Yeah......So......That Happened.....

I did say last June that while NOT "hanging up my running shoes" I was taking some time off/down time from Running BUT at some point I would return........"guess who's back!!!!!"
Yep,yours truly has returned to the frey,w/ a vengeance?.....too early to say,w/ a purpose.....fuck yeah!


Sadly in life as in running Time/the clock is my mortal enemy so I'm about a month behind w/ this update,glass half empty you're spared a BLRR {boring long race report} from Broad St,glass half full I plan to sit down each weekend to review the "week that was" in my quest to "scale the mountain" as I aim to turn back the hands of time and attempt a fall marathon here in Philly in November just days after I turn 54.
Why now you ask? why not! when I crossed the finish line in Athens in 2005 I did say it was my last marathon...for now,NOT eternity and after the best part of 11 months off to resume my running on the track would probably be foolish and ill advised,so rather than sit out a second season why not revisit my road running career that I opted to step away from in 06?


After a 12 year hiatus I ran Broad St again this year....and rekindled my love of running, in order to be a near fixture on the podium at Masters Nationals Indoor & Outdoor the past 10 seasons I had to commit almost 100% to "the cause" running 5 days a week often clocking 50/70 mile weeks week in,week out in all conditions often putting " the run" b4 everything......hence why I backed off last year.
I went  off and  followed other avenues,began to write my life story,undertook Improv theater,became fully involved w/ the Philadelphia Spurs supporters group,flew to London in April to catch two final games at White Hart Lane and made plans to hit Orlando,New Jersey and Nashvile next month when Spurs some to America for another pre season tour....in previous years when Spurs have come stateside I have been 100% focused on Outdoor Nationals and unable to attend so this year felt like time to redress the balance.


Broad St was a "last minute" decision" via Philly Spurs as three of us ran to raise money for CHOP{Childrens Hospital Of Philadelphia} and while criminally under trained I managed to complete the whole 10 miles w/out stopping...albeit in my slowest ever time for 10 miles 78.18{my 10 mile debut in Aug 84 was 69 mins.....I was also 21 not 53!!!!!} and during the race I reconnected w/ what it is about running that has to quote Metallica's  "Wherever I May Roam" to the game you stay a slave  has been a mindset for over 40 years now.
Yes I had grown weary of the week in,week out grind,always putting the run first,not taking  proper vacations to allow myself trips to Nationals etc but putting aside the near manical drive and desire to put myself in the top three of those races I reconnected w/ the sheer love of testing myself against myself and following the finish of Broad St the wheel were turning again.


In order to run my 15th marathon and first in 12 years will take a ton of blood,sweat and tears on my part....a sacrifice I'm willing to commit to 100%,to that end I have printed off the interwebs a series of knee strengthening exercises to hopefully prolong my career,my right knee has been questionable at best the past few years but as long as I'm willing to do the stretches for 15/20 mins b4 each run I hope I can squeeze out another season{for now}.
To that end I also bought knee sleeves to protect said knees....I also broke down and bought a Garmin given I can now afford one....and it's already paid for it's self!
I've lived in my present home for 5 years,been a West Philly resident for coming up on 11 years and between my resumption of running in 01 till 06 in Port Richmond always "eyeballed" my out and back routes,like I said a Garmin was a luxury I couldn't afford and frankly buying a measuring wheel from  Home Depot and  measuring my routes felt like a "Bellend" move so like I said I eyeballed my routes.......
I have subsequently discovered that what I thought was a 4 mile run is infact 5 mile,what I thought was 6 miles is 8 miles,8 miles is 10 miles and soforth......SO the 5 10 mile runs I'd done since Broad St were actually 12 miler.....which helps w/ the Oddessey Half Marathon coming up next Sunday!!!!


I have signed up for the Rock & Roll Half Marathon in September,the Rocky Run in November and the Philly Marathon the following week,I always knew I'd be back running,it was a matter of when and not if.
From here on in the plan is to post weekly updates each Sunday of the week that was....as a wise man once told me:the run isn't over till the blog's written................