Boston Runner

ESPN's Tony Kornheiser on Cyclists: "RUN THEM DOWN."

2010-03-17T22:24:00.011-04:00

Yes, he really said it. Tony Kornheiser wins today's "douchebag of the day" award for last week's rant against cyclists on his ESPN sports talk radio show. Some of his comments are listed below; you can ~~listen to the show here (11-Mar, starts @ 31:30)~~ or read the entire transcript here. EDIT: ESPN yanked the podcast but I've uploaded the audio here http://bit.ly/bZk7Ct and the video (below) to YouTube here: http://bit.ly/tonyk2

"And they all wear...my God...with the little water bottle in the back and their stupid hats and their shiny shorts, they are the same disgusting posers that in the middle of a snow storm come out with cross country skiing on your block. Run them down.

I don't take my car and ride on the sidewalk because I understand that's not for my car. Why do these people think that these roads were built for bicycles?

They dare you to run them down. And then when you do, they get angry. What is that about?

And so you tap them. I'm not saying you kill them. I'm saying just tap them. Tap them once. If you're not rubbin', you're not racing right? So you pop them a little bit and see what happens.
...and somehow the law does not allow you to run them down.

I have a large powerful car compared to your stupid little bicycle."

Kornheiser is no stranger to controversy; just last month ESPN suspended him for two weeks after his disparaging comments about anchor Hannah Storm's wardrobe. If you ask me, these comments warrant a much stiffer penalty, perhaps even termination.

Advocating violence against any group is wrong and not something to joke about on sports talk radio. But with the number of cars on the road and the increasing prevalence of road rage towards cyclists, Kornheiser has crossed the line. I won't sit back and ignore someone who jokes around about murdering me or my friends.

Run them down? Really?

At the very least, I am submitting a complaint to ESPN management. What are you going to do?

20 Simple Ways to Prevent and Conquer Cancer.

2010-03-15T23:47:00.003-04:00

Twenty years ago today, the Ides of March, I stood alone by my Dad's side in a hospital room, holding his hand as cancer took his life. Jacques A. Ferry, age 59, died of Multiple Myeloma, a not-so-common cancer of the blood which will kill over 10,000 Americans this year. It's "not-so-common" because more than 550,000 Americans will die of cancer this year.

People occasionally ask me why I am so passionate about cancer causes. It started with Dad. But fourteen years later, a very close friend, British cycling champion Alaric Gayfer, lost his life to a brain tumor. And two years ago, my then-girlfriend's Mom lost her brave battle against non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. And my heart aches over the realization that there will be more.

Here are 20 easy ways you can help battle this menace.

Quit smoking, or help someone else quit... it's never too late.
Just say no to second hand smoke, it contains more than 50 cancer-causing chemicals.
Check yourself monthly; self-screening for skin cancer, testicular cancer and breast cancer is quick, easy and just may save your life.
Vote for candidates who support funding of embryonic stem-cell research.
Toss out your scratched teflon pans; a connection to cancer may be unproven, but why risk it?
Enjoy the sun responsibly; apply sun screen after 10 minutes to allow your body to soak in some vitamin D.
Run, walk or volunteer at a cancer-charity running event; you're preventing cancer and helping the fight at once.
Exercise at least 3x/week; it flushes out your colon and rids your body of cancer-causing carcinogens.
Consume whey protein after exercise; it speeds muscle recovery while stimulating production of cancer-fighting antioxidants.
Obesity causes cancer, so maintain a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 19-24. Calculate BMI here http://bmitool.com/
Aim for a high fiber, low fat diet: more whole grains, fruits & veggies, less sugar, salt and fat.
Start your day with a cup of coffee and some blueberries; both are linked to cancer prevention.
Boost your immune system with foods rich in vitamin C: sweet peppers, strawberries, oranges, grapefruit, guava and canteloupe.
Favor whole grain breads, rice, pasta and cereals over their white, processed counterparts.
Load up on dark, leafy greens like spinach, broccoli, kale and romaine lettuce.
Go with the red sauce; tomatoes help reduce cervical, ovarian and prostate cancer.
Garlic breath is healthy breath; eat it often, its ties to cancer prevention are strong and unchallenged.
Reduce your intake of fatty foods such as meat (except fish) and dairy products like milk, eggs & cheese.
Drink alcohol in moderation; it is linked to mouth, throat, liver and breast cancer.
Donate $20 to a cancer charity... support Livestrong right now at http://runagainstcancer.com

Super Sunday 5K/10K Raises Over $16,000 for Livestrong.

2010-03-15T11:40:00.003-04:00

Each year on March 15th, I try to reflect on what's important to me so as not to dwell on what has been taken from me.

Today, I proud reflect on the combined efforts of a dedicated race committee, dozens of volunteers, several generous sponsors and nearly 1,500 runners which made for a huge party at the Super Sunday 5K/10K and raised over $16,000 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

While visiting friends in Austin, TX last month, I visited Livestrong's headquarters and met Chris Brewer and CEO Doug Ulman (pictured with me above.) Chris showed me around, introduced me to Doug and made me feel like a total rock star... which he'll probably do for you too if you show up with a big check like this.

Good News for Americans: Google Maps Adds "Bicycling" Option.

2010-03-10T14:33:00.011-05:00

It's been a long time coming, but Google Maps has finally added "bicycling" as an option for mapping directions, a feature which bodes well for broader acceptance of cycling in the United States.

From an initial review, this exciting new feature was well worth the wait. Google has over 12,000 miles worth of cycling trails incorporated into their maps, in addition to cycling lane information and maps of cycling-friendly roads in over 150 cities.

When seeking point-to-point directions via bicycle, Google Maps suggests the flattest, most efficient route to use. Even better, Google makes it easy to modify a suggested route by simply dragging the route indicator towards the path you'd prefer to follow.

Read Google's official blog announcement here. Cyclists, please provide feedback if the suggested route is not ideal; Google has a nifty reporting widget which empowers those of us "in the know" to make this feature even better for all.

Thank you Google; this tool should get more Americans out of their cars and onto their bikes... and ultimately help make cycling in the USA safer for all of us down the road.

super sunday 5k/10k registration now open.

2009-12-21T18:53:00.003-05:00

that's right, online registration is open but probably not for long. i'm about to blast an email to everyone who ran last year (and some who did not) and i'm expecting this race will sell-out pretty quickly. check out supersunday5k.com for more info & watch this video-thingy i made.

boston 2010 training has begun.

2009-12-20T16:37:00.001-05:00

dare i say it after one measly week of three runs? hell yeah! last sunday i ran the jingle bell run 5k in a snowman costume (which was hard and counts for at least 4-5 miles.) then i ran 5 miles with the niketown crew on wednesday night. then yesterday, i returned to the brookline marathon sports' weekly saturday morning run and threw down my longest run since the boston marathon: 7.2 miles. one week total: 15+ miles

okay, this kind of weekly mileage is probably child's play for you, but it's a big deal for a guy who's only run 3-4 times since september... especially a guy whose legs don't even hurt today. so i'm going out on a limb to declare that i vow to run at least twice per week through the end of february, then three times per week into april culminating with a SUB-FREAKIN'-3:00-BOSTON on april 19th!

it's on!

2009-12-06T06:52:00.003-05:00

just in case you're wondering... the holiday 5k is ON! the race starts at 11am, so the snow will probably be a distant memory by then.

day-of registration IS available and opens at 9am.

visit www.runagainstcancer.com for more info

running on my muffled mind.

2009-11-08T14:12:00.004-05:00

november is here, which means i'm thinking about running again... and hopefully i'll do more than just think about it within a week or two. and with the return to running comes my return to bostonrunner.com. but a few things have changed since i last posted from arizona back in march...

for starters, i've now become quite the tweeter. it's just so damn easy... micro-blogging. on top of that, i've launched a new start-up (racemenu.com) which keeps me busy a solid 25 hours per day. so as much as i love to speak my mind, you'll be spared a bit for now.

so if there's a soul who actually reads this site and wants to stay tuned, just follow me on twitter and you'll get the daily dose. and hopefully there's an easy way to feed twitter posts into the main blog area here... any suggestions?

Indoor Cycling - How Much Would You Pay to Play?

2009-03-29T12:10:00.010-04:00

Finally! Boulder Indoor Cycling, Colorado's first indoor velodrome, opened in January. It's only the second indoor facility in the USA and a huge win for fans of track cycling. Especially us East Coasters... we've been riding down the boulevard of broken dreams for years. From Pennsylvania to Massachusetts, plans for an indoor track have blossomed like Spring flowers and then quietly wilted away. Boulder's success gives us renewed hope.

This Nor'easter melodrama began in 2003 when Northampton Cycling Club acquired the dismantled Vandedrome for $1. Despite efforts by some of New England's finest, it sat in a warehouse collecting dust for five years. Then in July 2008, Major League Cycling - a bunch of Amish farmers from Lancaster, PA - acquired it with grand plans to tour across the country. Okay, I can't attest to their cultural and religious beliefs but with the exception of Jon Chodroff, isn't everyone from out there an Amish farmer? As much as I want them to succeed, I have no idea how those plans are coming along but this page does not suggest we'll see a rebuilt Vandedrome on tour anytime soon.

Oh, how the plot thickened in late 2006 thanks to Dave Chauner's group in Philadelphia. After they announced plans to build an indoor velodrome near Valley Forge, I was ready to load a U-Haul and move back to Philly. Hell, I even registered for (though never took) the PA Bar exam. Yeah, $800 down the crapper! Last I heard, they're shopping for a new location after losing the old space due to a lack of financing. Thanks to Bill Clinton, Fannie Mae and George W. Bush for totally f'ing our economy and squashing what seemed to be a dream come true.

Don't fret, New England, there's still hope. Tony Eberhardt and Laurie Daley of the New England Velodrome in Manchester, NH have whispered about building an indoor track for several years. I haven't spoken to them in months, but knowing Tony, he'll never throw in the towel on that dream. And he can do it with some help.

So it looks like this story may still have a happy ending. But we can forget about any municipal funding for at least a few years; it's gonna' take private money to do it. In Boston, it'll cost you anywhere from $75 to $200 monthly for a gym membership. Surely it's cheaper in the burbs, but you're still gonna' plunk down at least $30 per month.

So my question for all you New England cyclist is this: how much would you pay for monthly access to an indoor velodrome? Sure, it would make sense to have different membership levels based on how frequently you go or peak versus off-peak hours. But let's keep it simple for now; assume the track is within a half-hour drive and you'd want access all year long. How much would you pay to play? Please respond by commenting below. With some luck, the feedback might actually make a difference really soon.

Meanwhile, congratulations and thanks to Paul Wells and the gang in Boulder for actually making it happen. You've given us New Englanders hope that we too can have an indoor velodrome.

142 Miles - By The Numbers

2009-03-21T23:40:00.000-04:00

Until today, the longest training ride I'd ever done was 112 miles. That was one month ago, my third day here in Tucson. That was a small group ride out to the top of Kitt Peak w/ Rebecca M., Adam M., Shawn M. and Dan V.

Well, I've now got a new record, one which I suspect will stand for much longer than a month.

Today's ride by the numbers:

142 - length of today's ride in miles
229 - length of today's ride in kilometers
7:25 - total time in the saddle
19.2 - average speed of today's ride
169.3 - weight immediately before today's ride
155.8 - weight immediately after today's ride
5,180 - total elevation gain in feet
91 - miles I rode with a group
51 - miles I rode alone
80 - minimum number of riders on today's Shootout group ride
7 - other New Englanders on today's Shootout
12 - minimum number of Canadians on today's Shootout
20 - meters to go to the Shootout sprint sign when I ran outta' gas
2 - riders (both Canadians) that beat me in the Shootout sprint
10 - riders that did the Madera Canyon extension
220 - calories in the Honey Bun I ate at mile 62
190 - calories in the pack of PowerBar Gel Blasts I ate at mile 102
220 - calories in the Honey Bun I ate at mile 112
112 - ounces of sports drink I consumed on today's ride
54 - temperature (F) at the start of today's ride
85 - temperature (F) at the end of today's ride
8,904 - calories I burned according to MapMyRide.com

Five Weeks Left... But Who's Counting?

2009-03-16T14:21:00.009-04:00

That's right folks, 5 weeks from right now, many of us will be reveling in the glory of having run the Boston Marathon. How excited are you? (twitter users, use tweet tag #boston2009) I'm very excited going into this year's race... and think I may finally eek out a sub 3:00 finish. (if so, it'll be very close)

A few interesting news tidbits related to the marathon today:
1. B.A.A. Announces New 'Invitational Mile' Races
This was a pleasant surprise, since I'm working on plans for a 1-mile "dash for cash" along the streets of Boston later this year. The B.A.A. race simply adds credibility and exposure to the distance.

2. 23-Month Old Qualifies For Boston Marathon
Heart-warming story... especially the guy's training routine w/ an empty carriage!

Rest day for me today, after a 4-day block of long, intense mileage. Yesterday I raced the Hungry Dog Criterium up in Phoenix, AZ. Since the prize list was ridiculously weak and I'm here to TRAIN, I opted to let it all hang out in this race. To that end, I hit it hard from the gun and lead a strung-out field the first few times through the start/finish line. (note, laps were less than 1km)

There were 10 Team Waste Management riders along with at least 6 Team Landis riders and two more teams with at least 4 riders, so I had my hands full covering attacks all day. Not to be out-done, I threw down a few of my own but none evolved into a group with all teams represented.

The fast pace (27+ mph) and constant attacking was starting to get to me about 2/3 way through the 70 minute race, so I chugged my remaining water, stretched and hoped for the best. Luckily, no cramps for the finish... which was a full-on field sprint. I got into the Landis lead-out with 4 laps to go and was sitting in 2nd with 1 lap to go. Unfortunately, the guy peeled off too soon so I had to shuffle things around a bit. Ended up 5th wheel into the final turn until one of the Waste Mgmt riders lost control and slammed into me; man, I hit him so hard he bounced across the road. Everyone stayed upright but that momentary tango moved me back to 10th-ish. I could hear flyin' Ryan behind me "pedal Alain, pedal as hard as you can" but I was admittedly a bit spooked from the near-miss.

With ~150 meters to the finish line, I was only able to move up to 8th place. Not the best finish, but considering how much time I spent off the front, I was very pleased. After the race, I went out for a 35 mile ride and thought about my father the whole time - cancer took him from us on March 15th, 1990.

Yes, I Can Breathe Again! - AZ Winter, part 3

2009-03-11T19:19:00.003-04:00

Even though the Tucson Bicycle Classic went all wrong, I am happy today. Friday's 3 mile TT was supposed to be my chance to finally do good in the "race against the clock." "I'm a sprinter and a decent 5K runner so this is my race." Yeah, fuggedaboutit. Low power + too much coughing = UGH.

Saturday's 80 mile road race wasn't much better. After hitting a bump in the early miles, my seat (loose from Friday's TT) slipped and pointed to the sky. As in: I couldn't even sit on it. I managed to slam it down to what I thought was a tolerable angle, then got a 5mm allen key from the wheel van and tightened it on the fly. And 20 miles later... knee pain and leg cramps. WTF! I considered abandoning but opted to jump off, adjust and chase back on. With a little (lotta') help from the wheel van, I caught on but missed an attack which split the field. Oh well, it was still a great workout: 82 miles @ 25mph. But the coughing worsened, especially that night.

On Sunday morning, after 30 minutes of debating to race or not, I finally jumped outta' bed and decided to give it a go. Well, the debate lasted longer than the race; I dropped out about 2 miles into it. Rode home, googled a few things and called my doctor buddy. Wouldn't you know, Tucson was #2 on the list of the USA's 5 worst cities for allergies. It was my asthma. Two hours later, I was at Walgreens's getting a prescription filled.

By Monday afternoon, the wheezing and coughing were nearly gone. Since Sunday was a wash, I opted to do my weekly run that evening. Ran 14.5 miles and - despite a sore left calf - was able to throw down 6-min splits again. (last week, I struggled running one sub-7 mile)

Yesterday I climbed Mt. Lemmon again and felt pretty darn good. Finally, I can breathe again!

Gettin' Down (Up) to Business. - AZ Winter part 2

2009-03-05T20:10:00.009-05:00

After a few days in the Grand Canyon (incl. an amazing helicopter tour!) and a great dinner in Sedona with my fabulous co-pilot, it was time to get down to Tucson for some hardcore training. Many of the country's top cyclists make Tucson their home during the winter months, so it's easy to find strong training partners. Like, really strong: in my first week here, I rode w/ a former world champion, 3 former nat'l champions and a bunch of bad-ass pros. And some serious mileage too:

Day 1: 81 miles - Big Square - rode w/ EmJ, flat & fast... 21mph. avg. whew!
Day 2: 101 miles - Shootout + Madera Canyon climb - sheriff pulls us over, wtf?
Day 3: 112 miles - Kitt Peak - 6,ooo'+ peak makes boring ride out/back so worth it!
3 days in Tucson: 294 miles - that's more than i rode all winter last year!

Two weeks into Camp Tucson, I've put in some huge miles on the bike. It's been a long, long time since I trained this hard and I've never done so this early in the season. Since I'm also (supposed to be) training for the Boston Marathon, I run once per week. Last week it was 14 miles, this week 12 miles. The runs hurt but I gotta' do 'em to run sub-3 on Patriots Day.

Rode out to Mt. Lemmon last week... and it's no joke. The climb itself is 27 miles long, climbing 5,400' up past the 8,000' mark. The top is kinda' rolling and you've actually gotta' climb for about a mile before starting the long descent. Running late and out of water, I cheated and got a ride to the top and some H2O from Megan & Colton - they're life savers!

Unfortunately, I've since developed a nagging cough and feel kinda' flat, so have backed off a bit this week. Could be too much training, or lack of sleep (pursuing a new business idea) or a chest cold. Who knows? But the 3 day Tucson Bicycle Classic starts tomorrow so easing up isn't too frustrating right now.

Go West, Young Man. Arizona Winter - part 1

2009-02-23T22:11:00.002-05:00

After a busy January spent working on the Super Sunday race, I was ready to head south to Arizona for some serious winter training. My new ride, the $1,500 Green Monster, rolled outta' Boston at 11:59pm Friday 2/6 and arrived in Phoenix, AZ late Monday night.

First order of business was to get on the bike ASAP, since my season would start just 4 days later with the Valley of the Sun stage race. Stage 1 was a TT... I suck at TTs so nothing to report there. Stage 2 was a 92 mile road race, incl. 6 times up a grinder hill. This hill has haunted me in the past... I've chased back on down the descent more times than I'm willing to admit. Luckily, this year was different. Despite a big effort to help a friend chase back from a flat, my strategy of moving to the front at the base and drifting back through the field as we climbed worked well. So well that I never got dropped - though I was the last cat through the feed zone (top of hill) at least twice. With 3 miles to go in the race, everyone was together. Too bad the race was neutralized 1km from the line b/c of a crash in the earlier race. Yeah, a 92 mile training ride @ 25mph. Bummer. Stage 3 was a a 70 minute criterium; since I felt good in the road race and am typically a strong crit rider, I woke up very confident on Sunday. That confidence was shattered pretty quickly once the race began. My legs were junk and I was on the rivet from the gun. Within 15 minutes, I was off the back in a group of 8... little did I know that one of them was my soon-to-be roomie in Tucson. Anyway, it was a disaster. The officials yanked us somewhere around the halfway point and generously awarded us all finishing times. But the truth is I got my arse kicked... which is probably the best thing that could've happened as I was about to head down to Tucson for a 6-week training camp.

Super Sunday v2.0 - in the books

2009-02-01T20:20:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone that came out to race today...looked like you were having a lot of fun! I'm @ the volunteer party now - what a great crew.

Today's results were a bit confusing to some people... two words: NET TIME. Remember how congested the start was? Race results are based on net (chip) time, so the person 5 seconds in front of you @ the finish line might have ran (or run?) 15 seconds slower than you b/c they hit the starting line 20 seconds before you.

Thanks for all the great emails you've been sending - you guys rock. If you saw something today that we can improve upon for our next race, please send a note.

Okay, Springsteen's almost done here so time to get back to the game. Stay tuned for updated results and info on age group awards and the referral contest winner.

Uh oh, I think Springsteen just threw out his back.

Goals...

2008-12-18T22:23:00.003-05:00

Yes! The shins felt okay for the Jingle Bell 5K this past Sunday and I ran a 17:57! I forgot to get my Santa costume on Saturday and thus missed out on the dash for cash. While only one santa finished ahead of me, it's doubtful I could've finished as fast in a Santa outfit... but still, 2nd Santa paid $100!

Funny story from the end of the race. Some dude w/ a girl in tow passed me about 1k from the line. I stayed close, then Carlos from SRR pulled up next to me w/ about 700m to go. We pick it up and catch the two in front of us with about 500m to go. But speedy girl in red is turning around every few steps and crankin' it... she wants to throw down! So she pulls up next to her buddy and Carlos next to her... and I'm stuck behind a 3-wide wall. WTF! Enough of this BS, ~200m to go I throw my right elbow into Carlos, then I jab speedy girl in red with my left and suddenly I've got a hole. Buh-bye. I shot outta' there like my ass was on fire, caught baggy sweatpants kid (seriously?) that dropped me a mile back and high-fived Pickle at the line. And were it not for the shoving, I wouldn't have hit my goal... the speedy girl in red had to settle for 18:01.

And speaking of goals, entries for the Super Sunday 5K/10K are coming in much better than I expected. We had 331 finishers last year and I was hoping to double that in 2009. But with 6 weeks to go, we've already got 460 people entered. Time to adjust that goal upwards.

Lights Out

2008-12-09T23:34:00.003-05:00

I got to track practice @ MIT tonight but nobody was in the lobby. Instant first thought was "shit, i'm late." Nope, right on time. Then noticed the lights were off upstairs so figured I screwed up dates and it's tonight's practice that is canceled, not next week's.

Having rushed over from a meeting and psyched to test my legs, I wanted to run so meandered over to the outdoor track. While stretching, another BAA runner (John B.) arrived and told me there was a power outage at 5pm and practice had been canceled.

After a 2 mile warm-up, the legs started to feel a little better. Though still some lingering MTSS pain, it was not enough to cancel the workout. So John and I ran 1 mile in 5:39, rested 2 minutes and then ran another mile in 5:43. As long as the shin splint pain continues to dissipate, I expect to reach my PR goal of sub-18 at Jingle Bell on Sunday.

Tomorrow I'm helping with the Jingle Bell registration at Marathon Sports from 3-6:30, then running with Niketown @ 6:30, then having a Super Sunday race staff meeting at Globe at 8pm. Before all that, I gotta' ride... damn bike's been on the trainer in the middle of my living room since yesterday. Collecting dust.

Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome - Shin Splints

2008-12-08T23:56:00.005-05:00

I was so excited to run the Jolly Jaunt on Saturday morning... a 5K just a few blocks from home. But after running one block w/ my dog Libby, things weren't looking too good.

Yeah, a blind monkey could've seen this one coming... OVERUSE INJURY! Last weekend's 10.5 miler was too much too soon. (master of the obvious, 'eh?) I ran poorly @ track practice on Tuesday (6x800...worst running workout ever) and felt pain for most of Wednesday's 5.5 miles. "Wicked lower leg pain in the bone..." is how I described it to fellow Niketown runners; a few mentioned shin splints. Huh? Isn't that in the muscle on the front outside of your lower leg... the one that flexes when you lift your toes off the ground? (tibialis anterior) I have pain in the bone!

Welcome to running, Mr. Biker Boy: there are a few kinds of shin splints, apparently now referred to as MTSS. The kind on that front muscle are anterior shin splints (why plural?) and then posterior shin splints are on the back. Press along the inside/back edge of your tibia and you'll feel a muscle there. If it's sore and/or bumpy to the touch, you probably have posterior shin splints like me. Since that muscle runs right on and behind the tibia, it feels like the bone aches. Here are some exercises; be careful though, you may also have a stress fracture.

After an hour on Google, I know everything about MTSS except whether I'm over it. 5 days of no running... hopefully enough rest to get me to track practice tomorrow night.

4 days, 25+ miles and the Super Sunday 5K/10K

2008-12-01T13:31:00.007-05:00

Last week, in what can only be described as a small miracle, I managed to:

run 7 miles w/ Pickles on Sunday
arrive early to Tuesday's BAA indoor track workout
race the Gobble Gobble Gobble 4 miler on Thursday
run 10.5 miles with the Marathon Sports crew on Saturday
open registration for the Super Sunday 5K/10K on Friday

The fact that I actually ran 4 times in one week is enough to make most of my (three) friends wonder what the hell is going on. But factor in that many of these miles were fast, total 25+ and came without any complaints about my hip (or any other joints) even once, and we've got ourselves an episode of The Twilight Zone.

Lest you think I'm morphing into a runner, know that my buddy Jon came around me for a sprint sign during our 2+ hour ride on Saturday afternoon. He's been riding the trainer for a few weeks... and losing that sprint was all it took to dust off my own trainer.

December goals: run three times per week, ride three times per week, run sub-18 at the Jingle Bell Run.

Gobble Gobble Gobble - I was the turkey

2008-11-28T11:23:00.003-05:00

Nearly each time I've done a running race over the last few years, I've gotten faster, set a PR and was pleasantly surprised by my time.

Not so yesterday. 4 miles, 23:57. 6:00 pace. Huh? I could list reasons why a fast(er) time might have been unreasonable, but it doesn't really matter. Bottom line: my run was a disappointment.

At least six times over the last year I've said to myself "okay, now it's time to get serious and run more than 4-5 miles per week." And yet there have been maybe four weeks where I've run more than once per week.

But that was until I felt like Tom the Turkey running into Davis Square. Now I'm pissed. Now I'm really gonna' get serious.

10 miles on tap for tomorrow morning... the 3rd day I will run this week.

Run, Bike, Run - sorta, kinda, not really

2008-10-26T20:58:00.002-04:00

The BAA half-marathon was fun, but it was too much for my cyclist-joints. I've since had right hip pain identical to that which required surgery on the left hip this past January. Presumably another torn labrum. So rather than risk further aggravating it with running, I asked BAA-Half Masters Champ Greg Picklesimer if he'd be my teammate for the relay at the Wrentham Halloween Duathlon today. While we were looking forward to racing each other, Pickles was down with it so as long as we both got there on time, I liked our odds.

Greg finished running leg one (3 miles) in 15:53 with the fastest run1 split of all competitors. I finished the 11 mile TT in 24:43 with the fastest bike split of all competitors. And Greg finished running leg two (2 miles) in 10:17 with - yup - the fastest run2 split of all competitors.

Booyah! New course record: 52:03

BAA Half-Marathon - 13.1 miles that changed everything

2008-10-15T08:54:00.006-04:00

Ten years ago I watched the Boston Marathon for the first time and knew I had to try and run it some day. Now, after having run the last four Bostons, I understand it's an experience words can hardly describe. Large crowds have always inspired me to race harder but there's something greater at Boston. Running amongst 20,000 elite athletes who have trained so hard to achieve a Boston-qualifying time... the wave of energy pushes, pulls and empowers you. And then the charity runners who have trained just as much (or more) while raising millions of dollars for good causes - they're the icing on the cake that is the Boston Marathon.

Since I began running 4 years ago, I've joked with friends that I'll never run any marathon other than Boston (and perhaps Chicago?) And beyond running Boston, I haven't aspired to race anything longer than the local Charles River 4-milers. I am a sprinter. Whether on the bike or in sneakers, 'long distance" is simply not pour moi. Hell, I haven't even felt comfortable saying I'm a runner. But this past weekend, everything changed. Apart from those 26.2 miles on Patriot's Day, the BAA Half-Marathon was the most fun I've ever had running.

Fresh off a foot injury, I wasn't sure what to expect at this race but knew I needed my A-game to beat running pals Barry Sussman and Beth Coughlin, with whom I'd been talking smack for months. My expectation was sub 1:30 and my "hell yeah" goal was sub 1:26. Race day strategy was to run ~6:45 pace w/ BAA teammate and local phenom Renee Knapp, while hopefully keeping Beth and Barry within striking distance.

Race day: the first 9 miles were comfortable, despite our faster 6:25ish pace. Beth was ahead of us but Renee assured me we'd catch her on the 2nd half of this out-and-back course. As we crested the hill and entered the turnaround at Franklin Park Zoo, we cheered for our friends ahead of us. We then turned towards home to the cheers of many more still making their way up the hill.

Renee was right. We caught our li'l blond rabbit just before mile 10. I pressed the turbo button, ran a 5:40 11th mile and then used every last ounce of energy to pick off guys until the finish. With 1/2 mile to go, I caught up to Mat Thoreson, an occasional training partner who used to ride (cycling) for the US national team. Mat was barely breaking a sweat and started to small-talk me. I mumbled "dude, I'm 6 minutes ahead of PR." Matt got the hint, shut-up and dropped in behind me. When I began to fade a few hundred meters later, he took the lead and paced me until 200m to go. We cyclists stick together.

I sprinted home to finish in 1:23:26 (6:22 pace.) And for the first time ever, I didn't just feel like a cyclist that runs. Finally, after nearly 4 years of running, I felt like a runner.

Transitions...

2008-10-09T10:57:00.003-04:00

lots of personal transitions taking place lately: relationship, career, home and cycling team. in the midst of all this, summer has ended and autumn is full-on in my face. october's arrival typically means i drink beer & watch football on sundays, rather than race my bike. now that's a fun transition.

and in the 'not so fun' transition dept., nearly 9 months out from hip surgery, it's time to focus on running for a while. hanging out w/ real runners this summer taught me an eye-popping lesson: my weekly mileage (0-12) is a total joke. that aint ever gonna' get me from 3:13 to 2:59 at boston. while some BAA teammates are throwing down 80-90 miles per week, my buddy pickle does half that (max) and still kicks everyone's ass, so there's hope for me. but for a legitimate shot at nailing a sub-3:00, i need to run at least 25-35 miles per week. a very 'not so fun' transition, this quest began at reach-the-beach (too much fun!) and will continue on sunday at the BAA half-marathon. (fun factor TBD)

luckily, there is one kind of transition coming soon that will be both fun and somewhat healthy: the run-bike-run transtion. as in duathlon! on oct. 26th, i am joining a crazy crew of my running and cycling friends to compete in the wrentham halloween duathlon. i was quite humbled at this race last year. climbing on the bike after running 3 miles is okay, but then running another 2 miles after a 12 mile time trial... it's not easy. but if it were easy, it wouldn't be any fun, nor would it be very healthy. and best of all, i'm racing with a bunch of good friends. so bring on the run-bike-run!

Come out to Heartbreak Hill on 6/29

2008-05-30T18:56:00.004-04:00

Run the 5K or 10K race and stay for a day of pro-am bicycle racing.

Races start at 12-noon!

Marathon weekend is here. Are you ready?

2008-04-17T11:24:00.004-04:00

so yeah, not really sure how almost two months have gone by without any updates here... but there's gonna' be a cool race announcement next week. so stay tuned... or watch out for the yellow flyers on heartbreak hill during the marathon.