Sweet Sixteen

Saturday I ran 16 miles -- my longest training run to date. I felt very excited to reach this milestone, but it was a stretch for the old legs, and I had to wonder what it would be like to go another 10.2.

After the run, I had just had time to shower and pack before heading into a long car drive. Not a great way to relax after pushing your legs to the max. Ouch!

My plan now is to take it easy this week in order to "taper" for the New York Half on Sunday. I want to run this race hard to try to get some idea of what pace I should be targeting for the marathon.

I'm still a bit confused about this, as the MacMillan Calculator is filling my head with crazy ideas based on my times from shorter races. My most recent, and fastest race time is a 5 miler that I ran in 35.21 (7:04 pace).* Based on my five mile time, MacMillan suggests that I "ought" to be able to run a half in 1:38:36 (7:32 pace), which is way faster than my best half to date.

I'll try for something a little closer to that on Sunday. But come on, really? I get to run 28 seconds a mile slower to go 8 more miles? I'm skeptical.
If I can get closer to that mark, however, I'll start to take the time MacMillan projects for a full marathon a little more seriously. In the mean time, I won't even think about it. ;)

*No, I'm not counting my last race, which I suspect the NYRR won't fix.

In the Long Run...

I mapped out a 14 mile run from Brunswick, ME to Freeport ME and back for my long run this week.

In the end, my GPS says that it was only 13.51 miles, but that is still my longest training run to date. I thought about running by the house to get that last half mile in, but there was no way. I had run the route, if not the exact distance I planned, and I wasn't going any further. I kept a decent pace, but it was a very, very hilly run, and my legs were feeling it at the end.

I checked my time when I hit 13.1 miles, and saw that I was just a minute off my half marathon PR (Brooklyn Half). Given that this route was much tougher than Brooklyn and I wasn't racing, I took it as a sign that I am making good progress.

I've often read that an ice bath is good right after a long run that pushed your legs. I had promised my family a trip to the beach however, so after stretching and showering I was on headed out. Fortunately, the ocean in Maine freezing, so I just sat myself down in a tidal pool and had myself that ice bath.

This was also the first time I've done a long run (more that 6 miles) without a running partner for at least part of the run. I didn't take my iPod, so I was left with nothing but my own feeble charm and imagination for company. Still, I really enjoyed it. The landscape was lovely, and just focusing on running was enough to keep it from getting boring.

I felt strong today, but the extreme hills took their toll. Next weekend I'm going to shoot for a longer but flatter run and see how that feels.

Running Up the Country...

I'm up in Maine for a couple of weeks, trying out the country running. There I am, showing of the latest Flyer gear to the locals.
I've gone on some great runs, and and gorgeous kayak outing (see map).


Tomorrow I'll do my first long run up here - Brunswick to Freeport and back.
Today I scoped out the beginning of the route.
It's mostly on Pleasant Hill Road -- a name that's got to make a runner think twice...

Is "Pleasant" the key word, or is it "Hill"? You decide.

Along the way a bicyclist passed by pulling a trailer. I caught up with him at the top of the next hill (OK, he had stopped for a water break), and we chatted a bit. His name is Larry, and he's headed for Atlanta. I reckin' he's got a ways to go. More impressive is how he got here -- he hiked the Appalachian Trail. That's right, he hiked up, and he's bikin' back. It was a real kick meeting him. Very friendly guy.

Error! Error!

I started off easy in Saturday's 10K. You know, "I'm not going to push it, I'm just here for a group run". I did actually go pretty easy in the first mile, but that was it. I don't think I have what it takes to jog a race. After a fast mile two, I had made up enough time to be close to PR pace.

I didn't know my 10K PR time off hand, but I remembered the pace - 7:23/mile. Every mile I checked the watch again, and it looked like if I could hold on I might just squeak out a PR. Crossing the finish line at 45:24 on my watch, I was pretty sure I had done it, but with a 6.2 mile race the arithmetic was more than I could face. I would just check the NYRR site for the official time later in the day.

Folks like me (old and slow) will never win one of these races, but we have other goals. Getting a PR is one, but there are others. Placing high in my age group, of course. I also like the "Age-graded performance level percent (AG %)". I dream of breaking the 70% mark. I've been getting closer, hitting 66.8% in my last race. At 70%, you are supposedly "regional class", and at some races, NYRR puts folks who have hit that mark in the front corral. Now that would be cool.

Later on Saturday, when I checked my results on line, the AG% was the first thing I saw - 72.2%!!! But wait, something was not right. The Net Time was listed at 41:10. That's not what MY watch said. The pace was listed at 6:38 -- no way. I checked the split times -- still stored on my watch. No way. NYRR had somehow knocked four minutes off my time.

Do runners check the results after races? Yes they do. I got several congratulatory emails from folks who knew my speed well enough to think that I had just run a killer race. It was tough to have to tell them that it wasn't so.

I sent an email to NYRR asking them to look into it. So far, no response. I posted to the Flyers forum, and another Flyer, JM, indicated that her time was off as well. As she put it, "if this stays on the books I may never PR again!"

It is odd, though, that NYRR came up with a faster time. How could that happen? Maybe I really am that fast....yeah...
;-)

Running Home

After two days off, I really needed to get a run in yesterday. There was no time for a lunch hour run at the office, so I decided to run home after work.

As I headed for the elevator, a colleague mentioned that the weather report was for a major storm - doh! I shrugged it off -- I never believe those guys...

When I got outside, it sure did look like a storm was brewing, and it was starting to sprinkle. The truth was, however, I didn't care. I don't mind running in the rain, and I really needed this run.

I went to the health club and changed into my running gear. My plan was to leave my work clothes in the locker, and run home with just the essentials in my belt pocket, a small pack I often use to carry a cell phone, keys and money when I go on long runs alone. Unfortnately, I couldn't get my wallet into the pocket as well, so I ended up carrying it. I don't know if that made me more of a target for a mugger or a suspect for the police, but I didn't care. Did I mention that I really needed this run?

When I started running it was raining but not too hard. It was actually pretty nice. I hit Riverside at Houston, and I was fired up for a good run. The threat of a downpour helped with the motivation, and I kept a quick pace. I also didn't know how long the run was going to be, and I did need to get home.

Before long, the storm hit. And I mean hit. Heavy rain, wind, and plenty of lightning. It was entertaining -- especially since I was running along the river. At around 60th street or so, the path went under the elevated West Side Highway. Shelter from the rain? Not even. The wind was blasting in from the river, and it seemed like it was even wetter than in the open!
The best part was that I was still seeing occasional runners going the other way, and they all looked like I felt. Totally focused on the run, and not caring about the rain one bit.

Then the flooding began. I was running through deep puddles of "water" the true contents of which I don't want to know.

And then -- I was home. I was a great run. I was soaked and my previously white socks were a nasty shade of grey-brown, but I felt fantastic.

It turned out to be around 5.5 miles, which is a great distance for a run home. I hope to do many more.

Fun at Rockefeller

Today was the first long run of the Flyers NY Marathon training program. The site was Rockefeller State Park Preserve, a runner's paradise. My son and I drove up with TH and his family, and while the dad's ran, the rest of the gang frolicked in the park.
The run was ideal - great views, wonderful paths, and good company. I was also a good workout - just under 11 miles with lots of hills.
I am really grateful to GW and JW, who organized the run and researched the routes - one 8 mile and one 11 mile. I would never have ventured out to Rockefeller on my own.
There was a strong Flyer turnout, and a good time was had by all.
After the run, the kids showed us a vine they had found for swinging, and insisted that the dads give it a try. Yes, that's me in the picture, going for a post run swing (photo by 7 year old George).

50 Pound Milestone

About 19 months ago, I visited my doctor. I had a few complaints about how I was feeling, and he recommended exercise and diet to take off some weight. Again. It was just like my last two checkups. He was very inspiring. Again.

My weight then: 220.

I worked hard at , but my attempts didn't get me far until I took up running.
I started running with TH, who was training for the marathon. On his long runs, I would meet up with him for the last few miles. Other times, he would just encourage me as I tried to get around the reservoir without passing out.
I got the running bug, and the pounds started coming off.

My weight today: 170.

So, is it diet, or exercise? It's exercise. Yes, I've improved my diet, but only to be able to run further, faster, and easier. Also, there is no exercise like running. It's fun to do with others, but are not dependent on others for every workout. And the intensity is unmatched.

Please forgive me for this self congratulatory post. If I manage to keep my weight where it is, or even drop another few pounds, I won't be bragging about it. Today, however, I'm giving myself a big old "atta boy".

Lunch Hour Run

I've run on work days during the lunch hour before, but only when I was working from home. Today I planned to escalate the lunch hour run to a whole new level. That's right, I would leave the office at midday, run, and return to work without my colleagues raising an eyebrow.
Could it be done? Would I be mocked by my colleagues? Abused by my boss? I was ready to find out.

The office has no gym or shower, so I had joined a local gym. This cost good money, but there is no way I could maintain my running/fitness plans over the summer without getting in some lunch time workouts.

I was just gearing up to go when a colleague asked me to step in at the last minute to do a phone interview of a perspective new hire. Drat! Foiled before I even got started! I immediately started working on plans to ask the candidate impossible questions and cut the interview short. "We can't hire this imbecile! I'm going for a run!" Fortunately for me (and the candidate), the interview didn't happen due to a scheduling screw up.

As soon as it was clear that the interview wasn't happening, I was out the door - 11:50. I went to the gym, changed and hit the road. It was only three blocks down Houston from the gym to the running/bike path on the Hudson. It was my first time running this path, and it was really nice. The sun was beating down, but there was a strong wind to keep me cool. I ran north, passing piers, parks and a heliport (extra wind!). There were plenty of bikers and runners out, but not so many that it felt at all crowded.

I pushed the pace, and it felt great. I had lots of pent up energy from a full morning, and exercise, sun and scenery were just what I needed. At 40th street, I turned back. I grabbed a quick shower at the gym, picked up a sandwich and was back at my desk at 1:15. A little long for lunch, but not too bad.

I used MapMyRun to get the distance on my route -- just over 5 miles. Not a long run, but enough to keep the momentum going. No one at work looked at me sideways, so I judged the experiment a success.

Next experiment: running home from work.

Yasso 800s

I just got back from running Yasso 800s. I ran 7 at 3:30.
The whole idea really appeals to me, especially because it promises a way to predict your marathon time without running anywhere near the full 26.2 miles.
It shouldn't take me long to get from 7 intervals to the full 10 - the amount required to do the Yasso marathon prediction.
My goal was (and probably still should be) 4 hours. But 3:30? If you are a 46 year old male marathoner, you already know what I'm thinking.
OK, I know, it's my first marathon and I'm getting way ahead of myself. My goal should be just to finish and have fun.
And that's what my goal is.
Finish and have fun.
Preferably under 4 hours.
Because it would be more fun that way.
But that's it. I'm not even thinking about you-know-what.

But just for fun, maybe I'll keep working on those 800s.