2017 Westport Summer Series 10 Miler: Race Photos & Results

Fall weather came to the Westport Summer Series 10 Miler this morning.  The chilly start was probably the coolest weather I can remember for this race!  When I left the house it was 50 degrees outside (and I immediately went back inside to grab my windbreaker)!  The temperature was much warmer when I arrived at Staples -- but it was great running weather :D

As for the race itself, while my time goal was a sub-1:20, I came pretty close to sneaking in under 1:18!  Maybe the weather was a plus after all.  When I saw the clock at the straightaway to the finish line, it had just turned 1:17:50 - and despite the old college try, I couldn't sprint fast enough to cover the remaining distance in 9 seconds - it took a whopping 16 seconds!  Nevertheless I was very happy with the 1:18:06 , 7:49 pace (with my sub 1:10 glory days long gone - haha)!

Here are the race results from HiTek Racing.

As usual, thank to Tony for great photo of the start!

2015 Westport Summer Series 10 Miler: Race Photos & Results

The above photo of the Westport Summer Series 10 mile start is from Tony's tablet.  I didn't take any this morning (except a post-race selfie and parking lot shot of the finish).  As for the race itself, we had fantastic weather - and a female course record was set!

I came in well under my sub 1:20 target (1:19:35, 7:58 pace) - but that was a minute+ off last summer's 1:18:23!  Still, I was more than pleased with that finish!

Next up is the Norwalk Half Marathon next weekend (unless I get a race in on Labor Day).

Here are the race results from Westport Road Runners.

2014 nyrr bronx 10 miler: race photos & results

it's hard to believe this was my 3rd straight bronx 10 miler!  but in terms of time, it was a slow day - my 1:22:14 was almost 7 minutes slower than my 1:15:27 finish in 2013 (and 4 minutes slower than the westport 10 miler over the labor day weekend)!  but i was more than happy with the result given the sharp drop in mileage during September, in the wake of scalding my hand.

this was race number 4 of the 5 boro series - with the last one, the staten island half, on deck next month.  it was also qualifying race number 8 (nyrr race number 9) on the road to my 9+1 for the 2015 nycm. the 9+1 should be done, at the latest, with the 2014 nyc marathon :D

here are the race result from nyrr

 

the rest of my photos are up on facebook.

2014 westport summer series 10 miler: race photos & results

in what must be deja vu - i finished the westport summer series 10 miler in 1:18:21 this morning - it was the same time that i ran last year.  and, to make it even more of a instant replay - i won a shirt in the post-race raffle, just like i did last summer!

but where the weather was insufferably humid last year, this time around we had great running conditions.  hopefully, the humidity stay low for the new haven 20k on monday - yet another repeat of the 2013 labor day weekend schedule. 

her are the race results from the westport road runners .

the rest of my photos are up on facebook.

a pair of weekend 10 mile training runs

at the start of the month i had planned to run a 10 miler on sunday.  instead i registered for a 10k on Saturday. in actuality, i skipped the 10k on saturday because it was raining cats and dogs when i woke up.  i just couldn't drag myself into the city to run a loop of central park (and thus skipped my first nyrr race and 9+1 point of the year).

instead, i slept late saturday morning and ran 10 miles - in mostly damp and drizzling weather - on the post road when i got up.  it took me 1:27:44 (an 8:37 pace) to cover those soggy 10.2 miles.  it wasn't an especially productive run because I felt lousy about bagging the joe kleinerman 10k.  it was just one of those days.

things turned around on sunday - especially since it was warmer and dry outside.  i went back out for another 10 miler and instead of a slog like the day before, it turned into a pretty decent run.  this 10 miler, despite starting off with a pair of 9 minute miles, wound up as a sub-1:20 finish (1:19:26, a 7:57 pace).  to say i was surprised with that performance is an understatement - it was just a few seconds off the time i ran the norfolk pub 10 miler last month!

here are the splits:

9:00
8:50  19:50
8:08  25:59
8:06  34:05
7:56  42:01
7:24  49:25
7:36  57:01
7:04  1:04:06
7:23  1:11:29
7:56  1:19:26

7:57 average pace

overall, i was successful in doing cutdown miles for most of the run.  excluding the first two miles, the average pace was roughly 7:40-7:45 minute miles.  either way, the pace was a decent improvement from the 8:36 miles on saturday.  it never ceases to amaze me the difference a day can make in running (or almost anything for that matter) :D

2013 norfolk pub 10 miler: race photos & results

i ran my 6th norfolk pub 10 miler this morning.  it's one of my favorite races, at any distance.  today happened to be unusually warm - in the 50s - for a race that's run in a town that bills itself as the "icebox" of connecticut (and most editions of the 10 miler are in frigid conditions).

i just squeaked in under 1:20 with a 1:19:05, 7:55 pace finish.  given the tough course, i'm more than happy with that! the post-race rehydration at the pub is one of the best parts of this event - a great payoff for working those hills!   i'll post a short race report in a couple of days.

here are the race results from greystone racing.

the rest of my photos are up on facebook.

2013 nyrr bronx 10 miler: race report

this race report is on the edge of belated, but i finally had a chance to finish it up this morning.  one memorable thing about this edition of the bronx 10 miler is what it isn't - namely the 2012 race!  last year i ran the race less than 48 hours after my house had been struck by lightening.  needless to say, at that point racing, much less running, wasn't foremost on my mind.  in fact, don and emmy picked me up for the drive down to the bronx from white plains - where my family and I had taken up short term residence at a hotel!

so when don and emmy met me at my house for the drive in this time around, it was already a 100% better outcome than the previous year :D  in addition, this time around i wasn't struggling with the foot pain associated with the chronic compartment syndrome.  given those two big positives, i'd have no problem running the 10 miles faster than my 1:21:52 finish in 2012.  my 1:20 time goal may have even been too soft given the 1:18:20 finish at the westport 10 miler at the end of august.  given that, my goal was to run a sub-7:50 pace and beat my westport time.

my first mile was a solid 7:28 - but with crowded start, i spent most of it trying to get into a groove and avoid other runners.  by way of comparison, my first mile at westport was a gravity assisted 7:04 on the downhill.  that race would ultimately see the heat and humidity take it's toll on the second half of the race.  while i would run essentially a similar split for the first 5 miles of both races, the second 5 miles unfolded very differently!  in fact, after a 7:15 second mile and a 7:29 mile 3, my 22:13 split equaled my westport 22:12 at the 3 mile mark.

by mile 5, when we were at cuny's lehman college my 37:38 split was just 14 seconds behind my 37:24 at westport.  and that's where the similarities ended.  instead of marked slowdown in the next couple of miles (8:34 & 8:31) in westport (a combination of the hills and humidity), i was able to maintain an even pace.  my slowest miles of the race were a 7:49 mile 5 and a 7:47 in mile 6.  the weather and hills weren't a issue in the bronx.

at 7 miles, with a 53:06 split, i was confident that if i kept it together for the last 3 miles, i'd come in under 1:20 and ahead of my westport finish. but, just when i imagined i was going faster - i ran a 7:40 8th mile.  that was not only not faster than mile 7 (7:39), but a second slower!  i don't know what had happened to my ability to perceive pace - but i suddenly had a vision of cher slapping nick cage in "moonstruck" and shouting "snap out of it!"

i don't know if it was cher, or some handy reserves that i was able to tap into, but i managed a pair of 7:20's (7:21 & 7:22) for the final two miles.  my watch read 1:15:30 - and i was pleasantly surprised to learn that my official chip time was 1:15:27 (both equal a 7:33 pace).  i was very happy with that finish!  but, not leaving well enough alone, i soon began to wonder how i managed to "lose" 30 seconds over miles 5-8 and let a sub 1:15 finish slip away :O

another reason i was happy with my finish was that wrapped up my 9+1 requirement.  now i have guaranteed entry for the 2014 nyc marathon!  in fact, i'll actually finish out the year with at least 2 more scored races (the staten island half this month and the marathon next month).  all in all, i had a  a great time at this edition of the bronx 10 miler.

nyrr bronx 10 miler: race photos and results

 

for some very perplexing reason blogger doesn't want me to upload my race photos - now it's been almost 24 hours since the bronx 10 miler and I still haven't been able to upload more than these two photos from my computer.  i'll update this page w/more photos at some point - when blogger fixes whatever glitches are causing it to malfunction.

 

on to the good news - this race was my ninth nyrr race of 2013 and caps off my 9+1 requirement for the 2014 nyc marathon!  on another nyrr related note, it was my 4th grand prix race of 2013 - and with any luck, i'll run the staten island half next month to cap off all 5 of the borough races this year.  it'll be the first time i've managed to do that since 2006 (or was that 2005?)!  for someone that typically only gets in the manhattan and brooklyn half marathons, that's a big deal :D

 

as for the race itself, i was very happy to run a 1:15:27, 7:33 pace!  that was a solid 6+ minutes faster than last year's bronx 10 miler (albeit I wasn't in the best shape for that one).  better still it was a solid 3 minutes faster than the westport 10 miler I ran last month.  while I seriously doubt that i'll go under 1:10 this season, my speed is slowly coming back :D

 

i'll try to write up a short race report in the next day or so.

 

here are the race results from the nyrr.

 

 

until i can post photos here, via blogger, the rest of my race photos are up on facebook.

packet pick-up for nyrr bronx 10 miler

hard to believe, but the bronx 10 miler this weekend will complete my nine + one requirement for the 2014 nyc marathon!  i'm pretty psyched about that litte detail :D

the 10 miler will also be my 4th grand prix race of the year.  and if i manage to get in the staten island half next month, i have done all 5 of the borough races this year.  that's something i haven't done since way back in 2006 - when all 5 were half marathons :D

in addition to the tech shirt and bib, the a goodie bag - of sorts - was handed out.  i don't know what to call it, other than to describe it as some kind of foldable lunch bag - that has a couple of sample toiletries in it.  interesting - but, if it was up to me, i would have opted for some free power gels instead :O

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

2013 westport summer series 10 miler: race photos & results

weather conditions for this edition of the westport summer series 10 miler were pretty tough - so humid it seemed like we were running under water during the first few miles of the race!  the only saving grace, despite the heat and humidity, the sky was overcast for most of the race.  even so, this 10 mile loop course is one of my favorite races - at any distance!

while i had hoped to run 7:30 miles and finish in 1:15 or so, i dialed back my expectations to 7:45 miles and a 1:17:30 finish in the face of the heat and humidity.  but, two especially tough miles along bayberry lane dashed any hopes of a sub 1:17:30 finish.  but i rallied back and managed a 1:18:20, 7:50 pace, for the distance.  not what i wanted... but good enough for the circumstances :D

i'll write up a short race report soon,

here are the race results from westport road runners.

the rest of my photos are up on facebook.