Give a Little, Get a Lot: My Portugal Day Race Report

Last weekend was the Mini 10k, a women only race. To help pump the women up, most of the men from our team got together to cheer at the 5 mile mark. We had signs, balloons, and vuvuzelas. We were loud and definitely had a great time cheering the women-folk on. Well, this week's race, the Portugal Day 5 Miler was a men's team point race (women could still sign up, but they weren't trying to earn points for the team) so the women came out to cheer us on--more on that in a minute.

I woke up at 5:30 on Sunday for my usual peanut butter and bagel and read the newspaper before heading to the subway at 6:40 so I could get to the baggage area by 7. The race was in Central Park so it was easy to get to. After a nice warm-up with teammates I made a final pit-stop and I have to say that the lines were much shorter than at a normal race--amazing what happens when most of the women aren't running...

My plan was to run seriously but not to kill myself. I had talked with a couple other guys about running somewhere in the 6:10 to 6:20 range and that sounded good for the day. After a stirring rendition of the both the Portuguese and American national anthems it was time to race.

The gun went off and I was surprised at how crowded the field was. Initially I managed to run with a couple teammates but we lost each other quickly in the mass of people. I managed a 6:12 first mile and felt surprisingly good. The best part of mile 1 was seeing one of my teammates, Elizabeth, cheering from the sidelines in a polka dot bikini!

I still felt good for my 6:14 second mile. At this point we'd gotten the bulk of the hills out of the way so I was hoping for an easier time but mile 3 just felt off. I did it in 6:24 at which point I knew I wasn't trying hard enough. Mile 4 had more downhill and I knew I had to be approaching the women's cheering station. Sure enough, a huge contingent of lady Whippets were stationed just before the mile marker. I actually heard them well before I saw them which shows how loud they were cheering. That helped make for 6:14 mile 4.

Of course, as soon as the women were out of ear shot I realized I had taxed myself with all my fist pumping at their cheer station--I felt a little dizzy. I started to slow down a little bit even though the end was so close. I concentrated on running the tangents since the field had opened up and I knew I didn't have much hope for extra speed. With the finish in sight I tried some kind of kick but couldn't do better than 6:21 for my final mile.

I ended up finishing in 31:25, or 6:17 pace. To put things in perspective, my half PR, almost two years old now, was set at a 6:18 pace and my 4 mile PR is a 6:01 pace. One thing I know I have to figure out after today's race is eating. That bagel proved too heavy. The bagel breakfast works great for halves and fulls where I'm (a) waking up with more time before the start and (b) not trying to go so fast, but it's too much before short runs.

The good news is, while it wasn't a fast race I didn't feel "sluggish." I think I've managed to shake off some of the fatigue that was affecting me post-Boston and Brooklyn. Hopefully with careful training this summer I can regain some speed.

Race Report: E Murray Todd Half

On Sunday I ran my second E. Murray Todd Half-Marathon (EMT) as a tune-up race for Boston. I like to include shorter races as part of marathon training whenever I can. First , the more I race, the more I get used to the pre-race jitters and, second, racing is way more fun that doing speed work by myself.

EMT is small race (about 500 people) put on by the Monmouth Co. Parks Department in Lincroft, New Jersey. I probably never would have discovered it--and certainly never would have done it--had it not been for one of my running buddies, Bettina, who lives in NJ. Last year we were both running Boston and she suggested this course and a good tune-up. I had such a good time that as soon as Bettina told me she was doing it again I knew I had to sign up.

Since this was a tune-up race I hadn't done much in the way of targeted training. That means I went into without a set goal (read: anything under 1:25 would be acceptable). The real point was just to test my fitness on a course that's closer to Boston than anything I would find in the city (see the profile below).

I got into New Jersey Saturday evening since Bettina and and her family were gracious enough to let me stay the night. We did the obligatory pasta dinner carbo-load followed by the not-so-obligatory but oh-so-delicious chocolate-crumb-cake-load. Thankfully, I was even able to get a pretty good night's sleep (not always the case the night before a race).

The next morning I had my ritual bagel peanut butter and a glass of Gatorade before we drove to the race. One of the great things about EMT is that it starts and ends at the Brookdale Community College Gym. That means you can wait inside where it's warm before the race and shower afterward. Bettina and I picked up our numbers and t-shirts and tried unsuccessfully to find our friend Kelly who was also running.

After my usual 50+ bathroom visits, we headed to the start line. Thankfully, Bettina had given me a garbage to wear while waiting since it was 39 and I was wearing only shorts, a singlet, and a new pair of arm warmers (I lost my old one's in the wash!). I also owe Bettina because she lent me her extra Garmin since I had forgotten my old-school Timex at work on Friday.

Although the race was timed using b-tags, there was no start mat so everyone would be going by gun time. I tried to get as close to the line as possible before the official said, "GO!"

Some of the runners took off like bullets as we ran out of the community college. I just picked a pace that felt like I could hold and didn't worry about who was in front of me. Mile 1 went by in 6:15.

The first mile or two go through residential areas and if it weren't for the fact that there were only a handful of folks spectating, it would have felt a lot like Boston. Mile 2 went by in 6:21.

Pretty early on I found another runner to talk to who also lives NYC. It turns out he's from Brooklyn and will also be running Boston. Although his half and full PRs were much faster than mine, we happened to be going the same pace and the conversation made for a good distraction.

My only real complaint about the race has to do with the water stops. The first one, near mile 3, was on the right side, off the road. Trash cans blocked easy access and instead of standing forward with cups, the volunteers were hunkered behind the table. Grabbing water wasn't easy and I think it slowed me down a little. Mile 3 was 6:27.

Over the next mile the course narrowed a bit (we were running on roads still partially open to traffic) and a hill slowed me down to 6:34 for the mile. I got through 5 miles in 32:03 according to the official clock.  I always try to run the tangents but unfortunately the second water stop, right by mile 6, was on the wrong side of the road just before a turn. For the next few miles, I hit the lap button at the wrong time so I don't have accurate splits.

At mile mile 6 my new found running buddy apologized but told me he had a killer playlist for the final 7 miles of the race. I told him no problem but began to inch ahead. The course was now pretty rural with fields and horse farms. At once point we passed what looked like an apple orchard.

The real hills in this race happen in miles 6 to 10. I also feel that a half marathon starts around mile 7 when you've got about 10k to go. In spit of some tough hills, I felt pretty strong during this stretch. Just before Mile 10 when you hit the last and probably toughest hill of the race, I caught up with another runner. I told him "You got this." He said, "No, I don't, but you look like your in it for the long haul." That made me feel pretty good. I had run miles 5 to 10 in 32:32 (6:30 pace) which was slower than I would have liked, but I did feel good in spite of some challenging hills.

The final 5k goes through the paved trails of Thompson Park and there is a lot more winding back and forth than the course map above indicates. At any one point you can look forward and see runners snaking one direction or another in front of you, deceptively close. These seemed like the longest miles of the course even though they were the flattest. Nevertheless, I had now settled on a goal of sub-1:25 (my permanent back-up half goal) and I knew that was going to happen if I could just stick with it. Just after mile 12 as we turned back into the community college, a spectator said to me, "Not much left." I wasn't sure if he was talking about the course or me!

I also got passed by a kid (I later found out he was 17) but I couldn't keep up. Still, I felt pretty strong and knew I would have a surge left for the final .1. Sure enough, at Mile 13 I picked it up and covered the final stretch at a 5:32 pace. I crossed the finish line in 1:24:54.

It was slower than my time at Houston (1:24:37) and my time from last year (1:24:11) but I didn't feel bad about it. Last year, I had taken a long time off following the New York Marathon and begun an 18 week Boston program at the end of December. This time around I took almost no time off, but only began doing speed work again a few weeks ago. Considering how strong I felt during this race, I'm pretty confident that I am on the right track for Boston.

It may not have been my best day, but somehow, even though I cam in 28th overall, I was third in my AG.* That means I got to take home a cool trophy (see left). Even better, Bettina shattered her old PR by almost 5 minutes, running a 1:36:27!!! That was good enough for 2nd in her AG! Even our friend Kelly, whom we finally found after the race, set a PR.

As always, every race is a learning experience. I'm really glad I did this one and now I'm pumped for my final month of serious Boston training! I think doing all my long runs on hilly terrain has paid off but now it may be time to increase the speed work, particularly the MP miles.

 *There's really no mystery here. The overall winners weren't eligible for AG awards which bumped me up a couple of slots. I'm not complaining though!

Race Report: 2011 Chicago Marathon

On my way home from the Chicago Marathon I read race recaps in the Chicago Sun-Times. A woman who lost her iPod at mile 6 was quoted as saying, “I was inside my own head the rest of the way—it wasn’t a nice place to be.” Without judging this woman, I think she misunderstands the marathon. In a crowded corral one of the principal pre-race challenges is keeping other people out of your head—something you have to do it if you want to run your race. On Sunday morning, just before the gun went off, I was trying to do this in and really struggling. I don’t think I had really found that center when the race began.

Many people say if you don’t feel like you’re going too slow in the first miles of the marathon, you’re going too fast. Well, the first several miles of Chicago I felt like I was running way too fast. Nothing was clicking—my mind and body weren’t in sync (see above). Mile 1 went by in 7:13, a slow start, but while my brain was saying, it’s alright, you’ll make up that lost time, my body was saying, you need to slow down because I don’t want to do this.
 

As we circled south into the loop I got in a 7:00 mile 2 but my stride didn’t feel any more natural. I was already feeling hot, though more clammy than sweaty, and we were still in the shade of the city’s skyscrapers. I’ll give myself until the 10k, I said, but if things still don’t feel right, I’m going to back off. Mile 3, the first in our long march northward, went by in 6:46. I could see the 3:00 pace group ahead but didn’t feel up to catching them. Mile 4, also a straight line up LaSalle, passed much the same in 6:45.

In mile 5 we finally made the turn into Lincoln Park, one of the few geographic features of the course I knew I would recognize. For me this was one of the toughest parts of the race. When I had visualized myself running Chicago in the weeks before, I felt great in Lincoln Park but in reality I felt sluggish. Even so, miles 5 and 6 were both close to 3 hour pace. I hit the 10k mark and asked myself if I wanted to back off. I decided I would keep going for it and reassess later on.

The course went further north than I anticipated, with mile 7 passing me by well before the turn around. As soon as we curved back south along Broadway the course opened up in my mind—I could picture its component parts. I told myself, I just need to make it until we turn west. There were lots of people out on the course cheering us on and blasting music making these miles some of the most fun, but also the least individually memorable.

By now I was looking at my watch every mile and thinking, if I slowed to 7:03, could I still PR? How far off of a 3:00 pace am I? Shortly after mile 12 we crossed back over the Chicago River. Now I was thinking about mile 13, where the family of the friend I'd had pasta with the night before was watching. I’ve got to look strong for them, I told myself. I didn’t see her family but I passed mile 13 with the course clock reading just over 1:30.

As the half clock came into view a lot of the doubt I’d been feeling slipped away. Just after 13.1 I passed St. Patrick’s, a Catholic church with pipers playing out front and crossed myself for good measure—I never did make it to mass that day. I no longer had any recollection of what the course was going to do, but about this point I had a revelation. The reason I felt so weird, so uncomfortable and disconnected, was that I was actually racing. My mind and body were working together, just not in a way I had experienced before.

With the half behind me I broke the remainder down into increments and set a goal for each one. If I can get to mile x at y pace, I thought, then I deal with what comes next. With this attitude, the miles flew by. I had my mind focused on getting to mile 20. I need to get to mile 20 by 2:20, I decided, because no matter what happens, I can do that last 10k in under 45 minutes—at some point the plan had become PR, not sub-3. Sure enough, I got to mile 20 in 2:17:59.

The sun was beating down and the crowds were sparse but neither of those things mattered. As mile 21 went by bringing me into Chinatown, I thought, you’ve only got 5 miles to go and almost 40 minutes to do them in! I managed to keep a pretty even pace, not sacrificing speed the way I had in New York the previous fall. Mile 22 went by in 7:01 and mile 23 in 7:04.

Mile 24 was tough; I did it in 7:10. At some point a spectator yelled, “You’re almost there!” I turned to a woman running next to me and said, “I hate it when they say that.” “Me too,” she managed back. I knew I was close, but in the final miles with the speed slowly draining from your body, distance is an abstract, an almost meaningless concept.

I set mile 25 as my next goal, then the “One Mile to Go” sign as the one after that. 1600 meters from the finish I heard a voice saying, “Come on, let’s do this.” It was the woman I had made the comment to a little while back. We picked it up. It really hurt, but I kept saying things like, “We’ve got this,” and knowing I had someone running beside me pushed me.

We finally turned right onto “Mount Roosevelt,” a small on-ramp that would not so much as trigger an extra heartbeat at the start of an easy run. People had told me it would be a tough climb, but thanks to my new-found running companion, I barely noticed the incline. We passed the “400m to go” sign and rounded the corner. With the finish line in sight, I gave it everything I had and crossed it in 3:01:44, a nearly 3 minute PR.

Moments later my new friend crossed the finish line and I thanked her for pushing me. She said, “I could see you had it in you.” For all the mental games I had played with myself during the race, here was someone I had never met who was able to see something that I couldn’t and who got me to give that extra 10%. I owe at least 30 seconds of my PR to her.

I've gone on for far too long here, so I’ll wrap things up by thanking all of you who, like that mystery woman, have been able to see things in me that I haven’t seen in myself and have helped me to succeed in ways that I never could have without your support. Thank you, and it has been a pleasure running “with” you.

Race Report: 2011 Bay to Breakers

I flew into SFO the Thursday before the race so I could have some time to hang out in the Bay Area with my brother. We managed to take in an A’s game, tour the Berkeley campus, do a wine tasting, drink some beer with some folks from the Boston forum, and eat tons of good food.

My brother and I drove into San Francisco (we were staying in the East Bay) and parked at the same place we did last year. He wasn’t racing—he had a box of wine in his backpack—but I had a sub-seeded bib so we got to the start area by 6:30. After scoping out some excellent costumes by the port-o-potties, we parted ways. 

Getting to my corral was a lot harder than expected because the sub-seeded and A corrals have the same narrow entrance but I managed to fight my way forward. I was disappointed to see that no one was really throwing tortillas (a B2B tradition) in the front, but I had picked up some earlier so I caused a little mayhem with my cornmeal frisbees. They announced the start for the elite women, and before I knew it, it was time for the rest of us to race!

At 55,000 participants, B2B is bigger than all but one race I’ve done so the initial start was a little slow. We ran down Howard Street where there where spectators were slowly stumbling out of their apartments. They were most excited when they saw their first runner in drag! I ran mile 1 (mostly flat) in 6:22.

I hugged the turns as we zig-zagged onto Hayes Street before mile 2, still pretty flat, in 6:25. I felt like I was getting warmed up as we passed bars getting ready for more revelers. Unfortunately, the worst part of the race was coming up, the Hayes Street hill! It’s an 11.15% grade that lasts about 1/3 of a mile. Near the crest, I saw runners dressed as salmon (I remember them from last year), waiting for the larger crowds so they could run “upstream to spawn.” Mile 3 had slowed to 7:23!

Coming off the hill, you get a short spurt of downhill followed by a gradual incline, but you’re soon passing another park and more revelers. I managed to recover to a 6:38 for mile 4 but I could still feel the hill in my quads! At this point, we entered Golden Gate Park. I guess I did realize last year how much of the race was actually in the park. It’s beautiful, but there are far fewer spectators. At least there’s a lot more downhill!

Mile 5 went by in 6:25 and by Mile 6 I was pushing myself again, doing it in 6:09. Around this point, I passed the Bison padlock, but unlike last year, I didn’t see any roaming bison. As we neared the giant windmill, I did mile 7 in 6:13. We turned onto Great Highway, the final stretch right along the water and the wind really hit me. Nevermind, I gave it all I had and ran the final .46 at a 5:58 pace. 

I finished in 48:23, a 6:30 pace (13 seconds per mile slower than my half PR) but this race is much more about the experience than your finish time. What did I learn? 1) Bay to Breakers is much more fun in costume. 2) It’s much more fun when you “run” with people you know. 3) It’s much more fun when you pregame with something other than just Gatorade!

I hope to be back next year!

Race Report: 2011 St. Patty's Day Dash

This was my second year in a row running Seattle's annual St. Patrick's Day Dash with my uncle. This is probably the city's biggest (non-marathon) race with around 10,000 people overall (many opt for the non-competitive, non-timed, beer-filled waves). It's a blast with so many people out in green gear.

The course is basically an out and back, though it starts by the opera house and ends by the EMP. The first two miles are pretty much up-hill which makes the second half a lot faster. 

My uncle and I lined up together. He asked what pace I was aiming for and I said nothing too fast since I was still recovering from last weekend. We decided to aim for beating our time from last year and otherwise to just have fun.

The horn sounds and we took off. The race does a bit of a loop under the highway before turning onto the highway for most of the run. You get to see everyone running behind you as you loop back over. We hit the first mile in 6:11, last year's pace. Although I said I wanted to take the first half (the uphill) easy, I pushed us both, though I kept chatting away. We hit mile 2 at 6:28 and I knew the marker was off.

Just after mile 2, at the Aurora Bridge, is the turn around. This marks a long stretch of downhill so we started to really push it. We saw people dressed like Guinness cans, guys running in green briefs and nothing else, and folks in leprechaun gear going uphill as we flew down.

We hit mile 3 in 5:17 (I think this marker was correct, but mile 2 had been really off, throwing our splits out of wack). Since the race is 3.8 miles I knew we were almost done, but my legs were starting to tire out. I told my uncle he could go ahead if he wanted. He said, "You can't be that tired, you're still talking." I told him that was only because my legs weren't the ones making conversation.

He pulled ahead but I managed to keep close enough by surging with a runner who was trying to pass me. We made the final uphill turn to the start. This is where I would usually rely on my kick to pull me through, but it wasn't there. No complaints though, since I crossed the finish in 22:38, almost a minute faster than my time from last year. Better still, I averaged a 5:58 pace--my current 5k PR is a 6:02 pace!!!

My uncle beat me by 6 seconds, but next year I'll make sure he's not so lucky.

Race Report: 2010 New York City Marathon

Thank God (and the government) for Daylight Savings Time! My alarm went off at 4:30 which felt like 5:30. I had everything packed so really all I needed to do was get my usual bagel and PB ready and put on my race-day outfit. I was assigned to a 5:30 bus from Bryant Park so rather than hassle with the subway I opted for a cab—amazingly there was one right in front of my building!*

I got to Bryant Park where the buses were being load like a well-oiled machine and by 5:30 I was off towards Staten Island. We got there sometime around 6:15 and then it was time to play the waiting game. I claimed a spot along the fence so I had something to lean against.

It was freezing even though I was bundled up. I passed the time talking with a woman from Scotland, a guy from Boston, another from NoVa, and one from Florida (he really enjoyed the chilly weather).

At 8:10 it was time to check my bag and bid farewell to my coat and phone. I made my way to the corral (which had port-a-potties too, score!) where there was more waiting and fence leaning. At 8:55 they shut the corral and gradually over the next 30 minutes they move us onto the bridge just past the tollbooths (I’m omitting a lot of the peeing that was going around me during this wait). I was in the blue group which was great because that’s the same group as the elites which means I could see all the speakers, TV cameras, etc. As the time approached, Mary Wittenberg, Mayor Bloomberg, Meb, Deena, and and the Chilean miner all spoke within a stone’s throw of where I was standing. Finally, it was time.

And They're Off!

A cannon shot off and the sounds of Sinatra’s “New York, New York filled the air.” We started slowly up the Verrazano Bridge—the biggest hill of the whole course. I was shooting for a sub-3:05 and my Greg Maclin Pace band had my first mile at 7:44. I was so excited that I did it in 7:24. There were helicopters overhead and beautiful views of the harbor off either side of the bridge. Good-bye Staten Island!

Mile 2 was all downhill to Brooklyn and trying to take advantage of the incline I ran a 6:20 mile, a lot faster than my goal 6:54 time. A nice runner alerted me to a sharp left-then-right so I took advantage of my first tangent as we turned onto 4th Avenue where miles 3 through 8 happen. Brooklyn was out in full force to cheer us on with music, signs, and lots of noise. Thus I did what should have been a 7:00 mile 3 in 6:46! Green runners merged with us around this point, but it didn’t seem to be much of a problem.

Mile 4 I did in 6:48, closer to my goal of 6:54. I was now in familiar territory from my long runs, but it was completely different running with thousands of other people and screaming spectators. I swear I almost had tears of joy.  Mile 5 was practically dead on in 6:51.  And right by mile 6 I saw some of friends from Georgetown which was awesome. They cheered me onto a 6:46 mile (should have been 6:55). I deliberately slowed down as we got closer to downtown Brooklyn. Here the crowds were slightly reduced and I did mile 7 in 6:58 (instead of my paceband 6:51). I knew my mom, stepsister, and aunt were waiting near mile 8 so even with a very sharp turn onto Lafayette, I did a 6:55 for mile 8.

At his point we were in Clinton Hill which has lovely brownstones and is quite different from the 4 to 6 lanes of 4th Ave. The crowds were still out in force which is good because there was a noticeable uphill for a half mile or so. I did this mile 9 in 6:52, 4 seconds ahead of my goal. I was still feeling awesome. We continued generally downhill as we turned onto Bedford and headed towards Williamsburg. There was some good hip hop along this stretch and I did mile 10 fast in 6:50. Once we passed into the Hassidic section, the atmosphere changed noticeable. The Hassidim weren’t happy to see us. There was no cheering, just sober faces and blurs as they rushed across the street between runners. I’d been warned about this, but it was still quite startling. Perhaps this is why I did mile 11 in 7:05, 9 seconds slow.

As we crossed under the Williamsburg Bridge, things livened up—we were now in the hipster part of Williamsburg. The road was extremely narrow, but there were tons of people out and many of them cheered my name as I went by! I did mile 12 in 6:55 as we passed through McCarren Park into Greenpoint. I still felt solid and knew that Queens wasn’t far off. I ran the tangents just as I’d practiced as we turned towards the Pulaski Bridge and mile 13 in 6:53. The bridge was noticeable but not awful and I passed the half in  1:30:23. I really thought I had a chance of breaking 3 (or at least coming close to it).

Queens, Where You Make It or Break It

Hunter’s Point in Long Island City was almost a total blur because all I could think of was the fact that the Queensboro Bridge was coming up. I’ve run this bridge many times before, but in the marathon, it has a reputation for being the make-or-break-you point. Mile 14 I did in 7:00, just 3 seconds slow. I could see the Citibank building ahead (it dominates the LIC skyline) and knew that it marked the turn to the bridge. Just before mile 15, which I did in a slow 7:14, we started onto the bridge. The incline looked as though it stretched on forever and everyone slowed noticeable. There were maybe 8 spectators on the whole bridge and the subways continued to rumble by on the right. Somehow I still did mile 16 in 7:10, 2 seconds fast.

The Island at the Center of the World...and Center of the Race

I stayed to the left as we began the descent into Manhattan and the incline became steeper. Well before we got to 1st Ave you could hear the crowds roaring in excitement. A quick loop and a hairpin turn dumped us onto 1st where the crowds were 6 deep on each side. Although I got a nice boost when I saw Footloose from the Boston forum with his HTFU sign, I did mile 17 in 7:03, which was slow for what should have been the fastest mile of the race according to Maclin. 1st Ave was full of energy but I was not. This is where the race started to become more mental than physical.

I knew my family was waiting at near Mile 19 so that kept me going strong, 14:08 for miles 18 and 19 (I forgot to hit the lap button) which was slow, but still put on pace for a sub-3:05. Seeing my family gave me some extra juice as we headed into the Bronx. I knew if I could hold on until we turned back into Manhattan, I’d be okay.

The Bronx and Harlem

There was far more energy in the Bronx than I expected, but all I could muster was a 7:20 mile 20 and a 7:15 Mile 21. As I entered Harlem, I just kept telling myself that as long as I kept upright, a PR was still a possibility. It helped that none of the spectators wanted to see anyone quit. As I headed down 5th and around Mt Morris Park, the thought of my family up ahead gave me a 7:17 mile 22.

The Final Miles

Now Central Park was in sight. I’ve run this portion of the course so many times that every dip was ingrained in my head; that didn’t matter. There was very little left in my legs. My breathing was fine. My upper body felt great, but there was only lead down below. The infamous 5th Avenue hill (which goes on for nearly a mile) was a case of mind-over-matter. I did mile 23 in 7:23, but was spent. As we entered the park, it was like coming home after a long journey. My law school friends cheered me on just before Mile 24, but all I could give was a 7:43. I managed to take a little advantage on the downhill on the rolling hills of the next mile and did a 7:23, but I barely remember anything about this part except that I took a Gatorade at two waters. We passed Mile 25 into the home stretch. There’s a nice downhill at this point, but I couldn’t appreciate it anymore. I turned onto Central Park South, which looks flat on a normal day, but is actually uphill. Thank God for spectators because I really felt like walking. I counted the Avenues as we approached Columbus Circle and the turn into the park. I passed mile 26 in 7:43 and could hear the finish area. I stayed left (the shortest distance) and felt like I was crawling until I saw I had fewer than 200 meters. Then I gave it all I had, which wasn’t much, and heard the announcer say “DAVID” as I crossed, the final .2 in 1:39, an 8:15 pace! I didn’t care, I had finished, PR’d with a 3:06:14 and had the time of my life. Too bad I had 20+ minutes of walking to the baggage truck.

Race Report: 2010 Jersey Shore Half-Marathon

Let me start off by saying that I now realize how spoiled I am! Most of the time I race in Central Park and can get away with leaving the house 45 minutes before starting time. No so today. such luck today!!! I woke up this morning at 4:45, went over my checklist for the millionth time, did my usual race morning routine, grabbed my bagel with pb and out the door to Penn Station by 5:30. I was on the 6:07 Jersey Coastline and let me tell you, there were some fun faces--tons of kids who had clearly spent the night partying in the City and were still going strong. After a scenic ride of about an hour, I got off the train and found Betina--very easy to spot in her red MCM jacket, with her fire engine red car!

It always great to go to race with someone. We chatted it up on our way to the race after we picked up Bet’s friend who was a half-marathon neophyte. On the way we scoped out the Dunkin’ Donuts situation for the way back--it pays to think ahead. We got to the race about an hour early which was great because we all had to use the bathroom and the lines were long. It was windy too, so we stayed in our warm clothes as long as possible, but when 8:45 rolled around, it was time to strip. I wasn’t sure a singlet and split shorts had been the best idea, but there was no going back.

The starting area had no corrals or anything, it was just a mass of people sorting themselves out. The three of us split up at this point and I head towards the front. There were some speedy looking people, but it was way less intimidating than the average NYRR race where I know on any given day there are at least a dozen sub-elites racing. After the national anthem, performed by a trumpet and drum--crowd sing-a-long encouraged, we were off.

I tried to start our conservative--the race was a double out-and-back (with the first out-and-back being 7.1 and the second being 6)--and I wanted to save myself for the second half. I was a ways from the leaders and for a while was running behind a couple people, and the first mile went by in 6:22. Mile 2 was about the same at 6:23, but then I started to edge up. I realized I was just following the pace of the people around me instead of setting my own pace. Mile 3 went by in 6:15 and I was running by myself, the leaders were far ahead, but there was no one right behind me. I knew the first turn around was coming and that definitely helped my speed. At this point we went by some barracks (there’s an army base on Sandy Hook) which were pretty cool to look at.

At the turn around the 15 mile-an-hour wind that had been in my face was not at my back which meant I stopped noticing it as I cruised through Mile 4 in 6:10 (I think this is where I first saw Bettina and we yelled to each other) and Mile 5 in 6:03 where I met up with a couple guys who were running together. They seemed to be going at the perfect pace so I stuck with them. We had a nice chat and they told me they ran together a lot because only one of them had a Garmin. The best was when the younger one said to me, “Your breathing too easy, the least you could do is fake it.” Ha!

At this point, either there were some mile markers missing, or I just got sloppy because I have no more splits on my watch. We got to the turn-around for the second mile and I was still feeling great but my two new friends started going a little faster and with 6 miles to go I stayed back a little. The second half seemed to go by in a blur though around Mile 10 I caught with a guy in a red beanie who’d been out ahead for quite a while. We each complemented the other but he was starting to slow so I didn’t talk to him for too long. As mile 11 passed I knew I was in the home stretch and that a PR was possible and more importantly that a guaranteed entry into next year’s NYCM was possible (sub-1:23 for my age group). Around this point a guy passed me who had been behind me the whole race. I was ready to go all out yet but I complemented him on his kick and kept at it. At Mile 12 I started counting down the minutes. Once I realized that I was within 800 yards of the finish I started to pick it up and when someone yelled 400 I started my kick. I felt great as I crossed the finish line--the guy who passed me between 11 and 12? He threw up right in front of me!!! Oops. I’m still smiling from ear to ear with my 1:22:12.28 (13th place, no vomit).

After some water, and I bagel I head back to wait for Betina. When I saw her approaching I let out my loudest “GO BET!” and scared the people around me. She had a really strong finish. I would not want to mess with Bet on the race course--super tough! I’m just grateful she let me cross the finish line ahead of her. Next time she might not be so courteous! We then got to watch her friend finish her first half! She did a phenomenal job too, though she said there were definitely no marathons in her future. All in all, it was a wonderful day at the Jersey Shore.

Race Report: 2010 Bolder Boulder

Ah, the BolderBOULDER, where to begin? Let’s start with a little background…

I got to Colorado on Tuesday the 25th, almost a week before the race, so that I could acclimatize to the high altitude. It was a very relaxed week. Thankfully the family I was staying with was a family of runners and former runners, all of whom had done the race many times before so they were very helpful. They made sure I got in a good run every day and that there was plenty of healthy food too! The whole week, whenever we went anywhere my friend would introduce me by saying, “This is my friend Dave; he’s here to run the BolderBOULDER.”

On Thursday I did my test run of the course. This race is a pretty big deal (it has nearly 55,000 participants and brings in $10 million to Boulder each year!) so I wanted to do the test run before the weekend crowds descended on the scenic foothill town. They have directional signs for the course up year-round so it was easy to find my way. On Sunday, for my shakeout, I ran the middle two miles again since that’s where the race’s highest point is. That night, my friend had to go to a wedding so her parents ordered homemade pasta from an Italian place (it’s so great staying with experienced runners who understand carbs!) and by 8:30 I was in bed (though I kept the light on until I had finished the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo).

At 4:45 my alarm went off. Because this race is so big, the first wave (my wave) starts at 7 am, with the last wave going around 9:20. There are 88 waves!!! I had my usual bagel with peanut butter, sat around nervously, and then jogged (yes, I’m using the verb jog) to the start with my friend’s dad who was also running, though he was a few waves behind me. The start was crazy! It was extremely well organized (you have to be with so many people) but it seemed to stretch on forever. I made my way to the front and passed people who looked like they were in amazing shape—I decided to start at the back of my corral. A few minutes before the gun security people swept through to make sure our bibs actually said “A.” The bugle sounded, letting us know there were 30 seconds to go, and then suddenly the gun went off and the flood gates opened.

The first mile is almost entirely downhill (about -1%) so things started fast. I wanted to be conservative at the beginning. I’d been told that this was not a PR course and that most people did about 2 minutes slower than their PR so I wanted to save my energy and my breath (literally—the air is thinner). I heard a guy with a Garmin say we were going 5:40 pace so I slowed down a little and did the first mile in 6:06 (definitely too fast since my PR average had been 6:11).

As we turned shortly after Mile 1, we entered a more residential neighorhood. There were some bands playing along the street and some spectators, but it was clear that most people were either in the race or still in bed. Mile 2 is a bit more uphill so I slowed to 6:20. My goal pace was around 6:25, so this was fine by me.  I could feel myself breathing harder than usual though my legs still felt great.

Mile 3 was probably the most residential of all and it has some serious turns and backtracks clearly thrown in just to make the proper distance. As such, it was the slowest mile at 6:38. When we passed the mile marker, people were shouting “You’re halfway there!!!” I guess they didn’t realize that the .2 miles can actually make or break you. As the course turned at the real halfway point, it brought me within a few blocks of my friends house. I could certainly see why her mom used to joke about pulling off the course there!

Mile 4 ended just before the Casey Hill, the highest point of the course. It had taken 6:29.

As I crested the hill, I found myself wishing there was a flat stretch of road. I needed a moment to recoup my energy and hated wasting the downhill when I was feeling so sluggish. As the course moved downhill, it entered “downtown” Boulder. I passed the office of my friend’s parents, but missed here mom who was trying to cheer me on. As we turned onto Pearl, the main commercial drag, we passed a large stage with a band that was still tuning up. No love for the early runners! My friend was out there, however, to cheer me on! The course began snaking towards the finish as I passed Mile 5 (6:23).

With the second to last turn, the race continued on a normally busy commercial strip leading to CU. Here there were some spectators cheering and you could feel the fact that you were in the home stretch. We passed km 9 and I knew with just 1k to go, I would meet my goal but that didn’t make the final hill any easier. The race ends in Folsom field, home of the CU Buffs, but to get there you have to climb a steep hill. I passed mile 6 (6:33) and wondered if I had any breath left to give. Finally we turned into the stadium and all the sudden, the adrenalin seriously kicked in. I hauled some butt as I saw the finish approaching and crossed in 39:53.

Definitely not a PR, but it felt like one.

After I picked up my water, snack bag, and free beer, I met my friend in the stands. The way they had it set up, you could watch runners crossing on the field and on the Jumbotron so we waited and watched for her dad. This had to be one of the coolest set-ups. You could see just how many people had come out to race. Once her dad found us, we set off back to their house walking along the course. There were still thousands of runners on the streets of Boulder so we cheered along the way. This is another cool part about the wave start—we even saw a mom who had clearly run in an earlier wave and was now running with her kids.

After watching the elites (their race starts at 11:20) and having a big breakfast, my friend and I went to Avery Brewing for a tour and some serious samples—the perfect way to follow a race.