One Last TRY

This is the last official TRY night until next March. 4:30 at the normal place. (And for those who heard I may be out of town...my trip was put off until tomorrow morning, so I'll be there.)

This Sunday - Jingle Bell Run at long branch park. I've only heard a couple people doing this, so I didn't put a team together. Sign up individually and I'll see you there. Bring bells! If you cannot participate, but want to contribute, how about making a donation to this cute little Christmas elf?

Next Monday - Run under the lights on the lake. Get there whenever you can from 5-9, for a unique running opportunity, and if you want to do the group run, meet at 7:50 at the Wegman's playground end. Then we'll do a 5 mile run to go down and back through all the lights.

Next Tuesday - Any dog owners want to walk under lights on the lake on the dog night? I haven't heard back from any of you so this may not happen as a group.

And a run that comes recommended from a TRYer -- the It's a Wonderful Run 5k, in Seneca Falls on Saturday, December 11th in the late afternoon. Run under and next to Christmas lights, in scenes that inspired the famous movie - It's a Wonderful Life. (Last year was the first year they held this.)

Happy Holidays!

Running Out Of Daylight

Only Two weeks left of TRY for the year. Due to being back on Eastern Standard Time, we'll have to meet at 4:30 (start running at 4:35) for this week and next. I know most people cannot make it at that time, but its the only way to get the run in before dark.

A reminder of a couple upcoming events: (Links were provided 2 weeks ago):

The Jingle Bell Run (5k) at Long Branch Park on Sunday, November 21st. FYI - Lockheed Martin did not sponsor the team last year (for whatever reason) and therefore the previous organizer is not putting the team together. (And I agree, without the funding, why bother?) I still plan to run it though. Please let me know if there is interest and maybe I'll sign up a TRY team just for the fun of it. (If a few of you are doing it, that is.)

Some sort of walking night with dogs included at Lights on the Lake. (Tuesday night November 23rd.)

And actually, I didn't mention the "Lights on the Lake Stroll" on Monday, November 22nd. Due to a bowling league conflict I will be running that night from 8 until 9, doing the 5 mile out-and-back at a comfortable group pace. If you want to join in, please let me know and I'll coordinate with you. (It'll be as simple as meeting at the Wegman's playground end around 7:50ish.)

John put this in the comments -- for those who haven't heard there is the "Empire State Marathon and Half Marathon" being held in Syracuse next year on Sunday, October 16th. Thanks John.

Upcoming Racing and News

By now everyone knows the routine -- show up by 5. Decide what sort of run you want to do and hopefully someone will join in with you. As always the "group" run should be some sort of speedwork.

Other stuff:

Adam asked in comments when the time changes again. That shouldn't be necessary until Daylight Saving Time ends, which is Sunday the 7th. So there will be today and next week at the 5:00 PM start time with the time moving earlier on the 9th of November. (Which means there are only 2 weeks at that time before the week of Thanksgiving. We will still do something on that Tuesday, but they have a walk your dog night so it was crowded last year.)

TRY is winding down for the season. :-( Sounds like that means that there are only 4 weeks remaining and perhaps some finale that week of Thanksgiving!

But that doesn't mean the fun is over. There are some fun things coming up. A few things I plan to take part of:

The Halloween Run (5k Brueggers Bagels Run) at Beaver Lake, this coming Sunday morning. Price is $22. Wear a costume, or not. Let me know if you will be there and I'll keep an eye out for you. Details here.

The Jingle Bell Run (5k) at Long Branch Park on Sunday, November 21st. $17 now or $25 day of event. Details here.

Some sort of walking/running night with dogs included at Lights on the Lake. (Tuesday night November 23rd.)

Details here.

The last chance trail run/pancake breakfast at Highland Forest on Saturday morning December 11th. Its a choose your own adventure run (or skip the run completely) and then eat in the lovely new lodge. Three of us adventured out there last year and dared to run a little way in the snow and the crazy hills. It was fun and the breakfast made it a nice outing.

Details here.

Ok, if you are still reading, lets have some fun. What costume ideas are there for this Sunday mornings Halloween Run at Beaver Lake?

Aaron - Flipper the Dolphin?

Aubrey - A ghost? (Since she moved back to Syracuse but is invisible at TRY.)

Ally - A figure skater?

Adam - An early bird?

Various members - some sort of crutches, casts, knee braces, foam rollers etc to commemorate an injury filled season? (Some sort of MASH unit group costume.)

Me - A Douchebag?

Etc...

Feel free to post your own creative costume ideas in the comments section. :-)

Without Your Fearful Leader Again

I am on business travel again this week, back to the DC area. So, it is up to the brave attendees to once again start themselves. My travel commitment may have me doing this a couple more times before the end of the year. So, the lesson, is to be careful what you agree to because you may end up having to do it. :-( I need to avoid the temptation of late night business meals and find some time to exercise this time as my trip from a couple weeks ago had me 3.5 pounds heavier when I got home! Yowser! I'm impressed the plane was still able to get off the ground with T-Tubby on board.

Last week there were 6 TRYers there in various groups/forms, so despite the windy, chilly weather it was nice to see such a good turnout for this time of year. And that was without a few of the regulars being able to make it. So, I know many TRYers are still out there running. :-)

I hope the real Aubrey feels better this week! (And yes, I knew the first "Aubrey" comment could never be the Aubbers that I know and adore. Although it was quite funny.)

That's it. Have a good week.

Coasting To The Finish

Honestly, have I put anything worthwhile on here all summer?

And when is the last time that Aubrey commented?

I believe the writing is on the wall: we're just coasting until Thanksgiving and lights on the lake kick us to the curb. (We don't look like Mick Jagger. :-(

Try, TRY Again

It may be a week or two earlier than we needed too, but we are shifting the TRY start time to 5 PM for the next few weeks, so that it isn't too dark as we finish. So, for those who can still attend, we will be starting our runs by 5:05. I know some of you can't make it at that time or won't brave cold, rainy fall weather like today...but make it if you can. If not, find a time to run that works for you and the weather forecast.

There are still a few fun runs coming up in the area so there is a lot to keep pushing towards. And most of them that I know of are "short", so for October and November you can do shorter training runs and still prepare for races. It makes it easier to dodge the bad weather and a easier to sneak in runs despite the decreasing daylight time. So, think about continuing, or re-starting, or starting some speedwork and see what you can do about improving your pace this fall, without the worries of long distance workouts looming over you. (I know a couple of you still have half marathons or more in your near future, but I think that is now the minority.)

Consider maxing out for 5ks or 10ks and doing one or all of:

The Halloween themed run at Beaver Lake. (The Brueggers Bagel Run)

The Christmas themed run at Onondaga Lake Park -- the long branch end. (The Jingle Bell Run the weekend before Thanksgiving.)

The Thanksgiving themed turkey trots. Locally at Baldwinsville, but probably in a town near you if you are travelling for the holiday.

And those are just three fun ones that I know of -- so there is plenty left to run for and plenty to look forward to for the next couple months.

Personally - I've let myself get the heaviest I've been all year, and probably in the worst running shape I've been in since February. So, I have to look in the mirror, vomit in my mouth at what I see, and get back at it. If I see you at TRY, great, but I hope to see a lot of you at the fun local races coming up!

The End of September

Reminder that this is the last week meeting at the 5:30 time and that I will not be there. So someone else please round up the troops and start the run once the regulars are there and 5:35 rolls around.

Last week was as big of a turnout as we've had in a while, so keep on, keeping on! Now that fall temperatures are here (theoretically) it's actually my favorite time of year to run. (Not that I have been running, mind you -- but that doesn't change the fact that it's my favorite!) One of these weeks I'll get back into my running routine, I swear.

See you guys in two Tuesdays.

Seventy Point Three

This week is the next to last week that we'll meet at the normal place and time. (Once the calendar flips to October, the meeting time will move to 5.)

Next week I will be out of town, so I'll need someone to do the very minimal coordination I do and get the run started. At this point of the year and with my level of apathy, I trust someone to take charge on the spot.

I don't have a personal reference point on how this rates, but due to the times involved I naively have to say this is worse than a marathon: three TRYers (that I know of) completed the Syracuse "half Ironman" triathlon this weekend. Congratulations to Aaron, Kelly, and Maria!

Maria had done multiple triathlons in the past, but never one this long. Just under a year ago, she did her first half marathon. So to add a long swim and long bike before that is impressive.

And either impressively or crazily, Aaron and Kelly signed up for this race without ever completing ANY length triathlon.

So, kudos to the three of you for showing faith in your mental toughness and dedication in your training to push yourself to limits only you knew if you could reach or not and going where no TRYer had ever gone before. You are all awesome. Now get some rest.

The 100th Post?

According to the "dashboard" there were 99 posts before this one. I suppose I should have realized that before now and done more of a celebration?

Hmmm. How about a quick 100th post party?

Hoorah!!! Pass the cake!! Yummy.

Ok, that was fun, thanks for attending.

Speaking of attending, last week I put out a teaser that there might be something more fun this week. Well, due to a scheduling conflict, that did not work out. So, tonight will be the normal TRY evening. Meeting at the Liverpool park at 5:30. And not having to sweat through our tech-wick. That'll be something new! I'm not sure I can run without sweating out a couple pounds?

A quick congratulations:
Two TRYers completed their first ever marathons this past weekend in Rochester. Congratulations Jen and Jax! Doing a late summer marathon means that their long runs were right in the midst of our unusually hot summer! Not easy to do, but they stuck with it and persevered.

The years blend together and so do the running stories, but I think I'm getting this right:
"Jax" is not only a cheesy-poofy snack! She was not even a distance runner until last year but she did her first Mountain Goat, Boilermaker and half marathon in '09. And now she has added her first marathon in '10.
Jen had a one year head start on her with her distance running doing her first Mountain Goat and Boilermaker in '08. And after her first? half marathon last year she wanted to up the ante. And how better to make use of the reduced time she had this year due to her much-much longer commute than to spend a crap-ton of time building up her distance running base?
So, the two of them are in their 2nd and 3rd year as distance runners and have already put the cherry on top their distance running careers.

Congratulations on achieving your goals and for putting in all the sacrifices that go along with it! (The time, the pain, the skipping other fun things this summer along the way before/after your runs.)

While I was dodging the heat and dodging the rain, you two were out there doing your long runs. You didn't just try. You did! I'm impressed. :-)

(And your greatest reward is that you are forever the dual stars of the 100th TRY blog post! It doesn't get much more glamorous than that.)

September Already?

Where did my summer go? (Actually don't answer that -- too depressing).

Some September thoughts - this is the month that some TRYers have been training for all summer. I wish you well with your marathon's/half marathons/and half iron-man triathlons (Hymens?). Trust in your training and remember to have fun on your big race day. :-)

Next week is probably going to be a fun field trip week, so expect something out of the ordinary next Tuesday night...but I need to work out the details before I pass them along.

Tonight is another nice warm night, but how bad can it be. Someone suggested Indian relays, so we'll have to see if we can round up some Indians and get them to race each other? Or isn't that what Indian Relays are? I don't really know. I guess we can figure that out later.

For those who know we switch the meeting time in the fall -- we will keep the time at 5:30 until October, at which point we start to switch to earlier times as remaining daylight dictates.

One Last Heat Wave?

Just when I thought we were ready for cooler fall temperatures and comfortable running weather, I get surprised and see 90s in the forecast again.

Assuming it gets as hot as expected, we will do what we did that one week in early July - run the "bermuda triangle" with extension loop. That will keep us close to Mr. Mister ('hey soul sister!') and close to drink breaks. You get to pick your pace and the number of loops you do and everyone will stay relatively close together, stay mostly in the shade, and hopefully stay upright.

Since we are slightly out of practice with the heat again, be careful the next couple days, especially for you folks doing your long runs.

Reminder that tomorrow night is this years TRY night at the fair. Anyone interested in going can text me for a meet-up plan.

I think that's it. In mid-September I'm hoping for a fun week or two at TRY, so I am looking for suggestions on what to do to change things up?

End of August Flurry

Tonight is the same as always this summer: choose your own adventure run.

Some upcoming "events" in chronological order:

Tonight- Katie has requested we go to Tully's on 7th North Street for a rare post TRY outing. Since Katie has been on the DL for a while there is nothing that will brighten her day more than eating with some sweaty runners! And tonight is a fund raising night, so a portion of the bill will go to a charity - her church, I believe. :-) For the non-runners amongst us, plan on meeting at Tully's at 6:40.

Saturday- A new, unique local race. Join me and almost TRYer Kerri at the Manlius Mile. It's a mile race, starting at 9:30 on Saturday morning. (Registration is earlier.) Looks like it is about half on roads and about half on a "trail" that I can't imagine being very trail like...but maybe? Since I'm out of shape, I'm tempted to do this, because how hard can it be to race for a mile? It's cheap (relative to 'normal' races) at $12/$15 and all proceeds go to charity in memory of a local runner. I suppose its expensive on a per mile basis but "High quality" t-shirts are given to all registered runners! For LMCO runners, this is a Federated Fund supported event, so you doing this will mean another $25 going to the charity. So, free money! (Kind of.)

Next Wednesday - TRY night at the Fair. There are some interesting free concerts at the fair again this year, but none more interesting (to me) than Lady Antebellum. Wednesday, September 1st, join me in what could go down as the most people ever "attending" a free concert at Chevy Court. Supposedly there is no show at the grandstand that night and with the popularity of "Lady A" in both the country and pop circles, it could be a packed house. For you men who have no interest in country music, think of it this way -- tons and tons of horny women thinking overly romantic thoughts and drinking wine slushies. How can that be a bad thing?

I suppose I would like to know if I should expect to see you at Manlius Mile on Saturday or the TRY night at the fair next Wednesday. (That is, let me know if you will be there, no need to let me know if you will not be there.) We can figure out where to meet once I know who to expect.

Doggy Days

I'm sick of August. Or perhaps August is sick of me? Either way, it's the same-ol', same ol'. I'm not in a mood to think.

With Kelly gone for business travel, who's going to step up and lead us tonight? It might be boys night out? Uh-oh. We seem to have lost all our women? (And our women are our stars!)

For the opposite of boys night out -- there is a race on Saturday that several TRYers have done before and enjoyed: The Willow Bay 5K for Women. So, if you are feeling your woman power, enjoy a unique local race where you don't need to worry about boys and their boy cooties.

That's it. Weather forecast looks good.

The Pain Train

I might have to turn the reigns over to someone more motivational...or someone doing more running. As it is, I'm in permanent recovery mode and not doing a good job of rallying the troops in the midst of my personal fitness struggles.

My random thought for this week:

There have been an inappropriately large number of TRY injuries this year. If we count everyone that has ever had something to do with TRY (running on Tuesdays, helping with Relay for life, doing a couple other miscellaneous things), there may be up to 40 people that could be considered TRYers.

Going back to the very end of last year, I know TRYers who have had foot surgery, heel surgery, knee surgeries, and other random surgeries. (I can think of 5 separate surgeries.) I also know of sprained ankles, sprained knees, sore knees, sore shins, broken bikes, pulled hamstrings, pulled pork, you name it. (At least another 5 people limited by more than the run of the mill injuries.)

So, while I would hope all these problems are all a bad coincidence, it would seem that there has been as much recovery time for people as their has been normal training time. Recovery can get very frustrating...and two Tuesdays ago I was once again annoyed at my poor and painful performance running. Then, as often happens at the Liverpool park -- when I'm finishing or finished with a lousy run and feeling sorry for myself, God puts me in my place. As I was standing there, frustrated with my sore left leg, I look in the parking lot and see a guy 'walking' towards the park on crutches. With no left leg at all. So, in the midst of my self-loathing, God sent an amputee to remind me what I have to be thankful for. (In the past it's been someone in a wheel chair, or one of "Jerry's Kids" with arm braces to walk, or someone with obvious mental disabilities being led around by a helper. Whatever the messenger -- it's happened more often than I can remember.)

For everyone having a tough time running this year:

Remember that running just for the fun of it is a blessing. And running pain free is doubly so. :-)

That's all I have. Just a reminder that we still have it better than we tend to realize that we do.

Tonight:

Choose your own adventure for your intervals/steady run. Same as always.

For Ally:

Yes, I fully realize that my injury and lack of recovery 7+ weeks later is my own fault. In no way was todays post meant to deny that. (I figured I would save you the email.)

Volunteering and Fun Race Opportunity on Saturday

For the life of me, I can't figure out why people keep telling me about the Mad Cow 5K coming up on Saturday morning? But they do. But they do.

Due to continued references to the race, I looked into it and it sounds like a hoof-stomping good time. It's a rather small race (about 150 people last year) and is a fund raiser for the Madison County Community Action Partnership. The race is in Nelson, just a bit east of Cazenovia.

I called around and found out that they do not have any cow bells for sale or for giving! That just doesn't seem right. Considering that I'm just an individual person, who does not have a race named after cows, and I have over 200 bells! In order to right this wrong, I offered my bells for their race and they accepted. (There is no beating my bells!) So, on Saturday morning I will be selling my various cow bells. At a minimum it should make the race more entertaining and they agreed to split the proceeds. So, half of the sales will be donated to their CAP and half of the sales I'll be able to donate to the American Cancer Society.

I'm looking for a willing assistant or two. I have one extra cow hat for someone to wear. Depending on if I have help or not, I'll be running in the race in my Boilermaker cow costume. But at a minimum I'll be ringing bells and attempting to make the morning more fun. I will be there by 7 but the race doesn't start until 9. Registration closes at 8:30 and is $25.

Please let me know if you would like to help (or if you will be there running). For those of you who did the Relay For Life this year and want to bring your fancy bells to cheer people on...that would be great too. There would be no more appropriate race for those bells. And they aren't going to ring themselves.

Race link.

The hat and bells:

P.S. For those who haven't seen or heard of my bell sales, please let me know if you would like to buy any. (The bells were donated by an anonymous philanthropist, so all $5 get donated to ACS for general sales.)

TRY Internet Stalking

Tonight:

Meet at the park. Chit-chat. Decide what you want to do. (I apologize but the disorganization continues.) Last week the diligent folks did 1/4 mile intervals, so after checking with them, we'll see if they are up for 1/2 mile intervals to give them a change.

More importantly:

It's (overdue) time for the "TRYers at the Boilermaker" internet stalking, made possible by the enablers at brightroom.com!

This year I attempted to grab the nicest photos though...nothing embarrassing except for mine. I think I got all the TRYers...if I missed someone let me know and I'll add them in.

Katie, leading the way and looking classy as always. (That is one fast woman!)

Kelly, looking almost peaceful. (That's just annoying, Kelly! Please exert yourself next year.)

Kerri. Either this will encourage her to make it to TRY or will scare her away...why don't people like stalkers? It takes a lot of dedication and commitment. Why isn't that more welcomed in society?

Scott got sick of hearing my cowbell for 7 miles and blew my doors in.

Mark. Well, this is understandable, because with a bib like that, you have to party like it's nineteen-ninety-nine. (This one cracked me up. Well done Mark.)

It's Terry and his bleeding nipple of power + 2. (Yeah, like anyone would want to guard that closely in a basketball game. That is how you create separation from the defense, right there.)

Gerega-ga being shy for once. Not one close-up that showed up on his default page. And I'm waaaay to lazy to look through thousands and thousands of photos to find any others in the lost and found. (Just noticed while proofreading, that the lead guy is one of those crazy barefoot runners. I've read some articles and I could understand that humans are intended to run that way, so maybe it is better. But how can you run down random roads like that...seems like you step on something sharp/painful several times along the way.)

And Christine. Hasn't been around TRY for a long time, but she's at the park some and does do stuff with friend of TRY Patricia's group.

Have You Herd?

Heard? Nope...herd. The TRY herd was very small last week. A lot of that was coincidence and I think attendance will bounce back this week. But if not, please let me know what is going on? Sick? Summer vacations? Injuries? Apathy?

I need to reboot my summer exercise plan myself. So, I'll be there tonight, hoofin' it in the lovely summer heat. Who's with me?

I Don't Have Much To Say

Just like Pedro Sanchez, there are times where the words just don't come to me. So, follow your heart, that is what he always did. (Also, Summer Wheatley can suck it!)

I was too lazy to go grab the brightroom boilermaker photos or get screen caps of the finish line cameras yet...but all those things are out there for the internet stalkers amongst us. Have at it.

For tonight, it's back to regular training as we are 7-8 weeks away from some of those early September half marathons and low double digit weeks away from those early October marathons. Where does the year go? I don't really want to train for any of those do I? Actually, that's just the summer doldrums talking...of course I (and you!) want to train for those fun, fall runs. Think of the crisper air, the easier breathing, and running without sweating through your clothing. Put in the work now so that you are ready to excel when the autumn curtain falls.

Due to a slightly messed up ear and head I think I am stuck doing a slow and steady run tonight. We'll talk amongst ourselves to see who is up for something more aggressive and group up accordingly.

Normal time and normal place: 5:30 at the Liverpool park.

A Week Off

I will say this first -- I'm a little disappointed in the TRY turnout at the Boilermaker. C'mon people, this is perhaps the most fun "normal" race you can take part in anywhere and its just an hour down the thruway. The start was even managed well this year...so no more excuses! This should be a yearly celebration run. Utica has the long distance running hall of fame and one of the best races in the country. Please do what you can to ALWAYS take part...let's keep a good local thing going.

Today:

A week off from running and, of course, a chance of some storms to ruin our fun. But no matter the weather, we are heading to Aaron and Kelly's house on the south shore of Oneida Lake for some water based fun. (If it rains we'll have to stay out of the water, of course.) They will also be hosting a picnic and will be providing all the goodies. All you need to do is bring your swimsuit, some water shoes, some bug spray and actually that's it. (Let me know if you are going and I'll provide directions.)

This is especially intended for those of you who want to try out kayaking or canoeing and never get a chance. We should have 3-4 kayaks and 1 canoe...so there will be plenty of opps to get out there and paddle a little and see if you like it. Also some tubing behind a jetski will be available for the more adventurous. (I think I'm already too beat up to try that.)

So, come on out and enjoy a rare TRY week off. :-) (Back to the grind, next week.)

TRY Something Different

Since many of us will be running the Boilermaker this Sunday, there will be a TRY field trip to Cicero for some kayaking, tubing, and fun on Tuesday, July 13th!  Everyone is welcome at our (Kelly and Aaron's) house any time after 5 to try out the kayaks and whatever other water toys that end up here.  We will also grill burgers and have snacks and drinks.  If that's not enough, there are cheap chicken wings just around the corner at Cooper's Landing if anybody is feeling brave.

If you would like to join us, please comment on the blog or let Terry know that you will be attending.  This will allow us to buy the right amount of food and get you directions to our house.

All About the Boilermaker

Driving directions:
Do yourself a favor and do not follow the website directions. Go this way instead. (I just have it marked from the thruway exit to a parking lot in the general area where I usually end up parking.) Me and others have been using it the last couple years and it saves a ton of stress and 20+ minutes of sitting in traffic. You are parking near the start line so it is convenient for picking up your packet that morning and returning the stuff to your car and then the post race shuttles drop you off right near by after the post race party. So, trust me, on this one -- take the Dyke (road) to the race!

Pre Race Location:
I tend to hang out near point A, or just a little to the east of it -- that is towards the packet pick-up tent. (In general - it's a little ways down the road to your left as you are lined up for the start of the race.) Look for me there for some pre-race chit chat and to calm you nervous runners down! (That side of the start corrals is also conveniently located on the Dyke road direction side of the starting line...so if you follow my driving directions you'll be walking right by that spot at some point.)

Post Race Gathering:
Please look for me and others are the unofficial TRY meet-up spot. Located along the flow of traffic just after you grab your frozen pop and turn the corner.

Google map with location marked as 'B'. Also a post-race party map marked with X:



A slight change to a boilermaker tradition:
I am trading in my bifurcating beaver -


For a bodacious bovine -



So, look for the horns near the meeting spot...as with the beaver, it should make it really easy to spot me.

And since a leg injury and life have caused me to lose my way the last month, I am switching my goal of getting a PR (personal record) to running the race for PR (personal reasons). So, even though it will be annoying, I am going to wear the cow hat and a cowbell for the entire boilermaker. It will give me some adrenaline from the crowd (if you win the crowd, you win your freedom!) and it will give me the conviction to keep going. For I will run as a dairy cow in a tribute to my father. I can't even remember the last time I saw him run...he had really bad legs by the time I was growing up due to his overworking of them on the farm. But on this Sunday, he will run 9.3 miles with me.

For those of you running the BM for the first time or for those of you that are experienced but struggling at some point along the way --
Think of me and my cowhat and my cowbell. I'll be on the course somewhere, behind some of you and ahead of others of you...hoofin' it to the best of my abilities. And when you think of me or when you hear cowbells on the side of the course - smile! This is supposed to be fun! :-)

Best of luck to you all!

Please stop by at the end...at least to say a quick moo.

(Let me know if you have any last minute race questions. FYI -- I will not be doing a group expo outing this year...too much going on, unfortunately.)

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There is no TRY

[Editor - how dare my guest blogger use that as a title!?? That really steams my Yoda soda!]

There is only oppressive heat and high humidity.

That means its corporate challenge week! There will not be an official TRY run this Tuesday June 22^nd as the JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge will be taking place on the parkway. Good luck to anyone participating!! As usual, it looks to be one of the hotter and more humid days we will see all year so make sure you hydrate accordingly and don’t push too hard. It’s a short race but running in the heat still gets dangerous and it’s really not worth hurting yourself to shave a few seconds off your time. Don’t feel bad about reeling it in if you’re not feeling 100% there won’t be many PRs out there. And remember there are plenty of other races coming up for a shot at redemption and most of them actually have timing chips. See Terry’s mountain goat recap for more thoughts on why you shouldn’t worry about running this race too hard.

In the past we’ve done meetups after the race and a lot of times head over to the outside bar at Retreat to hang out although we could probably decide as a group what to do and where to go tomorrow [editor - today]. There are generally a lot of runners out post-race so don’t feel bad about slumming it and not showering first – changing into a dry shirt is a good idea though. The Lockheed tent is one of the bigger ones and close to the t-shirt pickup so that would be a good place to meet other tryers. If you can’t find us, Terry should have his phone after the race (right Terry? [editor - of course!]) and we usually do a scavenger hunt to look for anyone we know that will be there. If you know where your tent will be and want to hang out or at least talk about how your race went let us know as well.

RELAY TRYERS – A big thank you to everyone that participated in the Relay For Life! The event seemed to be a great success and Terry did a phenomenal job organizing again this year. Plenty of late night runners and extra effort by the early birds (evening and morning) as well. There has been a lot of positive feedback about the “runners” at the event and having the cowbell lap as an official part of the festivities was a very visible example of the influence our group has had on the event as a whole. Terry you deserve all the credit for putting this together and getting us all involved. Hopefully it’s gratifying for you to see that your efforts to make the event more fun for everyone involved are paying off! Also, a few members of the herd made the local news…more famous TRYERS! Guest TRYERs Laura and Sam were on a clip of the event on Channel 10 Sunday morning and Terry is now famous for his role as a talking cow.

And lastly, congratulations to Aaron and Kelly for taking part in both the Relay and Green Lakes Triathlon this weekend! I’m not sure what happened at the race but I think Kelly exceeded expectations and Aaron has a story? Anyway, great job guys. Much more impressive than sleeping for 13 hrs straight which is what I did. [Editor - I'm not sure I've woken up yet?]

Mutiny on the Parkway

[Editor - This weeks entry and new poll on the right (please vote!) were written by a guest. So, if you notice higher quality content and better humor, you are not mistaken.]

After years of plotting and scheming my diabolical takeover of the TRY blog is nearing completion. Muhahaha

Now if only I had admin privileges…

We’re going to mix it up a little with the intervals this week cause I’m in charge and I say so. The run will be a combination of ¼ and ½ intervals.

1 mile warm up followed by:

½ fast ½ recovery

¼ fast, ¼ recovery

¼ fast ¼ recovery

½ fast ½ recovery

Up to this point we’ve always done ½ mile recovery after our intervals no matter what the length…however, in the interest of keeping the run at 4 miles while still fitting in four quality intervals I shortened the recovery time after the shorter intervals. I’m confident we can all handle this.

That last ½ interval is going to suck but just think of it as the annoying last .5 in the 3.5 mile corporate challenge. We’re trying to train our bodies to endure inhuman amounts of pain here and churning out a strong ½ late in the run will do just that! Or just do another ¼ if you really want. Okay, inhuman pain was an exaggeration but we are trying to get used to running fast when we are already tired so we run faster in races. Especially races that are randomly .4 miles longer than they should be.

Speaking of the corporate challenge, it’s next week! Tuesday (6/22) so for most of us this will be the last speed workout before the race.

This may be a goal race for some of you or just a stepping stone on your way to greater (or longer?) things. Who knows, you may find yourself running on another continent. Either way, don’t go to the usual spot to meet next Tuesday at 5:30. You won’t get a parking space and TRY won’t be there. But if you are at the race we usually meet up before or after the run and there will be a blog entry with info on that next week.

Lastly, Friday is the relay for life. There’s still time to sign up or donate to your favorite TRYers website:

Click here to visit my PERSONAL page.

What, what’s that you say…I’m not what? I’m not your favorite TRYer?

Fine.

Click here to view the TEAM page for Lockheed Martin

Happy [Belated] Flag Day!!

Get out there and wave what Betsy Ross gave ya!


[Editor - here is the first look at the new cowbells available now!]

Is There A Doctor In The House - a Prescription for Fun

We will step the intervals up another notch this week before starting over with shorter intervals again next week. Time for our first mile repeats of the year:
Mile warmup
Mile at speed
1/2 Mile recovery
Mile at speed
1/2 Mile cool down
So, two miles at speed in the midst of a four mile run.

I should have done this part before -- I think a few of you will find this useful:
For anyone curious about what a GPS watch provides you or who has been thinking about a GPS watch - here is what the output looks like. (Assuming I've opened up the permissions properly.) I put off getting a GPS watch for a couple years, but once I received mine as a gift, there was no going back. It provides distance, pace, elevation (so-so quality -- can't truly trust the elevation but it gives you a rough idea), heart rate (with optional strap), and a great google map summary of your workout. If you glance around at what happened during the Paige's run, you can clearly see where we took a quick breather later in the race and I can clearly see that I was overheating/overstressing...because my heart rate just kept climbing. I'm surprised to see how high my heart rate ended up. Normally it would not do that at the paces we were running. (Which allows me to think about my race day preparation and execution and attempt to figure out what went wrong.)

GPS watches are still expensive, but I highly recommend them. The online summary is great (and a free feature to use), it helps you manage your pace during races or long runs, and allows you to not have to measure/map out runs ahead of time. Especially while traveling, it's great to just be able to run out the door and trust the watch to know when I've covered the distance I wanted to cover.

About the Paige's Butterfly Race -- this was on facebook on Sunday, so not much new here for those who saw the pictures:
It all started by seeing a brief mention of the race and fun 'centipede division' in a weekly work email distribution. I noticed the blurb, forwarded it to some co-working TRYers and asked simply 'are you thinking what I'm thinking?' Turns out that some others were intrigued. Some recruiting/re-recruiting/begging later and we had our 5 team members. There was some behind the scenes brainstorming for theme ideas and finally a vote on which version to use.

The team trusted me when I said the costume would be all set. And with some major help from my consigliere Catherine and her sister, I showed up with two bags full of costumes. The set-up was confusing and hectic (some volunteers weren't able to tell us where to go, so it took a while to figure it out on our own)...I started handing out props and clothing and bless their hearts, they just kept putting them on. So an ordinary group of runners became Dr Dre, Doc Halladay, Dr McDreamy, Dr Pepper, and Dr Seuss (mispelled).



Dr Seuss and Dr Pepper did a great job setting the pace and picking our path, while the three in lab coats did a great job of not slowing them down too much. We made quite a scene and kept getting our pictures taken whether we wanted them or not. A murmur swept through the crowd whenever we walked or ran through...as we stood out a bit.

For our efforts we won the centipede competition race as well as the costume contest.


But more importantly we won Paige's parents thanks. They thanked us for our creativity and for adding so much fun to their event.



And I'll end with this thought -- one of the team members was heard saying "I've never ran a race for fun, before". Which reminded me -- it's important to have fun once in a while. So, if you've never ran a race for fun before, think about it. Find a fun race to do, whether it be a concept or a location, and run it below your pace. Look around. Enjoy the scenery. Enjoy the crowd. You just might like it! And you never know just how far that fun will take you. You might even end up being famous for it. :-)



A special thanks to the Centipediatricians. For trusting me. And for not just playing along, but for playing it up. You won the crowd! You were awesome.

Kinda Funny

I'm a couple hours away from Syracuse at my families this morning...waking up at 5:30...to rain. So, I had to laugh that after almost unbearable heat and days of beautiful sunshine, that Tuesday morning would start with rain. Figures. But we certainly need some, so hopefully Syracuse is getting it as well. (Doppler map shows its much lighter there, but seems to be hitting.)

Reminder -- for the LM team, signs up are due in a couple days for the Corporate Challenge. I assume thats true for others as well.

This weekend is Paige's Butterfly Run. It's one of the "Syrathon" races and one I have never done. Some TRYers have joined with me on a "Centipede" team where we will run linked together -- should be worth a laugh if you happen to be doing the race yourself or want to be downtown for an early start on the taste-of-Syracuse.

Tonight -- should be really nice TRY-time weather conditions. Let's step it up with some Memorial Day cookout burning off 1/2 mile intervals. Probably will do three 1/2 mile on portions embedded in a 4 mile run.

That's it...I need to drive back to the Cuse!

Ladies and Gentelmen Can I Please Have Your Attention

I've just been handed an urgent and horrifying news story. I need all of you to stop what you are doing and listen.
CANNON BALL!!!!

Ooops, wrong script. Ah yes, here is this weeks update:

A TRYer had her car attempted to be broken into while we were running last Tuesday night! It was a an amateurish attempt -- but they completely ruined her door lock to the point that her key no longer worked. Just like I did, she assumed that a busy parking lot was safe, and had left some obvious valuables sitting out in the open. Thankfully nothing was stolen, but about $100 worth of damage was done to her car...so it was still an expensive break-in.

Takeaways:
Indio is the man! (And is now a Friend of TRY).
Be careful with your stuff. This is a reminder that you should never leave your purse and electronics sitting out. I know some of you tuck things into your trunks -- and I thought that was excessive paranoia -- but not anymore. I was wrong. You were right. Good job not trusting humanity.
We will now be meeting beforehand and wrapping up TRY afterward on the parking lot side of the rental building. It's not nearly as nice of a set up...but me and whoever else wants to can keep an eye on the parking lot for those 10-15 minutes as we're talking...and that can be 10-15 minutes on Tuesday nights that the parking lot is being watched over. I like the Liverpool park a lot and I want it to be a safe place...so I plan to do my part and provide a visible presence that might keep little punk bastards from attempting to break into vehicles.

Tonight:
Please know your limits and if you start to feel lightheaded, please back off. In fact, I am not going to put a recommended group run idea out there because I don't want to encourage anyone to push too hard on what is kind of our first summer-hot day this year. Certainly its our first hot Tuesday night. Perhaps a slow and steady run is in order. Also, throughout the day hydration is very important on a day like this.

Relay for Life:
Some expected teammates have not signed up yet. Please sign up if you know you are doing this as it helps planners figure out what size teams to expect. Here is our LM Team page.

A little color:
Here are a couple group shots from the fun Making Tracks for Celiacs event this past Saturday. Who is up for Frisbee Golf at Jamesville sometime? (It has a large frisbee golf course...it looked fun.)

I Can Clearly See Your Nuts

It's time to sign up for Relay For Life! An email will be coming later this morning. (I'll re-post that here later).

Tonight:
1/2 mile intervals...time to finally step it up. As always, what you run is optional, but some sort of speed work is ideal for optimizing your running training.

This weekend:
Celiac 5K/1 Mile walk. There is still time to sign up! I checked out the trail on Sunday and its going to be fun...take you back to your high school cross-country days. Only this time you won't have a coach yelling at you. Or a face full of zits. Ahhhh, good times. :-)

The Boilermaker:
Only 8 weeks away! And the registration cost goes WAY up after the end of May. It's time to sign up kiddies!
15K Race early registration through 5/31/2010 - $35
15K Race late registration 6/01/10 - 6/25/10 - $50
No Race Day Registration 5K Run early registration through 5/31/10 - $20
5K Run late registration 6/01/10 - 6/25/10 - $30
No Event Day Registration 3-Mile Walk early registration through 5/31/10 - $15
3-Mile Walk late registration through 6/01/10 - 6/25/10 - $ 20
Event Day Registration until 10:00 am

Some inspiration:
This story about baseball and running really resonated with me....choked me a up a little. (Ok, it choked me up a lot. But I think maybe the room was really dusty and bothered my eyes while reading it?) In defense of my wussy-ness, I'm a huge baseball fan and I watched this on TV and it got one of my all-time favorite baseball players a world series ring (he had been traded by the Phillies to the Marlins earlier that season.) Plus, Amy in the story is my age. And she's been dead for 17 years...she only got to live half the life I did. :-( I'm thinking of tie-ing this into our Relay for Life night...perhaps a midnight chicken run is in order?

Random central NY story:
You can skip to the 2 minute mark if you don't want to watch the whole few minutes...some fun national exposure for a local company.

Wondering about the title of this post? Think its what my therapist told me when I started talking about my cowbells? Nope, that would be "I can clearly see YOU'RE nuts".

Your versus you're makes a huge difference...in this case, I can clearly see your nuts:



Thanks for the tip off Aubrey and bringing this joy into our lives. Stay classy! Seriously.

Naturally, It'll be Cool and Rainy

Another Tuesday, another below average weather day. Will anyone show up? Who knows? I can certainly understand if you don't. The few, the brave, the yoggers will get to pick their poison...but it's time to do some speedwork again after a couple weeks of rest and recovery.

Also -- not many takers on the volunteer opportunity this Saturday morning yet. Who wants to help raise money to fight breast cancer with me? Don't forget that there is also a 5K run to do at the "Race for the Cure" as well. Do either, do both, and make for a memorable morning at the fairgrounds.

Next Saturday (the 22nd) is the "Making Tracks for Celiacs" cross-country 5K. Several TRYers have already signed up...but we can do better! (I'm organizing a "team" entry, but there is not an official team component in the race yet this year. I would like more people on my team, though.)

But enough business...it's a yearly tradition -- the ever popular Mountain Goat TRYers Photo Day! (Thank you, Brightroom.)

Katie leading the way. (Now that is one fast woman!)



They say that running makes you healthier, but I've never seen it quite this dramatic. Check out the runner trailing Malinda earlier in the race.



Then, after running just a couple more miles, look at how the wear and tear of a life have just fallen off the guy. He looks like a completely new man! (If that isn't an advertisement for the benefits of exercise, then I don't know what is. Amazing transformation there.)



The TRY poster girl makes another appearance. Not quite as "in your face" as the original appearance two years ago, but still a solid effort on her part.



Kelly, making a striking appearance in her running skirt...even showing a little midriff! Very risque for a Sunday morning race, but hey, better her than me attempting that look, right?



How do you know when you could be running just a teensy-weensy bit harder? When you are waving to the camera the whole time. Aaron! Quit smiling! Put your hand down! And start pumping those arms harder! Always posing for the paparazzi aren't you -- just like your famous singing cousin -- Lady Ga-gere-Ga. (Please be more serious and wear your "poker face" next time.)



I don't think we've scared her off just yet, so Jessica, welcome to TRY and welcome to your first Mountain Goat TRYers Photo Day!


Who is that hiding behind Friend of TRY Colleen? Why it's Catherine! No hiding in the lost and found on us!



And where were Mark and I during all the finish line photography fun? Well, momma always said that race day is like a box of chocolates -- you never know what you're gonna get. We just didn't feel like runnin' no more.

May Day!

I had lots of thoughts for this weeks update, but they've been trumped by the events of the weekend. A very experienced and darn good runner (certainly a lot better than me, for a reference point) from LMCO remained in the hospital the last I knew after failing to finish the Mountain Goat. After I failed in my own way, to finish Sunday, I had a chance to see 90% of the 10 milers go past my vantage point at the 9.75 mile mark. I saw one guy collapse and sort of helped him (a couple others beat me to him) and I got to see how he responded to the paramedics and that he was obviously incoherent and uncooperative to the point of his own detriment. And it got me thinking...is this all worth it? Is this even remotely healthy what we put ourselves through on a day like this? Is this sort of event that a community should encourage? And that was before I learned about my co-worker and the fact that he was still not doing well in the hospital today. So, I've gotten the message and want to make sure that I pass it on.

At times I've felt sorry for myself for having my condition where I can't push myself to the brink of exhaustion like I used to during the days of my youth. My elevated heart rate and weakened pulse forces me to tap out and walk before I would choose to. The first couple times it was very much a blow to my ego. And as I'm walking off to the side of the course as hundreds of people "I should be beating" run by, it's a very frustrating experience. All the training down the tubes. The goal and the glory of finishing 187th eluding me, yet again. :-(

But, you know what? After a couple times, you get over it. The humility turns into clarity - it doesn't matter. The race doesn't care about any one of us. None among us is going to win. (Well, Katie and Malinda being the exception in certain local races, but they don't count...they are getting kicked out of TRY soon. Shhhh! Don't tell them.) None of us are professional runners. We are engineers and IT professionals. Pharmacists and teachers. Elderly care providers and male strippers (part time, for extra spending money. Don't judge me! Times are tough, you do what you have to in order to get by.) So, if the race day isn't going how you planned it in your mind...think about why you are out there. You are out there to have fun. Know your limits. Stop and drink the power ade. The extra few seconds aren't going to matter. Walking isn't going to ruin your life. Doing worse than you did last year isn't going to cause your momma to look down on you. Getting beat by someone who never should beat you isn't going to get you fired from work. We sign ourselves up for these races and we talk ourselves into exactly how fast we need to run them in order to be happy with ourselves. We want the age group awards. We want that shiny medal. We want to wear the shirt with pride so we can tell people the story about it. But it's all just silly selfishness. 2000+ people could care less that I limped off the course and hobbled back the way I came. Sure, I made a personal ceremony out of unpinning my race number and tucking it in my pocket. And I'll always remember that the guy was singing Toby's "She's my little whiskey girl" as I did it. But no one else cared. The race didn't stop. The goats didn't stop grazing. Colvin didn't get any less daunting. Ronnie Z didn't stop Tik-Tok-ing. (Wait, he didn't sing? I thought maybe I just didn't see him?) The only person it mattered to was myself. And I'm over it.

So, I'm proud of the people who walked for the first time. And I'm proud of those of you who went slower than you wanted to and faded in the second half. Your first career DNF? Good for you! You knew your limit. You knew this is just something you do for fun. A hobby you do after work and on the weekends. And you saved yourself so that you can do it after work this Tuesday and so you can do it again this weekend.

If you are injured? Or if you are physically exhausted? Slow down. Walk. Stop if you have to. No one will judge you for it as long as you don't judge yourself.

(Wow, that got long! Maybe I am finally feeling better and back to my old wordy self?!!!)

For tonight - let's see who shows up. A few people will be nursing post race soreness and may need a recovery week. So, a "game time decision" run is in order and we'll group up according to like minded runners.

More Sunday thoughts - many of you did better and better the more I've heard about the conditions. Definitely 2 to 4 or more minutes were lost out there. So, while you can't "count" that at least keep it in mind at how much better that time would seem if you took 3 minutes off of it. Excellent performances amongst the TRYers! Including peoples first tastes of the Goat.

Mark and Katie -- thanks for hosting what might be becoming a Mountain Goat tradition -- the nice post race gathering at your place. That was very much appreciated! And I've figured something out...next year when the opening gun is fired, I'm going to immediately turn around and just walk to your house. No need to bother with the course itself. And since I'm going to be walking anyway, I might as well head to my final destination. And while I figured, it would be close -- check this out - my random pin placements came up as exactly 10.0 miles. (Seriously, I didn't even cheat. Dead serious! I'm as shocked as anyone is...although I'm sure I'm slightly off where I dropped the pins. Pretty funny though.)

Ok, I'm saving anything useful for another week. :-(

Pre-Mountain Goat Week

Another rainy Tuesday. This time before our first big group race of the year - the Mountain Goat. The group run will be a game time decision, depending on who is there and what they need to get out of the run. I am injured, so I'll be limping along at a medium pace.

But more importantly, Mark and Katie are hosting a post Mountain Goat Run party at their house. In celebration of the race and Katie's birthday. So, whether or not you are running this Sunday, you are invited to their house.

Details:
3 PM, Sunday afternoon. BYOH. (Bring Your Own Hydration). Mark will have some cook-out type food. If you want anything special beyond that, you can bring it, but no need for anything except for your choice of hydration. Please RSVP to Mark so that he can plan for the amount of people to expect.


Mountain Goat Packet Pick-up:
Noon to 7 PM Friday
9 AM to 4 PM Saturday
At the new Fleet Feet store on Bridge Street.

Good luck in the race on Sunday...hopefully I'll see you there or at Mark and Katie's afterward.

Some Times They Come Back

A potpourri of topics:

Today (Monday) is the last day to register for the Allyson Dunn Tire Mountain Goat at the regular rate.

I have added subscription links to the sidebar so that you can receive the blog via an RSS feed.

Don't forget that TRY has a facebook page. I added some group photos from the past couple years. Please add your own to make the page seem a little more homey for everyone. (Let me know if you want to be added -- I can't remember if it is invite only or not.)

The previous blog post described a fun race that I hope a lot of you can join in on. The "Making Tracks for Celiacs" 5K run/1 mile walk.

It's Patriots Day in Boston. Which means that Katie is running her Boston Marathon. I've signed up for the text messages Katie...looking forward to them interrupting my work day.

For you beginners reading this. We meet here. At mile marker 0.0 at Onondaga Lake Park.

I plan on going out to the Retreat or Tully's this week after the training run to celebrate a dream coming true - You can go your separate ways or you can join in faithfully. Everyone will be welcomed with open arms. Be good to yourself!

The group run: (As if anyone is still reading this scatterbrained list). It's time to lengthen out our intervals. So, it'll be 1/2 milers tonight. Probably 3 1/2 milers in a 4 mile run. (Or 4 in a 5?) We'll see who wants to do it during the pregame chat.

We have some new people interested in joining in TRY in the next couple weeks. Please help me make them feel welcome. I'd like to remind the regulars that when you miss a night because the weather isn't ideal, or because it's inconvenient for you, or because you don't feel like running...that it isn't just you that misses out. It could be that night that someone new checks us out. And doesn't have anyone their pace to run with. Or that there is one less smile to welcome them. One less kindred spirit with the same running goals. So, if you enjoy the group camaraderie, remember that you are a big part of that. And that without you, this group is just a weird guy writing rambling blog entries. And that would make for a lonely luchador.

Email Solicitation For Cross Country Race on May 22nd

Tired of racing on pavement? All those switchbacks at the Race for the Cure making you want some better scenery? Want to get nostalgic and go back to your years running cross-country in high school? Check out this rapidly growing local event.

When: Saturday, May 22nd (9 AM Registration, 10 AM Event)
Where: Jamesville Beach County Park
What: 9th International Run/Walk for Celiac Disease
How Much: $15 for adults until May 1st, $20 after that and day of event. $5 for children 6-12
Why: To run on the USATF sanctioned cross country course where the NY State Section III championship has been held for the last 2 years. (Or more?)
Why: Also a 1 mile walk for those not up for the run.
What else: There are goodie bags available, a large raffle, gluten free food tastings, gluten free vendors, and other distractions to fill your morning.

There is also a fund raising component to this event. Please sign up through the team fund raising site, even if you don't plan to individually raise money. I have set up for the LM Federated Fund to donate and they will provide additional money for each LM employee who participates.

Event web site: http://celiacwalk.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=340373 (Need to click on Syracuse, NY Walk/Run on the left hand side)
Alternate (shorter) web site that you can actually remember: http://www.celiacwalk.org/
Lockheed Martin team fund raising site: http://celiacwalk.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=340373&team=3731527

If you unable to take part but want to contribute, use the Lockheed Martin team page above to make a general donation to the team or to find your favorite co-worker to donate to.

There should also be volunteer positions available for the day of this event. If you or your friends and family would like to help out, please let me know and I can put you in touch with the local organizers who will be glad to hear from you.

That is the minimum amount of information that I wanted to pass along (see below for my further ramblings). Please let me know if you have any questions about this event. I plan to be in contact with those who sign up a time or two before the event itself.
-Terry Widrick
-315.456.3349

P.S. For those with inquisitive minds, feel free to read on for more miscellaneous information:

I helped organize and participated in the running portion of this event two years ago when it was still held at Willow Bay. The race itself that year went down to the Salt Museum and back. I got 4th place! Out of eight participants. (Hey, those kids and that girl that beat me were fast! That race will always be my highest overall finish.) For those that were a part of TRY, this is when I pretended to have won a puppy! :-)

Last year, the event moved and a race director took over and moved the run to the Section III cross-country race course at Jamesville Beach. I was out of town on business travel so I was unable to attend, but the race had 69 finishers (up from 8!). Due to the unique location and the fact that this is one of the few adult cross-country races in the area, I expect this race to gain popularity quickly. My goal is to put a Lockheed Martin stamp on it, starting this year. And I need help with that, since, quite honestly, I am slow. I am working on getting LM t-shirts for those who participate but don't know the details of that just yet.

May is Celiac Awareness Month (which is why the event is held in May):
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that is triggered by the protein gluten, found in wheat, barley, rye and other grains. It can be difficult to diagnose because symptoms include anemia, weight loss, chronic fatigue, osteoporosis, infertility, and a variety of gastrointestinal problems. Untreated celiac disease can be life threatening. One out of every 133 Americans has celiac disease and most don’t know it.

Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coeliac_disease
Google search: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=celiac+disease&sourceid=navclient-ff&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS233US233&ie=UTF-8

Or a more personal perspective - I do not have celiac disease but a couple good friends of mine do. It is sad and depressing to witness what they are unable to eat: Pizza, bread, donuts, pancakes, potato chips, cakes, beer, candy bars, snack bars, cookies, breading on anything fried, etc... Basically all of my favorite foods! (There are starting to be more and more gluten free options (marked with a GF on the packaging), but they tend to be more expensive, less tasty, harder to prepare, and higher calorie. So for those of you still reading this, that are thinking "what is the big deal, giving up wheat can't be that much of a sacrifice"? Well, it is a huge deal for people who suffer from it. It completely changes the way you grocery shop, cook, eat, and order food when dining out.

Please support the cause if you are so moved to do so.

A Decent Forecast!

For the first time in a month we have a decent forecast to look forward to. Since I continue to not post a series of "What TRY is About" informational links for potential new members, let me just throw it into this update.

But first, since I get sick of reading my own writing, here is a touching story from one of our own and the road she took that is taking her to the Boston Marathon on Monday morning. Congratulations Katie. You've done what no other TRYer can lay claim to -- you are Boston bona-fide!

This weeks run: 4 mile run with 1/4 mile intervals. (Since not many people were able to take part last week. We'll restart with 1/4 miles again.)

For those looking for some background --

What TRY is about:
TRY is not email based. It is web/blog based...I am not actually supposed to send emails from work, you are probably not supposed to actually receive emails at work. So, for those who can, please start using the blog as your source of the updates.

TRY meets every Tuesday night at 5:30 at Liverpool's Onondaga Lake Park, near the Wegman's playground and right next to the bike rental area. The "group" run is typically 4-5 miles, but is optional. People are always encouraged to run shorter/longer/faster/slower as their training and body dictates. Every once in a while there is an exception to the meeting location and this summer there may be additional nights added (possible track nights on Thursdays a few times?). See the blog and the calendar app for reference. Follow along on twitter. Follow along on your smart phone. Whatever suits you.

TRY welcomes all speeds and running experiences...but it skews for newer runners or for runners attempting to improve their running times/techniques. TRY encourages running for the enjoyment of it. If you aren't enjoying yourself, then why bother? TRY wants to see a smile on your face. Often.

TRY believes that speed work is the most efficient use of your running time and the most useful training technique. We mix in different length intervals (kept very simple on group night) and tempo runs. For those of you that have never attempted speed work or have never TRULY given it a fair chance -- what are you waiting for? For anyone other than an absolute beginner, you are doing yourself a disservice to not mix in speed work into your training. It makes you faster, it gets you in better cardiovascular shape, and it helps you lose weight. Train smarter! Trust me. And trust every Runner's World that you'll ever flip through...they always mention the benefits of it.

TRY likes to help people improve. Let me know what your goals are for the year and I can either give you real advice, make something up to give you fake advice (sometimes I can be a real prick -- and honestly, I'm not as nice as you think I am), or can make sure you talk to the TRY member that has the experience and knowledge you are looking for.

TRY wants to make TRY more interesting and more fun. TRY has noticed that first time "users" tend to really enjoy the group experience. But each year, that persons interest seems to decrease a little. TRY takes this personally and blames TRY for this failure. So, TRY is looking for ideas on how to keep returning members captivated. Some ideas being tossed around:
Add some core exercises at the end of the runs.
Add some speed tracking nights -- clock a 1/4 mile or a mile run, say, in mid May, mid July, and mid October...just to see progress throughout the summer. (And give a fun goal outside of the confines of formal races.)
Play some shuffleboard, bocce, or volleyball after the runs...to take advantage of the fun park that we sometimes take for granted. All those options are available right next to where we meet every week.
Suggestions?

TRY encourages you to stop and smell the roses. Sometimes you need to ignore your watch. Here are some photos I stopped to take while running this Sunday morning. Sure, may pace suffered. But my spirit was buoyed. :-)