Happy Memorial Day 2017

Happy Memorial Day

2017 TGNY 100 Mile Training Run #4

 

Last night was the 4th and final training run for the Great New York Running Exposition 100 Miler on deck for next month.  It covers the last stretch of the course, from Coney Island (the Parachute Drop to be precise) to the finish in Times Square.  It includes spectacular views of the Verrazano Bridge, the Manhattan skyline, and crossing over the (seemingly always crowded) Brooklyn Bridge :O

This year's edition was a solid 20 degrees cooler than the heat wave we had last year!  Either way, this is a fantastic run to do, just over 18 miles (and the shortest of the 4 training runs).  This year I only ran as far as City Hall (14+ miles) instead of the full distance up to Times Square.

In any event, will (hopefully) revisit this stretch next month :D

Group photo, albeit taken well before our group filled out by the start, taken from Tiger Ellen!

 

2017 Brooklyn Half Marathon: Packet Pick-up at Brooklyn Bridge Park

Yesterday afternoon I took a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge to the Pre-Party/Packet Pick-up for the Brooklyn Half Marathon.  The sun and 90+ degrees did not deter any of the foot traffic over the bridge, or at the Fulton Landing, for that matter.  It was hot - and crowded! We can only hope that the temperature drops 20-30 degrees in time for tomorrow's race :O

I've lost count of how many Brooklyn Half Marathons I've run - maybe a dozen by now?  It was actually the very first half marathon I ever ran (way back in 2001)!  It was a winter race back then - and started on the Boardwalk in Coney Island... finishing in Prospect Park.  Back then we only had a fraction of the 20,000+ runners expected to line up tomorrow!

It was, and still is, one of my all-time favorite races :D

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

May 2017 Race Schedule

With final exams to give/grade and travel to kick off this month, the earliest I'll be able to line up for a race is Mother's Day!  So hopefully I'll be over in Norwalk to run the Lightfoot Runners 10K :D

Otherwise, the only definite race on the calendar this month is the Brooklyn Half Marathon - and the 4th and last training run for the Great NY Running Exposition 100 Miler at the end of the month (an evening run at that).

So here's how the slimmed down schedule looks:

5/14 - Norwalk Mother's Day 10k
5/20 - NYRR Brooklyn Half Marathon
5/27 - TGNY Training Run #4

If you're at any of these events - say hello!

2017 Leatherman's Loop: Race Photos & Results

Great day, great weather for running the Leatherman's Loop at Wards Pound Ridge Reservation this morning!  Apologies in advance for only these few photos - but didn't take my IPhone with me on the course, so only have these few before and after.

As for the race itself - easily the muddiest one I've run!  And, as always, it was a blast from start to finish.  At 1:04:32 (10:15 pace) it wasn't my slowest one - but certainly well off my (somewhat unrealistic) target of a sub 1 hour finish.  With #4 in the books - already looking forward to next year :D

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

2017 World Amateur Radio Day

This year, as time flies(!), my license is up for renewal (in about 2 months, actually).  While I haven't broadcasted in a long while, I've still keep my hand in the radio world with some SW Dxing (especially pirate radio)!

Hopefully the Hams out there can celebrate World Amateur Radio Day today by getting on the air!

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.