6/28/2006 Very Special Training this evening


Prospect Park

The Brooklyn contingent of TNT met this evening for a special traing session with the head coach Ramon Bermo (that's him holding court at team practice in Central Park). Want to know more about Ramon, google him and see the things this man has done. Ironman, Marathons, Triathalons, coaches several different teams around the tri-state area. I mean this guy knows what he's talking about. And to top it all off, he's a very nice guy.

So Ramon and another coach, Carla arrived in Brooklyn to give us a little more attention. We reviewed upper body work and effort levels.

At the end of the workout, Ramon felt we really didn't get enough of a work out, so he had Carla lead us through some "strength training."

Carla, I don't know much about her, but after talking with her and going through her workout, I have come to conclusion that she may very well be a super hero in disguise. She runs, she lifts weights, she bends steel with her bare hands, and can leap tall buildings in a single bound. Ok, maybe not the bit about the building.

Carla in the event you're reading this: my quads are still burning from the workout.

I think both Ramon and Carla enjoyed working with us. I know we enjoyed having them and look forward to their return in a couple of weeks.

-J

Tueday 5K Run in Prospect Park

Run Till the Violence Stops 5K run sponsored by NYC Road Runners.

Ok, I was a paid participant, but Aurora was and I ran with her. I won't divulge the time, cause it really wasn't about time, but I will tell you this: we increased our speed a little bit with each mile. Not a big deal you say? Well, consider that a short time ago, I thought walking up the subway stairs was on par with having to climb Mt. Everest on a daily basis.

We came around the turn to the finish line and Aurora and I were running at a nice clip in lock step. People were cheering us on, and there was an announcer who called out, "here comes two peppy runners, congratulations!" It felt good, everyone should have that experience.

-Jim

6/24/06 Work Out Summary

Prospect Park

Brooklyn TNT

We were supposed to have a "surprise" coach, either Ramon (who is a Marathon/Ironman athlete) or Coach Michael (who is also a Marathon/Ironman athlete) this morning, but I think both of them got lost on their way to Brooklyn.

It was a miserable morning. In fact I kind of thought practice would be canceled because there were thunderstorms.

Went to practice anyway, and the die hards were there. We finally got the word that our special coaches were a no show. So our very own Liz C., stepped up to the plate put on her coaching hat, and took over. Way to go Liz! And special thanks to her for not chiding me about eating pizza the night before. Our Brooklyn coaches, Vanessa and Lisa were at two of the four corners of the earth either on business or running around in Alaska.

The run today was arduous. I had pizza the night before, you carbo loading. Wrong choice. Half way through I was having horrific acid indigestion. I had to cut the run short so I only did a loop around the park. Now I know better.

Speaking of food and training; I have a little father/son story on the importance of a good meal before a workout. Keep an eye out for it.

6.20.06

Central Park with the whole team.

"We're not going to do much running today!" I could have sworn I heard someone say that. But I was wrong. Very wrong.

The goal today: run at an anaerobic threshold.

What does that mean? Run real fast for a short distance then recover, then run real fast for a short distance then recover. Repeat.

We started at 90 th street then ran up to 102nd traverse. Our work out today consisted of running at effort level 4 half way through the traverse then slow down to effort level 1 for the other half. We did that about six times. Coach Vanessa was at one end, Coach Christine was at the other end, and another coach in the middle.


I had to walk to recover from my effort level four. As we pressed on my speed went down and down. I have to recognize one of the team mates, Pete S. Pete was a machine. He sped back and forth like it was nothing. I think he lapped me twice.

So I have a little ways to go.

Survived the workout, back was a little stiff at the end but nothing to worry about.

-J

6.18.06 Work Out Review

Prospect Park

2.5 mile loop. Running with Aurora, did 10 mins on then 3 mins recovery. We ended with a fast trot for a quarter mile just to get an idea of what a fast pace is.-

-J

6.17.06 Work Out Summary

LSD (Long Slow Distance) in Prospect Park

Five mile loop plus 6min out and 6min back. Turns out to be a little over 6 miles.

Ran with Amelia and Marissa. Ran slow not breaking any records, but still moving. Running with the girls made run a little faster.

Just an FYI - this is the longest I've ever run continuously. Yes I used to play soccer when I was younger, but I never actually counted the miles. In fact I've always had this "idea" that six miles was "too far" and I'd never make it. Six miles this week, who knows how many next...

-J

6/13/06 Work Out Summary

Work out in Central Park.

Lower Loop- 2.44 miles no idea how fast.

We do this thing where we run between lamp posts at an effort level that is about 10% more than what our "slow" pace is.

More Random Notes on the workout...
Warm weather.

Concert in the park sounded like the Dead

Rode the sub way with fellow Brooklyn Teammate, Alexia. Met Susanna getting off the sub way. Susanna told us about a debate she was having with a friend: would you rather read a biography about: Axel Rose or Dave Grohl?

My Vote: Dave Grohl - there's the whole Nirvana history to him.

6/12/06

Monday Evening Run through Prospect Park

It was a nice evening for a little jaunt through the park. Only did 2.5 miles, but I did them none the less.

I got home around 7:00 and A was in the bedroom. "I'm just resting my eyes," she said. I said, "rest them while run round the park, ok?" She got up a little sleepy, but once we were half way through our run she was bright eyed and busy tailed.

Have a big team work out tomorrow in Central Park.

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6.10.06

The LSD in Prospect Park was good!

(excerpt of a conversation with myself)

Jim2: What’s that? Jim are you on drugs? LSD?

Jim: That’s right Jim2. I am in Training for a marathon.

Jim2: Then what are you doing taking LSD in Prospect Park?

Jim: Jim2, its just another way of saying Long Slow Distance.

Jim2: Long Slow Distance?

Jim: That’s right Jim2. On Saturday’s in Prospect Park, I get together with my other Team In Training teammates and run for a long time at a slow pace.

Jim2: Whew! That’s a relief. How far did you run?

Jim: Jim2 I ran a five mile loop.

Jim2: FIVE MILES? Gee willikers! That’s like a long long long distance.

Jim: Well Jim2, its nothing compared to the twenty six miles of a marathon.

Jim2: Twenty six miles? Won’t that take like a week to run?

Jim: Let’s hope not.

Jim2: Well I’m glad you’re not doing drugs. For a minute there I thought...

Jim: I know what you thought. Remember Jim2, Just Say No To Drugs.

Jim2: I will Jim. And good luck with the marathon. Which one are you training for?

Jim: That’s a good question. I was training for the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco, but earlier this week I received my entrant number to the New York Marathon.

Jim2: New York City! Jeepers Jim, what are you going to do?

Jim: I’m still thinking about it Jim2. I’m still thinking about it.

Take a good look! These are the feet that are going the distance.

-Those letters on my foot? Click here to find out.

The Team In Training Presentation- Why I signed up...

As I said the presenation was given by a group of very healthy looking runners. All of whom had the same line, "I too was sitting where you are wondering can I really run a marathon?"

Naturally all of them assured the crowd, YES YOU TOO CAN RUN A MARATHON. Really? Me? I mean I've got this back thing, I used to smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, I love to eat food, good food, bad food...Really? Me, Jimmy Jimmy Jo Jam?

YES. People worse off than you have completed training and a marathon, then they come back for more!

Yeah right. Did I miss the Kool Aid on the way in? Cause it sure seems like these people are all singing the same song...And you know what I kind of liked the tune. Then things got a little heavy...

The lights dimmed and the and video was put in the VCR. Images of lots of people running (obviously they drank the Kool Aid). These are people who look happy. Happy while they're running a marathon. Then it hits me I'm watching crazy people. I'm watching crazy people laugh and have a good time while running. I'm thinking, all right now, I get it, it's a lot of fun, run, marathon, people have good time, I get it.

Then the screen flashes to kids in hospital gowns, with IV's in their arms, and no hair on their heads. I sucked in a deep breath. The idea that children who have not yet "lived" their lives are now fighting to stay alive. It just seemed so damn unfair. I've had such a full life in my thirty something years. Why did I get so lucky and some kid who hasn't lived is fighting so hard just to stay alive?

One of the things I have to tell you here is my Dad survived a battle with cancer recently. The scariest thing about the whole thing was we didn't know how far the cancer had spread. And we wouldn't know until they split stem to stern and had "a look around." Huh? You're gonna cut my Dad open like a side of beef and look around? Its not a set a car keys, its friggin' cancer! Isn't there some test you can do to tell? Have you got to cut him open? Yes they did.

Fortunately he's gonna be all right. He seems to function just fine without that pesky bit of cancerous colon. Sure he's got a big zipper scar up his front, but he's here. Well not in Brooklyn, somewhere on the east coast. He got his Jack Keroac going full tilt boogie, and is traveling the country with his wife in an RV.

So why am I running? To honor my Dad, who showed real courage during his battle with cancer. To help those young kids battling blood cancers. I'm running for you, reading this, I want you to live your life to the fullest.

Wednesday June 7, 2006 Workout in the Central Park

A big E for effort today. Today's workout was all about Effort levels.

I think the group who showed up today should get an extra gold star because the weather today was miserable. It was that misty rain that doesn't really come down but is present everywhere, so no matter what you get soaked.

Tonight's run started at 90th street and Fifth, we ran up town to the 106 traverse, the down to 86th street and back. The Effort level training came in to play at the turn on to the 106^th street traverse.

Light Poles its all about the Light Poles- on the traverse we were to the distance between three light poles at Effort Level 3, the slow down to Effort Level 2 for three light poles and so on until we go to the west side. On the West Side Drive we headed south to 86^th street then at 86^th street, we turned around and ran back. The whole time we’re supposed to be doing the whole 3 light poles thing.

Today’s discoveries: 1) don’t start out at level three, 2) If I have the smallest inclination to urinate; I should do so before running 3) I can not see out of fogged up glasses 4) my beloved green pull over from LL Bean is not water repellant, 5) the location of the tennis center in Central Park.

1. I started out much too fast. By the time I got half way through the traverse, I didn’t have much left for the down and back to 86^th street.
2. Always “go” before you run. Besides starting at too fast a pace, my small urge to “go” had turned into an all consuming feeling. Ugh! I thought about just running in to the bushes, but I just couldn’t. I kept looking out for a port-a-potty but oddly enough there were none to be found.
3. My X-Ray vision that I inherited from Superman (third cousin twice removed on my mother’s side), was not working to its best capacity. I was wearing my glasses and if they weren’t fogged up they were covered in water.
   
4. I thought it’d be a good idea to wear my 10+ year old LL Bean pull-over thingy. Wrong move. It soaked up water like a sponge, and then bothered the heck out of me.
5. The Tennis Center is located at about 96^th street on the west side. Restrooms are available. Please wipe your feet before entering.

It was cold and wet, and damn proud of myself and all the TNT who showed up for training.

It all began over a scoop of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream at Ben & Jerry's in Downtown Brooklyn. After all don't all great stories happen around food? Aurora (my fiance) picks up a flyer and says, "I'm going to do this."

I look and its a Team in Training Pamplet...something with a headline like, "TRAIN TO RUN A MARATHON; CURE CANCER." And just about that time, a little bit of my ice cream ran down my wrist, ohh, can't let that get away...slurp. Right run a marathon, cure cancer whatever....

Flash forward a week later, and Aurora and I are sitting in the Brooklyn Public Library listening to a presentation by a host very peppy presenters about Team in Training. And I like what I'm hearing.