Baltimore 5 Hour Pace Group

Here is our group at mile 11. Looking strong!





I stated to plan my 2011 season. So far I have the Shamrock Marathon and Ironman Texas on the books. Looking to do a 1/2 IM in the fall and, of course, a return to Baltimore for the 10th time.

Baltimore Marathon 2010 Race Report

It was my privilege to lead the 5 hour pace team once again to an official finish time of 4:59:29. For the 7th year straight my co pacers and I met our goal of crossing the line +\- 1 minute of our assigned goal.

The day was prefect except for a strong wind. The first 3 to 4 miles are a uphill climb to Druid Hill Park. This was fairly easy do to the pull of the crowd fresh legs. Miles 4 to 10 were a combination of rolling and steep down hills that required us to strategically put on the breaks to keep from going too fast. We wanted to run steady miles and not burn too much energy early in the race. Miles 11 - 14 were a flat tour of the inner harbor featuring a water stop hosted by Under Armour. Miles 16- 20 were mostly a wind in your face up hill climb to Lake Montebello. This is where we started to run into packs of 1/2 marathon walkers and walking wounded marathoners which caused the rest of the race to be a 6 mile version of a Giant Slalom. Three strides forward ... Two strides left ... Shift right... Repeat 1000 times!!!

Mile 23 is a Baltimore Marathon highlight, the Gummy Bear Guy! For as long a I can remember he has handed out 100's of pounds of gummy bears to tired marathoners. Another couple in the same block plays Eye of the Tiger and greets the runner in tiger costumes.

Mile 24 is my favorite. The water stop is manned by the Sig Eps from JHU. I identify myself as a brother and their encouragement is enough to carry me through the final 2 miles. The last hill is around mile 25 the Howard Street Bridge. It is not much of a hill but feels like a mountain. After you round the state office complex you have about a mile of fast down hill into Camden Yards and the best marathon finish ever. Screaming crowds, a medal the size of a manhole cover an a reunion with a loving wife. Life gets no better.

Louisville Isa Coming!

The Triathlon curse almost got me. I had to skip louisville last year due to family issues. I broke my elbow weeks before the Orlando 1/2 IM.

Since Christmas, I have been having stomach problems. I think it was newlywed cooking but decided to seek medical advice. I have been poked, scanned, x-rayed, nuked, and have have had tubes shoved in every orifice(including those that God designed to be a one way exit only). Nothing was found to be wrong. Below is my complete medical file-









Fast forward to last Friday... I got an urgent call from the Doctor that he needed to see me right away. All test were ok but get in here asap!


When we arrived he did some questioning and poking ... "you have a hot gallbladder... Get a scan ... I will arrange surgery."

To this my ever supportive wife wanted to know if I could do an IM in a month. Much to her relief he said no.

Well, Doc-- I passed the test, my gallbladder is A-Ok. You can do any further test at my autopsy. Louisville make way for one back of the packer. A Snail is going to toe the line!

Weight loss

Exactly 10 pounds in one month! Goal is 10 more before Louisville IM and an additional 10 before the Baltimore Marathon.

Nutrisystems and Muscle Milk are my friends.

Stay away from me Ben and Jerry.

Splish Splash

Today I repeated the Tuesday triple and added a pool workout. It was only a few hundred yards of flailing in a mostly forward direction but for a first workout I will count it as a victory. God, I am in deep doo.

Tuesday Triple

Well I didn't make it in to the pool as planed but it was a productive workout day. I hit the streets of Charm City at 3:20 am for a ten mile run to Ft. McHenry and got back to the MAC in time for a salt pill and Ensure breakfast before the 5:30 opening. I them did my standard 99 minutes on the stair master before going to work. After work I took the easy way out and reverted to my old standby 99 min on the stair master. I need more time, there is not enough hours in the day to train, work, and have a family life.

It is a challenge don't train enough or train too much ... Either way you end up roadkill.

Nine Weeks to Louisville

We are nine weeks from the 17 hour land- sea tour of Louisville. I am no where near trained for this event but that has never stopped me before. On Thursday I when to the tri shop and had a bike fitting. Friday was a 50 mile mountain bike ride on the NCR trail and Saturday was a 10 mile run at Lock Raven @ sub 10 min/mile.

Tomorrow will be a easy run / bike / run workout. Then we are back in the pool for survival training.

God this is going to hurt!

Last Orthopod Visit

I had my last appointment with the elbow doc today and I have been released to do what I want. Oh shit, that means I have no excuse for not getting into the pool. I have eight weeks to IM Louisville so I need to start survival training.

God watches over fools and children...let's hope he is not too busy on 8/29/2010!

Tomorrow I have a appointment for a bike fitting. Usually I would do this myself but I don't have time for trial and error. Friday will be a long ride and Saturday will be a 14 mile run.

I'm Back!

Yesterday was my first Snail run in about 6 months. I kept it short with a 6 miler doing 10 min miles. Everything held together well.

Knees - Ok
Back -Ok
Shoulder -Ok
Elbow- Ok

After the run, while I waited for the other to finish, I installed a bike rack on the Element. The Thule rack went on without a problem. Once everyone finished the run, we went to breakfast. The place was too crowded for comfort.

After breakfast, I went to the gym for a short workout and shower.

Now that I am back in the game, I need to put the final touches on my racing plans. Being a total idiot, I am going for the IM Louisville in August. I have a international distanced tri in September. Baltimore, Harrisburg, NCR marathons. I also plan to do a 50 miler in November.

Next year I am looking at the new IM Texas in May.

On the weight loss front, I am about 25 pounds lighter than I was in January. Still have about 20 pounds to go but we are on our way.

Sunday Update

The elbow continues to heal. I had my 5 week post surgery visit with the Orthopod last week. Everything looks good and I can stop wearing the splint! I still need to go to PT twice a week to wok on flexibility and strength. I got the ok to start back with running but don't do anything to impact the elbow. I plan to hold off for another week on the runs and then start back wearing elbow pads.

The nutrisystem is working well. I am about 14 pounds lighter than when I started. I am at a conference this week so I expect to gain some weight due to diet and lack of exercise.

I love my Profession, but I don't enjoy the company of other IHs. Too anal for me. "Let's see if X angels can dance on a head of a pin ... That means that they could be inhaled and deposited in the lungs. We need to write a white paper on this critical exposure". Get a life and a tan!

The conference is in Denver. What an amazing city, clean, fresh, healthy. The 16th Street pedestrian area is ingenious. WTF can't Baltimore do something like this? Denver must have a more law abiding population. How long would a public bicycle stand last in Baltimore. Not to mention how many cyclist would be killed for the crime of being on a public highway!





I took a class on meth lab cleanup yesterday. These labs are everywhere -- I may start a company to get in on this market.
Why should criminals be the only ones to make money?

The Elbow, Nutrisystem, and Stuff

Tomorrow will be the forth week post surgery. I have regained most of my hand function and arm extension. Now we are working on contraction I.e bicep curl above the 90 degree range. This hurts but needs to be done.

My workouts have been limited to stationary bicycling and seated leg work. Boring but at least it is some movement. I am starting to add long walks in preparation for a shortened marathon training season.

I have canceled our trip to Disney for the 1/2 IM. Louisville looks like it is on the chopping block too. Sea Colony still may be doable.

I have lost nearly 12 pounds in 3 weeks on the diet. I am happy with the results give my occasional cheating and vastly diminished exercise regime.

Happy Mother's Day!

Nutrisystem 2 Week Update

It has been 2 weeks since starting NS. I have had a few transgresions but am trying to stay on track. So far I am down 8 pounds. Given my reduction in exercise due to injury, I am elated with the results. 20 pounds to go to reach my goal weight.

Back to Work

Yesterday was my first day back to work. I started the day with an easy lower body workout at the MAC. The diet must be working since I lost over 5 pounds during my recovery.

The work day was uneventful but tiring. I did not have the energy for an after work visit to the gym.

Time to go...Starbucks is opening. It is going to be a good day!

Bad Omen???

Today is my first day back to work post surgery. The one handed commute into work went fine. When I arrive, I noticed that I left my reading glasses at home so I had to hit the CVS for a new pair of cheaters. Now, for the bad news--- Starbucks us closed!!

It is going to be a bad day.

Visit with the Doc

Today was my first post op visit with the Orthopod. He removed the cast and 19 staples. Everything looks good but it will take most of the summer for recovery. After the exam, I was then sent to the hand clinic to have a removable plastic cast made. The new cast is much lighter but still immobilizes the whole arm. I can remove it for bathing but otherwise must wear it 24/7.

I start physical therapy at Union Memorial on Friday.

Joyfully, I can return to work on Monday.

On the workout front I am limited to walking, recumbent bike and lower body work. Bunz of steel here I come!

Day 2 of the Nutrisystem diet has come and gone. While the portion sizes are small, I still have problems getting it all in. I am toying with adding a serving or two of Hammer protein to aid the healing process.

Cabin Fever

Cabin fever is setting in. I spent the morning reading some technical manuals for work. Afterwards, I took a 2.5 mile round trip walk to the Post Office. I got to get back to work and the gym before I go nutz.

We started Nutrisystems today. I had a stir fried "barf in bowl" steak dinner. The food is ok but the portion size is so small.

I placed Cokes and booze on my list of things to give up for the next three months. So, now I am hurt, bored, hungry, and sober.

What a pathetic life... I am turning into fully tenured resident of Menopause Meadows.

One Week Update

The pain has gotten much better. I went the whole day without taking anything for the pain. Much of the day was spent catching up on my sleep.

The muscles in my hand have contacted into a fist due to atrophy. Extension of the fingers is physically fatiguing and I can "feel the burn" after a mere 10 reps. Tomorrow, I will set the timer on my watch to remind me to do hand stretches every 20 minutes.

The Nutrisystem food arrived today in two big boxes. Hers was around 32 pounds and my box weighed about 42 pounds. I get 28 more snacks --- thank god it is a man's world!

We are committing to stick with the program for 3 months. I need to loose about 25 pounds. As it appears my training will be limited for the summer so I really need to commit to a diet.

The vegetative healing process is getting boring. We see the orthopod in Wednesday, I hope he will allow me to return to work soon.

Hurt, Hurt.... HURT!!!

Last night was the first night of semi sleep since the surgery. I can't move an inch without experiencing a new definition of pain. The pain killers have very little effect on the pain. Thank god for Bourbon!

This morning we met the snails for breakfast. I could not get comfortable so we left before ordering. Now, I am sitting in Fx, beer in hand, waiting to get a haircut. I love this place! Good people, providing superior service in a friendly atmosphere... A winning combination in any market.

The Mrs. and I decided that we need some help our diet. We both eat healthily but our portion control needs a bit of help. So, we decided to give nutrisystem a try. The food does not look too bad but we expect to shed a few tears of hunger with the meager portion size. To get primed for this adventure, we are going to one our favorite places tonight for dinner and dessert. Cheesecake ala mode for everybody!

Getting healthy is going to kill me :(

Elbow Surgery Day Three

God it hurts! I can't sleep and I smell bad.

That being said .... Life is good.

Today, I am vegetating at our condo in Cross Keys AKA Menopause Meadows. Daytime TV is addicting. Maybe it is the oxycontin but, I am becoming a Sponge Bob fan.










Ultra runner to couch potato in three days ... God only knows where I will be if this goes on for 11 more weeks. I need a spinning class now!!!

Post Surgery Day 2

Last night was a bit rough. I just could not get comfortable and the pain killers would not kick in. I am a lot more mobile than I was with the meniscus but the pain is far greater.

I ended up spending the night dozing in front of mind numbing TV. Today, I am being babysat by my mother. Bring on the comfort food!

Location:Harford Hills Rd,Parkville,United States

My Boo Boo

But it was only a minor fall! One big band aid.

Operation Update

All went very well. The whole team at Union Memorial is first class .

I was a bit sore after the surgery but the nurse was quick to give me the necessary dose of painkiller. After an hour or so I was allowed to dress and go home. I skipped martini Monday and went right to bed aided by a dose of oxycotin.

My greatest blessing has been my loving wife. She has been a rock throughout all my recent problems. Thank god there isn't a marriage lemon law!

Surgery Day

I am scheduled for 2:20 surgery. My plans are to get to the hospital around 11 to relax a bit before my 12 noon prep. If all goes well I will be back home in time for Martini Monday at Donna's.

One Day to the Knife

I spent yesterday getting things in order off Monday's surgery. In the morning we met the Snails for breakfast. I received some ribbing for my newest injury but the underlying message was one of concern. As I have often said, I am blessed to have the Snails in my life.

After breakfast we went to my Mother's home and did a bit of yard work. Nothing to elaborate, just a bit if clean up and preparing the garden for planting.

The broken arm is very functional, if not for the reduced range of motion and it being black and blue I would not suspect a problem.

Pre Op Medical

Today was spent doing the pre op testing in preparation for Monday's procedure. Unfortunately, this has become routine for me. I can recite my vitals form memory to the amazement of the examiner.

The remainder of the day was spent getting my life in order since I will be spending the rest of the summer in some sort of cast.

The arm has taken on a nice purple hue.






It doesn't hurt but it is a bit ugly!

Location:Cross Keys Rd,Baltimore,United States

I Need Surgery

The season is lost.

Stupid is as a Stupid Falls

I went for a short run on Monday and fell about a mile into the run. Got up .. Nothing hurt and finished the rest of the run. At home I noticed a golf ball sized lump on my elbow. I iced it and went out to dinner. The minor pain was quickly quelled by Martini Monday.

The next day I asked the PA at work to look at my boo boo. He told me to call the Orthopod.

This morning I went to the MD. Guess what -- I have a broken elbow! I have a MRI this afternoon to see if I need surgery.

Oh shi¥!!!

P.s. To my family --- we are not telling mom

Umstead Crew

Starbucks and Dark Chocolate....
The life of a pit crew is hard.
Few can live up to the demands.

Ummie won

As predicted I did not have a good day. 37.5 miles and I was fried.

On to new adventures ... Next stop Orlando 1/2 IM.

Just waitin

I arrived at the race hotel yesterday afternoon and met a few of the race participants. As always, ultra runners are very friendly and supportive. I gave what advice I could with the stipulation that I am a three and soon to be four time failure.

I met a pair of freinds for breakfast and recieved a bit of grief for my lack of training. God I am in deep shi#.

Time to head off to the market to stock up on food and drink. I am not a happy camper.

Vitamin I …Why Have You Betrayed Me?

With one week to Umstead, I continue to be plagued by Ummie's curse. I have been having GI issues since the Baltimore Marathon. After much prodding, poking, ultrasounds and CAT scans, and under duress, I submitted to an upper and lower GI endoscopy. The preparation was not the most enjoyable experience but it was something that I endured. The exam was easy because I was under general anesthesia. As far as the lower GI everything was OK. When the Doc looked at the upper he found a bunch of ulcers.

"You are an Ultra runner with bad knees… how much ibuprofen do you take?" I refused to answer by evoking my Fifth Amendment rights. But lesson learned. I will need to find something else to carry me through the mile from now on.

 

Shoot Me … Please Shoot Me Doc!

I had my 3000 mile check up with the Orthopod. There are three options for the knee –

• Replacement Surgery
  
• Live with it
  
• Get a shot and wait
  

I took the easy way out and went with the shot. After all it is race season. The shot was fairly quick and painless. I am to take 5 days off from running. Time to get back in the pool!

The Doc cautioned me that inactivity is the worst thing I can do. After the 5 days, I need to get on a strict weight routine for the legs. Rock hard Quads are needed to put off further damage.

Umstead is only 11 day away. Oh well at least one knee will feel good.

My wife does not understand me

Somehow, she thinks that $ 500 for Hammer products is a lot. Who'da thunk?

Ummie Please be Kind

Two weeks and a wake up to go until my fourth beating by this beast. Let's see 07 was the broken ribs, 08 was the blown knee, 09 I pulled out at 50 with a case of the leans. What lies ahead for '10? Maybe the angels will carry me home.

I am less trained and less beaten up than any of the previous years. I don't know if this is good or bad.

Maybe I can buy some performance... I hope the $500 I just spent on Hammer products is worth it. At least they will have a big box to ship me home.

After Umstead there is not much time to recover. I plan to do in May the frederick marathon and the
Orlando 1/2 IM.

God have mercy because Ummie will not.

Two Weeks to Umstead

Umstead is almost here and I am rapidly approaching burn out. I have cut back on the hard runs and have been doing 4 hours a day on the stairs.

After all I am a realist, I will walk and hobble most of the 50+ miles.

My bad knee has a "slight hitch in my giddyup" so I am getting a injection next week. Otherwise, I am feeling tired but physically very good.

I started sauna training a few days ago and am up to 45 minutes. My goal is 2 hours.

Starting next week I will be back in the pool. I really hate the swim but triathlon season is approaching fast.

I am soo tired! Time to hit Starbucks befor my session with the trainer.

Ummie Here I Come

Well, it is a few weeks to Umstead and I feel good. Yesterday, I got the MD's blessing to go for it! Trying to avoid the injuries that have plagued me in the past I have cut down on the hard outside runs and focused on cross training. The goal is 100 miles but I will be happy finishing 50 injury free.

Government Protection

Baltimore County's Vince Gardina is beating up the tanning parlors once again. He is proposing another bill

I want a sign at the front door that notifies everybody the rays from a tanning bed are five times more intense than the sun. WTF – we don’t need a politician with a MS in Environmental Engineering to tell us this -- That is why we tan.

Gardina's had a bill last year that failed to pass. This bill would have prevented any minor from using tanning machines, with the exception of those who had a physician's prescription. Obama care at it best????

In a television interview Gardina said -- "Certainly don't want to hurt any businesses, especially in tough economic times, but if your business is a major health risk and causing people to die, it's time to find a different business"

What is next on the regulatory agenda - fast food fines? ticketing obesity?, outlawing the internal combustion engine? Maybe a fart tax to stop global warming?

Mr. Gardina – How about serving the citizens of Baltimore County and get your pasty white a** working on getting the snow cleared from the roads and schools!

Now is the time

Ok Baltimore we have been waiting long enought - clear the roads. Tuesday's rush hour is going to be ugly.

So Far ... I am Impressed

My little commute from Cross Keys to Harbor East was very good. Falls Road had a clean single lane. JFX was all clear. Presidents Street was mostly clean with 1 to 2 lanes. This may get a bit backed up at rush hour but at 4 am everything was good to go.

There are bobcats cleaning the sidewalks in Harbor East ... I love private enterprise!

I hope the Starbucks crew makes it in. I need my coffee befor my 2 hour stairmaster workout.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

A prefect day shared with our family and friends

The Day After

We took a walk around our condo complex to survey the aftermath of the blizzard x 2. I love condo life! Cross Keys is mostly clean payment do to a superior effort of the grounds crew. Thank guys

Snow Emergency Phase 3

The City and State are paralyzed with the current snow. Walking downtown has been hazardous as sidewalks and major roads remain barely passable. Today the second blizzard in 3 day hit. The State is virtually at a standstill. Baltimore City has put in place Phase 3 of the snow plan that prohibits all non official vehicles from traveling on city streets. The governor has said that the goal is only to keep major roads “passable” for emergency vehicles. We need General Honoré to come in and kick some ass.


I need to get to the MAC for my 5:30 workout.

Our little condo community is an oasis in the snowy desert. Cross Keys has done a superior job keeping up with the snow. Bobcats have been constantly clearing our lots and roads. The grounds crew has our walks clear. The only downside is that our favorite dining establishment has been closed for a few days. Please send the National Guard … We need our Donna’s fix.

More snow

Newest forecast is for 10 - 20 inches of snow tomorrow afternoon into Wednesday. Must be that global warming thing.

I need a run.

I really hate that Groundhog

The damage assesment from the most recent snow is in-- I gained 5 pounds in 5 days. I need a week of long runs to get back on track. This morning I did 2 hours on the stairmaster. Looks like I need to put in a long one tonight.

I am going to kill that groundhog.

Snowy Saturday

We had about 20" of snow and





it is still falling. The cars and road are covered. We are stranded. Time to break out the weights.


Send beer!

City sidewalks

A tale of a sidewalk- guess which side is in front of the Marriott Inner Harbor and which is in front of the city public works.

Snow

We had a small amount of snow last night. The roads are very good but I decided no to risk an outdoor run. I am going to let the personal trainer abuse me extra hard this morning.

I phone test

Just playing with a new toy.



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Relief!!!

I received a call from the MD today --- THE MRI CAME BACK CLEAN!!!
· No surgery
· It appears that things just conked out. I will need to take some meds to bring things back in balance.
My 2 semesters of gross anatomy were well spent.
I still feel like crap, but it is a happy crap.

Oh Sh**!

I met with the doctor last Wednesday. Here is a synopsis of our conversation-

How do you feel?

• Really tired, everything hurts, I lost 5 pounds of muscle and gain 7 pounds of fat in the last month
  

That's the way you should feel. You hormone levels have crashed. You need to get a MRI right away. I suspect that you may have a growth on your pituitary. We may need to refer you to a neurosurgeon.

I spent Friday having blood work and a MRI. The Radiologist gave me the films on disk. I can't see anything unusual other than a deviated septum. But, it has been years since my Gross Anatomy class. Need to wait to see what the guy with a MD say.

Ummie's Curse has come early this year.

Not Dead Just Married

It has been a long time since I posted here. A lot has happened.

• In August I became engaged
  
• I lost my father on September 5^th , after a long battle with Parkinson's
  
• I married a perfect bride on November 28
  

During the last few months I have been dealing with some medical issues that have resulted in significant weight gain and loss of fitness. I am still working out 6+ hours a day but have been unable to drop the weight. I have had some lab work done and have a meeting with an endocrinologist this week.

My racing plans are tentative but I have registered for the Unsteady 100, Labor of love 100, Disney half iron and the Louisville Ironman.

Stay tuned