Training Races

By all means to measure, it has been a successful winter of training.  There was no significant snow to prevent me from training, and I was able to hit all of my speed work.  The year started off well with my second-fastest 5K on New Year's Day (18:45) and a later in January I set a personal best at the JFK 20K (1:22:06).  Then I hit a bump in my club's 8K with a 38 minute result, but the asterisk there is one of the lead runners took a wrong turn and the rest of the race followed, adding on close to a mile.  But, I responded with a very solid Club Challenge 10 Miler at Howard Community College in late February with my second-fastest ten mile time and course PR (65:10).  My two races in March were solid efforts as well.  I broke 30 minutes in the St. Patrick's Day 8K (29:49) for the first time.  That race really impressed me because I never thought that I was capable of pushing past that time barrier.  Then yesterday, I ran a respectable 1:28 in the Rock N Roll Half Marathon - a time I know I can improve upon but still a solid effort considering I raced while still sick.  While it is three minutes slower than what I would have liked, I can't be too upset about that finish since I did finish, but I really thought I was Superman and could have run better.

All of these races have been in preparation for the Boston Marathon.

Since I finished last Boston in near 90 degree heat, I've been singularly focused in returning to Boston and running a faster time.  Of course I believe I'm capable of a sub 3 hour marathon, and I hope the weather and my taper cooperate.  With four weeks to race day, I'm excited and nervous.  All that is left on my race calendar is the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler on April 7, which I will not be "racing" since Boston is so close.  Rather, I'm likely to be jogging it or running it at race pace.

This year's Boston has extra meaning as well.  Two of my uncles, Ronnie Berger and Evan Raine, passed away in 2012, and they will be on my mind.  I've been wearing Uncle Evan's mezuzah since and many of Uncle Ronnie's clothes (he was a sharp dresser and we both are the same size).  I'm also looking forward to seeing friends and family along the route.  And, my girlfriend, Laura Goldin, will be there for the first time!  (In fact, she has started running and raced two very impressive 5Ks so far.)

Four more weeks of training and taper until the big race.  I can't wait!

Running Tour of NOLA

The purpose of our end of the year trip to New Orleans was to take our first vacation together that didn't include visiting family or having the purpose of me running a race.  That said, once there, it was 100% certain that I would find time to run and explore the city.

We arrived on Thursday, December 27, and were greeted by my friend Heidi who picked us up at the airport.  She drove us around the city which gave me a good sense of where I could run.  For dinner, we hit up Bourbon House, which was really good, and I ordered a flight of bourbons that included Knob Creek and Four Roses.

In the morning, I took to the streets with my sneakers and added a new city to my list of ones that I've run.  I started by running from the hotel down St. Charles for a few miles.  At the three mile point, there was the historic Touro Synagogue.  We went there for Shabbes services later that night where we also enjoyed Kaddish.

 I turned left and took another left onto Magazine Street, which Heidi showed us and said that it was kind of cool in its own way.

As I came back downtown, I ran by the WWII Museum (which we visited on Saturday) and the Civil War Museum.

Inside the WWII Museum, we took our picture near this big thing we didn't know what it did - but it looked cool!

My total run for Friday was seven miles at a decent pace.  On Saturday, I ran only thirteen miles for my long run of the week.  Again, I went down St. Charles, planning to run an out and back.  It was neat how the runners ran along the trolley tracks that stretched on straight for miles.

But then I hit a park right where my GPS read 4.5 miles and decided to go for a loop.  The first loop was 1.8 miles, just about 3K, so I did a second loop to ensure I hit at least twelve miles for the run.  Audubon Park had a golf course on the inside and further there was a zoo.  There were many runners, walkers, and bicyclists enjoying the cold but otherwise pleasant morning.

My third and final run in New Orleans was on Sunday morning.  I ran toward the Superdome and along the Mississippi River.

We also had visited the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) where we had a bit of fun:

Some other photos from our trip include seeing the Holocaust Memorial along the Mississippi River:

Finding a shirt perfect for our little girl, Sammy (a spoiled Spring Spaniel):

Jazz brunch:

 A riverboat:

 A walking tour of the French Quarter:

Along the Mississippi River and by the Superdome:

A cigar factory:

Laura plays an imaginary flute:

At the airport watching the Patriots beat the Dolphins to clinch the second seed in the AFC while waiting for our flight home:

Next trip - ??

Running Tour Guide

I mostly train alone.  That's not entirely true - I mostly train without human company.  The only time I run with others tends to be my long runs or races.  Occasionally there are others at track, but my easy runs are accompanied mostly by my dog, Sammy, which means for most runs, I don't get the chance to have conversations.

This morning, I ran from Laura's place in DuPont with the intent of running a loop around Haines Point which would have given me a solid ten miler.  Within the first mile, a guy passed me on the left, but I kept pace, and we started a conversation.  His name was David and he was visiting from Sacramento.  He brought his camera with him as he had never been to DC before and was in town on business.  When I traveled to London, I did the same thing and try to remember to do it in new cities.  I even keep a list of cities I've run.

I changed my route to join David, which meant ditching Haines Point for the Mall.  As we went by various memorials and monuments (Lincoln, Vietnam, Washington, American History, Natural History, Capitol, Air and Space, Smithsonian Castle, FDR, MLK, Korean, Watergate), I'd point them out and he stopped to take pictures.  I ran with him up Rock Creek Park to the base of Calvert Hill and back to Laura's which gave me my ten.  We went faster than the 7:30 I hoped for, but a 7:14 pace won't kill my half marathon on Sunday.

He was a friendly guy.  37, married, 5 boys, and works for the utility company there.  He went to BYU and talked about how nice it was that Romney's Mormon faith wasn't really an issue.  We spoke about religion and politics too - a couple of my favorite subjects - and parted at the base of the Calvert hill.  It's not often I get to run with someone - so thank you David for the company and best of luck!

Marshall University Marathon Race Report

While the NYC Marathon was canceled due to the hurricane, I did run in the Marshall University Marathon in Huntington, WV.  With a fan club of Laura and Sammy, we had a good drive there and back.  I bought an iPhone car adapter so we could keep our phones charged and listen to our iTunes rather than have to listen to 420 miles of country music.  Also, I was asked by a friend to use a new photo and video site, mobli, to blog our trip.  I've posted videos and pictures before, during, and after the race at: 

http://www.mobli.com/kennyames

The race went well.  I finished in 3:18 - the cool part about it was the final few meters as the finish line is inside Marshall University Stadium on the goal line - they give you a football to carry to the end.  I was exhausted so I'm not sure I spiked the ball as much as it spiked me.  The course was two loops around downtown Huntington with some running along a path and by a river.  The volunteers were friendly, and it was cool to add my 13th state (CA, ID, UT, MN, OH, GA, VA, MD, PA, NY, RI, MA, and now WV) to my 50 state quest and finish my 21st marathon (my marathons are now old enough to drink!).

A Subway in West Virginia labelled our lunches for us.

Ready to race!

Laura and Sammy spot me crossing the 13.1 mile marker.

The final sprint to the finish.  I've got the ball in my right hand.

Laura and Sammy pose at a scenic rest stop on the drive home.

I finished the race in 3:18:28.  It was not my best and not my worst.  The hotel room I stayed in was a smoking room - in the morning I reeked of smoke and my lungs likely were not operating at full capacity.  I knew early on holding my 6:45 pace wasn't going to work, so I backed off until I found a decent pace.  The half was run in 1:32.  As the race wore on, I backed off some more and since I knew I didn't need a BQ and wasn't getting a PR, I just enjoyed the run.  Plus, I have some other races on the calendar (5K on Thanksgiving, 10K first Sunday in December, and a half marathon the following week), so I didn't think killing myself was worth it.  But, I'm pleased I am in good enough shape to consider 3:18 a "slow" marathon.  The day after the race I feel a little sore, but I could run if my life depended upon it - that wasn't the case after my 3:04 last month.

I'm glad we ran this neat marathon.  I can check off West Virginia and look toward 2013 and more states, races, and marathons.

My Thoughts on the Canceled NYC Marathon

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy that devastated New York City and New Jersey and the surrounding areas, the New York City Marathon was canceled less than 40 hours before it was scheduled to start. This was done after assurances on Wednesday and Thursday that the race was still proceeding. Mayor Bloomberg reversed course after an uproar from citizens, runners, and the media made it politically unfeasible to continue. While I'm disappointed, I understand and have already made plans to run a different marathon this Sunday (more on that later).

To my friends and family that supported my charity, The Blue Card, I sent this email:

"This is it - the final few days before the NYC Marathon! I received word that the ING New York City Marathon will proceed on Sunday, November 4, and that this year's marathon is dedicated to the City of New York, the victims of the hurricane, and their families. Running this race has taken on an additional meaning for me and thousands of other runners who are also running for a cause, a time, or for the experience. In my twenty marathons, this is the first I am running for something larger than myself, and I consider it an honor to be able to toe the starting line. I want to thank each and every one of my supporters for your generosity and making possible what should be an unforgettable experience. For those that want to track me, my bib number is 6294 and I will be in the first wave, sixth corral, and my start time is 9:40 AM. Laura and I head to NYC tomorrow, plan to pick up my packet Saturday morning, and then relax on Saturday. Again, thank you most sincerely for your continued support and wish me luck! With most sincere thanks, Kenny."

Some friends and family urged me to boycott the race or to volunteer to help the victims. I was taken aback since it never occurred to me to not run if the race was on. My mindset was that my running would honor the victims and the city as well fulfill my commitment to my charity. It wasn't until I traveled up on Friday after work and saw the destruction and gas lines that it set in.

I posted a few videos on http://www.mobli.com/kennyames. I promised a friend I would video and photo blog on this site that her friend runs.  For me, running the race was the only option.  I see adversity and want to conquer it.  I was in my "I can do this" mode, and the human element escaped me.  While I think it was a mistake to cancel because of all the attention of the world and the charity and business that would have poured in (and that the generators that were in question were never used anyway), I do understand.  For me, it was another marathon and there will be others.  In fact, I signed up to run in Huntington, West Virginia - the Marshall University Marathon - for this Sunday.  I'm doing my second straight week of low-mileage tapering, and I hope to be really ready to race my PR.

Sammy and Laura, my two girls, ready for the ride!

The line for gas. I'm also including pictures of some of the damage as well as Laura and I at lunch in NYC and dinner before we saw Argo.

Driving around Wayne, NJ

Lunch in Manhattan with her folks, my cousin Michael, her brother and girlfriend, and her friend.

Dinner at CPK before Argo

While it would have been nice to race NYC, I'm really looking forward to WV and adding another state and hopefully setting a PR or at least getting another BQ.  Stay tuned for my race report!

St. George Marathon Race Report

Twelve States (CA, ID, OH, GA, VA, MD, PA, NY, RI, MA, MN, and now UT) and twenty marathons completed.  I can recall what a big deal I thought it was when I finished my first marathon, the 2004 Marine Corps, and now I'm at a point where I'm running three or four a year along with several other distances.  The early doubts I faced are faded and now I eagerly look forward to each opportunity to add a new state to my list, qualify for Boston again, and try to set another personal record.

My quest took me to a small town in Utah just a two hour drive from Las Vegas.  Accompanied by three other DC Road Runner Club Members and a friend from New York City, we embarked on our journey to conquer the rolling hills (mostly down, but some up), of St. George.

(Riding with Courtney and Janet)

The backseat can be a great place to bond while en route from Las Vegas to St. George, UT.  We made it to the expo in just about two and a half hours, stops included.  Once at the expo, we were mostly all business-like, picking up our bibs and goodie bags.  It was neat to have a low number and be considered an elite runner for this race.  We scarfed down the pasta dinner at the expo since we didn't want to venture around the town in search of a place.  I overstuffed myself (I have to work on this at future races) and then we went to our room to check in and turn in for the night.  After watching the O's win the wild card game, I went to bed.

(Bib pick up with Adam)

 I woke up around 3AM on my own, a good thirty minutes ahead of my alarm.  Kevin woke up soon thereafter and we packed and got ready to head to the start.  The hotel offered a decent breakfast where I could get a bagel and put peanut butter on it.  We drove down to the start line and parked and then had to walk a good half a mile to the buses that would transport us to the start.  We got separated and on different buses, so it was the last I would see of my group until after the race.  On the bus, I shared a seat with a nice, tall gentleman from Kansas who was a former Mormon.  We passed the time talking politics and religion and running - the trifecta of my favorite topics.

At the race, we were dropped off and I posed for this picture by my home state flag.  While I haven't lived there in a long time, I'm proud to be a Bay Stater!

(Moments before the race)

I entered the coral minutes before the starting gun.  I heard after the race there was some outrage that the national anthem wasn't played - it was apparently an oversight.  But, I was so focused on the race, I really didn't notice.  The gun went off and we ran off into the night at around 6:45 AM.  The first few miles were in near-darkness: I remember thinking I wasn't at my projected pace as I couldn't see my watch.  I did run a slower-than-expected 7:09, but I was able to settle into my groove in a few miles.  Until mile 7, I was cruising, but mile 8 was a long uphill - the Veyo climb I believe.  The next few miles I just tried to hold equal effort.  I remember passing Adam around mile 12, right around the time the hills were done going up and started going back down.  The scenery was gorgeous and I made sure to take it in as well.

Around the halfway point I remember thinking that I was cruising and this would be a very good day if I could hold this.  I was on pace for 3:01/2 and hoped there were some big downhills to put sub 3 in play.  Mile 16 was my fastest as it was just a drop and I wasn't running as much as I was in a controlled fall.  After, the hills turned up again and my tight thighs made their appearance.  All race I decided to think about my Uncle Evan and Ronnie who passed this summer.  Uncle Evan's job was to take care of the hurt in my legs while Uncle Ronnie was in charge of my breathing.  It worked for the most part, especially in the last 10K where I started to slow, but in the 25th mile, Uncle Evan must have quit working as my legs just couldn't hold the pace and dropped down to an 8 minute mile.  During the last mile, Adam passed me and I tried to stay with him but it just wasn't possible.  I did manage to scamper across the finish line just under 3:05 to set a new personal best by six seconds and qualify for Boston for the third time, all three coming in the last thirteen months.  I finished 231st out of 5800 finishers - good enough to be in the top 4%

7:09/6:56/45/41/44/40/37/7:28/7:09/7:02/7:10/6:55/42/50/37/28/48/57/7:32/7:07/6:55/7:37/7:30/7:27/8:03/7:41/1:19 (.2) = 3:04:54  BQ and PR!
10K 48:17 (6:48); 1/2 48:33(7:03); 1/2+5.541 37:09 (6:42); 7.578 finish segment 56:55 (7:31)

(Kevin, Kenny, and Adam)

After the race, Kevin found Adam and me.  We drank some fluids, ate some food and ice cream and got our clothes.  We met up with some of our friends and Adam made a friend from NY.  Kevin ran his second best time in 2:52 and won 3rd place in his age group.  We had to wait around over two hours for the award ceremony.  But, we snapped some neat photos:

Grabbing a well-earned post race drink at Players.

The race was fun, and I am glad I went.  We also happened to go to Zion National Park, but those photos and stories are for another post.

Ronnie Berger 1950-2012

My Uncle Ronnie Berger passed away on September 11, 2012, after a brave battle.  He was my godfather, one of the father-figures in my life, and a mensch.  His departure leaves a giant hole in my heart and life.  His funeral is today, and I was asked to say a few words.  Below are some of the memories and feelings I want to share.

This past Tuesday, I was at lunch in Chinatown in DC with a friend when I received a call from my mother.  She was in tears and said he had taken a turn for the worse.  The next hour as I tried to eat my vegetarian Indian plate, I waited for more information.  My sister texted me to let me know it was serious, and my mom called back to say that I needed to come home.  I rushed home and threw together some clothes in a bag and took the Metro to the bus to BWI Airport.  I spent an hour at the airport bar drinking Sam Adams - the same beer we had at Brielle's bat mitzvah just a few months earlier in Florida over Memorial Day Weekend.  On my flight was Auntie Nancy who was connecting out of St. Louis as she was there seeing a friend.  We sat piggyback toward the back of the plane, and when we landed, my dad picked us up to rush us to the hospital.  There, they were waiting for us, the last family members, to arrive before unhooking him and letting him go.  He died at 9:37 P.M. on September 11, 2012.

Ronald Berger was my godfather.  He taught me about life, about being a good person, and Jewish values.  A few specific times I can remember where I grew closer to Judaism he was involved: my bar mitzvah, his first diagnosis, and my divorce.  When I was home for the High Holidays, we'd go to shul together.  Uncle Ronnie was a family man.  There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for his close friends and family.  Every Christmas we spent the day at his house eating, drinking, kibitzing - basically having the same party year after year.  It was great.

Uncle Ronnie was the kind of man who would cheat at board games to beat a ten year old (aided by his older brother, my Uncle Eddie).  He was the kind of man who took me aside at my bar mitzvah and said that now since I was a man, I would do tequilla shots with his uncles (again, Uncle Eddie was present).  He was responsible for helping me find my Jewish identity.  It was during his first diagnosis in 1995 when I found myself going to Hillel to seek some sort of sense and pray for him to get better.  And during my divorce, he was there to remind me that things happen for a reason and to be thankful because I wouldn't have to spend the rest of my life with someone that didn't make me happy.

Last night, I went to the Sox versus Yankees games with my brother Matthew, my brother-in-law Ryan, and my college friend, Greg.  (Thank you, Uncle David!)  We first went to Boston Beer Works across from Fenway and toasted Uncle Ronnie.  Then we watched the game from great seats with a nice view of the park.  It would have been nice if they had won, but the Sox aren't doing so well this season.  If he were sitting with us, he'd have shared his views on who was a bum, who needed to go, and who was the dirt dogs of the team.  He wasn't shy with his love of the Sox.  One of my favorite memories of the Sox was the July 24, 2004, game against the Yankees where Varitek shoved his mitt in A-Rod's face and Bill Mueller hit a walk-off home run off Rivera for a dramatic win.  I went to the game with my friend Adam (a Yankees fan and visiting Fenway for the first time) and he was at the game with Auntie Maryann.  We got a beer across the street before the game and celebrated after.  Another time, I went to the game with them and on the way home we ate dinner at the Halfway Cafe.  He loved the Sox, and I loved spending time with him bonding over the Olde Towne Team.

Mostly, I'm going to miss the times I visited home and stopped by his house.  He was almost always there with Auntie Maryann watching Sox or Pats or Celtics.  I'd sit down with them, game on in the background, and catch them up on what was new in my life.  Living in DC, I didn't get to come home as often as I'd like, but I averaged about 4-5 times a year.  I'd updated them on work, social life, politics, my running, and more.  I'm going to miss calling you with exciting news or other events in my life.  I'm going to miss our times on the golf course.

I already miss you...