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!