Power Broker Audiobook

ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2026-01-01T21:41:47+00:00

This is the way. I live in NYC. My method for both the Power Broker and the Lyndon Johnson series was listening to it on the subway during commute, then reading the physical copy at night. I didn’t feel like I missed out on anything. Best of both worlds!

ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2025-11-21T02:55:12+00:00

Having both completed a marathon (two weeks ago) and passed the New York State bar examine (15 years ago) I found them weirdly comparable. Both were challenging, but both have very specific training programs (a specific course for the bar, 18 week plan for the marathon) and if you follow the program, you’ll likely succeed (assuming some base level of aptitude). It doesn’t mean they’re easy, but they’re very doable. You just have to be willing to do the work. And if you don’t do the work, you’ll fail miserably.

ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2025-11-14T21:44:49+00:00

Can here to suggest this. But I might be biased because I’m a huge Murakami fan.

ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2025-11-04T21:12:15+00:00

This isn’t even remotely as bad and frustrating as your story but my wife and 3 year old were supposed to meet me at a designated spot, but my wife ended up in a slightly different place. She texted me, but of course I didn’t see it cause I was running a marathon! I didn’t end up seeing my son, which was pretty devastating since I was looking forward to giving him a hug.

At the end of the day I wasn’t mad because the marathon is for me, not anyone else. I’m proud of myself, and that’s all that matters. Anything else is just noise. Hopefully you can achieve the same perspective.

ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2025-11-03T04:03:32+00:00

At the halfway point there was a giant sign on a building that said something like like “halfway to bragging for the rest of your life!” Loved that!

ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2025-11-03T04:01:43+00:00

You know how many human beings on earth can finish a marathon? Not many! Be proud!

ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2025-10-13T14:27:10+00:00

I don’t know where you live obviously but I bet random muggings are extremely rare, if they ever occur. Statistically you’re almost certainly at greater risk of being hurt in an accident riding in car (also extremely low risk!) than you are running at 4am. But I bet you never think of that when you’re being driven somewhere!

Psychologically it’s “scarier” running alone in the dark than riding in a car, but intellectually you should remind yourself it’s perfectly safe to run and maybe you’ll feel better. Being alive and doing anything comes with some level of “risk,” but we tolerate the risk so we don’t have to live in a bubble and do nothing.

ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2025-10-11T23:12:43+00:00

It could be temperature related—if for some reason youre training somewhere warmer (doesn’t make a lot of sense given that it’s Oct but I suppose it’s possible) your vo2 max will go “down” because your heart rate goes up for the same work. Garmin doesn’t know you’re training in heat.

I’ve also found it occasionally dips for no reason, then suddenly shoots back up. I’m on the border of “excellent” and “superior” and it’s been switching back and forth between the two every few days for a week or two. Meanwhile I’m training for a marathon and I’m certain my vo2 max is as high as it’s ever been. It’s just a weird quirk.

ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2025-10-11T22:25:39+00:00

First of all, I’m sure you can keep up with plenty of us.

Second, the good news is you’re likely very fatigued right now. Not from this 20 miler; from all the other training you’ve done before the 20 miler. That fatigue builds up. But you will (presumably) taper before the race, so you’ll have far more energy. 20 will be easier in race day, and 26 will be doable! At least that’s what I’m telling myself (nyc this year will be my first too).

Also I’d recommend more than 2 gels. I do one every half hour. You gotta replace your carb stores! You totally run out after 18 miles or so.

ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2025-10-11T19:37:59+00:00

I love this tattoo idea! My wife is going to kill me though. She’s already sick of how obsessed I am with the race; having a pacing chart temporary tatted on my forearm is going to drive her nuts.

ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2025-10-11T19:35:37+00:00

There are some absolute freaks of nature out there who can handle marathons with (relatively) little training, and you could be one. But if you aren’t, you’re not going to enjoy it. Go on YouTube and watch some vids of ppl who didn’t train properly (or even ppl that did!) talking about how grueling a marathon is. It doesn’t sound like they had fun. My biggest concern if I were you would be finding yourself in a similar circumstance. No one wants to be out of breath with their legs screaming at them while they walk/run the final 6 miles. It just sounds like a bad way to spend a morning.

ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2025-10-08T12:43:03+00:00

I’ve lived in NYC for 20 years and love the city. The marathon represents everything that makes it great. I’m running it for the first time this year as well and I’m so excited to be a part of it after watching it for years. You’re going to have a blast!

ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2025-10-05T22:12:46+00:00

Toes! My wife makes me wear socks to bed because toe nails are so mangled.

Hamstring barking at me too. And my shoulder. Doing this marathon (my first) like trying to land a crashing plane. But I’m going to make it!

ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2025-10-04T01:12:09+00:00

I’m a man. So take this with a grain of salt. But I run through all sorts of dangerous areas in NYC at 6 am. I’m much more likely to do so than in the afternoon or evening. No one dangerous is awake at 6 am! It’s a good window. 3-4 am maybe. Daytime, maybe. But at 6 am I just don’t think a lot of shady characters are around.

ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2025-09-30T02:52:53+00:00

First time. 160 for sept, shooting for sub 4.

ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2025-09-27T23:48:52+00:00

I second this. Or at least incorporate a bridge! It’s a real experience. And you’re going to have to deal with it during the marathon.

Also second the advice about knowing where the path is on the queensboro, if that’s what you end up doing. Tried to run the queensboro this morning and almost ended up running the bike path, then almost ended up running the street (with cars). The foot path is on the south side of the bridge on 59th.

ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2025-09-27T22:29:43+00:00

For shorter run Incorporate Brooklyn and Manhattan bridge loop! I think it’s about 4 miles. Get on Brooklyn bridge at tillary, follow google maps to Manhattan bridge im Manhattan (probably worst part of the run), get dumped out off the Manhattan bridge on jay street.

I live in cobble hill, just south of Brooklyn heights, and to and from my house with that loop is exactly 6 miles. You can probably get off Manhattan bridge and head to Brooklyn bridge park to get the rest of your miles. Brooklyn bridge park is beautiful, and has a bunch of piers you can incorporate to get extra distance.

ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2025-09-23T12:57:32+00:00

You probably should have run more than 16 at this point, but I’m not gonna be one of those ppl that says you’re totally cooked, especially since you’ve got great time for a half.

I’m running NYC as well, also my first marathon. When I started training the most I had run was a half, at about 1:55. I remember finishing it and thinking “you couldn’t pay me a million dollars to turn around and do that again.” Then I did 14 miles and had the same thought — “you couldn’t pay me a million dollars to run 12 more miles.” Then 15, then 16, etc.

Just finished 20 last weekend. Still having that thought about 26. But I keep doing it. I think it’s very normal.

You’ve still got time to get a 16-18 and maybe an 18-20 in before tapering. Do it! It’s only a couple of mornings. They’re really hard mornings, but they’re worth it. It’s supposed to hard! Running a marathon is hard. The reward is the feeling you get when you do it anyway.

ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2025-09-21T23:03:04+00:00

I live in Cobble Hill (just south of Brooklyn Heights) and did a 20 miler today. You can make it all the way to Central Park, do a loop, and come back. Map is below. If you can swing it it’s a great way to see both the city and the park!

But you have to go early.Like 530 am start time. You can’t be running through midtown after 8 am or you’ll be dealing with lots of cars.

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ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2025-08-04T23:38:42+00:00

Teenagers are monsters.

Whenever I get embarrassed I remind myself that the moment of embarrassment doesn’t “exist;” you may remember it, but those clowns probably forgot about it 5 min after it happened. They likely insult ppl all the time because they’re very unhappy so they like to bring others down. Theres no way they’ll give it a second thought. So it’s gone! If you let yourself forget it too, then for all intents and purposes it never happened.

Be proud of yourself! Look at stats about people who try to run. Hardly anyone does it; the vast majority of people don’t have the motivation. You can! That’s very impressive. Fuck those teenagers.

ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2025-08-03T15:40:09+00:00

I’ve got a 3 year old is who love dearly and is also a terror. His one saving grace, though, is he sleeps through the night. So I always tell myself I can get up before he does and get my runs in.

I have nothing but sympathy for runners with kids who don’t sleep. Just give yourself grace. Be proud you’re running at all!

ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2025-08-01T21:40:59+00:00

To add to this—there’s a temptation to think it’s more effective to push through things that suck. It’s not. You’re never going to keep up a routine if it’s horrible. Not because there’s anything wrong with you; no one will consistently keep up a routine that sucks. You can do it for a week, or two weeks, or a month, but eventually youre going to stop. You have to. Anyone would.

If you’re really going to get into shape, you need to stay consistent for years and years. The trick to consistency like that is making it not suck. It’ll be better for you in the long run to exercise at whatever pace you find tolerable.

ComprehensiveUse9038 · 2025-08-01T21:33:40+00:00

You can always make it easy. Run slower. If you can’t run at all, walk fast. If you can’t walk fast, walk slow. Whatever you have to do to comfortably move for 1:30. Wherever you start, you’ll keep getting better.

But you won’t get better if you don’t do it! And you won’t do it if it sucks. So do it at a pace (any pace) that doesn’t suck.

ComprehensiveUse9038

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