A triumph of the will over all limits

"A triumph of the will over all limits." That is what it says on the back of my 2007 New York City Marathon medal, a quote from the great Alberto Salazar.

That was my first marathon, and today I re-examined that medal and looked at it closely. Once proudly displayed, it now hangs and clangs against nearly 100 other medals in a temporary setting on a hook on the bak of an upstairs closet door, away from view.

I will fix that one day soon. It will be back where it belongs. One step at a time. We moved in 2018 from the NYC area down to St. Petersburg, Florida, and running suddenly became an afterthought when I dealt with debilitating lower-body pain and a successful back surgery that first winter here.

After a year of building up strength physically and mentally, I began light running a few months ago. I set out to lose 40 pounds, and as of now I am down from 230 to 215. A new LA Fitness membership was a big deal, and then it was closed just like that. So now I'm with all of you, working out any way that makes sense amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Here's my plan:

- I have been running 5Ks on my own along Tampa Bay, mixing in Cannondale bike laps around the Tampa Bay Rays' parking lot and swimming in our pool.

- I do curb pushups on an island in that MLB parking lot, and at home my weightlifting consists of a PVC pipe that has bookbags filled with water jugs hanging off each end. (Thanks to my friend Ashley, owner of the Pushin' Weight Crossfit studio in Richmond, VA, for the idea.)

- I start each day with a protein powder shake and I eat sardines for lunch. The first interview I ever did as a young Miami Herald reporter in 1982 was with Bill Rodgers, who was visiting our One Herald Plaza office that day while on a tour to promote Norwegian Sardines. He left me a black T-shirt with those two words on it in white, and said they helped him win the Boston and NYC marathons. I never forgot, and to this day I thrive on sardines, ideally from Trader Joe's. For dinner, Rachel is usually cooking something healthy, as she is spending these quarantine months with us down from NYC, where she goes to grad school.

No matter what, I know that running is always there when you need it. It always leads to positive developments in life, even if it hurts along the way. I am reminded of this now that I have restarted this @Marathoner blog. One step at a time. It's like running a marathon.

- I talked to Marathon Maniacs and my membership as Maniac #6697 is extended. So I'm that same guy who was ASICS Ambassador for an LA Marathon finish:

 

- I find that I am fitting in my old running clothes, a nice upshot of losing 40 pounds.

- I am due for a new pair of running shoes. I am rotating a couple of pairs of Brooks Glycerines and Hoka Ones, and the cushioning has been enough for 5K distance. I'll need more for the road ahead.

- It's time for a better way of listening to audio while running. I go through many wired earbuds because sweat means you eventually just hear on one side, and I gave away a wireless set. I don't want Apple pods because I know it will be a waste of money when I soak them. AfterShokz sponsored out last #RunChat on Sunday, and I am really intrigued by their bone conduction technology so that might be a possibility for future runs.

Speaking of sardines, I have no idea how soon people will want to be crammed back into corrals or road races. But I will be there as soon as the light is green. I can't wait to sign up for another race.

Display medals. Lose weight. Run more. Get shoes and an audio solution. Keep my lower back muscles strong. Oh, and find the right literary agent for the 540-page manuscript I finished after a year and a half of writing it here. One step at a time. Let's start with finally updating this blog right here. Thanks for your patience! Please follow me @Marathoner on Twitter, and say hi.

Because I am back to following lots of runners and tweeting about our love of running.

My 10 Favorite Running Medals

10 Years of Running

My 10 Favorite: Miles | Medals | Shoes | Bibs

Thursday marks my 10th runnerversary, and thanks to anyone who has been along for the ride. I never imagined I would still be doing this on that Friday of December 1, 2006. That morning, I moved into a new apartment on the Upper West Side of New York City, and it was freshly painted. While waiting for the movers to arrive with my stuff, I walked over to the bodega at 73rd Street & Columbus, to buy a few items. I stepped out, and was standing there at the intersection, with a full box of KOOLS in my hand, ready to light one. I had visited the apartment earlier that week, huffing and puffing up the steps to the third floor, overweight and a smoker for the past six or seven years, to meet the tenants who were moving out. They changed my world, without knowing it, because they told me they belonged to the New York Road Runners club and that they regularly ran and biked Central Park a block away. With that healthy thought in my head, I looked at that full box of KOOLS and I broke it in half, drawing curious looks from women who stood beside me. I went into my new apartment, met the movers, unpacked, and then immediately took the A train down to Times Square and bought a pair of ASICS at a Foot Locker. I went to NYRR.org and paid for a one-year membership. That week I started running hilly Central Park, and on that December 10th I ran my first race, the Joe Kleinerman 10K, finishing with a net time of 1:18:40 (12:41 pace).



I have thought about this moment for a long time, and in counting down the days to this special runnerversary I have been posting several top-10 lists of my favorite things over this past decade of running. Today, I am going to celebrate by running Central Park at 5 a.m., then running around the Washington Monument later in the day, then by popping a bottle of champagne and spraying it all over myself. I am also going to celebrate by posting my final top-10 list, so here it is: 10 unbelievable things that happened after I quit smoking and started running.

10. It taught me to be a finisher in life. Set a goal, work hard, persevere and finish. My first goal was to run the New York City Marathon within my first year as a runner, and I did that in November 2007. In the past month I finished my fourth NYC Marathon, and 17th full or ultra.

9. There are 137 bibs on my bedroom wall. They signify all the races I have registered for and then got up for early starts and put one foot in front of another until I crossed a timing mat. That has equated to thousands and thousands and thousands of miles I have run either in those races or in training. It means my heart has pumped blood in wonderful fashion amid all that activity. I owe a special thanks to the New York Road Runners, for conducting all those races I have run, and to the people who take care of Central Park and keep it so pristine and the best place in the world to run -- my track!

15 reasons why the Falmouth Road Race is such a big deal

CAPE COD, Mass. -- Sunday's 44th running of the New Balance Falmouth Road Race was my 134th race, and definitely the first one with a 7-mile distance. I finished in 1:27:00, well off the average 1:10:55 finish time for the 10,535 who finished, but great for me right now.

I was initially confused about how a 7-mile race could possibly be a lottery event with such a prestigious reputation, but now I completely understand. Here are 15 reasons why #FalmouthRR is such a big deal and a must-add to any runner's bucket list:

10 Years of Running: My 10 Favorite Shoes

December 1 will mark 10 years since I became a runner instead of a smoker and changed my life. On the way to that 10th runnerversary, I am going to celebrate with an occasional top 10 post.

My 10 Favorite Running Shoes | My 10 Favorite Running Bibs | Follow @Marathoner

10. Li Nings (2008). I worked the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, representing Major League Baseball. At Opening Ceremonies, I marveled as Li Ning, a local legend who was China's first-ever gold medal winner, "ran" around the roof ring of the Bird's Nest tethered to ropes. Then on the morning of Closing Ceremonies, I went to a local mall and bought a pair of his shoes. Li Nings were the top running brand there, and I communicated (as best I could) with salespeople that I wanted a pair of them. Unfortunately they put me in a pair that ran a size too big, so it wasn't long before I donated these. I wish I had kept them, in hindsight, but they went to a good cause.

Rome Marathon Recap - 10 Things I Learned About Italy

Bonjourno, that's me zooming by Mussolini's Window at Palazzo Venezia in the photo above. I finished the Maratona di Roma on April 10, a major highlight of our dream trip to Italy. Lisa's father is from the Puglia region and she had not been to Italy since she was a little girl, so this was her trip and my only wish was to run the marathon and then go along for a second honeymoon.

2016 ASICS Fall/Winter Collection Preview

Welcome to the ASICS showroom in Manhattan's Fashion District!

I was honored to be invited by ASICS to see a sneak preview of their 2016 ASICS Fall/Winter Collection. Here's a summary, with 19 video clips below: Get ready for color-changing shoes; bright and bold styles; 360-degree protective reflection; a lighterweight Kayano thanks to amazing FlyteFoam midsoles featuring reinforced fibers; prints galore; women's studio flex gear (think yoga & classes); comic-inspired fuseX; the first-ever ASICS down jacket; NYC Marathon shoes with passport stamps to celebrate an international event; and much, much more.

How Mark Zuckerberg just changed running forever

Mark Zuckerberg started his A Year Of Running group on Facebook less than a week ago, and in my experience as one of the first of about 100,000 to join it already is the biggest running social network in the world and is already changing lives and making a difference everywhere.

The Facebook founder started it as his annual commitment to try something new, and his objective is to run 365 miles in 2016 and get others to run as well. The results are already profound, and I predict that it will live on into 2017.

Here is why I am obsessed with it:

#NoResolutionsNeeded: Early 2016 @Marathoner Schedule

There's only one way to ring in a New Year: With a new race schedule.

2015-16 ASICS Ambassador - But Really For A Decade Now

ASICS is a way of life for me, ever since I traded a box of KOOLS for a box of ASICS and became a Central Park runner on Dec. 1, 2006. Now that I am about to start a year-long celebration leading up to my 10th runnerversary (!!!), I am PSYCHED to announce that my friends at ASICS have chosen me as one of 16 #TeamASICS Ambassadors for 2015-16.

What it will mean for you and friends who follow me here and @Marathoner on Twitter is...

Extreme Heat or Extreme Cold?

By Mark | After doing this @Marathoner stuff for nearly a decade, I decided to list as many pros as I could for running in the most extreme heat and the most extreme cold.

Thank you, Mary - a true leader in the field

By Mark | Last Sunday, I finished the Japan Run 4-miler at Central Park, and it was a familiar scene toward the end. I was in my fourth mile, running down West Drive past the Shakespeare Garden...and a woman was running by me and all runners in the opposite direction, shouting "Good job!" as she ran.

That was Mary Wittenberg as I will always remember her.

It was my 116th race. The first one was in December of 2006, when I was a quitting smoker wondering how I would do in a Joe Kleinerman 10K around the park. The race director said to us runners over the loudspeakers as she completed her pre-race remarks, "Start easy and finish hard."

That was Mary Wittenberg as I will always remember her.

Training for the Airbnb Brooklyn Half

By Rachel | Hi, everyone! As you may know I'm running the Airbnb BrooklynHalf on May 16 with Mark (@marathoner). I ran my first half marathon in The Hamptons last September (right) and the Staten Island Half two weeks later!

I originally had really big goals (for me) for this race and planned on following my New York Road Runners training plan religiously. I really wanted a sub-2-hour half. Unfortunately, right before my training plan started, I increased my mileage way too fast. Next thing I knew I had a plantar fascia strain and couldn't run for two weeks. After that I jumped right back into my plan like nothing happened. I then pulled my gluteus medius. I shouldn't have been so surprised, considering I was increasing my mileage way, way too fast!

New: ASICS GEL-Nimbus 17

Thanks to #TeamASICS for sending me these ASICS GEL-Nimbus 17s! Looking forward to breaking in these new rides as we train toward the Airbnb Brooklyn Half on May 16.

United Airlines NYC Half Recap

By Mark | Sunday's United Airlines NYC Half was my 22nd half-marathon and 111th overall race since I traded a box of KOOLS for a box of ASICS on Dec. 1, 2006. I finished this one with a net time of 2:40:10, compared to 2:26:01 in 2007, 2:46:51 in 2009 and 2:27:45 in 2012. It was perfect running weather in the 40s and a great event. Here's my recap of the weekend, and really it all comes down to that unmatched thrill of taking over Times Square:

Gear Review: ASICS Abby Tank & Tiger Capri

By Rachel | First, I want to thank ASICS for letting me choose any outfit I wanted from their ASICS Meatpacking District Store! I chose this Abby Tank and the Tiger Capri instead of clothes for FREEZING weather. To be honest, I can't stand running in weather this cold. It has been in the teens almost every morning. It is just so hard for me to motivate myself to get outside for a run.

Countdown to 2015 TCS New York City Marathon

This includes updated info below on the 50% increase in lottery entries in 2015!

So there I was at the doctor's office, dealing with a deep cough, and continuously reloading the TCS New York City Marathon signup page as the clock hit high noon. I had my credit card ready, already had a tweet composed, and was determined to be the very first runner to claim guaranteed entry for the November 1, 2015, race. I would be the first signup. That, of course, is when the good doctor walked into my room and began the checkup.

Alas, I had to wait 15 minutes before entering, but it's DONE. I'm in. That's how I excited I get when it comes time to claim that guaranteed entry. It's something I and many others work so hard for during the course of a year, running at least nine scored New York Road Runners races and volunteering for another so we can get that all-important 9+1 exemption. It guarantees entry for the following year's NYC Marathon. I will always do 9+1 as long as I'm able in life.

An Evening With ASICS Teammates

Thanks to NYC Marathon veteran runner Noelle from ASICS America HQ in Southern California for treating a batch of us ASICS bloggers in New York to an awesome night on the town! Left to right are Erika @bgg2wl, Gregg @nycsweat, Famous ASICS Mannequin, Noelle @run_noelle_run, Megan @runlikeagrl, Grace @leangirlsclub and yours truly @Marathoner.

We met tonight at the ASICS Meatpacking District Store next to my MLB HQ, and first there was a 4-mile run along the Financial District path to World Trade Center area and back. One of the best runs I've had in a long time, solid pace in the 9s. Then it was back to #ASICSMeatpacking for some shopping, courtesy of ASICS. "Pick out an outfit" are some of the coolest words I hear, and I asked if it was OK to do my random shopping for Rachel, our 19-year-old runner who is a contributor on this blog. (I'll let Rachmo show you the outfit in her upcoming gear review of it!)

Top 11 Runs of 2014

Here were my top 11 @Marathoner runs of 2014:

1. 100th Race. Finishing the Brooklyn Half at the ocean was a nice opportunity to look at the big picture, breathe deep and smile really big. Then it was straight to No. 101.

Celebrating 8-Year Runnerversary

If there's one thing you should never forget to do as a runner, it's celebrate. Apparently I can't put my hands down when I run. I just passed the 8-year mark since I traded a box of KOOLS for a box of ASICS and I celebrate it every day. If it makes you happy . . .

ASICS Electro Jacket For Today's Space Age

I completed the #Orion 4:24 Flight Test Challenge in 17 miles, and in case you missed this original blog post you can see all the whys and whats below. I followed NASA's Orion mission in a few ways. One, there was a splashdown: It rained the entire 4 hours and 24 minutes, and alas I finally started landing in splash puddles around the NYC Financial District's uneven pavement at the 1:30 mark. Two, I did a first transit of Central Park after parking at 105th and Central Park West Drive, and then proceeded across 42nd Street to the West Side and then completed a large elliptical orbit of the Manhattan island. But most of all, I wore the latest in today's Space Age Gear.