A Good Weekend

Here it is almost the weekend again and I'm just getting around to writing about last weekend! It was a great two days running-wise, though, so I figure it's worth recounting. (Plus, let's be honest, I didn't have time to come up with any poetry for this week).


 

A beautiful sight in my inbox!

First, on Saturday I got my Boston confirmation email from the BAA.  Last Friday, Boston Marathon registration opened for people who had met their qualifying standard by five minutes or more. Thanks to my time at Philly last November, I was in this camp for the second time.* I can't say this made me any less nervous--I spent most of Friday afternoon constantily checking my inbox--and when the email finally came in, I did a little dance breathed a sigh of relief.

My heart goes out to all of you who registered this week and have to wait until this weekend to find out whether or not you're in.

On Sunday I ran the NYCRuns Narrows Half for the second year in a row. Last year I ran it as a tune-up for New York and ended up surprising myself by finishing 12th overall and winning a 3rd place age group award. This year I wasn't expecting to do as well but I really wanted a flat course as a tune-up for Chicago so I decided to return.

The Whippets (runners and cheerers)

In addition to allowing me to practice racing on a flat course, the half forced me to get up at an unholy hour let me practice waking up at 4:30 a.m. for an early race. I will likely be waking up at 4:30 for Chicago, which also starts at 7:30, and New York, which doesn't start until 10.

I also managed to recruit several teammates to run this year which made waiting for the start a lot more fun, even if none of us ended up racing together. We couldn't have asked for better weather either: it was in the low-50s with clear skies and a very light breeze.

How did the race go? I ran fairly even splits, averaging a 6:32 pace for the race which led me to a 1:25:38 finish. That was about thirty second slower than my time from from last year.

I felt good the good the whole time, though I wish I had been able to push myself a bit more. Honestly, I'm not sure what kept me from going faster. Part of the issue is that there was a long distance between me and the runners ahead of me. After the first 5 or 6 miles, I couldn't even really see them. I also had a very comfortable lead on the runners behind me. (I won't have either issue at Chicago). Without no one around to really "race" it was all too easy to settle into a steady relaxed pace.

Somehow my time was good enough for a 5th place finish and a first in age group award (I'm guessing all the faster runners were in Philadelphia this weekend). I've come in second or third before, but I think this might have been my first AG win.

My teammates also did very well: we had two big PRs, one teammate finished 3rd overall, and another also placed in her age group. Certainly not a bad showing from my team!

After the race I had brunch with my friends Jeff and Michelle (of Tiny Kitchen fame). If I didn't feel like a winner when I crossed that finish line, I sure did after eating their delicious cooking.

After such a great weekend, I have a feeling I'll be back at this race again next year.

P.S. A shout-out to my friend Emily who posted all the photos from Sunday.

 

Horsing around after the race.

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*The first year that the BAA introduced the new staggered registration, they kept the old qualifying times. That meant I needed a sub-3:05 to be in the BQ-5 camp, last year I was in the BQ-3:** camp so I had to wait until the second week to register.

Race Report: the Narrows Half

In the 5 to 7 weeks before each marathon I try to run a half-marathon tune-up race.*  For this training cycle, I had planned on running the Staten Island Half next weekend but I mad the mistake of holding out on registration and the darn thing sold out.

With only a limited window for running before I need to start getting ready for my taper I looked for local races and stumbled upon the Narrows Half as an obvious choice. Back in April I volunteered for the first iteration of this race and as a result scored a free entry into another NYCRuns event. So, on Tuesday last week I signed up.

The course is flat as can be, a double out-and-back along the Belt Parkway Promenade, beginning and ending at the 69th Street Pier just off of Bay Ridge Avenue. If it's windy, though, it's a tough spot since there are no trees or buildings to block the wind. And with no shade, you kind of hope for overcast skies.

I had to wake up extra early on Sunday since the race was an hour away, but it was probably a good thing since it gave me extra time to digest my usual peanut butter and bagel.  By 8am I was in Bay Ridge with plenty of time for my pre-race warm-up and bathroom visit(s).

The race was scheduled to start at 9, though the race organizers delayed the start 5 minutes because of lines for the porta potties. I lined up towards the front and prepared for the horn. As soon as it sounded I took off.

In the first mile I felt great. This course is super flat and the wind was at my back so the first mile was my fastest in 6:16. The last half I did was Brooklyn which didn't go so well from a racing perspective. As such, I wasn't sure what kind of pace would be realistic but figured there was only one way to find out. I did mile 2 in 6:21, shortly before our first turn-around just past the bridge (the first out-and-back is roughly 5 miles, the second roughly 8).

I talked to another runner (I'm pretty sure he was Australian) for a bit who said it was his first half--he'd never raced over a 10k before--and I wished him luck. We both agreed that running into the sun it felt surprisingly warm.

Although I didn't feel as though I had slowed down, apparently the wind had some affect because the next three miles (3, 4, and 5) were all around 6:30. I'd finished the first 5 mile loop feeling good but knew the second longer loop was going to be much more difficult.

At this point I began picking off other runners. I was trying to stay steady, resisting the urge to speed up or slow down unnecessarily.  I did mile 6 in 6:28 and mile 7 in 6:22. I could see the turn around point, just before the Bath Beach Toys 'R' Us, but knew it was still two miles away. I hadn't looked back in a while so I had no idea how close the next runner was, but I managed to pass another one in front of me.

I did mile 8 in 6:25, and made it to the turn-around and mile 9 in 6:26. Shortly after the turn around a CPTC runner gained on me. I was getting tired at this point and kept assuming he would pass me and that would be that, but I did my best to hang on. Mile 10 was 6:33. I could see the bridge, knowing that it was shortly before mile 11.

We passed another CPTC runner who sort of fell in behind us. I was no determined not to let them pass me if at all possible. At mile 11 I looked at my watch, 6:45.00--Dang it! I exclaimed (okay, I said something else, but I'm not printing it here).

The view on the way to the finish.

Because of the winding course, you couldn't see the finish all that far out, but having run the same stretch three times already, I had a good grasp on the final two miles. I started to speed up, doing mile 12 in 6:38. With just over a mile left, I tried to pick it up again.

The wind wasn't too noticeable, except that it was much cooler running into it, but I could still feel some resistance. I could see the finish as I passed mile 13 in 6:32. I looked at my watch and realized I would have to really hustle to break 1:25, my goal for the day.

Although I tried to sprint home, I could beat the clock and crossed in 1:25:06. The two CPTC runners crossed shortly after me and I congratulated them. We all thanked each other for the extra push in the final miles.

While I certainly would have liked a faster time, I was happy with the result. I hadn't given myself much of a taper--I did an easier track workout on Thursday and took Friday off--and had 50 miles on my legs for the week. a 1:25 is exactly where I need to be for the marathon and it was better than my Brooklyn time, and more importantly, it felt much better too. Now I have two more weeks of solid training before the taper. Hopefully all goes well.
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*A post on tune-up race, when to do them, and what purposes they serve is coming soon.

Photos are from NYCRuns.

You Snooze, You Lose (on Race Registration)

Earlier this winter I was contemplating running the Broad Street 10 Miler in Philadelphia. I've always wanted to do a race in the City of Brotherly Love but the Philly Marathon comes too soon after the other fall races and I refuse to do the Distance Classic now that it's been taken over by the evil Competitor Group.* I knew the Broad Street Run was popular but I didn't know just how popular until February 15 when it sold out in 5 hours!

As time goes on, it seems like all large races are hitting their caps earlier and earlier. Boston is probably the prime example: the 2009 race sold out on January 26; the 2010 race sold out on November 13; and the 2011 race sold out in 8 hours and 3 minutes! As a result, BAA (the group that puts on the race) completely reconfigured registration. Similarly, while the 2011 Chicago Marathon sold out in 31 days, the 2012 edition filled up in just 6 days.

Quite a few well-known races have now switched to lottery systems to handle the increased demand. The New York City Marathon is probably the most famous example, but plenty of other big races like DC's Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, New Hampshire's Mt Washington Road Race, Atlanta's Peach Tree Road Race, and the Houston Marathon use similar systems.

When you get shut out of these races because they've filled up to fast or you don't get picked in the lottery, just use it as an excuse to find a smaller local race. I know I've talked about NYCRuns before. With their comprehensive local race calendar, you can usually find a comparable alternative race. You can also search Active.com, or check with your local running store. The other bonus about smaller races is that they are usually less expensive.

In the end, it's probably good for me that Broad Street sold out so quickly. It's only three weeks after Boston and I know I won't have recovered fully. I'll just post-pone my return to racing and save a few bucks on transportation costs too.

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*Okay, calling them evil may be an exaggeration, but just like I won't shop at Walmart, I won't run a Competitor race.

Random Friday Post: Race Fees!!!

Most of the time running is one of the cheapest forms of exercise. Your only real expense is shoes. Yes there are things like shorts and t-shirts, but even if you didn't run, you would probably already have these things. Unfortunately, even the most minimalist runner may want to race from time to time and races cost money.

These days there are a handful of super cheap races out there. NYCRuns, a new outfit in the NYC area puts on $5 5ks in the summer and they did a $10 10k in December. For that price you get chip-timed and you get some delicious post-race hot chocolate. In other words, these are definitely no-frills races.

At the exact opposite end of the spectrum, you have the New York City Marathon. This New York Road Runners race may have cost $5 back in 1977, but today for a non-NYRR member, it will set you back $255 plus the$11 processing fee--that's a $100 increase since 2008 when it was $155 for non-members and $125 for members! If you want to go back to 2000, it was just $58. 

In inflation-adjusted dollars, that $5 entry fee from 1977 equals around $20 today. Obviously that doesn't tell the whole story, because even the cheapest marathons cost more than that (excluding free marathons like the Holiday Marathons in Van Cortlandt Park).  Today races tend to include more goodies like tech tees, medals, and a whole bunch of other useless crap.

I like the tech shirts, but I don't need them. My suggestion? Races should cut down on the extras, or at least the "mandatory" ones. I signed up for the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler last week (I got an entry through work) and this is the approach they take. Want a tech tee instead of a cotton one? Check a box and pay more. Want a medal for your "accomplishment"? Check a box and pay more. This approach could help keep down costs.

I say could because I can already think of at least one good counterexample out there: Bay to Breakers. In 2010, the first time I did this race, it was $44 for most runners (it was cheaper if you were one of the first 3,00 to register--I wasn't). That entry fee included a t-shirt and plenty of post-race food. This year, it's being sponsored by Zazzle, an online business that specializing is customized apparel, and it now costs $57 for "basic registration." What does that mean? No t-shirt. Want the shirt? Sign up for the $72 "plus registration." Did I mention this is a 12k?

I like big races so I won't only be doing $5 5ks, but I don't plan on running New York this year. For the same price, I've signed up for Boston, the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, and several other local races. I have to make my limited race registration dollars go farther.

What about you? What are your thoughts the steady increase in race fees?