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Ran a 10k - Official Thread (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Ned
- Start date
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
-OZ-
Footballguy
Nice job O!Driscoll's Strawberry Classic 10k
I don't think I can match @Juxtatarot's race report so I am not going to even attempt it. Very impressive gb.
The race was near USF in the city of Temple Terrace. It was the first of 2 races for the 15k challenge. The course itself is awesome. While an open course, there was very little traffic at the 7:15 start and all drivers in the particular neighborhoods I was in were very courteous. There are a couple of parks and a golf course I skirted in the middle and the end of the course. I actually felt pretty good. The toe (lefty) seemed to be just fine throughout the entire race. The heel lock lacing really makes a huge difference and it was comfortable as can be. I was off my PR pace for 10k by about 4 minutes or so iirc. Last year I ran this race about 8-10 minutes slower. This year I had roughly 8-9 minutes before the 5k started so I know I improved. No big deal for this one. I was taking it easy throughout. There were a couple of rolling hills and the finish line was above an incline as well. Not like the 4% fun I had a few weeks ago, but an incline nonetheless. All in all a pretty smooth race. My mile times actually seemed pretty consistent which bodes well for me in my next race in the Keys 4 weeks from now.
Driscoll's Strawberry Classic 5k
I actually did treat this race like a recovery run. There was twice as many folks in this one as the 10k (shocker) and I was just looking to finish and relax. I ended up running into this lady I have seen in many races and her pace was similar to mine (maybe slightly slower). We talked pretty much the whole race about our races and current and upcoming schedules. It was nice to have this kind of chat whereas I was mostly on my own for the 10k. A slow time for me, but again, no big deal. My focus is on the Keys race and this was the last race in a 4 week cycle of races.
I just added up the total race miles I have run over the last 4 weekends and it comes out to almost 43 miles. Dang.The plan for the next few weeks is to keep running, but adding some some much needed gym time back into the mix. I have actually been spending more time adding in lower body circuit and free weight work. Running will be a mix of shorter and longer runs until mid-April. The plan is also to take it easy and have some recovery time as well. Mrs. O was at the finish for both races yesterday and I yelled to her when I finished the 5k "4 week vacation!!!". Lol. I do need some time off. Nothing planned yet for Fall (although I do have some ideas) and no races during the Summer (aka Florida hell) except one I may have a leftover registration for. Great seeing all of you kicking ### out there. I will continue to improve over time through dedication and persistence, but you all are to thank for motivating me to keep going. Once again, most appreciated.
I'm not going to bother with a race report except to say I wore through my shoe and now my ankle feels like a strained a tendon. Hurts to flex the damn thing. So I rode on the trainer this morning, don't plan on running until it feels better. It really hurts to walk up or down steps or incline.
Osaurus
Footballguy
Rest that thing and don’t rush it. I pitched my worn out pair of Glycerins and ran in a new pair. My old ones were doing more damage to me than I thought.Nice job O!
I'm not going to bother with a race report except to say I wore through my shoe and now my ankle feels like a strained a tendon. Hurts to flex the damn thing. So I rode on the trainer this morning, don't plan on running until it feels better. It really hurts to walk up or down steps or incline.
JAA
Footballguy
Awesome splits! That’s a great RR.
In going to try the “I’m a bad mutha####er”.
The one I say out loud is “I’m ready to suffer”. Though I think this new one sounds even better.
tri-man 47
Footballguy
Great reports!
@Juxtatarot, very impressive race with some solid racing. And that was perhaps the most eloquent race report we've had ..."wispy" ..."fixated" ..."parry." Sorry about the getting-old part. It happens.
Pickles for all the excellent racing:
@Juxtatarot, very impressive race with some solid racing. And that was perhaps the most eloquent race report we've had ..."wispy" ..."fixated" ..."parry." Sorry about the getting-old part. It happens.
Pickles for all the excellent racing:
JShare87
Footballguy
Was just going to mention that. Gruced had an awesome run as well. 137 avg HR with a pace in the mid sevens is really impressive imo. Also, Bushdocda with a nice progression run. Great stuff in here, all around.
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Juxtatarot
Footballguy
That reminds me. I wanted to use Sir Roger Bannister’s phrase “my legs were full of running” but completely forgot!Great reports!
@Juxtatarot, very impressive race with some solid racing. And that was perhaps the most eloquent race report we've had ..."wispy" ..."fixated" ..."parry." Sorry about the getting-old part. It happens.
Pickles for all the excellent racing:
bushdocda
Footballguy
Really is a phrase that needs more run around here. Thought about it a few times today.
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
My effort today could best be described as “my legs were devoid of running.”
Fighting off some plantar fasciitis, developed some weird hamstring tightness, and just as I’m finally getting over my last cold I’m coming down with a new one, complete with tightness in my chest. Probably should have just bailed, but I’m headed to Vegas tomorrow for 7 days with likely no running at all until Friday, so I went out anyway for 3 1/2 hours, calling it good at that point after mostly just trudging up and down hills. Nature tried its best to keep me motivated, but just a crappy effort. Oh well, got 2,700’ of vert and some time on feet in.
Fighting off some plantar fasciitis, developed some weird hamstring tightness, and just as I’m finally getting over my last cold I’m coming down with a new one, complete with tightness in my chest. Probably should have just bailed, but I’m headed to Vegas tomorrow for 7 days with likely no running at all until Friday, so I went out anyway for 3 1/2 hours, calling it good at that point after mostly just trudging up and down hills. Nature tried its best to keep me motivated, but just a crappy effort. Oh well, got 2,700’ of vert and some time on feet in.
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mr. furley
Footballguy
MAC_32
Footballguy
Zasada
Footballguy
I know I'm Single-A ball in a group of MLBers but I had a great run yesterday. Was vacationing in PHX and got out onto a trail in McDowell Mountain park. 10C, light wind, dry, and cloudy. Trail was in great shape. It was so perfect. I only planned on running 10K (the longest I have ever run with no walking). But after about 7 or 8 I felt so good that I thought I would go a little longer. Turned out to be 17K!
This time last year I could barely run 1K without a walk break. My goal is to run a half marathon in November and that's clearly within reach now. I have other (trail-specific) goals I want to achieve as well.
Also got a 16K/750m hike in the day before (Thompson Peak). Real grunt on on the last 2k but a great hike to a great view. I can see in the summer how it would be brutally hot but this time of year it really reminds me how great nice-weather hiking is. Can't wait for the snow to be gone here at home...
This time last year I could barely run 1K without a walk break. My goal is to run a half marathon in November and that's clearly within reach now. I have other (trail-specific) goals I want to achieve as well.
Also got a 16K/750m hike in the day before (Thompson Peak). Real grunt on on the last 2k but a great hike to a great view. I can see in the summer how it would be brutally hot but this time of year it really reminds me how great nice-weather hiking is. Can't wait for the snow to be gone here at home...
ChiefD
Footballguy
MAC_32
Footballguy
That was one hell of a week
M lunch - 6 recovery @ 8:35
M after work - 4 recovery @ 8:35 (steady!)
Tu - 5 more recovery @ 8:34 + 20 mins strength training circuit
W lunch - schedule said speed, weather said "not out here!" So, back to the hamster wheel for hopefully the last time this training cycle. I opted for something more structured this time, so I did increasing mile repeats. I only kept it to about 4 mins in between and was still able to knock out 6:30, 6:15, 6 flat, and finish with a 5:45. I had enough juice left to do one more, but my foot felt funny towards the end of #4 so I called it quits. 7 miles total.
W pm - 4 recovery @ 8:33, very happy I was able to keep that pace despite the interval workout 4 hours prior
Th - 7 GA miles @ 7:51 w/4 hill repeats in the middle. Strava said 60', I said bull ####, and a neighbor confirmed so we're rounding up and calling it 100'!
F - 5 recovery @ 8:28 + 20 mins strength training circuit
Sa - 7 GA @ 7:44, I wanted to go faster but resisted so I had a hunch I was in for something good Sunday so long as I didn't drink too much beer later that day.
Su - 20 @ 7:10 w/GAP's under 7:10 from mile 7, on. My last two were sub 7, but that was primarily driven by knowing I was at the end. I kept the big picture in mind and consciously held back. I wasn't watching the clock and while I'm great with math I am not after running 18 miles! I knew I had slaughtered my best previous training efforts though.
Total - 65 miles @ 7:50 pace!!! And the 65 miles are a new weekly record too.
Maybe even better than yesterday's workout - I feel great right now. Relatively speaking anyway. 10 hours of sleep probably helped, but aches and pains are minimal and my energy is at unheard of levels for a Monday. Maybe I'm still on a runner's high. But I'm not going to repeat mistakes from 2016 and push through early this week. Juice <> Squeeze. Sticking with the schedule Mon-Wed then re-assess come Thurs.
2 weeks til the taper...
M lunch - 6 recovery @ 8:35
M after work - 4 recovery @ 8:35 (steady!)
Tu - 5 more recovery @ 8:34 + 20 mins strength training circuit
W lunch - schedule said speed, weather said "not out here!" So, back to the hamster wheel for hopefully the last time this training cycle. I opted for something more structured this time, so I did increasing mile repeats. I only kept it to about 4 mins in between and was still able to knock out 6:30, 6:15, 6 flat, and finish with a 5:45. I had enough juice left to do one more, but my foot felt funny towards the end of #4 so I called it quits. 7 miles total.
W pm - 4 recovery @ 8:33, very happy I was able to keep that pace despite the interval workout 4 hours prior
Th - 7 GA miles @ 7:51 w/4 hill repeats in the middle. Strava said 60', I said bull ####, and a neighbor confirmed so we're rounding up and calling it 100'!
F - 5 recovery @ 8:28 + 20 mins strength training circuit
Sa - 7 GA @ 7:44, I wanted to go faster but resisted so I had a hunch I was in for something good Sunday so long as I didn't drink too much beer later that day.
Su - 20 @ 7:10 w/GAP's under 7:10 from mile 7, on. My last two were sub 7, but that was primarily driven by knowing I was at the end. I kept the big picture in mind and consciously held back. I wasn't watching the clock and while I'm great with math I am not after running 18 miles! I knew I had slaughtered my best previous training efforts though.
Total - 65 miles @ 7:50 pace!!! And the 65 miles are a new weekly record too.
Maybe even better than yesterday's workout - I feel great right now. Relatively speaking anyway. 10 hours of sleep probably helped, but aches and pains are minimal and my energy is at unheard of levels for a Monday. Maybe I'm still on a runner's high. But I'm not going to repeat mistakes from 2016 and push through early this week. Juice <> Squeeze. Sticking with the schedule Mon-Wed then re-assess come Thurs.
2 weeks til the taper...
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
Ahh, so that's why somebody from Calgary requested to follow me. Good to have another trail guy around these parts!
ChiefD
Footballguy
pbm107
Footballguy
Haddonfield Adrenaline 5K
This race is probably the most competitive 5K in the Philadelphia area and one that I have wanted to run for years but never had the opportunity to race. The combination of the fast course, competitive environment, and my fitness being extremely high I was confident that I was going to PR in this race.
My confidence was high until I woke up that morning with tightness in my left calf. The other issue I discovered was that my racers were really irritating my injured toenail. I think I damaged the toenail during a treadmill interval session a week ago but it didn’t bother me in runs since then with my trainers. For the race I decided to go with the trainers.
I was meeting my old training partner for this race and he took me on a warmup jog showing me the course. The good news was that after 1.5 miles my calf loosened up and it didn’t impact my race at all. The bad news was that we got back to starting area about 7 minutes before the start and I had to piss and drop my clothes back at my car which was about ¼ mile away. I got the starting line in time, more than adequately warmed up, thanks to the panicked run to and from the car. I didn’t have the best position at the starting line and I forgot to set my watch up to display total elapsed time.
The plan was to run the first mile between 5:30 and 5:35 and then race from there. The start was crowded and I had to run around I bunch of runners to get to 5:30 pace. I wasn’t feeling good or bad, the pace and effort felt appropriate. I got to the first mile marker at 5:35 (AVG HR 175 Power 379), and started counting down the minutes I needed to run at this pace. At the start of mile 2 there was a slight downhill and I found myself coasting and not attacking the hill like I should. At some point this mile I noticed that the people around me were slowing down and I needed pick up the pace. I started picking a few people off, and then passed 2 more people on the small hill at the end of mile 2. Mile 2 ended up being 5:47 (AVG HR 180 Power 374).
At the start of mile 3 I caught up to the female runner that I paced off of in the 5 miler I ran back in February, she ended up being the 4th female overall in this race. This was a strange race for me I was hurting (it was a 5K), wasn’t really suffering, but couldn’t get myself to run any faster either. I ran side by side with some 20 year old until about 2.5 miles but then young people just started passing me. I didn’t have that extra gear that these kids had (16, 22, 17, and 23). As I was approaching the finish line I was able to see the clock and saw that I was at risk of not beating my 17:39 (on a short course from 2 weeks ago) and I pushed it as fast as I could and finished with a 17:34 clock time (chip was 17:30). Last mile 5:33 (AVG HR ??? Monitor went nuts, AVG Power 370).
Finished 71st overall and 6th in my age group. This has been a really good training cycle for me, and I plan on taking it easy this week. I have 5 weeks off training ahead of me to get ready for the Broad Street Run (10 miles) in May.
This race is probably the most competitive 5K in the Philadelphia area and one that I have wanted to run for years but never had the opportunity to race. The combination of the fast course, competitive environment, and my fitness being extremely high I was confident that I was going to PR in this race.
My confidence was high until I woke up that morning with tightness in my left calf. The other issue I discovered was that my racers were really irritating my injured toenail. I think I damaged the toenail during a treadmill interval session a week ago but it didn’t bother me in runs since then with my trainers. For the race I decided to go with the trainers.
I was meeting my old training partner for this race and he took me on a warmup jog showing me the course. The good news was that after 1.5 miles my calf loosened up and it didn’t impact my race at all. The bad news was that we got back to starting area about 7 minutes before the start and I had to piss and drop my clothes back at my car which was about ¼ mile away. I got the starting line in time, more than adequately warmed up, thanks to the panicked run to and from the car. I didn’t have the best position at the starting line and I forgot to set my watch up to display total elapsed time.
The plan was to run the first mile between 5:30 and 5:35 and then race from there. The start was crowded and I had to run around I bunch of runners to get to 5:30 pace. I wasn’t feeling good or bad, the pace and effort felt appropriate. I got to the first mile marker at 5:35 (AVG HR 175 Power 379), and started counting down the minutes I needed to run at this pace. At the start of mile 2 there was a slight downhill and I found myself coasting and not attacking the hill like I should. At some point this mile I noticed that the people around me were slowing down and I needed pick up the pace. I started picking a few people off, and then passed 2 more people on the small hill at the end of mile 2. Mile 2 ended up being 5:47 (AVG HR 180 Power 374).
At the start of mile 3 I caught up to the female runner that I paced off of in the 5 miler I ran back in February, she ended up being the 4th female overall in this race. This was a strange race for me I was hurting (it was a 5K), wasn’t really suffering, but couldn’t get myself to run any faster either. I ran side by side with some 20 year old until about 2.5 miles but then young people just started passing me. I didn’t have that extra gear that these kids had (16, 22, 17, and 23). As I was approaching the finish line I was able to see the clock and saw that I was at risk of not beating my 17:39 (on a short course from 2 weeks ago) and I pushed it as fast as I could and finished with a 17:34 clock time (chip was 17:30). Last mile 5:33 (AVG HR ??? Monitor went nuts, AVG Power 370).
Finished 71st overall and 6th in my age group. This has been a really good training cycle for me, and I plan on taking it easy this week. I have 5 weeks off training ahead of me to get ready for the Broad Street Run (10 miles) in May.
ChiefD
Footballguy
Man - just an incredible pace. Nothing but admiration for you guys who have the talent to go fast at short distances AND marathon distance. Awesome race.
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
pbm107
Footballguy
Yes I puked after I finished but it was pathetic, a couple of dry heaves and then a small amount.@pbm107 Congrats again on the PR! Great job, especially considering the early weaving.
Of course, everyone is going to wonder if you puked. I think you should be required to put that in your race reports.
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
tri-man 47
Footballguy
Brony
Footballguy
I was thinking the same thing.Uh, yeah, that's a competitive race!!! Excellent time for you!
gianmarco
Footballguy
Good thing you PR'd because otherwise it would have been relatively disappointing given this puke effort
Great race!
JAA
Footballguy
JAA
Footballguy
gruecd
Footballguy
Before I forget, if any of you guys want to track me at Carmel, here's the link: http://tracking.endresultcompany.com/2018/carmel/index.php
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
This is great! Those effortless runs are the best!
One cautionary tale. It is easy to get caught up on going faster and longer with each run and each week. Don't forget, your body is adjusting to running. So make sure you are putting a couple easy runs (length and pace) into your routine each week. And every 3 weeks or so, you want to have a "step back" week, where you take your mileage back a bit. It allows your body's tendons, ligaments, joints, bones all a chance to recover. If you watch even the fastest people in here, you will see they do fast hard runs and then easy runs. And if you look on strava (you can look at mine for example -- initials KR), you'll see some weeks are up high in mileage and others are lower. That is all by design. In addition, you will see, I'll NEVER do 2 hard workouts back to back. For me, its a recipe for injury.
Again, awesome stuff. Just trying to help you keep making terrific progress!
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
Done. Can't wait for this race as you are running a pace similar to mine (but probably a couple minutes faster).
gruecd
Footballguy
We'll see. Gonna run 7:10-7:15 pace for the first 20 miles no matter how easy it (hopefully) feels, and if we're still feeling good at that point, then and only then will we let 'er rip...
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
Damn. If we were running the same race, we could run right next to each other. I'm zeroing in on that exact time for Boston for the first 16 miles....and then give back a little on the hills....and hopefully finish strong.
ChiefD
Footballguy
Zasada
Footballguy
Thanks for this. I'm really short on tips and have just been "winging it" over the last year. The good news is that I generally do one hike a week with someone who is slower than me so that counts as my "easy run" and then on days when I'm alone I push a little harder. Also through the winter I've really just been trying to get out and do what I can rather than set PRs (the snow/ice often make just basic activity a challenge in itself). The rare times (like this week) when I'm in a nice climate and can make a push, I do (with a very satisfying result!).
Would love any more tips any of you guys have for a beginner. Looking at your Strava runs, it appears most increase pace not with cadence but with stride length. That's what I'm trying to think about as I progress but if I'm misinterpreting it would be good to know.
Also, how should I be interpreting HR? Generally when I run, I'm in the 150-165 range. Anything above that and I start to need a break. Is that the right target to continue to build endurance?
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SteelCurtain
Footballguy
All things HR related are best answered by our resident expert @Ned.
I'd recommend you start reading this to help you get started -- This is known as "Ned Talk" (similar to Ted Talk but more interesting).
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
NYC Half Marathon Race Report
Its well documented the trials and tribulations for this race. Here is the long story…..
My work sometimes requires me to periodically go to events around the country and speak in front of groups. One of my staff members from California asked me for possible dates I could go to CA for an event. I had given her March 17 not thinking logistics for the race on the morning of March 18 may be impacted. I just wasn’t thinking. Long story short, she said “Ok….we are all set for afternoon of March 17. I’ve signed the contract for XYZ hotel.” I looked at my schedule and realized the error of my ways. However, I had already committed to this event in LA. In addition, I had already paid for and planned for Half marathon. So I decided I would try for both but be willing to back off the HM or just make it a fun run if that’s how it played out.
Saturday – I spend all day working. On my feet. (Except for the 2 hours to drive 20 miles in LA traffic). I searched high and low for the flight that got me to NYC as early as possible and I found two flights arrived at JFK at 5:13 a.m. I chose to depart from the Long Beach airport (instead of LAX) as I was hoping less chance of the delay. I arrive at Long Beach airport at 7:00 p.m. (10 pm ET) for my 8:57 p.m. (11:57 p.m.) departure. I’m starving as I never ate lunch. If you have ever been to Long Beach airport, its small and food options are really limited. I decided on a burger as I was afraid any salad would lead to GI issues. About an hour before my flight, I popped a Zzquill to prep for some sleep. Grab my seat and of course, behind me is some really loud group of high school girls. The chaperone was scolding them as she was sitting right next to me. Ugh.
I got probably 2-3 hours of sleep and was awake from about 3:30 ET until we landed at 4:59 a.m. We pull up to the gate, the seat belt sign gets turned off, I bound up, grab my bag and are able to move from row 16 to row 12 before there are people in the aisle. (I hate people who rush to get off the plane, but this time it was justified!) Got off plane and I was running through the airport to the parking garage. Got to my car and I had laid out all my running stuff strategically in my car so I quickly got my pants on and did everything else (socks, shoes, heart rate monitor, shirts, hat, etc) while I was driving. My initial goal was to try to park up near Central Park (the finish) and take the subway down to the start in Brooklyn. However, I was worried about time. I found parking on the street on 39th near Times Square and decided to take subway from there.
Arrived at the race and it was 28 degrees. The accuweather app had said winds were 8 mph, but it was much more than that. It was cold. Guessing gusts were up to 20 mph. I found my corral. Got in a relatively short line and took care of business (#1 and #2). Drank some Gatorade. Ran just a bit of a warmup. The race started but I was in Wave 1 Corral C based on previous NYRR performances (mostly NYC Marathon of 3:21 in 2016.) Quite honestly, I knew I should have been in Corral B because in the front of my corral was 1:35 pacing group and I expected to be well ahead of them. I was near the back of my corral since I was outside warming up until it was time to get in the corral. Race starts at 7:30 a.m.
I vacillated between going for 1:30 or just trying to be safe and get my PR (1:32:52). Based on the travel and lack of sleep, I thought a PR would be fine. But the gun goes off and I know the first mile is downhill….into the wind. I know 1:30 is a 6:52 pace. I figure I'll see if 1:30 might be doable. I cruise through the first mile at 6:46 but I knew I was gonna struggle with this pace. Mile 2 comes and I give all that back and then some. Mile 2 was 7:04. I looked up and mile 3 is over the Manhattan Bridge which is a pretty big hill into the wind. I couldn’t keep pace and decided 1:30 would have to be for another day.
5K – 21:43 (6:59 pace)
We are now in lower Manhattan. We weave a bit through Chinatown and other neighborhoods for about a mile and a half and then hop on the FDR drive. The wind is relentless from the north as we run directly into it. I had a good pace and felt comfortable with the pacing. It was during this stretch that reinforced my thinking that 13.1 is my favorite distance to race. Its long enough that you need to pace yourself, but short enough, you have to push the envelope quite a bit. Unlike the marathon (for me at least) which is 20 miles of holding yourself back and then trying to survive the last 10K. Along the FDR drive, we were able to be in the sun which felt good against the cold headwind. I tried to tuck behind some people but because of the starting corral situation, I will still passing most people, albeit slowly. At the 6 mile mark, I passed the 1:35 pacing group. I’ll admit I ran with them for about 15 seconds as they were a nice buffer from the wind.
10 K – 43:13 (6:57 pace) -- Last 5K was 21:30 (6:55 pace)
Just past the 10K mark we get to the United Nations and take a left onto 42nd street. This section has a long steady hill. Not a terrible incline but a full mile of 1-2% grade I’m guessing….and with each intersection, there are extra undulations. The crowds start to get more numerous here but it was a bit muted because it was cold. (Hard to clap with mittens on). Mile 8, we are in Times Square and take a right and head up 7th avenue. Running through Times Square is busy. Music, crowds, adjacent related kids run happening, etc. For miles 7 and 8, I wanted to keep pace, but I knew Central Park would have some hills. Of course, the buildings made my GPS go haywire (as I definitely didn’t run a 4:51 mile), so I was just making sure I didn’t overextend in this section as I wasn’t getting an accurate pace from my watch. By mile 9, we have entered Central Park. We enter the park at the southern end and sort of follow a couple miles of the NYC Marathon (but backwards) along the east side of the park.
15K – 1:05:32 (7:02 pace) – Last 5K was 22:19 (7:11 pace)
This next section has more uphills than down. I’m definitely laboring some here but it was familiar territory as I’ve run CP more times than I can count. We climbed up Cat Hill which is not easy. We get near the top and there is some yahoo with a microphone saying “You are on cat hill. If you need to walk, that’s ok.” Now, I’m running with 7 minute milers. There is no one walking. No idea why he was saying that. Anyway, I’m passing people pretty regularly as I tried to keep powering up the hills and take advantage of the small downhills remaining. I kept thinking of keeping my paces in miles 20-26 in Boston. I was pleased with how the body responded to the uphills.
20K – 1:27:18 (7:01 pace) -- Last 5K was 21:46 (7:00 pace)
The finish is mostly downhill. I knew I had the PR in the bag and didn’t want to blow out or pull anything on the final stretch. So I pushed but didn’t go all out.
Last 0.7 – 4:23 (6:16 pace)
OVERALL – 1:31:41 (PR by 1:11) Pace per mile 7:00
Overall -- 1,022/21,959 (top 4.65%)
Gender -- 854/10,884 (top 7.85%)
Age Graded Place -- 617/10,884 (top 5.67%)
Age Group – 78/1,356 (5.75%)
Final Thoughts – this was my final tune up for Boston. I felt good and feel like it went as expected. The winds were tough and it was certainly colder than ideal for me. It certainly makes me feel like sub 3:15 is doable if not likely in Boston (weather permitting). I’ll likely make another shot at breaking 1:30 in HM sometime in May after Boston is behind me. Now is time to finish up this Boston training and hopefully rock this bucket list race in 28 days!
Its well documented the trials and tribulations for this race. Here is the long story…..
My work sometimes requires me to periodically go to events around the country and speak in front of groups. One of my staff members from California asked me for possible dates I could go to CA for an event. I had given her March 17 not thinking logistics for the race on the morning of March 18 may be impacted. I just wasn’t thinking. Long story short, she said “Ok….we are all set for afternoon of March 17. I’ve signed the contract for XYZ hotel.” I looked at my schedule and realized the error of my ways. However, I had already committed to this event in LA. In addition, I had already paid for and planned for Half marathon. So I decided I would try for both but be willing to back off the HM or just make it a fun run if that’s how it played out.
Saturday – I spend all day working. On my feet. (Except for the 2 hours to drive 20 miles in LA traffic). I searched high and low for the flight that got me to NYC as early as possible and I found two flights arrived at JFK at 5:13 a.m. I chose to depart from the Long Beach airport (instead of LAX) as I was hoping less chance of the delay. I arrive at Long Beach airport at 7:00 p.m. (10 pm ET) for my 8:57 p.m. (11:57 p.m.) departure. I’m starving as I never ate lunch. If you have ever been to Long Beach airport, its small and food options are really limited. I decided on a burger as I was afraid any salad would lead to GI issues. About an hour before my flight, I popped a Zzquill to prep for some sleep. Grab my seat and of course, behind me is some really loud group of high school girls. The chaperone was scolding them as she was sitting right next to me. Ugh.
I got probably 2-3 hours of sleep and was awake from about 3:30 ET until we landed at 4:59 a.m. We pull up to the gate, the seat belt sign gets turned off, I bound up, grab my bag and are able to move from row 16 to row 12 before there are people in the aisle. (I hate people who rush to get off the plane, but this time it was justified!) Got off plane and I was running through the airport to the parking garage. Got to my car and I had laid out all my running stuff strategically in my car so I quickly got my pants on and did everything else (socks, shoes, heart rate monitor, shirts, hat, etc) while I was driving. My initial goal was to try to park up near Central Park (the finish) and take the subway down to the start in Brooklyn. However, I was worried about time. I found parking on the street on 39th near Times Square and decided to take subway from there.
Arrived at the race and it was 28 degrees. The accuweather app had said winds were 8 mph, but it was much more than that. It was cold. Guessing gusts were up to 20 mph. I found my corral. Got in a relatively short line and took care of business (#1 and #2). Drank some Gatorade. Ran just a bit of a warmup. The race started but I was in Wave 1 Corral C based on previous NYRR performances (mostly NYC Marathon of 3:21 in 2016.) Quite honestly, I knew I should have been in Corral B because in the front of my corral was 1:35 pacing group and I expected to be well ahead of them. I was near the back of my corral since I was outside warming up until it was time to get in the corral. Race starts at 7:30 a.m.
I vacillated between going for 1:30 or just trying to be safe and get my PR (1:32:52). Based on the travel and lack of sleep, I thought a PR would be fine. But the gun goes off and I know the first mile is downhill….into the wind. I know 1:30 is a 6:52 pace. I figure I'll see if 1:30 might be doable. I cruise through the first mile at 6:46 but I knew I was gonna struggle with this pace. Mile 2 comes and I give all that back and then some. Mile 2 was 7:04. I looked up and mile 3 is over the Manhattan Bridge which is a pretty big hill into the wind. I couldn’t keep pace and decided 1:30 would have to be for another day.
5K – 21:43 (6:59 pace)
We are now in lower Manhattan. We weave a bit through Chinatown and other neighborhoods for about a mile and a half and then hop on the FDR drive. The wind is relentless from the north as we run directly into it. I had a good pace and felt comfortable with the pacing. It was during this stretch that reinforced my thinking that 13.1 is my favorite distance to race. Its long enough that you need to pace yourself, but short enough, you have to push the envelope quite a bit. Unlike the marathon (for me at least) which is 20 miles of holding yourself back and then trying to survive the last 10K. Along the FDR drive, we were able to be in the sun which felt good against the cold headwind. I tried to tuck behind some people but because of the starting corral situation, I will still passing most people, albeit slowly. At the 6 mile mark, I passed the 1:35 pacing group. I’ll admit I ran with them for about 15 seconds as they were a nice buffer from the wind.
10 K – 43:13 (6:57 pace) -- Last 5K was 21:30 (6:55 pace)
Just past the 10K mark we get to the United Nations and take a left onto 42nd street. This section has a long steady hill. Not a terrible incline but a full mile of 1-2% grade I’m guessing….and with each intersection, there are extra undulations. The crowds start to get more numerous here but it was a bit muted because it was cold. (Hard to clap with mittens on). Mile 8, we are in Times Square and take a right and head up 7th avenue. Running through Times Square is busy. Music, crowds, adjacent related kids run happening, etc. For miles 7 and 8, I wanted to keep pace, but I knew Central Park would have some hills. Of course, the buildings made my GPS go haywire (as I definitely didn’t run a 4:51 mile), so I was just making sure I didn’t overextend in this section as I wasn’t getting an accurate pace from my watch. By mile 9, we have entered Central Park. We enter the park at the southern end and sort of follow a couple miles of the NYC Marathon (but backwards) along the east side of the park.
15K – 1:05:32 (7:02 pace) – Last 5K was 22:19 (7:11 pace)
This next section has more uphills than down. I’m definitely laboring some here but it was familiar territory as I’ve run CP more times than I can count. We climbed up Cat Hill which is not easy. We get near the top and there is some yahoo with a microphone saying “You are on cat hill. If you need to walk, that’s ok.” Now, I’m running with 7 minute milers. There is no one walking. No idea why he was saying that. Anyway, I’m passing people pretty regularly as I tried to keep powering up the hills and take advantage of the small downhills remaining. I kept thinking of keeping my paces in miles 20-26 in Boston. I was pleased with how the body responded to the uphills.
20K – 1:27:18 (7:01 pace) -- Last 5K was 21:46 (7:00 pace)
The finish is mostly downhill. I knew I had the PR in the bag and didn’t want to blow out or pull anything on the final stretch. So I pushed but didn’t go all out.
Last 0.7 – 4:23 (6:16 pace)
OVERALL – 1:31:41 (PR by 1:11) Pace per mile 7:00
Overall -- 1,022/21,959 (top 4.65%)
Gender -- 854/10,884 (top 7.85%)
Age Graded Place -- 617/10,884 (top 5.67%)
Age Group – 78/1,356 (5.75%)
Final Thoughts – this was my final tune up for Boston. I felt good and feel like it went as expected. The winds were tough and it was certainly colder than ideal for me. It certainly makes me feel like sub 3:15 is doable if not likely in Boston (weather permitting). I’ll likely make another shot at breaking 1:30 in HM sometime in May after Boston is behind me. Now is time to finish up this Boston training and hopefully rock this bucket list race in 28 days!
ChiefD
Footballguy
Oh ho hum. I'll just eat a burger, fly overnight across the country, get two hours sleep, jump in my car and just go run a PR on a windy 28 degree morning in NYC.
Jesus Mary and Running Joseph.
Brony
Footballguy
That's gotta be tough logistics wise to ditch your car so far from the starting line. I'm assuming that there are other runners on the subway at 630AM in shorts, etc.
Great run btw! seems like that pace gives you some time to enjoy the experience whilst pushing your body to go.
Great run btw! seems like that pace gives you some time to enjoy the experience whilst pushing your body to go.
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
Great race under difficult circumstances @Steel Curtain! There is no way I would have attempted that! (Even despite the fact that I cannot sleep in moving vehicles.)
I recall Hang 10 mentioning the fitness boost one gets from a marathon that often goes unused. I think you'd be a shoe-in for a sub 90 half in May.
I recall Hang 10 mentioning the fitness boost one gets from a marathon that often goes unused. I think you'd be a shoe-in for a sub 90 half in May.
tri-man 47
Footballguy
I just imagine them, running side by side up the hills, encouraging each other: "You're a bad mutha######" ... "No, you're a bad mutha######" ... "No, you're a ..."ChiefD said:
Great effort, @Steel Curtain!!!
Brony
Footballguy
I just imagine them, running side by side up the hills, encouraging each other: "You're a bad mutha######" ... "No, you're a bad mutha######" ... "No, you're a ..."
Great effort, @Steel Curtain!!!
gianmarco
Footballguy
I'd pay serious money to see this.I just imagine them, running side by side up the hills, encouraging each other: "You're a bad mutha######" ... "No, you're a bad mutha######" ... "No, you're a ..."
Great effort, @Steel Curtain!!!
ChiefD
Footballguy
I just imagine them, running side by side up the hills, encouraging each other: "You're a bad mutha######" ... "No, you're a bad mutha######" ... "No, you're a ..."
Great effort, @Steel Curtain!!!
JAA
Footballguy
So much to discussZasada said:
regarding HR, everyone is different. There are some tests out there you can do to figure out your zones. Me for example, my HR runs crazy high. For example tonight I was clipping along at a high endurance pace and my HR was peaking at 170. As I got into threshold I was over 190. As a reference, the highest I’ve seen my HR was 211. I think it would be easy to categorize my HR as incredibly inefficient. That said, lots of other folks have much lower HR. In the end, there is no right or wrong. Just learn your zones.
JAA
Footballguy
What do folks think of the Garmin indoor running numbers vs treadmill numbers?
i have a Garmin Forerunner 920xt and run with my HRM-Tri. I typically don’t pay attention to the differences between the treadmill and the watch.
tonight the numbers were way off at the gym. Treadmill was at 1.5% incline and 9mph. My watch had me pacing 830-845. The treadmill was about 2.5 miles off after ~1hr. I stopped the treadmill when it hit 10 miles, and my watch said ~7.5 miles. Thats a significant difference.
if I go by feel, my guess is neither are right and it’s somewhere in the middle.
How does everyone else manage this?
i have a Garmin Forerunner 920xt and run with my HRM-Tri. I typically don’t pay attention to the differences between the treadmill and the watch.
tonight the numbers were way off at the gym. Treadmill was at 1.5% incline and 9mph. My watch had me pacing 830-845. The treadmill was about 2.5 miles off after ~1hr. I stopped the treadmill when it hit 10 miles, and my watch said ~7.5 miles. Thats a significant difference.
if I go by feel, my guess is neither are right and it’s somewhere in the middle.
How does everyone else manage this?
bushdocda
Footballguy
This and I think that unless you’ve calibrated your watch & stride length (I have no idea how to do this) the indoor measurement will be off especially at faster paces bc it’s not using gps like outside so treddy is probably more correct.
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