Running into the Mormons - in Harlem

Wow, had a fantastic 9 miler in racing flats at a 7:20 pace on Sunday and very much wondering when exactly I will race again. That on the right is one of the greatest books ever written - and by a hardcore Mormon white man. That below it is one of the craziest books ever written, also by a hardcore Mormon white man. Notable about Sunday's run was on my return home & stop at Starbucks for a Venti, 2 Mormons approached me and started asking me questions about running. Yes, Harlem has Mormons, heck they have the newest plushest Church in Harlem - 128th St. & Lenox. So the Mormons "butter me up" and then go into their sales pitch. Now I want to like these guys so I politely say, "sorry guys, your deep vibrant and rich history of blatant racism, is a little much, a little too recent for me to even consider the cult, oops, I mean the club. They of course explain to me how in 1978 the Church elders received a new revelation from God that "all worthy male members of the Church may be ordained to the priesthood without regard for race or color." And I said, "yes, I am aware of that, and isn't in amazing how that divine revelation from God came just when the U.S. Internal Revenue Service threatened the Mormon Church's tax exempt status, sports groups threatened to cancel events with the Mormon Brigham Young University, Anti-Mormon religious groups promoted boycotts of church businesses and of Utah tourism?" Who knew God had such timing when it came to passing out revelations? And did God say, "...Let the Negro in the Church......but keep an eye on'em". Then these fine young men said, "Did you know Gladys Knight is a Mormon?" I said, "Yes, and she needs to leave and get back on that Midnight Train to Georgia". They looked at me confused - totally missed the joke, went right over their heads. So I said, '"guys guys guys...if you're going to play the "Gladys Knight Card" and sell your Church in Harlem....ya gotta know her hits". I'm giving you a tip, pass it along, and if your Church Elders ask you who told you this, just tell them you Heard It Through the Grapevine (they missed that one too). Do I think the whole Morman deal for Black people is crazy? - Yes. However in the interest of being fair and balanced (and humor because I can't believe it) there's a whole website making the Mormon case for Black people - The Black Mormon Homepage. I like the Mormon spirit though - because to come to Central Harlem and plant your flag, you have to believe nothing is impossible! (except getting me to convert).

Blood Racing

That's what Central Park looked like on Saturday - I had a great 8 mile run that was noted for how fragrant many areas of the park now are, right along the running route - all thanks to the many Cherry Blossoms. So I made the most of the peak of the Cherry Blossom season and dialed in on my breathing technique...which in running is no small matter and not something to be overlooked. Most elite athletes use a 2-2 breathing rhythm. That is they breathe in for two steps and they breathe out for two steps. The 2-2 breathing rhythm means you are taking 45 breaths (assume you now have a strike rate of 90) per minute. Some people go with a 3-3 breathing rhythm, 4-4 breathing rhythm and even unequal ratios like 3-2 and 2-3. Long term analysis conducted by running guru Jack Daniels has found that elite athletes in races up to and including the 10K use the 2-2 breathing rhythm at the start of the race and after completing about two-thirds of the race they switch to a 2-1 breathing rhythm. For races longer than 10k the 2-2 breathing rhythm is used for the whole distance, perhaps shifting to a 2-1 breathing rhythm in the last minute or two for the sprint finish. There's an array of breathing exercises out there for runners because before you start racing - ya gotta get your blood racing - which of course carries the oxygen - needed to keep you firmly on course. At the moment it's Sunday morning, I'm feeling very easy like Sunday morning - however in an hour I think I'll go out for a run and a breath of fresh air....and who knows, maybe I'll see someone who gets my blood racing, it can happen!

"Kiss Me You Fool"

Look at that lucky runner on the left, now he's got the right idea - his priorities in order! He's on the course in the Boston Marathon, spots his better half and embraces her with both hands for a loving kiss. Just lacing up your shoes and entering a race is carpe diem - and to be applauded. But feeling compelled to disregard time while you're in the event to kiss your lover? That''s carpe momento- seizing the moment-. I'll admit it, I am going to have to be in some kind of crazy love to do that! And this couple below? About to take on the London Marathon - like marriage, quite a journey....no better way to start the journey, like at the altar, with a kiss, no? Wins with me. Look at their bib numbers - just one sequential digit apart. Aaaaahhhh. That's serious runner love. Nobody is having better sex than them....that much I know. I'm not jealous of these runners who are obvious enjoying something I am not, however it is far to say I am envious - would love to be in both of their running shoes. What I am jealous of are those damn penguins. A lot of folks don't know it but Central Park has a zoo - and at the zoo are penguins. And those penguins kissing in that photo are 2 of the penguins right now just blocks away in Central Park. Just being a penguin in the middle of Manhattan, in Central Park is extraordinary in and of itself. However being a penguin and being able to kiss & mate in Central Park? Now that's a real lucky ducky! (or penguin in this case). Pathetic how it's come to this, I'm jealous of a damn penguin. How is it that a Penguin, from Antarctica, can hook up in Central Park and me, a Black man from California cannot? That ain't right. Maybe it's because like what is called "penguin love", I want to hook up with long distance in mind. And on that note on this wonderful Saturday morning I am going to lace up the shoes and run about 10 Miles in Central Park. The great thing about living in New York City is on any given day - anything can happen! You can see penguins in Central Park and maybe, just maybe I could end today with a kiss.

Running with Flow

Meet my friend Agnes. That’s her on the left racing in last weeks NYRR 4 mile race. Agnes can run. Several months ago I ran with Agnes and it was different. Agnes is gorgeous, a real gym-health club superstar, sharp, and previously married to a Podiatrist hence I thought she would have some insight perhaps on foot placement, technique, some of the key mechanics and fundamentals that come with running. She does. However our running seemed just not quite in synch. Now when you run with someone for the first time you don’t know quite what to expect – there is no singular proper way to run. But I do know my style and I wanted to run long [for distance]….and have never before been unable to find a rhythm and flow in running with someone with distance in mind. Agnes made it quite clear she wanted to run fast – with speed. What kind of speed? blinding speed, speed like I’ve never ran before, I'd call it "fractal speed". What's a fractal you ask? That image on the right is a fractal. Look at the fractal on the right, then look at the Asian women below it. Are you dizzy yet? Is your head spinning? You’ve just ran with Agnes. I learned Agnes can be competitive as at a point later into our run she said, “I bet you met your match now”. Boy was that was a first for me to hear from someone I was running with and as a runner I would have say Agnes deserves first place - no one’s faster. But I wasn't trying to run fast, I was trying to flow and run long. Running is all about flow. Csikszentmihalyi enlightened me that everything is about flow. I ran with Agnes only once. Why? I'm not sure Agnes and I have congruent postures toward running and much like a fractal, trying to keep up with Agnes could result in a fracture - I like to stay healthy. Speed is sex, distance is love - and I'm out to run long in flow.

Chasing Regina

Weekly I’m asked, “what got your started [running]? People expect to hear some profound response revealing a personal journey to find my inner soul, a quest to learn the meaning of life, or a pursuit to discover my place in the world. The answer? “I was chasing some ass” [at least trying to]. Yup, typical man. Except I was not quite a man, I was 15 and I was literally chasing after a piece of ass - it was Summer in Oakland, CA and a cute girl named Regina lived in my neighborhood. I saw Regina running a lot so I figured if I did the same…-that would be the ticket ! - simple enough - the plan is hatched. I had her schedule down and soon I was running trying to catch up with Regina. Only problem is the longer we ran the further away Regina got. It would not take Regina too long to get beyond my vicinity - the plan was fading faster than Regina ran. In the movie “Jaws”, they got the shark away from the beach by luring it out to sea – that was me and Regina. She would take me out so far on runs I learned I should carry bus fare so I could get back home. Trying to keep up with Regina running around Oakland’s Lake Merrit?..no chance. Discouraged – I threw in the towel and never did catch Regina in either way - my virginity unfortunately still in place :( With Summer’s end came high school football practice where the coach would have us do a daily 3 mile fitness run in the Oakland hills along Skyline Drive. I was the fastest distance runner on the team – by far, thanks to Regina, and from that point on could always run a head of the class. You see little did I know at the time but when I was chasing Regina, I was chasing a world class champion in the making. Regina’s last name is “Jacobs”, and Regina Jacobs would later become the fastest woman middle distance runner in America with 25 national titles, a 3-time Olympian, holds two Silver World Championship medals in 1500 meters. Regina's now selling real estate in the very neighborhood where we both grew up in the late 70's/early 80's in Montclair in Oakland. We're exactly the same age (44), she was 41 in these photos above. Chasing some ass has been the downfall of many a man - but not in this case. This is exactly how this whole running thing started for me.

Mr. President - "Heckuva Job"

Went out for my Central Park run and was quickly stopped by a barricade of unmarked cars and men in black - the Secret Service, just like right out of the movies. George W. Bush was in Harlem yesterday and apparently had some sort of outdoor event in Central Park - thereby closing the roadway (and half the park) for security reasons. Damn, on such a gorgeous day I was a annoyed, yes, my world revolves around me, not the President. However GWB and I have 2 things in common; 1) We run, and 2) A preference for brainy Black women. You know the rumors are true, the D.C. news reporting beat - George is twisting out Condi Rice and I think it’s great! How in the hell are you supposed to bring Peace to the Middle East when you ain’t getting a piece your damn self? It's in our national interest that Condi gets her groove & splash on. She's got a go-to-guy [no one's catching feelings, the lines are drawn, no one's going to talk, it's just sex, I'm sure she's practicing the 50-mile rule], that's all. What's a single Black woman to do? Plus her go-to-guy is a runner! Every woman should have a go-to-guy. Dr. George Winch Jr., an obstetrician/gynecologist in Elko, Nev., has stated women who abstain from sex run some risks. In postmenopausal women, these include vaginal atrophy. Dr. Winch has a middle-aged patient of whom he says: "She hasn't had intercourse in three years. Just isn't interested. The opening of her vagina is narrowing from disuse. It's a condition that can lead to dysparenia, or pain associated with intercourse. I told her, 'Look, you'd better buy a vibrator or you're going to lose function there.” I'm all for a full functioning Condi, use it or lose it? She's a brainy Black woman, that’s what I like, and I don’t want to see the opening of her vagina narrowed – so though I’m annoyed I could not enjoy a run in Central Park due to GWB, I’d like to thank GWB for twisting out Condi on the regular. Of course he’s a goober and all the rest…but I admire his two greatest achievements, banging the Black Phi Beta Kappa fluent in 5 languages & classical pianist Condi, and clocking a 3:44:52 in the '93 Houston Marathon. "Heckuva job Bushy" - Go White Boy, Go White Boy!

New York's Greatest Running Body

On Monday I had a decent morning 3 miler followed by a solid evening 4.5 miler. My running thoughts of yesterday? I was glad to learn my friend Michelle has returned to running after her Winter hibernation - good for her. Spoke with my friend Tony who ran the Paris Marathon 9 days ago in 80F heat & clocked a 3:48 - good for him. I also received an email from my man Todd (in the red shorts). Everybody needs a rival. Coke & Pepsi, Microsoft & Apple, the Roadrunner & Wylie Coyote. Rivals bring out the best in you. There is a Turkish Proverb that goes, "No rose without a thorn, or a love without a rival". I love this running thing, I have rivals. Todd is 2 years younger than me and look at him - chiseled - the body of a Greek God, who needs to wear running top with a body like that? Black, 6-Pack, & a running knack. Hell, if I looked like Todd I wouldn't wear a shirt either. Don't let his upscale name, "Todd Hinton" fool you, Todd can and will beat me in races. Todd has outright mocked me in 3 or 4 races, teasing me as I struggled along. It was more gratifying for Todd to f__k with me right on the race course than to reduce his own time. Todd's a woman's chocolate fantasy from his bald head to his big feet and warrants a name like "Malik" or "Shaka", something African as the Africans have the best rivalries. It's true, the greatest rivalry in the world of running is between the Ethiopians v. the Kenyans. That's Kenenisa Bekele, Ethiopian in the green and Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge. Bekele and Kipchoge are the latest in a long line of running sensations to emerge from Ethiopia and Kenya, which both sit astride Africa's great rift valley and provide ideal altitudes for distance training. The two east African nations have dominated men's middle- and long-distance running. The two countries share many of the same raw materials: light, thin runners born and trained at high altitudes (where higher red-blood-cell concentrations in athletes improve strength); a fierce desire to overcome poverty; and incredible reserves of mental and physical stamina. At the same time they offer a fascinating study in contrasting coaching and management styles: Kenya's free-market approach, in which each runner competes primarily for himself, versus Ethiopia's system of central control, in which the country's athletics federation decides where and when the athletes should run. Before the start of a race or early in it Todd tries to spot me. He will freely admit he uses me to motivate him to produce a great effort. Todd has been in over 183 New York Road Runner races! - he's quite experienced. Yes I have rivals, but Todd, "Mr. Chocolate Chiseled Adonis body" is not one of them. You see Todd's never been where I have. That's right, Mr. Light & Curly who's a little soft here and there, yours truly has a faster time on the books (look it up at the NYRR site) than Mr. Chocolate Universe at most all distances, 1 mile, 5 mile, 10K, 15K, 10Mile, and at the whole 26.2 miles-the marathon he's not even close. It's only in the 1/2Marathon where Todd, 7 years ago when he was 35 clocked a time 4 seconds faster than mine at age 42, on an easier course (Queens). How do I feel about that? Fantastic, my ego loves it and it reaffirms looks can be deceiving, it's all on the inside. I'm supposed to have the mental edge, greater focus, & more desire - and I do. Todd is my man...but let's get it straight, I'm the roadrunner, he's the Coyote. I have rivals, but they're ahead of me, not behind.

Transitions, Aim Big, & Splash

Clocked 12 miles at the peak of the sun & heat on Sunday, knee felt okay, my running groove & swagger felt an uptick - hooray! After my run I was reading about a runner I met last year running in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx - in a cross country race, Ryan Hall. That's Ryan on the far left in the photo making his way up a steep incline in that race. Ryan's a Cross Country superstar transitioning to road running. That transition is going well as in January in Houston he ran 59:43 in the US Half Marathon Championships setting an American and North American record - one of the best performances ever by an American at any distance. There Ryan is below breaking the tape to the finish fully aware he’s set the record and rejoicing in victory. Yesterday was the London Marathon and Ryan was making his debut, running his first ever Marathon. With less than five miles remaining in the London Marathon on Sunday, the lead pack in the elite men’s field was a grouping of many of the sport’s most prolific runners, including the defending champion, the world-record holder and the reigning New York Marathon winner. But they were all a step or more behind Ryan Hall. Hall showed that he was capable of hanging with world’s best distance runners — for 21 miles. Down the stretch, though, he drifted to seventh place, yielding to a more predictable winner, Martin Lel of Kenya. Ryan hovered with the leaders until losing pace with a couple of miles to go. “I felt really comfortable,” said Ryan, “I just wanted to make it as far as I could with those guys.” Ryan made a big splash in my book and reaffirms that we can all make transitions (well), aim big, go for it, fall shy yet nonetheless splash! Running, Business, & Women - I'm aiming big!

Blickity, Marathon, & Time Magazine Black

I want to get Black. Sure, I’m a little light & curly, slightly watered down (due to no fault of my own ya’ll) but yesterday, Saturday in NYC the sun and heat came out for the first time in ’07- a chance to get Black. Using the NOAA I determined the time of peak heat in the day to run - when it’s as challenging as possible and with the sun out I can get as Black as possible. I want to get so Black White people cross the street when they see me coming. Why? To be a top runner it’s damn near required that you are Black, just look at these ‘brothas running where I run, Central Park. That's the NYC Marathon and it looks pretty Black to me, hell when I lived in Kenya they would call that proudly a "black out". I don’t see any caramel or cashew or coffee color‘brothas do you? 12+ runners, leaders and Blickity Black. Blickity Black is like the color of an umbrella, ink, you got the idea…uncut, etc...and that’s where I want to be. But there are calibrations of Black, it gets kind of tricky. Why? The problem is you can get so Black, you want to marry a White woman. There is something about the Blacker a man is the more he suddenly has got to have a White woman. It’s like Forbidden Fruit in reverse or a challenge to Zebras to makes a more striking impression in public, go figure – brothas seek “reflection” through anything that falls on the extreme left end of the color spectrum, chrome, diamonds, and White women. Dare I risk getting so Black that I want to marry a White woman? You know, "Seal Black" - there with wife Heidi Klum. I certaintly don’t want to get “O.J. Black” to where I want to kill a White woman. Is there possibly a happy medium in Black between Seal and OJ, marrying and killing, to where we can all just “get along”? How Black is Rodney King anyway? Nahhh…Rodney King Black = Police Beat Down Black, no thanks. Perhaps I can adjust down a notch to “Obama Black” and everyone will love me except Hillary & the Black Old Guard....Obama '08! Everyone! his father is a Kenyan and they rule the marathoning world, they own marathoning….how and why is it that Obama is not a marathon runner anyway? Just look at his bloodlines, Black father from Kenya, White mother from Colorado - Colorado = high altitude and great running locations, the Olympic training center is in Colorado Springs, precisely where Obama grew up! Why that’s the very recipe to make a marathon runner, no? Obama was in NYC today and I missed a chance to ask him a critical question: "Can you explain how is it you are not a marathon runner?" He’s got my vote, but I’m not sure he’s Black enough to win a race, that's what the media is saying, no? But they're talking about a Presidential race, I'm talking about the NYC Marathon. Nope...He does not strike with me as Black enough to win (President - yes, Marathon - no)...so I have to get darker than Obama Black. Let’s sum up and review; Seal: Black Mom & marries White woman, Obama: White mom & marries Black woman, OJ:? Kills White Woman. What have we learned? To be a Black Man and get on the cover of Time Magazine, you either have to have a Harvard JD, be a Senator, and run for President ….or Kill a White woman.

Running on Empty

A solid 7.5 miles last night @ 80%, wanted 9, had to call it quits due to knee concerns. Stopped to evaluate, swelling & stuff for 5 minutes at the entry/exit part of Central Park (110th & Lenox)…entering Central Park is the ex-girlfriend Milagro (on the left running). Central Park is one big place but there is singular spot where Milagro and I met, the entry/exit at 110th St. & Lenox way back when...and just look where we find ourselves again, several years later. We greet and Milagro asks me to leave because she’s meeting somebody, a running date. This could be awkward...but not for me... it could be fun too! I laugh and say, “you look great in those running tights & shoes”...she laughs, knows I am poking fun while being screwed up framing the irony of how she's wearing stuff I selected & bought as she meets her date. Milagro reasserts that I have to leave, I replied, “I want to see him”. Milagro laughs, disapproves, I remind her this is Central Park and not her home. She's not pleased, I say ”ok ok ok"…..I walk away – but stay in the park and position myself about 300’ back, a full football field away from her meet-up spot but once she meets her date she will have to pass by me. I was just being Curious George and having some fun. Milagro & I split up a looooong time ago, she’s had another relationship since ours– a momentary one but nonetheless a relationship – it counts and as I am not the last man she’s made love to, I am not in violation of any “rules” ( there's been at least one degree of separation for her). But why Lance you ask? Simple, the “Zagat Principle”. If you’ve eaten something for awhile and it became your favorite dish it could be either nutritionally good or bad, it can cut both ways…like foie gras for example....you have to see the label & learn the ingredients, don’tcha?. Though Milagro’s date has no idea as to her label, seeing this guy is kind of like that in reverse and puts the Zagat Principle into play for me, the "ex". I wanted to know what kind of guy is also into my dish – fair enough?..no harm, no fowl (oops, I mean foul). Ya like to think you eat well and the surest way to learn that is to see who dines there too. Take a good look at who's lined up at White Castle, compare it to a typical juice bar. You wanna be in the grown and sexy camp, not the "SuperSize Me" camp. Nobody wants to learn they’ve been eating Spam from a lunch truck. The next man, the line up of your Ex's man or men post you, establishes that for you. I don't want to see a guy who's just happy to be there, I want to see a sharp guy who feels dining there is where he belongs, not out of place but accustomed, a Denzel–freaking-Washington guy, a man with options and his Blackberry is a virtual Zagat's. He dines where he wants and he wants at Café Milagro. That’s what I’m hoping for as then everybody wins! Milagro, the guy, and most importantly, my ego. Nobody wants to have to search their soul and explain why they slept with someone. Ya wanna be able to sound bite it (if only to yourself) to a star system. At this point in Central Park I'm far away from Milagro's spot (to say the least). I'm in stretch mode, Milagro is pacing around looking for her date and after a while comes very near me mistaking a couple of other runners for her date. I’m watching, observing…she then comes up to me and says she’s been waiting for 20-25 minutes, do I think that’s enough? I said to her “maybe your date had to run a last minute errand for his wife and is thus running late…is that possible?” She laughs, her patience gone and decides she’s going to run the park without the date but then comes over to me and says, “well….come on”. I said, “Come on?” She then says, “do you want to run the park with me?” Oh…I see she thinks I'm the unplanned but will settle for place, the lesser that will have to be settled for? I say, “Milagro, I’m not your last minute KFC or Dominos or Applebee’s, or any of that stuff,...I may not be 4 star, but I am sit down and require a reservation”. She has no idea what I'm talking about - looks at me like I'm crazy - runs off alone. I'm hungry but have an appetite for something else perhaps....just maybe I've indeed had my fill and we've ran our course (both of them) and I'll just run on empty for now.

Run to Win!

Felt "iffy" this morning on a quick 3 miles...the knee thing. Oh well....There on the left is Meb Kefklezighi, America's #1 Marathoner (in that photo he's racing in the NYC Nike 1/2 Marathon - same race of the photo of me further on the left). One thing nice about training in Central Park is there are 4 or so professional races every year, brings out the superstars of the sport. A couple of years ago I was running in the Central Park, aligned behind a runner who looked great in form...drifted next to'em ...noted it was Meb....said, "Hey Meb, Good Luck in the race" (the next day was a Pro-Am 10K). He glanced, nodded & replied, "Thanks man". Fast forward 2 years later, Fall '06 - I'm talking to Meb at the NYC Marathon Expo and I say, "I've ran next to you before". Meb looks at me and says, "Yeah, about 2 years ago right, you said hey". Surprised I said "you remember"? He says, "yeah man, you're the first Black dude that's ever recognized me" (we laughed). He asked me what I was aiming for in the NYC Marathon, I said, "3:03". I hand a pen to Meb and asked him to "bless my racing bib". Meb took my bib and started writing and as he wrote he said, "pick your goal, and when you hit your goal, you win, when you run, run to win". That's my bib on the left. It was an ambitious goal, tough course, nonetheless proud of my 3:12, lookout '07! Meb's racing this weekend in the London Marathon, which blows away Boston in terms of "prestige" and has gathered the strongest field of male runners ever put together for a race, it includes last year's fastest marathon runner, Haile Gebrselassie, current marathon world record holder Paul Tergat, 2006London Marathon winner Felix Limo, 2004 Athens gold medalist StefanoBaldini, two-time World Champion Jaouad Gharib, 2005 London Marathonwinner Martin Lel, former marathon world record holder KhalidKhannouchi, 2006 New York Marathon winner Marilson Gomes dos Santos,2004 Olympic silver medalist & second place in the NYC Marathon '05 Meb Keflezighi. Good luck Meb & Run to Win!

Spring, Spring, & Sprung

Clocked a decent 4 miles this morning, my recovering minor tear is not feeling so great as of late and another gloomy overcast day is not helping. If anyone sees Spring, please send her to New York City! Speaking of Spring, Spira Footwear, employs a unique technology in their shoe (a series of small spring coils) that defies the rules of the governing bodies in the sportsworld and is illegal to use at sanctioned events. Spira Footwear filed a lawsuit in U.S. Federal Court against the International Amateur Athletic Federation alleging the rule which bans spring technology for competition constitutes a violation of the Sherman Anti Trust Act and a restraint of trade. The few elite runners who have competed in the shoe, have done so with caution. Keith Pierce, a track coach from Krum, Texas, and a U.S. Olympic trials hopeful, competed in the shoe at the 2007 Cowtown Marathon in Fort Worth, Texas. He won the race by over 12 minutes. Mankind has now invented Viagra-like running shoes, "Wear this shoe and presto, you got that spring back in your stride". I'd like to see this shoe continued to be illegal and while they're at it, make Viagra illegal too! What do you think all this running crap is about? My cardio, stamina, and endurance has got to be in the top 0.1% of men over 40, Viagra can't do a damn thing for me, if anything like the Spira shoe it helps my competition...and who needs that? Wear the Spira shoe and you'll probably have a false sense of security you're racing well - any different than with Viagra? Does the Viagra man not simply rely on the blue pill to do all the work? And where does that get you anyway at best? Up and down oil rig sex - whooppee! - perhaps large but indeed like a Big Mac, predictable. No thanks...no springs or blue pills for me any time soon (thank god), I'll stick with my natural Asics & Saucony racing flats and non-Euclidean sex (hyperbolic & elliptic geometry). My fragile ego can stand up (pardon the pun) just fine to the Spring & Viagra supported competition - no need to outlaw either..the other guys can have'em, like Nike says, "just do it". Besides last I heard Viagra does nothing for your ass...does it?...and what's a woman grab on to?.....any wonder why I run? Advantage Lancelot!.

Running Water

Heading out for a solid 6 miles this morning, considering returning to racing on May 13 w/a sub 25 goal in mind. Monday's Boston Marathon: in the face of headwinds as high as 36 miles an hour, Kenyan Robert Cheruiyot with a mile and a half remaining surged in front of fellow Kenyan James Kwambai, ending 20 seconds ahead as he crossed the finish line to win. Cheruiyot said after the race “When the lion is chasing the antelope, the antelope doesn’t look back,” I love that.....words of wisdom, not from a Running Guru author but from a person in the moment. I’ve never looked back in a race as there is no value in doing so, what’s behind me is just that, my concern is on what's relative to me, what I can influence in that moment, namely me. We can make things unnecessarily intricate & complex be it running, business, or loving someone. People write How To Books on everything when often the insight and wisdom is right before us....do we see it, or do we close our eyes? You can’t live on your laurels or dwell on your low moments. Speed with grace, be the antelope and don’t look back. This reminds me of another paradigm of thought I often bring to my racing at the most challenging moments. Homer, Plato, Confucius, none of these philosophers have been more profound than a man from my hometown (Oakland, CA and I am not into Karate movies or culture). “The Master” of martial arts, Bruce Lee shared some of the wisest philosophy ever when he said, " Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless--like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash! Be water, my friend". Bruce Lee Youtube Video Clip (click here). You must see his face and expression when he says this, it's profound and classic. Lee's words drive me to adapt & transform my frame of mind to congruency with what's before me, then no longer is what's before me...separate from me....but indeed another part of me....and I am another part of what's before me....there is no division, but a harmonious congruency, a melding... be it a steep hill, professional dilemma, or a woman. All that's really before you....is you. Answer resistance with grace, flow with everything beautifully like the antelope – yet as water. This is how in the end, like a wave and Robert Cheruiyot at Boston, I will surge. If I've ever raced or loved a woman well, it's because I was water.

Run for Resiliency

It's been very beautiful to run in Central Park during these rainy days. I've probably ran the 6 mile loop well over 1,000 times however never fail to see something new to note and appreciate, if for only a moment. I recall on 9/11 watching CNN, then turning and looking outside from my 14th floor terrace at the plume of smoke from Ground Zero. Family in California could not reach me for a while (the phone system was out) and I turned off the TV, laced up my shoes and ran straight down Lenox Ave., into and around Central Park. I went running to cope with the enormity of it all. Unfortunately horrible things happen every day and sadly sometimes in mass. With Hurricane Katrina my mother lost everything she owned, except the most important thing - her life. I listen to NPR & BBC, read news, however no longer watch TV news and have not seen a single video report of Va. Tech. You can gradually traumatize yourself simply consuming the media's news cycle, over and over again. I recently read a great study on coping with disasters you are exposed to and or touched by and as we all know jogging & running is a wonderful answer to reducing the anxiety and stress this world sometimes brings. Since you have your life, make the most of every moment, there's always something new to appreciate, live, love, and run like you mean it. I will leave you on that note!

A Critical Concern: Pediatrician Self-care After Disasters: The Resiliency Program, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York. As of this writing, health care in the areas impacted by Hurricane Katrina has shifted from emergency to primary care mode. Disasters take a heavy toll not only on victims but also on professionals and volunteers who experience the immediate, short-term, and long-term impact through their patients. The impact may occur because of the helping professional's effort to empathize with and be compassionate to patients. There is a rich literature that discusses the risks and impact of vicarious traumatization on psychotherapists, rescue workers, and health care providers who work with survivors, including those who have experienced community traumas such as natural disasters, state-sponsored terrorism, torture, mass murder, and acts of war.ponse • mental health • pediatrician self-care • vicarious traumatization • compassion fatigue.

Marathoning While Black Yesterday & Today

To my Non-Black readers, bear with me, I'm about to hold court, have a little summit you might say with the Black folks. You can look over my shoulder and peek in if you like, it won't get too ugly. That on the left is a 2007 BAA Timing Chip and today is the Boston Marathon. When I think of Boston, I think Ted Corbitt (below) and his 1951 sub 3 hour performance. It's unfortunate, no it's tragic, but I've never met a Black person who's ever heard of Ted Corbitt, a living legend and the most significant figure in the history of distance running in America. Corbitt competed in the 5K , 10K & Marathon at the ’52 Olympics in Helsinki. He held the US Track records for distances of 25 miles, the Marathon, 40, 50, and 100 Mile races. That's right, Ted Corbitt basically founded the sport of Ultrarunning, he also created new ways and standards in which to measure course distances. Ted sometimes ran to work & back, 20 miles each way, from the suburbs to Manhattan where he worked as a physical therapist (200 miles/week was standard). Corbitt was a co-founder & President of the Road Runners Club of America and the New York Road Runners Club, where he was elected the latter organization's 1st President. An African-American, as both athlete and administrator he faced and conquered many challenges posed by racial discrimination in the pre-civil rights era and I've not even scratched the surface of Ted Corbitt, a living legend. People ask me all the time what's the deal with American Black folks and their lack of participation in running at the marathon distance. Gregory Evans out of Chicago has attempted to explore this topic in his documentary called "Black Americans & The Marathon Distance" (click it, check out the trailer on youtube, I believe the DVD is for sale on his site). That's the DVD box cover on the left. I watched the trailer and know the running authorities who spoke yet did not hear or see any reference to Ted Corbitt. That's just wrong. Can you make a documentary on psychoanalysis without mentioning Freud? Ted Corbitt is the very foundation of all this, alive, should be interview #1 and profiled in "Ken Burns-esque" homage. I know whose footsteps I'm running in and an omission of Ted Corbitt would be unforgivable with me (I hope he's featured on the DVD). Now if you're saying to yourself, "Lance, who do you think you are, the world's leading authority on Black Americans and distance running?". Well yes, that is exactly who I am even though I'm not a member (as of yet anyways) of the "National Black Marathoners Association". That's their logo their on the right. For the White readers, the 1865 refers to the year the 13th Amendment was signed and slavery outlawed. Consider this blog entry a little summit meeting for Black Americans and Marathoning. Perhaps this entry will result in synergistic alliances and collectively get more Black Americans out and running. We don't know of each other and I've contacted everyone mentioned here including Ted Corbitt. I've even emailed Philadelphia Marathon Race Director and African-American Janis Pierce to encourage her to tap into Harlem 26.2 to get on the radar with Black Marathoners who love Philly. I have nothing but love for all of you but you have got to know your history, including Janis Pierce, and I hope she knows Ted Corbitt won the Philadelphia Marathon in 1954. The world's leading of authority on Black Americans and distance running, Harlem 26.2

A Day For Loving Running

That's where I run, Central Park on the left as it looks today in the rain, quite beautiful. The biggest mid-April storm in 25 years, that's what's being reported about today's "nor'easter" and yes it's raining now. However it's a great day for staying in bed, reading the Sunday New York Times, and snuggling up with the one you love. Okay maybe not love but perhaps like. Okay maybe not even really like...but someone you can find (who will do) who's fun & sexy (and if they're mentally stable, that's a plus!). Oh hell as long as I've been celibate & in this storm I might even settle for just sexy and risk a psycho. Ya know how there are activity books for kids on rainy days, oodles & oodles crafts and such for kids to immerse themselves in. Well there are also adult rainy day activity books and they have titles like "The Kama Sutra". The "pitter patter" of the rain drops on the windows....nature's way of reminding you it's natural to get wet, nurture & procreate.....Just check the birth rates 9 months from today, there will be a spike. True, half those couples in this city won't be together 9 months from now but beautiful miracles will be welcomed to the world. I'm definitely going running today in Central Park, who knows, maybe I'll run into a like minded woman, it could happen. Maybe my problem is that I'm 5'9" and women seemingly unanimously prefer the 6'3" 'brotha. But those guys can't really run, they know they have that height thing going for them, show up and at best can do 10 soft miles. Whereas you take a man like me who can push 7.5 hard miles (twice a day)...I'm just the Little Engine that Could you might say. Running is passion and about appreciating & loving every moment while you're in it. It's not how long you run, it's the way you run, your form, giving total effort and doing it with grace. There's something called a "beautiful runner" who knows how to place that foot strike just at the right spot. You can tell when someone loves running, and I love running, but I'll be running alone today...in the rain. T. S. Eliot perhaps said it best, "April is the cruelest month, breeding lilacs out of the dead land, mixing memory and desire, stirring dull roots with Spring rain....."

Go To Brooklyn To Get My Ass Kicked? No Thanks!

On the left is the start of today's Brooklyn Half-Marathon, the first 3 miles of which takes place right on the planks of the Coney Island Boardwalk. If I tried to race today I would get my ass kicked for sure. I've ran this event before however am sidelined from racing due to injury. Nonetheless I will head into Central Park & clock 9 miles today. I've been to Brooklyn 8 times and 5 of those times were where I was literally running through it in the Marathon and or Half-Marathon. Twice was to hang out with U.K.-British sprinter Carol Glasgow, or perhaps I should say, Carol-KickFever-Glasgow. That's her below. You see Carol is a professional Kick Boxer and yes, she can kick your, my, and everyone's ass. Carol's British to the bone, loves Dame Edna, Bangers & Mash, Black Pudding, etc. and so forth. On our first date the British accent was different and delightful, on the second date it was "cute". However by date #3 the novelty faded, the bloom was off the rose, and I had to come to terms with the real world of conversation with BBC girl with a Black Belt. We're all entitled to our own personal annoyances aren't we? Well I learned what one of mine is, a wearing accent that starts to grate and churn and gets on your last nerve (yes, I feel the same way about Long Island, Boston, & Southern accents - I'm that screwed up). By date #4 with Carol I thought about asking her to not talk and thereby not ruin the whole imaginary fantasy of making love to her I was trying to work my mind up to. I considered suggesting we communicate only by sign language or perhaps via passing notes (trying to avert the buzzkill and sustain a relationship wtih Scary Spice). Or we can even have something we call, "Helen Keller time outs" maybe? Would ear plugs be too obvious? Just reaching for ways to have moments of ear-fatigue recovery, or in other words, "a breather". Amazing, I can run for 3+ hours without stopping but I can't listen to a British accent without a break. Carol lives where I could only describe as way way way out in Brooklyn and running a Half-Marathon would take me less time than getting to her place. I'm a Californian who lives in Manhattan and that's all I know, Manhattan. I have no sense of regional proximity of any of these boroughs and frankly there was little difference between getting to Carol's place in Brooklyn and getting to Philadelphia. Yup, by date # 4 I determined Carol and I were geographically challenged and though she's a lovely lady, there was no way I was commuting an hour & a half each way to date. The commute and the conversation was a more devastating "one-two" punch than Carol's. But how do you tell a woman, "it's not you, it's the geography & my screwed up ways"? I don't want to get on this woman's bad side... she can kick my ass after all. So there I found myself, in dating limbo.....potential heaven (Carol) and certain hell (the commute). I found it appropriate and fitting to turn to the wisdom of the great British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill who famously said, "If you're going through hell, just keep going", and that's exactly what I did, kept going... back to Harlem. Due to competing interest (business & running) I learned I should really keep my dating to women who live above 72nd St. on the West Side, 86th on the East Side, not above 181st St. and I don't cross bridges.....again...I'm kind of screwed up...but I know me....however on the bright side I've got a great Winston Churchill quote I resort to in races. And Carol Glasgow ? Oh she's also an instructor out in Brooklyn, if you want to learn how to literally kick someone's ass there's none better, check her out.

Starbucks Should Pay Me!

When I first moved to Harlem I could not find good coffee, not even quality coffee beans (to brew my own). I resorted to roasting my own beans via a neat a trick using raw green beans and an air popcorn popper, (check it out). Took a little time but the coffee was fabulously fresh! Thank god the biggest drug dealer in America (Starbucks) has a store on 125th & Lenox - 1/2 Mile away and I generally will stop by on the return run home. Coffee can enhance your running. There is a study on the effect of caffeinated coffee on running speed, respiratory factors, blood lactate and perceived exertion during 1500-m treadmill running JD Wiles, SR Bird, J Hopkins and M Riley Department of Sport Science, Christ Church College, Canterbury, UK. Using a motorized treadmill the study investigated the effects of the ingestion of 3 g of caffeinated coffee on: the time taken to run 1500 m; the selected speed with which athletes completed a 1-min 'finishing burst' at the end of a high-intensity run; and respiratory factors, perceived exertion and blood lactate levels during a high intensity 1500-m run. In all testing protocols decaffeinated coffee (3 g) was used as a placebo and a double-blind experimental design was used throughout. The participants in the study were middle distance athletes of club, county and national standard. The results showed that ingestion of caffeinated coffee: decreases the time taken to run 1500 m; increases the speed of the 'finishing burst'; and increases VO2 during the high-intensity 1500-m run. The study concluded that under these laboratory conditions, the ingestion of caffeinated coffee could enhance the performance of sustained high-intensity exercise. In fact when at Starbucks I won't accept coffee that's more than 15 minutes old (you'll always see a timer on the coffee brewing machines there, I make them check, yes I am that much of a coffee snob...& they'll brew a new batch if necessary). I exit Starbucks and continue running, coffee in hand, taking a sip every now and then and not spilling a drop. I'm only running at about an 8 min/mile pace and with my thumb over the slit on the lid. It's all in the elbow and allowing that joint to function like a shock absorber steadying the ride. People seem to find it amusing as I run down Lenox Ave., I really don't think that much of it other than the fact that I'm advertising the unmistakable huge Venti with Starbucks logo to hundreds of people. I'm basically a moving billboard of the coffee that's right on the corner, Starbucks should pay me!