ESPN 5K

Some events are tough. Others are non-descript. Then there are others, like the ESPN 5K that are just a bunch of fun. In fact, of all of the 5Ks I have ever run, this was the most enjoyable.

It was a small crowd of (I would estimate) 2500 people and remarkably subdued for a Saturday Disney event. It has the “bells and whistles” or in this case, pro athletes and fireworks, that add some flash and spark to these events, but spark is a long way from pressure (see Marathon Running). I am usually not a big fan of 5Ks, but there was something purely simple and entertaining about this one. Maybe it was a combination of the actual event and the contrast from looooong distances.

The route was a winding, circuitous route in and around Hollywood Studios. Despite being familiar with a good section of the course, it was extremely pleasant and enjoyable. The spectators and support crews were loud and energetic, and one could not have asked for more ideal weather.

I would add this to the “Recommended Running List” and would run it again without question.

ESPN 5K on Saturday

It is just a 5K but I am so looking forward to this event. I have wanted to do this for 3 years now but there was always a conflict in my schedule, except for this year. . . FINALLY!

Today was my turn-around-day; that is, up until now, I am been feeling off from the respiratory issues since the Warrior Dash. After 1500mg of Royal Jelly, double the dose of Hgh Plus and washed it down with a huge glass of Fruitein Green Drink, I feel like a new person. Physically, I have my zip and energy back and emotionally, I now have joined not only the ranks of the living but the ranks of the thrilled about life people. My kind of people! We are the ones that eschew the average and go after the challenging, the ones that most people avoid. Life is a participation sport and I am at my best when I am carrying the torch of participation.

Saturday, I will on the run at 7am.

Time to get the torch ready!

My Running Bucket List

I have always gravitated to the unique, unusual and rare in most areas of my life. As such, why should running be any different. Given this proclivity toward the avant garde, I am compiling a list of events that I want to experience in the next few years.

It is only a partial list and here is where I need your help. If you know of odd, out of the ordinary events that yours truly would be interested in, please let me know.

Here is the partial list so far, in no particular order:

1. San Francisco marathon. Not exactly an unusual event but given the scenery, the challenge of the hills and the large crowd, I think this would be up my alley.
2. Steamboat Marathon. “You are bused up into the mountains, and you run downhill, finishing in the resort town of Steamboat Springs. The scenery is incredible: snow-capped mountains, green valleys. You start at 8,000 feet and drop to 6,500 feet. The volunteer stations are good. The finish is nice — no big fuss over you, but you can stroll over the courthouse grounds in the center of town and talk to people or lounge on the grass afterwards. I visited a natural hot springs, Strawberry Park, the day after — incredible. Massage is available at the end of the race, but I had one in Strawberry Park, in a small cabin overlooking the hot springs and a natural waterfall. Truly unforgettable.”
3. Montreal Marathon. I would like to do this one with Lisa, though I do have one reservation — I am not sure she would want to come back home! It is hilly with dramatic scenery. I can already taste the post-marathon meal at one of the real “Le Celliere” type restaurants.
4. ET Midnight marathon. As the name implies, it begins at midnight along the strip in Las Vegas. Afterwards, one ventures out into the desert in search of UFOs and the finish line.
5. Lake Tahoe Triple Marathon. I do not recall the exact name here but it is 3 marathons in 3 days. This would gets me EXTREMELY excited.
6. Florida Keys 50 Mile Ultra. Ditto here! EXTREMELY excited! This and Lake Tahoe are the ones that get my attention the most. . . .
7. RC Cola Moonpie 10 Mile Run. Leaving aside RC Cola and moonpies (I am already nauseous thinking about moonpies), the notion of a 10 mile run, uphill in TN sounds like a ton of fun.

This is what I have so far. Please email me with your suggestions!

Warrior Dash

Have you ever seen the movie “Stranger Than Fiction?”

If you haven’t, hit the pause button now, queue it  in Netflix or go to Blockbusters. It is THAT good. If you have seen it, you may recall the scene that featured the phrase, “Little did he know. . . .” Yesterday’s Warrior Dash certainly featured the phrase, “little did he know” or in my case, “Little did I know.”

Little did I know, how enjoyable this simple, kind of crazy event would be. It was a 3.45 mile  jaunt through a ranch. Oh yes, and 12 obstacles along the route too.

Little did I know how much fun a 47 year old adult could have running through icy water, slogging through mug, jumping over cars and fences, sliding under barbed wire, ambling over tires, trying to cross rope-ladders without getting too tangled up and ending up leaping over a line of fire.

The past 20 or 30. . . . actually. . . . pretty much every race I have ever done has been marked by a high degree of seriousness, with many competitors checking their Garmins, being sure they had ample gels and lacing up their $200 running shoes. Little did I know, so many people at the beginning of a race could be so happy. There was no seriousness, just laughter, smiles and costumes ranging from The Incredible Hulk to a Ninja to 3 Blind Mice (3 women dressed as mice, with walking sticks).

The event itself was a ton of fun. 13,500 people over the course of Saturday and today (Sunday) would agree with me on this one. There were a number of wave started, with yours truly going at 11:30am. The start was marked by a raucous boom, followed by flames bursting in the air some 6 feet.

The first 4/10′s of a mile or so was a winding path through soft dirt and grass. Seemed like a trail 5K until a series of icy cold mud pits set the tone for the rest of the event. How cold was the water? The “philosopher” and star of co-Seinfeld, George Costanza, came to mind as there was some major shrinkage happening.

Running, if I can use this term, was extremely odd. Aside from the cold water, the surface below was very soft and sticky. It was like running with suction cups on your soles, through pudding. There were 4 pits in a close area and afterward, my feet felt very heavy. Of course, when I am carrying an extra pound or 2 of mud and water per shoe, that the statement would be a literal one. Then again, who cares? Too much fun was being had!

Little did I know, traipsing over bails of hay while being sprayed with water could evoke even more laughter. Did I mention how much fun this was yet? With each water soaked, mud filled step, I could feel the weight of the marathon and accompanying disappointments of last year’s running, trickling from my body. Or maybe the re-kindling of pure joy and fun was simply pushing these feelings and memories out into the black mud where they belonged. Either way, I was having one great time!

 

 

Next was the over some beat up cars and then “dance” through a series of tires spread out. Repeat a few times and onward Warriors! There are more obstacles to be overcome and more mud to slip and slide upon.

A few rope ladders, more bounding through pools with cut down trees to hop over, mud pits and on to the finish line. Just a couple of jumps over lines of fire and the Warrior Dash 2011 was in the books.

As you may have surmised, I loved this event. It was light hearted, cheery, energetic and rekindled the fun that become buried under the hundreds and hundreds of long, slow miles over the past 2 years. It reminded me that life is fun and not meant to be so serious. Events are a test of how happy I can be, not how hard I can train or fast I can go. Sometimes playing in the mud and running over the roof tops of cars is the perfect prescription for happiness.

Little did I know.

Track Again

There is a word in Japanese called “Kivishi.” It is translated as harsh or severe. I would translate it as “track workout.”

Today was the first track workout, post marathon and it was very, very kivishi. I am not quite fully recovered so doing six 400-meter runs at 9:00mm pace was a handful.

The list of physical benefits from such training is long. The one non-physical side-effect is that it really teaches me to be present. When I am doing each lap, there is no time to rehash anything. Concentration is essential to these workouts. Sometimes the little side-effects are not really so little after all.

Next up is the Warrior Dash, this Saturday. My first purely fun race in about 2 years or more. Imagine that — training hard AND having fun.

Who would have thought??

Training Has Begun

Saturday marked my first “real” run and today marked the first day of my gym training (for my running goals). Being obsessive has its advantages and fortunately, I have kept a log of many of my workouts.

After reviewing these and subsequent results, along with way too many studies and datum to list, I have starting training in (what I believe) is the ideal fashion.

Note: I also tested my right hamstring muscle to be 20% weaker than the right. I had torn this about 2 years ago and still have to “rehab” it.

For weights, the focus is strength. I know people use weights for other reasons like cardiovascular improvement but I do not believe that is the best use of time. Also, I think there are much more effective ways to improve the cardiovascular system. In any event, I have gone very simple and basic:

• Workout should last about 30 minutes, and never go over 45.
• Total time under tension — that is, the time you are holding the weight and moving — should be between 75 and 85 seconds. This may be shocking to some but I find it the best. Please note I am referring to total time, not total per exercise.
• 2 sets of 2-3 reps is the ideal range for strength. Weight should be very heavy – 80-95% of 1 rep maximum; that is, if you can lift 100 pounds once, you should be training with 80-95 pounds for 2-3 repetitions.
• Compound exercises are the best, with deadlifts at the top of the list.

I also recommend avoiding the following:

• Exercises such as bicep curls are useless, unless you are into bodybuilding. If such is the case, I cannot help you as I know virtually nothing about this.
• Exercises such as upright rows, behind-the-neck-press and leg press should be avoided at all costs. Upright rows will destroy the rotator cuff quickly, one needs the flexibility of a Cirque du Soliel performer to do the behind the neck press correctly and more injuries (especially low back) have been caused by the leg press than every other exercise combined.
• I also do not recommend machines as they isolate the muscles. Again, this is a bodybuilding thing.

Finally, I build a kettlebell using simple items from Lowe’s. On a side note, this itself is a feat. If you wanting to build something. . .anything. . . and  were to choose between me doing it or a monkey, may I suggest the latter. Some of us have certain skills. Building anything is NOT one of mine.

Having said that, it is THAT simple to make and costs about $16. I use a 50 pound weight which if I was to purchase a 50 pound “professional” kettlebell would cost $108 plux tax. The only exercise I use the kettlebell for is the Big Swing.

Open your feet about double shoulder with, feet out about 30 degrees. Start from the bottle and swing the kettlebell until it goes to about head level. I started with 10 swings and am up to 25 now. Once I hit 150, I will add 10 more pounds and start from 10 reps again.

At night, I stretch using the Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation method (I will write about this one later).

I anticipate a huge jump in strength, flexibility and power. As a “side effect,” there should be some fat loss though 75-80% of fat loss comes via diet.

Reports will follow monthly.

 

 

 

Back in the . . . New Saddle

“All difficult things have their origin in that which is easy, and great things in that which is small.”

I think the great Taoist Lao Tzu, author of the aforementioned quote,  was secretly a runner. Today, this was certainly the theme of the day.

I did my first run of the New Era of Running for me. A 2 mile run broken into 3 parts — 1/2 mile warm up, 1 mile tempo run (at 10 min/mi) and a 1/2 mile cool down with strides. Despite the modest distance, the tempo run was a challenge on a couple of levels. Firstly, I had a tough time maintaining the steady pace and was all over the map, from a 10:45 to an 8:32.

Secondly, because this is so new, my body is not used to it and herein lies the challenge and the excitement. Running with Lisa for the first time in a couple of years also added to both factors. Near the end, I had enough but seeing her push me along to do more than what we originally agreed upon. I am truly appreciative of this.

The sheet is blank and I am so looking forward to writing the new book. I even took body measurements, set up my Garmin 305 Training Center software on my computer and am documenting all.

I wanted newness and certainly have created it in all aspects of my life (not just running), even going so far as to recreate my signature. Yes, it sounds a bit odd but I recognize that the clock is always ticking and it is up to me to live the life that I want with the time that I have available. Sameness is the awful reward of those who live by repetitive routine. My running now has color and a renewed sense of life to it.

Yesterday, I was a finisher.

Today was the first day I could truthfully call myself a Runner.

The Best From the Worst

2011 Disney Marathon was very disappointing to me. The cold weather in the beginning stayed with me for most of the event. Everything felt the same – stale, commonplace. What normally was vivid was mainly pastel. I had to deal with a twisted ankle and 2 blisters. I rarely spoke with any other runners along the route when normally, I am as chirpy as can be. It was by far. . . . . . .  the best of the 7 marathons I have ever done.

I find the dictionary one of the more useful books for living life as it teaches me the differences between words with very similar meanings. This year, I realized there is a huge difference between comfort and happiness. They seem like they should be a pair, like peanut butter and jelly. Happiness is one of the driving forces that both lead and serve as a byproduct. Comfort is a temporary holding cell. Happiness can stay for as long as he wishes. Comfort is the relative that we tolerate staying over for a couple of days every year.

The problem really was not the weather or the blisters or anything else, rather I came from living in a place of comfort, assuming it was happiness.. It may sound odd but comfort opens the doorway to complacency and because it feels good, one has a tendency to stay. In my case, I stayed way too long. I do best living on the edges of life, not in “meaty” part of the Bell Curve. That is where complacency finds its home and the ensuing collecting of dust and rust and other debris that comes from settling for less.

As such, I have made more changes in the past 9 days than I did in the past 9 months. From dietary adjustments to a new training approach and a ton in between, it is time to re-invent myself. In the beginning, “just finishing” was the ideal. Somewhere along the way, it became bland and uninspiring. Newness is the keyword of the day.

I have set very specific and very challenging personal time goals for a variety of races. In addition, like virtually everything else in my life, I am going back to Square One and starting from a beginner’s mind. Firstly, I will start working on the leg stroke. In one respect, this will be the easiest as I really had none to begin with. Next will be timing self at a 5K and then pursing goals that combine effort and time. If. . . .No. . WHEN I give it my very best, prepare well and then run hard, then and only then will I progress to the next distance.

As mentioned, I do have time goals. These are based on the BTITICD formula — Better Than I think I Can Do. This is when I am at my best – living life on the edges, not from the common.

“Dreams are illustrations from the book your soul is writing about you.”

Time for a new book.

A Week Before Disney

I know the other side, having heard it many times from many people.

Disney events are so expensive. They are out of touch with everyone else.

They don’t offer enough support. One year they ran out of water at mile 19 when it was 90 degrees outside.

At the end, the liquids are room temperature. They charge so much and cannot even provide ice?

Yes, they are probably right. It is not a perfect race by any means and there does not seem to be much urgency to change it. Why should they? It sells out every year.

In spite of all this (and probably more), I find it extremely enjoyable to say the least. Every year, it is a new race for me. A new experience. The course may be the same but I am running it with a different body, a different mind set and a different group of friends or soon-to-be friends.

My life improves because of participation in this event and for this reason especially, I look forward all year to it. The person who starts the race is never the same one who finishes. There are simply too many life-altering experiences along the route for Sameness to even attempt to stay. Soon as the alarm goes off at 3am, Sameness is never to be found again.

The Disney 2011 is the best race I have ever done. . . . though I have not done it yet. I can make this statement because for me, the marathon does not begin when the fireworks paint the sky. They start now, with the excited, nervous, anxious feelings that dance around inside my body. They meet up with the questions like, “I wonder what magical experiences I will have this year?” or “Who will I have the great pleasure of speaking with? What will they share – maybe without even knowing it — that will help my life improve?” What opportunities will I have to assist someone to make their run and maybe their existence at least a little better?” This amalgamation is the perfect setting for this event. It is as much a preparation as the 20 mile training runs were. Maybe more.

The course is already outlined but for me, it is a blank sheet, waiting for the David the Writer, to create the next chapter in the novel that is my life. Some people do it with a pen or with a computer. I will do it with Asics, size 11 4E.

Yes, there is undoubtedly a lot of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning sun. . . waiting just  for me.

God and A Few Thoughts Along the Road

Just in time
for Christmas. . . . .
. Life has its series of ebbs
and flows. Recently, I was really working hard at flowing past a
recent series of ebbs. When I run, particularly long distances,
these are the moments when I take the time to process my
life, looking for ways of improving it, adding excitement,
additional abundance and feelings of gratitude to it. It is hard to
not weave the thought of God into the picture. Well I was on a
roll the other day. My usual upbeat, positive energy was
apparently in need of a rest and the Antagonistic Philosopher
took charge after a few miles. I am a seeker and as such, am
intent on finding answers to questions – all questions.
“Who is God?” “What does God do all day?” “Why are we
really here?” If you are going to ask questions, why not
start at the top. O.K., so the great philosophers, sages, gurus and
brilliant minds of today and yesteryear have not succeeded in
addressing said questions, but after all, I have really long run to
do. I ought to be able to knock off at least a couple of these
queries. Granted, they had some powerful gray matter but . . . . I
have Clif Blocks! So the miles went by, as did the thoughts and
internal debates and despite the time and distance, the questions
went unanswered. In fact, they simply led to more questions as they
invariably always do. As the deep philosophical questions faded
into the background, my personal running goals bubbled to the
surface. At least I can handle these questions. “How do
you think this year’s Disney marathon will be?” “How do you think
the ultra will be?” In the process
of pondering those questions, the awareness that I already had
these answers. . . and the aforementioned. . . jumped out at me
like one of those curious squirrels I encountered a few miles back.
Deep answers that are spawned from deep questions are not meant to
be analyzed the way a trigonometry problem is analyzed. Instead,
like a marathon, one can only “answer” the question by experiencing
it. Thus, you
know because you
do, not because
you figured it out. I still do not intellectually know who God is
and what is the overall purpose of life but I have had shining
examples of experiencing the feelings of it, particularly during
marathons. The beauty of one person selfishly helping another. The
smile of the volunteers lighting up those are struggling to go
another mile. Those who come to watch and support the ones they love,
despite the endless hours or weather conditions because it this
about them today. You don’t intellectualize or apply logic when
running a marathon. You experience it. Maybe that is what you do
with God. Don’t think. Just experience.