Month: July 2005

Got tagged by Jeff

q: what are you training for now?
a: I’m planning on continuing my current theme of not necessarily doing the smartest thing, according to whatever training book you want to read, and doing my first marathon at the Mystic Places marathon (which, curiously enough takes place not in Mystic, but about 15 miles down the coast in Niantic) in late October, and then following it up with the New York Marathon the first weekend in November. My goal is to finish.

Actually – scratch that. Right now, the biggest reason I’m running is that I decided last winter that I was sick of being overweight. Not like really and truly fat, but at the point where I could make jolly and plump jokes. I am training because I want to be lean. The marathons are merely vehicles.

q: if you are raising money for a cause, what is it and why is that cause important to you?
a: I’ll be honest – I’ve done the MS 150, but kind of looked at the minimum fundraising goals as an entry fee. I’d like to pretend I’m doing something important, but frankly, my training is all selfish now, and likely to remain so for another year. I might do a charity ride/run, but right now fitness is all about me, so again, minimum goals would be mostly a donation from me.

q: what is the furthest distance you’ve run in your training and what is the furthest distance you will run before your event?
a: If you’re willing to count the attempt I made to train for the 2000 Disney Marathon back in 1999 (before I gave it up in favor of my first, and most impressive) sympathy pregnancy, I’ve hit 16 miles at a shot. This time around, I’ve hit 13 miles so far. On my training plan, 20 miles (3x) will be my long runs. Although I’m looking at Niantic more as a training run for New York than a marathon in its own right.

q: what is your favorite flavor of gu? (or other sports gel)
a: Uh – yeah. I’m kind of a luddite as far as this is concerned. I do the gatorade and bananas thing. I will rock a powerbar occasionally, but that’s usually whatever’s on sale. Oh, and cookies – I fuel my long runs/rides between gas stations and Chips Ahoys.

q: How many days a week do you run?
a: I try for five. I do Tuesday through Thursday, long run on Saturday, and try to do a short recovery run on Sundays. I’ll skip the Sunday runs pretty frequently, but we’re usually pretty active after church, so if I miss the run, I don’t feel bad. I try to do something cross-training wise on Monday and Friday.

q: Are you injured in any way right now? if so,what are you doing about it?
a: Nope, knock wood.

q: what is one item of running clothing/gear (shoes don’t count) you can’t run without?
a: shorts? ID? I guess shorts would be it – don’t see myself recreating the ancient Olympics, though mostly for legal reasons.

q: do you have a talisman you are planning on taking to your event? if so, tell us!
a: No.

q: Share one thing about yourself we don’t know.
I was quite the thespian in High School. Always did the school plays. Even got to pinch Penny Grigsby’s butt as lecherous old Uncle Willie in “The Philadelphia Story”. In college, even as an engineering major, I got a part in one of the Senior directing class one-acts. Despite having an audition that began with one of the directors asking “Uh, is this serious? Are you really an engineer?” After the performance, the biggest compliment my girlfriend (now wife) could muster was “Well, we could really hear you…”

And, just because I’m in an early generation, I’ll tag Jon, April-Anne, and Susan