Phil McCarthy Completes Run Across the USA at City Hall - in 49 Days!!

Phil McCarthy finished his epic run across the United States at City Hall this afternoon.  It took 49 days, 7 hours and 55 minutes!  He began his run in San Francisco on August 21st and it ended on the steps of City Hall, here in NYC.  Well, technically, it ended about a dozen miles later - in the surf on the beach at Coney Island!

Congratulations Phil!!!

Interestingly, Phil's finish came just a month shy of the 10 year anniversary Marshal Ulrich's finish of his 52 day run across America back in 2008 (which I was also lucky enough to attend)!

Here's Phil in his own word :D

2018 Vermont 100 Endurance Run: No finish this year :(

This was a tough weekend for me in Vermont.  My race ended at Lillian's Aid Station, just under 4 miles from Camp 10 Bear.  I really haven't had a chance yet to reflect on all the whys - but I started off slow, and just got slower - and when my ankle flared up, I started shuffling w/a limp... it was time to pull the plug.

My Vermont record now stands at 3 finishes, 4 DNF's - with my last 2 outings both DNF's (argh)! 

Aside from my personal performance (or lack thereof, as the case may be) - everything else was great.  As always the race organizers and volunteers did an outstanding job.  And all the people I ran with were inspiring, to say the least.

Will I re-up for 2019?  Without a doubt :D

Recapping the First Six Months of 2018

Just a quick recap of my running for the first six months of the year.  I've managed to rack up more than 1,500 training/racing miles so far this year (1,507.1 to be precise).  To put that in perspective, it's been more than a decade since I've run that much in the first half of a given year!  In another decades long first, I've managed to run more than 200 miles a month for the first six months (averaging 250 miles per month) - with a one month high of 300 miles in March.  Again, I haven't run a 300 mile month in maybe a decade?

As for races, I ran a total of 16 so far, ranging from 1 Mile up to 100K (last weekend, actually).  That total included one marathon, three 50K's and one 100K (it also included a 3 Hour Run, for a total of 23.6 miles).  The remainder, half marathon and shorter, included trails and one relay.  In a twist, only one of the 16 races was a NYRR event (the Italy Run).  Normally, at this point of the year I'd have run close to half a dozen NYRR races (going for my 9+1 goal).

Not sure what the second half of the year has in store for me, but doubt I will keep up a 200+ mile per month pace!  That would give me a 3,000 mile year - again, something I haven't racked up in more than a decade! But I will try to get in another hundred miler (next month in Vermont).  And definitely get in NYC Marathon #16 in November :D

Stay tuned!

Here is the monthly mileage recap:

2018 NJ Ultra Festival: Race Photos & Results

Be careful what you wish for - and be prepared for the consequences!  I had been praying for the end of winter and return of sun and warmth... little did I expect it would arrive all at once - yesterday, in time for the NJ Ultra Festival!  Despite all the miles of training (in 30 and 40 degree temperatures), it wasn't preparation for running in an ultra (or any shorter distance, for that matter) in 80+ degrees!


The heat took its toll in spades.  Not only did I drop down from the 50 Miler to the 50K, but my time for the 50k (roughly 7:32) was perhaps my slowest 50k performance - ever!  What I had hoped would be a solid 50 miler turning into a very tough 50k training run.  It would have been a much different day (goes without saying, obviously) had we run 50/60 degrees - but 70/80 was not fun :(


I'll write up a race report later this week.  Still, despite the heat (it was still 75 degrees when I finished up at 5:00!), I really did enjoy the day out on the trails. The double loop course (2.4 miles around the lake and 2.6 miles through the woods) was challenging - and filled with some spectacular views and "obstacles" - including a rope crossing!


Here are the official results from NJ Trail Series.

2018 Broadway Ultra Society 4 Hour Run & Awards Lunch

This morning was the B.U.S. 4 Hour Run followed by the Annual Awards Presentation (Lunch), where the 2017 Grand Prix awards were presented to the winners!  This year, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Broadway Ultra Society, the run was extended 1 hour (from its typical 3 hours)!  The run and post-run celebration are high points on the B.U.S. calendar!


The last time I was at this venue (the 2015 edition), I managed to squeak in just over 20 miles in 3 hours - of some serious sub-zero wind chills!  This time around the 1.453 mile loop I managed 20 miles in just over 3 hours (14 loops) and ran a full 16 loops for 23.248 miles.  I stopped with just over 10 minutes left on the clock.  Given that I ran the Savin Rock Marathon in West Haven yesterday, I was more than pleased with that outcome!


After the running came the food (something very close to my heart)!  There was plenty of pizza and salad - among other things.  And, what anniversary would be complete without cake?!


The next B.U.S. event (2nd on the 2018 Grand Prix schedule) is the reconfigured Sybil Lundington 50K in Carmel in April.  For the first time in its long history the Sybil course will consist of two 25k loops instead of the one 50K loop set-up.  It will also feature a new start/finish location. 


I'll add link to the 4 Hour Race results once they've been posted.

2018 Caumsett Park 50K: Race Photos & Results

It's been a few years since I last ran the Caumsett Park 50K (maybe back in 2011, or earlier).  One this that hasn't changed is the wind!  But this was the first time the I ran the loop counter clockwise.  By comparison, I think this direction made for a slightly less challenging trek - although the added distance to the dog leg portion was a mental challenge (so close, yet so far from the end/beginning of each new loop - and, of course, the finish)!


As for the event itself, it was excellent!  GLIRC and all the volunteers were great - especially the volunteers out on the course!  Post race, there was a ton of food (to get ahead of myself, I ate 2 slices from the hero sandwiches, a huge cranberry muffin, and - for good measure - a small Danish.  Wolfed down probably a more apt description since I ate all that minutes(!) after crossing the finish - before I changed out of my soaked running clothes).


My only mishap during the day involved missing the start of the 50K proper (despite having arrived more than a half hour before the start)!  The 50K went off at 8:30 - the 25K went off at 8:35 - and I somehow missed than announcement starting the 50K (not too hard with the 25k runners milling around the same place waiting for that race to go off)!  So my official (gun) time is overstated by five minutes from my actual (net) time - which, hopefully, will eventually be corrected (fingers crossed).


Either way, I was more than pleased with my 4:58:27 (official) finish (4:53:27 net)!  Even the official came in under my target of 5 hours for the race.  My marathon split (4:07 official/4:02 net) was a little disappointing because I had wanted to slip under 4 hours.  But either way, was more than happy with the entire day!  By way of comparison, it was almost an entire hour faster than my last 50K back in December (5:51:33 at the B.U.S. Trail Mix Up) :D


Next up is first training run for the 2018 edition of the TGNY - next Sunday.  Not sure I'll be up for the entire 35 miles (50K is my target), but I'll see a few runners from today's race there :D


Here are the official race results from JMS Racing.


Here are their race photos (of which my mid-race photo is taken!).

2017 B.U.S. Trail Mix-Up 50K: Race Photos & Results

Today's Broadway Ultra Society's Trail Mix-Up 50K in Alley Pond Park was challenging - and probably my last "long" run of the year (it is December, after all)!  What made this one especially tough is the 30K option - which is the siren song of cutting it short if ever there was one!  In fact, a few years ago, I exercised that option and bailed out of the 50K in favor of the 30K (and nice warm park house).

But this time around I managed to do all 10 of the 5K loops (the loop was roughly evenly split between trail and pavement sections).  Mile for mile, this was probably tougher than running the Knickerbocker 60K two weeks ago (if only because we could stop after 6 loops/30K).  However, given that we share a portion of the course with a dog run (and some decidedly unfriendly dog owners and their equally snarling pets) - this was hands down the most dangerous course I've run all year.  This is no creative exaggeration because I was right behind Grant when some obnoxious dog (thankfully on a leash) leapt at him during the 2 loop - forcing him off the path!

Aside from that adrenaline moment, the rest of the day was like any other ultra.  As for my race, I got thru the first 6 loops in under a 10 minute pace.  After that point I mostly ran, jogged, walked the remaining 4 loops.  Given how tough - mentally - the last 4 loops were I was more than happy with my 5:51:33 finish (11:19 pace)!  The best part of the day was the post-race food - which, just from memory, included, ravioli, eggplant parm., lasagna, veggie pasta, chicken marsala!, and, no ultra would be complete without - pizza! Not a bad way to recoup the 3,700+ calories burned getting the 50k done :D

As always, thanks Richie (and all the volunteers) for putting on another great B.U.S. event!

Here are the official results from New York Ultrarunning.

 

2017 NYRR NYC/Knickerbocker 60K: Race Photos & Results

 

I finished the NYRR NYC/Knickerbocker 60K - and am more than a little surprised to be writing that sentence!  As I pointed out early, when I picked up my shirt and bib earlier in the week, making it to the start line didn't seem like a realistic possibility given how much time I've spent "sick" during the last couple of weeks!  But things looked up on Thursday, and I managed an easy 4.5 mile run on Friday - so at a minimum, would go in, line up, and run as many laps as I could eke out!

Five laps (21 miles) was my initial goal.  Even that seemed like a stretch considering I only ran twice since the NYC Marathon (the Raven Rocks 10K, on trails, and the 4.5 miles, on roads, Friday).  Somehow 10.7 miles, broken up by Bronchitis and a chest cold, didn't seem like a realistic lead in to an ultra!  But in a counterintuitive miracle, maybe all that "rest" that came along with feeling sick worked some magic!

After the 5 loops I stopped for hot soup!  The perfect thing, actually, and I also took a couple of minutes to switch my phone over to a mofi because the charge was dying.  At that point I was on a solid 9:40 pace (roughly 3:23 in).  The next loop I stopped for a cup of coffee (mainly for the caffeine).  But I had started slowing down (10+ minute miles).  The last two loops were the toughest - I had slowed to 11/12 minute miles by this point.  But, amazingly, the only cramping I had the entire day was in the last 2 miles of the entire distance!  The only walk breaks I took were during the last (9th) loop.

I was incredibly happy with my 6:46:07, 10:54 pace, finish.  While it was way slower than my PB for this course (5:23), it was a solid - and gratifying - finish!  Given the trepidation I had at the start, I count this as one of my happiest race finishes :D

Here are the official results from NYRR.