Race Recap: the Staten Island Half Marathon

Well, it took 7 years of doing races with the New York Road Runners, but I can officially say that I have completed every race that is part of the 5 borough series. Some, like the NYC half and the Queens 10k I jump at the chance to run each year, but I was a hold out with the Staten Island half. After hearing friends stories of the hills there, plus the annoyance of having to drive in or take a ferry, I never bothered with this race before. But this year, it fell on a weekend where all of my local running buddies had other plans, and I needed to get in a long training run for the NYC marathon. So when my friend Carson told me she was registered for the race, and encouraged me to sign up too, it was just the push I needed to finally cross this race off the “to-do” list.

Carson lives in Manhattan, so to make race morning easier I crashed at her apartment the night before. So on Saturday afternoon I hopped on the LIRR and headed into Manhattan, then walked uptown and met up with her and her boyfriend, Drew. The three of us killed some time by visiting the Nike store and walking through their winding 5 story shop, which showcased various athletic gear and assortments of sneakers, and then met up with an additional friend of carson’s and headed to “The Monkey Bar” for dinner. Carson is on a quest to find the best burger in NYC, and this restaurant was on her list to try. The highlight of the meal for me was the appetizers – we got an order of the king crab rangoon and their truffle mac and cheese to share, and both were delicious.

After dinner we headed uptown to Carson’s apartment, and the two of us prepped our bags and outfits for race morning. I had decided on a long sleeve tee and a pair of shorts for the following day’s race, which was projected to have temps in the high 40s, with clear skies. Carson had picked up our race bibs and shirts in advance, which meant we could sleep in a little later the following day. The two of us hung out and caught up, eventually turning in for an early-ish bedtime.

When my alarm blared at 5:45, it felt WAY too early. I slowly rolled out of bed and got dressed, and braided half of my hair while Carson got ready… I would finish the other half later in the morning, while we waited for the ferry to arrive at the terminal. Carson had set up an Lyft, which picked us up at 6:15 and drove us all the way downtown to the ferry terminal. It was a quick ride, and when we got into the terminal they had a shop open, so we were able to grab breakfast while we waited for the 7:00 ferry to arrive. As 7:00 grew closer an announcement was made that the arriving ferry had “limited capacity,” and nervous runners rushed to line up at the ferry door to ensure that they would make it onto the boat.

When 7:00 rolled around, we were able to get on to the ferry, and even found seats near a window on the lower level. We watched the sunrise over the water as we headed from Manhattan to Staten Island. When the ferry arrived at staten island we opted to wait in line for the bathrooms in the terminal, which were indoor, instead of waiting for porter potties outside, since it was a chilly morning (it was in the high 40s °F). By the time we made it through the line it was already 8 am, and we were scheduled to start the race at 8:30. I quickly braided Carson’s hair, and then we headed outside.

The race staging was set up right outside of the terminal, which made getting to the start super easy. As soon as we walked out we saw NYRR tents, and were easily able to find the bag check, where I left my overnight bag while we were running. Once our bags were left behind, we headed to security, where we had to walk through metal detectors. But as soon as we were through security we could see the start corrals, and headed towards our corral, after spending a minute stretching and arranging all my fuel for the race.

Before we knew it, the corrals were collapsing, and we were walking towards the start. My plan for the day was simple: steady state running. I wanted to settle into a comfortable pace and just keep moving forward, no walking breaks, not even for water or fuel. While Carson and I were starting the race together, we knew we would probably go our separate ways a few miles in.

We crossed the start with all the other runners, and the rolling hills began almost immediately. Carson had run the event another year and warned me that at the beginning of the course the road had a bad left/right slant, and she was so right! We tried to stay as close to the middle of the road as we could, watching our feet as we ran over the uneven roads. Despite this, we were feeling okay as we settled into running, chatting as we made our way through the first few miles. There were water stations every mile or so on course, and while we got separated after the first one, Carson popped back by my side soon after. Between miles 3 and 4 Carson decided to walk a little, and we said our goodbyes and parted ways as we came upon another hill.

By then we were at the out and back part of the course, and I could see runners streaming by in the other direction and turned with them around mile 6 as I approached the second half of the race. My pace was holding steady in the mid-10s range, and I felt pretty good.

I started to recognize the course around mile 9, as we ran by Ft. Wadsworth, where the start village for the NYC marathon is held each year. I felt excited seeing it, thinking about how in under a month I’ll be there with Mike, getting ready to take on the NYC marathon together. Shortly after that I ran up yet another uphill, which took me under the Verrazano, where the NYC marathon starts. That got me even more excited for race day!

The last few miles of the race were sometimes along the water, which gave us city views as we ran. When I got to mile 11 I switched from listening to an audiobook to some music, looking for something a little faster paced to give me a push to get me through the last few miles.

Before I knew it I was going up what spectators yelled was “the last hill of the race,” and then spotting the finish line. I pushed to get through the last little bit of the course and crossed the finish line – and accomplished my goal of running the whole race without walking.

From there I was herded through the finisher chute, where I was handed a metal and then a recovery bag, which had a box of water, a bottle of Gatorade, a bag of pretzels and an apple. The fenced in area lead right to the bag check, so I grabbed my stuff and then found a curb to re-organize and stretch while waiting for Carson to finish running. A little less than a half hour later she came out of the finisher area and proclaimed that she was ready to get off this island and head home.

The two of us headed to the ferry together and found a sunny outdoor seat on the top deck for our return trip to Manhattan. Once we were back in the city we hopped on the subway, where we parted ways for the day. I took the subway right to Penn station, where I was able to change out of my running clothes and grab a sandwich while waiting for my train to arrive. It was a lot of mass transit to get home, but at least there wasn’t too much waiting around. When I got to the station near my house Dennis was waiting to pick me up, and I spent the rest of my day relaxing and recovering from the morning’s race.

Week 3: Training for the 2022 NYC Marathon

Marathon training always flies by fast, but I can’t believe it is already week 3! I was looking at my calendar yesterday and realized that I have managed to book something almost every weekend before now and the race, so I am sure to be squeezing in long runs between activities at some point. This week started with an off day, with no running on my schedule.

When I got home from work I changed into my workout gear and knocked out a 10-minute peloton core class. Sophie and had plans to meet up at the gym and do a group Pilates class, so we met there right before class started. I have been enjoying returning to group workouts, and it is nice that the cost is included in the cost of the gym membership, as it lets me just have fun as we try new classes instead of worrying about getting my “money’s worth.”

Once the class was over we decided to head to the weight room, as I wanted to do a few lower body exercises – my knee was still bothering me a bit, and I felt like it would be good to revisit some of the strengthening exercises that I had been given when I did physical therapy back in 2019, as the pain felt similar (but less intense). We spent about a half hour between three machines, switching off for sets so we would get a break between each bit of work.

It had thunder stormed for a bit on Monday night, which meant that Tuesday morning gave us the gift of cooler temps and low humidity. I had forgotten to locate my headphones when I set out my clothes the night before and settled for grabbing my Shokz open swim headphones (which are waterproof, so they don’t have Bluetooth capability). I had been listening to the Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix audio book as I swam, so that morning I got in another chapter as I ran.

My Mom and Dad were waiting outside when I got to their house, and we got right on the road this morning. Mom and I chatted for a bit at the start of the run, and then I got into a groove and started the audio book as the conversation petered out.  It was another three mile morning, and when the run was done I headed home and had some eggs for breakfast.

After work I decided to walk to the pool again and managed to find an empty lane for laps. I got in 30 minutes, and then walked home and did a 10 minute peloton core class, before digging into some thai food. I am hoping that while the pools are open for the summer I can get there every two or three days to swim some laps. Since I am just returning to running, I worry that my mileage isn’t high enough for marathon training, and supplementing with swimming laps makes me feel better about the volume of work I am doing.

It was another miracle in July on Wednesday morning, as we had mild temperatures in the 60s and relatively low humidity again that morning. I had a restless night of sleep and was worried my body would be against waking up to run, but like clockwork I woke up just before 5:30, and got moving once I transferred one of our cats, Binx, from my lap onto my still sleeping husband.

I got ready, this time with my regular headphones since I had managed to find them the night before, and was greeted with a pretty sunrise as I stepped outside. I had 4 miles on tap that morning and got to my parents’ house early enough that they were not yet waiting outside for me.

We headed out together and got on the road, and as I chatted with my mom during the first quarter mile I almost felt like my old self again. My stride felt natural, and my feet moved with a cadence they had so many times before, unlike the slower paces I had become accustomed to as of late. After a moment of taking in the feeling I slowed myself down, knowing that if I pushed my knee was likely to feel even worse than it had over the last week or so. But it was nice to know that, even if it’s just for a moment, running can feel good again. It makes me feel like I can build back to where I was, as long as I take things slow and trust the process. The four miles slipped by without any fanfare, feeling like a normal morning run to me.

Run three of the week was slated for Thursday morning, and I worried about its fate as I saw thunderstorms in the forecast. I texted with Dad, and we decided to push the run to Friday when the skies would be clearer. Thursday became a day of strength training – in the evening, since I took full advantage of a little extra sleep in the morning. When I got home from work Den was setup in the home gym on Zwift, so I grabbed a jump rope, kettle bell, and resistance band and headed out to the backyard patio. I turned on some up beat music, and started a cycle of jumprope until burnout, kettle bell thrusts and squats, and then monster walks and side squats with the resistance band until my heart rate was back down in zone one, at which point I would start the cycle again.

It wasn’t the best or most structured workout, but I enjoyed listening to my body and going through motions that felt good. It was a break from my normal routine, and I really enjoyed it. Eventually I called it quits, and finished my workout with 10 minutes of core.

Mike had inquired about joining for a morning run, so on Friday I picked him up on the way to my parents’ house. It had not been an easy wakeup morning, as my alarm ripped me from sleep when I was not expecting it, but once I was on the road I was happy to be getting my run done. The weather had returned to the soupy, humid air that is expected in July, and I was happy that Mike joined us as we looped around the neighborhood. It was warm enough that instead of waiting for a water signal, my dad pulled alongside us several times during the short run and mandated water intake (not that I minded, the water was refreshing!). We kept the pace conversational, but I still struggled to talk at times, just because of the conditions. I dropped Mike off after the run, and went on with my standard work day.

I took it easy on Saturday, and caught up with my housework. Den and I went shopping to get supplies to do some weekday lunch prep, and I got all my stuff together for Sunday - I had plans to run a NYRR event and then head to Brooklyn to go to smorgasbord with my brother and some friends.

Sunday’s race was the NYRR team championship, one of their weekly races that I hadn’t done before. It was a 5 mile race, that we planned to tack 3 miles on to so we’d get a total of 8 miles done.

Dennis came along so that he could join us for smorgasbord after, so the two of us got up around 4:45 and stopped to grab some bagels before picking Mike up. I drove the three of us into Manhattan, and after a few loops of city blocks we managed to find street parking. It was a little under a mile walk to the start area of the race, where we met up with Apryl, another member of the BibRave community. Apryl and I had been chatting online for years, and since she recently moved to NY I was excited to finally meet in person and get to run together.

We picked up our race bibs and race giveaway, which was a cool reflective Fanny pack! I really like when races give out something other than a shirt.

We headed towards the porter potties, and got in just in time before the race got started. We hopped into the corral right as the crowd started moving forward, and started our running intervals as soon as we crossed the start line.

Thankfully the course headed south from the start, so we got to avoid Harlem hill. Mike, Apryl and I chatted as we made our way first through the three sisters, then around the south side of the park. The weather wasn’t too warm when we started, but the heat turned up as we made our way further into the run, and I was happy each time I spotted an aid station and got a cup of water. The second half of the race took us around the bottom of the park and then north towards the finish, and included a trip up cat hill, and a spotting of the cat statue that lives at the peak of it.

The different teams within NYRR were out in full force as we approached the finish, with the front runners even forming a cheer tunnel on the course! We crossed the finish with smiles on our faces, and grabbed some water before venturing out to do the last three miles of our run.

We explored Central Park a little as we got in our final three miles, first heading north in a way that would have brought us up the backside of Harlem hill, but bailing onto one of the smaller, more wooded trails before the climb got too bad, and then approaching the hill from the other side, enjoying that downhill that took us to the base of Harlem hill before turning around.

Eventually we made our way back towards the ball fields, where Dennis was waiting on a rock as we ran. With our miles complete (8 for me and Mike, and 14 for Apryl), we took a minute to stretch before heading back to the car.

From there Mike, Den and I picked up Carson and her boyfriend before heading to Brooklyn, where we stopped at my brothers apartment to pick him up, and so Mike and I could each shower quick and change before heading to get lunch.

I had never been to the prospect park smorgasbord before, and it was easy enough to find once we made our way into the park. It was a loop of maybe 20-30 vendors, all serving different foods. One of the first booths we saw was selling different types of lemonade, and we all gave into temptation on the hot day, getting drinks as we decided on food choices. We took the try everything and share it all approach, sampling things like dumplings, rainbow grilled cheese, poutine, and pad Thai. It was a fun afternoon, and a yummy way to refuel after a training run while catching up with friends.

Race Recap: NYRR Retro Run

Well internet, I did it again – I neglected to consult my calender when signing up for races, and got myself into another two-race weekend, this time with a particularly early morning. My weekend of racing started with another “weekly” race with the New York Road runners, the 4-mile Retro Run.

This particular road runners event has been on my “to do” list for the last two years, as I love an excuse to dress up for a race. I had signed up for it in 2017 but then had a family obligation, and was similarly out of town for the 2018 rendition of the event. But this year I was finally able to don the vintage 1987 road runners event shirt that Dad had surprised me with in 2017, before we realized I wouldn’t be able to participate.

The morning started with a 5:50 alarm, and by 6:15 one of my teammates from the Merrick Bicycles Tri Team, Michal, had arrived at my apartment. Her, Mike and I were car pooling to the city, and we hopped into my car and headed to pick up Mike. The weather was nice for July running, with temps in the 70’s and a slightly overcast sky. I managed to navigate us to the city without any tolls, which sounds simple, and ultimately is simple, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t messed it up in the past. I again opted to pre-purchase parking through the spot hero app, and got a garage spot on 67th street, just outside of central park. When participating in Road Runner events it is easy to find street parking if the event occurs on a Sunday, as parking regulations are more relaxed, but on Saturdays there are more rules, and street parking can be hard to come by. The $20 charge that the three of us split was worth not feeling rushed before the race.

We all needed to pick up our bibs, so we headed to race day central to grab them. After a quick scan of our QR codes, we were good to go. We found Carson near bib pickup, and she joined our group of runners. As a chronic over-packer, I of course had a bag I wanted to check, so our next stop was the drop-off location. On the way there we ran into another MBTT teammate, and stopped for a quick pre-race selfie. The final start before it was time to run? The porter potties, of course!

We climbed into the corrals just before 8 am, when the race was scheduled to begin. I wasn’t planning on racing, so I dropped back so that I could run with everyone else. As we waited in the corrals we sang along to the “retro” tunes that they were pumping into the corrals, really breaking it down to ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.” As the corrals ahead of us were released, we shuffled closer to the start line.

Eventually it was our turn to start running, and this time the four of us managed to stay together through the crowded start. Admittedly, it was a smaller field than the pride run had been, so it was less congested. We pushed the pace a little as we weaved through the crowd, looking for a area big enough for the four of us. Some of the runners that we spotted had great costumes, and we even spotted a few wigs that had us wondering if they were real or not.

When we got to the first mile marker, in lieu of the standard timing clock there was a man on a raised chair yelling out the race clock time – they had really committed to this retro thing! As we approached the north end of the park Mike and I began to wonder aloud if we were going to have to face Harlem hill that day – neither of us had checked the course map. But just before mile two the course turned, avoiding it. Instead, we headed into the rolling hills known as the three sisters, and it was during the third mile of the race that in these hills our group of four split in half to pairs. Carson wasn’t feeling great, and wanted to incorporate some walk breaks, and Mike decided to stay with her as Michal and I kept running. We chatted our way through the final mile, and after crossing the finish line we pulled to the side and asked a volunteer to take our photo. As we posed, Mike and Carson hopped in, having finished just a moment later.

We were happy to have water at the finish line, and accepted our post race bagels and apples from volunteers. Carson was a little run-drunk, and was very concerned that she couldn’t spot any raisins in her cinnamon-raisin bagel, but thankfully they were discovered once she started eating it.

We picked up our event shirts, which were teal and made of a more “retro” looking material than the standard shirt that the road runners gives out. I was a fan of them, as they were soft and the logo looked good on the front of the shirt. There was a band playing, and roller skaters putting on a show near the bandshell, and a vintage good humor truck was giving out popsicles to runners. I went and picked up my checked bag while my friends waited in line. Our last stop before heading home was the photo booth, which was setup in a old Volkswagen van. We climbed into the back of it and posed together, sweaty post-run faces and all. If you’d like to see the video from the race, you it is posted on my youtube page, or you can click the photo of us with the race shirts.

It was a fun event, made better by running it with friends. We hit some traffic going home, but it at least gave Mike some time to try my r-8 recovery roller, or as he called it, the Bear Trap. When I did get home, I spent most of Saturday preparing for Sunday’s event: My first Triathlon.

Race Recap: 2019 NYRR Pride Run

Another weekend, another race. This time the New York Road Runners Front runners of NY Pride run - If that’s not a mouthful, I’m not sure what is. This race would bring me one step closer to my 9+1 qualification for next year’s NYC marathon, and was sure to be full of LOVE! This would be my second time running this event, and we were slated for sunny skies.

When we registered for this race, I had Kasey, Mike, Sophie, and Sophie’s sister Janna planning to run with me. We all signed up, but only three of us made it to the start line. Mike wound up having a wedding in Connecticut that night, and the timing just wasn’t working out, and Kasey got put on the schedule for work. A bummer for sure on both fronts, but I was glad to at least have some good company as I headed into the city on race morning.

I picked up Sophie and Janna from my parent’s house, and they were in full rainbow mode and ready to run. I had opted for a neon pink shirt and neon ProCompression socks, as I just didn’t have anything rainbow that I really felt did the event justice.

I had decided to pre-purchase parking via the spot hero app, since every other time that we had headed into the city for a Saturday race this year we had wound up looping the streets surrounding central park looking for parking for so long that we had to kick one person out of the car to get the bibs which the other paid for a garage - and they’re expensive! Paying for parking day of in the city has cost us around $55, where as the spot hero app got me parking for $22 - a bargain in my opinion. We easily dropped the car off just a block outside of central park, and had a quick walk to bib pickup.

Once we had our bibs we moved over to bag check, and I sorted through the crap that I wanted to have with me, vs. the stuff I could leave behind. I had intended to run with my GoPro for this event, and carried it with me, but shortly after bag check discovered that the battery was dead. Once my stuff was dropped off we headed towards the corrals, with a quick stop at the porter potties along the way.

It was a big race, as NYRR was trying to set a world record for the largest charity pride run. They would have to net the most finishers, so there were over 10,000 runners in the field - much larger than the standard NYRR weekly race! We headed to the back of the corrals, as this was Janna’s first NYRR event, so she did not have a proper time-based corral placement yet. Shortly after we got to the corral, Carson spotted us as we waited to get moving, and joined us in the corrals. It was a long walk to the start, as they were releasing runners in waves that day.

When we did make it to the start, it was so crowded that I managed to loose sight of Sophie and Janna. I saw them right behind me, and Sophie waved me on. I planned to stay with them, but the next time I turned to check for them they were out of sight. So, Carson and I moved forward, figuring that we would find them by the finish line. We chatted as we made our way through the first mile, which brought us up Cat hill. Near the hill one of the members of MBTT spotted me, Michal, and we chatted for a moment until she decided to cut back her pace a little. It’s always fun to spot a familiar face on course.

We missed the first aid station simply because it was crowded, but pulled over to grab water at the second. it was a humid morning, and we needed to make sure to hydrate, even though it was only a 5 mile run. We continued making our way around central park, and as we approached Harlem Hill Carson and I parted ways, as she wanted to take a short walk break. I pressed forward, enjoying the challenge of the hill. I had needed to take a few days off that week, as my calf had been feeling a little strained, but it was feeling great during the race, and I was just happy to be moving. Did the hill suck? Yes. But there I was, running up it anyway, somehow happy about it as sweat dripped into my eyes. Running is emotionally weird, guys.

If you’ve run central park before, you probably know what comes after Harlem Hill - you finally make it to the top, praise the end of the uphill, have a moment of relief, and then head straight for the three sisters. Sigh. More hills. But I was still happy to be out there, happy to feel good running, even pushing the pace a little when I could. I wanted to play it smart with the heat, so I wasn’t going too crazy.

Once I made it through the ups and downs of the three sisters, it was smooth sailing to the finish line. A flat stretch, lines with spectators decked out in pride gear, cheering on the runners, a final turn, and the finish line chute. I almost crashed with another runner at the finish line, who came in HOT behind me, but crisis was averted. I moved through the finishers chute, being handed water, and apple, a rainbow bagel, and the real prize - a rainbow ice pop. Really, the ice pop alone would have been enough to convince me to run five miles.

I was very thankful for the many pockets on my shorts, as I crammed my apple and bagel into them as I enjoyed my ice pop. I waited in line to pick up my shirt, and once I had it I went to pick up my checked bag. Carson found me along the way, and walked over to get her bag as well. We then found a nice curb to enjoy our ice pops on.

Sophie texted me when she finished her race, and I walked back over to the shirt pickup area to meet her. Her and Janna briefly got separated - an issue as Janna had never been in central park before and had no cell phone on her - but Sophie found her surprisingly fast, and then they grabbed their shirts. By then we had all finished our ice pops, and made a group decision for another round - there were plenty of vendors in the park after all! Once we had our ice pops acquired, we walked towards the cherry hill fountain, where I knew some of the tri team had planned to meet up. I knew I was probably too late, but wanted to see if I could spot anyone.

I was indeed too late, but we snapped a few photos with the fountain anyway. We walked back up to race day central, posed with a few of the photo ops, then parted ways with Carson as we headed for the car and she headed for the subway.

It was another good week with the road runners, despite the warm temperatures. At the end of the race they announced that they had met their goal, and broke a Guinness world record for the largest pride run

Race Recap: 2019 Queens 10k

Well, we are half way through 2019, and I’m almost done with my 9+1 program with the New York Road Runners, which will earn me a spot in the 2020 NYC Marathon.

My 6th race of the year with the road runners was the Queens 10k, which takes place in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, NY. This was the third year that I was participating in this race, and it is one race that I have looked forward to each summer. The ride into queens is a bit shorter than the ride into Central Park, since I live on Long Island, and Dad has come along each year to cheer me on and snap some photos as I run. This year Sophie was also signed up to run, but since I wanted to race the event, we weren’t planning on running together.

I headed over to my parents house race morning, as Dad had agreed to drive to queens, and was surprised to see that my mom was awake and ready to join us. Sophie and I piled into the back seat and we were on the way. We were able to find parking in the park, so we managed to avoid having to park in citi field. We had a little walk to race day central, which had moved from where it was located previous years. This of course lead to me leading us entirely out of the way, but a volunteer eventually pointed us in the right direction, and we found it near the entrance to the subway stop at citi field.

We were able to get our bibs quickly enough, but the diversion in getting to the pick up meant that we didn’t have time to stop at the bathroom before the race. Instead, I headed for the corrals of wave one, and Sophie and I parted ways as I climbed into the corral.

A few members of the Tri team, including Sami and Nicole, were in a starting corral near mine, so the three of us were rapid fire texting before the race, trying to spot each other. We all wanted to run similar paces, so I was trying to spot them before the race began. Eventually Nicole flagged me down, and we found Sami shortly after.

The national anthem was sung, and after a bit of corrals shuffling forward, we were off! The first mile was a bit crowded, and it seemed like a fair number of runners with wave 2 bibs had somehow wound up in wave one, and it was probably a big part of the congestion that was going on. Eventually the narrow park road opened up as we made a left and headed under some highways, and we got a little more space to spread out.

While overall the course was flat, we had a few sections that largely consisted of getting up highway overpasses. Mom and Dad were positioned just after the first one the race went by, but I managed to miss them. Mile two took us by the queens museum, and then on a very long out and back, which lead to the entrance of Citi field before turning us around and sending us back to the park. As the sun rose in the sky the humidity picked up, and we were all reminded that the park was once a swamp, as buckets of sweat ensued. Throughout the race I caught glimpses of my teammates, and seeing them pushing made me continue to cling onto what was, for me, a hard pace.

As we entered the park again and ran through mile 4, I reminded myself that it’s only a 10k, it would be over in just two more miles! I spotted my parents as we ran through the park, and knew I would spot them again by the unisphere. I just kept pushing to keep up with Sami, trying to focus on running and ignore the urge to constantly check the pace on my watch. Mile five took us passed the worlds fair pavilion and observation towers, AKA those space ships that you see in the Men in Black movies.

Mile five took us passed the unisphere, and then over to the area race day central was, before heading back towards the unisphere, and making one final turn towards the finish line. So close, yet so far! I managed to keep moving forward and stick with Sami until the end of the race, and we finished in 53:19. Not too shabby for a humid day. I was happy with the time, and even happier to be done running. I was handed a medal, and collected my finishers bag, which had an Apple, a Gatorade, a water, and some pretzels.

After the race Sami and I found Nicole and Gabby, and snapped a mini-team picture, before I headed back to race day central to collect my tank top. I always get nervous about getting a shirt my size, as they sometimes run out, but I got the size I wanted this time.

I headed back towards the unisphere where my parents were waiting for Sophie to run by, and got there just in time to spot her and cheer her on. I met her by the finish as she completed her race, and then we took some photos around the park before heading home.

I love the historic scenery that you get to run by in this race, with the relics of the worlds fair scattered throughout the course. If you’re a Disney fan, this is where it’s a small world and the carousel of progress first debuted! It’s a “must do” on my race calendar each year, and I always enjoy exploring the park with my family after the race.

We hit some traffic heading home, but it enabled a little post-race nap, which was perfect for me! All in all, it was a fun start to Father’s Day weekend.

Video Recap: The 2019 Brooklyn Half Marathon

Still working on a written blog post about the 2019 Brooklyn Half Marathon, but at least the video recap is complete!

I met up with Sophie, Mike, and Carson for the Brooklyn half, and we lost and found each other throughout the 13.1 mile distance.

Check back soon for a blog post, if you’re more into reading than watching videos.

2019 NYRR 9+1: The Gridiron 4 miler

As we begin 2019 I start, for the third time, the process of qualifying for the NYC marathon. While I qualified in 2017, I didn’t run the race in 2018 as I wound up getting married the week before, and in 2018 I completed my nine races, but ultimately decided not to fulfill my volunteer obligation, as I knew that my cousin Jen would be getting married race weekend for the 2019 marathon, and in Georgia, so there was no way I would get to NY in time to run it. But so far, things are looking good for 2020!

If you’re not from New York, you may be wondering what the heck I am talking about - let me give you the run down. If you’re a runner, you have probably heard of the NYC marathon, which happens the first weekend of November every fall. It is a tough race to get into, as you can’t register for it unless you have time qualified, won a race lotto, raised a lot of money for charity, or participated in the 9+1 program. The New York Road Runners, the race company that hosts the NYC Marathon, gives runners an option to earn guaranteed entry by running in 9 events, and volunteering at one event. The spot you earn is non-complimentary, so you still have to pay registration fees, but you are guaranteed the opportunity to register.

This year both Sophie and Mike have agreed to my marathon madness, and will be running the weekly races with me throughout the course of the year - Kasey, just think of all the blog posts that you won’t be in if you don’t run with us, are you sure marathon FOMO isn’t a thing?

I picked up Sophie, and her first question was “Are we running up the hill in central park? Your dad warned me about it.” I had maybe neglected mentioning the hills of central park to Sophie, who had never before run there. But lucky for her, today’s race excluded Harlem hill, so she got to avoid the worst of the hills this time.

For this week’s race, I linked up with Sami and Nicole from the tri team to carpool. I had offered to drive, but when Sophie and I got to Sami’s house Nicole was ready to take us as passengers, and I wasn’t about to complain about getting a ride into the city. It was an easy ride into Manhattan - you usually don’t hit too much traffic driving in from Long Island on Sunday mornings. We had to do a few laps of the area before we eventually found parking, but we prevailed in the battle against parking garages and found a spot on the street. It took us about 10 minutes to walk to race day central, where Sophie, Sami and I picked up our bibs, and then Sami and I checked bags before the race started.

We debated getting in some mileage before the run, but ultimately wound up getting in about a 1/4 mile before happening upon the football toss that they do for the superbowl, and Nicole to try a throw since the womens line was short. We then made our way to the corrals, which were set to collapse 10 minutes before the race started. It was only a 4 mile run, so we didn’t have to bother with gels today, so it was just a quick stretch and then we were on our way. Sophie and I stuck together, while Nicole and Sami zoomed off, as they had paces they wanted to hit during the run.

After a relatively flat start, we turned the second corner and faced the first of the three sisters - a hill formation consisting of three hills that are less than friendly, and which stayed with us as we ticked off the first and second mile. We did a drive by water stop in the second mile, and I had to peel off one of my layers - it was just too warm. As usual, I had seen a temperature in the 30s and panicked, putting on an underarmor cold gear shirt that I was regretting by the half way point.

This was a superbowl themed race, so during the second mile runners had to pick a lane - depending on which team they wanted to win. Sophie, being from New England, went for the patriots as the winner. I, not caring about football but lover of harry potter, went against the patriots, since Dan Radcliffe had spoken out as being against them in the week leading up to the race.

We had a short hill reprieve as we made our way around the south side of the park, but soon enough the steepest hill we would face that day was upon us - Cat Hill. By the time we were over it, we had about a mile left in the race, and I was able to truthfully tell Sophie that the hills were over, aside from the slight uphill at the finish. With no hills left I was able to relax my breathing, and sail right to the finish line. We completed the race in 37:39, an average pace of 9:18 min/mi.

We collected our bagel and apple, grabbed our checked bags, and changed out of our running clothes that were wet with sweat. As we were doing this, my friend Carson found us, and we all chatted as we stopped to grab our race shirts and made our way out of central park and to the car.

All in all it was a good day for a race, that went by quickly thanks to good company. My next NYRR race? The United Airlines NYC Half Marathon.

Wineglass Marathon 2018: Week 12

Total Mileage: 48.6

After getting back to NY on monday night, I was ready to relax and recuperate for the rest of tonight, and when Tuesday morning rolled around, it felt like the world’s biggest Monday.

Monday was prime day, and I did fall victim to one runner deal - a nox gear vest. I am a nerd for visibility gear, and was excited to add this to the lineup. The benefit of prime day - it was on sale AND it would get to me in just a few days.

Lucky for me, I had a full crew ready to run on Tuesday morning, and Dad, Kasey and I hit the roads bright and early, and even got our first taste of sunrise running for the season. After the pleasant air in california all weekend, being back in the humidity was a bit of a rude awakening, but I stuck it out to get 7.5 miles in before work. I treated myself to yoga on Tuesday night instead of a gym session, and it was exactly what I needed to get out of the Monday-on-a-Tuesday funk.

We had another full showing on Wednesday morning, and I got through 8 miles before work. I also accidentally nearly took a sprinkler to the face. I run without my glasses, and somehow sprinklers sneak up on me pretty often…. I can usually hear them, but occasionally I get a surprise shower. On strava, I named this run “new world record for sweat,” as everything I was wearing was entirely sweat through by the time I made it back to the apartment. It was the kind of morning when the post run shower was a huge reward.

Thursday I got to bust out my new vest for the first time, so you know I made sure to get out the door before the sun was up. Kasey’s reaction to my new gear? A cross between “I don’t know if I can be seen running with you while you’re wearing THAT,” and “I would rather be hit by a car than wear a light up vest.”

So, she’s not a huge fan of my safety gear, I can’t win them all. I can’t say I was shocked. This run was a doozy either way, and when Kasey had finished her leg of the morning, Dad asked if we wanted to take a jumpshot before we parted ways - our reaction? Opting to promptly lay down on the sidewalk in despair, as it seemed more fitting for how we both felt that morning. Major burn-out feelings, and sadly for me, I had to get up and keep running afterwards. But I did get up, to complete a total of 7.6 miles that morning. I had a standard Thursday night at the gym, and got another hour of strength training under my belt.

I was gearing up to get in my last long run before the marathon that weekend - the big 22 miler! So Friday I focused on recovery, and got in a yoga class after work.

Saturday was the big run day of the week, and Dad was in it for the long haul with me, as bike support, stocked up with everything I could need over the miles. We headed to the sunrise highway entrance of the bethpage bike trail, where we met up with my MBTT teammate, Tara. The weather was drizzly and cooler than it had been all week, so it was perfect for a run.

She was on board for 12 miles, and we got going on the trail, chatting as we went. We were going to head out and back, 6 miles out and 6 miles back. Of course, Tara is known as a distance bully (and well, I may be too…). As we approached 6 miles, she threw out the possibility that maybe she could run 14 instead of 12, and I latched on to that immediately, happy to have her company for an extra two miles. The miles just slipped by, with the three of us chatting as we went, and sometimes I got to just listen to Dad and Tara chat, and just letting the distance rack up. Before I knew it we were back at the parking lot, and it was time for us to part ways, and time for me and Dad to head out for another eight miles.

My friend Desi wanted to get a few miles in, and was heading to the parking lot to meet us, but was still about 20 minutes out. So Dad and I looped out once more, this time just for two miles, and were back at the parking lot in what felt like half a second, and Desi was there and ready to get running. She is still a fairly new runner, so I had to slow down the pace a little for her, but I am generally content to trade pace for company. Of course, those last six miles were the longest 6 of the day. I could feel myself dragging, and had Dad pull out the emergency bottle of Gu roctane powder drink mix, or as I like to call it, Go Go Juice - and it did just the trick, and gave me the boost I needed to finish up those last few miles.

Dad and I upheld our post long-run diner tradition, refueling with over easy eggs and buttered rye toast. I was freezing by the time we left the diner, and when I got home took a good long shower before changing into comfy pants and putting my legs up. I did reward myself for a job well done with some new compression socks - what can I say, I am a sucker for a good ProCompression sale!

But alas, that was not the end of my running week - I had one more mile to get in! The New Balance 5th Avenue mile, to be specific! Mike and I had signed up to race on Sunday morning, and while I wasn’t sure how running was going to feel the day after a 22 mile run, I was excited to race a mile for the first time.

MIke agreed to do the driving this time, and we headed into the city on that rainy Sunday morning. My legs were tired, but all in all I was feeling good. After a few loops of city streets near central park, we managed to find parking and headed towards race day central. We were able to pick up our bibs on race morning, as NYRR weekly races usually allow, and this time the race giveaway was a hat. We threw our hats on, and then headed into central park to run a half mile warm-up, half to prepare ourselves for the race and half to keep warm, as it was drizzly and a little bit chilly that morning - good running weather, but not great standing around waiting to start running weather. We ran into central park, saw some doggos, mike caught a few pokemon, and my legs acted like slugs, outraged that I dare make them run the day after a 22 miler.

The waves of the race were separated by age and gender, and my wave was the one right before Mike, the 3rd and 4th groups to go. So when we saw the high school age waves going, we made our way over to the start area. Soon enough it was time for me to get into my corral, and I was more nervous than I had expected to be - I had never raced a mile before! I really wanted to finish in under 7 minutes. I hadn’t run a timed mile in over a year, and my old record was 7:14, so at the very least I wanted to beat that.

The race began, and runners chased the pace car down 5th avenue. I hit a pace that felt fast, trying not to get too caught up in the excitement of the start. I settled in, and the pace was hard, but I reminded myself it was only for a mile. The first half of the mile was a gradual uphill too, which was particularly unforgiving. When the road evened out, I let loose, checking the pace on my watch, right around a 7 min/mi. I buckled down, and held strong, even picking up the pace as the finish line came into sight, a 6 still leading the time - official time? 6:53. Heck Yeah!

I headed through the finishers chute, and walked back towards the finish line, and found a good spot to watch out for Mike. A few minutes later I spotted him approaching, looking strong as he came into the finish line - and pulling off a sub 8 minute mile! We munched on our post run bagels, and made our way into central park to get a few more miles in before heading home. My legs were heavy, but I never pass up an opportunity to run with friends.

All in all, it was a great week for mileage. My 22 miler went well, and I felt strong and ready to race, despite my training cycle not going exactly to plan.