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.