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?