I’m about to write a blog and the I.T. question for me today was “do you think there are aliens?” First off, when Larry is working on his blog, he does not like to be interrupted…I mean I’m working here! It’s not like I was napping. Yes, I will be doing that after the blog, but for now, I am technically working! Oh, my answer…you ask?? Of course there are aliens…we are clearly a science project for some high school/college alien on another planet. The project went bad and this is what happened. Let’s assume he/she/it did not receive a passing grade.
The title of the blog….yes another Bon Jovi song. No, I’m not in love with him…ok, maybe a little…a little more…more…right about there. I just spoke with my buddy Joe from high school yesterday. There wasn’t a mailbox in Central Jersey that was safe when we were together. I mean I was smaller than you in high school, but my car was bigger…get it?
Anyway, Joe was best friends with Jon growing up. Every time I was out with Jon, we spoke about Joe with Jon asking for Joe to contact him. Sooooo, I am hoping Joe contacts him this time and they reunite. Nick, make sure dad calls him!
Okay, 2 days left and I can say Coach Todd has done everything correct to prepare me. I could not ask for anything more. Well, I could, but that would probably involve a late night club, lots of leather, rubber, but this blog would have to be re-titled: “Let It Flog” or something along those lines.
Anyway Coach Todd had me taper and as nervous as I was 2 weeks ago about not feeling ready…well, I am still feeling nervous, but I am know I am ready. The nerves are normal. I remember skydiving and the jump-master said if you weren’t nervous, then there was something wrong with you. I think you can apply the same theory to the marathon. If you are not the least bit worried, then you must be planning on taking the subway in Long Island City.
So I went to the Expo with Adam and C. We were there for hours going to so many booths and melting credit cards on commemorative items. I picked up a shirt for Samara which she proudly wore to school today. I wanted to shed a tear, but like I said, I haven’t been able to cry since the last NYC Marathon. I was really proud to see her proud. Oh yeah, I picked up another Phiten titanium bracelet. The sales person thought I was a spokesperson as I had more product on than Joba Chamberlain. I promised Adam if he purchased a necklace, he would “fly.” I don’t even get paid for this!
Cara was working the Sugoi booth and this was an important stop. Yes, Adam needed arm warmers, but for me, Cara has this gentle way of calming you. She was vital to me breaking three hours last year when everything was crumbling. So just stopping by to say hi and to have her chat for a few moments was pretty key in my mental preparation.
All that’s left is to lay out all my shite…drinks, food, Gu (no jokes please), uniform. I will pin on the number and put the chip or thingie on my Nike Lunar racing flat. Of course I will try on the full uniform and get pumped up. I need to make sure everything feels right.
Tonight will be the last key night of sleep. Saturday night is pointless as waking up at 4am (the latest) on Sunday means minimal sleep. Thus, it is even more important to get sleep tonight. It’s now or never. Saturday, which is Halloween will be tough as I will want to accompany Samara to an annual party, but I don’t want to be standing for too long, so I may have to miss out this year.
…And that’s it. Everything is in. The only thing to do is put out. Wow, I sound like a 17 year old on like date #2 with “what’s her name?” But it’s really that simple. Get out there on Sunday and run….run hard, but run.
See you Sunday!!!
Two more things “Keep the Faith” and “Let it Rock.”
The title says it all. It is what Coach Todd used to describe what the entire race will be for me. Oh before I get into the explanation of what Todd meant, it triggered “Knife Edge” by The Alarm.” to play. It’s like I have this Ipod in my head. I’ve had it since I was like 3 years old, playing Beatles songs and “Yummy Yummy,” “1-2-3-Green Light,” etc. while I rode my “trikey,” so technically I invented the Ipod. Anyway, the Alarm were always considered a poor mans U2 or a U2 “knock-off.”….t’aint-so…yes, they warmed up U2 on the War tour, but they’ve always been their own band…Soooooo, with “Knife Edge” looping on my mental Ipod……
…….The race is basically gonna be about a balancing act for hopefully less than 3 hours….there isn’t any room for a single error. I can’t miss taking liquids if it is hot. I can’t be too slow at the half marathon mark. I can’t be too fast at the half marathon mark. I can’t pull over for a bathroom stop. Some have asked what happens if I have to much Gatorade in me and have to use the bathroom? Well, let’s be open and honest…I knew last year I was going to try it in full stride. Yes, I pull my shorts slightly down or to the side (no pictures please) and slow down just a bit…but other than that, I figured out I lost 10 seconds instead of probably at least a minute from stopping. I got the idea from all the women who stop on the 59th St Bridge and pull to the side to “Just Do It.” As I said last writing, women are smarter. However, that doesn’t mean I can’t take their idea and perfect it. Just because they have to stop, does not mean I have to….and there you have it. No, I am not teaching a class in it yet, but I guarantee I could. If only I could get hand sanitizer handed to me at mile 16!
The pace is basically 6:29 per mile…not a big deal for 18 miles….”been there, done it (cliche’ BS),” but in the 18 mile race, I made several errors (you may recall) with my pace, but I was able to hang on. Sunday, I will not have that option. If I make that same error at mile 1 again and it is game over….except I have 25.2 miles to try and hang on, knowing it is gonna’ hit me…like it or not.
I do have some good news…my training partner Mikey, Mike, Michael, half of the “M&M duo” made it into the “local elite!” We are both shooting for the same time, give or take, so we will be able to run together. I had been mentally preparing to run solo, which is the way I run most races, but if we can both get to mile 20 together, it could make for a great day for both of us. I am not teaching him how to “go” when we are on the 59th St. Bridge.
Thursday, my buddy Adam is coming in and we’re heading over to the expo together. He is staying over the night before the race, just like last year and hitting the ferry over to Staten Island. We went to the expo when it opened last year as well. Okay, so maybe we are a little superstitious.
I will try figure out my splits and post them here and on FB in case anyone wants to “see me, cheer me, whack me, etc.” as it will have the time day I will pass that particular mile marker. In the meantime, keep thinking positive, keep eating, let the taper build and begin to make NYC your city!
Okay that last part about “begin to make NYC your city” was almost as bad as a lame Delta commercial from the 70’s. This event makes you all weird….next thing you know, I’ll be offering to work extra hours or something insane like that!
See you on Sunday!

Keep The Faith
So…like that’s been my mantra throughout this training period. I use “Keep The Faith” often and JBJ music a lot as Jon is just a regular guy who has taken what he does to the top. But deep down, he is just a guy from Sayreville, NJ. Sure, people love to get down on him…I guess it’s his fault for being good looking and having a knack for writing and playing hit songs. Certainly being marketed during the “hair band era” helped skyrocket him, but he will always receive backlash for it….definitely not his fault. I remember riding home every week with the president of a large record label and he said it best. There are very few songwriters that have the same ability as a Lennon/McCartney or a Leiber/Stoller….Bon Jovi/Sambora are as close as you can get in the modern rock era.
Okay, so there is your music lesson for the day. If you ever see this written in a book, it better be in mine as I am not giving anyone who reads this any permission to use this personal story for their own financial gain. Many of my “schmooozic” business stories are personal and if I can find the right partners to put it to paper, ohhhhh, the stories we could tell.
So, in my training saga, we last left off with me feeling tired. You start to lose faith with less than two weeks to go. The one thing I’ve had throughout this journey is faith and trust in coach Todd and the other coaches at UA. It’s easy to question yourself and your own body, but it’s so important to Keep The Faith in your coach and the personal program he has created for you. This is what has sustained me through the rough times during the training, especially the last 2 weeks.
Tuesday night was a planned 5×1200 meter workout with a 1 minute rest between each interval. The interval was at “cruise” pace. That equates to 80% effort and should feel comfortable. The challenge is the minimal rest. During the marathon, you are not running at 100% effort. It is the lack of rest, or the attempt to sustain the effort for such a length of time that makes it so difficult.
I was still not feeling well heading into the workout. A part of me was hoping for Coach Todd to tell me to stay home. I even wrote him telling him I felt like “poo.” Yep, it all goes back to sex and bodily functions… But Todd knows me as an athlete and had me out there. It was the right decision based on knowing me and my ability, both mentally and physically.
I was smart and knew to run with Emily. She has a great sense of pace and the most important thing is I recognize she never makes a critical mistake in a workout by going out too fast and perhaps throwing off the rest of the workout. I’m a guy (some might debate that) and guys will always mess up a workout…it’s in their nature. We will always be cavemen trying to outdo ourselves or out duel someone else. I don’t see that with Emily and with a higher percentage of female athletes….so, yes, in this instance, women are smarter…hmmm…or is Larry just saying that to sound like a nice guy so that women will think he’s “cool, hip, down, phat, as well as other pointless words??? I don’t know…and why am I answering my own questions??
So I totally hung with Emily and she basically led me through a perfect workout, that we nailed. I was pleased to feel good afterwards and even the next morning I had a good recovery run. Since then, I have had a good bounce to my stride and and my breathing has been better. Could this taper thing be working? I’m starting to feel as though it is. I feel stronger physically and mentally.
I’m trying not to get too excited as we are still a week+ away from race-day, but I am much more optimistic than I was 2 weeks ago, one week ago, and even 4 days ago. It’s about running smart, believing in yourself, listening to what some really nice friends on FB have to say in support, trusting your coach 100% and to always “Keep The Faith.”

"Me after daughter's friend tells me she had lice"
This is gonna have to be quick as I am not in a good mood (what a surprise). After feeling tired last week, I was hoping to feel stronger this week. Unfortunately I am spent today. I’m sure I have something running it’s course through me and I hope it’s more like a 5k as opposed to a marathon. In other words, lets get this thing over with sooner rather than later.
I knew I was messing with my body by staying up late and watching the Yankees. Plus, my daughter had a party with a dozen of her friends over the place. It was a complete “germ fest.” One kid said she just finished her “lice treatments” and she was cured except for the dead lice still in her hair. I am sure I made a face like Buckwheat from the Little Rascals.
Do I think I will be okay for November 1? I certainly do, but I gotta tell ya, you start to doubt yourself as you know with the marathon, you just can’t BS your way through it. You can’t have a cold, or a hangover, or any problems and expect a good race. Because the marathon depletes everything from your body, the slightest problem you are having before the race becomes magnified during the race.
I did have an enjoyable run on Sunday for 10 of the 15 miles. Emily, Mikey and and Gerson took to the streets to run the last 10 miles of the course. It was good to get an idea of what to expect and to remember where the difficult spots were. Last year had some highs and lows in the final 5 miles, so knowing what will be ahead of us could make a difference mentally and eventually physically.
But for now, I need to close my office door…yes, it’s nap time. I need to get healthy. I hope to be back later this week with some better news and some better feelings. Until then, keep tapering…
See you on the roads….ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Just another quote from Bill Murray and “Stripes.” But it’s what I seem to have been fighting the last week on and off. The workouts have been so intense that it’s leaving me with little or no energy and that opens the door for some negative feelings…so my therapist says. Remember she’s the one I decided a decade or so ago, that I would personally send her two kids to college? So I stay with her and she explains how screwed up my life became once I moved to NJ and how I’ll be okay even though I’ve never dated a woman from Cameroon. I’ve had certain goals throughout my life…one was to race well at every distance (done)…you can figure out the Cameroon thing.
Sunday, was my last 20 and it was with Mikey. First I had a wonderful dinner Saturday night, loaded up on pasta, and perhaps I had a little too much for dessert
but all work and no play makes Larry a dull boy….oh and remember I am Diner-type of guy. Gimme an Irish pub and a Greek Diner…please don’t accuse me of not being politically correct….and I am content. Take me to a nice Italian restaurant and I guarantee you will be doing the ordering for me. I can’t pronounce anything on the menu…oh and even if I could….how about making it a little brighter so my aging cataracts might not have to work overtime to try and view these difficult words….every item looked like it could have played shortstop for the Yankees from 1941-1956. PS…I love Italian food…I’m just a slacker when it comes to making the effort to learn to dine-out….don’t even ask if I can use chop sticks!
So back to Sunday’s run…20 with a 5 mile loop at 6:40 pace….another 5 at 6:35 pace….6 miles at 6:27 and finish the last 4 at 6:22. This was to be the last 20 and it was gonna’ be a challenge. The problem with this pace is I am unable to wear a water belt or carry water. The pace is just too fast. Mike and I started from the Engineer’s Gate and headed south to simulate the end of the marathon course. We were on pace and were flying by folks. I could sense how fast we were going…pretty good feeling. We were just off at the end of 5 miles, but without running tangents and weaving through people, we were fine. We picked it up on lap 2 and were perfect on lap 2. Keep in mind, the hills start to chew away at your quads and I am starting to become aware of it….I can see Mikey’s younger body respond to the hills quicker than mine on lap 3 (even faster) with me having to catch up to him on the flats and downhills (he let me). This is becoming exhausting as I need to stay with Mikey if I am to have any chance of hitting the prescribed times.
I fall off the pace at mile 14 and although I can see Mikey, I can no longer make up the distance on the flats and downhills….I go through the 6 mile mark a bit slow and I know I have to drop it to 6:22 and yet my quads have been eaten up by this intense workout thus far. I attempt to pick it up, but to no avail…I am not in survival mode, but I know I have worked my a** off. With a mile to go I decide to work on my kick. LISTEN UP!!! Never attempt 20 without liquids!!!! I immediately felt a tweak in my left hamstring and shut it down. On one hand, not having the liquids enabled me to “fly” without being hampered by bottles hanging off of my waist….however, I believe it also contributed to me falling off of the pace perhaps making me feel exhausted (today). I did take my protein powder and Endurox mixture afterwards, but Accelerade and or Gatorade would have helped during the run….LESSON LEARNED! Less than 3 weeks to go and I will be ready…no choice…SUCK IT UP!
Mikey was as close as you can to hitting the time….very proud of him….
What else….Oh yeah…Lindsay went to Chicago and ran 3:18! Neal went to PA…I think it’s next to NJ and ran 3:13!!! This is the stuff that motivates the rest of the team…seeing the folks you coach and work out with run well is motivating and inspiring…
Way to go Yankees…way to go Giants….the Islanders have yet to win this year
….and that’s it for now as we head into this taper and I try to break out of this “feeling.” Nothing a good workout can’t cure and I’m sure Coach Todd has something for us tonight.
First off…just what I need…with my addictive personality, I am now involved in one of those football pools…you know the ones with the point spreads, and you pick all the weekly games, and whomever has the most wins gets the “gelt.” It’s only Friday and I’m already biting through my cheek. It’s like I have to win this pool. I know I could save myself a lot of time and stress by donating the money to a homeless person and handing in a blank sheet, but I am hooked. Why do I bring unneeded stress into my already stressful life?
Anyway, if I win it’s only going to go into more supplements. I counted this morning….15, 16, 19, 20…I was at 20 to start the day, and that was only phase 1. I still had some more to take after my workout and then some more at dinner and a few right before bed. My biggest fear is the interaction with some of the meds I take as I promised my neurologist I would stop taking certain supplements immediately after the marathon. By then I may have extra finger or two, but who’s counting?
I am hoping the supplements keep me healthy and strong as any marathoner knows (and fears) getting sick with a few weeks to go would totally s*ck! So, I dread coming to work. I dread public transportation. I dread my neighbors. I dread you reading this….but that is a different psychosomatic problem that I am working on. I literally want to ride on the front outside of the #6 train. I would prefer it and as dangerous as it may seem, I would do it if they allowed me to. That would be a sight…me holding on, leading the #6 train into 33rd Street (germ free)!
Maybe it’s all the news stories about the Swine Flu or whatever name they are giving it this week. But I recently had someone cough and it wasn’t a real hard cough…but you know the kind of cough that comes from a person behind you and it moves your hair?? Oh yeah, you know what I’m talking about!!! I immediately went into “The Larry Hold Your Breath For 45 Seconds Routine.” That’s what I do when I feel someone with germs has come into contact with me via a cough or even worse…a sneeze. I hold my breath, hoping the germs will dissipate long/far enough and the “gazillion” supplements I take will have a fighting chance against this disease laden “dipshite” of a human being.
So last night was 4 times the Harlem Hill loop (counter clockwise) at 6:15 pace. Remember, I struggled with this pace on Sunday and went into a “funk.” As an athlete you start to question whether you will come out of the tired feeling that has swept over your body.
Oh before I go on, I just wanted to wish Julia and Kiki the best. They are on the mends. I hope they heal up ASAP!
So after Tuesday’s good workout, I didn’t want to fall back. I needed another good workout and here was this 6 mile tempo run in front of me. It was the usual crew with Gerson, Mike, Emily, and Nyles. Nyles, is relatively new to the group and a good runner. When I say good runner, it is not based on talent or time. Being supportive (for me) is one of the biggest factors when I judge a runner. My feeling is, you may run 15 minutes for a 5k, but if you don’t help the other members of the team, then you may as well run for yourself.
This crew that I’ve been running with has formed a bond that is very real. Emily said it best last night after we were done…unfortunately with my elder brain, stuff goes in and stuff comes out…so I don’t remember exactly what she said, but it had something to do with teamwork, so it meant a lot (to me) for her to recognize what I try to do when I am out there and I do see this cohesiveness becoming a part of our entire crew.
All of us cruised through the 4 laps within 30 seconds of each other. It was a sight to see. Mikey, who is developing into quite an athlete finished really strong…and I say “is developing into quite an athlete” as he is relatively new to the sport…heck we are all developing and re-developing, but trust me on this one….Gerson, had a great finish as well, passing me on the long curved hill before heading back south to 102nd. He was in control (form) and confident. I felt good with my workout and was happy to see Emily and Nyles just off of me. Whatta’ team!
So what’s next….Sunday will be a 20 miler and that means we are that much closer to the taper and even that much closer to the BOURBON!
Also, I am going into work this weekend….get this. I am implementing some changes….so folks at work won’t be able to get into FaceBook and chat sights, music download sights, blogs, etc. NOOOO! I need production out of these folks! I can’t have them playing around on the internet reading blogs….I mean who reads these things anyway??
GO YANKEES!

My messy office at work
I don’t have any good news…no multiple affairs with interns to or co-workers…well, technically I did at my job a previous company (a few years ago). Wait, I do have some good news….That’s where I met my ex-friend who I took from a 4 hour marathoner to a sub 3:20 marathoner. But just like the marathon has to end, so did that wonderful friendship. She is a great person and I have nothing but good things to say about her, but when I warned her about the company being sold many years ago and for her to “get out,” she just ignored me and refused to even updated her resume. It saddened me to learn recently that she was let go as were several others. There are a few that know the effort I went through to save many of those jobs and trust me, that company would have been sold in 2006 with everyone being axed. Of course the “bloated” President told everyone their jobs were safe…Haaaaa. This guy wouldn’t know the truth if it bit him in the A**. So, to make a long story short, I had to make “the bloated one” an honest man and save those jobs….I won’t go into details, but did I ever learn how much people look you in the eye and lie.
I only wish my ex-friend hadn’t painted herself in a corner and now finds herself out of work after being one of the longest employees at the company…so much for loyalty. Of course when I write, I never plan anything…kinda’ like life (for me), so I’ve been writing trying to figure out how to get to telling you about this other employee there I’ve been trying to help out out. She was one of the few that knew about the relationship, so we’ve always been close and supportive. I’ve been pushing her to interview and/or go back to school. She recently decided to go back to school to become a paralegal. A few weeks ago, she asked me to write her a recommendation as she applied for a scholarship…I mean what are the odds of her getting it?? Well, Friday she wrote to tell me that she received the scholarship. So, it was good news! Especially when I’ve been feeling like hell as of late, downing meds at every turn. It shows you that can do anything you want to do at any age. I have 2 others friends who are my age that are heading back to school and I think it’s great. It’s not an easy undertaking and I am sure it takes hard work and dedication….sound familiar?
So, how’s my body/head feeling….like shite! Another 2 migraines over the weekend, but at least I didn’t wait for it to get “full blown.” I took the Zomig early and of course it works like a charm. It truly is a miracle drug.My only concern was cutting it close with overlapping doses…but I’m here, so all is well!
As far as my body, it’s been tired beyond belief. I have literally been falling asleep wherever I go. The subway…#6 Train…I am asleep by the time it leaves Brooklyn Bridge and pulls into Canal Street. I fell asleep this morning at my therapist in 3 minutes (a new record). Not during the session, although that would have been funny, but while waiting…don’t even ask about work…yesterday my head was like a bobble-head doll as I was fighting to stay awake. You know that feeling, when you are fighting a losing battle to stay up. At one point, the owner (head neurologist) came by to ask me a training question as he is running NYC. I should have said “we need to nap” as clearly I was on the verge of a “power nap.”
I get nervous around the Dr. as he is a super genius…recently had the cover/story in Newsweek….and he comes to me to ask about his training. I stutter like a 14 year old at the Playboy Mansion….fortunately he’s a nice guy and didn’t call me out on the napping.
So Sunday was supposed to be a 2 mile warm-up followed by a four mile loop and then a 6 mile loop in Central Park. The pace was going to be a brisk 6:15 per mile pace….something I felt capable of doing, but I knew it would be a challenge. Gerson was out on a 22 miler. Emily was climbing Mount Everest, so it was Mike and I (starting at Engineers gate and heading N). I anticipate taking us out for the first mile as Mike is working on getting a feel for pace. It sounds easier than it is as I took as out in 6 minutes instead of 6:15 (mistake). We settled in and cruised much of that first four mile loop. But I noticed my breathing was labored and by the time we crossed 72nd st. and made the left north back up Cat Hill, I was relying on Mike to get us there. We crossed the 4 mile mark at 25 minutes, which was perfect, except for the fact that I didn’t have any legs and someone had lit a blow torch in my lungs. Six more miles at 6:15 pace was not going to happen.
For Mike, it did happen as he made a critical decision to release and key off another person in the park to get him through. He hit the pace! For me, I thought at points I would not finish as I could not feel my quads. I had not felt this depleted since the 2005 NYC Marathon when I was severely undertrained and attempted to run a sub 3 hour effort….lesson learned. I hung on for dear life for this workout and although I felt as if I was jogging 10+ minute pace, I was actually running 7:15 pace for the six mile loop, giving me an average of 7 minute pace for the 10 miles. A good workout, but not close to the 6:15 planned effort.
At this point, I am just trying to get through these last few weeks and to work as hard as I can and then to taper and to hopefully come out of “THIS” even stronger. If not, I am in deep! I could not race a marathon (today) if I wanted to. I could run one, but I could not race one. Holy crap, I am falling asleep as I am writing….what is going on?
Anyway, that’s where I’m at…oh yeah, I already got my marathon haircut. It’s short (now), and I hope it grows in to where I need it in four weeks….it’s a comfort “thang.”
Okay, I’m done…I am heading for a nap. Do not call, do not text, do not IM me on FB. Larry needs this nap….g’day.
See you when I wake up….