Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Millburn Presidents Cup Run - 2014

One of the traditions of summer is the Millburn Presidents Cup 5-K, held annually on the third Monday of June. An 8 p.m. start, with a featured Sam Adams truck afterward, it draws a crowd of well over 1,000, including many of the best runners from all over New Jersey. In it's 35th edition, I've probably run it a dozen times, and I usually have a pretty good effort. It's easy to run hard with the evening start, great competition, and energy from the spectators along Millburn Avenue and Main St., in the leafy Essex County suburb. This was my first race since the Long Branch Half in late April. My Runbayou.com V-Dot calculation predicted a 20:36 for me, and that was my goal. I crowded near the front, but the start was it's usual tangle of arms and feet. I almost tripped once, and accidently elbowed one other person. It took about 400 meters to clear up, but the whole race you are around someone, which does more good than bad. I try to go out pretty hard in the first mile of a 5-K, figuring to save some seconds while I'm fresh, have that "money in the bank," and also improve my position in the race, which helps keep you motivated. As I'm getting older, though, I am missing a fith gear, and my all-out first miles are slower than I'd like. This was no exception, as I was disappointed to crest the incline near the end of mile one and see "6:35" on the clock, when I was expecting to see "6:20." The good thing is, I felt strong at that point, and the second mile is mostly flat to downhill. I put the "no one passes you" sign in my brain, and started picking off people. I didn't know what to expect at mile two, but was pleased to see a 13:05. One more hill up Millburn Ave. on the third mile. I stayed mentally into it, and took advantage of a late water stop to dump some ice-water over my head with about a half-mile to go. I continued to pass people until the crest of the hill, but I started really running out of gas by that point. I almost stumbled over a couple of potholes, which made my form (which was falling apart, anyway!) even worse. I also (in my slightly delusional state) misjudged the finish line, and started sprinting all-out about 200-yards earlier than I should. After my second near-fall, I had images of Joe Frazier wilting in the 14th round in Manila! When the finish line clock appeared, finally, by the MIllburn Fire Dept. headquarters, I kept my form together for the last few yards and finished in a clock time of 20:30, and chip time of 20:25, slightly faster than my V-Dot prediction. I relaxed with my parents, brother and niece afterward, and downed a few slices of whole-whaet pizza and beet salad. A grueling abut satisfying night, and a good start to summer!

Friday, June 13, 2014

Teen Stress

As a father of two, I can attest that a typical teenager leads a busy life these days. A full day of classes, a good three hours of homework, after-school sports or other extra-curricular activity, SAT prep, driver's license practice, etc., etc., etc. A recent study by the American Psychological Association on stress in America found that teens recorded higher stress levels (5.8 on a scale of 1-10) than adults (5.1, on that same scale). About a third of teen respondents felt overhwhelmed, sad, or depressed because of stress, and only 16% felt that their stress level was on the decline as opposed to the last year. Children, of course, learn how to handle stress by watching their parents, so the more volatile, angry, disorganized, or withdrawn you are under tension, they will tend to follow suit. If you need alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to get you through tough times, so will they! Unrealistic expectations by parents is a big cause of stress, the study surmised. Everyone is proud of their kids (and like to tell others about it, too!), but we all have to realize that our children have their own DNA, genetic capabilities and psychological make-up. We can't expect them to act as we do as adults (with 55 years of ups and downs to drawn on!), or be an idealized version of what we wished we were as adolescents. Everyone needs to make their own mistakes, and forge their own path path through the dense forest of life. Things have changed, too. While middle-school gossips would always spread bad news around to your immediate universe, now they can literally do the same thing to the entire world, via any outlet on social media. Plus, the pressures of dating, finding a social group in which you feel comfortable, and figuring out your own self are as bad as we remember from our "Wonder Years!" Throw in hormonal imbalances, family financial pressures, and sleep deprivation that most teens suffer from, and it's surprising the number of stress-out teens isn't even higher! How to combat it? I feel exercise is the greatest stress reliever of all, but it doesn't have to be the competitive, "you gotta make the team!," type. A leisurely bike ride, hike through the woods, or walk with the dog are great to release some endorphins, in teens or adults. Meditation is also recommended in the study, as well as healthy eating (a tough task for teens!), and some downtime. I also feel it is good for teens to have one outside group or activity they belong to that involves kids from another town. That could be a dance school, religous group, scout pack, or anything else. Sometimes kids feel their world may be closing in at their school, and having an outside group gives a sense of perspective and another outlet to interact! No, it's not easy being a teen. As adults and parents, we have to do our best to help them paddle the boat forward, without actually doing the paddling ourselves. Easier said then done!