September 1, 2009 (Tuesday)

Today I updated my acting resume, which you can currently find here.

 

 
September 2, 2009 (Wednesday)

Today I photo-doubled for Jason Sudeikis while driving and being filmed from a helicopter for the film The Bounty.

 

 
September 3, 2009 (Thursday)

Today I photo-doubled for Michael Urie on Episode 401 ("Blue on Blue") and Episode 402 ("The Butterfly Effect, Part 1") of the television show Ugly Betty.

 

 
September 4, 2009 (Friday)

Today I stood in for James Tupper for the rehearsal of a complex scene in an episode possibly called "...Smiley Face" for the television series Mercy.

 

 
September 9, 2009 (Wednesday)

Today I worked on Episode 204 ("The Double Down") of the television series Castle, which apparently was in NYC to shoot for a day. I worked as nondescript background.

 

 
September 10, 2009 (Thursday)

This morning I had a print go-see for Getty Images at the office of Digiphotogroup.com.

After the go-see, I stood in for Jim True-Frost and worked pedestrian background for Episode 11005 ("Hardwired") of the television show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

 

 
September 11, 2009 (Friday)

Today I attended (but mostly worked) the first day of the international conference sponsored by the Institute of General Semantics titled "Across the Generations: Legacies of Hope and Meaning." Included in the program was the 57th Alfred Korzybski Memorial Lecture, which was delivered by Mary Catherine Bateson.

 

 
September 12, 2009 (Saturday)

This morning I did the Fitness Mind, Body, Spirit Games 4-Miler in Central Park. I finished in 25:29, meaning my average miles were 6:22s, a new record for me for this year.

At racetime, the temperature was 65, damp from an overnight rain, cloudy, and humid. I've only had about 10 hours of sleep in the last two days and somewhat overworked at that, but I felt alright at racetime. However, that all changed as my didn't feel all that quick once the race started. I was fortunate enough to be seeded for the first corral for this race, but I wasn't even at Cat Hill when hordes of men passed by me rather quickly, leaving me in their wet dust. This was a psychic blow of sorts in that I felt like a much faster runner than how I started, but I sucked it up and trudged on, though it did cross my mind to give up.

And a good thing I didn't. So mired in my own running issues for the day, I missed what my time was at the first mile marker. Maybe that was a good thing, because once I hit the second mile marker, I did some quick, easy math and discovered that I was running 6:15s. This was quite a bit surprising because I sure as hell didn't feel as if I was running 6:15s!

With this newfound motivation, I pushed myself in the next two miles. Mile 3 in these 4-milers is usually the toughest because you have a low potential energy and longish gradual hills to climb. I had a guy who was running around my pace who would pass me on the uphills, but I would overtake him on the downhills using my short-stride approach.

It wasn't until the very end of the race that I beat him. He overtook me in the last bit with the finish line in sight (this time at 69th St. rather than on the 72nd St. Transverse), but I still had fuel in my afterburners and I pulled off my classic "machine sprint"--arms pumping like a robot and flying, flying, flying to my finish. I heard some cheers from people in the audience as I charged to a splashy sprint finish.

I had missed my exact finish time but my estimate was about spot-on: I had somehow managed to create yet another personal record. I still don't quite fathom this considering that I felt slow sluggish and was passed by so many people. Regardless, the news is good. The humidity coupled with my lack of sleep probably played the most significant roles in the day.

Fitness Mind, Body, Spirit Games
4-mile Race
Finished: 25:29
Pace: 6:22

EDIT: Here is video from the race. I can't pinpoint myself but I'm somewhere in the mass of the first corral out the gate at the start.

 

 

Today I attended the second day of the international conference sponsored by the Institute of General Semantics titled "Across the Generations: Legacies of Hope and Meaning." I also played moderator for a talk by the charismatic Bob Eddy.

 

 
September 13, 2009 (Sunday)

Today I attended the third and final day of the international conference sponsored by the Institute of General Semantics titled "Across the Generations: Legacies of Hope and Meaning."

I also presented my story "The Day Michael Jackson Died" for a nice-sized audience. I got video of the presentation and I hope to have that online in a day or two. (I'll post in this blog when I have it up.)

 

 
September 14, 2009 (Monday)

Today I worked as a cult member on Episode 406 ("Backseat Betty") of the television show Ugly Betty.

 

 
September 15, 2009 (Tuesday)

Today I began Scene Study Intensive II at The Barrow Group, taught by Seth Barrish.

 

 

I just added photos from the Fitness Mind, Body, Spirit Games 4-Miler I did in Central Park on Saturday.

To view the photos, navigate to Acting > Gallery > Running Photos.

 

 
September 17, 2009 (Thursday)

Yesterday into early this morning I was the stand-in for Aaron Tveit for Episode 308 ("The Grandfather: Part II") for the television series Gossip Girl.

 

 
September 18, 2009 (Friday)

Again, yesterday into early this morning I worked on Episode 308 ("The Grandfather: Part II") for the television series Gossip Girl. This time I played a campaign planner.

 

 

Today I played a Bergdorf Goodman passer-by on the film Sex and the City 2.

 

 
September 20, 2009 (Sunday)

This morning I did the NYRR Half-Marathon Grand Prix Presented by Continental Airlines: Queens in College Point, Malba, Whitestone, and Beechhurst, Queens, NY. I finished in 1:27:30, meaning my average miles were 6:40s, a new record for me for this kind of distance.

For a video roundup of the race, click here.

For this race, the circumstances were such that after I did it, a few people were concerned for me. Yesterday was my long-run day, and for it I did a 23-mile run in Central Park. I knew that the next day was this race, which I never really ruled out. I'd long told my running friend Michelle to keep bothering me about the race as I might do it but I'd need to decide at the last minute. And pretty much at the last minute, I did: I decided as 12:30am today to commit to the race.

That left me with only 2 hours of sleep. I had to get up at 4am to get ready to get out to the remote location, which for a change was not in Central Park. The change was actually quite entertaining. We were jogging through eastern Queens suburbia. It was my first truly "rolling" course, with small hills upon small hills. While Michelle (who also did the race) thought the hills averaged out, myself, it seemed to be heavier on the downhills. I did what I could to exploit the downhills by speeding up on them. It proved a very good strategy as I was able to keep a pretty solid pace throughout the race.

I had some pretty exciting stats. First off, I'd never done a half-marathon race before, and I actually broke 1:30, which is something I don't think I'd done for that kind of distance when in Central Park. I came in 113th place which doesn't sound all that impressive until you realize there were over 5,000 finishers. My pace per mile was 6:40, which is really very, very good for me come to think of it, especially considering the distance. And my Age Graded Percentage (which is a strange measure you'll just have to look up) was 67.7 %, which was my highest ever.

Despite the 23-miler the day before and the 2 hours of sleep, I managed these stats. This would be more surprising were it not that consistently, on the days after my long runs, I often set personal records in my running. It is a counterintuitive reality to my running that has been with me for years.

For my finish, I had a bit of humor. I pulled away from the nearest runner and got the lane all to myself as I plowed toward the finish line. I was in a cavern of onlookers and cheerers. I locked into my "robot" stride, which is the stride I get into with arms pumping mechanically and legs pumping too, as if I were a machine. From what I could tell I was sprinting very fast and getting cheered as I came in. I crossed the finish line, then heard the announcer refer to me as Forrest Gump! Ha! I let out a huge laugh but was also thinking, I just finished a half-marathon! I don't want an insult at that point!!

At racetime, the temperature was 65, maybe a little chillier, but essentially perfect. The sun blinded the runners on some of the turns but I didn't step in any potholes. This race was a great gauge for my marathon training. I'm very close to being on-target for achieving my goal of qualifying for Boston. I'm only about halfway through my training and I continue to improve.

That's all for now. Let's hope my body is healthy after running 36 miles in two days. Next weekend, I have two races. Check back!

NYRR Half-Marathon Grand Prix Presented by Continental Airlines: Queens
Half-Marathon Race (13.1 Miles)
Finished: 1:27:30
Pace: 6:40


 

 
September 21, 2009 (Monday)

This evening I performed a comic improvised sermon as The Reverend Raymond Nader for the variety show "Blue Plate Special" at The Barrow Group's Mainstage Theatre.

The suggestion I received on which to base my sermon was "The Devil's Threesome." Video should be online early tomorrow in the following section:

Acting > Videos > Comic Improvised Sermons > "The Devil's Threesome"

 

 
September 23, 2009 (Wednesday)

Today I played a hipster pedestrian and stood in on Episode 20006 ("Human Flesh Search Engine") on the television series Law & Order.

 

 
September 24, 2009 (Thursday)

Today I worked as a juror and as a stand-in on Episode 11007 ("Anchor") of the television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

 

 
September 25, 2009 (Friday)

Again today I worked as a juror and as a stand-in on Episode 11007 ("Anchor") of the television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

 

 
September 26, 2009 (Saturday)

This morning I did the Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile along 5th Avenue in Manhattan. I finished in 5:19, the fastest mile I think I've ever run in my life.

For a video roundup of the race, click here. I'm not in the video in any obvious way.

This race runs south along 5th Avenue on the Upper East Side. A few days before the race when I had some time to kill, I ventured up to the beginning of the course and walked it. I noted where there were downhills and uphills and took pictures of the course in hopes of memorizing and strategizing it since I couldn't run it beforehand, what with its being open to traffic.

Such research was definitely helpful, but what I didn't realize was just how fast this race is. Emotionally, I figured it would feel much longer, but in fact, it was remarkably quick--you could see the finish line from quite a distance away.

I started off this morning by eyeing just exactly where the finish line was on E. 60th St. Taking it in, I decided to jog on 5th Avenue to the start line (ahem, one mile) as a way to warm up but also as a way to take in what it's like running on that avenue. When I got over the only place where there is an uphill, I decided to run back over it so my legs could get a sense of it from the proper direction. It wasn't as bad as it looked. I then moved to the start line and registration tent.

The race itself was exciting. I got a little angry just before the start, serving to motivate and focus me on this madmaking task ahead of me. When the gun went off, I was only about 4 people behind the start line. As I started, I was shocked to find that I was in the lead group of about 25 or so people! In no way did I think I was going to pace with these people but it was a relief and a joy to see myself open this way, especially since I wasn't trying to. But going downhill from 80th St. I started to slow around 75th St., reflecting that I was somewhat sprinting and essentially not going at a survivable pace. And it was only a block later when I was to hit the uphill ...

I did start to slow down around this time, complicated more by seeing fleeter-footed men pass me by. I thought to myself, Darn! I thought I was a better runner than this! Still, once atop the uphill at 71st St., the clock for the 1/2 mile wasn't far away, and I saw that I was doing a better pace than I had expected. What time was I shooting for? 5:45. My fastest pace this year for a mile in a race was 6:22. I'm pretty sure I'd run some 6:15s this year. And the fastest I've ever known to go was a 6:00 on a treadmill in Toronto hotel last year.

The downhill after 70th St. was great and I was pretty much home-free. I just had to sustain my pace and fight myself from slowing down. At the 3/4-mile mark, I saw that I was at 4:00 ... This made me think that running a 5:00 or even a sub-5:00 was possible! However, I knew the last leg was flat rather than downhill, and I was coming off of a downhill which had made me speedier. Still, I set my sights on running the last 1/4-mile in 1 minute.

You could see the finish from quite far away which was motivating. I knew I couldn't sprint that distance so I didn't; I just tried to push myself to, at very least, sustain. Even hitting the tempting "200 meters to go" sign wasn't motivation to sprint. It was inside that zone that I did. I saw a guy creep along me in a sprint, and at that point I turned on my afterburners and pulled ahead of him. My running friend Michelle apparently saw me cross the finish line looking really focused and intense. I thought I had crossed the finish line at 5:17, with a 2-second lag from the gun time. But the NYRR says I ran 1 mile along 5th Avenue in 5:19. I more than beat my prediction.

Am I happy? Yes, I suppose. I'm a little irritated that it's not 5:15 (which is what I thought I ran) but 5:19, but I now have a sense of just how (surprisingly!) fast I can run a mile. NEVER did I expect I would be the type of runner who could bust out a 5:19. Heck, back in May when I started running again, I was shocked to be running, what?, 7:30s or 7:45s! Anything in the 5-minute range never seemed fathomable to me. And here I sit, a pretty decent runner.

Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile
1-Mile Race
Finished: 5:19
Pace: 5:19


 

 
September 27, 2009 (Sunday)

This morning I attempted the ING New York City Marathon Tune-Up 18-Miler in Central Park. I had to drop out of the race because of an injury to my left knee.

For one, I really wasn't feeling it today. Although I needed to do a long run today since yesterday I did the Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile, my body was subtly telling me not to run. Too bad, I replied to my body, as I'd already signed up for this race and I needed to stay on track with my training. It seemed that Mother Nature was also trying to tell me something as it was raining and chilly, both making for dreary conditions. Still, I fought, I made it out to the start line, and started the race.

Of course, again I was in the first corral and, of course, I got to a point where people were passing me and I wasn't passing people. This wasn't totally true for the whole time I was on the course as I did get some occasional passes in, but it wasn't something I sustained the whole time. My pace felt a bit slow. One supportive runner said to me, "Steady," as words of encouragement despite being passed at the time by almost every runner. Still, I was managing somewhere around a 6:50 pace I think.

I made it around the first loop of three in Central Park. Eventually, though, I started to have pain in my left knee. I'd had this kind of pain already this season, and usually it resolved by just slowing way down for a few seconds to let my knee "figure itself out." I presumed it was an acute and temporary inflammation in the knee joint.

Well, I think I resolved it once, but it came back, and it came back again, eventually bringing me to a walk. I walked for a little bit then tried to stride again and I just couldn't--my knee felt too unstable and painful. I was essentially limping while I was running when I tried. This all happened just after Mile 11, and I was only a mile away from Medical, so I quickly resolved that my race was over and I was going to try to get some medical attention. Thinking positively, I figured this would be a learning experience for the future should I ever need medical attention during a race.

All I got was ice wrapped around my knee with cellophane. At this point I was formally declared "out of the race." I got my pretzels, plum, and baggage then slowly walked to the subway. My walk with my knee would have been okay were it not for my other injury--what is probably plantar fasciitis of the right foot--which is very, very painful in my heel. I feel a bit like a wreck now, at least when I walk. Or should I say, hobble.

But these injuries are both lessons to me. I believe they mostly resulted from putting on way too much mileage and stress last weekend. Last weekend, I did a 23-mile run on Saturday, then on two hours of sleep I ran a great half-marathon race on Sunday. That meant I did 36.1 miles in two days, which in some cases could be my weekly mileage. Mentally, I was up for it. Physically, I should have known better. What is interesting to note is that it took a week for injuries to take me down. Granted, I did feel the plantar fasciitis all week as it's been getting worse, and it wasn't much better today. The thing is, I can run with the plantar fasciitis, I just don't feel very comfortable. With this new knee issue, I was brought down.

After getting medical attention, I felt a bit like a rabid dog. I was growling a bit at my condition. It was as if my fight was still in me but couldn't be expressed in a run.

I've decided to see if I can take the week off from running to get some proper rest. I hope this knee injury isn't more serious, like a meniscus tear that will need surgery. And I hope I can bring down the plantar fasciitis soon. I want to get back to running. I'm about halfway through my training program and it seems I'm close to my goal. Today's run was going to help me gauge myself. But I should have known what with 36.1 miles from last weekend in my body, I wasn't ready to do such a long run today.

ING New York City Marathon Tune-Up
18-Mile Race
(Did Not Finish)


 

 
September 28, 2009 (Monday)

Today I played an assistant district attorney on Episode 301 of the television series Damages.

 

 
September 29, 2009 (Tuesday)

This evening I auditioned for Kate Martineau, casting associate for the soap opera As the World Turns.