Since our team consists of runners from basically within a 100-mile radius of Poughkeepsie -- as opposed to much of our competition -- we are all dealing with the same messy weather.
Snow. Cold. Wind. Ice.
In a word: WINTER.
There's only one thing to do during this time: Deal with it.
Obviously, safety is a concern. Be aware of black ice. No more trail running, unless it's on snowshoes (I'm sure Jut could recommend some good stuff for you there at his fancy store in New Paltz; I'll get there one of these days, Jut!).
Bundle up, get out there and run.
For those guys who are not from the immediate area, here's what we have in Poughkeepsie (or, at least, at my Hyde Park home): About 9 inches of snow, blowing and drifting, with another 4-6 inches coming on Sunday. And it's pretty darn cold. Didn't get above 20 today. But it should warm up a bit next week.
Watch for ice. Watch for idiot drivers. Stay safe. Go out and run.
More holiday updates early next week ...
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
A little tougher than the Back Hills
Here is a picture of new blog follower -- and subject of the previous post -- Greg "Reese" Salamone, from his recent glamorous vacation in the Congo.
Here is Greg's description of this photo: Me on the top of Mt. Stanley, the third highest peak in all of Africa at 16,700-plus feet. It's dubbed the hardest hike in Africa, and going with an incompetent guide from the Congo who doesn't speak your language and then lies to you (through your interpreter) and says he's been there before (when he hasn't) makes the hike a whole heck of a lot harder.
Geez. Sounds like fun. I think I'll cancel the family vacation at Lake George for next summer and go there.
Reese to the rescue
Great to see Greg Salamone (aka REESE) commenting on the course post from last night. It's great for several reasons, not the least of which that he is still ALIVE.
You see, Greg -- I actually call him by his given name now, after years of calling him Reeses and eventually Reese -- likes to vacation in, um, dangerous places. He just got back from a lovely holiday in the Congo. He has also visited Yemen. He's most definitely not a "sandy beach and bottle of Corona" type of guy; but then again, he never was.
Anyway, back in college Reese did run a lot of the courses through the old Pysch Center. As did I. Great runs through there. But yes, Greg, the old joint has been closed for many years, and it is patrolled by guards who will arrest you if you are caught trespassing. Damn shame as there are many great runs up that way.
Most blog followers are a bit young to recall the running of Reese, so I will recap it briefly here. His nickname came from the fact that, on his recruiting visit, he wore a "Reese's Pieces" t-shirt. Clever and alert team members dubbed him "Reeses" and it stuck right on through college and beyond.
Reese came from upstate Liverpool, where he was a solid distance runner. Through a lot of hard work, he became a team leader on the track and in cross country. He'll be the first to admit he was not blessed with a lot of "natural talent" but he more than made up for it through hard work, a lot of it being through those hilly runs through the Pysch Center and the hills of Hyde Park.
He was a school record holder in the steeple, an IC4A qualifier at 10,000 meters and broke 15:00 for 5km indoors (although, to this day I believe he could have run much faster than 14:55 had he not gone through the 1600-meter split in his PR of 4:38!). Reese remains one of my favorite runners I've ever coached in that he squeezed the most out of his ability in his time here.
Greg graduated in 2001 and remains a loyal follower of the team. He and his brother, Chris, live a few minutes from Vanny and apparently they have started running again on a regular basis, which makes me happy.
So there you go. Not much to write about but I've still squeezed a few posts during the barren times of December. Enjoy the day.
You see, Greg -- I actually call him by his given name now, after years of calling him Reeses and eventually Reese -- likes to vacation in, um, dangerous places. He just got back from a lovely holiday in the Congo. He has also visited Yemen. He's most definitely not a "sandy beach and bottle of Corona" type of guy; but then again, he never was.
Anyway, back in college Reese did run a lot of the courses through the old Pysch Center. As did I. Great runs through there. But yes, Greg, the old joint has been closed for many years, and it is patrolled by guards who will arrest you if you are caught trespassing. Damn shame as there are many great runs up that way.
Most blog followers are a bit young to recall the running of Reese, so I will recap it briefly here. His nickname came from the fact that, on his recruiting visit, he wore a "Reese's Pieces" t-shirt. Clever and alert team members dubbed him "Reeses" and it stuck right on through college and beyond.
Reese came from upstate Liverpool, where he was a solid distance runner. Through a lot of hard work, he became a team leader on the track and in cross country. He'll be the first to admit he was not blessed with a lot of "natural talent" but he more than made up for it through hard work, a lot of it being through those hilly runs through the Pysch Center and the hills of Hyde Park.
He was a school record holder in the steeple, an IC4A qualifier at 10,000 meters and broke 15:00 for 5km indoors (although, to this day I believe he could have run much faster than 14:55 had he not gone through the 1600-meter split in his PR of 4:38!). Reese remains one of my favorite runners I've ever coached in that he squeezed the most out of his ability in his time here.
Greg graduated in 2001 and remains a loyal follower of the team. He and his brother, Chris, live a few minutes from Vanny and apparently they have started running again on a regular basis, which makes me happy.
So there you go. Not much to write about but I've still squeezed a few posts during the barren times of December. Enjoy the day.
Great news from abroad ...
Below is an email I received from Colin Johnson, budding middle distance star, who is studying abroad in Ireland and heading home very soon. For those who don't know Colin, he was a hockey player in high school; he also ran track, but not that fast (as he'll be the first to admit). But through hard work, he got his 800 time down to 1:59 last spring.
Based on this email, he is apparently doing some solid running in between pints of stout. Nice to see! Can't wait to have CJ back in town ...
Hey Coach,
So this is probably my last email from Ireland, but I wanted to let you know
that I took part in a 5k on Sunday and set my PR of 16:26 (actually turned out being 16:24!). Much like at Princeton last year when I ran my first decent 800, I couldn't believe the clock so I kind of slowed down as I stared at it, not as humorous without Chuck there screaming at me but still pretty funny. It got me really excited for indoors even though I hope to never touch that distance on the track. Hope all is well, and I hope you have a good holiday. I'm looking forward to getting back to America and training with the guys. Plus the food here makes the cafeteria look like a five star restaurant. See you soon.
Colin
Based on this email, he is apparently doing some solid running in between pints of stout. Nice to see! Can't wait to have CJ back in town ...
Hey Coach,
So this is probably my last email from Ireland, but I wanted to let you know
that I took part in a 5k on Sunday and set my PR of 16:26 (actually turned out being 16:24!). Much like at Princeton last year when I ran my first decent 800, I couldn't believe the clock so I kind of slowed down as I stared at it, not as humorous without Chuck there screaming at me but still pretty funny. It got me really excited for indoors even though I hope to never touch that distance on the track. Hope all is well, and I hope you have a good holiday. I'm looking forward to getting back to America and training with the guys. Plus the food here makes the cafeteria look like a five star restaurant. See you soon.
Colin
Monday, December 15, 2008
Of courses
Hello, all. As one former Red Fox Harrier used to say ... What is GOOD?
It just dawned on me that I have not posted on this fancy blog in a whole week. Sorry for the lack of posts, but honestly this is a quiet time in the world of Marist Running.
The student-athletes are in Finals Week. We are in a lull in competition. Everyone that is healthy is just cranking mileage and doing some strength-based workouts -- fartleks, accelerators, some track stuff but nothing speed oriented. That short period of time between the end of xc and the beginning of the New Year is an odd time, indeed, but it can be a great time to reignite base building.
In truth, everyone is having a lot of FUN. There was a group of men that did Tower on Saturday. For some reason, we did not work a Tower day into the entire cross country training paradigm this fall. But now Tower is a welcome addition to any training week.
I wasn't there at McCann when the boys returned today, but Chuck reported to me that a few dopey freshmen -- Flint, Jensen -- came back all giddy because they had set what is believed to be a course record on Fab 9 (which is not quite 9 miles, but you know ...). I think Chuck said they ran 48:30. Or something. Whatever. Good for them. I hope they had fun. It was crazy warm and windy today, and they just rolled with it. No workout for THEM on Tuesday!
It's pretty cool that loops, courses and training venues get handed down from generation to generation of Marist runners.
Now that xc is over and the majority of distance runs are on the road, the Bridge Loops seem to be the most popular.
For those that do not know, the Walkway Over the Hudson (the rusty old Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge) is on target to open sometime in the fall of 2009. As a result, a year from now this will open up a new world of Bridge Runs, or Double Bridge Runs, even.
Well, there you go. A post about nothing really. I hope this satiates the avid alumni (and other) blog followers. I will try to think of other nothings to write about in the coming weeks as we eagerly await the beginning, in earnest, of indoor track season in 2009.
It just dawned on me that I have not posted on this fancy blog in a whole week. Sorry for the lack of posts, but honestly this is a quiet time in the world of Marist Running.
The student-athletes are in Finals Week. We are in a lull in competition. Everyone that is healthy is just cranking mileage and doing some strength-based workouts -- fartleks, accelerators, some track stuff but nothing speed oriented. That short period of time between the end of xc and the beginning of the New Year is an odd time, indeed, but it can be a great time to reignite base building.
In truth, everyone is having a lot of FUN. There was a group of men that did Tower on Saturday. For some reason, we did not work a Tower day into the entire cross country training paradigm this fall. But now Tower is a welcome addition to any training week.
I wasn't there at McCann when the boys returned today, but Chuck reported to me that a few dopey freshmen -- Flint, Jensen -- came back all giddy because they had set what is believed to be a course record on Fab 9 (which is not quite 9 miles, but you know ...). I think Chuck said they ran 48:30. Or something. Whatever. Good for them. I hope they had fun. It was crazy warm and windy today, and they just rolled with it. No workout for THEM on Tuesday!
It's pretty cool that loops, courses and training venues get handed down from generation to generation of Marist runners.
Now that xc is over and the majority of distance runs are on the road, the Bridge Loops seem to be the most popular.
For those that do not know, the Walkway Over the Hudson (the rusty old Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge) is on target to open sometime in the fall of 2009. As a result, a year from now this will open up a new world of Bridge Runs, or Double Bridge Runs, even.
Well, there you go. A post about nothing really. I hope this satiates the avid alumni (and other) blog followers. I will try to think of other nothings to write about in the coming weeks as we eagerly await the beginning, in earnest, of indoor track season in 2009.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Yale season opener, 12.6.08
Finally, after many years, we have found an early indoor track meet in December worthy of wasting a perfectly good Saturday: the Yale Season Opener at good old Coxe Cage in New Haven.
It's Yale, so you know it's going to be a well-run meet with some good competition. And I haven't been back to Coxe Cage in years, since they installed a pretty cool banked 4-lane track. Banked track. Yale. Sounded good to me. And so we went. It was worth the short trip for several reasons.
-- We were able to see some of the new track athletes who have been working extremely hard under the expert direction of new assistant coach Terry Horton for the past few months. Terry is a good friend, has a wealth of coaching experience and the athletes have been drawn to his detail-oriented approach.
-- We were able to get a few distance guys some nice PRs and early-season efforts on the track.
-- Because it was a short meet and a relatively short trip, I was able to bring my 9-year-old son with me. Joey had a thrilling time, and actually helped me out with recording of all the splits that will be posted here right now.
5,000-meter run
11th place, Brian Townsend, 15:52.01
Splits
35.5, 73.3 (37.8), 1:51.6 (38.6), 2:28.2 (36.6), 3:05.0 (36.8), 3:41.9 (36.9), 4:19.3 (37.4), 4:56.6 (37.3), 5:33.9 (37.3), 6:11.5 (37.6), 6:49.2 (37.7), 7:26.8 (37.6), 8:04.8 (38.0), 8:43.4 (38.6), 9:22.5 (39.1), 10:02.0 (39.5), 10:41.0 (39.0), 11:20.0 (39.0), 11:59.5 (39.5), 12:39.2 (39.7), 13:18.7 (39.5), 13:58.6 (39.9), 14:38.6 (40.0), 15:18.2 (39.6), 15:52.01 (33.81).
1km: 3:05.0; 2km: 6:11.5 (3:06.5); 3km: 9:22.5 (3:11.0); 4km: 12:39.2 (3:16.7); 5km: 15:52.01 (3:12.81)
1600m: 4:56.6; 3200m: 10:02.0 (5:05.4); 4800m: 15:18.2 (5:16.2)
Comments: A nice, solid debut from Brian at this distance! When last we saw him on the cross country trail, he was winning the Coaches Association race at IC4As in 26:53. We felt he hadn't quite peaked with that effort and thought it would be good to carry through with this meet just to see where he was at. He feels he can go faster and that he went out a bit too quick (which he had to, given the field and the fact he was in last place at the time). His splits followed a typical pattern for a newcomer to 5km, but he raced tough. Good job, Brian.
Mile run
1st place, Adam Vess, 4:13.39. School record. IC4A qualifier
Splits
31 (209 meters), 61 (30), 1:33 (32), 2:05 (32), 2:37 (32), 3:10 (33), 3:42 (32), 4:13.39 (31.39).
Comments: Led wire to wire and we got exactly what we wanted out of this. An early season time trial that took nothing out of him, got a qualifying mark out of the way and now we have a gauge with which to work and plan some workouts. Adam ran this race solely off mileage and hill training. Of course, Vess being Vess, thought he ran like "a pussy," and he was equally vilified by family members who will accept nothing short of national-caliber material from him. I'm beginning to learn this vernacular. My first thought after his race was, "geez, he only closed in 63point." But what the heck, he ran wire to wire in front. We'll take it. For now.
10th place, Brian McCormick, 4:34.06. Personal-best time
Splits
34 (209 meters), 67 (33), 1:40 (33), 2:14 (34), 2:48 (34), 3:23 (35), missed split; 4:34.06 (71.06 final 400m)
Comments: This was a really neat race to watch. Terry has been working with Brian and his been telling me all fall that he's got a lot of potential for the middle distance crew. I am a true believer now. Brian is from Alli Kline's old high school in the woods of western Mass., and we're happy he's on the team.
14th place, Alex Cuesta, 4:46.33. Yuk.
Splits
34 (209 meters), 68 (34), 1:42 (34), 2:17 (35), 2:54 (37), 3:33 (39), missed split; 4:46.33 (73.33 final 400m)
Comments: See above. Vess' goal was to lap his teammate. It didn't work out. But it was close.
3000-meter run
10th place, Matt Janczyk, 9:06.79. Personal-best time
Splits
35.6, 71.8 (36.2), 1:46.6 (34.8), 2:22.6 (36.0), 2:59.8 (37.2), 3:36.6 (36.8), 4:12.8 (36.2), 4:49.8 (37.0), 5:24.6 (34.8), 6:00.4 (35.8), 6:36.8 (36.4), 7:14.0 (37.2), 7:52.0 (38.0), 8:30.6 (38.6), 9:06.79 (36.19).
1km: 2:59.8; 2km: 6:00.4 (3:00.6); 3km: 9:06.79 (3:06.39)
Comments: Nicely done with a PR in a weird event to be running coming off xc season. Same as Brian, I felt Matt had a little more juice in the tank. Tough race as they crammed 22 bodies onto the tiny track, so there was a lot of shoving. Janzo was tripped up more than once and surged at questionable times, a la Girma. However, he did what he had to do to get himself in place for a sub-9:00, and he just ran out of steam over the final 550 meters or so. A strong run and worthy effort.
4x800 relay (all doubling back): Splits courtesy of Joey
John Carabetta: 29, 60, 1:31, 2:04.2
Greg Dubois: 29, 60, 1:31, 2:01.7
Alex Cuesta: 30, 61, 1:32, 2:04.6 (note: after bashing Cuesta above, I give him credit for this ballsy leg when his legs were shot)
Brian McCormick: 27, 57, 1:31, 2:04.8 (yikes! a little excited there, huh? great to see though!!)
3rd place, 8:15.26
4x400 relay (all doubling back): Splits courtesy of Joey
John Kristie: 25, 53.7
Colin Frederickson: 25, 53.5
Mike Cocca: 25, 52.6
Neal Viets: 27, 58.4
3:38.41
Also: Pole vaulter Max Carow was 6th in 4.05 meters, just 10 centimeters off his school record. Not bad for no facilities/no practice!
It's Yale, so you know it's going to be a well-run meet with some good competition. And I haven't been back to Coxe Cage in years, since they installed a pretty cool banked 4-lane track. Banked track. Yale. Sounded good to me. And so we went. It was worth the short trip for several reasons.
-- We were able to see some of the new track athletes who have been working extremely hard under the expert direction of new assistant coach Terry Horton for the past few months. Terry is a good friend, has a wealth of coaching experience and the athletes have been drawn to his detail-oriented approach.
-- We were able to get a few distance guys some nice PRs and early-season efforts on the track.
-- Because it was a short meet and a relatively short trip, I was able to bring my 9-year-old son with me. Joey had a thrilling time, and actually helped me out with recording of all the splits that will be posted here right now.
5,000-meter run
11th place, Brian Townsend, 15:52.01
Splits
35.5, 73.3 (37.8), 1:51.6 (38.6), 2:28.2 (36.6), 3:05.0 (36.8), 3:41.9 (36.9), 4:19.3 (37.4), 4:56.6 (37.3), 5:33.9 (37.3), 6:11.5 (37.6), 6:49.2 (37.7), 7:26.8 (37.6), 8:04.8 (38.0), 8:43.4 (38.6), 9:22.5 (39.1), 10:02.0 (39.5), 10:41.0 (39.0), 11:20.0 (39.0), 11:59.5 (39.5), 12:39.2 (39.7), 13:18.7 (39.5), 13:58.6 (39.9), 14:38.6 (40.0), 15:18.2 (39.6), 15:52.01 (33.81).
1km: 3:05.0; 2km: 6:11.5 (3:06.5); 3km: 9:22.5 (3:11.0); 4km: 12:39.2 (3:16.7); 5km: 15:52.01 (3:12.81)
1600m: 4:56.6; 3200m: 10:02.0 (5:05.4); 4800m: 15:18.2 (5:16.2)
Comments: A nice, solid debut from Brian at this distance! When last we saw him on the cross country trail, he was winning the Coaches Association race at IC4As in 26:53. We felt he hadn't quite peaked with that effort and thought it would be good to carry through with this meet just to see where he was at. He feels he can go faster and that he went out a bit too quick (which he had to, given the field and the fact he was in last place at the time). His splits followed a typical pattern for a newcomer to 5km, but he raced tough. Good job, Brian.
Mile run
1st place, Adam Vess, 4:13.39. School record. IC4A qualifier
Splits
31 (209 meters), 61 (30), 1:33 (32), 2:05 (32), 2:37 (32), 3:10 (33), 3:42 (32), 4:13.39 (31.39).
Comments: Led wire to wire and we got exactly what we wanted out of this. An early season time trial that took nothing out of him, got a qualifying mark out of the way and now we have a gauge with which to work and plan some workouts. Adam ran this race solely off mileage and hill training. Of course, Vess being Vess, thought he ran like "a pussy," and he was equally vilified by family members who will accept nothing short of national-caliber material from him. I'm beginning to learn this vernacular. My first thought after his race was, "geez, he only closed in 63point." But what the heck, he ran wire to wire in front. We'll take it. For now.
10th place, Brian McCormick, 4:34.06. Personal-best time
Splits
34 (209 meters), 67 (33), 1:40 (33), 2:14 (34), 2:48 (34), 3:23 (35), missed split; 4:34.06 (71.06 final 400m)
Comments: This was a really neat race to watch. Terry has been working with Brian and his been telling me all fall that he's got a lot of potential for the middle distance crew. I am a true believer now. Brian is from Alli Kline's old high school in the woods of western Mass., and we're happy he's on the team.
14th place, Alex Cuesta, 4:46.33. Yuk.
Splits
34 (209 meters), 68 (34), 1:42 (34), 2:17 (35), 2:54 (37), 3:33 (39), missed split; 4:46.33 (73.33 final 400m)
Comments: See above. Vess' goal was to lap his teammate. It didn't work out. But it was close.
3000-meter run
10th place, Matt Janczyk, 9:06.79. Personal-best time
Splits
35.6, 71.8 (36.2), 1:46.6 (34.8), 2:22.6 (36.0), 2:59.8 (37.2), 3:36.6 (36.8), 4:12.8 (36.2), 4:49.8 (37.0), 5:24.6 (34.8), 6:00.4 (35.8), 6:36.8 (36.4), 7:14.0 (37.2), 7:52.0 (38.0), 8:30.6 (38.6), 9:06.79 (36.19).
1km: 2:59.8; 2km: 6:00.4 (3:00.6); 3km: 9:06.79 (3:06.39)
Comments: Nicely done with a PR in a weird event to be running coming off xc season. Same as Brian, I felt Matt had a little more juice in the tank. Tough race as they crammed 22 bodies onto the tiny track, so there was a lot of shoving. Janzo was tripped up more than once and surged at questionable times, a la Girma. However, he did what he had to do to get himself in place for a sub-9:00, and he just ran out of steam over the final 550 meters or so. A strong run and worthy effort.
4x800 relay (all doubling back): Splits courtesy of Joey
John Carabetta: 29, 60, 1:31, 2:04.2
Greg Dubois: 29, 60, 1:31, 2:01.7
Alex Cuesta: 30, 61, 1:32, 2:04.6 (note: after bashing Cuesta above, I give him credit for this ballsy leg when his legs were shot)
Brian McCormick: 27, 57, 1:31, 2:04.8 (yikes! a little excited there, huh? great to see though!!)
3rd place, 8:15.26
4x400 relay (all doubling back): Splits courtesy of Joey
John Kristie: 25, 53.7
Colin Frederickson: 25, 53.5
Mike Cocca: 25, 52.6
Neal Viets: 27, 58.4
3:38.41
Also: Pole vaulter Max Carow was 6th in 4.05 meters, just 10 centimeters off his school record. Not bad for no facilities/no practice!
Rolek wins in comeback effort
Got this photo courtesy of D.J. Paulson's dad, of our boy Mike Rolek stylin' his way to the finish line in a race I'm guessing was called the "Seaford Hot Chocolate 5K Run."
A nice return to the fold for Rolek, who has been sidelined with a debilitating back/hip/nerve thing for the better part of three months. It was a bummer, because Mike was in great shape in late summer and ready to rip up the fall racing scene. But alas, these things happen.
As with his return from the previous serious injury, here's hoping he learns some lessons from it and returns stronger and faster than ever. You'll recall that after the summer of his discontent in 2007, Rolek went on to have one of the great senior years of running in my time coaching during 2007-2008.
There's still plenty of fast running in that Jersey kid's legs. Slow and steady on the recovery trail.
Thanks for D.J. and D.S. for the photos.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
The Library
It occurred to me the other day that many (most) of the current team members only have a vague idea about my running. Most probably (and accurately) envision me as a recreational jogger who rarely, if ever, races.
The chasm between my running (jogging, really) and their running and racing has never been wider. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's probably a good thing, in many ways. My focus as their coach should be on their running, first and foremost. Never should my "training" get in the way with those duties.
All that jibberish aside, the stark reality of my running is that it has, by and large, been relegated to jogging. It has been a slow and steady transition (pun intended), one that I neither lament nor get nostalgic about. It's like I'm witnessing my slow-running demise as an outside party, in the third person.
Which is fine, really. There are so many more important things in my life to focus on and get my blood pumping. I recently ran a marathon. Upon returning home and telling my oldest son my time, he excitedly reported to me that it was a PW. PW? What's that, I asked? Personal Worst, he exclaimed with glee.
Thanks, buddy. Thanks A LOT.
Sure. There are many more important things I'm focused on these days, that occupy my hours.
And yet. And yet, I get out there, every morning, without fail, for my jogging. A regular reader of this blog is probably saying out loud, right now, that there is no reason for me to be a washed-up jogger, slogging through many miles at double-digit-per-mile pace in the pre-dawn darkness. All I've got to do is get out there and run faster. I know, Bob. You are right. But as he accurately pointed out, years ago, there is no limit to how slowly I can run. Bottom line: I don't have the discipline to push the pace on my own. Especially in the pre-dawn darkness.
And so I slog on, and get slower. It is what it is.
But wait! Before I become the personification of the title of that famous cult novel "Once A Runner," maybe there is still a wee bit of running left in these old legs. For a few minutes, twice per week, somehow the recessed runner inside me gets rekindled.
A local runner, Tony, started hooking up with Artie (my jogging partner) and I a few months ago. This represented a major step back for Tony, who is among the area's best age-group runners and hovers around the 3-hour marathon mark in his late 40s. But alas, he works from home now and misses the camaraderie of many faster running partners, which he had on a daily basis during his corporate lunchtime runs of the past.
So he started spicing up our morning jogs with a faster pace, for us anyway. And then Artie broke his leg playing soccer a few weeks ago (LET THAT BE A LESSON TO ALL OF YOU!!! LEAVE THE REAL SPORTS TO ACTUAL ATHLETES!) So now it's Tony and me, twice a week. A funny thing has happened on these runs. We RUN. At -- for me, anyway -- a pretty decent clip.
This, of course, represents jogging for him. For me, it's tempo. And Tony likes his hills, so we find the hilliest runs in town. I complain, of course, but I do it. Tony likes to talk on these runs, but it's hard for me. I do my best, but the words come out in staccato bursts as I struggle to maintain his jogging pace (my tempo pace). He's cool about it, but I know he won't tolerate double-digit-per-mile pace, that's for sure. So I gotta get a move on.
The first time we hit the big hill from the Hudson River at Bard Rock (Vanderbilt) and started climbing, Tony was chatting away. I could not respond. I could not talk. Breathing was in deep gasps now as we climbed. When it became clear I wasn't talking, Tony said he understood. "I call this The Library," he said. "We're going into The Library. No talking."
I like it. The Library. Had this been 10, 15 years ago, climbing this hill at this pace, it would have been laughable. Jogging. Now, as my lungs burn and my legs churn, I peel off the layers of rust and I feel like a runner again. If only for a few minutes every week. In The Library.
The chasm between my running (jogging, really) and their running and racing has never been wider. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's probably a good thing, in many ways. My focus as their coach should be on their running, first and foremost. Never should my "training" get in the way with those duties.
All that jibberish aside, the stark reality of my running is that it has, by and large, been relegated to jogging. It has been a slow and steady transition (pun intended), one that I neither lament nor get nostalgic about. It's like I'm witnessing my slow-running demise as an outside party, in the third person.
Which is fine, really. There are so many more important things in my life to focus on and get my blood pumping. I recently ran a marathon. Upon returning home and telling my oldest son my time, he excitedly reported to me that it was a PW. PW? What's that, I asked? Personal Worst, he exclaimed with glee.
Thanks, buddy. Thanks A LOT.
Sure. There are many more important things I'm focused on these days, that occupy my hours.
And yet. And yet, I get out there, every morning, without fail, for my jogging. A regular reader of this blog is probably saying out loud, right now, that there is no reason for me to be a washed-up jogger, slogging through many miles at double-digit-per-mile pace in the pre-dawn darkness. All I've got to do is get out there and run faster. I know, Bob. You are right. But as he accurately pointed out, years ago, there is no limit to how slowly I can run. Bottom line: I don't have the discipline to push the pace on my own. Especially in the pre-dawn darkness.
And so I slog on, and get slower. It is what it is.
But wait! Before I become the personification of the title of that famous cult novel "Once A Runner," maybe there is still a wee bit of running left in these old legs. For a few minutes, twice per week, somehow the recessed runner inside me gets rekindled.
A local runner, Tony, started hooking up with Artie (my jogging partner) and I a few months ago. This represented a major step back for Tony, who is among the area's best age-group runners and hovers around the 3-hour marathon mark in his late 40s. But alas, he works from home now and misses the camaraderie of many faster running partners, which he had on a daily basis during his corporate lunchtime runs of the past.
So he started spicing up our morning jogs with a faster pace, for us anyway. And then Artie broke his leg playing soccer a few weeks ago (LET THAT BE A LESSON TO ALL OF YOU!!! LEAVE THE REAL SPORTS TO ACTUAL ATHLETES!) So now it's Tony and me, twice a week. A funny thing has happened on these runs. We RUN. At -- for me, anyway -- a pretty decent clip.
This, of course, represents jogging for him. For me, it's tempo. And Tony likes his hills, so we find the hilliest runs in town. I complain, of course, but I do it. Tony likes to talk on these runs, but it's hard for me. I do my best, but the words come out in staccato bursts as I struggle to maintain his jogging pace (my tempo pace). He's cool about it, but I know he won't tolerate double-digit-per-mile pace, that's for sure. So I gotta get a move on.
The first time we hit the big hill from the Hudson River at Bard Rock (Vanderbilt) and started climbing, Tony was chatting away. I could not respond. I could not talk. Breathing was in deep gasps now as we climbed. When it became clear I wasn't talking, Tony said he understood. "I call this The Library," he said. "We're going into The Library. No talking."
I like it. The Library. Had this been 10, 15 years ago, climbing this hill at this pace, it would have been laughable. Jogging. Now, as my lungs burn and my legs churn, I peel off the layers of rust and I feel like a runner again. If only for a few minutes every week. In The Library.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Indoor track, 2009
My favorite season: Indoor track!
Today was the first day of my favorite season. Why is indoor track my favorite season? Two main reasons.
1. Simplicity. No vans for practice. No need to go off campus. We practice in the field house or on the roads. Life is simpler during the winter.
2. It's warm. No freezing cold meets (xc or outdoors). See photo in previous post to witness how cold it was at Vanny for ICs. Yikes. The Armory is nice and warm. And there is no wind, unless you are standing by a window or out fetching a slice of pizza at that great pizzeria on Broadway.
Now, having said that ... the truth is my favorite season is the one we are in. I can deal with bad weather if the racing is good. Regionals was a mud-fest and ICs was a wind-blown day, but both elicited smiles as the team ran well. There were some cold and rainy outdoor meets last spring, but no one minds when PRs are recorded.
So, I love all the seasons.
Now that we are in indoors, it's my favorite. It's also the longest season. And again, that's OK.
All right. As a public service to all of you in the Blogosphere, here is our indoor track schedule for this winter. Any Marist Alumni Racing Team members interested in racing any of the meets, contact me and we'll see what we can do. Other than Yale, Mets and MAAC, all meets on the schedule welcome open athletes. Just make sure you are ready to run reasonably fast.
Here's the slate.
Saturday, 12.6: at Yale University Season Opener, Coxe Cage, New Haven, CT
Friday, 1.9: at NYU Metro Coaches Invitational, NYC Armory
Friday, 1.16: at NYU Gotham Cup, NYC Armory
Friday/Saturday, 1.23/24: at Terrier Invitational, Boston University
Thursday, 1.29: at Mets, NYC Armory
Friday, 2.6: OFF WEEKEND (if an earlier meet is snowed out we may find a replacement meet here)
Friday/Saturday, 2.13/14: at Valentine Invite, Boston University
Friday, 2.20: at MAAC Championships, NYC Armory
Friday, 2.27: at NYU Fastrack, NYC Armory
Friday/Sunday, 3.6-3.8: at IC4A/ECAC Championships, Boston University (qualifiers only)
Today was the first day of my favorite season. Why is indoor track my favorite season? Two main reasons.
1. Simplicity. No vans for practice. No need to go off campus. We practice in the field house or on the roads. Life is simpler during the winter.
2. It's warm. No freezing cold meets (xc or outdoors). See photo in previous post to witness how cold it was at Vanny for ICs. Yikes. The Armory is nice and warm. And there is no wind, unless you are standing by a window or out fetching a slice of pizza at that great pizzeria on Broadway.
Now, having said that ... the truth is my favorite season is the one we are in. I can deal with bad weather if the racing is good. Regionals was a mud-fest and ICs was a wind-blown day, but both elicited smiles as the team ran well. There were some cold and rainy outdoor meets last spring, but no one minds when PRs are recorded.
So, I love all the seasons.
Now that we are in indoors, it's my favorite. It's also the longest season. And again, that's OK.
All right. As a public service to all of you in the Blogosphere, here is our indoor track schedule for this winter. Any Marist Alumni Racing Team members interested in racing any of the meets, contact me and we'll see what we can do. Other than Yale, Mets and MAAC, all meets on the schedule welcome open athletes. Just make sure you are ready to run reasonably fast.
Here's the slate.
Saturday, 12.6: at Yale University Season Opener, Coxe Cage, New Haven, CT
Friday, 1.9: at NYU Metro Coaches Invitational, NYC Armory
Friday, 1.16: at NYU Gotham Cup, NYC Armory
Friday/Saturday, 1.23/24: at Terrier Invitational, Boston University
Thursday, 1.29: at Mets, NYC Armory
Friday, 2.6: OFF WEEKEND (if an earlier meet is snowed out we may find a replacement meet here)
Friday/Saturday, 2.13/14: at Valentine Invite, Boston University
Friday, 2.20: at MAAC Championships, NYC Armory
Friday, 2.27: at NYU Fastrack, NYC Armory
Friday/Sunday, 3.6-3.8: at IC4A/ECAC Championships, Boston University (qualifiers only)
Seniors at VCP
Thanks to John Keenan's mom for taking this photo and emailing it to me last week. It is of our 2008 xc senior class at a frigid Vanny at IC4As, the last time this group will run on the famed 5-mile course as collegians. Hopefully, some or all will be back on the trail as members of the Alumni Racing Team.
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