I Like to Run

First snow

2012-02-05T04:41:00.002-05:00

It is February and we finally have some snow on the ground, well there was snow yesterday when I went out to run, but it was still kinda wet and blowing around. This morning it is still -7C there is no wind and the snow makes crunchy sounds as you run on it. There is only about 1cm of snow, but it looks like it will stay around for a while.

Cold Mornings

2012-02-03T02:04:00.002-05:00

There have been some quite cold mornings here in Ljubljana since I got back fro the UK, where it was quite mild. This morning was the coldest so far, with the digital temperature gauge flashing -7C. There was also a strong wind which of course makes it feel much colder. Through my years in New York I have probably run on colder days in windier conditions, but it has been a while and I need to get used it.

1 year done

2012-01-16T09:50:00.002-05:00

So 2 days ago on January 14 I went for a run in the countryside it was my 365th day of running. It didn't seem any different than all the others, it was a beautiful sunny day and the air was really fresh. I was running on muddy trails and about 10 or so minutes in I slipped and fell sideways onto the dirt. I ran for about an hour and was rewarded with a hearty vegetable stew and a relaxing afternoon.

Almost a year

2012-01-13T14:25:00.002-05:00

Today I ran my 364th straight day, so of course tomorrow will be 1 year. I did not run 1 multiday during that time in fact the longest race I did was a 12 hour race. I don't think that I have had as many injuries as in recent years. I think that is mostly due to consistently running, your body sort of gets used to the regularity,

Yesterday

2012-01-01T08:28:00.002-05:00

Just 2 days ago it was raining quite hard all day, but at one point in the afternoon I had the feeling that it was time to go out and run. so out I went. It just happened to be the 350th straight day of running.

11 months and counting

2011-12-20T08:20:00.003-05:00

Last Wednesday marked 11 months since I missed a day of running, the longest streak I have put together for sometime. There has not been a day when I did not want to go out and had to talk myself into it. When I had my back problem in late October it was difficult to get out there and run, but I wanted to get out there and do it.
My plan is to keep update this blog a bit more often.

Stubbed toe

2011-12-01T02:55:00.002-05:00

I got back from Bosnia early this morning and in my haste to get out and run I stubbed my toe on the bottom of a cabinet while only wearing socks. You know how it really hurts for a few seconds and then feels better, well it was still a little sore when I went out for my run, but got better as I went on. However when I took my sock off to go for a shower the tip of the middle toe on my left foot was purple, but not swollen. Already this morning ( after 24 hours ) it is much better and I do not anticipate any major problems running. By the way my streak is at 320 days and will hit 11 months in a couple of weeks time.

300

2011-11-10T04:56:00.002-05:00

I have been feeling a few flu like symptoms the last few days and this morning was no exception. Mainly my head felt a little cloudy, but when I went out for my run I felt a spring in my step. This was actually my 300th straight day of running and a few days away from 10 months without missing a day. This is the longest streak I have put together for a few years.

Update

2011-10-18T03:25:00.002-04:00

Well I went to Belgrade for the 12 hour race. On the way there I developed a cold, which just before the race start included a very runny nose. There no idea of me not running so I began the run at midnight.For the first few hours I felt good though my nose was running a lot and I was also sweating a lot, then I went through a period where my energy was quite low, but I was able to keep moving.During this time I wondered if I would achieve any decent mileage, but told myself to just make it to sunrise. I made it to sunrise and things improved, I ended up with 42 miles ( 68 Km ), which I was quite happy with and also finished 3rd in my age group. In the past when I am in decent shape I can run around 50 miles ( 80 Km ), well at this age anyway.

Saturday run

2011-09-17T06:39:00.002-04:00

This morning a few of us went out to the track and I, along with another runner are planning to go to Belgrade next week for a 12 hour race. So this was a chance to kind of see where we are. I ran over to the track about 2 km and then did 27 laps which gave me another 10.8 km. I tried to keep a pretty even pace and did the run in 75 minutes. I had some minor twinges which came and went away and in general was happy with the 13 km for the morning. The temperature was quite nice and cool to start getting a little warm near the end.

Experience

2011-08-28T04:38:00.002-04:00

My meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy would have been 80 years old yesterday. Among the many thing he taught me was that life is about experience and from this experience we learn to move forward in our lives. This morning when I went out to run I had a quite strong pain in my left hip and a couple of times it wanted to spasm. I started by walking about 50 meters and then try to jog, but it didn't want to let me. ordinarily my mind would have said don't run go home and rest the problem. I have been running multiday races for about 25 years now and have learned a few things. So I continued to walk and focus on relaxing the muscles in my hip area. After a few more minutes I tried again to jog. This time the pain had subsided and I could run, by the time my run was finished I was running comfortably. Of course if the pain had increased that would have been a different matter, but experience has taught me to not give up after just a few steps.

A little help

2011-08-18T08:49:00.002-04:00

For the last year or so I have been experiencing some lower back tightness from time to time. It does not really bother me when I run so I kept putting off doing something about it. As is often the case I finally got the inspiration to do something and decided to add what I call box situps after my run. This is a variation of an Egoscue situp. Right now I do just 20 after my run each day and after only 2 days things have improved.Also my digestion seemed to have improved and also my energy levels. Go figure!

200 Days

2011-08-03T11:52:00.002-04:00

When I am on a running streak I usually don't keep track of days after I reach 100, but due to a project I am involved in I can now say that I have reached 200 days. This of course also translates into 6 1/2 months. My experience has been that just as in some races there are days when the inspiration and enthusiasm is there, but some days you struggle and some days you just fly. You can even see it as a metaphor for life, you just have to hang in there, good and bad.

Things change

2011-07-24T11:44:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I struggled a little on my run I thought maybe it was because I was running in the morning and I have been running in the afternoons mostly. It was also a little more humid and little warmer than previous days. This morning I went out with the idea of maybe running for 30 minutes, but when I got out there it felt good and I decided to run from my place to Brankov bridge, which is the bridge I cross to get to the city each day. On the way back I could feel that my form was quite good and it was nice to run. I saw a really nice Buddha on one of the floating structures on the river, which was cool.

Change of weather.

2011-07-22T12:46:00.002-04:00

It has been quite hot here in Belgrade, we even had a few days where it was 40C or more. Last weekend I went to Slovenia for a couple of days, actually staying 1 night in the Olympic sports center in Planica and managing to get an early morning run in up there, where it was nice and cool. I have been running in the early evenings here in Belgrade because it is usually a little more pleasant. 2 days ago it rained here and now the high temp's are in the 24C range so that makes a huge difference, especially when I read about high temp's and high humidity in New York . Where I would have been doing my running just a few summer's ago.

Tired legs

2011-06-30T12:28:00.002-04:00

This past weekend I was in Ohrid, Macedonia. I ran a 2 mile race on Saturday morning, which turned out to be 3000m actually. Then in the afternoon I hiked with some friends up the highest mountian in Macedonia called Galicica, so my legs were very tired afterwards. The next morning I ran in a 1 mile race which was upa hilll and back down again once again tough on the legs. So for the first few dyas of this week my running has been a bit laboured, but I have managed to maintain my runningand I think I will be stronger by the weekend. Ultimately hills make you stronger.

A switch

2011-06-20T11:24:00.002-04:00

When I first came to Belgrade I was running in the early morning and on some occasions it was quite cool. Well after about a week I strained something in my back after a morning run. I continued to run in the morning for a couple of days, but then had the idea to run in the afternoons after work. Well this seems to have done the trick and things are much better now. Sometimes you just have to switch the time of day that you run and use the conditions to help you recover from injury.

150 days

2011-06-13T13:25:00.002-04:00

I went out at around 5:30 this morning to run by the Sava river in New Belgrade. It was a cool morning, it was also my 150th day without missing a run, so another milestone in my current running streak. However a little while after I finished I strained a muscle in the lower right side of my back just above the kidney area. It got better as the day went on but it is stil there. I was supposed to go running with some of the guys in the early evening, but that was a no for now and we will see how things feel in the morning.

The last Month

2011-06-02T12:52:00.002-04:00

During the last month I have been travelling, but I did manage to keep my running streak going and as of today it is 139 days or just over 4 1/2 months. I also ran a 2 mile race in Munich in a rain storm in a time of 17: 11, then a 2 mile race in Berlin in much better conditions, but slower time of 17:21. Then at the end of the month I ran a 2 mile race in warm conditions on a flat course in 16:10. with a friend running with me and keeping my pace good. I will be going to Belgrade, Serbia next week for 3 months and hope to run some races there.

100 days

2011-04-26T12:57:00.000-04:00

In America the president of the United States makes a speech after 100 days of his term. Well on Sunday I completed 100 days of running without missing a day. As I have stated before I never plan to start a running streak they just happen, something inspires me to go out for several days in a row and the next thing I know I have done 30 or 40. The day before I completed my 80th straight day a friend told me that she planned to run 80 straight days to honour what would have been Sri Chinmoy's 80th year. So the next day I dedicated the run to him. One thing that I have found is that when I am consistent with my running I feel so much better and my body gets used to the rhythm of running everyday, kind of like when I run multiday races. I don't have to force myself to go out and run it just kind of happens. Today I met a woman who is 85 years old and she said " Time goes by so fast you don't have time to worry about it". So there it is ;)

Spring is finally here

2011-03-25T12:08:00.002-04:00

Spring is finally here and yesterday and today I went out running in shorts and T shirt for the first time this year. Today I was inspired and ran to the track where I did a few K's and then went back onto the road finishing with a total of 10Km, it was also my 70th day of running without missing a day. So I am quite happy that I have a good streak going.

Correction

2011-03-23T12:00:00.003-04:00

Well I was a litle sceptical of my fast time in the 10k race on Sunday and it turns out that it was 9.35k, but my projected time for 10k is around 55 minutes. So I did run inside the 1 hour I was hoping for and I am happy with the time.

10 km race

2011-03-21T10:12:00.002-04:00

I ran my besy time for 10k when I was 26 or 27 years old. Yesterday at the age of 57 I ran my first 10k race probably since starting to run multiday races. It was a well organized race on the Slovenian coast. There were around 900 runners and the race fee was 15 euro.It is between to small towns. You park your car near the finishing line and they take you by bus to the start. The soline 10k is pretty flat except for one quite big hill at around 6k, then of course there is a downhill. After running a half marathon 2 weeks ago my legs were feeling quite strong, the air was good and my breathing was good. I tried to keep and even pace, there were no K markers until the last one so it was hard to know what my pace was. There was one water station just before the hill. I would have preferred more, but it was most welcome when it came. I was thinking to run under 1 hour would be ok and was surprised when I saw the 1k to go mark and saw on my watch 44 minutes. I crossed the finishing line in 50:25. The best time I ever ran for 10k some 30 years ago is 38:48. So time as not treated me so badly. It was a beautiful morning and I was really glad that I am getting into the racing scene again and hope to do a lot more in the coming year.

Half marathon

2011-03-16T12:56:00.002-04:00

On March 4th I went to Serbia for 10 days. 2 days after I got there I ran a half marathon in Nish. It was quite cold, around freezing but the support was really good and I ran a steady race, which was also a good training run for me. I had a little pain from my right achilles in the middle of the race and some hamstring tightness near the end, but was quite happy with my 2:28:43 time. I got a chance to do some easy training in Belgrade near the river Sava for the next week and beleive it or not I have a 61 day running streak going.

Good and bad days

2011-02-18T11:01:00.002-05:00

In running we often say we have good days and bad days. Just recently I had a couple of days when I seemed to struggle a little during my run, of course I had the initial inspiration to go out there and run, so that was good. Then after a couple of days my run felt really good and yet the feeling I had to go out there was no different than before. What I have found over my many years of running is that it is important to just get out there, regardless of how long the consistency of running every day if you can is what helps. I never try to force myself to go out and run, there just comes a time in the day when I decide to go. Back in 1997 this led to me starting a running streak that went on for just over 4 1/2 years, that was broken on September 11, 2001. I am constantly inspired when I hear of someone who has a running streak that spans decades and who knows maybe someday I will join them, but mostly I am just thinking about the run I am doing, just about to do or have just done. ;)

Return of an old friend

2011-01-09T04:35:00.002-05:00

I just 3 weeks in England for the Christmas holidays and while I was there I developed the same pain in my right hip that I got last winter. This time around I am a bit more ready for it and hopefully it will not hinder my training like last time. I like to feel that we learn from all the experiences we get and this helps us to overcome any problems that may occur. So here's hoping for a stronger winter training season than last year.

To the edge of Helsinki

2010-12-05T05:21:00.002-05:00

When we started out today we knew that by the end of the running we would at the Helsinki city border and would sleep there that night. we had some interesting meetings at some enthusiastic schools. When the days running was finished we were near to a sports complex and we thought it would be a nice idea to maybe go for a swim in the pool. It turns out that the owner of the swimming pool has followed us on the internet and also knows about the great feats of one of our Finnish runners. He met with us and offered free entry into the swimming complex which also included sauna. He even gave free rental of swimming suits for those that did not have them as we could not use running shorts in the pool. We were then treated to a very nice dinner by our hosts

Long day.

2010-11-02T04:59:00.002-04:00

On our second full day in Finland with the whole team we faced 180km of running. Actually our ultra running friend was going to run 50km himself. The countryside was very beautiful and inspiring and I think I personally got to run about 25km that day. It was broken up over 6 shorter runs, though the last 3 were uphill. I climbed a series of hills and my run would finish when they leveled out. I was however rewarded with a nice downhill on my last run of the day. We got to stay in small cabins on a camp ground and also enjoy a sauna before dinner. Lots of nice meetings and runners on the road.

We start our run to Helsinki.

2010-10-27T10:01:00.001-04:00

Where was I. Oh yes during our second night in Vaasa the rest of the WHR team arrived from Iceland. So in the morning we started at a ceremony in the city square near a market. Then with a police escort we ran once again to the park where the statue was. On the arrival of a local runner we made our way to a nearby stadium where the Vaasa marathon would begin. We were introduced to the runners, did a lap around the stadium track and started off on our run towards Helsinki. Some time after our departure the marathon began and as our runners ran with the torch we were joined by the the competitors as the first part of our run covered part of the marathon course.
Since the full team was now here and we had 2 vans we split up into 2 teams we use a method called leapfrogging to cover the distance and also make various ceremonies along the way. The final ceremony was near the place where we would stay the night and we were greeted by a former winter Olympian and medal winner in cross country skiing. We spent our first night on the road in a log cabin

Vaasa

2010-10-20T11:13:00.001-04:00

On arriving in Helsinki and finally getting our bags we drove with 2 of our friends to Vaasa in the north, where we got to stay in another friend's apartment for the night.
We had 26 schools to visit on our first WHR day in Finland, we split into 2 teams of 3 with one team visiting 17 schools that were close together and the other visiting 9 schools further apart. It was very cold and windy, but at each school we had a warm welcome. There are 2 official languages in Finland, Finnish of course and Swedish. each of the schools spoke of these. I was on the team that visited 17 schools. We ended our running in a park where we joined with the other team, some school children who came with us and some local officials, near a statue of Sri Chinmoy, the founder of the run. There was a ceremony at which a Peace tree was planted and everyone got to have their photo taken and some interviewed by a local newspaper

Just to get there.

2010-10-14T11:33:00.000-04:00

So I have been back from the WHR for 11 days now, so here is the start of my report.
We were scheduled to fly on Baltic from Belgrade to Riga and then on to Helsinki on September 1st.
We arrived at the airport and proceeded to go to check in, but there was no check in. We then looked on the departure screen for our flight and it was not there. After an inquiry at the information desk, we found out that Baltic does not operate flights to Helsinki via Riga between September and February, even though they let us book a flight for September 1st. It seems they had been trying to inform us of this without success. So they had an obligation to give us an alternative flight and booked us on an Austrian Airlines flight through Vienna for the next morning. This did not create a big problem with our Finland schedule so we were happy and we had a better flight.
We arrived in Helsinki mid afternoon the next day instead of late evening the day before and apart from the fact that our bags were delivered to another terminal everything was good. I was in Finland for the first time ;)

World Harmony Run European team

2010-10-06T02:36:00.000-04:00

I have just come back from spending the last month of the European leg of the World Harmony Run as part of the team. I got to go from Finland, through the Baltic states, Belarus and to the closing ceremony in Moscow. Spending a month living out of a van during the day and having to go out and run several times during those days can seem like a tough deal. That is so far from the truth. Yes there are days when the body is telling you it maybe does not want to run so much, but I am a multiday runner and I am used to that. Even if you struggle a little bit some mornings the feeling you get when people greet you on the road, or the look in the faces of people ( especially children ) when they get to hold the torch, takes away any tiredness that may be present.
Over the next few posts I will try describe what it has been like and focus on each country I ran in. I hope you will enjoy my journey.

2 more days

2010-08-30T06:31:00.002-04:00

So this morning I picked up my visa for Belarus and I am now ready to go. We fly on Baltic Air through Riga to Helsinki on Wednesday afternoon. I am not sure if I will have any internet access during the trip, but when I do I will post something. You can check out how I am doing here http://www.worldharmonyrun.org

Almost time to go

2010-08-23T14:34:00.000-04:00

Today I picked up my visa from the Russian consulate, tomorrow I go by bus to Belgrade where I will get a visa for Belarus and in 11 days time I fly with 2 friends to Finland where we will join the final leg of this years World Harmony Run. Starting in Finland we go to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Belarus. Before entering Russia via Smolensk and finish in Moscow late September. It should be quite an adventure. Not sure if I will have much internet access, but when I do I will try to post something.

New adventure

2010-08-19T10:16:00.002-04:00

in a couple of weeks time I will be off on another leg of the World Harmony Run, actually the last leg of the European run. The run will end with a closing ceremony in Moscow on September 27. I need a visa for Russia and spent 2 days this week trying to get one. The invitation that my friends in Moscow sent me had some mistakes in it which were pointed out to me by the clerk at the Embassy here. He made a call and said they would fax a new one to them and I should come back tomorrow, which I did only to find out that the invite had not come. He made another call and I ended up waiting a couple of hours for it to eventually arrive. The staff at the Embassy treated me very well and I was most grateful. I should now get my visa on Monday and leave for Belgrade on Tuesday, where I will get a visa for Belorus, which does not have an embassy in Ljubljana. Then on September 1 I fly to Finland to start the run.

Saturday 2 mile race

2010-08-14T06:40:00.002-04:00

I have been managing to run the 2 mile race the last few weeks and gradually getting a little faster though not yet up to my times in New York. It was a little foggy with what felt like a slight drizzel. There were 3 of us at the starting line and I managed to post a time of 16:35. I have been experiencing some tightness and soreness in my lower back the last few weeks, but I am able to run without too much discomfort. I think it is improving but need to do a few more things to help it along.

Trans-Slovenia weekend

2010-08-10T13:16:00.001-04:00

So on Saturday morning I got a ride out to the 3rd stage of the Trans- Slovenia Mountain Edition race where my friend was running. There was some tough mountain running and I got to do some of it with him. I also got to stay in the Youth Hostel where the race ended on Saturday night and where the runners and organizers stayed. On Sunday I got to share the running and helping duties with my friend Milan. The last 30Km or so of the final stage was on the same road as last years classic race so it was familiar to me and I liked the downhill section into Koper.

Trans-Slovenia mountain edition.

2010-08-07T04:16:00.002-04:00

My friend Namitabha Aleksander Arsic is running in the Mountain Edition of the Trans Slovenia run I helped him last year in the Classic edition. I was not able to help him this time, but will be going out for the end of stage 3 today and plan to stay overnight and help on the 4th and final stage.You can check out how things are going or how things went here; http://mountain.trans-slo.si/. Hopefully I will post something in a couple of days about the race.

Cool running

2010-07-24T12:40:00.002-04:00

It has been very hot here for the last few weeks, but yesterday the rains came and everything changed. It was quite a bit cooler for the 2 mile race this morning and it was jut starting to rain as I got to the track. As a result only 2 people showed up, so I decided I would also run this week. In the middle of the race we got a big downpour which included some small hailstones. I ended up coming first in a slow time of 18:43, just 19 seconds ahead of the second place finisher. I t was fun to race and I was grateful for the cool refreshing conditions.

Right knee

2010-07-13T14:23:00.002-04:00

After running in the Pohorje winter series in January I jammed my right knee on the decent. I have noticed some occasional pain in the kneecap from time to time. This morning there was a definite soreness in my right knee, but by the time I went out for my run in the afternoon it was gone. I have the feeling that something has finally worked itself out, however time will tell

Consistency

2010-07-12T10:40:00.001-04:00

I feel as though I am getting some consistency back in my running these last few days. Believe it or not I think it may be because of the hot weather and that I may have lost a few Lbs ( Kilo's).

Middle of the month

2010-07-11T04:26:00.002-04:00

In the middle of each month, along with a few friends, I try to run for 1 hour on the track near my home. Up until now I have been doing this at 9 am on a Sunday morning, but since the weather has become much warmer we are now starting at 8am. Yesterday I was in Zagreb with some friends who swam in an open water 5km race while I ran 5km. I really enjoy a nice easy run with friends on a track, though I have noticed that for the last week my right Achilles has been a little sore.

Aftermath

2010-06-27T05:25:00.002-04:00

It has been 1 month since the 6 day race in New York when I ran and 1 week since Ultrabalaton when I was a handler. I am now seeing what the aftermath of these 2 events are. I am still losing some skin of the bottoms of my feet from the 6 day, this is normal and not a problem. The main thing from Ultrabalaton is my desire for sleep, I still wake early as usual, but I get quite sleepy during the day. This of course will pass and is all part of the recovery process.

Ultrabalaton 2010

2010-06-22T05:44:00.003-04:00

This was such a great adventure.
I met up with my friend Tomaz on Friday morning and after a shopping for a few last minute things we left his home for 3 plus hour drive to Tihany on Lake Balaton. Along with 5 other Slovenians we had rented an apartment very close to the race start/ finish. After checking in at the apartment we went to race packet pick up and the pasta party, during which time a thunderstorm came and went.
Back at the apartment there was some race discussion and then we watched the world cup games involving Slovenia and England, which also included our own pasta party. The forecast was for rain over the weekend and we got a lot overnight, but Saturday morning was beautiful. The race started with about 200 runners, 85 of which were individual racers and the rest members of relay teams. The runners carry a code key which they have to insert into a box at checkpoint/aid stations of which there were 51 I think, spaced approximately every 5 km. I was very impressed with the support the race gives, you could do the race without a handler without too big a problem. The course often goes on trails and bike paths, which are not accessible by car so this was a challenge for me. You are given a booklet with individual route maps from each town to the next, which can be a little confusing until you get used to them. On a couple of occasions you have to make long detours. Some runners used handlers on bicycles which means they can stay with you all the time.
Tomaz and I had talked about race strategy and his aim was to finish inside the 32 hour cut off. There are also a few time cuts during the race. My feeling was that he could do it in about 26 hours.
After about 1 hour I had to make a big detour and would not see him for an hour or so, I gave him extra water and energy bar, but knew that there were also aid stations during the break and off I went. Unfortunately due to some confusion I joined the course later than expected and it was 2 hours before we saw each other again.Which was a little unsettling. He was doing well though was feeling the heat. After that I think both of us settled in and became more comfortable as the race went on. After about 5 or 6 hours the field was beginning to spread out and by nightfall there were not too many runners to be seen. At this time Tomaz had passed 100km in around 10 1/2 hours. During the night hours there were maybe 4 or 5 runners running fairly close together and small friendships developed between them and the handlers as we helped each other master the course and it's interesting movements. There was one runners Dr Szylvie Lubic I think was her name, she was having some major problems in the late night hours and dropped back a little , but I was very impressed with the way she came back quite strongly and finished second female and about 30 minutes ahead of Tomaz. Having got through the night hours and struggling with tired and sore legs was within 60km of the finish and I think we were both confident that we could get there, I felt that maybe he could finish closer to 25 hours. Tomaz was now slower but steady and in the last few hours the rain came first some showers then a thunderstorm which made the arrows marking the course a little hard to see and Tomaz being tired and having to concentrate more was a little frustrated. We were so close now and there were 2 runners just a few minutes ahead. There was one last long uphill before you enter into Tihany where the race finishes, I gave Tomaz one last energy gel and told him I would see him at the last turn before the finish line. I parked the car and started back to that point when Tomaz suddenly came tearing around the corner, in a final sprint he had passed the 2 runners in front of him and I barely made it to the finish line before he did. He crossed in a time of 26 hours and 15 minutes plus some seconds and looked quite good if somewhat sore and tired. Peter, a Danish runner who we had befriended during the night came in a few minutes later.After you cross the finish line you are presented with a finish line tape with your name printed on it, which I think is a great idea. After we both had a shower and some lunch and experienced another thunderstorm, it was time for me to drive us home. Tomaz got to sleep a little in the car and somehow I managed to drive back safely despite having not slept for 36 hours. Both of us were extremely happy with a good weekends work.

Tomaz was 17th overall and 15th male.

Another word on World Harmony Run

2010-06-01T12:24:00.000-04:00

I have been back from the World Harmony run now for a couple of days and just wanted to post something.
It is always a great experience to participate and this year was quite interesting for me. The International team included an American, a Canadian and a Guatamalan along with the usual Europeans. The run, which is organized mainly by my friend Marjan, can be quite intense at times, but really takes care of the runners. We had some great meetings with lots of schools and such dignitaries as the President of the country and President of the parliament.By the time the week was up many great friendships had been made. Personally after the first few days I had more soreness than usual in my legs, but this improved over the week and the whirlpool and swimming pools in our hotels really helped. In September I get to run in the final leg of the European run which ends in Moscow, which should be quite an experience.

World Harmony Run

2010-05-21T12:45:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow a few of us will drive from Ljubljana to the border with Croatia near Rupa. There we will receive the torch and will then combine with the International team to run to Postojna. Then due to a change in the schedule for Monday, the Slovenian team will try to cover the distance between Postojna and Ljubljana over the weekend. I hope to give a report of everything that will go on during the next week in my next post.

24 Hour World Championships

2010-05-14T05:26:00.002-04:00

I stayed up most of the night and probably missed only about 5 hours of the live updates. I have friends on both the American and Italian teams, so I had a lot to look at. Congrats to Scott Jurek who got the indivual Sliver medal and set an American record in the process. My friend John Geesler, who I was running in a 6 day race with just a few weeks ago. Did not have such a great race, but still comes home with the team Bronze medal.

Self- Transcendence 6 day race

2010-05-06T12:35:00.002-04:00

On April 19 I manged to fly out of Trieste airport in Northern Italy when the ash cloud that had closed it for 2 days moved and allowed my flight to take place. The airport was closed again the next day, so there you go. I arrived in NY an hour late and my bag arrived a day later after spending an extra day in Rome. I had 3 days to to get my stuff together which included recovering from a bad cold I had the previous week.
The race began a noon on April 23. it was a sunny, but not too warm day. Though I quickly got into my usual pattern of running and walking and sharing some news with fellow runners, I ended up with a first day total that was about 8 miles short of usual. On the evening of the second day the rain came and along with it my cold became bad again. For the next 3 days I pushed on as best I could, but found that my sleep breaks were longer than in previous races and my mileage was low. It sort of worked out that I was a day behind on my usual daily numbers, so that my final distance covered in 6 days was 222 miles. My total last year was 277 and this is about my average for 6 days. Anyway I have always felt it is not about the mileage, but more about the experience and once again I learned a lot about myself and many of the other people in the race. This is what multiday racing is all about.

Last winter cup race

2010-03-04T04:30:00.002-05:00

Sunday I drove with a friend up to Maribor to participate in the last Pohorje winter cup race of the season. It is the 13th race for this edition. This was the 3rd time I participated. With the recent problem I have had with my back and hip I was not sure how I would hold up, but I felt pretty good at the start and the temperature was quite mild. The race started and within the first few minutes my breathing was hard, this is normal and usually settles down after a time, then I lose my legs which also settle down. This time my breathing never got better, I had a problem the whole race, but my legs stayed strong. It was only after I finished and developed a chesty cough that I realized, I had a cold. I was happy that I had a good workout and finished the race. To cap it all off we got free pizza after wards.

Trans-Slovenia winter edition.

2010-02-16T05:15:00.001-05:00

Last week a Slovenian friend of mine ran in the Trans Slovenia run Winter edition. It is a 220km run across Slovenia.The original plan was for me to help him for the whole race, but for various reasons that did not work out. On Friday the race came within 3km of my place, so I ran out to meet it. I then ended up running and also getting rides with a helper to the end of the stage. I got to meet some old friends from last years Summer race and then got a ride back to Ljubljana with one of the crew.
On Sunday I took an early train out to Sevnica, where the last stage would start another friend with a car had driven down from Ptuj and together we acted as support for my friend Tomaz. It was only Tomaz's second Ultra race, having previously run a 100km. Out of a field of 34 runners which included 4 women, he finished 9th among the men.

Broken

2010-02-01T09:03:00.002-05:00

I have had a running streak going for the last 5 and a half months, well that came to an end over the weekend. Something happened to my right hip last week and on Friday I kind of realized that I had Sciatic nerve problems. I still planned to run a Half marathon on Sunday, but on Saturday circumstances did not allow me to run and it started to feel much better. I decided to help out at the race instead and give my injury 1 more day to rest. I do not try to feel any pressure to keep a running streak going and when 1 stops another one can begin. I plan to go out today and see how it feels.

Winter

2010-01-29T02:43:00.002-05:00

I have managed to keep going out everyday, but lately the temp's have been very low. I did go to Rijeka in Croatia a few days ago and it was relatively warm there so that was nice. However when I got back into the cold my body did not seem to like it and I now have some tightness in my lower back and especially my right buttock. It is uncomfortable, but has not stopped me from running. I had planned to run a Half Marathon this Sunday, but we will have to see how I feel on the day of the race.

Snowy race

2009-12-16T04:05:00.002-05:00

So I decided on Saturday that I would run the Winter Cup race in Pohorje for the second week in a row. I was still a little sore from the last one, but figured that it was just going out in a multiday race. Anyway I stayed at my friend's, who just happens to be the race organizer, on Saturday night. As we left for the race there was a light snow falling, he showed me on his computer that there was snow on the race course. The temperature was also below freezing. There was a big starting field of 173 runners and walkers. Once I got going I did not feel so bad and quickly warmed up. I had changed my shoes from last week to ones with better grip, but once I got onto the steep snow covered slopes I began slipping a lot. In general I felt better when I finished, with a slower time than last week and I have to say that my recovery has been much better.

An Improvement

2009-12-12T03:32:00.002-05:00

So at this weeks 2 mile race we had 7 participants. It was once again 2 C though not misty this week, just a little overcast. The Sun did make a brief appearance near the end. I will be out of town for the next 4 weeks and will try to have someone else organize the race while I am away. I am hoping that the field will grow.
Last Sunday I was in Maribor for the second race in this years Winter Cup on Pohorje, it is a 3.8km race up the Pohorje mountain. This is the 3rd year and the field has been steadily growing. There were 155 runners and walkers. The course is a little different each week combining trails and ski slopes. I was a little faster than when I raced in January, but then you cannot compare. I was really tired and quite sore afterwards.

New life

2009-12-05T04:51:00.002-05:00

The weekly 2 mile race here in Ljubljana has been sadly lacking of late, so I decided to make a few announcements and try to be a bit more organized. Well this morning 4 runners showed up, which is 3 more than last week. I had apples for prizes and cookies as an after race treat. There were promises that more runners will come next week, so we will see what happens. Because the race is on a 400 meter track it is difficult for me to race direct and also run, but maybe that can change in the future. Everyone had fun and will try to invite more runners.

Keep on running

2009-11-26T03:29:00.000-05:00

It's been 100 days since I last missed a day of running and since I ran this morning it is now 101. Over the years I have had a few running streaks, the longest being just over 4 1/2 years. I never plan them they just happen and on they go.

2 mile races

2009-11-14T04:54:00.002-05:00

Last week I kind of jogged the 2 mile race in 16:29. It had been a late night and I was not feeling so great, but once again it was a chance to run faster than I do during the week.
Today was a little different, though cold. I did not feel like I was running fast and in fact was quite comfortable, but my time was 15:36. Which I am happy with at this time of the year. This is now 89 days straight and in a few days will hit the 3 month mark.

World Trophy 50k Championships

2009-11-01T06:02:00.002-05:00

I became friends with Amanda Stickel in February of this year and was lucky enough to see her run in the US Nationals 50k championships on a very cold day in March, in New York. She finished 3rd in New York, her first real ultra race. She has battled with an eating disorder and a lack of self confidence, but through all this she has continued to do the one thing she loves strongly and that is run.
This past weekend in Gibralter she ran in the IAU World Trophy 50k Championships, in conditions completely opposite to those in March. For a brief time she ran in second place, behind the leader and eventual winner of this race and the one in March, American team mate Kami Semick. She would eventually fade back into 5th place ( second American woman ), in a very respectable time of 3:52:38. Certainly showing the World that she belongs there. Congratulations Amanda! Job well done.

Ljubljana Marathon

2009-10-26T03:56:00.002-04:00

After being sick the last 2 weeks with a cold and also a sore right calf, I had decided not to run the marathon. Nataliya, sister of Dima ( both of whome ran with me on the World Harmony Run in May)had come from the Ukraine to run and was in good shape. There were about 7 Africans who had been invited, plus a couple of Ukraine and Russian women. So the field was quite strong. Nataliya was in about 11th or 12th place as she came through the 1/2 marathon in 1:23 right on her target pace. When I saw her with about 3 km to go she was in 10th place, which is where she finished with a personal best time of 2:48. She was of course very happy!

Did not take gloves

2009-10-13T03:28:00.002-04:00

I am back in Ljubljana after almost 3 weeks and the weather is much different than it was when I left. I went out for a run this morning with a full track suite and a warm hat. I noticed right away that I could see my breath and though bright and sunny it was quite fresh. After just a few minutes I realized that my hands were cold and I had not thought to bring gloves. My right calf is bothering me a little, which has been on and off for the last 2 weeks and I was still sore from playing football for an hour on Sunday. All in all I feel quite strong though.

50 Days

2009-10-07T00:57:00.002-04:00

I arrived in Sarajevo, Bosnia this afternoon and it is quite warm here. I went out for a 20 minute run from the place where I am staying, to the famous Holiday Inn and back. It was a landmark run, in that it is the 50th straight day on my current running streak.

World Harmony Run

2009-09-21T12:55:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow afternoon I will take a train to Belgrade with my friend Milan. We are going to join the World Harmony run. He will be with them for about 5 days, but I will be there for almost 2 weeks.In May I was on the run in Slovenia and Italy. This time I will be going to Bosnia, Serbia, Macedonia and Bulgaria. You can check out the website worldharmonyrun.org and get some information on it and see daily reports. If I get a connection and the time I will post something during my trip.

Oh yeah! I signed up for the Ljubljana Marathon, it's on October 25th

15 minutes

2009-09-19T02:52:00.002-04:00

The weekly 2 mile race in Ljubljana is on a 400 meter track. This morning the weather was overcast and quite mild. There were the usual 3 runners and believe it or not, this week I was 2nd. I was working herd to go under 15 minutes, but as I crossed the line the clock rolled over to 15 minutes. Of course this is an improvement and I am happy with it.

Aches and pains

2009-09-16T11:56:00.000-04:00

The day was pretty uneventful as it goes.I did go out for a run this afternoon in a light rain and it was very nice.I have noticed that the last couple of days I have had a few minor aches and pains. Not sure if this is because of old age or the change in the weather.

Better

2009-09-06T09:49:00.002-04:00

I figured out what was causing my sore ankle and treated it. Sometimes the problem is not the ankle,but the calf muscle. I found the spot where it was hurting and used a little acupressure. I then went out and ran for 33 minutes without a problem. It actually felt good and I felt like I was running with good form.

A week later

2009-09-06T02:12:00.002-04:00

Last week in New York it was raining for the 2 mile race. This week in Ljubljana it was also raining. For some reason my right ankle began feeling sore on my run home on Friday and was still feeling so when I ran out to the race, so I decided to not race, but just jog a couple of miles. Funnily enough it started to feel better on my way back home.

My friend Abichal ran in a 6 day race in Sweden which finished on Saturday, he had a final total of 501 km. Another friend, Sarah Barnett won the women's division with a total of 713.9 km. Well done to both of them.

Wet but happy race

2009-08-29T09:53:00.000-04:00

There has been quite a lot of rain the last 24 hours and and it has become quite cold for August in New York. This morning it was still raining lightly as we ran the weekly 2 mile race, just 4 days after the marathon. I usually try to run under 16 minutes in these races when I have run a long race just before. So I was happy with my 15:47 especially since I felt quite strong at the end and sprinted the last 200 meters passing a couple of runners before the finish line.

Hamstring

2009-08-26T11:50:00.002-04:00

It seems my payment for running the Marathon yesterday is a sore left hamstring this morning. I did go out and run a few K's as is normal for me and it made it feel better. Running a marathon is never easy, but sometimes the body remembers things from before and that makes it easier to go on to the end.

No excuses

2009-08-25T16:28:00.000-04:00

I probably have a lot of excuses as to why I ran a 5:07 marathon today, but none of them really matter. I ran it and I still feel pretty good at the end of it.The weather was quite cool to start with and although it got quite hot in the Sun, there was a nice breeze on the first half of the course and that helped a lot. Anyway it's another marathon under my belt.

New shoes

2009-08-24T12:49:00.000-04:00

After a cool breezy night it was very pleasant to go for a run this morning. I was inspired to go shopping and bought a new pair of running shoes, Asics gel strike.They feel really nice on my feet. We will see if I run in them in the marathon tomorrow. Stay tuned.

No speed, well enough for now.

2009-08-22T10:07:00.001-04:00

I ran the Saturday morning 2 mile race. It had rained quite heavily during the night and was still raining lightly when the race got underway. There was quite a big field of runners and I firmly planted myself in the middle of them. My time was 15:34 which was in fact 4 seconds faster my race in Ljubljana 2 weeks ago so not too bad. I do of course have a marathon to run in 4 days so it was a nice workout.

After the rain it is a little cooler, but the humidity is still there for now.

Trans Slovenia run

2009-08-10T01:51:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine from Belgrade has just arrived. He has come here to run the first Tans Slovenia run. Which will start on Wednesday morning. It is a stage race that will cover 397km in 5 days. I had originally planned to run the race myself, but will now try to help him.
Although it is the first time this race has taken place there will be around 28 runners, with the majority coming from Slovenia, but others coming from as far away as Australia.
I will try to post updates during, or at least a report after the race is over.

First race in Slovenia.

2009-08-08T16:16:00.001-04:00

This morning I ran my first 2 mile race in Slovenia. I had not run a 2 mile race since the morning that I left New York. So I was not exactly in race shape. I this kind of situation I usually try to run under 16 minutes.
The race was on a 400 meter red tartan track and there were on 4 runners and my time was 15 minutes 38 seconds. I am happy with that.

Infection

2009-08-05T03:14:00.002-04:00

My body seems to be fighting an infection and my kidneys have been working really hard. So for the last couple of days I have not been running. This morning I had the feeling I should run and when my friend Milan asked me if I wanted to I said yes.
It is a cool morning after the hot days that I ran on the weekend and as the run progressed I felt more and more like it was a good thing. I also felt that since it is 2 1/2 weeks since Triglav that my legs are recovered and stronger. Anyway it was a good run.

A different workout

2009-07-23T05:45:00.003-04:00

This past weekend I went to Triglav mountain. It is quite a hike from the parking lot where we started to the rest house just below the summit. I was told that the distance was around 7 km and the rise in elevation was around 1700 meters. I can tell you that my legs got a real testing and when I ran on Monday I knew I had really worked them. I know my legs will be much stronger after this and of course my breathing will be better too. I guess you could say this was my first experience with altitude training, well sort of. I am sure I will feel the benefit later in the year.

Longer runs

2009-07-12T10:24:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday I was in Split Croatia and ran 1 1/2 hours. During the week I was in Maribor and had runs of 1 hour and 45 minutes. Then I gave a workshop on Meditation in Ptuj, Friday night and Saturday morning, a small group, but it went well. Made it back to Ljubljana tired and happy and slept long.
The weather is so nice and I went out with my friend Milan and we ran through some country trails and by the river Sava. Finding some nice wild plums on the way back, I added them to my muesli.

Getting back

2009-06-30T15:10:00.002-04:00

This weekend I think I started to get my running training back into some kind of shape. While I was in Zagreb for a visit, I had a nice 45 minute run on both Saturday and Sunday. When I got back to Ljubljana I think one of my roommates got inspired and suggested we go for a 1 hour run this evening, There is a nice loop we can run that takes about 28 minutes, so the plan was to run it twice. However after the first loop I was not feeling so great, since I had been out late the night before and didn't get so much sleep. So I made a short cut and rejoined him later in the loop, but still ran 47 minutes. I also heard of a 24 hour race in Italy in September that I am thinking to Run, don't know all the details yet, but it is something to aim for.

New discoveries.

2009-06-21T04:31:00.001-04:00

I ran for almost 1 hour this morning in Ljubljana and it was a mix of outskirts of the city and almost countryside.. I feel like I am running at a comfortable pace and my form feels good. I have a slight problem with an old back injury, but I can live with that. Where is your friendly neighbourhood Chiropractor when you need him. Anyway I will sort that out.

Something new.

2009-06-19T12:23:00.001-04:00

Over the last couple of winters I have run in Flushing Meadow Park and out to Shea Stadium and the new Citi field Stadium. I would take photo's of the progression of the new stadium and the end of the old stadium. Well one of my photo's of the new stadium has been selected to be included in the 7th and latest edition of the Schmap city guide. It can be see at the following link;

http://www.schmap.com/newyork/activities_activities/#r=none&mapview=Map&tab=Places&p=356459&topleft=40.82303,-74.0250

Changing skin

2009-06-11T04:17:00.001-04:00

For the last 2 weeks or so the skin on the bottom of my feet has been peeling of . This is normal for me after a multi day race. It is like the old skin of the race is changing into a new one.
On Monday I did my longest run for a few weeks and the next day was shorter, but then I started running longer each day and also running with more pace. I am feeling as though my form is good again, actually I thought my from was good on the Harmony run, but it's hard to tell when you are carrying a torch. Anyway I am happy with my running.

Getting back in the groove

2009-06-10T01:42:00.002-04:00

My running has been quite limited for the last week, but now that I am back home in Ljubljana I can be a bit more focused. I have 2 or 3 running routes worked out and these give me good variety. There is a 100k race coming up this weekend in Vienna, Austria, that a few people have asked me to go to. I don't think I am quite ready for 100k, a 50k would have been nice. I also will probably be in Croatia this weekend taking care of some business. It is nice though to look at some different races around Europe that it is now much more easier to think about running. There is a whole new playing field out there for me now.

One to watch

2009-06-08T12:21:00.002-04:00

Each summer I am part of the crew at the Self- Transcendence 3100 mile race. this year I will not be there, well maybe I will be there in spirit. I am posting a link to a youtube video of the only female runner ever to run the race. If the link does not work just go to youtube and type in The spirit of the runner and feel it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J_2kzYDMTo

World Harmony Run

2009-05-26T04:27:00.002-04:00

For the last 2 weeks I have been participating in a global relay run. I started in Slovenia on the day I arrived from New York. The plan was for me to just run on the Slovenian part. However after 1 week and with a shortage of runners needed for the next week, I went on to Italy. I got to see a lot of Slovenia that I had not seen before. I averaged around 10k a day in running, which was pretty good considering that I only had 1 week of recovery from the 6 day race. When we got into Italy it was unusually warm with temperatures in the 90's F ( 30's C ). We visited a lot of schools to spread the message of world harmony. It was good training. sometimes at altitude and I was with a great team of international runners. I am now back in Slovenia and will start training for a race later this summer, though there is a possibility of a 100k race next month. We will have to see about that.

6 Day race part 2

2009-05-08T21:20:00.002-04:00

The 4th day was much cooler, but of the runners in the race had left which affects the race a little. My day started quite well and when I took my sleep break I slept really well, in fact I took the longest sleep of 5 hours. When I woke and went out on to the track I noticed I was struggling a little. I had the feeling that I was not as strong as I thought after my sickness 3 weeks before the race. I tried to hold it together, but had my lowest day of 38 miles.
Day 5 was better and Andy Cable who was just behind me in mileage pushed me on a little . It was interesting to see how the top 2 ladies in both the 10 day and 6 day were pushing each other along. My blister problems started to improve with the cold weather and I ended up with 41 miles on day 5.
Shortly after day 6 began the rains came. They were quite hard at times and parts of the course got a little flooded, which made things interesting. Since it is the last day a lot of runners spend time on the course. Most are looking at possible finishing distances. There was a respite from the rain during the night and then one last storm before the end of the race.The last few hours were pretty exciting because Dipali was approaching the World record and Pam reed in second place was approaching the American record. For me Andy had closed up to with 8 or 9 miles, but could not catch me so I settled for 270 miles, a last day of 38. I had done 273 in the first 6 days of the 10 day last year, so that seemed alright.

6 Day race report part 1

2009-05-03T15:58:00.002-04:00

When the race started I was pretty relaxed, this is I think my 26th multiday race. It was already quite hot and the Sun was pretty strong. There were a lot of new faces and a lot of energy out there. With it being a hot day I tried to make sure that I did not do too much in the first few hours. My pattern is to take an early break and then run through most of the night when it is cooler. By the end of the first day I had a total of 66 miles and felt quite good. My second day was started after a 1 hour break and I was once again out there in the heat. I noticed that I was getting some blisters on my feet, in the usual places, but earlier than I usaully get them. I treated them as I usaully do and continued to run and walk. On the second day I try to establish my sleep pattern and find that helps my body deal with any physical problems that come along. The 2 blisters I had early on now seemed to be under control, but I was having a little problem with metatarsal pressure, one on each foot. This is an old problem and I know how to deal with it. I finished with 45 miles on day 2 and a running total of 111 miles for 2 days.
The third day was the hottest of them all with the temps reaching close to 90 F ( 32 C ). Although I was using sunblock I wa still getting some burning, though it was not bothering me too much. Day 3 is often thought to be a tough one, when the body makes a play to get you to stop this craziness. If you can get through this it gets a little easier. I also knew that the weather was going to turn cooler, so I just had to keep going. There were some showers and then it was quite humid, but then the temperature was so much nicer. But before things got better I started to feell some pressure on both of my heels. I have not had heel blisters in many years, but I now had a small one on the outside of my left and the beginning of one on the bottom of my right. I changed my shoe regularily and that seemed to stop it from getting too serious. My mileage for day 3 was 42 for a halfway total of 153 miles. I would have liked it to be a little more, but I was happy.

All done

2009-05-02T22:11:00.001-04:00

Well I finished the 6 day race, we had some interesting weather. My total miles was about average for me, 270, but I did finish second in the over 50 age group. I will write more about it tomorrow.
Feeling good!

6 Day race

2009-04-26T09:25:00.001-04:00

I am a little more than 3 1/2 hours away from starting my 6 day race. It is already quite warm out there and will be around 88 F ( 31 C ) this afternoon. I try to stay at home relaxed for as long as I can and will arrive at the race site an hour or so before the start.
I feel pretty good so we will see what the week brings.
I will write up some kind of report when I get back. Wish me luck !

Race starts tomorrow

2009-04-25T09:52:00.001-04:00

At this time tomorrow I will probably be out at the race trying to relax before the start. This is my 26th multiday race I think ( you kind lose count after a while ). After all these years I still get a little nervous, but I know that will all go away once the race starts. The trick is to not use up too much nervous energy. As a veteran of these things people tend to ask me for advice and the best thing I can say is; just relax and enjoy the experience, whatever it brings.

2 days to go

2009-04-24T15:39:00.001-04:00

The weather has turned quite warm and it almost feels like summer here in New York. Today is not so warm 65 F ( 19 C), but for the next few days it will be in the 80's and the evening temps will be like the daytime temps from a week ago.
I will take some more of my things out to the race site this afternoon, only 2 more days to go.

Stormy Monday, Boston Marathon

2009-04-20T18:26:00.000-04:00

When I went out for my run this morning it was overcast and looking like it would rain. I ran an easy couple of miles and on the way back saw Utpal and ran another 3 with him.
I had to run a few errands and then I watched the Boston Marathon on the internet. The women had a very close finish with only one second separating first and second places.
In the afternoon the rain came and it got quite stormy as it went on. I was supposed to help a friend set up their tent out at the race site, but that was changed because of the rain.

Easy running

2009-04-19T18:46:00.002-04:00

I guess it's time to taper for my race. This morning I just ran an easy 3 miles, though my legs did feel a little heavy from the 2 mile race yesterday. Also for some reason my stiff neck has not gone completely away. I hope to take a few things out to the race site in a couple of days and I have started packing some of my things. This time next week I will be well and truly into the race.

Racing again

2009-04-18T11:10:00.000-04:00

With only about 70 runners at the 2mile race this morning, I was able to run the race. The temperature was 60 F and it was sunny with a light wind. I felt quite comfortable while I was running, though my breathing did feel a little laboured in the second mile. A friend of mine passed me just before the end and was just in front of me, so I raced him to the finish line. My time was 15:32, which I am happy with.

10 days to go

2009-04-16T17:38:00.001-04:00

Such a beautiful day today. All the rain that was around has now gone and there is sunny blue sky above

I stopped by a local sports store on the way home and bought myself a new pair of running shoes. it is just 10 days to the 6 day race and I feel I need one more pair to take with me. It would be nice if the weather was like this during the race, but at this time of the year it can change quickly. One of my running friends from India who is running in the 10 day race, contacted me this morning to say that he is in Jersey city. So he has arrived a week early to acclimatize before the race begins.

The shoes I got were Asics Strike, I almost got a pair of Addidas Kanadia trails shoes, they looked really nice.

Happy Easter !!!

2009-04-12T15:59:00.001-04:00

Happy Easter to everyone that celebrates this week. It is a bit of a cold one here in New York with strong winds, but there is bright sunshine and blue skies.
There is an annual 12 hour walk going on around a school in my neighbourhood. It started at 7 am this morning. So Utpal and I went to the start and watched them get going, probably 200 walkers. Then we went for a nice run, about 6 miles, which was nice to do after barely being able to run last weekend.
This time in 2 weeks I will be running in the 6 day race. So anything I do now is only helping me to recover from last week and prepare for that.

Rainy Day

2009-04-11T12:56:00.001-04:00

It is one of those weekends when there are a lot of people in town and over 250 of them come out to the 2 mile race. So I run early and then help out with the organization of this weeks race.One of my friends from the Pacific North West wins the race with a time of 9:42
Later in the day it started to rain and has been doing so for a while. I spent some time with friends, partly talking about my move back to Europe and the new adventures that will bring. A couple of my running friends are already talking about a race in June in Austria, so we will see.
By the way, it is early in my friends training, so it was a comfortable 9:42.Though there was a guy on his shoulder until the final kick.

Foolish or Wise

2009-04-06T19:17:00.003-04:00

After 2 days of not being able to sleep for more than 2 hours at a time and sometimes even less, I finally managed to sleep for about 4 hours in one stretch last night. I finally woke up and was feeling a little weak, my digestion has improved and my eating is still not great. When I weighed myself I discovered that I had lost 7.5 lbs over the weekend. This is probably the reason I am feeling weak.I am gradually getting stronger, I know this will take a few days, but I am glad I have finally reached that point.
Part of me wanted to go out for a run this afternoon, but I just took several short walks and found these were quite tiring. Whatever it was has taken it's toll, but as the old saying goes, " If it doesn't kill, it makes you stronger" and so it will be.
Sometimes when I am sick I have to look at whether I would be foolish or wise to go out and run. Sometimes I take the foolish tack and run anyway and it kinda works out, but today I decided to be wise and not run. I have a race coming up in less than 3 weeks and need to be strong enough to be foolish later. When I look back I will probably say that the loss of weight was a benefit, but I do not recommend that kind of weight loss to anyone. Losing weight through illness is not the way I want to do it.

A bump in the road

2009-04-05T16:01:00.001-04:00

After whatever it was that hit me on Friday nigh I am slowly recovering. Food poisoning or stomach flu, whatever it was can take a lot out of you. I have had very little appetite for the last 36 hours and have lost about 3 lbs in weight. I did go out and run 2+ miles this morning, but quickly realized that I was quite weak. I have to build up my strength over the next few days and be happy with any training I can get in.

Rough day

2009-04-04T16:24:00.001-04:00

Went to bed last night with a bit of a sour stomach. Kept waking up and finally around 1am, I had to make a dash fro the bathroom. In the beginning I thought it was just a bad case of diarrhea, but then the vomiting started, This went on and off for about 6 hours, with the occasional nap. I thought that maybe I had food poisoning, but I was also getting hot and cold flashes. So maybe it is a stomach flu.
Needless to say there was no 2 mile race for me this morning. I did manage to get out there with Utpal in the afternoon and run an easy 3 miles. Luckily I have 3 weeks to recover before the 6 day race.

Strange week

2009-04-03T19:05:00.002-04:00

The week started with me experiencing blood in my urine. This has happened to me before in a 24 hour race. It cleared up after one day and though I slightly increased my daily mileage did not return. Not sure if it was a kidney or bladder problem. As I said I have increased slightly my daily mileage, I am quite happy with that.
3 weeks from today the 10 day race will be into it's 3rd day and I will have gone out there at least once to check out the race and to take out some stuff. I also like to go out and reserve a space in one of the dorm tents before the main crowd arrive.

A good week

2009-03-29T19:44:00.001-04:00

Today was one of those wet Spring days. While I was getting ready to go out and run this morning, it was pouring down with rain. By the time I got outside the rain was very light.Utpal and I went out to Flushing meadow, at one point we passed some Cherry trees that were just coming into flower. My head cold seems to have gone and I felt pretty good out there running. After completing our 10 miles we had a little breakfast at our local cafe.
By the time I went out for my second run around 3:30 in the afternoon I was still feeling good. I decided to run what I call my 5k loop. So my total for the day was 13+ miles. I have had a good week.