First The Grey Lady bit on our enduring pepper coverage, and now this! If the “Special Interests” editor wants to just give a shout, we’ll happily provide countless story ideas for only the cost of a few beers and attribution. Here’s one on the house that’s got crazy legs: Los Compadres suck eggs, probably are behind all the sketchily complex debt products and certainly are to blame for the global financial meltdown. Scoop of the news cycle - you’re welcome.
Professional courtesy gripes aside, it’s an excellent article on LeMons - a race that seems to have been designed for the Dukes of Flatbush. The Dukes know a little something about 24 hr contests - stay tuned for future DOFB beater racing supremacy.
I can’t say that I was looking forward to running the NYC Marathon Tune-up this weekend, per se, but I was looking forward to seeing how my mind and body were going to deal with the added mileage. After the very amusing walking hallucinatory state that Reach the Beach put me in, I will admit, I was looking forward to meeting that stranger I have heard so much about over the last few years- “The Wall”.
With the Tune-up miles locked in, I needed to add two extra miles to the start to meet my 20 mile run requirement for the week. This meant a 5am wake-up, train to 57th street, then the 2.6 run up to the start at 102 st on the East Side for a 7am start. (I know, boo-hoo, but hey, it’s my first marathon and I’ll moan if I want to!) After a bit of a battle with shin splints after an 18 miler to Coney Island last weekend, I will admit, I wasn’t feeling all that strong going into Sunday’s race/ run. I had been slow all week, and just couldn’t seem to get the lead out. I knew it was gonna be another difficult one when I stepped out of the house that morning- it was muggy and already 70 degrees– oh dear.
By the time I arrived at the start after my warm-up, I was already drenched with sweat. The humidity was at 93%, and I was praying for the sky to open up- no such luck. Knowing my body, I resolved to take it slow and just see what running with the crowd felt like, and listen to what my mind and body were doing and just take it nice and easy. After 3 miles I realized I was running a 9:20 mile pace and there wasn’t a darn thing I could do about it- nice and easy was all I had.
Running loops is definitely not my preferred training method. Even though I have a pretty nifty hill mantra (I love hills, I love *%$@*&% hills), I don’t like to have to use it on the same hill again and again- it seems to lose efficacy. That said; round and round the park I went for a good 15 (17.5 for me) miles with all systems pretty much in check. Slow, but in check.
It was at mile 15 that I realized that I must have dropped my 3rd Gel Pack somewhere. Opps! It was also at this moment that I also started to feel really cold. From sweaty to shivering in a matter of seconds. “Why didn’t I eat breakfast this morning?” Fearing a premature introduction to “The Wall”, I assured myself that I was fine, and reminded myself of the “Gel” table just past Columbus Circle at the bottom of the park on Central Park South. “All good, just get around the corner”, I told myself.
Just as I inched around the corner, and felt my head fill with cotton and my feet turn into 100 lb weights, I noticed that the table was empty.
“Well, hello Mr. Wall. So nice to finally meet you in person.” Maybe some good manners might soften the blow, I thought.
And it did. He’s a funny fellow that Mr. Wall. We laughed for a few steps, talking about what a crazy fool I am for taking this on. I should still be in bed, he’s right. Or better yet, glass of wine and a cozy couch. I know it’s only 9:30 am, but I’ve been up for almost 5 hours. TAXI!
We talked for a few more steps as warmth started to return to my arms, and we got near the Gatorade table- oh sweet nectar! “Three more miles, eh?” he asked. And with that, I was off. “What the hell is 3 miles?” was I needed to ask myself.
Just as I hit the 16 mile mark, I looked down and saw the brand of Gel I prefer. “Oh, wouldn’t that be nice,” I thought to myself. Then I thought for a moment and tried to do some math. Surprising how difficult that can be. My last gel was at 10 miles, the park is 6 miles. 10 plus 6 equals…come on Math don’t fail me know- 16! Oh my, it’s my Gel! Without thinking of how dirty NYC truly is (read: Horses in Central Park), I turned around, scooped it up and slurped it down- delicious, yummy, goodness, I love you Gel!
I don’t know if I really needed it or not, but I’m not trying to be a hero. Could I have run this race faster, sure? Should I have eaten breakfast? Yes! Will I run faster than a 9:40 pace on Marathon day? I don’t know. All I do know is that I ran 20 miles this weekend and I met “The Wall”- hopefully they will both be as gentle the next time we meet.
The fiasco on Wall Street gets worse and worse. As I write, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down around 7%. SmartMoney.com has a great tool called ‘Map of the Market‘ that gives you a top down view by sector. Red indicates a loss, green indicates a gain. Most every stock is bright red indicating a loss of more than 6%. The only company doing well today is one involved in gold mining. You know, something with real value. Ugh.
The internet is abuzz with rumors about the 2008 Baja 1000 course. This was posted on a Baja.net forum:
“At the Primm 300 this past weekend, Sal Fish announced the 2008 Baja 1000 would be about 660 miles and follow this route: Ensenada - Ojos Negros - El Condor - La Ponderosa - Rumorosa - Laguna Salada - San Felipe - Azufre wash - Morelia Jct - San Matias - Mike’s Sky Rancho - Valle de Trinidad - Llano Colorado - San Vicente - Santo Tomas - Ojos Negros - Ensenada.”
I spent time in Baja earlier this year and heard from many people that loop races might be a thing of the past. This speculation was largely based on the growing popularity of the race, both in the number of entrants and worldwide media attention. A loop race (Ensenada to Ensenada) only benefits businesses in the North, while a point-to-point race (Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas) spreads the wealth. A point-to-point race is more dramatic and highlights Cabo which is the biggest tourist draw on the whole peninsula.
If this rumor holds true, it seems loop races are still in the mix, but the most shocking thing is the distance. That’s almost half the mileage of last year! If that proves true, my guess is that the course would be insanely technical.
If anyone hears anything else, please post a comment…
We’ve been heralding the feats of Pepperrtown USA all summer and generally singing the praises of the noble Capsicum genus. Now even the NY Times is getting in on the action.
Surely world domination is the next logical step & I’d like to get out early and on message; I salute our new Pepper Overlords.
This past Saturday saw a collection of hardy Dukes shake the cobwebs off their post-Reach The Beach legs and head on out for a long training run. It was a stellar day in New York and there was only one destination that made sense: Coney Island.
If you’ve never been to Coney you should make a trip ASAP. Those pernicious developers have their clutches on it and it’s fair to say that the next few years will likely yield a much different place. The result may be a more dynamic, vibrant and “safe” destination, but there are many amongst us who delight in the old, some what dilapidated carnie-hollow that Coney Island is today.
With that in mind, 5 of us headed out early Saturday for one of my favorite long runs. It’s a flat and easy 16 miles RT to Coney Island from Prospect Park and the payoff on this one is awesome. I mean, how many runs in NY involve a old-time carnival boardwalk??
A couple of those on-board have looming marathons in their sights; the White Witch is running NYC and All Business has the Philadelphia on deck. So I expect it was particularly encouraging to both of them that the distance felt so easy….especially one week after Reach the Beach. Just one of those magic days where the temperature is perfect, all systems check out, and the miles disappear in the rear view mirror with unusual ease.
This note was delivered this morning by winged foot messenger form an intrepid Northland Duke…..glory was his this weekend and he’s kind enough to share.
My Esteemed Dukes,
It is with great honor and sense of obligation that I have joined your exalted ranks. As a sign of my good faith and dedication, immediately upon returning to my native lands I set about a conquest to claim lands for the ever expanding Flatbush empire to the north. I am pleased to report that the summit of Mt. Katahdin was claimed for the Dukes as well as all territory visible from its summit (see attached picture). All vassals encountered upon the way were made to grovel before the Flatbush flag, and I would have dispatched any Los Compadres encountered, but I am sad to report that none were spotted. Becoming hungry during our expedition, I hunted down one of Maine’s alpine parakeets with my bare hands. My trusty assistant is seen in the second picture holding our substantial feast immediately prior to roasting.
For the glory of the empire!
Res Firma Nitescere Nescit
-The Duke of the North
Even though it’s starting to feel like fall in New York, the Victory Garden continues to achieve. I had a full pull this afternoon: bell, cubanelle, poblano, jalapeno, cayenne and habanero. I’m making chili this Sunday, as I do every fall, but this year it will be powered by my own garden. Here’s what I have to work with…
Right on. Right on.
With body and mind still recovering from the Reach the Beach juggernaut, I can assure you that there has been no shortage of wine consumed in our house this week. Ran into a delicious little gem acquired from the NH State liquor store on the way back down and thought I’d share. I normally shy away from any vineyard that aligns itself with the “new school”, or relies on cheeky names and such. Generally I find their wines sub-par and the approach ill conceived. Yeah, I’ve suffered through more than my fair share of sharp tannins and unbalanced ho-ha garbage at the hands of Bonny Dune Vineyards.
But every now and then I take a gamble, and the purchase of a bottle of Ro Sham Bo Winery’s Reverend Zin paid off. Granted it’s primarily Dry Creek, which is known for some excellent Zins, but this is a damn tasty bottle of wine. Nice fruit, tanins and and full bodied without going overboard. It puts me in mind of another favorite Zin - Renwood’s Jack Rabbit Flats. Anyway, if you dig Zins, check it out. And I must say, the Ro Sham Bo folks seems to have a delightfully zaney approach to their craft to boot. The Dukes may just have to make a trip to the left coast to take in the annual Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament next year…
I spend a lot of time on the East End of Long Island. Apart from Shelter Island, my favorite spot is Montauk. It’s got a great local vibe, tons of great bars and restaurants and most importantly, feels a million miles from the Hamptons. When I’m in Montauk, I always do two things. I swing by Ditch Plains to get a little sun and watch the surfers hang ten. The second is an obligatory stop at St. Peter’s Catch to pick up as much smoked marlin dip as I can carry. I’m not normally a fan of smoked fish, but this dip is outrageous. You spread it on a ritz cracker, top with a jalapeno slice and you’re off to the races.
I have four Jalapeno pepper plants that produce around 40 peppers every two weeks. With the help of a friend, we put up five jars of pickled jalapeno slices the other weekend. The jalapenos are ridiculously fresh having been picked moments earlier. Can’t wait to introduce these little fellers to St. Peter…
16 Sep
Posted by mfpreyer as Misc, Reach The Beach, Run, Sports, Training
All this running is great and all, but, without getting too personal, it’s not without its maladies- muscle soreness, joint swelling, tendinitis, you name it. I went into this weekend’s Reach The Beach Relay with some pretty serious battle wounds, namely 4 blisters on my feet in all the wrong places– the back of both heals and underneath each of my big toes. I will be honest and admit these are not from training; they were all my reward for the awful transition from flips flops and Birk’s to the dreaded dress shoe. Ugh.
Knowing that 2 days of running would put those blisters through the paces, I invested in a box of Dr. Scholl’s Blister Treatment Pads in hopes of protecting the now open blisters from getting rubbed raw and terrorizing my every step. While the box promises they will stay in place for up to a week and goes on and on about how you are going to have to soak with water water to remove, I can assure you these suckers can barely hang on for three miles, let alone a few hours!
In all fairness, while they were in place, they definitely provided a much needed cushion between the open wound and my sock, making it much easier to run than if there was nothing there at all. Further, I know it’s not totally fair to put these things up to such a challenge as a 208 mile over night relay race as a product review, but seriously. At almost $1 per pad, they should stay on for at least a few miles. Unfortunately, for all they promise-
* Helps heal and prevent blisters
* Stays comfortably in place
* Thin and flexible to conform to the heel and other areas of the foot
* Sterilized for safe use on open blisters
* Nearly invisible
* Water-resistant
I think they only thing they succeed at is being sterile, which while in an overnight endurance race (read: no shower) is very useful in treating wounds.
So, the search continues for a comfortable blister treatment. Until then, I guess it’s back to a sterile pad and moleskin for me.
Go Dukes!
16 Sep
Posted by Graham as Adventure, Reach The Beach, Run, Sports
356 teams competed in the 10th annual Reach the Beach relay race held this past weekend in New Hampshire. The official results are in and I’m happy to report that the Dukes of Flatbush had an impressive showing in their innagural race. We ran 209.5 miles in 28 hours, 49 minutes and 50 seconds, a 8:16 pace. We placed 43rd out of 167 teams in the Mixed Open Division, and were 129th overall.
Big props to the team that brought it home this year: Birch, Fayth, Laura, Sean, Christina, Steph, Kevin, Jennifer, Jon, Kristin, yours truly and the indefatigable team leader, Chad. Additional posts will follow that document the amazing stories that happened along the way, but it was an epic journey and I couldn’t have been happier to share it with my fellow Dukes. We killed it.
Word has come down that team Dukes of Flatbush have finished the Reach The Beach relay. Unofficial finish time is 6:10pm ET. That is over 28 hours of running. INSANE!!!
Seems that all members are in solid shape and are ready for a night of rest and relaxation. Good luck winding down tonight and hopefully everyone’s belly survives the night after consuming an unimaginable number of GU’s.
Yours truly is now signing off and ready for a nap and then prepare my trip back to the East Coast for the celebration party next weekend.
This is a quick update as we get near the finish. Just had a call from team captain Chad and team Dukes of Flatbush is cruising along. ETA of Kevin crossing the finish is approx 6:10pm ET.
The team is running like pros and while delirious from lack of sleep, seem composed and super strong and will power through to the finish.
Stay Tuned……..
I now understand what the scholars who tried to interpret the Dead Sea Scrolls felt like as I try to decode the previous text messages from the Dukes of Flatbush team as they near the beach area and come to the home legs of Reach The Beach.
For you reading pleasure, here are some snippets of what I have been able to decode thus far:
I think the notes above really say it all
DOFB
