Ray Biersbach's Running Log

5/14/03 - Corporate challenge #1. 3.5 miles in central park. Went out in 5:10 around 7th. Moved up to 5th at 2 miles 10:20 and then closed up in 18:18 and 4th place. Did a short cool down and warm up. Had to run off to Gen's Graduation.

Brick 1 - 5/15/03 - Ran 1 hour up the West Side. Very sore from the race. Tender Quads.

Brick 2 - 5/16/03 - On the plane, at work, at the rehersal dinner. Not in that order.

Brick 3 - 5/17/03 - Low intensity 1:03 with Jim around his Atlanta neighborhood. Half way through we did some wind sprints. 4 laps of 100 on 100 off. Felt like shit with trainers on. Can't believe Jim is getting married.

Brick 4 - 5/18/03 - Good 57 minutes very up tempo in the rain at the resort. Found some good trails at the equestrian center. They weren't very long so I just ran the 10 minute loop over and over. Hit the golf course for some very cold barefot strides after the run. I figured I would get booted in short order but the rain seems to have curbed the nay-sayers.

Brick 5 - 5/19/03 - 1 hour up the West Side around the park and over to Sarah's apt. Kind of long for a pre race but who cares. Finished up with some but kicks and high knees on 85th st.

Brick 6 - 5/20/03 - Ran and won the downtown 2.5 miler. It turned out to be a 2.6 miler. Did about 20 minutes warm up and 20 minutes cool down. It was a good effort and I managed to hit 5:00 pace for the last 1.6. We went out in 5:08 and I finished in 13:10.

Brick 7 - 5/21/03 - Ran a 10+ miler home in 1:05. Went up the west side and cut across the park with a little extra around the res loop to ad on time.

Brick 8 - 5/22/03 - Ran another 57 minute run up the west side to Sarah's place.

Brick 9 - 5/23/03 - Went home a bit early and ran a 1:12 run from my apt around the bottom of the park, along the extended bridal, around to the big bridal and did two hills loops at the top of the park. Finished up by coming back the way I started. Ran into Ted Towle who thinks he is in 1:48 shape. Good luck to him on that. Remember to check the results.

Brick 10 - 5/24/03 - Nice 1:00 in the park with Xman. We were both hurting. Same run as the day before with 1 hills loop and we went straight home rather than the extra half loop around the bridal that I ran with Ted.

Brick 11 - 5/25/03 - Back in the N-town. Did an agressive 1:00 with X-man. Pounded the hills until we were both jelly legged. I love running at home.

Brick 12 - 5/26/03 - The weather cleared late in the day and I got in another long one with Garvie. Ran up to CU. Picked up Garvie. Did 4 in Riverside and then headed home from CU back to my apt. 1:16 in total. I think I'll try an 1:30 next weekend. My legs were throbbing in bed last night.

Brick 13 - 5/27/03 - Thought that today would feel horrible based on how tired I was all day but things worked out ok. Felt great for the first 20 minutes and the pace quickened. Pushed pretty had til 46 minutes. Ended up at 90th street field and did 2x100 easy, butt kicks, high knees, push-ups, sit-ups and 2x100 hard at the end. All in bare feet. Felt good to get some speed. Finished up with another 8 minutes home nice and easy.

Brick 14 - 5/28/03 - Thought I was gonna die about 20 minutes into the run but I stopped and stretched and felt good for the last 40. Did the usual up the west side around the bridal the short way and down to 73rd. about 59:30 total. Had a burger and fell asleep instantly.

5/29/03 - Day off. Beat tired. not bad for the last 12 day I averaged 10+ per day.

Brick 15 - 5/30/03 - Felt horrible today. I shouldn't take any more days off. Ran for 45 minutes at a snales pace. Felt like poo.

Brick 16 - 5/31/03 - Another rainy day in NYC. Feling sort of beat up right now. I couldn't really make myself do more than 30 minutes. The race tomorrow should be interesting especially considering I have Joe's Bachelor Party pub crawl tonight and then drinks with John and Sean at 10:00.

Brick 17 - 6/1/03 - A little hung over from Joe's and then Keeley's til 2:00 but I managed to squeak in a 6th place finish and a 21:00 performance in the Women Against Teen Smoking Run in central park. Went out in 5:20 (+30th place) ran the second mile a little slower and came through 2 in 10:45. After this it got fun. Stayed relaxed and when I passed the 102 st. cut-off I starte passeing people in droves as we climbed the hils on the West Side. Made up about 20 spots in the 3rd mile and another 10 in the last mile. It was a good workout but raining and cold again!

Brick 18 - 6/2/03 - Got in a solid hour with Pat. Ran into him about 10 minutes in and ran the next 35 with him. He hammers. 5:50 atleast. The new HR monitor was great. Max on the run was 155 going through thte Harlem Hills. Average was about 138 for the run. The last mile I did a little test to see how fast I was running. It looks like 6:24 pace. That was pretty relaxed. It's surprising how much the pace of my easy days varies based on how tired I am. Two weks ago I was running 6:03 pace at the end of a 10 miler but I haden't just worked out hard.

Brick 19 - 6/3/03 - Corporate Challenge #2 - Felt pretty lousy and pretty tired for the first mile. Went through the first mile in 5:08 averaging about 153HR. Mile two was a 5:12 and the average HR was 165. Finished the race in 17:58. 30 seconds better than last time but in 5th place which was one place worst than last time. I out ran Pat over the last 800 but John H was just a bit too far out to catch. Max HR for the Race was 175 so I was getting up there a the end. I should have kicked a little harder and really gotten the HR all the way up but I decided to take it easy and not kill myself before the Stampeed on Saturday. Afterwards we went out with the team at the West Side Brewing Co.. Fun times.

Brick 20 - 6/4/03 - I would like to take this opportunity to call myself an undisciplined, lazy, compromizing MF. Conto's new apartment is very nice.

Brick 21 - 6/5/03 - Pretty good long run with Garvie. Was running about 6:15 pace for 1:07. Just the usual shinanigans in the park. Garvie now knows about the hills loop.

Brick 22 - Couldn't fit in a run today. Worked then went straight to dinner and then home to NJ.

Trying Brick 22 Again - 6/7/03 - Stillwater Stampeed! - Ran and won the race in 25:58 for 5 miles. It was a pretty hillly course and there was no competeion after about the first 800 meters. I had fun. Won a $100 but then gave it to the charity the race was supporting. A nice HS kid with Spine Cancer was the benefactor. All in all a fun day.

Brick 23 - 6/8/03 - 35 minute run in Manhattan. Felt horrible. Ended up getting sick in the evening. Fever, cold, sore throat, achy as shit...

Brick 24 - 6/9/03 - Feeling horrible today. Not going to run.

Brick 25 - 6/10/03 - Still feeling like shit with a fever and sore throat. I slept form 8pm last night til 8:00am including 1 hour with my alarm blaring. Going to rest one more day and hopefully I'll be back out there tomorrow.

Brick 26 - 6/11/03 - Still feeeling very bad. Didn't Run.

Brick 27 - 6/12/03 - Feeling much better but not great by any means. Did about 30 minutes at a snales pace. Worked at Mike's for two hours and then went to sleep. Bad Chineese for dinner and I got a calf cramp in the middle of the night(not related). I hope it doesn't affect Friday's run.

Brick 28 - 6/13/03 - Calf cramped in the other leg and now I am hobbling. I think I need to drink more water.

Brick 29 - 6/14/03 - Hurting and exhausted from being sick. Ran 45 minutes at a snails pace.$

Brick 30 - 6/15/03 - Feeling better and got in a run at home. 45 minutes on the Andover Newton trail. felt pretty bad and ran slow.

Brick 31 - 6/16/03 - Got in 50 minutes running up to Mike's. WEnt pretty slow but the HR went up to 157 at times. My legs felt like bricks. I think the cold is still really wiping me out.

Brick 32 - 6/17/03 - Horrible 1 hour run up the west side across 79th and then staight back to my apt. My legs felt like bicks and I had to stop and rest in the middle for 2 minutes. Maybe I was just running to hard but I doubt it.

Brick 33 - 6/18/03 - Took it easy today because the legs were screaming. 30 minutes easy.

Brick 34 - 6/19/03 - Opted for packing my apt up rather than running. Tom is Fast. 8:30 at the USCHAMPS. I'm psyched for him. I am a lazy MF.

Brick 35 - 6/20/03 - Ran home from work up to my apartment. About 80 minutes. Felt good for the first time in a long time. Went to Aereol with Sarah. Great food but I wsa very tired and didn't enjoy it as much as I should have.

Brick 36 - 6/21/03 - Flew to Cali and watched Tom in the steeple finals. He made a good surge to catch up to Famiglietti? after 4 laps and got as high as 5th but in the last 300 3 guys passed him and he couldn't hold on. 9th in 8:38 ain't bad at al for his first major final. I was inspired and went back to the Hotel and ran 15 miles out along the SF bay and up over the Golden Gate half way and then back down to the financial district. Another good run and felt great again.

Brick 37 - 6/22/03 - Very hilly run around San Fran in the morning. It was really way too close to the 15 miler. Less than 10 hours in betwen runs. The hills are enormous but I got a good run around the city. Went to the top of Nob hill and then down near the fisherman's warf. 45 minutes total.

Brick 38 - 6/23/03 - Another very hilly run. Only managed 45 min again but I ran to the top of Cathedral Hill, Ran to the base of Coit tower and then back around to Nob hill and then back down to the hotel.

Brick 39 - 6/24/03 - First run in Tahoe. Had a good run but the Altitude was tough. Went out for 50 minutes. The first 10 min was with Mike. The flats aren't bad but the hills got me breathing pretty good.

Brick 40 - 6/25/03 - Ran for 50 minutes in the morning before heading up to Rights Lake. Ran to the base of the ski slopes and crawled the last 200 meters gasping for air. Hill at 6,500' are nasty.

Brick 41 - 6/26/03 - Ran from the beach and around some very hot sandy trails. Though I was gonna die and finished up at 45 minutes. I had hoped to do an hour but I felt like shite.

6/27/03-6/30/03 - LMF. Didn't run for a variety of reasons including travel, lazyness, moving and more moving.

Brick 42 - 7/1/03 - Ran home with Matt up the East Side to 23rd St. and then ran up broadway to Mikes. It took about 1 hour which was suprising because I would have thought it would be a shorter run.

Brick 43 - 7/2/03 - Ran home with Matt again. Went straight up the West Side highway park. IT was about 47 minutes in total.

Brick 43 - 7/3/03 - Got home early ran 45 minutes in CP.*

Brick 44 - 7/4/03 - In Brick ran 57 minutes on the flat sandy trails of Alaire St. Park. It was about 85 degrees and humid.

Brick 45 - 7/5/03 - More running in the afternoon at Alaire. Did a good uptempo run. 1:05 in total. Easily 11 miles. 80-90 degrees and humid. Spent the day at the beach before the run and was suprised I wasn't more drained.

Brick 46 - 7/6/03 - Miserable morning for a run. Very hot and humid. Probably close to 90 at 9:30. 90-100% humidity. Felt horrible after only getting 12 hours of rest between runs. 45 minutes dog ass slow on the trail 10 minutes down Drum Point Rd. on the right. Body was way out of wack and my knee was throbbing after the run.

7/7/03 - Brick 47 - Miserable day for running again. Very hot and humid. Ran 40:53 with Mike on rollerblades and me running. Finished the 7.2 mile loop pretty quick. Especially since the heat index was 95. The HR was all over the place. I averaged 149 for the whole run and went as high as 167 on the harlem hills. Thought I was gonna hurl when I got home. Had a nice spinach salad when I got back. Probably need some more carbs but it worked out OK.

Brick 48 - 7/8/03 - Miserably hot day #5. Ran two big loops and back to Mikes place. 80+ at the TOR and the heat index was in the 90's. I was sweating my balls off. 1:02 pretty uptempo. The HR got up to 160 at times with the average at 149. It felt horrible but I guess a lot of runs do.

Brick 49 - 7/9/03 - Much coler but windy day. Felt horrible. Went for 42:26 with Matt. We ran up the west side and I continued straight on to Conto's. Had a nice cheese burger for dinner. The HR was at 139 most of the run. The total average was 135 and the max was 146. Pretty easy day interms of intensity. Going to try and go longer and lift tomorrow.

Brick 50 - 7/10/03 - LMF. Went out and had a drink with Sarah and some of her co-workers.

Brick 50 again - 7/11/03 - Ran 1:12 in the park from the NYAC. The HR went between 146 aveg and 164 max. Felt pretty terrible the second half but went and lifted anyway. Went to bed with a fever (but in denial that I had one). Shivered and didn't sleep most of the night.

Brick 51 - 7/12/03 - Ran 45 minutes in the morning about as slow as I could. Still feverish (still in denial). Felt terrible and should have gone to bed directly afterwards but I pushed all day and collapsed at 8:00 with a 103 fever.

7/13/03 - Sick as a dog.

7/14/03 - Hurting and sick. Strapped to the toilet. No running.

7/15/03 - Moved into the new apt. Ran 4 miles with the guys. Had to stop 18 minutes into it and drop anchor. This is getting tiresome.

7/16-7/18/03 - Sick and resting. Giardia, fever, cramping, practically pooping my pants every 35 minutes. IT SUCKED!

Brick 52 - 7/19/03 - Back in the saddle with 50 minutes. Averaged about 136 for most of the run with a high of about 150. Ran from Sarah's Brick house down the airport trail and back to the house. Had to stop 15 minutes in due to unforseen BM.

Brick 53 - 7/20/03 - Good 1:10 run to the end of the airport trail and then down to Brick Beach III. The HR got way up there. Over the last 40 minues my average was in the mid to high 150's. I maxed out on the road to the beach. The Heat index must have been around 90 and I was movin pretty good. 168 Max and 148 total average. That includes 5 minutes of standing still at the mantaloking bridge.

Brick 54 - 7/21/03 - Workout Day #1 - Monday - 80 and breezy - 5x1000 + 4x400 - Total workout time including WU was 106. I averaged 133 with a max of 175. 19 Minute WU, 11 minutes of stretching, #1 1000 - 3:03 Max 167 Avg 155, 1 minute rest, #2 1000 - 3:03 Max 170 Avg 160, 58 rest, #3 1000- 3:10 Avg 162 Max 172, 1:01 rest, #4 1000 - 3:16 Max 171 Avg 163, 54 rest, #5 1000 3:14 Avg 164 Max 170, 5 min rest, #1 400 - 67, #2 400 - 67, #3 400 - 69, #4 400 - 70.2. 1:20-1:50 rest in between (200 jog/walk). Felt pretty sluggish on the 400's but ok on the 1000's. The HR seemed to be prematurely high for the effort. Damn I'm slow.

Brick 55 - 7/22/03 - Ran 6 very sore miles with Garvie probably hovering around 6 min pace. Then we headed down to 90th and did some barefoot strides. 6x100 all nice a squishy on the soft wet turf. That felt good. Calfs are cramping quite frequently. I hope I can stay away from a full blown pull.

Brick 56 - 7/23/03 - Ran 10 miles home from work in a very up-tempo 57:00. Absolutely hammered the last 30 minutes.

Brick 57 - 7/26/03 - Home for a Saturday run. Did 1:53. Probably 20+. Ran farther on the Paunskill trail than I ever have before. Passed a biker at one point and the guy told me I was going 10.5 mph. With about 3 miles to go I hit a bit of a wall but still finished the last mile+ in 5:50 and 30 seconds faster than I ran it on the way out.

Brick 58 - 7/27/03 - Good 45 minutes nice and slow over the hills of the Andover/Newton Trail. Did the little hills loop and the Big hills loop. Calves were sore as shit from the day before.

Brick 59 - 7/28/03 - Horrible workout. Tried to do too much too soon after that 20miler. Tried to do 16x400 in 70 but ended up doing 3.75 x 400 in 68 and then my calf cramped. Warmed up 20 minutes. cooled down another 15. Also ran home from Mike's at 10:30 it took about 20 mintues.

Brick 60 - 7/29/03 - Ran up the east side. Saw the best pair of little green shorts on the planet. Finished in about 50 minutes and added some strides and drills at the end of the run. Felt pretty good.

Brick 61 - 7/30/03 - Ran to mikes and then back home again later on. About 45 minutes of running when it was all said and done. Finished up his move with him. Almost had a nervous break down in a pizza place before my run but felt much better after breaking a sweat.

Brick 62 - 7/31/03 - Day of embarrassment. Ran the slowest race I've run in 7 years. Ran 4:40 or so in the mile and looked bad doing it. Finished 6th or 7th in a NYRRC track meet. UGLY UGLY UGLY UGLY.

Brick 63 - continued on the next page.......

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