Why am I known as "Froggie Ted"

I have had a few friends ask me where I came up with the name “Froggie Ted” for my blog. Well, it is actually quite simple. I am a Horned Frog. What is that you say? It is the official mascot for my alma mater – Texas Christian University. Yes, I know I am Jewish. That is actually another much longer story. So, I took the name as a way to differentiate myself from other Ted’s out there in the blogosphere.

I am even more proud of my new moniker now that the Mighty Horned Frog football team defeated the unbeaten Broncos of Boise State in the Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 23, 2008. This should allow us to be ranked in the AP Poll Top 10 for the first time since 1959. We were ranked 7th. This is a far cry from the type of teams we put on the field when I was an undergrad from 1979-1983.

So, to give you a little bit of info about just what a Horned Frog is here are some facts from the admissions office at TCU:

The Horned Frog (actually a lizard) has been TCU's mascot longer than TCU has been the university's name. Four students helped make the decision in 1897, when AddRan Christian University (renamed TCU in 1902) was located in Waco.

Here are some other facts about the horned frog, one of the country's most distinctive mascots:

The scientific name for this Texas reptile is Phrynosoma cornutum; in Greek, phrynos means "a toad" and soma means "body"; in Latin, cornutus means "horned."

Their primary diet is red harvester ants; they'd like 80 to 100 a day. Unfortunately, red ants are falling victim to insecticides and to more aggressive fire ants in much of Texas.

The typical Horned Frog is three to five inches long.

Horned Frogs are cold-blooded animals and have an unusual pineal gland, resembling a "third eye" on the top of the head, which zoologists believe is part of their system of thermoregulation.

When angered or frightened, horned frogs can squirt a fine, four-foot stream of blood from their eyes.

The Horned Frog was named the State Reptile of Texas in 1992.

In stories of Native Americans in the Southwest, horned frogs are depicted as ancient, powerful and respected. Archaeologists find horned frogs on petroglyphs, pottery and other crafts painted hundreds of years before Columbus set sail for America. In some parts of Mexico, folklore persists that these creatures which weep tears of blood are sacred.

TCU and the horned frog first teamed up in 1896. Legend has it the unimproved field on which AddRan College's first football team practiced teemed with horned frogs. Someone intimated the players scampered about like the fierce-looking and sturdy creatures, and the players began referring to themselves as such. The name stuck. Others report a four-student committee chose the name in 1897 for their team and the first yearbook, which was to be published that year. There may be truth to both stories. Addison Clark Jr., who is credited with bringing about both the first yearbook and the first football team, was fascinated with horned frogs and likely influenced that decision. Today? The Horned Frog remains one of the most endearing college mascots, named the best in fact by ESPN at one time. And through the years, though it has changed forms many times, the horned frog remains an integral part of the TCU tradition and experience.

For my fellow runners who will be with me on the journey from Hopkinton to Boston, I promise that this horned frog will not squirt any blood from my eyes…at least that is not my plan.

On the road again...

I just returned from my trip to Texas to visit Bev’s family for the holidays. It was the first time we had all of Bev’s sisters, husbands and children all in one place. It was really fun to see them all together and having so much fun. We had a very nice Christmas lunch before some of the family had to leave to visit their other families. Later that night, we lit the Menorah for Hanukkah which was nice. Overall, it was a great visit.

I did get my runs in this week while on the road. There is a nice loop run I can do from my in-laws house. It is relatively flat. I was a little under the weather when I got to Mansfield as my long run on the 21st was in a light snow and only 17 degrees. My sinuses were draining and causing me to have trouble breathing. The good news is that after one 6 miler in the unseasonably warm weather in Texas, I was recovering nicely.

I will post another note later in the week with my running plans and goals for the New Year. I have noticed that no one has commented on any of my postings. Don’t be shy. Whether you like or dislike my rambling thoughts, your comments are welcome.

Here are my training totals for this week:
Dec. 21 – 8.00 miles (1:19:56, 9:59 pace)

Dec. 22 – 6.00 miles (58:44, 9:47 pace)

Dec. 23 – 3.10 miles (24:05, 7:46 pace) – Speed work
Dec. 24 – 6.01 miles (50:20, 8:22 pace) – Tempo Run
Dec. 25 – 6.20 miles (52:10, 8:25 pace)

Dec. 26 – 6.00 miles (52:12, 8:42 pace)

Total Miles: 35.31 miles

YTD Miles: 1,041.79 miles

1,000 miles and Counting

I did it! I passed 1,000 miles of running this year. I had a goal to hit 1,000 mile when I started running on January 1, 2008. Consistency is the key to meeting a goal like this one. I am planning the same goal in 2009.

We ended up with a little over 8” of snow so far from this storm. It is really hard to measure the actual snowfall. But, it was less than originally predicted. As expected, the footing on my run this morning was a little treacherous. I still went out there to get my training run in knowing the pace would be much slower than usual.

I have found that in training for a marathon I can take a day off here and there and not affect my overall fitness level. It is just hard for me to miss a day as I look forward to it. As I said yesterday, I love when the snow is falling and everything is so quiet out on the road. There was very little traffic this morning making it a safe run.

The snow will continue through today. My long run tomorrow will be a challenge if the roads and sidewalks are not cleared off. I will assess the conditions in the morning and decide what to do then. Until then, I think I will just sit in the living room and look out the windows at our winter wonderland.

Here are my training totals for this week:
Dec. 14 – 10.20 miles (1:29:40, 8:47 pace)

Dec. 15 – 6.00 miles (54:30, 9:05 pace)

Dec. 16 – 3.00 miles (23:25, 7:49 pace) – Speed work
Dec. 18 – 6.00 miles (53:16, 8:52 pace) – Tempo Run
Dec. 19 – 6.00 miles (53:51, 8:58 pace)

Dec. 20 – 6.00 miles (1:00:20, 10:03 pace)

Total Miles: 37.20 miles

YTD Miles: 1,006.48 miles

The Storm Approaches

Well, we sit and wait for the first huge snow storm of the season. Forecasts vary. The general consensus is that we should get between 1 & 2 inches per hour starting around 1:00 pm today. This coupled with winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts of 45 mph should make the afternoon commute interesting to say the least.

I am not sure how I will get my 2 runs in this weekend depending on the snow accumulation. Sidewalks and streets will not be as clear as normal making my outdoor runs a little more trecherous. I have learned a lot about running in winter weather living here in New England. It is definitely different than running back in San Diego.

The first thing I found out is that running on snow and ice takes a heck of a lot more energy than running without snow. Therefore, I typically have to modify my pace. Even though my pace is less, I can tell you that the workout is certainly tough and it is a run that challenges my strength, balance and focus. Here are a couple of other pointers I have learned the hard way (meaning I have taken a few spills out there):

1. I like to run on fresh snow over ice or packed snow as the traction is better;
2. I learned to shorten my stride and to keep my feet lower to the ground;
3. I found that I am more sore at the end of my run than a normal day. Running on snow requires the stabilizing muscles on the inner and outer legs to work twice as hard;
4. I also learned that I need to be even more focused on the road ahead to avoid obstacles, snow plows, cars, etc.

Overall, I enjoy running in snowy conditions. It is so peaceful. It really allows me to be in the moment which is what makes running such a personal sport. I will post another message on my blog Sunday after my long run. Wish me luck with Mr. Snow Miser.

Running on the Course Part 2...

The winter storm has subsided. Although it is still cold out there, I was able to go down to Framingham and run the next 5 mile segment of the Boston Marathon route. My route today would take me to the 10 mile marker in Natick. I started at the same place I left off a couple of weeks ago at the Framingham Town Line. The next 5 mile segment would take me through Framingham and almost to Natick Center.

As I described in the first blog about the course, the first five miles are almost all down hill. The good news is that as you hit the Framingham Town Line, the course flattens out for the next five miles. Don't get me wrong...flat is a relative term (see elevation profile). But, overall it is a very easy five mile segment.

I ran along Route 135 towards Framingham Center. With a population of almost 67,000 , Framingham is the largest Town in Massachusetts and the hub of the Metro-West region where I live. One of the things Framingham is famous for during the Revolutionary Period is that this is the town where Crispus Attucks lived. If you don't remember your history, Attucks was the first to fall mortally wounded at what is know as the Boston Massacre. According to the historical society, Attucks lived on what is Route 9, not far from the State Police Academy. Route 9 is north of the marathon route.

There is one other connection to the Revolutionary War here in Framingham. Framingham was the town that Henry Knox dragged his "cannon train" to from Ft. Ticonderoga in January 1776. General Knox waited in Framingham for orders to bring the artillery to sites around Boston where they would force out the occupying British forces (Evacuation Day, March 17). Our Boy Scout Troop 100 of Westborough is part of the Knox Trail Council named for Gen. Henry Knox and has their headquarters in Framingham.

As I passed the center of Framingham, I ran past the train station and past one of my favorite wing joints -- The Chicken Bone. We sometimes go over there for lunch from work. As they say, "The Chicken Bone, on Rte. 135 Framingham, is the place to be for Bone-i-fied Fun!" It is definitely not on my training table right now. But, I will be visiting them some time after race day.

Not too much further up Route 135, I hit the Natick Town Line. Natick has a rich history as well. It started out as a farming town, but later, was more know for their shoe industry. Natick gradually became one of the largest producers of boots and shoes and by 1880 had 23 shoe manufacturers. Natick was famous for its brogan, a heavy ankle-high boot worn by soldiers in the Civil War. During the early part of this century the shoe industry suffered and the last shoe factory in Natick, the Winchell Shoe Co., closed in 1971. The wound core for a more resilient baseball and figure-eight stitching were devised in Natick. This new ball was manufactured by the firm of H. Harwood & Sons in their factory built in 1858 - the first plant in the world for the manufacture of baseballs. You can see some of the factory buildings along the route.

I have to say that when you run in towns here in Massachusetts you see things you would never see if you were driving through. As I ran along Route 135, I passed a little wooden building at 181 West Central St. (Rte 135). It was the original building that Henry Wilson worked in as a cobbler. You may ask who is Henry Wilson. He not only established a shoe factory in Natick but later went into politics and became Vice President under Ulysses S. Grant. I have driven down Route 135 many times and never noticed the building. Look for it on the left hand side of the road as you approach Natick Center.

I finally reach the 10 mile marker and turned around to head back to my car. The run was enjoyable and I finished a 10.2 mile loop run in 1:29:40 (8:47 per mile). This was a little faster than I wanted to run. I guess the flat route and sunny morning made it easy for me. I am starting on my 4 month program on Monday. I am looking forward to my training and utltimately crossing the finish line in Boston.

Winter Storm Leaves Us in the Dark

Here is the headline in the Boston Globe today -- Ice storm paralyzes parts of New England -- Close to a million without power! Unfortunately, we were one of the people without power. There were about 2,000 homes affected here in Westborough. The good news is our power is back on as of 4:00 pm yesterday. That was a huge relief. We have two pets (Spiny the Bearded Dragon and Coco the Hedgehog) who need heat to survive. Thank G-d we had hand warmers to put under a towel to keep them warm while we waited for power to be restored.

At about 2:20 am early Friday morning, I was woken by all of our hard-wired smoke detectors going off at once when we lost power. I got up and turned on my watch alarm so I wouldn’t miss my morning run or be late to work. I could hear the heavy rains beating down on the roof. I never suspected how bad it really was in Worcester County.

My alarm went off at 5:00 am and I got up to get dressed for my run. The rain was still coming down in buckets and it was pretty windy. Our power was still out. The temperature was 34 when I jumped in the car to head over to the YMCA to run on the treadmill. The roads were wet but fine. A few trees had lost some limbs. But, the center of Westborough and most of the town was lit up normally. So, I suspected we would have power early in the day.

When I got home, I found out school had been cancelled due to one of the grade schools being without power. I took a shower and headed to the office. Still totally unaware of how bad things were around the county. It wasn’t until I got to the office and perused the news on the internet that I got a full picture of what was going on. Here is a brief description of the storm in today’s Globe from the Boston Globe writers David Abel and John R. Ellement:

Nearly a million homes and businesses in New England are facing a weekend without electricity after a rare combination of low pressure, moist air, and cold, powerful winds produced a punishing ice storm that swept through the region yesterday, felling countless power lines and trees and closing hundreds of roads.

The storm, which has caused tens of millions of dollars in damage across the region, led Governor Deval Patrick to declare a state of emergency, allowing him to mobilize 500 members of the National Guard to help clear roads and provide support. Patrick, who estimated the cost to the state at about $7 million, said he would seek a presidential disaster declaration to make federal money available for recovery efforts.

"I don't think anyone is expecting the power will be back in large numbers for a few days," Patrick said in a telephone interview last night. "I think it could be longer than Monday for certain parts of the Commonwealth. We'll know more after a lot of the debris is cleared in the next few days."

No deaths or serious injuries were reported, but the storm left utility companies grappling with unprecedented power outages.

I am hopeful that power will be restored quickly to all of the homes affected here in New England. It is getting down in the teens at night and even with fireplaces and fleece blankets it is too cold to be without heat. I know the power companies in the states affected are working overtime to fix the problem. I am thankful that we already have power.

Here are my training totals for this week:

Dec. 7 – 9.00 miles (1:20:50, 8:59 pace)

Dec. 8 – 6.00 miles (53:41, 8:57 pace)

Dec. 9 – 3.00 miles (24:03, 8:01 pace) – Speed work
Dec. 11 – 6.00 miles (52:55, 8:49 pace) – Tempo Run
Dec. 12 – 6.00 miles (53:15, 8:53 pace)

Dec. 13 – 6.20 miles (54:23, 8:46 pace)

Total Miles: 36.20 miles

YTD Miles: 969.28 miles

Running in Central Park

I was in New York on business the last 3 days. I had a speed work session scheduled for Tuesday morning. I had decided before I left Boston that I wanted to run outside in the city rather than indoors on a treadmill. Luckily enough, my hotel was only 2 blocks south of Central Park. So, I decided I would get up early Tuesday morning and do my work out in Central Park.

Monday morning’s run before I left for New York was brutally cold as it was only 14 o when I went out for my 6 miler. I was pleasantly surprised when I stepped out of the Wellington Hotel to a balmy 30o . I entered the park on the southern end taking Park Drive along the west side of the park up past Tavern on the Green. Tavern on the Green was originally the Sheepfold that housed the sheep that grazed Sheep Meadow built in 1870. It became a restaurant as part of a 1934 renovation of the park. Tavern on the Green is known for being frequented by prominent actors, musicians, politicians, and writers.

I passed the softball fields and headed up towards the lake. As I passed the lake and neared 81st St. it was time to turn around and head back to the start. I have to say for 6:00 am it was relatively crowded on the route. There were people of all fitness levels. Some were running with their dog. Some with friends. They were running at all different paces. I felt so comfortable with my own pace that I was able to just zone out and run. I walked a little bit after finishing my run just taking in the sites on the southern end of the park. It is quite an oasis there in the middle of Manhattan. I wished I had a longer run. With my taking over New York as the real estate dealmaker, I will probably get a few more chances to run in Central Park. I will have to try and make sure it is on days when I have a longer run scheduled so I can see more of the park.

There is one bit of trivia that interested me about Central Park. As most people know, it was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. There is a connection with Boston because Olmstead also designed Boston's Emerald Necklace. The Boston Athletic Association’s Half Marathon route runs through part of the Emerald Necklace. So there is even a connection between the B.A.A. and Central Park. I am including a link to the Central Park Runner’s map. If you ever are in NYC and want to run in the park this is a great map to use for your run.

http://www.centralpark.com/usr/maps/CentralParkRunningMap.pdf

Training Update and Shameless Plug

I looked at the calendar today and realized that the marathon is only 4 ½ months away. The other sad realization I came to was that I am going to be training through some very cold winter months to get ready for Boston. This morning was a rude awakening when I checked the thermometer and it read 20 degrees. I bundled up and went out any way.

My base training is going really well. I am having no issues at all…knock wood. I am planning on a 16 week training plan which will officially kick off December 29th. My plan is to build up my long runs to 16-18 miles at the peak. I will taper back in late March to allow my body to recover prior to the race.

Nathan and I had to go to my local running store (PR Running) to get Nathan some racing flats for Indoor track season and to get him some new trainers. While I was in the store I met a guy who has run Boston several times. Based on our discussion, he is a sub 3 hour marathoner. He gave me some great tips on how to run the race. The most valuable in my opinion based on the five miles I covered last Sunday is to take it easy in the beginning and not get fooled by the downhill portion of the course. He did tell me that I will have a great time and that the crowds in Boston are like no other marathon crowd he has ever seen.

Rich Allen (PR Running’s owner) also has run Boston and told me that it would be a great idea to try and run at a comfortable pace in the beginning. He said the toughest part of the race is the later stages and that feeling strong with some gas left in the tank is the best place to be late in the race. Rick said if I felt good after the Newton Hills and Heartbreak Hill, there is no reason not to pick up the pace slightly and finish strong. Both gave me some great advice and previews of the race.

A brief plug for PR Running. They pride themselves on customer service. I have to admit I am constantly impressed with Rick’s knowledge of running and his attention to putting you in the right shoe. On top of that, he some how always remembers my size, the shoe I have been using and the races I have run or will be running. I cannot more highly recommend their store if you live out here in MetroWest Boston. I will put a link on this site if you want to know more about their store.

Here are my training totals for this week:

Nov. 30 – 10.00 miles (1:27:29, 8:44 pace)
Dec. 1 – 6.20 miles (56:22, 9:05 pace)
Dec. 2 – 3.00 miles (24:18, 8:06 pace) – Speed work
Dec. 4 – 6.00 miles (53:38, 8:56 pace) – Tempo Run
Dec. 5 – 6.41 miles (56:32, 8:49 pace)
Dec. 6 – 6.20 miles (55:39, 8:58 pace)

Total Miles: 37.81 miles
YTD Miles: 933.08 miles

Running on the course...

This past Sunday I decided to do my long run on the actual Boston Marathon Course. I live about 5 miles north of the starting line. So, I got up early Sunday morning and headed down to the corner of Main St. & Ash St. in the heart of Hopkinton. No matter when you visit the site, you will always find the starting line painted across Main St. Of course, it is quite faded now as it is 8 months since the last race. But, it is still there.

I planned to run a 5 mile out & back route. This would take me from Hopkinton through Ashland and finish in Framiningham before heading back to the starting line. I was actually a little bit excited about actually running on the course. I have lived so close to the start for 4 years but never thought about running down the marathon route. I toed the line, hit my Garmin and headed out.

The first 5 miles of the marathon course are mostly down hill (see elevation chart). The first 2 miles take you through a typical western suburb town with houses on either side. As I ran along I could still see the kilometer and mile marks painted on the street which made it easy for me to know where I was on the route. There are a couple of small rolling hills during the first 3 miles. But, nothing I couldn't handle.

As I neared the 4 mile mark, the route started to really flatten out and I found myself in central Ashland. There are several shopping centers along this portion of the route. I noticed a serious increase in traffic around me. So, I started to pay a little more attention to my surroundings. I also noted that the terrain was slowly going uphill. The uphill portion was gradual and nothing I hadn't run in training around Westborough.

As I came up the hill, I reached the split in the route where I had to go onto Waverly St. Waverly St. is the street that takes you into Framingham center. I finished the first 5 miles of the planned route at the Framingham Town sign on Waverly St. I turned and headed back to the start.

I have to say running back towards the starting line was actually much tougher than running towards Boston (east). The hills are actually steeper than they appear when you are going down hill. But, I did make it back and felt I had a good preview of the first 1/5 of the marathon route. I think I will try to run 5 miles segments of the course over the next several months to get a feel for it. It will take some of the mystery out of the race and allow me to relax when I am running it for real.