Atlantic City Half Marathon 2009: Two thumbs up and a fist bump

Last night around 7:00 p.m. or so, I decided I would run the Atlantic City half marathon. I debated whether to run the race because John and I are already signed up to run the Philadelphia Marathon next Sunday (November 22). Technically, I’m in the “taper” part of my training plan, which means reduced volume. However, contrary to what some may suggest, taper does not mean reduced intensity. Granted, it’s not typical to race a half marathon the week before a full marathon, but it’s not unheard of to do so. Some people run a marathon (or more) every week. So, …

A quick fundraising update

I am blessed with a wonderful support system.  I’m raising money for the Iron Scholarship Fund, as part of my Ironman Lake Placid 2010 journey. I first posted about the charity just two short weeks ago, and I’ve already received contributions from several friends and family. Much thanks to Mary & Adam, Jeanne & John and John. Your support means so very much to me – and it will cymbalta also mean a lot to the lives of the students who receive the scholarship. If you would like information about how to donate to the Iron Scholarship, please visit the information page. And, by …

Three dogs, one beautiful morning, and 14 miles of flow

 Shady, one of my three dogs, woke me at 5:30 a.m. She was whining because she needed to use the doggie restroom, a.k.a., outside. She was ahead of my alarm clock’s schedule, which wasn’t set to go off until 6 a.m.    As I shuffled to put on some warmer clothes to take them outside, my dogs clustered around me. Mag’s tail banged loudly against the wall as he waited (impatiently) for me to be ready to take them outside and feed them. One of Mag’s nicknames is Mag-the-Wag because we are hard-pressed to find a time when that tail …

Treating a sore ankle with angst and ice: 6 tips

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I woke up one morning about 3 weeks before I was to run the Philadelphia Marathon with a sore ankle. Damn. I had just completed a 21 mile run a few days prior, and despite a few rough patches, the run went well. But, when I woke up two days later, the ankle was officially sore, and I was officially in a terrible mood. An injury or pain that keeps me from running–even for just a day–is enough to turn on the wicked witch switch. I had plans to do about 7 miles of speedwork on Sunday. But, my ankle hurt just …

Giving Back: The Iron Scholarship Fund

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College is a significant and life-changing accomplishment, with value for enhancing self-esteem and confidence, civic involvement and lifetime earnings. While some first decide to attend college for “a piece of paper,” upon graduation many students realize their lives have been enriched in ways they never imagined on their first day as a college freshman. Yet, for some students this accomplishment is either out of reach or made exceedingly difficult by the costs associated with a college education. Rising tuition costs have increased the sacrifices that many students must make, including attending only part-time, working full or part time jobs, sacrificing study …

Balancing life’s demands: Work, training and helping others

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As of late, my available “spare” time has dwindled to almost nonexistent. Despite a reduced load in training, I’m experiencing an increased load in work expectations. So, that “extra time” I dreamed of after the Bassman? It’s never appeared. But, I suppose that is the rhythm of life, our priorities and expectations ebb and flow into and out of the different responsibilities and interests that make up a life. At least, that’s what I’ve been thinking lately: priorities need to be organized and reorganized as we hit each major and minor goal we set for ourselves. Even as the pressures of …

Satisfying the demands of reason and emotion through gradual adaptation and 1% improvements

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I’m antsy. I’ve got work to do.   It’s been a week since the half iron distance triathlon. The soreness has faded. The feeling of accomplishment is there, but I can’t help feeling that I want to do better, go faster, be stronger. My basic goal for the triathlon was 6 hours, and while I accomplished that goal with a time of 5:55;37, I secretly (or not so secretly) wished I would do better–like 5:45 would have been great. I had wanted to place in my age group, but was 4th (by over a minute). My rational mind knows that I …

Arriving at one goal: The half distance triathlon

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Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another.  ~John Dewey Sunday, October 4th was the day I have been working toward for five months: my first half iron distance triathlon. Race day began as most race days begin: EARLY! While I had been tossing and turning since 2:34 a.m., I did not officially rise out of bed until 5:01 a.m. The race was scheduled to start at 8 a.m. Even though the venue was only 20 minutes away and I had already packed everything I needed, I wanted to get up early enough to eat something solid, and arrive …

Dreams, courage, and guts

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There is no telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing a dream.  ~Author Unknown I rolled over and looked at the clock. It read 4:15. The alarm hadn’t gone off yet because I had set it for 4:30 a.m. John was sleeping, so I tried to be as quiet as possible as I headed to the bathroom to start getting ready for the day. I looked out the hotel window: rain. As I brushed my teeth in the darkness, I thought about what was in store for us that day: John would be running his first ultramarathon: …

He’s Going the Distance

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Tomorrow morning, John and I will wake up at 4:30 a.m., and John will prepare to run his first ultramarathon: The Vermont 50 Miler. He’s been training specifically for this event for months: getting up in the darkness to embark on 4 and 5 hour training runs, heading to the bridges of Southern New Jersey to run up and down, and up and down, and up and down, to simulate hill training (almost 9,000 feet of elevation change for tomorrow’s race), icing his feet, knees, and calves to reduce soreness and speed recovery. He hired a coach to help him …