runLBP 2k10: The Video Game

Bust out your NES Power Pad, because EA Sports, in partnership with BP-Pizza Gaming, is proudly presenting the latest in track and field video gaming: "runLBP 2k10"...

Syyyyke. But they do need to bring back the Power Pad don't they? No, "runLBP 2k10: The Video Game" was just a better title than "runLBP's best (and worst) of 2010".

To go with the grain of pretty much every website/magazine/news outlet, here goes some of the highs and lows for the site and life in general:

Best Race: Ryan Shay Mile. It was one of the few races all year where I just said eff it and ran hard. It didn't turn out a W, but it definitely had me excited about running.

Worst Race: Tie, Puma Mile, Nova Scotia Mile, and Falmouth Mile. The Puma Mile was actually a really good race, but the lack of $10,000 definitely hurt. Nova Scotia I won $250, but I ran a time that barely would have qualified for NCAA Regionals and I didn't even feel that good doing it (thankfully that was a fun overall meet). And then Falmouth Mile was the first race I dropped out of since sophomore year of high school. Dropping out of races sucks, even if it is because of injury, and that wont be happening this year.

Lowest Point: The layover in Denver on the overnight flight from New Mexico back to DC after USA Indoors. The combination of New Mexico, a red-eye flight, a sub-par performance at USAs, a travel partner doing med-school homework, and reading "Born To Run" left me wanting to leave society and go live in the mountains. Sadly, I returned to DC and slept for 28 straight hours.

Best Blog Post: Tie, The Bet and the Leslie Nielsen Tribute. I liked the Leslie Nielsen one the most, but since it had absolutely nothing to do with running...although the Dan Nunn didn't really either.

Best Youtube Video: LBPjam7  See above video.
Enough said.

Worst LBPjam: There wasn't one!

Best Meal (savory): Criff Dog! This thing is unimaginable. If you read the blog, you know my affinity for chili dogs. Well here, you get yourself a hot dog, wrap some bacon around it, fry up an egg, add some cheese, put those things in a bun, and you've got yourself a meal. This was only discovered recently, and as my brother Will so eloquently put it: "Criff dogs haunt me."

Best Meal (sweet): The Pancake Sundae. I am haunted by this one as well. I'm sure not as much as Maggie, because while Liz and I ordered the dangerously delicious delicacy, Maggie decided to go with the tomato soup. Probably tasted like throw up.

Best Dessert of the year...

Best Tweet: REEEEEEESE'S. Not really. Instead Paul Pierce's after the Celtics beat the Heat.

Best TV Show: Tie: "Mad Men" and "Parks and Rec". Both were detailed, and both affected my every day life. I'm trying to work Don Draper's sidepart into my repertoire, and those shapes! still get me.

Worst TV Show: "Two and a Half Men".

Best Run: Central Park Reservoir at night. A nice little escape from the city.

Worst Run: Fricken' Snowmageddon in DC. That had a lot to do with the lowest point of 2k10 since flying back to DC was a less than ideal destination.

Best Call: The move back to NYC.

It's go time again. Overall, the running in 2010 sucked. So now it's kind of go big or go home (literally, since I need me some money or else see ya soon Mom and Dad!). But seriously, I am very excited about what the running is going to bring in the coming year. I have some goals set and the NJ/NY TC and Coach Gags are helping me work towards them. We're starting to piece together an indoor season and hopefully I'll be able to put my nose up in some races on the east coast throughout the winter. I have yet to really say it out loud yet, but the goal now is getting ready for 2012.

Top 3 in either the 8 or 15 on the right day is what matters now, so that's what we're working towards. There will definitely be highs and lows along the way, but might as well shoot high, because then if things go really well, maybe I can make a video game with the PowerPad. As always, I will document most of it right here. Happy 2010, here's to a better 2011.

$50 Haircut

That's some long ass hair.

Every Monday and Friday morning I catch the 8:25 up-town 1-train at 116th and ride it to 168th St. before walking to the Armory to get picked up by my coach and taken to practice at Rutgers. Public transportation, while sometimes packed with people like sardines in a can, can be a nice treat. There is always a person on each bus/train that is “that guy.” The person you look at because they’re either yelling or singing, or just in need of a shower. One of my trips I was looking around the subway car and didn’t really notice anyone of the sort, but then I saw my reflection in the window across from me. I was “that guy.”

I was dressed in running pants, a big winter coat, and my hair was out of control. I had showered the night before, but with my hair looking like a rolling tumbleweed of the old west, if visible stink lines would have emanated from me, I wouldn’t have objected.

The hair being out of control thing isn’t for any reason, I just decided not to cut my hair other than a trim until New Years. I used to never cut my hair during the season. This all started because when I was a seventh grader, my brother and a group of his buddy’s told me they’d give me $50 if I didn’t cut my hair until the cross country season was over. Meanwhile, I was already a month removed from cutting my hair. By the end of the season I was Tom Brady as Bieber before Brady or Bieber even existed.

Now, I’ve gone with the no haircut until 2011 to go along with my current life mantra of trying to be a blue collar runner while being a white collar worker. Don Draper meets Rocky in Rocky IV.

Running wise, things are going very well and all the cross training (oh that god-forsaken cross training!) seems to have payed off some as my workouts have been going great and my mileage is up in the 70s again. We are starting to piece together somewhat of an indoor season and I am starting to get that racing itch, even if the real racing of the year is a long ways away.

It’s cold again, but Michigan boys love the snowy running. Plus, I have a lot of hair to keep my head warm.