Run Ansky Run

It's Like Scotch

2012-01-11T13:00:00.000-05:00

That's right, Coach Jeff compared swimming to scotch. No, swimming does not have hints of vanilla, leather, and blackberries. Rather, swimming, like scotch, is an acquired taste.

By way of background, this whole conversation started when I asked Coach some questions about bike trainers. He got all excited, hoping that I was ready to make the transition to triathlon. I told him not so fast! My first multi-sport event will be a duathlon not a triathlon. I went on to explain that I love running and I see myself loving cycling. But swimming, not so much. I just don't see myself ever loving swimming. Coach and others argue that the swim leg of a triathlon is over the fastest so you really don't have to love it, you just have to get it done. I disagree, the reason why I stick with running and picked up cycling is because I love them. If I don't enjoy something, I don't stick with it. On a more practical level, I don't have an affordable pool nearby and I would have to shell out some cash for swim lessons.

So instead of comparing swimming to scotch by saying both are acquired tastes, I'll offer a different comparison. Swimming, like scotch, gets better with age. Maybe as I get older I'll learn to like swimming but right now it's too young to taste.

2011: The Year in Review

2011-12-30T12:36:00.001-05:00

Even though 8 Crazy Nights of Blogging captured a lot of how 2011 played out, I feel the need to write a year in review post. Let's start with the yearly totals:

Running
Total Distance: 1,288 miles
Average Distance: 8.31 miles
Average Time: 1:10:26

Cycling
Total Distance: 118.38
Average Distance: 11.84
Average Time: 1:02:84

In previous years, I would recap the year month by month reminding myself and whomever is still reading this blog what went well and what didn't. I'm not going to do that this year. I've done that a lot already and I don't want to beat a dead horse.

I'll recap 2011 by saying that I've learned a lot about myself and about what type of athlete I am. Not finishing in Vermont and deferring Marine Corps reminded me that first and foremost, running and cycling should be fun. That's the only way I'm going to stick with it. I'm not going to beat myself up if a run doesn't go well. Not every race is going to be a PR. Finally, Boston is just a race.I'm ending 2011 feeling good about running, cycling, training and racing.

So what's up for 2012? My race schedule is coming together. I have some exciting things in the works and I'll share them once I finalize everything. One thing I'm not going to do, is set any specific time goals for certain distances. I think that's what went well in the early part of 2011 when I set new PRs in the 15k and half marathon. The only goal for 2012 races will be to run the best race that I can on that day.

Happy New Year!

8 Crazy Night of Blogging: Night 8

2011-12-28T13:24:00.000-05:00

8 Things I Learned From the 2011 Training/Racing Season: Night 8 - Your "A" Race Does Not Have to be a Marathon

There's no question about it, the marathon is a challenge. It requires weeks of intense training, lots of miles in all sorts of conditions, time away from family, and, admit it, your social life suffers as well. For all of these reasons, many of us will only consider a marathon for their "A" race. For those of you that don't know, an "A" race is THE race (or races) that your pour your heart and soul into all in the name of a new PR.

I wrote on Night 1 that going forward, I'm limiting myself to 1 marathon per year. That doesn't mean that once I run the marathon, I take the rest of the year off. What it does mean is that I get to focus on improving at a shorter distance race or try something new, like a duathlon. When I ran the Pocono Marathon in the spring of 2010, my fall "A" race was a 10k. Training for a 10k is much different than a marathon. The long runs are shorter but there are more mile repeats and tempo runs. I smoked the 10k and set a new PR. Best part was, I wasn't as physically and mentally drained as I am after a marathon. I feel the same way after a half marathon. It's long enough that it's a challenge but it's short enough that you can push yourself harder than in a marathon.

So what are my "A" races for 2012? Spring is still undecided. I'd like to train hard for a half marathon and I'd also like a duathlon. My fall "A" race will be Marine Corps Marathon.

There you have it, 8 Crazy Nights of Blogging in the Can! In case you missed any of them, here are the links again:

For the last time this year:

Happy Chanukah!

8 Crazy Nights of Blogging: Night 7

2011-12-27T20:00:00.000-05:00

8 Things I learned From the 2011 Training/Racing Season: Night 7 - Keep it Real

We all have different schedules and things going on in our lives. Some of you have more time during each day to train while some of us have less. I learned this in August when Coach Jeff put 8+ hours on my calendar one week. The week looked like this:

Monday: total body workout
Tuesday: 1:40 step-up run
Wednesday: 1:15 recovery run
Thursday: 1:00 bike
Friday: 1:00 w/ 40 minutes in upper zone 3
Sunday: 2:45 long run

The 1:40 mid-week run was unrealistic for me. I knew there was no way I could get in before I had to be home and get ready for work. I called Coach and told him that we needed to cut back on the training load just a bit. He completely understood and he made adjustments to fit in with what I have going on in my life including religious obligations.

If you have a coach and he/she starts giving you a load that you can't handle, speak up and suggest some adjustments. Coaches don't want you to fail nor are they mind readers, be honest with yourself and your coach about how much time you have to train.

Happy Chanukah!

8 Crazy Nights of Blogging: Night 6

2011-12-27T08:56:00.000-05:00

8 Things I learned From the 2011 Training/Racing Season: Night 6 - The Result of Every Race Does Not Have to be a PR

I ran several races this year simply to have to fun. I ran 3 races with Lil Ansky. We had a great time and they were great bonding experiences. It's hard as a father to find common interests with Lil Ansky so I'm thrilled that she has taken an interest in running. I wish we had more time to run together but during the school year it's hard to find time. The month in the summer before she went to camp we were going to high school track almost every evening when I got home from work.

My only goal for the Monson, MA Half Marathon was to have fun. I was feeling down after deferring Marine Corps and I had a tough time finding enjoyment in running. The Anskys had a wonderful Shabbat with Mike and his family in Amherst and I was looking forward to racing in a new place. The change of scenery did a lot of good for my psyche. I wasn't racing in Central Park, Prospect Park, or the familiar streets of Bergen County, NJ. I was racing in Western Massachusetts amongst people I've never met before (except for Mike). Yet, I felt just as comfortable there as I do when I race in New York or New Jersey. By not chasing a PR, I was able to enjoy the incredibly scenic course, push the pace when I felt like it, and relax when I felt like it. I felt great when I finished and I re-found my running mojo.

Happy Chanukah!

8 Crazy Nights of Blogging: Night 5

2011-12-24T18:30:00.000-05:00

8 Things I Learned From the 2011 Training/Racing Season: Night 5 - Cycling is Fun!

In July, I drank the cycling kool-aid and bought Brandon's used Felt Z90. As soon as I bought it, Coach Jeff started to put recovery rides on my schedule, usually the day after a hard speed or tempo workout. I was only able to log 118 miles this year before the weather got cold and the mornings were too dark to ride. I enjoyed getting to know the bike this year. The goal for 2012 is become more confident and get stronger. I've been invited to join group rides to Nyack and Piermont. I declined this year because I was new to the bike and did not feel confident enough to ride with more experienced riders. Hopefully I'll be able join in 2012.

Another goal of mine is to participate in a duathlon. Why not a triathlon you ask? Plain and simple, I don't have easy access to a pool. Most of the gyms with pools are expensive and that is not an expensive I can take on right right. So for now, I'll stick to running and biking.

Happy Chanukah!

P.S. as tonight is Christmas eve, I wanted to wish everyone celebrating a Merry Christmas.

8 Crazy Nights of Blogging: Night 4

2011-12-23T19:00:00.000-05:00

8 Things I Learned From the 2011 Racing/Training Season: Night 4 - Boston is Just a Another Race

Back in February, the Boston Athletic Association announced changes to the registration process and qualifying standards for the Boston Marathon. These changes were in response to this year's marathon selling out in 8 hours. When I ran 3:39:47 at the 2010 Pocono Mountain Run for the Red marathon, I thought that, with a little more work, I may be able to run a 3:20 and qualify when I turn 40. That all changed when the BAA rolled back the qualifying standards by 5 minutes. The qualifying standards for the 40 - 44 year old male age group went from 3:20 to 3:15. On top of that, the 59 second "cushion" was also eliminated. This means that if I ran a 3:15:01 I would miss qualifying by 1 measly second.

Most of us consider Boston the Super Bowl of marathoning and we work our tucheses off to qualify. I'm also well aware that if I REALLY wanted to run Boston, I could do so as a charity runner. NO THANK YOU. I'm not criticizing those that do run Boston for charity. I am in the camp that I need to earn my Boston bib. One thing I will not do, is obsess over it. I read lots of blogs and Twitter feeds about how their only purpose to racing and training is to qualify for Boston year after year. If they don't, their season is considered a failure. That is not why I train and race (I will answer that question before Chanukah is over). I will continue to work hard and if I'm fortunate to qualify, great. If not, it's just another race.

Happy Chanukah!

8 Crazy Nights of Blogging: Night 3

2011-12-22T20:30:00.000-05:00

8 Things I Learned From the 2011 Training/Racing Season: Night 3 - It's OK to DNF

I wrote last night about the how the hot and humid conditions at the Vermont City Marathon caused me to take my first ever DNF. Believe me, it was not an easy decision. I had an outstanding training cycle and was trained for a 3:30 marathon. When the weather started to get hot, I knew I wasn't going to be able to run my goal time. I had hoped that, with some adjustments, I'd still be able to finish my 5th marathon. It wasn't meant to be. Many of you asked if I had my inhaler with me. I did, and it kept me out of the emergency room. The only way to stop the attack was to to stop running. Mother nature beat me that day fair and square.

After talking with my family, Coach Jeff, and many of you, I learned that DNFing did not make me any less of an athlete. In some ways, it made me stronger. I'm amazed when I read how some runners will anything it takes to finish a race and not take a DNF. Sometimes, finishing that race caused more damage which forced the runner to miss several months of running. Was it really worth it? If some of the best runners in the world can withdraw from races, then it's certainly acceptable for an age grouper like me.

Happy Chanukah!

8 Crazy NIghts of Blogging: Night 2

2011-12-21T20:30:00.000-05:00

8 Things I Learned From the 2011 Training/Racing Season: Night 2 - Pick Your Races Wisely

It's easy to get sucked into running "cool" races, You may have several friends running and want to join them, it may be a in an interesting destination, you may have read favorable reviews of the race, or there may be a cool aspect of the race that you want to experience.

There aren't many spring marathons in the Northeast. I ran NJ in 2009 and Poconos in 2010. So when I asked for spring 2011 marathon suggestions the overwhelming response was the Vermont City Marathon at the end of May. Everything I read about the race was positive and we'd be able to get away over Memorial Day Weekend. The one aspect of the race I didn't consider was the weather. It turns out that it's been quite warm (over 70) in Burlington around Memorial Day. 2011 was no different.Shabbat was particularly warm and I remember commenting to Mike that if race day is anything like today then I was in trouble. Race day started off cool with a light drizzle. About an hour into the race, it stopped raining, the sun came out, and it became very humid. My asthma starting flaring up and at 11 miles I dropped out and took my first ever DNF.

What I learned is it's important to consider everything when picking your "A" race for the season. It's doesn't matter how "cool" the race is. If there's one aspect of the race that could prevent you from achieving your goal, then you may want to pick a different race or change your goal.

Happy Chanukah!

8 Crazy Nights of Blogging: Night 1

2011-12-20T20:30:00.000-05:00

Tonight is the first night of Chanukah, which means it's that time of year for another 8 part blog series. Last year I wrote about 8 races I'd like to run in my lifetime and the year before I wrote about 8 things I love about running. This year's series is going to have a different focus. Since Chanukah comes out late on the Gregorian calendar (on the Jewish Calendar, it's always on time), this year's 8 part series will be more like a review in review. 2011 had a lot of highs and a bunch of lows. I learned a lot about myself, about running, and where it fits into my life. So without further adieu, I present (in no particular order) 8 Things I Learned From the 2011 Training/Racing Season.

Night 1: I'm a 1 Marathon/Year Runner

2011 was the first year that I attempted to train for a spring and fall marathon in the same year. I know many marathoners that run multiple marathons in a year. I am not one of them. Even if I had finished the Vermont City and Marine Corps Marathons this year (more on this in upcoming posts), I still would have scaled back to only 1 marathon per year again in 2012. Training for 2 marathons in year was way too taxing on me. Between work, family, and religious obligations, I found it difficult to stay motivated and training was no longer fun (more on this later as well). Sometime over the summer training became something I HAD to do rather than something I WANTED to do. At first I thought it might be a case of the summer time blues. It was hot and humid, I had to cut runs short, and my asthma was flaring up. I was ready to defer my MCM entry as early as mid-August, but I stuck with it hoping my racing mojo would come back once the weather got cooler. It never did. I don't know for sure what caused my calf strain which caused me to defer MCM until 2012 but I'm sure my lack of focus had something to do with it.

Happy Chanukah!

Lil Ansky's First 5k

2011-11-28T17:15:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago I was deciding between 2 Turkey Trots, the Dick Meighan Memorial 5k in Upper Saddle River, NJ or the Rockland Road Runners 5 mile Turkey Trot in Congers, NY. I ran Dick Meighan in 2008 and 2009 and enjoyed the race both years. I ran in Congers last year primarily because it was my friend's first 5 mile road race and I wanted to be there to support him.

Lil Ansky (she's 10) popped in during a conversation I was having with Mrs. Ansky about which race to run and said "I'll run the 5k with you Abba." (Hebrew for Daddy). And with that, the decision was made. Lil Ansky would be running her first 5k on Thanksgiving. A big part of me was excited. I love running with Lil Ansky. We had a great time at the July 4th 2k and the Labor Day 1 mile. But part of me was also concerned, she really hasn't run much since school started. Between holidays, homework, and extracurriculars there is no time for running. Regardless, she was excited and I was excited for her.

Pre-race

Race day came and Lil Ansky was ready to run. The race shirt was a long sleeve tech and they had kid sized shirts available. She got a kick out of the antics of the local cross country teams. Many of whom dressed up in costumes and all of whom were chanting their school fight songs. We lined up towards the back and we were off! We started off running very easy and we chatted with other parents running with their children, many of whom were also running their first 5k. We walked when Lil Ansky needed to walk and when she was ready to run again, I picked out a landmark and said let's run to that landmark then we'd walk again. We always walked the uphills and ran the downhills. I kept encouraging her and telling her she was doing a great job. There was one last hill before the downhill finish. We stuck to the plan and walked up the hill then ran the rest of the way to the finish. A volunteer gave a medal to Lil Ansky which we later found was a piece of chocolate wrapped in gold foil. What a great idea!

Despite my constant words of encouragement, I think Lil Ansky felt like she let me down because it took her so long to finish. I told it didn't matter how long it took. What mattered was that she finished and that she had fun. When she answered yes to both of those I told her "mission accomplished!" A little later in the day before going to my parents for Thanksgiving dinner, she asked when the next race was (maybe this one). That's when I knew she had a good experience.

Post Race. Proud dad with his 5ker

Bandit Report: Inaugural Brooklyn Marathon

2011-11-21T15:32:00.001-05:00

As a regular listener (and infrequent guest) of The New York Running Show, I've heard Steve talk about the Brooklyn Marathon from its infancy. Over the past year there have been many discussions on the show about the need for not only more road races in the NYC Metro area, but more specifically another marathon. Steve's NYCRUNS staged several races this year but on Sunday, his dream finally became a reality.As race day approached, the newest marathon on the racing scene was featured in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Friends who saw either piece asked me in synagogue on Saturday if I was running in Brooklyn. "Kind of, sort of" I answered.

When Joe tweeted a few days after running the New York City Marathon that he was considering running the inaugural Brooklyn Marathon 2 weeks later, I thought he was joking.As the days went on, I would learn that he was serious. NYCM didn't go exactly as planned, and he wanted another shot at running a quality marathon in 2011. I am not in marathon shape but I really wanted to support Steve as well as be part of an inaugural race. I decided I would pace Joe through half of the race. Amy and several other Twitter friends caught wind of this and soon, Joe had his own entourage for the race. I finally met fellow New York Running guests Frank and Emmy. Emmy ran the NYRR Knickerbocker 60k (that's 37.2 miles) THE DAY BEFORE!

I didn't want to register for the race because then I would have a DNF on record. I already have one of those this year, I didn't want another. Which means I ran a part of the race as bandit. I made sure to bring my own fluids as it's bad etiquette for bandits to utilize the aid stations. The horn went off around 8:15 and the inaugural Brooklyn Marathon was underway. We kept the mood light and the miles were flying by. Newly minted ultramarathoner, Claire was out there cheering her head off. She ran the 60k the day but decided to take Sunday off from running. At one point Steve was driving around in a van and yelled at Amy and I "looking good bandits." Robin jumped in for a miles before falling back to support Sam. After our 3rd full loop, Amy and I peeled off. I know that Joe had a secret plan to get me to the run full distance with him. "C'mon, just one more loop" he was saying. I wish I had it in me to run the whole distance. It was a beautiful day and I was having a great time. I ended up running a little over 14 miles with Joe and left the park in a great mood. I found out later that the rest of his race did not go as well. He encountered some stomach problems but thankfully other friends were there to pick him up and he was able to finish the race strong.

Steve gets a HUGE congratulations on the Brooklyn Marathon. I'm sure there were things that went wrong along the way but none of them were evident to the runners (or bandits). All of the runners I spoke with were having a great time, the volunteers were great, and the weather was beautiful. Maybe next year, I'll run it 3 weeks after Marine Corps.

Joe and I around Mile 9

Race Report: Monson Memorial Classic Half Marathon

2011-11-18T08:38:00.001-05:00

Mike has been trying to get the Anskys up to Amherst, MA for Shabbat for quite some time. Our families became fast friends after spending Shabbat together in Burlington the weekend of the Vermont City Marathon. A little while ago, he tweeted about a local half marathon on Nov. 13. Since Friday was Veteran's Day, I thought it be the perfect weekend go up and visit. The Mrs. and I were both off from work and with Shabbat starting early, we didn't mind Lil Ansky missing a day of school. After Shabbat Mike and I took a tour of the course courtesy of Google Earth. He ran the race last year and pointed out to me where the hills where and where the flats and downhills were to pick up the pace.

The race had an unusual 12:00 p.m. start. Mike said it was to give time time for the black ice to thaw. I joked that if that were the case, then New Englanders were a bunch of sissies. New York Road Runners starts all of their race early in the morning, even in the winter. Being that the race was in a small New England Town, I thought the 12:00 p.m. start had more to do with church than black ice. In any event, I didn't mind it. The late start allowed me to sleep in and to enjoy breakfast with the family. The late start also allowed me to run in short sleeves rather than long. It was 55 degrees when the horn went off.

It's been a while since I toed the line in a race so my only 2 goals were to have fun and finish strong. I've had some setbacks the past few months, culminating with deferring the Marine Corps Marathon. I was looking forward to running a race just for fun with no time goal pressures. The first 7.5 miles were mostly uphill. I should mention that my Garmin lost it's charge before the race even started (not quite sure how that happened) so I ran by feel and recorded my splits with a basic Timex stopwatch that Mike had brought with him. This helped me relax and enjoy the incredibly scenic course. None of the hills were particularly steep, there were just a lot of them. What goes up must come down right? The second half of the race was mostly downhill. I picked up the pace but did not hammer them. I wanted to have something left in the tank for a strong finish. I finished in 1:48:37, definitely not a PR but that wasn't the goal. I accomplished what I wanted to, I had fun, and I finished strong. Overall, the race was well organized. There were plenty of volunteers on the course showing us where to go. The course was not closed to traffic but the Monson police did a great job keep the runners safe. My only complaint was there was no Gatorade on the course. There was water but I could have used the electrolytes. Here are my race splits:

8:04
8:22
8:16
8:23
8:30
8:59
8:51
8:35
7:52
8:08
8:21
7:52
8:29 (last 1.1 miles)

Running and finishing this race did a lot for my psyche. I feel like I finally found my running mojo again. I have a few fun things planned to close out the year then I will start thinking about spring 2012. I'm also hoping that now that I've found my running mojo, I'll also get my blogging mojo back. It's been a while since I posted primarily because there hasn't been much to write about.

Mike ran a great race finishing around 1:40. Since he finished before me, he was able to shoot this short video of me racing towards the finish.

Here are some race photos:

Deferred

2011-10-18T08:52:00.000-04:00

I decided to defer my Marine Corps Marathon until next year. Between the calf strain and a sinus infection I'm just not healthy enough to run the race. Was it a tough decision to make? Yes! Was it the right decision? Yes! Am I disappointed? A little. This will be the first year since my first marathon in 2007 that I will not have completed a marathon. The plan for the rest of 2011 is to continue getting better and run for the fun and love of it. I've mentioned a few times recently that the fun part of running has gotten away from me. I'm going to use the next few months to have fun and fall back in love with running. Hopefully I can run more with Lil Ansky, jump into a Turkey Trot, and just run without the pressure of an "A" race on the horizon.

What about 2012? I can say with a high degree of certainty that MCM 2012 will be my only marathon. I'll write more about this but I've learned that I cannot train for 2 marathons in the same year. I don't have any particular race in mind but I would like to run at least one half marathon in the spring and possibly dip my feet in the multi-sport water with a duathlon.

One more thing.... just because I deferred does not mean I can't take part in the MCM festivities. I'll be in DC for work the week of MCM. If anyone wants to meet up at the Expo either Thursday evening or Friday after 1:00, let me know.

I Spoke Too Soon

2011-10-05T20:15:00.000-04:00

In my last post, I mentioned that the foot/calf pain I was experiencing had corrected itself and that the subsequent 2 weeks of training had gone very well. The temperatures were getting cooler and I was starting to get excited about running MCM.

I spoke to soon. My assigned run for last Tuesday was a 1:20 step up run, 20 minutes in zone 2, 20 minutes in zone 3, 30 minutes in zone 4, cool down for 10 minutes. About 15 minutes into the run, I started to feel a sharp, stabbing pain in my left calf. I continued on for a few more minutes until the pain became so intense that I could not continue. Needless to say, I felt frustrated and dejected. I secretly hoped that with some stretching and foam rolling I'd be able to do my 1:15 recovery run the next day. Due to a death in the family, that run didn't happen. I was hoping 3 days of no running (2 days for Rosh Hashana followed by Shabbat) would be enough rest to get my long run done last Sunday. I thought wrong. 15 minutes into the run the pain was back.

I saw my massage therapist on Monday and he really worked on the leg. I saw my Podiatrist yesterday just to rule out the possibility of any structural damage to the calf. Thankfully there was nothing structurally wrong and the podiatrist felt it should get better with some serious stretching and foam rolling. He also sent me home with one of these

a splint or sorts to help stretch out the muscles.

All of this raises the obvious question: What's my status for MCM?
Honestly, I don't know yet. I spoke with Coach Jeff and he thinks that even if I don't run another step between today on October 30 that I could finish the race. The reason being that I have a big training base both from Vermont and all of the training I did up until now. He said that I shouldn't expect to PR but that I should be able to run an easy marathon and enjoy the atmosphere. I'd like to use MCM as the race where I remember why I love marathoning. I think that's gotten away from me and running MCM for fun maybe just what I need.

That's the plan I'm going to follow. This week I've been stretching, rolling, and riding the spin bike. I may try to run next week just to see how it is. I have until October 20 to defer my entry to 2012 if the calf isn't better.

Stay tuned....

MCM Training Update

2011-09-20T20:00:00.000-04:00

In case y'all have forgotten I am training for the Marine Corps Marathon on October 30. I haven't written a lot about my training primarily because, up until recently, it has been less than stellar. Running during the summer months was absolutely brutal. The heat and humidity exacerbated my asthma, forced me to cut many runs short, and I was questioning if running MCM was still a good idea. I came very close to throwing in the towel and deferring my entry until 2012. In short, I had lost my running mojo.

At the same time, I started developing some foot pain. The pain was on the top of the foot between the top of my ankle and where the shoe laces are on my shoes. At first I thought I was tying my shoes too tightly, but the pain was still there after loosening them up. The foot hurt when I walked, not when I ran. A few weeks ago, I saw a podiatrist mainly to determine if there was a stress fracture or some other serious injury there. The diagnosis came back as an overuse injury. The doctor suggested cutting down on mileage, compression, and ice. I knew there was no way I could cut down on my mileage 6 weeks before MCM but I did start wearing a compression ankle sock and tried to ice my foot as often as I could. I told Coach Jeff what was going and he asked me to send him pictures of the bottoms of my shoes (Newton Gravitas) so he could analyze the wear pattern. This is what I sent him:

Within a few minutes he determined that I was "stabbing" rather than planting "square." Coach explains it really well in this video he made especially for me.

Back to the training front....I feel like I'm back on track. The past 2 weeks have been solid. Temperatures have been cooler and my paces have been coming down to the levels where they were earlier this year when I was training for Vermont City. The Jewish holiday "season" is fast approaching with Rosh Hashana starting next Wednesday night (ack!). The extra non-running days will give me a chance to get some extra sleep as well time to rest whatever aches and pains I have. I'm happy I stuck with the training and I'm starting to get excited about the race. I have 2 more "big" weeks coming up then it's time to taper.

September 11 - Ten Years Later

2011-09-12T20:00:00.000-04:00

2001 was quite a year for the Anskys. In February, we closed on our house. In May, I completed my MBA in Finance at Baruch College. In July, Lil Ansky was born.

Then September 11 happened. To this day, I'm not sure why but I was running late for work that day. I got off the A Train at Broadway-Nassau St. in the Financial District and saw huge crowd of people congregating on Maiden Lane right near my office. At first I had no idea what they were looking at. As I got closer to the street, I looked up and saw that one of the World Trade Center towers was on fire. Before I could ask someone what had happened I saw a plane fly right into the south tower. BOOM! Words cannot describe what it sounded like.

I wasn't quite sure what to do. Do I run for it and go home? Do I go into my office which is built like a fortress and could be considered one of the safest in New York City? I knew my brother worked on a low floor (I don't remember exactly which one but it was in the 20s) in one of the towers so I called him to make sure he was OK. The explosions knocked out the cell service because the call did not go through. I decided to go to my office and try to send an e-mail to his 2-way pager (remember those). Thankfully he made it out safely and he was going to his girlfriend's (now wife) apartment in the Village. I told him I would be in touch and that I might need a place to stay that night. I remember talking to Mrs. Ansky on the phone at the exact moment the towers collapsed. My office is 2 blocks from the World Trade Center and I remember the windows shaking and rattling when the towers collapsed. I was on the phone talking to Mrs. Ansky when the towers collapsed. I didn't know what was happening at the time so I told I would call her back (which I did). My mother was teaching a class in NJ and the person answering the phones refused to interrupt the class to let her speak with me. I don't remember how I replied but I'm pretty sure it went something like this "in case you don't know, both World Center Towers were struck by airplanes. One of her sons works 2 blocks from where it happened and her other son works IN the towers. Now interrupt her [expletive] class and let me talk with her!" My dad was even harder to get in touch with. At the time, he was teaching in a huge NYC Public School. No one in the school knew where he was and his cell phone wasn't working. Finally, he got in touch with Mrs. Ansky who told him that we were both alive and accounted for.

The next few hours were spent watching TV and learning more about what happened. Security had locked down the building and did not allow anyone to leave until 3:00 p.m. When we got the all clear from security that it OK to leave, I wasn't quite sure what to do. I wasn't a runner then so one option was to walk all the way to the George Washington Bridge and then hitch a ride home from there. The other option was to spend the night with my brother and his girlfriend and figure out what to do the next morning. I stayed with my brother that night, and thanks to my brother's colleague who also spent the night I got home to NJ Wednesday morning.

For a few weeks after the attacks on the WTC, my office was closed and we were working out of our office in NJ. When the main office did re-open, it opened the cafeteria to anyone involved in the recovery effort. There were firefighters, police, and military eating breakfast and lunch in our building. The bone-tired looks on their faces stay with me even 10 years later. I remember struggling with what, if anything, to say to them. Did they want to be talked to or did they want to be left alone? I decided "Thank You" was a simple and appropriate thing to say.

Fast forward 10 years.......in the weeks leading up to the 10th anniversary, I was thinking about how I wanted to mark the occasion. Since I had a 2:45 long run on the calendar, I decided that I would run from the NJ side of the George Washington Bridge to Lower Manhattan. I thought it would be a good way to infuse my long run with some meaning. Sunday was cool day, humidity was low, and there was plenty of cloud cover.

I was feeling some pulling in the back of my leg so I kept the effort nice and relaxed. Despite a uncorroborated terror threat, I was happy to see runners and cyclists out getting their miles in. As I was getting closer to Ground Zero I started to get chills. A lot of memories started to come back. I thought about seeing the 2nd plane hit the World Trade Center. I thought about my brother who worked in one of the towers and how thankful I am that he made it out safely. I thought about the looks on the faces of everyone involved in recovery effort when they came through my office's cafeteria in the days, weeks, and months afterward.

When I got to what is now called the New Wold Trade Center site, I stopped for a few minutes, as did many other runners and cyclists, for a few minutes of reflection and a prayer. I turned around and the 2nd hour of the run felt great.

I pass by Ground Zero/New World Center Site every day on my way to work. In the years since the attacks, I'll freely admit that I have become somewhat desensitized to the significance of what happened there. Not that I have ever forgotten what happened, but when you're rushing to get to work it's very easy to develop tunnel vision and ignore the huge construction project right next to you. I am very lucky that I live close enough to Lower Manhattan to be able to do what I did yesterday. It helped put things back into perspective.


Ground Zero - September 11, 2001 (not my photo)

New World Trade Center - September 11, 2011 (my photo)

Race Report: JackRabbit Battle of Brooklyn 10 Miler

2011-08-23T06:00:00.000-04:00

Sunday was the 2nd Annual JackRabbit Sports Battle of Brooklyn 10 Miler in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. I hadn't raced anything since the JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge in mid-June. Coach Jeff was nudging me to sign up for something to see where I was 69 days out from the Marine Corps Marathon. Summer training has been less than stellar but I, and Coach, thought I was in good enough shape to run around 1:15 (my current 10 mile PR is 1:19:50). As always, the wildcard was going to be the weather.

The race started shortly after 8:00 and I felt pretty good early on. After I finished my first loop of the park, I began to feel the effects of the heat and humidity. I saw my heart rate creeping up into the mid and upper 170s. A very dangerous range in ideal racing conditions let alone when it's 75 and 70% humidity. I realized that I needed to make some adjustments so I wouldn't blow up like I did in Vermont. One of the adjustments I made was to walk through the water stops, something I've stopped doing a while ago. I wanted to make sure that the fluid went down my throat and not up my nose. It also allowed my heart rate to come down a little bit. After cresting the big hill in the park for the last time, I dug deep and was able to run a 7:50 final. My official time was 1:19:50, an exact match of my current 10 mile PR.

When I was talking about the race on the New York Running Show Sunday night, Brenn asked me if I felt like I ran the best race that I could on that day. I answered that I thought I did. The weather was far from perfect and the adjustments that I made allowed me to have enough strength to finish strong. I also mentioned that I am not used to first starting a training run, let alone a race at 8:00 a.m. I am usually at the tail end of my run by 8:00 so my body is not used to running during warmer parts of the day. Hopefully it will be cooler for my next race, the Yonkers Half Marathon on September 18.

Keep it Real

2011-08-04T19:30:00.000-04:00

Coach Jeff has said over and over again to set realistic goals based on the amount of time you have to train. Unless you're a professional athlete, training is just one aspect of our very busy lives. We all have day jobs, boyfriends, girlfriends, spouses, children, etc... Reality set in for me this week. Coach assigned me a workload which was heavier than anything he's ever given me:

Monday: total body workout
Tuesday: 1:40 step-up run
Wednesday: 1:15 recovery run
Thursday: 1:00 bike
Friday: 1:00 w/ 40 minutes in upper zone 3
Sunday: 2:45 long run

That's 8+ hours of training. I thought I could handle it but after cutting my 1:40 step-up run short because time got away from me, I quickly realized that I couldn't. I realized that I only have a finite amount of time in the morning to train. I have no problem waking up at 4:30 every morning and starting a run by 5:00. However, I need time at home to clean up, spend a few minutes with Lil Ansky, and leave my house at 7:15 for my 1 hour commute to work. Which basically means I need to be home by 6:30 -6:40 at the latest. Working out at night does not work for me because Mrs. Ansky works out when I get home from work and Lil Ansky is not old enough yet to stay home by herself. Besides, I am already exhausted from a full day of work, hungry because I haven't eaten dinner yet, and have trouble sleeping because the endorphins are still pumping.

I called Coach and told him that we needed to cut back on the training load just a bit. He completely understood and we're going to make some adjustments that fit into what I have going on in my life including family and religious obligations.

The bottom line is, coaches don't want you to fail. If you have a coach and he/she starts giving you a load that you can't handle, don't be afraid to speak up and suggest some adjustments. Coaches don't want you to fail but you need to be honest with yourself and your coach about how much time you have to train.

Totals for July 2011

2011-08-01T20:00:00.000-04:00

Running:
Total Number of Runs: 15
Total Time: 18:19:29
Total Distance: 128.62 miles

Average Time: 1:13:17
Average Distance: 8.57 miles

Cycling:
Total Number of Rides: 3
Total Time: 3:11:03
Total Distance: 35.25 miles

Average Time: 1:03:41
Average Distance: 11.75 miles

July marked my introduction to the bike. I drank the cycling kool-aid and bought Brandon's used Felt Z90 road bike. I'm becoming more and more comfortable each time I ride. I have a lot to learn but I'm enjoying learning a new discipline. The other highlight in July was running a 2k race with Lil Ansky on July 4th. It was the first of hopefully many races we'll run together. Since the race, we've run together a bunch of times on the local high school track. She's really enjoying and is looking forward to running another race when she gets home from camp and the weather gets cooler.

Now that it's August, MCM is another month closer. The heat and humidity have made it difficult to not only get all the miles in but also train at the level I'm capable of. I hope that the work I'm putting in now will pay off once the weather gets cooler.

An Open Letter to the 5:30 a.m. Boot Camp Class

2011-07-28T20:30:00.000-04:00

Dear 5:30 a.m. Boot Camp Class Which Meets on the Teaneck High School Track,

I applaud you for getting up early in the morning to workout, I really do. However, you need to be taught a lesson in track etiquette. Proper track etiquette says to leave the inside lane (sometimes known as lane 1) free and clear for crazy people like me who do speed intervals (intervals) as part of their training regimen. If you don't know what intervals are, allow me to explain. Intervals are where a runner run around the track for a specified distance at a very fast pace. After a short recovery, the runner runs another interval, recovers, interval, etc... until the runner has completed their assigned (usually from a coach) number of intervals.

So why is it important to leave the inside lane clear? First and foremost is for safety reasons. If you're walking in the inside lane and I'm running around the track at a very fast pace, someone could get hurt. Sometime I will alert you by saying "on your left" or "on your right." Warning you doesn't help if you have earphones in your ears. The second reason is that the inside lane is the most accurate in terms of distance. So if my workout calls for 800m (2 laps of the track) intervals, I need to run the distance as closely as possible. If I have to run around your class to an outside lane, I'm not only adding distance but I'm also exerting additional energy that I should be conserving for future intervals.

There is a sign on the entrance to the track that says "walkers, joggers, etc... should use the outside lanes (sometimes known as lane 4-8). Why is rule so difficult to abide by? For the past 2 weeks I have asked you nicely to move to the outside lanes when I'm doing intervals. If it happens again next week, I may just run someone over.

Sincerely,
Ansky

I Drank the Cycling Kool-Aid

2011-07-22T19:30:00.009-04:00

Coach Jeff has been encouraging me to get a bike for quite some time now. I kept putting it off for 2 reasons. 1) it was too expensive and 2) I was afraid Mrs. Ansky would divorce me thinking that I wanted to start doing triathlon. A few weeks ago, Brandon was selling some items he couldn't take with him to Boulder. I half-jokingly asked him if he had a bike he wanted to sell me. As luck would have it, he asked me if I was interested in his 2007 Felt Z90. After talking about it with my wife (and assuring her that I had no triathlon aspirations), Brandon, and Coach Jeff, I decided drink the cycling kool-aid and bought the bike.

The first thing I needed to do is get it tuned up, so I took it to the Cosmic Wheel in Ridgefield Park, NJ which came highly recommended by many cycling enthusiasts in Bergen County. When I went on Wednesday to pick the bike up, John, the owner, put the bike on a trainer and told me to get on and start pedaling. He made some adjustments, gave me a quick tutorial about how to shift gears, and told me I was good to go. I thought to myself "now what?" I brought the bike in from the car and left it in my living room. Mrs. Ansky put me on notice that I need to find a better place to store it. I told her I'm keeping it upstairs because I'm taking it out for a ride tomorrow morning.

Thursday morning, I took it out for a spin around local streets. I'll admit, I was very nervous when I first started pedaling but I got more comfortable as the ride went on.I managed to ride for an hour without falling or hurting anyone (including myself). I practiced which gears to use for going up hill, down hill, and on flats. The ride went well but I quickly learned that I need to buy a pair of cycling shorts. My tush is still sore.

Running will always be my #1 sport by I'm excited about adding cycling into the mix for cross training, recovery, and building strength. Stay tuned for more cycling adventures.

P.S. I found a great spot in my basement to store the bike.

Less Than Stellar

2011-07-18T20:30:00.020-04:00

Last week was the start of another marathon training cycle. With 16 weeks until the Marine Corps Marathon on October 30, it was time to start "officially" training again. Week 1 of training started off well with a fun form workout on Tuesday and a solid medium distance mid-week run. The form workout consisted of a 10 minute warm-up then 10 x 20-30 seconds at 10 seconds faster than 5k pace. The key was to focus on good form, lifting from the hips and landing with my feet under my center of mass. I did this run on the treadmill because of brutally hot and humid weather. Thankfully the humidity broke Tuesday night, and I was able to run a solid medium distance, zone 2 run (9.15 miles in 1:15) Wednesday morning.

We were invited to go rafting with friends on Sunday which meant Coach had to cut one workout out of schedule so I could run long on Friday. My planned long run was 2:30 on a hilly course. The best way for me to run long when it's not Sunday is to run to work. The plan was to run from the George Washington Bridge, down the West Side, around Battery Park City, and hit the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges late in the run before finishing near my office. Unfortunately, I got a late start and had some GI issues both of which forced me to cut my run commute short. It was a solid effort (13.87 miles in 156:15) but I did not get in the time I was supposed. Coach noticed and called me out on it. He said now is the time to focus and get the time and distance dialed in. The Jewish holidays will be here before I know it. This means days in September in October where I can't train. I need to be in good shape now knowing that I'm going to lose time later in the cycle.

Despite, brutally hot and humid weather predicted all week, I'm hopeful that this week will be better. I need to be diligent about getting to bed at a decent hour (before 10:00) and getting out early not only to beat the heat but also to be home with enough time to clean up and get to work. Here's how my week looks:

Today: Total Body Workout
Tuesday: Step-up run: 20 minutes in zone 2, 20 minutes in zone 3, 30 minutes in zone 4, 10 minute cool-down. 1:20 total
Wednesday: 1:00 bike ride (yes, I bought a bike. More on this later) or running form workout. If my bike is ready at the bike shop, I'll take it out for a spin. If not, I'll do the form workout.
Thursday: Coach Diane's ab/core workout
Friday: 4 x 1200
Saturday: Shabbat, day of rest.
Sunday: 2:45 on a hilly course. Run the hills in zones 2-3, otherwise keep it in zones 1-2.

One Proud Abba (Dad)

2011-07-07T20:00:00.001-04:00

This is me and Lil Ansky after the G.R.A.C.E. 9/11 Tribute 5k/2k Run in Glen Rock, NJ on July 4. While this is not the first race she ran, it is the first one we ran together. We decided to run the 2k distance and had a blast. With the exception of a short walk break Lil Ansky ran almost all of the 1.2 miles. When we reach the split between the 2k and 5k courses, she asked how far we've run. When I told her 1 mile, she said "all ready?" I asked her semi-jokingly if she wanted to run the 5k course instead. She thought about it for a moment and decided I against it. I didn't push her because I wanted to keep the experience fun and memorable.

That's exactly what it was fun and memorable. The atmosphere at the race was exactly what a July 4th race should be, relaxed. There were some competitive runners but for the most part, there were lots of parents running the race the with their kids. A few minutes after we finished she asked me when the next race is. I am thrilled that she is enjoying it and that running is bringing us closer together.

Totals for June 2011

2011-07-06T20:30:00.001-04:00

Total Number of Runs: 15
Total Time: 13:55:27
Total Distance: 99.81 (had I know I would have run a little farther to crack 100)

Average Distance: 6.65
Average Time: 55:41
Average Pace per Mile: 8:22

June was all about regrouping and having fun after my DNF at the Vermont City Marathon. I jumped right back into racing and ran a great 4 miler at the NYRR Celebrate Israel Run on June 5. I ran with some friends I hadn't seen in a while. I also started running with Lil Ansky (more on that in the next blog post). Basically, it was nice to just run without the pressure of an "A" race.

That's all about to change on July 11, which is 16 weeks before the Marine Corps Marathon on October 30. The weather is already hot and humid and I've been slowing down as a result. The plan is to be safe and run at an effort I know I can safely sustain for however many minutes or hours I'm running on a given summer morning. I know that the efforts I put in now will translate into better efforts once the weather gets cooler.

Priceless

2011-06-15T10:35:00.000-04:00

Lil Ansky has been nudging me for quite some time to run with me. Usually it's on Sunday mornings after I've come back from a long training run and I tell her "some other time, when I didn't just run 20 miles." I feel really guilty about it because she is starting to get interested in running and I should be doing what I can to encourage her. I'm also passing up on an opportunity for some quality Daddy/daughter time, something I should be relishing, especially as she gets older (She'll be 10 at the end of July).

I had a short (for me) run on the calendar this past Sunday, 20 minutes in zone 2 followed by 40 minutes in upper zone 3 and we didn't have anywhere to rush to Sunday morning. When I got home from my run, I asked Lil Ansky if she wanted to go running. She could barely contain her excitement and went up to her room and changed (if only she would do this every morning).

I thought the best place to go was the local high school track. The surface is soft and it's flat. We warmed up by walking a lap then I asked her if she wanted to run. After running an entire lap, we recovered by walking. We then alternated by walking 300m and running 100m. She even got cute and took off in a sprint and asked me if I could catch her. I did what any father would do, and let her win. Several people on the track commented to me how nice it was that we were exercising together. All this time, we chatted about school, her friends, what she was looking forward to most about summer, and running.

We ended up doing a 5k run/walk. When we were done she gave me a big hug and told me how much fun she had and that she wanted to do to it again next week. She also said that she wants to run the 5k in November to benefit her school and that she wanted me to be her coach. My heart melted.

After our time on the track last Sunday, I realized that this is something that I need to continue doing with her regardless of how many miles I ran earlier in the day. Not only is it good for her health but I feel like we now have something to bond over. Quality daddy/daughter time is priceless and better than any individual running accomplishment.

Race Report: NYRR Celebrate Israel 4 Mile

2011-06-07T13:33:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday was the inaugural NYRR Celebrate Israel Run presented by the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of New York. The run was part of the Celebrate Israel festivities, including the Celebrate Israel Parade (fka Salute to Israel Parade) taking place in NYC throughout the day. When I saw this race pop up on NYRR's calendar, I knew I had to sign up. The original plan for the race was to run it easy since it would be my first run after the Vermont City Marathon. Since VCM did not go as planned, my legs were fresh I could run this hard if I felt like it and the weather cooperated.

The weather was nice. I don't remember the exact temperature but I do remember the humidity being low. After the Israeli and National anthems, it was time to race. The first mile was the typical clusterf*!k. Lots and bobbing and weaving, and lots of frustration on my part at people who did not line up honestly. There was no corral enforcement what so ever. Several times I almost ran people over as I was motoring up Cat Hill early in the race. The remainder of the race was uneventful and until I came through the finish line chute. NYRR CEO Mary Wittenberg was out there congratulating the runners and she stepped in front of of me as I was trying to slow down after finishing. Thankfully, I was able to slow down in time and avoid a collision.

My official time was 28:20 (7:05 average pace) which I would later find out was a 28 second PR. I hung around the post-race festivities longer than I usually would. There was raffle where the grand prize was 2 tickets to Israel. I also got to meet some of the folks from JRunners. They are doing good work encouraging Observant men and women to take up running. I met Robin who just returned from her first trip to Israel. I also bumped into Joe who needed to run 5 miles to finish up his long run. His motivation was low and was considering bailing on the additional miles. Since I had to be in the City for the Parade, I offered to run with him. I ran at his pace and I didn't push him. I walked when he needed to walk and we got the miles done. He thanked me for the company and I enjoyed catching up with him.

After changing clothes, I made met my parents on 5th Avenue to watch the Parade. Mrs. and Lil Ansky were marching with a group representing Lil's school and my brother, sister-in-law, and niece marched with a group from the 92nd St. Y. When everyone was done marching we enjoyed a post-parade picnic in Central Park. Talk about a great day!

Totals for May 2011

2011-06-01T20:11:00.000-04:00

Total number of runs: 15
Total time: 18:23:29
Total Distance: 132.75

Average distance per run: 8.85 miles
Average time: 1:13:33

May started off with a bang with a 1:39:29 at the Long Island Half Marathon. This race was a huge boost to my confidence a few weeks before the Vermont City Marathon. My last long run was solid, 23.2 miles in 3:15 (8:24/mile). The taper went well, I cranked out 3 solid 5 x 1 mile workouts on the track the week before VCM. As you know by now, VCM did not turn out the way I had hoped it would. In case you missed it, check out the race report.

The plan for June is to have fun. I hope to be able to run with some friends I've been neglecting while training for VCM. I need a few weeks without the pressure of training for an "A" race. That will start again on July 11, 16 weeks before the Marine Corps Marathon.

DNF Report: KeyBank Vermont City Marathon

2011-05-31T21:59:00.000-04:00

As the title of this post says, VCM did not turn out the way I had hoped it would. Before getting into what happened on Sunday, I am going to set the scene by sharing some highlights from the days before the race.

Thursday Night
I spoke with Coach Jeff to discuss a race plan. The hilliest parts of the course were in the first 16 miles. There was a slight uphill start, a steeper climb from the Northern Connector back into Burlington between miles 7-8, and then Battery St. at miles 15 -16. Coach said to relax and conserve my energy on the hills and then pick it up when the course flattened out. We talked about my training cycle and that all signs pointed to a stellar race in Burlington. He also said that the only thing that was going to be beat me was Mother Nature. Perhaps this was a sign of things to come.

Friday & Saturday:
The drive up to Burlington went smoothly. It was a beautiful drive through NY and Vermont farm country, We checked into the hotel and headed over to the expo at the Sheraton. It was great to meet Mike and his family, Sandra, and Elizabeth at the Daily Mile/Twitter meet-up. I picked up my bib and after walking around the expo for a bit, we headed back to the hotel for Shabbat.

It was so nice to have another Observant family to spend Shabbat with. Lil Ansky got along swimmingly with Mike's 3 children which made the long day go by quickly. At some point while we were sitting outside on the roof deck, I said to Mike if it's like this (hot and humid) tomorrow, I'm going to be in trouble. Omen #2. When Shabbat ended our families discussed some spectating logistics and I went to bed.

Sunday
I did not sleep very well Saturday night. I tossed and turned worried that I would sleep through my multiple alarms and miss the shuttle to the start. I got out of bed around 5:00 and prepared my usual pre-race meal, peanut butter and nutella (Lil Ansky called it PB & N) on whole wheat bread and a glass of orange juice. I got dressed and met Mike in the lobby. The hotel staff was doing it's part to get in on the race day festivities. They left some goodies in the lobby for the runners and their families to enjoy.

The atmosphere at Battery Park felt more like a small community 5k than a marathon. Runners and their families were milling around and taking shelter from the rain in the bandshell.

Finally, it was time to get into the corrals. Mike and I lined up at the 8:00/mile sign. It was still raining and cool. Shortly before the horn went off, I turned to Mike and said I'll be very happy if it stays like this the entire race. Omen #3. The horn goes off and it's time to race! The first part of the course loops through a residential part of Burlington. I had a hard time settling into a groove partly because the streets were narrow in many spots. As we came back into downtown Burlington I did quick system check. Everything felt fine, heart rate was where I wanted it, legs felt fine, no problem with the lungs. I started to struggle mentally on the climb up from the Northern Connector around mile 7. The rain had stopped, the sun was coming out, and the air was getting heavy. Mike caught up with me and told me I looked great. I was struggling up the hill but I knew my family was waiting for me at the top. Seeing Mrs. and Lil Ansky helped me get me out of my mental funk but shortly after seeing them around mile 9 I started to feel tightness in my chest. I knew right away that my asthma was starting to flare up. I pulled off to the side around mile 10 for 2 puffs of my inhaler and to slow down my breathing. At this point I knew that I wasn't running a 3:30 but I thought that if I took a few minutes to regroup I could still finish the race. I got back on the course at a slower pace but the tightness came back and was getting worse. I could not get enough air into my lungs. At mile 11.5 I saw a medical tent and told the medics that my asthma was flaring up and that I was done. My race was over.

What happened next was a little bit of a blur. I found my way to the half way point where the 2 person relay bus would take me to the finish line at Waterfront Park. Not exactly where I wanted to be but what choice did I have? My bag was there and I arranged with my family to meet at the reunion zone. On the bus I was talking with someone who complete the first half of the relay. He recently returned from deployment in Afghanistan and was telling me that last year he ran VCM virtually while in Afghanistan. Before we parted ways I thanked him for his service and congratulated him on completing his leg of the relay.

I picked up my bag from the baggage tent and spoke to my family. They were somewhat surprised that I dropped out because Mike had told them that I was OK but I was a few miles back. I told them I was OK and would meet them at the reunion zone. I was an emotional wreck and being around the finish line was not helping. The race organizers were announcing the names of the finishers as they crossed the line. My name should have been called. I trained my tuches off for this race. I endured many miles in sub-freezing temperatures, logged hundreds of pre-dawn miles, and ran a stellar half marathon earlier in the month! Sunday was supposed to be my reward for all of my hard work.

Mrs. and Lil Ansky greeted me with hugs, kisses, and encouragement. They said everything they were supposed but I wasn't hearing it. I was angry, disappointed, I even cried. My immediate reaction was to get the heck away from the festivities. I wanted to go back to the hotel, check out a day early, and drive home. Since the first hotel shuttle didn't leave Waterfront Park until 12:45, we were able to see Mike finish and hear his name over the PA system. It also gave me time to talk to Coach about what happened. He reminded me that I made the right decision and that I had nothing to prove by trying to finish. He told me that fellow PRSFIT teammate, Jen also pulled out with an asthma attack. Mother Nature had beaten us both.

Aftermath
We rode the shuttle back to the hotel with Mike and his family. When we got back to our room, a big part of me still wanted to go home. Sunday after the race was supposed to be about celebrating another marathon finish. But what did I have to celebrate? Mrs. Ansky convinced me that yes, we here for my race, but we also here for a mini-vacation and we shouldn't ruin it for Lil Ansky. We paid a visit to the Magic Hat Brewing Company which was right around the corner from our hotel. We picked up a super-sized bottle of #9 and a bottle of Vinyl to drown my sorrows in later.

Next up was a visit to the Ben and Jerry's Factory in Waterbury. There is no ice cream production on the weekends but we enjoyed hearing Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield's story. The tour ended with samples of their latest flavor, Late Night Snack which features Jimmy Fallon on the packaging. It's a vanilla bean ice cream with a salty caramel swirl, and fudge covered potato chip clusters. Great combination of salty and sweet. The sample wasn't enough to satisfy us so we each enjoyed a cup from the on-site scoop shop, Phish Food for Mrs. and Lil Ansky, Peanut Brittle for me.

After dinner we gave Lil Ansky the choice of swimming or Kung Fu Panda 2. She chose the movie which was cute but not as good as the first one. After putting Lil Ansky to bed, the Mrs. and I enjoyed our beers and Star Wars: Episode I which was on TV and went to bed.

Monday
Surprisingly, I woke up Monday in much better spirits. I wasn't 100% ready to put the DNF behind me and move on, but I was beginning to realize that not finishing was not a result of something I did wrong during the race. I didn't go out too fast, I wasn't dehydrated, Mother Nature beat me fair and square. It was completely out of my control. It happens to the best runners in the world, at VCM it happened to Jen and to Laura, it happened to many other friends over their racing careers, and it happened to me. DNFing is part of our sport, not every race is going to be perfect.

Am I still disappointed that I returned from Vermont without a finisher's medal around my neck? Of course I am. With that said, I came home with my health, a loving and supportive family, and friends who care. It doesn't matter if we've met in person or only virtually I consider you all friends and I thank you for all the tweets, Facebook comments, and texts. DNFing is very humbling but I'm now ready to put it behind me, regroup, and get ready to tear up the Marine Corps Marathon in October.

Did I Forget Something?

2011-05-26T13:00:00.003-04:00

I made a list of the all the running related items I need to take with me to Vermont. What am I missing?

Shoes - Newton Gravitas. If it rains, I'll wear the Newton Terras since the closed upper will keep my feet drier.
Socks
Shorts
Shirt - I'll probably pack one short sleeve and one sleeveless and decide which one to wear.
Visor - I don't like hats, my head gets too warm.
Heart rate monitor
Garmin + charger
Body Glide
Gels (Hammer Raspberry)
Dry clothes for after the race. It should be warm enough in the morning that I won't need throw away clothing before the race.
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Zensah calf sleeves - I'm not sure if I'm going to race in them but I'll definitely put them on after the race and during the drive home on Monday.
Food for before the race - whole wheat bread, peanut butter, nutella, orange juice, water, Gatorade.
Food for after the race - the bagels VCM will provide probably won't be kosher.

T-Minus 4 Days

2011-05-25T17:30:00.001-04:00

A friend asked me the other day if I was wigging out. The taper is usually the time when I start doubting myself and get all nervous that I won't be able to run a good race. This taper has been different. I've had no phantom pains, no nighttime dreams about not finishing the race, and I'm not questioning whether I've trained enough. In fact, I'm in a pretty good place mentally. I'm not checking the weather, because, in all honesty, there is nothing I can do about it. If it rains, it rains. If it's hot, it's hot. I'll adjust my race strategy as needed but there's no use checking every day and obsessing over it. Truthfully, the weather is more of a factor for Mrs. and Lil Ansky who will be spectating and cheering me on.

A few other things:

We drive up to Burlington on Friday. The Anskys are looking forward to meeting Mike and his family. Since we are both Observant we decided it will be nice to stay in the same hotel and spend Shabbat with another Observant family. Mike's family is cooking Friday night dinner and we're going cook Shabbat Lunch. Mike's oldest daughter is the same age as Lil Ansky. She's looking forward to making a new friend and playing together, along with Mike's other 2 kids.
Because of Shabbat, I will be at the expo on Friday. There is a meet-up planned for 4:30 on Friday and for 4:00 on Saturday. Let me know if you're going to be at the Friday meet-up, it will be great to meet you in person. Click here for meet-up details.
For the first time at VCM, there will be runner tracking. Once I have my bib number, I will post my bib number and the link on the blog, Twitter, and Facebook. It will show splits at 10, 13.1, and 20 miles as well as the finish. To the best of knowledge it is not set up to automatically send my progress to Twitter and Facebook. Thanks to Fairpoint Communications for making this happen.

Possible Changes to the Vermont City Marathon Course

2011-05-20T10:20:00.000-04:00

This is not going to be a post about me obsessing about the extended forecast on the 29th. Whatever the weather is, it is. There is nothing I can do I about it. Truth is, what I'm about to write about, is also something that I can do nothing about but I think it's important to mention.

The organizers of the Vermont City Marathon have been informing runners via their Facebook page, Twitter feed, and blog that a portion of the marathon course will be re-routed due to high waters and flooding of Lake Champlain. The high waters and flooding are due to snow melt and higher than normal rainfall in the Burlington area. The race organizers posted this on their blog yesterday:

"We are working diligently with Burlington city officials, the Burlington Parks and Rec and the Department of Public Works to make the necessary repairs to the Marathon course in hopes that we will be able to run the course as originally planned, aside from one small detour at Perkins Pier where runners will pass through the Vermont Railway lot. Our ability to run the course as planned depends somewhat on what Mother Nature throws at us for the next several days, however, there are contingency plans in place that address all areas of potential concern."

I am sure that the race organizers are obsessing about the weather a lot more than I am at this point. As of right now, only a small change to the course will be made. However, if the weather doesn't cooperate, then other course modifications might be necessary. Whatever the outcome, the race organizers have assured us that the course changes will not result in significant elevation changes and will be USATF certified.

The race organizers and Burlington Parks and Recreation are asking anyone in the Burlington area to help clean up the course this Saturday between 10am and 2pm. Volunteers should meet at the bottom of College Street near the information booth.

One thing I am sure of is that regardless of what the final course looks like, I am sure that the Vermont City Marathon will be a top notch race.

Last Long Run and Tapering

2011-05-16T20:00:00.006-04:00

It's hard to believe that the Vermont City Marathon is only 13 days away. I haven't had much time to write recently so I'll catch you up on how my last long run went and how my taper is going.

I did my last long on Sunday, May 8. Coach Jeff assigned 3:15 in zone 2 to close out my last hard week of training before the taper. I had to start earlier than I usually would on a Sunday because of a family obligation. It was quite chilly in the morning but I dressed lightly knowing that it would warm up while I was out there. The run went really well. I practiced my hydration and nutrition strategy for the race, and had no issues. Around mile 16.5 I ran out of fluids so I stopped at a local CVS for a bottle of Gatorade. The line to pay was longer than usual for an early Sunday morning because people were out buying last minute Mother's Day cards. I ended up running 23.2 miles in 3:15 which averaged out to 8:24/mile. Coach was happy with the effort, he said I'm where I needed to be heading into the taper.

Coach's approach to the taper is to cut back the time on your feet but to increase the intensity. Case in point, the first run of my taper was 8 x 7 minutes in zone 4 with 2:00 recovery in between. That morning, I woke with intense stomach pains and I know there was no way I could run. Later that day I flew to Atlanta to present at a workshop on Wednesday. Summer came early to Atlanta (70 with 100% humidity at 6:30 Wednesday morning), but I still wanted to get a run in a new city. My hotel was a few blocks from Piedmont Park. There were lots of runners out and several "boot camp" type classes going on in the park. I followed some runners until I got my bearings then went off on my own and ran several loops of the park.

This past Friday was 20 minutes in zone 2 then 1 hour in upper zone 3. I was really pleased how well this went. My pace for the upper zone 3 was 7:37/mi. My stomach was a little queasy most likely because my nutrition was off while I was in Atlanta.

Yesterday, Coach assigned me a step-up run: 10 minutes in easy, 10 minutes in zone 2, 30 minutes in zone 3, 45 minutes in zone 4. It was raining pretty hard in the morning and my eyes were burning and watering because the pollen count was extremely high. For these reason, I decided to run on a treadmill at the gym. Zone 3 was done at around 7:45 pace and zone at around 7:30. It's not easy being on the treadmill for that long, but I got through it. Even though I ran on the treadmill, Coach was happy with the effort. He said I'm all juiced up and ready to go.

This week I'll be on the track Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday for some mile repeats to keep the leg turnover high. It's almost showtime!

Totals for April 2011

2011-05-04T20:00:00.001-04:00

Total Number of Runs: 12
Total Time: 15:28:44
Total Distance: 110.18

Average Time: 1:17:23
Average Distance: 9.18 miles

April Started off with a new 15k PR at the Indian Trails Road Race. After the race, I became more confident that a 3:30 or better could be possible at VCM. I also made the 4 runs I got done in South Florida count. My body was not used to the hot and humid weather but a put together a quality tempo run, a solid long interval workout, and a solid long run.

You already know how the Long Island Half Marathon turned out (if you done, click here for the race report). I'm about half way through my last tough week before the taper. I close out this week with a 1:30 step-up run on Friday and a 3:15 long run on Sunday.

Race Report: RXR/TIAA-CREF Long Island Half Marathon

2011-05-02T21:34:00.000-04:00

There wasn't a separate shirt for the half. Weird, I know. Should I wear the shirt?

I targeted the Long Island Half Marathon as my final tune-up race before the Vermont City Marathon on May 29. I spoke with Coach Jeff on Friday to formulate a race plan. He said to try and go out at around 7:50 pace and if I feel I felt good at mile 10, I should let it fly for the last 5k. I thought that seemed reasonable. Most of my long tempo run have been right around that pace. A 7:50 pace would get me across the finish line in approximately 1:43 which would be a PR by 2 minutes and on target for a 3:30 finish in Vermont.

Since I live in NJ and don't go out to Long Island that often, I left plenty of time to drive out there. Traffic was light early Sunday morning and I arrived in Eisenhower Park around 6:45. I made sure to use the bathroom adjacent to the parking lot before making my way to the start. I met up with Samantha, whose friend was nice enough to pick up my bib, checked my bag and lined up just in front of the 8:00/mile pace sign. The conditions in East Meadow could not have been better Sunday morning. Temperatures at the 8:00 start were in the upper 50s and sunny. It was supposed to warm up but not til much later in the day.

The horn went off and it was the usual clusterf*&k at the start. There were a fair share of runners that did not line up honestly. Thankfully, the Charles Lindburgh Blvd. was wide enough that I was able to settle into my pace and waste too much energy bobbing and weaving. Right from the get go, I decided to race based on perceived effort rather than focusing on the 7:50 pace. The first 2 miles, I went out too fast but I was able to reign myself in and settle in to a hard but sustainable effort (I've been using that phrase a lot recently). I found the elevation profile of the race deceiving.

I really didn't feel the gradual rise from miles 4 to 8. Aside from a small hilly part on the Wantagh Parkway the rest of the course felt flat. The marathon and half marathon courses split at the 10 mile mark. Marathoners went left further down Wantagh Parkway and half marathoners went right onto Carman Ave. I was feeling good so I picked up the pace. As I made the final turn out of the golf course and back into Eisenhower Park I saw the clock turn to 1:40. I knew I had a PR but pushed a little harder with the hopes of finishing sub-1:40. I didn't look at my watch until after I grabbed a bottle of water and someone put a finisher's medal around my neck. When I did, guess what I saw??????

1:39:23

I had to a double take. Did I just run a sub-1:40 half? Indeed I did. I called Coach Jeff and he let out one of his trademark "YEE HAWs." My official time was not that far off from my watch time.

The 1:39:29 is PR by 6 minutes. This race was a huge boost to my confidence. I was feeling slightly fatigued right before Passover and honestly, I wasn't sure how I was going to do after only running 4 times over the 10 days I was away. Turns out my body was fresh and I ran a killer race.

Overall, the Long Island Half was well run race. The course was well marked, the roads were wide and closed to traffic and there was more than handful of spectators on the course. There was also a pretty elaborate post-race festival with a beer garden, band, and some vendors showing off their products. It looked like many families planned on meeting their runners and spending the day in the park. My only gripe was that there weren't enough aid stations with Gatorade. There were aid stations with water every 1.5 miles or so but Gatorade was only provided at miles 5 and 10.

It's hard to believe that VCM is now less than 4 weeks away. Time really went by quickly. This is my last hard training week before the taper. I'm ready to rock!

Passover 2011

2011-04-27T21:45:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that Passover is over. So much goes into preparing for the holiday and now it's over. I had a great holiday celebrating with family in Boca Raton, Florida. My mom and aunt teamed up to make some amazing food, we drank some great wine, and the seders, while traditional, were still very entertaining. I also soaked up plenty of sun sitting poolside and at the beach.

I was only able to run during 4 of the 10 days I was away so I was determined to make them count. I had to early in the morning because, as soon as the sun comes up, it's way too hot to run. Coach planned out the 4 days like this:

Monday (April 18, the 1st seder was that night): 20 minutes in zone 2, 1 hour in upper zone 3, cool down 10 minutes with an easy jog. The 20 minutes in zone 2 went fine but once I started the upper zone 3 portion of the run, I was instantly reminded why I hate running during the summer months. I started at 5:30 am and it was already 75 and 100% humidity. I know everyone is different but my asthma gets really bad when the humidity is high. I cut the tempo part of the run short at 55 minutes. My heart rate was much than it should have been for the effort I was exerting and I didn't want to risk an attack. 9.61 miles in 1:15:53 (7:53 average pace).

Thursday (April 21, first intermediate day of Passover): warm up for 8 - 10 minutes then run 4 x 7 minutes in zone 4 with a 2 minute recovery. My body felt fresh after 2 days of no running because of the holiday but I was somewhat nervous about another fast paced workout in the Florida heat. Thankfully it was less humid and I got the workout done. 6.83 miles in 53:30 (7:49 average pace).

Friday (April 22, second intermediate day of Passover): recovery run. very, very easy. This run felt easy but when I looked at the data after the run it was much faster than my recovery runs I do in NJ. I chalked it up to the pancake flat terrain in South Florida. No hills to speak of what so ever. 9.07 miles in 1:15:29 (8:19 average pace).

Sunday (April 24, last intermediate day of Passover): 2:45 in zone 2. After Shabbat, my mom and I mixed up my kosher for Passover "sports" drink and I portioned out some dates for Sunday's long run. Even though it's not the most exciting route, I stayed within my parent's development because there are plenty of water fountains and bathrooms. I also didn't want to stray too far from my parent's place in case I didn't feel well and needed to stop. I hydrated often, taking in 8 oz. of the drink every 35 - 40 minutes and eating 4-5 dates every hour (just as I would with gels). The last 6 miles were a grind. The sun was up and it was hot. There were a few moments during the last 45 minutes where I wanted to call it quits but I got through it. 20 miles in 2:45 (8:14 average pace).

Monday and Tuesday (April 25 - 26) were the last days of Passover, and today (April 27) I was traveling home from Florida. I definitely made my running days count, I logged about 45 miles over the 4 days I got all my running done early, often before Mrs. and Lil Ansky woke up. Getting the miles in were important but so was spending time with family.

A Small Mechanical Change Can Make All the Difference

2011-04-21T09:00:00.003-04:00

As you know, I've been dealing with some calf and hamstring soreness after my ridiculously hilly run in the Palisades 10 days ago. I was able to run but could not run any of my fast workouts. The best I could do were easy miles on flat terrain. During that week, I did a lot of stretching, foam rolling, and I got a sports massage. All three of those helped but I was still sore and could still not run fast. I was beginning to get worried and flipping out. "What if I can't run Vermont?" I asked Mrs. Ansky. I really thought I was injured and my hopes of a sub-3:30 in Vermont were slipping away.

Then I had a talk with Coach Jeff. He calmed me down and after talking through how my legs felt, he was pretty sure that I was not injured and that I just beat my legs up running up some very steep hills. Then he reminded me of something we talked about when we met up in Denver. During my visit, he took some video of me on the treadmill. He pointed out that I was running up on my toes instead of on my forefoot. He told me to focus on landing "flat" so I would not be engaging my calves as much as I was. The next day I went out for another easy run. This time focusing on landing "flat" and guess what happened? My calves much better. Not yet 100% but much better than earlier in the week. I ripped off a few sub-8:00 towards to the end of the run and it felt hard but sustainable. I probably could have run more miles at the pace had time permitted.

I am currently down in Boca Raton, FL celebrating Passover with my family. I'll write more about my running down here later but between the extra rest and the mechanical change I am back on track.

Fuel for a Passover Long Run

2011-04-10T19:00:00.005-04:00

Passover is a little more than a week away. Many of us are feverishly cleaning, shopping for kosher for Passover items, and deciding when turn over the kitchen. I'm one of the lucky ones, since my family goes away (to Boca Raton, Florida) for entire holiday, all I have to do is sell my chametz and lock the door. I wrote a pretty lengthy post last year summarizing the restrictions attached to food during Passover. As with most other Jewish holidays, there are days where running is off limits. Honestly, I'm looking forward to some extra rest. I have been going full throttle since January and my body will appreciate some extra rest days before the final push to the Vermont City Marathon.

There are intermediate days of Passover called Chol Hamoed where everyday activities including running are permitted. Last year, my wife and mom concocted a homemade "sports drink" using kosher for Passover ingredients. In addition to the drink, I ate dates in place of gels. The combination of the 2 gave me more than enough energy for a 21+ miler last year. I thought I'd share it again for those of you that have a long run planned during Passover:

Passover Sports Drink
24 oz. water
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons sugar
1/3 bag jello mix (for flavoring)

Dissolve jello in warm water then mix with other ingredients. Chill and enjoy.

There is one other recipe I wanted to share. Last year, Mom made a Passover granola which was out of this world. I could not eat enough of it and my mother could not make enough of it.

Passover Granola (courtesy of Bergen County Jewish Standard)
3 cups matza farfel (kind of like matza croutons)
1 cup pecans, chopped (mom used walnuts)
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2/3 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup raisins
1/2 chopped apricots
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325. Place all ingredients in a large bowl, stir with a spoon until mixed. Grease a cookie sheet with sides and spread mixture evenly on it. Bake for 75 minutes or until mixture browns. Watch this carefully after 50 minutes to make sure it doesn't burn. Stir it occasionally. Can be made up to a week or two in advance, Store in an airtight container. Makes 5 or 6 cups.

Something Memorable

2011-04-05T20:00:00.003-04:00

I first wrote about the Jerusalem Marathon in my Chanukah series "8 races I want to run in my lifetime." Jerusalem is the holiest city in my faith. We pray about it every day and yearn for the ultimate redemption and the building of the 3rd Temple.

The inaugural Jerusalem Marathon took place on March 25, 2011. Just a few days before, a bomb killed one person and wounded many others not too far from where the race expo was being held). Within hours of the explosion Jerusalem Mayor, Nir Barkat (a marathoner himself) said that the race will go on as planned. "We will not be scared." 10,000 combined people participated marathon, half marathon, and 10k races.

I did not run the race but I know at least one friend that did. Thanks to the power of social media, I was able to find this video which was posted the New York Daily News' "Running Dialogue" blog.

The course covers many important parts of the city 3,000 year old history. From Zion and Jaffa Gates in the Old City to Ammunition Hill, one of the pivotal battles during the Six-Day War.

I turn 40 in December of 2012 and I've been giving some thought about doing something memorable to celebrate my milestone birthday. My initial was goal to try and qualify for Boston. I think I found something better. As Jewish athlete I can't think of anything more memorable than running 26.2 miles through the holiest city on earth.

Race Report: Indian Trails 15k

2011-04-04T19:30:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I ran the Indian Trails 15k in Navesink, NJ. Despite its name, it was not a trail race. Parts of the course were on dirt roads but it was definitely not a trail race. The night before, I got a voice recording from Coach Jeff. He told me to run the race hard, not to sell myself short, and that this race will be a good test to see where I'm at 8 weeks before the Vermont City Marathon. Coach basically gave me my race plan in an 18 second voice recording.

The drive to Navesink from Teaneck took about an hour. After picking up my race packet and warming up with some strides, it was time to race. The did give out chips but since there was no starting mat, scoring would be against the gum time. Not such a big deal in a small race. When am I going to learn not to go out too fast? As I approached the clock at mile 1, I saw 6:57. I knew there was no way I could hold that pace on this course for 8.3 more miles. I settled down into an effort that felt hard but sustainable. The race is described as "a challenging race through the scenic hills of Navesink. If you like flat and fast, sorry this course is not for you." It's one thing to know the course is hilly but until you start racing you really have no idea what to expect. This is elevation profile as recorded by my Garmin

This course was no joke. The good news is, I was able to run up all the hills and I recovered well on the flats and the downhills. I saw plenty of racers running way too fast on the downhills and walking up the hills. I made sure to hold back and conserve energy so I'd have enough strength to run up every hill.

The last hill was a doozy. Not only was it steep but is was also on one of the aforementioned dirt roads. This made running up the hill harder (for me) as the footing was uneven and I could not push off as quickly in the soft dirt. I worked together with some other runners, each of grunting and cursing. We put our heads down, put one foot in front of the other, pumped our arms and we made it to the top. The final downhill treated us to gorgeous view:

Picture courtesy of Indian Trails Road Race Web Site

Once at the bottom of the hill, I felt good so I kicked up the pace for a strong finish. My official time was 1:10:36 for an average pace of 7:38/mile. A great effort on a very tough course.

I really like the small, locally organized race experience. Thanks to the Sandy Hook Triathlon Club for a great race.

Totals for March 2011

2011-04-01T18:45:00.002-04:00

Total number of Runs: 14
Total Time: 16:22:16
Total Miles: 119.34

Average Time: 1:10:09
Average Distance: 8.52
Average Pace per Mile: 8:13

Miles Run to Date: 369.58

Not a bad month considering I missed 2 long runs in the month, 1 for Purim and the other because I was traveling to Denver. I didn't PR at Coogan's, but considering the hilly course and the rain, I was happy with the effort. I had 2 solid progression runs which really boosted my confidence. Both times I was able to run the last 5 miles of each run at sub-8:00 pace. I am starting to believe that, all things being equal, I can hit the goal that Jeff and I talked about on Monday.

What's up for April? I'll be racing the Indian Trails 15k on Sunday. Passover starts the evening of April 18. There will be several days where I can't run some because I'll be traveling to and from South Florida and others because I don't run on Yom Tov, basically the same reason why I don't on Saturdays. I just need to focus on the work Coach Jeff assigns and enjoy the time with my family.

Vermont City Marathon is 8 weeks from this Sunday.

Denver Run with Matt aka The Dump Runner

2011-03-31T21:52:00.000-04:00

In addition to Jeff and Diane, I was also looking forward to meeting and running with Matt, host of the Dump Runners Club podcast. We arranged to meet at my hotel after my meetings ended and Matt got off work. I didn't have any particular distance or pace in mind I simply looking forward to seeing the city. We past Coors Field (home of the Rockies) early on in the run. We then hit the Platte River Rec Path. There were plenty of runners out so I asked Matt if this was Denver's version of New York's Central Park. He said that this was a popular spot to run but Denver had many parks in which to run. He pointed out portions of the Colfax and Denver Marathon routes and took me past Pepsi Center (home of the Nuggets and Avalanche) and Invesco Field at Mile High (home of the Broncos). Passing the sports venues reminded me of my run to Yankee Stadium run in August of 2009.

I definitely noticed the thin air. We ended up running about 6.5 miles at 8:22 pace. This is the pace I ran my last marathon at and at which I've been doing my long runs. This pace at altitude felt hard. I had to ask Matt to slow it down more than once. By the end of the run I was sucking wind. It was great to meet Matt and to put a face to the tweets and to voice of the podcast.

I don't know about you, but I think the map on Garmin Connect from a new city run is a much better memento than any trinket I could buy in an overpriced souvenir shop. My Denver run provided an added bonus, usually I don't pay attention to the elevation because most of runs are run at this elevation:

but Tuesday's run definitely got my attention

My Meeting with Coaches Jeff and Diane

2011-03-29T23:55:00.000-04:00

I've been in Denver since Sunday afternoon for a conference. For those of you that have traveled for work, I think you'll agree that one of the biggest decisions to be made is where to go for dinner and drinks. So while many of my colleagues were deciding between sushi or Peruvian, I was looking forward to an evening of form analysis and form drills with my coaches Jeff and Diane.

I was still in my work clothes when I met them in the hotel lobby so I quickly changed and met them in the hotel gym. The gym at the Grand Hyatt was pretty nice. It had several treadmills, recumbent bikes, ellipticals, free weights, floor mats, etc... everything I needed to workout. Since I did a strength and core routine in the morning, I got on the treadmill for some form analysis. Diane took several minutes of video then told me to get off. We sat on the floor in the gym watching the video. I won't bore you with all the details, but there are many things I'm doing well and several things I need to work on.

Then it was time to move on to form drills. We went through a bunch of drills to teach my body what it should feel like to run naturally. When I first started the drills, I tried to run exactly like Jeff was. Jeff stopped me and said "don't run like me, run like run you." After that, I had an easier time with the drills.

After the drills we sat down and chatted mainly about about my goals for Vermont. I told Jeff and Diane that this time of year always gets in head. I've missed 2 long runs, and Passover is fast approaching. Jeff said one of the reasons for building a big base is in anticipation of the next few weeks. We did talk about a specific time goal for Vermont, I'd rather not share it right now. The most important thing Jeff and Diane left me with is that I have to believe I can accomplish the goal. Jeff and Diane are confident that I can, it's time for me to start wrapping my head around it. I'm starting to get there. I've had some very solid step-up runs recently that has boosted my confidence. But I still can't believe that my name and the time goal are being mentioned in the same sentence.

OK, I've gone on long enough. It was so nice to finally meet Jeff and Diane in person. They are so nice and easy to talk to. My time with them was much better than any meal in Denver.

What I Learned From a Bad Workout

2011-03-25T10:21:00.000-04:00

My assigned run from this past Tuesday was warm-up for 10 minutes then run 7 x 8 minutes in zone 4. On a good day, I have a tough time completing this workout. Tuesday was not a good day. I had some things to take care of around the house Monday night and I got to bed later than I wanted. I chose the extra sleep and decided to get the workout done on the treadmill at the company gym during lunch.

Things didn't go exactly as planned. I warmed up at an easy pace then set the treadmill to around a 7:20 pace. The first 8 minute interval felt fine, after a 2:00 recovery it was time for interval #2. This is when the workout starting heading south. I struggled through 4 minute intervals and called it quits. As I was cooling down, I felt dejected. The Friday before I ran a killer step-up run with the last 4 miles at sub-8:00 pace. Sunday's long run was solid as well. There was really no good reason why I shouldn't have been able to hit the workout.

Coach is a big proponent of learning something from every workout, good or bad. As I was writing my post-run thoughts on my log, 2 things came to mind. 1) Speed workouts on the treadmill are tough. First, the pace on the treadmill is not always 100% accurate. I may have been running faster than the pace on the TM showed. Second, it's a lot harder (for me) to maintain one pace for the duration of the interval. When I do intervals on the track or on the road, your pace is going to vary within each interval. I tend to start slow and speed up as the interval goes on. Lastly, it's just boring. It's safe to say that most of us prefer doing our speed drills on a track or on the roads. 2) My body is used to running in the morning before work. By the time I got on the treadmill, I had been at the office for a few hours dealing with the stresses of the morning. When I run before work, my body is fresh and my mind is clear. There is very little to piss me off between when I wake up and when I hit the road. Once I get to work, there are meetings, deadlines, and last minute requests for stuff.

The Vermont City Marathon is 9 weeks from Sunday. The next few weeks are going to be tough. I'm traveling to Denver for work on Sunday which means another weekend without a long run. I plan on running while in Denver but I'm not sure how the thin air will affect me. My next race is the Indian Trails 15k on April 3 and Passover starts the evening of April 18.

Quick Update

2011-03-20T21:16:00.001-04:00

I've been a bad blogger, the last time I posted anything was 2 weeks ago after Coogan's. I wish I had more time in my life to share every thought that comes to mind. Since the Vermont City Marathon is 10 weeks from today, I thought a quick update on my training would be a good idea.

I have to say, Coach Jeff really knows his stuff. We spent January and February building a big base and I'm beginning to reap the benefits. Here are some of the highlights:

Last Sunday, my assigned run was 2:45 in zone with 3 minute surges every 20 minutes. I chose a particularly hilly course to start getting my legs ready for the hills in Burlington. What surprised me about this run was how strong I felt on the hills. I increased my turnover and used my arms to power up the hills and recovered well when the terrain flattened out again. Because of a family commitment, I had to cut the run short at 2:30. 17.55 miles in 2:30 for an 8:35 average pace.
It was pouring this past Wednesday so I decided to run inside in the treadmill. I'm not the biggest fan of the treadmill so when I am forced inside I try to make things interesting. Wednesday's run was 1:30 in zone with surges every 20 minutes. I ran the first hour as assigned but when it came for me to surge at 1:00 I kept up the fast pace and finished the last 30 minutes like this: 10 minutes at 7:47 pace, 1% incline, 10 minutes at 7:41 pace, 0.5% incline, 5 minutes at 7:37 pace, 1% incline, 5 minutes at 7:31 pace, 0.5%. 11 miles total in 1:30 for a 8:11 pace.
The best run of the week came this past Friday. Once again, my assigned run was 1:30 with surges every 20 minutes. I decided it was time to start running to work (lower Manhattan) again. I took a bus to the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal and head down the West Side. During the first few miles, I wasn't feeling it. It was dark and there were no runners on the northern part of West Side path. The sun started to come up and the further south I ran, the more runners I started to see. When I hit the ship terminal around west 59th St., I decided to increase my pace just like I did on the treadmill a few days before. My last 4 mile splits were 7:49, 7:58, 7:51, 7:27. 11.14 miles in 1:30:06 for a 8:05 pace. I had the runners high the entire day at work and I was super productive.

Today was the Jewish festival of Purim. It is a fun holiday commemorating the Jews of Persia overcoming an plot to destroy them. Kids and, some adults, dress up in costumes, we give treats to our friends, and we have a festive meal. It is one of Lil Ansky's favorite holidays and I didn't want to ruin it by disappearing for 2 - 3 hours for a run. So I took today off and enjoyed the festivities with my family.

Next Sunday I will be traveling to Denver for work and I will not be able to get a run in before I have to leave for airport. Coach put some tough workouts on my schedule this week to make up for it. Tuesday I have a 12 mile step up run where I need to run miles 1-3 in zone, 4-6 in zone, miles 7-11 in zone, and cool down for a mile. Friday I have road intervals, 7 x 8 minutes at 5k pace with 2 minute recovery. While I am in Denver I hope to meet up and maybe run with Coaches Jeff and Diane and Matt.

The countdown to Passover is officially underway. 4 weeks from tomorrow night, I will be sitting down with my family in Boca Raton, Florida for the first seder. In the next few weeks, I will be sure to share some recipes that got me through a 3:00 long run during the intermediate days when it's permissible to run.

Lastly, congratulations to everyone who ran the New York City Half Marathon and the Los Angeles Marathon today.

Race Report: Coogan's Salsa, Blues, and Shamrocks 5k

2011-03-06T20:22:00.000-05:00

I was not particularly excited about today's race. First and foremost, the 5k is not my favorite race distance. I very rarely race the distance well. As soon as the horn sounds, it's pedal to the medal. No time to settle into a groove. Racing in the rain in the also didn't get me excited. It wasn't a torrential downpour, but just enough to annoy me. If it weren't raining, I would have warmed up with a run over the George Washington Bridge but I didn't want to be soaked before the race even started. Instead I got a ride with a friend. I got to the race about 30 minutes before the start. Just enough time to get my race bib from Joe and say hi to some familiar faces.

The horn went off and there was a mad dash of runners jockeying for position, elbows were flying, and runners were tripping after getting cut off. If that wasn't enough, there were potholes to deal with. I didn't want to spend the whole race looking down but I also didn't want to roll an ankle or trip and fall. Because it was so crowded and I moving along at a pretty fast clip, I didn't have a chance to take in the sights. I heard the bands but didn't see them, I knew there were several vacant synagogues along Ft. Washington, and I didn't have time to appreciate the view from Fort Tryon Park. I dealt with the hills the same way as I always do, increase my turnover, use my arms, and recover at the crest. I picked up the pace for the down hill finish and crossed the line in 22:08 (7:08 average pace), 13 seconds off my PR. I'm happy with the effort considering the rain, hills, crowds, and potholes.

Coogan's is one of the few New York Runners races not held in Central Park. Many of us on the New York Running Show mentioned that we would like to see more races outside of Central Park. After today's race I understand and appreciate why it's so difficult to do so.

Totals for February 2011

2011-03-01T08:30:00.009-05:00

Total Number of Runs: 16
Total Time: 17:21:25
Total Distance: 123.02

Average Time: 1:05:05
Average Distance: 7.69
Average Pace per Mile: 8:28

Year to Date Time: 35:23:01
Year to Date Year to Date Distance: 250.24

I started off the month with a 4 mile PR at the NYRR Gridiron Classic. It was the first time I ran a sub-30:00 4 miler finishing in 28:43 (7:10 avg. pace). February treated us to a taste of spring, albeit for only 2 or 3 days. Never the less, it's always a treat to put on shorts for 1 or 2 runs in the middle of winter. January and February were all about building a big base. March is when it's going to get tough. Bring it!

Running Boom or Bubble?

2011-02-27T15:32:00.000-05:00

In case you missed it, this year's Marine Corps Marathon sold out in 28 hours. Registration opened this past Wednesday at noon and by 9:00 Thursday morning, MCM organizers posted on Facebook and Twitter that the race was already 90% full. Around 4:30 Thursday afternoon MCM organizers announced that the race sold out in a record 28 hours and 4 minutes. Thankfully, I registered Wednesday evening so I will be running MCM on October 30, 2011.

Many of us on Twitter were amazed how quickly the race sold out. Historically, MCM has sold out in about a week. Social media is definitely playing a part in races selling out faster than ever. Facebook and Twitter have given race organizers additional avenues to promote their races as well as provide updates when races are nearing capacity.

I think there's something else going on part of which has me excited and part of which has me worried. I'm excited because more people are taking up running. When I first started running, I saw very few other runners in my neighborhood. I've started to notice a lot more recently. Several co-workers have told me they've started couch to 5k programs. Not only is it good for the sport but more people have also decided to start making healthier choices.

What worries me is that people might be choosing to run a marathon because of peer pressure or because it's something they want to cross of their bucket lists. This notion that someone is not considered a "real runner" until they've run a marathon is completely absurd. Twitter friend Michael mentioned that his wife was feeling pressured to run a marathon because he does. She has run a 15k and would like to run a half. Is she any less of a runner than Michael? Last year, a close friend of mine ran his first 5k and 5 mile races. The farthest he may run is a half marathon. Is he any less of runner than me? There is nothing wrong with being a recreational runner or a weekend warrior. The marathon is not for everyone. It requires hundreds of hours of training, dedication, supportive friends/significant other/spouse, and lifestyle changes. It's not easy, and if the reason you do it is because your friend is a marathoner or because you saw it on the "Biggest Loser" you'll get burned out and/or injured. That is bad for the sport. This sudden interest in the marathon may not quite the running boom everyone thinks it is but it's more like a running bubble waiting to burst.

Changes to the Boston Marathon

2011-02-16T21:40:00.000-05:00

Today was the day that the Boston Athletic Association announced the much anticipated changes to the Boston Marathon registration process as well changes to the qualifying standards. These changes are in response to this year's marathon selling out in 8 hours.

Effective with the 2012 marathon:

"Registration will occur on a “rolling admission” schedule until the maximum field size is reached, beginning with the fastest qualifiers. On the first day of registration for the 2012 Boston Marathon, those who are eligible for entry by having met the qualifying standards for their age and gender group by 20 minutes or more will be able to enter on the first day of registration (September 12). On the third day (September 14), registration will open for those who have met their qualifying standards by 10 minutes or more. On the fifth day (September 16), registration will open for those who have met their qualifying standards by five minutes or more. During this first week of registration, applicants will be notified as they are accepted and their qualifying performance verified.

If the field size is not reached after the first week and additional space remains, then registration will open to all qualifiers at the beginning of Week Two (September 19) and those who have met the qualifying standards by any amount of time will be able to apply for entry. The application process will remain open for the entire week, closing on September 23. At the conclusion of Week Two, those who are the fastest among the pool of applicants in their age and gender will be accepted. Accepted athletes will be notified on September 28."

What does this mean for me? The current qualifying times apply to the 2012 marathon. In theory, it is possible for me to qualify for the 2012 marathon at the Vermont City marathon in May. However, my current qualifying time is 3:15 so it is highly unlikely that I will qualify this spring in Vermont. What about a fall marathon? Registration for the 2012 marathon will be closed before I even toe the line.

Effective with the 2013 marathon: qualifying times across the board will be lowered by 5 minutes (it's actually 6 minutes, I'll explain in a minute).

What does this mean for me? A lot. Before the changes were announced, my plan was to attempt to BQ when I turn 40. That is when my qualifying time would change from 3:15 to 3:20. Under the new rules I would need to run a 3:15. BAA is also eliminating the 59 second "cushion." When I turn 40 I would have qualified with a time between 3:20:00 - 3:20:59. The new rules eliminate the extra 59 seconds so if I ran a 3:15:01 I would have missed qualifying by 1 second.

It goes without saying that it going to be much more difficult for me to qualify. I'm going to continue to train hard and if I'm fortunate enough to get to Boston, great. If not, as I've said before, I'll still be proud of my accomplishments.

An Open Letter to Motorists

2011-02-15T20:03:00.000-05:00

Dear Motorists,

You probably don't expect to runners on the road at 5:00 a.m. well guess what? We exist. Since it's still dark, most of us even take proper safety precautions. We wear headlamps, reflective vests, our clothes and shoes have reflective piping on them as well. If done correctly, it's pretty hard to miss us. If you see one of us lit up like an alien spaceship, just keep driving on your side of the yellow line towards the middle of the road. DO NOT:

turn on your high beams
drift towards the curb or shoulder where we're running.
honk your horn

Lastly, please come to a complete stop when approaching an intersection. Is it really necessary to continue moving into the intersection and nearly run us down? Are you in that big of a rush that you can't stop to let us pass?

If we both do our part, we will able to safely coexist on the road for many mornings to come..

Sincerely,
Ansky

Good End to the Week

2011-02-13T20:27:00.000-05:00

If you follow me on Twitter you'll know that 2 out of my 3 mid-week runs did not go so well. This past Tuesday I had a 1:30 run in zone 2 with 3 minute surges into zone 3 every 20 minutes. The run started off well but then it started to rain. For some reason people forget how to drive when it rains. The rain, crappy drivers, and lingering snow and ice on the ground, created less than ideal running conditions. I knew if I stuck to the main streets I'd be able to complete the run. About 40 minutes into the run I took a GU for extra calories so I could finish the run without bonking. All I'll say is, thank goodness for the laundromat along my route that was open early and had a bathroom. After that, I knew I wasn't going to get the full 1:30 so I pushed the pace for the rest of the time I was out there.

Friday's assigned run was a 12 mile step up interval run where I was supposed to run miles 1-3 in zone 2, 4-6 in zone 3, 7-11 in zone 4, and cool down for a mile. The run was going well, and I was feeling great. Just as I was starting my 4 miles in zone 4, I stepped in a pot hole and rolled my ankle a little bit. Instead of risking a potential injury, I cut the run short and headed home. Thankfully, the ankle did not hurt and was not swollen. I rested it for the remainder of Friday and Saturday hoping I'd be able to bounce back on Sunday with a solid long run.

Today's long run was 2:45 in zone 2 with surges every 20 minutes. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out. We were out with friends last night and I went to bed a lot later than I am used to. I was surprised how good I felt considering I didn't get much sleep. About mid-way through the run I caught myself racing the workout. I slowed myself down so I would have plenty of energy to finish strong. I had to stop at 2:30 not because I wasn't feeling well but because of a family obligation. I ran 17.69 miles for an average pace of 8:30 per mile. A good end to a week that didn't start off well.

Race Report: New York Road Runner Gridiron Classic 4 miler

2011-02-07T20:10:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I ran the New York Road Runners Gridiron Classic 4 miler in Central Park. I could not have asked for a better morning to run my first race of 2011. It was 38 degrees and sunny. After logging so many miles on the treadmill, I was excited to be outside and see what I could do. I wanted to go out hard and see if I could run the 4 miles in under 30 minutes.

Going into the race, I thought the hardest part of the course was the first half mile. The race started just south of East 68th Street which meant we'd be hitting the dreaded Cat Hill very early on in the race. I was hoping this might work in my favor since NYRR races are usually the most crowded at the beginning. This would force me to conserve some energy and then let it rip once I crested the hill. Turns out the corral system worked well and I was able to settle into a pretty quick pace as soon as I crossed the timing mat. I felt fresh going up Cat Hill, the rest of East Drive, and across the 102nd Street Transverse. My pace slowed when I hit the West Side hills at mile 3 but I was able to recover and run a fast 4th mile. Here are the official results:

The 28:43 is a 4 mile PR. Needless to say, I am very pleased with my effort. I know there is a lot of training left before the Vermont City Marathon, but this is a great start. My next race is the Coogan's Salsa, Blues, and Shamrocks 5k on March 6th.

National Mall Run

2011-02-02T19:50:00.000-05:00

The Anskys were visiting friends in Rockville, MD for a few days last week and weekend. We saw a lot of cool things including going to to the top of the Washington Monument, touring the Supreme Court, and seeing the original flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner. I did run while I was down there as well. Once in and around the National Zoo, once around my friend's neighborhood and on the last morning we there, around the National Mall. For those of you that don't know, the National Mall is not some sprawling structure in Washington, D.C. featuring a Sears, Best Buy, Macy's, etc.....The National Mall is the area in Washington that houses many of the famous monuments, memorials, and museums.

One of my favorite things to do when visiting new cities is run through them. It's a great way to explore the city you're visiting. The National Mall did not disappoint. In the interest of full disclosure, I did run the Mall once before, during the 2008 Marine Corps Marathon. For obvious reasons I did not take the time to appreciate all of the sites around me. This past Sunday, I brought my camera and played tourist. There were tons of other runners out, many of whom probably incorporate the Mall into their regular runs just as many New Yorkers run in Central Park or on its bridges.

Without further adieu, here is my run in pictures:

The run started at Smithsonian Metro station facing the Washington Monument:

The next stop on my tour was the World War II memorial

Next up: The Lincoln Memorial

I then followed some runners over the Arlington Memorial Bridge to Arlington National Cemetery

Back on the Mall, I stopped at the Federal Reserve

The Vietnam Memorial

Then it was time to tackle Capitol Hill

At the top of Capitol Hill is the Supreme Court

I saw many other sites along the after the Supreme Court but my camera malfunctioned until I ended the tour where I started at Smithsonian Metro Station. I like this shot because you can see both the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.

Totals For January 2011

2011-02-02T08:58:00.000-05:00

Total Number of Runs: 15
Total Distance: 127.22
Total Time: 18:01:26

Average Distance: 8.48 miles
Average Time: 1:12:05
Average Pace per Mile: 8:30

Despite all of the crappy weather, January was a pretty good month. I started building a big base for the Vermont City Marathon on May 29. Highlights of the month included a 17+ miler in Central Park and a run on the National Mall (blog post to come any day now) on January 31.

So what's up for February? I'll be running my first race of 2011, the NYRR Gridiron 4 miler on the 6th and hopefully many more miles outdoors than indoors.

The 2011 Chicago Marathon

2011-01-27T11:08:00.000-05:00

Several of you have asked me what my thoughts are about this year's Chicago Marathon falling on the day after Yom Kippur. This may come as a surprise but I don't have a problem with it. This is a much different situation than this year's Ironman World Championship in Kona falling on Yom Kippur or when NYRR scheduled Queens Half Marathon on Rosh Hashana a few years back. This year's Chicago Marathon is on the day after Yom Kippur. Is it the best idea to run a marathon after fasting (no food or water) or 25 hours before the race? Definitely not. I am not a medical professional but I think you could run a marathon the day after a fast day. You have to be 100% on top of your nutrition and hydration. I would also suggest eating substantial pre and post fast meals. I would not expect to PR but you could finish the race. If you're looking to PR or BQ, I would suggest finding a different fall race.

Change of Scenery

2011-01-17T19:30:00.001-05:00

This past Sunday, I had a 2:30 zone 2 with 3 minute surges every 20 minutes and 3 minute finishing surge. Being that I live in the burbs, there is still a good deal of snow on the side of roads. Couple that with cars parked on the streets and I am left with running in the middle of the street. I really didn't feel like dodging cars for 2:30 so I headed into NYC for a run in Central Park. Since I don't live in the city, running in Central Park is a treat. Even though I was running alone, I never felt lonely. There were so many other runners out, that's not something I'm used to seeing on the local streets of Bergen County. If I'm lucky, I'll see 4, maybe 5, other runners during my long run.

Sunday's run reminded me how tough a place Central Park is to run. The hills are unforgiving and will eat you up if you're ready for them. To switch things up, I ran the first loop counter-clockwise, the second loop clock-wise, and the last loop (which wasn't a full loop) counter-clockwise. To me, running clockwise always felt easier. Harlem Hill is still there but you run down Cat Hill and the West Side hills are not as daunting. The counter-clockwise loop goes up Cat Hill, Harlem Hill, and, in my opinion, the West Side hills seem harder.

I was very pleased with the way the run turned out. I hit the starting point (West 91st St.) for 3rd time at 2:24. My legs were screaming and would not keep going. I could feel my form breaking down so I called it quits right then and there rather than pushing on for another 6 minutes. I ran 17.32 miles in 2:24:33 (8:21/mile). I'm not used to running this many miles 4 months before my marathon, but Coach Jeff has big plans for me at the Vermont City Marathon. I promise there will be more on this later.

Mental Challenge

2011-01-13T12:30:00.001-05:00

I can't believe I haven't blogged since New Year's Day. I hope that 2011 is off to good, if not great, start for everyone. Old Man Winter has reared it's ugly head a few times already making running outside difficult. Most of us are not the biggest fans of the treadmill. I, for one, feel like a hamster on its wheel. We go through the motions of running without going anywhere. I don't care what's on TV or what music you listen to to help pass the time, it's still not a substitute for being outside, inhaling fresh air and noticing the subtleties of the neighborhoods we run in. However, safety always comes first. If the roads are not safe, I always take my run inside rather than risk an injury.

My assigned run for this past Tuesday was 1:30 in heart rate zone with a 3 minute finishing surge. That's a long time to be on a treadmill. I got it done, running 10.36 miles (8:41 average mile pace). As I was writing my post-run thoughts to Coach Jeff, I saw the silver lining in running that long on the treadmill. The marathon is just as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one. I had no problem running the distance physically, the hard part was focusing mentally. If I lost focus for one second this could have happened:

In all seriousness, I learned from Tuesday's treadmill run that marathon training is not just about the mile repeats, tempo runs, and long slow distance, it's also about making sure you're dialed in mentally so that you remember everything you need to do to run a successful race.

Totals for 2010

2011-01-01T19:53:00.000-05:00

Total Number of Runs: 188

Total Time: 192:30:53

Total Distance: 1349:6

Average Time:1:01:26

Average Distance: 7.18 miles

Average Pace: 8:33/mile

I know what you're asking, "Ansky, couldn't you have run an extra 0.4 miles to get to an even 1350?" When I ran my last miles of 2010 on Friday, I had no idea I would that close to 1350. It is what it is. Taking a cue from Claire, 1350 miles is the distance from Teaneck, NJ to Key Largo, Florida.

2010 was a really good running year, thank you for coming along for the ride. Hope you stick around for 2011.

Totals for December 2010

2011-01-01T19:24:00.000-05:00

Total Number of Runs: 13

Total Time: 14:33:21

Total Distance: 104.42

Average Time: 1:07:10

Average Distance: 8.03

Average Pace: 8:21/mi

December was all about base building and completing my Newton transition. Coach wants to build a big base so I'm strong going into the "official" training for Vermont. The Newton transition went smoother than I thought. I feel very comfortable in them and I think they'll help me become a more efficient runner, as long as I lift from the core.

Lift From the Core

2010-12-29T21:04:00.000-05:00

Coaches Jeff and Diane have been encouraging their clients to submit a short video of him/her running on a treadmill. Jeff and Diane then review the video and discuss things that are going well and things that need improvement. As you know, they believe that natural running is the most healthy and efficient way to run. Once I was comfortable in my Newtons, Coach wanted to see a video of how I was running in them. In short, he said that I have a nice forefoot/midfoot plant but I need to work on lifting my legs from core. The way I run now, my legs swing. I should be lifting from the core and then driving down. I'll let you see for yourself. Try not to laugh.

Plans for 2011

2010-12-28T21:28:00.000-05:00

I'm calling this "plans" instead of "goals" because to me, goals are associated with a particular time. It is way too to start thinking about time goals for my spring "A" race, the Vermont City Marathon. Instead, I'll mention several races that I'd like to run in 2011. A few days ago I asked to Coach to suggest when and what types of races I should target leading up to VCM on May 29. Here's what he suggested with some initial thoughts in red. I need to see the NJ race calendar before I start signing up for races. This is based on what I know as-of this writing.

A 5k or 10k on or around February 6: NYRR Gridiron Classic is a 4 miler on Super Bowl Sunday morning. I've run this race before and had fun. People run in football jerseys and there is a football throwing contest after the race. It'll also give me an excuse to chow down at a Super Bowl party later in the day.
A 5k or 10k on or around March 6: Coogan's Salsa, Blues, and Shamrocks 5k. One of the few NYRR races outside of Central Park. It's easy for me to get to and I could warm up with a run over the George Washington Bridge. If Coach OKs a half marathon there is the E. Murray Todd Half Marathon in Lincroft, NJ on March 6. I signed up for this race in 2009 but the race was canceled because of snow. The Asbury Park Half Marathon on March 13 looks interesting as well.
A Half Marathon on or around April 3: TBD. NYRR's calendar doesn't go out that far and I can't think of a NJ race.
If possible, a half marathon on or around May 1: This would be my final tune-up before VCM. The NJ Half is on May 1. The price tag, $80 as of this writing, is scaring me away. I have a hard time paying $80 for half when I paid $85 for the full at VCM. I'll have to keep my eye out for something.

For those reading in the NYC metro area feel free to suggest a race. Just, remember I don't roll on Shabbos.

I am still undecided about a fall marathon. Mrs. Ansky made an interesting comment the other day. She said I am a much happier person when I am marathon training. I did not run a fall full in 2010. I had a great summer with my family without the pressure of marathon training. However, when fall racing season came around I missed being a part of it. Registration for Marine Corps Marathon starts on February 23. I am also in the lottery for the New York City Marathon. I'll probably sign up for MCM and if I get into NYC, I'll defer one until 2012. My only concern is with VCM so late in the season, I don't have a whole lot of time to rest and recover before jumping into fall marathon training.

What are your plans for 2011?

2010: The Year in Review

2010-12-25T18:27:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year where us running bloggers take some time to reflect and to write about what we accomplished in 2010 and to look ahead to 2011.Overall, 2010 was a good running year for me. There were by far more highlights than lowlights. So here's how the year went:

2010 started out with bang with a shiny new 5k PR on January 1 at the Fair Lawn Sunrise Rotary 1st Day 5k. I didn't think I had PR in me that day but somehow I PRed and ran a 21:55, my 1st (and still only) sub-22:00 5k. A few weeks later, came another first, my first sub-1:50 half marathon. Elyssa and Amy paced me to a 1:48:46 at the Manhattan Half Marathon.
The Manhattan Half kicked off my training cycle for the Pocono Mountain Marathon. I started training with Coach Jeff. We butted heads early on as I was getting used to his style of training. But once we got on the same page, he took me to places I didn't think I could go. I starting using words like "easy," "relaxing," and "pleasant" when talking about long runs at 8:15 - 8:20 pace.
Passover presented some problems nutritionally. My usual long run fueling choices are forbidden on Passover so I had to get creative. Mrs. Ansky and my mom concocted a kosher for Passover sports drink. The combination of the sports and dates (in place of gels) fueled me through a 21+ miler in South Florida.
After Passover, in late April, I raced the George Wodika Hook Mountain Half Marathon. Despite one doozy of a hill, I set a new PR of 1:45:21. I was peaking at the perfect time, 1 month before the Pocono Mountain Marathon.
My "A" race for the year came on May 16, the Pocono Mountain Marathon. I knew I had trained well but the taper got into my head and started to doubt myself. A few days before the race I spoke with Coach Jeff about my race plan. At the end of the chat, he e-mailed me a link for a pace band and told me to set it for 3:39. He was right on the money. I left everything out on the course and ran a 3:39:47, a 13 minute PR.
After some rest and recovery, it was back to the roads. I ran the George Washington Bridge Challenge (10k), the JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge, and the Wall St. Run. All were fun in their own way. The GWB Challenge was my friend's, MB, first road race. He started to run a few months before and felt ready to run a race. I don't always have the nicest things to say about the JPMCC but it's always fun to do something non-work related with co-workers. Despite the heat, I enjoyed running the Wall St. Run. The post-race festivities were great. I met in person a bunch of NYC running tweeters.
The dog days of summer were in full force. It was brutally hot and humid in the NYC metro area and, I, for one, was wishing it was winter already. My asthma was out control and it was impossible to put together a decent run. I ran the Van Cortland Park 2 x 2 mile relay with Joe. Even though and Joe and I finished ahead of Elyssa and Amy, they were the ones that left VCP with muffins (thanks for sharing Elyssa).
My only goal for the Bronx Half Marathon was to have fun. I finished in 1:56:11 and was able to run in a part of NYC I don't usually visit.
Sometime after the Bronx Half I started training with Coach Jeff again. I had taken a few months off from any sort of structured training to find my running mojo again after the Pocono Marathon.
The initial plan for the Newport Liberty Half Marathon was to pace a friend to his first sub-2:00 half. About 5 miles in, my friend was struggling and told me to run the rest of the race at my own pace. I did and finished in 1:54:38. As for my friend, he finished in 2:02:35.
Training became fun again and I targeted the Terri Roemer Paramus 10k Run as my "A" race for the fall. I finished in 45:22 which was a PR by 4+ minutes.
New York City Marathon weekend is always exciting. I picked up a pair of Newtons at the expo and spectated the race on Sunday.
After a 5k to benefit Lil Ansky's school's scholarship fund, I closed out my 2010 racing season with a 5 mile Turkey Trot. MB, who finished his first 5k just a few months earlier, ran and finished the Turkey Trot. His first 5 mile road race.

Wow! Now that I've written it all down, 2010 was a really good year. I hope that 2011 is just as good if not better. This post has gone on for long enough. I do have goals for 2011 which I'll share with you in an upcoming post.

My Spring Marathon

2010-12-19T18:03:00.000-05:00

Key Bank Vermont City Marathon

May 29, 2011

I am very excited about this race. I've heard so many great things about this race. This will be my first "destination" race where Mrs. Ansky and I will make a mini-vacation around the race. Twitter friend Michael is also running the race. Since we are both observant Jews, we plan on staying at the same hotel and have Shabbat meals together. Other Twitter friends running as well. I'm looking forward to meeting them.

The course is not easy. As you can see from the elevation chart, KBVCM is not flat.

I'm told the toughest parts of the course are around miles 8 and 15. The course is supposed to be spectator friendly so Mrs. Ansky will be able to see me a bunch of times on the course without having to move around so much.

My only concern is with the race in late May is doesn't give me much time to rest and recover if I want to train for a fall marathon. But I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Coach already mentioned to me today that he will start incorporating some longer zone 2 runs over the winter so I am really strong going into my training cycle. I'm ready, bring it on!

Sign of the Times

2010-12-15T21:00:00.005-05:00

For a little while I used to go to a small independently owned running store in a nearby town. The owner and the staff got to know me and I enjoyed going in there to talk about races, shoes, gear, etc...Over time, it became inconvenient for me to go there. They closed before I got home from work and closed early on Saturday before the Sabbath ended. The apparel and other gear were all name brands and very expensive.

Slowly but surely I found myself going to a nearby big box running store to support my running habit.Their prices are good, they are open late during the week and Saturday night, and their selection of stuff is much larger and they have something for every budget. What I missed were the personal touches from the smaller store. No one got to know me, they didn't care about what I races I was running. They were only interested in making a sale.

A few weeks ago I was in the big box store to buy some stuff, and I heard a familiar voice. I looked around and found the source of the voice, it was the owner of the independently owned store. We started to chat and he told me that he has been trying to sell his store. Between the economy, on-line retailers, and big box stores, business was not good and he wanted to cut his losses. I felt bad for him but he said he's happy working in the big box store. His hours are more stable, he has benefits, a regular paycheck, and at the end of the day, he still gets to do what he loves.

Now that I know someone in the store, I'm starting to consider this particular big box store my local running shop. There is someone I can talk to about my running who is not just interested in making a sale. They are also involved in the Bergen County running community. They sponsor many races, and they organize group runs on the weekend albeit mainly on Saturday :(

I try as much as possible to support local, independently owned business. They give back to the community and get to know their customers.

The Transition Has Started

2010-12-14T12:30:00.002-05:00

My Newton Terra Momentus, which I bought at the New York City Marathon expo have finally made their way our of the box and on to my feet.

Sunday was a rainy and windy day in NJ. I've been fighting a cold so rather that run my step-up intervals outside and risk further illness, I decided to run on the treadmill. Now that my 2010 racing season is over, one of my goals for the off-season is to transition into my Newtons. What I have been struggling with, is how to change shoes mid-run. Brandon suggested I carry my other shoes in a small sport bag on my back. I'm not crazy about the idea, I think it will be uncomfortable have the shoes bump into me. Coach Jeff suggested I run 2 miles in the Newtons, stop at home, change into my other shoes, and continue on. I think this could work, I just have leave myself enough time to finish whatever run I have to execute that day.

Back to Sunday....I put on the Newtons and took my other shoes with me to the gym for a 9 mile step-up interval run. I ran the first 2 miles in the Newtons. I have to say, they pretty good. The shoes did not feel awkward and I didn't find myself altering my gait because I was in the Newtons. After 2 miles, I paused the treadmill, changed shoes, and continued the run.

Many Newton runners I've spoken to, said to transition slowly. Coach wants to see a video of me running in the Newtons. We'll then talk about what else I need to do to improve my form and finally make a complete transition for my 2011 spring marathon training cycle (more on this shortly).

Chanukah Special: 8 Races I'd like to Run in My Lifetime

2010-12-08T19:46:00.000-05:00

I've been a bad blogger. The last race I wrote about was the Jerusalem Half Marathon for the 2nd night. As tonight is the last night of Chanukah, I will include the remainder of the races in one post.

Night 3: Jerusalem Marathon:
The first ever 26.2 mile road race in Jerusalem is scheduled for March 25 2011. Unlike, the Jerusalem Half Marathon Course, the Marathon course does go through the Old City including, Jaffa and Zion Gates, and the Western Wall. I hope that the race coverage is focused on the actual race and not on the Arab - Israeli conflict. Jerusalem is a hilly city, check out the elevation profile:

Night 4: Great Wall Marathon:
This is looks like an unbelievable race. A portion of the race includes 5,164 steps of the Great Wall of China.

Night 5: Disney Marathon:
What's not fun about running through Cinderella's Castle, other famous parts of all 4 Disney Parks (Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot Center, and Disney Hollywood Studios). as an added bonus, marathoners get into the parks for free after their race on Sunday and the day after on Monday. The Goofy Challenge, which includes the half marathon and the full marathon, is also something I'm interested in. However, the half marathon is held on Saturday.

Night 6: World Marathon Majors Not Named Boston or New York:
That would be Chicago, London, and Berlin. New York was my first marathon in 2007 and Boston, well, you'll just have to keep reading. I think it would be nice to say that I've run all 5 World Marathon Majors races.

Night 7: Big Sur International Marathon:
Big Sur is described as a beautiful but brutal race. It offers beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean but it also includes a 2 mile, 700 foot climb up to Hurricane Point then a 500 foot descent to the half way point on the Bixby Bridge. There's also someone playing a grand piano at the half way point on the Bixby Bridge. Click here for a virtual tour of the course. It looks absolutely stunning.

Night 8: Boston:
Boston is the race that most marathoners train their butts off to qualify for. Boston is the world's oldest marathon and is often considered the "holy grail" of marathoning. My BQ time is 3:15. I think this is out of my league. MY BQ time goes up by 5 minutes to 3:20 when I turn 40 in 2 years. If I never get to run Boston, I will be proud of the races I've run and not feel like less of a marathoner.

So there you have it, 8 races I'd like to run in my lifetime. As I said on the first night, these are not the only races I'd like to run, they're just a sample. Maybe I'll pick 8 more and do another 8 day series for Passover.

What are some of the races you'd like to run in your lifetime?

Chanukah Special 8 Races I'd Like to Run in My Lifetime

2010-12-02T21:35:00.000-05:00

Night 2: The Jerusalem Half Marathon

Jerusalem is the holiest city in my religion. It is mentioned frequently in our daily prayers. At the end of Yom Kippur services and the Passover seder we declare "Next Year in Jerusalem." It would be cool to run a half marathon in my holy city. The course itself does not go through or near the Old City but it would be special to run the same hills that Maccabees did when fighting the Syrian-Greeks and when Israel Defense Forces defeated its Arab enemies in 1967 to re-unite Jerusalem. According to the race website, there are plans for a full marathon in Jerusalem in 2011.

Chanukah Special: 8 Races I'd Like to Run in My Lifetime

2010-12-01T21:00:00.007-05:00

Tonight is the first night of Chanukah. Which means it's time for the 2nd annual 8 day Chanukah special on this blog. Last year, I wrote about 8 things I loved about running.

This year I am going to write about 8 races I'd like to run in my lifetime. All of these will be road races, no trails, relays, or ultras. Some of these will be in exotic locales and some might be a little closer to home.. Believe me, I have many more on my list but Chanukah is only 8 days long. I'm going to save my #1 race for the last day. The other 7 will be in no particular order.

Night 1: Brooklyn Half Marathon

What's so special about the Brooklyn Half? In it's current form, it is the only race that is preventing me from being able to complete the New York Road Runners Half Marathon Series. The Half Marathon series consists of a half marathon in each borough of New York City. The Manhattan, Bronx, Staten Island, and Queens halves are all held on Sundays. The Brooklyn half is the only race in the series that is on a Saturday. You all know by now that I don't run on Saturday. The course starts in Prospect Park and ends on the boardwalk in Coney Island. It would be really cool if, for one year, NYRR held this race on Sunday so me and my fellow Observant runners can participate and have a chance to complete the series.

Totals for November 2010

2010-12-01T10:04:00.001-05:00

Total number of Runs: 15
Total Miles: 86.40
Total Time: 12:20:08

Average Distance: 5.76 miles
Average Time: 49:20
Average Pace: 8:33

November was chock full of fun:

I picked up my first pair of Newtons at the New York City Marathon Expo.
A few days later I spectated said marathon from 86th and 1st.
I ran a 5k to benefit Lil Ansky's School.
I was a guest on the Geeks in Running Shoes pocdcast where I talked with Jason and Ray about balancing running with life, family, and my observance.
I played a small part in helping a friend complete his first 5 mile road race at the Rockland Road Runners 5 mile Turkey Trot.
Yesterday, I did my last run of the month. It was a lunch time run with Allen and another colleague who would like to run his first marathon in 2011. This colleague is new to running so I stayed back to run at his pace. There is nothing like encouraging others to get into running even if it means running at a slower pace than yours.

The plan for December is go into "maintenance" mode and spend more time focusing on form and transitioning to my Newtons. Because New Year's Day fall on Saturday, I will not be able to run the Fair Lawn Sunrise Rotary 1st Day 5k. My next race will probably be the Manhattan Half Marathon at the end of January.

What are your plans for the off-season? Do you have any winter races planned?

Race Report: Rockland Road Runners 5 mile Turkey Trot

2010-11-26T14:57:00.000-05:00

Could not have asked for a better start to Thanksgiving. The weather was great. Overcast and temps in the high 30s. The Rockland Road Runners 5 mile Turkey Trot is a new race for me. In 2008 and 2009 I ran the Dick Meighan Memorial Run in Upper Saddle River, NJ. My friend MB is new to running who has been extending his distance after several successful 5ks.On the way up to the race I told MB that I run with him and get him across the finish line of his first 5 mile road race. He said I should run my own race and try for a new 5 mile PR (current 5 mile PR is 36:55). I told him that Turkey Trots are about having fun and that there will be other opportunities to go after a new PR. Today was not that day. We came through the first mile in 9:34. I paid attention to MB's breathing to get a sense of how he was feeling. So far so good. Our mile 2 split was 8:50, much quicker than expected because of the long downhill. Between mile 2 and 3 I could sense that MB was having some problems, his breathing became more labored and he started to lag behind me even though I was running at a 9+ minute pace. Just passed mile 3, I turned around and MB was pretty far behind me. He told me to go and finish at my pace. I took off and hammered the last 2 miles, 7:40, 7:05. Once I finished I made my way back to the final straightaway and waited for MB. I cheered him on as he ran towards the finish and congratulated him after he crossed. He said he felt good but the last mile was tough. we grabbed some post race refreshments and then headed home.

This race left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling for the rest of the day. It was great to see a close friend who is new to running finish his first race at a longer distance. Congrats MB and keep it up!

Thank you to the Rockland Road Runners, the volunteers, police and EMS for a great race experience. I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving.

Giving Thanks

2010-11-24T09:40:00.001-05:00

Several co-workers of mine have asked me this week if I celebrate Thanksgiving. I was surprised by the question. I've always considered Thanksgiving an American holiday. I'm sure in it's original form Thanksgiving has more Christian themes but over the years it's become more of an American holiday. Giving thanks is not an unusual concept in Judaism. We give thanks every day in our prayers, we give thanks after we eat a meal, and we give thanks during all Jewish holidays. Eating a festive meal is also not uncommon, being able to watch football at the same time is. Joking aside, here are some of things I am thankful for:

Living in the United States: I am thankful that I live in a country that allows me to practice my religion openly without fear of persecution. I thankful that I can express my opinions in the spoken word as well as in writing on this blog, Facebook, or Twitter.
My Family: I am thankful for a loving wife and daughter. They are my biggest fans and support me unconditionally. They may not understand why I would want to go out and run 20 miles on a brutally cold Sunday morning in February but they always ask "how was your run?" when I get home.
Friends: I value all of my friendships. My friends outside of running remind me every day that running is only one part of life. To my running friends, thank you for your support, encouragement, and overall positive energy. To those that I've been fortunate to meet in person and run with, thank you for the company. To those that I have not yet met, I hope that our paths cross soon.
My Coaches, Jeff and Diane: Thank you for helping me unleash my potential. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the running community via Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, and your live show. Thank you for coaching athletes of all abilities.
Race Organizers, Volunteers, and Public Safety Officials: Thank you for putting together great races that I look forward to racing year after year. Thank you for braving the same conditions I do to make sure I have a great race experience. It's not easy standing out there for hours on end in the extreme heat, cold, rain, or snow to point us in the right direction, to hand out cups of water, to put a finishers medal around around necks, to keep us safe. This is a good place to mention that if you are running a Turkey Trot sometime over Thanksgiving weekend, please thank the volunteers for taking the time out of their holiday to make sure we have an enjoyable experience.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Balancing Running with Work, Family, and Observance

2010-11-20T22:15:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday, I was a guest on the Geeks in Running Shoes podcast. On episode 17, Jason was talking about how difficult it was getting his miles while working full time, going to school, and having a family. While co-host Ray does not yet have a family, he is in school full time and often works long into the night studying and completing assignments.

Jason and Ray wanted to pick my brain and find out how I balance my running with work, family, and my Jewish Observance. Here are some of the tips I shared on the show.

1) Find that part of the day where you can run consistently: for me it's early in the morning before work. On most nights I am in bed at 10:00 and up at 5:00. I am usually out the door by 5:30. During the week, this affords me a solid hour to run before I need to be back in the house to give Lil Ansky breakfast and for me to shower, get dressed, and go to work. On the weekend I might start a little later but always before Lil Ansky wakes up. For those of you with kids, you how hard it can be to go out for a run once the kids wake up.

Early morning works for me, it may not work for everyone. For some of you, the evenings might be better. For others lunch time might work. The point is find a time during the day and stick with it.

2) Run to work or school: If you can, leave a bag of clean clothes, towel, toiletries at work or school the day before and run to work the next day. You'll find it invigorating and the endorphins are better than a cup coffee. Lastly, you can show off at work or school by saying that you ran there that morning.

3) For most of us, running is just a hobby: Unless you are getting paid to run or to train someone, running is something we enjoy doing, but it's not the most important in our lives. On the show, I told Jason and Ray that family and religious obligations ALWAYS come before running. I've blogged before about my observance of the Sabbath on Saturday and my observance of Jewish holidays. Those are days for me to go to synagogue, to reflect, and to spend time with family and friends. Running is off limits on those days.

4) Bring your family to a race: most local races have runs of various distances for the the kids. This is a great way to expose your kids to your hobby and get some miles in. Last Sunday there was a 5k to benefit Lil Ansky's school. I offered to run the 1 mile with her but she wanted to run it solo. I made sure to be there at the final stretch to cheer her on. Once she finished, she mentioned she wanted to do another one. This time of year is a great time to get the family involved. Many turkey trots are family friendly. It's a great time to put the competitive juices aside and have fun.

We spoke about other topics as well. If you haven't listened to the show you can download it here or from iTunes.

What works for you that allows you to balance running with work, family, and other obligations?

Race Report: Westfield Garden State Plaza 5k

2010-11-15T12:33:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the 6th annual Westfield Garden State Plaza 5k to benefit the scholarship fund at Lil Ansky's school. The course hasn't changed, Almost 2 laps of the mall parking lot. I know not very exciting. I didn't think I was in shape for a PR so the goal was to race well and finish strong. I made the same mistake I make in most 5k I've raced. I went out too fast and I faded at the end. I finished in 22:26, about 30 seconds slower than my 5k PR.I think it's safe to say that the 5k is now my nemesis race distance. I cannot race a 5k well. Plain and simple, it's too fast and furious for me. I cannot get my legs turned over quickly enough to race it well. I'm a distance guy. I need to time to settle into my race pace. There's no time to do that in a 5k.

After the 5k, there was a 1 mile run. I offered to run with Lil Ansky but she wanted to run it solo. She finished in 10:58. I am so proud of her. In car ride home she mentioned that next year she wanted to run the 5k. Many local races have races for the kids too. It's a great way to get kids into running. Once spring arrives, I will definitely be on the lookout for some more races for Lil Ansky to do. I think there's a future runner in the family.

Question: What is your least favorite race distance?

New York City Marathon: The View From 86th & 1st

2010-11-11T15:45:00.001-05:00

The New York City Marathon will always hold a special place in my heart. For those of you that don't know, the 2007 New York City Marathon was my first marathon. Immediately after finishing my first 26.2, I knew I had become addicted.I knew that I would want to run another marathon (I've run 3 marathons since NYCM 2007). For quite a while, I was not the biggest fan of New York City. It was a place I come to work and couldn't wait to go home to New Jersey. September 11, 2001 changed that. We all know what happened that day. The way the City came together that day and in the aftermath of the worst acts of terror on American soil made an everlasting impression on me. I appreciate the City in ways that I didn't think possible The 2007 New York City Marathon solidified that feeling. The volunteers, the crowds, and my fellow runners reminded me why NYC is the greatest city in the world.

This past Sunday was no different. I had trouble sleeping. I woke up a number times throughout the night afraid that I was going to miss my alarm. My body thought it had to run a marathon that morning when in reality all it had to run was 1:15 in HR zone 2 with 3 minute surges every 20 minutes. I had some extra pep in my stride. I ran 8.87 in 1:15:47 for an 8:33 average pace. One of the best runs I've had in a while.

I got into the City around 10:00, about an hour after the elite women started their race. 1st Avenue was quiet and peaceful and few spectators lined the sidewalks. A few minutes later the lead wheelchair racers are flying down 1st Avenue. The few spectators that were there cheered them on and screamed words of encouragement. I saw youngish gentleman with 2 prosthetic legs fall. With the help of guides, he picked himself up, brushed himself off and continued his 26.2 mile tour of New York City. Everyone cheered and clapped and urged him to keep going. Disabled athletes are inspiring. They do not let their disability get in the way of doing what they love.

After the wheelchair racers came through, a few people around me asked me if the elite women came through yet. "Not yet, but soon" I replied. Then we saw it, the police escort, the lead car, and the lead pack. I spotted Shalane Flanagan comfortably tucked in the pack. I would later find out that she would take 2nd in her debut marathon. Last year's winner, Derartu Tulu was not in the pack. She ran by a few minutes after the leaders. It was not her day.

Then it was time to wait again. More spectators filled 1st Avenue. They were anticipating the elite men. They were expecting to see world record holder Halie Gebrselassie and last year's New York City Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi at the front of the pack going stride for stride. I was shocked when I didn't Geb or Meb in the lead pack. I saw Meb and Ritz running together about 30 - 40 seconds behind the leaders but where was Geb? I learned from an iPad holding spectator next to me that he dropped out of the race at mile 16, which is just before entering Manhattan from Queens. Meb would finish 6th and Ritz 8th.

Then it got fun. First the local elites started trickling down 1st Avenue. I saw Brad and Kate, coaches from Wednesday night speed at Paragon Sports. The first of my friends that I saw was Dr. Lam. New York was his victory lap and homecoming after breaking 3:00 in Chicago a few weeks ago. He stopped to give me a high five and ran on. I had so many friends running the race that I knew I wasn't going to see all of them. Turns out I didn't see any of them after Lam. Not Elyssa, not Amy, Carlos, Joey, Erika, Sharon, Maria. Where was everyone? I realized that, because of the wave start, not everyone started at 10:00. I had to leave at 12:30 which meant they probably haven't hit Manhattan yet. Before I left, I managed to spot Bobby Flay. The only thing that differentiated him from the other 45,000 runners was the word "Bobby" on his bib instead of a number. Bobby would finish in 4:01:XX.

Even though I didn't see as many friends as I would have liked, it was still an amazing day. I had so much fun watching from the side. Spectating at any marathon is fun. If you haven't watched a marathon from the side, I highly suggest you do.

Congratulations to all of the finishers!

Did you think I wouldn't take any pictures?

I was standing next to a group supporting runners from Austria


The calm before the storm 1st Ave. at 10:00 am


Wheelchair Racers

Here's the aforementioned disabled runner who would fall, get up, and keep going

Lead women's race car. Just north of mile 18

Elite Women

Lead Car for the Elite Men. I was a few blocks south of mile 18

Meb and Ritz

2004 New York Marathon winner Hendrik Ramaala

Local Elites

Runners in Central Park. 2 miles to go

Look What I Picked Up at the NYC Marathon Expo

2010-11-07T21:27:00.000-05:00

A pair of size 12 of Newton Terra Momentus. Last Thursday I went to the New York City Marathon Expo at the Javits Center with 2 goals: 1) to catch up with some friends and 2) to try on some Newtons and hopefully make a purchase. I'm happy to report that I accomplished both goals. An impromptu Tweetup was arranged at the Newton booth for 6:00 p.m. It was great to see Elyssa, Daniel, Carlos, Lam, Brandon (who was working the Newton booth), Neil, and TK.

I tried on both the Sir Isaac and the Momentus and decided on the later. Brandon explained that both the Isaccs and the Momentus were build on the same chassis. The only difference is that since the Momentus is a trail shoe, it is sturdier and has a closed upper which will keep my feet warmer and drier. I was a bit skeptical buying a trail shoe but Brandon also explained that they run great on the road and on trails. I did notice the difference in weight but I liked the sturdiness of the Momentus over the lighter Sir Isaacs.

I plan on transitioning to the Newtons over the winter so I can be fully transitioned by the time I need to start training for my spring marathon. There will definitely be more written about once I start the transition. Stay tuned.

Kansas City Part II

2010-11-02T09:54:00.002-04:00

On my second day in Kansas City, Coach Jeff assigned me an "embarrassingly slow" run. Coach always says you need to teach the body to run slow before you can fast. Let me tell you something, running "embarrassingly slow" is not easy. These are the types of runs to work on form. It also afforded me the chance explore more of KC without having to worry about heart rate or pace.

My conference started at 8:15 so I didn't feel comfortable running in the dark in an unfamiliar city. After the conference, while most of my colleagues were rushing to the bars for happy hour, I rushed back to the hotel and changed into my running gear. Ryan couldn't meet up with me so I went to the 2nd best source of finding the safe and easy running routes, the hotel concierge. The Westin Crown Plaza was well prepared for my request. I didn't have to ask, the conceirge saw me dressed for a run and handed me this:

Front

Back

That's right, they handed me a handy dandy turn sheet with a 3 or 5 mile route. He then said, that I could also run through the Power and Light District and down to the banks of the Missouri River. It was an easy route, basically and out and back on Grand. The Power and Light District has a lot of nice sports bars and restaurants as well as the Sprint Center, which at one time was rumored to be the new home of the New York Islanders. Once past the Power and Light District, the run down to the rive was through a mainly industrial district with lots of warehouses. Once I reached the river, I turned around and ran back the same way towards my hotel.

I still had about 20 minutes left on my run so I decided to run the paths around the National World War One Memorial.The Memorial itself sits up on a big hill and I saw several runners doing hill repeats up there. It was a beautiful setting to finish up the run. The sun was setting, the Memorial was lit up, and the view of KC was amazing from the top of the hill.

This is what I love about running, you can do it just about anywhere. All you need are some shoes, a shirt and shorts/tights and you're set. It's a great way to explore a new city. Business travel is not a regular part of my job if I need to travel again, I will not hesitate to bring my running gear and use Twitter to reach out to my fellow runners.

Totals For October 2010

2010-11-01T19:30:00.009-04:00

Total Number of Runs: 13
Total Miles: 98.42
Total Time: 14:56:48

Average Distance: 7.57
Average Time: 1:08:59
Average Pace per Mile: 9:06

October featured my "A" race for the fall, the Paramus 10k. As I wrote in my race report, it's a bit unusual for an "A" race to be something other than a marathon or half marathon. I knocked my 10k out of the park setting a new PR of 45:22. The other highlight was meeting up with Ryan while I was in Kansas City, Missouri for work last week. If you find yourself in a new city, I whole heatedly recommend using social media to reaching out to fellow runners. What better way to explore a new city than with someone that lives there.

Coming up in November: a 5k to benefit my daughter's school scholarship fund and a 5 mile turkey trot on Thanksgiving.

Kansas City

2010-10-31T21:03:00.000-04:00

Last week I was in Kansas City, Missouri for a 2 1/2 day conference. In addition to my business casual attire, I packed my running gear and was excited to explore a new city. Problem was, I had no idea where to run or where the "sketchy" neighborhoods were. The only thing I knew about KC was that is bordered Kansas. Since I have no idea when then next time I'll find my in KC, I got this idea into my head that it would be fun to run across the state line from Missouri to Kansas. The questioned remained, how do I do it?

This is where the power of Twitter came into play. Ryan lives in KC so I sent him a Tweet asking if he wanted to meet up and show me around. He gladly obliged and we decided that Tuesday morning would be the best time to meet up. Ryan was nice enough to pick me up at my hotel and we drove to the start of a popular KC running route. We started off by running through the Plaza district. The shops and cafes in this part of KC had a very Spanish look to them Ryan mentioned that The Plaza was modeled after Seville, Spain. I immediately noticed that we had the entire sidewalk to ourselves. Ryan mentioned two things 1) most people in KC drive everywhere and 2) The Plaza will be packed later since it is mostly a shopping district. I commented, that there are very neighborhoods in NYC where you can run on the sidewalk unimpeded at 7:00 a.m.

From there we picked up the Trolley Track Trail. Ryan mentioned that this is where most of the KC running community goes to get their miles in. I expected to see lots of runners getting their miles in before work. For the most part, Ryan and I had the trail to ourselves. Every so often we would see a fellow runner but for the most part it was pretty empty. Ryan mentioned that the trail is usually pretty crowded in the evening. During the run we chatted about running, race plans for 2011 (Ryan's are much more ambitious than mine), the New York City Marathon, Coach Jeff (we both train with him), and who knows what else.

After an out and back on the Trolley Trail, we hit some of KC's hills. Anyone who thought that KC was flat because it's in the Midwest and surrounded by prairies, is sorely mistaken. There are some serious hills in KC. After we crested the final hill and ran down the other side, we stopped and Ryan said, "here we are." "Where?" I asked. "Kansas" he replied. Really???? I was expecting one of those signs you see on the Interstate that said "Welcome to Kansas." No such luck, all I saw was this:

I was slightly disappointed that there was no sign. Ryan mentioned that since people travel between Kansas and Missouri almost every day, it's not a big deal. I travel to New York every day and there's a sign on the George Washington Bridge that says "Welcome to New York." Just today, Mrs. Ansky and I drove to Rockland County, NY and there was sign. No sign between Missouri and Kansas? WTF? At least I have this:

Anyway...we finished up our run and Ryan drove me back to my hotel. I thanked him for showing me around and we parted ways. Should you find yourself in a new city, I highly recommend trying to meet up with someone you may only know virtually. It's a fun experience and what better way to find the good running sport than from someone who lives there?

Question: How do you learn about the good running spots in a new city?

I've Made a Decision

2010-10-23T21:16:00.000-04:00

A few posts back, I mentioned the possibility of running the ING Miami Marathon. At the time there was a possibility that we might be in South Florida for a family vacation. Well, after much "should we" "shouldn't we" with Mrs. Ansky, we decided that this is not the best year for me to run Miami. We've been pushing off some home improvement projects and we need to use the money to fix a few things around the house rather than fun in the sun. There are also some other expenses coming down the pike and we don't want to overextend ourselves. Going to Florida would involve 3 plane tickets, a rental car, food, activities to entertain Lil Ansky, and a hotel room in Miami.

Am I bummed? Of course, but I am OK with it. In the meantime, I'll close out my 2010 racing season with a 5k on Nov. 14 to benefit my daughter's school's scholarship fund and a 5 mile Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. After that I will go into maintenance mode until it's time to start training for a spring marathon. I have a few races in mind, but there is no rush sign up. I'll also take time over the winter to improve my running form and transition to Newtons.

Race Report: 32nd Annual Terri Roemer Paramus Run

2010-10-17T21:29:00.001-04:00

It's been about 18 months since I last raced a 10k. My current 10k PR was 49:47 which I set in May 2008 at the Ridgewood Run. In fact, this blog didn't exist at the time. My goal for the 2010 Paramus 10k was simple, a shiny new PR.

I'll admit it's hard to consider a 10k an "A" race when all of my friends have run will be running fall marathons. With all of the Jewish holidays and other social obligations, I simply did not have time to devote to the marathon. So I targeted today's 10k as the race I was going to train hard for.

The first mile took us out of the Paramus Park parking lot and on to the residential streets of Paramus. I wanted to run the race by feel and pay more attention to my heart rate than to the mile clocks on the course. The first challenging part of the course came between miles 2 and 3. There was hill followed by short flat followed by another small hill. My pace slowed slightly but I was able to recover well. Right around mile 5 there was another small hill which again slowed me slight but I was able to recover. From there it was downhill to flat to the finish. Once I made the final turn onto From road I could see the finish line in the distance. I knew I had a new PR well in hand the only question is by how much. I tried to find my finishing kick but I just couldn't muster the strength to move my legs faster. So I held my pace and crossed the line in 45:22, which translates to a 7:18 average pace and a shiny new 10k PR by about 4:30.

I don't know about you, but I find the 5k and the 10k very difficult distances to race. I either go out too fast and bonk at the end or go out to slow and find myself trying to make up time later in the race. I find it hard to hit settle into a pace that's fast enough to PR without feeling like my heart is going to jump out my chest. I think I ran a very good race today. I might have gone out a little too fast but I adjusted quickly to a pace that I could maintain for the remainder of the distance.

Next up: Nov. 14 - a 5k to benefit my daughter's school's scholarship fund
Nov 25: 5 mile Turkey Trot in Congers NY

I don't have any updates about Miami. Mrs. Ansky and I are still trying to hash out some details. I need to decide to soon so I can start training in earnest. Stay tuned......

I'm Getting an Itch.....

2010-10-10T18:53:00.003-04:00

and it's getting harder and harder not to scratch. That itch is to run another marathon. Up until very recently I was not ready to start training for another 26.2 journey. I was enjoying running for the sake of running and not having to worry about training, workouts, pacing, or racing. Then the weather got cooler, I started training in earnest with Coach Jeff, and many of my friends are tuning-up for their fall marathons. Then today, I spent a good deal of the morning watching the live stream of the Chicago Marathon (thanks NBCChicago.com) and tracking my friends as they made their way around The Windy City. I started to get excited. With Marine Corps and New York City only weeks away and Philadelphia soon after that, that excitement is here to stay.

My original plan was to run marathon #5 in the spring of 2011. Vermont and Providence were on my short list. But......that may change. Nothing is definite yet but there's a chance the Anskys will be in South Florida for a family vacation at the end of January. There are still several details to hash out but if the vacation materializes, my next marathon will be the

Like I said, it's not definite yet. I hope to know more in the next few weeks. Stay tuned......

Totals for September 2010

2010-10-03T09:00:00.001-04:00

Total Number of Runs: 11
Total Miles: 90.46
Total Time: 13:21:44

Average Distance per Run: 8.22
Average Time: 1:12:53
Average Pace: 8:51/mile

The Jewish holiday "season" dominated September. Although it's a hectic time of year, I enjoyed quality time with family and good friends with lots of good food and single malt scotch. Needless to say, running took a back seat and I was pleased with whatever miles I was able to get in. Now that my holidays are over, I look forward to restoring a sense of normalcy (is there really such thing.). That means regular work weeks, getting back to a normal diet, Lil Ansky having more than 10 school days in a month, and running a least 4 days per week. Next up for me is the Terri Roemer Paramus Run (I'm running the 10k) on October 17.

Race Report: Newport Liberty Half Marathon

2010-09-27T09:08:00.000-04:00

When I signed up for the Newport Liberty Half Marathon in Jersey City, NJ the goal was to pace a friend to his first sub-2:00 half marathon. His training was progressing well throughout the summer and into September and I thought he should be able to accomplish his goal. A few days ago he texted me that he just finished a 7.2 mile run at an 8:30ish average pace. I thought to myself "he has this in the bag!"

Heading to the race, my friend was not feeling confident. The first 2 days of Sukkot followed by Shabbat just ended. This means 2 things 1) no running for 3 days and 2) taking part in many festive meals with large amounts of food usually served with wine or scotch. I told him to trust the work he's put in and that I would run all 13.1 miles with him to get him across in under 2 hours.

Everything was going well for the first 4 miles. We were on a consistent 9:05 pace and everyone was feeling fine. At mile 5, my friend mentioned that he wasn't sure if he had it today and that I should go ahead and we'd catch up at the finish line. I felt bad so I asked him one more time if he was sure I should go ahead before I took off. He told me to go, so I did. After pacing at a 9:05 pace for 5 miles, I knew I couldn't PR so I took off at a comfortably hard pace. Liberty State Park offered some amazing views of The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Lower Manhattan. It was not hard not to look around and enjoy them. We exited the park between miles 10 and 11and I tried to pick up the pace even more since we were back on wider streets. The wind started to pick up when we made the turn towards the waterfront. Rather than fighting it, I maintained my effort until I made the final turn towards the finish line. I crossed the line 1:54:38 (8:45ish avg. pace). I'm happy with the effort considering I spent 5 miles pacing at 9:05.

As for my friend, he finished in 2:02:35. He came close to accomplishing his goal. I think with a little more training and attention to nutrition and hydration he'll finally be able to run his sub-2:00 half.

Old Race Bibs Make Great Sukkah Decorations

2010-09-19T20:19:00.000-04:00

Four days after Yom Kippur is the festival of Sukkot. One of the primary requirements of the 8 day festival is to eat your meals in a Sukkah. The Torah says:

"You shall live in booths seven days; all citizens in Israel shall live in booths, in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt." (Leviticus 23:42-43).

We eat in a temporary structure so that we remember how our ancestors lived while traveling through the desert after their exodus from Egpyt. Some Torah commentators give another reason for eating outside. They say that we leave the comfort of our homes to remind us that ultimately G-D is our protector. Just like He protected the Israelites in the desert, so too He protects us in modern times.

Anyway....one of the fun parts of preparing for the holiday is to decorate the sukkah. Usually, our sukkah is decorated with plastic fruit, wind chimes, and some projects that Lil Ansky made when she was younger. This year, I added a more personal touch to the sukkah by hanging some old race bibs.

Chag Sameach!

Yom Kippur 5771

2010-09-17T08:40:00.000-04:00

Yom Kippur begins tonight at Sundown. It is considered the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. Starting tonight at sundown, I will be spending the next 25 hours fasting and in synagogue praying. It is customary before Yom Kippur to ask forgiveness for any wrongdoings I committed during the past year.

In that spirit....Please forgive me for anything that I may have to done to hurt, embarrass, or upset you. I will try to do better in 5771. May you be inscribed for a year of health, peace, and prosperity.

New Fruit Fail

2010-09-12T19:31:00.000-04:00

One of the many customs of Rosh Hashana is to eat a "new fruit," meaning a fruit that has recently come into season that we have not had the opportunity to eat yet. For many years my parents would buy figs or dates. Other new fruits included star fruit, guava, papaya, persimmon, and pomegranate. So after we made kiddush (the traditional blessing over wine) and hamotzei (the traditional blessing over bread), my mom brought out the new fruits for 5771. We usually play a game and try and identify them. No one in the family, not even my dad who is a biology teacher succeeded. The first one looked like this:

Can you guess what it is? Give up? It's a Mamey, also known as a memey sapota. It is grown primarily in Mexico and other Central American countries. When ripe it's taste most resembles a combination of pumpkin, sweet potato, and maraschino cherries. Unfortunately for us, this mamey was not ripe. It was impossible to peel and slice. When I bit into it, it was chalky and tasted like bathroom spray.

The second fruit looked like this:

Any idea what this one is? It's a quince. A quince is a relative of the apple and pear and mainly found in Asia and the Mediterranean. Unbeknownst to us, a quince is not eaten raw because of it high tannin content. It's best used in jams, jellies, and preserves.

I give the Paramus Fairway Market for showcasing exotic fruits that can be used as new fruits for Rosh Hashana. However, I also blame them for this year's new fruit fail. If you're going to showcase exotic fruits that most of have never seen, it would have been nice to include some signage about how to pick a ripe mamey or let us know that the quince should not be eaten raw.

9 Years Ago Today

2010-09-11T22:16:00.000-04:00

19 hijackers took control of 4 planes. The hijackers flew 2 of the planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Ailines Flight 175 into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center. American Airlines Flight 77 was flown into the Pentagon. United Airlines Flight 93 crashed near Shanksville, PA.

I exited the A Train station at Broaway-Nassau St. as I usually do to what I hoped to be a fairly routine day at the office. As I got closer to the street I noticed a large group of people congregating on the corner looking up at a burning WTC tower. As we all stood there in shock, a 2nd plane crashed into the 2nd WTC tower.

I still carry that image with me. It's that image that still causes me to freak out when I see low flying planes. It's that image that still causes me to freak out at the sound of fireworks. Every day as I commute to and from work via the Lincoln Tunnel, my heart races praying that my bus makes it out safely.

It is because of that day that I make an effort to tell my family how much they mean to me and how much I appreciate them. It is because of that day that I try to do more acts of kindness and be a better person.

Never Forget

Shana Tova! aka Am I Ready For Rosh Hashana?

2010-09-07T20:07:00.000-04:00

That's the question Michelle asked me today. The conversation went something like this:

Me: "Well, the meatballs are made. Mentally and spiritually I'm definitely not ready."

Michelle: "How do you get ready mentally and spiritually?"

Me: "Honestly, I'm still figuring it out myself."

See, the Jewish High Holy Days begin tomorrow night. That's right Rosh Hashana begins tomorrow night at sundown. The High Holy Days are thought of as a time for introspection, to renew one's relationship with the Creator, and to think of ways to improve in the coming year (5771). To help get us in the "mood" we start saying Selichot prayers at least 4 days before Rosh Hashana to start asking forgiveness for our transgressions in 5770. During the 2 days of Rosh Hashana (Thursday and Friday), I will spend more time than usual in synagogue asking G-d to forgive us and to pray for a successful, healthy and peaceful new year.

Not all Jews observe the holiday like do. Some simply don't work and spend time with their family and/or friends and talk about all of the happy, and, not so happy moments of 5770. For those that must work or can't make it to services, JewsOnline is streaming all important High Holiday services on it's website.

So to answer your question Michelle, no, I'm not ready! You would think that after so many years of observing the holiday, I would know exactly what to do to prepare. But I don't. The day to day aspects my life take over and BOOM! next thing I know it's Rosh Hashana. I don't have much time now. All I can do is concentrate on my prayers, hope to be inspired by the Rabbi's sermon, be kind to others, enjoy quality time with my family, and hope that a favorable fate is sealed for me on Yom Kippur.

May 5771 be a year of peace, health, happiness, and prosperity!
Shana Tova U'Metukah! (that's Hebrew for "have a happy and sweet new year.")

Happy Belated Blogiversay

2010-09-07T13:26:00.000-04:00

I'm a bad blogger! For the 2nd year in a row, I missed my blogiversary. RunAnskyRun turned 2 on September 5.

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-06T21:58:00.000-04:00

The theme of Labor Day weekend 2010 was family time.

Sunday
I've been nudging my dad and brother to come with me to a Yankee game for a while.Well our schedules finally aligned and we were able to go to Sunday's game against Toronto. Also joining us were Lil Ansky and my niece. My dad really enjoyed spending time with his two sons and two granddaughters. We brought food from home to avoid eating too much junk but it's hard to avoid it all together. We all shared a bag of popcorn, my brother and I had a beer each (at $9.00 per beer it's hard on the wallet to have more than 1). Later in the game, Lil Ansky and my niece shared a helmet cup ice cream. Despite the Yankees loss we all had a good time.

Monday
Mrs. Ansky had to work, so I had Lil Ansky all to myself. I decided to run long today. My assigned run was 2:15 in zone 2 with 3 minute surges every 20 minutes. The run was going really well until my right hammy tightened up about 1:45 into the run. I ran a few more minutes so I'd be closer to home and stopped at 1:51. I don't think it's anything serious but I spent some time tonight on the foam roller and stretching it out.

Lil Ansky and I had a lazy morning at home. I had some "grown up" stuff to do, pay some bills, take care of some synagogue business, etc...Finally after lunch, we decided to go out and enjoy the beautiful weather and play some mini-golf. We went to a "Joizy" themed course in Paramus and a blast. Here are some of our favorite holes.

Lady Liberty

George Washington Bridge

Jersey Shore, no Snooki or Situation here. The next hole was the "Boardwalk" hole complete with sand and amusement games.

"E-Zpass" heading back on the Garden State Parkway to North Jersey from the shore

Abbot and Costello hole, both were born in NJ. Abbot in Asbury Park and Costello in Patterson

Because it was such a nice day, the staff allowed us to play a second time for free. Today would not have been complete without a visit to the local ice cream truck. It's nice that they pointed out which of the products were kosher.They know their customers.

Fortunately for me, this one was.

I hope everyone enjoyed the unofficial end of summer.

Totals for August 2010

2010-09-01T12:30:00.000-04:00

Total Number of Runs: 19
Total Distance: 109.62 miles
Total Time: 15:20:26

Average Distance: 5.77 miles
Average Time: 50:01
Average Pace: 8:40/mi

August was a weird month. I finally got my asthma under control but I also got sick and it took me at least 10 days to fully recover. I ran, not raced the Bronx Half Marathon and had fun doing it. September will be challenging because of my holiday "season." Not including Shabbat, there are 6 other days where I won't run. I am running the Newport Liberty Half Marathon on September 26. I am not too worried about missing additional days since I am racing this for a PR. Rather I'll be pacing a friend to what should be his first sub-2:00 half marathon.

Fall Plans

2010-08-22T19:16:00.000-04:00

Many of you have been asking me what fall race I'm training for. Well, I finally figured that out myself. I am not running a fall marathon this year. The Jewish holiday "season" starts very soon after Labor Day and runs (no pun intended) through the first weekend of October. Similar to the Sabbath there are days during that time where I do not run. Instead I will be spending a lot of time in synagogue reflecting on the past year (5770) and praying for a successful, happy, and healthy 5771. Once my holidays are over we have several Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations to attend. Some of these start with services in synagogue in Sunday morning followed by a reception. To make a long story short, I simply do not have time this fall to devote to the marathon.

So what are my plans?

On September 26 I will be running the Newport Liberty Half Marathon in Jersey City, NJ. I will not be running this race for myself. Rather I will be pacing a friend to what will be his first sub-2:00 half marathon.
A few weeks later on October 17, I will be running the Terri Roemer Paramus Run. I'll be running the 10k. It's been a while since I raced a 10k and I'm hoping for a new 10K PR. There are also kids races so I hope to bring Lil Ansky with me and run with her after my 10k.
November 14 is the annual 5k to benefit the scholarship program at my daughter's school. I have to be at this race. The 5k is my least favorite distance but I have to participate.
I'll probably close out my 2010 racing season with a Turkey Trot. The past 2 years I've run the Dick Meighan Memorial 5k in Upper Saddle River, NJ. Like I just said, I'm not the biggest fan of the 5k, so I'm also considering the Rockland Road Runners Thanksgiving Day 5 Mile Turkey Trot.

I'm looking forward to all of these races. I can definitely train well for them and enjoy my holidays. I've already started to give some thought to my spring 2011 marathon which I'll share in a future post.

Race Report: Bronx Half Marathon

2010-08-15T21:19:00.000-04:00

When I wrote my last post, I still wasn't sure if I'd be running the half today. I was still feeling sluggish and very congested. I woke up Saturday morning feeling a heck of a lot better. Mrs. Ansky noticed too and asked if I was thinking about running. The scales were definitely tipping more in favor of running but I still wasn't sure if my body could handle it. Then I remembered something that Diane tweeted at me Friday. She said running does not always have to be about training and racing and that it's OK to run just for fun without the pressure of training for a goal race. So by the time Shabbat ended, I decided that I would run, not race the Bronx Half Marathon. I would go up there with 2 goals 1) to finish and 2) to have fun.

What I enjoyed most about this race was being able to run through a neighborhood I wouldn't necessarily frequent. The course was strange in the sense that it was a series of out and backs on Mosholu Parkway and Grand Concourse. The miles on the Grand Concourse almost ate me up. I think at one point I even said to myself "this isn't fun anymore." I was feeling fine, nothing hurt, I hadn't coughed up a lung, it was just something about the Grand Concourse rubbed me the wrong way. At mile 11, I saw Erika and we ran the last 2 miles together. I crossed the line in 1:56:11 (8:56/mile) and I felt great. I ran for the sake of running. I had no time goals, no training plan to follow, I was simply there to run 13.1 miles in the Bronx on in incredibly beautiful summer morning.

Mission Accomplished!

Quick Update

2010-08-13T17:30:00.001-04:00

It's been a rough week since my trip to Six Flag Great Adventure last Wednesday. The next morning I woke and I felt totally zonked. I was hoping to run but I could not get out of bed. As I went through the day, I was really sluggish. I thought I had some heat exhaustion from spending so much outside in the sun the day before. No big deal, I took Thursday as an extra rest day and laid out my clothes for a Friday morning run.

Friday morning arrived and again I woke up feeling zonked and sluggish. I didn't run and hoped that I restful Shabbat would lift me up for a Sunday morning long run. I woke up Shabbat (Saturday) morning and I felt like I got hit by a bus. Sinus congestion, aches, sweats, chills, fever, I had it all. Same thing on Sunday. Monday I felt a little better was I was still very congested and somewhat feverish. Of course by the time I got to the doc later that day my fever had broken. He suggested I introduce myself to the Neti Pot (more on this in a separate post) to flush out my sinuses.

I did run Wednesday and Thursday and felt OK. Not great, but I didn't cough up any lungs. Right now I'm debating if I should run the Bronx Half on Sunday. This virus took a lot out me and my last long run was 2 weeks. Do I think I can finish, yes, will I PR, definitely, not.

Observations From Six Flags Great Adventure

2010-08-06T17:00:00.000-04:00

This past Wednesday we spent the day at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ. I'm not much of a thrill seeker but, after some arm twisting from Mrs. and Lil Ansky, I did try a new ride, Skull Mountain. Turns out it wasn't that bad. Think the Runaway Mine Train or Thunder Mountain but in the dark. No big drops, just lots of rapid twists and turns.

Spending a lot of time in line or walking around is the perfect opportunity to people watch. Here is a snippet of what I saw:

Lots of overweight parents with overweight children. I kid you not, we witnessed a ride operator take someone off the ride because the safety bar would not close. Needless to say, this individual was not happy and starting yelling and screaming at the ride operator and threatening a law suit. Sorry buddy, rules are rules. If you are so overweight that the safety bar can't close or you can't fit into the ride, then you can't be on it.
It is easier to eat unhealthy than healthy. Almost all amusement parks make it easy to make poor eating choices. Funnel cakes, nachos, big pretzels, pizza, burgers, candy, OH MY! Wait....I forgot about the really big sodas with $0.99 refills. You buy the big cup at the beginning of the day and you can refill it for only $0.99! I think there was one out of the way place where you could buy a salad.

Mrs. Ansky and I are not the type of parents to 100% not indulge nor do we not allow Lil Ansky to have a treat. She enjoyed her Dippin Dots ice cream and a lemonade but she knows better not to ask for the big soda. Since we are kosher, we cannot eat most of the food in the park. Last year, there was a kosher food provide, but for whatever reason there was none this year. Usually we make PB&J but we decided to switch things up and make some Dr. Praeger's Fish Fillets I also had some leftover salmon croquettes that Lil Ansky ate. We also had plenty of fresh fruit, almonds, and granola bars. I also prepared a homemade pizza with lots of fresh veggies for the trip home.

The Mrs. and I were also surprised by the way kids were dressed. We saw plenty of normally dressed parents and their children (not 16-18 year olds, I'm talking between ages 10 -14) were dressed in, shall we say, in less than flattering clothes. Maybe I'm old fashioned or too conservative for current society but there is no way I would ever let Lil Ansky leave the house in some of the outfits on display on Wednesday.

Despite the heat, we had a great day!

Feeling Better

2010-08-04T08:00:00.001-04:00

If you've been reading this blog regularly, you'll know that July was a struggle for me. It was on of the warmest Julys in NYC Tri-State history. My asthma has been out of control making any type of run difficult and deflating. Thanks to Amy, I saw an asthma specialist who is also a runner and triathlete. My primary care doc is specialized in pulmonary medicine. While he is a very good doctor, he's not athlete and I found it difficult to talk to him about my running. Anyway....I had a great visit with this new doc. He understood my struggles and which types of workouts trigger my asthma more than others. After 2 breathing tests and talking about my current medications, The doc decided that my current daily maintenance medications (Advair HFA and Singulair) did not need adjusting. He put me on a prednisone blast to reduce the inflammation and prescribed a new rescue inhaler (Xopenex instead of Ventolin) that I should also use before a run. He also suggested that I take my harder workouts, i.e., inside to the treadmill until cooler weather arrives.

Then something funny happened. For at least this past week, the mornings have been much cooler. This past week (the one ending this past Sunday) was the best week of running I've had in a while. I nailed last Tuesday's track workout (2 x 3200), my recovery runs were at a comfortable 8:35 pace and my 5 mile tempo run (which I did on the TM) was at 7:45 pace. The icing on the cake came this past Sunday when I joined up with the NYRR Long Training Run for 11 miles at 8:30 pace. Everything about the run felt good. I fueled and hydrated well, I didn't struggle on the hills, and I had some kick left at the end for a faster finish.

It's good to be feeling better and to be running in some cooler weather. I'm noticing it's still slightly dark when I leave at 5:30 a.m. I hope that means that cooler weather is right around the corner.

Totals For July 2010

2010-08-02T12:30:00.001-04:00

Total # of Runs: 18
Total Miles:115.67
Total Time: 16:26:03

Average Distance: 6.43
Average Time: 54:46
Average Pace per Mile: 8:31/mile

Even though my average pace was good, I felt like July was a struggle. July 2010 was one of the hottest in the NYC Tri-State area on record. My asthma was out of control and my long runs were hot, sweaty, and slow. The end of July yielded some cooler mornings which made track and tempo workouts easier and more enjoyable. Hopefully cooler weather is right around the corner.

From the Archives: Preparing for a Day of Fasting

2010-07-19T08:30:00.001-04:00

From sundown Monday until sundown on Tuesday I will be observing the Jewish day of fasting called Tisha B'Av. Translated, Tisha B'Av means the 9th day of the month of Av. While not as holy as Yom Kippur, Tisha B'Av is a sad and solemn day on the Jewish Calendar. We mourn the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem, the first by the Babylonians in 586 BCE and the second by the Romans in 70 CE.

I will not be working on Tuesday instead, I will spend some time in synagogue praying and reciting mournful poems (called dirges). While I am home I am allowed to use the air conditioner in my house. Not eating and drinking for 25 hours is hard, especially when it's hot out. But there is a way to prepare so the fast is not unbearable. I've re-posted this article several times since I've started this blog usually right before Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish Calendar and Tisha B'Av. I'll re-post it here with some modifications for this year.

To learn more about Tisha B'Av, click here.
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Preparing for a Day of Fasting

A question I hear over and over again from co-workers and others who have never fasted for 25 hours is "how do you prepare for a fast?" Over the years, I've figured out what and how to eat the day before the fast. As a runner, I couldn't help but notice some similarities between the way I prepare for a fast and the way I fuel for a long run or marathon.

It may come as no surprise that the main component of a pre fast meal is complex carbohydrates. A group of Israeli doctors studied 5 men and 8 women between the ages of 19 and 64, all healthy. All spent their fasts indoors and staying mostly in air-conditioned rooms. The researchers wanted to know whether the discomfort of a food-and-water fast could be influenced by the composition of the pre-fast meal, and if so, what basic nutritional components would promote the easiest fasting. Their findings, summarized below, were published in the September issue of the Israel Medical Association Journal.

They found that the protein-rich meal created most discomfort and side effects during the fast. Weight and blood pressure decreased at the end of the fasts that followed each of the three types of meals, and heart rates increased after the high-fat and high-carbohydrate meals but not after the protein meal. There was a 40 percent increase in blood urea nitrogen and more excretion of sodium and creatinine after the high-fat meal and least after the high-carbohydrate meal.

Water is better conserved when one eats a meal high in complex carbohydrates, such as rice, pasta, beans, and other pulses. When protein breaks down, however, more water is excreted as urine to eliminate nitrogenous metabolic products from the body. (source article: Jerusalem Post, September 25, 2001)

Now that I've mentioned some scientific findings, here is how I will be preparing for the fast:

During the day:

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
I ate a substantial breakfast of cereal , fruit, and whole wheat toast
I will eat a light lunch in order to save my appetite for the pre fast meal

Pre Fast Meal:

Potato soup. This is one of my favorite soups. It is a hearty, "stick to you bones" kind of soup. Soup is also hydrating and filling.
Israeli Couscous
Grilled Salmon. On Yom Kippur I ate chicken. We eat fish before Tisha B'Av because it is forbidden to eat meat or poultry between the first day of Av and Tisha B'Av. The reason is that during this time the sacrifices and wine libations in the Holy Temple ceased.
Assorted steamed veggies

Since I am not a coffee drinker, I do not have to worry about caffeine withdrawal. If you do drink coffee, start cutting back a few days before the fast. Also, do not drink alcohol with your pre-fast meal since alcohol causes your body to get rid of water.

Lastly, I wanted to briefly mention the post fast meal. The key here is not to eat too quickly. I usually start with a glass of orange juice. The tradition in my family is to eat cold noodles with cottage cheese. My dad and wife like to include cinnamon.

"One who mourns Jerusalem will merit to see her happiness, as the verse (Isaiah 66:10) promises: 'Rejoice with her greatly, all who mourn for her'"—Talmud Taanit 30b.

More of the Same

2010-07-18T21:23:00.000-04:00

Today was another hazy, hot, and humid summer day in the Tri-State Area. Temperatures at 6:00 a.m. were in the low 70s but with the heat index it felt like 85. I ran the same route I last week, an out and back to the Oradell Reservoir. This time, I kept things slow and, instead of focusing on pace, I focused on good form. This strategy helped but I still felt deflated at the end. Even several hours after the run, I felt woozy and sluggish.

Someone on Facebook asked why I don't just run on a treadmill inside where it's air conditioned. 1) I don't have one at home, 2) I do belong to a gym but there's no way they'd allow me to hoard a treadmill for hours, and 3) I'm not sure what's worse, running long outside in the heat or on the treadmill where the only thing to look at a TV screen showing the same episode of SportsCenter over and over.

What bothers me more is that this extreme heat is affecting family plans. We talked about going to Governor's Island or the Bronx Zoo but when we heard that a heat advisory was in effect all day, we scrapped those plans and Mrs. and Lil Ansky went bowling. We didn't think it was good idea to be walking around outside for several hours in the heat.

I've had enough!

Is It Winter Yet?

2010-07-12T19:30:00.000-04:00

I know I'm not the only one Tweeting, blogging, and Facebooking about how the summer heat is affecting our running and overall state of mind. I, for one, had enough. I haven't had a quality week of running in about 3 weeks. Every run, including those indoors on the treadmill, has been a struggle.

Last Wednesday, I went up to the company gym for some mile repeats. Even with the AC on at full blast, it was still incredibly stuffy in there. I set the treadmill to a 6:53 pace, which is about 5 - 10 seconds slower than usual. I thought I was going die. I started wheezing and couldn't get enough air into my lungs. After I recovered, I decided to slow the treadmill down to a 7:08 pace for the next one. A little better but it felt harder than it should have. I got through 3 intervals and called it quits.

Yesterday's long run was another disaster. I left the house at 6:15 a.m. and wanted to run for 2 hours. At first, I felt pretty good and I thought I was in store for a solid long run. Wishful thinking. Once the sun came up over the horizon, the wheels came off. The last 3 miles of my run were 9:19, 8:59, and 8:59. I drained 40 ounces of fluid on what ended being as 12.56 mile run. Usually 40oz. lasts me 15 - 18 miles.

After the Van Cortland 2 x 2 mile relay last Thursday, I was chatting with Amy about running with asthma. She mentioned that her asthma is worse in the winter months when the air is drier. I am the exact opposite. My asthma is much worse during the summer when it's hotter and more humid. Even with 2 puffs of Albuterol, speed and tempo workouts are tough. I simply cannot get enough air into my lungs. In the cooler weather, the inhaler gets put away (I still take my daily maintenance medicine).

The other thing we both mentioned is that, during the winter, if you are dressed properly, you should not feel cold. If you get warm, you can always take off a layer. When it's 90 and 90% humidity, you can be running naked and there's very little you can do to feel cooler. I know plenty of you that, despite the complaints about the heat, prefer it to the cold. For me, winter cannot come soon enough.