20 miler

So wanted to give everybody an update on the Marathon training.. Completed my second 20 miler this past weekend in 3:08 which was a bit slower than I would have preferred but considering the rain and the humidity on Saturday morning I really couldn't complain. Splits were a bit over (1:32 for the first 10 and 1:36 for the second 10). But hit the 13 mile point right at 2 hours..



I also wanted to thank everybody for all the support with both the Team for Kids charity, I've raised a ton of money for a great cause and an excellent organization all from the help of my friends and family. Of course thank you all also for all your support of me through the training which has been a bit more difficult than I thought it would be, (mainly because of 12 days in China smack in the middle of it which I still don't seem to have recovered from properly). With all that said, I'd recommend you all to train for and run a marathon one day, it's a humbling experience but the results are fantastic.



As for the training, I have one more long run to go (20 miler the weekend of October 12th) and then of course the marathon.



In order to tuneup for the marathon will do a half-marathon in Central Park this Saturday.

Why I run

In China, running is not easy. Running on the streets can best be described as a contact sport. If the smog doesn’t kill you the random scooters and 1982 Pinto's will. Exercise and China don't seem to mix and it is pretty obvious that the mere act of putting on gym sneakers and a sweatband makes you a world-class elitist or maybe an elite class-ist. People here are worried about making enough money to feed themselves, not whether they have perfect abs. The food sucks, the air sucks and the haircuts suck, if I lived here I wouldn't try to burn off fat, I'd be indulging in it. Drinking it by the gallon out of large vats.

But I don't live in China, I just come to enjoy the views and I have to worry about burning the vats of fried cat liver I've eaten, so I go down to the basement where the Health Spa is located. It has been the same story every day.

I wake up in a jet-lagged misery at 5:30AM, brush my teeth with sprite as I’m afraid to drink the water. Get dressed and by 6am I’m on my way. I take the elevator to the basement floor where I’m met by a dark hallway. I walk into a darkness feeling my way to a light switch. I throw the switch and lights beam down on a full gym and 25 meter pool. I turn on the machines and TV. I can't find the AC switch and the pool/basement/china combination makes the place feel like a god damned sauna.
There is no water fountain (wouldn't drink it anyway), no towels and no inspiration.

So there I go, CNN blasting while I try to burn through 5 miles in a room which feels like a Dutch oven.

I sweat out Duck Feet, Pig Snout, Stinky Tofu and whatever else I haven't diarrhea-d out throughout the night. My fat thighs rub together, my nipples hurt and my Favre-beard itches

Finally I hit 8 kilometers. (I hope this is 5 miles), sweat pours off me like a faucet and while I have been there for 45 minutes later, not one person has so much peeked into the room.
This exact routine has gone on for 5 days and counting.

But the marathon is less than 2 months away and I gotta break 4 hours.

I turn off the treadmill and TV and turn down the lights and realize I'm just a glorified Bally's janitor.

20 miler out of the way

I guess you can say that Marathon Training really hits you, the first week you do 20 miles in one run and 38 total miles for the week.

With my China trip over the last 10 days, I've logged a lot of treadmill miles and today was the first day on the streets since the 12 miler last Monday.

Did the 20 miler today through Brooklyn.. 3:08 total time which was OK considering I got off a plane about 15 hours before I started.    HR was at about 157 (mostly because of the last hour).

1's hour was right on pace for 3 hours (did 6.7 miles)
2nd hour was fine also (13.2 miles total)
3rd hour was where I fell apart (was only at mile 19 when hour 3 hit)

stopped at two shops late in the run for Gatorade (not water at all along this route which makes it really difficult).  Also realized that I forgot to take my gel until after hour 2.   This could have given me some energy.

Legs are pretty beat right now, glad to have tomorrow off.   But the training is 40 miles for the next three weeks so no sleep till Brooklyn.


Last week (mostly in China ran the following)
Monday 12 (in Brooklyn)
Tuesday off (flight)
Wednesday 5
Thursday 5
Friday 5
Saturday 5
Sunday 3
Total of 35 for the week

Then this week
Monday 6
Tuesday 4
Wednesday 3.5
Thursday off (flight)
Friday 20
Saturday off
Sunday ...  expect to do 4.5  for a total of 38 this week.

12 miler before I leave for China

As most of you know, I'm off to China tomorrow and wanted to get this week's long run out of the way before I left, as I am not sure how easy it will be to find decent running paths, clean air and time for runs and recovery.

Did the 18.4 miler on Thursday, took Friday off and then ran 4.6 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday preparing myself for today.

got out a bit late (crazy Trivial Pursuit with friends last night) but did get all 12 miles in. Basically ran a shorter version of the 15 mile run by heading straight down 5th avenue to the Verrazano Bridge, up the running path and then back up 4th avenue to the apartment..

Did it in 1 hour and 48 minutes (9 minute mile) but have been having a really hard time with the heart rate as my Reebok watch has been giving me a lot of trouble.. I have to think that I was somewhere in the 152 range again but not 100% sure..

I do continue to have problems when I hit 4th avenue and needing water.. i stopped in at another Bodega for Gatorade but I just can't keep my fuelbelt cold enough to really help me after 1 hour of running. Warm liquid just doesn't do it for me. Jumped into an ice bath afterward (bad life) but my legs feel good and I'm happy to report that another long run is behind me.


will go for a 5 miler tomorrow before going to the airport. This way I'll have 17 out of the 35 miles finished before I get onto the plane.. Keep you guys up to date in China.