Last 10 - what a great experience

Today Brian and I met early for the last ten. Hats off to the Park Slope Track Club for organizing the event. We met under the Queensboro bridge at 59th and 1st. And ran up 1st Avenue and into the last 10.28 (mileage off on watch?) of the race.

What an experience. Not that it's important, but I ran a progressive run.

1 9:40
2 8:01
3 8:01
4 10:22 (water stop)
5 9:06
6 8:15
7 7:59
8 7:58
9 7:24
10 7:28

For an average of just under 8:30 (including the water stop!)

the best part was getting familiar with the intricacies of the last miles of the race. Particularly important was little things like learning the REASON that 5th boxes out around a small square park in Harlem. Also in getting a sense of the topography of the course (it's really flat for these miles, minus the hill late on 5th and the rolling hills in the Park).

I'm very familiar with the Park portion of the race, and that literally flew by. I'm hoping that I'll be just slightly slower and that I'll be in a position to enjoy it. I was also very pleased to learn about the split in the road by the zoo - and the nasty little raised median that would catch you underfoot and might send someone tumbling - less likely to be me after the run.

Speaking of tumbling - one of our brave colleagues started off and within 4 blocks found herself sprawled out on all fours after hitting the plastic remains of the bundling of a news paper - bad news for her. She managed to get up (with Brian's help, took her sunglasses from me, and seemed to get back in the rhythm...I might not have been so game, especially knowing that 10 miles awaited).

All told it's STILL amazing to have the feeling that I 'only' ran 10 miles. Brian and I dropped these miles into our account as easily as we would a fresh twenty from the ATM - it's truly amazing what 6 months of hard training will do to you.

And, what an amazingly beautiful day - let's hope that we feel similar when we next pass these streets and that the calls for rain are in error and we have a day like today!

20 Mile Long Run

WOW. All I can say. Felt great to get out an log some serious miles on Saturday. Recovery wasn't too bad....feet are a little sore as were the knees, but nothing crippling and I'm up and moving fine today.



Was feeling great in the cooler weather. Basically chose to do about a 3 min walk every 1/2 hour which brought down my total time, but was very please. Did the first 13.1 miles in about 2:06 which was faster than my Queen's Half.

My primary goal is to finish the Marathon on the first - I'm confident in that one.
Secondary goal is to run it in under 5 hours...pretty good for that one...and I'm on track to do about a 4:30 race which would make me ecstatic!

Though I swore I would never run another marathon if I finished this one I'm starting to doubt that conviction a little these last few weeks as the event draws nearer!

"Gree" - no, Dylan, Greece

I was in Greece this week, so my taper was more 'aggressive' than I'd hoped. Oh well, you only live once, and I'd never been to Greece before. More importantly, this was the first European trip that I've taken in some time where I didn't have the 'wide awake at 2 or 3 a.m.' blues...slept at night and didn't sleep (much) during the days.

Did run last week - once as a recovery and once at the hotel. Thus I added Greece to the list of countries where I've trained for the marathon...

Ran 15 this evening in 2:10 - which is only notable because it was at 151 average bpm - I walked for part...

Splits looked like this:

Mile	Time	Ave BPM	Comment
1	08:19	139
2	08:54	143
3	08:27	147
4	08:13	152
5	08:47	159	Bridge
6	07:57	154
7	08:32	154
8	09:06	149
9	09:07	146
10	08:55	145
11	08:12	153
12	09:03	152
13	08:20	161	Brooklyn Bridge
14	09:04	149	Recovery
15	08:14	158	No Break

As Brian reported via text message today 'I'm ready'

Next week continues the taper (no fast runs!) and I'll run the last 10 next Sunday...good thing too because we have a bat mitzvah on Saturday so I wouldn't have been able to run.

It was cold on this run (44 degrees) so I got a chance to try out my 'secondary' outfit for cold weather. I was pleased and had very little chaffing. I will know where to hit harder with the bodyglide on the big day.

No real interesting developments on this run - was simply a get it done kind of run. Now it was considerably faster than my last two 14 - 15 milers though, so you can see how the heat affects things...

Staten Island Half Marathon – 5 Burroughs completed!

Today marked the completion of my 7^th total half marathon this year and my 5^th of the 5 Burroughs challenge – last year only 330 or so people completed all 5. This was also my 'last' long ultra-long run, as I begin the taper during the last 3 weeks before the race.

It's not that I am incapable of running 8:15 to 8:30...(if you read yesterday's blog) it's just that I didn't stick to my plan (more lessons learned, better prep for race day). Didn't kill me to day but would have if I'd 'gone for it' on Marathon day...

In order to get the miles in that I needed, I ran 6 miles before the race. I also had to run without my speed-timing footpod, as I dropped it in the kitchen on the way out the door and it managed to bend one of the battery leads beyond repair (well when I was trying to fix it with a key before the race!). Thus I did not have a key tool to gauge my speed. Instead I used my heart rate – rather successfully for the first few miles but then a little worse, and by the end I just ran. All will be revealed soon.

As I ran out on the course I actually ran the first, second, third, eleventh, twelvth, and thirteenth miles twice (or three times if you don't care about which direction was run) – see the chart below.

Mile Absolute (# in race)	Warm up Mile	Warm Pace	Warm hrm Ave	Race Pace	Race hrm Ave	Race Cum M
1	1W	09:09	142	07:52	150	7
2	2W	08:42	146	07:52	158	8
3	3W	08:21	150	08:03	158	9
4				07:55	163	10
5				08:12	162	11
6				07:41	166	12
7				07:55	170	13
8				08:18	167	14
9				07:50	169	15
10				08:01	166	16
11	4W	08:28	151	08:33	171	17
12	5W	08:44	151	08:42	172	18
13	6W	08:30	148	08:14	178	19.1

So all told I completed 19.1 miles in ~ 2:38 – or 8:16 average per mile pace. This was too fast. There's not much more to say. Look at the spike on the heart rate in miles 17 – 19 – way too high. I simply put my head down and ran. Unlike the Brooklyn Half, I didn't slow down to 9 min per mile plus – which is a good sign. I wonder if I'd had to continue running if I'd be able to hold an average of 8:16, doesn't look like it.

So here's what happened – two things really. One, stupidly I started with my corral. I should know by now that unless I'm focusing on running a PR (and maybe even then!) I should not join the red (second after the local elites) corral at the start. A good friend of mine was running just behind me and managed to beat me by 6 places. Why not run with him? I'd just run back from my warm up and simply wasn't thinking when I joined the corral. Everyone passed me in the first few miles – it was painful, sort of. It was also a GREAT learning lesson to run my pace (you see that I did pretty good job of keeping my heart rate down over those first miles. Still that was way too fast).

Second – I was running spot on 8 min miles or just below all the way up until the blow out on 11 – 13. Thus I wanted to push myself to see if I could come in sub 1:45. Now why I wanted to do that, I have absolutely zero idea. I'd run 8.23 miles the day before, and a 6 mile warm up. What made me think that I could run sub 1:45? Anyway, sometimes you think pretty dumb stuff on a long run. I would have been helped considerably to have the footpod feedback.

But the lessons are learned. I do NOT like running ever expanding positive splits – miles 11, 12, and 13 (or really 17 – 19) weren't painful per se, but it's frustrating when I feel that I don't have anything left. Therefore, it will be critical that I really go slow through Brooklyn during the actual race. I can do it and this gave me both the motivation, and to a certain degree the training (as everyone passed me, and I was 'fine' with it).

All told, though, I'm really pleased with the result – my gear works, my hydration & fuel works, I'm mentally there, and I ran 19.1 miles faster than I've ever run it before. I really feel that some day, if I stay in shape, I will be able to hold the 8 min mile pace for the marathon. But that's not this year. And it certainly won't work in anything but perfect conditions...

Still, running 28 good miles in two days and running two great halves in two weekends marks a level of performance that I could only dream about last year. It's funny that I was so head strong about 3:30, and in a way that's GREAT. I'm not going to make it this year, but I will (hopefully) come in with a 3:3X time which will be fine. Even if I'm slower, that will be fine. I want to finish this thing – and that's what I'm going to do.

Official line:

Bib	Place (overall)	Place (men)	Place (Age - Men)	Time	Ave. Mile	Age Grade %
1294	1042	890	188	01:46	08:05	56.50%

A final thought -

I feel great. Better than I used to after the half. I have a bit more low grade throbbing in my feet (balls thereof) but my legs and cardio feels fine. It's amazing what a couple (coughs) of months will do to the old prep & recovery.

Pre-race jaunt

Ran 8.23 miles today.  I know that you aren't supposed to 'make up' for lost miles.
Still I wanted to go over 40 this week and this run will get me there. 
Plus as you will see it was VERY beneficial.

I ran 8:50, 8:51, 9:09, 8:07, 9:22, 8:25, 8:59, 8:50

Average heart rate 147!

But that includes walking on miles 2,3,5,7,8 - was still low even when running.
Absolutely zero foot pain.

It was a hilly course there and back to Prospect Park.
I took it real easy on the Down hills.

The key point had two faces - MAN running even 8:15 is SLOW!!!!
I got to my times by running marathon pace between walks
(tested my heart rate at marathon pace without stressing me out + providing plenty
of rest). More on this later.
And second I don't think that I can extensively run walk and make my time goal. 
A minute walking is just too long or once per mile is too frequent.

So I resolved to run the first HALF slow, really slow. 
It was very important to learn this and man I believe it.  Heros are not made
out of sprinters in the first 10 miles!

Mentally I can run 8:15 or even 8:20 but I don't know if I can tolerate 8:25 or
even 8:30+ - I will get bored and frustrated.  But I am SURE that can hold the pace,
sure of it.  I was thinking that its the heat of the summer that killed me before
and the run walking that saved me.

That and the practical pacing lesson were very valuable lessons.

Tomorrow might be a bit more painful give the extra miles, but I figure that it
will better replicate the Big Day final miles.

Tomorrow I am going to take it easy.  3 mile warm up at 10 to start and the 9:30,
really easy, mile and a half out and back.  8:30 for the first two.  8:15 - 8:20
miles until the finish.  Then a four mile cool down at any slow pace.  If I feel
great I will run the final at 8:30 (hopefully). If I feel like walking,
I will walk - any time.

Tomorrow is the dress rehearsal - same ferry time.  Will grab a cab to the ferry. 
Same clothes ritual and plan.

Good news from the Start

Well the news is out regarding the bib number - 20642

First wave, 9:40 start late corral, but in the local competitive runners, what ever that means. My goal will be to suck up to the moderately fast middle 8 milers...and hold the pace through the first half; after all it's the disciple that matters anyway, right?!

http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/entrantinfo/717.htm

Green
First #	Last#	Corral
500	999
3000	3399	A
6000	6599	B
17000	17999	C
18000	18999	D
19000	19999	E
20000	20999	F (I'm here!)
21000	21999	G

No run today - had a board meeting for my coop. Also spent an hour with my daughter. And I'm nursing a bit of inflammation under the ball of my foot. Iced it at work. Will elevate now. Will stop whining. But an unexpected day off this week is welcomed...

Twofer - another two down, closer every day

Tuesday -

5 miles in 39 flat
or 7:48
with two bridges - the Manhattan citybound and the Brooklyn outbound - which is home bound for me. Hard as heck to keep the pace on this one. Really pushed the pace from the second mile. Tracked the 'miles' because I knew where the splits were as per 'mapmyrun' although I simply don't think they are right - 8:23, 8:15; 6:55?, 7:15, 8 something's not right there.


Wednesday -

6 miles in 47:45
or 7:58
relatively flat course, familiar
no heart rate monitor, no pacing fob
so this was a 'free' run

New Half PR - well just barely!

It gets so fast and furious toward the end of the marathon training season that you just have to let somethings go, and my blog has been the worse for it. Sorry for anyone missing the postings...

Ran Grete's Great Gallop today and felt pretty good, until I realized that I DID make a personal best, but only by a matter of seconds. It's exactly like you said, I need much more speed training if I want to run faster. Nevertheless, I'm feeling strong and ready for the Big Day. My
diet is much more under control, and allowing for less screw-ups (they didn't have a bib for me, and the subway was running local, which meant that I didn't get any real warm up - I did run from the Subway to the start - you have to understand that I left MORE than an hour to get
there and would have made it there faster running, seriously). Oh well.

Total time (unofficial of course - 1:43.16 which is certainly 2 seconds or so slow. Brooklyn's official time is 1:43.23! And that's with a high 8 and a 9 minute mile on the last two.)

Mile Pace (more or less)
1 8:25
2 8:05
3 - 10 7:45 (with one 7:41 on mile 4)
11 8:05
12 7:44
13 7:44
finish

super consistent - but my sense is that there's no way to run 7:45 during the marathon, it's too fast for me. Never mind that. I read that you take your recent half time and double it and then add 10 to 15 mins to predict your race pace. That would put me right on somewhere
between 3:40 - 3:45 which would be incredible if I could do it, I would be
overwhelmed with excitement.
(one of the reasons I went out so hard today was to test my race pace training - it was something of a long tempo run really).

Gear worked great. Water stops were fine (I didn't take my final gel pack fuel as I was focused on the finish, and I notice that I slow down about 5 seconds when I eat those, even though I'm still running through).

No walk breaks, nothing unusual, just good solid running today.
Was a bit humid though.

A final thought, because of my bib (later in the pack than usual) I ran with the yahoos at the back - this combined with my actually pretty impressive pace given the traffic meant that I passed everyone - I think that only 10 people passed me the whole time and I past at least one of
them, short guy with a blue shirt and grey shorts, in the end. Maybe more people passed me, but I didn't notice. It is much, much better to be the passer than the passed. Given the way that I feel both physically and emotionally, I wouldn't trade this result with the one from Brooklyn any day. Still that was a very impressive run on basically zero training - amazing. But it's better to be in a position to pass folks rather than feel like they are flying by.

Next weekend is Staten Island and then we're beginning the giant taper.
I will run Staten Island with a fast Frenchman that I know - should end spot on 8 min miles or just a bit higher. Might be a repeat of this race or even faster? Bring it on!

Official Line:

Grete's Great Gallop
October 3, 2009 Parks, Joshua M36 Brooklyn, NY

Distance: 13.1 Time Net 1:43:15
Time Pace/ Mile 7:52
Overall Place 755
Gender Place 601
Age Place 137
Age-Graded % 58.0 %