Blog Master G

The summer of grilled pizza.

With about 7 weeks to go until the 10.10.10 Mohawk-Hudson Marathon, training is in full swing. My friends in the Saratoga Stryders have fondly nicknamed me FG, short for… well, you can probably guess, but let’s just say the “F” part starts with an “F” and ends with an “ing.” And the “G,” of course, is yours truly. It’s a nod to the killer training plan I put together, based on the 18/55 plan from Advanced Marathoning, my marathoner’s bible — and the fact that the members of Team FG are cursing my name during most of our grueling long runs.

The plan calls for three 20-milers. This is our peak mileage week, with 55 on the schedule and our second 20-miler this weekend. I have 31.57 of those miles checked off already, including the 11.12 I just ran this morning. Tomorrow’s run called for 11 with 7 at 15k to half-marathon pace. With a tough Stryders hill workout last night and the 20 on Saturday, I wasn’t thinking that I’d do the speed portion of the 11-miler, but when I set out this morning, I was just feeling good, so I went for it, averaging 7:10 in miles 4 through 10 — not quite half-marathon pace, but 5 seconds faster than goal marathon pace, so I feel good about that (plus, I hadn’t done any lactate threshold runs lately, so I was glad to get it in):

Three weeks ago tomorrow I felt some pain in the right arch of my foot come on. Turns out it’s all the symptoms of plantar fasciitis. I’ve spent the past several weeks stretching, icing, and ibuprofen-ing. I even took off 4 days in a row last week (Monday through Thursday), yet still managed to log 29.77 miles in the off week.

The pain is mostly gone, but I can still feel it a bit, especially when I do speed work (like last night) and/or wear my minimalist shoes, like my New Balance 801s that I wore last night. They have nearly 200 miles on them and I fear they may already be kicked. Ditto for my Saucony ProGrid Kinvaras, which I love but which apparently aren’t really designed for pounding the pavement in the long miles.

Even though they’re way expensive, Newtons rule. I’ve decided you can’t really put a price on comfort and staying injury-free, so my second pair of Newtons, the Neutral Performance Racer, arrives today from Running Warehouse (I managed to score a 15% off coupon and save $20+ off MSRP, but coupon link seems to have been taken down since I ordered yesterday):

My first pair of Newtons, the Sir Isaac Guidance Trainer, kicked some ass and have lasted for 343 miles, more than I get out of most shoes. The new pair should be even better, as they’re in the performance category and have less weight in the heel, which I don’t even use. Plus, the Newton customer service rocks. How many shoe companies can you email a photo of your wear pattern to and receive detailed feedback in return from the director of customer service?

Here’s what my Sir Isaacs look like now:

Newton’s customer service guy told me he’s seen tons of wear patterns and that mine is “one of the best.” I assume he means most awesomely severe. He gave me some pointers about reducing the wear on that outside edge, including doing barefoot drills, so I’ve done that twice this week — in the final 1/3 mile of my 12-miler on Tuesday, and in the final 0.45-mile of this morning’s run. The barefoot running helps work on natural form, which the Newtons help promote.

Seven weeks of training to go… assuming I can get past this PF pain, I’m feeling really good about nailing my 3:10 Boston qualifying time in October. I’ve racked up some big PRs in my past three races:

• June 13, 2010: Lake Placid Half-Marathon - 1:29:23 (6:49 avg. pace)
• July 11, 2010: Boilermaker 15k - 1:02:24 (6:41 avg. pace)
• July 24, 2010: Saratoga Silks & Satins 5k - 18:56 (6:06 avg. pace)

Thanks to Team FG for pushing me hard! Let’s do it!

Homemade Burrito. Mmm., originally uploaded by Blog Master G.

Anderson brothers burrito showcase.

In other news, Pete’s hilarious weekend recap:

peterandchase.blogspot.com/2010/08/horsing-around-in-sara…

Burrito Polo Party Horns, originally uploaded by Blog Master G.

From Friday - the Anderson Brothers burrito photographic showcase begins.

Today marks the day 7 years ago my lovely bride and I got married in Poughkeepsie, surrounded by friends and family. What an unforgettable day. And what an amazing 7 years it’s been.

We’ve had so much fun together over the years and I’m so lucky to call Jen my wife that I always struggle with what to write in posts like these (maybe that’s why last year, for the first time, I neglected to even publish an anniversary blog entry, as I’ve done every other year of our marriage; I was even feeling guilty this morning when I realized I neglected to do so last year).

So I thought I’d let my Dad, an incredibly gifted writer, share some memories from this day 7 years ago on my behalf — this is a snippet from a hilarious and touching email he sent both of us today (at midnight on the dot, our time):

After I left Gabe with his private last-minute reflections, I wandered to the back of the chapel, and got a glimpse of you, Jen, surrounded by your entourage of adoring maidens, and you looked so beautiful.  I thought I was catching a glimpse of some kind of Cinderella or Snow White fairy tale about to unfold.  The ceremony was exquisite, intimate, smart, touching, and brilliant.  My heart was in my throat most of the time, and floods of memories came streaming back to me as I watched you two get married.  This was truly one special day — two amazing people embarking on a journey together filled with hope, love, respect, joy, humor, and deep mutual caring.  Life doesn’t really get any better than this.

I couldn’t have said it any better myself — and life continues to be excellent year after year. Jen and I are fortunate to have such a great family and to be surrounded by so many awesome friends.

I love you, Jen, and here’s to the next 7 years of marriage and beyond!

Jen described it best this weekend: “This is the summer I’m falling in love with Saratoga again.”

We had another action-packed weekend that was so much fun and so non-stop we barely had time to sleep. And we really appreciated our little city that much more.

We got things started off right Friday evening with a little get together on Sarah and Eric’s patio. Alexis, Anne, and Tom cruised by as well, and we enjoyed drinks and snacks on a warm summer evening — at least until the bugs came looking for dinner.

Saturday morning Jen headed to work at the library and I ran 6+ miles with the Saratoga Stryders. Then I set to work on a number of projects around the house, including the booking of our next trip to California in the fall that we’re excited about. I met Jen at lunchtime and we hit the Farmers’ Market, where we stocked up on some goods and ran into a number of friends. That afternoon I joined Jen at the library to do some consulting work and reading. I love the library more and more every time I go, and always question why I don’t spend more time there.

We enjoyed a nice evening at home together watching the new Alice in Wonderland, which we downloaded to our TiVo via Amazon VOD.

Sunday morning brought another early day and a 6am wake-up call. I headed to the Saratoga Battlefield to meet a bunch of my Stryder friends (Charles, Hugh, Cole, and Sean) for a 12-miler in the hot and humid historic rolling hills, where the battle that marked the turning point of the Revolutionary War was fought.

After a quick stop at home, Jen and I packed a lunch and some beers, then headed to Fish Creek for an afternoon of canoeing. We rented a sweet canoe from the Kayak Shack at Fish Creek Marina.

We spent an hour-plus paddling upstream against the wind, dodging power boats and wake boarders (and their wakes), and admiring some of the stately homes perched on the hills above the lake. After reaching our goal of crossing beneath the 9P bridge by the Saratoga Lake Marina Park, which was abuzz with people enjoying the perfect day, we turned back and began our return journey with the wind at our backs. On the return trip, we leisurely drifted through some lily pads and hung out with the ducks while enjoying our sandwiches and the sunny day.

We capped off the banner weekend with some tailgating at Saratoga Polo, where we watched the Shamrock — owned by John Walsh from America’s Most Wanted, who was there in the flesh — come from behind to beat the Palm Beach Exotics in overtime.

Today my little bro turns 30. I think that’s got to be the sure sign that I’m no spring chicken myself. I still remember the day Pete was born. And the world hasn’t been safe since… from his kindness, his wit, his humor, and his charm.

This entry won’t be as in-depth as last year’s brother birthday tribute, but suffice it to say that I’m super-psyched that Pete and his girl, Sierra, depart California tomorrow morning and begin their trek to New York, where they’ll be our neighbors just three hours to the south.

I seriously can’t wait to live in the same state as my bro once more. We will dominate. Love you, bro, and happy birthday!

We can only hope that this disaster will be a wake-up call that we need to seriously rethink our extreme dependence on oil as an energy source.

As Mark Morford writes in Behold our dark, magnificent horror:

As if oil wasn’t woven like oxygen into every single aspect of American life, as if fully 30 percent of domestic transportation fuel didn’t come from the gulf, as if shutting down a fraction of those wells wouldn’t re-devastate the economy, as if petroleum and coal weren’t powering the very energy plants that deliver the electricity that charges the iPhones that allows everyone to Tweet their angry complaints through all the various energy-sucking server farms the size of a small country.

Instead of Dodging Deer on a muddy trail, as was the case on this weekend last year, I joined a number of my fellow Saratoga Stryders in Spa State Park for the 31st Annual St. Peter’s Keys Run. It’s actually two races: a 10k at 9am and a 5k at 11am. Some of my fellow Stryders — Richard, Peggy, Sean — were hardcore enough to run both races… and even get in some miles before both races.

I had a great time today (racing only the 5k), and as I was telling Jen after the race, running with a club makes all the difference. Not only has it helped me to get faster, but it’s been a fun way to make new friends, encourage each other, and make running more social. Besides the occasional Stryder workout over the past two years, I spent most of my first two years running solo. Not sure why. Maybe I was just acclimating myself to the sport. Regardless, it’s nice to have a fun group of running friends now.

As for the race, it was pretty much perfect conditions (~44 degrees F, overcast, and slight rain), and I felt confident going into the race that I could beat my 19:31 PR from last summer’s Fasig-Tipton 5k, thanks to all the recent speed work and training with the Stryders. The familiar turf and relatively flat roads of the State Park helped, too.

After some chit-chat at the starting line and wishing my fellow Stryders and others luck, the whistle blew and the race began. I was off to the side, and ran the first 100 meters or so in the grass along the road before falling into place. It was a fast and furious first mile, which I clocked in at a solid 6:07.

As we entered Mile 2, some runners began slowing and I started passing a few people. Though it doesn’t feel like a particularly hilly course, as I look at the elevation now, I see that there are a number of rolling hills, including a 100-foot gain in a 0.2-mile span near the end of the second mile, which explains my slowest-of-the-race mile (6:22).

With just about a mile to go, I tried to keep the pace strong and not fade too much. I passed a couple of runners in the final mile and was motivated to push even harder when I heard someone coming up behind me with just over a quarter-mile to the finish.

I heard his breathing right on my heels, so I kept on pushing as we rounded the final corner into the parking lot as the finish line came into sight. I didn’t see this other runner until after we’d crossed the line and he shook my hand, but he definitely motivated me to turn it on for my final sprint to the line (6:10 for Mile 3 and 34 seconds for the final 0.1 mile / 0.12 by Garmin, which is a 4:46 pace in that final 161-meter dash).

After I finished and caught my breath, it was fun to stick around the finish line and cheer for my fellow Stryders as they came blazing across the line one after another. I’m glad Jen also got the chance to meet so many of my running friends today (and, as always, that she’s awesome enough to stand and cheer in the cold, wet weather to capture the pictures and videos).

Official time: 19:15, a new 5k PR by a solid 16 seconds. I won my division and placed 11th overall. Rounding out the 30-34 male division were other Stryders, Chris and Sean, so it was great to have a Stryder sweep!

Lots of Stryders got division medals today, including Richard in the 10k, and Sean D., Peggy, Judy, and Stan in the 5k as well.

Congrats to everyone who ran a great race today! Good times!

Mile splits (view Garmin data):

Today is an overcast day with 19 MPH winds. I ran the Shamrock Shuffle 5-mile race in Glens Falls and almost exactly nailed my goal time (off by 3 seconds). It was a new PR at the 5-mile distance (32:33) and I’m really happy about it.

Update (3.29.2010): Jen and I left before the results were announced yesterday, but I won 3rd in my division! I placed 42 out of 480 overall.

I’ve been participating in a running study at Skidmore College the past couple weeks and, as a result, ran two 5k time trials last week (and have two more in the next couple days). That, combined with other speed work I’ve been doing, no doubt contributes to my new PR.

In the same race last year it was a torrential downpour and I set what was then a PR at 5 miles (33:39). So taking nearly a full minute off that time is pretty sweet since the faster one gets, the more exponential each incremental improvement becomes. (The first year I ran the race — in 2008 — I clocked in a 41:51.)

I lined up at the front of the pack with one foot on the shamrock portion of the starting line. When the gun fired, I took off in a burst with everyone else and rounded the first corner. Glancing at my Garmin, I saw a too-fast pace of 5:54, so I quickly turned it down and settled into my target pace of around 6:30 to 6:35. The first mile has one of the few slight inclines of the course, leading up an overpass over the highway. I felt strong from the start and ran a 6:39 Mile 1.

Going into the second mile, those runners who’d come out too fast started to fade and I heard lots of huffing and puffing (already) around me. I fell into a pack that was running right around my 6:30 target. I was feeling good, so I went with it. I rounded out Mile 2 in 6:32.

On the back side of the course there are some gentle rolling hills and trees along the road. It was around this time that I reminded myself of one of the things I’m always really conscious of in races: Not to let myself get into a too-comfortable pace behind a runner who’s starting to fade. Such was the case as I passed a girl around the 2.5-mile mark and heard her yell, “Shit!” as she realized she wasn’t maintaining pace. On the slight decline, the pace quickened to 6:17 or so. Mile 3 was one of my fastest of the day: 6:23.

In the fourth mile I was still going mostly strong, but as we turned into the wind, started to feel the race taking its toll. I made some more passes and kept a pack of three or so runners in my sight. Mile 4 pace: 6:32.

With just over a mile to go (about 3.69 elapsed), it was time to push for the finish — not all out but felt that I had enough left to make a few more passes. So as we rounded the last few corners and toward the finish line, I passed the remaining runners who’d been in my immediate sight. There was just one runner off in the distance (at least 400 meters or so ahead) between me and the finish line.

So I turned it on and gave it everything I had. I wasn’t really trying to catch the last guy in front of me (at least at first), but actually came so close in the final few meters that I was right on his heels by the time I flew across the line into the finish corral. I had to slam on my personal brakes to avoid crashing into him. Mile 5 was right up there with Mile 3 as the fastest of the day: 6:23. My max pace in that final sprint dipped as low as 3:58 (!), which could be another new record.

View finish line video

I saw a few fellow Saratoga Stryders at the race, along with some other familiar faces, which is always fun. Congrats to all the runners today!

And a big thanks, as always, to my lovely Jen for braving the wind and cold to cheer me on and take pictures and video!

Mile splits (view Garmin data):