The Joe Nation 2007 NYC Marathon Log

Joe logs a 4.8; good start to the week.
George logs a big, fat: zero, zip, nada, rien, niente for the weekend.
What a weenie!

Yes, got a great start yesterday, but this morning got smacked by two inches of slush. (I really wanted to try running in a fluffy snowstorm) so I got a mile in from the subway to Starbucks. Yum!
I don't count such things in my totals.

Realjohnboy wrote:


I wanted to trot the trails of Inwood. -------See this really good pictorial of the park here:Inwood


I thought I would be scaring up the occasional raccoon or the rarer but still present fox or coyote but what I kept surprising were varmints of the two legged variety. Usually they were the harmless homeless, just old geezers so down on their luck that any flat place out of the rain would suit them but on two occasions I stumbled onto some kind of transaction taking place. Luckily, I was able to stop before being seen or heard and I managed to back my way up and out of possible trouble.

Those events occurred in the very early morning and I believe that it would be safe to roam through the vast acreage (almost 200 acres of woods) without being accosted, but I have been forbidden by my wife to go there now without at least a party of four LARGE friends being with me.


Joe(tip toe tip toe)Nation

The snow had ended here by lunchtime yesterday.
Since the parking lots were down to bare pavement, I did that circuit.
No enthusiasm, but I got 3 miles in.

I hope to get 4 in today.

Way to go, George!



Another early morning train--5:13AM gets me to the park by 5:34AM.
The platform is always populated by one or two sleepers. How they get any rest is beyond me. I do my stretchs while I wait for the A to arrive.



35 degrees and NO wind, this morning, just a very light rain every once in awhile. This was the first time in weeks that the weather was such that I could get out in it this early and IT WAS GREAT! I ran up the West Side to the reservoir and then realized that the path would be one solid sheet of ice. It was. I practically walked the third of a mile around the water and then pushed hard to get to the 6 train. 3.33 miles in a little over 36 sumpin minutes. (ice effect)

It took a long time for the 6 train to arrive and I got really cold on that platform. Walking to Starbucks after the gym workout I looked up at some of the windows lighting up.



Joe(I was a little jealous of those sleepyheads)Nation

Here is my workouts page and it's good website to keep your own.
Running Ahead

[quote="Joe Nation
Another early morning train--5:13AM gets me to the park by 5:34AM.
[/quote]
You are awesome, Joe. And your pictures are great, too.

Joe, Thanks for the rundown, so to speak, and the pictures. You wonder how people can sleep on a subway platform? Are you a native Noo Yawker or a transplant?

3.33 is great under those conditions.
Nothing worse than ice, unless it's ice covered by a thin layer of snow.
I've messed myself up bad on both.

I did get my 4 in yesterday, but today is double-bad.
I'm not running at lunch; instead, I am going to a Chinese buffet restaurant.
[One of our engineers is taking some time off to have a baby.
I haven't seen the project plan, but I'm pretty sure she'll make the date.]

Started my "RunningAhead" log.
Nice Google Map Pedometer!
Thanks for the link, Joe.

I wanted to try an evening run so right after my ten hour day at work I squeezed by the new sculpture at the Grand Army Plaza at 5th and 59th Street and chugged up the long hill. And down the hill, around the Boathouse and up Cat Hill (I need to take a picture of the Cat so you all can see why it's called that, but if I stop too long, I stop.

There were two lucky circumstances tonight. One, a guy I could stay up with passed me about a mile into the run, so I hugged his heels for awhile and then, (I hardly ever get to say this) I passed him. I had to take off my jacket at that point. Note to self: stop wearing so many clothes!!!! Also stop carrying bottle of water, telephone, Palm and hugh set of keys!!

I was pretty much out of gas as I passed Fred's statue and I began plotting a way to cut across the park before getting all the way to the 102nd Street crossover, but then, out of no where, fifty runners appeared, all heading towards me but just as they got to where I was THEY TURNED AROUND and started running with me! You talk about getting a free ride! We flew along for the next mile and a half to the place where they all stopped to do stretches.



I'm calling tonight three miles although with the blocks from Lex to the park, it's closer to four.


There is something about people sleeping on the trains that fascinates me.

There he is.
His world in one black plastic bag.
What dreams is he dreaming
as the train shrieks through the night?

Joe(Off day tomorrow)Nation

Awright, Joe! Sounds like a good evening.
Nothing for me to report of yesterday but sloth and gluttony.
[The buffet at "Bamboo Fine Asian Cuisine" was excellent, however.]

Keep on keepin on.

Before I forget, thank you, George, for looking in at these ramblings and joining in too.

Joe(No matter how many people you run with, it's still a solitary experience)Nation

A lot of life is Lonesome Valley territory, but when you're lucky there are people who smile and wave.

My marathon training continues this morning, Joe. Valet trash pick up. Trot around buildings, up stairs, down stairs. I really must get myself a timer.

Trash Pickup
Building Loop
Stair Climb/Descent

The Edgar Blythe Triathlon!

Yesterday was gorgeous. Clear and calm with temps in the high 30's (F).
I slogged on out, settled into a decent pace, and ran a 4-mile route.
I saw four other runners out taking advantage of the day. And there are
always a couple of groups of Indian guys out for a walk together. They
seem to enjoy getting out of the office and speaking their own language.

As good as yesterday was for running, today is bad. Snow turned to rain
overnight leaving a slushy mess. I'll be using the rower today.

Tomorrow I'm taking Clive up to Loon Mt., so no running then either.

George says:


Um... Clive? Loon Mt. We need more details, right, gang?

Hey, the rain that slushed you drowned us on Thursday night and Friday morning BUT by two o'clock Spring had arrived:

The snow is gone, the horses are clipping and clopping at a happier pace and up on Cat Hill..... oh here is that picture of the Cat I promised:

and here is where he hangs out.


I had a nice circuit of the park today. 5.1 miles in 52:08.

Going to do an early run tomorrow to finish out the week.

Joe(trucking on)Nation

I know that cat! So the weather is better now, eh? it absolutely SUCKED earlier. Must be nice to have nothing to do on a friday but go running through the park. You are a lucky man.

Go get 'em, Joe Nation.

Thanks for starting this thread, Joe. It will be interesting to follow your progress.

As a totally unrelated aside: How long would it take you to run up a flight of stairs? Could you do it in 10 seconds?
On NPR this afternoon was a story about a competition in Washington state where fire fighters will race up 69 flights of stairs. They talked to last year's winner (and I thought I heard 5 time winner); a 27 year-old volunteer fireman who did it in 11 minutes. 660 seconds divided by 69 is 10 seconds per floor. And, oh yes, he is dressed in full fire-fighting gear and breathing from a tank of air. 70 lbs of stuff.

I remember having trouble walking all the steps of the Washington monument when I was thirteen, another story there, already told on a2k. People who can do the tour d'france or giro d'italia, biking up mountains, are near-aliens to me, a lifetime semi-or-2/3-wimp. I think Joe's m.o. is cardiac health, general fitness, and the side bennies of those two. He probably felt subpar when not spriting about the land.

Plus, he loves the city and its rhythms, the mix of nature and city...
the watching.. the vignettes, the real ones.

oh, wait, I'm starting to talk for him and he does that better.

Clive is my son. He has some motor planning, strength, and balance issues.
Loon Mt. is a ski slope in New Hampshire. The White Mountain Adaptive Ski
School is there. Clive is taking lessons.