My New Buddy

Last week was horrible. After running 18 miles, including my first 8K, I sat on my ass for almost the whole next week. Laziness overtook me. I couldn't get out of the house to do a serious run if it meant my life. Once! Once, I went out, on a Thursday, solely out of guilt. Scheduled to run 5 miles, halfway through the run I decided 3 was enough. I was so disgusted with myself after that. Marathon, yeah right. I was worthless, I could never run a marathon.

Last Saturday, for my anniversary, me Kimmie gives me this overglorified stopwatch as a present, the Forerunner 101. I had seen it before and thought I would get it for the big run, so my thoughtful girlfriend went out and beat me to it. I didn't care for it too much. I thought it would be more of a distraction, with all its bells and whistles, than anything else. I was curious to see how the GPS worked so I took it out on Tuesday.

I scheduled a 6 mile run, plotted it on the USATF route mapper and took off with my new toy. I had to run 6 miles at least once before the Scotland 10K on Sunday. I had yet to run that distance. I was to start on Williamsbridge and run down Pelham Parkway to the loop right before the City Island bridge and back. The purpose of pre-plotting my routes is to know where the mile markers are so that I can figure out my splits and pace. Well, with my new budd that was unnecessary. With its eyes in the sky it kept constant track of my distance, pace and average pace. It beeped at every mile marker and tracked my route on a little map.

By the time I reached the halfway point at the loop I realized that I no longer had to keep to pre-planned course. I noticed a trail and took it, knowing my buddy would keep track of all my vital stats for me. When I came out of the trail I realized I was at Orchard Beach. It was 70 degrees, a perfect day for a run on the beach. So, I ran down the boardwalk for a bit, then turned onto the beach and ran by the water to the end. By the way, running on sand sucks! Better to watch it on film. I ran a bit more to the beach entrance and began my run back home. Throughout the whole thing I had this image in my head of some mantra I had seen earlier on a t-shirt or bumper sticker: "There is no finish line".

All told I ran 7.6 miles. Way more than my personal best of five. Since, then I ran to Mosholu Golf Course and back and am on pace to run 23.5 miles this week. The freedom my Forerunner has given me is great. I can just take off and run without having to worry about the accounting. There are newer versions that monitor your heart rate and allow you to download data from Google Maps, but I don't need any of that stuff. I love my new buddy.

NYRR8000: Correction

According to the NYRR 8000 Fun Run 4M Pics page, the turnout to the race was about eight-hundred not one or two-hundred. For much better race images The NYC Running Blog.

Winter Wonderland

The NYRR 8000 was held this morning despite the snowy conditions. The race started half an hour late which was great because neither the 5 nor the 2 train wanted to run down the West Side this morning. I had to get off at 86th street and Lexington and hop in a cab to cross the other park where the race was being held. I got there with eight minutes left to spare, just enough time to get pins for my bib and a porta-potty stop.

As I reached the starting area I was surprised that there were only about a hundred people, two hundred max. Most runners bailed assuming the weather would be as bad as yesterday's sleet swarmed day. They were dead wrong. No precipitation or wind, lovely day for running.

I reached the starting line a couple of minutes before the start. While we waited for the start I met Mark, a runner from Seattle whose train back home was canceled. Cool guy, he woke up this morning, went online and found the race and decided to join. He asked me what my pace was and and if I wanted company. I said sure but I was concerned that he would throw me off my race or would want to talk the whole way, sure enough, that is exactly what happened.

Having Mark around was great. He helped me keep my planned 9:30 pace through the first two miles which I may not have done considering those hills and the chatting was very helpful.
The five miles went by very quickly. It turns out he was planning on proposing to his fiancé tonight at Niagara Falls but his train was postponed. As we ran I pointed out a few of the more romantic spots in the park; The Boathouse, Woldman Rink, etc. I promised him a more extensive list but I lost him after the race.

Overall, the running was great. We had fair traction considering we were running on snow. I missed the first mile marker so I didn't get that split but my split at the second marker was 18:29. The next three splits were 9:40, 8:50 and 8:47 for a finishing time of 45:48. The race wasn't scored and the ChampionChips weren't used so the times are off the gun but I think I could shave at least ten seconds since I didn't actually start at the starting line. Considering the poor turnout, snowy trails and lack of official time keeping the event was very enjoyable. It was a great morning in Central Park.

Great Week . . . so far

Well, I've bounced back from last week quite well. I ran five miles on Tuesday for the first time, kind of. My bud Nick and I ran Pelham Parkway up to Stillwell and then out to the DMV on Fordham where he had some errand to take care of. That bit was 3.5 mi. and then I ran 1.5 mi. back home alone. The only problem with that run is that on my way back I began to feel the pull of the tractor beam emanating from the Golden Arches on Southern Boulevard and Fordham Road. So, after my Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuit/Hash Brown pit stop at McDonald's I finished my run. I was surprised that I didn't cramp or feel any adverse effects to running right after consuming chicken embryos and swine. I guess that half an hour rule only apples to swimming.

That night I did a bit of hot yoga with me Kimmie in Astoria. I'm sure they had the room up to 110 degrees for that class. I did much better than last time and was able to hit quite few poses pretty well but towards the end I lost control of my breathing and felt a bit light headed. The yoga, especially hot yoga is a great way to keep loose for running. It also provides great new ways of stretching at home.

Yesterday, I ran 5.3 miles on Pelham Parkway in preparation for tomorrow's NYRR 8K in Central Park. I finished it in 49:34 for a 9:22 min/mi. I'm very excited about yesterday's run. Five miles is my first marker, ten miles is my next. Every week I'm adding a mile and I'm beginning to see the results of training.

Tomorrow's race is at 7:30am, the earliest I've ever run, and the forecast is calling for snow and freezing rain. I haven't run in those conditions yet and wonder how I will fair. I am looking forward to the challenge, I'm sure it will be fun. Its also my first run in Central Park.

Yesterday, me Kimmie picked up my number and chip for me, she kept the souvenir shirt, of course. I'm ready to go, I just have to make sure I get to bed early tonight which I never do. I'll report after the race.

Bad Week

Last week was very disappointing. I didn't get much running in due to my back. I only ran five miles on Thursday (1.5mi in the morning and 3.5mi at night) and three and a half miles Sunday morning. It was a huge drop in mileage from the week before.

I missed the online registration for Sunday's race and figured that it just wasn't meant to be. I didn't have much training for the race anyway. I decided I would be better off just getting rest than to try to force the issue.

This week will be much better, I'm sure of it. I plan on running with Nick tomorrow, probably four miles. The weather is going to get into the seventies, I hear. And I'm focused on doing the 8K this Saturday in Central Park. That will be a fun day. I'll run the race, go straight to class, and then spend the rest of the day drinking green beer! Sunday will have to be a day of rest. This week will definitely be a good week!

Injury #1 – Pinched Nerve

A few days ago, my colleagues and I were playing with the kids we work with in the school gym. One of them wanted to race from one end of the gym to the other. Why I thought it was a good idea to race these early twenty-somethings is beyond me. I'm no Carl Lewis.

Right at takeoff I felt a little snap in the middle of my back. No biggie, I walked it off. The next day it was a little worse. Some sharp pains throughout the day but nothing to worry about. The day after the pain was gone. Race day comes around and I was feeling great.

Sunday night, after Coogan's, it started again. The next morning I woke up with back spasms. I had planned do some Hot Yoga that evening, after work, so I just figured that I could just stretch my back out there and work out the kinks. By the time work was over, the pains were unbearable. Deep inhalations were sending my back into convulsions. I met my sister and me Kimmie at the Yoga studio but I had to punk out.

Yesterday was worse. Not just because every sudden stop on the subway seized the whole left side of my torso, but because unlike Monday, I couldn't just chalk it up as a rest day. I was going to miss the official start of my training schedule that day. I needed to run, but couldn't. Very frustrating. The funny thing is that only after a couple of weeks of doing this I get really disappointed when I can't run or when I have to take a rest day.

Not a big deal, I've had to miss a day of running so far. According to my marathon ticker I still have seven months and twenty-seven days left. But I've learned that until November I really need to consider the consequences of all my extra-marathon activities. I was planning on doing a bit more snowboarding before the snow melted. I think I'll pass on the slopes until December. All I hear from those that have run marathons is that the biggest obstacles to completing a marathon are the injuries that you get on the way.

Hopefully, by the end of today I'll be able to get at least three miles in. I would like to run New York Colon Cancer Challenge 4M this Sunday. To do so, I'll have to get up to five miles by Friday, since I'll be forced to rest Saturday.

All in all – Big lesson, small price;)

Follow Me To Coogan's

Girlfriend Kimberly woke up and made me waffles for my big race, while I showered and put on my jogging uniform. We took off to Washington Heights at about 7:30am for the 9:00am race. I was to meet my buddy Nick near the starting line at 168th street and Fort Washington Avenue but realized when I was halfway there that I forget my phone at home. Probably because I was so preoccupied in making sure that I didn't leave my race bib or ChampionChip behind.

When I reached the starting area I was relieved that there where banners that marked the different starting points for the different paces. At first I thought I would join the 9 min/mile pack but a few minutes before the race remembered that one of my students advised me to stay near the end at the start, so I joined the 11 min/milers.

When the race starts everyone started by walking to starting line, then the pace picked up to a very slow jog. By the time we reached the starting line I noticed that everyone was picking up a much faster pace than I expected. At first I was suckered into following their pace but then remembered another student's (Boyd Brown, look up his NYRRC accomplishments) advice, LSD: Long Slow Distance. So I backed off a bit and let them pass me.

Just before we hit the first mile marker I could begin to hear a chorus of huffing and panting ahead of me. At that point I knew that I was running the race I needed to. Soon after I began to see some of those that passed me slowing down or just walking. I hit the first mile marker at 9:33. Exactly the pace I wanted to run the whole race.

At one point over the second hill, I looked out ahead to all the runners below me and all those running up the next incline. I could see for about fifteen blocks. The street was swarmed with runners. I looked around me and felt like I was part of a herd, a stampede of humans. I noticed how together, we all had the same rhythm, like gazelles, just not as fast. It was an interesting sensation. Then I realized I better start passing people on this downhill while I could still use gravity to my benefit.

Shortly after the first mile marker we began to see the leaders doubling back on their way to the finish line. These gals and guys were incredible. They were speeding past us as we all cheered them on amazed by their ability. They would be finished with the race before most of us reached the halfway point.

We reached Fort Tryon and the lane began to narrow. It was harder to run since the crowd became compacted. Some guy was weaving through the crowd on a downhill and I followed him for as long as I could without becoming a nuisance to others. After passing the midway point I decided to slow it down since we were going up a hill. I ran behind some guy wearing the race t-shirt. I started to get a bit tired so I kept reading his shirt, "Follow me to Coogan's, Follow me to Coogan's" Coogan's bar on Broadway is the sponsor of the race. great advertising! I ran my second mile in 9:07, faster than my first and much faster than I thought I was going.

People were beginning to drop off in the last leg. You could tell some where hurting but kept going. The spectators were great and very supportive. The runners also helped each other out. It was infectious. "Only ten blocks left! Only eight blocks left!"

As I approached the third mile I was surprised that I had so much energy left, I guess the pasta the night before thing really does work. So, I decided to sprint the last five blocks. I didn't want to end the race with anything left. My final split was 8:21 and my official time was 27:36 an 8:54 mile pace.

I never thought running could be so much fun! Coogan's Salsa, Blues and Shamrocks 5K was a great race and I can't wait to do it again.