Training Log

Today's workout was a speed day. The temp was about 84 and sunny with a decent breeze blowing. Liz and I set out for the track with the kids in the stroller. We got about half way there when I realized that I did not have my watch on...essential for timing splits on the track. So I ran back home and got the watch. The end result was a 1.5 mile warm-up run before the Pyramid Workout on the track started. My workout was 200-400-600-800-600-400-200 meters with a cool down between each distance. Liz did a few laps around the track with the girls while I ran before she headed off to the park where I'd meet up with them a bit later.

Here are the results:

200- 34.9 seconds
400- 88 seconds
500- 2:15
800- 3:45
600- 2:43
400- 96 seconds
200- 36.8 seconds

After 5 minutes of stretching I ran 1 mile back to the park to meet up with the girls. Anneliese played on the swing and slide for a few more minutes before we headed home. Liz ran the rest of the way home while I walked with the girls in their double stroller.

Photos of the week

blowin' bubbles



get on the bus



smilin sisters



Lucy hidin' out from Big Weez



@ Monument Circle



Enjoy!

The Girls...

Pictures to come. Tech issues tonight with uploading the pictures.

Race Report: Fishers Freedom Festival 5K, June 23, 2007

For the third consecutive year I raced in the Fishers Freedom Festival 5K race. This year was to be slightly different from the previous two years as I was planning on pushing Anneliese in her BabyJogger since this is a stroller friendly race (and there ain't many of those). For weeks we have talked about our strategy and built up excitement for the race. First we planned on me pushing, Anneliese riding. Then she decided she should push and I should ride. Finally, we decided to go with the original plan of me pushing and Anneliese riding.

Race day rolledaround on Saturday. I woke up to find that it had rained in the night. Oh, and it was still raining. It would not be Anneliese's day for a race. I slipped out without waking her to get to the race. I will run in the rain but I did not want Anneliese to have to endure it.

The weather was cooler than previous years. It was 62, off and on rain, humid. The race has grown from about 300 people the first year that I ran to 500 to 700 this year. The winner crossed the finish line in 15 minutes flat. That is a blistering 4:52 per mile pace. I was right behind him in a equally awe inspiring 26:34. Not my personal best, not even my best on the Freedom Fest course but a good workout anyway.

Anneliese was a little upset about missing the race. I wish she could have been there. Just gives me an excuse to sign us up for another race :)

Over the Hudson....

Hello, hello, hello. Back from my trip to the NYC area complete with a night in Atlanta (well more like 5 hours) on the airline's tab. If you are ever stuck in Atlanta and need a hotel room, go with the Hyatt Place Hotel. It is clean, nice and within a 5 minute ride on their shuttle. The staff made it more comfortable for the 15 or so of us that checked in at midnight last night by smiling and moving through the line quickly.

NYC

As always, NYC was a pleasure. I likes the big city, I likes it a lot. Here are a few shots I have taken over my last several trips there. Included are some pictures from the Mets/Twins game we went to on Tuesday night at Shea Stadium.

Empire State Building


Lady Liberty (taken from a ferry in spring '05)


Lower Manhattan


Corporate HQ for the Company I work for


Shea #1, Paul Lo Duca at the plate


Shea #2, Johan Santana completes his motion to the plate


Ready to Roll!

Anneliese and I will be racing in about 36 hours! I was bad, bad, bad this week and did not get a single workout in. I think we'll take the race a little easier than I originally planned, but who knows? Maybe I will come back a little stronger from the extra rest! Here is Anneliese showing off her ride, I'll be pushing her in the BabyJogger this Saturday:



And we have added a double stroller to the rotation. (Sadly we got excited about ordering this stroller, I mean it, real excitement, we don't get out much)



Race Across America Update

Both NF Cycle teams finished the journey from Oceanside, CA to Atlantic City, NJ. Congrats to all riders for an amazing accomplishment. Hats off to you. The Soldiers made it across in 7 days and about 15 hours while the Angels rode for 8 days and 14 hours. Keep in mind that means someone from each team was riding at all times during that period. I'll see if I can wrangle some pictures.

This is a running blog...

So I will mention that the USATF Outdoor track championships are here in Indy this week. I am hoping to get downtown to see the 200 meter finals if nothing else. There are some solid competitors going for the win in that distance: Tyson Gay, Dix, Spearmon, Wariner, and Carter. From the USATF website:

FAST FACTS

World record: 19.32, Michael Johnson, 1996

American record: 19.32, Michael Johnson, 1996

Meet record: 19.66, Michael Johnson, 1996

Time schedule: 1st round 4:30 p.m., Saturday; semifinals noon Sunday; final 2:20 p.m. Sunday

Should be a great race. I'll run a 200m tomorrow and post the time. Don't expect any threat to Michael's records :)

Greetings from Pittsburgh International!

DELAY/DELAY/DELAY

I am sitting in councourse A at Pittsburgh's International Airport. My connection to Newark, NJ was supposed to leave at 4:00 PM. There was a delay until 5:50 posted when I stepped off my flight from Indy. Then 6:05 and now 6:39. If things stay on track now then I will get in to Newark at around 8:15. Tempers are flaring! Not mine, but I have overheard some people blowing up at the Gate Agents because they were bumped for people with higher frequent flier standing. Curse words were flying even though the planes apparently are not. A gate agent talking to another customer said that all of the flights out of Pittsburgh today are oversold more than usual. Cha-ching for the airlines and the restaurants and stores in the airport mall. For us lowly passengers it is just sit-and-wait time.

Lesson for the air traveler: don't blow up at the gate agent, he or she is not the target of your anger!



Airport workout

I have made use of my 3 hours of unplanned idle time to do some work email, laps around the concourse, and update this blog. I will not make it in time for dinner with my colleagues tonight but maybe in time for a drink.

As promised...here are the girls

and




Just cause I think the technology is cool, here is a bird's eye view of our house courtesy of Google Earth(in the middle of the screen) taken soemtime before I built our deck in July '05.



Race updates...Anneliese and I are a week and a half out from our race. I have a run scheduled for this weekend and will try to get a picture of us in action. Our NF friends in the RAAM have completed 488.9 miles (Shannon's Soldiers) and 389.9 miles (Ari's Angels). Speeds are between 14 and 18 MPH!