Who the Hell Invited GI Joe to this Party?

This little corner of cyberspace has been quiet and empty for the past several weeks, since I've been extremely busy with sorting out the rhythms and obligations of my new professional life, along with taking a family trip and handling the home front during my wife's busiest professional stretch of the year.  The new venture has gotten off to a strong start, and I am putting together the key elements of a sports management business that will hopefully let me merge my passion into at least a break-even business venture.  More on that as circumstances develop.

Against that backdrop, I'll summarize the last few weeks of training before providing a report from yesterday's Half at the Hamptons.  The drama of the 2010 Winter Olympics notwithstanding, I know my readers have been waiting for this news with bated breath. ;-)

WEEK #5 - FEB 1-7, 2010 (CUTBACK WEEK)

• Mon - 5M easy
• Tues - 7.9M progression
• Wed - 6.7M easy - travel day
• Thurs -10.1M moderate effort
• Fri - 8.5M with strides
• Sat - 13.1M, with 3M @ goal MP
• Sun -5M easy (last mile+ barefoot) - travel day

TOTAL MILEAGE =  56+ MILES

WEEK #6 - FEB 8-14, 2010

• Mon - 10M, with hill sprints
• Tues - 10M, with 5x800m @ 5K pace (in a parking lot)
• Wed - 11.25 (AM: 6.25M; PM: 5M)
• Thurs -8M a little harder than easy
• Fri - 10M, with total of 4.5M (2.5M, then 2M) at HMP (not a great run)
• Sat - 6.7M easy
• Sun - 20.2M, with 5.5M at goal MP - great run!

TOTAL MILEAGE =  76+ MILES

WEEK #7 - FEB 15-21, 2010

• Mon - 8M easy (skipped hill sprints)
• Tues - 12M, with 3M at goal HMP (tough run)
• Wed - 8M easy (blew off doubles)
• Thurs - 8M easy (blew off doubles again, because too tired for early AM run)
• Fri - 7M easy
• Sat - 5+M, including 4x100m strides
• Sun - 2.5M warm-up; 13.1M RACE (see Race Report below); 2.5M cool-down

TOTAL MILEAGE =  66.7 MILES

RACE REPORT - HALF AT THE HAMPTONS

The title of this week's post plays on the "GI" in America's first toy action hero's name.  Previously standing for "Government Issue", runners far and wide know "GI" as the abbreviation for all ills digestive-related.  It's never pleasant to suffer GI troubles, much less so during a "marker" race when one is training for the biggest race of one's running life.

This was my third year running the Half at the Hamptons. In 2008, as a still-novice runner, I "trained through" while preparing for the Keybank Vermont City Marathon, set an ambitious goal (at the time) and followed a pacer who banked time by taking us out too fast.  I had one of my worst long-distance racing experiences and simply hung on to run over 1:40, my first distance non-PR to that point in my running career.  Last year, I had strained my groin in early January, barely reached 40 miles per week, and went out with no expectations to run a surprise PR of 1:34+.

Having set a new HM PR last October, I wished to build on that, with the Hamptons being my only significant tune-up race of the Boston cycle.  It's a nice mid-winter race, with well over 1000 participants, good energy and on a nice, largely coastal route.  It's billed as flat, but has some rolling elevation changes in the middle section.  It's also always windy as a you-know-what.

I went into the race with more of an "idea" of what I might be able to do, as opposed to specific goals.  Breaking 1:26 would have been my dream/stretch goal.  A new PR by any margin would have been my "acceptable" goal.  And, simply running the best race I could considering the conditions and my cumulative training fatigue would have to be the fallback goal.

I suppose that if I now list the reasons why I ran a disappointing 1:31:25, it will sound like a litany of excuses.  I view it as more along the lines of assessing and analyzing the reasons for a sub-par performance, but that may be a distinction without a difference.  Once the afterglow of last Sunday's excellent 20+-mile run wore off, I found myself dragging most of the week.  I dialed back the mileage a bit, dropping two planned double days (Wednesday and Thursday).  I awoke on Saturday with the beginnings of a chest cold, though it seemed pretty manageable, and Saturday's mid-day easy run plus strides felt pretty good.

With an 11:00 am start time, I did not have to get up too early yesterday.  I awoke a little before 7:00 and had my usual breakfast.  I brought different clothing options, since I knew the blustery conditions would make the mid-30-degree temps seem much colder.  I had singlets and arm-warmers ready to go, along with different headband/hat and glove options.  I also had a form-fitting long-sleeve thermal shirt, just in case.

When I got to the race HQ hotel at around 10:00 am, it was bustling.  I found a good parking spot, checked in and agonized about what to wear.  I was cold just walking from my car, so I wore heavy clothes during a two-mile warm-up.  I felt better once the blood was pumping, though I didn't feel like my legs would have much "pop".  Still, I was optimistic and got into the "this-is-what-I-log-all-those-miles-for-so-bring-it-already!" state of mind.  I guess you had to be there to understand. ;-)

So, without further adieu (thankfully!) here's a mile-by-mile breakdown of how it all played out (the course seems to have been marked rather erratically, so the numbers in parentheses are extra time after the auto-lap recorded a full mile; the first 3 mile markers, along those at miles 7 and 12 were spot on with the Garmin distance):

1. 6:37 - After lining up a couple of rows from the front, I settled into a briskly comfortable pace. Wind was already raging, but I was thinking that everything seemed to be going just fine.
2. 6:40 - Negotiated a couple of turns.  Tried to find someone from whom to draft, but I have not really perfected that skill.
3. 6:35 - Holding pace, but working a bit too hard into the wind.  Was running with the 3rd and 4th place women, and offered to let them draft off of me to save their energy for an assault on the leaders later.
4. 6:52 (+:14) - Here is where it started to get tough, between the wind and the course's most challenging terrain.  Not sure if I was losing focus, or the conditions were in fact that rough in that mile, but my effort level did not seem to wane as much as much as my pace seems to have dropped. The Garmin had my HR at 173 at this point, and I had averaged 171 bpm during my HM PR in October.
5. 6:33 (+:13) - The wind let up a bit in a protected residential area, so I tried to take advantage.  Felt the first rumblings of GI distress which would be my eventual undoing.  One of the women and another guy with whom I'd been running start to inch away.
6. 6:41 (+:10) - Came up on the aid station where I'd planned to take a Gu Roctane.  Longingly looked at the port-a-potty, but decided to pass it by. Critical mistake #1.  Critical mistake #2? I took only one smallish cup water, 4 oz. or less, with the gel.  That's nowhere near enough to absorb it properly and especially poor decision-making where my stomach was already bothering me.
7. 6:20 - It would be VERY safe to say that this mile was short, with the Garmin registering 0.95.  I was fighting off the stomach woes, assuming/hoping that it would pass.  Mostly, I was trying to keep a rhythm and stay with the runners around me, including a 50-something guy from my area who usually goes out too fast and the peters out late (kudos to him for a sub-1:29 finish).
8. 6:39 (+:30) - I see a construction site with a port-a-potty, but the optimist (aka, obsessive runner) in me prevails and I pass on by.  I realize from the course description that the next port-a-potty is at around Mile 11, and I have no idea how I'll make it.  The physical discomfort is taking its toll, as is the headwind which has picked up again.
9. 6:51 (+:11) - Now wondering whether any of the spectators on the course would let me use their bathroom.  Thinking I may have to drop out if something doesn't change, and I start to focus on getting to the rest area at Mile 11, telling myself that the "A" goal doesn't matter, and that any ol' PR, or even just sub-1:30, will do.  
10. 8:25 (+:30) - As we approach the 10-mile mark, I spot another construction site, and see the blue plastic pod which could be my salvation.  I debate as I keep running, pass it by maybe 150-200 yards and then double-back.  Checking the data afterwards, I lost 2:40 to the stop (plus the time to run back and forth).  I came out like a flash, passing maybe a dozen people in the next half-mile, but the headwinds sapped me of the ability to sustain a fast pace and thus make up any significant time.
11. 6:57 (+:02) - At this point, my racing mojo is officially gone.  I've written off all time goals (even sub-1:30) and am just trying to put forth the hardest effort I can sustain.  Residual fatigue from recent training volume is also wearing me down, as evidenced by the fact that my HR had dropped into the low 160's, far below my HM race pace. I can feel that dastardly familiar tightness in my hips, like my someone added resistance bands to my hip sinews.
12. 7:02 - The wind sucks, I'm tired and I'm ready to be done. Trying to reel in the folks ahead of me, but just cannot find another gear.
13. 6:26 - I tried to push it for a strong finish.  I passed a couple of people, but I suspect more than a couple passed me. This mile may have been short, too.
    
    
    
    
    Final 0.1 (measured as 0.13) - 0:47 (6:10 pace) - very glad to see the finishing arch and to be able to put this racing debacle behind me.

Official finish time = 1:31:25.  61st overall; 9th in my age-group.

I jogged back to my car, put on a dry shirt, pants and a jacket, and did 2.5 slow, tedious cool-down miles so that I would get my 18+ miles for the day.  When I completed the cool-down, I went inside for a bowl of hot vegetable soup, talked to friends and other runners, and made my way home.

REFLECTIONS

Well, the combination of accumulated racing experience and consistent training has given me better perspective on a disappointing performance, or - better stated - a disappointing time despite a decent running performance.  I am not freaking out, questioning my training, doubting my fitness or otherwise going to any of the dark caverns of insecurity of days past.  If someone had told me a year ago that I'd run a "disappointing" 1:31 half-marathon, I would have whipped out the tape measure and fitted them for a straight-jacket. It wasn't my day for things to come together, and - frankly - that's simply part of the reality of the racing experience.  One thing to which I will pay closer attention for a while is my nutrition/diet, as I have had GI troubles for a long time, and distance running does not help in that department.

So, with Boston a mere (or eternal, depends on when you ask me) 8 weeks from today, I'll continue to do what I've been doing, emphasizing volume (I should peak at 82 or so miles per week and average about 70 miles for the pre-taper portion of the training cycle), but ramping up the quality miles, as well.  I may do one or two short races between now and Boston, but the focus will be on staying healthy, pushing the mileage envelope and showing up ready to run the best race I can run on that day.  Oh yeah, and to be able to recover quickly enough to run another marathon six days later.

Thanks for tuning in.  Happy running.

-Ron/ESG

"Today, no Spartan dies!"

For the uninitiated, the title of this week's post comes from the semi-cult hit film "300", and therein lies the tie-in with this running blog, as I have logged my first-ever 300+-mile month (305, to be exact).  I did not set out to establish such a landmark, but it has been instead a natural outgrowth of a more ambitious running regimen than I've ever previously undertaken.

Last week (#4 of the Boston 2010 buildup) ended up like this:

• Monday - 5M easy/recovery
• Tuesday - 10+M, with 8x2 mins hill repeats
• Wednesday - AM: 5M easy; PM: 5M easy
• Thursday - 8+M progression run
• Friday -10M total, with 2 x 2M at HMP and an extra 0.5M tacked onto the second set at 10K-5K pace
• Saturday - 8.25M, easy
• Sunday - 21+M with a couple of moderately hard miles (Miles 18 & 19) thrown in

Week's total = 72.5

I felt better overall this week than I did early last week, and it's a thrill to have two 20+-milers "in the bank" within the first four weeks of  the training cycle.  The weather improved for a spell, before another blast of cold air moved through.  As a result, I did Friday's "quality" session indoors, mixing it up on the indoor track and treadmill.  It made it realistic to hit the goal paces that way.  Given the bitter cold on Friday morning, I'd have never had a successful workout outdoors.  So, while I'd always prefer to run outside, I'll let pragmatism rule when it comes to the key workouts of this training cycle.

Next week is a planned cutback week, with two travel days on the schedule and a lot of family commitments in Florida (where we're traveling for a big family event).  I'd like to get somewhere in the high 50's, but anything around 50-55 would be perfectly acceptable, and may even be extremely beneficial.  We'll be staying right near the beach, and the idea that I will be running in a singlet or even shirtless is very appealing.  I'm sure the heat will slow me down, but I will likely just throw in a few tempo miles on one run and call it good.

I still have no concrete goals for Boston, and - frankly - it's very liberating.  Unlike any of my prior marathons, I'm not chasing a time, I'm letting the training cycle lead me to it.  I know perfectly well that if I stay healthy, I'll toe the line in Boston in the best shape of my life.  What time that translates into . . . well, we'll all just have to wait and see, won't we?

Have a great week of running, everyone. -ESG/Ron

Seventy is the New Fifty-Five

Week #3 of Boston 2010 (cue the bugles!) Training is complete.  It was a bit of a roller coaster week in terms of adjusting the plan on the fly, balancing an evolving work/life schedule and otherwise staying focused on training during a time of personal transition and competing priorities.  Here's how the week played out:

• Monday - 6.7M easy, with 6x12 secs hill sprints
  
• Tuesday -[adjusted for crazy schedule] 6.2M progression run on TM, starting at 8:00+/mile pace and ending at about 5:45/mile (last 0.5M before a cool-down); I think the foot pod was a bit generous on this run, but that's what it came out to
• Wednesday - 9.25M somewhere between easy and moderate
  
• Thursday - 5+M easy in the morning; 5+M easy at lunchtime
  
• Friday - 9.5M, w/2M @ marathon pace & 2M @ half-marathon pace
  
• Saturday -5+M easy to a breakfast meeting; 3M easy home
  
• Sunday - 20.8 miles, with 2M (miles16-18) @ goal marathon pace

That came out to right about 71 miles, a tad ahead of the week's 70-mile target.  The key to making it work successfully may have been the two "doubles" on Thursday and Saturday. Although conventional training wisdom dictates that double runs are only necessary when mileage exceeds 70 miles per week, I think I was shortchanging my own recovery by never running less than an hour.  I felt better during Sunday's 20+-miler than I did during last weekend's 17+-miler, despite going into the latter run off of a higher mileage week.

This week, I will try to match last week's mileage, before a planned cutback week scheduled for the first week of February (when I'll be traveling for a family function).

One training-related challenge I'm facing is how to put together the quality workouts in such a way that makes sense, without getting too intense too quickly.  I need to be careful about grinding myself down, courting injury and even possibly peaking too early.  For now, though, things are going fine, so I'll continue on the same path, unless and until there's a reason to change course.  That "reason" may be manifesting itself shortly, as there may be a significant change in my professional environment.  It's a good thing, but would be very demanding, and would necessarily result in many more 4:30 am training runs.  I suppose that, as with anything worth doing, the prevailing question would be "How bad do you want it?"

Thanks for reading.  Happy training.

-ESG/Ron

Plugging Along Towards a Fuzzy Goal

Boston Week #2 is in the books.  It pretty much came out as planned, with a total of 67.6 miles for the week.  The highlight was Sunday's long run with my friend Joe in Falmouth, Maine.  The miles always go by faster with company, and I've yet to meet a like-minded runner who isn't good company (at least while running).  The only blemishes on the run were my own GI issues (a lingering after-effect of Friday night's Chinese dinner) and the fact that I nearly caused my own demise by crossing the road right in front of a town police cruiser.  Stupid is as stupid does.

The plan for this week is as follows:

• Monday - 6M (which became 6.7), with 6x12 secs hill sprints
  
• Tuesday - 10M, with hills or some sot of fast-paced running
  
• Wednesday - 8M easy
  
• Thursday - 9M, with a moderate progression towards the end
  
• Friday - 10M, with threshold work as yet TBD (depends how I feel)
  
• Saturday - 7M easy
  
• Sunday - 20M, with maybe 3M at goal marathon pace (whatever that is at the moment)

That comes out to a nice even 70 miles for the week, with one more planned mileage increase in the following week, before a cutback week in early February.

I could certainly feel the recent mileage ramp-up in Sunday's long run, where I was able to slog through the miles, but without much spring in my step.  The stomach issues and a poor night's sleep on Saturday didn't help.  That said, Joe and I still managed a 6:00/mile pace for the final stretch, just as I know we will for the last 0.x mile in Boston.

One great thing about this training cycle is that I'm not fixated on a specific goal.  I've been thinking about my strategy for Boston, and what I have settled on - without equivocation - is that I will run a solid race, meaning that will not pace myself out on the edge of my abilities.  In other words, if I finish Boston feeling like I could have run a minute or two (or more) faster, I will not be mad at myself.  At all costs, I will avoid the long reach for "what might be" that led to three disastrous marathons in my first three attempts.  A PR is not an issue, since unless something unexpected goes awry, I should run a faster time based on having put in another year of solid training since my last competitive marathon.

As I wrote sometime ago on RWOL (and maybe here), the real challenge of marathon racing is to make an honest and accurate assessment of our fitness level before the race.  While there may occur an occasional pleasant surprise, much more often the path to the finish line is sullied with the painful realization that we were overly optimistic in that assessment.  So, marathon goal-setting for the "competitive" runner (meaning the kind of runner whose goal is to do more than merely "finish") is part art, part science.  With more experience training and racing, science takes the lead and we can narrow the range of what's really possible on the day we toe the line.

I trust that we are only scratching the surface on the topic of goal-setting, but longtime readers should realize that this training cycle will be be largely devoid of the neuroses and histrionics which marked some prior efforts.  What's a guy to do with all that extra, unwasted energy?

-ESG/Ron

A Solid Start

So, with Week #1 of BOSTON MARATHON 2010 TRAINING (cue theme music) in the books, here's how it actually played out:

• Monday - 6+M easy, with 5x10 secs hill sprints
  
• Tuesday - 9.7M,  with 8x1-minute at 5K-ish pace/effort (6:00 - 6:24)
• Wednesday - 10+M, easy/steady
  
• Thursday - 8+M, with 2x 1.5M at tempo pace (around 6:40/mile, except for the final 0.5M into a fierce wind)
  
• Friday - 8M easy
  
• Saturday - 16M easy, on a cold, windy morning
  
• Sunday - 5M easy

Total did come out to 64 miles, as planned, with slight tweaks to individual days as a strangely flexible week unfolded.  The weather was pretty brutal, though I managed all runs but Sunday's outside.

This past week has come out like this so far:

• Monday - 7M easy, with 6x10 secs hill sprints
  
• Tuesday -  10+M, with 8x90-secs @ 5K-10K pace
• Wednesday -7+M (starting at 4:45 am, in -4 temps, with wind chill - a slog)
  
• Thursday - 10+M w/4x100m strides
  
• Friday - 8+M, with 2x2M at half-marathon pace (though it was tough to average just under 6:50 per mile on these)
  
• Saturday -7M easy/recovery (in shorts!)
  
• Sunday -17+M easy, with the last 3 or so at a moderate effort (as I type this on Saturday, the family is about to head up to Maine, where I'll run with my RWOL friend "joew" on Sunday)
  

With the overages, that should come out to around 67 miles, and though I feel some degree of fatigue, I'm not feeling any signs of injury.  Having had a mini-heat wave, with temps up over freezing, has made the last couple of days very pleasant.

Frankly, with all the work involved in getting my new office off the ground, I've had to make the choice to run instead of think, write and blog about running.  I've had a great deal of logistical frustration this past week (some of which remains unresolved), but the good news is that a number of new/prospective clients have already managed to find me, despite not yet even having an official office phone line.

I should also mention briefly about the horror in Haiti.  I cannot do much in terms of money, but I will be providing free consultations to any Haitian community member who may qualify for Temporary Protected Status under the Department of Homeland Security's recent declaration. It's refreshing to see a modicum of humanity come out of the Executive Branch.

So, with my target mileage creeping up into the 70's and beyond, I'm not sure how much I'll be able to post, but I do hope at least to keep sharing numbers and general impressions.

Stay warm and run well.

-ESG/Ron

In With The New

Well, 2009 ended without any Year-In-Review posts. You're welcome, dear reader. ;-)

Running-wise, I could not have asked for much more from 2009. I qualified for Boston. I PRed at every race distance. I stayed injury-free. I "coached" other runners preparing for a 5K. I enjoyed virtually every step of every run I took. Oh yeah, and I went to a running-related modeling casting call. As far as I know, I did not get the job. Good thing I didn't turn in my bar card on December 17th.

The family got away to Quebec for a few days between Christmas and New Year's, so I was largely (and blissfully) offline.

So, here we are, with a toe into a new year, and - as the media have pointed out - a new decade (though reasonable minds may differ about when the new decade actually begins). For me, with a new employment situation has come a new outlook. I now feel as engaged by my professional pursuits as I have about running. Not bad, considering that my new shop is not even officially open for business yet.

For reasons both obvious and subtle, I have not posted much about my training recently, but, with BOSTON 2010 TRAINING (there would be emphatic theme music here if this were television or film) now underway, it's time to go back to the real mission of this blog: to serve as the training log which I'm too lazy or unmotivated to keep on my own. Posting weekly (or more) keeps me accountable, and has been a pretty successful recipe for me so far.

So, with the help of Coach Brad Hudson (again), I've devised a 15 week training plan. Since I ran about 2400 miles in 2009, staying consistent throughout, I am going to do a compressed "Introductory Period" followed by a 7-week "Fundamental Period", capped off by a "Sharpening Phase" and a two-week taper. Assuming that my life and energy allow, I will end up averaging 70 miles per week for the 12 weeks leading up to the taper. My peak week for Sugarloaf was 72 miles, and I've run one or two other 70+-mile weeks when I was not specifically training or two or more long runs fell within a 7-day stretch. Bear in mind, too, that I have another little race 6 days after Boston, as part of the Boston to Big Sur challenge, which I'm running on behalf of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. A fundraising link is in the box to the upper right corner of the blog's home page.

So, here's how Week #1 of Boston Training is shaping up:

• Monday - 6M easy, with 5x10 secs hill sprints
  
• Tuesday - 9.7M (meant to do 8, but misread the schedule), with 8x1-minute at 5K-ish pace/effort (those repeats ranged from 6:24 down to 6:00/mile average pace)
  
• Wednesday - 10+M, easy/steady
  
• Thursday - 8M, with 2x10 mins at tempo pace (which should be about 6:40/mile)
  
• Friday - 8M easy
  
• Saturday - 16M easy, with maybe the last 15-20 mins at moderate
  
• Sunday - 7M easy

Total should come out to around 64 miles, and should feel appropriately manageable at this point. The weather has been particularly unfriendly lately, with bitter cold, snow, ice, etc. However, I've been running outside and just dealing with it as best I can. I'll likely do tomorrow's threshold workout on the treadmill, just so that I may control the variables and hit the proper paces without being at the mercy of the road conditions (and ever-present wind).

Thanks for sticking with me. More to follow. -ESG/Ron

Model Role

Among the panoply of personal or professional titles one does not expect to hear in one's lifetime, I'd include "Dan Quayle, Neurosurgeon", "Bill Gates, Mac User" and "Ron Abramson, Male Model". Yes, that last one would be me, and the absurdity of the juxtaposition cannot be overstated.

Yet, your intrepid blogger decided to have some fun, after receiving the following message in connection with a casting call for a national advertising campaign:

It's that time again for _____ to cast fine athletes for our upcoming photo shoot. We'd love your helping finding twelve special people for the next production. Kindly review the criteria, and pass along or post to anybody you may think suitable.

YES! It's completely fine to apply for more than one position (i.e.. a tennis position if you're also a runner as long as you've got the experience).

Many thanks for your assistance!
- ________ Casting Crew _________@gmail.com

* CASTING for select athletes
We are searching for very experienced or semi-pro runners, tennis player and personal trainers for a high-end photo shoot in the Boston area.

Please read the details of our casting needs :

WE LOOKING FOR MEN AND WOMEN OF ALL ETHNICITIES BETWEEN THE AGES
OF 18-30 within the following categories:

- RUNNERS*:
ATHLETES MUST HAVE GOOD RUNNING FORM AND MUST LOOK LEAN AND VISIBLY TONED WITH A RUNNER’S BODY. NOT BULKY LIKE A SPRINTER. IDEALLY YOU RUN 5-7 DAYS A WEEK AND HAVE COMPLETED AT LEAST ONE MARATHON OR HALF MARATHON.

- TENNIS PLAYERS*:
ATHLETES MUST HAVE GOOD TENNIS FORM AND MUST BE VISIBLY TONED AND NOT TOO BULKY LIKE A HEAVY WEIGHTLIFTER. IDEALLY YOU PLAY AT AN ELITE/ADVANCED LEVEL IN YOUR LEAGUE A FEW TIMES A WEEK.

-
TRAINING*:
ATHLETES MUST BE VISIBLY TONED AND NOT TOO BULKY LIKE A HEAVY
WEIGHTLIFTER. IDEALLY YOU ARE A PERSONAL TRAINER OR HAVE A GOOD AMOUNT OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT TRAINING EXCERCISES.

*Please note, WE CANNOT USE YOU FOR THIS SHOOT IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON A PROFESSIONAL CAREER OR ARE CURRENTLY SPONSORED.

About our photo shoot:
- The client is __________, well-respected fitness retailer with a worldwide presence, This is a professional photo shoot. No nudity.

- You MUST be able to report to our CASTING on Thursday 12/17/09 in Newton MA. Sorry, no exceptions.

- You must be free to work on one or all of our photo SHOOT DATES: 1/5-1/8 in the Boston area

- Rate is $200 an hour, minimum half day shoot.

Naturally, I opted for the "runner" category, and though I have no idea whether I have good running form, I figured I could bluff my way through. I completely missed the age parameters during my first read, but the fact that we wouldn't be getting naked put my mind at ease. ;-) The pay sounded pretty darned good (especially for a guy who just walked away from a steady paycheck), and I know I'm in no immediate danger of having a professional athletic career or of "being sponsored". So, call me nominally qualified, or perhaps "not completely unqualified" for this assignment. I don't watch "America's Top Model", do not really know what "smize" even means and have only seen "Zoolander" once. So, after giving it some thought, I realized I may be in over my head.

Yet, at the suggestion of my beloved (and sometimes hilariously supportive) wife, I sent the following photos:

Not long after hitting [send], I received the following response:

Hi Ron,
Thanks for your interest in our ________ casting! We liked your photos and think you are a good candidate for our shoot, we would love to meet you.

Please report to our casting to meet the client and photographer who will make the final casting decisions. Sorry, we cannot consider you for this shoot if you cannot attend the casting.

So, on my second-to-last day of work, I headed off to Newton, MA, a little over an hour from home, for about 15 minutes of living the life of an aspiring athletic apparel/shoe model. Bear in mind that my son had stayed home from school with a bum tummy, so I dragged him with me. I can only imagine how he'll look back on this day. We followed the twisty Mapquest directions, found the photo studio and experienced the following sequence of events:

• As soon as we walked in, a hiply-dressed guy asked me, "Name of agency?"; he wrote "None" on the appropriate line and handed me a clipboard with a questionnaire to complete; I was Applicant #57 for the day, having arrived around 11:30 am
  
• I left the "Age" line blank; if asked, I planned to say, "Fill in however old you think I look"
  
• I changed into a triathlon-style singlet, medium-length running shorts and running shoes, opting for an orange/gray/black color scheme
  
• As I waited my turn, I was getting a bit nervous, until I saw C give me a thumbs-up; I looked around and realized that I was not completely out of my league, though I had seen a very attractive, fit-looking couple leaving as I was arriving; other folks seemed to come in various shapes and sizes, with some obvious tennis players and personal trainer types
  
• While the clipboard and applicant-shepherding duties fell onto a few young men who had similar clothes, haircuts and facial hair configurations, the apparent brains of the operation belonged to a crew of about 4-5 women, including a photographer, some sort of supervisor person, and a couple of young women working on notebook computers; some were dressed in dark gray, others in black; that was the whole color pallette; I've rarely felt less hip or cool, but that's probably not required for a glorified piece of meat
  
• The photographer and supervisor engaged in a brief discussion about whether I should remove my form-fitting shirt; it stayed on; the photographer then had me stand with the information sheet; she snapped a photo, and then things got really silly:
  
  

  "We need to see your quad"
  "Um, okay, should I flex it?"
  "Sure" (said by the supervisor with a slightly suggestive tone)

• So, with some trepidation, I raised the right side of my Saucony shorts and flexed my quadriceps; this is filed under the heading of "I did some things I'm not proud of"

• The photographer then took some close-ups ("Turn your head this way, eyes looking back at me") and thanked me for coming; on my way out, I asked whether she could airbrush my ears, and she said that she could "airbrush anything"; the supervisor, though, said, "Nah, the ears are cute" and laughed; I've been saying that maybe they'll refer me to be a hearing aid model, since my ears will make any such device look small
  
• They said they would let us know next week, and so ended my moment in the fashion world's sun

I have zero expectations, though I'll admit that I do hope to get the job. How can such an opportunity present itself like this just when I'm leaving my day job, and thus able to pursue it? My wife thinks it's very amusing, and she's been embarrassing me accordingly with friends and family alike.

Truth be told, I'll confess that I kind of enjoy the attention, but I also think it's a complete crock. Yes, I've spent the past couple of years turning myself into a runner, and the dedication to that level of training has caused my body to respond in kind. From head-to-toe, I look (and feel) very differently than I did not so long ago. Still, all my life, my primary personal strengths have been above-average intelligence and a decent sense of humor. Being a prime physical specimen was never really part of the equation. However, I seem to be aging relatively well, and - at the tender age of 41 - I attended my first casting call to appear in a fitness-oriented advertising campaign. While I'm not exactly planning to forego setting up the new law firm in favor of pursuing a full-time modeling career, I do have to ask, "How cool is that?" ;-)

Yes, whatever happens, I'll follow up. Those of you who suffer through this blog certainly deserve to know.

-ESG/Ron