Gil Can Run!A blog on Running and all the crap that runs through my head while doing it

Sep 19th What an interesting day

When I first crossed the finish line I was so upset with my performance. Then I saw the results! The winner finished in 1:21, it was just a slow day, and while a hamstring cramp at mile 11 ended up costing me a few spots, I actually finished 65th overall and 9th in my age group. Given I am in a very competitive age group, I’m very happy with the performance. Even though I missed my goal. Many people were upset, until they realized how slow everyone was today.
That’s a good lesson, sometimes a horrible race is actually a great race. I wish I had been able to hold it together a little longer, there was a point where I was in a top 30 spot! I was pretty fast in the first half.
But the conditions are not a reflection of the complete class act that Shoreline Sharks events are. Clint does a really nice job putting on these races, and I always love running them. There’s always a chance at greatness next year I suppose, if I’m around. If you have a chance to run in a Sharks event, do it. Gulf Beach should be their fastest half, but I don’t think it was this year. Also, if you run all three of their halves you get a special streaker prize at the end of the year. I can’t wait to see what is in store for me this year!
Up next, a few weeks of taking it easy and just putting in training miles, then the Hartford Marathon! Finally. Have fun out there, keep running, because if Gil can run, so can you!

Sep 18th Tomorrow, I race!

Saturday will bring the Gulf Beach Half Marathon, as previously mentioned. I’m feeling alright tonight, I hope everything works out tomorrow.
My day was simple, a very good friend complimented me on the Gil Can Run Show! That made me happy. And the parts came to repair my mom’s cellphone, finally, and I got that done and running.
I wanted to just check in, and I will post my results tomorrow and let you know how the Half went for me. Thanks a lot everyone for being here! Good luck, have fun and keep running, because if Gil can run, then so can you!

Sep 17th The Gil Can Run Show Episode 15

Here it is, in all it’s glory! Episode 15 is live, wherein we talk about the Suffolk County Marathon, the upcoming Gulf Beach Half Marathon, my apology for not updating the blog this week, and how you should be happy in your own body! I did not mention a few of my friends who are doing one of the Mainly Marathons series in the center of the country. They are in the middle of it and are doing great! So proud of them. You guy have fun, keep running, because if Gil can run then so can you!

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Sep 13th First ever Suffolk County Marathon

So my official time was 4:41:44. Conditions were tough at the start, and I just didn’t have enough to get me through to the end, but I was very happy with my first 9 miles. It’s a nice course, although I can see where it would be brutal if the sun were out fully. We were lucky that there were plenty of clouds. Support was poor at the start, but later in the race it was fantastic. The crowds were great through Sayville. Speaking of Sayville, I went by my friend Civ’s tattoo shop, Lotus. It’s where I got my koi done and, he also did the superman shield on my leg, but not at Lotus, but at his location in the East Village, so ups to Lotus Tattoo and Civ. He had a big weekend, celebrating the 20th anniversary of “Set Your Goals” being released. Great positive hardcore album. Check it out.
So it was nice to run with a lot of friends. Second of the race a fellow maniac caught up to me and we finished the race together, his wife was just a few seconds behind us. Lots of folks I know from the Marathon Maniacs were there as this was a local race for them, so it was cool!
Overall, this was a good race, I’d run it again if I have the chance. But let’s talk about sunscreen.
So I’m sitting there and thinking “Meh, it’s cloudy, I don’t need sunscreen, it’ll just sting my eyes.” So after the race, hanging out, sun blaring, no protection at all, yeah, my face is a little burned. I fell like a total schmoe. So it was a good day, could have been a great day if I could have held that pace for a another hour or so. But no matter, I had fun, got to hang out with folks, meet some cool new people, which I’ll tell you about on Thursday, I think it bears the full treatment, because I heard an interesting and reasonable theory on salt tabs from an old-school runner, who has won his fair share of marathons.
So, we’ll check that out, and I may take some of his suggestions and go with it, although I kind of already do. We will see! Yous guys have fun, keep running and always remember: If Gil can run, then so can you!

Sep 12th Am I ready?

Suffolk County Marathon, East Islip, NY. Need to wake up in 6 hours, drive down there and get ready to go. Let’s hope for the best, I ate a lot more than I normally do the night before a marathon, let’s see how that goes. Alright, have fun, keep running and remember, if Gil can run, then so can you!

Sep 10th Gil can Run, episode 14 is LIVE!

I had a great weekend, and I’m back home!

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Sep 9th Crazy day

I got through all my boxes that I’m aware of. Some things are missing, which makes sense. My room was on fire. No one else’s room was on fire, but mine was and the kitchen. But I got through all the boxes I’m aware of for my room at this point. This is actually a fairly sad experience. I hate to say that, but I mean you’re going through all the crap you’ve collected through the years and it’s all in boxes. It looks like all the pictures of my nieces survived. Some other stuff survived, including my decibel meter…80 db at the air return. That’s like running a garbage disposal all the time. Crazy right? The other thing I realize is that I have lots of books. I now have no bookshelves to put them on. Tomorrow. more cleaning up all these boxes and shit. What a pain. Have fun, keep running, because if Gil can run, so can you!

Sep 8th Interesting Day

I don’t have much to say, I don’t feel like sharing tonight. I’ll leave you with this:
Alan Watts telling the story of the Chinese Farmer -via Sustainable Human on Facebook

Sep 7th Best race I’ve ever run!

The humidity stayed away and, while it was sunny, this year’s edition of the New Haven Road Race was fantastic. Start to finish this is the best race I have ever run! Let’s look at the stats: go ahead click it! There are a couple spots I feel I could have done a little better, but from start to finish, I feel I stayed focused, I didn’t waste too much energy. It’s very tough for me to not waste energy, to not be excited, to not yell out and be supportive. I want to have fun, I want to entertain, I hate being in crowds, being obnoxiously fun to be around is what makes me comfortable being around too many people. It sound weird, but that’s how it is. So to control that, to not say hi to everyone I pass, to just focus on where I was and what I was doing, that was huge. Most importantly, when I got tired, I didn’t allow myself to walk, and I didn’t really allow myself to slow down. Even when I ended up with UCann up my nose at the last aid station I just kept going. If I hadn’t started in the back of the pack, I think I would have done even better. But I was really happy with this race. I hope I can improve on it in a couple weeks at Gulf Beach Half. Next week is the Suffolk County Marathon, I know a couple friends will be there, so that will be fun. I will work on my focus, but I doubt I will be doing 8-8:15/mi (4:30-5/km) the whole way.
I am just really happy with my performance, I’m very proud of myself for keeping my mind and body from wandering, and for not giving up even when the going got tough. There are some challenges in the last couple miles. I hope you all had a great Labor Day, that you all had fun, enjoyed the day, and got home/get home safely! Have fun, keep running, because if Gil can run, then so can you! and how!

Sep 6th Tomorrow morning, we run!

Yes, the New Haven Road Race 20k is upon us again. My kit is ready to go:

Enjoy your day off all the folks in the US reading, and just enjoy your Monday everyone else. Remember, Labor Day is a day to reflect on those that were killed, and sacrificed all for things like a 40 hour work week, paid time off, living wages, kids not being killed working in coal mines and all manner of child labor, wage theft, wage slavery and so much more. These people did not volunteer, were not given guns and uniforms. They weren’t marched off to some foreign land and told to shoot at people they were told hated them. These people who died, they were just working folks, organizing together to ask for decent living conditions, dignity, and some appreciation for making others so wealthy through their hard labor. The business owners and politicians set security companies (Pinkerton was famous for it), paid thugs, mercenaries, and even the National Guard on these workers to beat them, break them, and even kill them. When they fought back they were called anarchists and bomb throwers.
Labor Day seems like just a day off, but there’s so much more to it than that. Please look it up, read about it. There are plenty of books, articles, movies, even songs about what regular everyday working people, working heroes, did to make this country, and build a middle class. We’ve lost sight of that, that is where the decline has happened. Learn about the labor movement this Labor Day. It’s the best thing you can do, if you really are keen on saving the middle class, your fellow workers, your families and yourselves.
Have fun, keep running, because if Gil can run, then so can you!