 Greetings Central New Yorkers. I am finally
situated in Birmingham , Alabama such that I can at last begin
updates. The beginnings of my taper began yesterday, so my training
will take less hold of me day after day for some email time.
I arrived in Birmingham by car. What was only a 16-hour drive took nearly 4
days as I literally followed a run-eat-drive-run-eat-sleep-run-eat-drive schedule
the entire way. I ran in obscure looking towns the entire way from Ohio , Kentucky
and Tennessee . Incredibly, I completed a 170-mile week on the road. (Yes,
I know many of you have heard...I had quite a 6-week stretch.
Don't worry. I handled it fine). I spent one night in my car, then I did the
Days Inn thing from there. Ironically all the nights I spent in the Motels
were the warmest nights, but at least I had a chance to get in showers and
get the stubble off of my face. The only company during the entire trip came
from four dogs, each of whom decided to take a break from each of their respective
front yards to join me on my out and back runs. Over hill and dale they followed
me for miles and miles with wagging tails before I returned them to their homes.
After all, I was out to play with them. Why else was I out there running past
their front yards?
When I got to Tennessee I read that it was 71
degrees in Birmingham . Not that it was particularly cold where
I was, but I would've liked to enjoy that. I can definitely say
that this was the fastest driving I did during the trip, but
I still missed it. Then it got pretty cold.
Well...for Alabama (the weather here is like
a continuous "October" in CNY this time of year).
I am staying now in Mountain Brook, which is a thick web of rolling, steep,
hilly neighborhood roads on the South side in the home of one of race director,
Valerie McLean's friends'. As yet, I am the only runner here. Although 'The
Athlete Formerly Known As Todd Reeser' (now Todd "Meyer"), an incredibly
self-driven 2:15 marathoner from Rochester , NY . Clint Verran and the Hanson
Team qualifiers arrive on Wednesday. All have the option of staying in community
volunteer homes or motels.
Valerie hooked us up well. We get a weekly stipend
of $250 per week while here, and pretty much just train. Once
per week, we get complimentary weekly massage from a clinic (Tammy,
wish you were here. They are KILLING me! Pressure factor is like
a "10") not too far from Valerie's store (she owns
and operates a running store called the 'Track Shack') and very
favorably for me, we have use of an Olympic Training facility
that opened only another two miles down the road. It includes
a 200m indoor track and Olympic weight room facility. I have
been using that at night including my evening run. Many of the
staff have been eager to share with me some of the major running
sites around the city, but I have found the rolling hills of
Mountain Brook to be a tremendous training layout. This has been
an added benefit that has proved so far to be an excellent compliment
alongside my track workouts. My lungs are getting a better workload
without tearing up my body any because it keeps the pace honest.
On the track, as in Albuquerque (where I spent a month training
out of my agent's training camp prior to Christmas), I have shown
remarkable improvement. Never before have I felt as quick as
I've been
feeling. This has been going on for months now. Even Valerie and her staff
who have not seen me in a year had remarked that I look so much leaner than
last year. Trials of Miles.....
The track I use is Mountain Brook High Schools.
It's a 1.6-mile hell-jog from the house I'm staying. I say "hell-jog" because
there is no way to dodge that the entire 1.6 miles is a further
up the mountainside. By the time I reach the track I'm almost
relieved "oh, good....(gasp!)I only have to run 8 x 1 mile
on the flat track and then I can run downhill back home!" I
can't figure out which is worse.
My diet still stinks, but my host, Peggy, is trying to clean it up, as she
is quite the health nut and a good cook. Still, I've scoped out the nearest
Subways and a good Chinese Buffet for post long runs.
Next I'll give you all a briefing of my time
in Albuquerque and some training figures that don't make me miss
my old training log very much anymore (got stolen out of my car
about three days after I got home from Paris when someone lifted
my shoulder bag). My lowest weekly mileage total in the past
twenty weeks was 110. I had a high of 172 which I hit about three
times (two between 5500 and 6500ft altitude while in Albuquerque
). In all I averaged a little short of 138 miles for the entire
20 week stretch. It almost mirrored exactly the format I did
before each of my past two marathons with lots of racing in the
first stage, increased frequency and intensity of track work
while abandoning the racing, followed by tremendous increased
volume and loosened frequency of track work. For some reason
this format has worked. I feel race hungry, marathon strong,
and even fresher for the event this way as long as I taper very
well and sharply. Yet underneath, I still feel the lingering
speed from the first stage that serves me well on the long runs
during the mileage buildup. It sure has been showing up of late!
For those of you who don't know. I have a new
cat, named "Deek" (short for "DeCastella".
Rob DeCastella is my all-time marathon idol). Evidently, after
the Stockadeathon 15k in Schenectady a couple months ago I was
approaching my car after the awards ceremony to find a woman
who was willing to wait for the owner to arrive in the chilling
cold (It was FREEZING that day...I know... it's all relative.
Remember: "There is no such thing as cold weather, just
bad location"). Anyhow, she had explained that a cat had
climbed up into my engine underneath the car probably to find
some warmth. Expecting a stubborn, nasty-looking stray cat, and
freezing myself, I set about to get the problem fixed and popped
my hood. Therein looking up at me and shivering was the most
perfect replica of my former gray tiger cat of my youth in tiny
kitten stage with its little eyes and mouth mewing at me. Naturally
the women who had gathered around to see it let out a group "aaAAWww!".....15
minutes later, Deek was sitting curiously in my passenger seat
with the heat bellowing from the heat vent blowing at it's furry
face all the way back to Cicero....It looked like it was smiling.
He had found a sucker.
I miss my cat, which quickly became what my parents call a "lap cat" preferring
the Collins family's tummies as the ideal bed. It followed me room to room
while I was home for Christmas and I hear from it's caretakers (my brother
and his girlfriend) that he is doing well. We'll see how well when he gets
neutered next week! I'll let him keep his claws though. He's a good kitty.
More soon. I've got a library card now.
- Kevin |
The first Central New York Race Directors meeting held last
Tuesday attracted 35 people on a cold winter night.
The 37th annual Hartshorne Memorial Masters
Mile will be held this Saturday at 
The 
