Cancer...

I will be running the 2008 NYC Marathon for cancer research and treatment. The decision to pick this as a cause to represent was not too hard for me. I have had an awareness of cancer since when I was a young child. My father is an oncology specialist in children and I remember him talking about his frustration sometimes about being able to help his young patients. Cancer has also afflicted friends and members of my family. My mother was diagnosed and successfully treated for basal cell carcinoma which is a highly treatable form of skin cancer. I have a friend whose best friend's father is suffering from pancreatic cancer. Another friend survived cancer when all odds were against her. I have one aunt that died of leukemia my senior year of college, and my mom has countless numbers of cousins, aunts and uncles that have died of or survived some kind of cancer. Most recently my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer. I believe some day we will defeat this disease but it will require the help of private citizens to do it. I'd like to do my part. I will be running for my friends and family who have been touched by cancer and for all of its victims.

Old Records Erased... New Records Made

It seems like decades ago (7 years ago actually) when I was a member of the New York Roadrunners Club ("NYRRC") and of the Central Park Track Club. I used to race all the time. You could find me almost every weekend running @ anything from a 5K in Central Park to one of the half-marathon races in one of New York City's boroughs. And I was fast too (for a complete amateur). I used to routinely place in the top 10% in my age group. That history is gone. My personal records no longer exist and can no longer be retrieved. When I first thought of it, I was like this sucks. When I think of the blood (runner's bleeding nipple syndrome) and sweat I put in to all those races, it is unfortunate that is all gone. But then I came to surprising realization I can do it all over again. I get set new records and see the gradual improvement in my racing times, without agonizing with comparisons to myself from years ago. So I have rejoined the NYRRC and I plan to make my racing debut in about 4 weeks, so stay tuned.

Go Giants....

Probably the only thing in common between football and long distance running (as far as sports go) is that they both involve "running". For example your typical long distance runner tends to be lean and football players, well you know they are a different body type. I guess it is possible to run into a long distance runner who happens to be the size of a football player, but I think you'll have a better chance of running into one of the fabled NYC sewer crocodiles while running cross town on 72nd Street on the way to Central Park.

I had the pleasure of enjoying both sports yesterday evening. Most of my running since I started this blog has been on the treadmill. One reason has been avoiding the winter weather outside (getting back into running shape is already enough of a challenge), but the most important reason is that it is easier for me to work running on a treadmill into my hectic schedule. In any case as most of you know, yesterday the New York Giants played the Green Bay Packers for the NFC Championship and the right to face the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. If you watched it, you know that it was one exciting game with a nail biting finish. I was able to enjoy the second half and the overtime ending while jogging on the treadmill. I was huffing and groaning more about the game than I did about the run. In fact I was so fixated with the game with the hope the Giants would pull the upset that I forgot I was running on the treadmill at all, in fact I started to imagine that I was in the game carrying the football in a break-out run to a Giants touchdown. Go Giants...

TGIF

Jack Daniels Pulled Pork Sandwich ("JDPPS") is what I am talking about. I once heard on NPR how the Food TV Network used the same filming techniques and style as those used in your typical porn movie. If this is true, then the menu at TGI Fridays is the equivalent of a Playboy or Penthouse magazine. Right smack in the middle of the glossy and colorful TGIF menu, the centerfold, is a juicy picture of an over sized bun stuffed with mouthwatering, tangy shredded pork. I was helpless against such stimulus. So while having lunch @ TGIFs with a few co-workers I succumbed to the temptation and I ordered a JDPPS with fries and a peanut butter cup pie. You can forget my assertions of a day ago that I would be more mindful about my eating habits and stop and think about my training before stuffing my face artery clogging, life robbing foods. May be I should eat JDPPS everyday (kidding). In case you are wondering I at least did run today so today will probably end-up being a calorie neutral day. How the hell do I stay awake the rest of the day at work as the JDPPS saps all my strength and kills me from the inside as it makes its way through my digestive system is a mystery. Thank God is Friday.

Back in NYC

The trip to Orlando completely disrupted my running schedule. I am definitely little out of sync. Although I have been back for a few days now, it was only today that I ran since returning. Let me tell you it sucked. With all the good delicious food I ate in Orlando. I must have gained a few thousand pounds. All I could think about during my run was how my legs felt like lead, my belly like Jello and my heart was about to explode out of my chest (kind of like how the alien creatures in the movie Alien burst out people chests). Who would clean-up the mess?

Well I survived the run and I have vowed to be more mindful of what I am eating, after all there is a long way to go to marathon day on November 2.

A brief stay in Atlanta.

I slept well last night even though I was deadly afraid of being attacked by bed bugs. I wished I had taken a picture of the hotel so you would understand why I was concerned.

I feel well rested and so far traveling today has been uneventful. I did take the time to yell at the customer service representative of the airline for not informing me yesterday about my flight cancellation before I got to the airport.

Anyway, unless there are nasty surprises coming my way (knock-on-wood) I should be home by early evening.

Risk of Bed Bugs in Orlando

So last night was the Company's big award ceremony for the sales force; it was done Hollywood style (literally). It featured celebrity impersonators and even Oscar style acceptance speeches. The evening culminated with a party with a big band, martini and margarita stations and great food. Of course since it is not my style to dance and because I did not know that many people among the 1300 there, I spent the evening observing others get crazy on the dance floor. So even though this trip has been very interesting, I am ready to go home.

So I changed my flight and canceled the remaining two days on my hotel, left for the airport but luck was not on my side. There is a Nor'easter storm heading to New England and on a preemptive strike Delta has cancelled all its flights to the area (even though the storm is not expected until after midnight). They of course failed to send me a notification so I canceled my stay at a clean and comfortable hotel and I am now spending one night at a bed bug ridden airport hotel.

I missed a day of running today and miss another day tomorrow. Well I have to take advantage of the opportunities to run when they present themselves. Hopefully I'll get back on track on Tuesday.

Six or Seven in Orlando

I went for a run during my second day in Orlando, Florida attending the National Sales Meeting of the Company I work for. It is one crazy event. We have had videos of major sales executives of the Company a la NBC's "The Office"; an Aretha Franklin impersonator singing a variation of the song "Think" to the Company's name, and our CEO dressed as Snow White (we are near the Magic Kingdom after all).

But back to the run; it was hell. I've got a lot of work to do before I'm ready to run a marathon. One step at a time I suppose. I think I ran about Six Miles or maybe it was Seven. It is hard to tell. It was rather warm and humid at least compared to what I am used to this time of the year (forgot to mention I live in NYC) and I think I blacked out at some point half way during the run. It happens. I ran a one mile loop at the hotel grounds near the golf course. Almost got hit by a golf ball but at least was not eaten by any gators (are there any in Orlando).

Thirty Thousand Seven Hundred Forty One

Thirty Thousand Seven Hundred Forty One is the approximate number of strides (4.5 feet per stride) it would take me to run a marathon. Measured in conventional units the marathon is a Twenty Six Mile, One Thousand Fifty Six Feet race. I have run two in my life. The first was the 1997 New York City Marathon and my second was the inaugural San Diego Rock'n Roll Marathon in 1998.

Between the decade of my last marathon and today many things have happened in my life. Some highlights include: applying, going and graduating from law school, changing jobs, getting married and having children. For most of that decade I kept running. I even tried unsuccesfully to register to run the New York City Marathon at least two times since my first run. The last three years have been different. For whatever many excuses I can come up with, my running decreased to zero, which made me extremely unhappy.

No more excuses. I am taking control. That is why I am running again and why itend to run the 2008 New York City Marathon not just for me but by running for a charity, to improve the lives of others.