Try Something New

May 31st: 5:10am wakeup. Out of bed at 5:15ish. Bagel with cream cheese for breakfast. I had time to eat it on the couch. Today was my Friday because I have tomorrow off from work. Flying out of Albany at 9:10am tomorrow morning. Work 6am-3pm. Lunch consisted of double decker PB&J, Go Lean Crisp, two homemade brownies, and Nature Valley Barn. Bought a strawberry banana smoothie before heading back up to the desks. Mmmm. A meeting at the end of the day with the new management group, AMTS.

Home by 3:45ish. Immediately hopped on the Wii to play Zelda. Goupil home at 5pm. I kept on playing videogames. Goupil eventually came out to the living room after I was done playing. He turned on the Xbox to begin playing his game. I guess we weren't in a rush to run. Cool with me.

Out the door at 6:15pm. 9+ miles (63:24). Solid run. Pooped at 4+ miles. Ferns all around me. Woohoo! Good run. Legs felt good. Smooth the whole way. Sort of an adventure run. Not any loop that we have done before. Parts of it were the same, but a nice change of scenary.

Decided that I was gonna try a sweet potato and banana quesadilla. No cheese. Just cooked sweet potato and sauteed bananas. Pretty interesting combo. It was good. Some cinnamon, brown sugar, or something else would of helped. I will have to figure it out for the future. Watched Big Bang Theory for an episode or two. Showered up and bed by 10ish.

Easy Day All Around

May 30th: 5:15am wakeup. Out of bed to make a double decker PB&J. Didn't fit in the sandwich bag (didn't feel like washing the tupperware) so I used the small snack bag as a top to the sandwich bag. Worked like a charm. Bagel with cream cheese for the car ride. Work 6am-2:30pm. Nothing special. Home by 3pm. Decided to hook up the Nintendo Wii and play my Zelda game for the first time (I received it as a gift for Christmas). Played for a couple hours. Talked with my mom and sister, Katie, for a while. Goupil home at 5:10pm.

Headed down to Albany for the workout. I just headed down to do an easy run before the half marathon this weekend in Kansas City, Missouri (Hospital Hill Half). 8.5+ miles (65:12) with 5x200 in 34-35. 10 on the day. Ran through the trails in Albany with Treadway and Josh (two teammates that are going to the 1/2 marathon this weekend). Good run.

TCBY (The Country's Best Yogurt for people just tuning in) for Mountain Blackberry with kiwi and blackberries. One brownie bite. A handful of chocolate chips. Home by 8:15pm. Sat in front of the tv for a bit before showering and heading to bed at a decent hour. I did have a homemade brownie (from my mom, extra fudgy, extra delicious) and a protein shake before bed. No real dinner. Oops.

T-Storms

May 29th: 5am wakeup. 5:20am out of bed. PB&J and a Nature Valley bar for lunch. Everything bagel with veggie cream cheese for breakfast. Work 6am-2:30pm. Easy day at work. Humid outside. Walked out to the parking lot and immediately started to sweat. Forecast mentioned some thunderstorms from 4pm-5pm. Co-workers mentioned some hail and high winds.

Back to the apartment by 3pm. A couple passing showers on the way home. Sat around and surfed the net. Goupil home around 5pm. We opened the blinds to witness the terror that was happening outside. Downpouring and an extremely dark sky. Our plan was to run with Derrick at 5:30pm. We were gonna wait that out until it let up.

Didn't end up running until 6:45pm. Still in the rain, but no thunder or lightning. 8.5 mile (60:50) loop reverse to mix it up. Almost didn't make it back to the apartment to use the bathroom. The last mile was focused on being extremely relaxed, silent and thinking about anything other than pooping.

I made it. Phew! Stretched, foam rolled, and made a burger for dinner. Simple one tonight. Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, Texas Pete hot sauce and Vermont cheddar cheese. Still hunger after it disappeared in about 3 minutes. Bowl of Frosted Flakes right after. Iced the calves while watching Big Bang Theory and bed early.

Memorial Day Mile in Glens Falls

May 28th: Woke up a couple times before the alarm went off at 7:10am. Once it was time to get up, I didn't feel like it. Goupil knocked on my door at 7:35am. Out of bed to change up for the race and eat a bowl of Frosted Flakes in front of the television. Out the door right after 8am.

At the race venue by 8:45am with a 9:40am start. More than enough time. Picked up our numbers and shirts at The Bullpen Tavern. Warmup at 9am. 2.5+ (20:10). I was trying to find a bathroom the whole time until we got back on Glen Street (where the race starts) and popped into Stewart's to use their bathroom. Other people had the same idea, but not too long of a line. A mom and her two boys all had to go to bathroom before me (at the same time). Deep breathes and trying not to think about it. Made it in there and emptied myself out. I don't know what I would of done if I couldn't find a bathroom before the race. There were no port-o-john's and I wasn't gonna be abe to hold it for a hard mile. Back to change into my Katana Racer's and jersey. I rocked my orange Adidas half tights for the warmup and race to keep my IT bands, quads and hamstrings intact from the beating they took at the mountain race.

I was confused on why so many people were lining up for this lowkey 1 mile race. I then realized the huge banner stating that the Memorial Day Parade starts at 10am. Ohhhhhhhh! I get it now. They aren't hear to watch a bunch of crazy people sprint down the road. Some strides and stretching at the starting line. Ready for a mile at the beginning of the summer as I will ever be especially after a mountain race.

9:40am start. Out in classic fashion. Probably opened up in a 30 second 200. Settled in. Let Justin Wood and Chuck Terry take the lead. Let them get too much distance on me and some high schooler got in front of me. Justin Wood has 4:11 speed and just recently ran 3:57 in the 1500 so I wasn't expecting to beat him on this day at this distance. We came through the first mark. 2:12 through the 1/2 mile. Not bad. Continued to race and cruised past the high schooler at about 3/4 of a mile. 3:18. Chuck and Justin were too far ahead. Held onto 3rd for a 4:28 mile. It took me a 1/2 mile to get into a groove and didn't close hard. I can't complain. Jogged back to the start after changing into trainers. 3.5 mile (25:xx) cooldown with Goupil. Ending at the start, we heard that top 3 got some gear. We (Goupil, Justin and I) jogged back down through the parade and hurdling bushes/brick walls (Goupil avoided this) to the finish and grabbed our gear. The race director said 1-2 seconds was added to everyone's time. So I think I might of run 4:27, but I'll take 4:28. Goal was sub 4:30 and I easily did that. Somehow.

Panera and 16 Handles (Frozen Yogurt) in Clifton Park with some team members and coach. Smokehouse Turkey 3 cheese panini with a cinnamon roll for pre-dessert. At 16 Handles, I went with all the fruity flavors (Pomengranete Raspberry, Blackberry, Banana and some others) with kiwi and raspberries.

Back to the apartment by 1:45pm. Napped from 2-5:20pm in fashion. Sprawled out on the couch with my head on the arm cushion and curled up in the fetal position. Ended up waking up with my head on the seat cushion and my feet on the back cushion draped over the top of the couch. Goupil was getting a little annoyed when I started invading his side of the couch. I couldn't help it. I was exhausted from the weekend.

Shakeout 4 miles (30:07) with Goupil at 6:15pm. 12 miles on the day with one quicker mile. Back to foam roll like crazy and ice the hamstrings. No appetite from the heat so I finally ate an everything bagel with veggie at 9:30pm. Bed by 10:30pm.

Vermont City Marathon Spectator

May 27th: 6am wakeup. Headed downstairs to find the contintental breakfast. Nothing of that sort. Back to the hotel room to change into running friendly spectator clothes. Green Nike shorts to suppport the marathon and the state of Vermont. Almond Brownie Balance Bar for breakfast. Goupil and I trotted down to the starting line from the hotel. 2.5+ miles (20:20).

Got a spot right next to the starting line to find to say good luck to Josh Ferenc, Justin Fyffe, and Greg Hammet. Gun went off at 8am. Downhill start. We jogged through the backroads to try to get to mile 3 to watch the leaders. Missed them, but they were looping back through Church Street at mile 9.5 or so. We watched the crowds come through. Cheered for Hammet's wife, Jen, as she passed.

Leaders through with Matty P (Matt Pelletier, 2008 Olympic Trials qualifier for the marathon, BAMF with his tattoos and ballerness) in the front and a Kenyan right on him. Watched Ferenc and Hammet come through the spot. All looking smooth. Scooted down to mile 15+ at the top of Battery Street. Matty P put about a minute on the Kenyan in 5 miles. Ferenc made up ground on the guys in front of him. One of the Kenyans dropped at 10. Fyffe not looking too hot, but putting it out there like the animal he is. Ferenc and Hammet looking good. Trotted down to mile 14 to see our ARE teammates. Posted up along the bike path on the railing. Cheered on the crowds of people coming through in nonstop. Saw a guy I met at the Lenox 5k I run a couple weeks ago. Saw Paige Mills and her sister. Saw Jen Hammet. We realized that we were in a great spot because it was a quiet stretch of pavement without much cheering. We jumped through a opening in the fence. I went first and sacrificed my face to a spider web. Ahhh! I did not scream like a girl. Okay, maybe a little. Jogged up to the finish. Watched Matty P finish 1st in 2:21:30. Ferenc finished 4th overall in sub 2:32. Watched the rest come in. Cheered on Jen as she broke 4 hours. Great day for racing and turned out to be a beautiful day. Hung out at the tent for a bit before running back to the hotel with Goupil. 2.5+ miles (21+).

Showered up. Brought our bags down to the car. Decided on getting food right there in Burlington. Stopped at a sports pub for a double hot dog sandwich with meat sauce and onions. Side of sweet tater fries. On the road by 3pm. I made most of the drive with flying colors until the last hour. I was doing everything I could to stay awake by eating everything I had left. Lara Bar, Powerbar energy bites, and a root beer. I veered off the scenic backroad highways of Vermont and Goupil was like we are going off the road. We switched for the last 1+ hour of the drive. Back to NY by 5:45pm.

An actual consistent easy run at 6:15pm. 8.5 miles (63:02). Hot, but felt good to get out there after a long day of running and stopping. I will call in 16 on the day and 76 for the week. Happy with the week. Great workout, tough mountain race, and spectated an amazing marathon venue.

Didn't have much of an appettite so I went with a plain tortilla, a cosmic brownie, and a ginger ale for dinner. Not so much a dinner of champions. Oh well. Street mile in Glens Falls, NY. Fueling right.

Wachusett Mountain Race Report + Burlington, VT

May 26th: 6:45am wakeup. Stayed in bed until 7:05am. Made oatmeal with brown sugar and maple syrup for Goupil and I (yes for the both of us). Banana on the side. Changed up. Bathroom for #2 before leaving at 7:50ish.

At Wachusett Ski Area at 8:20am. Met my mom to pick up my mountain racing shoes (Inov8 Talon 212, used almost exactly one year ago at the Northfield Mountain Race on May 21) and a pair of Streak 4's. Registered for the race. Back to the Subie to get ready for a warmup with Sam Wood and Goupil. Talked for a bit. The rest of the gang (Jim Johnson, Tim Van Orden, Dave Dunham and others). Warmed up with those guys at 8:45am. 3+ miles (23:14). Back to the car to stripe down to just shorts and shoes. Vasoline to avoid chaffage between the thighs and armpits. Jogged down to the line at 9:15ish. Some strides and chat about the course with everyone. Decided I had to empty myself. Stepped into the woods and make a quick pit stop. Wiped with some leaves. Good to go.

Race off at 9:30am. Up the auto road for a mile or so. DoubleJ got the townline in the first 800 meters. Turned on single track for a bit. Let Newbold annd DoubleJ get away from me and put another guy between me. One we were in the single track, I was losing ground. I decided to pass in the trail. Made the honest mistake of not saying anything and just sprint by the guy when the trail got a little bit wider. Bumped into his shoulder and just didn't look back. Out onto a wider ski trail where I could make up a little ground. Once we hit the single track climb of 10-12 minutes, it was game over. The lack of hills and the technical trail left me crawling up to the top. Didn't stop, but the quads were screaming. Onto pavement and the begin of the descent. Sitting in 3rd, I knew I could make up some ground on the downhill. Water cup taken to throw on me and rinse the mouth. After that, I started hauling ass. Cruised down and passed DoubleJ at 25:45 (he yelled it out to me as I passed, what a guy). I knew it was roughly a 30 minute race. So I didn't have much time. I had Newbold in my sights, but I didn't catch him before the final single track before the finish. This single track was the scariest thing I have ever done in my life. No thought process was going on as I was literally leaping from boulder to boulder and flying down the last 1/2 mile. Popped us out to about 20-30 meters from the finish. Not enough time. 2nd overall. 29:04. It's all good.

Humid out. Shorts were drenched. 4 mile (29:54) with Sam Wood and Goupil. Back for awards. Sweatshirt for my 1st in my age division. Grocery shopping at the refreshments table. Sodas and cosmic brownies. Out of there to drive to Kimball's. Tucker rode with Goupil and I in the Subie Outback. Laid on Goupil's lap and was out the whole ride. BBQ chicken sandwich with a couple watermelon slices. No ice cream. Back to my sister's house for a shower and on the road by 2:45pm for Burlington, VT.

The ride was relaxing. Beautiful, scenic roads all the way up. No traffic and made great time. Hotel right off the exit with the ARE team. Goupil and I did a 3+ mile (23:03) cooldown to make it 15 miles on the day. Showered up and out to the downtown Burlington area to met up with the team for dinner. Didn't exactly line up like wanted to, but it ended up going smooth in our own way.

Goupil and I took a walk along the water watching the sunset to find the team at the finish line of the marathon. No good, already left. We had a nice romantic walk though. Just kidding. Tried to find the restaurant they were planning on going to for dinner. We found it, but it was a whole another story to find a parking spot in downtown Burlington. We did witness a very elderly man with a cane yell "You're the scumbag!" to a guy on a tandum bike decked out in hippy clothes with a sign stating "Burlington Police are scumbags." Very comical. The team ended up hitting up another restaurant in South Burlington. So we found parking and hit up a pizza place. On our way, I crossed paths completely rarndomly with Kimber's cousin Peter. I then told Goupil how its so weird when you run into people in the most random places and how its all based on perfect timing. As I finish saying that, I spotted Paige Mills (Keene State student) with her boyfriend and sister. Ended up eating dinner with them. Mushroom, onion, Canandian bacon large pizza split with Goupil. Long Trail Ale. Finished the pizza off. 4 slices each.

Back to the hotel. Hung out in the lobby with the team for a bit. Bed by 11pm.

Early Morning Run

May 25th: 4:15am wakeup. Out of bed at 4:30am. Hitting pavement at 4:40am for a 3 mile (23:24) morning run. Still dark out. Back to shower. Make breakfast. Lunch already made. Bowl of cereal and a bagel with veggie cream cheese. Work 6am-2:30pm.

Back to the apartment to wash dishes, pack up for the weekend, and clean up a bit. Goupil home at 4:20ish. Left the apartment to make our way to my sister Sarah's place of residence in Leominster, Massachusetts. No traffic along the way and I had change for the toll booths this time. Bam! No 20 dollar bills here. Made it to Sarah's in great time, 2.5 hours.

7:15pm arrival. Bob (Sarah's boyfriend) and Tucker (the new addition to the household) came out and greeted us. Tucker is a 3 month old golden retriever mix (possibly/most likely with hound). Adorable. Sarah got there around 7:45pm from work. Played with Tucker, blasted the beats (played music for you older folk out there reading), made dinner (grilled chicken over some pasta with sauce, cucumber salad) and bed at a decent hour. Goupil and I took Tucker for a walk before winding down for the night to question our platonic relationship we have even more. Plus we shared the guest room bed as shown below. Yep, head to toe.

Wachusett Mountain Race in the morning. Should be a fun one. Losing my mountain race virginity.

Wheelin and Dealin

May 24th: 5am wakeup. Out of bed at 5:15am. Made some pasta while I made breakfast. Bowl of cereal and a bagel with veggie cream cheese for the ride. Work 6am-2:30pm. Quick day at work. Porkchop and pasta for the third and final time. I love leftovers so it doesn't bother me.

Immediately began researching oil changes in the Clifton Park area over the phone while still in the parking lot. It was between Jiffy Lube and Valvoline. I obviously called both places to get the prices. $40 at Jiffy Lube compared to $34 at Vavoline. Jiffy Lube was a bit more enthusiastic over the phone and I found a $5 dollar coupon off an oil change. So I decided on Jiffy Lube. Dropped the car off and waited about 20-25 minutes in the waiting room. All done. I step up to the plate to pay for my bill and show the $5 coupon on my phone. The girl told me there is a $10 coupon out there and she entered that one. Ca-chang! Ended up being $32.xx after tax. Not bad. Off to Da Choppa to pick up snacks for the weekend. I ended up with a Almond Fudge Balance Bar, a Peanut Butter Cookie Lara Bar, two things of Raspberry Powerbar energy chews, a Maple Nut Clif Bar, a Twix Bar and a packet of peanut M&Ms (the last two were at the cash register, I couldn't give up the 2/$1 deal).

Back to the apartment by 4:15ish. Relaxed. Goupil home at 4:40 or so. We weren't in any rush to get out the door so Goupil played video games while I talked to Kimber and my sister Sarah on the phone. Ending up Facetiming with my sister and see her new wittle puppers, Tucker. Finally got ready for a run at 5:45ish and headed out at 6:15ish (Yeah I know alot of -ishes). Ending up with a very slow and relaxed 11++ miles (86:02). Legs were junk after the workout, but that's not a bad thing.

Back to stretch and foam roll at 7:40pm.  Immediately started to make my dinner/lunch for the next day. Burger with cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, fresh tomato, and ketchup all wrapped up in a tortilla. Back into the kitchen to cook lunch (ate the burger in less than 5 minutes). Chicken marinated in hot sauce, some of the best chicken rub (that's what it says on the container), chili powder, and cayenne powder. Steamed broccoli. Sautéed avocado and tomato. No pasta. Just veggies and meat. Showered. Gathered my things for bed. Sticked the legs. Iced the calves. Asleep by 9:30pm. Early morning run is the plan.

Smooth Like A Baby's Bottom

May 23rd: 5am wakeup. Another morning that was tough to get going. 5:15am out of bed. Rushed around to get everything ready. Lunch was leftovers so that wasn't time consuming. The cereal eating and bagel preparing were a bit hectic. Made it work by 6am. Work 6am-2:45pm. Pretty easy. Walked down a couple tools. Tool sign-off in the mid-morning to break up the day. Porkchop with pasta. Clif Bar, yogurt and banana. Gatorade to wash it all down.

Home by 3pm. Just chilled out. Watched television. Goupil was home around 4:30pm. I accidently fell asleep on the couch until 5. Goupil woke me up ready to head down to Albany for the workout. I jumped up and changed quickly. On the road at 5:15pm for the 20 minute drive down to UAlbany. Pre-warmup before the team warmup at 5:40pm. Team left without us before we could make it back from our loop. Another loop and a lap on the track to make it 2.5 (17:17 + strides).

Plan for the workout was 4xmile with 400 rest at half marathon pace (5:00-5:10). 6x200 with 200 rest just to get the legs moving fast when they're tired. 5:01 (2:33, 2:28). 5:01 (2:30.xx, 2:30.xx). 5:01 (2:30.xx, 2:30.xx). 5:00 (2:29, 2:31). Felt extremely smooth and relaxed through these intervals. I was a bit surprised after the 4 mile tempo in the middle of the 10 miler yesterday. All the rest was keep between 7:00-7:40 pace. 200s: 34, 34, 34, 32, 32, 31. Legs were toast, but I managed to get in the low 30's. 2.5 mile cooldown (20:36). 11.5 miles on the day. Good day on the track.

Diner with some teammates after a French Dip sandwich. Roast beef with au jus. Steak fries. Chocolate milk. Stuffed. Perfect meal for post workout. Piece of cake for Justin Wood because it is his birthday this week. He couldn't finish it so I pretty much devoured the other half of it. Not done yet. That was pre-dessert. TCBY (The Country's Best Yogurt) with a fraction of the original group after the diner. I was in a healthy mood (I guess) and went with Mountain Blackberry and Orange Sorbet. Topped with blackberriess and sour gummi worms. $5.40. Delicious. The blackberry frozen yogurt with the blackberries. Mmmmm. So friggin good.

Home by 10:15pm. Shower. Iced in bed. Bed by 11pm.

Dinner Of Champions

May 22nd: 5am wakeup. I couldn't get out of bed right away. Out of bed at 5:18am. Naked again. Threw on the running shorts. Urinated. No time for #2. Lunch and breakfast made at the same time. Bowl of Go Lean Crisp. Everything bagel with veggie cream cheese for the car ride. Pasta, broccoli, sauteed onions and tomato with garlic salt. Out the door to make it work 5 minutes late. Almost hit on the way to work. Some BMW cut me off (almost hit me) less than a mile from work. He rolled down his window and waved an apology wave as I passed. It was a contractor I knew. He's lucky I knew him. Work 6:05am-2:35pm. Another normal day.

Out of work to stop off at Da Choppa to pick up apples and a couple loafs of bread. Home by 3:15ish. Relaxed on the couch. Washed dishes. Did a load of laundry (concentrating on boxers and socks). Goupil home by 4:30pm. We were in no rush to get out the door so Goupil played videogames while I ate chips and salsa. Finally got ready around 5:45pm. Mapped out a 7 mile run.

Out the door at 6pm. Took the first 3 miles easy. Started a tempo pace at 3 miles to the end of the loop. 22:38 for the last 4 miles. Goupil finished and I added on another 3.5 miles as a cooldown and got 10.5 on the day. 20:32 first 3 miles, 22:38 middle 4 miles, 22:26 last 3.5 miles. 10.5 miles (65:56). Solid run and legs felt good with a big workout tomorrow.

Back to the apartment to stretch, foam roll and immediately prepare dinner. Pork tenderloins split in half with sliced gala apples in the middle with black pepper. Topped with chopped up onions and drizzled maple syrup on top for a little extra sweetness. Baked in the oven for 45 minutes. Over a bed of pasta. Dinner at 8:45pm. Big Bang Theory. Bed before 10pm.

Necessary Nap

May 21st: 5am wakeup. Rough start this morning. Out of bed at 5:15am. Naked. I went to bed like this so it wasn't a surprise. I don't have any clean boxers yet so I didn't feel like sleeping in running shorts. Threw the shorts on to head straight to the bathroom as usual. Oatmeal for breakfast. Made lunch with whatever I had left in the fridge. That consisted onion, tomato, and pasta. Clif bar and Gatorade. Work 6am-2:30pm. Slow day, which isn't a bad thing especially for a Monday.

Back to the apartment to sit my butt on the couch and nothing else. Talked with Kimber for a bit before dozing off around 4:30pm until Goupil got home. He woke me up, but I just fell back asleep until 5:40pm. The nap was unplanned, but totally necesary to function the rest of the evening. Goupil woke me up to bring me to the grocery store for food shopping. Waited to run after all the rain and errands were done.

Out to door at 6:45pm for the 8.5 mile Evergreen loop. 60:13. Kept it easy through the drizzle. Good recovery run and legs were still sore. A rewarding sore though. Let's me know I ran hard and far this past weekend. Back to stretch, foam roll, make dinner, and a protein shake. I felt like a true man eating my burger (tortilla with onions, hot sauce, cheddar cheese and ketchup) and drinking my whey protein in front of the television. Except I was just in my split running shorts and waiting for 2 Broke Girls to start. Showered before the episode started and on the couch to ice to shins/calves. Bed before 10pm.

Best Long Run So Far

May 20th: Not sure what time it was initially. Woke up without an alarm and needing to piss like a racehorse. I was in a room full of complete darkness because there weren't any windows. I thought it was maybe 3am. I reach for my phone and its 6am. Uhh. Emptied myself in the bathroom and upstairs for a glass of water. Back to bed until 8:15ish. Tossed around in bed while I continued to snooze my alarm. Out of bed at 8:45am. Changed out of my undergarments (a pair of running shorts) into a pair of running shorts. Hopped upstairs to grab some kind of fuel for the run. A piece of hearty whole grain bread with butter and another glass of water.

Out the door with Najem and Goupil for Beech Hill 10 from the lakehouse. Worked it up the hills and cruised on the downhill. Finished up at the lakehouse in 73:58 (10.5 miles) and stopped for a glass of water because it was pretty warm out. Back out for another loop by myself (a reverse modified loop of the Swanzey half marathon course). Najem said it was 7-7.5 miles. I started to get into a groove early and was clipping away at the pace. At about 5 miles, someone beeped their horn at me. I was in somewhat of a daze due to the sun, but it ended being Goupil and Najem bearing a gift. A gatorade. Lifesaver! Pounded some of it and was on my way to finish up the loop. I got the best friends. Revived me for the last few miles. Finished the loop in 49:30. Pete Thomas slowed down as he was driving his athletes back from the Monadnock High School and yelled "Slacker!" I let him know I had been out there for an hour and 53 minutes already. He responded with "Good boy." I reached the lakehouse dripping sweet and happy to be done with the run. 2:03:28. Mapped it out (later that night) and it ended up being 18.85. Sweet. 6:33 pace overall for the entire run and the last loop was in 5:55 pace. I was wondering why I felt like I was sweating more. 34 mile weekend to finish the week with 79 miles. Happy with the week and especially the weekend. One solid trail tempo, a speed workout, a great race effort and the best long run of my life (haven't been on too many, but this one is #1 so far). Finished off my Gatorade and showered once I stopped sweating.

Kimber picked Goupil and I up to grab some breakfast at 12pm. I (of course) decided on The Pub in Keene. Pancakes, sausage, overeasy eggs, belgium waffle with whipped cream and strawberries, chocolate milk and an orange juice. Made it through most of it, then hit a wall during the belgium waffle. I had to stop, but it was all so good. Received a complimentt on my RUN FAST shirt that Beeze Tees Screen Printing made (Tim Pipp). Dropped off Goupil at the lakehouse and back to Kimber's to pick up my bags at 1:30pm.

Headed back to Swanzey to drop me off at 5pm. Goupil and I stopped off at Da Choppa to pick up snacks. Tortellini and artichoke pasta salad with a jug of apple strawberry kiwi juice. Finished most of it while we sat in the parking lot. Made our way back to NY at 5:40pm. Made great time and in Clifton Park at 7:50pm. Relaxed the rest of the night and bed by 10pm.

Bedford Rotary 12K Race Report

May 19th: 6am wakeup. Rolled around in bed while Kimber was already out of bed showering to get ready for the day. Up at 6:20am. Pooped while my water was boiling for my one instant packet of cinnamon and spice oatmeal. Changed up into my running attire and over to Peterborough at 6:50ish to met up with Goupil, Najem and Boj. They were purchasing some Dunkin Donuts and then we realized it would be 5 people in 1 car. Way too crammed. Decided to have Kimber drive us to the race separately. Jammed out to my 4 favorite channels on satelitte radio (mostly hip hop nation).

Arrived at the Bedford High School by 8am. Parked and inside to pick up my number. Beautiful clear day and the sun was shining. Back to the car to change up and get my racing gear organized. Looked for people to warm up with but nobody in site. Headed out at 8:20ish for a 2.5+ (18:23) mile warmup. Ran the last mile of the course to get a preview of what I would be finishing up on for terrain. Found Hammet and Dave Dunham at my turnaround point. Talked race talk with Hammet and we hit up the bathroom inside the school. Stall wide open without a line. Ka-pow! Perfect timing. Back to Kimber's car to throw the singlet and racers on. Strawberry banana Powerbar liquid gel and a couple swigs of Gatorade. Jogged over the start line for some strides and friendly greetings with the competition.

9am start. Bat out of hell. Been racing 5k's lately so I was a bit aggressive the first few miles. I didn't have any splits for any of my miles, but in the front pack through mile 3. Fell off a bit once we hit a couple roller's. Maintained 3rd place from mile 3 to the end. Glanced back at one turn and saw blue/yellow. Moved it in for the last 2 miles to finish in 37:59 on the track. 5:06 pace overall and a freezer pop handed to me immediately after. Hit the spot with the heat in full effect towards the end of the race. A small amount of chaffage on the nipples. Watched others finish up and back to the car to put on half tights. No shirt so I could work on my tan (chaffage was too much for a shirt, no bleeding though). Cooldown 5 miles (34:58) mostly on my own then met up with Hammet, Big George, and Mark Miller as I was returning on my out and back route. 15 miles on the day.

Stopped off inside to grab refreshments (yogurt, banana, bagel, popsicle and water). Check is being sent to me. Sweet, don't know how much. I heard not much, but still cool. Caught up with old college teammate Sam Wood and his girlfriend Abbey for a bit. Officially met Scott McGrath in person. I can put a face to a blog. Sprinted out to the 5k start to watch Goupil and Boj. Goupil ran his shorts off in a solo effort of 16:50.

Kimber and I headed out soon after to make it back to Jaffrey by 1ish. Quick rinser before swinging over to Kimball's for lunch and dessert. Special order hotdog topped with pulled pork (I had to ask because I was in the mood for a chili dog, but no such thing on the menu). Potato salad on the side (not even close to as good as my mom's, but it got the job done). Piece of watermelon to cleanse the palette. Chocolate chocolate (yeah double chocolate) truffle ice cream for afterwards. Mmm. People watched for a while. Lots of motorcyclists.

Back to relax and nap at Kimber's before meeting up with some friends (Goupil, Najem, Tim, and Crystal) at the Keene bars. Pounded a few through the night. Charleston Chew from Cumberland Farms to end the journey. Bed by 1am. Long run planned for Sunday.

Keene Always Puts Me In A Good Mood

May 18th: 5am wakeup. Oatmeal for breakfast. Finally Friday and excited to travel over to Keene that night. Made the day fly by with no complications. Work 6am-2:30pm. I hadn't opened my Stonyfield Yogurt all week. Decided to bring the whole thing for lunch. I wasn't planning on eating the whole 2 pounds, but something happened. A co-worker made the bold mistake of challenging me to finish it in 20 minutes. Goupil immediately questioned on why you would give me that much time. So he knocked it down to 10 minutes. It was somewhat of a joke, but I accepted silently and with confidence. Less than 5 minutes later, I was scrapping the bottom of the container. People were shocked, except for Goupil. 32 fluid onunce of strawberry yogurt gone. Like a champ. People don't understand my relationship with food especially yogurt. I have lived on it since my childhood.

Home by 3pm. Serious cleaning in the room and finished the dishes to return Sunday to a clean apartment. Packed up a couple bags quickly. Goupil home by 4:30pm. Room was left spotless. Made a quesadilla and finished off most of my veggies and cheese. Borrowed a tortilla for Goupil because we cool like that. That's what kind of roommates we are. Pow!

Out the door at 5:15pm to travel over to Keene. Blasted the jams most of the ride. Fell asleep for the first 20-30 minutes of the trip. Hit some traffic through Troy. Experienced some terrible drivers. Started to cruise through Vermont and arrived at the Lake House by 7:15pm. 5 mile shakeout run (34:55) with Goupil along the railroad bed. Felt amazing to run on the Keene roads, trails and breathe in that New Hampshire air. Very relaxing run and back to stretch. Kimber picked me up after dinner grocery shopping in Keene.

To Jaffrey to stay the night at Kimber's apartment. I showered up while Kimber made a scrumptious dinner. Broccoli, chicken with garlic and parsley, and Gemmilli pasta with a lemon butter sauce. Mmm mm mm! Dinner at 9:30pm. Cleaned up. Washed the dishes because Kimber cooked. Teamwork! Bed by 10:30pm. Rest up for a New England Grand Prix race in Bedford, NH. 12k. Strange distance. Should be interesting. Will be nice to test out my fitness on some serious competition after the last few local low key 5k's.

ECAC's at RPI

May 17th: 5am wakeup. Out of bed at 5:15am. Oatmeal for breakfast because I didn't buy milk this week. So no cereal. Work 6am-2:30pm. Pathetic lunches this week with PB&J everyday with a banana and a Clif Bar. Lazy week, but it happens.

Home to relax and clean up some more around the apartment. Dishes mostly. Goupil was planning on running 8 miles so I left when he got home to get in an extra couple miles. Ended up being 11 miles total (76:00) 2.5 on my own and another 8.5 with Goupil. Worked out perfectly because he picked me up on the run right when I was in our parking lot of the complex. Amazing timing and planning. What can I say, I'm smooth.

No shower and a protein shake before heading over to RPI in Troy, NY to watch Kevin Hoyt and Paige Mills run the 5k at ECAC's. Both of them ran very well and I cooled down 1.5+ (11:53) with Hoyt. 12.5 on the day. Great to see those guys and Pete Thomas (college coach). Home by 8:45pm. Whipped up a quesadilla with mushrooms, peppers, tomato and onion. Mix of peach and mango salsa. No shower because I was too tired and just wanted to go to bed. Crawled in just before 10pm.

Wednesday Workout in Albany and TCBY

May 16th: 5am wakup. Back to bed after snoozing a few times. Somehow I turned off my alarms and finally woke up at 5:40am. Uh oh! That's usually when I leave. Jumped out of bed and somehow out the door with breakfast made, dressed and lunch made by 5:50am. Quick day at work and home by 3pm.

Didn't have any running shorts left so I needed to do a load of laundry. I thought I had enough quarters for a wash and a dry, but I didn't. Of course. I was able to start a load in the washer. So I stopped off at the post office to send some letters out, then to the bank to grab a roll of quarters and deposit my winnings from my Read Write Run 5k a couple weeks ago. Ca-chang! Back to the apartment to clean up the kitchen and switch my laundry to the dryer at 4:30pm. Goupil home at 4:45pm and ready to go just before 5. I took out a dry pair of running shorts and turned the dryer back on because it still had another 30 minutes to go.

Out the door at 5:10pm. At UAlbany by 5:30ish. First time we were ever on time and actually early by 15 minutes. Passing showers and a college workout delayed us a bit. Prewarmup at 5:40pm. 2.5+ mile warmup (20:16). Strides and switched into flats for the workout. 4 sets of 200, 200, 400 with full rest. 33, 33, 70, 33, 33, 67, 33, 32, 63, 30, 31, 64. Solid workout and felt good to get after it on the last couple sets in the 400s. 2+ (16:11) mile cooldown with Goupil and another teammate, Andrew McCarthy. 9 miles on the day. Stopped off at Josh's house to pick up Karen for The Country's Best Yogurt (TCYB). First time for Goupil and I. Strawberry and cake batter twist with brownie bits, cookie dough bits, sour gummy worms, and hot fudge. 6 bucks for my 12 ounces of frozen yogurt. Yum. That was dinner. Dinner of champions!

Home to shower, pick up my laundry down the hall (still in the dryer, phew!) and bed at a decent hour. Great dinners for the week so far. Cereal. Bagel. Frozen yogurt. Staying light for the weekend race.

Trail 5K Tempo

May 15th: 5am wakeup. Small bowl of Go Lean Crisp in front of the television and a bagel with butter for the car ride. Leftover sweet potato quesadilla with peach salsa for lunch with a banana and a Clif Bar. Normal day at work. Home to relax. Goupil had mentioned a trail 5k somewhere in Queensbury as a possibility. I didn't get any confirmation so I wasn't ready when he got home. He goes "You all set to run?" as he walked into the door at 4:45pm. So I changed up quickly and we were out the door at 5ish.

40 minute drive to Crandall Park of Glenns Falls for the HMRRC trail 5k. We arrived at 5:45pm and the race was starting at 6pm. Registered quickly. Poop inside the YMCA (I had to sign in for my less than a minute bio break). Met up with Shaun Donegan (buddy of Goupil) and Jen Adams (Keene State Alumni and multi All-American). Jog around for a few minutes and some strides.

Off at 6pm. Decided on no shirt and the Kinvara 2s. Off the line well and expecting not much competition. Leading the way in the 1st 100 meters and this kid goes flying by me with ease. We took a lap around the gravel track and into the woods. The kid with the CW-X (expensive brand) tights and a t-shirt was striding away from me in the 1st mile. With the lack of warmup, it was difficult to get after it for the 1st half of the race. Once I warmed up, I started rolling. I was thinking I was gonna reel him in much earlier, but I was in true striking distance at about 2.5 miles. He kept looking back throughout the whole race so I was on a mission. Goupil told me to tempo it so I sorta did. Muddy trails and lots of turns, I passed the kid with flawless form and no heavy breathing. He reacted immediately and surged to get back in front of me. I laid off the gas and drafted behind him until the last 250 meters. Reverse back on the gravel track and the wheels came through. Crushed the last section of the course with a 4 second win and a time of 15:57.

Watched the rest of my friends finish up and a cooldown proceeded soon after. Jogged a lap with everyone of 2 miles, added another 2 just with Goupil, then another 2 miles by myself. Made it a 6+ mile  (43:28) cooldown and 9+ miles on the day. Nice change of scenery and solid effort for the day.

Back to the apartment by 8ish and a bagel/protein shake for dinner. Bed early.

Almost Bad Timing

May 14th: 5:15 wakeup. Go Lean Crisp for breakfast. Lunch already made because I had leftovers from last night. Sausage, peppers, onions and mushrooms. Work 6-2:30pm. Quick day and no problems at work. Feeling better after the restful weekend.

Home to relax. Switched roles and Goupil was waiting for me at home. He stayed home from work because his eye was swollen shut due to an infection (I shouldn't of pooped on his pillow). Planned run with Derrick at 4:45pm. Changed up in running attire after watching most of Planet of Apes. Opened the side door of the apartment. Pouring buckets. Walked right back inside to wait it out on the couch. Left 30 minutes later when the rain let up.

10+ miles (70:53) with a 5:10 thrown in for mile 8 through Chen High School. Felt good and the rain stayed at a drizzle the entire run. The 70 degree weather helped get us out the door and stay out there in just shorts and a t-shirt.

Back to the apartment to foam roll, stretch, and jump in the shower to get warm. I had Goupil put a sweet potato in when he got back to the apartment (he ran 7 miles today). Sweet potato quesadilla with peach salsa. Hit the spot. Ate half of it. Saved the other half for lunch tomorrow. Bed before 9pm to get lots of sleep for the Bedford Rotary 12k this weekend.  

Trails? Sweet.

May 13th: 6am woke up. Rolled over and back to bed until 7am. Running in Albany with some team members at 8:30am. Everything bagel with butter for breakfast. Out the door at 7:50am. We thought we had the address correct. I guess there are 2 Madison Avenues in Albany. We found the wrong one. With time to spare, we navigated to Pine Bush (right next to the big Water Tower, couldn't miss it). 10+ miles (75:42). 39:19 first loop and 36:23 second loop. Solid run. Warm out, but great to pop on some trails. Soft terrain was awesome. I didn't know they existed in the Albany area. There were hills and trees. Though, some parts felt like the grass plains of Africa. A little color today on the chest and back. No sunburnt though. Thankfully.

Back to the apartment at 12ish. Showered up and made a 4 egg mushroom, tomato, onion, and pepper omelette with cheddar cheese. Plopped right down on the couch to watch television. Iced the calves and surfed the net. Clif bar for a snack. Updated my blog from the long weekend and continued to relax before heading out for a 2nd run in the evening.

5:15pm finally out the door. Still almost 80 degrees out. 5.5 miles (37:04) to make it 16 on the day and 74 on the week. Solid week for being under the weather and having a 4 mile day. 

Back to stretch, foam roll, ice and watch some television. Cut the hair before showering. Shaved the face to make myself look presentable. Didn't feel like it while I was kicking the cold out of my system. Da Choppa to drop off my Redbox and pick up a few items (cereal, yogurt, bananas, and cheese). Made dinner eventually. Sausage, peppers, onions, and mushrooms. No pasta or bread. Not too hungry so I forced myself to eat some food. Leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Bed by 10pm.

Upswing

May 12th: 6:45am wakeup. Decided on heading to the race (but just to watch Goupil). Bagel for breakfast. Headed out to Duanesburg for the Jog for Jugs 5k/Half Marathon (Yes, breast cancer awareness race). At the race venue by 8:15am. Goupil registered and warmed up with Nick Webster. I held down the backpacks. A bit windy so the choice of cordorouy shorts was not the best idea. Race went off at 9am. I helped set up the finish line with AREEP (Albany Running Exchange Event Productions). Goupil finished up in 17:37 for the win and $50 bucks. Sweet. He cooled down with a team member and I walked the last mile of the course to stay warm. Out of there by 11ish.

Back to the apartment to eat some food. Wild goose chase to rent Thor from Redbox. The power of the iPhone helped us grab it at the ghetto chopper on route 146. Started watching the movie by 1pm. We decided on The Avengers at 6:10pm. Thor was the final movie I needed to watch. Finished it by 3pm. Run at 3:30ish. 11 miles (74:56). Goupil told me not faster than 7 minute pace. I tried holding back the whole time, but 6:40-6:50 pace felt good. Hot as balls out there. Minimum shade and dehydrated by half way. Hurting towards the end, but my body felt better than my 4 miles the day before.

Back by 5pm. Foam rolled, stretched, and showered up. 3 egg omelett with mushrooms, onions, and peppers whippped up at 5:40pm. Ate it in 4 minutes. Avengers at 6:10pm. Awesome previews. Mind blowing movie! Out just before 9pm.

Back to pound some gatorade and bed by 9:45pm. Apple cider vinegar gargle. Nyquil shot to knock me out once again.

The Weekend Starts With An Early Night

May 11th: 5am wakeup. Out of bed immediately. Rushed around to get to work before 6 to make up the 1/2 hour I missed on Wednesday due to cable/internet hookup. Oatmeal for breakfast. PB&J for lunch. Work 5:50am-2:35pm. Treated myself to a heart healthy smoothie (Mixed berry, mango, and cranberry juice) due to feeling kinda crappy. Runny nose. That's about it.

Home by 3pm to just relax at the apartment. Stopped off at Da Choppa to pick up apple cider vinegar, Mucinex, cough drops, and deodorant. Washed some dishes and feel asleep on the couch. Goupil home at some point. He headed out for his 5 miler while I dozed in and out of a nap on the couch. Finally got up and changed to shakeout 4 miles. Goupil tried to have me take the day off, but I just couldn't.

4 miles (29:21). Kinda achey, but good to get out the door for fresh air. Back to just lay down and stretch. Showered and had a protein shake on the couch. Not much of an appetite so I mustered up to eat an everything bagel. Bed by 9ish. Nyquil shot to knock me out.

Under The Weather

May 10th: 5am wakeup. Sore throat a bit. Frosted Flakes for breakfast. Lunch made that morning. Chicken with sauteed onions and mushrooms over a bed of pasta tossed into a tupperware container. Work 6am-2:45pm. Another day closer to Friday. Stopped off at my company's office in Ballston Spa to accept the full-time offer and sign a bunch of paperwork.

Back to the apartment by 5pm. Run at 5:45pm. Didn't feel like running, but I knew I had to get out there. 7 miles with Goupil. Added another 4 miles on through some trails behind the library and on the Chen High School campus. Body becoming more and more sore. 11 miles on the day (79:39).

Back to foam roll, sit around, shower for a long 15 minutes, and watch the season finale of Big Bang Theory. Took a shot of Nyquil before the episode started. PB&J and a protein shake for dinner. By the time the episode ended, I was more than ready for beddy bye. Talked with Kimber for a little bit and passed out by 8:45pm.

Workout Down in Albany

May 9th: 5am wakeup. Breakfast. Lunch was made that morning. Fine dining. PB&J with homemade jelly from my mom. Work 6am-2pm. Normal day. Scooted out early to make sure I was back at the apartment for the guy to set up cable/internet.

Home with time to spare. Started up Captain America since I had fallen asleep for the ending the night before. Guy buzzed in around 2:55pm. Hooked it all up and good to go 1/2 hour later. Ca-chang! So pumped. With that all said and done, I resumed watching my Redbox movie. Relaxed until Goupil got home. Planned on meeting Derrick for a workout at Chen.

Pulled into Chen at 5:30pm. No go. High school track meet. Called Derrick to let him know we were driving down to UAlbany to do the workout with the team. Made it down there by 6pm. Warm up 2+ miles (15:28). Workout was 4x200, 4x400, 1x800, 4x400, 4x200. Quicker with the 800 to be the real important interval. 34, 35, 34, 35, 69, 68, 69, 69, 2:17, 69, 67, 67, 64, 33, 31, 31, 30. Great workout and felt smooth. Legs felt good. Wore the Kinvara 2s. Removed the shirt to go barechest after the first couple 200s. 5:35 for the 9200 meter workout with rest. 3+ mile cooldown (23:37). 11 on the day.

99 for dinner with some team members. BBQ chicken wrap with a side of fries for dinner. Home by 9:30pm. FaceTimed with my dad for a bit. Showered. Bed by 10ish.

Movie Night #2 (No Cable)

May 8th: 5:10am wakeup. Burrito rushed me to the bathroom immediately. Frosted flakes for breakfast. Another burrito for lunch with the addition of mango salsa. Work 6am-2:30pm. Home to relax. Did not have anything to do other than some dishes. Loaded the dishwasher. Rained all day so I was not looking forward to the run. Set up a run with Derrick at 5pm. 

Drizzling rain for the start. Half tights and a pullover for clothes to keep the rain off the core of the body. Met Derrick a mile out. Normal loop. Goupil turned off to make it 7. I continued and made it 10 miles (69:41). Rain held off pretty much. Burrito forced me to stop behind the bank in the woods and at the port-o-john through the Chen school campus. Good run. Solid start to the week for mileage. With 65 miles last week as a down week/travel weekend, I am looking forward to packing in some miles this week.

Back to apartment to stretch, foam roll, and shower quickly. Planned early movie start to get to bed at a decent hour. Tossed the rest of my burrito mix on the stove. Into a tortilla with cheese and mango salsa. Captain America showing at 14J living room at 7pm. Enjoyed the first hour and 40 minutes of it until I dozed off and missed the last 15-20 minutes. I iced my calves towards the end of the movie to attempt to keep myself awake (and obviously the benefit of icing). Failure. Once I stopped icing, I was passed out. Once I awakened from my slumber as the credits were rolling, I retreated to the bedroom after brushing the teeth for some quality sleep.

Movie Night #1 (Still No Cable)

May 7th: 5:15am wakeup. Super difficult to get myself out of bed. I was snoozing since 4:30am. My plan was to unload my car before work. Complete opposite. Left everything right where it was. Oatmeal for breakfast. Leftovers from Friday night with a Clif bar for lunch. Pathetic lunch. Work 6am-2:30pm. Blah day and the body was aching from the lack of sleep. Out of work with intentions of accomplishing things. Mattress still in the trunk and plastic drawers in the front seat. Looks like I live out of my car. It's all good.

Home by 3pm to relax a bit. Post office for stamps and sending out important things such as my taxes. Back to the apartment to empty the car. Goupil pulled in the parking lot just after 4:30pm. Perfect timing. I was just ripping my mattress out of the trunk. Goup helped me bring it into the apartment. Set up the bedroom. I was planning on continuing to clean up and run at 6pm. Goupil was heading out for 5 miles. He convinced me to run 5 with him and add on. I changed up and out the door by 5ish. 5 miles (36:06). I divided it up into two runs. Goupil and I hit up Da Choppa for major grocery shopping. Lots of veggies, milk, yogurt, orange juice, rice, bagels, bread, etc. First time buying bagels since I moved to NY. Saw Derrick at Redbox when we were leaving. Picked up a couple movies (The Sitter and Captain America).

Back to the apartment by 7:30ish. Out for a 2nd 5 miles at 7:40pm. Same loop. Just a tad bit faster. 27:48. Cruised through. Felt smooth. Back to throw my dinner in a pot and cook it. Tossed some cheddar and mozzarella cheese on a tortilla. After 6-8 minutes of cooking up my concoction (chopped up vidalla onions, red and green pepper, mushrooms, tomato, chili powder, cayenne powder, black pepper, peppercorn ranch dressing, black beans, and hot sauce). Forgot to put salsa on, but it was still mad good. Watched The Sitter. Hilarious. Laughing out loud. Grabbed ice during our intermission to ice the calves. Shower after the movie and bed by 10ish.

Kimber's Half Marathon

May 6th: 6am wakeup. Slept in running clothes to just do once less thing in the morning. Bowl of Kasahi Autumn Harvest for breakfast. Milk smelt kinda string. Oh well. Packed up a bag with some goodies and out the door at 6:20am. Stopped for gas in Bethel and to New Pond Farm before 7am. Kimber and her mom arrived soon after. Picked up her number and back to the car to get race ready. Warmed up to the starting and past it. Back to Farm to drop off clothes. Cow pies everywhere. People had poop on their shoes and some even on their legs. Eww.

8am start (8:13 actually because it was the 1st annual and the race director was talking off everybody's ear). Saw Kimber 2 minutes into the race and off to the 2 mile mark to see her next. Mapped out all the shortcuts to see her the most possible times without following her the whole course. Cut through to see her at about 3.5 or so. It was the turnoff for the 10k and the police officer there was not exactly being the most helpful to the runners. It basically ended in me directing people straight for the half and left for the 10k until Kimber passed through. Back through the shortcut and reversed the course to mile 7. Ran on the railroad tracks next to the course for a change (and to avoid running through the 10k course) and up to an intersection. I was dazed and confused at the intersection because the bridge I was planning on cross was under construction (aka not existent). Threw me off, but regained my bearings quickly. Off through the construction site and over to mile 7. Hill course to say the least. Uphill and downhill. Kimber was running great. I cheered her on and let her get some distance on me before I ran behind her to get back through the construction site to cut off about 3.5 miles to met her at mile 11. As she left, she said "I love you!" I reciprocated and the guy next to her mentioned that he loves me to Kimber. Kimber yelled back "This guy loves you too!" I reciprocated again. Off to mile 11 with 20 minutes to spare. Decided to just sit down on the sidelines and cheer people on/stretch. One guy passed by and asked if I was okay. I let him know I was spectating. Haha. Spotted Kimber and ran with her from 11 to about 12.9ish. Helped her a ton. She finished in sub 1:54. Tougher course than her 1st marathon and over 7 minutes faster. Ca-chang! One of the guys at the refreshment tent noticed I was everywhere during the race. He was astonished that I was able to make it all around the course. I showed him my secret with the shortcuts (not that secretive and somewhat common sense in my eyes) and he was still just amazed. It happened last time at Kimber's Seacoast Half Marathon in the fall. Classic!

Hung out for a bit after and back to my house for some breakfast and chatting. Sausage, egg and cheese. Orange slices. Uncle David and Mrs. Stannard bonded with their Project Adventure experiences. Kimber and her mom headed out around 1pm. Uncle Davey wanted to do some fishing so we walked down to the old dock. I had all intention to make a few casts. Instead, I took a 1+ hour nap on the dock. Face down. Passed out. Very refreshing. My dad joined us and caught a large mouth bass (small in size, but huge mouth). Back to the house to relax on the deck. Snacked and shot the s**t for a while. Packed up my things and relaxed some more with my parents on the deck. My mom insisted I bring up a mattress so we fit the twin perfectly in my car with the backseats down. No more futon or air mattress. Woohoo! Eventually left by 8:15pm to make the journey back to NY.

Car ride was smooth. No traffic, but was dozing off a bit in the middle. Stopped at Mickey D's for a vanilla shake. Helped for about 30 minutes before feeling tired again. Made it home safely by 11:20pm. No shower. No unpacking my car (mattress and other things). Bed by midnight. I know, gross! Plan is to grab my stuff Monday morning before work so I don't drive all of it to work. We will see about that.

Race Report: Read Write Run 5K & Home

May 5th: 6am wakeup. A bit groggy from the less than normal sleeping hours the past few days. Pooped, packed up race and weekend clothes for home, and made oatmeal. Added my New Hampshire maple syrup that I won at the Fast Friends 4.5 miler and some sugar. Ate on the couch. No TV. Played some Words With Friends on my iPhone. I am lucky I got it because it provides me a form of entertainment with the lack of cable/internet.

Out the door at 7am. Stopped for gas in Clifton Park. Slipped my mind that I was taking 90. Stopped at a bank to grab money. Paid my 85 cent toll with a 20 dollar bill. Yeah, I'm that guy.

Arrived at the race venue by 8:10am. Met my sister Sarah in the parking lot. Picked up my number inside the school and out for a warmup by 8:30am. Quick hello to Josh Merlis (captain and president of ARE Productions and the sponsor of the racing team) and introduced my sister. 2 miles (15:53) with Sarah. Bathroom break at the school. Single stall bathroom. No line. Noticed the toilet was clogged. Used it anyways and unclogged it afterwards. Changed at the car into the Kinvara 2's and my ARE singlet. Powerbar strawberry banana gel.

Jogged over to the starting line with Sarah. Scoped out the competition. Didn't look like too much. 9am start and off with a downhill start out to the main road. A guy latched onto me for the 1st mile in 5:07. Dropped off soon after. Out and back course so I could tell where everyone was at the turnaround at the monument. Solid lead and an overall downhill second half of the race. 2 miles 10:29. High fived Sarah as I passed by her. 3 miles 15:13. Finished up in 15:40.

Jogged back a few minutes immediately to cheer on Sarah. Met her at the finish line to throw on a couple layers and out for a cooldown. 2.5 miles (20:00). Back for the awards ceremony. 1st male and 3rd female overall. Woohoo! More cooldown after. 2.5 miles (20:00). Changed into dry clothes before heading out to Lee for breakfast at around 11am.

We were torn between 2 breakfast places. Starving Artist Creperie and Cafe or Otto's Breakfast and Deli. We passed by Otto's and stepped into the Starving Artist. Checked out the menu and Sarah was in the mood for an omelette. So we decided to split a crepe. OMG. It melted in my mouth. I had to put my fork and knife down after each bite so I wouldn't inhhale it. If people know how I eat, that is very unlike me. Done in about 5 minutes and scooted over to Otto's for the main course. We felt like we earned it. Texas toast style French toast with a layer cream cheese filling and freshh strawberries. Real maple syrup. Chocolate milk. Serious sausage links that were not those processed breakfast sausages. Finished mine. Sarah ate most of her omelette. I cleaned up the last 1/4 of it and the homefries.

Walked down main street to enjoy the weather and not hop in the car for the 2 hour car rides home. Stopped off at Da Choppa in Lee to purchase a few snacks. Ended up with raspberries, a pear, circle saltine crackers (sample lady convinced me and they were on sale), and a pack of gum. Departed for Newtown just after 1pm.

Newtown just after 3pm. In no time, I was splitting wood with my Dad in the front yard (still in my running shorts and everything). Luckily, there was a wood splitter to do most of work. Relaxed after before a 4 mile (29:44) shakeout at 6pm. Homemade pizza with sliced baby bella mushrooms, chopped vidalla onions, baby spinach, and fresh ricotta. Mmm. Can't beat it. 5 pieces later I was stuffed and ready for some more relaxing. Uncle Davey stopped by with a from scratch peach/raspberry pie. Mom and Davey camped out on the deck. I did a load of laundry and bed at a decent hour to rest up for Kimber's half marathon tomorrow (Sunday).

Move In Day #3 (Complete)

May 4th: 5:20am out of bed (snoozed the alarm at least 4 or 5 times). Much easier with my own room. Quick breakfast. Sat on the couch (wherever it was plopped from the day before, crooked and facing a random corner of the living room) and ate my Frosted Flakes in the darkness. No TV. Nothing. Double decker PB&J, finished off my yogurt container, Clif Bar, and banana. Work 6am-2:30pm. Snailed around most of the day due to the lack of sleep from the night before.

Ordinary day and back to the apartment by 3pm. Forgot the dishwasher soap. Swung by Hannaford's because it is less of a hassle than Da Choppa (distance wise from the apartment). Self scan and back to the old apartment to clean/pack. Kitchen, bathroom and living room was left. Scrubbed everything and mopped the floors. Packed most of the things.

Took a break at 5:30pm to run with Derrick at 5:45pm. Just shy of 11 miles (76:16). Legs and overall body sore from the move the previous day. Lower back and forearms from the couch. Calves and knees from the tempo run. Good run though. Flew by.

Back to the new apartment (14J) to stretch and shower. No icing because I didn't have time to just sit around. Headed back to the old apartment (18J) to complete my task. Continued to pack and clean everything. It got to a point where I was wiping down the entire garbage can (inside and out) with a Clorox wipe. My mom would be proud. Rocking out to E-40 the whole time. Piled everything into the car except for a few major things (futon, coffee table, and TV stand). Back to 14J to unpack and organize everything. Several trips later, I was done.  Protein shake at some point. Dinner at 10:45pm. Chicken, pasta and freshly cut avocado. Simple, but delicious. Leftovers. Decided at about 11:20pm that I would just grab the rest of the belongings out of 18J. Futon the roof. The rest inside the car. All said and done at 12pm. Bed for an early wakeup for the Lenox 5k. Yay for minimal sleep and maximum amount of manual labor.

Move In Day #2

May 3rd: 5am wakeup. 5:10am out of bed. Tough to get out of bed, but the fact that it was Thursday motivated me. Body was off from not running after work. Frosted Flakes for breakfast. Orange juice with a multivitamin. PB&J with a Clif bar and a banana. Weak lunch. Work 6am-2:30pm. Good day at work. This is because lunch was bought for us by our manager. Veganini. Artichokes, onions, red peppers, spring mix and balsamic vinegrette dressing. Yum. Still ate my PB&J as an appetizer before we had lunch. Clif Bar for dessert. Banana at the end of the day. Saw a fox when I was driving back from work.

Back to the apartment just before 3pm. Out for a tempo 11 mile run at 3:10. Solid run. Weird to get out immediately. Had to poop at 2 miles so I pulled off into the woods quickly. Difficult to get into a relaxing pace, but eventually did. 2 miles 12:16, 5.6 miles 32:59, 7.6 miles 44:30, 9 miles 52:17, 10 miles 57:31, finished up in 62:46. 5:42 pace overal, last two miles in 10:29. Ran in the Kinvara 2's. Felt good. Done by 4:15pm and inside to cool off before the next workout.

Stretch, foam roll, changed up into some moving clothes. Started moving the big stuff over (that included Goupil's mattress, box spring, and the living room couch). The Subie did its thang and hauled everything over with ease. It was interesting to say the least. The bed was fairly easy, but the couch gave us a headache once we hit the doorway of the apartment. We did it, but it was not easy. It almost didn't fit into the new apartment. We made it fit after a few bumps and scraps.

Back to the old apartment to relax and make dinner. Goupil went for his run. Big Bang Theory episode at 8pm. Sat on the futon (my former bed) and watched. Burger with avocado, tomato, sautéed mushrooms, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, peppercorn ranch dressing, and ketchup. Delicious. Sat around for another show.

Finished packing up some odds and ends. Tackled all the food and brought it to the new fridge. Done moving by 11pm. Bed by 12am. Friday morning will be difficult.

Move-In Day #1

May 2nd: 4:30am wakeup. Out the door for a 3 mile shakeout at 4:40am. Back to make lunch, eat breakfast, shower and to work by 6am. Work 6am-2:30pm. Slow day. Single PB&J for lunch. I did have to pull down a guy (he's like my dad on the jobsite, gives me advice and watches out for me) from a lift because his waist was over the top rail without being tied off above. That was right at the end of the day.

Back to the apartment complex to drop off the security deposit/rent check at the office. Signed the lease and received the keys to the place. Changed up to head to Chen High School for a workout. Waited on Derrick for 20 minutes. During the wait, I spoke with the high school track coach and he said the track was basically full until 5pm. Damn! Too crowded and not ideal. Understandable, but still sucked. Bagged the workout until later in the evening.

Back to the apartment to move stuff from the current apartment to the new one. A couple trips with the Subie brought a bunch of items safely to our new residence. 2.5 hours later, it was 6:45pm and I didn't feel like running. Down day. Workout/tempo run tomorrow. I was kinda bummed, but moving was the #1 priority today.

4 egg omelette with spinach, mushroom and broccoli. Fresh mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese. Chili and onion powder for seasoning. Ketchup and hot sauce. Big Bang Theory and bed early. Might do another morning run tomorrow.

Burgers Are Bomb

May 1st: 5:00am wakeup. 5:10am out of bed and into the bathroom. Frosted Flakes for breakfast. Chicken with salad for lunch. Work 6am-2:45pm. Another day down. Meeting in the morning for 3 hours. Ouch! Productive or so we thought. Accomplished nothing and more chaos. Rain cleared out in the afternoon and the temperature warmed up a bit.

Home at the apartment by 3ish. No rush to do anything. Wrote my life away in checks between the rent/security deposit and the taxes I have to pay. Officially moving in tomorrow into the new apartment. We have two days. Originally 3 days, but today Goupil wasn't home until after 5pm. Office closes at 5pm. No biggie. Just more rushing around tomorrow. Washed some dishes and scurried out the door by 6pm.

Easy 7.5 miles (52:49). First 3 with Goupil and added on some more. I checked out some side neighborhoods and found a short trail. It was worth it because I spotted a wittle bunny hopping along in the woods. I think that is better than saying "Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit" on the first of the month for good luck. Chyeah buddy! Last mile in 6:19.

Back to stretch, foam roll and immediately start preparing my burger. No tortillas at Da Choppa this past weekend so I settled for oat nut bread. Mushrooms and onions. Cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Ketchup and Texas Pete hot sauce. Always hits the spot. Mmmm. Big Bang Theory. Shower. FaceTime with my sister Sarah. Bed somewhat early. Extra early morning run tomorrow.