Negative Splits

Late Summer, will the heat ever begin to diminish? Let's hope the day dawns cool soon so we can all kick up our heels and raise hossanas that we trained through the South Texas summer and lived to tell about it. Let's start the final countdown to the San Antonio Rock'n'Roll Marathon and start racing.

Truth is, I'm not much of a racer. I generally don't care who passes me or who I pass, though I did grieve for a short while a few weeks ago when a young kid finished ahead of me at the Fleet Feet Sunrise 10K. Nevertheless, I was happy with my own performance on what was a challenging and hilly course. I exceeded my expectations and that's always good. More important than the finishing time of 62 minutes (I told you I'm not much of a racer!) was the negative split. My intentions had been to run at my marathon pace of around 11 minute miles, but I found at the 3 mile mark that my pace was about 10:10. In order to realize my second intention for this race, a negative split, I decided to carry on the 10:10 pace, and even to pick it up ever so slightly. Amazingly, I was able to execute it and run the second half of the race slightly faster than the first half.

As I have grown more experienced in distance running, I have come to appreciate establishing goals in more complex ways. By this, I mean I will run a race, or a workout, with more than just getting from point A to point B in such and such amount of time as my goal. Perhaps I will run with my heart rate monitor and allow that to dictate my pace. This allows me to tailor the run for maximum benefit. Don't get me wrong, I am still learning how to use these various tools and techniques. Nevertheless, I believe in the science of acheiving fitness, and a heart rate monitor is a great benefit. For that matter, I have often run marathons wearing the monitor and this has helped me keep my pace in check. Alas and alack, I still haven't managed a marathon in a negative split, even with the heart rate monitor reminding me to slow down in the early going.

So....are you running one of the Fall marathons, maybe the inaugural R'n'R San Antonio Marathon? If so, why don't you try binding together several different goals in order to improve your opportunity for success? Here's my set of goals, really not much more complicated than a wish to finish in under 5 hours, but with a strategical element of running a negative split. What is a negative split? It is simply running the second half of a race (or a workout run) in less time than it took to run the first half. Mostly, this just makes the runner aware of not getting caught up in the buzz of the crowd (and, if the organizers are successful, the numerous bands which will be entertaining along the marathon course). Don't go out too fast, that's what I will be reminding myself. Yes, we have to listen to our bodies, but also we have to strategize a pace which will allow for a negative split. There are numerous online calculators for doing this, so let's ignore the specifics of the math; it's going to be different for everyone, anyhow; many of you will run faster than I.

The negative split is something I never thought about the first couple of times I ran marathons. I don't think I even knew the concept. So, take it from me, or from the example of those smart runners who succeed at their time goals because of attention to negative splits, use your smarts and strategize for success. I hope to see you at the finish line grinning ear to ear with the satisfaction of making our finishing goals, and doing it with a negative split.

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Summertime training - HYDRATE

Here in South Central Texas we are nearing the traditional cap of the summertime heat, at least that’s what the statistics tell us. However, anyone who has trained for the Fall race season knows that there are still brutal heat conditions which linger through August, often not allowing any appreciable cooling until early or mid-September.

For about six years I lived and worked in Mexico, first Mexico City, then Toluca (at 9,000 feet!) and finally in Xalapa, capital of the State of Veracruz. Each of those places presented conditions which had to be solved in order to run, walk, or otherwise maintain some degree of aerobic fitness. Truth is, I ran a little in Toluca and raced a few times in Xalapa, but didn’t really become a runner until well after returning to San Antonio 20 years ago. The point of this is to say that when I moved back to San Antonio, in late August, I was expecting the same brutal heat I had escaped from in my move to Mexico. Lo and behold, a cool front actually arrived in South Texas on Labor Day weekend, forcing me to actually lay a blanket out on my bed. Could my memory have really been so wrong about hot Septembers and Octobers of the past? As those first fronts of any year are wont to do, this one lingered only for a few days and life gradually slipped back to what I had remembered.

In the Summer season in this part of the world we must choose our running time carefully. Obviously, mid-day or early to mid afternoon just won’t do. I have run a few times lately mid to late morning and it is possible, if not exactly fun. The real runners, of course, at least those with regular work schedules, run in the relative cool of the morning, though that cool might only be 79 or 80 degrees. Recent lows have been about 75 or 76, but of course that won’t last you long if it’s the day of your long run.

I recently got this note from Heather McCoy, a runner in Ft. Worth who had just subscribed to my podcast iExercise:

“It sounds like I subscribed to the iExercise podcast just in time. I am glad you are back podcasting and am looking forward to hearing about all the preparation for the Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon. I have a fondness for San Antonio and lived there for four years when I was attending Trinity University.

“I will be running the half marathon and my friend is running the full marathon. We are training with the Fort Worth Luke's Locker Get Fit training program. I am guessing there will be anywhere from 30 to 40 people from this program participating in the Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon.

“I will make sure to pass on the link to your podcast. We will all appreciate any tips you may have.

“I am also glad to be listening to a podcast by someone who is training for the same event in very similar weather conditions (mainly hot). I was listening to another running podcast just the other day while I was running at 6 a.m. with the temperature already at 80+ degrees. The podcast was recorded on 20 July. The gentleman recording the podcast lives in New England and mentioned that he was getting ready for his long run. It was early in the morning and already hot – about 60 degrees! I had to laugh.

“Good luck with your running. And I will see you in November.”

Thank you Heather for subscribing to the podcast, and I do hope to offer some good training tips for helping runners get safely through this most trying of training seasons. In fact, here’s something I ran into a few years ago, at about this time of year, which will emphasize the importance of carrying water with you while you run.

My work schedule is such (I get off work at midnight) that I often run at 1 or 2 in the morning. I was out on one such early morning run with a goal of 15 miles. My route took me through several parks which normally had functioning water fountains. For some reason unknown to me, each fountain was turned off. I had counted on this for my hydration and therefore hadn’t carried any water with me, nor did I have any money with me which could have bought a Gatorade at a deconvenience store. I finally slipped into the grounds of a church and guzzled water from a hose, hopeful my stealth wouldn’t arouse the attention of the police cruisers. By the time I finally got water, I was pretty seriously dehydrated (the general rule is that by the time you sense thirst, you are already past due taking a drink) and ended up walking miserably the last three miles of my route. Ever since, I always carry hydration with me, not just water, but a fluid with good electrolyte replacement such as Hammer Heed or, if you prefer, Gatorade.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. And happy training. Have a great time with whatever races are on your agenda. I, like so many others, am training for the inaugural Rock’nRoll San Antonio Marathon on November 16, 2008.

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Dealing With Loss - contributed by Brenda Baker-Jackson

Each of us approach loss in different ways. As a type A personality, I approach any emergency as a need for action. I need a plan to cope. If there is no plan, I feel totally lost and adrift. Thus is my story on learning of the loss of my great nephew…

Upon receiving the news of the death of Brody, I immediately began thinking of how I could honor him, this little one whose life was cut so short. As a gardener, the first thing I considered was planting. What better way to remember Brody than planting a tree, something that is lasting and will be a monument for his life. Luckily, the Heard Natural Science Museum was having their native Texas plant sale and I remembered seeing several Texas Persimmons during my Friday evening visit. With that plan in mind, I called my brother (the grandfather) and let him know that I was going to purchase two trees, one for me to plant in Dallas and one for him to plant in the Austin area.

That thought didn’t take long and I found myself, once again, needing a plan. As a side note, I feel it is important to note that my mother had not yet been told of the death of her youngest great grandchild, so I felt it important that she be included in the remembrance of Brody, even though she didn’t yet know. Being the keeper of several of her various craft/sewing projects, my mind began thinking that a baby quilt needed to be made. My thought being that the quilt could be buried with Brody and a piece of his great grandmother would always be with him.

I felt trepidation in approaching my niece (the mother) about this, not knowing how she would respond. Additionally, I didn’t know what to say to her about the loss. I would try to put myself in her place and found that I just couldn’t even begin to grasp the immense pain that she and her husband were going through. When I finally worked up the courage to call my niece, the first words that came out of my mouth were, “I don’t know what to say.” I proposed the making of a quilt and it being buried with Brody and she said she would like that. Never having made a quilt before, I began the project. It helped me to get through that Sunday evening because I now had an assignment - something that I could plan for and take action on.

The quilt is far from perfect and I know that is not the point. There was love and thought put into this quilt.


The top row of the quilt contains three little boy/girl quilt blocks that my mother had done. The top row is significant, as the middle block represents Brody, with his older brother, Brooks, and his older sister, Breanne, keeping him company.

Three of the blocks I included are recycled from a quilt that my own grandmother made (the star blocks). The butterfly block and heart embroidered blocks were made by my mother.

As I already stated, even though there are mistakes in the construction of this quilt, I must say that I felt another force was helping me put this quilt together. My mother’s best friend, Viola Snyder, was an avid quilter and passed away this last January. I can definitely say that I felt Viola was looking over my shoulder and assisting me in the construction of the quilt. I just know that I could not have assembled this quilt in the time it took (it took me around 3 ½ hours) if I had not had assistance.

The quilt was delivered on Monday, April 14 during the evening visitation. I took a variety of markers and the funeral home set-up a table to display the quilt and allow everyone the opportunity to leave their thoughts and wishes for Brody. Breanne and Brooks both had time to personalize their blocks. Brooks colored his block in the typical 3 year old fashion while Breanne spent quite a bit of time decorating her block with rainbows and a picture of her and her mom visiting Brody. It was all very humbling.

My project was fully completed when, at the graveside service, the quilt was draped over the small casket. The quilt will permanently be with Brody and he will always have a piece of my mother, a piece of me, and (I strongly believe) a piece of Viola watching over him. My only wish is that when it comes time to join Brody, Viola, and all the family members that I have lost, that Viola doesn’t criticize my quilt attempt too much!


Now, I am back to not having a plan, but feel a certain contentment and peace that I am protecting Brody and was able to have my Mom participate in the service.

Brody, we love you and will miss you for the rest of our lives. As your Great Uncle James wrote on the quilt, “Wait for us on the hill.”

Great Aunt Brenda

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Remembering Brody

I have often thought that if we need to know how to run, or to tumble and fall, or engage in an activity unconditionally, we need only watch kids. Oh, they know nothing of form or pace, or running a negative split, but kids do know that they run for the joy of it, and that’s all.

I was reminded of all this these past couple of days as I have watched many different children, especially my great-niece and nephew Brea and Brooks. Their energy was remarkable; even more extraordinary their abilities to be in the moment. Only Brea, the older of the two, finally crashed out of her energetic flurry into another moment, difficult to grasp, as she came to a confused realization that her youngest brother, Brody, had died just three days earlier. Watching this was a sobering, but poignant experience.

A couple of weeks ago I ran the Capitol 10K in Austin. My nephew (technically nephew-in-law, but that is only a useless detail here) asked if he could run with me. I’m no speedster, as you all know, but I have tried to learn how to run better races, and it was largely for pace that Bill wanted to run with me. Bill is a big guy, tall and heavy, really a Clydesdale if he chose to look at it that way. Bill is light on his feet, and a good bit like a kid. He’s also a good 25 years younger than me, an age difference which has made less and less difference as Bill and I have shared our love for running with each other. This made the Cap10K a special opportunity. We didn’t talk much (it was a challenging day for running easily), but we managed to stay on pace for the first half of the race, pulling each other along up the Enfield hill. In the end, Bill took off, burned out on the fifth mile and coasted on empty across the finish. I crossed the line a half minute or so later, not unhappy about the race. In fact, I was thrilled to have been of any help at all to Bill. It had been a fun time for us both.

Bill waited for me at the finish and we walked back across the grounds as he looked for his wife Cathy and the kids. My schedule was full that day, so I had to run on without seeing the rest of his family. I could now express regrets about this, but they are of no value here. Less than two weeks later, Bill and Cathy’s youngest son, Brody, died unexpectedly in his sleep. Only a little beyond a year old, Brody was still too young to run, though everyone has observed that whatever this young boy did, he did with a smile and a laugh. It would have been a joy to see him grow and run, tumble and fall, then get up and run again.

We all these past several days, this gathering of relatives and friends, learned much through this profound tragedy. We learned that even when we don’t know what to say, the right thing is said by our very struggle to say it. Words are without meaning, while fellowship becomes our language of grieving, and healing. I don’t know if we accomplish anything with our monuments and memorials. Many say these are for the living, for those of us who have survived, and that the dead have already moved beyond a need for things and gestures. But I have never been absolutely sure of this. The first marathon I ever ran was for the memory of a close friend who had died. WOG (William Oltenberg Ginn) was magic-markered onto my hat. I knew it was there; few others noticed, but I felt my quiet demonstration was met with a subtle spiritual sigh. Was it Bill Ginn or only the wind in my face? I know not.

I tell you of this simply as a reminder that we don’t necessarily have to run always in solitude. It can be with a friend; it can be across the yard with a child, as thrilled to run with us as we are with them. We can also run to the spirit of another, a friend passed or a son lost so young. I see many who do this, making their 10 Ks, or half-marathons, into memorials for those they love, or have loved. Empty gesture? I think not. In our running, tumbling, falling and getting back up, we recapture the spirit of children running, and that is a pure lesson.

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Individual or Team?

The first athletic games I learned were baseball and football. Somewhere in the mix were croquet and badminton, both of which I played with a passion to win, but neither kept me from going back to baseball and football.

My brothers and I, there were three of us, would make up football plays, handoffs we were sure would score touchdowns. We challenged the Bell Brothers, our black friends, and were overwhelmed by their athleticism. For some reason our well rehearsed plays didn’t work the way we had diagramed them. What was that about? After that lesson, we made our challenges more carefully. If us white boys were not particularly gifted athletically, we did know how to draw water from the well. We invited the Bell Brothers to join our team and we then issued a challenge to our cousins, Garland, Marvin and Doyle Baker. These Bakers lived not just across town, but slightly out of town, in Telferner. They knew neither of their parents would drive them in to play football on the vacant lot next to our house, so they secretly hitchhiked into town, a roundtrip adventure of 16-17 miles. To tell the truth, I had all but forgotten about this grudge football match until Garland recently reminded me of it. I can’t even recall who might have padded out the rest of the Telferner Baker team, but I am told my team, full of Bell “ringers” won going away.

Solo or Ensemble?

If I have learned anything in my pursuit of athletics, a modest quest at best, it is the lesson learned lately that team sports are still a lot of fun. My bones wouldn’t stand even flag football any more, and I never had a baseball player’s eye, though I love the game with a passion. My sport these days is running. I have flirted with triathlon, but really get my kicks, physically and mentally, from moving my feet down the road. It’s a largely solitary activity, as are the races for which we all train. For the most part, that’s fine by me; I am largely a do-it-yourselfer. That’s why I was so surprised a few years ago when I organized my first running team. Six musician runners from the Mid-Texas Symphony teamed up to run the Beach to Bay Relay Marathon, an annual event in Corpus Christi, Texas. None on the team had experience with relay running, so we were all flabbergasted to find how much fun was the team dynamic. Duh….let’s think about this. Six musicians, none of us recitalists or soloists. We were all orchestral players, comfortable in an ensemble. Somehow, it still took us by surprise how the running parallel of orchestral musicmaking was, logically, team running. We fell for it, and fell for it hard.

Not every runner wants to be part of a team. One of our original team runners drifted away, and I have had other runners pass on joining the team, preferring to run alone. That’s fine, though those runners might be surprised to find they would like running with a team. There are several elements of team running which contribute to its appeal. Ask any of us who run with team Mid-Texas Symphony, and we are unanimous in saying it makes us run faster and with greater determination as individuals. This might seem counter-intuitive, but it is at the core of being ensemble musicians. You play your part for the greater good of the orchestra. Play your heart out and those around you will do the same. In the end the sum is greater than the parts. With relay running, it’s much the same. Each runner knows their ability, and what might be extended from that ability, and for the most part everyone gives greater than 100 percent.

I have not been on a running team which contends for first prize. We run for the challenge and run against our expectations. Occasionally we run to beat another team. (I’m still not quite sure why Jonathon Hager seemed so driven to beat the Dairy Queen team at the Texas Independence Relay, but WE DID.) Our Mid-Texas Symphony team has always been a mix of tortoise and hare. Frankly, I am tickled as can be that the fast runners on the team seem to enjoy, or at least tolerate, those of us who run more deliberately (a kind way of saying s-l-o-w-l-y). I like to believe that it is the ensemble dynamic which binds us together: runners with varied abilities teaming for surprising results. But what I also know, and it’s what served so well in that Baker Bowl grudge football match so many years ago, is to look for a few “ringers” when you can. A six minute miler sure goes a long way to making my ten minute mile look like eight. Thanks to my teammates who have given me and the others on the team such thrills over the years.

And now, what I originally set out to say is thanks to those other teammates who helped us so much at the recent Texas Independence Relay (TIR). My sister Brenda Jackson, the original “Wrunner Wrangler,” has been with us from the first Beach to Bay. She was ably abetted by Dorian Ramirez at the TIR. Thanks for keeping us on track and running strong. And then there was the considerable generosity of Carroll Voss, of San Antonio Fleet Feet. Carroll has taught me a great deal about race hydration, while encouraging me to take satisfaction from my modest running accomplishments. Carroll also contributed a variety of Hammer hydration products to team Mid-Texas Symphony for the TIR, keeping us all better able to perform at our respective competitive levels.

And finally, there were individuals who support the Mid-Texas Symphony, board members and others, who gave monetary support to help defray the cost of registering the team for the TIR. Thanks to all of you for your generosity. I hope you enjoy being on our team as much as we enjoy being on yours.

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The Texas Independence Relay 2008: “Simply the Coolest thing I’ve ever done!”

Like kids waiting for Christmas morning to finally roll around, team Mid-Texas Symphony finally had its opportunity to see what the new day had brought them. Would it be a weekend of wonder, or a huge sack of coal? For sure, it was dark as we rose at 4:30 am, with dense fog to boot.

Seven of our team of runners and drivers had arrived Friday evening, February 29, in Seguin. Three were runners I had never met before, the three who had finally capped our running team at ten. Dinner together had dispelled any fear of incompatibility. It was apparent we were together for one primary reason, a love of running. Throw into that a sense of adventure, risk and musical overtones and the gelling of a team was begun. The origin of this team is to be found in the Mid-Texas Symphony, a regional orchestra which plays for a very supportive public in Seguin and New Braunfels. The core of the running team consists of musicians from the orchestra, extended further by family relationships to the orchestra. Thus there was some question regarding the musical qualifications of the newest members of the team. They had responded to my frantic appeal for runners:

“Three or four runners needed to run with Mid-Texas Symphony. You don’t have to be a musician, but it would be nice if you really like music.”

Alan and Marie Pekarik had responded, followed a half day later by Holly Murphy-Brackin. Holly admitted upfront that she was a beginning piano student. That’s good enough for me; then in a Google search I saw she was also a member of the band boosters in Caldwell. Not wanting to spook Alan and Marie, I made no inquiry about their musical interests. However, my sister Brenda just couldn’t contain her curiosity.

She wrote to Alan:
“Looking forward to meeting you and your wife. So, the important question remains (the answer doesn't make a difference). Did either you or your wife participate in band/orchestra/choir in junior high or high school?”

Alan wrote back:
"Marie, played clarinet in high school band (first chair), and can still play a mean harmonica if you ask her. I played classical guitar for about 4 years but the skills are almost gone after all these years.

“Wow, glad we passed that test... hope we can do as well running!”


We drove to Gonzales to begin our quest of 203.67 miles of small towns, countryside and big city Texas. But wait, there were still other runners to meet! Steve and his son Jonathon were waiting at the parking lot while I tried to contact our last three runners by cell phone. No answer, and I saw some doubts creeping onto the faces of several on the team. Was this really as well organized as it needed to be? And then came Maeve Goetz, the daughter of Mid-Texas Symphony librarian and violinist Eithne Goetz, with her cousin Brian Renaghan and his wife Denise. I sighed in relief at having ten runners and two drivers all in place.

BAM! A nearby cannon shot reverberated sympathetically with the historic shots which began the Texas Revolution in October, 1835. “Come and take it,” challenged the rebels as the Mexican militia tried to recover a cannon which had been given the Texicans by the Spanish governor. Today the course lying ahead cried “Come and Take It!” We lined up our team of ten at the starting line on the historic town center, prepared to take an initial team lap around the square before Marie would peel off and begin our one-by-one, leg-by-leg attack of the challenging course ahead. Our drivers, Brenda Jackson, the “Wrunner Wrangler,” and cellist Dorian Ramirez pounded the starting gong, signaling the start of our race. Feet began to beat the street and our hearts began to pound. At 12 minutes past 7am we were off, not (we hoped) to be denied.

Here began the energy of forward motion which would propel us in striking ways for the next 31 hours 18 minutes. None of us had a clear understanding of how we would feel as the race unfolded. I had imagined it would be a period of intensity as I would run my assigned leg of anywhere from 3 to nearly 9 miles, followed by 6 or 7 hours of inactivity, probably even boredom, while waiting the next turn to run. How wrong I was! And I think for the most part everyone had the similar experience of being continually energized by the team effort and the energy of the race itself. Oh, I got a mild sense that those runners who had to wait a few hours in the early stages before the van 2 team became active, might have twiddled their thumbs a bit. But for the most part, everyone was involved, actively running or just getting out and cheering, cheering for teammates and for other teams. The sportsmanship between teams was tremendous, and every town along the route produced volunteers and cheers. It was a remarkably heartwarming experience.

Yes, you get tired. Everyone gave a brave surge at the end of each leg, leaning forward to pass the baton to the next runner. And heaven only knows how we managed to keep ourselves motivated and energetic as morning turned to sunny afternoon to early evening and then to mid-night. The carnival atmosphere in Columbus, propelled by the town’s steel band and little ensemble of wind instrumentalists, kept all the runners and their brave support teams energized. Finally, about midway through the race and with 100 miles already behind us, we enjoyed the hospitality of the little town of Wallis, which opened up gymnasiums for showers and a few winks of sleep. All the while, others on the team kept moving forward, advancing on the outskirts of Houston and ultimately to the still distant San Jacinto Battleground.

Our team was a mix of fast runners, medium runners and slow runners. We even had a walker, but one who proved she could walk with a fast and gutsy pace. As each leg came in and we began to monitor the progress, it became apparent that we might be faster than we thought. Initial predictions had us running at an overall pace of 9 minutes 44 seconds per mile. Now admittedly it helps when the fast runners begin to turn in miles of sub-7:30, and then the anchor leg burns it up at a blistering 6:24 pace. But in the end, the fast shared their glory with the not so fast and we collectively celebrated a team pace of 9 minutes 13 seconds per mile.

Over 31 hours after our start in Gonzales, nine runners and two drivers stood waiting the arrival of Jonathon. Had the day been clear we would have stood in the shadow of the San Jacinto Monument. But more importantly, we each understood we were standing in the shadow of an accomplishment we had previously only imagined. Steve went out to meet his son Jon so the two of them could run in together. I choked back my emotion as the two of them ran together up State of Texas Vista Road. Our team run of the final four tenths of a mile was our opportunity to celebrate. We radiated smiles and proudly accepted our Texas-sized finisher medals.

As they always say, there are many to whom we owe our thanks. A higher force looked after us and we give thanks for that. Mother Nature smiled and kept the rain and the cold away until we were finished. Our runners supported each other in ways which were touching. We cheered, we brought water to each other, and we were each patient to allow our teammates to relish their moments. Mountains of patience and support were provided by Brenda and Dorian, our van drivers. And throughout it became more and more apparent how carefully and lovingly the Texas Independence Relay had been prepared. Aside from some skimping on route markers along the way, Joy and Jay Hilscher are to be commended highly for providing such a marvelous setting in which we runners ran and played. Without hesitation, team Mid-Texas Symphony is already looking forward to a chance to do this again. See you in 2009!

Cool, heartwarming and funny tidbits:

Being welcomed to Borden, population tiny, by the mayor and the entire population.

As I ran along a scenic but remote stretch of Highway 90, a van filled with adults and kids stopped ahead of me. They crossed the highway and divided themselves into a gauntlet. As I passed through, they cheered me on. Such doesn’t happen in ordinary races.

After the runners in van 1 had finished their second round of runs, we pulled into a Subway shop for a bite to eat. Our timing was good, since we were near the front of a not too long line of customers. But then the tidal wave began to roar as one van after another unloaded hungry runners. There were only three employees working at the time. As we sat and enjoyed our sandwiches, the shop manager could be heard desperately describing the situation on the phone. “They just keep coming in vans, and buses, in waves! We need help!” We smiled with a curious blend of humor and sympathy.

Viva TIR!

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203.67 miles? You gotta be kiddin’!

That was pretty much the reaction my team of six runners had last May when we opened our bag of goodies from the Beach to Bay Relay in Corpus Christi, Texas. We were in our second year running Beach to Bay, and were already feeling pretty good about our prospects. More importantly, running Beach to Bay the year before had bonded us into not just musician colleagues playing with the Mid-Texas Symphony Orchestra, but into a group of friends who enjoyed the opportunity to run together as a team.

I kidded my teammates about entering us in the new Texas Independence Relay (TIR), announced on a flyer packed in with our t-shirts and various other race announcments. I remember we laughed and said: “Sure. We’re going to run that (not).” The first fatal mistake was opening up my laptop a little later and browsing over to the TIR website. As I looked at the welcoming webpage I was drawn into the possibility that maybe we could run this race. Just add a few more runners, rope my sister Brenda into managing some logistics, and well, maybe. I asked a couple of the other runners who were gathered round the television set watching the Spurs in the playoffs. “We might be interested,” they said. Then Brenda made the second fatal mistake of the evening by saying: “If you can find the runners crazy enough to do it, I’ll help with some of the organizing.” Of course, she didn’t think it would ever come to be nor, frankly, did I.

You run Beach to Bay, a standard marathon distance of 26.2 miles, with six runners, each running a little over four miles. It’s a cinch, almost. To manage the almost 204 miles of the TIR, divided into 40 legs, would require 10-12 runners. I got commitments from the rest of the Beach to Bay team and then set out to recruit four more runners, preferably musicians, or at least relatives of musicians in the Mid-Texas Symphony (MTX). The MTX, by the way, is a modest sized regional orchestra which is jointly supported by the cities of Seguin and New Braunfels. I had discovered bit by bit that there probably were ten serious runner musicians in the orchestra, some pretty accomplished at marathons, triathlons, and just fun-thons, running for the thrill of it. “Piece of cake,” I thought, “to make this team of ten.” How wrong I was!

Disparate schedules, and the fact some runners just prefer to do it themselves (no team for me, thank you), complicated matters. But still, seven months out from the TIR, I had commitments and some money pledged as well, from supporters of the Mid-Texas Symphony. I plunked down the $850 entry fee and set about finalizing my roster. Capping it at ten, I sought a couple of alternates, and the team was made. A few months later, one runner moved away. Darn, he was a fast one too! Then a couple more holes opened up, before the wheels came off with injuries to two key runners. They were both bringing relatives to the team with them. Two more dropped out and rather than ten runners and two alternates I now had only seven runners. Just 2 weeks before the race, I seriously considered pulling the plug.

What prompted one more stutter step in this seemingly inevitable march towards quitting the race was the realization that those of us who were left had been not only looking forward to the challenge, but also training for it. Runner Steve Hager sent me an email saying he would certainly understand whatever decision I had to make. Then he sent a second email, telling me how he had run three times the day before, for a total of 16 miles. “Now he’s ready to race,” I thought. I bit my tongue and put out a last appeal for runners, trolling wherever I thought there might be a nibble. The first strike came within hours. Two runners from Houston would join us. The next day I heard from a runner near College Station who agreed to fill the 10th roster position. I burst out of my house on an exuberant run.

Brenda, good to her word, kicked into action organizing the transportation, the shuttling of runners from one leg of the race to the next. A few more nagging details lingered, including an issue over a driver for the second team van. “Don’t plan anything for the weekend of the race, Dorian, because you’re going to be driving van 2. I would bet on it.” Dorian is one of our Beach to Bay team, and came up injured awhile back. She and her husband Fred are great teammates and I regretted more the loss of their optimistic personalities than I did their good speed. But now, as I warn, get ready to drive, Dorian.

I look at a map and the reality of the distance astonishes me. Gonzales to the San Jacinto Monument on the other side of Houston: 203.67 miles! How will it feel? It’s anyone’s guess. Alan Pekarik, one of the last minute additions to our team, has run 199 miles with a team which included his wife Marie. (Marie is also running with our band of musical fools.) According to Alan, sleep deprivation will kick in, and what looks like a reasonable demand of 20 miles per runner, divided into 4 legs each will, according to Alan, “feel like a marathon.” Am I glad we’re doing this? You betcha! Will I be so sure of myself when it’s over? I’ll take a gamble and say: “Yep. When’s the next one?”

Cheer for our team. The Mid-Texas Symphony runners are:
Liz Levin Pittel, Steve Hager, Jonathon Hager, Maeve Goetz, Brian and Denise Renaghan, Alan and Marie Pekarik, Holly Murphy-Brackin and Yours Truly, James Baker. The MTX team pushes off the starting blocks at 8:15am March 1 and we anticipate crashing the finish line 33 hours or so later at the San Jacinto Monument. How great will that be?!

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Some sole searching

We are a society of bargain hunters, attracted to the marketplace of Walmart or the internet. I'm surely one of the worst culprits. But when it comes to buying shoes, specifically athletic shoes, it might make sense to buy local from a retailer who knows the ropes.

There's no intention of making any commercial endorsement here. San Antonio offers several shops which specialize in gear for the runner, or the swimmer, the biker, the baker, the candlestick maker. You know what I mean. When it comes to shopping for running shoes you can read, read, read on the internet, or consult the latest "Buy This" edition of Runner's World. Or, you can walk into a store owned by a runner, employing experienced runners as sales people, and ask them to help you choose a pair of shoes. Find a store which is a comfortable fit for you and then use the expertise of knowledgable sales people. When you leave the store with a great fitting shoe which is just right for your demands and for your particular skeletal features, you'll be glad you went the local route.

It has taken me awhile to come to this approach, but I must say that I have gotten great advice and great service on my last several pairs of shoes. For example, I walked into my local favorite the other day for new shoes. The salesman, an experienced runner, looked at the shoes I had last bought from that store, and knew exactly what features I would need in the new shoes. Was it simply luck that the first pair was exactly the right shoe for me. I think not. The online discounters court me constantly, but I've come to realize that they don't know me, and they've never cheered for me in a local race. If you haven't done so already, it's time to get acquainted with a local shoe store. Your feet will be happy, and so will you.

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Blue skies and drier air

NOTHING lifts the spirits of a runner faster than a favorable break in the weather.

This has been an extremely unusual summer in South Texas. We are accustomed to battling through summers, running early or running late, cursing the heat which towards the end of the season can linger at 85 degrees at one in the morning. The pavement radiates the day’s heat back into the faces of those bold enough to pound pavement through the gates of Hell. A “normal” summer will also add occasional insult with high humidity.

This summer has been mild, with only a short period of temperatures over the mid-90s. Overnight lows have been mostly below 80. But most unusual has been the rain, persistent, rarely drying out for more than a week at a time. The copious rain has left a lush green covering over a landscape which is usually a brittle brown by August and early September. Not too bad, right? Wrong! The television weather forecasters love to tell us that we begin to feel the humidity when the dew point exceeds 60 degrees. Conditions this summer have taken that line right out of their play books since the dew point has pretty consistently lingered between 70 and 75 degrees. So, we have been faced for three months with cloudy skies and high, high humidity. My hat is off to those diehards who have managed to log their miles this summer. I’m not among them.

A couple of days ago the clouds blew away and though the humidity was still high and the temperature was far from comfortable I actually felt like running, and I did, hills, even. I’m in a neighborhood which affords me a half dozen different running routes, a couple of which are hills. There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of digging into low gear and running a long and challenging hill. Nor is there a pleasure comparable to peaking a hill which reveals a vista of our beautiful downtown San Antonio. It’s good to run and become fit. It’s also great that it gets us out of doors, where we can enjoy the vistas and the hills, all the while taking some care to not stumble into a San Antonio pothole.

A couple of evenings ago I put my VO2 knowledge to work and ran a little harder, pushing my heart rate to a range of 150-155. I managed, but the humidity steamed me to the core. I doubt there was a dry stitch on me when I wrapped up. Runs like this remind me of why it is more difficult to run in high humidity. The humidity, of course, makes it more difficult for the body to cool itself. But the humidity also pushes up the heart rate. The experienced runners will verify that. I’m no sports doctor but I have imagined this has something to do with the body trying to moderate the blood temperature. Anyhow, running with my heart at 150-155 in extremely high humidity made no speed demon of me.

Today a “cool front” arrived, with rain (imagine that!). But the precipitation began to dissipate by mid-afternoon and I ventured out to buy some new running shoes (Nike Air Structure Triax 10+) and sensed a change in the air. It made me want to run, though I had to wait until late in the evening. If you are lucky you can get in a few miles before the sweat begins to get in your eyes. Tonight, I managed about 3 miles before the humidity began to win. Nevertheless, it is marginally drier and that did translate into a pleasant run. Again, I put my heart rate into the 150-155 range for about 40% of the workout while running exactly the same route I struggled with two days ago. The slightly lower humidity allowed me to run the seven miles about 2 ½ minutes faster. No, it wasn’t the new shoes. I was wearing my old Nike Equalons, which still have some miles left in ‘em.

So…after a summer spent more swimming laps at Gold’s Gym than pounding out miles on the streets of San Antonio, I am pumped about blue skies, drier air, and Autumn ahead. Come on, you rats of the gym. Get outside and soak up some rays. We’re on the cusp of outdoor season here in South Texas. Let’s make the most of it.

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Heart rate monitor

It is certainly possible to train without a heart rate monitor. You can always pause and get a pretty good estimate of your heart rate as you are working out. But the benefit offered by a heart rate monitor is that you don’t have to pause, you are monitored constantly, and you can produce a report after the workout which gives some interesting statistics which can help you plan a more effective next workout.

I won’t get into detail here but I would love to hear from anyone who can speak with experience and authority (Shelly Campbell, are you out there?). Suffice it to say that I have exercised off and on with a heart rate monitor for much of the last 4 years, and I find it very useful. Heart rate, more than pace, has dictated my marathoning experiences. This might not be the end all method, but I think it has generally served me well on race day.

Now I am discovering even better ways to use my monitor. There are formulae, based on one’s age, which allow an athlete to identify certain ranges of heart rate which then translate into various levels of results. For example, I am 58 years old. One of the often used equations is 220 minus your age to determine your max heart rate. You then use that number to determine a heart rate “zone” for weight loss, cardio, etc. The range is something like 65-85% of your max heart rate. Using this basic formula I find that for cardio work I should strive for a workout heart rate of (220-58)x.75=121 bpm (here I use 75%, or right in the middle of the workout range). Experience has shown me that this is too conservative. However, the conundrum is that if you disregard your “ideal” and instead overwork, you end up with less return on your workout.

I recently saw another formula (Target Heart Rate Calculator) which is supposed to distinguish whether you are in shape or out. Using this calculation I am advised that my 75% workout should be done at 132 bpm. That’s better, and forces me into a more vigorous workout. But in the end, these are generalized estimates which may lead you astray. I have heard that the numbers produced by the formulae can be off by as much as 10%, maybe more.

This is why I was thrilled recently to undergo VO2 testing at Spectrum Athletic Clubs here in San Antonio. Many health clubs are set up to conduct VO2 testing and I would assume the results obtained from one source will not vary greatly from the test results elsewhere. In the interest of full disclosure, Spectrum agreed to test me for free as I work with my colleague Diane Berlanga on a podcast feature about several of the fitness tests offered by Spectrum and others.

I am still learning exactly how the results are derived from the tests. Suffice it to say that one is fitted with a mask through which expelled air is measured and analyzed. My test was on a treadmill which varied the intensity of my 15 minute workout. I began easily and eventually was paced up to a jog, then to the max, anaerobic, level. The information was then processed by a computer program and customized heart rate parameters were produced for me. What I have learned is that my gut reaction pre-test was correct. I can and should work out at a higher heart rate level than the formulae would indicate. It is said that much of this is genetic predisposition(thanks, Mom and/or Dad), though I imagine there’s also some reflection of one’s fitness level. The important thing is that I now can more accurately monitor my workout levels for highest efficiency.

We all wonder from time to time whether we are working as hard as we should be. I have always known that I could work harder by ramping up how often I run, swim, bike or otherwise work out. But what I have not known previously is how hard I can and should go within a workout. Now I do know. Of course, there’s still the matter of implementation.

Bottom line: if you are interested in getting more out of your aerobic activity, purchase and use a heart rate monitor. A number of manufacturers make them, though Polar is probably the leader in the industry. Check the various models carefully and make sure you get everything you need, and then some. If you are a techie, like me, you will not regret spending a little more in order to have more features. I have had very good service from the first monitor I bought, but not such good experience with a biking specific model which would interface with a pickup on the bicycle to measure speed and distance. This never worked reliably for me, and the watch part of the system proved not very waterproof for swimming. As I was saying earlier, choose carefully the features which you need for your particular sport or sports.

The final bottom line: if you are really getting serious about fitness and are competitive with yourself (or others) to achieve more, splurge on VO2 testing and then USE the gathered knowledge.

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Making music and Making tracks

It's tough enough to rehearse and perform a challenging orchestral program compressed into a couple of days. But my friend Dorian Ramirez not only played cello for the weekend with Mid-Texas Symphony, but she and her husband Fred then turned around and swam, biked and ran the Austin Triathlon. Talk about endurance sports!

Congratulations to my good friends Dorian and Fred Ramirez who turned in outstanding races at the recent Austin Triathlon. You may remember that Dorian and Fred fired off the triathlon season in Galveston back in what seems like forever ago. It is astounding how quickly the triathlon season has passed, though there are still some good opportunities to race before the water of area lakes begins to chill. The swim for Dorian and Fred was in Austin’s Town Lake. Dorian reported the water temperature to be 77 degrees, right on the cusp for many swimmers as to whether they wet suit it or not. D&F both opted to swim without wet suits. Says Dorian: “I figured I would spend too much time trying to get out of it!”

Dorian turned in an overall time of 2:56:57, under her goal of 3 hours. Fred’s time was 3:06 plus some seconds. They both had enough left in the tank to finish strong in the final 10k. Dorian’s time was 47:41 and Fred ran 52:17, both PRs for their triathlon careers.

Fred and Dorian will take on the Longhorn Half Tri in October. That’s a half ironman, I believe. Dorian mentioned to me that they will be cramming nutrition information for that final exam of the season. I recommended she check out the booklet published by Hammer Nutrition, called The Endurance Athlete’s Guide to Success; in fact, I would suggest anyone with questions about fuel issues study this booklet. Currently, the book is out of print, but you can download a PDF copy for free. Go online to Hammer Nutrition.

I am sure Dorian and Fred would be interested in any other nutrition tips anyone might offer, especially keeping one’s self fueled during a long endurance event such as a half-iron, a marathon, or an ultra. In fact, I would encourage anyone with knowledge on the topic to chime in and share with those who read this blog. Your input will be much appreciated.

Making Music
Dorian and I have known each other for quite a number of years as musicians in the Mid-Texas Symphony. We had rehearsals and a concert the same weekend Dorian raced in the Austin Triathlon, making it even more amazing she did so well. It was a busy and challenging weekend for the orchestra, so I expect Fred ended up setting up transition areas both for himself and Dorian.

I checked the math and the 10k legs turned in by Dorian and Fred worked out to 7:41 and 8:26 miles respectively, and respectable too. You understand now why Dorian and Fred are valuable teammates of mine on the Mid-Texas Symphony relay team. We’ve had a great time the past two years running the Beach to Bay relay marathon down in Corpus and are about to bite off a BIG challenge this coming March. We saw a flyer stuffed in our race bags at Beach to Bay about a new race called The Texas Independence Relay. 207 miles. We laughed. Problem is, we then started thinking about it, and it just was too good a challenge to pass up.

I’m doubling the size of our relay team to a dozen and even 6 months out from the event we are becoming giddy with the prospect of taming the challenge: 207 miles from Gonzales to the San Jacinto Monument. We’ll run about four miles at a time per person and in 35 hours or so we will hit the finish line. Our team experience at Beach to Bay has been so positive that we are looking forward to this next big challenge. I’ve talked to other runners about relays, and some just don’t like them. I can certainly appreciate that for many of us running is somewhat of a solitary experience. But I guess for team Mid-Texas Symphony we enjoy so much working together in the orchestra that running together seems a logical extension. If you read this and think you might want to check out the Texas Independence Relay, browse over to http://www.texasindependencerelay.com/.

Meanwhile, happy workouts to all. One day soon the rain will end, the humidity will dry out, and we will all remember what pleasure there is in biking, running and swimming in the great outdoors.

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A Long Way for Mexican Women

As I watched and cheered the Mexican golfer Lorena Ochoa on her way to winning the Women’s British Open, I was reminded of the advances women athletes have recently made in Mexico. And I believe the Mexicans appreciate it as well.

Although there likely won’t be a repeat of the celebration which took over Avenida Reforma when the Mexican National Soccer Team advanced into the quarter finals of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, there is surely much cheering going on throughout Mexico for the accomplishments of Ms. Ochoa and, yes, some fireworks also.

When I recently traveled to Mexico, revisiting a couple of areas I know very well from having lived there for six years, I thought of the enthusiasm Mexicans have for sports, in particular futball. The kids there play it like kids play baseball in the US. And here and there you also find Mexicans who know and love baseball. I remember sitting glued to the television in a Mexico City apartment in 1981 as pitcher Fernando Valenzuela hung on to win game three of the World Series. Young Fernando had paid his dues in the Mexican League and even threw some Texas League pitches here in San Antonio. But I digress. Mexicans do follow baseball and on my recent trip I even saw a kid holding a football of the pigskin variety.

During the mid-80s I was living in Xalapa, the capital of the State of Veracruz. There’s a minor league baseball team there and everywhere you find soccer, though 99 percent played by males. Maybe that’s changing now. I hope the success of women’s soccer in the US is having an effect south of the border. In Xalapa and the surrounding areas (I actually lived in the coffee producing town of Coatepec) running was immensely popular. I would dare to say there were the soccer players and the runners, and the two didn’t overlap that much. In fact, when you went to the track there were always soccer matches going on and lots of runners in serious training. Like soccer, there were never many women at the track. Mexican running was dominated at the time by the men. Arturo Barrios was featured in Runners’ World and was on his way to setting a long standing record in the men’s 10K. Mexican runners were training like mad and many fine runners were at work in the Xalapa/Coatepec area. I ran laps, and nothing more, but I marveled at the focused dedication of the great Veracruz runners.

When my friend Liz Levin had come to Mexico she was already an experienced marathoner. She continued to run regularly and seriously in Toluca, Estado de Mexico, where the elevation is 9000 feet. When we moved to Coatepec she fell right in with the enthusiastic running community, despite the fact there were very few women who were runners. Liz ran at the track and also on the steep cobblestone roads in the coffee fincas, honoring the age-old runners’ tradition of a weekly long run. A Mexican runner named Pedro (I can’t recall his last name) began to help her with her training and together they would take 6 AM runs into the countryside as I rolled over and slept some more. Liz became more than a novelty. She was winning some races in her gender and age bracket while some of the Mexican women began to notice. I don’t intend to suggest that Liz was singularly responsible for the women who began to run seriously in that part of Mexico, but surely they had noticed her dedication to the sport.

Back then we watched as male Mexican runners placed high at the important international marathons. Some still do. But today it is the Mexican women who are turning heads in the running world. Adriana Fernandez won the New York Marathon in 1999. At that time she noted: "There are many more women running in Mexico now. They need more time for you to see them'' at the world class level, "but they will develop. This is going to encourage more women to run." Madaí Pérez, the new kid on the block, is currently finishing strong at the international events and is the Mexican record holder with her 2:22:59 at the 2006 Chicago Marathon.

But the most popular female Mexican runner is surely sprinter Ana Guevara. She has attracted legions of fans to the sport of women’s track in Mexico. When Ana recently set an unofficial world record in the rarely run 300 m she reacted by saying: “An unforgettable night for me and the whole of Mexico; the emotion tonight was unbelievable. I didn’t think so many people would respond.” Guevara continued: “When I came out for the opening ceremony I was amazed to see so many people in the stands. It was a dream but we decided why not, and it’s a dream which came true.”

And now similar popularity awaits golfer Lorena Ochoa after winning in such style the Women’s British Open at the hallowed St. Andrews course. I am not alone in cheering the successes of the Mexican woman athlete. May there be many more victories. ¡Viva Mexico!

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If you think that’s cold……

Have you ever dipped your toe into the pool and shivered while declaring: “That water’s too cold!”? It could be you were already looking for an excuse not to swim that day. But the truth we mostly know is that once you are in and begin your routine, the water temperature is not that much of an issue.

Imagine now the feat just accomplished by the Brit Lewis Gordon Pugh, who on July 15th took a dip in the Arctic Ocean. He was making a point: that global warming is a real issue. He said:

"Just five or 10 years ago this swim would never have been possible - most people have no idea that you can find patches of open sea at the North Pole in summer.

"It's deeply regrettable that it's possible now because of the devastating effects of climate change."

Mr. Pugh’s accomplishment was reported today on the BBC World Service. Here’s the item the BBC published in advance of Pugh’s swim: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6282048.stm

To summarize and put this into my own personal perspective (please feel free to add your own), the water temperature was -2C. Mr. Pugh, clad only in his Speedo, goggles and swim cap, swam 1 kilometre (he IS Brit!) in just under 20 minutes. I’m doubtful we mere mortals could accomplish such a thing without injury, but apparently Pugh has an ability to raise his body temperature. Nevertheless, my teeth are still chattering.

I swam one kilometer (I’m American!) yesterday, but if anything the water was too warm. Given a choice, I think I’ll prefer it at more like +25 Celsius rather than -2C. The coldest water I have ever swum in was at the wonderful artesian spring pool at Balmorhea State Park out in West Texas. The CCC constructed pool is fed by San Solomon Springs, and is definitely cold water. One internet site states the water temperature as averaging 73 degrees year round, but I swear it must have been colder than that the last time I dived into that water. Then again, maybe I was just looking for an excuse not to swim that day.

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How much is Too much exercise?

They’re at it again, those who contend that any exercise beyond three sessions a week is excessive. In an earlier post, I responded to such a report I had seen on television which labeled as addicted to exercise those who work out four or more times per week.

The latest report to bristle my dander was on, of all places, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO). To be honest, Mr. Gumbel was also mildly incredulous about the report which dealt with the increasing numbers of baby boomer fitness fans (I am reluctant to really call us fanatics) that are coming in for sports surgeries and joint replacements. The segment asks whether we shouldn’t arbitrarily slow down as we enter our mid-40s and beyond. We hear the argument that our skeletons begin to wear out with age and that we should therefore shift to low-impact exercise. And forget about competitive, even if it’s just an inner competition with one’s self.

The argument continued that the increased demands on medicine to correct the blown joints and the torn musculature would bankrupt the health system. At the end of the segment, Bryant went on the defensive for he is obviously amongst those of us who are refusing to turn it down a notch in our 50s going on 70. He asked the obvious question. Are we not, by concentrating on maintaining our fitness, avoiding some of the chronic diseases of inactivity such as heart disease and diabetes?

I suppose these questions will continue to be raised and we must exercise on either because of the benefits, or despite the supposed negative effects of our “addiction.” I certainly don’t intend to back off, though I do listen pretty closely to my body as I ask it to perform a little more than others of my age require of their bodies.

What do you think? Why not leave a comment?

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1st Tri becomes 2nd Tri

I have now officially started and finished a triathlon, and have a much better idea of what the fuss is about and also about the challenges of the sport.

The Heart of Texas triathlon series is run each summer here in San Antonio, overseen by John Purnell of Run A Way Athletic Club. Last Sunday was the second of the series of five mini-triathlons, paving the way for the Heart of Texas Triathlon Championships in September. As I mentioned in a previous post, this event was recommended to me by Shelly Campbell and also by Phil Arno, a musician acquaintance of mine for many years, and a 5 or 6 year veteran of triathlon.

As soon as I pulled into the parking lot at Ft. Sam Houston at the ungodly early hour of 6 AM, I ran into Phil. “I looked at your website,” he said. “With all your running background, you should do very well.” “We’ll see,” I said, though I feared his prediction might come back to haunt me. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems to me that those triathletes who don’t regularly run marathons (actually Phil has done his share) seem to look at marathoners with some degree of awe. I must admit that as a marathoner, I look in similar awe at the real swimmers and cyclists. I guess it all adds up to triathlon being an equalizer, of sorts.

The Heart of Texas Triathlon No. 2 consisted of a 300 meter swim in a 50 meter pool, a 10 mile bike ride on a 2 mile loop, and a final 2 mile run, with some hills. Considering I had been previously training for the CapTexTri sprint distance (750 meters, 20 k bike, 5 k run), the Heart of Texas should have been the proverbial “no problema, man.” But cut me some slack. It was still my first Tri, and I started out with a poor swim. I got nervous, forgot what little form I have, and struggled somewhat. The bike ride gave me a chance to get my lungs back and my heart-rate stabilized. In retrospect, this might have been my strongest suit, though I by no means burned up the course. However, I did pass a few while the sprinters were busy lapping me.

Everyone has told me time and again: “Practice your bricks. Practice your bricks.” According to Wikipedia, “the term brick has multiple claims of origination/derivation. Among those is the derivation from a partial anagram of Bike-Run. Also, it may simply be a descriptive term for how your legs feel for the first part of the run.” I have generally interpreted it as principally referring to the transition from the bike to the run, and it is something I practiced, though obviously not enough. By the time I transitioned to the run, I was operating at a deficit. And who would be the athlete just coming in for the finish as I was about a quarter mile into the run? Phil Arno. And at that point I was walking up the hill. There was a look of consternation on Phil’s face, and I have no idea how I must have looked to him. But I got it back together and did most of the run, running. My unofficial time was 1 hour 15 minutes and some seconds. (Phil finished first in our age category of 55-59 with a time of 59 minutes.) In the true spirit of Triathlon (these people are infinitely supportive), Phil was there at the finish line to congratulate me on finishing my first tri. Also in the spirit of support, Phil gave me some pointers for the “next time.”

And there will be a “next time.” And that next time I will be a little wiser and a lot more practiced in BRICKS. Also, one other note regarding the future. I am enjoying sharing these posts with you, and reading what feedback has come. If you are game for it, I’m certainly willing to keep writing. But hey! Help Zetta and Shelly out. I sure would love to hear more voices on this blog.

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