Berlin-bound!

With a short stay in the Air France lounge first to type this. It is my goal to blog daily while on my trip to Germany. The theme of this trip is to bring young American Jews to Berlin to witness modern Germany. It's sort of a, "We've come a long way since that thing 70 or so year ago." Sponsored by the German government, I will get to see Potsdam, Sachsenhausen (the former concentration camp), meet with a German MP, Wittenberg, the Holocaust Museum, and take part in discussions on German relations with Israel, the US, and on policy such as immigration. I look forward to drinking real German beer in Germany, going for a run on the streets, and seeing the city and the parts of the country we visit.

Of course, I have to get there first.

Nothing is so disconcerting as getting an email while on the bus to the airport telling you that your connecting flight from Paris to Berlin has been canceled. I was relatively calm as I figured they would put me on a later flight, which is what they did, but the counter folks did not find out about the change before I did. That was interesting as they checked my bag, sent it on its way, then would have to locate it to put a new tag on it. I give my bag a 50/50 chance of meeting me when I land. If that's the case, all I have are my jacket, backpack, clothes, and Red Sox hat (you can't travel internationally with your Sox hat, right?).

The flight is boarding soon - I stayed up most of last night in hopes I will sleep on the flight and be well rested when I land. Next post from Europe - and hopefully pictures.

The journey begins...

New York City Marathon: Race Report

We have a new champion for title of "Kenny's Favorite Marathon." Congratulations, New York City Marathon, for grabbing the title away from my previous favorite. Actually, and let me be clear, I simply had the most fun at NYCM than in my previous marathons. For number 14, NYC was low-pressure, since I knew I wasn't going all out because I PR-ed five weeks ago at Wineglass Marathon in Corning, NY, with a 3:13. My 3:26 in NYC was solid, and I ran it without a watch (accidentally checked it in my bag and when I realized and tried to get my bag back was told it was too late). For a marathon with over 45,000 runners, they did a very good job top to bottom. The crowd support was fantastic, the organization was great, and the course was top-notch.


The expo was well organized if crowded. I went there on Saturday to the Javits Center to pick up my packet. They ran out of small shirts so I had to settle for a medium. Why they didn't plan properly for this confused me, but the shirt looks good even if it looks a little big.



Inside was crazy. There were many people who traveled from other countries to attend and they swarmed the expo. I can't recall the last time I had trouble finding someone whose primary language was English! But, it was neat to see so many people excited to run the NYC Marathon, and I found myself included among the excited!




The marathon started on Staten Island just before the Verrazano Narrows Bridge and winds into Brooklyn where it spends almost half the marathon. A long stretch runs along 4th Avenue. I just decided to run what I thought I could and was holding steady around 7:30s early on. I think I picked up the pace when my friend, Chris Sabatini, jumped in around mile 9 and stayed with me until the halfway point. Entering Manhattan was very cool and I resisted the urge to speed up. I ran down towards the Bronx with a smile on my face most of the way - I was loving it. In the Bronx, I determined that because so many Red Sox seasons had died there, my marathon would not die in the Bronx! And it didn't! I plowed through the sparse sections of the Bronx until I was back in the city. But, with 35K to go, I started to feel it and my pace must have dropped off, as my splits indicate. I kept churning my legs in Central Park, but I had nothing left except a late sprint at the end, not enough to get in under 3:26 (I stopped to pee for 20 seconds, so let's call it 3:25).

After the race, they make you walk for another mile with just tin foil as you get cold to grab your bag. I found this girl I spoke with in the coral going to Harvard law and we chatted for a bit. She thought it was it 2:45 and was running late, but I reminded her of the time change. After, I grabbed my stuff, changed into my Patriots jersey and headed to meet my friend Deron at a bar in the financial part of town to watch the Patriots embarrass themselves against the lowly Browns. At least I could celebrate with some nice Brooklyn Lager!



After, it was on to Chris and Gwen's to pack, load up Sammy, and head back to DC. Not a bad race!

Splits:
5K 23:11 (23:11 = 7:29) / 10K 46:10 (22:59 = 7:25) / 15K 1:09:44 (22:34 = 7:17) / 20K 1:33:23 (22:39 = 7:18) / 25K 1:57:50 (24:27 = 7:53) / 30K 2:21:54 (24:04 = 7:46) / 35K 2:47:25 (25:31 = 8:14) / 40K 3:14:47 (27:22 = 8:50) / 13.1half 1:38:43 = 7:32 / 26.2 full 3:26:01 = 7:52 (8:09 second half)

New York City was a fun race to run. What I enjoyed the most was the crowd and the city. I had a ball running without my watch (I accidentally checked it), and since I PR-ed five weeks earlier with a 3:13, I was free of time and could just enjoy the run. I enjoyed running about six miles to the halfway point with my friend Chris Sabatini. I loved running down into Manhattan. I remember when it got tough as I entered the Bronx thinking, "So many Boston Red Sox seasons have died in the Bronx - my marathon won't!" And I ran well through that three mile stretch - only to die once back in Manhattan. Central Park was grueling and I couldn't wait for the finish line. I tried to finish strong, yet just missed a 3:25 by seconds - but 3:26 is certainly great for a run in which I ran just for the enjoyment. After, I got a beer and watched the Pats lose to the Browns at a bar with Deron. Not a bad race!

The Rally for Sanity was In-SANE!

I'm not the type who likes to participate in rallies or large gatherings. I guess I am a little claustrophobic about standing shoulder-to-shoulder with thousands of other people. Plus, I am only 5'6" and that makes it hard for me to see over many people. But, I did venture down to the Stewart-Colbert Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.

I started the day with a 10-mile run, my last "long" run before running NYC on November 7th, in which I ran from my house down to the Mall via the new MBT trail and turned around at 14th Street. I was on the Mall around 8am, and already the area by the stage was filling up; that grassy area by 3rd and 4th Streets was packed four hours ahead of time. I couldn't imagine standing or sitting in one place for over 7 hours! I did manage to snag two towels they were giving away that were pretty cool: a two-headed Stewart-Colbert logo. Later, I gave one to Keith.

When I returned home, I showered, changed, and drove down with my roommates, Mark and Jess. We parked near my work by Union Station and gambled we would not receive a parking ticket. Jess brought her shiatsu, Tchi (sp?) who I call Swiffer, and limped around on her bad leg. The most fun I had on the Mall was taking pictures of the people and signs. I enjoy people-watching.



Being Halloween weekend, many people came in costume and carried funny signs. There were several witches. And, there were several tea references.









I particularly like this email. Who are these yellow people?









Oh, those were the days! This politician is particularly frightening - most people named Sarah usually scare me, though.









For anyone who has ever answered mail on the Hill, the CAPS LOCK SIGN is particularly funny!










This tea party mad hatter guy gets around. What's with this blue costumed person?








I love Mark Twain quotes!









Here I am with my friend from my running club, Lisa. She was handing out small signs. My roommate Jess took one.










Oh, my - it's the radical gay agenda!











Another good picture of reasonable people!











Let common sense prevail!

Wineglass Marathon Report: A New PR

Bad news: I did not qualify for Boston. That would have taken a 3:10:59 marathon. Good news: I set a new personal record! Three hours, thirteen minutes, and thirty-five seconds is my fastest marathon time out of my thirteen marathons. On one hand, I wish I had qualified for Boston, but on the other hand, I feel elated that I ran my best race to date. I can't be disappointed with my time or effort.

I started out smart as I noticed the 3:10 pacer took the group out a bit fast. I ran my race at the beginning and kept the pack in sight. By mile five, I had caught up and was solidly in the pack. I mainly focused on my breathing, the course, the conversation with others in the pack, and the song stuck in my head ("Let it Rock"). We hit the halfway mark at 1:34 even, which was a minute faster than the 1:35 goal. I felt good and stuck with the group and the pace. I think running with them kept me on pace for as long as possible. Kudos to Pacer Craig who for his first time pacing the 3:10 folks, did mainly a good job. B+ for Craig, and I emailed my feedback to the pace team captain.

At mile 15, I started to feel really good thinking about what it would be like to cross in 3:10 and the joy I'd experience. It was the longest I had stayed close to this pace group, and I started to envision the rest of the race and repeated in my mind: "Hold on until the mile 20 marker; just stick with the group until mile 23; take your last Gu; then with 3.2 miles to go if you are on pace, do not quit as you can do it especially if you are that close to your goal!"

I made it past the mile 20 marker still with the group, but not too long after, as we got off the long road and onto a community park trail, my thighs really tightened up and I couldn't turn my legs over to keep pace. I ran mile 20 in 7:22, and that was the last sub 8 minute mile I ran. The rest were right around 8:00, as I slugged it through the rest. I knew I was still on pace for a PR - all I had to do was not give up. That echoed through my head: PR if you just keep your legs moving; PR if you just keep your legs moving; PR - just move those legs! With less than two miles to go, I found that last bit inside of me to hold steady. It was now a question of 3:14 or 3:13; did I want to call myself a 3:13 marathoner? If yes, then just keep the legs moving.

I kept those legs moving. I even switched into that last gear as I hear the rephrase of my email signature: "Even when you have gone as far as you can, and everything hurts, and you are staring at the specter of self-doubt, you can find a bit more strength deep inside you, if you look closely enough." - Hal Higdon

The last mile was simply a test of wills. I wanted the race to be over, but I wasn't quite at the finish line. "Just keep those legs moving!" I finally saw the footbridge, and then the legs moved even faster - whatever I had left. I love finishing strong, so I ran over the bridge to the finish line shouting, "PR!" as I raised my arms in the arm to a loud crowd - it was amazing! I had accomplished my goal of running a marathon faster than I had, and I can now call myself a 3:13 marathoner!

I waited by the finish line a few minutes until my trip-mate, Jennifer, crossed the line, gasping for air. She set a new PR for herself but more than half an hour and crossed well under her goal of 3:20. There, we hung out at the finish line festival, grabbed some of the food, and went to the Y to shower. After, we went to a local bar to drink while we waited for Ken and Hilary to finish the race, shower, then join us. I had three Rogue Dead Guy Ales - how appropriate!

Leftovers:
I never root against anyone at a marathon, but I sent bad wishes to the guy wearing the Free West Bank (front) Free Gaza (back) shirt. He probably ran a sub 3 marathon, and the pace group I was with agreed that it was an odd choice to make such a political statement at a race.

What's next?
I am scheduled to run NYC in five weeks. I still need to put together a good recovery plan. My legs are sore and I hope to run a little by Wednesday. I also do not know if I should try again at NYC or what my goal should be or if I should just run it and not worry about time and enjoy the experience. But, I can answer that the next few days. Tonight: Good beer from Churchkey!

Back to Workshop

It has been roughly ten years since I last was part of a writing workshop. Over the summer, I applied to and was accepted to participate in the Jenny McKean Moore Community Writing Workshop (how do I fit that on my resume?). Last night was our first meeting, and I must state I feel quite underaccomplished (Grammar check? not a word? Okay, I'm making it one). Compared to the rest of the group, roughly a dozen, we have a number of already-published writers. Many in the group have projects they are working on, and I have only an idea in my head. But, I am confident that I will have something in writing as I will be forced to actually write!

In other news, I am scheduled to run Wineglass Marathon in less than three weeks. I am in the tapering stages, and it is possible taper-crazy will hit me the week before the race. My training times are where they should be (tempo miles at 6:45-50/Yassos at low 3:00/Mile repeats at <6:30). I have done my long runs slow and on some increased my pace to run the last 5-6 miles at race pace which needs to be near 7:15. Let's hope this is my Boston Qualifier!

In the sporting world, the Red Sox season is ov-ah! It's too bad the team couldn't overcome all their injuries, but such is life. The Patriots started off well with a good win against Cincy - and I won a bet with my old roommate, the Ohio fan. Speaking of which, I joined him to watch OSU beat Miami.

And, lastly, in politics, family friend Bill Keating won the Democratic nod in MA-10. I like Bill - good guy, honest statesman, and he took on Billy Bulger! I really hope he wins the general in November.

That is all - end communication...

Got rid of the TV!

I've thought about this for quite some time. I know I should be watching TV less and reading more, but to actually go through with it and get rid of the TV and DirecTV in my room was a big step. I've seen the studies that show you get a better night's rest without a TV in the bedroom. I've heard anecdtotal evidence that the bedroom should be for relaxation and intimate activities. It wasn't easy, but the impetus was the DTV box stopped working, and that made it easy to disconnect and put the TV in storage in the basement. Now, the only active TV's in the house are the living room and the basement/den. I plan to read more and get through more books quicker. This way, I won't be watching so many reruns of shows I have already seen, and I will force myself to watch shows I actually like and not just sit there watching the screen. Currently, I watch Mad Men, Entourage, and Breaking Bad through Netflix. I record Lie to Me and Leverage and Family Guy and the Office. This season was also the first I did not renew MLB Extra Innings, and of course I did not get the NFL Sunday Ticket. I do not think the NFL package, at $319, is worth it when I can watch a good chunk of Pats' games on national TV or go to a bar and buy food with that money instead and be social. My DTV package is already the most basic plan (ESPN, TBS, TNT, and really not much more). I hate that a la carte is not an option as I would love to have Sci-Fi and AMC and History Channel, but that would cost $20 a month more and it is overpriced. I'm curious to see how this TV move affects my life as far as more time to read and better night's sleep. Let's see how this plays out.

Parking markers

This past week, DC was dumped on. By a lot of snow. A lot. I haven't been to work since last Friday around midday (three work and a half work days off). The federal government has been closed since last week. And, I have already broken one shovel (shoveling my roof to make sure the weight doesn't collapse the roof). Due to the record snow, it has taken significant efforts to dig out one's cars. In Boston, it is common for people to leave markers to reserve these spots. While it is not legal to do in Chicago or DC, I hear recently in Boston the mayor started to allow it for a day or two. I walked around my neighborhood and saw some of these examples here in DC. Here are a few of such examples.



First, here is my home. I dug a medium-sized car out from in front of my property. In fact, I have seen vans park in this spot. Notice the clean, wide spot. Notice the lack of a marker. This is public property and it would be wrong for me to mark it mine if there were no snow, so I have no ownership over it, in my opinion, in any circumstance. Other people feel differently.


The first example is called "Lone Chair." Say it like Dark Helmet in Space Balls for full effect. It is what is says it is; just a lone chair guarding a spot.




Our second example is the trendy "Stick on a Patio Chair." The patio chair clearly will not be needed for many months, so why not put it to good use? I'm not sure the purpose of the stick other than to assist the chair. This is the equivalent of placing a jacket on the seat near you in a theater.




This one is a personal favorite. I call it "The Nutcracker Valet." As you can see a sign is posted and the nutcracker's job apparently is to stand there and guard the spot. I wonder what the lawn chair is for; is it for the Nutcracker to sit down during breaks? Also, what do you tip such a valet?




Here is an odd one known simply as "Up Periscope." I almost wish it were a flag stuck in the snow as that would be funnier.




"Sign on a Pole" reminds me of the college roommate who leaves notes around the dorm reminding you to take your clothes out of the laundry or that it is your turn to clean the dishes. It is classic passive-aggressive.



What do you get when you have two chairs facing each other? It's "The Great Debate!" Today's topic: can this space be claimed?




What do you do when you have two spots to reserve? You form a "Chair-Chain," of course!




And lastly, my favorite, "The Crime Scene." This is the only one I take seriously. If someone has this much time and owns yellow tape, maybe you should just let this one be.