2010 NYRR Fred Lebow Classic

NYRR Fred Lebow Classic (5M) - Saturday, January 9 / 5M • 8:00 a.m. / Central Park / S, Q, C

Course
Start on the East Drive just North of 99th Street and head North. Turn Left/West onto 102nd Street transverse and continue to the West Drive. Turn Left/South onto West Drive and continue around the southern end of the Park onto the East Drive to the finish on the East Drive near 99th Street.

Distance: 5.0 Miles, 8.0 Kilometers
Date/Time: Jan. 9, 2010, 8:00 am
Location: Central Park, NYC
Weather: 25 deg., 27% humidity, wind 9 mph

Overall Place: 1415
Gender Place: 1059
Age Place: 214
Finish Time: 43m26s
Pace/Mile: 8m41s
AG Time: 42m44s
AG Gender Place: 1292
AG %: 49.9%

I wasn't feeling it last night, and I wasn't sure if I was going to go to this race when I went to bed. I had a so-so week, and was really out of sorts on Friday. However, by the time I woke up, I was motivated by my training plan for the half-marathon that I'm running in two weeks. I also wanted to test what it would be like to run in cold weather and see how the other runners prepare for a cold weather run. It was cold!!! It was so cold that the water in the cups at the water stations would start to turn to ice by the third or fourth mile. I'm not even joking, but that's pretty funny. I also noticed that there weren't as many NYRR volunteers on the race.

I wore two wicking shirts, one sleeveless and one long sleeve, and my orange pullover. That was enough for the top. I also wore long underwear and my long running pants. I think I need to get running tights, as everyone has them, and the long underwear was too much for the run. I felt my legs feel were too warm during the race. I wore my running gloves and my ear band to keep my ears warm. Both were needed. I wore the new ASICs socks I got free at the NY ASICS store, and it was all good. So, the only thing I would change is the long underwear. For the half, I might just wear running shorts and running pants, or buy running tights. Everything else was pretty good.

I didn't eat anything the morning of the race, but I had a bottle of water and had a berry gel about 15 minutes before the race. I like the gel, but I'm going to look for some without caffeine.

I felt okay the morning of the race. I left my apartment by 6:35, 6:40a, picked up my number at 89th Street, and got to the race at 102nd street by 7:30a, which was enough time to get ready. I got to my corral with plenty of time, so I warmed up by jogging in place. It's nice to get there early and not feel rushed.

I was pretty excited to be there and feel what it was like to race in really cold weather. I missed my running buddy SLG. I looked out for a few people that I knew was going to run the race, but I couldn't find them. I hadn't run in a while, as I missed a few training opportunities, so I wasn't sure how I would feel. I did spin and hula, so I was keeping up aerobic activities, but I missed a long training run and a treadmill run. I just thought I would pace myself, but all that went out the window when the 'gun' went off. My competitiveness took over, and instead of using this race as a practice run for the half-marathon and pacing myself, I just ran like it was another race.

I forgot my new GPS watch at home, but I think I did a negative split again. By the second mile, I was around 18 and a half minutes, according to the race clock. I knew I was far back by the time I started, so I figured I was doing a 9 minute pace. I skipped the water from the first table. I think I got to the third mile at 27min30sec, so I was still around 9min per mile. By then, I was calculating in my head that I wanted to do a sub 9min pace per mile. I stopped for water at the next two water stations (I think there were only three during the race), and walked it as I finished the icy water! Around the fourth mile marker, the long hill on the east side was intimidating. At the crest of the hill, I had to take a break and walk for a bit. I think I got to the fourth mile at just under 36min, so I was around 9min per mile. I wanted to finish strong, and felt pretty good. I had a little left in the tank to pick up my pace with about a half-mile to go, and crossed the finish line with the race clock showing 44min and a half. Or something like that, I was so excited to finish that I stuck my arms out like wings, shook my head like a Tasmanian devil, and whooped it out as I crossed the finish line. Yay! I reached my goal of a sub 9 minute mile pace!

So, either I'm miscalculating, or I'm doing negative splits in my times. Meaning, I'm doing a faster pace per mile toward mile 3 through mile 5 than I am at mile 1 and mile 2. This pace makes sense because I usually have to warm up at the start, and just go out at a comfortable jog. By the middle of the race, I feel stronger, and my pace reflects it.

It turns out, I got a PR for my pace per mile at 8:41/mile! This was at a five mile no less! I think my previous best was 8:48/mile at a four mile race. That's pretty awesome!

Two more weeks until the half-marathon. Wish me luck!

Eight Miles Out

I ran eight miles outdoors on Sunday, December 27 at 3p with my brother. Temperature was a balmy 51 degrees Fahrenheit in late December! At the time, I knew it was unseasonably warm, but I dressed like it was winter anyway. I would later pay for it during the run, because I started to overheat. I wore a long sleeve wicking shirt with my orange puma pullover and running gloves and cap. I wore running shorts, and nylon socks. I ate a big lunch about an hour or so before the run, and brought two gels of GU with me.

I really only needed the long sleeve wicking shirt and the shorts. The cap, gloves, and pullover all came off during the run. My brother took my gloves, and I held the cap in my hand and tied the pullover around my waist. Clothes will need to be better coordinated with weather conditions, because it was annoying to have so much clothes during the run.

I really felt the big lunch during the run, and will not be doing that again. I also had run five miles the previous day on a treadmill, and my muscles were still sore. I needed to stretch longer and didn't do that.

All this (the weather, the full stomach, the clothing, the soreness) did not contribute to an overall good start. I really felt it from the get go, and did not start strong. I was running with my twenty-one year old brother EU who has bundles of energy (I'm an infirm seventy-five, lol), and we started out at a leisurely 10 minute and a half pace. At least, it should have been leisurely, but I was hurting from mile one.

My other brother AU gave me a runner's watch for Christmas, and this was my first chance to use it. It was really neat, and helped me to regulate my pace. It has GPS so I could track my distance as well as my average mile pace. The watch is a bit bulky but it really came in handy, and I will enjoy using it and figuring out some of its advanced features. Thanks, AU!

Thanks to mapmyrun.com, here is a map of the up-and-back course that we took:



So at the four mile mark in Lexington center, my brother and I turned around, and I gobbled a chocolate gel. I think it helped? I don't know, but it was kinda tasty. My brother had a vanilla one, and he said it gave him gas. Kekeke.

So at that point, I think I had done a 10:30min/mile pace, and I was aiming for a 10 minute pace, overall. I was hurting for all the aforementioned reasons, but around the six or seven mile mark, I started to feel stronger. I was telling my brother at the time that I would be happy to average a ten minute pace for the rest of the run, because that would still mean a negative split. But for whatever reason, my brother and I decided to kick it up a notch, and though I was about two minutes or so behind the ten minute pace, I made it up in the last three miles, by doing about a 9:10 min/mile pace, because I finished the eight miles in exactly 1hr19min30sec.

Sweet! A negative split! And I accomplished my goal of finishing the eight miles in a ten minute pace/mile or better. I even beat it by thirty seconds. My brother EU had a big kick in the end and finished strong. Me, I gave it my all for eight miles, and didn't have anything left. So, although I met my goal of a ten minute pace, I still have a lot of work and training to do, if I want to do that for a half-marathon (13.1 miles!). But, I'm on track. I'm on plan. So far.

A few things: pay closer attention to weather and clothing. Diet is important. The gels were okay, so I'll need to experiment more with it. My stomach didn't reject it. I probably shouldn't have pushed my body so early in my training to run two days in a row. My muscles and body needed to recover, and I felt it during my long run. However, I'm pleased with how things are going. I still have a long way to go, and I know I couldn't have done the ten minute pace if my brother wasn't there. It is soooooooo much easier to run with a partner. I cannot even describe how motivating it is to run with someone rather than do it myself.

Anyway, even though I did runs two days in a row, I probably could fit in another treadmill run during this week. I probably need it from eating so much at home. ;)

Happy trails, running giraffes.

Half-Marathon: January 24th

Yikes, running giraffes, I've signed up for a half-marathon, never having run more than eight miles at a time, even during practice! What am I thinking?!

I'm thinking awesome thoughts, that's what. I'm stretching my limits, and saying, YES I CAN! (props to Bob the Builder and some guy named Obama).

2010, or Bust!

So, I really have no idea what I'm doing, but I've been running about once a week for awhile now. So, I'm not in bad running shape, overall. However, half-marathons are a completely different story. I remember running eight miles or so when I went back home to Concord, and my body just stopped working after a while. I had to walk the rest of the way. I think it was my body's way of telling me to re-fuel, or quit, or else!

So, I have to gear my body up for running long runs. This is totally an amateur way of looking at it, but I have about four weekends left before the January 24th, Sunday half-marathon. I'm going to build up my long runs until I can run about 11 or 12 miles the week before. I'm going to try and fit in three long runs, outside, and a short race on the weekends leading up to the half. During the week, I'm going to fit in a short three-to-five mile treadmill run during the week. In short, I will run twice a week, up to the half. I don't know if this is enough, but that's my plan. I'm also going to squeeze in some other physical activity during the week too, to keep up my workouts and mix it up a bit (spin class, anyone? hula dancing, anyone?).

Suh-weet!



So, here's the (running) plan:

Week 1:
Weekend Dec 26 or 27: one 7-8 mile run, outside
Weekdays Dec 28 - Jan 1: one 4-5 mile run, treadmill

Week 2:
Weekend Jan 2 or 3: one 9-10 mile run, outside
Weekdays Jan 4 - 8: one 3-5 mile run, treadmill

Week 3:
Weekend Jan 9, Saturday: one 5-mile race, NYRR, Central Park, outside
Weekdays Jan 11 - 15: one 4-5 mile run, treadmill

Week 4:
Weekend Jan 16 or 17: one 11-12 mile run, outside
Weekdays Jan 18 - 22: one 3-5 mile run, treadmill

Race Day: Sunday, January 24th, Manhattan half-marathon, 13.1 miles, Central Park

Gulp!

So, I bought some gels, GU, to go on my long runs to make sure my body gets used to eating it. I'm supposed to have them every 45 minutes or so. I'll need a watch (hopefully I get one for Christmas). I'm planning on drinking plenty of water and eating a peanut butter and banana sandwich an hour before my long runs. Hopefully, that will help. I don't plan on investing in utility belts, and just plan on having the GU in my pockets and holding onto a water bottle during my runs. Idk. I haven't figure this part out yet.

The dress will be interesting too, as I don't know how cold it will be. They say to dress coolly, because your body warms up about 10-15 degrees once you get into your run. I'll have to experiment with this. For now, I plan on ear warmers, gloves, three layers on top, and one or two layers below. Sadly, the cold has knocked out my awesomest running buddy SLG for this training, but SLG will be cheering me on in spirit! I may be able to run with Yin instead, who's also signed up for the half, so I'll have to coordinate with him.

My goal is to finish the half. I'd be happy with a 11 minute pace, nothing crazy, just as long as I finish, and my body doesn't give out. I'll be monitoring my dress and my nutrition for the next month. I'll try to report it here, but this blogging takes work! This should be fun though.

Okay, let's see. Anything else? Setting goals and working toward them. That's my 2010! Keep on running, running giraffes!

Oh yeah, and merry Christmas, and happy holidays! Happy new year, and may it all be safe and happy!

NYRR Update

So quite a few running giraffes since the last October post. I've been on three NYRR races:
1. The Poland Spring Marathon Kickoff, October 25, 2009, 5M.
2. Race to Deliver, November 22, 2009, 4M.
3. Joe Kleinerman 10K, December 6, 2009, 6.2M

I won all three races! Of course, my definition of winning is not first place, or not even first place in my age group or whatever. My definition of winning is showing up and finishing. So, in conclusion, I'm awesome.

Of course, SLG ran all three races with me, so it's inspiring to run with an awesome person like SLG. Let's see, some memories from each run. I think I felt pretty crappy on the Poland Spring run because SLG and I hadn't run a race in September, and I missed some practice runs on the weekend because September was so crazy. However, I still managed a 9:19 pace per mile and an overall net time of 46:37. Nice to get back in the swing of things! After the race though, it was quite cold, and SLG and I decided after this race that we would bring bags for a change of clothes for our next race.

The Race to Deliver was awesome, as I managed a PR of 8:48 pace per mile and overall net time of 35:14 for the four mile run. I remember taking breaks for water and still feeling strong. I don't think I had a strong kick toward the end, but the water breaks were a revelation for me. (I can take water breaks, walk for a bit, and still get a PR! Amazing!) I also remember starting out slow and building toward a faster pace, so an overall pace of 8:48 is stupendously amazing to me. I think I wore a long sleeve wicking shirt, and shorts - I think. Maybe I wore two layers on top, but I don't remember. Note to self: update running blog when my swiss cheese memory is not so swiss cheesy.

The Joe Kleinerman race was super awesome. Joe Kleinerman I think is the or a founder of NYRR, and this 10K was in honor of him. I don't know if he's still alive or what, but hip, hip, hooray for Joe Kleinerman and NYRR. NYRR is an awesome organization, and I'm proud to be a member. 10K is about 6.2 miles and the longest race I have ever done. It was really cold, and we had a third member join our merry band during the race. PD aka RB ran with SLG and I, and we all decided to run together, kind of organically, because I usually like to run off and go and try for my PR. However, it was a lot of fun that we ran as a group. We would sing songs together, and talk about random stuff like what kind of breakfast we want to eat after the race. It made the 6.2 miles go by really fast, and it was actually a lot of fun. It was really cold, and we had to bundle up. I ran with a headband thing-y to keep my ears warm, running gloves, and two layers on top (short sleeve and long sleeve wicking shirts). I also decided to run with long pants over my shorts. I probably could have run in shorts, but not really. Note to self: need to buy running pants or tights. I read somewhere that you should dress cooler than you feel, because after running, your body temperature rises 10 to 15 degrees. Since we all three ran together, my time for the 10K was not super fast, but it was still super cool!

Since the Joe Kleinerman, SLG and I ran with another special guest star: Yin. We've done an outdoor run and a run on a treadmill. The treadmill run for me was diff, because I tried doing a fast-slow thing, where I would run fast for five minutes, run slow for five minute, run faster for five, and then run slow, and et cetera, et cetera. It is an interesting way to switch things up, and shock the body!

So far, I've kept up my practice by running about 4 or 5 miles once a week, including a treadmill run today and a midnite run last Sunday (after a NYC rain, no less, the air was so crispy fresh!). However, a few days ago, I registered for the Manhattan half-marathon on January 24th! I'm kind of freaking out, because I don't think I've run that far even on a practice run. It's about a month away! and I've made a spur of the moment decision to just run, run, run. Who knows if I have enough time, but sometimes, you just gotta do it. Just do it, baby! Who's with me?

(crickets)

Who's with me in spirit?

(Cheering crowds)

Good enough. Note to self: need a soundtrack for my so-called life.

Keep on running, running giraffes.


P.S. I asked for a lot of running stuff for Christmas! Hopefully, I'm on the nice list, never mind that I'm older than time. I can still be on the nice list... kekeke.

Suburban Running versus City Running

I'm visiting my Dad and Step-Mom this weekend (and maybe longer) to watch over things and make sure that he recovers okay after a big, medical emergency. Luckily, he's okay but needs to change some things in his life. That's another story.

So today I went for a run. It's been a while, but I felt good and I have alot of things on my mind. Running seems to help sort things out and definitely helps to get rid of stress so that I can think things through with a clear head.

A few observations...

1. Running in the suburbs is way different than city running. For one, the air 'tastes' different. It's sweeter. Fresher. Better.

2. There are not as many people running out in the suburbs, so when you do pass a runner, people in the suburbs tend to be friendlier and say hello. (Apologies to the presumably Irish man on the West Side, who greeted SLG and I, saying, "Top o' the morning to you!" Obviously, not from the city.)

3. No dog poop to contend with in the suburbs. Although there are alot of acorns.

4. I didn't really have a set route when I started my run in the morning. There are so many options and turns that I ended up running alot longer than I ever have before. I ran for an hour-and-a-half, and thanks to mapmyrun.com, the run was about 7.3 miles. !!! After I got my bagel from Dunkin Donuts (not as many options in the suburbs as there are in the city), I walked home from there, so the total route ended up being 8.45 miles.

5. I definitely felt the longer run. I would take breaks when I would feel a strain in my heart, and around the 6 to 7 mile mark, I started thinking, "When will this run be over?" I had intended on running all the way back to my Dad's house, but at the 7 mile mark, my feet started hurting, and I was started to feel aches and pains in my body. I decided to listen to my body, and decided my run was over at that point. Hence, the bagel, and the walk back to my Dad's house from that point. Still, a successful run.

6. I now have an idea of how I would feel for a half-marathon. I think I might need better running shoes, or at least think about my feet somehow. Maybe I didn't put on the socks the right way? I dunno. But I got to change something. I had on my running socks (nylon, poly, spandex blend), but they felt tight after a while. Maybe more stretching? Maybe bring some gels or something? At the six mile mark, I started feeling very hungry and thirsty, and couldn't wait to eat. Hmmm...

7. While it was good to run and clear my head, and think about some big decisions in my life, I definitely missed my buddy and running buddy, SLG. At the start, I was thinking I was starting out too fast, and thought SLG would have paced us better. When I took breaks, it would have been to talk out some things or just pass the time with friendly convo with SLG!

A good run, overall. I'm quite pleased with the experience, and can build on it as I think about doing half-marathons. I actually thought I might have run longer because of the time, so I gotta think about the pace. However, a good start.

I really like running! I feel healthy, and I feel like my health is getting better. I feel like I have an active lifestyle, and I don't lose my breath when I take stairs or need to run for a bus or something. I feel in shape, and I feel really good about myself. My clothes fit differently, and I need a new wardrobe. Clothes that never used to fit, now fit great. Clothes that I used to wear, now are too loose, and don't look good on me. I tried wearing my brother's jeans the other day, and I actually could fit in them without straining to buckle. My brother has a lighter frame than I do, as I am pigeon-chested. The fact that I could even think about fitting in my bro's jeans is an amazing thing. People at work notice, and my family has even noticed. All in all, it feels pretty darn good. Run run run!

Running Giraffes, unite!

Monday running?

So I recently moved downtown to the Financial district. After the August 22nd run in Harlem, I basically haven't been able to run on the weekends because of all the moving (I had to move out of my old apartment and put my stuff into storage, then crash on my friend's couch, then move into my new apartment - basically, I moved twice in a span of a week). I also took a weekend to go to Vegas with my brothers, which was an awesome experience. I also meant to go on a run on my birthday weekend, but a hedonist night turned a morning run into a missed alarm and that was it.

So it's been about a month in between runs. Last Monday, I took up a suggestion my buddy SLG made, and we went for an early morning run. We woke up at 6:30a and we squeezed in a 3 mile run or so. It turned out to be an invigorating run, that I'd like to make it a routine. Normally, Mondays I'm surly at work recovering from a non-work weekend, and it takes me all morning to get in gear. Last Monday, after the run, I felt energized and felt great all day from the get go. This running thing might actually work out! Hahahaha...

SLG also suggested some running websites that I've got to check out:

www.mapmyrun.com
www.idontrememberthesecondone.com

Run on, giraffe, run on.

Percy Sutton Harlem 5K Run

Another awesome run, with my running buddy SLG. The day was kinda rainy, and it was my first race not in Central Park. Not that that was a big deal, because Harlem is just a subway train ride away. The run was very hilly, and I took off after the first big hill because I just wanted to attack the hill. It was actually a beautiful day and a beautiful route. They closed some of the streets, and part of the run was atop a hill that had a wonderful view of the streets below.

I scored another PR for mile average. This time it was under nine minutes, even if the race was still only a 5K (about 3.1 mi). Here's the numbers:

Percy Sutton Harlem 5K Run

Distance: 3.1 Miles, 5.0 Kilometers
Date/Time: August 22, 2009, 8:30 am
Location: St. Nicholas Park, NYC
Weather: 74 Degrees, 98% Humidity, Calm.


Sex/
Age M

Bib 4801

City NYC

State NY

Overall
Place 986

Gender
Place 703

Age
Place 147

Finish
Time 27:38

Pace/
Mile 8:54

AG
Time 27:18

AG
Gender
Place 796

AG % 47.2 %