Joe (and he's off!) Nation

Ill hold some water on the sidelines!

Good luck joe

I bet he finishes in the same place as his number.

(Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

Here's the details

I'll be in your town tomorrow, J_B.

I'll honk my horn.

Why thank you, J_B!
Yes. It was a good day. Here I am leaving for the race.


And here's a shot (sort of) of the start.

I stood well back from the ten minutes plus per mile seeing as how I had been training at fifteen minutes per mile. Surrounding me however were the skinniest bunch of rabbits I have ever seen. It turns out, I learned from listening, that they start back in the back in this race to keep from getting runover by the guys who ONLY do this race. Most of the people I was with were using this little 5 mile as a fun run, getting ready for next Sunday's Marathon. That was good because I paced myself along with some of them for the first mile or so.

My goal was to finish under fifteen minutes per mile. I did 58:40 or just under twelve minute miles. Look ! There's some people slower than me!!

Did I mention that there are 10,000 runners in this race? That's a lot of feet. I treated myself to breakfast and a cafe au lait at an outdoor (heated) cafe.

Then I had my photo taken with my medal.

Did I mention I won a medal? Yes. Me. I was so proud. They came up to me as I finished and cut my timing tag off and gave me a medal. Wow.

Oh, and they gave one to every creature great and small that managed to crawl across the finish line, all ten thousand, six hundred and seventy-two runners, walkers, joggers, sloggers and creepers.

I put mine next to my inspirational photo the New Yorker published of me last July.



Oh, and I am down to 210.8.

Joe(think yah berry mush)Nation

Joe--

Very impressive--particularly when your competitive spirit shaved your mph.

Next year, the marathon?

Yay Joe!!!!!!!!!!!

Way to go!

I am thinking about the marathon next year...... I just looked up when the next Sunday race is, it's a 10K on Dec 11th. ...

If I might bore you all to death, here's how I described the restart of my running in my blog. Click on the website thingie below to see the whole enchilada.
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Sometime around Memorial Day I decided to start running again. It has been a long time since I stopped running, almost ten years, and I haven't a clue why I stopped. I have been running since I was twelve years old. Back then I ran around Valley Street Park's Dirt Road. That capitalization is correct, it's official neighborhood name was, and is now for all I know, the Dirt Road. I've been running on and off then for the past forty six years.
There are two things are true about my running: one, I am no good at it and two, I love doing it. By 'I am no good at it' I mean I have never been the fastest or even the semi-fastest, I am a plodder, a shuffler, I run like those old Asian men you see in old newsfilms -not moving quickly but making progress, gaining ground, but hardly ever passing anyone else on the road or path. I have become, or maybe I always was - in the words of a great coach I once had who included himself in the group - one of the turkeys who make the speedy ones look good.

Of course, I had to start over. Ten years is a long time once you pass fifty and in the past ten years I had had foot problems. Everyone in New York City has foot problems. Everyone's feet are pounded every day, beaten on the cement, tripped on the curbings, whacked, swacked or stepped on on the subway or the bus. There are as many podiatrists in the city as pizza parlors. Signs and ads for 'Foot Pain' are everywhere. So, two things happened, I bought a pair of sneakers that fit and my feet didn't hurt and I got the invitation to my fortieth high school reunion. Oh HO, so that's it. Can't face the old, really old in some cases, crowd being the pudgy boy, right? Well, yes. There's nothing like an honest answer to puncture a ribbing.

First, I started walking, getting ready for the days in late June when I would be on the boardwalk in Avon, when I would start running again. I walked to distant subway stations, West 4th Street or Columbus Circle, or I played 'walk fast until the bus passes you' on 23rd Street anyone can be a champion at that game. Or I walked down to the Frying Pan on the Hudson to meet friends and then walked up the river park to 79th Street, anything to get a few minutes of distance.
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Then I started running. I am an incrementalist, meaning I increase efforts in steps, careful steps. So first I ran one mile or less until I felt no ill effects the next day, then I increased the distance half a mile at a time. Full disclosure: I guessed at distances based on how many minutes I was running and my previous experience. When I finally ran on a measured course my guesses proved to be within a tenth of a mile.

Now I am up to four miles or a regular basis (three days a week) and five on Friday, Saturday or Sunday mornings. (Two out of three) So, about twenty miles a week. I do weight training four mornings a week. It's been good. No foot or knee injuries, I did throw my back out over doing some stretches the first week of October. Your body will remind you just how far you can go. I've restarted my yoga practice as well.

The reunion was a complete success. I danced the night away, and unlike the others at the breakfast table, did not have any hip pain. We did the Twist, the Mashed Potato, The Jerk and the Bop. Ask your parents.

I'd be interested in sharing training stories with anyone. Shewolf? J_B?

Joe(entering the second phase)Nation

Joe, do the Boston Marathon next April and we'll have a gathering.

heck, joe, if you'll do the nu yawk marathon next year, so will i! always wanted to run a marathon, but never had a marathon partner and was too weak to make myself train to join alone... boston is too tough, but new york i could maybe do... whaddya say?

Awright, Joe!

Yeah, Joe!!!

Glad to hear it was a good experience. Nothing shabby about 12 minute miles either.

Congrats! 10K isn't all that much longer than 5 miles (1.2 miles to be exact) and you've got 6 weeks to get ready. You can do it!

Based upon your average pace of 12 minutes per mile, is it safe to assume you sat down for breakfast and coffee during the race?

Perhaps Joe and Dak could wear the A2K logo?

Yes. It would say: "But we're Able2know" for all those who'd feel like laughing at our position in the rear of the crowds.

Hey Joe...my 11 year old son did the Tulsa Run on Saturday...his very first 5K. He's only done 1-mile "fun runs" before. He came in at 36:49, which means...<getting calculator, wait a minute>...yep, a little under 12 minutes per mile. Just like you. Hey, you could be running buddies!!!

Cruel, Tico, cruel.

My best time was a fifteen minute mile for four miles, who knows maybe a bit faster, 3x a week, and not lately. That's pretty similar to a walk, if not slower - I had to raise my body in the air somewhat higher than a plain walk, y'know.

Go, Joe (not so vain) Nation