The Question

It's an age old question. A lot of us ask it from time to time, few actually take the time to figure out the answer. Most of us overestimate, while some err on the under. But we all do eventually ask it: After we've stopped running (I mean really running), how fast are we???

One thing that I'm looking forward to when I'm done running competitively is the random race. I have a good amount of friends who have challenged themselves to run an all out mile or organized an out of the blue street race (from time to time I've gotten in on these as well). It will be fun to go out and race after having not done it for a while. As I'm grasping my knees and sucking for air, I'll realize that it wasn't really that fun.

The "how fast am I right now?" question comes up fairy often in a group of running friends. We're a competitive group (see Dan Nunn's bet).

Krisch had to take 4 months off for a femoral stress fracture after his college career. He just started running two or three weeks ago:
"I could run my high school PR," said Krisch referencing a 9:07 2-mile.
"WHHHATT??!!" everyone responded in hysteria.
"You couldn't break 10," somebody says to get the bartering going for a bet.
"That's ridiculous," Krisch retorts.
The bickering back and forth continues for about 20 minutes too long.
"Fine," says Will, "Saturday, go run 9:30 at Riverbank."
And then we find out how much of a man Krisch is.

Amazingly, this conversation occurs about twice a month. Sadly, the races occur only every once in a while.

I'm happy not to be in the position to ask myself the question yet (although I do ask myself how fast I can become every time I race), but I know that I eventually will. And down the road when I'm a few lbs over the reg and bored with my job and easy runs, I'll lace up the spikes, go up to the track, not let anyone know I'm going, and I'll rip off a mile...hopefully it's under five.

If I can run my HS PR when I'm washed up...I won't be very washed up.

The Cut-Off Hoodie

It was Labor Day Weekend 2009 and a group of Columbia grads was up in Loon Lake, NY for a bachelor party celebration. I had made the trip up from DC, and was happy to be spending a weekend doing all things masculine. There was a lot of sports playing and a lot of unhealthy eating. Plus, there was my cut-off hoodie. I figured what better for a weekend amongst the guys than for a sweatshirt that keeps you warm and looks awesome, yet also shows off your muscles.

The cut-off sweatshirt turned out to be such a big hit, that Jon Pastore (the friend who was in Amsterdam this summer for one of the euro-posts) offered me $1000 for it (it was actually $60, but that’s still a lot). I obviously declined, and instead wore the sweatshirt at all times that weekend. Even over a flannel in an impromptu street race relay of Zach and I vs. Will and Kevin Verge (see above picture--albeit dark) that I was clearly on the winning team for. Needless to say, I love cut-off hoodies/sweatshirts of all sorts.

There was what some may call a ballyhooed frenzy over the picture at the bottom of my last post. It was an awesome sweatshirt. I am always on the lookout for a new cutoff hoodie. Meanwhile, the process of turning the arms coming out of those sleeveless wonders from linguini to sculpted rock continues.

And by ballyhooed frenzy, I really mean I have no idea what kind of reception the picture received (there was one comment from Joseph that said: “that’s bad-ass”….I’m assuming he was referring to the sweatshirt, not the lifting schedule). Viewership of the site neither ebbed nor flowed, and all in all it seemed to be a pretty normal week for runLBP.com. All except for the awesome news that I did get a new sleeveless hooded sweatshirt; it is bright orange, and it is legit. I do love myself a man-made cut off, but this one that has been hemmed to perfection is no slouch.

Recently, David Torrence posted a blog post about what we need to do to help track and field. No sleeve hoodies are a huge part of my life, and any time I get a shot at one I take it. I’m somewhat encouraged to race in one…maybe what the Fab Five’s long shorts were to college basketball, the cut-off hoodie will be to track and field.

For all of that to go to plan, however, I need to win me some races. So, I’ll keep working out, I’ll keep lifting so my arms look awesome without the sleeves, and I’ll try to win some races. Once sleeveless hoodies are the norm, track and field will be on the map.

That's The Midwest For Ya...

If you followed my journal during my European travels this summer (you can find that starting here), then you’ll remember that I always pack two extra things for each track trip:

It was April of 2007, and the Columbia Middle-Distance Crew was getting ready for their trip out to California for the warm weather and the prestigious Mt. Sac Relays. Senior Kent Collins was the captain of that team.

If you know Kent, then you will know that this conversation actually did take place. (My family had the pleasure of meeting Kent this year when the Final Four was in Detroit and he and my brother went. I will not be surprised if he is a topic of conversation at family dinners for years to come.)

It was the night before we left on an early morning flight, here is how the conversation went:

KENT: Hey man, make sure to bring two extra pairs of underwear.
ME: Haha, why?
KENT: dude, you always bring two extra pairs of underwear…one in case you poop your pants, and one in case your roommate poops his. (He said it as if I was stupid for even asking.)
ME: Well, what if we both, um, you know? And then one of us does it a second time?
KENT: Well you pray to God that both you and your roommate followed the rule…otherwise, two total pants poopings is all you get.

So yeah, I always pack a few extra pairs of undergarments. However, I was a little nervous heading into the USA Road Mile Championship in Minneapolis this past week. That’s because I wasn’t sure who my roommate was going to be, and I definitely wasn’t sure if he new about the Underpants Rule.

Upon arriving in the Twin Cities, I had no worries at all. But that’s because the race directors took such good care of us, that I figured they’d have extra tighty-whities up the whazoo. I roomed with Jordan Fife, and he was a great guy.

It’s pretty fun when you’re on the elite level because everyone is so professional and does their own thing so that they can run fast. Jordan was coming from Flagstaff for some altitude training, so we were on different schedules, but we made it work. And I’m pretty sure we had no problems in regards to briefs.

As far as the race, I am happy with it, but definitely not pleased. I was waayyyyy too close to some guys not to nip one or two of them at the line. I felt like a group of 7 of us separated from the pack in the last 400-meters, and I happened to take last out of that group. It was good to be a part of that group, but I need to beat a few of those guys next time I am there. But 7th place in a race stacked with middle-distance talent, and I cannot complain too much.

Now, I just have to get ready for Occidental and what promises to be a fast 1500 next weekend in LA. Other than Bernard Lagat and Lopez Lomong, it is pretty much a USA final in the event, it is going to be really fun. I’m treating it like my Big East Meet and HEPS combined…

LET’S GO!!

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Check out race footage here: http://www.runnerspace.com/video.php?do=view&video_id=26167

Also, for an article I wrote for Columbia College Today, check it out:
http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/may_jun10/alumni_corner

Road Racers

I ran two races this weekend. One was the more conventional route, being on a track with the set distance of a mile (I won in the easiest 4:04 I’ve ever run) and the other was on the warm-up for the actual race against some old man who drafted behind me as I slogged through my 7-minute paced jog.

Going up the hill on riverside drive back up towards NYC’s Armory the dude legitimately locked in behind me and let me block the wind without humor or malice. I continually shook my head and laughed out loud to try to send the dude a hint, but he didn’t get it. He was unrelenting and remained tucked in, void of any wind, behind me. Around the crest of the hill he moved beside me, but clearly wasn’t still running with me as he was about 3 feet to my left. He got a few feet ahead then cut right in front of me. So I moved to my left and remained on the constant pace I had been at for the entire warm-up. Now I was catching up to him and his breathing cadence quickened and loudened (no, loudened is not a word). Then all of a sudden, he was gone. The dude turned around with no word or hint.

The only thing that bothers me is that I’m not sure who won and who lost our race, since I think only he knew the finish line.

And it is fun to challenge the weekend warrior once in a while, but I really wanted to tell this dude to come in and try to race me in a mile in 20 minutes if he was going to bother me so much on this workout. I’m pretty sure that he ended up throwing up somewhere because of the hard effort. At least that’s what I’m going to tell myself.
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Training for the week was great. Ran a 4:04 mile on top of doing a little tempo and stride action on Tuesday and still getting in 69 miles for the week. I’ll keep the mileage up in that area for the next couple of weeks and then cut it back some for USA Indoors, which is still remaining the main goal. I’m probably heading up to Boston this week and hopefully popping a quick 800…Enjoy the interview from Flotrack…Let’s Go!

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

Hills

I hate hills. Running up them is awful. Running down them hurts. Frank Shorter may have said that hills were “speedwork in disguise,” but they aren’t nearly as fun as speedwork.

And I should preface this with the fact that my road mile this weekend was not nearly as fast a course as it should have been. And this is because from 100 to 900 meters, the course was an uphill through Lafayette, Calif.

Overall, I had a very solid race, and was able to take home 4th place and 250 dollars. Especially in comparison to 5th Avenue, I am very pleased with how it went. After doing a 6xMile workout on Tuesday I was able to chill a little bit before the race, but I definitely was not race sharp for something like this.

The weekend itself was a blast. With friends and other runners to hang out with all weekend, we had an amazing time. The race director, Priscilla Bailey, who is married to Tim Bailey (2nd place finisher in the race), proved to be a great host and I definitely plan on going back next year.

After the race sunday we made our way into San Francisco for the afternoon. I hate to say it, but San Fran is a pretty cool city. It is also hilly as hell, but it made for some good times.

And there is so much more news to put on here for this week, but most of the news will have to wait until next week.
1. A few of us have started wearing Phiten necklaces, these things are loaded with titanium and I feel recovered at all times.
2. I have barely passed my brother in terms of who has made more money as a professional runner, this is embarrassing to say the least.

So until next week, this is all I’ve got.

Wake Up Call

Yikes. I was not ready to come through the first half-mile at 1:55 and be 2 seconds back of the main pack. But, you live and you learn.

I got my ass kicked this weekend in New York, and it sucked. As I talked to Coach Henner on the phone after the race, he put it pretty well into perspective: “Forget this one happened, and come back to DC and we’ll go back to work on Monday.”
And so that is what I will do. I found out that I have a long ways to go to get to the point that I want to be at, and there is no point not to start working towards it. The goal may be a little loftier than I once thought, but nothing would be fun if it wasn’t hard.

There was some redemption this weekend, and that was Koronets Pizza after the race. Koronets is the best pizzeria pizza that I have ever had. The slices are larger than my torso, and the taste is better than any filet mignon I’ve ever had. One slice of cheese and a Dr. Pepper please. (Although I forgot to consult the Doctor on this trip and just went with a slice).

I have recently dabbled in some pizza making artistry. My father makes the best pizza known to man. I have taken that recipe and tried to make it my own…with extremely promising results. Eventually a pizza shop in my name will be opening up, but that’s a whole different story…

And one last note: A huge congrats to team Columbia. A group of mostly ex-Columbia guys, sprinters alike, who dominated the Fred Brown relay this weekend. In the 65.4 mile relay race, they won by 28 minutes. Boo YAH.

20 Blocks To A Mile

At 1:05PM this coming Saturday, a gun will go off on 5th Avenue at East 80th Street and I will run like hell. Around 1:09PM on that very same day, I will be gasping for air at 5th and 60th, having just finished running a mile as fast as I could, at least that’s what I’m hoping.

I am extremely excited for the coming weekend and the 5th Avenue Mile, I’ll be lining up against some of the world’s best, and trying to stick my nose out there amongst them. It is going to be a blast.

As previously mentioned, I will be looking to add some street racing cred to my repertoire. I once beat the 1-Train from 110th to 116th running along Broadway, so I see no reason as to why I wouldn’t beat a few human beings this weekend.

Training for the race has gone pretty well leading up to the race, and nothing really special has been done in preparation. But Coach and I did go out and do some fast running on the bike path that runs next to the Potomac this past Tuesday. Him on a bike and me on my feet running from cone to cone with intervals of 400, 400, then 800. Then Coach pulled the classic 4×200 after the workout when I was clearly a pretty tired guy. The workout wasn’t great, but it was definitely good, and I’ll be ready to go for the race.

In my non-runner, real person life I had a nice weekend of class. Went to the Georgetown Track Banquet as an alum and then my roommates and I hosted a white party on our rooftop patio. Only white clothing allowed, and the event was a complete success.

Anyone in New York next weekend, I will hopefully see you out there. Until next time…

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.