2012 join the voices 5 miler packet pick-up

yestereday i picked up the bib and shirt for the join the voices (against brain cancer) 5 miler on sunday.  i hadn't planned on this one - i wanted to run the pete mccardle 15k in van cortlandt park instead.  but since it's the last team race of the year... and we'll have a post-race brunch after the race, i opted for this one instead :D

the nyc marathon would have been (and probably will be) my 9th nyrr race of 2012.  but for some reason, even though almost a month has gone by, the nyrr still haven't posted a mq for the race on runner's race history.  be that as it may, the join the voices will be number 10 for the year.

as always, if you're at this one, say hello!

2012 greenwich alliance for education turkey trot

it was a cold, blustery morning for the 2nd annual greenwich alliance for education turkey trot yesterday.  despite the colder than expected temperature, there were more than 300 finishers of the 5k race and another 200+ finishers of the one mile fun run - a substantial increase from the number of first year finishers!

like last year, i volunteered at the finish line and pulled bib tags for the scoring, which once again was by don and the lightfoot runners.  except for the seemingly unabated winds, it went off w/out a hitch - and was fun.  it's always an interesting experience to be on the other side of the finishers' chute (so to speak).  aside from the friends and familiar faces that come across the line, the best part was seeing the handful of runner who had just completed their first race!

here are the race results from hitek racing.

a few more photos posted on facebook.

2012 gateway gobbler: race photos and results

thanksgiving wouldn't be the same w/out a morning race to kick it off.  it's been a few years since i've run the gateway gobbler 6 miler... enough years to have forgotten the long, mile+ climb up the hill on taconic road!  still, this is a fantastic low-key, old school, race - that shouldn't be missed.  in the age of 1000+ participant thanksgiving day turkey trots, this one is a classic (normally, w/less than a 100 finishers).

for some reason i had the overly ambitious goal of a sub-45 minute finish (clearly thought up before i remembered how challenging the course was).  i did string together a bunch of 7:30 miles - and was on pace fot that target.  but in the end i was the 22nd finisher - in 45:34, a 7:36 pace.  i was more than happy w/that result :D

there were plenty of familiar faces who ran this one: don, john, dan, karen, dawn, gracie - and emmy (who spectated).  no better way to create a small calorie deficit going into our thanksgiving meals :D

here are the race result from hitek racing.

the rest of my photos are up on facebook.

2012 backwoods bushwack 4 miler

as a result of hurricane sandy, the beachfront bushwack was not only rescheduled, but it was relocated it to camp simmons as a result of the significant damage to todds point.  the distance was also reduced to 4 miles (from 5) - and, since it was no longer run along the beach, the race was renamed the backwoods bushwack.  that isn't to say there wasn't any water - the new location (which was also the site of the "get muddy for kids" 4 miler in early october) had multiple water crossing - and a sustained stretch through a creek!

it was a blast.  with a few minor variations, i ran this course at the "get muddy for kids" race, so i knew the water crossings that lurked out there and the general layout.  but, even so, i managed to go off course twice during the 4 miles!  it took me just under 40 minutes to finish the 4 miles and i enjoyed every bit of it.  as much as i enjoy the todds point course, i don't think it would be so bad to have future bushwacks at camp simmons :D

2012 nyc marathon cancelled in wake of hurricane sandy

as i write this on sunday morning, wave one of the four wave start for the 2012 nyc marathon would have just gotten underway.  late friday afternoon mayor bloomberg belatedly pulled the plug on the race.  i had taken the train into the city to pick up my bib on thursday and, just hours before the cancellation announcement, made another trip into the city to drop off a post-race bag at jack rabbit sports on 72nd - and a side trip to the marathon pavilion to check out the indonesian food tasting.  then, i learned of the cancellation when some friends posted the news on my fb page.

i am completely out of step with a good number of my friends who think cancelling the marathon was the right thing to do.  i think it was mistake.  i say that even as i was totally under trained for the race, and would have preferred not to run it.  there is no doubt my 11th nyc marathon would have been a personal challenge to complete this year.  but that was my own personal situation.  every one to the 47,000+ entrants had his or her own back story coming into the race.

it will be interesting to see how the nyrr address the post-race fallout - especially the registration fees and guaranteed entries for the 2013 edition.  stay tuned.

november 2012 race schedule

november seems to have just snuck up on me this year!  the nyc marathon kicks off this weekend - amid some controversy over whether it should be held at all in the wake of the damage from hurricane sandy earlier this week.  for better or worse, i'm in the "race must go on" camp.  but that debate, is for some other post.  it will be my 11th straight nyc marathon!

the following weekend, will head over to greenwich to run the beachfront bushwack.  it will be something of a recovery run, 5 miles on trails.  the alternative would be a drive north to run the "after the leaves have fallen" 20k in minnewaska state park, i ran it last year and would love to head back there for another go.  but it's a long drive - and i'll be headed down to maryland the following weekend....

for the jfk 50 miler. i'm pretty dubious about this one.  it's been on my calendar since i registered for it last spring.  but i'm seriously under trained for a 50 miler.  i haven't run an ultra since i dnfed at mile 44 of the nyc 100 miler last june.  the final decision on whether to run it will probably wait until the week of the race.  last year i ran the brooklyn marathon that weekend.  given my training, that might be the better race for the pre-thanksgiving day weekend.

my thanksgiving day plans are still open. last year i went down to van cortlandt park, but sadly, the free holiday marathon are no more.  if i stay close to home, i may head over to greenwich for the gateway gobbler,  another choice is a trip north for the mid-hudson road runners thanksgiving day 25k - the best way to burn off those turkey day calories :D

post-thanksgiving i'll volunteer at the greenwich alliance for education 5k.  emmy is the race director for that one - and it's for a great cause.  consider running this one if you're nearby that weekend!  the next day i'll head over to harriman state park to run with todd, as he celebrates the third anniversary of his completion run!

here's how it looks so far:

11/4 - nyc marathon
11/11 - beachfront bushwack, 5m
11/17 - jfk 50 miler
11/22 - gateway gobbler, 10k
11/24 - alliance for education 5k
11/25 - todd's harriman park run

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