My new life on the run

Miami Beach 13.1 Race Report

2010-03-08T11:43:00.000-08:00

The good news? I knocked off 7 minutes from my previous Half Marathon pr.

The bad news? I ONLY knocked off 7 minutes from my previous Half Marathon pr.

The Miami Beach 13.1 began EARLY Sunday morning, start time 6am. I always like to give myself at least 2 hours of "awake" time before any race, so if you do the math the day began before the rooster sang-- and I mean that literally. I was staying with friends who live in a very nice community in Miami but somewhere nearby there was a rooster that performed it's duties quite well-- sounding it's natural alarm at the ripe hour of 4:30am daily! This is not something you would expect to find in a suburb of Miami-- but it is a city full of interesting characters!

Moving on. The temperature Sunday morning was well..... for Miamians, Cold, for a Buffalonian like me, perfect. It was in the 50's but as the sun began to rise-- so did the temperature. The race was well managed and organized. It began on Ocean Drive-- not far from one of my favorite bars-- The Clevelander!!! There were about 2,000 others registered but the start line was wide enough so there was not a lot of crowding.

Without too much fanfare (which I like) The gun sounded. We were off!

I felt really good from the get go. I was keeping my pace to try and meet my goal of finishing closer to 1:30-- That is until mile 4 when my pace slowed. I did not feel tired-- in fact I was barely sweating. My Polar watch had broken the week before the race so I had no instant indicator telling me my pace which was driving me nutz. I relied on the mile markers which each thankfully had a clock. By mile 4 I had noticed my pace was down from 6:55 to 7:30's. I could have pushed even harder here but was concerned of burning out too soon. Next time I will know better.

Also during mile 4, I was forced to do what I've always said I wouldn't: make a mid-race pitstop. I consumed WAY too many liquids pre-race (coffee, gatorade, protein drink, red bull) I could not hold it one more second. I hit one of the many Portapotties along the course route. I made it quick but it still took away 1 minute 23 seconds!

The last leg of the race there was a very challenging hill, which in "flat" Miami is hard to come by. This incline was man made but still pretty tough. The worst part is you climb it twice. The course took you across the Julia Tuttle Causeway, which connects the beach to the City of Miami, and then back again. As challenging as it was by the time you were done with the Causeway-- the race was almost over. Just 5K's left-- and 5 very flat K's!

I was still running strong-- slower thanks to the 2 monster hills , but beginning to pass several people. I finished strong but knew I was going to be closer to 1:40 as opposed to 1:30.

I crossed the line at 1:39:24. A time, given the effort put in, I am quite happy with... not thrilled-- but happy. I told myself before the race I wanted to finish strong and not "burn out" towards the end. I never did "burn out" but I do wonder if the end result would have been better had I pushed it a bit harder in the beginning.

Next time maybe I will.

Results,

Chip time 1:39:24

age ranking: 27th out of 132

Overall: 124th out 1557

Miami Beach Bound!

2010-03-01T16:38:00.000-08:00

FROM BUFFALO

TO THE BEACH!

I am getting things ready for this weekend's Miami Beach 13.1 and getting very excited. I have been training pretty hard and hoping it pays off next Sunday.

It's so nice now that I am no longer a Marathon or Half marathon "virgin". I know a bit more about what to expect and really feel like I am going to enjoy the experience without having too many pre-race jitters.

It was last May when I ran my first half marathon and I can still remember the anxiety I felt leading up to it-- but now-- no more. I am not putting a lot of pressure on myself. I have worked hard and I am confident things will go smoothly ( as I currently knock on wood).

I am still going strong with my plan of a 5k a day with a long run on Saturday-- this past Sat. I ran 11.5 miles and felt pretty good, in fact was able to continue after that with some weight training.

I am shooting for a time of under 1:40-- or at least better than 1:46 which I logged when I ran the Buffalo Half Marathon back in May-- above all though, I am going to enjoy the scenery, the blue Miami skies and water, and the event itself which is promising to be pretty energetic-- full of LIVE music and entertainment along the route.

I am also pumped to hear the course finish line has been moved to take place along the beach!!!

Blogging Break.. I'm Back with a New Plan!

2010-02-11T16:45:00.000-08:00

Hey guys-- If I still have friends on here :)

I have been terribly busy with work-- and workouts-- and have not posted on here since my marathon report. I promise you though this does not mean I have abandoned my love of running!

I did not take much time off after the marathon. Although it was still tender a few weeks post marathon, my ITband is doing much better. One thing I have not done since the race? Run outside! And it's killing me. The weather here has been snowy and cold and after running 26.2 miles in miserable conditions, in Orlando of all places, I am DONE with the cold.

My new best friend? The treadmill. I still dislike it compared to running outside on a nice Spring, Summer, or Fall day but I am learning to live with it. I am also doing some stellar speed work and enjoy the instant data the treadmill provides.

I have decreased my mileage per week quite a bit, averaging about 20 to 25 miles per week.

I am essentially running a 5K every day, 5 days a week. 1 day is a long run of 7 to 10 miles. I am also adding SERIOUS weight training to the schedule which has been going great. I am looking/feeling better than I ever have.

OK- the next race? Well, plenty of 5ks planned over the next couple of months but I need another big goal.. I am planning to run the Miami half marathon in the beginning of March... But ready for a full marathon after sometime in April. Any ideas?????

Hope you are all well and I look forward to checking out your blogs!

The LATE Disney Marathon Report

2010-01-17T13:13:00.000-08:00

If you are in a hurry, I will give you the short version:

I did it! I finished. I hit my goal of under 4 hours by running a Negative split. It was cold, painful but it was fun.

If you are still around, here's the full race report:

I set out for Florida three days before the big event. My direct flight to Orlando was perfect, on time, and comfortable. Everything was going smoothly. Everything except the weather! The high on Thursday was in the 50's. By sunset, it was approaching the 30's!!! So much for escaping the Buffalo chilly weather!

As disapointing as the chilly temps were, I am not one to let weather dictate my mood. I checked into my hotel and called family and friends who had arrived a day earlier. I threw my luggage into the hotel room, and hopped on a bus straight for the Disney Marathon Expo. It was a very cool experience. The Expo was huge, and had some pretty cool exhibits, inlcuding the KT tape booth. If you've been following my blog, you know during training I was struck with ITBS. A common but painful injury for runners, often times due to overtraining. I had purchased an ITB strap which is placed around the knee to provide support. It was not working well and I still experienced a lot of discomfort during my last few runs that week. I noticed the KT exhibit was offering free tapings of IT bands. This specific tape is allegedly used by professional athletes and the gentleman working the booth really sold it as a "miracle" cure to the pain. I agreed to have it taped up-- which he said would last through the race. Upon getting up off the table and walking around I did notice immense relief and was VERY optimistic that I was going to be just fine come Sunday.

I woke up early Saturday and made my way to EPCOT to watch friends cross the finish line for the Disney Half Marathon. It was very difficult navigating around Disney that day. Many roads were closed and it took me an hour to reach the finish line. I was super dissapointed I did not get to see Brian from " A Runner's Blog" come in. He hit his goal finishing under 1:30.. Congrats to him! Especially considering the weather was downright miserable. Record Cold with freezing rain... It really was like I never left Buffalo!

After enjoying a late and high calorie mexican lunch with my family, I returned back to my hotel room to get things ready for Sunday's marathon. The forecast called for a dry but VERY chilly morning, high in the 20's!. I laid out my MANY layers of clothes, gels, gloves, hats, etc., popped an Ambien, and was out by 8pm. The alarm quickly went off at 2am. I consumed one powerbar, and two cups of coffee. I met my fellow runners with Roswell in the Hotel lobby, after some photos, we hopped on the bus and were shuttled off to the start line. As any big Marathon, there was quite a bit of waiting outside, in lines, to get to the start. This normally would have been fine had it not been so damn cold out there. Many of us were huddling to stay warm. One of the big highlights of this moment, In the thousands of people there-- I did get to meet fellow blogger B.o.B. from Discom-BOB-ulated Running. She was not running but there to cheer on a friend. She is as beautiful in person as the photos on her blog.

After checking our bags, visiting the porta potties, we were off to the start. It was a long but nice walk. My pacer Brenda was keeping me excited and motivated. She was very concerned about my IT band but I still wasn't feeling any pain again, convinced this KT tape was making it all better.

By the time we reached the start and got in our corral the first wave of runners ( the elite gang) were off. The start was good but did not seem as great as last year's at least judging by the video I saw of it on Youtube. There were fireworks, and music, Video screens, and of course all the cast and characters of Disney. We were off... SLooooooooowly. I had wanted to maintain around an 8:30 to 8:42 pace. This was impossible for the first few miles. The road was packed with runners. Brenda said we were holding around 9 minute miles. This left me a bit frustrated at the time but now believe it was for the best, forcing me to slow it down and not use up all the jet fuel.

By the time we reached mile 6 it hit. Remember the so called "Miracle Tape" that was supposed to "wipe the pain away"?? Well, it failed. Miserably. My IT band was killlling, worse than ever. Luckily, I was carrying my IT strap, which I was told I would no longer need with the tape. We stopped at the next aid station, Brenda had to go use the porta potty, while I sat on the side of the road, stretched my IT band and wrapped the strap around my knee. The pain was awful but ironically walking seemed to make it worse, running made it feel a bit better.. Strange right?

We continued on, although in the back of my mind I feared my knee was just going to completely give out. It was easy to get distracted though by looking at all the wonderful "sideshows" they had along the route. The best part is around miles 10 and 11 when you run through the Magic Kingdom, zipping down Main Street USA and through Cinderella's castle, and then greeted by hundreds of screaming supporters on the side. By mile 12 our pace was picking up but we were still destined to hit the halfway point in just over 2 hours--- If I didn't pick it up I could kiss that sub 4 hour goal goodbye.

By mile 15 it all started to come together. The pain never went away in fact only became worse but thanks to tylenol and my very energetic pacer we began to sail. Each mile passed by VERY quickly, miles 20 and 21 outside Hollywood Studios were a bit boring. You run up one side of the road and down the other. The lack of distractions here made me realize the pain in my IT band was joined by major aches in both feet and legs. But I still did not "hit the after mile 20 wall" everyone talks about. Yes I was in pain, but not at all tired and by this point I had consumed just 1 energy gel. We zipped through Hollywood Studios. This last leg of the race was pretty cool. Lots of crowd support and great scenery. By mile 23 I was feeling the pain everywhere but we were holding our pace. Brenda and I were determined to finish this thing under four hours... At times, running 8:10 to 8:20 to get the job done. We passed miles 24, 25, and were greeted by the singing choir at mile 26. I could hear the crowd, see the finish, and at this point, the pain began to dissapear. I held back the waterworks but was feeling overwhelemed by emotion at this point. We crossed the finish line at 3:56:28!! I ran a "negative Split" running the second half faster than the first. I am still amazed by this. I have always lost it in the last part of any race.. But this day I had my eyes on the prize!

I greeted my family and friends, took pictures, picked up my bag, and then.. it was done. I was satisfied. Content. The hard work, weeks of training paid off. The experience was incredible-- unforgetable. I truly enjoyed running 26.2 and will absolutely run another... When, Where?? Thats for another post, another day. For now, I celebrate. Mission Accomplished!

T Minus 5 Days and Counting!

2010-01-05T13:28:00.000-08:00

There really is no turning back now. The Walt Disney World Marathon is next Sunday and I am as ready as I can be.

The past couple of weeks have been rocky to say the least. I was stricken with ITBS, forced to sit out the past two weeks only picking up training this past weekend. The good news, My pace is on target. My IT band is still a bit tender but nothing a shot of cortisone won't temporarily take care of. I am meeting with my doc tomorrow where he will hopefully give me the injection. If not-- I am confident I will finish the race. My knee is tender-- but those two weeks off really made a difference.

My goal time is under 4 hours.

I leave Thursday so I can partake in all of the race weekend festivities which include, from what I am told, a kick ass expo!

After the race-- a well deserved vacation in MIAMI!!!!!!

I will keep you all posted and hope to update through my travels!

Help!!

2009-12-28T12:48:00.000-08:00

Ok-- As I told you in my last post-- I had a bout with ITBS. I have taken the past week off. It feels better but I am soo afraid to push it.

I HAVE to pick up marathon training soon-- I have finished all of my long runs but at this point worried about losing my fitness level-- any idea how long it takes to lose, pace/speed/etc?

I.T.B.S.

2009-12-16T13:13:00.000-08:00

It really stands for:

I: Illio
T: Tibial
B: Band
S: Syndrome

It SHOULD stand for

I: I
T: Think it's
B: Bull
S: Shit

The pain started a couple of weeks ago and then really got bad during last Saturday's long run-- since then it's on and off.

For those who don't know, ITBS is a common knee injury amoung us runners-- and thankfully not terribly serious-- but the pain can be awful.

Last Saturday at mile 15 it really hurt-- Although tempted, I did not stop and thanks to the snow we had last weekend I had an instant ice pack after the 20 miles--I just knelt down into a pile and kept my knee "frozen" for 10 minutes. I have a physical therapist as a friend who told me I need to keep it iced, compressed, and get some (the word we all hate) rest! I took Sunday and Monday off- but picked it back up--- running 4 miles Tuesday, 4 today (weds). It's going well-- it REALLY hurts when I have to climb stairs though !

I should count my blessings. Another runner in our group had to stop at mile 15-- his foot soo bad he could not continue. I volunteered to run ahead, get my car, and pick him up.

Anyone else had a bout with ITBS? Advice? marathon is less than a month away-- I want to play it smart but also want to continue training.

I survived!

2009-12-09T13:50:00.000-08:00

Pheeeeew! The party is over. Normally that statement brings me a bit of sadness but not this week!

My Ugly Sweater Fundraising Party is done. Complete. Finito! It was a great time and the best part??? I reached my fundraising goal for Roswell Park Cancer Institute-- and then some! Here's a look at my sweater?? What do you think?

I decided to go "homemade" because I just could not find an ugly enough sweater befitting the host!

Now I can focus no my training-- which, by the way-- in spite of a VERY stressful week of planning for that party-- is going VERY well.

I am logging 45 miles per week, will run my second 20 miler this week. I ran with my group last saturday (the morning before party) and we ran 17 in 2:37! The training coach for Roswell, who is a running machine, was quite happy. I was hoping to qualify for Boston but will settle with a 3:30+. This race is really about enjoying the experience!

Here are some more pictures of last Staurday's party!

SOME OF THE RAFFLE ITEMS

PEOPLE HOPING TO WIN RAFFLE

BAND

and finally.......

After the party-- when I could finally get my drink on!!

Buffalo Turkey Trot 8k

2009-11-26T12:48:00.000-08:00

It started out well...The weather was great-- cool but dry and pleasant. I met my running group from Roswell Park Cancer Institute early this morning-- Did some LIVE shots for my TV station at the start line... waited... waited... and waited-- felt great-- pumped-- ready.

Then, Bang!

This is when things go down hill. I had planned to maintain a 6:50 pace throughout this race. In my past couple of weeks of marathon training doubles I have kept this pace many times for 4 milers, surely, this being 5-- I could hold it for one more... NOT!

I knew something wasn't right from the start. My breathing was off-- I felt as if I was pushing HARDER than EVER before-- I was confident I was holding a 6:20 pace... I looked down at my watch: 7:10 pace!!! What???? Mile 1: totally BEAT, 2, 3, 4-- just as bad.

I finished at 35:43-- Not at all what I was hoping.

What went wrong?

The wind-- was a bitch-- and hard on other runners too. There were hills- but nothing I haven't encountered before.

Should I also mention I drank some wine last night-- maybe more than I should have??? I hope that's the reason.. I thought the carbs would help-- but the alcohol apprently did not.. Oh well.

I had fun-- there were some great costumes-- and the race was filled to capacity with 12,000 runners.

These Old Shoes & Doubles

2009-11-19T14:16:00.000-08:00

I said goodbye to an old friend.

Actually two old friends.

I didn't think it would affect me. I didn't think I would be a tad bit sad. But I am.

It was last week, I visited runnerswarehouse.com and was uber excited when I clicked 'Confirm" and purchased my new sneaks (Mizuno Inspire 5). I didn't think at all of my old pair-- that is until the new one arrived.

My old sneaks, also Mizunos, were well past expiration. I held onto them longer than I should have-- not for emotional reasons- but because I am cheap. I NOW suspect though that I might have been subliminally holding onto them for sentimental reasons.

This the is the pair I picked up in the infancy of my new running addiction.

They got me through some tough times.

They were there when it pained me to run 5 miles.

They were there when I ran my first sub 30:00 5k, then my sub 25:00 5k, sub 23:00-- so on and so forth.

They were there when I ran through snow, sleet, and rain.

They were there when I ran my first half..... etc., etc, etc,

Yes, they're just shoes, but they and I have been through a lot. Shared a lot...

SO... Here's to my shoes! I shall never forget you and cherish the memories. Thanks for being there!

Am I a lunatic??? Or Has anyone else had trouble parting ways with their sneakers?

DOUBLES

I remember back in High school when I played football. In the month of August we would pull "doubles" (some call them "Two a days"). I dreaded these terribly. We were up at 6am, running drills, hitting pads for three hours. Then back on the field to do it all over again in the hot afternoon sun. It was brutal. I hated August in high school.

Ironically I am performing "Doubles" again but this time I actually kind of like it. I am tired, hungry all the time-- even a bit cranky at times-- but I really like it.

I get up at 6AM-- run, hit gym for ab work.... I then break from work around 3PM and embark on round two.

I will put in more than 44 miles this week because of it and I feel stronger, faster than ever before.

As my old shoes could tell you-- keeping a 7:13 pace on a 4 miler was inconceivable months ago-- today, it's much easier!

Time FLIES! and Ugly Sweaters

2009-11-11T13:31:00.000-08:00

Wow-- It has been a couple of weeks since my last post! Read on and you'll understand why.

The last few weeks have been nutz.

First: training!

Other than a brief lapse due to a brief sickness my training is going very well.
I am up to 17 miles-- and shooting for 18 this Saturday. The weather in this part of the country has been unseasonably warm so that has helped!

Next: Fundraising!

If you did not know, I am running the Disney Marathon for a cause- benefiting Roswell Park Cancer Institute here in Buffalo. It feels great to know I am working for something that is bigger than me and my own goals. It also makes training and getting ready that much tougher.

I'm not only begging, and probably annoying, friends and family to donate to my cause-- I am also holding a fundraiser.. An UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER fundraiser, check out the picture on my fliers:

That is NOT me by the way... My sweater-- will be much uglier!

Anyways-- I have been VERY busy setting up this darn thing. I had to get the place, plan the menu, send out invites, find a band-- not just a band-- but a band that will perform free of charge, find items to donate-- so far LOTS of gift certificates and items from the Buffalo Sabres and the Buffalo Bills! I had to decide cash bar or open bar-- it's open... Etc, etc, etc.

I am tired-- still motivated but tired. So, my apologies to all of you who have probably written some kick ass updates to your blogs-- I will catch up this week.

Oh yeah.. If you're in Buffalo -- or want to fly in-- My fundraiser is Saturday December 5Th. Fonatana's Ogden's Restaurant, 1834 William Street, Buffalo NY

Bring Your Ugly Christmas Sweater................

16.5!!!!

2009-10-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

Saturday Morning.

9:55am.

It was cold (50), cloudy, and a bit windy.

I ran 16.5 anyway!

I began by waking up around 7:45am, filling the coffee cup, and downing a bowl of Rice Chex cereal. I gave my system time to catch up and--sorry to be gross-- but clean out.

At the start, I decided to push it harder than last weekend's LD. I averaged an 8:40 pace-- holding it for Miles 1-10. I once again brought no gel packs, and stupidly consumed no water along the way. It didn't matter.

After mile 10 I felt great--no--amazing. I stepped it up averaging 8:10-- even hitting a few strides of 7:30's. By mile 15 I was beat and slowed it down to the 10:00/11:00 mark.

I finished at 2hrs 31m!!!! I am proud of that. If I can hold the pace I had for miles 1-10 and not try and push it-- I might make my goal.

next weekend: 18 miles!

Detroit Paranoia

2009-10-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

I am sure many of you have heard by now. Three runners, two of them quite young, dropped dead at the Detroit Marathon this past weekend. Anyone else having trouble getting this out of their heads?

As soon as I found out this morning-- I googled news articles about the story. I also went to RunnersWorld.com, and much to my dismay, there was only a brief mention of the deaths. An interview with their cardiologist/contributor Dr. Thompson filled in some of the blanks but I still have sooo many more questions.

At this point, the deaths, are a mystery-- even to the Medical Examiners. They've performed the autopsies and declared that more tests are needed to determine a cause. This is strange. If the deaths were merely "cardiac related" , which most seem to believe, the Coroner would have easily been able to rule that after a standard autopsy. What is a bit alarming is they need to wait for results of blood and toxicology tests to try and determine if there was something in their systems leading to death. The tests can take weeks. In the meantime all anyone can do is speculate and bloggers in Detroit are doing just that!

On Freep.com (Detroit's major newspaper and sponsor of Sunday's marathon)the comment section at the end of the article is full of all kinds of allegations. From the obvious suspected causes: heart problems and/or over exertion-- to the more outrageous: "Tainted water" at the refueling stations...

"Tainted water"???

At first I thought it was a ridiculous statement. A far fetched scenario created by someone's extreme paranoia. But then I thought about it. Why is it so hard to believe in present day that some sicko would compromise something all of us runners deem to be a safe "bet"-- water stations at races.. Who in the world would tamper with that???

Well....

Who in the world, would attach bombs to their body, walk on a bus, and press the red button detonating themselves-- and countless of innocent others?

Who in the world, would spend years training to become a pilot only to hijack a plane, fly it smack into a building, intending to murder thousands of people?

Who in the world would hide along a highway-- and for weeks continue to shoot and kill innocent people-- fueling up their cars-- sniper style?

Paranoia-- maybe. But, 'tis the day and age in which we live for it not to be a sick possibility.

I hope that's not the case.

Any answer, really, that comes out of these three tragedies will be unsettling to all of us runners. If all three are natural? What questions will you ask your doctor? Or should I ask before my marathon? If it is-- God help us-- something sparked by a terrorist or other attention seeking sicko-- I hope they catch the creep (I have much stronger terms) and punish him/her accordingly.

Most of all-- My thoughts and prayers are with the families of these three men and hope for their sake-- the answers, whatever they maybe, come quickly!

14.5 Miles and counting!

2009-10-18T09:28:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend! I had my second "serious" LD training run for the marathon. I set out to go 13.5. I added a mile!

Saturday was a beautiful and somewhat chilly day here in Buffalo. To me, the cooler the better. I run stronger and faster in these unseasonably cold temps-- partly just to stay warm.

I mapped out a great course that took me around the city's waterfront, then around the Naval Park, into downtown, up to Delaware Park-- That's the park I have written about many times before-- an "Olmstead" designed park. It was a very cool course and with several hills, also very challenging.

I felt awesome-- one of those runs you wish you could have every time. The odd part--I made it 14.5 without any nutrition along the way. I forgot my GU packs-- I didn't even have water, still it went well.

I learned a valuable lesson. I started out slow-- If you've been reading my blog for the past few months you know this is HUGE for me. My first 7 miles I maintained only a 9:00 pace (approx)-- stepping it up the last half:

Mile 8: 8:46
Mile 9: 8:37
mile 10: 8:37
Mile 11: 8:30
Mile 12: 8:13
Mile 13: 7:57
Mile 14: 7:45!!!

I finally "get it"! I usually and when I say "usually" I mean ALWAYS break that cardinal rule-- and start out of the gate running strong-- only to lag behind the last leg of any run. The pace, if followed in January, definitely won't get me across the Disney finish line at my target time of sub 4 hours-- But remember, I felt fine afterwards. Next time I will know I can step it up a bit earlier. I took the advice. Advice Glenn (The Running Fat Guy) and Brian (A Runner's Blog) have been telling me since I started this darn blog-- Training is all about tweaking- taking it slow here-- pushing harder there-- working-- to get the pace you desire.

I like the new me! Lets just hope the old guy doesn't come back to haunt me!

Disney Training Runs

2009-10-13T12:48:00.000-07:00

If the Disney Marathon in January is half as fun as my training runs-- I am going to have a blast!

I first met with my group a couple of weekends ago. There are about 30 people from the Buffalo area running for the same charity as me. The training groups are broken into 3 different groups with 3 different coaches. The northern suburbs, southern suburbs, and the city. I am with the city group-- Our first run was through a cemetery-- which sounds creepy but it's a GREAT run.

It's the Forest Lawn Cemetery-- not to be confused with the one in L.A. where Michael Jackson is buried-- although it has plenty of celebs there. We ran past Rick James' grave and President Grover Cleveland's resting place. This course is also very challenging-- full of hills. We ran a good 4 miles through the cemetery and then into Delaware Park:

The total run was 8.5 miles. I ran with the husband of our main coach-- He's a great runner with several marathons under his belt. He is also very fast and kept me going hard. We maintained a 7:50 pace-- not bad for a first training run.

The coaches asked what my marathon goal is-- I told them to finish under 4 hours. They feel it's very do-able. I am hoping they are correct.

I've been keeping with the training program they prescribed and at this point putting in 30 plus miles per week. I missed last weekend's group training because of a college reunion in the Poconos-- but back at it this Saturday.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2009-10-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

Yes I am alive and despite not posting anything here in 11 days-- I am running hard.

This past week has not been easy. Have you seen the commercial, not sure which product it is pimping, but it targets runners. The woman, is snug in her bed. Outside her window, the leaves are falling, the wind blowing-- it's clearly a fall brisk day. Despite her sheets pulling her back into the warm comfy bed-- she beats down temptation, laces up, and runs. Thats exactly what I have been dealing with. The temps took a dive this week (averaging low 60's day, low 40's night) which is rather early even for Buffalo-- I have been SOOO tempted to stay inside, next to the fire, comforting myself and stomach with delicious high calorie foods-- a casserole or something-- but I fought back and like the woman in the commercial-- pushed myself out the door.

average mileage past two weeks: 34

8 miles today-- the temp: 51F

I am meeting with my running group for Disney training runs this Saturday-- Will let you know how it goes!

What a Weekend!

2009-09-20T15:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who weighed in on the debate over GNC whey protein-- I am staying away from it for now. Not that I have found any evidence it doesn't work to help power runs but at this point I would rather not depend on any substance, natural or synthetic, to train.

I am ending what has been a spectacular weekend running-wise. I put in a quality 8 miles Friday at a apace of 8:50, then 10 miles Sat. at a whopping 7:56 avg pace! I was on fire Saturday. I think Glenn is right-- You have good days and bad days try and not be so focused on consistency-- in running, really there is no such thing.

SHOUT OUT!

Congrats to Melanie from Mel Tries to Run! She is kicking butt and taking names-- setting new goals each week. It's great to read and see her progress-- a woman who has worked so hard to take part in this crazy world we all love-- a crazy, inconsistent world-- called running!

Loving Fall and GNC

2009-09-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

It has been a beautiful couple of weeks in my neck of the woods-- perfect for running.

I love the fall in NY. We haven't quite reached the time when the leaves change and begin to fall. Things are still lush and green but the temperatures have been averaging in the 70's and are near perfect for pounding the pavement.

I have had a good last week. I ran 10 miles Saturday at an average pace of 8:56 rounding the week off with 33 miles... Not goal, but I'll take it.

I am finding my strength during runs is not consistent at all-- I'll run one day and feel great-- the next two, not so much. In the past few issues of Runner's World I have noticed advertisements from GNC. They are promoting their " Pro Performance AMP" Whey protein-- They are targeting runners, claiming the product will help with endurance and maybe, in my case, help bring me back some consistency with energy levels.

Does anyone use this or other supplements to compliment training-- if so, which works for you and why? Thanks for the help!

My Fellow Runners

2009-09-10T12:34:00.000-07:00

I've taken a look back at past posts and-- Oh my-- how I've failed you and myself. That thing called life has once again interfered with my running and blogging... Not that I haven't been running at all-- I still put in a solid 27m last week but if you followed my past posts that is MUCH LESS than what I had planned so-- My fellow runners I pledge;
To be a better runner-- strive for the best
To keep my "Eyes on the Prize" ie, Disney Marathon
To not succumb to the evil taunts from friends who want to grab a drink after work
keeping me OFF the road
To eat better and not gain another pound (up 2 pounds since we last chatted)
To buy better shoes (my mizunos are WELL over their maximum miles)
To blog, blog, and blog-- it helps keep me motivated
To read your blogs-- which moticates me even more!

I feel better all ready!

Start with a BANG!

2009-09-01T07:41:00.000-07:00

Kicked off the week well!

9 miles yesterday- average pace: 8:30!!!! I was a bit concerned about this run as I did not run AT ALL over the weekend-- no issues. I felt great and have gained control once again of my breathing. The weather also helps-- Buffalo slowly changing into fall mode and is quite pleasant.

On tap: 5miler today at 5k pace-- shooting to maintain around 7:00 min miles for the entire run.

Another goal-- Need to start eating better! I have had a friend in town all weekend and have been eating like a piggy-

Help a brother out

2009-08-26T17:04:00.000-07:00

I've already told you I am upping the mileage.... but maybe not this week as planned.

The goal was 45-- it looks more like a measly 25-30. I have a friend visiting this weekend which will limit my ability to pound the pavement.

Next week --and I want you ALL to hold me to this-- is when my official training will begin for the Disney Marathon and I need your help. I am running this race for 3 BIG reasons and listed below in order of importance:

1. Raise money for cancer research
2. Have Fun!
3. Finish with a time I can be proud of.

SO-- I can handle raising the money-- and it's never hard for me to have fun especially if there is whiskey and beer involved post race-- BUT I would like to know what a respectable time would be. Ideally of course, I would LOVE to run a sub 3hr Marathon but I am not sure that is at all realistic.

My half marathon time ( the longest I have run thus far) is 1hr 46min-- so if it were you-- and you were me-- what would you shoot for realistically??

Has it been a week already?

2009-08-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

I have had a very busy busy week-- but still able to get in some quality mileage.

Total last week: 32 miles

Goal this week : 45

I will be checking everyon'e blogs today and tommorow.

I never learn my lesson

2009-08-18T17:10:00.000-07:00

Didn't I tell you people to remind me NOT to run during the middle of the day anymore?

Despite telling myself and all of you I would not run between the hours of 1-4 during hot, humid days-- I did, again. Actually it went well. I maybe getting used to this extreme heat and humidity. I had about 2 hours to burn during work (thank God my work peeps are not following this) so I went to the gym, suited up, and took off.

Now that I have Buffalo friends following I will explain my route. I went from BAC downtown on Delaware allllll the way up to Hoyt Lake in Delaware park-- I went around once and then baaaaaack down to the BAC.

It was 8.5 miles.

I kept a slow pace averaging around 8:50min miles. I am taking it easy on the speedwork for now outside during the heat-- will hit the tread once or twice a week to maintain/increase speed.

Baby it's HOT outside... and Disney buddies

2009-08-13T17:54:00.000-07:00

Yup. Not only hot but downright nasty and humid.

I stupidly decided to go on a run during a late lunch at work (3pm) This is perhaps the hottest part of the day and I nearly died.

4.3 miles in 30 minutes-- very slow... Note to self, and to my blog buddies: schedule my next run early in the AM or later in the PM.

DISNEY

I am liking my decision to run Disney more and more. Not only does it promise to be a cool race and for a great cause-- but some blog buddies are also running-- Brian and B.o.B. both are running the half which means at least one better have a cold beer waiting at the finish line :) There is also a great network of others . People like my new pal Paul (thanks Brian) who are from Buffalo! There is even a Facebook page for those running.

This is pretty cool.

Pimpin It! and a NEW PR

2009-08-10T16:41:00.000-07:00

Like the title?

Ok- As I mentioned I picked Disney to be my first--- Marathon that is. A big reason I picked this race is it will allow me to help out a cause near and dear to my heart. I am running the 26.2 miles for Roswell Park Cancer Institute. For those who don't know this is a wonderful hospital and a leading institute for cancer research. It's based in Buffalo but world reknowned. I appreciate any help I can get- I promise not to harrass my blogger friends so this will be my one and only post regarding this topic. I will update you on my progress-- but not annoy you with endless requests for help.

If you want to donate-- here is my website:

http://giving.roswellpark.org/netcommunity/ptaney

I appreciate ANYTHING you can do-- I believe in this cause and want to raise as much money as I can.

In advance, thanks. thanks, and thanks some more.

OK-- now more on this running thing.

I ran the Celebrity 5k this past weekend shattering another one of my records.
It was the Buffalo Broadcasters Association's 5k and since I am a Buffalo Brodacaster I thought I better run-- glad I did.

It was my best time yet: 21:32!!!!!

My new polar watch was a HUGE help! It was a small race. I placed 17th out of 208-- but still 4th in my age group-- Damn--- I have yet to win an award-- but I am getting closer!

I Have Made the Decision!

2009-08-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

And the choice for my marathon is.................

I'm going to Disney World!!!

I just finished filling out the paperwork for Roswell Park Cancer Institute to enter their Team Cure Challenge. I will be working with a fundraising expert there to raise $3,600. When I do, my airfare, entry fees, hotel will be paid for. I chose this marathon for several reasons.

1.) It's in the winter (jan) and it will keep me going through the "bad weather" months here in NY

2.) I have good friends touched by Roswell Park Cancer Institute and I'm honored to help them raise some funds

3.) It's Disney! Need I say more?

BTW- injury update: I am not 100 percent but much better-- The running is getting a bit easier but I need to increase mileage. The breathing is improving and I feel almost back to normal

Slow Re-Start

2009-07-31T13:24:00.000-07:00

I feel like an old clunker-- You know-- those cars that if you don't drive them for a while-- they take forever to restart. I am back up and running-- but feel VERY sluggish. I only took about 5 days off so I'm pretty discouraged.

I feel slower and my breathing is off. My longest run this week was a 7 miler and I felt like I was going to die!

Does anyone else have this problem after breaks?

Update and New Technology

2009-07-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone.

I am back from vacation-- and although it was tough to return to work after a long week of rest I did get some good news Monday regarding my injury. The Xrays came back and show no fracture which was really what I was concerned about. The Doc says it probably has more to do with the muscle-- Possibly, given the location of the pain, the Soleus:

Some of you sugested shin splints-- I have had those before-- this is different.. The pain is in that area, the front lower part of the leg, but further in- if that makes any sense.

Anyway-- fresh off the news that it is not anything too serious and now that the pain has subsided-- I am back on my feet. I went on an easy 5 miler today during lunch.. and.. I kept an average of a 7:45 pace--- How do I know that you maybe asking??? Because I received a snazzy heart rate monitor for my bday last week!!!! Yes I am finally amoung many of you high tech runner geeks ( I say that with love of course). I LOVE IT.

It's not the Garmin-- which between you and I-- is what I really wanted-- BUt this is awesome!!

I got the polar rs200sd- It is pretty cool and tells you EVERYTHING the garmin does--It's just not equipped with GPS technology-- But I really don't need that. It has a foot pod which like the heart rate belt, remotely connects to the watch and gives you distance, calories burned, time, pace, etc.

It also remotely downloads data to your computer-- I haven't quite figured that out yet.

So you should expect some big time results from me-- thats the hope anyway, now that I am injury free and finally linked to modern technology!

Subaru, Vacation, and Injury

2009-07-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

I'll begin with Last Friday's Subaru Buffalo 4 mile road race. Friends and I from work decided LOOONNG ago to run in this. It calls itself the best road race in the city-- It's in a great location and is suppose to have the greatest after party.

Last Friday? It was wet, rainy and cold- I still ran. 28:50 was my time-- for a 4 miler I am happy-- especially when you consider I have an injury to report.

It's not major-- at least that's what I hope. My left lower portion of my leg from the knee down-- in the front-- has been killing me. I had taken several days off-- in fact- ran for the first time since the Subaru ( 7 miles ) last night, felt great during the run--- not so great after.

I am on vacation this week-- and traveling- which explains the lack in blog progress.. Heading to the doc's office tonight-- will let you know. Wish me luck!

I hope you are all well-- Will be checking blogs tonight while I rest my leg! I am guessing Brian (a Runner's blog) has broken a 4 minute mile-- Melanie Tait has run a marathon, and Glenn Jones is now an Iron man- am I right?

Junk Food = Success?

2009-07-13T15:06:00.000-07:00

It's true. I believe the worse I eat, the better I run-- seriously.

I made that determination this past weekend. It was the annual "Taste of Buffalo" a huge festival where hundreds of restaurants roll out their best dishes for the city to try.

Any food you can imagine is there and I tried it. I spent both Saturday AND Sunday at the festival. I was without rules or limits-- I went nutz.

I easily consumed 3,000+ calories per day! I ate Chimichangas, Lamb Lollies, Chicken Curry, BBQ pork sandwiches, beef tenderloin "Sliders", Italian Burritos, peanut butter pie, ice cream, and this thing called an "Elephant Sub"- basically ground beef, onions in a cheesy, greasy sauce put in a hot dog bun. It sounds gross but was awesome. I washed it all down with beers-- several beers-- and "Sangria Slushies". Take a look at my eyes in the following photo. I am with several co-workers (our TV station was a sponsor) at the VIP tent where there was all the beer you could drink!

ANYWAYS, to make a long story... longer.... Lets get to my point, finally. My run Sunday, after the first day of pure gluttony, was incredible. 10 miles in 1hr 27 minutes. I really would've kept going-- I only stopped so I could meet my friends for day 2 of All You Can Eat madness... My run today-- again, amazing... Compare that to last week-- when I felt a bit sluggish.

So what gives??? It could mean 1 of two things, either I don't consume enough calories during the week or Junk food is the secret to my running success.

I am going with the former. As much fun as it is to eat without limits-- I remain committed to being healthy. Eating like that once in a while is fun-- all the time is excessive and can only lead to bad things. So, today it's back to lean meats and veggies-- I'll just pile more of them on the plate to increase caloric intake.

How about you?? Similar success after a binge?

A So-So week

2009-07-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

Nothing spectacular so far. It's Thursday and I've put in about 25 miles so far. I am planning a 12 miler tonight... Big deal!

I am getting bored and need to start spicing it up a bit. I have been so damned concerned with upping my mileage I have done little to up my speed.

So...

I am paying close attention to two blogs in particular-- Brian (A Runner's Blog) and Glenn (fatguyrunning) both follow great programs-- and push it hard. Neither ever seems to get bored. They're able to mix it up-- increasing distance and speed.

My biggest problem? Not having the information when running. I have been a stubborn old man who has refused to get a fancy-schmancy Garmin watch-- I need one for proper training-- so I will shop around and finally break down and get one.

Maybe, then I'll break the boring old routine-- and start to heat things up.

Crossing State Lines

2009-07-07T09:03:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned last week-- I traveled downstate to Westchester County, NY to visit my big bro and his wife.

I ventured out on a run early Saturday morning and it was going so well I decided to run across the border-- crossing state lines!!! Yes, for the first time in my life-- I ran in two states during one workout-- how about that for a good run!

Ok-- so they live right on the NY/Connecticut border (literally 5 minutes from Greeenwich CT) but still-- I ran through 2 states! I can still brag right??

It was a great run. Westchester County and Greenwich CT, are both very beautiful. Full of rolling hills, quiet settings-- making it very hard to fathom you are only 30 minutes from New York city.

During the run-- I realized we, as runners are very lucky. Those of us who can run long distances are able to take in the sights, explore, in a way that is much more intimate than a car ride or even a walk. We travel slow enough to see and experience everything-- but fast enough not to get bored.

I can't wait for the next trip!

Another first??? Taking a picture of myself-- while running-- I took several, this was the only one not blurred :)

Holiday Get-A-Way-- Mapping out the run!

2009-07-02T13:27:00.000-07:00

Today (Thursday) is my Friday! My holiday weekend begins tonight. I am driving to the New York City area to visit family. I am very excited for the obvious reasons, relaxation, the consumption of a few (many) frothy beverages, good food, etc-- but I also get psyched at the thought of mapping out new runs in strange, unfamiliar territories.

My brother and his wife live in Chappaqua, Westchester County, NY. They recently moved there-- so I have not yet been-- but have heard many good things about the community. It's where the Clintons lived while Hillary served as a US senator for New York, it's full of quaint neighborhoods with tree lined streets.

Whenever I travel-- I first, map out my desired runs on GMAPS PEDOMETER--

A GREAT source. It allows you to designate a route and gives you the mileage and calories burned. I like it better than mapmyrun.com, which has more details, but is much slower.

I've already established three routes that I plan to run. One for each day I am there.

Anyone else have any "tips" when running on "trips"?

Tyring to Make Up My Mind

2009-07-01T07:23:00.000-07:00

I still have not decided. I told you weeks ago that I was looking for the next challenge-- My first Marathon.

I went down the list of a few I was considering-- and since then have added one more.

I want to run the NYC marathon. Official registration has been long closed-- but there are several charities still looking for runners-- if I can raise the amount required (average $2,500)

This much I know-- I have narrowed it down to two-- NYC (if I can get in) and The Walt Disney World Marathon in Orlando.

Brian, from a Runners Blog, mentioned that already the WDW is 65% full so I have to make up my mind fast!

I am a journalist-- so I am all about deadlines. I am giving myself two more weeks to decide... Even if the WDW closes-- I can still join a local charity group (Roswell Park Cancer Institute) which has a team running in WDW..

I hate decisions...........

A Great Discovery

2009-06-26T12:25:00.000-07:00

I didn't discover it. Instead, it was a Show Director at work who came across a very old and unused shower at our TV station!

This is HUGE.

The Station is located downtown and a few city blocks from my gym. In the past, during my lunch break, I would walk (10mins) to the gym, get changed into running gear there, run, return to gym, shower, walk back to work-- It was pretty time consuming. The Show Director, also a runner, took his own time to clean out the shower-- which had become storage for boxes of old scripts. He put up a curtain, had maintenance scrub it down-- it's great! Now-- I can "launch" and "land" right here at work-- it's very convenient.

I'll still need to go to the gym for my "Two-a-Days"-- I can't convince my boss to install weightlifting machines here-- but I'm still working on it-- maybe I can work it into my next contract :)

Two a Days

2009-06-25T06:19:00.000-07:00

It's been a while-- I have been incredibly busy at work-- and between these "Two-a- Days" I am doing have had little time to blog.

Now-- when I say "two-a-days" I don't mean running "twice a day". I know, that's what I had planned to do-- but because I am also working to build muscle my "two-a-days" mean weightlifting during lunch hour and running after work . It's been going well and I am very happy to report each compliments the other quite well.

It's Thursday and I am up to 25 miles already-- I am shooting to add another 15 by Saturday.

Will let you know how it all works out-- but so far so good.

Sorry for not checking out your blogs-- I plan on catching up over the next few days.

My New PR is.........

2009-06-16T12:45:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was excellent!

First of all-- it was the Allentown Arts Festival in Buffalo-- a big to-do here. It's a huge festival encompassing several city streets in Buffalo's Allentown neighborhood. I am not a HUGE art nut but you don't have to be-- there are PLENTY of house parties and I drank my fair share of fermented beverages and had an awesome time.

BUT-- I am burying the lead. This weekend was also the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k-- and as it is in many other cities-- it's also a huge event in Buffalo.

(Our Morning News Anchor Bridget and I)

I signed up with a team from work weeks ago. We were team HOBNOB ( our sports anchor came up with it-- it's a wine he likes)

(Team HobNob)

and not only did I help out a great cause I also beat my best 5k time. Drum roll please.......

My old 5k pr: 22:50

My new time: 22:08!

The course was pretty flat and I flew through-- in fact-- I could not believe how easy it felt. I really like that all of this training, albeit scattered brain as it has been in my case, is paying off.

I am now trying to take one of my favorite blogger's (Brian, from a Runner's blog) lead and try "two a days". Running twice a day. To start off-- I will shoot for two-a-days twice a week... I will keep you posted.

My Blog Spot

2009-06-12T14:11:00.000-07:00

Brian-- over at "A Runner's Blog"-- posted this little game-- thought I would carry it on. It's about where you blog

Sadly-- I do most of my blogging at work-- Yikes!! There's also a few questions attached to the game:

What are you wearing right now? Shirt, Tie-- and make-up. Yes Make-up, I am getting ready to go on the air.. I swear I do not go out in public with it on!

What’s the last thing you read/are currently reading? "A Race Like No Other" 26.2 miles through the streets of New York

Do you nap a lot? Not at all! Not sure why-- I am wired strangely and always "on the run" until I hit the bed at night and collapse.

Who was the last person you hugged? My dog, Daino.

What’s your current obsession/addiction? Running, Running, and eating.

What was the last thing you bought? Honey Bunches of Oats cereal, Wait, I should add that to addictions above.

What are you listening to right now? A newsroom abuzz with activity-- it's close to news time so it's crazy in here-- people yelling back and forth.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be? The power to fly

What time do you usually wake up? 7:51 AM

Name one thing you can’t live without. Honey Bunches of Oats :)

What time is bed time? Weekdays, 10pm. Weekends, varies.

If there was one place you could be right now, where would it be? Right here in Buffalo! I know lame-- couldn't think about anywhere else at this moment.

Ok- your turn-- Lets hear it!

I'm Back!

2009-06-10T13:14:00.000-07:00

I'm Back-- in more ways than one. I am blogging again--It's been a crazy week and have not had a chance until now.

I am also back up to PRE half marathon strength.

It was a rough go after the race. For a couple of weeks I still had some pains during my Long runs all of which have ceased.

In case you wanted to know:

Saturday: 12.5 miles
Sunday: 4miles
Monday: off weight training
Tuesday: 10 miles
Weds: 4 planned for tonight

I am proud of my progress mainly because I don't have a lot of motivation as I am not training for ANYTHING at this point. I still have not picked a marathon but I am leaning toward Disney. I am looking into joining the "Team Roswell"- to benefit Roswell Park Cancer institute here in Buffalo. If I can raise $2,000 they will pay for airfare, hotel, etc.

I will keep you posted.

Glad to be back :)

A Very Good Week!

2009-06-04T07:04:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of scenery- especially when I run. To me, it's very un-motivating to run a boring or not-very-scenic course-- So-- I am always finding different places to pound the pavement in my area.

My favorite by far-- is around my neighborhood-- It's known as "the Elmwood Village" area in Buffalo. It's full of very old homes, tree lined streets (see past posts for info)

My second: The downtown run.

I work downtown-- and can usually break free for an hour or so. I always have gear in my car and love when I have the chance to break free.

I've mapped out and have run many times-- a cool course-- that takes me along Buffalo's waterfront (Lake Erie)

It's awesome--- especially when the weather cooperates. There's cool parks with the lake on one side-- the skyline on the other. The breeze is fantastic as well.

The trek is around 7 miles.

In order to run it though-- I have to get work done to allow time for a break-- So--for now, adios!

Treading it!

2009-06-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

One of these days:

The weather outside was a bit tricky today. It was cloudy and has looked like it will downpour at any minute-- even though as I write this it hasn't rained a drop-- anyways, during my lunch break, I sucked it up, went to the gym, and hit the treadmill.

I always hate the treadmill for the first mile or so. To me, it is not motivating at all. You go nowhere- stare at a TV-- it's boring! I usually get some kind of rhythm going and find a way to enjoy it.

I also like the computers that tell you how far you're going, how fast, heartbeat, etc. I have not yet invested in a Garmin watch so I am not privy to all of that info when I street run.

I pushed it hard today. I ran 4 miles, at an average pace of 8.2 MPH. I felt good, and even did some cross training-- hitting the weight machines after.

It's nice knowing that info-- which means its time to get one of those fancy schmancy watches..

I need your help-- Whats the best one?

Kick Butt Sara Jones!

2009-05-29T08:08:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post today to wish Sara Jones from Rookie on the Run good luck. She will be taking part in the San Diego Rock n Roll marathon-- something she has worked very hard for!!!!

Go and get 'em Sara! Also-- Good luck to everyone else who has races his weekend.

Foot OFF the brake please

2009-05-27T14:43:00.000-07:00

I went on my first run yesterday since the half. It wasn't great.

I had set out to run 4 miles but only made it 2.5. After the first mile, my legs began to feel very weak. I took today off and plan to hit the road tomorrow-- hopefully with success.

Input needed: How long until I get back to normal?

I also need another goal-- Yes, I know I want to run a marathon-- but which one? I want my first full marathon to be somewhere special-- So far, here are the races I am considering:

Disney.
Pros: C'mon, it's Disney!

Cons: Far from home. Won't have a lot of family support there.

Rochester Marathon

Pros: Great course, along Erie Canal. Close to home. I have several friends running.

Cons: Close to home :) therefore not very exotic

International Marathon

Pros: Awesome race and it calls itself the only International Marathon in the world. It starts in Buffalo USA and ends in Canada-- The finish line is literally right at Niagara Falls!

Cons: My partner cannot attend due to a scheduling conflict.

Anyone else have any suggestions? The earliest I feel I could be ready is mid to late August.

The FULL details

2009-05-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

Here it is! The OFFICIAL result from Chiptime:

300 2855 Patrick S Taney, GUNTIME: 1:47:36 HM30-34 24/102 225 8:13 CHIPTIME 1:46:57 Buffalo NY

I thought I finished with a chiptime of 1:46:59-- but I was off by 2 seconds.

The story:

The night before the race was a little crazy. I had a house full. My parents were in town for the weekend to watch the race, also my friend Jenny from Rochester, who was running, and her husband spent Saturday night. I had a pre-race BBQ in which I cooked up hotdogs and hamburgers for the guests and whole wheat pasta for Jenny and I.

I stayed up waay too late talking and watching TV. We went to bed around 11:30pm.

The alarm went off at 4:57 AM!

I was a little pissed at myself because I promised to get at least 8 hours sleep. It didn't matter. I was pumped the minute the alarm clock rang. I had some pre-race jitters but more of it had to do with getting everyone to the start on time. We did.

There were not enough bathrooms downtown at the start line-- so I had to wait for what seemed like an eternity to go. I nearly missed the start-- in fact was running to get in line during the National Anthem.

Then- BANG! I was off. I felt great. The 7 or so friends and co-workers running the race with me all decided we would go it alone and at our own pace. It wasn't until 2 miles in that I saw any of them. I ran into my friend Jenny but moved ahead of her within a few minutes. I was breaking a cardinal rule-- one Glenn and Brian advised me-- in detail-- not to break. I was pushing hard right out of the gate.

I truly thought I was going about 9:00 /mile-- and believed I was consciously taking it easy the first several miles-- I wasn't.
I had several spectator friends along the way-- at different mile markers--- who said I was "blowing" through. All of my friends were WAAAAAAY behind me and I had no idea. I was going hard, fast, all the while thinking I was very slow-- I am still puzzled by that.

The course had changed at the last minute due to construction issues in the city. This was not good news. The new course, shared by both the Half AND Full Marathoners, had a lot more hills in it than the previous one. I think there were a totally of 7 hills. The old course had just 2! Most of the hills were highway overpasses-- and came in later in the race. Bad, bad news for me.

MILE 11: Can you say BRICK WALL! WOW. This is when I had realized I pushed TOOOO hard and ran TOOO fast. I was miserable. I wanted to walk sooo bad and despite HUGE crowd support from this point on had little spirit to continue. Somehow I pushed ahead with literally EVERYTHING I had left, which wasn't much.

This is me at mile 11.5:

I look deformed!

The last leg leading up to the finish line was FULL of people cheering. I had been told by everyone this is the best part-- a feeling like no other. For me, it wasn't quite that euphoric. I was in pain, frustrated, tired, and not feeling the "finish line" high I had heard so much about. I pushed too hard-- and this was my penalty. Yes I finished. Yes the time was decent. But I spoiled what should have been a superb moment and made it somewhat mediocre.

After I had received my metal, drank gallons of gatorade, and saw my partner, parents, and friends-- I felt great. I felt accomplished. I even had bragging rights-- beating everyone of my friends:)

So, the moral of this story: One you have no doubt hear time and time again DON'T push it in the beginning. When you think you have slowed your pace--slow it even more. Just have fun. Your first half should be about enjoying the experience especially the finish!

All in all-- I am glad I did this. I'm a better person inside and out and now ready for the next challenge.... The Full Marathon!

P.S. More pictures and video to come! These two are all I have at this point.

Also-- Thanks to everyone for your support before and after race!

I did it!!!!!

2009-05-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

Real quick blog today more to come-- It's done--- and I even impressed myself.

13.1 miles in 1:46:59!!!!!!

We'll fill you in on all the details tommorow.

Tommorow.... Lift off

2009-05-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

Feeling good-- Feeling ready-- and Feeling, pretty darn excited.

Tommorow is the race. I just wanted to let everyone know I soooo much appreciate your thoughts and comments-- Glenn, Brian, Sara, Melanie, Queenie, Tanya-- all of you--and those I forgot to mention-- Thanks! I will think of everyone when I cross the line tommorow.

P.S. The full report may not come until Monday as I plan on being good and drunk after the race Sunday -- Lots of post race parties to go to!!!

I hope everyone who is racing this weekend-- including MARLENE-- does well, stays healthy, and has fun!!!!

3 Days to 13.1

2009-05-21T13:08:00.000-07:00

Funny story. I am tapering down my runs as I get closer to the big day but yesterday's was especially short!

My routine is as follows:

Get home, walk the dog, wash off the TV makeup, get into running gear, go outside to car (where I leave my MP3)-- lock car, put key fab in pocket-- take off.

I thought I did all of the above-- until about a half mile into the run when I realized I did not have my key! I panicked then BOOKED it back home, and low and behold-- there was my key fab sitting ONTOP of the car FREE for the taking.

I park out on the street-- in a city-- so I am lucky it was still there.

It was enough of a "run" for me-- Sprinting back the half mile-- wiped me out. I swear I was doing a 4 minute mile pace :)

I will go home tonight and attempt to run an easy 4 miles-- hopefully this one will be much less stressful.

By the way-- this week in Buffalo has been fan-super-tastic... sunny and 70's everyday-- the forecast for the race Sunday: a high of 71 and sunny. It should be around the mid 50's by takeoff at 7am.

Miracle Drug? Maybe.

2009-05-19T13:52:00.000-07:00

Sara Jones from (rookie on the run)inspired this post. She had been complaining of knee pain on her blog-- and I recommended she take a supplement that I have found to be very successful.

I've had pains since I began running months ago. Not severe pain- but my joints, legs, and knees have all given me some discomfort.

I was discussing my recent knee pain with a co-worker who recommended Glucosamine 750-Chondroitin 600 supplements, sold at GNC.

I took her advice. I'll tell you-- there was not immediate relief but after several days I am happy to report nearly all of my pain is gone. This stuff is great! There are studies out there to back up the success.. In fact, Runner's World has done numerous articles on the supplements. Many people with arthritis take these daily to strengthen joints-- particularly in the knees. I, do not have arthritis-- and hope by taking these, I won't end up with the condition.

Like anything, I am sure, results vary. Many times it depends on how your body reacts to this.

Also-- any tips on preparing for my big half next Sunday-- much appreciated.

Have a great day!

Exactly 1 Week Away!!

2009-05-17T07:36:00.000-07:00

1 week from today I will have hopefully accomplished my goal of completing a half marathon.

I am excited. I am ready.

In other news: I ran 5 miles today! It's also Sunday, which is my favorite day of the week-- why?????

If you've followed my blog for, I don't know-- at least a week you should know.....

It's not just because I'm off work.........

It's not because the sun is out..............

It's not because I am NOT hungover, which is strange for a Sunday morning......

It's because..................................................................................................................................................................................

It's my CHEAT day.

On the menu:

PIZZA, BEER, chocolate chip cookies!

Have a great day everyone!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

2009-05-15T08:25:00.000-07:00

I took your advice--- all of your advice--- and for the most part it helped-- a lot!

As mentioned in my last post-- I have major concerns about my upcoming Half Marathon due to the fact that it's in the AM. I feel I am a MUCH better PM runner.

I asked how to become a little more energized in the morning, you responded.

First, thanks.

Second-- it worked!

Taking the advice of both Marlene (Mission to a(nother) Marathon) and "The Runner Dude" I got up EARLIER than normal-- at 5AM today. Glenn From "the Running Fat Guy" told me to eat something an hour before take off-- I did, a bowl of cereal. Sara, from "Rookie on the Run" told me to drink coffee which I consumed. I also-- took two of these:

Ultra Man Vitamin B- I usually take these later in the day-- but decided to pop the pills with breakfast-- it gives me energy! I let the food, coffee settle for an hour-- hit the john, and found this scene-- outside my door:

BEAUTIFUL morning. Brian from (A Runner's Blog) told me to do warm ups-- I did, jogged/walked around the block- with interval bursts!

Then it was take off, my goal: 10 miles today.

Remember, last time I tried this in the AM I made it 6 miles and felt terrible. I knew immediately from the start this time was different. I wasn't at my PM pace-- but not at my old AM pace either. I was feeling good. I brought along my GU gel pack-downed that at mile 7 and continued on-- it gave me the final burst I needed to finish.

This time-- it was just 10 miles--No added extra mile like my last LD. I finished in 1hr 24 mins-- about the same has my 11 miler. Yes, I was slower than my LD at night but I finished and felt okay-- a DRASTIC difference from my last few AM runs.

It wasn't perfect-- but better.

I am now LESS stressed about next week. I also have to remember what TANYA (Vegas baby in 26.2) told me-- She said I will have so much adrenaline the morning of the Half-- it'll make up for any AM cobwebs.

Thanks again guys!!! Very nice of you to take the time to help!!

I Need Your Help, Please!

2009-05-13T08:13:00.000-07:00

I am still "high" after my 11 miler and the time in which I finished (1hr 28 minutes). Brian, from A Runner's Blog, asked how I did it. My answer: I have no idea.

I wasn't trying to go fast at all. I thought I was taking it VERY slow. I do not have a fancy Garmin watch-- or for that matter, any watch at all. I simply set out to run 10 miles and had NO concern with time whatsoever. I felt great and added an extra mile. I was as shocked as anyone when I saw the time at the end of it all. I really thought I took more than 2hours!

I can tell you -- my last few 5K's which averaged around 23:00 mins (PR of 22:48) were VERY hard and I really pushed it--and it was hard-- damn hard. I always felt it afterwards. Yes-- my time during the 11 miler was not at my 5k pace-- but close to it and it truly was a breeze. SOOOO much different than an aggressive 5k. My only explanation is the time of day in which I ran.

Most of my past runs and 5K's have ALL occurred in the morning hours where I seem to be more sluggish. A week ago, I attempted a 10 miler on an early Saturday morning-- and failed miserably. My runs at night, and after work (the 11 miler) have been unbelievable!!! I can't stop. I am a PM runner and this scares me.

The gun will fire for my half marathon next week at 7 in the morning. I am terrified I will be a slug because it's in the AM. I need to break this and I need your help. Keep in mind-- for the first three months of training I ran ONLY in the AM so it's not a matter of getting used to running in the morning. By now I should be. What is going on???

Thanks, in advance!

I Didn't Do it!

2009-05-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

As I told you in my post yesterday I had planned to run 10 miles today. I didn't......

I ran 11!!!!!!!!

Even more impressive, to me anyways, is the time I finished, 1hr 28min!

The run was amazing. It was a beautiful Buffalo night-- temperatures in the 60's, a steady breeze, sunny, and the smell of spring flowers filled the air.

At mile 9-- I felt a sense of utter euphoria! I have heard other runners describe the moment-- When they feel almost detached from their bodies-- floating-- (I swear I did not smoke anything wacky before hand!). It really was a cool feeling-- I felt incredible-- and I definitely had it in me to go for 3 more miles. I chose not to because I really want my upcoming half marathon to be the very first time I run 13.1 miles. I want that day to mean something-- after all -- it is the reason for all of this work.

Today after work-- 5 Miles, easy
Weds: 3miles- 5k pace, 3 easy
Thursday: 7 easy
Friday: rest
Saturday: 5 miles easy

Cheat Days and The 10 miler

2009-05-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

I'll begin by telling you about yesterday... mmmmmm.. yesterday. I have chosen Sunday as my cheat day, ya know, the "I will eat whatever I want and however much I want" day. Needless to say, I love Sundays.

When I say cheat-- it's only with food. I still run on Sundays and got in a good 4 miler yesterday. After that-- it was Farm fresh eggs and bacon. For lunch and dinner: a LARGE Italian submarine, with three kinds of meat, mayo, oil, the works! My desert?

Nestle Ultimate chocolate chip cookies! I went to bed with a huge smile on my face.

Some people scoff at cheat days. Those strict nutritionists who say there is no room for that kind of eating any day of the week, month, or year. I disagree and in fact, have been successful working in a day of gluttony.

I decided to "go nutz" one day per week when I started to stop losing weight. Someone mentioned that I was not consuming enough calories forcing my body to store fat. They suggested breaking the rules for one day to reset my metabolism. This was not hard and it is working. I began to drop the pounds again!

Today-- it's back to a healthy menu but it's not so bad. Today, is Turkey Chili!

Now, for that 10 miler-- I am running one today after work. That's it. Writing about Sunday is sooo much more interesting :)

How about you other runners out there, do you have a cheat day?

Note to Self: Next Time, Go With Instinct

2009-05-07T17:33:00.000-07:00

Today was "suppose" to be my day off. I slept in, went to work, ate sensible, and did not run. That is until I got home.

I whipped up some Low cal Meatloaf Balls (recipe straight from Biggest Loser- Tara made them last episode only I did mine with 99% fatfree ground turkey).

My conversation with myself:

"these take a 1/2 hour to bake, what am I going to do while I wait?"

The sensible me said: "Go watch TV, Patrick-- rest your legs, a Seinfeld repeat is on somewhere"

The not so sensible side, rudely interrupted: "run, run , run ,run-- wussy"

I debated with myself for 10 minutes. 9 times out of 10 I never listen to the sensible me--- I got changed, slipped on my Mizuno's, put the oven on time bake-- and hit the road.

Bad move.

The first 4 miles were great. The sun was setting, temperature very comfortable, and my body felt awesome. The last 3 miles were not so kind.

Mile 5: It all went downhill when I got to a city park path that circles a lake. It had rained last night and there was this enormous puddle that absolutely had NO way around it. It didn't look too deep, so I decided to try and tiptoe through it-- What was I thinking? The front part of my Mizunos are nearly all breathable mesh, which means water went right through them. They were soaked! I HATE squishy wet feet and was convinced I was going to get moldy feet or something-- My mental state began to decline.

Mile 6: Back on city streets and now angry. My mind is consumed with my squishy, wet, gross feet-- I blow right through a green light and nearly get hit by a city bus. The driver honked the horn and all of the people on the bus passed by me giving me dirty looks and I'm convinced one of them was pointing at my squishy wet feet but that could have been in my head.

Mile 7: The last leg. It rained-- not just a little sprinkle-- a full downpour. Now, my feet were not alone-- My whole body became a squishy mess.

I got home, the meatloaf balls were cooked and waiting-- They were, soooo:

TERRIBLE

I must not have added enough of something-- I don't know.

I am now going to bed :)

My question for the day: Any advice on how to dry out wet shoes???

My Little Dilemma

2009-05-06T12:18:00.000-07:00

Here's the deal. Like many of you-- I am absolutely, 100%, without a doubt, in love -no- infatuated with running. It's become such an addiction I struggle to take a day off. My aches and pains seem few and far between and I truly enjoy the sport. The problem is-- I also want to gain some muscle-- but HATE weight training. Hate is a strong word-- I dislike weight training and feel like it gets in the way of my running. I feel some major guilt for not embracing the weights like I do the pavement.

As some of you may know-- I am training for a half marathon which is less than 18 days away. I am working hard on increasing my distance-- My current Max mileage is 8-- working on making it to 12 before the big day.

I say-- Keep my focus on the half-- worry about the weights after that. Some people are born to cross train. I, clearly, am not one of them. Your thoughts?

Also-- How much are your abs worked during a 3-8 mile run??? Will running help sculpt? or just burn fat?

Thanks for your help.

Recruiting a New Runner

2009-05-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

There are many reasons I run. I love the freedom, feeling healthy, losing weight, being outside with nature-- I feel alive! I even embrace the aches and pains that go along with it. Now, I have a new reason to adore the pavement pounding--it's inspirational.

For the past several weeks, my friend, and co-worker Aaron, has been listening to all of my stories of a life on the run. Every morning at work, I tell him the tales of my last run. Where I went, how far, and how long it took me to finish. He would always seem interested but I had no idea these conversations were lighting a fire within him.

Aaron began to run. He started like many of us. He Ran for a few minutes then walked-- on and off- for the past couple of weeks. Last Tuesday he decided to take it to the next level. I told him I was running in the Louis J. Billitier 5K in downtown Buffalo and he reluctantly agreed to join me.

The day of the race we met in the registration area. He had the IPOD ready to go, proper attire, and was full of butterflies---ahh remember those first race jitters! I assured him he was going to be fine. I told him not to be concerned with time just run the whole way through and finish, finish, finish!

The gun went off and although I had planned to stick with him-- he asked me to go ahead at my speed. He wanted to zone out on his own. The course was pretty flat and very scenic. The backdrop was the surprisingly big Buffalo skyline along the shore of lake Erie. If you've ever seen "Bruce Almighty", which was filmed in Buffalo, it's the scene where Jim Carey and Morgan Freeman are walking on the water.

I finished in a record time for me- 22:50 and then raced to my car to get the camera to catch Aaron coming across his first finish line. 11 minutes later he did and he was running!

33 minutes is great for a first time runner! After the race, and once he caught his breathe, he turned and looked at me and told me I fueled his desire to run this and thanked me for helping him feel better than ever! Little did I know-- all of those stories had helped him catch the very contagious running bug. It was the best feeling-- better than any personal best running time. I had helped someone improve their life both emotionally and physically.

It gave me another reason to love this sport-- so much so-- that after the 5K I ran another 4 miles at the park, but only after a few beers with the worlds newest runner! Congrats Aaron!

P.S.- this race was awesome-- Not only free beer but FREE massages at the end too!!!!

Running from The Swine Flu & Closing The Deal!

2009-04-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have not checked in for a few days-- work has been a little crazy. The news biz is "abuzz" with the Swine Flu coverage, are you scared yet?????

I know some say we are over-doing it and maybe we are-- but at least we're getting the word out-- plus everyone is freaked out so hopefully we're getting good information out there for the masses to digest and stay healthy. The big message: wash your hands :)

I also SOLD my condo in Florida-- the condo I have been trying to sell for nearly 2 years!!!!! I signed all the paperwork yesterday and its a done deal! The market is a disaster in my former location (Ft. Myers). I won't tell you how much I lost on the deal (can we say I'm shirtless:) but it's better than paying a mortgage and association fees every month!

Alright-- now for the REAL reason I write this blog. Despite the hectic schedule-- I've been able to hit the pavement and I actually stepped up the running quite a bit.

Sunday: 4 Miles
Monday: 4 Miles
Tuesday: off, weight training
Wednesday: 7.5 Miles
Thursday: 7.5 Miles
Friday: planned easy 3Miles
Saturday: Louis Billitier 5k, Downtown Buffalo
Sunday: 5 Miles

If you notice-- I ran 7.5 miles Weds. and today-- two long distances in two days and I feel great! The soreness I was experiencing after the hilly 5K over the weekend has gone away thanks to Melanie and her advice to "skip" backwards after each run. I finally figured it out and although I get a few looks from people at the park it has helped tremendously!

Am I being Petty????

2009-04-27T11:14:00.000-07:00

I was labeled a 20 year old-- shouldn't that be a GOOD thing??

As I told you in my last post. I ran in a 5K this past weekend, you know-- the hilly one! I did not stay to hear the official results. I saw my name tag on the board, showing I placed 73rd out of about 400, and I saw my time (23:48)on the clock when I crossed the finish line. I knew I did not place in the top three of my age group so there was no need to stay for an award-- so I left.

Yesterday, I checked the online results-- They were broken down into age groups-- not overall. I looked and looked but could not find my name anywhere in my age group (30-34)!!! Then-- My friend Jenny, who also ran, called laughing hysterically saying I was in the 18-22 year olds!!! They had Patrick Taney, age 20! I immediately wrote the race director an email politely pointing out the mistake.

To the race director's defense, she was very apologetic and made the change today. So, yes, I complained about being called 13 years younger-- if only I FELT 13 years younger!!! Here's why I was so upset--I placed 32ND out of the 20 somethings-- but 7Th out of my age group-- 7Th place is much better than 32ND!!!

BUT After it was all said and done-- I felt like I was being a little petty--- What would you have done?

Reporting, From The Great Heron Run 5k!

2009-04-25T07:32:00.000-07:00

23:48. That was my time for Saturday's 5K. Now-- If you compare that to my last 5K time (23:18)it sounds like I'm slacking a bit-- but this race was chock full of those dreaded-- HILLS.

It took place in my hometown, Geneva,N.Y.-- where I was born and raised. Geneva (about 2 hrs from Buffalo) is a suburb of Rochester and is the heart of the beautiful Finger Lakes area of New York State--

Known for it's wineries and-- gorgeous rolling hills:

And it was those hills that nearly KILLED me-- My calves still hurt. The route-- had a total of four hills, three of which were very steep. I was sooo tempted to walk up the last incline but thankfully decided against it. There was also added pressure here to finish at a decent time. A camera, from my TV station, was there filming. For those of you who don't know, I am a News Anchor for the ABC affiliate in Buffalo. The station is working on a story about the Buffalo Marathon (May 24Th) and the training-- My three colleagues and I-- are going through to get ready, we are only running the half. They chose this 5k to do my showcase story which will air sometime this month...I'm just happy I didn't embarrass myself too badly!

Question: What is your advice to get over those hills easier?? and why do my calves hurt so much? Is that from going up, or running down the hills too hard which I admit to doing in this race? Any help would greatly be appreciated.

Here are some more pictures of myself, and Friends who ran with me... By the way, the weather was wonderful! 80's, sunny-- almost too hot, which isn't bad for the end of April in Upstate NY.

Me and My Friend Jenny and her kids

All done!

Most Embarrassing Songs. Whats on Your IPOD?

2009-04-23T12:03:00.000-07:00

I have to steal a thought from my new pal Sara Jones who writes "Rookie On The Run" (check it out-- great blog)! She had mentioned in one of her previous posts that she often thinks about her new "blogging friends" during her own experiences. I realize I now do the same.

First, on a personal note-- I think it's amazing how helpful each of you has been as we all train for something better. I thank you for that and I hope you know-- you really do keep me motivated. I really do often find myself thinking about all of you. For instance: How would The Running Fat Guy handle this run? Or, I wonder how Brian (A Runner's Blog)is doing in his race? How Did Melanie (Mel Tries to Run) handle her first 5K?, etc, etc.

Once again, today, I thought of you while on my run-- but it had nothing really to do with running or performance- I wondered what was on everyone's IPOD!!!

I have to admit, there are some pretty embarrassing songs on my IPOD. Songs I really wouldn't like the world to know. In fact-- some of the songs, if publicized to close friends and family, would bring about endless abuse and ridicule.

My favorite musician of ALL time is Dave Matthews (I do NOT hide that fact) but only 1 of his songs is in the "running folder"-- songs I play only when on a run. Since my family and friends do not subscribe to my blog (I'd like to keep it that way) I feel ok sharing my songs with all of you-- on one condition, If you share yours first. I know, pretty low of me-- but I have to make sure I don't walk the plank alone.
We can call it M.U.M.E.S.(rhymes with FUMES!)

M. my
U. ultimate
M. most
E. embarrassing
S. song

I will give you a hint-- My "Mumes"-- has a title which rhymes with MOP, it was released in 1997, and the group consists of three no longer famous brothers.. That's all I am giving you-- will release more when I hear from you :) Who will be the first and the bravest-- I have a feeling Sara will not have a problem with this one :) Extra credit to those of you who crack my mystery, good luck!

8 Miles and Feeling GUuuey

2009-04-22T18:59:00.000-07:00

Today I ran 8 Miles. It is, so far, the longest distance I have run in my training for the half marathon. It felt great and to tell you the truth I would have kept going but had to get ready for that work thing. If you follow my blog, I mentioned in a previous post that during my last LD I died out after 6.5 Miles. Today, I tried something different to which I credit my success:

For those who don't know, it's called GU gel. A friend of mine recommended it. I chose the espresso flavor because it is one of only a few that also has caffeine. Each packet has 100 calories all of which comes from Carbohydrates. The directions call for you to down one of these packets every 45 minutes on a run. I ran for 1Hr10Mins, and downed 1. I took the "hit" at 5 miles when I began to feel sluggish. I kept waiting for it to kick in--- I am a very impatient person when it comes to products and their promises and after 5 minutes I began to worry this thing wasn't working-- well, it was. The run felt awesome. It wasn't an instant rush but a steady and somewhat slow injection of energy. This really all could have been completely in my head but, hey-- it worked, right?

Has anyone tried these fueling products during a run? Are there other products you like? OH YEAH-- Remember my desk yesterday? here's an update:

Have a great day everyone!

Rest Day!

2009-04-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

I kind of like the Children's book picture theme I attempted in yesterday's post-- so here is another.

Today I attempted to do this:

which means there was no:

but I did do some other things. I went to the gym, and used this:

to work on these:

Now I am at work to clean my work station-- which,

as you can see really needs the attention...

Pampering the feet and ankles

2009-04-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

OK- As I have mentioned in past entries-- I am running A LOT more than I ever have before--so, naturally, I am noticing pains I haven't had before. This part of my body?

HURTS!-- I discovered my pair of these,

are not the best for doing this:

So I went here:

A FleetFeet salesperson performed a test and determined my ankles rolled inward when running, and my current shoes did not provide enough cushion. After several fittings-- I choose these:

The Mizuno Wave Inspire!!! Today-- was the first day with my new shoes--In Buffalo, the weather was doing this:

so I went to the gym-- and used this:

and the verdict?

The Mizuno Wave Inspire was just what the doctor, or "Fitlosopher" as they're called at FleetFeet, ordered! I know, I have only run once-- and it was on a treadmill but I am already noticing a difference. I am hoping to take these pups for a drive on pavement tommorow.

Does anyone else have these? I tried a similar Asics and Nike brand but they felt too bulky-- Does your ankle roll inward? outward? neutral? Whats the best shoe for each? Tanya is trying the Asics and was going to update us on her success-- Would love to hear from you-- Remember, I am running in a half Marathon at the end of May. I run on average of 25 miles a week-- will these last until then?

SOOOO many questions!

5K success!!!!

2009-04-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

Today was the 5k race in Cheektowaga, a suburb of Buffalo, and it went better than expected!!!

I had waited to register until I knew for certain what the weather was up to-- It turned out to be a wonderful morning. So, I stopped by FleetFeet and bought a new pair of running shorts, and then registered at the Feel The Spirit 5K. It was organized by a local Catholic church.

My Goal: 25:00

My finish time today: 23:18!!!!!

I pushed really hard and took no breaks. The last quarter mile nearly killed me-- but the finish line was within sight and it kept me going. I placed 62nd out of 250 and 4th in my age division. I was hoping to take home one of the beer mug trophies for placing in the top three of the 30-34 year olds but still left happy. I beat my own goal for the day and that was enough.

OK- It is Saturday, I know many of you are participating in 5k's today-- How did it go?

Friday Morning-- I am happy again!

2009-04-17T07:18:00.000-07:00

Why??? You guessed it-- I ran today and it felt wonderful! The weather here in Buffalo was great today, sunny and in the 60's. I ran through beautiful Delaware Park, for those who don't know, it's an Olmstead park. It was designed by the same gentleman behind New York's Central Park-- Frederick Law Olmstead.

The Delaware park is the jewel of the Olmsted system, 350 acres of meadow, forest and lake. There's a great and very scenic 1.8 runners loop-- I ran around twice and it felt great. I would have done another two loops but had to get to work.

Tommorow, I am running in a 5k-- I am hoping to beat my last time of 27:31-- I am shooting for 25:00.. I will let you know how it goes.

Question: When running a 5k what do you eat the night before? 3.1 miles isn't a lot-- much less than I normally run-- so should I really carb up that much tonight???

Thursday Troubles!

2009-04-16T11:26:00.000-07:00

OK- this "must take a break from running" theory is really killing me. I am living up to my promise to take one day off from running per week. I chose today.

I slept in, enjoyed my morning cup of joe, read the paper (online), and took my dog on a short walk-- no running! I have read several articles which state a runner must take a day off to "recharge" thye body and allow it time to "relax"-- while it maybe true, these experts said nothing about what it does to your mood.

I have been in a funk all day. It's not due to a lack of sleep-- I slept great last night. My diet is also unchanged-- still eating healthier than ever. I had nothing to set me off-- no clashes with co-workers or family. My own un-scientific research points to not running as being the sole source of my bitterness today. I don't want to overexaggerate this-- I am not outraged, or nasty with anyone-- just not 100 percent today.

Am I alone?? Would love to know if anyone else goes through this on their day off?

Sleepy Legs plus Low Fat Chicken Alfredo....mmmmm

2009-04-15T18:23:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday, I am at my desk working a night shift but still thinking about two things: my run today and last night's dinner!

We'll start with the run. It was not as glorius as those in the past-- in fact one of the worst runs I've had in my short running career. Today the weather was great (sunny and 60's) I knew if I didn't go I would regret it. I took the Urban-park route (see last post for details). My legs felt very tired in the beginning, which typically happens on most runs but this time they just never kicked into gear. My mind was there-- the legs were not following. I ran 5.3 miles in 50 minutes-- which isn't that great and waaay off my goal. I realized the problem and deep down knew it the whole time. I did not take a break this week. I ran 6 miles Sunday, and 4 miles on both Monday and Tuesday-- perhaps its time for a breather--- maybe tommorow.

OK- Dinner. I have been craving chicken alfredo. The real recipe is at least 1200 calories which is not at all part of my new diet-- so I improvised and it turned out really great-- better than I expected in fact.... Recipe?? Here you go-- and I don't mess around with measuring everything out-- so improvise.

Sauce:
1 Cup of lowfat cottage Cheese
2 Tblspoons of Parmesean cheese
1/3 packet of lipton's Onion Soup mix
1 1/2 cups of Skim milk
a dash or two of sea salt
1tblsp of Basil

Simmer it all while pasta cooks

1breast of 98% fat free skinless TYSON Chicken Breast-- cut up and grilled.

Pasta:

Whole Wheat linguine (I used whole wheat penne)

Chop up some Cherry tomatoes toss it together and you've got a very good ( in my opinion) Very low fat Chicken Alfredo

Is Anybody out there? Mapping Out Your Run!

2009-04-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

This is day three of my blogging career-- and so far, not so good. I can't get noticed to save my life. I am my only follower-- but I am not a quitter so-- here is another post.

I ran 6.5 miles today. I took an AMAZING route. I like to change it up every few days as I get bored easily. Today, I started by mapping out a route on gmaps pedometer:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/ if you have not used this yet-- you must start now! It allows you to zoom into a neighborhood and map out your route and gives you exact distances in miles!

I love running because it allows you to go places you normally wouldn't-- or only pass through in a car. Running helps you observe things at a better pace -- allowing you to take it all in!

My trip began outside my front door in the beautiful Colonial Circle neighborhood of Buffalo.

I traveled south towards the city, the beginning had an urban feel-- noisey traffic, lots of people, construction etc. All the action kind of pumped up my adrenaline which in the beginning of a run I need. As I begin to get into my zone things leveled off through Buffalo's trendy Allentown neighborhood, which is full of quaint shops, art galleries, and restaurants. It's veru busy at night, but somewhat quiet during the day.

I then headed north to Delaware avenue-- a truly beautiful part of the city. It is refered to as Millionaire's Row- the tree lined streets are full of gorgeous mansions. I was still able to keep a good pace, while taking in all of the wonderful architechture. I have driven past these mega-structures many times before but never truly appreciated them--

Headache & Turkey Chili

2009-04-08T14:19:00.000-07:00

OK-- The snow is gone, the sun is out-- things are finally looking up in my neck of the woods, except for the head that is.

Today started great. I got up at 6a.m., went to the gym, ran 3 miles on the tread and worked chest/biceps (trying to just tone up). I cam home, ate my bananna, had a cup of joe, filled the crockpot with healthy goodness, and off to work. Around 10 am it hit-- the dreaded headache and I am not sure what triggered it. I took a half day- I'm now home propped up on the couch nursing myself. I begin to feel better as the smell spreads through the air-- ahhh remember the crockpot full of healthy goodness??? Turkey Chili-- sooooo good! It's very heatlhy too! Here is the "ooooh it's so good" (for you Mr Food fans) recipe-- feel free to tweak, it's chili after alland deserves your personal touch!

1lb 99% fat free ground turkey (Wegmans, love that gorcery store!) Brown that up baby!
2 small onions chopped
1 can tomato sauce
1 can of water
2 teaspoons of liquid smoke
chili powder or season packet-- I put in two- because I am spicey!!!
1 green pepper chopped
mix it all in, turn the pot on low-- pow-- you got chili--- in just a few hours.

During my not so healthy days I would top the chili with extra sharp cheddar, the more the beddar, and lots of dallups of fattening sour cream--- now:

Fat free tomato basil feta (so good) and/or Lowfat cottage cheese--

Have a super day everyone-- for now, I'm out!

Tuesday Morning Bliss-- Covered in White.

2009-04-07T07:50:00.000-07:00

Ok-- I woke up in a great mood-- excited to gear up, go out the door, and greet the day with my morning run-- then I looked outside. It had snowed all night long..... in April!!!! Yes, I live in Buffalo NY and yes it can and does happen occasionally in the spring. I also work in the TV news biz so it wasn't a complete suprise. The meterologist had warned it was coming the night before but I truly did not believe some 2 inches of the white stuff actually stuck to the ground! I thought it would all melt away overnight but that was not the case. The sidewlks were too snow covered to run and I was concerned about injury. I was set back-- but not defeated. I settled for the gym and ran 5 miles on the treadmill!

I had taken my rest day yesterday, only my second in 4 weeks. I felt horrible. Running is an addiction and a day without it is painful in my opinion-- I just hope I am not burning myself out before the end of May and the Buffalo Marathon!

Beginning the big run

2009-04-05T17:09:00.000-07:00

I am 33 and recently made two big life altering decisions-- to get physically fit and quit smoking. I am currently holding true to both! I have tried to accomplish these two things many times before but without much success, for some reason now I am more motivated than ever! I can thank a simple exercise for that!

I was told that once I quit smoking I would eat--- a lot! Friends who had quit years before said they replaced the cigarette with a chicken wing or a slice of pizza-- I decided to do something else to fill the void--- run! I actually started running a few weeks before quitting. The running forced me to realize how much the smoking was hurting my health. Running had become increasingly difficult-- within two days of quitting I felt amazing, running faster, and with a lot more ease. I believe this was strictly mental. Its hard to believe two days without a smoke would yield such immediate physical results-- but whatever works!

I began to run everyday. The commencement process was anything but easy. I would start off walking for 2 minutes, running for 2 minutes on and off. My first week I ran two miles per day, week 2, 3 miles-- I am now in week 4 and now an ex-smoker. I am running 4 miles per day. I have lost 12 pounds and feeling great-- almost euphoric. I truly believe running is equal to a drug, it is very addicting-- thankfully, in my opinion, more so than nicotine!

I am now training for a half marathon. It will be held May 24th in Buffalo, NY-- I've learned having a goal ahead helps keep me motivated!