Boston Marathon 2014 Review, Part 1

UNSTOPPABLE

The headline of The Boston Globe on Tuesday, April 22, 2014 read "UNSTOPPABLE".  It couldn't have been more true in every way.  Meb Keflezighi, the American winner, was unstoppable; Shalane Flanagan, the Boston native women's favorite who despite coming in seventh broke the American women's record, was unstoppable; the 31, 878 runners were unstoppable; and all eight cities along the course were unstoppable.  The entire marathon weekend was a dream and I didn't want to wake up from it.  I didn't want it to stop.

APRIL 18, 2014

My two littlest daughters and I flew to Providence from Orlando on Friday (Pete and the two oldest ones took the auto train and were going to drive up the rest of the way to meet us Saturday afternoon.  Saturday afternoon turned into Sunday afternoon because of train delays.  Needless to say, I was relieved to have flown.).  We rented an awesome (awesome will be used multiple times throughout this post) red Dodge charger for two days and too much money.  Budget Rental advertises only $36 a day, but then they push the ridiculously overpriced insurance on you and if you're a sucker like me, you bite.   Live and learn.  Anyway, we drove 40 minutes north to the Marriott Courtyard in Norwood, Massachusetts where we checked in for four nights.

APRIL 19, 2014

Pete called me Saturday morning about the train delay.  The girls and I had nothing planned that day, so I decided to do the expo.  I didn't want to take a chance waiting for the others Sunday only to miss packet pickup.  That would not be good.  We went out to breakfast at IHOP.  I ordered whole wheat pancakes topped with bananas.  You know, the "healthy" choice.  Of course, what are pancakes unless they're smothered with maple syrup?  Carbo loading at its best.  Halfway in I was already stuffed.  I saved the rest for the next morning.

This is some serious business.

I plugged 900 Boylston Street, the address of the Veterans Memorial Convention Center where the expo is being held, into the GPS.  Only 34 minutes from Norwood!  The sun is shining, the weather is going up to 60 degrees.  It was a gorgeous spring day in New England.  We were cruising in our awesome car busting out the tunes.  I was singing and dancing, the girls...not so much.  My 4-year old started crying that she was hungry and the two-year old always does what her sister does.  How could this be?  We  literally just piled pancakes into our faces moments earlier.  Suddenly, the good mood was turning sour.  Luckily, we were entering the city...or unluckily?  The traffic surrounding Boylston Street was worse than Rockefeller Center at Christmas.  The red lights seemed to be a minute longer, then once they turned green, we would crawl ten feet only to stop again.  I looked for a parking spot on the streets which was a joke.  There was a garage right around the corner from the expo, but it always seemed to be on the opposite side of the street.  I made a U-turn and backed into the garage, cutting off a pedicab.  Desperate times called for desperate measures and in seconds I just turned into that asshole driver.  Sorry, dude!  

I made it into the parking garage.  Everything was going to be okay now.  Ha!  There was less rhyme and reason in this garage than out on the streets.  There were no spots.  Cars were turning around in aisles.  As soon as you left an aisle, people would walk to their cars in that aisle.  Dang it!  I followed signs to more parking, but really to less parking.  Eventually, we were led to free valet.  Thank God!  We headed upstairs to the expo thirty minutes after entering the parking garage.

There's a mosaic with a cool statue outside.  I asked a fellow runner (I know this because almost everyone is wearing their Boston marathon gear) to take our picture.

Thank you, Good Samaritan photographer!  

Eh, I didn't need the statue in the picture.

We finally got inside the expo.  The packet pickup was on the third floor.  There's a huge 2014 Boston Marathon banner hanging on the wall where people were having their pictures taken.  I saw a tall blonde woman with a flower in her hair and immediately recognized her from Spirit of the Marathon 2: Rome.   I said hello and she smiled.  I asked another Good Samaritan if he would take our picture in front of the banner.

Eh, I didn't want the famous Boston Marathon

unicorn in the picture, anyway...

I went to the woman sitting behind the letter M sign to pick up my number.  I showed her my driver's license and she gave me my bib.  As I was walking away, she said, "I was surprised when I saw your name because my first name is Amy and my middle name is Mae!"  My name, by the way, is Aimée May.  "That has to be good luck!" I responded.  She nodded and gave me a thumbs up.  The negativity from the shit show car park experience faded instantly.  I went into the next room and got my goody bag including my awesome blue tech race shirt.

We made our way down to the second floor to the vendors.  The place was packed.  I was worried about losing the girls, but they were probably thinking the same thing.  They stayed close the whole time.  I bought myself a pair of cheap black sunglasses and 4 caffeine free Gus.  It was hard to navigate my way with the kids, so I decided to leave as soon as I could.  I was hoping to catch a glimpse of Meb or Shalane, but I had to settle for Julie Weiss (Spirit of the Marathon 2 lady.  Actually, even though she was a little kooky in the film, she BQ'd, ran 52 marathons in 52 weeks, and raised a lot of money for pancreatic cancer research).   On the way out, I went back to the banner at the number pickup and asked yet another Good Samaritan to take my picture.  This time I specifically requested the unicorn.

Well, I think I look better in the other picture...

Yeah, at this point I need to stop beating a dead--

We left the expo and grabbed a delicious lunch at Tossed in the connecting mall.  

APRIL 20, 2014

   

Pete and my eldest two children arrived Sunday afternoon.  I went for a quick 4 mile shakeout run near the hotel and then we headed back to the expo.  I wanted to pick up an emergency sports bra from the Marathon Sports vendor.  They also had a great Boston Strong t-shirt, but by 5:45pm on Sunday, all that was left was extra large.  

We headed to the pasta dinner.  Pete dropped me and the kids off at the Boston City Hall Plaza while he parked (hassle free, I might add).  We got on the end of the line which seemed to wrap around half the block.  The line moved along quickly, however.  We passed a "pay toilet booth", something we had never seen before.   My 12 year old suggested I carry a couple of quarters with me during the race in case I had to go.  As we got closer to the front, the two little ones had to use the restroom.  Pete took them to the pay toilet.  When they returned, he said it was actually a neat little adventure.  The door opened with a startling Star Trek swoosh and it was pretty clean inside.  When they were done, the door swooshed open again.  The line had moved forward since they entered, so the new people standing outside pointed, oohed and aahed when they emerged from the bathroom. 

Pasta party line

As we got nearer to the entrance, loud music was blaring from inside.  Young dancing volunteers from Wellesley and other local colleges greeted us with smiles and endless energy.  They set the tone which was perfect.  We were handed cardboard trays and then had a choice of penne with tomato sauce or pasta with alfredo sauce.  There were also meatballs, sausages, salad, Greek yogurt, and bread.  They were very generous with their portions.  After getting our food, we were led indoors and down a couple of flights of diners.  We shared a table with a lovely family from California on the lower level.  The husband and wife take turns marathoning.  This year, it was her turn.  While we ate our yummy dinner (light years better than the Mohawk Hudson Marathon pasta),  videos of past races were being played on large screens.  With the loud music playing in the background, it really got you pumped up for the race.  The announcer kept reminding people not to linger so other runners could be seated.  We quickly finished our meals and headed out the door.  More volunteers handed us goody bags filled with chocolates and chips.  Again, they were very generous, making sure all four of my children had their own bags.  I thought if the race was as fun and organized as the dinner, it will be a pretty good day.  And I was right.

April 15, 2014

Not much more to say on the anniversary of the worst day in running.  I decided to repost my thoughts from April 16, 2013:

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

We Are All Runners

I did a 4 mile tempo run.  I, like every other runner, was thinking about Boston.  I am more determined now than ever to get myself signed up and be at the starting line in Hopkinton next year.

Running is a solitary sport.  That is probably what attracts me to it.  I like to be out there on my own.  I'm not a group runner.  I don't enjoy chatting.  I am surrounded by children all day who like to chat, laugh, yell, shout bang, stomp, etc.  When I run, it's quiet.  I can think.  Or not.

Running in a race is a group effort.  That is what attracts me to it.  You are among peers.  Everyone has the same goal.  You feed off of each other's energy.  You draft behind someone.  You pace with someone.  You compete with someone.  In a large race, you and the elite runners are starting in the same place and ending in the same place, covering the same distance.  This does not happen in any other sport.

Running in a marathon is not a 4 hour race.  It is an event that started at least four months prior to race day.  You have run anywhere from 25 to 70 miles per week, 5 or 6 days a week, for months.  You wake up early to get your run in.  You brave the night streets if you couldn't get out there earlier.  You miss a child's soccer game.  You skip church.  You plan your days around your long runs.  This is a commitment only fellow marathoners and their families can relate to.

Running is not violent.  I mean look at us.  We're usually scrawny.  Some of us look like you could knock us over with a sneeze.  We have shiny clothes and lots of gadgets.  Talk about nerds.  You want to hurt runners?  You don't need a bomb.  Stand at the 4 mile marker in a 10k and tell everyone there's only one more mile left.  I mean, that's it!  I guarantee you'll devastate the majority of the field.

Bombs.  Bioweapons.  Airplanes.  Grow some balls.  Choose the difficult road.  Choose tolerance, compromise, forgiveness, compassion, peace.  This is the road that will lead you to the ultimate glory, if that's what you are looking for.  This is the road that will earn you respect.  This is the only road.  And after a while, you'll find that you're not alone.  There are runners on that road too.  It hasn't been easy for them either. They, too want to reach that finish line, get the medal, maybe a free beer, and maybe a little recognition for their efforts.  This is the only road.

Aspire 10K Run Review

You must be tired of reading about everyone else's triumphant races on their blogs, right?  I mean, people are getting faster, PRing, winning awards, blah blah blah.  It gets boring after a while.  Where are the near misses?  The also-rans?  Close!  But no cigar!  Those are the ones we want to read about so we don't feel so shitty about ourselves!  Well, lucky for you, I'm back with another race recap!

My Pfitzinger 18/55 schedule called for an 8k or 10k race this past weekend.  Even though I raced the Kings Park 15k the week before, I kind of spontaneously decided to sign up for another one.  I found the Aspire 10k run in Plainview.  It's a nice size race not too far from home with just an $18 entrance fee as a Greater Long Island Running Club (GLIRC) member.

Saturday morning it was 41 degrees and sunny.  I put on leggings, two long sleeve tech shirts, and a winter hat.  I found out later, I was way overdressed.  I arrived at the Plainview middle school at 7:45.  As I was walking from the parking lot, I thought I would text my friend, Leah, and let her know where I was.  Her ears must have been ringing because she suddenly appeared next to me.  We went inside the middle school and picked up our numbers and race shirts.  There was a nice size crowd inside the gym.  This race was put on by GLIRC so they had the usual delicious coffee-bagel-muffin-cupcake spread.  We stashed our new shirts inside an old desk and headed outside to do a quick warmup jog.

At 8:25 we lined up with the other runners at the start.  Again, there was no start mat.  I put my music on (I usually don't race with music, but this has been a rough racing cycle and I thought I could use a little motivation) and waited for the crowd ahead of me to start moving.  This didn't happen until almost 9am, a half hour past the scheduled start.   I decided to run this race by feel.  The 10k is my worst distance basically because I am terrible at pacing myself for it.  The 5k is short enough where you can run full speed for the entire distance.  The half marathon and marathon are long enough where you can go out slower than your goal pace and still be able to make it up later in the race.  The 10k?  Don't ask me.  Here's why:

I checked the elevation chart beforehand.  There were rolling hills, but nothing crazy like Kings Park.  I was running at a good clip, but my breathing was controlled.  I saw the one mile banner and no clock,  just a guy shouting out your times as you ran past.  I hit the first mile at 6:57.  "Hmmm, could this be my new 10k pace?" I stupidly naively asked myself.  I reached Mile 2 at 14:05.  "Oooh, this is nice!"  I thought to myself for another half mile - until it stopped being nice.  I felt myself slowing down.  My easy breathing got less easy.  I was hot and uncomfortable.  I took my wool hat off.  I tried to figure out a way I could take off my first layer without stopping or tearing my number from my second layer or dropping my hat and/or iPhone.  Impossible.  I remained overdressed and overheated.  There was a timing mat at the 5k mark which I hit at 23:05.  My 6:57 pace was now a 7:25 pace.  Miles 4 and 5 got progressively more tedious, but I thought I still had a shot at a PR.  My brain must have been fuzzy from the elevated body heat because I finished at 47:32.  28 seconds slower than my PR.   Live and learn.  One day I will get this damn distance right!     As God is my witness, I will never be hungry again!

The post race party looked like fun, but I had to boogie out of there so my kids could get to their games.  No time for pictures either.  I ended up finishing 3rd in my age group and the top 13% out of the women and top 25% overall.  Eh.

Dumb Sh*t Drivers Do

As road  runners, we not only encounter drivers daily on our runs, but we put our lives in their hands.  There have been too many incidents lately where runners have become victims of vehicular stupidity, sometimes ending tragically.  We runners, of course, are safe, smart drivers because we have all too often been at the other end of that bumper.  Here is a list of dumb shit drivers do.  If you know someone who is guilty of committing these acts of stupidity, please share.  It could not only save a lot of embarrassment, but also a life.

1.  Driver sees runner on side of the road.  Driver turns head.  Steering wheel is invisibly connected to head and turns, as well.  In the direction of the runner.  Smart runner expects this and quickly dives into bushes to safety.

2.  Driver is making a left turn at a corner.  Driver looks left for oncoming cars.  Driver continues to look left.  Once it is clear, driver takes off, forgetting cars and people could be coming from the right.  Smart runner expects this and quickly darts left and runs around the rear of car.

3.  Driver is making a left turn at a corner.  Nose of driver's car is too far out into the road.  Smart runner expects this and quickly darts left to run around the rear of car.  Driver realizes he is too far out and decides to reverse car without looking.  Smart runner slams hands on the trunk of car and waves.  With just one finger.

4.  Driver is following a long line of cars on a straightaway.  Driver gets impatient and swerves to the right for no other reason than being a dumb ass.  Smart runner on the side of the road expects this and quickly scales a tree like a squirrel on crack.

5.  Driver sees the traffic light ahead of him turn yellow.  Driver speeds up and blows the red light.  Smart runner expects this and waits to cross the street.

6.  Driver thinks runner is cute and lays on horn.  Smart runner waves back.  With just one finger.

7.  Driver is texting.  Smart runner expects this and quickly jumps onto the sidewalk like a squirrel on crack avoiding a dumb driver.

8.  Driver is drunk.  Smart runner calls the police.

Friends don't let friends be that driver.

What other dumb shit have you seen drivers do?

Kings Park 15k Review

I ran the Kings Park 15k this past Saturday.  I am writing the race report on Tuesday which is a good indication that things didn't go as planned.  Oh, I ran the race.  And I finished.  Just not as fast as I had hoped.  I heard that this was a tough race.  I heard it was hilly.  I heard it was more difficult than the Great Cow Harbor 10k.  But everything is relative.  One man's hill, is another woman's speedbump.   This was my last chance to gauge my fitness for the Boston Marathon so I was going to give it all I had...  Or not.

I got to the Kings Park High School a little before 8am.  It was an overcast 46 degrees.  Rain was on tap, but not until later.  Packet pickup was at the elementary school about a quarter of a mile down the road.  I got my number and my cozy hooded sweatshirt.  Thank God not another ill-fitting cotton t-shirt!  I brought a small bag that I tied to a leg of one of the tables in the gym.  I trusted that the runners were more interested in getting through this race than scoring a duplicate sweatshirt.

I used the indoor bathroom to avoid another Roosevelt Island incident and then went outside to wait at the start.  I met a woman, Lisa, who just happened to take my high school buddy's spin classes.  She was really friendly.  She was telling me how she was trying to change her life for the good by teaching cooking classes and running!  Good for her!  Five minutes before the start she went to the back of the pack because she didn't want to get in anyone's way.  Considerate, too!  

One reason I don't wear headphones during a race is if it's an unfamiliar course, I try to listen to other people's conversations about the course.  One man was telling a couple of women that there were two really big hills.  Another guy told his friends the first 10k was a fun run, then the last 5k was the race. I overheard a very fit and loud woman shout that this was a practice run for Boston.  It turned out I was standing in front of two men talking about getting to Hopkinton.  Of course, I had to join in.  One guy is staying at a hotel walking distance to Boston Common where most runners will catch school buses to the start.  The other guy is going to drive to the South Street parking lot outside of Hopkinton to take a shuttle bus.  I told them I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet.  Finally, the announcer started the countdown.  The South Street guy quickly advised me to take this course easy because of the hills.  Got it!  Run slow!

The horn went off and I realized there was no starting mat.  I wasn't that far back, but at least 30-45 seconds.  No biggie, I'm running slow!  There were no clocks at the mile markers, just volunteers shouting the time as you ran past.  I prefer clocks.  I ran Mile 1 in about 8 minutes.  I saw the hill at the end of Mile 2.  I ran up.  Not fast, but I didn't walk.  It   leveled off quickly.  That wasn't bad.  But the next one was.  Just past the second mile marker, I saw the next hill.  This one was steep and long.  Was it the second hill that the man earlier spoke of or was this a continuation of the first hill?  My breathing was labored.  I felt like I was moving at a snail's pace, make that an elderly, very tired snail with breathing issues.  My goal was to keep moving.  Don't stop.  Don't walk.  After what seemed like an eternity, I reached the top.  Next was the downhill which was just as steep as the ascent.  I tried to remember what I read about downhill running.  Some say the downhills in Boston are worse than the uphills.  If you go too fast or try to brake too much, you can shred your quadricep muscles making them useless by the time you reach the Newton Hills.  I leaned forward and let gravity take over.  It felt awkward because I naturally wanted to lean backward.  

Mile 6 took us down Kings Park Boulevard which is a long out and back road surrounded by woods and something that looked like an old abandoned mental hospital (think American Horror Story: Asylum).  I was running, but conservatively.  I was waiting for the next big hill.  Miles 7 -9 came and went and I realized there weren't any more hills.  I saw the school.  I had no idea what my time would be, but I knew it wasn't going to be great.  I figured I might as well sprint the last couple of hundred yards to the finish since I still had plenty of gas left in the tank.  The clock read 1:15:42.  About five minutes off what I would have expected if I had run it all out.  

I went back into the gym and retrieved my bag.  Because this was an event put on by my running club, GLIRC, they had a large array of baked goods set out.  I grabbed half of a giant chocolate cupcake, a water, and a Sprite.  I checked the posted results.  I finished 7th out of 54 in my age group at an 8:07 pace, and 194th out of 740.  I hadn't run a race in the 8 minute pace since my marathon.  I was disappointed, but I guess it wasn't bad for running slow...

Boston will be a crapshoot.  

Sunday With Friends

Sunday morning I got up at 6am to run 7-10 miles around my neighborhood.  Originally, I was going to do this at  Bethpage State Park before meeting up with my fellow blogger friends, Emerging Runner (ER) and The Petite Pacer (TPP).  After watching a marathon of the HBO series True Detective and then reading about real creepy true detective-like cases on its message boards (yeah, I'm a nerd), I decided against it.  Good thing because it was still pitch black out at 6am.  At 6:30 the sun finally began to make its way out.  I ran my regular 7.4 mile loop with one bathroom stop at the bagel store.  I went back and forth about doing an extra 2.5-3 mile loop here or at the park.  I figured it would be cutting it close on the meet time if I stayed local so I ended the first part of my run and went home to change.  I kept my leggings on and just changed my top.  I learned my lesson last week when I was freezing in just shorts and a long sleeve tech shirt.

I arrived at the park entrance a little before 8.  I was following a small black suv that quickly pulled over on the side of the driveway.  I thought it was ER so I stopped next to him with a big dumb smile on my face thinking of how I might annoy him only to realize it was a complete stranger.  I awkwardly waved and kept going.  Once I parked, I decided I might have just enough time to squeeze in another 2.6 miles to make it an even 11.  I ran 1.8 miles north on the bike path.  I called ER to see where he was.  He was already at the parking lot.  I told him where I was and suggested he and TPP start and I'll meet them on the way back.  I saw them at my ten mile mark.  We decided to go back north for the rest of our run.

As usual, TPP took the lead.  ER was lagging a little, but not much.  Once I tried making conversation with him and saw he was having difficulty responding, I knew he was having a tough time.  I felt badly because he has some respiratory issues.  Before I knew it, we were almost at our turn around.  ER wanted to stop, but I couldn't let him.  We were just 2/10s of a mile away from our intended goal.  He was a trooper and pushed on.  We stopped briefly for a chat.  We realized it wasn't normal for ER to be struggling at such an easy pace so early on.  We think it's possible he could have some form of cold induced asthma.  He had spent most of the winter running indoors.  His lungs were not adjusting properly.

On our return, TPP and I ran ahead.  It was an easy end to an additional 5 miles (6 for them).  I was 2 miles short of my scheduled 17, but it was well worth it to spend quality time with friends.

"Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend." - A. Camus (Does this apply to group runs, too?)

Shalane, Deena, & Jazzy Jeff Gallowhat?

NYCRuns Spring Fling 10k Review

I had been concerned about traveling to the NYCRuns Spring Fling 10k on Roosevelt Island.  I was on the island once when I was very small.  My family and another family took the cable car over from Manhattan.  I vaguely remember the ride over.  I don't think we even spent any real time there once we arrived, we just did it for the cable car experience.  My only other memory of Roosevelt Island is the "famous" cable car scene from the 1981 thriller Nighthawks.  I say famous lightly because I'm not sure how many people have actually seen this movie.  I loved it because gritty NYC action thrillers from the 70s and 80s are some of my absolute favorites.  Anyway, there's a brilliant hostage scene with Sylvester Stallone and Rutger Hauer in the cable car.  Back to the race, I didn't know how difficult it would be to get to the cable cars and how often they ran, so I just drove to Queens and hopped on the F train.  Three stops later and I was on Roosevelt Island.  Super easy.

Now the Roosevelt Island subway station reminded me of another movie:

Scene from An American Werewolf in London

Scene from A Long Island Runner

on Roosevelt Island

I followed a couple of people dressed like runners to the starting area which was a small park.  There was a DJ playing great music (Beastie Boys, yo!) and a ton of people dancing and milling around.  I picked up my number and decided to go for a ten minute run to warm up.  The temperature was a breezy 43 degrees on the water.  I ran down the road and immediately noticed how pretty this place was.  The island is small.  A 10k is two loops of the perimeter.  The streets were narrow and the buildings not too tall.  There was even a cute little church.  One disappointment was many business spaces were vacant.  Perhaps the outrageous NYC rent should be adjusted to consider the population of this tiny, limited access area. 

There was even a farmer's market!

I got back to the starting area and waited around for a half hour before lining up.  One of the NYCRuns staff commented on my Mohawk Hudson River Marathon shirt.  We briefly chatted.  I recognized him from the Narrows Half Marathon I ran last September.  I have to say I really like NYCRuns.  Their emails and Facebook updates are plentiful with chock full of information, updates, and humor.  Their races always feel intimate, I imagine the opposite of the New York Road Runners club.  The NYCRuns staff is very approachable.  They'll even delay the start so everyone can go to the bathroom (which can either be annoying if you've waited a long time in the cold or extremely thoughtful because sometimes when you gotta go, you gotta go...and I should have went when I had the chance....)

The race started and we first did a short out and back at the tip of the island.  I hit the One Mile marker at 7:15.  Oooh this is nice!  I felt good.  The nice thing about out and backs is that when you're up front, you're so happy you're on your side of the cones when passing the other runners.  I don't mean to sound obnoxious.  It's only because I know this from experience of being on both sides of those cones!  Roosevelt Island is in the East River.  We were able to get a gorgeous view of Manhattan, as well as Queens.  I hit Mile Two in 14:45.  I slowed down in my second mile, but not irreparably.  And then it hit.  I had to go the bathroom.  I had eaten an apple cinnamon Quaker oatmeal packet at 7:15 that morning.  I usually don't eat before races (except marathons) for this reason, but I was hungry and thought it best since I wouldn't be back home until around noon.  Bad decision.  I slowed down because if I pushed myself, I might actually be pushing myself.  Ew!  Okay, I know TMI, but I'm just being honest.  It happens to the best of us, right?  I got to the 5k mat which was back at the starting area.  I knew if I didn't go now, I might regret it.  I jumped off course, ran to the icky porta potties, and that was the end of my race.  I could have gone back in, but really the only reason I was running this was to get a handle on my fitness.  DNF.  Second this year (if you count the ridiculous Huntington St. Patrick's Day 5k.   I blame that on my daughter, of course!), second ever!

Back at the field, I saw a guy wearing the official 2014 Boston Marathon jacket.  It was easy to spot since it is neon HEREIAM orange.  I went over to chat a little about Boston with him and his friend.  After, I hopped back onto the F train and headed home...in search of a redemption race.

Kings Park 15k, here I come!

Bethpage 3x2 Relay Race Review & A Long Run

Race Review

Saturday was the Bethpage 3x2 relay race.  I arrived at the park at 8am to do a 10 mile warmup before the race.  Not recommended, but I missed my 12 mile run the day before.  I headed north 5 miles on the bike path.  It was a nice change of scenery than the usual southern route I have run in the past.  Once I got into Plainview, I recognized the Holiday Inn along the parkway.  This is the same path I ran on during the GLIRC group run back in December.  I turned around at the Cold Spring Harbor laboratories.

I got back to the Bethpage parking lot at 9:20.  I met up with The Emerging Runner (ER) and his wonderful family.  His wife, also a runner,  is so sweet and easy going and his children are adorable.  It made me wonder how he got so lucky.  Could they be hired actors? (Ha, just kidding!  ER is really just as awesome as his family, as I'm sure you know from his blog).  Our friend and other teammate, The Petite Pacer (TPP) arrived minutes later.  She was fighting off a fever, but still showed up because she's a trooper and a little cray cray (Of course she is!  She's a runner!).  ER gave us our numbers and I quickly changed because I was sweaty from my warmup and knew I'd be freezing waiting for my turn.  I was freezing, anyway.

left to right:  TPP, Center, and ER

The start.

This was a trail race that started on a large field.  TPP went first.  She said she could only manage 10 minute miles, however she came in faster than expected.  She's pretty amazing.  ER took off next.  TPP gave me a quick overview of the terrain.  I was a little nervous because I have a history of taking off my shirt (Oops, Bare Naked Ladies on the brain) faceplanting on trails.  I didn't want to injure myself with Boston so close.  Before I knew it, ER emerged, as his name proves, from the woods and I was next.  I took off pretty quickly on the grass, but once I entered the woods, I became more cautious.  Most of the trail was packed dirt, but there were areas that were muddy, icy, or sandy.  Some parts were narrow, making it a little difficult to pass others (I'm talkin' to you, 8 year old zig-zagging red-headed kid!).  My legs were cold and rubbery and I regretted running the 10 miles beforehand.  I was unhappily surprised to see the One Mile marker when I did because I thought I was almost done.  Finally, I was out of the woods (literally) and headed toward the finish line.  I heard my teammates (family included) cheering me on which gave me a nice boost at the end.  I may have even smiled crossing the finish line, a first for me!

It was a fun experience.  It kind of reminded me of Hood to Coast.  I hope my friends and I do more relays together in the future.

Sunday Long Run  

Sunday morning I slept in.  I had an 18 miler on the calendar.  I wasn't sure how I was going to feel since I had run 12 the day before.  I got out the door a little before 1pm.  I took my usual route north.  After 2 miles at an 8:35ish pace, I picked it up.  I needed to run 14 miles at Marathon Pace, which was 8:17 for me.  There was a good wind coming at me from the north so I was surprised every time Map My Run announced my split paces.  I brought two packages of Sport Beans with me, but only ate one.  I stopped at King Kullen, the 10 mile mark, for some Gatorade.  The last 8 miles would be rolling hills.  I want my long runs to mimic the Boston elevation.  I wound up doing the 14 miles between a 7:32 and 8:55 pace, and my overall pace for 18.35 miles was 8:19.  I was tired at the end, but I got through it without a struggle.    

Huntington St. Patrick's 5k Review

Sunday was the St. Patrick's 5k in Huntington.  I planned on running with my twelve year old daughter.  She and I prepared for the race by staying out late the night before with the rest of the kids drinking red wine at our neighbor's house.  Well, I had red wine.  I'm sure they were whining about something.  I just can't remember.  Later that night, while hallucinating dreaming of how my daughter and I were going to smoke 'em at the race, my four year old threw up twice.  The stomach bug had arrived.  I cleaned her up and decided to postpone the 14 miles (17 total) I was scheduled to run before the race until Monday.  Ha.  Like running 14 miles that morning was going to happen, anyway...

The late start of 12:45pm might as well have been 7am.  Waking, feeding, and dressing four kids, all the while ignoring appeasing a disapproving "told you so" husband, is more time consuming than you might expect.  We were out the door at noon headed for the north shore.  We arrived at the Huntington library to pick up our numbers at 12:35.  My daughter was sound asleep in the back seat.  I threw a blueberry muffin at her head gently woke her up.  The ladies inside the library were packing up boxes and getting ready to leave.   I asked one of them if I could get our numbers and she scoffed that that ship had sailed long ago.  I was surprised at how unpleasant she was about it.  Usually, people at these races are much more friendly and accommodating.  Okay, so my daughter and I would run without numbers.  No biggie.  My daughter had other ideas.  She interpreted this as a sign we should forego the run altogether, go home, and go back to bed,  "No!" I said, "This is going to be fun!  Just the two of us!  Hey, let's take a pre-race selfie!"

Her enthusiasm was uncontainable.

The starting line was right outside the library.   We hung out at the back because my daughter's "knees" were bothering her (meaning, she wanted to go back to bed).  It looked like there were only fifty runners, maybe seventy-five.  I was a bit disappointed and annoyed.  I was expecting hundreds of participants.  If I had known, perhaps I wouldn't have had that third second glass of wine and perhaps I wouldn't have dragged my unwilling daughter along.  I had a good chance of placing in the top three overall women.  I coulda been a contender!!! 

The race started and my daughter let me know that she was only going to run one mile.  We ran down 25A and then made a right onto Route 110.  It was a slow incline, but it made no difference because not even a quarter of a mile down, she stopped.  I reluctantly stopped, too.  We turned around and headed back to the finish.  As we were walking back, the lead runners zipped past us.  They were flying downhill.  I wished I was with them until we came across a  furniture shop giving away free hot dogs and I forgot all about them.  But then I remembered I gave up pork eighteen months ago (dang it!) so I grabbed a couple for the kids.  

We saw Pete waiting with his camera at the finish line.  He wasn't happy to learn that we DNF'd, but not as unhappy as he would have been if we had paid two entrance fees instead of just one.  While waiting for the parade, we met a retired NYPD cop wearing a Hood to Coast t-shirt.  He ran it the year before I did.  He also knew a lot of cops in common with Pete.  The weather was perfect and the kids enjoyed the rest of the afternoon watching the bagpipers and fire trucks go by.  Not a total loss.

UPDATE:  Remember the stomach bug?  No Monday morning 17 miler thanks to him (Like that was going to happen anyway......)

Second 20 Miler Done

I headed out the door at 12:45pm.  It was 38 degrees.  I had on my Mizuno cold weather leggings, a tank top, my blue Avalanche pullover, gloves, wool socks, and my brand new Adidas Supernova Glides.  I was taking a risk wearing brand new sneakers for a 20 miler, but I would rather run through blisters than have to stop my run altogether because of guaranteed cramping and spasms.  I was going to wear a turtle neck under the pullover and I'm glad I decided against it.  The pullover is super warm on its own.  I brought two chocolate mint Gus and money to pick up a Gatorade at the halfway mark.

I headed ten miles north to the King Kullen in Manhasset.  The streets and sidewalks were mostly clear from snow and ice except for one short stretch on Shelter Rock Road.  I was forced to run on the road for a hundred yards which was a bit scary because the shoulder was narrow, I was running with traffic (there's no sidewalk on the opposite side), and the cars zoomed by me pretty fast.  I arrived at King Kullen in (one piece!) an 1:32:34, a 9:16 pace.  I washed down a Gu with orange Gatorade.  I started the Map My Run app because I like to explore the neighborhoods which makes it difficult to remember all the turns and streets after the fact.  I ran 5 hilly miles in South Strathmore, then 3 miles to Plandome.  I forced myself to consume the other Gu at Mile 17.  It was very gross, particularly because I had nothing to wash it down with (I think I'm going to go back to Super Candy for my next long run.  Much tastier and minus the gag reflex).  The biggest hill was at Mile 18 in Flower Hill.  It is only a 110 foot gain of elevation, but it's steep (I think similar to Heartbreak Hill).  I had to mentally will my feet to keep going forward.  Once I crested, I finished the last two miles easily with some pep in my step.  The second half of the run was a total of 10.37 in 1:36:07, a 9:16 pace again.

My new sneakers were the right choice.  I had no issues, except at one point splashing in a mud puddle and getting a couple of drops on the top of my right shoe (boo!).  My legs were sore the rest of the day, but they feel great today.  These next four weeks are going to be pretty intense with high mileage and speed work.  Boston's right around the corner.  Yikes!