Garmin Fitness chat with Alexi Pappas

Garmin pro athletes Alexi Pappas and standup paddler Jenny Kalmbach were at the Garmin HQ for a Facebook chat, and since I am a longtime Garmin (Forerunner 220) runner and am sort of obsessed with how cool and inspiring Alexi is to mere mortal runners like me, I thought I would transcribe her replies here. You can watch the full video below, including all of Jenny's replies, and also be sure to follow @GarminFitness and join the facebook.com/garminfit page.

Q: How do you structure your day and fit in everything you want and have to do?

A: The first thing is, I lay out my clothes and everything the night before -- which sounds like the person I didn't think I would grow up to become. But it makes the day a lot easier. That way, when I wake up and head to practice, everything is ready to go. I do normal things like eat and practice but I also eat every day.

10 Years of Running: My 10 Favorite Medals

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 Medals | My 10 Favorite Bibs | My 10 Favorite Shoes

10. Miami Marathon, 2012. It's a humongous No. 10, so naturally I have to include it here at No. 10. This formalized a new era of "spinner" medals, as the palm trees whoosh through the medal like a warm Biscayne Bay breeze. It was a hard-fought medal, because around mile 17 I tipped over in someone's front yard due to ITB that suddenly stole my stride. Because of that, I got the back engraved: OVERCOME ANYTHING.

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.

Ludivine's Elkmont Half Marathon Recap

I normally post my own race recaps here, but because Ludivine is a bloodhound I am going to devote this post to analysis of her 2016 Elkmont (Ala.) Half Marathon form. Ludivine finished seventh overall and first in her working-dog group with a PR of 1:32:56. She was let out to pee and wound up in the middle of this race, and through the race organizer's pics (thanks to WeRunHuntsville/G Gelmis & J Armstrong) we can now break down her impressive performance here.

Sports Medicine PT Stefanie Bourassa #runHMF Chat Transcript

The Hartford Marathon Foundation just ran a helpful #askHMF Twitter chat at @RunHMF with senior sports med physical therapist Stefanie Bourassa. Learn about Stefanie and her team at Hartford HealthCare Rehabilitation Network on their blog.

Flexibility and core strengthening can help Piriformis Syndrome. -HHCRN #askHMF

— HMF Events (@RunHMF) May 28, 2015

Andreas Lubitz Story: The Son, The Father, The Drive

In the interest of helping investigators discover the who and why after a tragedy and correcting a lot of mistakes I am finding in the media coverage, I started researching the running history of Andreas Lubitz, the co-pilot who crashed the Germanwings airliner, and found a wealth of telling information about him. Running played a key and timely role in what reportedly became an ultimately fatal battle with mental health. I believe we can learn a lot about what made this overpronating, 7-pace enigma from Germany tick by looking at what he loved, and I hope that this research may prove useful in some way. I learned that he stopped running races for at least the past year, and per a runner comment below I think that could be telling; a person diagnosed with depression who sees running as an outlet might be greatly affected by no longer utilizing that outlet that had served him so well during the past half-decade. Based on feedback from other runners, I also feel this shines a light on the fact that a fair number of runners use this individual sport -- which is all about personal discovery, goal-setting, self-improvement, ambition and hopefulness -- to deal with depression and anxiety, and to a larger degree just the stress of everyday life.

100th Race: Brooklyn Half Recap

You know how there is an unwritten rule on how long you can wear your medal after a race? Well, the same thing applies to finishing your 100th race. I am going to savor this one just a little while longer than I normally would, feel it, and thank a lot of people for their help before I move past the 2014 Brooklyn Half.

In no particular order . . .

Thank you to this blog's readers, as we have almost reached 100,000 page views -- about a thousand for each race. I try to read as many other running blogs as I can and it means everything to know others take the time to look at this one.

Thank you to Melinda and my friends at ASICS. They shipped me a box of gear to help me celebrate my 100th race in style at the 2014 Brooklyn Half Marathon. I started in ASICS and I stay in ASICS.







Thank you to the weather. There were 25,587 finishers and I hope every one one of them said a special thanks for our conditions on Saturday. A powerful storm system had canceled the Yankees' game the night before and pounded our roof through the entire night. Then it stopped raining around sunrise and what was left behind was the most glorious day in late spring a runner could imagine. Here are shots of the Brooklyn Museum start at Prospect Park and the finish on the Coney Island Boardwalk.





Thank you to my new Garmin 220 for the help maintaining my pace, a first for me in my sixth Brooklyn Half. My splits were :31:04 for 5K, 1:06:38 for 10K, 1:41:33 for 15K and 2:18:14 for 20K. My finish time of 2:25:57 represented a course PR for the Brooklyn Half. I'm well in the back of the pack as usual, but to quote the Black Eyed Peas: "The race is not for the swift...but who really can take control of it."

Here are my Garmin splits. It recorded a slightly longer distance and thus a minute longer, but it helps to see my splits and match it against elevation and so forth. I can see where I wear down a little in the long homestretch but I was able to finish with two straight negative splits!

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	2:26:05.3	13.28	11:00
1	9:35.6	1.00	9:36
2	10:23.1	1.00	10:23
3	9:40.2	1.00	9:40
4	10:45.4	1.00	10:45
5	11:28.2	1.00	11:28
6	11:44.6	1.00	11:45
7	10:08.2	1.00	10:08
8	11:35.6	1.00	11:35
9	10:48.5	1.00	10:48
10	11:28.1	1.00	11:28
11	12:08.7	1.00	12:09
12	11:47.7	1.00	11:48
13	11:25.3	1.00	11:25
14	3:06.1	0.28	11:01

Thank you to Coach Andrew Kastor. His mantra of "Everything Forward" was someone I said to myself every time my mind wanted to wander or worry. I would look down at my body and identify every body part that was moving forward -- shoulders, knees, thighs, stomach, penis, ankles, shadow, shoes...each time I did that another minute or so ticked by and I was closer to the end of that mile. Most importantly, it made me think about leaning forward with my form -- like Meb did in winning the Boston Marathon.

Thank you to the Big Cats Running Team. This is the MySpace group I joined at the start of 2007 after I began running. It was national and we each had to pick the name of a big cat species (no duplicates) to enter. Most common ones were taken then, so I chose Monster Cat. I became known as Monster Cat to many other runners. For my 100th race, I went back to that identity with my stripes and roar, and it was great to be reunited in this race with Big Cat runners Roxy (below) and George (in Mile 8).



. . . you remember MySpace . . .



Thanks to Brooklyn, to Coney Island and specifically to Nathan's Famous. We stood in line for close to an hour after the race just for the sake of hot dogs, because hello it is Coney Island and they are worth it. The soles of my feet ached in doing so but I was wearing cushiony ASICS GEL-Cumulus 16s so they were up to it.



When I finally got to the front of one of the many lines, I had Lisa snap a pic to show I had another big finish. I got two chili cheese dogs, fries and a large Blue Moon. (Funny side story: Just as I reached the front of that line, I noticed some guy sidle up alongside our line and tell the woman with a baby behind me that he was going to pay for her whole meal if she would get him a couple of dogs and a drink. She said yes so he had to wait like 60 seconds in line.) We then camped out on the sand and enjoyed.





Thanks to NYRR for the opportunity to race year-round. I have averaged about a dozen races a year. Thanks especially to Mary Wittenberg for her leadership and relating to runners.

And most of all, thanks to my family. To my three sons Matthew, Benjamin and Joshua, because when I started running after my Dad passed away in 2006, I told myself I was going to live as long as possible and set a good example for my sons. Thanks to my beautiful wife Lisa for always being so supportive. Thanks to my stepdaughter Rachel, for encouraging me with my nutrition and fitness and for taking up running as well. Thanks Pennstress the McThinstress and Liam the Mango Tickler for joining the 100 bash, and to the hippie who sold me a Sinatra album on the boardwalk though I have no turntable. Dream the Impossible Dream forever.

On this perfect day, Lisa and I even munched on mango sticks. Ever tried those? Yum.

Here's to the next 100. Amazing things keep happening when you just run.

PLEASE ALSO FEEL FREE TO READ:

• 50 Lessons Learned In 100 Races
• My 100: Race By Race List

How many races have YOU run?

Why the Brooklyn Half is The Best Finish In Running

One month ago yesterday, I finished strong at the ASICS LA Marathon in Santa Monica, alongside the Pacific Ocean. It was an idyllic, Forrest Gumpian finish -- and all the better if you stayed at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows right there at the finish line, courtesy of my ASICS friends.

My first Brooklyn Half in 2007

As I approach my 100th race, I think back now to so many beautiful finish-line settings like that one. I finished the Paris Marathon on Avenue Foch, near L'Arc de Triomphe. I finished Miami (twice), Fort Lauderdale and New Jersey marathon along scenic water. New York City Marathon, winding up at Tavern on the Green in iconic Central Park. One of our MLB All-Star 5Ks finished where the Angels play. St. Louis, you're in the shadow of the Arch. Race after race, my own or those I read and hear about, feature wondrous landmarks, surf or something cool at the finish.

But when it comes to The Best Finish Line In Running *, the argument stops with the Brooklyn Half.

The Boardwalk at Coney Island, Cyclone wooden roller coaster, Atlantic Ocean, Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs, the Party, a great PR-opportunity course with an uncontested No. 1 for a finish. I mean, it's Coney Island!

The New York Road Runners' second-best race of the calendar year, behind only the TCS New York City Marathon, the Brooklyn Half is coming on May 17. It is part of the NYRR Five-Borough Series, and if you run at least four of those five or the NYC Half (so four of those six total), you are guaranteed entry into the following year's NYC Half.

Look, the NYC Half is amazing and goes through Times Square and you must run it at least once (I've run it three times). But to me, Brooklyn is the best Half not only in the NYC area, but in the world -- thanks to its finish. It has the most perfect-weather returning power and charm of any NYRR event other than NYCM. I have run them all multiple times, so technically this qualification process is backwards -- it should be to qualify for BRKLN -- but that is just my opinion and that is not why I'm blogging about this.

Finishing 2010 Brooklyn Half on the Boardwalk

I will be running Brooklyn for the sixth time (2007, '08, '10-12), setting my Half PR there in '07 and then breaking it in '08 (2:15:46). I know the race intimately and have seen it change over the years, and can tell you why it now deserves this title of The Best Finish In Running. There is no better place for me to celebrate my 100th overall race since I stopped smoking and joined NYRR and became a runner for life.

When I started running it in '07, the Brooklyn Half began on the Boardwalk. We would gather at Central Park and ride buses in the dark to Coney Island, and then I would sit on the sand with gulls looking at the sunrise on the ocean before the start. That was pretty cool. But there were some disadvantages. For one, I was watching runners trip on the uneven planks on the Boardwalk during the crowded start, dodging one woman who fell in front of me, and once my shoe caught on a plank. Secondly, and more importantly, Coney Island is the place to finish. NYRR was able to remove the bus component by starting it around Prospect Park, easier access. There is now a Pre-Race Party presented by New Balance, so this finish is the culmination of a three-day festival that brings out the best of Brooklyn for runners.

We now start near the Brooklyn Museum and run the first couple of miles past the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and around Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza before entering Prospect Park. After a loop around the moderately hilly park, we exit in Mile 8 from the southwest corner onto Ocean Parkway and cruise toward the world-famous finish. You have to contend during that long five mile stretch with direct sun beaming down on you and the pavement, and the unfortunately alphabetical countdown of blocks: Avenue Z, Avenue Y, and so on. But it is all worth it for what happens next.



You see the Atlantic Ocean up ahead. You make a right turn for a short distance and then a sharp left up onto the Boardwalk. Then an immediate right (as I'm eyeballing in the photo above) and maybe 400 meters to a glorious finish line. The loud music is pounding. The ocean breeze is uplifting. The scenery to your left is breathtaking, in a charming Coneyesque kind of way, beachgoers parked on sand or carrying their chairs and coolers. You cross the finish line with your arms raised triumphantly, a big smile on your face.

And at that part you are just starting.

Next comes a great medal, a tradition that began just two years ago. Walking through the finish chute, you turn right and make your way to the fun. Nathan's is the world-famous home to the Hot Dog Eating Contest. You jump into the long lines there and celebrate with a Coney dog, chili and cheese.

Last year, my friend Karla Bruning (@KBruning), host of NYRR's great "On the Run" show, did a segment with an Eating Contest alum who was running the race and they brought out 13.1 hot dogs to the finish line.



Watch that episode to get a full sense of the 2013 Brooklyn Half and all the festivities:



You can celebrate with beers as part of the post-race party scene courtesy of Brooklyn businesses. If you don't believe me, then take it from my friend and fellow runner Shannon Moriarty:

@marathoner AGREED! Last year's boardwalk finish was followed by an epic parking lot dance party w/ other runners. So. Much. Fun.
— Shannon Moriarty (@shan_moriarty) April 10, 2014

And if you want, you can just hang out on the beach, play some Coney Island games, lay in the sand and cool yourself off by wading out into the refreshing surf. You have just seen The Best Finish In Running.



I will be driving to Prospect Park that morning, so getting back to my car will mean jumping on one of the subway trains right there at Coney Island. It's a lot of stops but it's worth it for that finish. It keeps me coming back every year, except for last year, which I missed due to my son's law-school graduation. The race itself is very conducive to PR's, and the ending always makes me look around to see if there are any other races that can possibly compare to the way this one ends. To me, there is none that compares.

It's Coney Island!

* - excluding any races in which I proposed to my wife Lisa at the finish line.  :)

What do YOU think is The Best Finish In Running?

Fred Lebow Manhattan Half Recap

I just wanted to honor the memory of the great Fred Lebow, co-founder of the NYC Marathon, by saying a few words here about the New York Road Runners' January marathon that was held in his name for the first time yesterday at Central Park.

The Stats:
Finishers: 4,027
Net time: 2:42
Overall races: 94
NYRR races: 82

It is always an icebox 13.1 -- as it was in 2007, when it was my first half -- but this time was the extreme of the extreme. Fortunately, it wasn't as bad as we were expecting. Wind chill at the start was 6 according to weather.com. The sun was out the entire race, a high of 17. Was it cold? Yes. Was it enough to make it a fun run? Thankfully no.

I made a judgment call before walking out the door, putting the ASICS Storm Shelter jacket away and opting for the featherweight ASICS windbreaker from my 2007 NYC Marathon expo. I wore it over two longsleeve layers. I wore a buff and pulled it over half my face for much of the race. I donned an ASICS knit cap, and wore the giveaway signature Fred running cap on top of that.

For bottoms, two layers of ASICS, the PR tights and the Storm Shelter pant. Add Zensah calf compression sleeves, socks and my ASICS Gel Kayano 20s, gloves, sunglasses, a Breathe-Right strip, watch, iPhone and earbuds, 3 gel packs and Grabber handwarmers...and I was ridiculously geared up. I set a personal ASICS record! Fortunately, it all felt just right when I was out there.

The Course

We started at 63rd Street on the West Side, by Tavern on the Green. Our course was counter-clockwise, the usual running pattern at Central Park, which unfortunately meant running up Cat Hill. Two laps, and after the second one, continue around the bottom loop to add the extra 1.1 mile and then finish on 72nd Street Transverse. Volunteers did a terrific job, giving us a clean track after working through the night with salt. I encountered no slippery spots. Huge hand to all the volunteers for this one, photogs too!

Fluid stations were plentiful, some with Gatorade mixed in. It was a day to squeeze the cup and break the ice that had formed, then sip. And at the end, it was a slushy Gatorade that did the job.

The Race

I'm still battling my way up hills right now and mixing in too much walk, which is a little concerning. I'm six weeks into Coach Kastor's 12-Week Training Plan for the March 9 ASICS LA Marathon, and ideally I would be more continuous in my running. Sometimes I wonder whether it's just age, and whether I will really be able to challenge my 5:13 NYC Marathon PR of 2008 (my goal is 5:12). As someone told me today, Father Time remains undefeated. I am doing my best to stay strong, to think ageless.

I was better on the steeper Harlem Hill. I counted backward from 100, as I usually do, and looked down. I actually had a benefit there. My non-fog sunglasses were constantly fogged, a result of my wearing a slobbery buff up to my nose. I could hardly see anything. I could see just enough, though, and for me it was strategy! I don't want to see the horizon on hills.

When I got around to the Boathouse for mile 8, I ran in the right lane and the race leaders were just finishing. I decided to give my watch the day off. I knew that I started at 8:03 a.m., and that's all I wanted to know. When I crossed the finish line, I would look down and check the time and that would be my net. That's what I did. No splits, no frets, just run.

After all, this was a training run for me, my weekend long run (a couple miles short actually). By running the hills, I was preparing myself well for Dodger Stadium-to-the-Sea. I was imagining how nice it will feel running in just shorts and a tee.

I had a chafing fail for the second long run in a row. I'm working in some new gear and getting used to everything. So far my tights are chafing in the thighs, and it was a huge problem in the mile 8-11 range. This despite opening a new Body Glide and rubbing it on liberally everywhere I could think of, over and over. Body Glide did not get the job done. Maybe I need my familiar compression shorts under my new tights. Not a good solution, but comfort wins. My new friend Summerly is a triathlete and she just suggested Skin Sake Athletic as an anti-chafing product used by many of her peers, maybe will try it.

I struggled my way up Cat Hill again, running even less the second time over. But I fought Harlem Hill hard again. I summoned #beastmode mentality and stayed determined, blocking out whatever got in the way. I crossed the finish line smiling with an arm up high, and then one of the volunteers not only placed a heatsheet around me, but took the time to tie it for me.

The Hardest Part

Without question, it was the walk to my car after finishing. I parked on Columbus between 73rd and 74th, and on a summer day that is a blink of the eye. It felt like forever this time. It is really important after a cold race like this to bring you body temperature up as quickly as possible, and with every step mine was dropping until I finally got to the car.

A Word About Fred

Every time I run around Central Park, I look at the statue at Runners Gate near 90th Street, at the familiar man checking his watch for a runner's time. I wish I had known Fred in person. He was president of the NYRR, and it was his vision that led to so much of what many of us take for granted in our lives. His spirit lives on. I can only hope mine will as well one day. I am thankful for all that he did for us.

In fact, it's pretty cool how NYRR now has a full-fledged "Pioneer Series" -- the Ted (Corbitt 15K), the Joe (Kleinerman 10K) and the Fred, all consecutively within a month of each other.

Next up: NYRR Gridiron Classic / Longest Football Throw

This is an annual tradition, the always-frigid 4-miler the morning of the Super Bowl. I'm looking forward to this one, because not only will Lisa and I run it, but so will Lisa's 19-year-old daughter, who is making her NYRR debut!

That is how it goes on. Girls see other girls running the kinds of races Fred Lebow presented as opportunities. Runners become members. A way of life develops, running for life.

7 Important Lessons For 7 Years Of Running

This week I celebrate my seventh year as a real runner. I have run 80 New York Road Runners races and 92 overall races, including 12 marathons or ultras, since I traded smoking for running on 12/1/06. The best advice I can pass along from that experience is at the very bottom of this post, a lesson for each year.

Here were my first shoes -- the actual ASICS I bought at a Foot Locker in Times Square:

And here they were after I retired them about 350 miles and many spectacular runs later...



They are hopefully being worn by someone in Africa now, as I donated them to Soles 4 Souls with many other pairs two years ago to mark my fifth runnerversary.

First race: Joe Kleinerman 10K on Dec. 10, 2006 -- nine days after I quit smoking. It was one lap around Central Park in the cold. My net time was 1:18:40. NYRR chief Mary Wittenberg told us at the beginning: "Start easy and finish hard."

First Half: Manhattan Half on Jan. 21, 2007 -- two laps around Central Park. My net was 2:30:03. I was planning to quit after the first lap, but a woman in line with me at a portapotty said, "Just go out there and keep running, you can do it." I did it, and she taught me that I can find more in myself.

First Official Marathon: NYC Marathon on Nov. 4, 2007. My net was 6:08.25. I raised funds for Team for Kids and struggled the last 14 miles with a bad case of plantar fasciitis. It obviously was not the time I was looking for, but it was my  maiden voyage and finishing was like nothing else as I ran the last 400 meters looking up at the sky at my dad and crying in joy.

First Invented Marathon: Statues on Parade Marathon in July 2008. That is when I knew that I just loved running and would do anything to keep improving myself and see the world in a new way. I have loved creating my own unique races and routes. At Major League Baseball, we had 42 Statue of Liberty replicas positioned around NYC for All-Star Week, and I ran 26.2 miles to see each of them, stopping for a photo and to take notes with each one, running from the morning until 8 pm, even getting a hand from the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Foundation to get me on a ferry fast to see the ones on those two islands.

First Ultra: Knickerbocker 60K on Nov. 15, 2008. It was 9 laps around the interior of Central Park, 37 miles. My net was 9:51:00. My future wife Lisa ran the last lap with me in the dark. I had PR'd in the NYC Marathon 2 weeks earlier, so I figured then was as good a time as any. It qualified me for Marathon Maniacs, and I am now member #6697.

First Time Being Supervised By Chinese State Police Guards: Running a half at one of the baseball venues at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. It was about 45 laps around the warning track and whole field, under the watchful eye of my two new friends, who were smiling and handing me water when I was done. It is amazing what running can do. I have seen time and time again that it cuts through diplomatic and ethnic boundaries, a very transformative experience.

Most Amazing Run: Pictured to the right here, it's me running the entire 2009 New Jersey Marathon in the rain, and knowing that my life would be changed at the finish line. With help from race organizers, I grabbed the ringbox at the Mile 25 fluid station, and ran with it to the finish line along the ocean. I crossed the finish line, got down on a painful right knee, and Lisa jumped on me as she said yes. It was just an unmatched moment for me that I will treasure always, and running made it possible. It gives you more confidence in your personal life, and for me that had meant meeting Lisa on match.com, meeting her for the first time at the Ocean Grill restaurant on NYC's Upper West Side, and hititng it off immediately. We are happily in love, and she runs with me sometimes.

I have passed on any lessons I have learned along the way, through MySpace and then with Facebook and through my @Marathoner account on Twitter. At this point, most of what I know is just infused into my being, so that instinctively I know how to train, run a race and recover. I know how much running carries over into my personal and professional life, making me want to finish everything and reach beyond my boundaries. I have seen the running community grow by leaps and bounds in these seven years.

7 BIG LESSONS:

1. You can do anything you set your mind to. Just schedule a race.

2. There is no such thing as bad weather.

3. Wash your gear by hand and hang it to dry or lay your socks out flat. NEVER put socks in a dryer. I did that once, a seam was raised, and it caused a huge blister ruining a Miami Marathon.

4. Support other runners. Don't go it alone. Be part of the running community, and the support you get back will help you through the hardest times. Talk with runners at expos and races. We are all in this together, even though we have different shapes and different finish times. Make it a team sport.

5. It's all about the shoes. I mean ALL about the shoes. I spent the first year or so scuffling my way through tick-tack injuries, plantar fasciitis, shinsplints, etc. Finally a Fleet Feet store saleswoman in St. Louis, a marathon runner, got down on her knee and put her index finger under my foot and said, "You have high arches." I never knew that. She put me in a pair of neutrals. That's all it took. I have been healthy almost the entire way ever since, save for a 2012 bout of ITB that was actually caused by a weakened left hip, which I strengthed in 14 physical therapy sessions. It's all about the shoes. Nothing else comes close. If you're battling injury it's probably because of your shoes.

6. Keep a running blog, so you can go back like I am doing now and recall things you now take for granted. It is mainly for your own benefit, and maybe others will get something out of it as well.

7. Motivation will come and go, and you should not fret over the days when you find yourself yearning for a sense of purpose in your miles. It is going to happen, guaranteed. Especially after a big race like a marathon. In early 2009, I was really struggling with that, worrying too much. Then before I knew it, I was running that NJ Marathon in the rain and proposing. When your running purpose seems diminished and you lack a charge to go out for a run, just relax, wait for tomorrow, make sure you schedule a scary race, go buy yourself some new ASICS gear and drink a lot of water. Running is for life.

Century Mark In Sight

The 2014 ING New York City Marathon just became a lot bigger for me. It is where I will celebrate my 100th race since I traded running for smoking.

Saturday's Scotland Run 10K at Central Park was my 80th overall race.

In 2013, I have run four New York Road Runners races: Joe Kleinerman 10K, Manhattan Half, Gridiron Classic 4M and Scotland Run 10K. I also ran the Publix Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon in February.

I am signed up for four more NYRR races: Run for the Parks 4M, Japan Day 4M, Brooklyn Half and Wall Street Run 3M. Later this month, I register as a guaranteed entrant for the 2013 NYC Marathon. So that will put me at 85 overall races, and I will sign up for the two NYCM Long Training Runs and the NYCM Tuneup 18M, so that puts me at 88.

And I have now basically qualified for the 2014 NYC Marathon as well, so that's 89 locked in. I just need to come up with another 11 races before that one, and then I will be on track to celebrate my 100th race finish at the finish line of the greatest marathon of them all, the New York City Marathon. That one will be cause for one very large party, so save the date...

My Running History

Today I signed up for my first 2013 New York Road Runner races at Central Park. The Joe Kleinerman 10K will be my 66th NYRR race and the Manhattan Half will be my 67th, and overall those will mark my 77th and 78th races since I traded smoking for marathoning six years ago. Here is a year-by-year look at my  running history as I strive to always be a runner for life and overcome those stretches where you'd rather walk your English Bulldog and motivation is challenging.

2012: 10 NYRR races, 14 overall, 3 marathons, 162.5 miles
Comment: Started with ITB at Joe Kleinerman, 14 PT sessions, ran Miami/Paris/HSBG marathons



2011: 11 NYRR races, 0 marathons, 73.9 miles
Comment: Gradually picked it back up and became a 9+1 NYCM qualifier again



2010: 2 NYRR races, 3 overall, 1 marathon, 57.9 miles
Comment: Miami Marathon then married 2 weeks later, honeymoon and laid-back year

2009: 6 NYRR races, 8 overall, 1 marathon, 92.0 miles
Comment: Proposed to Lisa at finish line of New Jersey Marathon, bought home, slowdown



2008: 16 NYRR races, 19 overall, 3 marathons, 1 ultramarathon, 236.2 miles
Comment: Best shape of my life, ran STL, Statues, NYC Marathon + Knick 60K. Good gymwork.



2007: 18 NYRR races, 19 overall, 1 marathon, 152.8 miles
Comment: 1st full year, 1st marathon (NYC), fastest pace (9:13), plantar fasciitis & lessons learned



2006: 2 NYRR races, 2 overall, 0 marathons, 16.2 miles
Comment: I did the most important thing -- I signed up for a race and went to start line



Other marathons: Miami (twice), Paris, St. Louis, New Jersey, Harrisburg, Statues/NYC

Other half/misc distances: OK City Half, Beijing Half, All-Star Game 10K (3)

Note: If you run at least 9 scored qualifier races and volunteer for an NYRR event during one year, then you gain automatic entry into the next year's NYC Marathon. That's called 9+1.

Best finish in running?

What is the best finish line area of any race you have run? For me, it is hard to beat the Brooklyn Half - Coney Island boardwalk, Cyclone, Wonder Wheel, music, Atlantic Ocean, Nathan's hot dog, beer, medal.

I just ran it in 2:29 this weekend. It was my fifth BH, 71st race overall, most times I have run any single event. Chalk that up to the amazing finish experience - "Most Fun Finish In Running." Memo to my friend Mary Wittenberg, you can feel free to use that slogan next year!

This time we started at the Brooklyn Museum, and entered Prospect Park at the 3.5 mile mark. Insane number of runners; sold out within 10 hours. Mile 6 is tough (course is fast but no pancake!) - long gradual ascent, but 7 is revenge. Exit park at mile 7.5 onto Ocean Parkway and then it is a straight shot to the boardwalk.

It was hot, but shade was abundant.

Now for the fun. New layout moved the boardwalk entry farther down, entering next to the famous Cyclone wooden roller coaster. Sprint the boardwalk to finish. We got medals for the first time.

Famous Nathan's dog, check. The lines are so long, I call it mile 14. But we just proved we can handle it.