Elite Runner Lost & Confused

I did end up doing a bit of running Tuesday - just to stay loose & on point - 2 miles w/speed @ 6:20 pace in racing flats. This gives me 19 miles - I will do a 3 miler this morning as well, rest all day Thur & Fri and rock a 6:30 min/mile 2 miler on Saturday - that's the rest of my training till the big race. Now I am getting into a whole mental zone to be better than I ever have on Sunday. I read a lot about elite runners and I was stunned and shocked to read the Q & A of a teleconference that took place on Tuesday with the NYRR & that man on the right, Khalid Khannouchi. That's him posing just before the London Marathon - Years past in the Fall @ Chicago he set the World Record in the Marathon, in fact he has 2 of the top 5 fastest times ever ran in the Marathon world wide. Born in Morocco, he's now an American living in Long Island, NY and you'll see him around the New York scene - there he is below in the NYRR's Health Kidney 10K in Central Park. Tuesday in the teleconference with this man, the American Record holder Khalid Khannouchi - in preparation of the US Olympic Trials on Saturday...went like this: .Q: How is your fitness entering Saturday's race? KK: I feel great. I've been training hard the past two months. Q: Khalid, how close are you to your 2:06, 2:07 form? KK: I really don't know how in shape I am right now because I haven't performed well in my races. But I feel good about the home-court advantage, I live in New York, and I'll try to do the best I can. A runner of this level knows how in shape they are. Furthermore he has no "home court advantage". (1) Meb Keflezighi is in the race and he was the runner-up finish (2nd plce) in the ING New York City Marathon in 2004, he races & trains in Central Park all the time, he loves racing in Central Park, and Dathan Ritzenhein is in the race too, he set the course record in the Central Park look of 28:08. Khalid's awesome, but he's not as distinguishing in New York City - as his competitors - in sum he has no "home court advantage" - there is no way he does not know that. When I see an elite runner grasping at straws (that are not even there) - that ain't good! Q: How do you see the race Saturday playing out? KK: It's very difficult to talk about that. The marathon is always unpredictable. Right now, to be honest, I don't have a tactic that I'm going to use for the race. I assume there will be a slow first half, but that's not something for sure. This is not like a city marathon where you need to win. A lot of guys here, we want to make the team. If you ask me if I want to work hard and win or to make the team, I want to make it easy for myself and try to make the top 3. We know we are improving and we can take the U.S. marathon into another level. WTF? First he floats the notion of a "home court advantage" (his words) - he lives in NY, blah blah blah yet doesn't have a tactic (for this home court of his?) (1) It's a mistake for him to "assume", (2) He wants to make it "easy for himself and place - not win". He's not mentally framed and intent on winning. Q: Do you still have the drive to put in the training and hurt? KK: Not as much as it was before. To be honest, we still have the drive. This is still a dream for me. Meb is an inspiration to bring home the Silver Medal Rome Athens (Olympics). I am honored to be in the same room as him. For me it's a dream to represent my country and do the same. I've worked as hard as I can. I did the best I can and I feel I can do as well as everybody else. This is unbelievable - he's basically already writing his obituary - he's lost already - he's honored to just be in the same room (at the press teleconference) with Meb Meb Keflezighi ? WTF? You're Khalid Khannouchi, Meb is supposed to say that about you, not the other way around. This guy needs to snap out of it. Look, I don't expect him to show his cards, speak to his strategy, expose his plan - but these answers above? Oh hell no, I don't even want to read anymore of this because this low to no expectation former world record holder's ass backward psychology might rub off on me! F that! Example, "I can do as well as everybody else". This is crazy y'all - he's done, defeated - he's the former World Record Holder and here he is defining himself as able to hang with these other runners? The other runner's are supposed to damn near pee their pants that they are in the race with him for crissakes! What do I want to see in a runner pre race? Certainty! I want to know that runner has visioned everything , their personal victory - it's rehersed, etc. I don't care if your goal is sub 5 Hours or sub 4 hours, when you hit your goal you're a Champion. This is not a Champion. A guy like this is supposed to finish in the top 3 with relatively little problem - I predict he will not finish in the top 3, he will not make the Olympic team. Me? Me? I completely see me running down 59th St. @ 3:00, I not only see that, I hear the announcer speakers at the finish - I've got about a half-mile more to go and clock it at a 6:40 pace rocking a 3:03:20 or so. It's played out in my mind for weeks now. This is how I roll. Tomorrow is the opening of the NYC Marathon Expo - Woo Hoo - Lotta fun - If you live in NYC - make your way down to the Javitz Center - it's free! Total Olympic Village feel on the first day - ya know all the foreigner "front" on the first day - everybody's wearing a Marathon Jacket from Tokyo or Helsinki, etc. - it's a whole international thing and a blast! Have a great day & vision your victory !

Running into My Mother and Tiffany & Co.

No running on Monday, I will likely not run today - I've strictly been stretching & carb depleting: 4 days + hours before SHOWTIME! Weather Report to date per NOAA: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55. Chance of precipitation is 30% *PERFECT! I got a lovely surprise yesterday, my Mother called me and it went like this, "Hi Dear, I'm in New York, I know you're busy but we should do lunch". I have a strange ass relationship with my Mother y'all - I had not seen her in quite a while and for her to call me and say, "Honey I'm in New York @ such and such hotel, we should do lunch".....WTF? My Mother's never read this blog site. When I refer to my Mother on this site, it's likely I am referring to my Step-Mother who I actually have a closer relationship with. I'm a product of one of these weird-ass California of the 70's upbringing / divorced parents deals. This call and suggested rendezvous wast just way too casual and nonchalant to be normal for a mother-son thing when she lives in both Mississippi & California and I live in NYC. Whatever, it is what it is y'all. I stopped everything and cleared my schedule to go see my Mother at the Time Warner Center & had lunch - Gayle King's there and my Mom being your classic tourist & Oprah fan is entirely distracted from me and needing to call her girlfriends to talk Gayle King describing her down head to toe. So I played second fiddle to the cruise she just got back from that ported in NYC (her reason to be here) and Gayle King. While my Mother is talking to her girlfriends on the phone like a total tourist....I'm just silently gazing at her thinking how I am half her, she brought me into this world, and how in the hell did we come to "this"? Such is life, I've made it this far with this disconnect - I'm too damn old to stress off it - I bid my Mother a loving farewell and safe flight home and stood in the Time Warner Center - analyzing what just happened and what that was all about - I stood there just gazing at that view downward on Columbus Circle and 59th St, that exact view above. I am going to be at the opposite end of that block running to that fountain on Marathon Day - I just stood and visioned how enriching and rewarding the experience will be. I wonder if a therapist would say I was projecting and wishing my mother would look forward to and view just spending time with me in a similar way - just a thought. Back to the marathon and view - I will make that turn right into Central Park - ascending to a never before realized plateau, a PR. I believe that. I left the Time Warner Center and walked straight down 59th street soaking up this incredible City to the complete opposite end - across town to 5th Ave. and looked back. That's what the view is like on the left - that's what you look at and see on the final leg of the NYC Marathon before re-entering Central Park to the finish. I imagined the whole moment - and so while I was on 5th Ave. still very much puzzled over that whole brief interaction with my Mother - I walked down two blocks to 57th Street & 5th to THE store. The store a man goes to who is out of his f'#@%'ing mind. That's right y'all. A man only goes to Tiffany's y'all if he's either out of his f'#@%'ing mind, or someone is f'#@%'ing his brains out. That's it and either way rational thinking is obviously impaired...and don't assume the latter, you see this therapy-meritorious relationship I have with my Mother. So there I was shopping - in Tiffany's - damn, marathoners from all over the world are already trickling in town, the dollar is very cheap for foreigners and I would guess 80% of the people yesterday in Tiffany's were foreigners & some indeed marathoners. I was wearing jeans & an urban cowboy boot - the other shoppers were in jeans and running shoes. In general speaking with the sales woman - once she learned I too was a marathon runner - she wanted to show me a unique Tiffany pendant - and pulled out that which you see above. Wow, look at that - Running has permeated Tiffany's....and I did some buying....and though appropriate for the moment - that's not what I bought. Have a fantastic day!

Running into a Challenge & a Weasel

I'm resting today, Monday - not going to go 25 miles this final week and I've already clocked 17 between Sat & Sun. The NYRR have shown me some love and allowed me to start in the local competitive runners corral! Whoo Hoo! Speaking of competitive runners - I saw Sunday's Metro Health Grand Rapids Michigan Marathon was won by that guy, Chuck Engle - a well known runner in competitive running circles. Just look at him, he's such a man, handsomely posing with pride as the victor! Viva La Chuck Engle! As reported Chuck commented on how he spoke to himself in the race, he said, "I said, 'Alright God, the rest of the race is on you," said Chuck, 36. "I said, 'You know what God? I'm on your wings right now. You carry me through.' "And he just carried me through the last six miles. I prayed the whole time. I didn't feel a thing. I was just floating." Chuck won in a course record time of 2 hours, 31 minutes, 50 seconds. Chuck Engle has run marathons since 2000, and he entered 52 last year, and Sunday's was his 19th of 2007. Want an "inside look" of competitive running world? The real sh*t? Many consider Chuck Engle part "Jimmy Swaggart / James Bakker" - and disingenuous in how he evokes the word of God, and in sum a self-promoting weasel (and I hear weasels resent that!) Read Why On MarathonGuide.com: "Chuck Engle, Chuck Engle, Chuck Engle. Blah, blah, blah. Engle strives to win all the little local marathons he can. In no other terms, Engle is a road whore. All the while, he claims he just wants people to "not give up" on themselves. Well that is warm and fuzzy in my belly Mr. Engle. On a serious note though, you must be kidding. Now I don't know what life Mr. Engle has. Heck, I don't really care. Sounds like he has some sponsors who shell out some cash to send him all over creation. I do know that I would be more impressed if he chose to represent one of the many charities out there. You could then use your story to hide your ego problem and actually inspire people. I would certainly have more respect of him as a runner if he ran a bigger race such as Disney, Rock n Roll AZ, Houston, Miami Tropic, Mercedes, Austin, Little Rock, L.A., or even Shamrock. Of course, your little ego might take a hit when the "elite" runners show up and steal the thunder. For those of you saying to yourself, this guy runs some pretty good times, you are right. Engle does run good times, but as a former three time All-American, he could probably make the trials in the marathon. If my math serves me right, Engle has run 12 marathons that feature a whopping average of 221 runners. The average finisher behind him runs a time of 2:55:30. Good for you Chuck! Beating people clearly inferior to your ability. Next up for Engle is the famed Whidbey Island Marathon. According to last years results, there were 220 finishers and the next person behind Engle ran 3:03+. Just have to hope that that one good local runner doesn't show up, otherwise you'll have to hope for the humble pie at the post race party", funny stuff, click to read. It's all 100% true, just took a look at the marathons he's raced this year, Columbus, Akron, Rochester, Air Force, Patriots Day, Erie, Heart of America, Tupelo, Hatfield-McCoy, Sunburst, Cleveland, Last Chance for Boston. There are over a couple of dozen decently competitive races for a runner like him and he's avoided them all, it's that simple. He's not running NYC next week, or Philadelphia 2 weeks later, but the week in betweeen? He's scheduled to run the Harrisburg Marathon, why? his 2:45 last year got him 3rd place and a medal. You see real competition and "heat" is going to be at NYC & Philadelphia. His ego can't take not winning so he is not one to race against people of his level or better, that's really how pathetic of a figure he is as a man, and this is a "man" thing - a personal "big dick" thing, you don't see women doing similar things, cherry picking the entire country looking for the easy win and thin shallow pool. I've never even heard of some of the marathons this guy runs, like the "Paavo Nurmi Marathon?, the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon? WTF? These are the real names of some of the obscure stuff he searches for, he clearly targets low hanging fruit, easy pickings, etc. So let's review, Chuck Engle is able to speak to God & be carried on God's wings in obscure random marathons. Yesterday Chuck could have ran in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington DC and surely God's wings are able to reach Washington DC, no? But wait a minute....that would have meant facing competition, the winning time was 2:22 (and these are White guys - the Marine Corps Marathon does not have significant prize money hence the Kenyans and Ethiopians don't even bother to show up for the race - Chuck Engle damn sure does not want to be in a race against Africans - lol). Chuck criss-crosses the USA searching for the lesser challenge - and that yesterday was in Michigan. I thank God she's never made me a Chuck Engle. Folks, always always take the challenging path. I have more respect for these people on the left of MARATHON CHALLENGE: six months ago, a team of rookies stepped to the starting line of the Boston Marathon. As members of Team NOVA, they were part of an experiment: a test to see what it takes to mold a batch of non-runners into a team of marathoners. Tune in Tuesdsay, October 30, Click to find a local listing. find out how this diverse group of hopeful novices transformed physically and mentally to meet the challenge. Have a great day!

3 Carb Depletion & Loading Plans for the New York City Marathon

I ran 7 miles today, Sunday morning, Big race is 7 days away - I saw that guy on the left, Marilson Gomes dos Santos, winner of last year's marthon - at about 8am in the Harlem hills - Chilly - he had on black warm ups head to toe with a knit cap on. I have never actually seen him before - I wasn't too surprised by him - but he's a great story in that he was a last minute entry last year showing up 2 days before the race - this morning though he's in Central Park training. If you want to see some SuperStars, be in Central Park Harlem Hills tomorrow between 8am - 11am - you'll see'em. Yesterday I started my whole Marathon week dietary regime only consuming fish & carbo light vegetables - I am going to "deplete" for 5 days & load for 3 - yet show up on race day at the start with a near-empty stomach - how I like to race - yet Carb'ed Up to the Extreme! Carbo-loading was developed by a Swedish physiologist named Gunvar Ahlborg after he discovered a positive relationship between the amount of glycogen (carbs stored in the muscles and liver) in the body and endurance performance. Ahlborg then discovered that the muscles and liver are able to store above-normal amounts of glycogen when high levels of carbohydrate consumption are preceded by severe glycogen depletion. The most obvious way to deplete the muscles of glycogen is to eat extremely small amounts of carbohydrate. A second way is to engage in exhaustive exercise. The Ahlborg method: Ahlborg came up with a seven-day carbo-loading plan in which an exhaustive bout of exercise was followed by three or four days of extremely low carbohydrate intake (10 percent of total calories) and then three or four days of extremely high carbohydrate intake (90 percent of total calories). Athletes who used this protocol in an experiment were able to nearly double their glycogen stores and exhibited significantly greater endurance in exercise lasting longer than 90 minutes. After these results were published, endurance athletes across the globe began to use Ahlborg's carbo-loading plan prior to events anticipated to last 90 minutes or longer. While it worked admirably, it had its share of drawbacks. First of all, many athletes weren't keen on performing an exhaustive workout just a week before a big race, as the plan required. Second, maintaining a 10 percent carbohydrate diet for three or four days carried some nasty consequences including lethargy, cravings, irritability, lack of concentration and increased susceptibility to illness. Many runners and other athletes found it just wasn't worth it.

The no-depletion method: later research showed that you can increase glycogen storage significantly without first depleting it. A newer carbo-loading protocol based on this research calls for athletes to eat a normal diet of 55 to 60 percent carbohydrate until three days before racing, and then switch to a 70 percent carbohydrate diet for the final three days, plus race morning. As for exercise, this tamer carbo-loading method suggests one last longer workout (but not an exhaustive workout) done a week from race day followed by increasingly shorter workouts throughout race week. It's simple, it's non-excruciating, and it works. Admittedly, some scientists and athletes still swear that the Ahlborg protocol is more effective, but if it is, the difference is slight and probably not worth the suffering and inherent risks. Note that you should increase your carbohydrate intake not by increasing your total caloric intake, but rather by reducing fat and protein intake in an amount that equals or slightly exceeds the amount of carbohydrate you add. Combining less training with more total calories could result in last-minute weight gain that will only slow you down. Be aware, too, that for every gram of carbohydrate the body stores, it also stores 3 to 5 grams of water, which leads many athletes to feel bloated by the end of a three-day loading period. The water weight will be long gone by the time you finish your race, however.

The Western Australia method: The newest and perhaps the best of all the carbo-loading strategies was devised in 2002 by scientists at the University of Western Australia. It combines depletion and loading and condenses them into a one-day time frame. The creators of this innovative protocol recognized that a single, short workout performed at extremely high intensity creates a powerful demand for glycogen storage in both the slow-twitch and fast-twitch fibers of the muscles. They hypothesized that following such a workout with heavy carbohydrate intake could result in a high level of glycogen supercompensation without a lot of fuss. In an experiment, the researchers asked athletes to perform a short-duration, high-intensity workout consisting of two and a half minutes at 130 percent of VO2max (about one-mile race pace) followed by a 30-second sprint. During the next 24 hours, the athletes consumed 12 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of lean muscle mass. This resulted in a 90-percent increase in muscle glycogen storage. Runners have cause to be very pleased by these findings. Doing just a few minutes of high-intensity exercise the day before a competition will not sabotage tomorrow's performance, yet it will suffice to stimulate the desirable carbohydrate "sponging" effect that was sought in the original Ahlborg protocol. This allows the athlete to maintain a normal diet right up until the day before competition and then load in the final 24 hours. The Western Australia carbo-loading strategy works best if preceded by a proper taper -- that is, by several days of reduced training whose purpose is to render your body rested, regenerated, and race-ready. In fact, several days of reduced training combined with your normal diet will substantially increase your glycogen storage level even before the final day's workout and carbohydrate binge. When you exercise vigorously almost every day, your body never gets a chance to fully replenish its glycogen stores before the next workout reduces them again. Only after 48 hours of very light training or complete rest are your glycogen levels fully compensated. Then the Western Australia carbo-loading regimen can be used to achieve glycogen supercompensation.

Thursday, Friday, & Saturday before Sunday's Marathon I will drink Protein shakes and only eat Complex Carbs with concentration on Legumes like in that image above - nothing else. Below is a listing of Complex Carbs and I've highlighted what my diet will comprise. Note I will not be eating any Pasta (most of which is simple carbs).

Spinach	Whole Barley	Grapefruit
Turnip Greens	Buckwheat	Apples
Lettuce	Buckwheat bread	Prunes
Water Cress	Oat bran bread	Apricots, Dried
Zucchini	Oatmeal	Pears
Asparagus	Oat bran cereal	Plums
Artichokes	Museli	Strawberries
Okra	Wild rice	Oranges
Cabbage	Brown rice	Yams
Celery	Multi-grain bread	Carrots
Cucumbers	Whole meal spelt bread	Potatoes
Dill Pickles	Pinto beans	Soybeans
Radishes	Yogurt, low fat	Lentils
Broccoli	Skim milk	Garbanzo beans
Brussels Sprouts		Kidney beans
Eggplant		Lentils
Onions		Split peas
Tomatoes		Soy milk
Cauliflower		Navy beans

If you're running in the NYC Marathon you would do well to adopt a Carbo depletion and loading regime! Good luck & have a great day!

Running in Rain Soaked Shoes

Got up this morning listening to the rain outside, lovely. The show must go on! I went out in my Asics Nimbus shoes, shorts, & a running visor - that's it, no top/singlet/tank - I was 80-90% naked as I ran in the rain - 10 miles! Why? It was 63F with 90%+ humidity, that's why. This was a trial balloon should it rain just like it was today on Marathon Day, 7 days + some hours from now....if the weather is the same I'll race damn near naked in the rain. This time of year you can see anybody in Central Park......I saw the Sex in the City chick Cynthia Nixon this past week...trying to jog...(she was walking actually in jogging gear).....did not even bother to mention it here - the celebrities do nothing for me...but the runners do and guess who I saw this morning.... Jelena Prokopcuka! in the Harlem Hills at about 9am That's her above - she's won the NYC Marathon the last 2 years - she was looking pretty runner fly too! It's too bad it's raining - I could not believe how few people there were training in Central Park this morning - not empty but about 10% of what you would see in past years on the Saturday this close to the race. Still if you go in Central Park between 8am - 11 am any of the next 6 days....you will see elite runners climatizing at the same time (hour) of the race next weekend (be they in the US Olympic Trials or NYC Marathon). Okay, commenter JohnnyGo asked me a question, "what if it rains on marathon day?" - as is the forecast of the moment. That changes everything for me. In the rain you need a runner's cap, or better yet "Visor". A runner's cap should incorporate a ventilation design so the cap does not retain heat from your head - not all do this well. This is why a runner's visor is better - like that woman on the left - allowing your head to full exposure for cooling while the visor keeps rain off your brow - and allows you to look forward without squinting through the droplets on your face. It's not only sun but rain too can be fatiguing on your face - the squinting & facial muscle tension is draining over time. Note that photo below. Should it be wet on race day, take plastic grocery bags and wrap your feet/shoes in them only removing them at the final moments before the race starts. This is too keep your feet dry up to the start of the race - the many hours you have to lounge around, etc. in Staten Island, etc before the race. Tie a knot, tape them, whatever, but keep'em dry before the start. You'll of course also want a very light plastic jackets like in that photo above - you'll see lots of people wearing Hefty Trash bags to insulate and stay dry right up to the start of the race. Want a great tip? Place an extra pair socks in a small sandwich plastic bag and pack it on yourself somewhere - you can safety pin it you your waist on the inside band of your running shorts - when you get over the 59th St. bridge - spend 30 seconds changing your socks - you'll more than make it up with a fresh pair dry pair of socks on mid-race. If you've got a supporter - preplan/prep ahead of time with that person to have a fresh singlet or socks or even shoes for you mid race somewhere - these are the little things that rejuvenate your race while your in it when it's tough conditions (the elements). A wet shoe cannot stabilize the foot as well as a dry one. In addition, wet shoes cannot absorb shock as effectively and will tend to overcompress. I read where a guy brought a pair of size 10 shoes to his office, dry they were 9.7 oz. on his office digital postage scale. He soaked it under running water (didn't submerge it) and then dried it a bit so it wasn't dripping - it was 12.8 oz. Note your socks will absorb and take on a lot of extra weight in water if it rains - and if it does your shoes will feel significantly heavier than when you trained - because they are, perhaps each 6 oz. heavier in water weight (shoe & sock carrying this extra weight in water). The weight of water absorbed in shoes is so serious I have friends who take their brand new shoes to hardware stores and have'em drill holes through the soles, perhaps 9 - 10 pencil sized holes right through the soles so the shoe can drain water better - they say this has not compromised the integrity of the sole's structure either. I don't wear socks and even today my shoes/feet felt heavy with the weight of water absorbed in them between my run last night and this morning - and shoes take days to dry out. That water your shoes absorb at any point will stay there during the whole race! Rain won't change my course strategy - only my need to wear a visor, go shirtless, and go with a non-water absorbing shoe. This is why for me, if rain is on the forecast - I am going to wear a new pair of Nike May Fly 4.8 oz racing flats - those ugly yellow shoes on the right. The shoe is basically made of tyvek on the upper/top, and a pad to strike with - I've ran a half in this shoe - in the rain - absorbs very little water - there's no where for the water to be absorbed really. These shoes are designed and made to last a total of 60 miles - that's it - then they basically fall apart - I am not kidding, that's what the do. This is basically a slick disposable shoe made for a couple of races - that's it. The shoe offers no support of any kind and you have to be very strong to wear this shoe for 26.2, but I think I can do it - have a great day!

Running into Rain on Marathon Day

The Weather Channel's 10 day forecast - for Nov. 4, NYC Marathon Day, Nov. 4 - SHOWERS! Click it & check yourself. They're calling for a 60% chance of rain. That's why I ran in the rain tonight y'all - pushed 7.5 miles giving me 60 Miles this week, 2 weeks before the NYC Marathon - that's what I have tapered down to. For example - this weekend it's raining this Friday night and scheduled to rain all day on Saturday. If it all bears out - I'm ready - bring it on - the rain - whatever. I just want the dam race to start at this point. I just need to play my cards just right for 8 more days and show up on race day healthy and ready to roar. This rain forecast though does affect everything from my running attire to my shoe selection. Damn, might it actually rain on Marathon Day?

Running into a Double Latte

Thursday limited my running to 1 evening session, 3 flat miles & hill repeats (2 miles of up & 2 miles of down) cumulatively 4 miles - total 7 miles - bringing my weekly total to 52.5 miles - hence my training was tapered to a bit over 50% 2 weeks before the NYC Marathon as tonight I will probably go out for another 8 miles bringing my total for the week just over 60 miles. I have to now decide how to train this final week, any thoughts? That's the Gel I've been training with this past month, the PowerBar Double Latte - as I read in an article written by Mark Jenkins, a physician at Rice University, ingestion of caffeine causes an increase in blood pressure, pulse rate and stomach acid production, fat stores are broken down and fatty acids are released into the blood stream. This is key because as glycogen, the principal fuel for muscles, depletes in the late stages of long races, exhaustion occurs — and that's when the body reaches for a secondary fuel, fat. Jenkins' article states that as long as there is still glycogen available, working muscles can utilize fat. Caffeine, Jenkins states, mobilizes fat stores and encourages working muscles to use fat as a fuel. This delays the depletion of muscle glycogen and allows for a prolongation of exercise. However, Jenkins contends it's best to get caffeine into the system early. “The critical time period in glycogen sparing appears to occur during the first 15 minutes of exercise, where caffeine has been shown to decrease glycogen utilization by as much as 50 percent,” he writes. Glycogen saved at the beginning is thus available during the later stages of exercise. Although the exact method by which caffeine does this is still unclear, caffeine caused sparing in all of the human studies where muscle glycogen levels were measured. “The effect on performance, which was observed in most experimental studies, was that subjects were able to exercise longer until exhaustion occurred.” That's why & in the NYC Marathon I'll be consuming 4 Gels during the race, 1 every 6 miles or 40 Min. That is a Chevron Houston Marathon racing chip for this Marathon that sold out in record time this year. Now, dozens of people who are registered are scalping their reservations for as much as $500. Marathon officials are appalled. "Scalpers are holding distance runners hostage," says Steven Karpas, director of marketing and race development for the Chevron Houston Marathon. In last year's race runners complained bitterly because there was no legitimate way to enter the fray after registration closed, even though it was common knowledge that 10 percent of the paid participants would be no-shows on race day. Inevitably, Karpas explains, there are training injuries, work problems, family problems. This year, the marathon Web site offers a place for runners who want to cancel and latecomers who want to race find each other. All that's involved is a $40 transfer fee. Who pays the transfer fee, the original entrance fee and perhaps some sweetener is up to the buyer and the seller, Karpas says — to a point. Race officials have ruled that anything beyond $200 for entrance to the marathon and $140 for the half-marathon is price gouging. Offenders, if caught, will be barred from the race and race events in 2009. "If we catch anybody cheating," Karpas says, "they are banned from the race for life. And it does happen." Why doesn't the NYC Marathon have a similar transfer / registration bib process - system to serve the person that for whatever reason cannot be in the race? Is it realistic to expect a person to accept the loss of the reg. cost (approx $100) knowing there's a demand for that potential loss (bib)? The result? I just checked Craigslist, here's a person asking $600 for their race bib, This runner has a first corral bib # of M300-something he projects and wants $500 (he must of ran a 2:45 or so qualifying marathon to be able to project that). Welcome to the "after-market" for NYC Race Bibs. If a circumstance prevents you from being able to race - you don't go to Craigslist, you call the Ritz Carlton (top 4 or 5 hotels) and tell'em what you have and the price is $1K. It will sell swiftly - have a great day!

"OM"....Running into a Mantra, a Must!

Wednesday night I ran 3 flat road miles & 2 miles of hill repeats (actually 2 up, 2 down) 7 total bringing me to 45.5 miles for the week. Yesterdays run came with 48 hours of non-running - wow - some of the aches and pains I felt were creeping in were gone. I was on the verge of overtraining - still feel a bit tired - but I think I am going to be fine - it's possible I've pushed it to the edge just right :) Okay y'all - 9 days and some hours away from the NYC Marathon. This is starting to get very serious for me. That on the left and right is the "Om/Aum Symbol for Mantra". For those that don't know - I am hardcore into sports psychology and you are out of your mind crazy to enter a marathon (or any race) sans a personal mantra. "The purpose of having a mantra is to evoke a certain feeling or sensation that will pull you along," says Gloria Balague, Ph.D., a sports psychologist who has consulted with USA Track & Field athletes. "The words have to be right to draw the right response from inside of you. The wrong words will have no emotional echo, no emotional resonance. Self-awareness is an important psychological skill. You have to know what works best for you." Runner's World has an article on it called, "Self Talk". Some Mantras used by superstars? MEB KEFLEZIGHI, silver medalist in the Athens Olympic marathon. “I talk to God. I say ‘Hey, you gave me this talent, I work hard at it and try to do my best with it, so please let me use it now,’” he said. “Sometimes, in a close race, I will also tell myself, ‘Stay relaxed, stay smooth, and you’ll be fine.’” KATE O’NEILL, that woman on the right and a member of the 2004 United States Olympic 10,000-meter team who this month ran her first marathon in Chicago’s '07 heat, managing a 2:36:15. “I had a fifth-grade teacher who loved alliterations and encouraged us to use them as much as possible. So my mantra is ‘fun, fast, fluid and focused.’” BILL RODGERS, four-time winner of the New York City and Boston Marathons. “I have a photo of myself in Boston in ’79 and underneath, it just says ‘Relentless.’ That was kind of my mantra. I would say something like, ‘Relentless, be relentless. You are the one who will win.’ Deena Kastor Olympic bronze medalist & that woman on the left and of course U.S. women's marathon record holder "Before I won the Chicago Marathon in 2005, my coach, Terrence Mahon, said, 'Today, define yourself.' This was so powerful; the entire race I repeated, 'Define yourself.' I've also used 'Go faster', 'Push harder, and "Extend yourself". This is Harlem 26.2 and a byproduct from listening to too much Jay-Z's "The Takeover" & "I Will Not Lose" - one of my mantras is , "you can do this shit - you can run this shit". Crude I know - but when I'm racing it's visceral - raw to the core - I try and race on the edge - the fine line of peril and unrealized new plateau - just keepin' it real because it gets gritty in the trenches and when you're racing and going all out?...you're in the trenches and profanity flows - it's a visceral reaction - kind of like incredible sex - when you say "Oh my F @%#''ing God" (at least in your mind to yourself if not out loud) not particularly elegant - but a real expression - yes I have a more expansive vocabulary - but often that's what's going through my head and reaffirms the swagger I need in this race game - profanity cuts to the core in many situations - and when I'm racing - that's one of them. The other mantra as I have said before on this blog, the one my Mother who reads my blog prefers to see is "be the grass that grows between the cracks of ghetto streets, relentless inspite of the neverlasting". If you're going to run - a mantra is a must - if you don't have one, get one! Have a great day!

Running into Very High End Shoes

Tuesday was a day of zero running - none! I did not run this Wednesday morning either - I am going to probably clock about 3 flat road miles and 2 miles of hill repeats. I am committed to running no more than 60 miles this week, I am at 38.5. You see that shoe on the right? That below is the Asics Kinsei 2 - to my awareness not released yet in the U.S.A. - it is available in Europe - yes, the commercial turns me on - would love to run in that shoe big time! Knowing how the shoe market works - checked Ebay - saw these are going for $200 or so - I called Road Runners Sports this morning to see if they were shipping this product - probe pricing - if you buy from Road Runner Sports - you might know they are in that San Diego area - fires - yup. Road Runner Sports is closed at the moment due to the California Fires. This new Asics shoe has what they call a Propulsion Trusstic™. Engineered to mimic the function of the foot’s connective tissue, this new development creates tension from heel lift to toe-off by extending a TPU structure into the forefoot midsole, allowing the shoe to respond to the stresses applied. This component combined with the tried and true GEL® Cushioning System create an enhanced proprioceptive response and by doing so encourage the foot to maintain a more efficient toe-off position. On the upper, an asymmetrical lacing system enhances comfort by lessening the potential for irritation. And not seen, but definitely noticeable, is a new high-tech mesh underlayer called Cuprothermo. The thermal qualities of this lining allow the release of heat in warm conditions, while retaining heat in cooler weather.
And then there's that shoe on the left, the Saucony ProGrid Paramount about $160 or so. with the following featurers - Full-length ProGrid system is closer to the foot for added cushioning and shock absorption, Respon-Tek platform responds with every stride for a smoother heel-to-toe transition, Provides optimal stability for your specific needs, TPU plate transitions you quickly and efficiently from heel to forefoot, Forefoot plate allows you to propel forward as efficiently as possible, Maximum cushioning with minimum deflection allows you to run longer and faster, Pre-emptive climate management keeps shoe drier. Fabric cools and warms to maintain your feet at a pleasant 82 degrees, Mesh layer helps prevent blisters. I always view shoes in the context of what they cost me per mile. I usually pay $0.18 - $0.20 / mile. That means I generally pay $55 for a shoe and dump it at 300 miles (I don't want to run in a shoe after it's peaked). For example last week I bought a pair of Asics Nimbus VIII on closeout from Eastbay with a discount coupon and paid $55 when the smoke cleared - this shoe still sells today all over the place for $110+. You can buy it today @ Eastbay for $70 w/free shipping. If you pay $150 but get 500 miles out of your shoe - you're paying $0.30/mile - which I would consider high - but not bad - especially if you love the shoe and it enables you to realize your goals with comfort injury free. I would not rule out these high end shoe at all - the technologies are real -I notice them - the key is to ascertain if they are of value to you. If the shoe ends up being hype - return it! I blogged about these 2 high end shoes to note - coming off yesterday's blog - when you're paying $90+ for running shoes....you're paying for all sorts of technologies (aspect of value). Notice how both Saucony & Asics stress thermodynamic management, heel toe transition (foot roll & transition) etc....there are all sorts of parameters in which a shoe can serve you. Sorry ya'll - if you're running in a under $90 MSRP shoe - well it's just under-equipped/designed/engineered - as a daily trainer running shoe - in my opinion. You don't have to spend and "arm & a leg" if you do what I do - buy last season's model on closeout. I rarely pay over $60 for any of the 20+ pairs I buy a year. Have a great day.

Running into Foolery on Running Shoe Quality

I ran last night - 3 flat miles on road, 3 hill repeats up the Harlem Hills (1 mile in hills), 4 miles total - @ 38.5 miles this week. I am tired - I can feel it - my body is beat - I decided to not run this morning - maybe will take the whole day off. I doubt I'll go over 60 miles this week now - and of the remaining miles I run - mostly hill repeats to get up my VO2 Max - with fewer miles. In fact - the way I'm feeling now - I am going to focus on aggressive hill repeats only till the NYC Marathon. Over in the U.K. The Institute of Motion Analysis and Research (those 3 below) has found "cheap and moderately priced running shoes are just as good, if not better" than those at the top of the range. Their findings, published in the latest British Journal of Sports Medicine, are based on a comparison of nine pairs of running shoes from different manufacturers and ranging in price. Running produces sizeable shock waves to the bones of the foot, which radiate to other bones in the body. The force of the impact increases with speed and distance, say the authors. Consequently, runners are prone to knee pain, stress fractures, muscle tears and osteoarthritis. The type of cushioning in the soles of running shoes aims to prevent this damage, with expensive trainers deemed to be the most effective. The authors measured plantar pressure in three pairs of running shoes tested by each the volunteers. Tested shoes represented low-cost ($56-63), medium-cost ($84-91), and high-cost ($98-105) models from three different manufacturers. The shoes were tested according to cushioning of plantar pressure – the force produced by the impact of the sole hitting the ground. Plantar pressure - the force produced by the impact of the sole hitting the ground - was recorded in eight different areas of the sole, using a special device (Pedar) attached to the shoes. Different models performed differently for different areas of the foot. There were no major differences among the shoes relative of brand or price. The 43 participants, unaware of prices, were also asked to rate the comfort of the shoes. There were no "obvious differences" in comfort ratings. Associate professor at Otago University's School of Physiotherapy, Peter Milburn, said there was no evidence to substantiate the claim design factors in expensive shoes decreased injury. "In the 20 years of modifying running shoes, the incidents of running-related injuries has not decreased. "Cost is not the deciding factor – the person's running style, intensity and intended mileage all need to be taken into account." "The high-quality, athletic brands are made for high-performing, athletic people. Cheap and moderately priced running shoes are just as good, if not better, in terms of cushioning impact and overall comfort, it concludes. In fact, plantar pressure was lower in the cheap to moderately priced shoes, although this difference was not statistically significant. Running produces sizeable shock waves to the bones of the foot, which radiate to other bones in the body. The force of the impact increases with speed and distance, say the authors. Consequently, runners are prone to knee pain, stress fractures, muscle tears and osteoarthritis. The type of cushioning in the soles of running shoes aims to prevent this damage, with expensive trainers deemed to be the most effective. My opinion on this? Bullshit & junk science. How so? Running shoes are not a "one-size fits all" - universal cross comparable item. You can't just say in a study, "pairs of running shoes" as if they're all designed to serve the same goal and purpose equally. They're not. There are Motion Control, Cushion, Stability, etc. divisions of running shoes for the basic 20 - 40 miles/week runner. This is only one of the reasons it's a poor study - it assumes the prime purpose of a shoe is universal (cushion), then implies a nexus of value based on a narrow casted and defined parameter (The shoes were tested according to cushioning of plantar pressure) with no mention to foot striking technique even - and then they did the study on a treadmill. So for clarity - they voided out all sorts of aspects of value in a running shoe in their testing environment. For example, "traction" is voided out when you don't measure a running shoe on road & trail surface. Lots of shoes prematurely have their soles break down with wear-n-tear road impact & trail surface - stressing and aggressively marginalizing their cushioning value/properties. Declaring "value" sans real world conditions & use is pure and simple assinine. Thermodynamic Management. A running shoe with no thermodynamic design, engineering, & strategy is a F @%#'ed up shoe. Are we clear? Ventilation is a very important aspect of value in a shoe - your feet swell my friends over time in running and all sorts of injuries are produced from heat generation with your foot whilst running. This study makes no mention of that in evaluating shoes. I can rip this study apart on 10 different parameters quite easily y'all. Suffice it say its void of the lion's share of value that goes into a shoe and has no credibility to declare or conclude anything - lacks a fundamental understanding of running shoes. It's amazing that this study is being published all over the web. If you have perfect mechanics and an ideal BMI (weight) you can wear a cheaper shoe & get a way with it - but you still might pay the price down the line in your old age. Shoes are designed to accommodate and enable you to run with your unique foot, striking style, individual characteristics and personal issues (your frame, weight, flat feet, high arch, etc. over distance - perhaps 1 mile, perhaps 10 miles, perhaps 26.2 miles). Note all my commentary is in mind of the basic every day 25 - 40 mile / week runner. When you get into competitive weekend warrior runners like me? Oh hell - no, there is no shoe with an MSRP under $89.99 that I would even consider - they're all junk - all of 'em (other than the flats category). I'd really love to get my foot in that shoe on the right, the $175 Newton shoe - yes I've seen 3 different runners to date in NYC Central Park in that shoe. But as you all know - I am frugal about this - buy last years model this year on closeout - always. I buy about 20 pairs of running shoes / year. The only chance of a decent shoe for under $90? Virtruvian makes the cheapest tolerable shoe, you can get a pair for $30. I say that based on a good friend's word - I'm dubious but willing to suggest'em to my readers as an option. Spira's on-line store is open and you can get a pair of very nice shoes from them for as low as $60 w/free shipping. Other than racing flats - there is not 1 shoe from the big shoe makers with an MSRP of less than $90 that I would wear. You don't measure a shoe on day one - you measure after you've put 100 miles in it - it's broken in - and still serving you well. Shoes gradually alter and change with every single run - and at a point degrade. Do you want a shoe to hold up in the the elements? (weather), offer traction on slick road/rain service?, comfort and cooling after 1 hour of running? etc. it's going to cost. Keep in mind - buy a shoe you won't regret down the line. It's kind of like the mattress theory - You want to be sleeping on the mattress today - that you're going to be glad you did when you're 80 and don't have a bad back. You buy a shoe that's going to allow you to run for a lifetime (not just that week). Sorry - that's the higher end shoes y'all, not these $50 and $60 skips.

Running With A Proper Shoe Lace!

Sunday I kept the running only to 1 session - with 30 miles in 2 days 14 days before the marathon- and my left knee on the verge (so it feels) - I've decided to ease of things - a bit. So this morning I kept it to a 4.5 miler - will do another 4.5 miler tonight. At this rate I will only do about 75 miles this week, not 110. I'm good with that. The key though to these 4.5 mile runs is that they are intense - above marathon pace - something like about 6:45 min/mile. This is what I will do twice daily all week bringing me to 75 miles for the run week, 8 days before the race. Race week I think I'll, for the first time in 6 weeks, take a day off. I still have to decide how I am going to schedule race week - I will definitely keep the miles down to 30 tops - with Thur & Fri OFF - Saturday a 3 miler - race day Sunday. I am auditioning shoes this week and I am trying to decide between the New Balance RC750 flat, Nike Mayfly flat, New Balance 901 light weight trainer, or a pair of what I've been training in, Asics Nimbus VIII shoes. I've new pairs of all of these I am going to be tinkering with this week - make a decision on - and run 30 miles in next week. However one thing is for sure - I will not be wearing shoe laces - traditional shoe laces - nope - I never wear traditional laces - I'm strictly an elastic lace system runner - and so should you! Beyond the fact that they never come undone - they expand - and allow for the expansion and contraction of the shoe/foot with striking the surface of the ground - and allow for the foot swelling expansion that comes with running for hours on end. Seriously - Elastic lace systems are so much more comfortable than standard shoe laces. The most popular is a system call "Yankz". Yankz though can be pricey when you're buying 6 7 pairs....Here's a product called, "Lock Laces". They sell em for $5.99/pair + $1.87 shipping for up to 5 pairs. I also use and like this Knotty Boy elastic lace. If anyone knows where I can any of these cheap - let me know - I see various versions on Ebay - but I'd rathe go with a Lock Lace, etc there's also a model you'll see called, "squeezums". There are also little locking devices that you can apply to traditional laces called, Grip Lace & Lazy Lock - but I would go with an elastic lace - always. Anyway - laces are important - dump the standard lace - get an elastic one of some flavor - you'll love'em - have a great day!

Running into Insects - "yuck!"

Did not do a 2nd run Saturday - got up and clocked 14 miles bringing my total to 30 a day and a half into the run week - race is in 2 weeks. Might only run once a day this week - but will go 110miles - so far, that's how I feel - we'll see. This weekend I am seeing the usual crowd of runners that run the final 10 miles of the NYC marathon right outside my window - heading up 5th Ave toward Central Park. This is a very good thing to do - rehearse that final push - helps/aids in the "visualization" aspect of tackling the marathon - visioning yourself in this part of the course - so it's not unfamiliar & foreign to you once you are indeed here in the actual race - the final stretch - in sum it reorientates you - triggers your mind that you're close to the finish line as you're possibly mentally & physically in a state of duress. I won't do it because I'm staying off the roads for the most part - plus - these final miles are Harlem - this is my home turf - these are my streets! Last two runs though I've ran into bugs - something I thought would have passed with the changing of the seasons. Don't ya hate it when you run right into a swarm of tiny flying insects - right in your eyes - I've probably had bugs fly right in my mouth at least a dozen times or more - yuck! I've probably eaten a few of them too - hey, there's a website on more than you ever wanted to know about eating bugs. Anyway -it's Sunday - a relaxing day - Check out what happens to this runner above with his encounter with an insect. Have a great day!

Running into that bike riding SOB Lance Armstrong

Start of a new & final run week with the NYC Marathon 2 weeks away - clocked 16 strong miles this morning - to hell with traditional mileage & tapering "lore", I might go 110+ this week. And why? To close the gap on that guy on the right, Lance Armstrong. First of all- a shout out to the cyclist I ran into this morning after my run in the bodega on Lenox Ave. I ran into a serious cyclist (this guy had the gear, the $5K bike, all that) who told me he reads Harlem 26.2 - cool. I'm cool with all cyclist - except that son-of-a-bitch on the right who below is wearing my damn race bib! Don't get me wrong, I respect him and all, admire a few things about him, but Lance Armstrong is one of the meanest son-of-a-bitches on the planet. Some people have a public persona, and then there is the real person. For example, Bill Cosby? The great "father" image, Jello Pudding and all that bullshit? Bill Cosby in real life is a first class asshole and another mean son-of-a-bitch, anyone who's ever had the slightest real world interaction with him will co-sign on that - that's for real. Same with Lance Armstrong. This is common knowledge in hardcore cyclist circles - then last year I read that book on the right by Daniel Coyle, "Lance Armstrong's War". As the reviews say you learn a huge numbers of professional cyclists, it turns out, came from broken homes and/or abject poverty, and have had to battle to get anywhere. In the book Armstrong himself emerges as a quite terrifying figure: driven, intense, single-minded, ruthless and wholly self-centred. Maybe that's the way you have to be to become possibly the greatest cyclist of all time, but it doesn't exactly make him likeable. In the book he's the toughest of a tough bunch, with little or no fellow feeling for the rest of the human race. That's how his friends describe him y'all. They say what defines Armstrong is what he does on the bike, and the author depicts Armstrong as a guy who simply cannot bear to lose. Lance Armstrong is a complex guy who sees the world in a simple way. In the world of Team Armstrong, people are quickly divided into friends and foes -- the latter being "fucking trolls" in Lance-speak. Every experience counts as a win or a loss. And the only time that matters is right now. There's a harsh side to the man that his handlers and sponsors don't draw attention to, for good reason. This hyperdriven son of a single mom can be ruthless, demanding, and arrogant (according to his friends). In short, he's an extremely complicated guy, with many of the human foibles that we like to overlook in our heroes. Just ask the teammates who've left, or the former employees of Postal/Discovery Cycling Team who find themselves in Armstrong's cross hairs , Armstrong seems to take each departure as a personal affront, as abandonment, as fuel for his insatiable combative engine. Or, as Armstrong's former teammate Floyd Landis said: ''Lance doesn't want a hug. He just wants to kick everyone's" ass". Lance Armstrong is relentless winner who lets nothing -- not even friendship -- get in his way, that's what they say about him. They say anyone who's worked with Lance Armstrong knows well the edge that can enter his voice, the arctic look that comes into his eyes, when the subject turns to, say, one of the trolls. To see that look, or, God forbid, be its target, is to know why Lance Armstrong enjoys more than just the respect of his teammates. As one of them tells Coyle, "I think everybody's afraid of Lance. If you're not, you haven't been paying attention." Now get this, about this book, "Lance Armstrong's War"? Word at Armstrong's camp is that he's O.K. with the book. As one member of his inner circle put it: If he comes across as a tough guy who can be tough to work for, well, that's all right. Because it's true. Those who know Armstrong know that the single-mindedness that got him through chemotherapy and made him one of the greatest athletes of his generation doesn't always serve him well in his interpersonal relations. "People get close to Armstrong," says Jonathan Vaughters, a former teammate, "and then something inevitably goes haywire." You can read a dozen or so accounts of Lance Armstrong & "Lance's War" here. Okay - Lance beat me last year by 12:47. He's 7 years younger than me, much lower BMI, crazy VO2Max, a world class athlete, I was not impressed. I wasn't y'all. Lance got his ass kicked in the NYC Marathon and he even said as much. "...that was without a doubt the hardest physical thing I have ever done," said Lance Armstrong, who finished 856th. In 2 weeks I am out to close the gap on this son-of-a-bitch, and if I am anywhere near him at the finish I'm going to tell him to give me my damn bib! (and go ride a bike MF'er, lol). Have a great day.

Running into "Tuesdays with Morrie" Mitch Albom

Last night I pushed through 4.5 @ 7:15 pace, this morning clocked 9 @ 7:15 - completed my running week @ 110 miles w/24 hours of rest before my next run Saturday morning. The NYC Marathon is in 16 days - I'm still intent on rocking 100+ this week. One of my favorite authors is a Mitch Albom, perhaps you've heard of Tuesdays with Morrie? or The Five People You Meet in Heaven? Tuesdays with Morrie is a must read - just check some of the reviews on Amazon there. Anyway I was treated to see Albom wrote about 2 runners in a column the other day - wanted to share it with Harlem 26.2 readers because it's a great read, inspiring, endearing, and really what this running thing is all about, it's the stuff I try and get across to non-runners - the joy in this endeavor - running. You don't even have to be a runner to appreciate this.... Here goes it [Start]: They hook their fingers and start to run, arms swaying in unison, feet thumping stride for stride. A short black man named Michael Holmes, a tall lanky white man named Bill Guisinger. They run inches apart, all but breathing on each other. The funny thing is, Michael has never seen Bill. Wouldn't know him if walked right past. Michael is blind. His world went dark in 1978, when he was in his early 20s, the result of cataracts and glaucoma.Up to that point, he had not been so into sports. But someone suggested he take up running. This, to a blind man, might seem a cruel suggestion, like asking a poor man to pay for dinner. But Michael, who speaks and moves with the energy of a pogo stick, did not take it that way. He wanted to try. So he put on some running shoes and held a guide's elbow. And they took off. Can you imagine running in a world where every curb, every car and every sidewalk crack needs to be called out? Can you imagine hearing -- but never seeing -- trucks coming up the street behind you, or a sudden barking dog, and all the time trusting you're not about to bang into a tree, a fence or a garbage can? "It's a little bit," Holmes says, "like when a baby starts walking." But just as with a baby's steps, one thing leads to another. This weekend, nearly 30 years after that first cautious run, and one day after his 52nd birthday, Holmes will compete in a half marathon, part of the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon. And Guisinger will be with him, literally, every step of the way. "You see this rope?" Holmes says, sitting inside his home in Clawson. "This is how we used to do things in the '80s." The short rope he holds has loops on each end. The blind runner and guide would slip their fingers through and leash to each other. That worked for a while, Holmes says, until competition rules made it risky because "if the guide is pulling the runner, you get disqualified." So he tried hooking pinky fingers. He quickly abandoned that, since "it kept cutting off my pinky's blood supply." Next he tried holding a guide's arm, but the sweat made things too slippery. Next came holding the elbow -- "but I kept getting poked in the gut." Finally, Holmes discovered a finger hold technique -- the baby and ring finger of his left hand dropped into a circle of the guide's right thumb and forefinger. And that is how he and Guisinger, this Sunday morning, will traverse the Ambassador Bridge, the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, and the streets of those two cities, running stride for stride in a practiced rhythm, alongside thousands of sighted runners. Guisinger, 58, will call out potholes, rough pavement, turns, cracks, curbs. He also occasionally will narrate the environment -- particularly if Holmes hears a woman's voice. "It's embarrassing, sometimes," Guisinger says, laughing. "He'll say, 'What does she look like? Get her phone number! You're my eyes, Bill.' " You're my eyes. That's a pretty daunting sentence, both to say and to hear. Yet Holmes and Guisinger accept it with no drama, no heavy pathos, as if one had the skates and the other had the key. That simple. "We're a team," Holmes says. They began running together last summer, after Holmes, who works as a sports massage therapist, mentioned the idea to his lanky client. Guisinger, a retired school social worker from Birmingham who has been running for more than 30 years, and who has raced in numerous marathons on his own, could have said no. Kept to his routine. Avoided the burden. Instead he said, OK, let's try it. And a partnership was born. Self-pity would have been easier. After all, Michael's mother, an alcoholic, died when he was 10. And neither his father, who owned a Chicago pool hall, nor his two sisters or his two step-sisters could save Michael's vision from fading. He wore thick glasses from the time he was a boy, and his sight was lost in stages, one eye, then, years later, the next, as if someone were slowly turning the lights out on his world.He could have moped, labeled himself handicapped, lived as if he felt that way. Instead, he went the opposite route. He seemed determined not to let his blindness hold him back. To date, Michael Holmes has not only run seven marathons -- and nearly qualified for the 2006 Paralympic team -- he has won awards in track, he has gone tandem-bike riding, cross-country skiing, even did some rock climbing. And he maintains an almost giddy sense of humor, as if a bigger laugh is always just around the bend. He says, for example, that you should never discuss controversial topics like politics with your guide runners because "they can get mad and leave you stranded somewhere." He brags that "you rarely see a man my age with a 30-inch waist." When asked what his waist was before running, he says "29." Even his answering machine ends with the statement "a body is a terrible thing to waste." There have been many potholes for Holmes. And high curbs. And uneven sidewalks. He has fallen "many, many times" -- in running and in life. But he gets back up and he trusts his guides, the ones in his heart and the ones who run beside him (he has six, including Guisinger, who rotate his practice days). "I love being outside, running, competing, just hoping I'm gonna finish," Holmes says, as he prepares to take off, "and I like letting people know that just because you have a vision problem, that hasn't stopped you from doing what you want to do." There are thousands of runners in marathons, each one with a story. And this weekend, heading over a bridge and through a tunnel, will be another story, one that is bigger than its finish time. A small black man, a tall white man, how they look less important than what they see, together, which is simply the road ahead. Sometimes life really is about putting one hand inside another and saying, let's go. [END]. If anyone is interested in volunteering as a guide runner - no matter where you live, visit the Achilles Club here. Have a great day!