Endurance:

Stay inside for quality workouts

With the warm months ahead of us, we are all tempted to do all of our work outs in the great outdoors. Believe me, I'm the first one to want to be outside, but you can create a good argument that quality training sessions still should be conducted in doors, free of the elements and with the use the technology available to us. For example, this season I'm going to continue to do my speed work on the treadmill. I can easily control my 8x1 min sprints at lactic acid threshold, without having to worry about stop lights, or running over the walking couple while trying to stare at my heart rate monitor. Likewise on the bike, Coach Troy's Dropping the Hammer is a great indoor workout where you can control heart rate, cadence and power without getting hit by a truck.

So stay inside to get your quality training sessions in. If you have to be outside, then swim outside on days where you do your speed work indoors.

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Big Sur Marathon, April 30, 2006

This marathon was like a polar bear, beautiful from a far, but get to close and it will eat you alive. My brother Gus and I had a blast. It was a great experience and Gus' first marathon. I don't know if this one can be topped. According to Big Sur vets, this was the most perfect weather in its 21 year history. Additionally, we ran Hurricane Point with Dean Karnazes, the Ultramarathon man, and perhaps the best runner in the sport. He won the Badwater 135 multiple times and is best known for running for 350 miles straight foregoing three nights of sleep. For those who love the sport, it would be like playing a couple of holes with Arnold Palmer or Tiger Woods. Unbelievable!!! Big Sur is the largest rural marathon in the world, winding through redwoods, paralleling ranches, and offering stunning views of the Pacific Ocean. I think even Dean would agree that it is tough. You get up and 3 in the morning, and to catch a 4:15 bus out to Big Sur. To prepare, Gus and I drove the course the day before the race. I got tired just driving. Here are our official Big Sur Pre Run notes: Big sur river inn motel 4.5 hill 6 bigger hill. Long 6 through 9 all hill 9 big relief Then you're screwed! Cross the bridge and its the beginning of the end 14 another hill 15 bad hill but only .6m Then good downhill. Good time to tell jokes 18.5 good size hill. By good size I mean friggen huge. Ends 19.2 19.9 roll in the mud Hill from 2O to 22.2. Good luck. You'll need it State reserve only 2 miles left 25 ass kick hill. What you see is what you get

Marine Corp Marathon Oct 2005

This marathon is ranked by many as a top 10 marathon. I lucked my way into this one. I got a phone call from my friend Pat Fitzgerald who said his running partner got injured and was unable to run the event. He asked me if I wanted to take his place. Knowing how hard it is to get into this race. I said sure. I was glad I did. There is really no better way to see Washington D.C. They take you through all the monuments, Georgetown and the Key Bridge. The crowd support is great and it is very inspiring to be encouraged by Marines every mile. Without a doubt the most intense moment is the finish running into the historic statue, Iwo Jima. The statue, portraying six servicemen who raised the American flag on the island,is inscribed, "In honor and in memory of the men of the United States Marine Corps who have given their lives to their country since November 10, 1775." "The monument before us has been raised to provide a visible symbol of the immortality of those whom we honor," said General Lemuel Shepherd, Jr., the 20th Marine Commandant at the dedication. "To all who shall ever view this Memorial it will speak of the courage, the spirit, and the greatness of the American people, the people from whom these men and their ageless comrades came."

St. Louis marathon April 2006

St. Louis marathon in April 2006. A great day for the race. Sunny, no wind and cool. The day started off in the low 30's, but reached the 50's by the end of the race. The Arch of St. Louis is the dominent monument and symbolizes the Gateway to the West. You see it at the start, and it guides you home to the finish. The Gateway Arch was authorized on May 17, 1954 and established to commemorate several historical events: (1) the Louisiana Purchase, and the subsequent westward movement of American explorers and pioneers; (2) the establishment of the first cathedral and the first civil government west of the Mississippi River; (3) the debate over slavery raised by the Dred Scott case. The Arch, designed by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen, stands 630 feet (192 m) tall, and is 630 feet (192 m) at its widest point. The cross-sections of its legs are equilateral triangles, narrowing from 54 feet (16.5 m) at the base to 17 feet (5.2 m) at the top. Each wall consists of a stainless steel skin covering reinforced concrete from ground level to 300 feet (91 m) or carbon steel and rebar from 300 feet (91 m) to the peak. The interior of the Arch is hollow and contains a unique transport system leading to an observation deck at the top. The interior of the Arch also contains two emergency stairwells in the event of a need to evacuate the Arch or if a problem develops with the tram system.

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June 02, 2009

Stay inside for quality workouts

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