VOLUNTEER FOR THE RACE CREW!
The Rock ‘n’ Roll New York™ 10K is rockin’ through your neighborhood October 21-22. Nearly 5,000 runners will race to the finish, but they won’t be the only ones out in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. The Rock ‘n’ Roll New York 10K event also features live bands and DJs playing great music every mile and a finish line headliner concert. It’s a 6.2 mile block party!

Volunteering for the Race Crew means you will not only be supporting thousands of aspiring runners and walkers, but also the community of New York. We need your help to make this event spectacular, and with over 400 Race Crew volunteer positions available there is a spot for everyone, including teams, corporate groups, or just friends and family.

BENEFITS OF VOLUNTEERING
- Official Race Crew T-shirt
- Race Crew drawstring backpack
- Support a great cause
- Fulfill community service hours
- Have a great time!

AVAILABLE RACE CREW SHIFTS
- Friday, October 21, Super Runners Store: 745 7th Ave. New York, NY
o Packet Pick-Up: 10am to 5pm

- Saturday, October 22, Prospect Park, Brooklyn
o Start Line Shift: 5:30am to 8:30am
o Finish Line Shift: 6:00am to 11:30am
o Corrals & Course Monitors at Start Line: 6:30am to 9:30am
o Gear Return at Finish Line: 7:00am to 11:30am
o Water Stations – times vary (contact Volunteer Coordinator)

HOW TO REGISTER
Step 1: Go to runrocknroll.com/new-york
Step 2: Click “Volunteer” on the left-hand side menu
Step 3: Click “Race Crew Information” to determine the shift(s) that best fit your schedule
Step 4: Click the blue “Race Crew” button to sign up!

Apply for NYC Half Marathon via NYRR

Sunday, March 20 – New York City
Start: 7:35 a.m.
Course: An iconic course that runs through the heart of the city including Times Square!

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

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.

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*******

Enjoy

Although we excel in all manner of blue collar sports, I can’t say we started the season with high expectations. Well, that has all changed. We managed to hold onto the #1 spot for a long while, only recently ceding it to our nemesis “006″ and our co-conspirators “Wild Turkeys”. This past week we managed to reclaim the #2 spot. We have one more week of league play and think we’re rolling in the semis. Needless to say, we’re focusing our inner Lebowski and drinking plenty of White Russians to get ready for the ultimate showdown. One man, one ball and 10 pins. We’ll keep you posted, but you can check the standings here.

Let me first start by saying, how amazing all of the Dukes of Flatbush, particularly that guy I call my Husband, was through this whole process. A very sincere thanks to everyone for all of their well wishes, advice and encouragement along the way. And a particular shout out to the lady on First Ave and 96th St who was the ONLY person I didn’t know to call out my name- you will never know how much that helped. THANK-YOU!

I’ve taken a bit of time to write this for a lot of reasons. Partly because I needed to digest what exactly happened in those hours between 5 am and 6 pm on November 2nd, 2008, and partly because I really needed to get some rest! As I mentioned in my pre-marathon post, I was really looking forward to the two-week taper. My body, particularly my right knee and calf, were really giving me hell, and I was in an almost constant state of pain. I sought out the services of an acupuncturist, which helped tremendously, but even still I did not go into Marathon day in top form.

I’ll get this negative stuff out of the way, because as the administrator of this noble blog said- “It’ll be cathartic”. I’ll admit, I was pretty disappointed about not being in top shape on Marathon Day. After 2 + months of training, to be feeling rather questionable about your ability to perform is a bit of a lousy feeling. I didn’t play many team sports as a kid, so maybe this is something everyone else is used to by 32- I am not. I didn’t play through an ankle sprain and kick the winning goal. I didn’t get the MVP for getting two teeth knocked out and staying in the game to score four 3 pointers. I was a cheerleader- I broke my elbow doing a high kick and sat out the rest of the season out. Simply put, I’ve never played through the pain, it’s just not what I do.

OK, that feels better.

So there I was on the Saturday before Marathon Day, with perfect weather (crisp and partly cloudy with high of 50F) to look forward to, and I was a nervous friggin’ wreck about my knee. I went out for a long walk when a friend and fellow Marathoner called to ask how I was feeling. I described myself as the Owner of a Best in Show Contender at the Westminster Dog Show who had to leave Madison Square garden to go get a hotdog because they were too nervous to watch. This training process had done a lot of strange things to my mind, but this was getting out of hand. I was now simultaneously the Best in Breed, the trainer and the Owner. This had to stop!

What was the worst that could happen? “You could do real damage to your knee and wind up in serious trouble, Idiot,” I told myself. OK, fair enough, but really what are we talking about? Collapse in Williamsburg? Ambo in Central Park? I told myself that I could walk if I needed to, and in all honesty, that was fine. “There are plenty of people that walk, it’s not about the time. More importantly, it’s about finishing and raising funds for Jack’s Fund I reminded myself. Well, either the Viszla inside developed language skills or I was being to make sense. Either way, I was calm enough to go home and start the process of unwinding- 5 am does come early.

Per usual, I didn’t sleep much. It was a cold morning, but the spirit of the day most certainly got me out the door and onto the Subway Platform by 6 am. If your listening Mr or Mrs NYC Marathon Logistics Manager Man or Woman, I have to admit, I don’t think the Wave Start plan worked as well as you hoped. There were many, many runners that were in the 10:20 am start that had 5:30 am ferry or 4:30 am bus times. Doesn’t seem that it was the best use of staggered starts to then have people crowding the Staten Island Ferry terminal to stay warm before heading out into the sub 40 degree temp. But, I’m just saying. As I mentioned before, I consider myself a wimp. I know everyone talks about how amazing the Marathon Village is before the race, and how much fun it is to walk around and such, but I was freezing, so I stayed in the Ferry terminal till 8:30 before hoping on the bus to Fort Wadsworth.

Once there, I realized that there was a whole flurry of activity going on, and I clearly was not the only one that was a bag of nerves! People were literally walking in circles, too anxious and cold to sit, but too sore from months of training to move too fast! 9:30 am marked the end of Bag Check and in those few moments before I saw every type of salve, cream, gel you could imagine being applied to any and all body parts. Without shame, I too, joined the Vaseline’d Masses and got myself prepped for the race.

Before I knew it, we were lined up and stripping away our “give away” warm up gear. Without realizing it was really happening we were moving en masse up the platform up to the start line at the base of the bridge. Of course, Bruce Springstein’s Born To Run was playing on the speakers as I crossed over the start line. I chuckled to myself and smiled as I took off up the Verranzano Bridge and looked out over to Manhattan in the distance. I overheard someone say, “Doesn’t it look so far away?”. And strangely to me, it didn’t.

Coming into Brooklyn, I felt great. There was a dull pain in my knee, but it felt manageable. The tightness in my calf had subsided, I felt well rested, my digestive tract co-operated earlier and in all honesty, I felt like I was about to have the run of my life. Once on Fourth Avenue, I could see the Williamsburg Saving and Loan Building in the distance.

I live in Fort Greene, which is just past that at mile 8 so I settled in for an easy cruise up Fourth Ave, knowing that I would get a Dukes Welcome at the end of my block.

And there they were, my Bloody Mary’ed Cheering Section!

Luckily, my Husband brought out the Stick to the end of the road for a bit of mile 8 ITB release.

By this point, I was starting to question that “run of my life” comment. My knee was starting to feel very tight and tender, and each time I flexed my knee back after taking a step, it hurt even more. I slowed down from my 9 minute mile pace to a 9:30 for the next two miles to see where I was at. By mile 10 on Bedford Avenue, I stopped for a few moments to stretch out to see if I could loosen the ITB- it was beginning to feel like a rubber band being snagged on the outside of my knee with each step. No such luck. I stopped at the next Medical Tent to see if they had a Stick- for some reason this made sense to me, but of course they didn’t.

I was only 10 miles in, and here I was contemplating that I might have to serious consider walking for a bit. But walking on my right knee didn’t feel any better. The way I thought about it, it would just take longer and therefore hurt for longer. So I took off on my left leg, and just gently used my right foot to balance myself out. With that first step, I set my mind to running the remaining 16 miles on my left leg. Now I know this sounds insane, and of course it is. But it’s basically what happened. I stopped at two medical tents to have them tape up my knee to keep it from bending too far back, and I went about the business of getting through it.

Just passed seeing another group of friends at mile 14 in Long Island City, the pain was so bad that I stopped, folded over and started to cry. I don’t know if it was the pain, the frustration at my 11 minute pace or what, but I was pissed. All of this training, the resting, the icing, the balanced friggin’ nutrition, the Tetolling- I couldn’t believe it was coming to this. I think I even let out a bit of a Blue Streak- sorry to any kids that may have been nearby. After I few minutes, I got myself back together and got back to the business of the left sided shuffle. If it took me 7 hrs, I was gonna finish this thing.

I had been warned about the 59th St Bridge. With no crowds on either side, and the vibration of the runners pounding the expanse, it can be both daunting and exhilarating I was told.

As I made it up the incline, I got into a bit of a rhythm with the my new left sided gait and I was starting to settle in a bit. Just as I crested the bridge I realized that it truly “all down hill from here”. Not exactly the best thing for someone experiencing ITB pain, but you get the metaphor.

First Ave was pretty unbelievable.

Looking up those 50 or blocks and seeing a river of runners moving up the canyon of skyscrapers is a pretty remarkable site. There are so many spectators at this point too; never before have I felt greeted with such welcome arms to Manhattan. That said; I basically put my head down and wobbled my way up the Avenue, knowing that my Dukes Cheering Section was just 4 miles away.

By the time I got to mile 18, I realized that stopping to stretch was not a good idea; it became increasingly difficult to get started again and was more painful each time. It was also at that point that I realized that despite my difficulties, I was still within shot of my goal of sub 4:30. To do so, I would have to shave about 30 seconds off of my mile pace. One thing that has always been true during my training is that I tend to speed up after I get over the hump and enter the last 3rd of a run. Would that be true this time was the question.

I’ll spare you the grunting, wincing, cursing blow by blow of the last 8 miles, but they were the most intense of my life. The crowds down 5 Avenue and in Central Park were amazing. To each of the crazy spectators with the large “Beer” signs, thank-you for the laughs.

But I think this sign had to be the best-

With one last glance at my husband at the 26 mile mark, I ran those last .2 miles with tears in my eyes and a fullness in my heart that I will hold with me for the rest of my life.

At 4:28: 53, I can now say I know what it feels like to have made my own goal, banged up knee and all.

A week plus later, and I am not quite ready to tackle the pavement just yet. I might go back to Pilates for a bit, maybe even consider taking a Yoga class. I’m waiting for all of the swelling to go down to figure out what to do about my knee. I figure it makes sense to see what is just a result of all that training, and what may or may not be a lasting result before going to see a Doctor. To be honest I don’t want to know yet, I’d rather just bask in the glory for a bit longer.

For my last 20 miler, I ran from the Brooklyn Promenade, across the Brooklyn Bridge, across Wall Street, up the West Side Highway, across Central Park South, and then over to the 59th street bridge. Next, up to Roosevelt Island for a loop, then back over the Pulaski Bridge into Brooklyn for the victory 5 miles back along Kent Ave and the Navy Yard. I thought I might be going insane around mile 18 when inner my monologue turned into a full on debate between three disparate voices- the one telling me to stop- Ms Whiney, the one telling me to get my act together- Ms Tough Gurl, and the one telling Ms Tough Gurl to “DIG DEEP” and “YELL LOUDER”- Ms GET IT DONE. When I end a long training run, I always ask myself if I have the remaining miles to 26.2 in me. As I rounded the corner at the end of that run, I asked myself if I had another 6 in me. Thankfully, Ms GET IT DONE answered, and the response went something like this. “HELLS YES!”

My 16 miler in Tampa, Florida last weekend, while not as entertaining, was quite a feat. Down in Tampa for a wedding, I had to make an early break from the post rehearsal dinner festivities to get some rest for the 8:30am 16 miler the day of the wedding! Who am I? My sister plotted the course for me along the Upper Tampa Bay Trail , which is really something many urbanites don’t see much. 8 miles of paved trail through lush forest, along a canal, with water stops every 1/2 mile- crazy! Even though it was over 85 degrees, that run felt like cake walk to the week before. A bit of soreness around mile 12, but I stretched it out and kept running, it was only 16 miles after all.

Now, I’m all about the recuperation. I’m looking forward to my afternoon dose of Ibuprofen, an easy four mile jog and perhaps an Epson Salt Bath tonight. With my last two big runs behind me and only a 6 on the horizon for this weekend, I’m feeling great.
Oh, yeah, and that 26.2 the week after, but, I got that one- “NO PROBLEM!”

“I wanted to make art that questioned our relationship with animals and the ethics and sustainability of factory farming,” Banksy explains in an official press release. “But it ended up as chicken nuggets singing.”

This gentleman who claimed to be the store owner was fielding questions from a TV reporter and when asked about the hot dogs, said it was very sad, that they were rescue dogs. Ba da bing!

Let’s focus on the Panzanella.

1 baguette

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes

1 lb fresh mozzarella

1 red onion

2 cloves minced garlic

Olive Oil for basting

Salt and Pepper to taste

½ cup pesto vinaigrette

This recipe takes the whole bread, tomato and mozzarella salad to new heights by not only combining it with a fresh pesto- balsamic vinaigrette, but get this, you actually grill the bread, mozzarella, onion and tomato first! Basically, the original recipe calls for several tomato, red onion, mozzarella and bread skewers, lightly dressed with olive and garlic, that are grilled, removed from their skewers, and then tossed with the Pesto-balsamic vinaigrette- and let me tell you, it’s really delicious. That said; having suffered through cleaning quite a few grills of molten mozzarella, I’ve come up with a better method to ensure that everything is cooked properly when combined. Moreover, I’ve abandoned the recipe for the vinaigrette and just make it how I like it now – I encourage you to do the same.

Firstly, if you have stale bread, use that. Stale bread toasts better and won’t get soggy like fresh bread does. If you don’t have any “day old” around, try to cube (about 1 ½ inch square) the fresh bread up few hours ahead of when you plan on making the Panzanella- this will let it dry out a bit. Next, key step here, when you are about 5 minutes out from getting started, put your mozzarella in the freezer. I can’t tell you how much it easier it is to cut cold mozzarella. Not only that, but it helps the cheese hold it shape a bit better during the grilling process. Without doing this you could wind up with melted cheese all over the grill!

As far as assembly of the kabobs goes, there is the main point of difference with the original recipe. Rather than combining the ingredients on the skewers, I do a few solely cherry or grape tomatoes, a few red onion kabobs and then combine the bread and mozzarella (cut into 1 inch cubes) on the last few kabobs before lightly dressing them with a bit of minced garlic, salt and pepper and olive oil. By doing this, you can control how much heat each of the ingredients get. Personally, I like the onion and tomatoes to get a bit more charred, so I get those on the grill first while I am putting the bread and mozzarella skewers together.

When making your pesto, use your favorite recipe. Some people use pine nuts, some walnuts, I like crushed red pepper; all that matters is that at the end you add a bit of balsamic vinegar to it and a touch more oil than you normally would to give it a slightly looser consistency. I usually make my pesto in a food processor, but I have done it by hand as well. If you have the time, give it a try- it’s quite sexy.

Once everything is grilled to your liking, remove from the skewers into a large bowl and toss to combine with the 2/3 of the pesto vinaigrette. I plate, and then top each with a bit more vinaigrette, salt and fresh pepper. Yummers!!

In an effort to usher in Autumn, I followed the Panzanella salad with Monkfish and Pancetta kabobs served with roasted butternut squash with fennel and lemon.

They were tasty but lacking some oommf. Next time I might make lemon oil or herb-anise vinaigrette or something to add a bit more acidity to the dish.

I followed that with black figs, with fresh ricotta, lemon sugar and balsamic reduction- sort of a dessert and cheese course in one. While I liked it for being light and fresh, I think next time I’ll combine the lemon sugar with the ricotta in advance with a touch of lemon juice tie those flavors together.

Till next year, goodbye tomatoes. Bring on the squash, figs, apples, pears, and Brussels sprouts!

With the Tune-up miles locked in, I needed to add two extra miles to the start to meet my 20 mile run requirement for the week. This meant a 5am wake-up, train to 57th street, then the 2.6 run up to the start at 102 st on the East Side for a 7am start. (I know, boo-hoo, but hey, it’s my first marathon and I’ll moan if I want to!) After a bit of a battle with shin splints after an 18 miler to Coney Island last weekend, I will admit, I wasn’t feeling all that strong going into Sunday’s race/ run. I had been slow all week, and just couldn’t seem to get the lead out. I knew it was gonna be another difficult one when I stepped out of the house that morning- it was muggy and already 70 degrees– oh dear.

By the time I arrived at the start after my warm-up, I was already drenched with sweat. The humidity was at 93%, and I was praying for the sky to open up- no such luck. Knowing my body, I resolved to take it slow and just see what running with the crowd felt like, and listen to what my mind and body were doing and just take it nice and easy. After 3 miles I realized I was running a 9:20 mile pace and there wasn’t a darn thing I could do about it- nice and easy was all I had.

Running loops is definitely not my preferred training method. Even though I have a pretty nifty hill mantra (I love hills, I love *%$@*&% hills), I don’t like to have to use it on the same hill again and again- it seems to lose efficacy. That said; round and round the park I went for a good 15 (17.5 for me) miles with all systems pretty much in check. Slow, but in check.

It was at mile 15 that I realized that I must have dropped my 3rd Gel Pack somewhere. Opps! It was also at this moment that I also started to feel really cold. From sweaty to shivering in a matter of seconds. “Why didn’t I eat breakfast this morning?” Fearing a premature introduction to “The Wall”, I assured myself that I was fine, and reminded myself of the “Gel” table just past Columbus Circle at the bottom of the park on Central Park South. “All good, just get around the corner”, I told myself.

Just as I inched around the corner, and felt my head fill with cotton and my feet turn into 100 lb weights, I noticed that the table was empty.

“Well, hello Mr. Wall. So nice to finally meet you in person.” Maybe some good manners might soften the blow, I thought.

And it did. He’s a funny fellow that Mr. Wall. We laughed for a few steps, talking about what a crazy fool I am for taking this on. I should still be in bed, he’s right. Or better yet, glass of wine and a cozy couch. I know it’s only 9:30 am, but I’ve been up for almost 5 hours. TAXI!

We talked for a few more steps as warmth started to return to my arms, and we got near the Gatorade table- oh sweet nectar! “Three more miles, eh?” he asked. And with that, I was off. “What the hell is 3 miles?” was I needed to ask myself.

Just as I hit the 16 mile mark, I looked down and saw the brand of Gel I prefer. “Oh, wouldn’t that be nice,” I thought to myself. Then I thought for a moment and tried to do some math. Surprising how difficult that can be. My last gel was at 10 miles, the park is 6 miles. 10 plus 6 equals…come on Math don’t fail me know- 16! Oh my, it’s my Gel! Without thinking of how dirty NYC truly is (read: Horses in Central Park), I turned around, scooped it up and slurped it down- delicious, yummy, goodness, I love you Gel!

I don’t know if I really needed it or not, but I’m not trying to be a hero. Could I have run this race faster, sure? Should I have eaten breakfast? Yes! Will I run faster than a 9:40 pace on Marathon day? I don’t know. All I do know is that I ran 20 miles this weekend and I met “The Wall”- hopefully they will both be as gentle the next time we meet.

I had never been to this restaurant before, but had heard exceptional things about the pork that flowed freely from the kitchen. I can tell you that they did not dissapoint.

We started off with a few different plates of thinly sliced ham and crusty bread, accompanied by a sauce that I mistakenly took for mustard. A closer inspection revealed it was mayonnaise cut with Sriracha and Red Eye gravy (coffee, pan drippings). Really interesting and quite tasty. The ham was bolstered by a few orders of lardo which is cured strips of pig fat. It’s a fairly subtle dish and a little unnerving. It’s not something I’d order every day, but I found it quite satisfying. Next was crispy lamb belly. I am a huge devotee of lamb and can honestly say that I have never tasted anything quite so “lamby”. Baaaaa humbug. But on to the main attractions.

Ssam means “anything wrapped” and one of the stand out items on the menu is a pork bun, essentially a flour pancake filled with braised pork belly, topped with a few dabs of Sriracha.

I can’t say I have tasted anything so good this entire year. I can see myself visiting this restaurant time and time again, slipping in for a few pork buns and a glass of wine. It’s pure magic.

But on to the main event. My friend had called the restaurant exactly one month before to get a reservation required for Bo Ssam. They have a 5:00, 6:30 and 11:00 seating every day for this special meal. But what is Bo Ssam? It’s a 6 lb pork butt that has been cooked for 10 hours. You shred the pork at the table, place it in a lettuce leaf, top with a fresh shucked oyster and your choice of accompaniments like rice and kimchi.

Although I had already eaten a great deal of swine, I managed to scarf down six of these delicious little packages. I found it equal to the pork bun in flavor, but it was a lot of fun to sit around a table and eat a communal dish.

I hard heard about Momofuku Ssam from a number of friends, but somehow it slipped off my radar. Don’t let this happen to you. If you like pork, get yourself over there and enjoy the fruits of their labor. You won’t regret it.

The Jack H Marston II Melanoma Fund (Jack’s Marathon Team) has 6 guaranteed entries available for anyone interested in running in the ING New York City Marathon 2008.

For details or to register please visit www.jacksfund.org/jmt_wmm.htm by August 29. Or contact Amy@jacksfund.org

Join Jack’s Marathon Team and help fight melanoma every step of the way. Donations received through Jack’s Marathon Team fund vital research and awareness programs.
Please note: The fundraising goal has been lowered to $1000.

Amy Saletta
amy@jacksfund.org

This evening one-third of Dukes: Team RTB took to the streets and bridle paths of Central Park for an evening jaunt. The run is of special significance because it marks two team members’ foray into an elite RTB training regimen; for our very own Stephanie and Kristin, it was their third run in 24 hours. They managed 6 last night, 5.5 this morning and capped it off with 4 tonight. Now that’s impressive! Meanwhile, reports suggest that Duke MFP has been knocking out two-a-days while Laura has been putting in 20+ mile days. And speed-demon Sean’s team The Chipmen rocked the Vermont 100 on 100 last Friday in a blistering 6:34 team pace, winning the Masters age group. Team Dukes will not be stopped!

RTB Training Tips:
*from now until race week, work in at least one two-a-day every week w/ 6+ mile legs
*train for your night leg: start wearing your headlamp or carrying a small flashlight on a long run each week (even if it’s a day run)
*if you don’t already own two new-ish pair of sneaks, get them; you’ll want to rotate shoes across your legs to prevent shin splints and other injuries

The Dukes showed up six runners strong and opted for the “longer” run which, while not really long, did provide all kinds of awesome scenery. I ran there and back as well, effectively doubling my mileage and upping the bridge-crossing ante (12 Miles, 4 spans crossed; 3X Manhattan & 1X BK). Great miles logged and hill training for RTB as the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges have looonnnnnng grades. All in all, an excellent evening spent running with friends and some good new runners met.

RTB:
RTB Training Report 2
RTB Training Report 1
RTB Announcement

We take a break from our normal programming to discuss the New York Mets. The Mets are on fire as they head into the All Star Break and this hot streak is a long time coming.

They have won 9 in a row, have 4 shutouts in their past 6 games and have come back to within 1/2 game of 1st Place.

Let’s hope these guys can keep their act together over the All-Star break and keep their winning ways in the 2nd half of the season.

Here’s the official blurb on the show – “The most comprehensive retrospective to date of the work of internationally acclaimed Japanese artist Takashi Murakami includes more than ninety works in various media that span the artist’s entire career, installed in more than 18,500 square feet of gallery space.

Born in Tokyo in 1962, Murakami is one of the most influential and acclaimed artists to have emerged from Asia in the late twentieth century, creating a wide-ranging body of work that consciously bridges fine art, design, animation, fashion, and popular culture. He received a Ph.D. from the prestigious Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, where he was trained in the school of traditional Japanese painting known as Nihonga, a nineteenth-century mixture of Western and Eastern styles. However, the prevailing popularity of anime (animation) and manga (comic books) directed his interest toward the art of animation because, as he has said, “it was more representative of modern day Japanese life.” American popular culture in the form of animation, comics, and fashion are among the influences on his work, which includes painting, sculpture, installation, and animation, as well as a wide range of collectibles, multiples, and commercial products.”

But on to the eye candy…

I managed to get a ticket to their sold out show at Southpaw this past weekend, a venue a few blocks from my apartment in Park Slope – Brooklyn. First, Southpaw is a great place to see a show – small room, big bar, great sound. Second, The Black Angels put on one helluva show. The songs are long and kinda trippy, it’s easy to get lost in the wall of sound. Towards the end of the gig, I think it may have been during the second encore, the lead singer Alex Maas wandered to the side of the stage. Facing the wall, he sang for the next 15 minutes. Say what you will, but brother was into it. They are playing at the All Points West Festival this summer – really looking forward to hearing them on a festival stage. Should be a real kick in the head.

This installation is on the scale of “The Gates” by Christo and Jeanne-Claude that filled Central Park with saffron-colored fabric panels back in 2005. I wasn’t that excited to see “The Gates”, but was taken aback by the beauty and scale when I did make the trip. It was really extraordinary. Make sure you don’t miss this one…

Kudos to Mayor Bloomberg who helped the artists navigate the NYC bureaucracy to get over 30 separate permits to make this a reality. Well played sir.

Well……..I think the reaction to my decision can best be expressed below:

Sometimes a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do and, I guess, this is one of those times for our beloved admin, erstwhile coach, training partner extraordinaire and certified master of the grill Jeff. He’s packed up the shop, loaded what’s important and is redeploying to the left coast in search of fortune, adventure and cracked crab. As we all navigate the fog caused by last night’s sayonara wumpus, I’d just like to pause for the cause and give a hearty HUZZAH to our partner in crime.

Fare thee well sir. You’ll be sorely missed but we’ve every confidence you’ll quickly get to holdin’ it down out there and swelling the ranks of the Dukes West Coast Chapter. Write when you get work and we’ll come inspect your beachhead.

Vaya con dios y un gato en tu pantalones Amigo.
-mismanagement

From Eve:

I just wanted to let you know I ran another for the team today. The
Mothers Day 10 Mile. It was a rough one for me, central park and those
damn freaking hills on top of just being damn tired it wasn’t the
greatest for me but it was fun. Just wanted to give you a DOFB heads
up.

F         EVE     DOFB    NEW YORK        NY    1:28:11  8:49

First 6 miles were largely without incident. I was running a pretty strong 7:05-7:10 pace though I felt a little fluttery. My left foot started to get pins and needles numb, which is rarely a good sign. It’s previously only happened in full marathons, but for some reason my left foot starts to go numb whenever I’m creeping on my limits. Never the right, only the left….go figure.

Anyway, about the time old lefty was checking out I pulled up on Jeff. I drafted behind him for about a quarter of a mile watching his stride. As has been noted many times, Jeff and I train together regularly and I was noticing how his mechanics seemed to have improved of late. You know a runner is coming into form when you can see the energy tensed in their muscles release seemingly without effort. Sort of like a large cat when it looks like it takes more exertion for them not to pounce and un-spring the stored energy than it does for them to bound along. Anyway, Jeff had that stride going where he was sort of floating effortlessly above the pavement and I was deep in considering how very different I was beginning to feel when he finally caught on to my lurking.

We cruised along for a bit together, but I was finding it increasingly difficult to maintain pace and sent him ahead just before we reached Prospect Park. Not more than a quarter mile into the park I had to pull my ship over on account of grinding stomach cramps. Somewhat mystified, I walked along for 20 or 30 yards and was every bit as surprised as the poor woman next to me when I projectile yakked. Mind you, I run this very loop 2-3 times a week, so it was an odd sort of thing to be feeling so utterly lousy on ground that I normally sail over. Another boot about 50 yards later I managed to pull my shit together and get a shuffling head of steam before heading up the last looming hill before Grand Army Plaza. I don’t normally mind this one, as I’m a hill lover, but I can assure you this was one of the hardest climbs I’ve ever stuck with. Had to resort to all sorts of mental cheats…..the older lady in front of me will never know it, but she actually towed me up that thing and I owe her a psychic debt of thanks.

Anyway – managed to gut it out and finish with a 1:37:15. Not the worst, not the best, but definitely the toughest half marathon I’ve run. I really don’t know what the issue was. The indicators could be read to point to dehydration, but I was well hydrated. And I was equally well rested etc. Certainly all the pints of Guinness in Ireland a month back didn’t help; I was under-trained, but that’s hardly a first. Guess I’ll just chock it up to the borough of Brooklyn reminding me who’s boss.

All that said – congrats Jeff on running an excellent race and establishing a new PR. Tremendous shouts out to the other three Dukes who turned in awesome performances as well. Eve with her first half completed and she, Jen & Fayth all turned in sub 2:00–righteous!!

This is the first time we’ve had 5 Dukes for one of the NYRR half’s and it’s sweet to be officially in the hunt for club standing this year. Nice work all and remember, there are few better feelings than looking at a Los Compadre in your rearview!

Getting to Coney Island for the start was little bit of the pain due to track work on the F train but made it there with 20 minutes to spare before the start. Tried to find the rest of the Dukes of Flatbush at the start, but no luck, this race was going to be solo.

I have to give a huge hand to the NYRR and the volunteers for a great start using the seeded corral system. My bib color was red and number was 15xx which meant I was in the 2nd corral, right near the start. This was especially useful since the first 2.5 miles of the race are on the Coney Island boardwalk, which is a little old, warped and sandy. Not a place you want to have to jostle for space.

Toeing up on the line, I got my Garmin 405 ready for its maiden race, and then the cannon went off.

Mile 1 & 2 were on the boardwalk and according to the Garmin I average a 7:15/mile pace, a little quicker than planned but I was feeling really good.

Miles 3 – 9 were along Ocean Parkway and were flat and built for speed, except for a little headwind blowing here and there. I was cruising along at a 7:20 pace and feeling strong and then a minor miracle happened. At mile 6, Birch, fellow DOFB member and training partner pulled up alongside me. I think he may have been behind me for awhile, checking me out from that perspective , but he said nothing. Seems suspicious.

Birch and i cranked along at a little faster clip, about 7:10/mile until the end of Ocean Parkway, where Birch started feeling some pains and needed to slow down and told me to go on without him. This is a first as Birch is normally running sub 7 minute miles and I am ready to die trying to keep up.

Mile 9 – 13 saw me entering Prospect Park, fan support started to build and so did the hills. There is a small downhill in the beginning but then we came up the big hill that leads to Grand Army Plaza. The thing I hate most about this hill are the false peaks. Each time you think you are done there is another climb. Damn those park architects.

The last few miles were a race for me as I tried to break 1:35 for the Brooklyn Half Marathon. I pushed and tried but the final small hills at the end drained me of the precious few seconds and finished the race in 1:35:55, a new PR for me. I am not going to say the Garmin 405, made the difference, it was probably training, but running a race with a GPS watch changes the whole race. I strongly encourage anyone serious about running to purchase one.

Overall another great Brooklyn Half Marathon and look forward to race reports from other members. More important, I believe the Dukes of Flatbush finally had 5 racers finish which means we earned club points. Look out Los Compadres, here we come in the Club Competition

Lbs of Crawfish shipped up from Louisiana: 275

Lbs of Crawfish Consumed: 275

Barrels of Beer Consumed: 5 (!!)

Number of kick-ass Bands: 4-5

List of notable instruments demonstrated: Stand up base, drums, keys, mandolin, banjo, tuba (!), trombone (x2), trumpet, guitar (x5), maracas, tambourines, cowbell, neck-tie washboard!?!), accordion, larynx (yodeling), rubber chicken

Number of DJs intending to play: 5

Number of DJs who actually played: 3

Approximate number of attendees: 150 (+/- 25)

Number of unknowns who crashed: 25

Number of hours the party lasted: 11

All in all, an amazing time was had and a serious thanks out to them tasty lil bugs, the incredible bands, our excellent friends and everyone else who contributed of their time, energy and buzz to make this the best boil yet!

And now a few pics for da taste:

Special Cajun delivery…one of three mongo boxes of bugs straight from LA

Craw enforcement is serious work…one needs a placard for the vehicle

Said Craw Enforcement Vehicle and the attached compliance officer

The calm before the boil. Please note appropriately prominent placement of the NH state flag. Boil Free or Die baby!

Looks may deceive …this pint sized shellfish lover can eat her weight in Crawfish

$2 Goat gettin’ things roarin’ as the bugs start coming out. These guys wail!

Early round as folks start jockey for long-haul positioning.

Yum!

Washboard neck-tie?!?!? Are you F’n kidding me?? That’s the sort of raw power you won’t find in any boardroom folks.

Big Bill showing how it’s done

Crawfish honeys

Um….rockin?!?

Lotta brass

Boil subcommittee meeting

Oh when the roooooooooobes….
come out late at niiiiiiiiiiiiight…..

Oh when the robes come out laaaaate at niiiiiiiiight.

To prepare for the pace, I have gone back to the track for some speed workouts, which are horrific and vomit inducing, but would love to share with you for those who want to speed work.

On a standard 400m track, do one lap below 1 minute 30 seconds, then slowly jog (hate the word) or shuffle your feet to keep moving for 1 minute, then repeat the fast lap. Then wash rinse, repeat for 8 fast laps, trying to stay below a set time (mine is 1:30).

I have no scientific proof for this method as I have cobbled it together from a few training gurus, but give it a shot, if you do not get faster, you will puke, gonna be fun either way.

Tomorrow morning I will try to hook up with the Shampoos for an easy 8-10 mile run before our annual Crawfish Boil. Then let the good times roll.

Crawfish Boil pictures and report to follow later this week

The bridge has both the North and South paths open and was full of people enjoying the sunny day. As usual everyone stays on the North path (pictured), which I think is due to the entrance on the Brooklyn side for the South entrance being hidden.

Running through Williamsburg for the first time in 4 months, I had a chance to see the incredible construction going on and the progress that has happened in 4 months. Kent Ave has become a full on construction zone, where in the next year thousands of people will live. Is a always strange to think that a few years ago I would run there without seeing a soul.

One soul that I did see on the corner of Kent & N.12th asked me for directions, which unfortunately I could not help them with. My question to other runners, when you are out there do you stop if people ask you for directions or do you wave them off? I know everyone thinks they would stop, but would you? Do you?

On that note I wanted to alert all of our readers about another charitable event coming up in the next few months. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Rock & Run on the River. Here is a description of the event from the event organizers of this run/walk event, so far all of you aspiring runners and walkers here is your chance to make a difference.

Come and share the excitement and inspiration of Rock & Run on the River – a 5K run/walk along the beautiful Hudson River that celebrates life beyond cancer and raises awareness and support for Memorial Sloan-Kettering’s Cancer Survivorship Initiative.

Date: Sunday, June 8, 2008
Time: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM (Registration opens at 7:00 AM)
Where: Hudson River Park’s Pier 84 (12th Ave. and 44th St.), New York City

The morning looked promising with sunny skies and no breeze, but unfortunately it was a little cold for spring, the temperature at 7:30am was 28 degrees. I knew it was going to warm up, but would have to suffer in the cold for a few hours.

The start area for the Scotland Run was set up in Mineral Springs Central Park and where the government of Scotland had set up a few booths giving away Scottish flags and bags as well as the ability to get your face painted. The band was great and for this year we had the Red Hot Chili PIPERS. Good times out there even though it was a little chilly, but starting to warm up.

The race is ready to start as the Pipers lead everyone out to the start line, where I position myself around the 7 minute mile pace area, hoping this will keep me from having to bob and weave too much through the crowd. Even though I know I planned to run around a 7:20/mile pace, to even have a chance to run that pace for the first mile I needed to set up close to the 7:00/mile sign. Let me tell you, I cannot wait for this corral system to start and really hope it will be a success. (I promise not to vent about slow packs of runner in front).

Mile 1 was still a little crowded and and a little uphill but managed to hit Mile Marker 1 at exactly 7:30. This was a pretty good sign.

Mile 2 -3 were spread out more with more downhill than up and I was able to pick up the pace, running 7:00/miles for these two. Nice bonus was seeing my friend Seth running the other way with his son in a baby stroller and hearing my name called out.

Now, I am not sure where, but I believe this occurred somewhere near the end of mile 3, after a long uphill climb, just when I thought I was out of gas, and ready to slow it down, suddenly the sounds of a single bagpipe were blaring through Central Park. One bagpiper in a quilt was standing guard at the top of the hill urging people on with his playing. Score one for NYRR and the race organizers for this move.

The next few miles went along real smooth as I tried to keep a 7:15/mile pace and look to finish below 45:00 minutes for the 10K. One other nice move by NYRR this year was widening the lanes so there was more room to maneuver.

As I hit the 6 mile mark I knew the sub 45:00 was within reach and just pushed through the last uphill portion (this part I hate) to the finish line at Tavern on the Green at a respectable 44:42, a 7:12/mile pace for a 10K, one of my fastest 10K runs and one of my better finishes. I placed 628 out of 7000 runners. This is promising for the upcoming season, because to be honest I have barely ran more than 20 miles a week since the start of 2008 and have not been as healthy as I would like.

Now I wish I could say all the other members of the Dukes of Flatbush were able to make it out for the race. As usual Eve F came out and turned in a stellar performance for the Dukes, but the same cannot be said of the Shampoos.

Seems they heard Nessie was going to be at the race and hid in Brooklyn, scared to cross the waters in to Manhattan.

Instead of boring you with descriptions of the cars which nobody wants to read, I figured some serious car porn is the only way to go.

Enjoy!

The Brooklyn Half Marathon is one of the premiere events in the Dukes of Flatbush racing schedule and is on home turf. The race starts on the Coney Island boardwalk and then is a flat pancake run down Ocean Parkway and a fantastic finish inside Prospect Park.

I hope that this last minute schedule change does not impede anyone from joining (myself included) and may allow for more entrants as it does not conflict with Passover and gives all aspiring runners an extra week to train.

Here is the official note from the NYRR regarding the date change and what runners can do about it:

For those who have already registered, NYRR is offering three options to resolve issues resulting from this change:

* Leave your entry as it stands and run the race on May 3

* Contact NYRR by 11:59 p.m. on March 31 and request that your entry be transferred to another equivalent NYRR event of your choice

* Contact NYRR by 11:59 p.m. on March 31 and request a coupon good for entry to another equivalent NYRR event that you will choose at a later time

This race always includes some world class runners, real nice gift bags, a 10am start and bagpipes. Not really sure what else you could ask for in a 10K.

If you are reading this now then you still have 25 days to prepare for this race, so get yourself in gear. It is only a 10K – 6.2 miles for the metric phobic

Now for the uninitiated, let me explain what a seeded corral system is. Runners are assigned to corrals according to their per-mile pace with faster runners in the front and slower runners in the rear. This is supposed to ease congestion at the start of the race and allow runners to not have to bob and weave their way to the front.

In concept this is a great idea and will ease the whining by so many people about the 10:00/mile people clogging up the roads. I have been known to be one of those whiners, especially on a short race and I am looking to set a PR.

In practice this is going to be real hard to enforce. Even with the new volunteer system in place to gain access to NYC Marathon, having to check the bib times of 5000+ runners and placing them in corrals is going to be one massive undertaking.

I hope the volunteers have an easy a time as these cowboys, putting runners in the corrals will be tough. Only time will tell.

A fixed gear bike has one gear. You use the same gear to go up hills, ride the flats, cruise downwhill. It also has no freewheel that means you can’t coast – if the wheels are moving,the pedals are also turning in the same direction. You can pedal a fixed gear backwards.

A fixed gear forces certain behavior from the rider:

“Riding a fixed gear on the road is excellent exercise. When you need to climb, you don’t need to think about when to change gears, because you don’t have that option. Instead, you know that you must just stand up and pedal, even though the gear is too high for maximum climbing efficiency. This makes you stronger. Really steep hills may make you get off and walk, but the hills you are able to climb, you will climb substantially faster than you would on a geared bicycle.

When you descend, you can’t coast and the gear is too low. This forces you to pedal at a faster cadence than you would choose on a multi-speed bicycle. High rpm’s force you to learn to pedal in a smooth manner–if you don’t, you will bounce up and down in the saddle.

Most cyclists coast far too much. Riding a fixed-gear bike will break this pernicious habit. Coasting breaks up your rhythm and allows your legs to stiffen up. Keeping your legs in motion keeps the muscles supple, and promotes good circulation.”

I’ve been riding mine for a few years and it produced noticeable results in a short period of time. I ride loops of Prospect Park which includes a steep, mile-long hill. At first, I could only manage one loop on this bike, standing in the saddle, huffing and puffing up the ‘widowmaker’. In a month, I could do three loops. In a few more, I could comfortably ride five. These bikes don’t let you rest, but don’t let that turn you off. You really get into a groove – very different from a typical bike.

If you haven’t checked one out, I recommend that you do. These bikes don’t have many parts so they are generally quite affordable. I splurged on a Bianchi Pista track bike that cost around $500. Note that track bikes don’t come with brakes so I added a front one. You can also find a number of these on Craig’s List.

“NYRR members as of January 31, 2008, can qualify for guaranteed entry to the ING New York City Marathon 2009 by meeting the following criteria:

• Members must complete nine (9) qualifying NYRR races within 2008.

• Members must volunteer for one (1) NYRR race in 2008 (registration for volunteers begins March 1, 2008).”

What do you think about having to volunteer?

April 26 – Brooklyn Half-Marathon, Brooklyn, NY

May 18th – Bay to Breakers 12k,San Francisco, CA

June 21 – Shelter Island 10k, Shelter Island, NY

July 13 – Montauk Point Lighthouse Sprint Triathlon & Relay, Montauk, NY

August 23 – Queens Half Marathon, Queens, NY

September 6 – NYC Hash House Harriers Red Dress Run XI, New York, NY

September 14 – Staten Island Half Marathon, Staten Island, NY

The Half-Marathons are pretty standard, but you’ve gotta get fired up about the Bay to Breakers and the Hash House Harriers Red Dress run. Both of these races require liberal doses of foolishness and skullduggery. The Hash House Harriers probably say it best – they are a drinking club with a running problem. On on!

Bay to Breakers

Hash House Harriers Red Dress Run

I have to say I do not mind going out for a 5 mile run in February with shorts and a long sleeve shirt. Not freezing my a$$ off on the way to subway in the morning. Maybe I need to move a warmer climate, I do come from a desert people, but while I ponder these questions I have to say I do not mind the effects. For those that are out there reading and enjoying these mild temps, get out there and get your winter base miles in and RUN. You really have no excuse when it is this warm out.

In the meantime, I think we may not be the only ones enjoying this weather

Unfortunately there were still unforeseen hurdles between our hearty team and racing success. Namely, queues for the porta-johns that stretched a hundred people long…per unit! To understand the absurdity of the situation you really have to put yourself there. Imagine standing out in the crisp cold at 8:00am, just you and 6,000 other idiots. Seemingly half of them lined up waiting to gain admittance to what must surely be 10 of the most revolting thunder-shacks this side of Lalapalooza on a 100* day. I kid you not, there were plooms of rancid steam pouring out the eves of these things.

And then, as the camera pans back, you grasp the location; just outside of the glass walls of the Temple of Dendur exhibit at the Metropolitan. Any of you who’ve been there have experienced the quiet majesty of the place, the eerie whisper of history. No small irony to have that on one side of the glass and this cacophonous, cold, hopping, grimacing, insistent throng of “modern” humans on the other. Not so much has changed perhaps? Thousands of years of beautiful history, from Isis’s Nile to Central Park, only to witness this view from the front porch? I’m guessing the Temple’s view was rather more civilized back in Egypt.

Anyhow, needless to say, did not brave the bathroom lines and opted to try my luck on the course. Like my esteemed colleague, I too spent the first mile or so thinking of little more than the dire need of a pre-run constitutional. Yeah, I know, not classy talk, but once you’ve been running long enough, you become inured to such stuff. Just the way it is, and I’ll do extreme deeds to avoid pulling a Gretta Weiss.

So when I rounded the turn at mile one (Also the finish line at Mile 13 as this course was a double loop) and saw the shimmering gleam of two pristine Banos set back in the woods behind a tent, there was no stopping me. I hopped two fences, one a white picket plastic jobby that should have been an indicator that this john was like no other, and found both of the units occupied. I positioned myself behind a large oak and hoped none of the race minders mulling around would notice me pining for what had to be the coordinator’s private bathrooms. Finally one of the occupants started to make the rustling sounds of impending exit and, at that exact moment, an angry looking woman with a bullhorn grasped my intention and started goose-stepping in my direction. It was only by sheer luck that I managed to duck inside, just as the current tenant evacuated, and fling the lock as she reached to bar my destiny.

Not the most relaxing, having a big angry woman banging on the plastic door of the shack and hollering about “VIP Only”, but I managed to git’er’done, escape the honey-closet, and, um, thank the kind lady for her hospitality.

I rejoined the race a newly invigorated runner with only a light wind and her loud opinions at my back. The rest of the race was without incident; it’s was a brisk morning lope around Central Park and the city, racers and weather all seemed in good spirits.

Race time was a 1:42, pretty respectable for being woefully out of shape. Especially in light of the couple minute sideshow.

6:45am – alarm goes off and it is still dark outside. The feeling of what the hell am I doing comes over me like a ton of bricks. Hit snooze a couple of times and finally wake up, get dressed and begin chugging an XL can of sugar free Red Bull. Remember do not look for me for diet advice.

7:10am – the boys from Brooklyn are on time and scoop me up in the East Village on the way to NYRR headquarters on E.89th street. Dukes are on the way.

8:30am – start line is freezing and the gun goes off. I start the normal trot at the packed start and realize I really should have used the potties before the race.

8:30 – 9:02am – Running the first 4 miles and cannot stop thinking about bathroom. Lines at potties are too long so I press on.

9:10am – Mile 5, stop at pottie and wait close to 5 minutes for the bathroom. I guess a PR is out of the question for today.

10:16am – Finish the race in 1:46:00 a pace of 8:05/mile. This was a pretty good time and pace considering I have run about 6 times in the past 30 days and waited about 5 minutes in a bathroom queue.

Overall impressions are that for a race I should not have run, I ended up having a great race and good time. Slowing down once in awhile and not racing can be a smart move. I think that I am ready to get back into training and the Dukes overall look very strong coming into the 2008 season. Once we have full matching gear I believe we will be a force to be reckoned with.

Oh yeah for those members that missed today – We had a pact!!

New York Road Runners have spaced the races further out and dramatically changed the dates. The Manhattan Half-Marathon used to occur in August, but this year it’s on January 27th. It’s fairly easy to ascertain the reason for the change: these races are wildly popular so why not have them at an off-time? They can count on a high turnout and it frees up space for other races in the Summer that are more likely to attract a recreational runner.

What I find troubling is that the next race in the series (Bronx Half-Marathon) is only 2 weeks later! What the f*ck? A lot of runners are coming off the New York Marathon and take a bit of a breather in the Winter. Scheduling these races in the Winter is a bit of a stretch, but having them so close to one another is a disservice to the running community. I plan to run the Manhattan Half-Marathon, but I honestly don’t known if I can physically turn around another Half-Marathon two weeks later. I wish the NYRR would rethink it’s schedule. What do you think?

If she heals anywhere near as fast as she runs, she’ll be back in form in no time. Rest and work that PT lady; we’re pulling for you!

So we are on the right path, click below for the registration page for the race:

Event Registration

Sorry to pat ourselves on the back but it is pretty mind boggling considering the number of 6am nights logged by this team.OK, back to the purpose of this post

For those of you interested in running the NYC Marathon there are three ways too gain entry:

1. Guaranteed entry by becoming a NYRR member and running 9 qualifying races
2. Lottery
3. Raise $2500 for a NYRR charity

Well I wanted to discuss option 1 and explain the quirks in the system. For eligibility for guaranteed entry to the 2009 New York City Marathon runners must become members by January 31 of 2008 to qualify for the following year’s New York City Marathon. Then run 9 races during the 2008 year.

So – for those of you thinking about running in 2009 join the NYRR by January 31st 2008 and maybe one of these will be around your neck

Let it be known that the Dukes are hard at work to unite the blogs so you can follow all shenanigans and feats of strength as we roll into 2008.

In the meantime I encourage you to follow the individual blogs until the unification occurs and keep your eyes here before the Dukes evacuate the NYC for the Christmas to New Years Eve stretch run.

http://tastytuesday.tumblr.com/

http://dukesofflatbushmc.tumblr.com/ 

Official results are below, but do not really tell the whole story. This was the first time Jon 9 had run this distance and only the 3rd race of his life. To come out and run that good a time is impressive.

Look out for this rookie in the 2008 season as he goes out to prove that this was not a fluke and he has what it takes.

NYRR Hot Chocolate 15K
List by Team: DOFB