Yeah, They Come To Snuff The Rooster.

I read somewhere that if you can run 16 miles that there is an outside chance that a person from the opposite sex may kiss your cheek up to three times during your run. Well, I came close. Two dogs jumped at me. I think one of them was a pit bull.

I had a great tempo run tonight. I ran through Forest Park, at precisely the same time, exactly 1 week later after the "1-sided boxing" event of last week. It was raining ovah heah! (please say it loud like someone selling beer at a stadium). So nobody was around. The lights in the park didn't come on right away, and it was pretty dark. I was doing my tempo run, and feeling so good, I barely noticed (except for maybe that pit bull..).

This was my first run in the rain in a long time. It's good to run in different weather because you never know what your race conditions will be like. When I told this to my girlfriend earlier today, she said, "Good Alex. Perhaps if you get lucky, you'll be able to run during an Earthquake sometime."

Actually that would be exciting! I can picture it now. I am running up a hill, right? And suddenly, an earthquake in New York City (which happens EVERY day ovah heah) destroys the hill ahead of me, flattening it completely. Voila! No more hill! Yes, this is a great idea. Perhaps, I can learn to jump ovah da cracks too.

Victory Oval was wet, but I was motorin'! The first mile I did it in 10 minutes, yet I averaged 8:30 overall. The batteries in my foot pod went dead (Reader to Self: What the fuck is a foot pod?), but no matter, I'm so used to this trail, I know exactly where the markers are. The last four miles were all done in less than 8 minutes per mile, including the mile that was mostly on the track in which I actually did less than 7:30!

Mississippi, a gal over at the Running Ahead website who claims she has 4 evil children, had asked me what I was planning to wear. Somebody mentioned that the lack of clothing on a wet day, can actually improve performance. I basically streaked the whole time, with a fig leaf around my waist..... Wait a second! That was no fig leaf.......Poison........Ivy?

Okay fantasy time ovah. I actually wore a NYC Marathon tank (slightly obsessed over this race, aren't I) and red nike shorts.

I think I grunted the last quarter-mile home. That might have scared some of the passersby on Austin Street. But none as sweet, as when I was running through a rural part of Forest Park near the golf course. I was so happy with the quality of my sweaty soaking workout, that I let my vocal chords carry me punk ass through....First the karaoke...and then I was yelling for those other punks from last weeks. "Where are you now, cowards?! Afraid of a little rain?!" I shouted into the dark Forest Park night. Out of the corner of my eye I think I saw the woman with the pit bull running away after that . By the time I was existing the park, it was pitch black, I was sprinting hard and singing 'Rooster' by Alice In Chains all the way home.

"Ain't found a way to kill me yet
Eyes burn with stinging sweat...
Yeah they come to snuff the rooster, ah yeah
Yeah here come the rooster, yeah
You know he ain't gonna die
No, no, you know he ain't gonna die "

NYC Marathon Training: Week 2 Summary / Week 3 Schedule

Week Two Completed

Mileage:
Scheduled: 25 miles
Actual: 27.4 miles

Weight:
High: 162.4
Low: 156.8

Sleep:
Scheduled: 56 hours
Actual: 54 hours

Unlike last week, this week was eventful. Many new runs, especially the World Trade Center run, caused stress and distraction from the overall goal. Weight-wise, I was all over the map this week. I weighed in at 157.6 this morning, the lowest of any day this week, but I've also been really slashing the calories. I joined the "Jiggly Joggers" group on RunningAhead.Com and
I also signed up for 6 months on http://www.my-calorie-counter.com/ to keep a close eye on my future meals. I did hill work, I did a long run, and I ran in the rain. All good stuff.

Perhaps the most encouraging sign of all was that despite all the struggles, not one of them dealt with my previous injuries. I wanted to run an extra 10 miles here and there, but I refrained, and am glad that I did.

Here's a look ahead for the coming week:

Week 3 Schedule:

NYC Marathon Training: Week 1 Summary / Week 2 Schedule

Week One Completed

Mileage:
Scheduled: 22.0 miles
Actual: 23.0 miles

Weight:
High: 161.8
Low: 159.2

Summary:
Despite the massive rain storm, I was able to get all my runs in and on the right dates. Sleep wise, I did okay too. 53 hours out of the 56 required. I stretched after all but 1 of my runs, and I made sure to watch my speed/effort during the runs. I made good improvements all the way around except for my weight. I had wanted to lose more than a couple of pounds, but it was a stressful week, and usually stress=eating for me. However, it was an uneventful week running-wise, and that's exactly what my goal is.....To Make Progress Without Making Waves...

Here's a look ahead for the coming week:

Week 2 Schedule:

It will be very interesting to see how I do. I've created 4 new routes, which will all be tested. Since running by yourself can be quite boring, I want to make sure that I have plenty

of different routes to make sure I at least have some new scenery to look at. Of course, I won't want to look at anything but a treadmill, when real bad weather hits (like it did last Thursday) and for that there is always the gym.

So, with 4 new routes, there will undoubtedly be at least 5 new blogs entries this week too. I'll be posting here with the latest blow-by-blow account.

On the racing newsfront, the heat is turning up (literally) for the 2nd ever New York City Half Marathon, which starts of in Central Park, but then makes it's way through Times Square, Chelsea, Greenwich Village, before finally finishing in Battery Park. No other race in New York goes through all these areas, and, I just learned something else.....Shelby Siegel is a confirmed entrant in that race.

Unfortunately, our paths (Shelby and I) have taken off in two different directions since May. I became injured and have decided to take the very conservative approach (at least for now) of not re-injuring myself, while Shebly has been destroying race courses left and right.

In fact, in her last three races, she not only has posted PR times, but she even trophied in one of them. I have to really tip my cap off to her, it seems that she has found the winning formula. Shelby, if you by chance happen to ever stumble across this article of mine, would you be willing to give 42-year old native New Yorker a hand and let me know your secret (or, lol, your coaches' name.)? Shelby happens to belong to The New York Harriers, and I'm beginning to think they are a very supportive track club. Unfortunately, they are based out of Manhattan, so it would probably be impractical to join from Queens.