Brain Surgery to Half Ironman

Today was the Garden State Plaza 5k Race.  This particular race was extremely meaningful to several of the participants.  First off were the 20 or so runners who graduated my running club’s Beginner 2 Finisher running program.  This was the culmination of 10weeks of hard work and I tip my hat to each of them and hope that this was the first of many races for them.  Second were Lori and Jordan for different reasons.  Normally I would run with Jordan and we would let Lori run ahead at her own pace.  Today however, my coach wanted me to actually race, more on that in a minute, which left Lori and Jordan to run together.  Unfortunately, Lori cramped up and had to let Jordan run ahead.  Although in noticeable pain and discomfort she never gave up and finished the race strong, a true demonstration of her newfound strength and mental fortitude.  Then there is Jordan who ran the entire race, never taking a walk break and finished in 35:06, good enough for a two and a half minute personal recor

There are special things that happen on the same day year in and year out, not necessarily the same date, but the same day.  The second Sunday of May is Mother’s Day, the thirds Sunday of June is Father’s Day and then you have the first Sunday of November........this is the day that we turn the clocks back and get an extra hour of sleep.  It is also the day of the biggest block party in the world!!  The day that more than 50,000 people lace up their shoes to run through the boroughs of NY and cross the finish line of the NYC Marathon in Central Park.  Marathons like Triathlons are really the only sporting events that the mere mortal amateur athlete can compete on the same course as the world’s best, the elites of our sports. Last year I was fortunate enough to be one of those 50,000 plus athletes. This morning as I watched the start of the race on television, watched as the cannon was fired, watched both the elite men, women and the Achilles runners take off across the Verrazano Brid