tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60564721762425872002024-03-13T13:07:49.547-04:00The Fit-Unfit GuyA collection of my fitness endeavors...Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.comBlogger141125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-39792753237630936062013-05-06T16:34:00.000-04:002013-05-06T17:26:10.218-04:00One Month in Tony Horton's Kitchen!If anyone knows anything about me, its that: (1) I love to eat and (2) I can eat put away rather large quantities of food at one time- such is my struggle with nutrition. I try to eat well, but cannot sustain it. If I eat healthy for dinner, an hour later, you'll find me raiding the snack drawer. Since taking up running in 2010, I have not lost (nor really gained, thankfully) a single pound. 205, give or take, is where I reside. The true testament of how much nutrition dictates your weight, so much more so, than excercise does. <br />
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So, enter: <a href="http://tonyhortonkitchen.com/" target="_blank">Tony Horton Kitchen</a>, a (<em>relatively</em>) new food delivery service by fitness guru, Tony Horton, the creator of the ever popular, P90X. THK provides healthy prepared meals and takes the guesswork out of nutrition. One month ago, I took the plunge. Why? While dealing with an ankle injury for more than 2 months (starting Dec '12), at which time I did very little activity, I ended up putting on about 10 pounds. I knew with my track record of eating and nutrition, even with the ankle issues resolved, there was very little chance of taking those 10 pounds off without help. I also knew if I didnt take these extra 10 pounds off, it would likely lead to another injury. This seemed like the perfect time to give this a try and get my nutrition in order.<br />
<strong><em>Cost</em></strong><br />
I also looked at how much I was spending on food. For the "flexitarian" plan (which includes chicken, fish and some beef) is $180 per week for the 5 day plan, $252 for 7-day, which rounds out to $36/day- which is the most expensive of the 3 plans (others being Vegan and Vegetarian). Some will look at that and completely jump out of their skin and say it is too expensive. While true for some, have we all taken a magnifying glass to how we spend on food? Adding up how much I was spending on eating out, ordering in, groceries and lunch during the work week, the amount I was spending was shockingly close to how much THK would cost. Realizing this, the decision to take the plunge was a no-brainer. Ultimately, the cost may be a bit higher, but that was something I was willing to pay for: <em>convenience</em>. No prepping meals. No trips to the grocery store (ok, <em>less</em> trips). <br />
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The other angle is: this is <em>your health</em> we're talking about here. We spend all this money on ourselves to make ourselves look better (clothes, gadgets, etc). Why not spend a little on our health?<br />
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<strong><em>Food</em></strong><br />
Onto what you're probably most interested about- the actual food. Let me tell you, no one could be more skeptical about this than me. One who could easily polish off a pie of pizza on my own, wondering if Tony Horton could provide a meal that could satisfy my seemingly unsatiable appetite? <em>And</em> keep me full until the next meal? No easy challenge.<br />
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The first delivery arrives on a Friday evening and its packed really well (did I mention its free shipping? a 25+lb package, shipped free? no way!), with ice packs still frozen! After putting all the meals in the fridge, I excitedly tear open what would be Monday's dinner (since I already had dinner plans) and quickly take the leap. Heating is simple- either by microwave, oven or stovetop- I chose stovetop; once that's done, you're ready to go. Directions also indicate that you can "spice to taste". My usual aresnal of spices: any combination of salt, white pepper, garlic powder, chili powder and black pepper.<br />
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First meal: <em><strong>Lentil Soup with Plantains</strong></em>. What? Where's the meat, Tony Horton!? You've got to be kidding me! Ok, fine, I trust you Tony. First taste, hmm, okay, its not bad. I'll admit, a little bland, but doable. Though it wasn't terrible, I totally wouldnt have minded a burger or steak. But you know what, it really wasnt quite as bad as I thought it would be. The thing was, though I wasn't hungry anymore, I was nowhere near what I would normally consider as "full", which, again, for those that know me, is- <em>until I cannot eat any more.</em> So that is where my skepticsm was. The "testimonials" on the website and some commenters on their facebook page (most which are women) all said that the meals would leave them "stuffed". The meal definitely did not leave me "stuffed", but to my surprise, I was not starving (but was a little hungry) when I went to bed. Whew. <br />
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For the next day (Saturday), I decided I would do all of the following Friday's meals. Thought it would be a wise idea to try this out on a day where I had nothing else planned, so I would be home. Less temptation to run out to grab a bag of chips. Or Twinkies. Or a doughnut, mmmmm, doughnut. <br />
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Breakfast was <em><strong>Mixed Vegetable Egg White Frittata</strong></em>, which is essentially a veggie egg white omlette. I chose to heat this one up via regular oven, and it left the outside a little crisp and dry, while still leaving the inside not quite as hot as I would have liked. I added salt and tabasco to this. I normally dont mind veggies, but I was just not a fan of one of the ingredients, I want to say its the onions, since that is my least favorite. All in all, again, not great, but not bad. I did supplement with coffee and a handful of cereal. Level of fullness, on a scale between 1 (least full) and 5 (most full), I'd say I was a 2. <br />
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Lunch is where it picked up a bit. <strong><em>Italian Vegetable Lasagna with Beef Ragu</em></strong>. FINALLY! Some "real" food! THK uses brown rice pasta here (quinoa pasta other times), since they are gluten-free. The tomato sauce was really good and really tasty, with ground beef (grass-fed) in it. All I added was crushed red pepper. The only thing I disliked here was that there wasnt enough! Again, I was no where near "stuffed", but was a solid 2. <br />
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Dinner that night was <strong><em>Black Eyed Pea Minestrone Stew</em></strong>. Not much is different here- flavor was decent, added some salt and white pepper to liven things up a little. And again left me at about a 2. <br />
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With the "flexitarian" option, your meat is included for lunch and is usually chicken or fish (cod, salmon are the most common). Thankfully, I'm a big fan of fish. If you're not, this will not be for you. A lot of the dinners are stews/soups or similar. That may be by design, so you're not eating as much for your last meal of the day. That initially was not enough, but after the first week or so, its been plenty.<br />
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My favorites are definitely the pasta dishes and most of the ones that include fish. The apple strudel for breakfast is great also. Least favorite so far (and thankfully only had it twice in the 4 weeks)- veggie purees. It was probably the consistency, but c'mon THK, I'm an adult. Feed me solid foods! I felt like I was eating baby food. It was very hard to stomach. The other thing is that a lot of the dishes (usually the dinners) start to taste the same, but can be helped by adding different spices. Considering a lot of the dishes use similar ingredients, this is not entirely a surprise. Thankfully, I dont require much variety in my meals. If you do, this may be a problem.<br />
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<em>Supplementing</em><br />
I am supplementing a bit, mainly at breakfast. For the "non-frittata" breakfasts, I will add egg whites to supplement. Also need my morning coffee (with cream and sugar, yes, bad, I know!). As mentioned above, I do a bit of running, and most of it is after work. Since I'm eating lunch around 1pm, and runs start a little before 6pm, I do need a little snack. I've been going with fruit (banana, strawberries, apple, etc) or a Larabar, or almonds. Sometimes also a PM coffee (again, with cream and sugar). Some meals will allow me to go straight through without a snack, but is not common. And keep in mind I'm only supplementing in the PM on the days I run, about 2-3 days a week. After a run, I'll have a recovery shake- protein powder, sugar, salt, water. <br />
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<strong>The Bottom Line</strong><br />
So after 4 weeks of THK, how has it helped me? Here goes:<br />
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(1) the 10 pounds I needed to lose? Yea, GONE! (214, 24% fat, down to 203.4, 21.5% fat)<br />
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(2) <strong>Portion control</strong>. This is what was hardest for me, but also means its had the greatest impact. If the food is there, I'm going to eat it. If I'm not full yet, I'll keep eating. This eliminated both- and thus, the weight loss. I feel like I can eat more, but I cant (since there isnt anything left!). It defnitely doesnt take as much as it used to to satisfy my hunger AND keep me full until the next meal.<br />
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(3) Decreased cravings. No desire for a chocolate chip cooke from Pret, a Twinkie, or a doughnut (mmmm...doughnut...)! But notice I said "decreased" and not eliminated. I do still treat myself once in a while (even Tony does this!).<br />
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(4) I no longer think about food. I defintiely went from "Live to Eat" to "Eat to Live". I'll admit, that first day (listed above), I was thinking about food, ALL DAY. All that was on my mind was when the next time I got to eat was. As the days, then weeks went by, I thought about food less and less, to the point where I dont even wonder when my next meal is.<br />
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(5) <strong>Detox</strong>. Since I'm on the 5-day plan, there are still 2 days where I need to fend for myself. Sometimes, old habits will sneak back and I'll either over eat, or eat bad foods, or both. I find myself wanting to get back onto THK meals to get my body back in order.<br />
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You're not getting 5-star restaurant, gourmet chef type food here. What you are getting, is "Delicious, nutrient-rich meals delivered to your door"- which is gluten-free, dairy-free, and organic. It started off shaky for me, but my body did need time to adjust (you dont undo 30 years of bad eating in a day!). These meals won't knock your socks off, but you know what? If this can transform the nutritional mindset of a 6 foot, 200+ pound guy, with an enormous appetite - <strong>this will work for you.</strong>Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-45010348951928714072013-03-20T17:14:00.002-04:002013-03-20T17:16:19.456-04:00Back to Square OneIt been nearly 6 months since I last updated. SIX MONTHS! Where has the time gone? Well, its been a rough last 3 months, as I've been dealing with lingering ankle issues since the Rock n Roll Las Vegas Half in December. An issue that required me to take a DNS (did not start) for the Rock n Roll USA DC Half. Having taken a little over 2 whole months off, its as if I have never run, EVER. <br />
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Originally, the injury was in my right ankle. Took x-rays and an MRI and went to the Ortho (the same guy that did my surgery back in 2004). When all was said and done, he didnt' have a diagnosis for it and really didn't and couldn't do anything for me. This is why I dont go to doctors! Anyway, the pain eventually subsided enough where running was not bearable. The only other problem? The LEFT ankle has now been the issue, and is still bothering me. Its been lingering for a while now and there are bad days and worse days. The only thing that has really helped it along is KT tape, so I highly recommend it for any nagging injuries you may have. <br />
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So in the past month, I've just been trying to ease my body back into training mode. Starting with short 1.7 mile runs (once around the small southern loop in Central Park), then slowly increasing that to twice around the loop in CP. Yesterday was my first run without taking a break in the middle somewhere, FINALLY. Hoping to finally rebuild the base, so I can get into more focused training, since I have the following events rapidly approaching:<br />
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4/28: Run as One (4 miler)<br />
5/30: Wall Street Run (3 miler)<br />
6/1: Ride to Montauk (Century Ride) **(see below!)<br />
6/12: JP Morgan Corp Challenge (3.5 miler)<br />
6/16: Gold Coast Tri (Spring Distance- 750m swim, 11.5 mile bike, 3 mile run)<br />
6/23: Run of Champions (5k)<br />
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And all this to be capped with the Olympic distance Tri again in Maine! Happy training.<br />
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**I will again be riding to Montauk to help support Team Viscardi! Please click <a href="http://support.viscardicenter.org/goto/benhuang" target="_blank">here</a> to find out how you can support!Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-52407675545160502232012-10-01T11:08:00.002-04:002012-10-01T11:08:48.355-04:00September Training RecapFall is here and that can only mean one thing....cooler running weather is here! And with that, I am happy to report that Half training is in full swing and going pretty splendidly. Yes, I said "splendidly". For the month, I did 3-4 runs per week. Usually a hill session, long run, and either an easy run, tempo, time trial or race. Long run is up to 7 miles (doing 8 tonight), but the pace is not where I'd like it to be yet. Probably a combination of (a) the weather, though cooler, is still not as cool as I'd like it; and (b) I'm still carrying over some extra poundage that I gained from not training in the summer. Need to work the diet to correct that one. <br />
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I've even been to the pool a couple times, since its emptier now that summer is over. Spending only about 30 min each time, going about 1000-1200m, but in the end, I'm glad I got in some cross training. Volleyball has now started as well, so that will cover me (cross training-wise) while the pool is shut down for the next 3 weeks for maintenance. <br />
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Two races to report about- The Fitness Magazine Mind, Body, Spirit Games (aka 4-miler in CP) and the ever popular 5th Ave. Mile. Showed some improvement in the 4-miler over the previous Back to NFL run, finishing in 39:10 (9:48 pace). Again, I'm going to chalk it up to the cooler, less humid weather. But happy with the result as I was getting back into the swing of things. The following week was the 5th Ave. Mile. Not really sure what to expect, but was almost certain I wasn't going to match last year's 7:32. After going out SUPER hot, more so than last year I feel, I was almost completely gassed after the first quarter mile! So I pretty much chugged along for the remaining 3/4 of a mile and actually finished 3 seconds better than last year for a time of 7:29! Completely surprised myself, so I was happy with that finish. <br />
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The Rock n Roll NY 10k is now less than 2 weeks away and Urbanathlon less than a month away! Those will probably the last 2 races before I head back to Vegas in December to tackle the "Strip at Night" again. And I'm hoping for a MUCH better outcome this time. Also hoping for a better organized race. Time will tell. Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-14335427246524079162012-08-29T17:03:00.000-04:002012-08-30T18:03:04.860-04:00Rev3 Tri, Old Orchard Beach, MaineHard to believe it has been over 2 months since my last post which was on the Ride To Montauk. I'm now two triathlons removed and we're almost into September. <br />
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Anyway, this past Sunday was the Rev3 Tri in Maine! Overall, it was a great race by a great organizer. As for my performance, thats another story (more on that later). When I registered, I failed to realize that the race date, being at the end of the summer, meant that most of my training would be in the dead heat of summer. And if theres one thing I cannot do, is function in heat and humidity, thus rendering my training for this Tri to almost zero. So much so, that at one point, I had decided (almost officially) that I wasnt going to do the race. So with a little less than a month to go (after watching an episode of "Extreme Makeover: Weight-loss Edition", where the guy does an Olympic distance Tri at 300+ pounds), I again changed my decision, and then crammed what should be at least 3 months of training into 4 weeks. I squeezed in whatever running I could, running on the cooler, less humid days, ignoring the bike (again!), and well, trying to swim (saying the FMCP Aquatic center gets "crowded" during the summer months is a severe understatement). Thankfully, I went on a cruise 2 weeks prior to the race, and was able to run on the ship, and swim at the beach while in port. Let me just say, running on a ship in the middle of the ocean was a unique experience. <br />
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So then, how did I do, you ask? Well, to that, I respond with, "Hey, I finished!"....hah! Out of 300 Olympic distance athletes, I came in 290th. At least I wasnt last! Final time was 3:44:42 (40:54 swim, 1:36:47 bike, 1:16:22 run), which is slower than I had anticipated. I was hoping more of the 3:15-3:30 range. But thanks to my lack of training, this is my result. <br />
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The swim was actually not too bad, considering its usually the one I am most concerned about, especially this time not having gone the 1500m distance- and yes, I was nervous if I could even make it, and went in having a "lets just survive this" mindset. The waters were chilly, but since I wisely rented a westuit from the good people of Rev3, it was not an issue, and probably even made this portion easier.The most difficult part of this was my inability to swim in a straight line, no matter how frequently I sighted. I felt like I swam double the 1500m distance because I was zig-zagging so much. This definitely added to my time and sapped some energy. It also didnt help that my goggles were completely fogged up, making sighting that much more difficult. Though compared to DC, this was much less chaotic, since it was an ocean swim (read: A LOT more room to swim) so we werent all going in the water one on top of the other. <br />
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So after what seemed like an ETERNITY to get to shore, I'm finally out of the water, unzipping the wetsuit, and making the .3 mile jog to transition. T1 actually goes along without a hitch until, after I go my bike shoes on, I realized I forgot to take the cleat covers off, AGAIN (I had also done that the NYRR Tri). So I had to bother with that for a few seconds before I was out on the bike course.<br />
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Bike course was not TOO much of an issue, just a little hillier than anticipated. It also wasn't "fast and flat with a couple of rollers" as they had advertised. It actually was mainly all rollers, with a couple flats. Had some aches and soreness during this leg, mainly from not biking since the Montauk ride, but otherwise, I think it went well (asides from being passed by 50 and 60 year old women, doh!). <br />
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T2. Off the bike, back into transition, slip on some socks, my running shoes, shorts, visor and off I go! What did I forget? My gels. ARGH. I had gone too far to go back. There would be gatorade on the course, so I was just going to go with that. Otherwise, I think it was a pretty successful T2. <br />
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So onto the run I go, temps in the mid 70s at this point, it feels, okay. And just okay. Mile 1 marker came rather fast, and turned out I did it in 9:30 (which was WAY too fast), and it showed the rest of the way. After that first mile, I had to go into a run/walk, as I was pretty much out of gas at this point. Nearing the halfway point, both quads start tightening up big time. I spot a port-o-potty, and since I needed to go since the swim, and the fact that my quads could use a break, I made the pit stop. Back on the road, the quads would tighten up again 2 more times, each one calling for a quick stop and stretch to alleviate. Then once again, on the final stretch, I felt it. Just before returning to the crowds, I stopped to try to stretch them out again, so I could run through the finish strong. I reach the finish chute, and there it was, my legs, seconds from cramping up into big huge knots, all I could do was fight through it. Made the final turn just before the finish arch, found my adoring wife waiting for me, grabbed her hand and trotted through the finish together! All the while, the crowd is cheering you on. The PA announcer shouting out, "Ben-Jammin'!" to acknowledge me. What a rush. What a feeling. Though I didnt come close to breaking any kind of records, it was still a wash of emotion that I just completed an Olympic distance triathlon. OLYMPIC Distance!! <br />
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So looking forward, I would LOVE to do this race again, but would need a better training strategy, because training in the summer heat just is not an option for me. Anyone with ideas, I'd love to hear it! 'Till next time!Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-31887735405084287182012-06-19T17:21:00.002-04:002012-06-19T17:22:26.926-04:00Ride to Montauk Recap!Game day! Finally! I don't think I have ever been so anxious than I was the 24-48 hours leading up to the ride. I could have used to vallium to calm my nerves down! It was a 4:30am wake up call, since check in started at 6am for me, and there would be some travel time to get to Babylon. I went through with my usual race day nutrition routine, which was a bagel, banana and 20oz. of water. Packed up all the gear and loaded up the car and we were headed off to Babylon train station. <br />
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It was a cool (almost chilly) sunny morning. We arrive to Babylon around 6:30am to find it rather buzzing with activity already. I check-in my bag, grab a route sheet, and use the port-o-potty. Change into my bike shoes, and I'm about ready to roll. Still debating on whether I wanted to join the escorted ride, I finally decided against it, said good-bye to my loving wife, and rolled out with a few other members of Team Viscardi. <br />
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This first leg was from Babylon to the Blue Point Brewery in Patchogue, which would be a little over 20 miles. For some reason I thought it would be closer to 30. It was a pretty uneventful 20 or so miles, just had more lights and intersections than I would have liked (because that meant having to stop, and still being a "newbie" to bike shoes that clip in, each stop was a small adventure!). Toward the end of this section, the competitive, i-cant-do-anything-just-for-fun part of me takes over and I decide to pull away from the group. Surprisingly, another Team Viscardi member I was rolling with decided to follow me. And since I thought this section was longer, I was very surprised when I arrived at the Blue Point Brewery (around 8:30am) much sooner than anticipated. My original plan, before ride day, was to spend AT MOST 10 minutes at each rest stop. I quickly realized that was not going to happen. Between people hanging out, grabbing food, and the lines for everything (food, water, gatorade, potty), my desired 10 minute max became a 30 minute stop. <br />
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This second leg, from the Brewery to Westhampton Church would be about 30 miles, just around the midway point for the 100-milers. A large group of Team Viscardi decides to roll out together, now 9:00am, so we are out in full force! I try to hang around for about the first 5 minutes, then again, that i-cant-do-anything-just-for-fun side takes over and I decide to just break away from them, otherwise, I probably wouldnt finish until after 7pm! So I'm keeping it around a 16-17mph pace, when conditions allowed of course, and I couldnt help but start to think, will this catch up with me later? But I didnt care, I just wanted to keep going. Nearing the 50 mile mark, and close to the next rest stop, I'm really starting to feel it. I'm starting to get tired, my legs are burning, and worst of all, my butt hurt! I was able to ignore it knowing the rest stop was near. So as I approach the rest stop, around 11am, my original plan of "no more than 10 minutes" at the rest stop was out the window. I knew I had to stay a while, let my legs recover and get some fuel in me. So I pulled in, set my bike down, and just shook my legs out and stretched out for a bit. Took my bottles to refill and grabbed a banana. I really didnt want anything else to eat, fearing it my come back to haunt me. I found a bench to just relax on, just to recover a little. <br />
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So, from here would be another 25-ish miles to the Water Mill, the next rest stop. Now around 11:30am, as soon as I leave the rest stop, I feel a tightness in my right leg, almost like it was about to cramp. I try my best to pedal and stretch at the same time (I'm sure it was a site to others). I also downed some water and gatorade. It does finally subside and all was well, UNTIL....the WIND. This next section was, in one word, HELL. There was a slight headwind all day, but this stretch on Dune Rd, for about 5, 6 miles, were the worst. I was literally going about 6, 7 mph. My legs were so on fire, that I stopped to stretch out and rest. This is where I started thinking the worst, that the fast start was catching up to me and that I may have to be SAG-ed to the end! So we finally turn onto Ponquogue Bridge to catch a nice break with the wind at our backs, and a nice downhill on the second half of the bridge. From here, it wasn't all bad, very scenic, then around 1:30pm, I arrived at the Water Mill. This was the imfamous stop with PIE. PIE!! I badly wanted some, but again, knew that it would come back to haunt me later. Refilled my water and gatorade, used the facilities, laid down for a bit, and most importantly, downed a small packet of salt. Money. <br />
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Around 2pm, I was back on the road, and it would be another 30 miles to the finish. I knew since I made it this far, no amount of pain or soreness would stop me from getting to the end. I'm not even caring about how nice the scenery was around me was at this point. It was, lets get the heck to Montauk!! And that is what I did. Trying to keep it around 15mph where I could, and if my legs let me, I was finally got to the final 15 mile stretch that led to the lighthouse. Here, is where it got fun. The first 5 were fine, but the final 10? Lets just say there were a couple of hills. A couple of Cadillac mountain type hills!! At the END!! That was just wrong. So I push through the first one, levels out, I'm tired, I slow a bit....get to the next one. Same thing. Finally, not far from the end, is the biggest one. Fortunately, there was a big downhill just before it, so I was at least able to gain some momentum up this last one. It carried me to about 1/3 of the way up, before I was in my lowest gear already. As I'm going up this hill, I couldnt help but think that I'd rather just get off the bike and run!! Too bad I only had the bike shoes. Then the next thought, that as soon as I get to the lighthouse, I was going to just chuck the bike and not want to see it for a while (too bad I have a Tri in less than 2 weeks!). So, finally, over the hill, I see the line of cars, trying to enter the park. I know I'm close. You start to see the crowd, they're cheering. I'm getting emotional. Yes, emotional. Nearly choked up!! I'm rolling through and I see Ahmee, Lillian and David cheering me on as I roll by. I made it. 108 miles, and 9.5 hours since I left Babylon, I made it to the lighthouse in Montauk!!!<br />
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I was completely spent. I'm not sure I've ever felt that kind of fatigue before. That kind of burn in my legs. It was still settling in that I did that. I biked over 100 miles. And all for a great cause! Montauk....THE END.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P6qgpS-paug/T-DtNJvLpUI/AAAAAAAAIac/7H40z7DgUfo/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P6qgpS-paug/T-DtNJvLpUI/AAAAAAAAIac/7H40z7DgUfo/s400/photo+5.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-36300553798306400032012-06-19T13:53:00.000-04:002012-06-19T17:25:37.855-04:00Thanks for your support!Just a quick and warm "Thank You" to those of you who contributed to <a href="http://iphoneben.blogspot.com/p/support-my-ride.html" target="_blank">Team Viscardi's Ride to Montauk!</a><br />
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It was a hard fought and might I even say brutal 108 mile ride from Babylon to the lighthouse at Montauk, but was well worth it to support a great school and a great cause. Although completing the ride was no easy task, neither are the lives of these children who attend Henry Viscardi School.<br />
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If you've been meaning to support but haven't, there is still time. The School's fiscal year ends on June 29, so you can still contribute until then. You can do so in the following ways:<br />
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(1) "pledge" to support me on the ride (choose this option so I know that you contributed!). You will receive and "invoice" in the mail: <a href="http://www.abilitiesonline.org/pledgeform.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.abilitiesonline.org/pledgeform.aspx</a><br />
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(2) make a general donation to the Henry Viscardi School (**be sure to select “Team Viscardi/Ride to Montauk” on the Restricted Gifts drop down menu**): <a href="https://npo1.networkforgood.org/Donate/Donate.aspx?npoSubscriptionId=5560" target="_blank">https://npo1.networkforgood.org/Donate/Donate.aspx?npoSubscriptionId=5560</a><br />
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To learn more about Team Viscardi, Henry Viscardi School, or Abilities!, please go here: <br />
<a href="http://www.abilitiesonline.org/ride.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.abilitiesonline.org/ride.aspx</a><br />
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If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me: <a href="mailto:benjamin.c.huang@gmail.com">benjamin.c.huang@gmail.com</a><br />
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<a href="http://iphoneben.blogspot.com/2012/06/ride-to-montauk-recap.html" target="_blank">Click here for a full recap of the ride!</a>Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-46986237631422900042012-06-14T14:15:00.001-04:002012-06-14T15:23:54.591-04:00JPM Corporate Challenge RecapThis post is brought to you by <a href="http://iphoneben.blogspot.com/p/support-my-ride.html" target="_blank">Team Viscardi's Ride to Montauk</a>! We are TWO days away from GAME DAY. You can still support the team. To learn more, click <a href="http://iphoneben.blogspot.com/p/support-my-ride.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I'm going 100 (actually, its 108 now) miles. <br />
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So last night was the annual (36th apparently) <a href="http://www.jpmorganchasecc.com/" target="_blank">JP Morgan Corporate Challenge</a>. It was my 4th year doing it, and it seems there are improvements every year. I must say, they finally got it right this year. Not only was it corralled (which they started last year, I believe), but they ENFORCED it. I mean, really enforced it. On top of that, they wave started, so that there was about a minute between corrals being released. This resulted in a well spaced out, not very crowded race. Never did I really feel impeded by runners ahead of me. Dont get me wrong, there was still a little elbowing in the beginning (normal for all races), but the one thing missing this year? WALKERS. Every year, without fail, there would be walkers in front of the runners, no matter how much they tell the walkers to start in the back. Kudos to the organizers this year. And to top it all off- Tech shirts!<br />
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So, it was a 7pm start, and we get to the park around 6:20pm. Drop our stuff off, get a quick drink and off to the start corrals. After a very lively 20 minute wait, which included a cheery warm up routine led by some instructors from Equinox, the starting horn went off for the Red and Green corrals (1st and 2nd). I was in the yellow corral, which was next (now, I will shamefully admit I "fibbed" my estimated finish time as to start in a better corral). My pace as of late has been in the mid-9min/mi, so my best guess is that I was mixed in with -8-ish min/mi people, maybe even slightly faster. The horn goes off for my corral and off we go. Immediately I see that this group is pacing faster, obviously. And I said, what the heck, let me pace with them. I'm actually doing pretty well through the first mile, which included the 2 biggest hills (though not big in general) of the course. It was a humid night, so within the first mile, sweat was already starting to pour off of me. Lovely, right? Half way through is where the faster start affected me. There was a water station, so I wisely took some. I back off for about the next mile. I was glad to see that I wasnt the only one who "fibbed"! Others had already started walking. So I'm just pushing myself to just get to Cat Hill (going down!), to regain some energy before the final kick. I've never been so happy to get to the top of Cat hill. Finally go down, allowing gravity to do its thing and reach the boathouse, then the turn back onto the 72nd transverse. I see the finish line, and then a fellow teammate about to pass me. I go into a full out sprint (as does he) and we both dash through the finish line. My final time was 32:56, for a 9:25 pace, improving from my 34:12 (9:46) last year. <br />
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Overall, good race, good company, and most of all- well organized. Never thought I'd say that about this race!<br />
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Pre-race photo (don't ask me why Matthieu is "hiding" behind the pole)<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ce4PATmLbsw/T9o6IXhhzQI/AAAAAAAAIaM/e6zzp1fRYsc/s1600/jpmcc2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" pca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ce4PATmLbsw/T9o6IXhhzQI/AAAAAAAAIaM/e6zzp1fRYsc/s640/jpmcc2012.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-40350337202593713172012-06-05T16:46:00.000-04:002012-06-05T16:49:46.791-04:00Celebrate Israel Run RecapRoughly two days removed from the Wall Street Run, it was time for another one- The Celebrate Israel Run, a 4 miler through Central Park. I did the inaugural race last year and thought I'd do it again, mainly because it was my big PR and what earned me my 9:19 bibs. Was I able to achieve it again?<br />
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Another 8am start means up at the crack of dawn at 5am. Completely "unprepared" this time around, I didnt have my bagel, bread anything. Had to settle for 2 nutri-grain bars that were lying around the house as my pre-race nutrition. Seeminly not good already. So I take the 6am train into Penn, and after a lengthy wait for an A train, finally get to the park just before 7am. It was a cool crisp morning, with temps in the upper 50s and plenty of sunshine.<br />
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So after waiting about an hour, the race finally is under way. I sort of told myself that since I biked about 20 miles the previous day and did the Wall Street Run on Thur, I was going to take this one easy and not push too hard. But who am I kidding, I dont know the meaning of "taking it easy", plus, this was my PR race last year, I wasn't about to give up the opportunity of trying to do that again! Moving along, all is well, course is not too crowded, and overall uneventful. Approach the water station around the midpoint, and had thought about grabbing some, but ultimately decided against it to save time. <br />
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Get to the last mile, and admittedly, I'm lumbering. Definitely feeling the previous day's biking taking its toll, but still, I'm trying to push through. Just trying to pick people to follow and focus on a this point, so I dont slow too much. Made the turn back on to the 72nd transverse, and it was time to kick it up. A swift sprint to the finish and that was it. Did I PR? Sadly, no, final time of 38:11 (9:32 pace). Finished last year in 37:19 (9:19). But the peculiar part? 38:11 is the exact finish time for Japan Day run just 3 weeks ago! Now, if thats not interesting enough, it wasn't until I went to update my <a href="http://iphoneben.blogspot.com/p/my-race-results.html" target="_blank">Race Results</a> that I noticed: Not only was this result the same as Japan Day, my time for Wall Street this year was IDENTICAL to my finish at last year's! So I guess if anything, I'm consistent. I got a kick out of this, as I dont think anyone could do this if they tried!<br />
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So we're only 11 days away from the Ride to Montauk. Theres still time to contribute, go <a href="http://iphoneben.blogspot.com/p/support-my-ride.html" target="_blank">here</a>. 100 miles. I hope I survive. Following that will be the NYRR Sprint Tri on June 30. Then it'll be quiet until the big event, the olympic distance Rev3 Tri in Maine. 'Til next time!Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-19047641252276123592012-06-01T11:28:00.000-04:002012-06-01T11:28:02.507-04:00Wall Street Run RecapLast night was the American Heart Association's Wall Street Run. A 3 miler through the financial district in downtown NYC. This was my second time doing this race, and I must say this year seemed to be better than last. Overall, a good, fun race, with picturesque views of the water during twilight. And great weather to boot, 76 degrees and clear, and most importantly, low humidity.<br />
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With a 7pm start, we arrived at the starting "corrals" at around 6:30pm. I put corrals in quotes because it was really just a starting area, and does not have the traditional corrals of other races, which separate you by your bib number. But this year (I dont believe they did it last year), they did place signs so that you can line up where your estimated pace is. That worked well, as I noticed I was not impeded as much as last year, and did not seem as chaotic.<br />
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The start is delayed a few minutes, I believe they were still clearing the roads. The start of this one is interesting because we make an immediate right turn, and if you get caught on the inside, well, you're slowed to a crawl. I tried to stay near the middle but somehow got caught in the crawl anyway. Out of the jam and was on my way. It was pretty uneventful from there. I was really thirsty though, since we were standing around for about 30 min, and I really did try to curb my water intake an hour or 2 before, so avoid having to go to the port-o-potty! There was only one water station, so I patiently waited for the 1.5 mile marker for that. I'm trying to take in the views of downtown, when I nearly roll my ankle due to the uneven streets. So from then on, as much as I wanted to admire the views, I kept my focus on the road in front of me, to avoid anything that will seriously kill my ankle. Thankfully nothing did for the remainder of the race. <br />
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So we arrive at the esplanade so I know the end is near. Its still fairly crowded at this point as the route narrows and I'm trying to plan my kick to the finish. Unfortunately, with too many people in my way, I was not able to go into a full sprint, so I just cruise through the finish. Final time of 28:50 (9:37 pace), I was hoping for closer to 28:30 (and would have if I could have gone into my kick!), and really WANTED closer to 28:00. But seems my pace has been pretty consistent for these shorter distances. Still trying to come close to my 9:19 PR from last year. Well, I'll have another shot this Sunday at Celebrate Israel. Until then! <br />
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A quick post-race photo<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c35u0caOgdk/T8jfYqxf2VI/AAAAAAAAIaA/RbNHAb7eLcA/s1600/WallStreet2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" rba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c35u0caOgdk/T8jfYqxf2VI/AAAAAAAAIaA/RbNHAb7eLcA/s640/WallStreet2012.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-3661072285514393242012-05-25T11:22:00.000-04:002012-05-25T11:32:12.554-04:00Swimming, Biking, Running...Oh My!Going to cover a little bit of everything today, since it seems like I havent done that in a while. Heck, I haven't even really been posting! <br />
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<strong><u>Events Update</u></strong><br />
So I've finally registered for the <a href="http://www.nyrr.org/run-with-us/nyrr-sprint-triathlon-2012" target="_blank">NYRR Sprint Tri</a> (400m swim, 13 mile bike, 5k run) on June 30th. I was falling into my trap of "I want to make sure I'm ready, then I'll sign up"- which we all know will eventually never happen. So when I saw that it was nearing capacity, I jumped on it. One month to train. <br />
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Speaking of Triathlons, in a bit of sad news, the DC Tri, which I did about a year ago, has been cancelled for this year. Whats more is, it appears the race itself will no longer exist! This makes me sad since, although I was not signed up for this year, I was hoping to do it again in the future. It was very well run, very organized. And it was my first Tri, so it has a special place in my heart. RIP DC Tri!<br />
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I've also signed up for the <a href="http://www.nyrr.org/run-with-us/nyrr-celebrate-israel-run-4m" target="_blank">Celebrate Israel 4-miler</a> in Central Park. I felt I needed to do this one again, since this was not only my 4 mile PR, but my overall pace PR as well. Not that the course is any different from any other 4 miler organized by NYRR (Japan Day run was the exact same course), but its just that it was this race last year where I got that, so I felt I should give it another go for another big PR.<br />
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And just to highlight again, I'm also signed up for the <a href="http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/new-york" target="_blank">Rock 'n' Roll NY 10K</a>, which is October 13th, in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. As well as <a href="http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/las-vegas" target="_blank">Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Half</a> (again!). This will total 3 Rock 'n' Roll events this year, meaning, not only will I be receiving medals for each individual event, but an additional one for doing 2 and then 3 races! Thats 5 medals in all, score! Easily amused, I know. <br />
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<strong><u>Upcoming Races/Events</u></strong><br />
A couple races coming up, the <a href="http://www.nyrr.org/run-with-us/american-heart-association-wall-street-run-3m" target="_blank">American Heart Associations' Wall Street Run</a> (3 miles) on Thursday, May 31 and the above mentioned Celebrate Israel run on Sunday, June 3. I did not realize that they were only a couple days apart when I signed up! I guess it'll be similar to the Healthy Kindey/Japan Day weekend. Except its not back to back. That was rough! <br />
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And on Saturday, June 16th, will be the <a href="http://iphoneben.blogspot.com/p/support-my-ride.html" target="_blank">Ride to Montauk</a> with Team Viscardi! Please click on the link or the link above (Support my Ride!) for more details on how you can support this very wonderful school for disabled children. I will be doing the 100 mile ride (my first one, yikes!). Though not a race, I would like to complete it in or around 6 hours. That is my goal. Okay, maybe 6.5 hrs. I dont have the ability to do things, "just for fun". Its either all out competition, or not at all. Even if I'm just competing against myself. <br />
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<strong><u>Training</u></strong><br />
Oh yea, then theres training...haha. So I finally renewed my pool membership, and went back for a swim this past monday. It went alright, but I kept getting impeded by other swimmers, to the point where I completely lost count of how much I swam. I think I totaled about 800m that night. <br />
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Biking will probably be contained to the weekends. The weather has been poor as of late too. Not really sure when the last time the sun was out. I'm doing decently, and can maintain 80rpm fairly easily now on flats. It actually wasn't as fast as I thought it was, so I guess it means I'm in decent shape....<br />
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So my goal from now until the Sprint Tri in June 30 is to focus on speedwork. I started this week. I did 2 runs, with hills this past Tues and then intervals last night, which was distributed across the 5 mile loop in CP. Started with a 10 min warm up, then 1 minute at about 80%, with the last 15-20 seconds going almost full out. Walk for the next 60 seconds to recover, and then 3 minutes of easy, light jog, with the final minute back to about my 4 mile pace. Lather, rinse, repeat. Finally, did a cool down for the final mile. The challenge in doing it this way, especially in CP is the inclines and declines. Doing it based on time, it always seemed the "speed" portions of the intervals landed on the downhills, which, well, made them a bit easier. Perhaps I'll have to go the other direction next time I try it. <br />
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So, thats whats up for the next month or so for me. Lots coming up, and lots to do. 'Till next time.Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-1031188262605296902012-05-15T17:20:00.001-04:002012-05-15T20:49:03.283-04:00A Double Race WeekendOne weekend. Two races. And as of this post, I think I'm still feeling the effects! Not so much the races itself, but because I had to wake up at 5am both Saturday and Sunday, since both started at 8am. <br />
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First up was the UAE Healthy Kidney 10k. I was somewhat concerned about this one since I had not put in as much training as I had wanted. Since DC, I wanted to put in a lot more hills and speedwork, and I ended up putting in ZERO. A combination of scheduling and laziness left me with just basic 5 mile training runs in Central Park, with just once doing the full 6 mile loop. Anyway, as mentioned above, it was a 5am wake up call, since the I had to take the 6am LIRR (the 7am would cut it WAY too close for my confort) into the city. Temperature was in the mid 50s, so I went with a basic tech t and shorts. <br />
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Got to the park around 6:45am, so had plenty of time to drop off my bag, use the bathroom 50 times, warm up and get to the start. Its been a long time since I've done a 10k (dare I say the last one was this same race last year?), so I went the "safe" route and took a Gu before the start. Another larger race, so its about 7 minutes before I cross the start. Since its been over a week since I last did a training run, my legs feel pretty fresh. Only problem that I noticed was that it was more crowded than other NYRR races. Usually things will thin out within the first mile, but not this time. Nothing close to the Las Vegas debacle, but it was crowded until after mile 2. Since I had arrived to the park fairly early and dropped my bag off, that left me a bit thirsty by the start of the race. So near the midpoint, I decided I needed a drink. So I slowed to a walk, grabbed a cup, downed it, and went on my way. Nothing spectacular from this race and I dont feel like I struggled too bad at any point. I didnt try to push it either, and I figured a PR was pretty much out of the question given my (lack of) training and even more so after how crowded it was at the start. In the end, I finished in 1:01:18 at a 9:53 pace. Turns out, I was only 4 seconds slower than last year! which is actually my 10K PR! DARN! Now the thoughts of, "if I only didnt stop for water!" and "darn the crowd!" start creeping in. But whats done is done, and I'm happy with how I did given the situation.<br />
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Later on that day after I got home, I actually went out for an easy bike ride, totalling 16 miles. "Easy". I did push it in some sections, but in general I wanted to keep it easy, as to keep my legs loose and blood flowing. Turned out okay I think.<br />
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Next up was the Japan Day Run (4M) on Mother's Day. Same deal, different day, but I was feeling the fatigue from the day before, both the run and just lowered energy. But I didnt let the hold me back. Being in the 5000s (lgiht blue) corral, I cross the start much sooner than normal and I'm cruising. Seems to feel good, and running with presumably faster people has me going a little faster. I soon found out how fast, because before I even hit the mile 2 marker, I felt like I was done! It was warm (lower 60s) and relatively humid, because within the first mile sweat was already flying off of me. In fact, I had a hard time keeping it out of my eyes, I had to keep taking my sunglasses off and wiping the sweat from my eyes. So I trudge through mile 3, which also included a quick water break, and I try to kick it up a bit for the final mile, but can't seem to. I was beat. So I just plodded along, finally made the turn on the 72nd crossover, and I went all out. Sprinted to the finish (nearly crashing into the backs of those that had finished in front of me and decide to just STOP), with a final time of 38:11 for a 9:32 pace. Nowhere near my 9:19 PR for 4 miles, but not bad. And it was better than my last 4 miler, the Run as One a couple weeks ago (38:31). <br />
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All in all, good weekend, no PRs, but satisfied with my times. Next up with be Wall Street Run on 5/31, and then Celebrate Israel 4M that Sunday, 6/3. Another 2 race week! Why do I do this to myself? Lastly, if you can take a moment and click the "Support My Ride" link up top. Thanks!Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-32740243301795924642012-05-01T16:33:00.003-04:002012-05-01T16:34:26.913-04:00Run As One Recap (and Training update)This past sunday, April 29, was NYRR's Run as One 4-miler through Central Park. It was a 6AM wake up call, with an 8:30AM start, since I was training it in on this one. A crisp 44 degrees when I woke up, so I went with cold-gear compression, a tech-t over it and shorts. I completely deviated from my normal pre-race nutritional routine this time around. It was a combination of forgetting to buy my bagel and banana, and simply just not worrying too much because "4 miles is so beneath me!". 20oz of water as usual, but I added half of a scoop of protein powder. Then I had a peanut butter sandwich (which was dry as heck to eat!).<br />
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So, was out there door at 6:55, caught the 7AM into Penn which arrived around 7:25AM. After a bit of a wait for a subway, finally arrived at the park around 7:50AM. It was actually pretty good timing, because that gave me just enough time to empty my bladder (only once this time, amazing!), drop off my bag and find the start line. Had about 10 minutes to spare, so I did a light warm up and just waiting for the slow march to the start. The temperature only warmed up one degree by this time, but it was a beautiful sunny morning, perfect for a race.<br />
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6 minutes and 45 seconds after the starting horn is when I actually cross the start, and it does seem to be slightly more crowded than what I'm used to, but bearable. So about a quarter mile into it is when we hit Cat hill. And I'm quickly slowed down by the crowd, since they naturally slow down with the incline. To avoid using up too much so early in the race, I decided to just fall in with the slow trek up the hill. The race was relatively uneventful, otherwise. I did find someone I could pace for nearly the entire course. And when all was said and done, I finished the 4 miles in 38:31, for a 9:38 pace. Not my best 4-miler, and I admit, I thought I did better, but I will take it. I knew I should have kicked it up sooner, possibly as soon as that last mile marker. But whats good is that I felt pretty fresh afterwards, as if I hadnt run at all! All in all, good race, complete with a tech-t for participating.<br />
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A little biking news- on Saturday, April 21, I went out on a training ride with <a href="http://iphoneben.blogspot.com/p/support-my-ride.html" target="_blank">Team Viscardi</a>. The ride was supposed to be for 45 miles, but due to other obligations, I had to turn back early. Even so, I completed 26 miles that day. Not bad for my second ever ride with Scarlett (the second). So far so good with it, still getting used to the riding position and the bike itself, in general. <br />
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Running has been pretty uneventful as well. Just trying to prep for the smaller races coming up: <a href="http://www.nyrr.org/run-with-us/uae-healthy-kidney-10k" target="_blank">Healthy Kidney 10k</a>, <a href="http://www.nyrr.org/run-with-us/japan-run-4m" target="_blank">Japan Day</a> 4M, and <a href="http://www.nyrr.org/run-with-us/american-heart-association-wall-street-run-3m" target="_blank">Wall Street Run</a> (3M)- which are all within the next month. Keeping it pretty much to the 5 mile loop in CP, with nothing special or crazy, really just doing time trials with some pushes to challenge myself. <br />
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Well, thats it for now. I still need to renew my pool membership. And get back in the pool. Otherwise, until next time.Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-24965250310757997142012-04-19T14:03:00.000-04:002012-04-19T15:07:39.906-04:00Support My Ride to Montauk with Team Viscardi!Hi Friends and Family!<br />
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On June 16th I will be participating in this year’s Ride to Montauk as a member of Team Viscardi. This is the second year that Team Viscardi, a group of colleagues, friends, family and neighbors, has come together for the benefit of the children at the Henry Viscardi School. My wife Ahmee is an occupational therapist at the school and knows firsthand the many benefits of a school like Henry Viscardi.<br />
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The Henry Viscardi School serves nearly 200 children in grades pre-K through 12 with severe physical disabilities including cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, as well as rare diseases that require constant medical attention. The needs of our children grow each year, as these recent statistics demonstrate:<br />
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• 4 full-time nurses provide approximately 100 medical procedures each day<br />
• 46 students need augmentative communication devices to speak<br />
• Students come from 47 Long Island school districts, as well as Westchester and all five NYC boroughs<br />
• 50% of HVS students are involved in after-school adaptive sports programs, such as wheelchair basketball<br />
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Aside from my commitment to complete the 100 mile bike ride, my goal is to raise $500 for the Henry Viscardi School. I hope you will join me in bringing smiles to the children of the School by donating what you can. All funds raised will benefit the programs at HVS and are 100% tax deductible.<br />
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Want to support? You can: <br />
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(1) make a pledge (and sponsor me!), click here: <a href="http://www.abilitiesonline.org/pledgeform.aspx">http://www.abilitiesonline.org/pledgeform.aspx</a><br />
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(2) make a general donation to support Team Viscardi and the School (be sure to select “Team Viscardi/Ride to Montauk” on the Restricted Gifts drop down menu): <a href="https://npo1.networkforgood.org/Donate/Donate.aspx?npoSubscriptionId=5560">https://npo1.networkforgood.org/Donate/Donate.aspx?npoSubscriptionId=5560</a><br />
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Or to learn more about the School and Team Viscardi’s Ride to Montauk: <a href="http://www.abilitiesonline.org/ride.aspx">http://www.abilitiesonline.org/ride.aspx</a><br />
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Questions? Comments? Email me at: <a href="mailto:benjamin.c.huang@gmail.com">benjamin.c.huang@gmail.com</a><br />
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Thank you for your support! GO TEAM VISCARDI!<br />
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<br />Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-37556998889491051092012-04-17T10:10:00.001-04:002012-04-17T10:10:38.644-04:00Meet, Scarlett (the second)Major development boys and girls! I've finally purchased a legit road bike to further my Triathlon aspirations. I present to you, "Scarlett". The reason for "(the second)" in the title for those who dont know, Scarlett (yes, after Scarlett Johansson) was the name of my beloved Scion tC, which I lost in 2010 due to a freak tornado that hit the city. In any case, here she is!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tmIL-f6t3Mc/T4112f509RI/AAAAAAAAH5A/EYHhHhLE_ew/s1600/trek.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" qda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tmIL-f6t3Mc/T4112f509RI/AAAAAAAAH5A/EYHhHhLE_ew/s640/trek.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new Scarlett</td></tr>
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It's a <a href="http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/road/sport/2_and_1_series/1_2_h2_compact/#/us/en/model/features?url=us/en/bikes/road/sport/2_and_1_series/1_2_h2_compact" target="_blank">Trek 1.2</a>, which I purchased from <a href="http://brickwell.com/" target="_blank">Brickwell</a>. I chose this over a <a href="http://www.cannondale.com/2012/bikes/road/elite-road/caad8/2012-caad8-6-tiagra-19866" target="_blank">Cannondale CAAD8</a>. For me, The Trek just felt smoother and more sturdy, but generally the difference was not huge. Honestly, price may have been a bigger factor! Haven't had a chance to take it out for a true ride yet, hoping to do that soon. <br />
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Well, the past few weeks have been a challenge, training wise. Took two weeks off after the RnR DC Half. I was only going to take one week, but life got in the way (I was moving!). Then I finally got back into it with a 3 run week, taking it really easy though, only totaling less than 10 miles for the week. But then the next week, I was having some serious discomfort in my back, and was advised by my Chiro to take it easy. So instead of doing another 3 runs last week, it was only one run on Friday, but I did do the 5 mile loop in a sub 10min-mile pace, which actually surprised me a bit. <br />
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So I'm hoping to get back into it with 2 runs this week and a ride or 2 to get the bike broken in. I'll also have to renew my FMCP Aquatic Center membership and get back in the pool. The Rev3 Tri in Maine is not until the end of August, but the NYRR Sprint Tri is at the end of June, and though I havent registered, now that I have the bike, I think I will. <br />
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And finally, an events update. Despite all the shenanigans that went on during the RnR Vegas Half, they have listed a number of improvements they are making in response to everyone's feedback. On paper, it looks good, but we will have to see how well it is executed. But given that, and they offered last year's runners' a discount, the sucker that I am.....REGISTERED again. So that'll be my second half for the year. I was hoping to do another RnR event to get the "heavy medal", so here is my chance. Such a sucker for deals and free stuff! Thats it for now, until next time!Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-49649843964850924592012-03-20T16:57:00.000-04:002012-03-20T16:57:05.430-04:00Rock 'n' Roll USA Half Marathon RecapGotten a bit lazy with the posts, thus I failed to check in with a recap before the big race. But! here we are with the recap, so here goes! First things first, repeat after me: "PR!!" And for those who are running lingo-challenged, means "Personal Record". Meaning of the three half marathons I have now done, this was my best time yet. Go me! haha....<br />
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With an 8am start, and all the warnings that the DC Metro is pretty spotty on weekend mornings, PLUS they were conducting track work, it was a 5am wake up for race morning. It was 53 deg when I woke up, and the high for the day was supposed to get up into the mid 70s. It did cause a bit of a dilemma on what to wear. I mainly didnt want to be too cold at the start. I ultimately went with short-sleeved under armour heat gear, nike tech-t, running sleeves and shorts. I also had both my LunarEclipse and LunarGlide3. I ultimately went with the LunarEclipse since those are the ones I had done the most long runs in, and in the end, turned out to be a great choice.<br />
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Met up with my fellow running mates around 6am, and got to the DC Metro station at about 15 min later, only to learn that another train was not arriving for another 15 min. Train finally arrives, PACKED, but we were able to squeeze our way on using our NY subway skills. A handful of stops later, we arrived at the Stadium-Armory stop, where the race started. After a painfully slow and crowded trek out of the station, we finally arrive at the armory and head toward our corral. It is now 7:15am. I down a second banana, use the port-o-potty and arrive at our corral, 15. With a good amount of time to spare, since we guessed we wouldnt cross the start line until 8:15ish, we sat and just enjoyed the ambiance. The sun came up and clouds dissipated, giving way to what would be a beautiful, warm, sunny day.<br />
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I actually went into this one with some what of a strategy, aid station wise. Past races, I would just pass by them early on, since I didnt need it. That proved to be bad since by the time I felt like I needed one, it was already too late. So I set out to stop(well, walk through) and drink at every aid station. The ones with water, I took 2 cups. The ones with Gatorade, I would have one water and one Gatorade. I had my phone on me (just for the music, but didnt have it on initially) and my Nike+ GPS watch, which never locked onto a GPS signal the entire race. Another good reason I went with the LunarEclipse, since that was the pair i had the chip in, so the watch was reading the chip the entire time. My plan was the pull out the music in the later miles, when I needed the boost.<br />
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So two more port-o-potty trips, a pack of Gu and about 30 min later, we approach the start and off we go! It was a nice site, as you could see the Capitol Building from afar. Start of the race feels good. I'm purposely holding back on my pace, knowing that I can come out too hot. Glancing down at my watch which tells me I'm anywhere between a 10:20 and 10:40 pace, which is right where I wanted to be. Rolling along, the miles just start passing by, 1, 2, 3...etc., just feels good. I'm confident now. Pass mile 4, we make the turn around on Constitution ave, and then the left onto 18th St. NW and what do I see? What seems to be one of the largest hills alive! and I'm used to the Central Park hills! The course was definitely hillier than what they made it seem. And the course elevation chart didnt seem to show any steep hills, but they were a bit of a challenge. Pretty uneventful so far (except for the hill), and I'm following through on my aid station plan- which seems to be working pretty well.<br />
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The miles continue to roll by, 6, 7, 8. Here is where I feel the fatigue set in a bit, still strong, but confidence fading a little, as I know I only got up to 10.5 miles in training, and that was quickly approaching. So at mile 8 is where I decided I needed my "boost". Put the headphones on, and flipped on my music. The sun was in full force at this point and it was HOT, at least for me. So cruising along, somewhere between mile 10 and 11, what do I feel? MY SHOELACE BECAME UNTIED!!!! I even double knotted them! Nearly shouting in frustration, I carefully make my way to the sidewalk and tie them. Ugh.<br />
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Continuing on, I pass the 11 mile marker, and in the back of my mind I'm still thinking of when I'd hit the wall since now I'm passed my training. But it continues to feel good, and I'm only getting a bit more tired, nothing is in serious pain. During mile 11 is also when I see the pacers for the 2:15 group. This boosts my confidence a little, knowing that I could possibly finish in 2:15? I try my darndest to keep up with them, but ultimately lost them on an incline towards the end. Mile 12 passes, and I think, "this is it, lets go". Crowd support is still strong as it was from mile 1, I try to kick it up, but I'm very cautious. So I just plod along. Right about where the Half and Full course splits, is where fatigue really set in. I'm out of breath and just want this thing to be over! As I approach the armory, and going through what were the starting corrals, guess what, ITS AN INCLINE! Ever so small, yet at this point, it feels like mount everest! Keep pushing, pass the 13 mile mark, and I STILL can't see the finish! One more small bend and there it was, I kick it up, finally, which probably wasn't much faster than I had been going and through the finish, arms in air! 2:19:24! <br />
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What am improvement from Vegas! Chicago I finished in 2:38, Vegas was 2:33, and now 2:19. What a great feeling! Which definitely went well with a well organized race. From start to finish, really, no complaints. Great course (hills and all!), plenty of room on the course, crowd support, and even plenty of finish line food and drink. Definitely a race I would consider doing again. Oh, and of course, some bling!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qfXIZwJDIHQ/T2ju2MOcFfI/AAAAAAAAHdE/KnIDxGrMo-o/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qfXIZwJDIHQ/T2ju2MOcFfI/AAAAAAAAHdE/KnIDxGrMo-o/s640/photo+3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-46364235784261829892012-03-02T14:17:00.000-05:002012-03-02T14:17:14.236-05:002 Week Warning! (from DC)I guess I'm posting monthly now huh? In any case, Rock 'n' Roll DC is two weeks from tomorrow. I can't believe its here already. I feel like I just did Vegas, and just signed up for DC. Speaking of signing up, I've registered for a handful of NYRR's spring races, which are also listed on the right. It'll be most of the runs I did last year. Run as One (was the NYRR4 last year), Healthy Kidney 10k, Japan Day (4M) and Wall Street Run (3M). May still sign up for the Scotland Run 10k on April 7. Still deciding.<br />
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So to recap the last 3 to 4 weeks, training hit somewhat of a speed bump (not sure if pun was intended...). Before the recovery week I was up to 9 miles on the long run. But since then (3 weeks later), I've only done 1 long run for 10.4 miles, which was a pretty poor run. In fact, I had tried to do the long run a few days earlier, only to cut it short because I just didnt have it. I've also only done hills once since then as well, which was this past Monday, which actually went pretty well. Six reps of the extended hill. The remaining runs were all just easy runs or time trials. Not really thrilled how that turned out. But the one positive is that I have been swimming and have gone 5 times since the last post. Just about once a week. And I think I saw the first results of it from Tuesday's 5 miler. Felt good and strong from start to finish, and probably could have kept on going at the end. Its a shame it wasnt a long run that day. But I totaled about 1400m in the pool last night, if you include the 100m warm up and cool down. Felt pretty good actually, but was hard to get a feel of speed due to congestion in the pool.<br />
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Another long run scheduled tonight. Not sure if it'll happen, as the weather is now saying it might start raining when I usually go out. Otherwise, it'll have to happen on Monday. I'm also starting to feel under the weather a little bit. I guess we'll see how it goes. Will hopefully have an update before DC.Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-25406248570697295122012-02-09T15:33:00.000-05:002012-02-09T15:33:01.569-05:00Training Recap: Superbowl EditionThere really is nothing "Superbowl" about this post other than the fact that the Giants won this past sunday! Just thought it'd be fun add that to the title of the post.<br />
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In any case, its been almost three weeks since my last update, and training is cruising right along. Have been pretty consistent with my weeks, with 3 runs per week- hills, easy, and long runs. Have been adding one extra hill rep per week, and this past Friday I got back up to 9 (well, 9.2 to be exact) miles on my long run, with total mileage last week at 17.2. I've made this week somewhat of a recovery/taper week, with an easy run on Monday, and a 5 mile run last night, with some intervals thrown in. That will probably do it for the week, giving me about 8.5 miles for the week. I do plan to remain active by going swimming tonight, the first time since the Tri! So its been like what? 6, 7 months? Saturday, I hope to get in some Yoga X (which I also did a couple saturdays ago, more details later). And since Mon and Tue are busy next week, I plan on getting the week started on Sunday. This should be interesting, running on the weekend, what a novel idea!<br />
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My Yoga X session a couple weeks ago, to my surprise, went fairly decently. I made it through all 92 minutes, and stamina was actually pretty good, and held some of the more difficult poses. I even made it through the entire warrior 3/half moon sequence on my right side. The same could not be said on the left though, which is odd since my left leg was always my stronger leg. Through the workout, I did find that I am far less flexible than I once was. Especially in my hip flexors, working through a lot of the lunge moves proved to be difficult as a result. Another difficulty, which was expected, was all the push ups and vinyasas. My chest/tri's have seriously atrophied from the lack of strength training. Though I was satisfied with my performance through the Yoga belly 7 section of the workout. The next day, my hammies were very sore, but my abs were not. I had expected my abs to be a lot more sore than it was.<br />
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NYRR had posted their Q2 races and I am eying some of them. Will update as they open registration (supposedly tomorrow) and/or when I actually register.Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-37797003840583179382012-01-20T15:29:00.001-05:002012-01-20T15:31:18.021-05:00Slow Start to 2012Even with the Rock n Roll USA Half in DC looming (less than 2 months away), motivation is still lacking. Not really sure what it is, maybe its just the cold weather. Don't get me wrong now! I am in now way complaining, I'd much rather have it this cold than in the 90s with 90% humidity. But still, running in any kind of extreme weather is not very pleasant, but I'll take the chill over the heat/humidity as the lesser evil.<br />
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So its only been 5 measly runs since the new year, totaling under 20 miles. Got the ball rolling, with 9 weeks left, on the "serious" training last week, doing one hills session and an EZ run. Was going to do one more "long" run, but got scared away by the cold (did i really just say that?). This week so far, its been one hills session, a short EZ run, and I have 7 miles planned for tonight. That will put me around 13 miles for the week, which I guess is not terrible for week 2 of training (though is terrible if you consider I'm only a little over a month removed from the Half in vegas).<br />
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Otherwise, nothing spectacular on all fronts. Just trying to get the ball rolling again and find that same motivation that got me up to 12 mile long runs for Vegas. I guess I should just be happy that I'll have done 3 runs this week. I've yet to get myself to cross train, which I wanted to break out Yoga, Plyo and Core from the X. Or even some swimming at the Aquatic Center, which I payed $75 membership for. Until next time!Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-19097046268231057482012-01-04T17:17:00.001-05:002012-01-05T21:59:57.094-05:002011: A Year in ReviewAs quickly as it came, 2011 is already in our rear-view mirror. Definitely a lot of running/racing highlights for my second year of this whole running craze. So I thought I'd throw this up to recap the events of the year, good or bad, but mostly good. First, some numbers:<br />
<ul><li><b>12:</b> The number of events I participated in this year, of which included my first triathlon, my second half-marathon and the Urbanathlon.</li>
<li><b>9+1:</b> I completed NYRR's 9+1 for guaranteed entry into the 2012 NYC Marathon. I'm still undecided if I'm actually going to follow through with it.</li>
<li><b>8: </b>the number of PR's (personal records) I achieved in 2011. </li>
<li><b>490</b>: the total number of miles I ran for the year. </li>
<li><b>9:20</b> my fastest pace for any race over 3 miles. </li>
<li><b>$530+</b>, the amount I spent on race fees (YIKES!) </li>
</ul>DC was probably the highlight of the year, naturally, being my first Tri. Getting that first one under the belt definitely will make it easier on the ones that follow. I was hoping to do another this year, but couldnt fit one into the schedule. Had my battle with plantar-facsiitis in the months approaching the Tri as well. Thankfully was remedied (for the most part) from taking some time off after the Tri and getting new shoes.<br />
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Although Vegas was much hyped, did not turn out to be the experience we had all expected. From the crowds, to the disorganization, to more crowds, it was just a really disappointing experience, with the only redeeming value being that I did better than my time in Chicago. Though not the time I was hoping for, given how my training was going. Thankfully, of the 13 races, there was only 1 where rain was truly an issue. Sloshing through 4 miles of Central Park was certainly an experience! Though it was raining during Urbanathlon, it really wasn't coming down hard enough to have an effect. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a year of racing, huh?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh yea, some bling!</td></tr>
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As I think back to when I started this whole craze, I can't believe how far its come. To think I was crazy enough to tackle a Tri? Only to realize how much fun it is?? Haha....Definitely made a lot of progress through the year, which only means I'll have to work that much harder in 2012 to match it! And speaking of 2012, I'm already registered for 2 events: the Rock n Roll USA Half Marathon in DC on March 17th and the Rev3 Triathlon (Olympic Distance) in Maine on August 26th. Here's to a great 2011, and an even better 2012! Happy New Year everyone.Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-25924331828230104892011-12-19T13:26:00.000-05:002011-12-19T13:26:03.942-05:00Ted Corbitt 15k RecapThis past Saturday with the Ted Corbitt 15k run in Central Park. The race was to honor former NYRR president Ted Corbitt. And 15k, for those who are metric-system challenged, is 9.3 miles.<br />
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A big reason I signed up for this distance race was because it was 2 weeks from the Vegas Half, meaning I was going to be well prepared for it. I did find its challenges though, mainly how I was going to maintain in those 2 weeks. I really wanted to do another training run of 9 miles before this race, but I didnt like the timing of it. After the half, I took the next 4 days off to rest and recover. On that Friday, I did a 5 mile tempo run. Didnt want to do 9 miles that day, after having a 4 day lay off. The following monday, I did hills, totaling 5.5 miles. And Wed. was another 5 mile tempo. So going into the race, knowing how quickly I can lose my fitness, I was a little concerned that I'd have trouble covering the 15k distance.<br />
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Saturday morning arrives, I wake up before the sun even comes up, check the weather and its in the mid 30s. So I went with thermal long sleeve compression shirt, long sleeve tech-T, and a running vest on top. And it was the standard running tights with shorts over it on the bottom. Arrive at the park around 7:25am, giving me ample time to check my bag and empty my bladder. Its 7:40 once I've done that, and head to the corrals, which was actually a bit of a walk from bag check and the port-o-potties. I get to my corral, and realize, I NEED TO PEE AGAIN......there wasn't enough time for me to go back to the port-o-potties and back to the start line, so I decided to forget it. Race starts....and all I can think about is that I need to empty my bladder. So here was the debate, since the course took me back right to where the port-o-potties are, do I take the hit on time and go? Or do I hold it for 9.3 miles? I went for the former, and lost a grand total of a minute!<br />
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Ok, now that I can concentrate on something other than my bladder, I'm on my way. It was a touch crowded in the beginning, but since my last race was Vegas, this couldnt even be considered crowded. Fall into a nice pace and all was well. Crowd started to thin about just enough after mile 2, and it looked like i was doing about a 10- 10:10 min mile (other than mile 1, which came out to 11:16 after potty break). With the sunny, cool, crisp morning on my side, I was doing well, took a Gu at around 4.8 miles and going strong and with little aches/pain as I approached mile 5. Pace was pretty consistent, even having to "conquer" Cat hill, twice! My splits seemed pretty consistent, with each passing mile. I see the mile 9 marker, and know we're in the final .3! I tried not to kick it too early, knowing how long that .2 is on a 10k. But I couldnt help myself, and kicked it in a little early. Fortunate for me, I was able to sustain it until the end, crossing the finish in 1:35:57 (for a 10:19 pace). I instantly thought back of losing that minute!! But whats done is done, and I was very happy with that time for this distance. Extrapolate that out to 13.1 miles, and I would have done VERY well....compared to my Vegas time, at least. One thing in my favor though, was course knowledge. There is just something about having a race in Central Park, and knowing every bend and every change in elevation, so you know just exactly when to give a little and when to pull back. All in all, a great way to end my 2011 races.<br />
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I'll be back in the next week or so to wrap up 2011 and preview what's in store for 2012!Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-58030624490584571052011-12-09T12:27:00.000-05:002011-12-09T12:27:34.825-05:00Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon Recap!It's amazing how time flies. Not only has Dec 4th come and gone, its almost been a week since the Half!<br />
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We arrived in Vegas Thursday night (12/1) and of course had to make my customary stop at In-n-Out (this counts as carb-loading, right?). Friday was Expo day, as we stood in a tremendous line (a theme of the weekend...) to get in. Though once they actually opened the expo, we moved fairly quickly inside. Picked up our bibs, t-shirts and swag bag, and it was time to open up our wallets! Haha....I went in knowing I wanted the buy "The Stick", a self massager tool, those that arent aware. I have been using a rolling pin this whole time. As useful as that was, it was limited. Also on my wish list was another pair of sunglasses and I did make that purchase as well. So now I'll have separate specs for running and biking. Yay!<br />
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A pretty uneventful next couple days, and Sunday is upon us. Being my first evening race, it was going to be a little tricky getting nutrition down, even though I do almost all of my runs in the evening. I didnt have my usually long-run lunch available to me! So buffet brunch at 10am and a snack around 3pm is how I approached it, with a 5:30pm start time, and it seemed to work fine, hunger-wise.<br />
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So we met up at 4pm to meet up and shuttle it down to the start line....<br />
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This is where the "fun" began. Due to the congestion getting to the start, as a result of road closures, the shuttles provided by our hotel, Wynn/Encore, were delayed coming to pick us up. In fact, we were waiting until 4:40ish until we even boarded a bus. Now on the shuttle and on our way, and we were not going anywhere quick. It was bumper to bumper traffic, and we must have been moving 1 foot per minute. We could have gone out and walked to the start quicker, but of course that would have added an additional 2.5 miles to our legs/feet. Then to do 13.1 on top of that? No thanks.<br />
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We arrive to the start area shortly before 6pm- the race started at 5:30! Lucky for me, my corral hadnt left yet. Of course a pre-race potty break was in order. We couldnt locate the port-o-johns, so we decided to use the ones in the Panda Express nearby. There were TOTALLY cool about it. Line wasn't very long either. So, finally, with bladder emptied, we were able to join the march to the start line, with more "fun" to be had...<br />
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After handing off the bag I was originally going to check-in to my wife, I finally crossed the start. This is where my fears were realized. Knowing this race was going to be 44,000 people strong, I feared it would be somewhat crowded. And by somewhat crowded, I mean like JP Morgan Corporate Challenge crowded. And guess what? IT WAS. For about 12 out of the 13.1 miles!! The lack of crowd control and signage was a huge problem for this race. Crowds everywhere- before, during, and after the race. I'll just leave it at that and continue the actual recap of the run....<br />
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So I spend much of the first mile dodging walkers and slower runners, but my legs feel good. Having not run in 3 plus days, and doing a bit of walking the previous 2 days, did a decent job priming my legs for the run. I finished the first mile in 10:20, which was actually right where I wanted to be. Second mile did not prove to be the same, as I came in in 10:50. It just seemed to get more crowded from there, and the next few miles were 11+ minute miles. It actually fluctuated, as the Strip would go from 3 lanes, to 5 lanes, back down to 3 in certain areas. We break off the Strip a little after the 4 mile marker, and head toward downtown. Though at the time it didnt seem TOO bad, looking back, it was a VERY sketchy part of town. I downed my first pack of Gu at this point. Still feeling very good, legs strong, not breathing hard yet. As we make our way through downtown and Freemont Street, and approach the Strip again, is where I first start to struggle. Got to mile 9, near the Stratosphere, and I told myself to at least get to mile 10, then I'd pull back a little. The constant weaving and dodging was starting to catch up to me. Finally got to 10, and there was an aid station, so I slowed down to grab a cup of water. Downed what I could and resumed my pace. I got to about 11.5 miles, and was pretty much gassed. From there until about a half mile remaining, I went into somewhat of a run-walk. 1 minute on, 1 minute off. Half mile to go, and I told myself I had to run to the end, except there was a problem- my quad (right above the right knee) started to REALLY tighten up on me, like, about to cramp tight. I tried to push through, but couldnt. Stopped real quick to stretch it out, and continued on. That final tenth of a mile was so nerve wracking because I feared my quad would just seize up. Lucky for me, it didnt, and I crossed the finish with a time of 2:33:47. Nearly 14 minutes later than my goal of 2:20! I was pretty disappointed with the time, but I also know there was not much I could do about it, given the crowds. Regardless, I had my second Half Marathon under my belt, and another medal to add to my collection:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jNN6_sPj724/TuJENPj7p7I/AAAAAAAAHTk/g1H__0cM8wU/s1600/bib_medal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jNN6_sPj724/TuJENPj7p7I/AAAAAAAAHTk/g1H__0cM8wU/s640/bib_medal.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And it glows in the dark!</td></tr>
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So what's next from here? I have the Rock 'n' Roll USA Half Marathon in DC in my sights. Its on March 17th, so I'll have another 3 months exactly to fine tune my fitness. Until next time!Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-82425523686767407662011-11-30T14:53:00.000-05:002011-11-30T14:53:33.703-05:00Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Half CourseHere's the course for Sunday! Not sure why it came out to 13.2, chalk it up to round off error i guess.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="500" id="mmf_blog_map" src="http://js.mapmyfitness.com/embed/blogview.html?r=260132268188516940&u=e&t=run" width="400">&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/59584658"&amp;amp;gt;RnR Las Vegas Half&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/?location=Las Vegas, NV"&amp;amp;gt;Find more Runs in Las Vegas, NV&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;gt; &lt;/p&gt;</iframe>Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-39568163736455159522011-11-10T15:16:00.000-05:002011-11-10T15:16:40.213-05:00Less Than a Month Until VegasHere we are, a little over 3 week's away from the big dance! I can actually confidently say the training is going pretty swimmingly, as evidenced by my 12 mile run last night. That's right TWELVE!! My body is still feeling it. That was my 6th run so far above 7 miles. Hoping to have 2 more before we get to Vegas. One thing that I realized though, is that I'm once again neglecting the cross training. Its been run, run, run, for the past 2 months. And its really too late to do anything about it at this point, but I did want to start doing Ab Ripper X every other day from now until the race. Definitely feel the lack of strength in my core as I get into the late miles of a long run. Hope that will make even a small difference.<br />
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Last week (after Urbanathlon) was 1 hill day, 2 EZ days and a long run. I did the shorter version of hill, for 9 repeats, which felt really good. I always seem to push hard on that last repeat, which causes me to get slightly woozy! But in all, a good training day and I'm glad that I am keeping up with the hill training. 2 EZ days of 3.5 and 2.5 miles. The 2.5 mile day was on a Sunday morning, and I must say, was probably one of the hardest runs of my life. Probably a combination of the fact that I dont usually run mornings, I didnt eat anything, and was still recovering from my 11 mile run Friday night. Ah, 11 miles. 11.2 to be exact. Was going to do the 6 mile loop then 5 mile loop in CP, but was detoured due to the NYC Marathon Festivities. So had to reverse course at 72nd and re-do the 6 mile loop from there. Harlem hills twice (once in each direction) was killer. Average pace ended up around 10:45, which I think I'm satisfied with. But that is still more than a 2:20 half marathon, and I was REALLY hoping to come in under that.<br />
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This week, so far, has only been 1 hill day and the long run. I did the extended hill again, this time for 6 repeats, then ran up to 90th and back down, totaling about 6 miles. This was a tougher run, probably a product of being the 4th run in 5 days. And the day before that was volleyball and one more before that was my previous hill day. So it was 6 days of work in a 7 day span. Then, last night was the almighty 12 (well, 12.16) mile run. Again, I think I was still slightly fatigued from all the activity from the past week, but all in all, it was a decent run. Averaged a 10:50 pace, so not too far off the 11 mile pace. It felt really good through 7 miles. Starting the 8th mile, I started to feel it on the uphills. I took a Gu at 4.75, and again at mile 9. I didnt feel its impact as greatly this run, I think because I was so fatigued. Perhaps I should have carried a THIRD packet with me. The bottom of my right foot started to really bother from all the pounding. My ankles and knees actually held up pretty well. Then in the final mile, I started to feel quite a stinger in my left hip. Luckily it wasnt a steady pain, but was pretty sharp. It came and went like an ocean wave, kinda strange, but thankful. So I'm going to take the next 2 days off to FULLY recover, and do either an EZ or tempo run on Saturday (crosses fingers). I need about another 6 miles to cover my weekly mileage.<br />
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So, I think I've reached my peak mileage for long runs. So next week I think I'll do either 10 or 11, then 8 or 9 the following week (thanksgiving), before I taper off. Much more pleased with my training this year, so far. I'm hoping it will translate into a good, no, GREAT finish this year!Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-43146136159386717732011-11-07T15:03:00.001-05:002011-11-07T15:06:21.420-05:00Urbanathlon RecapWell it seems I'm a little past due on my Urbanathlon update...but of course it had to be the coldest, wettest and windiest days so far this fall, and not to mention the same day that somewhat of a "blizzard" went through the Northeast in October! The morning started around 6:30am, woke up and went through my usual pre-race routine. I knew it was going to be a cold one, but was just not sure HOW cold, but I went with long sleeve cold gear, a long sleeve T, leggings and shorts over them, running gloves (with lifting gloves underneath, for some of the obstacles), and a skull cap. I wore a hoodie to stay warm pre-race and eventually decided to check it at baggage. So with the 30 or so minutes between when I checked my bags and when the race started, I stood there freezing my butt off!! I dont think I've ever been that cold. And anyone that knows me is that I dont get cold very easily.<br />
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Being in the last wave (signed up as a Clydesdale, "naayyyy!"-- is that the sound a horse makes??...anyway....), I didnt get started until around 8:20am. The rain had started to come down pretty steadily at this point, but surprisingly, my sneakers were in decent shape. And thankfully, I warmed up pretty quickly once we got going. So, after almost 2 miles of an easy jog, I reach the first obstacle: the police and traffic barricades. Go over the traffic barricade and under the police ones. This one was not very difficult, but did require me to get on my hands and knees to get under, so therefore, I got muddied up real quick. As we got to the second obstacle about a 1.5 miles later, I realized things werent going to be in the order that was detailed on the <a href="http://www.menshealthurbanathlon.com/new-york-obstacles.cfm">website</a>. So along we go, and despite the rain and cold, its going well, and I dont hit my first real challenge of an obstacle until I reached the Marine hurdles. I underestimated how high they were. For a 6' guy, they were about chin high!! Though a challenge, I found myself getting over them without much trouble. the only issue would be that i ripped one corner of my bib. oops. I saw a lot of the females have trouble here, and actually were being helped by other competitors. What a nice showing camaraderie! Next obstacle would be the monkey bars and parallel bars, the monkey bars which were one of two obstacles that worried me. Got over the parallel bars pretty easily, and off to the monkey bars. and to my surprise, I did them pretty cleanly! Having the lifting gloves helped a ton, as many were slipping off them due to the weather conditions.<br />
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From here, it was a long run before we reached the next obstacle, which was the Aurthur Ashe Stadium stair climb. But to my surprise, it was only a climb to the top deck, then back down. So after that would be the "real" stairclimb in CitiField. Entered the stadium and had to get up to Promonade level. Once there, it was up and down the stairs of the Promonade level through about 6 or 7 sections. Since I was in the back of the pack, a lot of people were walking it. At this point, I didnt mind too much. So after the last stair climb, it was back down the stadium, all the way down to the clubhouse, into the visitor dugout, and get this: ON TO THE FIELD ITSELF!! I was a little "star" struck! Of course we had to stay on the dirt, from foul territory on the 3B side, onto the warning track, and onto the 1st base side. Back into the stands, up another flight of stairs, and back out of the stadium through the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. Only a little bit left to go.<br />
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So it was over a couple taxis, which was actually a lot of fun, under some jeeps (which should have been earlier- and really hurt my knees, since we were crawling on artificial turf which was laid out on the parking lot!), over a schoolbus on a cargo net, and finally, over an 8' wall and through the finish. I will sadly admit right now, at this point, I could not get over the wall. But from what I could tell, not many did or could. On my first attempt, I jump up, as able to get my elbows on top of the wall, tried to pull myself up, but slipped and dropped back down, nearly landing on one of the volunteers. On my second attempt, nearly the same, but as i hung there for a second, the volunteer pretty much took my legs and threw me over. Thank God for that! Otherwise I think I would still be there trying to get over.<br />
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All in all, it was a good, fun and challenging event, despite the weather. And I am totally in next year if it happens again. I will definitely strength train more for it so I can get over the wall on my own. And hopefully get some buddies on board so I wont have to do it alone again.Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6056472176242587200.post-46952330030899934142011-10-28T14:39:00.000-04:002011-11-29T13:58:41.488-05:00Quick Recap and UrbanathlonAlmost a month without an update? Rest assured the training has been going well! Since the last update, I've gone from about 13 total weekly miles to 20 last week. Long runs have accordingly gone from 8 to 10.4. The 9 miler was one of my best long runs, in terms of how I felt (still around an 11 min/mile!). But at the end, I almost felt like I could have kept on going, with minimal pain in my legs and feet. The 10 miler on the other hand, the pain set in around mile 6, and I had to fight through it till the end. Honestly my pace is not where I would like it to be, but I am glad that I was able to get to the 10 mile long runs with over a month left to go. So I will shift the focus a little to tempo runs and intervals to try to better the pace.<br />
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And just to throw out there, Urbanathlon is TOMORROW. Considering my lack of strength training in the past month, I am rather anxious about it. Actually, there are really only 2 obstacles that concern me: the monkey bars and the wall climb at the end. From what I can tell from the pictures, the wall looks to be about 8 feet. Although theres a rope to help you climb it (picture the old school batman tv show), I'm not sure I'm very good at that, or how I would release the rope and grab the wall. I think my best approach would be to leap, grab the top of the wall and pull myself over. Thats all fine and dandy, providing I have anything left in my legs to, LEAP.<br />
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Ok, I'll be back on Mon/Tue with a fuller recap of both Urbanathlon and training. Til then! Wish me luck!!Ben Huanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293289305646072964noreply@blogger.com0