A marathon on a tuesday morning?
9 loops around a lake?
Serving cups of seaweed at the drink stations?
Yup its the The Self-Transcendence Marathon and I ran it for the 3rd time this year.
If you can dodge the smell of BO from some of the Europeans in this race that for some strange reason don't feel it necessary to wear deodorant..... its actually a great race. I don't say that to be rude, but I've run this race 3 years in a row now and its the same every year. I just don't get it. Anyway...I just find it a little strange.
Since this is an August race, I don't ever expect a pr, I do it for pure enjoyment and training.
The first year I ran it in 2007 was the longest it ever took me to finish a marathon, 4:30 because it was 90 degrees and humid out.
Second year I finished in 3:55 and this year I finished in 3:53.
I'm not a big fan of multiple loop races, but they do have their advantages, well atleast one advantage....You can keep your own cooler right on the course as a personal aid/drink station. It takes a little time away stopping at your cooler, but its worth the ice cold drinks and its really only seconds if you do it right.
The race went well for me this year, I kept my pace right around 8:30 a mile for the first 15 miles or so, and then dropped back just a little bit towards the second half of the race as it got a little warmer.
The great Ultra runner David James was running it this year, as if it wasn't enough getting lapped over and over by him 2 weeks ago at the Turkey Swamp 50k, now he lapped me a couple more times yesterday. Really good guy though, always throws words of encouragement at you as he runs by.
Also my friend David Lee was running it again this year, always nice to see David. We've run a few Marathons together now and are both running the NF DC 50 miler next month.
By the way, I always pass on the seaweed. I really don't know how anyone could stomach it while running a Marathon. Where do they get it from anyway? Are they pulling it right from the lake we are running around? I even have to look away when I see someone else slurping it down. Ewww.
I do really enjoy running this race, its nearby to where I grew up, it's
around a beautiful lake, and the race is very well done by the Sri Chinmoy Marathon team.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
NYC Half Marathon race report 8/16/09
Wow, listen to this! I set my alarm for 4:30 today for the NYC Half Marathon(7am start). I have about an hour commute to Manhatten from my house in NJ.
I'm not quite sure what happened to my alarm, but I woke up on my own at 5:30 in a panic!! An hour late and only one and a half hours to get ready, drive to NYC, hand in my drop bag, and get to the start line. Yikes!
I grab my stuff and run out the door, no shower, no breakfast.
I was making good time on the commute so I made a quick stop on Rt 4 to Dunkin Donuts. Grabbed a coffee and a Muffin. It was worth the few minutes for me to try to get something in my stomach.
Ended up only eating one bite of the muffin and a few sips of the coffee. (Couldn't stomach the muffin). Not my normal pre race breakfast.
I made it to the city at 6:30, I parked the car and started getting my drop bag ready and my stuff together. As I am packing up my bag I realize I don't have my wallet anymore!!! I used it at Dunkin Donuts so I think I either left it there or must of dropped it as I was getting back in the car. I searched the car 10 times. I called information and got the DD's number and called them. Of course they say they have no wallet.
Oh brother! Now I have like 15 minutes to bring my drop bag and get to the start line. I considered not racing and going back and looking for my wallet, but that only lasted a few seconds.
I dropped my bag, and ran to my corral as they are announcing they are closing the corrals and everyone else would have to go to 10 blocks away to the end of the line. Whew, made it!
Now I'm in desperate need of a porta potty! That's right, I didn't go to the bathroom before I left the house either!!
5 minutes to race start and I get on a very long line to use the bathrooms, (porta potty's in the corral) I'm prepared to wait as long as I have to at this point because I felt like I was about to explode (if you know what I mean).
The corrals start to move forward a bit so most of the people on the bathroom lines blow off their chance to use the toilets and they move forward. I jump in the next available porta potty. (Lesson to everyone, I always bring a couple of wipes w/ me on race day, just in case!!) Guess what, there is no toilet paper left in the porta potty! Thank goodness I had the wipes!!
I finish up, jump back in line and the gun goes off!
I am now sweating, and I haven't even started running yet.
Lol, I made it though! I'm now running.
After being late, and losing my wallet, I decided that I would wear my I-Pod for the race. (Something I never do) Figuring I could just crank the music so loud I wouldn't be able to distract myself thinking about this crazy morning. It worked pretty well, I just cranked it up and ran. I started off nice and easy around the park and about mile seven I started pushing it hard. It's only my second race ever that I ran Negative splits, passing many people in the second half of the race. Even though it was not a great overall time for me 1:49:20, I was happy that I finished really strong. The last two FULL marathons I ran earlier this year I made it to the half way point in 1:39 and 1:40. But it is August now and I just ran a 50k last Sunday, so I'll take this performance and be happy.
After the race, I pick up my drop bag and realize I have no wallet or money to get back uptown to my car. Ughhh.
So check this out, I'm walking by the subway entrance and I say to one of NY City's finest "By any chance are they letting runners ride the subway for free?" I knew damn well they weren't, I figured I'd just throw it out there. I explained to him briefly that I didn't have my wallet. This police officer walked me from the street, all the way down to the subway and swiped me through the turn style to ride the subway uptown!!!!
What and amazing guy, and so deserving of the title "NYC's Finest"! I thought I'd be running back uptown, but really wanted to get back to my car quickly and search for my wallet.
What a morning! All this happened and it was still only 10am. I never did find my wallet, so I spent some time when I got home cancelling a credit card and a Bank card.
Ps. I finished in 1909th place out of 10,100. racers with a time of 1:49:20.
Added 8/17/09- Some one that lives a couple of towns over from me brought my wallet back to my house later that day!!! He found it on the parking lot floor. SEEEEEEEEE, People are good!
I'm not quite sure what happened to my alarm, but I woke up on my own at 5:30 in a panic!! An hour late and only one and a half hours to get ready, drive to NYC, hand in my drop bag, and get to the start line. Yikes!
I grab my stuff and run out the door, no shower, no breakfast.
I was making good time on the commute so I made a quick stop on Rt 4 to Dunkin Donuts. Grabbed a coffee and a Muffin. It was worth the few minutes for me to try to get something in my stomach.
Ended up only eating one bite of the muffin and a few sips of the coffee. (Couldn't stomach the muffin). Not my normal pre race breakfast.
I made it to the city at 6:30, I parked the car and started getting my drop bag ready and my stuff together. As I am packing up my bag I realize I don't have my wallet anymore!!! I used it at Dunkin Donuts so I think I either left it there or must of dropped it as I was getting back in the car. I searched the car 10 times. I called information and got the DD's number and called them. Of course they say they have no wallet.
Oh brother! Now I have like 15 minutes to bring my drop bag and get to the start line. I considered not racing and going back and looking for my wallet, but that only lasted a few seconds.
I dropped my bag, and ran to my corral as they are announcing they are closing the corrals and everyone else would have to go to 10 blocks away to the end of the line. Whew, made it!
Now I'm in desperate need of a porta potty! That's right, I didn't go to the bathroom before I left the house either!!
5 minutes to race start and I get on a very long line to use the bathrooms, (porta potty's in the corral) I'm prepared to wait as long as I have to at this point because I felt like I was about to explode (if you know what I mean).
The corrals start to move forward a bit so most of the people on the bathroom lines blow off their chance to use the toilets and they move forward. I jump in the next available porta potty. (Lesson to everyone, I always bring a couple of wipes w/ me on race day, just in case!!) Guess what, there is no toilet paper left in the porta potty! Thank goodness I had the wipes!!
I finish up, jump back in line and the gun goes off!
I am now sweating, and I haven't even started running yet.
Lol, I made it though! I'm now running.
After being late, and losing my wallet, I decided that I would wear my I-Pod for the race. (Something I never do) Figuring I could just crank the music so loud I wouldn't be able to distract myself thinking about this crazy morning. It worked pretty well, I just cranked it up and ran. I started off nice and easy around the park and about mile seven I started pushing it hard. It's only my second race ever that I ran Negative splits, passing many people in the second half of the race. Even though it was not a great overall time for me 1:49:20, I was happy that I finished really strong. The last two FULL marathons I ran earlier this year I made it to the half way point in 1:39 and 1:40. But it is August now and I just ran a 50k last Sunday, so I'll take this performance and be happy.
After the race, I pick up my drop bag and realize I have no wallet or money to get back uptown to my car. Ughhh.
So check this out, I'm walking by the subway entrance and I say to one of NY City's finest "By any chance are they letting runners ride the subway for free?" I knew damn well they weren't, I figured I'd just throw it out there. I explained to him briefly that I didn't have my wallet. This police officer walked me from the street, all the way down to the subway and swiped me through the turn style to ride the subway uptown!!!!
What and amazing guy, and so deserving of the title "NYC's Finest"! I thought I'd be running back uptown, but really wanted to get back to my car quickly and search for my wallet.
What a morning! All this happened and it was still only 10am. I never did find my wallet, so I spent some time when I got home cancelling a credit card and a Bank card.
Ps. I finished in 1909th place out of 10,100. racers with a time of 1:49:20.
Added 8/17/09- Some one that lives a couple of towns over from me brought my wallet back to my house later that day!!! He found it on the parking lot floor. SEEEEEEEEE, People are good!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Turkey Swamp 50k 2009 Race Report
The Turkey Swamp race has 4 distances to chose from, the 10 miler, 25k, 20 miler, and the 50k.
Last year I ran the 20 miler and Marybeth ran the 10 miler.
This year I ran the 50k and Marybeth ran the 10 miler again.
The course is a 2.5 mile (or so) loop consisting of some trail, dirt road, and grass fields. Last year there was only one short stretch of grass, this year the course was changed and it seemed like almost half of the loop was grass. It wasn't easy running by any means.
On the drive to the race, about half way there I realized I left my bag (that I spent an hour packing the night before) home! It had all of my gels, endurolytes(salt tabs), extra clothing, hat, Glide, band aids, basically everything. Thankfully I had my running clothes, sneakers, and Garmin with me, so no need to freak out. We stopped at a rest stop on the way down and I picked up some band aids for my nips. 33 miles with out my nips covered would not be good for me. I would have to improvise with the rest of the stuff I forgot.
My wife was running the 10 miler again, and she had some shot blocks and gels that I would end up using.
The race started and it was raining lightly, it felt nice actually. The grass was wet for the first half of the race though, so my sneakers stayed wet the whole race basically.
I'm not gonna put a positive spin on this report, cause basically this race sucked for me. I'm not quite sure why, but I just had a horrible race and struggled about as hard as I've ever struggled from mile 19 to about mile 22.
When the race started all of the 50k'ers had to hang a left and do an extra 1 mile loop before starting the loop which would supposedly complete the 31 miles.
I felt strong for the first 15 miles or so, averaging between an 8 and 9 minute pace easily, then I slowed it down a bit for the next few miles, but then suddenly the wheels fell off, I found myself starting to walk and wonder if this would be my first DNF, since I was already dead and I still had 12 miles to go.
The only thing I could think of was that it was really humid and I didn't have my salt tabs (I left them in the bag at home), I have been training with them the whole summer. I felt like my stomach was bloated from the fluids I was taking in, but I was still really thirsty. I found myself nauseas at times and light headed and was trying to force down liquids but it was hard with a bloated stomach.
I started to remember all the little tricks I've learned along the way, most importantly to keep moving forward no matter how bad I felt and hope things would change. I started to pick a tree or an object in the distance and force myself to run to it.
My youngest son came to the race with us and sat by the cooler and did some crewing for us, handing me drinks, filling my bottles. Then at one point, probably the turning point in the race for me, it was about mile 22 and I was walking, and he came running up to me with a stick and said "Why are you walking, go, go, go" and he started hitting me in the back of my legs with the stick!! Lol, I immediately put a big smile on my face and started running again. I ran the rest of the race at about a 12 minute pace, but never walked again. (Other then some very short moments). Probably the deepest I've ever had to dig in a race.
My last loop I managed to run a 10 min pace just cause I wanted it to be over so bad. I passed about 3 or 4 racers in that last 3 miles.
There was a lot of rumblings during the race about the course being long, which was correct. I clocked over 33 miles on my Garmin, and several other people clocked the same as me. I was fine with it though, I'd rather go long then short. My only concern was that it was fair and everyone did the same distance. There were some stories about guys who clocked only 30.5 miles on their Garmins, which means they were supposed to do another loop, but since they didn't know the course was long, they thought they were finished.
There was one check in point for the 50k'ers on the loop where you checked in every time around, so hopefully they will have an accurate count of who did the correct amount of loops.
Either way, it was a great training run for me in preparation for my 50 miler next month.
I finished in 5:59, over an hour longer than my last 50k but very happy with my effort.
No matter how bad of a race time you put in, if you give it your all, you will always walk away feeling good.
http://www.bestrace.com/results/09/090809TS6.HTM
Last year I ran the 20 miler and Marybeth ran the 10 miler.
This year I ran the 50k and Marybeth ran the 10 miler again.
The course is a 2.5 mile (or so) loop consisting of some trail, dirt road, and grass fields. Last year there was only one short stretch of grass, this year the course was changed and it seemed like almost half of the loop was grass. It wasn't easy running by any means.
On the drive to the race, about half way there I realized I left my bag (that I spent an hour packing the night before) home! It had all of my gels, endurolytes(salt tabs), extra clothing, hat, Glide, band aids, basically everything. Thankfully I had my running clothes, sneakers, and Garmin with me, so no need to freak out. We stopped at a rest stop on the way down and I picked up some band aids for my nips. 33 miles with out my nips covered would not be good for me. I would have to improvise with the rest of the stuff I forgot.
My wife was running the 10 miler again, and she had some shot blocks and gels that I would end up using.
The race started and it was raining lightly, it felt nice actually. The grass was wet for the first half of the race though, so my sneakers stayed wet the whole race basically.
I'm not gonna put a positive spin on this report, cause basically this race sucked for me. I'm not quite sure why, but I just had a horrible race and struggled about as hard as I've ever struggled from mile 19 to about mile 22.
When the race started all of the 50k'ers had to hang a left and do an extra 1 mile loop before starting the loop which would supposedly complete the 31 miles.
I felt strong for the first 15 miles or so, averaging between an 8 and 9 minute pace easily, then I slowed it down a bit for the next few miles, but then suddenly the wheels fell off, I found myself starting to walk and wonder if this would be my first DNF, since I was already dead and I still had 12 miles to go.
The only thing I could think of was that it was really humid and I didn't have my salt tabs (I left them in the bag at home), I have been training with them the whole summer. I felt like my stomach was bloated from the fluids I was taking in, but I was still really thirsty. I found myself nauseas at times and light headed and was trying to force down liquids but it was hard with a bloated stomach.
I started to remember all the little tricks I've learned along the way, most importantly to keep moving forward no matter how bad I felt and hope things would change. I started to pick a tree or an object in the distance and force myself to run to it.
My youngest son came to the race with us and sat by the cooler and did some crewing for us, handing me drinks, filling my bottles. Then at one point, probably the turning point in the race for me, it was about mile 22 and I was walking, and he came running up to me with a stick and said "Why are you walking, go, go, go" and he started hitting me in the back of my legs with the stick!! Lol, I immediately put a big smile on my face and started running again. I ran the rest of the race at about a 12 minute pace, but never walked again. (Other then some very short moments). Probably the deepest I've ever had to dig in a race.
My last loop I managed to run a 10 min pace just cause I wanted it to be over so bad. I passed about 3 or 4 racers in that last 3 miles.
There was a lot of rumblings during the race about the course being long, which was correct. I clocked over 33 miles on my Garmin, and several other people clocked the same as me. I was fine with it though, I'd rather go long then short. My only concern was that it was fair and everyone did the same distance. There were some stories about guys who clocked only 30.5 miles on their Garmins, which means they were supposed to do another loop, but since they didn't know the course was long, they thought they were finished.
There was one check in point for the 50k'ers on the loop where you checked in every time around, so hopefully they will have an accurate count of who did the correct amount of loops.
Either way, it was a great training run for me in preparation for my 50 miler next month.
I finished in 5:59, over an hour longer than my last 50k but very happy with my effort.
No matter how bad of a race time you put in, if you give it your all, you will always walk away feeling good.
http://www.bestrace.com/results/09/090809TS6.HTM
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