Tag Archive | runners

How to piss off EVERY non-Runner!

In this Cult, things can turn ugly very fast if you are faced with the nonbelievers, the same way it happens with religion or politics.

So, if you are having one of those days when you feel like starting a fight, it is quite simple:

-Talk about PRs, pace, missing toenails, races, strategies, v02 max, age grading, what Kara Goucher was wearing, Pre, logging miles vs times, Centro’s splits, your lactic acid, Nick Symmonds, yassos 800s, and how Boston should adjust their qualifying times, for hours and hours and hours.

-Tell them you don’t want to go out because you can’t eat at that place/don’t want to drink/rather sleep early to run in the morning than spend time with them and how nothing is as fun as running. For hours.

-Eat. Just Eat. They hate it. They hate that we can eat all that. Or, it might convert them, this could also be your most powerful tool when dealing with those people. Food. It’s always the food.

Two things could happen, they’ll eventually get it (or feel jealous of your amazing body, stamina, and good looks!) or they’ll block/delete/unfriend/stop listending to you forever.

Oh well, worth a shot, right?

Keep pushing, eventually we will win. Mua Hua hua hua huaaaaaaaa

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Become Your Dream

May28

There are many things that make NYC what it is: a place like no other. Some of them, like Times Square, are very obvious and it’ll be on your face on your first day here. Others, you’ll find with time, and you’ll probably stumble upon them and don’t know how you didn’t see it before.

I was just re-reading More Fire, by Toby Tanser (one big staple in any New York City Runner’s “spotted” list!) and there’s a line on the second page that stayed with me:

Talent does not ensure success; each triumph has to be earned.

I am sure you all know why this line is so powerful… Even if you train for months, you still have to go and get it. Even though we do this all the time, it is still hard. Every time. Your heart really has to be in it.

Then, walking home, I saw this

I had seen this before and knew about the artist who created the movement: James De La Vega does murals and chalk drawings in the NYC streets with aphoristic messages. But coming accross it all the time, mostly if you live in the Upper East Side is a different thing. You just walk into these things on the street ALL THE TIME.

It’s fantastic. One tiny little NYC moment that will last the whole day, which is a big deal here.

They wake you up.

And yes, we’ll have to earn it. Each one of them.

If we look past the common, we’re constantly being inspired by the city to wake up, all the time. And to earn each one of those triumphs.

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Race Report: NYRR Brooklyn Half Marathon

May20

After having PRed like a maniac at the NYC Half two months ago, I set this one as my next goal, but.. I didn’t really train seriously… here’s what happened!

Brooklyn Half Marathon, official page

THE RACE

Bib Pick Up/Registration. It was amazing!!!! Best “expo” EVER, though they weren’t calling it an expo, it was more like a pre-race-party, like a fair, or outdoor sports party.. or something. There was live music, djays, food vendors, a bit of shopping, and nice views of the city. If I didn’t have scheduled just 2 hours for that, I would have stayed there all night!

2013-05-16 22.29.24

Getting there. Was a pretty easy on the 5:06 am 4 train, but it was running local so it took a bit longer than I planned. Luckily, it wasn’t crowded and we got there wit enough time (which meant we woke up at 4 am!). Then it was just a quick 5 minute walk to bagagge which looked like the airport. Corrals were just two blocks away. It was super clean and easy. Pretty much all runners in the train, minus this guy

Oy.

Start. Super organized. Lots of security. I love when we have the portapotties IN the corrals. No stress waiting in the lines, perfect.

2013-05-18 06.00.19

Race Atmosphere. The race is huge but still it felt like fun. You had everything, from Kim Smith, to runners on tutus. It was very relaxed and fun at the start. In a way, it felt like a small town race… I know, it makes no sense!

Safety. There was security all over the place. Baggage was inspected at tons of tables before you could drop it (no lines!).

Weather. It was in the 60s and I thought it would be hot… It wasn’t. Actually, it was perfect. It was overcast so without the sun, we did pretty well. I did throw a bunch of water cups on me, which made me freeze after I finished, but the weather never really bothered me.

The Course. Is… interesting. There are a couple of hills in the first half, and then flat or downhill past mile 6. You REALLY have to negative split here or you did something wrong. Good course to PR in, though for some reason, I never seem PR here… There is the one hill in prospect park, which is not that steep but seems to last foreeeever (elevation profile is here). There can be way too much sun after you leave the park, but luckily it was overcast.

The Finish Line. the best part! You have around 400 meters to run on the boardwalk and it gets loud and crowded, even before 9 am! They had medals, pretzels, apples and gatorade+water. There were a few blocks walk until we got to baggage but it was super organized and easy. Really nice medal, just like last year too!

2013-05-18 10.28.54

The Post Race. Well, this was the first time I didn’t stay for long. I was freezing and Nathan’s was closed (and I really wanted a hot dog, damit!). My team had planned a beach day and I knew I’d froze if I sat in the sand.. so we just left, which is was most people did: trains were packed (and smelly!). PS: I met everyone in the train!

MY RACE

Well, I really I had no idea what to expect. Having PRed lately I knew I’d do okay but I wasn’t sure I was in the same shape I was in March when I PRed at the NYC Half… I had been training but, there was a ~~tiny~~ big fat issue… I’ve put on around 10 pounds since March. I have been having fun and eating and lot and enjoying life so I will not complain ~~a lot~~, but come race day, you totally feel it! After a few miles, it gets heavy… Yeah, but Oh well. LIFE IS SHORT! (and my shorts were tiiiiight!). On the other hand, I again wore my brand new Mizuno Wave Sayonara, LOVE them.

I did race super smart so I know I couldn’t have done better. I started slow and my last miles were a romp. I actually spotted Julie in my corral and we started together. I wasn’t sure we were the same pace but we run the first three miles together, and then she took off. I’d see her in the uphills or turns, 100 or 50 yards ahead of me, but that gap was way to big for me to even try to get to her. I decided to let her go, and forgot about it. The first two miles we run were quite smart and slow. The third one, a downhill, was deliciously fast, the we got in the park and got back to a regular modest pace. Then the climb, which I took really easy… Once I left the park, I really wanted to hit the gas but I wasn’t sure there was much there, so I kept it conservative for a while. At around mile 9 I spotted Julie ahead again, closer, when I was following a guy I had been chasing for the last mile. I run with her for a few seconds and kept going. I was already pushing and wasn’t sure I’d have enough but I knew I was close to my PR so I got hopeful and really tried!

can I point out my beautiful cadence again?

Stats!

Finish time: 1:38:29. Average Pace: 7:32

Previous PR: 1:37:35. From: March, 2013

Age Grading: 68.32%

Overall Place: 2,384 of 21,378

Gender Place: 356 of 10,563

Age Place: 33 of 1,567

– Brooklyn Half Marathon, official race results

I am VERY HAPPY with the race I run. I was not in shape to PR but I know I used all I had in the most efficient way. It was as close to perfect pacing as I could have done.

How do I know?

Well, I compared it to last year’s race, same course, which I did in 1:43, an avg pace of 7:55, still my first mile then was 7:30! this time, it was a SLOW 7:49 (for a 7:32 avg!). Last year, my last 3 miles were around my average pace. Here, they were 10 to 15 seconds faster than my average. See? A great improvement!!!!

ALSO, I compared it to the pacing of the women who finished around my same time… you should do this sometime!! Check out the difference in pacing (I am the one on top in italics). Check how most of them took a bit longer than me to finish, but crossed the 5K and/or 10K earlier than me (the first aka hardest part of the course). By 15K I was the last one of the five. Quite revealing, isn’t it?

Net Time	5K	10K	15K	20K	Pace Per Mile
1:38:29	0:23:31	0:47:45	1:10:57	1:33:34	7:32
1:38:40	0:22:54	0:46:35	1:09:53	1:33:16	7:32
1:38:46	0:23:33	0:47:25	1:10:49	1:33:55	7:33
1:38:59	0:23:06	0:46:47	1:09:54	1:34:09	7:34
1:39:02	0:22:45	0:46:13	1:09:47	1:33:56	7:34

So, eventually, after years and years… you start trusting yourself and you know how to pace efficiently and smart. Not an easy feat, at least for me, but I am feeling good about this one. Now, if I could ever get my need for fun and delicious food under control, I think could do great things and go faster, but.. WHO ARE WE KIDDING?

and here is the link to my 2014 Brooklyn Half Marathon Report and Pictures!

–

And the winner to my Guess My Finish time contest is Mr. Tim Emmet, just 3 seconds away, who said: 1:38:32 because it will be a little warm. Good luck! —Worth noting also, njpaleo said 1:38:25, FOUR secouds away… CRAZY.

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Anatomy for Runners

Dec27

Just because some of you asked for more on form in my last post, about my 2012 best practices, I figured I’d share!

I just finished reading Anatomy for Runners by Jay Dicharry; there is an excerpt here, and check out the table of contents:

I am not sure about you, but Physics and Physiology can be a bit dry… I have read a LOT of Running Biomechanics in the last two years and I got used to it but I am aware that it is heavy stuff. And if you don’t have a very solid Physics base to pile on, you can get really lost. Physiology? Yuk. I’ve always hated it. But we all know it’s worth learning about it!

And text about that stuff is usually either superspecific, heavy and unreadable OR very light and not enough information… Somehow, this book does a great job of making itreally accessible. But, besides that, what I really like is that it is, not only very specific, but also catered to runners and not just biomechanics that you need to adjust in your head. It’s like he’s talking to every runner, and already telling me what I am thinking about asking next. There is also a few examples in there, tests, that you can do to see where your weaknesses are.

Or really great pictures of drills to do…. There are SO many charts, that make it all so easy, just a few examples:

No worries if something in those images confuses you, EVERYTHING in the book is really well explained, that’s just how through and deep it is! If you want to learn about what your runner’s body does and how, you might want to consider putting this one on your Christmas list…

Questions?!?!

Anatomy for Runners

Do you get (a) Physical…?

Dec18

I love getting my annual physical exam! Not sure why I started, but I like seeing and comparing my yearly numbers and brining them to my cardiologist, he makes a big fuzz of my amazing cholesterol and I feel like I am doing something right (when, in reality I am eating all the wrong things, but that’s not the point!)

It’s come to my attention that most people don’t get one every year… ehem!! It’s free in most medical insurances, or you just have to pay the PCP copay (I think). So, pls try to get a physical every year. It’s really easy. I promise. They’ll just poke around a bit, take some blood and your basic vitals but you’ll get someone to check everything and ask you questions… I also like going to a dermatologist to check every inch of my skin, once a year, just in case! As runners, we spend a lot of time outside and I am not the best at putting sun protection on… Really, take time for yourself.

My dad told me, a long time ago “Your body is a priority, without your health you have NOTHING”. It stuck.

The most important thing though is to find a Dr you like and trust. You know I am really good at listening to them and then deciding what I think is best for me, which is sometimes not following their advice, but it’s good to have someone you trust to bounce crazy ideas off!

My regular drs, the ones I go to the most, are my generalist and my cardiologist, they ALWAYS ask me about my love life, my job, the running, if I am travelling, getting faster… why is that important? they’ll know if you’re stressed, eating well, sleeping enough… Make sure you have doctors that check on you as a whole person, not just body parts.

Even your running doc should ask those questions!!! I swear some of them (the good ones) do! If you have a sports injury and they tell you to stop running, RUN out of there, even if it hurts!!! Your doctor should understand how important exercise if for your health (even your mental health) and know better than that. Now, when you have something like a broken foot, he could say something like “let’s cross train for a bit”… you know? My cardiologist freaked out last year when I couldn’t run, he knew I’d be a DISASTER…

Anyway, I just wanted to get in front of all of you and remind you to stay on top of your stuff, get things checked, don’t wait, get people you trust on your side so you can make the best decisions and don’t be scared to keep looking for the perfect fit.

Do you get (a) Physical…?

NYRR’s Fitness Games, another 4 miler in the park

Sep23

This past Saturday I did my 4th four miler of the year. Yes, you’re gonna ask what is up with all those 4 milers, and comment that it is such and odd distance… Not so in NYC! The mid loop of the park is 4 miles, so, there. Why 3.1? Or 6.2? We do so many of those 4 mile loops that we even have a 60K in Central Park made of that same 4 mile loop. Yeah, 9 nine times. Nope. It doesn’t get old. Or at least not yet.

So, back-stats!

PR: Fitness Games, September 11, 2010, 28:09. Pace: 7:02

Same exact race, in 2thousandfreaggingTEN! Yeah, my 4 mile PR is TWO YEARS OLD. Frustrating as @!#_P@#$%(#)!_!! !! and more !!!!!!

This year’s 4 milers:

NFL Back to Football, August 30, 2012, 29:06. Pace: 7:17

Run as One, April 29, 2012, 29:20. Pace: 7:20

Run for the Parks, April 22, 2012, 29:18. Pace: 7:20

not. even. close.

Had a crazy week, Friday went out, got home super late. I kinda gave up on the race, and decided it’d be anoooother speedwork session.

Saturday early, I decided to run the two miles to the start, and the truth is, I was so tired, I walked. I walked the two miles. So soooo depressing.

I started deciding that I had lost WAAAAY too much weight (I kinda did, my scale and pants don’t lie!) to have any energy or muscle left to race. I was zapped of energy and interest. I felt depleted. All the sad and depressing things you can think of.

But I had TWO cups of coffee that morning. Just in case it’d help.

I lined up, too close to the start mat, but really trying to hide, and feeling like a fake there. I just really wasn’t feeling it. I usually go into races knowing what my PR is, and how I paced it last time and what I should do this time… I looked nothing up, no idea what my PR was or anything. I was just gonna wing it. And, I still wanted a good effort out of it.

But, I ALWAYS ALWAYS remember Mara Yamauchi’s words from her NYC Half 2009 victory, where Deena Kastor was crushing it. At the post race press conference, she had said: “My race went from bad to good today, I didn’t give up because as soon as you give up in your mind, your body gives up. I told myself that a bad day was better than a really bad day.”

That always stuck with me for some reason. THOSE are some words to race by. She had bad day, thought she would have to DNF and she ended up winning. So you don’t let your head give up.

We get moving. I felt like crap. Empty, tired and like the coffee had been too much. Mile 1: 7:08. Ooooops, or good?? Hum, I just went up the hardest hill pretty fast, but… I know how that goes, my mile 3 will ends up being the slowest and if the 1st one was too fast, mile 3 will be like a 7:40… we shall see. Still, like Mara, we don’t give up in our heads. Mile 2 felt really hard and I did contemplate giving up a bit, it’s the flatest part of the course, like the only half a mile that’s flat in CP, and I felt like hurling the coffee, and a side stitch. Mile 2: 7:01. Ha, maybe it felt hard, because I was running hard?!?!?! And here is where the wheels come off. Always mile 3. Rolling hills, lactic acid, whatever, I pushed myself to stay in and kept focused on the tangents. Only one runner around and ahead was doing tangents as well so we stuck together for a bit. Soon I had to peel off and I hate passing people. I really do. I know it’s stoopid, but I just feel bad for them, and I also hate that they might come back to pass me later just out of competition and might have to drop them again because they pushed too much. I am an idiot, I know. I just like running with people, not against them.. oh well. Mile 3: 7:20. Wow, that’s NOT so bad. Glad I didn’t give up. Obviously I couldn’t do any math at this point. I usually just try to cruise the next half mile and then go like a maniac in the last half mile. Like, a wild wild maniac. So, I wait, I push, I start feeling it. I see a girl up ahead that looks like my friend Tessa. But it’s not her. And I decide to chase her. And she’s wearing a fanny pack. In a four miler. I get up close. And you know I hate passing people. She hears me coming close. Turns around. (I really do breathe like I am going to die any minute when I am running 7s or under). She looks scared. I tell her I am ok, this is just how I breathe, but I am ok. She is relieved, oh goodie. I have to pass fake-Tessa. Mile 4: 6:38, though I had no idea at the time. I still have a bit to finish and it’s up a hill. Yes, the finish is always up some hill. And I put my hand down there, and I found it, it IS there, the extra gear. For 10 seconds, I am running like it’s a sprint, after 4 hard miles. I had it in there. The last bit, 0.04 of a mile, average pace: 5:59. Whaaaat? Yes. It was in there, in the bag with the Ididntsleepany, and Ijustdontwanttorace, Iamtooweaktorace, and Isuckatthese, it was there. Tell me to shut up next time I think I am tired.

Check the crazy numbers

I cross the finish, I bend like I am gonna throw up just once, then I wait for fake Tessa and explain myself, then I found the tangent girl to tell her she was OSOM, and I spot my friend Patricia up ahead. I saw Kettia (Ket’smeow) right then, we catch up, she looked great, and Patricia take off to do a few more miles cheering on people.

Finish stats:

Finish time: 28:24. Average Pace: 7:06

Previous PR: 28.09. From: September 2010.

Age Grading: 68.92%

Gender Place: 60 of 2910

Age Place: 10 of 505

It’s funny, my friend Elaine (cheekyrunner) said think of long-non-sleep night as a long warm up. Good point.

Also, got more hardware, my team’s women got 2nd place, and I am top ten in my AG, so more medals, that’s two races in a row!

Still, not a PR, but 7:06 average is not so far from 7:02. It’s been two years, but I am disregarding that! Good. Two weeks to Berlin, and a day. good.

Oh, then I saw Kettia right at the finish (Ket’smeow), and Patricia and I did a few more miles cheering on people.

NYRR’s Fitness Games, another 4 miler in the park