The Long Trail

Well, I did it! 26.2 miles were completed on a gorgeous Sunday morning. I’m just starting to feel better and more coherent, so I’ll attempt to put my feelings into words for my last entry into this blog.

The Saturday night carb load dinner at the Rossi’s was a blast. Many thanks go out to Colleen for hosting this event for the runners and their families. Ira, Rossi, Rob and I traded stories and tactics over a delicious spaghetti dinner. Rob Rossi had to be considered the MVP of the evening for downing a McMillian’s cream doughnut in 4.6 seconds THE NIGHT BEFORE HE WAS TO RUN A MARATHON! Impressive work my friend! Sadly, my wife Patrice & daughter Faith weren’t able to join us as Faith was battling a stomach virus. After dinner, it was a quick exit back to Haddon Township and into bed early.
I awoke Sunday morning to perfect running conditions. The temperature at start time was in the low 40’s and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The first several miles went by pleasantly enough, as the four of us took turns trading stories and pointing out some of the freaks running along with us (the guy in his late 60’s in a full tuxedo, the guy juggling while running, barefoot runners, the guy running with his dog ect…) The Philadelphia Marathon made a wise decision to print the first name on the number bibs all the runners wore. This allowed the people along the route to cheer for us by name. This was never more helpful than when we hit University City, and Drexel’s campus. As we ran right though fraternity row, all of the brothers from the frat houses were out on the street, blaring music, tasting us with milk jugs full of beer (at 8:30 in the morning), and cheering us on. Next, came the hills of Fairmont Park. After getting to the top of an incredibly steep hill, we started our descent leading to this exchange between Rob Rossi and a petite female runner:
Rossi: "Boy, I hate going downhill. It kills my knees."
Female runner trying to be helpful: "You just need to relax, and let gravity pull you along."
Rossi: "Yeah, the only problem is my gravity and your gravity are two entirely different things."
After running along the Schuylkill River for several miles, we headed back towards The Philadelphia Art Museum, and our first of a few problems of the day. Rob Haney was feeling ill, and asked that we continue on without him. Ever the good solider, Rob Rossi decided to stay with Rob Haney to see him though this endeavor. It was a good move, as the half-marathon finish line was coming up, and it would have been tempting for Rob Haney to call it a day right then. Ira and I continued on passed the Art Museum, and it was difficult to see people pulling off and finishing their half-marathon. Seeing all the cheering families and well wishers while another 13.1 miles awaited me was a test of my commitment. After topping another incredibly steep hill, Ira and I made our way to Manayunk. I’m proud to say I was able to keep pace with Ira for several miles, before I came to the realization I was holding him back, and I told him to continue on without me. I ran from approximately mile 17 to 23 alone. I thought that running mile 18 (the point during the 2008 Phila Marathon that the Curley family made a surprise cheering section for Rob Rossi) would bring me some measure of relief or self satisfaction, but sadly it just brought more knee, toe and foot pain. Mile 20 was a test of self control as the Haddonfield Running Company had set up a tent, and was handing out Dixie Cups of beer to any runner that wanted it. I shielded my eyes from this Siren Song, but a few moments later, Rob Haney slurped one down and he claimed it helped him make it the last few miles. Shortly after the turn around in Manayunk, and the last turn towards the finish line, I spotted Rob Rossi and Rob Haney. I knew how tough it would be to make the last six miles alone, and decided to slow my pace and wait for them so we could finish together. During my two runs for The Philadelphia Distance Run, I remembered how bleak the last few miles of Kelly Drive can be, and I also knew that I’d need some good friends to kick my sorry and tired butt to the finish line. Rob Rossi put it apply when he said "I feel like I’m running on bloody stumps." The last few miles the three of us carried one another with words of encouragement and the promise that we were "almost there." After spotting the finish line, we stopped briefly to hug and kiss our friends and family. Sadly, but understandably Patrice and Faith weren’t able to make it do to Faith still being sick, but they were absolutely there in spirit. The three of us crossed the finish line in unison, and then collapsed euphorically into each others arms. After catching my breath, and regaining my composure, I was able to call Patrice to tell her I had finished a marathon. My dear friend Mike Goida then thrust the appropriately named Long Trail beers into our hand, and we allowed this magic nectar to release its healing powers.

After downing a couple of beers, we made our way home for what promised to be a relaxing and much needed shower. Upon my return home, I was greeted by my wife Patrice and my daughter Faith as well as signs of congratulation written all over the front window of our house. After hugs and kisses from "my girls" I was able to gingerly make my way to the shower, then over to my parents for a celebratory downing of what my family calls "The Meal." Pork roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, apple sauce, corn, spinach and several more beers were downed with reckless abandon. Afterwards, I received an award platter from my parents for their favorite "Kenyan." I managed to just barely stay awake during dinner before heading home to a much needed bed.

It truly has been an incredible life changing journey. When I first started running a few years ago, I would leave my house and return about ten minuets later huffing and puffing. When my wife would ask me how far I got, between gasps for breath I’d spit out "Mary’s house and back." Mary’s house was only three blocks away, and I’d be shocked if the entire run was longer than a quarter of a mile. To think that from those humble beginnings, a marathoner was born is mind boggling.

As I said, this marathon and training involved was a journey (maybe my last…maybe not), and like all journeys required a lot of help from several different people.

I’d like to thank anyone who ever read this blog especially my good friends Mike Goida, Jon Martini and my sisters Molly and Mary Pat who passed this blog on and would brag about my running 26.2 miles to anyone who would listen.

Thank you to my running partners, Rick Haney, Rob Haney, Ira Krassen & Rob Rossi for keeping me motivated with words and e-mails of encouragement. Congratulations to you all! I would never have made the last few miles without the Rob’s pulling me along. It has been a tremendous ride my friends.

I’d like to thank fellow marathoners and friends from York College Lori Dawson and Scott Bergman. Thanks for your training tips, thoughts and words of motivation.

I must mention and give thanks to my dog Guinness who somehow instinctively knew each and every time I was headed out for a run, and would not bug me to take him along.

My thanks and love to my Mom for a lifetime of support in every athletic event I ever participated in. I guess every little boy thinks his mom is the best mom in the world. Well I’ve got some news for you: Unless you’re one of my sisters or one of my kids, you’re wrong! My Mom is the sweetest, most supportive women in heaven or earth, and I wouldn’t listen to anyone who said otherwise.

Thanks to my once, present and forever coach who taught me there is absolute and unending beauty in competition. I think you’re the best coach in the world…and you’re a much better Father than you ever were at coaching.

Lastly and most importantly, love and thanks to my family for being my number one support system. I can’t thank my wife Patrice and my kids Gavin and Faith enough for putting up with my aches, pains and mood swings over the last few months. Thank you so much for literally, being there every step of the way. Your love and understanding has been overwhelming. I couldn’t have done it without you. I love you all with all my heart.
PTC
12/09

Red and Andy

Tomorrow is the Philadelphia Marathon, and I believe I’m ready for it. I’m still nervous, but confident I can do this.
I’m off to the Rossi house tonight for a carb-loading dinner with my family. We’ll be joined by the Haney’s and Krassan’s for good food, joking and last minute tactics.
At the beginning of my training I quoted Red from The Shawshank Redemption. At the end, I’d like to paraphrase from Andy and Red:
Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies. I hope I can run with my friends for 26.2 miles tomorrow. I hope to see my family at the finish line, hear their cheering and feel their warm embrace. I hope I can call my Father and tell him his son is a marathoner. I hope….

Championships aren't won on the field; they're only played there

My training is complete and my gear is in order. I have nothing to focus on now except rest, keeping healthy, and eating right.
I’m heading over to the Expo / packet pick up shortly. There is nothing real exciting about that other than there is a sense of finality that comes along with a free t shirt.

I am overwhelmed by the number of people wishing me luck this weekend, from friends, neighbors, coworkers, parents at my kids school, friends from college, most of the staff at Eastern Regional High School, my bowling league, my friends at SI Group, and of course my family.

Thank you all for your love and support.

Pat

Run Fat Boy Run

Gordon: Go on then, run!
Dennis: Isn't there some kind of like... special technique?
Gordon: Well...yeah...you put one leg in front of the other over and over again really really fast.

As the clock continues to dwindle down to zero hour, I think the boys and I are ready for Sunday. Most forecasts call for a mostly dry day with cool temperatures. I finally took Ira’s advice and went out yesterday to pick up a “Dry-Fit” running shirt. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the XL I’m normally used to buying didn’t come close to fitting me. Upon further review, twenty five pounds have fallen off my frame since training began in July. That’s welcoming news for my ever-fragile right knee.

Tomorrow is the last day of training under the Hal Higdon plan, and I couldn’t be more excited about running a scant two miles in the wee hours tomorrow. I should probably warn my neighbors (especially my friend Judy Rowland who’s house is at the two mile point of the Run For Tony course), that she may hear an emphatic “WAAHOOOO!” tomorrow morning prior to sunup.

Thanks for reading,
Pat

Immaculée Ilibagiza

If you’ve been following this blog, you’ll remember that over the summer I recommended a few books to read. The one I hoped people would read was Left To Tell by Immaculée Ilibagiza. Immaculée’s life was transformed dramatically during the 1994 Rwandan genocide where she and seven other women spent 91 days huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor's house. Immaculée entered the bathroom a vibrant, 115-pound university student with a loving family - she emerged weighing just 65 pounds to find most of her family had been brutally murdered. Immaculée credits her salvage mostly to prayer and to a set of rosary beads given to her by her devout Catholic father prior to going into hiding. Anger and resentment about her situation were literally eating her alive and destroying her faith, but rather than succumbing to the rage that she felt, Immaculée instead turned to prayer. She began to pray the rosary as a way of drowning out the negativity that was building up inside her. Immaculée found solace and peace in prayer and began to pray from the time she opened her eyes in the morning to the time she closed her eyes at night. Through prayer, she eventually found it possible, and in fact imperative, to forgive her tormentors and her family's murderers. Immaculée's strength in her faith empowered her to stare down a man armed with a machete threatening to kill her during her escape. She also later came face to face with the killer of her mother and her brother and said the unthinkable, "I forgive you."

After reading all three of Immaculée’s books, I knew I couldn’t pass up the chance to see her tell her story in person when she came to St. Andrews church in Gibbsboro, New Jersey last night. I took my Mom with me and we both shared a truly inspirational evening. How does this tie in with running? While I’m running and it becomes difficult, tiresome or painful, I often think of Immaculée and say to myself: "Immaculee went 91 days without the gift of movement. She would have done just about anything to be able to run down this vast open peaceful road. You think this is hard…this is nothing. Enjoy your gift of God’s peace and movement." It always helps me put things in perspective and gets me through the next few miles. I intend on utilizing the gift of movement to it’s fullest extent on Sunday.
Just five days to go. Thanks for reading,
Pat

8 Miles

We’re really getting down to the wire now. I only have four training days left before the marathon. The eight miler I’m scheduled to run this Saturday will be the longest of my final tune up before the marathon. I was looking forward to running my first three miler in almost two months this morning, but dodging pre-dawn puddles in Haddonleigh made the run a bit less enjoyable. With the exception of two toes the color of a nice Pinot Nior, I’m feeling pretty good and I think I’m ready for November 22nd.
Only ten days left. Thanks for reading,
Pat

The Taper

Less than two weeks left until the marathon and at most times, I believe I’m ready for it. Now and again I’ll log onto the Philadelphia Marathon web site to see the race day countdown. When I see the ever decreasing numbers, I tend to get the same "pit in the stomach" feeling as I would when taking an exam I hadn’t studied for. I got that feeling a lot in the late 80’s by the way. The miles have begun to taper off (21 miles this week compared with 40 just two weeks ago) which has made my life a lot easier. I’m trying to concentrate on getting enough rest, continuing to eat healthy and avoid anybody that seems to be sick.

Congratulations have to go out to my niece (and sometimes running partner) Marie Mignogna on her verbal commitment to attend and play field hockey at Leigh University. Good work and best of luck to The Red Marie. Please assume that Matt, Gavin and I will be your roommates for the duration of Eagles Training Camp at Lehigh, and kindly plan accordingly.

Eleven days to go.

Thanks for reading,
Pat

The Four Horsemen

Outlined against a blue, gray October sky the Four Horsemen rode again.
In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are: Rossi, Haney, Krassan and Curley.

For several weeks I’ve been dreading the last day in October and the apex of training millage for a marathon….the 20 miler. It’s been hanging over my head like an unpaid bill that I knew I’d have to deal with it at some point. Weeks ago I made incredibly wise decision to trek down to Shamong, New Jersey on Halloween so I wouldn’t have to log the twenty miles alone. After a carb load and an early exit to bed the night before, I was up at 3:30 Saturday morning and out the door by 4:00. I met Rob Rossi, Rob Haney and Ira Krassan at the Rossi house a bit before 5:00, and we were on our way a few minuets later. Rossi had mapped out a 10 mile loop that we were to run around twice. Rossi was certainly right when he pointed out that it would be like running two completely different courses since the first lap would be done in absolute darkness, and the second lap shortly after the sun came up. Rossi also practiced the seven 7 P’s: “Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance” with cones set at every mile mark, water, Gatorade and oranges slices stashed at strategic spots throughout the loop.

I knew in the back of my mind that that the miles would pass more quickly while running with friends, but since I was used to running alone, I didn’t realize how much the camaraderie would help pass the miles. While the four of us ran, we covered a number of topics: tattoos on runners, Fred “Ogre" Palowakski, Ira excelling at his job, Rob Haney’s patents, the need for more parental supervision in the Shamong area, the Phillies in the World Series, fantasy football and the amount of songs Rossi has on his ipod. Mrs. Colleen Rossi was the MVP of the day though. On the morning of her 41st birthday, Colleen headed out a little after 6:00am to find the four of us and deliver the best tasting oranges I’ve ever had. I think Rob Haney and one of the oranges are technically married now. After a quick photo-op for Colleen, we continued on through Medford Lakes, passing Camp Ockanickon where I had spent some of the most memorable days as a kid.

Beyond the physical training that comes with completing 20 miles, there is also a mental aspect to passing this literal milestone. I feel like another six miles is well within my grasp. Armed with that knowledge, I’m looking forward to November 22nd more and more.


At mile 16 I thought I was dead. At mile 17 I wished I was dead. At mile 18 I knew I was dead. At mile 20 I realized I had become too tough to kill.

Thanks for reading,

Curls

Serendipity Saturday

Well, the miles are really starting to pile up now. Forty miles have to be put in between now and Halloween. This past Saturday was a real test of commitment to completing the Hal Higdon marathon training. My Friday night consisted of a pasta dinner with two beers, followed by an early exit to bed. I awoke at 3:45am ready to hit the streets by 4:00. After a quick breakfast I headed out to run fourteen miles. Once I stepped outside and felt the rain, I bailed and quickly headed back to bed. For several hours I laid in bed and told myself, “I’m taking the day off, and I’m NOT going to feel guilty about it.” By about 8:30, that feeling passed, and I headed out to do several laps around the Cooper River at Camden County Park. A quick tangent here: One of the nuggets of advice Hal doles out is this: “To avoid getting in a rut, select a different course rather than simply running the same course you have been using for several weeks. Success in running is often as much mental as physical.” Good point Hal. After running in the Haddonleigh section of Haddon Township for the last few months, I decided to switch it up and started running over to the Cooper River to complete the required mileage. Beyond a change of scenery, the new course offered me the opportunity to run past my parent’s house and discard any additional layer of t-shirt that had become too hot or cumbersome to wear. The only cause for concern I had with running around “The Coop” was due to the fact that while in college, I had spent several summers working as a garbage man in the very same park, and the remembrance of stinking, hot summers from long ago would only add to the difficulty of the ever adding mileage. However, I was pleasantly surprised that laps around The Coop have been quite enjoyable. It’s flat, well lit (important for an early morning run), and there is no need to worry about car traffic. I’m planning on running around Cooper River for the bulk of my remaining training. Saturday was a different story. After running to South Park Drive in an annoying rain, I started my laps around Cooper River. Tired, cold and achy, I convinced myself that if I ran nine miles that’d be close enough, and I could call it a day. That’s when inspiration hit in the form of a nine and a half fingered friend. Once on North Park Drive, I spotted my buddy and fellow D.B.R.C. member Rick Haney banging out his required miles for the day. Rick and I ran together for several miles and were able to chat and catch up a bit before Rick’s shin splints made him slow up. Thanks to Rick’s camaraderie, I found some new energy, and was able to complete the fourteen miles.

This coming Saturday will be the longest run in preparation for the Philadelphia Marathon. I have serious doubts that I’d be able to run 20 miles alone. That’s why I’m excited about heading down to kick 20 miles of Shamong asphalt with Rossi, Rob, Ira & hopefully Rick.

Only 25 days to go. Thanks for reading,

Pat

Lion or Gazelle

Every morning in Africa, a Gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a Lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest Gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a Lion or a Gazelle... when the sun comes up, you'd better be running.

Even though I’m up & running well before sunrise, I can relate to this African proverb. Three months of training has had it’s ups & downs, but for the most part, it’s been a fun ride. I’ve got another week & a half of intense training before the miles start to taper off. I think I’m pretty much prepared for the marathon. We’ll see when the final test of 20 miles comes in the early morning of Halloween while I’m running with Rossi, Ira, Rick & Rob through the Pine Barrens. I think I’ll be ready for it, plus: It’s kinda like wrestling a gorilla….you don’t stop when you get tired, you stop when the gorilla gets tired.

One month to go.

Thanks for reading,
Curls

November 22

I believe I’d be remiss if I neglected to mention one of my main motivations for running the Philadelphia Marathon. After seeing my buddy Rob at mile 18 of the 2008 Philadelphia Marathon, I had a passing thought: "Could I join Rob next year & finish a marathon?" While Rob was passing his post-marathon days with Double Stuff Oreo’s & Family Guy re-runs, I was looking to see when the 2009 marathon would be held.
Quick tangent: Why do they continue to make single stuff Oreo’s? I mean who goes into the store, looks at the single stuff Oreo’s that are RIGHT NEXT TO AND THE SAME PRICE as the Double Stuff Oreo’s and says "Oh, those Double Stuff Oreo’s have too much stuff in them….Thank goodness for the single stuff Oreo’s." No idea.
Anyway, upon my discovery that the 2009 Philadelphia Marathon would be held on November 22, I knew that I HAD to try to complete this 26 mile & 385 yard course.
November 22 was the date that President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas in 1963. Even though, I wasn’t born at the time, his death had a huge impact on my childhood. As children of Irish Catholic parents, my sisters and I felt the enormous sense of pride my parents had towards JFK & RFK long after their premature deaths. It went well beyond "having one of our own in the White House." At a young age, I can remember my Mom reading yellowed copies of the November 23, 1963 Philadelphia Inquirer and a copy of Life magazine to me, and telling me stories about what her, my Dad and my older sisters went through in the days after the assassination.

A little closer to home, November 22 also happens to mark a terribly tragic day in my own family. It’s the day my nephew Ryan Bolte passed away in 1996. Ryan was the type of kid an uncle loves to have: mischievous, silly, funny, but ultimately, not your responsibility. For the first six years of Ryan’s life, he was just a normal goofball of a kid with an infectious laugh and a surfer hair cut that he thought was too cool. My lasting image of Ryan was when his brother Erik was born. While my brother and sister in law Steve and Kathlynn were at the hospital, my wife and I went to Voorhees to watch Ryan & his older brother Richard. When word got to us that Erik was born, we decided to celebrate and allow Richard and Ryan to have a little red wine. While the older Richard cautiously poked at the wine with his finger and lips, the younger Ryan picked up the glass, drank it down, slammed the glass down and let out an emphatic "Ahhhhhhh!!"
At age six, it was discovered that Ryan had an inoperable brain tumor, and at age eight, he was gone. Both of my kids have the middle name Ryan in his honor.
While I’m struggling through the streets of Philadelphia on old and tired stems, I’m sure Ryan will be watching over me and will never be far from my thoughts.
39 days to go…thanks for reading,
Curls

Bad Sneakers and a Pina Colada My Friend

For a few weeks I’ve been having a bit of knee pain after I run. Thankfully, it hasn’t really effected me while running (maybe the last few miles), but afterwards is really when I would start to feel it. After longer runs, I’ve been walking around with a similar stride as my Mom….trust me; this is not a good thing. Also problematic, was the fact that I don’t have hours to sit around and ice my knee down. I’ve read that you should probably change sneakers every three hundred miles or so. I haven’t been keeping track, but I’m sure my present sneakers have well over five hundred miles on them. The cynic in me tends to be a little leery about taking the "replace your sneakers" advice since the people telling me I need to buy new sneakers, are the same people selling me the sneakers. Finally, I got off the wallet & took my boy Hal’s advice: "Practice makes perfect. Practice not only running, but everything else related to race day. That includes equipment. Do you know what shoes you'll wear on race day? Buy a new pair now!" Okay Hal. Message received. I hit The Haddonfield Running Company on Monday for a shiny new pair. Guess what…my knees feel remarkable better and my Mary Alice gait is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

The other item I must address is the Phillies taking the NL East Pennant last night and how I’ll be able to watch playoff baseball for the third year in a row. While I’m beyond thrilled at the prospect of watching the Phillies chase another World Series title, I’m a little concerned about how this will affect my training for the marathon. Late night baseball watching with family and friends while beers are never in short supply just happens to be in direct conflict with marathon training. Due to MLB trying to bleed every cent out of their advertising dollar, many of these games will not start until at least 8:30, while it’s not uncommon for the final out to be recorded well after midnight. In reviewing the first round schedule, it looks as I’m catching a break with relatively short runs or rest days following most Phillies games. We’ll see what happens if the Phils make it to the NLDS, but for now I’m please that I’ll be able to enjoy Phillies fall baseball while not interrupting my training too much.

Fifty one days to go….thanks for reading,
Pat

Verbal

One other thing.
Remember in The Usual Suspects when Verbal Kint leaves the police station at the end of the movie? After limping along for several yards, his leg starts to straighten out and he’s able to walk normally. It just occurred to me….with my sore knee, that’s EXACTLY how I’m walking now. When I stand up, my knee is stiff and painful, but after a few strides, I’m okay. Thankfully, this doesn’t bother me too much while running or I'd be looking for Kobayashi to drag my sorry butt into the Jaguar.
Still fifty eight days to go.
Pat

One Step Beyond

With the onslaught of fall, a few things start to occur around the South Jersey area that I truly love: Cooler weather (although this mornings run was made more difficult due to heat and oppressive humidity), playoff baseball, fall foliage, outside fires, football at any level, comfort food….I could go on & on. The other this that will occur is the training miles required for the Philadelphia Marathon will begin a serious spike up. This Saturday’s training under the Hal Higdon plan will require me to complete 15 miles.
Shouldn’t be a problem, right? After all, I completed 13 miles just a few weeks ago & felt pretty good afterwards. The only cause for concern is one indisputable fact: I’ve never run more than 13 miles in my life.
I’m hoping that every stride after 13.1 miles will carry with it less knee pain & more a sense of accomplishment. Fifty eight days to go.
Thanks for reading,
Pat

PDR or PBR?

Sunday morning one of my favorite runs, The Philadelphia Distance Run will take place. A few of my friends will be running, but I’m going to sit this one out this year. The PRD coincides with my daughter Faith’s birthday, and it’s always difficult to pull of and organizing a children’s birthday party with ice bags strapped to both knees.
It’s supposed to be beautiful weather Sunday morning, so I’ll be thinking of you guys as you make your way through Old City, past The Art Museum & transverse both sides of the Schuylkill River. Before you know it, you’ll be at Boat House Row, and then just up the "hill of pain" to the finish back at The Art Museum.
Good luck to everyone & thanks for reading,
Curls

Lone Wolf

One of several of my motivations for running the Philadelphia Marathon was I knew how fun it would be to toe the line, joke during the many miles & the share the thrill of crossing the finish line again with Rossi, Ron, Kate, Rick, Harry The Hat, Ira & Rob Haney. While my training has been progressing nicely, the camaraderie I was hoping for on November 22 is in serious jeopardy. Registration for The Philadelphia Marathon was topped out at 18,000 & closed last week before many of my friends were able to register. While some of my friends are going to take less than honest methods in order to get on the course, others have decided to sit this one out. Undeterred, and since I signed up in April, I’m pressing forward with my training.
Week 8 is behind me. Thirteen fun filled miles were completed in the early hours Saturday morning. In years past running a half marathon would have put me in the Lay-Z-Boy for several days. However, this time I felt surprisingly good afterwards. The Hal Higdon training schedule really does work. Runs of 3, 7 & 4 miles await me this week, and a fall-back run of 10 miles is coming up this Saturday. After that, things get kinda intense as I’ll be averaging over 30 miles a week cumulating with a 40 mile week right before Halloween. Talk about scary.
Thanks for reading,
Pat

You Talkin' To Me?

Ahh, the cool weather of September has arrived right on schedule. I was able to completely enjoy running three miles this morning while temperatures hovered in the high 50’s. When I made the decision to run The Philadelphia Marathon, one of my main concerns was training in the heat of late July & August. A slight measure of relief is upon me as I know (for the most part) cool runs await me for the remainder of my training.

The mileage is starting to pile up now as I’ll be running 24 miles this week. The Hal Higdon training schedule I’m following offers this nugget of advice for week seven:
"You'll be able to accomplish tomorrow's long run much more successfully if you are rested and ready. This means getting a good night's sleep tonight too. Social considerations aside, you probably don't want to hang out all night at the bars, then be forced to get up the next morning and train hard. What's important in life to you? Make that decision and follow up on it."

It looks like the old boy Hal was may have had Rob Haney, Ira Krassan, Rossi, Ricky Haney, Ron Rossi, Harry "the hat" and me in mind when he penned that paragraph. With football season upon us, I have to make more of a concerted effort to pass up one last beer and the forth quarter of the Tulsa / Tulane game in lieu of a good nights rest.

Thanks for reading,
Pat

The Run For Tony

Today I’m running probably my favorite run of the year, The Run For Tony.
It has all the elements I look for in an organized run: It’s close to home (within three blocks of my house), it’s an easy distance (5K), there’s a post run party & it benefits a good cause. I’m thinking back to the first time I ran this race six years ago & how difficult I thought that running three miles would be, and it was. Now, in my mid-forties, I run this course at least three times a week. If I need to put in six miles, I’ll run it, turn around at Van Sciver School, and run it backwards. Some may find this boring, but for the most part, I enjoy the familiarity of running a course I know by heart. Also, since I’m often up and running before sunrise, I know where just about every divot, pot hole & bump on the road is.
Since I have to pound out five miles today, I’ll have to finish, then turn around & run two miles backwards. I’ll hear the inevitable "You’re going the wrong way!" from my neighbors, which will be fun to hear. My son Gavin is also running with a few of his buddies. I’m hoping his broken wrist & cast won’t slow him down too much. It’s supposed to be around 86 degrees at race time, so I can say with a fair degree of certainty that the post-run beer on the front lawn with my family will be most welcoming.
Thanks for reading,
Pat

Are you ready for some football?!?!

Well, I must take a detour from blogging about running today to "tackle" another topic.
Anybody that knows me is well aware of my fascination (perhaps obsession) with football. I come from a football family. My Dad was a high school football coach and complied a .728 winning percentage on his way to becoming a member of the Haddon Twp High School Hall of Fame, the South Jersey Coaches Football Hall of Fame and New Jersey Coaches Association Hall of Fame. For better or worse, my Dad’s games were the centerpiece of each fall for my sisters, my Mom and I. I had the absolute privilege and honor to play football for my Dad’s team at Haddon Twp. in the early 80’s. My son Gavin has played in the Haddon Twp. Hawks youth football program for the last five years while one of his teams went undefeated. To say that Haddon Twp. football and the Curley family have been intertwined since the mid 70’s may be a bit of an understatement. The day my daughter Faith was born, my son Gavin and I had spent the morning watching a Haddon Twp football game. Well, today a new chapter begins between Hawks football and the Curley family as my daughter Faith becomes the first girl to play football for Haddon Twp. Faith (on her own account) has decided she wants to play on the 60 lb. and under team. This is not a flag football or touch league. Faith will be in full helmet and pads on a 100 yard field. My wife Patrice and I have always told our kids that they can do and try anything they want. When Faith approached us to request to play football, her argument was "girls can do anything boys can do." If you know my wife even a little bit, you know this is basically the Gospel According to Patrice. Faith’s team will be compiled of five and six year kids and her coaches (who put the emphasis on having fun) are thrilled to have her on the team. Faith will most likely face a number of challenges this year, but for the most part, I’m sure she’ll enjoy the experience.
Faith, your parents and brother couldn’t love you more or be more proud of you.

Where do I take this pain of mine? I run but it stays right by my side.

Well, I’m through four weeks of my 18 week training program for the Philadelphia Marathon. 96 days to go.
So far, things have been going pretty well. I’ve been up at 5:00 on most running days to avoid running in the mid-day heat. I’ve enjoyed most of my runs, but running in the heat & humidity of an August in South Jersey is starting to get a bit old. Every morning that I’m out running, I notice more & more fallen leaves & I’m counting the days until I’m running on a nice crisp fall day. Most of my runs so far have been between three & seven miles, which is right in my wheelhouse. This past Friday was supposed to be a rest day for me. I didn't run, but I took my kids Gavin & Faith canoing in the Pine Barrens. It was fun, but paddling two kids around Atsion Lake is not what I consider restful. Still, I was up Saturday morning to complete nine sweaty miles & still had enough energy to go canoing again.

This weekend, we'll up the miles to 10, which I will complete at the Livestrong Challenge Philly.

Good luck to Team Margaritaville or Bust runners, riders & walkers.

Thanks for reading,

Pat

Let’s start at the very beginning. A very good place to start

Training officially started today. I was up at 5:00 & ready to go. The pouring rain told me to head back to bed though. An auspicious start to my training to say the least.

Luckily, the rain lifted by mid-morning & I was able to get in my three miles at lunch. I’m sure the running will become tedious over the next 18 weeks, but right now I’m fired up to be starting.

I’m looking forward to hitting the road tomorrow morning. Will I be able to complete the training over the next 123 days & finish the Philadelphia Marathon? I’m not sure, but I’ll give it my all, plus:
I have confidence in sunshine

I have confidence in rain

I have confidence that spring will come again

Besides which you see I have confidence in me!

Red

The 18 week plan I’m following for the Philadelphia Marathon starts on Tuesday. I think Red summed up my current feelings:

"I find I am so excited I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it is the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain..."

Summer Reading

I was asked to put together a list of some of my favorite books for my niece & sometime running partner Marie.
I can’t remember the last time I read fiction, but if you like non-fiction & biographies, I feel very strongly in recommending the following for your summer reading:

Left To Tell, Immaculee Ilibagiza – Incredible story of a women surviving the Rwandan genocide in 1994. If you read one book off this list, make it this one.

Long Way Gone, Ishmael Beah – Amazing story of a boy being forced to fight & flee the Sierra Leone civil war.

An Ordinary Man, Paul Rusesabagina – An autobiography of the man portrayed in the movie Hotel Rwanda.

The Game of My Life, Jason McElwain – The story of an autistic high school basketball manager who gets his chance to play in a game, and makes the most of it.

Outcasts United, Warren St. John – A Jordanian woman struggles to keep a youth soccer program in South Carolina comprised solely of refugees.

Led By Faith, Immaculee Ilibagiza – Immaculee’s continuing story after surviving the Rwandan genocide.

A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson – Humorous tale of a two buddies trying to walk the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine.

The Secret Man, Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein – The story of Mark Felt, Watergates Deep Throat.

Boots on the Ground Before Dusk, Mary Tillman – Mary Tillman’s story & tribute to her son, former Arizona Cardinal Pat Tillman after he was killed in action in Afghanistan.

28 Stories of Aids in Africa, Stephanie Nolen – 28 different stories of how AIDS effects people in Africa.

Lastly, as this is supposed to be a blog about runing, I'd recommend Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall.

Thanks for reading,
Pat

Voodoo Economics

One of the best things I like about running is that just about anybody can do it. Grab a pair of halfway decent sneakers, a pair of shorts, an old comfy t-shirt, a walkman & you’re ready to go. That’s it. It’s economically feasible for most people. If I had developed an interest in scuba diving, skiing, ice hockey or horse riding at a young age, I’m sure my parents would have wanted to encourage me to pursue these sports, but wouldn’t be able to due to the money required to participate. Even the learn to sail lessons at the Cooper River Yacht Club were out of the financial grasp of a full time football coach and part time guidance counselor with six kids. With running, there’s also no need to travel to a rink, court, course or what have you. Step out your front door, and you’re ready to go. All of the organized runs I do cost money to participate. However, since most are for a good cause (Run for Tony, Larc School Bridge Run, ect.) these fees are tax deductable at the end of the year. With time & money short on many peoples list, it’s no wonder that these runs are getting more participants and raising more money for good causes.

I’m off to Long Beach Island for a week of vacation. I’m hoping to run just about every morning, and looking forward to a change of scenery during these runs.

Thanks for reading,

Pat

Deep Throat

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Niagara, here I come!

I did a little math today, and I’ve figured out that training for the Philadelphia Marathon will require me to run 426 miles over 18 weeks. That’s about the distance from my hometown of Haddon Twp. to Niagara Falls. Well, as someone much wiser than me said, the journey of a thousand miles starts with just one step.

172 days & a few hundred miles to go before I sleep.

Thanks for reading,

Pat

Bad Calf!

I think I was a little too anxious to start running again after The Broad Street Run. I was still experiencing a little calf pain when I hit the streets less than a week after Broad Street. After about two & ½ miles, I had to pull up lame with a strained calf. After a week of rest & relaxation, I’m back on the street & feeling good. Although, the good folks at Miller Lite & Turkey Hill Ice Cream are making the 5:00am runs a little more difficult.

My plan is to add miles until the formal marathon training starts in mid-July.
Happy Memorial Day to all,
Pat

The Hills Are Alive

Well, we slogged our way through ten miles of Philadelphia on Sunday. Not the best conditions to run in, but we still had fun. I improved two minutes over last years time, so considering the conditions, I’m pleased. Congratulations to Tommie, Kenneth, Rob Rossi, Tim, Rick, Rob Haney, Ira, Colleen, Jane & Alsair-El Hakem Rossi. The good news is they’ll be no temptation to purchase pictures of myself from the finish line at broadstreetrun.com. Dripping wet & tired does not make for a great photo-op.

For me, the absolute highlight came at the start of the run. We were waiting for the start of our coral (The Orange Coral ROCKS! by the way), and we could see the faster runners taking off down the course. My buddy Rob wanted to point out the huge number of runners that were participating, and said to his wife Colleen (who was doing her first Broad Street) "Look you can see them running up the hill." To which Colleen’s replied "THERE’S HILLS?!?!?!?" It was the only time in recorded history where a divorce was almost caused by topography.

My recuperation started Sunday afternoon during a nice hot soak in Epson Salts (thanks Patrice), and during a First Holy Communion party where the conversation and libations were plentiful & flowing. I’ll take off a few days, but then I’ll be back hitting the mean streets of Haddonleigh in the wee hours.

Thanks for reading,
Pat

Classic Broads

Sunday will be my third chance to run from Central High School to the Philadelphia Naval Yard, also known as The Broad Street Run. I feel more prepared this year than I did in the previous two & I’m looking forward to it. Although, I’m going to miss running with my niece Marie (she’s sidelined with an ankle injury).

I’m reminded of the first time I ran Broad Street. I wasn’t running/training too much, and this was my first run further than a 5K since I was probably in my teens. I felt even more ill-prepared as a group of us headed for the Septa trains to take us up to the start while everyone was trading their training stories. I got the same exact feeling that I did when I would head into an exam that I hadn’t studied for. By the time we got to the starting line at Central High, I was on the verge of a panic attack. As I calmed myself down, taking deep breaths, I remember thinking "Well, there’s only one way to get home. You gotta run the full ten miles my boy." Strangely, the inevitability made me feel a lot better. With that, my buddy Rick walked up to me, leading to this exchange:
Rick: You ready for this?
Me: Yeah, I think so.
Rick: See City Hall? (At this point City Hall looks like a distant blip on a radar).
Me: Yeah.
Rick: That’s about the halfway point.
Me: (Trying not to throw up) Wow.

The other highlight of the 2007 Broad Street Run occurred in South Philly while I was struggling to get to the finish line. I was around mile eight, dead tired & sore. While thinking, "What the hell did I get myself into?" I glanced over to one of the several churches that line Broad Street. As Mass was letting out, an older Italian woman was standing on the steps of this church with a cigarette in one hand & a lighter in the other. She shouted out in a voice seasoned by a lifetime of red wine, unfiltered cigarettes & pasta fagioli: "Keep going hun, you look great! (she takes a deep drag off her cigarette, so much so the clouds overhead move toward her) keep going hun!" It was a uniquely Philly experience & made me laugh & got me through the last few miles.

Last year we had a great idea to do the Broad Street Run, then walk over to watch the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. As fun as the game was to attend with my son Gavin, my sister Mary Pat & my niece Marie, around the third inning, all I wanted was a shower & a couch. This year, we’ll watch the Phillies take on the stinking Mets from home, post-shower.

It looks like iffy weather for Sunday, but still I can’t wait to get to the start with some friends, Rob, Colleen, Rick, Sona, Rob Haney, Kate, Ron, Harry, my brother in-law Joe Fleming & my neighbor Tom Mulligan.

Good luck to all & see you at McFadden's.
Pat

Blame It On The Rain

I promised myself I was going to run seven miles Saturday morning. As I stepped onto my front pouch, I said "Oh…nice morning." Not ten seconds later, the rain hit. If I had started out two mins later, I probably would had bagged the entire run & headed back to bed. But, as it turned out, I slogged my way through every puddle that could be found in the Haddonleigh section of Haddon Twp. Tuesday morning, the same scenario happened & I couldn’t do it again. I wimped out & stayed in bed, and I don’t regret my decision. It was miserable out. This morning was much better....chilly, but at least dry. Five fun filled miles later, I was home a little after 6:00am.

My thoughts turn towards some friends getting ready for the Super Bowl of runs…..The Boston Marathon next week:

My neighbor & friend Patrick Gallagher. Like thoroughbreds, Pat comes from a great family of runners & I’m sure he’ll do great in Boston.

Friend & Salt Shaker Foundation board member Joe Mahoney. In the Curley household Joe’s name cannot me mentioned without my wife Patrice saying "I just love Joe Mahoney." As a cancer survivor, Joe will be running as part of Team Livestrong Army Runners.

My good friend from York College Lori Z. I don’t know if it’s possible to keep a smile on your face while running 26.2 miles, but I think Lori’s got the best shot at pulling this off.

Good luck to all,
Pat

I logged a lot of miles training for that day. And I downed a lot of doughnuts.

In 2008, I tried to do at least one organized race a month. It was fun to plan out & pick a race months ahead of time. I did a 5K on vacation with my son Gavin & my nephew’s David & Erik (nothing like running a race with teenagers to make you feel old), and I did a 4 miler on my birthday with my sister Molly (yeah, I beat her & yeah, it felt good). This year, I think I’m going to keep it to three races: The Broad Street Run, The Run For Tony & The Philadelphia Marathon. Training has been getting better in the last few weeks. There are a million reasons/excuses to stay in bed at 5:00am, but as the miles pile up, I’m trying to look at my 5:15 runs as "my time."

For this weeks entry, I thought I’d compile the best running scenes in movies & TV. In no particular order, here are some of my favorites:

Will Ferrell as Hank The Tank streaking though campus in Old School.

Dustin Hoffman as Babe in Marathon Man. The scenes in which Babe is running in Central Park & flashing on Ethiopian marathoner Abebe Bikila are great.

Watching the 1500m on TV during the Seoul Olympics, 1988. I was visiting my wife at Mt. St. Mary’s College for the weekend. A student at The Mount, Peter Rono was competing in the Seoul Olympics for Kenya. The thinking was he had no shot at winning a medal, but it would be a lot of fun just to watch him compete. A party was thrown in his dorm room & we all settled in to watch Peter run half a world away. At the wire, Peter wins the 1500m by less than a ¼ of a second & the campus of Mt. St. Mary’s erupts!

Denzel Washington running with the team through Gettysburg in Remember The Titans. Bonus points for the following lines: You drop a pass, you run a mile. You miss a blocking assignment, you run a mile. You fumble the football, and I will break my foot off in your John Brown hind parts, and then you will run a mile.

Rocky at The Art Museum, of course

Nicolas Cage running from the cops while trying to pick up some Huggies in Raising Arizona.

Paulie Walnuts & Chris-to-fuh chasing the Ukrainian through the Pine Barrens in The Sopranos.

Tyler Durken running in Fight Club. HUGE bonus points for the line: I ran. I ran until my muscles burned and my veins pumped battery acid. Then I ran some more.

Probably the beach running scene from Chariots of Fire. This came out in the early 80’s, and I probably would have rather gone to mass in August wearing my wool slacks from Al’s than go see an artsy film, so I never saw this movie.

Dumbest movie running scene: Anything from Forrest Gump. Here’s what bugs me. Forrest spend God knows how long waiting on a bench because Jenny told him to take a bus to her apartment. At this point, Jenny knows Forrest has spent three years of his life running back & forth across the country. Doesn’t it occur to her to just say, "Walk the last few blocks to my apartment to see me & meet your bastard child."

Saving the best for last. John Belushi for Little Chocolate Doughnuts. If you grew up in the mid-70’s, you have to remember how often the would show that Wheaties commercial after Bruce Jenner won the decathlon in the ’76 Olympics. To see John Belushi spoof him was just priceless. The funniest part of the entire commercial is that Belushi is sitting at the table with a lit cigarette. Most comedians would insist on puffing on the cigarette to make it more obvious. But Belushi just sits at the table with the cigarette burning while he’s doing his pitch. To me, it’s a subtle move that make the spot so much more funny.

Broad Street Run is a little over a month away & registration for the Phila Marathon opens today.
Thanks for reading, Pat

From The Planet LoveTron

Friday night was the last Sixers game ever played at The Spectrum. Like many kids growing up in the 70’s & 80’s in the Delaware Valley, I have a number of great memories from that arena. Flyers, Sixers, Globetrotters, Ringling Bros. Circus, Phantoms, concerts, the Spectrum hosted them all. In no particular order, here are a few of my best memories there:

Seeing the Globetrotters with my Dad. We had great seats, and this was back in the Curly Neal & Meadowlark Lemon days. You’d see them on ABC’s Wide World of Sports, but nothing can compare with seeing them live. Also, any Flyers game I went to with my Dad. Hockey games are always fun in person, especially with The Broad Street Bullies in their hey-day.

Taking my father-in-law Mac to a Phantoms game for his birthday with my brother-in-laws Karl & Steve. Karl came up with this bright idea for his fathers’ birthday. Blaring music, loud fans drinking too much are (to say the least) not up Mac’s alley, but he was a good sport & we had a nice guys night out.

The Grateful Dead on St. Patty’s day, 1992. Went with my wife Patrice & our friend Jimmy. Box of Rain, Minglewood, Loser, Memphis, Tenn Jed, Cassidy, Way To Go, Truckin’, Spoonful, He’s Gone, Drumz, Miracle, So Many Roads & Sugar Mag. Awesome! Jimmy was throwing green glitter on Patrice & I that we were finding in our house years later. Patrice solidifying her MVP status in finding a miracle.

Going to a Phantoms game with my son Gavin. I think Gavin was three at the time, and had the attention span of a gnat. We walked every around inch of the Spectrum that night.

George Michael: Not proud of it, but yep, I saw him there. I had just met Patrice & we went with friends of hers. There is no truth to the rumor that my daughter Faith is named after his song.

Flyers game with my girlfriend in high school, Liz Eife. Liz was ill for several weeks during our senior year & was basically confined to two rooms in her house. Her Dad gave us Flyers tickets & Liz was well enough to go. It was her first time out of the house in over a month. To put it mildly, it was a big deal.

7th & 8th grade Hawks Basketball. We got to play a game at the Spectrum before the Sixers game. I don’t even remember what took place during our game…my head was spinning from being on the same floor where Dr. J played. After the game, Dave Hall, Vinnie Marone, Pat Lamb, Gerald Thomas & the rest of us dressed in the Flyers locker room. Coming out of the locker room, we ran straight into Daryl Dawkins wearing a full length pink fur coat. Outstanding!

A Valentines Day Flyers Game with my wife. Nothing like a stay in a suite at The Rittenhouse Hotel & a Flyers game to chase away the winter blues.

My sister Suzanne taking me to a Flyers autograph session during the Flyers Stanley Cup years. I’m sure she wasn’t allowed to be driving to South Philly on a school night, but she did anyway to avoid disappointing her little brother.

Kentucky – Duke ’92: I wasn’t there, but it was the night of my wife’s bridal shower. Since guys were verboten at the shower, my Dad, Uncle Jack, and a bunch of my buddies went to the Pennsauken Country Club to watch it. Wildly considered the best college basketball game ever, it happened at The Spectrum.

David Bowie, The Serious Moonlight Tour. My first concert. Rockhead, Gary, Boone, Brown the afore mentioned Jon Martini & a bunch others took the train over to see an incredible show.

Since this is supposed to be a blog about running, I’ll end with this: The Broad Street Run in 2007 & 2008. The Broad Street Run goes right past the sports complexes in South Philly. After running around City Hall, there isn’t much to look at to take your mind off how tired you are: Italian restaurants, Korean nail salons, funeral parlors, gas stations. Once you catch sight of The Linc, Nova Care Complex, The Spectrum & The Whatevertheircallingitthisweek Center, you know you’re completed 9 & ½ miles of a ten mile course. The first year I did the Broad Street, someone had set up an amplifier in front of The Spectrum & was blaring the Rocky Theme towards all the runners. In 2008 I ran with my niece Marie. Once we caught glimpse of The Spectrum, we knew we had only about half a mile until the finish line.

Broad Street Run is in seven weeks. Training starts in earnest on Monday! (Maybe Tuesday).
Pat

Dawk

Again, I’m copying from my buddy Rob’s format & occasionally delving into topics other than running. I had to write a little something about former Eagles safety Brian Dawkins leaving the Birds for the Denver Bronco’s. I was thrilled when my beloved Eagles drafted B-Dawk out of Clemson in the second round of the 1996 draft. My sister Mary Pat had also graduated from Clemson, and we both looked forward to seeing what this Clemson Tiger could do for our team. We had no idea how many contributions B-Dawk would make in his 13 years in Philly. His bone-jarring hits, his pass coverage, his sacks & tenacity made him a joy to watch each & every game.
In my lifetime, there may have been a few players in Philadelphia that were more talented than B-Dawk. (Mike Schmitt, Dr. J, Steve Carlton, Reggie White). But NOBODY understood the Philadelphia fan more than B-Dawk. What do we what from our players? Simple: Everything you got & do it with class & all your heart. That’s it. No great mystery. Do that & you will never pay for a drink in the Delaware Valley in your lifetime. No "For who, for what?" No giggling with the other team after a playoff loss. No blaming the fans or media. Give it your all & care as much as we do. That’s what B-Dawk did each & every time he strapped it up.
During this years improbable playoff run by the Eagles, all I wanted was a Super Bowl victory. Not for me, not so my family & I could squeeze on to the Speed Line to watch another parade, not so the entire city could recapture the joy of the Phillies World Series (times 10). All I wanted to see was B-Dawk hoist that silver football over his head while tears streamed down his face. Apparently, according to Joe Banner, this was too much to ask for.
Some will blame Eagles management for throwing around nickels like they were man-whole covers & for always looking to win the coveted "Salary Cap Bowl". Maybe they’re right. It’s just so rare in this day & age to find a player & city that fit as well as B-Dawk & Philly did for the last 13 years. And we just let him walk out the door. I look forward to seeing the ovation B-Dawk gets when the Broncos come to Philly this fall. I guarantee #20 will shed a tear, as will many Eagles fans.
Thanks for your effort Dawk. It was our pleasure to have you on our team.

I Wish I Knew How To Quit You

Except for my years at college, and 18 months right after I got married, I’ve lived in Haddon Twp. my entire life. As running can be somewhat tedious (even with an ipod), I enjoy running the streets of my hometown & remembering different events that took place there & people I know.
That’s what happened on a chilly Saturday morning this weekend when I found myself on Strawbridge Ave. I wanted to run about five miles Saturday. As I was running down Haddon Ave., I made the wise decision to turn before I got to Mc Millian’s Bakery. One wiff of the bakery & the run would have ended right there in lieu of coffee & several cream doughnuts. While running down Stawbridge Ave., I passed my friend Jon Martini’s house. To say Jon & I go way back is an understatement. Jon’s folks & my folks both bought houses catty-corner from each other in winter of ’65, and we’ve been friends ever since. As I ran along & past Jon’s house, I remember all the trouble & fun we’ve had over the past four decades together: Reeking havoc on Christmas decorations throughout the Bluebird section, hockey games where the other team was basically Leon Spinks to our Mike Tyson, Jon coming up to York College for a visit & running from cops, the time Jon stopped me from trying to beat the living hell out of a Sea Isle cop (always smart), a very special Easter Saturday watching overtime hockey, Jon’s son Luke’s first football game, sleeping on somebody’s patio in Ocean City, Md. the list goes on & on. It’s no wonder that my family & I proudly refer to Jon as my Life-Partner. As the chilly miles continued, I thought less of my aching knee, and more about all the fun Jon & I had over the years. Before I knew it, I was back home with a smile on my face. All runs should be this good.

Well, How Did I Get Here?

If you’re reading this & don't know me, I don’t look like much of a runner, and in truth, I’m not. Aside from my sister Molly’s inclusion on the Holy Savior Track Team in the early 80’s (Just ask her about it. She’ll be sure to regal you in great detail about her accomplishments), my sisters & I saw running as a necessary evil. While we were all athletes, we ran solely to train and get in shape for other sports: field hockey, tennis, swimming, football, basketball etc. As my Dad, a Hall of Fame football coach so aptly put it when he first laid eyes on my newborn son: "Well, you don’t have to worry about him wearing the numbers 1 through 49 on the football field." Two events set me in motion to lace up my first pair of running sneaks at age thirty seven. One was the annual Run For Tony that takes place in my home town of Haddon Twp the last Wednesday of August. The course for this 5K goes right past my house & each year I’d sit out on the front lawn with a cooler of beer to watch the runners go by. After the last of the runners would struggle by, I would think "I should do that next year." However, this pipe dream was always quickly dismissed once the on-coming (and inevitably disappointing) Philadelphia Eagles season would start up. The other event was finding out my buddy Rick Haney had taken up running. First of all, I’m not trying to through Rick under the bus here (he’s a much better runner than I am), but Rick also doesn’t fit what most people think a runner should look like either. Rick explained he was just running for fun, and that the beer always tasted better after finishing a run. Rick wasn’t trying to break any land speed records, and would never be mistaken for a Kenyan, but he was giving each run his best shot & I envied his sense of accomplishment. These two events lead me to my first Run For Tony 5K at age thirty eight. My goals were modest: keep running & finish. However, once this race started, something unexpected happened: People started cheering me on. Now, any runner who has participated in anything from a 5K to a marathon will tell you how much this helps & means to them, and I couldn’t agree more. I just wasn’t prepared for how much it helped me get to the finish line. Another thing occurred to me after crossing the finish line at Van Sciver School in August of 2003: This was the first time somebody cheered for me since I last played football on Thanksgiving Day, 1983. Although I went on to play basketball (I was terrible & never got in a game) & tennis (who comes out & cheers for a tennis player?), it had been a full twenty years since someone I didn’t know stood on the sidelines & yelled "You can do it!" That was all it took & I was hooked. At first, I thought I’d just do the Run For Tony each year, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted to try more runs of varying lengths. Since that August day in 2003, I’ve done several more runs, 5K’s, 4 milers, 10K’s 10 milers & a couple of half marathons. Along the way I’ve managed to stock pile more t-shirts than a Nike plant in Malaysia. After I saw my buddy Rob at about mile 18 in the 2008 Philadelphia Marathon, I knew I wanted to see if I could run 26.2 miles. This blog is more about "putting myself out there" to help me complete the required training. Let me explain. In college I’d study before a test because I was afraid of failing & I’d have to admit to my parents that my greatest accomplishment that semester was winning ten straight ping pong games at The Depot on twenty five cent Rolling Rock night. Fear was a good thing. Same principles apply here. By telling as many people as possible I’m planning on running the Philadelphia Marathon will help me log the required miles to avoid copping out when the going gets tough. Thanks for reading & stay tuned. 276 days to go. Pat

Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants.

Well, here we go. This is my first attempt at blogging, so let me start with an introduction.
My name is Pat Curley, and I live in Haddon Twp., New Jersey with my wife Patrice, two kids Gavin & Faith & our dog Guinness. I’m going to attempt to run my first marathon on November 22, 2009 in Philadelphia. I’m blatantly ripping off the blogging idea from my buddy Rob Rossi. Rob started his blog in the spring of 2008 to capture events, trials & tribulations leading up to The Philadelphia Marathon. I was amazed firstly, by what a good writer Rob is, and secondly, by the amount of support he got that really helped carry him 26.2 miles back on a chilly day in November. I’m going to try to stick to Rob’s ground rules & keep to the topic of running on this blog as much as possible. If by chance you’re more interested in something more meaningful than my ramblings & yarns, please check out my wife’s non profit that benefits the Lance Armstrong Foundation: http://www.saltshakerfoundation.com/