Saturday, March 29, 2014

2014 wurtsboro mountain 30k: race photos & results


another wurtsboro mountain 30k is in the books!  this is one of my all-time favorite races - at any distance.  and, as recently as yesterday, i was on the fence about running it because of a nasty chest cold that i couldn't seem to shake for the last week. in fact, if wasn't for the forecast of rain on sunday, i would have skipped it and run the boston blowout instead.

as luck had it the rain held off for the race!  given my less than 100% condition, i was very pleased with my 2:37:04, 8:26 pace, finish. there were a couple of moments out there when i questioned my decision-making process - but all's well that ends well ;O 

i'll write up a short race report in the next couple of days.

here are the race results from coolrunning.










here are the rest of my photos up on facebook.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

happy spring - 2014 vernal equinox has arrived :D


spring officially arrives here on the east coast at 12:57 pm!  given the brutal winter we've slogged through over the last few months, it may actually take the weather gods a bit longer to get the message.  but for the moment, the temperature should crawl into the 50s - and, hopefully, stay above freezing for the next few days or so :D

i'm going to celebrate the arrival of spring by running in shorts this afternoon.  i ran in shorts last saturday - a quick glimpse of spring - only to see it drop 20 degrees the next morning (just in time for the nyc half).  but a few days of warm weather - plus a little sunshine - and winter will start to seem like an unpleasant memory.  that said, weather forecasts say temps are headed back into the 30's on monday... so carpe diem!

get out there and enjoy some spring weather today :D

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

2014 nyc half marathon: race report


even thought this was my 5th nyc half marathon, it seemed new because the last time i ran this race was way back in 2010!  both the new course and that i hadn't run in central park (excluding the last couple of miles of the nyc marathon), since last september, may have added to that feeling.  normally, i'd be on my 3rd or 4th nyrr central park race by march (i had signed up for the kleinerman 10k in January, but skipped it b/c of the foul weather).

weather-wise, the cold and wind chill, didn't make for an auspicious start.  it was a solid 20 degrees colder than the day before - when i got to run a few miles in shorts.  but when i got up sunday morning, it was back on with the tights - and two long-sleeved shirts.  as it turned out, i added a third layer, my windbreaker, at the last minute.  it was strange bouncing between feeling overdressed - most of the race - and thankful for the extra layer - running into the wind.

it was the wind blowing across 59th street as i walked over the park from the subway that made me put on the windbreaker.  as i walked up to the corrals, i realized that i had left my power gels in the bag.  i seriously toyed with idea of walking back to the baggage truck, but since i had already go thru the police checkpoint and the corrals were right in front of me, i decided to skip it.  then, as i was trying to remember which mile the gu station was located on the course - someone offered me a gu!  a total random act of kindness (or maybe karma)?

aside from that brief interaction with the runner who offered me a gu, the rest of the time waiting in the corral was uneventful - and very cold.  luckily, as the corral filled, the collective body heat of my fellow runners warmed the place up a little (as did the sunrise, a little after 7).  when the gun went off, it took a solid 2+ minutes to reach the timing mat at the starting line.  on the way there, we ambled past the starting corrals for the second wave!

between getting to the start and running in the heavy crowd, mile one, at 8:18, was my slowest of the race. i would have 2 more 8 minute miles during the race, but the rest were mostly 7:40's and 7:50's.  the pace was noticeably slower than my performance at the boston buildup 25k the week before, which means i didn't get in enough recovery.  then again, it could also have been from the irish whiskey tasting at zachy's the prior afternoon, or the st. patrick's day party that night (where i limited myself to a pair of killian irish reds).

here are my race splits:

5k  25:03
5m  39:51
10k  49:21
15k  1:14:11
10m  1:19:26
20k  1:38:13
13m  1:42:39
13.1  1:43:24

7:54 pace

by way of comparison, my five mile split at the 25k was 37:59 - roughly 2 minutes faster.  at mile 10 of the 25k i had run 1:16:34 - i had fallen 3 minutes off that pace.  i had run 13 miles 1:39:19 at the 25k, still a solid 3+ minutes faster than my 1:42:39 split at the half marathon.  even so, i was more than pleased with the outcome - and i managed to shave a full minute off my fastest nyrr half marathon from 2013 (1:44:28 at the staten island half) :D

my half marathon goal for 2014 is to get my times back under 1:40 (which i probably would have swung if the 25k and half dates had been reversed) :D

one final thought on the the course - well may two - was the thrill of coming out of the battery tunnel underpass and seeing the brooklyn bridge looming ahead, as we ran to the finish.  that moment slightly inched ahead of running down seventh avenue, as times square loomed straight ahead.  either way, those were the two main touristy highlights on the coursed for me.  and, in something of a surprise, it seemed to be colder and windier at the finish, down in the financial district, than it was in the park (or maybe that was just exhaustion?)!

here is the link to my race photos & results.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

2014 nyc half marathon: race photos & results


in one word, the 2014 nyc half marathon was - freezing! but the frigid cold and wind didn't take away from what a fantastic race it is.  the temperature was easily 20 degrees colder than the day before (i ran in shorts on saturday) - and spent most of my time in the corral with my teeth chattering!

as for the race itself, i ran a 1:43:26, 7:54 pace - well off my target of 1:40 (but a minute faster than the nyrr half marathons i ran last year).  all in all, i was more than happy with the result.

here is my race report.

here are the race result from the nyrr.








Thursday, March 13, 2014

packet pick-up for the 2014 nyc half marathon


went to the metropolitan pavilion this afternoon to pick up my bib and shirt for the nyc half marathon on sunday.  in the "it's a small world" category, got the bib from my friend julie, who was a volunteer at the expo.  she pointed out that the bib # on my registration card had been changed -- that was a first! 

apparently, i wasn't the only runner who came in with one number and left with another.  the problem was quickly resolved at the help desk - and a printout of  a new registration slip/number was done right there.  i just took the new one back to julie and picked up the correct bib.  luckily, the new # wasn't too far removed for the original - and i was still in the 4th corral, first wave :D

hopefully the frigid weather that suddenly returned and enveloped the city today will leave by sunday - and we can run this one in shorts :D

Sunday, March 9, 2014

2014 boston buildup 25k: race photos & results


after such tough winter conditions for the first 3 races, we got to run the 25k - the 4th and final race of the 2014 boston buildup winter series - in practically balmy conditions.  i ran in shorts, something i haven't done in months.  with all the snow on the ground it felt surreal :D

as for the race itself, i was very happy with my 1:58:50 (1:58:53 official), 7:39 pace.  it was well under my target of a sub-2:00 finish!  that goal was really a stretch because i had hoped to run 7:50 miles (roughly 2:01 finish) and found myself running 7:30 miles.  i was able to hold that pace for 13 miles before my pace flagged into the 7:50's.  to say my performance was a surprise would be a tremendous understatement (especially since it was well under my 2:10:29 from 2013)!

i'll post a short race report in the next day or so.

here are the race results from clubct.







 
 
here are the rest of my photos up on facebook.

Saturday, March 1, 2014

march 2014 race schedule



despite the calendar reading march 1, we're still deep in the throes of winter here in new york.  and, unfortunately, with more snow forecast to arrive on monday, it doesn't seem like we'll be thawing out anytime soon.  march kicks off with an unscheduled rest weekend since that the boston buildup 25k, set for tomorrow, was pushed back until next weekend (because of the two postponements to the 20k).  that means i have to miss the celebrate life half marathon - argh!

the rest weekend, however, suits me fine because i had a high mileage end to February. i  logged 200 miles (200.3) for the 28 day month - which included 75 miles over the last 7 days.  it's been my highest mileage training stretch since coming back from the nasty bout with chronic compartment syndrome.  when the snow melts and the track finally reemerges at the high school, i'll get back to some intervals/speedwork.

the highlight of this month is the nyrr nyc half marathon.  it's become one of my favorite (albeit expensive) half marathons.  this edition includes a slightly modified course, which results in just one loop of central park before we head downtown.  it will by my first nyc half in a couple of years.  the first one that finishes at the south street seaport, in fact.  the only downside is the date, which means missing out on the trrc st. patrick's day races at fdr park :(

the following weekend is a low mileage one, with the spring equinox 8k the only race planned.  it's an afternoon race - over a hilly course - which makes for an interesting change of pace.  i'll need that bit of recovery coming off the 25k and half weekends and the pair of 30ks coming up the next one. 

i haven't done the wurtsboro 30k/boston blowout 30k double in a few years.  i'm looking forward to it - especially wurtsboro, one of my favorite races.  but lining up for the blowout means missing the trrc mudders & grunters 5 miler, another of my all-time favorites.  it will be the second trrc race i'll miss this month :(

here's how the schedule looks so far:

3/9 - boston buildup 25k
3/16 - nyc half marathon
3/23 - spring equinox 8k
3/29 - wurtsboro mountain 30k
3/30 - boston blowout 30k

as always, if you're at any of them - say hello!