Oh What a Day!

Have you ever gone walking through the mall with your terrible two year old and had a scout walk up to you and ask you if you've ever thought about having him model, and because you were already regretting that $10 toy that will break as soon as you get home, which you were conned into buying him to delay an inevitable temper tantrum, you are struck with a little flattery but mostly the thought that this little rascal should start earning his keep, so you temporarily loose your noggin, forget to ask the most obvious question(s) and sign him up for an "audition"?

I have one word for you. "Don't!" If you need more info, just click here and read some of the consumer reports.

No, I did not pay them any money. I am not THAT naive.

I just spent an entire day trekking my son through 33-43 MPH winds to Long Island, then sitting in a dingy waiting room with about 50 other mall walkers and their kids of every age in a room that smelled like throw-up only to be asked for $1200, then told that I could have a discount and only pay $300 because my kid has the kind of looks that are high in demand.

The lady that gave me the sales pitch, looked like she was probably an applicant on America's Next Top Model 10 years ago and has spent her time since then sniffing coke and has added on a layer of makeup every time she has sniffed for the past 10 years and never taken any of it off.

When I replied that I could not pay any money whatsoever, she apparently gave me the standard reply, that they only do casting once a year, but then said if I needed 6 months to come up with the money, of course they could make an exception for me because what's that, oh yes my kid has looks that are high in demand.

On the way home, I had a moment of extreme anger at myself, at the world, at everything as I stood there in the wind (which you really feel when you're standing in an open place about 4-6 stories off the ground), trying to wrap my coat around my shivering toddler.

But at the end of the day, I couldn't be mad. E-man had a blast. It was an adventure, it was something other than staying home, watching tv.

He loved riding the train. On the way there, he sat and looked out the window as we passed each little Long Island Town on the way to Hicksville (scam operation headquarters).

He laughed as I ran him in his mini-stroller down the long streets.

While we waited our turn to be scammed, he walked around and entertained all the kids and parents, sharing his toys and snacks, copying the parents when they would point their finger at their kids. He really had me laughing when he told this one kid to say thank you after he gave him a bag of pretzels and when the kid didn't, he rolled his eyes and walked away like, "I just can't even deal with your right now."

He was quite the entertainment in that room.

When we visited with our scam rep, he sat with his elbows on the table and listened with a serious look on his face and then when I said it was time to go, he said ok, got up and walked out.

On the way home, he rested his head on my arm and went to sleep. Then when it was time to get off the train, he got into his stroller without complaining. He was really quite the perfect little child.

I was proud of my little boy and how well he took it all.

I was ready to pitch a fit, but I had to follow his good example.

When Wrong is So Right

Sometimes before a run, you do everything right and still have a terrible run. Other times you do everything wrong and have a great run.

Today I did everything wrong. Of all things to eat before a run, I ate two hot dogs dripped in mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise. If my dad knew that's what I put on my hot dog, it would be the last straw, he would disown me.

Anyway, regardless of what I put on my hot dog, (oh did I mention it was stuffed with cheese?) two hot dogs right before the run are just asking for all kinds of stomach problems. I felt sick just thinking about running as I was eating this.

But the minute I stepped foot outside, I just wanted to run.

I had one of the best runs today! It was 50 degrees, I was running in capris and a short-sleeved shirt, it was my first run with E-man in Central Park in months! Oh and I had these hot pink socks on from Road Runner Sports that made me feel like I was running through the clouds!

I kept thinking of the hot dogs during my run and laughing. You see, whenever I have a really great run, I always go back and analyze everything I did to try to figure out what made it so good so I can do it again.

One time I ate lentil soup the night before a long run and I had a great run. I thought lentil soup sounded really healthy and that must have been why it was so good. So I started eating lentil soup before my runs. But I didn't seem to be able to recreate that great run I had the first time I ate the lentil soup.

So today I decided this, sometimes it doesn't mater what you do or don't do. Some runs are just better than others, and analyzing it will only take away from it. So I'm done analyzing. It was a great run and I am happy with that!

Ode to Spring

Dear Spring,

How long will you stay away?

Yesterday I thought I heard you coming in the sound of birds chirping, but nope, it turned out it was just the creaking of my door hinge.

Then I thought I heard you coming in the smell of dirt ready to be planted with flowers and vegetables, but nope, it was the smell of yet another blizzard.

I wanted to put my son in the jogging stroller and hang out in the park, but your warmth neglected us and instead the cold winds of winter blew us back inside.

I am aching from the lack of Vitamin D that your sun provides.

I am tired of looking at these four lime green walls and of being climbed on by my toddler. I need the green of your grass for my son to run free in.

I am sick of looking for short-term replacements of your vigor in doses of fattening chocolate.

I venture out in search of you, but I am rewarded by nothing but colds and coughs.

I am weary from trying to stay strong in your absence.

Come Spring, free us with your warmth and sunshine before I go insane under the heavy ice of these cold, dark days of winter.

Love,
One of Your Many Fans

My New Training Schedule

I love my new training schedule!

I had to cancel the Key West 50 mile ultra this May due to financial and time restraints. Would you believe, these wonderful people gave me all my money back and said they hoped to see me there next year, and that is what I am hoping for too.

Now I'm focusing on the 24 hour Lone Ranger in July.

The Lone Ranger feels like the perfect ultra for me this year. Some of the reasons I am so excited about this race are:

1) It’s much closer in location, so won’t cost as much to get there.

2) One of my best running buddies in the whole wide world is planning on coming to this event, and I have a feeling I will be able to talk a few more of my best running buddies into coming.

3) You run around this beautiful 8 mile loop in Philly as many times as you feel like and are able to in 24 hours and when you’re not running, you are camping out under the stars with a bunch of other runners.


4) I know what to expect. I got to pace for my friend Tara last year when she ran this race, so I have an idea of what to expect.

5) Something about running for 24 hours, even though that is much longer than the average 9-11 hours it would take to run 50 miles, sounds like less to commit to than running 50 miles.

I don’t know if it’s that I’m learning I would much prefer distance than speed, so the longer the distance, it always sounds more attractive than running at a certain speed, or if it’s that I have two more months to train for it, or what.

What I do know is that when I wrote out my training schedule, I was even more excited about running this race. This is my kind of training schedule.

Instead of saying what I will do in mileage every day for the next 162 days, I have planned my weekly mileage from now ‘till the race. How I get that weekly mileage in is up to me, I just have two rules that I’m following.

I won’t increase my overall weekly mileage by more than 10% from one week to the next and my longest run will not exceed 50% of my mileage for that week.

In addition, I have given myself a basic template for the week. Monday is hill training. Tuesday is recovery day with an easy run and some cross training. Wednesday is speed training. Thursday is a rest day. Friday and Saturday are long runs. Sunday is another recovery day of easy running and cross training.

It will be up to me to decide how long each of these runs are, as long as I complete my mileage for the week, so the more I get done early in the week, the less I am forced to do later on in the week.

I started this week with 30 miles and my longest mileage week is 85 miles, followed by a three week taper before the 24 hour race.

So far I am learning that I have to have a lot of discipline, maybe even more so than if I had every day spelled out ahead of time, to get my mileage in. I have always been a big last minute crammer, so I am trying not to do that now.

Next week I will have to make more of an effort to get out the door when daycare hours are open at the gym so I don't have to cut my runs short.

But so far I am very happy with my new training schedule.

Running is the Great Equalizer

This morning during my run, I was thinking that running is the great equalizer. That is until I looked up the word and realized it does not mean to make all things equal.


Since we've all been shot down in the shins, knees, feet, hips or some other place by running, I think this word is still appropriate.

But back to my earlier thought this morning, running is one of the things that makes everyone equal in the following ways:

1) Some runners such as myself were not good at sports as a kid, but then along came running and behold, we are athletes.

2) You get a group of runners in a room and you might have people from all walks of life or rungs of whatever ladder you're on, but in a room full of runners, your only title is you're a runner.

3) Running pretty much gives back whatever you put into it. Sure there are those that have the "runners body," but that doesn't mean you can't become a runner. If you want to be a casual runner, a long distance runner, a sprinter, any kind of runner that you want to be, all you have to do is work at it and you'll get there.

4) The flip side of that is, running will beat you down if you don't treat it right whether you're a casual runner or a professional. In that sense, yes running can be a great equalizer.

5) When I'm running, I can be entertained and motivated by just about anything. This morning, my iPod kept me going with a variety of songs from the Christmas Carol, "Joy to the World," to a Gospel song called, "Days of Elijah" sent to me by my family to "My Hump," by the Black Eyed Peas. All of these songs made me want to run my hump off with joy in my heart.

At one point during my run in the gym this morning, I stopped myself from exuberantly lifting my hands into the air, just in time to look in front of me and see another guy doing just that.

You see, this is further proof that running makes us all equally and wonderfully crazy.