Peanut Butter and Chocolate

PR in the Brooklyn Half Marathon - 5/21/11

2011-05-22T14:08:00.003-04:00

First PR of the 2011 season and my first half marathon PR in 2 years since the Long Branch Marathon in New Jersey on 5/2009.

I wasn't going into the race with the intention of PRing (merely trying to put in a strong 1:40 or 1:41 effort) since I haven't really been training, except for my usual 10 mile run each week, but it was a very nice surprise to come back with one. Even better for me, this was done without the help of a pace group, which I have come to rely on to carry me to a PR. This was done all by self pacing, which to me is just as good of an accomplishment as the PR itself. I went out a little bit faster than I wanted to and had to slow myself down alot in the beginning. But the shade and cool temps of the two Prospect Park loops allowed me to keep up a strong pace without getting too hot or fatigued. Once I left the Park, I new that the race would get easier with relatively flat roads ahead, which I used to my advantage. I realized at about mile 10 or so that I had a legitimate shot for a PR if I get up the strong pace that I had for the previous several miles. I gave a big push once the boardwalk came into site, and then gave maximum effort for the nearly 1.1 miles left on the boardwalk. I squeaked by with a PR of 13 seconds!

Mile 1 - 7:27
Mile 2 - 7:44
Mile 3 - 7:34
Mile 4 - 7:20
Mile 5 - 7:44
Mile 6 - 7:32
Mile 7 - 7:17
Mile 8 - 7:14
Mile 9 - 7:26
Mile 10 - 7:26
Mile 11 - 7:21
Mile 12 - 7:26
Last 1.1 miles - 8:28 (6:53 pace according to Garmin distance of 1.23 miles)

Overall time: 1:38:06
Overall pace: 7:29 min/mile

This half marathon, as well as my other weekly runs and races, has shown me that my pace has gotten faster since my marathons last year. I guess that is what training for a whole year and PRing can do for your body and your confidence. It has been hard to gather up the motivation since my marathon to go out and run but I have been getting out there three days a week, including one strength day in the gym. My work commute tires me out and the lack of consistent running partners makes it tougher to go outside and give a strong effort every time.

However, I see that my regular Central Park 6 mile pace has dropped so that I consistently run a sub 48 minute (7:55-8:00 min/mile) pace almost every time, and my 10 mile pace has dropped to around an 8:05-8:10 pace. And most of the time these are solitary runs without the benefit of a partner or group. I haven't done anything out of the ordinary to drive down my times. I was even afraid that by attempting to run without my orthotics would adversely affecting my running and cause me to have a lengthy transition period which hasn't happened so far. Running in my New Balance 860s without orthotics has been good. I don't feel any pain in my feet, just some strain in my hips and glutes which I have been working on more during my strength days in the gym.

So, let's see what the rest of the year brings!

Hartford Marathon 2010 - #5 is in the Books!

2010-10-12T21:23:00.010-04:00

Official stats:
Overall time: 3:37:45
Overall pace: 8:19
384th place out of 2209 runners
57th place of 227 runners age 35-39
1st Half 1:49:07 / 2nd Half 1:48:38
Pace after 10 miles: 8:19 – time of 1:23:06
Pace after 13.1 miles: 8:20 - time of 1:49:07
Pace after 20 miles: 8:20 – time of 2:46:33
Pace after 26.2 miles: 8:19 – time of 3:37:45

Overall Thoughts on the Race:
3:37:45 – a PR of over 10 minutes from Philadelphia in 2008. I can’t believe it! I am now officially a sub 3:40 marathon and I felt really strong doing it. Bar none – this was far and away the best marathon I have ever run and the best that I felt from start to finish, crossing the finish line and the days following. Everything that went wrong in New Jersey only five months earlier went right in Hartford. It took five marathons, but finally all of the pieces came together on the same day and allowed for a “perfect” race (or as perfect as possible, we all know that there is no such thing when it comes to racing) – weather, pacing, confidence, strong training, no injuries leading up to the race, a great pacer and pace group, negative splits, strong support on the course, etc. I don’t know the next time this will happen again, so I will savor it and document the day for future reference.

This was my ideal race thus far and the one that I felt I was capable of running since my times have been getting better and better over the last couple of years. It will be the model for which all of my future marathons will be based on, at least over the next few years. I stuck to a plan, stayed relaxed, and took calculated risks only after I did some hard thinking and had the confidence to move forward based on miles and miles of evidence. I was as consistent as could be and was able to run negative half splits for the first time. I never thought I’d be able to say that – negative splits! I am still in shock. Even as more and more miles passed by, I still didn’t feel like I was running a marathon. It proves how strong the mental aspects play in a race like the marathon. If you feel calm and relaxed, it breeds confidence within yourself and prevents you from tensing up, stressing out and pushing yourself too hard. I usually crumble at the end of the race and my pace, psyche, and body suffer to the point that I say to myself at least once, “Why am I doing this?” My mile times go up and up after mile 20, usually due to erratic pacing during the previous miles, and I just want the race to be over because I feel so bad and completely fried at the end. My past marathons had splits of 1:53/2:03 in NYC 2006, 1:50/1:58 in Philly 2008, and 1:50/2:10 in New Jersey 2010 (due primarily to brutal weather conditions but the pattern still applies). This was not the case in Hartford - 1st Half 1:49:07 / 2nd Half 1:48:38.

I couldn’t have asked for a better day. The weather was perfect for running, sunny and cool with a starting temperature in the low 50s, I ran with a very good pacer who was calm and consistent, I had the support of a fun pace group as long as I wanted it, the ability to run even splits mile after mile for the entire race, and feeling strong (physically and mentally) during the later miles, including mile 20 until the end where I have hit the “wall” several times.

Stay Relaxed and Run As Even a Pace as Possible
My mantra to myself over the last several years was to work hard on my pacing with the goal of keeping it as consistent as possible. Picking a pace and trying to hit it every mile for as long as I can. It is a tough task and takes a lot of discipline. However, I knew that it would only benefit me in the end if I was able to get better at it and would give me the chance for the best time and that is exactly what happened this weekend. Even splits makes the race seem that much easier when you are not varying your pace and effort every couple of miles. It keeps my stress level down, keeps me focused and relaxed, and a gives me a goal to try and reach for every mile. My best races are ones in which I am consistent and even in my mile paces, as evidenced by my times/relaxed mindset at the New Jersey Half in 2009 (half PR and ran with a great pace group), the Philadelphia Half in 2009 (second fastest half by only 3 seconds and ran with a great pace group) and now the Hartford Marathon (my marathon first using a pace group) in 2010 – which I believe is no accident. Incredibly, I achieved that for the entire marathon this time around, and I have no doubt that that is one of the main reasons I felt so good (almost too good) throughout the entire race and afterwards. I have never felt this calm and relaxed during a race. I should not have been feeling this good and mile 20, 21, 22 and beyond. But I did.

Race Day
Like most runners, I like to keep the same routine before a race. My alarm went off at about 5:25 in the morning and my race day clothes were already set out from the night before and I had my bag packed so I wouldn’t forget anything important. As usual, I had a plain bagel with peanut butter (one at the hotel and one on the way to the race) and a Gatorade as my breakfast. I didn’t want to leave anything to chance so I charged my Garmin in the hotel room the night before and I made sure to charge my iPod at home the night before. Unlike most marathons, I was able to pick up my number the morning of the race, which was a huge help since I didn’t have to rush in from work the night before to pick it up at the Expo. Luckily, my hotel was walking distance from both the XL Center, where I had to pick up my number as well as the start of the race. I left my room at about 6:15 and there was no turning back now. The weather was sunny and cool and I had a good feeling about the day. Once I arrived at the XL Center, I quickly picked up my number and goodie bag and dropped my stuff down. The shirt was a tech shirt as expected (although a light blue color) and the bag was one of the drawstring backpacks that I like. I pinned the number to my shirt and then it was off to Bushnell Park and the starting area. I saw a bunch of other runners walking in front of me and I was trying to take it all in before I started my journey in an hour or so. As I am walking, I figured I would turn on my Garmin and give it some time to pick up the satellite. However, I pressed the power button and nothing happened. My Garmin didn’t turn on and I was freaking out a little bit. I made sure to charge it the night before so there was no way that the battery was dead. Why would it decide to choose this as the time to not turn on? This is the reason I got a Garmin in the first place - to help pace me in a marathon! I stayed calm and thought about my options. I had my regular running watch as a backup, but I was really hoping for the Garmin. Luckily I remembered that it was possible to reset the watch when the same thing happened to me a few weeks before. I forgot the combination of buttons that needed to be pressed, but I at least knew it was possible. I knew that the reset button and the power button needed to be included. So calmly, I pressed all of the button combinations that included those two and after a couple of minutes, I heard one of the best sounds I could possible hear at this time – the sound of the beeps going off as the watch was resetting. Woo hoo! Crisis averted! After all the training, I couldn’t my watch not going on the morning of the race as the one thing that would derail my race.

At no point during the race did I feel like I was struggling or about to break down and the pace leader and group I ran with had a lot to do with it, keeping me calm and relaxed for longer than I ever thought possible. As usual with a pace leader, I was a bit nervous at the beginning. Your entire race is in this guy’s hands and you have no idea how it is going to turn out. Luckily, they listed the bios of all the pace leaders on the Hartford Marathon website and I was eager to check out the person who would be pacing the 3:40 group and hopefully guiding me to my first ever 3:40 marathon. He seemed to have all of the characteristics I was looking for – a PR that was well under what he was pacing (a 2:58), a recent PR (he ran it in Boston earlier in 2010), and a race strategy that relied on even pacing throughout. That calmed me down a little bit going into the race.

About a half hour before the start of the race, I went to gather with the rest of the pace groups and introduced myself to Neil (the 3:40 leader). He seemed pretty relaxed and confident, but I wouldn’t be sure until the race started. It is always a little stressful running with a pace group because you are going blindly into a race and pinning your hopes on a person without ever having run with them before. Adding to the stress was the fact that Neil told us that he was going to run to the bathroom at 7:40 (the race started at 8:00AM) and that he would meet us back in a few minutes. By 7:50, everyone else, including the other pace groups, we heading to the starting line and Neil was nowhere to be found. We were all getting nervous that we wouldn’t find him in time. Luckily we spotted him without about 7 or 8 minutes to go and we followed his lead towards the start line, past the slower paces. There was no corral system, so we had to weave our way through the pack. A few minute later, the national anthem was sung and I was getting excited. I felt good and I wanted to go out on the course and prove myself. The gun went off and it only took us 30 seconds to cross the starting line. I made sure to keep my eyes on Neil and go wherever he went. The last thing I needed was to lose him right away and to run the rest of the race on my own.

While Neil said to us before the race, as well as in his bio, that his strategy was not to bank time, we definitely did in the beginning of the race. The first few miles were a bit quick - we seemed to be settling into an 8:15 pace which is well under the 8:23 average pace needed for a 3:40, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt. While I was a bit worried about it initially, I did not really mind since we were hitting consistent times mile after mile. No one in the group seemed to mind and neither did I. At least not yet. The start of the race is tough. You want to create some space for your group and it takes a little while to establish a rhythm. To me, comfort, feeling relaxed, and low stress levels are most important and if the pace is quick while all of these elements are still being maintained, then so be it. I decided that I would give Neil until mile about mile 4 or 5 (my original plan anyway) before I decided whether or not I would stay with the group. Even though we were going quicker than I wanted, I did not really mind at all. For me, speed is not as important as consistency. The longer I can go at a consistent pace, the more in a rhythm I get, the more relaxed I am and the longer I feel I could go without stressing out and feeling as though I have to push myself. As long as Neil was hitting about the same time each mile, I was totally fine with that. He was very calm, chatty, giving us tips on the upcoming miles (since this was his home turf), and keeping us all relaxed. Going into mile 5, I felt confident in Neil’s abilities and his race strategy. I felt great going at his (albeit quicker) pace and I decided that I was going to stay with him and the group for the duration and put my race in his hands. He did not disappoint. The group kept me very relaxed and the miles seem to keep flying by. Even when we hit the halfway point, it didn’t seem like I just ran 13 miles at all! I was that relaxed and I just needed to stay calm and keep that feeling going as long as possible.

After about 5 miles we were about a minute under pace and by the time we hit the halfway point, we were about 52 seconds under 3:40 pace. In my mind, I still felt comfortable and relaxed so there was no need to get worried. The more time we “banked” mile after mile, the more time reserves I would have at the end of the race in case I needed to slow down and still be able to go under 3:40. For every mile we went at under 8:23, the more I could dip into at the end. I was just hoping that even though I was feeling good at the quicker pace earlier in the race, that it wouldn’t deplete or exhaust me as the end of the race approached. That is why the marathon is so tough of a challenge and so hard to strategize for. You need to make decisions early on when you don’t know how they will affect you hours later. The group was still well intact and I just needed to stay with them and enjoy the support I got from them. No matter what, I was not going to do anything stupid like speeding up or leaving the group no matter how good I was feeling. And at the halfway point, I was feeling great. The weather was still cool and it felt as if I was just going on a leisurely jog, only though I was halfway through a marathon and still had 13 miles more to go. However, my mind and body were both in good shape and I had a good feeling about the rest of the race. After we passed the halfway mark, the group was getting a little thinner but I wasn’t going anywhere. It kept me calm and I knew I was going to need it for the later miles. I didn’t run with a pace group to get me through 13 or even 16 or 17 miles, I needed them to get me to at least 20 miles and beyond if necessary which is where my races usually fall apart no matter how well I am feeling in the beginning of the race. After mile 13, we were able to see the faster runners coming from the opposite direction. Neil let us know that the turn around point was coming at mile 17 and that it was a very slight downhill for a few miles after that point. We were still hit mile splits of between around 8:15 – 8:20 and I was still feeling in very good shape. I was still a bit nervous about what I would be feeling like after mile 20 on through to the end of the race. My feeling was to just stick with the group as long as possible and they will help push me through if I started to struggle. However, the struggle still hadn’t come yet. That’s not to say that the race wasn’t getting tougher for me but we already reached mile 17, 18, and 19 and my body still felt relatively fresh and the miles were still going by at a pretty good clip.

As we were approaching mile 20, I found myself ahead of the pace group and looking back at them, making sure that they were still close behind me. I was looking at my watch to see what my pace was, and it was still below 8:20. After we passed mile 20, I had the group within sight when looking over my shoulder, for a sense of security, but it seemed like they were getting farther and farther behind me. I had a feeling that Neil was going to slow down to make sure that he came in at just around 3:40 at the end of the race. I was still feeling good and I made a risky decision, but one that I couldn’t believe at that point of the race that I felt confident in doing. At around mile 20.5 or so, I looked back at the pace group for the last time and decided to go out on my own for the remainder of the race. My pace was still consistent, I felt pretty good and I had the feeling that my pace would not suffer too much. I didn’t want to mess up my stride or groove by constantly trying to slow myself down to keep up with the pace group. The group definitely did its job. It got me through 20 miles feeling as good as I ever had at that point, it kept me relaxed and relatively stress free, and it allowed me to run at a consistent and even pace for over 20 miles, which I was never able to do before. Thank you very much for your help all of your help – you did your job perfectly. I was still waiting for “the wall” to rear its ugly head, but I couldn’t believe it – it never showed up! While I was nervous to go out on my own so late in the race in a portion where I am notorious for crumbling, it never happened (however that is not to say that I wasn’t starting to feel the impact of running 20 or 21 miles, because I definitely did). My pace did not suffer at all and I was able to keep up around an 8:15-8:20 pace or below between miles 20 to the end of the race. I guessed it helped that I was in such a good rhythm going into mile 20 that it just carried over into the later miles of the race. I was in unchartered territory and I didn’t know what to do. When I passed mile 20, I told myself to make it to mile 22. When I hit mile 22, I looked at the rest of the race one mile at a time. I looked at my watch during each mile and I couldn’t believe my eyes. My pace wasn’t going down at all. I told myself to just stay calm. Even though there were 4 miles or less left in the race, anything can still happen. But with every mile that passed with me on pace, the greater chance I knew I had of reaching my ultimate goal of running under 3:40. With each passing mile marker, I was calculating my finish time and I knew that it was getting more and more likely. I was passing people during miles 22-24 and I couldn’t wait to see the mile 25 marker. Once I passed it, I saw the bridge in front of me that I ran down at around mile 4 or 5. That was the toughest part standing between me and the end of the race. I calculated my finished time once I passed mile 25 and I knew that I was going to do it. Even if I had to walk or shuffle for whatever reason, I had about 1:20 or so in the bank with only a mile to go. The bridge, although was only a relative incline, was tough but I knew with every step, I was getting close to not only finishing, but achieving a goal that I didn’t think was likely only a few years ago. It was a great feeling that my hard work and perseverance was finally going to pay off. By the time I crossed the finish line, everything was kind of a blur. It was weird, but it didn’t even feel like I just ran a marathon. I was tired and glad for the run to end, but I wasn’t exhausted, felt very good, wasn’t really that sore and I couldn’t believe that I just finished 26.2 miles with a huge PR to boot.

Mile by mile stats:
I never went above an 8:30 pace for any single mile and I only ran over an 8:20 pace four times. Amazingly, my pace didn’t suffer at all once I left the pace group at mile 20, staying extremely consistent until the end of the race, ranging from 8:04 to 8:18 – wow! - made all the more astonishing me to me since in the past I usually have several miles in the 9-9:30 range towards the end.

Mile	Pace
1	8:09
2	7:49
3	7:53
4	8:09
5	8:16
6	8:05
7	8:23
8	8:12
9	8:28
10	8:16
11	8:14
12	8:18
13	8:17
14	8:17
15	8:23
16	8:17
17	8:29
18	8:00
19	8:12
20	8:18
21	8:06
22	8:17
23	8:15
24	8:15
25	8:09
26	8:04
27	7:32

Post Race Thoughts:
My training this time around went really well, for the second marathon in a row, and I felt great throughout. By the time the marathon came along, it didn’t even feel like I was getting ready to run one. I was relaxed and my body felt really good. I ran three 20 milers, including two pretty tough ones at Croton and Palisades where I ran an 8:50 pace and 8:39 pace, respectively. They gave me the confidence that I was getting better and stronger and that a 3:40 marathon time was ambitious, but realistic. I think I turned a corner in this training cycle since I never really got exhausted even after the 20 mile runs. The preparation wasn’t too different for this marathon than my past two. I kept up my strength training throughout the process, ran only 4 days per week but never compromising my long runs, and ran three 20 milers that were tough, but I had the good fortune of running two of them with a group which really helped my mental well being and also helped push me to great training times. My overall fitness has gotten a lot better based on how I feel post 20 milers and post marathon. This is the best I have ever felt after those distances – like I didn’t even run a 20 miler at all. This is the race that I felt I could run for the past two years and I was ecstatic to get it done.

This is also not only the first time that I have run two marathons in the same year, but the first time that I have run two marathons within a year’s time span. Even though my body felt great this entire year and did not break down, I am not yet advocating to myself to do multiple marathons from now on. Let’s not push my luck. I want to run for a long time to come and it is not worth it to push yourself that much if there isn’t’ a specific reason. I didn’t want my year to end with the debacle that happened in Jersey when I knew what I was capable of doing. In my mind, I had a good reason to give it another try this year, especially since my body was feeling great and didn’t seem to feel the wear and tear of my training for Jersey.

I was proud of this one. I set an ambitious goal for myself, prepared for it properly and then went out and accomplished what I set out to do. It was a great feeling. This marathon gave me the confidence to know that I can line up with the 3:35 group when I am ready to do so. The fact that I felt so good throughout the race and at the end let me know that I have the potential to push harder and get a lower time. It won’t be easy though. It will be tough, but doable with the right mindset and conditions. I can’t expect to chop off these large chunks of time in the future. Each incremental PR will be harder and harder to achieve. The things in life that you want badly enough shouldn’t be easy to achieve. You should need to work hard for it, plan for it, and make sacrifices if necessary. It makes the accomplishment that more satisfying. However, I am very proud of this time and will be happy with it for a long time to come.

Thanks to everyone who helped me along the way and provided countless amounts of support and encouragement! It is incredible to have a group of friends and teammates that support and help each other and really want to see you do well. Now it is time to rest for a little while and then figure out my plan for next year.

Back in the Game

2010-08-03T15:15:00.007-04:00

Obviously, I have had a lack of motivation over the last couple months to update the blog. This usually happens to me after a marathon. The training buildup, which is usually my favorite part, is over, the excitement of the race has passed, and then I get into a slight post race funk. It is inevitable. Also, the fact that the Jersey Marathon was a complete mess didn’t help too much either. My mind and body needed a break after that race. The brutal conditions definitely broke me down a bit. The usual thoughts crept into my mind – “why am I doing this?”… “I will never do another marathon again.” Ragnar was fun and helped to get me out of the haze for a little bit, but not for too long. I usually need some type of trigger to get me going again with the blog – a fun relay, an exciting race, or possibly another marathon. Something that gets me excited to track or write about for a few months. Well, that “thing” is now the Hartford Marathon on 10/9/10. I registered for it the other day and I am excited to try and redeem myself and go after a solid time. It’s a good thing that runners (like baseball relievers) have short memories because otherwise none of us would ever do a marathon for a second time.

The tough thing for me was that most of my running buddies signed up for the Chicago Marathon earlier this year when I was training for Jersey. Although they were asking me to register as well, at the time I wasn't ready to commit to another marathon without seeing how Jersey turned out. I have never run a marathon in two consecutive years, let alone two in the same year. However, it bummed me out a little bit that most of my friends would be training together throughout the summer and I would be done for the year. I’d be back to doing my weekly long runs, but it is not the same thing. The mindset is different. Although training for a marathon takes a toll on your body and a lot of time and effort, I like the camaraderie of it and the payoff that comes at the end. Since Jersey did not go as planned, I didn't want my only marathon of the year to end on a note like that, so for the first time ever I entertained the idea of doing a second marathon in the same year. The problems that stemmed from Jersey were weather related and not really anything physical. A couple days after the race, my body felt good and I felt pretty strong physically. Nothing hurt and nothing needed any type of recovery. I even felt good after doing three legs at Ragnar only two weeks after the race. Therefore, I felt that a marathon was physically possible for me, if I was ready for the mental challenge. The fact that I was even thinking about this was a very big step for me. In my head, I figured that I would began to build up my running again as usual (after about a month off) and see how I felt. I still had some time before I had to make a decision, but I was giving myself a “soft” target date of October if I were to do a race. I originally thought about doing the Marine Corps Marathon, but that had a lot of logistical problems since I may be taking my yearly scan around that time. I didn’t want to have to worry about training and preparing for the scan at the same time (low iodine diet, possibly going off Synthroid, etc.), so I wanted to investigate marathons towards the beginning of October instead. The first thing to do was see if I could try to get into Chicago and work from there. Even though it was sold out, I knew that there was a chance that I could get a number. While working at Rodale, I knew that Runner’s World was a sponsor for most of the big races and held onto numbers for clients, VIPs, etc. Although it would probably be a long shot, I asked one of my friends to see if it was possible for me to buy a number. I was hoping for a quick answer, but it dragged on for over a month. However, by the end of June/beginning of July I decided that if I was able to get a number I would definitely do it. I began training for a marathon with the Chicago date (10/10/10) in mind. As it looked less and less likely that Chicago would pan out for me, I checked around to see other marathons that were at about the same time as Chicago so I wouldn't have to modify my training schedule. Since Hartford is relatively close by and is the same weekend as Chicago, I figured that it would be a good one to try. I spoke to a bunch of people and most had good things to say about the race. For me, it is relatively close by and easy to get to. In addition, it is the same weekend as Chicago and I would be able to train with my friends. I was excited. Game on!

It has been tough getting a gauge of how the training is going with the weather being so hot so far this summer and the lack of scheduled races. I haven’t had the opportunity to go all out in a while. I feel good on most of my runs but usually need to hold back because of the heat. Therefore, I have been pretty much going at a slower speed and not at full effort. I was hoping to get the opportunity to race at the Queens Half, usually one of my best races, but that was squashed as well due to the extreme heat (the half is usually raced in September when the temperatures are cooler but the powers that be at the NYRR decided to run it in July this year). I didn’t think it was possible to run in worse conditions than Jersey but Queens had it beat – the heat was brutal. The only good thing about the heat was that everyone knew about it days in advance and adjusted their goals accordingly. No one went out with the intention to PR. I looked to go out at around an 8:30 pace and hopefully keep that up the whole way through. I kept it up through mile 7 but then the heat was getting to be just too much. Unfortunately, for the second big race in a row, I gave myself permission to start walking. Beginning with mile 8, I walked through each of the fluid stations and made sure to get in a few cups of Gatorade/water before I got going again. Unlike Jersey, I was able to get back running pretty quickly after each brief respite and survive well enough to the next station. My pace didn’t suffer too much either – the slowest my pace got to was 9:30 in the later miles. I was just happy to get this race over with and finish in a time that was under 2 hours (1:57:31). This was not doing too much to improve my confidence level. I began to forgot what it felt like to run in a race that is cooler than 85 degrees and I didn't have to walk through the aid stations. I thought, will this ever end?

I signed up for the Long Training Run this past weekend and decided to pace the 8:30 group, which was slightly ambitious for me but definitely doable. In the past, this event has a been a good vehicle to get me back on track and in a rhythm and allow me to practice my pacing (which I can never get enough of). This was the first time I had a Garmin for this event and it made things a whole lot easier. With the help of my fellow pace leaders, the favorable weather conditions, and my Garmin, it wasn’t too difficult to stay around an 8:30 pace mile after mile. It is amazing how much stress and pressure is taken off of you when you concede to doing an even pace. The only point which got difficult was the last 2 or 3 miles but we were still able to keep up a pace that was no slower than around 8:40. After some of the sluggish runs so far this summer and the tough conditions at the Queens Half, you begin to wonder if you will ever feel strong again during a run. I felt great throughout nearly the entire 16 mile run and it gave me the confidence boost that I needed to let me know that I still have something in the tank. It is a little nerve racking though to have to wait until the Fall to confirm whether my runs during the summer were sluggish due to the weather, or it was just me. I just need to gut it out for another month or so and hopefully reap the rewards when the temperature gets cooler outside. Onward and upward!

Ragnar Relay and The Power of Motivation

2010-05-16T19:18:00.006-04:00

With the NJ Marathon behind me and the sluggishness and post race letdown setting in, I was happy to be participating in the Ragnar Relay this week – a 12 person and 182 mile journey from Woodstock to Westchester. It would be a good distraction for me and help me get some fun back into my running. This was my second overnight relay, after Reach the Beach, and my fifth relay overall (two Need for Speeds and one Ocean to Sound). The multi leg relay is a much different experience than the shorter races. This is what it must feel like to be on The Amazing Race. You are racing to get from leg to leg, hoping that the maps will take you where you need to go. The thrill and nervousness of running at night, being alone with the night sounds and praying that you don’t make a wrong turn (I wasn’t so lucky this time around). You get to feel the diminished amount of energy you have with each impending leg and getting by only a few minutes of sleep. The satisfaction of crossing the finish line with your teammates after a 24 hour journey. It was a great experience and a lot of fun to get close to your teammates and cheer and support each other throughout the weekend. While all of us wanted to do well, it is more about the experience and having fun, rather than running a specific time (however it was pretty cool that we placed third in our division – woo hoo!).

I think it was just what I needed to get out of my mini, post marathon funk. I was a little worried going into the weekend. I was starting to feel sluggish and my runs weren’t feeling too great. After having to walk during a marathon, there is always the wonder of whether or not I’d have the motivation or ability to finish another marathon or even another race. You need something to prove to you otherwise. It is a bit intimidating running a relay with people that are so much faster than me. My best times don’t even come close to most of the runners on the team. I wanted to be able to hold my own and come up with the best times that I could and help the team out. I figured that I could put in a good leg in the beginning, but how would I feel by the time my third leg comes along? Would I be able to push myself with little sleep and the heat of the early afternoon beating down on me?

It is amazing what you are able to get out of your body when you have the proper motivation pushing you. During a relay like this, I try to put my own feelings aside and remind myself that I am part of a team that is counting on me. Anytime I felt like I was tiring and wanted to slow down, I kept pushing myself and keeping in mind that there are only a few miles left and I can rest for 5 or 6 more hours once I am done. When you are reminded that you are running for others and not just for yourself, you find that you can dig deeper than you imagined.

My first leg was 6.1 miles and was considered “very hard.” Based on my last week or so, I was hoping to go around an 8:00 or 8:15 pace. There were a bunch of hills in the beginning of the leg and then it flattened out during the second half. I was excited to have my Garmin this time around so I can be aware of my pace and know how much longer the leg was going to be. I went out pretty fast – probably too fast. I was trying to race up the hills knowing that I could coast a little more once the flat roads came up in a few miles. The sun was still out and it was pretty humid outside but I was able to keep going at a brisk pace. As usual, I try to split up any race into manageable parts. Get over the hills. Then get to the halfway point to see the cheering faces of my teammates. Get to the “one mile to go” sign. And then use whatever I have left to get to the handoff point. I was surprised at how fast I was going and that it looked like I was going to keep it up for the entire leg. Even though I was starting to tire, the pace on my Garmin was not going down at all. I couldn’t believe it, but I ran a 7:05 for the 6.1 mile leg. This would have been close to a 10K PR. I didn’t know that I had this in me – especially running by myself (I did not see or pass one person for the entire leg) and without music. This showed me that I have some speed in me and I just need the proper motivation to unleash some of it.

The middle third of the race is usually the toughest. You are usually excited for the first third and the adrenaline is flowing. You are pumped for the last third because you know that the finish line is getting closer and closer and you don’t need to conserve any more energy. The middle part usually takes the most effort to stay motivated. My second leg was completely in the dark. It is exciting and also a bit nerve racking. Running all by yourself in a strange place and the constant fear that you will make a wrong turn and not be able to find my way back onto the course. The leg was only 4.4 miles and it started off pretty good. I was going at a sub 7:40 pace for the first mile and a half, expecting a right turn to be coming up pretty soon. There was a sign up ahead that said turn right, but it was pointed almost straight ahead on the road that I was on (veering right) and I wasn’t sure what to do. I ended up following the sign and then would realize after a mile on the road with no vans and no runners passing me that I took a wrong turn. I could sense it and then I stopped a few times to look at my map. Although I realized that I veered off the course, it was a bit daunting to think that I had to retrace my steps and continue the rest of the leg, adding at least 1-1.5 miles. Besides being pissed off for myself, I felt bad for my teammates. They were supposed to cheer for me at the halfway point and I was afraid that they thought something bad had happened to me when I didn’t show up and I had no way of getting in touch with them. Feeling deflated, I turned around and started to run back when I caught a break. Realizing I was off course, one of the other team vans stopped beside me and offered to drive me back to the last directional sign where I was supposed to take a hard right. I gladly accepted their offer and appreciated all of their help. It was extremely nice of them to help me out. Once I was at the drop off point, I was mad at myself for what happened and decided to take that energy and apply it to the rest of the leg. I felt invigorated that I was back on course and I busted out the remaining part 2 miles or so of the leg. Fear is usually caused by the unknown. At least I know now that I can survive getting lost on a night leg in the middle of a strange place. I hope it doesn’t happen again.

By the time the third leg came along, I think we were all a bit drained. We had very little sleep. We were tired and hungry and we were now going to be running during the middle part of the day with hotter temperatures approaching. I needed to pump myself up if I was going to be able to finish my last leg. I was having a great time at the race but at the same time was excited to be doing my final leg. Once MT handed off the wristband, I knew that only 4.1 miles separated me and the end of my running day. Besides getting a good time split to redeem my previous leg, my other motivation driving me was to get some “road kills.” Everyone was talking about theirs, and I was jealous that I didn’t have any yet. It was time to get mine. Hey, whatever you need to motivate yourself, right? My first leg was a very fast one, but I didn’t see a single person the entire time. My second leg, obviously did not go exactly as planned and I did not pass anyone. On my third leg, I made it my mission to start passing some people. The sun was beating down on me at the start and I thought that the remaining miles were going to be tough. There were some smaller hills in the beginning which took some of my badly needed energy. My pace was fluctuating but I was still hovering at around an 8 minute pace. I still did not see anyone by the 2 mile mark, but I was happy to see the cheering faces of my teammates. It was all I needed to keep going. A couple minutes later, I finally saw some other people along the course. This was my chance to pounce (in a nice way). I speed up a little bit and passed two people in a row, and I think their energy transferred into my body. I began to feel a little stronger and told myself that no matter how tired and strained I was feeling, don’t slow down. It will all be over in a few miles. I passed four more people along the highway (for a total of six - yeah!), before crossing into the trail area of the leg. It provided a little bit of shade and it was nice to be surrounded by some nature. At this point, I was constantly checking my Garmin to see how much longer I had to go. I was definitely feeling the strain of the past day and a half at this point, but I knew that I only had to hang on until the “one mile to go” and then I was home free. That sign was a glorious site. Once I saw it, my arms started pumping harder, my legs started moving faster, and I can almost taste the end of my running day. Voices started to get louder and I knew that the exchange was coming closer and closer. I saw DC in front of me and handing off the baton. My day was over. My Garmin had me at a 7:26 pace for 4.95 miles. The leg was only supposed to be 4.5 – don’t exactly know what happened here. Even if my time is converted to 4.5 miles, I was still able to run at an 8:10. Not bad for me for my third leg.

It’s all about proper motivation. If you have it, you can accomplish almost anything.

Thanks to all of my teammates on Kidz Who Whiz for such a great time this weekend. It was a great experience and awesome to run into all kinds of great people along the race. When is the next one?

Back on the Horse...

2010-05-13T16:47:00.002-04:00

It was nice spending the week after the marathon not running, and eating whatever I wanted. My body was feeling great with no soreness or aches and I didn’t really feel any ill effects from the race. Things seemed to feel almost too good. I was ready to get to start running again and was even entertaining the thought of doing a second marathon this year (getting some revenge on NJ), which I have never attempted before. Usually, I feel sluggish and down for several weeks after a marathon and another one never enters my mind. I went for my first running with friend JT last Sunday on a leisurely 5 mile run in Central Park. I was just looking to get my body back in the swing of things and moving again. It was nice to get outside and I felt OK. Then I went for a run with the downtown group on Monday night. The weather was beautiful and there were cool breezes along the water. However, during the run my legs felt pretty sluggish and I could not muster faster than a 9-9:15 pace. I was glad that this happened. It brought me down to earth and reminded me very quickly that I have to respect the recovery process after a marathon. Although I was feeling good a week later, I need to know that my body went through a lot of stress and wear and tear leading up to and including the marathon and that I can’t expect to just jump back into my usual routine at the pace I was running a few weeks ago and that I should eventually expect to feel some side effects of a marathon. The plan is to build my body back up by bringing back my twice a week cross training activities of strength training and spinning, which I stopped doing during the last month and a half to two months of training, and cut my running down to three times a week including a run of 10 miles. This was my pre marathon schedule and it has worked pretty well for me over the past two years. I plan to keep that schedule up until the end of June and then decide whether or not or will attack another marathon this year. I’ll see what I feel like after the sting of NJ has worn off and if I want to put my body and mind through another training cycle this year. Physically I am probably able to run another one, but whether or not I want to commit time and effort to training again only a few months after my last marathon is another story. If I do one at the end of the year, I wouldn’t have to start training until the last week of June/first week of July anyway.

The rest of the week will be filled with the Ragnar Relay. I’ll be running 15 miles in a 24 hour period which will be the most I have run in the past 2 weeks. It should be a good time. Let’s go Kids Who Wiz.

A Few Days to Reflect Post Marathon

2010-05-05T15:53:00.005-04:00

Actually I feel a lot better than I thought I would, both physically and mentally.

I haven't gone on a run since the marathon (I have been walking a lot), but my body feels in very good shape. Ironically, what hurts the most is the sunburn on both of my shoulders. I hardly ever wear a tank top when running and therefore have pretty fair skin on that part of my body. I was stupid and didn't put on suntan lotion and got burned pretty bad. It is my own fault, and I just need to be patient and let it heal. Otherwise, my legs aren't sore, my feet feel good, and I am ready to going running again whenever I want. I would like to think that this is due to a smart training schedule and weekly strength exercises. I gave myself the week off so as not to pressure myself to get back too quickly. I will probably go for a light run on Friday or during the weekend.

Mentally, I thought I would be more upset with the outcome of this marathon than I am. I figured it would bother me for a while that I put in a great training cycle, but wasn't really given the opportunity to go after a time that I believe I am capable of. That somehow the last few months were wasted. However, I am pretty OK with everything and ready to move on. There was nothing more I could have done to change the outcome of the race, so why obsess about it? I trained properly and had a solid strategy but due to something out of my control, it wasn't meant to be this time. I will have other chances. Running is supposed to be fun for all of us and it is not always about time. I will take the next few weeks to enjoy my runs and then figure out what my next race or goal will be. Given the fact that I only do one marathon a year/every couple of years, I accept the fact that I am putting alot of eggs in one basket each time I sign up for a race. You can't have perfect weather every time, you can't have perfect conditions every time. I was fortunate to have great running weather during my first two marathons, but I wasn't so lucky for my last two and had to run in weather extremes: 25 degrees at the start of Philadelphia in 2008 and temperatures in the 80s/90s in NJ this year. Hopefully I am due for more favorable conditions next time.

Next up...the Ragnar Relay. Woo hoo!

Brutal Conditions Not Meant For Running - NJ Marathon

2010-05-03T08:36:00.033-04:00

My fourth marathon is now complete - unfortunately it was not meant to be yesterday. Official time - 4:01:36...Splits: 5 Miles: 42:07 (8:25 pace); Half Marathon: 1:50:33 (8:26 pace); 15 Miles: 2:06:58 (8:28 pace)...1st Half/2nd Half (1:50/2:11).

Although the training went very well and I felt extremely prepared going into this one, there are certain things that you just can't control and both of them failed me yesterday - the weather (the main culprit) and the pacing. This was the hardest race that I have ever run (on par with my 2007 NYC Half, but twice as long) and it took all of the mental strength that I had to complete it. While I wanted to quit many times during the course of the day, I am proud of myself for finishing it while feeling relatively good both after the race and the day after - a testament to my training. The weather was absolutely brutal with the heat index reaching the high 80s/low 90s during the latter parts of the race. People were dropping out. People were walking. It was not a pretty scene at all. A day later, I feel fine physically (other than some pretty bad sunburn) - my legs feel good besides some expected soreness and mentally my head feels pretty clear. What frustrated me the most was that my training went so well over the past several months and now because of something out of my control(the weather) it now seems "wasted". I know that the training I put into this race will help me in the future and gave me a good snapshot into how far I've come and what I am capable of, and that the experience will make me stronger for future races, but it sucks to have to do it all over again and then hope for good things on race day. While some of my friends are capable of signing up for another marathon in a few weeks to try and get revenge on the race, I can't do that just yet. It will take a little while to decompress and get the memory of this race out of my mind - but another marathon will happen eventually. I don't want to rush into another one right away although physically I am probably capable of doing so.

All of us were checking the weather days before the race, probably several times a day. As much as we tried, wishing alone can't bring favorable weather. You can factor in the wind, the proximity to the water, the overcast skies, etc. - however, deep down we all knew it was going to be a hot day. Nothing can really prepare you to run in temps that were as high as yesterday (as AG reminded me just before we ventured out to the starting line).

At the start of the race, the temperatures did not seem like they were going to be horrible - how wrong we all were. It was quite cool along the ocean which gave us a false sense of hope going into the race. Other than the mile or two of the race that ran along the water, the rest of the course was on the neighborhood streets and offered very little cover or shade. It was just you and the blacktop.

Sometimes you can tell early on that it is going to be your day and other days you realize that things are not going to turn out well. I purposely joined a pace group to keep me steady throughout the race and give me the opportunity to have a group of people to run with to help me along in the later miles. While my pace leader last year in the NJ Half was on pace from the very start of the race, the one from this year never really got in a groove and it derailed me from the very beginning. While I obviously don't blame the guy for veering off pace later in the race and slowing down (no one should have to carry the pacing responsibility on a day like yesterday), his pace was all over the place when I needed it most in the beginning stages. I lined up with the 3:40 pace group as planned, which is approximately an 8:23 pace. The first mile was extremely crowded as expected and we ran it in 9:07. No problem with that as long as we slowly move back down to the 8:23 pace over the next couple of miles. However, the leader sped up in mile 2 down to around 8:05 and stayed that way for the next three miles. This was too fast for me this early in the race. I could feel the temperature starting to get hotter and I knew that I had to reel myself in. For my own sanity, I decided to back away from the "pace" group after mile 4. I realized that the group was already hurting rather than helping me at this point and I had to do something. Using my Garmin as a guide, I started to slowly increase my pace to around 8:15-8:25. Just in case the group normalized its pace in the future, I kept the "3:40" flag in my sites and hopefully I would rejoin them in a few miles after going at my own pace. So far the plan was working. Miles 5-10 slowed down a bit right at around the pace that I wanted. At this point I was going at a steady pace and was feeling pretty good. At about mile 9 or 10 I caught up to my original pace group but quickly realized that the leader was now overcompensating his quicker pace from the start of the race. The group was now running at around an 8:45 pace and did not seem to be getting any faster. It was sad to realize at this point that my entire strategy based on the comfort of the pace group completely went out the window. I concluded that the group was no longer helping me and I decided to leave it at about mile 11 or 12. It was a tough decision and one that I knew would have consequences later on in the race. On my own, I was able to stay right on pace and crossed the halfway point at around 1:50 - my original goal at the start of the race to achieve a time of 3:40. However, once you cross the halfway point of this race, you lose all of the runners doing the half marathon. Now that I was no longer in the pace group, I knew inside that the rest of the race was going to be tough for me. I was starting to tire (more mentally than physically) - not a good feeling knowing that I still had another 13 miles to go. I did not have a group to shoulder the physical and mental load and I would have to run the rest of the race by myself just as the temperatures were getting hotter and hotter. This was probably not going to end well.

When the burden is completely on you to convince yourself to push through a race that has 13 miles to go, it is not easy. I was still pretty much on pace through mile or 15 or 16 (around 2:07 through 15 miles), however the race was quickly getting tougher and tougher. The streets were getting more and more empty and the mercury continued to rise. I started to think to myself, how am I possibly going to get through the rest of this race? In conditions like these, the more opportunities there are to overthink things, the worse off things will probably get. I usually make it a rule not to walk during a race. Slow down or shuffle as much as you need to, but don't stop those feet. It is nearly impossible, for me at least, to get going again once I walked for the first time. Yesterday was no different. I found myself starting to tire considerably and I was trying to slow my pace down to one that was comfortable and one that I could continue at for several miles. However, as the sun was beating down more and more (there was no escaping it), it was getting harder and harder to fight the urge to walk. I didn't want to do it because I knew that that would signify the theoretical end to my race. As hard as it was to do, I gave myself "permission" to start walking at probably around mile 16 or 17 (I forget at this point). In my mind, I knew what that meant. Once you give yourself the option to walk, it is hard not to take that option throughout the rest of the race whenever you feel a rough patch coming. At first I walked for about 30 seconds at a time, then it was about a minute at a time. Once I started shuffling my feet, I was able to run about a half mile to a mile at a time. The original plan was to continue running until I saw the next mile marker. However, if an aid station came up before that, I decided to walk through the station and slowly drink my water and Gatorade. At this point it seemed like I was drinking water and Gatorade by the gallon. The volunteers were nice enough to be handing out cups of ice as the race went on. It took all of the mental strength I had to restart my run each time that I walked. I was very proud of myself for being able to make the call to walk. You get competitive in a race setting and think back to all of the training that you put in and none of us want to give that up unless it is absolutely necessary. CK was still contemplating running the marathon yesterday after being hurt and not being able to run for the past 2 weeks. Lam got the flu last week and was still clinging to hope that he could run the race (he eventually got himself to run the half). It takes an enormous amount of strength to tell yourself that it is just not your day and to adjust your expectations - your goals that you were hoping for and worked hard for will have to wait for another day. Non-runners don't realize how difficult it is for us to do this. It was a call that I didn't want to make, but I was happy that I did.

It amazing how quickly race goals can change in a matter of a few miles. I went from trying to break 3:40, to trying for a PR (sub 3:48), to trying to get under 4 hours, to not caring at all about my time but just looking to finish the race in one piece without too many problems. If there was an easy way to get back to the start of the race, I seriously considered quitting the race. The temperatures were way too high and it was not worth it to risk getting sick or hurt to finish the race. When you are hurting at around mile 16 or 17, having 9 or 10 miles to go seems like a daunting if not insurmountable task ahead of you. And with no group or fellow runner supporting you, it might seem impossible. I had to break down the rest of the race one mile at a time, one water station at a time. Any longer distance would be too much to process for me and would bring me closer to stopping for good. Once I eventually reached mile 20 or 21, stopping was not an option for me. Although it was not in the cards today for a good race, I trained too hard and too long for this race to not cross that finish line. There was no way I was going to DNF. I knew that if I can make it to the stretch along the water than I was going to finish. The cool temperatures and the prospect of ending the race would carry me as far as I needed to go. After putting in miles ranging from 9:15-11:40 for the past 7 or 8 miles, I was able to muster a mile time in the 8:30 range for the final 1.2 miles. It was a great feeling to cross that finish line. I earned it.

It is incredible to think how I was able to push myself to finish the race, especially since it seemed like a remote possibility an hour and a half before. While this was my slowest marathon time so far, I worked the hardest for this one and I am most proud of how I persevered and pushed myself. It was not easy but it made stronger for future races. If I could get through this race, I could probably get through any one of them in the future.

The support along the course was great. The volunteers were cheering loudly for all of the runners throughout the day, especially later on in the race when we needed the support the most. The aid station never ran out of water or Gatorade and there were sprinklers all along the course (from gracious spectators) that cooled us off and were a welcome surprise. In addition, it was awesome to have several friends out on the course who made the trip, in this unbearable heat, to cheer us all on. It was such a mental boost to see a familiar face on the course when my mental strength was at its lowest. Thanks so much to CK and DC - you guys were great and thanks to the Flyers who lined the course as well. It was a great surprise to see you out there. LL and JB - thanks for cheering me on going into the last mile of the race.

Lesson #1 - pick a marathon that does not have temperatures that are in the 80s and 90s:) My training went very well going into this race and I had high expectations for myself. However, I learned that I could make a difficult decision when I need to and I realized that I have the strength to do it as tough as it may be. Although this race turned out similar to my 2007 NYC Half Marathon (heat, walking on the course, etc.), it was not due to anything in my control - eating, nutrition, sleep, pacing, or training. It was just a case of bad luck due to the weather. Even though I was walking throughout the race, at no time did I feel too bad physically. My legs felt pretty good. I didn't feel like I was going to pass out. I wasn't having a hard time catching my breath. The troubles were primarily mental. The heat and solitude on the course can get to you pretty quickly and once the decision was made to walk, there is really no going back after that. During the NYC Half, I felt horrible not only during the race but for weeks afterwards. That race was the trigger for me to get serious about training, eating, and pacing. This race was not like that one at all. I had a good strategy going into the New Jersey Marathon but I was not able to execute it due to bad weather. My next marathon is going to be one that has a great chance for cooler weather, has reliable and proven pace leaders, and during a time of the year that has more organized long runs. After a race like this that was such a struggle, you wonder if you will be able to rebound. As horrible as I felt after the 2007 race (I had no desire to run for at least a month and never thought the feeling would go away), a great and consistent race at the Queens Half only a month and a half later got me back on track and gave me the confidence that I would be OK. While I will need to get the memory of this race out of my mind in order to be able to do another marathon in the future, I need to hold onto to the experience of it to remind me of the strength it took to complete and how far I am capable of digging within myself to accomplish something that I really want. All I need now is to take it easy and have fun at the Ragnar Relay coming up on May 14-15. It may just be what I need to take my mind off of this race and jumpstart the next phase of my running. All it takes is one good race to get you going again.

It's Go Time...

2010-05-01T12:41:00.005-04:00

It looks like the weather is going to be in the 70s and possibly the 80s for the race tomorrow, which is obviously a lot hotter than I was hoping for. However, there is nothing I can do about it now except properly prepare for a hot weather race. I have been trying to get sufficient sleep the past couple of days and I have been hydrating as much as possible, as well as slightly increasing my salt intake. Yesterday, I even went for a 5 mile run in the middle of the day to try to get a glimpse of what it might feel like running in the heat on Sunday. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be (temps were in the high 70s), however there was a lot of shade to run through in the park and the humidity was relatively low. I kept the pace consistent and felt pretty good with little strain. There is not much more I can do at this point. The work and training has been put in and now I'll see what I am made up. While these are not ideal conditions, they very rarely are.

Advice to myself for tomorrow: stay calm, stay steady, stay consistent and stay hydrated. This will keep my mind clear, my body in sync and prevent any waste of energy. I am going to need all of it in the later miles...Let's hope for a good race!

Less than a week to go...

2010-04-28T11:30:00.007-04:00

Last week started out great with two 6 mile runs in Central Park. I was breaking in my new sneakers and was able to run two of my quickest Central Park loops in a very long time. Not sure if was the shoes or not, but I felt like I was really moving but not straining too much at all. Good little confidence booster going into the homestretch leading into the marathon. Later in the week brought a sluggish run at a more relaxed pace on Saturday morning with JB and JT (after staying out late at a concert the night before). I was planning on doing a run on Sunday but that was derailed mostly by the volunteer assignment at the More Marathon that morning. The combo of getting up at 5AM and standing in the rain for about 4 hours totally zonked me out for the rest of the day. I took a nap for several hours but was still pretty exhausted. Rather than risk feeling worse by going for a run in the gym or outside, I decided to take the day off. Bagging this run wouldn’t really do me any harm.

Now there is not much left to do except wait and minimize any complications from happening between now and Sunday. Like most other people, I have been checking the weather pretty frequently and although it is supposed to be bright and sunny, unfortunately it looks like it is going to be a pretty warm day. I am not the best hot weather runner, preferring to run in the cold rather than the heat. Running in 25 degree weather in Philadelphia in 2008, while not ideal, wasn't all that bad. You can always layer up in cold weather but not there is not much you can do in the heat to stay cool except drink as much as possible. I guess warm and sunny is a lot better than the cold and rain the women had run through during the More Half Marathon this past weekend. Hopefully the high temperatures for the day won’t be reached until after the marathon is over. Most of my training has been in cold to cool temperatures. It is what I am used to and what I was using to come up with my goal time for the race. While I still plan to go after my desired time, I may need to adjust my goal and/or pace during the middle of the race if the temperatures are getting to hot. My training went well and I feel prepared going into this weekend. The best thing to do is to stay on strategy and run at an even a pace as possible for the first 20 miles. Even if it is on the hotter side, running with the pace group will help shoulder the load, keep me loose, and keep me calm. While I am looking forward to attacking the course and seeing what I am capable of, at the same time I need to be practical and reel myself in if the conditions are not favorable.

I’ll be crossing my fingers for cool weather and frequent breezes!

The Heavy Lifting is Over...Time to Taper

2010-04-20T21:37:00.003-04:00

Last week was the last "mileage" week on the schedule before the taper began yesterday. You always get a weird feeling going into the taper. I've been used to consulting with my schedule and getting in my long runs (crossing them off each week) and now I'm just supposed to sit back and wait for the marathon to happen. I wish I can fast forward to the big day and not spend the next two weeks over thinking things too much. I've put in the necessary training and I feel that I am ready for the challenge ahead. Although it will be easier said than done, the next couple weeks will be spent figuring out a strategy, trying to eat/drink the right things, and getting in some 6 mile runs to keep my mind and legs busy.

After doing my final 20 miler last week, my long run for this week was a step down of "only" 15 miles. I was excited for the fact that this was going to be my last long run. This was it. Just power through this one and then the heavy lifting on the schedule would be over. I couldn't find someone to run with so I knew that I would have to get through this last one on my own. This would make things a bit tougher, since I always run and feel better with others, but I had to get push through it. I didn't get started until later in the day, but this allowed me to get a meal in beforehand and make sure that I was fueled up and ready to go. I took a deep breath, pressed the start button on my Garmin, and began. I decided to break up my usual run just a bit by starting on the Reservoir. I don't like doing multiple loops if I don't have to but I wanted to give my legs a little bit of a break and allow them to pound on a slightly softer surface for a few miles. Therefore, I went round and round for 3 loops and approximately 5 miles before venturing out on my usual run going through the Park and then up and down the Westside Highway for a total of 10 miles. It wasn't too exciting of a run. It was one that I have done many, many times and I was just looking to get it over with. I didn't feel great during the run, but not bad either. It was a bit odd. I didn't really feel a sense of relief or weight being lifted once it was over. I guess it showed how steady and workmanlike my training has been. It felt like just another run. The total time for the 15 mile run was 2:08:23 for an average pace of 8:33.

Rather than just waiting around for the marathon to creep up on me, I decided that I needed some inspiration and excitement to hold me over and I went up to Boston to watch the marathon. It was kind of an impromptu trip but one that was glad I made. The weather was supposed to be great for running, as well as spectating, and I wanted to cheer on my all of my teammates. I had such a great time and it was cool to be part of the marathon as a spectator. No worries about waking up early. No worries about whether or not I trained enough (that will come later). I was there just to have fun and give my support. I got to partake in the pre-marathon pasta dinner with everyone and cheer on/hi-five all the runners from the Flyer Cheering Zone at mile 17. It was a blast to see everyone I know looking great and soaking up the experience. It was just the boost I needed going into the taper.

Almost There...

2010-04-13T23:07:00.006-04:00

Less than three weeks to go until Jersey. I was able to get in my third and final 20 miler last week (for the second marathon training cycle in a row) - while my body was feeling the pain towards the end of the run, I was happy to be able to push through to the end. I have only one more long run to go, a 15 miler this weekend, and then it is onto the taper.

Last week had elements of fun and training all rolled into one. Knowing that I was going down to DC for the Cherry Blossom 10 miler starting on Saturday morning, I had to figure out what my best plan of action would be to fit in my third and final 20 miler. Should I add it onto the 10 miler in DC (probably not the best idea since I don't know the area at all and the race already starts at 7:40AM)? Should I try and squeeze in the run during the week, and if I did would I have enough time to recover before doing a 10 mile race on Sunday? Since I wasn't working last week, I decided to do the Monday night downtown run (6 miles), get in a strength training workout on Tuesday since I have been neglecting it for a couple weeks and my legs were paying the price, take the day off on Wednesday, and then go for my 20 mile run on Thursday. I figured that by running on Thursday, and resting on Friday and Saturday that my legs would have enough recovery by the time Sunday rolled around.

The hardest part about the 20 mile run was the heat wave scheduled for the entire week in NYC and planning out my route with at least one or two people to join me for at least a little bit. With temperatures in the low 70s for most of the day, I waited until 5:30PM to start my run. I was hoping to start a lot earlier, but I did not want to run in the heat if I could avoid it. By the time I started the run, the temperature cooled down a bit and was quite comfortable by the halfway point. I ran the first 10 miles on my usual Central Park and Westside Highway course. Running along the Hudson River felt great its shady areas and cool breezes. This portion of my run just seemed to be flying by - feeling almost too easy. I was cruising along at around an 8:20 pace and felt like I could just keep on going for miles. I knew that this feeling couldn't possibly last for the entire run (although I hoped it would) and knew that I had to reel myself in just a bit. The end of the first 10 miles had me back in Central Park and meeting up with JB and CK. It was a bit tough trying to figure out a meeting spot due to the fact that I didn't want to stop running at all, but I was happy to see them at nearly exactly the time and place we planned. Knowing that I would have some company for the next several miles was a big boost to me. We ran a few miles on the roads of Central Park and then veered onto the Bridle Path for another couple of miles. JB and CK stayed with me until about mile 15 or 16 when I began to feel myself start to tire. I was doing well cardio-wise but my legs were starting to get sore and my knees were getting stiff and painful. Knowing that the final 4 miles were going to be on my own was going to be really tough and a be a true test of mental strength. Only a few minutes after I was on my own, the aches and pains started to get worse. While I thought about stopping the run at mile 18 or 19 (it was becoming a big struggle for me), I knew that had come too far now to stop short of my 20 mile goal and I needed to push through the pain. I would have regretted cutting the run short- feeling that I had given up instead of pushing through. I would have time later on to rest. Luckily I kept on going and was able to even pick up the pace on my final loop of the reservoir. I couldn't wait for it to be over. This run showed me how quickly your body can turn on you no matter how good you are feeling. However painful, this was a good lesson for me to go through only a few weeks to go before the marathon. Don't get cocky. I could be feeling great for 10-15 miles but it can easily be taken away a couple miles later. This was definitely not one of my negative split runs, to my disappointment. Remember this feeling and don't let it happen again come race-day. I was happy and proud of my overall time but not too happy with the run strategy and pacing. I went out too fast and paid for it at the end. Steady...Steady...Steady. It might be a boring but it gives me the best chance of feeling strong at the end of the race.

Overall distance: 20 miles; Overall time of 2:52:39; Average pace of 8:38.

With the 20 miler out of the way, I was excited to head down to Washington DC with the NY Flyer crew and have fun - get in a run, check out the Cherry Blossoms, and visit my cousin all in the same weekend. Although I wanted to get a good run while in DC, I decided to just go out and enjoy myself and run whatever pace I felt comfortable with. Just before the start of the 10 miler, I ran into JT and we decided to start the run together. I glad to see that we were able to run the first 5 miles side by side, chatting and enjoying the scenery. It was fun having some company on the course and we were going at a good pace to boot - around 8:00 per mile. The course was very scenic and fun. The crowds were very enthusiastic and were cheering on the runners for the entire time. After sucking down a PowerGel after mile 5, I was feeling pretty good and decided to pick up the pace. I saw that JT wanted to slow down a little bit so we parted ways for the time being and we would meet up after the race. At this point, I felt strong and wanted to try and get faster as the race went on and go for an overall pace of under 8:00 if possible. Mission accomplished - I was able to sneak in an overall time of 1:19:10 for an overall pace of 7:55. I felt relatively good throughout the race, was able to keep up a consistent pace that got faster towards the end and didn't have many aches and pains. The only complaint about the race was the lack of Cherry Blossoms along the course :) The locals told us that they peaked about a week or two before we got there.

Split	Avg Pace
1	8:26
2	7:55
3	7:57
4	7:47
5	7:47
6	7:52
7	7:51
8	7:36
9	7:35
10	7:20
0.17 mi	6:38
Summary	7:48

Well, the heavy lifting part of the schedule is now over and I need to concentrate about staying healthy and mentally strong for the next few weeks. One more long run and then it is onto the taper.

4 Weeks to Go - 13.1 Marathon Series

2010-04-04T11:58:00.011-04:00

This Saturday brought the inaugural 13.1 Marathon Series taking place in Flushing, Queens. Unfortunately, this meant that I would be missing the Scotland 10K (which I've run nearly every year I've been in NYC), but this race gave me the chance to run on a different course and allowed me to get in a race at the Half Marathon distance before next month. This would be the only chance I had to go all out for a Half without being too close to the marathon.

It was pretty much a perfect weather day for a run. Bright and sunny and relatively cool at the start of the race. The majority of it took place during many loops and configurations, both big and small, in Fresh Meadows Park passing some cool landmarks such as CitiField and the National Tennis Center and Arthur Ashe Stadium.

I have only 4 weeks left to go until the marathon and I was looking to use this Half as a test to see how I was holding up. My training was going well so far, so I knew that there was a chance to go for a PR knowing that this would be my only shot at racing a half marathon during my entire training cycle. Even though I was feeling relatively good so far, I did realize that I was 3 months into training and my body was starting to feel some of the effects- feeling sluggish for a couple days after long runs, slightly longer recovery times, and sore muscles. Secretly, I was trying to go for a PR, but I would not be disappointed if I did not get it knowing that I had a bigger goal in mind. The result was pretty good all around - while I did not PR for a Half Marathon race, I did run a faster overall pace during this race than I did when I PR'd at Long Branch last year. I ran an overall race time of 1:39:19 (about a minute behind Long Branch), but according to my Garmin I ran a 7:27 pace for a total distance of 13.34 miles (I ran Long Branch at a pace of 7:30). I am not one of those people who look at their Garmin as gospel and say that the course was measured long and they really got a PR after all - the course is measured correctly for a half marathon, but I just ran a little longer than the course dictates. Either way, this race let me know that things are going well with less than a month to go before the big day.

While the race was relatively flat, there were a few bridges that we went over several times which added some inclines to the the course. This wasn't a "walk in the park." The bridges, although small, got tougher later in the race and the fact that there was very little shade on the course allowed the sun to beat down on you for the last 6 or 7 miles. This was my first race in which I was using my Garmin to help pace me. I paced myself pretty well during the Manhattan Half in January without a Garmin, so I was hoping I would do better now that I had the Garmin helping me out. A PR pace would be slightly under 7:30 per mile. As usual, I got a little bit carried away during the first two miles. I was standing toward the front of the pack at the start and I got sucked in right away and went out way too fast - going at a 7:20 pace for both miles 1 and 2. I knew if I wanted to survive the race feeling good, let alone getting a PR, I had to slow down. The plan was to slowly come down in pace over the next mile or two and then stabilize at around 7:35-7:40 and not go above 7:40 if possible. I have been able to do negative splits during my last several half marathons and didn't want to throw away that possibility in this race. It feels alot better feeling strong at the end and making up time, than going out too fast in the beginning and struggling to the finish. I was able to recover a bit after those first miles and calm myself down. My pace slowed down by several seconds in mile 3 and 4, and except for a dip to 7:20 in mile 5, I was able to achieve a more even pace between approximately 7:30 and 7:40 for the remainder of the race. The last 1.1 miles were my fastest of the entire race, as I like it. You don't want to feel like you were too conservative and left too much in the tank, but I'd rather pick it up at the end than struggle considerably. The only thing I ask the race directors to do next time is to have better signage at the end of the race. After passing mile 12 and running on a straightaway past the USTA, everyone can see the finishing banner in the distance fast approaching. As everybody is picking up their pace and getting more and more excited to see the finish line, they tell you to make a left right before you get there. Now deflated, you see a huge traffic circle in your sights that you have to run around before reaching the end.

I was extremely excited to see the pace that I was able to achieve on my own, and even more proud of the fact that I was able to adjust my plan and pace in the middle of the race. This run wasn't easy but it showed me that my pacing abilities and mental strength during a race are getting better. But, as in other races, I can get too carried away at the beginning and go too fast out of the gate. Even yesterday, I knew I was going too fast but wasn't able to slow down until 3 or 4 miles into the race where I chanced ruining my entire race by tiring out too quickly. The pace group is there to force you to calm down and leave the thinking to someone else for a while. I need to keep this in mind come marathon time if I want to reach my goal.

I took off the Auto Lap on my Garmin, and these are the pace and distance measurements at each of the mile markers on the course:

Split	Distance	Avg Pace
1	1.00	7:20
2	1.00	7:20
3	1.02	7:26
4	1.01	7:27
5	1.03	7:21
6	1.08	7:37
7	1.01	7:40
8	1.01	7:32
9	1.02	7:27
10	1.00	7:35
11	1.00	7:34
12	0.99	7:38
1.1 mi	1.17	6:50
Total	13.34	7:26

Total race time: 1:39:19 ; Overall race pace: 7:34
Total distance run: 13.34 miles; Overall distance pace: 7:27
20/158 in my age group ; 132/2103 overall

Course Map:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/28841316?sms_ss=email

5 Weeks to Go and Two Twenty Milers are in the Books

2010-03-28T15:52:00.005-04:00

Simply put, today's 20+ miler was the strongest I have felt on a long run in a very long time. Things just seem to click all around and I just felt "on". I need to remember what this feels like in case I struggle or feel sluggish in the next couple of weeks to remind myself what I am capable of on a good day. The weather was perfect for running, about 50 degrees and cloudy, and I was able to run the entire distance with other people, which helps a tremendous amount. When I run by myself, I tend to run slower and feel more exertion, but when I run with others I usually feel alot more comfortable and I'm able to run a quicker, more consistent pace. That is exactly what happened today.

I was signed up for the 15K race this morning and the plan was to run 11 miles before it at around marathon pace and then run the 15K at that same pace for as long as possible. I met up with Scott C and Jon B and we ran a pretty quick but comfortable pace for the 6 mile loop and 5 mile loop route. The pace was faster than I wanted to go but I didn't want to have the other guys slow down too much just because I was running a race afterwards. About halfway through our run I realized that we were going at around 8:10 pace. I was worried about burning out later in the day during the race, but I was feeling comfortable so I tried not worry about it. I felt strong and wasn't straining too much at all. It is amazing what having company can do for you. Jon cut out at Engineer's Gate to run a loop of the reservoir and Scott ran with me to the start of the race which was about a mile and a half away.

I timed the pre run almost perfectly since I got to the start of the race with only about 3 minutes to go. I was in a good groove already and I was hoping not to mess it up by having to stand still for a long period of time With only a few minutes to go to the start of the race, I mentally regrouped and figured out what I wanted to do. One of the great things about incorporating a race into your long run is the thousands of people you get to join you and help you along as well as the water and people cheering along the course (thanks so much to BH, JM, CK, JG, PD, SD, BC taking pictures and other Flyers - you gave me a huge mental boost!). In addition, the race and the people help carry you along and help motivate you to finish your run. The only worrisome thing about running in a race is that it very often makes you go at a much faster pace than you would like. It takes a lot of discipline to stay at a predetermined pace during a long run with thousands of people around you and I've only been able to do that a couple times during a long run like this. You get sucked into the crowd and your competitive juices start flowing and you want to start passing people. So, the plan was to run at about an 8:20 pace, but I knew right away that that was not going to happen. I was still feeling good from the 11 miles before and I ran with the crowd. Before I knew it I was I running splits in the 7:50-7:55 range. I was trying to slow down which worked for a bit but not for long. I figured why fight it as long as I was feeling good. Even though this was very hilly for a long run, I was able to keep up a good pace and feel strong. For whatever reason, having a Garmin on makes the miles feel quicker. I even was able to pick up the pace considerably for the last mile or so trying to avoid having these two girls pass me at the finish line (mission accomplished).

This was a great confidence booster for me. I felt strong and this gave me an indication of what type of a pace I can stay with comfortably (relatively) for over 20 miles. This also made me think of what my race strategy could be. In my past three marathons I have always started out way too fast and then struggled at the end of the race, with a pace that is all over the place. Over the past year, I have seen that I am capable of doing negative splits in half marathons and today during my 20 miler (ran about 8:12 for first 11+ miles and then a 7:46 pace for the 15K race), as well as seeing my pacing ability get a lot better (but still not great). To try and ensure a steady pace during the first half/three quarter of the marathon, I plan to run with the pace group (I need to stick to this) and even if I feel good, I need to stay with the group for at least 16-20 miles in order to keep a consistent pace and not get ahead of myself. If I am feeling good, then I can give myself permission to pick it up.

Total distance run: 20.55 miles; Total time: 2:43:07, Overall pace: 7:56
Overall pace for 15K race: 7:46.

Game On!

2010-03-22T21:31:00.004-04:00

The last two weeks began the start of my training surge and gave me my first 20 mile of the schedule and my first 40 mile week. I was happy to see that I got through both milestones and felt pretty good.

I knew last week's 20 miler would be tough to squeeze in due to do all the rain that was scheduled for the weekend. I was checking weather.com and accuweather almost every day to see if there would be any break in the rain all weekend. It was supposed to rain on both Saturday and Sunday, with the worst of it coming on Saturday. I usually don't like to leave my long run to the last day of the week because if something comes up on Sunday than I have no other day to reschedule and I wanted to make sure that I was able to check off my first 20 miler. With the wind and downpours scheduled to come on Saturday, I had no other choice but to go on Sunday. While I was worrying about the weather all week, I was also trying to wrangle together some other runners to go out least part of the way with me. I was really looking to avoid going 20 miles all by myself. I needed someone else to help shoulder the load with me. Luckily, I got Jon B to run with me at the last minute. He was going to run the first 10 miles and then I only had to go 10 miles by myself. The weather held out for the most part. I started at 12:45 on Sunday which is much later that I usually like to start but the other alternative was to run in the rain for most of the run. I ran down to the 72nd St transverse and met Jon on CPW and within about 2 minutes it started to rain hard. We took cover hoping it would stop and luckily it would only last about 5 minutes. Once the rain ended, we headed on over to the WSH and ran along the West Side, along the southern tip of Manhattan and over the Brooklyn Bridge. Having a partner makes a huge difference. We were cruising at a pretty good pace and I was feeling really good - like I could go on like that for miles. Once we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, Jon took the subway home and I was off on my own for the rest of the run. I turned around and went back the same way that I came. Without the help of a running partner, I did feel myself slow a little bit and the soreness in my legs began to get a little worse, but that is pretty much expected at the end of a 20 mile run. Cardio-wise, I felt good but I was ready for the run to be over by the time I reached mile 18 or so. I ran 20.4 miles at approximately and 8:45-8:50 pace. One 20 miler down and two more to go.

After my 20 miler was over, I found myself engaging in my usual post long run routine - sitting back in my reclining chair watching TV, then slowly closing my eyes, and then falling asleep and waking up 2 hours later. This run definitely wiped me out and carried over into the beginning of the next week. I still found myself pretty exhausted on Monday and decided to take a rest day. On Tuesday, I still felt tired but knew that I had to keep going. I gave my body a bit of a rest by going on a 5.2 mile recovery run on the bridle path. I wasn't sure if my fatigue was too due the 20 miler or the fact that my training is catching up to me a bit but I knew that I had to be careful. I still had about 7 weeks to go and the start of 3 consecutive 40 mile weeks had already begun. I felt more awake by Wednesday and went out to Bridgerunners - my weekly kick in the butt. The people who do these runs are considerably faster than me but they push me to go alot faster than I normally would on a weekday and I feel that it has definitely helped me. I use these runs as my interval runs/speedwork and I think they are paying off and increasing my speed.

Since the schedule called for a 40 mile week, and only a 14 mile long run, I knew that I was going to have to run 5 days this week and not be able to do a cross training day. I hate to do that but I want to make sure to always have two rest days during the week. In order to accomplish the 40 mile goal, I ran on consecutive days to end the week - I got in 7 miles on Friday (all on the Bridle Path to give my legs a rest), 14 miles on Saturday with Jamey A (overall pace of 8:31 and I felt good) and 6.6 miles on Sunday (again on the Bridle Path). My first 40 mile week came and went and now I am on to the second one.

I will be able to get in a cross training day this week - I have a 20 miler this weekend and will split the remaining 20 miles over three days. Only six weeks to go! I have a few goals in mind but once put them down on paper until training is almost over and I have a good sense of how I am feeling.

Gearing Up... - Week of 3/1

2010-03-10T11:49:00.003-05:00

The week of March 1st is the calm before the storm that will be coming up for the next several weeks. I felt fully back after not running much when I was in Mexico (week of 2/15) and being able to put in a full week of miles, including and 18 miler, during the week of 2/22.

This week was all about preparing myself for the six week stretch that I have coming up which includes three 20 milers and my peak weeks. The total mileage on tap was 35 miles, but with a long run of only 12 miles scheduled I knew that I would have to run 5 days instead of my usual 4 and not be able to get in a cross training day. This worried me a bit since I did not do any strength training or spinning for the past 2 or 3 weeks and I wanted to make sure that the cross training was still an integral part of my training. I let it slide for this week but I was going to promise myself to get a strength day in next week. After 5 days of running in a single week, I knew my body was going to need it.

The first of the month was the downtown run as well as AG's and CK's birthday and these were reasons enough for me to get out for a run on Monday night. It was our usual 6 mile(ish) run up and down the Westside Highway, ending up at a bar eating and drinking afterwards. I adhered to my usual downtown run strategy of taking it easier on the Southbound run and then picking it up for more of a tempo run as we run back North on West Street. It allows me to increase my stride and pick up speed for the last 2 or 3 miles. It felt good. Tuesday and Wednesday runs were out of the question due to the fact that I lost my keys and had get to the situation resolved. I was exhausted and couldn't think about my running. Therefore, although I didn't want to do it, I had to run on four consecutive days if I was going to hit my mileage for the week, or come close to it. I ran 6 miles on Thursday (half on my own and half with CK after running into her on the West side) and 6 miles on Friday which was a combination of two loops of the reservoir and 3 miles on the roads in Central Park (if I was going to run 5 days this week, I wanted to get at least one run on a soft surface to allow my legs to recover a bit). As for the weekend, I had already signed up for the Coogan's 5K a while ago and was looking forward to running it. The question was whether I should create a long run around the 5K on Sunday or just do the long run of 12 miles on Saturday and have fun with the 5K knowing that my long run was already over. I chose the latter.

The weather on Saturday was great - in the 50s and sunny. For the first time in a very long time, all I wore was a long sleeve shirt and shorts. It was nice to be in the sun rather than slogging in the cold, snow and darkness. This run was on my own. I did my usual WSH route and added an extra mile each way in order to get up to 12 miles. With my trusted Garmin with me, I was on my way. I was able to keep up a good pace once I navigated the streets of the UWS and got on the Westside Highway. Overall I felt good and was able to run an overall pace of 8:10 for the run.

Split	Time
1	0:08:13
2	0:08:30
3	0:07:52
4	0:07:56
5	0:07:55
6	0:07:49
7	0:08:03
8	0:08:19
9	0:08:28
10	0:08:28
11	0:08:27
12	0:07:56
Summary	1:38:02

I was looking forward to Coogan's for a while since everyone says that it is a fun race and also because I have not run a 5K since high school and it would be cool to see what I am capable of doing. Friends of mine warned me before the race about the hills and they weren't kidding. For a race that is only 3.1 miles and is an out and back course, there are a total of 4 significant hills. Therefore, you are never too far away from one. Even though I was in the second corral, it was very hard to get going in the beginning of the race. It was very crowded, especially since the race was run on a city street that was pretty narrow, so I knew right away that I would probably not be able to get a PR (not for the 5K distance but I was hoping to come close or beat the 6:44 overall pace that I ran in the Run as One 4 mile last year) but I still wanted to go out and get a fast time. I was hoping to achieve a pace of under 7:00 but the combination of the hills and the crowded start prevented that from happening. My overall pace for the race was 7:08. I definitely picked it up over the last mile and feel that I could definitely go under 7:00. I am hoping to find a 4 mile race soon that I can attempt but I don't want to mess up my training in the process. After the race was over, I was able to enjoy Guiness and breakfast at the famous Coogan's restaurant. It was cool to hang with a bunch of Flyers afterwards and enjoy the morning.

The total for the week was 33 miles, which was close enough in my book to the scheduled 35 miles. For the first time, my legs did feel a bit sluggish this past week. I'm not sure if it is because of the lapse in strength training/spinning or just the increase in mileage do to training (this is the most amount of running I have done in almost a year in a half) but it is not too bad. Now starts the hard part - I have my first of three 20 milers scheduled for this weekend. I was able to get in three 20 milers when training for Philly in 2008 and I am hoping to do that again this year since I feel that it really helped me out during the marathon (my pacing was another story).

Onward and upward...

On Schedule - Week of Feburary 22nd

2010-03-04T23:30:00.001-05:00

Well, I was a little worried how my body would react after skipping my long run last week and only going on a few leisurely jogs while I was in Mexico. I figured the best thing to do would ease back into the schedule during the beginning of the week so my body would feel pretty good going into my 18 miler during the weekend. This was going to be my longest run in almost a year and a half. My training was going well up until this point, so while I was a bit nervous to be doing such a long run, but I felt that I would do OK.

I was trying to recruit some friends to do all or part of the run with me but unfortunately everyone was busy. Therefore, I needed to figure out a plan to get through the run and break it up a bit since I would be doing most of it on my own. I ran the first 6 miles with the Saturday morning Flyer group - they kept me company and made me wake up early in the morning to get my run started. It was a comfortable pace - around 9:10 or so which was slower than I was hoping to go. It didn't really matter that much. I wasn't looking to go too fast on this run anyway...the miles were the most important thing. After the first loop was done, I did the remaining 12 miles on my own on various loop combinations in the Park. I was hoping to run on the Westside Highway but I didn't want to chance the fact that it might rain/snow later on in the run and I wasn't sure how the conditions were along the river after the snowstorm. I had my iPod with me and I wasn't ready to conquer the rest of the run. I picked up the pace once I went out on my own (thanks to the Garmin - I love this thing!) and dropped down to about an 8:35-8:40 and it felt relatively good to me. Although my legs were getting a bit sore towards the end of the run, I felt strong throughout and was very happy overall with this run. I rewarded myself with my usual post long run breakfast...chocolate chip pancakes. The 18 miles was worth.

Total distance: 18 miles; Total time: 2:38:28, Overall pace: 8:48

Split	Time
1	0:09:35
2	0:09:28
3	0:09:17
4	0:08:58
5	0:09:11
6	0:08:37
7	0:08:34
8	0:08:38
9	0:08:42
10	0:08:34
11	0:08:38
12	0:08:32
13	0:08:50
14	0:08:35
15	0:08:14
16	0:08:36
17	0:08:40
18	0:08:34
19	0:00:06
Summary	2:38:28

This weekend is a step down week with a long run of only 12 miles, and then the tough part of the schedules starts. After this weekend, there are three 20 miles scheduled over the next 6 weeks. I will enjoy this week while I can. I'm looking forward to the Coogan's 5K. I always heard it was a lot of fun and how bad can a race be that serves Guiness afterwards?

Back in the States and Back on the Road

2010-02-23T23:26:00.002-05:00

Well, there is no time to waste. I got back from Mexico last night after a great trip and it is time to get back on the running schedule. Last week didn't start out as I had planned. Knowing that I would be away for most of the week, I was hoping to get in at least my long run of 12-13 miles before I went on vacation, and hopefully one other run of 5 or 6 miles, but unfortunately neither of those things happened. About a week before I left for Mexico, I started getting a horrible pain in my cheek and then my tooth. I figured that maybe I had a cavity or I flossed too hard and inflamed my gum. I was hoping it would go away on its own but it kept on getting worse as the week progressed. It prevented me from sleeping and I was worried about leaving the country with this lingering over my head. Since it was President's Day weekend, I was not able to see my dentist until last Tuesday - only 2 days before leaving. I felt like crap from lack of sleep all weekend so I wasn't able to run on Monday (but I got a day of strength training in), and I spent all day Tuesday in the dentist's office and then finding out that I needed a route canal before I left, which I got later in the day. It was a pain in the butt, however I was happy to get everything settled before heading out of the country. Needless to say, there was no running on Tuesday either. Wednesday was not to be because I still felt very sluggish and I felt it wasn't worth the risk of getting sick before going away. Therefore, I was resigned to the fact that I would have to skip my long run for the week. I wasn't happy with it, but I was OK with it because my training has been going well so far, and it was still early on in the process. I had over two and a half months to go before the marathon to make up for any drop in mileage.

I was looking forward to the warm weather in Mexico. This would be a good way to recharge my batteries a bit and maybe even give my body a rest before the increased mileage begins this week. I knew that I wouldn't get in a lot of mileage on the trip, if at all, but I was hoping to get in a couple runs of any distance or pace just to keep my legs and body moving and to avoid being dormant for an entire week in the middle of training. If I got in at least two runs, that would be good with me and I figured I would be able to start up again with training when I got back to the States without losing much at all. I was pleasantly surprised to have gotten in 3 runs while in Mexico - 6 miles on Friday, 6 miles on Saturday, and 4 miles on Sunday. It was a bit of a shock to my body to run in 75 degree weather and humidity when I've been running in 30-40 degree weather and snow for the past couple of months. I was happy to see that it was a total loss for the week, runningwise. The trip was great and I had a really nice time.

Now it is back to the schedule. I looked and saw that 18 miles is on tap as my long run for this weekend. This will be my longest run in more than a year and a half. I am a bit nervous about it but I am excited to be moving forward with my training. Due to the rain, I got in a 4.5 mile run on the treadmill tonight.

Well, onward and upward.

30 Mile Week in the Books...

2010-02-15T16:04:00.002-05:00

Week 7 of training is now complete and I was able to get in my first 30 mile week since training for the Philadelphia Marathon in 2008. I consider this my first "real" week of this training cycle since the previous ones were only marginally different than my usual running workload throughout the year.

The weather gods treated all of us a little better this week with plenty of sunshine and relatively milder temperatures (but still cold).

I was happy to see that I felt really good and strong for the week. The Garmin is definitely helping me out. I haven't used the heart rate monitor yet, but being able to get a real time view of my pace throughout the run is a big plus. It allows me to adjust my pace on the fly and lets me know that I am usually going a little faster than I think I am. I started off the week with a 6.4 mile run as part of the downtown Flyer group. I like getting this run in since it gives my running week a jump start and allows for great flexibility later in the week. As usual, the first half of the run was a bit slower than the second half. Negative splits usually happen on this run which I am totally fine with. The straightaway along the Westside Highway gives me a chance to lengthen my stride and get in some tempo runs for a couple of miles. My pace drops considerably on this backstretch and it feels great.

I got in a 5 mile run on Tuesday and a spinning class on Thursday before preparing for my 15 mile run during the weekend. I was a little anxious for this run since it was going to be my longest one in almost a year and a half. I wanted to see how my body held up and I was happy to see that it felt great. It feels kind of weird to say that but the run seemed to go by pretty quickly with very few rough patches. I was watching the Opening Ceremonies late the night before, so I knew the only way that I was going to get in my long run in the morning was to meet the Flyer group at 9AM. Although it would be tough to wake up, I knew that it posed my best chance to get out of my apartment. I ran with the Flyer group for the first 6 mile loop, mostly with JB, and then did a 5 mile loop and 4 mile loop on my own. I even did most of the run (11 miles) without any music - that's a first. I did the run in about 2:12 (total mileage of 15.3 miles for a pace of about 8:40) and felt pretty comfortable throughout the entire thing. Again, the Garmin was a great companion to have and let me know when to speed up and slow down. Sunday was just a 4 mile recovery run at about 8:50 pace.

This week will be a little bit harder to get in all of my runs since I am heading down to Mexico for a friend's wedding on Thursday. The plan is to get a weights day, 5-6 mile run, and my 13 mile long run out of the way before I leave. Therefore, if I am not able to do any runs at all during my trip, my long run will not have suffered. The training schedule calls for 30 miles this week, so if I do what I planned before I leave, and get in at least one 5 or 6 mile run while I am away, my training will not have suffered much at all.

Year End 2009 and Back on the Marathon Trail

2010-02-10T14:32:00.001-05:00

I am keenly aware that my blog entries have been sincerely lacking over the last couple of months. This is due to a combination of blog fatigue, lack of notable things to write about, and lack of a marathon or important race to train for and document. Things have changed now that I am training for the New Jersey Marathon on May 2, 2010. This has given me focus and direction and a race to look forward to.

Looking back on 2009, it was a great running year for me. I was able to stay healthy for nearly the entire year, my race times came down considerably, my pacing was starting to get under control, and I was able to PR in every distance that I normally run, except for the marathon, including my first venture into running the mile (6:00 - Fifth Ave Mile, although this doesn't count as a PR), 4 mile (26:56 - Run as One), 5 mile (34:48 - Club Team Championships), 10K (44:23 - Healthy Kidney 10K), 15K (1:07:37 - Colon Cancer 15K), 10 mile (1:15:09 - Cherry Tree 10 Miler) and half marathon (1:38:20 - Long Branch Half Marathon). Everything seemed to be clicking at the right time and I was feeling really good. The bar is now set pretty high for future years. It might be a while until I approach a lot of these accomplishments. For the first time, I felt that I had a chance at a PR for every race that I entered. My "off season" regime had a big role in that (running three days, spinning/weights, long run of at least 10 miles every week), as well as my increased confidence, and importance that I placed on improving my pacing as a big priority. While my pacing ability still isn't great, it has gotten a lot better and it is something that needs to continue to improve if I am going to reach my goals in New Jersey (which will remain under wraps). I am probably most proud of my half marathon times from this year. I made a huge jump in this distance and was able to bring down my time on a consistent basis, and not just as a one time event. Prior to this year, my best time was around 1:42, and I had to make a concerted effort if I wanted to even approach that time. In 2009, I ran 5 half marathons, all of which would have beaten (or come within a few seconds) of my previous PR and I feel that I can now call myself a sub 1:39 half marathoner with confidence and feel good using that time as a basis to come up with a marathon goal for this year.

Philadelphia -1:38:23
Staten Island - 1:38:44
Queens - 1:40:14
Brooklyn - 1:42:29 (only 3 weeks after Long Branch)
Long Branch - 1:38:20

I continued the half marathon trend by running the Manhattan Half a couple weeks ago as my first race of 2010, and as a gauge to see how my body is doing at the beginning stages of marathon training. It was a pretty frigid day, but it was not too bad for running. I knew that I was not in a position to go for or even approach a PR due to the hills of Central Park, the cold weather, and also no desire to, but I was hoping to run around a 1:42-1:44, which is exactly what I ended up getting. I felt good and I was hoping that this was a sign of good things to come. I was able to run a 1:42:14, for an overall pace of 7:48. This would have tied my PR prior to 2009.

Mile 1 - 8:06
Mile 2 - 7:57
Mile 3 - 7:41
Mile 4 - 8:03
Mile 5 - 7:55
Mile 6 - 7:43
Mile 7 - 7:48
Mile 8 - 7:51
Mile 9 - 7:36
Mile 10 - 8:12
Mile 11 - 7:32
Mile 12 - 7:38
Last 1.1 miles - 8:08 (7:24 pace)

The other significance of this race was the fact that it was my last one without a Garmin. I finally took the plunge and bought one. Many fellow bloggers and friends have had great things to say about the Forerunner 305, so now I have one as well. My main reason for getting one was to be able to accurately see how my pace fluctuates during races, adjust accordingly, and also to not have to map out my long runs to the tee in order to run a certain amount of mileage. Now I can allow my Garmin to lead the way. I have been using the last couple of weeks to get used to the Garmin and learn all of the basic features. So far - mission accomplished. The heart rate monitor is still in the plastic and will come out at a later time.

I am now in the seventh week of marathon training and this will be my first week of having a long run with significant mileage (15). The first six weeks didn't feel too much like training since they weren't that much different from what I've been doing over the last year. The longest run has been 10-13 miles and has felt good. The 15 miler coming up this weekend will be my longest run since I was training for the Philadelphia Marathon in 2008. The schedule I am using has a max week of 40 miles and three 20's. I am excited for the upcoming marathon and am looking forward to it.

Ted Corbitt 15K - 12/19/09

2009-12-19T18:11:00.005-05:00

Last race of the season - great year for me
Not looking for a PR but wanted to run hard leading up to the beginning of training for the NJ Marathon in May and I wanted to make sure that I am in a good place
First race since Philly Half a month ago
This was a strong race for me and a good time - I got a huge PR in the 15K distance in March 2009 and I knew in the cold weather and lesser training that I was not going to go after it. But this would have been my best time by almost a minute if not for my time earlier this year. I think this shows how much my times have improved. This was just such a strong year for me and one that involved enormous improvement for me for distances ranging from 4 miles to the half marathon. The next distance to tackle is the marathon. Training starts next week.

Mile 1- 7:49
Mile 2- 7:23
Mile 3- 7:27
Mile 4- 7:36
Mile 5- 7:30
Mile 6- 7:42
Mile 7- 7:13
Mile 8- 7:19
Last 1.3 miles - 9:15 (pace of 7:07)

Overall time: 1:09:18; Overall pace: 7:27

Philadelphia Half Marathon - 11/22/09

2009-11-22T19:02:00.009-05:00

Notes from the Philadelphia Half Marathon - I'll put in a more concise written form later on.

-Overall time - 1:38:23; Overall Pace - 7:30
-Second fastest half marathon time - Missed a PR by only 3 seconds (1:38:21 at the Long Branch Half in 5/2009)
-The weather was absolutely perfect - in the 50s and sunny
-Ran with the 1:40 pace group - the beginning was a bit crowded and we did not get back on pace until about mile 9. I took off from the group in between mile 9 and mile 10 since I wanted to make up time that was lost in the beginning
-This is the third time I have run sub 1:39 this year (Philly Half (1:38:23), Staten Island Half (1:38:44), Long Branch Half (1:38:20)), and the fourth time of 1:40 or better. My half marathon time is now consistently under 1:39 and now makes me rethink what I am capable of for my next marathon.
-I felt great today - again negative splits (7:44 pace for first 6 miles and 7:20 pace for the last 7.1 miles) and ran strong at the end - never really felt tired or strained. Again, I felt on cruise control with the pace group and even found myself slowing down a bit with to stay with the group. Before I knew it I was at mile 9 or 10 and I didn't blink an eye. I think I can now try to drop my pace in the half - maybe run with a 3:15 pace group. I think I can handle a faster pace as long as it is consistent. I feel that maybe I am getting too comfortable with the 1:40 group and should try the 1:35 group and see how I do. It will definitely be a stretch for me but I need to try it a couple times if I am going to get faster.
-The pace group keeps me on pace and allows me not to vary my pace considerably
-The weather was obviously a lot more comfortable than it was last year, but I feel confident in knowing that I probably wouldn't have run a marathon time that was too much different than last year's. I am a much smarter and (I think better) runner than at this time last year. My half time has come down considerable and consistently (while feeling good) and pacing has been a much more important part of my race and something I have been working on.

Mile Splits:

Mile 1- 8:14
Mile 2- 7:47
Mile 3- 7:30
Mile 4- 7:47
Mile 5- 7:38
Mile 6- 7:25
Mile 7- 7:21
Mile 8- 7:36
Mile 9- 7:20
Mile 10- 7:36
Mile 11- 7:18
Mile 12- 7:11
Last 1.1 Miles - 7:37 (6:55 pace)

First 6 miles - 46:22 (7:44 pace)
Last 7.1 miles - 52:01 (7:20 pace)

Overall time - 1:38:23 (only 3 seconds off of a PR) ; Overall pace - 7:30

Staten Island Half Marathon - 10/11/09

2009-10-11T16:15:00.009-04:00

Here are the notes I wrote down right after the race, but haven't have the motivation to put it into a full post yet:

Total time: 1:38:44; Overall pace: 7:32
Second fastest half marathon time (only about 20 seconds behind the Long Branch Half in May 2009 when I had the comfort of a pace group)
Second time I've gone under 1:39
Three of my half marathon times in 2009 have been 1:40 or better

I ran a great race here last year and had another one today. The weather was perfect for running - in the 50s and sunny
I had a goal of running under 1:43 - I was running about a 7:45 pace for the first five miles and felt a little bit strained, but I got alot more energy during the turnaround miles in which I was able to see other runners in both directions. After hitting a 7:12 pace at mile 6, I started to feel good and decided to pick up the pace. I felt really good for the next two miles when seeing the runners in the other direction There were several hills coming up that I knew about from last year and slowed down a little bit to conserve my energy. Except for mile 8 which I ran a 7:54, my pace was definitely quicker than the first half and my goal when from a sub 1:43 to going under 1:40.

Several big thoughts from the race: After the Long Branch Half when I blew by my PR, I relied on a pace group and thought that I wouldn't be able to approach the 1:38 time again running by myself without a group. This race showed me that by going out at a faster pace and adjusting throughout, I was proud to do this on my own

Besides running my three fastest times so far in 2009, even better was how I feel after the race. Although tired, I feel good, I'm not "wiped" out. While I am a little bummed that I am not doing a marathon this year, due to the fact that my running has significantly improved, there is a big part of me that knows that probably the big reason I am running well and was able to improve my times in 2009 was because I am not putting my body through the strain of training but rather keeping to a comfortable schedule of a long run every week (since February) and running about 25 miles per week. This year so far has given me the confidence that I can get a lot faster and still feel good and strong while doing it.

My half plateau has come down a lot this year. In 2008 and the beginning of 2009, I felt that I had a good chance of running a 1:45 or better each time out. Since May 2009, I have confidence that I can do a 1:42 or better and have a shot at around 1:40. Big boost for me and a big step up.

Consistency and pacing is key throughout the race and that is my goal going into each race

Mile 1- 7:52
Mile 2- 7:38
Mile 3- 7:42
Mile 4- 7:41
Mile 5- 7:47
Mile 6- 7:12
Mile 7- 7:27
Mile 8- 7:54 (big hill)
Mile 9- 7:19 (average of mile 9 & 10 - I forgot to stop watch after mile 9)
Mile 10- 7:19 (average of mile 9 & 10 - - I forgot to stop watch after mile 9)
Mile 11- 7:29
Mile 12- 7:36
Last 1.1 miles - 7:45 (average pace of 7:03)

My fastest three half marathon times so far: 1:38:20 (Long Branch Half - May 2009); 1:38:44 (Staten Island Half - October 2009); 1:40:14 (Queens Half - September 2009)

Fifth Avenue Mile - 9/26/09

2009-09-27T02:03:00.002-04:00

Well, it took a long time but I finally ran my first Fifth Avenue Mile (9/26/09). While I always wanted to do it in the past, it usually falls on the same day as another race I am doing or interferes with training and I am afraid to mess up my legs or pull something in this very quick race. This year, the race weekend was clear and I wasn't training, so I decided to go for it. Everyone always talks about how fun it was, and I finally wanted to take a crack at it and see what I could do.

I didn't know what to expect, and didn't really have any gameplan. I don't think I have ever run a timed mile in my life (other than maybe in high school gym class), and I was curious to see what I could do a mile in. I made sure to get a proper warm up in beforehand so that my body was good and warm leading up to the race. The big thing about running longer races is the fact that I have the time to ease into the distance and not feel the need to go full throttle right away. That was what I was afraid of for the mile - having to get up to top speed instantaneously and not being sure if my body was ready for that jolt or not. I ran 3 mile warmup beforehand. I was hoping for 4 miles but 3 was good enough.

Not knowing what the inclines were going to be like or how my body would react, I went out a bit conservatively, since I didn't want to pull anything and I knew that the first half of the race was going to be uphill after speaking with several people at the start line. Once the gun went off, the blocks just flew by and before I knew it the race was half over and I was feeling pretty good. There is a definite incline during the first 800 meters, but not anything more than we are all used to running in Central Park. I didn't realize that the race would go by this fast. It is basically a sprint the entire way and you just need to hold on.

I saw that I was on pace for about 6:20-30 at the halfway point, which is slower than I expected. I guess I went out a bit too conservatively, but hey, this was my first time doing this and I'd rather go out too slow than too fast and flame out in the second half. Someone shouted out that the rest of the race was downhill, so I took off and was able to continually switch gears until the end of the race. Not sure if the time is calculated as a gun or net time, I saw on the clock as I approached the finish line that I was closing in on 6:10, but then I looked at my watch and saw 6:00 and a few seconds. Although I had no real goal, it was cool to think that I had a chance at going sub 6:00. It was not meant to be - I got 6:00 on the dot. It is a great time for me though and this year's race gave me a feel as to the nuances of the course and gave me a goal to go after next year. I think I could go out faster in the beginning half of the race and then I would just need to hold on. That is the game plan for next year. Sub 6:00 is definitely within reach.

It was fun race and cool to see all of my other teammates running as well. I was glad to finally get to do the race and hopefully I'll do it again in the near future as long as there are no races close by.

Queens Half Marathon - 9/20/09

2009-09-20T21:29:00.006-04:00

This was my second go round at the Queens Half Marathon, with my first race being in 2007. I had a great experience the first time running this race (pacing, weather, breakthrough for me), and it did not disappoint yesterday either. The course seemed the same as I remember it from two years ago. There were lots of turns (which I like), and a bunch of hills including one during the last mile and a half or so (don't like so much), but I still like the challenge of it very much. The weather was fantastic - cool and sunny - and I was able to run a strong and consistent race. I felt great and this was definitely another confidence booster for me regarding pacing.

Total time: 1:40:14 ; average pace: 7:39.
This was my second fastest half marathon time so far, and if not for the Long Branch Half earlier this year, this would have been my PR by about 2 minutes.

I was able to keep a pretty consistent pace throughout the entire race, which I believe the weather had a lot to do with. The first few miles set the tone for the rest of the race and I felt strong and calm through miles 3-4. At that point, I wanted to try and stay as close to a 7:45 mile pace that I could and I felt that I had a good chance of doing so. At the beginning, I had a goal of running sub 1:43 and by the middle of the race, I felt I had a great chance of attaining it. With the last few miles approaching, I was still feeling strong and I figured that there was an outside chance that I could break 1:40. It would be great to do so, but that wasn't the overall goal for the day. I picked up the pace on mile 12 and 13 and missed going under 1:40 by only 17 seconds. Oh well.

My half marathon time plateau seems to be getting lower. This is the third time this year (out of three half marathons so far this year, not including the 12 miles that I ran at the Ocean to Sound Relay) that I was able to run sub 1:43. Although I had to run hard to do so each time, I felt strong and confident that I in my ability to can achieve these times. I am starting to get a little better at pacing myself and adjusting during the race and I need to keep this up.

Mile splits:

Mile 1 - 7:49
Mile 2 - 7:35
Mile 3 - 7:47
Mile 4 - 7:46
Mile 5 - 7:36
Mile 6 - 7:38
Mile 7 - 7:36
Mile 8 - 7:32
Mile 9 - 8:47 (too long)
Mile 10 - 6:34 (too short)
Mile 11 - 7:45
Mile 12 - 7:57
Last 1.1 miles - 7:06

Average pace - 7:39 ; Overall time - 1:40:14

Prior to 2009 I ran 3 sub 1:44 half marathon times (Runner's World Half - 2006, NYC Half - 2006, Staten Island Half - 2008)

So far in 2009, I ran 3 sub 1:43 half marathons out of three (Long Branch Half (1:38:20), Brooklyn Half (1:42:29) and the Queens Half (1:40:14). Four out of my last four halves were under 1:44 if you include Staten Island from October of 2008.

Ocean to Sound Relay - 9/12/09

2009-09-14T15:32:00.004-04:00

This past weekend was the Ocean to Sound Relay, starting at Jones Beach and then going for 50 miles or so and ending along the Long Island Sound in Oyster Bay. Relays are always a good time and when some of my Flyer buddies were looking to field a team, I was happy to join in. I did Reach the Beach last year (and Need for Speed the past 2 years prior), but was looking to do a one day relay instead of a weekend affair. This one was close by and relatively easy to get to. Relays are always a good time - they give you a chance to run out of Central Park, the camaraderie and support of your teammates, and a BBQ afterwards doesn't hurt either.

The teams are made up of 8 runners, with each running a leg of approximately 6 miles. Since we only had 7 members, one of us needed to run two legs. Given the fact that I wasn't doing the Flyer 20 miler the next day and I needed to get my long run in anyway, I volunteered to run two consecutive legs for a total of 12 miles. I figured that I could get in more a less a tempo run - a quick pace, but not exactly a race pace for the entire way.

We were all checking the weather during the entire week and unfortunately rain was scheduled on and off for the entire day. The weather was actually quite good for running - overcast, cool, and rain - for most of the race. The rain held out for most of the day except during my legs and the runner after me. I didn't really mind it that much since this is the type of weather that I do my best in and it helped me out a great deal keeping me cool and allowing to stay calm.

The one thing that usually worries me at these relays is pacing. Usually the courses, as seen in past relays, are not marked with mile signs. Therefore, it is hard to figure out how fast to go if you don't know how far you've gone and how far you have to go. Thinking that I would have only my watch as a guide, I was worried that it would be hard to pace myself over 12 miles on my with no one else around, but I was able to run a consistent 8:00 minute pace or less for the entire distance. Given the fact that this race did have mile markers was a huge help to me and allowed me to gauge my pace along the course (not having to just rely on my internal clock) and adjust accordingly if I needed to. The solitude of the later relay legs are usually the toughest part to overcome (second behind the fear of getting lost!). To keep my mind busy during my legs, I had my iPod going and I picked off people in front of me to pass. Once I passed someone on the course, I found someone else in front of me to go after and keep me focused.

I ran 7:48 pace for my first 5.8 mile leg and then a pace of 7:51 for the second leg of 6.2 miles. I felt great during the run and afterwards.

This was a huge boost to me in that I was able to pace myself to a good time and even do the equivalent of about a 1:43-1:44 half marathon, when that wasn't part of my original plan. I have at least 3, maybe 4, more half marathons left this year to build on my pacing and see if I can consistently stay under 1:43 for the half marathon, and feel good doing it. If I can do that then I might be inching towards possibly doing a marathon next year. This was a very good run for me. I have been keeping up a lighter schedule this year (in addition to cross training) after doing a marathon last year and it seems to be working for me. I am able to put up good times for me later in the season while only doing one long run per week of 10-11 miles.

In addition, I think the fact that I have done a lot more races outside of Central Park this year has kept me sane and the runs fresh.

Outside of Central Park races so far in 2009:

Cherry Tree 10 miler - Prospect Park - 2/2009
Long Branch Half Marathon - Long Branch, NJ - 5/2009
Brooklyn Half Marathon - Brooklyn, NY - 5/2009
Riverdale Ramble 10K - Riverdale, NY - 6/2009
Ocean to Sound Relay - Long Island, NY - 9/2009

Planned "outside" races left in 2009: Queens Half, Staten Island Half, Philadelphia Half

NYRR Team Championships - 8/8/09

2009-08-08T12:40:00.012-04:00

It felt good to be out racing again. Today was the NYRR Team Championships and this was my first race since the Riverdale Ramble 10K on June 7th due to the fact that my low iodine diet and scans put a big dent into my running during the month of June. After getting back on track over the last month or so, I was excited to go out and run hard.

I was extremely excited to see that after a hard race (hills, hot temps, and quick early pace), I was able to get a 5 mile PR by almost two minutes - overall time of 34:48 and a pace of 6:57. This was the second race in which I averaged a sub 7 minute pace and the second distance in which I did so (the first being the Run As One 4 miler in April 2009).

The weather was pretty good - relatively low humidity and not too hot at the start. It was better than I expected. The temperature was just below 70 degrees when I left my apartment about 45 minutes before the race began. I definitely was glad to have the men's race start at 9AM start instead of 10AM for the women. That extra hour made a considerable difference with regards to the weather. The ladies had to run in slightly higher temperatures and under more direct sunlight.

The Team Championships is always a hard race due to the caliber of the runners. Since only the running clubs compete, everyone is relatively fast and most people feel the need to go out fast right out of the gate. This always worries me since I usually like to build my speed up over the first mile before gradually reaching my top speed. Unfortunately, I got sucked in by the other runners and began to speed up right after I crossed the starting line. I didn't know what time to expect early on, but once I passed the first mile marker, I saw a time of 7:05 and got a little scared. At this point it is very hard to slow down when everyone around you is going fast, so I knew that I would have to try and keep up this already quick pace for the next four miles. There is no turning back at this point. Slowing down just makes things worse and doesn't really help you at all.

After the first mile, I knew I was in for a tough race the rest of the way. The temperature starting creeping up and I felt myself starting to heat up quickly. In addition, I knew that there were several more hills to go on the east side of the Central Park and I needed to conserve my energy a bit for those. Normally I don't stop at water stations for a 5 mile race, but I found myself grabbing water after mile 1 and 2. My mouth was getting very dry and I made sure to drink as much as I could. By mile 3, fatigue was starting to settle in a bit and I tried to focus on the other runners, and possibly latch onto another Flyer to keep me going. After passing mile 4, I knew that the Flyer section was coming up soon and the cheers and encouragement would give me a much needed boost to carry me to the finish line. Unfortunately, they might have given me too much of a boost because I sped up considerably as I passed by their section and I ran out of gas with about 100-15o meters to go. I was pretty much spent and felt like I might throw up (or maybe kind of a dry heave) if I didn't finish the race soon. The finish line was a welcome sight and could not come soon enough. I was very happy when the race was over. This was a really tough run and I was proud of myself for gutting it out.

Thanks to all of the Flyers cheering along the course. It helps a great deal. It is great to be part of a running team that stands out in support and cheers for all of their teammates.

Mile Splits:

Mile 1 - 7:05
Mile 2 - 6:58
Mile 3 - 6:59
Mile 4 - 7:08
Mile 5 - 6:36
Overall time: 34:48
Overall pace: 6:57

Brooklyn Half Marathon - 5/30/09

2009-06-01T17:03:00.008-04:00

I guess that the third time is a charm. I have signed up for the Brooklyn Half for the past two years, but unfortunately was unable to run either of them. Finally, I was able to participate in my first Brooklyn Half Marathon this weekend (only the Bronx is left for me) and it was a lot of fun (not as much the race per se, but the activities afterward).

Although the weather was hotter than I usually like for half marathons, it was not unbearable. I knew that I needed to be smart and take the proper precautions during the race. Luckily, Prospect Park had a considerable amount of shade to run in as long as you hugged the curb, and I made sure to take a little more water or Gatorade than I usually would. I know that there were a lot of people out there that did not like the course change, but I was happy with it. Although the beginning part of the race was tougher than in past years due to the two loops of Prospect Park, I was happy that the race ended in Coney Island which allowed us to finish on a less crowded boardwalk (since in previous years the race started there) and gave us the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful day taking in the atmosphere, riding the Cyclone (first time for me) and eating an original Nathan's hot dog and fries.

Since I went into the Long Branch Half several weeks ago with the intent to run a hard race and go for a PR, I decided to take the pressure off of myself this time around and to use this race to practice my pacing a bit. Given the fact that the temperatures were going to be on the hotter side, the goal was to keep a consistent pace during the two loops of Prospect Park (between 7:50 and 8:00) and then to gradually try and pick up the pace for the remaining 6 or 7 miles that ran on the straightaway of Ocean Parkway, allowing for negative splits. I knew from my first venture in Prospect Park during the Cherry Tree 10 miler that the hills were not easy, so I knew that I had to respect the course even if I felt good at the beginning of the race. I needed to keep myself in check and not speed up.

The first loop didn't feel too bad. I made sure to stay in the shade as much as possible, and go out at a pace that felt slightly slower than usual (knowing that if it felt slow, then it was probably a reasonable pace). I went through the first mile at 7:52 and thought that this would be a good pace to try and stay out throughout the loops in the park. With the impending hills coming up, I was surprised to see that I remained on pace at 7:52 for mile 2, and even dipped a little bit at mile 3, coming in at 7:38. I knew that my mile 3 time was a bit too quick, and I tried to slow it down knowing that the Prospect Park hills would be reappearing shortly. I was able to keep myself under control at mile 4 (7:49), but the next couple of miles were definitely slower. This is where my pacing slipped a bit. I felt the effects of the heat and the hills from the first loop, and overcompensated slightly. Thinking I was going a little too fast in the previous miles and not wanting to wear myself out, I slowed down to 8:06 in mile 5 and then 8:12 for mile 6. Not wanting to see my pace go up anymore, I told myself to pick up the pace, which I did, but too much in the other direction (mile 7 was at 7:36). At this point, I knew I was leaving the park pretty soon and I all wanted to do was get out to the flatter terrain of Ocean Parkway and normalize my pace. Ocean Parkway was a 6 or 7 mile straight line to the end of the race and wasn't terribly exciting. In the hopes of getting a negative split for the second half of the race, the plan once I left the park was to keep a pace as close to 7:50 as possible until mile 10, and then slowly pick up the pace each mile until the finish. Miles 8-10 were pretty much right on target (7:50, 7:54, and 8:00 respectively) and I still felt pretty strong going into the last quarter or so of the race. I was thinking back to Long Branch and knew that I had it in me to pull out fast times over the last 3 miles. I was looking forward to ending on the boardwalk (and not falling), and seeing the ocean view as I crossed the finish line. I felt good enough to gradually lower my pace to 7:39 and 7:36 for miles 11 and 12, and then another 7:36 time for the remaining 1.1 miles. For a hot day and a new course, I felt I had a very good race.

Mile Splits:

Mile 1 - 7:52
Mile 2 - 7:52
Mile 3 - 7:38
Mile 4 - 7:49
Mile 5 - 8:06
Mile 6 - 8:12
Mile 7 - 7:36
Mile 8 - 7:50
Mile 9 - 7:54
Mile 10 - 8:00
Mile 11 - 7:39
Mile 12 - 7:36
Last 1.1 miles - 8:22 (7:36 pace)

Overall time: 1:42:29 ; Overall pace: 7:50

This was a good race for me. Without a pace leader, I was able to keep a relatively consistent pace on my own throughout the race (although there were some hiccups along the way), and adjust pretty well if I saw my pace change dramatically from mile to mile (my times got up to 8:06 and 8:12 in mile 5 and 6, but I was able to drop it down to 7:36 for mile 7 before leveling out). Now I just need to build on this experience, and continue to pace well during longer races. I was very happy to see that on a day that I wasn't going for a PR, I was able to run a time that would have been my second fastest half up until three weeks ago.

Healthy Kidney 10K - 5/16/09

2009-05-16T18:05:00.008-04:00

This was a rainy one. As I was checking the forecast last night, it did not look like it was going to rain at all during the race, and it seemed like that was going to be the case as the race started. It was cloudy out, but no drizzle or rain of any kind. However, by the time I approached mile 2, the rain came down slowly, and by mile three it was a full fledged rain storm and we were all getting soaking wet. At least the temperature was relatively warm, and we didn't freeze our butts off. The only thing we had to contend with was sloshing around in wet socks and orthotics (as well as spotty glasses for me). I was just making sure not to slip and fall - mission accomplished. By the time mile 4 came around, the rain was over and all of us were able to finish the race without buckets of water falling on our heads.

I was able to get in a leisurely 3.6 mile run in before the race, in an effort to get my longer run in today, instead of doing it tomorrow. I wanted to avoid running a hard race on Saturday, and then still have to get in a 10 mile run in the next day. I usually perform better if I have a chance to squeeze in warm up, rather than starting a race off cold.

While I was able to score a PR today (ironically, my previous 10K PR was in this race last year), the pacing was all over the place and the constant change in speeds wore me out. I started out at a comfortable, but quick pace during the first mile (7:23), but allowed myself to speed up too much during the next two miles. This is what happens when I tell myself that I feel fine after mile one, and then pick up the pace too abruptly. I ran too fast through miles two and three at paces of 6:47 and 6:55, respectively and then realized that the hills on the northern and eastern parts of the parks were still ahead (especially the one at the 5K mark). It was not going to be pretty. I wasn't sure if it was a conscious decision, or hills the decided for me, but I slowed my pace down to about a 7:17 for the next two miles (I'll never know for sure what each mile was since I didn't push my lap button all the way after mile 4). The southern end of the park was a nice site to see, letting me know that this day was going to be over soon. While, I didn't feel that strong through the last 1.2 miles, I was able to run at a consistent stride and end the race feeling pretty good.

Mile Splits:

Mile 1: 7:24
Mile 2: 6:47
Mile 3: 6:55
Mile 4-5: 14:34 (avg of 7:17 - evidently I did not press down all the way after mile 4)
Last 1.2 miles: 8:43 (avg of 7:16)
Overall time: 44:23 ; Overall pace: 7:09

My overall time is based on my watch time (the NYRR listed my gun time on the website as 45:37). After the race, I checked the NYRR website for my "official" time, but saw that it wasn't posted. When I wrote to the NYRR and asked if there was a problem, they emailed me back and said that there were some technical problems at the end of the race that affected several runners. They were able to get my starting and 5K time, but not my finish time (I sent my watch time into them). If my overall time was only a second or two away from a PR, I wouldn't consider it official. However, since my time today was well ahead of my previous PR, I will use the time. Even if my watch was off by 3 or 4 seconds, I still would have had a PR of over 1:45 .

Long Branch Half Marathon - 5/3/03

2009-05-03T16:43:00.031-04:00

It took two and half years to beat my PR in the NYC Half but it finally happened. It was my last remaining PR to conquer and it was worth the wait. I was able to beat my previous time by about four minutes and break 1:40 for the first time. The chip time was 1:38:21. The conditions were my favorite for running - overcast, cool (in the 50s) and a slight drizzle (enough to cool you off, but not hard enough to distract you).

Pacing can be such a big determining factor in the outcome of a race. If you go too fast, then you start to crumble at the end of the race. If you go too slow, then you spend the rest of the race trying to make up time and think what might have been. If you fluctuate throughout the race, then you run the risk of exerting too much energy and you tiring yourself out. If it is done right, it has the ability to relax you, lower your stress level and give you something to focus on during the race. In addition, it gives you the opportunity to run negative splits and push out strong miles towards the end of the race. You end with a positive attitude, instead of wishing for the pain of the race to be over.

Up until this point, the race that I consider to be my best was the Queens Half in 2007. It wasn't my fastest time, but it was a complete and consistent effort. I was calm and efficient, and for the first time, I consciously went out with a race plan (and goal pace) and was able to follow through with it. It felt great and I ended up feeling like I could still run more at the end of the race . After it was over, I wondered when or if I would would be able to have that kind of a race again. Well, Sunday at the Long Branch Half was the day and I owe a debt of gratitude to the pace group that I ran with and the energy and support that I extracted from them.

Leading up to the race, I was figuring out what finish times to go after. I have been running strong so far this year, especially in the longer 15K and 10 mile distances, and knew that I would have a good shot at breaking my PR (1:42:22 - NYC Half 2007) if the conditions were right (I couldn't have asked for more favorable weather). My main goal was to go after a new PR, but I was secretly trying to make a run for my first sub 1:40 half marathon as well. My last few races taught me that I was capable of going out at a fast pace and sustaining it. However, I was a bit nervous to go out aggressively in a half all by myself. What if I went out too fast? I would have a lot more distance to cover if I fizzled, and that would make for a miserable day. Pacing is a discipline that I have not yet mastered and I was afraid that if I had to rely on my own skills, that I would go out too quickly and the race would be over before it started. Therefore, for the first time, I decided to run with a pace group. It would allow me to go out at a steady, consistent pace, and it would be fun to run with a group of other runners. It takes the guesswork out of pacing, and puts the burden on someone else, allowing me to concentrate on other things. I was looking on the website a week or so before the race to see if there was a 1:40 pace group. To my disappointment, it was one of the only groups that was not available. The closest times left were 1:35 and 1:45. I was a bit bummed and was afraid that I was have to run the entire race on my own. Luckily, when I got to the starting line, I was so happy to see someone carrying a flag for a 3:20 pace (that was the marathon pace, with the half pace being a 1:40). I spoke with the leader and he said that a bunch of potential leaders canceled, and that he stepped in at the last second. That gave me a renewed sense of excitement and I was ready to get the race underway.

The race was supposed to start at 7:30AM, but the gun didn't go off until almost 8:00AM. I was up since 3:50 in the morning and I was not happy about any delays to the start. I was stretched and ready to go, and everyone was getting antsy and a bit pissed off that we had to spend a half hour standing in the cold and the rain. Once the gun went off, I was ready to go and made sure to keep the orange flag of the pacer in sight. After pacing several of the Long Training Runs in Central Park, I know how hard it is to do, especially having people relying on you to keep a consistent time. It is tough enough to do in a "fun run" atmosphere, but it is a whole different story doing it in a race. Therefore, I was using the first few miles to see if my leader would be able to hit the mile splits he was supposed to or if he would be erratic. As expected, the first mile was a bit congested and I figured that we would need a couple of miles to get on pace. I positioned myself in the middle of the pack and was just concentrating on not tripping and falling. It felt like we were going considerably slower than a 7:37 pace (needed for a 1:40 finish) in the first mile, but I committed to staying with the group and told myself not to go ahead. Before I knew it, the first mile marker was fast approaching and I looked at my watch and to my astonishment, saw a time of 7:45. We were almost right on pace. This is why I still need a lot more practice at pacing. I usually go by how I am feeling (instead of thinking rationally) and unfortunately if it was up to me, I would have sped up and probably tired myself out too quickly. When the adrenaline is pumping at the beginning of a race, it clouds your judgement and tells you to go faster. You need to have the strength to not give into that temptation. We passed mile one with no problem, and I settled in behind the leader, trying to get a feel for his running style. Mile 2 came along - 7:38. Mile 3 came and went - 7:36. So far, through three miles, Bob (the leader) was able to hit our desired pace almost exactly. At this point, I put my trust in him and knew that he was a very capable leader. Wherever he went, I would follow. The plan at this point was to stay with the group through mile 10 and then pick up the pace, if possible, on my own for the remaining three miles.

Our group had about 15 or so people in it and we seemed to get pretty cohesive. I didn't talk with anyone (I had my music on), but I felt so much stronger with other people around and seeing the same faces next to me for a considerable length of time. Bob, was chatting with many of the runners and he let us know what hills, turns, fluid stations, etc., were coming up. It helped alot and put me at ease. For miles 4-10, he was dead on and was able to get us within 2-3 seconds of 7:37 for one mile after another. He was automatic, even on the hills. It was fantastic and made my life a lot easier. The stress of trying to figure out and adjust my own pace was gone, and all I needed to do was concentrate on staying calm and conserving my energy. I was very content to leave all of the heavy lifting to someone else this time around. The miles were just flying by and I felt great and very comfortable. My breathing was calm and steady. I wasn't straining. By about mile 8 or 9, I knew I had a very good shot at running my first sub 1:40 half, barring any unforeseen breakdowns on my part and I was starting to get excited. I just needed to resist the urge to pick up the pace and divert from my original plan. I remained with the group through mile 10, and was getting a bit ansty to try and pick up the pace a little bit. So, just before we hit the marker for mile 11, I left the group to run the remaining 3.1 miles by myself. I immediately felt the difference of running without the group. It was a bit lonely and I felt the strain of relying on myself for pacing. I tried to pick up the pace slowly and not make any sudden changes. I was able to run mile 11 at 7:28, only 8 seconds faster than the previous mile. I still felt quite strong at this point and knew that I was well on pace to go under 1:40. I looked at my watch and saw that I ran 11 miles in 1:23:38, and knew in order to reach my goal, I would have to run a little under 8:30 pace for the remaining miles, almost a minute slowly than what I was running for the previous 11 miles. I was pumped and knew that this was the time to go for it. I picked up the pace considerably running mile 12 in 7:14. Once I saw the ocean, I knew that the finish line was fast approaching. The only thing that I needed to worry about was not slipping on the boardwalk. I made sure to stay on the road as long as possible, avoiding any slip or fall that would derail my race. I gave it everything I had left and was able to bust out a 6:35 mile pace for remaining 1.1 miles. I couldn't believe it. The consistent pacing throughout the beginning parts of the race allowed me to run my fastest 3 miles of the race from mile 11-13.1. It was a great feeling of accomplishment for me when I crossed the finish line. I had done it.

Mile Splits:

Mile 1: 7:45
Mile 2: 7:38
Mile 3: 7:36
Mile 4: 7:36
Mile 5: 7:34
Mile 6: 7:39
Mile 7: 7:37
Mile 8: 7:38
Mile 9: 7:34
Mile 10: 7:34
Mile 11: 7:28
Mile 12: 7:14
Last 1.1 miles: 7:14 (6:35 mile pace)

Overall: 1:38:21 (gun time: 1:38:35) , Overall Pace: 7:31

Final thoughts/lessons:

This was a great course and I would definitely run it again, or even consider running the marathon in the future. The course is extremely flat, with only 2 or 3 minor hills that were much less than I am used to while running in Central Park. The race is very well organized, and for a relatively small race it had very enthusiastic crowd support. On a nice day, running along the ocean during the finish would be a great sight.

I felt extremely comfortable throughout the whole race. My breathing was fine (never really strained) and I felt very strong mentally. This is the best I have felt in a long race since the Queens Half in 2007 and the most consistent race I have run since then as well. A consistent and reliable pace(r) helps SO MUCH throughout the duration of a race.

You need to trust your plan and not go by how you feel - I know that this is much easier said than done. I felt great at the beginning of the race and even felt like I was holding back some. Since I felt good and thought I was going slower than I should have, I would have gone faster way too early in the race and probably paid for it dearly at the end. If you come up with a well thought out plan, stick to it!

The next big half or marathon that I do, I will definitely look to use a pace group. The energy is great and you are able to feed and gain strength from the other runners. You are not doing it alone. Running with a pace group, I believe, could allow me to try for a better time than I thought possible. It did this time around. Finally, I know that good fortune in running comes in streaks, and I was just happy to see that this race continued mine for a little while longer. I will ride this one for as long as it lasts, but know that it can't go on forever. Although tough phases are never fun to go through, they allow you to learn new things and make you stronger.

Run as One - TGL Classic 4 Miler

2009-04-19T11:09:00.012-04:00

Today was a great day for running. It was a cool and sunny morning, with temperatures in the low 50s when I left my apartment. In an attempt to squeeze in a few miles for the week, I ran about two and half miles before the race and it was a great warm up for me. I had a good feeling about the race ahead.

The Run as One 4 miler has been a very good race for me over the last few years and is where I have usually run my fastest time of the year. It was my breakout race last year, where I got a big 4 mile PR and my fastest overall race pace that I'd ever run up until that point (and the bib time used for my NYRR races over the past year). Well, the race again provided me with good fortune this year and helped me to achieve several personal milestones: fastest overall pace (6:44), 4 mile PR, first time that I averaged faster than a 7 minute/mile pace, highest Age Grade % (63.5%) and my fastest individual (unofficial) mile time (6:22).

I know that four mile races have their complications (crowded start, difficulty in quickly building up to your race pace, very little room for error), but I was looking to take a stab at approaching my PR from last year. While I knew that last year's time was a huge jump for me, my previous two races this year (Cherry Tree 10 miler and the Colon Cancer 15K) gave me the confidence that I could start out and hold a quick pace from the very beginning, especially given the fact that those races were more than double the distance of this one. This is the first time that I consciously was trying for a PR in a race this short. Once I made the decision to do so, I knew that there would be no easy miles. Once you start out fast, you need to keep it up for the entire race and there is no slowing down or "coasting."

I was able to get in an adequate warm up and felt good before the start of the race. I knew that I needed to make a conscious effort to go out much faster than usual, but try and do it in a controlled fashion. I looked down at my watch as I passed Mile 1 and saw a pace of 7:06 (which was only slightly higher than my PR pace from last year - 7:03). At this point, I knew that a PR was possible, but also knew that anything could happen in the next three miles. Since I was going out at a much more aggressive pace than I have attempted in the past, I knew that I could unravel at any time. If I was to get close to a PR, I would have to maintain or go even faster than I did in mile 1. The second mile seemed like a good chance to pick up the pace, since the East Side of the park was relatively flat and had a couple slight downhills. I knew that once I passed the mile sign on the 102nd street transverse that the rolling hills on the West Side would be the toughest part of the race. I felt myself going faster during the second mile, and although I began to feel the strain of an increased effort, I was able to lower my overall pace by running Mile 2 in 6:40. I couldn't believe it. I just ran my fastest mile in a race up until that point and I still had two miles to go. That made me a bit nervous, but I now knew that a PR was within striking distance. The third mile was filled with hills, and I purposely tried to stabilize my pace and get my breathing under control. If I could get through this mile feeling OK, then I planned to give everything I had during the last mile. Although my pace increased slightly from the previous mile, I was still able to achieve a time of 6:49 (the first time I had ever run two consecutive sub-7:00 miles - yeah!). Once the sign for mile 3 had passed, I knew that not only did I have a good chance of breaking my PR from last year, but that I also had the chance to go under a 7:00 average for the first time. I gave the last mile all that I had left and was shocked to see that I ran it in 6:22. I don't how runners can keep up a pace like this for an entire half marathon or marathon. Hats off to all of you.

Mile Splits

Mile 1 - 7:06
Mile 2 - 6:40
Mile 3 - 6:49
Mile 4 - 6:22

Overall Time - 26:56 ; Overall pace - 6:44

This race continues a good stretch for me that began at this time last year and it has made me realize that with hard work and dedication, I am able to achieve times that I didn't think were possible a few years ago. This was a fantastic race for me, to say the least. I don't know how long these times will last (they always end eventually), but I will savor this one for a long time, and enjoy the ride.

New Sneakers - New Balance 769

2009-03-28T22:37:00.005-04:00

As with most runners, I dread having to get a new pair of running sneakers. I have a very hard time finding a pair that fits me correctly, and then when I finally find one, New Balance usually comes out with a new model very quickly and then the whole process starts all over again. Last year, I bought three pairs of the New Balance 767s so I wouldn't have to worry about searching for sneakers during my marathon training. My third pair of 767s has finally reached the end of its line. So much time has passed since I bought my last pair of sneakers that I skipped over the 768 model entirely, and now the 769s are available. I was getting nervous since I heard from several of the stores that this model was narrower than in the past. Since Urban Athletics was having a sale last week, I ordered a pair of the 769s in my size, without the luxury of trying them on since they didn't have them in the store. They just came today (they hand delivered them to my apartment) and luckily they fit pretty well. I went for a 5 mile run in them today and felt good. Now I will just wait until they go down in price, and buy several pairs of them on the internet.

After talking with the Laminator, I decided to sign up tomorrow for the Long Branch Half Marathon on May 3rd. I wanted to put a half marathon on the calendar to get me focused a bit. It fits my criteria of a local race that is outside of Central Park, and relatively easy to get to. My running has been going well so far during the first quarter of the year, and I felt I was ready to gear up for a half marathon.

The weather was great on Friday and Saturday and I took full advantage of it. Yesterday was in the mid 50s and sunny, so I decided to do my usual 10 mile on the Westside Highway and back. I felt in a good groove and was able to do the run in about 1hr 25min, which averages out to about 8:30 per mile. Today, instead of a 6 mile run, I cut it down to 5. I had my new shoes on and they felt lighter than my last pair and more cushioned (that could just be because my last pair was worn down pretty extensively). I felt good right from the start and keep up a steady pace throughout. I thought my pace felt a bit on the quicker side and saw afterwards that I was going at an 8:00 pace. I didn't feel strained or tired, so this turned out to be a very good run for me.

Looking back on the first quarter of the year, I started out rather sluggish and then picked things up considerably during the last month and a half. I was still in recovery mode during January and the first part of February, and wasn't too concerned with my running. I felt lethargic and somewhat uninterested, and kept up my running purely as maintenance. Once I signed up for and ran the Cherry Tree 10 miler, I started to get more focused on my running and began to enjoy it again. My race times definitely reflected this, as evidenced by my PRs in the 10 miler and 15K last weekend. This is the second year in a row that I have done my "build up" (3 days per week running, and one day per week of spinning and strength) during the winter months and it seems to be working very well for me. This regimen allows my body and mind to stay fresh and strong during the beginning part of the year and lessens the time I need to get back into form.

Colon Cancer 15K Challenge - 3/22/09

2009-03-24T13:06:00.007-04:00

I can't believe it, but I scored another PR, this time in the Colon Cancer 15K Challenge this past weekend. In addition, this is the second time ever that I achieved an Age Graded Performance of over 60%. It was a good day all around :) This continues to be a very good running streak for me and I just want to enjoy it for as long as it lasts. Usually, it takes me until later in the year to get "back up to speed", but I've had two great races so far this year in both the 10 mile and 15K distance. I've made sure not to overdo it at the beginning of the year, especially after running the Philadelphia Marathon in November, and it seems to be working for me. I continue to run 3 days per week (including a 10 mile run), spinning one day, and strength training one day.

The 15K is not one that is run too often, so it is hard to have an opportunity to get accustomed to it, let alone try for a PR. Therefore, I get excited when there is a 15K race, since there are only two or three of them per year in Central Park. My previous PR at this distance was in 2006, and I knew that it would be very tough to better my time from that day. I ran a 7:31 pace that day and just felt "on" - never really felt tired and was strong throughout. It would take perfect conditions to try and beat that time.

On Sunday, I ended up running a PR of 2:24, for an overall time of 1:07:37 and pace of 7:16. This was the second fastest race (based on mile pace) that I have ever run, regardless of the distance (fastest being the Run As One 4M race last year at 7:03 pace). The weather was perfect for me. It was very cool and the start of the race had temperatures that were in the low 40s. I was looking to have a strong race, but was in no way looking to go out and beat my previous best time. The first few miles I went out strong, trying not to go out too fast, and was able to keep up a pace of around 7:30. At that point, I felt good and thought I should give it a go to keep up this pace for the rest of the race. If I was able to do so, I knew that a PR was in the realm of possibility.

The strong miles kept on coming one after the other, even on the hills where I made sure to conserve my energy a bit. If I could continue this pace through six miles, I knew that I would have enough left to go faster in the remaining three miles, since I was able to accomplish that in the Cherry Tree 10 miler the month before. The sun was coming out more towards the end of the race and warmed me up a bit, and gave me some renewed energy. I picked it up towards the end and was able to run the last three miles in 7:04, 7:14, and 6:54 (for the last 1.3 miles). I couldn't believe how strong I felt at the end and that I bettered my best time in this distance by a considerable margin.

Mile Splits:

Some of the mile times look a little too fast to me, so there was probably a couple mile markers that were in the wrong place

Mile 1 - 7:40
Mile 2 - 6:50 (mile was probably too short)
Mile 3 - 7:54 (mile was probably too long)
Mile 4 - 7:19
Mile 5 - 7:21
Mile 6 - 7:17
Mile 7 - 7:04
Mile 8 - 7:14
Last 1.3 miles - 8:58 (6:54 pace)

Total time - 1:07:37 ; Overall pace - 7:16

This race, along with the 10 miler from last month, has started to give me the confidence that I have the ability to go out strong in a longer race, and be able to sustain it throughout. In the longer races, I usually feel the need to start out slower and build up throughout the race for fear that I would fall apart at the end. The fact that I was able to run a pace of 7:30 and 7:16 for my past two 10 mile and 15K races, on tough, hilly courses, let's me know that I have the ability to handle a fast pace in a longer race - maybe I should experiment with a slightly more agressive strategy when running a half marathon and see if I can handle it.

Cherry Tree 10 Miler - First Race of 2009

2009-02-22T14:51:00.018-05:00

This was my first race since the Joe Kleinerman 10K in the beginning of December and my first race of 2009. It was good to finally get back out there again. I signed up for several races in January/beginning of February but passed on them either due to the weather or lack of desire.

Although I felt good physically after the Philadelphia Marathon, I think it took me a little while to get into a post marathon "funk". I thought I could avoid it this time around but I think it is inevitable. After the 10K in December, I became a bit sluggish and didn't have the drive to run for a little while. I was running about 15 miles a week for a month and a half or so just to keep myself in a maintenance mode. After a marathon, you can't force yourself to get the "itch" again, it has to come naturally.

By the beginning of February, I was ready to start my longer runs again and get back on a schedule. My off-season strategy from last year seemed to work very well for me, so I was looking to repeat it again this year. By the beginning of February, I was back to running about 20-22 miles a week, and including a longer run of 9-10 miles each weekend, in addition to a day of spinning and strength training. This gives me plenty of rest at the same time I am able to slowly build myself back up.

When I heard about the Cherry Tree 10 miler in Prospect Park, it seemed to be a good first race back. I was finally back to feeling comfortable and running well on my own at the 10 mile distance again and it was a close race out of Central Park. As I did last year, I am looking to mix things up a bit and run some races outside of Central Park. This was my first race in Prospect Park and my first race in Brooklyn. I was excited about and I even managed a 10 mile PR! I didn't think I would get down this low again in a 10 miler - I did my previous PR in 2006 when I ran the NYC marathon. This was definitely a very good start to the year for me and gives me a good idea where I am at.

I was a little worried about the weather given the fact that Accuweather.com and Weather.com were both predicting rain all morning. However, the weather turned out great - very good running weather in the low 40s, cloudy, cool, and very light rain, which was very refreshing.

It is a three loop course that has a "Central Park" feel to it. I usually don't like doing three loop races (due to the usual tough second loop) but I liked this one alot. Since I didn't know the course at all, I tried to maintain a steady pace for the first loop to get a feel for the course. For a park that is only a little over three miles, there are two pretty big hills that I knew I had to watch out on the second and third time around. I tried to be smart and take the hills somewhat conservatively. It took me about the length of the first loop to feel comfortable out there, but I seemed to feel better and stronger as the race went on. I think the weather definitely had something to do with. I felt very good during the last loop and picked up the pace a bit and was even able to attack the hill located on the middle mile. My last mile was my fastest one, with a time of 7:00.

There were no chip times, only a gun time. Therefore, my overall "net" time of 1:15:02 is the time that I had on my watch (the "official" time on the PPTC website is 1:15:09). There was no starting line so it was hard to figure out when to start my watch. Either way, I beat my previous 10 mile PR by more than a minute and 40 seconds (previous best was 1:16:51).

Mile Splits

Mile 1 - 7:27 (might be off by several seconds since there was no starting line)
Mile 2 - 7:49
Mile 3 - 7:24
Mile 4 - 7:20
Mile 5 - 7:56
Mile 6 - 7:53
Mile 7 - 7:14
Mile 8 - 7:21
Mile 9 - 7:37
Mile 10 - 7:00

Total - 1:15:02 (my watch); 1:15:09 (official time on PPTC website)
Avg - 7:30

Back On the Road - Joe Kleinerman 10K

2008-12-07T12:29:00.005-05:00

I've definitely had a bit of a lull/lack of motivation since the marathon. I allowed myself to cave into some of the excuses not to run - too cold, too tired, etc. It has only been two weeks so far, so this is not unexpected. After my last two marathons, it takes several weeks or a couple months to get back in the swing of things and feel back to your old self. I took it very easy the week after the marathon only running once (4 miles) and doing one day of light legwork in the gym. In order to not pressure myself to come back too quickly, I gave myself the license to take it easy for the rest of the year. That doesn't mean no running, merely getting outside several times a week at a comfortable pace and beginning to slowly build my body back up and give myself an overdue mental break. I am hoping to get back to my 9-10 mile "long" run every weekend which I want to begin by the end of December.

This week started off sluggish as well. I went out for a 4 miler on Monday, which was cut down from a scheduled five or six mile run. I was out there by myself which was a bit tough. On Thursday I had the group run which luckily made me get outside. I stayed at the back of the pack with one of my fellow Philly marathoners at a 9:05 pace. That 6 mile run was the longest I ran over the past two weeks and it felt tough. As for the Kleinerman 10K, I signed up for it a while back hoping to used it as a bounce back race after the marathon. It was scheduled to possibly rain or snow, which would have derailed my plans. Luckily the weather cooperated and I was able to roll out of bed and head on over to the starting line. I was not looking to go out fast, but merely to have an enjoyable race. Luckily, I met up with Runner26 and we ran the entire race together and it was just what I needed. We both wanted to go out at about an 8:30 pace, and after running an up and down first three miles, we settled into our goal pace. Having her there to chat with allowed me to not concentrate on my time, but just to go out there and have a good time. Thanks so much AG! This race definitely boosted my morale and will hopefully kick start my post marathon running. With the colder temperatures and less daylight, the winter is a tough period to get motivated to run. The goal is to have fun for the rest of the year/beginning of January and get in my runs without regard for pace.

The splits for the race are:

Mile 1 - 8:40
Mile 2 - 8:21
Mile 3 - 8:15
Mile 4 - 8:30
Mile 5 - 8:32
Last 1.2 miles - 9:51 (8:13 pace)

Total time: 52:12
Overall pace: 8:25

Philadelphia Marathon - Mission Accomplished!

2008-11-24T17:51:00.030-05:00

My third marathon is now complete. I finished the Philadelphia Marathon in 3:48:03, a PR by nearly nine minutes - woo hoo! While my first goal was to merely get a PR (previous best was 3:56:56), I was really hoping to go under 3:50. Training was going very well and I wanted to have a big PR to show for all of the hard work I was putting in. The last few weeks before the marathon, I was calculating what I thought was possible, but realistic: 3:50 was definitely doable and 3:45, while I would need to push myself hard, was attainable. So in my head, I was planning to try and get in between 3:45 and 3:50 which is almost exactly what happened. Mission accomplished!

Traveling - I was glad that I chose a relatively local marathon. It was very easy to travel back and forth to Philadelphia, which eliminated most of the stress surrounding the race. In addition, by running in a local race, a large number of my teammates ran as well. It helps a great deal to have people to hang out with the night before the race and to swap war stories with afterwards, as well as having the chance to see a familiar face on the course when you might need a quick pick me up. There were over 10 Flyers in all doing either the full marathon or the half and it was extremely helpful to have that support.

Weather- I was checking the weather report all week and unfortunately it was getting worse instead of better. Each day it seemed as if the forecast was getting colder and colder. Based on all of the weather reports, we were expecting the start of the race to be at about 25-26 degrees with the high for the day not going up above 35 degrees. I definitely do not like running in the heat, so I would take a cold marathon over a hot one any day. However this was pushing it a bit. I get hot very quickly in a race, so staying warm wasn't really the problem, as opposed to staying dry. I was able to get away with only a long sleeve base layer and my Nike long sleeve hand warmer top, running pants, and my new lightweight Nike Skullcap (this was perfect since my hair usually gets very wet). The start of the race was about 27 degrees, but the temps did not really bother me at all. I was fine after only the first few miles, when I even began to think to myself how comfortable I felt. It was as if it was 45 degrees outside for me. I think that the weather bothered some of the other Flyers alot more. The only problem for me came towards the end of the race when I began to slow down and my clothes were now soaking wet. The last few miles I was really feeling the cold.

Course - I thought the course was great. Except for a couple significant hills (mile 8 or 9 and at about mile 15 or so if I remember correctly), the course lived up to its flat reputation. After being used to the throngs of spectators at the NYC marathon, I was afraid that there was not going to be a lot of spectators lining the course to help give me a boost. Since the race started at 7AM, the first 10 miles of the course was pretty empty as expected. However, by the time I reached the halfway point, the number of spectators grew considerably and they were a fun and lively bunch. By the end of the race, there were so many people lining the narrow streets, that we all had to run single file from mile 26 to the finish line. I was pleasantly surprised by the crowds.

The race - I have been ready and waiting for this race for several months now and I was getting very excited for it to begin. I knew the training went well and I was ready and anxious to have a great race. The cold temperatures were not bothering me and I was ready to go. The first wave went off at about 7:08 or so and after they took off, I was pretty close to the starting line. At around 7:16AM, my day began. While at the starting line, I debated whether or not to join one of the pace groups, but I decided against it. I knew there was a chance I would regret it later on but, oh well.

I felt great right from the beginning. My original plan was to run at 8:40s and then adjust my pace accordingly at the halfway mark. I guess through all of the excitement, I went out faster than expected for the first 3 or 4 miles. I was running at around 8:20 and I knew that that was way too fast. I didn't want to derail my race after only a few miles, so I needed to slow down. I relaxed as much as possible after that, however, I was still running at around an 8:30 pace. Since I felt good, I didn't fight it and kept going as long as I could - exactly the same thought rationale I had at the Staten Island Half last month. The miles kept flying by and I felt strong and relaxed. There was only one big hill so far, at around mile 8 or 9, but I adjusted accordingly and ran my slowest mile up until that point (but still only an 8:52). I was able to cross the halfway point in an astonishing (for me) time of 1:50 and then was still be able to run an 8:30 pace up through mile 20 (I couldn't believe it), before starting to deteriorate after mile 22 for the remainder of the race.

Through 5 miles - 8:20 pace
Through 10 miles - 8:26 pace
Half marathon - 8:26 pace

I try not to get ahead of myself too early, but sometimes it is impossible not to with all of the excitement of a marathon. After hitting the halfway point feeling great, there was a small part of me that was wondering if I can actually finish at or around 3:40, but I came down to earth right away after that. I knew that I would not be able to keep this pace up for the rest of the race, but I allowed myself to dream for just a little bit. By mile 16 or 17, I was thinking that if I can just get to mile 20 feeling good, then maybe I had a shot at the low 3:40s. As we all know, fortunes can take a turn for the worse in a marathon in the course of a mile or two. By mile 21, I was starting to decline, and my thoughts went from low 3:40s, to 3:45, to under 3:50, to "please let this race be over as soon as possible". The end of the race could not come soon enough. As with any race, there many things to learn from to use moving forward, I was very satisfied that I set a tough but attainable goal for myself and I achieved it.

Through 20 miles - 8:32 pace
Through 23 miles - 8:36 pace
Through 25 miles - 8:40 pace
Full marathon - 8:42 pace

It was a substantial risk to deviate from my original plan so quickly, but a calculated one. Should I have slowed down for a larger portion of the race, and then hoped that I had enough left to pick it up in the final miles? That is always the million dollar question. No matter how meticulously you plan prior to a race, there are no guarantees so I decided to go for it. In order to run a negative split and run faster as the race goes on, you need a lot of confidence in your pacing ability and energy management throughout the race. Even if I stayed with my original plan and ran at an 8:40 pace, would have I been able to keep that up for the entire 26 miles - who knows, but the answer is probably not. Even if I did, my overall time would only have been less than a minute faster than what I ended up running. Therefore, taking a risk in this case did not hurt me. As they say, that is why you play the game. There is no way to know what will happen to you in a race until you go out and do it.

The only reason I stayed at the 8:30 pace for so long was because of how good I felt. I was calm and relaxed and knocking off one mile after another. I hit the halfway point at 1:50 (which was considerably faster than what I had planned), but I did not drop off that much at all for the next several miles. Even though I hit the half going at a 8:26 pace, I wasn't struggling and was even able to hit between 8:34-8:37 for the next five miles. I was still going at an overall 8:30 pace up until mile 20. I was even able to hang on for an 8:45 and 9:02 for miles 21 and 22 respectively. It wasn't until mile 23 that my pace began to plummet quickly. My last 4.2 miles were a struggle. At this point, I needed to take the race one mile at a time. Mentally I was pretty spent. Even though I wanted to, I couldn't move my legs any faster. I contemplated walking for a little bit, but knew myself and if I started to walk, I would not be able to get going again. Also, I felt that I didn't work so hard for these last several months, to let my race unravel with only a few miles to go after I did so well up until that point. My last miles were 9:10, 9:19, 9:29, and 9:29 (last 1.2). Even though I was definitely hurting the last few miles, they were not nearly as bad as they were in 2006 when I hit the wall. Back then, my "wall" miles were approaching nearly 9:45-10:00 minutes and my only saving grace was the fact was that I was able to pick up the last couple miles in Central Park.

Although in my mind it seems as if I went out too fast and then crumbled at the end, I was proud of the fact that I was able to keep up a brisk pace for nearly the entire race. Looking back now with a clear head, my second half struggles (even though they seemed to last a long time) were only limited to the last 3 or 4 miles. My mile paces didn't really start to substantially decline until mile 23-24. As with any of my marathons, I knew that I would slow down towards the end, but my goal was to try and have my slowest miles not go above 9:00 or 9:05 - which nearly happened. In addition, another silver lining was the fact that the second half of this marathon was the fastest of my three so far.

First Half: 1:50:34
Second Half: 1:57:29

Mile 15: 8:32
Mile 16: 8:34
Mile 17: 8:34
Mile 18: 8:37
Mile 19: 8:58
Mile 20: 8:55
Mile 21 - 8:45
Mile 22 - 9:02
Mile 23 - 9:10
Mile 24 - 9:19
Mile 25 - 9:29
Last 1.2 miles - 11:23 (9:29 mile pace)

Post Race - There was quad soreness hours after the marathon, but very minimal soreness or discomfort the day after and beyond. This is much different than after my previous two marathons in which I was in pain for several days and it was very difficult to walk down stairs. I pretty much felt back to normal only 2 days later. I guess I can attribute this to my strengthening throughout the year. I will go for a light jog probably on Wednesday and get back into a running routine again next week. Hopefully my post marathon lull won't be too bad this time around. To try and avoid or lessen it, I need to keep my running light and fun through at least the end of the year. I won't push anything too hard.

Training - Looking back on the last few months and my time for this race, my training went very well. This was the first time out of my three marathons so far in which I felt very good throughout the entire training cycle. I never felt exhausted physically or mentally, no burnout, and I was able to recover very quickly from hard races and long runs. I even avoided getting sick or injured for the entire 4 month cycle. My weekly schedule worked very well for me - four days of running and switching off spinning and weights every other week. This allowed me to get two days of rest per week, while the cross training gave me a day off from the pounding on the roads while keeping up my leg strength. I will definitely keep up my "off peak" schedule that I did this past year in order to keep up my maintenance mileage in the winter months - including a long run of 8-10 miles per week and a weekly mileage of about 20-22.

Thoughts - As this is only my third marathon, I am still in the process of learning all of the nuances of the race. Each time I've run, I pick up several key learnings that help me in my next marathon. I'm excited to see that my time dropped over 12 minutes from my first marathon (4:00:09) to my third (3:48:03). It shows how much you can improve yourself if you put in the time and effort. Pacing is still the biggest thing that I need to work on. Although my overall time probably would not have been substantially different if I ran a consistent pace throughout, I probably would have been able to finish stronger and felt better in the later miles. I should definitely consider joining a pace group for the next marathon I do. From what I hear, the Clif Bar teams at Philly were almost dead on for every pace group. I wouldn't have to worry about my pace fluctuating early on, and it would probably give me a chance at at time in the low 3:40s. I can't believe that I am now a sub 3:50 marathoner - awesome!

Looking past my health issues for the year, it was a great year running wise for me. I got PRs in 4 distances (4 mile, 5 mile, 10K (twice) and the marathon). Things just clicked. I kept up my cross training, strengthened my legs, recovered well after hard runs and got faster. I will savor this year for a while and think about it when my running hits a rough spot or lull in the future (it always does)

One Week To Go

2008-11-16T21:50:00.002-05:00

Although there were no more long runs left, I made sure to keep up with my training schedule. I don't want to overdue it during the taper, but I feel the need to keep busy running. My Bob Glover NYRR program told me to run 24 miles this week and that is exactly what I did - three runs of 6 miles and a 5 miler today which felt really good. Since I want to take next week as easy as possible, I used this past week's runs more as tempo runs going at a brisk pace but not all out.

I'm starting to get excited and checking off all of the things that I need to get done. The hotel is booked and I already printed out my bus ticket. I was originally taking the train but a bunch of us will all be taking the bus up together. Knowing that it will probably be cold, I made some purchases at the Niketown store and the Supper Runner's Shop picking up a fleece hat and microfiber skullcap. I made sure to not start checking the weather until 10 days prior, knowing that no matter what the weather report says, a lot can change in a week and a half. I checked it today and so far the weather looks pretty favorable - chilly and sunny. I will cross my fingers and pray that it stays that way. I don't really care if it is sunny or not, I just hope that there is no precipitation.

Well, 17 weeks of training and 3 twenty milers down and only 7 days remain. Am I ready - I hope so.

Final Long Run Completed - Let the Taper Begin

2008-11-09T17:07:00.003-05:00

Today's 15 mile long run was the final one on my training schedule and with only two weeks remaining until the Philadelphia Marathon, it is time to taper. The miles and long runs have been put in, and now I need to keep up the maintenance runs and keep my mind and legs busy until the big day.

Last weekend was my third and final 20 miler. This one was a bit tough since I had to run the whole thing by myself. It was the day before the NYC marathon, so most of my usual running partners were unavailable. I couldn't let that stop me. Therefore, I broke up the run into several parts to give me a change of scenery throughout the run and combat boredom. I started the run off by running 6 miles on the reservoir loop and then ran to the start of the "last 10 mile" run that I did the previous two weeks. Since I ran later in the morning than usual, there was quite a lot of traffic on 1st Avenue so I had to start and stop alot. However, it is a great route and I wanted to incorporate a bunch of hills on my run. Luckily, when I entered Central Park, I bumped into my friend and fellow Flyer, SR, and I was able to run with her for the remaining 4 or 5 miles. Since I was getting pretty sore by this point, it was nice to have someone to run and talk with the rest of the way to take my mind off of my pain. Overall the run was a good one. I was able to run at just about a 9 minute pace for the entire 20 mile run. It was great to be able to check off my third and final 20 mile run on the schedule and give me some much needed confidence going into the final weeks.

Today's 15 miler felt great. The weather was just about perfect - temperature in the low 50's and sunny. SR and I ran the first 6 mile loop together at a pretty brisk pace - about 8:30 per mile. I noticed toward the end of the loop that it seemed pretty quick but I felt relatively comfortable so it didn't bother me at all. SR went home after 6 miles so I ran the remaining 9 by myself. My main goal was to keep a consistent pace and feel as good a possible. I was pleasantly surprised to accomplish both. I was able to keep up an 8:35-8:40 pace for the remainder of the run. It felt good to complete the "mileage" portion of the training schedule.

Everyone gets a little nervous going into the taper portion. We are all used to running everyday, checking off our mileage, and using each day to get mentally prepared for the marathon. Now that the hard part of the training is over, I just want the marathon to get here as soon as possible. I will spend the next couple weeks finalizing what my strategy and pace will be. I want to go into the marathon with a plan in place and stick to it as long as I can.

More Training - Week of 10/20/08

2008-10-29T15:44:00.002-04:00

The schedule called for 40 miles this week, but it was tough to fit in that amount. I ran a hard twenty miles on the Sunday before this week, so I needed to give myself a rest day on Monday. And once I factored in my weights day on Tuesday, it would be a very hard feat to squeeze in 40 miles from Weds-Sunday, especially if my long run for the week was only 13 miles. Not wanting to bite off more than I could chew, I lowered the overall goal for the week from 40 to 35 or 36 miles.

This was a "step down" week anyway, so as long as I got in my long run, I figured that I would be fine. I was on track with my mileage going into the weekend. The Flyers had another "last 10 miles of the marathon" run on Sunday and I joined in. It is a great run and it is always easier running with a group. The problem was squeezing in the additional 3 miles. I went out the night before, but I was still optimistic that I would wake up early and get in the 3 miles beforehand. That wasn't going to happen. Since a bunch of us were going out to brunch after the run, I knew that I was only going to get in a long run of 10 miles. I was a disappointed since I wasn't able to squeeze in the allotted long run for the week, but I don't think the extra three miles would have made much of a difference. I felt great on the 10 mile run, which is all that really matters. I would much rather run a little less during a week that had a "shorter" long run than to skimp out on a 20 miler which is more important. I got in 33 miles for the week, which is still a sizeable amount. A step down week is intended to give your body a little bit of a rest before a harder week, and that is exactly what I did.

I am trying to make sure that I follow the schedule for this week and stay on track. This week is scheduled to be my last 20 miler and I am would like to get in 38 miles and then start to lower the weekly mileage. Less than a month before the Phila marathon - yeah! I am volunteering again this year at the NYC marathon and I'm hoping that it will excite me even more for my upcoming marathon.

Good luck to all the Flyers running this weekend. See you on the course!

19 Miles - This Was A Tough One

2008-10-19T18:27:00.006-04:00

This week the long run that was scheduled was a 20 miler. This will be my second 20 mile long run and I was looking forward to getting it out of the way. I was hoping not to do alone, so I was glad to see that the NY Flyers were planning a "Last 10 miles of the NYC Marathon" run. I decided to use that for part of the run and do the rest on my own.

I was hoping to run about 7 miles beforehand, but that was not to be. I was tired from the night before (my friend's birthday) and decided to sleep in and do more mileage after the Flyer run. I know how much harder it is to tack on mileage after an organized run but I had no other choice. I planned out a run beforehand that would get me to the start of the Flyer run only a few minutes before they took off. I started at Engineer's Gate and ran the 2.5 miles to the base of the Queensboro Bridge to meet up with my fellow teammates. We then followed the last 10 miles of the marathon course to Tavern on the Green. Then JT and I continued another 3 miles back to Engineer's Gate and then we did one loop of the Reservoir together and I continued on for another one and a half loops.

At the end of the day, I ran 19 miles and it was the hardest of the long runs that I've done so far. That's not to say that this run was extremely difficult (although it was tough), but rather it talks to how well I felt on my previous long runs, even the 20 miler from two weeks ago. I really felt the soreness and discomfort at the completion at the run and felt pretty wiped out afterwards, which I haven't felt in the past. While I was a little discouraged, I realized that not every long run is going to feel great and that I should be happy that I got another very long run out of the way. Training is hard work and sometimes you are going to have a rough day. Try and figure out what made this run different from the others and learn from this experience for next time.

The weather was a bit chilly, but great to run in. The temperature was one of the positive parts of the run. However, there were some things that probably contributed to the difficulty of the run for me. I went out last night for my friend's birthday and got to bed a lot later than I would have hoped. Usually, I make myself get to bed early the night before and make sure that I am as well rested as possible. Also, the course is a very hard surface to run on and probably took a large toll on my legs and ankles. I am used to running on the Reservoir surface one or twice a week to conserve my legs so running on the street and sidewalk for almost 15 miles must have been very jarring for my body. By the end of the run, my legs were very sore and I was shuffling quite a bit, just wanting the run to end. Rather than gut out another mile for no reason, I decided to stop the run at 19. In addition, when I am not doing a long run as part of a race (with mile markers) it is very hard to gauge what my pace is. I was hoping to go out at a relaxing pace but I definitely picked it up during the "last 10 mile" portion of the run and went out quicker than I should have. When you are going just by feel, it could get dangerous and I just need to remind myself not to do this during the marathon. I have been very good on the last few long runs keeping my pace in check and staying calm/consistent and I need to get back to that next time. Unfortunately, I let today's run get away from me a little bit. I know not to do that again. By the time we passed Tavern on the Green and I had another 7.5 miles to go, I knew that things were going to get very tough.

Well, two 20 milers are out of the way and only one more to go. To all the NYC marathoners, good luck with your tapers.

Staten Island Half - 10/12/08

2008-10-12T16:52:00.013-04:00

The marathon training continues and is still going well. Today was my first time doing the Staten Island Half Marathon (and my third half marathon in three weeks, although last week was part of a 20 mile run). The weather was great, although not necessarily ideal. The sun was out and it wasn't humid, however the late 9:40AM start allowed for some hotter temperatures during the second half of the run. There were stretches during the race on long, straight roads with no cover from the sun, but I never felt overheated. It was an out and back course, and was relatively flat with a few major hills, the last one coming with only a few miles remaining (yikes!). I was happy to have run the race and now I can check another borough off of my half marathon checklist (Bronx and Brooklyn remain). These days, I jump at the chance to run a local race outside of Central Park and usually am able to run a good time as well. Today was no different. I ran a time of 1:43:15 (7:52 pace) which is my fastest time in two years, and only one second off of my second best time (the Runner's World Half in April 2006 - 1:43:14).

Going into the race, I didn't have a definite strategy. I wanted to run quicker than last week (which was part of a 20 miler and run at a marathon pace), but I wasn't sure if I wanted to go all or not, or at least close to it. I decided to go a little bit easier in the beginning and start at an 8:30 pace (or 17:00 through two miles allowing for adjustments) and adjust my time accordingly depending on how I felt. At this point in my training, the specific pace isn't as important as being in control and feeling comfortable. The key for me is to not have huge swings in pace and to adjust my pace gradually if I want to go faster. If I am running a quicker pace, I am fine staying with it as long as it feels good and I am not straining.

I started the race at what felt like a relaxed pace. I was weaving through traffic a bit but became settled towards the end of the the first mile. As the mile 1 sign passed me by, I looked down at my watch and saw 8:00 on the dot. This was faster than I originally planned so I told myself to slow down a bit. Therefore, I relaxed a bit, so I thought, and got into a good groove. However, after going past the mile 2 sign, I saw that I ran faster than mile 1, with a time of 7:54. I did not want to tire myself out too quickly, so one more time, I tried to slow down a little bit but ended up completing mile 3 in 7:47. At this point, I realized that there was no use in trying to fight my pace. I felt good, comfortable and controlled and figured that I might as well stay at this pace throughout. It's one thing for me to try and go out at a fast pace right out of the gate (which can tire me out very quickly if I miscalculate), but if my pace naturally gravitates to a certain time then this must be my body letting me know what it can handle. Usually, I can tell within the first 3 or 4 miles how the rest of the race was going to go and this felt like a good day. It was just one of those days I guess, and I decided to take advantage of it. After mile 3, I revised my goal to around an 8:00 pace and to remain as consistent as possible. The rest of the race from that point forward went relatively smoothly - my pace hovered around 7:50 for most of the run, except for the huge hill towards the end. Nothing deflates you more than thinking you only have 3 or 4 miles to go and seeing a big hill in front of you and having no idea how far it goes.

I had my usual soreness in my knee and right ankle but nothing I couldn't run through. The turnaround point allowed me to say hi to a number of Flyers running the race. When I saw the Laminator, he was all by himself towards the front of of the pack and way ahead of me (congrats on your incredible PR). People tell me that the Philadelphia course is relatively flat with a few hills, so I am hoping that today's course gave me a small preview of what it is like to run on a flatter course. It allows me to lengthen my stride and makes it easier to keep a steady pace, since you don't have to continually adjust for hills. This was definitely a confidence booster for me, and helped me to further define what my strategy will be on race day and what pace I can handle.

Below are the mile splits from the race:

Mile 1- 8:00
Mile 2- 7:54
Mile 3- 7:47
Mile 4- 7:57
Mile 5- 8:07
Mile 6- 7:42
Mile 7- 7:57
Mile 8- 8:18
Mile 9- 7:49
Mile 10- 7:51
Mile 11- 7:55
Mile 12- 7:50
Last 1.1 miles - 7:21 pace (total of 8:05)

Total time: 1:43:15; average pace of 7:52

The key to the next week is to be smart. I have run three half marathons in three weeks and a total of 38 miles this week which is the most I have run since I last trained for a marathon. Even though I have been feeling pretty good post race, I need to get my rest days in and stay off my feet and keep up with my spinning/strength training throughout the remainder of the schedule. With my mileage increasing, rest and cross training are as important as ever to my overall well-being.

Grete's Half Marathon Plus Seven

2008-10-04T16:24:00.005-04:00

I finally took the plunge and signed up for the Philadelphia Marathon on November 23rd. I've been using a training program for the last two and a half months and have been feeling pretty good so far. This weekend was the first 20 miler on the schedule (and my first one since training for NYC in 2006) and I was ready to give it a try. The Grete's Half Marathon was this weekend, so I decided to add another 7 miles (approx.) to it for a total of 20 miles. I originally planned to run a 9:00-9:10 pace for the entire run, but as I thought more about it, I realized that this would be a good opportunity for me to try running at a "marathon" pace. The more runs I do at my goal pace, the easier it will be to do during the marathon. Therefore, I had a goal pace of 8:45-8:50 for the half marathon portion, and a little slower for the 6.7 miles prior to the race. No reason to tire myself out. If this went well, then I felt that this could be a good race strategy for the marathon.

Today showed me what could happen when there is a combination of great weather and a consistent, controlled pace (finally). The weather was in the low-mid 50's which is what I like and there was a slight drizzle, but nothing heavy. As for the entire 20 mile run, I felt as good as I could have hoped for. My pace for the half marathon was very consistent and I was able to hit the same mile pace (within 10-15 seconds) for nearly the entire race. Other than my hips and ankles, which got sore by the end of the run, I felt really good and made sure to make a mental note of what this felt like. So if I start to struggle a bit in the coming weeks as the mileage increases, I want to be able to think back and remember that it is possible to feel strong on a 20 mile run.

My run before the half consisted of starting at the 72nd street transverse, running north to Engineer's Gate, then running 3 loops of the reservoir, and then running back to the start of the race on 70th street. I was able to go out at a 8:55-9:00 pace and it felt good and I stayed calm and relaxed throughout. It allowed me to loosen up well and remain only a little bit above my overall goal pace. I timed it perfectly so that I could just continue into the start of the race without any stopping. As for the half marathon, I started out at a 9:03 pace for the first mile and it turned out to be a good idea, forcing me not to go out fast. After weaving around some people traffic for the next mile, I tried to settle into my goal pace which I was able to do around mile 4. I made sure to stay relaxed and try and keep up the 8:50 as long as possible. I was in a good groove for the rest of the race and kind of had the "autopilot" feeling that I had at the Queens Half last year. While I was starting to get sore by the last few miles, I was able to pick up the pace a bit for miles 12 and 13. Although I was happy for the race to be over, I did not feel "spent" or exhausted.

I will continue to practice my race pace on upcoming runs, and try and hone the strategy that I used today since it seemed to work well. I also need to remember to ease into a race (which happened today) and gradually pick up the pace. It will come. Next up on the schedule is the Staten Island Half Marathon. Not sure yet if I will race it or not.

Below are the splits from today:

Prior to Half Marathon:
-About 6.7 miles: 58:16 total time

Grete's Half Marathon:
Mile 1 - 9:03
Mile 2 - 8:49
Mile 3 - 8:39
Mile 4 - 8:51
Mile 5 - 8:46
Mile 6 - 8:49
Mile 7 - 8:41
Mile 8 - 8:54
Mile 9 - 8:57
Mile 10 - 9:08
Mile 11 - 8:35
Mile 12 - 8:36
Last 1.1 miles - 9:10 (mile pace of 8:20)

Overall time for the half: 1:55:02; pace of 8:46
Approximate pace for 19.8 mile run - 8:45-8:46 (total time of 2:53:18)

Newport Liberty Half Marathon - 9/28/08

2008-09-28T14:12:00.013-04:00

This morning was the Newport Half Marathon in Jersey City. I was looking forward to running a half marathon again since the last one I did was way back in January (the Manhattan Half in Central Park). Since I was looking for a local race to run that was outside of Central Park and relatively easy to get to, this race seemed like a good choice. It was mainly flat (some minor hills) and had nice views of the Statue of Liberty and lower Manhattan (the parts of it that I could see through the fog). It was also nice to see a number of Flyers at the race. I traveled in with LL (the Laminator) and BH (trakmaniak), and then saw TD, CM, and JAM in the pre-race area.

I had pretty good expectations for the race due to the lack of hills, but I wanted to be reasonable given the fact that this was my first half marathon in about 8 months. I was originally hoping for a time that was under 1:45 (due to the flatness of the course), however, I adjusted my time 4 or 5 miles into the race. This was a tougher race than I expected and I realized that I probably wasn't going to get my original goal for the day, but I still had the chance to run a good/smart race.

My total time for the day was a gun time of 1:46:45. This race did not have a "net" time, although we did wear a chip (since there was no starting line, everyone's first mile time was a bit off since you didn't know when to start your watch). All they needed was a banner that said "Start".

While there were very few hills, there were other factors that made the race a bit tougher than I expected. It was about 68 degrees at the start of the race and it was very muggy (about 90-100% humidity). I am not a great hot weather/humidity runner. While the overcast sky helped to keep the sun out, it was still very humid outside. It started to lightly rain during the second half of the race (which I was happy about), but this did not relieve the humidity that much at all. Probably the toughest part of the race was the frequent change in surfaces. The race started on a smooth asphalt road, but quickly changed to a very rough and uneven road surface (like when they dig up a street to re-pave it). You had to slow down a bit to prevent twisting your ankle, knee, etc. Then there were several miles on a concrete road surface resembling downtown Manhattan on the west side trail. The concrete surface was slick when it got wet, so you had to be careful about slipping. Besides being apprehensive running on the different surfaces, I was a little worried about what these hard surfaces would do to my legs. I guess we'll see in a couple of days.

I was happy to see that even in a race with less than ideal conditions, I was able to run a good/solid time. I realized that even though I have been running well the past several months, those times were mainly in shorter races and that I shouldn't expect my first half marathon in a long time to be a PR or close to it. When I saw that my mile times in the beginning were not getting down around 8 minutes or below, I knew that my goal time would be tough to achieve. My pacing was not what I would have liked. I went out too fast for the first two miles - I need to take a more conservartive approach in the beginning, even if I am feeling good. My mile times tended to go up and down throughout the day, and my beginning miles went up for five miles in a row before taking a dip. The Queens Half from last year was my best pacing effort so far, and I need to work on getting back to that. I was glad that I was able to adjust my expectations mid race and did not go out and try to make up time. Let's leave that for another day, with more favorable conditions. In the past, it would have been tough for me to say that.

Today was about getting a half marathon under my belt, and seeing what needs work. I was satisfied with the results. While it was a tough race, I felt relatively good and was not hurting at all or out of breath. While I will be running Grete's Great Gallop next week, I will be doing it as part of a 20 mile run, so I will have another half marathon chance at Staten Island in a few weeks.

Mile Splits:

Mile 1 - about 7:35 (there was no start line marked so I didn't know when to start my watch)
Mile 2 - 7:34
Mile 3 - 7:56
Mile 4 - 8:07
Mile 5 - 8:09
Mile 6 - 8:18
Mile 7 - 8:25
Mile 8 - 8:08
Mile 9 - 8:06
Mile 10 - 8:29
Mile 11 - 8:20
Mile 12 - 8:33
Last 1.1 miles - 8:52 (8:04 mile pace)

Total Gun Time (there was no net time) - 1:46:45; Overall pace - 8:08

17 Mile Run - 9/20/08

2008-09-23T11:19:00.002-04:00

This past weekend I upped the ante and got in a 17 mile run - my longest run in about 2 years. I ran it with my friend and fellow Flyer, SR. We ran the first 15 miles together (6 mile loop, lower 5 mile loop and inner 4 mile loop) and it felt great. It is amazing how much easier a long run is when you have someone running next to you - pushing you, keeping your mind distracted, keeping you company, etc. The first 11 miles just flew by. I couldn't believe how comfortable it felt. We were able to keep up about a 9:05 pace for the first 15 miles. I never would have been able to do this all by myself, as proven by the last two miles.

Like magic, once SR left I started to feel all of the aches and pains in my hip, feet and ankles. I only did a loop of the reservoir and then a half mile on the bridle path, but they felt very tough. I didn't feel drained after the run, just sore. However, I was proud to get a 17 miler under my belt. The training seems to be going well.

I still haven't signed up for Philadelphia but I think I am getting closer. We'll see in the next few weeks. I have the Newport Half Marathon this weekend in Jersey City and I'll use this as a gauge to see how I am doing.