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Newport 10k (NJ) Entry GIVEAWAY! #newport10K

Next weekend I am going to Jerseeeeeey! I am planning to win run the Newport 10K, a fun and flat race, a quick swim away on the Hudson. How about you do it too?  Obviously, the entry is coming straight from the race organization, so it’s all super clean and fun of course. Here’s the info you need:

May 5th, 8:30 AM

Newport Town Square, 100 Town Square Pl, Jersey City, NJ 07310 (easy to get from NYC via the Path)

The Newport 10K will take place along Hudson River waterfront and showcases amazing views of the Manhattan skyline. The USA-TF certified course, comprised of flat and local roads, and interweaves along the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway with spectacular views of the New York skyline. it is really scenic. Participants have the chance to win over $15,000 in prizes. 

Post-race festivities will begin at Town Square Park at 10:00 a.m., featuring music, refreshments and prize drawings. been to those, they are amazing.

Proceeds will be donated to the Jersey City Medical Center – RWJ Barnabas Health, the area’s only not-for-profit hospital, and the regional trauma center.

Check out the event website for more info. The views are truly amazing and it is very FAST!

newport 10K race (1) newport 10K race (2) newport 10K race (3) newport 10K race (4)

Anyway, get your entry: Just comment below, on the wordpress post. You have until Sunday 29, 8 pm to play and we’ll pick a winner on April 30!

Good Luck, and… see you there?

March is always a good month

because it is my birthday!!! HA. I started the month with a race, the NYRR Washington Heights Salsa, Blues and Shamrocks 5K (there is a post there), which wasn’t great time wise but it was fun. See proof here:

There was a lot of running, maybe not tons of miles, because it was still cold as hell Alaska? ok Alaska, but it got done. 

 

And the United NYC Half happened. I saw so many of you there. That was an intense week and I was REALLY just a bit jealous of everyone running the new course. I got to run parts of it last year and was on one of the Pro lead trucks on race day and it looked amazing!! and everyone looked SO happy at the finish line… Really jelly So happy for you all!!!

 

We then went to San Antonio for a few quiet days of pulled pork and warmer weather. For my bday. We ate a LOT.  We run a bunch too:

 

DATA DOWNLOAD:

  • Total Miles: 151, it’s starting to pick up
  • Races: one. and I was so not wanting to race!
  • Ups: I did a lot of really great runs
  • Downs: still not feeling my best.
  • Balance: not letting it get to me. Let’s hope the nicer weather brings better running!

Also, one more thing I forgot to report on this whole year. A few friends and I have been doing monthly challenges. January was squats, February was pushups, March was planks. We usually just grab one from popsugar.com. Basically it tells you how many to do every day and each day is a bit more. It’s interesting. Maybe you’d want to try it with a few friends? we all text each other to make sure we’re all doing them EVERY DAY… Protip: it works better with a reward at the end of the month!!!!!!!!!!

February

was weird. I happened so quick I barely noticed. Instead of ice-fest, we had a few meltdowns (all kinds of meltdowns!) and even one day in the 70s… OH OH what are people going to use now to discredit “””global warming“””? I feel so bad for those polar bears, and hey, we won’t be moving to Venice anytime soon. Glad I live in a 2nd floor too, but I digress… Anyway, my body decided also to have a meltdown and I had a couple of stooopid issues (my hormones have decided they need more attention than any Kardashian!) and even some very very easy runs where my heart rate was about 50 over the usual… anyway, I was signed up for the NYRR Al Gordon Brooklyn 4M, and I was literally too tired to get up. Of course, I ended up running 11 miles in Central Park instead but my pace was 10:00 and my heart rate was at 82%. Insane. You just can’t win them all, can you? About two weeks ago, I spent the husband and I spent two hours shopping for half marathons for me… I came up with not a lot. If you have any ideas, let me know. Also, my running is so up and down I’ve started questioning if I should try to take some weeks/months off so my body doesn’t feel pressured and maybe that would help?

ha, I was just kidding! I’d be super hyper and way too annoying after just two days and waaaaay unhappy. So, let me just slow down, do it when my body is ok with it, and just enjoy it with no pressure. Deal?

So, I had a few awesome runs, still.

 

Plus it was Valentine’s Day and who thinks we’d let any reason to celebrate pass by? any excuse works!

Also, I got to spend some quality time at work (at NYRR) with some people you might know… Meb and Jenny. Do you even need last names? Don’t think so! Meb is now a Team for Kids Ambassador and Jenny is a Rising NYRR Ambassador and both were in town to run the Virtual For the Kids 5K race. If you haven’t check NYRR’s Virtual Races, you should.

 

Anyway, it all went waaay too fast!

DATA DOWNLOAD

  • Total Miles: 124, emmm, got lazy a bit!
  • Races: big old zero for the year
  • Ups: weather got surprisingly “hot”. 40s and some 50s even.
  • Downs: not feeling my best.
  • Balance: i am getting a bit frustrated. cause, wtf.

January

was really cold. The first two weeks we set cold weather records. It was awful. Running was awful. I started the year working at the midnight run and it was really really cold. I wore everything and it was still crazy cold. But it’s a super fun race!

It was so cold that the races on the second weekend of January got canceled. I managed to run both Saturday and Sunday but it was insanely cold. Everyone kept asking me what I was training for, as most people assumed I had to get the miles in for some marathon or something. I am not really training for anything, just trying to not let the winter win. I can’t say I loved it, but I got out there.

 

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As you can see there was a couple of blizzards in there, snow, ice, and all the layers. Luckily we had planned a trip to Mexico for mid-January to escape the cold. The vacation part was uneventful but we had a few epic runs with Juan (the husband!).

First night in the hotel, a guy who worked there came up to talk to Juan as he was wearing his 2017 TCS New York City Marathon shirt, to ask him if he had run the marathon. Turned out that Armando, our new friend at the hotel, was a runner too and invited us to his team’s workout the next morning. So, at 6:30 am we went out to meet up the Red Runners, who were having a special run as one of their teammates had passed that week. There was a half an hour of a warm-up, everyone in a circle, probably around 130 people, and the coach had a microphone and big speakers. Before we headed out, we all got one white rose to carry for the memorial. We all run together to a gorgeous lighthouse I never would have seen, we got there with the sunrise, there were speeches, even a triathlete pastor, there were prayers, and we run back with the boombox in tow. Everyone was together. It was very moving. And everyone was so welcome to this stranger. It was very special.

 

When I travel, to me, the best thing EVER is to hang with the locals. Nothing could have beat that run.

Juan and I did have a few osom runs. The day after the run with Red Runners, there was a race in town, which we didn’t sign up for because registration was miles and miles away but we run to the start and finish to cheer/spectate. Funnest part: Kukulcan road (the main drag) had no traffic for the race. Quite FUN!

 

The next few days we did great. We did a tempo together and we run back to the lighthouse so Juan could see it. We managed to get the sunrise too.

 

And like that, we were back and the month was over!

DATA DOWNLOAD!

  • Total Miles: 140
  • Races: not even one. But we spectated at one..!
  • Ups: the runs in Mexico!
  • Downs: running in the sub 10 temperatures (which is like minus 20 in Celsius). NOT FUN. WITH WIND!
  • Balance: can it be June now? I really miss racing a LOT.

NYRR Washington Heights Salsa, Blues, and Shamrocks 5K – “RACE” Report

Well, so showing up is half the battle they say, right? I showed up. I did wake up super early (not a shocker there really) and then walked around asking myself if I REALLY wanted to go. Then, I asked Juan. I also asked the mirror. I couldn’t really find a better reason than

  • you didn’t run yesterday
  • Patricia will be at the race so you won’t have anyone to run with if you skip the race
  • you’re coaching right after so just get out already and stop the putzing!

As I said in my last post (and any post really for the last two years approximately, give or take), my running is really up and down. I have good days and bad days. Pretty much my heart rate blows up (caused by hormones) so I never really feel like my legs are working, I just can’t push hard enough. I miss the feeling of legs flying under you or your lungs pumping… I just haven’t been able to get to that point. So I haven’t PRed in 2 years, and I know exactly when it happened and why. No worries, my doctor is ON IT. Fingers crossed. Also, nothing too serious to worry about, it just has to get figured out!

So I did go. Just like last year, I met Melissa on the bus by chance, we then saw four A trains go by us and finally a C train stopped, we met Tammy on the train and we got there just in time to not freeze. I was actually frozen before the gun, even though I got in the corral at the last second. We got moving and forgot all about my watch, so according to my watch, I run a 2 mile 5K ok?

One mile in, I was SO HOT. Oh and my heart rate was already up. Like UP. So, I took the gloves and the buff off, and settled on a comfy rhythm. Why drive harder if it ain’t there? You can say I gave up, I’d say I just decided to have as good a time as I could. Why not? I saw my HR… my legs just couldn’t do much more… I like this race, mostly on the way back. It’s an incredible location for a 5K, I’d recommend it to anyone. The course is amazing, great bands playing, locals and teams cheering, the Forty Tryons views and The Cloisters… magical! So, Liz, look up.

Looked up and I saw Tom who took this lovely picture! Thanks, Tom Flanagan!

I could see Patricia up, about 30 meters ahead, but decided to not bother. I never can catch up to her anyway and she has a mortal kick. I assumed I would have none today (I ended up racing a bit faster at the end so we finished very close). But really, I need to REALLY focus on WHY I do this. 20 seconds or 2 minutes, or 5 minutes doesn’t change what running does for me, so why do I still care? It’s like it’s my careers and if I don’t place I don’t eat… I get the same brunch whether it takes me 20 minutes or 30 minutes. Yes, of course, I’d like to keep getting faster at any distance forever. Is that possible? After a certain age, no. Maybe I am already there. Maybe things will get better. I’d LOVE to feel strong, that I really care about. But if the alternative is to stop, then.. that would be stooopid. Running is part of my life, my well-being, my personality, my social time, my fun time… I can’t give it up. So why not just enjy it for what it is NOW? Right? live in the present they say… well THAT is where I am.

When you get to the finish line of a 5K and you’re the only one who doesn’t look in pain… awesome photo by Margot Inzetta!

so my watch only recorded the last two miles, because I couldn’t care enough to remember to start it, so here is some data. As you can see that’s a lovely heart rate of 181… my cadence is still a killer though!

Stats Time!

Finish time: 22:58  Average Pace: 7:24

Previous PR: 21:09 From: 2012

Age Grading:66.89%

Overall Place: 1053 of 5381

Gender Place: 197 of 2612

Age Place: 19 of 359

that’s all folks. let’s see if I things improve in the next few months or if I can adjust to this new phase!

when did February happen?

February was weird. I happened so quick I barely noticed. Instead of ice-fest, we had a few meltdowns (all kinds of meltdowns!) and even one day in the 70s… OH OH what are people going to use now to discredit “””global warming“””? I feel so bad for those polar bears, and hey, we won’t be moving to Venice anytime soon. Glad I live in a 2nd floor too, but I digress… Anyway, my body decided also to have a meltdown and I had a couple of stooopid issues (my hormones have decided they need more attention than any Kardashian!) and even some very very easy runs where my heart rate was about 50 over the usual… anyway, I was signed up for the NYRR Al Gordon Brooklyn 4M, and I was literally too tired to get up. Of course, I ended up running 11 miles in Central Park instead but my pace was 10:00 and my heart rate was at 82%. Insane. You just can’t win them all, can you? About two weeks ago, I spent the husband and I spent two hours shopping for half marathons for me… I came up with not a lot. If you have any ideas, let me know. Also, my running is so up and down I’ve started questioning if I should try to take some weeks/months off so my body doesn’t feel pressured and maybe that would help?

ha, I was just kidding! I’d be super hyper and way too annoying after just two days and waaaaay unhappy. So, let me just slow down, do it when my body is ok with it, and just enjoy it with no pressure. Deal?

So, I had a few awesome runs, still.

Plus it was Valentine’s Day and who thinks we’d let any reason to celebrate pass by? any excuse works!

Also, I got to spend some quality time at work (at NYRR) with some people you might know… Meb and Jenny. Do you even need last names? Don’t think so! Meb is now a Team for Kids Ambassador and Jenny is a Rising NYRR Ambassador and both were in town to run the Virtual For the Kids 5K race. If you haven’t check NYRR’s Virtual Races, you should.

Anyway, it all went waaay too fast!

DATA DOWNLOAD

  • Total Miles: 124, emmm, got lazy a bit!
  • Races: big old zero for the year
  • Ups: weather got surprisingly “hot”. 40s and some 50s even.
  • Downs: not feeling my best.
  • Balance: i am getting a bit frustrated. cause, wtf.

January

was really cold. The first two weeks we set cold weather records. It was awful. Running was awful. I started the year working at the midnight run and it was really really cold. I wore everything and it was still crazy cold. But it’s a super fun race!

It was so cold that the races on the second weekend of January got canceled. I managed to run both Saturday and Sunday but it was insanely cold. Everyone kept asking me what I was training for, as most people assumed I had to get the miles in for some marathon or something. I am not really training for anything, just trying to not let the winter win. I can’t say I loved it, but I got out there.

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As you can see there was a couple of blizzards in there, snow, ice, and all the layers. Luckily we had planned a trip to Mexico for mid-January to escape the cold. The vacation part was uneventful but we had a few epic runs with Juan (the husband!).

First night in the hotel, a guy who worked there came up to talk to Juan as he was wearing his 2017 TCS New York City Marathon shirt, to ask him if he had run the marathon. Turned out that Armando, our new friend at the hotel, was a runner too and invited us to his team’s workout the next morning. So, at 6:30 am we went out to meet up the Red Runners, who were having a special run as one of their teammates had passed that week. There was a half an hour of a warm-up, everyone in a circle, probably around 130 people, and the coach had a microphone and big speakers. Before we headed out, we all got one white rose to carry for the memorial. We all run together to a gorgeous lighthouse I never would have seen, we got there with the sunrise, there were speeches, even a triathlete pastor, there were prayers, and we run back with the boombox in tow. Everyone was together. It was very moving. And everyone was so welcome to this stranger. It was very special.

When I travel, to me, the best thing EVER is to hang with the locals. Nothing could have beat that run.

Juan and I did have a few osom runs. The day after the run with Red Runners, there was a race in town, which we didn’t sign up for because registration was miles and miles away but we run to the start and finish to cheer/spectate. Funnest part: Kukulcan road (the main drag) had no traffic for the race. Quite FUN!

The next few days we did great. We did a tempo together and we run back to the lighthouse so Juan could see it. We managed to get the sunrise too.

And like that, we were back and the month was over!

DATA DOWNLOAD!

  • Total Miles: 140
  • Races: not even one. But we spectated at one..!
  • Ups: the runs in Mexico!
  • Downs: running in the sub 10 temperatures (which is like minus 20 in Celsius). NOT FUN. WITH WIND!
  • Balance: can it be June now? I really miss racing a LOT.

2018 here we go! January Recap!

January was really cold. The first two weeks we set cold weather records. It was awful. Running was awful. I started the year working at the midnight run and it was really really cold. I wore everything and it was still crazy cold. But it’s a super fun race!

It was so cold that the races on the second weekend of January got canceled. I managed to run both Saturday and Sunday but it was insanely cold. Everyone kept asking me what I was training for, as most people assumed I had to get the miles in for some marathon or something. I am not really training for anything, just trying to not let the winter win. I can’t say I loved it, but I got out there.

As you can see there was a couple of blizzards in there, snow, ice, and all the layers. Luckily we had planned a trip to Mexico for mid-January to escape the cold. The vacation part was uneventful but we had a few epic runs with Juan (the husband!).

First night in the hotel, a guy who worked there came up to talk to Juan as he was wearing his 2017 TCS New York City Marathon shirt, to ask him if he had run the marathon. Turned out that Armando, our new friend at the hotel, was a runner too and invited us to his team’s workout the next morning. So, at 6:30 am we went out to meet up the Red Runners, who were having a special run as one of their teammates had passed that week. There was a half an hour of a warm-up, everyone in a circle, probably around 130 people, and the coach had a microphone and big speakers. Before we headed out, we all got one white rose to carry for the memorial. We all run together to a gorgeous lighthouse I never would have seen, we got there with the sunrise, there were speeches, even a triathlete pastor, there were prayers, and we run back with the boombox in tow. Everyone was together. It was very moving. And everyone was so welcome to this stranger. It was very special.

When I travel, to me, the best thing EVER is to hang with the locals. Nothing could have beat that run.

Juan and I did have a few osom runs. The day after the run with Red Runners, there was a race in town, which we didn’t sign up for because registration was miles and miles away but we run to the start and finish to cheer/spectate. Funnest part: Kukulcan road (the main drag) had no traffic for the race. Quite FUN!

The next few days we did great. We did a tempo together and we run back to the lighthouse so Juan could see it. We managed to get the sunrise too.

And like that, we were back and the month was over!

DATA DOWNLOAD!

  • Total Miles: 140
  • Races: not even one. But we spectated at one..!
  • Ups: the runs in Mexico!
  • Downs: running in the sub 10 temperatures (which is like minus 20 in Celsius). NOT FUN. WITH WIND!
  • Balance: can it be June now? I really miss racing a LOT.

2017 Numbers and Overall Balance

I’ve kept the last few years for comparison purposes… and my comments in Italics. I expect your comments below.
What do YOU think are the wins and fails? what about your wins and fails? What is the most important factor for you? Mileage, PRs, races..??
.
Total Miles:
2009- 678
2010- 1217
2011- 886
2012- 1241
2013- 1109
2014- 1081
2015- 1237
2016- 1502
2017-1616
— wow. simple: most miles ever. And I just took a few weeks off here and there. awesome. thumbs up
.
Races:
2009- 10 (9 in NYC, 1 in Nashville) 1 marathon, 2 halfs, one 18 miler, one 10k, one 5M, two 4M, one 3 miler and a Mile.
2010- 19 (13 in NYC, 1 in Boston, 1 in Boulder, 2 in NJ, 1 in Philly, and 1 in Buenos Aires)
2011- 12 (10 in NYC, 1 in DC, and 1 in NJ)
2012- 16 (13 in NYC, 1 in PA, 1 in Germany, 1 in Argentina)
2013- 11 (10 in NYC, one in NJ)
2014- 15 (12 in NYC, one in NJ, one in MA, and one in Argentina)
2015- 17 (16 in NYC, one in NJ)
2016- 13 (11 in NYC, two in NJ), 6 were half marathons
2017-20 (all in NYC, 4 halfs, 1 full,5 5Ks!)
— Interesting. If asked I would have said I didn’t race that much… but seems like I raced the most ever. thumbs up
.
PRs:
2009- Six! (Out of 10 races)
2010- Thirteen! (Out of 19 races)
2011- Six + 1 automatic one (Out of 12 races)
2012- Three (marathon, 5K, mile) + 1 automatic (out of 16 races)
2013- Three (half mary, 4 miler, and 10K)
2014- ZERO!
2015- ONE – at the NYRR Hope and Possibility 5 Miler in June. I also came first woman in a 5K, but no PR there.
2016- ONE! at the United NYC Half.
2017-NONE. (one automatic, for a new distance, but.. whatever)
— a little sad about this as I trained a lot this year. Had lots of speedwork and long runs and I was so far off. I was a few seconds away in about 5 races, the rest were a bit slower than my PRs. thumbs down.
 .
Highest Age Grading:
2009- 60%
2010- 69%
2011- 68.5%
2012- 71:29%
2013- 70.23%
2013- 70.20%
2015- 72.28%
2016- 72.68%
2017- 71.06%
— crap. thumbs down.
 .
Injuries:
2009- 2 — retrocalcaneal bursitis (5 months out), piriformis syndrome (10 weeks out)
2010- ITBS (three weeks out right before the Boston Marahton!)
2011- broken shoulder, 2 broken ribs, torn rotator cuff (2 weeks before NYCM!)
2012- NOT ONE!
2013- NOT ONE RUNNING INJURY! WOHOOO
2014- just my will to run…?!?! So, yey, good!?!?!
2015- a little adductor strain. It took a few months to diagnose it, but didn’t stop me from running.
2016- NOPE
2017- NOPE
—most mileage ever and no injuries? #winning! thumbs up
 .
Races Cancelled or DNFed:
2009- none
2010- One DNF, a 50K where I fell twice.
2011- Chicago, DNS because of 2 stress fractures.
2012- ONE DNS (snow storm!), plus the NYC Marathon cancellation.
2013- none
2014- none
2015- Did the France Run without bib chip as I didn’t want to race it and skipped the Newport Half because wasn’t sure what was happening with my leg…
2016- One DNS: Philly Marathon
2017- Many. 
—Skipped many because of work, but that doesn’t really count…! I also had about 2 or 3 that I remember not doing (like the NYRR Retro 4 Miler or the NB 5th Avenue Mile because my stomach was in really bad shape. nothing serious. thumbs up
 .
Highest/Average Weekly Mileage:
2009- Highest: 40. Average: 13
2010- Highest: 40. Average: 23
2011- Highest: 36. Average: 17
2012- Highest: 40. Average: 25
2013- Highest: 43. Average 21.
2014- Highest: 43. Average 20.
2015- Highest: 40. Average 23.6
2016- Highest: 50. Average 28.8 most!
2017-Highest: 49. Average: 29.4!
—fabo! thumbs up
 .
Marathons:
2009- One (NYC). PR: 3:45:22
2010- Two (NYC and Boston). PR: 3:42:33
2011- Two (National and NYC). PR: 3:37:57. DNS in Chicago for injury.
2012- One (Berlin). PR: 3:27:44
2013- One (NYC). A MegaMESS
2014- Two (Boston and NYC).
2015- NONE. isn’t that insane?
2016- No thanks.
2017-One. Mohawk Hudson River Marathon.
— I tried, I remembered why I stopped running marathons. Not for me. Thanks. thumbs up I guess because I did it. I guess?
 .
Half Marathons:
2009- Two. PR was 1:45:55
2010- Six. PR is 1:42:47
2011- Two. No PR.
2012- Two. No PR. (though there was an unofficial half marathon PR in the second half of the Berlin marathon)
2013- Three. A 1:37:35 PR and two I did for training (1:45 and 1:42).
2014: FOUR! NYC Half, Brooklyn, Gretes’ Great Gallop and Staten Island. Not ONE PR!
2015- Three raced, one Paced. NYC Half, Brooklyn, More (pacing the 1:45 group) and Staten Island
2016- SIX. the most!
2017-Four. Raced only two of those.
— One about a minute and a half from a PR, the other one was not great. One for fun and one as a Pacer. Not sure about qualifying this one either!
.
.
THE BALANCE
If you look at the numbers up there, you’d think it was bad year. I get it. I actually got shocked putting this together because… numbers don’t show the whole story. I had fun this year. I really did. I run with so many friends, groups, in different places, races I had not done before… in hindsight, it feels like it was a fun year and that I shouldn’t have had great numbers. But I did the most miles ever, so in a way, it shows there. I am not gonna lie, obviously, I am not ready to give up on another PR yet (is this an age thing or what?), I will keep trying but I would be happy with a similar year in 2018. thumbs up
 .
Goals for 2018…? YES: at least ONE dammmmm PR!!!
But, am I willing to do WHATEVER it takes to get it…. mmmmm. we’ll see.
 .
What was your biggest accomplishment in 2017? do you have any specific goals for 2018?

December 2017 Recap

December

December was awesome and crazy. There was a LOT of holiday celebrations. a LOT. I ate a lot. Luckily, I am not into drinking as most people seem to be so I can’t really complain but there was a lot of outings and food and celebrations and fun races and fun runs… why can’t every month be Decembers??? well, it was really COLD so I am happy not all months are like December. I guess it’d be fine if I lived in Canada or the South Pole, then I’d probably have to keep eating like this. I did two races, the Jingle Bell Jog, where I did quite poorly and also the Ted Corbitt 15K, where, emm, same thing, but I ended having quite some fun, so I am glad I showed up. I went to the movies to see the Last Jedi (hadn’t been to a movie theater since the last Star Wars, a year ago, who goes to the movies anymore??), I spent Christmas with the fam, run around like a crazy person, doing quite a bit of mileage, and worked at the VERY FREEZING Midnight Run on December 31st. December was cool. Literally too.

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  • Total Miles: 137. Not shabby given I took a whole week off! I ended up having my longest streak ever for no reason.
  • Races: 2. Not good. not good at all. OUCH
  • Ups: It was a fun, festive, month! I had many amazing runs, with no pressure, and really had fun!
  • Downs: UGH IT GOT COLD. December was BRUTAL.
  • Balance: Even. But want it to be May NOW.

November

November was a whirlwind. I feel like so much happened that I am still processing it or that it’s STILL early November. November started with the best week of the year. When the marathon week rolls around, it’s ON. And there’s so much to do, see, enjoy, prep, etc… I was working crazy hours but even the days I was supposed to take off and rest/recover/prep, I was still doing things because it was impossible to stay away from the fun. Saturday, the 4th I run the Abbott Dash 5k to the Finish Line for the first time ever and it was an amazing experience. The next day was the BIG day, the TCS New York City Marathon. I got to Staten Island early, was at the start (on the Verrazano) for a couple of hours, then trucked to the finish line covering the male pro race and there I was at the finish line for a few hours. I got to see Juan and many friends finish. The things you see at the finish line are indescribable. I had been there about 3 times before as a volunteer, I’d totally recommend getting there if you’re not running. It can change your life. That’s literally how I decided to run a marathon, by watching the finishers… the next week was another whirlwind finishing and catching up, and the weekend after we run a modified version of the new United Airlines NYC Half course. The next weekend I went to Philly to cheer on a few friends doing the marathon, then it was Thanksgiving, and Juan’s birthday, and then, wait, it’s already December? HOW?

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  • Total Miles: 115
  • Races: 1. Abbott Dash to the Finish Line
  • Ups: Running the Dash, working on the TCS NYC Marathon, recovering, resting post-marathon, running in Brooklyn!
  • Downs: It got cold for a bit. I was a bit busy but if I didn’t get sick it’s a sign I held it well!
  • Balance: OMG BEST MONTH EVER!

October

October was a tough month. One last week of tapering, then the marathon. The Mohawk Hudson marathon was intense, and it left me mentally and physically exhausted.  I really don’t want to feel like that again. I also felt awful in the last 8 miles, and I really didn’t appreciate that. I know, that’s normal, but I am not used to that and I wasn’t mentally or emotionally ready to deal with it. I took a whole week off after. Luckily I was super busy at work the upcoming weeks with the marathon coming up and that’s where my brain and my energy went. Because my running went to crap! All my runs felt weird and awful for a while. Bye bye marathons.

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  • Total Miles: 102. told you it was crappy!
  • Races: 1. a marathon: a distance I hadn’t raced in 3 years!
  • Ups: done with the marathon, one way or another. On the other hand, super excited and happy at work with the “other” marathon stuff!
  • Downs: the marathon left a weird taste in my mouth. Not that I wasn’t happy with the result, I was mostly unhappy because I convinced myself I wanted to do it. Also, the marathon left me drained for a few days!
  • Balance: Glad it’s over.

September

Ooops. Forgot to post this last week! September had some ups and downs. I got sick and my runs suffered. I lost about 8 pounds in 4 days and I got really weak. Took me about 2 weeks to be able to eat normally and 3 weeks to feel normal again. Somehow, unlike previous times, I actually managed to do all my long runs, YEY, but I didn’t get to do the races I had slated as fitness tests (to give me a good idea where I was for the marathon!). I was REALLY upset to not be able to do the NB 5th Avenue Mile… You know it’s bad when you’re too weak to race ONE mile. UFFF. I did also manage to not miss any work, so I was there at the Mile and the Tune Up. Mileage and speed suffered but somehow it all got done. I did race the NB Bronx 10 Mile race. It was HOT. I did ok. I do have to watch out for hard and hot efforts like that as it took me about 10 days to recover fully from it. With 2 weeks to go to the Hudson Mohawk River Marathon, 10 days is too much. Aging, as my grandma used to say, is a b!tch.

  • Total Miles: 150. It’s fine, I am already tapering.
  • Races: 1. NB Bronx 10 Mile
  • Ups: The long runs with my girls. Love you guys!
  • Downs: Being sick sucks. It happened earlier in April where I had to stop running for weeks. So happy this time I run through it. But I was soooo weak!
  • Balance: Marathon Training is done. I am happy to close this out. I have too much in my head.

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August

August was a whirlwind! I started a new job, that I am really excited about, and I am still training for a marathon. Those two things combined. plus working two weekends, plus coaching, plus all the summer plans, made the month feel a bit busy. Luckily things fell into place in the last two weeks while I am peaking in the training. I was a bit tired, but I managed a lot of miles and quality workouts. August was definitely beyond awesome. We have Summer Streets in August, which I definitely used up for my long runs. I had a great run in Brooklyn with friends: I love to get out of Central Park for a change. I paced an NYRR run to Roosevelt Island, another out of town excursion, this time with a lot more new friends! And I raced the Percy Sutton 5K, in the middle of a long run.

This was definitely an excitement filled month. 5 weeks to the marathon. Let’s do this.

  • Total Miles: 183. 2nd highest monthly mileage ever
  • Races: 1. Percy Sutton Harlem 5k.
  • Ups: All the fun miles and workouts. The long runs were super great. Sharpening block about to start and I am very excited.
  • Downs: I am a bit wee tired. The high mileage during the peak weeks and a new job have me a bit spent.
  • Balance: Seems like I am really going to do a marathon in 5 weeks. Training is almost complete.

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July

Well, first of all we had a run on Freshkills Park in Staten Island. The park is not open to the public yet (and I didn’t post about it!) and won’t open for a few years but NYRR got permission to bring some runners and walkers there for an exploratory 10K and 5K so some of us coaches got to lead the run. It was fantastic. Then on the 6th, I did the Tracktown Summer Series 5K, which is a track series with a 5k component. There is a post here with more info but it was pretty cool. Juan did the NYC Tri so I spent the morning of the 16 yelling like a crazy person and running around to see him everywhere. So fun. The next day, Monday the 17 I did the NYRR RUN Brooklyn, and 10 days later I did the NYRR RUN in Central Park, two 5ks back to back! In the middle I did an super hot nasty 18 miler, and a 20 miler while I led a run to Roosevelt Island.

  • Total Miles: 169. yes, I run a lot this month!
  • Races: 3. No PRs of course but loads of fun. And, all were 5Ks… I never do 5ks!
  • Ups: I love summer running. I love it. Did I tell you I love it? I do love it!
  • Downs: When I don’t run?
  • Balance: I might actually be doing that marathon in October if things keep going like this…

June

OMG HOW I LOVE THE SUMMER!! I can’t even do a tiny recap without getting excited about all the things that happen in the 2-3 hot months we get. June was a blur! I have a feeling I am gonna close my eyes and it’ll be October in a NY minute, ugh. So I signed up for a marathon… we’ll see if I end up actually racing it (aka, last years’s botched Philly Marathon) but we’re going with it for now. I did make myself a very fancy training plan with all the stuff and then I forgot I was training for a marathon and carried on with my life. Until last week, then I did a long run. Anyway, June was cool, I did not do a lot of miles which means… I did a bunch of races! I started the month with the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge, then the awesome Mini 10K (which I was horrible at), then the Queens 10K, and then the Achilles Hope and Possibility. There was a lot of cross-training in the stairs, lot of coaching workouts and lots of Tuesday speed. I just can’t miss anything in the Summer. The math for the monthly mileage must be wrong!

  • Total Miles: 127. how? too many races!
  • Races: 4. 1 automatic PR and one where I placed 1st in my AG. Wohoo!
  • Ups: YES TO LESS LAYERS!
  • Downs: I am now training for a marathon?
  • Balance: let’s go!

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May

started with me pacing the 1:55 group at the Shape Half. The next weekend I paced a New Balance run from Brooklyn to the Run Center, as a training run for the Airbnb Brooklyn Half (a 10 mile run). The next weekend (see a theme here? there’s always a run/race!), I raced the Japan Run 4 miler in Central Park. That was a bit painful (I didn’t fuel properly, ooops). There were a few stairs workouts, and speed workouts and I coached a few training runs per week… then the big day came along: the Airbnb Brooklyn Half! It all started with the 3-day Pre-party. Race Day was a fun riot. No PRs in May, but it was definitely “active”.

  • Total Miles: 148 (biggest month but not that many miles this year)
  • Races: 2 racing, 1 pacing.
  • Ups: managed to get enough miles
  • Downs: my race speed is MIA
  • Balance: I had fun!

 

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April

April was an interesting one… the month started with the Run to Breathe 4 mile race. That went quite well. So well, I came in 3rd in my AG, 4 seconds away from a PR and got super excited about my fitness level… The first Monday of April, I started the new session of Stairs of Fire, a workout just on stairs designed to kill your legs… it killed MY legs… I was beyond stiff and sore for 3 full days… OUCH. Of course, I still coached that week, did speedwork and run a lot so by Friday I was feeling ALL THE NAGS. Luckily, I was to be locked indoors all weekend at the Road Runners Club of America Coaching Certification, which got my legs some rest. They were still not great after that, my feet were iffy and tight… so I just took it very easy for 3 full weeks until it was all back to fighting shape, yes, I AM THE OPPOSITE OF EVERY RUNNER. When there’s a nag, or a little nothing, I try not to “run through it”, I STOP, to make sure it doesn’t turn into something bigger down the road. Luckily, I don’t have to do this often. Last time it happened was in September and was back on the horse after 2-3 weeks. I had very tight calves and it was making my feet super tight (pre-Achilles tendinitis!!!) so those 3 weeks I run very little and very slow, did Epsom salts bath almost every day, I stretched twice a day, slept, got massages, and voilaaaaa. Good to go! The stairs workout did me in. My legs weren’t ready for that hot mess of a workout! My goal for May is to stretch every day (after not stretching for …5 years?)

I missed out on coaching for a full week but I did so many other things, like a biomechanics running event at the Hearst Building, a few fun events (like a Gala and a staycation) and I  paced the 1:55 finishers at the Shape Women’s Half this past weekend. Not a lot of mileage or quality work but got out of it unscathed…!

  • Total Miles: 109
  • Races: two! 1 great time, and 1 pacing gig
  • Ups: Pacing was fun… the rest was a bit tentative!
  • Downs: mileage and workouts went DOWN!!!!
  • Balance: I am ready to ramp up now!

 

Here is my training for April…

March

Didn’t I just write a Feb recap?? Is this what happens when you get older? Times really flies!

The month included a lot of coaching, loads, a few miles, lots of work hours, a November Project workouts, a visit to the Asics showroom, my birthday celebrations, a few Facebook Live Chats, the big United NYC Half Weekend and race, Club Night, lots of runs with friends, and two races: the United NYC Half and the Central Park Spring 10K this past two weekends. Now that I think about it, I see why my mileage was so low… makes sense!!!!!!!!!!!!  Hoping Spring makes things easier and I can get out there more. I need to figure out a way to not need that much sleep…!

Here is my training for March:

March pictures:

 

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  • Total Miles: 127
  • Races: two! (6 total for the year!)
  • Ups: had fun. The NYC Half!!!
  • Downs: Not super up there with the splits or the mileage.
  • Balance: move on March, April is coming!!!!!!!!!!

 

February

hello March! I have no idea where these weeks go!??! I actually freaked out a couple of weeks ago, because I realized it was too late to train for the United NYC Half… these weeks are faster than any of my races!

Well, the month started with the Gridiron 4 miler, which I totally phoned in. What a loser I am sometimes. Actually, that’s why I freaked out, because, seriously Elizabeth, get it together! Why show up at a race and not even try? UGH. I frustrate myself so much sometimes! The next weekend, pre-Valentine’s Day, Juan and I spent some romantic time in the city, NO MORE DETAILS of course. The weekend after that, we raced a relay triathlon, as a Valentine’s Days Weekend thing: the Lovie Dovie Triathlon at Chelsea Piers. That Thursday was Club Night. a fun event to celebrate NY’s runners. Fun. And last weekend I raced the Al Gordon 4 miler, which went a bit better than the first 4 miler this month. Very busy weeks with lots of events and work and life stuff. All of it fun.

Here is my training for February:

february-notes

  • Total Miles: 131
  • Races: three!!!
  • Ups: it was almost summer.
  • Downs: I need more time before the NYC Half PLEASE!!!
  • Balance: Someone please slow down time. seriously.

 

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January

went by ridiculously fast. So fast I didn’t even notice I didn’t post a recap for the Half I did. I literally started the year racing. Or running on a race course.. We did the Midnight Run, which happens right at the stroke of midnight on January 31st. I was signed up for the Kleinerman 10K because I had a little head cold and decided to focus on my health first. I was moving two days later so I didn’t want to overdo the weekend. So, I changed apartments, and I also started a new job (and career). Life got busy. I am also still coaching a lot. I renewed my CPR and AED cert. I led a few runs and coached many biomechanics 1x1s. Then we went to vacation to Antigua, which was more necessary that I had time to realize. January was a bit crazy. But we made it, with decent mileage, 118 miles in. The United NYC Half is dangerously close…

  • Total Miles: 118
  • Races: one (Manhattan Half) though I wasn’t really racing.
  • Ups: a vacation. And feeling the need to RUN on vacation. Who does that?
  • Downs: January was busy so I wasn’t really paying attention…
  • Balance: meh, in a holding pattern for now

 

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Ted Corbitt 15K and my new Mizuno Wave​ Rider 21

I love some 15K action. But somehow, Saturday morning I REALLY wasn’t feeling like running… why? I was exhausted. The week had pummeled me, it was COLD and I just didn’t want to layer up then freeze anyway, then get hot and sweaty then freeze again. You know, all that fun winter stuff.

But, I had learned a lot about Ted Corbitt last week and I felt like I couldn’t not show up. Ted used to run 300 miles a WEEK! WHAT? Yes. THREE FREAKING HUNDREDS. I met his son Gary on Thursday and he told me a few interesting stories… So, I wasn’t feeling like running 9.3 miles? SO LAME. Just do it.

The race was starting at 8:30 and I was still home at 8:12 fuzzing around. If you know me, you know I usually show up at races before the even build the start and finish lines… Luckily, I live like a half mile from the start so I was in the corral by 8:21. Met up with Patricia and Elizabeth (hum, this could be confusing) and at 8:30, we got moving. I really really wasn’t feeling it. I decided to do it at a long run pace for at least the first loop and then see. So that happened, I ended up enjoying the snow and chatting around with lots of people on the course. Not a lot more to tell as I didn’t really race it. I ended up with 8:05 pace, which is not quite long run pace, but also not race pace. But all the fun was had and soon enough I was back home!

I took out my new (and third) pair of Mizuno Wave Riders to test them out. It was snowing so I knew they’d work out for that. This is a shoe you’ll see me wearing at my summer AND winter workouts. They’re the most dependable shoe I own. But the Wave Rider 21 just came out (hey happy birthday Wave Rider! You’re an adult now!!!) and I wanted to take them out for a spin in the park. No big changes, no issues, to tell you the truth. Very dependable shoe.

I don’t have many “invisible” shoes. “This one is super light for races, this is light for quick workouts, this is cushiony for long miles or days I am tired, this one will make my feet cold/hot, this one is great for 5Ks or halfs or full marathons”. I find the Wave Rider to be an invisible shoe, it’s like it’s not even there, I can just wear it to anything (long or short, hard or easy) and it’ll be able to handle it. Like snow today. Faster miles, or longer distances we got this. Anyway, now that you’re an adult, run responsibly, Wave Rider!!

 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Mizuno. The opinions and text are all mine.

Jingle Bell Jog 5K: 🎼 Pick up your feet / Jingle around the clock 🎼

That’s 3 races in a row I had never done before… which seems crazy as I seem to have done any race 55 times! The Jingle Bell Jog is (now) a 5K in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, early December where EVERYONE dresses up (look) and we get bells for our shoes and there’s hot chocolate at the finish line and it’s the most wonderful time of the year (well, second to marathon week at least!).

HOW HAD I NEVER RACED THIS BEFORE??? Well for starters, I lived super super super super super far from Prospect Park. I still live in the same place but with the new Q line, we can get to crazy places like Prospect Park, or Hawaii, or the moon in about 20 minutes, which is totally inaccurate but awesome. I love the Q. The Q changed my life. I could end this post here.

So, I actually got to the race like two hours early, because that’s how I roll and also because the race starts at lunchtime, or what you all call 9:30 am.

I flipped out instantaneously with all the amazing outfits. People were soooo ready and on point. I felt like going home sad in my striped red and white socks and elf hat. It was like every Halloween every year: I always think about dressing up the day before and then I am too lazy to actually do anything about it so I pull out whatever I can find in 5 minutes or less before I lose my attention span. Loser. Even the volunteers were all costumed up better than me!!! UGH.

The weather was PERFECT! 40 degrees, crisp, jingle all around. Christine and I “warmed up” towards the corrals and parked in B, our spot. We got moving soon and the pace didn’t feel normal to me. Felt too hard. TOO hard. I told myself to hang on to her, and a second wind would come! WHY DOES IT FEEL SO HARD?!?!? Mile 1: 7:20.

Around then I see Martina right on my side, I say hey Martina, and she yells OF COURSE! Apparently, she had liked the “elf pace” and was pacing off me. We really need to get organized!!! About 2 minutes later, I drop off both of their paces. The Battle Pass Hill is coming and I knew I didn’t have it to keep going at that pace up the hill. Mile 2: 7:53. Well, that’s how I felt. I actually thought I was running like 10:00, that would have made more sense! I told myself I’d maybe have enough to speed up a lot in the last mile or something like that. I couldn’t find any of my gears and it felt just like the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K a month before. Mile 3: 7:24. Last bit in 6:54 pace.

And here we go!

This was fun. Also, will it stop hurting now?

From right: Christine, me and Martina

We all caught up at the finish line! They both did amazing!!! I am still trying to understand why I am running my 5ks about two minutes slower than a few months ago. So strange.

Stats Time:

Finish time: 23:20 Average Pace: 7:31

Previous PR: 21:09 From: July 2012

Age Grading: 65.82%

Overall Place: 574 of 5240

Gender Place: 117 of 3128

Age Place: 11 of 329

You know what’s reaaaally interesting. I did a few 5Ks in the summer (SO SO SO HOT) and I was always around the same times (around 21 minutes). Now, the two 5Ks in the last month are also very close, but a bit slower. So, yes, consistency, as usual, I guess.

So, after the hot chocolate, Martina, Daniela and I run back to find Jacki. I did like 3 miles and I didn’t find her. Why is everyone also wearing red??? HA

Do I look festive enough?

Eventually, I found Jacki and Ted, my friends/coworkers who sit also on my row (we have a row team thing in the plans, but we need a name first) and they all looked more festive than me. Of course.

Also those socks are truly not a Xmas thing but more of a “whatever I found at Forever21” thing and they turned into leg warmers during the race, not cool.

I want to do it again already. With bells on this time. And a better outfit. And maybe some reason why my pace is this now? Still, for this one, it might be as fun to cheer than run, just because everyone looked so jolly…! Happy Holidays!

October and November 2017 Recaps

November

November was a whirlwind. I feel like so much happened that I am still processing it or that it’s STILL early November. November started with the best week of the year. When the marathon week rolls around, it’s ON. And there’s so much to do, see, enjoy, prep, etc… I was working crazy hours but even the days I was supposed to take off and rest/recover/prep, I was still doing things because it was impossible to stay away from the fun. Saturday, the 4th I run the Abbott Dash 5k to the Finish Line for the first time ever and it was an amazing experience. The next day was the BIG day, the TCS New York City Marathon. I got to Staten Island early, was at the start (on the Verrazano) for a couple of hours, then trucked to the finish line covering the male pro race and there I was at the finish line for a few hours. I got to see Juan and many friends finish. The things you see at the finish line are indescribable. I had been there about 3 times before as a volunteer, I’d totally recommend getting there if you’re not running. It can change your life. That’s literally how I decided to run a marathon, by watching the finishers… the next week was another whirlwind finishing and catching up, and the weekend after we run a modified version of the new United Airlines NYC Half course. The next weekend I went to Philly to cheer on a few friends doing the marathon, then it was Thanksgiving, and Juan’s birthday, and then, wait, it’s already December? HOW?

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  • Total Miles: 115
  • Races: 1. Abbott Dash to the Finish Line
  • Ups: Running the Dash, working on the TCS NYC Marathon, recovering, resting post-marathon, running in Brooklyn!
  • Downs: It got cold for a bit. I was a bit busy but if I didn’t get sick it’s a sign I held it well!
  • Balance: OMG BEST MONTH EVER!

October

October was a tough month. One last week of tapering, then the marathon. The Mohawk Hudson marathon was intense, and it left me mentally and physically exhausted.  I really don’t want to feel like that again. I also felt awful in the last 8 miles, and I really didn’t appreciate that. I know, that’s normal, but I am not used to that and I wasn’t mentally or emotionally ready to deal with it. I took a whole week off after. Luckily I was super busy at work the upcoming weeks with the marathon coming up and that’s where my brain and my energy went. Because my running went to crap! All my runs felt weird and awful for a while. Bye bye marathons.

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  • Total Miles: 102. told you it was crappy!
  • Races: 1. a marathon: a distance I hadn’t raced in 3 years!
  • Ups: done with the marathon, one way or another. On the other hand, super excited and happy at work with the “other” marathon stuff!
  • Downs: the marathon left a weird taste in my mouth. Not that I wasn’t happy with the result, I was mostly unhappy because I convinced myself I wanted to do it. Also, the marathon left me drained for a few days!
  • Balance: Glad it’s over.

September

Ooops. Forgot to post this last week! September had some ups and downs. I got sick and my runs suffered. I lost about 8 pounds in 4 days and I got really weak. Took me about 2 weeks to be able to eat normally and 3 weeks to feel normal again. Somehow, unlike previous times, I actually managed to do all my long runs, YEY, but I didn’t get to do the races I had slated as fitness tests (to give me a good idea where I was for the marathon!). I was REALLY upset to not be able to do the NB 5th Avenue Mile… You know it’s bad when you’re too weak to race ONE mile. UFFF. I did also manage to not miss any work, so I was there at the Mile and the Tune Up. Mileage and speed suffered but somehow it all got done. I did race the NB Bronx 10 Mile race. It was HOT. I did ok. I do have to watch out for hard and hot efforts like that as it took me about 10 days to recover fully from it. With 2 weeks to go to the Hudson Mohawk River Marathon, 10 days is too much. Aging, as my grandma used to say, is a b!tch.

  • Total Miles: 150. It’s fine, I am already tapering.
  • Races: 1. NB Bronx 10 Mile
  • Ups: The long runs with my girls. Love you guys!
  • Downs: Being sick sucks. It happened earlier in April where I had to stop running for weeks. So happy this time I run through it. But I was soooo weak!
  • Balance: Marathon Training is done. I am happy to close this out. I have too much in my head.

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August

August was a whirlwind! I started a new job, that I am really excited about, and I am still training for a marathon. Those two things combined. plus working two weekends, plus coaching, plus all the summer plans, made the month feel a bit busy. Luckily things fell into place in the last two weeks while I am peaking in the training. I was a bit tired, but I managed a lot of miles and quality workouts. August was definitely beyond awesome. We have Summer Streets in August, which I definitely used up for my long runs. I had a great run in Brooklyn with friends: I love to get out of Central Park for a change. I paced an NYRR run to Roosevelt Island, another out of town excursion, this time with a lot more new friends! And I raced the Percy Sutton 5K, in the middle of a long run.

This was definitely an excitement filled month. 5 weeks to the marathon. Let’s do this.

  • Total Miles: 183. 2nd highest monthly mileage ever
  • Races: 1. Percy Sutton Harlem 5k.
  • Ups: All the fun miles and workouts. The long runs were super great. Sharpening block about to start and I am very excited.
  • Downs: I am a bit wee tired. The high mileage during the peak weeks and a new job have me a bit spent.
  • Balance: Seems like I am really going to do a marathon in 5 weeks. Training is almost complete.

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July

Well, first of all we had a run on Freshkills Park in Staten Island. The park is not open to the public yet (and I didn’t post about it!) and won’t open for a few years but NYRR got permission to bring some runners and walkers there for an exploratory 10K and 5K so some of us coaches got to lead the run. It was fantastic. Then on the 6th, I did the Tracktown Summer Series 5K, which is a track series with a 5k component. There is a post here with more info but it was pretty cool. Juan did the NYC Tri so I spent the morning of the 16 yelling like a crazy person and running around to see him everywhere. So fun. The next day, Monday the 17 I did the NYRR RUN Brooklyn, and 10 days later I did the NYRR RUN in Central Park, two 5ks back to back! In the middle I did an super hot nasty 18 miler, and a 20 miler while I led a run to Roosevelt Island.

  • Total Miles: 169. yes, I run a lot this month!
  • Races: 3. No PRs of course but loads of fun. And, all were 5Ks… I never do 5ks!
  • Ups: I love summer running. I love it. Did I tell you I love it? I do love it!
  • Downs: When I don’t run?
  • Balance: I might actually be doing that marathon in October if things keep going like this…

June

OMG HOW I LOVE THE SUMMER!! I can’t even do a tiny recap without getting excited about all the things that happen in the 2-3 hot months we get. June was a blur! I have a feeling I am gonna close my eyes and it’ll be October in a NY minute, ugh. So I signed up for a marathon… we’ll see if I end up actually racing it (aka, last years’s botched Philly Marathon) but we’re going with it for now. I did make myself a very fancy training plan with all the stuff and then I forgot I was training for a marathon and carried on with my life. Until last week, then I did a long run. Anyway, June was cool, I did not do a lot of miles which means… I did a bunch of races! I started the month with the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge, then the awesome Mini 10K (which I was horrible at), then the Queens 10K, and then the Achilles Hope and Possibility. There was a lot of cross-training in the stairs, lot of coaching workouts and lots of Tuesday speed. I just can’t miss anything in the Summer. The math for the monthly mileage must be wrong!

  • Total Miles: 127. how? too many races!
  • Races: 4. 1 automatic PR and one where I placed 1st in my AG. Wohoo!
  • Ups: YES TO LESS LAYERS!
  • Downs: I am now training for a marathon?
  • Balance: let’s go!

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May

started with me pacing the 1:55 group at the Shape Half. The next weekend I paced a New Balance run from Brooklyn to the Run Center, as a training run for the Airbnb Brooklyn Half (a 10 mile run). The next weekend (see a theme here? there’s always a run/race!), I raced the Japan Run 4 miler in Central Park. That was a bit painful (I didn’t fuel properly, ooops). There were a few stairs workouts, and speed workouts and I coached a few training runs per week… then the big day came along: the Airbnb Brooklyn Half! It all started with the 3-day Pre-party. Race Day was a fun riot. No PRs in May, but it was definitely “active”.

  • Total Miles: 148 (biggest month but not that many miles this year)
  • Races: 2 racing, 1 pacing.
  • Ups: managed to get enough miles
  • Downs: my race speed is MIA
  • Balance: I had fun!

 

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April

April was an interesting one… the month started with the Run to Breathe 4 mile race. That went quite well. So well, I came in 3rd in my AG, 4 seconds away from a PR and got super excited about my fitness level… The first Monday of April, I started the new session of Stairs of Fire, a workout just on stairs designed to kill your legs… it killed MY legs… I was beyond stiff and sore for 3 full days… OUCH. Of course, I still coached that week, did speedwork and run a lot so by Friday I was feeling ALL THE NAGS. Luckily, I was to be locked indoors all weekend at the Road Runners Club of America Coaching Certification, which got my legs some rest. They were still not great after that, my feet were iffy and tight… so I just took it very easy for 3 full weeks until it was all back to fighting shape, yes, I AM THE OPPOSITE OF EVERY RUNNER. When there’s a nag, or a little nothing, I try not to “run through it”, I STOP, to make sure it doesn’t turn into something bigger down the road. Luckily, I don’t have to do this often. Last time it happened was in September and was back on the horse after 2-3 weeks. I had very tight calves and it was making my feet super tight (pre-Achilles tendinitis!!!) so those 3 weeks I run very little and very slow, did Epsom salts bath almost every day, I stretched twice a day, slept, got massages, and voilaaaaa. Good to go! The stairs workout did me in. My legs weren’t ready for that hot mess of a workout! My goal for May is to stretch every day (after not stretching for …5 years?)

I missed out on coaching for a full week but I did so many other things, like a biomechanics running event at the Hearst Building, a few fun events (like a Gala and a staycation) and I  paced the 1:55 finishers at the Shape Women’s Half this past weekend. Not a lot of mileage or quality work but got out of it unscathed…!

  • Total Miles: 109
  • Races: two! 1 great time, and 1 pacing gig
  • Ups: Pacing was fun… the rest was a bit tentative!
  • Downs: mileage and workouts went DOWN!!!!
  • Balance: I am ready to ramp up now!

 

Here is my training for April…

March

Didn’t I just write a Feb recap?? Is this what happens when you get older? Times really flies!

The month included a lot of coaching, loads, a few miles, lots of work hours, a November Project workouts, a visit to the Asics showroom, my birthday celebrations, a few Facebook Live Chats, the big United NYC Half Weekend and race, Club Night, lots of runs with friends, and two races: the United NYC Half and the Central Park Spring 10K this past two weekends. Now that I think about it, I see why my mileage was so low… makes sense!!!!!!!!!!!!  Hoping Spring makes things easier and I can get out there more. I need to figure out a way to not need that much sleep…!

Here is my training for March:

March pictures:

 

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  • Total Miles: 127
  • Races: two! (6 total for the year!)
  • Ups: had fun. The NYC Half!!!
  • Downs: Not super up there with the splits or the mileage.
  • Balance: move on March, April is coming!!!!!!!!!!

 

February

hello March! I have no idea where these weeks go!??! I actually freaked out a couple of weeks ago, because I realized it was too late to train for the United NYC Half… these weeks are faster than any of my races!

Well, the month started with the Gridiron 4 miler, which I totally phoned in. What a loser I am sometimes. Actually, that’s why I freaked out, because, seriously Elizabeth, get it together! Why show up at a race and not even try? UGH. I frustrate myself so much sometimes! The next weekend, pre-Valentine’s Day, Juan and I spent some romantic time in the city, NO MORE DETAILS of course. The weekend after that, we raced a relay triathlon, as a Valentine’s Days Weekend thing: the Lovie Dovie Triathlon at Chelsea Piers. That Thursday was Club Night. a fun event to celebrate NY’s runners. Fun. And last weekend I raced the Al Gordon 4 miler, which went a bit better than the first 4 miler this month. Very busy weeks with lots of events and work and life stuff. All of it fun.

Here is my training for February:

february-notes

  • Total Miles: 131
  • Races: three!!!
  • Ups: it was almost summer.
  • Downs: I need more time before the NYC Half PLEASE!!!
  • Balance: Someone please slow down time. seriously.

 

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January

went by ridiculously fast. So fast I didn’t even notice I didn’t post a recap for the Half I did. I literally started the year racing. Or running on a race course.. We did the Midnight Run, which happens right at the stroke of midnight on January 31st. I was signed up for the Kleinerman 10K because I had a little head cold and decided to focus on my health first. I was moving two days later so I didn’t want to overdo the weekend. So, I changed apartments, and I also started a new job (and career). Life got busy. I am also still coaching a lot. I renewed my CPR and AED cert. I led a few runs and coached many biomechanics 1x1s. Then we went to vacation to Antigua, which was more necessary that I had time to realize. January was a bit crazy. But we made it, with decent mileage, 118 miles in. The United NYC Half is dangerously close…

  • Total Miles: 118
  • Races: one (Manhattan Half) though I wasn’t really racing.
  • Ups: a vacation. And feeling the need to RUN on vacation. Who does that?
  • Downs: January was busy so I wasn’t really paying attention…
  • Balance: meh, in a holding pattern for now

 

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(NEW) United Airlines NYC Half Course Preview

this is a SHORT post because I just wanted to tell you guys back in November a few friends-coworkers, and I got up early, took the train to Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza and run SORT-OF the new course of the United Airlines NYC Half. I say sort-of because I couldn’t get them to shut down traffic on the top level of the Manhattan Bridge for us four, same with the FDR drive… oh well.

All about the course is on the race page. And there’s even a neat course map!

What I can tell you is that the course is QUITE AMAZING. Literally. I was saying that every mile.

The first 2-mile stretch from Grand Army Plaza is straight and WIDE. There’s also lots of stuff to look at. Sidenote: I need to run in Brooklyn more. I was a full-blown tourist.

It was 33, feels like 26, hence the outfits. Michael is the exception, I am always jealous of his heating skills.

The race starts behind the Arch so, like in the Brooklyn Half, we run around it.

Then you are in Flatbush Avenue, which is quite nice, straight to the Manhattan Bridge, to settle on a good pace.

told you it’s a wide street!

Then you go on the top of the Manhattan Bridge….!!!!!!!! We had to settle for the side path, but the views are INSANE. I really need to run there more often, it’s soo beautiful. I can’t even imagine how much better is on the top as you get two bridges up there: Brooklyn Bridge on the left, Williamsburg Bridge on the right. I can’t. Too good.

There’s a really nice view when you get off the bridge of the triumphal arch and colonnade at the Manhattan entrance:

100% you won’t see this on the actual course. But we did and I liked it so it’s part of the preview!!! Hey, it’s NYC, I am 200% sure you’ll see something strange somewhere(s).

A few blocks around Chinatown/Lower East Side and you’ll be in the FDR. Also, we were on the sidewalk there, but LOVED the sights!!!!!! (I REALLY need to get out of Central Park once in a while!)

that’s the Queensboro bridge, mile 16 of the marathon!

Then the United Nations (you don’t need a picture, do you?), then we get on 42nd street, we run by Grand Central and the NY Public Library…

a right turn and you’re on TIMES SQUARE!

YES, the only day of the year I am OK to be at Times Square!

You then run to the park and you do a right onto the East Drive, Hail to the Fred as we did:

across 102 cross-drive to the Finish…

I was in shock at how much I loved it. We had Times Square and Central Park in the previous edition, but hey, now you get to run ON TOP OF A BRIDGE!!!!!!!!!!! I know other people do that in other cities, but it’s NOT NYC. And really, other than running on the Golden Gate, what’s cooler than a major NYC bridge? huh? And seeing the Empire State Building right up ahead? When do we have that? Anyway, TOO FRUNNING GOOD!!

Here’s the course profile if you need it, to start obsessing, as some of you would, though I wouldn’t.

The 1st one (Strava) is a bit more accurate as the 2nd one (MapMyRun) wasn’t letting me map on some parts and that blip around mile 7 should NOT be there.

The mapped routes are here: Strava and MapMyRun if for some reason you want to check them out. Again, the strava is more trustworthy accurate as I had to do a few parts of the MapMyRun manually, so there’s about 200 meters over in that one. Though you can see they’re very similar!

Who’s excited? Questions?

Abbott Dash 5K to the Finish Line – Race Report

oooops, how did I miss to write about this? Ah yeah, the TCS New York City Marathon was the next day and my brain is just now finding some empty space to process all the awesomeness that was November!

I had never done the Dash, never, yes weird right? There was always something. Either I was doing the marathon the next day (the Dash is Saturday, 24 hours before the TCS New York City Marathon), or I was working or I had to host a charity dinner Friday night, every year I had a reason. The reasons this year: there was a lot to do, there was a lot in my head prepping for marathon day and also this race was also holding the USA Track and Field 5K Championships which I’d love to watch.

But, that week I didn’t have time to run a lot so I decided to race and get one good hard workout off of the race to compensate and see what the hype was about.

This race used to be an unofficial run years ago. It used to be called the International Run or something like that, I can’t remember. Basically, everyone who was in town to run the marathon, would show up at this friendly run, bring their flag and represent their country. That all sort of evolved into the Opening Ceremonies, where there are groups representing each country and a walk right of the marathon finish line with a flag bearer (just like in the Olympics!) AND the Dash to the Finish, a 5K with a ridiculously amazing course. It looked tempting… the race starts at the United Nations, right where all the flags are lined up, we line up there too! Then makes a turn to 42nd St, you run by Grand Central Terminal, then the NY Public Library (or where you take the buses to the marathon for some of you!) then it turns on 6th avenue, and you run up there to Central Park where you run your last mile INTO AND THROUGH THE TCS NEW YORK CITY MARATHON FINISH LINE. How cool is that?????

Anyway, I was pumped. I got up Saturday, run the 1.5 miles to the start, I had a singlet and the race shirt over it to keep me warm during the run there. It was 40 degrees, perfect, so I was going to chuck the long sleeve and race in the singlet.

First thing I saw when I got to the start was Heidi!

I have no idea why, an insane amount of pictures at the corral ensued!!!! get ready.

Heidi, me, Brian and Rob, all co-workers!

me, Brian, Rob. I still have gloves on, for some reason!

Because at some point, you run out of pictures faces

When Kevin arrived, it was selfie time, of course.

That’s Gordon and her son Danny. Gordon is one of the most impressive American female runners. If you don’t know her, look her up RIGHT NOW: Gordon Bakoulis. go. now.

anyway, we all seem so happy right? Well, you just have to wait and see what happens…

Eventually, the PROs in the front going for the Championships go. Rob said that he and Gordon were going to “take it easy” and if I wanted to join. They’re both WAY FASTER than me so I got confirmation that they were going around 8:30. Ok, I can handle that! I put the long sleeve back on if I wasn’t going to be going hard, and a few minutes later, we all got moving.

Danny took off. The 12-year-old Danny. Super fast. I thought someone had to go with him. Brian said he’d go, I thought I could do. Mmmm. NO. Danny would go and end up finishing in 20 something. Glad I noticed within 10 seconds. I went to the side and waited for Rob and Gordon. Turned out, their pace also felt hard for me (this was about 3 weeks after the marathon) but I tried to hang on.

Running down 42nd streets was SUPER COOL. It’s super wide so at no point it felt tight. Then you turn onto 6th Ave which is also really wide, and there were so many more people cheering. And you could tell, as this is a highly hotel-dense area, a lot of these people were the marathoners to be. I saw McGillivray cheering, then I saw Ashton Eaton cheering (I almost freaked out a little), Paula Radcliffe was right ahead… it was quite a scene… At some point, I noticed we were NOT doing 8:30s… more like 7:30s, which I should have been able to handle ok, but for some reason, I couldn’t. Gordon and Rob were chatting like they were seating for coffee, I was hardly trying to shout one-word answers.

Soon we were in the park for the last mile, and in a second we were by the finish line with all that awesome finish line awesomeness. I saw the 400 meters to go sign and I was SO happy I had only run a 5K and not a marathon…!!!!

We get to the finish and this happens!

they LITERALLY carried me through the finish line (and the whole 3.1)

EPIC SHOT right? the marathon finish line is quite impressive. Even after a 5K.

Job done. How many days til the next one?

Both Gordon and I Coach NYRR Group Training and we found a few of our runners at the finish!

angle is a bit wrong. I was totally pointing at the sign, can you tell?

for the 30923092 time, selfies are awful!

this is better. Hey Angie.

So, I LOVED IT.

Great great course. I want all my 5ks to be there. My time was pretty weird, around 7:30 pace, but whatever: all that matters sometimes is the fun had on the course. It really felt like we were doing a mini-marathon. I am not the type to use the marathon word for anything that isn’t a 5K, but I am not sure what to call this. It wasn’t a chunk of the marathon course but the feeling was there. Just go and do it and you’ll get it.

 

Stats Time:

Finish time: 23:25 Average Pace: 7:33

Previous PR: 21:09 From: July 2012

Age Grading: 22:31

Overall Place: 1122 of 10922

Gender Place: 257 of 5615

Age Place: 8 of 771

 

2017 TCS New York City Marathon: race week events!

  I will be updating this every day. If you have anything to be added, just forward it to me. So, recheck every day! updated 10/28 7 pm

And don’t forget to re-read the New York City Marathon Tips, Course Strategy, and Info! post

Sunday, October 29th

  • TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion Grand Opening

When: 8 am to 10 am

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion – Central Park at West 67th Street

What: The TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion opens its doors to visitors, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

More info and RSVP.

  • Race-day Nutrition with Lauren Antonucci, Brought to You by Poland Spring

When: 10 am to 12:30 pm

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion – Central Park at West 67th Street

What: Join the registered dietitian for a conversation starting every hour at the top of the hour from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

More info and RSVP.

  • Course Strategy with NYRR Coaches

When: 4 pm to 6 pm

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion – Central Park at West 67th Street

What: NYRR coaches will lead runners through a mile-by-mile course strategy session, including race-day tips and insights on how to manage the 26.2-mile tour through the five boroughs. Sessions will be held every hour on the hour.

More info and RSVP.

Monday, October 30th

  • NYRR Member Lunch and Course Strategy

When: 12 pm to 1 pm

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion – Central Park at West 67th Street

What: Prepare for your five-borough run with tips and course information from NYRR’s coaching staff.

More info and RSVP.

  • Runner Hydration with Gatorade

When: 4 pm to 6 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: Sample the latest and greatest from Gatorade at the NYRR RUNCENTER!

More info and RSVP.

  • Strength Training with Hospital for Special Surgery

When: 5 pm to 6 pm

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion – Central Park at West 67th Street

What: Join Hospital for Special Surgery specialists Pam Geisel and Tiffany Chag, as well as physical therapist Lauren Alix Riccardi, as they teach runners how to effectively strength train and prevent injury during marathon training.

More info and RSVP.

  • Member Monday: Course Strategy and Meet Your Pacer

When: 6 pm to 7 pm

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion – Central Park at West 67th Street

What: NYRR members ages 21 and up can stop by and receive a free drink courtesy of Michelob Ultra. At 6:30 p.m., NYRR Coaches will host a Course Strategy session with valuable insight and will answer questions about race day. Members may also receive a limited-edition giveaway while supplies last.

More info and RSVP.

Tuesday, October 31st

  • MEB: The Home Stretch Series Premiere Screening with Q&A

When: 6 pm to 8 pm

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion – Central Park at West 67th Street

What: Watch the series premiere of MEB: The Home Stretch, a five-part documentary series chronicling the final season of America’s greatest marathoner, Meb Keflezighi. A Q&A with Meb will follow the screening.
Doors will open for the free screening at 6:00 p.m. Please plan to arrive on time, as there is no guaranteed, reserved seating.

More info and RSVP.

Wednesday, November 1st

  • BEDGEAR presents Yoga Nidra: Guided Meditation for Better Sleep

When: 8 am to 10 am

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: Ingrid Prueher, a pediatric and adult sleep and nutrition consultant and founder of sleeptransformation.org, will be leading the yoga nidra classes. This practice of meditation enables you to use downtime to increase your recovery, which is especially useful when race-day adrenaline is keeping you awake. Join us for a 40-minute guided “sleep meditation” that is sure to relax your muscles and give you clarity so you can be ready for your run!

More info and RSVP.

  • Touring and Training: Meet and Greet with Prince Royce

When: 2 pm to 3 pm

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion – Central Park at West 67th Street

What: The Bronx native will share his experiences training for the TCS New York City Marathon while performing as a recording artist.

More info and RSVP.

  • BEDGEAR presents Sleep Insights for Athletes

When: 4 pm to 5 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: During this presentation, Lorenzo will provide tips for how athletes can improve their sleep for optimal performance each day.

More info and RSVP.

  • MELT Seminar for TCS New York City Marathon Runners with Hospital for Special Surgery

When: 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: During this presentation, Lorenzo will provide tips for how athletes can improve their sleep for optimal performance each day.

More info and RSVP.

  • BEDGEAR presents Sleep Insights for Athletes

When: 6 pm to 7 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: During this presentation, Lorenzo will provide tips for how athletes can improve their sleep for optimal performance each day.

More info and RSVP.

  • A Running Dialogue: The Meb Event

When: 6 pm to 9 pm

Where: Custom Performance, 295 Madison Avenue, 10TH FLOOR, New York, NY 10017

What: Come celebrate running Wednesday, November 1 with the legendary Meb Keflezighi! His last year running the NYC Marathon, Meb Keflezighi will discuss what makes him “empowered by running!” Emceed by Gary Muhrcke, the first winner of the NYC Marathon, prepare to be inspired! Entrance includes swag bag & autographed memorabilia, food & open bar, and your photo op with a legend! Join us for a night like no other, with a runner like no other!

More info and RSVP.

  • Shake it Out with Shake Shack & JackRabbit!

When: 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

Where: New York Running Company / 10 Columbus Circle/ New York, NY 10019

What: Who’s ready to shake it out with Shake Shack, On Running, and JackRabbit on 11/1? Starting at JackRabbit Columbus Circle at 6:30pm, we will take runners through Central Park on a 3-mile route that will pass by the finish line and some scenic areas before exiting the park on the Upper East Side. The run will finish at the Shake Shack on 86th & Lexington, where we will have all you need to recover with Zion PT before the big day. The first round will be on the house, and there will be some great swag items for you to win.

Bag drop will be provided from the start to the finish of the run. Please bear in mind, there will be traffic so you may beat your bags to the finish. We will have Pacers for various pace groups, so bring your friends and join us for a great night!

More info and RSVP

  • Hospital for Special Surgery presents Foam Rolling for TCS New York City Marathon Runners

When: 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion – Central Park at West 67th Street

What: Join Hospital for Special Surgery physical therapists Catherine Wysin and Julie Khan as they teach runners how to use foam rollers to help reduce post-exercise muscle soreness and accelerate the return of muscle strength and power after a hard workout.

More info and RSVP.

Thursday, November 2nd

  • Run Mama Run Screening and Breakfast with Sarah Brown

When: 8 am to 10 am

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion – Central Park at West 67th Street

What: Join us for an exclusive free screening of Run Mama Run, followed by breakfast and a panel with New Balance athlete Sarah Brown.Doors open at 8:00 a.m. Seating and breakfast are first come, first served.

More info and RSVP.

  • NYRR Central Park Running History Tour (English)

When: 10 am to 11:30 am

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: Get a taste of the Big Apple’s vibrant past on the NYRR Central Park Running History Tour! After leaving the NYRR RUNCENTER, our coaches will guide you at a comfortable (~10:00 min/mile) pace past various landmarks significant to New York City’s running history.

More info and RSVP.

  • Course Strategy with NYRR Coaches

When: 11 am through 7 pm

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Expo Presented by New Balance – Jacob K. Javits Center, Hall 3E, 11th Avenue at West 35th Street

What: Learn valuable advice about how to approach 26.2 miles through the five boroughs with NYRR’s coaching staff. Course strategy sessions will be held every hour on the hour starting at 11:00 a.m., with a special presentation from Hospital for Special Surgery at 3:00 p.m.

More info and RSVP.

  • NYRR Central Park Running History Tour (Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese)

When: 12 pm to 2:15 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: Get a taste of the Big Apple’s vibrant past on the NYRR Central Park Running History Tour! After leaving the NYRR RUNCENTER, our coaches will guide you at a comfortable (~10:00 min/mile) pace past various landmarks significant to New York City’s running history. Spanish: 12:00–1:30 p.m /  Portuguese: 12:15–1:45 p.m. / Italian: 12:30–2:00 p.m. / French: 12:45–2:15 p.m.

More info and RSVP.

  • It Will Move You Professional Athlete Panel

When: 12 pm to 1 pm

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion – Central Park at West 67th Street

What: Pro athletes Jared Ward, Aliphine Tuliaumuk, Amanda McGrory, and Josh George will participate in an exclusive It Will Move You panel. These athletes will share their stories of how they’ve been moved by running and the marathon.

More info and RSVP.

  • NYRR Central Park Running History Tour (English)

When: 2 pm to 3:30 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: Get a taste of the Big Apple’s vibrant past on the NYRR Central Park Running History Tour! After leaving the NYRR RUNCENTER, our coaches will guide you at a comfortable (~10:00 min/mile) pace past various landmarks significant to New York City’s running history.

More info and RSVP.

  • NYRR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, and Abebe Bikila and George Hirsch Journalism Awards Presentation

When: 3 pm to 5 pm

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion – Central Park at West 67th Street

What: Inducted in 2017 will be Tom Fleming, Ryan Hall, Lornah Kiplagat, Orlando Pizzolato, and Dr. Norbert Sander. Tim Layden will receive the George Hirsch Journalism Award. This event is free and open to the public.

More info and RSVP.

  • Maximizing Race Day: Tips for Success on Your 26.2 with Tiffany Chag from Hospital for Special Surgery

When: 3 pm to 4 pm

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Expo Presented by New Balance – Jacob K. Javits Center, Hall 3E, 11th Avenue at West 35th Street

More info and RSVP.

  • Fitbit Presentation with Ryan and Sara Hall

When: 5 pm to 7 pm

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion – Central Park at West 67th Street

What: Join Fitbit Ambassadors and professional runners Ryan and Sara Hall for a special Q&A.

More info and RSVP.

  • Foam Rolling with Hospital for Special Surgery

When: 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

More info and RSVP.

When: 6 pm to 7:30 pm.

Where: New York Running Company / 10 Columbus Circle/ New York, NY 10019

What: Grab your girlfriends (or guy friends!) and join us at JackRabbit for a truly exclusive night with one of the strongest runners in the game. Whether you’ve seen her on TV or racing in person, you know Molly Huddle is fierce. Historically a track runner, she made her marathon debut last year in New York, placing third in 2:28:13. She’s the 10,000, American Record holder, winner of the 2017 New York Half Marathon, and an advocate for female athletes everywhere (you can thank her in part for the runner girl emoji!)

Party Highlights: Shakeout run- Head out on a casual loop through Central Park with Moll / Q&A with Molly- Get some tips for race day and come ready with your own questions / Customer nail wrap bar- Molly loves her nail art, and we’re bringing the glam to your race with NYC-themed nail wraps/ Donut Bar – Who doesn’t need to carb load before the big race?! / Polar Bubble Bar- Enjoy a “Molly Mocktail” courtesy of our friends at Polar Seltzer.

More info and RSVP.

  • Spectator 101: How to Find Your Runner on Race Day

When: 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: Trying to figure out where you are going to cheer your runner on come marathon Sunday? Join us at the NYRR RUNCENTER for a brief informational session on the best practices and strategies to find your runner on race day! A Q&A will follow, and we’ll show you how to use the incredible spectator section of our TCS New York City Marathon app.

More info and RSVP.

  • Runner’s World and Reebok’s NYC Marathon Kick-Off Run

When: 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

Where: Reebok (New York) – 1 Union Sq W, New York, New York 10003

What: Join Reebok and Runner’s World to celebrate the kick-off of marathon weekend on Thursday, November 2nd at 6:30pm with Bart Yasso. After the run continue the celebration with meet & greets and shopping!
-FREE Gift bags to first 100 attendees
-20% discount on your Reebok purchase
-First 50 attendees to receive a $25 Reebok gift card* (*valid for 11/2 only)

More info and RSVP.

  • BOSTON Screening with Q&A

When: 8:30 pm to 11:15 pm

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion – Central Park at West 67th Street

What: Watch an exclusive screening of BOSTON, the first feature-length documentary chronicling the iconic race from its very beginning 120 years ago to present day.
Doors will open for the free screening at 8:30 p.m. Please plan to arrive by 8:00 p.m., as there is no guaranteed, reserved seating.

More info and RSVP.

Friday, November 3rd

  • Morning Miles with Nike

When: 7:04 am to 8:30 am

Where: New York Running Company by JackRabbit, 10 Columbus Cir, Ste 210, New York, New York 10023

What: In town for the big race and looking for a group to run with before the big dance? Look no further than to Morning Miles! Join us for a fun run while keeping your legs fresh for Sunday.  We’ll meet at the JackRabbit store in the Time Warner Center at 7:00 AM. We have pacers, lockers, and refreshments for all participants. All paces welcome and the run will be between 4-5 miles.

More info and RSVP.

  • NYRR Central Park Running History Tour (English)

When: 10 am to 11:30 am

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: Get a taste of the Big Apple’s vibrant past on the NYRR Central Park Running History Tour! After leaving the NYRR RUNCENTER, our coaches will guide you at a comfortable (~10:00 min/mile) pace past various landmarks significant to New York City’s running history.

More info and RSVP.

  • Course Strategy with NYRR Coaches

When: 11 am through 7 pm

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Expo Presented by New Balance – Jacob K. Javits Center, Hall 3E, 11th Avenue at West 35th Street

What: Learn valuable advice about how to approach 26.2 miles through the five boroughs with NYRR’s coaching staff. Course strategy sessions will be held every hour on the hour starting at 11:00 a.m., with a special presentation from Hospital for Special Surgery at 3:00 p.m.

More info and RSVP.

  • NYRR Central Park Running History Tour (Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese)

When: 12 pm to 2:15 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: Get a taste of the Big Apple’s vibrant past on the NYRR Central Park Running History Tour! After leaving the NYRR RUNCENTER, our coaches will guide you at a comfortable (~10:00 min/mile) pace past various landmarks significant to New York City’s running history. Spanish: 12:00–1:30 p.m /  Portuguese: 12:15–1:45 p.m. / Italian: 12:30–2:00 p.m. / French: 12:45–2:15 p.m.

More info and RSVP.

  • Tiki Talk: A Meet-Up and Q&A with Former New York Giants Running Back Tiki Barber

When: 12 pm to 1 pm

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion – Central Park at West 67th Street

What: Former New York Giants running back and NFL Pro Bowler Tiki Barber will share the story of his transition from football player to road runner. A three-time TCS New York City Marathon finisher, Barber will dive into his passion for running and the obstacles he’s overcome on his journey to becoming a marathoner.

More info and RSVP.

  • NYRR Central Park Running History Tour (English)

When: 2 pm to 3:30 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: Get a taste of the Big Apple’s vibrant past on the NYRR Central Park Running History Tour! After leaving the NYRR RUNCENTER, our coaches will guide you at a comfortable (~10:00 min/mile) pace past various landmarks significant to New York City’s running history.

More info and RSVP.

  • NYRR RUNTalk: The Future of U.S. Women’s Running with Emily Infeld and Emily Sisson

When: 2 pm to 3 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: Join IAAF World Championship bronze medalist Emily Infeld and Team NB young phenom Emily Sisson for a chat about the bright future of women’s running in the United States.

More info and RSVP.

  • Conversation with Dean Karnazes

When: 3 pm to 4 pm

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion – Central Park at West 67th Street

What: Join Fitbit Ambassador and ultramarathon man Dean Karnazes for a special conversation and meet and greet.

More info and RSVP.

  • Last-Minute Aches and Pains with Alex Shafiro from Hospital for Special Surgery

When: 3 pm to 4 pm

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Expo Presented by New Balance – Jacob K. Javits Center, Hall 3E, 11th Avenue at West 35th Street

More info and RSVP.

  • NYRR RUNTalk: Dual-Sport Paralympic Athletes

When: 4 pm to 5 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: This year’s TCS New York City Marathon will include two wheelchair athletes who have excelled on the world stage at the Paralympic Games in sports other than track and field: South Africa’s Ernst van Dyk (cycling) and Germany’s Annika Zeyen (wheelchair basketball). Join these two inspirational racers to hear their journeys of competing in multiple sports, and the state of wheelchair racing and Paralympic sport in the world today.

More info and RSVP.

  • Seven Continents, Seven Marathons, Seven Days: A Conversation with Ultramarathoner Mike Wardian

When: 5 pm to 6 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: Join ultramarathoner Mike Wardian as he talks about his record-breaking performance as he ran seven marathons on seven continents in seven days! He’ll discuss this journey as well as the many other ultra adventures that helped him prepare for the TCS New York City Marathon.

More info and RSVP.

  • Citius Mag Podcast Live at the NYRR RUNCENTER

When: 6 pm to 7 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: Join Citius Magazine as its staff records live from the NYRR RUNCENTER. Co-founder of Citius Mag and Sports Illustrated columnist Chris Chavez and Men’s Journal Senior Editor Kit Fox will preview the incredible professional field of the TCS New York City Marathon.

More info and RSVP.

  • Spectator 101: How to Find Your Runner on Race Day

When: 7 pm to 8 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: Trying to figure out where you are going to cheer your runner on come marathon Sunday? Join us at the NYRR RUNCENTER for a brief informational session on the best practices and strategies to find your runner on race day! A Q&A will follow, and we’ll show you how to use the incredible spectator section of our TCS New York City Marathon app.

More info and RSVP.

Saturday, November 4th

  • NYC MARATHON SHAKEOUT ART RUN

When: 10 am to 12 pm

Where: Whole Foods Market95 East Houston StreetNew York, NY, 10002

What: Whole Foods Market presents the Runstreet NYC Marathon Shakeout Art Run! Whether you’re running the NYC Marathon or just want to get in an incredible run to see the best murals and street art in NYC, you won’t want to miss this 3-mile pre-marathon shakeout art run! The shakeout run will be at a relaxed, 10-minute mile pace, with stops for photos along the way. We will see endless art-drenched streets in the Lower East Side and beyond! Our Runstreet photographer Marques Jackson will be shooting beautiful photos during the run, and you will receive access to the whole photo album after the event.

More info and RSVP.

  • NYRR RUNTalk: A Conversation with Four-Time New York City Marathon Winner Bill Rodgers

When: 10 am to 11 am

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: Join four-time New York City Marathon champion Bill Rodgers as he discusses his iconic wins and tales of the past. A meet and greet will follow.

More info and RSVP.

  • Course Strategy with NYRR Coaches

When: 11 am to 7 pm

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Expo Presented by New Balance – Jacob K. Javits Center, Hall 3E, 11th Avenue at West 35th Street

What: Learn valuable advice about how to approach 26.2 miles through the five boroughs with NYRR’s coaching staff. Course strategy sessions will be held every hour on the hour starting at 11:00 a.m., with a special presentation from Hospital for Special Surgery at 3:00 p.m.

More info and RSVP.

  • NYRR RUNTalk: NYRR Hall of Fame Legends

When: 12 pm to 1 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: Don’t miss the fastest panel of New York City running legends ever put together. This “greatest of all time” chat will feature Haile Gebrselassie, Bill Rodgers, Germán Silva, and Ryan Hall.

More info and RSVP.

  • A Celebration of Running Legend Meb Keflezighi

When: 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm

Where: YOTEL New York City, 570 10th Avenue, 4th Floor

What: Meb will reflect on running his final race at the New York City Marathon and his remarkable career in a private Q&A the day before the race. Limited number of tickets available.

More info and RSVP.

  • Oiselle Pop-Up and Meet Kara Goucher and Sally Bergesen at Custom PT!

When: 1 pm to 4 pm

Where: NY Custom PT & Performance Center – 295 Madison Ave, # 1026, New York, New York 10017

What: Come check out the new fall line and chat with Oiselle founder Sally Bergesen herself! Everything will be available to feel and try on. Nothing for day-of-purchase, but attendees will get a discount to use on Oiselle.com! Come one, come all! Share with all your friends!

More info and RSVP.

  • The Secrets of Running with Toby Tanser and Lornah Kiplagat

When: 1 pm to 2 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: Author of Train Hard, Win Easy: The Kenyan Way Toby Tanser will lead a discussion on the secrets of Kenyan running with Lornah Kiplagat, an IAAF World Half-Marathon and IAAF World Cross Country Championships gold medalist.

More info and RSVP.

  • The Future of Women’s Running with Kathrine Switzer, Deena Kastor, and Alison Desir

When: 2 pm to 3 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: Join a discussion with female running legends Kathrine Switzer and Deena Kastor as well as Alison Desir, fitness activist and co-founder of Run4AllWomen. The three will discuss the history and future of women’s running around the world. The panel will be moderated by New York Road Runners’ Gordon Bakoulis.

More info and RSVP.

  • Team New Balance World Champions: Jenny Simpson and Emma Coburn

When: 3 pm to 4 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: Join Team New Balance athletes, IAAF World Champions and Olympic medalists Jenny Simpson and Emma Coburn as they discuss training, the road to the 2016 Rio Olympics, and their individual moments of World Championships glory.

More info and RSVP.

  • Race Recovery: Finish Line and Beyond with Pam Geisel from Hospital for Special Surgery

When: 3 pm to 4 pm

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Expo Presented by New Balance – Jacob K. Javits Center, Hall 3E, 11th Avenue at West 35th Street

More info and RSVP.

  • It Will Move You: The Most Inspiring Stories of the TCS New York City Marathon

When: 4 pm to 5 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: Before the TCS New York City Marathon, get inspired by a panel of runners who have experienced a variety of obstacles to get to the marathon start line—but have overcome them and will be lining up right alongside you on Sunday, November 5.

More info and RSVP.

  • Spectator 101: How To Find Your Runner on Race Day

When: 5 pm to 6 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: Trying to figure out where you are going to cheer your runner on come marathon Sunday? Join us at the NYRR RUNCENTER for a brief informational session on the best practices and strategies to find your runner on race day! A Q&A will follow, and we’ll show you how to use the incredible spectator section of our TCS New York City Marathon app.

More info and RSVP.

Sunday, November 5th

  • Blue Line Lounge Presented by Tata Consultancy Services

When: 8 am to 2 pm

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion – Central Park at West 67th Street

What: Steps from the finish line, in a heated indoor lounge, enjoy a gourmet brunch buffet; hot beverages; beer and wine after 12:00 p.m.; access to the west side Grandstand Seating to watch your runners finish; the Marathon broadcast on the big screen; and early access to finisher merchandise. Children under 2 do not require a ticket. Please note: This event is sold out.

More info and RSVP.

  • TCS New York City Marathon Sunday Brunch and Live Stream

When: 9 am to 6 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: Swing by the NYRR RUNCENTER while you are waiting for your runner to finish the TCS New York City Marathon or join in after the race to shop for official TCS New York City Marathon gear presented by New Balance!

More info and RSVP.

Monday, November 6th

  • Marathon Monday at the TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion

When: 8 am to 6 pm

Where: TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion – Central Park at West 67th Street

What: Celebrate your accomplishment at the TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion. Jumpstart your recovery at the Hospital for Special Surgery Runner Recovery Zone, shop for New Balance finisher gear, have your finisher medal engraved by Fond Memories, and purchase commemorative editions of the New York Times.

More info and RSVP.

  • TCS New York City Marathon Re-Broadcast

When: 8 am to 6 pm

Where: NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub – 320 West 57th Street

What: After you have your medal engraved at the TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion, come check out the re-broadcast of the TCS New York City Marathon, which will be playing all day at the NYRR RUNCENTER. You can also shop for official TCS New York City Marathon gear presented by New Balance!

More info and RSVP.

Tuesday, November 7th

  • Meb Keflezighi and Kathrine Switzer with Dr. Jordan Metzl

When: 8 pm

Where: 92nd St Y

What: Join us for a special evening to celebrate two running legends, Meb Keflezighi and Kathrine Switzer. Moderated by sports medicine physician and Runner’s World author Dr. Jordan Metzl, this program will offer a unique look at the incredible stories behind these running icons and their important roles in the history of marathon running.

More info and RSVP.

 

updated daily so bookmark this post and keep checking here every day!

Don’t forget to re-read the New York City Marathon Tips, Course Strategy and Info! post

I’ve compiled this listing from brands/athletes/stores’ social channels or emails. Events might have been updated at a later date so please check the source for updated info. If you have/see any other events not listed here, pls send my way. Have fun!

September 2017 Recap

September

Ooops. Forgot to post this last week! September had some ups and downs. I got sick and my runs suffered. I lost about 8 pounds in 4 days and I got really weak. Took me about 2 weeks to be able to eat normally and 3 weeks to feel normal again. Somehow, unlike previous times, I actually managed to do all my long runs, YEY, but I didn’t get to do the races I had slated as fitness tests (to give me a good idea where I was for the marathon!). I was REALLY upset to not be able to do the NB 5th Avenue Mile… You know it’s bad when you’re too weak to race ONE mile. UFFF. I did also manage to not miss any work, so I was there at the Mile and the Tune Up. Mileage and speed suffered but somehow it all got done. I did race the NB Bronx 10 Mile race. It was HOT. I did ok. I do have to watch out for hard and hot efforts like that as it took me about 10 days to recover fully from it. With 2 weeks to go to the Hudson Mohawk River Marathon, 10 days is too much. Aging, as my grandma used to say, is a b!tch.

  • Total Miles: 150. It’s fine, I am already tapering.
  • Races: 1. NB Bronx 10 Mile
  • Ups: The long runs with my girls. Love you guys!
  • Downs: Being sick sucks. It happened earlier in April where I had to stop running for weeks. So happy this time I run through it. But I was soooo weak!
  • Balance: Marathon Training is done. I am happy to close this out. I have too much in my head.

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August

August was a whirlwind! I started a new job, that I am really excited about, and I am still training for a marathon. Those two things combined. plus working two weekends, plus coaching, plus all the summer plans, made the month feel a bit busy. Luckily things fell into place in the last two weeks while I am peaking in the training. I was a bit tired, but I managed a lot of miles and quality workouts. August was definitely beyond awesome. We have Summer Streets in August, which I definitely used up for my long runs. I had a great run in Brooklyn with friends: I love to get out of Central Park for a change. I paced an NYRR run to Roosevelt Island, another out of town excursion, this time with a lot more new friends! And I raced the Percy Sutton 5K, in the middle of a long run.

This was definitely an excitement filled month. 5 weeks to the marathon. Let’s do this.

  • Total Miles: 183. 2nd highest monthly mileage ever
  • Races: 1. Percy Sutton Harlem 5k.
  • Ups: All the fun miles and workouts. The long runs were super great. Sharpening block about to start and I am very excited.
  • Downs: I am a bit wee tired. The high mileage during the peak weeks and a new job have me a bit spent.
  • Balance: Seems like I am really going to do a marathon in 5 weeks. Training is almost complete.

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July

Well, first of all we had a run on Freshkills Park in Staten Island. The park is not open to the public yet (and I didn’t post about it!) and won’t open for a few years but NYRR got permission to bring some runners and walkers there for an exploratory 10K and 5K so some of us coaches got to lead the run. It was fantastic. Then on the 6th, I did the Tracktown Summer Series 5K, which is a track series with a 5k component. There is a post here with more info but it was pretty cool. Juan did the NYC Tri so I spent the morning of the 16 yelling like a crazy person and running around to see him everywhere. So fun. The next day, Monday the 17 I did the NYRR RUN Brooklyn, and 10 days later I did the NYRR RUN in Central Park, two 5ks back to back! In the middle I did an super hot nasty 18 miler, and a 20 miler while I led a run to Roosevelt Island.

  • Total Miles: 169. yes, I run a lot this month!
  • Races: 3. No PRs of course but loads of fun. And, all were 5Ks… I never do 5ks!
  • Ups: I love summer running. I love it. Did I tell you I love it? I do love it!
  • Downs: When I don’t run?
  • Balance: I might actually be doing that marathon in October if things keep going like this…

June

OMG HOW I LOVE THE SUMMER!! I can’t even do a tiny recap without getting excited about all the things that happen in the 2-3 hot months we get. June was a blur! I have a feeling I am gonna close my eyes and it’ll be October in a NY minute, ugh. So I signed up for a marathon… we’ll see if I end up actually racing it (aka, last years’s botched Philly Marathon) but we’re going with it for now. I did make myself a very fancy training plan with all the stuff and then I forgot I was training for a marathon and carried on with my life. Until last week, then I did a long run. Anyway, June was cool, I did not do a lot of miles which means… I did a bunch of races! I started the month with the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge, then the awesome Mini 10K (which I was horrible at), then the Queens 10K, and then the Achilles Hope and Possibility. There was a lot of cross-training in the stairs, lot of coaching workouts and lots of Tuesday speed. I just can’t miss anything in the Summer. The math for the monthly mileage must be wrong!

  • Total Miles: 127. how? too many races!
  • Races: 4. 1 automatic PR and one where I placed 1st in my AG. Wohoo!
  • Ups: YES TO LESS LAYERS!
  • Downs: I am now training for a marathon?
  • Balance: let’s go!

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May

started with me pacing the 1:55 group at the Shape Half. The next weekend I paced a New Balance run from Brooklyn to the Run Center, as a training run for the Airbnb Brooklyn Half (a 10 mile run). The next weekend (see a theme here? there’s always a run/race!), I raced the Japan Run 4 miler in Central Park. That was a bit painful (I didn’t fuel properly, ooops). There were a few stairs workouts, and speed workouts and I coached a few training runs per week… then the big day came along: the Airbnb Brooklyn Half! It all started with the 3-day Pre-party. Race Day was a fun riot. No PRs in May, but it was definitely “active”.

  • Total Miles: 148 (biggest month but not that many miles this year)
  • Races: 2 racing, 1 pacing.
  • Ups: managed to get enough miles
  • Downs: my race speed is MIA
  • Balance: I had fun!

 

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April

April was an interesting one… the month started with the Run to Breathe 4 mile race. That went quite well. So well, I came in 3rd in my AG, 4 seconds away from a PR and got super excited about my fitness level… The first Monday of April, I started the new session of Stairs of Fire, a workout just on stairs designed to kill your legs… it killed MY legs… I was beyond stiff and sore for 3 full days… OUCH. Of course, I still coached that week, did speedwork and run a lot so by Friday I was feeling ALL THE NAGS. Luckily, I was to be locked indoors all weekend at the Road Runners Club of America Coaching Certification, which got my legs some rest. They were still not great after that, my feet were iffy and tight… so I just took it very easy for 3 full weeks until it was all back to fighting shape, yes, I AM THE OPPOSITE OF EVERY RUNNER. When there’s a nag, or a little nothing, I try not to “run through it”, I STOP, to make sure it doesn’t turn into something bigger down the road. Luckily, I don’t have to do this often. Last time it happened was in September and was back on the horse after 2-3 weeks. I had very tight calves and it was making my feet super tight (pre-Achilles tendinitis!!!) so those 3 weeks I run very little and very slow, did Epsom salts bath almost every day, I stretched twice a day, slept, got massages, and voilaaaaa. Good to go! The stairs workout did me in. My legs weren’t ready for that hot mess of a workout! My goal for May is to stretch every day (after not stretching for …5 years?)

I missed out on coaching for a full week but I did so many other things, like a biomechanics running event at the Hearst Building, a few fun events (like a Gala and a staycation) and I  paced the 1:55 finishers at the Shape Women’s Half this past weekend. Not a lot of mileage or quality work but got out of it unscathed…!

  • Total Miles: 109
  • Races: two! 1 great time, and 1 pacing gig
  • Ups: Pacing was fun… the rest was a bit tentative!
  • Downs: mileage and workouts went DOWN!!!!
  • Balance: I am ready to ramp up now!

 

Here is my training for April…

March

Didn’t I just write a Feb recap?? Is this what happens when you get older? Times really flies!

The month included a lot of coaching, loads, a few miles, lots of work hours, a November Project workouts, a visit to the Asics showroom, my birthday celebrations, a few Facebook Live Chats, the big United NYC Half Weekend and race, Club Night, lots of runs with friends, and two races: the United NYC Half and the Central Park Spring 10K this past two weekends. Now that I think about it, I see why my mileage was so low… makes sense!!!!!!!!!!!!  Hoping Spring makes things easier and I can get out there more. I need to figure out a way to not need that much sleep…!

Here is my training for March:

March pictures:

 

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  • Total Miles: 127
  • Races: two! (6 total for the year!)
  • Ups: had fun. The NYC Half!!!
  • Downs: Not super up there with the splits or the mileage.
  • Balance: move on March, April is coming!!!!!!!!!!

 

February

hello March! I have no idea where these weeks go!??! I actually freaked out a couple of weeks ago, because I realized it was too late to train for the United NYC Half… these weeks are faster than any of my races!

Well, the month started with the Gridiron 4 miler, which I totally phoned in. What a loser I am sometimes. Actually, that’s why I freaked out, because, seriously Elizabeth, get it together! Why show up at a race and not even try? UGH. I frustrate myself so much sometimes! The next weekend, pre-Valentine’s Day, Juan and I spent some romantic time in the city, NO MORE DETAILS of course. The weekend after that, we raced a relay triathlon, as a Valentine’s Days Weekend thing: the Lovie Dovie Triathlon at Chelsea Piers. That Thursday was Club Night. a fun event to celebrate NY’s runners. Fun. And last weekend I raced the Al Gordon 4 miler, which went a bit better than the first 4 miler this month. Very busy weeks with lots of events and work and life stuff. All of it fun.

Here is my training for February:

february-notes

  • Total Miles: 131
  • Races: three!!!
  • Ups: it was almost summer.
  • Downs: I need more time before the NYC Half PLEASE!!!
  • Balance: Someone please slow down time. seriously.

 

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January

went by ridiculously fast. So fast I didn’t even notice I didn’t post a recap for the Half I did. I literally started the year racing. Or running on a race course.. We did the Midnight Run, which happens right at the stroke of midnight on January 31st. I was signed up for the Kleinerman 10K because I had a little head cold and decided to focus on my health first. I was moving two days later so I didn’t want to overdo the weekend. So, I changed apartments, and I also started a new job (and career). Life got busy. I am also still coaching a lot. I renewed my CPR and AED cert. I led a few runs and coached many biomechanics 1x1s. Then we went to vacation to Antigua, which was more necessary that I had time to realize. January was a bit crazy. But we made it, with decent mileage, 118 miles in. The United NYC Half is dangerously close…

  • Total Miles: 118
  • Races: one (Manhattan Half) though I wasn’t really racing.
  • Ups: a vacation. And feeling the need to RUN on vacation. Who does that?
  • Downs: January was busy so I wasn’t really paying attention…
  • Balance: meh, in a holding pattern for now

 

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Hudson Mohawk River Marathon Race Report: Last Marathon. In the bag.

Heeey! I run the Hudson Mohawk River Marathon today… let me make it short but show you a bit of the day (will update later with links and more pics!)

At the Expo:

After the expo we walked around downtown Albany for a bit with Juan. It was very quiet.

We settled in our Airbnb apartment which was right across the street from the Executive Mansion and less than a mile from the race finish line and the morning busses to the start. Very convenient.

I was still not sure if I was going to race but I got ready anyway.

My main problem was that it was going to rain, or thunderstorm, and the temperature was in the 70s very early in the morning. I wasn’t sure how that was going to pan out but I decided that if I was not having a good day, I would drop out at 16, 18, or 20.

This is what I saw when I woke up at 4:30 am:

Ugh. Scary. Hot. Humid. Thunderstorms!?

What to do? Literally NOT WORTH IT.

But… I am here, I might as will get a long run out of it.

Gordon and I got on the bus to the start. The ride was about 30 minutes and completely stress-free.

There were barely any lines for the porta-potties when we got there, everything was so simple. At 7:55, we took our extra layers off, it was raining. Fine.

I saw Wayne at the start with the 3:45 at Pacer sign. I lined up with him and then I saw Dave also, from the Flyers. Soon enough, we were off in the rain. It felt OK, actually, because without the rain it would’ve felt too humid or hot. Dave run ahead and took this shot below, thanks Dave!!

I was trying to slow down because the first miles felt like it was too fast. Who knows what kind of day is waiting for me out there, let me be careful!

The pace actually felt OK but I did feel like I didn’t have enough energy without the gels. I had 4 Huma gels with me and every time I had a gel I felt amazing for 3 or 4 miles and then I would feel like I was fading off…

I kept trucking and had a gel every 5 miles.

I got to run the first 2 miles with Dave but then we separated. Actually, after about 5 miles I had caught up to the 3:25 pacer and I was running right behind him all the way to about mile 12. Why? No idea. It felt “comfortable”. My average pace until then was about 7:50ish (which was about a 3:25 finish).

Miles 12 to 16 were a blur. I was starting to get bored and the music wasn’t doing it for me. Soon enough, when I saw the 17 mile marker I was in shock: it was going so fast. I was in for a 2-3 min PR if everything stayed that way. Or better, as I would usually do, I would pull a big negative split. Then it happened, basically all the bad things happened at the same time. It stopped raining, so I got really hot, the humidity made me feel like I couldn’t breathe AND we had a CRAZY headwind. It was like the perfect storm. We all started slowing down a lot and struggling. I actually tried to stay behind a few people just to block the wind, but it wasn’t working. We had had wind the whole way but for some reason, in this portion of the course, it wasn’t helping me cool down, it was throwing me off so hard that I could barely keep the pace. I really felt myself struggling to keep pushing.

It got ROUGH.

Rough ROUGH.

If the weather had been the same since the start, I would have adjusted my pace accordingly. It was too late now. We were too deep into the mileage, and I figured I would start suffering a lot more soon.

I had been under 3:25 pace until then and I started losing it. I wish I had en extra gel to help me out. The rain stopping made me so so so hot. The humidity was insane.

I considered dropping. Like every 10 seconds. I was having such a hard time… then I started thinking. 

If I dropped, having done 20 miles at around 7:50 pace, I would still be really tired for a few weeks. I would also feel tempted to do another marathon in a few months to use up my fitness. So I thought about it, and I thought about it and I decided to just finish the race because I didn’t want to have to do this again. Ever. EVER.

I remembered why I stopped doing marathons three years ago: I don’t like that the pace is so slow for that long… you have to wait about 18 to 20 miles finally to go HARD…! It’s a long wait. It takes a lot of patience.

Anyway, that was it. This was to be my final marathon and I was going to finish it. The problem was… I didn’t have a lot left in me, fighting all the wind and the humidity. Oh, and my music player died. My last 2 miles were me just trying to hang on for dear life. I sped up a bit, once we changed direction and the wind faded off, but the humidity was there and it was hard to pick up the pace. It was very ironic that I had been worrying about the rain all week, and all I wanted in the second part of the race, was more rain!!

I finished in 3:32:57. 23rd woman, 3rd in my AG. Not close to my 3:27 PR but, given the conditions, I’ll take it!!!!

Splits are the biggest disaster in race history. YUK.

I’ll take my award too! Thankyouverymuch!

So, at the finish, I chatted with a of people. Everyone struggled, mostly in that same patch I mentioned. Gordon, who won her AG, came about 15 minutes slower than her expected time (though she was on pace for a 3:07). Everyone I talked to fell apart. Even the male winner was cursing and shocked and upset about his time.

It happens.

Isn’t that the beauty of the marathon though? There is always going to be a curve ball. They are always unpredictable. And that is the allure. Right?

You just deal with the mess, the disaster, the curve ball. There’s very few cases where a marathon goes right. Very few. But I think that is what makes it so special.

Juan got me donuts ❤️❤️🍩🍩❤️:

With Gordon, celebrating that we don’t ever want to do this again:

The King of my ❤️ and inspiration:

Found Dave again!!

And that is it. Legs are tired, but we are recovering!!

So for the record again: no more marathons for me. There is a reason I had stopped. I remember now. This was IT. Back to my beloved Halves and what not.

Thank you all for the love, best wishes, support, miles and inspiration.

I carried two things with me today: Juan telling me I was the most obsessive and strong headed woman he ever knew, and Carolina repeating my own mantra I gave her for her last marathon (and knowing she’s currently injured and unable to run). 

I also kept thinking what a luxury it is to have a body that can run a marathon. Distance is HARD and most people can’t do it. I kept remembering how sick I was a month ago that I couldn’t eat (or even drink water) or even go up the stairs of the subway. I felt really lucky to be running. And feeling strong. We should never take that for granted.

My last marathon medal.

marathon this weekend – what to do?

 

so… the hay is in the barn. But… it seems like the barn is about to be set on fire. The forecast for my Sunday marathon has been saying this –>

80s is too hot for me. heck, 70s is too hot for me. I did a 10 miler two weeks ago and I melted.

I am not into doing a marathon just to finish anymore. It’ll leave me exhausted for days, my running will suck for weeks, and I might even get sick.  NO. On the other hand, marathons are 100% unpredictable and that is the whole point. I have done well in awful weather and circumstances before. I’ve also melted into a pool of gel… It’s not even about the weather sometimes. It’s about how you deal with the obstacles. Every marathon has a curveball or 5.

Should I take a chance and risk it on something that I know can be a hot mess of unpredictability? Or is it safe to assume it’ll go bad and why bother?

Some decisions need to be made today before 4 pm which is when I’ll be packing.

(no, it’s not Chicago, it’s Mohawk Hudson)

NYRR Bronx 10 Mile Race Report

Well, soooo, did I tell you I am training for a marathon? Same thing happened last year, I start training for a marathon and I totally don’t admit it to myself until a couple of weeks before when I decide I need to book a hotel or whatever and everything is sold out. Well, so, yes, I am signed up for a marathon in two weeks (notice how I said “I am signed up” and not “I am doing a marathon”: denial until the last second!), that is the Mohawk Hudson Marathon, October 8th, in Albany. Easy to get to from the city. All I need. Cause I don’t care for traveling unless I am going to Italy or the Caribbean or a few other super fun exceptions.

Anyway, my plan was to race the 5th Avenue Mile two weeks ago, and then the Newport Half Marathon last weekend to see where I stood, fitness-wise. Then, my stomach decided to change all my plans and mess up my life for about 2 weeks. I couldn’t even drink water without stomach pain. Not only I couldn’t do a lot (though I managed to do my long runs, smart move Elizabeth -NOT!) but I lost about 8 pounds, which is a lot for me. I felt like I was stick and bones, and couldn’t run a few of my workouts for 3 weeks. I had to skip the 5th Avenue Mile, I was literally too weak to run. I did manage to work all day and have a great time!

The next weekend, I was signed up for the Newport Liberty Half. Turns out I messed up my dates and couldn’t run it. I thought the race was Saturday, and I was working at the Tune Up! I did a long run instead the day before. This is me working, with the orange cone and the coolest: Kathrine!

Anyways, given I had missed all the predictor races, all I had left was the Bronx 10 Mile this past weekend. Then, a heat wave rolls in and on race day, we had this, EARLY!
Ouch.

Given my stomach hates me, I wasn’t sure what to eat. So what did I eat? Nothing more than a spoon of honey. And a glass of water. Awful and dumb yes, but YOU go deal with the pain!

I got on the uptown train early, and found SO many people heading to the race. One of them, was my Italian friend Davide who was in town just for the weekend and I forced him to register. I am so sweet. Somehow we were able to find each other on the train, after not seeing each other since Milan last year! It’s a SMALL world!

We got to the start quickly, left our bags and did some warm up miles, though we were already warm (HA), plus pictures of course!

Elaine, Davide, and me

Jackie, Steve, and me. Selfies are hard.

Jackie and me!

So, Jackie, Davide, Gordon and I went for a warm up. Felt hard. I wondered if I should risk it and have a gel. I had thrown a gel inside my bra. I was too scared. Didn’t.

Soon we were corralled in, found Martina, as we had planned to start together and we were off. She wanted 7:40 pace. I wanted to negative split, and didn’t care about pace. It was hot guys. Actually, let me rephrase that. It was hot, guys! Half a mile in, my mouth and throat were super dry. ALREADY? I could see Martina drenched in sweat. I wasn’t sweating at all. No good. For either of us.

I was grabbing water at every water station, I’d drink a cup or half a cup, and throw another one in my head. In a mile, at the next water station, I was already dry. Wild, weird and scary. Marti and I trucked along side by side trying to not freak out. I would have started a tad slower if I was on my own, not gonna lie. So I kept telling myself to just keep up with her.

Mile 1 was 7:45, Mile 2, 7:41, Mile 3 was 7:43, Mile 4 was 7:47 and Mile 5 was 7:44. As soon as we made the turn to start heading back, Martina got behind me and yelled at me to go. I said ok. It was about time for me to start pushing. I know it’s hard sometimes to keep up with me once I start kicking but this felt too early. I hadn’t picked up the pace yet but maybe she was fading. I decided to start to pick it up slowly.

The way back was hard, I am not gonna lie. I really needed more fuel but didn’t want to risk it. I also can’t stomach Gatorade so water and a spoonful of honey is all I had in me all day. I didn’t have enough energy for a kick but decide to just hold it and not mess it up.

Here are the last 4 miles:

It wasn’t the fast miles I had wanted but I held in there and got a bit faster mile by mile. I did my best and that is as good as it was going to get. The official results!

So, given the weather, not sure how great this is a predictor, but it is shooting 3:29 to 3:31 for the marathon. NOT a PR time… two weeks to go. Hear me stress…!

 

August 2017 Recap

August

August was a whirlwind! I started a new job, that I am really excited about, and I am still training for a marathon. Those two things combined. plus working two weekends, plus coaching, plus all the summer plans, made the month feel a bit busy. Luckily things fell into place in the last two weeks while I am peaking in the training. I was a bit tired, but I managed a lot of miles and quality workouts. August was definitely beyond awesome. We have Summer Streets in August, which I definitely used up for my long runs. I had a great run in Brooklyn with friends: I love to get out of Central Park for a change. I paced an NYRR run to Roosevelt Island, another out of town excursion, this time with a lot more new friends! And I raced the Percy Sutton 5K, in the middle of a long run.

This was definitely an excitement filled month. 5 weeks to the marathon. Let’s do this.

  • Total Miles: 183. 2nd highest monthly mileage ever
  • Races: 1. Percy Sutton Harlem 5k.
  • Ups: All the fun miles and workouts. The long runs were super great. Sharpening block about to start and I am very excited.
  • Downs: I am a bit wee tired. The high mileage during the peak weeks and a new job have me a bit spent.
  • Balance: Seems like I am really going to do a marathon in 5 weeks. Training is almost complete.

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July

Well, first of all we had a run on Freshkills Park in Staten Island. The park is not open to the public yet (and I didn’t post about it!) and won’t open for a few years but NYRR got permission to bring some runners and walkers there for an exploratory 10K and 5K so some of us coaches got to lead the run. It was fantastic. Then on the 6th, I did the Tracktown Summer Series 5K, which is a track series with a 5k component. There is a post here with more info but it was pretty cool. Juan did the NYC Tri so I spent the morning of the 16 yelling like a crazy person and running around to see him everywhere. So fun. The next day, Monday the 17 I did the NYRR RUN Brooklyn, and 10 days later I did the NYRR RUN in Central Park, two 5ks back to back! In the middle I did an super hot nasty 18 miler, and a 20 miler while I led a run to Roosevelt Island.

  • Total Miles: 169. yes, I run a lot this month!
  • Races: 3. No PRs of course but loads of fun. And, all were 5Ks… I never do 5ks!
  • Ups: I love summer running. I love it. Did I tell you I love it? I do love it!
  • Downs: When I don’t run?
  • Balance: I might actually be doing that marathon in October if things keep going like this…

June

OMG HOW I LOVE THE SUMMER!! I can’t even do a tiny recap without getting excited about all the things that happen in the 2-3 hot months we get. June was a blur! I have a feeling I am gonna close my eyes and it’ll be October in a NY minute, ugh. So I signed up for a marathon… we’ll see if I end up actually racing it (aka, last years’s botched Philly Marathon) but we’re going with it for now. I did make myself a very fancy training plan with all the stuff and then I forgot I was training for a marathon and carried on with my life. Until last week, then I did a long run. Anyway, June was cool, I did not do a lot of miles which means… I did a bunch of races! I started the month with the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge, then the awesome Mini 10K (which I was horrible at), then the Queens 10K, and then the Achilles Hope and Possibility. There was a lot of cross-training in the stairs, lot of coaching workouts and lots of Tuesday speed. I just can’t miss anything in the Summer. The math for the monthly mileage must be wrong!

  • Total Miles: 127. how? too many races!
  • Races: 4. 1 automatic PR and one where I placed 1st in my AG. Wohoo!
  • Ups: YES TO LESS LAYERS!
  • Downs: I am now training for a marathon?
  • Balance: let’s go!

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May

started with me pacing the 1:55 group at the Shape Half. The next weekend I paced a New Balance run from Brooklyn to the Run Center, as a training run for the Airbnb Brooklyn Half (a 10 mile run). The next weekend (see a theme here? there’s always a run/race!), I raced the Japan Run 4 miler in Central Park. That was a bit painful (I didn’t fuel properly, ooops). There were a few stairs workouts, and speed workouts and I coached a few training runs per week… then the big day came along: the Airbnb Brooklyn Half! It all started with the 3-day Pre-party. Race Day was a fun riot. No PRs in May, but it was definitely “active”.

  • Total Miles: 148 (biggest month but not that many miles this year)
  • Races: 2 racing, 1 pacing.
  • Ups: managed to get enough miles
  • Downs: my race speed is MIA
  • Balance: I had fun!

 

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April

April was an interesting one… the month started with the Run to Breathe 4 mile race. That went quite well. So well, I came in 3rd in my AG, 4 seconds away from a PR and got super excited about my fitness level… The first Monday of April, I started the new session of Stairs of Fire, a workout just on stairs designed to kill your legs… it killed MY legs… I was beyond stiff and sore for 3 full days… OUCH. Of course, I still coached that week, did speedwork and run a lot so by Friday I was feeling ALL THE NAGS. Luckily, I was to be locked indoors all weekend at the Road Runners Club of America Coaching Certification, which got my legs some rest. They were still not great after that, my feet were iffy and tight… so I just took it very easy for 3 full weeks until it was all back to fighting shape, yes, I AM THE OPPOSITE OF EVERY RUNNER. When there’s a nag, or a little nothing, I try not to “run through it”, I STOP, to make sure it doesn’t turn into something bigger down the road. Luckily, I don’t have to do this often. Last time it happened was in September and was back on the horse after 2-3 weeks. I had very tight calves and it was making my feet super tight (pre-Achilles tendinitis!!!) so those 3 weeks I run very little and very slow, did Epsom salts bath almost every day, I stretched twice a day, slept, got massages, and voilaaaaa. Good to go! The stairs workout did me in. My legs weren’t ready for that hot mess of a workout! My goal for May is to stretch every day (after not stretching for …5 years?)

I missed out on coaching for a full week but I did so many other things, like a biomechanics running event at the Hearst Building, a few fun events (like a Gala and a staycation) and I  paced the 1:55 finishers at the Shape Women’s Half this past weekend. Not a lot of mileage or quality work but got out of it unscathed…!

  • Total Miles: 109
  • Races: two! 1 great time, and 1 pacing gig
  • Ups: Pacing was fun… the rest was a bit tentative!
  • Downs: mileage and workouts went DOWN!!!!
  • Balance: I am ready to ramp up now!

 

Here is my training for April…

March

Didn’t I just write a Feb recap?? Is this what happens when you get older? Times really flies!

The month included a lot of coaching, loads, a few miles, lots of work hours, a November Project workouts, a visit to the Asics showroom, my birthday celebrations, a few Facebook Live Chats, the big United NYC Half Weekend and race, Club Night, lots of runs with friends, and two races: the United NYC Half and the Central Park Spring 10K this past two weekends. Now that I think about it, I see why my mileage was so low… makes sense!!!!!!!!!!!!  Hoping Spring makes things easier and I can get out there more. I need to figure out a way to not need that much sleep…!

Here is my training for March:

March pictures:

 

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  • Total Miles: 127
  • Races: two! (6 total for the year!)
  • Ups: had fun. The NYC Half!!!
  • Downs: Not super up there with the splits or the mileage.
  • Balance: move on March, April is coming!!!!!!!!!!

 

February

hello March! I have no idea where these weeks go!??! I actually freaked out a couple of weeks ago, because I realized it was too late to train for the United NYC Half… these weeks are faster than any of my races!

Well, the month started with the Gridiron 4 miler, which I totally phoned in. What a loser I am sometimes. Actually, that’s why I freaked out, because, seriously Elizabeth, get it together! Why show up at a race and not even try? UGH. I frustrate myself so much sometimes! The next weekend, pre-Valentine’s Day, Juan and I spent some romantic time in the city, NO MORE DETAILS of course. The weekend after that, we raced a relay triathlon, as a Valentine’s Days Weekend thing: the Lovie Dovie Triathlon at Chelsea Piers. That Thursday was Club Night. a fun event to celebrate NY’s runners. Fun. And last weekend I raced the Al Gordon 4 miler, which went a bit better than the first 4 miler this month. Very busy weeks with lots of events and work and life stuff. All of it fun.

Here is my training for February:

february-notes

  • Total Miles: 131
  • Races: three!!!
  • Ups: it was almost summer.
  • Downs: I need more time before the NYC Half PLEASE!!!
  • Balance: Someone please slow down time. seriously.

 

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January

went by ridiculously fast. So fast I didn’t even notice I didn’t post a recap for the Half I did. I literally started the year racing. Or running on a race course.. We did the Midnight Run, which happens right at the stroke of midnight on January 31st. I was signed up for the Kleinerman 10K because I had a little head cold and decided to focus on my health first. I was moving two days later so I didn’t want to overdo the weekend. So, I changed apartments, and I also started a new job (and career). Life got busy. I am also still coaching a lot. I renewed my CPR and AED cert. I led a few runs and coached many biomechanics 1x1s. Then we went to vacation to Antigua, which was more necessary that I had time to realize. January was a bit crazy. But we made it, with decent mileage, 118 miles in. The United NYC Half is dangerously close…

  • Total Miles: 118
  • Races: one (Manhattan Half) though I wasn’t really racing.
  • Ups: a vacation. And feeling the need to RUN on vacation. Who does that?
  • Downs: January was busy so I wasn’t really paying attention…
  • Balance: meh, in a holding pattern for now

 

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Newport Half Marathon + Workouts that guarantee a PR

So, now that I am marathon training, I am happy to sign up to do a half marathon on my way there, to sharpen speed and practice a fueling strategy. A PR in the half is this close and I determined to make it happen! I just need to slice 5 seconds and I promise I’ll be happy forever!

And with that, such turn of events… I am running the NEWPORT HALF MARATHON again this year! Hahaha, such turn of events, I know…! 

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I did the race last year (and their 10K also in 2016) and it was amazing. The Newport Half is in right in the heart of Newport, New Jersey, just across the Hudson, and is super flat and fast. It covers some miles on the town, an extra few miles on a park, and then the river front, with amazing views of the nyc skyline and Miss Liberty, there is a few turns, just the way I like it, BEST WAY TO PR! Also great, it’s just a few minutes away from NYC, via the path! Also, check out the finish line spread in the pictures… delish and impressive. If you sign up, tell them I sent you 😉

When: Sunday, September 17th, 2017. Racers take their mark at 8:30 a.m. 

Where: 100 Town Square Place,  Jersey City, NJ 07310. Click here for directions

Logistics: Bag check is offered (limited to one bag per runner). All runners will receive medals at the end of the race. Packet pickup will take place from 6:30 to 8:15 am in Newport Town Square, 100 Town Square Place, Jersey City.  Free parking is available in the North Garage at 561 Washington Blvd. (Enter on Washington Boulevard, see parking information in Directions). No Headphones.  No Baby Joggers. THERE IS RACE DAY REGISTRATION.

NOW… LET’S GET READY…

If you’re doing your FIRST HALF this Fall, make sure you get the basics covered:

– Consistent training, don’t skip workouts

– At least one speed workout a week. It could be 800s, mile repeats, or a good tempo run! FUN!

– Do at least a 5K or a 10K (better!) before the half so you practice racing (aka: pacing, hydration, pre-race fueling, race day gear, etc.) and know exactly where you are, fitness-wise. And, race rehearsal is super important!

– At least one long run every week. Doesn’t have to be long long but at least get up to anything from 7-8  miles to 15-16 a couple of times.

Now, if you’ve done a FEW HALFS and now you want to get faster… how do we do that??? that’s the tricky part…  besides all those points above:

– speed workouts twice a week if you can handle them. Maybe do intervals mid week (800s, mile repeats, hill sprints) and a tempo with a few more miles after (to simulate a longish/hard run) on the weekend.

– practice race pace but not more than 4-5 miles.

– practice pacing, maybe you can do your tempos as a ladder (where each mile is faster than the last one)

– practice patience, the half is such a waiting game. You can’t go all out from the start and you need to learn to hold your horses: do a few races to practice this.

– DRILLS, at least twice a week! Here’s a good guide to learn. It’ll improve your form and it’ll help you keep going on the later miles of the half.

And then, set an appropriate goal. Nothing too easy or you won’t be motivated, and nothing too hard that will crush you while trying. This is also really hard to do, as we have to learn to be realistic and humble. But that’s the good thing about running, right? It keep us honest (and fit!!).


So, I’ll be adjusting my training a bit because I am also doing a full marathon this year, just a few weeks after the half. 

CONSISTENCY + ENDURANCE + SPEED are the main ingredients to a bulletproof half marathon training program. You have to do enough miles to build a great endurance base (whatever that number is for you) and throw in as many speed workouts as your body can handle without falling apart. Periodization is Key. Sit dow and plan this out in 7 or 10 days periods to have a good idea of what’s ahead and where you’re resting. DO NOT SKIP RESTING.

These are the workouts I usually do, in a period of 7 to 10 days depending on the workout.

LONG RUNS: Anything from 10 to 16 miles. Pace can be easy, or progressive, or you can add a few race pace miles in the middle or end. For example, on the last 3-4 weeks before the race, you can add 3 to 6 miles at the end at the projected pace.

TEMPOS: As uncomfortable as they can be, tempos are the bread and butter of a half marathon training! A tempo can workout to be anything from 3 to 6 miles. Or less when you’re’ starting out, or more if you’re more advanced. Pace should be around your 10K to half marathon pace. you’ll have to adjust based on your level and where you are in the training program. After a few weeks, add a Progression tempo: start at race pace and drop 10 seconds per mile.

SPEEDWORK:

  • Long Intervals: 2×2 miles at goal pace, with 4 minutes recovery jog in the middle. After a few weeks, updgrade to 2×3 at goal pace miles and then to 3×3 miles at goal pace, both with 3 minutes recovery jog in the middle.
  • Mile Repeats: Start with 3 x 1 mile at 10K pace with 90 seconds rest. After a few weeks, you can upgrade to 4 or 5 x 1 mile at 10 seconds pace with 60 seconds rest. Eventually, you can do up to 6 x 1 mile, 2 weeks before the race.
  • Hill Repeats! Hill intervals are speedwork in disguise, right? Go do them. Find a hill you can climb, time yourself, and do it a few times.  Jog down as a recovery. The slower your recovery, the faster you’ll go up in your next climb.
  • Yasso 800s. Basically: you run the 800 meters as fast as possible and then jog for recovery in the same amount of time it took to run the 800 meters Maybe start with 4 to 6 reps and build up to 10.

Of course make sure you warm up thoroughly before, do some drills and loosen up. And REST. you need time to recover so I usually like to have an easy week (where it’s just half the mileage and no hard workouts) every 4 weeks.

I am excited!! What’s your next goal race???

AND… who is doing the Newport Liberty Half Marathon with me?

Percy Sutton 5K – Running around in Harlem

There is something special about racing in Harlem, which I don’t get to do very often, unfortunately. I really need to get out of Central Park a bit. All summer (the last few summers) I swore I would over the East River for one of the Wednesday Prospect Park Summer Series 5K, or any Brooklyn race. Or to Roosevelt Island. Or to visit my friends in Hoboken for one of their fun races. I just never do. There’s never enough time. And anytime I look up and I am signed up for some race every weekend 6 months out. It happens.

So when I end up signing up for something that is NOT in Central Park (yes, apparently there is life outside of Central Park), I really look forward to the new courses, experiences, sights and sounds. I used to look at course maps, I used to prep. These days, I just show up. I am barely even tapered!

Race starts at 8:30 am around 136th st, about 2.5 miles from my apartment so I just run there. Perfect warm up! Got there a bit on the late side this time and the party was bopping. There were many things happening. Local officials (including Mayor Di Blasio) speaking, there was kids races, there was a lot to look at. Soon enough I was in the B corral with Patricia ready to take off.

The course is basically a loop around two parks a few very Harlemy streets, and there’s three climbs, one minor, two “interesting” ones.

But… the last mile is SO FAST!!! Last year, my mile 3 was 6:20, and my first mile was 7:08. That is huge. You can’t not run this race well. There is no way anyone can positive split this race… ever.

The first climb starts around 143 or 144, I can’t remember, in the first half mile, there is a left turn, a right turn, and you’re STILL climbing. It also gets a bit narrow here and you HAVE TO watch for potholes and speed bumps. I actually had someone fall a few yards ahead of me. This year, someone was RUNNING BACKWARDS in the first 2-3 blocks of the race and stepped on my foot. SO WEIRD. also, WTF?!?!?! who does that? We were all yelling at him. I just guessed he lost his sunglasses or bib or something and your first instinct is to go back, but HEY… NO! I was just lucky I saw the fellow coming while bumping into everyone and managed to move, but he still stepped on me. This is why it’s important to always stay engaged in the race and keep your music down if you have to have it. It was awful.

I composed myself as I knew the climb was about to start. Patricia peeled off and I was on my own. Up, up, up. Mile 1 was 7:15. Already slower than last year but we knew that! The second mile is quite enjoyable. There’s some people cheering, there was a guy cheering AND smoking (UGH, WTF again) and it’s mostly a straight line in a wide street, hey, so easy. I knew to hold it in, at least until after the climb, 146 to 143 is all up, and then… starts the fun part. Mile 2 was 6:56, slower than last year, yeah, but a good effort! At about 1.83 we were done with the climbing and all of a sudden we are ROLLING DOWN a hill. Let’s see if your hamstrings like THIS! It was craziness. And if you had saved enough, you could really go. Then you make a left, another left, go past a few of the best cheering stations EVER and… around 138 you finish, all flat and fast. Mile 3 was 6:27.

And, I have no pictures… Juan was on the bike. 😉

Stats Time!

Finish time: 21:58  Average Pace: 7:05

Previous PR: 21:09 From: 2012?

Age Grading:69.91%

Overall Place: 798 of 4819

Gender Place: 130 of 2344

Age Place: 10 of 248

Wow that was crappy!! 1 second slower than the Central Park 5K I did a month ago and this was waaaay better weather and a faster course! WTF! and about a minute slower than last year, same course, though yeah, the weather this year was amazing, 63 amazing degrees. But, I sorta am marathon training, which is draining my legs. I did feel it on the downhill. I usually have a lot of kick at the end, mostly if it’s down, and I was flat… I will be peaking soon. Let’s see what happens then!