Hi there…I know it’s been awhile. Although I haven’t posted here much lately and haven’t published a series of “back in training” posts in quite some time, I have very much been in training for a few weeks now — most of which is chronicled on my Instagram account.
What am I training for, you ask? Well, once again, I will be running in this year’s Trenton Half Marathonand a few smaller races before that. However, a couple of months ago, I decided that I was going to target 2017 as the year I run in my first full marathon. And I recently decided which marathon I will make my first…
I grew up at the Jersey Shore and it seems the logical place to do something I never dreamed of doing until the the last two or three years. And this way, I hope family and friends and can see me accomplish this.
My primary goal is to, of course, finish. My secondary goal is a bit ambitious…I want to complete the marathon with a sub-4 hour time. To do that, I need to run at about a 9:10-per-mile pace. My training times have been kind of all over the place recently, but when the weather is just right and I’m feeling good, I’m right around that pace—or better. In a chilly rain back in early May, I completed Philadelphia’s 10-mile Broad Street Run with a 9:11-per-mile pace. Granted, that’s 16.2 miles short of a marathon, but I’m fairly certain I could have run another five miles, at least, at that pace on that day. I don’t know if the crappy weather inspired me to run faster than usual, but I felt extraordinarily good running that race.
Currently, I am carrying a few extra pounds (15 lbs. or so, to be precise) that I’m hoping to shed by April 2017. Obviously, it would help if I could reduce the load my legs are carrying for a 26.2-mile run.
Of course, I’ll see how I do in the Trenton Half Marathon in late October and adjust my marathon goals accordingly. With very little training last year, I finished the race in 2:15:43 (10:21/mile pace). In 2014, when I was doing much more training, I finished the Trenton Half Marathon in 2:07:12 (9:42/mile pace). I’m looking to finish this year’s Trenton Half in 2 hours or less and, based on my 9:11/mile pace in the 10-mile Broad Street Run earlier this year and my more regular training/conditioning runs, I strongly believe this is possible.
The Hooters perform at the Amnesty International “Conspiracy of Hope” concert at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ, on June 15, 1986 (Brian Kelley)
Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J., June 15, 1986…the Amnesty International “Conspiracy of Hope” tour came into town for its final stop…an 11-hour mega-concert to bring awareness to human rights issues around the world that was broadcast live on MTV. I was 14 — just shy of a month away from my birthday — and I was on the field with my 18-year-old sister (see the photo at right for our point of view that day).
It was an amazing day filled with so many musical highlights (see the lineup below), and it gave me my one opportunity to see Miles Davis–Miles Freakin’ Davis–perform live. Another jazz great, guitarist Stanley Jordan, also was on the bill. Muhammad Ali and actors Christopher Reeve and Michael J. Fox made brief remarks while introducing musical artists to the stage.
Other legends who performed that day included Fela Kuti, Peter Paul & Mary, Lou Reed, Joan Baez, Carlos Santana, Ruben Blades and Joan Armatrading. And while I admit my 14-year-old self didn’t appreciate it at the time, I have retroactively realized over the years the emotional impact of hearing Yoko Ono–a tireless crusader for world peace–sing her late husband’s “Imagine.”
My sister and I, who gravitated toward the Philly/NJ music scene were excited to see a young John Eddie open the show–and then serve as a roadie for a good chunk of the rest of the day–and The Hooters, who surprised those unfamiliar with their live set in those days with an amazing cover of The Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” with then-bass player Andy King taking a rare turn on lead vocals.
The day also marked my first time seeing synthesizer legend Howard Jones perform live, although he only played “No One is to Blame” on piano.
As for the headliners, most in the audience were probably there for closers U2 and The Police, who reunited after a long hiatus to perform three shows during the short tour. In fact, the Giants Stadium show was the last time The Police performed together until their appearance on the 2007 Grammy telecast and a subsequent reunion tour in 2007-08.
Pete Townshend of The Who was supposed to be one of the headliners, but his father became gravely ill so he traveled back to England earlier in the day to be by his side. Apparently, that was going to be Townshend’s first U.S. solo performance.
Replacing Townshend at the last minute was Joni Mitchell. What’s odd is that, even though this was long before social media, I remember knowing that she was replacing Townshend on the bill before we entered the stadium. I can only assume we heard it on the radio as we were driving to the Meadowlands. But while my sister and I knew what was going on, a lot of other folks in attendance didn’t. And when people expecting to see the jumping, wind-milling guitar playing of a rocker like Townshend were instead presented with the mellow, folksy Mitchell…let’s just say, it did not go well. And that is a shame because, let’s face it…she is Joni Freakin’ Mitchell.
Anyway, if you watch her performance in the video below, note the exploding ice cube that hits her guitar at the :53 mark…
…now look again at the photo at the top of this post…one of the heads you see directly in front of us contains the pea-sized brain of the jerk who threw that ice cube. He was one of those who clearly had not heard about Townshend having to leave, and was rather pissed he wasn’t seeing him. So less than a minute into Mitchell’s set, he took an ice cube out of a cooler and chucked it at the stage. As you can see, we weren’t all that close to the stage and the thrower didn’t even expect to hit Mitchell. After he threw it, he turned away from the stage to say something to a friend when everyone around us reacted to the ice cube exploding against Mitchell’s guitar. I remember him saying, “Holy shit, it hit her?!” And, at that point, he seemed to be ashamed–at least for the moment–that he had done it. However, I should also point out that earlier in the day, when Yoko Ono started singing “Imagine,” he did the same thing and yelled “Imagine you can sing!” as he loaded up to throw the ice cube. Again…I’ll confess…my 14-year-old self thought that line was kind of funny. Fortunately, that time, the ice cube missed its intended target.
But onto the biggest highlight of the day…for me, anyway. At this point in my life, I was a fan of Genesis, but really only as far back as “Follow You Follow Me.” I may have been just starting to dip my toes into the earlier Genesis material. I was only slightly aware of Peter Gabriel’s solo work to that point, as well, but I remember entering the stadium that day really looking forward to seeing his set. I knew “Shock the Monkey,” and “Sledgehammer” was just starting to become a big radio and MTV hit (his album, So, was released just a few weeks earlier).
Well, my expectations of Gabriel’s performance were exceeded…and then some. By the midpoint of his set, I had been converted to a huge Peter Gabriel fan…and by the time he closed his set with a powerful performance of the human rights anthem “Biko,” my life had been changed. My view of the world and how people should be treated came into focus, and I now understood the very real, transformative power of music. The experience of being in that crowd for that performance of “Biko” is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life, which is why I’m glad YouTube is around so I can revisit it in a visual sense every so often…
“The rest is up to you.” To this day…it gives me chills watching that. If you have the time, here is PG’s full set…
U2 took the stage a bit later and was also pretty special. To me, this was Bono and Co. at their peak. Here is their full set…
The Police closed out the concert and then everyone returned to the stage to perform “I Shall Be Released”…
Here are some highlights of the day I’ve compiled into a YouTube playlist:
Amnesty International “Conspiracy of Hope” – Giants Stadium East Rutherford, NJ | June 15, 1986
Left: In my rain-free car with my 2016 Broad Street Run finisher’s medal; right: My Broad Street Run results
Just thought I’d take the time to write a recap of my Broad Street Run experience this past Sunday, May 1.
Despite a cold, soaking rain, I managed to complete the 10-mile trek down Philadelphia’s famed Broad Street in 1:31:52 — amazingly four-plus minutes better than my only other Broad Street Run in 2014 (1:36:17). I say “amazingly” because I was in much better shape in 2014 than I am now, as I was training that year for the Broad Street Run, two triathlons (one sprint, one international) and my first half-marathon (Trenton, NJ).
Then again, I’ve always suspected that I held myself back too much during that first Broad Street Run because I felt too comfortable throughout the race. I hovered around 9:40 per mile during that ’14 BSR and when I got through the first mile this year at 9:07 per mile, I thought I went too hard too soon. I thought I had eased up considerably, but I was still at around 9:07-9:10 per mile after two miles — and I felt fine.
At that point, I said to myself, “Well, it’s miserable out here…it’s cold and wet…if I can wrap this up a few minutes sooner, the better, right?” So I kept going at that pace until mile 6. At that point, I definitely eased up a bit, but it still wasn’t by a whole lot. When I hit mile 7, though, and my Nike+ Running app told me my elapsed time was 1:02 and change, I realized that I had a legitimate shot to beat my 2014 time by a decent margin (considering my usual 5K time these days is around 28 minutes)…so I picked it up again and just kept going to the finish line.
So, in pretty bad weather, I had a pretty good run. And even better was the fact that I was raising money for the American Cancer Society, but I’m actually still a bit short of my goal. Fortunately, there’s still some time for you to help by making a donation here: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/bkelleyBSR2016
Now, though, I feel the need to discuss some of the bad (non-weather-related) parts of the day.
I know the Broad Street Run — with 40,000 runners — is a daunting event to pull off for the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, the race organizer. But there are logistical issues that certainly need to be addressed.
Taken with my wet phone through a wet, transparent armband at the starting area. Don’t know which was more of a mess…the weather, the organization near the starting area or my photography (OK, that last one is usually always a mess).
The biggest issue is egress at key locations. They need to assign volunteers to areas where access in and out is crucial. Near the starting corrals, there is a walled schoolyard with just two access points (that I know of) — one off of Broad Street and another off Somerville Road near Broad. This is a staging area with porta-potties, water, etc. — where most of the 40,000 runners use the bathroom one last time before a 10-mile race that starts at 8 a.m. (for the elite runners in the field). At 7:45 a.m., I tried to get out of the schoolyard so I could get to my starting corral. Instead, I stood in the same spot for nearly 20 minutes at the gateway leading out to Broad Street. Nobody was moving. Runners and spectators were just standing there and nobody seemed interested in telling people to move so runners could get to the corrals. Finally, around 8:05 a.m., we started squeezing through and I did manage to get to my corral (gray) before its starting time. But those stressful moments didn’t need to happen. Fortunately, this seems to be an easy fix — assign a few, trained race volunteers to those access points so they can control pedestrian traffic flow. By 7:50 a.m., priority must be given to runners trying to get out of the schoolyard so they can reach their respective starting corrals in time.
There are other issues with egress just beyond the finish line at the Navy Yard, too. For instance, if you want to go all out at the end, good luck trying to stop without crashing into a horde of runners who apparently feel it’s a good idea to come to a dead stop about three feet after the stripe. Race staff needs to do a better job of keeping everyone moving through the straightaway beyond the finish line and herding everyone to the turn into the finishers’ area.
Again, I know this race is a challenge to pull off and, for the most part, it’s great. There are just some simple things that can be done to make it even better.
Oh, and one more thing…the Broad Street Run started in 1980. It is 2016. That made this year’s event the 37th running of the Broad Street Run (or 37th annual Broad Street Run). However, the announcer and some media outlets called it the “37th anniversary of the Broad Street Run.” Please look up the word and meaning of “anniversary” because it’s not the same as “annual.” The first anniversary of the Broad Street Run would have been in 1981, making this year the 36th anniversary of the Broad Street Run (or 2016-1980=36). This misunderstanding of the word led to “35th Anniversary” incorrectly making its way onto the 2014 medals, which I wrote about at the time.
Even though work, life commitments and a foot-injury scare have curtailed my running lately, I was able to get in a couple of nice runs in the last week or so ahead of Philly’s 10-mile Broad Street Run on May 1.
After two runs on consecutive days earlier this month, I felt a bit of pain in my left foot so I started wrapping and icing it. After a few days, the pain went away so I tried running again after taking a week off. I wasn’t going to push it and went out that morning thinking I would only go a mile or so, but I felt pretty good and wound up doing 3.1 miles at an 8:59-per-mile pace — the first time I had completed a sub-9:00 5K distance run in a long time. And, more importantly, my foot felt fine.
This past weekend, I set out to do another 3.1-mile run…but, again, I felt pretty good early on and thought to myself, “Eh…you’ve got 5 miles in you, today, right?” And when I hit the 3-mile mark, I was like, “Well, if you’re doing 5, you might as well get in a 10K-distance (6.2-mile) run.” And that’s what I did. It wasn’t a great time (1:01:48), but it was my longest run since completing the Trenton Half Marathon in 2:15:43 last November and I felt pretty comfortable. However, I was more than three minutes off my last 6.2-mile time of 58:15 in South River, NJ’s Frost on the Pumpkin 10K last October.
So I still have some work to do, but I’m finally starting to feel that my 2016 Broad Street Run time won’t be too far off my 1:36:17 time in 2014.
However, as I’ve mentioned here earlier, I need your help! I’ve entered the Broad Street Run this year through the American Cancer Society’s DetermiNATION programsince I didn’t get selected through the race’s entry lottery. But this means I have the opportunity to raise funds for cancer research and treatment.
Within the past year and a half, a friend and former supervisor/colleague died a month shy of her 50th birthday after fighting breast cancer for 13 years, and a longtime neighbor of mine while growing up succumbed to brain cancer at an all-too-young 61.
In short, cancer sucks — I’m pretty sure we’re all in agreement on that — so help me run in this year’s Broad Street Run AND raise money for cancer research and treatment by making a donation at the link below.
I enjoyed my first Broad Street Run in 2014 so much that I planned to do it on a yearly basis. I was picked in the entry lottery in 2015, but had a day-long work commitment that Sunday.
This year, that work event was moved from its usual date making the Broad Street Run a possibility again…but I didn’t get picked for entry through the lottery system.
So, this year, I’ve entered through the American Cancer Society’s DetermiNATION program, which is a good thing. Why? Because that means I have to raise funds for cancer research and treatment.
Within the past year and a half, a friend and former supervisor/colleague died a month shy of her 50th birthday after fighting breast cancer for 13 years, and a longtime neighbor of mine while growing up succumbed to brain cancer at an all-too-young 61.
In short, cancer sucks — I’m pretty sure we’re all in agreement on that — so help me run in this year’s Broad Street Run AND raise money for cancer research and treatment by making a donation at the link below.
Despite my summer training getting derailed by a broken left hand for most of July and August, I’m still competing in the Hightstown (N.J.) Triathlon on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015…and you can follow along:
I did this sprint-distance tri last year as a warm-up to the Atlantic City (International) Triathlon a month later. Both were my first triathlons at those respective distances. I actually medaled at Hightstown as I finished at the No. 3 male newcomer, but I didn’t expect to medal and didn’t realize there was such a medal until two weeks after the race when I happened to read it on the event’s web site so I never received it. Thankfully, this year’s organizer allowed me to take one of last year’s medals when I explained what had happened.
Anyway, because I’m not in the greatest shape and didn’t get in as…
Scary segment of Delaware and Raritan Canal trail between Route 27 and Route 18 (marked by distance ruler) in New Brunswick, NJ. (Google Maps)
Since I started working in New Brunswick, N.J., a little over a year ago, I have tried to squeeze in some running two or three mornings a week before my work day actually begins (usually depending on which train I catch).
So far, I’ve found three routes (each approximately three miles) that have suited my needs. Recently, I became aware of a park – Buccleuch Park – about a mile away from where I work and saw on Google Maps that one of the paths I use – the one that runs along Route 18 and through Boyd Park – actually extends beyond Route 27 to an area near the Route 18 overpass where someone can access the pathway that goes around Buccleuch Park. I thought…
We regret to inform you that the 2015 IRONMAN 70.3 Princeton triathlon will not take place this September. IRONMAN is responsible for securing a race course which meets the high standards of our brand and provides our athletes an unparalleled race experience. Race courses must also be approved by the local authorities. Unfortunately, after numerous attempts, we were not granted the…
Tom Bailey of Thompson Twins performs “Hold Me Now” at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pa., on Aug. 22, 2014. YouTube screenshot courtesy of user Steve Vitalidol.
Although my concert-going days have been limited since 2012, when my first son was born (and another one coming in early March 2015), I still try to make it to shows in my area—especially if it’s a band or artist I REALLY like and haven’t seen before or in a long time.
I finished the Trenton Half Marathon in 2:07:12, and my 10-mile split of 1:34:03 bested my 10-mile time in the 2014 Broad Street Run (1:36:21) by more than two minutes.
The course through Trenton, N.J., and Morrisville, Pa., is fairly challenging, with a decent number of inclines. There is one uphill road in Morrisville that kicked my ass when I ran the 10K race last year, so I was determined not to let it get the best of me again. This year, I eased up just a bit as I approached the turn onto that street and hit it hard. I blew by quite a few people at that point and, honestly, I felt great when I reached the top of that hill. It…
Despite my summer training getting derailed by a broken left hand for most of July and August, I’m still competing in the Hightstown (N.J.) Triathlon on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015…and you can follow along:
Tom Bailey of Thompson Twins performs “Hold Me Now” at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pa., on Aug. 22, 2014. YouTube screenshot courtesy of user Steve Vitalidol. 
Brian Kelley 