The Iron Man 2 Review

Hail my geeky brothers and sisters!  A little departure from our usual programming today, because I finally got to see Iron Man 2.  Let me say if you liked Iron Man, you'll like IM2 more.  On the plus side, the story is more developed and seems more complete than IM.  There's still plenty of cool high-tech action and bad-assery, from Samuel Jackson to Scarlett Johansson, to go around.  On the minus side:  It needs MORE Scarlett Johansson!!! On a very shallow level, the story explores the cost of technology, fame and greed on our humanity.  All the major characters explore this to some extent.  I realize that this is an action flick, but I find it hard to sympathize with Robert Downey, Jr.'s Tony Stark as we are rushed through all of these themes in the movie.  I realize that Jon Favreau had a lot to cover, but I don't think we really get to feel any emotional depth as Downey glibly moves from scene to scene and problem to problem like a kid off his ritalin.  The special effects are again, top-notch, as they make me really do believe that a man can slap on an steel jump suit and fly.  The fight scenes are to sum up:  Awesome.  Johansson did an amazing job as the Black Widow.  Okay, I will admit that at times I have not been a huge fan of Johansson, but I think that she was a great compliment to Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts.  It was almost as if Favreau needed both strong actresses/characters to contrast and reign in Downey's Stark.  Johansson's big fight scene was nicely choreographed, but I felt like it needed more.  This is a character that could easily spin off into her own movie and hold her own unlike the horrible Elektra spin-off from Daredevil.  Even her costume was perfect.  It conveyed a sexy practicalness for an acrobatic, and *ahem* limber, super-spy.  And as I said, the consensus around most of my male friends is that the movie just needed MORE Scarlett Johansson/Black Widow.  And I'm not even talking about more naughty Black Widow as there was hardly any of that (I could probably take my 9 year old to watch it).  Sadly her fight scenes were just not long enough, and if given a little more time, could have stolen the show.  So one more time:  More Black Widow!  Are we clear?   Good.

Now for the hard numbers:  I did an 8 mile tempo run today at marathon pace (7:33/mi).  Along with the quick rains and the breeze, it was relatively cool day, which translated into decent numbers for today.  The effort was hard, but I didn't feel all that winded afterwards.  It was a nice change from the sweltering heat that we've had lately, but I probably could have gone without the rain though.  Still, a good run, all things considered.  I just hope tomorrow that we get a break in the rains so that I can get in some base miles.  All right, I'm out.  Later kids!

The Comeback Spin

Hail my running brothers and sisters!  Just to prove that I'm growing, and not one dimensional, I did a spinning  (the bike, not the rims) class today at the Downtown YMCA.  My first actually, but not my last (dumbass).  It was agonizing fun, and afterwards I felt like a sweaty mess invigorated.  I wrung my shirt toweled off and headed for the street for a quick run in the nasty drizzle cool rain.  It felt great to be out and stretching my legs again (I miss bacon), and tomorrow I'm hoping to get in some decent base miles (I miss pie).  I got such a good workout (for my lazy  ass and I still miss bacon) that I'm thinking of squeezing at least 1 spin class per week into my training schedule (because I hate myself).

Okay now for the hard numbers:  1 hour of spin class.  A 4.15 mile tempo run at an average pace of 7:37/mi, and then to end the day, 3 sets of pull-ups (Thank you Iron Gym!) with reps of 11, 10, and 10.  Later kids!

The Alternate Reality

Hail my running brothers and sisters!  Unlike a roundhouse kick from Chuck Norris, I’m giving you, my dear readers, fair warning that this post will contain spoilers (not a lot) from this season of Lost.  I know, I know…what a presumptuous, self-important ass to think that I can compare my running to a Chuck Norris level show like Lost, but guess what?  I AM a presumptuous, self-important ass that thinks he can compare his running to Lost (Duh…I blog to see what witty and insightful thing I have to say.  It’s fascinating to see what comes out of my brain sometimes).

If you’ve been watching Lost (or just prefer to read spoiler synopsis instead), then you know that our favorite cast from Oceanic 815 are now existing in two (count ‘em: two!) realities!  In one reality (for our purposes, let’s call it the Present), the passengers crashed on the Lost island, and in the other reality (let’s call it the Other), Oceanic Flight 815 never crashed and the passengers are living different lives.  In the Present, the passengers are hunted by smoke monsters, die suddenly, and betray loved ones like they’re on an episode of The Real Housewives of Somewhere Lame.  In the Other, the passengers are moving on with their lives blissfully unaware of the Lost island, and allegedly more the happy for it (with a few    exceptions).  Except now, the realities are starting to converge, and the passengers in the Other are starting to recall things that happened in the Present.

Likewise, with my running, I have two goals.  One goal is to beat 3:30:00 in the marathon this year, and the other is to qualify for Boston.  Now I haven’t talked too much about a possible BQ for this marathon as I was afraid of jinxing myself or enraging the running gods for my hubris.  But after some thought, I said “Screw it.  If I want it, I have to own it.”  Ignoring the elephant in the room won’t make it loom any less on my horizon, or make it any less intimidating.  When I adopted this idea, the concept of anything less than a BQ was like the idea of swinging a pissed off rattlesnake around your arm.  Un-ac-cept-able.  So I’ve trained hard (harder than I ever have before, but not as hard as I could) and I’ve oriented my mind towards catching that BQ.  But like the Present in Lost, as the race gets closer, I have to admit that my first goal may be my actual reality/fate.  Despite my wife’s argument to the contrary, the numbers just don’t lie.  While I readily expect to PR this race (barring injury), I seriously doubt that I’ll make my goal for the year or catch that BQ at least with this race.  To that end, my running guru, Frank Z., and I have discussed race alternatives for the fall/winter.  I had originally considered running an ultra in the fall, but if I’m close to a BQ with this race, then my Running Guru says that I should be running another qualifying marathon instead.  And you know what, he’s right.  Does this mean that I don’t chase that BQ this time around?  No, absolutely not.  But like the Locke/smoke monster, the BQ is an intimidating force to be reckoned with, but it is a fight I relish and desire.  It may not be this time, but I’m chasing you, BQ.  Watch out.

Now for the hard numbers:  I did a tempo run of 5.29 mi. at a pace of 8:11/mi.  A little slow, but not totally unexpected with temps around 91 degrees.  Ugh.  And with that, cue the music!  Later kids!