4 for the Holiday

Today was the NYRR Holiday 4 Mile race in Central Park. It was my last race for 2007, and I've been gearing up for a while to really push it to the limit in this race.

I jogged over to the race with my buddy PL, and met up with the H's. Three members of the H family were racing and KH generously served as pit crew for us and her son's schoolmates. She even had an extra pair of gloves and a headband for the tragically under-dressed PL.

When the race started I went out fast according to plan. I hit the first mile marker at 6:46, a pretty good clip for me if I could hold it. I was already feeling winded though, and glad that the next mile was mostly downhill. The second mile went by in 6:44, but holding steady on this mile was a sign of fatigue, given the mostly downhill slope. Knowing that mile 3 was the toughest mile, including Cat Hill, I had my doubts as to whether I would be able to hold pace.

As I approached the base of the hill, I flashed back to the many workouts I had done with the morning Flyers at this very spot. We run hard up the hill, jog down and repeat, usually 8 times. I got my head into training mode and powered up the hill.

Around the top of the hill, Flyer GW spotted me from the sidelines and ran along side me for a bit. Now, the way I was breathing (panting) at that point, most of my friends would have suggested that I step out of the race and sit down on a couch (or hospital bed) where I belonged. GW however, is a running friend, and he took a different approach. He yelled at me, insisting that I push harder. When I tried to make some sort of clever remark back, he suggested "less talking, more running!".

Inspired by GW, I continued to push, and at the end of mile 3 I was surprised to find that I had kept pace pretty well (6:48). Then it was just a matter of what I could pull out for the last mile. With about a half mile to go, I heard a runner behind me call out my name. A few seconds later I was passed by MT and RJ, two fast young runners that I train with. They were obviously not running their hardest races, but it was still great to be approaching the finish of a race anywhere near them. I did my best to hang near to them as they led the way to the finish line.

When it was over, I was completely out of breath, but happy with my effort. I ran the last mile in 6:29, making my total race time 26:45. Average pace: 6:41/mile. I wasn't the fastest guy out there by any means, but I absolutely gave it my all. I was a PR for me, and I finished 20th of 242 men in my age group.

I grabbed some hot chocolate, and met back up with PL and the H's. PL, TH and I walked back to the West Side together. It was a great end to the the racing year. I'm already dreaming about racing in 2008. See you out there!

Going for the Max

This article in the NY Times addresses the question of maximum performance.

Here's a quote: "

BILL MORGAN, an emeritus professor of kinesiology at the University of Wisconsin, likes to tell the story, which he swears is true, of an Ivy League pole vaulter who held the Division 1 record in the Eastern region.

His coaches and teammates, though, noticed that he could jump even higher. Every time he cleared the pole, he had about a foot to spare. But if they moved the bar up even an inch, the vaulter would hit it every time. One day, when the vaulter was not looking, his teammates raised the bar a good six inches. The man vaulted over it, again with a foot to spare.

When his teammates confessed, the pole vaulter could not believe it. But, Dr. Morgan added, “once he saw what he had done, he walked away from the jumping pit and never came back.”

After all, Dr. Morgan said, everyone would expect him to repeat that performance. And how could he?"

What a story! The head game is huge for runners. I would say that it is an even bigger differentiator for amateurs like myself than it is for professionals. Why? Well, the pros have complete clarity about commitment. Three miles into a 10K (6.2 miles), amateurs have to ask themselves "do I really want to keep up this level of exertion (pain) for another 3.2 miles?" The questions of "can I do it?" and "do I want to do it?" become blurred. We often hear the advice: "don't go out too fast", even for middle distance races. This can easily turn into an excuse for backing off when you start to feel tired.

For shorter races, I tend to go out fast and then hang on, not letting myself slow down unless my body simply fails me. I tend to find out that I can hang on pretty darn well, and exceed my expectations.

For longer races, however, this doesn't work for me. I can only "hang on" for so long. If I'm doubting my pace a third of the way through a half marathon, I'm in trouble. So where is the line drawn between a shorter and a longer race? Right now, it seems to be at the 10K distance. I can treat a 10K as a short race, but it ain't easy, and anything longer is another story.

One goal for next year will be to bring all of my PRs for 10K or less to under a 7 minute/mile pace. I've run a 5 mile race at 6:56, so this is very realistic. Running sub 7, however, is strenuous enough for me that I need to know it's going to end before TOO long. I can't hold that level of effort for longer than 10K. If I want to go further at that pace, I'll have to get in good enough shape that I can run that fast without so much effort. Sounds like another goal...

JK 10K

I entered the Joe Kleinerman 10K on Sunday, with the plan of running strong, but not all out -- saving a little extra for my main goal, this weekend's Holiday 4 miler. As I've mentioned before, it's challenge for me to run a race as a "training run", but running a just under race pace? Hmm....At the start of the race, I was already thinking evil thoughts -- a PR was certainly possible, and going under a 7 minute / mile pace was also within reach... if I went all out.

trakmaniak stopped by to say hello where I was lined up at the start. The 7 minute marker is definitely slumming it for this guy, but he had the camera out, and was clearly there to get some action shots rather than run his usual speedy pace.

The race started and I was able to run the first mile at a comfortable pace without getting caught up much in traffic -- 7:35. I tried picking it up for the second mile to see what kind of pace was in the cards for me -- 7:01. This put a PR in reach, but going under a 7 min/mile pace unlikely. I decided to put that goal out of my mind and stick with my plan of saving something for next week.

I saw JN, who I run with in the morning group, spectating in runner's style -- jogging the course in the opposite direction, and I was cheered on by DG and several other Flyers.

The 3rd mile, mostly downhill or flat, was 6:47. Telling myself not to get excited, even ease up a bit. During the fourth mile, I was passed by a Flyer that I don't know well, but that I knew usually beats me. He didn't look like he was working very hard. Trying to keep up with him would be pure folly. I kept my own pace.

Went by JN again, still running the other way. He saw me this time and gave me a cheer.

I finished mile 4 (7:04) and mile 5 (7:06), and I was feeling fine about my pace. Still looking good for a PR, but not for going under the 7 minute/mile pace. During mile 5, I passed a couple of Flyers that usually beat me, and this boosted my confidence. Also, to my surprise, I found that the Flyer who had passed me easily in mile 4 was still only 2o yards in front of me. There was no way I could pass up this opportunity. With one mile to go, there was a guy right in front of me, who was my age, and who regularly beat me. I had to try to pass him at the finish.

The last mile was mostly downhill, and I picked up the pace, but so did he. He was pulling away, but I wasn't giving up. During the last half mile, I reeled him back in to within striking range. With about 100 meters to go, I went for the finishing kick, and passed him just before the finish. As I crossed the finish line, he was catching back up -- I think when he saw me pass he tried to pick it up, but it was too late. No doubt that if he knew I was coming I wouldn't have had a chance.

In the end, my time was 43:31 -- a 7:01 pace. I picked up the last 1.2 miles enough to almost put me under 7 minutes/mile. Even though I pushed hard for the last mile, I know I have a faster 10K in me. Next time I'll have to be shooting for sub 7 minute pace.

I hung out and chatted with lots of Flyers after the race, and walked back to the West Side with nyflygirl and runner26.

This Saturday will be my last race of 2007. It's a 4 mile run, and I'm going to let it all hang out. I'm satisfied that I'm fully recovered from the marathon. Each race is getting shorter (15K, 10K, 4 mile) and I've been feeling stronger each week. For 27 minutes or so, I can push myself the whole way. I've come a long way this year. Let's see what these old legs can do!

Feelin' the Need For Speed

Had a great run yesterday morning. I met up with new Flyer CC at 96th in the wee hours and ran down to 72nd to meet the Flyer morning group at 6AM. Did the loop with the Flyers, and ran home. CC had been talking about taking the train home, but ended up joining me for the run home. Train? Ha!

For me it was close to 10 miles, and it felt good. I think I have finally fully recovered from the abuse my legs took in the marathon. I'm feeling ready to start pushing the speed for the upcoming races (woo hoo!).

Another nice boost was an email thread that went around the old Flyer's Team Black, from last June's Need For Speed 50 mile relay race. One member pointed out that early registration was open, and within hours all eight members had responded that they were up for another go. I had a blast last time, and I can't think of much I'd rather do than attack that course again with these folks.

It was actually reading blog entries from nyflygirl (team Black) and trakmaniak (team Red) on Need For Speed that inspired me to start this blog.

Hot Chocolate 15K

I went out today to run the Hot Chocolate 15K as a training run. I've tried this before, but it's pretty hard to do. I usually get sucked into the excitement by the crowd of other runners and end up running faster than I had planned. Let's face it, the reason I'm running the race instead of just running on my own is for that excitement. It's a balancing act to absorb the vibe without getting pulled into the race.

This time, it worked out very well. After the first mile, which was slow due to overcrowding, I kept a very steady pace -- just under 8 minutes per mile. I'm still nursing my legs back to full strength after the marathon, and today seemed right on target. It was a good workout, and should serve to build my strength rather then tear it down. I ran 1:13:51 (7:55/mile), which is actually a PR for me, only because it's been a while since I ran a 15K (there aren't that many).

Sticking to the plan, I'll let myself run a bit faster next weekend in the 10K, and then go all out for the 4 miler the following weekend. It will be fun to run a shorter race and see what I can do. I wish there was a 5K coming up -- that would be really fun.

Today's race made me think back to where I was a year ago. I planned to run the Hot Chocolate 15K with my friend TH, and I was worried about the distance. Although TH had run 2 marathons, I had never run more than 10K. I remember being a bit freaked out when the NYRR announced that the race had been changed to 10 miles (0.7 miles further than 15K). TH reassured me that it could be done however, and he stuck with me to make sure I made it. We ran a 1:42:42 (10:16/mile).

It's great to look back and see improvement -- a benefit of being new to running. Sooner or later I'll hit my peak, and I'll only get slower over the years. But first, I'll have to reach that peak at each distance that I race. My PR list currently holds 8 distances - that should help to delay the inevitable. And hey, I can always add new distances to the list. Anyone know where I can find a 8K race?

Next Goals

OK, I'll admit it. I'm goal oriented.

The post marathon recovery has been making me crazy, since the only reasonable goal I could come up with was to feel healthy and get back into the groove. That's just not a very exciting goal.

It seems odd somehow, to go from being in the best shape I've ever been in, to semi-out-of-commission. I didn't suffer any injury per se in the marathon, but my legs definitely took a beating, and it feels like a set back in terms of my fitness.

The momentum is, at least, shifting my way. I've been able to run every other day for 6-8 miles, and the spring is returning to my stride. The only catch is that I've been getting a hint of discomfort toward the end of these runs. It has been coming later and later though, indicating (I hope) that I'm on the road to recovery.

I've been dying to pursue my next goal -- some fast times in shorter races.

Next week, the morning Flyers return to speed work on Tuesdays. We've just been running the loop since the marathon. On Sunday there is a 15K, which is 9.3 miles. This morning's 8 miles was the longest I have run since the marathon, so I may run the 15K as a training run. I hope to pick up the pace a bit the following weekend for the 10k, and be ready to really race one week later for the NYRR Holiday 4 miler.


I could PR the 15K, since my best time for this distance is quite slow -- slower than my usual training pace. The 10K will be tougher to PR unless I'm feeling pretty strong. The 4 miler is a good target. I have run a 5 mile race at a faster pace than my current 4 mile PR, and I should be fully back by then. I would love to really nail this one. Ah, dreams.

Note to self: find some reindeer antlers.

Back in the Saddle

I ran a couple of miles on the treadmill earlier this week, but today I had my first "real" run since the marathon. TH and I ran the 5 mile loop in the park at a relaxed pace. It was great to be running again. TH announced that today was his first day of training for next year's NY Marathon (sorry TH if that wasn't supposed to be public), and I had no choice but to match his declaration.

It's been nearly a 2 week layoff, and I was worried about how I would feel. Worried that my legs might not have recovered, and worried that I might have lost all the fitness that I had worked so hard for.

My legs do not have the full spring that they had, but I think they are OK to get back into training. As for fitness, I wasn't breathing hard or feeling tired (other than the muscles in my legs).

One thing is sure -- I haven't lost a bit of enthusiasm or drive. I'm dying to get going again!

That's what I'm talkin' about

Marathon Report

OK, this is my third try at writing a post after the Marathon. It was an amazing experience, one that I will never forget. So much happened that I will be processing it for a while. In the meantime, I offer this summary:

High point of the day: My seven year old son spotting me at the "friends and family" area after the race, yelling "Daddy!!!" and running up to give me a hug. I may not have been the object of envy for the other runners during the race, but at that moment, I was king of the world.

Low point: The walk out after crossing the finish line. I took me over an hour to get out of the park, during which time I was cramping up pretty badly. Fortunately, the cramps were worked out by the time made it out.

Short story: Ran well, feeling great to mile 19, then suddenly hit the wall. Limped through the next couple of miles, then somehow recovered enough to finish with dignity in tact.

Time to beat next year: 3 hours 55 minutes 40 seconds.

Fred At The Finish

Countdown to the Start, November 4, 2007: 3 days 10h 33m 09s

Sunday, Nov 4

High: 56 °F RealFeel®: 53 °F

Intervals of clouds and sunshine

I went for a nice easy run this morning, on my own to avoid getting caught up in the pack and running to far or to fast.

I didn't have a clear plan, just see how it felt and take it easy. I got to the park and headed south, as I usually do. That left a lot of options; the reservoir, the 4, 5 or 6 mile loops...

I figured I'd do a 4 mile loop, crossing at 72nd Street. Of course it didn't take me long to realize that I would be just missing running by the marathon finish line by a few hundred yards. So, when I hit 72nd I kept going and ran down to check out the scene. I wasn't disappointed. There were two overpasses that had been built to allow people to cross the road. The finish line structures were in place, and of course the bleachers were there. The best part, though, was that the statue of Fred Lebow had apparently been moved to the finish line from it's usual place at Engineer's Gate.

There at the gate, where many training runs start and end, Fred checking his watch is the immortal coach making sure we are training at the right pace. At the finish line of the marathon however, he appears to be checking our finishing times. I hope I meet his approval. No pressure...

The First 16 Miles

Countdown to the Start, November 4, 2007: 6 days 16h 23m 12s

Sunday, Nov 4

High: 55 °F RealFeel®: 50 °F

Clouds to start, then sunshine returns

Ran the Poland Spring Marathon Kickoff this morning. I planned to pace my friend PL, but he forgot his cell phone, so we didn't find each other at the start.

I got to the start line late, as I was trying to reach PL before checking my cell phone, and the starting area was packed. Rather than start completely at the back, I went around the side to an appropriate spot for my pace. There were a lot of people doing this, and before the race started, the staff just pulled the gates aside, widening the starting area and letting us all in.

Of course it was a slow start, which was good because it helped me control the urge to run the race aggressively. With the marathon a week out, I really didn't need to push it today.

At around the halfway point, I ran into PL -- what a miracle! We ran together the rest of the way. We met Flyer GW along the way, who was also trying to be disciplined and keep his pace in check. The three of us ran together for a while until it was time for PL's finishing kick. (He bagged himself a nice PR, by the way).

It's a two mile run to and from my house and the race, so I'm counting it as 9 miles for today, bringing my 2nd taper week to 26 miles. It's a little light, but I my body was telling me I needed the rest.

The next event for the day was driving the first 16 miles of the marathon course. My friend TH was incredibly generous with his time, giving me the grand tour. He has run twice, but will sit it out this year. He showed my all around the starting area in Fort Wadsworth, and then took the wheel for the drive from over the Verrazano bridge, through amazingly diverse neighborhoods of Brooklyn and Queens, and back into Manhattan via the Queensborough bridge (pictured on the left). I ran the last 10 miles of the course last weekend, so there was no need to drive on.

It was a real kick to do this drive. TH had lots of war stories to put it all in context. The most impressive thing though, was the distance. Almost all of the races I've run have been loops, more or less finishing where they started. These 16 miles were a straight shot through one neighborhood after another making the distance seem longer. It was.... intimidating.

I can't wait!

More like it....

I ran a nice 5 miles in the rain this morning. Feeling healthy and strong.
The rain was no problem at all -- for 5 miles. There were no big puddles, so my shoes didn't get waterlogged. I imagine that short of a real storm, the biggest drag of a rainy marathon day would be the hours hanging outside before the start. Probably it would be the spectators that would be getting the worst deal.

When I got back, I checked the weather, and waddaya know -- the rain prediction was gone. It will probably change 5 more times before the big day, but this forecast is perfect.

Sunday, Nov 4

High: 54 °F RealFeel®: 48 °F

Plenty of sunshine

Those guys are never right...

Countdown to the Start, November 4, 2007: 8 days 12h 41m 19s

Sunday, Nov 4

High: 54 °F RealFeel®: 50 °F

Rainy

Racing Anniversary

Countdown to the Start, November 4, 2007: 9 days 16h 57m 19s

So how is the weather looking?
Long term predictions look pretty good. We'll see what happens when we get closer....

Sunday, Nov 4

High: 62 °F RealFeel®: 58 °F

Mostly cloudy and warmer

I skipped the Thursday morning group run today. I feel healthy, but I've had that "after a tough workout" feeling in my legs since my last 20 miler - 10 days ago. Hopefully, two days off in a row will get me back on the taper track. If I had gone out this morning, I would have had to run hard. You just can't let those young whipper-snappers take off on you, or they cop an attitude. I'll go out tomorrow on my own, and run the pace that my body dictates.

I'm signed up for the Poland Spring 5 miler on Sunday. I'll just go easy. OK, I'm not very good at that. I probably shouldn't run it at all, but last year's Poland Spring was my first race ever, and it would be fun to enjoy how much I've improved in a year. Let's see, I ran a 48:50 -- that's a 9:46 pace. That's almost 3 minutes slower than my current PR -- per mile. OK, there. I've enjoyed it. Now I don't have to race...

The Last Ten Miles...

Today was the Flyer's "Last Ten Miles" run. It covers the final miles of the NYC Marathon course from where it enters Manhattan, up First Avenue, into the Bronx, circling back into Manhattan again, and finishing in Central Park.

The run was very pleasant. I was fun to imagine finishing the marathon, without being tired from running the first 16 miles.

I had been worried that it would be stop and go, because the streets would not be closed. I figured that we would spend a lot of time standing at intersections waiting for lights to change so that we could cross. This turned out not to be the case, as there wasn't much traffic at that hour, and we hardly ever had to stop. It was a real run in which I could keep pace, not the sight-seeing trip I had expected.

There was a great turnout for the run, and I enjoyed hanging out with the Flyers afterward. The more Marathon stories I hear from the club veterans, the more excited I get.

Stats for the first week of my taper:

Weight: 162

Peek Training Week Milage (last week): 51
Miles for this week: 30

Monday: Day off to recover from Sunday's 20
Tuesday: Speed work with the AM Flyers : 4x 1 mile @ 6:50 per mile (+ 1 mile to get there).
Wednesday: off
Thursday: 10 miles, including a 6 at tempo pace with the AM Flyers
Friday: off
Saturday: 5 miles - easy pace
Sunday: 10 miles (Last 10 miles of the NYC Marathon course with the Flyers ) 7:32 pace.

Plans for next week:
- Maintain weight. In the future, I hope to continue losing weight, but now it's time to hold steady to be strong for the big day.
- Drop mileage slightly, but keep some speed/tempo work in the schedule.

Anticipation

I just got back from an easy 5 miles in the park.

I went out with me friend TH, and before long Flyer PD spotted us and joined our run. We called out to Crazy Bandana who was going the other way, and ran into Flyer JH and a friend of his at the Engineer's Gate.

There was a lot of talk about the upcoming NYC Marathon, including plenty of advice for the first timer. There were tons of runners in the Park. The weather was beautiful, and the vibe was fantastic.

Tomorrow, I will run in the Flyers "Last 10 Miles" run, which covers the last 10 miles of the NYC Marathon course. I'm really looking forward to it. Running at a comfortable pace, socializing with the Flyers, and dreaming about the race as we run the last 3rd of the course.

Good times.

The Staten Island 20

Yesterday was my last day to get in a long run before the official taper started. I was a bit conflicted, since I was planning to run the Staten Island Half Marathon, but I really needed a 20 miler, not a 13.1. According to the rules of marathon tapering, yesterday was my last chance to do a 20 miler. After that, there should be no more long runs until the big day.

In January, I ran the Manhattan Half, the first of the Gran Prix series. This series is made up of one half marathon in each of the 5 boroughs of New York. I ran this race, my first half marathon, with my friend PL, and we had such a great time that we agreed to try to run all 5 races. Staten Island was the fifth and final race in the series. I had promised PL to help him hit his goal of breaking the 8 min/mile pace, and I looked forward to running the whole race with him.

The Flyers had a 20 mile training run in Croton on Saturday which would have been ideal for my marathon training. But if I did that run, there is no way I could do the half the next day. My solution was to do the Staten Island Half, and then tack on an extra 7 miles to make my 20.

We took the Staten Island Ferry over to the race, which was a blast. The boat was full of runners. Walking from the Ferry terminal to the start (just a few hundred yards), we passed a nice 9/11 memorial, and took in the beautiful view of Manhattan.

The race went well, although there was a bad moment at the 10 mile mark, when I realized that I wasn't 3.1 miles from the end, but rather just half way through my planned 20 miles.

I kept our planned pace of 8 min/mile, and came into the finish feeling pretty strong. As we approached the end of the race, other runners were kicking, but I was holding steady, knowing that I had 7 more miles to go. Flyer JW passed me near the end and yelled out "come on John!", and it was hard not to rise to the challenge.

After the finish, I got my chip clipped, and grabbed a gatorade, and headed back on to the course. The race course was an "out and back" and my plan was to just go out 3.5 miles and turn around again. I felt bad passing runners going the other way -- I hate to see runners, who have already finished, jogging backwards along the course as I kill myself to finish -- but I was not alone. A number of runners were doing exactly what I was doing.

Unfortunately, almost immediately after heading back out, I got very, very tired. I was dragging ass, and I couldn't maintain the 8 min/mile pace any longer. I was determined to do the 20 however, so I pressed on. The taper was ahead of me, so this was the time to push it to the limit. I completed the 20, but I was beat. I was the end of a 50 mile week - a first for me.

I was sore well before the run was over. I got home and took an ice bath and recovery came quickly. That is one of the best signs that I am in better and better shape -- I am recovering from tough runs much easier than before.

Quick recovery aside, I am ready to dial it back. Let the taper begin!

The Big Race

This weekend was the Norwegian Festival in Central Park. The festivities included a half marathon, a 1.7 mile race and the "Troll Stroll" kids races. The main event was the half marathon, which was named "Grete's Great Gallup" after Grete Waitz, the Norwegian nine time winner of the New York Marathon.

I had registered for the half marathon, but it conflicted with a family outing, so I wasn't planning to run. Then I noticed that the "Norway Run", the 1.7 miler, was going to be at 8:15AM -- before the half marathon. Obviously, it wouldn't take as long either, so I decided to squeeze it in before my trip. It turned out that my race number would work for either race (but not both), so I was all set.

Tacking on a 2 mile jog to and from the start, I would end up with 5.7 miles for the morning. Definitely better than nothing.

I knew that 2 races in the same day would dilute the field, but I was surprised how much affect it had. When I went to line up for the start, the front of the starting area was no where near as packed as usual. I lined up a respectful distance from the starting line, but the usual crowd surge forward brought me closer to the starting line than I ever had been. I was standing right in front of the announcer, and for the first time could really see the folks that were talking.

NYRR president Mary Wittenberg took the mircophone and, with tongue in cheek, announced that this was the "big race" of the day. Mary looked very fit in her Team For Kids race singlet, and I wondered if she was going to jump in and run with us. She introduced Grete Waitz, also looking fit, but not dressed like she was going to run with us. It was cool to see her -- nine time winner of the NYC Marathon -- can you imagine? Grete had a few nice words to say, and we were ready to go.

The crowd moved forward again, and I found myself standing on the first timing pad. I had never been anywhere near this close to the start. After the gun, there were a few hundred yards of craziness as the runners sorted themselves out while trying to get off to a quick start. In a race this short, there wasn't much room for easing into the pace.

Very soon, however, it was clear running, and it was fun. I like these short races in which you can push hard, knowing that it will be over soon. I saw Flyer SR ahead of me - too far ahead to catch, but close enough to chase. The finish line was the same as the NYC marathon finish, and in the final stretch I felt great and gave it everything I had. Good times.

I was congratulating SR on his run when Flyer CB came up and told us that she was chasing me. Flyer SQ appeared moments later. Sounded like we had a Flyer train going on.

I went with my friends the H family (2 of them ran this race) over to the festival area, where we collected our free bagels with lox. Now that's a great after race treat. Jogging home, I definitely had a spring in my step. Running - good.

The results? I finished in 10:38 (6:15/mile) -- good enough for 4th in my age group. OK, there were only 60 men in my age group, but it's my first top ten finish, and I'll take it. Overall, I finished 65th in a field of over 1600 runners. Sure, many of the fast runners were racing the half marathon instead, but who cares -- not me!

Flyer CB won her age group, as she often does. Finishing second behind her was NYRR president Mary Wittenburg. That's good leadership in my book.

McFitness?

Last month, the NYRR organized an event called the Fitness Mind, Body, Spirit Games, featuring a 4 mile race in Central Park. The "Presenting Sponsor" for the race was McDonald's.

It seemed pretty ridiculous, and there were lot's laughs about what the post race snack might be, but I wasn't free that day, and didn't think much about it.

This morning, on my jog back from the Thursday morning Flyer run, I saw a runner stretching by her doorstep. She was sporting the race shirt from the event, and the sight of the large McDonald's logo was really shocking.

Here was a runner being used as a human billboard for this company that really has no right to even try to associate itself with fitness.

We can't give these guys a free pass just for dropping a few bucks into a self promotional event in the park. If you have one of those shirts, I suggest that you lose it, turn it into a dish rag or burn it. Just don't go running in it - yuck!

Getting a Tune Up

Today was the ING NYC Marathon Tune-Up, and 18 mile race designed to help runners gauge their readiness for the marathon.

In order to do this run, I had to skip the Flyers 20 mile Tri-Boro run, a great sounding event set up by my friend GW. The Flyers run would have been great socially, and it would have exposed me to some of the marathon course, but I imagined it would involve running on sidewalks, dealing with traffic, and generally be focused less on pace than just getting in a solid long run.

Because I was still not sure what pace I wanted to target for the marathon, I decided on the Tune Up, which would be a timed event in a controlled environment. I decided to try out my most ambitious marathon goal pace, and see how it felt after 18 miles.

As I approached the East Meadow at around 6:30 AM for the 7:00 AM start, I saw a number of runners jogging the other way. I soon found out that the NYRR was not having the usual number (and timing chip) pickup at the start, but rather at the NYRR headquarters. It looked like a lot of runners were going to get in an quick extra mile or more this morning, running there and back. Fortunately, I already had my number, thanks to my friend KH, who had picked it up for me when she was getting her kids' numbers for the 5th Avenue Mile. Hopefully everyone made it to the start on time.

Before the race started, it was clear that the vibe was going to be different from other races. My sense was that folks were there for the same reason that I was. Yes, they would try to go fast, but not push as in a normal race. Folks had their eyes on the prize -- the Marathon. This was a chance to get a sense for their readiness, and develop their race plan.

The race began over the Great Hill, and I fell right into pace. On the West Side, I saw a large group of Team For Kids runners gathering, and I remembered that they were joining the Flyers for the group run I mentioned earlier. Soon after that we started passing Flyers that were running the other way toward the meet point. Running in the opposite direction from a race is a common way for runners to be spectators, and these folks were looking out for team mates to cheer on. Over the next half mile, I greeted so many folks, that I imagined it might be starting to irritate the racers around me. Have I mentioned that the Flyers rule?

At around mile 5, Flyer ST caught up with me and said hello. We chatted a bit about her recent trip to Italy (she had just gotten back the day before!). After a mile or so she said "well, I'm probably holding you back..." (yeah, right). Of course, the truth was the opposite and with my encouragement, she moved on.

One thing I've been working on is taking in fluids on the run. I've finally got the hang of it, using the grab, dump, pinch and suck approach. That is - grab a cup, dump some of the contents if it has more than I want, pinch off the top of the cup so that only an inch or two on one end is open, and then suck out a swallow as you would from a sports bottle. Using this method, I can take in a lot without stopping, choking, or holding my breath. During this race, I had plenty of chance to practice, and it seemed to be working well.

Around mile 7, I decided to go for a GU. In this area I could still use some practice. A GU is a small packet of concentrated.... well, gew, that is supposed to give you energy to make the long distance. I timed it such that I would eat the gel just before I hit a water station, so that I could wash it down. I reached back into the zippered back pocket of my shorts, where I had stashed two gels and a 20 dollar bill (mad money). Well, you can probably finish this story without my help. I came out with one gel in my hand, but the other gel and the money went flying. If you have ever been in an NYRR race, you know that the last thing you want to do is double back into the flow of traffic. If it had just been the GU, I would have left it. The 20 bucks though, I needed that cab fare just in case. Fortunately, a lot of folks saw the money fly, and spoke up. People were generally alerted that something was up, and I was able to retrieve my valuables with out getting run over.

To keep pace on this run, I decided to try a new approach with my Garmin GPS. Instead of watching my mile times and total time, I set it up to highlight my average pace. This way I could really see how I was doing without any calculations mid run. I knew it would be all over the place at first, so I didn't look at it until I had gone several miles. At that point it would move by a second every now and then, mostly over the big hills. Later in the race, as my current pace affected the average less, it hardly moved at all. I am very pleased with this approach. One problem I've had with the GPS, is that it consistently tells me that I've gone farther than the NYRR measurements. This time, for example, by the end of the race, my GPS indicated that I had gone 18.26 miles, more than a quarter mile farther than the official race distance. This meant a mis measurement of 6 seconds per mile. I kept my average pace at 6 seconds faster than my goal, and I hit it spot on at the end of the race.

I will probably use this average pace approach at the marathon. I keeps things in perspective. How much of a hit do you take if you slow down for a water stop or a hill? The average pace will give me flexibility, but also let me know if I'm falling behind.

After the race, I tried to figure out what I had learned. Would this be a good marathon pace? It didn't kill me to do the 18 miles at that pace, but it would have been tough to maintain it for another 8.2. On the plus side, it was a much more hilly18 than the first 18 of the marathon. Also, I will have a few weeks of taper and the excitement of the marathon on my side. And lets not forget that I have two whole more weeks of training before the taper!

Yep, if the weather is good, and I'm feeling froggy, I may just give it a go.

5th Avenue, New York City

Until today, I never really understood why 5th Avenue is so famous, but now I know. It must be because of the 5th Avenue Mile. No, not Museum Mile, I mean the fabulous race that the NYRR puts on every year.

Today was my first time running this race, and I had a blast. The races are run in many heats based on age group, from youngest to oldest for the amateurs, and the pros at the end.

My day started with a jog across the park to the race starting area. On the way, I ran part of the reservoir loop, and witnessed the gorgeous sight pictured on the left. The fountain is alway lovely, but today the wind was picking up the spray, and making it look like it was walking across the water.

My friend TH has two sons that were running, and I got there in time to see 16 year old SH tear up the course with a sub 5:30 time - 13th in his age group.

On my way back up toward the start, I ran into Flyer PD. He is my age, but more experienced, and oh yeah, much faster. When he found out it was my first mile race, he asked if I would like some tips. (Uh, YES!). First we tried to guess what might be a good goal, based on my best 5 mile race time. He suggested 6:15, maybe 6:00? Yeah, let's go with 6:00 since it's easy to divide into quarters. His advice?

1. Don't go out too fast. Everyone else will. Let them go. You are shooting for 1:30 at the first quarter.
2. Hold steady in the middle quarters, and when you get to the last quarter, don't start your kick yet -- it's way too soon. Save it for just the last couple of hundred meters.
   
3. Run hard all the way to the second timing mat. Assume they will mark your time from there. In a race this short, it can actually make a difference.
   

OK. Got it.

Unlike longer races, there were no starting mats. This meant that we would be timed from the starting gun to the time we crossed the finish. If it took a few seconds to get to the starting line, that time was lost.

I lined up about 8 "r0ws" back from the starting line. I would lose a couple of seconds, but going any further toward the front didn't seem appropriate. When the starting gun sounded there was mayhem for a few seconds, but then there was plenty of room to run. Remembering tip #1, I tried to keep my pace under control. Before I knew it, the first quarter had passed, and the clock read 1:25 - just a bit fast, especially given the 2 - 3 seconds it took to get to the starting line.

I dialed the pace back slightly, and tried to settle into a steady pace. I hit the halfway point at 3:05. Lost some time there, but I felt good, and that quarter was uphill.

I loved getting clock feedback every quarter instead of every mile, as it is in the longer races. I also loved the fact that the race was half over and the leaders were still in sight. I could even see the lead car.

The third quarter clock read 4:33 -- picked up a few seconds. One fast quarter to finish, and I might make it under 6:00! But wait! Tip #2 - don't kick yet! OK, OK, just pick it up a bit and stay under control.

Then the finish line was in sight, and I saw the 1500 meters sign about 100 meters up ahead. It was time. I gave it everything I had, and it felt great. The crowd got into it near the finish, and I heard a "go Flyer!" and even a "go John!". Usually, at this point in a race I've run for miles and I'm trying to pull some energy from some hidden source. But at this moment, I had run less than a mile, and the energy was right there. I was running as fast as I could -- plain and simple. I saw the finish line clock - 5:40 - could I get there? 5:45 - yes I could! As I passed under the clock it looked like a 5:54 or so. It was hard to be sure.

Ah, but what about Tip #3? Did I run hard to the second mat! Damn straight I did. It felt great. I wasn't sure about my official time, but I was sure it was under 6:00, and the race had been really fun. I saw PD, GW and a bunch of other Flyers right at the finish. That was different too. In a longer race, PD would be home having breakfast by the time I finished. Spirits were high. Spirits are high after the longer race too, but it's definitely a different vibe after a 1 mile run when folks are pumped up instead of exhausted. That's GW and PD in the pic -- can you see the speed?

Everyone seemed to want to see the results. They were posting them as they came out, but I've never known my team mates to be interested in seeing them. We know our own times, and we can check on line later to see our official time and those of our friends. Several people commented that at this race, the official times were often a few seconds slower than what you thought. Really? Still, what was the big deal? I was enjoying the hang though, so I decided to check my results too.

When they posted the results, there I was, 44th in my age group (of 167) in the glorious time of... 6:01??? What? Doh!! I wasn't upset though, I didn't really have my heart set on breaking 6:00. It was my first time racing the mile. I had no idea what time I could run. Now I have a time to beat. I couldn't be happier.

I stayed with my Flyer friends and watched some more races. Because the age groups ran separately, we got to see the best older runners winning their races. It was inspiring.

I jogged back across the park to go home. Later on, I check the NYRR website to see the stats. Of course, I started by looking up my own time, and there I was, 44th in my age group (of 167) in the glorious time of... 5:57!!!! YES!!! I KNEW IT!!! I KNEW IT!!! But like I said before, I didn't have my heart set on breaking 6:00...

Next year I am so going to destroy that time. Why is this race only once a year? They should have it once a month! What, someone else uses 5th Avenue besides runners? Really? Who?

Feet Only a Mother Could Love

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a story about a childhood experience with a podiatrist, and the current state of my feet. Amy commented that she was addressing similar issues with her young son, so I thought it would be appropriate to share my mother's comments on the post. Although she corrected some of my memories, her version is at least as funny.

[I checked your blog and] I'd missed 3 entries!! One of which referred to your mom taking you to a NYC podiatrist! Now, young man, here's my memory: you fell down quite a bit when you were learning to walk and the pediatrician said it was due to pronation. Only the best for you said I, so I took you to the authoritative Dr. Stump (did that last name determine his choice of profession?) in NYC.

You happened to have been 2--not 5 - years old, and he said you not only pronated but also had flat feet. This could be cured if every day you would curl your toes around marbles and walk on the edges of your feet for 3 sessions of 45 minutes each--but he judged this would do more psychological damage to you (and me) than physical benefit, and he said that if he put wedges in your shoes, your hips would grow to accommodate that so that if you were an adult and in the army and not able to get the orthotics at any time of imprisonment, etc. (this man had been in several wars I gather), that it would ruin your hips and legs. His advice to me was to look the other way when you walked and ignore it all.

You would never be an Olympic runner, but there were other goals in life. Since he wanted wedges on the outside and the pediatrician wanted them on the inside of your feet (he did admit to a professional disagreement pods had with peds), I decided he was right: I should ignore the whole thing. BUT I AM AMAZED AT YOUR ADULT FOOTPRINT!!!!! AND DELIGHTED!! And here I'd been worrying about your possibly hurting your hips, knees, etc.! I've decided never to let anyone feel limited by typing! Not only can people, including the docs, be wrong, but the body and mind are remarkably self-healing!

Now that I'm fully enlightened as to your true condition, and appropriately relieved and delighted, I lament only that I didn't have you "running" more errands as a healthy teenager when I still could tell you what to do! What opportunities I missed!!!!!

Of course this all happened lo, so many years ago, and Amy's son will have the benefit of today's medical advancements. Still, I thought that it wouldn't hurt to hear the words of another mother that had been through this experience.

Queens Half

On Sunday, I ran the Queens Half Marathon.

The NYRR runs a series called the Half Marathon Grand Prix, which is made up of one 13.1 mile race in each of the five boroughs of New York City. Queens is fourth in this year's series, and my friend PL and I have run them all -- only Staten Island remains.

As NYRR President Mary Wittenberg pointed out in her pre-start pep talk, it was the earliest start for an NYRR race - 7 AM. That wouldn't have been such a big deal in Central Park, but for this race I had to get out to Queens. I took the NYRR bus out to the site, but that meant getting up at 4AM. It was dark when I got on the bus (one of many), which was a yellow school bus with just enough leg room for a 3rd grader. The driver got lost in Queens, but fortunately found one of the other buses and got directions.

Entering the start area in MacNeil Park, the scene was surreal. It was still dark, and very quiet. Runners were scattered across the park, some napping on the grass, some on benches or at picnic tables. The NYRR crew was still setting up.

I found a spot to sit and took care of pre-race business: pinning on my number, attaching the "ChampionChip" to my shoe, and organizing my bag. I spotted BS, a Flyer teammate, and we found a spot together. Before long a few more Flyers had joined us.

When my friends PL and TH arrived, we split of from the group. We were planning different paces, but we agreed on a place, near where a band was setting up, to meet up at the end.

Having run 1:40:44 in the New York City Half, my goal this time was to break 1:40. To do this, I planned to target a 7:30 pace. The first mile was a bit crowded, and I ran an 8:02. I always get nervous that a slow first mile will put my goal out of reach, so as usual, I over compensated with two miles at just over 7 minute pace. Finally I settled into steady 7:30s, and I calmed down.

About mid way through the race, a runner caught up with me and asked "What pace are you setting today?" It was slightly odd, but folks sometimes are looking for feedback to judge their own pace, and I was wearing a GPS. "I'm running 7:30s, you?" I responded. "I was in your pace group last weekend" he replied, which totally caught me off guard. Last weekend, I had been a pace-leader for the 8:30 group at the LTR#2, and I wasn't that happy with how I did. It was amazing that this guy was able to ID me amongst the 3500 runners in Queens. Fortunately, he didn't add any critique of my pace leading before he moved on.

The course was very interesting -- lots of steep but short hills. I've never run hills quite like these, so I didn't know how it would affect me. At around mile 9, I got my answer when my legs started to feel a bit sluggish. I was putting in what seemed like the appropriate effort, but my watch told me I was slowing down a few seconds more each mile. I started to look for the surge of energy that would come as the finish grew nearer, but it wasn't happening. With two miles to go, my mind was saying "come on, two miles is nothing, let's go!", but my body wasn't responding.

With one mile to go, I was determined to kick it up a notch. I knew that I needed a good final mile to reach my goal. It was then that I rounded a corner and saw the nastiest hill yet. Runner's all around me voiced their dismay. This year the NYRR had re-designed the course, and it was apparently a lot tougher. The guy next to me laughed "that's just rude!".

I did my best not to lose pace on the hill, and the one that followed (!), but at the top, my legs were feeling it. It didn't look like there was going to be a finish line kick for me. Finally, MacNeil Park came into view, and we passed a guy who was yelling "500 meters!!!". That did it for me. Somehow, all the fatigue vanished from my legs, and I was able to run really strong to the finish. Flyer JD, who had already finished, gave me a huge cheer as I passed and I felt great to the finish line.

Final time? 1:39:58. That's right, after 13.1 miles on a course it didn't know, I hit my goal with 2 seconds to spare. Unbelievable. I am fascinated by the runners mind - body connection. It seemed to me that I just ran as well as my body would allow, but clearly it's not that simple. Where did that energy at the finish come from? Why not sooner? If my goal had been different, how much could I have changed the result?

After the race, I spoke to bloggers UptownGirl (starting her taper), Crazy Bandana (mid taper), and NYFlyGirl (too many hills!). Check their blogs for race reports. I chatted with a host of Flyers, and although some folks mentioned preferring the old course, spirits were generally high.

As I approached the place that PL, TH and I had agreed to meet, I was surprised to hear the band playing my theme song - Johnny B. Goode. If you know the song (and I hope that you do), you already know where I got the name for this blog.
"Go Johnny Go!".

Getting Ahead of Myself...

Today I ran the second Long Training Run organized by the NYRR intended for folks preparing for fall marathons. In the first LTR, I ran the full 20 miles with the 8:30 pace group and felt great.

This time I had decided not to go the full distance because of the challenging 20 mile run I had done last weekend.

As I entered the park, I saw a Flyer that I didn't know, and we introduced ourselves. She turned out to be GDB, a well established member of the club whose name was well known to me. She asked if I was going to be a pace leader (the Flyers provide all the pace leaders for the LTRs), and I said that I wasn't. I told her that I was too new to the game, but she encouraged me to do it anyway. She pointed out that there were multiple pace leaders with each group, so there was no real pressure. She also mentioned that it was very helpful to the club if we could produce a full set of pacers.

In the end, she talked me into it, and I signed up to pace lead the 8:30 group for 16 miles. There were 3 groups that went out at the 8:30 pace, and I was assigned to the first. There were two other Flyers leading that group, one of which was ST, whom I knew to be a very experienced and fast runner. I asked her how confident she was of her 8:30 pace, and her answer was "once I find it, I can keep it". This was, unfortunately, how I was feeling. Although I often train at 8:30 per mile, I wasn't sure I could hit the mark in the first mile. I remembered that in the first LTR, the pace was spot on from beginning to end, and I wasn't sure about meeting that standard.

The first mile of this run is down and up the biggest hill in the park, making it that much tougher to set the pace, but once we started running, I started to feel more confident. The three pace leaders ran side by side at the front of the group, and we seemed to be in unspoken agreement about the pace. None of the other runners seemed to have any issue, so on we went. I was a very new feeling, sensing the energy of a pack of around 50 runners at the start of their run, right on our heels, but not passing.

After topping the hill we came to the first mile mark, and a quick glance at the watch showed that we were way fast - under 8 minutes (yikes). At the same moment, everyone else in the group came to the same realization, and folks generally let their objections be known. They didn't appreciate being led over the biggest hill of the course at a faster speed than they had signed up for. We pulled back the pace right away of course, but I had the feeling that we would be hearing about this all morning.

By the time we finished the first loop we were on pace, and we stayed steady for the rest of the 16 miles that I ran. There were some friendly folks to chat with along the way, including a very nice guy from the Brooklyn Road Runners who had some interesting things to say about the way the club points races were run. There were also mildly disgruntled types, such as one guy who commented "I'm really happy that we are running 8:30s now."

I ended the outing with mixed feelings. On one hand, I had no business being a pace leader given my lack of experience, and I was embarrassed at having missed the mark so badly in the first mile. If one of the other pace leaders had pulled us back, I could have gotten away with it, and if I was a veteran of many marathons, I could shrug it off as one small miscalculation, but as it was, I felt exposed as a fraud. On the positive side, I felt very under control at the pace and distance I ran, and while many of the other runners struggled, I was able to cruise along and focus on keeping the pace steady.

Although I should have waited a year (at least) before putting myself out there as a pace leader, the experience did reinforce my sense of myself as a runner, and I look forward to becoming more involved in the running community in the future. Running -- good.

Having a Field Day

Today was the first (annual?) Flyers Field Day.
Members of the running club met in Central Park for an afternoon of frivolity, and it was a blast. There was plenty of food, and lots of fun games.

I was placed on Team Red for a series of relay competitions. These included classics such as the sack race and the three legged race (we won both), but also some that were new to me.

On of the funniest was called... I have no idea, but folks were referring to it as "the baseball bat thing". In this game, each team member would hold a bat vertically on the ground, place their forehead on it, and spin 360 degrees 6 times. They would then have to run 50 feet to a cone and back before their next team mate could go.

Well, this turned out to be much harder than it sounded. Although no one had been drinking, our first runner swerved uncontrollably when trying to run. The next literally hit the ground, as did the next. Everyone was in hysterics.

It was then that my seven year old son came up to me and said "I could do that fast!". I was very surprised at this claim. Thus far, my son had spent the day blowing bubbles (that's him in the picture). He has always shied away from anything competitive with his peers, forget adults. I asked if he wanted to run in my place, and he said "OK", without a second thought.

He stepped up, and the team counted off his rotations -- "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6!!!" and he took off. He ran straight as an arrow, clearly smoking the field. Spinning around a few times may make an adult nauseous, but it doesn't even phase a 7 year old.

There were many more games after that, and I asked once or twice if my son would like to play, but he wasn't interested. It seems he knows about quiting while he's ahead, something his dad would do well to learn...

The Pacer

Today was the fabled annual Flyers Palisades Run. It's 20 mile run over the George Washington Bridge, north along the Hudson at the base of the Palisades, and back.Fabulous volunteers set up aid stations at mile 4.5 and 9. Since the run was out and back, this provided us 4 stops along the route.

I had heard that there was a big hill from mile 9 - 10 that a lot of folks would skip, resulting in an 18 mile run. What I hadn't heard, was that this was a hilly course from start to finish. It was also shaping up to be a steamy hot day....

I met my good friend PL there. He's not a Flyer, but I'm trying to recruit him. The plan was to go at an easy pace and play it by ear. If we didn't feel like going the distance, we would just turn around before the 10 mile point to shorten our run.

We started off by crossing the GW Bridge, and it was very inspiring. It was a gorgeous day, and the view was spectacular. We ran in single file as the pedestrian/bike path was narrow, and we had to make room for bikes to pass.

PL started to make a move toward passing the Flyer in front of him, but I called him off. I knew this runner. He is fast at the races, but is smart enough to control his speed on the long runs. In a recent long run, I left him behind early, and regretted it later when I had to I when I ran out of gas a couple of miles out from where the cars were parked (ouch). I suggested to PL that we follow him and learn. I'll call him.... The Pacer.

It was tough to follow The Pacer at first. At the start of the run, the temptation to go out fast is nearly irresistible. After a few miles, however, it was clear that it was a good idea. After the crowd spread out, I introduced PL to The Pacer, and the three of us ran together and chatted happily. The Pacer didn't seem to mind us tagging along, and he shared a few bits of wisdom to us rookies along the way.

The focus of the route turned out to be, not the bridge, but the beautiful Henry Hudson Drive. This is a small road with "rolling hills" that runs north along the Hudson. It is shady, scenic and peaceful. The road is open to cars, but we hardly saw any.

At mile nine, we were feeling strong, so we decided to attack the big hill and go for the full 20 miles. The hill lived up to its reputation, pretty steep for almost the whole mile, but because we hadn't gone out too fast, I felt strong climbing it.

Then it was time to head back. After a while, the hills started to get me -- they just kept coming. It was a big boost when the bridge came into view. Mile 19 was tough. We had to climb from the river up to the bridge entrance at the top of the Palisades . The sun was getting high the sky, and I was starting to overheat. The bridge took up the entire last mile. It was again awe inspiring, but I was ready to get in the shade and start chugging water and gatorade. I had enough left to push like a horse headed for the barn, and that's what I did.

It was PL's first 20 miler, and my second. It wasn't very fast, but it's safe to say that we wouldn't have made it without the generosity of the Flyer organizers, volunteers and, of course... The Pacer. Thank you all.

On a New Track

I'm raising money for the NYRR Foundation's Team For Kids when I run the NY Marathon in November. It's a great charity, and I'm happy to be helping out, but that's not what this post is about. If you want chip in though, I've put the URL at the end of this post. OK, enough of that.

In exchange for agreeing to raise money, TFK provides guaranteed entry to the marathon (the big draw), as well as coaching, group runs and other benefits.

Until now, I hadn't taken advantage of any of the team training, mostly because my running club, the New York Flyers, provides so much. I didn't get out for my usual Flyers speed training session Tuesday morning, and TFK had a great looking run planned for Tuesday evening, so I decided to give it a try.

I put on my nuclear florescent TFK singlet, which felt like cheating on the Flyers, and jogged over to the meet point at Engineer's Gate in Central Park. There was a good turnout, maybe 45 runners, and four coaches. Of course, I was the only one uncool enough to be wearing the team singlet. I didn't mind though, I wasn't wearing it to fit in. I was really wearing it because I can't imagine not wearing Flyer gear at the marathon, and I wanted to get used to it.

Although the crowd was a mostly younger than me, folks seemed very friendly, and it was a happy group that set off at an easy jog toward the Great Hill. The plan was to do intervals at the cinder track at the top of the hill, a place I have always wanted to run. I have know for some time that folks trained up there, but I assumed it was a remote and deserted place that I shouldn't explore on my own.

It turned out to be a gorgeous spot, with runners on the track, and lots of folks frolicking in the infield. We ran 10 X 400 -- a really nice workout. I was actually one of the faster runners -- the young folk were probably more focused on getting dates with one another than trying to outrun an old man.

By the time we finished, it was getting dark, but the place was lit, and still full of people. All in all, a very nice evening.
__________________
Here's the info you need if you would like to contribute to my TFK fund raising effort:

https://www.nyrrc.org/cgi-bin/start.cgi/mar-programs/nyrrf/team/2007/donations.htm
entry number: 97346
last name: whitfield

For general info on Team for Kids, look here: http://www.teamforkids.org/

Living a Lie

It is one of those very early childhood memories that is singularly clear from a time otherwise forgotten.

I am in an exclusive doctor's office on the Upper East Side of New York City (I did not live in New York at the time). The room looks more like the office of a big executive than an MD. The fact that my mother has brought me to this expensive specialist must mean that my condition is serious.

After the exam, the doctor gives his report in a tone that is somehow both reassuring and condescending. He speaks in the deep voice of undeniable authority. "He has flat feet, and he toes out. It's not a serious condition. He'll never be an Olympic runner, but you have nothing to worry about."

And that was that. My career as an athlete was over before it had even occurred to me to dream of one. Since then, I have known myself to be a flat footed boy. There is nothing seriously wrong, I just shouldn't get too excited about athletics.

When I took up running, I read that folks with flat feet are "overpronators" and should wear "motion control" shoes to avoid the increased chance of injury. I was very happy with the shoes I was wearing, but based on what I had read I went out and bought the motion control shoes with the best reviews.

It was a disaster. Running with these shoes felt like running in cement blocks. After two miles in these shoes my feet were all blisters, and all the muscles in my legs were sore. I ditched the moton control shoes, but it's always bothered me. After all, I HAVE FLAT FEET. I must have the flatest feet on the planet. It's just who I am.

Today, I took the famous "wet feet on paper" test, so often recommended by running guides. The test involves wetting the feet, and then stepping onto paper to see the imprint. Below are typical examples of what to look for:
On the left, a "neutral" or normal arch. In the center, a flat footed overpronator. On the right, a high-arched underpronator.

I put some water in the tub, stepped on some paper, and I couldn't believe my eyes.

The imprint was a perfect match for the neutral or normal arch.

My whole world shook. Could this be? My handicap was a giant lie? My brilliant athletic career stolen at the age of 5 by some pompous incompetent podiatrist?

Sure, in one sense, it was great news. According to this test, I was wearing the right shoes. I may not have been slowly destroying my feet, knees and hips without realizing it.

But now I don't know who I am. I am lost. I am angry. I don't have flat feet? What else don't I know? Am I a communist? An assassin planted by the Russians hypnotized into thinking that I am an average, mild mannered, flat footed fella?

There is only one way I can resolve this for myself. On November 4th, me and my normal arches are going to run us a marathon, and we are going to have a good time. So take that, Mr. Podiatrist.

Over 40

Today, my weekly mileage was over 40 for the first time. What, did you think this post was about something else?

Conventional wisdom:
1] Novice marathoners should reach 30-40 miles per week to be ready.
2] Ideally, long runs should not exceed 1/2 of weekly mileage.
3] Novice marathoners should run some long runs of 20 miles.
4] Weekly mileage should not increase by more that 10% at a time.

Whew, that's a lot of rules. Here's my mileage for the summer.


You can see that there are lots of "short" weeks mixed in, but if you follow the longer weeks, you can see a gradual increase. I'm pretty pleased with the way this looks. I think it's healthy to have some recovery weeks as the mileage increases. I wish I could claim that this chart represents the strict following of a master plan, but it's really just the reality of my summer. There were weeks in there when most of my mileage came from sneaking out of the office during lunch.

For the next 6 weeks, before I start to taper for the marathon, I expect to keep the mileage in the high 30s to low 40s. Hopefully, my body will be OK with that. Right now, after my longest week, I'm feeling great.

In the immediate future, I have two 20 mile runs planned - the Flyers Palisades Long Run next weekend, and the ING Marathon Long Training Run #2. I want to support these runs with 40 mile weeks.

It's great that in New York City, there is never a need to do long runs or speed training on your own. It really adds a lot to the marathon training experience to be able to do these runs with a group. I have plenty of experienced runners to learn from, and plenty of novices to grow with. The running community here is nothing short of fantastic. Cheers to you all!

He Ain't Heavy

I ran to work today. I've run home from work before, but this was the first time going in. Running to work means carrying a change of clothes, so a pack was needed. One of my co-workers, CD, recommended a Camelback pack, which he uses to run to the office. These packs are designed to carry water, but can carry other loads, and are small and fit snug to your back.

I loaded my new pack with the minimum - khakis, a short sleeve shirt, socks etc, cell phone, wallet... - and hit the road. During the first mile, the pack felt like a ton of bricks. My feet were pounding into the pavement hard. I was immediately concerned that this was not such a good idea. If I ended up with an injury because of this stupid experiment I would be pissed. I wondered how much weight I had strapped on -- 10 pounds? 15?

My GPS beeped... first mile: 9:26. Almost as slow as it felt. I was suffering, and it was time to blame someone. My co-worker, CD. Yeah, this was his fault. "Get this fancy pack, it'll be great!" I had some choice words for him...

During the second mile, I started to get the feel for the added weight. Beep: 9:13. My stride adjusted itself, and my feet weren't hitting the ground so hard anymore. Beep: 8:44. OK, that's more like it.

I started to forget about the pack and just enjoy the run. I was cruising down the running/bike path on the Hudson. Beep: 8:19.

Hey, this beats the hell out of the subway! Beep: 8:27. Before I knew it, I was at Houston and heading to the club. There I weighed myself with and without the pack. It was five pounds. Five pounds?! I was five pounds heavier (without a pack) just a month ago! Sure, those pounds were better distributed, but still... Was the effect of this pack all in my head?

A quick shower, change, and I was off to... well Starbucks... and then work.

It felt great coming into the office after a nice run. Of course, I made sure to stop by CD's desk -- to thank him for recommending the pack.

It's not the heat....

I went on a long trail run today with the Flyers on the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail. The plan was to do 20 miles, but in the end I settled for 18.5. The humidity was brutal, and experts say that sometimes you have to be flexible with your training plans when weather gets in the way. Yeah, I was listening to the experts, that's it...

There was a huge turnout of Flyers and the trail was sweet. I'm not an experienced trail runner, and I'm often nervous about beating up my legs, even on relatively smooth trails. Despite what everyone says about softer surfaces reducing injury, I've always been more comfortable running on the road. Today, however, I felt much better. I think my legs are developing the different muscles that you need for trail running. Of course, I'm not talking about anything rugged. These trails are smooth and well groomed.

The runners broke into several groups, based on planned distance and pace. I went out with a 20 mile group (I hadn't started "listening to the experts" yet...). We started off at an easy pace, but my body was telling me to go faster (listening to your body is not always a good idea). I picked up the pace, leaving my group behind, but feeling great. At around mile 8, I met up with a group of 5 Flyers that was going at a good clip, and I decided to run with them for a while.

These folks all race faster than me, but they were running a reasonable "long training run pace". If I put out a little extra effort, I could hang. Two of the group split off and the remaining three of us pressed on toward the full 20. At around mile 16, I was spent. I dropped off the pace and did the best I could, but after a while, I was only running because walking would have taken too long. When I got back to the start point, my GPS indicated that I had run 18.56 miles, and I decided that was juuuuuuuuuuust right.

I enjoyed a lovely Gatorade cocktail, and exchanged stories with the runners that had finished while we waited for the others to come in. The great thing is that even though this run kicked my butt, I'm more excited about running then ever. I'll be back!

The Right to Tunes

My sister sent me this excellent article on the debate over running with music. It's a hot topic of late, since the USATF approved rule 144.3b, which prohibits the use of video or audio players of any type in the races they sanction. Race directors are just noticing this new rule, and it's not clear yet if, how or when it will be enforced.

The NYRR, which organizes the local races here, is not yet on board. They still list such devices as "strongly discouraged" rather than prohibited.

A recent post on Harlem26.2 points out how difficult it would be for the NYRR to actually enforce the rule. Can you imagine trying to confiscate a New Yorker's iPod mid race? Good luck!

Personally, I don't run with an iPod at all, except maybe on the treadmill, on a slow day. One reason often given is safety. I think that's a good reason, but that's not why I don't use one. There are two reasons why I like to keep my ears open: to focus on running my best, and to fully experience the event, whether it be a race or a scenic trail run.

Although some runners use music for inspiration, I tend to think that if you are training or racing, as opposed to just going out for a run, music takes your focus away from where it should be. In an earlier post, I showed this picture and asked "can you spot the winners?".
The answer was that the two winners were the only ones not using watches. Now I ask you, what to ALL of these elite runners have in common? Of course, none of them are wearing headphones. It would be absurd if they were. These folks are running to win, and they need to focus on what they are doing.

"That's just the pros, you say? OK, here's the starting line before a local race this past weekend. No headphones. Period.

I may not be half as fast as these folks, but I enjoy making the most of my training and racing, and that's one reason I don't wear headphones when I run. There was I time when my focus was on distracting myself from the discomfort of running, but now I really want to focus on what I'm doing.

In a race this past weekend, a runner I knew passed me going up a hill. He was charging hard, and passed me like I was standing still. I wanted to say something congratulatory to him, but he was wearing headphones, and he didn't seem to be aware of me. I was struck by the feeling that he was missing something - something more than hearing "looking good!" from me.

In these races I love taking in what's going on around me. How people are breathing, the sound of their footsteps, cheers from the crowd, everything. Tuning out is not what I want to do.

It's one thing to prefer to race without headphones, but it's another to prohibit others from doing so. I don't really mind other racers with headphones, but the races here are pretty crowded. It probably would be better if everyone had full use of all their senses. I don't agree with the runners vs joggers attitude of the Pearl Izumi adds, but perhaps there should be a distinction between jogging and racing. There's no reason you can't be a jogger with an iPod on one day, and a racer the next.

One of the things I concentrate on in races is not going too hard up the hills, and picking it up at the crest of the hill. So many runners charge up hills, and then pull back to try to recover at the top, and even on the downhill. I find that if you push too hard you can't recover. But if you save a little, you can explode over the top and down the hill. It's hard to think this way when you are running to music.

At the top of that hill last weekend, I put on a push, and low and behold, I passed that runner back. I was pretty sure that he wouldn't be returning the favor any time soon. How did I know? I could hear how hard he was breathing.