thoughts

Burgers and Hotdogs and Pizza, Oh My!

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New Haven – A beacon of traditional cuisine crossed with a lovely touch of bizarre twists that makes it a fun place to try some really different versions of our favorite classics.  During the half marathon weekend Colin and I set out to tackle as many famous (and not-so-famous) New Haven eateries in preparation and recovery for the Fairfield Half Marathon.

Saturday began at Louis’ Lunch.  It lays claim to inventing the hamburger and does things today the same as when they started.  First off, it’s a tiny place.  We got there at noon, right when they open, and there was a line of about 20 people waiting for a hamburger.  It’s not a fast line because everything is made to order.  The only confusing part is they only serve hamburgers, so they should be able to see how many people are in line, and at least have a few extra going.  Anyway, we finally get up to order and there’s no menu, so trying not to look like a noob, I say “I’ll have a hamburger” and she looks at me, gives an exasperated sigh, and asks “tomato, onion, cheese?  Anything to drink?  Here or to go?”  Blast!  She saw right through me.  “Just tomato.  To go.” and I step to the side to pay.  She writes down the order on a sheet of paper with a Sharpie and makes it visible for the chef (this is a 3-person operation: order, pay, cook).  The burgers are cooked in super old-fashioned vertical broilers about 12 at a time.  About 30 minutes after first getting in line I’m holding the paper sack with my burger and we’re off to Colin’s to eat.

The burgers are served on white sandwich bread, just the meat, and in my case, with a single slice of tomato.  And they are thick!  Very juicy and delicious, if not a tad underseasoned.  Colin also got potato salad, which he reported to be a great partner to his “CW” (short for Cheeseburger with the works: cheese (actually a cheese spread), tomato, onion).  The final verdict is it was very good but nothing outrageous.  It was fun to go to such an old place with a different way of doing things.

The rest of the day included grabbing some bananas and bagels for the morning of the race and picked up a bagel sandwich before dinner.  We had a pretty uneventful pasta dinner to get ready for the race.

Then we ran.

To refuel we went to Super Duper Weenie.  It was only 2 miles from the race, but there’s no way you could find it without knowing exactly where it is.  It’s on a back access road near the highway, adding to its allure.  Anyway, we walked in just after 11am to a small counter next to the 9-seat bar.  The menu actually had non-hotdog items, but that would be for the weak.  I got the New Yorker: Sauerkraut, Onion Sauce, Mustard, & Hot Relish.  The hotdogs are split down the middle and cooked on the griddle (while the chef will twiddle his thumbs.  My poetry bone started flaring up there).  Then put into a perfect bun and topped with all the aforementioned garnishes.  Really top notch!  Perfect refuel following the race.  Colin got the New Englander: Sauerkraut, Bacon, Mustard, Sweet Relish & Raw Onion, because who doesn’t need bacon on a hotdog?  We also split some fresh cut fries, you know, to replenish the carbs and potassium.  If you’re ever near exit 24 on I-95 in Connecticut, stop by the Super Duper Weenie.

We then changed up the plan a bit.  As a midafternoon snack we agreed on a fantastically amazing idea to get ice cream.  We walked down to Ashley’s Ice Cream Cafe and I had no choice but to get the coffee oreo ice cream.  There are few things I enjoy more than ice cream, and this reaffirmed everything.  Smooth coffee ice cream laced with large and small bits of real Oreos.  Great idea Brittany!

We wrapped up the weekend of over-the-top eating at Modern Apizza.  As I mentioned in the preview, the site is worth visiting for the music alone.  We sat down without any wait (though it was 5pm and the average age of everyone in there was 70) and scoped out the menu.  Upon a recommendation by a native New Havenite, I went for the plain mozzerella.  The real decision was what size.  It wasn’t much of a decision at all though.  LARGE.  I got through about a third of it and boxed up the rest to go.  The dough was thin but not too crisp, a good chewiness.  It was just a really good cheese pizza.

Looking forward to the leftovers 🙂

What do you mean you “ran” a marathon?

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Yesterday I came across a… curious blog post from Jeff Galloway (an incredibly well-respected runner and coach) that got me thinking a bit about that little word “run”.  For those of you who are barely interested enough to read this blog, I’ll give you a rundown of what Jeff said (I’m paraphrasing a good bit): You can complete a marathon (or any race) by alternating 1 minute of running with 1 minute of walking.  By taking this approach, you won’t feel as tired as if you run the whole time, and could potentially finish faster than people who run as far as possible and then are forced to walk later in the race due to fatigue.  He put it to the test again recently and finished right around the 5-hour mark.

I understand the premise behind this, but it makes me question the purpose and motivation of completing a marathon through those means.  This is a hot topic in some forums and people get really fired up over it.  It typically comes down to one side of people saying “you shouldn’t be doing a marathon unless you trained hard to run it” and then the other side chimes in with “what do you care why other people run a race? It’s an individual accomplishment”.  Then there are points made for each side and it ultimately results in a new argument based on a totally ridiculous statement made by one person from either side of the fence.

I guess what strikes me is that idea of planning on not going into the race with the intention of running it.  Way back when, Phidippides ran from Marathon to Athens to tell everyone about the Greek victory over the Persians.  Now, I wasn’t there, but I think it’s safe to assume he didn’t run/walk to get there.  Otherwise his heart wouldn’t have exploded after giving the good news.  I imagine you could make the argument that running a full marathon could make your heart explode, thus run/walking is the way to go, but based on the history (source: the Internet), there were extenuating circumstances (like running 140 miles across mountains in 36 hours, and then back another 140 miles a few days before his marathon run).

In more modern times, running was first seen as an odd thing to do and only the “hard-core” would actually give it a go, especially the marathon distance.  As running has picked up popularity more and more people have dipped their toe in the water (no pun intended, but if I must clarify, they would have removed their running shoes before dipping the toe), creating a bit of a snowball effect.  Now, it’s great that people are out exercising, getting in shape, and showing an interest in running.  In my opinion though, not just anyone and everyone should be able to sign up and run a marathon.  Aside from safety concerns due to undertraining, it somewhat dilutes the accomplishment of those who trained and ran as hard as they could.  This has absolutely nothing to do with how long it takes to finish; it is more based on effort.  For those who have walked a marathon and argue that you were tired afterward, it’s probably because you just walked 26 miles, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the effort was put in to training.

I’m not just venting without purpose.  No sir!  A few non-ground-breaking ideas come to mind.  First, if everyone and their guinea pig are going to be able to register for a marathon, I think a “qualifying” race should be required.  Not necessarily for speed, but actually more for safety.  By making sure someone can complete, say, 13.1 miles first, it may deter those who are not really in any condition to try to complete a full marathon.  On top of that, it will ensure that everyone in the marathon is aware of what it will take to properly train for such a huge distance.

Second, if a “qualifying” event isn’t imposed, then creating a separate “non-running” event may be more appropriate to offer to those who have no intention of running the full event.  Perhaps give it a snazzy, never-used-before name like a walk-athon, geared more towards those looking to complete their own personal goal or challenge.  The gap between walking a marathon and running a marathon is almost as large as running and roller blading.  The events are just different, and should not be considered equal nor held on the same platform.

Just my non-requested thoughts on the matter.  If you agree with me, let me know in the comments.  If you disagree, you’re wrong 🙂 but still let me know in the comments.

Hey Me, I Beat You

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For the first time in a long time (ever?) I did the same exact route on back-to-back runs with the sole intention of seeing how two separate days would compare.  The beauty of this is, no matter what happens, I win!

Of course it would be nice to do better the second time, so that I can show improvement and feel like I’m progressing.  In hindsight, though, I’m not sure how much progress would be made between Monday and Wednesday… but it was too late!  I already threw down the gauntlet… to myself!  Bring it on!

So on Monday I ran straight up Mass Ave until it hits Wisconsin (Avenue, not state.  Side Note: Did you know that the Wisconsin state motto is “Forward”?  Weak.  Here’s the reasoning: “Reflecting Wisconsin’s continuous drive to be a national leader, the state adopted “Forward” as the official state motto in 1851.”  What is Wisconsin a national leader of exactly?  Any thoughts should be left in the comments.)  From my apartment to the turn around point the elevation rises about 10,000 feet.  That’s why DC is known as 2-Mile High city (suck it Denver!).  Ok, actually it’s about 300 feet.  But it feels like 10,000 feet.  The major incline really takes place over the course of a mile.  Mental math: That’s almost a 5.7% incline! (thank you Google for your mental math).  Anyway, what you’ve all been waiting for!  The results…

Day Monday 5/11/09 Wednesday 5/13/09
Distance 5.33 miles 5.33 miles
Time 43:10 42:30
Pace 8:04 min/mile 7:58 min/mile
Average HR 160 bpm 162 bpm

Hooray!  I win!  Unfortunately I don’t get a medal (see sidebar to the right for other medals) but I do get the satisfaction that I beat the best (me)!  Anyway, what it really means is I pushed harder today than Monday, as seen by my heartrate and my perceived exertion.  But logic won’t take away the sweet taste of victory.  We’ll see how this compares when I try the same route again later on down the road.  Is that a challenge?  It is!  I better check myself before I wreck myself.  That’s enough smack talk for now.  Good day.

Friends Don’t Let Friends Run Angry

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Things were shaping up nicely on Saturday.  There was an actual gameplan, not just waiting to see what presented itself (usually sitting on the couch watching tv presents itself).  But not this Saturday!  We walked up 14th St to some shops then swung by the farmer’s market on 14 & U.  Got some bread, an apple, you know, a relaxing little Saturday.  Ev then had to go into work (sucks!), so we parted ways when the bus came.  

While walking back I decided to swing by The Bike Rack to possibly buy a cycling jersey.  I’ve been getting geared up to ride my bike for the first time in awhile now that the weather was improving and finished up a big research paper.  They didn’t have much in stock, and nothing in my size, so I left empty-handed with a new plan: Head home, change into cycling gear (minus jersey), ride out to lunch, return some books, swing by City Sports for a jersey, and then go for a longer ride.  Brilliant plan!

1) Go home: check.
I changed and headed down to the third floor of the parking garage (better known as P3 by my elevator) to grab my bike.  Walked over to where it should have been, and that’s when the plan went straight to hell.   I stood there for a second staring at the bike rack thinking if it could have been on another floor.  Then I noticed there was a gap in the row of bikes.  At the bottom of that gap there was a bike lock and the wire that loops through the frame and wheels was cut.  I continued to stare, confounded by the situation.  I bent down and even checked if my lock key fit the lock… yep.  DAMMIT!

At this point the rest of the great plan is shot.  Sparing the details, I end up back in my apartment and decide to run off some steam.  I didn’t care if I was supposed to run easy on Sunday; I didn’t care if it was 87 degrees outside; I didn’t care if the person who took my bike got hit by a bus.  (Actually, I did care.  I very much would have liked that to happen)

I started out pretty quick for the first mile (7:37 min/mile) and decided to push it harder.  The 1 mile mark is where I generally have to make the decision where the rest of my run is going to take me.  I wasn’t sure how long the total would be, but I chose to head down into Virginia, across a few bridges, and end up at Eastern Market.  It could have been 5 miles, it could have been 12.  I figured I’d just run until I got there and see what my Garmin said.

The second mile was 7:16 min/mile.  That’s when the heat started to get to me and the wheels began to fall off.  Using the anger and adrenaline to keep going, I got to mile 3 and had to stop.  My heartrate was approaching the stratosphere (metaphor for really high) and I couldn’t hold the pace.  The sun sucked any energy reserves out of me and I struggled through the rest of the run, which ended up totaling 8 miles even.

Turns out that running on emotions can lead to running on fumes.  I was completely drained afterwards, so it did its job of releasing some steam.  At this point I’ve filed a police report, submitted a claim with my insurance, and waiting to talk to my building management.  Hopefully there will be better news in the days (ha! probably months) to come.  In hindsight Ev pointed out that it’s replaceable and not the end of the world.  At the time, though… ohhhh boy.  

Thanks for letting me vent.

Ever decide to run simply because you were sad / angry / happy?  Let me hear about it in the comments!  It’ll make me feel better.

Details:

Distance: 8.00 miles
Time: 1:04:34
Pace: 8:04 min/mile
Average Heartrate: 171 bpm

Bored of *not* Running

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Last night while getting caught up on some (debatably) quality TV, I realized that I was getting bored of not running.  In reality I think I’m just getting antsy from stored up energy while still “recovering” from the race, but I got that urge like I had to go run “right now!”.  I didn’t, of course, because it was 10 at night and thoroughly enjoying The Office and sitting on the couch drinking wine with Ev.  Tough to beat.

To runners, this sounds like a good problem to have.  Who doesn’t want to be motivated, right?  To non-runners, I should be committed.  Who wants to run when you can sleep in or watch TV… or not run?

Well, just as the sun rises (both literally and figuratively), I predictably hopped the fence into the non-runners camp when my alarm went off at 6am.  The bed can be very convincing when you voluntarily decide to make an early departure.  It took some doing, but I pulled myself out of that heavenly cocoon of endless warmth and security and got out there.  I wanted this run to be really easy, like a walk in the park (only running.. in the park).  It was ok, but not as easy as I hoped.  I think I’m still getting over that non-swine-flu cold I mentioned last time.  My heart rate was a little higher than I would have liked, just wasn’t feeling it.  But I got to run and release some of that antsy-ness (not to be confused with ants in the pants, which I still have plenty of).

Who knows, maybe after a few more early mornings I’ll be over running and ready to sleep in.  But for now I’m looking forward to the next one…

 

Details:

Distance: 5.32 miles
Time: 44:46
Pace: 8:25 min/mile
Average Heart Rate: 157 bpm
Route