James Gandolfini's death hit hard here in New Jersey. He was a larger-than-life figure in this state, and that, in a literal sense, may have had something to do with his sudden death at the age of 51.
The Star-Ledger, the newspaper "Tony Soprano" retrieved off his driveway every morning, interviewed Cardiologist Barry Cohen of Morristown Medical Center on June 21st about identifying and potentially avoiding fatal heart attacks, which (pending an autopsy) is believed to have killed Mr. Gandolfini.
Dr. Cohen is Medical Director of the cardiac catheterization lab at Morristown, and author of the book "Coronary Heart Disease: A Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment."
Dr. Cohen described a fatal heart attack as a situation where the arteries feeding the heart muscle - he used the helpful analogy of a gas line to your engine - become clogged. There is instability in the electrical impulses to the heart, and the heart goes into a chaotic rhythm.
Symptoms of a fatal heart attack are familiar to many: shortness of breath, chest pain, arm pain, throat pain and sweating. However, approximately one-third of heart attacks occur without any warning.
While Mr. Gandolfini was overweight, that in itself is considered an independent risk factor. There are others, including elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes, all of which can be weight-related; and smoking. The most important factor is family history. I have read many times that family history is 50%, and all other factors can add up to the other half. So no matter what shape you are in, you can't out-run your genes.
As far as triggers to an actual heart attack, everyone is familiar with these: stress, anger, and, again, smoking.
As far as prevention, Dr. Cohen's suggestions are solid and sound: a diet low in saturated fats, with lots of fruits and vegetables, and exercise. If you are smoking, quit now! See a doctor regularly for check-ups, and monitor your blood pressure. Don't just shake it off if you feel any of the symptoms of a heart attack mentioned above. It may be the warning sign to get medical help before a fatal heart attack occurs.
Larger than life in a mythic sense is one thing - in a literal sense, it's quite different.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
MS BIke Ride 2013
Every year, members of my health club and I participate in the "Coast the Coast" 25-Mile Bike Ride for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, held the third Saturday of May.
The ride starts at my old college, Monmouth University in West Long Branch, winds through the side streets of Monmouth County to Spring Lake, and returns up Ocean Avenue through Belmar, Asbury Park and other well-known Shore points.
While there are some very serious riders participating, it is a non-competitive event, with people of all ages and abilities out on various types of bikes, raising money for a great cause. I am happy to say that "Team Mountain Fitness" raised over $1800 and had a strong showing of 12 riders!
Since age eight, my son, Max had always participated, but his year could not due to a conflict with a track meet. However, my brother-in-law, Bill, and nephew, Daniel, joined in for the first time, and it was good to have the family representation.
The weather forecast looked great, but like most days this Spring in New Jersey, dawn brought clouds and mist. Luckily, the skies held up for us, as "Team Mountain Fitness" embarked together on our ride.
The ride down was leisurely, and at the halfway point, all the riders stop for juice and protein bars provided by the MS Society. The comraderie on this day is really special, as everyone mingles and takes pictures. It is a day that holds true to the Mark Twain saying, "There are no strangers. Just friends you haven't met!"
I pick up the pace on the return trip, and my quads get a good workout as I push my Trek hybrid bike against the wind as we head back north along the ocean. I try to get back in time to get off my bike and take pictures of the rest of our group as they finish. We eat lunch at the college gymnasium, and just beat the rain which comes soaks the state the rest of the weekend.
One of my favorite days of the year!
The ride starts at my old college, Monmouth University in West Long Branch, winds through the side streets of Monmouth County to Spring Lake, and returns up Ocean Avenue through Belmar, Asbury Park and other well-known Shore points.
While there are some very serious riders participating, it is a non-competitive event, with people of all ages and abilities out on various types of bikes, raising money for a great cause. I am happy to say that "Team Mountain Fitness" raised over $1800 and had a strong showing of 12 riders!
Since age eight, my son, Max had always participated, but his year could not due to a conflict with a track meet. However, my brother-in-law, Bill, and nephew, Daniel, joined in for the first time, and it was good to have the family representation.
The weather forecast looked great, but like most days this Spring in New Jersey, dawn brought clouds and mist. Luckily, the skies held up for us, as "Team Mountain Fitness" embarked together on our ride.
The ride down was leisurely, and at the halfway point, all the riders stop for juice and protein bars provided by the MS Society. The comraderie on this day is really special, as everyone mingles and takes pictures. It is a day that holds true to the Mark Twain saying, "There are no strangers. Just friends you haven't met!"
I pick up the pace on the return trip, and my quads get a good workout as I push my Trek hybrid bike against the wind as we head back north along the ocean. I try to get back in time to get off my bike and take pictures of the rest of our group as they finish. We eat lunch at the college gymnasium, and just beat the rain which comes soaks the state the rest of the weekend.
One of my favorite days of the year!
Bob Beckert Run 2013
The Bob Beckert 5-K Run is an annual event for me and many members of our health club, as chronicled in earlier posts. It is an important run for me. Our club is one of the sponsors, it's local, I practice on the course dozens of times through the year, and it's my first race following the Long Branch half every Spring.
Held on the first Sunday of June (and benefitting a scholarship fund at Watchung Hills High School in Mr. Beckert's name), it transitions the winter training aspect of my running year to the summer racing part.
It's my favorite part of the running year, as the doldrums and pain of intervals on the treadmill hopefully pay off with decent times in my races. I love the heat as well, and the Beckert Run did not disappoint, with the temperatures in the 80's, and sticky!
Two weeks prior to the race, our club's running group did three race-paced mile intervals on part of the course, finishing with the killer hill up the high school parking lot at the end. I also took two days off from
running before the race (just lifting), to be fresh, and to also rest a mysteriously aching right knee.
My traditional mile warm-up on the high school track felt good, and I was mentally and physically ready to go.
The first mile is mostly downhill and key to getting a good finishing time. Although it takes me longer and longer to "get in fifth gear" every succeeding year, I did start relatively fast, and reached the mile at 6:02.
I was neck-and-neck with a runner in his mid-20's at that point, and we informally ran together through the duration, each within two steps of each other throughout. This helped us both through the middle of the race, as we held in fifth and sixth places in the field of 200 or so.
When it came to the aforementuioned hill at the end, he gained a step on me, I closed near the end, but finished sixth overall in a satisfying time of 20:02, seconds off my best on the course, and first in the 50-59 age-group.
The key, I felt, was maintaining contact with the other runner throughout the race. I never started daydreaming or thinking of body parts hurting or things going wrong. It was steady oxygen-debt running, but focused, focused, focused. On to the next race...!
Held on the first Sunday of June (and benefitting a scholarship fund at Watchung Hills High School in Mr. Beckert's name), it transitions the winter training aspect of my running year to the summer racing part.
It's my favorite part of the running year, as the doldrums and pain of intervals on the treadmill hopefully pay off with decent times in my races. I love the heat as well, and the Beckert Run did not disappoint, with the temperatures in the 80's, and sticky!
Two weeks prior to the race, our club's running group did three race-paced mile intervals on part of the course, finishing with the killer hill up the high school parking lot at the end. I also took two days off from
running before the race (just lifting), to be fresh, and to also rest a mysteriously aching right knee.
My traditional mile warm-up on the high school track felt good, and I was mentally and physically ready to go.
The first mile is mostly downhill and key to getting a good finishing time. Although it takes me longer and longer to "get in fifth gear" every succeeding year, I did start relatively fast, and reached the mile at 6:02.
I was neck-and-neck with a runner in his mid-20's at that point, and we informally ran together through the duration, each within two steps of each other throughout. This helped us both through the middle of the race, as we held in fifth and sixth places in the field of 200 or so.
When it came to the aforementuioned hill at the end, he gained a step on me, I closed near the end, but finished sixth overall in a satisfying time of 20:02, seconds off my best on the course, and first in the 50-59 age-group.
The key, I felt, was maintaining contact with the other runner throughout the race. I never started daydreaming or thinking of body parts hurting or things going wrong. It was steady oxygen-debt running, but focused, focused, focused. On to the next race...!
Monday, May 6, 2013
Long Branch Half Marathon 2013
The Long Branch Half-Marathon has been my Spring ritual for about five years now. Held on the first Sunday of May, and snaking along the Monmouth County coastline, it almost signals the start of the "Shore season" for us Jerseyans.
Although I run with about equal intensity all year long, I start thinking about the Long Branch Half in mid-December, and all of my workouts through the winter and early-Spring have that in mind.
Last year, I had broken a string of progressively getting slower, by reversing the clock by about two minutes and clocking a "50's decade' best of 1:31.55. I knew matching it would be tough, but that was my "A" goal this year. My secondary goal was matching my "V Dot chart" projection of 1:33.12, and I didn't want to go any slower than 1:35, no matter the circumstances.
Ideally, I like to precede the half with a 5-K sometime in early-April, to test out the legs and lung capacity, and get that feeling of pre-race jitters again after a winter of just training runs. Unfortunately, due to the seven-day a week nature of being a health club owner and Personal Trainer, I was unable to squeeze it in this year.
My other issue has been my Achilles. With chronic tendonitis, I felt that another race may set me backwards, training-wise, for a few days, which I couldn't afford to do.
So, I approached the start not having raced since October, but with a solid base of intervals, outside "tempo" runs, and a few (not unbearable) 10-mile treadmill efforts.
Last year, I was lucky enough to meet up with a couple of guys in the first mile who were maintaining the exact 7-minute pace I was looking for. We supported and pushed each other through the first 10-miles, at which time, fairly, it was each man to himself.
I looked for them at the start this year, to no avail. When the gun sounded, I tried to pace with a few others, who, perhaps because of the stiff cross-wind, settled back into 7:15 pace, slower than I wanted.
I was off on my own by the fifth mile (split of 35:30), and, maybe because of the slower start, felt strong from five to ten, which I hit in 1:11 and change, just a minute off last year's pace.
I slowed down just slightly in the 11th mile, then hit a wind tunnel on Brighton Ave. (approaching the oceanfront), that sent me, seemingly, in reverse.
Somewhat frustrated at this point, I chugged out the final 1 1/2 miles down the (Hurricane Sandy-damaged) boardwalk. But, I don't feel I ever reached the near-unconscious level I have put out when I am nearing a time of place goal.
Final time: 1:34.01, 133rd out of 5300-plus finishers, and fourth out of about 200 in the 50-54 age-group.
Slightly disappointed, yes, but very appreciative I can still do this sport at a somewhat high-level at my advancing age. In five years, I am sure I will wish I could hit a 1:34!
Satisfying for me was that one of the members of our club who I coach in running, aged 61, knocked seven minutes off his time from last year to post a phenomenal 1:49.30!
Also extremely gratifying was the half-marathon debut of my son, Max, age 16. Despite running a school track-meet the preceeding Friday (3200 and 1600-relay), and seven miles with his team the day before, as well as starting three minutes behind the field due to circumstances beyond his control, he finished, very comfortably, in 1:54.13. He mowed two lawns later that afternoon, and is already planning his next 13.1-mile effort.
It's a great source of pride, passing along my love of running to others, and it allows me to think outside my own race efforts, as well. That said: next year: 1:33, or below!
Although I run with about equal intensity all year long, I start thinking about the Long Branch Half in mid-December, and all of my workouts through the winter and early-Spring have that in mind.
Last year, I had broken a string of progressively getting slower, by reversing the clock by about two minutes and clocking a "50's decade' best of 1:31.55. I knew matching it would be tough, but that was my "A" goal this year. My secondary goal was matching my "V Dot chart" projection of 1:33.12, and I didn't want to go any slower than 1:35, no matter the circumstances.
Ideally, I like to precede the half with a 5-K sometime in early-April, to test out the legs and lung capacity, and get that feeling of pre-race jitters again after a winter of just training runs. Unfortunately, due to the seven-day a week nature of being a health club owner and Personal Trainer, I was unable to squeeze it in this year.
My other issue has been my Achilles. With chronic tendonitis, I felt that another race may set me backwards, training-wise, for a few days, which I couldn't afford to do.
So, I approached the start not having raced since October, but with a solid base of intervals, outside "tempo" runs, and a few (not unbearable) 10-mile treadmill efforts.
Last year, I was lucky enough to meet up with a couple of guys in the first mile who were maintaining the exact 7-minute pace I was looking for. We supported and pushed each other through the first 10-miles, at which time, fairly, it was each man to himself.
I looked for them at the start this year, to no avail. When the gun sounded, I tried to pace with a few others, who, perhaps because of the stiff cross-wind, settled back into 7:15 pace, slower than I wanted.
I was off on my own by the fifth mile (split of 35:30), and, maybe because of the slower start, felt strong from five to ten, which I hit in 1:11 and change, just a minute off last year's pace.
I slowed down just slightly in the 11th mile, then hit a wind tunnel on Brighton Ave. (approaching the oceanfront), that sent me, seemingly, in reverse.
Somewhat frustrated at this point, I chugged out the final 1 1/2 miles down the (Hurricane Sandy-damaged) boardwalk. But, I don't feel I ever reached the near-unconscious level I have put out when I am nearing a time of place goal.
Final time: 1:34.01, 133rd out of 5300-plus finishers, and fourth out of about 200 in the 50-54 age-group.
Slightly disappointed, yes, but very appreciative I can still do this sport at a somewhat high-level at my advancing age. In five years, I am sure I will wish I could hit a 1:34!
Satisfying for me was that one of the members of our club who I coach in running, aged 61, knocked seven minutes off his time from last year to post a phenomenal 1:49.30!
Also extremely gratifying was the half-marathon debut of my son, Max, age 16. Despite running a school track-meet the preceeding Friday (3200 and 1600-relay), and seven miles with his team the day before, as well as starting three minutes behind the field due to circumstances beyond his control, he finished, very comfortably, in 1:54.13. He mowed two lawns later that afternoon, and is already planning his next 13.1-mile effort.
It's a great source of pride, passing along my love of running to others, and it allows me to think outside my own race efforts, as well. That said: next year: 1:33, or below!
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Heart-Rate Training
Heart-rate monitoring is the way I like to monitor training, both for myself, and my clients. I invested in a MIO pulse watch years ago, and it has been an invaluable tool in measuring how hard I am working.
According to the American Council on Exercise, adult males average about 70 beats per minute at rest, and women about 75. However, a normal resting heart rate can vary as low as 40 (many marathoners and triathletes) to as high as 100 in deconditioned individuals.
Wearing a chest strap heart-rate monitor, with accompanying wrist monitor can give you a constant reading on your effort, as the strap contains electrodes that pick up the actual heart (rather than pulse) rate. You can also gauge it by placing the tips of two fingers by your wrist or carotid artery (on the side of the neck). Feel for pulse, get a count for 10 seconds, and multiply by six to get your beats-per-minute.
There are many ways to measure your maximum heartrate (think of a speedometer in a car). The older you are, your maximum heart rate drops correspondingly (imagine an older engine). A simple formula to measure is 200-your age. Im 54, so my theoretical max is 166, although every heart, like every engine, is a little different.
The better shape you are in (discounting genetic factors or certain medical conditions), the longer it will take to reach your heart-rate max. As a runner, I'll give the analogies in these terms.
My all-out mile effort is approximately six minutes. So "easy pace miles" are at 8:40, which translates to 65-80% of my max (108-133). My "tempo" or threshold pace miles are at 6:55, which are around 88-92% of HR max (146-152). If I try to dig out that all-out mile, my heart-rate, at conclusion, should be right around that 166 mark.
Stress can raise your heart-rate up to numbers comparable to those listed above, without the corresponding benefit to your heart. The Star-Ledger did an article on some local basketball coaches (former Rutgers coach Mike Rice was one of them) who had a heart-rate monitor attached to them during games. One of the coaches, in his 40's, reached a max of 171, and the others weren't far behind. No wonder stress is considered so bad for your body!
Through years of doing this, I'm pretty accurate at estimating my own heart rate, and my clients, I have to say, are amazed how accurately I can guess theirs, after a sprint on the treadmill or minute of two-arm dumbell swings.
If you're serious about training, have any heart-related concerns, or just want accurate feedback on your exercise effort, invest in some type of heart-rate watch. Nothing measures your own particular effort as accurately. Hopefully, it will take longer and longer for your "engine" to reach the top of the "speedometer" levels!
According to the American Council on Exercise, adult males average about 70 beats per minute at rest, and women about 75. However, a normal resting heart rate can vary as low as 40 (many marathoners and triathletes) to as high as 100 in deconditioned individuals.
Wearing a chest strap heart-rate monitor, with accompanying wrist monitor can give you a constant reading on your effort, as the strap contains electrodes that pick up the actual heart (rather than pulse) rate. You can also gauge it by placing the tips of two fingers by your wrist or carotid artery (on the side of the neck). Feel for pulse, get a count for 10 seconds, and multiply by six to get your beats-per-minute.
There are many ways to measure your maximum heartrate (think of a speedometer in a car). The older you are, your maximum heart rate drops correspondingly (imagine an older engine). A simple formula to measure is 200-your age. Im 54, so my theoretical max is 166, although every heart, like every engine, is a little different.
The better shape you are in (discounting genetic factors or certain medical conditions), the longer it will take to reach your heart-rate max. As a runner, I'll give the analogies in these terms.
My all-out mile effort is approximately six minutes. So "easy pace miles" are at 8:40, which translates to 65-80% of my max (108-133). My "tempo" or threshold pace miles are at 6:55, which are around 88-92% of HR max (146-152). If I try to dig out that all-out mile, my heart-rate, at conclusion, should be right around that 166 mark.
Stress can raise your heart-rate up to numbers comparable to those listed above, without the corresponding benefit to your heart. The Star-Ledger did an article on some local basketball coaches (former Rutgers coach Mike Rice was one of them) who had a heart-rate monitor attached to them during games. One of the coaches, in his 40's, reached a max of 171, and the others weren't far behind. No wonder stress is considered so bad for your body!
Through years of doing this, I'm pretty accurate at estimating my own heart rate, and my clients, I have to say, are amazed how accurately I can guess theirs, after a sprint on the treadmill or minute of two-arm dumbell swings.
If you're serious about training, have any heart-related concerns, or just want accurate feedback on your exercise effort, invest in some type of heart-rate watch. Nothing measures your own particular effort as accurately. Hopefully, it will take longer and longer for your "engine" to reach the top of the "speedometer" levels!
Friday, March 8, 2013
Vitamins and cancer risk
Vitamins are always an abstract part of the fitness equation. Taking vitamins won't get you or keep you in shape, but may prevent everyday illnesses or diseases that can sidetrack your fitness and your health.
I take a Twinlab Daily One muti-vitamin everyday, and Macula, a product designed for sharper night vision and general ocular health. With a history of detached Retinas, Glaucoma, and Cataracts, I feel that is a good investment. I have to say, since taking the Macula, I do not get the "halos" associated with middle-aged night driving - which makes it worth it just for that!
I also started with the Twinlab Joint Fuel recently, for general joint and cartilage protection as I prepare for the Long Branch Half-Marathon in May. It's hard to tell whether the benefits of that have kicked in yet, but I think so. Placebo affect? maybe!
An article that caught my eye recently showed a study that said multi-vitamin use modestly lowered the risk of cancer, in healthy male doctors (50 and older) who took the vitamins for a decade or more. The study was commissioned by the National Insitute of Health, and had a large sample size of almost 15,000 physicians.
Half took monthly packets of Centrum Silver for 11 years, and the others were given a placebo. The group that took the Centrum had an 8% less occurance of cancer over that span, than the others. For every 1,000 men, an average of 17 on the vitamins and 18 without it developed the disease.
The multi's had no difference in the incidence of prostate cancer, which accounted for half of the overall incidents. It lowered the risk of other cancers by about 12%.
To keep it in perspective, cancer experts quoted in the article say that a combination of good diet, exercise, and not smoking can lower the cancer risk by 20-30%. Still, many other studies have concluded that individual vitamins don't help prevent chronic illnesses at all, and some seemed to risk the chance of cancer.
Multi-vitamins might also have different results, positively or negatively, in women, younger people, or those less healthy entering the study period.
Overall, though, it is a vote in favor of the vitamin advocates. I always feel a multi-vitamin never hurt, but the average person should consult a nutritionist before mixing and matching different letters in the vitamin alphabet.
I take a Twinlab Daily One muti-vitamin everyday, and Macula, a product designed for sharper night vision and general ocular health. With a history of detached Retinas, Glaucoma, and Cataracts, I feel that is a good investment. I have to say, since taking the Macula, I do not get the "halos" associated with middle-aged night driving - which makes it worth it just for that!
I also started with the Twinlab Joint Fuel recently, for general joint and cartilage protection as I prepare for the Long Branch Half-Marathon in May. It's hard to tell whether the benefits of that have kicked in yet, but I think so. Placebo affect? maybe!
An article that caught my eye recently showed a study that said multi-vitamin use modestly lowered the risk of cancer, in healthy male doctors (50 and older) who took the vitamins for a decade or more. The study was commissioned by the National Insitute of Health, and had a large sample size of almost 15,000 physicians.
Half took monthly packets of Centrum Silver for 11 years, and the others were given a placebo. The group that took the Centrum had an 8% less occurance of cancer over that span, than the others. For every 1,000 men, an average of 17 on the vitamins and 18 without it developed the disease.
The multi's had no difference in the incidence of prostate cancer, which accounted for half of the overall incidents. It lowered the risk of other cancers by about 12%.
To keep it in perspective, cancer experts quoted in the article say that a combination of good diet, exercise, and not smoking can lower the cancer risk by 20-30%. Still, many other studies have concluded that individual vitamins don't help prevent chronic illnesses at all, and some seemed to risk the chance of cancer.
Multi-vitamins might also have different results, positively or negatively, in women, younger people, or those less healthy entering the study period.
Overall, though, it is a vote in favor of the vitamin advocates. I always feel a multi-vitamin never hurt, but the average person should consult a nutritionist before mixing and matching different letters in the vitamin alphabet.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Embracing February Fitness
For many people, February is the dreariest month.The Holidays are well in the rear-view mirror, football is over, and every weather report warns of impending meteorological doom.
I'm the opposite. The days are getting longer, the temperatures are a tad warmer than the past few months, hockey is in season, and even though there is more snow, it doesn't linger as long as early-winter storms.
This past week, Central Jersey dodged a bullet with the "Nemo Blizzard." While the people in Long Island and Connecticut got belted with snowfall measured in feet, we had a manageable six inches, which fell, conveniently, on a Friday night.
I did a hard treadmill workout Friday morning consisting of a five minute warm-up, 15-minutes of half-marathon pace running (8.6 on the 'mill); two 10-minute intervals at 10-k pace (9.1), and an all-out five minute sprint to finish, beginning at 9.6 on up. Each sprint was separated by three minutes of walking and jogging.
With the snow accumulating, I followed a snowstorm tradition in my family and picked up a dozen Dunkin Donuts on my way home. Although they are my favorite "guilty treat," I only buy them during snowstorms, as a post-shoveling treat for me and my son. You burn a ton of calories keeping your body warm while shoveling, and they just go great with warm milk when you get inside!
So, after dinner, I cleaned the wet, heavy snow off the driveway with the radio blasting from the garage, and indulged in my two butternut donuts. The best!
The next two days, I got in refreshing, crisp hill runs in the mid-winter air, with the pretty backdrop of melting snow in the bright sunshine.
I think the trick is to think past the reality of February, and look at it as almost the start of summer. Baseball comes out of hibernation this month, and my training during this time of year is always with Spring and Summer races in mind. My motivation seems to be high, and I know, although it may not seem like it, the darkness of winter is on the wane.
Don't dread February - embrace it!
I'm the opposite. The days are getting longer, the temperatures are a tad warmer than the past few months, hockey is in season, and even though there is more snow, it doesn't linger as long as early-winter storms.
This past week, Central Jersey dodged a bullet with the "Nemo Blizzard." While the people in Long Island and Connecticut got belted with snowfall measured in feet, we had a manageable six inches, which fell, conveniently, on a Friday night.
I did a hard treadmill workout Friday morning consisting of a five minute warm-up, 15-minutes of half-marathon pace running (8.6 on the 'mill); two 10-minute intervals at 10-k pace (9.1), and an all-out five minute sprint to finish, beginning at 9.6 on up. Each sprint was separated by three minutes of walking and jogging.
With the snow accumulating, I followed a snowstorm tradition in my family and picked up a dozen Dunkin Donuts on my way home. Although they are my favorite "guilty treat," I only buy them during snowstorms, as a post-shoveling treat for me and my son. You burn a ton of calories keeping your body warm while shoveling, and they just go great with warm milk when you get inside!
So, after dinner, I cleaned the wet, heavy snow off the driveway with the radio blasting from the garage, and indulged in my two butternut donuts. The best!
The next two days, I got in refreshing, crisp hill runs in the mid-winter air, with the pretty backdrop of melting snow in the bright sunshine.
I think the trick is to think past the reality of February, and look at it as almost the start of summer. Baseball comes out of hibernation this month, and my training during this time of year is always with Spring and Summer races in mind. My motivation seems to be high, and I know, although it may not seem like it, the darkness of winter is on the wane.
Don't dread February - embrace it!
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