We Have Ourselves A ____________ Amongst Us.

This is a little bit, actually, quite a bit scary.

I'm a USATF Level 1 Coach now. Should be illegal as I thought Hammer Throw involved Thor-like actual hammer throwing! pic.twitter.com/NroPU7Kz5d
— uchipu (@uchipuchu) December 16, 2013

Waaaa I’m Injured. Now What?

Inevitably, runners are doomed to get injured at one point or another.  Some are seriously injured than others, but we all get injured.  And the bad part about is that we get injured on the lower extremities!  That parts we need to MOVE.

So a runner will say, “OOOOOMMMMMMMGGGGGGGGGGGG without my legs I can’t exercise!! IMMA GONNA GET F-A-T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Hey, hey, no need panic.  There are few things you can still do stay in shape.  Obviously, it’ll differ from person to person and your should always consult with your treating physician (yea, that’s a disclaimer) but here are some ideas, based on past experience and some interweb research.

Alter-G.  The Anti-Gravity Treadmill.  If you can find one and you can get on it for relatively cheap as part of your regular physical therapy, this is your best bet.  It’s a treadmill with a contraption that will let you run with as little as 20% of your actual weight. It's the preferred method of elite runner, Dathan Ritzenhein.  (warning:  he is very extreme...)

PRO:  You can run.  CON:  Since you run with less weight, don’t get too devastated when you heal and you have to run slower and feel fatter…

Deep Water Running.  Excellent for keeping your cardio vascular system, but depending on where you are doing this, it might not be suitable for distance running.  The sessions are typically in 2-3 minute intervals which is great for sprint work, but not enough for endurance.  Many runners do DWR, as it's more accessible than Alter-G.

PRO:  You get to simulate running, using similar muscles.  CON:  You will lose endurance.

Elliptical.  This will only work if you can put weight on your feet.  There are various versions of it, but we like the Cybex Arc Trainer the best.  Without the tilting motion of the elliptical, there’s less stress on your busted feet. 

PRO:  You can get a really good cardio exercise.  CON:  It’s still an elliptical…

Swim is great for keeping your leg muscles in shape and will really help build that cardio endurance.  Swimming requires you to have access to a pool and more importantly, be able to swim.  Even if you have these two points covered, it’s a bit like running on a treadmill.  You can only do so many laps before you go completely insane. You CAN try open water swim, but that's a whole new animal.  And if you are in NYC, you really don't have much access to safe, swimable open water.

PRO:  Great cardio and a chance to get some upper body workout. CON:  Boredom, requires special equipment.

Bike is another way many runners turn to when their foot is broken.  These days you don’t have to own an actual bike to get the benefit.  You can do indoor cycling (spin class) and get excellent cardio workout.  Some of these classes are insanely fun!  But it’s not for everybody.  The pulling action on the pedal can irritate calves and indoor cycling relies a lot of it’s exercise on riding the bike standing up.  The stand up form can irritate your calves, hamstring and foot.  Do this with caution.

PRO:  Cardio exercise as well as great lower body workout.  CON:  The type of injury you have may prevent you from riding. 

Other than these, you can always work on your strength training.  Lifting weights, core conditioning, yoga and pilates are great ways to stay in shape.  While these activities typically do nothing for your cardio endurance, it will definitely help with your flexibility and power.  Lack of flexibility is usually the reason why runners get injured in the first place. 

And finally, if all else fails – YES.  This might be the perfect time to go on that cleanse juice diet…or get that Lasek Surgery done…or finally clean your oven…or any other time consuming activities that you’ve been neglecting for the last few years!!

Injury is your time to rest, re-evaluate and reconfigure your training.   And when you get better, it's time to blast off again.  Onwards, injured friends.  Always Onwards.

NYC Marathon Race Recap Episode 2: Theo's Story

Hope you guys enjoyed Xena's naked TM run story.

Today, we bring you story from Theo, our little tough cookie.  Did you know that she nearly broke her calf while training?  Or that she nearly passed out doing insane tempo runs in 90F weather?  How about crazy-ass Cat Hill repeats courtesy of her team mates?  We rag on her a lot, but we do it out of love.  Right, guys?

Well here's her story...And sorry, no nakedness involved here.

EPISODE 2, BY THEO.

I know this is supposed to be a funny story but I have to get a little corny so pardon me while I grab some Kleenex. My marathon tale is actually 2 years in the making. It all started when Jennifer aka Ghetto Gurl recruited me in the most subtle way by asking me to join the team with about 40 other people cc'd on the e-mail. It was an offer I couldn't refuse. She knew I was struggling with my solo training runs.

I then joined a few Agonites for a speed class on a hot, humid night in the park some time in August, 2012. We did 20 grassy hill repeats with Coach Alem. I only did 13... But I went back the week after and the week after that... That's when I started to question my sanity.

My non-running friends often ask me, "Do you run with other people?" Well, the answer is no, but somehow each of you are with me when I'm running. Your advice, jokes, witty banter and words of encouragement stick out. Especially "MOVE YA ARMS."

In the past year and half that I've been a member of AODF, I have run countless races, gone on road trips, I ran the Philly marathon and finally the NYC marathon and it did live up to the hype. From the presidential transport in the Yukon to the start on Ft. Wadsworth (Thanks, Mandeep!) to the cookie search after the celebratory lunch at our spot, Cilantro (which by the way should sponsor us since we eat there so much), it was most certainly a team event.

All of the things each of you bring to the team and to me personally have made me love running even more than ever. Lisa getting me my first pace tat for Philly, Miki giving me some yoga therapy balls when I had lead legs, Maria being a hardcore awesome coach, Rachana always looking for new races, Chris chasing my ass down during the Mini 10k yelling "THEO, YOU BETTER NOT LET HER (CENSORED) ASS PASSS YOU BOY... So many experiences I've had with each of you that this story would go on for pages if I continue.

So anyway, back to the task at hand. The funniest thing that happened to me during the marathon was some spectator cheering me on by calling out "Go Aof!" (AODF). Maybe we should think about new singlets. 


COMMENTS FROM THE PEANUT GALLERY:

Mandeep's Yukon and his driving technique has become legendary amongst Agonites. We fully believe that he does own a F1 or some sort of Jeremy Clarkson approved super car.  He must also have a personal race track to practice too.

And speaking of approvals, O dear Queen of Fashion, Hater of Tu-tus...apparently AODF on the front is non-Theo approved!  Might want to consider that for our new Singlets!

And Theo, we hope to see around for more races and many more NYCMs!  Good Job!!

NYC Marathon Race Recap Episode 1: Xena's Story

Hey hey guys, gather 'round!  It's story time at Agony HQ.  We're collecting NYC Marathon stories from our fabulous team mates!

Here's Episode 1, by Xena:


Since I'm just sitting here watching the Biggest Loser, let me do my quick report.

My NYCM was.... supposed to be a training run to get myself ready for JFK 50 miles in 20 days. Well, I kinda race the first half and felt okay, but I didn't smell a PR. On Queensboro, my race was over. 
I ran pretty slow after that and called it a "long training run."

I finished, hit the gym, stripped, and took two flights up to get on the TM.  It was more like wobbling, but my real race ended when the TM showed 1 mile.   Including the 0.8M warm-up, I've successfully run the 28M "training run!!!"


PEANUT GALLERY COMMENTS:
Well Xena, we're kinda wondering what other people thought of you running naked on the TM.  I mean, "hit the gym, stripped, and took two flights up..."   You never bothered to put clothes back on?  I guess with a figure like yours, there's no need to hide it with clothing!  Definitely true to your name, Xena.  Less is more!

Also, interesting to note that Xena likes to watch Biggest Loser.  Does she relate to Jillian Michaels or her sad victims?  We suspect a little of both. 

Sooooo Agonites, we're waiting for more stories to come! 

Club News!

Kathy helped us again big time with coming in second in her age group at this past weekend’s Greta’s Great Gallop Half Marathon!!  A 78.08% AG percentage, that’s really amazing girl!!!

There was a suspicious camaraderie where the Maharaja and Louise came in overall place 1124 and 1125, respectively.  What, you couldn’t let “ladies go first”?  She stuck with you the whole time and you reward her by finishing a place before?  Humph.  Haven’t you heard of the “Fighting Irish”?  Beware, my man.

In other areas we saw the return of Mr. Tom!!  It’s been almost over a year since we saw Tom running in Central Park.  WELCOME BACK, SIR!!

October B-day Announcements
Rabbi Mark celebrates his B-day on the 21st.  He's been spotted doing loops and loops in Central Park.  If you see him in his cute pink shoes, make sure you wish him a good THREE-OH.

Also, John Primacio in TX celebrates his ???th on October 4th.

Happy B-Day Dudes!! 

Raffle Tally

We now have a pretty good number in our raffle tally, and with only 2 more races to go, the numbers are coming in close.  The remaining races are NYC Marathon and Ted Corbitt 15K.  Ted Corbitt sells out pretty quickly, so if you are interested, make sure you sign up.  Yea, it’s a December race, but everyone can use a little race during the holiday gluttony!

We see that Miss T, Jenny, and the Fighting Irish are tied at 6 tickets a piece.  Yet, it looks like Captain Crunch held his lead by dragging his broke-ass leg through Greta's.  

Name	Raffle Ticket Count
Andujar	1
Baldassari	3
Caine	4
Feyisa	1
Finn	5
Gormanly	6
Iwasaki	4
Kern	2
Laytham	1
Liebau	1
Liriano	6
Lubin	4
Martin	7
Masi	5
Miller	3
Montagna	2
Pascual	1
Pathak	4
Rallakis	2
Roberts	3
Silvestro	6
Sobti	2
Tanaka	4
Wengroff	2
Yamada	5
Grand Total	84

Speaking of which, who is organizing our Holiday Party?  We are looking for volunteers.  If you think you’ve got what it takes to run a successful Holiday Party, let Captain Crunch know.  We need to put the date on our calendars soon!

And Agonites, let’s cheer LisaLisa and Xena who will be racing this weekend in Chicago and in Hartford.  They are both going for a PR run!!  GO LADIES!!!!!!!!!!!

Fifth Avenue Mile! (And Karma)

Most of us Agonites are long distance runners, but that didn't stop a handful of speedsters to get out and compete in NYRR's Fifth Avenue Mile this past weekend.

Here's the new raffle tally!

Name	Raffle Ticket Count
Baldassari	3
Caine	4
Feyisa	1
Finn	5
Gormanly	5
Iwasaki	3
Kern	1
Laytham	1
Liriano	6
Lubin	3
Martin	6
Masi	5
Miller	3
Montagna	2
Pascual	1
Pathak	4
Rallakis	2
Roberts	3
Silvestro	5
Sobti	1
Tanaka	4
Wengroff Spencer	2
Yamada	5
Grand Total	75

With the year fast ending, it looks like Junior Captain Jenny from the Block and Captain Crunch has a tie in number of raffle tickets!  Amazing!  Go Jen!! 

So with Fall Marathon season in full swing, it’s important for us to recognize something…KARMA.  Boys and Girls, now is the season to rack up some seriously good Karma to make sure your race goes well!!  Do something shady…and oh yes, you will pay. 

Some Karma Whoring Ideas:

1)      Donate to Charity.  It’s like the good old fashioned pertinence scheme.  Pay money, get out of sin.  Even giving a dollar to your local homeless person may bring some points.

2)      Help the Disabled.  Tired from your 23M long run and you finally get a seat on the train.  You see a preggers.  GIVE YOUR SEAT TO PREGGERS.  Giving up a seat for preggers is double points.  One from the mom to be and one from the baby to be born.

3)      Cleaning Up.  Do not toss gel package empties around the Park or wherever else your run.  Those packs aren’t exactly compostable.  Throwing away your own garbage is important Karma trick.

4)      Cheering.  The charity runners of all kinds are in the park right now.  They have gathered some mega Karma by incredible feats of fund raising.  Get some trickle down Karma effect by cheering on a random charity runner.  They usually appreciate it a lot too!

5)      Saying Thank You.  Always, always, remember to say thank you to people, in general.  When somebody holds a door for you, rings your groceries at the Whole Foods, serves you at a restaurant…showing appreciation to other people’s services is a always good Karma!

Now with these pointers…Go and SPREAD GOOD, AGONITES!