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.

2019 VCTC Tough Love 2x2 Relay

It may not have been the proper training plan to line up for Van Cortlandt Track Club's Tough Love Relay this morning - with the prospect of the Boston Buildup 20K in Fairfield tomorrow morning!  The wintery blast of cold weather was simply the icing on the cake (could not resist that chill pun)! 

But I love VCTC events - and I love running at Van Cortlandt Park - so this was a no brainer.  Plus, the prospect of winning a carrot cake muffin sealed the deal.  And, despite the frigid cold (the wind chill alone had to take the real feel temperature down to low single digits - but when the wind stopped blowing, the conditions were excellent)!

Don't know how we managed it, but Emmy and I teamed up and finished 3rd (behind Susan's team and Benny's team) in our AG.  So in addition to the race gloves - took home carrot cake muffins!

As always, VCTC put on an excellent event (and Carolyn, as RD, did an excellent job as well).  Hiroshi and I did a deja vu photo - a reprise of last week's photo from the TRRC Freezer 5K up at FDR park :D

I'll add 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.

2018 VCTC Urban Environmental Challenge 10K: Race Photos & Results

It was sunny - on the positive side - for the Van Cortland Track Club's Urban Environmental Challenge 10K this morning.  Unfortunately, temperature-wise it was still Winter, with a pretty stiff wind chill tossed in for good measure!  But, that detail aside, there was a great turnout for this awesome trail race!


The course is a double loop that splits the back hills into 2 trails (the "high" road on the first, the "low" road on the second).  The second loop, in contrast to the first loop, had a lot of debris and fallen trees/branches on the trail. I had a 55 minute target in mind at the start.  I didn't think there was too much speed in my legs going in - and looked as it a final trail tune-up going into next week's NJ Ultra Fest.


Somehow I managed to run a 52:58 (squeaking in just under 53 minutes)!  That's my second fastest finish at this race (just a minute+ over my 2015 finish of 51:49)!  It was a solid 2+ minutes better than last year's finish of 55:17).  As a bonus it was good enough for 2nd place in my age group (which in turn was an improvement over last year's 3rd place AG)!


Here are the official results from VCTC.

April 2018 Race Schedule

It's hard to believe April (and/or Spring) has arrived with a forecast for snow tomorrow morning (seriously) on the horizon!  Be that as it may, Happy Easter - which is today (as I write this)!


As for races, this month is mostly about trails - with the Urban Environmental Challenge 10K kicking things off next weekend.  I love this event - and the Van Cortlandt Track Club really makes it fun (with carrot cake AG awards as well).  This year it conflicts with the second TGNY 100 training run, which is also tough to pass up.  Since I've already registered for the 10K... looks like the conflict has been resolved :D


The following week is a return to 50 miles!  I haven't done a stand alone 50 mile race in a while, so really looking forward to this one!  It's a multiple loop set-up, with runners covering various distances up to 100 miles.  I had originally thought about entering the 100 miler, but think it's too early in the season for that distance :O


After recovering from the NJ trails, the following weekend I'll head up to Wards Pound Ridge for the Leatherman's Loop!  That's easily in my top 5 favorite trail races (only Escarpment and NipMuck ahead of it) :D


Finally,  the month ends with the Sybil Ludington 50K, a joint Taconic RR and Broadway Ultra Society event (in fact, race #2 in the 2018 B.U.S. Grand Prix).  This will be year one of the redesigned course - now a double 25K loop, instead of the original one loop configuration.  Hopefully the reconfigured course will eliminate a few of the hills ;D


Here's how it looks so far:


4/8 - VCTC Urban Environmental Challenge 10K
4/14 - NJ Ultra Festival 50 Miler
4/22 - Leatherman's Loop 10K
4/28 - Sybil Ludington 50K


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

December 2017 Race Scheddule

Year end has arrived!  Still hard to believe the entire year has flown by so quickly.  In arddition to holiday related stuff, this month will be tough because I have finals exams and grades to deal with before bring the Fall semester to an official close.


While I probably won't get in that many races, I will put in some decent race mileage.  December kicks off this weekend with the BUS Trail Mix-up 50K in Alley Pond Park.  While I plan on doing the full 50K, this event lets you drop down to the 30K without penalty (to which I availed myself to one yea


The following weekend is the Ted Corbitt 15K - my final NYRR race of the year.  As has become a tradition, following the race we'll have our annual Taconic post-race get together at the Rambling House!  And, in keeping with the Club themed weekend, will join the Van Cortandt Track Club for their annual Santa Run the next morning!


I'll try out a new (for me) holiday race on the 23rd, the New Canaan Santa Run - to work up a Christmas appetite :D


Here's how it looks so far:


12/3 - BUS Trail Mix-up 50K
12/9 - NYRR Ted Corbitt 15K
12/10 - VCTC Santa Run
12/23 - New Canaan Santa Run 5K


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


MERRY CHRISTMAS

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 Urban Environmental Challenge 10K: Race Photos & Results

It was a great day to run on trails (even if there was a bit of pesky wind that wouldn't leave) this morning.  This was my 4th VCTC Urban Environmental Challenge - and probably my favorite course layout at Van Cortlandt Park.  The double loop course takes runners on two separate, rarely run trails, along the main path on the back woods of the park.  It was definitely hilly than I remembered (but I pretty much say that about every trail race, near and far).

As for my result, the 55:17 was 3 seconds faster than my first (2011) run at this course, but a solid 3 minutes than my last (2015) UEC.  Either way, it was good enough for 3rd place in my age group - and an awesome carrot cake muffin to go along with the great race patch (instead of tee shirt) given out this year!

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

2016 Masters Challenge 5K

Last night was the Masters Challenge 5K at Rockefeller State Park.  I was the first running I've done since stopping at mile 58.5 at the Vermont 100 Endurance Run on Saturday night. 

It was a fantastic night, weather-wise, to run.  But the traffic Gods didn't see fit to make getting there for the actual start a possibility.  I found myself running down to the lake from the parking lot - and chasing the "sag wagon" - actually the girl running the course picking up the trail markers once all the runners had passed by!  I had to catch and pass her just to benefit from the course markings! 

After the race (which, I officially finished in about 30 minutes - factoring in the 5+ minute late start), the participating club teams (Taconic, Rockland, Westchester and Van Cortlandt) celebrated with what could aptly be called a post-race feast!  It was way too much food and drink for a 5k - but no one complained - haha :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.

february 2015 race schedule

the february race schedule kicked off yesterday, with the taconic rr freezer 5k at fdr park.  it was actually a double weekend - as saturday ended january with a 3 hour run in valley stream long island.  this month might end in a similar way because the colchester half is on the 28th and the boston buildup 25k is the following day, march 1. haven't done that double in a few years; so should be an interesting weekend :D

this weekend is the 3rd race of the boston buildup winter series - the 20k in fairfield.  even with the start in fairfield for the last few years, mentally i still associate this one with the southport train station - where it tradionally started and finished!

the following weekend is a new race.  the van cortlandt track club is putting on a valentine's day couples relay.  in a break with tradition, will not be heading up to stratford, ct, for the sweetheart run.  just as well because road construction has reconfigured the traditional 4 mile loop.  instead, will run the 2 mile loop at van cortlandt park.  the next day will head back to fdr park for the second freezer 5 race - the 5 miler.

last but not least is the lake waramug polar bear run - a 7.6 mile loop of the the lake.  this one is iffy because it's a long drive and if the weather doesn't assist, may opt for running closer to home. i'll keep my fingers crossed because it's been a long time since i've done this one.

here's how it looks so far:

2/1 - trrc freezer 5k
2/8 - boston buildup 20k
2/14 - vctc valentine's day tough love relay
2/15 - trrc freezer 5m
2/22 - polar bear run, 7.6m
2/28 - colchester half marathon

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

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.