No Longer a Fool

Somehow I missed your post about the Dolphins thing and your own college experience. I read that last night and I've been thinking about my own experience and how similar and different it was since then.  The similarities between our college experiences were weirdly parallel in different sports coming in.  I came in to play soccer on an established team playing a split DI/DIII schedule without nearly the pedigree of many of the other recruits.  I played a ton growing up but I changed positions late in high school and didn't have nearly the resume or accolades of many of the guys on the team, all of whom scared the crap out of me when I saw them play.  Somehow, 3 of us freshman made it through a grueling cutdown camp and made it onto the team.  Right from the get-go, all of the upperclassmen were complete dicks to the 3 freshman on the team.  The stuff on the field was easy to take if more physically painful.  There were a few giants, including one guy from Yugoslavia who would hack us every time we had the ball and if you didn't back off on tackles, he would be happy to break your leg.  He also would literally spit on you and laugh at least once a week....and, get this, TMI, I know.....pee on you in the shower......but what are you going to do when he's a 6'5" oak tree looking for a reason to bash your face in if you dare say "hey man, stop pissing on me and spitting in my face...."  His best friend was from my hometown - that clearly didn't matter - and maybe even bigger and that guy wanted to start a fight with me even more badly and egged on the other upperclassmen.  I was 5'10" and 145 lbs soaking wet and not eager to die that way so I just got knocked around a ton on the field and just took it.  Off the field, they simply refused to talk to us.  The three of us had to do the silly stuff like carry all the water out to the field, set up all of the equipment and gather up all the disgusting shirts etc for the locker room guys but what was more strange is that the upperclassmen wouldn't willingly speak to us outside of what they had to for soccer related stuff.  It all became clear about a week in when we learned that despite the school having banned fraternities, they were in an underground one.  Sure enough, the three of us got approached to join about a week into school.  Heck, I truthfully likely would have said yes because why not and it was clear that we would be part of the gang if we went along but one of the other freshman on the team was a buddy of mine from high school and he said we should say no because the guys had already proven they were assholes and also it could get us kicked out of school.  Oh yeah, that.  By the way, a couple of years later, they did kick out about 25 guys in another underground fraternity so he wasn't wrong about that downside risk.  So, anyway, we say no to joining the soccer fraternity and the 3rd freshman guy on the team with us says yes and pledges and joins.  You can guess how the rest of my freshman season went.  That 3rd freshman guy was immediately in the club and treated like a full member of the team and became tight buddies with all of them.  He wasn't a bad guy at all - I still keep in touch with him - he simply said yes to joining and we said no.  So for the rest of the season....and it was a LONG season.....nobody on the team spoke to me and my buddy.  Not once beyond "pass me the ball, dipshit" or "run over there, you idiot" during practice or games.  It sucked.  And there's no way I could have gone through it without quitting if I hadn't been going through it with my friend I grew up with.  Every other weekend, we would be on 3-4 hour bus rides and stay overnight down in Massachusetts or New York and 100s of hours of practice and literally no conversation other than with my buddy and of course we wouldn't talk to each other much when around them.  Pretty miserable season except that I loved playing soccer so pretty much just focused on that and saved all the "fun" stuff for hanging with my friends away from the team.  12 seniors on that team my freshman year so the following year, a whole bunch of new freshman were on the team and 4 more guys from my class (sophomores) also moved up.  So now the majority were not part of the fraternity and overnight all of that craziness ended.   It was never any kind of thought out or proclaimed thing, but all of the nonsense about freshman carrying all the equipment or getting hazed in other ways simply....was over.  We communicated just fine with the guys on the team who were still in the frat and everyone on the team the following 3 years had a blast and were very tight friends and many of us still are.   Its funny but despite me following the Martin and Dolphins story closely, I didn't think about my own college experience until I read about yours.  I wish the upperclassmen at my school had been as cool as they were to you as a freshman and I do feel confident looking back that me and my buddies WERE that welcoming to new guys in the years that followed.  It was just a lot easier and more fun to be decent to one another and not take it so seriously than it was to continue the cycle of hazing.  A culture like that can change quickly but I guess I did experience how a culture of hazing can completely dominate a team as well.

December 500....wow.

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:I'm glad that you are going to continue blogging through Boston - it really keeps me motivated.  Thanks and congrats on your 16:20 - sounds like a fun approach and I'm betting you won.

By the way, your coach is one heck of a runner.

Yeah, he's a stud.  Did you get to see him out at the JFK at all?  His report is a great read, if you're interested.  So humble and down to earth for being so good. 

http://www.runflaherty.com/2013/11/jfk-race-report.html

Chris M wrote:December 500....wow.

What can I say, I'm a sucker for arbitrary goals!

And man, your college experience sounds awful.  Good for you for standing up and making it through that year.  But talk about a poor way to "lead" a team.

Dave-O wrote:Yeah, he's a stud.  Did you get to see him out at the JFK at all?  His report is a great read, if you're interested.  So humble and down to earth for being so good. 

http://www.runflaherty.com/2013/11/jfk-race-report.html

Dude I love reading his blog! I stumbled a crossed it about a month ago! I actually was looking at his photos that he posted for JFK and it's pretty cool I can see myself at the start with all the big studs pretty cool!

Also now that I have been reading his blog I'm hoping to learn a thing or two from him. Hey does he do any more coaching with other people? Is he open to the idea?

Schuey wrote:Also now that I have been reading his blog I'm hoping to learn a thing or two from him. Hey does he do any more coaching with other people? Is he open to the idea?

He is, and I think he's coaching 8-10 runners right now.  Given his training and travels and whatnot, I do not know if he's looking to take on more runners.  I can certainly inquire for you, though. 

And respond to my email from yesterday.

December 500, Day 2: 

Lunch: 9 miles with 4 x 3:00 hill repeats at 6% incline at 6:40 pace.  Holy hell I hate this workout! I started at 6:40 pace on the first rep and thought I'd be able to gradually increase. I was dead wrong. I barely made it through the 4 reps at that pace! If nothing else, this workout reminded me that I've got a lot of work to do before Boston. 

Evening: 5 miles recovery pace.  As hard as the workout was, it felt good to put in some mileage at recovery pace. What didn't feel good was being at the United Center until 11:00 pm to see the Bulls lose in Triple-OT.  And if you think I'm giving up on the Bulls because of the Rose injury, you're underestimating my fanaticism.  

Total: 32

Dave-O wrote:

Schuey wrote:Also now that I have been reading his blog I'm hoping to learn a thing or two from him. Hey does he do any more coaching with other people? Is he open to the idea?

He is, and I think he's coaching 8-10 runners right now.  Given his training and travels and whatnot, I do not know if he's looking to take on more runners.  I can certainly inquire for you, though. 

And respond to my email from yesterday.

Looking at your email now!

Good luck with the execution!

ounce wrote:Good luck with the execution!

Thank you, sir!

December 500, Day 3:


Lunch: 5 easy miles. Planned to do a functional strength routine but had a filing due at 4:00, got started a little late, and just ran out of time.

Evening: 10 miles with form drills and 8 x 100 strides.  My routine for days such as this -- run 6 moderate miles, ending in Lincoln Park at the artificial grass soccer field.  The softness helps make the drills a little easier on the old joints.  Then I do 2 sets of the following 8 drills: Ankle skips, heel to butt, A-skips, B-skips, side shuffle, runner karaoke, springing, and bounding.  I take a few minute break, then do 8 x 100 strides.  It may not look like much, but its muscularly tiring. So on the ~3 mile run from the field to my condo, I take it pretty easy on the pace.

Dave-O wrote:

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:I'm glad that you are going to continue blogging through Boston - it really keeps me motivated.  Thanks and congrats on your 16:20 - sounds like a fun approach and I'm betting you won.

By the way, your coach is one heck of a runner.

Yeah, he's a stud.  Did you get to see him out at the JFK at all?  His report is a great read, if you're interested.  So humble and down to earth for being so good. 

http://www.runflaherty.com/2013/11/jfk-race-report.html

I only saw him as he came off the AT and then at the school. Thanks for the link.  I know Emily Harrison through McMillan and she is the same way.  Most elites that I have met in the past are as well.  Not bad for those of us who will always be amateurs.

PS Good read - and he looked much taller running than he is in that final photo   Very cool that he is running the North Face Race this weekend.  Can't wait to follow along - should be a good one with lots of very talented and fast runners.

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:

Dave-O wrote:

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:I'm glad that you are going to continue blogging through Boston - it really keeps me motivated.  Thanks and congrats on your 16:20 - sounds like a fun approach and I'm betting you won.

By the way, your coach is one heck of a runner.

Yeah, he's a stud.  Did you get to see him out at the JFK at all?  His report is a great read, if you're interested.  So humble and down to earth for being so good. 

http://www.runflaherty.com/2013/11/jfk-race-report.html

I only saw him as he came off the AT and then at the school. Thanks for the link.  I know Emily Harrison through McMillan and she is the same way.  Most elites that I have met in the past are as well.  Not bad for those of us who will always be amateurs.

PS Good read - and he looked much taller running than he is in that final photo   Very cool that he is running the North Face Race this weekend.  Can't wait to follow along - should be a good one with lots of very talented and fast runners.

I think TNF50 is up in the air due to some food poisoning this week.  Last I heard he hadn't decided whether to still make the trip.  Bummer.

December 500, Day 4: 14 miles, 6:51 pace. I banged this one out over lunch.  The total numbers are deceiving, though, because I really eased into the pace for the first 4.  Miles 5 - 14 averaged 6:32 pace, so more on the moderate aerobic side of things.  I planned to put in 4-6 easy miles after work, but I had dinner reservations with my parents at 7:00 and couldn't get away from work in time. Oh well.  It's a long month; no need to load on the miles this early. 

Total: 61

What happened on Day 5?  Whatever you had planned, I hope it got done before the show the Bulls gave you last night against the Heat.  It'd be nice to see these guys get to play each other with fully healthy rosters in an ECF some day.  Stupid DRose's knee.

mul21 wrote:What happened on Day 5?  Whatever you had planned, I hope it got done before the show the Bulls gave you last night against the Heat.  It'd be nice to see these guys get to play each other with fully healthy rosters in an ECF some day.  Stupid DRose's knee.

December 500, Day 5: Two easy runs of 8 and 4 miles. In other words, mileage took a back seat to my birthday festivities at the Bulls game.  And oh boy I am paying for it today.   

Total: 73.  Need to pick up the pace.

December 500


Day 6: 10 easy miles. After a late night at the Bulls game, I slept in a little, which meant no time for a lunch run. That's fine. I want to be somewhat fresh for tomorrow's run. 

Day 7: 20 miles, 6:50 pace, on Boston treadmill course simulator.  If I PR in Boston, I will owe a large thanks to Martin and Lisa for allowing me to take advantage of their treadmill.  It's going to be an incredible asset of the course of the next 4 months. Course specificity is great for training, and you can't get any more specific than running the exact elevation profile.  I was pretty conservative for the first 10 miles (~7:10 pace) but then starting attacking it a little more for the second half of the run.  Miles 17-19 were 6:15 pace, and mile 20 was 5:45.  I handled the hills better than I expected...or maybe Kristina is just a great distraction. 

Day 8: 5 and 10, both slow and easy. I was more sore than I expected this morning.  My quads and glutes were quite beat up.  I guess that's a good thing, going to show that I really stressed my legs in a way I usually am not able to in Chicago.  The 5 mile run in the snow as untimed, but definitely slower than 8:00 pace.  10 miles on the treadmill to round out the day while watching football. 

Total: 118.

Hey, can I get access to that treadmill?

Nice running Dave-O.


Check out this Cubbie for a heartwarming pre-Christmas story. I saw it on ESPN tonight, and there may be better links.


http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/cubs-matt-szczur-featured-heartwarming-e60-segment

Dave P wrote:Hey, can I get access to that treadmill?

Nope, Chicagoans only.   

Diego wrote:Nice running Dave-O.


Check out this Cubbie for a heartwarming pre-Christmas story. I saw it on ESPN tonight, and there may be better links.

http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/cubs-matt-szczur-featured-heartwarming-e60-segment

Wow, I had never heard that story before. Thanks for sharing. I've always been interested in Szczur, seeing as how he's a former collegiate wide receiver. It seems the new regime isn't as high on his MLB prospects.

December 500

Day 9: 5 easy at lunch.  8 easy, in negative wind chills and icy conditions.  That was not a fun one. I was planning on 10 but decided halfway through to take the most direct route home.

Day 10: 5 easy at lunch, with hill sprints.  15 miles at 6:32 pace after work. It's never to find motivation to head to the gym at 7:30 pm for 15 miles.  That's where stupid challenges like the December 500 come into play. 

Total: 151

mountandog wrote:

Question on the TM.  Does it simulate the entire 26.2 over 20 miles, or did you just pick a 20 mile section of the course?

The treadmill has the entire 26.2 mile profile, divided up into 5 different segments.

However, the simulation progresses at about the speed of the lead vehicle from 2011 (I think that's the year Schuey said) because that's how it was filmed. So while it tracks your actual distance, it won't align perfectly with the speed in which it covers the course.

For example, my 20 miles covered about 24.5 miles of the course.

December 500

Day 11: 8 easy at lunch. 5 easy after work. I need to start extending my easy runs, or else 500 isn't going to happen.  

Day 12: 12 miles, with 8 mile progression: 6:03, 5:55, 5:52, 5:48, 5:45, 5:41, 5:32, and 5:22. Hey! Some quality mixed in!  And I actually felt pretty damn good.

Day 13: 6 easy at lunch with a functional strength routine. 10 miles after work, which I haven't done yet, but I will...because it's my only way home.  And tacos and wine await.

Total: 192. Still slightly behind, but a strong weekend will put me where I need to be at the halfway point.

Day 14: 6 miles, untimed.  10 miles easy with 8 x 15 hill sprints.  The amount and frequency of snow we've gotten in Chicago is making things more difficult than they should be. I left my watch at home in the morning because a few inches fell overnight and the streets weren't even close to clear yet.  In the afternoon I was scheduled for 4 sets of hill springing and bounding, but I had nowhere to do them with the snow. So I did 8 x 15 second hill sprints at an 8% grade -- which I felt was the closest thing to the drills. 

Day 15: 22 miles, 2:25:08, 6:36 pace.  Today was the first time I felt the mileage start to wear me down.  I was fine through 14 or so, and then really started to fatigue. I didn't have any gels or Nuun, and that was likely a contributing factor. I also probably didn't eat enough yesterday.  I need to remember how much nutrition makes a difference with this type of mileage.  I was quite worn out the rest of the day.  But, I got to bed early and knocked out 10 hours of sleep, which I hope will get me back on track. 

Week: 112
Month: 230