2018 Taconic RR Freezer 5K: Race Photos & Results

 Warm - if incredibly foggy and humid - weather for the Taconic's Freezer 5K this morning!  But that's a lot better than rain!  When I woke up this morning it was pouring outside.  That was the prime reason I skipped heading down to Long Island for a Marathon (very wimpy, I know).


Despite the damp conditions, there was a pretty great turnout for the race (basically a loop of the park + a dog leg).  I managed to run a solid 22:38, 7:15 pace.  That was enough for second place in my age group!


Here are the official results from Taconic RR.


Here are more race photos from Taconic RR!

2018 Boston Buildup 15K: Race Photos & Results

We had great weather this morning to run the Barlow Mountain 15k (a/k/a Boston Buildup race #2).  Somehow adding the word "Mountain" gives a better sense of the "hills" on the course.  Although it was the snowy/icy roads that started in mile 4 of the out and back course that were the real surprise out there (enough of a curve ball that I would have liked my trail shoes)!  The first (and last) 3 miles were dry and very runnable.


As for the race itself, I was very happy with my 1:14:29, 8:00 pace, because I hit my target pace (8 minutes) completely by happenstance!  For some reason my MapMyRun/Strava apps decided to go silent and not give me any feedback during the race.  So I ran mile mark to mile mark without any timing.  And, given the self-imposed "slowdown" over the ice patches, I suspect that my time could have been marginally better.


Next week is a toss-up between the Run Around Manhattan and a new Marathon on Long Island.  Tossed into the mix is the forecast for rain - ugh.  If it's really pouring, may wimp out on the long ones and opt for the Taconic Freezer 5k instead - an appropriate (e.g. sane) distance to run in the rain. haha


Here are the official results from ClubCt.

                                          Great shot of start - thanks Tony!

2018 NYRR Virtual Resolution Run 5K

Participated in my very first virtual run to kick off the new year - but it didn't actually "materialize" until the "results" were posted today!  The NYRR and Strava teamed up to put on the "virtual" Resolution Run 5K - the first of a half dozen+ (8, I think) to be held throughout the year.


During the first two weeks of the year runners complete the 5k distance while recording it on Strava (as a "race").  I uploaded a snow-filled training run (guilty of not actual "racing" it) - but I will make amends with a future one, where I will try to run the distance "fast" :D


Here is the NYRR news release - with links to posted photos as well.


Here are the "official" results at NYRR.

2018 Boston Buildup 10K: Race Photos & Results

Hard to reconcile running in shorts on Friday afternoon and the return of Arctic conditions this morning!  I'm thankful for the 10:00 AM start for this race (the other Boston Buildup races go off at 9 AM) because I was on the fence till the last minute.  Finally I dragged myself into the car and drove over to Rowayton.  I'd run at least 6 miles today one way or another so, I reasoned, might at well socialize a little while doing the mileage :D

As for the race itself, my 48:26, 7:48 pace, was a bit off my 48:00 minute target.  But I had no leg speed to speak of (and spent most of mile 1 getting warm) - so all in all, was pretty happy.  And, as and added bonus, I got to run fast (relatively speaking) - a nice break from training mileage!

Since the 10K was postponed from last Sunday, the second Boston Buildup race (15K) in Ridgefield is on deck for next weekend.  The 15k is typically the coldest one of the series, but after this morning it may need to settle for second coldest of 2018 :O

Here are the official results from ClubCt.

"Bomb Cyclone" Freezes out Weekend Races!

Before last week I had never heard the term "bomb cyclone" - and suspect it was newly minted to describe the seemingly never ending deep freeze that's settled in - and won't leave!  As I write that (Monday morning), the temperature has just inched above 20 degrees.  It's been a long time since the thermometer has gotten that high.

Last week the brutal cold led to the cancellation of most local road races.  The NYRR kicked it off on Thursday night with the cancellation the Kleinerman 10K (Saturday).  The next day the Boston Buildup 10K (Sunday) was postponed until next weekend.  The same day (Friday) the MHRRC announced its cancellation of the "Recover from the Holidays" FA 50K (Saturday).  And, to complete the picture, on Saturday NYCRUNS cancelled the Hot Cocoa 5 Miler (Sunday).  Intended or not, the bomb cyclone wiped out 4 races this chilly weekend!

As for just plain running mileage - I managed to log a solid 50 miles for the first week of 2018 - in those ridiculously frigid conditions.  I hate to admit it, but by yesterday a run in 7 degrees was old news.  It was almost "easy" relative to the previous string single digit runs - because the wind had died down enough that the "real feel" was actually 7 degrees, instead of the sub-zero wind chills of all the previous miles!

In any event, I'm so over winter right now!  Hopefully the days of double digit temperature aren't too far off - haha!

January 2018 Race Schedule

Frigid start to the new year!  Here on the east coast we've been stuck in an icebox of cold temperatures and even more brutal wind chills.  Hopefully, things will warm up soon and we can look forward to running races in balmy 20 degree weather - haha.

It's strange now having to get used to the idea of 2018 - when even 2017 still seemed a bit alien as recently as last month!  But January 2018 (the new racing year proper) will kick off this weekend with Boston Buildup 10K - a perennial on my race calendar.  It may be, weather conditions permitting, be preceded by the Mid Hudson Road Runners "Recover from the Holidays" FA 50K.  I'm keen to do it, but the hour and a half drive is only doable (for me) with decent (e.g. dry) road conditions.

The next event is the Boston Buildup 15K on January 21st.  Nothing penciled in yet for the weekend of 13-14th because there really aren't too many local running options available.  The other possibility for the 21st was the NYRR Manhattan Half - but it closed out early, at the end of November/first week of December.

The last weekend of the month is a bonanza of options (3)!  In a first, Taconic has moved the Freezer 5k into January (it's typically a 1st week of February race).  And the GLIRC has added an "International Marathon" (run in Eisenhower Park) that weekend.  But my choice for the 28th will most likely be the small and informal "Run Around Manhattan" 50K in honor of Ted Corbitt!

Here's how it looks so far:

1/6 - MHRRC "Recover from the Holidays" 50K
1/7 - Boston Buildup 10K
1/21 - Boston Buildup 15K
1/28 - "Run Around Manhattan" 50K

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