Take 3

For the third year in a row the Phillies are right on the cusp of making the playoffs with one week to go in the year. For the third year in a row I will be spending the last week of September throwing shit at the tv in my basement.

I can't wait

In a few more years I'll love having these same conversations that I heard walking out of the Eagles game today with 5 minutes remaining...

Boy (about 6): Why would they take McNabb out? He's awesome?
Dad: To rest him.
Boy: Why do they want to arrest him?
Girl (about 8): They're going to arrest Donovan Mcnabb?!?!
boy: Why would he get arrested?
Dad: Because he's so good they have to throw him him jail.
boy: Whoa.

I wrote this the other day but didn't post it because it's boring, but I have nothing better to write so I'm posting it now.

The half marathon started at 7:45am in front of the Art Museum. The Rocky Steps. We live about 30 minutes from Philly, so we left our house at 6:15am. It was definitely the earliest I've woken up since... about 2 days before when Kens woke up early. So, rather than drive the ways I know, I decided to follow the directions provided on the website. As did about 10,000 of the 12,000 people that ran it. After sitting in traffic forever we parked and started the mini marathon to the start line. It was 7:41 when I got to my corral with a full bladder and an extreme need for my pre-race shit. Lines to the port-a-potties were ridiculous so I decided to try to hold it. So, I crowded into the starting area and the iMayor started us off. It was so crowded for the first mile I just decided to go at the pace of the crowd rather than expend the energy required to pass people. At mile one my watch told me 7 minutes and 52 seconds. About 7 seconds slower than my low end goal. I picked up my pace slightly and the second mile was 7:29. A bit faster than planned, so I backed off. A 7:42, then 7:38. I settled into that pace when we looped back around the Art Museum, and Kens and Kym! Hi! back to back 7:39's and I feel like I'm expending no energy and need to plan on when I'll start pushing my pace. Only 6 miles in now, so I decide I'll keep the same pace and start pushing around mile 10. After 9 miles I hear someone else express exactly what I was feeling "I can't believe we're almost done already." He's right. I need to start pushing now. So, I quicken my pace, 7:30, 7:20, 7:07, 7:02. In the last 3 miles I was able to pick up my pace so much that I dropped my full race pace from a 7:42 average to a 7:32 average to finish in 1:38.45. I finished not all that tired knowing I could have gone a few minutes faster and pretty confident I can take about 40 minutes off my previous marathon time if I decide to do it...

ENOUGH ALREADY!!!

Yes, Cecily Tynan had her baby (and it was born on my birthday). Can we stop with the searches now!!!

And I won't disappoint the fans... Here's the happy couple:




And here's a pic of the baby:

For Melissa

It was suggested I draw a diagram of my incident the other day, but I thought I'd rather animate it..

I almost got in a fight on my run this morning. I was doing 5 miles with 3 at pace.

(Brad Pitt will be playing the part of Me..)





My pace started at a mile marker right before you cross a road in a townhouse development. As I was approaching the street a cheesy Monte Carlo painted like a wannabe Nascar was coming to a rolling stop. I had a full head of steam, so I kept going. (and as a side note I have 25 runs this year on the same trail and about 22 of them crossed that street and I've never once stopped.)




When I was about 10 yards past the road I hear "HEY ASSHOLE! HOW ABOUT STOPPING?" I turn and Monte had rolled down his window and was yelling at me.


(Corey Feldman circa 1989 will be playing the part of Monte)



I yelled back "You're the one with the stop sign!", He yelled back "Yeah, and I stopped, you didn't!"




I yelled "That's because I don't have a stop sign, you have to stop for me ASSHOLE!"



Then I ran like the wind. Scared at every crossroad for the rest of my run that he would be waiting for me to kick my ass.

Handled just like Rocky would have

I almost got in a fight on my run this morning. I was doing 5 miles with 3 at pace. My pace started at a mile marker right beofore you cross a road in a townhouse development. As I was approaching the street a cheesy Monte Carlo painted like a wannabe Nascar was coming to a rolling stop. I had a full head of steam, so I kept going. (and as a side note I have 25 runs this year on the same trail and about 22 of them crossed that street and I've never once stopped.) When I was about 10 yards past the road I hear "HEY ASSHOLE! HOW ABOUT STOPPING?" I turn and Monte had rolled down his window and was yelling at me. I yellled back "You're the one with the stop sign!", He yelled back "Yeah, and I stopped, you didn't!" I yelled "That's because I don't have a stop sign, you have to stop for me ASSHOLE!" Then I ran like the wind. Scared at every crossroad for the rest of my run that he would be waiting for me to kick my ass.

And I Would Run...

It was a lot less dramatic than I imagined. No parade, no fireworks, no marching bands. No firetrucks, no champagne, not even a high five. I had just finished my 3rd mile of a 12 mile run this morning and nothing happened. I had just finished my 500th mile of the year and nothing happened. No strippers, no cash prizes, no hugs or kisses. I though at least a checkered flag was waved after 500 miles, but I saw nothing. What a bunch of shit.

Try not to be distracted by my amazing technologies

The stands in Atlanta were pretty empty tonight when Ryan Howard hit a home run. This girl didn't even have to stand up to get the ball.



But what do we have here...


I think I see panties!!!

Running Rambling

On June 11th I printed out a 14 week plan to train for the Philadelphia Distance Run (1/2 marathon). I wasn't exactly dedicated, but I completed all of my weekend long runs. 7 miles turned to 8, which turned to 9. The first week of August I decided to switch to a 16 week marathon plan to match up with the Philadelphia marathon in November. The daily run dedication still struggles, but the weekend runs have also kept up. Those 9 milers turned into 10, which turned into 12, which turned into 14, which turned into 16 miles that I ran on Sunday morning. On tap for this weekend is an 18 miler, follwed by the half marathon the weekend after that. I

Which brings me to where I'm torn. Do I really want to run a marathon? Runnign 18 miles the weekend before a half marathon is probably a killer. Spending three hours cleaning out my garage after my run probably didn't help the cause, but I was really hurting getting out of bed the past two mornings. The 16 mile run itself ws great. Ran quicker than planned, didn't truly start feeling pain until the last mile or two. I'm in waaay better shape than I was when I actually ran a marathon 4 years ago. But my next 11 weekends would look like this:

18 miles
Half Marathon
7 miles
16 miles
20 miles
16 miles
7 miles
20 miles
12 miles
8 miles
marathon

That's somewhere in the neighborhood of 163 miles and 22 hours of running. And that doesn't include all the weekday miles. Am I crazy? Probably. But damn it felt good to finish that marathon 4 years ago. And to be able to do it about a half hour faster this time would be pretty cool.