Another Marathon November

Thousands of medals

It's been a while. Since I got another two races down and some volunteering work at the 2014 NYC Marathon, it's time to catch up a bit. Let's start with November, 2nd. It was a cold and very windy day and I did not envy the runners of this year's marathon for what they probably had to endure at the start line. I was told that it was so windy that running across the Verrazano Bridge (pretty much the first three miles) was hard work. People took turns to run in front of groups to provide cover from the wind. I was standing in Central Park with hundreds of other volunteers and even there it was quite uncomfortable. But let's rewind a bit.

This year I was one of the lucky people to be picked for medal distribution. We were stationed just a few yards behind the finish line and we greeted the runners and handed them their well deserved medals. In the beginning there was plenty of time to hang them around their necks but very soon we had to deal with so many runners that we just had to hand them out. Some runners still begged to have the medal hung around their necks and as long as our "boss" didn't look (we weren't supposed to waste too much time because there were thousands of runners coming by and they all wanted their medals) I was game and did the favor for them. Others wanted to take pictures with me and even others asked if they could have a second medal for their boyfriend, wife, or mother. And then there was at least one guy who put his medal into his back pocket, returned, and told another volunteer that he was still to get his medal. Sneaky dude. I probably should have said something but I had runners lined up to get their medals. We were warned in the beginning that there will always be runners trying to get more than one medal. I am not sure why, though. Anyway, I will never forget the gratitude and relief most runners show immediately after they finished the race. It was a very rewarding experience despite the fact that we had to show up at 8am and I didn't leave home until around 7pm (and some runners were still coming in). I can tell you, though, the whole thing did not feel like 11 hours. It got so crazy busy once the middle pack of runners came in and it kept that way for many hours.

2014 Laurie Harris 5k

Unfortunately, we didn't see much of the elite runners. The first place woman runner came by us but after her all elites were diverted right after the finish line (and before they had to interact with common folks like us) to their own secret hide-out and recovery space. I guess it makes sense, but wouldn't it be great to hang a medal around an elite runner's neck? I assume the first woman was not supposed to walk by us and she was extremely exhausted and possibly not thinking straight anymore.

Two pieces of criticism: While the entire event was managed extremely well, there were a few too many times where I and others had to stop and asked "what are we supposed to do now?" Communication is always key and, unfortunately, many times an issue and for folks like me who do volunteer work at the finish line for the very first time we do need a clearer picture from the get go what is expected from us and what we should be doing next. Luckily there is always somebody who knows but still.

Secondly, why does volunteering on marathon day not earn you the +1 for guaranteed entry for next year's marathon? If you put in 11 hours or your time into this event (longer than any of the runners) why wouldn't I satisfy the volunteering requirement? I've tried to find an answer but I guess I have to bring this up to the NYRR. I'll shoot them an e-mail and see what the reasons are.

After last month's 10k in Bed-Stuy I took a few weeks off from racing. It felt great for my body to get a break and just focus on training a bit more. I am quite happy where I am with my pace and distances and thought it was an extremely successful year. I ramped it up a bit last weekend by running a 5k on Roosevelt Island and a 4M in Central Park. Unfortunately, my ankle/achilles tendon on my right foot has been acting up and something about my left hamstring is giving me a bit of trouble. I decided not to run at all until next week when my next 5k is due. Let me do a quick recap.

The 5k on Roosevelt Island was the 2nd Annual Laurie Harris Hope and Dreams 5k, a race organized by my running club, the NY Flyers, in honor of a past member who died from pancreatic cancer just recently. I was glad to have a race back on the island again because it is so nice not to wake up an extra hour or two earlier just to get to the start line. Unlike last year's event, this time we had quite a few less runners which is not a bad thing per se. It just shows that switching race directors seems to have an impact on the popularity of a race. Last year it was managed by NYCRUNS who took care of most of the publicity of the event - it was listed on their website, and that is how I found out about it before I even joined the NY Flyers. For some reason this time around it was managed by some outfit called Madison Square Consulting and it was entirely up to us, the club, to get the word out. We had some runners from other local clubs, and the president and CEO of the New York Road Runners was there as well (in a non-running capacity, though), but other than that it was mostly Flyers. In the end we had about 130 registered runners which is a lot less than the 450 or so finishers from last year. It was a very nice event nonetheless despite the cold. Plus, I think I found a fellow runner that I will now declare as a fierce competitor of mine and I will always try to beat him. I am not going to name names but he is a member of the Hellgates Road Runners, he's in the same age group as mine (but three years younger), and he beat me in this 5k in the very last mile! But then I beat him by a couple of minutes or so in the 4 milers the next day.

This guy, right there!
Picture by Hellgates Road Runners

As always (and I am not proud of it) I went out way too fast. Everybody already knew who is going to win the race (Brian, our head coach, a 30-something who just ran the Dash to the Finish Line 5k in a 5:20 pace) and I tried to latch on him as long as possible. The first mile went by in 6:06 minutes, the fastest ever for me in a 5k. It was just Brian, another super-speedy guy, two other guys, and me in front for the first 2 1/2 miles. I had a very good shot at getting into third place if for some reason I didn't slow down to a 6:24 in mile 2, and ran an excruciatingly slow 6:45 third mile. I am guessing I just gave way too much in that first mile and the extremely cold air was not helping. In that third mile the Hellgates runner and the first female winner squeezed by and left me in the dust. In the end I still finished in solid 7th place (out of 131 finishers), 3rd for the Flyers, and 2nd in my age group (if there were age groups, that is) with a time of 19:59 minutes, a 6:26 average pace. I made sure that I stayed under 20 minutes and when I saw the seconds tick by when I approached the finish line I knew I had to turn on the afterburner and get it done. And done I got it... barely but I did. Considering the flatness of the course I am not quite happy with my result and luckily I had the opportunity to redeem myself the very next day.

I am somewhere in there
Picture by NYRR

As eighth race for my nine "get into the 2015 marathon" races I signed up for the Race to Deliver 4M which took place the very next day in Central Park. The course was one time around the inner loop starting and ending on the 72nd St traverse. As usual I was assigned to the front corral and, not sure, yet, if this is actually good or bad, went out with the fastest of the fastest. When I entered the corral most runners tend to stay in the back and move only forward toward the start line when told my a race official. I guess very few feel really comfortable starting all the way in the front. Should I? This time I was able to pace myself a little better and the first mile went by in 6:16 minutes and the second in 6:06. Then the three rolling hills came and slowed me down to a 6:38 and I finished the last mile in 6:22. I am not going to add those numbers up (they are after all from the running app) and use the official result instead. My total time of 25:43 minutes, an average pace of 6:26 per mile, placed me 101st out of 5,302 finishers and 10th(!) out of 289 in my age group. If I ran a second or two faster I would have placed in the one-digit in my age group! This, I say, is awesome! Sure, it seems that this race did not attract the best of the best (or at least not that many) but it is still an NYRR event with thousands of participants. This was way cool. Also, I beat that guy from the day before by over a minute. Yes! When I spent some time at the finish line to spectate a bit he walked by me and recognized me. I will have an eye on him from now on...

I feel like I have not reached my full potential, yet. I used to a bit faster and I realize that it is mostly my mind trying to convince me to stop what I am doing. If I can get that reigned in (and I admit it is hard especially with the ongoing nagging tendons and/or muscles) I think I can get down to a 6 minute mile. We will see. I am focusing right now to stay under 7 minutes for longer races like the upcoming Ted Corbitt 15k (in December), the NYCRUNS Winter Series 10M (in January), and the Fred Lebow Half (also in January).

As I said above, I am taking a week off from all kinds of running, hoping that my right ankle will recover enough, and will jump right into the very technical NYCRUNS Winter Series 5k in Riverside Park on Sunday. At least, I will have a shot at an age group award again.

I will try to get my next blog entry out a lot faster than it took me to write this time. This is not a promise, though. Until then, as always, keep on running!

Music on the course

Stolen from www.timtim.com

On my way to work this morning I was thinking about music. Actually, I was thinking about why I am not a fan of going from any point A to any point B, be it walking, running, or taking the train, with earbuds in my ears. Okay, let me rephrase that. Of course, I started to think about it with why I don't listen to music on my runs. If you flip back a few pages to the beginning of this blog you will read that in the beginning I did listen to music on my training runs and during races. I quit doing it, though, because it was a hassle to deal with bouncy wires and sliding earbuds, and I never had the money to buy a decent pair for my workouts or the patients to find the best routing of the wires from my phone to my ears. Why did I never make it a priority to figure it out or spend a few bucks (like I would when it comes to shoes, shorts, or gloves)?

I hate using the car. Every time we go West to visit family I am dreading the accumulated time I would have to sit in a car just to do simple errands or going on a trip. I don't drive so I always end up being the copilot but it is the fact that I am very restricted when it comes to interacting with my surroundings that makes me not look forward to taking the car. When I sit in the car all I have are the other people in the car, the radio that is usually playing nonstop, the stale air that gets blown around, and that seat that gets more uncomfortable the longer I have to sit in it. I cannot just stop and look at something that caught my eye. I can't touch a fence or the leaves of a tree or the flowers that I think look interesting and need my attention. All I hear is road noise, whining kids (okay, a bit unfair to my kids because they are actually very good kids when it comes to road trips), the same music over and over, and the sometimes forceful conversations just to bridge the time. I feel isolated and forced when I have to use the car.

When I put music into my ear on my commute, on my walks or runs, and during my races, I feel the same kind of isolation. When I got a new iPod many moons ago there was a time when I listened to music every time I stepped into a train or walked to/from work. It got old very fast and I started to leave it at home. I love music but I don't love it that much that I would want to shut out my surroundings. I love the latter a lot more because it empowers me and all my senses are available to enjoy life around me. Even though the homeless guy begging for money or the group of subway acrobats shouting "It's showtime!" are annoying but they complete my experience. I would not want to miss it.

And during races? Besides the usual recommendation from race directors to keep the volume at a level so you can hear instructions and warnings I think listening to the sometimes thousands of running shoes hitting the asphalt instead is a lot more entertaining and especially motivating.

Keep on running, and try it without music once.

Off the beaten Path

Waiting at the start line

Last weekend I spent a morning in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant for the annual Bed-Stuy Restoration Corp. 10k. It was the same day as the Staten Island Half which I ran last year but decided to skip and do something else and push the longer races into 2015. It was an interesting little race (around 400 runners) that zig-zagged through the Bed-Stuy neighborhood with start and finish at the Bed-Stuy Restoration Plaza. Getting there was a matter of taking the A or C train which dropped me right off at the start line. After the usual pre-race activities (picking up the race number, checking in the bag, do a warm-up mile or two, use the toilet) we went off to a great race. My strategy this time was to keep it calm and simple and try to get faster at the end. Somehow, though, I failed to do this once again and went out way too fast and the last third of the distance was run too slow. My goal was to ran the 10k in under 42 minutes (6:46 pace) but I managed to come in under 41 minutes instead, a nice 40:56 (6:36 pace). I wonder if I stayed with the first female finisher, who ran the race a lot smarter and kept on the slow side for the first three miles and then sped up, I would have done even better. Nevertheless, this was a new PR for me. I finished first in my age group of 40-44 and 16th total (out of 401 finishers). As award we got one of those tall trophies which doesn't fit nicely anywhere at home. I am thinking of planning my races according to what awards are given out at the end. I have to find a spot on the shelf in the living room somehow. Just kidding! But still...

Slowly running on empty

Here are the splits according to my Endomondo app:

1. 6:17
2. 6:34
3. 6:30
4. 6:32
5. 6:41
6. 6:44

Here it is!

The course was relatively flat and there were no sharp U-turns or some such. The NYPD blocked off just enough streets to make the race happen but sometimes a car squeezed in here or there but didn't really pose any problems.

Marathon season is coming up and I will be handing out medals at the NYC Marathon and also volunteer at the upcoming NYCRUNS Brooklyn Marathon in Prospect Park. My next few runs will be the Laurie Harris Hope and Dreams 5k, the Race to Deliver 4M, and last but not least the first installment of NYCRUNS Winter Running Series 5k. I am still waiting for the colder weather to come in but nonetheless, keep on running!

Bleeding nipples

Maybe not the best title for a posting but I guess I should be just proud of reaching another mile stone in my running career: I ran until my nipples bled. What's next? Toe nails falling out? At least my knees held up really well. Let me start from the beginning, though.

Medals!
Photo by MarathonFoto

As my seventh NYRR race of the year (not including the two I had to forfeit because of my fractured toe) I ran the second to last race of the 5 Borough Series, the NYRR Bronx 10 Miles. It's a familiar route since I ran the exact same race at the end of September of last year as well. What I forgot, though, was how semi-hilly it is. It's not bad but it really got to me this time. My goal was to cross the finish line in under 1:10 hours, i.e. sub-seven minute pace, something that was predicted I would be able to pull off. If only my mind did not play tricks with me I probably would have done it. The thing is... those hills are murderous after running nine miles as fast as I could. I had to do something that I promised myself I would never ever repeat again after last year's Staten Island Half: I walked. At the end of mile nie I was fighting myself but the weenie in me ruled supreme and I slowed down to a walk up the hill. It wasn't a long walk, maybe 30 to 45 seconds (time is something funny when you are exhausted) but I did it again for another 15 seconds or so on the last hill, half a mile before the finish line. In the end I definitely lost at least a three quarter of a minute. I admit, walking felt great and I was able to run even better after those breaks, but still... after all I did rather well. I finished in 1:10:38 hours (argh!!! If only I didn't walk!!), placed 401st out of 9,462 finishers, 54th out of 701 in my age group, and 6th out of 81 New York Flyers. That gives me an average pace of 7:04 minutes per mile (I can't believe I walked!) and I improved my last year's time by 3:21 minutes. Next year again. I have to focus a lot more on endurance to get through longer distances just as easily as I get through 5 and 10ks. Just to remind me in the future about walking and to avoid it, here are my splits:

1. 6:35 (too fast!)
2. 6:49
3. 7:01
4. 6:57
5. 6:54
6. 6:45
7. 7:13 (the slow-down was caused by turning the corner into a steep-ish incline)
8. 7:01
9. 7:15 (exhaustion set in)
10. 7:46 (too much walking but very strong finish)

Finished! Literally.
Photo by MarathonFoto

After the usual going out a tad too fast I did quite okay for the first 10k of the race. My original plan was to run a 6:50ish pace bu doing the first 3 miles at 7 minutes, the next 3 at 6:50, the next three at 6:40, each, and the last one in whatever was left in me. Maybe my problem is getting a bit too caught up in keeping up with the "guys" at the start. Most of the time now I start in the front coral with all the people who can run this course in under an hour and I always tend to be front-ish with the fastest of them. For the future I should take note and stay more in the middle or towards the end of the first coral so I get to run with the folks that are more like me, pace-wise, that is. I will learn some day!

All that said, it was a great morning out in the Bronx. We had 10,000 starters thereabouts and when I was waiting for the start and turned around to look back the entire Grand Course as far as I could see was filled with runners.

Still setting up

Ah, I guess I have to mention my nipples. At around mile six I always get a cup of water and douse myself to cool me down. This time I did it twice, spilled quite a bit of Gatorade over my shirt, and sweated a lot. That created the perfect environment to chafe both of my nipples to a point that they started to bleed. I didn't realize that until much later after the finish when I saw a red dot on my shirt, wondering what happened there. Once at home, taking a shower was excruciating because the salt from my sweat irritated the wounds even more and now I am sitting here in front of the computer, two days later, with really itchy nipples. Not sure what to do next time. Either stop pouring water over me and leave that for after the finish line or putting a band-aid over them.

Now that my knees and hips seem to be holding up just fine I created a plan for what to do with winter this year. I am quite excited about this since I had to sit it out last year and so this is what I have planned so far:

October 12, 2014: Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corp. 10k

November 22, 2014: Laurie Harris Hope & Dreams 5K, Roosevelt Island

November 23, 2014: Race to Deliver 4M, Central Park*

November 30, 2014: NYCRUNS Winter Running Series - Riverside Park 5k

December 13, 2014: NYRR Ted Corbitt 15k, Central Park*

December 21, 2014: NYCRUNS Winter Running Series - Roosevelt Island 10k

January 11, 2015: NYCRUNS Winter Running Series - Central Park 10 miles

February 22, 2015: NYCRUNS Central Park Half Marathon

* Last two NYRR races to get guaranteed entry into 2015's NYC Marathon

I'm also planning on volunteering for the NYCRUNS Brooklyn Marathon to pay for my NYCRUNS races.

I am back! And we all keep on running!

Fastest Mile

Just crossed the
finish line
Photo by Marathonfoto

I'm back! I dared to put my foot to the test and ran the Fifth Avenue Mile last Saturday. It felt so good to line up with other runners and just give all you can (and try to beat as many of the the other runners as you can.) The Fifth Avenue Mile is a fun event because it was just about running one mile as fast as you can. The start line was on 80th Street, just south of the Met, and the finish line was at the south east corner of Central Park on 60th Street and 5th Avenue. Since it is such a short race we runners were divided into heats by age and gender. I was in heat 10, male runners 40-49 years of age, 677 runners in total. I read a few pieces about strategy and tactics on how to run this but in the end it was just all about go out and run as fast as you possibly can. The only thing to watch out for is probably to not go out sprint-style. Just go out fast and get faster as you go until you collapse on the finish line. The advantage of this course is that the second to last quarter mile is on a downslope and the last one is flat, i.e. there was a lot of opportunity to really ramp it up in the last half of the race. A mile can be extremely long in some races but it was very short in this one. I finished in 5:45 minutes which placed me 902nd out of 5610 finishers, 93rd out of 401 in my age group, and 5th for my team. I think I could have been a tad faster but I wasn't in tip-top shape because I haven't really run for almost four weeks. Considering my injury I was surprised how much I had in me, though. I think I am ready for the Bronx 10 Mile in two weeks.

The other thing I did running related was volunteering for the first NYRCUNS Queens Half Marathon in Flushing Meadow-Corona Park. It was a great event, as always, and I was course marshal at mile 10. The main reasons why I signed up for this were that a) I really like what NYCRUNS is doing, b) I wanted to support them for their very first half marathon in Queens, and c) we got double race credit ($50), an official NYCRUNS race management tech-shirt, a Queens Half tech-shirt, and bagels to bring home. Until today I do not know why so few people want to volunteer for them while the NYRR gets all the volunteers it needs. Sure, it is a requirement to get guaranteed entry in the NYC marathon but why are there so few that would do the same for race credit (free racing!) and just a good time all around? Anyway, it was a great time.

I will give my toe (and my hip which suffered a bit from my limping) another week of rest before I start with doing a few slow and easy runs to prep me for the 10 miles I will run on the 28th in the Bronx. Until then, keep on running!

Sidelined (again)

Shamelessly stolen from
http://www.exercisebikes.us/search.htm

Three weeks and counting... today was the 4M Autism run in Central Park and I had to skip it. Next weekend if the 5th Ave Mile and I have no idea if I will be able to run it or not. My toe is getting better but it is going frustratingly slow. I had a follow-up with a podiatrist a week ago and he suggested to stay away from running for at least two more weeks for the fracture to heal sufficiently enough. If I can jump on the foot pain free I can go back out on the road, he said, and that is not happening right now. In order to maintain my fitness level (or lets say, not to let it deteriorate it too much) I started hitting the gym to use the stationary recumbent bike. It is not the same and requires a lot more time to have the same impact as running but it is better than nothing. I am doing an hour or 45 minutes of cycling every night, followed up with some weight training. I think I will try the elliptical soon, i.e. when I think I can walk pain free for at least an hour. I cannot wait to get back outdoors, though. The gym is mind numbingly dull.

Luckily for this season I have a coach available through my running club and I have been staying in touch with him. According to him I should take a week of easy running once I get the go ahead and then ease back into speed training. To get my four missing races for guaranteed entry into next year's marathon I will have to add new races to my schedule. I am thinking of the Dash to the Finish Line, Race to Deliver, and the Ted Corbitt 15k. If I will not get to run the 5th Ave Mile I will have to add the Poland Spring Kickoff and cancel my commitment to volunteer at NYCRUNS's Haunted Island. Let's cross fingers.

Other races I am interested in running this fall and winter (all NYCRUNS): the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corp. 10k (instead of the Staten Island Half this year), the Festival of Lights Half Marathon (as test how well the coaching sessions prepared me for a half marathon), and the NYCRUNS Winter Running Series (Riverside Park, Roosevelt Island, and Central Park). Also, if I get through the Festival of Lights Half well enough I may try the Frozen Bonsai Half as well.

Keep on running while I put up my legs.

Black and Purple

Not good

Just great - I had two races lined up for this coming weekend and I have to forfeit both of them plus the last 5k in Prospect Park for this season. Why? Because I am unable to walk through my apartment without breaking a toe. Yup. I just walked from the living room to the kids' room to fetch something and hit my pinky toe on the workout machine we store in the hallway. I was hoping that I just sprained it but the cracking sound/sensation that came with stubbing the toe made be suspect something more that just fleeting pain. I did hope for the entire night, though, that ice and pain killers would make it go away but the urgent care visit the next morning and a few x-rays made it clear that I better take it easy for a couple weeks. The good thing: it is just a fraction, it is just the pinky toe, and it is not displaced. According to the doctor it should be as good as new within two weeks but, me being me, I will test it as soon as the bruising, i.e. the pain, subsides. Maybe a week? I really do not want to miss the Labor Day 10k and the Autism Speaks 4M. I am afraid I would lose my fitness and have to start from "semi-scratch" again... I've got points to collect in order to get guaranteed entry into next year's NYC Marathon! Since I will be missing the Percy Sutton Harlem 5k Run I have to make up for it and, fortunately, I will have the Dash to the Finish Line to do so. If I miss the Autism run, I have to find another NYRR race, that I haven't planned on running. Maybe the Poland Sprint 5M or the Ted Corbitt 15k. Or I will run those anyway...

On the volunteering side of things I have done a Long Training Run pace leader job for the 8 minutes per mile group with the NY Flyers and I volunteered as course marshall on for the MS Run the US New York Finish 5k, an NYCRUNs event. I am debating if I should volunteer at the race I registered for on Sunday but my gut says that I shouldn't spend too many hours standing on my feet with a broken toe. I will probably just eat the registration fee and not bother with it any further. I also signed up as a volunteer for the upcoming NYCRUNS Narrows Half Marathon, the NYCRUNS Queens Half Marathon (but I may be running it), and the Yonkers Marathon. I am just not ready to run those distances, yet, but I want to be part of it. And since I get race credit for every time I volunteer I cannot think of any better opportunity to be there through volunteering.

Last but not least, just a quick recap of the seventh installment of the PPTC Al Goldstein Speed Series on 8/13. I improved my time once more and was able to stay under 20 minutes. I finished the 5k course in 19:54 minutes (6:52 pace), placed 38th/292 total and 4th/24 in my age division. I doubt I will be able to run the last one on this series so I just want to mention that this was a great race series with a lot of bang for the buck.

Not sure what my next race is going to be. In the meanwhile, keep on running!