2015 Marathon Training Thread: The Year of Discipline

[dudesky1000]

Figured I'd throw this update out there-- My brother had a great race at the Spring Meltdown 10K! Wish I could have been there to see it myself. He finished in 47:29, faster than I had predicted (I thought he would finish more in the 49-50 range) and placed 273rd! Not bad for a first time taking on the Central Park loop, Harlem Hills and all.

Actually, it's a very funny coincidence that he placed 273rd. This is his second race ever, and both races (this and the Al Gordon 4M) he finished in the exact same place, 273rd! To make matters even more coincidental and weird, I have also placed 273rd in the past--at the Manhattan Half 2014! Is 273 a new lucky number for us??? The odds are crazy.

In other news, spring training has begun and I'm making a concentrated effort to slow down my regular run pace to the 8:30-9:00 range as I attempt to up my mileage. Sometime this week, I'll go back to doing the HMP runs that have worked wonders for me, except this time, I'll be doing them at 6:40 instead of 6:52! I also registered for the Bronx 10-Mile and unless anything changes, that rounds out my race schedule for the rest of the year.

[arsenette]

Theheehehe glad things went well for your brother! Did he catch the marathon bug now?

[dudesky1000]

Mar 31, 2015 0:33:11 GMT -5 arsenette said:

Theheehehe glad things went well for your brother! Did he catch the marathon bug now?

Haha, he'll be sticking to shorter races for now, next year maybe I'll convince him to run a Half with me. But the marathon is a loooong ways away for him! He's seen my state after the marathon too many times to voluntarily want to do it LOL.

I'm trying to get him to register for the Bronx 10-Mile to be his 'big' race this year.

[arsenette]

Heh I'm the younger sister of a marathoner (former though) and I can attest.. after seeing my sister after her races.. OH HELL NO. LOL!!!!!!

[dudesky1000]

So, I have officially registered for the NYC Marathon 2015, which rounds out my race schedule for the rest of the year. So to recap, next is the Brooklyn Half in mid-May, then Queens 10K in June, Bronx 10-Mile in September, and Marathon in November. My important training periods are this month (April), July-September, and October.

Again, I've chosen not to do the Staten Island Half not because I have anything against Staten Island (well, maybe) but I've promised to myself that I'm not going to run that until I have my first good marathon. The two are so close to one another (just a few weeks) and I would love to be running my 10th Half at a new race, but this year's just not the year for it. Maybe next time if I can break 3:30 in the marathon this year.

The other race I want to do one day is the NYRR 60K... but... not for a long time. No.

[dudesky1000]

It has been a while since I've made an update and to be quite honest, it has been a while since I've done much running. Just as I said I wanted to pick up my mileage by slowing things down a little in my last update, I got slammed with a nasty chest cold that I simply couldn't shake off. That and the change of seasons has not been too kind to my lungs. I have since been able to get in a few quality tempo runs and long runs, but not much in the way of base mileage. I also was recently ADing a(nother) crazy film shoot that basically put me out of commission for an entire week. It is really tough to balance life and running... and it is frustrating!!!

The Brooklyn Half, my last half of the Year of Discipline, is coming up in about 2 weeks. That makes this week pretty much the last quality week I'll sneak in before I start to taper before the race. I'm trying to focus really hard to make this one count so I can end this part of the year on a high note and go into my late spring and summer running season with confidence. The race report will be coming sometime soon.

As always, any questions about training, throw 'em over my way!

[arsenette]

I hear ya with the chest cold thing.. allergies have been brutal (and I don't normally suffer from allergies). Good luck in your next race!

[dudesky1000]

BROOKLYN HALF 2015 PRE-RACE THOUGHTS

It feels like it was just yesterday that I was lining up at the start of the NYC Half 2015, wearing long skin-tight sleeves, a hat and scarf, shivering my butt off in the cold. And yet, here we are already, in the heat of spring--and it's time for my last Half of the Year of Discipline, a race I am very familiar with and fond of, the Airbnb Brooklyn Half 2015.

I love this race because the course is fast and flat, the energy is wild, the expo and post-race festivities are awesome, and the weather is often beautiful. In fact, this will be my third time running it, the most I will have run any race (with the exception of the Marathon which I will also be doing for the third time this year). In 2013, when I was just really starting this whole crazy thing, I had a really tough race, finishing in 1:37:50. Then, in 2014, I showed up late thanks to subway problems and had to recover from a scrappy start to finally break the 1:35:00 milestone by a matter of seconds. Then, hours later, I landed myself in the hospital!

So... let's quickly run through my goals for this race:
-Show up on time
-Don't end up in the hospital

And the icing on the cake goal:
-Break 1:28:41?!

Things just seem to be getting sweeter and sweeter for me this year. Since last year's race, I have improved my record by almost 6 minutes and have crossed the sub-90 milestone, which I had dreamt about since I started running. I've been injury-free, hospital-free, and I've been exceeding my own expectations in training and in my races. I initially thought that this race would be the break-90-minutes-or-bust race for me, especially being that it would have been my last attempt this year, but having already done it at the NYC Half, I feel as though a ton of pressure has been lifted. I can enjoy this one--no do-or-die time goal to chase.

With that said, I feel as though I've now come to a comfortable point where I won't be crushed if I don't continue to improve my personal record. I'm also just a bit too far away from a sub-85 Half (<1:25:00 time) to think about it as a realistic goal anytime soon. I've had an awesome streak of 7 straight Half Marathon PR's and nobody can take that away from me. 1:28:41 is going to be really hard to beat.

On the other hand, the competitive part of me wants to keep improving really badly. And given my history in this race, and the recurring theme of me underestimating myself, I don't think a PR is outside of my grasp.

So let's talk strategy for a minute:

Success at the Brooklyn Half rests on a strong, calculated start and a lot of stamina. The course begins with a really fast, long, tempting downhill and it leads many a runner to start too quickly. Prospect Park does have one major hill, but it's nothing compared to Central Park and it can also be easy to let yourself get too comfortable here. The real challenge comes on Ocean Parkway, where Stamina and Mental Toughness are key to survival. It's 5 perfectly straight, seemingly endless miles of flat concrete in the heat. If you were too aggressive in the first half, this is where you pay big time (as I did my first time around). If you were conservative, this is where you can take off--the challenge is staying mentally 'in the zone' and maintaining your pace for such a long stretch of time and space.

Here were last year's splits:

1- 8:09.7
2- 7:47.9
3- 7:05.0
4- 7:20.9
5- 7:30.3
6- 7:23.8
7- 6:34.8
8- 6:51.8
9- 6:54.2
10- 6:39.1
11- 6:45.8
12- 6:52.7
13- 6:48.3 
13.27- 1:51.9

Total: 1:34:36

From what I remember, I was forced into a slow start due to my lateness and having to start with the middle of the pack. Once things opened up on Ocean Parkway, I had so much saved in the tank that I was able to kick hard and maintain my pace until the end...but it took everything I had. At the time, I wanted 1:35 so very badly that I think I convinced my body that I really could do it, even if it was more than I could handle.

To start fast and hard and hang on for dear life or run safe and slow and hope to have a boost by the end? That is the question. 

To run a PR here, it appears that I would have to get a MUCH faster start and STILL run the second half the way I did...and even faster! Especially the first mile-- an 8:09 definitely can't happen. The dilemma with the start is, there are very few opportunities to capitalize on downhills (my specialty) on this course and the first mile and a half is perhaps the best one. It's usually never a good idea to 'put time in the bank', but would I be missing out if I played it safe? Is my body fit enough to handle the stress of the downhill at high speeds so early on?

Furthermore, to run a PR at this point, I need to be averaging a sub-6:46 pace pretty much throughout the entire race--and mathematically speaking, that leaves VERY little room for a slow start. This is something that a lot of runners obsess over, especially ones who are not as good at running perfectly even splits over the course of an entire race. Allow me to elaborate:

For instance, say I'm a runner who needs the first mile as a warm-up and I run an 8:09 mile (as I did last year) for my first split. To make up for that mile, I now need to run at least one 5:23 mile to make my goal. I have never run a 5:23 mile in my life, so my next option is to run at least two miles at 6:05 pace... or at least three miles at 6:18...  assuming every other mile has been at exactly 6:46 pace or better, which of course is extremely difficult by itself. Basically, one slow mile can throw you into a very difficult game of catch-up. Two slow miles and you've got virtually no chance.

My bib number is the closest to the start it has ever been in a major race such as this (1806, and yep, you can track me online!), so I should be able to avoid the crowds if I arrive on time, which should help me get a much faster start than last year. It has been a long time since I've really run hard in the heat, so that might be a factor as well, but there is also the chance of rain (which I haven't experienced at a race yet!). So we'll see about that.

Despite all of that mathematical mumbo jumbo, I am heading into this race practically free of pressure and with nothing to lose--I'm going to go as fast as I can, even if that means I'm going to crash, but I'm going to have fun and let loose and enjoy myself and see if I can end my 2015 Half Marathon season with even more of a bang. To take myself one step closer to a sub-85-minute Half attempt in 2016 would be some very sweet icing on this year's cake. With another half year of training before my next Half Marathon (probably Manhattan Half in January), I'm excited just thinking about what I might be capable of next year.

Other than that, I don't have very much to say!

Wish me luck!

[arsenette]

Good luck and have fun this weekend Weather is supposed to be soupy... but at least not friggin' 82 degrees like it will be down here. (I guess you will be on the north side of the front..)

[dudesky1000]

May 12, 2015 1:23:18 GMT -5 arsenette said:

Good luck and have fun this weekend Weather is supposed to be soupy... but at least not friggin' 82 degrees like it will be down here. (I guess you will be on the north side of the front..)

Thanks, yeah it's really beginning to look like it will rain. A lot of people get worried about it but in this case I think it may be to my advantage as I run faster in the cold than I do in the heat. A really hot, muggy day means I'll have to stop at an aid station at some point and that could cost me everything! Think about that--20 seconds to slow down, grab a cup of water, jog slowly enough to make sure it doesn't just splash all over me, chug it, speed up again and WHAM-- now I have to run at least one sub-6 minute mile.

[dudesky1000]

Disregard this post--it's old and you will now find the full Brooklyn Half Race Report below!

[dudesky1000]

AIRBNB BROOKLYN HALF 2015 RACE REPORT:


Now that I'm back from a week-long film shoot in Virginia, a much-needed break from the pavement, I feel well-rested and ready to focus on running again. So here goes nothing--a reflection on what made the best race of my year (and again, best race of my life) so successful!


Going into Brooklyn Pressure Free
At the start of the year, when I realized that a sub-90 minute Half was reachable, I thought that this would be the all-or-nothing race for me. I didn't expect to break it in March at the NYC Half. This race has also always been a bit of a challenge for me, despite there not being many hills. As I said in the pre-race report, it can be really hot in May sometimes, and the seemingly endless Ocean Parkway can make for a really challenging second half of the race.

...But all of that changed in March, when I did manage to finally go sub-90, completely taking the weight off my shoulders. I didn't have to think about time for once, because a 1:25 time goal was out of the question--this one almost felt like a victory lap. I resolved to have as much fun as possible in this race, and to see just how fit I had become over the last year, I promised I would leave NOTHING on the road; I was going to fire away from the start and go as fast as I possibly could, paying attention to effort, not time.

The conditions on race day were perfect: overcast, low-to-no wind, and a coolness in the air. This time, I gave myself TONS of extra time in the morning to make sure I wouldn't be late like last year (my bib last year was in the 5000's but I had to start with the 13000's due to lateness), and by virtue of getting up earlier my body felt very awake and ready to go. This year, my bib was 1806, my highest ever for a race this size, and I really wanted to be sure I wasn't going to miss out.

Ready, GO!
The start of the race was very fast--my corral had the 1:25:00 pace group in it, so most of the guys around me were galloping from the get-go. I was really tempted to go crazy fast as well, but I didn't want to blow up by the end, so I pushed myself but not too hard. The first mile or so is all downhill, and over the last year I really learned how to tackle the downhills as efficiently as possible, so I think that really helped here. That, and the fact that I didn't have to dodge around the crowds. My first mile was a screamer: 7:10. And it would turn out to be my only mile above 7:00 for the entire race. The 1:30 pace group in corrals 2 and 3 both slowly crawled out of my sight, and it only took a few minutes for the 1:25 pacer to disappear forever. 

5k Splits:
Brooklyn Half 2014: 24:11
NYC Half 2015 5k: 21:27
Brooklyn Half 2015: 21:01

Cruising through Prospect Park
This is where the fun really began. Despite the ominous-looking weather, the crowds were out in full force and I remembered how much fun this race is. Apparently, it was the biggest recorded Half Marathon in the US with a field of over 26000! One of my training buddies, the female overall winner of the Long Island Marathon and Brooklyn Marathon, Kelly Gillen, was even there on the sidelines and gave me a shout of support! We did a long run together over the summer with Team Continuum.

Anyway, I still felt really really strong, my body felt loose and pressure free, and although I was working hard for my pace, it was the good hard--the kind bursting with endorphins that makes you feel awesome. I climbed over the only big hill in the park and got ready to ride the steep downhill into Ocean Parkway with another great 5k split.

10k Splits:
Brooklyn Half 2014: 47:21
NYC Half 2015: 42:29
Brooklyn Half 2015: 41:53

Endless Ocean (Parkway)
Here it was: the longest, most daunting flat stretch of road that NYRR has to offer for runners: Ocean Parkway. 5 miles of flat, crowd-less, music-less, sightseeing-less, mind-numbing pain. On a sunny day, this is around the time that the morning sun really starts to set in and heat things up. If you went out too fast (as I did in 2013), you pay big time. On the other hand, if you played your cards right (like I was forced to in 2014), then this is a pretty solid opportunity to gain ground and power through to the finish.

Starting the race so carelessly fast, I was really curious if I would be able to hold up my pace. I came into this section with a really fast 6:05 mile, passed both 1:30 pace teams and put on my battle face. About a mile or two into this stretch, my pace was not so easy to hold up anymore, and 'fun' and 'loose' were beginning to fall out of the equation. This was going to be a fight to the finish, as always.

15k Splits:
Brooklyn Half 2014: 1:08:34
NYC Half 2015: 1:03:06
Brooklyn Half 2015: 1:02:00

The Sky is Falling--Hurry!
As I closed in on the 10-Mile mark, I was well aware that a PR was well within reach. I looked down at the pace wristband I had taken out of curiosity from the 1:25 pacer and saw that I was only about two minutes behind pace--if only I could stay two minutes behind pace at each mile marker, I could safely set a new personal record. The sky also began to look really ominous...extra motivation to speed up and finish strong. But my pace was becoming really difficult to maintain. My breathing felt alright, but my legs were beginning to ache pretty badly and I had to resort to counting down the miles by fractions, which is always a sign of desperation.

I reached the end of Ocean Parkway still about two-minutes behind the 1:25 pace---only a few minutes to go and a PR was so close within reach!!

20k Splits:
Brooklyn Half 2014: 1:29:41
NYC Half 2015: 1:24:09
Brooklyn Half 2015: 1:22:40

RollerCoaster Finish
As I neared Luna Park and the boardwalk, I knew that I was doing really well and that a PR was likely. I was so happy with my performance that the excitement gave me an extra boost--I knew I was in the gravy at this point. I even threw out a few 'knee of justice' leaps in the air as I neared the boardwalk because I was so hyped up. But I must admit, I really don't think I could have been going any faster. I was heaving, red in the face and pounding the ground as hard as I could. My form was diminishing and my muscles were becoming stiff--I was redlining. A 10/10 effort, something we don't really ever do even in races. I barreled toward the finish line and gave a signature battle cry and leap into the air. I took a minute and a half off of my NYC Half time. I was now closer to sub-85 than sub-90. WOOOOOO!!!

My splits:

1- 7:09.6
2- 6:44.1
3- 6:20.9
4- 6:28.0
5- 6:42.3
6- 6:39.5
7- 6:05.3
8- 6:29.5
9- 6:37.9
10- 6:42.6
11- 6:38.9
12- 6:35.1
13- 6:30.3 
13.23- 1:28.2

Official Time: 1:27:11


As I said I went in pressure-free, with no expectations. My goal was to let loose and let it rip! I went pretty much as fast as I could from the start, and though that made for a very, very, VERY difficult fight in the second half of the race, I DID manage to break my PR from NYC Half by a minute and a half! I'm obviously extremely happy about this result, and I think this was absolutely the best I could have done in my current shape. I also placed the highest I've ever placed in a major race, just outside of the top 500 in a field of over 26000. So in the end, I come away more than satisfied with this year's Half Marathon season. I'm over the moon!

That makes it a hat trick of PR's for me this year at Half Marathons, and a net improvement of 7 minutes 25 seconds from my PR exactly one year ago at the very same race--the most I have improved in a single year BY FAR. This Brookyn Half was also my 10th official race, 8th Half Marathon--and my PR streak (now 8 and counting) is still alive!! I never really imagined that I'd come this close, but is 1:25 possible next year? I'm actually closer to sub-85 than I am sub-90 at this point! With 6 months before my next Half ahead of me, I'm excited to take a break from the long races and focus on training and the shorter races. Who knows what I might be able to do with more disciplined training?

Next up--I take on the Queens 10k with my brother in June! It'll be our second race together, our first 'major' race together, and our first 10k together!

Official results:
Finishing Time: 1:27:11 (Avg. Pace 6:39/mile)
Place: 536th out of 26,482

[arsenette]

Loved the open discussion of how you were thinking in each part of the race. Like I said before, it may take a while but I love reading the BIG posts. Love getting inside your head. Good that you didn't try to hotdog to get to the 1:25 PR otherwise you could have reaaaally hurt yourself. Sub 90 was amazing! Crazy being under 1000 in a field of almost 30k. To think you haven't been running all that long. I can't wait to hear what your brother's journey as well! What a crazy hobby to get into. My legs hurt just thinking about it. LOL!!

[dudesky1000]

YEAR OF DISCIPLINE SECOND HALF THOUGHTS

Now that we're delving into the second half of the year, and Half Marathon season has come and gone. Yes--I've had an incredible year already, but there is still more than half to go, and 4 more races to conquer!! With all of that behind me, I'd say it's about time I look forward and start to pay some mind toward what's ahead of me!

4 Races to go; short, shorter, still sorta short, then... MARATHON?!

A quick overview of the rest of this year's races: First up is a favorite from last year, the lone 10K on my calendar, the NYRR 5 Borough Series: Queens 10K. This one is coming up very quickly--in fact, it's next weekend! One of my last remaining time goals this year is to break 40 minutes in the 10K, which is a very tough goal, but I'll be giving it my best shot. I'll be taking a break from racing until the end of August when I'll take on my first cross country race, the Henry Isola Cross Country (4M) in Van Cortlandt Park. I just recently added the race to my schedule because it boasts a very small field (400), and it seems to be a rare opportunity for me to take an Age Group medal--a thought too enticing to pass up. Then, late September, I will once again take to the streets of The Bronx and take on the wacky 10-Mile distance at the NYRR 5 Borough Series: Bronx 10-Mile. The race was a huge confidence booster for me going into the marathon last year and was a lot of fun to break up the monotony of the late summer marathon training. And, finally, to conclude the year, the 'big one', the 2015 TCS NYC Marathon on November 1st... the day after Halloween! 

So there are just as many races ahead of me as there are behind me in 2015. Heck, technically, I have more racing miles in this second half of the year! (The marathon really makes up for the rest!)

Double-Edged Training: Speed and Endurance

Now that I don't have to worry about racing a Half Marathon every other month, which is not only a serious physical grind but also gets in the way of building the base mileage I need for the full Marathon, I can really zone in on two things: raw speed over shorter distances, and durability over longer distances. The first two races, Queens and Henry Isola, won't force me to take a two-week vacation from training, and they'll basically swap out with my long runs that I would have otherwise done on the weekends as really hard tempo runs and time trial workouts. These races will actually contribute to my training as training!

I spent a lot of the first half of the year focusing on Stamina, which is really essential for the Half Marathon distance. For that, I implemented long, devilishly difficult tempo runs into my weekly training. And even though those workouts are extremely useful in general, and I'll still be doing them every once in a while, they're not necessarily the optimal workout for any of my upcoming races.

Now, I can get really excited about speed workouts-- Intervals, Fartleks, Hill Sprints, workouts on the track and so forth. These are the workouts that are going to help me become faster mechanically, and hopefully bring my maximum velocity from the 6:xx/mile range down to the 5:xx range. These workouts will make me stronger, improve my running economy, my form, and my confidence.

On the other end of things, my full Marathon training begins later this month. When I'm not doing speed workouts, I'll be taking it really easy and doing my best to up my mileage per week to where it needs to be for me to finally see some success at the daunting distance. I'll be taking special care to hit my long runs deliberately and only hard when I absolutely need to. For the past three years, I've consistently hit too hard too often, and it has always lead to inconsistent training, low confidence and low mileage. This year, I'll be dialing things back a bit...except for those one or two workouts a week.

Team Continuum Lives On!

Something I really look forward to is getting to train with my friends at Team Continuum once again on Wednesdays and Saturdays. My only 'coaching' time that I get during the year comes during these 4-5 months with them, so not only do I get the benefit of training with a supportive and awesome group of runners, but I get to do so under the watchful eyes of pros. Their advice is always like the yin and the yang as well: John (the current Pro Triathlete and Ironman champion) is the modern-age coach who actually goes on the runs with us, makes hilarious non-running-related conversation during the long runs, is extremely knowledgeable about the modern sports science and has a more relaxed but calculated approach to training, and can make even the toughest workouts fun and enjoyable. Pappo is the wise, old-school coach with the conservative miles-make-champions approach--he's the one who tells me that I 'have a gift' but that I need to work much harder in order to reach my potential. He's got very high hopes for me, isn't afraid to lecture me in the kindest way of how I should be doing this or that, and often tells old stories of when he used to be an elite runner (and he usually tells the same ones over and over again). He's extremely quotable, LOL. "You gotta suck the sponge!" (Advice for during the marathon when they hand out ice-water-soaked-sponges to us).

I've also got NYRR Virtual Trainer on my side!

This year, I once again gain access to the NYRR Virtual Trainer that tells me exactly what I should be doing every day from July onward. Now that I've had the experience of trying to follow it to a tee once, I feel as though I better understand that I should be using it as more of a guide than a literal set of instructions. If I've learned one thing at this point, it's that I know my body better than a computer does!

Brothers Unite!

Perhaps the thing that most excites me about this half of the year is that my brother will be running my next three races with me. That's right! He's got the bug! Why, just today I took him out for his first tempo run. Now, he'll be lining up with the rest of us, ready to race his heart out in Queens, at the Henry Isola race, and in The Bronx. I am very excited to train with him, see how he does and see how he improves over these next several months. And... who knows... maybe, if it goes well enough, he'll be signing up for a Half Marathon next year??? 


See you at the Queens 10K Pre-Race Thoughts!

[dudesky1000]

QUEENS 10K PRE-RACE THOUGHTS

The Year of Discipline gets even more interesting tomorrow, when the NYRR 5-Borough Series continues with my only 10 Kilometer race of the year, the Queens 10K. It's their biggest 10K of the year and can determine your qualification for next year's NYC Half, arguably the most exclusive race that NYRR has to offer. And, unlike last year--because I qualified for the 2015 NYC Half (which counts as a qualifying race), completing THIS race will qualify me for the 2016 NYC Half! Last year I qualified after the Bronx 10-Mile because I didn't qualify for the 2014 NYC Half. Confused yet? Great! Onto this race!

Tomorrow my brother and I are lining up together at a 5-Borough Series for the first time! It's his first ever, by far the biggest race he's entered (his first two were 'classic' races with a reduced field size of around 1,000-2,000, this race is closer to 10,000) and the first time we'll be doing something as big as this together. Very exciting for him!

My bib number is 793 and his is 3786. It's awesome to gain access to the front line corral for another race, and as you can see...my brother is inching his way closer to the front as well!

The course is known for being flat, fast and it's usually known to be literally the 'hottest' of the 5-Borough Series races. However, tomorrow is looking...well... really wet. Thunderstorms are forecast, with little hope for anything else, and they've even pre-eminently delayed the race by an hour! This park is known for flooding and even when it was dry last year, I remember it being slightly muddy as well. So, it seems as though however much we would have been slowed down by the heat will be made up for with sopping wet clothing weighing us down.

Last year, I had an excellent race. It was some of the most fun I had all year and I felt as though I put up one of my best performances! It was the beginning of a really stellar summer of results for me and it was the first time I ever finished a race with a sub-7:00 average pace. I remember it as the first time that I began to notice how much more space there was between me and the other racers on the course and how dramatically the field thins out once you reach a certain pace. I placed pretty high, which was really a shock for me at the time, 255th out of almost 8,500. I was pretty stoked!

This year, I'm coming in with pretty decent training, considering my last race was just a month ago. It has been a year since I've raced a 10K, and considering my major improvements in the Half Marathon this year, I'm coming in with a lot of confidence that I'll be able to improve upon last year's time. That's the goal first and foremost.

As for time goals... well, yes, there's a bit of an ambitious one staring me down. I made it one of my yearly goals at the top of the year to break 40 minutes. Now, considering I chopped over 7 minutes off of my Half Marathon time since last year, a 1:43 improvement in the 10K might not appear to be too tough. But actually, I'm certain that it's going to be extremely difficult. You see, my top speed as of now is around a 6:00/mile pace. That's probably the fastest I can actually make my body go for a single mile during a race. Without downhills, my body can't reliably pull a 5:xx mile out of the bag. And there are no downhills in this race. To go sub-40, I need to average a 6:25/mile. That means, if I run a single mile above 7 minutes, that's basically game over. I'd have to pull multiple miles well below my average pace and... there's not a lot of room between my goal pace and my max speed. So I'll have to have a really good day. And I'll need to surprise myself again. I am confident that I can do it tomorrow, but it will be a fight (as always). We'll see what happens. I'm going to go as hard as I can and that's all I can promise to myself.

My brother is going for sub-45. He's coming in with much less training than me, and he ran a 47:29 at the Spring Meltdown in March, so I like his chances but his goal also going to be a pretty tall order. A lot of people wonder how much a beginner can improve from race to race and the answer is A LOT! But within certain boundaries. Cutting minutes off of a 10K time is really tough. What he has going for him is that he's experienced racing this distance before, on a more difficult course, and that he's got a lot of fighting spirit. His primary goal, like mine, is to just do a PR, but he really wants a sub-45. His tempo run with me went really well, so between that and the adrenaline one gets on race day, I think he can do it!

The part about tomorrow that excites me the most is the out-and-back from Mile 4 to Mile 5.5. As I run toward the finish, I'll get to run past my brother as he's running the other way and I can give him a high-five! Hopefully it'll give him the boost he needs. Hopefully it'll help me too.

Wish us luck! Gotta get some sleep now!

[Madze]

In simple terms, you sir, are just simply awesome. No other way to say it. I have never seen someone who is as committed to his path and doesnt quit AND when you set up a goal, you actually do it. I have loads and loads of respect to someone who does not give up. Good Luck to you and your family and friends. Best regards bro and dont stop.

[dudesky1000]

Jun 21, 2015 4:22:57 GMT -5 Madze said:

In simple terms, you sir, are just simply awesome. No other way to say it. I have never seen someone who is as committed to his path and doesnt quit AND when you set up a goal, you actually do it. I have loads and loads of respect to someone who does not give up. Good Luck to you and your family and friends. Best regards bro and dont stop.

Thank you so much! I still have so much fun doing this and I think that makes it easy for me to keep putting myself out there. I feel lucky to have found something I love to do that it doesn't feel like a chore to commit. When the races come I just try to do my best and leave nothing out there. I definitely won't be stopping anytime soon, for better or for worse.

As for the race...

Wow, that was really difficult. There wasn't a drop of rain but the humidity was real. This will be an interesting post-race report. Still waiting for the official results...stay tuned!

[Madze]

Real nice how you have finished a difficult race and can still go on. Keep me updated on your races cuz it be awesome to hear more!

[dudesky1000]

This was the kind of difficult race that will serve as a strong motivator as I continue my training and strive to improve. There is a lot of room for improvement and a lot to get excited about in the upcoming training season. Having a rough race gets me just as excited for the next one as a really successful race does.

The official results, strangely, have not yet been posted by NYRR. Apparently there was a major switch failure that caused all 7 train subway service to shut down an hour or so before the race, which left runners stranded in the middle of Queens, far from the course, and many who registered did not get to race at all. NYRR did the best they could to accommodate by leaving the start mat (which you need to run over to activate the timing chip in your bib) on the course for an extra hour, meaning that those who still forged their way to the race late still got to run and have their times recorded, but apparently this caused many inconsistencies and severely complicated the scoring of the race. Also, many runners who feel as though they unfairly missed out on the race entirely due to the faulty 7 train and the MTA's inability to provide shuttle buses are demanding credit for the race toward their 2016 NYC Marathon and 2016 NYC Half qualification, because they still paid for the race in full.

NYRR is now in the awkward position of deciding whether or not to credit EVERYONE with the race, or to only credit those who finished the race as per usual. People who are trying to qualify for the 2016 NYC Half are very angry because this could potential mean, if you didn't qualify for 2015 NYC Half (meaning you didn't get to run it and therefore it doesn't count toward your 4 out 6 required 5-Borough Series races), and you skipped out on either the Manhattan Half or Brooklyn Half because you planned on doing the remaining races (Queens 10K, Bronx 10-Mile and Staten Island Half), it's game over--you're effectively disqualified.

Because of this tough decision that has to be made, and the literally thousands of results that have to be vetted after today's mess, NYRR announced earlier today that they need more time to determine the accurate results of today's race and that they will be made available online tomorrow night. So until then, I anxiously await to find out how I placed.

Luckily I did manage to run the race--and I've officially qualified for the 2016 NYC Half!

I'm going to wait for the official results before I do my race report, so stay tuned. This will be an interesting one for sure.

[arsenette]

Uuuuuuugh that's.. awkward.. And yes.. the humidity was real.. Gotta love Northeast Summers..