Go West young (old) man!!

So, I had some extra vacation days at work that I needed to burn before the end of the year and I needed to find a somewhat cheap "vacation".  I had never been out to visit my uncle in Arizona so that seemed like a good choice.  And it was! It's a short stay, but very nice.  My uncle lives in Scottsdale, which is a very nice suburb of Phoenix.  We had plans for dinner, and then a day up to visit my cousin at Northern Arizona University and then to continue on up to the Grand Canyon.

Friday morning we left the house at 8am and took the scenic route up to Flagstaff.  The direct drive is usually only about 2 hours, especially with a 75 MPH speed limit!!  NICE!  Except we took the scenic route, and I'm so glad that we did.  The landscape and vegetation changed as we gained altitude, eventually reaching 8,000 feet.  Along the way we stopped in Jerome for coffee, and took a quick drive through Sedona which is known for its "new age" vibe with all the crystals and incense.  We picked up my cousin, and headed straight to the Grand Canyon, about an hour away.  I haven't been to the Canyon since I was about 14, and I know the whole experience back then did not have the same impact as it did this time.  I won't go into further detail, but it was just magnificent.  Check out this picture that I took!

Annnnnnd this one that my cousin took.

If you haven't been, and you're contemplating... just go. 

Now on to the fun stuff!  ;-)
When I booked the trip, of course I had to check to see if there were any local races going on over the weekend of my stay.  A road race would be good, but a trail race is always preferable for me.  Whaddyaknow, a trail race in the Sonoran Desert and it's only 30 minutes away!! Winner!  the McDowell Mountain Frenzy is part of the Aravaipa Running Club's DRT Series and offers distances of 5M, 10M, 25k, 50k, and 50M.  Something for everyone.  I signed up for the 25k as a "sightseeing" race since I'm still not 100% after the Philadelphia debacle.  I'm almost there, but I certainly was NOT prepared for a 50k. 

Up before the sun and over to McDowell Mountain for the 8am start.  I'm there with plenty of time to spare and I get to watch the 50k start at 7:30a.  It's about 50 degrees, but as the sun creeps higher in the sky it will land around 65 degrees by the time I finish.  At 8a I'm off with about 150 or so other runners.  We're in a pretty tight group for the first 2 or 3 miles, with a few people already trying to make moves by passing "on your left".

About the trail...  the terrain is mostly single track, hard packed dirt that is very dusty, and loose rocks about the size of golf ball strewn throughout.  The other added bonus is cactus... everywhere... and not just off in the distance but literally right next to the trail itself.  If you're not paying attention you're gonna be pulling needles out of your shin, or possibly your arm!  It's not a very technical course, I would give it 2.5 stars out of 5.  The elevation also is not too difficult as the trail pretty much rolls up and down for the entire loop.  Climbs of only 30 to 40 feet, but they are constant!  Everything is runnable so there's no opportunity to walk unless you just decide "I need a break"... and I did.  :-)  I would also give the elevation 2.5 stars out 5 just for the constant up and down, but they did manage to stick in one serious climb around mile 12 or 13 which sucked because I was NOT expecting this at all.  The silver lining is that once I got to the top of the ridge I could see the start finish area and it was all downhill from there, literally. I bombed down the descent, as I love to do, and enjoyed the quick pace and the zig zag lines around the switchbacks. 

The desert is, well... a desert.  There are no trees, and because the course is rolling hills the whole way, you can see other runners way ahead (or behind) for almost the entire race.  During the times that I walked for a bit, I took the opportunity to actually look up and soak in the surroundings.  That's a drawback when you're trail running.  You're so focused on where your foot is going that you don't see the majesty that's around you.  The saguaro cactus that dotted the landscape set against the mountains in the distance were gorgeous.  Much different than the trail races I'm used to in the East where everything is in a forest with single track trail and big climbs.  I think I like the trails back home better, but this was definitely an enjoyable experience.  Because the terrain was so odd, or foreign, it felt at times as though I was running on the moon.  The moon has cacti, right?!

I finished in 2:58:10, unofficial.  This is actually my first 25k sooooooo PR!!!  Winner!  The photo on the left was taken right after the race.  It was pretty dusty out there.  Also, I wore a pair gaiters for the first time, and I'm glad I did.  The dust was everywhere, obviously, but a lot of runners were complaining about tiny rocks in their shoes.  These worked great, and I actually forgot that I had them on after a while. 

So in summation, the race was great and the trail was beautiful.  I had a great time with my uncle and my cousin and I'd love to come back out here again soon.  Maybe I can give the 50k a go next time?

To DNF or not to DNF?

That is the question!  Indeed.

Finishing MoMa 50k with Ninja

I have a relatively short running career of only 4 years, which makes my racing career a bit shorter at 3 1/2 years.  Not a long time to be pounding the pavement and trails, but i have managed to squeeze in about 20 half marathons, and 5 marathons.  Two of the marathons were trail races, one of which was my first ultra distance at 50k.  Of course you have to sprinkle in 5ks, 10ks, and every other "k" you can think of...
In all the races that I have participated in, there wasn't one time, one moment, or one instance where i ever thought that I should DNF (Did Not Finish).  I know that even the elites will DNF in some races, but never fully understood how or why someone would choose that fate unless they were injured?

Before the start at Philly with Molly

Well, I had what I hope will be my first and only experience with the threat of a DNF.  The 2012 Philadelphia Marathon was supposed to be a PR race for me with the goal of finishing somewhere between 3:45 and 3:50.  That would have been a 3-8 minute PR.  An aggressive goal, but definitely within reach.  Well the plan didn't work out that way, and for a number of reasons (none of which are excusable) I hit race day undertrained. Well rested, but undertrained.  You can't reap the reward without putting in the work folks!

This is what it looks like to "hit the wall".  Not fun.

I made it through the first half of the race right on my goal pace and actually felt comfortable.  That only lasted until mile 14 where I began to feel tired.  That's too early for me, especially for a marathon.  I took a walk break somewhere around mile 15 and I knew then that the second half would take some work just to finish.  I don't walk during road races of any distance, unless there's an injury or illness, and I wasn't sure how to deal with this mentally.  I decided that I would just run until I felt that I needed to walk, and then continue that way until the finish.  Readjusting goals, never once contemplating a DNF.  Then I hit mile 17... and I hit the wall in a big way, head on.  This is all foreign to me.  I never hit the wall!!!  It was physical, and it was mental.  It could have gotten emotional but i kept readjusting goals and pressing on.  I wanted to quit soooooo bad.  So bad.  I thought about how easy it would be to just stop.  So simple, right?  Just stop, turn around and walk back to the finish area.  Wait!  Walk back to the finish?  I may as well just walk the last 9 miles, right?  Plus, what do I say to everyone back at the post race celebration?  "Um, yeah... I don't have a medal because I gave up.  No, no... I'm not injured, I just quit."  I can't do that.  So ultimately my decision to keep going and NOT DNF was due to two main factors... convenience and ego.  It was not convenient for me to quit, and I would have a hard time looking people in the eye and telling them I quit.  The satisfaction and determination to continue to run when I could and walk when I couldn't was an afterthought.  I just wanted to finish.  I enjoyed the beer and brownies in Manayunk, and why not... I wasn't really pushing myself at that point.  I got to see (and cheer) my fellow RVRR members as they caught and passed me on the final stretch.  Many of whom were first time marathoners with such determination (and pain) on their faces.  that was an unexpected bonus for me. :-)

Soooo happy to finish!

I finally finished in 4:27, too tired to smile at the finish line, but ever so grateful for having crossed it.  The smiles came later when I could step back and bask in the glow of finishing another marathon, regardless of the time.  Not every race is a PR, and sometimes we need days like this to remind us of the importance of putting in the required work and the discipline and sacrifice that go along with it.  Now I know what the threat of a DNF feels like.  I also know how great it is to ignore that threat and to push through and complete the task.  A DFL trumps a DNF any day in my book.

Just keep moving forward and the finish will greet you soon enough.

All is forgotten with a medal around your neck and few lagers in your belly!
When's the next race!!!!

Is That Really a Sport?

I found myself asking this question a number of times over the past two weeks. I watched, as much as I could, with great awe and wonderment at most of the athletes on display at the recent XXX Olympic Games in London.  I say "most of the athletes" because there are a few sketchy "sports" out there these days.  Somehow, BMX biking is now an olympic sport but baseball/softball were voted out?!!  Now, now, now... before you start layin' in to me about how tough BMX biking is I will agree that there is definitely a level of athleticism required to compete in that event.  I'm just trying to make a point.

I would like to specifically address a number of events that are more of a skill than a sport.  Rhythmic gymnastics, synchronized swimming, archery, shooting, and of course hot dog eating.  Ok... I made that last one up.  BUT, the other events don't qualify as a sport in my mind.  You're not directly competing against someone or some team... and there's no defense!  They are nice to watch and those rhythmic gymnastics girls are verrrrrry bendy... but it seems more like artistry or a "show".  Ballet is extremely difficult, and you better believe that those dancers are in phenomenal shape... but would you ever consider that an olympic sport??  Or any artistic endeavor as a sport?  Why don't we have olympic sculpting and watercolor?  I would love to see the orchestral chamber quarter gold medal match up between Austria and Hungary.

Could it be that any event that has a judge should NOT be an olympic sport?  That would mean gymnastics, diving, and the winter showcase event of figure skating would be out.  What other events have so called objective third parties to decide which "performance" is the best?  Performance is the key word there.  It's a show.  It's pretty.  It's riveting.  But is it a sport?  I don't doubt, or diminish, for one second the level of commitment that these athletes give or the sacrifices that they have made over the years.  I think I would just like to see people winning medals because they were better, faster, higher, longer, stronger, or quicker than the person/team directly across from them.

More team handball.  More fencing.  More water polo.  More pentathlon. More kayaking.

Keep the basketball on the shelf though.  Enough already!  We get it, you guys are awesome but I can see you all year long in the NBA.  That stuff I mentioned in the line above... not so much.

What do you think?  What is your definition of Sport?

Shout out to Allyson Felix  ;-)

Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run

So let me start by saying that I did NOT run this amazing race.  And amazing it is... awe-inspiring in fact.  I did have the pleasure of crewing for my good friend Mike Dixon, who eventually finished in 94th place with a time of 22 hours, 38 minutes, 56 seconds.  That's 13:35 pace... over 100 miles.  100 MILES PEOPLE!

The race took place on June 23rd.... and a little bit of June 24th.  I wanted to write a concise recap of my crewing experience, and the fulfillment that I got from volunteering and being a part of a coordinated team effort.  Planning for this day(s) began months in advance, but like most plans we found ourselves hurrying in the last few days to tie up loose ends and nail down all boards.  Not that we weren't organized, it was just more... I don't know... we didn't know what to expect and yet we wanted to be prepared for any eventuality.  In the end, I strongly believe that we did a great job but we'll let Dixon give his opinion on that since it's the only one that truly matters here. I can only really give my perspective of the events as they played out in front of my crew vehicle.  The other crew was headed up by Kelly with fantastic assistance from Dave, Bill,  Mary, and Sally.  My car was rockin' with Lianne, Shannon, and Jayson.  We all left the sweet condo in Zephyr Cove, NV at 2:30am and headed north around Lake Tahoe up to the Olympic Village at Squaw Valley, CA.  It took about an hour and we all made the best of the early morning dark daze, thinking about what would transpire over the next 24 hours or so.

5am

Shotgun start... literally!  And they're off!!  The race immediately begins with a relentless 4 mile climb.  We see Dixon pass as the mass of runners make their way to the summit.  We say a silent goodbye, knowing that we will not see him for another 5 hours!  We head out and start making our way to our  first aid station at MILE 30, Rascal Robinson Flats.

8:30am

It takes us about 3 hours to get to Robinson Flats because we literally had to drive around the mountain range on one side, and then drive allllll the way back on the other side.  Haven't you people ever heard of tunnels?!!  It is raining, and very very foggy.  We're curling up the side of the mountain but we have zero views to "ooh and ahh" over.  We know you're out there beautiful vistas!!!  We get to the parking area for the aid station, it's raining harder now.  Dixon isn't expected to roll through until around 10:30am so we all catch up on some z's.  Well... at least I do.  Lianne and Jayson stay up to play Words With Friends, Shannon passes out.  Apparently I sleep like a baby, according to Jayson.  I didn't budge until my alarm went off at 9:30am signaling that it was GO TIME!!

10:30am

We finally get to the aid station after waiting on line for the bus, and the short 3 mile drive.  It's still raining, and quite cold actually.  We should have prepared better for the cold, but we made the best of it.  As we set up our mini-camp waiting for Dixon, we were able to see some of the elite women roll through, and got to see eventual winner Ellie Greenwood and runner-up Rory Bosio.  Runners come and go, and then we see Dixon sauntering through the fueling area.  We are happy to see that he has about 4 layers on to ward off the cold, thanks to Crew B and Dave & Bill specifically.  Some quick chit chat, a change of dry shirt and the Albino Kenyan is off in to the wild wilderness of the Sierras again.  It would be another 5 hours for us until we see him again.

We make it back to the Buick Enclave, get everything packed, and start to head out to the next stop.  BAM!!!  Whaaaaaat was that?!  Apparently it was a tree stump, and it jumped out right in front of the car... honest!!!  No major damage, but definitely some cosmetic bruising to the air dam along the bottom of the front bumper.  Maybe Hertz won't notice it?  The drive back from the shuttle lot is soooo much nicer.  Clouds and fog have burned off now and we have spectacular views of the valley and canyons below.  Windows are open as the temps start to creep up to comfortable levels.

12:30pm
Our crew decides to have our own refueling session back up near the interstate.  We were lucky enough to stop for lunch at a fine California establishment called Jacques Dans La Zone.  It was quite good and definitely hit the spot.  We represented Jersey well and decided to eat in the parking lot while we dried out our chairs, blankets, towels, and clothes...  stay classy Jersey.

3:30pm

After the grub we make our way back down the twisty and turny Foresthill Road.  Lianne is driving now (thank you!) and doing a fine job... even though this vehicle is four times the size of her Honda Fit!! We park near the Foresthill Elementary school, which is MILE 62 on the course.  This will be the first available opportunity to have a pacer join the race with their runner.  Jayson will be first up to pace Dixon, followed by David at around MILE 78, then Baron Bill Hulbert will bring him home for the last 7 miles or so.  Lianne, Shannon, and I leave Jayson with Crew B while we board yet another shuttle bus to the Michigan Bluff aid station about 4 miles away.  It's hot now... or at least it's hot relative to what the weather was like in the morning at Robinson Flats.  It's close to 80 degrees which is fine for us as we sit back and soak up some rays.  I can't help but think that Dixon is feeling like a dry sponge in the sun.  Dixon appears in the distance and we give a loud cheer as he approaches the aid station at MILE 55.  He goes through some mandatory medical checks, and his weight is 145lbs... unchanged from the weigh-in the day before.  Quite amazing considering that he is just over half way done on this epic journey.  He fuels up, and we switch out a dry shirt, new hat, and I give his sunglasses a spit shine... and then he's off again.  It's 5:20pm at this point.

6:45pm

We make our way back to Foresthill Elementary School where Dixon will roll in and pick up Jayson to begin the "pacing" legs of the race.  The rest of the RVRR crew (traveling in RVs) meet Dixon at the Bath Road aid station and walk/run with him up to our location at the school.  We have this pit crew stuff down to a science now.  We take turns with the bag of tricks with gels, protein bars, eye drops, hats, shirts, circus clowns...  We're all providing the comfort and moral support (and sunscreen-put-er-on-ers) and providing the focus, the drive, and the sensibility to balance Dixon's insanity!  6.2 miles until your next aid station.  Whatever, it works and we're going with it.  Whoosh, the boys head out west in to the glorious, golden sunset with headlamps ready to blaze as the dusky night descends upon the Sierras.  How wild that must be to run through mountains and canyons with little more than a flashlight taped your head?... in essence anyway.

7:30pm
We mosey on over to where the RVs are parked, and hang for a bit with the total group before pushing on to get dinner and then to the next aid station at Greengate.  We'd not see the RV folks again until the finish line in the wee hours of the morning.  Jayson is pacing Dixon at this point so Crew A now consists of Lianne, Shannon, David, and myself.  Lianne bravely barrels the Enclave back toward the interstate for a quick bite to eat.  Bellies now full, or almost anyway, we make our way back down the curving road that we know all too well at this point.  I ride shotgun and navigate while Lianne handles the switchbacks with flair and panache... basically not killing us.  We make our way to the church in the town of Cool.  Seriously... the town of Cool, CA.  at 9:30p we start to queue up for the shuttle bus... AGAIN!!  What gives, man?!  This shuttle is a short bus but a long ride to the drop point.  We realize as we're waiting on line for the short bus that there is a very real possibility that we will miss Dixon at the next aid station.  This will be the aid station AFTER the Rucky Chucky crossing of the American River.  Dixon and Jayson will be wet and we can't afford to miss him and send him into the darkness with everything soaking wet.  We finally get on the bus and make our way to the drop area.  From here it is another 1.5 miles DOWN a rocky dirt road.  We have to run if we're going to make it.  Shannon is the only one with a headlamp so she runs between Lianne and myself... sort of a modern day Rudolph, if you will.  The temperature has dropped back down to 45 degrees or so, and the three of us are layered up good.  I'm carrying two backpacks, running down a dark road, trying not to catch a toe on the odd protruding rock.  We make it, safe and sound, down to the checkpoint and wait expectantly for the boys.  The three of us are sweating from the quick huff down the mountain side, and Lianne takes this wonderful photo of me.

Ok... I was tired, I was sweaty, and I wasn't thinking clearly.  Hahaaaa!  Oh man...as Lianne would say, possibly the sketchiest photo of me ever taken.  Well played.
Very soon after, we see a number of headlamps bobbing and weaving up the river crossing.  We are happy to see that Dixon and Jayson have successfully crossed the Rucky Chucky, and were met by David and Bill who were waiting with dry towels.  The reunion is the briefest of visits as Dixon and Dave wave off the crew and let us know that they have everything they need.  We're a bit confused until we find out from bill that the true aid station was 100 yards down the dirt road.  Ugggggghhhhh.... well, at least we were prepared for all eventualities, and that's what a crew is for.

12:00am - Sunday
The next time we see Dixon will be at MILE 99 when we all run the last mile in with him.  We get back to the car, and discover that we have 3 hours until we need to pick up David at MILE 92.  Time for a serious nap.  We're able to get a solid 2 hours of sleep until we meet the shuttle bus in some random parking lot to pick up David, and have a quick reunion with Crew B.  David is tired, but quietly energized from the experience of running the trail at night.  At one point he comments that Dixon was feeling so good at times that David had to work to keep pace with him.  Pretty amazing after powering through 80 miles of mountains, sleet, hail, dust, canyons, burning sun, no sleep, gel after gel after gel...

3:00am
We come around the corner and see the blazing lights of the football stadium.  Almost there.  We make our way to Placer High School where the race will finish on the track.  We meet up with the RV crew, and Crew B and start making our way back up the course to MILE 99.  This is exciting!!  It's the middle of the night, we are tired, but we know that one of our own is out there somewhere... thoroughly exhausted, spent, delirious, and just wanting to get to the dang finish line!  Lindsay, Lianne, Anis and myself run back all the way to MILE 99 while the rest of the gang waits at the half mile mark. We aren't at the mile marker for more than 3 minutes when we see Dixon and Bill emerge out of the enveloping darkness with a single headlamp meekly casting its light ahead.  I wish that I could have taken a picture of Dixon's face when he saw us... the smile, the joy, the excitement, and the relief produced such an amazing glow.  I gave him a huge hug and realized that the boy was bone dry!  He had nothing left to sweat out, like that sponge left out in the sun.  We ran back down the course toward the high school.  Along the way we picked up the rest of the gang and there was a great cheer as we approached.  I think it would be hard to verify, but I would venture to guess that Dixon had the largest entourage of any participant at Western States.  That is NOT an exaggeration!!  Dixon quickens his pace, knowing that the journey is a mere 400 meters away from being over, and he can finally stop... and stop for good.  We all run around the track with him on the final lap and a rousing cheer goes up as they announce over the stadium p.a. system "Michael Dixon - Fanwood, NJ"!!!  He did it, he actually did it.  Official finish time of 22 hours, 38 minutes, 56 seconds... that's a long time folks.  Lots of hugs from everyone, a ton of smiles, and a silent understanding that we have all participated, in some way, in a most amazing day.

p.s.  Hertz never said anything about the damage to the Enclave.  :-)

New Car Smell

Tahoe Rim Trail... sooooo choice.

So I bought a new pair of trail shoes last night!!  Asics Gel Fuji Racers will be propelling me over rocks and roots, and barreling through mud and water crossings at the Mountain Madness 50k in September... I can't wait!  I don't know about you, but I always get a little excited when I get a new pair of running shoes.  It's almost like getting a new car every 500 miles or so.... almost.  But if you think about it, shoes are like cars for runners so I'm going with it!  The good thing is that you're not tied in to one set of shoes for 3-5 years until you pay them off.  AND you get to try a variety of styles to see what works best for you.

 I just got a new pair of road shoes about a month ago, and I'm scheduled to get a new pair of Mizunos in the next week or so through the Mezamashii Run Project.  The Mizuno Mezamashii Run Project is an innovative marketing campaign from Mizuno that gets their new products onto the collective feet of lucky runners...  for FREE!!  You can "Apply for an Invite" to get involved in the test market, and try out a new pair of Mizuno shoes.  Your review and response is critical in helping Mizuno to craft their products and designs to meet the needs of the consumer... that's you.  Not a bad trade for a new pair of shoes.

not so new trail shoes

So for me, that will be 3 new cars in roughly two months time!  That new car smell when you open the shoe box is so divine, don't you agree?

<=== These puppies don't smell so good though...

Phoenix from the flame

I'm back, and better than ever!

Baron, T-Bone, White Kenyan, Boogz

So, it's been way way too long since I have written here, and I'm not about to pick up where I left off last.  A few of you have commented that I should really post again so here I am.  The final bit of inspiration has come from the Western States 100.2 Mile Endurance Run.  As I write this it is the day after the race, and I have just finished crewing for Mike Dixon with some fellow RVRR members.  Specifically Lianne, Jayson, Dave and Shannon.  We had a total of 16 people out to California to cheer, pace,and crew for Dixon.  The amazing level of dedication and focus really hit me.  I don't know that I will ever attempt a 100 mile race, but I'm anxious to tackle the ultra world. I have had a wonderful year of running thus far, so I thought I would write a recap; a sort of year in review, if you will.

My RVRR runolutions for the year weren't anything ridiculous, just an incentive to do things differently this year.  I planned to run 5 races that I've never done before, and also to run more trails.  Although I submitted my runalution with a typo saying I wanted to run more "tails"....  ;-)
For me, 2012 actually started on New Year's eve day... Does that make sense?  A very nice trail run at Watchung Reservation was the perfect way to kick everything off!  Trail running would fast become my new love and would provide an invigorating shot in the arm for me.

Febapple 21 Miler

2012 would also be a year of constant PRs!  I have PR'd in every distance this year and it's been amazing!  The first race of the year for me was the Naples Half Marathon down in FL.  I went down to Naples with Lindsay, Dixon, Lesley, Shannon, and Nick.  We stayed with my parents for the long weekend and really enjoyed the mid-winter getaway.  I was just planning to run a comfortable race, until the night before when I decided to go for it and finished in 1:42:10!  PR number 1. BOOM!!   The next race was the Febapple Frozen 50.  This event had distances of 50M, 50k, 21M, and 10M.  I ran the 21 mile trail race at South Mountain with Shannon.  Trail + new race = runolutions win.  Another PR... A bit of cheat as this was my first race at this distance, but still a PR!  4:30.  My first real trail race.

My greatest discovery of the year has to be Sourland Mountain.  I could probably write an entire essay on this trail alone.  For the sake of brevity (you're welcome) I will just say that this very technical 5 mile loop has contributed so much to my improvement as a runner as well as my ever increasing love of running in general.  This trail would become part of my weekly regimen and I love love love introducing people to "my trail".

Sourland, O Sourland

Race #3 was the Princeton 6k trail run.  This was a very small, local race through the woods near Princeton.  Nothing exciting here except that it was another opportunity to run a new trail.  New race #2 + trail = runolutions win.  The following day would be race #4 on the year.  The RVRR Chimney Rock 5 miler is a great event that I have only volunteered for in prior years, but have never actually run the race.  Guess what... It's a trail race so you know that I was running it this year!  This was such a challenging and fun experience, and I was eager to push myself a bit more now that I was quite comfortable on trails.  New race #3 + trail = runolutions win!  Do you see what I'm doing here?  :-)

All throughout the year I continue to run Sourland on a regular basis, and begin branching out to Watchung, Manasaquan, Round Valley, and Washington's Crossing.  The dense wood has a compact and lonely sound.  Often times I find myself alone on some trail, no sound anywhere save for running water in the distance maybe, and my own breathing and heartbeat.  Peace... Absolute peace.  You can't buy that, or manufacture it... But you can take full advantage of it when it is presented in such a welcoming fashion.  You focus on your feet, you look for danger at every step, and you sharpen the keen sense of understanding your body mechanics.  The subconscious seems to love when the brain is so focused because I worked out a lot of things in my head on that trail.  So refreshing and invigorating... my heart and soul are overjoyed.

New race #4 was Stomp the Monster 5k.  This was a chilly and wet day, and nothing spectacular was really expected from me.  However, my brain and my legs didn't get the same message on the whole "nothing spectacular" thing because I ran another PR!  21:45 over the distance and my first sub 22:00!  Watch your head... KA-BOOM!!!  What's going on here?!  I'm not really training for races or doing speed work, but I just keep knocking my times down.  It's gotta be the trails, right?! :-)

The Clinton 15k was next on the calendar the following weekend.  Again, just looking to run well and keep improving.  Surely I can't run a 15k PR after having just PR'd the prior week in the 5k.  Wrong, wrong, wrong.  1:10:14... KA-FRIGGIN-BOOM!  It's gotta be the trails.  The confidence coursing through me increases on a weekly basis.  I ask questions, I see what experienced runners are doing, I try to emulate.  Jayson, Dixon, and Allara are very inspirational to me... In different ways.  Dixon is the technician always learning, getting faster and smarter.  Jayson is the newborn horse that just wants to run.  Ever improving and working on control.  Allara is like the soul surfer to me.  Not so much a zen runner, because he does like to compete, but I just get the sense from him that he would rather spend every opportunity in the woods rather than pounding the pavement.  That's my opinion anyway, but that's exactly where my focus and desired future are hopefully heading. 

26.2 miles at Bear Mountain, NY!  YES!!

Their inspiration and my growing confidence landed me at my biggest race of the year so far, the Northface Endurance Challenge at Bear Mountain, NY.  Jayson, Laura and Dixon would tackle the 50 mile distance while Allara joined me at the marathon distance. Dagfinn Fang and Super Ninja would beat up the 50k course.  Dave would finish in 5th place, about an hour and a half in front of me.  I played a little mind game with myself, thinking of how much earlier Dave had run in the very spot that I was at the time.  This was easily the most difficult race that I have ever done... period.  Lonely stretches, questioning my decision to do this race, exhaustion beyond exhaustion.  Yet, at the same time, I loved every agonizing second of it.  The stillness, the mud, the rocks and roots... everything.  The race had been categorized as 5 stars for elevation and difficulty and a truer assessment could not have been made.  My weeks and months of enjoying the technically challenging loop at Sourland were now paying huge dividends.  I would have been toast if not for the unknowing preparation there.  I finished in 6:08.  Trail marathon PR!  Ill take it.  I was hoping to break 6 hours, but I realized with about 3 miles to go that I just didn't have the gas to make up the eventual 8 minute balance.  Still, absolutely thrilled about the experience and monumentally stoked about finishing!  I CAN NOT WAIT TO RUN THIS AGAIN NEXT YEAR!!
New race #5 + the most epic trail ever = major runolutions win!

Awww yeah!!!!  Get some!!

A month goes by with no races or organized events, which is fine with me.  My body enjoyed a bit  of the step down in mileage, and I was able correct some very minor/nagging trouble spots.  June 2nd was the annual RVRR "Train"ing run on National Trails Day.  This is my favorite club event.  The perfect opportunity to log some serious miles at a comfortable pace with a large group.  I ran 20 miles at 9:30 pace with stops along the way to pick up additional runners at aid stations.  The event takes place entirely on the old towpath along the Delaware & Raritan canal from Trenton to New Brunswick.  Those brave souls running the full course would complete 34.2 miles on the day.  Most impressive!  The picnic that follows the event every year is a great party with such a fantastic feeling of camaraderie and bonding.  I love it, and all the stories that come out of that day.

I thought I lost some weight???  Hmmm...

The last race of the first half of the year (got that?) is the President's Cup 5k in Millburn.  This is a night race starting at 8p.  It's a pretty fast course, but there is an incline that you hit twice.  If you can just power through the climb then you're rewarded with a smooth and gradual descent on the return.  I tried to catch Ninja and her flying ponytail but she was just too fast for me over the final mile, and she beat me by about 8 seconds or so.  No PR on the night, 22:25, but there's free beer flowing at the post race party.  How can you beat that?!!

So there it is.  I have already met my runolutions goal of 5 new races, and I've been living to hit the trails at any possible opportunity.  So what's in store for the remainder of the year?  More trails, of course, and more races.  I will be running the Philly marathon in late November, but the big date on my calendar is the Mountain Madness 50k in late September.  My first ultra for sure, and I get so excited just thinking about it!  I will begin training in earnest on July 1st.  I think I'll hit up Sourland because it's gotta be the trails, right?

"Run more tails!!!" ;-)

Dragon
Car Back!

Dragging Some Girl Around Asbury Park

So, I've been having an internal debate about whether or not I should write a post about my experience at the Asbury Park Half Marathon, which took place on March 13th.  Obviously, I decided to write.  Seeing as how this was the weekend before St. Patrick's Day, I was wearing a kilt.  Cheap knock-off from Spencer's, but it looks good.  I was also sporting my Manchester United tech shirt.  MUFC All Day!!

If I haven't said it before, my favorite distance is the half marathon.  For the average runner (me), this distance requires some level of training and commitment.  Most people can't just roll out of bed and run 13.1 miles.  I'm happy to say that I can do that at this point in my running career infancy.  This distance is long enough that you must take it seriously, but not so long that you have to be maniacal about training. 

THEN

I was looking forward to this race, and hoping to post a solid time... not a PR, just a respectable time for the average mid-pack dude (me again).  For those that don't know, Asbury Park, NJ is "shore town" that has seen better days.  It's quite a wasteland at the present time, but they're always threatening to make a come back.  Still, there are some pretty sketchy areas if you stray too far from the boardwalk.  For this reason, we're sure, the race consists of 4 loops (YES 4) of approximately 3.25 miles... check my math.  It's basically up and down the boardwalk along the beach with a quick loop inland for about a mile.  Beach = Water = Wind.  Good Lord, the wind!!!  Constant throughout the morning blowing from west to east, as we ran north/south... uuggghhhh.  We were treated to the wind at our backs on each loop for about a quarter mile.
Thanks???


NOW

Lianne and I went down to the race with about 10 others from RVRR, and were then plannning to get breakfast afterward.  Always much more fun to race with other club members and hang out for a bit.
I'm the slowest in the group.  I know this... I own this... I don't mind this.  The race goes off and everyone trots out.  The first loop is spent weaving in and around slower runners, and trying to find some kind "wind shadow" that would offer some respit from the invisible force knocking me about.  No such luck.

At the start of the second loop, I noticed that a woman was on my right butt cheek, staying close as we headed north on the boardwarlk for the first hairpin turn on the loop.  I figured that she was just locking in to my mediocre pace, and trying to hang with me.  As we turned around the orange cone, she immediately shifted over to my left butt cheek.  Ahhhhhhh.... I get it now.  I am HER "wind shadow".  Big dudes cut big holes in the wind.  I turned to her, smiled and said "You've done this before".  She looked at me sheepishly and replied "Yeah... you don't mind if I draft off of you, do you?".  I didn't mind... I mean, I still have to run through the wind anyway.  Who cares if she's stays right behind me?  We chatted for a bit initially, trading race stories and discovering that we both ran the NYC Marathon last year.  Pleasant chit-chat, and then back to business.

We (I) slogged through the wind for the next 3 laps, not more than a foot apart at any given time.  As we hit the boardwalk for that last out & back to the finish line, she took off...  Okay, I did my "job".  I was happy with my pace up to that point, especially considering the wind.  At the last hairpin turn before the final mile to the finish, I saw her... about 20 seconds ahead of me.  No acknowledgement.  Eh, ok.  She's in the zone, I get it.  Strong finish for me, and a final time of 1:49:25... better than I was expecting or hoping for.  I was quite happy I must say.  This wasn't a big race, in terms of participants, so the finisher's chute was quite empty... maybe 2 other people finishing near me with a lot more to follow.  I saw this girl, but did not go out of my way to approach her.  I was waiting for her to come over and say "thank you" or "great race" or "how about that wind? wink wink".  Nothing... not even a wave, a smile, or a thumbs up.  I was disappointed, honestly.  I was looking forward to a little acknowledgement... something.

It wasn't until we all met for breakfast after the race, and I was boring everyone with my race story, that I started to get upset about what this girl "didn't" do.  I pulled her around that course for 3 laps, probably helped her PR, and then I get stuck with the check!  WTF!!!  So you know what I did?  Nothing.
What can I do?  People are selfish some times, not realizing that others are working just as hard, if not harder, than they are.  This is true of life in general, and not just running. 

Make sure you thank people when they help you... even if it's just someone holding a door for you.
I hold the car door for Lianne every time she gets in, and every time she says "thanks".  Two seemingly unnecessary gestures that just feel good, and lets the other person know that you appreciate them.
So, ask your waiter/waitress their name, thank the cab driver, hold the door for someone.  It doesn't take much, but the message is huge.

Car Back!
Dragon

Gotham 91.7

Is that some cool new hipster radio station?  Sadly, no.
91.7 is the total mileage for running 5 Half Marathons, and one Full Marathon in New York City, check my math... something that I accomplished in 2010.  I recently received some items in the mail to commemorate  this achievement, and thought that it would be a good topic for my next blog.  So......  yeah.

This started back in 2009 when I was qualifying for the 2010 New York City Marathon through New York Road Runners by participating in their 9+1 Program.  9+1 seemed to be the easiest, and most reliable way to gain entry in to the marathon for the following year.  I ran a number of smaller races in Central Park that year as part of the 9 qualifying races.  I only ran one half marathon with NYRR that year, and that was the Staten Island race.  I enjoyed the race that day, and broke 2 hours for the first time.  Still, I couldn't help but feel that I had missed out on the other borough races earlier that year.  I made a vow then and there that I would run all 5 borough half marathons and the ING New York City marathon in the same year.  Quite ambitious, but certainly not out of the realm of possibility for a mere mortal such as myself.

The NYRR Half Marathon Series started in January 2010 with the Manhattan Half.  2 1/2 loops of Central Park in pretty decent weather actually.  We had a large contingent of RVRR members that ventured in that chilly morning, and it was nice to participate in numbers.  Breakfast (of course) followed at Le Pain Quotidien.  It didn't really satisfy, but inexplicably we returned there after the 2011 edition??

The 2nd race of the series was the Brooklyn Half.  Now, I had heard from a few different people (and overheard a few conversations) that the Brooklyn Half was the majority favorite race in the series.  Now I know why.  Easily my favorite of the series.  The first half of the race is 2 loops of Prospect Park, and then a straight shot out to Coney Island.  The road out to the beach is straight, flat, and shady.  A godsend.  Finishing on the boardwalk, you can smell the beach before you see it.  Unlike Manhattan, I ran this race alone, but dearly wished that my group was there.


 I had enjoyed the first two races in the series, but this joy would begin to turn with the next race in Queens... in July.  We had a decent group heading in for the Queens Half, and as such we stayed at a hotel near the course due to any early gun time.  The rising NY temperatures in July forced a change in the start time to 7am.  It didn't really make a difference as it was in the 80's when the gun went off, and quickly hit 90.  I walked a number of times during this race.  I don't well in the heat... at all, and this day kicked my butt.  Happy to be finished in Flushing, I checked off my list and made a mental note that my first race in Corona Park would also be my last.  One program note here, our very own Michael Dixon (the white Kenyan) won the race!  Staggering in its own right, but the soaring temps made the feat all the more impressive.



The downward turn continued with the Bronx edition of the series.  The race itself was enjoyable.  Lianne and I ran together the whole way, and that's what I like to remember most about the day.  The part I try to forget about is the traffic driving in, and the unbelievable lack of parking.  It's quite nerve racking to drive over an hour in the pre-dawn darkness to race in the Bronx only to spend 45 minutes relentlessly searching for a parking spot that would not elicit a ticket, or worse having your vehicle towed to an impound lot.  That is NOT the way to spend a day in NY.  Breakfast with the gang at the Riverdale Diner.  Old stompin' ground for past club president Ray Petit.  Decent french toast.  :-)

The last race of the series is Staten Island.  One year removed from my first foray in to the NYRR Half Series, and I'm back to the Staten Island Ferry for the start.  Another solo race for me, but I was pumped and ready to go.  This race takes place in October, approximately one month before the NYC Marathon, and a lot of people turn out for this race as a final tune up before the Big Dance  I was just looking to run solid, to run strong, and get an "easy" 13.1 under my belt and shoot my confidence level over the moon.  Instead, disaster struck at mile 4.  I had bad stomach cramps and started walking.  I tried to run after a minute or two but it was no good.  My calves started cramping and i realized that I was in trouble.  Somehow, I had a stomach virus that decided to hit me in the middle of a race.  NO warning signs whatsoever.

I walked the rest of the course and finished in just UNDER 3 hours.  Oooofff.  Any ideas I had about a confidence builder had just been smashed, blown up, destroyed.... vanished.  I was devastated.  I barely made the drive home as I was now experiencing a bad headache and the stronnnnnng desire to pass out.  I was out of commission... bed-ridden for 3 days, and did not run again until the following week.  I was scheduled to run 16 miles with Lianne and Shannon, but was only able to get in 8.  Again, not the best mental boost leading up to the biggest sporting event of my life.  I had great words of encouragement from Lianne and Shannon, but I was still very nervous that I would be unprepared, and would falter somewhere in the Bronx on Marathon Day.

As it turns out, that "week off" was a forced blessing in disguise.  My legs were rested for a full week... I had put in the hours and miles up to that point... my body just needed to regroup before I asked it to do something so revolting and unthinkable.  At least that's how I rationalize it now.  Somehow, it paid off for me around mile 20 on that glorious Sunday in November.  I felt great up until mile 18, and even then it was "only" a tired feeling.  I should hope that most people feel tired at mile 18, and not just me.  Mile 20 is when most people hit the wall, but I had no such experience.  I was expecting it, but it never came and so I pushed and pushed and passed at least 1,000 runners as they were dying in Manhattan and throughout Central Park.

And so I finished my first ever marathon... my first NYC Marathon.  I drank in the sights and sounds, remembering the crisp blue sky, and broke down after crossing the finishing line in 4:08:00.  I did it.  I actually did it!!!  What an amazing feeling.  Money well spent, time well spent, and not a single regret.

I'm proud to say that I am in a somewhat elite group of runners that, like me, decided to push themselves and achieve a goal that is not all that difficult, but does take some forethought, some planning, and some idea of deriving the most out of what you've been given.  I can happily say that I am the only member of RVRR that accomplished this quirky feat in 2010, and I take solace in the knowledge that this solid mid-packer can lay claim to something that no one else in the club can.

Thank you New York!

Car Back!
Dragon

The Iceman Go-eth

It's hard to believe that we have been unable to run on the D&R Canal Towpath for over two months, due to snow and ice accumulation.  This peaceful "trail" was used years ago as a path for donkeys and horses to pull commercial barges down the Raritan Canal to the Delaware River.  The towpath, as it is commonly called, is now a simple recreational path for runners, bikers, walkers, hikers, and the occasional person that likes to mosey.  The path now stretches almost 30 miles with various access points roughly 2 to 5 miles apart... for the most part.  The towpath is a blessing to most runners, and a monotonous nemesis for a few.  The soft footing is a welcome respite from the pavement that we've been pounding all Winter. 



Saturday morning started out quite nice.  The temperature was in the high 30's, which was a bit warmer than anticipated, thankfully.  Lianne and I headed over to Johnson Park to meet up with our fellow RVRR members for the weekly Saturday run.  It's tough to get up early on a Saturday, knowing that you're going to run... especially when it's 35 degrees outside.  It's even tougher to deal with the guilt of NOT running on a Saturday just because you wanted to sleep in for a bit.  We always have a decent sized group, and today was no exception.  At 9a it was time to go to work, and the roughly 30 or so runners set out for the towpath.  Like most group runs, the first mile or two usually has everyone bunched together... chatting and laughing, enjoying the shared camaraderie. 

By the time we reached the towpath, the group was starting to split out in to the normal "packs".  Of course,  yours truly settles right in to the middle pack... but this soon becomes the back of the pack as others turn back sooner, for a shorter run.  Lianne is fast, though she's quite modest and will sweetly deny any such classification, and so she was motoring ahead with other similarly paced runners.  I held my own and ran with my pacing partner, Shannon.  Shannon and I have run many miles together, and have shared many talks about all sorts of things, as you can imagine.  Shannon and I trained for, and ran, the NYC Marathon together in 2010.  We are very evenly matched, and have routinely traded finishing places over the last year.  It's fairly a given fact that we will finish within 1 or 2 minutes of each other in most races, regardless of distance.  Mind you, there's never any competition between us, but rather the sense that we are able to push each other in order to get the best out of ourselves.

Shannon and I were running 8 miles today, so we turned at the 4 mile mark and headed back with our faces in the sun.  The day had warmed slightly, and we were certainly heated from the run itself.  It turned out to be quite a comfortable morning.  Before the turn we had passed Lianne and her slightly quicker group as they headed back.  Now, however, they weren't just slightly quicker... they were much faster!  I said to Shannon "Those guys are way up there now."  I wondered if we were getting slower because we had lost so much ground.  Shannon is the Queen of Sarcasm, and so she said "Do you think there's anyone behind us saying, 'Tom and Shannon are way up there'"?  "Not a chance", I said.

I kept looking for the bridge on the way back that would signal to us that we only had about a half mile until we reached the starting point of the towpath, but it was still a bit off in the distance.  This is where the path can get a bit monotonous for a few people.  The view doesn't really change much, but it is most peaceful.  Finally we saw that confounded bridge!  Ok, almost done, and then a quick mile back through the park to our starting point.  The last mile was quiet... no talking... just pumping, breathing, and maybe a snot-rocket or two.  Annnnnnnnnnnd, we're done.  A nice even 8 miles in 1 hour and 10 minutes... roughly 8:45 minute pace.  VERY mid-pack pacing for a training run. :-)  At least I'm consistent!

Upon our return to the parking lot and our crew, we learned that Lianne and her group had picked up their pace considerably to catch the group that was ahead of them. They ended up running the last 3 miles or so at 7 minute pace!  Yuck... I mean... well done.  Well done, indeed.  I could do 7 minute pace for one mile, mayyyyyyybe 2, but that's pushing it.  I was able to hold 7:30 pace for an 8k (5 miles-ish) on Thanksgiving Day and that was my best effort to date.  Quick change, in to the car, and off to the diner for celebratory french toast!  What celebration you ask?  The celebration of running!!  The fact that I'm exercising, outside, with friends, and having a great time is reason enough for me to celebrate.  So, if for no other reason, start running now so that you can have french toast later.  Simple math really.

I'm glad to be back on the towpath.  I'm looking forward to some upcoming 10-15 milers on there over the next 6 weeks!  Now if the weather will just cooperate so I can put away my cap and gloves, and pull out my shorts, that would just be wonderful.

Car back!
Dragon

Where to begin?

I have been searching for a blog written from a runner's perspective that matches my own.  There seems to be an abundance of blogs written by very accomplished runners that offer me no real world application or connection simply because I am not at their level.  I wish I was, but I know my limits and I'm fine with that.  Reading about speed work, hill repeats, and 100 mile weeks is interesting to me in the sense that it doesn't seem real.  What I mean is that I can't possibly fathom the sacrifice and dedication that a lot of these runners exhibit.  I applaud them and their effort (and their 8 oz. shoes).  So I've decided to start my own blog and offer a runner's perspective from the average Dragon.  You might say it's a bit conceited to think that anyone would want to read about my mediocre exploits.  I like to think that it's a bit of laziness in that I searched for this type of blog for all of 15 minutes before deciding to just start my own.

Car Back! is the mating call of the mid-pack runner.  The guys up front never get to yell this because there's never anyone in front of them!  Uttering this simple, but important, warning has become such a natural part of my group runs that it's now almost an involuntary reaction.  Car Back!

I am the textbook example of the mid-packer.  I finish mid-pack in every category, in every race... and I'm okay with that.  I like to think that I'm improving ever so slightly with each race, and my finishing times over the last year will confirm that this is the case.  I completed my first marathon last year at the 2010 ING New York City Marathon.  My finish time of 4:08:00 was good enough for 17,568th place... or something like that.  That's about 5,000 places above mid-pack.  Who do I think I am with a finish like that?  Well, truth be told, I was hoping to break 4 hours, but finishing without walking was the more important goal and I'm happy to say that it was realized.  My half marathon PR was set last April at the Rutgers Unite Half Marathon in New Brunswick, NJ, where I ran a 1:44:16.  I'm not winning any awards, believe me.  Still, I get such a charge from being around a bunch of people that love running as much as I do.  Yes, I love to run!  I look forward to any kind of run with anyone that wants to run.  I'm lucky enough to be a member of the Raritan Valley Road Runners, and the people I have met there have become my dearest friends, mentors, and supporters.

So check back, please.  I'll be sharing my views on the sights and sounds from the middle of the pack.
Car Back!

Dragon

Elvis Pancakes

   I'm gonna set the way-back machine for September 2010.  Not that long ago, granted, but I wanted to include this day in my blog for a number of reasons.  This was a long weekend getaway... for a wedding... with a great run... and the yummiest pancakes around... ever!!  My girlfriend (and running partner), Lianne was in the wedding party for one of her college roommates, and I was lucky enough to accompany her on what would turn out to be one of the most memorable weekends.

   The wedding was in Bar Harbor, Maine which isn't exactly the easiest or quickest place to get to from Central NJ.  Our economic choice was to drive the 10-plus hours each way, and take advantage of our time together to talk, laugh, nap, and enjoy New England passing by our windows.  We left on Thursday, and on the drive up, we stopped in Haverill, MA to get in a quick run at Winnekenni Park.  We were lucky enough to find the park, as they had a nice 4 mile loop around a small lake.

   The loop was a good trail run, and at some points became a single track through dense forest.  A nice pit stop for us, but we were soon back in the car and on our way.  We finally arrived in Bar Harbor at around 9p, and checked in to The Colony at Hull's Cove.  We found the rest of the bridal party and hung out for a bit before heading back to the room to get some much needed rest.  Not only were we quite tired from the drive, but we were planning a 15 miler the next morning in Acadia National Park.
   Lianne and I would both be running our first full marathons in November, so the long runs in September were a crucial part of our training.  I was a bit nervous that the long wedding weekend would throw out some type of monkey wrench in our training plans, but I was able to map out a decent route close to our cottage.  Acadia National Park, for those who don't know (like me), is quite hilly... mountainous even.  After some quick searches before the trip, I was able to determine tht we would encounter some type of elevation gain/drop during the run, but nothing ridiculous.  We had been doing hill repeat workouts, so I wasn't too concerned. 
  
   The morning started with a 7a wake up, and some bananas and Cliff bars.  It was a chilly start to the day, but we'd warm up soon enough.  A short drive down the road to the parking lot at the Acadia visitor's center, and we were rewarded with being the first ones there!  I'm not sure what kind of reward that is... no gold stars or anything.  The morning was quite foggy as we set out on the park's main road, searching for the turn off that would bring us to the Carriage Road around Witch Hole Pond, where we would spend most of our run.


   The road began to rise, and we were nowhere near the anticipated turn off.   The views were already quite beautiful, but we were hoping the turn off would come soon, and bring some relief to the climb.  2 miles in (up I should say) and we found the turn off, after some short backtracking.  The morning was quite still... fresh... new, and we were drinking in the serenity.  We arrived at the entrance to the carriage road and took a quick break to explore the area, get some water, and stash some fuel.  The loop was just over 4 miles.  Just long enough to get a good rhythm going, and allow us to get hydrated/fueled every 36 minutes or so.  The crushed cinder and stone pathway was packed down hard, which made for a welcome surface, especially considering the distance for the day.  Each hilly lap afforded us magnificent views of the Maine coast, and the cruise ships anchored in the harbor.  The misty morning, and cool temperature was such a blessing.  To characterize a 15 mile run as pleasant or comfortable seems a bit odd, but that's just what it was.  The setting, the weather, and the views were integral parts of the whole, but without a doubt the company we shared with each other was the key component.  We didn't see another soul until we had completed 2 loops, and even then it was in quick passing.  Near the end of the 3rd loop we started to see a few more visitors on bicycles, doing a bit of bird watching we supposed.  We made it back to our fuel stash for the last time, picked everything up and continued for another half loop to another exit from the carriage road that would take us back to the visitor's parking lot.  The quick downhill run to the parking lot was considerably shorter than the 2 mile uphill trek.  Lesson learned for next time.  As we departed the dense wood in to the open space of the parking area, we were immediately struck by the number of cars in the lot, and the people milling about the bus pick up area.  Lianne and I were spectacularly sweaty and gross, wearing minimal clothing, and walking among the hygenically superior tourists in their warm coats and hats.  It's not THAT cold people!  A quick cool down, some more water, and we were ready to eat the tires on my car. 

   The town of Bar Harbor was just about a mile down the road, and we had planned to just park somewhere and find some suitable place to chow.  On the short drive there we talked about the run and how really nice it was.  It didn't feel like just another training run, and we both felt it.  Early morning, foggy and cool, no one else around, stunning views. and each other.  Quite nice.  Soon enough we turned on to Cottage St. and quickly found a parking spot.  As we were pulling in, Lianne noticed a cute Bed n' Breakfast called the 2 Cats.
She wondered aloud if we were under-dressed, or not-so-rosy-smelling.  Granted, we had put on fresh/dry clothes, but I can't say that we did anything about any possible odor other than the clothes.  Truth be told, we were good to go.  We sauntered up to the menu near the sidewalk to get an idea of what was on offer.  Another couple was leaving at that time and, unprovoked, said that we MUST go inside.  I asked what they had eaten and the woman began to talk about eggs benedict, or some other sort eggy food.  Lianne is not a fan of eggs, so this did nothing for us, until... the guy told us to get the Elvis Pancakes.  Elvis Pancakes?  Lianne and I traded looks.  I asked if that was pancakes with peanut butter and bananas.  "And chocolate chips" was his reply.  That did sound good, but the zeal he expressed about the Elvis Pancakes sealed the deal.  We thanked them and walked up to the hostess stand, and were quickly seated.  A quick perusal of the menu, to make sure we weren't missing something else, and the waitress stops to take our order.  Tea for Ms. Lianne, and coffee for yours truly.  Annnnnnnd we were both going to have the Elvis Pancakes, thank you.  I'm not sure if I remember her saying "great choice" or "they're my favorite" but in my recollection of the morning I always like to think that she said something to this affect. 

   We waited anxiously for the flapjacks, sipping our respective hot beverages, and then we overheard another waitress.  She said something like "mumble, mumble, mumble, 5k, mumble, Half marathon, mumble, mumble".  We both perked up, and I turned around to ask if I heard her correctly.  It turns out that there was a 5k and a Half Marathon the next morning, starting a few blocks from where we were sat.  Ding, ding, ding!!!  Idea bells clamoring as Lianne and I locked eyes.  We thought about it for 2 seconds and then remembered that the reason we were in Bar Harbor to begin with, was because Lianne's girlfriend was getting married and that Lianne was IN the wedding.  Slightly more important than a race we just heard about.  Ehhh, it would have been nice but it just wasn't possible.  A few minutes more and the pancakes arrive.  Now, I love pancakes and french toast, and ususally they all taste about the same no matter where you go.  NOT the case here.  These were perfect pancakes.  The size, color, crispness, smell... everything.  Some REAL maple syrup on top of them cakes and we were off!  To say that these were good is the understatement of the century.  Bananas, peanut butter chips, and chocolate chips all combined with perfection in the dough-y goodness of hot cakes.  A side of real bacon to round out the morning meal and we were two of the happiest people on the planet.  Actually smiling because of pancakes.  Who would've thought that was possible. 
   The next day the wedding was wonderful, Lianne looked beautiful, and everyone had a great time.  We were able to convince a few people to join us the morning after the festivities for one last meal at the 2 Cats.  I had to get Elvis Pancakes again.  Lianne got the Cherry Garcia, but later wished that she would have just stayed with Elvis. 

   We are planning a return trip this fall for the Half Marathon, if we can squeeze it in between all the pancakes we're gonna eat.

Car Back!
Dragon