2019 VCTC Urban Environmental Challenge 10K

Great morning to run - and great conditions (dry) at Van Cortlandt Park for the Urban Environmental Challenge 10k!  This year the VCTC added a 6k race (and one for the kids as well).

Ran into a couple of old (non-VCTC) friends as well!

As for the running, the second loop was tough.  I wound up walking up the hills on the second go around.  But I was more than pleased with my 55:50 (unofficial), 9:00 pace.  It was almost 3 minutes slower than I ran last year, but have a lot fewer training miles run so far this year :O

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

2018 VCTC Summer XC Series Relay: Race Photos & Results

Last night was a bit of speed work - 2 miles with a hill (Cemetery Hill, to be specific) tossed in - at Van Cortland Park.  It was the VCTC Summer XC Series Relay - and even with a strong breeze across the flats, it was Hot and Humid!

The relay was 2x2, with each person running the 2 mile loop.  I teamed up with Emmy (I believe we last teamed up for this one back in 2013?) and we managed to take second in our age group!  That was good enough to score those fabled Lloyd carrot cake muffins as prizes :D

Here are the overall results from Van Cortland Track Club.
and the age group results, as well.

2017 Waveny Summer XC Series 2.5 Miler: Race Photos & Results

Never let it be said there isn't room for bonus mileage (even in 10ths) at a 2.5 mile race!  Somehow I managed to miss a CLEARLY marked turn on the trail at the Waveny Summer Series - and ran 2.6 instead of the 2.5 mile course!  It pays to pay attention - haha!  That little bit extra distance kept me from breaking 20 minutes (20:35, 8:14 pace) :O

This was my first Waveny Summer Series race of the summer.  My twice a week Summer Session class ended last week and freed up a bunch of time (albeit far to close to the end of Summer).

Here are the official results from ClubCt. 

Thanks Jim, for the great photo of me in action :D

2015 vctc urban enviro 10k: race photos & resutls

it was a perfect spring day to run in van cortland park - the urban environmental challenge (shortened to the urban enviro) 10k.  it was a day to forget how long winter held on for, refusing to recede in favor of spring!  interestingly, it had warmed up enough to dry out the course - no water crossings, and practically no mud! 

as for the race itself, it's a double loop course - with two different trail systems run over the course of the loops.  this race is a great way to run on either side of the main route through the back hills!  it's a hilly and challenging tour of the park.

as for my race, the hills took their toll by mile 4, and had to walk a few yards to crest two hills on the way to the finish.  that was slightly dispiriting.  still, my 51:49, 8:21 pace, was almost a solid 4 minutes faster than my 2013 finish (55:42).  i missed my sub 50 minute target by a wide margin, but was more than pleased that it was good enough for 5th in my age group :D 

here are the race result from van cortlandt track club.

2014 taconic road runners xc relay: race photos & results

it was chilly, but the sun was out this morning for the cross country relays!  after all the rain and grey skies of the last couple of days, it was great running weather - and resulted in a great turnout.  the temperature was more season appropriate than the mini-heat wave we had for the 2013 edition.

for the second year in a row the two relays went off at the same time (in contrast to holding the 3 person xc relays on saturday and the couples relay on sunday - with the club's holiday party on saturday night).  while i prefer the old couples relay course - this variation is also fun.
 
as for the relay, emmy and i teamed up again and we took 3rd place overall this year!  that was fun - but the pancake breakfast was pretty good too.  i actually skipped the pancakes and opted for just bacon and beer - a new breakfast of champions :O

here are the relay results from taconic road runners.

 

 

 

the rest of my pictures are up on facebook.

2014 pete mcardle xc 15k: race photos & results

after the frigid conditions in the days leading up the pete mcardle xc 15k in van cortlandt park, it was something of a surprise to run in shorts again!  for a race that's had weather conditions notoriously all over the map - in 2008 ran it in a torrential downpour - we had perfect (springlike) conditions.

the nyrr also had a 4 miler going on in central park - and at least a couple ran the 4 miler as a warm up to the 15k (bette and sal come to mind)!  i was more than happy to get in three loops of the park and log 15k for the day.  my 1:18:40 was well off my target of 1:15 (even if the minute bathroom break is taken off).  but i was pleased with that finish - and the great running conditions that went along with it.

afterwards, there was a excellent post-race party of socializing and rehydrating, hosted by the van cortlandt track club!

here are the race results from nyrr.

 

2013 "running goddess" 5k: race photos and results

i had a lot of fun at the inaugural "running goddess" 5k at lasdon park in katonah this morning.  it was a multi-terrain, mostly cross-country course, that included a couple of hills - and a mini-stream crossing in the first mile and a mini mud flat in the final mile :D  the race was primarily for women, but was open (and welcoming) to men.

i enjoyed seeing the girl scouts (in uniform) handing out water at the aid stations!  at each one i shouted "go girl scouts!" as i grabbed some water.  that's the proud girl scout dad in me :D  also, at the finish they had some fantastic nutella frozen yogurt (with toasted coconut topping).  i used up all my expended race calories with that stuff :D

here are the race results from running goddess.

 

the rest of my photos are posted on facebook.

"running goddess" 5k this weekend at lasdon park, katonah

this weekend, lasdon park and arboretum in katonah, will host the inaugural "running goddess" 5k race for women, girls and men (wearing purple).  to quote from the website:

"This inclusive event is a celebration of female camaraderie — all ages and most abilities are welcome. Some of us will run for the joy of competition. Some of us enjoy the fellowship of exercising together. Some of us will set a goal to run for charity or run our first race. Some of us are men who adore the gals in their life so much that they will wear purple to run with them."

this race reminds me of the days i participated in a similar event, the women's distance festival 5k, held at rockland lake in july.  when katie was much younger (8-9 years old), she ran this race a couple of times - and I paced her.  it was a unique experience to be the only guy running in a sea of women.  since I was pacing my daughter it didn't generate too much controversy.  interestingly, after only a couple of races, katie decided that running w/her dad wasn't cool under the circumstance and she insisted on running the 5k w/out me :D

while the event is all about women and girls, the vibe is definitely inclusive.  men wearing purple, to evidence support, are welcome.  the 5k runs across the varied terrain of lasdon park, giving it a trail run flavor.  the location is directly across from moscoot farms, where "run the farm" is held in the fall (a 5 mile trail run).  it's a great location to run!

the running goddess 5k raises money to bring "girls opportunities to excel in life through education and health."  it's a great cause - participate and contribute if you can!

van cortlandt track club summer xc series two person relay

tonight i ran the van cortlandt track club's two-person xc relay with emmy at van cortlandt park. it was my first time at a vctc summers xc series race! more often than not, i typically head over to new canaan for the waveny summer xc series. tonight was a fun change of pace.

despite the hot, humid conditions (which seemed practically cool by comparison to the heat wave temperatures of the two days) there was a huge turnout. some familar faces at the event: sal, joe, and judy, avi, and robert. despite arriving w/20+ minutes to spare, i didn't get our bibs until minutes before 7 (and the race kicked off 15 minutes late).

because of continuing construction, the two mile loop course was slightly altered. the first group went off in front of the tortoise and hare statue. the second group started 75 feet beyond that point (but finished where the first group started). the highlight of the course was cemetery hill. without the construction fencing, the course would have been similar to the nyrr henry isola 4 miler (a double loop of the 2 mile layout).

emmy took the first loop, ran a 15:32, and tagged me for my start. i ran a 6:58 first mile and a 7:36 second mile for a 14:33 split for the second loop. our combined time was 30:06, or a 7:32 pace for the combined 4 miles. not sure how we placed in the overall results because we couldn't stay for the awards. all in all, it was a great summer evening workout!

nyrr cross country championships 5k: race report

the nyrr cross county championship race at van cortlandt park was my third xc 5k at van cortlandt park in the last month (with the harry murphy and kurt steiner races in october)! it's actually my 4th race at van cortlandt if i look back to the henry isola xc 4 miler held at the end of august! there may even be one more vanny race left in my season, the pete mccardle 15k - but it's been moved back to mid-december from its traditional late-november date. i love the 15k - which is 3 loops of the 5k course - but the later date may conflict with another race favorite (so have to wait and see).

the xc championships had a large (as expected) field and that led to a crowded start. i was 10-15 feet from the start line and it seemed to take eons not just to cross it, but for the pack to thin out. it wasn't until the end of the opening straightaway across the flats - as the pack turned left, in fact, that it finally opened up! i hardly grouse about slow starts, but with the chain link fence bordering the field - it had an almost claustrophobic feel to it. aside from that minor gripe, the rest of the race was great.

the field included many (and i should say van cortlandt recidivists) familiar faces: emmy, sue, and tom - just to mention the same trio that ran the other three van cortlandt races i just listed above! also, a taconic teammates, bob, joe, and tim, were in the race. and, in a post-race photo surprise, it turned out my friend michael's daughter, jana, running for fordham, was also in the field. two running friends there, but not in the race, michael and chip, took some great photos. and, michael's kids ran in the pre-race fun run. and chip took that shot of my finish!

as for the race itself, no mile markers. but it did hear my 1 mile split (6:30) called out by a cptc volunteer on the course. in a repeat of the harry murphy 5k, i found myself walking to the crest of the second of the back hills. that was not only discouraging, but knocked my time back 20-30 seconds. to make up for that lapse in concentration i picked up the pace significantly (or so it seemed) in the last mile. i crossed the finish in 21:47, a 7:01 pace. amazingly, that was 5 seconds faster than my harry murphy finish (21:52)!

while i was annoyed at myself for the walk break, i was still pleased with the time because i managed to shrug off the walk setback and push the last mile. two good miles out of three ain't bad - ha (apologizes to meatloaf)! after some post-race socializing emmy and i drove to hasting were we met up with rob and ran the terry ryan memorial 10k.

here are some race photos.

next up: the knickerbocker 60k in central park this weekend.

nyrr cross country championships: race photos and results

this morning i ran the nyrr cross country championships 5k at van cortlandt park (my third 5k at van cortlandt in the last month). that was the first of a pair of races i ran today (the second, in the afternoon, was the terry ryan memorial 10k in hastings). after a very slow (crowded) start, i managed a 21:50 for the 5k.

here is my short race report, and here are the race results from nyrr.

and a few pictures:

here are a few more photos.