Running on the Road

The concierge at the hotel gave handed me the Boston jogging map but didn't let go of it right away. 

"So... when are you planning on running?" 

"In the morning..."

"OK, but... it's gonna be pretty nasty out there..."

It had been two days since the last snow storm, but there was still a lot of snow on the ground. My hope was that the paths were clear enough that I could experience the legendary running paths along the Charles River.

The concierge was not optimistic. Through a combination of words and facial expressions, he suggested that a sane person might consider one of the perfectly good treadmills in the hotel health club as an alternative. 

I managed to get the map out of his hand and had a look.  Paths on either side of the Charles with numerous crossings allowed for loops off virtually any  distance desired. It looked like about a 3 minute run from the hotel to get there. I really wanted to go.

The next morning, Christmas Eve, I woke at 6AM. I would have to head out right away in order to get my run in before we had to get packed and head out of town. I contemplated the pitch black darkness and the possibility of ice on a strange route, and I headed to the health club, head hanging in shame.

When we finally got on the road, we selected "go home" on the GPS, and it guided us along the Charles toward the highway. From Memorial Drive, it was easy to see that the running path was completely impassable. 

I couldn't help but think that the roads of Central Park (home, sweet home) had to be completely clear by now. Boston -- bah humbug. 

The next day I verified this with a beautiful Christmas morning run in the park. A few hours later we were airborne, headed for Japan. With 13 plus hours in a tin can ahead of me, it gave me great comfort that I had some outdoor miles under my belt. I'm not talking about treadmill miles. I mean real running, where you move forward, climb hills, feel the wind and see the world. 

Short Summary...

This week's topic from Take It and Run Thursday at the Runners Lounge is a summary of your running year in 52 words or less. So... here we go.

Start word count.... now!

____

Running at 6AM with Francine and the gang was a twice weekly inspiration. Running and scheming with my best buds PL and TH was a pleasure. Struggled with injury in the Spring, but seem to have it licked. 

In the end, 1250 miles, 20 races and 6 PRs. Running -- good.

____

Wow, that was tough. I'll do a more wordy recap of the year later. 

4 for the Holiday

Today's Holiday 4 Miler was my last race of 2008, and it was a blast. Cowboy Hazel suggested that I run the Jingle Bell 5K tomorrow, but I think I'm raced out for the weekend.  Next weekend, I'll be on the road for the holidays, not to return until after the New Year. 

I had originally planned to go easy in this race, but as usual, the excitement of the day got to me, and I ended up running hard. I jogged over to the start with TH, and met up with the rest of his clan. The boys were both racing as well, and mom was spectating and holding down the fort. 

We took of our outer layers and headed for the start, probably a bit too early, as we froze our butts off in the corrals waiting for the start. In the corral, I saw SJ and a couple of other Flyers. I also recognized a guy whose blog, rundangerously, I've enjoyed reading. I'd never met him, so I tapped him on the shoulder and let him know that I liked his blog. He runs at a similar pace to me, so I expect to see more of him in the future.

I ended up a little closer to the starting line than usual, and got a thrill as I could see the lead truck for most of the first mile of the race. Chasing the truck, I ran hard, and ended up with a 6:35 -- on PR pace. Honestly, I was a little disappointed in that time, as I felt like I was really pushing it. On second thought, I realized that mile one is quite hilly, and I would probably wail on mile two, which was mostly downhill. I was disappointed again, when I hit mile 2 with a 6:43. With Cat hill still ahead, it wasn't looking good for a PR. 

Around that time ST passed me. I wasn't sure it was her from behind, since she was wearing a hood and no Flyer gear, but I caught her again on Cat hill and was able to see her face. ST was just the person I needed to see right then -- a fast runner to try to beat, rather than a long hill to climb. We ran most of the rest of the race together, pushing each other hard. There was also another Flyer there, who I didn't know. 

Mile three came in at 6:42. Very odd. I ran the Cat hill mile at the same pace as the down hill mile before it. A quick calculation told me I needed a 6:20 to hit my PR time. That was a stretch, but not completely out of the question. The last mile was downhill, and it was, well, the last mile. I kept pushing eventually outpacing ST toward the end, and momentarily caught up with the other Flyer, although he out kicked me in the end. We shook hands afterward - he's KM -- always good to know another Flyer.

I was trying so hard at the end, that I didn't get right to my watch at the finish, so I wasn't sure of exactly what my time was, but it did appear that I had PRed. What a way to end the season. 

After the race, I caught up with a number of Flyers, including TH, SJ, ST, Captain GW and the FlyGirl, who had capped a great season with yet another PR. 

When I got home and checked the official results, I found that I had PRed by THREE SECONDS. Hey, a PR is a PR.  I was 17th of 206 men in my age group and 183 of 4878 overall. 

Overall Place	Gender Place	Age Place	Finish Time	Pace/ Mile	AG Time	AG Gender Place	AG %
183	170	17	26:19	6:34	23:34	90	71.4 %

That's good enough for me -- for 2008 anyway. 

Happy Holidays! 

Help Me Pick the Next Goal

OK, I've PRed my last two races, and I'm ready to step back, regroup, and aim for a new goal. The question is....

What should my new goal be?

It has to be some kind of obvious  landmark to make it worth the trouble. I'm looking to take a few months or longer of targeted training before taking a shot at the prize. I'm up for intervals, tempo runs, long runs or any combo to hit my new goal.

The problem is, I've passed all of the obvious times that I was close to. Now, my PRs are mostly at a pace a few seconds below a minute mark, and my finish times are not particularly near an :o5 or :10. 

I could use some help with the next goal. Here are some ideas:

1] A sub 20 minute 5K.  This seems like the most obvious nearby milestone, but I usually only race the one NYRR 5K road race a year. Perhaps I should look for some others nearby. Any suggestions?

2] A Half Marathon at sub 7:30 pace. This would be a PR, and although beating an X:30 pace is not like beating an X:00 pace, it would be a solid improvement on my current best.

3] A Half Marathon at sub 1:35. This would be a 7:15 pace. More ambitious, but more of a reward. 

4] Some marathon goal. I have definitely under performed in my two marathons, and I'm ready to go for something better, but what? 

5] ???? 

Any suggestions would be welcome. My current PRs are posted here on the lower right. 

JK 10K 2008

Over a month ago, I went public with my plan to target today's Joe Kleinerman 10K. My goal was to beat my PR of 44:31 (7:01 min per mile), and get the new record under a 7 minute pace. 

Coming into the race, I felt prepared to achieve my goal, but it is always hard to predict what will actually happen. 

As usual, the NYRR corral system produced a clean start, and I was able to set my own pace from the beginning.  I finished mile one in 6:59 -- right on target given that this mile included the biggest hill in the park. The next three miles were slightly faster - well under 7 minutes each. As expected, mile 5 was the crux of the race. It's quite hilly, including Cat Hill, and it's at the toughest point in the race psychologically -- you're tired, yet the finish still seems far away. When I got through mile 5 in under 7 minutes, I knew my PR was in the bag. Mile 6 is mostly downhill, and that just left the last 0.2. 

Toward the end of the race, I noticed a runner that seemed to have targeted me. We had swapped places a few times earlier, but I really noticed him when he put on a charge at about 1/4 mile out. I waited for my kick until later, and we found ourselves side by side with just 30 or 40 yards to go. We exchanged looks, and the race was on. I was really surprised at what I had left, but he had even more, beating me by a step at the finish. I was going for a PR, but I never would have run that hard to the finish if this guy hadn't been there. I don't know why it was so much fun, but it was. 

Afterwards, I met up with friends and teammates, and there were lots of good reports. TH had a PR, as did nyflygirl. Both of them are on a roll. 

My official time was 42:33 (6:51 min/mile), so I am marking this goal as met. Now I have to starting thinking about what the next goal will be...

The Splits:

6:59 

6:55 

6:43 

6:52 

6:58 

6:45 

1:18 (0.2)

Zero One

Let me start with  a story. My good friend PL ran a brilliant PR in the Queens Half Marathon in 2007, destroying his previous record by over 5 minutes. After the race, he told me with hint of sadness, "you know Doc, I don't ever want to run faster than that."

Here was a man who had just run a great race, but it hurt. And he thought he might have reached his peak. 

That night, PL got home and checked out the official race results on line. His pace for the race was recorded at X:01 per mile. 

It doesn't matter what the X was, the point is that it was one second from being a minute faster per mile. The next time I spoke to PL,  he was looking for a Half Marathon to run. He couldn't let the X:01 stand. He wanted to run faster.

Here is a quiz: 

Runner A runs a race in 8 minutes and 1 second per mile.

The next month, Runner A runs a race in 7 minutes and 59 seconds per mile.

How much faster did Runner A get?

Answer: One minute per mile (i.e. a LOT faster). 

There are some who would say that Runner A only got 2 seconds per mile faster. I'm sure these people are excellent mathematicians, but any runner will back up my answer.

That's why I'm driven to beat my own zero one. My 10K PR is 7:01 per mile. If I can hit 6:59 on Sunday, I'll be as happy as can be.  

As for PL, he's beaten that X:01 PR twice since that day in Queens, and I don't think he's hit his fastest time yet. Not by a long shot.

Turkey Trot Not

I love the idea of a Turkey Trot -- a short race on Thanksgiving weekend, ideally on the morning of or the morning after. 

In my imagination, it would offer so many benefits; a bit of vigorous exercise on the day of gorging, a possible family event (if there are other runners in the clan), and a spirited break from the general lethargy of the holiday. 

Sadly, I've never run one. They exist here in NY, but I'm usually out of town. When I visit the parents, it is in a town that folks leave for the holidays, so the races are at other times of the year. 

Still, running has really changed the holiday vibe for me. If I get up early, and get in a good run, it is much easier to relax and enjoy just hanging out and chatting with the family. I don't feel stuffed all the time, partly because I've exercised, and partly because at the end of dinner, I'm starting to think about the next day's run instead of whether to have whipped cream, or ice cream AND whipped cream on my mince, pumpkin and pecan pies. 

This past Tuesday started at home in NY with speed work with the 6AM group. We ran short (~100 meter) intervals. I've never run intervals this short (fast) before, and I found myself feeling sore toward the end. I actually jogged the last (10th) interval out of concern that I might be overdoing it. 

That afternoon, we loaded the family into the car and headed out to grandma and grandpa's. The next morning, I ran an easy 5 miler, but my quads and hamstrings were sore in both legs. Whenever I hit a hill, I had to shorten my stride to avoid freaking out the hamstrings. 

It was hard to believe that this level of soreness was set off by a few short sprints, but maybe it was a bigger deal than I realized. I immediately began to fantasize about destroying all my PRs by doing more short intervals. Clearly, my soreness was a sign that a could make huge improvements by doing more sort intervals. Or the soreness was a sign that I guy my age shouldn't be sprinting at all (nah, couldn't be that).

I took the next day off. Unfortunately, that was Thursday, the one day I wanted to make sure to get some exercise. I took it easy in the feast though, and did an 11 mile run on Friday afternoon. I still felt some traces of soreness, so I skipped Saturday. Thankfully, I felt great on the Sunday morning 9 mile run. 

Then we piled back in the car and headed home. There was no Turkey Trot, but I did log 25 miles while I was at grandma's house, and I got over the soreness from Tuesday (what soreness?), so all in all, I can't complain.

Next Sunday is the Joe Kleinerman 10K, which I have declared as my next target race. The goal is to beat my current PR  of 7:01/mile pace. I'm pretty confident that I should be able to make it, depending of course, on what abuse I suffer this Tuesday during speed work...

Spy Belt

At the NYC Marathon expo this year, my friend Tim found a great new product called the Spibelt (pronouced "Spy Belt"). It is a small pouch on an elastic belt that serves as a race belt and a pocket to store some Small Personal Items (the SPI in SPIbelt).  

For some time, I've been running with just an apartment key and a $20 bill. I have a Road ID on my shoe, so my minimum needs are covered.

Still, I would prefer to have a cell phone with me, but I hate to have it bouncing around while I run.  The Spibelt somehow holds my cell without any bouncing or chaffing.  I wore it in the marathon and literally forgot it was there. 

The Spibelt also serves as a "race belt" with clips to hold a race bib. Last weekend I found myself at a race about to suffer with two common cold weather problems; my fingers were too cold to manipulate the safety pins, and I wasn't sure whether to pin the bib to my outer or inner shirt. 

My problems were solved when I realized that I was wearing my Spibelt, which

 comes equipped with clips for a race bib. I slipped the bib onto the belt with ease, and left the decision about which shirt to wear for later.  Good times...

Baby Steps

On Tuesday mornings, I meet a group of Flyers at 6AM to do speed work. Normally, the group alternates between running intervals one week, and hill repeats the next. We do different hills and different sets of intervals in various locations to keep things fresh. 

This week, we tried something new. Some new folks in the group suggested that running on stairs would be a good workout, so we headed for Bethesda Terrace in Central Park to give it a try. 

My day started out with the close to 2 mile run to the meet point, followed by another mile plus to the stairs.

Once there, the rules were explained.

- Single steps only. No taking 2 steps at a time.

- Focus on leg speed. Think of running on hot coals. 

- Run fast (duh!)

We ran 5 x 5 sets up and down the stairs. The Bethesda Terrace stairs have two "sides" separated by a bridge of sorts. Between sets, we wouldn't stop, but rather jog over to the opposite side. You can see the two sets of steps in the picture below, but it was a very different scene at 6AM in November. As you might imagine, we had the steps to ourselves.

The effect was much different than I had imagined. I expected a hard core quad workout, but it turned out to be more cardio. Trying to run fast without taking two steps at a time meant moving the feet REALLY quickly. I almost felt like running in place. 

I think this was an excellent workout. For one thing, it was very different from the usual speed work we do, and it's always good to mix it up. Also, it was great way to work on leg speed -- something that I could definitely benefit from. 

Finally, it was FUN. We had a good group of folks, and although there were a range of paces, we never got far apart -- there was nowhere to go. At the start, some folks were singing the theme to Rocky, invoking the image of the boxer training on steps in Phili. Later in the workout, when the going got tough, someone yelled "where's the singing now?!"  Sure enough, the singing returned.  You can't keep a Flyer down. 

Race to Deliver

This morning was the Race to Deliver, a 4 miler in Central Park.

I've targeted the Joe Kleinerman 10K coming up in a few weeks, and this was a chance to check my progress. My target for today was to run at a solidly sub 7 minute pace, but I did not plan to shoot for my PR 6:38 pace. 

The race started on the 72nd street transverse in the park, which meant that we were more cramped than usual for the first 100 yards or so. I was fortunate, but I heard reports from many friends about collisions at the start. Once we made the turn onto East Drive, it was all clear. 

I ran an aggressive pace, but not too crazy. It would have been easy to go out too fast, especially since Cat Hill was right near the start. When I checked my watch at the first mile marker, I didn't really know what to expect. The time -- 6:36.  

Realizing that I was two seconds faster than PR pace, I went into PR pursuit mode. My strategy was clear: 

 - Maintain effort level for mile 2, and hope for a faster mile since it is downhill. 

 - Tough out the West Side Hills in mile 3, but expect to lose some time.

 - Pick it up to make the last mile my fastest and secure the PR.

Here's how it went:

6:36 Mile 1

6:32 Mile 2

6:48 Mile 3

6:27 Mile 4

26:22 (0:13 PR)

Net Time	Pace per Mile	Overall Place/ Total Finishers	Gender Place/ Total Males	Age Place/ Total in Age Grp.	Age-Grd. Time	Perf. %
26:22	6:35	224 / 5981	210 / 2742	21 / 246	23:37	71.3%

Toward the end of mile three, I saw AW, one of the Flyers I run with regularly in the mornings. He just finished the NYC Marathon 40 minutes faster than I did, so I was very happy to be anywhere near him. Of course, he was probably just taking it easy after the marathon, but still... 

At the end of the race, I was exhilarated. In fact I still am. I love beating my previous best times. I love running a hard fast race. It just feels good.

After the race, I saw AW and DW, another morning Flyer, and my friend PL. It seemed like everyone had a good race. It was especially great to see DW all fired up. He's back in training for his next marathon. I guess that means that the pace of the morning runs is going to pick up over the coming weeks. I'll just have to do my best to hang.

Company Run

This spring, I joined a young company as employee number four. We now have a few more folks on board, but we are still very small.

The "home office" is in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, so I occasionally go up there for face to face time.  I started a 

"tradition" with one of my coworkers that lives in Portsmouth of going for early morning runs when I'm in town. Portsmouth is a great place to run, with beautiful coastal sunrises to en

joy. 

On my last trip (last week), a couple of the other folks got tired of hearing about how nice our runs were, and they decided to join us. They are both in great shape (a swimmer and a biker), but they don't usually run. 

And so I found myself at 5:3

0 AM on Wednesday, out on a 6 mile run with employees 1-4 of our company. 

The run was a great success, and as far as I could tell, fun was had by all. That night, we had a company dinner, with spouses and kids. I couldn't help but notice several more runners in the group. 

Who knows, we may have a regular running group. We'll see.  It certainly looks like my job is not going to interfere with my running addiction, and that is a very good thing in my book.

Running on a Track

Although I live in an ideal location for running, one thing that I've been missing is the chance to run on a real track. I've done speed work at various locations in Central Park, including the reservoir, and the cinder track at the top of the Great Hill, but these spots fall short of a real track.

Folks who run with me know that I'm not a fan of uneven surfaces. The result is that I prefer to run on the road rather than on dirt, which most people think is a bad choice.

I suspect, however, that I may not be the only one who feels a little funny about doing speed work on uneven surfaces. If I run a 440 intervals on the reservoir, for example, it feels like every 5th stride or so is a slight misstep, and at that effort level it seems risky.

I've known for some time that there is a track at Riverbank State Park, and this morning I finally got up there. It turns out that it's just a 20 minute run from my apartment, which works out perfectly. 20 minutes warm-up, some intervals at the track and 20 minutes cool down, and I'm home in a reasonable time. I could even fit in a speed workout on a weekday morning before work. 

The track itself is really nice. An eight lane, 400 meter track made of that nice soft red surface they use these days. It's the ideal for me - softer than dirt and smoother than the road. It felt really comfortable, even running hard.

This morning, I had a relatively light workout: 4x400 and 2x200. Next time, I'll do more. Here are the times:

4x400 meters:

 127

 131

 130

 127

2x200

 40 

 41

The park is open 7 days a week from 6AM, so I imagine that I'll be up there again soon. PRs, watch out!

Back at it

After two days off, I was back out running this morning. TH and I did a four mile loop at an easy pace, and I was very happy to find that I had no marathon soreness at all. 

Aside from my wingman duties, my main goal this year was to finish without feeling beat up, and it seems that I succeeded. This makes me very happy. I now have hope that if I train and run smart, I can include marathons as part of my long term running life. Woo hoo!

So what's the next goal? (Yes, yes, must have goal must have goal must have goal must have goal).

Goal: Run a 10K at sub 7 pace. My current PR is at 7:01 (this won't do, no no no).

When? I'll give it a try at the NYRR Joe Kleinerman 10K  on December 7. As good a time as any.

Before that, I'll see what I can do in the 4 mile Race to Deliver  I don't think I'm ready to PR there yet, but it will be a good prep run for the 10K.

One more thing.... I've been slacking off on the blogging lately, but I'm feeling more motivated now. So for those few who read these pages, I promise to do better.

See you out there!

Wingman

Yesterday, I ran my second marathon, and it was an entirely different experience from the first. I went as companion, pacer, wingman, whatever you want to call it, to my good friend Peter, who was running his first.

Peter's goal was the official goal of all first time marathoners -- to finish the race. Of course, as with most first timers, he also had a "secret" time goal. In his case, it was to finish under 4 hours. 

Since my first and only marathon was barely under 4 hours, I was hardly qualified to be a pacer, but I planned to stick with him and offer what support I could.

At the start, we met up with our mutual friend TH. The three of us actually stuck together for the first 18 miles, which was quite a feat in the crowded marathon field. It was truly a blast. The first 18 of the NYC Marathon is a giant party, and it was great to share it with my friends. 

Heading up the Queensboro Bridge at mile 15, I saw a runner with a pair of odd looking sandal-like things stuck in his belt. I recognized the footwear, and I when I caught up to him, I recognized the runner. We had run together in the Flyers "Bridges and Arches" run in Central Park earlier this year. During that run he had actually been wearing the unusual footwear, which he explained were Vibram FiveFingers. They were VERY thin, and I was amazed at how tough he was to run in them. At the marathon, however, they were tucked in his belt -- so what was he wearing? NOTHING. That's right, he ran the NYC Marathon barefoot. I seriously can not even imagine. Did he finish? Yes he did. Absolutely stunning.

Last year, I finished in an OK time, but I felt really beaten up (even though I wasn't barefoot). It took quite a while to feel fully recovered. This time, I was able to finish feeling strong, which is a huge win for me. 

So how did we do? Peter and I finished side by side in 3:58:54. This morning Peter called to talk about training for the next marathon. 

Starting Small

Last weekend I ran the annual Fifth Avenue Mile, one of my favorite races.

Last year, I set the ambitious (for me) goal of going under 6 minutes, and just managed to do it. It was a great day. This year, I was still coming back from my "non-injury" slump, and I didn't know if I was going to be able to match last year's time.

The race is unique amongst NYC races, in that there are age group heats. This means that each age group winner gets to literally break the tape -- a real plus for the masters and veterans. Although I am not in contention to break the tape, I still love it that I can see the winners finish ahead of me. 

With all the separate heats, comes another difference. There are no starting mats. It's "gun time" only, which means that if you are really watching your time, you have to line up early and get to the front. I was not feeling so confident, and I ended up in a starting position a good bit behind last year's.

Once the race started, though, I felt good. It took a few seconds to reach the start, and there was a good bit of bobbing and weaving after that, but I still hit the first quarter mile at 1:30. I tried to maintain effort for the up hill second quarter, and hit it just under 3:00. Again, maintaining effort on the downhill third quarter, I came in well under 4:30, and I knew a PR was within reach. At the 1500 meter mark, GW was there, screaming at me 

to kick it into gear. I gave it everything I had and finished with a 5:52. 

I was very happy with this time. Five seconds ahead of last year's time, 35th o

f 151 men in my age group, and a 70.5% AG. 

The over 70% AG in particular, I take as a sign that I am returning to top shape and ready to challenge my PRs at longer distances. 

To view more photos of race winners like the one on the right, click here.

Half Solid

As I work my way back into good weekly mileage, I am trying to gradually build the long runs as well. This weekend offered the NYRR LTR (Long Training Run) and the Queens Half. I went with the half for two reasons. First, it was the right distance for where I am, and second, because my two regular running buddies were doing it. 

The three of us drove out together, which was MUCH nicer than the bus that I took last year. The race starts at 7AM in Queens, and driving allowed for a lot more sleep and a lot less time hanging out at the staging area. Most of all, going to a race with your friends is just good fun.

The course was the same as last year (very nice), but ten degrees hotter (74) and 17 percent higher humidity (87). I have run in tougher weather, but those numbers are not ideal for 13.1 miles.

My main goal was to prove that my legs were strong enough to go 13.1 miles. I "planned" to go easy and treat it as a training run, but once I put that chip on my shoe....

I ran with moderate intensity, never in sight of a PR, but still trying to come in with a decent time. I was very happy to find that the limiting factor was my fitness, not the strength/health of my legs. I finished with a 1:43, four minutes from my PR on the same course, but a solid run for me. Most importantly, my legs felt great. It looks like I can safely continue to build fitness and speed, which makes me very happy.

Next up: the Fifth Avenue Mile on Sunday. I love this race. Last year I barely made my goal of going under 6 minutes, and I vowed to train specifically for the mile this year. Unfortunately, life got in the way. I'm going to try my best to match my time from last year, but it's a stretch. I know I have a faster time in me, but I just haven't been doing the speed work. Still, I'm looking forward to giving it everything I've got. 

Flat Out

I ran intervals this morning with the 6AM group. It's been a while since I've run speed work, due to a hamstring that I've been "watching". Today, I finally felt ready.

We ran a "reverse pyramid":

2 x 440

1 x 880

1 x mile

1 x 880

2 x 440.

I was cautious at first, but when it came time for the last 440 I felt really strong (strong as in healthy), so I went flat out. It felt great. 

So where does the expression "flat-out" come from? The internet has failed me. I see references to dates of origin (20's - 50's), but no explanation. I associate it with the accelerator of a car, as in "pedal to the metal", but I really have no idea. 

Whatever the derivation, there's just nothing like giving it everything you've got if you want to feel alive.

Here's to going flat out every chance we get!

Fitness Games

Today's Fitness Games four miler was well named for me, as I wanted a fitness check. My goal was to go under a 7 minute pace to prove to myself that I'm getting back into shape. 

It seems like I've finally gotten past the nagging leg issues I was having, and I've had 2 weeks of solid milage feeling good. 

The predictions of heavy rain didn't come true, but that left us with brutal 94% humidity. I was feeling it before the race even started. The first mile included Cat Hill, but it didn't slow me down as much as it does in other races when it looms near the end of the course. I hit the mile one mark at 6:58, which seemed about right. 

Mile two is mostly downhill, but I tried to keep a handle on it, as I knew the West Side Hills awaited in mile three. My split was 6:54, which seemed on track, but at this point I was really feeling the humidity. 

The West Side Hill cut me down to size a bit, and mile three took 7:12. That left me a bit behind, but well positioned for a fast, downhill mile 4. Unfortunately, I just didn't have much drive left to make the final push. 

I ran the last mile in 6:56, crossing the finish at exactly 28:00, a 7:00 minute pace (doh!). 

OK, I missed my goal by a second, but I have to count it as a success. The weather was brutal, and I ran a well paced, steady race. 

The event was split into two races -- the men started at 8:30, and the women at 9:30. It was also a team points race, so the faster runners were out in force.  Generally, I think co-ed races are more fun, but running separate races does provide more opportunity for cheering. Thanks to the Flyer ladies who came out early to cheer this morning!

At the finish, I ran into a bunch of Flyer men who were headed out to find a good cheering spot to watch the women's race. I had a great time doing this at the Club Championships, but this morning I couldn't stay due to family obligations. 

The plan now is to gradually start adding speed work and more milage into the coming weeks, and be ready for some fast races when the weather cools!

Ribbon of Recreation

Today was the final day of an NYC event called Summer Streets in which the city closed Park Avenue and connecting streets from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park for for the entire morning. Many of the cross streets are closed as well, and walkers, runners and bicyclists are invited to take over.  The video above is views of the event over Mayor B. talking about what he calls a "Ribbon of Recreation".

I, of course, would never have known about this, but for the group run organized by the Flyers. The club plan was to run downtown from Central Park, and then go out for brunch. 

I met up with TH on 96th, and we ran through the park to the meet point at 72nd.  From there we ran with the Flyers out to Park Avenue and headed south. I have really enjoyed the few times I've gotten to run on the car-less streets of New York, and this was no exception. Park Avenue is quite spectacular. As far as I'm concerned, they should do this every weekend. Hey, they close the road in Central Park, right? OK, I am a bit biased -- I don't drive in the city -- I imagine that Summer Streets was a huge inconvenience for some folks.... 

Anyway, we ran all the way down park, "through" the Met Life building (very cool), and past Union Square and onto Lafayette.  From there we ran to the City Hall area where we regrouped to talk about brunch. I was feeling like running some more, so I skipped brunch and headed back north with a handful of like minded folks, including TH and JF. We never committed to running the whole way back, but we were having a great time, chatting about anything from politics to parenting. Before we knew it, we were back at 72nd street. 

Given our the milage on JF's GPS, and our pre-run from 96th, TH and I called it a 12 mile run - longer than I have gone in a while. I've been shy about the long run for a while, but I feel like I may be back. This run certainly went easily, and I did close to 10 miles on Thursday. Both runs were at an easy pace, with an emphasis on socializing. That may be my key to building up endurance. When I run alone, I set a distance goal, and then just naturally push to complete it quickly. As a result, I don't get in as many "recovery" or easy runs as I probably should. 

At any rate, things are looking up, running wise. Cheers!

Gay Pride

Saturday was the Front Runners Lesbian and Gay Pride run. I had seen many runners in Front Runners singlets at races in the past, but I had no idea how big the club was. The event had a great vibe, and a lot of that was due to the Front Runners that were there volunteering and running.

I entered my assigned starting corral and immediately spotted a bevy of Flyers, both old friends and new faces. We chatted and there were a few introductions. There were some folks there that I would have liked to have kept pace with, but I knew that on this day, it wasn't going to happen. When the race started, I fell in behind one of the Flyers I had just met, J.E. 

I was able to stay with him, but it was an ambitious pace. I decided to go with it, and let him pull me along. We ended up running the first few miles side by side. There was no conversation, but there was a nice teammate vibe. 

I knew, from the heaviness of my breathing and the ease of J.E.s breathing, that he would be ditching me before the race was over, and as expected, I fell back around Cat Hill. Unfortunately, J.E. stayed in sight, which meant that I had to continue to give it my all. I finished with a 35:04 (7:00 pace), which is pretty good considering that I'm just starting to get back into shape.

Most importantly, I felt as high as a kite at the end of the race. I had really pushed myself, and it felt great. The vibe of the event, chatting with teammates afterwards, and the satisfaction of leaving everything I had on the road made this a high point of my month.

I have a ways to go before I'll be able to PR again, but if this race was any indication, I'm going to enjoy getting there. 

My Need for Speed

Today was the 2008 Need for Speed 50 mile relay race. I ran again with Flyers Team Black which had all but one runner returning from last year.

Last year's race was an important day in my new running life, and I really looked forward to this year's version.

Certain aspects of the experience were just like last year -- the camaraderie and the excitement of running with a team in a sport that I have only otherwise experienced as an individual. Sure, I run as a Flyer in all the races, but this is different.

So what was different this time? Well the weather, for one. It was brutal. It started hot and got hotter, reaching the mid nineties at its peak. Also, coming off injury, I opted for a short leg, rather than taking the challenging (and rewarding) lead off leg that I had last year.

So, do I have a personal "Need for Speed"? Yes, I do.

The heat made it impossible to run at the pace I would have otherwise expected. But just going out and running hard felt so good....

The Good

• Hanging with Team Black again!
• Matt from the Hellgate team who rode with us in our team van for two legs. This is a whole story that I will post on separately.
• Every minute of my leg. Me like to run.
  
• The two new additions to the team -- my good friend TH, and new Flyer the Laminator. It was great introducing TH and Team Black to each other, and it was a pleasure to meet the Laminator, who up until now I have known only from his blog. The reality lived up to my image.
• The Flyers had 4, count 'em, 4 teams in the relay. With 8 or 9 runners on each team, this meant that the transition points were loaded with Flyers, adding even more good vibes to the event.
  

The Bad

• A lot of folks got of course during their legs. Whenever a runner didn't show up for any team when expected, we had to worry that not only may they have gotten lost, but that they might be in serious trouble due to the heat. Fortunately, all of the Flyers participating made it through safely, although a few were pretty teed off at the extra miles they ended up running.
• Oh yeah, and late in the day, the "race was canceled" Chicago Marathon style. Everyone was allowed to finish the leg they were on, and since some teams were on the last leg, they completed the race, but many didn't. We missed by just a few minutes, so we didn't officially complete the last leg. Nyflygirl ran the leg anyway, without a chip.
  

A Good Start

I ran my first race since March today. I've been nursing a "non-injury", but I've missed the whole race scene so much, I just couldn't stay away.

The event was the Japan Day Race, a four mile loop in Central Park. My plan was to run at training pace, or just a bit faster if I felt good.

This was my first race since the NYRR started using the new corral system, and I was very curious to see how well it worked. My pre-non-injury race times earned me a spot in the first corral, but I wasn't planning to match that pace today.

I followed my friend PL to the corral entrance, which was at the front of the corral. Uh, the front of the first corral would be right at the starting line. I definitely did NOT want to be there. One look at the eyes of the contenders that would be running over me, and I made a bee-line for the back of the corral.

Meanwhile, the corral barriers had been removed, and I ran into my friend TH at the front of the second corral. I didn't plan on keeping his pace either, but at least I knew he wouldn't push me of the road to get by.

When the starting horn sounded, TH was off like a shot, and I was left on my own to find the right pace. Despite my plan of moderation, I felt that old race day high. Boy have I missed that. I didn't push hard, but I felt good so I kept a brisk pace. At mile one, I was pleased to see my pace of 7:13.

My non-injured leg felt better than it has in a while, so I kept the pace up. I was nervous that I might be benefiting from adrenaline, and that I might regret it later, but... what can you do.

Each mile got faster, and I ended up averaging under a 7 minute pace (6:59). It was not a PR by any means, but it was very satisfying run.

Mile Splits
7:13
7:06
6:56
6:41

I stretched thoroughly afterwards, and there hasn't been any tightening or soreness, so hopefully today was a good step toward feeling 100 percent.

The corral system seems like a total success. Combined with the widening of the racing lane, there is no more crowding, and no one strays outside of the cones. The race marshals, who used to stand in harm's way trying to get people to "stay to your left!!", now just stand there and watch the race. Today's was a smaller race than usual, but still, it looks like the NYRR has gotten it really dialed.

I started back further than I needed to, since I expected to be running slower, but I had no problem moving through the pack. The corral system makes sure that there are no completely off-pace runners (walkers) blocking traffic in the front, and that's all that was really needed.

The "I" word

Today was my third run since taking 2 full weeks off. There are those that would say I was injured, but I don't like that word. I'm just going to call it "taking a break, as one should periodically to rejuvenate."

Of course there are also those who would say that I'm in denial, but I figure denial is only bad if you don't take a rest or seek treatment. Since I did both, I figure I can call it whatever I want. So there.

I gotta tell you though, after a two week break I was completely miserable. I felt the fitness slipping, and then going into free fall.

Probably the worst part of denial, if indeed you believe such drivel, was that it kept me from posting to this blog. A lot of folks I know have posted in detail about injury and the steps they took to recovery, and I imagine it was therapeutic for the writers, as well as good material for the readers.

Enough about that - let's look ahead. The future is bright! My second year running the Need For Speed Relay is coming up next month. I just met with my Flyers - Black teammates, and it looks like the entire team will be back this year (WOO HOO!). Last year I ran leg one, a challenging, steep run that included crossing over Bear Mountain. Sadly, I begged out this year, as it wouldn't be the smartest choice for me during "recovery". I'll run a shorter, flatter leg. Probably when race day arrives, I'll be feeling 100% and be really pissed that I wimped out, but it was the "smart" thing to do.

No matter which leg I run, it's going to be a blast. I can't wait. In the mean time, I'll be focused on the slow and steady return to my previous fitness.... and beyond!

Running into Pierre

One of my favorite running bloggers, Harlem 26.2, decided to stop posting recently. He used to title a lot of his posts "Running into ...". In some cases, the reference was literal, such as "Running into a Train", and sometimes less so, as in "Running into a Double Latte". It was a great blog, and I'll miss it. When I decided to post about an unexpected sighting of a runner that I had met once before, it just seemed natural to title the post "Running into Pierre" in honor of Harlem 26.2.

A few hundred yard into the the 2007 NYC Marathon, a runner approached me and asked what pace I was targeting. It turned out that we had similar goals, and we ran together for a while. In the next few miles, I learned that Pierre lived in my neighborhood, was also running his first marathon, and had trained entirely on his own. I found this last bit very impressive, as I had relied heavily on my running club for support -- especially in completely the long 18 and 20 mile training runs that one needs to do before running a marathon. Pierre had gone out and run 20 miles in Central Park on his own. That's a long way.

I really enjoyed meeting him, and I was disappointed when we got separated in the crowds after three miles or so. I've often wondered how the rest of the day went for him. I didn't know his last name, so I couldn't even look up his results.

This morning, as I was heading down 96th Street to the park, a runner coming the other way called out asking if I was John. Sure enough, it was Pierre. I was amazed that he was able to recognize me -- it's been 5 months since we briefly meet. I was really happy to hear that he ran a really good time -- a lot better than I had done. We chatted a bit -- we're both signed up for this year's marathon but not yet committed, etc.

We ran on our separate ways, and I realized that once again, I hadn't gotten his last name or even suggested that we run together some time. I could have at least suggested that he look into joining the Flyers. Hopefully, it will continue to be a small world and I'll see him out there again.

Target Race

Had a great run yesterday with PL and TH. We had talked about going back to Rockefeller State Park, but with all the rain we were having we decided it might be a muddy mess. Instead we got together in Central Park for a couple of loops. PL wanted to get a feel for a race pace he was targeting, so in the middle of the first loop, we did a half mile pick at 10k pace or so. Then at the top of the Great Hill, we veered off to the cinder track that's hidden a few hundred yards off the road, and ran a few fast laps there. At the end of the second loop, we also picked up a bit to finish strong. The weather turned out to be beautiful, and I had a great time running with my two good friends.

I'm looking ahead at targeting the Brooklyn Half Marathon on May 3rd. Brooklyn is a great course, and I haven't run a half since October. I'm hoping to be up for a PR. Either way, it should be fun.

This morning, TH and I went out early, as we each had family obligations for most of the day. Runners were just starting to gather for the More Marathon in the park. The More Marathon is an amazing event that is only for women over 40. You can run the full marathon, or get a partner, and each of you run half (the partner doesn't have to be over 40). There were 146 marathon finishers, and close to 6000 folks who ran the half.

We passed by the Flyers water station, where a large group of Flyers were setting up. It felt bad to wave and say hi to the folks that were volunteering as we ran by, but there was no way I could have helped out today. Note to self: get out and do more Flyers volunteer activities!

Other Parks

I had two spectacular runs this weekend. Saturday at Rockefeller State Park, and Sunday at the Inwood Hill Park.

I posted about a great run at Rockefeller before, and this one was just as good. Maybe better. I drove out with two good friends, and we took an easy pace, just soaking in the beauty of the park. There were lots of hills, and occasionally I charged up one, just to get the heart pumping. We stopped for a scrumptious breakfast at a Salvadoran restaurant in Washington Heights on the way back. Hopefully, we will do this many more times.

Inwood Hill Park was entirely new to me, and another place I hope to revisit soon. Located at the northern tip of Manhattan, the park has great views along the rivers, and a labyrinth of trails through a large wooded area. Running in this park was a little a remote, so I probably wouldn't do it alone, but with a friend there is a ton of territory to explore. I'll get up there again with my camera soon, and post some pics here for your viewing pleasure. In the meantime, here's a stock photo to give you an idea.

Before

Some of the folks that I run with have requested a "before" photo, so here you go. I started running in the summer of 2006, and by the fall of 2007 I had dropped 58 pounds. I've kept the weight off since then, and it feels great.

Running -- good.

Second time over 70

This morning was the Central Park Challenge 8K. It was a light turnout (1,700 runners) due to the early start just after DST kicked in, and the fact that so many folks ran last weekend in either the 15K points race or the 4 miler.

I arrived at the race with TH, and met up with PL there. We ran into DW from my morning training group, as well as MR and other Flyers at the start.

Although this wasn't a "target race" per se, I felt up for running a hard 8K (just under 5 miles), so I came ready to race. The small crowd made for an unusual opportunity as there was no need to bob and weave anywhere on the course. I ran the first mile in 6:42, perhaps my fastest first mile ever.

I kept a steady pace until mile 4, which was a bit slower as Cat Hill took its toll. The splits:
6:42 Mile 1
6:41 Mile 2
6:46 Mile 3
7:03 Mile 4 (Cat Hill)
6:35 (last .9 miles)

My 33.47 time was good for a 70.4% AG -- my second time breaking that tough 70% mark (woo hoo!).

After the race I reconnected with the folks I started with, and chatted with RB, JE and others. It seemed that a good time was had by all.

Running -- good.

Discipline... sort of

I ran the Colon Cancer 15k last week as a training run. I had run 35 miles already in the week, and given the recent inconsistency of my training, I wanted to be sure not to over do it. 15K was a nice distance to top off the week, and I knew that this week was going to be light. Starting next week, my schedule should allow me to get back into steady 40 mile weeks. Then, hopefully, I'll see what I can do to train hard for a target race and keep pushing my fitness.

The 15K (9.3 miles) was two loops -- a 5 mile loop and a 4+ mile loop. I started off with two friends running at an easy pace, but after a mile or two one of them picked up the pace. In keeping with my non racing plan, I stuck with the slower of my two friends. After the first loop, I succumbed to temptation somewhat, and set out to see if I could catch up with the friend who had run ahead. I never did catch him, but I enjoyed running negative splits. It's great to feel strong at the end of a long race.

I got faster in each of the final miles, and only momentarily broke the "training run" plan by running the last mile at a sub 7 minute pace.

In the end, last week was a really solid week of running, but I knew this week would be tougher. Next week, no more excuses.

See you out there!

Washington Heights Week

A few months ago, I named this weekend's Coogan's 5k as my next "target race". When I made this declaration, I had built up a solid training base of 40 mile weeks, and was poised to add speed work and other focused training for the race. Unfortunately, my training plans were interrupted by life, and my training took a dive, including one week of 0 miles (!).

Returning home from a long work trip, I saw that I had scheduled two events for this week -- indoor races at the Armory on Thursday, and Coogan's on Sunday -- both in Washington Heights. The Armory was running four races that night, 1500 meter and 800 meter individual events, and two relays. I had organized a group of Flyers to run the relays. The Armory events are full of young fast runners, including college track teams and the like. Even though we couldn't be competitive in this field, it was a chance to run on a first rate track and have some fun.

Fortunately, the Flyers are good sports, and good at having fun. I ran a 200 meter leg in a relay, and an 800 meter individual event. That was enough for me, and I hoped it would leave me something for Coogan's. Some of the other folks ran the 1500 meter race, which gave them a little more track time. Afterward, a few of us went by Coogan's Pub around the corner for refreshment and some laughs.

On Sunday, I headed back up to the Heights for Coogan's, which starts right in front of the Armory. I had a great time in this race last year, and this year did not disappoint. I don't know if it's the music (live bands all along the course), the kids races, the police and firefighter participation, or the promise of free beer at Coogan's pub, but the vibe is great at this run.

I met up with my usual cohorts, PL and the H family (dad and both son's were racing), and I saw a few Flyers at the start including PD, RB and met RP, a Flyer I knew only from the forums.

At last year's Coogan's, I ran 23:15. This year my goal was to go under 21 minutes. Last year, that would have been a top 10 age group finish.

I ran hard and had a blast. I just love the 5k distance. I wish the NYRR ran more of them. I finished with a 20:48 (6:42 pace), hitting my sub 21 minute goal, and good enough for 13th out of 185 men in my age group.

Still, it was slower than my best 4 mile pace (6:38) from just a month ago. The course was hilly, but I suspect that most of the reason was that my training fell off in the last month.

Starting tomorrow, back to putting in the steady miles!

Fun Run

I got into JFK from Sydney on Friday night, so my plans for the race on Saturday were to just use it as a reason to get out of bed and get moving.

I called a friend from the cab, and he told me that the race had been changed to a "Fun Run", due to weather. It didn't seem that bad out, but I guess they were worried about rain turning to ice.

The race had been scheduled as a club points race, which would mean that there would be a big turnout from my club mates, and that in general, the fastest folks would be out. As a fun run, however, there would be no chips, clocks, awards or scoring of any kind. When this happened last year, I didn't go out, but later heard that it was a really fun event, with just a few people running in a snow covered park. I was pissed that I didn't go out that day, so I wasn't going to miss this one. And let's face it -- a fun run was all that I was up for anyway.

When I got out to the race, I was clear that this was not going to be the same sort of event as last year's fun run. That time, the weather had in fact been really intimidating. This time, the forecast was wrong. There was no new snow -- I think the concern had been about ice, which didn't materialize. It was actually a nice morning for a run, and a good number of people showed up.

I wandered in late -- hey, why show up early for a fun run? When I got there I found the starting area was pretty full. There were no pace markers, so it was even more of a free-for-all than usual. The front section had metal gates, and hopping those to push my way in didn't seem in the spirit of a fun run, so I just entered at the back and moved up as much as I could. I could see that it was going to be a slow start, but I reminded myself that I wasn't trying to break any records. Geez, just relax. It's a FUN RUN dammit!

After the start, it was really slow. I was actually walking a couple of times on the 102nd transverse (itsafunrun,itsafunrun,itsafunrun). After we made the first turn turn, it opened up and I was able to get up to pace. Although my training had dropped off (stopped) during my last week abroad, the upside was that my legs felt fresh and I was loving the feeling of running.

For the fun run, the NYRR had not put up the usual big mile marker signs, and had instead just drawn markers on the road. I missed the first marker, so I don't know my first mile time, but I hit the two mile point at 14:55. My guess it that this broke down to something like 8:05 and 6:50. The third mile (cat hill) was at 7:05, and the final mile was 6:37. Besides the first mile, these were real race pace times for me, so I didn't really take it as easy as I thought I would.

Hey, it was a Fun Run right? And what's fun for me is going out and running as fast as I can. May we all have many fun runs ahead!

Sydney

The last few weeks, I've had to cut back on running, due to work and other life circumstances. I'm through the tough period now (famous last words), and ready to get those steady miles going again.

I have just returned from a 2 week work trip to Sydney. I didn't run as regularly as I would have liked, but I did have a couple of wonderful runs. I took the camera with me on just one run, but it was a great one, with gorgeous views. Temps in the 70s made it that much nicer.

The Route: From my hotel, I ran to Hyde Park, to the Domain, down along the water to the point at Mrs. Macquarie's Chair, around the U to the Sydney Opera House, through the Circular Quay to the Rock, up the steps to the Harbor Bridge and across. Turned around and crossed the bridge back, took the pedestrian path on the Cahill Expressway above the quay, and the steps down into the Botanical Garden. Wandered through the garden back to the Domain, and returned to the hotel the way I came (via Hyde Park).

Redemption

This morning was the Gridiron Classic 4 mile race in Central Park. I had promised to pick up numbers for myself and my friend Peter, and meet him near the start.

Now why, you ask, would I make such a ridiculous promise for the morning after the Flyer's Gala? Well, to be honest, only because I didn't look at my calendar. I planned to jog over to the NYRR office, pick up the numbers, and jog down to the start, but when the alarm went off this morning, I had to question my plan. Perhaps I could take a taxi to the NYRR office, another taxi to the start, give Peter his number, and go back home to sleep a few more hours.

After I dragged my ass out of bed, I started to feel better, so I started off on my jog, with enough money in my pocket to revert to the cab plan if needed. Once I got running, I felt still better. By the time I met up with Peter, I felt ready to race.

At the start, we were told that we would have a lane and a half to run in for most of the race. In the past, the NYRR tried to squeeze the field into the rec lane as soon as they could. The result was that tons of runners strayed outside of the official course. Today's setup worked beautifully. It was tight for the first mile or less, and from then on it was wide open. I didn't see a single runner stray outside of the boundaries.

I started out with a 6:59 mile -- respectable, but I would have to pick it up to PR. When my second mile was 6:28, I realized I had a shot. I hung on over the West Side hills for a 6:50 third mile. A PR was still possible, but only if I smoked the last mile. The set up was right -- the last mile was mostly downhill, and I wasn't too tired. I also had a little extra motivation. Last night I was given an award for "Most Improved" runner, based on some questionable data. It would be great to put together a good run the next morning. Also, my best AG% was 69.8, and I was dying to break 70%.

I gave it everything I had and ran the last mile in 6:17. In the end, I PRed with at 36:35 (6:38 pace) with an 70.7 AG%. OK, it wasn't 72.2, but breaking the 70% mark was a big goal for me, so I'm pretty happy.

All in all, a good weekend. Cheers.

Gala

When I joined the New York Flyers last year, everyone in the group runs was talking about the Annual Awards Gala. They made it sound like a great event, but I didn't go since I didn't yet know many folks in the club.

I did attend this year's Gala, which took place last night, and I was not disappointed. My wife came, and was able to meet some of the amazing folks that I've been telling her about, including a lot of the folks from the 6AM group runs, and the entire Flyers Black relay team from the Need for Speed Relay.

After lots of drinks and food, the group sat down for a presentation that included an entertaining slide show, introduction of the new executive board, and lots of awards. So many awards, in fact, that there was even one for yours truly -- "Most Improved".

I was a little embarrassed during the description of my "achievements" when one was included that wasn't real. Those who read this blog, may remember a mistake made by the NYRR in timing a race in July. They credited me with a time that was a good deal faster that my real time, and the MC mentioned the resulting 72.2 AG%. In reality, my best AG% was 69.8. Oops. Improved, yes. Just not quite that improved.

Oh well, what could I do? I accepted the award with a smile and left it at that. When Trakmaniak came up to me and congratulated me specifically mentioning the 72%AG, I still didn't say anything. I just didn't want to go there during the event (sorry Trakmaniak).

Despite being a bit embarrassed about the award, I really enjoyed the evening. The folks that put it together did a great job, and the spirit of the club was overwhelming. One of my favorite moments was when the new club President asked members of the club to stand who had helped with various club activities. As he went down the long list of events, more and more people stood, until by the end it seemed as though there were more folks standing than not. Go Flyers!

Negative Splits

In my last post, I stated my aim to run negative splits in the Manhattan Half. Everyone seems to agree that starting off easy and speeding up is the best way to approach a long race, but I've never really done it. I guess I've just been afraid of losing time at the beginning that I couldn't make up. For me, trying to run just under pace and picking it up has always resulted in just going out fast and hanging on like usual.

Today, the course was two loops of the park, plus a mile, and I planned to do one loop easy and the second loop fast. I knew that this was a bit crude to really maximize performance, but my goal was more to experience negative splits than to PR.

I lined up with my friend PL at the 8 minute mark, as this was my planned pace for the first loop. In the first mile, I made it a point to go with the flow rather than "bob and weave" through the crowd. I saw runner26 and chatted for a while, chatted with PL, and generally tried to repress my competitive urges and enjoy the run. The result was that the first two miles were pretty slow. The second was over 9 minutes, and the first was probably slower. I forgot to turn on my watch at the start, so I'm not sure.

From the third mile, PL and I picked it up to the planned pace of 8 minute miles, which felt comfortable. As the second loop began, I picked up the pace to close to 7 minute miles. It was nice to be speeding up rather that slowly dying as I usually do in a half, but it was pretty clear early on that a PR was out of reach. I had just given up too much time at the beginning of the race. I felt strong, but hey, I know my PRs for 10k, 5 miles and 4 miles, and I wasn't going to beat any of them at the end of a half.

Toward the end of the race, I heard someone call my name and it turned out to be Flyer CB. I remember well how she ran me into the ground at last year's NYC Half, so it was great to be able to finish with her today feeling strong.

In the end, I finished in 1:41:31 (7:44 pace) -- a minute 33 off my PR. Could I have PRed if I had gone out a bit faster? Maybe. The jury is still out on whether this is the fastest approach for me. One thing is clear though. It's a much more pleasant approach psychologically. It was great to feel fast and strong for the second half of the race. My body also feels much better than before. In the past, half marathons have made me sore, but not today. It felt like a shorter race. Hopefully that's a trend that will continue.

Target One

This year, I'll again run more races than I should. There's no stopping it. The best I can do to keep things sane is to pick a few races to target for my best efforts. Hopefully that will allow me to relax a bit in the other races and not over do it.

In that spirit, I am now announcing my first target race of 2008 (drum roll please). It is the Coogan's Salsa, Blues & Shamrocks 5K on March 2nd. Why, you ask? Here's why:

1. I haven't run a 5K since last year's Coogan's.
2. My 5K PR is in dire need of an upgrade. It's 30 seconds per mile slower than my 10K PR.
3. I'm still enjoying my post marathon backlash of training for shorter distances.
4. I had a great time at Coogan's last year, and I look forward to running it again.

Coogan's is run in Washington Heights, where I lived for my first few years in the city. In fact the route goes right by my old place. My friend PL lives nearby, and will hopefully jog down to join me.

So what about the races before March 2nd? Well I'm planning to run this Sunday in the Manhattan Half Marathon, but I won't be pushing the pace too hard. I have a different goal: to run negative splits. I've never really done it, and this race provides a great opportunity since it's two loops of the park. I'll just do one loop at training pace, as I've done so many times before, and then pick it up for the second loop. How hard could it be?....

Running Ahead

For the past year, I used the online running log from CoolRunning. Recently CoolRunning gave up supporting their log, and sent their users to Active.com. Unfortunately, the Active running log is nowhere near the quality of the now defunct Cool Running log.

The Active forums were packed with complaints from dissatisfied customers. Fortunately, someone posted the URL for Running Ahead, which has a log that is similar in quality to the Cool Running log. I don't know for sure, but is seems like Running Ahead is a one man organization, and that one man does a great job. He stepped up when he saw buckets of Cool Running users coming over, and wrote an import script specifically for Cool Running users. I was able to bring over all of my data, and I couldn't be happier. If you are looking for an online log to use, I recommend you check this one out.

Thank you Running Ahead!

Fred Lebow 5 Miler

After Thursday night's problems, I wasn't sure if I would be able to run on Saturday. I decided to go out and just jog the course if I wasn't feeling strong.

I woke up feeling unexpectedly well, however, and the jog out to the start felt good, so I decided to go ahead and give it a try.

I lined up at the 7 minute mile pace sign (my PR was a 6:56 pace). From there I spotted RB, J-CK among others. I started off with a sub 7 mile, and I felt fine, so I decide to continue to push. In the second mile RB came up and said "wow, if I'm running with you, I must be having a good race!" (yeah, right) I replied that I thought he was running past me, not with me, and indeed he soon moved on. RB has been really moving at speed work these days, but he was looking even faster than expected.

I kept the sub 7 minute miles going, and ended up with a PR 33:52 (6:46/mile), but the real news was RB. He PRed as well, beating his previous best from 10 years ago. Now that rocks.

Although I PRed, I'm still pursuing my goal of 70%AG. This race I matched my last race with 69.7%. That last 0.3% is tough, but I'll get it soon!

Thursday Night at the Races

I drew number four. A good draw, but I wasn't sure I wanted it. A higher draw might have made it easier to drop to the back of the pack and stay out of trouble. I didn't really feel like getting run over by faster runners. "Four!" came the call and I stepped into my place -- fourth from the inside in a heat of 20 runners on a track with 6 lanes.

I was at the Armory in upper Manhattan at the first race in a series of track meets that they call Thursday Night at the Races. After running my first marathon, I had been struck with the urge to work on my speed for shorter races. I had a great time at the 5th Avenue Mile, and if I didn't want to wait another year for that event to come around, the track meets at the Armory seemed like the best opportunity. I had no idea what to expect, and I had come to find out.

I was on an early schedule -- still jet lagged from a recent trip to Japan. I wasn't sure I would make it to the evening, so I went ahead with my usual Thursday morning run with the Flyers, which these days is close to 10 miles went you count in the run to the meet point and back (which I do). I knew this wasn't the ideal preparation for an evening race, but since I wasn't feeling too tired, I decided to go on up to the Armory and check out the scene.

When they called the men's mile event, I went over with well over 100 other guys. "Who can run 4:10?" called the organizer. "4:15?" Before long, he had 20 guys for the first heat. These guys were not lying about how fast they were. They were ridiculously fast. Each heat has slower runners than the last, but not much slower. Waiting for the times to reach my range, I chatted with a few other runners, including DR, fellow Flyer and blogger. I had read his blog, so it was great to actually meet him for the first time.

The cut off for the second to last heat was 5:20. The last heat took everyone slower. My time in the 5th Avenue Mile was 5:57. If I could match that here, I might be able to finish without getting lapped.

The gun sounded and we were off. The runners spread out quickly and my fears of colliding with someone faded. I had run races in the park with 5000 runners jammed into the rec lane. This was roomy by comparison.

As soon as that problem disappeared another surfaced. In the first lap, my mouth and throat suddenly became so dry that breathing was harsh. This had never happen to me before. Was I dehydrated? I didn't think so. I decided to ignore it - hey, it's only a mile right? Watching all the young fast runners that preceded my heat had been a little disheartening, but once I got running, it was fun. I was toward the back of the pack, but not last by any means. As the laps wound down, some of the folks in front of me began to fade, and I started passing some folks. I was able to muster a pretty good kick at the end, and finished somewhere in the middle of the field.

A few minutes after the race, I started coughing. It felt like I had done something abusive to my lungs. It got progressively worse, until I was coughing on each breath I took. I started to worry that I soon I wouldn't able to breathe at all. Another runner asked if I was OK, and told me "it's the air in here, it happens to me too." I decided to get outside for some fresh air. On the way out I passed another runner from my heat that was having the same problem.

Once I got outside, my breathing started to return to normal, but even the next day I was not feeling completely right. By Saturday, I felt normal again. Just in time for the Fred Lebow 5 Mile race in the park. But that's another story....