Back to Work

After a week and a half of just doing nothing and eating garbage, I'm back on track. I'm doing a 5K with my buddy Dave next month in Virginia and I want to totally kick his ass. I was chatting with him last night and he was actually in a very similar situation as me. He got to a certain weight and decided he was just too fat and has been working out and eating right for about 2 years. He's roughly the same height as me and he was telling me that he bought a size small shirt the other day. I was just like What the Fuck!? I felt disappointed in myself for having not exercised in so long and having weighed in 6 pounds higher than my lowest weight (mostly from pumpkin pie). After hearing about his progress, I got off AIM and immediately went to bed. I put a index card next to my alarm clock that says "RUN BITCH!" - and that's what I did this morning. First time I've run in a while. I went to the gym and ran 3.34 miles. I'm not going to give any times because I don't want Dave to know what he's up against.

I've also consulted a friend of mine, Jonathan Kleiman, who I've known since I was 5 or 6. He was a major track star starting in high school and he gave me some tips on improving my speed. He had some awesome ideas that I'm going to try.

...and I'm Just Getting Started.

Look out, Dave.

My Sixth 5K

I did the Seaside 5K on Sunday October 16, 2005 with my brother. It was my brother's first 5K in a long time, but he's been running on and off for 20 years. He was starting to get nervous that I might beat him which was a pretty cool thought. The course was really flat - it was out on the boardwalk towards Seaside Park and then back.

When the race started my brother took off like a rocket and I tried to keep up with him for a while which could have been a bad idea. In the Westfield 5K I think one of the main reasons I did poorly was that I tried to catch up with my predefined pace. I got tired too quickly and then had no energy for the rest of the race. But actually, my brother's super fast pace was a good thing. I decided after reaching my peak heart rate very quickly that I would keep up an 8:30/mile pace or better no matter how hard that was going to be. I was hurtin pretty bad by the last mile. But, I just kept pushing. My heart rate monitor was beeping like crazy with messages like "SLOW DOWN - HEART RATE TOO HIGH" and "PLEASE LIE DOWN, YOU'RE ABOUT TO DIE".

There were drifts of sand on the boardwalk that would just suck the momentum out of you when you landed on them. Also, the air was really salty and made my throat dry very fast. I also had to stop to tie my shoes.

Even with all that my time was something like 25:22 which is 2 MINUTES faster than my best time. This is an 8:10/mile pace. I don't know exactly what my time was because the race, which was organized by the Ocean Running Club, didn't use a chip timing system and they still haven't posted any results. I contacted the race organizer and he told me:

"The timer that we were going to use for the 5k broke when we started the race so we had to score it mannually."

I think they were only concerned with handing out the trophies, not the results for everyone. I'm relying on my stopwatch and the now suspect large timer at the finish line for my estimate. I'm a little bummed about not having an official time. I've decided to boycott races that don't use a chip timing system. This is in addition to the existing boycott of races that don't have online registration. I'll just have to beat this unverifiable time in my next race. If you want to join me, my next race is:

Somerset Home's 7th Annual Run For Runaways 5K - Saturday, November 5, 2005

I did this race last year. It's pretty nice because it's flat and they had timers at each mile. It goes through the woods and the post-race BBQ is pretty decent. It's also cool because my friends, Rob and Tierney, help with the race.

My goal is to have a sub 8:00/mile pace for this race. This might be tough, but that's the goal.

...and I'm Just Getting Started.

Venom 7 - Pioneers 4

I play in an ice hockey league that's considered "Developmental", but for some reason it's more like C league. Tonight there were two kids (this is an appropriate term as they were probably barely 18 years old) on the other team who were just skating circles around us. One of them had on hockey pants that were from the Colonials team. The Colonials is a county ice hockey program that starts training kids to play hockey when they're four years old. He was awesome and he didn't belong on that team. Even without the wringers on the other team, our league is pretty competitive and shouldn't be considered "Developmental."

Anyway, we lost 7-4, but this is not uncommon for our team. I had some decent chances to score, but I didn't.

My hockey pants are getting too big which is amazing because they tie up in the front and have a cinch to tighten them around your waist. When they're tied up as tight as they can be, they're still too big. The other cool thing I've noticed is that I'm not winded during the game anymore and my face and shirt are much less sweaty than usual.

Exciting Options at the Grocery Store

So, I think I mentioned the Top Round Beef as being the leanest cut of beef. That's cool. But, I don't think I mentioned that King's has Organic Beef which is doubley cool since I don't really like the idea of eating beef in the first place. I just got back from King's and I got some other cool things I never saw before, like Orange Mango and Lemon Chiffon flavored Light 'n Fit Yogurt. I know, exciting, right?!? Also, I've been putting fat free cheese on my EggBeater pitas in the morning, but I just discovered they have the Kraft individual slices of cheese in Mozzerella flavor too! That would be great for a whole wheat pizza muffin or something.

Oh, and I got an 8lb medicine ball. Yaniv always has these fruity exercises to do with big inflatable balls and exercises that remind me of dancing, but hey, it's working, so I can't complain too much. We were doing this thing for the abs with a basketball, but we need more weight so I got me a medicine ball.

I'm off to play ice hockey with my brother. Tomorrow morning is the Seaside 5K Run. Results to be posted.

...and I'm Just Getting Started.

Getting Ready For The Marathon

With my Biathlon out of the way, I can now start training for the Car-A-Mile Marathon. I have no idea how I will be able to finish a marathon, but I'm gonna certainly try. In talking to some people who have done marathons, like John Gambino, I've learned that you need to just keep adding distance to your existing comfort level. You do about 4 short runs (~5 miles) during the week and then you do a longer run on the weekend. You just keep working up that distance until you have no trouble with 13 miles and then you should be good for the 26.

Since I've only really run about 3 miles at any one time, I decided this morning that I should go for a 4 mile run. I actually just got a call from Yaniv telling me we should just rest today and not train this afternoon, but it's too late. I ran 4.4 miles this morning. I got up around 7:30 am and ran down Whippany Road a little, turned right onto Eden and then left on Jefferson, and then left again on Park Ave. When I got to Whippany Road again, I turned around and ran the same route back. I think it took me about 43 minutes.

I feel pretty good today. I'll probably be hurtin tomorrow.

...and I'm Just Getting Started.

My First Biathlon

I thought it was a crazy idea when Yaniv wanted me to sign up for a Biathlon. I can barely run 3 miles. I've biked 20 miles with Yaniv, but not preceeded and followed by running! But, I'm willing to try anything, so I signed up for the 20th Annual Central Park Biathlon which was held at 7:30 am on October 9, 2005 (yesterday). This biathlon consisted of a 2 mile run (1 mile out and 1 mile back to the transition area), a 12 miles bike ride (2 loops around Central Park) and then another 2 mile run.

On Saturday, October 8th, it was raining like crazy and I didn't want to be soaked at the race, so my friend Natalie went with me to get some athletic gear. I bought all sorts of Under Armour shorts, jackets, beanies, etc. Under Armour stuff is expensive, but it's good stuff - it wicks away the moisture from your body and keeps you cool and dry.

So I woke up at 4:30 am to get ready, because Yaniv was coming by at 5:30 am. We car pooled to NYC. I got up and Yaniv told me to eat half a bagel with some jam. I didn't have either, so I had a whole wheat pita with some ketchup in it. :-) I know, it's not the same thing, but I figured the jam was important because it had sugar and ketchup has sugar, so maybe that'd be good??

We drove to NYC and parked the car and then biked to the race location. I racked my bike, put on my bib and bike number and went to the bathroom. I was pretty nervous because everyone looked like they knew what they were doing. I was sure I'd come running in the bike exit or biking in the runner's exit and get DQ'd.

The first run wasn't too bad except that the first half of it was uphill. I got back from the run, took off my Under Armour jacket and hopped on my bike. I have cages instead of clipless pedals, so my transition was pretty quick. I took off out of there and to my surprise I was passing people like crazy. NOBODY passed me on the bike. If they did, it wasn't for very long. I passed at least 20 people on the bike. I was really happy with my bike performance.

One dude on the bike kept yelling "On your right!", but I'd look back and he'd be behind me like 1/4 mile. Eventually, I left him in the dust. The other thing that was funny on the bike was that I started getting cocky and I would pull up close to another rider and start panting like I was out of breath. It was a little mind game to let them think they were getting beat by a rider who was about to collapse, but at just the right moment, I would power past them and leave them way behind. I kicked ass on the bike.

The second run was not fun. When I got back from the bike ride, I squeezed some power Gu into my mouth and washed it down with Accelerade. I wasn't liking that at all. I was spitting viscous saliva for the rest of the race. Near the end of the first mile out on the second run, I started to lose some steam. I had to stop jogging and walk for a bit. I guess a cyclist who had seen me pass his ass noticed I was doggin the run and decided to take corrective action. He started yelling at me, "Come on man. Move your ass! Pick up the pace." This totally motivated me and I started running again, maybe at a 8:30 pace or so. It really helped a lot. I'm not sure who said it, but I want to thank that guy. When I had about 1/2 a mile left, I saw Yaniv and John Gambino on the course running up to meet me. They ran the last 1/2 mile with me and provided motivational encouragement. I had a great time.

Later that day, I went to go piss and my kidneys hurt. I drank some water and when I went to piss again, they still hurt. I called Yaniv and he put his brother on who is or is becoming a doctor. He assured me I wasn't going to die, so I kept drinking water for the rest of the day and I was ok.

My time was 1:23:51.9 - not bad for my first biathlon.

20th Annual Central Park Biathlon - Bib # 293
Central Park - NYC
October 9, 2005

First Run: 18:58.8 (Place: 178)
Bike (Including both transitions): 45:12.3 (Place: 125)
Second Run: 19:40.7 (Place: 171)

Overall Place: 145/255
Age Place: 23/32
Gender Place: 119/176

Complete Results

...and I'm Just Getting Started.

My Bike

For a few months, I've been training with Yaniv Yarkoni. He's the brother-in-law of Howard Fine, my friend from Middle and High School. We started training around the time of Le Tour de France. It seemed appropriate at the time to ride up and down hills on my $240 Schwinn hybrid bike. What a piece of shit that bike is. But as I like to say, that bike is so slow, it takes more effort to ride it and that has made me stronger.

I got the cycling bug and so I decided I need to get better equipment. This is my new road bike. This thing is light! And fast! I love it. It's a 2005 Specialized Allez Comp. It has a Dura-Ace rear derailleur and Ultegra components elsewhere. Dura-Ace is supposed to be the top of the line. Check out how the frame is rounded so that its really close to the rear tire. That makes it aerodynamic. The spokes on the wheels are sorta flat instead of round for more aerodynamic flow. Also, the seat post and other parts of the frame are carbon fiber to make the bike lighter.

I'm getting used to the forward stance on the bike, but so far it's been awesome. I like it a lot.

... and I'm Just Getting Started.

September 8, 2005

This is a picture of me on September 8, 2005. My size 40 and 38 pants are way too big and I've run out of smaller holes on my belt. I have a few size 36 pants and they fit pretty good, but I'm waiting until I'm a 34 to start buying new pants.

...and I'm Just Getting Started.

My Grill

Eating healthy is easy with my new grill. I got the Weber Baby Q grill a couple of weeks ago and I've been grilling all sorts of stuff like chicken, vegetables and lean organic beef. In case you're wondering, Top Round is the leanest cut of beef because it comes from the really muscular part of the leg. It's not the most tasty, but it's definitely the leanest. I've been grilling that up with southwest spices and throwing it in a pita with some fat-free cheese, onions, green peppers (also grilled) and some salsa. Instant fajita with no fat. Good stuff.

... and I'm Just Getting Started.

My Fifth 5K

My fifth 5K was the Newport-Liberty Waterfront 5K Run. This race was cool because it went through parts of Jersey City and we got a police escort for parts of it. A cop on a motorcycle was literally riding next to me for about a tenth of a mile. The race ended up going down the boardwalk near the piers. My Forerunner was getting all messed up because of the tall buildings, so I didn't really know how far along I was in the race. I think this made me run faster because I didn't want to be behind.

On the way out from the starting line, I saw a guy who looked like someone I went to high school with, but I figured that was just odd. When I finished the race, I saw him again and when I looked at him just a little too long, he said "Okay, I know you." It turned out to be Steve Pasterick. We chatted for a while. It was cool to see him.

My time was 27:40 - more than 3 MINUTES faster than my best time.

Newport-Liberty Waterfront 5K - Bib # 36
Jersey City, NJ
September 25, 2005, 8:40 am

Overall Place: 107/246
Age Place: 9/14
Gender Place: 78/126
Pace: 8:54

Complete Results

...and I'm Just Getting Started.

My Fourth 5K

My fourth 5K was a disappointment for me. I have a lot of excuses for why I did poorly, but I think it was just an off day. Some excuses include: It was an evening run instead of a morning run. The course wasn't flat. My Forerunner wasn't getting a signal and I overexerted myself early on. My position at the starting line was too far back and threw off my pace. On a positive note, I seem to be able to conjure up a big boost of energy for the end of these races. I was sorta hurtin at the end of this one and the girl next to me who was jogging at the same pace as me said, "come on, you can see the finish from here, let's pick it up" After that, I shifted into overdrive and sprinted to the finish. Although this is my second worst time, it was still a fun race because we got to eat pizza at the end. :-) I ran the race with Mike Low and Sheila Burke came to cheer us (or at least me) on.

My time was 33:58 - my second worst time.

Downtown Westfield 5K Run and Pizza Extravaganza - Bib # 35
Westfield, NJ
July 27, 2005, 7:00 pm

Overall Place: 1175/1326
Age Place: 71/76
Gender Place: 745/795
Pace: 10:56

Complete Results

...and I'm Just Getting Started.

My Third 5K

As you may know, I'm a pilot and love flying even though I don't ever get to do it. Anyway, I thought it would be cool for my third 5K to do the Teterboro Airport 5K. I've never been to Teterboro Airport, but running down the runway seemed really cool to me. I ran this race on July 16, 2005. This was a cool race. They had a pace plane (a cessna) lead the runners out to the runway. This was kinda comical because all the really fast runners got to the plane before the pilot realized the race had started. I pictured lots of fast runners getting chopped up by the prop and me winning the race because I stayed back. :-) Instead, the plane started up and all the fast runners got prop blasted.

My time was 31:06 - more than 2 MINUTES faster than my last 5K.

Teterboro Airport 5K - Bib # 13
Teterboro, NJ
July 16, 2005, 8:30 am

Overall Place: 460/593
Age Place: 36/43
Gender Place: 326/390
Pace: 10:01

Complete Results

...and I'm Just Getting Started.

My Second 5K

I signed up for a second 5K to be run on November 6, 2004. This one was the Somerset Home's Run for Runaways 5K.

My time was 33:14 - more than 4 MINUTES faster than my first 5K.

Run for Runaways 5K - Bib # 8
Bridgewater, NJ
November 6, 2004, 10:00 am

Overall Place: 191/205
Age Place: 9/9
Gender Place: 124/130
Pace: 10:42

Complete Results

...and I'm Just Getting Started.

October 14, 2004

This is me on October 14, 2004. I'm looking a little better from the poker game, but there's still lots of work to do.

...and I'm Just Getting Started.

My First 5K

After working with my trainer for a couple of weeks, I signed up for a 5K for September 9, 2004. My goal was just to finish the race whether I had to walk, crawl, whatever.

My time was 37:55, which was just unbelievable to me.

Pfizer - United Way 5K - Bib # 344
Morris Plains, NJ
September 9, 2004, 6:15 pm

Overall Place: 1808/2068
Age Place: 131/140
Gender Place: 1171/1250
Pace: 12:12

Complete Results

...and I'm Just Getting Started.

The End.

This is what I looked like on August 7, 2004. I weighed 260 then. I wore size 40 pants and sometimes they were too tight. I didn't realize I looked like this until someone showed me this photo. It was then I decided I needed to get into shape. I never do anything half-hearted, so I got a personal trainer and started working out.

..and I'm Just Getting Started.