Tag Archive | racing

NYRR Run as One – 4 miler – Race Report

I have more background to this race than a race report really: I signed up at the last possible minute and until 2 hours before the race, I wasn’t sure if I’d race it..

Monday, I felt horrible. Horrible. Like I-hate-everyone-horrible. I had slept very little and was in a foul mood. When I got home, I was in such fury, I put my lightest minimalists on (the A5s) and went out. Soon enough I was doing mile reps, because. A bit after I joined the BostonStrong run, did 3 more miles and headed home. While I stretched, I noticed I was stiff. I bent my foot as I always do, and CRACK. Something.

I kept my foul mood all night and said nothing hoping it’d go away.

Tuesday, it did not go away. I finally told Juan it was hurting. I always think that if you don’t say it outloud, it’s not happening. I ❤ denial. So he bent it around, nothing’s broken. Then he went to town on my foot. I screamed, cried, bit socks, made a huge raucous, kicked, and felt like I was dying. He had said it would hurt. He also said he’d make it better. And for some reason, I believe him. No running. I still decided to sign up for the 4 miler on Sunday. Should I sign up? oh well, I’ll sign up!

Wednesday it hurt. No running.

Thursday it hurt. Little 6 sloooow miles with pain. I shouldn’t race.

Friday it hurt. No running.

Saturday, it hurt a little less. Should I even get up on Sunday? Will I make it worse? Ugh.

Sunday. No pain.

What? Yeah. No pain. Okay… maybe I’ll go, take it easy, and drop if it starts hurting.

Race Day.

Five blocks away from home, I realized I left my motoactv. No GPS, no mile splits and no music, UGH. I panicked for a second. Then I decided I’d be ok. I can pace fine but I’d miss the music and wondered if I’d get bored. Also, I breathe really loud and it’s annoying. Oh, well. On On. I was mostly excited to try out my new Mizunos Sayonara; I had loved them on Thursday’s run and didn’t even think twice about racing in them!

Security in NYRR races now is a big deal. You need to put your stuff in a clear bag to leave it at baggage. You need to show your bib to get into the race area. You need to show your bib to get into the portapotties area. Lots of security.

I understand it, 100%, but it takes a bit away from the experience. I always felt safe in the park, even with the assaults and other stuff that has always happened. This makes it a bit more real, but no complains!

Met my team, pretended to warm up (I don’t warm up!), and headed to the corral.

Weather was nice, 53 and sunny. I wondered if I should have dropped the singlet and race in my bra, I knew it’d hot soon.

The gun goes off, I count the seconds until I pass the start mat, just in case that’d help with the clocks. Approximately 25 seconds. I felt like everyone and their mother was passing me. No watch, I was going blind… I had no idea if I was going too slow. I DO love to start slow (on races!).

Clock on Mile 1 read 7:35. Uhm, was that a 7:10? Who knows.

No watch, no music, I felt I had more control on my speed. Mile 2 said 14:45. Or something like that.

I did get hot soon. There is two kinds of weather for me: Winter/Cold, and sports bra weather.

The whole way I felt super comfortable. Easy and Controlled. The foot wasn’t hurting and I was happy. I never felt out of breath, or like I was going too hard. I wondered if I was going too slow. I smashed all my doubts and kept at it. Legs were moving fine. Mile 3 came and went, and by the time I reached the top of the last hill I started sprinting. For the first time in a while in a short race I felt like I had a sprint. I passed a lot of people in that last half mile. I was running all out in my last 300 meters. Fierce face and all.

Ben Ko: thanks for the photos! You’re always everywhere! PS: keep in mind these were in the last half mile.

Finished, with no clock to stop, with a 28 something. Yey, I thought! PR was 28:09 so I knew I wasn’t too far. Good.

Foot doesn’t hurt: I am HAPPY. That’s all I cared about.

Then I saw it…

Uhm

– A PR

– An Age Group placing

– And a AG over 70%

I just love how every run and every race always have such unexpected results. CRAZY.

Stats!

Finish time: 28:00. Average Pace: 7:00

Previous PR: 28:09. From: September 2010, OMFG!

Age Grading: 70:23%

Overall Place: 568 of 6,998

Gender Place: 50 of 3,457

Age Place: 3 of 500

We hung out a bit at the finish, it was such a nice day to stay out in the park all day…

Well, it was huge surprise, breaking a PR that was over two years old, placing, foot not hurting (thanks J) and yes, mostly excited for the month ahead… I am still not sure if I am doing the NJ Half this weekend or the Japan 4 miler. We shall see. And… Brooklyn Half in two weeks!

4 races, 4 weekends in a row

Apr22

oy. I just noticed I have a crazy month coming up ahead…

I know there’s serial racers out there who won’t think twice about it, and I do know you can get just fitter by racing, but there’s also the risk of overdoing I have to manage very closely, and I noticed I have 4 races in a row coming up!

Run As One (4M) Sun, Apr 28. Maybe

Long Branch Half Marathon Sun, May 5, 201. Yes.

UAE Healthy Kidney 10K Sat, May 11. Maybe.

Brooklyn Half-Marathon Sat, May 18. Signed up.

The problem is that my running has been quite crappy since NYC Half (March 17). I stopped for a week for a strange hamstring pain, then I got a cold, then I got busy, then lazy.. . you know how it is! I barely just started running last week. The truth is I overdid it. I did a half 6 days after my target half and paid a high price for it: took me a huge while to recover! Will I ever learn? Looking at the races above, I’d say no…!

– This weekend I did around 11 miles with Blaise and Juan on a East River/Manhattan-Williamsburg Bridge loop. Hadn’t run “long” in a month! It was slow and it hurt.

-Running the BostonStrong Central Park run tonight, hoping to catch up with a few of you! (will try to do some speedwork before) See you there!

A very racy weekend without racing (Scotland Run and Colon Cancer)

Apr8

I was going to just run once this weekend, Saturday, so I timed it perfectly that I got to the park when the Scotland 10K leaders were going by. We stood there ~~and froze~~ and cheered my lungs out during the race before our run, which ended up being right under 10 miles. My runs lately haven’t been that great, nothing worth writing home about. I think I might have overdone it a bit running two halfs in 6 days, mostly after my big PR. My legs have been heavy since and something is off with my hamstrings, they’ve been spasmming and twitching, even when I sleep… I am stretching and hoping it’s just that I’ve been over doing it and not the extra weight I’ve been carrying around, because there is ~~nothing~~ not much I am willing to do about that. But cheering at the Scotland run is always fun as a lot of people dress up (I put a lot of FUN pictures up in this post) so it was a great morning!

On Sunday, I had signed up to volunteer at the Colon Cancer races, there was a 4 miler and a 15K and didn’t notice they were over an hour apart and my shift would be over 5 hours… So I was up at the crack of dawn again (which for me is a sin on the weekend IF I am not racing) and triple bundled up like a maniac. There were 30 of us there at Engineers Gate to be course marshals on the east side and I was the only one looking like the michellin man…

I was placed in the right turn on 94^th st, which in a way, was a great/tough spot, because most runners will hug the curb and not take the whole two lanes, but cyclists and everyone else gets shifted to the tiny right side of the road and were NOT happy about it. At all. And they were vocal about it. I am not going to pretend I don’t like to scream a lot but I was as nice as possible and all I could say back was something about please be safe and follow the rules. They hated me! (like I care!). Safety first people!!

Now, the race was fantastic and I felt awful not having signed up, weather was perfect for running (me, on the other hand… completely froze after 1 hour even with all the layers I had on!), and there were some fast times happening! Saw a lot of friends running, cheered for everyone (when I wasn’t taking people off my lane!) and I had a fabulous time. I am not gonna lie though, 5 hours is a bit much for me, I like 3 hours better but with two races they shifts get longer and no one wants to do them… but I had fun and got to cheer on two races, while also helping out!!

Spring is in the air today… dying to run up and down every day, but I have to be smart, I think…

Millrose Games 2013: rain of records!

Feb21

Howdy everybody!!!

I’ve been a bit busy lately but I didn’t want a long time to go by without sharing my experience at Millrose this past weekend.

Sidebar: in case you’re not familiar with Millrose Games:

The Millrose Games is an annual indoor athletics meet (track and field) held on the first Friday in February in New York City. They started taking place at the Armory inWashington Heights in 2012, after having taken place in Madison Square Garden from 1914 to 2011.^[1] The games were started when employees of the New York City branch of Wanamaker’s department store formed the Millrose Track Club to hold a meet. The featured event is the Wanamaker Mile. (more here)

I’ve been going to Millrose, since I remember liking track and living in NYC. Here is my post from last year, when EVERYBODY was there. Having had the whirlwind-iest last two weeks that I had, I didn’t even check who’d be running. So lame of me… surprise me Millrose. I knew Centro and Lagat would be there and that was enough for me!

Did a great run that day to get inspired, and even watched Saint Ralph, one of my favorite running movies. You gotta get in the mood, right? I then got this breakfast of champions:

It was Valentine’s Week after all!

We barely made it there for the Opening Ceremonies, and as usual, I never made it to my seat… I like hanging out by the track and located my friend Sid and his wife who are such amazing runners and friends and hang out, just like last year. Sid remembers every single runner and world record, ever, so that makes my work a lot easier.

(Shoe-Box) Opening Ceremonies. Bright tops really do make a difference, see?

A hot second after they were sprinting and we were screaming. It was just so intense the whole night went by in a minute, even if it was 3.5 hours and we were standing. I just never let down. I did walk off to the media section for a bit and got to chat with Peter Gambaccini. If you read anything running related, you know him. He writes all the amazing RW.com’s news and knows EVERYTHING. I met him last year and when someone introduced him to me I screamed like I had just met Justin Bieber. Yes, he’s that amazing! I’d say, bookmark him.

But back to the action… we were right on the track. I love putting my hands on the track (ok, just the tips of my fingers or the guy with the flag would come my way) when the runners go by. Such… force! You really feel it there… it’s quite breathtaking. Mostly when you know that you’ll never ever get to do the speeds they do!

Look how close:

Going back to the crazy week I had and not being ready for the event… I then hear Nick Symmonds is racing next.. WHAT?!?!?!??! Seriously. WHAT? I had never seen Nick racing. I am gonna admit the unadmittable: I’ve always had a *bit* of a crush on Nick Symmonds. Well, you all saw my previous post where I screamed about him. Well, Nick RUN.

Ah.

Nick’s race is the 800 usually but here he run the 600m. He came in fourth, in 1:16:89, a bit over a second from Sowinski’s american record (for 9/100s of a second) of 1:15:61. Exciting race!

Then it was time for a very exciting 2 mile race. I like the longer races as it’s funner to watch the positioning and strategy 😉

Lagat threw down (and then fell on the floor after too!) to get the american record down to 8:09.72. Such a great race.

Hello Kip, remember me?

Then, soon enough, waaay too soon actually, the national anthem and the main event, the Wanamaker Mile. The women’s was fantastic, but I was really dying to see Centro and Lagat go head to head again, since the last time I saw them at the Fifth Ave Mile.

It was surreal. There is just something about this event, and how upclose you see them lap after lap, you can possibly even know what they’re thinking…

The thing is… they went out too fast (1:53) and that threw the option of a record out of contention… they all just went with the rabbit!!!

Too close to even get a picture… They are TOO fast (and I should have brough my camera instead of just my phone!!!)

Eventually Lomong and Centro sprint for the finish, while I held my heart in my hand, and Lomong beat him 3:51:21 to Centro’s 3:51:34. Did I mention in this post how much I enjoy watching Centro run? Just had to say it.

It was intense though. I was shaking for over an hour and I needed help getting out of the building. I am NOT kidding. I thought I was going to pass out.

Lomong, enjoying the victories!

Lagat again, and his cute kid

And while I was bring transported out… you know what happened… I saw Nick Symmonds, I almost fainted while talked to me about stuff. And then I left, in shock or something. Post is here in case you missed my ridiculousness. Sharing again, just because I can’t stop.

Millrose Games 2013: rain of records!

Racing all over Bermuda

Jan31

So I was in Bermuda for the Bermuda Marathon Weekend. Friday was the Mile.

We all scooted over to Hamilton, and the mile is run on their main street, pretty much like the Fifth Avenue Mile!!

Bart Yasso was doing the announcements and he did a huge shout out for my team, as we had our own corral: corral two, the first one right behind the elites! It’s super cool to be part of a race that is SO accomodating…! There was this whole parade with bands before the race got going. It was quite exciting.

Saturday was the 10k, start and was in a stadium, which was really windy and I think that was the start of my downfall (of course there was a downfall!) as I was completely underdressed and freeeeeezing for 6 hours. I kept doing laps in the track just to keep warm…

nice finish line!

the team… ready because they had no idea just how hilly the course was going to be… For what I heard the 10K course was tougher than the half or the full…

At the start.

Jenny and I, I know you’re looking at the track and not us!

Anthony, the race director who I had been working with for months, and Bart, my boyfriend for the weekend (HE said that, no me!!). I love him.

Soon enough we see the winner approach. Soon after we start seeing our participants. A few of them placed really well, even 2nd and 3rd overall in the whole triangle challenge, which I think it’s pretty crazy to start with: I run a few of those hills!

the most exciting part is around the corner… but I need a nap!

San Silvestre 8K – a race to end 2012, in Buenos Aires (and a tour for you!)

Jan1

So… I run a race yesterday…!! It was pretty osom too.

The San Silvestre 8K is a race that happens in many cities all over the world, on the last day of the year. Seems like a really cool tradition and the best way to end the year and set yourself up of the end of year festivities!

The Course, or where you get to see Buenos Aires!

It’s SUPER scenic! I am not sure many races can match how scenic and touristy this course is. You get to run by so many cool interest points in just a short race… It’s pretty cool that they get to stop all downtown for this.

We start and finish in the Obelisco, which is like pretty much like the Washington Monument!

The Obelisco is located in Avenida 9 de Julio (9th of July Avenue, that is the date of our Independence), which is said to be the widest avenue in the world. You need to wait for three different set of traffic lights to cross it…

Then we turn into Avenida de Mayo, and we head towards el Congreso, which is just like the US Capitol building.

A few more steps there, we come back to 9 de Julio and we head to the Plaza de Mayo, (May Square), a focal point of political life in Argentina, as this was the scene of the May 25 1810 revolution. Also, as the President governs across the street, the square is still the busiest spot for demonstrators…

The Casa Rosada (Pink House) is the official seat for the President of Argentina and the seat of the executive branches of government. The president doesn’t reside there though. And it’s REALLY PINK.

Across the street from the Casa Rosada and the Plaza de Mayo is El Cabildo, where Independence was declared and signed. It’s now a museum.

We turn on the main Cathedral…

back to the other side of Avenida de Mayo (my favorite stretch) and go by el Cafe Tortoni. This place has been a paradigm of Buenos Aires culture for over 150 years. In the early 1900 you would find there every famous writer, poet, journalist you could think of. Borges used to go there. Even Albert Einstein was there. It now also holds the National Tango Academy as well.

Then we come back to Avenida 9 de Julio, for an out and back, and go by the Teatro Colon, our Opera House.

Then just back to the Obelisco for the WIN!!! Or just some finish water! (please?!)

Fun, right? Now,

The RACE

Well, they’ve been doing the race for three years. I did it on their first try, on 2010, and it was amazing. It had been my first race ever in my home country, so this one was my second. It’s really nicely organized, sign up was super smooth, all green lights!

It costs $120 pesos, which is roughly $24 dollars, it’s chip-timed, you get a short sleeve dry-fit, a medal, and lots of food and drinkies at the finish.

We got there… and it was HOT. It was really hot in the morning, then it poured, by 3 pm it got overcast and cold. Perfect. Then, 10 minutes before the race it got hot and sunny again. It was 86 degrees. JUST like last time. It was gonna hurt a bit. Again. On the other hand, it’s freaking flat as hell.

At the start people line up in not-very strict corrals and they sung the national anthem and we were all covered by a HUGE argentinian flag. HUGE. I’ve run over 90 races and I never get to hear MY anthem at a start: I had a moment.

People “warm up” at these races. I swear. It’s ridiculous and funny and I don’t get it, it’s super hot and everyone is jumping around to Psy like crazy. Argentinians… 😉 Gotta love it.

Soon enough, we get going, on time luckily, and it was crowded for a few blocks. But all the streets in this course are super wide so we were fine after less than a quarter mile.

First mile, my sis, and my dad and my mom cheering, as is their annual duty!

Juan and I had started together, though I had said 7:20s and he had said 6:50, all in kilometers which is REALLY confusing, something like 4:40s. Yes, I am THAT fast in Argentina. It’s kind of wild to line up in the 4:30 to 5:00 corral. Hilarious. We stuck together for a few miles, he would read the mins per kilometers: 4:05, well, that sounds fast; Motoactv would whisper 7:03s in my ear… I am going too freaking fast!

It is really hard for me to slow down in the heat, and mile 2 was 7:04, so right there I told him to go, cause he looked like he was walking… and I was dying. I got really hot soon. I wouldn’t stop to drink water, but I did grab one at mile 3 and threw in my head, bra and back. Delicious. Yum.

The course is really nice though and keeps you entertained, and I found myself pacing with people. It was ALL MEN around. Really. I am not sure where all the women were… Mile 3 was 7:17 and even though I was suffering, I was still under pace.

Soon enough, I get back on the 9 de Julio, and see the family!

By then, I was falling apart! Mile 4 was rough but I had a few guys pick me up and run with me to cheer me on, it was super cool. Mile 4 wasn’t so bad though, 7:11, all under 7:20 for an average of 7:13! Check out my cadence though, out of control, right?

I crossed the finish line and I needed a few seconds. I wasn’t feeling so good… I got really hot and I needed water desperately. I saw my family there by the side and got to chill a bit before I emptied a few bottles.

We hung out at the finish for a bit, as they were going to raffle a car… and because it was fun too! My half-race pacer Juan, below, who’s doing like 50 ironman a day and almost-ready to qualify for Kona.

OMG, there’s a POOL!! WITH ICE ON IT!!! AND NO ONE ON IT!??!?!?

We stayed a bit for the awards ceremony (and car raffle of course!) and it was weird to not know everyone (though Juan did!), it was pretty cool (not in the cold-cool-sense).

I think this is a wonderful tradition, no matter how bloody hot it gets in December here. I really like this race, the course, the fun, the organization and how chill it all is. Did I say wonderful?

Happy New Year Friends!!!!!! I am ready for my 2012 recap now (had to use up to the last minute!). 2013: BRING IT!

Do you worry about Muscle Tension?

Dec9

When I read (Steve Magness’ article) about Muscle Tension years ago, I completely dismissed it…

1- I didn’t care that much about performance

2- not running on soft surfaces?? AH, NO!

3- and not willing to do any of this, like speedwor. Anyway…

A few years later… things have changed a bit and I am completely obsessed with it because I’ve seen how the right muscle tension makes a night and day difference.

It explains that pop you have on race day sometimes. It also explains how your legs are so heavy and slow on race days sometimes

It’s all muscle tension. I’ve been calling it many things over the years (I had a post two months ago before Berlin, called “the wiriness“…) but, really, the info is all out there and you just have to figure out how to adjust it for your training and race day. I’ve been obsessing over this for months. Sometimes I get it right, sometimes I don’t (like last Sunday!)…

It’s basically a balance between being really rested and really tired! Or, better: it’s about finding that thin line where your legs feels easy and fast and efficient and they’re super rested and still fired up and like they’re brand new… you know it happens!

In Berlin, I walked all over town for 3 days before the race, by Friday night I was so tired and cranky I was almost crying on the sidewalk cause I couldn’t walk back to the hotel. Sunday morning, I did fantastic. Sometimes rest is not your best friend… I like the “less is more” but rest might not always work for me, and I am still getting used to that. I’ve started doing a lot of active jumping, every day, to keep my muscles a bit more tense, and not really stretching after every run, just half of them. Some people stretch for hours, others never stretch…

In the article you’ll see what to do to increase or decrease muscle tension, if you’re not sure how to adjust it, or how to measure it even. But keep this in mind if you haven’t played with it before because I think it makes a huge difference. And it will you a reason for a lot of those unexplained runs.

Do you worry about Muscle Tension?

TMobile Shoe4Africa 5K RR (Or: Another race time I can’t explain…)

Dec8

A race that didn’t sell out a week before!??! Well, I looked at the weather, saw that it was going to be in the 50s on Sunday and signed in. I don’t race well when it’s cold…

This race had it all. Small (Around 500 or so to close registration), close to me, amazing raffle prizes (samsung phones, kinects, you name it!), a tech shirt, funds go to a great cause, and NOT in Central Park… PERFECT, i am IN! Of course I LOVE Central Park… but a girl needs a bit of diversity once in a while, am I riiight?

And a 5K! I never do 5Ks! So exciting! I did the one in August, in Brooklyn, where I PRed for the first time in 14 months, in 21:09, average pace was 6:49.

And I figured I was in WAAAAAY better shape now so I should deeeeeefinitely go under 21 minutes. Didn’t think about pace per se but I would DEFINITELY SAVE those pesky 10 seconds somewhere, right? you’d think so…

Sunday, weather was around 41, I found a couple of team-mates there, we got ready, it was a really small crowd. I took my clothes off, lined up, and was FREEZING. Shivering and my teeth were jumping. Countdown, we go. There was a couple of loops, a few ups and downs, but it was a pretty easy course. I was close to the start line so for a bit I was leading the women’s race, 5 minutes into it, around 4 or 6 women had passed me. You’d think I would be able to keep count? No. I was so cold, I had gone out waaay too fast and I was now paying the price. Mile 1; 6:51. BAD. Whatever it is, it will end soon, finish your dayum speedwork, maybe we can catch a few of them later. Mile 2; 6:57. Well, that was obvious, but yeah, I can pick it up on the last one, right? NO. Mile 3: 7:07. What. A. Mess. Seriously. Last part was run at a 6:38 effort. But it was too little too late.

Is my cadence (Avg Step Rate) getting out of control or what?!?!

I always wonder how unpredictable racing can be for me. I am not gonna lie, I didn’t go to sleep early or ate the right things or all of those things. But I didn’t in my last two races (Berlin Marathon, Fifth Avenue Mile) either and that worked out. How is it that I just really never know? The only explanation I have is that it was cold-ish. I don’t race well in the cold BUT I race great when it’s HOT, so maybe it’s that… oh well, WHATEVER.

I shrugged it off in a minute. I really couldn’t care less. Lots of amazing people were there and I just wanted to say hell to everyone! Added 3 more miles with my team mates to cool down, and then they did the raffle. Seriously, I had never seen such amazing prizes!! Ate a cereal bar, put back all the clothes and run back home for a total 5 miles post race: WIN!

Statsies!

Finish time: 21:34. Average Pace: 6:56

Previous PR: 21.09. From: August 2012

Age Grading: 69.94%

Overall Place: 28 of 336

Gender Place: 4 of 185

Age Place: 2 of … not sure.

I haven’t signed up for anything else yet but there are two more races this month I started looking at. I have already done a total of 14 this year, so I could stop here and be happy with how this year went. I really could sit and tell myself how great I did. This year can probably go in the books as my best running year so far.

And actually, I am close to the time when we stop getting faster… Or soon. And if my 3 PRs from this year are the last ones I get, well, I think I can live happily with that. Happy Monday and here’s to Very Happily Ever After PRs!

TMobile Shoe4Africa 5K RR (Or: Another race time I can’t explain…)

Fifth Avenue Mile. Ready, Set, GO! –Two

Sep28

Part 1 here

So, where was I? Ah, yeah, now the men… I see Lagat and Laalou ahead, but it was a very tight pack, just 50 meters from the finish line.

Laalou takes over. He wins. I have barely heard of him before this. He talks through a translator but he seems super excited for the win.

I always feel for Lagat though. He is such a nice guy, besides being a great runner, and he’s been through so much… I’ve heard him talking a few times before, and he’s just the sweetest and funniest man! And to top if off, he eats a steak the night before a race, my type of man!!!

That is Andy Baddeley, who won the race last year. I was so impressed with his performance last year that I thought and wished he’d win again. I said that to him and I told him I’d be cheering for him again next year. So, see you soon enough!

Crowds were super excited, and tired, and crazy. Yo boys!

So, we headed towards the finish line and I got to catch up with Shannon, who is just SO SO nice!

And this is Sara, you know, HALL.

First and Second place, just like last year. Check out my 2009’s picture! Pretty similar, just different weather!

As my friends took pictures, people were asking them who I was… Ah!

And, for some reason, they had the Argentinian flag hanging there, PICTURE!!!!

Off to the Awards Ceremony.

I love this picture, two of my idols sharing a great moment. Priceless:

The Top Three!

Then the other Top Three:

Lagat is the man. He is super popular and people scream when he is around like he’s Justin Bieber (or Justin Timberlake???). On top of his fabulousness, he had big news to drive the crowd wild! Check out Mary’s face on the right… He said that he is going to do the New York City Marathon, probably next year. !!!!!. MAJOR CROWD ROAR! (are you screaming too?). Mary wins, as usual! He also said he would keep doing the Fifth Avenue Mile until he wins it!

Then we got to hear from Laalou, through his interpreter, and though I had no clue what he was saying, you could just see this guy was just so happy to have won and to be in NYC! He was gesturing like it was all enormous here. Which is true. Minus my apartment. And everybody else’s.

He was explaining, with a lot of (nutella-hyped-up) excitement, how this was his first time in NYC and he loved it, that the city was impressive and he wanted to come back. He said it was beautiful. Amine, you are SO right!

That’s my coverage. How did I do?

Fifth Avenue Mile. Ready, Set, GO! –One

Sep27

After Saturday’s 21.3 miler (which felt like 25 with all the hiking, the trailing, the picture taking, and the 87 degree weather), I managed to refuel, hydrate, do an ice bath, stretch, and the whole post-long run routine in less than two hours to go right back out. By the time I got back home and went to sleep it was 2 am. Ooops. Sunday was the Fifth Avenue Mile but I was so tired I decided to skip the racing; what’s the point of doing the Mile if I won’t be able to bring any game? None. I still headed out to support my friends racing and watch the big races. I don’t care how tired I was, I was not missing this!

The Mile is organized in heats all throughout the morning by gender, division and levels. It’s such an exciting event… it’s a painful race, but (if you’re lucky) it’s over pretty soon. They stage it on the world-famous Fifth Avenue, from the Metropolitan Museum of Arts steps, to the south of Central Park where the Ritz Plaza, FAO Schwarts, and the Apple store are located. Can you imagine running down a traffic-free Fifth Avenue? It’s ridiculous.

This is what the Start area looks like:

See the hill ahead, OUCH.

A school bus goes right before your wave with your checked bag. By the time you finish your mile, your stuff is already there waiting for you!

Down the hill! That thing is scary when you’re sprinting like this.

After I saw my team mates go, I ran towards the finish line on the sidewalk. Then, this guy stopped me and asked me if I was Kara Goucher!!!! I thought he was joking (or trying a new pick up line I hadn’t heard of?). Yeah, of course, and I just gave birth to a baby 36 hours ago!!
How could I look like her? Really??

Met up with the team, we took pictures

and then just watched all the other heats with Luciano. I love seeing the older people run. It is the most inspiring thing in the world. I want to be just like them one day. I realized this past week that that is my ultimate goal as a runner, to stay healthy and run until I don’t want to anymore!

Anyway, soon enough, the elite women are starting to warm up around Fifth Avenue, and two seconds later they are off. Everything they do just looks fast to me! We were positioned right by the finish line and we were lucky that the NYRR people had a big screen so we knew what was going on before they got to the Finish line.

Erin Donohue was giving me chills, leading and pushing. She ran a “Pre” race, all guts…. and two seconds later, they were here!

and just as fast, they were gone, in a blur!! Literally.

As they run past us I was screaming as if Shannon (Rowbury) had stolen my favorite purse… It is just SO exciting to see them run at that stage of a race. You can see EVERYTHING in their expressions, all the hours of training, all the mental concentration, all the pain, all that is waiting after that finish line, everything they’ve ever been and they are hoping to become is in their faces. Just like someone had split them open and poured out every single emotion, dream, and experience they ever had. It is just amazing. Check out the finish line picture NYRR got of them:

Crazy, right? These three were really on FIRE. TRIPLE HOT BLAZING FIRE.

And Shannon took over just in the last yards. Smart Woman.

Smart, and Brave to wait that long. But she knew. She knew exactly how much she had left and she knew exactly how much was needed and when it was needed. There’s just no price for that kind of brain when your body is going through all that excruciating pain. Call me Hyper-Impressed. Sara and Erin did impressive races as well, it was a tough race and they all deserve a huge medal. Erin, way to gut to it out too. Wow. These women are just WOW.
After their pain and my screaming…

Now, Blaise was behind me and he took this picture:

Is that REALLY my arm?? WOW. I was so surprised!! Pushups are good for something more that creating more curse words! YEY!

And I just saw the article RW published about Shannon’s win..

RW, your pictures are from last year!! Maybe you need someone like me there next year? Riiiight?? Check out the pictures I took last year, her outfit is quite similar but it’s not the same; you can tell by the #s on the side of her running buns! My pictures are from 2010, theirs are from 2009… ehem… Can you imagine ME with a press pass? HA. As if I needed one…!

Back to Sunday 2010, check out the crowd, a woman climbed onto a post… ay!

That is because the men are coming soon…

Part 2 is coming as fast too! (I promise! this runjournalism does take some serious time though!)

Part 2 is here

Mini 10K RR

Jun13

Everybody I know was wondering why I’d be racing while Argentina was playing. I was questioning it too: I never do well in this race, it was hot, humid, and… the World Cup was on.

Still, I’d rather be the main character in my life before being a spectator of anyone else’s, so off I went to the park with my white chocolate mocha… A PR wasn’t the goal, but just to do this race justice. My 10k PR was three weeks old: a 46:43 (average pace of 7:32); but weather yesterday was not cooperating… I wasn’t expecting much, just to start slow and pick it up later.

Mary Wittenberg (President and CEO of NYRR), Paula Radcliffe, and Kara Goucher wished us luck and we were off. I was in the first corral, and that always spells disaster for me; I went out way too fast. (My first mile in the last 10k was 7:40.) Mile 1 and 2 got merged together as I was too hyped up to press the lap button. They averaged 6:59. Ooooops, crap. I am in big trouble. Then I heard/felt a bunch of people surrounding me: a huge group passes me with Mary and Paula. Pretty cool.

We then go into Central Park and I saw pretty much everybody I know there cheering (even Pottbott, remember him?). This race is just bigger than life and everyone comes out to watch!

Mile 3: 7:24, still going too fast, and I was definitely feeling the effects of the heat and humidity. That’s when I started to fall apart. Mile 4: 8:01. But when I saw the 4 mile mark I decided to step it up, though my mind kept wandering… The extra effort felt ok but I was so unfocused. Mile 5: 7:21. Until I started chasing this tall woman until the finish. I’ve noticed I’ve been doing that more and more, just chase someone… Mile 6: 7:28. The final .2 was done in 7:16 pace. I clocked in at 46:05. That’s a 38 seconds PR.

How?

I have no idea…

Weather was yucky, Blaise wasn’t there to pace me, I went out too fast, I had the same shoes, the same coffee… Someone figure this one out please. It’s making me mental…

Off to find everybody. Now, about the outfit: I have a couple of running skirts that I NEVER wear. I figured it I didn’t wear a skirt to the Mini10k, then I’d just have to recycle them. And the pink… it’s a all women’s race, I had to! Right?

I saw Kara, who looks OSOM as you can see, and I don’t have to tell you how sweet she is!

There’s Mary too. You all know she is “The Most Amazing Woman In The Whole Wide World”, right?

Katherine Switzer, who I had met in Boston earlier this year. You know her: a true pioneer of women’s running. She created this race, along with Fred Lebow, and was the first woman to run NYCM (won it twice) and the first winner of Boston (after they established the women’s category). She was also the one who pushed for adding the women’s marathon to the Olympics.

Where would we be without her?? Well, I’ll tell you: we’d still be holding our uterus so it wouldn’t fall out when we run; and running anything but marathons!

kara goucher mini 10k nyrr mary wittenberg adam goucher

Adam Goucher wasn’t getting as much attention as super-rockstar Kara, so we chatted for a while. He’s super nice and was telling me about his training and how much he suffered while injured. I get moody and grumpy when I can’t run, but I couldn’t even imagine how the elites would deal with it, it’s gotta be 500 times harder (he said he put on 15 pounds!!!); and he’s targeting the Olympic trials (for the marathon) so he’ll do the half in January instead. And… it’s confirmed, it’s a BOY!!!! Seems like they were all expecting a girl, but he’s happy as it took them so long to get pregnant. He’s super nice, that boy’s gonna be fast and OSOM with those genes!!

And, the myth, the woman, THE Paulinator! Not sure if Paula is a soccer fan but she didn’t say a peep about the Argentinian shirt. I was not about to bring it up.

She was SO nice!

The winner, Linet Masai, on the left by Katherine, with a yellow shirt. The race story is here.

The winner, who was super super shy, and the rest of the top three!

go here for pictures and video.

Then was the turn of the two running Gods/hot mammas!

They stand there like they are normal. Do they not realize how amazing they are?? Seriously????

Then they heard about my race, and they couldn’t hide it…

So, it’s ok that I didn’t miss this for (the first half of) a soccer game. Right? 😉

runningandthecity

and by "the city", I mean NYC.

Tag Archive | racing

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San Silvestre 8K – a race to end 2012, in Buenos Aires (and a tour for you!)

Do you worry about Muscle Tension?

TMobile Shoe4Africa 5K RR (Or: Another race time I can’t explain…)

Fifth Avenue Mile. Ready, Set, GO! –Two

Fifth Avenue Mile. Ready, Set, GO! –One

Mini 10K RR

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