PPTC: Running Together --- Apart, Virtual 5K

I had a great time this morning (humid as it was) running a 5k on the high school track!  It was a little more than an actual 5k (Strava has it a 3.2 miles), but not quibbling. 

My 8:22 pace was pretty fast, relatively speaking, to anything I've run lately.  I did manage one mile in just under 8 minutes a few weeks ago (for Global Run Day), but this is more realistic, if sustained effort.

Many thanks to the Prospect Park Track Club for organizing this one!!

Virtual Resolution Run 5K - 2020

I signed up for this on New Years Day - but didn't get around to running the 5k until this afternoon (dusk, actually).  My last few runs have been at night because I want to enjoy running by the houses that still have their Christmas lights up.  As one would expect, that number has steadily declined.  But, since it's midweek - the number still lighting up has held steady from last weekend's big drop off.  I suspect the last holdouts will come down this weekend :(

As for the run itself, I did a big loop of the area.  In it's increasingly annoying winter habit, my IPhone died just as I got back home.  Why it was annoying was because the temperature was in the low 30s - and even w/the wind chill bringing it into the 20's - a fully charged phone should NOT freeze up after 33 minutes -arrg.  I wouldn't be annoyed with the phone at all had it really been COLD - like the low 20's or below :O

Be that as it may, technical glitch aside - Strava still managed to record my run/time!

NYRR Virtual Turkey Trot 5k - 2019

After my Thanksgiving Day post, I decided to sign up for the NYRR Virtual Turkey Trot :D

Even if I missed the pre- and post-race socializing from this year's Thanksgiving races, I could at least log my own virtual 5k mileage over the holiday weekend.

Not the same as going to an actual Turkey Trot, but it does burn off a few holiday calories ;O

2019 Taconic RR Freezer 5K: Race Photos & Results

It was actually balmy at FDR Park this morning!  And with the temperature at 33 degrees for the start, it was practically a heat wave give the sub-zero wind chills of last week!  The Freezer 5K was my first race since December - plenty of running, just haven't gotten myself over to a start line for a race (of any distance) until today.


I was pleasantly surprised w/my 22:30 (22:32 official), 7:15 pace.  Amazingly, for little if no speed work this season, it was about 6 seconds faster than my 2018 Freezer 5K!  Last year that was good enough for 2nd AG - but this year I dropped 3 places to 5th in my AG - so much for shaving off those few seconds - ha!


Anyway, regardless of time - it was great to be out there running (dare I say... fast) for a change!

Hiroshi and I hamming it up after we finished :D


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

 

Done!  I "ran" the NYRR 2019 Virtual Resolution Run 5K last night.  This was my 4th NYRR Virtual Race (and the second New Year's Resolution Run).   Never the same as actually participating in a race, but good enough excuse to run faster than training pace :D

 

Missing from this run was the virtual bib, which I did like from last year's race.  Regardless, this Resolution Run, at 26:32,8:33 pace, it was a solid 2 minutes faster than the 2018 edition!  The 8:33 pace was a solid minute plus faster than my average training run pace over the last couple of months.  So while it's not a race substitute, it's great training.

2018 NYRR Virtual Turkey Trot 5k

This was my third NYRR virtual race of 2018 (Resolution Run 5K kicked of the year and the pre-NYC Marathon 5K kicked off this month).   Given the frigid temperatures forecast for Thanksgiving day, safe bet that I'll probably run from home on Thursday. 

2018 Masters Challenge 5K at FDR State Park

Last night was the annual Masters Challenge 5K.  Since it was Taconics year to host the event, we ran it at FDR State Park (next year it's Westchester Track Club's year, so we'll probably run it over at Rockies).  The weather (or should I just say HUMIDITY) was stifling!  It was equal to, or worse than, what we ran in Saturday morning at the NYRR Team Championships.

Be that as it may, it wasn't so much about the race (even though we had 40+ finishers) - as it was about the post-race socializing (with plenty of food and (adult) beverages)!

As for my performance, despite some still aching quads from Escarpment, I chugged out a 23:46, 7:39 pace!  Not sure if I scored for the Taconic team, but the we did win (by just one point) the Men's 50 division :D

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

2018 Westport Summer Series 5K: Race Photos & Results

What a great morning to run a 5K or 5 Miler?  That was my dilemma when I woke up because which race, the Norwalk Summer Series 5 Miler or Westport Summer Series 5K, was still an open question.  Ultimately it was the shorter distance - haha -that led to Westport and Longshore Country Club and lining up for the 5K.  Truth be told, my legs were still a bit sore from the "speed work" at Van Cortlandt Park Thursday night!

As for the race itself, I managed to squeak out a 21:37, 6:59 pace, unofficially.  When then the results were posted, it became 21:39 (losing 2 seconds, officially) and the pace being adjusted upward to 7:06 - because the officially measured distance worked out to 3.04 miles!  Yikes, so much for my sub-7 on a short 5K course - haha :D

Time aside, running at Longshore and along Compo Beach on a gorgeous Saturday morning is wonderful!

Here are the official race results from the Westport Road Runners.

2018 Taconic RR Freezer 5K: Race Photos & Results

 Warm - if incredibly foggy and humid - weather for the Taconic's Freezer 5K this morning!  But that's a lot better than rain!  When I woke up this morning it was pouring outside.  That was the prime reason I skipped heading down to Long Island for a Marathon (very wimpy, I know).


Despite the damp conditions, there was a pretty great turnout for the race (basically a loop of the park + a dog leg).  I managed to run a solid 22:38, 7:15 pace.  That was enough for second place in my age group!


Here are the official results from Taconic RR.


Here are more race photos from Taconic RR!

2018 NYRR Virtual Resolution Run 5K

Participated in my very first virtual run to kick off the new year - but it didn't actually "materialize" until the "results" were posted today!  The NYRR and Strava teamed up to put on the "virtual" Resolution Run 5K - the first of a half dozen+ (8, I think) to be held throughout the year.


During the first two weeks of the year runners complete the 5k distance while recording it on Strava (as a "race").  I uploaded a snow-filled training run (guilty of not actual "racing" it) - but I will make amends with a future one, where I will try to run the distance "fast" :D


Here is the NYRR news release - with links to posted photos as well.


Here are the "official" results at NYRR.

2017 New Canaan Santa Run: Race Photos & Results

This is the first time I've run the New Canaan Santa Run (it's 5 year) - but I'm no stranger to the course running through Waveny Park! 


Truth be told, if I hadn't preregistered for the race last week (to make up for not racing while we were in Ann Arbor), I would probably have gone back to sleep when I heard the sounds of rain outside.  But I'm glad I made the drive.  Despite the scattered heavy rain/foggy conditions to and from New Canaan, the weather let up for the race itself.  In fact, the rain pretty much cleared up for the first 2/3rd's of the event - only picking up again in the last mile.


As for the race, it was roughly 1/3rd on pavement and 2/3rds on trails.  I finished - slightly damp - in 23:12, 7:29 pace.  But the biggest surprise was see Rob at the finish!  I hadn't seen him at the start (he having arrived minutes before the race went off).  Aside from Rob, and Jim (timing), no other familiar faces this morning.


In a twist rare weekend twist, after a quick shower at home, I went into the City to put in a few hours at the office :(


Here are the official results from ClubCt.

2017 GAE Turkey Trot: Race Photos & Results

Could not possibly have asked for better weather this morning for the 7th annual Greenwich Alliance for Education Turkey Trot 5k (and 1 mile kids fun run)!  For such a young race, they had 800 pre-registered runners + and lots more race day entrants thanks to the mini heat wave.

I volunteered, mostly course marshaling (-- managed to get a short video clip of the 5k start) and ran an easy loop of the 5k course afterwards. 

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

2017 Wilton Halloween Hustle 5K: Race Photos & Results

What a strange morning it was to run a race - and in this case, the Wilton Halloween Hustle 5k!  I woke up to heavy rain and did not think I'd be up for the drive (in the rain).  The weather forecast was pretty awful, and the afternoon Pumpkin Chase 5k in New Canaan had already been postponed (because of that forecast) until next weekend.  But a letup in the rain had me jump in the car and drive up to Wilton.  Ominously, just as the Hutch became the Merritt, first accident of what would be a trio that morning!  A car had skidded and flipped over...

When I got to check-in learned that Rob had already picked up my shirt (I had asked him to get it for me because it didn't seem likely that I'd make the race).  They gave me my bib, but Rob had driven back home because the race had conflicting start times (9 versus 10) and he opted for the earlier one!  Another misfire, so to speak.  We finally met up at the start, completely soaked, as we waited for the race to get started.

As for the race itself, we both won our respective age groups!  My 22:55, 7:24 pace, was a pleasant surprise over the (very) wet course!  But the biggest surprise - and it was not pleasant in the least - was at the post-race award, where we learned that there were no Age Group awards for us (and others).  There were trophies for overall finishers - and a handful of RANDOM age group awards (e.g. under 15, 15-29 and 60+ to mention those that were actually handed out)!  But NO awards for runners between 30 to 59!  That is something you don't see every day :O

Despite the overall weirdness - it was still fun :D

Here are the official results from ClubCt.