Reprimanded

The other day I was reprimanded by one of our international members because it seems a bit quiet on the SLG front, and honestly it is. With me not running a spring marathon, the motivation seems to be lacking a bit. I guess running a marathon really does give you a runner's high. You may not be aware of it, but after the marathon, you think you will always stay you are in the shape you are in and you will just keep up a serious training schedule so that you won't have to build up. WRONG!!!!!!!!!! After the NY marathon, the New Yorkers amongst us run a few short races, talk and try to intimidate our teammates a fair amount but before we know it, the winter is here and the winter blah's are setting in.
Well remember, it was only a month ago that some of us ran the Manhattan half, and maybe not in the best times ever, but we did respectably. There was a 4 miler yesterday, in which I could not participate, but Stefan and Steven ran and both did very well. Although Stefan told me that he "lost", (running 7.01 min/miles and I know that "losing feeling" when you think that if you would have just run 8 seconds faster the mile per minute would have a 6 in front of it) I had to remind him that this was an amazing time considering he definitely could not have been in such good shape as he was when he ran that 6.59 per mile in another 4-miler right after the marathon.
Anyway, so here is a slight kick in the behind and some other reminders that it is time to start thinking about running :
1/Next Sunday, Clem is running the first marathon of the season and the first marathon by a SLG member (as I super coach should do). He is going to Malta and he has let me know that he is not in great shape, so he does not think he will do any better than 3:30. Don't you all love it, he isn't not in great shape and that is what he thinks he will do. Don't we all wish.....
2/ There is a 15 k race in Central Park on March 12th. A good reason to not use the deep freez temperature as an excuse not to go training. March 12th is only 2 WEEKS AWAY!!!!!!!!!! (Don't worry Dora, I have not forgotten that I am meeting you in Utah that day, I am jumping on a plane after the race) Anyway, for those who the motto applies to,"Catch me if you can" should be in your heads EVERY DAY, and not just on the morning of October 22nd
3/ For me, this year there is the Old Lady 1/2 marathon. Call me snobbish but I just have the feeling that this more marathon is not going anywhere. I had to weave around one too many "walkers" on their cell phones last year who claimed to be participating in the race and I lost my interest in doing the whole nine yards so to speak (how many yards is a marathon???) But I will be running the half because it will be a good training run for the
4/ NEW JERSEY HALF MARATHON which takes place on April 30th. Erik Sevenants will have the home court advantage there and that will kick off the official spring training season, culminating in the Bronx half marathon in the beginning of July (and usually beastly hot). That race will show us where we stand and the training for the Chicago marathon will commence in earnest.

So, you have until March 19th to get over these winter excuses, after that I will have to get more serious about the coaching business and all the things that go together with that. By sometime in May, it would be fun to have a little biography from all of you. It doesn't have to be long, just a few lines about how you got to running, what you have run (just a few lines, Cle, just a few lines), where you live and how you came to SLG. You can also include hobbies (who has time for hobbies when you are such serious runners as we are) and the names of your favorite pets, children, grandchildren etc.

Anyway, you can see, although it has been a bit quiet on the coaches' front, I am alive, and kicking a little bit. I am also glad to announce you that construction at the new SLG headquarters is progressing as smoothly as can be expected. And remember, less that 8 months till the Chicago marathon 2006. Lief