Philadelphia Story

I had the great fortune to spend two weeks in Philadelphia. Wonderful city, and if you stick to the University of Pennsylvania and City Center areas, a runner's paradise. Early on I went looking, and started running the trail which follows the Schuylkill River (I am told that's pronounced “SHOO-kull). This path runs along a row of historic buildings and statues, past the UPenn “boat house” where their crew teams practice, next to the Museum of Natural History, and gives a great view of the skyline. It's safe because at any given moment you are sharing the trail with dozens of walkers, runners, and cyclists, in this weird little ballet of getting in your workout without killing each other. Somehow, it all flows together, and everyone gets where they're going! It was very much like running on the island that the Wii Fit puts you on- very busy with varied terrain. Every run out there was gorgeous.



I also fulfilled a long held desire- I did the Rocky run! All through the city, and right up the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to take the steps (twice, because who knew when I would be back) and had my picture taken in front of the Rocky statue.

It was weird, because it felt like a culminating event. Like I was at the end of my own montage of training which played through my head for the whole run. I feel like it's time for a new chapter in my running, and I am as curious as anyone to see what that will be!




I also learned what it's like to bond through running. I have mentioned my buddy Jim here (and I hope he doesn't mind if I post his picture). He's been a runner for a long time, and I scoffed about it to myself quite a bit. To myself, because though I have known Jim for over a decade, we'd never met. We started reading each other's G.I. Joe stories on some long dead fansite, and he sent me an email. We got to talking, and just never quite stopped doing it. Since then we've gifted each other's kids, and he gets the yearly “State of the Fosters” Christmas card, while we get the yearly “Jim's family's getting their tree” card. However, we never met face to face, or even talked on the phone.



Jim, it turns out, lives right outside Philly. So, we made the time and I took a train out to a beautiful suburb and for the first time we met. And do you know what we did? We ran together. Now, I slowed him down something awful, and he kicked my ass most of our run, but we did a little over four and a half miles while I weezed through wonderful geek talk about Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, and of course, G.I. Joe. Then we had a great cheesesteak, and I kept his wonderful family (and delightfully tolerant wife Bridget!) up late swapping stories. Great people and a great time. See, I will admit now, I was a little nervous. People can be different than they are in email and that goes for me too!

(Ask my Uncle Lou, oy vey what a story...)







What if they thought I was a jerk in person? We had that run though, and through it, we were talking like the old friends we really were. Can't wait to get him out Arizona way to do some coyote dodging runs!

So, Philly has been great. New runs, new friends, new chapters in the life of the Running Dan.
Now, I need to go get some new shoes. My faithful Nikes are about to give up the ghost. I will keep you posted...

Gonna fly now!

Week Nine- Santa kicks my butt.

Yikes, this was a tough week. You know what happens at Christmas time? We eat. We eat a lot. Everyone cooks and bakes and there's food everywhere and you don't want to waste it and what can one more cookie do bad for you anyway...

It can feel like bricks in your butt when you are trying to run ten miles.

That's right folks, this week, my long run was only ten, and I swear it hurt more than my 13. If you look back you will see I know my diet is a deciding factor in how I run. I ate badly anyway. You will see I know what it's like to find my pace- that if I am working too hard I am doing it wrong. I had no choice- anything over a walk was work.

I now know what it means to need to detox, not from the evils of drink mind you, but from too many cookies and pies and delicious fudge and bourbon balls. Yikes.

Then, I also seem to have tweaked a muscle in the front of my left shin. Most aches go away after the body warms up in a mile or so and I feel better. This one just gnawed at me for ten miles. Trying to rest it before my Tuesday Week 10 run, but I might have to take it easy into the New Year. Not sure how that will affect my plans to do the full marathon in February. I might be back to the half then and the full in May.

Now, two pieces of good news. My darling wife the Lovely Jennifer slipped the Nike+ iPod attachment into my stocking, so I now get complete instant feedback on distance, pace, and time while digging my mix of tunes. For the price, it's really a handy tool.

Secondly, our new family dog, Eighball, is a runner. I have him doing up to two miles at a time with me, and frankly I think he wants to do more. He keeps looking at my like I am a panzy when we stop. He loves it, but has a tendency to make me go a little faster than I necessarily want to. We'll try two and a half miles when I run again!

So, a mixed bag week, possibly leading into a rest week, much as I would hate to. Runners beware that guy in the red suit- he's no good for you!



See?

Eating up week six...

This was a tough week. I had been considering taking it easy this week to let some of the tweaks and aches in my heels and calves lighten up, but I came to realize what my far greater problem is. It's something I learned from this guy in the third grade:


You are what you eat.

See, Monday nights we like to go to the local kid friendly pseudo-bar and watch football while hanging out with friends. Knowing I should have had salad and maybe a beer, I had two (including a tall Guinness) and a Chipotle Chicken sandwich. Yes it was delicious, but come Tuesday morning at 4:30 AM, I felt like the beer and chicken had become anvils which had gone directly to my ass and feet. Keep in mind- I was still thinking it was just time for a rest anyway, so I didn't think too much of it, severely abbreviated my run and went about my day.

That night for dinner, I had lean chicken and vegetable wraps in tapioca paper with salmon sushi. In short, lots of protein and greens, with enough carbs to be fuel. My Wednesday run (which I started out of habit... yes, getting up early and running is in fact getting to be a habit) was five miles, and I felt great. Cue beer and pizza dinner...

Cue really dragging ass again on my Thursday run! I realized dinner had a direct correlation on how I felt on my runs. So Friday night, regardless of being at a Military formal, I boosted up on the carrots and cucumber salad, with some leafy greens as well, and had just a small sampling of beef and fish. Even with the beer to wash it down, my seven miler on Saturday (light week on the Higdon plan anyway) was just fine. Later on I worked on my car, and feeling manly I decided I would run some more, but the Lovely Jennifer made Chili Verde (healthy and delicious) so I tucked that motivation away to use for later.

So, this week's Sesame Street lesson? As the Giuseppe Arcimboldo painting from the 16th Century at the top shows... you are what you eat.