This summer started out better than expected

Getting ready

I am in a racing mood. The warm and humid weather makes me want it even more - I guess I am perverted that way. Or, maybe, my constant streak of  improvements just gives me enough motivation to not slack off just because it's hot and sticky outside. In my last posting from a few days ago I mentioned that I set a running goal for this summer: getting my 5k race pace to 6:30 minutes per mile. Well, one week into summer and I already met this goal. At yesterday's NYCRUNS Brooklyn Cyclones Take Your Base 5k I finished in 19:51 minutes with a pace of 6:24 minutes per mile. That means I also achieved my long standing goal of running a 5k under 20 minutes as well.

Let me recap the race very quickly. I got out of the house a little late and arrived at the MCU Park (the home of the Brooklyn Cyclones baseball team) with just enough time to spare to pick up my bib, drop off my bag, and do a quick five minute warm-up with half-hearted stretches. Next thing I knew the gun went off (okay, no gun, the horn) and we were off. The start line was in front of the ballpark on Surf Avenue, and, as always, I lined up pretty much in front and like with all races my strategy for the first mile is just to hang onto the fastest runners and keep up with them as much as I can which I did by running it in 6:05 minutes. From then on it went downhill very quickly and my paces slowed down to around 6:30 for the last 2.1 miles. We turned left onto the boardwalk and ran a mile or so pass the aquarium until a hairpin U-turn at Coney Island Avenue which slowed everybody down, unfortunately. Then back towards the stadium, into the stadium, a three quarter loop around the field, and through the finish line which was installed right at the home plate. I think I ran a very good race. There were a couple of guys in front of me and I let them pull me along for the first one and a half miles until I noticed that either I was faster than them or they got slower and after a few attempts and a bit of playing around I overtook them and left them in the dust. Once I found my rhythm I was the one overtaking others and did not have anybody else overtake me. As mentioned above, I crossed the finish line in a (for me) breath-taking 19:51 minutes as 23rd finisher (out of 860, which, by the way, is probably the biggest NYCRUNS event I have participated in so far). Unfortunately, I placed a bittersweet 4th in my age group (out of 50) with the third place finishing 45 seconds ahead of me. I did see that guy but he pulled away fast in the last half of the race. Speaking about pulling away: the first female finisher went by me (okay, I kind of stretched the truth when I said nobody overtook me) in the last few yards and I tried everything I could to catch up with her but she crossed the finish line two seconds ahead of me but at least I was able to see how the whole thing works when you win a race. She was 13 years old. After the race we were provided with tickets for free food and beer. The food was provided by Nathan and they handed out pre-cooked burgers or hot dogs and a small side of french fries. We all got two food tickets so in theory you could have lined up twice; I didn't. I also skipped the beer because I did not feel like lining up in line first for a bracelet (where they check your age) and then again at the beer stand.

Finish line

So, what is next now? I guess I want to be ambitious and I set myself a 6:00 pace as goal for this summer. I believe I have the strength to do so but I have to train harder to get my entire body to keep it up. It should be interesting. The NY Flyers offer a speed pass program starting at the end of July to prepare runners for a half or full marathon. I am thinking of signing up for this so I can get a coach-led program to prepare me for a half-marathon late fall and as a first step to the marathon I want to run in November 2015. I will definitely sign up for this year's Bronx 10 mile race in September and maybe the Staten Island half-marathon (I ran both last year and I want to conquer them this year) but those will be the longest races for this year. I don't want to risk a knee injury again. For now let's go fast. Later we can go long.

Talking about fast: next up is race #4 of the PPTC Al Goldstein Speed Series in Prospect Park on Wednesday. It'll be hilly but I'll keep it under 6:30 - I hope.

Keep on running!