Recovering the Satellites

Maybe you have noticed. Of course, there are probably so few of you reading my entries here that no one has noticed. Anyway, I have started titling my entries after the names of songs or albums. Now, if you are under the age of 25, you might not know what an album is. An album is a vinyl disc with lots of grooves that produces exceptional static with words and music strewn throughout. On this disc is a collection of songs. “Ah!” you say, “it is like a CD”! Yes, it is like a CD.

Now that we have the basics out of the way, I have decided to title the entry after a song or CD, and think about my running experience in terms of that title. Usually the title comes to me while running. Some of the more recent entries were named after Kenny Chesney songs. This one is named after a Counting Crows CD. So what does Recovering the Satellites have to do with running?

As I was running on Wednesday, I thought to myself, “I feel really good and my legs feel like they have recovered from the weekend”. The weekend included the Runner’s World Half Marathon (see Living Here in Allentown). There are general rules of thumb about recovery after racing. One idea is to allow one easy day of running for each mile run in the race. Some people take a couple of full days off. I tend to take the next day off and then ease into running until my body tells me that it feels good and I can set my sights on training for another race. However, feeling good and being recovered are not necessarily one in the same. This is where the satellites come into play.

During my run on Wednesday, the reasoning behind this entry and the subsequent titling of it in reference to a song or album went like this:

“Hey, I feel like I have recovered. I feel great today! Hmmm, but I know that all those little muscle fibers have not recovered. All those torn little cylindrical multinucleate cells composed of myofibrils (OK, I didn’t really think that) are like little disparate satellites dancing around under my skin trying to find protein to rebuild themselves. It must be a false recovery under the glycogen store guise. I need to recover the satellites. Hey, that’s the name of a Counting Crows album (Hah, kids these days don’t even know what albums are). I think that will be my next entry on my blog”.

The mind of a runner sure works in strange ways. We carry on conversations with ourselves. When running alone, how else can we run at conversational pace? Maybe I should title my next entry Talking Heads!

Living Here in Allentown

Maybe the title of Billy Joel's song should be "Running Here in Allentown"! I've run the Runner's World Half Marathon 4 of the last 5 years. It is one of my favorite races. It is not only the race itself and the great organization by the Lehigh Valley Road Runners (LVRR) organization, but there is always a great motivational speaker and wonderful host at the pasta dinner. The host is always Bart Yasso from Runner's world. Bart's love for the running community and humor always brings out the best emotions in the runners. This year, Sarah Reinertsen, one of Runner's World's heros from their December issue was the guest speaker. I won't go into the details but Sarah runs using a mechanical leg and has completed 7 marathons and participated in the Ironman triathalon in Hawaii. With her dream and belief in herself alive, she will be finishing the Ironman in 2005. She also ran the Runner's World Half Marathon this past Sunday. Her themes, as she was discussing her life, were believing and dreaming - to not give up, to keep reaching, keep working. I must admit, I did revisit her words while running the race on Sunday. I need to keep visiting with them as I try to qualify for Boston.

My run was just alright. I never quite dialed into the groove of the course - as beautiful as it is. The race went as my running has been going since January after the Las Vegas Marathon - a bit of a struggle. I rushed the first two miles getting through the crowds, finally settled into my pace and then raced with sporadic splits in the second half of the race. Everything felt a little tight, a little off-kilter, although my legs felt strong for the most part. I finally crossed the line at 1:46:59 about 4 1/2 minutes off my time from the previous year. However, I always look for good news in a race or at least ways to improve. Since I just turned 45, this race and each subsequent race at a new distance is an age-group PR! That's the good news!

The beauty of running is that we all win when we go out and participate in a race. No matter how I run, I truly feel like I have accomplished something. I rarely get that feeling elsewhere. The other winners are the charities that get supported by these races. The Lehigh Valley Road Runners organization has a great charity support program. The supporting community, runners, volunteers, not to mention Runner's World Magazine, give their time, effort and money to make this race one of the best organized, genuine and generous races being staged. One of my favorite activities is the Kids Races. The determination, exhaustion and eventual smiles on their faces upon finishing says it all about the running experience.

Although I might not be "Living in Allentown" anytime soon (although it looks like a nice place to live) I will always be "Running in Allentown" in the Runner's World Half Marathon. I must also say, If ever I could get a job at Runner's World, I'd move! :)

Somewhere in the Sun

Spring and sunshine has finally found its way to the Garden State. Over the last week, each run has had a backdrop of pure blue sky and bright sunshine even at 6:30 in the morning. The weekend runs went as planned with a hard 15 miler on Saturday and an easy 5 miler on Sunday. I like to test myself a bit a couple of weeks before a race which will be the Runner's World Half Marathon April 24. I am not sure I will go 1:42 but believe I can go under 1:45. No matter what the time, the joy will be just running it. It has great race organization by Lehigh Valley Running Club and Runner's World.

This week has brought the same weather although a bit cooler. Early morning runs have been in the 30's but still with the bright sunshine; shorts are still in order. While running over the hills and through the woods, I thought to myself, no matter where I am running, I am "somewhere in the sun". Sunshine in general just makes for a more pleasant day but when you get to see the sun rise on a nice brisk run, it is something special.

On your next run with the sun beating down on you, think of how lucky you are to be running "somewhere in the sun"!

Be As You Are

It has been two weeks since I have blogged but it hasn't been two weeks since I have run. I was "being as I am" in St. John on vacation for a week and adjusting to being back to reality for a week. In St. John, you can truly "be as you are" as opposed to being who you have to be. Running in St. John is a challenge due to the 45 degree (not kidding) hills (up and down), no shoulders, and drivers not used to having runners around. I always run a couple of days and take the challenge - especially the 4 mile trek from Gallows to the Westin that provides panoramic views of the Caribbean and St. Thomas. The hills are brutal but it is worth the hike. I always like seeing the goats and sheep along the way too - living their simple life. The runs always help me control (not) my food and drink intake or at least make me feel better about it.

I ran and worked out enough to ease into a week of good running as I prepare for the Runner's World Half Marathon. I have run 20 miles this week and will run another 20 over the weekend.

Running also allows us to "Be as we are". You can be wherever you want and whover you want on your runs. In some cases it is where dreams are born out of thought or possibly even where they die out of reason. I am me on my runs. I am not a corporate leutenant. I am not a puppet. I run voluntarily and freely. What else in life truly allows you to "be as you are"?