I've wanted to run the NYC Half ever since I learned about it but so far have been unable to win the lottery When the results for 2013 came in and I learned that Alek would be in the race while I was denied, I was excited for him but not sure what I wanted to do. I was hoping that the Sleepy Hollow Half or the Allstate New York Half would be held on the same weekend so I could also run a race. Sadly both of those will take place on March 23 and I've already got plans!
I noticed that fundraising spots were still open for the New York City half, so I decided that was the way I would enter the race! I've decided to join the American Cancer Society's DetermiNation team to help with cancer research and prevention.
After 2012, its pretty clear that a half marathon is no challenge for me. I want my supporters to feel like they're helping to push me through something challenging, so I'm going to train to run the NYC half in less than 2 hours. I've never before been able to do this, but with some dedicated training it will be possible.
If you'd like to help end cancer and support me in my sub 2 hour NYC Half, you can donate at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/sadpony. Remember, every dollar helps!
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
2012 Year End Summary
I did it! My 2012 resolutions were to run 1 race of at least half marathon length each month and also to qualify for the 2013 New York Marathon through the NYRR 9+1 program.
I ran 11 half marathons and 1 full marathon. I also managed to get faster through the year. Check out all of those medals! (There are only 11 because Grete's Great Gallop didn't have a finisher medal. So disappointing.).
I ran 9 NYRR races, and was able to transfer my registration for the cancelled Dash to the Finish Line to a different race for next year. I'll be running NYC in 2013!
I ran 11 half marathons and 1 full marathon. I also managed to get faster through the year. Check out all of those medals! (There are only 11 because Grete's Great Gallop didn't have a finisher medal. So disappointing.).
I ran 9 NYRR races, and was able to transfer my registration for the cancelled Dash to the Finish Line to a different race for next year. I'll be running NYC in 2013!
Stay tuned for my 2013 plans! Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 21, 2012
Treadmills (boo)!
I really dislike running on the treadmill. But with the park closed after 4:30 PM or when the weather is crappy, its sometimes my best option. Last night I ran 8 miles on a treadmill. Usually when I start a run outside, the first mile is the hardest. After that I get in a grove and press on. I found that on the treadmill, the first three miles were brutal. How can you fix this?
I found that pumping up the speed for 1 minute and then going slower for 5 minutes helped the time pass. My target was no longer 8 long miles, but rather 5 minutes from now when I would really push myself. This made the last half of my run pass in no time.
What tricks do you use to make treadmill running bearable?
I found that pumping up the speed for 1 minute and then going slower for 5 minutes helped the time pass. My target was no longer 8 long miles, but rather 5 minutes from now when I would really push myself. This made the last half of my run pass in no time.
What tricks do you use to make treadmill running bearable?
Monday, December 17, 2012
Brooklyn Bridge Park's Newest Area
Saturday I had the chance to run through Brooklyn Bridge Park's newly opened Pier 5. The pier includes several soccer fields, a picnic area with charcoal grills, and a children's play area. It looks like they did a nice job, even though there still aren't any lights on after 4:30pm, meaning the park closes.
It was a chilly morning, and as I ran through I saw a few curious folks walking around and checking things out. I'm excited to use the charcoal grills when it warms up, although I expect we'll need to get there very early if we want to use one of the community grills.
Running through the park's newest area also reminded me how great it is to run through the park during the colder months. As I imagined how full the park would be like this summer as folks are using the grills, I was happy for the chance to visit the park without so many people.
It was a chilly morning, and as I ran through I saw a few curious folks walking around and checking things out. I'm excited to use the charcoal grills when it warms up, although I expect we'll need to get there very early if we want to use one of the community grills.
Running through the park's newest area also reminded me how great it is to run through the park during the colder months. As I imagined how full the park would be like this summer as folks are using the grills, I was happy for the chance to visit the park without so many people.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Goofy Challenge Training Check-in
We're currently 4 weeks out from the Goofy's Marathon and a Half Challenge. I don't feel prepared at all. As I was starting my training, I was struggling with a hip injury. Fortunately that's better now, but I did skip several long runs because of it.
When training for my previous two marathons, I completed two 20 mile long training runs before the race. Now I won't have time for that. I'm planning long runs of 18 miles this weekend and 20 next weekend. Right now, my longest run has been 16 miles. There are several marathon training programs that have long runs max out at 16 miles, so I should be ok.
The last two weeks before the race are meant to be a taper. This is the time to back off on miles, and rest up so your legs are fresh for the big day. I've planned a few ski trips during the taper. I'm not entirely sure how that will go. Downhill skiing does involve a lot of squatting, which is good for strengthening the hips. However, I'm going to miss several scheduled runs because of them.
Luckily, Disney is liberal with their time limits. Even if I find that I wasn't prepared for the race, I don't think I'll be so slow as to not cross the finish line within the 7 hour time limit.
Here's hoping the next few weeks go well without injury or too much rain (I hate running outside in the rain).
When training for my previous two marathons, I completed two 20 mile long training runs before the race. Now I won't have time for that. I'm planning long runs of 18 miles this weekend and 20 next weekend. Right now, my longest run has been 16 miles. There are several marathon training programs that have long runs max out at 16 miles, so I should be ok.
The last two weeks before the race are meant to be a taper. This is the time to back off on miles, and rest up so your legs are fresh for the big day. I've planned a few ski trips during the taper. I'm not entirely sure how that will go. Downhill skiing does involve a lot of squatting, which is good for strengthening the hips. However, I'm going to miss several scheduled runs because of them.
Luckily, Disney is liberal with their time limits. Even if I find that I wasn't prepared for the race, I don't think I'll be so slow as to not cross the finish line within the 7 hour time limit.
Here's hoping the next few weeks go well without injury or too much rain (I hate running outside in the rain).
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Dancing
Alek and I have started taking ballroom dancing lessons in preparation for our wedding. We're not good enough at this point for me to really consider this cross training. We stop and start to get advice on where we've messed up and we never really get our heart rates up.
So why am I even talking about this on my blog? Form is very important in dancing. It's something I think about abstractly when I'm running but I don't pay much attention to it. Our dance instructor is constantly impressing the importance of good posture on us. As someone with not so great posture, it's good to spend a couple of hours every week working on it. I also find myself more aware of my posture when sitting or standing at work and while running!
I'll give another update when we're good enough for our dance lessons to count as cross training :)
So why am I even talking about this on my blog? Form is very important in dancing. It's something I think about abstractly when I'm running but I don't pay much attention to it. Our dance instructor is constantly impressing the importance of good posture on us. As someone with not so great posture, it's good to spend a couple of hours every week working on it. I also find myself more aware of my posture when sitting or standing at work and while running!
I'll give another update when we're good enough for our dance lessons to count as cross training :)
Monday, December 10, 2012
Book Review: Robert Jordan's The Eye of the World
After some hesitation, I finally decided to start listening to Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time Series. I hesitated because it is a 14 book series (including a prequel) and each of the audio books range from 20 to over 40 hours long. Its going to take a long time for me to get through the series!
I completed the first book, The Eye of the World. The publisher's summary is:
The book is packed with adventure and intrigue, although sometimes a bit confusing as I listened while running. There are many characters and keeping who was a member of which group was a bit difficult. Luckily though, I was able to come back after runs and look at Encyclopedia WOT for chapter summaries.
I would recommend this one for running. As you can tell from the summary, there were many scenes where the main characters were fleeing, making it easy to picture myself in their shoes while running. The whole book was a grand adventure that was able to keep me wanting to get out for the next run so that I could find out what would happen next!
I completed the first book, The Eye of the World. The publisher's summary is:
When their village is attacked by trollocs, monsters thought to be only legends, three young men, Rand, Matt, and Perrin, flee in the company of the Lady Moiraine, a sinister visitor of unsuspected powers. Thus begins an epic adventure set in a world of wonders and horror, where what was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.
The book is packed with adventure and intrigue, although sometimes a bit confusing as I listened while running. There are many characters and keeping who was a member of which group was a bit difficult. Luckily though, I was able to come back after runs and look at Encyclopedia WOT for chapter summaries.
I would recommend this one for running. As you can tell from the summary, there were many scenes where the main characters were fleeing, making it easy to picture myself in their shoes while running. The whole book was a grand adventure that was able to keep me wanting to get out for the next run so that I could find out what would happen next!
Friday, December 7, 2012
Eating for Night Races
So far, I've run three night time half marathons. The 2011 Disney Wine & Dine Half started at 10 PM, The Davis MOOnlight Half started at 7PM, and most recently the Vegas Rock 'N' Roll Half started at 4:30 PM (yes that is nighttime in the winter)!
The day of the Disney Wine & Dine Half, I had pasta with a cream sauce at 3:00PM and nothing until race time. At about mile 8 I started to have quite a bit of stomach pain and it lasted through the evening (even after the race). I regretted the pasta and decided that night races are harder than morning races.
The day of the Davis MOOnlight Half, I had a veggie burger and fries for lunch around noon. After driving to Davis from San Francisco, I had a short stack of pancakes from IHOP at 5:30 PM. I hoped to PR at this race, as the course was flat and I'd been working on speed leading up to it. Instead, at mile 6 I got an upset stomach and ended walking a good bit. I finished within 30 seconds of my PR and if it weren't for the pancakes so close to the race things may have gone better.
The morning of the Las Vegas Rock N Roll Half, I had 1 egg and three pancakes at about 8 AM for breakfast. At 12:30, I had pasta with marinara sauce and a few pieces of garlic bread. After Alek read in the Running Doc's Guide to Healthy Running that taking antacids before a race will help relieve nausea, I decided to give it a try for this race. I also had a Gu immediately before starting. I didn't feel any stomach problems at all until the 12th mile. Even at that point it wasn't enough to slow me down!
After three tries, I've figured out how to eat for a nighttime race:
I suspect if I were to run a nighttime race closer to home, eating would be less of an issue. But when running a destination race, I'm left eating restaurant food that is almost always much heaver than my normal meals.
The day of the Disney Wine & Dine Half, I had pasta with a cream sauce at 3:00PM and nothing until race time. At about mile 8 I started to have quite a bit of stomach pain and it lasted through the evening (even after the race). I regretted the pasta and decided that night races are harder than morning races.
The day of the Davis MOOnlight Half, I had a veggie burger and fries for lunch around noon. After driving to Davis from San Francisco, I had a short stack of pancakes from IHOP at 5:30 PM. I hoped to PR at this race, as the course was flat and I'd been working on speed leading up to it. Instead, at mile 6 I got an upset stomach and ended walking a good bit. I finished within 30 seconds of my PR and if it weren't for the pancakes so close to the race things may have gone better.
The morning of the Las Vegas Rock N Roll Half, I had 1 egg and three pancakes at about 8 AM for breakfast. At 12:30, I had pasta with marinara sauce and a few pieces of garlic bread. After Alek read in the Running Doc's Guide to Healthy Running that taking antacids before a race will help relieve nausea, I decided to give it a try for this race. I also had a Gu immediately before starting. I didn't feel any stomach problems at all until the 12th mile. Even at that point it wasn't enough to slow me down!
After three tries, I've figured out how to eat for a nighttime race:
- No large meals within 3 hours of start
- No high fat, high protein, or high fiber meals day of
- Have an antacid before the race
I suspect if I were to run a nighttime race closer to home, eating would be less of an issue. But when running a destination race, I'm left eating restaurant food that is almost always much heaver than my normal meals.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Race Recap: Las Vegas Rock N Roll Half Marathon
Pre Race
Sunday's Rock N Roll Las Vegas schedule of events had a pre race concert featuring The Journey Experience starting at 2:00 PM. The full marathon started at 3:00 PM and the half marathon (my main event) started at 4:30. Alek and I were well placed in our hotel room on the north side of Excalibur to actually see the starting area and crack our window to listen to the Journey Experience while we made our race preparations.
Our window also gave us a view near the second mile of the marathon course. We watched as the leaders ran by before heading down to the pre-race festival ourselves.
The Main Event
The half marathon had 22,000 people organized into 36 corrals. I was to start with corral 11 while Alek would be back in corral 15. Each corral was supposed to have its own start countdown. This mostly worked but just like at Rock N Roll St Pete, my corral fell apart. I probably started with corral 9 or 10, I'm not sure. Alek's corral did hold together - so I guess there are just sometimes glitches in the Rock N Roll starts and I always happen to be in the glitchy corral!
Shortly before the race start, the wind picked up tremendously. We first ran north on the Strip and then after about a mile turned back toward all of the casinos. It felt nice having the strong wind occasionally gust and push at our backs as we ran south. Around the halfway point we turned off to the most boring part of the race through a neighborhood. There were no shiny lights or spectators here. We then ran back to Fremont Street before again heading north on the Strip toward the finish line in front of the Mirage. As I headed north, I was now running into the strong winds. Even though I felt like I was pushing hard, my pace was slower than expected. I crossed the finish line at 2:02:09. A personal record for me but not the sub 2 hour goal I was hoping for. Alek finished in 2:09:10 but I had to wait nearly 20 minutes for him at the finish line because of the corralled starts. Full results are here. The finish area had lots of food and drink but the bagels were just no good. Maybe I'm spoiled by being from New York?
Anyone who has visited Las Vegas knows that the pedestrian path down the strip takes you up and down elevators and sometimes through buildings. It takes a bit longer than expected to get anywhere. Running down the middle of the Strip was awesome!
The race was a lot of fun but there were a few factors I didn't plan for. The wind was definitely one of those. By the halfway point I was on track to finish in 1:58. Running into the wind slowed me down a lot. My water consumption plan didn't work out either. The temperature was perfect but I'm used to running in more humid air. The dry desert air left me much thirstier than expected, forcing me to stop at water stops and drink all of the water from my fuel belt.
The finish medals and race T-shirts were quite nice. Since this is my second Rock N Roll event of 2012, I should get one of their heavy medals for completing two events! I'll share a photo when I get it.
How'd that playlist work out?
Alek mentioned to me that I never talk about how my playlists worked for races, so I decided on a new section for my race recaps to let everyone know what went well and what didn't.
This playlist for this race was quite good. Listening to Dave Matthew's "Don't Drink the Water" as I was avoiding water stops early on was amusing, as was listening to Florence & the Machine's "Seven Devils" as I ran past people holding up signs encouraging runners to turn to Jesus. The instrumental pieces between sections of the playlist smoothed the transitions between themes and the tempo of the songs was also fast enough to keep me going.
Sunday's Rock N Roll Las Vegas schedule of events had a pre race concert featuring The Journey Experience starting at 2:00 PM. The full marathon started at 3:00 PM and the half marathon (my main event) started at 4:30. Alek and I were well placed in our hotel room on the north side of Excalibur to actually see the starting area and crack our window to listen to the Journey Experience while we made our race preparations.
Our window also gave us a view near the second mile of the marathon course. We watched as the leaders ran by before heading down to the pre-race festival ourselves.
Leaders gonna lead (see the three yellow shirts in the middle of the strip)
We finally headed down to the pre race festival around 3:30. It was already slightly windy by that point but nothing too bad. The temperature was perfect for running and I was pumped hoping to break a 2:00 half marathon!
Pre race (yes, its the wind making my hair crazy)
Concert stage behind me with the Journey Experience
The Journey Experience was a Journey cover band - and they did a great job at revving up the crowd. They sounded great. Who doesn't want to hear "Don't Stop Believing" just before trying to set a PR at a race?
The half marathon had 22,000 people organized into 36 corrals. I was to start with corral 11 while Alek would be back in corral 15. Each corral was supposed to have its own start countdown. This mostly worked but just like at Rock N Roll St Pete, my corral fell apart. I probably started with corral 9 or 10, I'm not sure. Alek's corral did hold together - so I guess there are just sometimes glitches in the Rock N Roll starts and I always happen to be in the glitchy corral!
Shortly before the race start, the wind picked up tremendously. We first ran north on the Strip and then after about a mile turned back toward all of the casinos. It felt nice having the strong wind occasionally gust and push at our backs as we ran south. Around the halfway point we turned off to the most boring part of the race through a neighborhood. There were no shiny lights or spectators here. We then ran back to Fremont Street before again heading north on the Strip toward the finish line in front of the Mirage. As I headed north, I was now running into the strong winds. Even though I felt like I was pushing hard, my pace was slower than expected. I crossed the finish line at 2:02:09. A personal record for me but not the sub 2 hour goal I was hoping for. Alek finished in 2:09:10 but I had to wait nearly 20 minutes for him at the finish line because of the corralled starts. Full results are here. The finish area had lots of food and drink but the bagels were just no good. Maybe I'm spoiled by being from New York?
Anyone who has visited Las Vegas knows that the pedestrian path down the strip takes you up and down elevators and sometimes through buildings. It takes a bit longer than expected to get anywhere. Running down the middle of the Strip was awesome!
The race was a lot of fun but there were a few factors I didn't plan for. The wind was definitely one of those. By the halfway point I was on track to finish in 1:58. Running into the wind slowed me down a lot. My water consumption plan didn't work out either. The temperature was perfect but I'm used to running in more humid air. The dry desert air left me much thirstier than expected, forcing me to stop at water stops and drink all of the water from my fuel belt.
The finish medals and race T-shirts were quite nice. Since this is my second Rock N Roll event of 2012, I should get one of their heavy medals for completing two events! I'll share a photo when I get it.
Race shirt and medal
How'd that playlist work out?
Alek mentioned to me that I never talk about how my playlists worked for races, so I decided on a new section for my race recaps to let everyone know what went well and what didn't.
This playlist for this race was quite good. Listening to Dave Matthew's "Don't Drink the Water" as I was avoiding water stops early on was amusing, as was listening to Florence & the Machine's "Seven Devils" as I ran past people holding up signs encouraging runners to turn to Jesus. The instrumental pieces between sections of the playlist smoothed the transitions between themes and the tempo of the songs was also fast enough to keep me going.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)