12:30

'Twas the night before the big race... and I sat in my hotel room loading up on chicken parm with spaghetti and meatball stromboli from Pete's Famous Pizza!

I'll write more about my Philly experience in later posts, but thought I'd share some fun health-related stories.  My health has been fairly good this year on the whole.  Except for the fact that I’m down one tooth since August (fractured, then extracted), my body appears pretty intact. 

I visited my doctor last month for a physical— it’s actually been a few years and I thought it was time to tell him that I run, albeit terribly.

"You do LSD," he remarked with a grin.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Long, Slow, Distance running- it’s what we call it in our profession," he quickly clarified. 

I like my doctor.

The other funny story from the same doctor's appointment is that I learned I am down about a half inch from last time I was measured a few years back. Figures that I am old enough to start shrinking! Let me just tell you that once I get my wish-listed Teeter inversion table, I'll be reversing that trend!

What makes this particularly amusing to me is that one Monday morning, several weeks before the appointment, I came into work and asked a couple colleagues do I look taller?  Of course I did not, but I explained to them that the previous day during my long run I had a strange sensation, one I'd never had before or since that time.  For about a mile or so out of the run, I distinctly felt that I was running taller than usual.  As if my posture was completely upright and I was viewing the trail from a slightly higher perspective. Now I understand that perhaps I was having a memory of times from a taller past.

Soon I will get some sleep before waking at 5:00 to get dressed and walk to the starting area for the 7:00 race start.  With the excitement, I don't always sleep well the night before these races! But it is true to say that finishing another marathon will be a great gift tomorrow. A nice wrap-up to a long summer and fall.

12:51

The marathon is this coming Sunday, and it's expected to be the coldest race I’ve run so far, in the 30s. I made my final training run in similar conditions yesterday and fine tuned my gear.

The catalog of gear is a veritable who's who of athletic brands -- someone call John Glaser!

• Nike running shorts
• Some race tee (it won’t be the Gulf Beach Half shirt pictured here)
• Brooks long-sleeve pullover
• Celersport tabbed athletic socks
• Nakuwa utility belt
• Apple Watch
• Adidas/Sennheiser sport earbuds
• Champion beanie
• Under Armor gloves
• (Not pictured) Brooks Ghost 10 shoes

I’m pretty excited about the utility belt, which is a last minute acquisition. It easily holds my phone, ID, a few medical supplies and some energy packs (gels). I only need to be careful about the friction of the metal zipper tab on the inside of the belt.

The Apple Watch is also new this year, and I hope to write more about that before the year is out.

Originally, I had planned to post on this topic around Election Day, because I wanted my vast readership to vote on the only real choice of the year: which tee shirt I should wear on race day!  Here are the finalists:

I had fervently hoped the Patriots would pull off another upset in the Super Bowl earlier this year, because I did originally plan to wear the Patriots tee, and I estimate it would be an over/under of 2 miles before some lunatic Eagles fan would come rushing in from my blind side to tackle me. But, since we lost the game, I’ll put that over/under at 5 miles.

Next I thought that the Bacon tee would be a blast, and it hits pretty close to the truth of what inspires me to run, especially when it's piled on a burger! The message will be highly visible to the audience and should generate many cheers.  Plus, I put the over/under of some Colin Kaepernick fan interpreting my shirt to mean that I’m running for the police and rushing in from my blind side to tackle me at about 8 miles.

Then there’s the Socialism tee. A fantastic quote, but it would probably not be readable for most of the audience, unless I’m walking slowly along the side of the course. (This will happen for most of the race, come to think of it.) I’ll put the over/under at 13.1 miles before some Bernie fan comes rushing in from my blind side to tackle me.

The Mordor tee is geeky and hilarious, and I probably don’t have to worry about being tackled unless there are any Orcs in the audience!

The final decision on tees… it will be none of the above.  I’ll be keeping warm and wearing a non-descript technical tee under the long-sleeve pullover in the picture above. Terribly disappointing, I'm aware.

Speaking of tough decisions, I’ll be making the ultimate choice on Monday, the day after the race: Pat’s vs. Geno’s! During the last few weeks I’ve been  practicing for this fateful decision by sampling some of the very best competition to the Philly cheesesteak from around the country.

I started with the Burger King Philly Cheese King (bottom left). Unsurprisingly, the marketing photos are way better than what I purchased! Next I sprang for the Subway Chipotle Cheesesteak (bottom right). I went with the limited Sunflower Crunch bread, which was the highlight of the sandwich. All in all, pretty good.  And finally, I stopped in at one of the best area steak sub vendors: Carl's Steak Subs in Waltham. I went with the Carl's Special sub with a side of onion rings and cheese fries. Up here in New England we don't typically use cheese whiz on steak subs, so that's at least one difference.  But this was a mighty tasty sub!

Folks, let me be clear, I would much rather be hugged than tackled during the marathon!  Free Hugs Guy, if you’re reading this, and if you still visit races, I’ll treat you to a cheesesteak on Monday for a hug during the race on Sunday! Lol

13:06

Happy Halloween!

I don't know what's scarier, Halloween, or the fact that the Philadelphia Marathon is under three weeks away and my training has been horrible this year!  Just to rub it in, look at my logged kilometers of yearly training, as of today (no joke):

Hope you guys didn't miss me too much! Unfortunately, my motivation to write in this sophomore edition of LIRITW has been something like my motivation to train this year, which is to say: sadly lacking. And so in this episode I will dig deep to provide you all with an episode that is purely sophomoric...

I woke up in a cold sweat and stumbled to the bathroom. I must have been in a political hangover. The farcical Supreme Court nomination process had come to a conclusion, so where else was I going to get my daily fix of drama?  Where else could I find an Irish guy who likes beer and was a freshman on Yale's Old Campus in the '80s?  Then, as I gazed into the bathroom mirror at the face staring back at me, I sighed in relief. The world will be okay, after all.

Although I am indeed also an Irish* guy who likes beer and was a freshman on Yale's Old Campus in the '80s, just in case you couldn't figure that one out, alcohol is not a large part of my life. It certainly was not when I was a freshman; I fully abstained back then, but I have many stories for another time of the hijinks of my far less prudish roommates.
* 9 percent Irish, according to my recent Ancestry DNA results.  Lower than I expected, but I'm still way past the Liz Warren genetic threshold!

Yeah, I like beer. There's something about the fall season and my increased enjoyment - a few of the varieties I've sampled during Oktober:

There's a lot of discussion out there about beer as a post-race recovery beverage. Many 5K races I've finished feature a post-race hangout at a nearby pub, and they often hand out pint glasses as keepsakes. I only occasionally partake in these activities.  My preferred post-run beverage is, of course, chocolate milk*, which has been long touted for its muscle recovery powers.
* Under no circumstances are you ever to refuel with milk without chocolate, you dogwhistler!

Coming back to Halloween, I've always enjoyed the season. I would have dressed up this year, but my preferred costume was pulled from the shelves before I could order one! Instead I dressed as a jogger.

I took a chance on a haunted hayride at a local farm, and it was pretty fun on a chilly night. A tractor pulled our wagon along a trail that wound past graveyards, gallows, and other frightful scenes.  One memorable portion featured a bunch of rednecks* who left their campsite to chase after the wagon waving American flags and firing off shotguns -- the noise was startling!
* A brilliant casting, if I do say so myself. In the state of Massachusetts, I'm hard pressed to think of anything that could frighten the public more than a Deplorable!

You met Nightpelt the cat last year.  As a member of the black cat guild, he's away haunting with witches this evening... so until next time, trick 'r treat from our other feline pals: Oreo the butler and Zilly the sailor!

On the bank of a broad part of the brook,

where the water ran deep and black,

was found the hat of the unfortunate Ichabod,

and close beside it a shattered pumpkin.

13:25

Well, this post is late... typical!

Spring came and went, and we were lucky to have a late and long Spring this year. The rail trail (photo above) beckons...

Yes, Spring is that annual time of firsts. I plod along at my first few 5k distances of the year, gently jogging/walking at a 45-50 minute clip in these first weeks.  The goal is to figure out which parts of my body will give me problems during this year.  So far so good, and I went ahead and registered for three 5k races, and two 10k races!  These races will cover the period before training for Philadelphia officially begins for me in mid-July.

The first two 5k races are already in the books!

On a damp and chilly Memorial Day, I attended Katie's 5K in the center of Boylston, a traditional New England town. The runners gathered at the starting line in front of the town common and Historical Society center and Library.

And we were off!

I really liked this race! The loop course started off with a serious downhill (and the temptation to go too fast). However, of course that meant that what goes down must come back up by the finish -- in a series of smaller inclines on the back half of the loop. So it was a great workout and I appreciated that early in the running season. I beat 40 minutes and that's exactly what I was looking to do.

For the full set of photos, check here.

Two weeks later was the second annual Trooper Clardy Memorial 5K in the town of Hudson.  I wrote about my experiences last year, and this year's installment continued many of the same traditions.

They changed the course this year and made it into a single loop, very flat and approachable. Quite a difference from the previous race, and I was able to capitalize and jog continuously the whole distance in just under 36 minutes.  So I'm ahead of where I was this time last year!

My time was just fast enough to be passed along the course by several runners with strollers, a couple of dogs with handlers, and the attending brigade of Massachusetts State Police cadets!  They were really impressive -- they kept up a brisk, consistent pace, chanting the whole time.

Despite being bested by Massachusetts' finest, I was pleased with my performance.  Following the race I had my picture taken with the Thin Blue Line.

Two distinct races, two distinct towns, two special fallen persons commemorated. This is why I do it.

17:22

The view from my front door at 7:14 AM shows the remnants of the freezing rain from yesterday, which has turned into a driving rain in the 30s for this morning.  I don't envy the Boston Marathon runners.  Glad this is not the year I decided to try to check Boston off my bucket list!

When I think about it, I've been so fortunate with my three fall marathons in terms of the race day weather. Toronto was a bit warm for my tastes, but overall I think I'll stick with the fall destinations. Training over the hot summer and reaping the rewards of cooler days in the fall is part of what makes the process worthwhile!

From the television, the second wave of Boston runners have just started their quest for 26.2 miles. Most everyone I can see is covered in hats, rain gear, ponchos, etc. The scene cuts over to the women's lead group, an hour into their race, at mile 10, and it's striking how low the spectator turnout appears to be. Those who are out there face rain and winds that tug at their umbrellas. I can still hear the spirited cheering, though!

It is appropriate on this Patriots' Day, a day of historical significance in Massachusetts, for me to reveal my own marathon plans of 2018... news that all four of you have been eagerly awaiting! (Just imagine the fife and drum roll now!)

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The Philadelphia Marathon

Sunday, November 18

https://philadelphiamarathon.com/

My interest in this marathon began last year when I was considering a marathon which would not require a qualifying time or a lottery pick for entry. Plus, the historical aspects of this destination are a major appeal! I have not been to downtown Philly in more than a quarter century, so this trip should be a treat!

I would say that I've been more and more interested in American history as years go by. I've recently finished an excellent book on the writing of the Constitution, and there is no question that Philadelphia is a must-visit city for anyone interested in that time period. I look forward to sharing some historical insights this year -- as well as my training progress!

17:30

Spring is off to a roaring start, and this weekend it's time for me to make my yearly transition to the outside trails to ramp up.  I write this with a smirk, since it snowed yesterday!

Yes, we did have three powerful nor'easters here in Massachusetts in March and narrowly missed out on a fourth. And, true, I did have more yard debris to clean up than the usual, but since mid-March, I've had no real excuse to not be outside. The town even did a good job clearing the rail trail after storms this winter. At least, as far as I could see while driving past the trailhead in the comfort of my car!

So, without further ado, let me introduce my shoe selections for the 2018 active season!

The Brooks Ghost 10s which served me very well in Toronto last year will move into the training rotation for this year.  The other pairs of running shoes from last year will find a suitable donation bin and hopefully wind up serving some other useful purpose!

Below on the right, are the Saucony Cohesion 11, about half the price of last year's Saucony Kinvaras.  But the reviews remain quite strong, and I am optimistic that they will stack up.

On the left are the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3.  These are the next edition of last year's Zante v2.  Once again, I expect to mainly use these as a daily footwear, and pretty little in terms of running.

Last, but certainly not yeast, I managed to score a pair of Pizza Hut Pie Tops! If they're comfortable enough I'll try them out on a 5K, and once I cross the finish line (or maybe even before), I'll activate the pizza ordering mechanism for a healthy refueling option!

Stay tuned, friends. The next post will be the big reveal for the year, and you're not going to want to miss it!

18:08

In other sporting news, the Olympics have come to a close on the other side of the world! I watched very little, partly because I only receive the over-the-air NBC programming and none of their cable stations; partly because I've been involved with other pursuits during these past few weeks; and mostly because I just don't find the Olympics as compelling as I used to in years past.

But, wait! Some of you might know that Korea holds a special place in my life, and you might wonder why I would not give more time to the PyeongChang Olympics? A fair question! After all, Korea is quite a bit in the news recently-- well, North Korea is, in particular.

My Korean journey (what I've come to call "The Long Trip") began in late June of 1994. This was days or weeks after Jimmy Carter was sent on an urgent diplomatic mission to North Korea to devise a plan to curtail their nuclear ambitions.  It was also a few short weeks before the death of Kim Il Sung. It was an uncertain time, to say the least! But I learned how to follow the normal routines that came with living in Seoul, a city just 35 miles from the border with the North, routines which included monthly air raid drills and frequent sightings of military vehicles and personnel.

Some might argue that Seoul burst onto the international scene with another Olympics- the 1988 summer games.  South Korea's economic and cultural growth in the three decades since then has been nothing short of astounding. And, yeah, I lived in a small window of that as an English teacher in the nineties. I lived through the weathering of the IMF storm in 1998, and now I marvel from afar at how South Korea was able to rebound and go on to a high level of success.

Meanwhile, we all know about North Korea: the brutal labor camps, the starvation, the executions. The North, under the successive leadership of Kim Il Sung's son and then grandson, if anything is trending toward ever more unpredictable. The threat is obviously compounded by the realization of those same nuclear ambitions the Carter plan set out to prevent decades earlier. This is a critical point to remember: the current situation in Korea is the result of failed policy spanning multiple US presidencies.

Sadly, this present situation is why reunification appears to be a challenge that is still a very long time away from a solution.  I hope that I am wrong about that, but the ideological and economic distance between the two sides seems so great- more even than the divided sides of Germany in the Cold War- that I just do not see reunification on the horizon. (And remember, Kim Jong Un has a very different vision of Korean reunification than I.)

I also really, really want to open up this bottle of North Korean liquor which I acquired at some point in my five years in the South.  I promised myself I was going to wait to celebrate reunification.  Apparently, the seal on the bottle top is weak, as the level of the alcohol is much lower than I remember!  So, the wager is whether there will be anything left to drink when the big event comes? (Even more distressing, will I still be alive to drink it?)

Which brings me back full circle to the PyeongChang Olympics... the Olympics really should be a celebration of the best amateur athletes in the world.  The games should be a time when countries put aside differences and come together. And what a show in the opening ceremonies when the athletes from the two Koreas arrived together in solidarity!

The games are over, though, and the two sides now put an end to the short-lived facade of unity. Annual joint military exercises between the US and South Korea, postponed because of the games, will proceed as usual, soon. Let's hope that cooler heads prevail in what could be an especially tense time on the peninsula.


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At the beginning of the post I remarked that it's been a busy period. Yes, it has!  The Year of the Dog has now begun! I've explained to a few Chinese colleagues that I learned all about the Chinese zodiac in my years in Korea, which also observes the system and the Lunar New Year. Why is the Year of the Dog so interesting? Because it's my birth sign and I need to do cool things this year!

And so, on the day of my actual birthday which came just a few days into this Dog year, I spent a beautiful, warm, sunny day walking in Boston with my daughter.  We made our way to the gateway to Chinatown so that I could make my Dog birthday feel "official."

May you live in least interesting times!

18:35

2018 is well on its way!

In the spirit of making changes for the new year, I decided on one basic change to my fitness routine and joined my local Planet Fitness. If you followed along last year you know that I don't do a lot outdoors in the winter. Now, my office does have a fitness center, but I'm also not really the type to work out during the workday.

So, Planet Fitness should help fill in a few of these missing points.  During the off season, I can go in a few nights a week and hit the cardio equipment.  I like the stepmills a lot -- they really get the heart rate going.

I also expect to add some Planet Fitness elements to my long distance training this year.  Most training plans call for cross training, for which I can utilize the equipment in PF. I'll also improve my stretching and flexibility using their True Stretch, which I find very effective.  Another perk is that I can use their massage equipment.  Last year I would go to the mall and sit in a massage chair for fifteen minutes after a long run.  The money I spent monthly is basically the same as the PF monthly black card membership!

Now, the fact that this facility is a few hundred feet away from the new Chick-fil-A (not to mention the tavern right inside the same building) should provide ample ways for me to destroy any fitness gains over the year.  Sort of like this guy.

Anyway, 2018 will have some new surprises, but some things are expected to stay the same.

There will be great walks, like the one I took on a mild weekend day on the rail trail with my daughter. Destination reached!

Hey look!  New trail signs! Home sweet home.

There will be great feasts. (pictured: a Dominos AFC Championship feast)

There will be Patriots in the Super Bowl. (Like, in under two hours!)

And there will be Bud Light!  Dilly Dilly!

The 2017 Least Interesting Awards Ceremony

Happy New Year, folks! Not to brag, but I sure accomplished a lot in 2017...

I scaled Mt. Everest!

And I hiked over half the Appalachian Trail!

Ha! Well, in the real life altitude awards category, I did make it to the summit of Mt. Washington over the summer. I bravely rode the Cog Railway all the way to the top! (This was actually our second time on the Cog Railway and at the summit; the first time we went it was quite rainy and windy at the summit, so this trip was way better.)

In the distance category, I did complete the Under Armour "You Vs. The Year" 1017 km challenge; notably covering the final 20 km in 10-degree weather. We had enjoyed a White Christmas of dreams and then promptly entered into a deep freeze which continues to today and beyond! Yesterday, in my final outdoor run, I had a chance to see how the local park is maintained -- they clear the snow from the paved trails. (Though not the gravel loop that I frequented during training.)

In the category of best photographic race finishes, the award clearly goes to me finishing the Leesburg 20K in August. I also received the award for best race shirt. This was my second consecutive year running the race, mostly an out and back on the W&OD rail trail, which I fully intend to explore more in the future!

The final participation award, in the category of "least interesting readers," goes to all four of you out there! You've hereby been awarded another year* of The Least Interesting Runner in the World! Be very proud, award winners!

*about 10-15 posts in 2018