From Birch :
Could not have asked for a more classic fall day to wind up the long-haul
marathon training. Logged a 12.5 miler around Shelter Island yesterday on
a clear, crisp (62) and at bluster day. Ever see those car adds where the
shiny sedan cruises on twisties on a perfect fall day and there’s a
swirling tail of copper leaves in it’s wake? That’s kind of what it was
like. Except add the Shelter island sound as a backdrop and countless 30+
ft sailboats careening on spinnakers through the chop. Sometimes you just
have to love Long Island.
Run wasn’t quite as easy as I might have liked…taper is certainly doing
some wonky things. The legs feel strong but sort of bound, as if they
haven’t been getting an adequate workout of late. Which is, I guess, sort
of how all of me feels. A bit coiled. I’m fully fed up with training in
a mental sense; it takes supreme will to haul out for my runs at this
point. But my body is twitching. Literally. I have jumpy legs at night
and can barely sit through an hour at my desk without having to get up and
walk around. I guess dialing back from 50 to 30 miles a week over seven
days has some odd side effects.
Anyway, it took about 5 miles to warm up and clear out the muscular cob
webs. There after it was autopilot on the most beautiful of days in a
couldn’t-have-ordered-it-up
pretty much the best the East has to offer in the middle of my favorite
season.
Today was the last of the long runs for the Dukes and we split up, with Birch running on the far east coast beaches near Shelter Island and I took to the left coast. Taking my running game to Los Angeles, specifically the beaches south of the airport, the other Manhattan, Manhattan Beach, the birthplace of beach volleyball.
I started out todays 12 mile run at the Manhattan Beach pier and headed south along the Strand to Hermosa Beach and then Redondo beach. This run was just what I needed, running along the beach in beautiful sunshine with tons of people out enjoying the day. This is such a nice difference from NYC, where I have been waking up at 6am and running in 55 degree weather before the sun comes up. Sometimes I really wonder why I am not living in Southern CA.
I hope to head back to Manhattan Beach this week to get another run in before I head back to NYC and run the Marathon. If not for a run just for a walk around, just take a look how nice it is here
Some pictures of the scenery
This past week I was fortunate enough to stay at the Ritz Carlton on Amelia Island, FL for a business trip. This sounds great and it was great for the company but this was a true business trip, which meant no time for leisure activities and any free time was at a premium.
Lucky for me the Ritz has an excellent wake up call service that acts like a snooze bar, so I was able to sleep in to the late hour of 6:05am before I went out for a run. I had my maps all set and was ready to go, but I forgot about the late sunrise and the fact that I was not in NYC anymore. There are no streetlights on Amelia Island and running in the pitch black through Gator territory was not something I was jumping to do. I am getting quick but those Gators are crafty and can move on those little legs. I had to settle for 4 miles on the treadmill that day.
The next day I squeezed out a 7.1 mile run during the late afternoon, which was through a driving rain, and was nice but tough. I am ready for training to end and I can default to the hotel bar on rainy days.
Today was one of the final Sunday long runs (15 miles) and I decided to run reconnaissance of the actual course.The route I chose today led me through Williamsburg and Greenpoint Brooklyn into Long Island City Queens, back over the 59th Street bridge (Queensborough Bridge) and through the streets of Manhattan. The title of the post is of the another bridge near the Pulaski Bridge over the same body of water, Newton Creek.
The point of this run was to run over the Pulaski Bridge (13.1 mile point) and then the 59th Street bridge. These two bridges are the beginning of the “hills” of the New York City Marathon and the beginning of the end for many runners. Both bridges have steep grades and will kick your butt if you are not ready for them. By running today I practiced pace on the bridges that will hopefully pay off on the big day. For you out of town folks these are not the prettiest areas of NYC but you do have some of the best views of the NYC skyline
Views from the Kosciuszko Bridge
View of the 59th Street Bridge (Queensborough Bridge)
My training program (Pfitz 12/55) called for 10K race tune up for the Marathon. I decided to head out to Central Park and run the big loop plus an extra .2 to make it a 10K. The big loop in Central Park is not an easy course as it includes the Big Hill on the northern end of the park which climbs 49 vertical feet at a grade of 3.7%.
Well running the hilly course this morning I ran at a race pace, but did not go full out since I still have to run 16 miles tomorrow. Well, I completed the 10K in 44:51, a pace of 7:12/minutes per mile which beat my time at the Shelter Island 10K which was a fast flat course where I ran full out. This improvement in time is incredibly encouraging and shows that putting in the miles and speedwork can increase your times in only a short period of time. For those that think you cannot get faster, you can, just takes a little time and dedication and it can be done
Hopefully I can keep this speed and pacing over the next few weeks and have a great race on November 4th
Let me start with this fact - Countdown to the start of the NYC Marathon
16 Days
Then let me talk about the bizarre - Due to work circumstances this will be my last weekend of training in New York for the Marathon. Yes, I am the only person who leaves the state to train, and yes, my planning skills are lacking.
I will spend this weekend training with the Dukes of Flatbush with a Saturday and Sunday run and then head off to Florida for a week on a business trip. Thankfully this is week 2 of my taper so I will be able to manage the mileage, but business trips and running are not good friends.
Then it is back to NYC for one day, unpack dirty clothes, pack clean clothes, maybe go out to dinner for my birthday (Friday the 26th), then wake up early and fly to Los Angeles for another business trip. I will be in LA for 5 days, hoping to get at least 3 runs in and then head back to NYC on the redeye on Halloween. Then it is off to the expo, pick up my bib and start the ritual of checking my bag and clothes on the hour. More good times.
Hopefully these last two weeks of travel will not impact my training and ultimately the Marathon. I will keep the team updated on how the training is going and will get reports back in from the Dukes of Flatbush.
Stay Tuned for critical updates
One of the most important parts of running a marathon is the post-marathon celebration. The Dukes of Flatbush are extremely serious about this part, so the planning has begun in earnest. This year we will combine the post race celebration with the annual Taste of Fall tradition. Good Times
The first commitment we have made is to rotisserie roast a whole lamb. Yes that is right, we are going to spit roast an entire lamb, about 45 pounds worth. The planning is serious and has included purchasing the motorized rotisserie, acquiring body bags (don’t ask) and digging of fire pits. This planning effort will probably need many pre-dinners and roasting simulations just to get our feet wet. To get an idea of the whole lamb that we will roast this image below should help out.
There will be regular updates on the Taste of Fall on this blog as well as on the Tasty Tuesday blog. Stay tuned
It is one of the more exciting days, when your registration card arrives in the mail and you find out where you are starting. For the NYC Marathon corral position is somewhat important. First you want to be near the front, not that I plan on running with the Ethiopians on Sunday but who wants to be behind 30,000 people through the streets of NY. I want to be in the middle of it, but not stuck behind a team of grandmothers out for a stroll.
I think there is a place in a marathon for all people who want to run. I love the people in costumes, teams, newlyweds who are out there to celebrate NYC and see the views and window shop. I love the people who are out there running 5 -6 hour marathons, that is incredible determination and hard work. I respect them and cheer for them, I just do not want to be behind them. Sorry.
So……now that all you hate me, I will share some of my info so you can cheer me on or egg me, either is fine, just come out there and make some noise. This year I will be in Blue number 6xxx.
For those of you who want help here is the ING New York City Marathon Start Corral Chart:
Today the Dukes of Flatbush rounded out our Marathon training with the last long run before the taper, a nice steady 21 mile run from Downtown Brooklyn to Coney Island and back.
Birch and I could not have picked a more ideal morning for this quest, with nice fall temps and not a cloud in the sky. We headed through Prospect Park to Ocean Parkway where there is a great running path in the middle that is covered by trees and bike free. This stretch down Ocean Parkway is nice, flat and long and we ran 8:00/minute miles till the Boardwalk. A little fast for my tastes for a 21 mile run, but, when in Rome…….
Reaching our halfway point and turnaround point, Coney Island, gave us a nice lift and a chance for a bathroom break. There is something special about being on the boardwalk and the beach in the fall when the sun is still shining but the crowds have gone. Really good times there and we were now ready for the return trip.
The trip back to Prospect Park was smooth and most important pain free. Both of us felt really good thanks to my pacing (Birch is a wild horse that needs to be broken) and Double Latte Gu. The Dukes all recommend Double Latte Gu for your running energy source, both tasty and full of caffeine. This stuff really keeps you going and may have to combine with Red Bull the next time I need a serious lift.
Once back in Prospect Park after 17 miles we decided to turn up the gas a little around the loops and up the hills for the next 3 miles. We were able to turn it up to 7:30/mile for the next few miles and especially around the lake and up the main hills. We slowed down for the final mile and then a nice walk to stretch it out followed by massive amounts of Gatorade, Beer and Bacon Cheeseburgers. Good day for a run, mission accomplished and now the taper begins. 3 weeks to go to the NYC Marathon
Prospect Park Lake
In a stroke of genius, the New York Road Runners and US Track and Field have decided to stage the Olympic Marathon trials in NYC, the day before the NYC Marathon. So the road to Beijing runs through Central Park this year, on the same hills that we have all suffered through all these years.
The course will be a criterium-style course in Central Park that will start in Rockefeller Plaza and finish near Tavern on the Green. The criterium loop in Central Park will be the reverse of the loop used when NYRR hosted the USA 8 km Championships from 2002 to 2004. Athletes will run the loop five times, with distance added to complete the full 42.195 km of the marathon.
If you can make it out to Central Park on Saturday November 3rd, you are sure to see a fantastic race. How often do you get to see the top male athletes compete for a spot in the Olympics? Remember, do not forget to cheer
USA, USA, USA, USA, USA, USA, USA, USA, USA, USA, USA, USA, USA
My good friend Alex Roy has written a book, The Driver, that I highly recommend and think you should all purchase for your reading pleasure. I do not think I can summarize the book as well as the author himself so I will give you Alex’s words on The Driver and a link below where you can purchase the book immediately. Enjoy
The high-speed, unbeleivable, illegal, bittersweet, hilarious, danger-packed true story of Team Polizei, from my father’s revelatory deathbed confession to my search for the truth behind the greatest secret in racing history. The Driver follows my attempt to duplicate Claude Lelouch’s Rendezvous (albeit around Manhattan), the creation of Team Polizei, the discovery of the now-infamous Polizei BMW M5, our debut on the 2003 Gumball 3000, my ignominous capture on the 2004 Bullrun USA, and many more adventures so far known only through snippets on YouTube…culminating with my delving into the true history of the Cannonball Run and U.S. Express - the underground cross-country races from which modern endurance rallies descended - and the long-secret record whose true story has yet to be told.
An extended confession of almost every moving violation I’ve ever committed, written with the help of scores of law enforcement personnel, dozens of judges, several attorneys and hundreds of rally drivers, friends and fans, The Driver is the first-ever insider’s account of modern underground automotive endurance events, and the truth behind the mythology in which they are clouded.
Have you ever seen something and know right away it is genius? Well, folks this happened to me today when I saw the web site for PaceTat, where I will be placing an order in tne next few days. I guess you want to know what PaceTat is after that sort of introduction.
Here are the words from company themselves on PaceTat - PaceTat is a durable transfer that is applied to your arm displaying all of your marathon and 1/2 marathon pace information and If you don’t remove PaceTat with alcohol or baby oil, it will stay on for 3-5 days
I think the only way to really explain PaceTat is an image and I will not say anymore, it explains itself
Today was a complete disaster at the Chicago Marathon. Many of my old running partners were out in Chicago today and from initial reports, it was a mess of epic proportions. I think the 2007 Chicago Marathon will go down in history as the worst ever. I hope everyone I know is now safe in their hotel rooms and having a drink.
Here are some of the statistics from Chicago:
For those non-runners it is hard to imagine what a crushing day this is for the participants. Almost everyone has spent the last 4 months of marathon training preparing for this one day and then this happens. I feel terrible for you guys out there but do not be discouraged there are other fall marathons out there and the proverbial “next year”. Good Luck!!
I now pray that the weather for NYC Marathon in November will be a lot gentler. Last year the conditions were just about perfect with a start temp of about 48 degrees and not getting above 60 degrees. Two years ago it was in the mid -70’s, but that is nothing compared to 90 degrees.
DOFB
