Finally !! On a perfect sunny December day yesterday (12/4/21) I finally accomplished a goal that has been in the works since the summer of 2015 – to run a half marathon in under 1:30 for the first time in my life. I ran a 1:29:26 for a 39 second PR and, interestingly, also finished 4th in my age group. This was a running goal that, much like the 7 years it took to qualify for Boston from my first marathon, took many training cycles and much patience to see through to the end. There was never any doubt that I would get to this, but also never thought it would take as long as it did. Planting ..read more

As the Covid crisis is starting to wane, races are coming back. As races come back, so does the sport of running. If you are not ready, don’t race! But if you are, this is the time to get back into it. Many of us have been running by ourselves or in small groups because of everything that is going on. However, if you feel like you are safer and have taken appropriate measures for you and your family to feel confident to run in a race, then it is time. As always, a race: Gives you a chance to put in play what you have practiced in your training Is a change of scenery from your usual route May ..read more

Today I biked with my extended group of tri friends for the 1st time. Yes, there was the time 4 years ago when I borrowed my friend’s bike ……but 4 miles into the ride, the chain broke and my wife had to rescue me. This time I actually got to the planned 10 mile mark and turned back and made it home to tell all of you about it. This was a big deal to me as they are very advanced in their biking skills, having gone for years together as a pack for rides up to 60 miles. The New Bike In 1993 my friend Jim from Saddle Brook bought a hybrid bike, bought a helmet and some cool “bikewear” and started ..read more

2020 has been that kind of year for everyone. Stuck at home, lots of computer meetings and phone calls – very little face to face interaction – the same for most….. and on the other side first line workers out there every day putting themselves at risk against a hidden enemy. Then you have us selfish runners, whose FOMO is driving us crazy. There are no races, no competitions and a lot of time to think during training runs. This year I have been lucky enough to run 5 real 5Ks, 2 post lockdown. I have also run 2 virtual half marathons, the first being the Brooklyn Half, which I ran in May in 1 ..read more

What is a Butterfly Effect? The butterfly effect is defined as ” the phenomenon whereby a minute localized change in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere.” Basically, a small change can lead into large changes later. Have you had a personal butterfly effect experience? A Comment at Breakfast Around the spring of 1996, while working as a financial analyst in the Financial Planning and Analysis department at Hoffmann LaRoche in Nutley, our CFO started a project in which he hired an outside consultant, Mary. I still don’t know exactly what the project was for, but Mary sat in a cube ..read more

You can’t really overcome it, you just have to strengthen your inner resolve not to engage with it… The Current Situation The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the globe and we have all been affected in some way or another. We may be on the front lines in healthcare, handling sick patients or at drug stores dispensing medicine to those that need it. These people are today’s heroes. More likely we are at home or at an empty office trying to do what we have to do to keep our professions going an the paycheck coming in. We might be out of work because our jobs have been closed down. We might have a house ..read more

It’s that morning where it might rain – it’s wet but not really wet.   It’s misty.   You are at the track and you need to put your mobile phone and fob/keys down so you can run.  But look at the ground – it’s wet and you don’t want to put it all back in the car or under the wheel of the car and certainly not on the ground (as in the picture above).  What to do? Very simply, just put them in a Ziplock (or equivalent) bag.   I have 1 in both family cars.   Gallon size is the best as, usually, other people want to throw in their keys into YOUR bag ..read more

Every year I remind people to run or walk on Thanksgiving morning!   It’s almost turkey time – and that means food, football games, food, family, food, holiday sales and even more food.  But we runners have a secret weapon – turkey trots.  Almost everywhere in the country there are races on Thanksgiving morning.  So you can run and not feel as guilty later on in the day when you indulge. Just in Northern NJ there are more than a few turkey races: Ashenfelter 8K – In Glen Ridge, this fast and rather flat course is a NJ team championship race.  This is an olde ..read more

A runner came to me recently and said that she had cavus foot. I had never heard of it so I went to my source for all foot injuries, Dr. Nicole Hayward in Fair Lawn, NJ. According to Dr. Hayward: “What is Cavus Foot? Cavus foot is a condition in which the foot has a very high arch. Because of this high arch, an excessive amount of weight is placed on the ball and heel of the foot when walking or standing. Cavus foot can lead to a variety of signs and symptoms, such as pain and instability. It can develop at any age, and can occur in one or both feet. CausesCavus foot is often caused by a neuro ..read more

After running without guidance for 15 years, I started working with a new running group and coach. I forgot to practice what I teach all of my runners and that is to join a group and a coach who will help you get better results.  My business coach pointed out to me that I might slightly be out of integrity in that regard, and so I decided to man up and ask for help… I decided to get help and improve my performance once again. Once I started training with this team, I had a realization that I was waiting for too long on the sidelines.. I mean, I totally missed out – and it’s not like this ..read more