That's A Wrap

Tonight is the final Tuesday of the running season at OLP. Meet at 5 for a 5:05 start. Something I forgot and forgot to mention last week - a light or flashy light is not a bad idea since it will be dark by the time you finish. As with last week - we are shattering weather records for the warmest ending of a TRY season! Lucky. Due to darkness the post run cool down walk is cancelled again. Please just safely finish with your group and get safely to your cars.

From the informal survey and responses, it would seem that a Wednesday night group run under the Lights on the Lake is not happening. So, consider this a friendly reminder that both Wednesday night and Thursday nights are available from 5 - 9 PM to get out there on foot and take in the lights at your leisure. Thursday night is dog night, so you'll have some extra obstacles then but still should be plenty suitable to a walk or jog. Just remember to be extra polite either night if you jog - as that is not what the night is intended for. Give the walkers and the dogs right of way.

The Jingle Bell Run is coming up on Saturday, November 22nd. You can save yourself 5 bucks by registering at Fleet Feet the day before. Rumblings say that at least a couple TRYers will be involved again this year as part of our festive tradition.

A Disturbing Trend

What better use of an extra hour than to prepare this weeks blog post early for once? For those of you in Arizona, you get this benefit for free!

This week and next week we will meet at 5:00 with the group run starting at 5:05. We lost an hour of light with the end of daylight saving time but we only move the start up by 30 minutes in order to keep as many people involved as we can. This does mean it will be quite dark by the time the run completes, so be smart, run with someone if you can, and we skip the final cool down walk to shave 5 minutes off the end of our routine. (Another good idea is to choose a shorter run but to do it at a higher intensity to maximize the time available.) Remember that the bathrooms get locked at 5 as well, so arrive before that if you want to get relief right before you run.

A personal story on why I probably will not be there this week (and next?): after a failed attempt to sign Joseph back up for swim lessons at the Y on any weeknight but Tuesday we need to find an open time that will work for taking him ourselves. Naively the only time that works for us will be an early Tuesday night slot that is currently set aside for TRY. I’ll provide an update in the FB comments once I know for sure as I still need to check open pool times and compare schedules.

Since those of you who want to run through the winter will have to soon consider some treadmill running I thought now is the perfect time to share this article on how to make treadmill runs equivalent to running outside. It gives advice on how to get equal effort out of a treadmill run, then gets confusing, then comes around to a surprising conclusion. I am going to make you read it for yourself just to enjoy the circular journey it takes you on. (It is sort of fascinating and it’s my attempt to “amaze my running buddies” as is suggested in the final sentence.)

Due to underestimating the popularity of the “Seneca 7” race, the TRY team missed out on getting in before it sold out on Friday morning. In a continuation of a disturbing trend, the time you have to sign up for these popular, capped entry, races decreases exponentially every year. (In this case it went from a 5 day window last year to about a 1 hour window this year.) This sucks on so many levels that as a natural procrastinator I am basically catatonic. (Damn you, Adam Duerr and all you "Punctual Pete's" out there!)

Do any you have experience with other races that you've done that sell out (either triathlons or popular races throughout the US) and what creative ways they are coming up with to make the sign ups more fair? OK, fair may not be the right concept – but more drawn out? Is there any solution being tested out? All I know of is to switch to a lottery system which has plenty of flaws in its own right. Is there any creative way around this?

Another side effect of this trend is that entry limited races are free to start to raise their prices, because why wouldn't they? The law of supply and demand is clearly out of whack here, so why not crank up the price until it somewhat balances out? If race directors and accountants at the Seneca 7 and the Boilermaker do not raise their prices significantly next year then they must fall somewhere on the scale of “lousy at their job” to “morons”. Every race is in the business of making money. Either for themselves or for a charity. To not take advantage of us participants to make more money just does not make sense.

I’ll work through the example for the Boilermaker since I’m so much more familiar with that one. Two years ago everyone got the early bird pricing of about $35 as it sold out in about 3 days. This spring they were smart enough to raise the price to what had been a mid-process price of $50 and it sold out in a few hours (at a gain of over 200 hundred grand). If nothing changes, then this year it will sell out within an hour or two. If I were them I would raise the price to $100 just to see what happens. At 14,000 runners that extra $50 is well over 700 hundred grand of pure profit (assuming they were already making at least a little money) just by snapping their fingers. If there is any concern about not selling out, then play a game of chicken with the participants and set the early bird price at $100 with some reductions built in for a couple months, then have an inflection point and start increasing the price again as the race day approaches. (So a “V” instead of a straight line increase that we are so used to races doing to increase early entry.) Really, it’s such a good idea that there is no way they don’t start doing something like that soon. And it SUCKS! There is really nothing we can do about it. If the race still easily sells out, then they can (and should!) just raise the price again for the next year. Their sole financial goal should be to find the price point that is just high enough to barely sell out the race. If they get backlash from the running community they can either pump some of that money back into the event or make their charitable contributions more evident. (Or in the Boilermakers case, if they don't actually want the money, they could say, "Here Utica, have $700,000 on us! Anyone still complaining?") Any race that sells out in less than a day clearly does not realize the value of their product. (Does Disney World charge over $100 a ticket because that is the minimum they need to be profitable and to keep you appropriately entertained for the day? Or have they figured out that just happens to be the “magic” price to keep the “kingdom” full to capacity at that point in the year and will raise their price as soon as demand is high enough again to warrant it? Since they are not running some sort of Mickey Mouse operation there, I’m almost positive it’s the latter.)

 This running boom is off the charts right now and we are about to start paying the price for it if we want to participate in the most sought after races. It's a disturbing trend. :-(

It's Almost That Time

How about today's weather? Supposedly we'll be running in 70 degree temps even after cooling off a few degrees from the days high. Soak it in, everybody.

Some people noticed this last week, but a warning to everyone: (unless the weather inspires them to change their hours) the bathrooms will be locked up at 6 PM tonight. Plan your bathroom needs accordingly. Next week, they start being locked up at 5.

Speaking of next week, daylight saving time ends on Sunday, which means even less light for us than we have had and the final two weeks of TRY at the park will have to meet starting at 5 PM in order to get the run in with even a hint of light left. The park "closes" at dark, so we do our best to play along with that. They have always allowed us (and others) to push that limit a bit if you are out there exercising, but safety becomes a concern as well. So, next week and the week after, the meet-up time is 5 and the run starts at 5:05. For those who cannot make the earlier start time, stay tuned for the run under the lights plan and for the after season TRY plan from mid-November til the snow sticks.

I have a mish-mash of actual interesting and useful things for you this week. No, really!

Duerr - here is the [world's most annoying] training plan you asked for. Have fun clicking on all the links. I only did a few clicks and was not impressed, but who are we to question them? Surely there was no way to combine that into one page?

Normally I tend to give away the answers, but this time you have to read it for yourself. Along with this interesting list of "Old Wives Tales - Fact or Fiction", the "must read" for me was the fourth one that that tells you whether or not you should be covering up your head as you run in the cold weather this fall and winter. (I had stumbled across the same conclusion somewhere else recently and felt compelled to share.)

After "always" being on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, the Jingle Bell Run has sure gone squirrelly on us! Last year it moved location and dates - to the Sunday before the Sunday before - then proceeded to start the race before the official start time because of the crappy weather everyone was standing in. Which was a nice thought, except at least one VIP we know of was doing what he thought was a last minute bathroom break, only to get back outside with the race already started. Anyway, this year, it's back to the weekend before Thanksgiving, but now is on the Saturday. Conclusion - Saturday, November 22nd is this years Jingle Bell Run (still at OCC - race day registration at 8, race at 10 - so they say - but they are NOT to be trusted.) We have a tradition of good TRYer turnout, who plans to do it this year? Early bird pricing is over, but it is still a $5 savings through November, 21st ($25 for adults) compared to day of registration.

I found this last thing interesting. For those frequent travelers looking for a quick workout without needing equipment or for people looking for something they can quickly do while in their living room while watching Once Upon A Time. Here is the "Scientific 7 Minute Workout" (well, it talks about apps you can get, but also has links to the workout itself). It is supposed to work out your entire body and must work because it's scientific. Science!

I grabbed the little cheat sheet for my own convenience:

For those who need more than that, you could always do it again or change the amount of time on each exercise as you see fit. (Since some of you refuse to read what I link to - the recommendation is 30 seconds per, with 10 seconds recovery, meant to be done at 8 out of 10 exertion level. Because, science!) There is also the "advanced" version you could read up on, but that involves dumbbells which, to me, defeats the purpose since it can no longer be done anywhere. Keep it simple, science - no need to get all mathematical on us.

Down To Four

We are down to four weeks of regular TRY (counting tonight) before we have to leave the park.

Tonight, some people are starting early to run a long run - see Aaron's post on the line for details of that. I'll meet up with the others at the regular time and do our thing. Plan for some light rain.

Nothing jumped out at me this week - except for this one article from Syracuse.com. Am I the only one who is totally reminded or own Quick Courting Corey? Now, obviously there are some major differences, but the underlying love story is that they were engaged within a Corey and then are going to be married within another Corey. Eerily similar? Right? It shows that love works in mysterious ways and you never know when your true love will enter your life.

Is Something Better Than Nothing?

I cannot even blame it on the drain this week...

A warm day out of nowhere for our run this week. By the time we run, the heat will be diminishing, but it looks like we will still be running in temperatures in the low 70s which is crazy-crazy for mid October. Should be a beautiful night for a run.

I often allow inspiration to seek me out on what to put in the weekly blog entries...and more often than not lately it has been failing me. I must have offended my muse somehow? I have a couple things to share, that I don't even consider worthy, but am assuming that something is better than nothing so am sharing them anyway.

For those of you who listen to music when you run - I read an article that was so wishy-washy and with such lousy research that I can not even bear to share it with you. I will include the concluding quotes because I thought they were OK:

'There are certain situations, however, in which the dissociative approach to running with music can be unsafe or even rude.

"For safety reasons, don't run with music after dark," says Corkum. "I also recommend leaving music at home for most races as a courtesy to other runners around you. If you choose to use music in a race, keep the volume low enough so you can hear if a runner asks to pass you."

For the majority of runners, music will come in handy on some runs and be better left at home for others. Unplugging and allowing yourself to pay attention to your surroundings, body and breathing can be a highlight of any run.

"Many runners are surprised at what a different experience running without music truly can be," Corkum says.'

[This is back to me now - I know when I cheer at races, there is a noticeable difference in how people with headphones respond to my attempts at cheering, usually to the point of not noticing me at all. So, I personally have a bias against people listening to music on race day because I feel they are missing out on some of the race day experience. I do realize that they don't give a crap what I think, so we silently agree to disagree.]

The second reference is one of those dreaded "slideshow" type posts that are way too common these days, but since we have a lot of women in the group, I figured I should share "10 Reasons Why Women Should Run". Some of these are unexpected reasons as this was meant to be some "fun" reasons, and quickly cover bone density, dealing with your mensies, and increased sexual satisfaction. You're welcome ladies!

That's all I've got for this week. If you have ideas or topics that you would like to write about - or have me research and write about, let me know as I need some new sources for inspiration. (Obviously.)

Blame It On The Drain

Another late post - and rather than accept responsibility for my own actions - I'm going to blame it on the drain. (Gotta blame it on something.) Read to the end for details.

I'm including links to an educational video about eating gluten free (almost 9 minutes) and a yoga video (about 25 minutes). If interested, remember to come back and watch them when you have the time.

Tonight - break up into like minded groups per usual.

Did you know that counting this week, we are down to 6 weeks left of Tuesday night running at the park? The Lights on the Lake is starting earlier than ever - this year they are starting two Fridays before Thanksgiving - but they've shifted days so we actually get the same amount of Tuesdays to run on.

The dates that matter:
We can do TRY at OLP up through Tuesday, November 11th.
The "stroll" (walk that we have ran the last few years) is on Wednesday the 12th.
The dog walk night is on Thursday the 13th.
(Once again there is an end of season run through - Saturday, January 3rd at 11 PM. I've never been crazy enough to do that one.)
I expect enough interest that we will move TRY to another location - typically the creekwalk starting on Tuesday, November 18th.

Are you curious about Celiac Disease or have you considered starting a gluten free diet? This video via Upworthy pretty much debunks the need for a gluten free diet unless you have Celiac disease. It's very interesting if you want to know what little proof there is on the benefits of eating GF for someone who does not have to.

Do you do yoga? Or are curious about it? Here is a video from Runner's World claiming to be "essential yoga" to make you a better runner. If I was as flexible as her, I feel like I could run like a deer. Some of the moves would break me. On the website, below the main video are a couple others I  plan to check out - including one claiming to be yoga with a foam roller.

Lastly - my excuse for not posting on time. I was the perfect cliche last night and went to Lowe's at about 9:30 to buy some parts for a toilet. I mean, really? Why do they stay open til 10? For moron's like me who need them open that late. It was a minor fix and seems good to go as of this morning...but the delay allows me to "blame it on the drain".

FYI - a couple of you claimed to not know anything about "Milli Vanilli". So, go back to a blog post from two years ago, scroll down to the youtube clips and listen to them for 30 seconds each. I assume you all have heard the songs? If not, give them a listen. They were hits back in the day.

One of those turned into a Weird Al spoof that he called "The Plumber Song", but I always thought of as "Blame it on the Drain":

Social Scenes

Please read to the end for a request for runners for a team race. (Or just skip past the photos and read from that point on.)

I cannot tell if we will get away with another too perfect fall day or if the chance of rain will materialize, but either way, I encourage you rare or never go out after TRY to join in for a planned social night. The regular socialites go out almost every week but several others (including me) rarely join in. It's been a while since we've done a "let's all go out night"...so it's time. And if you want my wife and kids to go in, then we can do Whitewater Pub or The Barking Gull as somehow those pass the "not a bar" test that The Cobblestone fails. Plan on some extra time and grabbing a bite and getting to know your fellow running club members!

For the run - pick your partners on the fly - just like we've been doing all year.

Thanks for your feedback on how to make a local run stand out. The best (most usable) idea I received was to give running socks out instead of a shirt. (With a thought of providing the option, it seems like a lot of runners would love the idea. The downside is that it does not allow for sponsors to be advertised on the back of the shirt. But really, has a sponsor on a shirt ever caused anyone to seek them out?)

In my never ceasing quest to provide you all with details on the trends in the running community, I attended the "Insane Inflatable 5k" on Saturday morning. It was at the Fairgrounds - but now how I expected. They took over the upper lot and made what may be the worst 5k course ever: it just took a serpentine path through the whole parking lot. Around the outside and back up the middle and back again down the middle and finishing along the other side, just cones marking some semblance of a path that might have actually added up to 3 miles? Every so often a usually giant blown up monstrosity would await you. Slides, bouncers, climbers, huge blue balls as tall as a person, and all sorts of things I did not even know were possible just by forcing air through them. Did it look like fun? Yes. Did I want to do a few of the obstacles? Yes. Would it be worth the $50 or more dollars to do them? I think that is where the "insane" part of the name came in. It's definitely not meant to be for runners. It's meant for the kid inside of you. Run, if you want, but mostly people walk, with their silly costumes and team themes. Young, old, in shape and out of shape. A lot of people were going through it on Saturday and they were announcing that it was set up for Sunday as well. It proved again that social "gimmick" runs are all the rage.

My little sister and her team had a good time. I did hear from them (and random comments) that there were some rug burn type hazards from all the sliding on plastic/canvas. So, if you do an inflatable run - be sure to protect those parts you care about from the burn.

Here are photos from the two obstacles that most caught my eye.

An awesomely big bounce house - 6 or 8 feet of air underneath you:


And the final slide - I'm guessing about 30 feet high with a 20 foot slide then a jump down and you bounce down the last part on your feet.


You got a shirt, you got a medal (for some reason I cannot explain) and you got burns on your butt, back and elbows. What's not to love?

To end on - an appeal for a different type of social race. The Adirondack Ragnar race was this past weekend and I sought out reports from two different first time participants (on different teams). One report was very short and along the lines of "It was awesome", while the other was more detailed but came down to the same conclusion of being "so much fun" and "would definitely do it again".

So, despite repeated failures to get a team race together, I am going to aim for another one, but aiming a little lower this time. Who wants to do the "Seneca 7" next spring?

What is it, you ask? It's a 77.7 mile race that gives 7 runners total 13 hours to finish running around one of the finger lakes. I assume it's Cayuga lake but am not sure?

The race is on Sunday, April 19th, starting at 7 in the morning. Each teammate runs 3 legs and you end up with a total distance of 10ish to 12ish miles. Each leg is roughly 4 miles in length from a quick glance. As a team you have to maintain slightly slower than a 10 minute mile pace to finish in time.

There is a lot of details that would matter eventually but it's overkill at this point, the least you need to know is that registration is on October 31st and it's a good bet it sells out that weekend. So, we would need 7 teammates at that point willing to pay about $75 each to register. (You can trade out runners later, so there are ways to get in a spare or two if something goes wrong.)

Who is seriously interested? Who is possibly interested? It would be great to have a team from TRY do this. (Even if I'm not involved - It seems like a unique way to celebrate the bond of a running group and to work together for a shared goal.)

That was a joke about which lake, by the way - it's around Seneca Lake and is supposed to be very scenic.

Here is the website with all the dirty details. (I fully admit that other TRYers know a lot more about this race than I do...but since I'm writing the blog I did the best I could getting the key points out there.)

FYI, I'm not considering the "bike team" option, but I guess there are enough bikers (triers) in the group, that you could pull that off? In which case I would not be involved, but I would be that much more impressed by your efforts!

Don't Fall For It

Come on out for lovely fall weather. We will split up into like minded running groups during the pre-run chit chat session.

I looked it up and the beautiful, almost summer like, weather we will have the next few to several days is way too early to be called an "Indian Summer". (For those who don't want to click the link it turns out that should not be used until November - or, at a minimum, after a hard frost.)

As you may have noticed, I've struggled for meaningful content in the blog this year almost every week. My attempts to get guests posts have mostly failed and the sources of my running information just keep recycling the same information again and again. (It could be that I need to seek out new sources?)

I did somewhat like this article that once again debates the most effective workout for runners. It's a wishy-washy conclusion - "the benefits of the various training intensities are complementary to a degree" and goes into how to best balance the ratio of low, moderate, and high intensity running. The short answer - limit your high intensity running workouts to only about 20%. (As with most things I've wrote about lately, this may only matter for 1 or 2 of the people in TRY, but just because you don't train at a near elite level, doesn't mean you can't gain a little bit of a performance boost by being wise about how you do train.)

On the feedback front, I could truly use some input from you jaded, veteran, 5K runners in the group. What does it take for you to come out and run a random 5K race? I know you have more shirts than you could ever want and the race length and experience is boring to you. What WOULD get your attention? Why would you do a random 5K? Do age group awards or finisher awards entice people? Is there something you've seen or heard done elsewhere that could be incorporated locally to make a race stand out?

The reason I ask is because I will be helping with a race next April. But I see the crap-ton of races on the local race calendar and I think it is something that is totally overdone right now. Have we reached a saturation point yet? At what point are there not going to be enough interested people to support all these runs? Are they counting on new people continually taking up running and being excited about races? I know personally I support ones with causes close to me or done by people I want to support, but really could care less about doing another short race. (Well, except for stretchy pants, I suppose. Those are still fun at races!)

Anyway, the Inflatable 5K is this Saturday and I see another glow in the dark run is being done somewhere nearby (Ithaca, I believe). Perhaps the only way to stand out is to do these major gimmicks? (Color, mud, glow, foam, inflate, zombies, etc.) Compared to those types of races, it seems like any "normal" 5K is going to seem boring?

What else? I was hoping for more photos from the Tuff e Nuff from two Sundays ago now, but all I have is these two screen captures from a news story that Escalade, our friend Katie P, and I were briefly shown in. We borrowed a Team Beef shirt for Katie and represented in the 10K portion of the race.

It was refreshingly local compared to the Tough Mudder which has everything sponsored up the wazoo (it's to the point that every wall you climb over, jump off or swim under has a corporate sponsor on it - this morning I just saw photos with Dos Equis bottles floating on top of their ice water obstacle). Ugggh! Enjoy your arctic enema, proudly brought to you by Dos Equis. ("I don't always freeze my labia majora off by jumping into ice water, but when I do, I prefer to take my mind off my frozen 'flappy wet bird' with Dos Equis.)




But I've given up on getting TRYers to care about obstacle course races so I'll just stop now. Well, after I recommend the "Tuff e Nuff" as one to do, if you want to see what they are about, but don't want to pay a fortune or get shocked by live wires or risk excessive injury to get through one. It's as safe as one can be, natural, and has some nice scenery when you get near the top of the ski hills. (And kudos to the organizers for doing one that is based all around being alcohol free.)

Last one - if you are involved in the Empire State Marathon this year, you should know this already, but for those who are not - they just announced a course change last week and will no longer be running into Baldwinsville. They are taking advantage of the lengthened west shore trail and will be using that instead of the loop through the village. I'm sure it is a lot easier, logistically, to not have to close roads or worry about intersections, but it also means that hundreds of less spectators will be along the course. A logical, but not necessarily good change there? It is going to be a battle with boredom for the marathoners and marathon team participants. (The third leg of the four person team is entirely done on the west shore trail. (You better hope for family members cheering you on, because I cannot imagine any random spectators supporting you there.) The half marathon course remains unchanged from what I can tell.

Map is here for anyone who cares.

A Bit More Science

Let me start out this weeks post by admitting that I just had 15 seconds where I could not remember our own website name! Ouch. It might be time to put me out to pasture?

Tonight's weather forecast is beautiful, so I'm hoping for a banner turnout. I may even show up myself. I'll let someone else decide if it is time for a visit to Faith Hill or not.

This weekend - we have a race that several of us have supported over the years, thanks to Escalade's dedication to the cause. (And it was her first 5k with us. Awww, good memories.) The Teal Ribbon Run or "Hope for Heather" as I tend to call it has changed dates and location. This year it will be in Lewis Park in Minoa instead of at the inner harbor. Website details are here. You can still pre-register for $30 for a couple more days or do day of registration for $35. The race itself is Saturday morning at 10:30. I plan to be there jogging with a double stroller and rumor has it that a rare Escalade sighting will be possible!

Thanks to quick-courting-Corey's wedding photographer we have a fun RUNder Construction "reunion" picture to share. (Note, we had to swap in at one spot, but consider this close enough. God only knows how many times Kelly has day dreamed about swapping them in the opposite direction!) I wish I was more concerned about the camera and less concerned about the signs and Berms probably wishes that photo bombing was possible for short people, but, that said, it is an instant classic:



Plus it does prove that during the summer you cannot avoid construction! No matter how well you plan your route.

Thanks to Aaron here is a much more detailed and thoughtful article on running cadence (and footstrike as well). It is hard to summarize here and this all is too much for some of our beginner runners to even worry about. I do encourage the midlevel to experienced runners among us to read through that and discuss the topic in the next week or two. And I can use the metronome app I have to give you an idea of what the "magic" 180 cadence feels like. If it seems significantly faster to you, then you are a candidate for slowly increasing your cadence. (I realize the article says it is not magical - but it will be the easiest way for us all to quickly self-measure against it and can think about future form adjustments from there. For people above that rate - good for you.)

Lastly, I could use some input. Several of you met David and Ellen at Catherine's house and pool party...well they have made the mistake of letting me help them with their neighborhood 5k race for next year. So, I am sort of on the committee for "Paint Westvale Purple", which will be run next April. It is only 2 years old, but has been an immediate success with almost 400 runners and walkers this year and around $9000 raised (this year) for relay for life. When next spring rolls around I may encourage participation or volunteering or, in Ron's case, FINALLY getting him playing music during a road race...so consider this some advanced warning. Right now, I will take any informal inputs you want to give me on "small" local races that you like or don't like how they do things. Especially if you have a race website that you either really like or really do not like, since my first main task will be to give them a "real" website feel instead of the simple google site they currently have.

A MishMash of Blah

Tonight: there is a chance of severe storms in the area, so check your weather app before you drive out and choose wisely. If storms are eminent we will be wise and run Angela's TRY-angle loops to stay near our cars.

I really thought I could pull together an interesting and useful post today but the articles I was stockpiling really disappointed me as I looked through them in detail. So, I'll still post a few links and let you glean what you can from them.

First, not related to running, but related to TRY since I push local baseball on you a couple times a year. The Syracuse Chiefs have made the playoffs for the first time in my era here (first time since 1989) and will be starting their playoffs on the road on Wednesday, against the Pawtucket Red Sox. It is a best of 5 series, with games 3 through 5 scheduled for Syracuse. They are guaranteed a home game on Friday at 7 PM and then can have up to two more this weekend depending on how the series goes. It is a bit of an odd way to do it, but they are being rewarded for being the higher seed by only getting one guaranteed home game. The other oddity with minor league baseball playoffs is that they will not being putting their best product on the field. The parent team - the Washington Nationals are in a playoff push of their own and starting in September can expand their rosters for a month. So, as major league teams tend to do, they poached a lot of good talent from the Syracuse roster. Syracuse can in turn grab some players from the level below them to help them out, but it makes for an odd mix of players that haven't played together all year, but now will be fighting to get through up to three playoff rounds. Syracuse.com has some recent articles, but nothing I could find that was playoff specific yet, so just go to syracusechiefs.com if you need a baseball fix or want to order tickets ahead of time.

Now, running related, here I have culled through some of the most recent active.com articles to see what was worthwhile. Nothing groundbreaking, but good reminders and proof that TRY somewhat keeps you on the right path.
10 "secrets" to take your running to the next level - includes mixing up your runs, doing some hills, changing your pace, using partners, setting goals.
A quick read about when it is time to switch your shoes - the only surprising thing here was how sometimes a new shoe may need to be given up on right from the start. (Remember that a place like Fleet Feet typically takes shoes back if you instantly have buyers regret in the form of pain or blisters - one of the benefits of buying local.)
Here is a set of simple (can be done at home on the floor) core exercises good for runners and triathletes. Some planks and variations. Nothing ground breaking - but simple enough to start or restart your core training with.
Finally, a slightly more complicated one - a little more involved set of three exercises that can help improve your running form. You need some partner help with this one, but one thing I can do is get out my cadence app and remind people what 180 steps per minute feels like. Hopefully I remember to do that in the next couple of TRY sessions - let a few people at a time hear it while we do our warm up mile.

That's it. Hopefully Katie rescues this blog next week with stories from her foray into the world of rowing.

A Doggy Day?

Is this finally a "dog day" of August? It is going to be the hottest day for quite a while and perhaps the last hot day of the summer? We'll see how bad it feels at the park and can reign in the workouts accordingly.

Remember, for those of you who can attend, Jill has offered up her place just a couple minutes away for tonight's post run hangout. She is providing grill-ables but asks that you  provide your own adult beverages if you want them. (There are places right in the village to buy some if need be.)

Some major TRY love was in the air this past weekend. No, I don't mean Sue's love of Transformers movies or Berm's love of all things Disney! (Not that both of those are not still burning brightly.) I mean our own quick-courting Corey Finch tied the knot and made one woman's day (and life) while breaking so many others hearts. (You could be a Tug Boat Captain on all the tears of joy and sadness that were shed that day, but Corey-badger, true to his name, did not give a shit.)



Corey, thanks for inviting so many TRYers and allowing us to share in your special day. The ceremony was lovely and the reception was a truly great time. The conclusion is that TRYers can look half-way decent when they choose to:

Switching gears to some edumacational stuff:

Duerr, in basically the most hawkward way possible, is now going to call Malinda his gazelle. (If he starts rubbing her hair ties on his upper lip and asking about her ovulation cycle, I'm drawing the line!) But, short of that, read this interesting story on why having a female running partner is very good for a guy. (It was obvious you ladies always made us look better, but who knew you actually increased our performance?)

Speaking of ladies and better performance, ladies stop wearing bras! Oops, that is, stop wearing bras two days in a row if you want them to last longer and decrease the chances of prolonged discomfort for you. You're welcome ladies! (Management here at TRY really does care a lot about your perktastic-pink-nosed-puppies!)

Yeah, it's going to be hard to top that piece of alliteration, like ever, so I should probably stop while that is fresh on everyone's minds.

TRY Night at the Fair 2014

The "summer that wasn't" is almost over and it's time for the Great New York State Fair and one of our silly TRY traditions. This blog entry explains that, another upcoming social night, plus even has something related to running in it. I promise!

But first - on what is looking to be a nice, but perhaps too hot for what we are used to, night for TRY, we'll meet up and pick our running plans and get another run night in the books.

Looking ahead - next Tuesday (the 26th) Jill has graciously offered up her deck and backyard to us for a post-run cookout. She is located just a couple turns away from the park in downtown Liverpool and wants any TRYer that would like to, to come on over and hang out for a while after next weeks run. She'll provide the grill-ables but asks for you to provide your own beverages - especially of the adult variety. (This will be held rain or shine and to get some idea of how many to expect, please let me know if you will probably be able to attend.) Thanks in advance, Jill!

TRY Night at the Fair - One of our random, having nothing to do with running, traditions is to get any willing TRYers to meet up at the fair on a night with a good free concert. Last year we all enjoyed (well, almost all enjoyed) listening to "Hey There Delilah" as we ate our ice cream or hot beef sundaes. This year, the night picked out is Thursday (the 21st) to go along with a free concert by the Barenaked Ladies. Get an advanced sale ticket while you still can, show up for the fair whenever you can and then use your cell phone to meet-up starting around 5 or 5:30. We usually get a little food, get a little drink, hope we are people watching people more than they are people watching us and then end up near enough to hear most of the free concert. Let me know if you plan to be there or especially if you need my phone number to help find the group once you arrive. It's random but lends itself to an entertaining evening.

Here is 2/3 of the group last year. The Shukkers cost money:


but the cob nibbling, photo bombing and twerking are free:



Before I give you some more information about "BNL", here is the part about running. Well, recovery. And finally a recovery or training plan that I can fully get behind: "The Single Best Way to Recover..." is by sleeping more! Yes! Finally something I'm good at. Although this should mean that I am the most recovered athlete out there. Read the link for the details and decide for yourself.

Now a little more about Barenaked Ladies that I wanted to find out for myself so figured I should share as well:
Canadian Rock Band known for "One Week", "The Old Apartment", "Pinch Me", "If I Had $1000000", "Brian Wilson"; as well as the theme for the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. They are also known for their light-hearted, comedic performance style, and humorous banter between songs and improvised raps/songs are staples at nearly every concert.

They've been around since 1988 and one of the co-founders left in 2009. Sales of over 15 million records. Their name was a fictionalized band name that they came up with joking around but it is what they used from the start.

One week is their only US #1 and the only one that has come even close. Pinch Me is the next highest reaching 15. If I had a $1000000 never charted in the US and only made 13 in Canada. It shows that you can end up with several well known songs without being a chart topping band.

Would they be considered a one hit wonder? Doesn't seem like it but then again, we maybe heard about them a lot more around Syracuse because they were from "nearby" Ontario. (Basically they are from Toronto.)

Anyway, now I know a bit more about Barenaked Ladies and despite never loving their music, do think that it should make for a free concert that is well worth the price of the concert. ;-)

Calling In Sick

A weak constitution and a couple of babies in the household is not a good combination for me. I've thrown up more in the last two years than I did in the last three years before that! I cannot be sure how, but the boys got to me again and I've had a bad day and a half tummy-wise. I do plan on getting soaked tonight at TRY but it will be just a constant paced jog for me. See you weather agnostic folks tonight.

Too Many Races

Today we return to an uncertain weather forecast and may be dodging rain this afternoon. I hope you enjoyed the one week reprieve last week. I'll attempt 1/2 mile intervals tonight for the several of us who did 1/4 miles last week. For others, split up as appropriate.

While voluncheering at the "Mad Cow 5K" on Saturday morning, the organizer lamented the competing race in Manlius that same morning. That other race was the "Manlius Mile and Bryan's 'Grizzly' 5K" which I know was started a few years ago in memory of a young man who had died. I don't think they always overlap, but the way the weekends fell they did this year. It has to be frustrating for small races to do everything they can to build a following only to have other races crop up that draw people away. Perhaps there is still enough to go around but naively it does seem we're close to a saturation point locally? Especially with the the non-local race organizers now targeting Syracuse with their gimmick runs that are so well attended even though they typically cost twice what a local event does. I suppose with all the choices, it's a great time to be a runner? But, I do feel bad for the organizers whose audience keeps getting watered down. (At what point do small race organizers realize it would be wiser to pool their resources and their time and do meta-events that combine their causes and split the proceeds? That is probably a tough step because you lose the uniqueness of your event and your preferred location...so it may be years before the combining starts?)

Personally, the Mad Cow event was a big success. There are several more cow hats and cow bells in the local community and I was able to donate a cool $60 to the cause - which was great for a couple hours of effort. :-)

Here is the little sheriff with the sales table in the background (you have to squint to see it):


And a shot of three-fourths of the sales team with the event mascot again:


This Friday night is the Lockheed Martin Family Night at the Syracuse Chiefs. I haven't heard back from anyone but I assume some of you want to attend like most years? It's free and there are post-game fireworks. Do I have to make a Facebook event to get peoples attention? (I may do that to help organize the very informal gathering we do.) The Chiefs are fighting for first place in their division and have 3 of the Washington Nationals top prospects playing for them. One of which was just called up last night and gives them two future major league outfielders playing for them right now. Both are "only" 23 so are doing very well for themselves to be playing at AAA right now. The good pitching prospect just started last night so we'll miss him by a couple games. As usual, there are a couple of former major leaguers hanging on to their playing years kicking around. Including at least one guy who has a world series ring from several years back now with my cherished Phillies. (From 2008.)

I think that's it for this week - I need more guest writers!

My Muse Was Missing

This week is the first non-hot, non-stormy Tuesday forecast in weeks! So, we have that going for us, which is nice. We can break up into like-minded parcels for the group run tonight. I am encouraging people who have not been (including myself) to start intervals tonight. Fun! :-)

I was hoping to be inspired for this entry, but my muse failed me. Which means I will keep this short.

Next Friday, the 8th, is Lockheed Martin night at the Syracuse Chiefs. Most of you have taken part in that before so I'll keep this brief:
Anyone interested in a simple pre-game tailgate gathering in the parking lot from 5:15-6:45 followed by a free baseball game and post-game fireworks show, let me know and I'll be sure to line up enough "vouchers" for everyone.

Something else of note that my little sister wants to do for some reason...an "inflatable 5k". It looks like it is called the "Insane Inflatable 5k" and is coming to the state fairgrounds on Saturday, September 27th. It looks like it follows the color run model, of partnering with a local charity (for this one it's the Samaritan Center), charging an "inflated" entry fee, and having several waves to choose from. The fee is at $49 for the next couple days and then goes up a couple times including all the way up to $75 for a day-of sign up. They have 9 waves to choose from, starting at 9 and the final one at 1. There is no mud and no foam. In their words: "Get “pumped up” for a course filled with the worlds largest and most extreme inflatable obstacles ever produced. Here’s your chance to be a kid at heart, but insane by choice!"

Lastly, for a little color, I'm going to steal two photos from Aubrey's BodyCombat session on Saturday morning. 

She thinks she could beat Mike Tyson:

Yes, for you young readers out there, Mike Tyson used to be a boxer. And a good one. Plus, rap music used to be made for white people to understand.

Totally Unleashed

This week we are starting off a series of "educational" posts where the heavy lifting is being done by a fellow TRYer. I'll sprinkle the next 2 or 3 in throughout the rest of the summer. For this week read to the end to learn about "BodyCombat" exercises classes and  how you can take part in a free one this Saturday morning.

For our Tuesday night workout - it's supposed to be a hot one, so hydrate up and ease up on the throttle a little bit as you run. We'll discuss the group run choices before we take off, but an important wrinkle this week:
At least three TRYers (once a TRYer, always a TRYer) will be rowing at the far end of the lake (well, actually in the channel between the lake and the Seneca River) in a competition of some sort. Katie, Kristen, and Lori have been training for the past several weeks in the crew boats, split up by company based teams, and will be racing on Tuesday night, starting roughly at 6. I know very little details and know even less about crew, but I believe they are in the 8 person (9 person with the hamster yelling "row"?) skulls and I know they race from the John Glenn bridge to the Longbranch bridge and you can watch from wherever you can get a vantage point from. I do not know the times of the trials and finals for the people we know - if Katie finds out ahead of time, perhaps she can post online? (She has since let me know that boats are in the water at 6, trials start at 6:15 and races will end around 7:30. So that opens the ability to drive down after TRY and catching the last 45 minutes or so of it. For anyone up for doing a 5 mile run, I propose you pause for a while at the turnaround point and watch a time trial race or two. Perhaps you'll recognize a familiar set of shoulders as they row past. Plus, you can cool down a bit before turning back to finish off your run. (Please let me know if you plan to do this so that the main group does not wait for you to do the walking finale.)

I cannot resist posting one of my favorite commercials of the past few years. Just too cute to resist, and still, such a simple word, "row":


Katie has promised up a write-up once this all is over on her experiences as a first time crew team member and what she thought of it all. That'll be one of the future educational posts.

The educational part for this week:
Aubrey "He Hate Me" Hait would like you all to learn a little bit about "BodyCombat" and would love you all to come out to a free class on Saturday morning. Do it for yourself. Do it for Aubrey. Or, if nothing else, do it for Leroy's birthday week. (#10years) Does it have anything to do with running? No. But that doesn't mean that it can't be beneficial and seems like it would make for a great cross training and stretching opportunity. It is an "empowering cardio workout where you are totally unleashed".

I'll let Aubrey take it from here:
TRY runners, have you ever heard of Body Combat?  It's a mixed martial arts group exercise program that is certified by Les Mills International.  Les Mills is the largest provider of group fitness classes that are held at health clubs and gyms.  There are several Les Mills group exercise programs, but my favorite is Combat.  It is the most intense workout that I have ever done and serves as a great workout for runners!  It is a 55 minute high intensity interval training class, and you will be throwing so many punches and kicks for a total body workout.  I gained a lot of endurance after taking this class for a few months, and it has really helped with my running.  I love it so much that I decided to become an instructor - and now I teach at the Southwest YMCA at OCC.  If you haven't given it a try, I recommend you drop into a free class this Saturday at 10am.  We are holding it outside on the lacrosse field (weather permitting).




For more information on Les Mills Body Combat: http://w3.lesmills.com/finland/en/classes/bodycombat/about-bodycombat/
[T-bone: this is where I learned it was totally unleashed and some suggestions for fitness level and what to bring to a BodyCombat class.]
 
Watch this to see some of the butt-kicking moves:




Details on Saturday's Body Combat class:

When: 7/26 at 10am

Where: The lacrosse field at OCC (just to the right of the SRC Arena/Southwest YMCA when you are looking at the building).  If the weather is bad, we will be holding class inside the YMCA.

Who: Everyone is welcome and there is no charge to take the class

If you have any questions or would be interested in trying out a Body Combat class, you can contact me at aladams19@hotmail.com.



[T-bone again: or you can bug me or post a comment on the Facebook page to get Aubrey's attention.]

Mid-Season Celebration Night at Green Lakes State Park

Do NOT show up at OLP tonight expecting to see most TRYers.  A couple handfuls of us are doing the traditional post-Boilermaker weekend celebration offsite. This year it is returning to Green Lakes State Park. If the weather cooperates, the plan is for a group run or walk at 6, followed by a picnic and some swimming.  Look for the TRY beaver at a picnic table on the beach end of the park. Full details are in the Facebook event. Everyone is welcome, so come on out and join in.

(That's it, I do not want to distract anyone from the important news of the day. Next week will be a Boilermaker love fest.)

Know Your Shit

The most important thing to know is that TRY next Tuesday (the 15th) is going to be held at Green Lakes State Park.  Details will be forthcoming and I should be able to make a Facebook event to coordinate. The least you need to know is that the group run will start at 6 and you can also swim and enjoy the rest of the park before or after that.

This week, we are meeting at 5:30 next to the bike rental building.  For the group run, I suggest our first official visit to "Faith Hill".  That will get a little hill work in for those of us who have been slacking and also allows a very personalized effort level while keeping us grouped together.

On Thursday, Catherine is hosting the "See-Meet-Run-Dip-Learn Party" as our first TRY Fun Field trip of the season.  I think everyone that cares is already invited, but if not, you should be able to follow that link to see the details.  Drop me a line if you need an invite so you can RSVP yes.

Running the Boilermaker?  Read my past write-up about how to avoid traffic, where to meet before and after - it's from 2012 and the Boilermaker instruction part starts after the picture of the baby beaver.  Seriously.  And something I've linked to before, but is timely again and may be useful for new TRYers - some tips for running in the heat.

Want a new way to think about hydration?  Then you should know your shit.  This infographic from Malaysia's health organization will have you bursting at the seems just to check out what your shit looks like.  Turns out you can learn a lot about your health from a little shit head:




Want to read the rest of the article?  Here it is.  And here is another websites version that goes into your poop and your pee.  I expect a lot of extra bathroom time this week from everyone doing their homework.

Lastly, as a reward for those of you who read to the end, TRY has a new unit for measuring short periods of time.  It's called a "corey" and is in honor of our favorite quick-courter.  (Which I think is a great new nickname!  Quick-courting-Corey or QCC?!)  Anyway, since we are all impressed at the roughly 3 month courtship and the additional roughly 3 month period between engagement and marriage, it was decided last week that  a 3 month period of time should be called a corey.  (To keep it simple and because it is an approximation, it's 3 months, or 12 weeks, or 90 days as suits your needs, even though those three things can be quite different depending on what months you are referring to - like that dastardly "Febtober" that always messes up everything.)  Here are a few running themed examples to get you started with our new word concept:

"I looked at Hal Higdon's guides and it only should take a corey for me to get ready for my first half marathon."  "That's great, but please call it a Hyman, otherwise TRYers will look at you funny."

"Is a corey enough time to get ready for a marathon?"  "Well, only if you are already up to 10 mile long run.  Otherwise you'd want to give yourself a corey and half to get ready while minimizing your injury risk."

"I just met with a physical therapist and they recommended I take half a corey off from my training.  I'm so bummed!"

FYI -
a millicorey works out to just over two hours, so we'll round down to two hours.
a microcorey works out to just under 8 seconds, so we'll round up to 8 seconds there.
a nanocorey would seem to have no use in running circles, so does not need to be defined.

Last example:
"If I can take a microcorey off my mile splits, I can totally do the ARC race in under a millicorey this year.  I could not be more excited!"  (A hawkward millicorey hyman is about as TRY as a race could get.)

#ilovecorey

Thanks to you soccer loving freaks, uh, I mean, progressive American fans who are embracing the most popular sport in the world, there are two options for TRY this week.  (We are a country full of people that love to fall in love with new things.)

Option 1: Report as normal to OLP at 5:30 for the group run.  Pre-game-plan a bit to find like minded runners for maximizing your workout.

Option 2: Watch the entire US versus some tiny country World Cup "match" at the Cobblestone.  Starts at 4 and should last til around 6.  Perhaps a bit later if it ends up tied?  Then head over to the park at that point and Aaron will coordinate the run.  (Perhaps will start the run right from there?  Or from that closest access point to the park from there?  I will leave that in Aaron's capable hands to decide.)

(There is a combo option where you can watch the first 2/3 or so of the game at the Cobblestone and then come and meet up at OLP at 5:30.  I plan to do this myself, but I realize this means missing the most important part of the game, so this may not suit other people.)

Pick the plan you would most enjoy.  :-)

What else for this week?  Hmmm...

Not this week, but next week on Thursday afternoon (July 10th) we will do the first "TRY Fun Fieldtrip" of the summer.  Details to come, but it will be in the Westvale area and involve a neighborhood run, a possible dip in a swimming pool and some snacks provided.  Attendance is optional, but it is something to consider.

Please remember that tonight is Team Beef "stunt night".  We want to finally help that old lady figure out where the beef is:


I've been slacking off long enough, so tonight is the return to recommended interval nights.  Many of you have already been doing them, but many of you have not.  So, let's start out with some 1/4 mile intervals tonight for all the reasons that interval workouts are good for you.

Yesterday (Monday, June 23rd) would have been Angela's (of Angela's TRYangle fame) 27th birthday. With the news just recently about the obstetrician being indicted for murdering his wife, it seems like a perfect time to remind everyone that domestic violence can happen to anyone, even Jews.  (It it important to note that the doctor case is alleged domestic violence.  Even his children apparently believe he is innocent.  This sounds like an ugly case!)  As a group, we tend to joke about race, morals, sexual identity, domestic violence, and several other touchy topics, but really, if you can't joke about racism, sex, and beating up your significant other in a group setting, then why bother having a group?!  That doesn't mean they all aren't serious subjects though.  Speak up if you are or know of someone who may be a victim of minor domestic violence.  It usually only gets worse.  The above two cases are extreme examples, but minor cases happen all the time.

(Related, but not as important: Angela's mother considered and put quite a bit of time into almost organizing a 5k type race to honor her daughter's memory.  I was sort of consulting and helping Malinda with ideas for what they might do.  I always thought the name of the race could be something like the "You Can't Beat Me! 5k Run/Walk".  But honestly, I could never decide if that would have been a great name or a terrible name.  What do you think, appropriate, or crossing the line?")

Some actual running related information:
Apparently people keep figuring out new things and this fascinating article showed how out of date I am with recovery and how you can get recovery wrong.  (Like, no "ibu" after running now?!  Apparently NSAIDs can limit or cancel the gains we hope to make from training!  And ice baths and vitamin C should be reconsidered as well?  I can't handle ice baths anyway, but Vitamin-C?  I feel my whole life has been a lie!  It also mentions eating after workouts and the importance of dynamic stretching and even our favorite - Mr. Foam Roller.)

In honor of Sue's visit back to Syracuse this weekend, I'll call this article "how Sue trains wrong".  (I, and many others make the same poor choices, but let's pick on Sue because she is not here yet to defend herself.)  It talks about getting faster as a runner and says to make your hard days harder, your slow days shorter, and to get rid of "long, slow, distance" runs.  The very LSD runs that are (or used to be) the staple of almost every long distance training plan!  Well, Sue and everyone else needs to re-evaluate those and increase effort and vary your pace.  (According to this article anyway.  But I tend to believe everything I read on the internet.  Bonjour!)

Lastly, do you do planks with straight arms or on your elbows/forearms?  I liked these two front plank variations but I do not like doing planks up on my hands.  For those of you into the Insanity or P9X (Yes, 9, because who actually lasts all 90?), or just at fitness classes at a gym, how do they teach planks and arm position?  (I'm seriously curious.)

Lastly, the Paige's Butterfly Run gallery has been updated for 2014, but they also promise more photos coming soon. I plan to pick through the photos and put all of the TRY related ones into that same Facebook album that already exists from photos we took, but you can go and look for ones yourself if you are too excited to wait for me to find them. The gallery page link is here.  And you can see the way too happy "Running With the Devils" again right here:

DIY Sports Drink and Immortality for "Meat Loaf"/"Beefeater"

This Tuesday is the Chase Corporate Challenge.  So, we do not have TRY at the normal place and time.  If you would like to attempt a group run, we are meeting near the normal place - probably a bit closer to the 0.0 marker at 5.  (With a courtesy 10 minutes to allow for traffic and parking woes.)  I recommend on-street parking in Liverpool.  We will start running at 5:10 and be done in plenty of time to cheer on our fellow TRYers that are doing the Challenge - which starts at 6:20ish.  (If you are cheering, please bring a cow bell.  If you don't have a cow bell, then please buy one from me.  I've sold more cow bells in the Syracuse area than a cow store.  I will have my phone on me, so anyone attempting to meet up, please drop me a text if you are going to be late.

It often gets mentioned that my running blog has very little to do with running.  (I guess that makes anyone who reads it a sucker?!)  Well, this week I have a very good suggestion for saving some money when you are hydrating when running or biking -
I stumbled upon a recipe for a homemade sports drink which offers a profile similar to what the name brands have - 50 to 70 calories and about 110 milligrams of sodium per 8 ounces.  This is a skeleton that allows you to swap in whatever flavor juice you want.  (I am passing this along with changes - I have not made it with orange juice.)

This makes a quart:
Ingredients
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup orange juice (not concentrate)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 1/2 cups cold water

Instructions
1) In the bottom of a large pitcher, dissolve the sugar and salt in the hot water.
2) Add the orange juice, lemon juice and remaining water; chill.
3) Use immediately or seal for storage.

I've made it twice (both times as a double batch, since I wanted more since I was going through the process) and it's "interesting". The ones I've done have more of that recovery drink type taste to them and I need to start experimenting to find out what contributes to the taste and what works well and what does not.  Supposedly you can leave the lemon juice out but then it won't taste as sweet?  And I'm going to try a weaker version to see what a watered down version tastes like.  What would honey do to it?  Maple syrup?

I've made it with an apricot/mango juice and a concord grape juice base.  I really thought the grape one turned out well and was the better of the two I've done.  I have no interest in an orange juice base (just seems odd) but should probably try it to make sure.  What would a lemon juice based one taste like?  Etc.

If you are like me and tend to get addicted to sports drinks when you exercise in the heat, this should give you control over what you drink, give you more flavor options, and also save a ton of money.  Assuming the prices I checked are typical, and the google conversions and my math were accurate, then the mix I made with grape juice cost me 38.2 cents per quart.  (Counting the water as free.)  I'll round up and call that 40 cents a quart, which makes me ashamed for the times I've broken down and paid gas station store prices for a Gatorade while desperate.  It's not like I drink Gatorade or Powerade for the taste anyway and the important part is the hydration and recovery.  (In case you care interested in the math, I came up with 15 cents for the lemon juice, 11 cents for the sugar, .2 cents for the salt and 12 cents for the grape juice.)  If you bought bulkier than I did, you could drive the price down a bit more.

Do try this at home and let me know how it turns out for you!

I saved this for last even though it should have been first.  Nothing I've done in the past few years of TRY has captured the current essence of TRY like this.  (And perfectly sums up the friendship between "Meat Loaf" and I.)  I can think of no better way to make sure that TRY leaves an imprint on the world.  And for Erin T. - who does not even get to use her own name with us - I give you the gift of immortality.  This is our very own term that TRY, Miss Tiffany and I have brought forth onto this world.  This did not exist in Urban Dictionary until I submitted it earlier this week.  Not just a new definition of a term, but a new UD team itself, here, in all it's glory.  (Yes, you have to click on it.  I promise it is legit and not a Rick Roll.)  Please read the example with Erin being the first speaker and me being the second (and back and forth).  I attempted to submit it with the names in place, but they rejected it, so I had to make it generic people talking.

Please vote it up while you are there, not that it matters since it's the ONLY definition...but might as well get the up votes accumulating in case someone submits a new definition in the future.

Could You Do It? I Know I Could Not.

Here is the song to play while reading this weeks entry:

The Essential Stuff:

Tonight is normal place and time.

BUT, next week is the Chase Corporate Challenge which means we get kicked out of our park.  Well, many of us usually are able to take part in the Challenge so are there anyway.  It really caught me off guard this week because I was naively thinking it was a week later.    

Last year, a few of us started a new tradition.  If you can get to the normal starting spot by 5, it is still possible to run in the park.  (All the Challenge people have taken over the parking lots, and car parkway area, so very few go beyond the bathroom building into the park itself.  The issue is fighting closed roads, increased Liverpool traffic and sparse parking.)  So, if you can get there "early", on-street parking will still be available in Liverpool and then we will do a small group run into the park.  After that (the Challenge starts at 6:25), we will venture out onto the course for the Challenge and form a cheering squad - probably just down from the Butterfly garden area.  Last year we were a festive bunch and had fun cheering on people and companies for a while.  Since the Challenge is such a crappy run in and of itself, I like to think that a Cowbell Crew helps a lot.  It actually makes for a fun night as afterwards we can mingle in and around the company tents with TRYers in and sometimes are able to look pathetic enough that we get some free scraps.  If you want to do the 5 o'clock "early" TRY next week, please let me know as I will coordinate with you so we do not take off if you are fighting traffic and parking but only a couple minutes behind sort of thing.

There has been a slight change for this Saturday mornings Joe LaGuardia event.  They have such a good turnout of volunteers that Joe's daughter has told me not to bother, but instead to just register and run in the race itself.  (And that would be the biggest help to her.)  So, that is what I'm going to do now.  I hope a couple of you are able to do that as well.  (Rumor has it that there may be a running stroller showdown in the race.  Which reminds me - all your mothers and fathers out there - strollers are welcome - so bring em out and have some fun.  Obviously I've trained with a stroller, but have not done a race with one...so will be interesting to see what pace I could do.)

From here on out, it's all about Paige's Butterfly Run:

Thanks to everyone who donated, participated, helped out with, or ran with the TRY groups on Saturday morning.  Some early photos have been all over Facebook so I am not going to repeat many here.  Once the event photographers and our own photographer get to them, there will be a ton this year that will get put into Facebook albums.  Hopefully everyone who was there for the first time enjoyed themselves and also realized what a special event this is and also noticed that our Centipede teams hold a certain place of honor around the event.  This all happened by accident, but now that the two-way bond is there, it is something that I do not take lightly.  (One of those, "with great power, comes great responsibility" things.)  So, yeah, obviously we could wear more comfortable outfits or could have less flair to go along with our costumes, but why run without wings, and flowers, and pitchforks, when adding all those extra things puts us over the top?  (And seemingly has made the Post Standard and Syracuse.com fall in love with us.  Or at least our women.)

I believe I was able to introduce almost everyone to either Chris or Ellen (or both).  But did you take the time to think about what they've done?  Like, REALLY think about it?  Their story is on their site, but it goes deeper than that.  I honestly do not know (you have to have a certain personality) how they do this.  I understand how they are honoring their daughter and how amazing that side of it is, but it also means that each year they have to harp on the fact that she is gone.  They watch all these other people grow up around them while Paige's face on that pretty banner always stays the same age.  Our very own Escalade was destined to overlap with Paige in the Baldwinsville school district but Paige never made it.  Knowing Escalade like we do, there is every chance they would have been good friends.  So, how does Chris handle seeing Escalade and her father crossing the finish line knowing that simple act was denied to him and his Paige?  I love what they've done and how they've turned personal tragedy into a local legendary success story...but I couldn't do it if it had been me.  Could you?  (They have a daughter that was a few years younger than Paige - so may not even have a memory of her - or very simple ones?  How much of her life was spent watching and helping her parents do this in memory of an older sister she never got to know?  Doesn't that put the surviving daughter in a really awkward position?  She's the one who lived, but gets put on the back burner for days and weeks at a time while they spend all this time honoring Paige.)  It hits really deep if you take some time to think about it.  Which I have.  And that is why as long as there is a TRY I plan to be over the top in our support of Paige's Butterfly Run.  Thank you for making that possible again this year.  Chris flattered me by mentioning my name as we went up to get the trophy this year, but this team goes well beyond me.  And these five years of Centipede fun would not be at all possible without you.  :-)

Here is John from 2014, doing a very simple thing that Chris never got to do with Paige.  Her finish line came way too early.

This last point is completely off topic.  So, stop reading now if you want to salvage any bit of respect for me: Meat Loaf - or other "cards against humanity" players, I need a ruling.  Look at this photo that made the paper online:

Is Berms giving us the legendary "tasteful sideboob" that the game refers to?  The Urban Dictionary definition does a criminally poor job describing it and leaves still uncertain?  Is it a boob seen from the side profile?  (Like our current example.)  Or does it have to be bare to the point that you see underboob, like with a fancy dress a celebrity would wear, or something you see in a PG movie where they don't want to show frontal so they flash a side?  Please help!  (I love the phrase but do not know how to correctly apply it and this photo was a serendipitous way for me to find out.)

You Can Now Find Me, Down By The River

That's right, as of late tonight I am a partial owner of a minivan.  So, I'm thinking of parking it down by the river and becoming a motivational speaker.  It seems like that is a void that has gone unfilled long enough.  Guard your coffee tables!



For this weeks workout - discuss and find like minded individuals at the start of TRY.  That seems to be working well, so why change it?  If you feel you are not having your needs met, please let me or an experienced TRYer know and we'll do what we can to help out with your current running regimen.

I fully admit, I have NOTHING for you this week.  So, just a couple of reminders.

This coming Saturday morning is TRY's favorite local fundraising race of the year - Paige's Butterfly Run.  We are fielding two centipede teams again and this years teams include 6 of the 10 slots as first time 'peders', so there should be a lot of laughs.  For everyone doing it, it is a good idea to read the 2014 centipede team rules.  (Even though I'll make sure we are street legal, so you do not HAVE to read it if you don't want to.)  The biggest change I see is that the antenna and the stinger are now "encouraged" and no longer mandatory.  The connection and the length have not changed over the years.  Something that continues to change from time to time is the course.  They are at the mercy of downtown construction, so it looks like this years course will revert back to what we ran the first year - starting and finishing on Franklin street.  Unfortunately I think this course is a bit narrower in key spots and will mean a little more coordination will be needed within the teams.  (It also means that we will not get to walk past Kristen's favorite "Five Sisters" houses.  :-(

In two Saturdays - on the 14th - is the "Joe LaGuardia Amyloidosis 5K Run/Walk".  As a friend of the organizer (Joe's daughter) I currently have signs out on my yard advertising the event but I also promised to attempt to recruit participants or volunteers.  Its starts and finishes at the Inner Harbor so will be a course that most of us have ran before.  (And will overlap slightly with the Paige's course, actually.)  Since everyone is on their own running schedule, is there anyone that would come out and volunteer with me and help get a local event with a heartfelt, family, cause off and running.  (Now in it's second year.)  Let me know and I'll provide details to you as we get closer.

Remember - it's great to be on the other side of races once in a while as a reminder of how much difference a friendly racer is versus a rude, inconsiderate, and only in it for themselves racers.  It definitely will keep you thankful of all the volunteers at the races you run in.

That's it.  Short and sweet and no photos of Berms - just as I promised.  If you need anything, come knock on my van, down by the river.  Here is a full version via Hulu.

Catering to Vegans, Vegetarians and Carnivores Alike!

Well, hello.  We here at TRY headquarters gave our publishing staff most of the holiday off yesterday.  Now we are back to living our everyday extraordinary blessed life.

Tonight - same as always.  5:30 near the bike rental building at Onondaga Lake Park.  Discuss a plan, find like minded runners and then head on our way.

Reminder: Some of you saw me drop off a pair of nice cans last week.  Any week is a good week to drop off some cans or boxes for the food back.  They have two collection boxes in the visitor center building (the one with the bathrooms connected to it).

This Friday night is the Liverpool Relay For Life night at Longbranch Park.  Many of you have turned out for that in past years, so you know the drill.  We are not doing anything special this year, just attending.  So, drop on by for a while, bring a little cash to donate or to buy luminaries, and "celebrate life".  Kids zone starts at 4PM, with opening ceremonies at 7PM.  I'll be there (or back there) by 5:30ish and I know by then, music and food are already available.  Drop me a text or call if you cannot find the group.

If you have the luck of the mouse on your side, this could even happen..."dreams do come true, it can happen to you":
Well, crap-on-a-cracker!  I cannot find the picture of Berms with her winning raffle prize from last year - the "31" and "Scentsy" items that were crazy awesome and the "main" prize of the Lockheed Martin team sales.  So, instead, let me run this mysterious silhouette of the lucky winner:



(Use your imagination on how happy she was receiving her SU 31 bag and all sorts of scented items.)

Since very few of us are participating this year, let's consider supporting one of the events most consistent fundraisers.  Every year, Ron Zuccaro does anything and everything to raise some money for a cause he cares deeply about.  You may have seen this on Facebook, but I have some additional info about Ron doing a "mini-piano concert" at Sparky Town.  (Unfortunately, he is not playing on a tiny piano!  The mini in this case means short duration.)

It is this Wednesday, from 7 - 7:30 at Sparky Town.  There is no charge to get in, but while there you are encouraged to grab some food or drink.  Plus, Ron will have a "tip jar" of some sort and all money given to him that night will go directly to his fundraising efforts for RFL.  If you can not attend the mini concert or even Relay For Life itself and want to support it, please donate directly to Ron's fundraising page.  Consider that as the TRY fundraising page for those of you who don't know Ron well but want to give to our team efforts.

The concert will be mostly instrumental, due to no sound system, but Ron withholds the right to sing in your ear if you get close enough to him.  The cuter you are, the more likely for that to happen!  (I have my fingers crossed.)  He plans to be at Sparky Town from about 6:30 til 8 if you want to get some extra time with him.  The place closes at 8, so no worries about getting carried away and staying out too late.  Please consider coming out to support this unique event that puts the FUN in FUNdraising!



Looking at Sparky Town's website (linked above) makes it sound like they have some interesting food choices, including "organic aquaponic" which is a word I've never written before and one that this spellchecker does not even recognize.  In their own words: "We're serving up fresh, local comfort food while catering to vegans, vegetarians and carnivores alike!"

(Which made me think that in a cannibalistic society that vegans would be labelled 100% organic, right?  Right?!  Chew on that one for a few minutes!)

Lastly, a paragraph on Paige's Butterfly Run and the centipede teams.  Sometimes I get too close to the subject and get a bit stressed out attempting to make the perfect team or teams and forget the point.  So, bear with me if I mess up or forget you or offend you.  (Hopefully not.)  If you are not part of the teams this year, be sure to make your interest known and perhaps next year can be our first 3 team year.  But, not being on a centipede team does not mean you are left out of the fun.  Come on out and run solo and hang out with us all morning.  There are plenty of moments where we need a little extra help with our costumes anyway, so having extra people around makes it easier and more fun.  I know Drew and Corey were both key assistants last year and Catherine has been a key assistant all 4 years we have done it.  So, there are many ways that TRYers play a role in making awesome happen.  Thank you all for the various roles you play!  :-)