Let’s get to work

I’m in. Actually, I should say I’m all in.

I have fully committed to the National Marathon in Washington, D.C. on March 24. Well, “fully committed” is a relative term. I haven’t actually signed up for the race yet, not have I booked a room at a hotel or hooked up with one of my friends in the D.C. area for a place to stay before the race… or even told anyone other than my wife at this point.

When I presented my schedule for 2007 and my desire to run the National Marathon, as well as the Steamtown Marathon on Oct. 7, my wife just kind of shrugged and said, “OK… ”

That’s the way it is around here sometimes.

Regardless, in my head, I’m in. That’s half the battle right there – thinking about it. Committing my mind and energy is enough to actually shelling out the dough and everything else.

Nonetheless, I have started my buildup for the race, which, believe it or not, is quickly approaching. March 24 leaves 11 weeks of training starting on Jan. 1. That means in order to be at 100-mile weeks by the New Year, training has to start now. I want to be able to put in at least 10 straight weeks of 100-plus miles in order to be able to run between 2:32 and 2:37 on March 24. If I can do that, I should be in good shape to take a run at 2:30 with an outside shot at 2:25 by October.

Yeah, let’s push the envelope a bit.

Anyway, originally the plan was to run between 70 and 75 miles this week, which seems more than doable after the first three days. On Monday and Tuesday I did a pair of 14-milers, including a 3x 1,000 meters at 5k pace on Tuesday. Monday’s run was a solid, unwavering 6:35 to 6:40-pace run, while Tuesday’s started slower but resulted in a 6:30ish total pace thanks to the three intervals.

Today I ran a hilly 16-miler at an easy and strong 6:45 pace on the flat sections, but ended up at 7:02 pace because of the hills. I didn’t plan on going so long, but I figured I was out there moving around… what the heck?

The fear, of course, is too much too soon. The Harrisburg Marathon was just a few weeks ago and though the windy day held me up and the slow time didn’t really beat me up, the long training period left me a little fatigued. My hamstrings and glutes are still tight and sore, though they don’t affect my running, and my mental game was (is?) ready for a nap.

With that in mind, the plan is to push up the mileage through the December without doing any 21-to-24 milers until Jan. 1.

Then we’ll get after it.

Running nugget
In a story by Mike Sandrock in the Boulder Daily Camera, coaching sage Mark Wetmore offers a few helpful guidelines for runners preparing for the U.S. cross-country championships in Boulder on Feb. 10.

Holding the cross-country championships in Boulder is kind of like having the Super Bowl in Las Vegas.

A true classic

After many years of going out of my way to ignore it and to write it off with a condescending arrogance befitting a mainstream sportswriter in the fourth largest media market in the United States, I finally picked up a copy of Chris Lear’s Running With the Buffaloes.

I must say – what a revelation.

It’s not so much the writing and the story as it is the ideas. Textually, the book is similar in style to the ubiquitous John Feinstein’s chronicling of some season, tour, tournament or team, but the writing is much more urgent and bold. No, that’s not a knock at Feinstein or even a compliment for Lear, but it’s clear that Lear understands what and whom he is writing about.

Perhaps that knowledge is what separates Lear from most running writers or sports scribes. Take me (or Feinstein) for instance. Though I played sports all through my school days there’s no way I’ll ever be able to fully understand what it’s like to play in the Major Leagues, NFL or NBA. Where I might have it over most writers is that I know what it takes to train every day for months and years without an end or feedback in sight, but as far as the actual competition at the highest level of the sport I get paid to watch, I have no idea.

Lear, in writing about the Adam Goucher-led University of Colorado cross-country team of the late 1990s, understands a lot of what it takes for greatness because he was an All-American runner for Princeton and an Olympic-caliber miler who packed everything he owned into his car and moved out to Boulder.

Moving to Boulder might be the clichéd runner thing to do – like an actor moving to New York or Hollywood – but the odds of “making it” are probably much lower. The good thing about forays to Boulder is one returns home in much better shape than when they left.

Anyway, the real star of Running With the Buffaloes is Colorado coach Mark Wetmore. A post-modern Lydiard devotee, Wetmore is a sharper, more grounded version of Bill Bowerman and the younger John Kelley. The difference might be that when all is said and done, Wetmore could turn out to be the best distance coach ever.

Certainly such superlative border on hyperbole and are often trite, but in this day and age Wetmore certainly has things to worry about that his predecessors could never have imagined.

Yet like Bowerman, Wetmore is direct and unabashedly honest. A favorite passage is when Wetmore waxes on with Lear about what it takes to be a good runner and holds himself up as an example.

“If I came out for my own team, I’d cut me. I have no talent.” But a lack of talent can be made up for by an overabundance of courage. “You’re not gonna die,” he says. “This isn’t jousting, but some people are petrified. They can’t do it.”

In other words, if it hurts run faster.

Runners and running fans surely have heard of the cult of Lear’s book, but simply calling it a cult classic hardly seems right. Is it a “cult” classic simply because it deals with a supposed fringe sport? Probably. But Lear’s book is the rare running tome that is worthy of the effort.

Better yet, instead of the comparisons to Feinstein, the book is better served being compared to David Halberstam’s The Amateurs.

In making that comparison, Running With the Buffaloes goes on the short list of greatest sports books ever written.

***
On thing that stood out to me in reading about Wetmore’s training methods in relation to my own training is that I am on the correct path. From my approach to my ideas regarding weight training, weight, mileage, type of mileage and how that mileage is obtained, as well as and everything else, it looks as though it all jibes with a lot of Wetmore’s theories.

Who knew?

Nevertheless, just the thought that I can put together a training program that someone like Wetmore might offer to one of his runners is a big confidence builder.

So too was today’s hilly half-marathon that I covered in an easy 1:31:14. It was my longest run since the marathon on Nov. 12 and should put me on the right path to re-starting a training program in a couple of weeks.

So soon? Well, yeah. I decided that I am better when I focus on one marathon a year. That way I can gear an entire year of running and training for one goal and one race. By doing this, it alleviates some of the pressure in other races and helps me look at the bigger picture.

Therefore, my race of 2007 will be the Steamtown Marathon on Oct. 7 in Scranton, Pa. Steamtown, for those who don’t follow the sport, is known as a runner’s race and one of the fastest marathons in the country. If I can’t get a good time running Steamtown, well… it better be windy.

But if Steamtown is more than 10 months away, why do I have to start training again? Well, I get bored if I don’t have something to keep me sharp and focused so I’m going to run the National Marathon in Washington, D.C. on March 24. That’s sooner than I’d like, but I have a pretty good base and it shouldn’t be too hard to tune up even if I start as late as the New Year. Besides, the National Marathon comes early enough in the year to give me the chance to run in some races I never get a chance to because they come to close to Boston or at the beginning or end of training cycles.

The only drawback is all of the summer training, but oh well… it’s always hot somewhere.

Taking a break

Wow. Had I known there was such a whiny post sitting on the top of this page for so long I would have done something about it. Then again, if there is one thing that runners (me) can do well it’s whine. Runners – or at least me – can make excuses and complain about just about everything.

It’s too windy. The course was too hilly. The course had too many downhills. The course was too flat. Who can control the weather?

Yadda, yadda, yadda.

Anyway, here’s today’s excuse: I haven’t updated this page in so long because I actually took some days off from running. Two days to be exact. The plan was for one, but that morphed into two much to my chagrin.

Rest, of course, is the cornerstone to any solid training program. Muscles and all of that other running stuff work better when they are strong, fit and not fatigued. That’s where rest comes in. At the same time, rest is important to keep one from breaking down or getting hurt. So it makes sense that a smart runner should rest up from time to time.

Right?

Yet for some reason taking a day off is incredibly difficult. Why? Well, runners and athletes, by nature, are obsessive. They know the only way to stay ahead of the competition or to get closer to reaching a goal is to work hard. However, there is a point of no return. A racecar can only spend so much time in the red before it starts to fall apart.

That last sentence was the extent of my mechanical knowledge.

Nevertheless, the day extra day off this week made me bounce off the walls of my house and drive everyone within those confines crazy. Instead of running I did sit-ups on my exercise ball every five minutes. When I wasn’t beating the hell out of my abdominal muscles, I ate all the junk food I made a point to ignore during my training. Actually, I ate the junk food close to bedtime and before and after dinner.

Talk about a mess.

Aside from that, the initial, planned day off was very nice. My wife and I traveled to a swanky oceanfront hotel in Rehoboth Beach, went out for a nice dinner and soaked in the Jacuzzi in our suite. Almost instantly, all of my tired and overused muscles started to feel better. My hip was no longer creaky and my hamstrings felt pliable again.

But after the second day I wanted to put my head through a wall and go run. The problem was that I had too much to eat and I’m one of those guys who has to run on an empty stomach.

I did just that from Tuesday to Friday, cranking out easy, easy 10 to 11-mile runs at 6:50 to 7-minute pace. On Saturday morning I’m supposed to run the Northern Central Trail Marathon as a long run. I don’t plan on racing or taking the pace anywhere past 6:20 or engaging in anything too strenuous. Basically, I’m just going out for a long run with the hope of burning off some of the crap I’ve eaten in the past week of slovenly living and to pad my stats. Fourteen marathons is better than 13.

On another note, I have determined which races I plan on running in 2007. I’ll reveal those later.

Whining about the wind

It’s been difficult coming to terms with the result of Sunday’s race. Yes, I understand that running is a sport where there are many elements and variables that are out of the athlete’s control. And yes, I understand that sometimes it really doesn’t matter how hard a runner has trained or how fit they are.

Sometimes stuff just happens. It rains or gets too hot. The wind blows. What can you do?

That’s the smart rationalization, of course. But as I warmed up to run in yet another rainy, humid and windy day here in Central Pennsylvania I wondered why I felt the need to explain my race to everyone who asked about it instead of simply accepting the austerity of the outcome.

Why can’t there be an asterisk next to my 2:54:21 indicating that it was a wind disabled performance? They do that for wind-aided performances, right? Can’t it be a two-way street?

Along those lines I felt the need to look up the evidence from Dr. Jack Daniels that states running into a 15-m.p.h. headwind at 6:00 per mile takes the same amount of energy as running a five-minute mile. So if I ran into winds heavier than that with 32-m.p.h. gusts, how much time did I lose? Ten minutes? More? Less?

“You really haven’t had very good luck with the weather this year,” a friend pointed out, noting that I wilted in the heat during the Vermont City Marathon last May.

True enough. It was hot in Vermont that last Sunday in May. But I’d also wasn’t in great shape, either, having only come out of retirement eight weeks before the race. I needed perfect weather that day to run to the highest level of my potential. That wasn’t the case this time around. I was fit and trained despite noting that I was “a year away” from a good marathon. Rain or heat was not going to limit me this time.

Wind is a different story.

Nevertheless, before the whining and continued explaining gets too thick, I toughed out 10 miles in 1:11:49 despite driving, flooding rain and steady – yet tempered – winds. My recovery is going well, but I still have to relax a bit and heal. I actually entertained the idea of staying indoors and skipping the run because my right hip and hamstring are still a bit sore and my lower back is a bit tight, also, but then thought better of it.

Seriously, what am I going to do – not run? Because it was raining?

Ha!

Tomorrow’s forecast is much improved than today’s rain and flash-flood warnings. We’re supposed to have partly cloudy skies with 54-degree temps. I guess I’ll go out and run.

Running nugget
Here’s a story about Bill Rodgers, a guy who never complained about a day spent running, as remembered by former rival Art Hall.

Bouncing back

From what I have learned, there is a USATF rule that outlaws pacing or “aiding” another runner by unofficial runners…

I’m not saying anything – just throwing it out there.

Here’s something else I’m throwing out there:

Two weekends ago I raced in a 5k where I finished in sixth place overall and first in my age group. My prize for the performance in the 5k was two free pizzas and $50 gift card from a local sporting goods store. The pizzas were from a chain and the $50 was from a store that I don’t patronize for a bunch of reasons, but that’s not really the point.

Conversely, this past weekend I raced in a marathon against 20-to-30 m.p.h. headwinds where I “technically” finished in sixth place and second in my age group. My prize? A plaque.

I’m not downplaying the plaque – it’s very nice and like coming home from a race with some type of trophy or award even though I stash them in an old shoe box in my garage. Plus, we had friends and family over after the race and my wife proudly displayed the plaque while we ate the free pizzas from the crappy chain.

I guess the point is that I ought to race in more 5ks that pay off with pizzas and gift cards.

For the record, only three of my athletic and professional awards have escaped the shoebox in the garage. Those awards are:

Third Place trophy from the 1979 Punt, Pass & Kick competition when we lived in Washington, D.C.

Trophy for winning foul-shooting competition at Elizabethtown College Basketball Camp in 1984.

Championship trophy for winning the 1984-85 Lancaster CYO title game. I buried a 16-footer from the right elbow with three seconds left in the game to give Sacred Heart its first CYO championship.

To this day it is the pinnacle of my athletic career.

That aside, my recovery from Sunday’s run is going very well. Actually, this post-marathon recovery is right up there with some of my more comfortable recovery weeks. The Delaware and George Washington Marathon races don’t count since those races were nothing more than long runs in the middle of my build-up for the 1998 Boston Marathon, and the 1998 Marine Corps doesn’t count since that was the beginning of the end.

With those caveats noted, I’m feeling as good as I have after any race.

How good? I ran 7-plus on Monday and Tuesday in 55:08 and 53:59. Then on Tuesday night I did an slow five with long-time friend, advisor and attorney John H. May Esq. that was nothing more than a nice, brisk jog.

Excluding that jog, the 7-milers were the garden-variety, stiff-legged, post-marathon effort used for nothing more than workout.

This afternoon I ran 10 miles in 69:41 with 5-mile splits of 35:01 and 34:40 at Baker Field. My final loop was in 6:30 pace and it really didn’t take much effort at all despite the fact that I am still a little jelly-legged.

Nevertheless, I’d still like to run in the Northern Central Trail Marathon on Nov. 25, but a few things have to go right for me. Firstly, I have to feel 100 percent and that takes into consideration my legs, mind, weight, etc. I’m old and not willing to risk an injury when I’m still months away from a breakthrough.

Secondly, I have to be able to run 15 miles at a comfortable, 6-minute to 6:15 pace no later than next Monday and run a 5k or 8k time trial in 16:40 or 27:30 by Thanksgiving.

Otherwise, it’s time to put this horse in the barn until it’s time for the next build-up.

Running nugget
Not exactly a running story, but it is one that should hold some interest to those in the endurance sports world. Anyway, the Floyd Landis case took an interesting plot twist this week when it was revealed that the French lab that conducted the cyclist’s failed drug test had its computers hacked.

Here’s the Lancaster Newspapers’ collection of Landis stories.

Photos
Also, here’s a few pictures of yours truly running in the wind and rain last Sunday.

Somewhere around mile 6

Another one from around mile 6

At the finish… I believe I mouthed an expletive.

Looking for some fun?

If anything, I like to be prepared. Better yet, “anal” would be a more apt description. Nevertheless, I devised my full schedule for 2007 racing. Of course vacations, work and other family outings will alter things a bit, but in the meantime here’s a look at the PR chase for 2007.

A few caveats – races highlighted in yellow indicate a target race.
All dates and races are tentative with those marked tentative being extra tentative.

2006 Race schedule
Nov. 25 – Northern Central Trail @ 9:30 a.m. (tentative)
Dec. 10 – Arthritis Jingle Bell 5k @ 1:30 p.m. (tentative)
Dec. 31 – Wilmington Race Against Time 5k @ 12:00 p.m. (tentative)

2007 Race schedule
Jan. 14? – Frozen Foot 5k @ 1:30 p.m.

Feb. 18? – Frozen Foot 5k @ 1:30 p.m.

Mar. 11 – Caesar Rodney Half Marathon @ 9 a.m.

Mar. 17 – Run for Luck 4 miler @ 9:30 a.m. (it’s in my backyard!)

Mar. 18? – Frozen Foot 5k @ 1:30 p.m.

Apr. 28 – Race Against Racism 5k @ 9 a.m.

May 6 – Broad Street Run 10 miler @ 8:30 a.m. (tentative)

May 6 – Pocono Mountain Marathon @ 8 a.m. (tentative)

May 20 – Delaware Marathon (tentative)

June 2 – Red Rose Run 5 miler @ 8:30 a.m. (tentative)

July 4 – Ephrata Firecracker 5 miler @ 8:30 a.m.

July 14 – Freshburst 5 miler @ 8:15 a.m.

Sep. 16 – Philadelphia Distance Run Half Marathon @ 7:45 a.m.

Nov. 11 – Harrisburg Marathon
or
Nov. 18 – Philadelphia Marathon

2008 Race schedule
Apr. 21 – Boston Marathon

Where was the Wicked Witch?

Stats:
2:54:21
7th place – 2nd in age

Breakdown
The weather was horrible — a steady rain pelted us all day, while a 20-m.p.h. headwind (gusts up to 32 m.p.h. according to the local news) beat the dogbleep out of us. A kind estimate is that at least 15 miles of the race were run into that steady, driving wind. During the first half of the race the wind just beat me up and there were instances where gusts blew me backwards. Once, I took two steps backward while trying to run forward. Meanwhile, I had to dodge puddles for much of the race lest my feet get more soaked than they were and make it even more uncomfortable.

Wind, more than anything, is the runner’s enemy. I’m sure that it affected everyone’s performance.

I ran the first 5 miles in 31 minutes, which was off my 29-minute goal; 10 miles in 64 instead of 59; and halfway in 1:25 instead of 1:17. Needless to say I felt like quitting for much of the first half because I was so discouraged by the headwind. I actually pulled back a few times during the first half hoping that I could save some energy for the back half.

It seemed to have worked.

Despite it being the hilliest and most difficult part of the course, I ran OK from miles 15 to 20, holding my place even though I hit 20 in a really slow 2:12 (my goal was 1:56 to 1:59). Somehow, though, I decided to get tough over the final 10k, remembering from my old days that I used to tell myself that I could “run the last 10k of a marathon in 40 minutes in my sleep.”

Well, I was close.

I hit 21 in 2:19:49 after stopping to drink my Gatorade and Red Bull mix and followed that with 6:37, 6:35, 6:43, 6:34, to 8:00 for the last 1.2 miles. At 21 I told my wife — who with her dad gallantly met me at miles 7, 14, and 21 with my drinks and encouragement (they were amazing… truly and honestly) — that I was “going to try to run the last 5 in 33.”

Instead, I ran the last 5.2 in 34:29.

I was close.

Nevertheless, from the 21st mile to the finish I jumped from 11th place to 7th and needed about another 100 yards to take over 6th place. I’m sure I would have done it, too, because the 6th-place finisher had three guys pacing him on foot and two others on a bike, who repeatedly checked my progress to inform him where I was. He had a support staff like Lance Armstrong last weekend in NYC last.

Minus the TV cameras, of course.

With less than 2 miles to go, it appeared as if one of the bike pacers doubled back to check on my progress before reporting back. I suppose they told him to hurry up because I was closing fast.

I doubt they told him that I ran 19 of the 26.2 miles by myself and ran tougher than he did.

Anyway, I’m disappointed with my time — 2:54:21. Based on my workouts and the charts measuring my times and VO2, I definitely feel that I was in shape to run between 2:36 and 2:40. Had the conditions been better today I’m certain that I could have gone sub-2:45.

What can you do? The time sucks, but I was tough and I didn’t quit. I’m not discouraged. In fact, if I continue training the way I did since taking my first step in March, I’ll get there. Perhaps the ship has sailed on 2:22 — I’m too old. However, 2:30 is reasonable and I’m pleased to report that I’m back.

And I’m not going anywhere.

One tactical error
Chuck Engle, yes the Chuck Engle, ran the race and finished 3rd in sub-2:48. Had I seen him at the start or during the cluster of the first few miles, I would have glued myself to him and worked with him for the duration.

Afterwards I had the pleasure of chatting with the great Mr. Engle – truly a badass and a true gentleman – and now I’m even a bigger fan than I was before.

For my money, Chuck Engle is much, much more impressive than that Dean dude. If only the mainstream media (wait… isn’t that me?) were aware of how much more difficult his feats are that the other guy. Running is easy and anyone can do it. Running fast and consistently is an achievement.

Rant complete.

What’s next?
Down the road, I don’t know. I’ll have to sit down with my wife and map it out. I’ll definitely train to race in some of the better-known local races and try to get some PRs and be competitive.

Another marathon? Maybe in the spring and definitely one for the Fall. I’m too old to focus on two hard efforts a year, but I really love training hard.

Short term I’m contemplating jumping in the Northern Central Trail Marathon on Nov. 25 if the weather is nice and other variables are conducive.

We’ll see…

It’s time

I got up this morning after being awoken by a singing and smiling 2-year-old boy, then took off for 4.5 miles in 29:02. I ran easy and relaxed though my right hamstring was a little achy, but it was OK when it was loosened up. My breathing was fine though I got the slightest of side stitches… nothing worrisome, but I’ll have to watch it.

Just to be safe, I took a Sudafed when I finished the run to get rid of the congestion. Tomorrow morning I’ll take Ibuprofen for my hamstring.

Otherwise, I ate pancakes and potatoes with my Gatorade and Red Bull mixture and will be heading to Harrisburg soon to pick up my race info.

After that, it’s bedtime for me. I have to get up early and go to work.

Counting down

All that’s left now are the rituals or superstitions. Well, that plus sleep and lots of drinking. Typically, I try to avoid superstitions because they are bad luck, and I usually drink about a gallon of water a day. Between now and Sunday morning I may increase that to a gallon-and-a-half.

Tonight’s plan is to have dinner at a Japanese restaurant we like to go to at least three times a month, followed by a movie and then bed. My wife wants to see Borat and although the Americans-are-dumb-and-not-too-informed-nor-understand-the-concept-of-irony theme seems a bit trite, it looks kind of funny. Plus, it involves sitting around and not taxing my legs, so I’m for it.

Besides, I ran early this morning putting in 4-plus miles in 25:35. All I have to do is rest and do some stretching.

Saturday’s plan is to run 5k or four miles as early in the morning as possible, followed by a big breakfast and then a trip to Harrisburg to get my race packet, number and all of that other stuff. Probably around 4 or 5 p.m., I’ll have rice with either tofu or salmon for dinner and then go to bed. I might not sleep right away, but as long as I’m horizontal I’ll be OK.

These plans aren’t something I just slapped together this weekend. Oh no. These are time-honed practices with lots of trial and error. I’m not much of a breakfast eater, but pancakes and potatoes always seemed to serve me well before a few Boston Marathons so it became part of the drill.

The same goes for a trip to the movies, which would be replaced with a Red Sox game at Fenway if we were going to Boston. However, that’s one ritual that might be retired if I go back to Boston. After six years of writing about Major League Baseball, I’ve seen enough games and have certainly been to Fenway more than my fair share of times. Going to the ballpark when I don’t have to just doesn’t sound appealing any more.

There are race-day rituals, too, which consist of coffee, two Clif Bars, more drinks and a long, long shower. I remember sitting in the shower in some hotel in Northern Virginia before my first marathon thinking, “What the hell have I gotten myself into…” as the hot water loosened my calves and hamstrings. Since then the pre-race shower is equal parts mediation and muscle warm up.

This year I am contemplating whether or not I should take Sudafed or a decongestant before the race. Hockey players are notorious Sudafed users, claiming it gives them a boost and clears the breathing passages, but I haven’t used it in training. Perhaps I’ll take one before Saturday morning’s run to see if it can clear my sinuses and throat, which aren’t in bad shape but aren’t 100 percent either.

However, Sudafed and the pseudoephedrine ingredient might not be a smart cocktail with caffeine. Plus, if everything goes according to plan, I hope to be drinking a few beers on Sunday night.

Mmmmmm, beer – the cause of and the answer to most of life’s problems.

Running nugget
The Olympic Marathon Trials are set for Saturday, Nov. 3, 2007 at 7:35 a.m. in New York City. That’s the day before the regular New York City Marathon, which should have a thin American field. The trials course is not the normal five-borough run, though. Instead, it starts at Rockefeller Center, heads up Sixth Avenue and into the park for four five-mile loops.

The marathon trials is always a really interesting race and holding it in New York – in Manhattan – is a master stroke. The course is lame, but whatever. It should make for some decent times in what will likely be a tactical race.

With a year to change my mind, I’m going with Khalid Khannouchi, Abdi Abdirahman and Brian Sell to make the Olympic team. This is subject to change at least a dozen times between now and Nov. 3.

Interestingly, the 2007 Chicago Marathon has been bumped up to Oct. 7, which just so happens to be the deadline to qualify for the Marathon Trials.

Get those 2:22’s and get to NYC, folks.

That’s much better

It’s amazing what 20 ounces of one beverage can do for a person. Almost from the first taste of the coffee supposedly shipped in to Lancaster, Pa. from Guatemala, all of the aches and pains in my head slipped into the ether. Sure, it could be psychosomatic, but the energized feeling – as well as the shaky hands – has to come from somewhere.

Obviously, it’s from my drug of choice.

That brings me to a quote I once read that was attributed to William Burroughs where he once told an audience that, “drugs are an inevitable part of life.”

I couldn’t agree more and I’ve debated with people what exactly Burroughs was talking about. Most seem to think that the beat bard was talking about narcotics and the illicit stuff that he waxed on about in his writing, speaking and in a role in the Gus Van Sandt film Drugstore Cowboy.

That’s obvious, but I also believe Burroughs was talking about everyday drugs, too, like caffeine, aspirin, television, money, and whatever else people need in order to make it through the day. In that regard perhaps Burroughs should have said, “Addictions are an inevitable part of life.”

But that would have been too easy.

I also believe that the human body does not want drugs and that Mother Nature, in her own little odd way, is perfect.

Pretty ambiguous, huh?

Nevertheless, the coffee helped my head and the other fluids – an antioxidant drink and gallons and gallons of water – are helping me stave off the cold that seems to be affecting people in these parts. I’m sure the weather isn’t helping much, either. All week it’s been rather seasonal for mid-November, but today it’s sunny with the temperature pushing toward 70 degrees. Typically in these situations, I like to stay consistent with my clothing choices during my workouts. That means a long-sleeved Nike compression shirt and a pair of Pearl Izumi running shorts for my easy five miler in 30:05.

During the run I felt pretty laid back despite the fact that I ran at 6-minute pace. It didn’t seem hard, but wasn’t super, super easy, either — I had to think about running that pace. However, I guess it’s my average, uptempo pace which I hope to do for 26.2 miles on Sunday. Actually, I’d like to go 6 minutes for the first 13 miles and 5:30 to 5:50 for the last 13.

That will do it.

On another note, it’s typical for runners to gain a pound or two during the taper period since they aren’t cranking out the miles. For some (like me) this is a cause for concern because weight has a tendency to slow people down, but fortunately, I feel as fit this week as I did last week. Whether or not I gained (or lost) any weight is unknown since I choose not to weigh myself. Instead I gauge my fitness and healthiness by how fast (or slow) I am.

That doesn’t mean I don’t watch my diet, especially this week. But man, there is just so much to think about with this running stuff.

Running nugget
According to some blogger in San Francisco, the running boom is alive and well and isn’t fueled by the fast folks. To this we say, “No s—.”

Speaking of the elites, the elite of the elite women, Joan Samuelson, wants to run a sub-2:50 marathon when she turns 50. That would get her in the Olympic Trials, which is extremely impressive.

Then again, Joan Samuelson is the greatest American woman runner ever. There is no debate.