Monthly Summary - October

Here's October:

Swim: 14,175 yards
Cycling (outdoors): 22.0 miles
Cycling (indoors): 6:47 (hours)
Run: 150.75 miles
Strength Training/Yoga: 6 sessions

Approximate monthly total training/racing time: 39 hours

Weight: 163 pounds. If I weighed myself correctly this month and last month, I lost about seven pounds in October. Even with all the running I've been doing, I'm pretty surprised about that. I'm still eating a ton. I think it's mostly lost upper body muscle mass. I can see that my chest and shoulders have shrunk. After the 50, I'll concentrate on hitting the weights a little more to recover some of that lost muscle mass. I wouldn't be unhappy at 163 but I'd rather be a few pounds of muscle heavier...

October was a good training month. The highlight was my discovery of the Palisades trails. I did both of my longest October runs on those trails and loved being out there. I was blessed with good weather both times, but I'm excited to keep going out there throughout the winter as long as the trails are open and safe. I ran about as many miles in October as I did in September and I really feel comfortable with the distances. I'm at a point now where going out for a 10-12 mile run isn't much of an issue. Even going out for 17/18 miles (like I did last Saturday) doesn't scare me. But, 17 miles is a far, far cry from the 50 that I'm going to have to run in just 17 days. I didn't miss any training this month and my body feels pretty good. Not surprisingly, I do have some nagging soreness and aches in my knees and back, but nothing that's affecting my training. I've really been enjoying my Monday evening yoga class. Hopefully I'll be able to continue to fit that in during the coming "off season". I can feel myself getting weaker and slower in the pool, but that's not surprising given the fact that I've only been swimming once a week and it's generally within a couple days of my long run. I've only lost a few seconds per 100 yards, but that adds up over the course of a 3,000 yard swim and I can feel that it's slower. My form still feels pretty good, so I'm not worried that I'll regain the speed once I get back to swimming 2-3 times a week.

Since it is Halloween, I want to leave you with this picture of our "Frankenstein":


Swim - October 30
Distance: 3,050 yards
Time: 1:00

Run - October 31
Distance: 3.2 miles
Time: 27 minutes
Average heart rate: 133
Course: West Village
Conditions: Sunny, nice

Bike - October 31
Time: 1:00
Average heart rate: 111
Indoor ride

Poland Spring Marathon Kick-Off

Yesterday, Elizabeth and I raced in the NYRR Poland Spring Marathon Kick-Off. It's a five mile race that officially kicks off (duh!) marathon week here in NYC.

With my original plan to do the San Diego Triathlon Challenge scrapped, I shifted back to my "normal" weekend training plan and did a medium length run (about 17 miles) on Saturday and then had a short run scheduled for yesterday. Saturday morning I woke up to pouring rain and checked the forecast to see that it wasn't supposed to stop raining until that night. Thankfully, it was pretty warm out. So, without thinking too much about it, I got dressed and hit the road for my run. It was actually really fun running in the rain. I ran up the West Side Highway to the Park and then did two loops of the Park and ended at the NYRR offices to pick up our race packets for Sunday. I felt pretty good throughout the run and managed to keep my pace consistently a little slower than eight minute miles, which was just where I wanted to be. The Park wasn't that crowded and there was some nice camaraderie out there - partly because most people out there assumed that everyone else was running next Sunday and the rest because we were the hardy ones out there in the pouring rain. I ran about four miles with some guy ("Eric") who is running next weekend. It was nice to have the company. I spent most of the rest of Saturday on the couch watching college football (including the beat down that the Buckeyes put on Penn State - Go Bucks!).

Sunday we were up at the crack of dawn to meet Emily and Liam on the subway to head up to the race. The rain had stopped, but the temperature had also dropped about 15 degrees and there were some pretty strong winds. Fun. It definitely made us question why we were up so early! But, by the time we got to the Park, the sun was out, the winds didn't feel as strong and it was slowly warming up. My plan was to take the race really easy (my schedule called for three easy miles, so I was already extending that). I lined up and ran the first mile nice and calm solidly in heart rate zone 1. I passed the mile marker at about 7:30, which was fine. At mile 2 my watch said 14:15, which meant a 6:45 mile - a little fast. I tried to slow it down for mile 3 and got there around 21:25 - 7:10, still fast, but OK and my heart rate was in low zone 3. That's fine. At that point, though, I'd passed most of the people who were going to be easy to pass and my competitive spirit kicked it and I decided to step it up a notch and got to mile 4 at about 28:10, a 6:45 mile. At that point, since I was still feeling good, I decided to race it home - and finished with a 6:25 or so mile. It felt great to run fast. I know that I'm not as fast as I was at this time last year (or this spring), but my legs can still move! Elizabeth has gotten back into running, which is great. She's done a lot of lower body strength work and I'm convinced that strengthening her legs and core are key to avoiding injuries. Also, she's not doing 10+ mile runs, which is helpful too!

Thankfully, as yet, the extra effort during yesterday's run hasn't affected me. I took it easy on this morning's run, and it felt really good. I also took my yoga class this evening, for the third or fourth week in a row. I'm really enjoying the class. It's a great stretch and I'm convinced that it's helping to keep my injury-free. I also find it amazingly relaxing - I actually fall asleep during the shavasana at the end of class almost every week.

Less than three weeks until raceday now!

Swim - October 25
Distance: 1,925 yards
Time: 45 minutes

Run - October 27
Distance: 17 miles
Time: 2:20
Average heart rate: 152
Course: West Side Highway to Central Park, 2+ loops
Conditions: Wet, rainy and wet, but pretty warm (mid-60's)!

Run - October 28
Poland Spring Marathon Kick-Off
Distance: 5 miles
Time: 34:42 (6:56/mile)
Average heart rate: 155
Course: Central Park loop (minus Harlem Hill)
Conditions: Cool (52 degrees), sunny
Race stats:
Overall place: 373/5973
Gender place: 341/3081
Age group place: 152/1170

Bike - October 28
Time: 1:00
Average heart rate: 110
Indoor ride

Run - October 29
Distance: 3.2 miles
Time: 25 minutes
Average heart rate: 138
Course: West Village
Conditions: Cold (mid-30's) and clear

Yoga - October 29

San Diego Triathlon Challenge - Cancelled

I got the news via email this afternoon:

Dear Friends:

Due to the massive, widespread wildfires that have devastated San Diego County since Sunday (and continue to burn in the Northeast and Southeast parts of the county) we have decided that the best and most prudent course of action is to cancel the 14th Annual Sempra Energy San Diego Triathlon Challenge and the Frog’s Fitness Tour de Cove scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 28, 2007 at La Jolla Cove.

The safety, well-being and enjoyment of all our event participants was the major factor in our decision-making process. At this point, we do not know what the air quality will be like on Sunday. We are also cognizant of the great losses suffered by many of our friends and neighbors across the county. We believe that after four days of severe disruptions that affected more than 500,000 San Diego County residents, and with an uncertain air quality forecast for Sunday, it is best not to proceed with our event at this time.

CAF thanks all our sponsors, friends and volunteers who have worked so hard to make this year’s San Diego Triathlon Challenge and Tour de Cove a success. Like you, we are very disappointed that the event will not go forward this weekend. However, we truly believe this is the right course of action. Thank you for your continued support of physically challenged athletes.

I was looking forward to seeing, meeting and racing with some of the challenged athletes about whom I've been reading over the course of this year. I was also excited to spend the weekend with my parents and sister, but we've decided that doing all of that travel this weekend doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense at this point. Bummer.

San Diego Burns

Not that it's news to anyone with a television or internet connection, but there are fires currently raging across much of southern California. The satellite picture at the top of this entry is from a few hours ago. I'm following them the best I can via the internet and phone calls with my parents. Thankfully, my parents are pretty far out of harm's way. A friend from Brown was evacuated yesterday, but the fire doesn't seem to be very close to his house at this point. The numbers are staggering - in San Diego county alone there are three major fires, over 1,000 destroyed homes, 250,000+ burned acres and over 500,000 people have been evacuated. There are other fires north in Malibu and near Santa Barbara and north-east near Lake Arrowhead. Terrifying stuff.

Three years ago this coming weekend, I was visiting San Diego for a family friend's wedding. When we woke up on Sunday (the morning after the wedding), the air smelled smokey, the sky was grey and there was already some ash building up on the cars. At the post-wedding brunch, we were all glued to the television and internet, worried about friends who lived in the area of the fire and about when those of us who were flying out of San Diego that day were actually going to make it out. We're headed back to San Diego this weekend and it's happening again, but this time it's expected to be much worse.

In the middle of all my thoughts about the fires is our trip to San Diego this weekend for the San Diego Triathlon Challenge. We are still going to make the trip west, but I'm not that confident that there is going to be a race. While the most recent headline from signonsandiego.com notes "Rays of hope amid the flames and smoke", the fires are still entirely out of control and the current forecast says that the winds fueling the fire are not going to subside until Thursday. Even if the fires are out by Sunday, who knows what the air quality will be like or if putting on the race will be logistically possible for a city trying to dig out from under all the ash. The CAF website says that they're still planning on racing. I'll be there just in case!

My thoughts go out to everyone affected by the fires. I'm thinking about you San Diego.

Yoga - October 22

Bike - October 23
Time: 47 minutes
Average heart rate: 118
Indoor ride

Run - October 23
Distance: 3.1 miles
Time: 25 minutes
Average heart rate: 132
Course: West Village
Conditions: Too warm, evening run

Marathon Saturday

In training for JFK 50, Saturday has been my long run day. On every other Saturday, I've increased the total mileage for that "long run"; recently, as the mileage has increased, I've accomplished that by doing two sessions on Saturday - a morning run and an evening run. The alternate Saturdays have been "recovery" days, when I've only run once and kept that run at a relatively reasonable distance (However, this ultramarathon changing has forced me to have a new definition for "reasonable" - last week's "reasonable" run was still almost 19 miles). Since last weekend was a "recovery" Saturday, this Saturday was a big day. My goal was to run for a total of 4:40, split into two runs - a 3:45 morning run and a 55 minute evening run; 25-27 miles in the morning and 6-7 in the evening. So, I was up at the crack of dawn on Saturday, strapped on my new Brooks Cascadia 2's and jumped on the train towards the George Washington Bridge.

And I had another fantastic run out there. The trails are just great. I started off on the Long Path (the same trail as last weekend), but kept going past the Huyler's Landing Trail, where I cut down to the Shore Trail to head back last week. Instead, I ran a few more miles and cut down to the Shore Trail via the Closter Dock Trail, and I continued heading north on the Shore Trail. The Long Path is mostly a nice, easy trail - it's dirt with leaves and sticks and some rocky sections; it's irregular and there are obstacles and some "tricky" parts, but it's not especially technical. The Shore Trail, on the other hand (as I described last week) is much more uneven and rocky gets a little hairy in places. And the part of the Shore Trail that I ran yesterday was even more challenging than the section I ran last weekend - long stretches of it were mostly rocks of various sizes and various stability. And then, near the northern end of the Park is the infamous Giant Stairs, which is only "stairs" in the sense that you climb and go "up". It's really a bunch of boulders with something of a path pointing one way of getting through them. I'd read about the Giant Stairs and wanted to check them out, but I couldn't remember what happened with the trail next. So, after scrambling (there is no way to "run") through some of those rocks, I turned around and headed back the way I'd come. (The picture at the top of the post is of the Giant Stairs - I swear there's a "path" through/over those rocks!) I took the first cut to get back up to the Long Path - the Forest View Trail. I think I can say that the Forest View Trail is the toughest place I have ever tried to run. Remember the Sand Ladder from Alcatri last October? That was tough in the middle of a race, but you'd have to multiply the length by at least three or four times and the difficulty by a factor of a lot to get to this trail! It was loose dirt and some rock-cut steps and moderate-to-steep inclines and some obstacles. And I was doing it over two hours into my run! I can't say I ran the whole thing, but I came pretty close. At the top of the Forest View Trail I started back towards the Bridge. I was still running fine and feeling strong, but about half way back I ran out of water. I started the run with my four Fuel Belt bottles and a 16 oz. bottle of water. I knew that wouldn't be enough, but was planning on refilling along the way. The problem was that I couldn't find any place to refill - AND I was too stupid to study the map closely before I left to note where the few rest stations with refreshment stands or water fountains are along the trail. I'm guessing I ran for about 45 minutes without any water. I was dehydrated and could feel it in my legs. I finally made it to a water fountain about 3 miles from the Bridge. Better late than never. I gulped down a bunch of water, refilled some of my Fuel Belt bottles and finished strong, or strong-given-the-circumstances! I finished the run about half way back across the George Washington Bridge and walked the rest of the way, enjoying the sunny day and the beautiful views down the Hudson.

And it was a beautiful day - a little too sunny and warm for such a long run (especially without enough water), but a great day to be outside. I had a good run, a nice confidence booster. I did keep thinking about the fact that I only ran about half as far as I'll be running in just four short weeks. I felt great for the first three hours of yesterday's run - I was cruising, easy strolling at a comfortable pace. After the three hour mark, it got increasingly less comfortable or fun. But I do need to keep in mind that I was dehydrated and running alone. Also, knock on wood, well before the four hour mark at the JFK 50, I'll be off the trail portion of the run and onto the tow path. The tow path will be more boring, but it shouldn't be as hard as my course from yesterday. I also need to remember and be proud of the fact that it was the longest run I've ever done and, just a few hours after finishing it, I strapped my running shoes (the Riders this time) and go back at it again for another five+ miles. I mean I ran a friggin' marathon in the morning, had some food, took a little nap and ran some more. That's something I wouldn't have thought possible a year ago.

I really loved running in my Cascadia 2's - they might not be a soft as my Rider 9's, and they are an ounce or so heavier, but they felt great on the trails. The slightly reinforced toe came in handy when I kicked a few rocks. The drainage holes worked great when, about 100 yards onto the trail I stepped in a shallow puddle. When I felt a little water come into my shoe, I was convinced that I would be running in soggy feet for the next three-and-a-half hours, but the water drained right out and I was fine. Also, I'm sure the special sole helped with traction on the dirt and rocks. I'm obviously pleased with this purchase! I imagine that I'll run the Appalachian Trail section (the first 16 miles or so) of the JFK 50 in the Cascadias and then switch to my Rider 9's for the remainder of the race.

Today is Elizabeth's birthday - we had a nice, relaxing day. Walking around and enjoying a beautiful, warm, October Sunday.

Run - October 15
Distance: 3.25 miles
Time: 25 minutes
Average heart rate: 141
Course: West Village/Soho
Conditions: Sunny, cool (low 50's), nice!

Yoga - October 15

Swim - October 16
Distance: 3,050 yards
Time: 1:00

Run - October 17
Distance: 3 miles
Time: 25 minutes
Average heart rate: 142
Treadmill run

Bike - October 17
Time: 1:00
Average heart rate: 116
Indoor ride

Run - October 18
Distance: 3.3 miles
Time: 25 minutes
Average heart rate: 142
Course: West Village
Conditions: Cloudy, warm (mid 60's)

Run - October 20
Distance: 27 miles
Time: 4:00 minutes
Average heart rate: 149
Course: Palisades Park
Conditions: Sunny, warm (high 60's)

Run - October 20
Distance: 5.25 miles
Time: 48 minutes
Average heart rate: 137
Treadmill run

Run - October 21
Distance: 3.5 miles
Time: 29 minutes
Average heart rate: 128
Course: East Village
Conditions: Warm (high 60's)

Happy Birthday Elizabeth!

Love Josh and Charlie!

Sore in Strange Places

My body's feeling pretty weird today.

First, I'm horribly dehydrated. I obviously didn't drink enough fluids yesterday after the run. I'm also guessing that the couple beers I had when I went out last night aren't helping any, but two beers wouldn't normally have this kind of effect. Lesson learned. No, this was a lesson I already knew. Stupid mistake is what it was.

Also, my legs are sore. I'm achy in unusual places - the bottoms and sides of my feet, the outside of my left calf, my upper hamstrings. Thankfully, I'm not really used to being sore these days - even after my long running days, I've generally felt pretty good. I'm guessing this is a direct result of running on uneven surfaces on the trails yesterday. My body is used to the pounding of concrete or the hard-pack dirt on the Central Park "trails", but the Palisades are a whole different beast - I didn't really go into much detail yesterday, but there were challenging descents and tough climbs, mostly on rock-and-leaf-and-branch strewn paths. There was also the sick climb I did near the end of the run - I think it's called the "Carpenter Trail," but it's essentially just a ton of steep stairs leading from the shore up to the Long Path. I mostly ran up the Carpenter Trail. The families who I passed on their way down thought I was totally nuts from the moment they saw me coming, and the way I was cursing to myself solidified their fears!

I did yesterday's run in my normal Mizuno Rider 9 trainers. I still haven't decided on the trail shoes. This indecision should not come as a surprise to anyone who knows me.

Oh yeah, less than five weeks to go now!

Run - October 14
Distance:
Time: 28 minutes
Average heart rate: 134
Course: West Village/West Side Highway
Conditions: Sunny, brisk (low 50's), some wind

Bike - October 14
Time:
Average heart rate: 112
Indoor ride

What a run!

I had an amazing run today. It was a beautiful morning and I found trails just a subway ride away. But before I get into that, I want to mention something I've been thinking about recently and recommend another movie (or 2) and book. I don't consider myself much of a social activist. Elizabeth and I donate to various causes and I'm very proud to say that I helped raise over $12,000 for CAF in connection with my Ironman training, but I haven't gotten very involved in social "causes". I'm not sure why that is. I read the newspaper and follow current events. I can get passionate about issues, especially when it involves what I perceive to be injustice or unfairness. Other than the challenged athletes, I guess I haven't found the cause that really hits me. But I think I'm close.

Earlier this year, I read "What is the What" by Dave Eggers. After having read and loved "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" a few years ago, I eagerly anticipated his new book. And I was not disappointed. It's an amazing "semi-biogaphy"/based-on-a-true-story about Valentino Achak Deng, one of the Sudanese Lost Boys who, after fleeing murderous militias in Sudan on foot and spending years in a Kenyan refugee camp called Kakuma, is eventually granted the right to emigrate to the United States. I'm not even going to try to describe what he went through during his flight to Kenya. And settling in the US, with all the new customs and societal norms and the struggles to find his place in his new home isn't any picnic for him either. After reading the book, I was inspired to research the Lost Boys and some of the various charities and foundations that have been formed to support the Lost Boys in the US and those still in Kenya and to help rebuild Sudan. But, sadly, I left it at that. Then, this week I watched "God Grew Tired of Us" a documentary about three Lost Boys of Sudan and their experience coming to the US. The movie provides some background on the Lost Boys flight from Sudan and life in Kakuma, but mostly concentrates on the transition of three Lost Boys (by then, men in their 20's) to new lives in the U.S. It is wild to see the three men learning about indoor running water and flush toilets and refrigerators and light switches and jobs and public transportation, none of which were part of their lives before coming to the US. It's an inspirational story and heart-breaking at the same time. First, these men lost their families when they fled the militias, then they lost many friends during the flight to Kenya, now, after spending more than ten years in a refugee camp making a new "family" of other Lost Boys, they lose them in order to take advantage of the opportunity to come to the US. They're lonely and tired and working three jobs to send money back to Kenya and Sudan. But they keep at it, trying to make for themselves a better life. This week, I'm going to watch another movie, "The Lost Boys of Sudan". I've heard great things and I'm looking forward to learning more and "meeting" more of the Lost Boys. My goal is to continue reading and learning about the Lost Boys and find a way to help - whether it's money or time, or both or something else. I'm going to figure out a way to help. As a first step, I'm spreading the word here.

Back to my run... (I guess that's the hard thing; it's just so easy to get back to my run/job/life/etc.)

I got up pretty early this morning and, after having my standard pre-run breakfast (oatmeal with half an apple, some maple syrup, a little peanut butter and a little protein powder) and taking Charlie for a walk, I jumped on the subway and made my way up to the George Washington Bridge. I've been meaning to check out the trails in Palisades Park for a while now, but spending the extra time just getting to the place to run normally turns me off. Today, though, with Elizabeth in Los Angeles for work and no plans until later this afternoon, I figured I would go check it out - and boy, am I glad that I did! I really wish I had my camera with me to share how beautiful the run was - it was a crystal clear bright-blue-sky, sunny morning, with a little wind. First I got the view from the George Washington Bridge. Looking south, you get all of Manhattan and further south down the Hudson to Jersey City and Staten Island, and in the north the view up the Hudson is stunning, with the forest-like cliffs of the Palisades on the west shore and the nearly-equally green Bronx on the east. You pick up the trail right on the New Jersey side of the Bridge and there are two main trails - the Long Path and the Shore Trail. I ran the Long Path out and then cut down to the Shore Trail via the Huyler's Landing Trail for my run back to the Bridge. The trails are well groomed and marked with different color paint "blazes" every so often on trees, rocks or signs (the Long Path is teal, the Shore Trail is white, etc.). There are some incredible views from both the Long Path and the Shore Trail - it's a little surprising how green the Bronx and Yonkers are when you're looking at them from New Jersey! There are lots of little critters - squirrels and birds and such - but nothing dangerous. Well, there was this one squirrel that shot across the trail in front of me and almost looked like it was going to attack, but chose to run off instead! In general the Long Path is pretty smooth, but there are some rougher sections. The Huyler's Landing Trail is a little rougher and it's a bunch of switchbacks, some of which are fairly steep. The Shore Trail is definitely rougher than the Long Path; sharper rocks, a thinner trail, more obstacles to run through - and there are some sort of hairy parts, including one place where the river must have eaten the trail away, so you have to hop from rock to rock, while timing a little tide movement to avoid getting wet. I barely saw anyone out there today, which strikes me as a shame because it's such a nice place to run or walk or hike.

All in all, it was damn fun!

I found a ton of information about the hiking/running trails in the Palisades at www.njpalisades.org. The site has descriptions of the trails and maps, but once you get started, the trails were pretty easy to follow (I thought). If you live in New York, you have to go up there and check it out.

Bike - October 8
Distance: 22 miles
Time: 1:15
Average heart rate: HR monitor in the shop
Course: West Side Highway to Central Park, 2 loops
Conditions: Warm, humid

Yoga - October 8

Run - October 9
Distance: 3.1 miles
Time: 25 minutes
Average heart rate: HR monitor in the shop
Course: West Village, West Side Highway
Conditions: Partly sunny

Run - October 10
Distance: 5.5 miles
Time: 45 minutes
Average heart rate: 146
Treadmill run

Run - October 11
Distance: 3.2 miles
Time: 25 minutes
Average heart rate: 139
Course: West Village and Soho
Conditions: Overcast, cooler (50s)

Swim - October 11
Distance: 3,050 yards
Time: 1:00

Run - October 13
Distance: 18.75 miles
Time: 2:35
Average heart rate: 144
Course: George Washington Bridge, Palisades Park
Conditions: Sunny, crisp, high 50's, great day!

Running, running, running

Yesterday was a big running day. I ran about 17.5 miles in the morning and went back out in the evening for another ten. Both runs went really well. For the morning run, I went up to Central Park. The New York Road Runners had a half marathon in the Park yesterday morning, so I decided to get up there an take advantage of their mile markers (to confirm my pace) and a little of their water (mostly to pour on my head to help cool off). I had thought about signing up for the race, but against it because I was worried that if I was in the "race" I would have a hard time not pushing it, which I didn't want to risk given the amount of running I had to do yesterday. I ran up to the Park and once there, did one loop against the race traffic. After that (about 10 miles in), I finished the run on the bridle path and around the Reservoir. I finished my run at a gym on the Upper East Side and jumped into their cold plunge. Or, more correctly, I gingerly tried to get into the cold plunge. I'd like to say it felt good on my joints to get into the icy 40 degree water, but it really didn't. I know it's good for me though, so I tried. After getting home, I spent the afternoon hanging out with Charlie and Elizabeth, watching college football, taking a nap and eating a lot of food! Around 6PM, I got dressed again and headed out for my second run.


To mix it up a little, I ran downtown and across the Brooklyn Bridge and a mile or two into Cobble Hill. During my run across the Bridge on my way to Brooklyn, I had one of those "I love New York" moments. The sun was setting, the sky was totally clear and looking south, I had a stunning view of downtown Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, the East River, the New York Bay and the Statue of Liberty standing guard over it all. A little farther across the bridge, I looked back and in the distance could see a bright-red-glowing sun about half-way down. It was really beautiful. My legs were feeling great and I was running pretty comfortably. About 35 minutes into my run, though, I started feeling really hungry and thirsty. For my long runs, I've been wearing my fuel belt and been very careful about getting enough fluids and calories. For last night's run, I didn't even really think too much about it. I brought a gel and figured that if I needed it, I would buy a bottle of water; it was just a 10 mile run... I guess that I underestimated both how far 10 miles actually is (even if it's not far compared to the 17 I ran in the morning) and how much of a toll the morning run took on my hydration and glycogen/calorie levels. So I stopped to buy a bottle of water and a Powerbar; a huge bite of the Powerbar and a few gulps of water and I started feeling good enough to get myself back home. I ran back across the Brooklyn Bridge and ran across to the West Side before heading north and back home.

The rest of last week was relatively uneventful. I got all of my scheduled training in and even added a yoga class. I found a great class on Monday evenings that I'm going to try to get to most weeks. Last week was my third or fourth time taking the class. It's a very, very basic yoga class; one that I probably wouldn't have liked a couple years ago when I was doing yoga more often. These days, though, it's perfect. It's slow-paced, doesn't involve any "difficult" positions and the instructor is really good about walking around and helping people get into the proper position. For me, it's much more like an hour of stretching than anything else. Hopefully I'll make it back there tomorrow.

I found out this week that I'll have an extra support crew member for the JFK 50. Assaf told me this week that he's going to come and provide moral support and some pacing help during the middle of the race. He and his family moved out to LA in June, but they're going to be in DC that weekend. I was pretty psyched to hear that news. As I've written in here more than a few times, he's a great runner and ran with me in both of my New York City Triathlons and my New York Marathon. The JFK 50 was his first ultra last year. He had a great race - he ended up 40th overall, with a time of 7:28. Even though I'll be lucky to come in within a couple hours of his time, it will be nice to have him out there with me on November 17.

One of my non-training - but training-relate - goals this week is to find a pair of trail running shoes. I've asked a few people if I should wear trail shoes at the JFK 50 and surprisingly, everyone told me that they're really not necessary for this race. The reason is that while the first 16-or-so miles are on pretty rough trails, the rest of the race is on unpaved dirt roads and paved country roads. I'm really comfortable in my trainers and I'm hearing that the only reason that I might want to run in trail shoes would be if it's wet and/or snowy that morning. If it is, I'll plan on running that first portion in trail shoes and then swap out shoes and finish it off in my trainers. So, I want to be prepared for that contingency. I'd like to get some trail shoes this week and test them out next weekend on trails in Westchester or across the George Washington Bridge in the Palisades. Also, I've really enjoyed the trail running that I've done the last few weekends, so if I get trail shoes I'll try to use them over the winter, in East Hampton, if no where else. I went to Jackrabbit and tried on these today:


The Brooks Cascadia 2 might not be the best looking shoes in the world, but they come pretty highly recommended! Jackrabbit didn't have them in the right size today, but they're getting some transferred from the Brooklyn store, so I can hopefully go try on the right size mid-week.

Less than six weeks to the JFK now.

Bike - October 1
Time: 1:00
Average heart rate: 122
Indoor ride

Run - October 1
Distance: 3.2 miles
Time: 27:30
Average heart rate: 143
Course: West Village
Conditions: Partly sunny, cooler

Yoga - October 1

Swim - October 2
Distance: 3,100 yards
Time: 1:00

Run - October 3
Distance: 3.1 miles
Time: 25 minutes
Average heart rate: HR monitor in the shop
Treadmill run

Strength/Core - October 3

Run - October 4
Distance: 3.1 miles
Time: 25:00
Average heart rate: HR monitor in the shop
Course: West Village
Conditions: Partly sunny, cooler

Bike - October 4
Time: 1:00
Average heart rate: HR monitor in the shop
Indoor ride

Runs - October 6
Run #1:
Distance: 17.5 miles
Time: 2:20
Average heart rate: HR monitor in the shop
Course: West Side Highway to Central Park, around the Park
Conditions: Hot (low 80's) and sunny

Run #2:
Distance: 10 miles
Time: 1:25
Average heart rate: HR monitor in the shop
Course: Across Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn, Soho, West Village
Conditions: Even run, still warm (high 70's)

Run - October 7
Distance: 3.2 miles
Time: 25:00
Average heart rate: HR monitor in the shop
Course: West Village
Conditions: Sunny, warm