Taking The Leap

OLP was good enough last week, so we are continuing to use it until construction makes it unusable.  (With the theory that the problem we know is better than the problem we don't know.)  So, tomorrow night, we will be meeting at the normal spot.  For those of you doing intervals, switch it up to 1/2 mile repeats this week.  For the two mile group, think about if you are ready to up it to 2 1/4 or 2 1/2 miles.  The other choice is to increase your pace slightly.  Don't push it if you aren't ready to, specifically injury-wise, but you don't want to stagnate either if your goal is to become a better runner.  It's nice to get to be able to do 3 miles at a rip, so that the world of 5k races is open to you.

Announcements:
Coming up on Friday, August 9th, is Lockheed Martin Night at the Syracuse Chiefs.  That means free general admission tickets to anyone who wants them, plus the game is followed by a good fireworks show.  Let me know at the park if you need tickets, I'll have them with me the next couple Tuesdays.  (Feel free to take extra for friends.)  There is usual a simple meet-up before the game (a tail-less tail-gate if you will) and some attempt to sit as a group at the game.

Ken (or "Uncle Ken") has asked us to pass along the blog, "Cooks on the Run".  It has stories about training, but more importantly, fun, healthy recipes.  (Including several vegetarian/vegan/gluten free listings in the recipes section.)  If you want to feel better about the unhealthy food you eat, glance through one of their meal plans. :-)  The most recent entry in the main blog section includes a fun sounding (and healthy) pancake recipe and running energy balls.  Seriously, it's worth reading just for the homemade energy balls.  Scrolling down there is polenta, tofu and something called "gyoza".  And a lot of quinoa.  Reading through some of these, definitely made me crave a Twinkie.  Something is wrong with me.

Escalade's snowboard guide, Megan-Mack Nicholson, is the brains behind the course for an upcoming obstacle course run at Greek Peak on Sunday, September 15th.  It's called the "Tuff eNuff Challenge" and gives the option of a 5k or a 10k course.  (It does not repeat, so to do all the obstacles you need to do the 10k variant.)  It is a fundraiser for a couple good causes and the race entry includes a free Mountain Coaster ride and reduced pricing for the rest of the attractions at the adventure center.  (Ropes course, zip lines, etc.)  "Mack" said she could really use some more runners, so please consider doing this, or passing along the idea to people you think might enjoy it.  She is also looking for some volunteers.  If you are interested in either participating or volunteering, let me know.

Next week, there will be some Tough Mudder details and photos, but for this week, let me just congratulate Nicole, Meatloaf, and Ob on completing their first Mudder this past weekend!  You now know that there are physical and mental challenges involved and that it is a lot more than a road race.  (For good and for bad.)  And finally, a special commendation to Escalade for facing her fears and once again taking the leap off of the "Walk the Plank" obstacle. Way to face your fears and leap into the darkness!

OLP as Normal

As most of you saw, Onondaga Lake Park will have construction for a while (see link).  We will still meet at the park at the usual spot this week.  We will do a test run with the construction and see how it goes.  Make sure to check here next week in case we need to change locations.  It sounds like we can make it work, but we may opt for a field trip!

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/07/onondaga_lake_park_recreation_trail_construction_work_begins.html#incart_river_default

This week will be quarter miles for anyone doing speedwork.  I don't have anything else on the schedule, so let me know if anyone has any training needs.  We can support anyone who would like help!

I hope everyone enjoyed a less intense week after the Boilermaker.  Since we had a 90 minute and 6 hour race, Aaron and I decided to give ourselves a nice, easy week.  It was good to let our bodies recover, but it was also a great chance to mentally recover from the stress of that kind of race.  We did lots of walking, a couple of easy runs, an easy swim, and a bike ride.  It was a great recovery week, but now I'm back out there and increasing the intensity again.  How long does everyone else give themselves after a big race?  Week?  Two?  1 day?

--Kelly :)

Terry's addition:
For anyone that did not read Kelly's excellent 12 points of what she learned last week, please go read that. Escalade and I used at least a few of the points at the Boilermaker.  We were not fully prepared this year, we were slower this year, and we walked several times this year, but at the end of the race, I asked which version she enjoyed more...and Escalade said that she enjoyed the slower race, where she was able to enjoy the entire 9.3 miles, over the traditionally more ideal race from last year, where she maxed out her performance time-wise but was red-lining for the last 5k and not able to enjoy anything in that stretch.

From my perspective, the Boilermaker delivered once again.  It's crowded at the start, it's crowded at the post race party, and it's almost always a very hot day, but it remains the areas greatest race.  For the second straight year, Escalade and my outfits were a plea for the runners and the crowd to spur us on, and they did not disappoint.  To say we heard "dozens" of cheers would be way too low, so I'll go with "hundreds" of times a fellow runner or the crowd along the streets 'cheered for Erin'.  It was, once again, an amazing experience that I hope Erin will always remember.  For those of you who wear headphones or blend in, I encourage you to play to the Boilermaker crowd one of these years - it can be as simple as being on Team Beef - but wear something that the crowd can respond to, leave the headphones at home, and see how different of a race experience you can have.

Now, for the colorful part.  The following "photos" are all screen captures from marathonfoto.com who seems to be doing a great job as they got all of us TRYers more than once.

Malinda (what IS she doing in that first shot?):

Meatloaf/Beefeater/SchmooopilyInLoveFacebookPoster:


Duerr (he needs more shirts with zippers):


Jake (from State Farm):


Janna (Utica's own!):


Berman and Berman (Father and daughter?  Roommate and roommate? Who cares, as they are so cute together.):


Valentin (alternative Superman):


Salazar (I think he outdid the 'Gerega Wave' with his peace signs and fist shots):


Escalade (and her guide):


Sue (the leaver):


And with that, another great Boilermaker is in the books.

TRY Outing #2

Reminder - Tomorrow we will not be meeting at the park, but instead will be having an outing at our house.  If you want to run, the gang will be leaving at 5:30ish.  If you don't have the information, please contact Terry, Aaron or I for the details.

This past weekend a bunch of people participated in the Boilermaker.  I wasn't there, so I'll let Terry give a recap next week.  It looks like everyone had a great day on a brutal day.  Congratulations to Malinda, Erin T., Duerr, Bermans, Sue, Erin S., and Terry!  Looks like Brob and Ron also had a fun time celebrating :)  Did I miss anyone? [Terry: Jake overlapped with several of us throughout the day.  I did not see Janna, but I see she put up a good time.  There were also overlaps with some fringy TRYers - Eric V. and Diego S. helped Escalade and I get through the first couple miles, and Bob S. of Centipediatrician fame crossed paths with us twice.  Plus several of the LM gang stopped by to visit some under the trees.]

Team Beef/Carrot having a good time post-race.

Aaron and I did the Double Mussel at the Musselman Triathlon this week.  That is a sprint on Saturday (800m swim, 16 mile bike, 5k run), and a half Ironman on Sunday (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run).  We both had fun and did very well.  I learned a lot this weekend, and I wanted to share some reminders.

1. Complete your own race.  On Saturday, I was trying to do what everyone else was doing and had a rough swim.  Sunday I did my own thing and felt great.
2. Stick with it.  I swallowed water on the swim yesterday and got sick on the bike.  I thought about dropping out before the run.  I found some nutrition that eventually didn't make me feel worse and decided to try the run.  I felt great on the run and was strong on a tough course.  I'm so happy I stuck with it.
3. Adjust your plans.  See bullet #2.  When things went south, all my plans went out the window (including nutrition).  I started making adjustments immediately and was able to tough it out.
4. Don't be afraid to walk through aid stations (especially on a hot day), but keep moving.  I spent around 6 hours out on the course yesterday, and the last 2 hours were hot and humid.  I decided to walk through the aid stations to make sure I got enough water and to keep my body temperature down.  I put ice in my shirt and took in fuel.  It kept me from overheating and let me push hard when I was running.
5. Don't risk your life for a race.  It isn't worth it.
6. Keep your head up.  Pay attention to what is going on around you on the roads.  You can prevent accidents by paying attention and taking less risks.
7. A positive attitude and a smile goes a long way.  At 11am I was starting a hilly, unshaded run.  Coming off a rough bike, I smiled and thought about how lucky I was to be there.  It helped!
8.  Be tough and go after what you want.  There is a brutal rock road that is nearly a mile uphill where everyone walks.  Aaron and I both had it in our heads that we were going to run up that hill this year.  We both had to push hard and stay tough getting up there, but we both did it.  I am proud of us for hanging tough!
9. Talking to people makes the time go by faster and makes the stories more interesting.  I met some great people yesterday.
10. Tell your story.  It is ok to share your embarassing moments in a race.  Everyone has them :)
11. It is a privilege to be able to do crazy races.  Be thankful for every part of the journey, good or bad.
12. Thank your volunteers!  In many races, they are manning their stations for longer than you are out there, and they stand there for hours (in our case, 5+ hours).  Make sure they understand that you appreciate them, and they will remember that!

--Kelly :)

Terry's Slacking Again

Terry is slacking again and hasn't posted yet...so it is another short post :)  This weekend is the Boilermaker, and all participants should be in their taper at this point.  I recommend keeping it to a 4 mile run.  If you want to do intervals, I would do no more than 4 quarter miles and don't max out your effort.  You want to make sure you let your body rest in anticipation of a hard run this weekend.

Next Tuesday will be a TRY outing, and we will not meet at the park.  Terry and I will be sending out a Facebook invite to TRY participants to get a head count.  If you aren't on Facebook and would like to attend, please give one of us your e-mail address, and we will send you the information.  This is not to exclude anyone but to protect our privacy.  Thanks!

--Kelly :)

Thank you, Kelly.  Below are my additions:
I'm underwhelmed by the people wanting to attend the Boilermaker Expo and the mini-Team Beef outing on Saturday.  Please let know if anyone else is joining in for that.  (Details are in last weeks post.)

Speaking of the Boilermaker, I don't know if there are any first timers doing it this year, but there are some people that are new to the TRY way of doing it, so please read last years pre-Boilermaker post (the second half specifically) for a good way to drive to avoid traffic and where to park and meet-up beforehand and where to meet-up afterwards.  (There are a couple good links in the post as well for extra information on hydration and for why to run tangents.)

Another piece of reading that is pretty good, but not great, is about running and racing in the summer heat.  The point about running by effort and not by pace, and the part titled "train like Macgyver" could be especially useful for our less experienced TRYers, but the whole thing is worth a skim for everyone.

#suebroketheeverything

And to think I was just going to blame her for breaking the Corey-badger.  Then my wife asks if I saw the Facebook update...and I learn that Sue went and broke the everything.  :-/

The workout:
I was considering heading over to the "bad idea" hill, to let people get some big hill work in before the Boilermaker and the Mussel-hustle, but I just don't feel like pushing that.  But, it is either that or 1/4 mile repeats, whatever the group consensus is during the pre-game talk.  Choose wisely!

The news:
Team Beef pulled the flank-steak out from under us this year and is not doing the post Boilermaker meal.  So, in an attempt to get people to use their coupons for a free Boilermaker burger, here is my thought -  Team Beefers (and friends) that are up for it, can carpool from Liverpool (the park makes sense) starting at 9 AM on Saturday, the 13th.  Or you can meet at the expo some time after 10.  After getting our Team Beef gifts and shirts and meat rubs, and milling around the expo for a while scavenging for worthwhile freebies , we leave there at 11ish to meet at one of the restaurants by 11:30.  We do a team, beef loading lunch, then drive back to Syracuse.  Which should get us back to cars by 1:30.  Who wants in?  It'll be more fun than a barrel full of beef medallions!  OK, I just made that one up, but I do hope a few of you can do this for the camaraderie.

The tease:
Escalade's snowboard guide is putting together an obstacle course race at Greek Peak in mid-September.  I am going to attempt to have an update or two about it, with a behind the scenes view of what it's like to put together a race for the first time, specifically an obstacle course race.  I will find it interesting, so hopefully others will as well.

The big news:
I feel these two songs say it all.

The obvious one -


And the subtle one (at 42 seconds it starts to pay off) -