#44 First Chaos and now Acts of God.....limping into Redemption-Tour stop 3?

If you read last week’s post (THANKS BTW, I’ve now passed the 3000 hit mark, something I never thought my “stories” would be interesting enough to have happen) you know I was battling through some (self-inflicted?) chaos.  Those few things thrown in the mix to keep life interesting.  Not the end of the world.....just another little bit of excitement.....who can’t handle that right?

Back in the groove? Maybe a little deeper than a "groove"

The plan was to bounce back with a strong training week.... “Peak Week” before the Redemption tour heads south for stop 3..... Virginia Beach Rock-n-Roll 1/2 Marathon on September 4th.  

Monday: started out strong, I ran a challenging long run of unknown distance (took some trails that I wasn’t super familiar with and wasn’t wearing my GPS watch, but I’m guessing it was around 16 or 17 miles).  

Tuesday: I got a good 45 cycling session 

Wednesday: I did a 7 mile (in total) run with 1/2 mi intervals.  

Thursday? Well, the wheels started to fall off.  Needed to clean the house (which looks like a hazard-zone at this point) enough to show a couple of the new tenants. 

Friday?  Well, turns out there was this little rain storm heading up the coast and so it was time to prepare for a hurricane.  

C’mon Irene.....you’re killing me.

Saturday?  After an AM trip to the storage unit to drop off Friday night’s packed-stuff, it was time to lead a Speed & Agility class for the (almost “decade” old kid & her soccer team) and then more “getting ready” for Irene.  

Sunday?  Well, after assessing Irene’s damage, thought things were going to be OK.....and then the power went out.....Sunday was touch & go trying to save BaseCamp31 items that were temperature sensitive......and here we are.....peak-week.

So where does this leave us compared to 2009?

The last time I ran this race, I had a very specific goal......and I blew it.  Off the opening gun I didn’t feel super comfortable, got caught behind some slower folks coming out of the corral and, in anticipation of the heat, I hydrated just a little too much.  Bio-breaks on the fly, although typically the domain of ultra-distance athletes only, are a skill that I just haven’t mastered.  Although a friend missed a Ironman Kona-Slot by stopping to “go” which would be devastating to me, I’ve not yet had to worry about being seconds away from a victory and thus the running-while-going topic will remain in the “for another blog” queue.  Aaaaaanyway....having suppressed the inner competitor who was telling me: “just go man”, I stopped at mile 4.  This was the beginning of the end for my goal-pace and by mile 6 there was just no getting back on track.  I let my pace slow and enjoyed the rest of the race.  Fast forward 2 years and a few more races (handful of 5K’s, a 10K,  a +/-15K, Oly-dist Tri x2, 1/2 Iron-dist Tri and one Iron-tri) and we're here, looking closely at Rock-n-Roll VA Beach.

The last time I ran this race, I trained hard:  did track workouts, ran hard, had a very specific schedule I followed.  This year, well, not exactly the same disciplined schedule.  I’ve put the miles in.....but they have been a whole lot less organized.  I’ve done some higher-intensity workouts, tempos, fartleks, speedwork, etc, but not nearly as specific.  I’ve done recovery.....but mostly on a bike or in a pool.  All of this turns out to be a double edged sword.  On the one hand, I know I’m in far better aerobic condition than in 2009 when I did the race the first time......the cumulative effect of now 3 years of generally consistent training is starting to work in my favor and the undoubted step-up in training volume that went with my “Tri-conversion”.  On the other hand, I know I haven’t put the effort into speed-work; in distance race, but not an “ultra-distance” race i.e. (less than 4 hours duration), having that higher end speed built on top of a strong aerobic engine is what really works.....and so I’m feeling like there are some definite unknowns.  

No....she's a great kid.  Really!

One more variable to consider: Not only is it another good benchmark for me to measure myself against, this year the race falls on child #1’s birthday.....and she’ll officially be (in her words) “A DECADE OLD”, which of course reminds me that I’ve been a Dad for TEN YEARS.....yikes.  Nothing quite like the loud bell of “look how old you are” ringing in your ear to give you that extra push.

And so.....we shall see.  The best part of having a very relaxed attitude toward training is that, by default, you have a relaxed attitude toward racing......it’ll be what it’ll be.  I expect it to be better than last time......probably not as good as it could be.....but better.....it’s going to come down to a good start, feeling good and then building some confidence along the way.  When I feel good and start believing I always do better......and so we’ll see.  So I may not be exactly where I want to be in training.....but I'll be ready to REDEEM THYSELF in Virginia Beach.

Reflection and a dose of reality

In the grand-scheme Irene turned out to be a PITA for me.....but it could’ve been much much worse.  With a death toll in NJ up to 7, millions of dollars in damaged homes and loss and hundreds of thousands struggling without power, I am thankful that she was only a PITA.

My thoughts and prayers go out to those who were more severely impacted and many thanks to the folks working very hard to restore what was lost.  A special good-luck and thanks to our utility clients who haven’t slept much, have barely seen their families and are working around the clock to get NY-NJ-PA back “in-lights”.

You’ll be stronger for it,

Mike E.

#43: The best part about CHAOS

cha·os

Noun/ˈkāäs/

1. Complete disorder and confusion.

2. Behavior so unpredictable as to appear random, owing to great sensitivity to small changes in conditions.

_________________________________

OK, so I'm not yet at COMPLETE disorder and confusion (it's damn close at times and some might argue otherwise).......but definition #2 seems like a cozy old sweater lately, starting to fit quite nicely.

I often wonder what people on the "outside" of my life looking in must think.  "That guy is CRAZY" is one theory that often comes to mind......hopefully in the crazy "innocently nutty" and not crazy "psycho killer" sort of way......As painfully noted by my tardiness in posting (only the second time I'm late in my 43 episodes so far, so you KNOW things are bonkers).....This past week has been just plain silly.  It started with my attempt to make-up for my missed long-run......

If you read last week's post, you know that I was out of town due to my Granddad's passing and after some travel delays due to weather, my "Sunday Long" was out.  So as any insane person would understand, I was elated to find out that hidden amongst the "Monday's" was going to be a couple hour block I could sacrifice to my endurance addiction.  The timing wasn't perfect, and there was the potential for more rain here and there, but when opportunity knocks....well.....you jump.

I mentioned to Lindsay on my way out the door that I was going to run from BaseCamp31 to the house and then back again which would put me at about 15 miles.....I walked out the door, to the steam bath of rain evaporating from the asphalt.  I had put on a long sleeve wick shirt b/c the last time I had seen the outdoors it was cool.  Oh well...no time....just go.  And I went.

I headed "O'er Hills" (not exactly the race course for 10/8 **REGISTER HERE or HERE**) and took a R and got into a solid rhythm.  It always feels great to be out around the middle of the day for me....it's so uncommon that it feels like I'm stealing back a little of my time.   Kept going and got to the place I was going to turn L and saw a detour sign....straight it is. At this point I was somewhere around 6 miles out and I started to hear some thunder.....oh a fitting metaphor......it was in the distance so being the slave to my goal of at least 14 miles I pushed on.....more rumbling....a little closer now......got to mile 7.5-ish and turned around.....more rumbling and a few drops......oh well, so I'm going to get a little wet.....it'll cool me down right?  Uh, yeah.  Another 1/2 mile and BLAAAAM the sky split open and buckets of rain fell.....and fell....and fell....the slosh of my feet in my shoes as I ran through a steady stream was distracting and so my running still went strong.....but not the type of conditions you want to be 5-6 miles away from home in......trudged along and finally got back to BaseCamp31......to a chorus of "you are an idiot, we were looking for you, where were you".

I figured it was nature's way of getting me over some tough emotions......little did I know the real storm had yet to begin.....you see, as I've been keeping quiet lately, we are in the midst of taking on another really cool project at Pro-Activity; this time it relates squarely in the Endurance-space......phase I of the project is the O'er Hills & Far Away Race which is a super-cool Old School style XC Race which is going to bring in some really phenomenal athletes to keep an eye on as well as a "Mortals Race", for those of us who can't quite qualify for the elite race......phase II is a close supporting relationship with the NJNYTC, a club of running superstars with a subset who are looking to make Hunterdon County their home.....more specifically, my home their home.  And phase III?  Oh....we can't talk about phase III.....but should we get to phase III....it's going to be AWESOME! What was I saying about when opportunity knocks?

What this means for me (and family) specifically is that we accelerate our life plans a bit (esp those that relate to moving to a house that's closer to what we need from a size/space perspective).  What it means is.....move out.....yesterday......b/c the tenants are here......

The chaotic part is not that we had to pack up and move out (we have an unbelievable support system including parents who gladly take in wayward children and grandchildren and a couple of brothers that have a knack for moving stuff), nor is it the piles and piles of stuff/other-fitting-term that we seem to have accumulated......the chaotic part is that it just so happens to be during one of the busiest times of our already certifiable lives:

• Both Lindsay and I are training for some event.....
• the cafe has opened and consumes much of Lindsay's time.....
• the summer is coming to a close which means school is going to start soon (including #3's first day in a classroom of any sort).....
• one of the single largest projects that we handle each year starts in 2 weeks.  It's as if today's earthquake went off inside my sanity.

And so.....Behavior so unpredictable as to appear random, owing to great sensitivity to small changes in conditions......is getting to be the norm.....many many small changes in conditions.

• although I only got in 22 miles of running last week and a recovery swim.....
• and although I didn't get to write my blog.....
• and although I feel like I should probably start every conversation with my children with "hi, I'm your father".....things continue to move forward.

 ______________________________________________

• I did get a great 16/17 mile run in yesterday.....and a short bike ride today
• "ohfar" is generating some interest.....and people are stepping up to help
• things are falling into place for the big "fall project" (here's to a team that steps up when the chips are down)
• construction is well underway on the home front.....and we're moved out "enough" for the time being
• we continue to get great feedback and vibes from the folks who have stopped in at FuelGood
• I wake up everyday with a family who loves me in the greatest country in the world

The best part about chaos?  It's MY chaos......and it never lasts forever.

Keep running at an incredible rate,

Mike E.

#42: Endurance of a totally different kind

What can you possibly learn about endurance at a funeral?  More than you might think actually……at least I felt like I did…..and even though this is one of my least favorite reasons to travel, which forced me to come up with alternate plans b/c my training on Friday as well as (my long-run) on the weekend was going to be boxed out, the trip to South Miami wasn’t all bad.

JUST LIKE OLD TIMES

So after a week which started with a swim, a couple of good runs, a short but important stretch/roller session and even a short track workout, I was sent back in time, traveling with my brothers and sisters to Florida.  After moving “up north” to NJ when we were kids we used to make this trip so many times it became routine; but for a while now, many of us have had other travel companions (namely families). Because of the sudden nature of my Granddad’s health decline and passing, we decided it would be best to leave families at home for this one.  Besides being a little older (OK a lot older) it’s amazing how quickly you can be transported back down memory lane and although I missed Lindsay and the kids, and this was travel by plane rather than cramped in a family truck-ster, it was fun to be on the road again.

After getting there, we got to see some folks we never see often enough, got the basics on the events to come and then off to crash.  When the alarm rang out at 6A on Saturday, I rolled out of bed and met Eric for what turned out to be an easy-going (although HUMID) 6/7-miler through the neighborhoods of Miami’s Coral Gables section - really beautiful place.  Even though we both train for longer events, our schedules tend to be very different.  That combined with the fact that we both take training pretty seriously and therefore have pretty specific workouts planned for any given day (although I’ve admittedly slacked in this regard this summer) we very rarely get the chance to run together.  It never ceases to amaze me how fast an hour of running can go when you’re chatting about this or that.  We got back, rang the sweat out our shirts (literally), had a bite to eat, showered, grabbed Greg (who didn’t bring his running gear unfortunately) and we were off for an endurance event of a totally different kind. 

LIFE IS NOT EASY

There’s some really great research out there that shows the things you have to work hard(est) for you ultimately treasure most…..perhaps this is one of the draws to endurance sports…..but it dawns on me that maybe this is also where deep, lasting human bonds are made.  Relationships are not easy always…..give and take, compromise and all that….but the act of teamWORK over time makes them deeply treasured and this was apparent this weekend.  

Watching my grandmother (who we call “Nana”) in tremendous pain at the loss of her truly beloved of 68 years demonstrated to me the real treasure that we can all have if we’re willing to work at something long enough and hard enough.  The pain and loss for her was awful and any one of us would take it away if we could have, but truthfully it was only so painful because of the genuine treasure that was built steadily over time.  It wasn’t a sprint…..it was a marathon….an endurance event that had highs and lows, good times and bad, sickness and health.....and they were so much better for it…..and I believe that I am better for witnessing both the union and the parting of it.

I found myself sad at the loss of my Granddad, truly he was a great person, but for me, (whether a deep belief or a defense mechanism I’m not sure), I really don’t believe that the person lying there is the person I once knew and cared for, just a body, and so I find myself more disappointed in all of the missed opportunities to be with and learn from a wonderful person than sadness that they have moved on.  Perhaps that’s because I don’t believe they are entirely gone…..  My sadness comes more of the empathy-sort, i.e. a sharing in the emotions of the others….the ultimate “mile in their shoes” that happens to all of us and something that most experts on the subject would argue is a critical component to our evolution.  We’ve all experienced this for sure (the seeming contagion of genuine laughter for example) and this set of emotions was also something shared.

Like any endurance event, I was fatigued afterward.....not only because of the incredible heat and humidity of August in Miami, but also because of the event itself.  We shared some drinks and some more meals and traded stories before we packed it in for the night.

We woke up a little before 5A to make our 630A flight (which unfortunately was delayed due to weather) and after some more laughs that come easy for punchy-travelers on the backdrop of years of shared experiences, we made our way back to life.

Although I fell a little behind on the training this week (22 instead of 30 miles running) and experienced a part of life that no one enjoys; Going through the hard-times always makes the good-times that much better.  

Thank you Granddad, we will miss you.

And so, we persevere,

Mike E.

#41: A doer of extraordinary things?

Two years ago, I decided to challenge our staff to write down what they "wanted to be when they grew up"....i.e. what their personal mission was.  Although I'm never sure how much others get out of my crazy ideas....it was a great exercise for me. After really thinking about it, I could only come up with a few simple unwavering ideas, a platform for my envisioned life:

1. I want to be a doer.......i.e. not a talker, not a dreamer, not an empty promise-r, and not a spectator.  I want to be about action.


2. of extraordinary things.......I love achievement.....personally of course, but even more, I love watching others develop and complete things that they weren't sure was possible.  Although I don't believe that there are truly "extraordinary people" (i.e. somehow gifted with tools others just didn't get), I deeply believe that if you want it bad enough and are willing to work at it long enough, ANYONE can do extraordinary things.......and although I'm not sure most folks share that philosophy (despite what mounting research on the subject of human achievement says) I set out to prove it through my actions......and maybe here and there inspire others to push themselves a little bit.


This week, which was to be my first of 6 getting ready for Virginia Beach 1/2 Marathon, started on track, but came to a close whipping around emotional twists and turns, highs and lows. Although it never came completely off the rails, was a great chance for me to stop, think back to my personnel mission and reflect; To think about what's important, about where I'll be if I get to 93 and whether I'm on track or need to redirect.

Seems like heavy stuff, where is this all coming from?

Coming off of the high of the R2C relay and being part of a team of seven that placed in the top 20 was great; inspiring even, as it gave me another shot in the arm as to what's possible.  I tend to be a "visually dominant" person where if I can "see it" (even in my mind's eye), I am much more likely to do it.  So seeing my teammates push a pace that seemed unreasonable for most "normal humans" only days before was great for me.


As the week progressed and the responsibilities of regular life swelled back up, I was able to squeeze in some training (easy bike/run on Sunday, swim on Monday, tempo run on Wed).  Not as many running miles as I wanted to (10-ish) leading up to Thursday's kick off of the Red-iculous Relay ( #RedRelay), our 2nd annual all human-power traverse of NJ, and the +/- 40 miles on the bike and 8 running that I would eventually get in.......and then one of those perspective moments:


Got word that my Grandfather, Joeseph Eisenhart (93) had a health setback and the news wasn't good.  Of course any health issue in a person of that age is taken seriously and knowing (just a little too much perhaps) about the nature of the issue, had a feeling that it might not turn out well.  So Thursday evening, after the first 80 miles of the Red-iculous Relay (23-ish mine),  spoke briefly with my Dad, who would be heading out of town to be with my Granddad.  As if this wasn't enough, just before heading out on Friday evening to catch up with the team, I got a dreadful email about a 34 year old at a client workplace that had suffered a fatal heart-attack.....34 YEARS OLD!  Horrifically sad.


All through Friday evening and Saturday as we leap-frogged the state ("Crewing" as Nick puts it) we got updates about my Granddad's declining condition....the grim task of waiting for what seems inevitable.  Moments like this force you to think......and although there could be no better distraction than doing something truly extraordinary like the #RedRelay with friends, the emotional highs of the event, were met with the lateral force of mixed emotions.....sadness in the notion that a great person who I love very much will be gone soon, but happiness for him that he will be moving on from this world to the next.  There is no doubt in my mind that if heaven exists (which I believe to be the case), Joeseph Eisenhart has earned his way in.  


I will remember his gentle and loving nature, his deep and genuine interest in everything and anything that was important to us growing up and most of all his wisdom.  My granddad is an incredibly thoughtful person, encouraging us, largely through his actions, to have high moral standards and do right, not just well.  Never loud and although I'm sure not the case always, patient beyond the norm.  Although being 1200 miles away made personal visits few and far between, he would often send me news clippings gently encouraging me that our small-business dreams were on the right track.  We would trade emails now and again and he always took time wish my growing family well and to give us an update on the various plants that we had sent were flourishing.  At 90+ I can only hope to remember what someone gave me two years prior, but he did and even though his body failed him, he always had a loving thought and kind word to share.


And so......


I have had plenty to celebrate this week:

• another successful completion of the #RedRelay in the books (great job Chris, Tim, Mike W, Nick, Alissa, Erin, Eric, Wandy, Connie, Patti, Wes, Mark, Justin, Renee, Lindsay, and families) 
• my first Coached Triathlete completed her event without injury and in the top 3rd of the field (YEAH Sonia)
• a few strong runs and bikes as well as some minor, but notable progress in swim mechanics and
• continued progress for Pro-Activity as we chip away at our vision of helping people put the pieces in place to achieve.

But I start this new week conflicted: Knowing that I'll be making an unexpected trip to Florida likely sooner rather later is not something I'm looking forward to.  Experiencing the pain, both personally and that shared with family members is a really hard part of life.  Knowing that despite how hard we try, and how many successes we have been involved with, we can't reach everyone and that we didn't make enough of an impact on someone at a client workplace to change his habits and pave the way for a full life is gut wrenching.


And so, I wish for myself and anyone who has taken a minute to read this blog (thanks again btw, I'm closing in on 3000 hits.....not quite the same fanfare Jeter got.....but still fun and a little surprising) that we don't get so caught up in the day-to-day that we forget that life really can be short and sometimes fragile; and despite the attempts of people to find the fountain of youth our time here is finite.  


I apologize if this is a bit of a downer of a blog-post this week.  I hope that whatever your personal mission is, you're living it.


Recommitted to the mission,


Mike E.