200 Days to ING Marathon- Will Joe be ready?

Markus Garvey Park? Is that the obstacle on ones way to Central Park, around mile 22 of the Marathon, when one really doesn't need any obstacles in ones way? I think Harlem should close it and run a straight Avenue through it. That's the way God meant it to be.

Exactly....at mile 22 you will be on the west side of Marcus Garvey. I like to run around it in training because then, when I am coming South on Fifth Avenue, I don't mistake it for the North edge of Central Park. (I knew a runner who said he did that in his first Marathon and was crushed by that extra mile. ~This whole damned thing is psychological. )

Anyway, thanks for reminding me about the 22 mark, that helps me figure out where I need to start to end up with about 20 at 59th Street (or the Tavern on the Green ~or whatever it's called these days)

Twice around in either direction from 59th Street, back up either way to 110th Street, more North to Marcus Garvey until your watch says 17.5 turn around and run back South to 90 Street entrance,,,,,run until your watch says 20 which will somewhere between the 59th Street entrance and the Tavern.

Joe(I wear a sign on my back that says "Running a 20. How about you?")Nation

25 days to go.
I skipped running around the park last night....because of no good reason at all. Tonight will be a rain run without fail. Nov 4 could be cold, wet and really windy. No sense not experiencing that before heading to Staten Island.

Feel really good. No lingering effects from the race on Sunday and the new shoes, (did I mention I had new shoes?) (and new socks too, but I am less thrilled with them)~~the shoes were great.

Experimenting with eating Cliff Bars and gels rather than just gels. Surprisingly, I needed a lot less nutrition on the 18 or so mile run on Sunday. I'm running a 20 on this Saturday (see above) and that will be the final long run.

Joe(just a 13 the next weekend)Nation

Uncle Joe:
Will u wear a helmet-mounted camera
to beam back a live feed to A2K ?





David

That would be fun....

send me one.

Joe(I'll strap it to my "'Tis Himself" baseball cap.)Nation

The excitement of a First Person Shooter game now as a First Person Runner.... Don't think it translates that well. Neat/nice thought David.

Thank u, Royal Sir !





David

If it 'd be more comfortable,
u might consider using an ankle holster.





David

We'll be running in the South Bronx for two miles. Perhaps David could hand us a few a few semiautomatics as we enter, just to keep us safe. (Just kidding. I actually need that semiautomatic to get rid of the guy near mile 21, in front of some fundamentalist-Christian college, with the sign saying: "Think you're in pain now? Wait till you all go to hell! Find Jesus!")

Well, altho admittedly, I DO own some semi-automatics,
I can't take them seriously for defensive purposes.
As John Dillenger said:
2 things that shud never be trusted
are the word of a district attorney
and an automatic pistol.

I favor revolvers.
U can use an ankle holster for the live feed camera, on one foot,
and one holding a nice .44 revolver on the other, for balance.





David

It would be a cool thing.
There is no describing what it is like to be in a place like this:


Or.

even better, what is feels like to be here:


or even better better
here:


(all images from Dean Schuster blog Zero to Boston http://zerotoboston.com/race-reports/2007-new-york-city-marathon/ ) He's writing here about 2007. my first marathon.

It's like no other crowd you've been in, not the ticket lines for a outdoor concert or even the escape crowds at the end , not the crowds lining Broadway to salute some new hero of humanity or maybe just the New York Yankees and certainly not the massive crowds which gather to watch the fire works along the Hudson every July.
This is a moving crowd....it undulates in front of you like some kind of multicolored ocean with completely haphazard waves....when you come over the rise of the bridge and see 40,ooo people flowing, it just takes your breath away at the very moment you need all the breath you can marshall.

So, yes, cameras, lights, whistles, ~~go.

Joe(was that the cannon??)Nation

Ran fast ( for me) in the Park last night, going to do a bit more tonight. Still want to get home in time to cook some dinner, open the wine and watch the debate.
I got the photos back from the Staten Island Half and I told my girlfriend, I was shocked....I have no body image that is close to what I look like out there in the weather.




Joe(I am slow but steady as a clock)Nation

I had the same reaction to my pictures during the run. How can they make realistic pictures of everybody else when all their pictures of me make me look fat? Obviously a conspiracy is at work here.

Right now...it look like an over five hour marathon for sure....

Joe(going to need to pack a lunch)Nation

Got the plan for tomorrow floating around in my head. Around InwoodPark, down the river to Central Park via 103rdStreet, out to Marcus Garvey Park and beyond, far enough so that I know I will have enough distance to hit 20 miles as I return back (on the Marathon route) through Central Park to 59th Street and the finish line.

I need to find a place near the end to have a chocolate milkshake.

Joe(hmmm.)Nation

<eating a caramel yogurt>
<catching up>
<re-reading first couple of pages>

gooooooooooooooooooo Joe!

Joe and the committee got up early. There was a 20 mile run scheduled and the preparations had been done. (or most of them)
The route was still being argued about during the breakfast of peanut butter on a bagel and the left-over Apple Pie Oatmeal. Boyo hates running back and forth or out and backs, he prefers circles. Coach LOVES out and backs, thinks they build character because you have to focus on the running and not the terrain you ran through just a few minutes ago. Da is silent this morning, Joe thinks he is still in bed.
The route is a compromise. A big swing around Inwood Park and then through the soccer fields out to the tree at the end of the island then down and around and down some more to the bridge at 181St Street.
That will be the mark.
You take that mark and you add a 1/2 mile (the distance from the bridge to home.) then you figure what distance has to be on your watch for you to run before turning back and running the same route to the bridge.
(2x+ y =20-.5) .....
Joe always thought the bridge was five miles from home, turns out it was 5.8 miles. (extra credit)
S0,
2x+ 5.8 = 20-.5
2x=20-5.8-.5
2x=13.7
x=6.8
6.8+5.8=12.6
which is what your watch is going to say it the turnaround point.

it's really hard to do this calculation in your head as you are running along the river.

That's about the time that the sock began to rebel. I bought the thicker version of the Thorlos socks because.....because I don't know. I just did.
I'm sorry. Today, they bunched up under the ball of my right foot.

I stopped three times to try and remedy the situation be to no avail. On marathon day it would have meant running the last 15 miles wearing one sock.

I gave up at 13.9 and ran another 1.9 to get to the subway and go home before I got a stone bruise the size of a silver dollar.

15.8 miles total.

Joe(done)Nation

It looks like it.





David

Hey Joe, Wanna run that marathon in flip flops. You could land yourself in the Guiness if you beat this man's time.


http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/pulse/201210/man-runs-246-marathon-flip-flops-runners-world

It was not a good weekend, folks, for the first time in twenty years, my back went out.
(Side note: You see all the colors of the US Flag in order when the pain first hits.)
(Also note: Make sure when your back goes out that you have the nearby help, love and care from the person you hold dearest in the world.)
I am walking again. It's a funny walk, but it's a walk.

Joe(back on the road by ....Wednesday.....god damn it)Nation