Brand Spanking New!

Falmouth right before dropping out. I am sitting behind my new training partner, Rob Novak...

New Month, New City, New Look. Same old idea. As you can see, some changes have been made to runLBP.com, hopefully for the better. It was starting to look a little cluttered on here and it was confusing with what was the blog—err, I mean web journal—and what wasn’t. So now, it should be pretty easy to navigate and the blog is all at the blogspot site just because it’s easier to post there even if I don’t have my computer. The first paragraph of each new post will be on the front page of the site, but you’ll have to head to the blog to read the rest…

There’s the house cleaning. Sadly, there isn’t much else to report. I am at home in Bath still and enjoying my time with nothing to do. Boredom is setting in, but that’s part of it. I found out at the end of the season that I had a stress reaction, so I have been in a boot and getting healthy. I probably could start running now, but we’re making sure that I get as healthy as possible before I start training so that I can go un-interrupted the next two years.

I am going to be living near Columbia U. in NY, but it is going to be a lot different than when I was at school. It will be a different experience, but I am looking forward to what’s ahead. But what that means for the frequenters of “runLBP.com” is that there will be a new arena for more LBPjams! Boo. Yah.

Coach Gags keeps emailing me telling me to be patient, and lord knows I am, but I am starting to get antsy, I want to get out there and run again. Soon enough, I know. For now it is the swimming pool and getting worked by the same girl every day who is a much better swimmer than I. I work my balls off to swim 25 meters in 30 seconds. It’s awful.

I’m getting there. Let’s Go!

Quick Hiatus

Back in Michigan after a long day of travel. Don’t have my bags, but thanks to Coach Henner quietly yelling at Bumbi and I for not bringing our spikes carry on, I have some flats to race in tomorrow for Shay! It’s nice to be back, and I’m a little jet-lagged, but going to be ready to roll tomorrow.

The race in Dublin was alright, it’s hard to complain about a sub-4 mile, but was disappointed with the race. Still trying to get a big one, but sometimes you have to wait a long time for them. (Bumbi and I did spend some time listening to Rage Against the Machine after the race to get over it.)

For those of you have enjoyed the daily posts during July, I’m going to take a little break. I’m going to be up north and not check internet all weekend. I’ll post a recap of the entire trip sometime next week once I get back. Happy summer.

Let’s Go!

The Final Leg

Mmmm. Chocolates.

Made it to Dublin for the last leg of my European tour yesterday and now getting ready for the mile this evening. It is a pretty stacked field with 9 guys under four, so I’m pretty excited about what could go down. Overall, I’ve been pretty happy with the spacing of my races, although I wish one more could have been in between Brasschaat and this, but gotta role with the punches.

Staying at a Holiday Inn Express near the airport which is about a 5 minute walk from the track. It is a pretty Americanized hotel, so it’ll be a nice transition from here to home.

Last year leading up to the last race (which was in Brasschaat) I was ready to get the hell out of there and get back on American soil. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited about going home, but this year has gone by a lot quicker and I could definitely stick around for a few more races if there were any great ones. However, The Ryan Shay Mile is going to be way too much fun, so I want to get home for that anyways.

And I am running in Halifax, Nova Scotia on August 3rd to finish out the season. I’m entered in both the 8 and 15, and will probably find out a few days before what I’m actually running. It will be a nice way to end the season.

Lately, I have been reading books that I only really half read in middle/high school. Been getting through “To Kill A Mockingbird” lately, and Holy Sam Hill, that Scout is a pretty awesome little girl. I loved what Atticus had for his kids after Mrs. Dubose passed away: “It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.”

Right now, don’t have a link to the race...will post online tonight either here or on twitter how the race went. It’s 20.00 Ireland time...so 3pm for the East Coasters.

Go time this evening in Dublin! Let’s Go!

Adios Amsterdam!

Bumbi and I over a scenic canal (stolen straight from his blog...boo yah)

So first off, my apologies to those expecting an awesome new bball dunk. This wasn’t like a normal LBPjam in that the real things are actually athletic feats. I was a little disappointed with the fact that I’m not that good at soccer. However, even though LBPjams are fantastically amazing in an athletic sense, they are also meant to be fun, which is what I had when I was making the soccer jam.

But now I have to peace out on Amsterdam and head to Dublin for the Morton Mile tomorrow evening. It is looking like a pretty good field with 8 sub-4 guys, so should be pretty fun. Hopefully I’ll have internet in Dublin so I can give a few more posts from this side of the Atlantic.

Then I’ll be heading home to meet Kara Goucher in Michigan and head up north with the fam for the Ryan Shay Mile. Really looking forward to that one and hopefully can have a good race there even with some possible jet-lag setting in.

Then I’ll have only one more race to go with a trip to Nova Scotia for an 800 or a 1500 there to close out the season on August 3rd. Should be a nice little way to close things out.

Finally race tomorrow night, just got excited again! Let’s Go!

ps - leaving the LBPjam here because I haven’t been taking as many pictures lately seeing as I see the same things ever day.

Presenting: The Latest in LBPjams

Some beach soccer in the town square:

What would a trip be without a new edition of and LBPjam? While LBPjams became a hit this winter, I steered away from them in the spring after receiving messages from people like my cousin saying: “be careful.” However, you can’t contain the athlete within me, and I decided that a new edition of LBPjams was a highly necessary part of my 2010 European Racing Vacation. But, being in Amsterdam during a time when the Dutch were playing for the World Cup, I became inspired to do something with more worldwide appeal. So, I give you
“LBPjam10(euro)”.

The girls were gone in Finland this weekend (with some nice 4:10s for Maggie and a 4:11 for Liz proving her 4:09 was no fluke!). So I had plenty of down time. And while I didn’t injure myself, I did come close. And while I didn’t break anything in the house, I did come close. Not to worry, because instead I came out with a sweet LBPjam that I think you will all enjoy. There is even an awesome soundtrack and some video editing (albeit extremely poor editing, I wanted to get it up, so didn’t pull out too many fancy tricks that iVideo provide). As always, check the jams section of runLBP to see the vids after they have left the front page.

It is my last day in Amsterdam, and I have mixed feelings about it. Last year, I was ready to get the hell out of dodge and back to the good ol’ USofA. Now, I’m pretty excited about heading home, but I could stick around and run a few more races if I had to.

The mile in Dublin is shaping up to be a pretty good one, so I’m pretty excited about that. Then I’ll have to step up and deal with the jet-lag to be ready for the Ryan Shay Mile on Saturday, but I’m pumped about that as well and am going to run straight to Lake Michigan following the finish. Thank God for Northern Michigan in the summer.

Enjoy the jams…Let’s Go!

Superstitions

Yesterday was the official open to my 2010 track and field campaign. In all honesty, I was fairly nervous about how it would go. Training has been going fairly well, but jumping in to a fast 800 for an opening race can be a daunting thing (especially considering my training has been geared towards making me stronger and the only thing I had done faster than 60 pace all year was this past Monday when I did some 160 striders at 52 pace). However, the show must go on, and you've got to race to get better, so I got out there and went after it.

There were good and bad parts to the race. The good: thankfully the pace didn't feel unbearable. I was through in probably 52.8 and it didn't feel that terrible. The bad: I didn't position myself well enough in the first 200 meters and ended up tripping up over a runner I should have been in front of with 150 meters to go. I finished in 1:49.08 and had probably the best opening race to my season in recent memory (or ever, since all of my memories are fairly recent). I'm definitely upset that I didn't position myself, but pumped with the start to the season and knowing that I can pop a 1:48low right now. But, 1:49 will have to do for now, and definitely excited for what's about to go on the rest of the season.

While I was warming up for the race I had the newest Lady Gaga song stuck in my head (ra ra, ga ga ga-ah, ra ra, ga ga)...which brings me to the title of this journal entry, and a question that I pose to the reader. In terms of superstitions, when do we kick them and when do we keep them?

During my warmup I thought to myself: "What if I run really well? Does this mean that I need to have the Lady Gaga song stuck in my head for every race?"

And its a very interesting little conundrum. If something works for you even if you don't like it that much do you do it still?
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Training this week went well. Other than the snow that shortened my long run, I was pretty syked about how it went. Got in 68 miles and even with a race did a tough 4xmile workout on Tuesday. Ran 4:52, 4:47, 4:40, 4:37 with two and half minutes rest in between each one. Tough stuff for a guy like me, but got through it and then was ready for the race.

We also made a little progress on my racing schedule. It looks like I will be up at the Armory for a mile next weekend at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational and then will be heading to Boston for my last tune-up before USA Indoors to do an 8 Valentine's weekend. Pretty excited about what's to come....Let's Go!

(ps - enjoy yet another dunk as this week's picture)

Nerf Hoops

As I mentioned last week, pretty much everything that is cool in life has to do with basketball. And just today, my life got a LOT cooler. My roommate, Mike Krisch, bought a Nerf Basketball Hoop. Morale in the apartment is at an all time high (while our downstairs neighbor's is simultaneously dropping from the pounding of our jumps).

After suiting up in Bath High team shorts circa 2003 and my 24KOBE yellow headband I found myself on the losing end in the inaugural game of H-O-R-S-E to Krisch. Then, I put on a clinic in the dunking category (see above video: After a failed first attempt, I straight dominate the next dunk right in Krisch and Christine’s (she took last in Horse) laughing faces).

There is only one rule on our Nerf Hoop: if you don't break the rim at least once in a game, you haven't done your job.
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I also have been doing some running and getting pretty pumped for my first race next weekend at Penn State. It looks like its going to be a pretty quick 800 and even though I haven't really busted the rust off the old legs, they're going to have to be really ready to go come next weekend. Should be a fun time though as even though I hate the state of Pennsylvania (far too many drives across the extremely long state) I seem to run pretty well there.

Hit 67 miles on the week with some morning cross training as well. Ran some tempo miles on Tuesday and then some 500s and 300s at 3k pace and mile pace on Friday in what turned out to be an extremely hard workout.

Can't wait to spike up and race for the first time in 2010...Let's Go!