I’m sparkling.

Nike puts on some great races, so you could imagine my excitement when I found out the inaugural Nike Women Half Marathon D.C. allowed men to run. And the whole race was to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the parent charity of Team in Training. I had to run it. There was a lotto for entrance, so a crew of my TNT friends and I applied as a team – and we got lucky. On April 28th, I woke up bright and early to run with thousands of women.

My team met up in our hotel lobby for a quick photo shoot before the start. We all wore shirts or bibs in honor of those affected by the tragedy at the Boston Marathon, and the women all wore matching pink sequin skirts. Lucky for teammate John and I, two extra skirts made their way into our hands and around our waists. It was the women’s half after all, so we felt it best to fit in.

I began with Elyse, Noa, Carolyn and John in the 9:00 corral (they wouldn’t let men any farther forward). We agreed to run the race for fun and not for time – which worked out well as the first few miles were PACKED. At least I got to take some fun photos.

And enjoy the sights! (check out the course map!)

Elyse and I lost the rest of the group at around the 10k mark, which was when the course began to open up. We found a nice groove and went with it, racing the last half and marking awesome negative splits in the process: 

• 5k - 30:42 (pace - 9:53)
• 10k - 58:33 (5k - 27:51, pace - 8:58)
• 15k - 1:25:20 (5k - 26:47, pace - 8:37)
• 20k - 1:51:13 (5k - 25:53, pace - 8:20) 

• final .7m - 5:14, pace - 7:29) 

The effort was exhausting, but luckily we ran into Franco who was out on the course motivating and coaching TNT runners.

As we approached the finish line, I saw a familiar sparkly skirt. It was IronTeammate Michelle with our other teammate Alysen. Elyse and I sprinted up to them, where Aly informed me that Michelle was in a zone and close to getting a PR. She asked me to help. I kicked into drill sergeant mode, pushing and pacing. And as a group, we crossed the finish together. Michelle got her PR!

And after a few quick photos, we lined up to get our Tiffany necklaces from men in tuxedos. Fancy.

I went home, showered up, and put my Nike Women shirt and Tiffany necklace on with pride.  And then headed out to the best part of the morning – brunch.

To get a greater sense of what the race was like, check out the great video Tom Kelly of the Tom Kelly Show put together: Tom’s video. And for any women considering their first half marathon, this is a great one to check out. Nike really does put on a great race and this one did not disappoint. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for info on next year’s race.

Oh, and Paul Mitchell was a sponsor of the race and was giving haircuts at the finish for a $15 donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. How could I not?

And of course, if you’d like to contribute to MY fundraising efforts with Team in Training for the LLS, please visit bensTNTpage.org.

I’m in (again)!

Today, I officially registered for the 2013 NYC Marathon. A accepted my guaranteed entry which I acquired by completing the NYRR 9+1 program. Super pumped, especially after last year’s cancellation due to the Hurricane Sandy and the resulting drama. While I loved running Philly in its place, nothing beats my own city’s marathon.

Are you in?

I’m having fun.

An overdue post – work has been busy! On March 17th, I ran my fourth NYC Half Marathon.  I love this race and even PR’d there my first two times running it in 2010 and 2011. 2012 was a little rough as it was my first half since the 2011 NYC Marathon, which left me in rough shape – I was just happy to run it. So as the NYC Half 2013 approached, I was excited!

Then in typical fashion, I got a dumb injury (better than my old overuse injuries, I suppose). I was rushing out the door after a workout to meet my work partner to finish a project when I got into a fight with my bathroom door. And lost.

My toe was sprained badly, but not broken. Alas, I was not going to let a little pain and discoloration deter me from running my favorite race! No way.  Instead, I made plans to run with a few of my Team in Training crew – marathon partner Carolyn, Elyse, and Noa. Our goal was to finish under two hours and have a blast along the way.

We started our loop around the park, taking our time and joking around. Central Park is the hardest part of the race – it’s a lot of rolling hills along and two pretty big ones at mile 1 and 3.5. The park separates the locals from the tourists – we New Yorkers know these hills well and know how to run them properly. The out-of-towners are always left huffing and puffing.

Mile 6.5 is where the race gets interesting. You exit the park and run down 7th Ave to Times Square, then across 42nd to the West Side Highway. This portion is always packed with spectators, musicians and cheerleaders, not to mention all the bright lights, megastores and giant advertisements. I pulled out my phone and began snapping photos while on the move and even stopped to pose for a few with my crew. My foot was beginning to feel sore, but I was feeling great.

The West Side Highway is flat and lasts for about four miles. Normally, I’d get a little bored, but we saw our friend Franco (a TNT coach) along the way. He always brings the life to any party. Or race.

And Carolyn’s sister Elise joined us for a couple miles along the way – how could I pass up taking photos of twins on the run?

The final part of the race wraps through the Battery Tunnel, which runs under Battery Park. It gets loud as people’s yells echo through. And then, the light at the end of the tunnel. A small hill brings you to the mile 13 mark before a final push to the South Street Seaport, a pretty tourist trap that was undergoing lots of construction due to damage from Hurricane Sandy. That last stretch was PACKED with spectators and helped us finish strong.

Final time: 1:58:39. Not too bad for a fun run with a busted toe! And a huge congrats to Emily on shattering her PR!

I’m resolute – 2013 edition.

Another year, another year declaring my goals for the year late. Alas. I’ve said before that I don’t believe in New Years resolutions.  If you want to be a better person, why wait till January 1st to act on it? I believe that people should change every day in reaction to the world around them. That said, it’s certainly not a bad thing to publicly state what you hope to achieve. What better motivation to stick to your plan than public accountability?

Ladies and gentlemen, my goals so that you may throw them back in my face when I say I don’t want to get off my couch on a rainy Sunday:

GOAL 1: STAY HEALTHY. This should be a primary goal every year. We exercise for our health, yet the statistics on how many people (specifically runners) are sidelined with injuries each year are astounding. Shin splints. ITBS. Tendonitis. 2012 was a year of progress for me. Rather than just waiting for overuse injuries to kick in, I proactively stretched, took time off, and even went to physical therapy to keep me moving smoothly. And it worked. I plan to continue the trend this year by playing it smart, listening to my coaches and listening to my body.

GOAL 2: BREAK MY NYC MARATHON TIME. The NYCM is the big show, as far as I’m concerned. I once dreamed of my city’s race being my first marathon, but that dream was shattered when my stupid cousins decided to get married that weekend in 2010 (just kidding, Steph and David, I love you both). I finally ran NYC in 2011 (after warning my family not to screw up my weekend again), but the experience was less than stellar. I found myself suffering from serious knee pain and had to run/walk the final eight miles, destroying my time and worse, my good time. I was miserable! 

2012 was going to be my year to show New York City what I’ve got – and then Hurricane Sandy hit. And while I’m grateful that I got to run Philly instead, nothing can replace NYC. Fortunately, I’ve got my guaranteed entry to the 2013 race. NYC – bring it!

GOAL 3: RUN LOTS OF MILES, BUT NOT A SET AMOUNT. Every year, I say to myself that I want to run more miles. I used to set a cute goal, like 1020 in 2010. I’ve learned that setting specific mileage goals is unrealistic as I transition from runner to triathlete. While running is my first sport and my passion, I need work on becoming less tied to mileage and more tied to my overall training schedule. I plan on running a lot, but I also need to keep in mind that I’m training for something bigger than just running – and that I need to focus just as much on my bike and pool time as well.

GOAL 4: LESS LIFTING. Yes, you read that right. Each year I say that I want to lift more with mixed results. Well, turns out I was just prepping myself for triathlon. According to both, my NYC Triathlon coach last summer and Coach Jay, my current coach, triathletes really don’t need to lift since training already incorporates full-body training. So long as I don’t skimp on my core workouts, push-ups and squats, I’m all good. That said, I’ve belonged to a gym since high school (15 years ago, for those counting!) and it’s hard to not feel guilty and actually hold back. Hopefully, I will trust in my coaches and my training and actually listen. Now the question is – do I ditch my gym membership? I haven’t NOT had a gym since high school! (for those counting, that’s like 15 years)

GOAL 5: BEFRIEND KARA GOUCHER. No, this goal is not going anywhere. I made no progress last year, but I’m feeling positive. She’s on twitter now, so maybe I’ll at least get an @reply or something! Swoon.

GOAL 6: RACE MY FIRST HALF-IRONMAN. Last year, I became a triathlete. I love training in multiple sports – it’s more fun and it can transform you, mentally and physically. I can’t get enough, and like many endurance athletes, I knew after my first Olympic distance tri that I wanted to push myself further.

This winter, I officially joined the Team in Training NYC IronTeam and will be training through the spring to compete at the Mont Tremblant 70.3. That’s 1.2 miles in the water, 56 miles on the bike and then a half-marathon. Game on! And if you’d like to read more about why I train, please check out my TNT page. 

GOAL 7: QUALIFY FOR THE 2014 NYC HALF AND NYC MARATHON. Another year, another attempt at completing the 9+1 and 4/5 Borough programs from NYRR. While I have big things in mind for 2014, I want to be sure to leave my options open and leave nothing to lotto-chance.

GOAL 8: MORE YOGA AND OTHER ASSORTED WORKOUTS. Another goal I often discuss and hopefully, this year I’ll stick to it. I’ve already started the year with a Groupon to Bikram Yoga. It sucks – I have to force myself into that 105 degree room, but know the benefits are worth it. Moving forward, I want to continue doing some form of yoga to ensure flexibility and reduce injury risk.  Because ultimately, I just want to stay healthy.

Here’s to an exciting, healthy, and fun year. 2013 – prepared to get your ass kicked.

Random motivation.

Loving this new video from Nike. How will you #makeitcount?

I’m special.

Good laugh! Thanks for sharing, Carolyn!

I’m reflective – 2012 edition.

Another year down. And this was a big year. I set myself some pretty solid goals for 2012 and decided to take my training to new heights – three feet above ground on the bike and skimming sea-level. Yeah, I just did some word play. Here’s how it went.

GOAL 1: STAY HEALTHY. Past years have been plagued with stupid overuse injuries. Tendonitis. Bursitis. Shin splints. Not this year. I DID lose some time to a broken toe and related complications (I sped around a little too much in my walking cast thing, leading to some plantar fasciitis), however, that injury was a freak accident as opposed to the standard dumb injury. Well, it was pretty dumb how I got it, accidentally kicking a teammate while treading water in Coney Island, but you know what I mean. Overall, Mission Complete!

GOAL 2: BREAK MY NYC MARATHON TIME. This is a difficult discussion. I first planned to run the NYC Marathon in 2010, but the plan was thwarted by my cousins’ nuptials. Bastards. Just kidding Steph and David, I love you both. My 2011 NYC Marathon was plagued by hip/knee/ITB issues which led to some serious pain and finishing almost 40 minutes slower than my marathon best. 2012 was to be my year. I trained hard and was ready – and then Hurricane Sandy Hit. NYC was cancelled and I ended up in Philly two weeks later where I beat my PR (barely, but it counts). It may not have gone as planned, but I’d say: Mission Semi-Complete.

GOAL 3: TRAIN PROPERLY. The no-brainer that’s never as easy as it sounds. To train consistently and stick to a schedule is tough, but this year I did a pretty good job. I was lucky to train with Team in Training, whose coaching provided me solid plans for the NYC triathlon (March – July) and the NYC Marathon (July – November). Even when I had to miss a workout to work or illness, their schedules kept me honest. I believe this is what led me to a healthier year and quite frankly, a more productive year. I saw improvements in all sports and enjoyed myself in the process. Mission Complete!

GOAL 4: MORE LIFTING. Well, this is a flat-out fail. I started out well in January, hitting the gym two or three times a week. This continued until triathlon training began in March. I found myself confronted with a very unrealistic workout schedule that would have included three lifting workouts, three runs, time on the bike and time on the pool. I emailed my coach asking how to fit it all in, and he flat out said skip the gym. He believed doing some bodyweight exercises (like pushups and squats) alongside my triathlon workouts would cover my full body. So I backed off from the gym. Which I regret – I’m a skinny guy and appreciate any muscle I can build. And I think the added strength helps keep me injury-free. Hoping to follow through on this goal in 2013 but as for 2012, Mission Fail.

GOAL 5: MORE EVERYTHING ELSE. I began my year with a SurfSET Fitness session and attended many spin sessions at Soul Cycle. The real standout for me was my time swimming and cycling. Triathlon training made this easy, considering 2011 had no almost no time in the water or on the bike. 2012 included about 38 bike rides for over 750 miles, and I swam on 54 different occasions, building my abilities from barely a lap to 2000 meters. I may not have hit the yoga classes I wanted, but I did buy a Groupon for a month of Bikram yoga to use in 2013, so I’ve got that going for me. There is always room for improvement, but overall, I have to give myself a Mission Complete!

GOAL 6: RUN 1012 MILES IN 2012. I realized at the end of 2011 that setting running mileage goals is tricky business. I lowered my expectations in 2012 to account for more time on the bike and in the pool, but sadly the broken toe kept me off my feet for a while. While I missed this goal, I’m very happy with my mileage. None the less, Mission Fail.

GOAL 7: BEFRIEND KARA GOUCHER. In 2012, I came to grips with Kara’s whole “marriage” and “child” thing. Fine. But can’t I be that friend who’s in love with her and professes it with signs in her doorway a la Love Actually? It didn’t happen this year. But there’s always next… Alas, for 2012, Mission Fail.

GOAL 8: QUALIFY FOR GUARANTEED ENTRY TO THE 2013 NYC HALF AND NYC MARATHON. I did it for 2012 and 2013 and will be running both races thanks to the NYRR 9+1 marathon entry program and the 4/5 Borough program. Look out for a repeat this year. People like to hate on NYRR, but not I. The races aren’t cheap, but they are a great way to have fun and guarantee your spot into two of the greatest races in the world. In 2012, I got my 9+1, 4/5, and then some. Mission Complete!

GOAL 9: RUN, BIKE AND SWIM MY FIRST TRIATHLON. It’d been something I’d been considering for a few years and in 2012, I committed myself to competing in my first swim, bike and run experience. I signed up with Team In Training for the NYC Triathlon and found myself addicted to a new sport. I competed in my first multi-sport race in June, the Gold Coast sprint Triathlon, as a warm-up to NYC. I completed my first Olympic distance race, the NYC Tri, in July and to cap off the season, headed out to West Point for their annual sprint triathlon. No longer am I a runner; I am a triathlete. Mission complete!

OVERALL, I had a great 2012. I’ve found a new passion, triathlon and more importantly, became dedicated to a cause. I raced both the NYC Tri and NYC Philly Marathon with Team in Training to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. (If you want to contribute to my fundraising efforts, please visit bensTNTpage.org.) I began running more with friends, both old and new, and found training partners thanks to Team in Training. And most importantly, I had a lot of FUN.

Thank you all for swimming, biking and running with me throughout 2012. Here’s to many injury-free, fun miles 2013. May your ass be motivated!

I’m a fish.

This summer, swimming was as popular as ever. Chalk it up to the London Olympics – Ryan Lochte not living up to expectations but proving to be a force non-the-less, Michael Phelps proving to the world that he’s still got it, and Missy Franklin proving that the men’s team aren’t the only big fish in the water. The whole country was completely submerged in Olympic fever, including myself. Though when not glued to the TV, I was literally submerged in the pool.

Pool time for me had typically meant sipping a few beers on a city rooftop with some friends, but this summer, I went from drinking like a fish to swimming like one. (Okay, so I’m being slightly hyberbolic with my drinking abilities)

I’d been on my camp’s swim team when I was a child, though the last time I legitimately swam a lap was probably in 1992 when I was 12. Like most Americans, I was inspired by Michael Phelps’ performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and wanted to swim again.

So what kept me from swimming? I’m a New Yorker – I did not have a pool readily available for swimming and certainly my form would be less than optimal after a lapse of 16 years. So I thought.

NYC Triathlon training with Team in Training helped me discover that pools are everywhere, from gyms like New York Health & Racquet Club to Equinox to NYC Parks. My team practices took place at Riverbank State Park in Manhattan and and LIU in Brooklyn – and I practiced solo swims during my Tri training at the 92Y thanks to a great Groupon deal.

Sure, I needed those swims to survive my race, but swimming comes with a ton of other benefits. It’s low-impact cross cross-training, giving my bones and joints some much needed rest while staying active, improving cardio and strengthening the muscles. Runner’s World agrees on the benefits of cross-training in general for runners as you can, though in another article they go so far as to say, “Swimming is perhaps the perfect athletic complement to running because the two sports are so different.” Personally, I found that swimming leaned out my muscle-tone, greatly improved my cardio and most importantly, was FUN. And fun is a key piece to staying motivated and sticking with your fitness plan.

Post-NYC Triathlon, my 92Y membership expired and got nervous that my swimming days would be put on hold. Then I discovered something awesome: NYC Parks provided free lap swim at all their outdoor pools throughout the summer from 7am–8:30am and 7pm–dusk. FREE! I took advantage, hitting the Hamilton Fish 50-meter pool a bunch throughout July and August (thanks for the reco and company, Michelle!). 50-meter pools are the way to go – while most city pools are 25 yards or less, the longer pools are less crowded, easier to track your laps and allow you to spend more time swimming and less time trying to turn around (I still can’t flip-turn). And, did I mention the pool is outside?

Summer’s now long gone and I’m faced once again with a case of the “Now what’s?” Fortunately, I’ve been doing my research and while the outdoor pools are no more, there are still good indoor options. As mentioned earlier, many gyms have pools, though most are pretty small. NYC Parks has several indoor pools available, for a $150/year I believe. And if you live near a university, there’s a chance they have a pool you can access. I know that Baruch University near me offers pool-memberships that I’m looking into. Most likely, however, I’ll suck up waking before sunrise and heading up to Riverbank where they offer daily lap swim for just $3 a day in a 50-meter pool. 50-meters for three bucks? That’s living!

Do you swim and do you plan on continuing to swim throughout the winter? Would love any tips / suggestions!