Jack’s Team, representing the official ING NYC Charity-Jack H Marston II Melanoma Fund is trying to fill their remaining 12 entries for the 2010 NYC marathon before the September 13th deadline.
The New York Harriers are sponsoring a race this coming August 26th for all those that are interested. Looks like a great idea and I have raced many times against these guys and they are fast, so I would assume this race is legit. Plus they have beer in the title of the race so I had to post about it.
Sunset & Suds 5K Run
Sponsored by Mizuno & P.D. O’Hurley’s
Thursday, August 26th at 7 pm
Flat, fast out-and-back 5K with start/?nish at Hudson Beach Café at 105th Street and Riverside Park
PLUS! Postrace party at Hudson Beach Café with FREE BEER
$25 entry fee with pre-registration at Urban Athletics 1291 Madison Avenue between 91st and 92nd Streets or race night at the start line until 6:45 pm. After 6:45/limited $30 race day entries
I know that I promised to start writing again, so thought I would try to kick it off with the Lake Union 10K here in Seattle. August 22nd 2010. I ran this race last year and for an inaugural race is was pretty well done. If I could give one word of advice to the race organizers is please get a speaker system or some other method to project your voice. A little bullhorn will not work.That being said, I liked the race a lot and plan to run it this year. My results were pretty weak last year and am hoping for a slightly better result this year, maybe break a 7:45/mile pace.
For those that are interested in running the race I believe registration is still open here in Seattle and you can also register online via Active.com. All the information for the race can be found here http://www.lakeunion10k.com/
Good Luck and hope to see everyone out there. Lake Union is a beautiful place here in Seattle and one of of my favorite running routes
It has been way too long since I have posted on this blog. I will try to get back into the game and start posting on a regular basis. Stay tuned!!
Below is my email rejection letter for the 2010 NYC Marathon. I am actually relieved since it would have been a stretch for me to run it this year.
For those that have been rejected, I advise you to think about being a charity runner. I ran the NYC Marathon with Team for Kids and it was a great experience, and recommend to everyone
Entry Number: 468985
We’re sorry, but you were not selected in the ING New York City Marathon 2010 lottery. We appreciate your commitment to running with NYRR, but we must limit the size of the field to make this race safe and enjoyable for participants.
Fortunately, there are still opportunities for you to enter this race and be part of our running community throughout the year.
You can join Team for Kids to gain entry to the November 7 race and benefit from a variety of training programs, online forums and chats, and race-weekend perks. You can register with any of our charity partners to receive exclusive member-only benefits with your race entry and the satisfaction of participating for a cause.
Whether you want to run your fastest 5K or finish a marathon, you can compete nearly every weekend of the year in NYRR races. Our training programs, packages, and online tools are available for runners of all abilities wherever you live and train.
Keep moving toward your goals, and we expect to see you out on the roads!
Sincerely,
New York Road Runners
After a two year absence I have decided to throw my hat back into the ring and I applied for the 2010 NYC Marathon. In the past the lottery was rigged for me since I gained automatic entry by running the number of qualifying NYRR races. Since I have moved out to Seattle, I have kept my NYRR membership but have not run in one qualifying race.
This year the NYRR have decided to up the ante and are broadcasting the NYC Marathon lottery live April 7th on their website http://www.nyrrvideo.org/lottery Noon ET, 9am PT
I am hopeful that I get in to the race and also interested on how NYRR will run this live lottery. They have had server issues in the past from too many neurotic runners trying to check at once. I hope this works out smoothly
Looking forward to seeing my favorite sign on the marathon course. Always makes me laugh when I see it.
I remember when I first started running serious miles and training with a team I would come home and my neck and shoulders would be sore. Since I was just starting to log long distance I assumed this was a side effect that everyone had and I would just deal with it. Thankfully our charity team had an amazing Ethiopian coach who was able to point out my stupidity and correct my errors.
When you run, your hand position is very important. I am not talking about swinging your arms or pumping but what you do with your finger and your hand. I was holding my hand in a fist position and as the running became more intense, especially on hills I would tighten that fist. As you can guess that is the exact opposite of what you need to do.
In an accent that cannot be transcribed to text, our Ethiopian coach explained to me that I need to pretend I am holding a potato chip between my thumb and index finger and make sure it does not break. Yes, imagine you are holding a potato chip when running, it works. I searched the web looking for an image to help and the best I could find was a Cheeto shaped like Jesus, but you still want to hold on to that Jesus cheeto and make sure you do not break him. I think the image works
The neck and shoulder pain went away immediately, but there was also another benefit. I was much more relaxed when I was running and enjoyed running a lot more. Give it a try on your next runs and if you cannot imagine holding the chip try to imagine holding Cheeto Jesus and making sure you keep him intact
So I finally gave in and bought a backpack for skiing, the Dakine Heli Pack with Hydration. I have seen tons of people skiing with backpacks and always wanted one for extra gear, not to mention for water. The problem is I always worried about the weight and balance while on the slopes, but decided I would never know unless I took the plunge I got one. Thanks to The Clymb I was able to snag one at an awesome price and strapped it on this past weekend.
I guess this would now be a review of the Heli Pack and am happy to say that this backpack is awesome. The fit of the Heli Pack is pretty snug with all the straps attached and I barely noticed it while on the slopes. I filled the hydration 
bladder with about 1.5L of water and did not feel it sloshing around at all. The only issue I had was being new to the pack, I spilled some water on my gear as I was a little unsure on how to open and close the spout but got the hang of it as the day went on. It is still not the smoothest spout out there (that award goes to Ultimate Direction) but being on the lift with my poles does not lead to most advantageous positions for drinking. Sorry, one other gripe is that I could not get the hydration pack to stay on the hangar in the bag. It kept slipping down into the pocket of the bag. Not a big deal, but would love to learn how to keep it up there.
This bag holds a lot of stuff and even with some sandwiches, the hydration pack, and extra layer and hat, it felt barely there. One of these days I will use the bag to its full potential and have my shovel in the back, avalanche beacon and bust out the straps so I can carry my skis and hit the backcountry. Once the spring hits I will also be able to use the pack for all day hikes in the mountains, but do not see this as a pack for long runs. A little too heavy and I am still a huge fan of my Ultimate Direction fanny pack.
I try to take a few weeks off from running around New Years so I can get a little break and avoid all the people who are sticking to their resolutions for the first few weeks of January. By the third week of January I am well rested, the roads are clear and I am ready to return to running. The only problem is that after three weeks off, how do I jump back in to running without hurting myself. It has only been three weeks so my mind does not think I should slow down, but my body is telling a different story. All those tequilla shots, enchiladas and fajitas I ate in Mexico are not helping much.
I ran across this article in Runners World that gives a good rundown of how to come back after a break which I thought I would share. Here are some of the highlights:
START SLOW Runners returning to action often carry extra weight, which puts more stress on the body. To avoid injury caused by that stress, run no more than 20 consecutive minutes for several weeks.
JOIN A GROUP Athletes respond best when they return to a team setting.
RECOVER WELL Run every other day for the first few weeks. Rest days reduce the risk of injuries.
CROSS-TRAIN After a month, gradually change your recovery days from rest only to cross-training days. It will help build your aerobic development without increasing your injury risk.
If you would like to read the whole article you can read it here, it is worth the read http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-516–13390-0,00.html
Every week, I receive a bunch of offers and emails to check out new websites that offer products and services relating relating to outdoor gear, running and who knows what else. I may give some a quick glance and even try some out, but very rarely write about one. Well, The Clymb has done it for me and will sing its praises for a paragraph or two.
The Clymb is the latest site to jump on the private sale/sample sale bandwagon but their merchandise is different. They sell an amazing array of outdoor, bike and ski/snow brand with one company featured every week and a limited number of products for sale, which usually sells out by the second day. I have ordered two separate items from them and except for a delay in the shipment of one Dakine backpack , I have been very happy with the service and the products they have. The prices are great, maybe a little too good as I have to keep myself from buying something every week.
If you want to check out The Clymb, here is an invite code so you can check it out https://www.theclymb.com/invite-from/JeffreyEckhaus
About one year ago I wrote a post about running at night and how to get past the excuses and get out there now that we only have a few hours of daylight. One of my brilliant ideas was “Wear something reflective” which I think at this time of darkness is worth expanding on.
There is no way most people can look cool wearing something reflective and I think I now have the proof of that with my new hat. The Brooks Nightlife Hat
This hat is comfortable, adjustable, reflective as hell, but kind of ugly. It has high visibility fabric that gives you 360 degrees of visibility and wait for it…….a flashing rear LED light on the back. Now since it is dark out when I am running I am going to go with function over fashion every night and wear this hat. While it will not a fashion award, it will probably save your life so I recommend this hat when running in the dark, which in Seattle at this time of year is 4:30pm – 7:30am.
One more note – if you are looking for this hat or maybe some other reflective accessories check out this site night-gear.com. They have all sorts of reflective items for sale.
The Hospital for Joint Diseases at NYU Langone Medical Center
Presents
“Ready, Set, Go!: A Marathon Prep Course”
hosted by The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty
Where: NYU Schwarz Hall, 550 1st Avenue (entrance between 32nd and 31st Street-Tisch Hospital Lobby)
When: October 29, 2009, 6 pm Registration , 6:30-9 pm Panel Discussions
What: Join Lewis G. Maharam MD, www.runningworld.com’s Running Doc and former Medical Director of the NYC Marathon, for an evening panel discussion with the faculty of HJD on optimizing your marathon performance, dealing with existing injuries, preventing new injuries and recovering quickly after the marathon.
How: Please email Ana De Jesus, at ana.dejesus@nyumc.org to pre-register or for more information. You may also register half an hour prior to the event. Raffle prizes available to individuals who register.
*******SPECIAL GUEST: Former Marathon World-Record Holder Steve Jones*******
I am looking for some help and recommendations for a new jacket for running in the rain. The last review of jackets that I can find is from Runners World 2007 and am looking for a fresh perspective. I am not worried about warmth, just something I can wear on a run that will keep me dry and breathe.
Please post any recommendations in the comments and let me know what your favorites are. I would prefer to spend under $100 for a new rain jacket but if someone can convince me that a certain jacket is incredible I could go up to $101, maybe even more.
I am looking to make the purchase in the next week or two as the weather here in Seattle is starting to turn and need something new. Look forward to my review on the new running rain jacket once I have put some miles on it.
Well it was not as bad as I thought, but I am still out of real running shape and need some real work. Here is a little detail of the Lake Union 10K which I finished in 48:33 a 7:47 pace
* Mile 1 – A little tight at the start, but a nice first mile. Will never understand why people who are slow and know they are slow must start up front. Mile 1 done in 7:36
* Mile 2 – Starting to feel pretty good. Group spaces out and there is now room to run. Find a nice little pace group to run with.Think everyone in the group has a Garmin, we all beep at the end of Mile 2. Mile 2 7:30
* Mile 3 – Crap, here come the hills and a little wind. About halfway through the climb I realize I may have bit off more than I could chew. Starting to fade. Mile 3 7:55
* Mile 4 – These hills will not let up. As we enter Eastlake there are a couple of hills that are short but lung searing, way too steep for a residential area and the shape I am in. Mile 4 7:52
* Mile 5 – Finally some flat areas and I am starting to kick this engine in. Actually feeling good and chasing some girl with an awesome tattoo on the back of her neck. Mile 5 7:30
* Mile 6 – I may have gone a little too early on my final “kick”. Look to finish this in sub 7:00 but cannot muster the energy. 7:03
Overall this was an awesome race and am very happy to be back in the game. Looking forward to a few more fall races, hopefully a half-marathon
Pray for me, tomorrow is my first timed race in about 14 months, the Lake Union 10K here in Seattle, WA.
The course map does not indicate the hills involved in this race, which while not lung searing are a pain in the ass.
While in the past I would look to run a sub-40:00 10K, I am hoping I survive this one and run this in under 50:00 minutes.
Lake Union 10K
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