2017 Van Cortlandt Track Club Run for Puerto Rico

This morning I drove down to Van Cortlandt Park for the VCTC Run for Puerto Rico - a fund raiser for hurricane victims.  Most of the runners were VCTC members, but there where a good number of friends participating as well.  The highlight, pre-run, was the singing of the Puerto Rican national anthem ("La Borinquena") before we set off across the flats to the start line!

The run itself was 2.5 loops of the parade grounds.  It worked out (according to my GPS) to slightly less than 3.7 miles.  But the more interesting aspect was the widely disparate running conditions on either side of the flats - wind tunnel like on the east side, calm with breaks of sun on the west side! 

Thanks to Hiroshi, I wound up running a much faster pace (couple of second over an 8 minute pace) than the easy run I had planned (e.g. 9+ minute miles).  All in all it was a great morning, and it was great that VCTC organized it.  I think Bobby said it raised over $1600 for the relief effort - which is outstanding!

I only took a handful of photos - but the event was covered by local cable news (channel 12, I believe) and a clip was posted on FB.

2017 GAE Turkey Trot: Race Photos & Results

Could not possibly have asked for better weather this morning for the 7th annual Greenwich Alliance for Education Turkey Trot 5k (and 1 mile kids fun run)!  For such a young race, they had 800 pre-registered runners + and lots more race day entrants thanks to the mini heat wave.

I volunteered, mostly course marshaling (-- managed to get a short video clip of the 5k start) and ran an easy loop of the 5k course afterwards. 

Will add a link to the results once they've been posted.

2017 NYRR NYC/Knickerbocker 60K: Race Photos & Results

 

I finished the NYRR NYC/Knickerbocker 60K - and am more than a little surprised to be writing that sentence!  As I pointed out early, when I picked up my shirt and bib earlier in the week, making it to the start line didn't seem like a realistic possibility given how much time I've spent "sick" during the last couple of weeks!  But things looked up on Thursday, and I managed an easy 4.5 mile run on Friday - so at a minimum, would go in, line up, and run as many laps as I could eke out!

Five laps (21 miles) was my initial goal.  Even that seemed like a stretch considering I only ran twice since the NYC Marathon (the Raven Rocks 10K, on trails, and the 4.5 miles, on roads, Friday).  Somehow 10.7 miles, broken up by Bronchitis and a chest cold, didn't seem like a realistic lead in to an ultra!  But in a counterintuitive miracle, maybe all that "rest" that came along with feeling sick worked some magic!

After the 5 loops I stopped for hot soup!  The perfect thing, actually, and I also took a couple of minutes to switch my phone over to a mofi because the charge was dying.  At that point I was on a solid 9:40 pace (roughly 3:23 in).  The next loop I stopped for a cup of coffee (mainly for the caffeine).  But I had started slowing down (10+ minute miles).  The last two loops were the toughest - I had slowed to 11/12 minute miles by this point.  But, amazingly, the only cramping I had the entire day was in the last 2 miles of the entire distance!  The only walk breaks I took were during the last (9th) loop.

I was incredibly happy with my 6:46:07, 10:54 pace, finish.  While it was way slower than my PB for this course (5:23), it was a solid - and gratifying - finish!  Given the trepidation I had at the start, I count this as one of my happiest race finishes :D

Here are the official results from NYRR.

 

Beaujolais Nouveau - 2017!

I love the third Thursday in November, when the Beaujolais Nouveau arrives!  This is the second year in a row that I teach an evening class, so I purchased two bottles in the afternoon from a local wine merchant in the financial district (as opposed to when I would get home from work and stop in at Zachy's).  After class, I carried them home in my knapsack.

But, give the late hour, sampling the brand new vintage will need to wait until tomorrow!

2017 NYRR NYC ("Knickerbocker") 60K Packet Pickup

Yesterday I picked up my bid and shirt for the NYRR NYC 60K (f/k/a Knickerbocker 60K). It's been a long time since I did this race - going back to 2009, if memory serves me correctly! Back then it was called the Knickerbocker 60K and was put on by the Broadway Ultra Society.

Given the forecast for rain, I have serious qualms about lining up for it. But a more practical matter may sidetrack me because I've been trying to recover from a sore throat that morphed into a head cold, then blossomed into a chest cold - argh! While the physical grief is behind me at this point, I've missed a few running days (to put it mildly).

Be that as it may, I'll line up and see how many loops of the park I can get in :D

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

2017 Raven Rocks Run 10K: Race Photos & Results

What a great (but cold) morning to run the trails a Ward Pound Ridge Reservation!  I drove up to the Raven Rocks Run 10k wearing shorts, but since the temperature was stubbornly stuck at 29 degrees, I switched into tights in my car.  In fact, by the time we lined up at for the start, the sun had broken through the cloud cover - and could have stuck with shorts!

As for the race itself, it was fantastic.  One way to describe it would be it's like the Leatherman's Loop - without the water crossing and a few more (steep) climbs!  In fact, before the start Rob (the RD) said if you ranked the loop at 6-7, this one is probably 7-8 (on scale of difficulty).  Hearing that, I mentally crossed out my target of one hour and dialed my expectations back to 1:05 (which, in hindsight, was still too optimistic)!

I was actually very happy with my 1:07 finish since this was my first run since the NYC Marathon last weekend.  That running hiatus wasn't for a lack of running desire but a direct consequence of the nasty sore throat I developed in the days after NYC.  So I wasn't go to tempt the relapse Gods by going all out (even if I could).  As it was, I did walk up a few of the hills :O

Aside from Rob, also saw Jim (who was timing it), and Chris (who was running it)!  I'm actually looking forward to running this one again!

Here are the official results from Raven Rocks Run.

 

2017 NYC Marathon: Race Photos & Results

 

 

Yesterday was a gray, dreary day to run a race - much less a marathon!  But the weather didn't take away an iota of happiness at finishing the NYC Marathon!  Especially since it was my 15th consecutive NYC Marathon finish (and, also completed my 9+1 for the 2018 edition)!  While the 4:17 finish was easily the slowest of the bunch, it was probably the happiest one!

There were many highlights: seeing my mom on the course (my #1 fan, who has been to most of my 15), seeing Michael Ring on the course (in Brooklyn, quite fittingly), and a few others as well.  I'll write up race report with all the gory details in a few days!

Here are the official results from NYRR.

 

2017 NYC Marathon Expo at the Javits Center

Went to the NYC Marathon Expo to pick up my bib and shirt this morning - between classes!  After a quick walk around the place - and a pair of pictures at the PowerBar booth (rewarded with a tee shirt) - I had to grab the train back downtown for my 1:50 class.

This will be my 15th consecutive NYC Marathon!  It will also be my 9th scored race of the year and complete my 9+1 for guaranteed entry for the 2018 edition :D

As always, if you're running this one - say hello!

November 2017 Race Schedule

If it's November, then the NYC Marathon kicks off the month!  This weekend will be my 15th consecutive NYC Marathon (and my ninth race for the 9+1 guaranteed entry for 2018).  I've said it many times over the years, but this is my all time favorite running event :D

While it may tend to overshadow the rest of the month, there are plenty of other good races out there.  In fact, I plan to revisit the Knickerbocker 60K (now called the NYC 60K) later this month.  Then, on Thanksgiving Day, another blast from the past - the Beachfront Bushwack!  This 5 Mile cross county race at Tods Point in Greenwich disappeared from the running scene a few year ago.  Now it's back as a Thanksgiving Day race.  Two days later, on Saturday, it's back to Greenwich for the annual Turkey Trot 5k (on behalf of the Alliance for Education). 

I may try to squeeze in another race or two this month, but nothing definite yet.

Here's how it looks so far:

11/5 - NYC Marathon
11/18 - NYRR NYC 60K
11/23 - Beachfront Bushwack 5 Miler
11/25 - Greenwich Turkey Trot 5K

As always, if you're at any of these events - say hello!