Football 2013

      ( Rugby football)

      On one of my swims I came to thinking about how much football is like Medieval times when there was wars and kings. Just like in times past rulers wanted to occupy as much territory as possible. If that meant going to war with opposing rulers, so be it. Football is the same principle. Your team tries to occupy territory that the opposing team  is trying to defend. Both war and football were to obtain glory and prove superiority. 

      So we humans have been interested in violence and power for a long time, especially here in America. Football being so popular here that sometimes it's the fans who can be more violent than what is going down on the field. I blame it on the violent atmosphere. Well that and alcohol.

      Don't get me wrong I like football. Especially happy finding out the jets just beat Tampa 18 - 17. I love the athleticism of the game. It's kind of like body building meets running with strategy involved. All things I love to do. I love to beat myself up and push my limits. But for me the only opponent I have is myself. Or the occasional runner in a race who is wearing a dress. No way I can let that person beat me. 

   One reason I really like football is that I relate football to real life. You are the quarterback of your own life.The truth is that we live in a violent world, now way around it. The quarterback likewise is in a violent world measuring 120.0 yd x 53.3 yd or 6400 yd² which is the dimensions of an American football field. Not to be confused with a pitch which is what the field is called in soccer. You being the quarterback of your life requires that you know the plays or in other words your actions. Being self aware and also aware of your surroundings is essential in being a great quarterback. You of course need a good team consisting of friends, family, and people that impact your life. Even an elite quarterback can fail miserably if his team is not up to par. Even if he has the best team possible he can have an off game. Learning and adapting come with experience on the field. When we learn for our mistakes and make wise decisions we benefit. One wise choice is that despite the team we have been given we need them. A quarterback cannot win the game by himself. We need to do the best we can with what we have but we also need to trust and rely on others. It's a violent world just like its a violet field when the game of football is in play. We need all our talents and skills but we need a team and react appropriately for the given situation. Isn't football great? That's another reason we need good coaching to improve and become a better quarterback of our life. It's very difficult to figure it out by ourselves and good guidance is a big help. Only if we believe it. Belief in the guidance and counsel is only of benefit if we use and apply it. Ultimately it is our choice when the game is on. There are plenty of options for us to consider and a cool head is needed in order no to be overwhelmed. In the game of football the quarterback can give the ball to a teammate or choice to run it himself. An his team mates are constantly being changed. Sometimes an important player gets hurt and can prove to be a detriment to the teams overall performance. 

      We will meet countless interesting and unique people that come on to our own ,"field." Some will be on our side, others on the opposing side. Sometimes as you begin to learn about them it may be hard to tell which side they choose to go to. Eventually it becomes clear if you the QB are aware of your surroundings. Never forget the people you are close with and try to maintain that bond. A QB always has his go to guys. Guys he can trust to help bail him and the team out in a critical moment when the stakes are high. Trusting someone can be a hard thing to do sometimes but is a necessity in order to accomplish the task sometimes. 

     As with life you never know how the game of football is going to turn out. There are too many variables to consider and you can be overwhelmed by it. A good QB knows to be in the moment no matter what moment he is in. You can only handle one moment at a time and we can easily forget that. The plays change but the game stays the same. Adapting to the changes is a key component in winning the game. So adapt and train and learn from your mistakes. 

"Everyday is the Super Bowl."

-Barton

NYC Century ride 2013

   

   I was in one of my day dreams thinking what to call someone who does century rides. I came up with, "Centurion." Not sure if its an actual term but it sounded bad ass to me so that's what I call someone who rides there bike for one hundred miles in a single day. Having that cool title was all the more reason for becoming one. 

      I've done centuries in the past but sometimes you lose you drive or get lazy and take off a couple years or so. Last year I started the NYC Century tour but bailed out due to my brain telling me that it was stupid to continue cause I had the hamptons marathon a few weeks later. I used the excuse that I didn't want to hurt myself. I probably was the smarter move now that I remember that tweaking in my right ankle. So  I rode out of queens and had my mom pick me up near a gas station off of the Long Island expressway. 

      Well this year I had to make amends and finish the whole century. It was surprisingly easy in a hard way. I knew it was going to be an epic day when in the first thirty minutes into the ride I see a taxi cab hit an unaware cyclist. Thankfully no real harm done. For the ride I do what your suppose to and ride from rest stop to rest stop. Breaking a big goal into manageable chunks is the only was to complete it. The food at the rest stops was the typical race fuel; apples, bananas, oranges, peanut butter and jelly, and bread to name a few. During these stops cyclists conversed and shared knowledge as well as mutual respect for the activity we all were participating together in. 

      I also spoke to various people while riding, usually commenting on a particular part of there bike. Now during the ride when you see someone on the side of the road you ask if they are ok. I'm riding down the side of on of the highways and notice a fellow cyclist over to the side and bent over his handlebars. So I yell out if he's ok... No response. So I stop and go to him to see what's the matter. When I get to him I ask, "are you ok?"

   "...both my legs...cramp."

I replied, "ok just sit on the ground and try and stretch them out."

   "...I can't get off the bike."

      So I lift him off his hunched over state put him on the ground, gave him a GU gel to help him restore balance to his body. I told him to take it with water and wait and if you don't feel better in fifteen minutes wave over one of the Marshals for help. I left him after that but still wonder how he made out. I've had those cramps before so I could empathize with him. Besides the negative aspects of riding there are also positive as well.

      I remember becoming in the zone hours into the ride. To me the zone is a out of self experience. I also heard it described as, "slowing the game or activity so it seems easier than on a normal basis." I love it that much I know. It is kind of like I'm observing myself from a different perspective. Call it flow, zone, bikers high it is a real treat when it comes and I wish it happened more often for me in my endurance lifestyle. 

      So after all the rest stops, food (probably ate a whole jar of peanut butter during the whole ride) and immersing myself with bikes and city riding I finally arrived back to where it all started. My ride didn't end at the Central Park finish line though. In the early morning I took the 3:45 train from Ronkonkoma to reach penn station and from there rode to the starting line which is around 110 street in Central Park. So after finishing instead of waiting on the stupidly long line for a free ice cone, I rode back to penn for the real stuff. By the real stuff I mean Colombo frozen yogurt with chocolate crunchies on top... So amazing after biking all day! But the real reward as always is the actual act of riding all day long. It was definitely a rewarding and fun experience and can't wait till next year.

"Just follow the yellow "C's" "

-Barton 

Bethlehem

G    

  The above is a picture of the outside of the hotel Bethlehem in Bethlehem Pennsylvania. A life long friend got married on July 4, 2013 and the family and friends from Long Island invited to the wedding stayed there. 

      The town of Bethlehem where we were had a very cosy feel to it. It is a very historic town, similar to Port Jefferson. In fact one of the things they promoted in our hotel was that it was haunted years ago. I left after work on that wednesday with my suit, mountain bike, and running gear. When I arrived and got settled I went to the local brewery for a victory beer for making the long trip after work. I then proceeded to wander around as usual and get my bearings. After settling down I awoke to see a text message saying some people were down at the hotel bar. So I strolled down in my pajamas to watch the mets play and hang out. 

      The next morning I got up early despite the lack of sleep and went for a run. I never really noticed how tough it is to run being sleep deprived until this morning. After struggling through the run the busy day could get started. It involved a lot of running (not literally) around. Going here, going their, getting changed, waiting for this person or that person. When we finally got to the reception at the restaurant called melt could we all relax a little. It was really nice cause there was no sit down dinner. It was mostly a buffet on the bar, basically like an extended cocktail hour. If I ever get married I would definitely do that. So after the festivities we all went back to the hotel to just hang out and enjoy each others company a little longer. 

     Before the reception I stopped at a l.l bean to find a nice trail to run on for the next day. The morning after the reception I got up early, as usual and drove to the town called new hope. The town is right by the Delaware river and runs the length of it. I would love to say it was a good run but as far as runs go it sucked. The trail was as flat as a pancake and not as scenic as I hoped. There was also a heat advisory that day which drained the life out of me. But I got my run in and the light mocha frappachino was heaven afterwards. I also had a nice chat with some cyclists that were sitting outside the Starbucks. I can't help it I'm drawn to bikes. 

      After chatting it up with the cyclists I wandered around a little bit to get a better feel of the town. It was a really nice town probably since it was right next to the river. Anything by the water gets enhanced. I wish I stayed and hung around longer but wanted to get home cause it was a bit of a drive. It was also a crazy couple of days. Along the way I got my celebratory healthy pizza and coffee at some pizza place in Jersey. That seems to be my post race/long run reward. So worth it. It seems every time I go to Pennsylvania I have a great time. I'm really beginning to love it their. All and all it was a great mini vacation and it was equally as great to watch someone I consider my sister get married.

-Barton-

      

Ghost

  

   So discovering the potential of road riding is a new and exciting undertaking I recently have discovered. I nicknamed her (my bike) ghost, due to the fact that the Sette Vitale is all white and it is very fast so I'm sure I look like a blur when I'm riding it. I've only been accustomed to riding mountain bikes so the transition to having a lighter and faster bike is a thrill. Climbing is still one of the things I love when being on a bike and that hasn't changed. The one thing that's different is the speed you can generate going downhill. 

      I was going down to cedar beach in Mount Sinai one early morning and hit the endorphin maximum. The contrast between the effort from climbing the hills coupled with the shear thrill of feeling like you have wings on the downhills was almost overwhelming. I really don't necessarily like going to fast but this morning was different. I like to have control and flying down some of these hills realizing that it would not be a good thing to crash can be a little unnerving. 

      Later on that day I saw the new superman and could relate to that feeling of flight. At first he was uncertain of what he could do. He started jumping, then after getting use to his new found power started flying. It took time to build to that level in order to fly consistently. Same with anything we do. We need to build slowly but also be consistent with it. I'll try to be in control as much as possible and not do anything out of my ability. I think this is the start of a beautiful relationship.

-Barton-

      

Melting on sports

     

 

 

      You can learn a lot by learning to listen. I've come to learn this a number of ways but  ill specify one which I think has been beneficial. I was never a big sports fan, just not the way I was raised. I would rather be out there playing the sport rather then watching it. However, many of my friends are big sports fans and its always nice to talk and share opinions about things of common interest. If I come across someone who runs I can spend the whole day talking to them about there training, heart rate, shoes, and anything else related to the sport I love. So for my friend's sake I started listening to a sports radio podcast called the Dan Patrick show. This is some information about him according to Wikipedia;

Dan Patrick

Born Daniel Patrick Pugh

May 15, 1956 (age 57)

Mason, Ohio, U.S.

Occupation Sportscaster

Years active 1979–present

Website

danpatrick.com

SI.com/danpatrick

Daniel Patrick Pugh (born May 15, 1956), professionally known as Dan Patrick, is an American Sports Emmy-winning sportscaster, radio personality, and actor from Mason, Ohio. He currently hosts The Dan Patrick Show which is broadcast on radio on Premiere Radio Networks, and on television on NBC Sports Network as well as The Audience Network for DIRECTV subscribers, co-hosts NBC's Football Night in America, and serves as a senior writer for Sports Illustrated. He previously worked at ESPN for 18 years, where he often anchored the weeknight and Sunday 11 PM edition of SportsCenter.

      I have learned much about sports by listening to him and the Danettes, his co-sports casters. More importantly I have learned about life and friendship. Even though I never met any of them I consider them friends. Listening to the commroderie among them is like being part of something special. Immersed in conversations about sports really has helped me draw the connection of how sports and life go hand in hand. Being part of something is what we all crave. Whether its part of a sports team, as a fan, or just having the same passion on a particular topic. Sports teaches you about life and also adds to life's enjoyment. One lesson it teaches is to play by the rules or suffer the consequences. Another is working as a team in order to accomplish a goal, a necessity in daily life. The over competitive nature is not something I like but having a balanced, healthy competitive spirit will help you strive to do you best in any area of life. The list of comparisons between sports and life go on and on. The most important comparison I have made is that sports, just like life, should be exciting and shared with friends. I thank the friends I have now and those I will make in the future for helping make my life exciting and full. 

-Barton-

Lake placid 2013

      

      The initial frustration and stress almost made me turn around. While Sitting in traffic I blamed some advice I received and followed for my current present state of turmoil. I was advised to take a hotel for the night instead of just driving up the night before the race. I like to drive late at night when there is no traffic and rest up a bit before events. This event stemmed from my ultra marathon. I had all this fitness and wasn't injured so I decided to do the lake placid marathon on Sunday, June 9. 2013.

     I finally settled down when the traffic subsided and I hit the open road. The drive up to lake placid took around six and a half hours, which provided ample time for me to listen to some baseball games while observing the beautiful scenery on the ride up. The scenery was worth the trip alone and glad I decided to drive during the day. 

     When I finally arrived to the town I felt like I had 5 cups of coffee. I was so excited seeing all the bikers and runners everywhere. I immediately wanted to go explore the area and take it all in with what little time I had before resting up for the race.

      I first had to check in to my hotel. I stayed at the golden arrow which overlooks beautiful lake mirror, not far from lake placid. While I was checking in, the girl at the front desk said that if I wanted to go swimming there are no life guards. I respond, "In the lake?" Usually places I go would warn you not to go swimming or suffer fines or penalties. This place I guess they expect all us crazy athletes to not be able to control ourselves and just say do it at your own risk, my kind of town. 

      Once I got settled I took off exploring for some food. After talking to some people around the town I stumbled across the lake placid pub. I got their I.P.A while I waited for some pizza. After chatting it up with some of the guys at the bar I got my pizza and went back to my room to do the task of getting everything perfect for the morning. That usually takes me around 2 hours cause I'm particular about where everything needs to go. The pizza and wine helped me relax during this pre race ritual. Other necessary fuel I brought up were pop chips, zevias, and sobe 0 cals. (Think I've been overdoing it with the stevia)

      In the morning I got suited up in the usual marathon gear which include an under armor heat gear shirt, Adidas shorts, and my Nike shoes with the addition of arm warmers for a change. I pinned my bib on (without poking myself for once) and had some coffee while reading and waiting for the fun to begin.

     Out of all the questions I asked people I met the day before about the race I forgot one very important one. So around mile two I ask the women running next to me, "hey, do you know if this course is hilly?" She looked at me like I should have known before I started running, which I probably should have. Turns out the answer was yes but not until the very end did i realize how hilly. Love those hills! Like always I formulated my running strategy based on feel. Eat this here, slow down there, speed up at this point. At the end of the race after the big climb, the finish line was on the Olympic skating tract. Afterwards I immediately went for food. What do you know pizza again. One good thing was that I got a late checkout. So after finding myself I went back to my room, showered and hit the road cause I knew I had a long drive ahead of me. 

      Before I got into my driving mode I wanted to fill up the tank and get something cold to lower my body temperature. So i pull into a gas station with bikers all around. Not cyclists but the guys on Harley's with all the tattoos. I filled up my tank then went inside and grabbed some frozen yogurt with the works on it. I'm talking about sprinkles, syrup, nuts, you name it and it was probably on it. I walked outside and saw one of the bikers staring at me. Now I would have fought to the death for this yogurt if he was looking to take it. Take anything else just not my frozen yogurt, not after a marathon. But he just looked at me, noticed the shirt I just got and said, "good job." Disaster averted thankfully cause I was ready to defend my yogurt to the death.

      On the drive home I again listened to more baseball games while taking in all the scenery. In my opinion the race was surprisingly easy. I credit the easiness, and i use that term loosely, to the fitness I got from doing the ultra marathon the month prior. For my next race I think I'm going to try and P.R. and really give my best effort. All in all the trip was well worth it even if it was short and a last minute sort of thing. Sometimes that is the best way to plan things! 

-Barton 

"Step outside your comfort zone"

First Ultra

      Preparing for a big event is always exciting. The Friday before my first ultra was no  exception. After work I stopped at whole foods to get something to make me super. At least that's what I told myself. So I made the traditional per marathon dinner of brown rice pasta with my 'super' golden beets along with some vegetarian chili. Had two glasses of apothic rose wine and tried to get mentally ready for tomorrow. Before bed I wrote my previous times on my arm from the 25K greenbelts I ran for some added motivation.

2:45:35

3:06:37

3:03:29

2:58:10

      Believing that I could do it was the whole battle like anything else. Once you believe the rest just follows. That was what I focused on, believing in myself. I kept repeating BELIEVE in my head as well as "be +" and tried to see only the good. Truth be told, no one else can do it for you. The word believe helped me get my mind off the act of running when things got tough. I also pictured # 's. #'s in that I needed to be fully involved in the task. Thinking of how my body is reacting at any given moment. Being fully involved in the task also requires you to focus on when to take fuel, when to slow down, and when to pick it up. # is just the symbol I thought of to remind myself to stay absorbed in what I was doing.

      In the morning the only thing I did different from my normal routine was that I went to Starbucks before driving out to plainview, the town where the race takes place. I got a grande dirty chai tea latte to fuel me further. Along with that I had my peanut butter and jelly bagel picking at it along the way.

     Once I arrived I did the traditional walk around, pee a bunch, and pretty much just wander looking lost. Once the race started I didn't really see anyone for a while. At one point early in the race I thought I was the only person on the planet. 

      This trail run, despite how hard it was, actually was more forgiving than a road marathon. I think I ran the following Wednesday. Running on trails tends to be easier on the joints not necessarily on your muscles. The greenbelt 50K is a two loop course on some of the hilliest terrain Long Island has to offer. So much so that the run turns into a climb at certain points on the course. The rest stops along the course were well stocked and I have a new found respect for the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. That was until the rain came.

      The monsoon came just before the half way point of the race. If I would have jumped into a pool I couldn't have gotten more wet and that's no exaggeration. At my drop bag I changed socks, not that it helped. I still lost my big toenail on my right foot in the end along with a little guy on my left foot. At least I didn't have to swim and managed to not trip and fall in the ever growing lake. Can't say the same for the guy running with me. JJ and I were around the same pace pretty much the whole time. We kept leap frogging each other shouting encouragement to each other along the way.

      The aid stations were another great source of encouragement as well. Maybe a little more so since they had a whole assortment of fuel to keep all us runners going. Just when you want to give up sometimes all you need is a fuel to affect your mood. At one aid station a kid that was handing out Gatorade even wanted to run with me. These sources of encouragement and refreshments are a must in order to tackle big obstacles like a 31 mile foot race. My plan that I formulated after a couple hours was that I would run if my heart rate was 147 and slow down on hills if it reached 150. This strategy helped me to have energy to finish strong. 

      My longest training run was only around three hours. I did get a 70 mile or so long bike ride in a headwind which also gave me confidence. In my opinion the race was more mental than physical. The highs and lows you experience are really pronounced compared to a regular road marathon. You don't just get a second wind. You get a third and fourth wind as well. One thing remains the same however and that is when it is all over it feels like it went to quickly. One interesting thing of note is that towards the end I got scared for no reason. It was an extremely high/weird feeling. It went away but very interesting.

      I didn't really hang around after. I just did my thing, walked around making small chit chat while scarfing down a delicious muffin and whatever else was there. No beer was present which was a disappointment so next year ill bring a sixer for me and whoever wants. Sharing is caring. I kind of wish I did hang out but I had to go tend to my foot. Not before I stopped by dunkin donuts to use my gift card I got for national cytotechnology day, yes we have our own day too. 

      Upon reaching my abode after a six hour, forty minute and thirty second skip through the woods I immediately wanted to go do something. Weird how after running for such a long time that I didn't want to just keel over. Didn't really do anything to amazing. I needled my toe to let the blood drain out, not fun. All in all this was an exciting experience and life goal. Can't wait till next year.

-Barton 

"More you do. The more you will want to do that thing."