One foot in front of the other.
This is not a review of Sugoi R+R socks per se, rather it is a giant THANK YOU to the folks at Sugoi for helping my wife tolerate some of the annoyances of being pregnant.
If you’ve ever been pregnant, or near someone during the course of their pregnancy, you are probably more aware than you’d like to be of the swelling that can occur in the feet and legs during this time. My wife is no different. What began with her ankle area quickly began to vacillate between there and her feet, if not both places at once.
The first thing that I did upon noticing this was to run to my sock drawer and grab two pairs of socks. The first was just for her feet and it was the Sugoi R+R Compression Ped Sock. Almost immediately, this little gem of a low-cut sock began to improve the circulation in her feet and reduce swelling.
The second pair of socks I grabbed was what most of us 
recognize as a compression sock, the Sugoi R+R Knee High Compression Sock. This took care of any ankle and lower legs swelling in short order!
So, to sum up, even if you’re not killing on your feet or on two wheels, these sock do what they say they do. Ladies, if you need some help with swollen ankles and such during pregnancy, or any day for that matter, check these out!
Black Diamond Sprinter Headlamp
Newton Running Symposium in Boston
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Kimberly (#3130) – Dallas Rock ‘n’ Roll Half-Marathon
Michael (#1242) – Dallas Rock ‘n’ Roll Half-Marathon
Mark – Dallas Rock ‘n’ Roll Half-Marathon
Congrats to all the racers!
Kimberly (#3130) – Dallas Rock ‘n’ Roll Half-Marathon – 1:58:11
Michael (#1242) – Dallas Rock ‘n’ Roll Half-Marathon – 1:35:21
Mark (#3557)- Dallas Rock ‘n’ Roll Half-Marathon – 1:53:02
Desiree (#2092) – Singapore Biathlon – 1:48:03
Nicole (#1734) – 5K on St. Patrick’s Day – 23:32
Date: 3/8/10
Consecutive Days Run: 67
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 6:20 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.71 miles
Time Run: 00:17:43
Average Pace: 10:20 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cool (51 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Good, but with tired legs
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/26505486
About the Run: Happy tenth birthday to our baby girl Annie! No, not the human baby girl, but the canine version of our baby girl. She is ten years old today and for her birthday, she wanted to go for a run with her dad and I was more than happy to oblige.
Whenever I run with either of my dogs, it really give me a chance and pause to see how they literally stop and smell everything. Even when they don’t stop, they’re still taking in everything around them. They aren’t jaded or oblivious to the incredible world with which they are surrounded, they are simply fascinated to be in it. This innocence always touches me. Even when I get upset with one of our dogs, they will always say they love me no matter how angry I am.
The run was good, but slow. Don’t be fooled by her age, Annie is fully capable of breaking down and going far faster than I am, but she just likes to take her time. My legs are a bit weary so it was probably a good thing to take it easy.
I rescued Annie from the Albermarle County, Virginia SPCA when she was just eight weeks old. Our other dog, Bubba was rescued from the North Shore Animal League two years ago. Danielle and I strongly support rescuing dogs and cats and other animals from humane shelters. Please consider donating to Me and the Road and helping to support the North Shore Animal League. You can donate by linking through Me and the Road or by going directly to the donation site located at: http://meandtheroad.bbnow.org
Donate to IronBrandon (Please!)
Nytro Complete Triathlon Package
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For a second year in a row, Newton Running shoes were rewarded for their outstanding products in the prestigious 220 Triathlon awards held on 13th February at Sandown Park.
Following their 2009 win for ‘Innovative Product of the Year’ the popular ‘Newton Gravity’ training shoe was awarded the 2010 ‘Run Shoe of the Year’ award, beating Asics Noosa and Saucony Fastwitch 3 to the title.
Mike Trees, managing director of Triathlon Consultants (Newton Running’s UK distributor) accepted the award and said “It is a great honour to receive this award on behalf of Newton Running, who have put so much research and development into producing what is now recognised at possibly the greatest running shoe in the world for forefoot and mid foot runners. We at TCL have the relatively easy job of selling the Newton Running shoes the eagerly awaiting public.”
The attached image shows Mike Trees standing with his long time hero in sport Dave Scott, 6 times winner of the Hawaii Ironman and arguably the greatest triathlete to date presenting Newton’s award for Run Shoe of the Year.
According to Crowie’s official Facebook page, his race bike has been stolen! From Crowie:
Last night my black ORBEA ORDU 51cm bike with Shimano Di2 Electronic gears and SRM, along with my road bike and a bunch of other cycling equipment was STOLEN from my garage. Please contact crime stoppers in Australia on 1800 333 000 if you see or hear anything. I will post photos as soon as I can.
Here are a couple of pictures of the Ironman World Champion’s ride (click for larger image):
Here are the specs on Crowie’s stolen bike(s):
Bike Name: Black ORBEA ORDU
Size: 51cm
Headset: Integrated Headset
Derailer Front: SHIMANO 7900 DI2 ELECTRONIC
Brake Lever: Shimano Durace Carbon
Brake Callipers: DI2 Group Set
Cranks: SRM Power Meter
BB-Set: Enduro Grade 3 Grade 3 Ceramic Bearings
Aero…bars: Pro Carbon Missile Flat with Straight Bars
Head Stem: Pro Vibe 85mm
Seat: Fizik Arione Carbon Tri 2
Chain: Durace 10 Speed
Cassette: 12-23 Durace
Training Wheels: Durace Wheels
Tyres: Continental Grand Prix Clinchers
Cages: XLAB Chimp and Gorilla Carbon Cages
XLAB Rear Carbon Hydration System
Pedals: Durace
Frame: Black Orbea ORCA 54 cm
Derailer Front: SHIMANO 7900 Durace
Training Wheels: Durace Wheels
In the spirit of the Olympics, and to make up for the fact that the United States laid the smack down on our good friends to the North AND because they have some simply amazing gear, I think you guys should check out this Canadian themed gear from Sugoi!
Each year, Ironman has a lottery for entry into the Ironman World Championship held in Kona, Hawaii. This year’s race will be held on Saturday, October 9.
The lottery entry will set you back $40, orif you prefer $50 to be entered via the “Passport Club” which gets you some additional bells and whistles which include and increased chance at hitting the lottery!
There are only three ways to get to race in Kona! You can qualify via another Ironman event, you can win the charitable Ebay auction, or this way, which seems to be the easiest way to go!
This morning I was greeted by a surprise package, which I love! It was a new Giro Advantage 2 aero helmet as well as a pair of Giro Havic 2 Compact sunglasses! I cannot wait to get both of these out on the road to put them and myself through the necessary paces. However, with a storm that many are calling “a storm of historical proportions” bearing down on the Northeast for the next several days, that may have to wait a bit!
I will take a second to do some first impressions though.
Advantage 2: It just looks fast! Feels lighter on my head than I would have thought. As with all aero
helmets, heat is a concern, but the extensive venting and channeled air flow seems that it might really keep that in check. Glasses fit extremely well with the helmet on with no pinching or cramming at all!
Havic 2 Compact: Light! These glasses felt like they would have been insecure on my face, but once on they felt like they were part of me. Fantastic visibility (for being in a office!) with no sight line obstruction. Again, the compatibility with this helmet is a fantastic argument for sticking to a brand where things are designed specifically to work with each other. Bravo Giro!
Yep, I'm a dork.
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Date: 2/15/09
Consecutive Days Run: 46
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quickie
Time of Day: 6:08 PM EST
Distance Run: 1.51 miles
Time Run: 00:11:59
Average Pace: 7:50 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (34 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Getting sick
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/24800223
About the Run: I felt good today after my run yesterday. That is, my muscles felt good. As for the rest of my body, not so much. I am getting sick and it sucks.
I had a really wonderful interview catching up with Incredible Jane and then took off on my run. I had such a hard time getting it together enough to even go out the door. Danielle and I had already had a busy day, and this was icing on the cake. However, it got done even though I went a bit shorter than my usual two mile run. My pace fell off a bit, simply because I didn’t feel like moving. Oh well, there’s always tomorrow.
Date: 2/14/09
Consecutive Days Run: 45
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: LSD
Time of Day: 3:35 PM EST
Distance Run: 14.46 miles
Time Run: 01:45:02
Average Pace: 7:15 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (36 degrees Fahrenheit), Windy
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/24709744
About the Run: Happy Valentine’s Day!!
My assigned run today (which equals assigned nap time for my very pregnant wife!) was: Nice steady zone 2 run. Focus on keeping your hr down and not letting it rise more than 3 BPM. I left my building with that in mind, combined with my last LSD run pace of 7:47 per mile as well as the almost four hour brick workout from yesterday floating in the back of my head. Honestly, when I go do a run like this one, I set my Garmin so that the only things on my display are my heart rate zone and my total time run. This way, I cannot pay any attention to my pace and must pay attention to the perceived effort of my body.
So, off I went, feeling good and ready to do some more running on a bit of snow along the way. Largely, the snow was cleared from my path, one main exception being the most steep downhill I encounter on this route which was covered with snow and ice. This affected my pace little on the way out, but on the way back up the same hill, my pace and legs got destroyed.
My plan was to run South on the West Side Greenway for fifty minutes and then turn around. I took what felt like a very comfortable pace that was not taxing. When I hit the fifty minute mark it really came much faster than I expected. Still, I did not check my pace. On the way back, I was feeling good, still finding myself in a comfortable zone. I fully expected to be slower on my way back than on the way out, but I wasn’t. In fact, I had to run some unplanned roads at the end to fulfill my assigned one hour forty-five minutes. As I arrived at my front door, my brain was a little bit too scrambled to do the math required to figure out my pace and I still refused to look at my Garmin data.
The first time I did see my data was when I uploaded it to my computer. It was then that I looked at my pace, 7:15 per minute, and checked my half-marathon split. If you recall, a few weeks ago I was paced to a half-marathon PR by Laminator with a time of 1:35:20. My half-marathon time today was 1:34:53, a new PR! IN TRAINING! I was honestly shocked to see it because today I felt worlds different than I did in the Manhattan Half-Marathon.
All things considered, it was a spectacular run today. A bit windy, but otherwise a gorgeous day to boot!
Dan – Hypothermic Half-Marathon 2010, Calgary
Lori – Aaron Rogers 5k Open Invitational preview
Libby – Surfside Beach Marathon
Fawn – Surfside Beach Marathon
Michelle – ATHelite Run in the Park 5K
Sherry – IMS Arizona Half-Marathon
Lonnie – Lace Up Against Breast Cancer
Lisa – San Dieguito Half-Marathon
EMAIL THE LAMINATOR ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME!
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Date: 2/7/09
Consecutive Days Run: 38
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Long (ish)
Time of Day: 1:55 PM EST
Distance Run: 15.44 miles
Time Run: 02:00:18
Average Pace: 7:47 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (32 degrees Fahrenheit), Windy
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/24201299
About the Run: In running the letters LSD do not stand for “lysergic acid diethylamid” or “acid”, rather it stands for either Long Steady Distance or Long Slow Distance. One way or the other, I was really looking forward to getting out and going long(ish) today. It was my first long day since the Manhattan Half-Marathon and I feel like my legs were ready to just take it easy and go.
Since today was cool and I was going for a while, I ran with my Fuel Belt Helium, with both bottles filled with blueberry-pomegranate Gu Electrolyte Brew. You see, I sweat in EPIC proportions, even on cold days and rather than my typical method of ignoring my nutrition, I wanted to play it smart. The reason I mention that particular flavor is because it contains double the sodium of any of the other flavors of Gu Brew and considering my copious amounts of sweat, I need it. So, with my Fuel Belt loaded and dressed for the occasion, off I went.
The day was absolutely gorgeous. It was a bit cold, but the sun shining made up for that and then some. As I have mentioned before, my hands get very hot when I run, regardless of the temperature, and this in turn affects my overall body heat. However, this only happens when I start with gloves. As I got to the point where my hands began to feel like they had been tossed into a microwave oven, I decided to try something. I took off one glove, the left glove, and held it in my right, still gloved, hand and a wonderful thing happened. My fingers which I expected to get rather cold instead acted like foils on a car radiator, dissipating heat and cooling down my whole body. It was awesome! At one point after I made my turn back home, the wind I was facing began to sting that hand a bit and I put my glove back on until it got to that “oven” feeling again and again, it was perfect!
The run itself felt really great. Running down the West side of Manhattan is always beautiful and at this time of year almost devoid of everyone but the most devoted athletes. To be completely honest, I never once looked at my pace, but rather, I just did what felt comfortable, which turned out to be faster than I thought it would! As I was about to exit the West Side Greenway I even ran into (or ran BY as the case may be) @AnnaCBee which was so nice as my day is always brightened seeing people I know out and tearing up the roads!
Craig Alexander has won the Geelong Ironman 70.3 for the second year running. Clayton Fettell exited the swim in first place closely followed by Michael Murphy, Paul Ambrose and Jan Rehula. The swim proved to be slower than the 2009 Geelong 70.3 swim leg with all swimmers approximately 1-2 minutes slower out of the water.
Leon Griffin finished in second place 1:20 behind Alexander with the run proving to be the deciding factor. Alexander set a blinding pace to finish the run in 1:11:57. A further two minutes back were Tim Berkel, Peter Schokman and Clayton Fettell. After posting the fastest swim and second fastest bike leg of the day, Fettell was 7:31 behind Alexander on the run.
Peter Schokman put in a stunning race with only 22 seconds in the swim and 3 minutes in the run seperateing him and Alexander.
|
Pos
|
First Name
|
Last Name
|
Gun Time
|
Category
|
Swim
|
Cycle
|
Run
|
|
1
|
Craig
|
ALEXANDER
|
3:53:15
|
0:23:01
|
2:15:39
|
1:11:57
|
|
|
2
|
Leon
|
GRIFFIN
|
3:54:35
|
0:23:13
|
2:15:29
|
1:13:21
|
|
|
3
|
Tim
|
BERKEL
|
3:56:10
|
0:23:24
|
2:15:06
|
1:14:51
|
|
|
4
|
Peter
|
SCHOKMAN
|
3:56:25
|
0:23:23
|
2:15:15
|
1:14:59
|
|
|
5
|
Clayton
|
FETTELL
|
3:56:39
|
0:21:54
|
2:12:37
|
1:19:28
|
|
|
6
|
Matty
|
WHITE
|
4:00:02
|
0:23:26
|
2:15:04
|
1:18:44
|
|
|
7
|
Paul
|
AMBROSE
|
4:00:39
|
0:22:56
|
2:15:39
|
1:19:25
|
|
|
8
|
Jason
|
SHORTIS
|
4:01:12
|
0:25:07
|
2:13:18
|
1:19:42
|
|
|
9
|
Damien
|
ANGUS
|
4:01:51
|
0:25:56
|
2:15:50
|
1:16:53
|
|
|
10
|
Jason
|
CROWTHER
|
4:02:42
|
0:23:28
|
2:15:12
|
1:21:11
|
|
|
11
|
Richard
|
THOMPSON
|
4:03:15
|
0:25:09
|
2:13:18
|
1:21:54
|
|
|
12
|
Adam
|
HOLBOROW
|
4:05:53
|
0:24:53
|
2:13:43
|
1:24:19
|
|
|
13
|
Richard
|
MUNRO
|
4:06:36
|
0:25:08
|
2:13:22
|
1:25:03
|
|
|
14
|
Michael
|
MURPHY
|
4:07:20
|
0:22:54
|
2:15:48
|
1:25:57
|
|
|
15
|
Chris
|
DMITRIEFF
|
4:09:09
|
0:24:43
|
2:18:46
|
1:22:27
|
As you may know, I have been coaching recently with Jeff from PRS Fit and I have never been faster or stronger and I exceed myself almost daily. Well, for those of you who were didn’t think you could ever afford a coach, now you don’t have to! Jeff has given me the following announcement:
After a lot of thought and soul searching I have decided to release all my beginner training plans to the public for free. I get so many questions from first time runners and triathletes doing plans from books and magazines, that don’t answer critical training questions at critical times. It has always been my practice to stand behind my plans just like I stand behind my one on one clients. If you have a plan from PRS FIT, I will be there for you from start to finish. You can email me, the coach and plan designer with any question you may have, and you will receive an answer the same day.
To contact Jeff, please visit his website HERE. To see some of Jeff’s video insights into different aspects of training, click HERE!
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — USA Triathlon is pleased to announce the 2009 Garmin Age Group Athletes of the Year and Accenture Paratriathletes of the Year, an honor awarded annually by the USAT Age Group Commission and the USAT Duathlon Committee.
Triathlon and duathlon athletes were selected in various categories, including overall, masters, grand masters and juniors.
“These talented athletes displayed fantastic results at various distance races which set them apart from others,” said Lee Zohlman, co-chair of the USAT Age Group Commission. “Each year, a panel of USAT member volunteers meet and look at a group of athletes and their results. Based on performances across various race distances, depth of fields and quality of races the panel chooses the AOY. We congratulate these athletes on their hard work and dedication and wish them the best in 2010.”
Overall Triathlete of the Year – Women
Cathy Yndestad, 31, Apple Valley, Minn.
Top Performances:
1st elite amateur at Lifetime Fitness Triathlon
1st AG / 3rd overall at USA Triathlon Age Group National Championship
“Wow! Considering all the other outstanding amateur triathletes in contention for this award, I am truly honored and grateful to be named Athlete of the Year. I owe a great deal of thanks to my fellow competitors for keeping each race challenging and more importantly, for keeping it fun!”
Honorable Mention: Mandy McLane (30, Windermere, Fla.), Lindsey Whalen (28, Chicago, Ill.), Kathleen Calkins (34, Gold River, Calif.), Bethany Handley (28, Oklahoma City, Okla.), Kaitlin Shiver (20, Satellite Beach, Fla.)
Overall Triathlete of the Year – Men
Chris Thomas, 37, Easton, Conn.
Top Performances:
1st overall at St. Anthony’s
2nd amateur at 70.3 World Championship
“I am truly honored to receive this award. I have been competing in triathlon events for 10 years and I have thoroughly enjoyed the journey. I feel very fortunate to be able to participate in the sport. I would like to thank my father, who introduced me to endurance sport when I was six years old. My family has been my foundation throughout. My wife’s support has allowed me to chase my dreams. I have three little boys and they inspire me every day to do my best and have fun. I would also like to thank my coach, Paul Regensburg from Lifesport Coaching. His guidance has been invaluable over the past two years. Finally, it has been a privilege to be a member of the Timex Multi-sport team for the past seven years. ”
Honorable Mention: Brian Duffy, Jr. (21, West Chester, Pa.), Tim Hola (35, Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Doug Clark (41, Morristown, N.J.), Mark Harms (34, Madison, Calif.), Nathan White (26, Waukee, Iowa)
Masters Triathlete of the Year – Women
Linda Robb, 45, Juno Beach, Fla.
Top Performances:
1st AG at USAT Age Group National Championship
2nd AG at 70.3 World Championships
“I feel extremely honored to be chosen by USAT for this award. There are so many incredible masters athletes in our sport which makes this very special. As a long standing member of USAT, it is truly an honor to be recognized. I’d like to thank my husband, my coach and all of my training buddies for keeping it real and keeping it fun.”
Honorable Mention: Laura Sophiea (54, Atlanta, Ga.), Cassie McWilliam (43, Rye, N.Y.), Peggy Yetman (41, Beaumont, Texas), Ellen Hart (51, Denver, Colo.), Ann Davidson (46, Portland, Ore.)
Masters Triathlete of the Year – Men
Doug Clark, 41, Morristown, N.J.
Top Performances:
1st AG at Hawaii Ironman World Championship
2nd AG / 1st American overall at ITU Short Course World Championships
“It’s a real honor to win this title. Having at some point been a middle-of-the-packer in all three disciplines, I hope I can offer some inspiration to others that perseverance and smart training can get you a long way without doing huge hours. Also, being over 40 doesn’t stop you from recording PRs. Having a full time job, most of my training last season was carried out during my commute or at lunchtimes and my daughter’s nap times. If you get creative you can always find time.”
Honorable Mention: Dean Harper (56, Walnut Creek, Calif.), Kevin Moats (55, Atlanta, Ga.), Tim Sheeper (46, Menlo Park, Calif.), Kim McDonald (55, Del Mar, Calif.), Greg Taylor (55, Mankato, Minn.)
Grand Masters Triathlete of the Year – Women
Lauren Binder, 62, Portland, Ore.
Top Performances:
1st AG / 2nd overall grandmaster at USA Triathlon Age Group National Championship
1st AG at ITU World Championship in Gold Coast
“I am very excited and honored to have been chosen Grand Masters athlete of the year for 2009. It’s times like this when all the hard training and discipline pays off, but most of all, I have enjoyed every minute of it! I am so thankful for all the emotional support from my partner, family, friends and USAT.”
Honorable Mention: Cherie Gruenfeld (65, Cathedral City, Calif.), Diane Ridgway (61, Arvada, Colo.), Elizabeth Brackett (68, Chicago, Ill.)
Grand Masters Triathlete of the Year – Men
Steve Smith, 62, Granger, Ill.
Top Performances:
1st AG at USAT Age Group National Championship for the sixth consecutive year
2nd AG at 70.3 World Championship
“This really caught me off guard. Training with great friends, traveling to great places and competing with great athletes is the multisport lifestyle! I love every minute of it. 2010! Game on!”
Honorable Mention: Roger Brockenbrough (75, Pittsburg, Pa.), Jon Adamson (72, Alpharetta, Ga.), Bob Scott (79, Naperville, Ill.)
Junior Age Group Triathlete of the Year – Women
Kailand Cosgrove, 19, Tarpon Springs, Fla.
Top Performances:
1st AG at St. Anthony’s Triathlon
1st AG at the Longhorn 70.3
“For the past seven years I have had a blast racing triathlons from which I leave with unforgettable experiences; Alcatraz, Pan American Games in Mexico and Canada, Longhorn 70.3, and many more. For me, triathlon is not just a sport; it is a lifestyle that has shaped me as a person academically and athletically. I have made amazing friends and have met some outstanding people in the sport of triathlon. I am so honored and proud to be named USA Triathlon’s Junior Triathlete of the Year and without the support of my family, friends, and my dad (Dean Cosgrove) as my coach, I would not be where I am today.”
Junior Age Group Triathlete of the Year – Men
Joseph Welsh, 19, Cordova, Tenn.
Top Performances:
1st AG / 15th overall USA Triathlon Age Group National Championship
12th AG ITU World Championship in Gold Coast
“This past season, I’ve met some amazing people, enjoyed the hard work of brilliant race directors, and had fun every step of the way. I am honored to receive this award, and I would like to thank a number of people who helped me on my journey: my parents who have supported me emotionally and financially every step of the way; my sisters who have spent dozens of summer days sitting in the southern heat cheering for me; Bert Hull of Alpha Q for keeping me supplied; Walt Rider of Rider Bikes for planting my feet into such an exciting sport; my coaches Eddy Hilger, Brian Sheedy, Dave Smith and Dee Baker for always pushing me to the limit; Los Locos Triathlon Team; Marx and Bensdorf Cycling Team; Lees-McRae cycling team; all those who I have ever raced or trained with; and God, for whom is solely responsible for every step that I take.”
Overall Duathlete of the Year – Women
Suzanne Huelster, 35, Riverton, N.J.
Top Performances:
1st overall at USA Triathlon Duathlon National Championship
1st overall amateur at ITU World Duathlon Championship
“Receiving Duathlete of the Year is a delightful and humbling way to top off a whirlwind season. I want to thank everyone in the duathlon community for providing so much support and encouragement both on and off the course. I share this award with them.”
Honorable Mention: Gail Kattouf (36, Greenville, S.C.), Alicia Parr (39, Durham, N.C.), Kristine Kuss (41, Newark, Del.)
Overall Duathlete of the Year – Men
Kevin O’Connor, 38, Medina, Minn.
Top Performances:
1st amateur / 6th overall (world’s qualifier) at Apple Duathlon
1st amateur / 2nd AG / 9th overall at Duathlon World Championship
“I am not certain I deserve this award as there are a number of talented men who raced well, often, and hard. I am quite honored and humbled by this recognition. Thank you to USAT for honoring all of the athletes, both elite and amateur, who work very hard every year to reach their potential. After 20 years of racing this is my most prized athletic award and for that I thank USAT.”
Honorable Mention: Dirk Heinze (33, High Bridge, N.J.), Matthew Sheeks (26, Woodinville, Wash.), Todd Wiley (39, Pipersville, Pa.)
Masters Duathlete of the Year – Women
Kristine Kuss, 41, Newark, Del.
Top Performances:
1st AG / 7th overall female at USA Triathlon Duathlon National Championship (short course)
1st AG / 6th overall female at ITU Duathlon World Championship (short course)
“I’d like to thank USAT for the recognition, and also thank those who’ve made me realize how important it is to do what we love, while we can, in the time we’re given.”
Honorable Mention: Kristin Villopoto (49, Chapel Hill, N.C.), Janet Howard (48, Clackamas, Ore.), Stacy Creamer (50, New York, N.Y.), Julie Deery (44, Bala Cynwyd, Pa.)
Masters Duathlete of the Year – Men
Jeff Miller, 42, Lewistown, Pa.
Top Performances:
1st master / 12th overall at USA Triathlon National Duathlon Festival (short course)
2nd master / 8th American / 14th overall at ITU World Duathlon Championships (short course)
“It’s an honor to receive this award considering the level of competition in the masters duathlon field along with a season plagued with nagging injuries. I would like to thank 2008 Masters Duathlete of the Year Casey Williams for his positive encouragement throughout the season and his level of competition. He makes me strive to be the best that I can be. I would also like to thank my wife, Shari, and my son, Lance, for all their support and understanding.”
Honorable Mention: Chris Giordanelli (45, Simpsonville, S.C.), Casey Williams (41, Boiling Springs, Pa.), Shane Thread (46, Evansville, Ind.)
Grand Masters Duathlete of the Year – Women
Anne Mitchell, 55, Bala Cynwyd, Pa.
Top Performances:
1st AG at USAT Duathlon National Festival (short course)
1st AG at ITU Duathlon Worlds
“It is an absolute pleasure to be nominated and selected as a Duathlete of the Year! I am sure all will say that I love to play, and competition is just one big giant recess for me!”
Honorable Mention: Anne Viviani (60, Arlington, Va.), Ann Erickson (67, The Woodlands, Texas), Heysoon Lee (65, Stuart, Fla.), Sharon Roggenbuck (71, Hillsborough, N.C.)
Grand Masters Duathlete of the Year – Men
Steve Ruckert, 60, Woodbine, Md.
Top Performances:
1st AG at Duathlon National Championship
1st AG at ITU Duathlon World Championship
“I’ve just been informed by USAT that I am the recipient of the award Grandmaster Duathlete of the Year. In receiving this award I acknowledge that I represent the competivive spirits of thousands of duathletes from around the world. I am honored and have much to be thankful for. Thank you.”
Honorable Mention: Gordon Holt (61, Matthews, N.C.), Tony Marshall (65, Carlsbad, Calif.), Roger Brockenbrough (75, Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Junior Duathlete of the Year – Women
Katie June, 16, Roswell, Ga.
Top Performances:
Junior Duathlon National Champion
8th place at the Junior Duathlon World Championship
“I am really honored to be chosen for this award. Winning at nationals and then representing the United States at worlds have been the high points of my multisport experience, and I am grateful to many people for their support and guidance along the way. ”
Honorable Mention: Kate Buss (16, Blacksburg, Va.), Erika Gates (19, Vestal, N.Y.), Katherine Shields (16, Salisbury, N.C.)
Junior Duathlete of the Year – Men
Ryan Peterson, 16, Richmond, Va.
Top Performances:
1st overall at USA Triathlon Junior Duathlon National Championship
2nd U.S. finisher / 12th overall at the ITU Junior Duathlon World Championship
“It is a tremendous honor to have been named Junior Duathlete of the Year. I want to thank my family and coaches for all the encouragement and commitment they have provided in support of my multisport activities. It was a privilege to represent the U.S. at the 2009 World Junior Duathlon Championships, and I hope to have that opportunity again this year at the World Duathlon Championships in Edinburgh, Scotland.”
Honorable Mention: Lukas Verzbicas (16, New Lenox, Ill.), Josh Evans (18, Galt, Calif.), Kody McCracken (15, Wellsboro, Pa.)
Paratriathlete of the Year – Women
Sarah Reinertsen, 34, Mission Viejo, Calif.
Top Performances:
2nd at USAT/Accenture Paratriathlon National Championships (TRI-2)
1st at ITU Triathlon World Championship (TRI-2)
“I am honored to be selected as the 2009 Paratriathlete of the Year, especially amongst such an incredible group of athletes on the team. I have been racing in triathlon for the past six years, and the paratriathlete division has grown tremendously. We have the most competitive field of women to date, so it’s a true delight to receive this distinction.”
Honorable Mention: Robin Caruso (43, Ridgefield, Conn.), Megan Fisher (26, Missoula, Mont.), Ivonne Mosquera (32, New York, N.Y.)
Paratriathlete of the Year – Men
J.P. Theberge, 37, Carlsbad, Calif.
Top Performances:
1st at USAT/Accenture Paratriathlon National Championships (TRI-5)
1st at ITU Triathlon World Championship (TRI-5)
“It is a great honor to be voted Paratriathlete of the Year by USAT. It is a honor to me but also a tribute to the burgeoning paratriathlon movement which is making great strides around the world featuring talented disabled athletes around the U.S. and internationally who work hard to promote and to increase awareness of the movement in countries such as Morocco, Hungary, the UK, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Spain, Austria, New Zealand among the many other countries involved. We all thank you so much for the honor.”
Honorable Mention: Paul Martin (42, Boulder, Colo.), Matt Perkins (35, Boise, Idaho), Aaron Scheidies (27, Seattle, Wash.)
I was chatting with Laminator last night and I realized that my site, as well as my show are both about to turn two years old! I began writing about my life as a wannabe athlete on February 13, 2008, recorded my first podcast on March 9, 2008 and I cannot believe how far this thing has come!
So, as Lam and I were talking about that and other things, he made a VERY cool suggestion to me and I want to run (excuse the pun) with it! So, here it is:
So that’s it! Lam did this same thing on his site a while back and it is a great read!
ATLANTA and SAN DIEGO, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The American Cancer Society and the Competitor Group, Inc., today announced a new collaboration to empower endurance athletes of all abilities to take a more proactive role in improving their personal health and saving lives from cancer. The collaboration will, for the first time, combine the resources of the nation’s largest health care nonprofit with the endurance sports industry’s leading media and event entertainment company to extend the reach of the American Cancer Society DetermiNation® endurance event program and to strengthen its impact on creating a world with less cancer and more birthdays.
The American Cancer Society/Competitor Group collaboration will begin with the Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle™ Marathon & 1/2 Marathon this June, followed by the Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago™ 1/2 Marathon in August, and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras™ Marathon & 1/2 Marathon in New Orleans in February 2011. All three events will be branded for the benefit of the American Cancer Society.
Additionally, the American Cancer Society will be designated as a preferred charity for Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series events in Denver; Los Angeles; Nashville, Tenn.; Philadelphia; Phoenix; San Antonio; San Jose, Calif.; and Virginia Beach, Va.
“We are excited to join our DetermiNation program with the Competitor Group Rock ‘n’ Roll series to provide an unmatched running experience for athletes of all abilities,” said Alan G. Thorson, M.D., F.A.C.S., national volunteer president, American Cancer Society. “Many people are not aware of the important role that exercise plays in reducing cancer risk – in fact, one-third of all cancer deaths could be prevented with a healthy diet and exercise. By training for and running in a Rock ‘n’ Roll event that benefits the American Cancer Society, people can take one of their most important steps to stay well and reduce cancer risk by being physically active, while helping save lives from cancer.”
Through their participation in the Rock ‘n’ Roll events in Seattle, Chicago and New Orleans, DetermiNation athletes can dedicate their event training and race participation to the only endurance charity program that helps save lives from all forms of cancer. As part of their involvement, these athletes will receive team training, race-weekend VIP amenities, social event opportunities, and much more.
“The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, which provides a unique, world-class endurance event and rock concert in-one, is a proud supporter of the American Cancer Society and its DetermiNation program,” said Competitor Group President Scott Dickey. “Our goal is to create connections that promote our vision of a healthy, fit world. This is a powerful alliance which will raise significant funds for the American Cancer Society.”
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Series format is an enjoyable experience for race participants and spectators featuring live, local bands playing at every mile along the course to energize the runners. Events conclude with a finish line festival as participants celebrate with their families and friends at a headliner concert.
The Rock ‘n’ Roll series revolutionized the running industry in 1998, when it incorporated the live music component at each milepost with themed water stations and high school cheerleading squads providing refreshment and motivation along the way.
The DetermiNation program is the American Cancer Society’s powerful and inspiring movement that empowers athletes of all abilities to make their miles more meaningful by dedicating their training and participation in marathons, triathlons, cycling and other endurance events to a lifesaving effort to end cancer.
Begun in Chicago in 1996 and formerly known as Charity Runner, the DetermiNation program expanded nationwide in 2007 and now includes an increasing variety of endurance events and the growing involvement of athletes across the country.
For more information about how to join the growing American Cancer Society DetermiNation team, visit acsDetermiNation.org. For more information on the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, visit www.runrocknroll.com.
Sarah Stanley’s Run Ride Inspire
Black Diamond Sprinter Headlamp
Newton Running’s Take on Barefoot Running
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Date: 1/29/09
Consecutive Days Run: 29
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quick, short
Time of Day: 7:19 PM EST
Distance Run: 2.18 miles
Time Run: 00:15:52
Average Pace: 7:17 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (24 degrees Fahrenheit), Windy
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23497693
About the Run: Today, I ended up leaving work early due to the fact that I was simply exhausted. I’m not sure why, but I think it has something to do with the cumulative busy-ness of the week. So, I came home, had some lunch and proceeded to take a two hour nap. It was awesome! I usually try to avoid naps due to the fact that they often prevent me from sleeping later that night, but this one was SO needed!
My run tonight was a good one, save for one little issue. As I was on my way back home, I was running up what is a nice little hill that I hit almost every day. Ahead of me on the hill was a couple walking their dog and as I approached (I’d like to add that I was wearing my Black Diamond Sprinter headlamp which is VERY bright, so I was quite visible) the dog got a bit tangled around them and they were laughing and stumbling a bit and almost right into me. So, as I came upon them, and was almost run into, I said, in a completely friendly tone, “heads up!”.
After passing them the guy in the couple said something along the lines of, “Sorry, $#@, I don’t want to slow you down.” purposefully loud enough for my to hear him. So, I stopped and said to him, “No, you don’t” and I turned and began to run again. As I did, this guy AGAIN, made some unnecessary remark to which said, “look, we could sit here and trade smart remarks all night, but I’m just trying to run, you don’t have to be rude”. As I turned around and headed off this person once again decided to open his mouth and say, “You have to have the last word, don’t you?!”. I said nothing and kept going.
So, dear sir, should you see me again running along, please say something again so I know who you are and I will take the time to spend the rest of my run following you running in place behind you not saying a word.
Other than that, my run felt great! It is really cold outside and even the inside of my nose hurt from breathing in the super cold air. I must say, in an absolutely shameless plug, that my Sugoi Firewall 220 tights were so fantastic on this run! This weekend is going to be pretty cold in general, so I’m sure this won’t be the last time I mention it! I am very excited though, to be doing some trail running in the Bronx in Van Cortland Park on Sunday, so if you want to come along, let me know!
Barefoot running was clearly one of the most talked about trends in the running industry last year. From the bestselling book Born To Run, to the explosive growth of the Vibram Five Fingers, runners everywhere seem to be talking about barefoot running.
Well, the buzz about barefoot running is about to hit a fever pitch. As we’ve talked about in previous posts, Harvard anthropologist Dan Lieberman has been studying the evolution of human running for several years. Dr. Lieberman has just published the results of his study in the journal Nature and the mainstream media is running (cough) with the story. For those of you who listen to NPR on the drive home, you might have heard this story on “All Things Considered” today. The story is also available on NPR.org and features a pretty interesting video:
Not surprisingly, Vibram Five Fingers are also getting a lot of attention from the media (Vibram sponsored Lieberman’s study). The Five Fingers clearly help people to try barefoot running, while providing some protection from rocks, glass, etc. As we talked about in the previous post, Newton’s are built for Natural Running but some of you may be wondering how Newtons compare to Vibrams. Amanda Brooks asked just that on her blog, Run to the Finish, and Newton Running’s Director of Education and Research, Ian Adamson, had this response:
Running Newton Shoes and Vibram Five Fingers have many similarities, at least from a form perspective. The primary difference is the cushioning and energy return provided by Newtons, which is largely absent in Vibrams.
Both Newton Performance Racers and Vibrams have a 2 mm heel lift, or toe drop depending on how you look at it. This translates into a 1.3% down grade in the shoe, also referred to as ramp angle or drop. Newton Performance Trainers have a 2% gradient, which although very small, can be felt by aware runners. Regular running shoes have a much steeper angle, up to 15% depending on the shoe.
Barefoot running forces you to run efficiently and preventatively with respect to injury. Vibram’s allow people to experience barefoot running with an added layer of protection from harsh surfaces, while Newton’s go one step further, adding forefoot cushioning and a significant energy return component.
Newton shoes are much kinder to the body’s structure and musculature when transitioning from a traditional running shoe to barefoot, and allow you to perfect a natural (barefoot) form while providing protection and cushioning. Newton’s active membrane technology has been carefully designed to facilitate afferent feedback, which means the nerves in your forefoot feel the ground very quickly through the shoe. This is achieved through the outer lugs and internal semi-rigid chamber that is connected to the bio-mechanical top plate adjacent to your foot inside the shoe.
Traditional shoe cushioning mechanisms dampens afferent feedback, hampering proprioception and thus hindering your ability to self-regulate the impact of your foot strike. Studies show that runners strike much harder in shoes that dampen afferent feedback, one of the causes of injury. Barefoot runners and runners in shoes that allow you to sense the ground encourage you to run protectively, as if barefoot.
Bottom line is that both Vibrams and Newtons encourage a barefoot or natural running style, but Newtons make it much easier for runners to transition from typical running shoes.
Beast of Burden Winter 100 Miler
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Today was the New York Road Runners Manhattan Half-Marathon, part of the NYRR Half-Marathon Series presented by Continental Airlines. If you’ve 
been following my posts, you know that my goal time was 1:35:00. Well, I am happy and proud to say that I ran a PR of 1:35:19! My previous PR was set in the first half of the 2009 Philadelphia Marathon in a time of 1:44:38. That makes today’s half-marathon a PR for me by OVER NINE (9) MINUTES!!
First and foremost, I must give massive thanks to my support team. My coach, Jeff, who kicked me into gear in relatively little time. And also an enormous thank you to the one and only Laminator who paced me the entire way, keeping me going the entire time.
The race course was roughly two and a half loops of Central Park. For those that have run the full loop of Central Park before, you know that to call it a challenging course is somewhat of an understatement. This particular race began at roughly West 63rd Street on West Drive heading in a counter clockwise direction. This means that the runners got to feel the full fury of Cat Hill as well as Harlem Hill, and ALL the little bastard hills in between.
The goal for the race was to maintain a consistent effort for the entirety of the race. I honestly don’t have too much to say for the first half of the race. Cat and Harlem Hills seemed to cruise by, though the smaller hills just after them definitely reminded me to be humble. Lam maintained such a poised, relaxed posture that it really rubbed off on me, keeping me calm.
Once we got into the second loop, Cat Hill came up fairly quick. The weather held together nicely and was nice and cool, but by the second loop, I was definitely feeling hotter than I would have liked. I opened the zipper of my shirt (Sugoi Mid-Zero Zip) to let some air in and felt a lot better. At about mile seven, I took my Gu Roctane as I had planned. I felt decent through Cat Hill, but definitely felt the effort. The hills following the Cat though, ate their way into me. I noticed my breathing becoming much faster than I would have liked and at the same time, while my technique held together well, my stride turnover slowed considerably, thus making my legs work more than usual.
As we dropped down the hill in the Northeast corner of the park, by Lasker Pool, feelings of trepidation and a small touch of dread came over me knowing what lay ahead. As we hit Harlem Hill, I did my best to take deep, full breaths to get my heart rate as calm as possible. The first part of the hill was OK, but as we got to the small plateau-ish area before the next rise, I could feel my heart going into my zone 5 rate and my breathing speeding up accordingly.The next rise was pure agony and I have honestly never come so close to vomiting during a race. The next couple of miles, until we got to about mile 12, I honestly don’t remember much, except keeping my eyes on Lam and just moving forward.
Once we hit mile 12, Lam told me to count my strides to 100 to make it go by easier. I tried this, but my brain wasn’t working so well and I kept losing count after about 20 or so. I guess Lam noticed this and he began counting out loud so I could hear him and it really helped. As we entered the last half mile, he was pushing me to really go for it and, to be honest, I just didn’t have anything left. At some point, even though I refused to look at my watch, I knew I wasn’t going to go sub-1:35:00, but I just kept pushing as much as I could. As we crossed the finish line, I thought I was going to fall over but held on to Lam (Thanks!) and managed to keep myself upright.
I had a great race, and I made (for the most part) my goal time. I truly believe that, had this been a less difficult course, I could have gone much faster and not felt like I was dying late in the race. Lam was an absolutely amazing person to take me to the line and I cannot thank him enough.
Brunch afterward was fantastic, with so many new friends having a great meal together and a great time. Thanks to Michelle for handling the reservations for our get together! So many PR’s were set by so many friends, and all were celebrated, PR or no. What a fantastic race!
Date: 1/23/09
Consecutive Days Run: 23
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Sir Isaac Guidance Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Easy
Time of Day: 6:17 PM EST
Distance Run: 3.40 miles
Time Run: 00:26:44
Average Pace: 7:52 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold-ish (37 degrees Fahrenheit), clear
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23050803
About the Run: Tomorrow morning is the Manhattan Half-Marathon as part of the New York Road Runners half-Marathon series. My goal time is 1:35:00. This would be a PR by 9 full minutes. I am being paced by the one and only Laminator and could not ask for someone better to get me there.
As I write this, it is 11:21 PM EST and I should be in bed, and will be as soon as I finish posting. As always though, nerves are having their say in my head. I’m not really nervous in a negative way, but more in a very anticipatory way. I cannot wait to get out there and push myself! This race will mark only the second race where I actually have a goal time, the first being the Philadelphia Marathon (where I missed my time). The race is taking place in Central Park and is two (2) counter clockwise loops of the park. This is an extremely technical course with plenty of hills as I mentioned in my post yesterday, and not exactly the best place to be going for a PR, but I believe I can do it! I’m going to stop talking about this now, because it’s getting to me a bit…
Today’s assigned run was: Do some short 20-30 second pick-up during this easy run. Cool down, and get off your feet for the rest of the day. I headed out feeling good at my usual comfortable pace, making a point of keeping my head out of my run. On my way back there is a hill which is similar, if not a bit steeper than Cat Hill in Central Park (albeit a bit shorter). I took the opportunity to take the split on my way up, being sure to keep a consistent EFFORT rather than a consistent speed, which is what Lam and I are aiming for tomorrow. Mission accomplished.
Race details to come!
Racers Against Childhood Cancer
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If you listen to my podcast, then you’ve probably heard me mention Twitter. In fact, unless you live under a rock and that rock happens to not get cable or TV or radio or high-speed internet, you have probably heard way more than your fair share of mentions of Twitter. But what is Twitter and how is it any good for athletes?
Twitter describes itself as: “Twitter has grown into a real-time short messaging service that works over multiple networks and devices”. So, you can sign up (for free) and put updates up to 140 characters about whats going on in your life. You can also “follow” other people with similar interests to see what they’re doing/feeling.
Since I joined Twitter, I have become part of what is an amazing community of athletes from around the world. Throughout the day, if anyone ever needs a question answered or just need s a virtual hug, the athletic Twitter community collectively steps up to the plate and knocks it out of the park. As athletes we are all constantly growing and learning how to be better, faster and stronger and I have found that this community is amazing at helping you get there!
If you would like to follow me on Twitter and see who I am following (and follow them) just click the picture of the bird or go to: twitter.com/IronBrandon! See you in the Twitterverse (yes, I just said that)!!
Date: 1/13/09
Consecutive Days Run: 13
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Easy
Time of Day: 6:39 AM EST
Distance Run: 6.11 miles
Time Run: 00:50:42
Average Pace: 8:18 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (30 degrees Fahrenheit), clear
Disposition: Good, tired
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/22299559
About the Run: I must admit that I was a little curious as to how my body would handle running this morning. A member of the @SirIsaac team, Ian, was in town for business and we decided to meet up to run this morning. So, at 7 AM we met in the parking lot of Tavern on the Green, and as luck would have it, today was the day that the Tavern, having gone bankrupt, was selling off it’s assets, so there were news trucks a plenty.
I ran up to the park from West 50th Street after having dropped off my stuff at my gym. We met just before 7 and off we went. Ian is a fellow Virginian, and a great runner. We both took it easy as Ian was dealing with an old skiing injury and I was less than 12 hours out from running 11 miles. You can see the actual route we took by clicking the link to the detail above. Yet again, so nice running with friends. Good conversation, good run, good times!
Date: 1/12/09
Consecutive Days Run: 12
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Interval run followed by slow group
Time of Day: 5:23 PM EST
Distance Run: 11.00 miles
Time Run: 01:28:03
Average Pace: 8:00 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (27 degrees Farenheit), clear
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/22246646
About the Run: Today was a long day. I began at 5:45, waking up to shower, warm-up in said shower and go move my car (NYC alternate side parking rules, don’t ask). I got to my office at 8 AM and was there until 4:45 PM. Right before I left to go change and head to Central Park, I had a Cliff Bar because I knew that I’d need some calories. Bad idea.
I headed to the gym to change and then right back out again to go meet the Laminator who was gracious enough to put my bag in his locker at New York Sports Club on West 73rd. We met, he took my bag and we went our separate ways, only to meet again at Bethesda Fountain at 6:30 with a bunch of NYC area Twitter buddies.
My assigned run for the day was a tough one: Warm up for a mile then run 5×1 mile at your 5K race pace recover for 2 minutes between each. This was added upon by the fact that it was colder than I had expected and the wind had decided to kick up and swirl around the park. On top of that, my stomach had begun to do flip-flops from the Cliff Bar. I set off, doing my warm up and then getting into the first fast mile. Right away, I knew I was under what should be my 5 K pace, but I was aiming for 5 K effort rather than just pace. It so happened that sack in the middle of my first mile was Cat Hill, a lovely little slice of hell nestled on the East side of Central Park. By the time I got to the end of that mile, I thought I was going to lose my lunch, but managed to maintain things.
The rest of my run went OK. Not my best workout ever, but I still pushed myself. When I finished and headed to Bethesda Fountain, people had just begun to gather. In all, I think about 18 people showed up. About little less than half went to do a hill workout while the rest of us headed off to run the upper loop on the park. I really is so much fun to have a real sense of camaraderie while running, especially when the TriLife triathlon team comes at you from the other direction and their larger group doesn’t move an inch, thus making our smaller group run in the car lane (thanks guys). Afterward, we headed to Dive 75 to partake in a few libations before heading to respective boroughs. Good friends and good times!
Racers Against Childhood Cancer
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Date: 1/7/09
Consecutive Days Run: 7
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: Quick, easy
Time of Day: 6:45 PM EST
Distance Run: 2.01 miles
Time Run: 00:16:09
Average Pace: 8:02 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (28 degrees Fahrenheit)
Disposition: Annoyed
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/21899574
About the Run: My wife, Danielle and I are currently expecting our first child, a girl, this coming March. In preparation for this we are in the process of converting what was our den into a nursery. In a New York City apartment this presents many, many frustrating obstacles. Among them is the fact that there are no wall studs to speak of and when you find one it is randomly spaced from one to the next. The walls are mostly plaster over lathe which, when nailed into holds up little better that a mixture of bubblegum and sand. These same walls have often had such piecemeal repairs over the years that their surfaces look like Omaha Beach on D-Day.
This evening when I got home, I opened the door to the nursery, which is still very much under construction, and saw yet another disaster due to shoddy construction. A shelf that had been hung just above the picture rail (a piece of molding about a foot below the ceiling) had pulled out of the wall, anchors and all. It had been holding books, which were now scattered all over the floor, and had landed directly on a picture frame that was stacked among others on top of a sideboy. The frame was cheap, and the shelf had caused only one significant scratch on the newly painted wall and newly hung chair rail.
I am write all this to illustrate one of my favorite sayings: Life happens. My run this evening was supposed to be a pretty tough one: Warm up for 1 mile then run 6×1 mile at your 5K race pace. 2 minute recover between. The shelf had truly put my head in very bad place and doing and hour long, HARD run was not what I wanted to do. I called my coach, Jeff, and ran this by him. In his usual caring and more than understanding fashion, he told me it was OK and we moved around workouts through the weekend to make up for it. Thank God!
The run I did was what is turning into my typical short run of 2 miles. My head really wasn’t in it at all because all I could think about was the work I still had to get done when I got home. I did get home, and the work did get done. I’ll have some pictures of the finished product when it’s done.
Black Diamond Sprinter Headlamp
Racers Against Childhood Cancer (RACC)
Carved by God, Cursed by the Devil by Ted Archer
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United Stated Streak Running Association
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Black Diamond Sprinter Headlamp
Carved by God, Created by the Devil
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
To my Jewish friends around the world and here at home, I would like to wish you a very happy and warm Chanukah!
A while ago, I gave a link to Ironman course comparisons [LINK]. I rediscovered that post today, and now I think (at the behest of one Mr. Caleb Masland) that I will give a link to a really cool sit eI found comparing the elevation and courses of several marathons, side by side.
Click here for: My Marathon Pace!
video management, video solution, video streaming
Josh Cox 2nd Place at the California International Marathon!
Carved by God, Cursed by the Devil by Ted Archer
If you’ve got any extra cash layin’ around, please help me take care of some race fees!!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
As is the case for many at Thanksgiving, my Thursday morning was met with a Turkey Trot. A Turkey Trot, for those not yet in the know, is a race of varying length on or around Thanksgiving. The race in which I, along with two of my brothers-in-law, sister-in-law, mother-in-law and my wife were participating was the Dreamcatcher Classic Road Race in Weymouth, Massachusetts. The race had two distances to choose from; a five miler and a two miler, I chose to do the five.
When recovering from a marathon, conventional wisdom says to rest one day for every mile you’ve run. Since on Thursday I was only four days removed from the Philadelphia Marathon and had not reached the requisite 26.22 days of rest, I was rather curious to see how my recovered my legs would be.
If you’ve visited my site before, or you’ve listened to my podcast, it’s no secret that I am a rabid member of the Newton Running Tribe. I make no apologies for this and defend my choice of footwear at every turn. I never fancied myself a runner until I stepped into my first pair of Newtons. Since then, I have only gone farther, faster and stronger than I ever thought possible. This race report is a testament to what is one of the strongest arguments for “natural running’ (i.e. Newton running); recovery.
Race morning was perfect, in my opinion. It felt like it was in the mid-40’s with no wind to speak of. I had not really done any research for this race in terms of terrain, so I was clueless as to what kind of hills and such lay in store. The race was a mass start and not chip timed, so in an effort to get the most accurate time I could, I lined up as close to the starting line as I could. This is not a place where I usually find myself, but I figured why not?
The starting horn sounded and 1,200 of us were on our way. The front row was, as expected, the races “elites”. They pulled away pretty quickly and cleared out the space in front of me. I haven’t looked at the data from my Garmin yet, but I imagine I was at about 6:30/mile at the start. There were a few of us who fell into a stretched out pace line and who seemed to be running a similar race. As the race progressed, many people who had taken it out hard, simply fell off and ended up walking. The course was, in my opinion, good, if a little hilly. Some of the climbs definitely knocked me down a couple of notches, but I just seemed to have more in my legs.
When doing a last minute race plan in my head for this event, I readily assumed that I would go out pretty quick and sustain that for as long as I could and then lest my pace fade to something more comfortable. The problem with that plan was that I just kept going. Don’t get me wrong here, I felt every step. I took it out quick and pushed myself to do what I could. I guess I just expected my tank to run out at some point and it just didn’t. When the hills came, as I said before, I really felt it, BUT, rather than muscling through it with raw power, I reassessed my body position and technique. This kept my pace fairly consistent on the hills and kept my heart rate at an acceptable place.
I crossed the finish line with an official time of 32:55, which made my per mile pace 6:35 (my Garmin read 32:54 and 6:34 but who’s counting?). This was a PR by exactly FOUR minutes. That, to me, is insane. I finished 3rd in my division and 32nd overall.
But why was I able to do this? I believe that this was a perfect storm of proper training (MASSIVE hat tip to Jeff Kline, @coachprs) and the rapid recovery facilitated by natural running (forefoot/midfoot striking) by way of Newton. My legs, SHOULD have been dead from top to bottom. Instead I felt like I was just doing a fast tempo run.
It’s funny how many are calling “natural running” a fad or trend when, before forty years ago, it’s what we all did. Barefoot technique is what we did through millions of years of evolutionary history, so why did it all change when Mr. Bowerman decided to put a big-ass wedge of air-injected foam under our foot? Newton has been at the forefront of “natural running” since well before that term made it’s way into the vernacular of the running community. Look, I don’t work for Newton and they don’t ask me to write or say things like this, I do it because I want to. In my opinion, because of Newton and the natural running technique that they promote:
I AM A RUNNER.
Additional kudos to my bro-in-law C and mom-in-law K for running their first ever road race (the 2 miler). Also to my bro and sister-in-law A and K for making the early trip to run the 5 miler with the fam. Last but not least to my wife, Danielle, for finishing a 2 mile race while being 6 months pregnant!
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This past Sunday, November 22, 2009 I ran the Philadelphia Marathon. My official finish time was 3:59:14. This is how I got there…
I arrived in Philadelphia on Saturday, the day before the race, at about 12:30 PM. Thanks to my friend Mike, I had a great place to stay. Upon arriving, I chatted with Mike for a bit and then headed off to the expo to browse the booths and pick up my race shwag. (Sidenote: When you’re at an expo or something similar, be aware of your surroundings and DON’T CLOG THE AISLES! I felt like I was walking through the Time’s square Subway station at Christmas! KEEP IT MOVING OR MOVE TO THE SIDE PEOPLE!). Picking up my race gear was a breeze and I was quickly on to browsing the incredibly frustrating traffic of the expo.
I wasn’t really in need of too much at the expo, and since I don’t see the point in paying $50 for a pair of running shorts (unless, as I said to Allan later, they have little gnomes inside that keep you cool) I just looked for what I needed. The things I was looking for were GU Roctane (Blueberry pomegranate (there is a reason for that flavor)) and a pair of cheap, throw away gloves. I found both in about five minutes, although wading through the people to and from each booth took about five times as long.
The reason for me being very specific about the flavor of the GU I was looking for is due to my ability to sweat epic amounts. GU makes something called GU Brew in which the Blueberry Pomegranate flavor has double the sodium of their normal GU Brew and more than just about any other product. It also tastes decent. I have been using a bit of that flavor of GU Brew to get used to the taste and such, so I decided to not change things in the flavor of GU I was choosing. Also, GU Roctane has more sodium than most other gels and WAY more amino acids.
After making my purchases and heading back through the throngs, I made my way back to Mike’s place. After a bit, I got in touch with Allan and he, Mike, Andrew (Allan’s partner) and myself went to grad a bite to eat. This meeting marks only the second time that Allan and I have met face to face, but I always feel like I am talking to an old friend, which really helped to take the edge off and pre-race nerves. After eating (Mike had to go catch a flight), Allan, Andrew and I talked for a while about running, nutrition and myriad things in between. We eventually parted ways for the evening, the plan being for me to walk to Allan’s hotel between 5:45 and 6 the next morning and we would walk from there to the start.
On race morning, I woke up at 4:15 AM. I know it seems early, but it gave me time to take a long shower and really wake up.
I was out the door at about 5:45 and en route to get Allan. As luck would have it, when I was only about a block away from Mike’s place, Allan called and asked if I could bring him a packet of Hornet Juice because he had forgotten his. I ran back and got one for him and was on my way again.
I have a tendency to go one of two ways pre-race. Either I am extremely focused and not very talkative at all or I am like Jim Carrey on crack, making jokes and not shutting up. As we walked, Allan pointed out that I was rather like the former, looking straight ahead and rather stoic.
Upon arriving at the start area, Allan and I found what seemed to be the fastest and cleanest bathroom line in all of racing and I quickly found myself changing out of my warm clothes and into my race wear. We also both downed our bottles of Hornet Juice (and also Chia for me).After turning in my gear bag to pick up at the finish line, Allan and I headed into our corral (Gray) and did our best to keep our minds occupied before the actual start.
My goal time for this race was 3:30:00. The plan was to go out at a 7:59 per mile pace for the first 22 miles. Thereafter, Jeff (Coach) had built in a 14 second fade per mile, giving me some breathing room at the end. I had a wristband with my 5K splits written on it to keep me on track. I did not write down mile splits because, at Jeff’s suggestion, I need small goals, but not too small (e.g. 5 K rather than mile by mile). Allan was aiming for a 3:45. The weather was perfect, with temps in what seemed to be the high(ish) 40’s.
I said to Allan, “Let’s do this” and we were off. The first four or five miles were kind of a blur. I was doing a lot of weaving in and out of the people traffic. This was probably largely due to the fact that the goal time I submitted when entering the race was 4:00:00, thus, I was plaed a bit farther back. Unfortunately, this caused my pace to be about thirty seconds per mile faster than I wanted to be.
When I got to the half, I was about 6 minutes ahead of my goal pace, so I took the opportunity to go pee (pardon the details). While standing in the bathroom (I must stop peeing in the middle of marathons, something bad always happens) I began to feel faint, so I put the lid down and sat down. Almost immediately, I needed to throw up (again, sorry for the details), so I did. Now, this was not the kind of, something I ate puking, rather, I do believe that this was some sort of nerve response. In any event, I got worried.
After regaining my composure,I came out of the bathroom and as luck would have it, the 3:30:00 pace group was right there and I jumped in and got back in the groove. At this point, I was right about dead-on my goal time. The pace group, it turns out, was running a much different race than I was. The pace kept dropping to about 7:15-40 per mile and I was still trying to hold 7:59’s. They were actually pushing the pace on some flat sections so they could “take it easy” on an upcoming hill. So, after hanging on for about two miles I dropped out the back of the pack and did my own thing. It was at this point that I felt like my heart rate was spiking. I checked and it kept going to and staying at about 160~170 bpm. This was not good for this point in the race.
I had to assess what my next step would be. I slowed my pace to see if things would regulate and they did not. So, I stopped and simply stood still until my HR got into the 120’s. As I headed out toward the town of Manayunk, I knew that I would eventually be seeing Allan once I turned around and could see the people on their way out. The stretch to Manayunk is a long one and the run from mile 18 to the turn around point at about mile 20 was interminable. ONce I made the turn around, I saw that Allan was only about 5 minutes behind me. Once again, at about mile 21.5, I needed to let my HR come back down and I decided to just wait for Allan.
It was so nice to have company. Not only that, but someone you know, someone you can talk to about lots of things, running or otherwise. The last few miles had some walk breaks (every single one of which pissed me off because my brain and body disagreed) and some good conversation.
When we hit the last mile, we of course bumped up the pace. It’s interesting what happens there. Your body is telling you to go to hell and your heart and mind are so excited your body almost doesn’t matter. Just before mile 26 my calves began to cramp (and oddly, my neck did also) but I did what I had to do to drive to the finish. Allan and I crossed together with a time of 3 hours 59 minutes and 14 seconds. It was awesome!
Nutrition: This actually seemed to be fine mostly. At every aid station, I drank Gatorade Endurance. Admittedly, I should have had two cups at each station instead of just one. I had my GU’s at mile 6 and then again at the half. Once I became concerned about my HR I forgot the other two I had. Oops.
Crowd Support: The crowds were fantastic. They lined probably half of the course and really were so nice and encouraging.
Race Organization: From my perspective, the race semed very well organized. The aid stations were very well staffed and had ample fluids. The volunteers were excellent and helpful. There was nothing overly complicated about the race (which I love) or getting around.
The Course: Overall, I enjoyed the course. I do think that the elevation chart is a bit deceptive. I was not prepared for some of the long rolling inclines (approx. 3100 ft. of elevation gain). But I would indeed do this race again.
My Race: I broke four hours. In nine months, I have gone from never having run a marathon to becoming an Ironman and running a sub-four hour marathon. I am pleased that I broke four hours. I am not pleased that I did not meet my goal. I will eventually crush 3:30:00.
Rest: Now it is time for rest. I have not rested since probably February. It is time now. Time to recharge and let my legs heal. Bring on the tryptophan.
Official Results for the 2009 Philadelphia Maraton
Thanks so much for visiting my site! My name is Brandon Wood and I am an opera singer living and trying to make it in New York City. This site and podcast follow my adventures on the way to competing in and training for all kinds of endurance events, especially triathlon and running. Click the "About Me" tab for more info!
