Bicycle Contest

Beginning today, Friday December 23, Jan and I are competing to see who can ride to Clanton, Alabama the fastest. All the bike riding will take place indoors, on our road bikes. I have a road map marked every ten miles, beginning in Spencerport and ending 800 miles later in the middle of Alabama. Pushpins will mark our progress along the route.

We are pretending to ride down state routes, not the Interstate system, similar to a route we might be able to ride in real life. Fifty dollars to the winner and even more important, bragging rights. Jan insists she will kick my butt, however I think she is delusional. It is a good motivational tool though and hopefully keeps us training more than we might otherwise have for a couple of months (or longer).

Why Clanton, Alabama? It's where our daughter Andrea lives. The ride is also good practice for thinking about bike touring in some future year. Anyone have other ideas for indoor bike training and motivation?

Garage Sessions

It was a cold day my friends. The wind was blasting at 4mph, making the air temperature of 18 feel more like 17.5 degrees. But even this weather wasn't enough to deter five rugged souls from meeting inside my garage for our own spinning class.

The garage, with two portable space heaters, was warmed to a balmy 34 degrees, and the sounds of Bob Seger wafted from the boom box, at least until the circuit breaker blew and we had no music or heat. Also blowing was my rear tire (why is it always the rear, so hard to change, so much grease?). How do you get a flat tire riding indoors on a trainer? There was only a minor temper tantrum, less than 10 minutes worth, as it took three adults to put air in the new tube so I could ride.

Once we began riding though the hour long workout went by quickly. It was a good way for all of us to stay or get motivated to ride this winter and begin thinking about spring/summer rides and triathlons. Some people meet in basements or garages for band practice, but five old people from Spencerport meet to ride. Is something wrong with us? Our parents never did this.

Tim Tebow

Yes, this is a running/triathlon blog, but I think it is great how Tim Tebow, quarterback of the Denver Broncos, is proving the skeptics wrong each week. If you visit his website, go to the one minute mark and watch his situp routine. Maybe I'll have Jan beat on my abs like that.

Just think, the Buffalo Bills could have drafted Tebow instead of C.J. Spiller, who so far has been underwhelming in the NFL.

Top Ten Things I like about Tebow

10. He can bench press 480 pounds (MW - can you do that?)
9. He speaks well on camera.
8. Tebow is exciting to watch play football, whether he throws like Brady or not.
7. The Broncos never give up, which usually starts with having faith in yourself and the QB.
6. He has thrown only one interception in seven wins.
5. He doesn't have a big messy beard like the Bills Amish Rifle (Ryan Fitzpatrick).
4. Tebow has led the Broncos to a 7-1 record as a starter and close to the playoffs.
3. Other teams haven't figured out a way to beat him, despite the "fact" he can't throw well.
2. Tebow always gives credit to his teammates.
1. Remember early in the season when the Bills were a comeback team? Yes, I know it's hard to think of them winning now. Never count out the Broncos and Tebow.

Pineway Ponds Freezeroo

The first race in the GRTC Freezeroo series will again be at Pineway Ponds in Spencerport. Sal's, led by the infamous MikeI'msoworriedIneedScotchNow W. is leading the local volunteers in organizing the race. This is the 37th version of the race (I'm making this up). Really, though, years ago this course was used for PolarCat races before GRTC requested our help.

This is a five mile course and deceivingly harder than one might think. Many runners have insisted the course is long, but it was accurately wheeled and also Garminized. It isn't certified, but is accurate nonetheless. A course map is available at USATF. There are two small hills and a long, slight incline from 2.5-4 miles.

YellowJacket Racing will be timing the race, so expect results quickly. This year's weather looks great, for once we won't have an icy roadway within the park!

Running Heroes

Available in print for quite awhile, but finally a link from the Runner's World web site, the article and photo about Boots and Ellen Boutillier, YellowJacket Racing and Fleet Feet Rochester.
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-297--14130-3-1X2X3-4,00.html

It was an interesting process nominating these two worthy individuals. I really never thought the nomination stood a chance, especially after receiving an e-mail from Runner's World stating they had a number of people to consider. It was a nice letter from the Senior Editor, but I thought it was over. Thirteen days later another editor wanted more information and my hopes were up. Two weeks later I was informed Boots and Ellen were finalists, but not definite yet. Ten more days and the journalist writing the articles emailed me. We had a phone interview a few days later. In September I got the email stating Boots and Ellen were in the magazine, nine weeks after the nomination.

I still didn't really believe it and there were many emails back and forth with Runner's World regarding photographs and content,  but I am thankful it worked out.

Here is my original letter, which you can see was changed quite a bit. The main point I kept trying to make was the influence Boots and Ellen have had on the health of the community and getting so many people to become fit through walking, running, snowshoeing, duathlons and triathlons.

Dear People,


My heroes are a husband and wife team who have transformed the running, duathlon, triathlon and snowshoe scene in the Greater Rochester, NY area. Dave, “Boots” Boutillier and Ellen Brenner-Boutillier, co-owners of Fleet Feet Sports of Rochester and a race management/timing company, YellowJacket Racing, have influenced the lives of thousands of people. We have always had a very active running and triathlon community, especially when compared to cities of similar populations, but Boots and Ellen have taken this to an even higher, amazing level, over the past several years.

Boots is a former college All-American runner and nine-time member of the US National Duathlon team, winning a gold medal at the 1996 World Championship. Ellen has completed many sprint-half-ironman triathlons and is a certified fitness instructor, personal trainer and USAT coach.

This isn’t just a business to them, they live in the City of Rochester, promote the entire upstate NY area, work too many hours per week to count, all the while motivating people to begin or continue an active, healthy lifestyle. Their businesses have expanded, which means hiring more staff and helping the local economy.

Boots and Ellen have organized countless events that raise money for charities, schools, give money to support local cross-country and track teams and sponsor a master’s xc team. They take it as a matter of pride to come up with new programs or events every year. YellowJacket Racing currently owns and produces 38 events, Fleet Feet is a major sponsor of another 26 events, and they time another 54 events throughout New York each year.

Special Programs Offered:

• Urban Fit (begun in 2010 – Core and strength workouts)

• Corporate Wellness (lectures, demos, training advice workshops, healthy lifestyles)

• School visits (work with faculty and students promoting physical fitness)

• No Boundaries (beginning 5k and 10k training programs – hundreds of people participate throughout the year)

• Group Workouts (Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays throughout the year)

• Tri Community College (11 week coached workouts leading to sprint triathlon)

• Walking Program (newish program with more than sixty registrants)

• Winter Warriors (Free program to keep you motivated in the winter-hundreds participate)

• Distance Training (hundreds of participants, coached training for a half or full marathon)

A Few of the Unique Events Boots and Ellen have developed:

• Flower City Challenge (in conjunction w/City of Rochester, Duathlon-Tri with kayaks in river-weather permitting on Saturday, 5k and 13.1m race in downtown on Sunday, 3,000 participants)

• Dirt Cheap Trail Race Series (promoting trail races in parks throughout Monroe County)

• Snow Cheap Race Series (snowshoe/trail night time racing at Cobb’s Hill park, Rochester, NY)

• Fleet Feet Gives Back – 100% proceeds go to charity

Thank you for considering my nomination. If you need more information, please let me know.

Sixty?

There is a friend of ours, a longtime Sal's runner, who is moving into firm AARP age on Wednesday, November 30. Think of doubling that birthdate number. His name might be Lou, or maybe not, I certainly won't crack open the vault to say.

Here are twelve reasons to run with Lou!

12. The King of the One Liners. Invented the line, “is that a Halt Spray in your pocket or are you just happy to see me.” (courtesy MW)
11. Never have to initiate the pit stop on the run. Lou goes in 15 minute intervals. (MW)
10. He is easily convinced to drink Bourbon (no, not while running).
9. Anyone who can get trapped under his bike while riding indoors is a friend of mine.
8. Lou and I share November as our birthday month, this must be important.
7. He falls prey to peer pressure easily. Lou, want to attend Tri-Community College? (invite from Jan and Eileen) sure. Want to do the Shoreline Tri? sure. Lou, want enter a snowshoe race even though you've never been on them? sure. Want to run the xyz marathon? sure. The list goes on.
6. Lou willingly volunteers at many races throughout the year no matter what the weather.
5. Lou rode his bike 50 miles in the hilly Tupper Lake 1/2 IM despite losing half his gearing. This was a major accomplishment and testament to his determination.
4. He might be a vampire, waking up by 4:30am everyday, running by 5:20am, asleep soon after sunset.
3. Much like a Labrador Retriever Lou is gentle, intelligent and family-friendly with a  stable temperament suitable for a variety of activities while possessing a sound, athletic, well-balanced conformation.
2. Lou knows we go east on the canal path, except when we go west. Much like Ken Kesey writing, "you're either on the bus, or off the bus", Lou knows we don't leave the path.
1. He is my lifeline for baseball answers, especially concerning the Yankees (don't call it trivia, there is no trivia in baseball, it's all important - Lou tells me this all the time, so it must be true).

Rodney Dangerfield

Sharing a birthday with comedian Rodney Dangerfield is an honor. Here are a few one-liners you may enjoy.

I drink too much. The last time I gave a urine sample it had an olive in it.

I had plenty of pimples as a kid. One day I fell asleep in the library. When I woke up, a blind man was reading my face.

I looked up my family tree and found three dogs using it. I told my psychiatrist that everyone hates me. He said I was being ridiculous - everyone hasn't met me yet.

I was so ugly my mother used to feed me with a sling shot.

Speed Limit 55

Sammy Hagar performs "I Can't Drive 55" at Farm Aid in Champaign, Illinois on September 22, 1985. When Hagar did this song I was 28 with three daughters ages 6, 4 and 1. Times have changed a bit. I think I had as much hair as Hagar too.

A wonderful thing happens tomorrow, November 22, 2011, I move into a new age group for running and triathlon races, 55-59. I will be the youngest in the age group with my first race two days later, the Race With Grace in Hilton, NY. It is the 21st running of the race and will be my 20th time participating.

Interesting Facts and notions;
1. I turn 55, the former speed limit for the NY State Thruway. We used to think we were going fast when we got to 62 and had to watch for state troopers pulling over speeders. Now the speed limit (suggestion) is 65 and if you don't drive 70+ cars will run you off the road or ride three feet from your bumper, while they are on the cell phone and drinking coffee.
2. My birthday is on 11/22/11. A bit weird.
3. I was born on Thanksgiving Day and have been a turkey ever since.
4. My father retired from Eastman Kodak at 55, in 1985. I thought he was old. He is 81 and closing in on being retired longer than he worked there.
5. My children don't remember my father working at a real job.
6. Usually I feel like I am in my thirties, which is ridiculous. Fifty-five? That's someone old you read about in the paper wondering why he/she is acting like a young person instead of their real age.
7. Is it too late to begin another career- my third?
8. Hey, my kids don't remember me being anything but a librarian. I am old, having worked at Kodak for almost ten years before changing careers.
9. Advice - don't wear triathlon shorts to a public pool without checking to see if they have become threadbare.
10. Thanksgiving, with or without it being near my birthday, is still one of my favorite holidays.

Wrestlers

Saturday Jan and I were doing our regular swim at SUNY Brockport. The 5pm start time is nice. We get in a good swim and still can be home at a decent hour with our take-out pizza...I mean to cook a nice meal, get in our pj's, have a glass of wine (2 for Jan) and relax. It  really works out well.

This past Saturday was the yearly Brockport State invitational wrestling tournament. Teams from all over the country come to compete, including many Division one schools. The coach at Brockport likes to put his kids up against the best. Generally this would not effect our swim in the least, in fact Jan and I had our own lanes and I swam 2300 yards, my longest since the season closed at Canandaigua Lake.

After the swim I went into the locker room for a quick shower and change to street clothes. My timing couldn't have been worse. Four shower stalls that can fit thirty-two athletes were filled with naked wrestlers. Not wanting to fight a crowd (or embarrassed at my 54 year old body?) I decided to wait on the shower until home. My locker, though, was in the midst of the Maryland University wrestling team. A bunch of twenty-year old, washboard abs, 3% body fat, testosterone laden athletes who had just come off the mats after wrestling all day.

Why should I feel bad though, right? I'm lean, have a tad of muscle, a good comb-over for hair, muffin topped belly abs and a wrinkled face. Yeah, I fit right in with this group. I was ready though, if any of them started making snide remarks about the old guy in the room. I'd just say, "that's right boys, you might look like super heroes now, but see this?", and I'd whip off my towel, "this is what you'll be in thirty years, if you're lucky!" Plus, I have a really big.....401k, and a fixed pension coming to me to boot, now try and match that! I can go home and eat 6 pieces of pizza, 2 glasses of Wild Turkey American Honey Bourbon and half a bag of chips while you have to eat carrots, celery and water to make weight for your next match. Hah!"

There are times being old does have advantages.

NYC Marathon

Congratulations to Sal's runner Frank Q., who completed the NYC marathon for the first time. Frank started off at an aggressive 7:40 something pace and went through 13.1 miles in 1:42 (sub 8/mile). He ended up fading over the last few miles, as the marathon makes most people do, and finished in 3:58:28.

Marine Corps Marathon Results

Two intrepid Sal's runners did complete the full 26.2mile MCM on Sunday, October 30. Though DC missed the east coast snow storm, apparently most of the bridges were iced over for much of the race. There were 21009 total finishers, 12,418 male and 8,591 female.

Jen K. 3:50:57, 180/1767 in age division (close to top 10%), 3,154 overall, 719 female (top 9%).
Mark R. 3:55:57, 183/1174 in age division, 3,829 overall, 2,906 male.

Congratulations.

Completing the MCM 10k were the husband/wife team of Lou and Joanne. They stuck together over the icy bridges and finished in 1:08:17. Joanne was 95/281 in her age group and Lou 73/147. Nice!

New York City Marathon

The 41st running of the NYC marathon is Sunday, November 6th. We wish Sal's runner Frank Quattrone the best of luck and are sure he will beat at least 30,000 runners!

There are, however, several reasons why many people may not win this race, in fact MW came up with 10 of them:

1. You have to stop to pick up your “nip” band aids.
2. Dan traps you at the start to discuss a structures design. (Dan is an ITT engineer).
3. You are stuck behind a French runner having his good luck cigarette. (happened to me in 2001)
4. Sprained a wrist giving high fives.
5. Breathed deeply by a NY deli and had to stop to get a sub.
6. Got dq’d because you started after the wrong gun shot.
7. Got lost on the Verrazano Bridge.
8. Accidently wore a Red Sox hat.
9. Stopped to let 1 runner ahead of you and 3000 snuck in right behind him.
10. Got delayed explaining to a native New Yorker what pop and white hots were.

Marine Corps Marathon

Good luck to the Sal's runners who are touring Washington DC this Sunday, whether it is the 10k or marathon. Lou and Joanne will be in the 10k, which starts in the National Mall, near the Washington Monument. It's a neat course, one that Joanne and I completed in 2009.

Jennifer K. and Mark Rakestraw are running the marathon. The weather looks pretty nice for a 26.2 mile jaunt around the city and historical areas, with a high temperature of 52.

Technology

Why didn't I think of this?

At the NYC marathon spectators can have text alerts sent to their phones so they can follow up to 3 runners. But, if you pay $2.99, you can download an app, which 100,000 people are expected to do. The NY Road Runners Club gets 70% of the revenue from the app and Apple 30%. The app has video of the race, you can track runners, see countdown clocks and leader boards.
Here are some other features of the app, "... track other runners by searching for their names, bib numbers or teams. Their locations throughout the race will show up on a map. By tapping on other tabs, users can identify the locations of live music along the race course, mile markers, shops selling official merchandise and the locations of retail outlets like Dunkin Donuts and Subway. If they opt in, users can receive offers for discounts to these shops. "

"Either on a full screen or split screen, users can watch live feeds of the broadcast as well as streamed video clips called Daily Cool Down (which includes behind-the-scenes looks at the top runners) and NYRR live, which focuses on the strategies and careers of the elite athletes. There will also be a live Flickr feed for photos. "

"There is also a course guide, tips for the best spots to see the race, and news and weather feeds. Perhaps the most practical feature is the Friend Finder. Runners who carry their phones (hopefully in their pockets, not in their hands) can choose to allow people to track them even when they are off the course."

Belson, Ken. "A Phone App to Keep Fans in Touch." New York Times 27 Oct. 2011: B16(L). Infotrac Newsstand. Web. 27 Oct. 2011.

Not a bad income stream! This is just the beginning if this app is successful. In addition to the subscribers, businesses will pay $ to be included on the retail outlet maps.

Dark Side of the Moon

Don't Run When It's Dark Outside. Why?

9.  Deer roam at night and might attack.
8.  Running speed decreases when darkness increases.
7. No time to drink coffee before running. Who gets up that early?
6. Bathrooms? This is really an issue. Thankfully there is a lot of construction in Spencerport now which always brings port-a-johns.
5. Dogs bark, neighbors complain, you get blamed.
4. The darkness makes it seem colder. A thermometer may say it's fifty, but it will feel like 40.
3. A sidewalk might pop up and grab your running shoe (not that MW or anyone I know has done that recently).
2. The Spencerport man who pushes his shopping cart while rummaging through the recycling bins on garbage collection day may be out (though all reports are that he's friendly, it's just weird to see someone doing that at 5:30am). Strange how this man is only out when Lou isn't running. Hmmm, could they be one and the same?
1. You may look at the stars instead of where your feet are going and fall (not that MW or anyone I know has done that recently).

Marathon Statistics

The sport of marathoning continues to grow, with 505,238 official finishers in races held in the United States for 2010. This is close to a 7% increase from 2009. Female participation grew by 10% and is now 41% of the total.
The men's 40-44 age group continues to be the largest, as it has for many years, and the fastest average finishing times, with an average of 4:19. Finishing times ranged between 2:05:52 and 14:10:58 during 2010. Yes, just under 2 miles/hour compared to 12+ miles per hour for the fastest time.
The overall male average finishing time was 4:27:12 and female, 4:54, each average slower than the year before.
Anyone reading this who is a sub 3:30 marathoner? You are in the top 15% of men and only 3.6% of women break this mark.
There were 483 marathons held in the U.S. during 2010, up from 397 in 2009. One hundred forty eight of those had less than 100 finishers. Trail marathons? I'm not sure.
Source: http://www.marathonguide.com/

Why Wear a Helmet When Biking?

Marathons

My prediction was wrong, but Ryan Hall was a factor in the Chicago Marathon and is still the USA's top marathoner after finishing in 2:08:04 on a sunny, warm day. Ryan ended up in 5th place. The winner, Moses Mosop of Kenya, ran a 2:05:38, good enough for a 38 second victory.

Russian Liliya Shobukhova ran the second fastest women's time ever, a 2:18:20. She was actually 13th overall in the race! The top American was 18 minutes back (Jeannette Faber), but she did earn the "A" standard and qualified for our Olympic trials race being held in January. Shobukhova secured a Russian Olympic team spot, won Chicago for the third time in a row and earned approximately $1 million for the day ($500k for being the top female in the World Marathon Majors series title, $ for the victory, $ for a course record and bonuses from Nike for the win and time).

Chicago Marathon

Sunday morning (October 9) you can watch live coverage of the Chicago Marathon at this NBC station. The starting temperature is predicted to be 65 and heading to low 70's, a bit warmer than one would want for a marathon.

I'm predicting Ryan Hall will come through with his first major marathon victory. His 2:05 at Boston shows he can hang with anyone in the world.

Fleet Feet Sports Rochester

Fleet Feet Sports of Rochester has announced a second location will be opening in November. Finally the westside of Monroe County will have our own running store! It seemed everyone was scared to cross the Genesee River and come over to our side of town.

Here are the top ten reasons FF should be in Greece, NY.

10. The new store will be steps away from Dibella's Subs, home of the best subs in Monroe County.
9. The canal path (where running is King) is .25 miles away.
8. One of Sal's favorite long runs, "Mary's Route", 12.4 miles from Spencerport to Greece and back, goes about 300 yards from the new store location. We can stop at the store for water refills.
7. Mike W. can easily stop at the store to drool over the new shoes before heading home from working at Spacely Space Sprockets.
6. Saturday night date night in the Weinpress household will consist of Mike W. and Eileen window shopping while they are sharing a Dibella's Tuna on Rye sub.
5. Mike W's favorite bank, Eastman Savings and Loan, is 100 feet away from the new FF store. I see his savings account dwindling quickly.
4. Living only 6 miles from the store, Eileen and Jan will ride their bikes to FF in December, in the snow, to Christmas shop for their wonderful husbands.
3. More jobs for the community. (not a funny comment, but true)
2. Bernie used to be scared to cross the Genesee River, now he can stop buying running shoes at Sears and shop at a real running store.
1. The Westside is the Best Side!

Ironman is Not a Cult?

Video created from the website xtranormal. The dialogue is great between the co-workers.

Tips for the Day

1. Don't go hiking near the Iran/Iraq border. That is stupid. I hope the three idiots who did this have to repay the millions of dollars it cost to have them brought back to the US after Iran had them in jail on suspicion of being spies.

2. Want to win prizes at a local running race? Choose your races carefully. At Sunday's Casa Larga winery Peoplechase 5k, MW and I got first in our age groups, Jan and Eileen second place. We got wine glasses, t-shirts, medals and Mike and I, $20 gift certificates to a local restaurant! It's almost like we are professional runners now.

3. One runner in the race was 84 years old. He won his age group, of course, finishing in less than 40 minutes! See, you can run forever.

4. If you aren't already on for the ride, time to join the Buffalo Bills bandwagon. First place in the division, undefeated? This won't last, but it sure is fun.

Teaching and Running Races

Amazing to me how similar my pre-race and pre-teaching anxiety levels and routines are.

With both I usually calm down a bit once I reach the site. I need to be early, sometimes ridiculously early when compared to normal people.

When teaching students about using the library databases I rely on technology to work. Rarely does it go off without a hitch. It's too easy for the system to be down, a computer needs to go through a rebuild process, the projection system is malfunctioning, the student computers are booting up forever. When I'm at a race it's generally my body that is malfunctioning. I need to use the bathroom, the lines are too long, I can't go once I'm in the port-a-john, I feel like I have to go again three minutes after exiting the loo.

I have taught thousands of lessons over the years. I'm not really good at it, definitely not one of those natural teachers who loves leading a class of students. The subject matter, while important, isn't exciting, really, how do you make learning MLA or APA citation styles into a fabulous lesson? I'm open to ideas. I've run hundreds of races since 1980, maybe more. I've had a few memorable races, but generally am doing well if I get in the top 20% of my age group. Similar to teaching, I'm in the middle if you are grading me.

On a really anxious day, like if I'm working with a professor I've never been with before, or they have a screwy lesson plan that even I don't understand, I can hyperventilate. Yes, I've read all the articles and books about presenting and relaxing, taken workshops on teaching, yada, yada... I still can get over the top with nerves. So I breathe deep, tell myself it's 50-90 minutes of my life, think about how far I've come from the kid who seldom raised a hand in class in case I got the answer wrong. Funny, usually once everyone is situated and I begin the class, things go fairly well. It's also strange how the chemistry of each class can be so different even with the same professor.

There have been a few races that I made super important in my mind. I need to reach a certain time goal, qualify for the Boston Marathon, qualify for the Snowshoe National Championships or maybe run in the championship. Similar to teaching, in these cases, my anxiety is ridiculous. I have blown races, particularly the Snowshoe Nationals, simply due to using too much energy worrying about the race before it even begins. I have a nickname, thanks to my kids, Psycho Dad. It's reserved for those times, pre-race, when a side of me comes out that isn't pretty.

For two years, unbelievably, I was the moderator/question reader for the National Geographic contest when I worked at the Byron-Bergen central school district. This was a big deal. I was Alex Trebek for the day and spent weeks learning to pronounce all the strange words. There were 500 people in the audience. Was I scared? Oh yeah. But I volunteered for it just to prove to myself I could do it.

One of my greatest races was the Cherry Blossom 10 miler in Washington DC. Not because of my finishing time, though it was decent, but for how I felt before and during the race. There were thousands of people in the race, but the starting area, in front of the Washington Monument, didn't feel crowded. We were seeded and somehow I was put into one of the front corrals. It was so cool. I was just a few feet away from the elite women, some of the fastest women in the world. I got to watch them warm-up. A sense of calm came over me while waiting for the starting gun (cannon?). It was a day made for running and I always like doing races in DC, not sure why. To top it off, I ran with Bill Rodgers, one of my heroes, for almost three miles during the race.

Since that race, which was about five years ago, I have been looking to capture the feeling of how lucky I was to be standing there, in good shape, feeling so relaxed. I think my anxiety levels will continue to be a work-in-progress, whether in the classroom or on the roads, but I promise to try and improve.

Glasses

With apologies to those who have had to wear contact lenses or glasses for the majority of their lives, here are the top ten things I hate about the eye doctor.

10. Those drops to dilate my eyes. I don't like things put into my eyes and I don't like not being able to see clearly for the next two hours.
9. The cost. New lenses and/or glasses are ridiculously expensive.
8. My eye doctor is a great guy, he even runs. But you leave his examining room and are led directly to a person who wants to sell lenses and frames. It's like being at Disney World, getting off a ride and having to go through a gift shop before you can leave.
7. Jan driving me home. I'm blinded by the sun and the eye drops and keep thinking she is going to hit other cars. Jan does not appreciate my helpful safe driving tips (slow down, speed up, watch out you're going to hit him!).
6. Picking out frames. No matter what style I choose I'm not going to look as hot as the people in the ads.
5. Contact lenses. I don't wear them and won't. Icky.
4. Corrective eye surgery. My vision problems can't be fixed by this, plus having someone cut or laser my corneas? Not likely.
3. Swimming in a lake. Is it hard to see the buoys because they are small, or because my vision is worse? I'm sure this is why I can't swim in a straight line.
2. I break glasses, a lot. My current reading glasses have bent frames, lenses that are scratched and kind of foggy. Jan thinks I'm worse than a kid, but I can't help it.
1. A visit to the eye doctor is a depressing reminder I am getting old. I grew up with great vision. Until the age of 40+ I could read tiny print, see street signs from a mile away and recognize people hundreds of yards away. Now I wear glasses when I have to drive and see signs, especially at night, wear glasses while watching television and when reading. I don't like it.

Runner's World Heroes

Early notification that Boots and Ellen, of Fleet Feet Rochester and YellowJacket Racing fame, will be one of Runner's World's "Heroes of Running" for 2012. Boots and Ellen will be in the December issue of the magazine.

The Vault

"What's said on the canal path, stays on the canal path". It's written in the by-laws which was signed by all the original members of Sals.

Similar to Seinfeld, when something is put in the vault, it's supposed to stay in the vault. Unfortunately, if you have a Bourbon tasting party, things can pop out of the vault rather quickly.

There's a Seinfeld episode where Elaine says, “You can tell me. I’ll put it in the vault.”
Jerry “No good. Too many people know the combination.” He then makes a motion with his hand as if having a drink.
Elaine protests, but later — naturally — we find out Jerry was right. Elaine can’t keep a secret when she’s drinking. And Elaine enjoys a drink.

Simply substitute Jerry for MW and Elaine for Lou.
Lou - "You can tell me Mike, it's in the vault".
Mike - "No good, too many people know the combination"
Lou protests and Mike gives the secret idea he has. (I can't share it because that would be opening the vault).

Later that night within seconds of having his first taste of Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon, Lou opens the vault!

Kramer (MW): Look, I can't say anything. You know, the guy told me the stuff in
confidence, I'd be betraying a friend.

Jerry (Lou): Well you can't just mention it and then not tell me.

Kramer (MW): Alright. I'll tell you but you can't say anything to him.

Jerry (Lou): I'm not saying anything, I'm putting it in the vault, I'm locking the
vault, it's a vault!

Later, at the Bourbon Party:
Jerry (Lou): Yeah, but I can't say anything because Kramer wasn't supposed to tell
me.

Elaine (Joanne and others): Oh, you have to say something.

Jerry (Lou): I can't, I told Kramer (Mike) I was vaulting it.

Elaine (Joanne...): You gotta open the vault.

Jerry (Lou): Open my vault?

Elaine (Joanne...): Open your vault.

Jerry (Lou): Once I open the vault, it ceases to be a vault.

Elaine (Joanne...): You have no choice.

Jerry (Lou): Oy ga-vault.

Vacation Running

We left Spencerport 90 minutes later than planned, due to our SUV battery dying overnight. Apparently I had left the back hatch ajar which drained the battery. AAA saved the day and Jan and I began the journey to Alabama, staying one night in Franklin, Kentucky on the way.

Our Hampton Inn was great, but there wasn't a lot of choices for where to run, so the next morning we did laps on the roads around three or four motels nearby. The three mile run made eating the large waffles from the hotel breakfast bar seem okay. Hampton Inn's are definitely our favorite hotel to stay in at this time.

We arrived at Andrea's home in Clanton, Alabama around 3pm on Sunday. 97 degrees and 74 degrees dew point, a bit sticky. We ran with Andrea two mornings, around 40 minutes each time. It was cool at 8:30am, only 80 or so. (insert sarcasm here).

Some tips for driving on Interstates, especially in Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama.
1. The posted limit of 70mph can be ignored. My 75-78 was slow. I really believe there is no speed limit anymore, as long as a cop is not around most people go how ever fast they want to.
2. Watching movies while driving is okay.
3. Texting at 80mph is the norm.
4. Most people still haven't heard of hands free cell phone use.
5. Tractor Trailer drivers sometimes weave across the the line, usually because they are eating dinner while driving a 20 ton truck. This is a bit disconcerting.
6. Every state but NY has a beautiful welcome center when you cross the state line. Alabama's is still the nicest one I have ever been at. NY makes you wait 50 miles before you come to a mediocre rest area.
7. NY was the only state with toll roads on our 1,000 mile trip.
8. The entire road system in the USA is under construction.
9. Posted speed limits in construction areas are mostly meaningless, despite the increased risk to drivers and workers.
10. The most expensive gasoline is NY, averaging 3.72/gallon, the cheapest was Alabama at 3.41. The average price once you leave NY is 3.55.

Hotels seem to think an exercise room is 1 treadmill, 1 stairstepper and, if lucky, 1 stationary bike. Rarely are there any weights. This might be okay if only one person in your party runs, but if a couple wants to run, you are out of luck.

Weight Lifting Routine

This routine hits all the major muscles. It was adapted from a routine in the web site Stumptuous. Including warmup it should take about 40 minutes. It will also work your aerobic system if you do it correctly.



1. Be Consistent with lifting (2-3x) week.

2. It should feel as if you can perform one or two more reps in each set (maintaining good technique throughout)

3. Warmup before lifting, 5-10 minutes increasing intensity walking on treadmill or light bike, stretching, pushups, jumping jacks, etc.

4.Periodically choose one (and only one) exercise and go to failure.

5. If you are unsure how to correctly perform a lift, ask a trainer or someone with lots of experience. Have them watch you lift with a light weight until you have the movement ingrained.

6. You do NOT have to have a large weight system. Some barbells and dumbells can work just as well.

7. If you don't have access to those, let me know and I can design a program that involves no weights.



Need maximum weight can lift for the following exercises:

Bench Press, Leg Press, Row, Bicep Arm Curl, Tricep (machine or dumbells), Overhead Press, Chest Fly, Back Fly, Leg Curl-hamstring, Leg Curl-Quad, Lat Pulldowns

Abdominals (if machine available, if not, don't worry)



Your maximum lift should be measured once per month over a three month period. Figuring out your maximum lifts can be one workout or stretched over a week.



Circuits– Rest as little as possible between exercises (15 seconds is ideal). Rest 1 minute between circuits.



Day 1: Circuit 1, 8 reps each:

Leg Squats on machine

Row

Bench Press

Repeat above 2-3x in this order, lifting 80% of maximum



Circuit 2:

Leg Curls (Ham & Quad) 15 reps each

Cable (lat) Pulldown (8 reps)

Abs – alternate bench, machine, ball, floor (go until failure).

Repeat above 2-3x, lift 80% of max.





Day 2: Circuit 1, 8 reps each:

Squats – hold dumbbells

Chest Fly-80% max

Back Fly-80% max

Repeat circuit 2-3x



Circuit 2, 8 reps each:

Bicep Curls

Triceps

Dumbell Press

Abs – as in Day 1

Repeat circuit 2-3x

YellowJacket Racing

Hard at work setting up for the Sodus Triathlon.

Sarcopenia II

Where your body fat is stored is important. It is better to be pear shaped than apple. The more fat above your hips, the more likely you are to get heart disease, suffer a stroke or have diabetes. Even if you are not obese the more fat you have around the waist the greater your chances are for disease.



Aerobic capacity is the best indicator of fitness and funtional capacity. Lab experiments prove aerobic capacity doesn't have to decline with age, IF you are willing to expend the time and effort to maintain it. Older people must exercise regularly over a longer period of time than young adults.



Bone density is effected by diet (low calcium) and a sedentary lifestyle. Older people tend to lose their thirst mechanism and don't drink enough water, becoming dehydrated, which changes their internal temperature. Aerobic exercise helps with kidney function and regulates your internal temperature, helping you not overheat.



A normal 70 year old needs 500 less calories a day than a 25 year old. Too many people eat as though they are 20 years old. Most people should eat about 100 calories less per day per decade. This will help stop wait gain as you age.



In summary; strength training and aerobic exercise is for everyone. It is never too late to start a regular program of exercise. Your muscle mass doesn't have to be replaced by fat as happens to many people.



Next post - a weightlifting routine anyone may find useful.

Sarcopenia

Sarcopenia is the overall weakening of the human body caused by a change in body composition in favor of fat and at the expense of muscle. (from the book, "Biomarkers: the 10 determinents of aging you can control" by William Evans) Many adults are suffering with this condition or, at least, heading towards this direction at a quick rate. Sarcopenia does not have to happen.



It is so easy for most of us to slip into a sedentary way of living which results in more muscle mass being replaced by fat. *This is not necessary or a normal part of aging! Each of us does possess the ability to alter our Biomarkers. The two primary biomarkers are muscle mass and strength. Scientific studies have shown remarkable gains even among nursing home patients aged 85+ who were involved in an exercise program.



The eight other biomarkers we can influence are; BMR-basal metabolic rate, % of body fat, aerobic capacity, blood sugar tolerance, cholesterol/HDL ratio, blood pressure, bone density and the ability to regulate your internal temperature.



We should look beyone the notion of losing weight and concentrate on building and maintaining muscle at the expense of fat. Strong muscle causes your metabolism to rise, increases your aerobic capacity because working muscles consume more oxygen, use more insulin which lowers your diabetes risk and aids in maintaining beneficial HDL levels.



This topic is important and will be examined more fully in a later blog article. Suffice to say, weightlifting and/or strength exercises, done on a regular basis with proper form is important, no matter what your age.

Recommendations

Just like dentists in toothpaste commercials, four out of five McCulloughs agree running is good for you. Unfortunately our youngest daughter, Stacy, has yet to be fully convinced, though we tried to trick her into it by having her fitted at Fleet Feet sports when she was here last week visiting.



Alas, it appears her fashion sense took over and she went for color over caring whether they would help her run. It is still a victory that we got her in the store though and on a treadmill to have her running form analyzed.



Of course our oldest daughter, Andrea, began running in the last few months for money motives. She is a lab rat, having joined an experiment at UAB to get her vitals checked, blood taken, etc. before, during and after exercising, either by running or biking indoors.



Andrea joined Amanda, Jan and I on the track last week. It was 80+ degrees and the dew point was over 65. Andrea thought these were cool temperatures and ran in long sweat pants and a long sleeve shirt.



Amanda has switched her training and plans to kick her mom's butt at the Race With Grace 10k in November. I have to admire this plan and will be trying to do the same!

Runner's Toes

Only a REAL Runner would have toes like this!

Identify these toes and win a prize.

Shoreline Multi-Distance Festival

The sunny, hot Saturday morning didn't stop our hero, Mike W from completing his second 1/2 marathon of the year. After four miles, realizing the 80+ 8:30am temps weren't favoring a quick pace, MW did the wise thing, backed off the pace and enjoyed the farm field scenery of Hamlin. Almost 300 people ran the half and there were NO dnf's, which is incredible, considering the weather.

Lou and I competed in the Tri on Sunday, which unfortunately was changed to a Duathlon because of the white caps in Lake Ontario. The race became a 2mile run/15.7bike/2 mile run. The top 10 reasons I beat Lou at the race are:

10. I paid Joanne to keep his asthma inhaler.
9. Lou, missing the swim, biked with a wet suit on.
8. The wind was intense and the sail Lou attached to his bike for speed actually pushed him backwards.
7. I got to T1 first and let the air out of Lou's tires.
6. MW, road marshall supreme, sent Lou in the wrong direction. For a few minutes Lou thought he was winning the race!
5. The run course looped through a small woods section and Lou couldn't pass up a chance to become one with Mother Nature. He's a runner, why use a real bathroom if you don't have to?
4. Lou's water bottle was mysteriously switched to American Honey Bourbon. He wobbled more than normal on the bike.
3. Lou noticed Joanne taking photos of him and got off the bike to pose.
2. My slight head start on the bike out of T1 allowed me to switch the arrows on a couple of roads, sending Lou in the wrong direction.
1. Lou couldn't decide if he was in the 55-59 age group or 60+. His mind was working overtime trying to do the math and when Lou began using his bike computer, which only does time/speed/rpm he became totally confused. The computer began sparking and flew off his bike onto the road. Lou tried to use his spidey hands to grab it, got caught in the spokes, spun around and upside down, landing back on the seat. But the time loss was too great and he couldn't make it up on the last run.

Victory goes to....ME!

Shoreline Triathlon

The Shoreline Multisport Festival is Saturday, July 23 and Sunday the 24th. Saturday is your choice of a 5k or 13.1 mile race. Look for Sals members MW and Pete "Father Time" in the half. Jan may run, or may not. I will be working at the race.
Sunday is the sprint triathlon, a 1/2 mile swim in the calm waters of Lake Ontario, 15.7 mile bike ride on the flat roads of Hamlin, and a 4 mile run near the shore of the lake. Rumor has it Lou, he with the newly shaved face after 30+ years with a beard, is doing the tri. Unfortunately for Lou, shaving won't be enough as I plan on beating him.
My guess is we will come out of the water close to one another, he will beat me in transition (why can't we have wetsuit pull off volunteers?), I will gain a slight advantage on the bike (if there are no flats), he will catch me in transition and I will crush him on the run.

Fundraising

It’s interesting to reflect on how fundraising has changed over the past four decades. The first recorded “walkathon” was in 1969, the CROP Hunger Walk in Bismarck, N.D. $25,000 was raised and the idea spread to other non-profit groups.

By the 1990’s the running for charity boom had a firm foothold in the U.S. There are event producers who make their living setting up races for charities, trade shows and technology vendors. Major charities have an in-house staff whose sole purpose is to organize events and recruit runners to their races. Team in Training (Leukemia Society) employs 350 full-time people who organize endurance events. In 2010 $1.65 billion was raised by non-profits through athletic events.

The question to ask is, “how much of the money raised by the participants goes towards prevention, finding a cure, treatment, etc.?” The average event takes .50cents of each dollar raised to cover costs. Other fund raising methods generally take .15-.20 cents. (direct mail costs .20, major gifts, .10-.18). The American Cancer Society does well with its’ Relay for Life, holding costs to .8cents for each dollar raised, but this is unusual. If a charity can get sponsors to pick up some of its costs, then more money goes towards the actual problem. Still, someone has to pay.

In 2010 there were 36,958 athletic fundraisers in the U.S. (from the “Run, Walk, Ride Fundraising Council”). If I tell people at work I am participating in a race, or working at a race, one of the first questions is, “what is the race for-meaning who am I raising money for?” It’s ingrained in the public’s mind that is the only reason to participate. If I answer, “I have no idea” or, to be really bad, “it’s not for a charity, it’s to see how fast you are or if I can finish” I am looked down upon. Why would I or how could I do an event just to see if I can finish or not know or care about the charity?

The Boston Marathon, supposedly a qualifying only race, increased its charity slots from 100 to 1,250, charging the non-profit group $350 for each slot. A legit qualifying runner pays around $130. They have more charities looking to get a slot than openings, despite the price. The NYC marathon collected $3.8 million in 2010 from charities, selling 7,400 slots for up to $950 apiece. But the fund-raising groups still figure they make out, because they charge the runner 2-5x that amount to enter. Some groups get aggressive in their suggested techniques. The Susan B. Komen foundation tells participants that if eating out, instead of leaving a tip, ask the waitress if you can use it as a donation and better yet, have her give up the entire day’s tips. Others say to make contact at least 3-6x with a potential donor, or tie a ribbon on your donor’s finger and not let them remove it until they made a donation.

If you are thinking of starting your own charity event, follow this general rule (scientific studies have looked into this): long distance events raise more than short ones, sponsors seem to give more money when they believe the event will be painful for their friend. Suffering seems to make the event more meaningful.

This article may make it seem like I am against running or biking for a charity, I’m not. If a race is a fundraiser for a charity, fine. But participants may want to take note of how much of what they raise actually goes towards real research, or directly help people. I also have absolutely no problem with an event organizer holding a race and none of the fee going to a charity. If I go to a baseball game, pay for parking, get a seat, watch a game, I don’t expect the team to give money to charity. If I race and my fee covers registration costs, bathrooms, police and ambulance, water/food, a safe course, timing, permits, and even a profit for the organizer who is trying to make a living, that’s fine too.

Reference: Smart Money, July 2011

Swimming

A swim club, all teenaged boys and girls, was working out in the three lanes next to Jan and I last night at SUNY Brockport. They seemed to float through the water with smooth strokes, body up, while I beat on it, dragging my legs along.

Since I'm having thoughts of competing in the Shoreline Triathlon in two weeks, seeing if I could swim 1/2 mile, without my buoy for support, seemed like a good idea. Also the 50 meter lanes, instead of the usual 25 yards, was a mental block that I needed to overcome to build some confidence towards swimming in open water.

Of course I timed myself. After three laps I didn't know if I would finish and was worried about how pathetic I looked compared to the kids flying by me. By lap five I decided it didn't matter how I looked and started to relax a bit. After lap six I knew I would finish, but my time would probably be slow. My first lap, as usual, was the "fastest", a 2:28 for 100 meters, overall I averaged 2:42, for a 21 minute 800meter (about 880 yards) total. The kids were doing 100 meters in 1:25! Even with a wetsuit I couldn't come close to that. Last year at Shoreline I raced the 1/2 mile in 16:40, with a wetsuit, or about 2:05 per 100.

Friday - Canandaigua Lake swim, with Jan, Eileen, Lou, Mike and Joanne for support. I can't wait, especially with a stop at McGregor's afterwards.

Librarians Do it in Lake Placid

No, not that! After our eleventh trip to the Lake Placid, NY area in the past 9 years I decided to do some research on the area.

Early in the 19th C the Elba Iron Steel company used Mill Pond for their water supply. Around the time of the War of 1812, thanks to government contracts providing work, about 300 people lived in the area. Later the pond was used as a power supply and shipping logs to the Ausable River.

In the mid 19th century there was political turmoil in India and many people immigrated to the United States, including Hinduist Faramar Placid. Somehow he found his way to the Adirondack region, fell in love with the peacefulness of the land and settled there. Faramar's last name came to be known as a word meaning peace and the city of Lake Placid was named in his honor.

Librarian Melvil Dewey (creator of the Dewey Decimal System) and his wife founded the Lake Placid Club in the 1890's. The Deweys used advice from hotelkeeper Paul Smith (college of same name) in selecting the site of the club. A guide and boats went through seven portages, then a 20 mile wagon ride to get through the dense woods. The club grew to 2,000 members and Lake Sterns was renamed Lake Placid in 1927. (the village of Lake Placid was incorporated in 1900).Dewey kept the club open through the winter in 1905, which aided the development of winter sports in the area. As a side note, Lake Placid Florida was named in honor of Melvil, after he died there in 1931.

By 1921 the area had a ski jump, speed skating venue and ski association. Charles Jewtraw, a speed skater from Lake Placid, went on to win a gold medal at the very first Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix in 1924. Dr. Godfrey Dewey, Melvil's son, along with other prominent people from the area, were able to convince the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that Lake Placid had the best winter sports facilities in the nation and the 1932 winter Olympics were held there, forever putting Lake Placid on the map. This is a photo of the 1932 Olympic Stadium. 306 athletes participated in the games (32 women, 274 men).


Reading through some books on the region, it was amazing how utterly wild the area was so late into the 19th and early 20th century.

Hefty Trash Bags

Top Ten Reasons to Wear a Trash Bag to a Race

10. Nobody can see that you brought your lucky bunny doll to the race.
9. Having a bad race? Pick up cans and bottles along the road and earn your entry fee back.
8. Allows you to make all your “pre race adjustments”.
7. If you faint from nerves you can easily be stored and carried home later.
6. Gives your running buddies another reason to make fun of you.
5. The bag can be saved for your Halloween costume (Darth Vader?).
4. A contractor size bag can fit two people. Great for making out before the race.
3. Disgusting-but true-find a quiet grassy spot, kneel down, and you can pee and nobody would know. (I did NOT do this!)
2. If it is hot you can drop those 5 pounds you’re trying to lose just before the race.
1. Get to dress as 2 brownies with your wife. Who doesn’t love brownies?

Thanks to MW for some of these suggestions!

Lake Placid Results

Sal's had great results at the Lake Placid Half-marathon held on June 12. Mike W. led the way with a 1:39:07, 5/79 in age group, 74/1410 overall! Pete L won his age group with a 1:47:03, 169/1410 overall.
My hamstring held up (Yeah) and after running 8:03 pace through 8 miles, I crawled in with a 1:52:12, 15/79 age group, 239 overall place.

Jan struggled the last few miles in the humid day, and ran a 2:13:12, 24/101 in age group. Sarah L., in her second 1/2 marathon, ran a 2:13:18. Lou, pacing Joanne (is that legal?), ran a 2:31:43, and despite crossing the line together, Joanne was timed on second behind Lou. It was Joanne's first half-marathon!

Amanda M. completed our group of eight with a 2:46:07 finishing time. 1171/1410 overall.

A Horse is a Horse...Of Course

If only I could run like Mr. Ed! I love watching him slide into home plate.

Recently I've had a hankering for eating oats and a strong desire to canter in the farm fields near our home. It must be a reaction from the Horseman's Liniment my equestrian daughter recommended I use on my sore hamstring.



All you do is massage the liniment into your sore muscles four times a day, use ice after working out and heat later. I am combining this treatment with KT Tape while limiting my running to about 30 minutes a day in a desperate attempt to be able to complete the Lake Placid half-marathon race on June 12 (5 days away).

If you have any other cures for hamstring injuries please let me know.

Triathlon Don'ts

If only I had my video camera. While working at the Pittsford Triathlon Sunday I had the honor of seeing events I had never before witnessed.

1. This triathlon is a 300 yard pool swim. Competitors start every 15 seconds and swim in lanes, going under the lane markers to continue. It is a short distance in a safe environment, perfect for newbies and those uncomfortable with the water. It's also nice for more experienced triathletes who prefer a sprint triathlon.
I was assigned to sit there and make sure everything went smoothly with the volunteers and swimmers. An easy assignment as the lifeguards in charge had been doing this for years. Around 250 swimmers began the race. One man, in his twenties, obviously was new to the idea of swimming and did the doggy paddle and water bobbed in the shallow sections, taking about 14 minutes to finish. It was exhausting just watching him.
After more than an hour the last competitors lined up. A gentleman, probably 60 or so, had on his wire rimmed glasses, no swim cap, no goggles. He began swimming with the elementary backstroke...slowly. He swam into the pool wall. Later, much later, he switched to the sidestroke...slowly. It took him 22 minutes to complete the swim. That is almost 4 minutes per 50 yards. The average finish time was 6-8 minutes.
These two swimmers were not my favorites of the day. That honor goes to another 60+ year old man whose excited wife took photos of him in the warmup area. Okay, fine, lots of people did that. Then she kissed him right before his start like she wasn't going to see him again (it's a pool, you can watch the entire time!). At the end of every 50 yards she took his photo again as he stopped and rested. Twice she kissed him at the end of the 50 (I'm not making this up). He finished in 18+ minutes. That's a long time to be in the pool for 300 yards. Maybe if his wife hadn't got him so excited with the kisses he would have finished sooner?

Oh- I followed the last swimmer out of the pool so the timing and race crews would know who to look for on the bike. Unfortunately the woman I followed turned out not to be the last person. The 22 minute man went to the locker room and completely changed before heading out for the bike. He wasn't any better on the bike or run either. Slow swim, 8mph on the bike, 14+ minute miles "running". wow.

2. The crew is watching transition, anxiously looking for the last bikers to arrive. Mister lovey-dovey man comes in on his commuter bike with the rack still on. His wife runs after him, ignoring the rule about competitors only in transition. Ignoring the race announcer stating, "racers only in transition". She helps him park his bike, takes his race number off the back of his shirt. He changes his shirt, she pins it on the front. Then he takes off his shorts, standing there in his jockeys, in the middle of transition. He puts on dry shorts. Not running shorts, just regular shorts. His wife takes a few photos, helps him with his running shoes and...kisses him. He's off! The wrong way. He can't find his way out of transition and runs to the wrong side.

Here are some triathlon race tips:

A. When you are getting ready to race a triathlon, look around the transition, start and finish areas. Try to figure out the logistics. When you see a giant inflatable arch that says "Bike Exit" and another one that says "Run Exit", realize that this is where you exit on your bike and the other one is to exit towards the run. Duh.

B. Take the commuter rack off your bike. Take all the extra weight off you can, why carry this stuff around during a race and make the event even harder?

C. This will be controversial in today's world of "just do it". Frickin' train for the event!! Learn to swim, at least a bit. I can handle the doggy paddle guy, just feel bad for all the energy he used and the people he bogged up in the pool. Same with elementary backstroke man, you are not the only person in the lane. I pray these people don't get into an open water event. Practice on the bike. I'm sorry, 8 mph is really slow. Really. It was a decent day, practice first.

D. Don't stand in transition in your underwear, unless you are a young, hot woman or man. No one wants to see that.

D. Racers only in transition. I'm pitifully slow in transition, but Jan has yet to help me change. Maybe that's why I have such troubles?

Race Results

Recent results for Sal's runners and family affiliated with us:

Lilac 10k (warm, humid day)
Jan, Joanne and Lou came across the line together in 1:03:44. Amanda finished in 1:12:17.

Sahlen's Saranac 5k at the soccer stadium on Saturday, May 30. Jan won her age group in 26:33, an 8:34 pace. This was about a minute faster than expected and a nice step to her comeback. MM - dnf/bad hamstring - but had two free beers so the night wasn't a total loss.

Buffalo 1/2 marathon (very hot and humid)
Jennifer 1:46:07, 8:07 pace, 12/250 in age group! 54/1777 overall female! very nice.
Lou 1:57:48, 393/1214 males, 18/80 age group. If he only had two healthy legs think what he could do?

Lance - Guilty or Innocent?

How many people in the U.S. have such name recognition that you can just call them by their first name and most will have heard of him/her?

This investigation into whether Lance Armstrong used EPO and other performance enhancing drugs during his pro bike career bothers me. He is retired. What good does it do to drag this all up? What real proof can be found? He passed every drug test throughout his career, whether it was 100x or 500x he was tested, it doesn't matter. If Lance and his trainers knew how to beat the system, as some people attest, then why didn't they share that knowledge with other cyclists on his team (like Tyler Hamilton and Floyd Landis)? It used to be the French seemed totally against Lance. Now it's the U.S. leading the witch hunt.

George Hincapie, Lance's teammate for more than a dozen years, has never tested positive either. Is George also guilty? Shouldn't the Feds be going after George? Did Hincapie take PED's during his 18 year pro career? According to the experts he must have, right, or else how could he have been at such a high level for so long? In fact he still rides with the best in the world.

Supposedly "everyone" was doing it (taking PED's). I'm not sure I believe that. Yes, drug usage is high in cycling, similar to baseball, football, tennis, wrestling and probably many other sports that don't bother to test. We know that if nothing else, there are PED's you can take that will help you recover faster, thus allowing for more times you can exercise at a high intensity. This is a huge advantage in any sport. But, since several baseball players, such as Manny Ramirez, are known drug users, does that mean all of them are? Is Jeter? Must be, right? How could he possibly be playing at such a high level for so long without PED's?

People say Lance must have taken PED's, he couldn't possibly have won without them against such a high quality of competition, especially since we have tests results that prove they were taking drugs. The Tour, though, isn't just about one rider. You do not win those types of races without a team. You have to build an entire organization dedicated to training and race strategy. Every detail has to be looked after. The Tour de France is not always the same course. Armstrong would train over and over again during preview rides of the course so he knew when to attack. His team worked towards nothing but getting Lance to be the victor. He peaked for the Tour de France, not every rider or every team did this. Lance trained through other races, sometimes performing well, other times not. His focus was France.

People and teams that win over and over again have systems built up that help them succeed. On a very modest level, the Byron-Bergen girls track teams were like this. Once they won one Section V championship, the coaches figured out how to maintain this level of success. Recruiting, training properly, peaking at the right time, staying healthy, same coaches, parent support, school administration support in addition to the talent of the girls, all played a role in winning the title 6 out of 7 years, with the non-winning year a second place by 2 points. Armstrong and his team leaders figured this all out, albeit on a significantly higher level of athleticism. But the basics are still the same.

Truth be told, I don't want Lance to be guilty of taking PED's. I don't want to be disappointed again. I can still watch repeats of some of his stage victories in the Tour and be impressed. I really don't want that to change and it will take more than known users such as Hamilton and Landis coming out and accusing Lance to convince me that he did it.

I want a hero.

The Problem with Triathlons

I swam at MCC during lunch today, unfortunately this is the last week of lap swimming here. I used a buoy and averaged about 1 minute faster per 300 yards. Typical for me and similar to wearing a wetsuit in a race.

No music at the pool, so my mind was wandering and this is what I came up with;

In biking you can get a lightweight bike, spend $2000 on wheels, aero bars, etc, still be legal, and cream people of similar ability riding lesser bikes. Swimming many times you can wear a wetsuit and be legal, save energy and float easier, move faster with less effort.

But when running all you can wear are lightweight racers, maybe save a few seconds, otherwise…no aids. This is why running is the purer sport. It’s not up to my wallet to make me faster. Train hard, consistently, don’t get hurt and you might get faster.

Biking and swimming, open my wallet, spend money, instant speed.

This doesn't mean I am against triathlons. My long range plans may include a 2012 attempt at completing a half-ironman again. I would like to make the finish line once. It does mean I have little chance of truly being competitive in my age group though, with guys spending $5000 plus on their bikes versus my $900. Really, what other sport gives you this option? Golf I guess?

Lake Placid 13.1m Race

Time is winding down to the Sal's running group adventure of traveling to Lake Placid NY and racing the Lake Placid Half-Marathon. Race day is June 12, only 25 days away, time for about eighteen days of training and seven days of trying to peak for the race.

Here is a link to the elevation chart from MapMyRun.com. The elevation changes may look dramatic on this chart. But from the start to 10k the course is mainly down, with just a few minor upgrades. There is a slight elevation change, 16', from 6.2-6.8m, before leveling out and slight down again until mile 8. For the next mile the course "climbs" 17' until 9.1 miles and actually dropping 20' till 10.1 miles. At this point we climb almost 100' until reaching 11.9 miles. Racers get a break until 12.8 miles, when the last hard climb takes us back to the track and finish line.
Summary
10k 1,671'
6.8m 1,687 +16
8m 1,670 -17
9.1m 1,687 +17
10.1m 1,668 -19
11.9m 1,763 +95
12.8m 1,757 -6
13m 1,787 +30

In other words, the biggest climbs occur in the last three miles, but there should be a few spots where you can recover after the uphills. Once you make it to 10, you know you can finish, it's just a case of how fast! Yes, the last hill up McLenathan Ave will look like a monster, but you are so close to the finish if you keep putting one foot in front of the other, no problem!

These changes compare to the Spencerport 10k kick course. From Lyell Road to the top of Bernabi Hill is about 70' of elevation gain. Except at Lake Placid we will be making this type of climb after running 12.7 miles.

I hope it's a good weather day. Cool (below 60), low dew point, slight breeze, that's all I ask for.

Act Naturally

In the 1960's Country and Western singer Buck Owens had a hit song called "Act Naturally"
They're goin' put me in the movies
They're goin' make a big star out of me
and all I have to do is act naturally.



My first day of riding my bike home from work this year and I was flagged down while riding on the canal path by WOKR-TV news reporter Angela Hong and a cameraman. My chance at stardom and I was going to grab it! I removed my bike helmet, fixed my hair and took off the sunglasses so I would look "marvelous". Do you look at the camera or the woman with the microphone? I wasn't sure. Angela was more attractive so I looked at her. Angela made me say my name, spell my name and they still got it wrong on the broadcast. McCullough, NOT McCollough. Strike one.

A few days before a man riding his bike to work was robbed at gunpoint. Ms. Hong talked to me for a few minutes regarding how safe I felt using the canal path. The cameraman and Angela asked quite a few questions about why I carried pepper spray.

Out of a 3-4 minute interview 17 seconds was shown on the news two days later. Strike two. This included me attempting to ride my bike past the cameraman, up a slight incline. Though the video makes it appear I rode first, then was asked questions, it was actually opposite. I couldn't get my left foot clipped in and wobbled a bit as I pedaled up towards them really using just one leg.

I was happy I didn't fall over!
So that's it. My television career on the cutting room floor. Strike three and I'm out, still just a librarian.

Gaza Strip Marathon

This is one marathon I will never run. Hot, desert conditions in a war zone area? No thank you. Nine people finished the entire distance, others did a few hundred yards to several miles. They raised $1 million from donors across the globe to be used for summer camps for children.

Aflac Spokesduck

Due to some comments made by Gilbert Gottfried, the voice behind the famous Aflac duck, he was fired and a campaign begun to find a replacement. It may not be widely known that Mike W. entered this contest. If you ever ran with MW, especially on Saturday morning long runs, you know that he makes excellent duck calls. He is an idiot savant when it comes to attracting ducks on the canal path. Mike has the uncanny ability to spot duck pooh from at least 10 feet away, saving the rest of us from landing in a squishy pile.

Unfortunately MW did not make the final cut for becoming the Spokesduck. Here are the top reasons why;

10. MW's skin is not downy soft (I don't know this from actually touching his skin, ewww, but have a good feeling this is true).
9. Unlike a duck, who easily floats and glides along the water, MW sinks.
8. Ducks have wide webbed feet, Mike's feet are wide, but not webbed.
7. Mike still has a slight Loooongg Island accent, despite Eileen's influence, and the selection committee didn't appreciate it like we all do.
6. There is such a thing as "Runner Ducks", I am not making this up. "Runner ducks are compared to the wine bottle due their shape and long legs." Alas, MW does not have long legs.
5.Runner ducks are quite friendly, but can easily panic if disturbed. Ever see Mike running in the dark at 5:30am, on a winter day, and begin to slip on some ice? That is a definition of panic. Due to this characteristic, Mike made it to the top 5,000 entries!
4.Runner ducks are prone to worms, and hence have to be de-wormed regularly every 5-6 months. Mike hates these doctor appointments.
3. Mike invited the judges to his home for a back-yard barbecue. He cooked one of his favorite meals...Peking duck. Big mistake.
2. Ducks seem to get chased by dogs quite often. Mike is a dog whisperer. A dog runs after him while out on a run and Mike gets so scared he can't speak in anything but a whisper. While Mike was doing a voice over test one of the Aflac Board members had a Chinese Crested Hairless dog in her arms. Mike couldn't do anything but whisper into the microphone.

1. Ducks waddle when they run or walk. Mike...Hey, actually MW does waddle, maybe he should have won the contest!

The Long Run: Test your knowledge of distance running and its history

The Long Run: Test your knowledge of distance running and its history

A neat quiz about running for all of you history and current event trivia buffs. I consider myself fairly knowledgable about these things, but only got 16.5 out of 26 correct (several questions had more than one answer). For question 9 I gave myself .5credit for knowing the year and the actor who portrayed him in a movie. I couldn't quite pull his name out of my brain cells in a short period of time. For question 13 I got 3/5 of the countries, should have had all five, I was close geographically, but I blew it.

Good Luck! Let me know how you did.

Boston 2011 Runner Video

Contributed by Pete Leonard.

RIP Grete

One of my heroines, a pioneer of women's marathoning and star of the sport, Grete Waitz, died today, April 19, 2011, from complications of cancer. Grete was 57. Her major accomplishment was probably winning the NYC marathon 9 times (1978-1988). Grete also has a silver medal from the first women's Olympic marathon, which was held in Los Angeles and won by Joan Benoit (1984). She won the gold medal at the World Championships in 1983. Her running career began in shorter distances, as women weren't encouraged to go much further than 1500 meters. Grete was in the 1972 Olympics as a 1500meter runner for Norway. She lowered the world record in the marathon several times, eventually running a pr 2:24. Grete won the London marathon twice and was a 5 time World Cross-Country champion. She is in the National Distance Running Hall of Fame.

Jan and I had the privilege of meeting Grete at a marathon expo one year. We purchased a poster of her winning one of the NYC marathons and she signed it. The poster is framed and hanging in our house. I remember coming up to the table and barely being able to speak, we were just in awe of her. But she seemed like a really nice lady who was happy to be meeting regular runners like us.

Marathon World Record?

I just read that Mutai's "world record" of 2:03 won't count because Boston is a net downhill course. I find this ridiculous. First, every marathon is different. The Rotterdam marathon, where the "real" record was set, is flat as a pancake, and there were pacesetters for much of the race! But this is okay?

Boston has no pacesetters, it's a real race. Yes, there are downhills, but most of that is in the first 2-3 miles. Maybe people from the sanctioning bodies of running need to run the 3-4 miles that make up Heartbreak Hill, especially after running 15 miles at a 4:40 pace. I bet the record will count then. Maybe they need to race someone over 26 miles and have it come down to a sprint finish in the last 600 yards, with the racers actually picking up the pace from a 4:40 mile to see who has the last ounce of energy left?

The only way you can really have a world record in a marathon is to run the race, all 26.2 miles, on a track, or use just one course somewhere in the world, that everyone who wants to go for the record has to run. Of course pacesetters can't be allowed either. I'm being sarcastic.

Listen, Mutai ran 26.2 certified miles, up and down hills, on flat, in a competitive race with no pacesetters and crushed the record, that's it, end of story.

Boston Marathon Elite

At a great moment in the race Jan and I found a live feed from a Boston news station that showed the women's finish. Evidently the feed was available for free for the entire race, but it took awhile to locate this and it wasn't advertised well. The feed was from CBS Boston, WBZ, and was supposed to be free for New England area only, but we got it with no problem here in upstate NY. The station continued to carry live feeds from Heartbreak Hill and the finish line throughout the day.

After New Zealand runner Kim Smith led the race for 14 miles, she was overcome by cramps and the lead pack gobbled her up. Unfortunately Kim couldn't complete the race. American Desiree Davila came on strong with 10 miles to go and battled two Kenyans over the last 2-3 miles for the lead. Desiree faded back a few times by 10-15 yards and looked broken, but wouldn't give up and put in a great surge up an incline just before turning right onto Boylston street, taking the lead from Caroline Kilel and Sharon Cherop. Turning left onto Boylston Kilel came back and surged ahead, but Davila stayed strong and picked up the pace again. At this point Cherop was dropped. Kilel put in one final surge and won by 2 seconds over the feisty American. Desiree set a personal best by 4 minutes. 1- 2:22:36, 2-2:22:38, 3-2:22:42, (5:25/mile pace) 5 (Kara Goucher, USA) 2:24:52 a personal best and just 6 months from having her first child!



The men's race was just as exciting as Geoffrey Mutai edged out Moses Mosop (both from Kenya) for first place in a world record 2:03:01, an average of 4:41 per mile. Ridiculously fast. This is a Boston course record by 3 minutes. Ryan Hall of the USA ran great, set an American record in 2:04:58 and finished 4th. How soon will it be before the 2 hour mark is broken for a marathon? Mutai earned over $200,000 for the victory, course and world record.

Boston Marathon

Two Sal's members qualified for and are running in the 2011 Boston Marathon on Monday, April 18, Pete and Roger. Pete qualified with a 4:03 at the 2010 Pittsburgh Marathon, which is an age-graded 3:06. Roger ran a 3:43 at last year's Boston, an age-graded 2:53 and good enough for 23rd in his age group out of 227 starters. When I mature I want to be as fast as Pete and Roger - they are in the 65-69 age group.

Top Ten Things About the Boston Marathon:

10. A BQ time is always a great goal finishing time in another marathon.
9. Even normal people know about the Boston Marathon and are impressed if you run it.
8. What other sport can you compete against the world's best? (so what if they finish an hour or more ahead, hey you were in the race too).
7. The cost is only $100+ dollars per entry, $250+ per night hotel, transportation to Boston, meals, parking $20+/day and marathon souvenirs from the expo.
6. The first half of the race is fast and some downhill miles might screw up your quads.
5. An American male has not won the race since 1983 (Greg Meyer) female since 1985 (Lisa Larsen Weidenbach). Ryan Hall, fourth in last year's race, and Kara Goucher, third last year, are back again to try and break through with an American victory.
4. I would be surprised if an American won this year.
3. Bill Rodgers averaged 2:10 in his 4 victories.
2. The Sam Adams beer never tastes better than during the post-race celebratory meal.
1. Here is a course tour, done in 5 minutes, led by Dave McGillivray.

Bengal Tigers, Molly the Dog

During running races there is a saying that "it felt like an elephant jumped on my back", meaning how heavy your legs got and there was no choice but to slow down.

Apparently UK wildlife photographer, Paul Goldstein is going to run four marathons during the month of April with a Bengal Tiger on his back.
Mr. Goldstein is raising money to assist in saving Bengal Tigers from the rampant poaching going on. The money will buy equipment and patrol vehicles for the parks where tigers are supposed to be protected and encourage more tourists to visit, adding to the local economy.

In a related story, MW is planning on running three races, the Spring Forward 15k, Lilac 10k and the Lake Placid half-marathon with Molly on his back. Molly is Mike's 10 pound dog. MW likes to pretend he doesn't like Molly, but I rarely see the two apart. It's fine if MW wants to take Molly on car trips and run with Molly in a carrying pack that most parents use for a child. Problems arise at the SUNY Brockport pool however, as most swimmers don't appreciate MW and Molly sharing a lane while doing the doggy paddle. It's also bizarre when MW hooks his Wizard of Oz bike basket to his Trek road bike, loads in Molly and races Eileen around town. MW is raising money for his Scotch Whiskey fund.

Quotes

From Running Times, 3/2011, Scott Douglas.

It's not uncommon to go to bed thinking, "Darn, I should have run today." It's not common to go to bed thinking, "I shouldn't have run today."

There are no junk miles. If you're not injured so badly that you're altering your form, or so sick that you feel worse after running, then it's all good...even slower paced runs promote blood flow, clear your mind, burn calories, assist with training...(paraphrased)

Look, you know you're going to run. So don't waste time and mental energy staring out the window at the horrible weather.

A national class woman who runs easy miles at 7:30/mile is doing recovery runs at more than 2 minutes per mile slower than her 10k pace. Do you (really slow down for recovery?). paraphrased.

Always get in a run before getting on an airplane.

Something is almost always better than nothing...real life intrudes...a 4-miler is much closer to a 10-miler than a 0-miler is.

Swim Smooth

Swim Smooth looks like an awesome website to improve your swimming technique. The animation used to illustrate swim strokes is easy to follow. Jump to beginner, intermediate or advanced sections and check your "ape index", learn about body roll, posture, open water techniques, improve your rhythm, timing and more.

If you swim like me, you'll want to read the tips on swimming straight. "The key to bilateral breathing is smooth, constant exhalation into the water. Doing the natural thing and holding on your breath is very inefficient and builds up lots of CO2 in your lungs and blood stream. Did you know that it's the build up of this CO2, not the lack of oxygen, that makes you desperate for air and causes the feelings of anxiety and panic?"

Before you can improve, you need to find out your swim type. "Based on speed and limited upper-body flexibility gives them very sinky legs when swimming" I am an "Arnie".

This is a drill to improve your core and posture while in the water;
"Squeezing Your Butt Muscles
Our second exercise is another visualisation. This time we're focused on the lower-rear core muscles, the glutes (your bum/butt). As you swim, imagine you have a large coin between your butt cheeks and you've got to keep it there! To do that you've got to lightly squeeze your butt cheeks together - a crude thought but very effective none the less!

Don't over do it, a very light clench is enough to engage your glutes, straighten your lower body and connect your legs better to your torso. This exercise also helps you develop better kicking technique.

Think about this regularly when you swim and you will gradually develop neural pathways to your glute muscles, recruiting them for permanent use."

I'll let you know if my times improve as a result of this website.

Sister Madonna Buder

Sister Madonna Buder, known as the Iron Nun, has completed more than 40 Ironman races and 325 triathlons in the last 30 years. She is now 80 and still competing.

She’s making plans to race in the Boston Marathon next month.

In 2005, at age 75, she became the oldest woman to ever complete the Hawaii Ironman, finishing a full hour before the 17-hour cut-off.

In 2009 she broke her own record as the oldest woman to complete the Ironman distance by finishing the Ironman Canada with a time of 16 hours and 54 minutes.

Sister Buder has faced many difficulties, from broken bones to a bicycle accident that almost kept her from competing in the Boston Marathon in 2009. She has always managed to push through the hard times. While still recovering from her accident, she finished the Boston Marathon in 4 hours and 42 minutes, .

These days Sister Buder has a pair of running shoes to go with every outfit. (and I thought Mike W was the only person who did this).

“When I was younger my mother used to say, ‘why don’t you act your age,’ and now I’m glad I never did.” she said. “You may age, but you don’t have to grow up.”

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/17/2120156/no-ordinary-nun.html#ixzz1GxhXSjdp