Last (Only?) Long Run Before Boston

Today was pretty much my last opportunity to do a long run before the Boston Marathon.  Last night, I was actually looking forward to the run for a couple of reasons.  Reason #1: I was going to be running farther than any training run I've done this year.  (Kind of sad actually.)  Reason #2: I was going to be doing the entire run by myself, which I rarely do these days.  

The run went rather well, except for the pit stop I had to make after 4 miles.  Last night's sushi wasn't sitting well in my stomach.  I basically did about 6 miles in the the Washington Heights/Inwood Hill Park area.  Then I went from the Hudson River bike path down to 59th Street.  From there, I went into Central Park and did the 5-mile loop.  

I had originally planned on running all the way to Battery Park and up the east side of Manhattan if I felt good.  But have I mentioned that I hate running in straight lines?  It always makes the run seem longer than it really is.  

I'm still not dead set on a goal for Boston.  When I first knew I was going to run Boston, I had planned on trying to run a 3:05.  But then I got injured and wasn't able to train properly.  As of today, I would say my goals look something like this:

Safe goal:  3:30

Modest goal: 3:25 (would qualify me for next year's Boston, not that I want to run another marathon.)

Reach goal: 3:15.  (Weather would have to be perfect.  I would have to feel great.)

I'm going to save my PR attempt for Chicago in October.  Hopefully, I'll be done with "racing" marathons after Chicago.  

Boston Panic???

I've never been one to panic, but maybe now is the time to start.  Let's recap the last 5 months.  In November I decided to run the Knickerbocker 60K.  I finished but proceeded to injure my knee.  I spent 2 weeks trying to run on it, 4 weeks staying of it, and another 2 weeks gingerly getting back into running.  By mid-January, I thought I had gotten past the injury.  It never felt 100%, but I was able to increase my mileage through February and March.

Team RunNYC fluid station.  Pic by Teresa DeVera

I ran the NYC Half Marathon a couple of weekends ago.  The race went surprisingly well.  I was hoping for a sub-1:28 and ended up running 1:25:08.  The problem was that I seemed to have aggravated my knee injury.  It was bothering me all last week.  That was frustrating because I was planning on doing one of my few long runs this past weekend.  (The longest runs I've done since that 60K were a couple of 15 milers a few weeks ago.)

So now I've come to a crossroads.  Should I still try to do a long (18 to 20 miles) run before Boston, which is only 3 weeks away?  I've already decided that there is no way I try to PR Boston.  Yet, I was still holding out hope that I could re-qualify for next year's Boston by running sub-3:15.  But, now, even that seems a bit optimistic.  

I've decided to try a little voo doo for my knee.  

Club Night

This past Thursday was the NYRR's Club Night.  I didn't attend, but Heidi, Alfonso, Benny, and Denie showed up to claim WSY men's 2nd place Open B team award.  It was our best place ever, so we're all very proud.  

I am now 5 weeks away from the Boston Marathon.  I've been having trouble fitting long runs into my schedule.  I ran 15 miles yesterday, and it was only the second time I've run that far in four months.  Needless to say, I'm a little worried about how Boston will go for me.  I'm resigned to the fact that I won't be running a PR there.  But that's OK.  

This Sunday is the NYC Half Marathon.  It will be a good indicator of what kind of shape I'm in.  Today, my brother emailed me and asked what my best half marathon was.  I realized that I knew my PR, but I couldn't remember too many of my half marathon races before 2008.  So I looked them up.  

1:21:09 (6:11/mile) 1997 Staten Island Half.
1:21:41 (6:14/mile) 1998 Staten Island Half
1:22:26 (6:17/mile) 1996 Brooklyn Half
1:22:32 (6:18/mile) 2012 Brooklyn half .
1:22:45 (6:19/mile) 1995 Brooklyn Half
1:22:58 (6:20/mile)  2002 Grete's Gallop
1:23:08 (6:20/mile) 2008 Grete's Gallop.
1:23:09 (6:20/mile) 1995 Queens Half marathon
1:23:33 (6:23/mile) 2012 NYC half.

It was interesting to note that it seems there was a gap from 1998 to 2008 where I didn't really run quality half marathons.  I should also say that I stopped running marathons between 2000 and 2008.  So maybe, that has something to do with it.  Anyway, it's nice to see that my times haven't dropped off too much.

Year of the Marathon

I signed up for the Chicago Marathon!  I somehow managed to do so rather painlessly.  Instead of waiting until 1:00 p.m. for registration to open last Tuesday afternoon, I went online 5 minutes early.  I was able to avoid the gridlock that seemed to affect everyone else who tried to register.

Only once in my running life have I ever run more than one marathon in a year, and that was the year I ran the Long Island Marathon and the NYC Marathon in the same year.  Waaaaaayyyyy back in 1995!  This year, I'm signed up for 3 marathons, Boston, Chicago, and NYC.  Why the sudden fondness for marathons?  Well, I've been signed up for Boston ever since I deferred running last year's Boston.  I signed up for NYC because last year's NYC was cancelled, and I figured I would run this year's for fun.  I signed up for Chicago because I will try to PR there.  I had planned on trying to PR at Boston, but I know I won't be in the best shape for that race.

I hope I won't regret running all these marathons.  My knee is still bothering me from the 60K back in November.  Some people tried to convince me to sign up for the Philly Marathon so that I would qualify to be a Marathon Maniac.  Three words for them.  Not gonna happen.

I had fun pacing Tiffany for the second half of her NYCRUNS Half Marathon.  I also ran about 5 miles with Rey who was running the marathon.  I did 15 miles total.  The soreness in my legs makes me more than a little concerned about my Boston training.  Fifteen miles is really not much, but it's the farthest I've run in 3 months.  I am NOT ready to do 26!

Pre-race fuel

A Setback

So, my knee had been about as good as it's been since I injured it in the NYRR 60K back in November.  Unfortunately, I made the mistake of running 11 miles last Saturday and immediately followed that up with the Manhattan Half Marathon on Sunday.  I woke up the following day with more soreness in my knee than I've felt in a long time.  I had visions of a cancelled Empire State Building Run-Up (ESBRU) and Boston Marathon.

My knee bothered me all week.  I took a day off yesterday, did a run/walk of only 3.5 miles this morning, and will take tomorrow off.  I'm hoping that will be enough rest so that I can participate in the ESBRU  and resume marathon training next week.

Slowly but Surely

I ran 11.5 miles on Saturday with Carol, Denie, and Benny.  It was my longest run since the 60K back in mid-November.  My knee held up, but the rest of my legs didn't fair so well.

Today, I did my favorite stairs 27 times.  The goal was to be able to walk up the stairs 20 times.  I actually walked up the stairs 19 times and ran up the last 8.  I think I will be ready for the Empire State Building Run-Up if I can do one or two of these stair workouts each week.

I must have watched about 9 hours of football this weekend.  I figure my 11.5 miles and my stair workout, combined with all the laying around on my sofa watching TV kind of balance each other out.

If I do well in the Empire State Building race, I will be grateful that I live near these stairs.  

Back to Running. I Hope

After 4 weeks of no running, I decided I couldn't put off running any longer.  The doctor said take 6 weeks off, but I could not wait another day.  It was only 2 miles.  Felt a lot longer.  There is still discomfort in my knee.  However, I didn't feel like it got any worse after the run, so I'm hopeful.  At least, doing stairs doesn't bother my knee as much as running.  So I think I'll be fine for the Empire State Building Run-Up.

I will own these stairs for the next month,

until the Empire State Building Run-Up.

Not What I Wanted to Hear!

So, I saw the doctor last Saturday, and he thinks I have a partially torn medial collateral ligament.  He recommended no running for 6 weeks, or another 3 weeks since I had already been sedentary for 3 weeks.  And when I start back again, to only run 2 days per week.  This was my initial reaction:

The doctor continued to talk, but all I heard was blah, blah, no running, blah, blah.  Meanwhile, I was thinking about going out and testing my knee the next day.  How was I going to be ready for the Empire State Building Run-Up in February and the Boston Marathon in April?!  So I went out and did a few stairs.  

Well, maybe a bit more than a few stairs.  Seven sets to be exact.  And then I did them again the next day.  

But the snow made me nervous.  I had visions of tearing another ligament.  I stopped after 3 sets, went back home, and had some hot chocolate instead.  

The knee held up OK.  It was a little sore, but doing stairs is easier on it than running.  

A Different Kind of Streak

Twenty-two days and counting.  That's the number of days I haven't done any kind of running.  The 60K on November 17th did something to my knee.  I thought it had gotten better a week after the race, but it only got worse when I tried running.  So I decided to take a complete break from running.  I had been avoiding the doctor because he always tells me the same thing, just take a break from running.

This past Saturday, I gave in and went to the doctor.  Surprise, surprise...he said I probably had a partially torn medial collateral ligament.  He told me to take another 3 weeks off and when I finally did start running, only run two days a week to start.  This was not good news for someone who plans to run the Empire State Building Run-Up in February and the Boston Marathon in April.

I have a feeling I'm not going to be able to stick to the doctor's recommendations.

NYRR 60K

Saturday, November 17th, 8:00 a.m.

Thank you Alan Tam for taking all of these photos.

Denie, Julien, and Carol

Carol Buonanno, my personal pacer for the whole 60K.

Notice the bag of pretzels in my right hand.

I held onto them for a few miles, hoping my stomach would

tolerate them.  Never happened.

I always figured I would run an ultra someday.  I just didn't think it would happen so soon.  The circumstances were right, however.  The NYC Marathon had been canceled because of Hurricane Sandy, and I was still in reasonable shape for a long run.  And Carol had been promising to run the entire race with me.  How could I say no?

I picked up my bib at the NYRR office.  It's such a small race that everyone is able to pick up their race bibs at the office the day of the race.  The weather conditions seemed ideal.  I was anxious to get started.  My plan was to go out slow, slow, slow.  The last thing I wanted happening was having to walk because of starting off too quickly.  The starting area was very relaxed compared to regular NYRR races.  No corrals and plenty of space to move around.

The horn sounded and we proceeded to do a quick 1/2 mile out and back up East Drive.  Then, it would be 9 clockwise 4-mile loops.  I felt like I was doing a comfortable pace and enjoying the conversation with Carol, but I couldn't seem to get into a rhythm.  Denie and Julien met us for a couple of loops.  Those ended up being my fastest loops of the day.  Early in the race, I saw a lot of people I knew along the course.  There were volunteers at Engineer's Gate and on the west side.  Also, the RUN-NYC group was doing their workout in the opposite direction, and it was great to see all of them.

I ate my 2 GUs within the first few loops of the race, and I was still hungry.  That worried me a little because I've never had to eat real food in a race.  When I tried to eat some pretzels during the race, I couldn't swallow because I was nauseous.  I had to survive on the flat Coke and Gatorade provided at the aid stations.  The Coke was a lifesaver.

After completing 5 loops, I started feeling a cramp coming in my right hip flexor and in my left, upper hamstring.  Before the race started, I thought cramps would be the one thing that might prevent me from finishing this race.  I tried to consciously stay relaxed and slowed the pace down a little.  The 6th and 7th loop were probably the toughest.  From the 5th loop on, I stopped at both fluid stations, grabbed Coke or Gatorade, and walked until I drank an entire cup.  During these two loops, there were a couple of occasions where I thought about how many miles I had run.  Thank goodness there weren't any mile markers.  Otherwise, I would have constantly been thinking about all the miles I still had remaining.  Instead, I just focused on how many loops I had left.

Once I reached the 8th loop, I knew I would be able to finish.  I started thinking about my position in the race and my modest goal of finishing under 5 hours 35 minutes (approximately 9:00/mile).  I was feeling good considering how far I had already run.  At this point, I was very appreciative of all the volunteers along the course.  The people at Engineer's Gate were particularly vocal.  I actually sped up on my last loop because I felt OK and was anxious to complete the race.  I crossed the finish line very satisfied with my time.

One of my other goals for the race was to finish without too much effort so that I would have the energy to make the drive to Philadelphia that afternoon in order to cheer for friends running the marathon the next day.  Goals accomplished!  Thank you to all the volunteers and supporters along the race course.  Thank you to Julien and Denie for keeping me company for a couple of loops.  And a HUGE thanks to Carol for running the entire race with me, especially since she probably could have finished much higher.  She was the fourth overall woman in the race.

Official finish time: 5 hours 22 minutes 47 seconds (8:40/mile).  34th place overall.  4th in age division.

2nd 4-mile loop: 34:38
3rd loop: 32:18
4th loop: 32:27
5th loop: 34:45
6th loop: 34:51
7th loop: 36:27
8th loop: 35:53
9th loop: 33:48

A Run-Filled Weekend

Fifth Avenue Mile

Professional Women in the

Fifth Avenue Mile

Professional Men in the

Fifth Avenue Mile

Denie, Carol, Julien, and Me after

the 18-Mile Tune Up

It was a great weekend for running.  The Fifth Avenue Mile was on Saturday.  My goal heading into the race was 5:10, but I wasn't going to be surprised if it didn't happen since I haven't really done any short distance workouts this year.  I had a very poor position in the start corral.  So, when the gun went off, I immediately sprinted through some small openings to get by a few dozen people.  Then I settled into what I thought was a reasonable pace for me.  Sure enough, half way through the race, I already wanted to quit because I felt my legs just wouldn't turn over fast enough.  But then I decided I was going to go for it and try to pick up the pace in the second half of the race.  I almost didn't reach the finish.  Twice, I felt like my legs were going to give out before I hit the finish line.  I also felt like my posture was poor.  It felt like I was leaning back and tightening up badly in the last 200 meters.  In fact, I remember thinking I was simply going to freeze up and have to walk the last 100 meters.  I stumbled across the finish line in 5:06.  Thrilled that I managed to go under my goal and with some hope that I might be able to go under 5:00 next year, with a little track work, of course. 

Today, I woke up at 4:00 a.m. to make sure I got to Central Park on time.  I was scheduled to meet some Run NYC runners for the 18-Mile Marathon Tune Up.  It was a perfect day.  Sunny and mild temps.  I ran with Kendall and Alfonso for the first two loops of the park at a nice 9:00+/mile pace.  Then I saw a Run NYC runner running by herself and decided to pace her for the last loop of the park. The NYC Marathon is 6 weeks away.  I feel a lot better about my training this year than last year.  But I still feel like I need a couple more long runs (20 milers) before I feel like I'll be ready.  

Reach the Beach Relay

202.89 miles later, we've reached the beach

Night running is the BEST!

Kevin on the final leg, #36.

Benny & Me waiting the arrival of Leg #30.  We didn't know it

at the moment, but we were at the wrong place.  DOH!!!

36 legs. 202.89 miles. 11 people.  25 hours 46 minutes 35 seconds. 47th place out of 425 teams.  Teammates: Benny, Bruno, Margot, Mark, Lou, Kendall, Huw, Kevin, Stacy, and Michelle.  

Those are the facts, but they don't come close to telling the whole story. To begin, we didn't have a full team of 12 runners, so three of us, Benny, Bruno, and I had to run 4 legs instead of 3.  My first leg was leg #2, and it was 8.96 miles and hilly.  I thought I began conservatively.  I let two guys run a bit ahead of me.  I passed both of them within the first two miles but then realized I was running too fast, especially given the heat (80 degrees) and I had not come to the hills yet.  I had to slow down drastically when I came to the hills.  One of the guys I had passed earlier went by me with a couple miles left in the leg.  I was very glad to finish this leg.  I ran a respectable 6:39/mile.

My second leg was Leg #13.  It was 3.91 miles and took place at night.  One interesting aspect of this leg was that I ran the same leg back in 2009.  However, they could not have been more different.  In 2009, I don't remember seeing any other runners, except maybe, right at the beginning.  This time, I saw plenty of people, and it seemed like it was better lit.  I ended up doing a 6:08/mile pace for this leg.  

My third leg was Leg #24.  It was 6.87 miles and was damp and a little hilly.  I passed a lot of people on this leg.  I was fortunate to catch up to and run with a guy who had passed me early in the leg.  We ran together for the second half of the leg.  It made for a fast leg.  I ran 6:31/mile for this leg and passed 26 runners.  

My last leg was leg #35, the second to the last leg of the entire race.  It was 3.41 miles long.  I ran at 6:06/mile.  It was mostly downhill and once again, I passed a large number of people.  As I approached the end of the leg, I noticed that the person who I was supposed to hand off to was not there yet.  I assumed it was traffic.  But, just as I entered the relay exchange area, I saw Kevin running towards me. Crisis averted.  

I wish I had more time to write about the race, but I have work to do.  Hopefully, I'll get to do this race again someday.  

Running Streak

My 48-day running streak ended on Thursday, September 6th.  524 miles.  I don't think I would recommend running streaks to anyone.  I found that my legs couldn't quite properly recover from hard workouts, even with easy runs.

38 Days in a Row and Counting

This streak is not intentional.  I just seem to end up doing them whenever I'm training for a marathon.

On Sunday, I decided to do a long run since I wasn't able to do the long run with Niketown on Saturday, due to the Harlem 5K.  I met up with Farbod and Lou, and we ran down the West Side Highway bike path.  Along the way, we met up with Chuck.  We ended up running down to the tip of Manhattan and running up the east side.  I finally ran out of energy near the 6th Street track, after 15.5 miles.  I had to stop and walk to the train.

When I got home, I bought a bag of ice, dumped it in my tub, and sat in it for 15 minutes.

Yesterday (Monday), I felt like running on a track, so I ran down to Riverbank State Park.  I did 4x200 with a 200m jog in between.  Just enough to remind my legs what it's like to run at mile race pace.  After that, I ran down to the West Side Y.  I did another 7.5 mile with the WSY Running Club, along the West Side Highway bike path.  My grand total was 15.5 miles for the second day in a row.

Percy Sutton Harlem 5K

My NYRR bib has shown a pace of 5:55 on it since 2009.  The last time I ran a 5K race or longer with a pace under 5:55/mile was in 2002.  That finally changed this past Saturday.  It helped that the course wasn't nearly as hilly as the course for the Coogan's 5K.  I was actually hoping to run under 18:00.  However, the humidity and my position in the corral probably hurt my chances.  Still, it was a satisfying race.

My splits were 5:57, 5:51, 5:43.  I had a mental letdown in the last 1/2 mile.  I thought I saw the finish line, but it was actually just a blue sign that said "Harlem."  I hadn't even reached the 3-mile marker.  Once I realized my mistake, I couldn't pick up the pace again and just cruised across the finish line about 30 seconds later.  The results of this race makes me want to train for shorter races and race on a flat course.  I'd really love to do the Carlsbad 5000 in San Diego but will probably have to wait until 2014.  I can just feel the fast twitch muscle fibers in my legs slowly deteriorating.  

The WSY men's team did great, 10th place overall (2nd in the Open B division) and 8th in the Masters division.  

No break yet

The streak continues.  33 days and counting.  On Saturday, I ran 13 miles with Niketown.  Then, on Sunday, I ran the NYRR Long Training Run #2.  I was hoping to make 16 miles with the 7:00/mile group if I felt good.  However, the weather was so nice that morning, I decided to take advantage of the day and run farther.  On the final 4-mile loop, I decided to run on my own.  One other runner came with me and together we caught up to another runner, who stayed with us.  By the 18th mile, I realized I should have probably stopped after 16 miles, but by then, it was too late.  The last couple of miles were a struggle.

According to my watch, I ran 20.4 miles in 2:20.  That worked out to 6:53/mile.  I don't think I could have kept up that pace for another 6 miles.  Obviously, I need more training if I expect to run a 3:05 marathon.

Time for a Break

I ran 13 miles on Saturday, 6 miles on Sunday, 9.5 miles (8x Cat Hill) on Monday, and 6 miles yesterday.  This was on top of some tough workouts last week.  I felt like I struggled getting through Monday's hill workout.  I ran 5 miles through a thunderstorm on my own, and my legs felt extremely sluggish.  There was a tempo run scheduled for today's West Side Y's workout, but there was no way I could run at tempo pace today.  Instead, I ran another 5 miles with Benny and Denie.  I ended up running faster than I thought I could.

I knew I hadn't taken a day off in awhile.  But I was a little surprised at how long it's been.  Today was my 26th day of running, in a row!  I think it's about time for a day off.

Times Squqre #first2fly

Our tribute to the closing ceremonies for the 2012 Olympics on Sunday.

 Chuck, Denie, Farbod, and Me.

 Elmo doesn't look ready to run.

Trying to avoid traffic in Times Square.

I thought Elmo was just promoting his character.  But as soon as the picture was taken, he asked me for money.  

Tempo Run

Tough run tonight.  I'm tired of this humidity already!  I did a mile warm up, ran a 4-mile tempo @6:33/mile.  I ran a slow mile for a slight recovery.  Then I ran another 4-mile tempo @6:32/mile and a one mile cool down.

What made this run particularly tough was the workouts I did the past three days.  I did a 10.5 mile run on Sunday, 10x400m repeats on Monday, and 10 loops of Strawberry Fields yesterday.  I need a day off.

Team Championships

80 degrees and 87% humidity at 8:00a.m.?!  I was hoping for a sub-30:00 5-mile, but the weather changed my goals.  I ended up running 30:45 with splits of 6:07, 6:01, 6:09, 6:23, 6:05 for an average of 6:09/mile.  The first couple of miles were OK.  As I crossed the 2-mile marker, I was thinking that it was taking a lot more energy to run 6:00/mile than it should.  The fourth mile included Cat Hill and was  brutal.  I usually don't grab water at the fluid stations, but I grabbed some on this day.  I was so glad to finish this race.

Nike Flyknit Racers

On Monday, I went on my first official run in the Flyknit Racers.  I did 10 repeats on the Strawberry Fields hill.  The Flyknits felt good, extremely light, of course.  I could not quite sense whether the shoes had enough cushion for me since I only ran a total of about 3 slow miles on my warm up and cool down. But they definitely have more cushion than the Lunar Spider or the Zoom Streak.  I think the true test will come on Saturday in the Team Championships 5-mile race.

Yesterday, I ran 3 lower loops with the Niketown Run Club.  We did "lamppost pick-ups."  I've been assigned to pace a group of runners who are trying to do a 8:30/mile marathon.  It was very satisfying to see runners working hard to finish the workout.

I've done two 50+ mile weeks and feel like my marathon training is going OK.  My long run has only been 12 miles, so I feel I am a little behind in that regard.  And I will be missing the long run this Saturday because I'll be running the Team Championships.  But I'm not too worried.

#first2fly

I was fortunate enough to pick up a pair of Flyknit Racers today.  I have only tried them on and haven't run in them yet.  Soon.  Very soon.  The fit is awesome!  I can't get over the feel of the upper.  In terms of cushioning, I would say they are not as spongy as the Lunar Racers but with more cushion than the Zoom Streak or Lunar Spider.

Nike Flyknits

I'm hoping to get a pair of these when they come out.  I tried them out in Eugene, OR, and they felt incredibly light and fit really well.

Nike Flyknits

800 Repeats Again!!!

As if yesterday's workout wasn't enough, I did 800 repeats again.  But today, they included Cat Hill.  No more speed workouts for this week!

800m Repeats

Yesterday was quite possibly the worst weather I've experienced this summer.  (I missed a few days of the last heat wave because I was in Oregon.)  I really didn't pay much attention to my splits.  I just wanted to get the workout over with.  But here are the splits anyway.  2:55, 2:45, 2:42, 2:42, 2:42, 2:48.  Got a nice surprise and ran into Erika right before the workout.

Olympic Track & Field Trials

Hayward Field, Eugene OR

I had the privilege of watching two days of the Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene, OR.  The men's and women's 1500 finals were excellent races.  Leo Manzano won the men's race.  Seeing a guy who is only 5'5" out kicking everyone else down the homestretch was incredible.  No trip to Eugene would be complete without a trip to see Pre's Rock.  

Pre's Rock

After the trials were over, we drove up to Portland.  I discovered Voo Doo Donuts and was quickly sent into a sugar induced coma by a ginormous apple fritter.  Got a tour of the Nike campus.  That place is amazing!  

A box of Voo Doo Donuts

Nike Campus

Denie, Josh, and Me

Statue of Michael Johnson

Track on Nike Campus

Trees growing on the infield!

How cool is that?!

Queensboro Bridge

On my way from Niketown to the Queensboro Bridge this morning.  I was standing on a corner with a group of runners.  Some guy who looked like he was in his late 20s reached for my hand and says, "Hey, I think you were my teacher."  I immediately recognized him but could not recall his name.  I'm guessing it had to be over 10 years since the last time I saw him.  It may have even been as many as 17 years.  I always feel bad when I can't remember a former student's name.

Incidentally, I ran across the bridge FOUR times.

Brooklyn Half Marathon

And the good races continue!  1:22:32 (6:18/mile).  The day began at 3:30 a.m.  By 4:30 a.m., I was on the train.  At 5:40 a.m., I was stepped off the train at the Brooklyn Museum.  I hung out with a few friends in the parking lot of the museum.  Then, I dropped off my bag at 6:15 and did a 1/2-mile warm up.    I was in my corral by 6:30.

Fellow West Side Y'ers Farbod and Lou joined me in the corral.  I felt uncomfortable for the first couple of miles.  I wasn't warmed up properly and despite the slow pace, I felt awkward and the pace felt difficult.  Both Lou and Farbod mentioned that they were not going to pass me, or at least for the first few miles.  It was nice running with people I knew.  

We entered the park in the middle of Mile 4.  By that time, I finally felt like I was warmed up.  The hills in the park weren't too bad, but I was still anxious to get out of the park.  When I got out of the park (after Mile 7) I felt like I was in a groove and ready to take on Ocean Parkway.  

By Mile 8, Lou had pulled away from me a bit.  When I hit Mile 9, I remember thinking I haven't gone on any 10 mile runs lately.  At Mile 10, I thought I was on 1:23 pace but I wasn't sure.  Once I hit Mile 11, I knew I could keep up the pace.  For the most part, I was slowly passing people for all of Ocean Parkway.  When I got onto the boardwalk and approached the finish, I thought I could see the clock showing 1:22 something.  I was excited about the prospect of breaking 1:23:08 (my fastest time for the half since I became a masters runner), so I started running pretty hard.  It wasn't until a couple seconds after I crossed the line and I stopped my watch that I realized I broke 1:23 by a large margin.  

My splits:

1. 6:41

2. 6:35

3. 6:21 (estimated)

4. 6:07 (estimated)

5. 6:25

6. 6:24

7. 6:10

8. 6:13

9. 6:09

10. 6:12

11. 6:16

12. 6:14

13. 6:07

13.1  0:38

My 5K splits:

5K  20:10

10K  19:45

15K  19:12

20K  19:20

Japan Day

I've been running some good races lately.  

Coogan's 5K in 18:22.  (5:56/mile)

NYC Half in 1:23:33.  (6:23/mile)

NY Colon Cancer Challenge 15K in 59:35.  (6:25/mile)

Scotland 10K in 38:15.  (6:11/mile)

Run as One 4 Mile in 23:44.  (5:56/mile)
Long Branch Half Marathon 1:24:17 (6:27/mile)

And now, I'm going to add today's Japan Day 4 mile in 24:05.  (6:02/mile)  It wasn't quite as good as the Run as One 4 Mile but good enough for me.  These were my splits: 6:09, 5:53, 6:08, 5:56

Scotland 10K

Time: 38:15

Pace/Mile: 6:11

Overall Place: 191st

Men: 180th

Age Place: 23rd

Splits: 6:14, 6:09, 6:05, 6:23, 6:02, 6:06.

Nice weather for a race. I'm not sure where that 6:23 mile came from. I felt pretty good throughout the race. I probably lost a few seconds in the first mile because I got stuck behind people.

So far this year, despite my plantar fasciitis issues, I'm doing about the same as I did last year. My Coogan's time was exactly the same as last year, 18:22. My Scotland 10K was a little faster last year, 37:57. I wish my foot pain would go away so that I could train properly.

The West Side YMCA men finished in 11th place out of 55 teams. The women finished 22nd out of 43 teams. The masters men finished 14th out of 49 teams.

Colon Cancer Challenge 15K

I spent all of last week recovering from the 20-mile training run last Sunday. So I went into today's race thinking I would simply use it as a training run.

Splits:

1. 6:33

2. 6:07

3. 6:58

4. 6:18

5. 6:24

6. 6:21

7. 6:14

8. 6:24

9. 6:21

Total: 59:35 (6:25/mile)