As I mentioned on either Thursday or Friday Memorial Day weekend means a lot of things to a lot of people,for me it's about training,I don't take a day off from training just because it's a holiday,no I still get out there and do what needs to be done,even if it means two repeats in three days to accommodate Friday's 5,000m race.
The mercury was already climbing when I left for the track at Temple at 9.30am and by the time I got there at 10.30am the heat off the track reminded me of the old "walking on hot coals"adage.
Mile warm up and core strength stretches taken care of it was mile repeat time
#1 mile,1.18-1.21-1.18-70-5.07.1.An ok start,wasn't too thrilled about the 1.21 split creeping in there,there'd been no of them two weeks ago....
#2 mile,1.17-1.21-1.21-67-5.06.7.A faster split thanks to some hustle on my part w/ a 67 second closing lap but back to back 1.21s was not good,I was guilty of"going to sleep"on the third lap,something you can't do in a mile/1,500m race.
#3 mile 1.20-1.24-1.20-1.23-5.27.3.CLUNK the sound of the wheels falling off,I can kind of live w/ 1.20s...kind of but 1.24s,1.23s unacceptable.
#4 mile 1.20-1.21-1.22-68-5.11.4.A good comeback after the disappointment of a 5.27.3. mile previously but still not what I was hoping for coming into today.
I've always said I don't subscribe to the"you learn nothing from a defeat"mindset,what I learnt today was I don't have the legs for two repeats in three days,clearly it was hot out there but mile#3 revealed that what I could do on 43 and 44 year old legs is a bigger mountain to climb now on 46 year old legs.
That said,today was the lesser of two evils,I had the option of a 10 miler today and then either mile repeats or 1,000s tomorrow,however what I lost on the roundabout today I feel I'll gain on the swings Friday,by pushing myself to attempt two repeats in three days allows me an extra recovery day prior to Friday's 5,000m race so perhaps today was the lesser of two evils afterall.
In running as in life you have to be prepared to take a calculated gamble once in a while,today's gamble didn't pan out how I would've liked but you win some you lose some,who's to say my next calculated gamble won't pay off?
Falling short of my own expectations always feels like a smack in the teeth,rest assured my next set of mile repeats have already been circled in red on my callender,fool me once,shame on you,fool me twice,shame on me.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
You Can Take The Boy Out Of South East London...
....But you can't take South East London out of the boy!!!As most of you know,I bleed blue for my beloved Spurs but never one to forget my roots from South East London I keep a keen eye on the fortunes of the three teams from S.E. 7 Charlton,S.E.16 Millwall and S.E. 23 Crystal Palace.
Millwall hold a special place in my black pagan celtic heart,much maligned,feared and revered how can you not love a side who's chant"No One Likes Us,We Don't Care"has become the stuff of legends.
It's not fashionable to support a side like Millwall,but it's easy sometimes too easy to dismiss them so on a day like yesterday when they enjoyed headlines for all the right reasons by winning the League One Playoff Final at Wembley I tip my bandanna to them and their fans,the Bushwackers,The F Troop and the loyal hard corp who week in week out show up at The New Den to support the side.
I can only imagine the conga lines up and down the Old Kent Road last nite as a good old fashion cockney knees up ensued,while I realize most of this goes over the heads of most of my American readership I'm not "dumbing it down"I am who I am,the scrawny kid from Lewisham,born in Dulwich now living the American dream here in Philly and even though I followed my fathers lead and chose Spurs as my team,I identify w/ the Millwall ethos.
Like Millwall I make no apologies for my"heart and fists through the door first" approach to life,don't like it....tough,"We Fear No Foe"it ain't just a fuckin tshirt,it's a way of life,be it on the track,in life,on the street, at work it's a credo to live by,"No One Likes Us We Don't Care" or as I call it the Millwall Mentality, people don't care for my outspoken views on work,running, life etc,that's fine,the world would be pretty darn boring if we all liked the same thing,thought the same way what have you,I have no problem saying what's on my mind,I don't expect everyone to feel the same way,I realize it makes me as popular as a fart in a sleeping bag and a lightning rod for controversy at times but this is one Lion{Possum}who's too long in the tooth to change now.
No doubt next season the name of Millwall will get dragged through the mud,in the same respect as I'll be a hero and villain for my performances on and off the track,Millwall and me"Loved by many,hated by most" a match made in hell if ever there was....."No one likes us,we don't care"
Nuff Said.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Precious Time
"Well let me tell you about the way she looked,the way she acted the colour of her hair
Her voice is soft and cool her eyes are clear and bright but she's not there"
She's Not There- Santana
What?you thought cos there was no new episode of "Doctor Who" I'd forgo my Saturday lyrical homage to Karen Gillan.....shame on you,the lack of a new episode brought about the Carlos Santana classic.
In spite of the fact that Franklin Field reopened this week and "claimed" they'd be open on the weekend,I feel they've burnt me once too often so I opted for Temple again,I've enjoyed working out there the last two Saturdays so why not continue?
I arrived there by 10am,a mile warm up b4 my core strength stretches,which are getting easier as I get back to doing them albeit only once a week...of course after Tuesday I up the total from 14 to 15,we'll see if I'm singing from that hymn sheet on June 4th!!
#1,1,000m 1.15-1.17-34-3.06.9.A nice opener,I knew I needed even pacing if I was going to do some damage period much less compared to either last week:3.02.9-3.05.5-3.05.3-3.09.7-3.05.3
or my previous 5x1,000m after 5x10 miles:3.11.8-3.16.6-3.14.6-3.27.8-3.13.0.
#2,1,000m 1.14-1.16-33-3.03.7.Wow somehow I had a feeling after 2 1,000s that maybe last weeks splits were going to be a blue print for today,something I dare not've dreamt on the back of a weeks worth of 5x10 miles.
#3,1,000m 1.15-1.15-34-3.04.9.Clearly no drop off after a pair of brisk opening 1,000s,a lot to be said for consistent pacing,by George I might finally be getting this pacing lark down pat!
#4,1,000m 1.17-1.16-33-3.06.6.You know you're doing something right when a 1.17 is your slowest split of the workout!
The penultimate repeat is usually the one that hurts irregardless of distance,clearly weeks and weeks of 45,50,55 miles a week is paying off.
#5,1,000m 1.15-1.14-31-3.00.9.This portion of my blog is brought to you by Kia Sorento...."how'd ya like me now"??!!
I said last week I felt a 3.00/sub 3.00 1,000m was coming...I just wasn't expecting it at the end of mile 54 for the week!
The fact I'd ran w/in myself on the previous 4 closing 200s meant when I dropped the hammer at the end I was able to close in 31 seconds.
To compare my previous effort at 5x10 miles/5x1,000m to today is like comparing chalk and cheese,obviously all the miles I've logged in the last 7 weeks are paying off and it'll be interesting to see what happens when I revisit this week at the end of June in 5 weeks time.
55 miles for the week, a rest day on tap for tomorrow b4 returning to the track Monday for 4x1 mile repeats as I get ready for next week and Friday's 5,000m race at Henderson.
Her voice is soft and cool her eyes are clear and bright but she's not there"
She's Not There- Santana
What?you thought cos there was no new episode of "Doctor Who" I'd forgo my Saturday lyrical homage to Karen Gillan.....shame on you,the lack of a new episode brought about the Carlos Santana classic.
In spite of the fact that Franklin Field reopened this week and "claimed" they'd be open on the weekend,I feel they've burnt me once too often so I opted for Temple again,I've enjoyed working out there the last two Saturdays so why not continue?
I arrived there by 10am,a mile warm up b4 my core strength stretches,which are getting easier as I get back to doing them albeit only once a week...of course after Tuesday I up the total from 14 to 15,we'll see if I'm singing from that hymn sheet on June 4th!!
#1,1,000m 1.15-1.17-34-3.06.9.A nice opener,I knew I needed even pacing if I was going to do some damage period much less compared to either last week:3.02.9-3.05.5-3.05.3-3.09.7-3.05.3
or my previous 5x1,000m after 5x10 miles:3.11.8-3.16.6-3.14.6-3.27.8-3.13.0.
#2,1,000m 1.14-1.16-33-3.03.7.Wow somehow I had a feeling after 2 1,000s that maybe last weeks splits were going to be a blue print for today,something I dare not've dreamt on the back of a weeks worth of 5x10 miles.
#3,1,000m 1.15-1.15-34-3.04.9.Clearly no drop off after a pair of brisk opening 1,000s,a lot to be said for consistent pacing,by George I might finally be getting this pacing lark down pat!
#4,1,000m 1.17-1.16-33-3.06.6.You know you're doing something right when a 1.17 is your slowest split of the workout!
The penultimate repeat is usually the one that hurts irregardless of distance,clearly weeks and weeks of 45,50,55 miles a week is paying off.
#5,1,000m 1.15-1.14-31-3.00.9.This portion of my blog is brought to you by Kia Sorento...."how'd ya like me now"??!!
I said last week I felt a 3.00/sub 3.00 1,000m was coming...I just wasn't expecting it at the end of mile 54 for the week!
The fact I'd ran w/in myself on the previous 4 closing 200s meant when I dropped the hammer at the end I was able to close in 31 seconds.
To compare my previous effort at 5x10 miles/5x1,000m to today is like comparing chalk and cheese,obviously all the miles I've logged in the last 7 weeks are paying off and it'll be interesting to see what happens when I revisit this week at the end of June in 5 weeks time.
55 miles for the week, a rest day on tap for tomorrow b4 returning to the track Monday for 4x1 mile repeats as I get ready for next week and Friday's 5,000m race at Henderson.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Evolution Not Revolution
I took full advantage of my day off from work today to knock out my 5th 10 miler of the week at 11.25am.
I was pleasantly surprised to clock 62 minutes,it didn't feel that fast but I guess that's the luxury of being able to run that early w/out the burden of a 9 hour work day prior,I call it a luxury because clearly it's not something I get to do day in,day out.
About a mile and a half after the turn around I thought about the bad old days when more often than not I'd bonk on an early run,didn't matter what distance but these days it seems the spirit and the flesh are singing from the same hymn sheet...amen to that.
So tomorrow I get my second crack at 5x1,000m off the back of 5x10 miles,my previous attempt on April 10th resulted in :3.11.8-3.16.6-3.14.6-3.27.8-3.13.0.
It'll be interesting to see how much stronger I've gotten over the last seven weeks,not to mention I had the added burden of having to run a 10 miler the previous Sunday making it 6x10 miles b4 my 5x1,000m.
While most folks are planning trips to the mountains or the shore,proms or graduations,cook outs or races my weekend is built around my workouts,tomorrow and again Monday,w/ a race on Friday I don't have the luxury of making it a Sun/Tue rotation so tomorrow I have to sacrifice not only the League One Playoff Final between Millwall and Swindon at 10am but also going to the USA Turkey game at Lincoln Financial at 2pm,call it priorities but the workout comes first,I can cop the USA Turkey game when I get home and providing I don't check the score of the Millwall Swindon game I can catch the rerun at 6pm and treat it like a "live" game b4 then watching a rerun of the first six episodes of the new season of "Doctor Who",it might not sound like much to the masses but for me it's a good weekend.
I was pleasantly surprised to clock 62 minutes,it didn't feel that fast but I guess that's the luxury of being able to run that early w/out the burden of a 9 hour work day prior,I call it a luxury because clearly it's not something I get to do day in,day out.
About a mile and a half after the turn around I thought about the bad old days when more often than not I'd bonk on an early run,didn't matter what distance but these days it seems the spirit and the flesh are singing from the same hymn sheet...amen to that.
So tomorrow I get my second crack at 5x1,000m off the back of 5x10 miles,my previous attempt on April 10th resulted in :3.11.8-3.16.6-3.14.6-3.27.8-3.13.0.
It'll be interesting to see how much stronger I've gotten over the last seven weeks,not to mention I had the added burden of having to run a 10 miler the previous Sunday making it 6x10 miles b4 my 5x1,000m.
While most folks are planning trips to the mountains or the shore,proms or graduations,cook outs or races my weekend is built around my workouts,tomorrow and again Monday,w/ a race on Friday I don't have the luxury of making it a Sun/Tue rotation so tomorrow I have to sacrifice not only the League One Playoff Final between Millwall and Swindon at 10am but also going to the USA Turkey game at Lincoln Financial at 2pm,call it priorities but the workout comes first,I can cop the USA Turkey game when I get home and providing I don't check the score of the Millwall Swindon game I can catch the rerun at 6pm and treat it like a "live" game b4 then watching a rerun of the first six episodes of the new season of "Doctor Who",it might not sound like much to the masses but for me it's a good weekend.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Down To Single Digits
It's official,9 weeks till Nationals in Sacramento,hence the Go West album cover!!
Not sure if it was the fact I'm off tomorrow for a long weekend but work wasn't as frustrating today as it was the last two days,let's hope a four day weekend will do wonders for my sometimes less than sunny disposition at work next week!!
On the subject of rays of sunshine,sweet and merciful Jesus the heat wasn't as oppressive today as it was yesterday as I returned to the realm of 65 minute respectability for my 10 miler today.
W/ a day off tomorrow I can look forward to a lunch time jaunt along the extended extended out and back on Cobbs Creek Parkway b4 turning my attention towards Saturday's 5x1,000m repeats.
Did my online entry for next Friday's Philadelphia Distance Classic,I'm running the 5,000m,in all probability my final 5,000m b4 Nationals so here's hoping for a good race.
Talking of online,today was the first time I'd seen a status of entries for Nationals,it'll be another 4 weeks b4 I submit mine and when the fun and games begin!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
If You Can't Stand The Heat
Construction Of The Modern Idiot by The Wonder Stuff summed up my morning,good job I'd gotten an early nite last nite to prep for it.
"Ill Communication" had called out so I'd have to do the skids,fine by me when more often than not I end up taking them down anyway,not so fine was "Text Boy" from Mckesson sitting on his keester waiting for me to move the skids from the hall so he could take his deliveries up to Pharmacy,dude don't sit there sending text messages w/ your god damn skid in the doorway,you want the skids in your way moved but you don't give me room to move them.
Then not one but two people see me coming towards the elevator w/ the jack but shut the gates and ride up w/out me...where do you think I'm going,it's not like I'm taking the steps if I've got the jack w/ me???
Then the typical leave flat beds in my way,stop in the middle of the isle w/ your back to me and act like you don't see or hear me but the best one"Three Dollar Bill" lectures me on where to drop the next skid....sorry who died and left you in charge?I must've missed that email....oh and for the record,not only can I use the right and left side of my brain...at the same time but I don't subscribe to the theory that thinking drains the batteries therefore I try to limit it's use....there's a reason why the storeroom is often referred to as SPD stupid people downstairs.
I knew my run was going to be a tough one,91 degrees is no joke,mercifully more than 80% of my out and back course along Cobbs Creek Parkway is shaded but I still worked up one heck of a sweat as I notched a not surprising 67 minute time.
One more day of work,two more 10 miles b4 my 5x1,000m....we'll have to wait and see what album cover I chose to adorn my blog tomorrow!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Unwelcome Return To Chav Central
If yesterday was a relaxed day at work today was as the title says an unwelcome return to Chav Central.
I'm sorry I don't understand how you can start taking skids down stairs for me and then after 4 skids just stop w/out so much as a "you'll have to finish them off"jesus christ I'm not a feckin mind reader,why is it I have to keep going downstairs to retrieve the jack?
Then to prove stupidity w/in the hospital isn't limited to my department I send an email to Purchasing as a fyi that the Owens And Minor delivery driver had left the packing slips for Shriners Hospital w/ us......bugger me if I don't get an email asking me to fax them to Owens And Minor,sure...let me finish off the UPS delivery and the Dubin delivery{note to "Jimmy Hoffa" the Dubin driver I don't give a god damn about the fact you're protected by the brotherhood of the Teamsters union that doesn't give you the right to stand there scratching your arse while I unload your truck}b4 I jump on that...maybe I'm lucky they didn't ask me to run them the 20 blocks down Broad St!!!
Needless to say my run couldn't come soon enough this evening,and in spite of the heat I managed to run 65 minutes.
Tomorrow is meant to get warmer...no word on what work will be like
Monday, May 24, 2010
You've Gotta Laugh
"There's bats in the belfry,the windows are jammed,the toilets ain't healthy,he don't give a damn he just chuckles and smiles and laughs like a madman,ladies and gentleman I give you Sheriff Fatman"Sherrif Fatman- Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine.
You think that's funny wait till I get the cover of"Starry Eyed And Bollock Naked"!!!
I guess if there's a moral to the story it's that if I hadn't gotten royally pissed off at work the other day I may not of dialed up"Bloodsports For All"on my ipod and rediscovered my love of all things JimBob and FruitBat aka Carter USM,God bless those two South East London pranksters!!
An easy day at work for once followed by an easy 10 miler,in spite of the rain showers and humidity I notched a 63 min time which was a nice beginning to my 5 consecutive 10 milers leading up to Saturdays 5x1,000m.
Short work week on tap{taking Friday off}long weekend,it's all good,for now
Sunday, May 23, 2010
45-50
So in order to make up my lost 4 miles from Tuesday I had to run today or tack on an extra 2 miles to two of my 10 milers Wed-Fri.
As luck would have it today was my friend and team mate Sean's 50th b'day and the plan was a 50 minute run to celebrate,to quote Nessa from the brilliant show"Gavin And Stacey""end of" a la"end of discussion"
I figured we'd run somewhere between 4 and 5 miles along the Schuylkill Banks which would give me 45/46 miles for the week,after the hammering I gave my 1,000m repeats yesterday the chance to log easy miles today period was as welcome as cake at a fat kids party,plus given the week I have on tap{5x10 miles Mon-Fri b4 5x1,000m Sat} seemed just what the doctor ordered....NO not that Doctor....that was last nite,maybe it was more"what the surgeon ordered" since Sean is a top surgeon at Temple Hospital!!!
Been a while since I didn't run by myself,it was a nice chance of pace so to speak and brunch post run was a nice touch,it'll be 3.5 years b4 I turn 50,chances are 50 will be as low key as 40-45 so don't go expecting any one to push the boat out for yours truly here.
As luck would have it today was my friend and team mate Sean's 50th b'day and the plan was a 50 minute run to celebrate,to quote Nessa from the brilliant show"Gavin And Stacey""end of" a la"end of discussion"
I figured we'd run somewhere between 4 and 5 miles along the Schuylkill Banks which would give me 45/46 miles for the week,after the hammering I gave my 1,000m repeats yesterday the chance to log easy miles today period was as welcome as cake at a fat kids party,plus given the week I have on tap{5x10 miles Mon-Fri b4 5x1,000m Sat} seemed just what the doctor ordered....NO not that Doctor....that was last nite,maybe it was more"what the surgeon ordered" since Sean is a top surgeon at Temple Hospital!!!
Been a while since I didn't run by myself,it was a nice chance of pace so to speak and brunch post run was a nice touch,it'll be 3.5 years b4 I turn 50,chances are 50 will be as low key as 40-45 so don't go expecting any one to push the boat out for yours truly here.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Have At It
"Her head is full of nonsense but she says her heart is true,fool for you
To play a game w/ you is all she really wants to do,it's easy w/ you
See those eyes,see those lies
Her aim is not to please,all she wants to do is tease,so cute for you"
See Those Eyes-Altered Images
C'mon now,you know the drill if it's Saturday I'm singing Karen Gillan's praises b4 settling in for the evening to watch ''Doctor Who"....all this after a workout.
For the second week in a row I opted for Temple's track for my repeats,after two weeks of mile repeats it was back to 5x1,000m and the hope I could improve on May 1 st:3.03.7-3.04.3-3.09.8-3.16.1-3.08.2.
Conditions were grey and overcast when I arrived at Temple just gone 10am,it wasn't till post repeats I realized how humid it was based on how drenched in sweat my bandanna and sleeveless running shirt were.
Mile warm up and stretches taken care of it was showtime....and if I say so myself,what a show!
#1,1,000m 1.13-1.15-34-3.02.9.Proof that May 1st's 3.03.7 wasn't a fluke or one off!
My target time was 1.15-1.18-34 so I was in the ballpark at least.
#2,1,000m 1.16-1.16-33-3.05.5.Now this is a pace I can life w/ and maybe a blueprint for future 1,000m repeats to come.
#3,1,000m 1.18-???-???-3.05.3.I got mildly spooked by the opening 1.18 so much so that at 700m I went into race mode and completely missed my 800m split which also means I have no idea what my closing 200m split was,more importantly however was my 3.05.3 time.
#4,1,000m 1.18-1.17-34-3.09.7.A far cry from the 3.16.1 on #4 three weeks ago,that's the difference of 131 plus miles in the last three weeks,could I do what had only been done once b4 5/5 sub 3.10?....
#5,1,000m 1.17-1.17-31-3.05.3.In a word.......YES!
For only the second time since I began 5x1,000m repeats in August{26th} all 5 at sub 3.10,however unlike November 26th:3.07.3-3.10.5-3.09.2-3.08.5-3.05.8.=15.39 today's 3.02.9-3.05.5-3.05-3-3.09-7-3.05.3.=15.26.
Clearly 6 months and many many miles later it's time to lower my sights on target times for 1,000s,3.05 seems about right,put 3 seconds on #1,take 3 seconds off #4 and you're looking at 4x3.05,1x3.06,the numbers don't lie and also how long b4 I go sub 3?
Since Tuesday didn't happen I have make up miles to take care of tomorrow,no worries as far as today and this week are concerned,job very much done.
To play a game w/ you is all she really wants to do,it's easy w/ you
See those eyes,see those lies
Her aim is not to please,all she wants to do is tease,so cute for you"
See Those Eyes-Altered Images
C'mon now,you know the drill if it's Saturday I'm singing Karen Gillan's praises b4 settling in for the evening to watch ''Doctor Who"....all this after a workout.
For the second week in a row I opted for Temple's track for my repeats,after two weeks of mile repeats it was back to 5x1,000m and the hope I could improve on May 1 st:3.03.7-3.04.3-3.09.8-3.16.1-3.08.2.
Conditions were grey and overcast when I arrived at Temple just gone 10am,it wasn't till post repeats I realized how humid it was based on how drenched in sweat my bandanna and sleeveless running shirt were.
Mile warm up and stretches taken care of it was showtime....and if I say so myself,what a show!
#1,1,000m 1.13-1.15-34-3.02.9.Proof that May 1st's 3.03.7 wasn't a fluke or one off!
My target time was 1.15-1.18-34 so I was in the ballpark at least.
#2,1,000m 1.16-1.16-33-3.05.5.Now this is a pace I can life w/ and maybe a blueprint for future 1,000m repeats to come.
#3,1,000m 1.18-???-???-3.05.3.I got mildly spooked by the opening 1.18 so much so that at 700m I went into race mode and completely missed my 800m split which also means I have no idea what my closing 200m split was,more importantly however was my 3.05.3 time.
#4,1,000m 1.18-1.17-34-3.09.7.A far cry from the 3.16.1 on #4 three weeks ago,that's the difference of 131 plus miles in the last three weeks,could I do what had only been done once b4 5/5 sub 3.10?....
#5,1,000m 1.17-1.17-31-3.05.3.In a word.......YES!
For only the second time since I began 5x1,000m repeats in August{26th} all 5 at sub 3.10,however unlike November 26th:3.07.3-3.10.5-3.09.2-3.08.5-3.05.8.=15.39 today's 3.02.9-3.05.5-3.05-3-3.09-7-3.05.3.=15.26.
Clearly 6 months and many many miles later it's time to lower my sights on target times for 1,000s,3.05 seems about right,put 3 seconds on #1,take 3 seconds off #4 and you're looking at 4x3.05,1x3.06,the numbers don't lie and also how long b4 I go sub 3?
Since Tuesday didn't happen I have make up miles to take care of tomorrow,no worries as far as today and this week are concerned,job very much done.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Tomorrow
"Why are you phoning?what am I to do when you're miles away?
You're always calling from the darkest moods and we're both scared
Now you're grip's too strong,can't catch love w/ a net or a gun
Gotta keep faith that your path will change,gotta keep faith that your love will change
Tomorrow,I'm just out of your range,tomorrow all your suffering's in vain"
Tomorrow-James
Another comfortable 10 miler out and back along Cobbs Creek Parkway this evening in 64 minutes,w/ one eye on tomorrow's 5x1,000m repeats.
In case anyone thought I'd gotten soft this week or gun shy after getting a comeuppance in Masterstrack.com.....here's my Work WTF moment.
I preface this by saying,if you're going to talk shit,at least know what you're talking about.
"Sheriff Fatman"{Sheriff Fatman was a slumlord back in South London made famous by Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine}began banging on to no one in particular how he was going to Amsterdam next year.....
Like I said no one was really listening to him and why he felt the need to regale us w/ his travel plans was frankly beyond me.
After a good five minutes of blowing hot air he then says and I quote"I don't even know where Amsterdam is....but I'm going"....................
The old adage of"better for people to think you're an ignorant buffoon,than to open your mouth and remove all doubt" rings true don't you think?
You're always calling from the darkest moods and we're both scared
Now you're grip's too strong,can't catch love w/ a net or a gun
Gotta keep faith that your path will change,gotta keep faith that your love will change
Tomorrow,I'm just out of your range,tomorrow all your suffering's in vain"
Tomorrow-James
Another comfortable 10 miler out and back along Cobbs Creek Parkway this evening in 64 minutes,w/ one eye on tomorrow's 5x1,000m repeats.In case anyone thought I'd gotten soft this week or gun shy after getting a comeuppance in Masterstrack.com.....here's my Work WTF moment.
I preface this by saying,if you're going to talk shit,at least know what you're talking about.
"Sheriff Fatman"{Sheriff Fatman was a slumlord back in South London made famous by Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine}began banging on to no one in particular how he was going to Amsterdam next year.....
Like I said no one was really listening to him and why he felt the need to regale us w/ his travel plans was frankly beyond me.
After a good five minutes of blowing hot air he then says and I quote"I don't even know where Amsterdam is....but I'm going"....................
The old adage of"better for people to think you're an ignorant buffoon,than to open your mouth and remove all doubt" rings true don't you think?
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Cruise Control And Caution
After yesterday's close call w/ the flying car on Cobbs Creek Parkway{no word if it had an Atlanta licence plate!!!}things were a little more subtle and sedate today I'm happy to report.
W/ Nationals now 10 weeks away it's not the time to be getting careless w/ injuries or potential injuries,my right calf was a little tight yesterday so post run I iced it and applied some Icy hot.
Today I kept it wrapped in what amounts to a surgical stocking,vanity be damned if that's what it takes to ward off any potential injury then so be it.
65 minutes for my run,a nice comfortable run in warm conditions
W/ Nationals now 10 weeks away it's not the time to be getting careless w/ injuries or potential injuries,my right calf was a little tight yesterday so post run I iced it and applied some Icy hot.
Today I kept it wrapped in what amounts to a surgical stocking,vanity be damned if that's what it takes to ward off any potential injury then so be it.
65 minutes for my run,a nice comfortable run in warm conditions
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
A Little Too Close For Comfort
Another "insanity free"Wednesday at work....I know,trust me I'm not knocking it!!
My new Under Armour Spectre running shoes arrived today and were christened this evening as I got back to basics w/ a 10 mile run.
Between Saturday's mile repeats,Sunday's rest day,Monday's easy 6 miler and last nite's 3,000m race getting washed out it felt good to be back to my distance du jour.
I was mildly surprised by my 64 minute time,I had deliberately taken it easy and was expecting a 65 minute time.
That time honoured joke about"keep death off the roads....drive on the sidewalk'' got a little too close to home this evening,w/ roughly a mile to go a car jumped the curb and ploughed into a tree along the sidewalk some five feet from me,thankfully nobody got injured,the drivers air bags deployed but the front of the car is a wreck and the tree isn't looking too clever it must be said,the noise it made crunching into the tree will live w/ me for a while,I count myself lucky that I was facing the oncoming traffic and able to see it coming.
A little less drama tomorrow would be nice.
My new Under Armour Spectre running shoes arrived today and were christened this evening as I got back to basics w/ a 10 mile run.
Between Saturday's mile repeats,Sunday's rest day,Monday's easy 6 miler and last nite's 3,000m race getting washed out it felt good to be back to my distance du jour.
I was mildly surprised by my 64 minute time,I had deliberately taken it easy and was expecting a 65 minute time.
That time honoured joke about"keep death off the roads....drive on the sidewalk'' got a little too close to home this evening,w/ roughly a mile to go a car jumped the curb and ploughed into a tree along the sidewalk some five feet from me,thankfully nobody got injured,the drivers air bags deployed but the front of the car is a wreck and the tree isn't looking too clever it must be said,the noise it made crunching into the tree will live w/ me for a while,I count myself lucky that I was facing the oncoming traffic and able to see it coming.
A little less drama tomorrow would be nice.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Madagasca*
*Grounded Possums,drowned rats,leaping Lions,sad Robins,no Tigers,one Weasel
I didn't get to Ichan Stadium this evening{grounded possum}as my ride feared we'd end up getting soaked{drowned rats} w/ all the rain,he may've had a point but for me personally I'd have been willing to take that chance,sadly his email to me didn't reach me in time to allow me to make my own way up to Randall's Island,yeah I'm disappointed not to race,but these things happen.
The slightly frustrating aspect of not going up there tonite isn't one less race,or one less crack at lowering my 3,000m pr it's missing out on meeting Lara aka nyflygirl.
We've been posting comments on each others blogs since late August and the fact we were both scheduled to run at Ichan tonite the mile and 3,000m respectively would've afforded us a chance to say hi and cheer each other on,the rain and my loss of a ride had other ideas.
Millwall reached the League One playoff finals{leaping Lions}thanks to a 2.0 win over Huddersfield,sadly Charlton lost the other semi final on penalties last nite{sad Robins} so no all South East London League One Playoff final next Saturday.
Back to my friend Lara,I posted a comment on her blog this morning re her mile time trial this evening where she was less than positive about her prospects,what followed was some friendly back and forth banter as I'd used the expression "Easy Tiger" to try to get her be more positive about her chances.
Ever since Mr Woods....indiscretions shall we say that expression has taken a new direction,I use it as a term of endearment w/ friends and co workers or a reminder to myself{yesterdays blog}to stay in control,anyway after much back and forth I told nyflygirl there'd be no more "Tiger" references in my comments on her blog{no Tiger}
Which brings up to the Weasel which if you bare w/ me....he said bear!!!!!there were no bears in this story{see what happens when I cut back my mileage and don't run!!!}will bring things full circle.....or would that be....the circle of life.....oh just get on w/ it!!!
Remember my post Penn Relays jibe at Joel Dubow on April 24th?well Mr Dubow saw fit to have his say on the whole matter on Masterstrack Blog http://masterstrack.com yesterday.
While he's entitled to have his say as we all are he chose to end his 3,000 word diatribe w/ the following comments about yours truly:
Being called an "arse" by Kevin Forde is like being called ugly by a Possum;
I may owe an apology for having said that-to the Possum
Have any of you that have seen Kevin Forde ever noticed that he actually looks like a Possum?How about all of us honouring Kevin in the future by giving him the nickname Possum?
So now you know where the possum picture in my previous entry and possum references have been coming from since Monday evening.
As for the Stereophonics lyrics to"Half Of The Lies You Tell Ain't True''well Mr Dubow{weasel}has a knack for twisting the truth,but rather than get drawn into a public war of words w/ him on the matter I'm limiting my comments.....for now....this isn't over,what I will say is of the 17 comments on yesterday article most of them are anti Joel Dubow,I don't need to slam him when others are doing it for me....I must thank whoever posted the link to the cute Possum and to my team mates Nick and Bob for going to bat not just for me but for the club.
Alright,dear God let things go back to normal tomorrow, a 10 mile run and no talk of wild animals.
I didn't get to Ichan Stadium this evening{grounded possum}as my ride feared we'd end up getting soaked{drowned rats} w/ all the rain,he may've had a point but for me personally I'd have been willing to take that chance,sadly his email to me didn't reach me in time to allow me to make my own way up to Randall's Island,yeah I'm disappointed not to race,but these things happen.
The slightly frustrating aspect of not going up there tonite isn't one less race,or one less crack at lowering my 3,000m pr it's missing out on meeting Lara aka nyflygirl.
We've been posting comments on each others blogs since late August and the fact we were both scheduled to run at Ichan tonite the mile and 3,000m respectively would've afforded us a chance to say hi and cheer each other on,the rain and my loss of a ride had other ideas.
Millwall reached the League One playoff finals{leaping Lions}thanks to a 2.0 win over Huddersfield,sadly Charlton lost the other semi final on penalties last nite{sad Robins} so no all South East London League One Playoff final next Saturday.
Back to my friend Lara,I posted a comment on her blog this morning re her mile time trial this evening where she was less than positive about her prospects,what followed was some friendly back and forth banter as I'd used the expression "Easy Tiger" to try to get her be more positive about her chances.
Ever since Mr Woods....indiscretions shall we say that expression has taken a new direction,I use it as a term of endearment w/ friends and co workers or a reminder to myself{yesterdays blog}to stay in control,anyway after much back and forth I told nyflygirl there'd be no more "Tiger" references in my comments on her blog{no Tiger}
Which brings up to the Weasel which if you bare w/ me....he said bear!!!!!there were no bears in this story{see what happens when I cut back my mileage and don't run!!!}will bring things full circle.....or would that be....the circle of life.....oh just get on w/ it!!!
Remember my post Penn Relays jibe at Joel Dubow on April 24th?well Mr Dubow saw fit to have his say on the whole matter on Masterstrack Blog http://masterstrack.com yesterday.
While he's entitled to have his say as we all are he chose to end his 3,000 word diatribe w/ the following comments about yours truly:
Being called an "arse" by Kevin Forde is like being called ugly by a Possum;
I may owe an apology for having said that-to the Possum
Have any of you that have seen Kevin Forde ever noticed that he actually looks like a Possum?How about all of us honouring Kevin in the future by giving him the nickname Possum?
So now you know where the possum picture in my previous entry and possum references have been coming from since Monday evening.
As for the Stereophonics lyrics to"Half Of The Lies You Tell Ain't True''well Mr Dubow{weasel}has a knack for twisting the truth,but rather than get drawn into a public war of words w/ him on the matter I'm limiting my comments.....for now....this isn't over,what I will say is of the 17 comments on yesterday article most of them are anti Joel Dubow,I don't need to slam him when others are doing it for me....I must thank whoever posted the link to the cute Possum and to my team mates Nick and Bob for going to bat not just for me but for the club.
Alright,dear God let things go back to normal tomorrow, a 10 mile run and no talk of wild animals.
Hello Possums
"But when you rely on a lie that's true and no one believes in the things you do,cause half of the lies you tell ain't trueI'm gonna find out,I'm gonna find a piece of you"
Half The Lies You Tell Ain't True-Stereophonics
Monday, May 17, 2010
Easy Tiger
Why is it the day b4 my races when I'm only scheduled to do easy 6 milers that I feel like I've got a 5 alarm fire raging w/in me,but I've gotta keep a firm grip of the reins till race day?
Tomorrow pre race I'm gonna blow off some steam trust me possums............................................
Tomorrow pre race I'm gonna blow off some steam trust me possums............................................
Sunday, May 16, 2010
And On The Seventh Day................
Top Cat did his laundry and enjoyed some well earned rnr.
W/ another 50 mile week in the books I'm eager for my my new Under Armor Spectre's to show up as I'm up to over 400 miles on my current pair,running 45-50 miles per week w/ very little of that on the track means I've gone through this pair in rapid time,it's all good.
Tomorrow as is my won't b4 a race it's an easy 6 miler,it's funny I'm so used to running 10 milers that a 6 miler seems weird but obviously w/ a 3,000m on tap Tuesday nite I need to be in a down scale mode.
Props to Chelski for their historic Premiership/FA Cup double yesterday,props to England for winning the cricket 20/20 World Cup today verses the old enemy Australia and props to my friend and team mate Neil Clark on his 12th consecutive Philadelphia Bar Institute 5k victory today.
W/ another 50 mile week in the books I'm eager for my my new Under Armor Spectre's to show up as I'm up to over 400 miles on my current pair,running 45-50 miles per week w/ very little of that on the track means I've gone through this pair in rapid time,it's all good.
Tomorrow as is my won't b4 a race it's an easy 6 miler,it's funny I'm so used to running 10 milers that a 6 miler seems weird but obviously w/ a 3,000m on tap Tuesday nite I need to be in a down scale mode.
Props to Chelski for their historic Premiership/FA Cup double yesterday,props to England for winning the cricket 20/20 World Cup today verses the old enemy Australia and props to my friend and team mate Neil Clark on his 12th consecutive Philadelphia Bar Institute 5k victory today.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
The Return Of The Three S's Speed,Strenght,Stamina
"My love for you is immeasurable my respect for you immense.
You're ageless,timeless,lace and fineness,you're beauty and elegance.
You're a rhapsody,a comedy,you're a symphony and a play.
You're every love song ever written but honey what do you see in me?
You're an essay in glamour,please pardon the grammar but you're every school boys dream
You're Celtic,United,but baby I've decided you're the best team I've ever seen"
You're In My Heart-Rod Stewart
Yes if it's Saturday I'm paying lyrical homage to the love of my life Karen Gillan and getting my blog written b4 8pm and a rerun of last weeks "Doctor Who" b4 the new episode at 9pm!
Mile repeats today,not out on the Main Line as is often my won't but a tad closer to home at Temple,I always forget they have a track,anywho following the first leg of the League One playoff between Huddersfield and Millwall{0.0 all to play for at The New Den on Tuesday....c'mon you Lions!!} it was a el and subway ride to Temple.
Chuck and Tim two Temple alumni were already there when I arrived b4 10am,they were going to do their 800s while I tackled my mile repeats.
After being short changed last week at Franklin Field I was keen to not only notch all four mile repeats but also post some decent times,since moving up from 800/1,500 I haven't been hitting as many repeats of late,in fact in recent months I had one set from a very cold Friday in December 5.19.9-5.31.5-5.34.8-5.19.9.and a not so chilly January 5.39.0-5.33.2-5.42.8-5.21.7.time to return to fast mile repeats I felt.
Conditions were sunny and warm w/ a slight wind along the back straight but following my mile warm up I was ready to lay it down
Mile#1,1.18-1.18-1.17-1.13-5.06.8.Nice consistent pace and getting faster per lap,the concern now given that last weeks fastest mile repeat was 5.15 was had I gone too quick too soon?
Mile#2,1.14-1.19-1.16-1.15-5.04.0.Compare to #1 a little uneven but a 2 second improvement and not only proof I hadn't gone out too hard but a chance to keep lowering each split.
At 3.49 at 1,200m I'm glad I kept the big picture in mind rather than go balls out for a sub 5.
Mile#3,1.16-1.18-1.16-1.13-5.03.7.Yet another faster than the previous mile,clearly I'd knocked the rust off of last weeks return to mile repeats.
Mile#4,1.15-1.19-1.20-68-5.02.5.How'd ya like now??Ok the 1.20 sucked but fatigue and a pick up of the wind didn't help and yet I managed to throw down a 68 second closing lap,I closed the 5,000m on Monday in 69.
This was a timely return to fast mile splits,sadly it doesn't look like I'll tackle them again till Memorial Day but on the evidence of today sub 5 isn't too far off.
So a unique bookending to my week,5,000m race,4x10 miles,4x1 mile and another 50 mile week,w/ a rest day tomorrow I can reflect on the week that was and begin the mental prep for the upcoming week and Tuesday's 3,000m race at Ichan.
You're ageless,timeless,lace and fineness,you're beauty and elegance.
You're a rhapsody,a comedy,you're a symphony and a play.
You're every love song ever written but honey what do you see in me?
You're an essay in glamour,please pardon the grammar but you're every school boys dream
You're Celtic,United,but baby I've decided you're the best team I've ever seen"
You're In My Heart-Rod Stewart
Yes if it's Saturday I'm paying lyrical homage to the love of my life Karen Gillan and getting my blog written b4 8pm and a rerun of last weeks "Doctor Who" b4 the new episode at 9pm!
Mile repeats today,not out on the Main Line as is often my won't but a tad closer to home at Temple,I always forget they have a track,anywho following the first leg of the League One playoff between Huddersfield and Millwall{0.0 all to play for at The New Den on Tuesday....c'mon you Lions!!} it was a el and subway ride to Temple.
Chuck and Tim two Temple alumni were already there when I arrived b4 10am,they were going to do their 800s while I tackled my mile repeats.
After being short changed last week at Franklin Field I was keen to not only notch all four mile repeats but also post some decent times,since moving up from 800/1,500 I haven't been hitting as many repeats of late,in fact in recent months I had one set from a very cold Friday in December 5.19.9-5.31.5-5.34.8-5.19.9.and a not so chilly January 5.39.0-5.33.2-5.42.8-5.21.7.time to return to fast mile repeats I felt.
Conditions were sunny and warm w/ a slight wind along the back straight but following my mile warm up I was ready to lay it down
Mile#1,1.18-1.18-1.17-1.13-5.06.8.Nice consistent pace and getting faster per lap,the concern now given that last weeks fastest mile repeat was 5.15 was had I gone too quick too soon?
Mile#2,1.14-1.19-1.16-1.15-5.04.0.Compare to #1 a little uneven but a 2 second improvement and not only proof I hadn't gone out too hard but a chance to keep lowering each split.
At 3.49 at 1,200m I'm glad I kept the big picture in mind rather than go balls out for a sub 5.
Mile#3,1.16-1.18-1.16-1.13-5.03.7.Yet another faster than the previous mile,clearly I'd knocked the rust off of last weeks return to mile repeats.
Mile#4,1.15-1.19-1.20-68-5.02.5.How'd ya like now??Ok the 1.20 sucked but fatigue and a pick up of the wind didn't help and yet I managed to throw down a 68 second closing lap,I closed the 5,000m on Monday in 69.
This was a timely return to fast mile splits,sadly it doesn't look like I'll tackle them again till Memorial Day but on the evidence of today sub 5 isn't too far off.
So a unique bookending to my week,5,000m race,4x10 miles,4x1 mile and another 50 mile week,w/ a rest day tomorrow I can reflect on the week that was and begin the mental prep for the upcoming week and Tuesday's 3,000m race at Ichan.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Here Comes The Weekend
Another work week consigned to the record books.....though I'm still over 20 years away from my retirement.....that's a cheery thought but better than the one I had this morning as I ran a round like the proverbial blue arsed fly doing the work load of two people and I observed people from the mail room just lolly gagging and doing sweet fa,chances are these feckers will long outlive me as at this rate I'll work myself into an early grave,while they stand around still flapping their gums.
Ran a 63 minute 10 miler post work,considering the heat and the fact I was looking to ease into tomorrows 4x1 mile repeats I was somewhat surprised to clock 63 minutes,glass half empty I still can't judge pace,glass half full I'm getting stronger.
Yesterday marked 11 weeks till Nationals,I booked my hotel and looked into flights,over the next couple of pay cheques I'll take care of that,after almost 23 years here I'm finally heading out west,granted I won't see much of sunny Sacramento other than the airport,the hotel and the stadium but it'll be some what of a recon mission for Worlds next year.
While looking up last years M45 5,000m times to see where I'd stack up based on my recent times I took a look at the 1,500m times,imagine my surprise to find myself ranked #9 in the world thanks to my 4.07.4. at the Masters Invitational in Boston,here's hoping after this years Nationals I can move up.
Ran a 63 minute 10 miler post work,considering the heat and the fact I was looking to ease into tomorrows 4x1 mile repeats I was somewhat surprised to clock 63 minutes,glass half empty I still can't judge pace,glass half full I'm getting stronger.
Yesterday marked 11 weeks till Nationals,I booked my hotel and looked into flights,over the next couple of pay cheques I'll take care of that,after almost 23 years here I'm finally heading out west,granted I won't see much of sunny Sacramento other than the airport,the hotel and the stadium but it'll be some what of a recon mission for Worlds next year.
While looking up last years M45 5,000m times to see where I'd stack up based on my recent times I took a look at the 1,500m times,imagine my surprise to find myself ranked #9 in the world thanks to my 4.07.4. at the Masters Invitational in Boston,here's hoping after this years Nationals I can move up.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Just Say No To Drugs
If yesterday had seen a tranquil day at work today we were slap bang back into WTF Central,so much so that by mid morning I was questioning if several members of my department were"smoking crack"seriously it was that @#$%ed up.
And w/ that my work WTF moment goes to Bob from Maint,at lunch time I was down in the storeroom trying to straighten out something that had nothing to do w/ me but my feeling was if I didn't fix it nobody would,but like that a simple task got more and more complicated,enter Bob who came down to the storeroom especially to find me and inform me a storeroom flat bed that was over in Maint was now on the loading dock........ok,if it belonged here in the storeroom and you came down here to tell me that why didn't you bring it down here w/ you?
No you came down to the storeroom to tell me it was up on the dock so I had to go back up to the dock to retrieve the flat bed and bring it down to the storeroom.....where we already were.....WTF!!!!!
Maybe it was the "crack pipe central" day at work but I cranked out a 62 minute 10 miler post work,I knew something fast was on tap judging from the surges I was throwing in,I anticipated a 63 minute time but 62 came as a pleasant surprise.
W/ mile repeats on tap for Saturday I'd like to ease off a little tomorrow nite 65 minutes would be just fine b4 looking to improve on last weeks mile repeats.
And w/ that my work WTF moment goes to Bob from Maint,at lunch time I was down in the storeroom trying to straighten out something that had nothing to do w/ me but my feeling was if I didn't fix it nobody would,but like that a simple task got more and more complicated,enter Bob who came down to the storeroom especially to find me and inform me a storeroom flat bed that was over in Maint was now on the loading dock........ok,if it belonged here in the storeroom and you came down here to tell me that why didn't you bring it down here w/ you?
No you came down to the storeroom to tell me it was up on the dock so I had to go back up to the dock to retrieve the flat bed and bring it down to the storeroom.....where we already were.....WTF!!!!!
Maybe it was the "crack pipe central" day at work but I cranked out a 62 minute 10 miler post work,I knew something fast was on tap judging from the surges I was throwing in,I anticipated a 63 minute time but 62 came as a pleasant surprise.
W/ mile repeats on tap for Saturday I'd like to ease off a little tomorrow nite 65 minutes would be just fine b4 looking to improve on last weeks mile repeats.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
I Made It Through The Rain
Yes,it's a Barry Manilow song.........NO I'm not quoting lyrics................
First and formost I should report I actually had a stress free day at work for once.....I know I thought I'd shown up at the wrong hospital!!!!
Big ups and props to Dave and Chuck at Greater Philly Track Club for my write up on my new pr/club record in Monday's 5,000m and updating the records page,I wasn't joking when I told those guys I planned to keep them busy this year!!!,and I'm not done yet.
Where as yesterday I managed to dodge the rain I wasn't so lucky today,by the look of the sky I knew to grab a jacket and baseball cap b4 I left and w/in the opening mile the first drops of rain began to fall.....once a Boy Scout always a Boy Scout,the boy Scout motto is "Be Prepared".
Frankly the rain was never an issue,I've ran further in worse believe me,one plus of grey skies is the out and back along Cobbs Creek Parkway is less populated.
As I often do w/ just over 2 and a half miles to go I picked up the pace and finished the run in 64 minutes,it's always enjoyable to finish a 10 miler w/ some juice.
Half way through the week now,two more 10 milers and a set of 4x1 mile repeats to round out another 50 mile week
First and formost I should report I actually had a stress free day at work for once.....I know I thought I'd shown up at the wrong hospital!!!!
Big ups and props to Dave and Chuck at Greater Philly Track Club for my write up on my new pr/club record in Monday's 5,000m and updating the records page,I wasn't joking when I told those guys I planned to keep them busy this year!!!,and I'm not done yet.
Where as yesterday I managed to dodge the rain I wasn't so lucky today,by the look of the sky I knew to grab a jacket and baseball cap b4 I left and w/in the opening mile the first drops of rain began to fall.....once a Boy Scout always a Boy Scout,the boy Scout motto is "Be Prepared".
Frankly the rain was never an issue,I've ran further in worse believe me,one plus of grey skies is the out and back along Cobbs Creek Parkway is less populated.
As I often do w/ just over 2 and a half miles to go I picked up the pace and finished the run in 64 minutes,it's always enjoyable to finish a 10 miler w/ some juice.
Half way through the week now,two more 10 milers and a set of 4x1 mile repeats to round out another 50 mile week
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
On To The Next One
"Whatever became of the child I was I never want to lose her no
I won't give her up and now my heart is hard and my skin is getting tougher and tougher
That was another world then,that was another time
You can never go back to the place where love is blind
You can never go back to the scene of a perfect crime"
Scene Of A Perfect Crime-Concrete Blonde
Ok so the Jay Z title is a tip of the hat to Lara aka nyflygirl who used a Jay Z title in her blog last week and gave me a shout out,so this is me returning the favour as I look back on last nites 5,000m race and prepare for next Tuesdays 3,000m race.
And the Concrete Blonde lyrics?they will become evident b4 the end of the entry,ok so working in reverse order I took care of business this evening w/ a 65 minute 10 miler,I worried the rain might get the better of this evening but despite grey skies I was out and back and home b4 the heavens opened.
And so to last nite and the 5,000m at Swarthmore,today marks one year to the day I ran at Swarthmore in the 1,500m and hobbled home afterwards w/ the beginning of my achilles heal injury that would ultimately end not only my season but also my dream to be come world champion in Lahti Finland last summer,ironically as I arrived at {the scene of the perfect crime} the men's 1,500m were just beginning....
Having checked in and then gotten my hip number it was warm and stretch time,warm up being the operative word as it was a little chilly b4 the second 5,000m heat was called to the line at 8.40pm.
31 of us,seeds 1 through 15 lined up on the line w/ 16 through 31 behind them, I was seeded 23rd,I got a better reaction to the gun than I did at Widener in the 10,000m but yet again found myself drawn towards the rail as the bottleneck of 31 runners jockeying for position going into the turn began,I cut my stride and swung wide and thanks to a timely hand in the back from someone behind me I made my way up the outside of lane 2 and settled into the back of the chase group.
75 seconds at 400m,just what I was looking for and 4.58 at the mile,identical to my 4.3 UPenn 5,000m.
Unlike UPenn where I always felt I was in contact w/ runners tonite as we got to the mile the field began to splinter and I began to lose touch w/ the runners ahead of me, a few guys went by me but not meny,that said I had no idea of my position w/in the race.
10.09 at 2 miles,if memory serves at UPenn it was 10.14 so clearly the 5 weeks of 45 miles plus per week were paying off.
At UPenn I felt I had to dig deep over the final 1,000m,tonite I always felt I was in control,coming up the home straight to the bell I set my sights on the two Haverford seniors ahead of me plus the Bryn Mwar runner who was going backwards through the field,I'd seen him up near the front earlier.
14.47 at the bell,time to "let the dogs out"I caught the first of the two Haverford guys b4 the middle of the turn and then overtook the second at the start of the back straight,my sights were firmly on the runner ahead and I passed him as we went through 3 miles which is probably why I don't recall my split,for shits and giggles I'd hazard a guess at 15.22.
Off the final turn I powered up the home straight to cross the line in 15.56.5,the last sub 16 man in the field in 23rd out of 29 finishers.
I had hoped to go faster I won't lie but on the nite this was as fast as I could go,a hair faster than the 15.57.7. I ran at UPenn 5 weeks ago and still only a time worth 5th fastest at Worlds last year,that said let's not gloss over the fact I've just ran back to back sub 16 5,000m at 46 period much less after a 5 year hiatus from the distance.
Hopefully in my next 5,000m on June 4th in 3 weeks time I can take more than a second off my time,to have gotten on the podium last Summer in Lahti I'd have needed a 15.38 just for bronze,I've said all along this summer is a blueprint for next year.
I won't give her up and now my heart is hard and my skin is getting tougher and tougher
That was another world then,that was another time
You can never go back to the place where love is blind
You can never go back to the scene of a perfect crime"
Scene Of A Perfect Crime-Concrete Blonde
Ok so the Jay Z title is a tip of the hat to Lara aka nyflygirl who used a Jay Z title in her blog last week and gave me a shout out,so this is me returning the favour as I look back on last nites 5,000m race and prepare for next Tuesdays 3,000m race.
And the Concrete Blonde lyrics?they will become evident b4 the end of the entry,ok so working in reverse order I took care of business this evening w/ a 65 minute 10 miler,I worried the rain might get the better of this evening but despite grey skies I was out and back and home b4 the heavens opened.
And so to last nite and the 5,000m at Swarthmore,today marks one year to the day I ran at Swarthmore in the 1,500m and hobbled home afterwards w/ the beginning of my achilles heal injury that would ultimately end not only my season but also my dream to be come world champion in Lahti Finland last summer,ironically as I arrived at {the scene of the perfect crime} the men's 1,500m were just beginning....
Having checked in and then gotten my hip number it was warm and stretch time,warm up being the operative word as it was a little chilly b4 the second 5,000m heat was called to the line at 8.40pm.
31 of us,seeds 1 through 15 lined up on the line w/ 16 through 31 behind them, I was seeded 23rd,I got a better reaction to the gun than I did at Widener in the 10,000m but yet again found myself drawn towards the rail as the bottleneck of 31 runners jockeying for position going into the turn began,I cut my stride and swung wide and thanks to a timely hand in the back from someone behind me I made my way up the outside of lane 2 and settled into the back of the chase group.
75 seconds at 400m,just what I was looking for and 4.58 at the mile,identical to my 4.3 UPenn 5,000m.
Unlike UPenn where I always felt I was in contact w/ runners tonite as we got to the mile the field began to splinter and I began to lose touch w/ the runners ahead of me, a few guys went by me but not meny,that said I had no idea of my position w/in the race.
10.09 at 2 miles,if memory serves at UPenn it was 10.14 so clearly the 5 weeks of 45 miles plus per week were paying off.
At UPenn I felt I had to dig deep over the final 1,000m,tonite I always felt I was in control,coming up the home straight to the bell I set my sights on the two Haverford seniors ahead of me plus the Bryn Mwar runner who was going backwards through the field,I'd seen him up near the front earlier.
14.47 at the bell,time to "let the dogs out"I caught the first of the two Haverford guys b4 the middle of the turn and then overtook the second at the start of the back straight,my sights were firmly on the runner ahead and I passed him as we went through 3 miles which is probably why I don't recall my split,for shits and giggles I'd hazard a guess at 15.22.
Off the final turn I powered up the home straight to cross the line in 15.56.5,the last sub 16 man in the field in 23rd out of 29 finishers.
I had hoped to go faster I won't lie but on the nite this was as fast as I could go,a hair faster than the 15.57.7. I ran at UPenn 5 weeks ago and still only a time worth 5th fastest at Worlds last year,that said let's not gloss over the fact I've just ran back to back sub 16 5,000m at 46 period much less after a 5 year hiatus from the distance.
Hopefully in my next 5,000m on June 4th in 3 weeks time I can take more than a second off my time,to have gotten on the podium last Summer in Lahti I'd have needed a 15.38 just for bronze,I've said all along this summer is a blueprint for next year.
Monday, May 10, 2010
This Just In
Swarthmore 5,000m 15.55.
Still waiting for the official time and result,should have them by the time I write a full account of my blog tomorrow I'm guessing my official time will be high 55s/low 56s either way an improvement on my pr/club record from the Upenn meet on April 3rd of 15.57.7
Still waiting for the official time and result,should have them by the time I write a full account of my blog tomorrow I'm guessing my official time will be high 55s/low 56s either way an improvement on my pr/club record from the Upenn meet on April 3rd of 15.57.7
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Mother's Day
"Mother am I still your son you know I've waited so long to hear you say so
Mother you left and made me someone,now I'm still a child but no one tells me no"
MoFo-U2
Happy Mother's Day one and all,as is my won't when the schedule allows it I'm enjoying my rest day on a Sunday,but given a fluke of scheduling it's one of those rare Fuck Off Days where I don't have to be anywhere or do anything,given the week I've just had it's right on time but also w/ a race tomorrow it's important to relax and be well rested mentally and physically b4 my 5,000m race tomorrow nite.
I realize a lot of blog entries talk of my father aka "the ould fella"but not my mother{NOT the old lady cos I'd be crucified for calling her that!!!} funny in the respect that back in the day he was driving force in my running and perhaps my life but these days Eileen has taken that mantel.
I was thinking about it yesterday how we spent time together in New York City last fall and in particular our day at Ellis Island it was a unique day and one I'll cherrish for years to come.
Since it's Mothers Day and this is a running blog afterall I thought I'd share this classic tale from way back when.
Back in the day they used to run SCAAA{Southern Counties Amateur Athletic Association}meets at nearby Crystal Palace on Wednesday evenings,more often than not I made the short jaunt across South East London by bus but on this particular evening Eileen offered to drive me there and back for my 800m race.
The problem I used to encounter back then was being too old for the younger age group and subsequently the youngest of the older age group and always running against kids older than me{the delicious irony being these days the running shoe is on the other foot I'm the older guy running against college kids!!!}
Given it was an 800m race which could be physical at the best of times I opted to get out in front and avoid the bumping and banging plus elbows and spikes,I lead through 700m b4 being swallowed up by the chase pack and finishing 4th or 5th.
As Eileen and I made our way back to the car the inevitable conversation took place on how if I ate more vegetables I'd be stronger and able to compete on a more even playing field w/ the older runners.
To quote an old Irish expression I was a finicky eater at best and tended to pick and chose what I ate rather than eat what was quote unquote good for me,Eileen began to reel off a list of vegetables she thought I could try most of which I shot down Peas,Carrots,String Beans,Cauliflower,Cabbage,Broccoli then came the classic"what about Spinach?"again irony of irony these days I love Spinach but then .........."christ mum I'm trying to be Eamonn Coghlan not frigging Popeye" came my response.....I don't think think she drove me to anymore meets after that......but years later she is my #1 fan and the first person I call after a race......and I
eat more veggie these days too.........
Happy Mother's Day.
Mother you left and made me someone,now I'm still a child but no one tells me no"
MoFo-U2
Happy Mother's Day one and all,as is my won't when the schedule allows it I'm enjoying my rest day on a Sunday,but given a fluke of scheduling it's one of those rare Fuck Off Days where I don't have to be anywhere or do anything,given the week I've just had it's right on time but also w/ a race tomorrow it's important to relax and be well rested mentally and physically b4 my 5,000m race tomorrow nite.
I realize a lot of blog entries talk of my father aka "the ould fella"but not my mother{NOT the old lady cos I'd be crucified for calling her that!!!} funny in the respect that back in the day he was driving force in my running and perhaps my life but these days Eileen has taken that mantel.
I was thinking about it yesterday how we spent time together in New York City last fall and in particular our day at Ellis Island it was a unique day and one I'll cherrish for years to come.
Since it's Mothers Day and this is a running blog afterall I thought I'd share this classic tale from way back when.
Back in the day they used to run SCAAA{Southern Counties Amateur Athletic Association}meets at nearby Crystal Palace on Wednesday evenings,more often than not I made the short jaunt across South East London by bus but on this particular evening Eileen offered to drive me there and back for my 800m race.
The problem I used to encounter back then was being too old for the younger age group and subsequently the youngest of the older age group and always running against kids older than me{the delicious irony being these days the running shoe is on the other foot I'm the older guy running against college kids!!!}
Given it was an 800m race which could be physical at the best of times I opted to get out in front and avoid the bumping and banging plus elbows and spikes,I lead through 700m b4 being swallowed up by the chase pack and finishing 4th or 5th.
As Eileen and I made our way back to the car the inevitable conversation took place on how if I ate more vegetables I'd be stronger and able to compete on a more even playing field w/ the older runners.
To quote an old Irish expression I was a finicky eater at best and tended to pick and chose what I ate rather than eat what was quote unquote good for me,Eileen began to reel off a list of vegetables she thought I could try most of which I shot down Peas,Carrots,String Beans,Cauliflower,Cabbage,Broccoli then came the classic"what about Spinach?"again irony of irony these days I love Spinach but then .........."christ mum I'm trying to be Eamonn Coghlan not frigging Popeye" came my response.....I don't think think she drove me to anymore meets after that......but years later she is my #1 fan and the first person I call after a race......and I
eat more veggie these days too.........
Happy Mother's Day.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
WSC When Saturday Comes
"Violate all my love that I'm missing throw away all the pain that I'm living you will believe in me and I can never be ignored.
I would die for you,I would kill for you,I will steal for you,I'd do time for you.
I would wait for you,I'd make room for you,I'd sail ships for you to be close to you to be a part of you
'Cause I believe in you,I would die for you"
#1 Crush- Garbage
If it's Saturday then it's a lyrical ode to Karen Gillan aka Amy Pond in Doctor Who....and NO I did not bail on the meet at Ichan this evening cos it clashed w/ Doctor Who it came down to economics,$25 to enter,$20 to take the bus up and back and $4 in subway fare for Ichan verses $10 to run at Swarthmore and $10 in train fare.....you don't have to be a math wiz to work that one out....
Out on the road b4 11am this morning to tackle my 12 miler to round out the week at 45 miles,tempted as I was to wait till 12pm and the outcome of the Leeds Bristol Rovers game I hit the road after the first half and figured on the time honoured "ignorance is bliss" mindset.
I returned home to discover Leeds had won{boo!!} and that so had Millwall and Charlton but the Leeds win meant they got the final automatic promotion spot and both South East London clubs must go through the playoffs to get promoted,potentially they could meet at Wembley in the play off final should they dispatch Huddersfield and Swindon.
The 12 miler was nothing out of the ordinary I paced myself accordingly to not only keep myself fresh for the extra 2 miles at the end but begin prepping for Monday's 5,000m race.
Tomorrow is not only a rest day but potentially a "Fuck Off Day"I don't have to be anywhere so I figure a day at home w/ ye olde feet up and a chance to relax b4 Monday's race,not to mention recover from the week I've just had would be...............drum roll please"just what the Doctor{Who}ordered.............
I would die for you,I would kill for you,I will steal for you,I'd do time for you.
I would wait for you,I'd make room for you,I'd sail ships for you to be close to you to be a part of you
'Cause I believe in you,I would die for you"
#1 Crush- Garbage
If it's Saturday then it's a lyrical ode to Karen Gillan aka Amy Pond in Doctor Who....and NO I did not bail on the meet at Ichan this evening cos it clashed w/ Doctor Who it came down to economics,$25 to enter,$20 to take the bus up and back and $4 in subway fare for Ichan verses $10 to run at Swarthmore and $10 in train fare.....you don't have to be a math wiz to work that one out....
Out on the road b4 11am this morning to tackle my 12 miler to round out the week at 45 miles,tempted as I was to wait till 12pm and the outcome of the Leeds Bristol Rovers game I hit the road after the first half and figured on the time honoured "ignorance is bliss" mindset.
I returned home to discover Leeds had won{boo!!} and that so had Millwall and Charlton but the Leeds win meant they got the final automatic promotion spot and both South East London clubs must go through the playoffs to get promoted,potentially they could meet at Wembley in the play off final should they dispatch Huddersfield and Swindon.
The 12 miler was nothing out of the ordinary I paced myself accordingly to not only keep myself fresh for the extra 2 miles at the end but begin prepping for Monday's 5,000m race.
Tomorrow is not only a rest day but potentially a "Fuck Off Day"I don't have to be anywhere so I figure a day at home w/ ye olde feet up and a chance to relax b4 Monday's race,not to mention recover from the week I've just had would be...............drum roll please"just what the Doctor{Who}ordered.............
Friday, May 7, 2010
It's Always Something
How fitting the week should end on this note.
A less than stellar week at work ended w/ one of those"747 Days".....a "747 Day"is when my feet don't touch the ground for the first couple of hours and I feel like a pilot,it's pretty bad when I get up to begin work at 6.55am and don't sit down again till 8.55am and haven't actually gotten to any of my work yet!!!
When I arrived at Franklin Field at 5pm for my 4x1 mile repeats I wasn't aware Franklin Field was closing at 6pm.....the last time I worked out there they were open till 7pm,not an unreasonable expectation in May....but this is Franklin Field afterall!!!
Frankly had I known they were closing at 6pm I'd have either gotten there earlier than 5pm or cut my stretches down to allow time to get all 4 1 milers in.
#1 mile,1.22,1.26,1.25,1.20-5.33.2.A slow start,I was guilty of being flat footed and not up on my toes from the get go perhaps in 10 miler mode and not miler mode.
#2 mile,1.20,1.22,1.19,1.15-5.16.7.Signs of my mile repeat mode coming back,up on my toes and getting quicker each lap.
#3 mile,1.21,1.22,1.21,1.11-5.15.4.I was excited about the prospect of giving it everything I had over the final mile only to be informed the track was closing....only at bloody Franklin Field,closing at 6pm.
The prospect of having to run 12 miles instead of 10 tomorrow is either here nor there,the galling issue is that w/ only a limited number of repeats on tap b4 Nationals I can ill afford to run any of them badly,much less not be able to complete them.
Franklin Field is off limits for two weeks now to facilitate Penn graduation,after that it should be fair game for the summer,but w/ Franklin Field who knows
A less than stellar week at work ended w/ one of those"747 Days".....a "747 Day"is when my feet don't touch the ground for the first couple of hours and I feel like a pilot,it's pretty bad when I get up to begin work at 6.55am and don't sit down again till 8.55am and haven't actually gotten to any of my work yet!!!
When I arrived at Franklin Field at 5pm for my 4x1 mile repeats I wasn't aware Franklin Field was closing at 6pm.....the last time I worked out there they were open till 7pm,not an unreasonable expectation in May....but this is Franklin Field afterall!!!
Frankly had I known they were closing at 6pm I'd have either gotten there earlier than 5pm or cut my stretches down to allow time to get all 4 1 milers in.
#1 mile,1.22,1.26,1.25,1.20-5.33.2.A slow start,I was guilty of being flat footed and not up on my toes from the get go perhaps in 10 miler mode and not miler mode.
#2 mile,1.20,1.22,1.19,1.15-5.16.7.Signs of my mile repeat mode coming back,up on my toes and getting quicker each lap.
#3 mile,1.21,1.22,1.21,1.11-5.15.4.I was excited about the prospect of giving it everything I had over the final mile only to be informed the track was closing....only at bloody Franklin Field,closing at 6pm.
The prospect of having to run 12 miles instead of 10 tomorrow is either here nor there,the galling issue is that w/ only a limited number of repeats on tap b4 Nationals I can ill afford to run any of them badly,much less not be able to complete them.
Franklin Field is off limits for two weeks now to facilitate Penn graduation,after that it should be fair game for the summer,but w/ Franklin Field who knows
Thursday, May 6, 2010
The Gospel According To John Bender
"How come Andrew gets to get up?If Andrew gets up,we'll all get up,it'll be anarchy....it's out of my hands...."
Quite possibly my favourite movie line of all time from Judd Nelson as John Bender in "The Breakfast Club" which is coming up on it's 25th anniversary....wow.
I've probably uttered that line countless times,w/out a doubt there's a little John Bender in me,rebel to the end.
Mercifully things have settled down at work{thank christ!!}in a rare moment my boss and I spoke face to face on Tuesday just to hash out any lingering discord from Monday,we agreed that the problem sometimes w/ emails is things can get lost in translation,we talked,we didn't hug it out and we move on.....I suspect somebody w/in the department will be moving on shortly too,but more of that when the time comes.
One final foot note from Tuesday's day from hell at work,after the morning from hell as things were finally leveling off some "jobsworth" comes strolling across the dock oblivious to the five hours from hell I'd just endured much less the fact I had just over two hours to get the work done b4 hightailing it to New York.
"Good afternoon" he says"is it?"I replied tersely"yes,yes it is as a matter of fact" and at this point were this a movie you'd be ducking down in your seat w/ your hands over your face to spare you the inevitable carnage"walk a @#^%ing mile in my @#$%ing shoes and we'll see how @#$ing good it @#$%ing is"......surfice to say he had no rap for me after that,the moral of this saga,when somebody says they're having a bad day....take their word for it.....
Following yesterdays 67 min 10 miler I was pleasantly surprised to crank out a 63 minute 10 today,I knew when I started picking up the pace of the final three miles that a faster time than yesterday was on tap,hopefully there's still fuel in the tank for tomorrow when I run my first 4x1mile repeats since January 16th.
Quite possibly my favourite movie line of all time from Judd Nelson as John Bender in "The Breakfast Club" which is coming up on it's 25th anniversary....wow.
I've probably uttered that line countless times,w/out a doubt there's a little John Bender in me,rebel to the end.
Mercifully things have settled down at work{thank christ!!}in a rare moment my boss and I spoke face to face on Tuesday just to hash out any lingering discord from Monday,we agreed that the problem sometimes w/ emails is things can get lost in translation,we talked,we didn't hug it out and we move on.....I suspect somebody w/in the department will be moving on shortly too,but more of that when the time comes.
One final foot note from Tuesday's day from hell at work,after the morning from hell as things were finally leveling off some "jobsworth" comes strolling across the dock oblivious to the five hours from hell I'd just endured much less the fact I had just over two hours to get the work done b4 hightailing it to New York.
"Good afternoon" he says"is it?"I replied tersely"yes,yes it is as a matter of fact" and at this point were this a movie you'd be ducking down in your seat w/ your hands over your face to spare you the inevitable carnage"walk a @#^%ing mile in my @#$%ing shoes and we'll see how @#$ing good it @#$%ing is"......surfice to say he had no rap for me after that,the moral of this saga,when somebody says they're having a bad day....take their word for it.....
Following yesterdays 67 min 10 miler I was pleasantly surprised to crank out a 63 minute 10 today,I knew when I started picking up the pace of the final three miles that a faster time than yesterday was on tap,hopefully there's still fuel in the tank for tomorrow when I run my first 4x1mile repeats since January 16th.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Ichan 1,500m And Champions League
Ok so here's the recap on last nites race.
After a very stressful day at work{it's always a bind running a race on a work day but when the powers that be allow both your co workers off and you're left doing the work load of three......}I still made my way up to New York and Ichan Stadium to run the 1,500m and kick off my stretch drive of 7 races in 8 weeks leading into Nationals in Sacramento in late July.
It was touch and go for a while if I'd get to Randall's Island by 7pm it was close to 6pm when I arrived at 34th and 8th Ave and had an hour to get to 103rd st,thanks to a uptown express #6 I was there in no time and a brisk walk along 103rd st to the 103st Bridge put me on Randall's Island and at Ichan Stadium by 6.40pm,and still time to log a mile warm up on the famed mondo track.
There were 15 of us for the 1,500m but based on time the fast heat was cut off at 4.40 and 8 of us toe the curved line,my reaction to the gun was good but once again the starter went w/ "on your marks"b4 firing the starting pistol,I'm so used to the traditional"on your marks,get set...starting pistol"need to keep that in mind for the rest of the season.
Got boxed in on the rail down the back straight but came through 300m in 49 seconds which was what I was aiming for so no need to panic,however the pace slowed on the second lap and the eventual winner took off down the back straight w/ hindsight I allowed too much real estate to develop as I swung around the two pacemakers and set off in pursuit of the leader and the second place runner.
1.59 at 700m a 70 second split and w/ that my hopes of a sub 4.10 out the window,my focus now was reeling in the second place runner,I had the option of tucking in behind him and looking to out kick him in the closing 200m or chasing a semi respectable time,I went w/ the later.
3.07 at the bell a 68 second lap,the leader was clear and I knew down the back straight I'd have to hold off the advances of the third place runner,w/ 250m to go he went by me and I just didn't have it to keep him at bay or go w/ him,if I hadn't used up so much energy at work during the day I might've been able to make a fair fist of it,as it was I chased hard up the home straight but to no avail,the winner in 4.07,the runner up in 4.13 and yours truly in third in 4.15{the official results should be on NYRRC website tomorrow}.
Splits of 49,70,68,68 clearly there's room for improvement and in 5 weeks time when I next contest the 1,500m also here at Ichan I'm hoping for better,as it stands 4.15 at last years Nationals in Oshkosh would've got me bronze,as I said there's room for improvement.
Despite feeling the effects of a long day at work and not getting home till 11.45pm I was up and at em by 5.27am and diving headlong into the fray come 6.25am,there was never a consideration of not running this evening no matter how tired I was,w/ my next race scheduled for Monday I could ill afford to burn a rest day during the week and force myself to run Sunday so just like back in the day{84 to be exact} when I first moved up to 10 milers I knew that no matter how tired I felt when I woke up and no matter how dead on my feet I may feel,those thoughts had to be banished,think positive,feel positive.
My spirits were lifted upon my arrival home,as I changed into my running clothes I flicked on the tv to catch the end of Man City Spurs,the game that could decide who finishes 4th in the Premier League and go into the Champions League next season.....
0.0 w/ 12 mins to go,I'd have settled for that even though it'd mean it'd all come down to Sundays final games to settle the issue...w/ 9 mins to go Kaboul jinked his way into the City area and crossed from the byline, a deflection off a City defender forced the keeper to parry the ball and Peter Crouch stooped to head in the winner,mass hysteria from the players and the travelling Spurs fans who's made the journey to Manchester....mean while your truly was getting his jig on too!!
Full time and we'd done it,no matter what happens Sunday we are in next seasons Champions League for the first time in our history and providing we get through the qualifying rounds the "Glory Glory Nites" of european footie will be felt at White Hart Lane next fall.
Buoyed by that I went out and cranked out a 67 min 10 miler,I had to dig deep over the final 2.5 miles but I'm no stranger to grinding it out over 10 miles my 19th since March 14th,I get to do it all again tomorrow but hopefully on fresher legs.
After a very stressful day at work{it's always a bind running a race on a work day but when the powers that be allow both your co workers off and you're left doing the work load of three......}I still made my way up to New York and Ichan Stadium to run the 1,500m and kick off my stretch drive of 7 races in 8 weeks leading into Nationals in Sacramento in late July.
It was touch and go for a while if I'd get to Randall's Island by 7pm it was close to 6pm when I arrived at 34th and 8th Ave and had an hour to get to 103rd st,thanks to a uptown express #6 I was there in no time and a brisk walk along 103rd st to the 103st Bridge put me on Randall's Island and at Ichan Stadium by 6.40pm,and still time to log a mile warm up on the famed mondo track.
There were 15 of us for the 1,500m but based on time the fast heat was cut off at 4.40 and 8 of us toe the curved line,my reaction to the gun was good but once again the starter went w/ "on your marks"b4 firing the starting pistol,I'm so used to the traditional"on your marks,get set...starting pistol"need to keep that in mind for the rest of the season.
Got boxed in on the rail down the back straight but came through 300m in 49 seconds which was what I was aiming for so no need to panic,however the pace slowed on the second lap and the eventual winner took off down the back straight w/ hindsight I allowed too much real estate to develop as I swung around the two pacemakers and set off in pursuit of the leader and the second place runner.
1.59 at 700m a 70 second split and w/ that my hopes of a sub 4.10 out the window,my focus now was reeling in the second place runner,I had the option of tucking in behind him and looking to out kick him in the closing 200m or chasing a semi respectable time,I went w/ the later.
3.07 at the bell a 68 second lap,the leader was clear and I knew down the back straight I'd have to hold off the advances of the third place runner,w/ 250m to go he went by me and I just didn't have it to keep him at bay or go w/ him,if I hadn't used up so much energy at work during the day I might've been able to make a fair fist of it,as it was I chased hard up the home straight but to no avail,the winner in 4.07,the runner up in 4.13 and yours truly in third in 4.15{the official results should be on NYRRC website tomorrow}.
Splits of 49,70,68,68 clearly there's room for improvement and in 5 weeks time when I next contest the 1,500m also here at Ichan I'm hoping for better,as it stands 4.15 at last years Nationals in Oshkosh would've got me bronze,as I said there's room for improvement.
Despite feeling the effects of a long day at work and not getting home till 11.45pm I was up and at em by 5.27am and diving headlong into the fray come 6.25am,there was never a consideration of not running this evening no matter how tired I was,w/ my next race scheduled for Monday I could ill afford to burn a rest day during the week and force myself to run Sunday so just like back in the day{84 to be exact} when I first moved up to 10 milers I knew that no matter how tired I felt when I woke up and no matter how dead on my feet I may feel,those thoughts had to be banished,think positive,feel positive.
My spirits were lifted upon my arrival home,as I changed into my running clothes I flicked on the tv to catch the end of Man City Spurs,the game that could decide who finishes 4th in the Premier League and go into the Champions League next season.....
0.0 w/ 12 mins to go,I'd have settled for that even though it'd mean it'd all come down to Sundays final games to settle the issue...w/ 9 mins to go Kaboul jinked his way into the City area and crossed from the byline, a deflection off a City defender forced the keeper to parry the ball and Peter Crouch stooped to head in the winner,mass hysteria from the players and the travelling Spurs fans who's made the journey to Manchester....mean while your truly was getting his jig on too!!
Full time and we'd done it,no matter what happens Sunday we are in next seasons Champions League for the first time in our history and providing we get through the qualifying rounds the "Glory Glory Nites" of european footie will be felt at White Hart Lane next fall.
Buoyed by that I went out and cranked out a 67 min 10 miler,I had to dig deep over the final 2.5 miles but I'm no stranger to grinding it out over 10 miles my 19th since March 14th,I get to do it all again tomorrow but hopefully on fresher legs.
Too Late For The Back Pages
Didn't get home till 11.45pm and had to be up again at 5.20am so no blog entry on last nites 1,500m at Ichan Stadium.
Short version finished 3rd in 4.15,a longer account will be fortcoming later today,probably after my 10 miler this evening.
Short version finished 3rd in 4.15,a longer account will be fortcoming later today,probably after my 10 miler this evening.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Taking A Stand For Red Headed Step Children Everywhere
As is my won't an easy 6 miler the day b4 a race,for all the talk of thunderstorms it was a clear afternoon as I made my way along Cobbs Creek Parkway,fingers crossed tomorrow evening in New York it'll be similar conditions.
Why run the nite b4 a race?I like to visualize my race and how better to do that than running,also if you've had a shite day at work it's a great stress reliever....yes folks it's only Monday but I have a Work WTF Moment.
Following my diatribe on Spongebob from the Mail room on Thursday it would seem "The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum"
They have decided they are no longer taking loading dock deliveries to Moss which is a piss take to begin w/ but then my boss says{via email since we don't actually speak to one another!!}"this matter is bigger than me"....WTF!!!!
What fries my arse no bugger tells us on the dock this has been decided,the mail room just walk by the deliveries and my boss never told us and once again I'm left w/ that "redheaded stepchild of the department"feeling that's been going on for years.
Of course because I care about my job and I'm passionate about it I couldn't just ignore the matter so I opted to exercise my constitutional right of freedom of speech{via email} and freedom of expression,this earned me a reprimand "I don't care for your tone" ohh that changes everything,yes I'll back down,yes I'll tow the company line....hell while I'm at it maybe we could remove my spine..................
If I didn't give a shit the Moss deliveries would just sit there,hell the mail room don't care,why should I?but I do,my boss touts the "we're in the customer service business"..REALLY tell that to the person who came over from the Wound Ctr to pick up a delivery from Friday.....
In almost 11 years I've tried NOT to play God w/ patient supplies,shame that's not an attitude shared w/in the department....but then again it's my attitude that's all wrong here......
I sense a good race tomorrow cos I'm pissed off at work right now
Why run the nite b4 a race?I like to visualize my race and how better to do that than running,also if you've had a shite day at work it's a great stress reliever....yes folks it's only Monday but I have a Work WTF Moment.
Following my diatribe on Spongebob from the Mail room on Thursday it would seem "The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum"
They have decided they are no longer taking loading dock deliveries to Moss which is a piss take to begin w/ but then my boss says{via email since we don't actually speak to one another!!}"this matter is bigger than me"....WTF!!!!
What fries my arse no bugger tells us on the dock this has been decided,the mail room just walk by the deliveries and my boss never told us and once again I'm left w/ that "redheaded stepchild of the department"feeling that's been going on for years.
Of course because I care about my job and I'm passionate about it I couldn't just ignore the matter so I opted to exercise my constitutional right of freedom of speech{via email} and freedom of expression,this earned me a reprimand "I don't care for your tone" ohh that changes everything,yes I'll back down,yes I'll tow the company line....hell while I'm at it maybe we could remove my spine..................
If I didn't give a shit the Moss deliveries would just sit there,hell the mail room don't care,why should I?but I do,my boss touts the "we're in the customer service business"..REALLY tell that to the person who came over from the Wound Ctr to pick up a delivery from Friday.....
In almost 11 years I've tried NOT to play God w/ patient supplies,shame that's not an attitude shared w/in the department....but then again it's my attitude that's all wrong here......
I sense a good race tomorrow cos I'm pissed off at work right now
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Lean,Mean,Green,Running Machine
I was able to overcome any urge to run the Broad St Run along w/ 30,000 runners this morning,this won't stop the same feckin' people asking me tomorrow if I ran that asked me last year...the year b4...and the year b4 that,seems my"I'm done w/ road racing" quote after the 06 Philly Distance Run fell on deaf ears,maybe I need to air brush a "Don't Feckin' Ask Me" t shirt and wear it the day after Broad St,PDR and Philly Marathon,cos the same feckin gobshites keep asking me"did you run?""how did you do?""oh you didn't run"??
Of course that kind of gobshitery isn't limited to road running,somebody came up to me early last week and said"somebody said you didn't run Penn Relays this year"???,when I confirmed that to be true because"I wasn't fast enough"{for either the Masters 4x400m team or Olympic Development 5,000m} I was greeted w/ a blank stare as if I'd said I'd quit running.....what's that old expression"the more people I meet the more I love my cat"....Hobbes couldn't give a shit if I run Broad St or Penn Relays...just as long as he gets Tuna every other day!!!
Some things I couldn't squeeze into yesterdays blog,since yesterday was the first of the month I stepped onto the bathroom scale,138 lbs, a far cry from the 146lbs I was carrying around on Jan 1st,recently someone who hadn't seen me in a few weeks commented I looked like I'd lost weight,the extra miles that I'm running plus healthier eating regime and the warmer weather all help w/ that.
For those of you who dabble in the stock market,now might be a time to dump some shares in Pizza Hut,Poppa John's,Domino's,Digornos,Taco Bell,Cassa Mama,Bryers,Turkey Hill,Ben & Jerry's...yep I'm off Pizza,Mexican and Ice Cream again till post Nationals and even then it'll only be a mild reprieve b4 cracking on for 5th Avenue Mile and Masters Road 5k C'ships.
No it's never been scientifically proven that giving them up actually effects my ability to run well but over the last 8 years even back when I would tackle two marathons and several key road races per season I would purge on those and have to say my results were good so.... if it ain't broke don't fix it.
Finally a big shout out to the section of la famalia and all Crystal Palace fans world wide who no doubt danced a jig that'd make Riverdance look tame when Palace avoided falling out of the second tier of English soccer on the final day of the season.
It was touch and go for a while,having fallen foul of the administrators they were docked 10 points as is the punishment for such an infraction in English soccer,it took them from the edge of promotion to the edge of relegation but I'm proud to say on the final day of the season,needing only a point against Sheffield Wednesday the club one place below them they drew 2.2 so it's another season in The Championship and maybe just maybe one or both their fellow South East London neighbours Millwall and Charlton could join them coming up from League One,I'll keep you posted.
Of course that kind of gobshitery isn't limited to road running,somebody came up to me early last week and said"somebody said you didn't run Penn Relays this year"???,when I confirmed that to be true because"I wasn't fast enough"{for either the Masters 4x400m team or Olympic Development 5,000m} I was greeted w/ a blank stare as if I'd said I'd quit running.....what's that old expression"the more people I meet the more I love my cat"....Hobbes couldn't give a shit if I run Broad St or Penn Relays...just as long as he gets Tuna every other day!!!
Some things I couldn't squeeze into yesterdays blog,since yesterday was the first of the month I stepped onto the bathroom scale,138 lbs, a far cry from the 146lbs I was carrying around on Jan 1st,recently someone who hadn't seen me in a few weeks commented I looked like I'd lost weight,the extra miles that I'm running plus healthier eating regime and the warmer weather all help w/ that.
For those of you who dabble in the stock market,now might be a time to dump some shares in Pizza Hut,Poppa John's,Domino's,Digornos,Taco Bell,Cassa Mama,Bryers,Turkey Hill,Ben & Jerry's...yep I'm off Pizza,Mexican and Ice Cream again till post Nationals and even then it'll only be a mild reprieve b4 cracking on for 5th Avenue Mile and Masters Road 5k C'ships.
No it's never been scientifically proven that giving them up actually effects my ability to run well but over the last 8 years even back when I would tackle two marathons and several key road races per season I would purge on those and have to say my results were good so.... if it ain't broke don't fix it.
Finally a big shout out to the section of la famalia and all Crystal Palace fans world wide who no doubt danced a jig that'd make Riverdance look tame when Palace avoided falling out of the second tier of English soccer on the final day of the season.
It was touch and go for a while,having fallen foul of the administrators they were docked 10 points as is the punishment for such an infraction in English soccer,it took them from the edge of promotion to the edge of relegation but I'm proud to say on the final day of the season,needing only a point against Sheffield Wednesday the club one place below them they drew 2.2 so it's another season in The Championship and maybe just maybe one or both their fellow South East London neighbours Millwall and Charlton could join them coming up from League One,I'll keep you posted.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
May Day,May Day
''And the heat the heat you make,you make me swoon you make me swoon
I,more than adore you naked,standing before you
Hush,baby hush rush,here comes the rush,you make me swoon,you make me swoon."
Swoon-The Mission
If it's Saturday that means I have a date.............in front of the tv to watch "Doctor Who" and the love of my life Amy Pond aka Karen Gillan,hence The Mission lyrics to "Swoon".
I either have to type fast on Saturdays or wait till after 10pm to write my blog{11pm next week cos Karen is a guest on The Graham Norton Show....jesus three hours of Karen on tv....I doubt I'll have the ability to type.....note to self write next Saturday's blog EARLY!!!}
Early along w/ Karen Gillan would be the watch word of the day,had I gotten up earlier I might've avoided having to switch tracks today....let me explain.
Having had to switch up my repeats from Wednesday Friday to Wednesday Saturday due to lacrosse I should've seen the writing on the wall upon arrival at Lower Merion at 1.30pm and two lacrosse teams warming up on the infield.
After my mile warm up and half of my stretches I was politly informed once the lacrosse match begun the track and the infield were off limits.....
Fair enough,I know someone who got beaned in the jaw w/ a lacrosse ball while he worked out on the track so I have no qualms w/ that.
Why did I wait until 1.30pm?normally I'd be done by then when I head out to Lower Merion,however today Spurs were playing at 10am which really buggers up the whole day if you're heading out for a repeat.
I could've gotten up early,gotten out to Lower Merion and gotten my repeat in and back home by 10am,or dvr'd the game and watched it when I got home but I opted to watch the game{we won 1.0 and we're still 4th w/ 2 games to go}b4 heading to Lower Merion,where my three year record of always getting my repeats in there went for a burton.
No worries,Haverford is only one stop up the line and I arrived there by 2.35pm,I'd already got my warm up mile in and half my stretches so upon completion of my second half of stretches it was have at it time.
#1,1,000m 1.12-1.16-35-3.03.7. Holy shit!If I'm not mistaken my fastest 1,000m split to date,so much for my projected 1.17-1.17-34-3.08.
Like any lightning fast repeat the lingering question is ,can I keep up that pace over the remaining repeats??
#2,1,000m 1.14-1.17-33-3.04.3. Clearly #1 wasn't a fluke but w/ the time closing in on 3pm the heat was now about to be a factor.I know I pitched a bitch about the rain on Monday,it's in a runners dna....we're never satisfied.
#3,1,000m 1.15-1.18-36-3.09.8. Dare I dream a 5xsub 3.10?.....
#4,1,000m 1.19-1.21-36-3.16.1. NO!It's a sad day when a 3.16 is frowned upon,I knew from the first turn my knee lift and leg turnover were lacking but I hung in there,shame about the 1.21 split also.
#5,1,000m 1.19-1.19-30-3.08.2. Are you shitting me? w/ 49 miles for the week on tap I found the wheels to clock a 30 second final 200m and run a 3.08.2 1,000m.
Amazingly throughout the repeat this one guy had been in the outer lanes but sure as shit down the back straight of my final 1,000m he switched to the inside lane,no worries swinging wide to overtake him is good practice,it's rare you overtake on the inside.
This was a great workout, back in October I notched a 5/5 sub 3.10 w/ splits of:3.07.3-3.10.5-3.09.2-3.08.5-3.05.8. 1 second faster 15.39-15.40 but given the heat,having to switch tracks mid workout and the 45 miles for the week coming into today I'd have to give this repeat top billing.......thank God tomorrow is a rest day!
I,more than adore you naked,standing before you
Hush,baby hush rush,here comes the rush,you make me swoon,you make me swoon."
Swoon-The Mission
If it's Saturday that means I have a date.............in front of the tv to watch "Doctor Who" and the love of my life Amy Pond aka Karen Gillan,hence The Mission lyrics to "Swoon".
I either have to type fast on Saturdays or wait till after 10pm to write my blog{11pm next week cos Karen is a guest on The Graham Norton Show....jesus three hours of Karen on tv....I doubt I'll have the ability to type.....note to self write next Saturday's blog EARLY!!!}
Early along w/ Karen Gillan would be the watch word of the day,had I gotten up earlier I might've avoided having to switch tracks today....let me explain.
Having had to switch up my repeats from Wednesday Friday to Wednesday Saturday due to lacrosse I should've seen the writing on the wall upon arrival at Lower Merion at 1.30pm and two lacrosse teams warming up on the infield.
After my mile warm up and half of my stretches I was politly informed once the lacrosse match begun the track and the infield were off limits.....
Fair enough,I know someone who got beaned in the jaw w/ a lacrosse ball while he worked out on the track so I have no qualms w/ that.
Why did I wait until 1.30pm?normally I'd be done by then when I head out to Lower Merion,however today Spurs were playing at 10am which really buggers up the whole day if you're heading out for a repeat.
I could've gotten up early,gotten out to Lower Merion and gotten my repeat in and back home by 10am,or dvr'd the game and watched it when I got home but I opted to watch the game{we won 1.0 and we're still 4th w/ 2 games to go}b4 heading to Lower Merion,where my three year record of always getting my repeats in there went for a burton.
No worries,Haverford is only one stop up the line and I arrived there by 2.35pm,I'd already got my warm up mile in and half my stretches so upon completion of my second half of stretches it was have at it time.
#1,1,000m 1.12-1.16-35-3.03.7. Holy shit!If I'm not mistaken my fastest 1,000m split to date,so much for my projected 1.17-1.17-34-3.08.
Like any lightning fast repeat the lingering question is ,can I keep up that pace over the remaining repeats??
#2,1,000m 1.14-1.17-33-3.04.3. Clearly #1 wasn't a fluke but w/ the time closing in on 3pm the heat was now about to be a factor.I know I pitched a bitch about the rain on Monday,it's in a runners dna....we're never satisfied.
#3,1,000m 1.15-1.18-36-3.09.8. Dare I dream a 5xsub 3.10?.....
#4,1,000m 1.19-1.21-36-3.16.1. NO!It's a sad day when a 3.16 is frowned upon,I knew from the first turn my knee lift and leg turnover were lacking but I hung in there,shame about the 1.21 split also.
#5,1,000m 1.19-1.19-30-3.08.2. Are you shitting me? w/ 49 miles for the week on tap I found the wheels to clock a 30 second final 200m and run a 3.08.2 1,000m.
Amazingly throughout the repeat this one guy had been in the outer lanes but sure as shit down the back straight of my final 1,000m he switched to the inside lane,no worries swinging wide to overtake him is good practice,it's rare you overtake on the inside.
This was a great workout, back in October I notched a 5/5 sub 3.10 w/ splits of:3.07.3-3.10.5-3.09.2-3.08.5-3.05.8. 1 second faster 15.39-15.40 but given the heat,having to switch tracks mid workout and the 45 miles for the week coming into today I'd have to give this repeat top billing.......thank God tomorrow is a rest day!
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