MAN MONTH

December has been a great month for me. I don’t mind the cold (that’s what being a Michigan boy does for you), school is almost over (just a 20 page story about racing trains due this Wednesday), and it is MAN MONTH.

Man Month is something my brother, our buddy Kevin Verge, and I started about a year ago. At the risk of sounding like a misogynist pig, we do everything in these months as manly as possible. So that means I’m running hard, lifting hard, eating steak raw…you know, the basics.

Man Month is a way for us all to make sure that we are getting things done, and getting them done right. Say it was today and it was rainy and cold and I didn’t really feel like going for my run…Man Month makes you go for your runs.

This year, Alan Weeth joined in with Kevin, Will and I for Man Month, he has done nothing but act manly. The champion of his bowling league, he has continually sent out pictures of him eating skyline chili, there is even rumor that his arms no longer fit in his shirts, because his muscles have become too big.

The funny thing about Man Month for me is that it really got things rolling for me in its original installment. February of ‘09 was the original Man Month. However, I knew that I was running in a fast mile on January the 31st. I moved the month one day up, and for the first time in my life, a 3 was the first number listed in my mile time.
God, I love Man Month…
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And now each week I’ll put a little bit more in there about my actual running life. Don’t worry, the completely non-running related topics (although in my life pretty much everything makes its way back to running in some way or another) will continue on, but there will be some more training oriented issues talked about.

This week was a pretty relaxed one, with some more strength based stuff that I have been working on as the main attraction. Tuesday we did a 6xmile workout that ended up being a pretty tough one. It was one of the times where coach had originally told me I would be doing 5, but then at the last second decided that 6 was better.

There’s no real secret to “by-mile” workouts, usually just 60 seconds rest in between each one. So my group clicked off miles of 4:56, 4:56, 4:56, 4:55, then instead of the 60 seconds, we were only given 45, and we ran 4:52 then were given only 30 seconds and ran a 4:49 final mile. The rest is what kills you on that one.

Hit my usual 70 miles for the week with a nice long run with the team down around the monuments. Let’s Go!

The Launch of "runLBP"...

Originally this was meant to be a little journal I kept of my overseas adventures in racing. However, only being a part-time student and working 15 hours a week at the local running store, I get a little bored. So, in turn, you all can have the privilege of checking in once or twice a week and seeing how I’m doing with the whole running thing (err on the once a week side).

I’m still down in DC, but have made the move away from Georgetown into Columbia Heights. Its supposedly the next Adams Morgan, but I just like the fact that its a little more urban than Georgetown and you see some things other than the rich, white upper-class that runs Gtown. I’m living with two fifth years on the team while I’m acting as a “Volunteer Assistant” under Coach Henner so he can continue to be my coach. I did, however, already let the freshman know that they can feel free to talk about anything around me, as the only ratting out I will be doing is if they actually do something stupid…but it will probably take a lot for me to consider something stupid.

We live right next to Rock Creek Park and the trail system there is amazing. The hills are also extremely stupid in the sense that they are steep and long. It’s a pain in the ass, but I guess it will help in the long run.

I’m running the 5th Avenue Mile on the streets of New York September 26th, and I’m looking forward to it. I’m doing a mini race simulation on Tuesday with some fast stuff on some streets.

I am, however, a little nervous. My record on the streets is 1-1. I begrudgingly will admit that my brother, Will, defeated me in a street race 3 years ago on the streets of New York (he decided flip flops were unnecessary even if chards of glass were covering the streets and he pulled away once he kicked his off…I was left in the dust with healthy feet, but a battered heart) .
I evened that record in a 2 on 2 relay race this past weekend up in Loon Lake, New York. My sophomore year roommate, Zach Richard, and I took on my brother and our friend and fellow Columbia Alum Kevin Verge, Esq. Kevin is the 200-meter indoor record holder at Columbia and it was very evident that I was going to need a lead from Zach. He provided just that as he left Will in the dust, giving me at least a 10 meter lead in what was only a 50 meter race. I glided smoothly home with a few taunts directed at Mr. Verge and brought my street race win percentage up to .500.

While a win may be asking a little much at 5th Ave, (A World Champ by the name of Bernard Lagat is competing) I’m hoping to race with the big boys and get after it on some streets that I still consider home. I’ll keep you posted, but if you’re going to be in New York the 26th of September, I hope to see you at 60th street and the finish line.