Yesterday I ran my second ever half-marathon. It was the same race I ran in 2004 when I had to drop out of the Buffalo Marathon. In 2004 I did the Rockwood Rotary half in June. They hold this event twice a year. In June, it is an evening run along the Allegheny Highlands Bike Trail. In September it is held over Labor Day weekend in the morning.
After I did it in '04 I thought it would be the first of many. When I ran it that night four years ago it was in extreme heat and humidity and after crossing the line in 1:42:47 I nearly passed out from heat exhaustion. I remember thinking that I had just done half of a marathon and if I had to do it again there was no way. It taught me just how far and how difficult a marathon could be.
Yesterday the morning was much cooler, but as I found out shortly after the start, humidity was once agian in the air. Within a mile or two my shirt was completely soaked in sweat. This would not be an easy race. At the halfway turnaround I was doing well and although I could feel fatigue setting in, my sights were set on a sub 1:35:00.
A brief but torrential rain made the second half seem even more miserable and although it has been four years, little changed for me at th end other than my finish time. The final two miles were the longest I've had since Frederick and placed doubt in my mind about whether or not I could cover the 26.2 anywhere close to qualifying again. Despite a 1:37:46 (still on a BQ pace at 7:27 miles), I was completely wiped out. My reasons: Went out too fast, umpired 18 innings the night before, didn't take any gels with me, humid conditions coupled with a rain that caused extreme chafing on areas I don't wish to talk about, and underestimating the half distance. You see, 13.1 miles is not a walk in the park. I kept looking at it as a substandard distance.
Perhaps the biggest lesson I learned with two marathons coming up in just a few short weeks is that I've still got a lot of work to do and I'm going to have to overcome my brain once again. I've got to put this one behind me and be satisfied with the time and move on. Most importantly I need to race smarter, especially at the longer distances.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Obsession....Good or Bad?
She is a grand lady. I'm not sure where I heard that before, but I'm nearly certain it was from an old black and white film. Perhaps a phrase carried over from the 30's or 40's. But I digress.
As I went out on my run early this morning, it was a lot more of the same. Like another favorite quote of mine from Shawshank Redemption, "...it's all about routine, and then more routine..." Of course, I'm not talking about prison life. I'm talking about my running regimen. Even though I'm on the threshold of running a pair of marathons six weeks apart in October and November, I am hitting that point in training where the routine is beginning to wear at me a bit. My body is taking a bit of a beating as well, but I'll save the injury talk for another post. No, this is about that routine.
We're entering the time of year when the darkness hangs on just a little longer. When I exit the side door and head out the alley, it is barely light out. In another week or so, the darkness will hang on and I'll be reminded of another of my favorite movie quotes from Scent of a Woman. As I head down that dark alley, I invariably will remark, "I'm in the dark here". An Al Pacino favorite. But once again, I digress.
The skies are an incredible haze of purples, pinks and blues this time of year. Although I don't particularly like to run in the dark, I don't totally mind it. Inevitably it gets light out and I am there to see the world waking up. It's an amazing experience that is the basis for my writing. Perhaps someday I'll post that first "writing about running" experience here. A final time, I digress.
My thoughts on my run today leaned toward obsession. Recently I have been overcome by this obsession. And I wondered within, can that be good? Typically, the word obsession gives a negative connotation. But I wondered, can any obsession be good or is that not possible? I really don't know. And it's that unawareness that makes me wonder if it's bad.
She is always there. Haunting my every thought. I cannot get her out of my head. I think about how long I have obsessed about her and how close I have come to her. At one time I thought she was out of my league. But recently my confidence has grown. I want nothing more than to experience her and all she has to offer. Sometimes I wonder if it's a phase that I'm going through and the luster will wear off. After all, I've had these types of obsessions before. Not all of them have lasted. Yet this does seem different. Nothing like the others. The feelings and passion I have for her are far too strong. I want to believe that if it ever happens I won't be disappointed. So you see my dilemma? As I penned this post I wondered if you would read this and think to yourself, 'this guy is sick and twisted'. I don't think so. I believe some obsessions can be good. Some can be great. And some, like her.....can be simply grand! No, this is a good obsession. It's what gets me out that door every morning. After all, I'm probably not the first to obsess for her; the Boston Marathon.
As I went out on my run early this morning, it was a lot more of the same. Like another favorite quote of mine from Shawshank Redemption, "...it's all about routine, and then more routine..." Of course, I'm not talking about prison life. I'm talking about my running regimen. Even though I'm on the threshold of running a pair of marathons six weeks apart in October and November, I am hitting that point in training where the routine is beginning to wear at me a bit. My body is taking a bit of a beating as well, but I'll save the injury talk for another post. No, this is about that routine.
We're entering the time of year when the darkness hangs on just a little longer. When I exit the side door and head out the alley, it is barely light out. In another week or so, the darkness will hang on and I'll be reminded of another of my favorite movie quotes from Scent of a Woman. As I head down that dark alley, I invariably will remark, "I'm in the dark here". An Al Pacino favorite. But once again, I digress.
The skies are an incredible haze of purples, pinks and blues this time of year. Although I don't particularly like to run in the dark, I don't totally mind it. Inevitably it gets light out and I am there to see the world waking up. It's an amazing experience that is the basis for my writing. Perhaps someday I'll post that first "writing about running" experience here. A final time, I digress.
My thoughts on my run today leaned toward obsession. Recently I have been overcome by this obsession. And I wondered within, can that be good? Typically, the word obsession gives a negative connotation. But I wondered, can any obsession be good or is that not possible? I really don't know. And it's that unawareness that makes me wonder if it's bad.
She is always there. Haunting my every thought. I cannot get her out of my head. I think about how long I have obsessed about her and how close I have come to her. At one time I thought she was out of my league. But recently my confidence has grown. I want nothing more than to experience her and all she has to offer. Sometimes I wonder if it's a phase that I'm going through and the luster will wear off. After all, I've had these types of obsessions before. Not all of them have lasted. Yet this does seem different. Nothing like the others. The feelings and passion I have for her are far too strong. I want to believe that if it ever happens I won't be disappointed. So you see my dilemma? As I penned this post I wondered if you would read this and think to yourself, 'this guy is sick and twisted'. I don't think so. I believe some obsessions can be good. Some can be great. And some, like her.....can be simply grand! No, this is a good obsession. It's what gets me out that door every morning. After all, I'm probably not the first to obsess for her; the Boston Marathon.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Off Topic: Favorite Movie Quotes
Not sure why, maybe just out of boredom and lack of anything else to write. Maybe it was the thought of this exchange in Rocky Balboa:
Paulie: You're gonna do alright, Rock.
Rocky: How do you know that Paulie?
Paulie: The stuff in the basement.
I've often said you've got to have the stuff in the basement in order to be successful. Anyway, it got me thinking of just some of my favorite movie quotes of all time. Here is a sampling.
Shawshank Redemption:
Andy Dufresne: [in letter to Red] Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.
Red: [narrating] I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain.
Andy Dufresne: Get busy living, or get busy dying.
The Green Mile:
Old Paul Edgecomb: We each owe a death, there are no exceptions, I know that, but sometimes, oh God, the Green Mile is so long.
Paul Edgecomb: The man is mean, careless, and stupid. Bad combination in a place like this.
Old Paul Edgecomb: I guess sometimes the past just catches up with you, whether you want it to or not.
Forrest Gump:
Forrest Gump: I don't know if we each have a destiny, or if we're all just floatin' around accidental-like on a breeze. But I, I think maybe it's both.
Forrest Gump: Sometimes, I guess there's just not enough rocks.
It's A Wonderful Life:
Clarence: Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?
Clarence: Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends.
George Bailey: I know what I'm gonna do tomorrow, and the next day, and the next year, and the year after that.
I could have done hundreds more of these, but obviously these are from 4 of my favorite movies of all time.
Paulie: You're gonna do alright, Rock.
Rocky: How do you know that Paulie?
Paulie: The stuff in the basement.
I've often said you've got to have the stuff in the basement in order to be successful. Anyway, it got me thinking of just some of my favorite movie quotes of all time. Here is a sampling.
Shawshank Redemption:
Andy Dufresne: [in letter to Red] Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.
Red: [narrating] I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain.
Andy Dufresne: Get busy living, or get busy dying.
The Green Mile:
Old Paul Edgecomb: We each owe a death, there are no exceptions, I know that, but sometimes, oh God, the Green Mile is so long.
Paul Edgecomb: The man is mean, careless, and stupid. Bad combination in a place like this.
Old Paul Edgecomb: I guess sometimes the past just catches up with you, whether you want it to or not.
Forrest Gump:
Forrest Gump: I don't know if we each have a destiny, or if we're all just floatin' around accidental-like on a breeze. But I, I think maybe it's both.
Forrest Gump: Sometimes, I guess there's just not enough rocks.
It's A Wonderful Life:
Clarence: Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?
Clarence: Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends.
George Bailey: I know what I'm gonna do tomorrow, and the next day, and the next year, and the year after that.
I could have done hundreds more of these, but obviously these are from 4 of my favorite movies of all time.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
'Nother Race, 'Nother PR
But then again, I knew that going into this one. Tonight was my first 7k race. That equates to 4.35 miles, which explains my weird running mile totals. The race was run on the Ghost Town Trail in Dilltown, PA. We actually started on the road adjacent to the trail itself and probably didn't get onto the trail until right after the two mile mark. By that point I was pacing pretty good and had a good feeling. The first two miles were rolling hills. A few of them were pretty challenging but as we made the sharp right hand turn onto the trail I knew it was flat the rest of the way.
For the next mile or so I trailed (pun intended) behind a group of three other runners. Two of them I had passed earlier and then they re-took me. The other two were ahead of me and we gradually pulled them in.
Just past the three mile mark I decided to make a move. I felt pretty good and I thought that if I had waited the good feeling would go away. So I pulled away from the three of them. Only one of them reeled me back in and he was strong to the finish. I never saw the other two until they came across the finish line a minute or so behind me.
When I went to the race earlier today I was hoping for a 30:00 run. I didn't feel all that great and once the race started I battled cotton mouth throughout. But for some reason that final 2 1/2 miles or so were great and I was strong. I set a PR with a time of 28:47 which I was very happy with. And perhaps the best part was the unique award that we received. It was a railroad spike painted gold with an engraved plate. (I was gonna post a picture but I'm too tired. Perhaps this week.).
Nevertheless, I know of no other 7k races in our area, so I'll have to wait until next year to challenge this PR. But for the start of a new week, I've gotten off to a great start.
For the next mile or so I trailed (pun intended) behind a group of three other runners. Two of them I had passed earlier and then they re-took me. The other two were ahead of me and we gradually pulled them in.
Just past the three mile mark I decided to make a move. I felt pretty good and I thought that if I had waited the good feeling would go away. So I pulled away from the three of them. Only one of them reeled me back in and he was strong to the finish. I never saw the other two until they came across the finish line a minute or so behind me.
When I went to the race earlier today I was hoping for a 30:00 run. I didn't feel all that great and once the race started I battled cotton mouth throughout. But for some reason that final 2 1/2 miles or so were great and I was strong. I set a PR with a time of 28:47 which I was very happy with. And perhaps the best part was the unique award that we received. It was a railroad spike painted gold with an engraved plate. (I was gonna post a picture but I'm too tired. Perhaps this week.).
Nevertheless, I know of no other 7k races in our area, so I'll have to wait until next year to challenge this PR. But for the start of a new week, I've gotten off to a great start.
Monday, August 11, 2008
A True Test
It's not often, if ever, that you get a chance to re-enact the type of body fatigue that you will experience in a marathon. But today I think I got as close as one can get to challenging that experience without actually running 26 miles.
Today I worked my first All American Amateur Baseball Association (AAABA) game behind homeplate. I am in my fifth year of umpiring in this, one of the top three premier collegiate tournaments in the country. However, prior to today I had always just worked the bases.
I ended up working a memorable game between Brooklyn and Buffalo, won 10-7 by Brooklyn. But it was what came after the game that meant the most today. At least as far as my running is concerned.
After working a nine inning, roughly 3 hour, 14 minute contest I headed home to a waiting 5-mile run. I was not looking forward to it, but my training is important to me so skipping today was not an option. I had already put it off from this morning so I could save my legs for the game. What I did inadvertently was tire myself out. As I headed out into the second mile my legs began to get weary. The type of leg weariness you get around miles 18-20. It was at that point I decided to push myself through the tired legs and take advantage of the "opportunity" that had presented itself. I mean, how often do you get to mimic marathon conditions? No, there were no crowds. I was not on a timing chip and there was nothing on the line other than getting back home to my leftover mushroom swiss burger (one of my specialties on the grill...this one was leftover from last night). Still, I felt it was important to shoot for a BQ time on weary legs. Lo and behold I crossed my imaginary finish line in 37:10, good for a 15 second cushion off a BQ to me (37:25).
A true test that I passed today with flying colors. Now to the Motrin...
Today I worked my first All American Amateur Baseball Association (AAABA) game behind homeplate. I am in my fifth year of umpiring in this, one of the top three premier collegiate tournaments in the country. However, prior to today I had always just worked the bases.
I ended up working a memorable game between Brooklyn and Buffalo, won 10-7 by Brooklyn. But it was what came after the game that meant the most today. At least as far as my running is concerned.
After working a nine inning, roughly 3 hour, 14 minute contest I headed home to a waiting 5-mile run. I was not looking forward to it, but my training is important to me so skipping today was not an option. I had already put it off from this morning so I could save my legs for the game. What I did inadvertently was tire myself out. As I headed out into the second mile my legs began to get weary. The type of leg weariness you get around miles 18-20. It was at that point I decided to push myself through the tired legs and take advantage of the "opportunity" that had presented itself. I mean, how often do you get to mimic marathon conditions? No, there were no crowds. I was not on a timing chip and there was nothing on the line other than getting back home to my leftover mushroom swiss burger (one of my specialties on the grill...this one was leftover from last night). Still, I felt it was important to shoot for a BQ time on weary legs. Lo and behold I crossed my imaginary finish line in 37:10, good for a 15 second cushion off a BQ to me (37:25).
A true test that I passed today with flying colors. Now to the Motrin...
Thursday, August 7, 2008
In Transition
As the nights and the mornings get cooler and football season almost completely underway I am returned to my childhood when the dog days of August were a subtle reminder of things to come.
Dare I say that winter is fast approaching, but it is. In just a few weeks the leaves will begin to change colors and not long after that the cooler nights and mornings will also help to transition our weather patterns to colder rains and we will switch to fleece tops, gloves and hats. Running will definitely become more comfortable and eventually downright miserable.
Like our bodies, and our lives, it is a time of transition. Much like the subtle changes that we go through in training I have become much more aware of these little things. I appreciate them more. To most, summer is still in full swing. But in my mind we are on the downturn. And with it and all that comes along with it I am bursting with joy. My "running" season is definitely in the fall. It is when I am at my best and my best is yet to come.
Dare I say that winter is fast approaching, but it is. In just a few weeks the leaves will begin to change colors and not long after that the cooler nights and mornings will also help to transition our weather patterns to colder rains and we will switch to fleece tops, gloves and hats. Running will definitely become more comfortable and eventually downright miserable.
Like our bodies, and our lives, it is a time of transition. Much like the subtle changes that we go through in training I have become much more aware of these little things. I appreciate them more. To most, summer is still in full swing. But in my mind we are on the downturn. And with it and all that comes along with it I am bursting with joy. My "running" season is definitely in the fall. It is when I am at my best and my best is yet to come.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
It's All About Passion
According to dictionary.com the word passion is defined as "any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate". That and eleven other definitions.
As I grow older and wiser by the day, I have learned a lot of different things. Running has clarified a lot of what I have learned; be it about sports or life in general. I think that what I have learned the most through my running is something that has driven me throughout my entire life. Only recently, however, has it crystallized for me. I have learned that it is passion that is the driving force behind what we do. Without it, we are wasting our time. George Sheehan wrote an amazing article entitled "Why Do I Run?" that is a classic article that all runners should read. The message contained in it is about passion. All of us, runners and non-runners should ask ourselves that very question. Why do I ______ (insert what you're doing here)? If you can't partially answer that question with the response, "it is something I'm passionate about", then you should move onto something that does make you passionate.
I have long been a proponent that motivation is something that has to come from within. External forces like other people or music or situations can only motivate you so much. Your motiviation has to come largely from within. And it is my belief that passion is the fuel for that fire. Why do you do anything that you do? It's a critical question.
I run because I have a goal. That oft-stated goal is to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Plain and simple. I use this blog to help my personal motivation. I realize that in all honesty, including those who may stumble across this blog or be a regular reader to it, could care less about my situation. Perhaps you are reading this to fuel your motivation. I don't know. But I do know that I am passionate about running. I am passionate about teaching, my job, officiating, umpiring and all the things that I do in my life. When I golf I want to be the best I can be. When I am organizing an event at work or changing a process or negotiating a contract I want to do the best I can do. Why? Because I am passionate about it.
I believe that far too many people who roam this great planet have lost that passion about what they are doing. They are easy to recognize. They are the ones complaining about something all the time. They want to take the easy road to success (dont' get me started on success...that definition could take months to dissect). My point is, too many people feel stuck and place themselves in that position. Instead of finding what they can be passionate about or look for ways to improve their situations by being excited about something, they would rather blame someone else or some other circumstance for where they are. I feel sorry for these people. Have I figured it all out? No, not even close. But I do feel that through running I have become a more complete person. I feel that through running I have been able to put a lot of everything else in my life into perspective. I have learned perhaps, that it is all about the passion and recognizing that when it's not there, it's time to move on. I am certain that someday my running days will be over. But for now, the fire still burns. And that fire has a name.
As I grow older and wiser by the day, I have learned a lot of different things. Running has clarified a lot of what I have learned; be it about sports or life in general. I think that what I have learned the most through my running is something that has driven me throughout my entire life. Only recently, however, has it crystallized for me. I have learned that it is passion that is the driving force behind what we do. Without it, we are wasting our time. George Sheehan wrote an amazing article entitled "Why Do I Run?" that is a classic article that all runners should read. The message contained in it is about passion. All of us, runners and non-runners should ask ourselves that very question. Why do I ______ (insert what you're doing here)? If you can't partially answer that question with the response, "it is something I'm passionate about", then you should move onto something that does make you passionate.
I have long been a proponent that motivation is something that has to come from within. External forces like other people or music or situations can only motivate you so much. Your motiviation has to come largely from within. And it is my belief that passion is the fuel for that fire. Why do you do anything that you do? It's a critical question.
I run because I have a goal. That oft-stated goal is to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Plain and simple. I use this blog to help my personal motivation. I realize that in all honesty, including those who may stumble across this blog or be a regular reader to it, could care less about my situation. Perhaps you are reading this to fuel your motivation. I don't know. But I do know that I am passionate about running. I am passionate about teaching, my job, officiating, umpiring and all the things that I do in my life. When I golf I want to be the best I can be. When I am organizing an event at work or changing a process or negotiating a contract I want to do the best I can do. Why? Because I am passionate about it.
I believe that far too many people who roam this great planet have lost that passion about what they are doing. They are easy to recognize. They are the ones complaining about something all the time. They want to take the easy road to success (dont' get me started on success...that definition could take months to dissect). My point is, too many people feel stuck and place themselves in that position. Instead of finding what they can be passionate about or look for ways to improve their situations by being excited about something, they would rather blame someone else or some other circumstance for where they are. I feel sorry for these people. Have I figured it all out? No, not even close. But I do feel that through running I have become a more complete person. I feel that through running I have been able to put a lot of everything else in my life into perspective. I have learned perhaps, that it is all about the passion and recognizing that when it's not there, it's time to move on. I am certain that someday my running days will be over. But for now, the fire still burns. And that fire has a name.
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