Week Review: October 20, 2013

The week in review is a look at what I have been up to in training, a (sometimes) look into the other side of my life as well as links to some of what I have found interesting on the interwebs. Spent about a month racing more that training so there wasn't much to review. Now that I'm into marathon training (Running Philly on 11/17) racing has again taken a back seat to training.



Training Update:

Now that the focus has moved from triathlon to marathon, the bike and swim have taken a back seat to running mileage. As much as I enjoy the bike, it is good to take some time away from riding with focus to instead get some nice, casual rides in when I desire. Same goes for hitting the pool. I'm swimming when it feels right and without much of a plan when I get there. There are things to focus on ... just not right now.

The decrease in bike miles has my running legs starting to feel pretty good. I was just shy of a 50 mile week, including a run in St. Louis, where I spent a few days on business. It's a nice town, but with limited areas to run early morning, at least in the downtown area. There was little traffic pre-dawn so cars were not much of an issue. There is a nice hill down by the Mississippi River that allowed me to do some hill sprints. Not my favorite, but practical and useful.

On Saturday I ran my first 20 miler of the year with Phil. The weather was as close to ideal as you get, with temperatures in the high 40s and a good amount of sunshine. We paced it out steady with most every mile around a 7:30 pace through mile seventeen. I held a 7:23, 7:22, 7:08 for the final three miles, ending with more in my legs. Not a bad day for Jon!!!


Let's Talk About the NY Jets:

Who would have ever guessed that the Jets would be 4-3 after the first seven games of the season? Going into the regular season I figured that the defense would keep the Jets in most games, but I didn't expect the offense to be as dynamic as it has been. Yes, Marty Marnhinweg has a scheme that can move the ball and put up some points. What was unsure to me was if he had the personnel to get the job done. Two months ago it looked not-so-good. Today, not so bad. Here's how it has panned out so far:

Quarterback - The position was in flux with either a rookie (Geno Smith) at the helm or Mark Sanchez.

Source: www.thejetsblog.com

There was even talk of Chris Simms after the 4th preseason game. Now, Geno looks good in most situations, but still makes rookie mistakes. On the plus side, he has shown the ability to forget about a bad play or a pick 6.

Running Back - Bilal Powell was slotted as the starter, Chris Ivory had some leg issues, and Goodson was suspended. Now they are all available and effective. Also, Tommy Bohanan has been solid at fullback.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends - Came into the season with an injured Santonio Holmes, a young group of receivers behind him, one tight end with 12 NFL catches (Cumberland), and a reclamation project in Kellen Winslow. As it has turned out, Holmes has been mostly injured, the young receivers have developed what appears to be good chemistry with Geno, while both tight ends are working out. The only negative is Winslow's current 4 game suspension.

Offensive Line - These guys are solid as I expected. This is an experienced group of veterans and it shows.

So right here right now there is every reason to be happy with the season so far. The defense has been very good while the offense progresses. Right now they look like an 8-8 team, or about 5 games more than most people expected. This may sound crazy because, you know, this is the Jets, but if the offense can start putting up points against some of the better defenses ... I don't think it will take much - continued solid defensive play, Geno limiting the turnovers, and a balanced offensive approach. They are close to this right now. Close, but not quite there.



Interesting Stuff From the Interwebs:

Curious why Rinny can bust out a 2:50 marathon at Hawaii Ironman but you can't? Well, besides the fact that if you are like me you can't run a 2:50 marathon without a swim/bike warm-up. Here's some insight (Sami Inkinen)

Speaking of running, if your form is in need of a makeover, here's a good place to start (Strength Running)

Serious Recovery for Serious Athletes (Endurance Corner)

The food industry is lying to you. Here is the most horrible of the lies (Cracked)


Music Video of the Week:  The Wire by Haim is a catchy little tune with a familiar sound.

 Video of the Week: Ron Burgundy is back!!! Or at least he will be soon.