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 nyrr bronx 10 miler packet pick-up

i picked-up my race bib and shirt for the bronx 10 miler yesterday afternoon.  it was a grey, drizzly walk from the 86th street train station.  the 10 miler will be my 7th scored race on the road to 9+1 for the 2015 nycm.  it is also race number 4 of the 5 boro series!  along w/the staten island half next month, it would be the first time I've knocked of all races of the 5 boro series two years in a row!

but sunday is also my first race back since my right hand was scalded 2+ weeks ago.  i missed the norwalk half that first weekend and sat out the fall distance frolic 30k last weekend.  while i didn't race last weekend, i did get in some decent runs (with a bandaged finger in tow).  even so, my overall mileage for september is significantly off - what will be the lowest for the year.

still, it's great to bandage free... and line up for another race! 

happy autumnal equinox - 2014!

or just plain "happy autumn!"

here, on the east coast, the autumnal equinox arrived last night at 10:29 pm - which is 2:29 am this morning, greenwich mean time.  while we could claim yesterday as the first day of fall, the dramatic overnight drop in temperature pretty clearly sides with today as the official start!

it's one of only two days during the year (along with the spring equinox in march) that has the number of daylight hours equal to the number of nighttime ones.  but in contrast to the spring, each new day going forward will have fewer minutes of daylight until we reach the winter solstice in december - the shortest day of the year.

so get out there and enjoy that little bit of chill in the air :D

some boiling water washes away a race weekend...

who would think a splash of boiling water could cause so much grief?!  thursday night, while taking a pot of just cooked pasta off the stove - something i've done a million time in my life - the dish towel got caught on the stove and caused the some of the water to spill over the rim and onto my right hand.  it lasted all of a second - and that was more than enough time to result in 1st and 2nd degree burns over the top of my hand.  it wasn't life-threatening - but it was painful.

after a trip to the er that night, and a follow-up with a burn specialist the next morning, i spent the next few days changing the dressings on a swollen, blistered hand 3x a day.  it wasn't fun.  not only that, but the doctor nixed any serious racing or running plans i may have harbored.  to add to the discomfort - aside from the swollen fingers, i wasn't in any pain after the first night - my shoulder was sore form the tetanus shot!

as i write this now - monday morning - my hand is still lightly bandaged... but thankfully i can back to typing (for better of worse).  and, i should be back to running in a couple of days :D

never forget - today is the 13th anniversary of 9/11

 

 

Never Forget.  Today is the 13th anniversary of that fateful day when the forces of evil hijacked four commercial airplanes and caused the death of 2,977 innocent souls.  Thirteen years later the world trade center site is now the home of the memorial, museum and freedom tower.  But even with the physical changes and even with the passage of time, the tragic events of that day will never be forgotten.

Never Forget!

2014 paine to pain trail half marathon - preview run

yesterday i participated in a group run of the paine to pain trail half marathon - it was practically in my back yard.  the trail head is about 3.5 miles from my house, but this was my 1st time on the trail (and half marathon course).  it was a fantastic time. 

the group run began at the trail head of the leatherstoking trail in new rochelle - not the official start of the half, which begins up the road at the high school.  the halfway point was at the saxon woods golf club - where the new ro runners had set up a water stop for the participants.

even though it was my first time on those trails, i run on the roads that bisect the course practically every weekend. to say it was an eye opening experience to see what great trail running (a good mix of hills, single track, and technical terrain) was literally just a few feet off the main roads would be an understatement. 

for the most part, following the course itself was straightforward - but there was one point just before the halfway mark (the playing fields on the way to the golf course) where i would easily have missed the trail markers if i hadn't been with a group of runners experienced with the course.  except for that one near miss, it's a must run for anyone looking for lower westchester trail experience!

september 2014 race schedule

my september kicked off yesterday with a road trip up to new haven for the 20k - in what turned out to be a repeat of the 2013 new haven road race!  the rest of the month has only two real definites on the calendar - the norwalk half marathon in two weeks and the nyrr bronx 10 miler at the end of the month.

the half will give me 5 races out of a possible 6, for the norwalk summer series.  it's been a few years (b/c of conflicts, travel and/or injuries) since i managed to accumulate that many finishes at the series. that, in itself, is an accomplishment :D

as for the 10 miler, it will be the 4th out of 5 race toward the 2014 grand prix series.  with that (and the staten island half) i hope to complete the series for the 2nd year in a row.  it would be only the 3rd time in 14 years that i've managed to run all 5 borough races in a given year!

i've penciled in the fall distance frolic 30k in between those two - it's another race that i haven't done in few years, but one of my favorites - and the tuckahoe challenge the day after the norwalk half.  but i'm not 100% sure about either one of those events.  i many skip tuckahoe in favor of a rest day depending on how the half goes. and i many opt for a race closer to home rather than drive up to stratford for the 30k. we'll see.

and as for next weekend - that one is still open (although i'm looking at the south nyack 10 miler).  stay tuned!

here's how it looks so far:

9/1 new haven 20k
9/13 - norwalk half marathon
9/14 - tuckahoe challenge, 1m
9/14 - tuckahoe challenge, 5m
9/21 - fall distance frolic, 30k
9/28 - nyrr bronx 10 miler

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

2014 new haven road race 20k: race photos & results

 

we had some tough running conditions for the 20k this morning - basically a repeat of the hot and humid conditions from 2013.  it was 72 degrees when i got up, 77 when i pulled into new haven, and already into the 80's as we lined up for the start!

given the heat and humidity my sub-8 minute pace goal wasn't realistic.  as it turned out, a sub 8:30 pace wasn't in the cards.  i wound up duplicating my 2013 finish w/a 1:46:44, an 8:36 pace.  i was actually on a sub 8:30 pace for the first 9 miles, but the heat did me in over the last 5k.

still, i was happy to get it done - and my first stop after crossing the finish was the ufo beer booth for a ufo wheat!

here are the 20k race results from jb sports.

here are the rest of my photos up on facebook.