Finally a Tuesday without Rain, but with Some Double IPAs

It has seemed recently to be raining every Tuesday evening. That's typically my RG3 running night. Now, it hasn't stopped some of us from running regularly, but it has sucked when you get to Social Pub and Pie in a damp state (from something other than sweat, anyway). Last night was a nice night, probably in the mid-60's when I left the apartment and ran over to Fed Hill, then down to the UA Factory prior to meeting the group. I was able to get 11.3 miles in, out of a target of 12. Work got in the way as I had to wait for a few documents to get reviewed before leaving. I skipped the pizza and beer typical of Tuesday nights to be able to finish up an article that was due that night. It took until 11:00 pm for all reviews and tweaks to be finished, but the final piece went out on time.

I find that I write my best, or at least my most prolific, when I've had a beer or two. Last night was a homebrewed rosemary double IPA that a friend made. That 22 oz'er kicked my ass after running, and it put me in the right frame of mind to handle the writing and editing that was before me.

Finished the evening by finally completing my viewing of the Amstel Gold Race from Sunday. I had fallen asleep the night before while watching it, thanks to another great double IPA: Revival Brewing's Double Black IPA - Chinook vs. Sorachi Ace.

What a phenomenal beer. Dark, with a bit of sweetness, and not overly bitter. At 8.5% it definitely gave a warm feeling afterwards. I picked up a single bottle of this on recommendation from Countryside Liquors in Pawtucket. I wish I had listened and picked up a full six. Oh well, next time I'm in RI, I'll have that on my list of "bring backs" to MD.

Knockout Game is Alive and Well in Baltimore

I can attest to that, personally. For those that deny it exists, keep telling yourself that, and you will fall victim to it. Last night, I was walking home from my usual Thursday night 8-miler, follow by pizza and a beer, when I got cold-cocked. I was walking on Franklin St, and there was a pack of about 6 teens ahead, which included a couple of girls. I was dressed in running clothes and holding some leftover pizza. My instincts told that something bad was about to happen. I was watching the first couple of guys in the group as they approached, and I was thinking through how to react to the situation. My plan, if anything happened, was to throw the pizza straight up in the air, which might divert attention for a second (wild-card move), while I could run away. My first line of defense in the shitty city of Baltimore has always been my feet. I know I can outrun 99% of the trouble in the city. It's actually one of the reasons why I try to stay in top running shape at all times. I've never had a problem, but that was always my plan.

Just as I shifted the pizza in position to be ready to toss, I felt that shot to my left jaw. Right on the temporomandibular joint. I swung to my left circling the first guy in the group, and I lost hold of the pizza (wild card down!). For what seemed like a couple of seconds, I stared this punk down, while his delinquent friends yelled. I took one step back, and so did he. Then I took three steps back, and he did the same. Then I took off running for a few yards, I looked back and they were all doing the same. I warned a woman walking down the street behind me that I had just gotten jumped. She offered to call the cops, but I declined. I figured that they wouldn't do anything... there's always herds of thugs walking the neighborhood... are they going to stop them all and ask, "Sorry to bother, but did you strike this gentleman, here?" Plus, it would have taken up time answering useless questions that will just get filed. Maybe there'd be a roll call mention of it, but it would have come to nothing. I just walked that woman to her door across the way, and I went home to sleep.

So what did I learn?

1. Staying situationally aware is key when you live in a cesspool like B'more. Really it's key anywhere. I let my guard down for one second, because this group let a woman in front of me pass unmolested. But, I guess skinny looking runner-types are what they were after. As soon as I got within 10 feet, alarm bells went off. They all got quiet, and I waited a second too long to pull the wild card. Trust my instincts, and have a plan. I have often thought through what to do in this type of situation, and this played out much like I planned for it. Feet first defense, but I also got lucky in that the first punch didn't knock me down. I'm sure it would have been a free for all on me if that did happen.

2. Sometimes I run with a knife, I didn't that night. Nor did I have a phone, or cash. Which are all good things. Having the knife, I would have pulled it, but what would have come of using it. It would have been last ditch defense should they all have jumped in on me... Cut my way out of the fray. I have thought that situation through ahead of time. If they had intended to rob me, well they wouldn't have gotten anything since I didn't have my phone or cash. Only a credit card, which can be canceled in seconds.

3. I should carry something else for protection. Most likely I'll find some pepper spray. Works on dogs too, although I would feel worse about using it on a dog than I would have on that asshole that hit me.

4. I can take a punch. I haven't been hit since about 4th grade. That's about 30 years ago. Never been a fighter. This was a solid shot to the jaw, and I stayed up and completely aware of my surroundings and the situation. It didn't phase me. I think that may have stunned my assailant into not jumping on me. It hurt, for sure. It hurts now, as I type this the morning after. But some ice and Tylenol have worked.

I realize people will say that I shouldn't live in the cesspool that is Baltimore. I maintain that no one should feel afraid of where they live, but I also believe that one shouldn't be stupid either. Baltimore has a few good things, but it is a cesspool, especially around Lexington Market area. You have to play dodge the junkies, who form a nodding obstacle course on the sidewalks. You have to politely decline the offers of weed, Finnegans, and "Crack, yo! I got crack!" when walking down Eutaw. And apparently, now I have to watch for 16-year-olds in groups of more than one. When I lived in Philly (a somewhat more likeable cesspool), I developed the habit of looking over my shoulder every telephone pole. I still do that. It keeps me vigilant. This time the threat came from the front, and like I said, I let my guard down for a bit too long. Too late to cross the street. I'll cross the street more often when I see a group of thugs ahead of me.

I've never felt threatened while running; maybe a few "Run, Forrest, Run!" comments from the peanut gallery. And, while this didn't happen while I was actually running, it was a reminder of the vulnerability of runners (and lone pedestrians), as I'm sure I still would have been attacked had I been running at that time. But, I'll still be right back out there running the streets. However, I will be running with pepper spray from now on. Running in the city is probably the one thing that I really like about Baltimore. It's a tight running community. I run with a few different groups and there's always overlap between them. Always someone to do a long run with, or grab pizza and a beer. I am looking forward to my eventual move back to Philly (in the next couple of months) for many reasons (see some of the above), but I will miss the running community here.

Facebook Thai Translations

I have a friend who moved back to Thailand, and he posts on Facebook. The pictures are rather innocuous, it's the translations that are funny. Here's one from today using Facebook's built-in translator:

"The good of society you. You are the father the day from, gold phasukh 22 - year - old (. Prof. College - the city the first ) brother he keep wallet with cash. canwn 6,100 bath of You want to live the will leg with at the tag praca thang face college concert kha, thailand, . na wallet. contact to lord and the precinct. The head piece, lord, and a good citizen. see you. yes, sir. it's pleasant. that Social and have the future of this nation. lovely like that on the john, this one, i need Accepted. yes, sir. you"

You may wonder about "lovely like that on the john...". I can assure you, there were no photos of him on the crapper.

Flurries and Pacemakers

I met up with the Baltimore Pacemakers this morning for a much needed distance run. When we were gathering at the Red Canoe Cafe and Bookstore at 7:00 am for our run, someone said, "Are those snowflakes???" Lo and behold, there were flurries coming down. Not too much that it stuck, but annoying enough that they got in your eyes. Several people commented on me wearing shorts, I just gave them the reply, "Seriously, it was a few degrees warmer downtown." It was wonderful running weather, save for the occasional gust of wind when running west.

I hung with Cory for miles at a 7:20 pace. We wove a couple zig-zags across the hill at Harford Rd and Gold Spring Ln, before heading through Morgan State and over to Druid Hill Reservoir. It ended up being a really nice tour of those areas of Baltimore. The finish brought us back over to Lake Montebello and over to the Red Canoe Cafe again. It was a good temperature for running, and while a lot of people complained, I lamented the eventual arrival of the 80's and 90's that will eventually plague our area.

After running, I do have to say the Cafe hit the spot. They had Zeke's Coffee, of which I really enjoyed the Herring Run roast, black. And, they served up a croissant, egg, and cheese that was the size of my head. Unreal. It was so good. Great post-run food. Definitely a new breakfast place to take M when she's in town again.

Out to 11 miles

I've been fighting work and travel schedules, but I am starting to get some legs back under me. I have been out to 11 miles on the longest run, with about 35 miles total that week. I'll admit that the morning after the 11-miler was a struggle. My achilles/ankle pain was awful in those first steps to get to the shower. It loosened up in the shower and on my walk to work. It really doesn't bother me when running, just the day after. I did a 6-miler with a friend at about 9:00 pace the following day, and my ankle had no problems. It felt it's "normal" stiffness after that. I'm hoping that it doesn't get any worse from now until the Broad Street 10 Miler.

I also had the pleasure of running with a newer buddy, Davey, this past weekend. We did a 5.5-miler on Saturday and a 4.5-miler on Sunday, with most of the miles in the 6:40 neighborhood. He is unbelievably fast; doesn't even break into a running stride until we hit 6:20 or so pace. And he looks phenomenal while doing it.

Oh, and did I mention he never sweats?

Getting co-workers to run.

Three years ago, our labs were located at the UMBC Tech Center, just outside of B'more Proper in Catonsville (or Arbutus, depending on whom you asked). It was almost ideal for getting co-workers to run after work. There was a state park right there (Patapsco State Park), we were on a state road without a lot of traffic lights, and people in general had a shorter commute from there. I managed to get a bunch of people running, and we targeted a 5k in late October. Only four of us did the 5k, but we had about six people running regularly. The next year, we moved downtown to B'more Proper, and we had a little less group running. But, we had all targeted a 5k, and 12 people showed up to run. We had a few age group winners and everyone had a good time. Last year, I tried to repeat that feat, and only one person ended up doing the 5k... no one ran as a group. The city had seemingly killed everyone's desire to run. Or lives got busier and people had longer commutes.

Today marked the first day in two years that I really got some co-workers out running. Granted, we only ran a mile together at a fairly slow pace, but it was something. Neither of the other two had run in at least a year. We got through it with minimal wheezing, a lot of conversation, and a commitment to run again on Wednesday. That was really something. Hopefully, it will continue and we can pick up a few more stragglers. I am trying to find a 5k (or 6k) to target as a team building run. I'd like to get six people out for it, heck a former co-worker even said she's run on the team. So things are looking up for the work running team to reform this spring. It's nice for me because I can do a few miles with work, and then join another group for a few more miles on certain nights. Fun all around. I may also convince a few people that Downtown Baltimore is not so bad.

Shopping at the Chinese Market... A resolution of sorts.

I have sort of resolved myself to shopping only at the Chinese market that is near me. It is ultra-convenient in that it is only 2.5 blocks away. It is cheaper for most items than other grocers in the city. I am currently eating vegetarian (for one full year, now), so the purchase of meat is not a prime concern for me. Finally, I am doing it because none of the major (or even minor) grocery chains will make a commitment to my neighborhood in Baltimore.

About five blocks from where I live, there was a Superfresh super market that was smaller than a suburban grocer, but decently stocked. That chain eventually closed 13 stores, of which mine was one. Soon after Fresh and Greens moved in, but they were anything but green and anything but fresh. Seriously, the smell from the fish market would just overpower the entire store. There were times where I just walked in and walked right back out it was so bad. I am convinced this was their downfall, and they finally closed. The building has been vacant for a year. I don't understand why no one has moved in yet. There are few new, 100+ unit apartment buildings that have opened in the last year, along with condos. The restaurants there are all busier. But, no grocer has moved. If they're not coming to me, I am no longer going to go to them. Now this doesn't count if I happen to be out and need to grab something quick. But, no specialized trips.

Back to the cheap part. In the photo, you see enough to make eight meals, all for $15 (not including rice which I bought in a 10-lb bag late last year). That's not too bad, on a per meal cost. Plus, I can get Mochi ice cream balls and odd cookies. Last night I was boring and got some slightly expired (12/14) Cream Crackers, which are perfect for peanut butter.

My only concern is that I seem to have exhausted their supply of Tempeh back in December, and they have not yet restocked. I'll have to ask them about that. But for now, tofu and beans are my sources of protein. They also have some gluten based protein that I'd like to try.

Running on Ice (Minnesota Style)

Just got back from a long weekend spent in central Minnesota. M's parents live up there, and we went to visit the family. I was initially looking forward to experiencing some frigid temperature (-20 F, at least), but alas the weather was similar to that which I left in Baltimore. But, that let us do a heck of a lot more than the brutal cold would have. On one of the days, we went running on the frozen lake, which was pretty much covered in about 1" - 2" of week-old snow. However, the eastern edge of the lake had accumulated some blown snow up to about 4" in places. Occasionally your foot would fall through the snow, so it was a bit tougher than running on packed sand. The ice itself was over 18" thick: plenty safe. But it was still unnerving to run across some of the areas where the snow had blown completely off the ice. It was clear and black, occasionally with bits of underwater weeds visible. The large cracks visible in the ice were only a mentally-perceived threat as many people were driving F-350s and the like on the lake. I laid down on the ice in the center, and I could hear it cracking and booming underneath me. Definitely, it was an odd sensation. We made about 9:30 pace through the snow and picking our way across bare spots of ice as well. We did 5 miles, and it was a beautiful sunny day, no hat required.

New Year, Same Tired Legs

I was hoping this wouldn't happen, but I have entered the phase of my running year where my legs are feeling beaten up and tired. It seems to happen around mid-January every year. I feel that the dead legs seem to result in injuries: 2014 = IT Band Syndrome, 2013 = PCL strain, 2012 = Toe strains, etc... So, my New Year's resolution is to get back into a cross-training, or at least weight-training regimen with a focus on the supporting muscles. I am one of those people that can['t just jump whole-hog into a routine. I usually start off with one or two exercises and add one or two more per week, which allows me to gradually build up a program that works for me. I also tend to rotate through them, so as not to stagnate. Honestly, getting started is the hardest part. This week, I added some glute work, which should help with my IT band fears (I felt a twinge at about mile 7 of a 10-miler on Tuesday night).

I eventually want to find a gym or something to do some single leg presses and some light weight work. Unfortunately, the gym at my lab space just closed. They had a great subsidized rate of $13 per month. Now, I would have to go to the UMMC campus gym, which more than triples the price. Or, I could find something reasonable in the city. It's just having a gym in your office building is so easy... I have a nautilus in small room at my apartment building, but that thing is ill-fitting for me, and doesn't necessarily have everything I want. For now, I sticking with plyometric and body-weight resistance exercises. I might pick up some black fitness bands, too.

Running on ice, snow, pavement...

Baltimore, probably more so than other cities in the Northeast, is plagues by abandoned buildings, even in the heart of downtown. I happen to live in an apartment building, converted old warehouse, that is surrounded by these abandos. This results in a high percentage of uncleared sidewalks whenever it snows. Given that the temperatures haven't gotten above 30 for the past three days, there hasn't really been a chance for any of them to melt. People walk over the snow, compacting it into ice. As one might imagine, this does not make for the ideal running surface. I almost gave up on my run on Wednesday after three straight blocks of treacherous footing. Thankfully, the Inner Harbor usually provides a respite from this blight. The city cares enough about tourism that they work to keep most of the promenade clear, even when tourists are unlikely to be strolling in 18 F weather. I headed down there on Wednesday and got some nice run without having to pick my way across pedestrian-rutted ice.

Last night, a buddy and I decided to take the opposite approach, we headed to Druid Hills Park. North Charles is usually pretty clear, given a higher occupancy rate, but you still encounter the occasional lazy business owner who hasn't bothered to clear his/her sidewalk. The Jones Falls Trail was not clear, but it also wasn't all that well traveled, which resulted in plenty of loose snow to afford solid footing. We found that the city had plowed the back roads in the park, even those that were gated to prevent vehicle traffic. However, the loop around the reservoir wasn't down to bare pavement, there were spots of snow, ice, and pavement. We had just finished a conversation on how it wasn't so bad as long as you didn't try to change direction or stop suddenly. Of course, my next step found me trying to change direction to get to a slightly clearer track. I got my weight over my right foot, which just happened to hit the icy transition of pavement to snow. I went down in yard-sale fashion, but Matt described it as very graceful. I splayed arms and legs, much like a wrestler who has fallen victim to a single leg take down attempt, hit and rolled in the snow. I bounced up unscathed, and we continued on. Oddly enough, it happened right in front of a city surveillance camera on the path, so hopefully I gave some city worker a good laugh, if they're monitoring that sort of thing.

Afterwards, a beer and grilled cheese at Maisy's... always a good place to stop post run. And, I must say that I have yet to taste a boring beer from Union Craft Brewing. Even their Anthem American Golden Ale... which should be a boring beer, is spot-on tasty. This brewery really stands out to me among the growing beer culture of Baltimore. Run Local/Drink Local.

Nooseneck 18k - Post-Christmas Fun

I managed to convince my cousin's husband, who's a trail runner by nature, to come down to the Nooseneck 18k on Friday. He was recovering from a recent 50-miler, and initially thought the race was on Saturday, but he still gave it a go... as a recovery run. For those that don't know the course, here's a Map of it that someone created. It starts and finishes across the street from the Tavern on the Hill. For a suggested donation of $10, it's a really fun race for those that consider 11.2 miles to be fun. Thanks to Mike Tammaro and the Narragansett Running Association for putting on yet another fun runner-centric race. Looking forward to nest year's 10th anniversary.

The first mile is pretty much downhill all the way. I went out in 5:45, which was probably a bit too fast, but it was mostly gravity doing the work. By the time I settled into a 6:10 pace after mile 2, I got passed by a group of about six runners who were moving slightly under 6:00. I recognized a few faces from other races in RI, and I knew I couldn't hang, so I settled in with the first female and another guy. I could see race-winner, Matt Pelletier, for about 3 miles, then he disappeared on his way to a course record: 59:39. We kept the pace until we hit the hill on the fire road at Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge at mile 5. That mile is pretty tough as you go up the slightly washed out dirt road. After that, it was rolling hills with a general upward trend, keeping about a 6:30 pace. I passed the female leader and other guy at the 10 mile marker and just kept pushing the pace to the finish. I pretty much left it all on the road, as I didn't feel I had anything left in the tank when I crossed the finish line.

The worst part was that M, my cousin, and her son were cheering me on at a parked car about 100 yards from the finish. I mistook that as the finish line and checked up, only to realize I still had another 100 to sprint. Darn it. Anyway, I ended up taking 2:34 off of last year's time, and I was really happy about that.

This was my goal race for getting back into shape this fall. Now, I'm kind of taking a week to let my quads and a tweaked hip flexor (thanks to the downhills in this race) rebound. I might run a few slower, shorter runs to keep up general fitness and social contacts, but nothing too challenging until the New Year.

IT Band Syndrome (Article)

Level Renner has an article up by Ian Nurse, a Boston runner and licensed chiropractor. ARTICLE HERE

Having been through my own IT band syndrome issue in the beginning of this year, I was eager to read through the article to see if it matched with my experience. And, it did. The symptoms presented as described in the article. I, being as stupid/stubborn as I normally am, kept running through the pain hoping it would go away. I found that the faster I ran, the better it felt, but it soon got to the point where I couldn't run fast enough to keep the pain at bay. I was totally unaware of the warning signs of IT band syndrome. I guess I did enough damage to lose a good three months while trying to clear up the symptoms and build a program to keep it from happening again.

The first step in my healing process was to get an MRI. Fortunately, with my insurance this was covered 100% with a Dr's order. Great. The MRI indicated severe inflammation of the right IT band. My left one was acting up, too, but the Dr. felt that analysis of the right side would be enough to figure out what was going on with the left.

The next step was to get some physical therapy going with the folks at MedStar Harbor Hospital Sports Medicine. I highly recommend them for rehab and training. I got on a treadmill with video, and when I saw the results, I cringed. I had always wondered why I looked so awkward anytime I saw a photo of myself from a race. Now I knew why. As the PT put it, "You run like a wounded T-Rex." It was awful. My feet crossed over, like running on a tightrope. My arms stayed inside my body, shoulders curled in, and no heel kick. From seeing this, I can say that I think I probably had a combination of Nurse's causes 1, 3, and 4 that contributed to my IT band syndrome.

The rehab focused on three things: 1) strengthening glutes, hip flexors, and quads, 2) flexibility work, and 3) a complete change of running form. Running on the Alter-G definitely helped with #3, but the other two foci were down to the great work of my PTs. They worked out a bunch of strengthening exercises and flexibility stretches to help with everything. Gradually I worked up to where I got out to do 2 mi per day on the road, no more than 10 mi per week. It felt great. Hips underneath, arms swinging at the side, head up, chest out, and my key thought was to give each foot its own lane. Much like cars on the highway.

This article comes at a great time for me. I have been holding steady at just under 40 mi per week, but have wanted to start increasing slowly. This was just the reminder I needed as I start to bump mileage up. No more than 10% per week, of course. I need to especially focus on getting the strength exercises back in my routine because I have let them slip. I also need to keep up with the flexibility, too. I tend to stiffen up more with higher mileage, and it will be a battle to keep everything loose. This injury also reminded me how interconnected all the parts of the body are in running. It's not just about legs. It's arms, abs, lungs, head, ankles, etc... When one gets out of alignment, other things can go south, especially over higher mileage.

That's all. Just wanted to mention a good article to read so that you can stay ahead of IT band syndrome by knowings its symptoms and root causes.

Holiday Lights Run in South Philly

Last Thursday, I headed up to Philly to partake in the Holiday Lights Run, joint venture between the Fishtown Beer Runners and the South Philly Striders.

It was a rather short run at about 3.5 miles, but it took you through a few sections of South Philly that are noted for their light displays. There were the Smedley and South Colorado Loops and 13th Street light displays that were most memorable. All in all, it was a fun time that benefited Philabundance... thankfully we only had to run about a mile to the start of the run carrying canned goods.

S. 13th Street - linked from Passyunk Post

We chose not to head to the Sardine Bar, which was where the run was supposed to finish, just because of the sheer volume of people. Instead, we headed to the SPTR for a few beers and some grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup.

Omar wasn't a myth. #thewire

25yr old Omar McGee charged with the July 4th murder of Matthew Drake at 3200 Chelsea Terrace. #BPDDETECTIVES pic.twitter.com/0qjAhY1Nfm

— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) December 10, 2014

Trail running and responsibility Part II - Also Hunting and Responsibility

As someone who is active in both running and shooting sports, I find it especially disturbing when the two combine in a tragic way. I typically love the idea of combining trail running and shooting, a la summer biathlon. But, combining trail running and hunting can be a dangerous mix.

Yesterday, in Cape Cod, a hunter shot a jogger. Link to Article in Cape Cod Times. According to the article, it may be the case that the hunter fired twice on the jogger. I would say that both parties are lucky that the jogger did not die (especially the jogger). Also, according to the article, the jogger was wearing a white shirt. One might think that white shirt would set oneself apart from a wild animal, but apparently not. There are three points that came to mind when reading this article:

1) It is the hunter's responsibility to identify the target as a legal species to hunt. It is also the hunter's responsibility to understand the trajectory of the projectile and to be sure of his firing line, both in front of and beyond the target. In this case, the jogger had his dog with him, which could easily be mistaken, in fading light, for a deer. Perhaps, the hunter fired at the dog, and hit the jogger. Either way, this shooting is entirely on the hunter. I have heard stories of hunters so anxious to get a deer, that they fire on noise, or brush movement, rather than on a positively identified deer. It is a scary fact that this happens.

2) I always try to wear orange when running (or even hiking) in areas where hunting is permitted. A large field of orange is your best bet for being identified as a human. I'll make sure that my top layer is blaze orange during hunting season.

3) I think it is up to the users of the trails in parks/forests/managed areas to know the hunting season. It's something I definitely pay attention to when I am heading out in the fall and winter. I don't necessarily want to 100% rely upon points 1 and 2 above to keep me safe.

I was in a situation where a ranger with DNR in MD advised me that "You will encounter hunters." when she saw that I was about to go running in one of the State Parks. I asked her if she was telling me not to run (I was wear blaze orange jacket and hat), and she responded, "I'm not saying that. I'm saying you will encounter hunters." Her emphasis on the situation spooked me enough that I went to a county park where hunting was prohibited.

I have also been in a situation where I was running in a state park in which hunting is expressly forbidden, and signs are posted at the boundaries. As I came off the trail, I observed a hunter hauling a tree stand and bow into the park off the side of the road. When I got back to my office I called the police and informed them of what I saw. When I left my office and passed by the location where the hunter had been, I saw the cops talking to the man, and all of his equipment was on the side of the road. I'm not sure what was happening, but it sure seemed like this was the case of hunter with no clue (or no regard) for the laws that were in place to protect the many park users who run and bike there.

Bottom line: stay safe, and take every precaution to protect yourself.

Trail running and responsibility

This weekend, I organized a trail run in Patapsco State Park that had two options, 6 miles and 8 miles in length. I did through a Meetup group that I normally run with. Out of the 10 people who came to the group run, only three had run trails before. I didn't think it was that big of a deal, because it would be a good introduction to trail running: half paved road, half rock/root/hilly trails. It was a misty rainy day, but the temperature was great for the run.

We all decided to run back to the cars together. We were making an effort to look after the slower runners, with the goal of losing no one. One woman, with GPS phone/maps, said she would just walk the last mile, and that she was OK. We told her we would wait for her at the cars. Well, after 20 minutes, she was a no-show. A couple of us went out to the trail and started running in reverse to find her. No luck. Her sister, who had also run with us, called and texted her, but it just went straight to voicemail with no response. After 20 minutes of looking, we got a little more nervous. We ended up leaving without her, and her sister was calling the ranger station to get help. I felt bad leaving, but I had M sitting in my parking lot waiting for me.

An hour later, I got a text from the sister that they had found her. She got lost walking, and she had no signal. After this experience, it will probably be the last trail run that I host. The worry about a lost runner, particularly a young woman with a dead phone, was definitely not worth any of the benefit that I got out of the run. I felt personally responsible for her safety and well-being, even though she is an adult who was capable of making her own decisions. I'll continue to run trails, but I won't head out as an organizer again.

Love the Nooseneck 18k...

Nooseneck 18k Blurb in Level Renner. Fun race to run on the day after Christmas. Last year, I took my mom to the race. She stayed inside the Tavern on the Hill at the bar due to the cold and snow. She had as much fun sitting there as I did running it. She said she learned more about hunting turkeys than she ever thought she would in her life from some of the folks at the bar. She also learned how to play Keno. It's also where I discovered Two Roads Brewing, which went well with some very good clam cakes and chowder, post-race.

Turkey Buster 5k

After a wonderful Thanksgiving Day holiday with M's Aunt and Uncle in Jersey, we decided to run the Marlton Lakes Turkey (Buster) Trot 5k this past Saturday. She had been training hard for a PR in the 5k, and she figured that the flat central Jersey landscape was the best bet for a fast 5k. We got there at about 8:30, and the temperature was 28 F, which for me is a good temperature, for her, a little cold. There were only 37 runner; I think the cold kept some people away. According to the race director, the course was marked with "chalk arrows" and "cones with arrows". There was no leading bike or car, and the roads were open.

When the bullhorn went off, I went out front and kept going. At the half-mile mark I was about a bit ahead of the second place runner, at about 5:30 pace. As I neared 0.8 miles, a Cadillac pulled out of driveway right in front of me. I swung to the left side of the road and just kept going. Unfortunately, that move made me miss the faint chalk arrows indicating a right turn. It wasn't until I got to a tee in the road about a block and half up, that I realized something was wrong. No arrows or cones. I heard someone yell, and looked back to see the other runners turning right where the Caddy pulled out. I managed to catch up to the lead and get ahead again, but any hopes of my PR were dashed.

Not so for M. She ran a great race at 7:02 pace, with a shoe that came untied in the first mile. Her 21:49 was a PR by at least a minute, and she won the women's race. Two fantastic races for her this weekend. It's great when someone trains hard, and it pays off.

2014 Face to Face Germantwon Turkey Trot - 5 Miler

Yesterday was Thanksgiving. And, I have a lot for which to be thankful. One particular item to be thankful for is the fact that I have been going about seven months without a significant running injury. There have been nagging little things, like my ankle/heel, but I have been able to get through them given the low-ish weekly mileage of 40 or so. This was my first ever Turkey Trot in which I have participated. I have done Trot-Off-Your-Turkey races before, but never one on the day itself. We chose to run the Face to Face Germantown 5 Mile Turkey Trot, which was basically an out-and-back race on the Forbidden Drive in the Wissahickon. It was written up in Runner's World this past year as a must-run Turkey Trot: Article.

The Forbidden Drive Trail had just received quite a bit of rain the day before... no snow, though. So it was a muddy track, but relatively benign given the road nature of the "trail." The course was slightly downhill on the way out, and, of course, slightly uphill on the way back. My first mile was 5:42, driven by the "steepest" downhill and a bit of start-line adrenaline. Second mile was 5:57, at which point I had latched onto a "buddy" for the rest of the race. He and I seemed to have a similar cadence and pacing, and we also seemed to intuit which way the other was going when passing and maneuvering around puddles. The next three miles were at 6:06, 6:09, and 6:10. The last mile was tough for me. I tried to kick with 0.5 miles left, but I was fighting a bit of a cramp, and the fact that I got about 3 hours of sleep the night before. I got a bit of a boost when someone came up behind, and I was able to hold him off to the line. My "buddy" got me by a second. Overall 9th place, and a good start to the day.

The best thing for the race, was that my girlfriend won her age group. We didn't even think it was a possibility and left early from the race to beat traffic out of the parking lot. Turns out this morning, M won her group. Awesome job for her. She ran her quickest 5-miler ever, I believe. So happy for her.

Special thanks to Nolan Painting who handed out gloves to runners and, most importantly, gave me a bag to put my jacket in while I stashed it under their table.

A good week of runs.

This last week saw a number of good runs go in the book. Tuesday was a very cold 10.5-miler, but it was a lot of fun. Wednesday was a 4-miler at 6:30 pace that preceded Bikram yoga. The run was great, yoga was a disaster. I think the run knocked my electrolytes down, and I quickly wilted in the heat of the studio. Despite drinking some electrolytes during the class, my sweat was hardly salty at the end of the session. I haven't been that wet without being underwater before in my life. By Thursday, things had returned to a physiological norm, and I did a nice 6.25-mile trail run with @strausskevin in Patapsco State Park. Beautiful setting and great conversation all the way around. Learned some new trails.

Friday, was another 6 miles done at lunch during a day spent working at home. Finally, Saturday was another trail run in the Wissahickon; about 6.25 miles.

I learned that if I am going to be doing more than one trail run per week, I really need to spend some money and get a pair of trail shoes. I normally run in New Balance's 890 v3, which I have been buying on eBay since they switched to the v4. I haven't yet wanted to find out if the v4 works for me since I know the v3 does. But, they are way to flexible, especially in the toebox area of the sole for trails. Several times, I hit a rock or a root and my I could just feel it in the sesamoid area. I lost two months to a sesamoid injury a couple of years back, and I don't want a similar one. Gotta get on that.