I’ve figured out the perfect formula to get onto the podium: Train very little. Eat a lot. Drink alcohol. Race selection. Okay, the last bullet point trumps the rest of them and it’s why I’ve been on the podium three times in the last three races. Some obvious questions: why have I virtually given up […]
I’ve figured out the perfect formula to get onto the podium: Train very little. Eat a lot. Drink alcohol. Race selection. Okay, the last bullet point trumps the rest of them and it’s why I’ve been on the podium three times in the last three races. Some obvious questions: why have I virtually given up on training? What’s causing the malaise? There are a lot of factors actually, but they all roll up into life. My wife and I have a lot of life changes happening in the next bunch of months and as we anticipate them, we are experiencing stresses and anxiety that are different but similar. For me, you’d think that training would be an ideal antedote and my best friend. The toxins that are released, and the increased serotonin production would seemingly mitigate some of the effects of this anxiety, but instead I’ve regressed into a kind of off-season mode. My diet has been bad, and I’ve even been drinking soda in the last week! I know, it’s THAT bad. As has been the case with me many times in my life, I’ll get to a breaking point and say enough is enough. That will spur a new training discipline and I’ll get deep back into the healthiest of lifestyles. That day could be as soon as Monday, but who knows. I just know that I’m not there yet. Being lazy is a terrible addiction and I’m in the thick of it now. So how have I been doing so well? Race Selection! These three podiums were all in very small races featuring 300 or less participants. I’m also in a new age group having “aged up” this year into the 45-49 Male category. As such, I’m the youngest age in that age group and competing against 48 and 49 year olds amongst others. I would argue that my general youthfulness and ability to recover well from athletic events benefits me well in this group. In the Central Park Triathlon, I raced a course I know like the back of my hand. In the Staten Island Triathlon, I had raced the course maybe a couple of times in the past, but it was flat and fast. In this past weekend’s Pequannock Triathlon (in Pompton Plains, NJ), it was a brand new event for me, but was also flat and fast. In all three events, I had a decent swim considering virtually giving up on swim training a couple of months ago. My run performance in each race was horrible; I’ve had to walk for 30 seconds once or twice in each race. But the bike segments were awesome. Knowing that I’ve not been swimming or running much or that well made me believe that I should hammer the bike course and see if I can get up front. It worked great each time. And, I seem to be getting stronger and stronger on the bike! This past weekend, I didn’t know the course, I knew no other athletes, and had no idea what to expect. It was actually quite refreshing to be a newbie and anonymous. The swim was in a man-made lake and was unfortunately super crowded. The race director should have spaced out the waves better, but I got through it and once on the bike, I went for it. I kept a keen eye on the power meter and tried to make sure that I was close to a max effort for as long as I could hold it. In the end, my average speed was 23.08 mph, just shy of my all-time high of 23.11 mph on a 20 mile course in 2004 (this course was only 11 miles). As was expected, once on the run, I was terrible. I remember thinking to myself that I hated how I felt and how I wished that I had trained better to really open up my potential. Part of the run course was on a trail, and as I looked around, I reveled in the beauty of the nature around me… and looking to my right revealed a beautiful lake with the sun shimmering on the flat water. In an instant, I smiled and remembered how lucky I was to be able to do this stuff. I trudged along and got to the finish line convinced that I hadn’t placed. I gathered my gear, and was about to head to the car when I came across the guy responsible for timing. I asked if results would be available on a website later to which he responded that the website was updated with each runner who crossed the finish line. I quickly checked and found that I had actually finished third in my age group. I didn’t believe it until they eventually called my name and gave me a trophy. What a thrill… and I can only imagine how much closer to second I could have gotten if… I’ve signed up for a few more races so that I can make it to 130 on the career by the end of the season. Two are in Asbury Park, NJ and the third is a 7 stage race that has athletes run-bike-run, then swim, then again run-bike-run. The bike legs are each 9 miles, so this will be more of a runner’s event. Guess that I means that I’ll have to really start run training again (event is in early October, so there’s time). I’ve decided to forgo the NYC Marathon this year and defer to next year (we’ll see). If the race calendar goes as planned, I will have the following stats: 130 completed triathlons 285 completed endurance events 16 years These are big numbers and not what I expected when I toed the line at my first triathlon many moons ago. At the time, the idea was to get in shape. As time progressed, this took a life of its own. Can’t believe that the numbers are this big!
It’s been a busy month. When planning my 2016 race calendar, I decided to race four events in rapid succession such that I’d get just a week’s rest between each of them. Figuring that my early season form would only improve over the course of the season, it seemed like a doable and successful plan. […]
It’s been a busy month. When planning my 2016 race calendar, I decided to race four events in rapid succession such that I’d get just a week’s rest between each of them. Figuring that my early season form would only improve over the course of the season, it seemed like a doable and successful plan. Mostly, it has been. What I’ve seen emerge over the last few years is a great early season of training with appropriate build-ups of distance and intensity. I generally feel good, my weight is appropriate, I’m invested into what I’m doing including going to the gym to lift weights, etc. Then, as the warmer temps arrive… and I’m not solely pointing to the thermometer as the single catalyst here… I seem to be less enthused, less fast, and stuck in a rut. Thus, my late season long endurance events like the NYC Marathon are typically really bad days for me. This year has unfortunately been no different. I felt great in my early training and in the races I entered. I was happy with the progress and felt good about my later season prospects. I didn’t overdo it and felt like the passion was still there. Being between full-time work projects and while consulting, I had the time to train and lift weights… but I didn’t do that much of it inexplicably. I still did some basic stuff, but as time wore on, swimming became a lost interest and forget about going to the gym when it’s warm out. While the cycling performance improved and continues to improve even now, the run element has suffered. I don’t run often and when I do, it’s not surprisingly of poor quality. There is a cycle here and if I were an objective coach looking at me as a client, breaking the cycle would be easy to recommend. Run more! Run smarter! Just do it! Adapting to a new company in a new segment of the industry doing a job that’s entirely new has been a big challenge. So has the preparation for a little guy who is set to join our family in January. And, we are moving to my folks’ home in northern NJ to get help with raising him, so there are the emotional elements that my wife and I both face with leaving the home we own and love in NYC and moving into someone else’s home even if we have a private floor to ourselves. Perhaps all of this is weighing on me thus creating a cycle of distraction and apathy. Fast forward to the race season. I have had very tempered expectations given all of the above. The first of the four races was the Montauk Lighthouse Triathlon. My good friend Gunnar has a house in the Hamptons, albeit a good 50 miles or so from the race venue, and he agreed to race as well. So, we had a lovely day drinking Reisling by the pool and just catching up on life. The wine may not have been the best prep for the race, but c’est la vie. Come race morning, we got up at 3 am, left the house at 4 am, and after some logistical stuff, we were ready to dive into the Long Island Sound by 6 ish. The water was sublime. Warm and not terribly choppy, but as always seems to be the case with this event, the distance seemed a lot longer than a half mile. I was slow, as expected, but with plans to crank out a big effort on the bike, I thought it would work out. On the bike however, I just never found that fire that has been able to propel me to achieve some good numbers (speed, power, etc.). It was a good effort, but simply below what I’m capable of. The weather may have been partly to blame; it was in the mid 80s and with big humidity. I realized that even the less-than-ideal effort on the bike, I was wasted entering the run. By Montauk Point, it was muggy and foggy and getting enough air into my lungs was a struggle. My heart rate was high and I couldn’t seem to process fuel well. I wound up walking several times, each time for maybe 30 seconds or so, and eventually finished with a very small pick-up in speed, but it was my slowest time ever doing this event. I wasn’t terribly upset though; it wasn’t as if I had put in a big block of training and had a mishap. No, I hadn’t trained that well/much, and encountered my kryptonite: heat and humidity. Gunnar had a banner day and as always, I was so happy to cheer on my good friend. One week later was the NYC Triathlon. It was my 12th time doing that event and it remains one of my favorites. The night before the race, I had an anxiety attack. I was in bed by 10:30, nodded off around 11, and was up by 12:30. My mind was racing… with thoughts of work, the move, the baby, my future role as the sole breadwinner, my aging parents, etc. It was a horrible experience and the timing of it was worse. I was out of the house by 4:30 and at the race venue by 4:45. I found Gunnar and we walked up to the swim start thus giving time for me to share what I went through that early morning. He shared advice and wisdom as a father of twin girls, and before we knew it, it was time to race. Moving up in my age group this year, I started an hour later than last year. No matter though; the current was still pretty good at 7:05 am. I got into the water and immediately felt good physically; mentally, I was not focused though and still obsessing on the night before. The combination however both kept me distracted and effective, and I exited the water in good shape. My usually speedy transition was there again for me, and I got onto the bike quickly. The bike leg was great; I passed a ton of people, climbed hills well, and on the return trip down the West Side Highway, the tailwinds enabled me to hold 30+ mph for something like 3 miles. That felt great! For the run, the race organizers shortened the course from 10k to 8k given the intense heat, but I actually felt pretty good for the first 4k. At the halfway point however, the heat got to me. I had to walk a few times for short durations, but whenever I sensed that I was nearing a cheering point for friends along the course, I picked up the pace. Pride and vanity can actually be very effective motivators! The run finish was strong and I reveled in having a fun time despite the punishment of the heat. The following week was the Central Park Triathlon, my 14th time doing that event. Having great friends like Brad, John, and Anthony there made it even more enjoyable. We are all in different parts of life and training, but Brad and I still placed a side bet where I’d have to beat him 10 minutes. Our wives showed up along with a few friends, so we had a great cheering section too. With the pool swim format, I was very comfortable. I was out of the water quickly, and I was fastest out of all competitors in the swim-to-bike transition. Knowing the Central Park Drive so well, I was able to ride well and record the 8th fastest bike time. Getting onto the run was initially okay, but the course begins with ascending the Harlem Hill and that was a big challenge for me. I wound up walking twice up that hill for a total of maybe 1.5 minutes, but eventually found my stride. I saw Brad at one point and he predicted that I would cover the 10 minute differential, but I wasn’t so sure. I pressed on, finished as well as I could, and waited. Sure enough, the results would eventually show that I was just under 9 minutes faster, so Brad won the bet. But, I did place second in my age group (small race; maybe 200 participants) and being on a podium always feels good! Finally, last week, I raced the Staten Island Triathlon. Like the Central Park Triathlon (run by the same organization), it’s a short sprint featuring a quarter mile swim in open water, a 12 mile bike (3 loops of 4 miles each), and a 3 mile run along the Boardwalk. I knew virtually no one there, but with cool weather, I was excited. When the race started, I charged into the water and swam aggressively (by my standards) for the entirety of the course. Once on land, I sprinted across the sand and into T1. I am a little upset that I was second-fastest this race, but that might have been because of the placement of my bike rack being farther away from the exit as others. Once on the bike, I pressed hard. With each loop, I learned more about road quality and positioning. I was passed by one guy who I tried to mark for the rest of race, although at times, he was pretty far ahead. In the end, I had the 9th fastest bike time (also out of maybe 200 participants). My run was typically really challenging at the start. I walked for a few moments at the one mile mark, then again at the turn-around. Finding a decent pace thereafter and seeing the folks chasing me after I turned around, I figured it would be hard for anyone to really pass me with about a mile left to go. I made a cardinal mistake however but looking back a couple of times to see how close they were. Doing that likely emboldened the guy right behind me to make his pass, and I couldn’t counter it. I eventually finished strong and found that each mile was faster than the previous one. And that guy who passed me wasn’t in my age group so it didn’t matter much. When the awards were being passed out, I was shocked that I had gotten first place in the 45-49 men’s group. What a thrill! Two podiums in 7 days. Also Last week, I decided to defer my participation at the NYC Marathon. I don’t see the fire being re-ignited, and I think that it makes better sense that any future marathon that I may consider to be in the Spring. Forgoing this year’s NYC Marathon opens up many other opportunities, and I am eyeing 4 more triathlons including one that is a 7 event multi-staged race. In that race, you run then bike then run… then swim… then run-bike-run again. Much of the run terrain is off-road which should be fun too even if I don’t have the off-road experience. If I complete these four triathlons, I will finish the season with 130 triathlons for the career. Next year, I can’t see doing that many events despite my wife’s encouragement to still train and race. I am certain that I will instead want to spend time with my little boy, but with Mom and Dad having a treadmill and being in hilly terrain that will be ideal for cycling, it might not be that hard. We shall see.
I competed in and finished my 10th Philadelphia Triathlon this past weekend, and while it was probably the most fun I had, it was also my slowest. Naturally, that correlation troubles me, but the real correlation needs to be understood to figure out why yesterday was what it was. First, I’ve not been putting in […]
I competed in and finished my 10th Philadelphia Triathlon this past weekend, and while it was probably the most fun I had, it was also my slowest. Naturally, that correlation troubles me, but the real correlation needs to be understood to figure out why yesterday was what it was. First, I’ve not been putting in crazy training hours. In reality, I’ve been in the pool less than a half-dozen times in the last two months, and I’ve been really unmotivated with running. After the Brooklyn Half-Marathon, I realized that a blister the size of Rhode Island had developed under my left foot, so I let it heal for as long as it would take to not put further pressure on it. After I while, I got complacent and used to not running. I did compete in the Queens 10k race in Flushing Meadow Park last weekend, but as would be expected, my performance numbers weren’t great. My average pace wound up around 8:19 per mile where I had started off with sub 8s. On the bike however, I’ve been feeling great. My numbers have been improving steadily, and I feel so strong whenever climbing up hills. I seem to be stronger than most of my riding partners, so that’s also good for the ego. But, I sense that the progress on the bike has hurt the run especially given the lack of brick sessions. My weight has been pretty good and I’m hovering in the high 170s; that’s great for me! I suspect that I’ll shed just a few more pounds be a solid 175 within a month. Second, the Philly course is not a fast one. The swim typically has some element of tide within the Schuykil River, but on Sunday, they changed the course due to low water levels. And there was virtually zero current. That’s fine, and I swam well considering my under-training, but a little tide would have helped. The bike course is technical and challenging as it offers plenty of flats, short and gradual hills, tight turns, and fun downhills. The run course is pancake flat; half in one direction away from transition in shade, and the other half in the other direction from transition and no protection from the sun. It’s the latter half of the run that often wears down runners. Whereas other Olympic distance events offer different terrain challenges that are better or worse, most of the ones that I have done are typically faster courses at least with respect to my measurement of performance over multiple years. Third, I’ve been inundated with a new work life and some other life challenges. I tend to prefer to sleep more and train less so that I can be energetically refreshed for the toils of each day. I know, however, that I could put in proper run and swim training, so there’s some measure of guilt for not having done so. In any event, I enjoyed this race a lot. I know the course well, the bike course suited me very well and I seemed to easily pass most other athletes in my area, and I overcame some dark times while on the run as I finished with a negative split and my last mile being my fastest. I got to see and hang with good friends Anthony (who shared a car ride and hotel room with me), and Jessica and her husband Eric. I felt no pressure and smiled a lot at how lucky I was to be able to do this, how great the weather was treating us, and how this would be a great wake-up call for the next set of training that I will have to do. Next up is a series of four triathlons in four weekends starting with the Montauk Lighthouse Triathlon on July 17th. I’ve done well in this event in the past as the bike course favors my skills, so it’ll be up to me to replicate past performances and hopefully run well off the bike. Then there’s the NYC Triathlon, the Central Park Triathlon, and the Staten Island Triathlon. I will have also begun NYC Marathon training, so I suspect the run portion will become an asset instead of being my liability. The swim… well who knows. Fortunately, that’s the shortest leg and the one least likely to ruin my day.
Having had an oblique issue for the last few weeks, it’s been hard to get out to run. While an ideal running form features primarily a horizontal orientation where the energy pushes the runner to limit the up-and-down vertical movements of running, few runners can actually run like former NYC Marathon champion Alberto Salazar who […]
Having had an oblique issue for the last few weeks, it’s been hard to get out to run. While an ideal running form features primarily a horizontal orientation where the energy pushes the runner to limit the up-and-down vertical movements of running, few runners can actually run like former NYC Marathon champion Alberto Salazar who epitomized a still upper body and a glide-like running style. I have a little bit of vertical movement in my running style, but it’s still there and what little I do move up and down affected my oblique such that I focused instead on cycling the last few weeks. As such, my run miles were few and I worried a lot about how I’d fare in a half-marathon or any running competition. For the Brooklyn Half, an event I’ve done 3 or 4 times, I had low expectations. I would have loved seeing something sub 1:50, but figured I’d be closer to 1:55. My last half-marathon in March at the NYC Half brought me in at 1:55 and change, and before that at the Staten Island Half, I came in a few seconds shy of 1:49. My best buddy Fernando and I have done a lot of races together and in all but a few of them, he’s been faster than me. It’s not so much a competition between us as we are so supportive of one another, but in this event, neither of us believed that we’d have a banner day and there was the potential that we’d run together for most of all of it. It was an early start time; 7 a.m. To get there in plenty of time to take care of the bathroom break, checking our bag, and getting situated in the right corral, we had to get up at an unGodly hour and take the subway. For me, that meant a 3:45 wakeup and meeting at the subway at 5:15. We got to the race at 6 a.m., took care of the essentials, and got ready in the corral for the big day. We were light-hearted and in great spirits, except Fernando was struggling with stomach ailments likely from some bad sushi the day before. We both hoped that he’d fight through it like he has before. I was decked out in my CityMD running kit and felt great representing my partner. Once the start gun went off, it took us nearly 20 minutes to get to the actual start line. This was said to be the largest half marathon in the US with something like 27,000 runners. It was crowded, but well-managed. The first mile was nearly all downhill, so I took off and Fernando told me later that he was within sight of me. I had expected to positive split throughout the race; that is, while most would say it is better to have a faster latter half of the race and to race conservatively in the earlier part to achieve it, I knew I’d have a very tough time in the final miles and therefore decided to take advantage of feeling good early and go for some time advantages early. By the 5k mark, I was averaging just under 8 minutes per mile. That’s fast but not so fast that I believed that I’d blow up at the end. Who knows, I thought; maybe my body would cooperate and I’d be able to sustain the pace or something close to it. By the 10k mark, I saw some slowdown in the pace, but chalked it up to the hills in Prospect Park. I still felt pretty good and seeing my oldest friend Jeff and his wife and son also buoyed my spirit. At or near mile 7, we entered onto Ocean Parkway and to a straightaway that would be boring and flat for about 6 miles. I thought I’d get myself into a zone and really sustain the pace, or even experiment with pace when I felt it to be appropriate. For the most part, that happened… until mile 9. I noticed my mile splits were getting slower and that effort to maintain the pace, albeit slower, were much harder. This was not a good formula. It would be one thing if I put out a stronger effort and had times to reflect that effort, but to try harder and be slower sent a message; I was in trouble. Miles 9-12 were hard, and I had to really fight the urge that said slow down or even stop. A big motivator was thinking that I was still beating Fernando. I hadn’t seen him pass me, but I sensed that he was close. With each runner who passed me, I breathed a sigh of relief even though I wasn’t supposed to actually racing him! Of greatest concern to me was a hot spot in the center of my left foot. It was a blister that was being created and growing in pain. I had to alter my foot plant and I’m positive that that slowed me down, possibly to the tune of 30 seconds per mile or more. After the 12 mile mark, I felt confident that I’d finish under 1:50, and be close to 1:49, but I had no ability to “kick” in the final mile to get a fast finish; the foot discomfort was really strong. So, I sauntered into the finish line with a finish time of 1:49:19, just 23 seconds or so slower than the Staten Island Half back in October. I was pleased and not at all disappointed with the lack of end-race strength. Had the blister/foot issue not been there, I’m sure I would have come in around 1:47. A few moments after crossing, I saw my phone light up with a text message from Fernando. Turns out that his stomach issues were bad and that he was at mile 10 walking. When I eventually saw him 40+ minutes later, he was pale and in a very bad way. Beginning after mile 4, he had intermittent stops in the porto-john to address what he described as a gas bubble in his mid-section. He tried forcing himself to vomit, he tried resolving things through the other end, and nothing worked. He stopped by a medical tent but they had nothing for acid reflux or whatever it was that was keeping him sick. The fact that he was able to finish is amazing; it would have been far easier to quit, get a ride to the finish line, and deal with that disappointment. Instead, he alternated walking and running and got it done. I’m very impressed. It was my 20th half-marathon. It was not my fastest by any stretch, and I was under-trained for it. No matter though; my spirits were through the roof. I smiled in those moments between miles 9 and 12 even though my foot discomfort was so prominent. I kept thinking good thoughts and doing math to figure out when I’d finish. I knew that I’d be putting on my post-race CityMD polo shirt and that the feeling of being dry and warm was VERY enticing! I also dreamt about the post-race beers at the Coney Island Cyclones baseball stadium (which never happened; when I saw Fernando and we assessed his condition, we b-lined it to an Uber car to get him home). I kept saying thank you… for being able to do this stuff. After the 50 mile bike race six days prior, and some decent cycling miles mid-week, this felt like a big race to me. Today, the day after, I rode another 45 miles with my friend Sarah and felt a little fatigued but generally great. I love that I get to do this stuff. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-900" class="size-full wp-image-900" src="http://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2016BrooklynHalfMarathon.jpg" alt="A fuzzy pic, but I'm happy as a clam finishing yet another Brooklyn Half Marathon!" width="768" height="960" srcset="https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2016BrooklynHalfMarathon.jpg 768w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2016BrooklynHalfMarathon-240x300.jpg 240w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /> A fuzzy pic, but I’m happy as a clam finishing yet another Brooklyn Half Marathon! Go CityMD!
This past weekend, my good buddy Fernando and I participated (not raced!) in the GFNY event held in NY and NJ. It’s actually two events combined into one: a 100 mile bike RACE, and a 50 mile bike ride. Fern initially came up with the idea of doing the 100 miler thanks to influence from […]
This past weekend, my good buddy Fernando and I participated (not raced!) in the GFNY event held in NY and NJ. It’s actually two events combined into one: a 100 mile bike RACE, and a 50 mile bike ride. Fern initially came up with the idea of doing the 100 miler thanks to influence from friends of his with whom we’d potentially be a four person team. But, as time marched on and he realized that his fitness was not where he thought it needed to be, we dropped down to the 50 mile distance. Essentially, riders gather on the lower roadway of the George Washington Bridge and at 7 am, all depart on a course that takes us along the Hudson River (mostly) through beautiful scenery towards Bear Mountain in Rockland County, NY. The course is hilly for sure; the Bear Mountain climb itself is 4 miles of various gradiants, the most being roughly 10%. For the 50 mile participants, ascending the hill is the victory, and a short descent to the shuttles ends the day where riders and their bikes are driven back to the GWB. For the 100 milers, the latter half of the course features more hills but on a different return route. Neither of us have ever done this type of event before, and neither of us are true cyclists in the sense of living and breathing the cyclist lifestyle. Sure, we ride to support the triathlon interests, but tri-guys are considerably different than roadies. We ride different bikes, we are not comfortable in big groups and often train solo, and we don’t know all the unwritten rules of etiquette. But, how hard could it be? It was a chilly morning; temps in the low 50s, overcast mostly, and windy. We killed time for almost an hour on that lower roadway of the GWB and once we were off, it was mayhem. Tons of riders everywhere, we were chilled to the bone, and a meandering course to get us to River Road. Once there, we were on familiar ground and just rode along per our usual training pace. Many yahoos were darting in and out as they did their relative best to race this event; we were not so inclined. For us, it was about safety and enjoying the experience. The enjoyment, however, took a while to settle in as we white-knuckled the descents amid so many riders of varying abilities. I was on my road bike versus my very comfortable triathlon bike. The road bike is lighter and considerably more nimble, though a bit too large a frame for me. I have been wanting to replace it for a while, but it takes money… a lot of it… to get what I want. It still did the trick. Fern was on his road bike as well, so we were in good control. The many hills were very easy for me and much of it was because my machine was light and easy to ride; I’ve also put in a fair share of riding miles this season; roughly 800 miles thus far. We stopped once at an aid station in Stony Point at mile 32, and we knew that the top of Bear Mountain was mile 47, so we were well prepared. Fern’s back began to bother him which was to be expected given his lighter training mileage this year, but I felt great. It seemed like each hill ascent was easy and that I was holding back to prepare for the big Bear Mountain ascent. As we re-grouped a few miles before the big climb, I coached Fern as best I could as to what to expect on the hill given maybe a half dozen previous climbs in my Ironman training years. Once we got to the base, we said goodbye and I was off. I wasn’t trying to be a showoff or break any records, but spinning up the hill was seemingly easy. I felt no major lactic acid buildup and no labored breathing. My heart rate monitor confirmed that I was in the right zone. As we made the turn to the steeper section called Perkins, I wondered if the previous miles would take their toll, or if my confidence was ill-placed. I pedaled conservatively as each kilometer marker was passed, and wound up connecting with a rider with whom we played a little cat and mouse as we traded turns leading one another. With about one kilometer left to go, I made a pass, shifted to a harder gear, got out of the saddle and really pushed. I felt like I was passing 10 riders a minute or more. Then, the banner appeared and I shifted again. As I crossed the threshold signaling the end of the climb, I was in great shape and couldn’t contain my smile. I got my medal, circled around to that banner, and waited for Fern. Unfortunately, his quad muscles seized up and he had to walk a couple of times. But, pride can be a powerful motivator and he made sure to cross the finish line riding his bike and smiling too… and I was able to record a video of that moment. In reviewing the final results, it appears that I was 19th fastest out of 628 people in the 50 mile category which puts me in the top 3%! Wow! After a few moments reveling in our glory, we descended down to the shuttle buses, and headed back. It took just a few moments of being on the highway before we both passed out given how early we had gotten up and the effort level that followed… but it was still a glorious day for us. In the end, our ride times were 3 hours and then some, but they did record the Bear Mountain time split. For me, it was 26 minutes and 38 seconds. From what I can tell, my previous climb record was something like 40 minutes and change, so this was pretty amazing by my standards. It has me even more motivated to find hills to climb! Tomorrow, a mere 6 days after this cycling event, Fern and I are racing the Brooklyn Half Marathon. I am not in good shape for this event. I’ve been battling a sore oblique muscle that causes discomfort with each running stride. I’m not a huge up-and-down type of runner, nor am I like Alberto Salazar whose running form featured an upper body that almost never vertically moved, but whatever form I employ seems to apply pressure to the muscle issue with each stride… so I’ve been avoiding running for a couple of weeks. I might be in a little bit of trouble tomorrow, but I’m sure I’ll finish even if I’m in a bad way. The big motivator will be the beer in the Brooklyn Cyclones baseball park afterwards! Beer… the reward for champions! NOTE: Race organizers required that participants wear the GFNY cycling jersey, so while CityMD is not represented in the photo, they are still my amazing partner and I continue to share my recommendation to visit one of their many centers in the metro NY/NJ area for all of your urgent care needs. The CityMD uniform will be well-represented tomorrow at the half-marathon. <img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-893" class="size-full wp-image-893" src="http://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GranFondo-2016-1-e1463756362177.jpg" alt="At the top of Bear Mountain, thrilled and tired!" width="3264" height="4896" srcset="https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GranFondo-2016-1-e1463756362177.jpg 3264w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GranFondo-2016-1-e1463756362177-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GranFondo-2016-1-e1463756362177-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GranFondo-2016-1-e1463756362177-683x1024.jpg 683w" sizes="(max-width: 3264px) 100vw, 3264px" /> At the top of Bear Mountain, thrilled and tired!
It wasn’t a particularly tough weekend as the two races didn’t duplicate disciplines, but it was nonetheless fun… and wet! On Saturday, I raced in a cute, small race called the Spring Couples Relay. I’ve done this race maybe a dozen times and it’s always super fun despite the bouts of super high intensity. My […]
It wasn’t a particularly tough weekend as the two races didn’t duplicate disciplines, but it was nonetheless fun… and wet! On Saturday, I raced in a cute, small race called the Spring Couples Relay. I’ve done this race maybe a dozen times and it’s always super fun despite the bouts of super high intensity. My partner a few years ago was this tiny dynamo named Jessica. She hails from Ecuador, and we met rather by chance while she was a student at Baruch. She lifeguarded while I swam at their pool, and I’d often see photos of her next to championship banners for swimming and running. Later, she joined my triathlon team and we quickly became friends. I adore her. Super smart, super sweet, amazingly fast, and always smiling. The race consists of a male-female team where one party completes a 2.2 mile run, the other completes a 12.2 mile bike, and then both parties get into a row boat in Central Park and navigate a kidney-shaped pond for about 3/4 of a mile in a flat-bottomed beast of a rowboat. In 2013, we won first place overall thanks to her run effort. Unlike years past, in 2013 the bike leg was first. I was 5th and Jessica chewed up the competition on the run putting us in first place for the boat. We managed to hold off the competition with me rowing and her navigating and we were overall champs! This year, they swapped the run and bike. Jessica is coming off a running injury and isn’t quite pain-free, but still soldiered on. She took off at the start and came in 2nd with just some super fast guy in front of her. She tagged me and I took off like a bandit in front of the lead cyclist. I found her quickly and hammered away in wet, cold, and windy conditions. Halfway through the first of two laps of Central Park, the race organizer in his SUV pulled in front of me to announce to the other park visitors that they needed to make the road clear for the “lead cyclist”. Wow, it was at that moment that I realized that I was winning the race… on a bike! I’ve never been in that position before and I was both thrilled and terrified. I’m used to chasing, not holding off the wolves. Well, that dilemma only lasted another five or so minutes longer before this monster biker passed me. Okay, second place was still pretty good. I hammered as best I could through the second lap and with about 3-4 minutes left to go, I got passed again. This time, I managed to keep the guy within my sights and I estimate that I got into transition about 10 seconds behind him. Given a really fast transition however, Jessica and I were out of transition before him and his partner and made it to the boat in front of them. Here’s where the fun began and where our day went sideways. We had a decent lead for the first few minutes as we navigated around buoys. But, the guy in third place was so strong and passed me despite my efforts to block his path but in a way that didn’t make it seem obvious. It became obvious to me that we weren’t going to overtake him, and with fourth place very far away, Jessica and I began chatting as it became a leisurely jaunt in the pond on a rowboat. We were nearing the end of the race when an oncoming boat, way out of its path, collided with ours in a t-bone collision. It took a few moments to get disentangled, and low and behold, the fourth place boat seemed to just magically appear. The rower’s power was obvious as he ate up the distance between us. I immediately panicked and saw the potential for the final 50 meters to enable him to overtake us. I rowed furiously… and right into a big tentacled tree branch sticking out of the water. Jessica tried to free us but this thing grabbed my oar and we were stuck. When we got free, fourth place was just about even with us… until another wayward competitor collided with them, thus freeing us to row the final meters to the finish line. Whew, what a relief! In the end, we got third place overall. We would have loved to repeat our 2013 overall victory, but being on the overall podium was still a major thrill! I remain so indebted to Jessica for persevering through her injury and the chilly conditions. Pics chronicling the day are below. <img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-884" class="size-full wp-image-884" src="http://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/PostRace-GGBike.jpg" alt="Excited to race!" width="960" height="720" srcset="https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/PostRace-GGBike.jpg 960w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/PostRace-GGBike-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/PostRace-GGBike-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /> Excited to race! <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-880" class="size-full wp-image-880" src="http://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GGBike1.jpg" alt="Alone on the bike. A new and odd feeling." width="960" height="720" srcset="https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GGBike1.jpg 960w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GGBike1-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GGBike1-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /> Alone on the bike. A new and odd feeling. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-881" class="size-full wp-image-881" src="http://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GGBike2.jpg" alt="Another lonely bike shot." width="960" height="720" srcset="https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GGBike2.jpg 960w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GGBike2-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GGBike2-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /> Another lonely bike shot. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-882" class="size-full wp-image-882" src="http://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GGBike3.jpg" alt="I'm smiling and grimacing at the same time!" width="960" height="720" srcset="https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GGBike3.jpg 960w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GGBike3-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GGBike3-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /> I’m smiling and grimacing at the same time! <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-885" class="size-full wp-image-885" src="http://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Row1.jpg" alt="Central Park was beautiful despite the gloomy conditions." width="960" height="720" srcset="https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Row1.jpg 960w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Row1-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Row1-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /> Central Park was beautiful despite the gloomy conditions. We’re the left-most boat and our pursuers are in red to the right (with a race official in yellow). <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-887" class="size-full wp-image-887" src="http://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Row3.jpg" alt="Seems like all is well. Little did we know that the 4th place boat was in hot pursuit!" width="960" height="720" srcset="https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Row3.jpg 960w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Row3-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Row3-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /> Seems like all is well. Little did we know that the 4th place boat was in hot pursuit! <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-886" class="size-full wp-image-886" src="http://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Row2.jpg" alt="The final push to the finish line." width="907" height="907" srcset="https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Row2.jpg 907w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Row2-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Row2-300x300.jpg 300w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Row2-768x768.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 907px) 100vw, 907px" /> The final push to the finish line. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-877" class="size-full wp-image-877" src="http://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Awards.jpg" alt="Third Place Overall!" width="720" height="960" srcset="https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Awards.jpg 720w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Awards-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" /> Third Place Overall! <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-883" class="size-full wp-image-883" src="http://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GGlegs.jpg" alt="My legs reflect the road grime thrown off by the bike." width="720" height="960" srcset="https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GGlegs.jpg 720w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GGlegs-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" /> My legs reflect the road grime thrown off by the bike. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-878" class="size-full wp-image-878" src="http://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/BikeDirty1.jpg" alt="The bike was a dirt magnet. It looked like we went off-road riding!" width="720" height="960" srcset="https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/BikeDirty1.jpg 720w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/BikeDirty1-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" /> The bike was a dirt magnet. It looked like we went off-road riding! —————————— The next day (today in fact), I raced the New York Road Runners Japan Day 4 Miler in Central Park. I had it in my mind that I’d run the 3.5 miles to the run start from my apartment to get in a nice warmup with lots of time to stretch… only to wake up to 51 degrees, wind, and rain. I bailed and took a taxi. Not that big a deal in the scheme of things, but that got me to the race far earlier than planned, thus I had to stand in my thin race gear for 45 minutes in the rain and cold. I found a big tree to stand under and after a few shifts of position, got myself almost completely protected from the rain. Once the horn sounded, the rain ended, so it wound up being a decent morning. Colder is always my preference to hot days, so this was good for me. I really had low expectations. I’ve been lazy lately. Lack of motivation has seen me blow off runs for 10 days or so, and I figured my lack of preparation would be readily apparent this morning. My first mile however was 8:05. Not having a particular goal, I figured I’d average between 8:20 to 8:30 per mile, so while this first mile split was good, it made me wonder if I was going out too hard only to have slower miles for the latter half, thus achieving the dreaded “positive split”. The second mile was 7:58. Egad, I was screwing myself… but I wasn’t trying to go fast. I ran according to instinct and how I generally felt. It all seemed fine. When it got to be a little too hard, I slowed down a little. Simple plan I thought. The third mile features the three west side hills, so my mile split of 8:18 was both expected, and both evidence of what was assuredly going to be that positive split. I kinda resigned myself to that fate and kept on going. I did find that I felt pretty strong despite earlier challenges and decided to up the effort a bit. When my watch revealed that I had maybe 2 and a half minutes of running left and I could sense the finish line, I pushed even harder. As we made one last turn on the course, I pulled out the stops and ran my hardest (short of a sprint). In the end, my watch revealed a finish time of 31:54. Breaking 32 minutes was not in the equation. 33-something would have been heroic, but this finishing time meant that my fourth mile was 7:33. It’s not that fast in the scheme of “real” runners, but for my too-big belly and my lack of effort recently, this was a big deal to me. So, I smiled… a lot. I high-fived volunteers and other runners, and couldn’t wait to tell Roya all about the day. Another double race weekend is in the books. Next up is the Gran Fondo cycling event next weekend, followed by the Brooklyn Half Marathon six days later. May is a busy month! <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-876" class="size-full wp-image-876" src="http://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/JapanRun2016.jpg" alt="Race finish. Wet and happy!" width="960" height="960" srcset="https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/JapanRun2016.jpg 960w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/JapanRun2016-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/JapanRun2016-300x300.jpg 300w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/JapanRun2016-768x768.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /> Race finish. Wet and happy!
It’s been quite some time since I posted on this blog, though I have referred friends and colleagues to it over the past couple of years with some level of embarrassment for not being more conscientious. Perhaps that’s a good sign of having other fun things to focus upon. So, regarding the title of this […]
It’s been quite some time since I posted on this blog, though I have referred friends and colleagues to it over the past couple of years with some level of embarrassment for not being more conscientious. Perhaps that’s a good sign of having other fun things to focus upon. So, regarding the title of this post… a little backstory is needed. I used to work for MagnaCare, a regional management company that helped different types of clients manage their health benefit plans. I loved most of my experience there and wanted take my pride of them to the next level by representing them as a sponsored athlete. So, I presented the idea and they were on board. I proudly wore that MagnaCare kit in triathlons, in running events, while training on the bike, etc. In December of 2015, amid some restructuring following a few company setbacks, we parted ways. It was bittersweet as it not only represented a goodbye to some pretty good successes there, but also the end of this athletic sponsorship. As with most things in my life, I chose to look at what was next… professionally, personally, athletically, etc. “This is an opportunity,” a voice in my head kept telling me. I met the CEO of CityMD through the course of my work and instantly liked him. Dr. Richard Park is impressive in every way that I find valuable; he’s immensely intelligent, he is humble despite his enormous successes, he has instilled a culture of positivity and kindness within his organization, he is generous, he is an amazing father, and he’s simply a very nice guy. I like what CityMD is doing in the local marketplace, and I like that they have plans to scale this business to other markets. I have had many friends relay their positive experiences from visiting a CityMD location, and I too am a patient with a very positive experience. It occurred to me that I would love to represent them in multisport activities since they are a health care company, doing great things, and supported by kind, positive people. So, it is with this announcement (with a soft “announcement” of sorts via Facebook a couple of weeks ago) that I share that CityMD is indeed my partner in the 2016 multisport season. I am immensely proud of this partnership and hope to represent them well. A new race kit is being produced now by Champion Systems and should be ready in 3-4 weeks. But, I did want to still show the love to CityMD and wore a red golf shirt in the NYC Half Marathon two weeks ago. I looked ridiculous (one might say pregnant), but I was all smiles. A week later, in the NYRR Spring Classic 10k, I opted not to wear the golf shirt, but took a quick shot of the shirt with my running shoes and race number after the fact. This past weekend, I competed at the South Beach Triathlon and wore a generic blue and white triathlon kit. I was pretty bummed that I couldn’t have CityMD get the personal recognition from friends, family, and others given my fastest bike split ever in an Olympic distance event, but later this season, everyone who sees me in training and in the large number of races on my calendar will see the blue and red CityMD kit. I’m so excited! See the 2016 Race Calendar page for a listing of races this year. I’ll also get some new pics uploaded soon. Please visit a CityMD location for a variety of your health care needs. See below: —————————————————————————————————- Urgent Care for Injuries and Illnesses Life’s little emergencies are what our walk in clinics are for. You cut your hand slicing vegetables. We’ll stitch it up and get you back in the kitchen to finish that special birthday meal. You twisted your ankle while training for a half-marathon. We’ll wrap it so it heals and you can still go for a personal best. You’ve got a cough and you’re worried you’ll lose your voice before that big presentation. We’ll choose the most effective medicine so that you can focus on getting your speech just the way you want it. Your daughter eats a brownie and breaks out in hives. We’ll stop the reaction, and order tests to find out what she might be allergic to, so that you have what you need to keep your child safe. CityMD’s Walk In Promise At CityMD urgent care, we care about your health—and we care about your priorities. Our staff—from our front desk to our physicians—will treat you quickly and efficiently while taking the time to listen to you. CityMD doctors, medical assistants and technicians are trained in all aspects of urgent care medicine for both adults and children. We’ll never rush you—and we’ll never make you wait. For immediate, fast, and comprehensive care, just walk in one of our urgent care clinics today! You may also register online to expedite your wait time, or call us at 212-772-3627 with any questions. If you are experiencing significant chest pain, rectal bleeding, or are losing consciousness, your condition may be life threatening and you should call 911. Some of the Urgent Care Injuries and Illnesses We Treat Cuts, scrapes, wounds & lacerations Sprains, strains Minor fractures & dislocations Broken bones Minor burns Rashes and insect bites Abscess, boils Allergic reactions Fever Dehydration requiring IV hydration Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting & stomach flu Congestion & upper respiratory infections Cough, cold & flu Migraines & headaches Bronchitis, wheezing & asthma attacks Ear infections, earaches & foreign body removal Corneal abrasions Nose bleeds (packing available) Sore throat & strep throat Pink eye Urinary tract infections STD & HIV screening Cholesterol, diabetes & thyroid screening Immunizations & vaccinations School, Sport & Annual Physicals Exams
Wow, that was a rough day. So many stories to tell, and so much pain to describe, but I’ll be succinct and focus on little stories/tidbits. – Woke up at 4 a.m., out of the house at 5:15 a.m., and took a cab to the subway. Got there early, so went inside a 24 hour […]
Wow, that was a rough day. So many stories to tell, and so much pain to describe, but I’ll be succinct and focus on little stories/tidbits. – Woke up at 4 a.m., out of the house at 5:15 a.m., and took a cab to the subway. Got there early, so went inside a 24 hour Duane Reade and read US Weekly. – Met up with my best buddy Fernando at the W 72nd Subway at 6 a.m. and took it down to the Staten Island Ferry. Met up with another friend Isela. Once on SI, saw another friend Bill. Took a bus from the ferry to Fort Wadsworth to wait until race start. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-843" class=" wp-image-843" alt="NYCMarathon-SIFerry" src="http://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/NYCMarathon-SIFerry.jpg" width="576" height="432" srcset="https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/NYCMarathon-SIFerry.jpg 960w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/NYCMarathon-SIFerry-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px" /> At the Staten Island Ferry with Fernando. – The day before, went to a thrift store and bought some warm clothing and a fleece blanket to keep me warm during the wait, which wound up being like 2 hours. Scores of others seemed to have the same idea. No one appeared to be fashion conscious. – At race start, temps were in the low 40s and winds were howling. Once on the Verrazano Bridge (I was on the lower level), wind speeds picked up. Easily exceeded 40 mph. Smaller female runners in front of me were literally blown off their feet and into other runners. I wore two thin long-sleeved tops with a short-sleeved MagnaCare racing shirt on top, and MagnaCare tri shorts on the bottom. Wore a visor and over-the-ear headphones with an arm-band holding my iPhone. Created a 7 hour playlist of great tunes to keep me well entertained. Coldness and wind had no effect on my spirit. I like battling bad weather. I don’t like running into a headwind for 20 miles though. – Once over the bridge and into Brooklyn, winds seemed to die down and sun came out. People discarded clothing like at a burlesque club. Became a little dangerous for those folks who had to run over clothing in the roadway thanks to others who didn’t make a better effort to throw extra clothing to the side. – Running through Brooklyn was uneventful, but still magical and fun. This was the easiest part of the race, and the most enjoyable thanks to crowd support. Saw childhood best friend Jeff and his son Aedan. Missed seeing my friend James and Fernando’s brother Louis, but was still in very good spirits. Focused hard to maintain a light and easy pace. Music had me pumping my fist and run-dancing at times. – Crossed the Pulaski Bridge into Queens and missed my friend John, but did see friends Brian and Christine. Noticed their sign saying “Go Greg Gordon.” Misspelling of my name got me into a tizzy (which they didn’t see) but found myself distracted thinking about it and covered a mile swamped in those thoughts. I owe them thanks for that. – Before I knew it, we were ascending the Queensboro Bridge. MANY people walking and in pain; I took little steps, found a good rhythm and had zero issues. Only pain was the descent; legs began to show major signs of fatigue. – 1st Avenue was crazy as always, but I drowned it out with my music and was primarily focused on running on the left side to see various friends who said they’d be out watching. Saw John and Deanna at 85th Street, then Karen and Cindy a little bit later. Just before that, saw Jeff T. but had to shout out his name as he had missed me. Later saw college friend Andrea volunteering at a water station, then saw friend Michael at like 102nd Street who gave me a huge reception. Felt so good at a time when I began to feel so bad. Legs really began to fail me (around mile 18), but then saw three or four tri friends who cheered me on, and which boosted me a bit (pride and vanity are powerful motivators). – Got to the 1st Ave Bridge and found it again to be easy. Realized going uphill was a piece of cake; downhills were a concern. – Found myself struggling badly in the Bronx and was consumed with thinking about my beautiful Roya and how badly I wanted to see her at mile 21.5. Knew it wasn’t long to see her, and committed to not stop until I did. It became painful to run to the Madison Avenue Bridge, but persevered. – As I got onto 5th Avenue, my buddy Brad was there (as a spectator/supporter) and ran with me towards my brownstone. With a block to go, he ran ahead and told them I was about to come by. Saw my poor mom suffering in the cold just to see me, and I gave her maybe a 30 second hug, kissed her, told her how much she meant to me, then greeted everyone else (Roya, neighbors, my super, Dad). Spent maybe 2 minutes with them, cracked some jokes, then took off with Brad. – Made it to 118th Street before I finally had to walk. Started running again at 112th Street and ran to 102nd Street before walking again. Started running again at 98th Street, said goodbye to Brad at 91st Street, and entered Central Park at 90th Street. In the walk/run pattern, major issues with roving cramps, the perception of very weak joints (felt like legs were toothpicks ready to snap), and general apathy, but I kept my smile and tried to be cheery. Brad was the best distraction I could ask for. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-844" class=" wp-image-844" alt="NYCMarathon-BradGG" src="http://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/NYCMarathon-BradGG.jpg" width="576" height="432" srcset="https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/NYCMarathon-BradGG.jpg 960w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/NYCMarathon-BradGG-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px" /> Amazing friend Brad running with me for support. – Saw tri-friend Alex who took an amazing picture of me looking happy… and I was generally happy to be a part of it, but I was physically destroyed and still had a 5k left. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-845" class=" wp-image-845" alt="NYCMarathon-Mile23" src="http://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/NYCMarathon-Mile23.jpg" width="672" height="448" srcset="https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/NYCMarathon-Mile23.jpg 960w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/NYCMarathon-Mile23-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 672px) 100vw, 672px" /> Mile 23. Looks like I’m feeling great! I wasn’t. – Walked/ran intermittently until mile 25 and committed to myself that I would run the final mile no matter what. Got to mile 25.2 (per GPS) which was roughly in the ramp between Grand Army Plaza and the Central Park Drive. A couple of people patted me on the back with encouragement; I received it well emotionally but couldn’t produce much outward emotion to show thanks. – Ran across 59th Street and didn’t acknowledge the crowds. I was embarrassed to be in such bad shape, I was battling so many physical issues, and I had to focus on just getting one step in front of the other on the pavement. – Made the turn at Columbus Circle and entered back into Central Park. Spirits definitely improved and I did my best to look around and appreciate everything around me. – Got to the left side of the finish line and crossed with my hands in the air. I had hoped to feel exalted and thrilled, but I instead felt tremendous discomfort. I knew it would be temporary and I was not in any danger, so I swallowed it all, tried to show grace to other athletes (a few hugs given to strangers), profusely thanked the person who gave me my medal and my bag of treats/drinks, and muddled through the crowd. – We were supposed to walk for a long while, but I saw a few athletes skip in between some gates, so I followed suit and got out of the park as fast as I could. The speed with which I moved was comparable to hot lava flowing. – Made it to Central Park West and called Roya. Coordinated a meetup, called an Uber car, and got home. Getting out of the Uber car was a major challenge, and walking down the block to my home was with a speed comparable to cold lava flowing. – Took the next day off and went to the finish line with Fernando to take selfies and take in the aura of what we had accomplished. En route, we came across this massive hill and were challenged to ascend it. It must have had a 1% grade for like 6 or 7 feet in length, but despite both of us suffering from extreme stiffness and soreness, we huffed over it in record time (easily under 2 minutes) but the descending stairs leaving one of the tents became a grave challenge that was mitigated only by the presence of a handrail, on which my hand laid down a death grip. A few minutes later, mission accomplished and we were at the bottom of that intense challenge. 8 steps have nothing on us marathoners! <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-846" class=" wp-image-846" alt="NYCMarathon-Finish1" src="http://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/NYCMarathon-Finish1.jpg" width="384" height="511" srcset="https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/NYCMarathon-Finish1.jpg 640w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/NYCMarathon-Finish1-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px" /> Second NYC Marathon done. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-847" class=" wp-image-847" alt="NYCMarathon-Finish2" src="http://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/NYCMarathon-Finish2.jpg" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/NYCMarathon-Finish2.jpg 720w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/NYCMarathon-Finish2-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" /> Fernando and I celebrating my 2nd finish and his 10th in a row. He’s incredible and so inspiring. – Second day after the race and stiffness and soreness still prevail. Brought the finisher’s medal to work and colleagues are impressed. Invariably, the question is asked about my time. I try to be swift and accurate, but cannot avoid the reality that I just wasn’t ready and that it was only sheer will power that got me through. I’m no quitter. – Said on race day, “This is it. No more long course stuff for me. This body just isn’t made for long course.” Said today to Fernando, “Strongly thinking about avenging this experience in 2016.” Amazing how a period of reflection can create an illusion of ability. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-850" class=" wp-image-850 " alt="NYCMarathon-Medal" src="http://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/NYCMarathon-Medal.jpg" width="737" height="553" srcset="https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/NYCMarathon-Medal.jpg 2048w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/NYCMarathon-Medal-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/NYCMarathon-Medal-1024x768.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 737px) 100vw, 737px" /> 2014 NYC Marathon Finisher’s Medal
This Sunday is my second NYC Marathon, and I am really unprepared. I mean, I’m prepared, but such preparation didn’t go that well and I’m fearing having a bad day. Most people seem to think that if you think positive, good things will happen… and I too subscribe to that theory… generally… but there’s something […]
This Sunday is my second NYC Marathon, and I am really unprepared. I mean, I’m prepared, but such preparation didn’t go that well and I’m fearing having a bad day. Most people seem to think that if you think positive, good things will happen… and I too subscribe to that theory… generally… but there’s something to be said for zeroing in on honesty and using reality as the true barometer. Here’s what I mean: If I believe in myself, and I buy into the really supportive comments made from fellow athletes, friends, family, etc., and then on race day, my beliefs are dashed by the body’s failure to perform at a certain level, I’ll feel emotionally bereft and pillars of disappointment will surround this memory for a long time. Conversely, if I only think negative things, then maybe I’ll make that my reality and never perform to a level that I could have and I’ll still be saddled with a poisoned memory. So, there’s the middle ground where I say to myself, “Self, you were conscientious, you put in the work as best you could, and you clearly remember your past successes and failures, so just go out there and be aware that you may not have any control of what happens on race day. You may feel great and push too hard, only to really hit the wall in the back half of the race, or you might feel great and find a good, sustainable rhythm… or you could feel like shit right out of the gate, and those feelings won’t dissipate much with time thus making it a many-hour shit-fest.” I cannot control some of these variables and while I am mostly type A, I have learned to be comfortable not being in control. Being married to a type A certainly helps to grow this ability, but I think that I am in a good place. I don’t have any lofty expectations and just finishing will be a major honor. Yes, I did it before (in 2007), but I remember how horrible an experience it was by having hope of breaking four hours and coming in at 4:37. I remember feeling embarrassed talking about how badly I did, and to some extent, I still harbor resentment… towards myself! I’ve done a very good job, a purposeful effort, to not advertise my participation to the bulk of my friends because I hate how badly the latter part of this running season went for me, but there is a solace to be found in running the event with no real goals. I will run, I’ll probably walk a little here and there (or maybe more than a little if it gets really tough), but I will finish, and I will cherish the memory. I get to do something that few people get to do but many marvel at. I’ll get to run past my friends and say hi; I’ll get to look at all the interesting people around me from so many cultures and countries; I’ll get to run past my home and kiss my amazing wife; and I’ll get to cross that amazing threshold in Central Park and get my medal. Then, I’ll get to tell all the stories of things I saw, and of the feelings I experienced, and I’ll probably take a couple of weeks off to eat freely (e.g. badly) and imbibe with reckless abandon… but then the memory and aura will fade, and life will take over. This is therefore a rite of passage in a sense, and a life memory no matter the time on the watch. So, I guess I am ready. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-837" class=" wp-image-837 " title="2007 NYC Marathon" alt="NYCMarathon-2007Finish" src="http://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/NYCMarathon-2007Finish.jpg" width="465" height="328" srcset="https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/NYCMarathon-2007Finish.jpg 604w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/NYCMarathon-2007Finish-300x211.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 465px) 100vw, 465px" /> 2007 NYC Marathon <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-838" class=" wp-image-838" alt="NYCMarathon-Registration-2014" src="http://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/NYCMarathon-Registration-2014.jpg" width="448" height="448" srcset="https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/NYCMarathon-Registration-2014.jpg 640w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/NYCMarathon-Registration-2014-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/NYCMarathon-Registration-2014-300x300.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 448px) 100vw, 448px" /> 2014 NYC Marathon Registration
Well, it sure has been a while. I’ve done a lot in the last couple of years since I last maintained this site, but rather than re-hash where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to, I’m just going to add stuff whenever and for whatever reason… starting with a pic from an event I […]
Well, it sure has been a while. I’ve done a lot in the last couple of years since I last maintained this site, but rather than re-hash where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to, I’m just going to add stuff whenever and for whatever reason… starting with a pic from an event I went to last night. My company does a lot of business with Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx and we had representation at a gala fundraising event they held last night at the famous Waldorf Astoria Hotel ballroom. In attendance was my wife, and a colleague and her husband. Roya looked amazing as usual in her runway Gucci gown, and I did my best to not ruin her look by wearing a Gucci tuxedo that Roya helped me get courtesy of a sample sale at Gucci and her generous discount. So, we were the Gucci couple indeed. Fun event, decent food, some dancing, and lots of laughs. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-833" alt="GG&Roya-WaldorfAstoria-20141022" src="http://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/GGRoya-WaldorfAstoria-20141022.jpg" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/GGRoya-WaldorfAstoria-20141022.jpg 720w, https://www.gregghgordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/GGRoya-WaldorfAstoria-20141022-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" />