One Day Till Baltimore

Just one day until the Baltimore Running Festival. I finished my last pre-race run this morning and I'm as ready as I can be.

Last night, I hit the expo. The primary function of the expo is to distribute all the stuff that the runners need for the race: the bib number, t-shirt, and other important information. The secondary purpose is sell lots of stuff. There are vendors selling shoes, Powerbars, sweats, socks, sunglasses, etc. There are also booths for future races and usually lots of giveaways.

The expo was held at the club level of M&T Bank (Ravens) Stadium. A very cool spot, but not exactly conducive to this type of event. The organizers had everyone enter from a single door by elevator only. When you arrive, you are directed to the left as far as you can go. This gets you to the stop where you show your id and pick up an index card with your info on it. From there, you walk back to where you came in, show your card and pick up your race number. Then, all the way to the right, as far as you can go, to get the t-shirt. In between each of these stops are 50 or 60 vendors, so they make you look. The corridor is also too narrow for the heavy two way traffic with booths set up on both walls and in the middle.

It was a bit of a zoo, though they did get me for a $10 pair of socks! (YES -- I paid $10 for two socks. Five dollars each.) There were a few goodies that I picked up but not a lot.

They are projecting 14,000 runners tomorrow and I feel like I'm gonna know almost half of them! Well, maybe a few less than that.

Good Luck to:

Scott -- First Full Marathon -- what a way to celebrate your 40th birthday!
Ann Marie -- Full Marathon
Stacey -- Half Marathon
Bob -- Half Marathon
Dave -- Relay (3rd Leg)
Rob -- Relay (1st Leg -- Team Alter)
Karen -- Relay (2nd Leg -- Team Alter)
Kim -- Relay (3rd Leg -- Team Alter)
Katie -- 5k

After Katie finishes her 5k, she's going to be looking for running friends and she says she'll have a sign -- including for me! Katie will add wishes to the sign -- e-mail her here. Thanks Katie.

I'm running the 4th leg for Team Alter. We're bib 9858 and you can track us here.

Right now, the weather forecast is for a high of 70, low of 49 and sunny. Should put us in the upper 50's around start time at 8 am. PERFECT!

Next report: the post-race over the weekend.

L'Chaim!

Better Late than Never

Just a few days late for my Monday update. I was away on business for a couple of days and then life just takes over.

The scale was even for last week, which is okay, I guess. Good week for exercise -- 15 miles running, which is my highest miles in several months. Also 21 miles on the bike on Sunday.

Two days and counting until Baltimore Marathon Relay. Getting pretty psyched for the run. Weather should be perfect -- high of 69, low of 53 and sunny. Planning to hit the expo tonight. More on the race tomorrow.

L'Chaim!

Anybody Know a Good Glass Company

A couple months ago, my eldest along with the next door neighbor eldest boy put a baseball through our small basement window. We were totally cool with it -- it happens. Neighbors agreed to pay for half. We called out a handyman that we use (as I am definitely not handy) and $132 later, it was done.

With that came some important lessons: stuff happens; don't lie and the pain will be minimized.

I thought we handled it well, but it appears that the lessons were short lived.

Late this afternoon, the kids started acting weird. Finally, #2 tells me that the window "got broke." Tells me that they were playing baseball in the yard and it went through the same window as last time. Tells me where they were standing and that they were playing with a tennis ball. Okay, I tell him that he and his brother will share the cost.

So I go downstairs to survey the damage. The hole is definitely big enough for tennis ball, but I didn't see a tennis ball. I did see a golf ball, though. Can't possibly be a golf ball from the kids 'cause they told me it was a tennis ball that went through the window. Can't possibly be a golf ball through the window 'cause golf balls are not approved back yard equipment. Can't possibly be a golf ball 'cause the kids know that golf balls are not approved back yard equipment.

Seems that they were less than honest. Not a happy dad. Not a happy mom. Happy glass man! Lesson for us -- we'll be putting that board right back over that new glass.

L'Chaim!

Intoxicating and Irresistable

Of course I'm talking about Deb! I'm also talking about her chocolate chip cookies.

Deb makes her chocolate chip cookies probably 10 times a year. I'd put them up against anything out there in the market. They are amazing. In the old days, I'd hang around the kitchen and as she'd take a tray out of the oven, I'd be nearby to snag a hot one off of the wax paper. On a good day, I'd down at least six, maybe more.

For the past 15 months, I've tried to stay away from the cookie baker. Can't hide though, that delicious smell permeates the whole house.

Yesterday, Deb made a small batch since my mom was coming for dinner. When they came out of the oven and hit the cooling rack, I picked out a small one loaded with chips and said "I want that one." Then I walked away.

Later last night, I saw that very cookie put away in the closet. Deb said "you said you wanted it." I was kidding of course.

This afternoon, as I was killing time waiting for the Ravens late start and I spied the cookie. I'm thinking what could it be -- 50, 60 calories? Maybe 100 at worst? I know my bike ride this morning killed at least 1000 calories. It looked so good.

I caved. That luscious baked dough was too much. I took it out of the closet and just smelled it. Oh, my god, what a smell. I just inhaled it for a minute and then bit off just a tiny corner with a big chip in it. Wow, how did I let that go for so long. I probably took 10 bites, maybe 12 out of that cookie that once upon a time was a two biter. Just amazing. I'm sure I enjoyed that single cookie more than I have ever enjoyed any cookie.

Do I feel guilty? No not really. If I had followed that one with two or six more, then maybe I would (and should.) This one was worth it. This ONE was worth it!

L'Chaim!

2.67

The blah's continued last night. Pat and Jenny recommended running at football practice -- got home too late, but a good thought.

This morning, I got up at 5 to run, got dressed to run, got my shoes on to run, turned on the treadmill to run, turned on the tv to watch while I was running on the treadmill. Then, I just couldn't do it. I didn't have it in me. Every bone in my body, every cell in my head said not to do it. I listened. More blahs.

My plan was to come home from work, have dinner, put the kids to bed, then veg in front of the tv till bed time. But, I kept reading the comments and encouragement. Seems that there is a run of the blah's these days, but thankfully also a run of good advice.

Chubby said "Anyone can train hard when they feel like it. But the difference in results comes with the less-than-spectacular workouts - the "punch the clock" workouts." (She attributed this to Alwyn Cosgrove.) Kim didn't want to swim, but she did. Pokey didn't feel like running either, but she pushed on and had a great run. Mike was blah, too, but got through it. And now, I find out that my uncle is NOT an Ethiopian marathoner. (Who knew?)

So this afternoon, I talked to Deb and told her I needed to run through it. She wholeheartedly agreed. This needed to be outside, not on the 'mill. Time was not on my side. I got home at 6:15, changed, grabbed my Garmin and mp3 and headed out. No time to stretch (shame on me.) Off I went.

It was a really sloooooow run, but it was a really gooooood run! As dusk turned to dark, I turned into my driveway with 2 2/3 miles completed and, though my time wasn't stellar, I jogged the whole way and no pain in the ankle.

It felt great to be outside and to enjoy the run. Are the blah's cured? Thanks to all my friends out there, for tonight, they are!

L'Chaim!

Blah

Just feeling kinda blah lately. Not sure what it is, but I'm really tired. Slogged through three slow miles on the 'mill yesterday and just couldn't get outta bed this morning. It's even been tough keeping my eyes open at night. Deb came home from a meeting last night at 9:30 and I was practically out on the couch. Just feeling blah.

#1 son has football practice tonight -- maybe a good time for a run. Maybe get me outta the blah's.

Blah, Blah, Blah!

L'Chaim!

Monday Update

After almost two months, finally a good week on the scale. Using the 15-day average, I am down 2.1 pounds from last week's 15-day average to a total loss of 156.3 at 257.7. Also during the week, I flirted with -160 for a day, but I think the scale was playing a joke on me as it didn't last long. For the month, I lost only 1.8 lbs. By far the smallest loss in the past 15 months, but a loss is a loss. I'll take it (as if I had a choice.)

Last week was a big week for exercise with 14.25 running miles and 21 biking plus one day of weights.

No doubt the increased activity made a difference. Still, after yesterday's ride, I think I ate just about everything in sight.

With three months to go, it's time to concede that I won't lose 100 lbs in 2007. Even 75 will be tough -- 18.7 to go -- but that's my target. Lot's of work to do.

L'Chaim!

Hebrew School Dads

I've got to say I was nervous as hell going out biking this morning. I'm not generally comfortable in a setting with lots of new people. I would much rather hang with folks I know. Things like Deb's High School Reunion blow me away. I want to be more attached to her than my kids are to her during a nasty thunder storm right at bedtime. Once I get to know people, I'm good to go. So, it took a lot last week for me just to approach these guys, but I did. Today, I knew I'd have to go beyond meeting, to conversation and showing off my very new bike riding skills.

As soon as I got out of the car with kids in tow, one of the guys asked if I was going to ride. Okay, not to overstate the obvious, but I've got a bike on the back of my car and I'm dressed in spandex and a yellow bike jersey. Whaddya think? "Sure, If you're open for another." "Absolutely."

Knowing that these guys ride much faster that I normally do was intimidating too. It's also about the gear -- I was comforted to see at least two guys wearing street shoes (or so they appeared) with toe clips. Not everyone was wearing clipless. Ahh, I thought, there may not be a "C" group, but at least they're probably not all "A"s.

One of the guys asked me if I knew their route. No clue, so he gave me the low down, including Murray Hill. I was warned about Murray Hill. I've never ridden or driven it, but about three of they guys warned me. So I was prepared. For what, I didn't know, but I was on notice.

We headed out at about 9:15 and there were seven or eight of us. For the first mile or two, a few of the guys rode with me and we talked and introduced ourselves. I was pretty comfortable with the group. At about that point on a slight incline, I started to fall back. Not far, but not able to keep up. Over the first hill and down to the light, we were all able to cross at the same time, but on the next hill, I again fell back.

As I caught up again, Charlie warned me that Murray Hill was just around the corner at about the five mile mark. Charile was going ahead but he'd wait for me at the top of the hill. Murry Hill is a country road that runs about 7-8% for a mile or so. Just when you think your at the crest, there is a short flat portion followed by another 1/4 mile up hill. It's a bear, but I was doing okay -- slow but okay -- until I dropped my chain about 3/4 the way up. As I was fixing it, Charlie came back to check on me and I was able to ride the rest of the hill.

By this time, the rest of the group was long gone so Charlie rode with me. We hit some familiar areas and at one point he said that there was one nasty hill that he's had to walk. I thought no problem for me, even though I'm new at this, I've been able to tackle every hill I've seen since I got my new wheels. There is a very nice down hill leading up to this steep incline which would be great, except for the hairpin turn at the very bottom ensuring that you will get almost no help heading back up. This one slayed me. At about a 1/3 the way up the 3/4 mile slope, I started to walk. Honestly, I'm not sure my walking was much slower than riding at that point. As I got to the top, Charlie was again waiting and announced "17%". Wow, I don't feel so bad.

At this point, the "A" group caught up to us. Seems that they had taken a longer route and wound back around to where we were.

The rest of the ride was good, but I was pretty whooped so there wasn't a lot of speed.

When we got back, there were more we talked as we got our bikes ready to go and I definitely felt welcome. Can't wait until next Sunday!

L'Chaim!

Food Court at the Mall

I'm not a big fan of the food court at the mall. Kids love it, though. It's a virtual plethera of fried and other high-fat foods. For some reason, what I always think will be an inexpensive meal winds up costing more than going to a chain, espeically if it's just me and the kids.

I needed to stop at the mall tonight at around five with kids in toe and Deb out to dinner with some girl friends. After a painful thirty minutes in the sporting goods store with the 40% off coupon they e-mailed me that included one interim trip to the men's room and 419 sentences that started with "Dad, will you buy me. . .", I mercifully gave in to the food court.

#2 son is easy. . . always. I'm thinkin' this kid was born somewhere West of Hawaii. . . maybe China or Japan, cause there is no Asian food the boy won't eat. Chineese, Japaneese, Thai, he eats it all and the sesame chicken at the Chineese place is his ticket.

#1 headed to Popeye's -- home of everything fried -- chicken, potatoes, nice buttery biscuits (not fried, but maybe I'll suggest it,) too. Since we had spent the afternoon at a birthday party with all the requisite treats there, I suggested that he might look for a more healthy choice. Much to my surprise, he quickly gave in and ordered up a subway meatball sub. A much better choice.

After the kids settled in with dinner, I headed to Bistro Sensations. They do a great job with salads, baked potatoes and soups. Certainly one of the better choices in the mall. As I stood in line, I was fourth behind three other guys. It struck me as odd that four guys would be in line at the salad station. You know, for chick food. Anyway, I got my salad, a bowl of crab soup and a water and joined the boys.

After fending off a few hundred more requests to stop here and there, we were finally, mercifully, out of the mall.

Time to start looking forward to the "Hebrew School Dad's Bike Ride" in the morning. Sweet dreams!

L'Chaim!

What's for Dinner?

Once upon a time, in a land way too near, dinner was a major discussion point in my house. Deb and I would banter about all different kinds of proteins and different ways to prepare them. Fried, baked broiled, grilled, sauced, sauteed, spiced, rubbed. Always a new and different experience. Deb is quite the cook, too, so that didn't hurt. Unfortunately, my relationship with food certainly did keep me at 400+.

In the old days, Deb would call and ask what I wanted for dinner. I might throw something out, maybe not, but we'd pretty quickly come up with a plan. Definitely some potato and a veggie to go along. She'd also cook for 8. Well, 8 normal sized people. Seconds were guaranteed. Leftovers were not.

Today, she still asks what I want for dinner, and I almost never have a preference. Lately, I'm into chicken and fish more than beef and pork, but any derivation of those will do. My indifference has created a bit of stress between us, too, as the task of selecting the meal falls entirely on her shoulders. I am totally grateful for her flexibility in this department as my preferences have changed over the years as I'd go on and off various diets.

We talked about this indifference a couple of weeks ago and realized that my relationship with food has changed so dramatically over the past 14 months that sustenance has become more important than selection. I'm good with just about anything she puts on the table -- it's all good. Seconds are limited to the green of the day, which she still prepares generous volumes of, but if we're having burgers -- It's 4 on the grill, not 6 or 8.

Mike commented a couple of days ago: "It is funny to see how people like us have now replaced food with exercise." It couldn't be more true. When I get out on my bike or go out for a run, I try to think of more exotic places to run or ride. (Well, as exotic as suburbia can get, I guess, like which Starbucks will I stop at along my route for a jolt.) I definitely spend more time thinking about that course that what we should have for dinner. Some nights I feel like I'd rather go out and ride than eat. If it weren't the only family time we spend together most week days, I might actually do it.

I spoke today to a friend that I haven't seen in a couple of years. He asked me if there is anything that I miss from the old diet. Truthfully, no. The killer for me is the smell. Last night Deb cooked some cookies and cake for a meeting that she was going to today and the smell through the house was delicious. That was painful. But. . . I survived and didn't cave. I learned how to deal with goodies at the beach in August as previously detailed.

So the catharsis continues and I'm in a really good place and feel better every day at my chances for long term success.

Deb just called: "What do you want for dinner?" What ever you want, my love.

L'Chaim!

What's for Breakfast?

I overheard this converstation in my house yesterday morning as Deb was breakfasting the kids:

#2 son: What's for breakfast?
Mom: Waffles.
#2: Your waffles?
Mom: No, Aunt Jemimah.
#2: Aunt Sherri's making waffles?
Mom: Do you see Aunt Sherri here in this house?
#2: No.
Mom: Aunt Jemimah's waffles.
#2: Who's Aunt Jemimah?

Just struck me funny. Kid's been eating the same damn waffles since he was two.

L'Chaim!

Back to My Old Friend

I really enjoy running outside, but with Baltimore coming up way too soon and needing to get some training in, I still don't want to risk any further injury before the race. The best way to train, then, is back with my old friend, the treadmill.

Since I did 2 mi pain free on Sunday, I decided to bump to 2.5 on Monday. As I got to about 3/4 mi, my left thigh started to tighten up. Walked a bit, then shut it down at a mile. (Stretching? I don't need no stinkin' stretching.) Total of 1 mile. Bummer.

Yesterday, I got some stretching advice and spent about 10 minutes stretching before hand. While watching The Biggest Loser, headed down to the mill. Running was fine, but started to feel nauseous as I approached a mile. The thigh felt okay -- still a bit sore, but much better than Monday. Unfortunately, I had to deal with the other issue. Did 1.3 mi. and felt queasy the rest of the night. I've rarely run at night, so maybe I was running too close to dinner. I dunno.

Today I went back to the old stand by -- a morning tread. After stretching again and with ESPN2 and Mike and Mike on the tv, I again planned for 2.5 miles, hoping to run the whole distance. Again, some very slight, but noticable pain in the thigh, but nothing debilitating. No bad belly feelings, so I was set to go. As I got to 2 1/2 miles, I felt good enough to finish out 5K, which was my minimum run in the months before injury. Was able to finish running about 80-85% of the distance. Felt good. A few minor pains, but I seem to be much more aware of every little twinge. Averaged 11:50/mile -- quite good for me, especially considering my treadmill pr is 11:20 and I haven't been on it in almost 3 months.

This was a great test and I feel like I've passed it -- on the third try. I'd like to work up to at least 5 miles leading into Baltimore and I'll declare myself ready to go. Feeling good about that. Feels good to feel good!

L'Chaim!

Baltimore Marathon

It all started about a week ago when my buddy Dave told me he was asked about running a leg in the Baltimore Marathon Relay. Then he sent me the link for the medal, which, I think, sealed the deal for him.




I suddenly got a case of medal envy.

I started to think . . . hey, if I could do 13 miles a couple of weeks ago, why couldn't I do 5, 6 or 7 in three weeks?

Last night, Deb said -- "so are you going to do anything with the Baltimore Marathon -- you know they have a half marathon and a 5k". Door open. . . walk right in. "As a matter of fact, I've been thinking. . ."

So, I check the Active board for the race and found a couple of posts for people looking for one or two runners. I e-mailed one and they're still looking. Did the full disclosure thing -- make sure they're not looking for someone that will give them a shot a something fast.

THEN, Deb tells me she's got plans that day. Dad comes to the rescue to watch the kids and hopefully will bring them to the finish line.

Looks like I'm in -- 4th leg is the longest at 7.3 miles, but will get to cross the finish line at Raven's Stadium! Better figure out a quick 18 day training plan.

L'Chaim!

Breakthrough?

It has seemed like I would never break through the scale plateau that I've been on for the past six weeks or so. I first hit 257 point something on August 10 and since then, I had gone as high as 261.8. On 9/6, I hit 256.8, and had hoped to see a sustained breakthrough, but it wasn't meant to be. Today, the scale showed 256.2. Hopefully, this will represent the first of many new lows soon to come.

Before you comment about not worrying about the scale, this is definitely easier said than done. For my entire life, my level of physical fitness has been measured by the scale. I was reminded of my younger struggles with the scale when I read the obituary of my childhood pediatrician over the weekend.

The annual visit to Dr. Blue was dreaded as soon as mom put it on the calendar. Imagine the level of stress in a ten year old when, despite my parents best efforts, I knew that the scale would go too far in the wrong direction and, unfortunately, I was rarely wrong. After the exam, I would be excused so that Dr. Blue and my mom would be able to confer. In those days, the doc never seemed to communicate care to the minor patient as my kids' doctors do today. Mom would come out and we'd leave and I'd anxiously await "the discussion." If I was lucky, we'd discuss my weight on the way home, in the car. If I was unlucky, dad would be involved. Regardless, once we had the conversation, I was safe to start bulking up again until the next year.

Wow, amazing what skeletons pop out of your mind when an event jogs your memory.

Back on topic of the scale, despite my stagnation, I definitely feel more fit over the past couple of months. No doubt it has been due to the increased weight work and cross training. Also, I'm truly not stressing about the scale as I had earlier this year when I stagnated. I feel good and getting better every day. I won't hit my 2007 goal of losing a second 100 pounds, but I will feel better and fitter than ever before.

L'Chaim!

First Brick

It's been a solid week since I've had a chance to exercise, since the Philly half. It's been two weeks since I've been on the bike. I've really missed it, too.

With a relatively open day, I wanted to try to run again, given last week's success, and get back on the bike, too.

Not wanting to push the ankle too much, I decided on just a two mile loop near the house. Heading out around 7, the house was still quiet. Outside temp was probably in the low 70's and humid -- pretty warm for that time of day and this time of year. As I started to run, every little twinge alerted me. I felt a few twinges here and there, but nothing lasting. The most pain was on the back of both thighs. Probably should have done a better job stretching. In the end, I finished two miles in about 25 minutes. It felt good to get out there and not feel the ankle pain. Something now to build on.

After the run, I went to drop my kids off at Hebrew School. On the way out, I saw a bunch of dads in the parking lot getting ready to head out for a bike ride. I asked one of them about their pace -- said 16 mph. I'm no where near ready for that, but one of the other guys said I should come out anyway, only way to get better. Maybe I'll check it out next week.

Deb and I had a brunch at the school at 10, so I had already planned to bring my bike and ride afterwards. I headed out at about 11 and did 20 miles in about 90 minutes. At around mile 12, I was exhausted and thought about heading home, but changed my mind. Made a left turn down a street I hadn't hit before. Correction . . . made a left turn UP a street I hadn't ridden before. For about four miles it was almost entirely up hill. I made it, slowly, but I made it. Felt really good.

It was a really good day, capped off by the Ravens beating the Cardinals in a much too close finish, but a win is a win.

Now, what should I do for an encore?

L'Chaim!

Yom Kippur

Tonight at sundown, the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur will begin.

Yom Kippur is known as the Day of Atonement and is the holiest day of the year in the Jewish calendar. Jews worldwide will fast from sundown tonight until sundown tomorrow and attend synogogue to ask God for forgiveness for their sins committed over the past year. We also ask that God inscribe us in The Book of Life for the coming year.

It is a very solemn and thoughtful period.

I wish all of my Jewish friends and family an easy fast.

L'Chaim!

Pain, Pain Go Away

With out a doubt, this is the longest I have felt pain from a particular athletic endeavor. Though the vast majority of the aches are gone, still have some outer thigh pain and, unfortunately, my right ankle again. Was hoping I might be beyond that.

Ugh!

The Wine-O-Sphere

My brother (aka jobrotha) posted this thread on his favorite bulletin board.

Click here.

While it's not exactly Runners World, it is very cool! Thanks, Neil.

More on Philly

The Pain

Let me begin with the pain. The following is an inventory of the parts of my body that hurt today:

• big toe on right foot -- where the blister was
• ball of my left foot
• right achilles
• right ankle
• inside/back of my knees
• outer thighs on both legs
• inner thighs on both legs
• lower back
• upper back
• shoulders
• both upper arms

I'm sure as the day goes on, I'll find some additional ailments.

But, it's a good kinda pain. I'm sure if I'd have actually trained, I'd be in much better shape, but it is what it is.

Good day for a sick day today.

The Race

More thoughts on the race.

I forgot to mention the cow bell guys yesterday. At about mile four, I started parrying with a couple of guys that were wearing cow bells. One of the vendors at the expo were giving them away. Now, I'm all okay with cow bells, particularly if they're on a cow or if someone in the crowd is banging them, but I was going back and forth with these guys for about two miles. Every time I'd pass them, I'd get just to where it stopped being annoying, then I'd slow down or they'd speed up and those damn bells would be back in the annoyance zone. Finally, they passed and I was able to enjoy the other sounds of the race.

Music was a big part of this race. The Elite Racing folks promote all of their races with lots of live music. They do the Rock and Roll Marathon in San Diego and Arizona, the RnR half in Va Beach and a bunch of others. For this reason, I decided to go without my mp3 player. In the end, this was one of the down sides of the race. There were large gaps between the bands and at one point, two consecutive bands were on break -- though I did appreciate the Led Zep that they were playing in the interim. The second band decided to talk during my run by. Someone yelled at them to shut up and play. Well put.

I was also disappointed by the somewhat sparse crowds throughout the race. At no point, other than the final finish line, were there lots of people lined up. There were no high school bands as I thought I had read, and from mile 4 through 12.5, there were almost no spectators at all. Very disappointing.

For these two reasons, if I go back to Philly, I'll be sure to bring the mp3.

On a positive note, it was amazing to be in a field so large. It was my first event of this magnitude and it was great to be there with lots of other people at the back of the pack.

Also, they did a great job with the kid's run. My boys were totally stoked to get metals, bibs and t-shirts, just like dad. (Too bad those t's now have permanent Accelerade stains. Not like dad.) For $15, a worthwhile investment.

Standings

My final placements:

Overall: 11,307/11,629

Men: 5,918/5,978

Age Group: M 40-44: 894/898

More Pics

My youngest made two pics from the official PDR site.

Here, he is #75 on the right: link here

He's dead center here, with sunglasses on: link here

More Friends

Congrats to Scott and Stacey. Scott ran his first half in a blistering 1:53. Stacey finished not far behind in 2:09. Way to go guys. Sorry we didn't see you.

That about does it from Philly. Now where can I find a nice Ben Gay bath?

L'Chaim!

I AM a Distance Runner

Wow, what a weekend!

To get started, without too much info, we left home at about 4:30 Friday. Unfortunately, just in time for rush hour through Baltimore. By the time we hit the Delaware line, the kids were whining and we needed to stop to pick up something else, anyway, so we hit Christiana Mall, and wound up at Ruby Tuesday's for dinner. by the time we rolled into our hotel in Philly, it was almost 10 pm. We checked in and hit the hay.

Saturday started with a visit to the King Tut exhibit at the Franklin Institute. What a great history lesson. Deb and I missed the exhibit when it was in Washington DC about 20 years ago (for free), so it was well worth the visit, not to mention the Franklin Institute is a fantastic place to go, especially with kids. One of the best science center type museums anywhere.

From there, it was off to the expo. First off, we signed the kids up for the 1 mile kids run, then piled as much crap as my goody bag would hold into it. The bag was huge, so we got quite the haul. Then, lunch at the Reading terminal. There must be 50 different stalls to get everything from southern food to sushi. It was quite good.

Then, back to the hotel for a swim before dinner.

Dinner was at a place called the Italian Bistro. A pretty unimpressive meal. Service sucked and what I really wanted was a huge plate of pasta. That just wasn't on the menu. A bit more up scale that I had thought it would be.

We walked back to the hotel and we got ready for bed.

I was exhausted and fell asleep fine, but had a restless night as I usually do before a race.

Having awakened during the 1, 3 and 4 o'clock hours, I was up getting ready to go at about 5 -- half an hour before the alarm. Deb and I had a nice quiet chat before I left at about 6:15.

The chill was evident immediately as soon as I walked out of the hotel. I understand that the starting temp was about 49! Perfect weather for shorts and a t-shirt. Brrr. What looked on the map like a 4 block walk to the start area was closer to a mile. No biggie, plenty of time. I walked around, picked up a banana, some water and hit the oh-so-popular port-a-pottie before the lines got started.

Dan from NJ and I had planned to meet up at 7 near his assigned starting corral. We ultimately met a few minutes later and had a chance to talk right up until race time. It was great to meet Dan as we had posted on each other's sites for months, emailed and have many things in common. Turns out we had worked at places about a half mile away from each other when I lived in NJ (though maybe not at the same time). Small world.

As the clock ticked down toward race time, I had pretty much decided that I would start off running, despite my conservative plans to walk the first 10, then run the final 5k. It was just too tempting and, frankly, too cold to not work on a sweat. I thought if I just ran a mile, I'd be warmed up and good to go.

Starting with Dan in corral 12, we finally crossed the start line 7:10 after the "elites". Dan was off and so was I. (Congrats to Dan on his scorching 2:10:46 time!) At first, I paid attention to every feeling in my lower extremities. Every twitch, every ache, every feeling was cause to evaluate my continued run. Although I did have some twitches and a few aches, none were in the ankle I was most concerned about. I decided to alternate running and walking every mile, as long as I was relatively pain free.

The first part of the course took us by historic parts of Philly, including the Liberty Bell (well, actually, just the building that the Liberty Bell sits in. Can't see it from the street.) I was able to run miles 1, 3 and 5. Then, I walked most of the next two as my legs were starting to feel pretty heavy.

At about mile 7, there was a heard of 20+ geese walking single file from the park toward the street. Those geese were determined to cross the street, despite the hoards of people running toward them. The first goose stepped into the street and had to dodge a few runners. It's pace certainly picked up as it realized that it might get run over. Goose #2 said "screw it" and took flight just before the curb and set down just past the runners. No clue what the rest did, but I was past them, now. A nice bit of levity in the midst of the run.

I ran from about mile 6 3/4 to 7 1/2, then a few other bursts, planning to run the last two miles. Ultimately, my feet and thighs were killing me. My thighs particularly felt like lead. The race organizers promote the fact that the course is very flat. This is quite true. What's missed is that you actually spend mile 4 through 12 going slightly down hill leading up to the final mile at a medium incline. A cruel finish for those who believed the press.

I continued to walk up to the last half mile when a woman that I had been jockeying back and forth with over the last couple of miles yelled out to me: "hey red (see picture), you gonna let a fat chick beat you?" Well, I got a nice laugh and then got back on my horse and jogged up the rest of the hill.

As I turned the corner into the finishing chute, I immediately saw Deb and the boys waving. I smiled the whole way down to the finish.

Yes, I did say finish. Three hours, eight minutes after crossing the start line, I crossed the finish line.

Now, this is not exactly speedy, but:

• I beat my goal of 15 minute average with a 14:21;
• I hadn't run in almost 2 months;
• My 10 mile race in May was at 2:21:22, today's 10 mile split was 2:20:07.
• I hadn't run in almost 2 months;
• My longest training run before the injury was just 4 miles;
• Despite the injury, I was able to run almost 5 miles;
• Did I mention that I hadn't run in almost 2 months?

Once I crossed the line, Deb and the kids came to greet me. The kids had run the 1 mile race and were both stoked to have received medals. (I got one, too!) We took some pics, went to refuel, then off to buy a finishers t-shirt.

Then, the long, long, long painful walk back to the hotel. Felt like 5 miles! Boy do my feet hurt. One big blister on my right big toe, otherwise, no obvious signs of abuse. Shower and off for reward -- cheese steaks at Geno's! Mmmm. As the pain continued to set in on the ride home, I couldn't help but to feel a bit euphoric. It's been just 14 months since I began to exercise and I just completed an event that had the word "marathon" in it. 13 miles by foot, just amazing. I feel great. (My feet don't, but I sure do!)

I've got to thank Deb for being the ultimate in support. She was great making recommendations, moral support, sleeping support (she took a kid each night in Philly so I could have a bed to myself -- we also had a pull out in the room,) cheering section, pain relief -- I've got my feet in a massager and a warm bean bag thing around my neck. Thank you, my love, you're awesome!

It's been a whirlwind day, and it's time to relax. I think an adult beverage is in order.

L'Chaim!

Cheese Steaks and King Tut

It's hard to believe that the Philadelphia Distance Run half marathon weekend is finally here. It's been almost four months since I signed up and almost two months since I shut down training due to the ankle injury.

Although I've been pretty down about the weekend, I'm definitely more psyched now that it's here. The big question will be if I can keep myself from running early and save up for the end. My plan is to walk the first 10, then run the last 5k through the finish. Problem will be watching everyone else go out running and not speeding out with them. I certainly don't want to head back on a bus.

It's been a good month since I've attempted to put any serious pressure on the ankle, I've got extra support in my athletic shoes and I've been taking the anti-inflammatories religiously. Not much more I can do.

Although the training plan went up in smoke, I've definitely worked on overall fitness at the gym and on the bike. My biggest disappointment, though, has been with the scale. Barely a budge in the past month. I was sure I'd be below 250, but I'm still hanging in the 257-262 range.

We're heading up tonight after I get home from work. Tomorrow, we have tickets to see the King Tut exhibit, then off to the Expo. Hope to meet fellow blogger Dan at the Expo. If not, we should be able to meet up before the race. Then, hopefully, a good night sleep and off to the starting line for the 7:45 gun. Weather will be chilly -- high Sunday of just 70, so race time should be below 60. My kids will be doing the 1 mile fun run. If all goes as expected, I expect to finish in 3:10 to 3:25 range.

After the race, we've promised the kids cheese steaks. Last time we were in Philly, we did a taste test between Pat's and Geno's. Honestly, I can't remember who won. Guess we'll have to do it all over again!

Good luck to Dan and some other friends running in Philly, Scott and Stacey. Also, best wishes out to Mike and Jenny running their first half marathon's tomorrow in Janesville, WI followed by a duathlon on Sunday. (Does that add up to a tri?)

Stay tuned for a full report on Monday.

L'Chaim!

Remembering 9/11

Will September 11 ever be the same as it was before 2001? No, it won't. It will be one of those dates that we will remember forever. You will remember where you were and what you did.

I remember being at the office, getting a call from my friend Howie in NJ to tell me that a plane hit one of the twin towers. I found our little black and white office tv with no antenna and turned it on. Through the haze on the tv, there were Katie Couric and Matt Lauer watching the second plane hit the other tower. I sat there with a few other coworkers watching stunned at the sights we were seeing.

My company provides environmental services. We were quickly called to NY, where we had offices in Brooklyn and NJ near by to assist with the clean up. Several days later, we had a command center set up in a trailer about 10 blocks from ground zero where we were working for a number of agencies and companies.

The first thing you'd notice is the signs posted everywhere -- not only near ground zero, but throughout Manhattan. Mostly 8 1/2 x 11 pieces of paper with names and pictures begging for news, plastered on every flat surface in Manhattan, from people looking for loved ones and friends. Most, desperately, went unclaimed.

One day in October, I took a ride on a golf cart with one of our supervisors into the "zone". I recall being on my cell phone with a co worker as we rounded the corner to the big hole. "Todd, I'll call you back." The memory of turning that corner seeing the dust still in the air, the huge hole in the ground, the huge piece of iron sticking out of the 40th floor of the nearby American Express building runs through my head like a movie that I've just watched. It was hard to believe that this was a man made ruin. Although there were a thousand or more people working with heavy machinery, there were few voices, just the clang of the yellow iron moving through the site. It was eerie.

From there, we went to one of the ferry's set up to feed the workers. Many firemen and policemen were there. Red Cross workers manning the stations. Still, eerily quiet for a place with a hundred or more people eating lunch.

The restaurants in the area opened their hearts to the workers. Just about every restaurant, whether white table cloth or carry out, fed the workers for free. What more could they do?

I spent about 45 days in NYC during the end of 2001. I fell in love with the city and it's people.

I will never forget. We will never forget.

May the heroes rest in peace.

L'Chaim!

Opening Day

Finally. . . opening game at 7 tonight. Go Ravens!

Riding Around Town

I have spent the past week thinking about little other than getting back on my bike. Where would I go? Trail or roads? When I was running, there was really a pretty finite distance that I could go. Only so many streets. Only so far from home. But the bike, man, you can just go. On a 20 mile ride, you can go almost anywhere.

Today I headed out toward Dave and Jill's house. Not really a planned route, but I had been wondering if I could do it -- the route is very hilly and the terrain is a fairly heavily traveled country road. The ride out was about 10.5 miles. I showed up and chatted for a bit with Dave and Jill, then headed out. (Deb accused me of just wanting to show off. Not me. No way. Never!)

From there I took a much more country route back. Lots of farms and hills. It was really a beautiful ride. Started with about a half mile down hill then just rolling hills. At one point, there is a good half mile up hill. Started to cringe just looking at it. It was tough and I wanted to stop, but just kept going in 27th gear (or is it first gear? I really don't know which way to count.) Moving about 5 mph up the hill, I finally came over the crest and did pull over for a water break.
The crest of the hill was just past the Doughoregan Manor. The Manor is the 800+ acre property of the Carroll family, the direct descendants of Charles Carroll, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. I share this only because I think it's pretty cool that this property is here, just a few miles from my house, even though it's completely closed off to the public.

While I was stopped, another bicyclist rode by and asked if everything was okay. It was and a few minutes later, I was back in the saddle for the last three or four miles back home. About two miles from home, I was on Rt 40, a very major three lane in each direction road. Some a-hole comes speeding by and honks his horn for 3-4 seconds as he goes buy me. What a jerk. Shortly after that, I was back home, jazzed by the 22 mile ride, feeling like I can ride anywhere.

It was great to be able to conquer all the hills without stopping. I can already feel the difference in my abilities to handle the hills in just three or four rides. Unfortunately, I'm not sure my butt will be back in the saddle for a couple of very busy weeks coming up, including next weekend in Philly.

Biggest Loser Contest

Blogger Pat from Arizona is having a Biggest Loser fantasy game. Kinda self made, but should be fun. If you're a fan of the show you should check this out.

L'Chaim!

Totally Unprepared

In just nine days, I will be participating in the Philadelphia Distance Run half marathon. Although I'm not planning to run, but walk, it struck me yesterday that I'm totally unprepared for this event. I haven't put any pressure on my bad ankle in over a month, though the doctor cleared me to walk this event. Still, I haven't trained, and I'm not gonna start now.

Am I concerned? Well, maybe a little. I'll do the best that I can and that's all I can do!

L'Chaim!

The Biggest Loser

Did anyone know that The Biggest Loser was back on last night? I sure didn't. The show is something of a reunion. If you don't want to know what happened, stop reading NOW!





Okay, here's the poop:

First of all, Caroline Rhea is gone. Allison Sweeney is the new hostess. She's some soap actress. I miss Caroline already! Found this link that talks about the hostess change: click here.

Here's the results in the following order: Contestant, original weight, season end weight, original loss, new weight, new total loss, change from end of show.

Marty, Season 3 -- 365 -- 219 -- -146 -- 240 -- -125 -- +21

Erik, Season 3 Winner -- 407 -- 193 -- -214 -- 231 -- -176 -- +38

Pam, Season 3 -- 247 -- Didn't Show -- 187 -- -60 -- Can't calculate

Pete, Season 2 -- 401 -- 198 -- -203 -- 241 -- -160 -- +43

Poppi, Season 3 -- 232 -- 115 -- -117 -- 126 -- -106 -- +11

Kelly, Season 1 -- 223 -- 151 -- -72 -- 160 -- -63 -- +9

Andrea, Season 1 -- 215 -- 156 -- -59 -- 151 -- -64 -- -5

Wiley, Season 3 -- 370 -- 178 -- -129 -- 210 -- -97 -- +32

Amy, Season 3 -- 260 -- 154 -- -106 -- ??????

They never showed Amy's weight. They just had Marty come up to propose to her. She said yes.
Of all the people, Pete and Andrea looked best. Pete gained weight, but it's all muscle. He insisted on taking off his shirt for the weigh in. He's totally ripped. Andrea looked tiny.

The show was poorly conceived and poorly pulled off. There was no suspense. No drama. Before each weigh-in, they tried to get everyone to say in unison "did you keep your weight off?" Gag me. Obviously, they didn't show anybody that put significant weight back on. Waste of an hour.

That's it. The new biggest losers to be are on Tuesday's at 8 ET. They will have three teams and Jillian is going to be back to lead the third team.

And that's the poop, and the conclusion of my career as a tv critic.

L'Chaim!

Monday Update

I don't even want to talk about the scale today. To be honest, I was pretty disgusted when I stepped on this morning. Needless to say, it didn't go down.

Fact is, I found a bag of trail mix that Deb had socked away. I've never been a trail mix kinda guy, but this had peanuts, cashews, raisins and . . . M&M's. Deb was gone and I was all alone. Well, me and the bag were all alone. Now, there are many fewer nuts and M's to be alone with. It was good, but not worth it.

So, not a good start to the day. I got off the scale, got on my bike shorts and headed out on my bike at about 8. What a beautiful morning -- sunny, maybe 65 at that hour. Nice crisp chill in the air. Starting out, I was actually cold in a short sleeve tech t-shirt.

Amazing how friendly people are when they're exercising. I say hi to every runner or bicyclist on the road and more often than not, they say it first. (Question: is one who rides a bicycle a bicyclist or a biker? Biker is quicker to write, but it reminds me of a guy riding a Harley.) There's something cool about this public exercise fraternity.

I rode out to my old hood once again. Again, nobody out and about. Guess they were all still in bed. From there, I headed to the mall. Though the mall is not open, the Starbucks is. I've developed a bit of a Starbucks habit lately. I could blame Deb, but I won't. It's me shucking out a couple of bucks a cup. With the chill outside, it was a grande house blend with a shot of espresso, as if I needed the shot of caffeine to keep the blood flowing. Sat there for 15 minutes or so, then headed home. A great 22 mile ride.

When I got home, the kids were vegging on the couch watching tv. Hey, wanna play catch? Usually, I get asked before I ask the question. Kids were way too lethargic. Told them no more tv. Too nice outside. That did the trick. Suddenly, there were three of us outside.

I had been looking for a place to ride with the kids to get breakfast or lunch. Our neighborhood is very hilly and the outskirts of the neighborhood are down hill, so I need to find a path somewhere where the hills are not too bad so that the kids can get back home without passing out. On my ride this morning, I found just such a place.

Told the kids that we could go to this particular Subway for lunch by bike. They were stoked. We set out on the trek (me on my old hybrid) and it turned out to be just 2 1/4 miles each way. No problem. Seems to be a popular spot for bicycling families, too. We weren't alone.

By the time the day was out, I finished off almost 27 miles on the bike. Jobrotha and family came over for dinner.

All in all, a day that started out down, turned out to be pretty great.

L'Chaim!

Support Your Local Bike Store

I must say, the thought of spending more than a few hundred bucks on a bike just a few months ago seemed very much against my grain. I had a very nice hybrid bike that did just what I needed and I got a great deal on it to boot. So spending what I did this week on a two wheeled self-propelled vehicle seemed way out of character. (I'm sure that the egging on of the like of jobrotha, Mike and Jenny had NOTHING to do with it!)

As I've chronicled here, after three rides, I've had chain problems on each one. I'm notoriously lazy when it comes to returning things or fixing things so taking the bike back to the store not once, but twice is, too, out of character for me.

Nevertheless, I did take it back again yesterday.

This time, the folks at Race Pace really took care to fix the problem.

First of all, I knew going in on a Saturday afternoon would be a challenge. They were packed. I found a repair tech who said he'd look at it right away. I left the store and came back an hour later. When I got back, the tech said he was going to take it on a test ride. Sure enough, he was able to replicate the problem, even after his tweaking.

In comes Earl, the head mechanic. Earl explained that my problem is not uncommon for Trek's, that the fix is to replace a clamp that holds the derailleur, which he has now done. He also took the time to give me some lessons on changing gears. I took the bike out for a spin and could not replicate the problem. Yeay!

The folks at Race Pace have been terriffic. I have really seen the value in the service that they provide. They are helpful and knowledgeable and it's great to know that they stand behind what they sell. I often wonder where customer service has gone these days. For sure, I've found it here!

L'Chaim!

My First Marathon

I picked up my bike yesterday and was assured that they recalibrated the derailleur and I'd have no more problems, so jobrotha and I set out this morning on a ride. We decided to hit the B&A trail that goes from Glen Burnie, MD (south of Baltimore) to Arnold, MD, near Annapolis.

We'd done the trail once before and I like the fact that it's paved, relatively flat, much of it is shaded and you can and the at-grade crossings are mostly traffic free.

So, met up and set out about 9:30 after jo had a chance to ogle over my new wheels.

Things were going well until the chain came off again at about mile three! This time, I quickly stopped pedaling and pulled off the trail. No problem to fix, but now I'm pretty much relegated to the middle nine gears.

From where we parked to the southern end of the trail, it wast 12.67 miles. We completed the southern "lap" in under 55 minutes, an average of 13.8 mph. We took a 5 minute break at the end of the trail and then back in the saddle. One other nice feature of this trail is that the park office is dead center at about mile seven. Very convenient for facilities and help if you need it. There are a number of business that back up to the trail that have set out tables for coffee, diners, etc. There's really a lot going on here. As jo sped ahead, I pulled off for a quick visit to the head and then we finished up the ride.

This morning, my youngest asked how far we'd be going. I told him about 25 miles. He asked why we wouldn't just go 26, "you know, dad, like a marathon." "Don't know, son, we'll see." Anyway, we got back to the lot where we were parked and about 25.4. What's another 8/10 of a mile. So there we were, my first marathon complete in 1:53, an average of 13.9 mph.

For comparison, we rode this course on July 8. I was riding my hybrid and we averaged 11.1 mph, and I recall a very difficult final 4 miles or so. Not so with the new Trek. It was a great ride, even with only nine gears!


I'm having trouble remembering why I liked running so much!

L'Chaim!

How Do You Get Air In There?

I couldn't wait to get back out on the bike yesterday. Went out to the garage, took the bike down and got out the trusty air pump. Guy at the bike store said to fill to 120 lbs. before every ride. OK, no problem.

I unscrewed the cap on the stem and looked at it. What the hell is that? This doesn't look like the stem on my old bike. Way thinner. This won't work.

I figured that the little red thing on my pump latch was some kind of fitting to allow me to fill these tires. I played around with the stem and the pump and managed to figure out how to get all the air OUT of the tire. Where's the phone? I call my brother at work. He's on the phone. But, it's an emergency!

Okay, I get a hold of my dad. "Oh, you have the European stems." (I really didn't care if they were from Ethiopia, I just needed to know how to fill the damn tires!) After a few minutes, dad helps me get the fitting on the stem and the air into the tire. Whew!

I get out on the bike and around about 2 miles, just a few blocks from the house, as I'm trying to change the front gear, the chain comes off the gear. This also happened on my Wednesday ride, so I know what to do, I'm now an "expert". I got off the bike and tried to put the chain back on. No go. The chain was completely lodged between the gear and the frame of the bike. It ain't moving. Waaaaaah!

So, dejectedly I start to walk home. My house sits at the bottom of a 1/4 mile hill along a curvy street. From where I was, the ride home is the best. I usually break 30 mph and keep going another 1/4 mile or so without pedaling before I turn back. Having to walk that route really sucked!

This morning, I took the bike back to the shop where they'll fix the chain and give me a remedial lesson in changing gears. The tech told me that gears on new bikes can be a little finicky. I guess so. Can't wait to pick it back up!

L'Chaim!

First Ride

As soon as the kids got home from school yesterday, I took off on my new Trek -- alone.

I only had about an hour so I went out on nearby roads that I had ridden before on the hybrid. What a difference. Much smoother ride, except, of course, when you ride over anything. Then, not so smooth. Used just about every gear on the machine. Hills were tough, but I could get past them. One hill slayed me -- just couldn't get up the short 15% incline (I'm guessing). Tried twice, then walked it up 30 yds or so. I'll keep trying.

I noticed that drivers can be oblivious to bikers. They just don't pay attention. Almost got hit by a woman in my own hood. She made a left turn into my lane of traffic and I don't think she ever saw me. (Believe me, I'm still pretty hard to miss!)

Pretty much residential suburbia, but I'm sure I'll find more scenic terrain. My Garmin tracking is below. (Mike, thanks for the posting hint.)

I think I'll head out again tonight!

Hey, jobrotha, where are we riding this weekend?

L'Chaim!

And now, I have something to ride with Lance. . .

2007 Trek Pilot 1.0

Major Announcement!

Lance Armstrong is coming to Columbia, Maryland in October to benefit the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults in 10 The Event.

Doug Ulman is a Howard County, Maryland native who is a three time cancer survivor. He was first diagnosed with cancer ten years ago, at age 19. Today he is President of the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Ulman is bringing Lance to Columbia for a fund raising effort. There are a number of associated events that include 20 mile and 100k rides, as well as a 5k run.

I am joining Lance for the 20 mile ride. I couldn't be more excited as this will be my first organized ride.

Anybody want to join me?

Please consider making a donation to the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. Click here.

Monday Update

Happy Monday! Unfortunately, I'm off traveling again (Deb hate's when I go away right after vacation. It particularly sucks when I have to leave on a Sunday night. It triple sucks when I miss the kids first day of school.) I did weigh in yesterday and managed to erase the vacation pounds that I had added.

I've done some resetting of the bar on the scale. What? Let me explain: When I first weighed in on day 1, I was dressed in work out clothes. In oder to keep everything even, I've had to adjust for those clothes ever since. I've now adjusted off the clothes weight from day one and since. With the bar reset, my starting naked weight is now 414.0 and my Sunday weight was 259.0 -- a total loss of 155.0. (Somewhere I picked up a pound in the translation. )

As for exercise, I did get in a session at the gym on vacation and a good gym session on Sunday on the elliptical and weights.

Stay tuned for a MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!

L'Chaim!

Belated. . .

I missed a couple of Mazel Tov's (congratulations) while I was gone:

UR

My Uncle Rog (UR) turned 60 last Saturday. Holy crap, how could he be sixty. I mean SIXTY! UR is my dad's younger brother by six years, but he always seemed closer in age to me than my dad. He's also a product of the 60's, which probably explains that (and a lot of other things!) Hanging out with Uncle Rog and Aunt Debbie (not my Deby) is always a blast. Happy Big B-Day, Unc, and many many more.

Triathelete Jill

Our friend Jill raced her first tri last weekend -- the Columbia Iron Girl. It was fun to see Jill when we'd cross paths a few times at a local park when she was training for the tri and I was training for the 10 miler in May. It was her first and, I'm betting, not last tri. She beat her goal time and when we spoke on Sunday sounded euphoric. Congrats, Jill. Deb and I are proud of you!

L'Chaim!

Home from Vacation

Take me out to the board walk;

Take me out to the crowd.

Buy me some Thrasher's and Fisher's, too;

Maybe some ice cream and a hot dog or two.

Deb did a bit of song writing on vacation. I came back to the room with the kids and she had the whole Take Me Out to the Ballgame song rewritten as a tribute to Ocean City.

Before I get to the food part, I'll tell you that this summer has been one of the hottest and driest I can remember in a long long time. So, of course, we had awful weather. It rained EVERY DAY but today, the day we headed home. The thermometer never broke 75. I swear the wind chill on the beach, when we did get out there, was in the mid 60's. To top it off, Deb and I both came down with summer colds just about the time we arrived on Saturday. So, we had that going for us.

Sunday afternoon was temptation central. I pretty much knew that I was going to give in to the fries, but in moderation. As we walked down the boards, we let the kids pick one of their favorites.

Our first stop was at Kohr Bros. Frozen Custard. My youngest picked this. Little did I know that frozen custard is a low calorie treat. Just 130 calories for a small serving. I was all in. That's less than my fat free/sugar free Jell-O pudding treat at home! I had the coffee/dulce de leche swirl. Needless to say, it was not our only visit to Kohr Bros.

My eldest selected Fisher's caramel corn. You can smell Fisher's from two blocks away. As you approach their stand, you see the machines cooking up the hot popcorn with gooey caramel. The sweet smell just pulling you in. We all had a few kernel's of that corn, but just a few.

Next stop: Thrasher's French Fries, aka mecca. You could feel the heat of the fryers as we walked near and smell the hot peanut oil (correction from the earlier post). Not a bad line, just 20-25 folks to be serviced first. Deb bought the medium size order -- about a 32 oz cup. She secured two additional cups to share -- one for me, with vinegar, of course, and one for the kids. How were they? Well, unfortunately, they didn't suck! They were absolutely everything I remembered. Maybe better. Hot, juicy, salty, vinegary, perfect!

From there, we walked the mile and a half back to our hotel. We all felt quite sated, even though had history repeated itself, we would have all had the custard, shared a large popcorn, then shared the bucket size (think large movie theater popcorn) fries. Although it all felt glutinous, it was truly a diet victory, being able to taste all of those great foods without going crazy.

Sunday night, we had a healthy visit to the Phillips buffet. I concentrated on the steamed shrimp, veggies and salad.

We did do some snacking, certainly more than normal, but we were on vacation. Monday night we drove to Kohr Bros. after our dinner out and my youngest insisted that we walk home. Deal!

Wednesday was another visit down the boardwalk. This was not quite as successful as I got my custard fill, my own small Fisher's and some of Deb's fries. We realized as we walked back that it would be our last visit to the boardwalk as old habits were rearing their ugly heads.

In the end, we all had a good time. We didn't have nearly enough beach time, but the kids enjoyed themselves and Deb and I have now both kicked our colds, just in time to return to real life! And, the food was good. It's part of the vacation experience, but just a part.

Tomorrow, I'll nervously step on the scale knowing I'll kick any unwanted change in a few days.

L'Chaim!

Ode to the Fry

My life long weakness has been french fries. I love them. Give me a gallon of Heinz ketchup (I always wondered why anybody else even bothers to make ketchup) and a super sized fries and let me go to town.

As for preference, the thicker the cut the better. Steak fries or country fries are the best. When I was in seventh grade, I'd occasionally walk home from school, about 2 miles, and stop at this dark dingy restaurant/bar and order up a large country fries and a full bottle of ketchup. Man, were those good! Mmmm mmm.

Fast food fries have to give the nod to Wendy's. Ever dip those babies into a Frosty? To die for.

And then, there's the beach. As we pack for our beach trip, my mind wanders to the mecca known as Thrasher's. Thrasher's is an Ocean City, Maryland institution. It's been at the end of the boardwalk forever. Thrasher's fries are fresh cut, about 1/4" sides and maybe 3-4" long. I believe they're fried in vegetable oil until they're crispy brown. It's an unassuming stand right next to some carnival games and the serve fries and Cokes. That's it. (Kinda like the old Saturday Night Live skit about the Cheeburgers and Pepsi's.) I'm not sure when this picture was taken, but on a normal afternoon or evening, the line will stretch out to 100+ hungry beach goers.




You can't see it in the picture, but there is one sign of note on the left wall. In big black letters it says: NO KETCHUP.

What, no ketchup? That's what I said on my first visit when I was about four years old when dad brought me to mecca for the first time.

Nope, the Thrasher's way is to eat them doused in apple cider vinegar. Admittedly, it's an acquired taste, but once you get used it, you learn to enjoy the flavor of the bitter sweet vinegar mixed in with the just-out-of-the-fryer ocean fries. I learned to love them as a kid and now my kids are learning. (No hope for Deb, though, we've always had to have two tubs. One with vinegar, one without.)

I'm preparing myself for our first trip down the boardwalk, probably tomorrow night. As we get to within a block of mecca, and the smell begins to waft over the concrete part of the board walk, what will I do?

Fit Day says one cup of french fries is just 154 calories but Wendy's puts a large fry at 540 calories. I'm sure that a small order of Thrasher's is at least an order and a half of a Wendy's large.

I'm thinking that if we walk the 20 blocks from our hotel to Thrasher's, I'll burn a couple hundred calories on the round trip. (I won't even mention the cost of walking by every crappy t-shirt story along the way and my kids getting a bad case of the I-wanna's.) That doesn't even include all the calorie burning playing in the ocean and in the pool. Logic seems to point to take the plunge.

The problem is the mental part. Over the past 13 months, I've avoided french fries. It was the one item, before South Beach, that I was cutting out. It's not that I've had none in the past year, but maybe just a couple. Certainly no full orders. Certainly none from mecca. So this will be a challenge. I can just about smell them now!

Have a great week all!

L'Chaim!

The New Diet Plan

About a week or ten days ago, I began a new low fat, higher carb diet. It's kind of a hybrid of many of the things that I've read and done. Kinda scary to be going it alone for the first time (well, unless you include the old diet. . . you know, eat until you explode.)

Features of the new plan:

• Low fat -- stick to leaner meats and fish, less beef
• Keep fats to "good" fats as much as possible: olive oil, canola oil, etc.
• Increase carbs significantly -- whole wheat grains, brown rice are good
• Lots more fruit
• About 1600-2000 calories a day

I have definitely noticed that I have more energy than I did, which is one reason I looked to move on. I'm not less tired, just have more energy. (Sadly, I fear the only solution for the tired problem is more sleep or more hours in the day.)

It's been nice to have some new variety, too. The fruit has been great: bananas, cantaloupe, oranges. I've missed them all. Still feels kinda weird to bite into a sandwich. For dinner last night, Deb sauteed a whole pan of veggies: squash, onions, mushrooms and tomatoes, and put it over whole wheat pasta. Still do the salad bar at lunch, just cut out the tuna salad.

I'm also tracking my calories using Fitday.com. I thought it would be a pain in the butt to do this, but it's really not as bad as I though it would be. This has worked out really well and has kept me on track, not wanting to put any big numbers up on there. Eating out creates the biggest challenge, but most restaurants have nutritional info on their web sites.

Two surprises so far: the bowl of chicken chili at a local rotisserie place was more than 500 calories. Was supposed to be a snack, not a meal. Then there was the martini at dinner Saturday night -- almost 300 calories with the olives, but it was goooooooood!

L'Chaim!

Monday Stats and Training Update

A good week last week as the scale showed a 2 pound improvement. It's been slow going, but I'm happy with three pounds in the past two weeks, especially as my diet changes have firmed up and so has the new exercise regime.

In the last nine days, I've visited the gym four times. Definitely a lifetime record for me. Actually enjoying the changes in activity and the weights as well. (Okay, no I told you so's necessary.) Still miss the running, but the workouts have been good, especially combined with a bike ride here and there. It'll get me through.

L'Chaim!

A Great Ride

The plan yesterday was to get up early and head out to the gym. Deb had gone outside and came running to tell me how nice it was outside, that I should go for a bike ride.

The weather here has been truly miserable for the last three weeks or so. Really hot (90's to low hundreds) and really really humid (80% plus). I don't think my kids have been in the back yard for the entire three weeks and my straw (formerly known as my grass) gets browner by the day. So it took me about a minute to get my bike shorts on, grab my lonely Garmin and get outside.

It truly was glorious. A perfect day. Maybe 70 degrees, low humidity. Off I went.

This was my first real ride alone -- no kids, no schedule. I had a chance to see how I could do. I wound up riding to my old neighborhood. (Secretly, I was hoping to run into some of my old neighbors to show them the new me. Alas, nobody home.) The ride was pretty hilly, certainly more so that any rides that I had done before. The Garmin was ticking along, showing my HR mostly in the 140-150's with a few ticks over 160 -- perfect! Early on, I got passed by a couple of riders who wished me good morning, then later by another equally polite cyclist. As I was heading back home, a friend passed me in his car and pulled over to say hey.

About 18 miles in 90 minutes. Okay, so I'm not Lance Armstrong. . . yet, but it was a GREAT ride! It set the tone for an awesome day.

So, what did I learn?

1. Gotta think outside the box. If Deb hadn't said anything, I'd have been in my car on my way to the gym. Thanks, Deb!
2. Biking is freedom. On foot, you can only go so far and it takes a long time. On a bike, you can really go some place!
3. When I run, I feel like I'm constantly thinking about stuff, like work. Yeah, there's traffic, but it's different on a bike. You really gotta pay attention and there's nothing like the wind in your face on a steep downhill.
4. When I was riding, I didn't feel jealous of the runners that I was passing like I had been since the ankle injury.
5. I need to buy a bike.

Looking forward to my next two wheel adventure!

L'Chaim!

I Love Rock and Roll

I was driving home from work just thinking abou the day when I Love Rock and Roll came on the radio. I turned up the volume. Louder. No, LOUDER!

When I was in college, one of my buddies, Dave D., was a major Joan Jett fan. Dave had every album and knew every song. I knew I Love Rock and Roll and had heard a few others. I would hear Joan coming out of Dave's room at all hours.

During our senior year, 1987, Joan was in a move with Michael J. Fox, The Light of Day that took place in Cleveland. The weekend of the release, Joan was appearing in a free concert . . . in Cleveland. Dave talked me into going.

As I said, the concert was free and we weren't locals, so we made this eight hour drive without tickets, with pretty much no way to know if we'd be able to score any. I had called the sponsoring radio station to find out if they had any tickets put aside, but no luck.

We left early and got to the concert hall at 3 pm for the 8 pm show. Within half an hour, we were able to score two tickets for 25 bucks. Seemed like a lot at the time, but by today's standards, that was nothing. We waited until the doors opened and were able to get seats in the 5th row.

The show was great. Played all of the songs that I had heard. Crimson and Clover, Good Music, Bad Reputation, Touch. The highlight of the night was the finale when Michael J Fox joined her on stage to sing the theme from the movie.

After the show, Dave and I got back into his truck and headed back to school. We spent 8 hours in Cleveland and 16 hours traveling there and back. Not a bad day!

Dave and I saw Joan ten or eleven times that year. (Did that make us groupies?) (Yeah, I guess so.) We drove to Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Boston and Baton Rouge to see her. We ran into her band all over the place and saw her after a show at U of Delaware in a Howard Johnson's Restaurant where she graciously gave us autographs. She definitely recognized us and we recognized a bunch of other Jett heads that we'd see at different shows.

Dave (left) and me (right) with Ricky Byrd, lead guitar in Pittsburgh.

That year, Dave and I saw about 60 concerts. We saw just about every rock show within a three hour drive of Baltimore from the Dead to Aerosmith to Bon Jovi. Billy Joel, Eddie Money and Bruce Hornsby. Rush, Yes, Boston, Bowie and Pink Floyd. We saw shows in Baltimore, DC, Richmond, Philly, E. Rutherford, NJ, Hershey, PA, Norfolk, VA and more.

I was young and had nothing keeping me home. Ahh to be young again!

L'Chaim!

Tag -- I'm It

I've been tagged by Big Mike, so if I follow his lead, I've gotta tell you a bunch of stuff about me.

Job's I've Held:

High School:

• Dishwasher
• Game Room Attendant

College Years:

• Rent-A-Cop (security guard)
• Public Information Assistant
• Security Dispatcher
• Pizza Delivery Guy

Real Life:

• Controller
• Office Manager
• Collector
• Finance Manager
• Finance Director

Movies I can watch over and over:

• Field of Dreams
• Blues Brothers
• Caddyshack
• Trading Places
• Beverly Hills Cop
• Hoosiers

My Guilty Pleasures:

• Dinner out with Deb
• Watching my kids play ball
• Family vacations
• Sitting in the stands at a ballpark, just about anywhere
• Jell-O fat free sugar free pudding with way too much Cool Whip at about 10pm nightly
• Vegas

Places I Have Lived:

• Baltimore
• Randallstown, MD
• Owings Mills, MD
• Reisterstown, MD
• Somerset, NJ
• Piscataway, NJ
• Ellicott City, MD
• Columbia, MD

Shows I Enjoy:

• M*A*S*H -- it never get's old
• Homicide: Life on the Street -- love to see the Baltimore sights, but it's not on much any more
• L A Law -- can't find this on any more either
• Iron Chef -- the original Japanese version
• Survivor
• Gray's Anatomy
• Top Chef
• Hell's Kitchen
• The Biggest Loser -- okay, I'm addicted to reality tv
• Vegas

Places I've Been on Vacation (longer than a weekend):

• Ocean City, MD
• Phoenix, AZ/Grand Canyon
• Myrtle Beach, SC
• Seattle/Vancouver
• Montego Bay, Jamaica
• California -- SF to LA
• South Florida -- Miami, Ft. Lauderdale
• The Big Island of Hawaii
• Melrose, Minnesota (Hi Gayle and Randy!)
• Gatlinburg, Tennessee
• Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
• Puerto Rico
• Disney World
• San Diego
• Vegas

Favorite Foods:

• French Fries -- love 'em but don't eat 'em any more
• Cheesy Squash
• Onions
• Grilled Anything
• Cauliflower
• Roasted Red Peppers
• Crab Soup
• Deb's Chicken Corn Chowder

Websites I Visit Daily:

• Blogs to the right
• Runner's World Forums
• Hal Higdon's Forums
• USA Today Soduku
• ESPN

Awards I Have Won:

• Company "Shareholder Value" Award
• Lifetime Jaycee International Senator
• Lifetime Maryland Jaycee Major

Nicknames:

• Marsh B. Mellow
• That's all you're getting out of me!

Tag: You're It -- Your public awaits:

Kim from WA

Dan from NJ

Katie from Baltimore

Deb and Dave, you're welcome to post right here!

L'Chaim!

Monday Stats and Training Update (on Tuesday!)

Sorry to be a day late, but I was down a pound last week. Not bad considering only one day of exercise -- on Saturday.

Just got back from the gym this morning. I might be liking this gym stuff! 45 minutes of elliptical and upper body weight.

Hoping for a bigger number next week as vacation at the beach looms a couple of weeks down the road.

All for now.

L'Chaim!

A Hard Day's Work

I had joined a gym almost a year ago and went once. The nice part about this gym is the price, ten bucks a month. For that price, it hits my credit card and I don't even notice it. (I'm sure that this fact is figured into their business plan!) There is plenty of new equipment -- 20-25 treadmills, 10-12 bikes and ellipticals, Cybex weight systems and free weights.

As I've been loafing around for the past couple of weeks since my ankle injury, I finally got off my butt and did something. At Deb's encouragement, I made my second visit to the gym.

After the workout, Deb asked how it was. "Fantastic" was my response.

I had never quite been able to figure out the elliptical, but I did, I suppose out of necessity. 45 minutes there. I was surprised that it only added up to about a mile and a half, but I guess that's about right since my heart rate was consistently around 150.

On to the weights -- did about half of the Cybex machines.

Then 30 minutes on a bike. 11 miles seemed like a lot, but I struggled to get my HR up above 130. I suspect I should have increased the tension. It's not about the miles.

Then, finished the rest of the Cybex machines.

In all, about 2 1/4 hours of workout. Without a doubt, the longest, most intense workout. . . of my life! I felt great!

I spent the rest of the day truly looking forward to the pain I knew I'd feel today and tomorrow. And feel it I do. Woo Hoo! Just about every muscle in my body hurts. Even my little toes! The best part is that my ankle doesn't feel any worse than it did yesterday.

Just so happens, Race Pace Bicycles is just across the street from the gym. What the heck, I'm feeling good and in the neighborhood, I'll check 'em out. I looked at the Trek 1500. Didn't ride it, but it sounded good from what the expert at the store said. Found out later that this is the bike that Jill bought last year. She loves it and is riding it in the Iron Girl in a couple of weeks. No commitment here, but you never know. I'm sure I'll be back!

Off to nurse my pain.

L'Chaim!

May I see your ID, please?

In 2002, my company began to issue employee ID's. With the digital age, the pictures are the same from year to year. Below is my old ID picture from 2002, issued in March, 2007.

A couple of weeks ago, I visited the corporate office and ran into one of the HR reps. She couldn't believe how I looked. I asked her to take a new picture and send me a new ID. No problem. Received the ID yesterday with the picture below.

L'Chaim!

The Low Carb Lifestyle

As I discussed in one of my early posts, I have been successful, and unsuccessful on several of the low carb diet plans. I've tried Atkins several times and now I'm on my second pass thorough on South Beach. On each occasion, I have lost a lot of weight. Prior to this time around, an average of about 80 lbs. each time.

Last night, I picked up a book in the library called Carbophobia: The Scary Truth About America's Low-carb Craze, by Michael Greger. It doesn't take long to figure out that this guy's goal is to discredit Atkins -- both the diet and the doctor. He also takes aim, though on a much smaller scale, at other low carb diets, including South Beach and Weight Watchers.

Although the book reads like a hatchet job, it is convincing.

He essentially accuses Atkins of ripping off the public with unsubstantiated claims of healthy living while ignoring all scientific facts that may prove otherwise. While Atkins makes many claims in his book, they are broad and unsubstantiated. Greger takes a much different approach -- the 162 pages are comprised of 104 pages of text followed by 58 pages of footnotes.

In short, Greger argues that:

• Low Carb diets are unhealthy and can be dangerous;
• Although many lose weight in the short term, long term results are poor;
• Atkins followers lose weight because they ultimately eat less calories than they burn;
• Atkins recommendation of high numbers of supplements (several dozen pills per day) leads him to the conclusion that the diet itself does not provide nearly enough vitamins and minerals therefore making it unhealthy by itself.

I have certainly seen some periodic reports of questionable healthiness of the low carb plans, but never presented in such a concise format with overwhelming data.

Gerger accuses Atkins of being a snake oil salesman by not acknowledging any conflicting data and writing it all off as uninformed hogwash.

After reading this book and reading some more on the corresponding web site, I can't help but to feel duped from my three visits to the Atkins plan. Yes, it's true that many millions have tried this diet and many others, but so too have many failed. I failed three times out of three on Atkins.

As for South Beach, I believe that my keys to success have been exercise first, diet second. I also believe that South Beach is far better than Atkins, as it does not encourage high fat proteins such as bacon and sausage, but rather lean meats. In addition, it encourages some vegetable consumption while Atkins encourages almost none.

I had been thinking for a while about moving on from South Beach, but now I'm convinced. No more low carb for me. With that said, I don't think a new plan will be that far from what I'm doing now. More fruit, more whole wheat products, more brown rice. Less red meat. Still lots of veggies and no simple carbs. That's a plan I can live with and continue down my weight loss path.

L'Chaim!