Does Nyquil count as doping?

They say the body is at its weakest when it is tired. Stress levels rise, energy dwindles and those nasty parasites find a host. They dive in and treat your body like a roadside motel off the state highway. The good part is those unwanted guests will move on. But the bad part is they will go when they damn well please.

Actually, I don't know if "they" say that at all, but it sounds right. The reason why it sounds right is because one night I stayed up way too late, didn't get the proper amount of rest and then the next thing I knew, I was coughing and wheezing and squeezing my temples as hard as possible with my fingertips.

I blame my kids. Yeah, that's right I said it. I know they're little and are unwitting victims of every germ, virus and mutant strain that passes from snotty nose to hand to mouth as the veritable bacteria frappes that they are, but whatever. They made me sick. It wasn't the other way around.

How do I know? Well, I guess I don't. I am neither a physician nor have I visited with a medical professional during the past six months1]. But I am damn sure that I would have been properly rested and strong, thus making me less susceptible to injury and ailment had I been in bed at 5 a.m. instead of trying in vain to help a little boy with an ear infection fall asleep. That's no easy task based on what we know about the human ear. That is where we seem to find our balance or equilibrium, if you will, and if that delicateness is disturbed the entire system falls apart.

So any time the little guy put his head onto the pillow, all the fluid and garbage floating around in those narrow canals floated to-an-fro and clogged up pathways for other important signals. As a result, the poor kid was up screaming and I was up just trying to help him keep it together, which is about all anyone can do when spectating at an old-fashion ear event. Sympathy is for suckers.

As a result I picked up a headache and a chest could/cough that is more annoyance than illness. The baby brother got the coup de grace - a double ear infection, as they call it in the biz. Combine that with a stuffed nose and the baby doesn't know whether he's coming or going.

Nevertheless, I've been curiously lucky enough to get in my workouts despite the madness at the house. Except for Monday, when I was simply flat-out whipped from sitting with the kids all night and day, I was able to get out and put in the regular amount of training that has become the norm over the past few weeks. In fact, a few of the days I even went out twice.

How about that?

That's a funny thing within itself, I have to admit. Though I never revealed it anywhere else, my guideline for training was to do two weeks "on" and one week "off." During the so-called "on" weeks the plan was to pile on as many miles, hills and whatever else I could and see where I was at the end of the week. For an "on" week, there is no ceiling. However far I can go, that's the workout.

There are limits, of course. My recovery time is different than the good runners in the country simply because I don't have the support of a sponsored athlete. I can't get a daily massage because there is work to take care of, bills to pay and the agony of an earache to rubberneck. Plus, massages cost money. So do shoes, and food and drinks and ice. That means more work on top of work, which makes me no different than anyone else...

Aside from those two-a-days, of course.

Anyway, since I was last heard from here, the work has been steady. So too has the rattling in my chest and the pounding against my temples.

The self-indulgent running stuff is here

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[1] The dentist doesn't count, does it? If so, everything is ruined. I went to the dentist a few weeks ago. Everything looked good, I was told. Crooked, but clean.

Never mind...

On second thought, I'm moving the running/training stuff back to the original site. It seems as if it works there better than here. Plus, now that I'm nearly waist-deep in all-out training mode, I have more excuses to update it more frequently. Anyway, for the running stuff, go to the other site. For rambling non-sense, stay put.

Get to work

Believe it or not, there are some folks that come to this little site to read about the running stuff. In fact, these people could care less about the Phillies, Eagles or any type of the mainstream spectator sports where one of the goals is to actually feel one's ass grow. Instead, they are much more interested in participating in sports. Come on, who can sit inside and watch a game on TV when 5x1 mile in 5:10 is on the schedule? Anyway, there are names for these people. Lots of them, I suppose, based on some rudimentary lip reading of the lemmings hurtling around in the cars clogging up the roads. "Dork" seems to be one of the few that can be published here, but to me there is a different name.

I call them warriors and they are my people.

Actually, I don't call them warriors. I just made that up to be dramatic because I couldn't think up anything better. Truth be told, whenever I'm inside or driving around in a car I always stare like at the runners that cross my path like a guy who just left an Eagles' game and headed to the "gentleman's club" to take in the late afternoon matinee. But rather than some sort of deviant intent, I watch because I'm jealous that there are people out running around while I'm not. It's enough to make me crazy and go out and do something rash. But since I'm conserving energy for the second run of the day later in the afternoon, I just stare and roil with envy.

Like a dork.

Of course there are subsets to this dorkdom, just like there are in anything else. Perhaps it is like the sects of Eagles' fans where some like to get dressed up in a jersey and/or uniform and paint their faces as if they were Daniel Day-Lewis in The Last of the Mohicans, while others just go to the game and cheer or boo accordingly.

In running there are differences, too. There are runners who simply run and runners who train. There is no in-between because as the old saying goes, "You are either training or you are not." Still, defining the difference between the two sets isn't as easy as all that. Sometimes one is training and doesn't know it and other times a person is training so poorly they might as well just be running.

Or something like that.

Anyway, I think I'm training. After two months of running simply to put together some semblance of fitness, it's time to dive in. The focus, of course, is another marathon, which at this point is a lot like banging my head against a wall. Yet for some reason there is a thought that there is a chance that something elusive is there for the grabbing. Still, running is easy and training is hard. Oh sure, it's fun and all of that, but it's fun in the way that building an addition to your house is fun or drinking so much coffee that you can see the hair growing on your face.

Yes, it's all fun but certainly not for everyone. Actually, I wouldn't recommend any of it.

But we're going back into the breach again, my friends. So far we're three days and 45 miles into it and all of the old obsessions are on the way back. Make it obsessions about obsessions. Suddenly everything matters - sleep, food, weight, miles, the weather, pace, more miles as well as the glancing thought that my calves will spasm chronically for the next five months (at least) and if it's possible if those perpetually black toes can get blacker.

And for what? A little self masochism? Self medication? The idea that 2:30s means something?

Well... yeah.

One of my lines about all of this is, "I'm not doing it for my health." I don't buy all that new agey stuff about feeling free or a oneness with nature or any other such thing. Like the sleek, vigilant puma, most runners who train are hostile and aggressive. They would like nothing better than to slash your throat to a bloody, messy slab of spongy flesh. But since most runners go to one extreme or another and a much too small to for the local Fight Club, the puma metaphor is all they have.

Besides, it's healthy than face painting.

*** So there it is. After talking to my management team (OK, just my wife), it looks like the plan is to hit the Pocono Mountain Marathon on May 4 and the Richmond (Va.) Marathon on Nov. 15. All systems are go - no one is pregnant, the kids are settled, schedules are set and playoff baseball won't interfere... that is if there is playoff baseball.

All that's left is the work.

Breaking it down

The Philadelphia Marathon is set for this Sunday, which means there are a few folks around these parts conserving energy, bouncing off the walls and trying as hard as they can to relax. That's the hard part, of course. Relaxing is always one of those things that is easier said than done in almost every situation. It's almost like telling someone to "just say ‘no.'" Yeah, well if I could say no or relax we wouldn't be in this situation. Who can relax after months of training and the idea of self-flagellation and masochism looming? Better yet, people actually pay money to run marathons. Good money, too. I'm told the Philadelphia Marathon costs more than $100 to enter, which, frankly, is a crime.

The folks charging good-natured runners that much cash should be forced to get out there and run the marathon, too. Get moving John Street...

Anyway, it's taper time for some folks making the jaunt through the city this Sunday and that's always a tricky time. Most people taper for two weeks, which, truth be told, is too long in my book. But, because most people aren't exactly Bill Rodgers (who used to taper for three days... maybe) and get their training plans off the Internet from some silliness presented by Jeff Galloway or Oprah or whoever else is telling people they can hurl themselves 26.2 miles by running less, then by all means, do your two weeks.

Want to know what I do? Well, it's my site and I'm going to tell you anyway.

Here it is:

Thirteen days before the race I do my last long run, which is anywhere between 22 to 24 miles. I continue to train normally the next two days, and then I start to bring it down a little bit. For instance, since I usually take it to 105-110 miles per week when getting ready for a marathon, I'll just go 20 miles on the Thursday and Friday. I just go 20 miles in those two days because I'm going to do a race (either a 5k or 10k) eight days before the marathon as a gauge of my fitness.

After that fitness-gauging race I get into a taper which goes like this:

* 10-13 easy * 10 easy * 7 miles at race pace * 1 miles warm-up/cool down + 5 miles faster than race pace (if I can do it in 27, I'm ready) * 4-5 miles easy * 3 miles easy * 4 miles easy * Go run a marathon

This was discovered through trial and error, though, I've done a few two-day tapers where I ran 16 miles a day until two days out before cutting back to 5 and then 5k. Interestingly, "The People's Champ," Brian Sell, does something a little similar.

At least that's according to Sell's log on the Athleticore.com site where the Hanson's dudes post their workouts. In the week before the Olympic Trials where Sell finished third in 2:11:40, he did a 10-miler in 66 two days out and a 10-miler in 52 the day before.

That comes after doing 46 miles in four sessions the three previous days to the pair of 10s.

You're darn right that's pretty impressive. Then again, after piling on routine 150-mile weeks, a 10-miler at 5:12 pace is probably a day off.

Here's something else people won't tell you about running marathons... when you're out there, put some time in the bank. That's right bank it because you're going to slow down late in the race no matter what.

Week of November 5-11 (22 weeks to the National Marathon – March 29, 2008)

Monday 15 miles in 1:39:08

Felt pretty strong the entire time and easily could have gone another 20 minutes without batting an eye. My form was good and all of that, however, I noticed that the pace dipped a bit on uphills. The effort didn't change, but the pace was bad. On flat ground I'm really decent.

Tuesday 15 miles in 1:41:53

I did the same exact run as yesterday, though it was much slower. I felt strong, though, and a little better on the hills. But I definitely was tired during most of the run. The good part is that it was a strength run and I felt strong.

Wednesday 10 miles in 65:04

I ran steady 6:30 pace and it felt easy. Actually, I was a little bummed I had to stop. I felt pretty good. Still, it's a little too early to push it too much. I'm still trying to figure out whether or not I should run on Sunday.

splits:

1st 5: 32:25 2nd 5: 32:39

Thursday 1^st run: 11 miles in 1:14:22

2^nd run: 3.8 in 26:59

This was kind of tough. My legs were tight and tired from -- I guess -- not sleeping well last night and waking up early. Plus, I'm putting on the miles again and maybe I'm not adjusted yet.

splits: 1st 5: 33:24.11 2nd 5: 33:44.86

Added an easy run at night. I went out later than I wanted because Brad Lidge was traded to the Phillies, so what are you going to do? Anyway, I went 3.8 miles in 26:59. I fought the slightest urge to run hard -- the point of adding the short and sweet second run is not to run too hard. I'm going to have to teach myself to go light.

Friday 10 miles in 64:58

My stomach bothered me for the first six miles, but my legs felt great. Maybe there's a difference between drinking coffee in the morning instead of Red Bull? You can't mix coffee with vodka, though.

Either way, I felt great and the running felt easy. I think I'm into it now... we'll see what happens.

splits: 1st 5: 32:34 2nd 5: 32:24

Saturday 10 miles in 67:31

My stomach bothered me again -- I think it might be the ibuprofen. Other than that, it was a slight drag to get out of the house. Still, I ran rather well and my legs felt decent. I didn't push the pace really at all... I just kind of settled in.

I think I'm going to try to get up tomorrow morning and go to Harrisburg... we'll see.

Sunday 10 miles in 58:23

I ended up staying awake all last night with a stomach ache where I worried about whether or not I OD'd on ibuprofen. Either way I've officially decided that I'm finished with ALL drugs. And I mean ALL drugs.

Anyway, I pushed myself out the door and ran to Mountville. I started out solid but not spectacular though I really ran hard from about 2 miles away and broke my course record. Interestingly, I paid attention to the terrain and noticed that there were a lot more hills than I thought on the route.

It was a pretty good run.

Better yet, my stomach isn't bothering me as much as it did yesterday, though I'm starting to get a headache... it's always something.

Hurry up and make up your mind

It's always something, isn't it? A week or two ago I came up with a plan where I would run an hour a day for a week, with the hope of running 70 miles the next week followed by routine 13-milers the week of the Harrisburg Marathon. Sounded like a good plan, right?

Actually, so far it has worked out better than expected. Last week I cranked out an easy 72-plus miles and so far this week I did back-to-back 15-milers followed by 10 miles at 6:30 pace in which I barely even broke a sweat. Better yet, I was a little ticked off at myself for not getting out sooner in the day because I didn't want to stop at 10. It was way too easy.

So what's the dilemma? It sounds as if running the Harrisburg Marathon would be relatively easy based on how everything is going... right?

Well, yeah. I'm pretty sure that I could run between 2:50 and 2:55 with a decent effort on Sunday. I could push it and turn out a 2:45 if it came down to it, but of course everything would have to go right. And by everything going right I mean a proper amount of sleep, no illness and good weather. You know, the thing no one can control.

But do I really want to put myself out? If I roll through it and just do the 26.2 miles to "add it to my collection," is it worth it? After all, I'm finally back into uninterrupted training and don't know if it would be in my best interests to limp through a week or two recovering from a day of goofing off. The plan is to go to Washington at the end of March (or Boston in mid April) and crank out something in the 2:30s. Then I can come back in the Fall and go after a PR.

Will one week really hurt me that badly or am I just worrying over nothing. After all, when building up for Boston in '98 I ran through two marathons during my buildup and went on to PR... it worked 10 years ago.

Why can't it work again?

Decisions, decisions...

Week of October 29- November 4 (22 weeks to the National Marathon - March 29, 2008)

Monday 11 miles in 1:15:41 The plan was to go 13 to 15 miles, but I stopped at 11 rather than slog on for a couple more miles. I felt tired toward the end, but nothing that would have stopped me from running longer. I'm just weak and not in the best of shape, but I'll get there eventually.

One thing is certain and it's that I have to add more lactate threshold and intervals into the regimen. Maybe some 800 or mile repeats would do the trick...

splits: 1st 5: 34:04 2nd 5: 34:19

Tuesday 10 miles in 67:22 Felt pretty good during the run - especially at the end where I have struggled lately. Plus, I finally went under 34 for the five-mile splits.

Hopefully, I can add a few more miles to these runs soon.

splits: 1st 5: 33:41

Wednesday 10 miles in 66:55 When I started out I felt like I needed an easy day, but figured I could eek out 10. Through the first 5 it was kind of tough and my left quad was a bit sore, which is a new one.

But after getting through 5 I felt good and ran some solid 6:30s without really trying too hard. If I didn't have to get home and do stuff I think I could have piled on a few more miles...

Soon enough.

splits: 1st 5: 34:06 2nd 5: 32:49

Thursday 12.7 miles in 1:26:22 I felt pretty good and strong throughout. I kept a decent pace, though I felt like I got a little tired at the end. Otherwise, this has been a pretty decent week for a comeback. Still, I feel I might need an easy day sometime soon.

Friday 10 miles in 67:13 I felt like I kept decent form and a strong pace the entire time. For a lot of it I held 6:30s pace pretty easily and it seemed as if I got a little stronger the closer I got to the 60-minute mark... that's the way it was in the old days -- it took an hour for me to wake up and then I hammered.

splits: 1st 5: 33:38

For the rest of the week I'd like one more good mileage day and then an easy, easy day.

Saturday 10 miles in 66:15 This is the best I felt running in a while. My form was good and my legs didn't feel weak. I don't think I have much turnover, nor are my legs there, but I'm pretty sure I can hold the pace for a long time.

Interestingly, I felt good despite the fact that I got up at 6:30 a.m. to watch the Olympic Trials.

splits: 1st 5: 33:00 2nd 5: 33:15

Sunday 9 miles in 59:59 This was a really good one. I tried the keep the pace steady for the first half before picking it up at the end and I did it. The plan was to finish a fairly difficult (tricky) course in under an hour, and I did that too. With about 30 minutes to go, the run got tough because I was out in the open and the wind was quite strong, but I ran the last 5k at 5:40 pace, which is pretty good for me right now. I did the last half even faster and had a pretty good coughing fit at the end... pretty cool.

Either way, it's starting to creep back. There are 21 weeks to the National Marathon... it seems to me that I can get ready.

Starting over again

Week of October 22-28(23 weeks to the National Marathon - March 29, 2008)

Monday 10 miles in 69:05 OK. It's time to start it up again. In a sense I'm starting from scratch, which is fine. The idea is to build a big base until there are 14 weeks to go and then I'm going to crank it up. I don't think I can push super hard for 23 weeks or so anymore... oh sure, I could have, but sometimes life gets in the way.

Anyway, I started with a 10-miler that was a bit difficult. For one thing it was more than 80 degrees outside. Plus, I have a cold that made it tough to breathe. On top of that, my legs and lungs were weak, which made the running a big test.

Either way, I ran a solid pace the entire time.

splits: 1st 5 - 34:36 2nd 5 - 34:29

Tuesday Goose egg Took a zero because I couldn't feel my legs or breathe. It seems as if the cold I have is kicking my ass... not fun.

Wednesday 10 miles in 68:25 Felt good after taking a beating from the cold I had/have. My legs are still kind of weak and my lungs aren't there (yet) but the 10 miles a day seems reasonable at this point.

splits: 1st 5 - 34:21 2nd 5 - 34:04

Thursday 7.2 miles in 48:05 Ran a loop with Jeff Kirchner, who was doing a LT, and it kicked my ass. I went 1.8 miles in 10:37, which is the fastest I've run since the baby was born, and... wow! I felt it in my lungs and legs from the first couple of strides. I'm definitely not in shape, but it was good to do it even though it hurt a little bit.

But it felt good...

I also ran back in the Brick Yards and came face-to-face with a wild, red fox. This is the fourth or fifth time in the past year I've come across a fox, and when I use the word "fox" I'm not using slang. Anyway, as I was leaving the normal loop around F&M's Baker Field for the trails along the Little Conestoga Creek near the abandoned brick yards, I came within 10 yards of the fox after rounding a bend of trees in a wooded covey. There, after I came to a sudden stop midstride, casually sat the fox in the middle of the trail -- and he wasn't budging.

Now I've encountered a fox or two in the past, and like deer, ducks, monkeys, bighorn sheep, snakes and elk, they always skedaddle into the brush or far into the trees. Like deer, a fox can jump like a sonofabitch... it's almost like they have springs on their legs. But this sly fella eyed me up and down and wasn't moving.

Scanning the files in my head of what to do in case of a fox attack while slowly backing away, I figured I'd get out of view behind the trees and then make a run for it. At the same time, I thought that I should make myself appear large and make a lot of noise, but then realized that's what you do when being stalked by a mountain lion. Then I thought I should climb up on something elevated and try to be cool, but that's what you do in the event of a bear attack, I think.

Finally I decided to pick up a bunch of rocks to throw if the bleeper made a move on me.

Needless to say, everything turned out OK. I slinked away without incident and finished the run, while the fox continued to do whatever it is foxes do.

Next week: the story about how I beat the bleep out of a guy with my bike helmet after he flipped me off, jumped out of his car and then took a few swings at me.

Friday 9.3 miles in 65:11 Got out at 6 p.m. after procrastinating all day. Basically, I didn't want to run in the rain, but I ended up going out when it was coming down in sheets.

Nonetheless, because it was raining so hard all day, I ran a few loops on the F&M cross-country course where they will be holding the Centennial Conference championships tomorrow. The course is in decent shape despite the fact that it will be as soggy as a bog for the race.

Saturday 11 miles in 1:16:07 Started out by running over the cross-country course, which was a muddy, soggy mess. There was water everywhere and the mud was deep. While running up a hill back in the Brick Yards, I stepped down and my foot sank into the earth up to my ankle.

It was kind of cool.

But it wasn't something I wanted to do for too long. I did one loop through the course and hit the roads. It feels as if I'm beginning to get my legs back, but my lungs and speed aren't even close.

Sunday 7 miles in 48:12 I felt good on this one. When I started running I didn't feel tight or tired and I felt as if I had some lungs, too. In fact, I ran the last 10 minutes at 6-minute pace and it didn't feel difficult at all.

Perhaps I'm getting it back?

Change of (running) address

OK, here’s the deal. I’m moving all my running stuff from the other site to here. It might be a pain in the rear for people who just want to read about the running stuff and not the extraneous crap about baseball and whatever else it is that I prattle on about, but tough. That’s just the way it’s going to be. Besides, the subtitle at the top of this page specific highlights “endurance sports.” To me, that means my marathoning is fair game.

Be that as it may, the truth is that I had not updated that site in a little while. Truth be told, I’m kind of bummed about that. Not because I enjoy the navel-gazing (I suppose I do), but because I haven’t had much to report. You see, my wife and I (actually, she did most of the work… I just grabbed a leg and tried to stay north of the equator) had another baby boy less than two months ago. Combine the birth with the fact that things have been a little busy at work with the Phillies going to the playoffs for the first time in 14 years and it’s easy to understand how a daily running regime of 15-miles a day can slip by the wayside a bit.

Hey, it happens. Besides, from what I’ve been able to decipher, most people don’t run 15 miles a day, anyway… what the hell?

As a result, I felt that there wasn’t much to report. After all, between the end of September and the first week of October I think I went out to run just five times. Worse, I was actually in my favorite running spot on the earth and all I did was drink coffee, walk around town and buy a goofy hat.

But I’m not done yet. Oh, I might be a little slower and short-winded, but in an urban setting, I’m still tough to catch. In fact, last week, after about five days of inactivity, I decided that I would run for an hour a day until I got my legs and lungs back. My guess is that I’m covering approximately 9 to 10 miles a day, but that’s not the important part. The consistency is what I’m after. Since I signed up for the Harrisburg Marathon before things got crazy, I figure that I will extend my hour a day up to 90 minutes daily the week before the Nov. 11 race. That way I can finished the thing with the ability to walk to my car afterwards.

In other words, Harrisburg will be one of those days where I’m simply adding to my collection. Perhaps the Northern Central Trail Marathon, two days after Thanksgiving, will be another “collection” run.Long-term I’m thinking about the National Marathon at the end of March and/or the Boston Marathon in mid April. I’m not sure which yet, though I’m leaning towards Boston just because I think I’ll need all the time I can get to lose the “baby weight” I added over the past two months.

All I want is something in the 2:30s and then I’ll go off to be an ultra-marathoner without complaining like a good boy… just one more time — that’s all I want.

As it stands the current plan is going OK. I’ve done seven straight days of at least an hour of continuous running over rolling terrain. One of those days was a 10-miler in 66:47 on grass, which was cool. The thing is, though, is that I don’t remember it being this difficult. It wasn’t always this hard, was it? Maybe the unseasonably warm weather has something to do with my tight calves and slow(er) runs… yeah, that’s it. It’s been hot. That’s the ticket.

Anyway, for all the numbers people, here’s my last week before the baby arrived:

Week of August 20-26

Monday, August 20 10 miles in 67:12 Another cool day. I went out early so that I could go to a baby appointment… it looks like the big day is coming on Friday.

Anyway, I was slow to warm up again, but once I got going I didn’t want to stop. However, based on my last three days and my hip, I’m going to go light today. I’ll go extra hard on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

splits:

1st 5: 33:41

2nd 5: 33:31

Tuesday, August 21 20 miles in 2:14:45 Had some tightness in my left hip and quad, especially in the middle of the run and on downhills. However, I still wanted to do some LT over the last 4 to 5 miles and I was able to do it for a little bit for as long as my hip would hold up. I think if I was pressed that I could have done the last 10 in 60 to 62.

We’ll see how things go for the rest of the week. The idea is to crank out some miles on Wednesday and Thursday if the baby is expected to show up on Friday.

Wednesday, August 22 18 miles in 2:01:07 I actually felt good for a change. Oh sure, I still had some hip tightness and everything that goes with it, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as it has been over the past week. It was fun feeling strong and essentially painless for a change.

Interestingly, I don’t think I have ever done a pair of 2-hour runs in consecutive days… I’ll have to check, but I doubt it. I also have done three 2-hour runs in my last four times out. Perhaps the inevitability of ultrarunning is lurking a little closer?

However, I’m not out of the woods yet. Plus, I still felt the slow down as I progressed. But, I went through the first five miles in 33:37 and it took very little effort.

Thursday, August 23 18 miles in 2:04:40 I was sloooooow from the beginning, but it was OK for a change. In fact, this run had a bunch of different things in it: I went slow, hit some hills, tried to keep a solid pace on the flats and then bonked over the last four miles.That was fun.

Either way, I didn’t expect anything amazing or blazing from this one considering it was the third 2-hour run in a row and fourth in the last five days. I think I earned an easy day.

Friday, August 24 Zilch We got to the hospital yesterday at 6 p.m. and haven’t left. I got a chance to get out and go home to restock some supplies, but I miscalculated on a chance to squeeze in a quick 5- to 10-miler.

Regardless, it was so hot and humid that they (you know how “they” are) issued a heat warning of some sort. Running in the middle of something like that was only for masochists and me.

Saturday, August 25 Nada Theodore John Finger was born at 2:41 a.m. today. We call him Teddy for short. Ted for shorter. As a result, I didn’t get out to run though I did have a chance until a nasty rainstorm ripped through the area at 8 p.m. Apparently, it knocked some of the power out, though I didn’t notice. After all, I have two kids, a wife and a mortgage – you think I have time to pay attention to the weather report?

Sunday, August 26 10 kilometers in 41:06 Wow! Man did it ever feel good to get out and run! It was nasty, hot and humid, but I definitely felt as though I could have put in some miles. If there was enough time I would have… still, it was really fun to get out.

Upon further review, I went 60, 80, 60 in the ensuing weeks. I even did a 90-minute run in Washington, D.C. in September in the middle of some stinking heat, but I don’t feel as though there was any consistency. Hopefully, from here on out we’ll stay solid.

*** Also, thanks to Marcus Grimm and Mike Salkowski for the good wishes and encouragement. Marcus is on his way to a Boston-qualifier in November, which you can read about here. And Mike is an old dude like me who got caught in the heat wave that wrecked a bunch of marathons last week. Because of that, Mike’s sub-2:30 was placed on hold until the next cycle.

Plus, Mike has the best training site out there. Check it out here.