.  You tend to daydream a lot.  I guess it is no wonder why a solitary long run feels more like a dream when looking back upon it.  I remember fragments of the run; a street scene, the sound of my breath and the changing landscape.  All of it blends together as time passes and the run and dream eventually come to a close.  I should use a voice recorder to remember things about the run that I want to point out later on.

I got a late start for this run – a 9 mile sprint to Central Park for the Gridiron Classic 4 Miler, followed by a 10 mile run home along the West Side.  I had intended to leave around 7am, but somehow overslept.  I didn’t get much sleep the night before and when I finally fell asleep deeply it was already 5am.  My alarm clock woke me up around 5:30, but I turned it off and didn’t wake up again until 6:30.  I move slowly in the morning and I didn’t get outdoors to start the run until 7:25.  I had to make 9 miles to Central Park from my home in Brooklyn for the start of the 9am race.  This was doable, but I had to hustle and didn’t have time to take any pictures while I ran.  I made it to the start of the race in 1 hour, 40 minutes with 1 minute to spare.  Fortunately, they were running a little late to start the race.

The race itself was completely uneventful.  Actually for me to say that I was racing is a malapropism.  I am by no stretch of the imagination racing.  I am merely trotting along, getting another qualifier to enter the 2011 NYC Marathon.  I haven’t “raced” in years now.  It’s all about training to complete the Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run.  Eventually, I would like to race an event again, but for now, it’s all about how far I can go.  I crossed the finish line with a lot of out of breath and tired back of the packers.  Runners looked around and congratulated each other on finishing the race and a job well done.  Their day was done after a brief 4 miles, but mine was merely half way over and I needed to get moving again before I cooled off too much.  Everyone around me was heading for the warmth of their warm-up clothes and the comfort of their homes.  I had cold pavement to pound on my run back into Brooklyn.

I left Central Park at Columbus Circle and ran down 8^th Avenue for a while.  I wanted to find a Starbucks so I could go inside for a bathroom break.  Starbucks’ are conveniently located over the entire city and I never have any trouble darting into one to use the bathroom.  Perhaps one day, I’ll actually buy something when I go in.  I hate coffee though and as long as the water from the bathroom faucet is free the chances of this happening are slim.

After my pit stop, I meandered over to the West Side Highway and the greenway along the water.  This was the 3^rd Sunday in a row in which I ran on it.  When I got there, I saw that the Hudson River along this point was frozen towards the shore.  I stopped to get a picture since it is not an everyday occurrence.  I methodically made my way south, feeling satisfied as the building of the World Financial Center and Battery Park City loomed closer.  I was please with my progress.  Since I had left CP, I had a slight fear that I would want to bail out of the run and grab a taxi.  It was why I stayed on 8^th Avenue for while – the subway was nearby.  However once on the Wild West it would be a cold walk back to the subway or a warm taxi to bail me out should my body have forced me to come to a stop.

No matter though, I made it down the West Side to Battery Park City and then cross town to the Brooklyn Bridge.  There were plenty of tourists out, despite the cold weather on the bridge.  And why shouldn’t there have been?  It was a beautiful crisp and clear winter day.  I snapped a picture of myself mid-span and then took a couple of photo’s for tourists who were trying to do the old arm’s length camera shot.  Occasionally, I like being that classic friendly New Yorker.  

To exit the bridge I took the pedestrian steps that lead towards Whitman Park.  It’s much more pleasant than running the entire length of the Brooklyn Bridge entrance and offers a bit of solitude; especially when you make your way through a deserted Cadman Plaza.  I quietly ran through past the court houses and then back onto the streets for the final two legs home up to Prospect Park.  The climb up park slope rolled off quickly and felt good.  I decided to go into PP to finish off my run.  As I mentioned previously I like running in both parks on the same day.  I somehow timed my exit from PP to give me exactly 25 running miles on the day.  I contemplated going marathon distance, but I had enough and another 1.2 miles wasn’t going to buy me much more fitness.

I showered, ate and napped for the rest of the afternoon.  Later in the day I walked about 1.5 miles to a friend’s house to watch Super Bowl 44.  So I guess I did move my body marathon distance for the day.  This 25 mile run has made for 3 big weekends in a row.  I’ll probably back off this coming weekend and start picking it up again the following.  So far I am feeling good.

Photo’s for this run can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brooklynbeast/sets/72157623365883552/

On Sunday, January 31 about 30 runners set out for a run around the circumference of Manhattan Island, in celebration of the life of Ted Corbett, one of the pioneers of ultra-running.  I won’t provide details or Ted’s life here, suffice it to say there is plenty of information about him out on the Internet and anyone who is interested in knowing about him can easily look him up online.  However, the run around Manhattan Island sounded like a lot of fun and I wanted to join in the festivities.

I travelled up to East 97^th Street and West End Avenue with my friend @aristorat to meet all of the other runners at Dave’s house.  Dave was the official organizer of the event and said a few brief words about Ted.  He explained how Ted would regularly do the run we are about to do as a normal training run and would often run the loop twice in one day.  We all marveled at the resilience of the man who was a true legend in ultrarunning.  Dave also went on to introduce a member of a local Korean Running Club who was getting ready for a run across the United States for a charity.  I can’t remember which, but if I do, I’ll come back here and post the information.

After a few group photos at the start we all headed out to Riverside Drive for the run up to the northern most part of Manhattan.  A steady wind was blowing against us and the temperature was around 15 degrees.  No one seemed to mind it though as we were all properly dressed.  My face did sting for the first few minutes while my skin got acclimated to the cold.

The run north to the George Washington Bridge is basically flat, with some small hills to get around construction along the Hudson River Greenway.  I stopped under the GWB to get a picture of the Little Red Lighthouse.  I would have liked to take more pictures along the way, but unfortunately, the group wasn’t waiting around for the picture takers and I didn’t want to lose the group.  Also, it was a little too cold to be without gloves on for long.  Every time I tried to take a picture, my hands would completely freeze and become very uncomfortable.

Once past the GWB we continued north up past Fort Tyron Park and the Cloisters.  We didn’t go in there, but one day I should return and perhaps run through that park.  There are some good hills inside it.  We continued north until we got to the northern most part of Manhattan.  I’ve never been here before and you could hardly believe you were on the same island that calls itself the Big Apple.  It was very rural and the trestle bridge crossing from the northern tip of Manhattan into the Bronx looked like something you would see out on a bayou.    We headed east for another couple of miles and made our first stop at a place called Twin Donuts.  This was around the 8 mile mark.  I had a cup of hot chocolate, mostly to warm up my hands and to give myself some cheap calories.  I felt like the quick sugar rush from some simple carbohydrates.  I did have some Hammer Gel at this point for some more consistent fueling and I think the combination worked out nicely.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to hug the water as we made our way around the northern end of Manhattan and began to turn our way south.  It was a lot of street running for the next 8 miles, some of it was on the NYC Marathon course.  At some point an old time and fantastic ultra runner named Bob Vogel and I got separated from the lead pack.  I’ve run with Bob in several races in the past and he is very good company to run with.  He was an encyclopedia of knowledge regarding various landmarks in NYC, pointing out various Museums that are must sees, to the hotel that Castro stayed at in Harlem when he was here to speak to the UN all those years ago.  It was easy keeping company with him and the fact that we were at least 10 minutes behind the lead pack did not bother me at all.

Eventually we caught up with the group at a bagel store on York Avenue and 86^th Street.  We caught the tail end of the rest stop, but I was able to get some water and ate a Snickers bar I carried with me along with some Hammer Gel.  I wasn’t really hungry during the run, which I took as a good sign that I was running efficiently and using my energy stores appropriately.  Once we left the bagel store, we started to make our way south and east towards the river.  It felt good to get off the city streets and hug the island as was the intention of this run.  Hopefully, one day NYC will complete the greenway completely around Manhattan.

The East River Greenway ends at around 53^rd Street until it picks up again at around 34^th Street.  Once we got back on it at 34^th Street, I started running with @aristorat and we began a steady tempo pace down the east side.  We ran this way past the Williamsburg, Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges and finally took a rest break just south of the Brooklyn Bridge to wait for the main pack to catch up with us.  It really felt good to be able to pick up the pace for several miles after you have already gone marathon distance.   The pack caught up to us within a few minutes and then we headed on to the next official rest stop at the South Street Ferry Terminal.  At each of our stops the cameras of the various runners came out and we recruited various tourists and NYC citizens to take pictures of our group.  Most of them couldn’t believe we were running around the island of Manhattan.  Stories were told to each other of doing ultra runs in Central Park with the participants being thought of as NYC wiseasses, when they responded they were doing a 50 mile run in the park.  Most people can’t believe the distances that ultra runners do regularly.

After we left the ferry terminal, we were on our final leg home up the West Side Highway Greenway and back to 97^th Street.  It was here that I had a couple of Forest Gump moments.  I was running out in front of the pack, on a long and straight stretch of road, with the sun setting on the horizon.  I kept reflecting pack to the scene in the movie where Forest is running and all of his followers were trailing behind him.  It was an odd, yet very good feeling.  Once I got up into Riverside Park, I was kind of ready for the run to be over.  I was very hungry and thirsty by now, but didn’t want to stop to eat and drink.  I only had a couple of miles left, but I was going to get in a bad state quickly if I didn’t, so I had a gel and the last few ounces of water that I carried with me.  It gave me enough of a boost to run through the 70’s, 80’s and in what felt like no time, out of the park, onto the streets and then a quick right onto 97^th Street to the finish.

All totaled about half the group finished the run, which I am told is the largest finishing group for this unofficial event ever.  I was really glad that I was a part of it and happy to have learned a new running route around Manhattan.  I think the next time I do it, I will extend the route from home.  This should give me a nice route of 45 miles.  Perfect distance for training for the Vermont 100 Miler this summer.

Well it was not quite a triple half marathon, but almost.  I ran 36 total miles and would have gone the 39.3 to make it a triple, but my running partner didn’t see the appeal of going for that distance so I just went home as my odometer clicked 36 about a block from home.  All summed up it was a beautiful day.  Here is the day’s recap.

My friends @aristorat, RY and one other got started at 5:30am under the cover of darkness.  This was the second year in a row for us to run to the Manhattan Half Marathon (MHM) and the conditions this year was a vast improvement over the previous.  The temps were in the 40’s under an overcast sky as opposed to 14 degrees from the previous.

I wasn’t sure how I would do this year.  As I’ve been mentioning, I’ve been fighting injury and malaise and don’t have any sort of training distance in me to warrant attempting a 25-35 mile run.  However, I was in the right frame of mind, so I figured I would give it a go.  RY set out on a moderate pace from the start and I asked him to back it down a notch.  I was going to play the run conservative and I was not going to expend a lot of energy so early in the day.  He was agreeable to running slower and from hence forth we set out comfortably into Manhattan via the Manhattan Bridge.  We ran to 12^th Street and 4^th Avenue and took our first rest break in a Starbucks.

I took the rest break opportunity to shed some clothes as I was over dressed.  RY and his friend took off from @aristorat and me since they still had to pick up race numbers.  @aristorat and I used the bathrooms, had some water and then set off for Central Park.  Along the way I ran past my work office.  I wanted to see the distance from home as I soon plan to start running home from there.  I am happy that it is a respectable 8 miles which would make a good daily workout, a more pleasant commute and a time saver to boot.  Commuting to work by foot or bike is a good way to save money, get exercise and have a reliable method of transportation.

We ran another 2 miles from my office into Central Park for the start of the MHM.  We got there with approximately 20 minutes to spare, so instead of running some more we just had some water, snacks and relaxed on a bench.  The 20 minutes zipped by though and soon enough we were off running.  @aristorat set out on a more aggressive pace than I was able to maintain and after 2 miles I had to let him go.  The MHM is over two loops of Central Park.  I will admit that the first loop was a bit of a struggle.  However, just as I was finishing the first loop, I took a Hammer Gel and by the 7 mile I was feeling much better.  My pace improved and I had a new found energy.  In fact I negative split the race.

I had a nice runner’s high by the time I finished and I felt good enough to run home.  Had I not felt good enough to run home, my fall back plan was to join fellow running and tweeter @BklynRunner for brunch nearby.  I found @aristorat and RY at the finish of the race and I talked them into at least stopping by the brunch location so I could say hello and meet @BklynRunner.  It turns out that I knew one of her friends, the tough as nails runner @cdopher.  When we met up with the brunch crowd we were at 25 total miles.  Everyone was amazed at the amount of miles we were running, but honestly it is nothing once you put the training in.  We didn’t stay for long and soon set out for the West Side Highway for the trip south to the Brooklyn Bridge.

The run along the WSH was pleasant and uneventful.  We made a couple of stops along the way for water and bathrooms, but otherwise held a steady pace until the Brooklyn Bridge.  There we came across our usual Hot Dog Cart Vendor and bought some water and chatted a bit.  People say that my friends and I are hard core for running the distances we do in all many of weather.  I’ll tell you what though, being a Hot Dog Cart vendor on the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge throughout the year is hard core.

The run over the bridge was pretty as always, but also filled with oblivious tourists with which you have to dodge and weave between.  It’s a pain in the ass to run over, but the view makes up for it.  Once off the bridge, it was through the neighborhoods of Downtown Brooklyn, Cobble Hill, Park Slope and then into Prospect Park.  I always love saying that I ran in NYC’s two great parks in the same day.  I tried to talk @aristorat into going for a loop of Prospect Park to complete the triple, but he was having none of it.  I thought of calling another friend to talk him into going a few miles with me, but as we exited the park my odometer turned 36 miles and I was only a block or so from home.  I decided to just end the run and call it a day.

I am very happy with my effort and I am still riding the endorphin high from it.  I have no idea where the strength came from to do such a run, especially since I have had nowhere near the training miles necessary to put in a marathon effort, much less an effort of 36 miles.  @aristorat tells me that the strength has always been inside me, built up from the number of years Ironman training.  I just have to get my mind out of the way to release the inner Beast inside me.  If it wasn’t for the mind, just give the body some fuel and you can probably go on forever.

Next up is a 32 mile run around the circumference of Manhattan on January 31.  I am really looking forward to that.  It is a run I’ve always wanted to do.

Since my last post, I’ve been running strong with the exception of 1/11 – 1/15.  The plantar fasciitis in my left foot had been acting up again so I saw my podiatrist to get a cortisone injection.   I had to take off for that week to let the injection settle in and let some of the swelling go down.  A cortisone injection is possibly not the best thing in the world, but it takes the pain away and allows me to run.  If only I would stretch and ice my foot, perhaps the condition would go away.

Unfortunately, Beast Jr has been sick over these past few weeks.  He has come down with a general malaise and is nauseous and with a headache all of the time.  So there has been no running together with him.  So far the doctors are befuddled.  He goes for a second blood test today to rule out more illnesses.  It is weighing on my mind and I wish he would get better.  I want my blossoming running partner back.

Recently, I’ve been talking to someone about our motivations that keep us working out.  One of these motivations is anger, the need to work out the frustration caused by third parties or outside influences.  This motivation has been used through the ages.  I remember as a kid the coaches telling us to vision an older sibling, a parent, teacher or anyone else that we are mad at.  This definitely works and can help us achieve a higher level of fitness and skill than ordinary desire alone.  However, I don’t think it can sustain you long term; although the short term can actually be quite a few years.  Eventually anger burns you out and you need to find some other sort of motivation.  Like a fire though, anger can always come back, igniting once again to get you working out with vigor.

Lately, I’ve been motivated to work out from several factors.  The first and possibly most important is that it is feeling good again (except of course for the plantar fasciitis which feels awful).  Another is a small undercurrent of anger I have in regards to the situation that I find myself in (however, that is off topic and will not be discussed here) and third is a new found support from quarters that I had not expected to receive.  The combination is making me feel good again and desirous to go out and put in the miles.  I guess it is a healthy combination of all three factors that one really needs to keep a person going.  Hopefully this will last for me throughout the year.

It’s been 10 days into the New Year and my goal of running 2010 miles in 2010 is going strong.  I am at exactly 57 miles thus far, which is two miles ahead of schedule.  Today, on the 10^th of January, I set out to run 11 miles.  I figured I needed that much so I could take tomorrow off, but after running only 9 miles, I was close to home and just decided to stop.  When I checked my yearly distance later on I discovered that I had 57 miles on the year.

I think this is a fitting number.  The route I took today is what I call The Big A Memorial run.  It takes me into Greenwood Cemetery so I can visit my father’s final resting place.  My father considered his lucky number to be 57, so I think it wasn’t an accident that on this day, the day my father died (it’s his 1 year anniversary up in the big casino in the sky today) my total yearly mileage turned out to be that number.

Lately, I’ve been having some very vivid dreams.  Several of them have been about my Grandmother, the mother of my father.  I don’t think I’ve ever dreamed about her before and we weren’t particularly close, so I find that she should be appearing in my dreams somewhat interesting.  I can’t remember exactly what the dreams were about, but I am sure in one of them it concerned making sure I finished all of my food.  Maybe it’s her way of telling me to make sure I finish my goal of running 2010 miles this year.

So yes, I am going strong.  I have some outside influences keeping me motivated and I am once again looking forward to running.  The only thing I have to be careful about is staying injury free.  I am battling Plantar Fasciitis and if I am not careful, I will become crippled from it.  I’ve already learned that applying denial to an injury doesn’t work.

So the 2009 holiday season has come and gone and another year had begun.  I finished the 2009 with 1167 running miles.  I will not even mention my swim and bike miles since they are absolutely nothing to speak of.  The only training goal I am setting for 2010 is to run 2010 miles.  It is a lofty goal, but one that I think I should be able to achieve. 

It is already 7 days past the New Year as I write this, but I feel it bears documenting how the New Year went.  So far it has started well.  On New Year’s Eve I got my last run of 2009; a strong 7.5 miles.  I then spent a few hours with my good friend Aristorat at our local pub recounting how 2009 was not one of the better years of our lives and how we made the most out of some difficult situations.  I’ve talked about them ad-infinitem and I have no desire to go back into again on this new year.  We remembered our loved one’s past and toasted towards having a more joyous 2010.  After we left our pub, I then headed with my family to another friends house to boil meat in a vat of boiling oil.  It’s a yearly tradition and it was a pleasurable way to kill off 2009.

New Year’s Day started with a successful 6.6 mile run with Aristorat.  We did what we call The Big A Memorial Run.  This is a run around Greenwood Cemetery in which we stop inside to visit my father.  I asked Dad to watch over me and my family in 2010 and told him I hope he is having a good time up in Heaven.  I am sure he is playing cards, betting on the horses, at the Craps table and chasing women.   I wish I was half the man he was.

After the run, Aristorat and I quickly went home to prepare for the annual Polar Bear plunge into the Atlantic Ocean in Coney Island.  Beast Jr was joining me for the 2^nd year in a row, although I will admit he was a little bit more nervous about it this year than last.  It was very cold last year and I think he was afraid of the suffering that would be involved after he came out of the water, based on his past experience.  He is a trooper though and plunged right in without hesitation.  Aristorat and I met our usual crew, which included our good friend Willie.  This day would be the last time we see Willie for quite some time as he is about to ship off to Afghanistan.  There was a lot to be said about this, but I think everyone was afraid to vocalize it.  We all know what we are thinking.  I pray that he will come back home safely and in one piece. 

Also at the Polar Bear dip was my friend @Brujitalinda.  I don’t get to see her often enough and it was a sincere pleasure to see her in her usual skimpy Polar Bear outfit.  I tried talking her into coming back with us for some Hot Toddies and Chile, but she was having no part of it.  One of these year’s I’ll get her to go.

The 2^nd day of the year I spent skiing with my children and a friend of my daughter’s.  We went to Mohawk Mountain up in the middle of Connecticut.  I hadn’t been on the slopes in exactly 1 year 3 days, but my skiing legs held true and I managed not to fall at all.  My quads felt a little tired as I went down the hills, but I attributed that to being out of shape more than being tired from any running I was doing as of late.  It was a long day of driving and skiing and by the time we got home I was ready for bed.  Having taken the 2^nd day of the year off from running, I was already putting myself in a deficit for my 2010 mileage goal for the year.

On Sunday, the 3^rd, I ran with Aristorat and we did the 2 Bridge run.  This is a run over the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges.  It was cold and windy and we encountered several periods of snow along the way.  I was a little nervous about doing the run as I hadn’t run this far in quite a while and I was coming off of 4 days of decent athletic activity – one of these days which included a double; a 2am drunken run through Prospect Park, followed by a 7pm longish run around Prospect Park on the same day.  However, I was successful in completing the 12.1 mile run; I appear to have broken through my malaise.

I took off Monday, the 4^th of January from running since I was crippled with a stunning migraine headache.  However on the 5^th and 6^th days of the year I ran 7.7 miles and 7 miles respectively.  This put me exactly even with the number of miles I need to run per day (5.5) in order to meet my 2010 running goal.  I am a little tired tonight, Thursday the 6^th, but I am going to go out an attempt the run.  I usually go out with a friend for some libations on Thursday evenings, but I am psyched about my newfound running vigor.  I want to keep my momentum going.  I’ll report back later how I’ve done. – I ran 7 miles…

Sometimes I feel as though I am on the verge of greatness, that something is awaiting for me just around the corner and all I have to do is reach out and grab it.  Then reality sets in and I wonder what I was thinking.  What was that ephemeral feeling that caused me to think that I was on the cusp of achieving immortality?

Inevitably, I come to my senses and realize that nothing has changed and that I am still the same person I was a few moments ago.  Really though the only thing preventing me from achieving greatness is myself.  It is all a mental thing.  I have to release my mind in order to let myself achieve my true potential.  I suppose some people can do this alone, but I suspect that most people who reach greatness had someone by their side to help encourage them along.  A person who will stand by them and give them the things they need in order to reach what they are capable of doing.

I think at times this feeling of greatness comes to me when a person comes into my life and makes me feel good about myself.  When you feel good about yourself you are in a better mood, the world looks brighter and you think nothing is impossible. 

The decisions I’ve made in my life have led me to where I am and there is no changing that now.  I am not in a bad place, but I could be in a better one.  It is all up to me to change that and I suppose that means fighting for what I need and want.  Not doing so will only lead to a life of mediocrity and boredom.

I still need to reset my mind.  It has been a slow process this go around, but I can at least say that I am constantly thinking about it and wondering about how I should go about doing it.  Right now I am like a rat trapped in a maze and I need to figure my way out of this mental fugue.  I know greatness lies just ahead and all I have to do is get there.

I’ve been running intermittently lately, with the highlights of my running coming with my children, especially my son.  Beast Jr, as I like to call him, has been happily going out for a run with me ever since he did the Turkey Trot with me.  We run anywhere between 2 – 4 miles and he really keeps a decent pace.  He is excited to run and laughs and smiles the entire time.  If he keeps this up, I’ll have the best regular running partner of all.  We are already signed up for 3 races next year (my daughter 2 of them) and I am really looking forward to these events.  It feels good to be looking forward to something.

I am looking forward to the end of this year.  It is time to put closure on one of the worst years of my life as well as members of my own family.  My father died, my uncle died, a good friend of mine died and the contract to my job ended, leaving me briefly without any work.  It was a stressful and depressing year and it will be good to start a new chapter.