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Boston Dreams and Michelin Stars

  • November By The Numbers

    Number of comments: 0

    I've been fighting a rear-guard action all month. I think it was my second-biggest month of the year, mileage-wise. 28 days of running and only 2 days off. Last week I ran 50 miles. But where I was on the 621 Plan for the' [...]
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    Posted: November 30, 2009, 3:15pm EST
    by Lance P. Martin

  • And on Friday, they ate Gumbo.

    Number of comments: 0

    I don't think my mom ever made turkey gumbo and neither did I. It's not that we weren't a gumbo family. We put the "um" in gumbo. We didn't have gumbo on the day of Thanksgiving because we had gumbo on Thanksgiving. There was always' [...]
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    Posted: November 29, 2009, 6:00pm EST
    by Lance P. Martin

  • On the Duality of Sweet Potato Casserole

    Number of comments: 0

    It's the question that has bedeviled Thanksgiving cooks for generations: Should you put marshmallows on the sweet potatoes? For years, I have been about as ambivalent about marshmallows as the Ghostbusters. But that was before I found this recipe in Saveur, which answers that age-old [...]
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    Posted: November 29, 2009, 5:50pm EST
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Thanksgiving 2009 Post-Mortem

    Number of comments: 0

    The electric smoker -- it's the only way to go for Thanksgiving turkey. For starters, let's concede that turkey can only be so good. That's why you make gravy or cranberry sauce, or both. The only qualm I had about my bird was that it [...]
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    Posted: November 29, 2009, 5:42pm EST
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Who's Brining Now?

    Number of comments: 1
    Vo2Max and I made our brine last night (apple cider, brown sugar, kosher salt, ginger, garlic, oranges, bay leaves, and cloves) and we submerged our thawed bird this morning for a 24-hour bath. It's going to be just the three of us tomorrow, so I'm going to try cooking her' [...]
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    Posted: November 25, 2009, 8:39am EST
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Admiralable.

    Number of comments: 1
    We finally made it out to The Admiral in West Asheville (Haywood Road), and it was only fitting that we did so on Veterans Day. The last time I saw a building like that, Tom Hanks was hurling a grenade into it. It's a little cinder-block bunker off the side [...]
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    Posted: November 20, 2009, 5:45pm EST
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Boston Panic!

    Number of comments: 1

    Since I know you are all like me, you started your day with some sun salutations and then you read the New York Times and then chatted in the eGullet forums before making your way to marathonguide.com where you freaked out when you saw this:
    [...]
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    Posted: November 20, 2009, 2:05pm EST
    by Lance P. Martin

  • A Real Chest Thumper.

    Number of comments: 0
    I did a real chest-thumper of a run on Wednesday. I was coming off a Tuesday track session where I did 12 x 200s and my legs were a little rubbery. It was a blustery day -- gray, 40s, plenty of wind, cloudy -- but I had a mid-week, mid-range [...]
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    Posted: November 20, 2009, 11:03am EST
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Something healthy.

    Number of comments: 0

    The TW picked me up for lunch yesterday, and I said: "Where do you want to go?" She replied: "I don't know. Something healthy." I said: "How about 12 Bones?" She said: "Word!" After all, is there anything healthier than blueberry-chipotle glazed pork ribs? Well,' [...]
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    Posted: November 20, 2009, 7:33am EST
    by Lance P. Martin

  • The Man Who Stared at Goats

    Number of comments: 1

    These trail runners, they are like mountain goats. They just go and go and go straight up the side of the mountain. But perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start earlier in the week. I'm on the local ultra-running email list and I get [...]
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    Posted: November 15, 2009, 6:35pm EST
    by Lance P. Martin

  • One Great Birthday Cake

    Number of comments: 0

    It has been almost a month since I baked a cake for the TW's birthday party, but despite the slippage of time, I wanted to post the recipe. It comes from Dorie Greenspan's "Baking: From My Home to Yours." It's a traditional bake sale special.' [...]
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    Posted: November 13, 2009, 5:15pm EST
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Asheville Chow: Tod's Tasties

    Number of comments: 0

    Tod's Tasties, the red-roofed cafe with the peculiar name, occupies the corner of Montford and Pearson, just past the Chamber of Commerce and across from the former location of Pisgah Legal Services. I have run by there for months and wondered what kind of action' [...]
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    Posted: November 07, 2009, 4:21pm EST
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Mid-Week, Mid-Day.

    Number of comments: 0

    I slipped out on Wednesday for an oldie but goodie -- the Town Mountain Ridge run. This is an 8-miler from my house that takes me up 4 slow, muscle-building miles to the top of Town Mountain, then back down for 4 scorching, turnover-improving miles. [...]
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    Posted: November 07, 2009, 3:48pm EST
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Au Revoir, Happy French Man.

    Number of comments: 1

    I didn't want to write -- I didn't want to believe it -- but Paris Bakery has closed. Sometime in the late summer, they posted a sign that indicated they were on vacation. It is now clear that the vacation is permanent. What a loss. [...]
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    Posted: November 07, 2009, 3:25pm EST
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Visiting the Source

    Number of comments: 0

    What better way to spend a crisp Saturday than seeing where your bacon comes from? Hickory Nut Gap Farms, about 20 minutes from downtown, is a remarkable story -- a success for both farm economics and the locavore movement. Hickory Nut Gap raises pigs humanely [...]
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    Posted: November 07, 2009, 3:01pm EST
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Meb!

    Number of comments: 2

    How do you spell motivation? M-E-B! How about Meb Keflezighi's performance in today's New York City Marathon? Just 1st place, just a dagger in the heart of Kenya Nation, just the first American to win the race since 1982. And he was wearing the black [...]
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    Posted: November 01, 2009, 7:35pm EST
    by Lance P. Martin

  • October By the Numbers

    Number of comments: 0
    I took 11 rest days in October. Sue me.

    You can call me Mr. October. On the 11th day of the 10th month of the 9th year of running, I finally ran a Boston-Qualifying time. I'd say that's enough excitement for one month. The rest [...]
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    Posted: November 01, 2009, 6:13pm EST
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Haute Burrito

    Number of comments: 0

    Codorniz el Oklahoma Barbeque, Atun en Mole Negro, Arroz Negro a la Tumbada, Cochinita Pabil, Camote Dos Estilos, Tostadas de Atun y Erizo, Mollejas de Ternana, Mole Verde, Cachetes de halibut con Flores de Calabaza, Mole de Olla, Mesquite, Peras, Manzana. Right? Right.

    It's' [...]
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    Posted: October 30, 2009, 10:25am EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Recovery Dough

    Number of comments: 1
    It has been a few weeks since the marathon, and I have spent my time scooping sugar cookie dough out of a No. 2 tub's worth of the stuff, which VO2Max and I mixed some time ago. You scoop it out with a tablespoon and put it on a Sil-Pat-lined' [...]
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    Posted: October 28, 2009, 8:09pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • If In Chicago, IL: L2O

    Number of comments: 0

    It is hard to describe the understated luxury of L2O, Laurent Gras's seafood-centric Lincoln Park temple -- should I say aquarium -- waiting like a parallel universe behind a non-descript door in the Belden Stratford building. Leather chairs, wood-paneled walls, ebony tables, it's all [...]
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    Posted: October 28, 2009, 7:36pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • We hold these pork rinds to be self-evident.

    Number of comments: 0
    Publican. I love that word. It reminds me of Publius, the "author" of many of The Federalist Papers. For me, publican also conjures the American Revolution and noisy taverns and the spirit of democracy. And as we all remember, it was Federalist No. 13 that both warned of the dangers [...]
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    Posted: October 22, 2009, 8:38pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Don't forget to say "Thank you."

    Number of comments: 2
    You should always remember to say thank you when the situation merits it. Here are a couple of thank you letters that I sent on my personal stationery this week:

    To the Chicago Marathon Staff:

    October 20, 2009

    Dear Sir or Madam:

    In the run-up to [...]
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    Posted: October 22, 2009, 1:42pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Snapshots of Chicago

    Number of comments: 0
    Here are some pictures from Chicago, in no particular order:

    Race morning.

    In the Loop.

    The TW at the Expo.

    Along the lazy river.

    Always [...]
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    Posted: October 18, 2009, 5:41pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • The Cherry on the Progressive American Sundae

    Number of comments: 1
    Achatz on left. Food on right.

    Just when I thought our trip to Chicago could not get any better, we spent our last night at Alinea. Alinea is Grant Achatz's progressive American restaurant in Lincoln Park, one of the most celebrated and influential restaurants in' [...]
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    Posted: October 17, 2009, 7:25am EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Because Boston Delayed Beats Boston Denied.

    Number of comments: 3
    Before Sunday's race, my friend Jeff -- one of the co-captains of our Blue Ridge Relay team -- offered to run with me for the marathon. It was either a selfless offer by him to sacrifice a potential PR to help me with my pacing or a shameless attempt to' [...]
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    Posted: October 14, 2009, 7:00am EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Great Moments in Marathon History: Chicago 2009

    Number of comments: 4
    In the end, all the potential excuses, all the impediments and "if onlys" melted away. The race organizers fixed my corral assignment, so I would have no crowded start to blame if things did not go well. I recovered -- actually benefited I believe -- from the Blue Ridge Relay, [...]
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    Posted: October 13, 2009, 8:11am EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • No Doubt.

    Number of comments: 7
    We did it:

    Trauma Whisperer - 4:29:26 (PR)
    Me - 3:13:25 (PR and Boston Qualifier)

    Details to follow! [...]
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    Posted: October 11, 2009, 2:04pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Boots (and Racing Flats) on the Ground

    Number of comments: 4
    We are in the glorious city of Chicago. On a crisp, sunny morning like today, it is hard to imagine a more beautiful major American city. (OK, maybe San Francisco.) It was an "on the one hand, on the other hand" trip to get here. On the one hand, our [...]
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    Posted: October 10, 2009, 10:31am EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Velma Marie, 1921-2009

    Number of comments: 0
    Max amd Mama Marie in 2008.

    My grandmother died on Monday. She was 87. She was my mom's mom and my last surviving grandparent. Most of the time you spend race week going through your normal routine (without the excessive running), which means you spend' [...]
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    Posted: October 09, 2009, 8:25am EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • The 621 Plan - Week 11

    Number of comments: 0
    For ten weeks, I did all my training solo. But on the last run of the 11th week, I serendipitously found a running partner. This was on my Saturday long run, a final 12-miler before the big event. I had a beautiful morning for running (about 50 degrees and brisk). [...]
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    Posted: October 06, 2009, 8:57pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Good Things Come to Those Who Beg

    Number of comments: 4
    Free Upgrade.
    I don't recall, but did I mention that the Chicago Marathon put me in the "Open" Corral? That it had me worried a little bit? Well this is America, the land of solutions to every problem. It usually involves a lawsuit, but the next' [...]
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    Posted: October 02, 2009, 12:55pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • September By The Numbers

    Number of comments: 0
    A PR and BQ just over yonder?

    It was a beautiful September, training-wise. It's the kind of month you want and need in marathon training. It's all there -- long runs, speed workouts, and a race. No injuries or illnesses. No intervening events or superseding [...]
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    Posted: October 01, 2009, 6:00am EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Mercury's Moccasins

    Number of comments: 0
    The Asics 3:15:59 Series.
    When I peered into my closet yesterday, I noticed a shaft of dim blue light beaming from the back corner, back behind my Pritchard Park-approved sandals and Draperseque Allen Edmonds and what are those Jimmy Choos doing back here? I reached underneath [...]
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    Posted: September 30, 2009, 1:38pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • The 621 Plan - Week 10

    Number of comments: 0
    Is it Week 10 already? It would appear so, and what's not to like about the well-tapered life? Last week consisted of several easy runs, a speed session of 6 x 800s at a generous clip, and a 6-mile goal-pace run in lieu of a long run. Because of travel' [...]
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    Posted: September 28, 2009, 6:48pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Tapering and Hand-Wringing

    Number of comments: 1
    I'm a few days into my working taper, which still is more work than taper. Today I did 6 x 800 meters at about 6:15/mile average pace. It was a solid effort and it felt good to run fast. I am recovering from workouts as well as I've ever recovered, [...]
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    Posted: September 23, 2009, 6:47pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Beer Me.

    Number of comments: 0
    About the same time we scored our registration for the Chicago Marathon, we got our hands on another elusive ticket: the Brewgrass Festival. Brewgrass is the much-loved bluegrass and craft beer festival held each fall in Asheville. This year, they had over 40 craft brewers from across the country and [...]
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    Posted: September 20, 2009, 7:05am EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Best Laid Plans

    Number of comments: 0
    That's me in the back!

    Chicago has 45,000 runners. It's big. I assumed that I would be in front of most of those people, as I was when I ran the race in 2005 and 2006. I submitted a time that qualified me for "Corral" [...]
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    Posted: September 19, 2009, 2:57pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • The 621 Plan - Week 8 and Week 9

    Number of comments: 0




    I have just completed what I think is the most difficult 21-day cycle in my eight years as a runner. It started with Week 7, a 55 +/- mile week that included a speed workout (5 x mile), a 10-miler, and a 23-miler. Week 8 brought [...]
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    Posted: September 19, 2009, 10:48am EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Meanwhile, back in Asheville . . .

    Number of comments: 0
    No. 199 on the course, No. 1 in our hearts.

    They call her the whisperer of trauma,
    Course or ER, ain't no drama,
    Put her in a race and she win it like Obama.

    Owing to her work schedule and the lack of space' [...]
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    Posted: September 19, 2009, 10:29am EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • 25 Hours Later . . .

    Number of comments: 3

    When I last posted, The Quick and the Drop Dead Gorgeous were about to drive north to Virginia for the start of the Blue Ridge Relay. This would be the first BRR for everyone on the team. Well, we made it to the start and [...]
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    Posted: September 15, 2009, 7:47am EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • He's Got Legs.

    Number of comments: 0

    My schedule calls for me to race this weekend, but when Bob Williams put his program together, he probably was not thinking about this: The Blue Ridge Relay. 208 Miles. 12 runners. 36 legs (Yes, we're all 3-legged. Har, Har!). 2 cargo vans. 2' [...]
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    Posted: September 10, 2009, 9:38am EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • The 621 Plan - Week 7

    Number of comments: 0
    Michael Jordan wore No. 23. He played in Chicago. He won 6 NBA titles. On the 6th day of the 7th week of my Chicago training, I ran 23 miles. No Bull. I ran for 3 hours and 11 minutes. It was a steady and strong effort. This may sound [...]
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    Posted: September 08, 2009, 8:25pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Pickled Pink

    Number of comments: 0
    Despite the name, this recipe comes from Susan Spicer's cookbook. Ashley was one of her sous chefs. I made this on Saturday night as a dinner party starter and it was delicious. It immediately becomes a go-to appetizer given the ridiculously low work to taste ratio. [...]
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    Posted: September 07, 2009, 1:10pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • August By The Numbers

    Number of comments: 0
    Dog days, dogged training.

    This is how we do it! This is how we do it. This is how we train for the marathon, never mind that it's the hottest month of the year. Eight speed workouts, long runs of 18 and 20 miles, a [...]
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    Posted: September 06, 2009, 5:22pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Green Sauce Epiphany

    Number of comments: 0

    This is the best green sauce I have ever tasted, even better than the watercress sauce I have posted about. It's incredible with grilled beef, not bad with roasted fish the next day. It's called salsa verde in the "Urban Italian" cookbook, but bears no [...]
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    Posted: September 03, 2009, 6:52pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • The 621 Plan - Week 6

    Number of comments: 0
    There is such a thing as overtraining and such a thing as overreaching. I think I encountered the second last week. Coming into the week, I hadn't had a true rest day in a couple of weeks. I did a speed workout (8 x 400 meters) on Tuesday that was' [...]
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    Posted: September 01, 2009, 5:48pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Let Us Now Praise Smokra

    Number of comments: 0

    Okra -- it's not just for gumbo and frying anymore. These pickled okra (okras?) are a fantastic snack, great with a beer or a martini. They are zesty and crunchy. Absolutely no slime! The paprika adds a layer of depth, but it's not overpowering. Smokra [...]
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    Posted: September 01, 2009, 5:43pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Six Down, Six to Go.

    Number of comments: 0

    After Saturday's medium-long run, I had reached the mid-point of my training program. I had completed six solid weeks of running and I now have six weeks before race day. The next three weeks will be particularly intense, but if I can just get through [...]
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    Posted: August 30, 2009, 5:47pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Refined Carbo-Loading II

    Number of comments: 0

    Here is another quick and delicious pasta dish from Andrew Carmellini's "Urban Italian." This is a vegetarian presentation, no less, but the onions and red pepper flakes give a subtle punch. If you can't find fava beans [Insert "Silence of the Lambs" quote here.], sugar' [...]
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    Posted: August 29, 2009, 1:31pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • The 621 Plan - Week 5

    Number of comments: 0
    Last week was an easy one, all things considered. You've already heard about the 5K on Saturday. With no long run, my mileage was down to about 40 miles, as opposed to the previous week's 51. But counting the race, I put in 3 speed sessions. On Tuesday, I did' [...]
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    Posted: August 26, 2009, 3:47pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Hot (or Not) August Night 5K

    Number of comments: 2
    That kid's running in an Izod!

    Last weekend was the Saturday of the switcheroo -- swapping a race for a weekend long run. The thing about racing, particularly racing within the context of a marathon training schedule, is that you don't have absolute control over' [...]
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    Posted: August 23, 2009, 8:27pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • If In Cashiers, NC

    Number of comments: 0

    The Old Edwards Inn was fully booked on Friday night, but there were plenty of cells, I mean rooms, available at the historic, bark-clad High Hampton Inn. Think "Dirty Dancing" on a smaller budget or summer camp with booze. Built in 1922 and neglected ever [...]
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    Posted: August 23, 2009, 7:36pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • If In Highlands, NC

    Number of comments: 0
    Last weekend, to observe our anniversary, we spent the weekend in the Cashiers / Highlands area of North Carolina. This is about 80 miles southwest of Asheville and 2,000 feet higher in elevation. We spent one night at the Old Edwards Inn and Spa, which underwent a $50 million renovation [...]
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    Posted: August 21, 2009, 6:33pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Mad Men. Why did it have to be "Mad Men"?

    Number of comments: 0
    Call me old fashioned.

    I mean really. I am trying over here. Really trying. But how am I supposed to avoid excessive cocktail consumption for the next eight weeks when AMC rolls out the third season of "Mad Men" to coincide with the core section [...]
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    Posted: August 19, 2009, 6:01pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • The 621 Plan - Week 4

    Number of comments: 1


    Training. From concentrate. I had a dilemma in Week 4. My schedule called for a race instead of a long run on Saturday. But there were two problems: (1) There were no races in the area and (2) even if there were, we were going to be out-of-town. [...]
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    Posted: August 19, 2009, 5:41pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • The 621 Plan - Week 3

    Number of comments: 1


    True story: I am 2 hours and 20 minutes into my long run on Saturday and I'm closing in on 18 miles. I have just passed Luella's BBQ and am on the green way cut-thru to Weaver Park when I pass two women running in the opposite direction' [...]
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    Posted: August 11, 2009, 6:52pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • July By the Numbers

    Number of comments: 0
    TIA -- This is Asheville.
    July consisted of two routine weeks, two weekends of marathon training, two days off, one week in Florida, and one substitution of a long run for a metric century bike ride.

    Total Miles: 133
    Road Miles: 113
    Treadmiles: 20
    [...]
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    Posted: August 07, 2009, 3:55pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Refined Carbo-Loading

    Number of comments: 0

    Some time ago, I bought a copy of Andrew Carmellini's "Urban Italian - Simple Recipes and True Stories From a Life in Food." Last Friday, I cooked out of it for the first time. I did his Rigatoni Pugliese and that recipe alone is worth [...]
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    Posted: August 05, 2009, 6:14pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • The 621 Plan - Week 2

    Number of comments: 0
    It was a solid week of training -- about 45 miles total. I went 5 easy on Monday, did 8 total on Tuesday including 3 x mile (6:41, 6:36, 6:31), off Wednesday, 10 before work on Thursday, 5 easy on Friday, 13 on Saturday morning (a step-down long run for [...]
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    Posted: August 02, 2009, 8:15pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Enter Sandman IV: The Things They Left Behind

    Number of comments: 3
    When I left Rosemary Beach, Florida, I took back confidence that if I could put in over 40 miles, including two quality speed workouts, in miserable running weather and often with a hangover, then I could put in 11 more weeks of high-quality training and give myself a real shot [...]
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    Posted: July 28, 2009, 6:48pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • If in Seaside, FL: Bud and Alley's

    Number of comments: 0

    It had been 13 years almost to the day since we ate at Bud & Alley's, the "fancy but you can wear shorts" restaurant in Seaside, Florida. I recall enjoying it greatly back then -- we were over from New Orleans and splurging for our' [...]
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    Posted: July 27, 2009, 6:44pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Enter Sandman III: High is the New Low

    Number of comments: 0

    When we left Asheville, if you were willing to run at 6:00 AM, you could still enjoy temperatures in the high 50s to low 60s. Our daytime highs were around 80. That was not the case in Rosemary Beach, where even when I started at [...]
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    Posted: July 27, 2009, 6:31pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Enter Sandman II: My Own Private 800 Meters

    Number of comments: 0
    If you squint, you can see the other pavilion in the far distance.

    Yes, I ate the donuts. We all have our vices. But after a day of sun, surf, boiled shrimp, and too many New Belgium Brewing "Skinny Dips," I marked an 800-meter course [...]
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    Posted: July 26, 2009, 7:52pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • If in Alys Beach, FL: Charlie's Donut Truck

    Number of comments: 0

    You are getting something when you pay 85 cents for a donut from Charlie's Donut Truck ($1.10 for a "Little John"), which is parked in the slow-sprouting Alys Beach community, a short walk from Rosemary Beach and visible (and calling out like the Sirens to [...]
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    Posted: July 26, 2009, 7:38pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Enter Sandman I: Everything's Coming Up Rosemary

    Number of comments: 0


    It's a 12-week marathon training program, and I'm posting with 11 weeks to go. What gives? Well, the truth is that the first week of training was sort of a preliminary week (like the prologue in the Tour de France) because it was spent' [...]
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    Posted: July 26, 2009, 7:25pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • The 6/2/1 Plan.

    Number of comments: 0
    I need a plan that will get me my BQ time in Chicago, and I'm going back to the modified Bob Williams Plan, which got me my 3:16:26 in March. I like that it's compact -- only 12 weeks -- and focuses on speed workouts over goal-pace endurance. Speed is' [...]
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    Posted: July 26, 2009, 7:16pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Chicago.

    Number of comments: 4
    In 11 weeks, if everything goes as planned, I will be Grant Park in Chicago with over 35,000 other runners for the Chicago Marathon. Why Chicago? Because I have a close, personal relationship with another runner who is registered for Chicago. Some people call her A. Conquest, but around here [...]
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    Posted: July 26, 2009, 6:50pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • June By the Numbers

    Number of comments: 1
    Such is the marathoner's mindset that a 130-mile month, with only 4 days off and long runs of 10, 12, 14, and 15, feels light. If so, it's too late to do anything about it. What I lacked in running, I might have compensated for with some cross-training on the [...]
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    Posted: July 16, 2009, 7:17am EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Hot Doggett 100K

    Number of comments: 0

    Well I survived the Hot Doggett 100K and what can I tell you. The course was pitiless and I was pitiful. Well pitiful may be too harsh, but pitiless definitely describes the course. If you want to get your climb on, this is the ride [...]
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    Posted: July 11, 2009, 3:40pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Tour de Lance

    Number of comments: 0

    I've been riding my bicycle, nothing serious to be sure, but about 30 miles or so every weekend. Sometimes I go on the Parkway, sometimes I head out towards Marshall. The rides have all come the day after long runs of 14-16 miles, so they' [...]
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    Posted: July 09, 2009, 6:29pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Dessert Double-Down

    Number of comments: 0
    Looks like pizza, tastes like cherry custard.

    On the 4th of July, I had a burger, a hot dog, about a pound of Better Cheddar, some beans, apple pie, ice cream, peaches, and many bottles of beer and glasses of wine. The next morning, I [...]
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    Posted: July 09, 2009, 5:54pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Nothing Says 4th of July . . .

    Number of comments: 0

    Nothing says 4th of July like apple pie. And this Saturday I wrestled -- at times violently -- to complete the one pictured above. The recipe, from Dorie Greenspan's "Baking: From My Home to Yours," is a winner, easily the best apple pie I have [...]
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    Posted: July 07, 2009, 7:31pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Better than Better Cheddar? Yes!

    Number of comments: 0

    There is a small New Orleans grocery called Langenstein's. It's hidden in a residential section of Uptown. It has a remarkable deli tucked in the back where they make a variety of prepared foods. They have two popular dips that are staples of the' [...]
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    Posted: June 30, 2009, 7:26pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • 14 times 2

    Number of comments: 0
    Two weekends and two long runs of between 14 and 15 miles. The second one, though on more difficult terrain, was a stronger effort. Base training and endurance building continues.

    Saturday, June 20



    Saturday, June 27

    [...]
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    Posted: June 30, 2009, 7:14pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • May By The Numbers

    Number of comments: 0
    T.J. Hooper
    (at the Asheville Drum Circle)

    It's taken me 22 days to carve out the time to do my "By The Numbers" post, the one post that requires little thought beyond the basic math. But that has been the theme of 2009. I'd' [...]
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    Posted: June 22, 2009, 1:48pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Bushwacked!

    Number of comments: 0

    It broke 90 degrees here on Saturday afternoon. So on a day that started with a solid 14-plus miles, we whiled away happy hour with several Bushwackers. I was not familiar with the Bushwacker until I bought "Cooking Up a Storm: Recipes Lost and Found" [...]
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    Posted: June 21, 2009, 4:07pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Highlights from Nashville

    Number of comments: 1
    Last weekend, I found myself back in my old running haunt -- Nashville, TN - sharing a Hampton Inn with many of the "enthusiastic," and by enthusiastic I mean shirtless, shoeless, drunk, and spoiling for a fight, fans in town for the CMT Festival. I was in town for the [...]
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    Posted: June 18, 2009, 7:03pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Chocolate Yummy!

    Number of comments: 0
    A leftover square with crust crumble on top. Too delirious to focus the camera.

    Donald Link has a recipe called "Chocolate Yummy" in his new cookbook, "Real Cajun." It's one of those layered and Cool Whipped ice-box specials, only updated. It's the best dessert I've' [...]
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    Posted: June 10, 2009, 6:34pm EDT

  • We All Screamed XIII

    Number of comments: 0
    As promised, here is Donald Link's recipe for Blueberry Ice Cream, from his new cookbook "True Cajun." This ice cream tastes best right out of the mixer, in that semi-soft serve state, or after at most an hour in the freezer.

    Blueberry Ice Cream

    3 pints fresh blueberries,' [...]
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    Posted: June 10, 2009, 6:26pm EDT

  • A Great and Terrible Thing.

    Number of comments: 0

    It's happening! Luella's is coming north, less than 2 miles from our house. When the wind is right, we will be able to smell the BBQ from our deck. The "good nutrition" component of training just got much more difficult. [...]
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    Posted: June 08, 2009, 7:24pm EDT

  • Double Down II

    Number of comments: 0
    Last weekend, my Saturday- Sunday workout could be described by two movies that opened nationwide: "Up" and "Drag Me to Hell." That was the Sunset Stampede on Saturday and a bike climb on the Parkway on Sunday. Well, it was so much Bio-Freeze and Advil fun that I decided to [...]
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    Posted: June 08, 2009, 7:06pm EDT

  • Doubling Down.

    Number of comments: 0

    What's the cure for sore legs caused by too much climbing? More climbing. On Sunday, I doubled the distance and switched the sport -- doing 22 miles with my neighbor up to Tanbark Ridge Tunnel on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was a glorious day,' [...]
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    Posted: June 04, 2009, 4:54pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Next Year Mascara.

    Number of comments: 2

    I vowed "never again" after I participated (run would be too strong a word) in the Sunset Stampede 10-Miler last year. It's a brutal course -- if it were a rapper it would be Big Punisher. Because it's not a player, it just crushes a [...]
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    Posted: June 01, 2009, 1:21pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Treadmill Separation Anxiety

    Number of comments: 0
    My sister and brother-in-law moved in today for the Summer. That's great news because they are fun to live with and because my sister has agreed to do some below-market nannying and baby-sitting for us. For the next three months, I should be able to get in an outdoor Saturday' [...]
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    Posted: May 28, 2009, 8:11pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Blueberry vs. Blue Cheese

    Number of comments: 0

    It's official: Blueberry ice cream tastes better than blue cheese ice cream. We know because I made batches of each over the last two weekends. Not sure what I was thinking on the blue cheese. I started out making honey ice cream, but at some' [...]
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    Posted: May 26, 2009, 8:02pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • 12.00: A Basement Odyssey

    Number of comments: 0
    Ponder this: 5:30 AM on the first Saturday of a 3-day weekend, and I'm sharing a cup of coffee with the Trauma Whisperer. VO2Max is nestled all snug in his bed -- he won't wake up until almost 9:30 AM. But rather than sleep in, we're caffeinating in preparation for' [...]
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    Posted: May 23, 2009, 6:47pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Pizza and Ice Cream, Savannah Style

    Number of comments: 1

    We were in Savannah last weekend visiting some old friends, one of the nicest couples you'd ever want to sit on the back deck and share an ice-cold bottle of high fructose corn syrup with. Knowing our borderline-pathological obsession with food, they took as out' [...]
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    Posted: May 14, 2009, 8:07pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • A Watershed Breakfast

    Number of comments: 1

    Watershed
    406 West Ponce De Leon Avenue
    Decatur, Georgia 30030
    404-378-4900

    Before we left Atlanta two weekends ago, we had brunch at Watershed. Watershed is Scott Peacock's restaurant two blocks from the courthouse in downtown Decatur, GA. It was recently named by "Saveur"' [...]
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    Posted: May 11, 2009, 6:54pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • He's Crafty!

    Number of comments: 0

    In 2002, the Trauma Whisperer and I visited New York. Back then, Tom Colicchio was braising short ribs in the kitchen at Gramercy Tavern. We went to the restaurant, we had martinis, the short ribs, and a dessert with tapioca. It was awesome and I [...]
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    Posted: May 07, 2009, 8:06pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • April By The Numbers

    Number of comments: 0
    At the beginning of the year, I titled a post something along the lines of "Your true goal has yet to reveal itself." It turned out that my true goal was a March marathon. I'm beginning to feel the same way again as I bumble along. I devoted half of' [...]
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    Posted: May 07, 2009, 7:52pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • My Own Private Peachtree

    Number of comments: 1


    Several Fourth of Julys ago, I ran the Peachtree 10K in Atlanta. It was one of those supposedly fun things I never want to do again. This weekend, I found myself in Atlanta ensconced at the Mansion on Peachtree (world-class; highly recommended), which is in Buckhead and a [...]
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    Posted: May 03, 2009, 5:09pm EDT

  • Atonement.

    Number of comments: 0

    Run.

    After two days of barbecue and a baker's dozen of hushpuppies, it was time to atone. So on Saturday night, I did not get my drink on. And on Sunday, I was up at 6:00 AM and out by 6:45 AM to put in a swift 10' [...]
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    Posted: April 26, 2009, 7:05pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Porking Out.

    Number of comments: 1


    Circumstance found me in eastern North Carolina on Friday and Saturday, and I used that opportunity to compare a couple of the heavyweights of Eastern NC 'cue -- Bum's (in my old home town of Ayden) and King's (off Highway 70 in Kinston, I' [...]
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    Posted: April 26, 2009, 5:34pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Twelve Miles of Surprises

    Number of comments: 0
    Our skyline.

    I didn't set out to run 12 miles this morning. I had 10 in the back of my head, having run 8 or so last weekend. But I didn't plan my route with care and I didn't wear a watch. The legs are' [...]
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    Posted: April 18, 2009, 5:09pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Chocolate-Caramel Perfection

    Number of comments: 0
    With the exception of marathon day, when I had a post-race milkshake from Potbelly's and the dinner desserts at CityZen, I abstained from sweets for all of Lent. Just before Holy Week, however, I received the Issue No. 119 of Saveur, which had this cover shot:

    [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: April 14, 2009, 7:43pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • How to Almost Qualify for Boston - Part 5

    Number of comments: 1
    "Embrace the Treadmill."

    People say that you're selling yourself short if you run on the treadmill. I don't think so. People say it's easier to run on the treadmill than on the road. I don't think so. People say that you won't be able to race fast if you' [...]
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    Posted: April 12, 2009, 7:42pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • Eight was Enough

    Number of comments: 0



    It was a dreary Saturday morning with pastel buds huddling under Seattle skies. A misty drizzle came and went, along with a breeze, which made the mid-40s temperature feel colder. But this was the third Saturday since the marathon, and I was ready to get out and [...]
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    Posted: April 12, 2009, 7:07pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • How to Almost Qualify for Boston - Part 4

    Number of comments: 0
    "Schedule the Madness for March."

    Is there a better month than March to run an almost-Boston-qualifying time? I don't think so. April, the Boston month, is too fraught with the vagaries of weather conditions. You might have a cold day, but you might also get a a muggy, warm' [...]
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    Posted: April 09, 2009, 6:59pm EDT
    by Lance P. Martin

  • How to Almost Qualify for Boston - Part 3

    Number of comments: 0
    "Make a proper grocery bill."

    For years, I ate the same breakfast during the week: Toasted cinnamon-raisin bagel with almond butter and a banana. I had what I thought was a lasting, long-term relationship with both bagels and almond butter. But the Trauma Whisperer, after one too many dispiriting [...]
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    Posted: April 06, 2009, 7:29pm EDT

  • If In Washington, DC - Cityzen

    Number of comments: 0
    That's how they roll.

    We celebrated my marathon PR at CityZen (a pun on citizen, I have to assume), Eric Ziebold's restaurant in the posh Mandarin-Oriental Hotel. Ziebold (a French Laundry alumnus) just won a James Beard award for best chef in the region and, [...]
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    Posted: April 02, 2009, 7:07pm EDT
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