I am looking for a training program for this years NYC Marathon and need your help
Right now I am leaning towards Pete Pfitzinger’s Advanced Marathoning. The plan I am thinking about is the 55/24 plan, which is 24 weeks and you build up to 55 miles a week. I do not think I can handle the 70/24
Any thoughts or comments please let me know in the comments box
I found a few more pictures of us from the Shelter Island Run 10K taken by the professionals.
I am always happy to find pictures where we cross the finish line with a PR
Well my luck has finally turned, I have won a spot in a race through a lottery.
I will be running in the NYC Half-Marathon by Nike (lame sponsorship) on August 5th 2007
I ran this race last year and it was a lot of fun since the route goes through Central Park, Times Square and then down the West Side Highway past Ground Zero to Battery Park. The only part I did not like was the rain that began as soon as I exited Central Park and hit the city streets. Wet shoes for 10 miles is not a good time.
This year I think I may qualify to get into a preferred corral at the start and begin in the front of the pack. I have no illusions of a top finish, but I hate having to spend the first mile or two weaving between the 10 minute/mile folks who insist on starting up front. You know who you are!!!
Click here for a nice little video from NYRR on last years NYC Half-Marathon presented by Nike
I really do not know where to start to describe this weekend, so I may as well start with the most important. A HUGE thank you to our incredible host GJ (The Ram) for putting us up and hosting this event. Shelter Island’s newest resident did the land mass proud by bringing in the Dukes of Flatbush for a weekend of running, drinking, bbq and bike riding. All the essentials in the DOFB charter. We may have even added to the DOFB with a possible team motto, a winning quote from this weekend from yours truly that should be learned in multiple languages
“How much to make this go away right now”
Now on to the fun stuff: The weekend and race looked to be in jeapordy on Friday as the rain came down and the weather report looked bleak for the weekend. Thankfully, the weatherman was wrong as usual and we had ideal running conditions, 58 degrees, overcast and not a drop of rain.
The start of the race looked intimidating as the contingent of ringers were brought in from NYC
Even with this intimidating bunch the Dukes were ready for a run. The team actually looked quite intimidating to the competition with our team black shirts and scowls, ready to race. Here is my mini version of the race report
Mile 1 - Downhill from the start and I am starting to move a little fest. I see a Shampoo ahead of me and decide to keep up. BIG MISTAKE. I hit the first mile marker at 6:40. Who do I think I am?
Mile 2 - More downhill and some flats. The locals are out and cheering us along. Hit the 2nd mile marker at 13:45. Still going way too fast
Mile 3 - The pain begins. I know that I am trying to break 45 minutes here so I keep pushing, but I am starting to breathe heavy and know I need to catch my groove soon or I am done
Mile 4 & 5 - The locals are out and pushing us along with their cheers. I have never been so happy to see a Blueblood with a Gin & Tonic as I was today. I think I may have found my stride, I am moving at a nice pace
Mile 6 - I am near the finish and look down at my watch and I have a chance to break 45 minutes. Only problem is the uphill section starts. Damn Island!!
Finish - I enter the local school track where the finish is and see that I am at 44:00 with who the hell knows how much to go, but I can see the finish line. I reach into whatever I have and go for a full sprint. Think I may have been drawing power from the 3 Patron Silvers I drank the night before (never wise before a race), but wherever it came from I crossed the line at 44:53, a 7:13 pace for a 10K. Best part of the finish is hearing the announcer call my name and my time as I finish over the louspeaker and the crowd cheers - Good Times
Now is the fun part. The race is over and I get to watch my friends cross the finish line. Except for Shampoo, who finished ahead of me in 40:24, damn him and his speed. See the official race results here
The pictures and the smiles below really tell the whole story. Everyone finished the race and everyone finished in great times. I think the DOFB may be ready to take on such luminaries as Warren Street and CPTC in the upcoming race season.
Great race & great weekend. Now for the recovery runs to get back into it
May 12th was the annual SAI Crawfish Boil and it was a serious throwdown. The boys shipped up 300+ pounds of Crawfish direct from Baton Rouge, LA and despite this picture, those little critters were none too happy about flying cargo.
The boil started at 4pm on Saturday and I believe the crawfish, corn, sausage and potatoes were being served until 2am the following morning with the kegs flowing until well past 4am.
I hope to have pictures up soon of the event so you can see the the peeling techniques of a bunch of NYC novices on Louisiana crawdads.
Well, I guess I need to have some mention of running today and my preparation for this event. Knowing that this crawfish boil and bonanza was coming up I set out that morning and ran a nice 8 mile run at an easy 7:50 pace. I am still running into Brooklyn over the bridge and my new destination is McCarren Park. This was a once desolate park but has dramatically changed in the past year. As evidence check out the new construction overlooking the park.
My favorite is the building on the left that if you look hard enough you can see Mario climbing his way up to get to the Princess
UPDATE - A Little Crawfish Boil
Great new 6 mile run yesterday
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=936767
Over my favorite, the Williamsburg Bridge, then over to McCarren Park and back to Manhattan
6 miles - 48:02
The Dukes of Flatbush have other interests besides running and one of those is the Kentucky Derby. It is an annual tradition for the DOFB to meet on the first Saturday in May, make a donation at the local Off Track Betting and drink Mint Juleps. The riding crop and drunken fighting on Atlantic Ave are quickly becoming part of that tradition and a welcome addition.
Derby Day is fun for everyone, as you can see below even the Queen gets a little loose after a few cocktails of Kentucky’s finest bourbon
Before all the festivities the Dukes decided to do a little run on a fine spring day, a nice 9 mile run in Prospect Park. Well this 9 mile run ended up being a burner as we ran the 9 miles in a scorching 71 minutes. Even though I am paying for all of it the next day it was a good time and am sure we will repeat in 2008.
Now back to handicapping for the Preakness
These are the toughest days for training. When you are not focused on a specific race or time but you need to get your weekly miles in. What makes it even harder is when you need to wake up early to get your run in. This is when you are on Dawn Patrol.
In the old days this is when I would put my head down to sleep, not wake up and run. I guess this is what they call the maturation process, but I am still not happy about it.
The only saving grace here is the atmosphere on my run. There is nothing like Manhattan at 6:30am, sun is first coming up, streets are dead quiet, save for the deliverymen, runners and the ghosts of the Dukes of Flatbush coming home after a night out.
The views are not too bad either
DOFB
