I’m still here…I know it’s been many months since I’ve posted, but a lot of life has been happening and I just have not had the opportunity to pursue this new direction for the blog yet. So stay tuned…I hope to get this back up and “running” soon…
As The World Turns
Written by Matt on July 23rd, 2010Running in New Jersey
Written by Matt on April 8th, 2010
New Jersey. The Garden State. Hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. The 3rd state admitted to the Union. The most densely populated state in the country. 21 counties with a population of almost 9 million people. Situated between New York and Philadelphia. Home to Newark Liberty Airport, one of the busiest international airports in the world. Home to the Statue of Liberty, although New Yorker’s (and most of the world) think otherwise. The birthplace of FM radio, the light bulb, and the motion picture camera. Oh, and did I mention the Jersey Devil?
These are all interesting facts. But what is most fascinating? New Jersey has a landmass of over 8700 miles. Surprisingly, almost half of New Jersey is wooded. What is the beauty in that? A multitude of trails to run. From the oak tree forests of the north to the pine tree forests of the south, there are miles and miles of trails to explore, taking you far from civilization and close to nature. From squirrels to foxes to deer to bears, and robins to blue jays to hawks to eagles, there’s a plethora of wildlife that can be discovered. Mountains, hills, valleys, rivers, streams, and lakes…so much to take in, so much to enjoy.
As beautiful as the nature surrounded trails are in New Jersey, there are thousands of miles of roads to be explored as well. Roads which wind through farmland in Salem County. Roads that give you an amazing few of the sunrise over the Atlantic in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Roads that give you a view of the New York city skyline in Hudson County. Roads that will take you through the Appalachian Mountains in Sussex County, and along the Delaware River in Warren County. With so much to explore on New Jersey’s roads, they definitely should not be passed up.
Where is this all going? Well, I was listening to a webinar the other day on hyper-local blogging. The topic happened to be real estate, but it left an impression on me. I’ve been looking for a way to re-purpose this blog, given that I am not currently training for a charity-focused event. So while listening to the webinar, I thought, why not start writing hyper-local posts about running in my town, East Brunswick. After some consideration, however, I realized that I know plenty of great places outside of East Brunswick, throughout New Jersey, that I love to run at, and would be doing a disservice to myself and you, the reader, if I didn’t post about those as well. And so an idea was born…
Starting soon, I’m going to start posting on my favorite, and least favorite, runs throughout New Jersey. I plan on not only including logistical information on the routes, such as directions, mileage, elevation, road/trail type, etc., but information about the area itself. I hope to include best places to stop for water and use the rest room; restaurants where you can grab a bite to eat after your run; places where you could drop fluids along the route; areas to be cautious because of traffic or animals; and many other details along the way. Best of all, I plan to bring my camera along on each run, taking photos along the way of interesting landmarks, scenic views, and anything else worth shooting.
So I hope you’ll subscribe to my blog, and share this journey with me as I explore all of the great (and possibly not so great) running routes New Jersey has to offer! I look forward to sharing my experiences with you, and look forward to hearing about your favorite routes as well. Who knows…maybe I’ll post your favorite route next!
So as always… Run on Friends!
Changes Are Coming…
Written by Matt on April 6th, 2010I’m putting some thought into changing the purpose of this blog. Â I’m still running, still charity minded, but reading about how I had a cramp or it was hot out day in and day out, not too exciting. Â So I’m thinking of making some changes…keep an eye out.
Sometimes Things Change
Written by Matt on February 16th, 2010I last posted a blog on January 10. Â That’s over a month ago. Â It’s crazy how life sometimes gets away from you, and you get caught up in other things and forget about things you should be doing. Â Not that blogging should be a requirement or chore, but it’s supposed to be something I enjoy and therefore should keep up with.
So the last time I wrote I was going on about how much I was surprised with how the treadmill weekend went, and how good my running was going.  It’s amazing how quickly things can change.  I cannot remember now if it was one week or two after that, but I do know that it was the day I was  to run my last really long run of training, 26.2 miles.  The week before’s runs hadn’t been that great, but I was confident going into this run, especially since it was not hypothermia cold out.  I set out feeling alright, but after roughly 15 miles I started to struggle.  Then as  I hit miles 19 and 20, I was very much struggling and dragging.  I then walked 2 more miles and then tapped out.
Where Dreams Die
To the right you’ll see the place where dreams die…so if you are ever out for a run please avoid said location. Â It was here that a few realizations came to me:
1) I was not, and would not be, physically ready for the 50 mile race, and, as such, would not be able to qualify for and run the 100 miler.
2) At some point during my months of training, running went from being something I enjoyed to something that was not only unenjoyable but somewhat of a chore.
3) I set out with a goal to run an ultra marathon.  With the parameters  I set (training time frame, etc.), I was not able to reach said goal.  However, there is nothing wrong with failing to meet a goal; quitting would have been unacceptable.
Some might say that by dropping there, just a mere 3 weeks from the event, that I was quitting. Â However, they’d be wrong. Â I simply realized that I would not be ready for the event, and I’m not going to put myself at risk physically simply to try to do something that, quite frankly, if you’re not ready for could seriously injure you or cause you health issues. Â I ran hundreds of miles over the past few months, and that in and of itself is something to be proud of.
I do not have any set goals for 2010, other than to get back to actually enjoying running. Â I’ll likely run some 5Ks, hopefully a 10K, some trail runs, and maybe a half marathon or two. Â The important thing is that I’m still running, still healthy, and completely at peace with the decision I made. Â And I’ve got another huge milestone to prepare for this year…I’m getting married!
And so my friends and fellow runners, remember that sometimes knowing when to step away from something is much more beneficial than blinding running towards it. Â So until next time…
Run on Friends!
News Coming Soon
Written by Matt on January 29th, 2010Important news coming soon…stay tuned.
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