Gone Too Long

Just a quick heads up to explain my absence.  Been doing a kitchen remodel on the house and between that and, between that and my regular job, my running, writing, and photography have taken a back seat.  I'm hoping to have it finished soon enough and plan on returning to ALL my activities.  And don't worry, I'll post pictures and videos of the remodel.

Training Starts Monday: 16 Weeks to Suntrust National Marathon

Well, those weeks of eating horribly, training sporadically, and sleeping poorly are coming to an end.  It's been a few weeks since the Marine Corps Marathon ended and I've taken a few weeks to relax, race a little, and prepare my training schedule for the Suntrust National Marathon, right here in D.C. on Saturday March 20th.

I'm going to take a training schedule from the book, "Runner's World Run Less, Run Faster: Become a Faster, Stronger Runner with the Revolutionary FIRST Training Program" and see how it goes.  I did a half-assed version for the MCM and it showed.  I ran three days a week, but each day was just a run, and not a speed workout, tempo run, or distance run like the book recommends.  And I didn't cross train.  I'm looking forward to the track workout Monday night to kick things off and see how this works for me.

I'm hoping to use this next marathon to qualify for Boston but the book hints that I'm not quite fast enough yet, and it's probably right.  So I'm going to start the training slower than needed for Boston and see if, over the course of training, I'm able to pick the pace up and ease into Boston-worthy training runs.  I just haven't been working my speed enough since my return to running.

Things are looking good in the speed department, however, I've felt myself getting faster over the past few weeks, although only marginally.  Knowing now that I need to give every run a specific purpose and respect my non-running days should help put me in the catbird seat for Boston.  Wish me luck!

Breathing Easier

Happy 6-month Anniversery, Daniel and Roxanna.  How do I know they just celebrated their 6-month anniversery?  Because exactly 6 months ago today, in Lima (Peru), I had my last cigarette after their wonderful wedding.  I fired it up, smoked it down, and then stomped it out.  Since then it hasn't been easy, and there have certainly been days I've wanted one (or twenty), but a few things have kept me on the path.

The first, of course, is the support of my friends and family.  Even those that smoke tended not to do it around me (or, at least, not do it as often).  They certainly didn't try to pressure me into having "just a drag."  And that really helps.  Remember that next time you light up around someone who is trying to quit: every little bit helps. And maybe, just maybe, they'll inspire you into hanging it up, too.

The second little helper is running.  Getting back into running after 2 years away from it has provided me with the mental motivation to stay away from the cancer sticks.  Though in the past I was known for firing up a little lung cigar in the middle of a marathon I'm not that same young guy anymore.  Now I need all the help I can get to stay competitive.  I often wonder how good I'd be today if I had stuck with running all my life AND not smoked.  I guess I'll never know.

Third, is my ongoing support of the American Cancer Society.  We've been raising money for them through Club 10-56 (our non-profit) for over 8 years now.  Before I was able to get past the hypocrisy of smoking at these events by saying that I was funding my retirement, that by the time I DID get cancer they would have a cure, thanks in part to my fundraising.  Now I can support the cause without concern for my own well-being as well.

Fourth (and this is no small reason for an addict): I'm addicted to numbers.  As the streak grows I don't want to be the one to bring down that house of cards.  It feels GOOD to say I've gone one day, one week, one month, SIX months, without a puff, and see that number grow.  If that feels good imagine what it will feel like to say you've gone 1 YEAR, 10 years, a lifetime!  It's good to brag about the large numbers, and I don't want to start over at one measly day.  Would you?

Finally, how can I bring this full circle back to Daniel and Roxanna?  Easy: it's wicked cool to be able to say that your last cigarette was in Lima, Peru.  And who wants to replace THAT with some dive bar down the street?  Not this guy.

If you're curious of what the body goes through after that last puff, I've listed a timeline below for you (information quoted from American Cancer Society, this link):

Immediate rewards of quitting

Kicking the tobacco habit offers some benefits that you'll notice right away and some that will develop over time. These rewards can improve your day-to-day life a great deal:

• your breath smells better
• stained teeth get whiter
• bad smelling clothes and hair go away
• your yellow fingers and fingernails disappear
• food tastes better
• your sense of smell returns to normal
• everyday activities no longer leave you out of breath (such as climbing stairs or light housework)

20 minutes after quitting

Your heart rate and blood pressure drops.

(Mahmud A, Feely J. Effect of Smoking on Arterial Stiffness and Pulse Pressure Amplification. Hypertension. 2003;41:183.)

12 hours after quitting

The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.

(U.S. Surgeon General's Report, 1988, p. 202)

2 weeks to 3 months after quitting

Your circulation improves and your lung function increases.

(U.S. Surgeon General's Report, 1990, pp. 193, 194, 196, 285, 323)

1 to 9 months after quitting

Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.

(U.S. Surgeon General's Report, 1990, pp. 285-287, 304)

1 year after quitting

The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker's.

(U.S. Surgeon General's Report, 1990, p. vi)

5 years after quitting

Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker 5 to 15 years after quitting.

(U.S. Surgeon General's Report, 1990, p. vi)

10 years after quitting

The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a person who continues smoking. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix, and pancreas decrease, too.

(U.S. Surgeon General's Report, 1990, pp. vi, 131, 148, 152, 155, 164, 166)

15 years after quitting

The risk of coronary heart disease is the same as a non-smoker's.

(U.S. Surgeon General's Report, 1990, p. vi)

Movie Review: Saint Ralph

It will take a miracle for his mother to come out of her coma.

14 year-old Ralph Walker winning the Boston marathon could be that miracle.

In a Word: SEE

Saint Ralph gives us the journey of a young boy willing to do whatever it takes, against the wishes of those around him, to help save his mother.  Ralph begins looking for a miracle when told that's what it will take for his comatose mother to recover.  After one of his frequent mistakes Ralph's headmaster assigns Ralph to running with the boys cross country team as punishment.  It is here that his coach unknowingly sets Ralph on the impossible journey of winning the Boston marathon.

Written BY a runner FOR runners this in not a movie to miss. Watch as Ralph inspires those around him to do the impossible.  Maybe you'll be equally as inspired.

Coupon Clippers: Portabellos

Every so often I'm going to review a restaurant or attraction that we've gone to.  Here's the catch: we need to use a coupon to go there.  So these are places that we may not otherwise have gone to if it weren't for me trolling for coupons.

Up this week: Portabellos in Arlington.

In a word: GO

Portabellos in Arlington is a deal even without the coupon.  You can find one every week in the Super Saver envelope.  If that doesn't work I'm told you can sign up for their mailing list and receive coupons that way.

Tucked away in a little corner of North Pollard Street in Arlington (across from the Cherrydale Fire Department) it would be easy pass up this little gem.  Give it a shot, however, and you'll see how very hard it is to pass up their homemade desserts.

The food is on par with a Morton's, but the prices are on par with a McDonald's.  Okay, not quite THAT cheap, but getting out the door of a fine restaurant these days for under $100 is hard to do, and you can do just that at Portabellos while ordering a full ensemble (we're talking an appetizer, drinks, meals, desserts, and even a bottle of wine).

The fried green tomatoes were tasty; I have nothing to compare them to (first time I'd had them), but Kristen assured me they were well prepared.  The filet mignon was melt in your mouth tender.  "Filet mignon" is French for "dainty fillet," did you know?  But this steak wasn't girlie; it was all man, baby.  And the flourless chocolate cake was a dream.  I STRONGLY recommend that cake (pair it with a scoop of ice cream).

So, the food: excellent; the price: a deal; the service: good (the owner was even there, and that's always a good sign); and the atmosphere: acceptable (quaint, even).

Clip yourselves a coupon and head on in to Portabellos.  Your tummy will thank you (and your wallet won't be too upset, either).

2 Years!?!?!

It's been almost 2 years since I've posted on this thing. That's too long. I think it's time to dust this thing off and start writing and reviewing again.

So, without further ado, this week's review is about...World of Warcraft. That's right, sports fans, World of Warcraft (hereafter referred to as "WoW").

In one simple word: DON'T. I FINALLY got my life back after getting sucked into that game nearly 2 years ago, and while it was a much better time (and money) sink than other activities (read: hookers and crack) it was still a time (and money) sink. Real life is a much better place to spend my time, and real life friends are much better than disembodied voices on the other end of a ventrilo server.

Don't get me wrong, I DID meat some pretty cool people playing the game. But these are people most people rarely (if ever) see. There were the odd opportunities to meat some of them IRL (WoW-speak for "in real life") but I never took advantage of those opportunities. Mostly b/c they would have required MORE time (travel) and MORE money (airfare) than WoW already took from me on a monthly basis.

But I also avoided it b/c the fantasy is SO much better that the reality. In my WoW fantasy world everyone that I met was a cool, hip dude or gorgeous svelte woman, all of whom would have been at home at both sports bars and wine parties. In my WoW reality world most probably looked like Uncle Fester from the Addams Family (and we're talking both the guys AND the girls here) and couldn't fit in socially at a hot dog stand. While I'm certain that that's not true for ALL of them I'm more certain that the truth is closer to my WoW reality than it is my WoW fantasy. So, I kept to the fantasy.

While I will miss many of the people I talked to many a night into the wee hours of the morning, I will NOT miss the time spent away from friends and family, the money lost to fantasy worlds and false economies, the arguments with my lady, and that odd look I'd get when people learned that I, too, had succumbed to World of Warcraft.

So from now on you'll see me out and about a bit more. Because running through the streets of Arlington on a bike path is much more athletic than roaming the plains of Azeroth on a hippogryph.

Happy Holidays

Just a quick entry to wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season!!!

I'll try and write more after the break.

Things are going well. I'm still alive. And, if you're reading this, so are you!! And that's a good thing... thanks, Martha. Beotch.