31 posts tagged “baseball”
This weekend I completed TREES AND NUMBERS at last! I started it on February 1, 2003. I now humbly present a book manuscript that is 263 pages long, divided into 10 chapters and an Epilogue. Sprinkled throughout the
Where this book took me:
- To the Giant Sequoias to research their secrets of immortality;
- To the Hillerich & Bradsby/Louisville Slugger Museum in KY;
- To the Joshua Tree forest just like U2
- To the finish line of the New York City Marathon;
- To the Hershey Chocolate World factory tour;
- To Route 66 and the history of the greatest teamwork lesson ever
- To Fenway Park and New England's fabulous fall color show
- To native lore and love at little Tucumcari, New Mexico
- To Miami's Fifth Street Gym and an amazing phone call from Muhammad Ali
- To Central Park and its 26,000 glorious trees in every season
- To the shores of Lake Erie skipping stones
- To the original streets of Evansville, Indiana, and its libraries/museum
- To countless leadership books and on a philosophical journey
- And, thanks to my special contributors, places all around the globe
During the course of this work, I had to change a sentence about the
cost of a postage stamp not once, but twice. It was 37 cents when I
first entered the sentence in 2004, then 39, and now 41. Less than one
hour into my 2/1/03 drive West that began everything, I heard on the
radio as the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart during re-entry; by the
end of the work, I was honored to be friends with a NASA astronaut who
spent a long time on the International Space Station. During the course
of this work, I went from overweight smoker to whom things happened to
a marathoner making things happen.
Stay
tuned! Nothing is handed to you. If you believe in yourself and follow
your passion, I believe good things will happen. Maybe this will be a
seminal work in literary history! Maybe it will be my great white
elephant and I have just wasted half a decade! That is the thrill in it
all. Just have a goal, enter the race, make things happen, and live it.
I have some more work to do now!
My First Marathon
"A triumph of the will over all limits." That is what it says on the back of my New York City Marathon medal, a quote from the great Alberto Salazar. That is the story of my first 26.2 mile run, and here is a final wrapup for all my friends and family who were so kind to support me during this quest.
Marathon Eve
On Saturday, Nov. 3, I went to our Team for Kids party at the legendary China Club in the heart of Times Square. It was wonderful. We all talked about the work we had done to raise money for a fabulous cause -- fighting childhood obesity and creating running programs for children -- and it was so cool to meet others in that shared experience. Thanks to the support of so many wonderful family and friends, we raised $2764 from 60 donations, contributing to a total of $3.5 million raised by us 1,000 runners. That evening, I watched the on-demand movie "Invincible" starring Mark Wahlberg -- for inspiration. The Barilla Marathon Eve dinner was at Tavern on the Green, which is one of the most beautiful settings for a dinner you can ever imagine. The pasta itself was decidedly horrible, and I have decided that next year I will enjoy a pre-race Italian dinner at Carmine's. But it was nice to be around other runners.
After eating, it was nice to walk out to the Finish line area, which is adjacent to Tavern on the Green. I started walking backwards on the race route. Suddenly I came to the Mile 26 sign. A man there asked to have his picture taken, saying, "Just in case I don't make it here tomorrow." I put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Sir, both of us will be here tomorrow. We will never forget this spot and this moment." Then we both laughed. And we would get back here.
This photo below was important to me for another reason. The night before was a beautiful pink sunset over Central Park, but what I remember was these gorgeous London Planes and other trees that are among 26,000 trees in the park. By finishing the New York City Marathon, I knew that I would have a new beginning and a new ending for my currently 210-page book manuscript "Trees and Numbers." This was the quintessential part of my book. The trees. The numbers. It is running. It is baseball. It is digital. It is life. Everything in life begins with Trees and Numbers, the original street naming grid in my hometown of Evansville, Indiana.
Here is the sign that was on my back for the ING New York City Marathon 2007. I lost my Dad last year and dedicated the race to him. I cried for him when I went under the Mile 26 sign. I also dedicated it to my beautiful and bright sons Matthew, Benjamin and Joshua. It was our race together. I was so happy to know that my boys would be tracking me on Sunday.
My friend Sherry was here and she did a great job with the signs. I pledged to everyone that I would dance across the finish line. There is a 1981 Solid Gold video on youtube by Peaches & Herb, "Shake Your Groove Thing." Herb wore lime in that video just like I was going to wear.
Race Morning
I woke up at 3:26 a.m. ET on Sunday, November 4. It was more time than I needed, but I wasn't going to take any chances whatsoever. I had a banana and toast. Then it was time to place two temporary tattoos on my face. One was the University of Kentucky Wildcat logo. One was the UK letter logo. They are on behalf of my Dad, who was a diehard UK football and basketball season-ticket holder, whose ashes were spread in 2006 on the UK football field 50-yard line. This was my tribute to my Dad. Thank you to Sherry for ordering them online for me; they showed up on the Friday before the race, just in time!
That's me on the bus. At 5:20 a.m., I arrived by taxi at 51st Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues. That's where all the Team for Kids charter buses were waiting for us. It is one of the unquestioned benefits of being part of TFK, of all those months of trying my best to raise funds for a wonderful cause. They are such a wonderful organization and this is where you really get some payback! We had a police escort all the way to Staten Island, we had instant seating (I was the third person on the bus), and it was VIP all the way, baby!!!!!
I looked out the window above and, voila, there was Cafe Duke! I walked off the bus, went over and got a croissant and a green tea, below.
When each of us boarded the buses, we were handed an envelope. Inside was a card signed by a different child who benefited from Team for Kids. If you are reading this, then watch closely because you are opening this card with me. Thank you on their behalf.
Look at the shadow that the Verrazano Narrows Bridge made on Staten Island and Fort Wadsworth at sunrise! You can see the mighty bridge's posts.
And there they are. The runners. There will be 40,000 of us.
I
turned around as we filed into the village, and there was Chewbacca and
Yoda. I ran behind the Star Wars characters through Brooklyn. All I
could think of when I looked at Chewbacca, wearing that heavy sweat
suit, was: "Why."
Tens of thousands of runners camped out in the Fort Wadsworth village, braced against a breezy chill in the hours before the race. It was very cushy inside the Team for Kids tent! Another benefit of raising a whole lot of money during the summer. I staked out my little patch of grass on a towel and snoozed for a half-hour. It was fun to mingle with other TFK runners who had all gone through the same experience.
This is me with Lydia, who is the head of operations for Team for Kids. Lyd bravely fought AND BEAT breast cancer two years ago and she is a triumphant soul who inspires you and who encouraged us for months. It was SO cool to finally meet her on this weekend.
Below is me with a very special runner. Her name is Alicia, and a lot of people know her as Maz. She is kind of one of the leaders of the TFK runners, a truly outgoing and friendly and well-liked fellow runner, and on this morning she had a magic marker and was even more popular than ever. There was constantly a line of runners asking Alicia if she would please mark their names on their bodies, so she was constantly writing on limbs. I stuck my lower leg out and said, "Alicia, would you mind one more?" She wrote "MARK" in green beneath my knee. Because of that, thousands of citizens screamed my name that day. I am so glad I asked. If you ever run a New York City Marathon, whatever you do, remember this: PUT YOUR NAME ALL OVER YOUR BODY!!!! It is the best advice I can give any future NYC Marathoner.
There's an even better look at my UK Wildcat tat.
ING NEW YORK CITY MARATHON 2007
THE START: Runners were divided into Blue, Green and Orange corrals. I was assigned to Blue. I made a friend there named Sean, a guy who works for race sponsor ING based in Atlanta. Something happened here that I will never forget. It will be possibly the very beginning of my book as I start writing this month. We were herded forward amongst one oak tree after another, all passing signs that read 3000-3500, 3600-4000, etc, marking bib numbers. Trees and Numbers are all that you could possibly experience visually in those moments. It is the purest essence of my book. We finally moved up toward the V-N Bridge, and it was quite a scene to hurdle over sweatshirts and sweatpants and jackets and other gear that runners left behind for a charity that will need our clothing. We were off and running: My first marathon ever. HERE IS A BRIGHTROOM.COM PHOTO: I'M THE GUY IN LEMON-LIME!!!
MILE
1: I remember being in the middle of the V-N Bridge, and there was a
guy standing on the edge, peeing into the Atlantic Ocean. It was like
he was communicating with the ship that was spraying streams of water
to celebrate the start of the race.
MILE 3: Someone clipped my foot from behind. I wiped out on the pavement. Fortunately, I called upon my taekwondo instincts, and I did a tumble roll on the street, bouncing right back up, dusting off my hands, and thinking: "OK, who saw that?" hahahaha I just kept running. Welcome to your first New York City Marathon, Mark!!!! Just then a guy held a sign that read: "FINISHING IS THE ONLY F**KING OPTION!" Lots of roars for that one.
MILE 4: I will be estimating mileage at this point. There were 120 bands. The one I remember most was a beautiful Baptist Church to our left, and lining the sidewalk out front was their gospel choir, all singing for us. It is so humbling. You just raise your fist into the air, hoping they will see you, that you are thanking them for entering your consciousness for a minute as you fly by.
I knew Fourth Avenue would last forever. You really can't know it until you experience it, though. It was like Forrest Gump running across the country. I gave a thousand high-fives to people, especially very small children. I loved the changing cultures. Every community was different, in race and face and music and architecture. Fluid stations featured Gatorade in front, and if you wanted water, you ran toward the end of the stations.
It was on this mile that I felt my first twinge of plantar fasciitis in my right foot.
Mile 7: I just remember a guy in front of me saying to someone: "See that big building up ahead? That's Mile 8." Indeed. It was the building I had stared at over and over and over in visualizing the course in the week before, with my youtube video and at the ING area at the Expo.
Mile 10-12: I love you, Williamsburg. It was such a cool part of Brooklyn. I cannot say adequately enough how much those people helped me. They came out in shocking force. The screamed my name constantly. At Mile 11, my right foot was officially my enemy for the rest of the day. It was aching just as it had in Long Training Run No. 2, when I had to limp back home. This time, it would not matter. I would run through whatever pain my body offered. It hurt like hell. I was looking around for my colleague Gur while running; you have no chance of spotting someone (vice-versa) in this crowd unless you specify the street corner precisely.
Half-Marathon: My time was 2:48. I was very happy with that. My TFK coaches had told me to think "10-10-10". 10 miles, 10 miles and a 10K, running the second 10 faster than the first, and the 10K faster than all three. Save up, save up, save up in the first 10 miles. I tried to pace myself during that time. I was on track, I felt. At that point, I saw a pay phone booth on the sidewalk. I jumped over the barricade and placed a collect call to my Mom. "Hi, Mom, I'm halfway done, about to leave Brooklyn for Queens." It was so funny. I felt so glad to talk to my Mom. She isn't wired on a computer. My boys were charting my progress back in St. Louis online, so was my brother Tim in Colorado Springs, so were others all over thanks to technology. I went back onto the street to run, and at the end of the block I stopped again.
It was an English Bulldog. Right in the middle of the intersection. You guys know me. I spent 5 minutes hugging and petting that English Bulldog. Maybe 8 minutes. Maybe my six hour time was because of that. "You ready to run?" I asked him, knowing that the bully I had could not run 26.2 inches. Every time I run Central Park, I see a bully and have to pet it.
QUEENS: It was hard to run uphill over the Queensboro Bridge. For one thing, there was a gorgeous panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline, and I stopped to admire it. Things were starting to hit me. My foot was breaking off. After getting over the bridge, something happened. Four Team for Kids teammates, including Alicia (pictured above, the limb-marker), came up from behind and she said, "C'mon, do this for your boys!" (It was on that sign on my back.) I said, "My foot is killing me!" Alicia said, "I know! So is my hip! Let's go!" I ran with them. For a mile. Then I lost them. It would be a bad mistake, but my body gave me no choice. I listened to my iPod. We can now put any "controvery" to bed over marathons and iPods. Katie Holmes' picture wearing hers is all over the world. I listened to mine when I want. If you are a race director and you do not permit iPods, then congratulations, you are a loser and you sound kind of like a book-burner. It's 2007 and Apple is responsible for part of this new runner boom.
BRIDGE TO MANHATTAN, MILE 16: Queens didn't last long, fortunately. But what did last long was the longest bridge in the history of human civilization. Or so it seemed. It was dark and tunnelly, trying to get across the East River, running, walking, running, walking, dying. Massive pain. I knew that heaven lie on the other side -- those legendary crowds along First Avenue, just waiting for you. In the middle of the bridge, there was a series of signs. They said: "If Easy Means Having Only 10 Miles Left"..."Then Welcome To Easy"..."Welcome To Manhattan." The moment finally came, after Mile 16. And the crowds were glorious.
MANHATTAN/FIRST AVENUE: I did my best. Every time the crowds screamed: "Let's Go Mark! You Can Do It!!!!" I made myself run. But at Mile 18, my quads bonked. I could no longer lift my legs up to run. It was the ONLY thing other than my right foot that went on the fritz today. There were always med tents (they are great) and I stopped in the next one. "What is wrong?," the Latin woman asked me. "My quads bonked," I said. Funny, she knew exactly what I meant. She put me on a stretcher, and proceeded to give me a painfully exuberant and effective deep muscle leg rub, and then put icepacks on both thighs. She gave me two Tylenol. Then she threw me out onto the street like dirty water. "What do I do now?" I said. "Stretch. Walk," she said. I did. Then I ran. Somehow. Then there was a fluid station with lots of cold green sponges, and also PowerBar gels. A little girl gave me pretzels. "Do you know why we like pretzels?" I said to her, down on my knees. She was maybe 5. "No, why Mister?" she said. I said, "Because the salt makes us run faster. It is like magic to me right now. Thank you." She smiled at me and I smiled back, then I ran. A woman held a sign that read: "I WANT TO DATE A MARATHON MAN!" I ran along her side of the fence.
MILE 20/THE BRONX: First Avenue was like the Equator. It just kept going forever. And it was completely uphill, gradually, painfully, unmercifully. I ran. I walked. I ran. I walked. Then I got to The Bronx and I saw the Mile 20 sign, and THAT IS WHEN IT HIT ME: You are going to finish a Marathon. I made myself run. I have to say a quick word here, first:
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A WALL!!!!!
There. I have been wanting to say that. I think that the constantly referred-to term of "The Wall" is complete and utter bullshit. I think it is in the mind. It is one thing to have your quads just stop on you. But I don't buy into The Wall. That is a mindset. If your mind is strong, there is no such thing. You will never convince me otherwise. I am glad I learned that for myself.
MILES 21-22/HARLEM: We left The Bronx by crossing over the Madison Avenue Bridge. At the bottom of the hill was a rhythm-and-blues band playing, and I veered to my right while the other runners banked left, and right then and there I DANCED with the band. They all got into it. They had a runner dancing with them. I forgot all about my foot, all about my quads, all about my time. I danced, Lee Ann Womack. Yes, I definitely danced in Harlem.
MILE 23: It hit me at Fifth Avenue and 130th Street that I know exactly where I am. I could measure my distance in MY MILEAGE. I knew that 20 blocks equal one mile. So to get from 130th to 59, or the bottom of Central Park, I had to shave off 70 blocks, or 3 1/2 miles. Just chunk it, Mark. It seemed too big at that moment. I ran. I walked. I ran. I walked. I was giving in again. Then I would tell myself: NO!!!! THIS IS YOUR MARATHON!!! DO NOT GIVE IN!!! I would stop and drag my right foot at a 90-degree angle, trying to relieve the pain, squishing my foot against an edge of the sole. Then I would run again. I was doing what my TFK coach Courtney had told me at Mile 11. I was landing on the outer edge, then the inner edge, then on my toes, then on my heel, then the middle. I did that constantly, trying to "distribute the pounding." It might have been only psychological, but it was all I could do. You know what was funny? In the 20's, there were times when I forgot about the pain, because the pain was so constant; it's like my body was trying to make the pain go away. For a while it would. Then I saw it: 110th Street. I had reached Central Park. My turf.
MILE 24: It took a long time to get to the 90th Street entrance of Central Park, where the course veers to the right. It was uphill getting there, and I lost a lot of time in those 20 blocks. Then I was running clockwise on my familiar regular course, toward Cat Hill. That's when I saw the first people on the course I knew. "NEWMAN!!!!" came the shout on the right. It was Gregg, the guy who sits next to me at work, and his wife. He came out and gave me a hug, and I thanked them for coming out. He saw that I was crying. I was way past worrying about that. "Kind of emotional right now," I said, wiping my face with my wristbands. I had just crossed under the MILE 24 sign. It had made me think of my Dad...that I was almost there.
MILE 25: We went past the Boathouse, and I crossed my chest and said a prayer for Ryan Shay, who had collapsed and died right there a day earlier in the U.S. Olympic Men's Marathon Trial. I kept running, which was actually symbolic, as that is what happened in the bigger picture, after that Saturday tragedy. Humanity moved on, in spite of a fallen comrade. Everyone had his or her own story. Mine continued as I reached the turnoff out of the park and onto 59th Street. Then it was a sharp right turn, and there were the crowds again. I was so proud to be a New Yorker. They shouted at me so loud. My legs buckled, and I dragged my right foot sideways again, once again as if it were a broken appendage. I could barely feel it. It had hurt since Mile 4. Why was I still running? How was I still running? "JUST KEEP MOVING, MARK! YOU'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING! JUST KEEP MOVING!" I will never forget that woman's voice. I looked up into the sky as I ran. I closed my eyes. I gritted my teeth. My strides continued. I made it over to the other side of the park, and at Columbus Circle we turned back in for the home stretch.
MILE 26: And that is where I saw the MILE 26 sign that my new friend and I had talked about the night before (see above). I remembered that moment. But mostly, I thought of my Dad. I broke down right there. I cried like a fire hydrant opened up full. I didn't care who saw me cry. That was my Dad. I looked up at the sky at him. I said, "Dad, take me home." The sign said 600 yards to go. THREE FOOTBALL FIELDS. That seemed forever. I thought of running football fields in high school. It was too big a thought. Just put one foot in front of the other, Mark. "Dad, take me home." I looked up at the sky again. I prayed. I talked to my Dad. The finish line was up ahead. It was bright blue, big and beautiful, like reaching the ocean.
THE FINISH: I raised both arms as high as I could, to touch the sky and hug my Dad. I smiled. I went under the finish line. As I did, I danced again, just like I had in Harlem. I did a Nelly to the left, a Nelly to the right, and a Nelly to the left. The crowd laughed -- I don't think many other runners danced across the finish line. Then they put a medal around my neck. They took my picture. They put one of those solar blankets around me. I limped horribly back to Cherry Hill on 72nd Street, to the TFK tent where our checked bags were waiting. I ate a sandwich, an apple, drank more. I went home and took an ice bath, screaming the whole time and lasting exactly one minute. I took a hot bath with epsom salts. I had a piece of buttercream cake from Alice's Teacup next door. I had several Coors Lights to go with a delivery order of babyback ribs and a baked potato from Dallas BBQ. I took Motrin. I was a marathoner.
MY TIME: 6:08. It gives me something to SHATTER in my next marathon. I am a little bummed out that I was so slow that I did not make it into the New York Times, and my fellow runners who I talk to all the time know how frustrated I was by that number. But it's something I can deal with. The best email I got was from Bob, head of the Big Cats runner club of which I am a part nationally, and he said, "Congrats on a huge accomplishment!! Times will drop - they always do! The first race is just your first PR!" That meant a lot. I know the reason for it personally, and that only matters in terms of MY OWN EXPECTATIONS.
Here's what the medal looks like close-up.
The Day After
On Monday, November 5, I limped back to Tavern on the Green, where they had the Marathon Monday store. I got my medal engraved with my name and time on the back. I got a Finisher cap. I again read the words on the back of my medal, and they are perfect, considering what I had just gone through: "A triumph of the will over all the limits." I got back to my apartment after painstakingly climbing up a few flights (good to keep moving), and I looked at the silver keyfob on my keychain. It said "ING New York City Marathon." My boss Geoff had given me that last winter, the first time I realized that I wasn't the only one who thought I could perhaps do this. I just nodded my head, and then unlocked my door, and started my new life as a marathoner. I haven't decided my next move. I just want to be a good Dad, I want to be better than ever at what I do every day, I want to finish a book manuscript now that I've finished a marathon, I want to let my right foot heal, and then I want to go 26.2 again.
I am runner number 26323 in the ING New York City Marathon.
The Time is Now.
After chronicling my odyssey all season, since I started distance running last December, it is time. I just returned from the World Series in Denver, where we put the 103rd Fall Classic to bed, where I spent so much time talking with Red Sox fans and writing their stories on MLB.com, and looking back I have to say that it was the best Major League Baseball season that I remember in my lifetime. I will put it up there with '41, '69 or any other season from the past that has inspired so many books and legends. No year ever could match this one for magical milestones (3000/500s/600/300 and important records (home run king), 3 no-hitters, unprecedented competitiveness involving seemingly everyone into September, and a fourth straight year of overall record attendance. It is simply the greatest time in baseball history. And that's saying something with this sport. This year had it all, and in the end it had the team with the best record winning the world championship. Congrats again to the Red Sox. I was there for both of their sweeps, at St. Louis and at Colorado, and this one was just as sweet for them. My favorite memory will be of being in Cleveland's visitor's clubhouse at about 2 a.m. on getaway night after Game 5, and Manny is sitting there wearing a ridiculous purple tie and black pants, and Big Papi gets up from the couch next to him, walks around the media and comes back and says to him: "Why don't you tell them where the funeral is." Just being around Manny is funny.
Now it is time for the other marathon. The New York City Marathon. I am ready for my first 26.2. I just watched a commercial for it on NBC here in Manhattan, and that just got me a little nervous. I have been visualizing it, mainly by using this youtube video. One of my Team for Kids teammates posted the link on our site, and I think it is a great example of how today's technology lets an athlete visualize better than ever.
My goal is to finish between 4:30 and 5:45. I drained myself with a bug on the final weekend in Denver and am spending this final week replenishing, constantly hydrating, eating right. Starting tomorrow, I will begin carbing up. The TFK coaches have been incredible, all of them veterans of this event. I am also VERY proud to say that I raised over $2700 for Team for Kids, well over my required fundraising amount to run this year's marathon. Next year I am already guaranteed entry, and I already know that I will want to help a cause in pursuit of that one as well even if it's not required. It is one of the best things about being a runner, to me. I love running, and now I have a big, scary, incredible race about to happen.
I have been cranking my favorite training tune loud -- Nelly's Heart of a Champion. That's my theme for this one. I have learned to overcome so many things. I am looking forward to putting the new beginning and ending on my 210-page manuscript "Trees and Numbers" after I finish this marathon, or at least after I recover from it. Never have I seen a greater example of Trees and Numbers than this booming sport, where the Half-Marathon is now so common in small towns everywhere. I know that I have timed this one perfectly, this boom and this book audience. I am so excited about that, and my next big goal will be a bestseller in the next 18 months. But enough talk. It's time to run. Thank you all for spending a marathon season with me. Baseball is over, and now it's my other big event.
I am runner 26323 in the ING New York City Marathon.
Only 39 days till the ING New York City Marathon. Plantar fasciitis in my right foot is the third consecutive injury I have dealt with in rapid-fire succession. Today was my fourth "rehab run" and after five miles the pain was too much to run through. Have decided to once again shut it down for a couple of weeks, and fortunately I will have access to hotel health clubs everywhere I go because . . . .
It's time for some October baseball! We're in the final days of deciding the postseason berths after the most historic, spectacular regular season in the history of Major League Baseball. (My MLB.com article here.). We have had more major milestones than ever (by a mile). There was even that day when Frank Thomas hit his 500th, followed at night by Craig Biggio's truly unforgettable 5-for-5 performance that included hit No. 3,000. Tom Glavine got his 300th win and Roger Clemens his 350th. A-Rod and Jim Thome joined the 500 HR Club. Sammy Sosa hit his 600th (Junior Griffey will do it next spring, when Manny gets his 500th). Trevor Hoffman became the first pitcher to reach 500 saves.
And, of course, there was the chase that resulted in a new home run king and a change of the guard for the most hallowed individual record in any sport, professional or amateur. Maybe you hated it, maybe you loved it, and maybe you tried to be indifferent. But you were probably watching when Barry Bonds cranked No. 756 in August, and when that classy video message from dethroned Hank Aaron came over the AT&T Park scoreboard.
Is there any doubt that October will likewise be something truly out of the ordinary? Could this be the year that the Chicago Cubs not only reach their first World Series since 1945 . . . but also WIN their first world championship since 1908? They still have to take care of business this week first. Will the Yankees finally regain their royalty and win No. 27? Will Cleveland win it all for the first time since 1948? How about a Mets-Red Sox reunion from 1986? And how about my Rockies? I predicted on MLB.com in March that they would go to the World Series. I am pretty sure I am about the only one who predicted that in the civilized world. To me, it was a great young core that was going to come together. They are sure doing that now. (For full disclosure, I also predicted they would face Texas.)
I'll be working the postseason, and as I said, fortunately I'll be able to use hotel health club facilities the whole time -- exercise bike, elliptical, swimming, etc. So I will shut down running for up to two weeks again and keep up my fitness. I am registered for the ING New York City Marathon 18-mile Tuneup this Sunday at Central Park, but it looks like I will just forfeit my $20 entry fee because it's just not that important as I listen to my body. My first marathon approaches fast, and fortunately we are up to $2,134 raised for TEAM FOR KIDS thanks to my friends here and elsewhere. Please click here if you would like to help me make a difference to give a running start to many needy children and donate to this very important cause (my entry number is 94714 and last name is Newman). Any amount is welcome, and maybe you would like to donate $1 per mile -- it would be $26.20 and I promise you would feel GREAT about it.
This is going to be one unbelievable, crowded, busy, amazing October, carrying right over to a November 4 date with destiny that I will somehow finish despite these injuries. And then after that, the completion of my work of a lifetime, "Trees and Numbers," providing a beginning and an ending to the current 210-page manuscript.
That's my life right now.
Yes, this is The Marathon Season.
That's how long until the ING New York City Marathon according to their website. I am in my own little private bootcamp now and Central Park is my private Olympic training center. After 11 days on the DL due to the lower right back/right hip injury caused two nights before the Nike Half, I cleared myself to resume training (three days before the doctor said OK) and am back "in the game." I ran six miles around the park on Saturday morning and was pain-free, which was a huge relief. I thought about entering that morning McDonald's Fitness 4M run with thousands of others, but instead I ran against the grain and watched them, focusing only on my marathon prep. I had some discomfort in my right arch area while running, as I was just unused to my Asics after 11 days off. That resulted in a bruised right arch, so I iced a lot, rested it Sunday, and then this morning I went back and ran five miles on the Lower 5 loop. It was OK, some pain in the last mile and kind of sore now. But compared to the back/hip injury, this is nothing. That's 11 miles in three days, which is a good start getting back on track. I have fallen behind quite a bit and the jury is out on whether I will enter Saturday's NYC Marathon Long Training Run #2 at Central Park, which is anywhere from 6 to 20 miles depending on your preference. My Team for Kids teammates will be running 18 at least. I won't be up for that yet, even though I ran a comfortable 16 a few weeks ago. Lost too much fitness in those 11 days. I'll get there. I am focused. My gameface is on. I'm doing ab work with an exercise ball at home, as well as on the grass off the running path, and I'm back to doing park bench push-ups front/reverse. Lots of stretching. Lots of sweating. Biggest obstacle is controlling my calorie intake, wanting to eat everything in sight because I am working up an appetite. Any members of the "Foodies" group here, I included this post because I welcome anyone's thoughts as I really need to guard myself against overeating and want to lose about 10. I'm drinking over 100 oz water a day, eating chicken, brown rice, too much pasta, too much buttered wheat bread, too many peanuts, etc. Some good, some bad. I'm glad I got the buzzcut, feels great to run and sweat and just pour water over my head and rub it off. Time to run.
Thanks to anyone who has chosen to donate to Team for Kids as a way of supporting my first marathon! I am up to $1,980 I believe, and my required fundraising total is $2500. So I'm getting there, and I am relying on my friends and family and colleagues to help that great cause and make a difference with me. I also encourage anyone who is in the New York City area on November 4 to come on out and cheer! It's going to be an unreal scene. I think about it all the time and keep looking at the course map and videos of past NYC Marathons and everything I am supposed to know. Meanwhile, I am baseball around the clock, and the most historic season in Major League Baseball history is about to have another unbelievably wild finish with a spectacular October. What a life right now...this is crazy.
Just don't let it be a World Series Game 7 on Nov. 1 in Anaheim! I'll need some rest!
Mark
UPDATED 9:50 A.M. ON SUNDAY, JULY 15: No wonder I almost passed out during the spectacular run I am about to describe. I just went to mapmyrun.com and discovered that it was 7 1/2 miles from our hotel to the Marin side of the Golden Gate Bridge. Throw in the tough hills, and I just (mostly) ran 15 miles (my longest was 13.1 three times) on a hard course with changing elevations. We had planned to run 9 or 10.
It was the best All-Star Game that has been played since I was a boy, when they were truly staged for pride and glory, and I can only describe my trip out to San Francisco from Saturday morning (7 a.m. flight on 7-7-7) through Wednesday night as UNFORGETTABLE. It was that in every way, from Sunday's future stars to our MLB.com party that night co-hosted by Alyssa Milano and Jose Reyes to Ichiro's inside-the-park homer to the Willie Mays pregame ceremony to the Barry Bonds crowd to the ninth-inning rally to my first visit to majestic AT&T Park with its View Level splendor looking out over the Bay. And you know what? The best part was saved for last.
After four days of working the All-Star week for MLB, I checked out of the truly unforgettable Hotel Nikko in San Francisco at 11:15 a.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday wearing my running gear with 2 GU packs and my Canon Powershot (which I killed on the Golden Gate Bridge) in the back pocket of my fuel belt. I checked three bags with the bellman, and was surprised to find that my colleague Jason, our guy with the Detroit Tigers, was waiting there in the lobby. I had mentioned I was going to run, and he was all ready to rumble, a past marathoner. So I had a running partner, and one who had run the San Francisco course before. We started running at 11:25, our baseball work behind us. It was everything I had hoped for and more when I planned to take a redeye flight out late just for this. Here we go:We left Union Square and headed for Market Street, then over to The Embarcadero. Here is the first site from there: The Bay Bridge.
Here is the famous Coit Tower, decorated in our All-Star regalia just like me.
That's me and Jason, taken by a guy who was going to run the San Francisco Marathon later this month. Our course covered much of that layout. You also can see what my brand-new Nathan fuel belt looks like. It's twisted around in this pic because my ill-fated Powershot was in that big pocket on my left hip (it was in the middle of my lower back while I ran). I liked the Nathan better than the red/black Fuel Belt because of the sturdier holsters for the water bottles, so that they go in and out easier while you are running. There's the red do-rag I picked up at RonJon Shop on Cocoa Beach last month, and the Nike Sportband I got last month at Apple Store on Fifth Ave. to replace the one I left in the Florida taxi. It's funny when I look at these pics and see little stories of my running past.
Here are a couple of shots of the Aquarium area, first view of the Bay.
There's me about to be eaten by a Megaladon, the largest shark in the history of the world dating back 750 mabilliavajillion years ago. I gave him a tooth inspection and was flossing between his bicuspids. I think he will be happy even though he's about to eat me. I hope my BreatheRight strip will protect me.
Alcatraz.
This was a silver guy. I guess he was being a statue.
The guy making the sand sculpture looks friendly here to the passing Runner Tourist. But he was telling me here: "If you're going to take a free picture, it's at least 5 cents." Ha! Like I'm carrying any coins and what's he going to do, take back my digital picture? He looks like a nice tourist-loving guy but he was a jerk.
This was my favorite thing about San Francisco when I used to come here in the late '80s and when I lived here in 1990-92 (no, I never got near the Golden Gate Bridge back then because of work/whatever). It's Fisherman's Wharf, and even though it's real cheesy there, the crab is just awesome. I love it.
First sighting: Golden. Gate. Bridge. (You are about to see very much of her.) At this point we ran a long way through the Marina district, gorgeous homes. It was a really long straightaway, preparing me for what Fourth Avenue will be like in Brooklyn on Nov. 4. We went through a few really wicked hills, including one straight up. Then, suddenly, it is right there in front of you, the base of The Bridge. I refilled my four water bottles at the Golden Gate Gift Shop, and we each grabbed a Gatorade.
Meet Joseph B. Strauss, builder of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Guess what? We're on the Golden Gate Bridge. I was immediately surprised by how wide it is, how easy it is to run/bike over. It is six lanes wide, and plenty of rec-lane space. And flat.
I repeatedly stopped along the rail to just admire the most fabulous running scenery I have experienced. The panorama is just so beautiful. I love you, San Francisco.
We ran across the Golden Gate Bridge, which was just over 4,000 feet for the main span, and more than 6,000 from support to support. We reached Vista Point on the Marin side of the bridge, and then turned around and headed back. The wind started picking up on the bridge run back, the kind of chilly high wind we were expecting in the first place. That made it really hard to run. It was beautiful, and it was a superhuman workout as I expected. Here is the view heading back across from the Marin side.
After stopping again at the Golden Gate Gift Shop, to refill the four water bottles and to each hit the GU, we ran back to Marina and you would absolutely love this dirt running path that they maintain so beautifully. It takes you right along the marsh beach, and just an indescribably beautiful run back to the City. Alcatraz is right in the middle of the picture...you are running right at Alcatraz on the horizon. I even stopped along the beach to splash some water from the Bay onto my head. (Sorry, Asics.)
On a not-so-good note, when we got back to Fisherman's Wharf, right about then I started getting lightheaded. I walked a little, then started again, and it kept getting worse, like everything was really bright. I was starting to worry that I couldn't finish, realizing that seven months ago I was a pack-a-day smoker. Altitude? Long sleeves for 90-percent humidity? (Felt like 60s so it seemed appropriate.) Not enough hydrating? I was pounding liquids. Was it that condition when you have TOO MUCH fluid that I've heard about? Maybe someone can help me, because that worried me. Also on a not-so-good note, right about then I realized that the aperture was not opening on my Powershot. My experience with others is that once that happens (no warranty), it is toast. No more pics, and fortunately I had already taken all the pics/vids I needed.
After going it slow for a while, I started running again, and then I was fine for the most part. I made it all the way back to the hotel with Jason, working our way back along the sometimes-hilly downtown streets (we passed on the roller-coaster hills of Lombard, just too lethal for such a monster run). Back at the Hotel Nikko, we headed to the health club on the fifth floor and I hit the jacuzzi and the swimming pool. It felt good to do that and shower and clean up there, then I said later-days to Jason and thanked him for the run, and I jumped on the BART train (much better than NYC subways) and headed for the San Francisco Airport. Back to New York.
UNFORGETTABLE...
...from near or far...
As crushing as it was to see "NO" when I entered my name at noon today for the 2007 ING New York City Marathon entrant database, I decided that I am undaunted by the lottery result and will be running the event anyway on behalf of Team for Kids! Thank you to everyone who left me good-luck comments, I really appreciate that!
No, my name was not accepted out of the 98,000 applications from around the world, all vying for about 37,000 spots in the world's biggest marathon. Yes, first reaction was disbelief. But it's all good! You can still run it for charity if you're registered (I registered in February), and I had a lot of supportive MLB colleagues around me here at the offices to pick me up and reinforce that I will have no problem raising the required $2,500 in pledges by the Nov. 4 event. I will go directly from the World Series in some unknown city once I have washed the champagne out of my hair (I always get soaked in the clubhouse!) to a Sunday morning start on Staten Island and then run over the bridge to Brooklyn to Queens to The Bronx to Central Park and practically my front door at Tavern on the Green.
I LOVE RUNNING!
I ALSO LOVE KIDS!
This is perfect for me, and like I said, colleagues here at our MLB offices told me I definitely should do this so I did. And how cool that I just submitted my Team for Kids membership form on the week of Father's Day. It will be an even more fun way to share my first 26.2-mile journey with my three awesome boys, whose Dad will be wearing that bright green singlet within the same year as he quit smoking mainly for them.
So here's the deal, and there will be more details to follow with my fundraising form. Team for Kids raises critical funds for New York Road Runners Foundation youth programs. Team members are adult runners who pledge to raise funds for NYRRF as they train for and compete in premier NYRR races, including the ING New York City Marathon and the NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE (which I am also going to be running on August 5!). Since 2002, Team for Kids members have raised more than $5 million for NYRRF and the children they serve.
Supported by the powerful outreach of Team for Kids members, more than 25,000 children a week in more than 150 schools and community centers now participate in NYRRF programs, where they learn critical skills to improve their physical health, emotional well-being, and capacity for personal achievement.
Last week, I received a letter from my Aunt Marti. Her brother, my father, passed away last year. I really miss my Dad. He had the heart of a lion. He would do anything for anyone. In the last year of his life while battling multiple myeloma, he volunteered to drive cancer patients to their chemo treatments. When he passed away, I had to stay around at the hospice to meet the University of Louisville people who had driven two hours to pick up my Dad, who donated his body to medical science there. He donated supplies constantly to a home of nuns in Eastern Kentucky, and all I ever remember most is his desire to make a difference. So that letter from my Aunt Marti read: "Your father's spirit of honesty and giving now lives in you." That felt like a lot to live up to. It was instilled by his mother, my grandmother, who would take me to the State Hospital as a boy just to be around mentally retarded children, and she would always say, "Mark, always remember other people." If I can be half the man my Dad was, I will die pretty happy one day. I have a ton of living to do first, and to live the right way.
Distance running is such an individual sport, with such a focus on ME such as my physique, my mileage, my nutrition, my course, my music while I run...it may be the most individual of athletic endeavors that there is. It is generally solitude, you and your thoughts. I have thought for these last six months about that, and I have been pleased that there are so many NYRR events that benefit worthy causes. In that small way, it feels like you are making a little difference. But I know there has to be much, much more. I never feel like I am doing nearly enough, and I suppose that is how one should feel. I am going to be very happy to start the Team for Kids fundraising.
Now I have something at stake in this that is not just me and my training. It feels like something more, even though I know I wanted to see a YES on that lottery acceptance form that everyone was checking today on the NYC Marathon site. Next year this is a moot point, because just a few weeks ago I qualified for the 2008 NYC Marathon by virtue of running the minimum nine NYRR scored qualifying races in 2007. I just know that within an hour of getting the lottery news, I went from "crushed" to "excited." Yes, everyone will be hearing from me. I won't mean to be a pest. But I now have a marathon to run and another reason to run it. It feels good to know it's all set finally.
This feels like a good time to post a photo I just found of my Dad, and I'm guessing it was sometime in the late '70s. There's also a shot of me and my own sons who I can't wait to spend time with this Father's Day weekend. I am going to be dedicating my first marathon to them, and running it for KIDS everywhere!
Just remember: NO MEANS YES!
Mark
So here we are. Today, June 1, marks six months to the day that my life changed.
I am going to try to recapture the incredible feelings and everything I have learned, month by month, as a new distance runner and an Upper West Sider in Manhattan. I am doing this mainly as a way that is helping me continue to record what has happened as I make final revisions on my "Trees and Numbers" book manuscript next winter, but I also want to share my excitement with others who love running as much (or more) as I do. I want to sincerely, most graciously thank everyone who has come into my life in that time and provided invaluable assistance, support and general friendship in this incredible half-year. I want to thank Kirk and Janice, who had lived in this new apartment before me and suggested distance running when I dropped in to first look at the place. And every friend. I have a long way to go with the first marathon looming ahead, but a lot to be thankful for.
DECEMBER
Moved from NJ to Upper West Side next to Central Park
Quit smoking cold turkey
Bought first pair of Asics at Foot Action in Times Square
Joined New York Road Runners
Bought "The Runner's Training Diary" as faithful daily log
Spent $200 on a bunch of arctic running gear
Started drinking 12 oz Accelerade before/after every run
Resumed this blog under new title to reflect baseball and running
Trailmix/celery/grapes/etc to fill smoking void, guzzled water
Debuted in Joe Kleinerman 10K on 12/10 (1:18.40/12:41 pace)
Ran Hot Chocolate 10M on 12/16 (2:07.07/12:42)
Wondered when I will stop looking fat
Eating oatmeal/fruit almost every morning, 80-90 oz H20/day
Bought Christmas tree for first time since 2000, suddenly happy
Ran 55.5 miles in my first month
JANUARY
Rang in 2007 in Times Square with my awesome boys
Walked past smoke-breakers at work and felt good
Running 20 miles a week, and completely around Central Park first time
Ran Fred Lebow 5M Classic on 1/7 (54:01/10:48)
Bought 6-foot tall Central Park print and framed it on wall
Breakthrough: On 1/8, ran 3 consecutive (hilly) miles first time
Learned how to eat GU while running
Week of 1/15 was first 20+ mileage week
Learned to stretch better -- and never stretch cold muscles
Carbo-loaded for first time
Ran Manhattan Half-Marathon on 1/21 (2:30.03/11:27)
Right arch began hurting after 3 days rest, fears of plantar fasciitis went away
Learned to blow snot while running
My boss gave me a NYC Marathon keychain for inspiration
I wrote a letter to my right foot
Started tanning
Ran 57.2 miles my second month
FEBRUARY
Bought Eric Harr's book "The Portable Personal Trainer" w/100 tips
Learned what it feels like to be in The Zone
Ran NYRR Gridiron Classic on Super Bowl Sunday (43:05/10:46)
On the 12th, I registered for 2007 ING New York City Marathon
Loaded tons of CDs into my Nano Red
Learned to wash technical gear after wearing it
Began doing park-bench pushups (front/reverse) before each run
Back in IND for grandpa's 90th birthday, ran 6 miles on desolate rural roads
On the 25th, I used Breathe-Right strip first time and shaved :45 off pace
Have lost 12 pounds at this point, when you're supposed to gain weight after smoking
Ran 62.3 miles in my third month
MARCH
Favorite song on Nano Red while running was "Reign O'er Me" by Pearl Jam
Ran Coogan's Salsa, Blues & Shamrocks 5K on 3/4 (30:17/9:46)
(My first time under a 10-minute pace! Big psychological boost)
Put Yankee rug on floor and started real CORE work first time
Ran first time with Powershot, giving video tour through Central Park
Ran Colon Cancer Challenge 15K on 3/11 (1:36.15/10:20). I WORE SHORTS!!!
Helping others through running: What a concept!!!
First experience with blisters and blister kit
Bought new box of clear Breathe-Right strips
Learned from Nathalie: You're only as good that day as your cooldown run
Ran NYRR8000 on ice on 3/18 despite "fun run" status due to overnight winter storm
Started dating again
APRIL
Ran Scotland Run 10K on 4/1 (1:01.17/9:53, disputed), and won raffle afterwards
First case of shinsplints, in left leg. Occasional problem even today
Started buying warm-weather gear; I only knew cold-weather running
Ran Brooklyn Half-Marathon on 4/14 (2:19.03/10:36), bad cramp in 12th mile
Learned not to eat so much before a race
Learned to use ice massage on shinsplints, RICEing like crazy
Ran Oklahoma City Half on 4/29 (2:19) while visiting top Texas Rangers prospect
MAY
Ran NY Junior League Mother's Day 4M (36:54/9:13)
Ran Healthy Kidney 10K on 5/19 (57:11/9:13) - another psyche boost
With that 9th NYRR finish of '07, I QUALIFIED FOR 2008 NYC MARATHON!
Amer. Heart Assn. Wall Street Run on 5/22 (27:51/9:17) - dumb event
On 5/30, bought new box of clear Breathe-Right strips
Having trouble getting to sleep early and not eating late
Never even a thought about smoking, seems weird now to think I smoked
Total miles so far on original Asics: 445.9 miles
JUNE
Time to go buy my second pair of shoes, probably from Jackrabbit (not Foot Action!)
Registered for Japan Day 4M race on 6/3
Headed for Disney World during the week to work our MLB Draft at ESPN Zone
Life is good and getting better every day
Thank you again to everyone who has been there along with me for my first true "HALF"! That's one half-year as a distance runner. I have sooooo much to learn and so many obstacles to conquer. I have a marathon coming this fall, and in mid-June I will find out via the lottery if that's NYC. I love being a runner and I love how it makes me feel. It's been one of the best half-years of my life. Keep running with me.
Here's a Before and After:
Last Saturday, I cut up a David Wright No. 5 Mets shirt in honor of that weekend's Interleague Play series between the two New York teams. I set a PR with a 57:11 time (9:13 pace) in that morning's Healthy Kidney 10K at Central Park, and Wright slugged two homers that day. Here are the pics that I just received from brightroom.com.
This VOX outpost is focused on my two foremost everyday passions, baseball and running. Everyone knows that a Major League Baseball season is a "marathon season" with its 162-game regular season schedule followed by profound October magic and even a possible November finish to this year's World Series. And this year that old adage rings even truer because I will go right from a World Series championship clubhouse celebration to my first marathon -- hopefully the ING New York City Marathon on Nov. 4. Either way, I will be running a marathon somewhere in early November, so this Marathon Season blog on VOX is my combination of the two.
But today I have to address the open audition for Sexiest Man Alive that my new and impressive friend Miss Scotch has just posted. It does have something to do with my normal subject matter. This is going to sound like shameless campaigning, but trust me, it just feels good to know that I even feel like discussing this in a participatory manner now. And while I don't mean it to be prideful, I mean it because I am proud of who I am right now.
I am 47 and the father of three awesome boys 19/15/13 who live with their Mom back in the Midwest, and I am both happy and even surprised to say that I have never felt sexier in my entire life. Last Dec. 1, I traded in my Kools for a pair of Asics, moved to the Upper West Side a block away from The Dakota next to Central Park, and this past weekend I increased the mileage on those running shoes to 422.4 according to my daily logbook. I have run in 13 races since that life change, lost weight in key areas, rediscovered muscle in other areas, cleaned out my lungs and my entire body, toned my legs to statuesque rips, done 50 to 70 park bench pushups before every run and core work after most of them lately, shopped for a lot of new clothes by necessity, brainstormed countless professional and personal ideas while running and followed them through; shaved off close to a minute of my mile pace every 4 to 6 weeks (now 9:13); qualified this past weekend for the 2008 New York City Marathon; and felt awesome about myself. Even my hair feels and looks better. My boys and I (thank God for email/IM/phone since MLB moved me to NYC) talk about things like working out and nutrition much of the time, and they call and say, "Dad, did you PR?"
My goal is to show others that you can go from a smoker to a marathoner within the same calendar year. I have run in three Half-Marathons (13.1 miles) and will run a few more of those between now and my first 26.2. My personal objective is to challenge myself in new ways, doing it through running and then showing myself that anything is possible in EVERY aspect of life. It is about drive and ambition and never, ever paying attention to one's age. I feel so much sexier now than I did 10 years ago, it is indescribable. All that is required is a true PASSION for something healthy in your life, and all good things will follow. I am not sure if the Sexiest Man Alive title will follow, but I thought it was funny enough to write about it here. I got a kick out of Miss Scotch's post, and as someone whose high school Saturday nights were often spent watching John Belushi live, I have to say that, man, I wish he had turned his obsession to the one I have at this point in life. There are times as a runner when you don't feel very sexy, like when you are in the last miles of a Half and you are chafing in a few key places with two or three blisters forming, but to me there is nothing sexier than SPEED and that feeling of a final kick sprint in the last mile of a big race.
"Start easy and finish hard."
Those were the first words I ever remember from my running days, uttered by New York Road Runners CEO Mary Wittenberg at the start of my first race last December at Central Park. Gotta love 'em. I still have a long way to go and I love the feeling of waking up each morning to train at my own private Olympic village (Central Park) without needing any contrived motivation. I love seeing the results each day in the mirror, in the way I feel, and on the race results page of the NYRR website. There are still days when I can't even imagine that I am going to run a marathon. But it's the thrill of the chase, and the application of the CANI (Constant and Never-Ending Improvement) principle that became ingrained on my Tony Robbins CDs during my comeback from the Tech Bubble. (RIP MAX Broadcasting Network, my nearly acquired dot-com darling of 1999-2001 and those 1.6 million shares.) I'm not going to be on the cover of a magazine, but it feels really cool knowing you have never felt sexier in your life. At my age, baby.
